STATE TV THE NEW HONE CUDDLERS?

Its starting to look like TVNZ, - in particular Te Karere, are helping Hone Harawira run his election campaign for Te Tai Tokerau.

We get up pretty early, like most country folks - so we get to see the repeat of the night before Te Karere programme with the added bonus of sub titles- which is pretty useful for us southern white chocolate half caste muttonbirders who aren't much chop at te reo.

And lo and behold - who's up first but Hone - waxing lyrical about all sorts of stuff. Its not the first time and as we watch Te Karere nearly every morning we have come to form the opinion that the state funded Maori news programme are Hone cuddlers and are anti the Maori party.

Someone needs to tell those who have editorial control of this programme to pull their heads in and show some balance.

We want to see more probing interviewing - rather than allowing Hone to slag off everyone else.

A wise kaumatua said to us the other day that Hone was good at promotion - of himself. He is and we think he is being ably supported in his cause by some sychophants on the Te Karere team.

The people of Northland deserve better - and they need to vote strategically for Kelvin Davis - a man with real Mana.

EXCUSES OR SOLUTIONS - ASK THE DEAD BABIES

So a piece of research commissioned by a child advocacy group is supposed to show that Maori did not mistreat their children until they were taught the dark domestic arts by pakeha.

The research and its findings are already being criticised and rightly so.

Firstly it is a shameful waste of money that would be better spent on ways to reduce the shocking Maori child abuse statistics.

This group and the woefully lily livered Childrens Commission are falling short in their duty to protect children. What they have done is create a report that provides yet another excuse - it does not provide any solutions.

Contrast this to a young woman Cherie who lived next door to Serenity Scott Dennington who death is being treated as suspicious. She organised a hui to look at ways to prevent more abuse. She called on the people of her community to act collectively to put an end to the violence. So what happened? Cherie has been vilified by her own community for talking openly about the need to find a solution and for people to stand up to those who beat their children. Labelled a nark. Cherie is a beacon of hope in a dark community - not dark because its predominately Maori but dark in deeds.

Hone Kaa should not look to our imperfect past for the answers - instead it is the here and now where his group should be focussing their attention.

The silence of a community is a cowardly sign of acceptance of child abuse. If it creates no shame then it is normalised. It needs brave people like Cherie to lead communities out of that dark place so the children can be restored to their natural place as a treasure. A value not just held exclusively by Maori of old but by every population on earth.

THE FLOYD CHRONICLES

For the last year or so, I have been hankering for a horse. We used to ride when we were young, show jumping, A and P shows, hunts and Mounted Rifle games (Agility tests designed by the cavalry.)

We had trick ponies that would kneel down on command and rear up just like the lone ranger, hunters, other peoples naughty ponies and stock horses. At any one time there were up to 14 horses on our property. Over the years we have ridden off and on as the opportunities came up. About ten years ago I started to ride with a good woman called Val - who had a superb ex race horse called Lovelock who had been very successful in his day. We rode on a place called Terawhiti station which takes up all the land from the south west corner of the north Island to just south of Makara. It was about  12,000 acres of  horse riding paradise. 

I was lucky enough to get on pretty well with the bloke, who ran the place at the time -Allan Hobbs. Hobbsy is a horseman's horseman. He is a ex rodeo rider and he breeds and breaks in damn good horses. 

I rode all sorts of horses that had been trained by Allan during the Terawhiti years. Val and I had many many great adventures riding the length and breadth of the station. 

So when decided it was time to get a horse I turned to Hobbsy who now lives up the Kapiti Coast. And he has found me a wee beauty. 

His name is Floyd. A splendid 12 year old gelding of about 14 hands - that makes him officially a pony. However while he is short in the leg he is big in the body. He has a bit of welsh and clydesdale in his history and he hails from up Gisborne way. 

He has even done a stint as a Riding for the disabled steed. 

He is not a slug , but is happy to wander along on a long rein - taking in the scenery. 

He likes - carrots apples and food in general. - He is a equine gourmand. 

He is a "good - doer" he will live on the smell of a lettuce leaf.

He comes when he is called and whinnies to let you know he is on his way. 

He is a gate master - knowing just where to stand so you can open them. 

He lifts his feet so you can check them.

And he is not fazed by barking dogs, mooing cows and silly sheep and alpacas. 

He is alert but far from panicked when crossing bridges.

But he has been shocked on an electric fence and wont go within cooee of them.

He is a good wee man and I think we are going to have some fine adventures.

Upping the Angst

Overall, people live much longer and more comfortable lives than they ever have before. That is even when you take into account the health issues of the developing world, and, nations involved in conflict. We live in a golden age but we won’t recognise it. Anxiety and irrational fears are on the increase. High speed, hard sell mass media means that we are told a lot of things that are really none of our business. And, we are told in an alarming exaggerated way. Repeatedly, until sales and ratings drop and the next sensation comes down the wire. Our great grandparents often never knew of conflict and disasters in other hemispheres until well after the fact, if at all. And they certainly never had the vicious impact of troubles brought home in high definition drama. They didn’t usually live as long as we will but they seemed to be happier. When they had worries, wisely, they kept it from their children.

People have always worried about their health and safety. We are hard wired for worry. This was most fortuitous in the days when, if you stepped out of your cave without pessimistic vigilance, you could be torn apart and eaten alive by a sabre toothed tiger. For most of humanity’s existence, you were doing very well if you lived long enough to perpetrate your genes into the next generation. If you are an adult now, you will probably live into your eighties. If you breathe up some second-hand smoke or eat a bacon butty you will have more than ten minutes to live. Relax and enjoy. And keep your kids away from too much TV news. They worry more than we do.

AIR NEW ZEALAND TWITTER AND THE NANA TEST

As yo know we are pretty conversant with most popular forms of social media. We have about 650 followers on Twitter.

Most are wine, journos, foodies and social media types. We can get an estimate of our reach pretty quickly using a variety of tools. Tweetreach is a good quick and dirty measure of reach - which is really just a measure of who received your tweet, not who read it or who passed it on. Although we only use the free version - the paid version had substantially more clip on services.

Anyway, since about May 11 we have been in "dialogue with Air New Zealand over a refund issue. The actual details are boring other than to say it related to a full flexi flight for 2 people that was cancelled and the check in chick recommended that a refund be sought. So we did.

It took about 20 mins on the phone to the first Airnz customer services bloke CS1 to detail what and where etc. He said that he had all the details and would pass them onto the refund team.

And he advised us to check up on them to see how things were going in a week or so.

Good oh, we said.

So a week went by and we did check. Strangely we had to repeat the process all over again re explaining the details to customers service chick CS 2. It took another 30 minutes. Then she told us she was relaying all the details to the refund team and then she would let me talk to them.

By this stage we had started to twitter our less than satisfactory experience.

Then we spoke to refund customers services chick 3 who asked us to detail everything in an email. I said that by this stage there must be a file as CS 1 and CS 2 both detailed everything so there was no need to waste even more of my time by getting me to detail it all in an email again.

She put me on hold for about 1o mins and then she came back and said yes there was a file and it would be acted on today.

I was still merrily twittering away and by this stage 3400 people had received my tweets on the subject.

I got a tweet from @flyairnz asking if there was anything they could do.

15 minutes later I got an email from the refund team saying that the refund had been put on my visa.

Now all the customer services people were lovely to deal with. Although I did feel CS3 was trying to stall the process. But the system for refunds is not customer friendly.

We love Airnz and its snazzy marketing and excellent use of social media, its wonderful flight stuff and the way its part of the kiwi psyche. We love the way they embrace technology and really try to do the best for the customer most of the time.

And as well all know its the putting right that counts. And they did.

But this does not pass our Nana test. That is - would a little old lady get a refund or would she give up because it was all to hard and the obfuscation and lack of clear process would have been too much?

Our money is on Nana giving up.

So no it doesn't pass the Nana test.

And we want to know why it would take - 4 - 6 weeks to process a refund as we were advised by CS2 today. Considering that you can only fly if you pay up front - 4-6 weeks for a refund is just insulting and usurious.

If it was good enough to sort out my refund in 2 weeks its good enough to sort it out in the same time frame for everyone else.

And it still leaves me pretty impressed that Twitter is a good way to get the attention of a social media savvy company like Air New Zealand.

WEEKEND CANT COME FAST ENOUGH - DIRT

KICK EM WHEN THEY'RE UP KICK EM WHEN THEY'RE DOWN

Blogger is still busted, not in a big titted  blond way but in a techy clusterf**ckery way. So this is actually the Brunettte here.

This is about Mallard.. Its a game where you can give him the kicking he deserves.

Make games | Share | Play free online games | User Generated Games @ Pictogame

And as Trev is now an established part of NZ's new media - this one is for him...

TUUTA GETS PLUM MAORI GOVERNANCE ROLE

Jamie Tuuta has been appointed the new Maori Trustee.


We keep an eye on the up and coming young Maori bucks. We have met Jamie Tuuta a few times and his intellect is impressive. He is one of the Chathams Tuutas.


He is also a strong family man with a big tribe of kids. And his only real negative is that he can be an arrogant bugger. However we remain confident he will step up and become the statesman that this role requires him to be.

He is going to be in charge of a significant parcel of Maori owned assets of around $130 million invested as well as over 2000 properties and about 105,000 hectares of land.

We will be watching his progress with interest .

NZ AT THE BRINK OF ECONOMIC ABYSS?

We would have to agree with Kerry McDonald - there is a scant understanding of the parlous state of the NZ economy and that lack of economic literacy means that few will understand that it will take very little for us to end up as a basket case like the PIIGs, Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Greece.

So, for once we have to say that our support for this government is qualified. We still want more facts on what Plan B is - if it all turns to custard. We are not interested in Pollyanna projections.

We are not interested in what the PM thinks of the Wellywood sign or Tau Henare's tweets.

We are interested in is how he is going to stop the rampant feasting on our fiscal future as Kerry so eloquently puts it,

"New Zealands citizens are eating its breeding stock and next seasons seed -
its dangerously in debt and still borrowing heavily"

So this is one time when we need a government that doesn't indulge in frippery, and keeps the country well informed of the state of the nation and its stewardship and makes sure that we live within our means, despite the pain that will bring. But we are convinced - if you tell the nation why serious restraint is needed and they understand and believe growth can come from an export led recovery , that business is good,that profit is needed to fund the taxes to provide the sort of services we expect, like good roads and infrastructure -then we will get through what is a pretty tough time.

GOOGLE BLOGGER ISSUES

We are having a few issues with log ins to Blogger so bear with us. The writers of Roarprawn are sharing the logins that allow access so any one of the five could come up with another name.

NZ PINOT NOIR GOLD - WYCROFT

We blogged the other day about getting a lovely bottle of 2009  Wycroft Pinot Noir in exchange for a lend of our meat mincer so our mate could make some venison sausages ( we got some sausages as well).
We are well familiar with the delightful depth and sophistication of Wycroft wines so we were well pleased to acquire a bottle.
However ,we have just discovered the latest accolade this small but excellent vineyard has won. Wycroft is only found in the best restaurants as is befitting a pinot of quality. We love its plummy, chocolaty  richness and the decadence that comes from a hint of tobacco. It is a supremely good wine that  glows from the loving touch of its passionate vintners.  It has always been in the best of NZ Wine company and the latest award sees it again recognised as one of this country's premium pinot noirs and indeed the world.  

Specialist Wairarapa pinot noir maker Wycroft has been awarded one of only 18 gold medals globally in the 28^th annual London International Wine Challenge (IWC). Six kiwi pinot noirs scored gold – three from Central Otago, two from Marlborough, and Wycroft, from Matahiwi Rd, Masterton for its 2009 Wycroft Pinot Noir. With more than 25,000 wines entered the IWC is the world’s largest wine competition. The local pinot noir gold medals were shared with Australia and the United Stateswith one each, and France with 10. This is the second international gold medal from two entries for the boutique Wycroft label, the other being a Decanter award for the Wycroft 2006 Pinot Noir. Wycroft was established in 1998 and produces purely pinot noir in small quantities for high-end restaurants and mailing list clients. Its annual production averages around 250 dozen. 

We wont be drinking this bottle until we can find  an auspicious occasion to do it justice and congratulations must also go  to  Roaring Meg 2009 (Mt Difficulty, Central Otago); Elephant Hill 2009 (Central Otago); Valli Pinot Noir 2008 (Central Otago); The Society’s Exhibition Pinot Noir 2009 (Craggy Range, Central Otago); Nautilus Estate 2009 (Marlborough); Villa Maria Cellar Selection 2009 (Marlborough) which were also gold medal winners. 

INVERCARGILL - TAKE BACK YOUR TOWN

We took to cooking and stuff over the weekend so left the heady debates on the middle east to Lambcut who likes writing and talking about it - a lot.

However, we have been musing over a story that we saw in the Southland Times late last week about self styled gang leader Shaun Te Kahu writing a letter to property developer and entrepreneur Louis Crimp about their gang headquarters which was torched.

Crimp owned it and in a curious oversight didn't realise that there had been no mortgage payments on the property for a decade.

He took back the property but in less that 48 hours it was burnt to the ground.

Te Kahu - who is not Ngai Tahu's finest son, shows some literacy skills but little else.

The letter is a mixture of whinging about the sentimental attachment he and his brother Chaz had to the place, and not so veiled threats about rebuilding the gang presence back in Invercargill.

Te Kahu's letter in full

Koe Louis,

Shaun Te Kahu here. I writing to you concerning what I just witnessed on TV. I'm in total disbelief. Shocked and totally gutted. As well as my brother. We are original founders of mongrel mob Invercargill.

That place held sentimental value to us. I wasn't aware of that mortgage loan back from 89. When I become president I honestly wasn't aware of that bill. Otherwise, I would've paid it. To find out 20 years later was a slap in the face. I received your correspondence like December just gone.

I couldn't do much from my cell. I was told you approached others down there. I honestly believe you weren't talking to the backbone at all. I'm the backbone. Me and my brother. I was in Springhill Prison when I got your notice.

So I wasn't in a position to do anything positive. I'm back in Chch now. I'm due to come back Invercargill ways anytime next year. I'm a local from Invercargill just like everyone else in the town. I've made the wrong choices, no ones perfect. I won't deny the mob are a bunch of thugs. I accept we've mucked it all up. But I am prepared to make a change for the better of us and the community. We have given back to the community as well. My contribution was AK47s and shotguns and other weapons. That was something no other gang has done ever in Invercargill. Just politics in the gang scene got in the way. The town has been quiet since I've been in jail. I'm in a better frame of mind now. What I like to know is where do we go from here? I got the impression you and the city council was trying to crush the mob by taking way my headquarters. The bill was unrealistic aye. Why would the mob pay you that amount of money when the mob could go and buy another house and rebuild right in the town. We chose Severn cause it was the right location for us. And there's another headquarters in Mataura.

I'm prepared to make amends to you when I get out. I'll compensate you on the condition you give what's left back 2 us which is nothing now. But ashes. Otherwise you give me no choice but to rebuild in town.

Til I hear from you.

Yours sincerely SHAUN TE KAHU

Paparua Prison

It is astounding that he admits to introducing AK47's to the town and to fuelling the gang warfare that has dogged the southern town for years.

Invercargill doesnt need arsewipes like the Te Kahus . They are wreckers and haters and just stupid enough to be dangerous to innocent people.

Even the Mongrel Mob never held these guys in high regard until they managed to torch the historic headquarters of the Road Knights which had been a symbol of the pasty white racist underbelly of Invercargill.

Sadly this gross play in the gang sandpit gained them some misplaced creds.

When Te Kahu does get out of prison there is no way he should be allowed back inside the town boundary.

What we would like to see on the big sign that welcomes people to Invercargill is - Proud to be Gang Free.

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Pink Pussy Trimmer

Posted by Lambcut

Green party MP Catherine Delahunty was on the six o’clock news tonight. Lambcut’s esteemed husband, Duke Nukem was watching. Busted Blonde and the Brunette are politically right of Genghis Khan. Well let me tell you, Duke Nukem makes them look like an episode of the Care Bears. I am Mme Duke Nukem the 4^th. He had three wives and a veritable harem of girlfriends before he married me. He undoubtedly knows in minutia how women look, on a good hair day or bad. Duke’s reaction to Ms Delahunty was one of shock momentarily, turning to horror and then revulsion. Clearly, he had never seen her before and was unprepared on that basis.

I wondered, why is it that women on the left make so little of their personal presentation? I know we are in Paul Henry territory here. “It’s a lady with a moustache! It’s a lady with a moustache!!!?” And, it was a lady with a moustache.

The Duke and I were in Harvey Normans recently on an IT acquisition mission. Once we completed the mission, we passed time perusing the variety of gadgetry available. Duke spotted a pink battery operated pussy trimmer and kindly offered to buy it for me. When Duke Nukem offers to buy you a pink battery operated pussy trimmer there is not much mystery as to the why of it. The only mystery is why women from the left of the political spectrum can’t even manage to do their faces.

Rules of Engagement for Comment on the Israeli Palestinian Conflict

Posted by Lambcut

Lambcut with a very special Semitic friend

At the discretion of Busted Blonde and the Brunette, I will probably continue to post occasionally as time allows, on Saturdays and Sundays on the delicate topic of Israeli Palestinian politics. If you wish to comment on any post going forward you will have to abide by certain rules of engagement. In previous posts on the topic or in reply to any comment thus far, you will note that I haven’t indulged in any ad hominem attacks, pejorative language, racist insults or hate speech. The same cannot be said for some VRWC commentators. Though, some of those commentators resorted to other blogs as their forum for this. Notwithstanding, I published all comments sent to Roarprawn. I will not continue to do so.

There have been assertions by Roarprawn’s commentators, albeit on other blogs that I am anti-Semitic. Arabs, along with Jews, are Semitic people. In any event, I do not countenance anti-Semitism in any form. There will be no holocaust denying here, there will also be no nakba denying. I do not compare nakba to the holocaust. The horrors of the holocaust thankfully remain out in a league of their own. Nakba is an atrocity in its own right. And I will not ignore it.

I refer to my recent post entitled, Israel and the Fine Art of Sophistry. It attracted remarkable traffic and vitriol from the VRWC’s readers. It was essentially a post on the poor standard of journalism on both sides. Read it properly and see. Not one commentator asked me whether or not I agreed with a withdrawal to the 1967 borders or if I supported a two state solution. The most inflammatory thing I said was, “for Netanyahu to assert that the 1967 borders are indefensible is demonstrably untrue and mischievous”. Not one commentator provided any rebuttal to that statement. No-one talked about the quality or veracity of press coverage.

As it happens I am not convinced a two state solution is best. If Israel took over the West Bank and Gaza, and was made a whole country on that basis, certain things would eventually have to happen. If Israel wished to be thought of as a civilised state the rights of all of its citizens would have to be recognised equally. The Gaza wall would have to come down or it would be an apartheid state, and would have to be regarded as such by the international community. Any violent act by any citizen Palestinian or Jew would have to be recognised for what it is – a criminal act punishable at criminal law. Water and other vital infrastructure would need to be provided to all areas of the country in proper proportions. Persons born in Israeli territory would have automatic citizenship and have the right to leave the country and have the right of return. Disputes over real property, historic or not, would have to be addressed on an appropriate legal basis. Universal suffrage would have to be enacted. Those persons now held in Israeli prisons without trial would have to be brought before the Courts without undue delay.

If you wish to make any comment on any post of mine on this topic I will publish it, provided the comment does not contain:

Ad hominem attacks; or

pejorative language; or

racist insults; or

hate speech against any ethnic group.

There Has Always Been Money in Soothsaying

Posted by Lambcut

It seems our man Harold Camping was wrong about the rapture. There hasn’t been any disappearing Christians though it is said there may have been some money mysteriously disappeared into Camping’s pockets.

There has always been money in soothsaying. John Dee was employed by Elizabeth I as her personal advisor and soothsayer. He studied the Talmud, Rosicrucian theories and practiced alchemy in hopes of finding the Philosopher's Stone. (You thought that was only in Harry Potter, didn't you?) Dee was said to have had a copy of the Necronomicon. H. P. Lovecraft made a buck or two out of the concept later on.

Nostradamus did a bit of soothsaying for Catherine de Medici who became Queen Regent of France. Monsieur N predicted the deaths of a number of Catherine’s family. An excellent alibi, in those days I suppose, for anyone that wanted them dead. Catherine eventually endowed him with the title of Physician in Ordinary. The position apparently came with a very tidy salary and other benefits.

I am writing a strategic report and board advisory just now. I’ll be expected to say a sooth or two in those. After that, I predict, I will put in my invoice then take a draft of cleansing ale.

LAMBCUT WONT GET THE CHOP

OIIIII!!!!  We allow Lambcut to post occasionally under the brunettes log from time to time.

She makes it very clear when its she who is blogging and  not the Brunette. Busted Blonde and The Brunette  think that Lamb Cut is a complete fucktard when it comes to middle eastern politics. We thought that letting her have a rant on here every now and then would mean she would be exposed to other views that may temper hers. But it does not seem to be working. She does have intimate knowledge of the subject and has spent time in the middle east. Strangely she is more  right wing than we are on every other issue. She even worked for ACT in the past.

So if you want to tear her limb from  verbal limb - feel free. She is big enough to look after herself. She is our sister and she can blog on here about Arab stuff every now and then  in the hope it might soften her hard line view  but  be rest assured we do NOT in anyway shape or form agree with a word she says. In fact, we wont even talk to her about ARAB stuff because it bores us and is likely to end in either one of us sustaining a life threatening injury.

So Bustedblonde blogs on anything but politics, the Brunette blogs on everything that isnt about the Middle East and Lambcut is allowed  to blog on arab cuddling occassionally.

And just for everyones interest  - her husband is a very fit pensioner 15 years her senior  (true) and does not need viagra. I checked in the medicine cupboard last time I stayed with them. She just feeds the horny bastard well.


So  in the interests of world and VRWC peace - we will limit her arab cuddling posts to Saturdays and Sundays.

THE BAR HAS BEEN SET

A very dear mate was in dire need of a hand mincer after acquiring some venison  that he wanted to turn into gourmet sausages.

We have a Beatrice Hand Mincer we found in a second hand place in Australia - it had never been used and was still in its box. Its is a superb mincer. Pauas or mince are chomped with ease.
So we were a bit overwhelmed when our mate arrived with a bottle of multi award winning Wycoft Pinot Noir 2009!  So we are happy to lend out our Mincer to anyone - but the bar has been set very high for its rental.

Did the Rapture Occur at 6pm?

Posted by Lambcut

Going by TV and the internet, it does not appear that the rapture or taking up of Christians to heaven in a miraculous twinkling of an eye occurred at 6pm as predicted by US Evangelical broadcaster Harold Camping.

Having said that, I am an atheist and one can be reasonably sure that I would not be taken up in the rapture. I really can't be certain whether it took place or not. My husband is a lapsed Roman Catholic and indulges in many of the deadly sins quite regularly. He is still right here eating red meat and drinking bourbon as I write. He tells me he is horny. In fact that's one thing you can always rely on him to be. I don’t like to be judgemental but I think it excessively unlikely that he would be taken up in the rapture either. No definitive conclusions can be drawn.

It is a cold night, and I have not been outside to check if any Christians are missing. In any event, I’m not sure I know any Christians or where one might look for them on a Saturday. If you know of a Christian and can ascertain whether or not they disappeared suddenly around 6pm today, please post a comment letting us know.

MASTERTON FOODIE DAY

We had a great day today  - it started at the Masterton Farmers Market where we  bought some lovely Paulownia Rose and Pinot Gris and some Kingsmeade cheese . We wandered around the market which is small but perfectly formed , sipping on a luscious latte from Machiatto. There are fresh organic veges, fish, meat, pies and pasteries, breads, pickles, fat juicy rasberries from the Wee Red Barn, wine, beer, olive oil and preserves from Martinborough Manner.

Today we bought a head of celeriac which must qualify as one of the most ugly veges but we have made a remoulade and its lovely and fresh - a tasty memory of summer past.

We were at the market by 9am - and it was quiet enough to be able to talk to a couple of the stall holders.
The bloke from Kindsmeade is a quiet charmer and soon we had strolled off with 4 different cheeses. We have a cheese and pickle tasting at work on Monday so had promised to bring some Kingsmeade cheeses and some of our homemade pickles- if they last that long! We also had a chat with Vaughan Paul who owns Paulownia. One thing we like about small vineyards is the passion the owners have for the product.

Vaughan loves his wine and loves people loving it just as much.

We also met Farmgeek who is a tweeter as well. He runs the market. Today we also learnt that the market does have an EFTPOS.. That could be a major threat to our bank balance!

We will  be asking Farmgeek who the musicians were at the Market today  - two lovely blokes were crooning our sort of tunes - country .  Makes a girls heart sing does that sort of music..

We also bought some quiveringly fresh  liver and a bit of nice  sweet smokey bacon and had liver and bacon on our return home.

When we we got home we were inspired to make a few things. So first up was a lovely  Focaccia bread which turned out really well. Then it was a big pot of vege broth to keep us going at work - with a ginormous carrot added from our garden and a bone from one of our recently slaughtered lambs to give the soup some character.

Then we harvested our horseradish - its powerful stuff and we cant wait to try it out with a bit of fish.

As we sip our Paulownia  Pinot Gris, which is not too fruity  and has a surprising amount of depth and character -  we are thinking it will be lovely with our remoulade.

If you are over in the Wairarapa or stuck for something to do the Masterton market is well worth a visit.

Israel and the Fine Art of Sophistry

Posted by Lambcut

Israel likes to complicate the politics of conflict. Complicated concepts are difficult to debate and communicate to our attention deficit disordered Western hive-mind. But it’s really not that hard to understand.

In 1967 Israel won the Six Day War. It was a decisive victory and significantly expanded Israel’s territory.

Yesterday, Barrack Obama called for Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders. The proposal is part of a peace plan that’s been dragging on unrealised for decades.

Today, Benjamin Netanyahu said that the 1967 borders are indefensible. Israeli spinners are pouring out lots of fabulous and complex arguments for why it is so.

The fact remains that Israel won the territory as a result of decisive military conquest. It has been defending the territory adeptly for 43 years. It has expanded the territory incrementally by means of illegal settlement. It is territory gained by such means that is at the root of Obama’s call. For Netanyahu to assert that the 1967 borders are indefensible is demonstrably untrue and mischievous. But Israel will go on spinning it with breathtaking sophistry and the West will go on listening with the understanding and attention span of a gnat.