WE all knew that John Key would put his spin on the figures for the referendum.

OK, we all do it. We interpret figures which ever way suits us and the latest bullshit that John Key is shoving at us re the figures for the asset sale referendum is a prime example of just how creatively deluded he can be. He says that 67% is very low considering that only 43% of the people bothered to vote. That is of course true and no amount of moaning from those of us opposed to the selling of our assets can change that. The real enemy here is the apathy of NZers. They simply don't care!
However, before JK gets too secure in his rebuttal of the 67%, he should also acknowledge that the vote in 2011 was also one in which the turn-out was not an historically high one. His party may have been the biggest but he came up way short of a majority of eligible voters. So, when you listen to his 'arguments' about the populace not being behind the move to scrap asset sales, take that into account. He and his party are a very much minority Government and he does not have the mandate of the people for his plans. Add his nasty snivelling comments (and you can expect more of the same) and you get the full picture of how he intends to fight Labour and the Greens.  Hopefully they make sure that they don't fall into the same pattern of pathetic responses, no matter how much they are goaded. They would be just playing into his dirty hands.
 www.authorneilcoleman.com
 

ROSKILL---DOWNLOAD IT FOR XMAS! Get your Kindle from the link on my website!

If you have a Kindle, go and download ROSKILL, a book that students are using for their 'responses' in NCEA (Level 1) and a book that all teenagers should read, along with their parents. ROSKILL asks the big questions: What would you do if your partner took a dark turn to the world of 'P'? What help is there when things go terribly wrong? Who can teenagers turn to when their world is torn apart?
I haven't got a Kindle, you say. That's OK; you can get one by following the link on my website
www.authorneilcoleman.com  or you can use any reading APP. Most laptops and computers have that now. Help me to get the message put about ROSKILL by passing the link to my website on to your circles and friends.
Have a very Merry Xmas my friends! (the first of many such wishes.)

 

Bariatric surgery, 8 months on--was it worth it?

I have absolutely no doubts about my decision to undergo Bariatric surgery. I have heard and read about horror stories of the difficulties some people have had re their procedures and I know that some people put much of the weight they lost, post surgery. For me, there were no hooks or bad experiences and that is down to luck as much as attitude or any other factors. I still do not advocate this pathway for all 'morbidly obese' people as we are all different. All I can say is that it has worked for me. As for putting the weight back on:  That is a physical and economic 'no-brainer,' apart from the metal health issues associated with that. Why on earth would I spend NZ$17,000 only to then see it all go to waste because I couldn't keep my hands off food? I think that is where the huge support I have received comes in, from family (particularly my sister) and friends along with the good medical back-up. Without that, my journey may well have been different. So, it is the combination of my own determination, good preparation, medical and 'support' generally that have help me to a successful result.
I have stabilized on about 77 kilos and that represents a loss of 43 kilos or about 35% of my former body weight. I seem to have settled on this weight for about a month now and it hardly varies now. I continue to eat multiple small meals a day as that suits me best. I rarely go more and a few hours without some sort of snack. I never miss breakfast and all of my meals are about entrée sized. I have not lost my love of food, especially the preparation and love of new recipes. It is only the 'quantity and quality that has changed. I still love to cook for people and to blog my successful 'inventions,' especially if it involves the use of my 'solar oven. See my other blogs for reports on that contraption.
My food bill has gone down and my clothing bill way up. I love shopping for clothes now; at the malls and shops and online. Of course there have been a few beneficiaries of the cast-offs as I have gone through many size reductions. Hell, sometimes I have not even worn the new clothes as the weight-loss transformed me before I had a chance to wear them!
There are of course the other benefits to losing all that weight:
Gone---Diabetes (type 2)
Gone--Sleep Apnoea
Controlled----Cholesterol.
Vastly reduced---High blood pressure.
Increased----energy levels
Enhanced---self-esteem and a sense of wellbeing.
Now, all I need is to be commissioned by a large publishing house to write a book. Yeah right!

Do you want o know more about BS? Go and do the research along with good advice from your doctor. Go well.
www.authorneilcoleman.com

 the big me!

And now!

We can go places together now---such fun!

 

 

 

Some cats think they are 'purfect.' Well this ne just likes to belong!

 This is my sister's cat, Gracie, named after our dear mother. They had a bit in common. Both knew or know how to rule the roost. Don't be fooled by that calm looking demeanour. She's just waiting to pounce!

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Is the position of Holden, Ford, and others, the sign of things to come in Australia?

If you work at Holden in Australia or one of the companies that contribute to the manufacture of this iconic Aussie car then you you can be forgiven for feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the impending demise of the whole car industry in your country. We have seen it before and we are starting to hear rumblings from Toyota about their manufacturing presence in Australia. Has this not been obvious for quite some time? Without generous government subsidies to the above companies, the situation would have been done and dusted years ago, just like happened in New Zealand, albeit on a smaller scale.

I am saddened by the prospect re the looming job losses and the skill packages that goes with them. Why has this happened? It comes down to profit, nothing else; the fact that other manufacturing bases can make the same ‘products’ for considerably less is the main driving force. What has delayed the process is the willingness of successive governments (in NZ and Australia) to pour in money to keep these businesses in place.

What has also changed is the ‘unwillingness’ of the public to pay higher prices for cars and other products. They would rather have a sector of society unemployed and receive the benefits of cheaper cars than dig into their pockets for yet more subsides to keep the jobs in Australia. Now that there is a new ‘market-orientated government inhabiting the corridors of power in Australia, we will see the demise of many industries. They don’t care about the losses that will ensue for society as a whole. Why would they; they are simply part of the trough that feeds the same shareholders and companies, whatever country they originate from.

The blame for this situation cannot be left with them alone however. China the now fully emerged giant, has made changes that cannot be reversed. Millions of people from the countryside have moved to the huge cities and they work in conditions that many in the ‘West’ would not consider fair or even legal. But is you are one of those working in such conditions, you would hardly complain, because the choices are limited; stay in the countryside on a tiny farm, eking out a living (it used to be huge state farms) or try your chance at the new life in the city. Yes, there is an emerging middle class that is going to become more strident in its demands for a better life but these ting take time. That ‘percolator’ of human rights struggle will eventually make gains, perhaps purely because Chinese society is ‘aging;’ meaning fewer workers in the future. The ramifications of that may be that the massive movement in China will be matched in other near neighbours in Asia and elsewhere, and the ball will begin to roll in new directions.

Either way, the process of ‘reindustrializing’ in Australia will continue. It has only just begun and the future is unknown. I very much doubt that those who have jobs at the moment will see a ‘bigger picture; one that would involve a return to the past where more are employed but payment will be less, along with prices that they would reject for the goods they buy that seem so essential.

History has taught us many lessons and nothing remains constant except human greed for the things we perceive as ‘needs’ not ‘wants.’ There will be more Australian companies going to the wall and more China’s entering the stage. Those at the top will as usual come out smelling of roses. This is as it has always been, at any time in history, in any country. It is just the labels, names and regional differences that do the ‘makeovers.’

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Who needs Ponsonby's Franklin Road when you can have your own little world of light---the solar way!

Franklin Road on Ponsonby is without a doubt a wonderful sight. Take your kids there, if you can get anywhere near it. Wander down the road. It is much better than crawling along behind other cars, hoping like hell that you won’t get rear-ended by some other distracted driver. If it’s all too much, just create your own little world of lights, using the solar option. Yes, here I go again. I have lambasted you with my solar oven stories (and there are lots more to come!) and no doubt mentioned a few times, my solar water heater. If I had been born with a more mechanically sided brain, I would have probably managed to learn to do ‘my own thing,’ completely converting my home to one that is ‘off the grid.’ IN the meantime, I just spend silly amounts of money on my little ‘projects’ and light up my world in all sorts of weird and wonderful ways. I don’t need Xmas to base my obsessions on. It’s like that all year!

Now, go and download ROSKILL to your Kindle or other reading App.

www.authorneilcoleman.com

They are not candles!

My favourite, especially when I arrive late at night!

Enjoy the diversity that is Auckland.

I have written a few blogs about the need to develop the ‘regions’ so that Auckland is not the only engine driving the New Zealand economy. I have often stated that we need some sort of incentive package to lure would-be New Zealanders and those already here to the regions. Most people would agree that we need a vibrant ‘other New Zealand,’ one that has all the benefits of a big city, albeit on a smaller scale. That does not mean that I don’t like Auckland!

Living in this ‘big city, for New Zealand,’ has many wonderful attributes;’ namely those based on its diverse population. A large number of Aucklanders were not born in this fair city, me included. Many came from overseas; myself from the ‘Naki’ as some say for the beautiful province with the mountain—Taranaki.

The diversity is played on numerous platforms, including the festivals and the foods on offer at market days and in the myriad shops that now line our streets. Then there are those special occasions; for instance the one I went to yesterday; the marking of the arrival of a young baby to the family that lives next door to me. They happen to be Indian and they invited all of the neighbours to a lovely celebration at a hall not too far away. We were welcomed and invited to write a message on a large card then it was a celebration of their wonderful food. My neighbours were gracious hosts and made sure we knew what we were eating. For me, it was a matter of trying nearly everything on offer; in miniature form, because of my reduced capacity to fill the plate now. I loved the day and went home happy and replete (but not uncomfortable) and then walked my dog at my favourite place; thinking how lucky we are and that all we need to do to build a caring neighbourhood is to reach out and share that which we hold precious---our collective cultures.

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Yes, there were people there and we all wnet up on stage and had our pictures taken with the family.