Deals?

 In my email to day the first of the Kings Birthday deals is advertised.

I've been on a buying spree lately: At the start of the year I purchased a new mattress and most of my bedding no longer fit so I've had to buy new sheets, duvet and covers (winter and summer) plus my tablet broke (when I went to sleep sitting in the sun) and, being five years old, needed to be replaced.

Add to that normal expenses of things like annual insurance, new battery for the car, power, internet etc. and my operating account is looking sad.

Two things I've noted: Every time you buy something nowdays you need to buy extras to get the best use or safety out of it and during events (laughingly referred to as "holidays" ) the specials often list items with prices well above the prices before those event days.

One outfit had some sheets I was considering 25% less both before and after their 5 day Easter specials.

Another outfit made it's own special event by announcing a "birthday sale" and increasing the price of a tablet I was considering by 33% for that "sale".

Both those outfits are, notably, part of international franchises.

I am not calling for official interference here, far from it, but if you are shopping in New Zealand: BEWARE! 

Three Down

 

The Fox News story: US Airforce 'planes crash

Three planes down (link to third on linked page), No missiles, no rockets but the USA is still doing better downing fighter jets than Iran.

 

When?

 The headline: 

• 
  
• Aidan Donoghue: Victoria University Students' Association President on the Government scrapping the fees-free scheme

'Gobsmacked': Govt move to scrap fees-free scheme met with outrage from student groups

 Think hard.

When was the last time a Government action (according to the msm) not met with "outrage"? 

 

NZ Public Healthcare

 I was reading a column on public health futures,

 Roger Partridge: Health innovators face the structural question

 The only options put forward were : 

More tax - with a different name.

More tax - with different middlemen.

Sums up New Zealand public healthcare perfectly.

Tinman Chicken Soup: recipe

  

I’m a lazy bastard so I purchased a slow cooker. Up until now I used a multi-cooker.

I warmed the pressure cooker up while I grabbed three chicken thigh cuts from the fridge along with a cup of frozen mushroom slices and a handful of dried peas (whole).

I threw them in the warmed cooker, added a cut chilli (cut to open up the seed area) and a cup (combined) of light soy sauce, apple cider vinegar and a splash of red sauce,

Added water to almost cover the mix.

Cooked on low overnight – about 9 hours.

In the morning I boned the chicken and removed skin and fat/gristle lumps from the mix and used a food processor to reduce the mix to a lumpy soup.

The last couple of days I’ve made a chicken-noodle cup-a-soup, added it to a cup of the chicken mix and heated in microwave until steaming hot.

Add a pour of cream and eat in the late autumn sun.

A bloody good lunch!

Note: I use chilli instead of onion and/or garlick and next time I’ll use white wine instead of vinegar and soy but either will work.

Instead of the cup-a-soup try a cup of 2 tablespoon chicken stock and  water boiled.

Will make 4 meals or serve six as soup.

New Dictionary Meaning

 Untenable: Clear your desk and fuck off!

Concerned of Kaiapoi

Dear Reader, I just read this story on the NewstalkZB site:

 Deputy principal committed serious misconduct through ‘vulgar’ comments about students

'Guess how heavy they are': Deputy principal's inappropriate and 'vulgar' comments

 I am seriously concerned that young, impressionable children are being "taught" by those recorded as having officially complained about this halfwit.

 God Defend New Zealand!