Time to start a new project... A weekly (or so) observation of something cool in the new Christchurch, that I'm grateful for.
Today we have this very cool quick-fix bike repair station, in City Mall, near Colombo-Cashel corner. Thanks!

Climate change goes retro...

Got sent this via email today - it's probably popping up all over the web.

Oh, the irony...! (apparently the ad appeared in Life magazine in the '60s)

Bit of politics, and one more recipe

OK, just to stay in the habit, here's another quick post... We were at two parties on the weekend, the second one we were hosting, and for the second day running someone asked for a recipe.
This time it's Justine's turn, she made the fabulous Tofu Patties... a classic vegetarian BBQ offering. Many people dislike tofu as they've only had it on its own, cubed & fried... but these patties have vegos and non-vegos alike saying "wow, what's in these..!?"

But first up, I was very interested to see on the 3News site, Gareth Morgan arguing for a Universal Basic Income as part of his work on the Govt's taxation taskforce.
My experiences as both a wage & salary earner, and as a beneficiary (I've received unemployment, sickness and DPB for a few months each at various times over the past 20 years) have convinced me that NZ's tax and benefit systems have entirely the wrong incentives, and could be massively simplified, made fairer and more workable, by replacing them with something similar to a Universal Basic Income.
Morgan's ideas were expressed with characteristic directness and simplicity - though unfortunately John Campbell was in overdrive and wasn't about to allow GM to finish any of his sentences..!
I hope people sit up and listen and have a bloody good think about it all. Where the people lead, the leaders will follow...

OK, here's that recipe:

Tofu patties

Ingredients

• 1 onion chopped up
• 3 or so cloves of garlic chopped up
• 1 packet (about 400g) tofu
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (approx)
• 2-3 tablespoons of favourite chutney / pickle /sweet chilli sauce
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp dried herbs, eg basil, oregano, parsley (or fresh if you gottem)
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• Dash of soy sauce to taste
• Sesame seeds and flour to coat patties with.

Method

• Fry the onions and garlic in a little oil until soft.
• Drain the tofu and mash in a bowl.
• Add garlic, onions and all other ingredients and stir well.
• (If too wet add more oats, or breadcrumbs)
• Form into small patties in your hand and coat with flour and sesame seeds mixture.
• Fry in small amount of oil until golden brown each side.

Delicious served with spaghetti and homemade tomato sauce & a green salad.

Ka kite ano.... Paul

Recipe for Pickled Walnuts

Well, my blog has lain dormant just over two years now, so thought I'd reinvent it as something more useful and perhaps more interesting than a council campaign tool(!)
...and as I was talking to people at Rob & Tania's party yesterday, eating lots of delicious food, I promised someone I'd post the recipe for my pickled walnuts, which were going down a treat!
So this is for you Annie, and anyone else who cares to read it...

Pickled Walnuts

Ingredients:

• 150 walnuts
• 250g salt x three
• 6 litres water x three
• 75g each of black peppercorns, mustard seeds, whole cloves, ginger root
• 6 litres vinegar

First up, pick the walnuts at the right time, which is about a week either side of Christmas Day. They are pickled whole with their green skins on, and you need to test them by pushing a needle into the skin - if the wooden shell has already started to form, forget it - they need to be soft all through.

OK, so pick a bucketful, around 150 walnuts...
Then mix up a brine, 6 litres of cold water and 250g salt. Soak the walnuts for three days, stir them once or twice each day. After three days, tip out the old brine and make a new one, soak for another 3 days. Then change the brine one more time, for a total of nine days' soaking.
[NB - this is removing all the bitterness from the green nuts.. don't ever bite into a raw green nut, it is vile!!)

So, after a nine day soak, let the walnuts dry out in the sun, they should now be no longer green but a rich black colour...
Boil up the spices and vinegar, a slow boil for 15-25 mins. Put the nuts into sealable jars, and pour the vinegar (strain out the whole spices) over them.
Seal the jars, and leave for the best part of a year...! (yep sorry, good things take time...) By the time you eat the first ones, as we did yesterday, it reminds you that it is nearly time to pick next year's batch! (So you know what I'll be doing after Christmas lunch this year!)

OK one more thing, I also want to link to the fabulous Otautahi Urban Foraging Map. It's so cool - check out the wild foods of Chch and share your own secrets (anyone can edit the map). The group also has a Facebook page.
Ciao.. will post again soon (well sooner than two years away anyhow!)

'Smear tactics' hit Spreydon as election enters final week!!

Wow - I didn't think I'd ever have to make a post like this, but the much reported 'dirty tricks', 'gutter politics', 'character assassinations' and 'personality attacks' that have plagued this whole 2007 local election here in Christchurch like a horrible... plague, have come to my back doorstep.

Well, not my actual doorstep, but very close. This morning in Selwyn Street, less than a 5-minute pedal from my home, I encountered... this:


Some would laugh this off. Many would probably just get out the meths and wipe it off (I did, but not before documenting the evidence of just how low my political and philosophical opponents have stooped in trying to derail my candidacy.)

In my opinion this is no one-off, childish prank. Those of you who have been following the twists and turns of this election campaign will know that this is not the first time that low, underhanded techniques like this have come into play. Now I know exactly how mayoral hopeful Bob Parker felt two weeks ago when he was slandered, mocked, denigrated and debased, and compared to Sideshow Bob from The Simpsons.

It hurts. It really, really hurts. But I think I have an even greater claim to the moral high-ground, the righteous indignation and (most importantly) the sympathy vote than does Bob. Being portrayed as an animated fictional character is one thing, but those of you who are familiar with Star Trek (and if you're not, click here) will immediately recognise what these personality-plunderers are trying to say about my character.

Mr Spock is half-Vulcan, and devoid of most normal human feelings, which he scorns as 'illogical'. The twisted insinuation that I am 'not of this world', an alien, and therefore unfit to lead the city is one that I vigorously reject! I call upon those who have carried the campaign to such unseemly depths to 'get back to the issues!' and to leave my family out of this (there is of course a clear implication that my children also carry Vulcan genes, which they don't... not from my side, anyway.)

Anyway, I would also like to point out that, on closer inspection of the two photographs (click the first link if you haven't seen Bob's one), it seems to me that Bob and I were attacked by one and the same red-paint-wielding graffitist / character assassin. It is becoming abundantly clear that there is a concerted campaign to drag the names of prominent candidates through the sludge of pop-culture analogies, and thus render us unelectable.

And further, it appears that the dirty, smeary, muck-raking knows no political boundaries!! Bob is, of course, thoroughly independent, but his main rival, Megan Woods, is part of the same Christchurch 2021 grouping that I represent. From whence do these malicious insinuations come? I will be looking out for the next appearance of the telltale red paint..!

What next? Yani Johanson as Cartman? Megan as Wonder Woman?

This has to end somewhere, and it is my hope that bringing it out into the harsh light of day will see an end to the deeply troubling personal attacks, and we can all get back to stating policies and answering questions, like real grown-ups.

Thank-you.

Voting is in full swing
Most people have their voting papers by now (if yours haven't arrived by Thurs 27th, contact Max Robertson 941-8533 or max.robertson@ccc.govt.nz).
While I was door-knocking today around the City Housing areas, I talked to lots of people who had already posted theirs in - quick and efficient! But, the stats from previous years show that there is a fairly steady return across the three weeks - a slight spike at the start, but still plenty of votes to come in. E-Day is Saturday 13 October - your papers have to be in by 12pm that day.
For those not in my ward, my statement that was sent out with the voting papers can be read here. I've also just written this for the Star:

Council’s traditional role is “roads, rates and rubbish” – these need re-thinking for the 21st century.
Roads are community spaces; travel is the life-blood of our city. Let’s maximise choice! Safe, efficient cycle and bus lanes will keep Christchurch moving.
Rubbish: more than dumps and recycling. Reducing rubbish will take bold ideas, like bottle deposits to stop broken glass litter.
Rates: we must be smarter about spending. We want good civic facilities, but let’s stop the extravagant rises of the past three years.
And a fourth “R”, rivers: in south Christchurch the Heathcote especially. Council has a responsibility to protect water quality and ensure a healthy environment.
I’ve served six years on Community Board. I live in Spreydon with my wife and two sons, and teach environmental education in schools.
Your vote is important, please use it. As a councillor I’ll be accessible and accountable. I value your support.
See: http://www.pauldespa.co.nz/

I've just printed a leaflet about Heathcote River issues: delivered about 150 of them today, and will be back into it tomorrow and Thursday (so will my partner Justine ;-)

Spreydon-Heathcote ward public meeting
I'm just back from a meeting at the Cracroft Community Centre (Old Stone House) - the only candidates meeting in the ward this election. A good turnout - members of the public outnumbering candidates 2:1 (some meetings I've been at recently had the opposite ratio!)

There were a great range of issues raised - I got asked about light rail and bus priority, as well as waste reduction. I promoted The Great New Zealand Bottle Drive as a way of reducing broken glass litter, and reducing community groups' reliance on funding from pokie trusts.

The City Vision candidates spoke a lot about crime and safety, which got us on to tagging and security cameras. Some good issues raised but quite a bit of politics-of-fear stuff too.
Oscar, Chris, Karolin and Phil all spoke well, so did young independent candidate Matthew MacDonald.

Tomorrow I'm off out delivering flyers to council housing.