OK, so Judith Collins may or may not have crossed the line re using her position as Minister of the Crown to give a bit of a boost to the company that her partner happens to hold a high position in. I find it hard to get too excited about all this. For goodness sake, is not the possibility that New Zealand jobs may be gained, a factor in this? I know, that there is a line that has been crossed, and that ‘others’ may say that they don’t have the same access to Chinese officials, simply because they don’t have partners who are Ministers of the Crown. It looks like Judith may have omitted to tell us the full story but once again, flogging this horse is not necessarily going to garner votes for Labour and the other opposition parties. We in the ‘real world’ do not get quite so heated about some of the processes that our MPs get hung up on. The public does not take the same view as our esteemed parliamentarians, so why don’t our politicians get on with telling us about their policies; the ones that will actually make a difference to the lives of ‘most’ New Zealanders,’ instead of playing this pointless game- scoring crap that does nothing to add to the debate about who will lead NZ to a better place. From a ‘purists’ point of view, I know that Judith may be a tad uncomfortable, but I would rather we debate issues that mean a great deal more to the lives of those who are about to cast their votes in September. Once again, I say, let’s talk about Health, Education, Regional development and creating employment. The other stuff is just that---stuff, that only politicians get their rocks off over! The rest of us really are on a different planet. AND---things do come back to bite you in the bum—so be careful, Labour, Greens etc. The Conservatives are watching you closely---or is it GOD!?
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Monday, March 10, 2014
Jack Russell goes eeling. Yuck.
What can I say?---I was walking along the Bay and the tide was out, leaving messy mucky pools that I like Perdy to 'ignore,' because she has this stinky habit of dunking herself in them, after having run around like a manic Jack Russell---oops she is one, so I guess I have to accept that. Today was one of those days when no amount of stern calling from me would fall upon obedient ears. NO---she was hot and needed a 'dunking' to cool off and too hell with the newly about to be acquired stink and new colouration that wouldn't necessarily be acceptable to me.
Not only did Perdy head towards the pool---she seemed to be most attracted to it---not for a dip, but for what it contained. yes, it had water, albeit it water infused with dark brown mud, but something big and wiggly. Such a scene was beyond temptation to a Jack Russell--hell in her world it looked like a barn filled with rats and if you have ever seen that YouTube video of a couple of Jack Russells sending a bunch of rats to 'ratatat heaven,' then you would know what I mean. Perdy was after the wiggly creature, a huge eel. She tired to catch it but at the same time wasn't sure what it was that she was hunting. Fortunately, she did not succeed in 'bringing home the bacon,' and after a while and a good deal of pouncing and sniffing, she left off and returned to me, jumping up, fully intent on changing me to her idea od what a well dressed owner should look like. She wanted me to look dark brown and smell like her! Damn, Perdy---isn't that taking love just a little too far!
www.authorneilcoleman.com
Not only did Perdy head towards the pool---she seemed to be most attracted to it---not for a dip, but for what it contained. yes, it had water, albeit it water infused with dark brown mud, but something big and wiggly. Such a scene was beyond temptation to a Jack Russell--hell in her world it looked like a barn filled with rats and if you have ever seen that YouTube video of a couple of Jack Russells sending a bunch of rats to 'ratatat heaven,' then you would know what I mean. Perdy was after the wiggly creature, a huge eel. She tired to catch it but at the same time wasn't sure what it was that she was hunting. Fortunately, she did not succeed in 'bringing home the bacon,' and after a while and a good deal of pouncing and sniffing, she left off and returned to me, jumping up, fully intent on changing me to her idea od what a well dressed owner should look like. She wanted me to look dark brown and smell like her! Damn, Perdy---isn't that taking love just a little too far!
www.authorneilcoleman.com
China 'burps' and the whole world faints!
OK, maybe that was a bit much for a ‘header,’ but I am merely making the point about how much the ‘worm had turned.’ Oops, there I go again. Once upon a time, the world plunged in to recession, or to be more blunt, the worst depression in the last century, when the USA ‘whacked the world’ with the stock market crash. The flow-on effect continued right up to (and some say beyond) WW2.
In the 21st century, the USA still retains a massive influence on the world economy, but now, if China stops its economic catch-up to the USA, then something akin to what we saw in 1929 could easily happen again. Our near neighbour, Australia would just about shut up shop as the exports it digs from the ground dry up. For New Zealand, the same issue would cast doubt on our ability to pay our way in the world. While we do not export much in the way of mineral wealth (maybe the iron sands would come into that though) we are still overly dependent on China and those countries that trade with China.
So when China slows down, even by relatively small amounts, we shudder as we see our export figures take a tumble. If China continues to grows, be it at a more modest rate, then we will manage our way through the ups and downs of economic cycles, but there is little we can do, other than diversify as much as we can; hoping that the China-growth-syndrome,’ does not knock out our other markets.
The fact that China is now well and truly part of the ‘world economic order,; is good in that the threat of a real-gun-toting-bomb dropping war,’ is lessened, except for those regional ‘bushfires,’ that seem to fuel the ‘military-industrial- complexes of the ‘old order.’ They need instability in order to maintain their obscene profits.
So---please china---don’t burp! ---Just let it out kinda slowly---politely.
An 'essential part of training, I would have thought. 'Leave a message why don't you'---but please use your brains!
I am sure most of you will have some form of technology that allows callers to leave you a message, be it on your landline or your cell phone---or any other type of communication ‘equipment’ that I am not familiar with. Messaging is a convenient way of keeping in touch, managing communication in general and helping to avoid missing out on the interactions that are important to.
Having this capability however, does not guarantee that everyone is on board with the ‘etiquette’ of leaving a message. ‘What,’ you say, ‘is there etiquette involved?’ Well yes there is, I say---but it is really common sense.
Think about this for a moment then cast your mind back to those occasions when you have been left a message by a colleague, a business acquaintance or anyone wishing to leave contact details, because they think you do not have their number. They ring and then leave a message about the details they require and right at the end, they leave their number. If they have had a particularly long ‘informative session’ and then only added the number at the end, in a garbled, ‘last second additional thought’ type message,’ then you are in trouble; not only because you didn’t quite get the number but because you have to roll through the message again in order to hear the garbled nonsense that is supposed to be a ‘contact’ detail.
What in earth do people do this—it is frustrating, annoying and downright bad etiquette and yes---business practice. Fir the life of me, why can’t those who train their ‘people’ make this a feature of their training induction programmes. I wonder how many vital pieces of information have been lost and new possibilities been put on hold, simply because the ‘caller’ is so damned stupid or ‘unprofessional.’
Having said the above, I better be damned careful that I live up to my words of ‘enlightenment.’ Oh----- here’s my contact details for responses and downloading my books. At least you can scroll down or up with this type on communication!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Election 2014 (part 3) Now we know it is in September.
OK, we have a date. The PM ha announced that September is the time because it will gel in nicely re the G20 meeting that is going to be held soon after and if NZ is going to reap some benefit from that, we need the election over and done with so that the PM, whoever it is (is he giving up?) will be up and running.
OK, let the campaign begin and lets identify what the real issues are. We don't need the sideshows and personality issues but we all know that this is what we will get. National is well ahead in the polls and Labour and the Greens have a huge job ahead of them if they wish to make inroads into that lead. They will not do so if they concentrate on 'who went to China and endorsed milk!' Get real and tell us about, education (Charter schools and real moves to increase the achievement of Maori and Pacifica children, not massaged figures about imaginary successes). Tell us what your plans are for health, for building up NZ enterprises so that jobs are created for NZers. Restore the R and D budget from the State to encourage the real creation of jobs. Look to enhancing life and opportunity in the regions, so that Auckland is not top heavy.
Forget about the wannabe parties. They do not have a future. I put KDC and his party in that category along with the Conservative party; the one led by the 'I'll sue your pants off,' bloke.' Neither of these two parties will do much to improve life for NZers, but in the spirit of true democracy, I am the last to try to suggest that they should not stand--I'm just saying that they are a 'wasted space.'
We are not like the 'Dear Leader' country where there is no choice, but it would be great if NZers actually got out and voted--we must participate in the process of electing a Government, because we believe that being heard is up to us. Staying 'silent' by not voting is turning your back on our country.
Let the great debate begin and after the results are in, how about we accept the results, knowing that we conduct elections in NZ that are for the most part---fair and not tainted by corrupt officials in the pay of megalomaniac leaders. We do not need to 'hit the streets' because the election has been stolen. That can only happen if we let it!
www.authorneilcoleman.com
OK, let the campaign begin and lets identify what the real issues are. We don't need the sideshows and personality issues but we all know that this is what we will get. National is well ahead in the polls and Labour and the Greens have a huge job ahead of them if they wish to make inroads into that lead. They will not do so if they concentrate on 'who went to China and endorsed milk!' Get real and tell us about, education (Charter schools and real moves to increase the achievement of Maori and Pacifica children, not massaged figures about imaginary successes). Tell us what your plans are for health, for building up NZ enterprises so that jobs are created for NZers. Restore the R and D budget from the State to encourage the real creation of jobs. Look to enhancing life and opportunity in the regions, so that Auckland is not top heavy.
Forget about the wannabe parties. They do not have a future. I put KDC and his party in that category along with the Conservative party; the one led by the 'I'll sue your pants off,' bloke.' Neither of these two parties will do much to improve life for NZers, but in the spirit of true democracy, I am the last to try to suggest that they should not stand--I'm just saying that they are a 'wasted space.'
We are not like the 'Dear Leader' country where there is no choice, but it would be great if NZers actually got out and voted--we must participate in the process of electing a Government, because we believe that being heard is up to us. Staying 'silent' by not voting is turning your back on our country.
Let the great debate begin and after the results are in, how about we accept the results, knowing that we conduct elections in NZ that are for the most part---fair and not tainted by corrupt officials in the pay of megalomaniac leaders. We do not need to 'hit the streets' because the election has been stolen. That can only happen if we let it!
www.authorneilcoleman.com
Dogs do smile!
People often make the claim that dogs smile. I used to put this down to 'ownership pride.' Since aquring my Jack Russell, I have had to revise my former view that the doggie parents were just exhibiting an extension of the same traits they had for their kids---you know the one----'my kids the best in the world.' Well, that's OK with me, because I too feel that pride or love or whatever it is that is peculiar to those of us who ave furry friends in our 'families. Take a look at the picture and tell em that Perdy is NOT smiling. Nah, don't, becuase if I think she is, she damn well IS!
www.authorneilcoleman.com
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| Of course she's smiling! |
OH goody---it's election time in the land of 'Dear Leader.'
The most famous comedian in the world must surely be the’ Dear Leader’ of North Korea or should I say the Democratic Republic of North Korea. This hidden menagerie has been off the planet for the last 60 or so years and the system that they have devised must certainly be one of the most unusual on earth. The fact that they include the term Democratic in their name is of course not the only case of such ‘missing-the-point’ descriptors. If it wasn’t for the suffering of the ‘Dear Leader’s’ people, it would indeed be funny, but I doubt many could find humour is mass starvation and human rights abuses.
Take for example the actual process for the upcoming election: One must register---OK I can go along with that; then voting is compulsory and that too is not the craziest of notions, given that other countries also have such a rule, in which it is possible to enter an informal vote. It is from that point though that the picture becomes even more farcical. One collects the voting paper, on which there is only one ‘sanctioned’ candidate, chosen by the ‘Party, and endorsed of course by the ‘Dear Leader,’ who in his wisdom and all-knowing of everything that is important for his survival, makes the best decisions for his ‘kingdom.’
One fills in the paper, voting either ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ Of course if your choice is, ‘no’ you need to go through to another alcove, one that is clearly labelled as the ‘no’ vote. Who in their right mind, and after having endured a system that has basically been perpetrated for 60 plus years, thereby enhancing the rigidity of the said system, would ever vote no? Maybe some have but they would have signed their own death warrant. ‘Few people would come out of the ‘re-education’ camps, alive or at least severely unscathed, mentally or physically.
Even North Korea’s near neighbour, the might China, looks like a land of opportunity, compared to North Korea. I am sure they wriggle with embarrassment at the goings on in the ‘mad kingdom’ across the border. What is even more worrying is that the Dear Leader had his crazy finger on the switch that could rain death and destruction on the people of the region. That his people starve and live in a manner that is more akin to that of mediaeval Europe, tells a great deal about this megalomaniac, murderer. At some point, China is going to need to take action, least the scourge that lives across the border causes an end to China’s so-called economic miracle(for some, but not all). Still, I know which country I would rather live in, one party state or not! It ain’t the land of Dear Leader!
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