Thanks---you have helped me to 58,000 hits!

Thank you to all of my many readers. I know my blogging is only small-time compared to those who number their readers in the millions. (Mine is only about 58,000 as of January 12, 20134)  I think that what I enjoy most is the fact that so many people from numerous nations are reading the blogs.

I know that much of what I say is a bit controversial and sometimes written when I am pissed off about an issue (for example---the on-going, ‘forever’ debate about ‘gun laws in the USA). I know that my words can offend, but if it stimulates debate, then all is well. I have to admit that I deliberately go out on a ledge in order to stimulate that debate a bit like a ‘devil’s advocate.’ It is interesting to note that people don’t make comments on my blog, but they do where I have ‘pasted’ the debate to Facebook.

Help me to get my blog out there even more, by sending the link to your contacts. Yes, if that helps me sell some of my books, I owe you a big thank you. However, that is not what has happened. I have made virtually no sales that way. It’s a hard yacker, trying to sell self-published books! I think I have to get my books on Amazon etc. If you can pass on my website that would be great too. www.authnorneilcoleman.com.

Don’t forget (especially if you are in NZ and Australia, local libraries may have my books, so ask them and they may buy them. Just a reminder—all you need is the title and my name.

1)    Coastal Yarns  by Neil Coleman

2)    Roskill  by Neil Coleman

3)    Talk To Me  by Neil Coleman

 

Pass them on and ask for them at your library----Better still, buy them from me.

 

Student loans in New Zealand. Could someone please explain!

The figures used in for Student Loans in the Herald today seem almost beyond belief. That someone can owe One million Dollars by 2040, all for quite a small initial ‘loan’ seems quite ridiculous. If the figures quoted are true, one only needs to extrapolate that and we would have a generation (or more) of citizens who see no reason to ‘try’ to pay back the ballooning loan.

The ‘loan’ as reported is reason enough to take a long hard look at the system of student loans in New Zealand. There has to be a better and fairer way. We do not want a generation of angry, hopeless students going on to spend their whole lives paying back the loans.

I have heard other examples of course, whereby students have found high- paying holiday jobs and managed to avoid the whole process of the student loan debacle. I would say that’s almost the same as saying that---‘Hey, I’m a multi-millionaire, so if I can do it, anyone can.’ Those jobs quoted do exist but not in the numbers needed to allow students to have no or very small loans.

We often see young people pointing the finger at those of us who came through a kinder regime saying, ---- ‘You guys had it easy. You virtually received your tertiary education free, so don’t tell us we are selfish.’ There is quite a ring of truth about that statement. The only difference was that back then, it was actually harder to gain entry to a university education.

The term ‘tertiary’ has expanded and now covers a far wider spread of entry requirements as the ‘Industry’ has ramped up to put ‘bums on seats,’ for funding purposes. Successive government have encouraged this, may I say somewhat cynically, for reasons of disguising youth unemployment as much as a real need for a better skilled and changing workforce.

We must review the whole system and employ the age old method of ‘bonding’ young (and older) learners so that the State pays the majority of their education and then receives a varying amount of time spent in NZ as a return. (A combination of both systems may even work.) That time would depend on the amount spent for the education. It would also break the current trend for the ‘richer’ to achieve those higher paying and traditionally difficult to attain qualifications, like being a doctor or lawyer. Teaching was a good example of ‘bonding.’ Bring it back.

Apprentices in the old sense of the word were more often than not ‘trained on the job,’ with a component of the training undertaken in short ‘block courses.’ Nurse training was also undertaken in a similar way, but I would be the first to admit that the complexity of modern nursing now demands a higher level of training; one that is primarily achieved through our well set up tertiary institutions.

Businesses seem to have shied away from the old fashioned ‘learn as you work’ approach. They say they are too busy to do that now. The plumbers, builders and other trades, all seem to be trained in technical institutes now. There have been attempts to play around the edges re training ‘tradespeople,’ but would it not be a good idea to return to that which we know worked well? It would take a mind shift on the part of prospective trainers/businesses though.

In the end it is all about money and the willingness of employers to take on young people and nurture them. If we wish to have a skilled and happy workforce, we all need to think about where we are going and not leave it all to the politicians to fiddle while ‘Rome burns.’ It is step-up time.’

Joe Biden takes on the NRA.

Joe Biden has come up with some sensible moves that ‘may’ make US gun laws a little more sensible. He was tasked with coming up with legislation to curb the rampant ownership of guns, particularly the semi-Automatic and military style ones. That would include I assume, the multiple cartridges that go along with these guns.

I don’t think many redneck ‘mid-west ‘ type whackos would read my blog because that is probably beyond them, but for those more liberal citizens, who won guns and act sensibly, nay diatribe had never been intended for you, so put your hat on tightly and listen to what is essentially a ‘world view’ on gun ownership and the USA.

Ooops, that would have gotten right up the craw of many of my American readers (and let’s face it, you make up by far the majority of my readership) and I expect that I shall receive some ‘rocks’ on my Facebook pages as a result. Before you do post replies, try to see how the rest of the world views the USA and ‘care for a change.’ It is so easy to say---‘stuff the rest of the world!’  and ‘This is the good old USA and we don’t give a rotting blind rat’s ass about what you think!’

OK, I have had your hissy fit for you, so you can go back to your huntin’ and fishin’ and target practising with your automatics (maybe you are just rotten shots and need to send a barrage of bullets at your targets in the hope you will hit something---Damn Daniel Boon wold be croaking in his grave) and let Joe get on with working out some sensible legalisation.

Apart from the portion of the world where there are mostly failed or semi-failed governments, the rest of us actually already have good rules around gun ownership. Yes, the criminals get hold of guns and do their thing from time to time, but not in the proportion that happens in the USA. Your new laws need to have better ‘background checks and ban the ownership and use of ‘working’ military- style guns. There is also the ‘storage’ of these weapons. Many countries insist on ‘safes and separate storage of ‘parts’ of the guns. We also have lengthy interviews with people wishing to own guns. I know--- that is all too much for many gun toting Americans. If the majority of Americans who are now against unfettered gun ownership take offence at my words, I genuinely apologize to you, but not to the other ‘frothing at the mouth’ deadbeats who we are seeing ion TV lately. Come on America---wake up to reality. You are not so different to the rest of us! Take a lead you ‘silent majority types’ and BECOME LOUD!

This is a good story--share it. People do care!

This is a good story; one that you should pass on. It represents something that negates all the sad ones we read all the time. Of course it involves Perdy in an indirect way but more importantly, it brought a group of strangers together, all because a dog got lost down at the Onehunga Bay.

I decided to take Perdy for a midmorning walk, before it got too hot and because I knew the tide was in. As it turned out, Perdy didn’t quite get the swim she wanted. As we were walking on the far side of the bay, we met up with Ise and Choko. Perdy loves Choko’s energy and despite the fact that Choko is fast becoming a larger dog, Perdy seems to be the ‘leader.’ That od course means mischief in a big way. As we were walking along, the two dogs play fighting and general having a good old doggie time, we heard that there was a stray dog and that someone had been trying to catch it over an hour.

We then observed a lady on the other side of the lagoon, trying to get out attention. We could just make out that she wanted us to catch and hold the dog. This was going to be quite a task but Perdy and Choko came to the rescue by involving the dog (it looked like a part Pitbull and something else) in their play. This worked and for a while we were able to hold the dog but he got away. We then told out dogs to come with us and the other one followed and eventually we met up with the lady, Julie and slipped temporary lead around the ‘escapee.’

Other people showed some concern but others were probably put off by the ‘rep’ that these dogs have. I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew this dog. I think he may be one that I have met several times. He had obviously escaped from nearby. The trouble with positively identifying him was that he didn’t have a lead. Julie looked a bit tired, but there was no way she was going to stop her endeavours until the dog was either with his owner or Animal Control.

We managed to lead (Lets call him ‘Brownie’) Brownie back to the car park where we decided that we should call the council and be put in touch with animal control. Once again I had trouble even reading the facia on my phone. These damn modern LCD screens are so hard to see in bright sunlight. Yeah I know, someone is going to tell me there is a ‘setting’ for this. ‘Smartphones’ need ‘smart operators!

A really helpful guy came to our rescue and he rang the council who put him through to Animal Control. In the meantime I had to put Perdy in my car, with all the windows down of course, because she was getting a little jealous about me holding on to Brownie who still wanted to play. Julie made sure all the dogs had water too.

Animal control finally arrived and Julie once again came to the fore by ensuring that the very nice lady from AC knew about Brownie’s lovely temperament. She also offered to help place Brownie, if the owner didn’t come forward. We all expressed a wish that Brownie had been ‘chipped.’ Brownie is a lovely dog; friendly, well socialized and calm He just wanted to play, hence his ‘great escape.’

I want to say that good it felt working with Julie, Ise and the cool guy from Advance Couriers. (If Julie reads this---please put his name in the comments section) Everyone helped and made the experience an enjoyable one; that is once we had secured Brownie. Our hope is that Brownie can be reunited with his owner or find a good home. I also enjoyed meeting people who care. I will no doubt meet them again. What a cool adventure. I am feeling like one of the characters from ‘The Secret Seven.’ How many readers will relate to that? What other adventures will Perdy and I have for the rest of the holidays? Final point----PEOPLE DO REALLY CARE.

 

'Brownie'--Dont worry mate--you will find your owner or go to a good home!

Novapay--'beyond a joke' is a terrible cliche!

It is about time that the Government considered cancelling the contract they have with Novapay. I obviously do not know the contents of the existing contract signed by the Ministry and OK’d by Labour (is that correct?). The constant reports of stuffups, underpayment, non-payment and over payment beggars the mind. I suspect that a great deal of energy is put into retrieving those overpayments but not enough into fixing the problems that cause these events.

Our hard-working principals and key support staff have had their much needed holidays interrupted as they have had to return to school to sort out the mistakes for their staff. The staff affected are in a position of dreading their pay days; wondering what has been done to their accounts by the Novapay system.

Is it not time to look at alternatives to Novapay? I am assuming that the move was made as a money saving measure. How much research was done in regard to how effective this organization is? I have heard anecdotal reports that the same company has a bad name in Australia; unconfirmed of course. Do the media have to do the work for the Ministry; because we are hearing little from the Government and Ministry? What gets me is that Minister Parata has had little to say on the matter, especially since Parliament went on holiday.

The bottom line is that Novapay is causing a great deal of angst for many teachers, support staff and principals. The whole debacle has reached the point where the Government must consider returning to the system that Novapay replaced. I know that it is possibly very naive of me to suggest such a solution given the reality of ‘contracts and law,’ but surely signing a document has ‘safeguards’ that recognise a course of actions for when things go terribly wrong. How much time and how many more people need to be forced through the ‘mill of Novapay’s incompetence before some action is taken?

Perdy met her match today, down at the 'Bay.'

Perdy being a normal manic Jack Russell loves to run and then some. She will run about, chase her mates and never give up. Even on a hot day (like today) she will bound around and only take a few seconds break. Then she is at it again, demanding I throw the ball for her to retrieve, in between warding off the ‘advances’ of her much bigger friends. Sometimes I have to physically hold her so that she drinks and has a little rest. I often wonder if she would ever slow down. Well today she met her match!

It was in the form of a machine; one of those battery operated low slung mean machines, about 18 inches long and powerful enough to travel at 70kph according to the friendly operator, Nick. When we arrived at the park, Nick was entertaining his kids by letting loose his machine. Of course Perdy was intrigued and she set about chasing it as if it was a rabbit.  I never knew she had it in her. She was off in a world of her own, totally ignoring me. For the next ten minutes and joined by her friend Patch, (who seemed content to chase Perdy, not the machine) she became obsessed by the rampant little machine. Even when it jumped and fell over she still could not get near it.

Who was going to win this? I thought. Who would either run out of battery power or doggie power? I hate to admit this about my lively little Jack Russell, but she finally gave up and returned to me and she was completely bushed. I have never seen her so stuffed. She just watched it as it continued to attract the attention of other dogs. Wow, I didn’t need to walk around the bay in the hot sun. Ten minutes of mad chasing, floored Perdy. I very much hope Nick brings his mean machine down to the Bay again. Still--- I must not use that for an excuse for non-walking on my part. Nice one Nick.

 Oh---I tried to take a vid flow with the help of Nick’s partner, but when I arrived at home to place the vid-flow on the blog, there was no sign of the snip. It is so hard to see the screen on bright days. Someone needs to invent a much better screen. God knows what I had done, when I was fiddling with the phone---probably rang Mr Key or someone equally forgettable.

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Why I don't have many Russian readers at the moment!

It is not because I don't figure highly as a good 'catch' for Russina women that I don't have mnay Russian readers. I think they quickly figured out some time ago that I don't have the 'attributes' that they find attractive, like, money, age and looks. After a torrid start when I first started writing blobs, they must have done thier research and arrived at the conclusion that they should look elsewhere. Of course there was always the possibility that some men were looking out for a prospective partner, but they too must have turned away.
NO, I have found the reason for my poor rating now in Russian readership. I was watching RT (Russina TV) today and there was a map behind the announcer. Horror of horrors! NZ did not appear on the map. The map had Africa as the central pivot and Austrlaia at the lower right bottom edge---- but no sign of little New Zealand. There was just a huge gap at the borttom of the South Pacific. I know what the reason is now. I think that Russians think that New Zealand (Middle-Earth) is just a 'fantasy' country. I now believe that Russians think that at best, I am a hobbit, living in a fictional land. Maybe it's quite a good stance--- having the world thinking that there is 'nothing at the bottom of the Pacific' or that perhaps NZ dropped off the edge!