There’s a lot of discussion around the impending Bali 9 executions and my current thinking is that I’m ok with it.

Heroin Smugglers. Not only impacting the lives of the 7 mules (and how many others?) and their families, but the lives of those destined to purchase, inject and sell themselves to obtain more. Sure, they may have been reformed and found Jesus in prison, but they knew the consequences if they were caught. And they were. It’s easy to feel remorse about your actions if there is no alternative.

People. Don’t screw with Indonesia if you’re into drugs. A word from the wise.

Which brings me to the piece of excrement currently before our courts, charged with murdering Blessie Gotingco.

If even a fraction of the Prosecution’s case is accurate, then surely this is a valid case for NZ to have the death penalty. If he did these horrific things, why on earth should we pay $80k each year for the next 40-50 years to keep him alive? He’s decided that the rules and expectations of our society don’t apply. He has contempt for life. So why should he be given his?

Sure, we can tell ourselves that not having a death penalty in NZ somehow makes us a more evolved and humane society and as such we can look at other nations with a large degree of judgement, but in this case, I believe, if he is guilty, then he doesn’t deserve to live, and our collective sense of smug can fuck off.

I’ve been in business for myself for a little over three years now. I’ve achieved what I set out to achieve, and apart from having to work through what has been a fairly challenging last 10 months, it’s been rewarding.

I’ve worked out what it is I like doing and what I don’t like doing. What I’m good at and what I’m not so good at. And the things I’m not so good at, I practice and learn and refine.

Which brings me to a crossroads.
Is this what I am best suited to do? Is it what I want for the rest of my life? 

What is my future? If I had no attachments and no constraints, what would I be doing?

I have some ideas. The amorphous blob of dreams is slowly coalescing. And the order of next steps is being determined.

Interesting times are afoot.

^sd

Every now and then Miss 9 gets the idea in her head that doing some cooking might be fun.

This has led, in the past, to events such as the ‘hand up the chicken’s bum’ episode, which has provided much levity since.

Today she was talking up her skills at making cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese. I’ve not seen her do this before, so the challenge was set.

And you know what? She is actually really good at making cheese sauce. She’s not a fan of adding seasoning or those additional spices that give it a bit of zing, and wouldn’t let me sneak them in.

She wasn’t interested in assembling the finished product though. “I just said I’d do the sauce”, so she missed out on the joy of sprinkling breadcrumbs, grating butter etc.

Still, the final result was great. And as she was involved in the creation, she ate without fuss. 

Master 12 wasn’t interested in helping. He is going to be a challenge. 

Looking back over the somewhat concerning length of my life thus far, I wish I developed a passion for food and learning to cook beyond ‘meat, potatoes and Westie-veges’ well before I turned 40. 

^sd

A few years after setting up a U.S. Netflix account and then letting it go (due to having to use a VPN and the fact that I hated the television experience on my MacBook), when it arrived in NZ I decided to revisit it.

Having an app on my PS3 made the decision easy.

And all I can say is wow. It’s actually pretty bloody good. A tonne of content suitable for me, as well as content for my kids. And they love it. It’s so much better having them watch movies and shows without all the adverts on Disney Channel or Nickelodeon .

Now I face a challenge. To keep Sky TV or not? It’s a tricky one. Well, actually it’s getting less tricky. 

Sports content is the key. Yes, I enjoyed watching back-to-back World Cup cricket. And yes, I’ll probably enjoy watching the Rugby World Cup… Or will I? I’ve gotten so utterly bored with rugby over the last few years, and with the performance of the Blues (was their win this weekend a blip or the start of something?) being awful, I’m just not that invested. Will Netflix do a deal for sports? Does their model support that? Or are other live streams coming? I’m sure Sky will be working on a subscription model for their content which will suit.

I’m glad the technology has reached the point where it is straightforward. Of course, I may need to purchase a new TV to maximise the benefit. And fibre. 

Good times are ahead.