Roskill is now with a 'publicist.'

Watch this space. I expect some action after all the good work done for me by the group who made Roskill 'better.' Along with media releases, distribution efforts and going a conference, finally, I am not on my own. Go to my site for downloading and ordering Roskill.
www.authorneilcoleman.com   Spread the link!
 

Dogs galore on a 'stay at home morning.'

Today was going to be a nice long walk with two dogs and friends to Kakamatua Inlet. We were then going to the Huia Café for a late breakfast. Well, things didn't quite turn out like that. The 'wheel of fate' intervened in a not unpleasant manner.
My sister had arrived, all wrapped up and ready to go, although by that time we had decided that maybe the weather out west may concur to force us into a change of plans. The change most definitely happened but not quite in the way you would expect.
Our friend arrived with her pooch, Milo, much to Perdy's delight----shenanigans ahead folks! However once through the gate and inside where the usual doggie greetings took place; you know, the personal sniffing and unabashed sticking of noses in places that humans usually avoid! We heard the sound of whimpering at the gate---a stranger had appeared---the canine type. Upon investigation we observed a forlorn looking Fox Terrier, complete with lead, urging us to let 'him' in to join the fun.
It was pretty obvious that he had followed out friend down the drive, but where on  earth had he come from? We did not know of any such dog in the near vicinity. I took him by his lead and he meekly followed me back up the drive. No anxious owner prowling  the street. I took him back into the warm house and rang the number on his collar and the Council, much to their credit quickly linked us up with the owner, who informed is that she had left "Mason" tied up safely up at home a few streets away, but he had 'broken free' to explore the world. She was amazed that he had come so far, on a very busy road.
The doggie mum asked if we could keep him with us until she could get away from work, which was quite a distance away. The hour turned into two hours but in the meantime this lovely dog made himself at home and being an older dog than the two 'crazies' at out place, he managed to put-up with the antics, which included a great deal of pseudo-humping amongst the sniffing and frolicking that Jack Russells and Milo type dogs do!
Part of the original plan was to take the two dogs for a walk/run, terrorize walkers type morning followed by a nice brunch at a café. It was becoming increasingly obvious that the latter was not going to happen. We decided to cook up a café style breakfast so on went the bacon, mushrooms stuffed with soft cheese, scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes with toast. Yeah I know---I am not able to eat all that, but take away the toast and lessen my meal size and I do pretty dammed well and NO----I have not put on an ounce of weight since reaching my 'new me' size.
Of course the dogs partook of the bits and pieces that 'feel on the floor.' Lets say---Mason had settled in as if he had known us for ages. Being an older dog, he seemed to know the score when 'visiting'--hey he might want to come back!
Finally, the owner of Mason arrived at the gate. My sister had given up on the walk and gone home. Mason's mum was friendly and very appreciative of our efforts to keep her boy safe. Indeed she made that very clear by giving us a nice box of goodies. That was not expected. I think that 'real doggie owners,' look after the pooches of others, when things aren't going well. Wouldn't it be nice if that was the case for some of the kids out there!
We said our goodbyes and I offered the sanctuary and fun of my place any time Mason wanted to visit, preferably by the more accepted means---with his MUM.
It all ended well and Perdy and I headed for our beloved Onehunga Bay. I wonder what else is in store for us this weekend, eh Perdy!

Perdy, Milo and 'visitor,' Mason.

What goes around comes around...yum. The unexpected reward.

 

My struggle with cannabis!

I bet that header got some of you who know me well wondering if you had me all wrong. OK---it was just to get your attention, so now I shall describe the 'battle within', in terms that reflect my real thoughts, garnered over many years as a school counsellor.
Ask any teacher what the effects on learning are for young people who do more than 'dabble' in the world of cannabis (and other substances) and how their lives can take a turn from which they never fully recover. Ask any 'long-term user' of cannabis if they would have taken the same pathway if they could 'go back.' I expect to see some strong denials to my postulations, and I think I know from whence they will come!
My thoughts are driven primarily for the young people who I work with. I am not going to worry about the arguments you old buggers use, expressing your freedom of choice and all the arguments that go along with the 'medical use of this possibly useful drug.' As far as I am concerned, you have made your bed, so go sleep in it and yes, I want to see the use of cannabis re medical reasons legalised, researched and acted upon.
Having said that, I am sure the befuddled minds of those wishing nothing more than to be able to wile away their days, sucking on some lovingly rolled  joint, and complaining that they can't get work because of some 'dastardly cruel employment rules that curtail one's right to work in jobs that require clear herds.' Deal with it dudes! Yes, I include any 'substance' re the former statement.
My concern is always going to be for the young people and how the legalization of cannabis will affect them. The situation in any school is such that at any one time, you can take it as fact that there will be significant numbers of students who are attending class in a 'stoned' state. Sure, for some of them, it may not cause problems to the learning of others, especially if they are in that 'zoned out' state of equilibrium that is more one of 'quiet contemplation,' rather than the buzzy problematic place that does challenge the learning environment.
These students in the problematic state, 'steal' the educational chances for other students, taking unnecessarily from the efforts of already hard-pressed teachers, to instil something that looks like 'learning' for teenagers. That is the teachers job---to help kids to learn and anything that takes away form this task is problematic for the future of our young people----and the nation.
There is little doubt that students who use cannabis regularly (and some would say intermittedly) figure far more highly in the makeup of those who drop out of school or who leave with few qualifications. I know there are exceptions to that statement and hopefully those of you who say that 'I'm just fine---nothing about cannabis use has affected me'---you should have stopped reading this by now and gone and had another joint!)
There is also a great deal of research that points to the links between young people using cannabis and impaired mental health; some to the degree that their useful lives re the workforce an d other life opportunities, is effectively damaged to the point that they become disconnected to society and economically disadvantaged, to say nothing of the possibility of becoming part of a darker world that involves crime. Of course I am not saying that to take 'dope' is propelling young people into an 'underworld!' Well-----maybe not, but possibly, YES.
My argument is based around the premise that the teenage years are critical in the development of all aspect of a person's life and that many of the 'things they do,' can influence the subsequent direction of their lives. That is a taken. For those who succumb to any substance, particularly cannabis, but also the 'newbies' on the block, plus the ones that have existed for generations, there are going to be problems. Most of us find a 'balance,' but for some, this period is a time of danger. Yes, we have to mitigate against this danger, even if that treads on the 'aspirations to express freedom,' for those us, well and truly beyond our teenage years. Lets have that freedom, but please----put in some real effort to nurture our precious young people---our future!
www.authorneilcoleman.com

Hyundai I.20---is it better than my trusty Gezt? Do I change over?

About two years ago I had my Hyundai accent (2000 model) serviced and they gave me a courtesy car for the day. It was a Hyundai 2010 Gezt. By the time I handed it back after collecting my serviced ‘old car,’ I just had to buy the damn thing. It was a ‘want’ rather than a ‘need,’ but nevertheless I went ahead and ‘did’ it. There were no regrets as the little slightly less powered Gezt has been a delight to drive and very reliable. Now 123,000 kilometres later, it is still going a treat.

Today, I dropped the Gezt off for servicing and the y gave me new I.20. I didn’t expect much difference and from what I had read, that seemed to be a good place to start. I did learn from a bit of research that the new I.20 has a five star safety rating, something very important these days and it was reported to be a little bit peppier and more miserly on the gas than my current car.

OK, I picked it up and the controls were much the same. It had that ‘new car’ smell that we all like and once on the motorway it purred along, just a tad quieter than my older car. I did not speed, just in case the guys at the workshop are reading this! Perhaps it is a tiny bit perkier; do I put that down to it being a new car or is it a bit more sophisticated?

My overall rating; one that would inform me as to whether I do a change over in about a year’s time when I propose to buy my first ever ‘new’ car----maybe yes, but possibly not. If I can, I think I could go for the I30 or new Accent. That little it of extra room (although I think the new I.20 may even be slightly bigger than the one I have at present.) and obvious power difference, may swing the day, but price considerations will need to be seriously looked at---come the day. Would I be satisfied if I had to settle for the I.20?  Yes I would, but I may also consider a Suzuki Swift Sports model too---now that has some guts!

In the meantime, it’s going to be back to my trusty Gezt, this afternoon, when I drop the gleaming white I.20 back to its home.

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Egypt's shame---who is silent over this attack on freedom of the press? Is there a 'bigger target?'

The people of Egypt poured into eh streets during the Egyptian Spring, their hearts full of hope for a better future, one in which they could express themselves and be free from state sponsored tyranny. We saw the demise of the Mubarak regime, then this was followed by an elected Government, comprised mainly of the Muslim Brotherhood. It seemed that this Government was going down the same road as its predecessor, so the people came out onto the streets again, only this time the army intervened and it looked for a while that stability and at least a 'nod' towards freedom was going to be achieved.
Alas, this did not happen and now we have the spectre of a Government at war with its people and basic human rights being consigned to the rubbish bins of lost dreams. We also see an attack on the freedom of journalists to report the news, and their subsequent arrest and court appearances. Of course such practices are not limited to Egypt. One only has to look at Turkey to see the same actions, on  the part of the state.
The Aljazeera journalists who have been sentenced to a seven year prison term under the pretext that they were supporting the Muslim Brotherhood is shear rubbish and that the Government is 'leaving it to the judiciary,' only exemplifies the fact that the judiciary has got things very wrong.
The USA suspended military aid for a while but then we hear that they have released the half billion dollars while at the same time, criticising Egypt for its actions. Other western countries and some Asian, have made their positions clear. What is not so obvious are the voices of discontent from other major nations, including most of Africa, China and of course Russia, because they too have policies that detract from the freedom of the press.
The UN has been critical of Egypt as has the EU, but not the afore mentioned countries. OK, we can see the reason for that---they do not allow or value freedom of the press, but the family of nations who do---should unite and pressure Egypt and hold back on giving aid: humanitarian, military or any form of cultural exchange, until Egypt releases the journalists. It would be naïve of me to assume that Egypt will make any real changes to improving the freedom of reporting the news, but at least we can influence the fate of the 'three.'
To be consistent, we need to extend sanctions on all countries who flout that most basic of freedoms relating to the press, but that is not going to happen because economic concerns overrule human rights in the bigger picture.
In writing this blog I am acutely aware of the double standards re the issues I have raised. Basic human rights are trodden on in most of the world and little is done to bring that to an end.
THUS---this is a very strange blog in that the writer is almost saying that he is uncomfortable with his stance---Egypt is an easy target because that country has little influence on the world economy, apart from its strategic position in the Middle-East.
Let therefore the anger that is being fired at Egypt, take a wider target and let the fight for freedom of the right to report the news be expanded along with the far bigger issues of poverty and----get the picture? There are many battles to be won, so we find targets that are more accessible and easier to hit! Egypt---you are the target of choice at the moment.

Become a follower.

Follow your dreams, follow a recipe and many other forms of 'following' are possible. Become a follower of my blogs and you will get an automatic notification when I post a blog. You already know the many issues I write about and that is not about to stop. I need followers in order to take on the big 'boys and girls' in the world of writing and publishing. Sure, this is also all about getting my books 'out there.' I amke no apology for that stance, because if I did, it would be tantamount to shooting myslef in the fott--SO   you know what to do----become a follower and boost my posts and help me to actually make some sales. Things are happening for me and I am happpy to share my journey in the 'school of hard knocks' re the self-publishing experiment.
www.authorneilcoleman.com

Self-publishing--a tale of the 'F's'

Anyone who has ever self-published a book would know that the process is one fraught with the ‘F’ words: namely feeling ‘fascinated and frustrated.’ No doubt a few other F words would have been uttered too from time to time, unless one has a hold on permanent sanity!

I have found that I have learned a great deal in the last four years, from that time when I first looked over the entrance to the Manukau harbour and out of the blue decided to write a book, a fictional account of the events surrounding the wrecking of the Orpheus, in 1863. That book was written; indeed it began a few days later. It became a massive book and I have still to do the final ‘bits’ to enable me to publish it, but it keeps getting out back.

‘Fascinating’ as that process has been, something always comes up to prevent me from jumping off the deep end and spending huge amounts of money to get the book ‘right.’ There is the second ‘F.’ I have been constantly ‘Frustrated’ buy the effort involved, the expense, the mistakes, the stupidity and naivety involved when one tries to do it on your own. So many factors intervened to stop me from getting my current books out there. There were issues with the agents I used at the beginning to help me get published. I won’t go into those now, but they were costly for little or no return.

It was only when I made contact with ‘professionals,’ that things began to change. It is paramount that you bring aboard a ‘good’ editor, a book designer and go the extra mile to have a creative cover along with many proofreading stages. There is nothing worse than thinking you have got the book ‘just right,’ only to find yet another plethora of errors, some only tiny ones, but they all add up to the overall enjoyment on the part of the reader. One also needs a publicist and a person who does digital stuff and now I have all of those people. They are all excel in their particular area of expertise.

That has been done now for ROSKILL, but not for the other two books, so they will go back to the ‘drawing board,’ if I decide that I want to sink yet more money into the project. That is debatable for me at this stage.

Now, looking back, it feels like something is about to happen. Roskill is on Amazon and is available as a hard-copy version or as a download onto Kindle or other reading AP. Indeed of you buy the hard-copy, you get a free download. I shall keep pushing the book and will attend various functions to help get it out there. Hopefully having the publicist on board will help to move things too.

Are you considering self-publishing? You may have much more success than me, because you do the homework first. It will cost money and unless you are one of the lucky few who manage to get a publishing ‘house’ on board, then be prepared for a long journey. I do wish you all the success in your venture.

www.authorneilcoleman.com