Well, there you go - we have a new Labour leader and all seems right with the world again.

This year's commemoration of 9-11 was almost completely overshadowed by America's rush to war with Syria.

For those workers worried about the undermining of their rights under the new Employment Relations Amendment Bill, there could be worse around the corner.

As I write this I am babysitting three of the cutest kids serendipity could provide, while their father works in his home office up the hallway.

The psychodrama in Washington grows ever more bizarre.

A family member recently emailed the following after a weekend here: "Thanks for a lovely weekend, great company, great food, great excursions. Wanganui. Top town."

Back when I had a television and video player and the lads were in their early teens, we used to watch movies.

Last week I got a little bit fired up by some ill-judged comments about Wanganui Collegiate which made the front page of this fine paper.

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" - so the British Parliament decided it didn't want to be shamed by following another prime minister into another unwinnable war on the basis, yet again, of shoddy intelligence.

I used to admire John Key. Even when I disagreed with his policies I found his political savvy impressive. Anyone who could co-opt and manage both John Banks and Tariana Turia on his team, had to be reckoned with.

Much approval ensued from my column where I criticised watching TV, playing, and doing everything else but talking while eating dinner - instead of sitting up at the table and conversing with each other.

Conservation Week (September 8-15) is a great opportunity for us to show support for our local environment.

Over the past two weeks we have seen the following computer system crashes: A three-hour network shutdown on August 22 that paralysed the Nasdaq stock exchange.

The question of Collegiate must be a vexed one for any Labour candidate or supporter in Wanganui, especially after Chris Hipkins' spray in Parliament.

The title for this column - Waiting For Heaven - is taken from a song I wrote a few years ago after performing at hospice.

Tomorrow is Father's Day. The day many fathers dread. And not just because the family is trying so hard to make an effort to be nice to dad.

As Grandparents, parents, caregivers, teachers and politicians we often debate what we should be doing individually and collectively to improve Maori achievement in the education system.