JOB SUMMIT AND FRIDAY ROUND UP.

We have been involved , one way or another in enough talk fests to sink a Cook Strait Ferry.

So despite staying positive we did harbour a few niggling doubts about the Job summit.
However we think some really good stuff has come out of it-
Bollard and English made it clear how bad things are. The problem is 390 time the size of the NZ economy.

And there was some very cool off the wall stuff. Weirdly we like the bike track idea. Creating a Bike track from one end of the country to the other But then with ma and pa resting up in Alexandra, we have first hand knowledge of the micro economy that surround the Rail Trail bike way.

We reckon little communities along the way can replicate the Central Otago Rail Trail. And we wonder if it can be linked to any projects increasing the reach of broadband.

So we quite like that idea - despite the fact that bike seats are swallowed whole by BB's ample derriere and are never seen again, biking is a good thing.

And we have already blogged extensively on four day working weeks. So the nine day fortnight gets a tick.

But the best part of the summit is that the economic crisis is a bit of a slow moving Tsunami and we have a bit of time ( not a lot but a wee bit ,) so the Summit has been a good starting point to get our economic shit together.
Everyone needs to play their part and the public service is no exception.
We think that the best thing the bureaucray can do is unravel all the regs and rules that stifle business and everyday life and quick smart. However we had heard that work is well underway on such stuff. We will report when we know more.

And for the round up.

• We have heard that four Labour backbenchers would have bailed from Parliament but the tight job market is holding them back.
• Should the poultry and seafood industries be grumpy that only beef sammies were served at the Job Summit?
  
• Will Dockside get a full house for the annual Bluff Oyster Lunch next week?
  
• What is the exciting new fishery the Seafood industry is exploring that will have foodies in ecstacy?
  
• Is there really a big problem with the Marlborough Blue Cod fishery?
  
• And Twits and Tweeters (Forest and Bird) is is sealing their reputation by carrying out a weird protest next week. We hear they will get a chilly reception.
  

FRIDAY ROUNDUP

Sala Sala is an exceptional japanese restaurant in Christchurch. We went there with the Wanaka Fishermen. Lovely sashimi and all went well with a nice bottle of Church Road Pinot Gris. We had the most succulent lamb for main. We highly recommend it.

One of the new sensations in the foody scene is Southern Glory Oysters. grown in the beautiful waters of Paterson Inlet on Stewart Island. They are huge. While not yet in huge quantities the owners expect to be producing a million a year in three years time. They are pricey $5 an oyster but we think that they will become legend. We have it on good authority that Simon Gault of Euro and Nourish Group Fame is also impressed with the same company's fabulous mussels.


We were interested to see the public face of TVNZ as it scambled to cover its arse over the fact that it informed staff that the razor gang was in the green room. We led with the story with NBR second out of the gate and the Herald following soon after. Interestingly TVNZ'a own website has the story that closely resembles the info given to us by a staffer.

In a message to staff, CEO Rick Ellis says its budget reduction may involve job cuts but this will not be decided until after the executive team works with 50 senior staff to identify all options.

This will take place over the next few weeks.

Which contrasts to what NBR dragged out of them

"Over the next couple of weeks, 50 senior managers will be working with Rick and going over all the options. Leaving the staffing levels alone is a priority but we have to acknowledge that they may not be unavoidable."

And for those who hate / love the gossip...


Is Parekura sick of politics ? Is that why he is dusting off his CV?

Which SOE could be in for some carving up and selling off?

Have we heard the full story on ACC yet?

Is it true that Maryann Street and her gal pal Kathryn Street are known as the intersection?

BLOG ROUND UP and NOISY OYSTERS

We are on holiday today - Soon to jump on the midday train for the Wairarapa - and the Aussie Rock has bought us flash tickets to the Wings over Wairarapa . shame about the spitfire but we are sure Tom Williams and the crew will have some good stuff to keep avaition buffs like us entertained.

We are also delighted to see that there will be Stewart Island oysters available soon Well done!

And here's some fo the best on the blogs today as well.

Alf - the member from Ekatahuna takes a swipe at us but does it in style - we love that.

Whale Oil has one of the funniest posts on condoms - watch opening it at the office.

and MacDoctor is required reading - funny , irreverant and smart, and this morning he will make you think twice about blaming docs for misdiagnoses.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE - BLUFFIES RULE

There is no other oyster in the world that compares to the Bluff Oyster ( ostrea chilensis). The same species flourishes in many part of the country including the Marlborough Sounds. Nelson Bays and the Chathams but none have the taste of Bluffies simply because of what they eat. Its like comparing corn feed and grass feed beef - Salt marsh lamb and grass fed lamb. Wild forest fed venison and grass fed venison. The beds of Foveaux Strait are full of minerals only found in the south. Its what gives the meaty southern oyster its extraordinary taste - some say it delivers a taste that speaks of endless ocean depths. Its a taste that lingers leaving a hint of of sea on your tongue long after the oyster is swallowed.
So we discover today on scanning that venerable organ of Truth in the South the Southland Times that Bluff Oysters cannot be branded Bluff oysters. There is a pretender on the horizon - Cuisine Magazine has reported that Tio Point Oyster Co ( Tio being the Maori name for oysters) is farming them from the cold waters of Tory Channel. Good on Bruce Hearn. They will be good, they may even be excellent but they will not have that big bollocksy metallic tang of the Bluffies. And there lies the answer - legally it may be a stretch to use the label Bluff for the oysters but in the north they are regularly referred to as " Bluffies" so there is the solution. So all you oyster barons dip into your long pockets , sell a BMW or a horse for two and invest in a decent advertising campaign to cement the Bluffies as the only true oysters - based on the maxim - " You Are What You Eat"
We have written stories in the past about how some sifty oyster barons , when the Bluffies were out of season, imported the inferior Nelson dredge oysters and washed them in water from Foveaux Strait to try and imitate the Bluffie taste.Various restaurants we have visited over the years have tried to pass off the Nelson oysters as Bluffies and we have sent them back and in every case had a red faced apology from the chef ( in some cases some pretty bloody well known chefs).We have run, been involved in and presided over a fair few taste tests during the last two decades and in each case the Bluffies were easily recognisable over the Nelson oysters.
So Southland, you need to get moving an secure the name in one form or another to cement the reputation and recognition of one of New Zealands great culinary icons.