GERONIMO IS TO BE HONOURED BY US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES...


"Geronimo" is to be honoured by the US House of Representatives.

Americans will probably appreciate this story more than I.

The legendary Apache chief, Geronimo, so well known and depicted in dozens of western films for over a half century or more, is to be honoured for his bravery through a voice vote in the US House of Representatives, 100 years after his death.

The non-binding resolution honours his life, "his extraordinary bravery, and his commitment to the defence of his homeland, his people , and Apache way of life."

Geronimo - known as Goyathlay in the language of his Chiricahua Apache - died in 1909 at nearly 90 years of age, at Fort Still in Oklahoma. He had been held as a prisoner of war for twenty years despite the understanding he would be allowed to return to his people.

This is a wonderful gesture from the US House Of Representatives for a warrior chief of the then Apache Nation, and now recognised as a great American.

I believe that the name "Geronimo" was actually a war-cry of the American paratroopers as they parachuted out of their planes into battle. This has been confirmed by a reader of this story.

FONTERRA PUSHING THEIR LUCK A BIT...



First published at Qassia:



Fonterra pushing their luck a bit...

Fonterra is New Zealand's largest company and in the top six dairy companies in the world. It is no small fry in the wider scheme of things.

While Fonterra was embarrassed by its involvement in the Chinese melamine milk scandal in China last year, through its involvement with a Chinese dairy company, it was not actually involved directly in exporting dairy products to Chinese companies. However Fonterra paid out about $NZ200 million in compensation. Six babies died and about 36,000 others became seriously ill through the melamine contaminated milk powder their mothers gave them. The melamine caused kidney stones in thousands of Chinese babies.

Three Chinese nationals directly responsible for adding melamine to milk products received the death penalties, and others were imprisoned for an number of years or received life sentences. Melamine is normally used in plastic products and should not have been added to food products in any form at all.

Back in New Zealand Fonterra distributes and sells dairy products on behalf of its farmer producers; probably up to 95% of all dairy farmers are Fonterra's clients. It certainly didn't help the image of New Zealand overseas as well.

During recent times the dairy industry had been booming in New Zealand, with many farmers changing from meat and wool to dairy products. But the economic tsunami now sweeping the world has harmed Fonterra and its farmer clients in no uncertain terms as well. Dairy prices are plumetting and a few farmers may now be wishing they had stayed in the meat and wool industry, rather than switching to the dairy market.

The increasing returns for farmers in export markets in recent years resulted in soaring domestic prices at the supermarkets. Many customers switched to cheaper butter alternatives such as margerine. While some prices have fallen, they are not being reflected by any increases in demand for dairy products.

Fonterra