David Shearer steps down. Sad---but perhaps the best. Now what?

It came as no surprise today that David Shearer stepped down as Leader of the Opposition Labour Party. Very few people would have said that David is not a ‘good and honest man,’ but many may have thought that he didn’t have that ‘killer instinct’ that a leader of a party should have, especially when confronted with the likes (I almost said lies!) of John Key. Labour needs a person to lead who can build on the work of David and bring the party together to be ‘Government in waiting,’ one that we can believe in.

The next few days are a ‘make or break’ time for Labour. If they stuff up the leadership transition, they will consign themselves to the ‘wastelands of politics.’ Now is not the time for nasty scheming. The selection process needs to be transparent and processed with dignity. I am not going to suggest who should follow David. There are quite a few candidates in waiting, some obvious and others, perhaps a little in the shadows.

If Labour gets this right and support for the new leader is widespread, then Labour has a real chance to bring about a brighter future for all of NZ; a future that is not based on divisive politics and the rule of a party that does not listen. Surely Labour has learnt a lesson from past leadership struggles. Will they now forge ahead and bring back one thing New Zealanders all crave for----Hope?!

www.authorneilcoleman.com

Please drive us safely, bus drivers!

If today’s report in the NZ Herald is to believed then we should keep a careful watch on the bus drivers who are taking our lives in their hands. That ‘some’ of them are said to be texting or reading documents while they are driving is disturbing to say the least. One would expect more of them; after all they are supposed to be professional drivers, not the dopey people we see texting and god knows what else driving cars. I am sure we have all seen examples of plain stupidity and outright dangerous driving from our fellow car drivers. Perhaps some of us are flushed with guilt as we read this as we recall those times we have sneaked a look at our cell phones or worse, answered the damn things.

At a time when the ‘authorities’ are extolling us to take public transport in order to ‘save the planet’ and avoid unnecessary expenditure on massive motorway extensions, one would think that we jump on a bus and expect total safety in the way we are bussed about town. Sure, bus drivers are human and can be subjected to the same temptations as the rest of us, but the difference is that they hold the lives of far more people I their capable hands.

So Mr and Ms bus drivers; please be careful and keep that trust you have built up with us over the years and may your numbers increase as more of us take up the services you provide and that indeed more of us contemplate making your acquaintances as we approach that magic time in which we can take advantage of the wonderful ‘Gold Card.’ (For my dear overseas readers, we have free public transport in our cities for those over 65!)

www.authorneilcoleman.com

USA---get a taste of a New Zealand story!

My largest number of readers by far is from the USA. I therefore make a play to get you to download 'Roskill,' my book that is now on Amazon Kindle. You can get it for the paltry sum of $US4 and for that you get a page turning story of a family ion crisis. This family could be in any city or town in the USA. Yes, it happens to be in New Zealand but I am sure that the USA faces the same issue we do in New Zealand. What happens when a parent enters the dangerous world of 'P'? You call it other names, maybe 'ICE' but certainly methamphetamine. Families are torn apart in NZ and the USA. What do you tell your children as you watch you partner self-destruct before your eyes?
What do the teenage children think as they watch their father slowly pull away from the family? 'Do as we say,' or 'Do as we do?'
The story is one of hope however as family members find their own way to cope. It is a story of courage as hard decisions are made, despite the grim plot. There are lots of laughs. The culmination will have you crying one second and then laughing until it hurts.
Go to www.authorneilcoleman.com and click on the Bookstore page to follow the link for the download. Read it and review it. Please pass the link on to your friends and family. If you have a reading AP on your IPhone or Tablet, that will work too.
Thanks, folks.
Neil  

Amazon ebooks---go look for Roskill.

Yes, go look for Roskill on the Amazon site. Just search the ebooks (Kindle version). Search Roskill by Neil Coleman. Download it, read it and review it. Pass on the link and help me that way. I will keep you posted as to how the book is going.
www.authorneilcoleman.com   Go to this site and to Bookstore and follow the link

Australian election---Yawn!

I think our Aussie cousin are waking up each day, a little more bored with the choices they have re the upcoming election. For a short time there, it seemed that Kevin was going to bring a bit of relief into the race, but the electorate has quickly found out that he the same old Kevin they used to know. Then on the other hand, thye get to witness Tony making embarassing  (but bloody funny) gaffes. Put the two together and I hear that there is a movement to emulate the Boat people, but this time made up of Aussies wnating to flee the bredom of the Aussie elections. I hear that some have even become 'wannabe gays' in order to come to NZ for  a marriage ceremony. Of course being the welcoming people we are, then I say, come on over my frineds. You may even decide to stay. I shall arnage for the navy to assist in the relocation so that you can arrive in comfort and safety. NO leaky boats for you---ooops, hang on. I did say the NZ navy. Maybe that's a bit too mucvh to ask for. OH well, I hope you don;t get driven to desperation and seek out other palliatives to your boredom. Just chuck anothoer prawn on the barbie mates!
www.authorneilcoleman.com
Yeah, nah, I didnt speel check this one. Had to give you something to do other than listen to Tony and Kevin!

Apparently, this is what I ate for dinner tonight!

Silly question? Not really---the 'dogfruit' was delicious, cooked Indonesian style. I thought I was eating potatoes in a rich gravy. No, it was the vegetable described below. That is why I always eat first then ask what the hell it was later. If I had read the bottom part, maybe I would have had second thoughts. So far I am still alive. without complications. 

Archidendron pauciflorum, commonly known as Jengkol, Dogfruit, or Jering is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to Southeast Asia. Despite its strong smell, the beans are a popular food in Indonesia, and also consumed in Malaysia (where they are known as jering), Myanmar (where they are called da nyin thee), and in Southern Thailand, where they are called luk-nieng or luk neang.^[1] The large brown legumes are very popular and cooked as satay or curry, especially rendang, in Indonesia. In Burmese cuisine, the da nyin thee is either roasted or boiled, and often eaten along with a pickled fish sauce (Ngapi yay) on steamed rice.
The beans are mildly toxic due to the presence of djenkolic acid, an amino acid, which causes djenkolism (jengkol bean poisoning). Symptoms include spasmodic pain, gout, urinary obstruction, and acute renal failure.^[2] The condition mainly affects men, and is not determined by how the beans are prepared. Individuals can consume the beans on multiple occasions without incident, to develop renal failure on another occasion.^[3]

References[edit source | edit]

www.authorneilcoleman.com

The belt that wouldn't fit! Do I make two?

When I first started this downsizing ‘journey, I had one belt that fitted me. Indeed, every few months I had to add another hole to accommodate my ever-increasing girth. I won’t even try to describe how I felt at that time.

Now, nearly 5 months on, I am still adding holes to my belt(s) but at the other end. I suspect that I now have some belts that more holes than anyone else, catering for all possible sizes. I must make sure that they are donated to a ‘museum of dieting or downsizing’ as an example of ‘what was’ and ‘what can be.’ Of course, I am not on a diet as such and I am happily progressing with my new direction. We took the picture at work today and I came to the decision that just maybe, I should buy a trendy new belt.

Honestly, the belt almost goes around me twice now. I have started to settle on my new weight; one that is very OK for me. Having lost almost 40 kilos, I think I can now look to maintaining that and just increasing my fitness. I think that Party, my jack Russell will play a big part in that. Any regrets? Absolutely NOT!   

www.authorneilcoleman.com