New Zealand has entered the business of space by launching a satellite from its soil. Quite an achievement and this is a commercial scale undertaking with many more launches planned.
See the launch video here (countdown from 10, 9, 8 starts at 14:48):
January 22, 2018
January 12, 2018
New Zealand Too Small
A post now about my country of birth, little old New Zealand. NZ has failed but not woken up to that fact yet. How it failed was it did not invest enough in the right areas, it did not grow its population, and it did not listen. But there are exit chutes available and I'll mention them here, in order from the less preferred by me to the most preferred. Here goes, the way I see it NZ has 4 options:
4. Become part of Australia. This is the easiest option, NZ is already a State in fact and can just snap its fingers and voila. However the reason this isn't the answer is to do with business cycles and the way Australia itself functions. NZ already has direct access but Australia treats NZ like branch office, the latter effect would just get worse. Australia just doesn't have enough grunt by itself either, adding NZ doesn't add much to what is itself small (Oz), and in terms of economic cycles Australia is often going in the opposite direction to NZ. So Kiwiland can give this a swerve.
3. Form an empire of the South Pacific Rim. Not as silly as it seems, join all the South Pacific Islands together with the western seaboard of South America, together with NZ and the eastern seaboard of Australia. This is an empire situated in a basin, from the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range across the ocean to the Andes. The problem with this is legal systems and language.
2. Join the EU. To achieve this, NZ could merge with a small European country, such as Denmark. Denmark has 5.7 million people, NZ 4.5 million. Culturally there is not much separating them, they both hold territory at the extremities, Denmark with Greenland and NZ with the Ross Sea in Antarctica. This could be a match made in heaven. Legally, culturally, economically, and even with language there would not be much to worry about. I like this option a lot. Both countries double in size overnight and both gain.
1. Become a State of the USA. Yes I've said this before and this option is the most fancied. NZ stands to gain a lot, principally in terms of access to capital and in industrial development. The legal systems, culturally, linguistically, there is very little to learn and the US gains resources. I have looked at the pros and cons of this here: http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2016/05/new-zealand-51st-state.html
Long term what cannot continue is the ever growing size of government unmatched by real GDP growth. NZ needs to industrialise, its failure in this respect will see its farmland collapse. Maybe not in my lifetime but almost certainly in the lifetime of my grandchildren and that's a real concern.
4. Become part of Australia. This is the easiest option, NZ is already a State in fact and can just snap its fingers and voila. However the reason this isn't the answer is to do with business cycles and the way Australia itself functions. NZ already has direct access but Australia treats NZ like branch office, the latter effect would just get worse. Australia just doesn't have enough grunt by itself either, adding NZ doesn't add much to what is itself small (Oz), and in terms of economic cycles Australia is often going in the opposite direction to NZ. So Kiwiland can give this a swerve.
3. Form an empire of the South Pacific Rim. Not as silly as it seems, join all the South Pacific Islands together with the western seaboard of South America, together with NZ and the eastern seaboard of Australia. This is an empire situated in a basin, from the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range across the ocean to the Andes. The problem with this is legal systems and language.
2. Join the EU. To achieve this, NZ could merge with a small European country, such as Denmark. Denmark has 5.7 million people, NZ 4.5 million. Culturally there is not much separating them, they both hold territory at the extremities, Denmark with Greenland and NZ with the Ross Sea in Antarctica. This could be a match made in heaven. Legally, culturally, economically, and even with language there would not be much to worry about. I like this option a lot. Both countries double in size overnight and both gain.
1. Become a State of the USA. Yes I've said this before and this option is the most fancied. NZ stands to gain a lot, principally in terms of access to capital and in industrial development. The legal systems, culturally, linguistically, there is very little to learn and the US gains resources. I have looked at the pros and cons of this here: http://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2016/05/new-zealand-51st-state.html
Long term what cannot continue is the ever growing size of government unmatched by real GDP growth. NZ needs to industrialise, its failure in this respect will see its farmland collapse. Maybe not in my lifetime but almost certainly in the lifetime of my grandchildren and that's a real concern.
January 11, 2018
Catherine Deneuve
The New Yorker has published a good counter to the open letter signed by Catherine Deneuve and other signatories.
Read it here: https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-did-catherine-deneuve-and-other-prominent-frenchwomen-denounce-metoo
I'd agree that this isn't a case of cultural differences, but add it's a case of the French being wilfully obtuse. I swear they wait to find out what the English speaking world thinks and then say the opposite.
Read it here: https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/why-did-catherine-deneuve-and-other-prominent-frenchwomen-denounce-metoo
I'd agree that this isn't a case of cultural differences, but add it's a case of the French being wilfully obtuse. I swear they wait to find out what the English speaking world thinks and then say the opposite.
January 10, 2018
Oprah Winfrey for President
As a result of Oprah Winfrey's outstanding speech at the Golden Globe awards there is a clamour for her to stand for President of the US in 2020. She'd be good in the role and this isn't the first time such a prospect has been mentioned. I remember at one point speculation over her being the first black President.
There are one or two impediments to her candidacy and I won't dwell on these just yet, wait for the bible belt to do that. My concern is why would she? Wouldn't she be more valuable and more of an influencer being an even bigger media mogul? An Oprah IPO would be worth billions and with that she could buy a major player, networks, communications companies, film studios. She could be the next Rupert Murdoch.
There are one or two impediments to her candidacy and I won't dwell on these just yet, wait for the bible belt to do that. My concern is why would she? Wouldn't she be more valuable and more of an influencer being an even bigger media mogul? An Oprah IPO would be worth billions and with that she could buy a major player, networks, communications companies, film studios. She could be the next Rupert Murdoch.
January 09, 2018
Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
Anyone read Fire and Fury yet? Please share your thoughts about the book if you have, I'm fascinated to hear the gossip.
The book is written by Michael Wolf and been all over the news in case you just arrived back on earth and didn't know: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Fury-Inside-Trump-White/dp/1250158060
The book is written by Michael Wolf and been all over the news in case you just arrived back on earth and didn't know: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Fury-Inside-Trump-White/dp/1250158060
January 06, 2018
Negative Outlook 2018
Globally I've got a negative outlook for 2018 and I'll tell you why. The way I see it, we have too much uncertainty worldwide, both in terms of national security and commerce. Generally speaking, it isn't wise to worry about this or that government when investing. The rule is find good businesses that are well managed and put your money into them. I'd agree for the most part and I'm aware the Dow Jones is performing well.
But where I go negative is looking at issues with the Middle East, Pakistan, and North Korea. Then we have an at times unhinged President Trump. Then consider that financially all the world did was double down post the Global Financial Crisis, the underlying issues have never been properly addressed.
That last point is the most serious I feel. Wealth is increasingly concentrated in fewer hands within the developed nations. This has got to result in instability, particularly within the EU.
On the plus side we have Africa emerging, and living standards there are rising along with incomes. I often say that sub-Saharan Africa needs to find a Garribaldi. The region badly needs that kind of leader.
My advice therefore is to look for value, and continue to invest in companies that are boring beyond belief. Eschew all the sexy stuff, and by that I mean the latest technology whiz-bang. Tesla cars are at the top of my hit list, who would own such a stuff of nonsense. Keep it boring, keep it simple, don't believe what you are told and never listen to hype.
But where I go negative is looking at issues with the Middle East, Pakistan, and North Korea. Then we have an at times unhinged President Trump. Then consider that financially all the world did was double down post the Global Financial Crisis, the underlying issues have never been properly addressed.
That last point is the most serious I feel. Wealth is increasingly concentrated in fewer hands within the developed nations. This has got to result in instability, particularly within the EU.
On the plus side we have Africa emerging, and living standards there are rising along with incomes. I often say that sub-Saharan Africa needs to find a Garribaldi. The region badly needs that kind of leader.
My advice therefore is to look for value, and continue to invest in companies that are boring beyond belief. Eschew all the sexy stuff, and by that I mean the latest technology whiz-bang. Tesla cars are at the top of my hit list, who would own such a stuff of nonsense. Keep it boring, keep it simple, don't believe what you are told and never listen to hype.