Spook – A Much Admired Acquaintance…

My purpose on this blog is to wax lyrically on issues which I have an interest – there’s no formula, no specific subject, no plan, no direction. I write in the main about the Philippines, travel, culture, conservation and politics.

Since I began it, and because I have a rating system at the end of each post, I am open to criticism.

I don’t mind negative comments, but those which are anonymous will generally be given short thrift. I have received some rather cutting ones from Chinese folk, but that’s mainly because of my stance on the Summer Palace artifact auctions.

I don’t know how Bardiness will grow – I am slowly developing a world-wide readership (the map below is indicative). Whether I write from the Philippines or the UK, I know that I have a conduit to express myself.

And so I am taking time out to acknowledge a special reader. His name is Kevin and uses the moniker “Spook”. Kevin responds to my posts quite often and I greatly appreciate his contribution.

He was one of those unfortunate victims of Mad Bob Mugabe’s Zimbabwe – who forced him out of his country (Rhodesia), stole his land and had to watch helplessly as his country turned from the bread basket of Africa into the basket case it is today.

He now lives in Ireland, and suffers from a hearing problem. His blog post One Night and it is gone is a wonderfully articulate account of his experience. It’s beautifully written, and stands out as a work of true distinction.

Whilst his disability is profound, he has not allowed it to impair his judgement, and he is passionate about the world around him.

He was a very popular lensmaster on Squidoo, but that platform no longer exists. He is now on WordPress, where he continues to write exceptional, meaningful, thought provoking and entertaining articles.

I am proud to use my blog Bardiness to acknowledge a true man of measure. I value him and say thank you!