Firstly I can confirm that contrary to popular rumour I do not have skin cancer. My ears and eyes have just been suffering from sunburn and that fluff monster next door.

The vet has confirmed that.

Yes, I have been to the V.E.T.

Now I don't really have a problem with the vet. I do have a problem with the dog in the waiting room on occasion but not with the vet himself. Well, except for that sunscreen, antibiotic paste, eye drops and flea treatment he just forced on me.

What I don't like is the trip to the Vet.

Who decided that we cats must travel in those small cages? Who decided that we had to go in those horrible metal boxes called cars?

Until I get an answer I will continue to sound like a fire engine on the way to a fire when ever I am forced to endure caging and metal box transport!

P.S. Good luck getting those eye drops in.

Err... Don't the police have enough to do?

A District Court judge has questioned why three intellectually disabled Timaru men have been brought before the court, charged with minor assaults.
Mark David Irving, 50, Lance Peter Hayward, 29, and Scott Francis Murray, 31, who are all under the care of South Canterbury's Idea Services, appeared in the Timaru District Court this week.
Judge Phil Moran questioned why they had been brought into the criminal justice procedure, and described it as "very sad and distasteful".
While the summary of facts was not read it is understood the assaults were minor, such as one knocking off the glasses of their caregiver.
Murray has also been charged with intentional damage after breaking crockery plates belonging to Idea Services.
Defence counsel Christie O'Driscoll, who was acting for Murray, was unable to take instructions from him and asked for a remand without plea.
All three men were remanded at large until October 13 for a report which will assess whether or not they are fit to make a plea.
here

Next question: Why haven't Ideal Services trained their caregivers on how to deal with stroppy "clients"?

Perhaps they all need to sit down and watch The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show.

Resession beating tips

OK, I want to expand some of the ideas here:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10579265


Just a couple of things that need to be expanded on.

28. Put all items on your credit card and get rewards points.
Do this ONLY if you can pay the card off every month without fail and try to keep a money back stop so you can switch back to using cash if you start to struggle.

15. Save on electricity – use extra blankets.
And/or hotties, or bed socks, an obliging cat can be of help here too. A length of polar fleece makes a good lightweight blanket, check out shops like Ike's Emporium for cheap fabric. Sometimes a couple of metres of 150cm polar fleece can be bought for only $20-$30. It doesn't fray.

20. Stay warm.
Warm places that cost you nix are malls (leave the money at home) and libraries.

32. Stop buying Lotto tickets.
Seriously $6/week = $312/year. When was the last time you won that much on lotto?
If you want a flutter by a ticket or two in one draw a month. Two tickets in the same drawn is better odds that one ticket in two draws.
Don't bother buying power ball. The odds of winning any prize are the same as a normal ticket and the odds of winning a power ball prize are 8 times poorer. The odds of winning a prize in a big prize draw or jackpot are not better than normal either.

21. Carpool or bus.
Do the sums on this one. If you are going to carpool you will save money so long as you or your passengers chip in a share of the petrol money.
If you are going to sell/get rid of the car yes, this will save money.
Travelling by bus won't necessarily save money if you keep the car so compare only the running costs. If you are paying for parking going by bus is cheaper otherwise possibly not. Consider driving part way then getting on a bus for the last stage to save money on parking in the city.

26. Repair your clothes instead of buying new ones.
You don't even need a sewing machine although it is quicker if you have one and know how to use it. Even getting a broken zip replaced professionally can be cheaper than a new pair of trousers. A stitch in time still saves nine so don't procrastinate over sewing jobs and do them before washing the item.

Some tips of my own
If you have to pay separately for rubbish collection like we do here, reduce what you throw out with the weekly rubbish. Remember you can put some rubbish on the fire. Put that polystyrene packing under the house for the inorganic collection.

Compost heaps are free, you don't need a bin to contain it if you don't mind the site of a heap and the cat will take care of any rats (yum :P).
Cheaper than buying $5 bags of compost to grow veggies in.

Keep an eye on those op shops.
Not just for clothing either. All sort from things from jigsaw puzzles to old pots and knitting needles and patterns and plants can be got for less than $5. Sometimes less that $1. The ancient pressure cooker we have was bought for $2 and cooks a packet of kidney beans in 45 minutes. Much cheaper than tinned beans. Great for soup as well.
Just chuck the bones in my direction for serious licking when you are done.

I am being lazy

That is why I have been silent for over a fortnight.

Nice work when you can get it.

Half the family, the two legged females, took off for a weekend involving back packs, sleeping bags, raincoats, food and three bottles of kerosene to somewhere without power, fire place, or running water reachable only by a boat plus hiking.

They came back towing an empty gas bottle on a handcart and muttering about not enough kerosene. It seems that both the kerosene for the heater and the gas ran out at the same time so no hot water bottle or hot water and they forgot to pack the coffee.

A whole weekend without coffee.

Thank goodness the one of the neighbouring baches had some to share.

I had to spend the whole weekend cooped up with a posse of 8 year old boys so I don't know what those wussy two legged females were complaining about.

Next time take me and tell DOC I am rodent eradication. Far more eco friendly than whatever they had to disconnect the water tanks and close the islands to drop.

Does National want to win Mt Albert?

Given some of their candidates comments I have to wonder.

The new motorway is a hot topic in Mt Albert, feelings on the subject are running high and the NIMBYs are frothing in force so I guess Melissa Lee could be forgiven for saying she was all for the tunnel option.

Pity her party had other ideas.

The residents of Mt Albert are less than happy about the prospect of their suburb being cut in half so in the heat of a community meeting and obviously trying to find a positive side to the big road in a trench Ms Lee makes the comment that the new motorway will help stop the criminals from South Auckland from running rampant in Mt Albert.

Pity about the RNZ journo who got it on tape.

While all the frothing is going on I can't help noting a few points.

1. A glance at the local paper seems to show that the worst crimes locally do seem to be committed by low lives from South Auckland, either that or they are the ones that get caught.
2. I don't think the motorway with stop these criminals. I think it is more likely to aid them. That quartet that did the Dukes of Hazard off Beach Haven wharf proved that not only do they have just enough IQ to use an off ramp, even when being blocked by Police but when off the motorway their ability to navigate is highly suspect hence the their escape south being stopped by the Waitemata Harbour.
3. The motorway my benefit the Auckland region as a whole but it is of little benefit and great inconvenience to Mt Albert.

OK, Mt Albert, thanks to former local MP Helen Clark, was a Labour safe seat.

National could have had a good shot at winning it given how blue Auckland turned last election.

Instead National have just handed it back to Labour on a platter.

Are the banks now playing chicken?

Ok, the OCR was lowered again last week. It is now down to 2.5%.

The banks have ...

...done nothing.

Not even the floating rates have dropped.

Now either the banks are playing some sort of game or the Reserve Bank has lost its ability to affect interest rates.

One of those prospects could be very worrying.

I wouldn't like to be in Bill English's shoes right now. Maybe that is why Trevor Mallard is now on the Government's front bench.

It is duck season after all.

Perhaps National is hoping to distract Labour into building a maimai on the opposition benches instead of aiming their guns at the Budget due out in just over 3 weeks.

Caption Please

The kids thought this was hilarious. They get told off for lying in the armchairs like this.
I think it is a classic reason not to leave the camera lying around at 4am in the morning.

I was asleep, OK?