Grrrrrr----it's cold outside---Whats a girl gotta do?

I know, It's sartorial elegance, but it does the trick. Yeah the rugs are from the Warehouse and not exactly Kashmir, but who cares. It's pissing down outside and there's a warning about more wind and rain. Hell, I'm not going outside. If I need a wee-wee, I shall just have to hold it until morning when I can go for a walk and use the street. Just in case you think this is Neil; think again. It's Perdy.  Yum, those chicken necks were nice for dinner. Now----what's next?  Oh hell, I'm not getting up.

Will you please turn the damn light off and while you're at it, turn the TV down too!

Neil will have to bring them to me!

I wish we could give Gilmore 90 days to vacate his position in Parliament!

It seems that bully-boy Gilmore has a 'unique ability' for asking people he comes into contact with about their knowledge of who he is and what he does. The answer should always be easy for those asked, because all they need to say is--'stuff all, mate,' judging by your past and recent history. But that answer is not likely because most people 'don't know' who he is and don't care. It is not the NZ way to use one's position in the manner he does. He is a bully and needs to look for another occupation, before the National Party places him so low on the 'List' that he will need to see his party achieving about 70% of the vote at the next election. I am sure that Mr Key is hoping that Gilmore will just resign, but that too is not likely. Gilmore needs to have his snout in the trough in order for him to  throw his inflated sense of importance around the country. I suppose as long as people are not hurt or put out too much, at least he provides us with some entertainment. With the publicity he is achieving, those he targets will have the support of the nation. Hey Aaron, Mrs Brown says its time to feck off!

Charter Schools are simply a front to enable more of the education dollar being syphoned off into the hands of National's friends!

Take a look at who is supporting the idea of Charter Schools and almost inevitably you will see the friends of National and ACT lining up to take advantage of this shift in resourcing. The CS initiative is nothing more than an attack on free public education and the growing realization amongst entrepreneurs and big business to get their greedy hands on more of the public purse. They have dragged along self-seeking groups who have been kidnapped by the hype in the belief that they too can stick their snouts into the trough. With  the unholy alliance between ACT and National and along with the misguided support of the Maori Party, we have the makings of a completely changed face for education in New Zealand. Those supporting this groundswell of selfishness have completely failed to take head of overseas research. We are dooming a generation of New Zealand children to having to endure what will rapidly fall apart, apart from the few who will benefit from the C S movement, because many students will be cast aside as being 'too difficult to handle.' Those kids will be left out of education as the public system grinds under the burden of a sector that will receive less and less funding. Doesn't that formula sound familiar?
It is time for NZers to wake up and state clearly that they will not let their kids suffer from the State funded greed of  groups who are kow-towing to the National/Act/Maori Party alliance. The damage done with  the roll out of CS is going to take a generation to fix. We have seen this scenario so many times under National Governments. A nation that does not take good carte of the children and their education is one that does not care. Profits are the only underpinning philosophy re CS. It is dressed up as something else but the bottom line is giving more to the friends of National, nothing more, nothing less!

Sugestions needed for recipes re 'raw fish.'

I had the chance to eat some raw fish in Thames yesterday, and it indeed suited me. I didn't feel bloated and I absolutely loved it. Strange thing shave happened to my taste buds, post surgery. Can you please suggest your favourite recipes and include the best type of fish available (yeah, I know---go catch it myself!---I shall speak to a few 'key' people at work about that!) in NZ. I don't know what it was that made the dish yesterday a hit with me. I suspect that the 'sauce' was a light mayo, but I know there are other things like coconut cream and cream, but I'd like some more options. Raw fish is a fabulous way of getting good quality protein into me.  Bring it on my friends!

I gotta eat protein but I can't face a steak yet!

Yes, small amounts of steak are in my future, but so far I have only felt like mince based dishes. I have only had one day in which I was a little ambitious and the price was feeling like crap for an hour---no throwing up mind you! Oh, have you forgotten or were you wondering why the feck I am talking about restricting my gastronomic intake? I am one month post-Bariatric surgery. I have lost about 23 kilos and I still need to lose at least 15 more. That will take time and exercise plus staying with my new regime of small baseball-sized meals, much of what should be protein. Gone are the days of big plates of veggies, because I can not eat enough quantity to reach the protein levels needed. But--tofu is a choice that thank goodness really suits me. Here's a recipe that is cheap (everything is now!) and extremely tasty and nutritious.
Take one block of 'soft tofu' and very carefully cut it into bite sized pieces. It can crumble easily, so unless you want uneven bits in your final result, be careful and use a sharp knife. If you do stuff it up, it won't affect the flavour though. Place the pieces in a bowl with the marinade. I used sesame oil, lime juice and leaves from my Kaffir Lime tree, fish sauce, balsamic vinegar and a little sugar. Let it all sit for about an hour.
Heat up oil and gently sprinkle corn flour over each piece of tofu. It's a messy process but it helps the add crunch. Now, fry the tofu until golden brown. Use the remainder of the marinade as a dipping sauce. I had my tofu with a tiny amount of rice mixed with a few frozen peas  and corn. Pour more marinade over the finished product. Unlike marinade used for chicken and meats, this one can be used raw. The end result?-----Fantastically tasty and healthy. HEY Perdy, STOP LICKING THE BOWL!

Will Labour and the Greens ever learn?

The polls sometimes deliver a potent message. The latest Morgan poll had Labour down and National significantly up. Why would we be surprised at this? It seems that after all the hard work by Mr Shearer and his deputy, where we witnessed a slow rise, to the point that many were writing National off at the next election, that reality has returned ton politics. The launch of the Labour Green Policy re electricity prices and control can only be seen as amateurish. From the very first night when the two leaders appeared on TV to announce what they thought was a winning policy, we saw hesitancy and no real detail about how the policy was going to work. They looked like very uncertain ‘political bedfellows.’ They did not think through the possible opposition to their policy or the ramifications. All they did was piss off a large portion of NZers and created fear amongst those who had or were thinking of investing in the Mighty River Share launch.

Labour and the greens played right into National’s hands by stumbling on with their policy. All of the clichés came out, ranging from a ‘return of the Cossacks’ through to the accusations of a ‘soviet Style’ takeover of the economy. Anyone with half a brain should have seen through the accusations by National and unfortunately it was these emotive words that have echoed with the electorate. One only had to listen to the Talk back’ radio shows to here that the misinformation had struck deeply. I hate to say it, but NZers are bloody useless at thinking through these issues and instead chose to listen to the opinions of other failed commentators.

Labour and the Greens---go back to your policy makers and advisors and perhaps widen the net to garner a more realistic assessment of what is going on in NZ. You are not listening! Your inner -circles are just as stupid as those advising National. Pull your heads out of the sand and come up with something that will work for NZ, before it is too late and we all suffer from another three years of this Government that is taking Education  over the waterfall, to smash on the rocks below! We need you to make sense.

Aaron Gilmour's antics will no doubt be used to denigtrae MMP!

I can already hear the clarion calls for the demise of MMP in New Zealand's Parliament, all based around the childish and bellicose actions of Aaron Gilmour, List MP for National. That he behaved in a totally unacceptable manner is beyond doubt. We can all say we expect better from our MPs. Whether they are List or Electorate based is not the issue. It does not take much of a trip down 'Memory Lane' to find other historic shenanigans from other MPs, even Government Ministers, so let us not become victims of the thinking that use Gilmour's actions to misrepresent the issues around MMP. Of course we will always have examples of the behaviours exhibited by Gilmour, potentially from any individual in Parliament. Let's take a step back and treat each indiscretion on its merits. Lets ignore the calls of those with an agenda to oust the present system because their arguments about the behaviour of MPs has nothing to do with whether the transgressor is a List MP or Electorate MP. Having said that, there is an obvious  message for all parties to engage in a lot more background checking before they make up their final lists that we then blindly vote on. I am sure the latest Gilmour incident will shove home that message loud and clear for all parties. Of course when booze or any other substance is involved, all bets are off. Just think back to the night when a clearly inebriated Prime Ministers (Muldoon) announced an early election and his own exit from Parliament, back in the 1980's. It made wonderful viewing on TV. Take heed oh 'high and mighty, MP's.