Muruwai Beach was lovely today---ask Perdy!

Today dawned as a beautiful spring gift---the sun popped over the horizon causing Perdy to lick my face as if to say---'places to see, things to do----come on get up---now---no before! I did, heated up a quick breakfast from the leftovers of yesterday's excesses and was soon on the way to Doug's. After a quick look at his wonderful garden we headed towards Waimauku, where he needed to check out a place he is taking a class to plant some native trees and plants in a wetland area of a very nature caring farmer. Then, we had the flash of an idea---lets go to Muruwai Beach for a walk---we had overdone the eating a bit yesterday when we had a series of Tapa type food. Oh well, at least we can walk it off these days. The view over the Tasman S4ea was heaven in itself. White crested waves spilled upon the black sands, Perdy panted and finally broke out into a yelping that demanded to be let loose on the long beach. She had a ball, literally in her mouth when she wasn't chasing it and also in her pure enjoyment of being with us at this magnificent beach on Auckland's west coast. I shall let the pictures speak for themlsves. OH--after I post this,I shall take her down to Onehunga Bay. What a perfect end to a great weekend

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Suriname, Tunisia--just to name a few new countries on my list.

Yes, more countries fining my blog. It won't be long before most countries in the world will have at least stumbled on my blog. That's cool with me but it does result in some interesting contacts. A friendly message to the 'ladies' searching or 'love,'----yeah right---- ain't computing for me-----so try elsewhere dears. Try Putin---he may have an urge to make new friends because he ain't got many other than those in Russia who love to be subjected to his particular 'Soviet style strongman' qualities. Oh well, I digress. Hi---but no thanks ladies of God knows where!'

Waipuna Hotel and Conference---nothing is too much for the staff

I am having a great time at the Guidance Counsellors Conference at the Waipuna Hotel. My mind is buzzing re the workshops I have attended. I have chosen to 'specialize in the Brain Plasticity ones and I won't even try to explain to much about that---I need to get my 'unplastic' brain around it. Suffice it to say that we do not need to accept the 'aging brain' process. It is something that can be stopped in its tracks and indeed reversed, given the right 'exercises.' That the body benefits from exercise and being treated 'right,' goes for the brain as well. Over the next few months I shall put up postings re this incredible new 'frontier of knowledge.' OK, so now I am in my room--yes I had to find out how to get in---I had forgotten about electronic keys and if you use them upside down or don't stick then in right---they don't work---yes first embarrassment! I had to get 'help.' I am a worry eh. Then came the simple task of turning the TV on because that needs to happen in order to make the computer work! OH shite--- I ad not realized that you need to stick the electronic key into the 'thingy' on the wall as you enter the room. That was fixed after I rang the front desk. OK , TV on but---I have been locked away from the modern world for too long---once again I needed to get help. I wandered off to the front desk in the belief that I could act nonchalant and get some advice re making the TV actually work with the laptop. The 'word' must have gotten around that the 'inhabitant' of room 115 is a bit of a 'throwback' to a time when such services didn't exist. The nice young man accompanied me back to my room and proceeded to try to make the 'Wi-Fi work---it wouldn't for some reason. Not my fault this time. He patiently tried many things but no---we had to try the cable way and that too didn't work. Once again, not my ignorance---the cable was faulty--so off Kahn ( the nice front desk man--who happened to have a past life in IT) went to get another cable and I spent the ensuing few minutes to start reading the book that the 'presenter' at the conference wrote--I swapped Roskill for his. Khan came back with the cable and then set about making my computer worked. It took him a while but he was determined to make things happen. I was thinking that---OMG--what about the other guests? He just plugged away at his task and finally I was online. Khan--you are legend and the hotel needs to know you are 'tops.' (Employee of the month boss!) Now, here I am, writing hits blog, wafting for dinner. yes, it's the conference dinner tonight and I didn't want to drive home after having a few drinks--so I bit the bullet and paid out for one nights accommodation. Now I can be with my friends and colleagues, enjoying the food. (Hell----wish I could have a doggie bag, cause I ain't going to be able to eat much!) I had a chance to sell Roskill here too, but so far it's only been about 6--there's always tomorrow! I don't want to totally piss off my fellow attendees, so gently it goes. Right that shower and bath look nice and I even hung my clothes up for the dinner tonight. Thanks for all the help Waipuna employees! Catch ya later!

Click on the link for the radio interview I had re Roskill

http://www.thecoast.net.nz/audio/roskill-a-novel-by-neil-coleman

There are some serious issues in New Zealand re the 'homeless' and poverty, but violence is not the answer!

An incredibly sad tragedy happened yesterday in Ashburton, a mid-sized town in the South Island of New Zealand. A man walked into a WINZ office (Work and income New Zealand) and shot three people, two of whom died and seriously injured the third. New Zealand is now in the midst of a discussion about why this could have happened; about what drove this man to such an extreme action. Firstly I need to state that his actions cannot be justified, no matter what the provocation. Taking another person’s life is totally wrong at every level! Yes, I know that is happens, both here and to a much larger degree on other countries, some of whom are in the midst of wars and breakdowns of the rule of law. Yesterday’s tragedy had a begging in a systematic breakdown when it came to supporting this man, who allegedly had some massive issues with a range of ‘agencies. He was well known to the local support agencies. It is said that he came back from Australia after learning that he had an illness and that he came back to ‘die.’ Pretty strong words. He had been trying to get housing and had taken the move of putting up a tent in a public park. There are also reports that there was an abandoned ‘State house’ in the town, but I do not know if he was on the list for housing or whatever other supports he may have been offered. He was under incredible stress and once again, I do not have the full story as to the state of his mental health. There is much we do not know about this man but there is much being said about the justification for his actions! On first appearances, there seems to have been a breakdown in the support he has been offered but we do no as yet know what his reaction was to that which was offered. What we do know is that for many years, there has been criticism levelled at that government agency, amongst others and that hardly a week goes by where we hear of an incident where someone has been threatened or assaulted, whilst doing their job. What we saw yesterday was a culmination of many factors, not the least being that there is poverty in New Zealand, that there is a perception that not enough of being done to help people in the position this man was facing. Perceptions and beliefs will vary as to the causes of this situation, but what we do know is that things must change: We cannot let our people working in agencies be subject to danger, but at the same time we need to examine how this all came about. What is it that has people so frustrated that they seek such extreme and violent action? Is there a ‘mental health’ issue here, where people are not receiving the help they need? When ‘mental health,’ bean to be delivered ‘within the community, rather than in institutions, did we go way to far, leaving people vulnerable because they were not resourced sufficiently? These questions must be addressed along with those surrounding how people are ‘worked with,’ when they use Government agencies. However, once again, I come back to the point that, we cannot have people being killed, just because they are doing a job that attracts a good deal of emption when the results of their work do not satisfy the clients! Yes, address the issues and that is on a massive scale, because it goes to the very heart of how we want New Zealand to be as a nation---a fair one, or one that does not care for those who need care the most! www.authorneilcoleman.com

Putin seems determined to take Europe to war!

Putin is acting in a manner that looks dangerously like a situation way back in the 1930’s re another leader! OK, let’s just name it. Hitler took Europe and the world to war and the lead up to that was one characterised by nations paralyzed into non-action in the belief that giving in to the dictator would lead to world peace (‘in our time’). That did not happen. Are we in a similar situation re Putin and his taking Ukraine to the very edge of all-out war because he wants to absorb the former nations that once were part of the USSR? Would he in fact stop at the eastern areas of Ukraine or does he have a more sinister plan? He is very hard to read and he encourages this aspect of his foreign policy, re the nations of Europe and NATO. There are noises coming out of Russia that he merely wants the people of eastern Ukraine to be able to choose which country they want to be part of or at the very least be an independent Eastern Ukraine. We all know what his idea of an independent ‘referendum’ is like. It is one that is totally controlled by his forces and any voices raised against his master plan are quickly quelled. If such a ‘plebiscite’ were to go ahead, it can only be conducted through the works of the UN. Any other plan is tantamount to playing into the hands of Putin and his ‘bullyboy’ things who would rule in his name. In the meantime Europe and NATO are becoming increasingly uncomfortable re the aspirations of the man who would take us back to the bad old days of the ‘Cold War.’ His every move, each and every small thrust into the territories on his borders, gradually adds up to him swallowing more and more territory. The world must stand up to him. Yes, there have been sanctions and perhaps they have made his position more desperate as the Russian economy gradually slides into recession. Like many before him, he realizes that the only way to garner support behind him is to ‘go to war,’ to expand the territories of Mother Russia, calling on that age-old Russian instinct to ‘love a strong leader,’ one who is prepared to risk all in the name or Russian aspirations.’ Europe must be united if it wants to stop this crazy dictator. That he even alludes to the fact that Russia is one of the world’s strongest nuclear powers is disturbing in that he would even go down that pathway to achieve his goals. What is equally worrying is that any voices within Russia prepared to speak out are being gradually silenced; those doing so simply disappear or the means by which they attempt to get their messages out are taken off the air. Putin and Russia need to hear a very clear message that they cannot go against the body of nations that Europe (and others) represent, that they cannot flout international law (yes we know that Putin will point the finger at the USA for doing something similar!) and that at some stage, there will be a counter reaction; one that Putin no doubt fears will sweep him the corridors of power in Russia. That is the conundrum Russia and the world faces---it is all about HIM---Putin---the modern day Stalin! The days ahead are fraught with danger!

Boozy fruit cake, model two! No cane sugar in this!

If you are one of those people who don't give a stuff about following recipes, read this and then go and do your own thing. If it bugger up, give it to your dog or the birds down at the park. Mind you, they may not fly well! I am not going to pretend that this is cheap but I am going to make a claim that it is relatively healthy so long as you don't eat it all in one sitting. In have not had the alcohol content actually measured so you may not even want to drive if you are a claimant of a 'non drinking stance. Into a big bowl chuck I the following: Heaps of dates (non stones or you will break your teeth!) lots of raisins. About a big cup of one of those supermarket bin mixes containing dried fruit, buts and God knows what else. The total for all the above is about three cups. I threw in about two tables spoons of chia seeds and quinoa flakes too. Half a packet of mixed spice, some nutmeg, and cinnamon. I just emptied the left over of a packet of them. Three eggs one and a half cups of gluten free baking mix (use just use the dame of self raising flour) About half a cup of melted butter. Now pour in any liquor--I used Drambuie---about a cup. Get ya hands on and mix it up, licking your fingers to taste! Jeeze --why cook it! If it still feels a bit dry, chuck in some pineapple juice or any juice that is in the fridge. Pour or shove it into a baking tin and spread it out. Cook at about 160C for as long as it take. Take it out and let it cool a bit. When you open the oven the alcohol should smack you in the face---wow! Once sit cooled a bit--make some little holes in and pour in more of your favourite liqueur. That will preserve it and give it the kick you want. If you are worried about the booze, just stick in fruit juice but don't keep it for so long. If you are a dope-head just substitute some of the leaf---but I'm not, so don't know about that. Shite--is that illegal! Enjoy and share if you must, with those you love! www.authorneilcoleman.com