National and Labour (and others)---you must unite on this important issue!

Staff at a synthetic cannabis store cowered behind a counter as 100 people gathered outside to protest the sale of legal highs today.
Protestors yelled ''High Zone, go home'' outside the Manurewa store, which has been a flashpoint on anti-synthetic cannabis sentiment this week.
Local councillors and board members as well as Labour and National MPs attended.
"Our community has been dealt a vicious, vicious blow here'' protester and local District Health Board member Colleen Brown said.
Labour MP Louisa Wall and National MPs Kanwal Bakshi and Cam Calder voiced their concerns about High Zone, which opened in the last fortnight near a busy bus stop.
The protesters dispersed shortly after midday.
- Herald on Sunday
By John Weekes Email John

1. Dairy owner sees danger of legal highs
2. New formula K2 already on sale
3. Legal highs take a dreadful toll
4. Druggies race to beat K2 ban

Good on you, people of Manurewa. If National and Labour MPs can be united on this day, why the hell can't they join together and pass on 'urgency' a bill to completely get rid of this scourge that is preying on our young people and other? It sickens me that legislation is passed in the dead of night when it suits political parties, but something as important as this has to wait a few more months. Yes, I know it will all go underground but lets at least deal with what we can clearly SEE IS WRONG WRONG!

Still a way to go, but it's nice buying clothes without having to-----

Yeah, I know---it may not sound like a big deal, but being able to buy clothes without having to go to the 'big bloke's section,' or walking into a shop and saying, 'Ok, what have you got that fits me!' Hell, I remember buying T-shirts and getting them home and taking a look at what was written on them. Imagine the shock when I realized that it said, 'Genuine Ladies Man,' or something that was so un-PC that I blushed! Not for long of course, but now I can spend time actually looking at my clothing options and not being embarrassed. Now, I know that it has all been worth it--- eating less, feeling better and being able to move normally. I have even stopped making silly jokes about being a marooned whale, waiting to be harpooned and now joining Greenpeace would be a real event. The picture is of me in normal sized clothes. I still have a way to go but this journey is delivering results.

Not he best quality picture, but you can get an idea of how things are going. If you can't see the picture for this blog and others go to my website (put the address in the bar at top left side) www.authorneilcoleman.com and follow the link to my blog.

More 'carnage' as fleeing drivers try to elude police.

To die because you try to flee the police is a complete nonsensical waste of human life and the families of those who die are left with feelings of anger and confusion. The police too have to deal with the ramifications of those deaths. Three more died last night because the driver of the car failed to stop. There will be yet another investigation and the results will not satisfy everyone. Some will seek to point the finger art the police. On the other side we will hear those saying that the occupants of the car brought this result on themselves.
Each time an incident like this happens there are calls for a 'change of policy around fleeing drivers.' I doubt that any amount of policy change will affect what happens when drivers choose to run from police. There have been many occasions when the police have called off a chase and the drivers have still crashed because they continue to speed. Then we have the question of leaving these drivers to carry on and then cause accidents and harm to other innocent citizens. The police are caught in an impossible situation.
I do not know the full details of the latest accident so I shall reserve my opinion in this case, but it must be said that we all have choices about getting into cars driven by someone who is either drunk, drugged or the car is stolen. Those actions are the main driving force for the tragic results and no amount of finger pointing will change that. When are individuals going to take responsibility for their actions and the terrible results of those choices!?