Left-over food is good, but----

Yes, with my new 'me' I can't eat much so there is still an issue re the left-overs in my house. It is hard making small meals and even medium-sized ones, often means that I have to either store them or feed them to the dog. Of course there is always the possibility of 'recycling' them. Take yesterday's big breakfast (for me that is).
I cut up roast potatoes, kumara and brussell sprouts and layered them in a dish. On that I threw in a few left-over mushroom and some freshly fried streaky bacon. Then I mixed up some eggs and milk with salt, pepper and stock, poured the mixture over the veggies and put a cut tomato over the top along with a sprinkling of real Parmagano cheese. I baked it for about 20 minutes then had enough to feed about 6 people. You know what I had for lunch but having it again tomorrow is strecthing things a bit too much. Yummy, but enough's eneough.  So---left-overs is well and good, plus it's cheap but when you have a tummy the size of my new post-bariatric one, well, things can get boring. At this rate I will only have to cook about three times a week!

RT (Russian TV). An interesting alternative.

From time to time, I switch my TV to RT (Russian TV) if only to get a slightly different point of view from my usual new source channels. Sometimes I find it quite refreshing and it is good to get away from the predictable offering re other sources, like BBC, New Zealand options, Aljazeera, CNN, and Australian news sources. Notice I did not include Fox, because I have long given up on that option because of the slant they seem to have.

Sometimes I have lauded the presentation of news on RT and I enjoy many of their documentaries. However the other night I saw an item about how many countries have treated ‘demonstrators’ when they pour onto the streets. Take the many examples lately; including Turkey, Brazil, The USA, Britain, and France; just to name a few. RT pointed out the similarity re the use of tear gas and sometimes, water cannons.

They neglected to report the same use of such devices re their own citizens during such acts of public defiance. Maybe I missed the reports of what they showed of the State or city official response to crowds of people expressing their grievances. One is reminded not to get too carried away when praising the reporting of ‘news,’ as there are usually vested interests behind all such reports.

I shall carry on watching my news from as many sources as I can, in the belief that more is better and that somehow I can find the balance and truth behind the presentations. I guess it is not possible to have an unbiased source to rely on and even then I have to accept that my perception is not necessarily shared by all! Your ‘homework’ is to analyse the reporting behind that latest ‘whistle blower’s attempt to retain his freedom. The USA is most definitely out to ‘get him.’

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Sky TV's monopoly is under threat.

For a long time now, I have been unhappy about having to buy Sky TV as a 'package,' one that I cannot just choose what I would like to watch. One always needs to take Sky's offerings and that may well include having to take stuff that is just that---'stuff,' meaningless unwanted crap. If anyone tries to ask for a more targeted package the usual reply is less than helpful.

Now that there appears to be other options on the horizon re sports, perhaps this giant in the New Zealand Television industry will see the light and actually deliver what many customers want and do so willingly, because of they don’t they can expect many subscribers to vote with their feet. It doesn’t help their cause when they deliver adverts during a prime time sporting fixture either.

As for me---I just want to choose a package, entirely to my liking and receive it at a competitive price. I did look at Igloo, but of one wants to add on films the price becomes untenable, so Sky---if you are listening, get then balance right and you will retain your very loyal customers. If you don’t, then maybe you better put 'dinosaur' after your name.

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Auckland house prices are a ticking time bomb.

When a couple go to an auction knowing that they can spend about $600,000 only to see their 'dream home' selling for $150,000 above that figure, two things are possibly happening. The price was either exorbitant (for a range of reasons) or they were playing a game that was unrealistic to begin with. Let's take a closer look at that statement.
Auckland (and other cites) house prices are going through the roof. The last time I can remember this happening was in 2007/2008 when I bought my last home. Luckily I was already on the crazy treadmill which tended to neutralise the affect of rocketing process. If I had waited a few months (because I had sold my previous house and was temporarily renting) I could have made a better deal as prices first stabilised then dropped. Oh for 'if what I know now,'----you get the picture. Instead I listened to the pundits who claimed that one had to get back on then wagon as quickly as possible.
Such pressures are operating now, at an even more frenzied pace and there are reports of 'deals' going on that push agents into signing off on sales that include some pretty unusual caveats.
Some blame immigration for the increased pressure and no amount of rationality will point these people away from labelling various groups for 'causing this.' The fact is that Auckland simply does not have enough houses for sale and in the market economy, 'less means more' in  what we have to pay. Forget politicians who use the former 'fact' to suck in more voters so that they can continue to drink from Welle-trough.'
One could also wonder at the relatively recent phenomenon that says---'I have a right to live where I wish and I should be able to afford it.' By that they mean that they only want to buy in the leafy inner-city suburbs so that they can live a life that they perceive to be their right. They tend to forget that many people started in more 'average' or indeed poorer suburbs and gradually worked themselves up. Not all of the inner-city inhabitants had help from mummy and daddy! Starting with a two bedroom unit in a southern suburb, paying it off and  moving 'up' seems to be a pathway that is shunned by todays' young couples (or not so young).
There is another growing group however, who would be happy to settle into any suburb if it meant that they had a stake in the housing market. This group may be on an 'average' New Zealand income and often even with both members of the 'unit' working, the dream of owning a modest home, well away from the city centre will remain but a dream. That is because they would have to raise a mortgage well above $500,000 and as for the remainder of the populace, who fall well below average earnings, well the dream does not even exist.
It is these two groups who are becoming increasingly marginalised in Auckland. What hope do they have? Hearing politicians going on about affordability in so-called new suburbs is just a further reminder that they are not part of this brave new Auckland. When does this frustration transfer into actions that threaten the peace of those who have 'made it,' albeit with their huge debts? The truth of the matter is that the point has already been reached.
Many live their lives in abject poverty as rents continue to spiral and the dream recedes even further. Crime figures may be down in some areas, but the time bomb is building in strength, waiting to burst. Politicians who don't recognise this and who continue to describe false dreams are living in 'lula land.'
Playing around the edges of the problem represents sitting around while the gap between those who 'own and those who can never,' gradually increases. Have we learnt nothing from history? Must we repeat the experiences that we see every night on our screens? Will a Greek-like New Zealand or a Brazilian dawn be already upon us?
Gone are the good old days when New Zealanders could borrow from the State at 3% interest rates and own a modest house in the suburbs. Is there a message here or will Governments keep selling a lie?
 

Bauden Barrett delivers the coup de grace to the French in the Naki!

Local boy Bauden Barrett set Taranaki hearts aflutter when he scored the final try to give the All Blacks a flattering win by 24 points to 9 over the heard working French rugby team. The All Blacks won the series 3 to zip, but the French were no push-overs.
That Taranaki won the right to host the French was unusual in itself but apparently they outbid other provincial cities and the effort paid off. If ratepayers were upset by that decision then they should look to the gains that Taranaki and New Plymouth achieved. The tills of the bars, restaurants and accommodation businesses would have benefited hugely. Hopefully some of the visitors stayed on and enjoyed the range of attractions that this famous rugby mad province is famous for, not the least the magnificent mountain that stands out so proudly from the rich farmlands that contribute so much to the wealth of the region. Well done the 'Naki.'

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Of course I still love my food!

Just because I had bariatric surgery a few months ago and have dropped about 32Kgs, doesn’t mean that I lost my love of things gastronomic. Nothing has changed except the intake. I still love to cook and dream up recipes and I still enjoy watching anything to do with food or wine on TV.

What has changed is the quantity and type of food that I eat. Even when I cook for friends and family I take great pleasure. Maybe they gain from the experience knowing that what I cook is probably healthier for them, but it would take an expert eye to note the difference.

It looks like the weekend is going to be one where the weather dominates. It is after all, winter in New Zealand the polar blast sweeping the country is not only causing damage and it is also keeping people inside. Even in the north, as in Auckland, we are moaning about the wind and cold rain. So, I need to raise the spirits of those around me. I shall cook an old-fashioned roast chicken but add a twist of flavour.

I am going to roast a corn-fed chicken and stuff it with rosemary, garlic, pepper and butter (under the skin) along with roast parsnips, kumara (sweet potatoes), carrots and potatoes. I shall serve that with brussell sprouts cooked with streaky bacon and pine nuts. Yum---I won’t eat more than I should. That’s easy for me now.

To finish off we will have coffee and the Quinoa cookies I make. (See previous blogs for the recipe)

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Kim.Com saga has many victims now.

The news that backup files, millions of them, have been 'dumped' deleted, call it what you will, is terrible, not just for Kim.Com, but for those who used his services. Apparently he had been asking for time, while his case is still going, but the Dutch 'parent companies' of the servers have decided to dump those files.
I have not been a fan of the 'man' but I am coming to the conclusion that despite some of the 'reportedly' shady aspects to him, he may have done us a favour, something like the other whistle-blowers in the industry who have drawn attention from Governments around the world. Yes, there is a line between some of the possibly illegal  activities and the rights of the rest of us not to be spied on and the need for transparent government actions, but one is left with a distinctly bad taste in the mouth re the actions of heavy handed Government agencies and big business interests. Is Kim.com a modern day Robin Hood or something else? Time will tell, but who is going to get hurt on the meantime?
www.authorneilcoleman.com