Thursday, September 27, 2012

Help please! It won't cost you a penny/cent/dime!

This is an unabashed plea for help. Yes, of course I want you not buy my books, but I know that not everyone can. I will have them on Kindle in the not too distant future but until then, I have a big favour to ask. You can even do this if you live outside NZ.
If you want to read any of my books----
1)    Coastal Yarns
2)    Roskill
3)    Talk To Me
Go to your local library and give them the title and preferably the ISBN number.  Get everything from my website

Thanks everyone.

The holidays are nigh! Bring forth the-----

For all of New Zealand’s hard working teachers and teacher aides, the holidays can’t come quickly enough. It has been a long term with and the last week has been particularly difficult. For those who say teachers get too many holidays, try working in a school for a while and handling the myriad of responsibilities that teachers now have.
They are parenting, counselling, planning, social ‘welfaring’ and many other duties. They are tired and many of them will use much of their holidays to prepare, attend training and call-back days, so the term holidays may not be totally applicable.
For some teachers the holidays are a time when recharging their batteries is an essential time; quite a few having only just warded off the winter ills and then succumb in the holidays. They have somehow managed to struggle through the term, fending off the viruses and germs of their charges, only just making it. It seems that they have an ingrained resistance, until they take their foot off the pedal and then their resistance is weakened and the holidays become a time when the body readjusts.
Just when they think they have recovered, it is back to school. Have some kind thoughts for the teachers of your children. Remember them when you hear politicians making yet more plans and changes to add to the workloads of teachers and teacher aides. Better still; take the time to tell them how well they look after your children. Affirmation of how effectively they work is often not something they hear.

Kim DotCom brings NZ Governmnet to its knees!

Yeah, I know, it is a tabloid type header, but that’s how I feel. All of my jokes and criticism aside, I do not like the sight of our Prime Minister apologizing to Kim DotCom, all because of a stupid stuff-up by our security service. It makes NZ look like one big joke overseas and I am not sure that Mr Key should have bowed down so easily.
It appears that he is bending over a little too much lately; firstly to the USA secret service (read US Government) and then to Kim Dot ‘whatever.’. I am sure that the latter will be laughing his tits off (hell, they’re bigger than mine, despite his holiday in prison).
Does all this mean that the saga is over? I doubt it.  Now we may see the spectre of Kim DotCom suing our Government for the stuff-up and he will be laughing all the way to the bank. The whole sorry affair throws into doubt the role of our security service and just who is effectively overseeing that role.
It is quite right that we look at this in depth, through an official enquiry. Heads may possibly role, because you can be sure that any PM would and will try to shift the blame. I hope that the alleged indiscretions of Kim DotCom are thoroughly investigated, but for goodness sake, do it legally. Despite what people say about the man, he must be treated in accordance with NZ law.
The issues this case has raised must result in a better system. We must also retain our genuine independence from the influence of foreign powers and dance only to our own tune.