Fond memories

It was my pleasure to have met Percy (Erceg) on many occasions, appointed liaison by the TRU for North Auckland and NZ Ma¯ ori teams’ games in Taranaki. Percy was one of three selectors for NZ Ma¯ ori, all with different personalities. Percy always the perfect gentleman, Sol Hepare, from Petone, big and jovial, and Waka Nathan, salesman extraordinary for Steinlager. Memorable times.

G G HERBERT Cooper’s Beach who clamour to shut down opposing views. I wonder what ‘constructive change’ Mr Parsonson has in mind? GEOFF PARKER

Kamo latest methods of confusion being trotted out. Pupils did well. Parents were very supportive, some sitting in on classes.

A big drop in salary was more than compensated for by fishing, boating, friendships, and the Northland lifestyle there was now time for. HAMIORA

Kerikeri unsuccessful for 120 months, so the fact that she became pregnant after arrival in Australia could be as high as one chance in 120 (a probability of 1/120). However, she was previously unsuccessful with IVF, which should have improved her chances dramatically, say by a factor of 100. Ignoring her natural decline in fertility with age, her chances of getting pregnant unassisted would therefore reduce to less than 1/12,000 (1/120 x 1/100).

What are the chances of that infertile Moslem woman receiving Christian prayer for pregnancy? Actually unheard of, but let’s say 1/1000.

Now here’s the coincidence. What is the probability of her getting promptly pregnant immediately after receiving that prayer? It’s probably no better than 1/1000 x 1/12,000 = 1/12,000,000, one chance in 12 million. Since K McN likes percentages, that’s 0.000008 per cent.

The question really is, how small does that probability have to be before one grudgingly admits that it was probably miraculous? Probably infinitesimal?

JOHN MATTHEWS

Mangonui