Russia is reading my blogs and FaceBook posts--how about reading ROSKILL?

I am always pleasantly surprised that so many of my 'blog readers' are from Russia. At this moment Russia is third on my reading numbers. Why is that? Is there an interest in 'things' New Zealand? If that is so, how about reading Roskill, a book I have written, which attempts to raise an issue that affects many New Zealand families---the issue of Methamphetamine, or 'P' as we call it in NZ. I am sure Russia has issues with illegal drugs too. Go to my webiste to either buy the hard copy or download the Kindle version. There is a link on my page for a free download of the AP, if you do not have a Kindle. Happy---or should I say 'questioning' reading. www.authorneilcoleman.com

#PONYGATE may be a 'silly label' but there is a very serious side to this!

Prime Minister John Key is embroiled in a stupid, silly, bullying, ‘sinister’ situation that is entirely of his own making. It is about his behaviour towards a waiter, whereby he repeatedly pulled her pony tail; this after several ‘indications,’ that the waiter was uncomfortable with his actions. Of course there has been a subsequent furore in the media, both in NZ and overseas, much of it of a fairly light manner, which in itself in my view is lessening the seriousness of the action. At the very least, it makes NZ look like a backwater nation, with a leader who is a clown and more seriously challenged our much vaunted position as a nation that can be proud of its leaders and the behaviour they exhibit towards their people. Many NZers are NOT surprised at this latest craziness from John Key, but it also has to be said that for many, it still does not decrease his alleged popularity to a segment of NZ’s population. The reaction from within NZ has been across the board, with some putting it down to just a silly, even funny action on the part of the PM, right through to those who would demand his immediate resignation. It seems that he just doesn’t ‘get it,’ that his actions, throw-away comments, do not represent the stance that a politician, albeit a “Leader” should take. John Key is supposedly one of the most powerful persons in New Zealand. It is that position of power that he has ‘abused,’ and it is this factor that makes me most uncomfortable. How could a waiter, possibly paid at the lowest rate of pay, with very little power, going to be able to stop a man so powerful, to desist in his actions? The power imbalance is obvious and to those who say, ‘she should have taken stronger action,’ I say---get real. People in positions ‘at the bottom,’ do not challenge abuses of power unless they are a very strong personality type. John Key’s apologies do not ring true. I do not think that he has accepted that he was very wrong re his bullying school boy behaviours. It is not the first time and ‘sadly for his victims,’ it will not be the last, Unfortunately, the NZ public will not get to show their displeasure in a meaningful manner, unless of course, other events in the political world throw up something else that will demand a ‘re-look’ at who would lead us!

Terror on the seas driven by terror on land! Yet another ship goes down off Libya.

Today we awake to the terrible news of possibly another 600 plus people, lost at sea off the coast of Libya. The Italian Navy and Coast Guard have yet again arrived on a scene of terrible loss as a group of people, trying to escape lives that are worse than the risk of being drowned at sea, trying to escape it. In the last week alone more than 10,000 refugees have arrived in various ports in Italy and many others have died in making the attempt to find a better life in Europe. These desperate people are escaping from the threat of violence, shattered economies and failed states. Much of the first response falls upon Italy, a nation that is reaching a point where its efforts will be completely swamped. The rest of Europe seems to be looking away from the problem, as if they sense that it is too much for them. They fear the influx of the refugees for a variety of reasons, not the least being the possible intake of Jihadists or members of ISIS. They may not say so, but that is part of the issue they face. In the meantime, Italy struggles to fill the gap, knowing that just over the horizon, countless thousands, if not millions of refugees await their turn to take the plunge---they will do anything to escape lives that are ---not worth living. The issue will not go away. Unless conditions in those nations ‘feeding the flow,’ improve vastly, then the deluge can only grow. Tine to pull your heads from the sand—Europe—and the rest of the world. www.authorneilcoleman.com

If this was in the USA, the guy would be ---DEAD!

On the way through the town centre in Pukekohe today I was confronted with a scene that both scarred me and made me very angry. A young man was strolling across the street, pointing what looked like a hand gun--it could well have been a replica, a pellet shooting version; whatever it was, it looked real. His behaviour suggested that he had an attitude that added to the discomfort. I was not alone re my feelings; I observed a lady with a dog looking over her shoulders as she exited the area. What made it even more threatening was that he was pointing it at the shops---OK not at me or anyone that I could see, but God knows what he was doing or where he was going. Trailing behind him was a female. She seemed oblivious to the effect his actions were having, so I would out her in the same brainless space of mind! All this scenario needed and part of me wished it to be so, if not for the terrible possibilities, but for the safety of others, was for the polices to be called. The guy would then have been the centre of a police AD operation (Armed Defenders Squad)and they would not have mucked around. If he did not 'put down his weapon,' he was risking being shot. In the USA things would have moved far more quickly, depending on the State, of course. No doubt in Indiana, he would have been shot immediately, given their attitudes to anything that isn't white or a member of the 'establishment! Back to Pukekohe. I wonder now how this all worked out. I just hope I do not read of sad consequences re today's events. I wish the 'fool' would think about being so STUPID, leave the 'toy' or whatever it was at home. Things could have gone very wrong.

Optifast---some comments.

It is now two years since I had my Bariatric Surgery and so far---everything is just fine. My health, outlook on life and energy levels are great. I have noticed lately that there have been quite a few hits on my blogs where I had mentioned Optifast, so I thought I would make some comments about that ‘phase’ of my journey. When I embarked on this new direction in my life (I was 120 Kilos, and only 1.70 m tall and heading rapidly for an early grave with all of the attendant health issues, the least being Diabetes type 2. Once I had decided to go the Bariatric Surgery way, I had to prove that I could be disciplined enough to be able to cope with e pressures. The surgery was ‘key-hole’ and the operation is less risky if some weight-loss has occurred. There are several options re the product and I am not pushing any one in particular. All would do the trick if the direction are followed. I was advised (maybe there is a hook-up between the ‘suggestor,’ and the manufactures, much like I suspect that doctors are well into ‘rewards’ for being loyal prescribers of certain and products, but that’s another story that I am not going into! I think USANA products would work just as well. I went with Optifast. Three weeks prior to the operation I lived on the bars, drinks and some soups. I quickly tossed the latter because I hated them. I was also aloud to have steamed veggies with any condiment of my choice. Boring---bloody boring, but I had an end goal. I got to like the bars and drinks, but I yearned for something ‘savoury.’ My weight loss was fast---13 KGs in three weeks. I was told by some people---‘why don’t you just stay on it and avoid the operation—hell you would save NZ$18,000 because being over 50 it is not free!’ ‘Come on,’ I said, ‘do you really think you could stay on that regime?!’ Got the point? So---I found that Optifast did the trick. It got me into the right frame of mind, gave me the will and motivation to extend my weight-loss and achieve my ultimate goal towards reclaiming my life. After the operation, I occasionally used one of the Optifast products, simply for convenience, but as our esteemed leader so often says, ‘At the end of the day,’ there’s nothing like the real thing---food that looks like food and is enjoyable n every sense!

When a 'game' consumes a nation!

Without a doubt, for the past few months, a ’game’ has taken New Zealanders on an emotional roller coaster. We have experienced mind blowing highs and nail-biting finishes. Stories abound as to how people have coped with the ’stress of it all,’ from going off and baking rather than watch (Me!) or poking heads around the kitchen door, just to sneak a look at the screen, which was naturally on ‘mute!’ I am of course talking about the Cricket World Cup. New Zealanders have had one hell of a party and it wasn’t until last night, when we knew after the first ‘over,’ that things were not going to go our way! When one of our ‘favourite sons’ was bowled out, we knew that it would be all uphill and unless some sort of Australian collapse ensued, then we were doomed to be ‘bridesmaids, once again’ to our Aussie cousins. Such a position is one that we have coped with nay times in our sporting history. Our bigger, brash and very successful neighbour see it as a ‘natural state of things’ between our two nations. To them, it is what defines them and for us, knocking tem off the ‘cocky perches’ is a national past-time! Yes we do achieve the ‘almost impossible from time to time in a number of fields, not just on the sporting one. No doubt today, we will hear the call that we ‘have done ourselves proud,’ and we actually got to the WCC final, something we have never done, but we will always rue the day that we did not progress to the stage, the one in which we received the trophy, that we had so longed collectively dreamed about. Hell, we even had 1.2 billion new Citizens praying for us, willing us to win, in the form of India, amongst others! Victory was just not to be and today we wake up to another day ion the knowledge that we have been defeated, once again by our nemesis, Australia. We must acknowledge that we were well beaten, by a better team on the day, one that had gradually built during the tournament. Perhaps that victory we had over them in the early rounds, pushed them to retaliate---when it counted! New Zealand is just 4.5 million. We forget that at times, refusing to believe that a smaller population consigns us to some sort of subservience to the rest of the world. Kiwis know better and the family of nations knows that perhaps, more so than we do! The sound of the Kiwi anthem will be heard again on the world stage! Time now to reflect on what we have achieved of late, my fellow countrymen and women! www.authorneilcoleman.com

Cricket World Cup official site---well no, but------

I had to laugh today when I read a Face Book page saying that NZ's population has just gone up from 4.5 million to 1.2 billion, I was perplexed until I 'understood.' Then---I laughed myself silly, quite an easy thing for me to do. It seems that the entire population of India is pushing for a NZ victory tomorrow in Melbourne, against our ANZAC cousins. Then when I went to my local dairy I(no I am not going to make one of those absurd jokes!)my friendly diary owner, one of the two who work there, whom I have become very fond of, expanded that concept to add another half billion, courtesy of the citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa and Sri Lanka! Hell---is anyone rooting for the Aussies? I wont go into why that may be so! This post is an experiment.#goblackcaps supported by #authorneilcoleman.com and the vast majority of people in my circles. Why the hashtags? Well, I just want to see if by using them, my hits will increase, yes the 'outing' of Roskill! What an unashamedly commercial angle to my post! I admit it so don't bother accusing me of such---that will just have the opposite affect of what your 'shots' were intended. #Roskillbyneilcoleman LOL There I go again. OK, back to the 'game! #NZthumpsaussie and #aussiesbleat and #bringonthesheepjokes. Damn, this is such fun. So---contribute to the multiple threads of this post and give it your best. Remember though #cricketisjustagame! Really? People--above all--just enjoy this fabulous time, wherever you are form and may the game be the best ever.#ofcourseNZwillwin