Magdeburg

So, the media are telling us a Saudi Arabian, AfD supporting far right medical doctor who is against Islamism, drove his car into a Christmas market in Magdeburg, killing many and injuring far more.

Do they think we are all gullible? 

2025

Well, that's about it for 2024. It was my year of action, I got more done in 2024 than I have got done in the twenty years prior.

What a year overall, culminating in a US Presidential election victory that was simply too overwhelming to rig. Who'd of thunk.

But, we are not out of the woods yet. We have that weirdo Keir Starmer in Britain being a treacherous and rather loathsome individual, and not being forthcoming about his private life, and basically when he's not being forthcoming, he's being an authoritarian prick and servant of the WEF. Then, Justin Trudeau in Canada, another weasel. But let's not forget Macron in France and that Ursula Lyin Bitch, or whatever her name is. 

This year, I've been about 50/50 on my predictions, so what about 2025 ahead? Well, there will be many rigged elections, rigged professional sporting encounters (I'm looking at you NBA), and scamdemics, which are epidemics that are just the flu rebranded. 

The whole make everyone a prisoner in their own towns and cities will continue to be rolled out, possibly linked to an app on your smart phone that is constantly listening to you. That app will track your social credit score and measure your carbon footprint. Exceed that carbon score, and you'll not be able to buy meat via your credit card in what will become a cashless economy. Say hurty words online and your travel will be curtailed, no visiting grandma in hospital because you called someone an arse licking dickhead, even if the statement was true. 

Farmers may even become a proscribed occupation and enemy of the people. We can see this plan being rolled out even as I write this. Wake up farmers, ya dickheads (see what I did there?).

A lot to look forward to then; clear blue skies and lots of carbon everywhere, including you and I, carbon life forms all, maybe we are the carbon 'they' want to reduce..hmm?

Kemi Badenoch Faces Relentless Criticism

I've noticed a concerted effort from political commentators in Britain, dragging down the Leader of the Opposition, the Conservatives leader, Kemi Badenoch. Many of these commentators exalt Nigel Farage to the highest. Does this reflect the opinion of Britons as a whole, or is this a campaign to elevate Farage?

Looking into this, I checked recent polling results as tabulated on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_United_Kingdom_general_election

Since Kemi Badenoch became the Conservatives leader, the party has shown steady recovery. Badenoch herself, has shown a low disapproval rating. On the 4th of December, the Conservatives polled first.

Studying leadership approval, and looking at the latest poll result, the results in order from most negative to least negative are:

Keir Starmer -36

Nigel Farage -11

Kemi Badenoch -9

Ed Davey -8

In all cases, these leaders have a negative response from voters, but if you listened to the pundits, you'd think Nigel Farage could walk on water. Out of the last four polls, only Davey and Badenoch have had a positive result. 

Something I have noticed about Farage, he's sounding a little more Tory every day. The effort appears to be to force a reverse takeover of the Conservatives, thus installing Farage as leader. To me, this sounds like wishful thinking as Reform only have five MP's, well short of predictions prior to this year's election.

It'll be interesting to see how this evolves, but it does look as if Reform UK will implode at some point as they simply lack the numbers in the House of Commons.

Drones Over New Jersey

Why right now? Yeah...I'm sceptical. You'd think the US would be able to shoot them down.

Syria - Deals Were Done

The best explanation I've seen of recent events in Syria, is it was about the natural gas resources of the Persian Gulf. There were two proposals for pipelines to Europe; one was to take gas from Iran, through Iraq, then Syria, and then under the sea to Greece. The other was to establish a pipeline from Qatar, through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and then to Bulgaria. 

Assad favoured the Iranian pipeline, while his adversaries backed that from Qatar. Clearly, Assad chose the wrong option. From a business standpoint, both proposals lower the cost of gas in Europe as they avoid using tankers, and cut out Russia as a source of supply. 

Meanwhile, Russia has won in Ukraine, so they give up Syria and take a large chunk of the former. Zelensky will be fuming. Russia has been working on building up in Libya, and so they'll presumably move their presence in the Med to that country, and gain a better location, being able to effectively cut the sea in half, rather the way Britain did when it controlled Malta. 

I have noticed the propaganda news pieces coming out of Syria, they are laughable; al Jazeera are particularly bad, anyone would think the new regime in Syria were choir boys and everything is sweetness and light.

Well, Well, Well

How about we drop the word theory from following the word conspiracy...turns out we were right, banned from Giggle, life banned from Twigger, censored, ridiculed. 

LeBron James Personal Reasons

I wonder what is up with LeBron James? Reports are saying he's in a slump, but in reality his numbers in the NBA are still pretty good. 

There's a lot of speculation doing the rounds as to why he's taking a break for personal reasons. Hmm...

GB News Problematic

Should the UK's GB News be shut down? I read a recent report that claimed GB News mentioned Muslims in a predominantly negative light: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/gb-news-broadcasts-half-uk-172108931.html

Watching GB News, I have noticed this slant, and it is concerning that it lacks balance. 

They appear to act as a mouthpiece for the minor UK political party, Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage.

Nigel Farage was, and perhaps still is, a presenter on GB News. So biased is this channel, a casual observer may be mistaken for thinking Nigel Farage is the Leader of the Opposition, and his deputy, Richard Tice an almost equal heavyweight. In fact, Reform UK have five seats in the House of Commons, that's all. They are the fifth equal largest political party in the Commons, alongside the DUP and the Independent Alliance (Muslims). How come the latter doesn't get as much time as Reform does on GB News?

Kemi Badenoch of the Conservatives is the Leader of the Opposition, and performing quite outstandingly. In the Commons she recently eviscerated the Labour government and demolished its leader, Keir Starmer. Watching GB News, you'd have missed this if you blinked. 

My question is this: does GB News have it in for Kemi Badenoch and the Conservatives?

When we look at Nigel Farage, we need to be as objective as possible. He was a central figure behind Brexit and the UK's leaving the EU. He had made it his life's endeavour. But, without Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and the Vote Leave crew, he would have lost in the referendum. Then, under the Reform UK banner, he was touted to win a dozen or more seats in the House of Commons, but Reform came up a long way short with a disappointing five MP's. On election night, that looked to be only four, with the last MP being James McMurdock. I got the impression Nigel Farage didn't even know his name, it was a surprise result. 

Polling does show Reform in a close race between Labour and the Conservatives. FindOutNow have Reform consistently in second place, with either the Conservatives or Labour in first. The next General Election is five years away, and both of Reform's rivals have hundreds of seats and party infrastructure built up over a very long time. If placing a bet, what kind of odds would a bookie give on Reform being able to beat either party? The odds would be long, no matter how much money gets tipped into the campaign. 

Perhaps Nigel Farage knows this and is trying to force a merger with the Conservatives, with himself being catapulted into the leadership of the merged entity. I've noticed a gradual shift in Nigel Farage's position, every day now he sounds a little more Tory, and less the rebel. Why don't GB News go to the actual Leader of the Conservatives for comment, seeing as Nigel Farage is simply Tory Lite, eh what? And just to note, he gets things badly wrong at times, back when Russia invaded Ukraine he was talking about how much Russia was going to lose. Now it is obvious they've won, he's gone silent. 

I can see why people call for GB News to be shut down. They're mostly a negative channel and offer little by way of intelligent debate. The only exception to this is the lovely Bev Turner, but she is someone they don't appear to appreciate. If GB News disappears, they won't be missed.

M.I.A

I'm a fan, rapper M.I.A has had a real battle and now we are finding out just how much of a battle that was:

Trump Actions Predicted

A brief checklist of the type of actions Donald Trump may order:

• Two trillion dollars cut from government spending, including the closure of several departments. The FBI may be shut down, and the CIA too.
• Pentagon restructured
• Tariffs on all countries not playing by the rules as defined by the US
• Mass deportations of illegal immigrants
• Prince Harry sent back to the UK
• All NATO countries brought up to 2% of GDP spent on defense
• UK Prime Minister steps down as Trump sacks him (I know, Trump isn't his boss, but do you think that will matter to Trump?)
• War in Ukraine ends
• The FDA, NIH, etc overhauled
• Arrests 
• Zelensky granted asylum
• Electoral process cleaned up
• RINO's identified and primaried out of a job

Collapse of the Western World

 Has the collapse started, and will Australia be the next Argentina?

Syria

It does look as if the Assad regime has come to an end. Russia, Iran and Turkiye are having talks and this does have the appearance of organising a change of government. Assad visited Moscow recently, and it may be at that meeting he was told his reign was over. 

I also note the columns of rebels and the swift approaches to relatively undefended cities. They are sitting ducks while moving and yet Russia has not touched them.

This is interesting, change of government in the region is chaotic, unlike the West which uses rigged elections (see what I did there?). 

Trump Appointments

Is Donald Trump playing a game in nominating Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense? I read somewhere that he has Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis lined up to replace Hegseth if the latter cannot obtain Senate approval. 

This resembles the earlier example of Matt Gaetz being put forward for Attorney General, only to see him stand down and then Pam Bondi nominated in his place.

In both cases, each original nominee looks weaker than the replacement. My thoughts on this are that Trump could be identifying his enemies, to later primary those coming up for election to the Senate in two years time. Elon Musk has indicated he's prepared to fund this, so I wouldn't put it past Trump to play this kind of game. In the end, Trump gets his pick, while at the same time finding out who is opposed to him and his plans.

Since posting this, I found the following conversation which examines issues surrounding the appointment picks:

Lee Kuan Yew

The man who created modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew bemoaned the rise of weak men into high office. Singapore is the world's most successful modern state, making Lee the greatest man of the post war era.

One of Lee's solutions was to pay political leaders well, which acted as a disincentive to be corrupt. 

In the below video, Lee outlines the scale of the problem:

Hideous Jaguar EV

Pink and ugly: RIP Jaguar

Barack Obama

I've talked about Barack Obama before, bit I cannot recall devoting one post to him alone. Well, here goes, but I hope this won't take long.

Who is Barack Obama? OK, I know, he was the 44th President of the United States. But, on a deeper level, do we really know him or anything about him? On looking closely, I've concluded, we know next to nothing.

How many Presidents have had two completely different names? Obama, when growing up in Indonesia was enrolled in school as Barry Soetoro. Then, later when at university we find he has become Barack Obama. Supporters of Obama will say this is a minor issue, but I usually reply; if a Republican candidate had this background and two completely different names, would that candidate get what appears to be a free pass? I don't think so, just look at George W Bush, his every move has been examined and every action pored over.

There is really something very peculiar about Barack Obama. About 14 years ago I was given a copy of his first autobiography. I was really happy to receive it, and started reading with great interest. This book I found to be very well written, not all of it by the same hand though, but certainly 80% of it written by the same person. But then, as I got deeper what I found disturbed me; here was a narrow minded man, a nasty little man, conceited, vain, bigoted and altogether lacking charity. This man had been elected (or appointed, take your pick) to the highest office, and become the most powerful man in the world.

I stopped reading at the halfway stage, to continue would have made me sick. I still wonder how it is that so many readers do not see this lack of character.

When looking at Obama, I concentrate on his three years at Columbia University and then his first fulltime job in New York. We know very little about this period with any certainty. Obama is a mystery. Where are his roommates talking about what he is like, his classmates and any employers he had while working part-time during his studies?  Then, after graduation, he has embellished his record with his first job. Obama describes himself as working for a Wall Street firm, being a manager and having a secretary. None of this is true, and we know that because one of his workmates at the place he did work at, has talked about it. Obama worked a low level job at a business newsletter publisher.

Then, he gets into Harvard Law School, and soon after writes his first memoir. His publisher, in promoting this new young writer described him as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, and born in Kenya. Was this simply further embellishment to make the young writer seem more exotic? Then, as a practising lawyer, who were some of his clients, what were the cases he worked on and did he do court work? There is evidence of his work, but for a graduate of Harvard he seems to have kept a very low profile.

Then, Obama did not hold Wall Street to account for causing the Global Financial Crisis. He was a servant of Wall Street. We are living through it still.

I have seen it said that Barack Obama destroyed modern post-war America. Was this intentional? Rebuilding it will take generations, but it cannot be rebuilt at all until Americans realise that Barack Obama was the worst ever President of the United States.

Tracking Epstein's Island Visits

I found this interesting, someone out there has checked out cellphones that visited Epstein's Island, and tracked them to where they originated and returned to. Many visitors also had cellphone pings from Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Islands, near New York.

Dr Jay Bhattacharya Interview

This interview of Dr Jay Bhattacharya screened on Epoch TV in 2022. It is important to watch, and realise the new boss of the NIH is the right man for the job:

Syrian Rebels Make A Comeback

The timing does appear rather interesting - to say the least. With only a few weeks to go until Donald Trump is sworn in, suddenly the rebels in Syria rise up. Is this just coincidence, or is the Biden regime backing these groups? The main goal would probably be to avoid defense spending cuts.

This is very dangerous, because Russia has its naval base on the Mediterranean coast of Syria at Tartus. There is no way Russia will give this up, they'll go all-in to keep this presence in the Med. 

Right To Repair

Watching the below documentary, I thought here's even more reason to stick with the old and trusted. My car is 20 years old, it goes just fine and can be repaired by anyone. Personally, I'm not interested in advanced diagnostics. My own experience in quarrying is that the more techie things get, the more shutdowns you have, with sensors throwing up errors and shutting things down when they needn't. All these shutdowns cost money in lost production, and prices have to be adjusted upward as a result.

Dr Jay Bhattacharya New NIH Director

Those of you who have been in direct contact with me, and followed me on social media, will know that since 2020 I've been quoting Dr Jay Bhattacharya. He works at Stanford University and is both a medical doctor and economist.

The reason I have referenced him is due to his criticism of lockdowns and jab mandates. He co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, and received harsh criticism for his views. Not only that, we now know he was censored on Twitter and elsewhere, being labelled a kook and refusing to 'follow the science'. This censorship was discovered only after Elon Musk bought Twitter. Musk allowed Dr Bhattacharya access to their archives and what they found was astonishing; Dr Bhattacharya was almost invisible, completely silenced. I hadn't noticed of course, as by that time I had received my life ban from Twitter.

Well, cometh the hour, cometh the man as Dr Bhattacharya is to now head the National Institutes of Health. Appointed by Donald Trump, he will be the boss of all the deep state flunkies that tried to ruin him. Being a gentleman, I have no doubt Dr Bhattacharya will not be vindictive, instead preferring to drown these cockwombles under a mountain of scientific evidence. This would include, no doubt, the findings of a study by Stanford, that discovered most Convid cases were in fact Influenzas' A or B. In my own neck of the woods here in oppressed New Zealand, that monster Jacinda Ardern made serology studies of this kind unlawful. Think about that.

But, here we are, and I'm not a gentleman so I don't feel obliged to be polite. I pray that Donald Trump, RFK Jr, Dr Oz and now Dr Jay Bhattacharya hunt down the miscreants and destroy them. May the people who rolled out the terror never have rest, make them wander in the desert perpetually thirsty, their reputations in tatters. 

We still have ridiculous situations like in New Zealand right now, with the publishing of the findings of the Phase One, Convid Inquiry. It was a game of two halves and the better team won on the day type nonsense. We could have done it better. How about, we didn't have to do anything at all and should never destroy lives and an economy over a bug that isn't a risk - how about that? How about we arrest all those behind this scam and put them on trial for murder? That's what should happen, but instead it's knighthoods all round and jolly good show don't you know. 

My trust in the healthcare establishment has been completely compromised. That trust will never return. Oh, and congratulations on your being able to read this, Google heavily censor anything I say on the subject.

https://health.wusf.usf.edu/npr-health/2024-11-26/stanford-physician-researcher-bhattacharya-tapped-by-trump-to-lead-nih

Bhattacharya's allies argue the intense criticism the declaration triggered exemplifies how insular and misguided mainstream scientific institutions like the NIH have become.

"I think he's a visionary leader and I think he would bring fresh thinking about these issues," says Kevin Bardosh, who heads Collateral Global, a London-based think tank Bhattacharya helped start. "I think he would return the agency back to its mission and cut out the culture of groupthink that's infected it over the years."

Head over to my useful links page for a wealth of information on Convid: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/p/interesting-links.html

New NIH Director

Well, the appointment of Dr Jay Bhattacharya to head the National Institutes of Health really does look as if Donald J Trump intends to effect change. Dr Bhattacharya was wrongly labelled a quack, well, look who is quacking now, or are they quaking in their boots?

 

Jaguar Advertisement 2024

 Here's a better Jaguar advertisement, it may even sell some cars, wouldn't that be nice!!

New Zealand's Falling Standards In Education

Here we go, another move is being made to have New Zealand dumbed down yet again. Now, the suggestion is to scrap the first year of NZ's NCEA; a qualification roughly equivalent to the UK's GCSE's and generally taken by students at the age of sixteen.

The below quote says to me, that teachers are shoving through students by simply making stuff up. In NZ, teachers are no longer subject to rigorous inspection, rather they are 'peer reviewed' which means there is a strong motivation to look good in front of colleagues.

I believe the current proposal to drop NCEA Level 1 is an admission of failure. There are so many students now functionally illiterate that they fail even the lowest level test, or they leave before sitting. So, the Ministry of Education have to scrap it to save face, rather than address the real problem, which is; that teachers no longer teach, and schools are simply places warehousing children to keep them dry while the parents work. Parents are now the ones doing the teaching, teachers grandstand all day long, do nothing and stand around complaining about literally everything.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/534796/ero-calls-for-ncea-level-1-to-be-overhauled-again-or-dropped

Last year, students were almost twice as likely to achieve an excellence grade on an internal assessment than an external assessment," ERO head of assessment Ruth Shinoda said.

Follow The Petition

This is amusing, there is petition now live within the UK Parliament, calling for a General Election. UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer has upset the people, the man is a complete fool. After a short time, the number of people signing the petition has gone over 1.8 million:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143?s=08

I would like there to be another General Election.

I believe the current Labour Government have gone back on the promises they laid out in the lead up to the last election.

Update: now at 2.7 million, what a hoot.

All Blacks Become Political

Following the recent Rugby test between New Zealand and Italy, members of the All Blacks posed with a flag representing many Maori groups. Thing is, this flag is not official and groups with a political agenda often use it. 

Is it appropriate for a national team, representing all New Zealanders, to fly the flag of interest groups promoting a political agenda, while at the same time ignoring the actual flag of the country they represent? 

Personally, I think why not, so long as they're not being paid a penny by the NZ taxpayer. Well, turns out NZ Rugby gets a lot of money out of the taxpayers pocket, so how about we cut that funding off - completely. Make money the honest way, NZ Rugby, then try lecturing everyone about the politics you support.

Pam Bondi

Donald Trump's new pick for US Attorney General may have been his original choice all along. She's a loyalist and Florida based. My thinking is Matt Gaetz may have been a sacrifice bunt; Ms Bondi has all the qualifications and she's a Trump loyalist. Who could turn down a woman for the role?

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5005023-trump-appoints-bondi-doj/

I like how the above link tries to impugn Ms Bondi's reputation, she must have the right stuff, Washington DC has reason to be afraid I'm guessing.

Tulsi Gabbard Russian Asset?

 If Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset, then how come she's still in the US Army?

Trump Picks Dr Oz

Donald Trump really is hiring people with an axe to grind. We may see change - here's hoping:

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/11/19/nx-s1-5196969/dr-oz-trump-cms

"Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex, and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake," Trump said in the announcement.

Surprised? Not Really

 C'mon, it is now obvious, even to complete believers in all things Gummint.

Political Spectrum Shifts

 Hmmm...

Hollywood Crisis

Good riddance is all I can say; Hollywood has had its day:

https://www.the-numbers.com/market/

Biden and Russo-Ukraine War

Biden has authorised the use of US long-range missiles inside Russia. Is this an attempt to leave the incoming Trump administration a hospital pass? The Biden administration appear prepared to risk WWIII just to undermine Trump - incredible and also appalling.

Trump's Win and American Society

 Interesting perspective...

Grading New Zealand Infrastructure

Mississippi has reported its grades, and below I grade New Zealand too. NZ needs to do this regularly:

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2024/11/14/mississippis-infrastructure-gets-report-card/76290540007/

Mississippi:

The individual rankings:

• B: Rail
• B-: Ports
• C+: Solid Waste
• C: Aviation
• C: Energy
• D+: Bridges
• D+: Dams
• D: Inland Waterways
• D: Levees
• D-: Drinking Water
• D-: Roads
• D-: Wastewater

New Zealand:

The individual rankings:

• D: Rail
• B: Ports
• C+: Solid Waste
• C+: Aviation
• C+: Energy
• C-: Bridges
• B: Dams
• D: Inland Waterways
• D: Levees
• C+: Drinking Water
• C-: Roads
• C: Wastewater

RFK Jr Announced as Head of Dept., of Health and Human Services

Oh good, RFK Jr is going after Anthony Fauci. Start firing people. Mainstream media is going into meltdown...brilliant.

Democratic Party Imploded

James K Galbraith makes a cogent argument for why the Democratic party lost the US elections so badly. The only thing he misses is the question around how, in 2020, Joe Biden received more votes than Kamala Harris in 2024, while campaigning from his basement. 2020 was a fix, clearly, it isn't really open to debate any longer. But his saying the Democratic Party would prefer to be a permanent opposition party, rather than allow its left-wing to have a say, sounds accurate. Oh, and can we just send the Clintons and Obamas out to grass?

https://www.jordantimes.com/opinion/james-k-galbraith/democrats-committed-suicide-year

The 2024 election was, therefore, a suicide. The Democratic leadership was, at best, indifferent to the erosion of voting access, negligent in retaining 2020’s new voters, and proactive in ensuring the abstention of what little remains of its “left” wing. It tried to cover this up, as usual, with celebrity endorsements and identity politics. As usual, it did not work.

Matt Gaetz, Lawfare and the Big Get Even?

Looking at the Donald Trump appointments being announced each day, I'm not seeing a consistent pattern, apart from all those Trump is appointing having an axe to grind with Washington DC, and they're likely to go after all those they perceive as 'the enemy.'

Democrats Turn On Obama

The forever entitled and preachy Barack and Michelle Obama seriously hurt the Kamala Harris campaign, and Democratic voters seem to have figured that out.

The Obamas support the Obamas. They're not interested in the working class, or the middle class for that matter, and as time passes they become ever more cut off from mainstream opinion. Basically, they need to retire. Barack Obama, in particular has started sounding different when he talks down to black Americans. He changes his accent somewhat and throws y'all and folks around like he's from Alabama or something. It's cringeworthy stuff, but he appears unaware of what he sounds like.

Barack Obama has had a good ride, but his schtick has become stale. He's a divider, not a uniter.

The REAL Reason Trump Won?

Days before the vote, Democrats and Republicans poured resources into the Muslim areas of the swing states. At the end of the day, Muslims voted Trump; they didn't trust Harris. I mentioned in an earlier blog post, that Harris had done nothing to end the conflict in Gaza but there she was on the campaign trail, saying that 'if' she's elected, she'll do all she can to stop it. Well, why would anyone think that, seeing as she's the sitting Vice President who had done diddly up to that point.

I haven't seen the numbers, but Trump did win Michigan with its large Muslim population. Maybe they know that Trump is less likely to allow war to get in the way of his golf game. 

Why Trump Won

Former Australian politician, John Anderson talks to Victor Davis Hanson about all those factors that lead to Donald Trump's landslide victory:

Looking at Moving to New Zealand?

Many Americans appear depressed now that Donald Trump has been elected President for a second term. Internet searches related to New Zealand have increased. Before making the move there are a few things to consider, and many such things are addressed in my book: Snob's Guide to New Zealand

Get your copy today: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1727804147

Trump's Quiet Support

The US Presidential election outcome shows that polling inflated Kamala Harris and badly represented support for Donald Trump. Was this intentional? I think this is likely, the polling companies were biased and wanted Kamala Harris to win. Then, there are the quiet Trump voters, people who wait and vote for Trump but who won't tell anyone about it.

Here's 270 to win's electoral college map:

https://www.270towin.com

No Toss Ups 2024

With the US Presidential election final results looming, here's the RealClearPolitics 'No Toss Ups' Electoral College map. I wonder if this will be accurate? The map is drawn from the cumulative polling for each candidate.

The map shows Trump/Vance in red with 287 votes, and Harris/Walz in blue with 251 votes. 270 Votes are needed to win the White House:

No Toss Ups 2024 RealClearPolitics

Sport: NZ Cricket Sweep India

MSM TV seem to be spending very little time talking about New Zealand Cricket's biggest ever win, they've just swept India at home 3-0. No other team has ever achieved this feat. Why is this not being shouted from the rooftops?

Oh, and I also support Yokohama's professional baseball team, the DeNA Baystars who have come from 0-2 down to clinch the Japan Series against the SoftBank Hawks, 4-2. It has been 26 years since they've won a Japan Series. 

Has Kamala Harris Conceded?

 At a recent campaign rally in Michigan, Kamala Harris promised to do everything in her power to end the war in Gaza. This is a rather strange promise to make, seeing as she's the sitting Vice President right now, so she could do something right now! But she won't, now or in the future as her statement isn't about Gaza, it's about optics and her own future, outside of the White House.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BN22SClP-Fs

Right Now Internet Being Scrubbed

With the US Presidential election due on November 5th, the only way of checking what has been said on the internet has stopped functioning:

https://brownstone.org/articles/they-are-scrubbing-the-internet-right-now/

In other words, the only source on the entire World Wide Web that mirrors content in real time has been disabled. For the first time since the invention of the web browser itself, researchers have been robbed of the ability to compare past with future content, an action that is a staple of researchers looking into government and corporate actions. 

<snip>

What this means is the following: Any website can post anything today and take it down tomorrow and leave no record of what they posted unless some user somewhere happened to take a screenshot. Even then there is no way to verify its authenticity. The standard approach to know who said what and when is now gone. That is to say that the whole Internet is already being censored in real time so that during these crucial weeks, when vast swaths of the public fully expect foul play, anyone in the information industry can get away with anything and not get caught. 

Book Promotion November 2024

For a limited time I'm giving away free Kindle editions of my books, grab a copy of anything you fancy:

Clink the title and the link will take you to the book's page on Amazon:

Basketball Obsession

The Crushing Son

Dana Point

Snob's Guide to New Zealand

Where Are The Kids?

Finally, the obvious is being openly discussed. Prince Harry and his wife have no children together.

But, that begs the obvious question: what are Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet doing being placed in the Line of Succession?

Another Trump Assassin

Make this the fourth attempt, this man was arrested after making threats:

https://nypost.com/2024/10/29/us-news/pennsylvania-man-arrested-for-allegedly-threatening-trump/

A 74-year-old Pennsylvania resident was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill former President Donald Trump a day before his Penn State rally, declaring: “I’d like to shoot that guy.”

Paul J. Gavenonis — who uses she/her pronouns, according to the Centre County Public Defender’s Office — was nabbed after she was overheard making the alleged threats while trying to buy a parking pass at the university’s transportation office last Friday, the Lexington Herald Leader reported.

“I hate Donald Trump. I’d like to shoot that guy,” Gavenonis allegedly said after making a gun-racking motion with her hand.

Chris Wood On Fire!

Soccer: English Premier League striker, New Zealander Chris Wood has scored twice in his latest outing for Nottingham Forest against Leicester City. This brings him to outright second on the top goal scorers list for the 2024/25 season, behind Manchester City's Norwegian striker, Erling Haaland.

In NZ you'd never know this, it's as if Chris Wood doesn't exist. Weird eh, because all the time we hear about Team New Zealand and the America's Cup, even though that team is actually owned by an Italian billionaire and doesn't even compete in NZ (correct me if I'm wrong about this, I'm happy to correct).

Bias.

Divorce Announcement?

Someone has posted on X that Prince Harry has filed for divorce. This may be more nonsense, but it does sound like the timing is right, what with King Charles in Samoa for the CHOGM meeting, and recent reports that Prince Harry has bought a property in Portugal.

If true, sit back and watch the British taxpayer as they realise they're going to have to pay for this divorce. The key is paying Meghan Markle to stay silent. Do you think that is possible, and what kind of number would you put on it? I think mid range nine figures 400-500 million, that sort of number. 

Blink Twice

It is being said that the movie Blink Twice is actually about P Diddy's freak-offs. The girls when they arrive on this island must surrender their phones, and they're all given special perfume which is laced with something to drug them, and cause them to lose their memory. Sounds like Diddy's 1,000 bottles of baby oil?

Then, we have this creepy leaked phone call by Diddy from jail: what are pizza boxes, and what is recycling the plastic?

King Charles Called Out

About time someone called out the British Royal Family on their crimes and rank hypocrisy. Charles lectures us all on how to save the planet, not that he's prepared to sacrifice anything personally mind you, but he's living it large care of the profits his family made off the back of those less fortunate.

Make no mistake, what happened to the indigenous people of Australia was genocide. 

Media Collusion?

 Why did the media describe the Kamala Harris interview by Fox News exactly the same way?

Obama Divided America

 I tend to agree with the proposition that Barack Obama was the great divider, not a great uniter. 

Kanye West Sued

The goings-on in the entertainment industry in the US is like watching a dripping tap. You can't turn the tap off, damage will result, and the flow is continuous albeit slow. 

RICO charges have been filed against P Diddy, which were then followed by over a hundred civil lawsuits, and we now have Kanye West being sued by a former employee. I've seen the video of Niykee Heaton corroborating the events described in the suit brought by Lauren Pisciotta, and the contents of that video were chilling to say the least.

Here's a link to the story: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/kanye-west-lauren-pisciotta-lawsuit-b2628364.html

Additionally, rapper Jaguar Wright claims that freak-off tapes exist of Harry and Meghan, the California-based royal duo. And it is claimed, tapes of all description are being peddled around Hollywood.

With blockchain technology being the way it is now, these tapes can be uploaded and made available to whoever pays to see them, and they can never be removed without first taking down the internet. 

There must be a lot of influential and famous people very worried right now. All of them must settle, especially any royals involved. It appears that soon, more will be going to jail as well, I wonder who?

Update from the Daily Mail: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13953035/Kanye-West-sex-Bianca-Censori-mother-Alexandra-Censori-Diddy-lawsuit-Lauren-Pisciotta.html

Trump v Harris Electoral College Map

The race to the White House appears closer than many imagined. Below is a link to the RealClearPolitics Electoral College map:

https://www.realclearpolling.com/maps/president/2024/toss-up/electoral-college

You can select 'Create Your Own Map' and then play around based on your own assumptions and current polling. One interesting feature: you can select 'No Toss Ups' and by doing this you can see that Trump is ahead. However, if the result is close in those critical toss up states, then I say rigging comes into play and that may see Kamala Harris win the race.

I've speculated about why the 'powers-that-be' want Trump dead, and I still think it's because of his apparent instability. Trump's politics are not that out of step with those of the cabal running things, think Operation Warp Speed and Israel as examples.

Kamala Harris is not the left-wing person her critics claim, I cannot find any policies of hers, or anything in her past which may indicate that; she's quite conservative in fact, and I place her slightly to the right of New Zealand's Judith 'Crusher' Collins in terms of her personal political opinions. For those not familiar, 'Crusher' Collins was the former leader on the National Party in NZ. She earned the crusher tag when she threatened to crush boy racers cars. In recent years she's gone soft, and I will not be surprised if she soon says the sinking of the NZ Navy vessel after it hit a reef off Samoa, was a win/win, as the biodiversity of the reef has been strengthened, and who needs hydrographic anyway? I cannot see Kamala Harris going soft.

New Zealand Navy

Get yourself a navy New Zealand, and stop incompetently sinking what little you do have.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/350441801/what-we-know-about-hmnzs-manawanui-disaster

A Court of Inquiry has been launched into the incident, which is the first time “in peace time” the navy lost a ship.

Scunthorpe United FC

The 145 years old Association Football club, Scunthorpe United has been saved from oblivion, and is now safe after its rescue a year ago. Scunthorpe now plays in the sixth tier of English football, so it has some way to go to get back into the English Football League. But with new ownership under Michelle Harness and her partners, I think this is eminently possible. 

Thank you chairwoman, Michelle Harness. Ms Harness is a director of North Lincs Structures Ltd., a firm which erects steel structures. Bear in mind, Scunthorpe is a steel town, so this link is particularly apt. 

 https://www.scunthorpe-united.co.uk/news/2024/october/chairs-statement-one-year-in/

Up the Iron!

Chagos Archipelago

The end of modern Britain is a circus that continues to perform its tricks; now Britain has given away a key strategic point in the Indian Ocean. The Chagos Archipelago is situated right in the middle of the ocean, between Indonesia and Australia in the east, through to Tanzania and Kenya in the west. The Royal Navy, holding this point effectively controls almost all sea traffic from Asia to Europe. Who would want to give it up? Only a fool or a group intent on destruction. 

Why not go the whole way Britain, give up Gibraltar, Cyprus, the Falklands, why stop at Chagos!!

Oh, and New Zealand, think ahead and put in a claim for the Pitcairn Islands, Chile and other South Americans will be looking that's for sure. There is immense mineral wealth under the sea there, don't be stupid NZ, I know you often are.

Not long now for Britain, and a return to the tyranny of EU rule. 

Chantelle Baker Wins

The New Zealand Herald has settled with independent journalist, Chantelle Baker after she sued when they ran a story on her. Now, she says she's going after Stuff. 

I am looking forward to the day both media companies go bust. 

Female Business

Women come up with some really good products and are often behind very good businesses. Another of my favorite stock picks is Waldencast (NasdaqCM - WALD), a startup cosmetics company making all the right moves. One of its founders is Ms Hind Sebti. She's originally from Morocco and holds a masters in industrial engineering from INSA Lyon in France. Her background includes roles at Procter & Gamble and L'Oreal.

You may not have heard of Waldencast, but if following the beauty industry you'll have heard of Milk Makeup. They promote their products using influencers on platforms such as YouTube. 

Waldencast's investor page can be found here: https://ir.waldencast.com

The company also has Waldencast Ventures, which incubates and accelerates beauty brands. One of these is Whind, brought to the company by Ms Hebti herself. Here is a link to Whind: https://whind.com/en-row They match makeup to darker skin tones, and embody a look that enhances what we used to call the exotic look. 

Where I Fit Politically

I took a test to place me in terms of where I sit in relation to US politics, and here's the result. Are you surprised at all?

This is where the US Presidential candidates sit:

2024 US Presidential Candidates

When political pundits say how far left Kamala Harris is, well, she's not that left actually. In terms of politics, she's closer to New Zealand's Judith 'Crusher' Collins.

Here's where I sit: I'm centrist, and more libertarian than authoritarian. Note, I'm farther to the left than Kamala Harris, but not as far left as Jill Stein.

Me Closer To Jill Stein

Revolution 21st Century

It occurred to me the other day that we've gone past the trigger point where revolution usually results. It was actually Jimmy Dore who reminded me of this; on one of his shows he talked about how the Beatles were actually reactionary and working as sleeping pills, preventing a revolution. 

What I've detected is a complete change in the way people now think. In the workforce, people used to talk about what had been on the news the night before, and what TV shows they liked. Pretty much everyone was on the same page. But, now this is no longer the case and everyone pursues their own specific interests. However, since 2020 they've started giving up on believing.

I follow the Kenneth Clark view of civilisation. Clark was an art historian who produced and fronted a well known TV series from 1969 which examined western civilisation. He maintained that civilisation was fragile and could be quickly destroyed. 

Clark subscribed to the great man approach to history. This holds that great men do great things, which leads to great change. While I agree they do have an impact, I subscribe to the idea of economic, social and political issues of a time and their overall sweep effecting change.

What I've observed is that we stand on the edge of a cliff, and that since 2020 all trust has been lost and thus, there are no threads left holding us together. I regularly hear people talking of things they hate, and talking of the enemy. The enemy is within when they say this, it is the politicians, the capitalists, academics, teachers and so on. People do not see Russia as the enemy, despite the best efforts of the media to make it appear so. 

This leads me to the conclusion: we are headed for a French-style revolution, although it will be bloodier. 

Why hasn't revolution happened if we've gone past the trigger point? Think of those Beatles again, but this time consider the American dream, a myth for most but still a dream clung to by a dwindling number. The American dream is a pop song, putting everyone to sleep. When the numbers of those who believe have dwindled far enough, then it will kick off. 

OCC Motorcycles - Jay Leno's Assessment

I remember the TV series, and often wondered if the choppers built by Orange County Choppers were any good. Turns out they're very good to look at, but they're rubbish to ride. I've seen various reports on just how bad they were, but I trust Jay Leno as he's always right; if I've been down the same road, I find his opinion to be the same as mine. Call it the school of hard knocks.

Orange County Choppers failed of course, and their location is now a self-storage.

New Zealand, Japan and Australia - Allies

New Zealand needs to get itself a navy, so this is a good sign; in a move designed to remind China that Taiwan is not on its own, NZ, Japan and Australia have sailed through the Taiwan Strait. This is significant as Japan usually avoids the route, to avoid any confrontation.

History buffs will also be aware that this draws old allies together; in the First World War the three fought together and their ships served alongside one another.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/9/26/japan-sends-warship-through-taiwan-strait-for-first-time

Japan has sent a destroyer through the Taiwan Strait for the first time, Japanese media reported, amid increasing military activity around Japan by China.

The Sazanami entered the strait from the East China Sea on Wednesday morning, spending more than 10 hours sailing south to complete the passage, public broadcaster NHK and the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday.

The passage was conducted with naval ships from Australia and New Zealand ahead of planned drills in the disputed South China Sea, the reports said.

The Chinese military was on “high alert” on Thursday and China said it had lodged a complaint with Japan.

Two Global Innovative Businesses

I am often told, New Zealand doesn't make anything or have any worldwide business presence. This is complete nonsense and I have shown this to be so on numerous occasions. Two businesses I have never mentioned before are examples of NZ businesses being world leaders:

1. Animation Research

If you've watched sports on the television, then at some point you've seen graphics designed, developed and provided by Ian Taylor's company. They are particularly dominant in golf, cricket, and yachting. Their stuff is jaw droppingly beautiful, that's how good it is.

2. Les Mills

There is a Les Mills fitness programme in more than 20,000 gyms worldwide. I was recently reminded of this when a friend in the US said she went to the local gym and enjoyed Les Mills. I looked up the gym, and there it was, on their website they were offering Les Mills exercise.

Both of these businesses started out small and grew organically. Their growth is despite the NZ government boasting of their accomplishments but offering little assistance. I'd rather see my tax paid dollar going into building business, rather than providing the government funds to put in their back pockets. 

Israel v Lebanon

I see a lot of comment on the internet, that Israel has lost the plot, that attacking Lebanon means they're effectively in control of the US and can do anything they like.

OK, how about this as a contrary view: Israel is acting upon orders from the US. Several reasons for this:

1. Ukraine hasn't worked out as planned, and Russia has not been lured into an all-out war;
2. It is election season and the US Presidency is up for grabs, the current administration want to appear tough, thus erasing the complete humiliation that was Afghanistan;
3. WWIII would be a reset and could erase national debt, depending on how it was handled.

It makes sense, otherwise, what Israel is doing right now amounts to very stupid thinking, possibly the biggest mistake they've ever made.

What do you think? Leave your comments.

Diddy's Arrest and Remand

Rapper P Diddy has now been charged and is awaiting trial on RICO charges brought against him, following his arrest a few months ago. Is this a case of Jeffrey Epstein 2.0?

Will Diddy live to the end of the year? The smart money is on a NO to that question. Too many people now want him out of the way. Frankly, jail is probably the safest place for him right now, and if he ever wants to see the outside of prison walls again, he'd better start cutting a deal and begin yodelling to the FBI.

It's starting to look like Azealia Banks is some kind of genius avoiding this.

I thought the embedded video gave a useful rundown on the dark forces at work:

Aaron Rodgers and Novak Djokovic

Anyone else notice that two athletes who refused to get the jab, are doing rather well in their respective sporting codes? Rodgers playing for the New York Jets in the NFL, and Djokovic in tennis. Meanwhile, all those that got the jab are dropping like flies. Rodgers and Djokovic are looking like geniuses. 

Remember Mandates?

 Now the silence as killing and injuring people must be swept under the carpet.

Check This Out - Latest

 Before it's scrubbed from the internet, find out about Ryan Routh and who he is connected to:

Drea de Matteo and Jimmy Dore

They live close to one another and now two liberals are together calling out the Democrats for their rank hypocrisy, and both are calling for commonsense and an end to the authoritarianism that has taken over the developed World.

Second Trump Assassination Attempt

 Alex Jones has said Donald Trump will not live to the end of the year. Are people listening yet?

Drea de Matteo

Something that I missed, award winning actress Drea de Matteo turned to OnlyFans to remain financially viable after her income dried up as a result of her decision to not get the jab.

Ms de Matteo is famous for her roles in such TV shows as The Sopranos and Sons of Anarchy. 

The reason I stumbled upon this information is I saw her talking about the current election cycle in the US, and basically calling out Hollywood for being a bunch of cockwombles (my term, simply interpreting what she said here). 

I have to say, that on top of being rather hot...ahem...she's also principled. What's not to like about that!!

https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/sopranos-star-drea-de-matteo-says-onlyfans-saved-her-life/

De Matteo, 52, told the Daily Mail in an interview published Tuesday, February 27, that she’s glad she joined the adult site even though she was initially resistant to the idea.

“OnlyFans saved my life, 100 percent,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it really did save us.”

Trump v Harris Debate: Who Won?

I find this somewhat surprising, according to C-Span's post debate poll, 73.9% of respondents think Trump won:

https://x.com/cspan/status/1833698715841724887

Meanwhile, Victor Davis Hanson thinks ABC won the debate:

Valuable History Lesson

We are heading into WWIII, so the following provides a useful explainer as to how world wars come about:

Debate: Kamala Harris v Donald Trump

I watched most of the debate tonight and my honest reaction is I found it somewhat boring. I'll sum it up as Donald Trump saying how good things were under him and don't you all want those good times again, against Kamala Harris saying how good things will be under her and aren't I so pretty, everyone can see that, let's all use word salad to make me look as if I know what I'm talking about.

I don't think anyone will change their minds about either candidate. But, what of the undecided voter? It occurred to me they may stay away and not vote at all. 

Was the debate conducted by ABC incredibly biased? Yes, of course it was, that was to be expected. In an era of gross censorship and an unverified cabal running things, who would think any differently?

Are the current polls accurate? These are likely biased as well. It comes down to how questions are asked and the order in which questions are posed. This is the way pollsters 'force' certain candidates and opinions on people. When looking at the result of a public opinion poll, media will say something opaque; an example: 65% of all women over 35 believe that 90% of men did this or that. What I've just done there is frame a statement whereby you are forced to believe that women view men one way or the other, even though, technically, I haven't said that at all. 

So, either Donald Trump is way ahead and will win by a lot, or he's not in which case Kamala Harris will win by a nose. Of course, rigging does go on, especially in the vital swing states. Looking at the current Electoral College map, it appears Pennsylvania and North Carolina are critical battlegrounds.

FlipFarm: Innovative New Zealand Company

I had never heard of FlipFarm until I saw them profiled by Country Calendar on the TV over the weekend. They farm fresh oysters in the Marlborough Sounds, at the top of the South Island of New Zealand, and they also manufacture their clever equipment and export worldwide.

The manufacturing company: https://www.flipfarm.com

The company marketing the oysters: https://www.marlboroughoysters.co.nz/about-us/

The Fall

It occurred to me today that I may get to see the fall of western civilisation. Incredible, I know, but it may happen. All the pre-conditions exist; a total lack of faith in institutions and our way of life, economic failure caused by corruption, political interference and gross incompetence, tyranny and the removal of free speech and self-expression, including the arts.

This is particularly evident in the developed English speaking world, but not limited to it. Across the OECD, it is not an exaggeration to say we may be heading for complete collapse, total system failure. Civil war is now openly contemplated, incredible.

But, what caused this and what is the solution? Lack of education is the cause. That's right, everything flows from that; feelings of hopelessness, despair, lack of initiative and a reluctance to work or take risks results from a lack of education. Furthermore, people who lack an education often no longer aspire, and if they do, they aspire to the wrong things, things that make no material difference to everyday lives. If you have an undereducated and ignorant populace, they can be ruled by tyrannical and self-serving rulers. 

I can hear people say, no, we need better healthcare. Oh really? What is the point in living longer, just to be slave to a system? 

I then hear people say, we need freedom of speech. OK, but if uneducated then the people don't know how to use that speech. If you want an example of what I'm talking about, check out comments on social media. People there are so ignorant of basic facts, and so unable to develop any kind of cogent argument, that night soon becomes day.

I believe, certain interests want to keep it this way, they do not want the people advanced enough so that they think for themselves. 

I often use the example of Catholic schools in largely Protestant countries. Faced with prejudice, Catholics simply started their own schools.

The solution to our current predicament is to get schools up and running, schools that will teach the lessons that need to be learnt. This is a combination of what to know and how to think, the two run together like hand in glove. Once you have a general level of accomplishment, things will happen as the next generation will demand change, or they'll simply take control and make it happen. 

New Zealand Farm Equipment Manufacturer

I always have people telling me New Zealand doesn't make anything. Well, the country does in fact manufacture and its output is high quality.

An example I've had brought to my attention is Hustler from the Hawkes Bay in the North Island. They manufacture bale feeders, feedout wagons, sprayers and various attachments. They distribute this equipment worldwide.

https://www.hustlerequipment.com/company/about/?loc=us

Nate Silver Predicts Trump Win?

Currently, Kamala Harris is ahead in most polls concerning the critical battleground states, but the trend is going the way of Trump, meaning Harris is losing ground and likely to lose by election day.

https://www.natesilver.net/p/the-electoral-college-bias-has-returned

Kamala Harris and Donald Trump go head-to-head in a televised debate screened nationwide on Tuesday. This may determine the race.

Now Musk

Yes, they'll come for Elon Musk. Donald Trump has announced he'll appoint Musk to head an efficiency commission so now the gloves will be off.

Media Bias - Big Tech, MSM, Wikipedia

Disinformation is the new battlefield. Guess what, disinformation is what the government says it is.The powers-that-be are losing control:

The Big Bust

US banks are sitting on huge losses due to bad loans on commercial buildings. Basically, the world's financial system amounts to a house of cards:

Cure for TDS

This product is amazing, I fully recommend it:

New Zealand Rugby Weakening

New Zealand is going to have to get used to its all-conquering rugby team ceasing to be the powerhouse it once was. They've just gone down to South Africa 27-31 in a game they should have put to bed in the second half. Admittedly, they were playing away at Ellis Park, a stadium with a fearsome reputation, much like NZ's own Eden Park. 

Rugby is not as popular as it once was in NZ, but even then there is a lot of misinformation being peddled about NZ's rugby history. Before the Second World War, rugby was not NZ's most popular sport, that was tennis (and croquet), followed closely by golf. Evidence of this can be seen across the country when visiting old parks, they always have tennis courts and often also have a nine hole golf course handy as well. However, these days newly created recreation areas have skateboard and BMX areas, and a basketball half-court. 

Although, when talking large ball team sports, rugby did dominate, perhaps sitting in third place overall. Then, when servicemen returned from the war, they were keen to play a physical contact sport and they had their sons take up the game as well. Rugby took off, with ascendency being reached in the 1970's and 1980's, culminating in NZ winning the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. 

There is a parallel here with Uruguay winning the very first Soccer World Cup in 1930. Both NZ and Uruguay have small populations but very good football teams. However, over time Uruguay has been surpassed by other countries. They're still good, among the best in fact, but they haven't won a World Cup since 1950. NZ had better brace itself for a similar slide.

For NZ, part of the problem is player depth. The most popular large ball team sport in the country right now is basketball. And basketball is continuing to grow. I'm glad to say I saw this trend early and played the game from the age of eight. Basketball has huge advantages over rugby; there are fewer players on a team, you can play 3x3 and 5x5 these days, the equipment is cheap, and every player on the court has a chance of scoring. 

Of course, NZ has other sports that attract the young; anything to do with boats and anything with a motor in it is always attractive. That's why NZ has such a strong record in all forms of motorsport, sailing, rowing and kayaking. I used to kayak in my summers, and so once again I'm proud to say I saw the trend early.

Where did rugby go wrong? The problem with the game lies in both the way the game is managed globally and how the game is played within NZ. Internationally, the rules are always changing. Basically, you need a PhD in laws and data analytics to keep up with the changes. NZ has done fairly well with this, but the stress always remains and players are put off. Then, locally the way the game is played has changed. Teams these days prefer to seek collision and run over the top of opponents, instead of seeking to avoid collision and evade tackles. The style favoured these days has mothers preventing their children from taking up a sport that may injure. Also, the style adopted is itself less efficient and means teams often do not score because they're looking to go through an obstacle, instead of going around it. 

Sports that are resurgent in NZ include athletics, with a Kiwi man now being the reigning Olympic gold medallist in the high jump. NZ produces quality competitors in field events and is once again producing good track athletes. I think young Kiwis are attracted to athletics due to its instant reward for effort and ability. If you win, you win, and referees have little to do with the outcome. 

This is the trend as I see it; basketball teams and athletics, along with boats and motorsports. 

Checking Your Thinking

The UK has arrived at Orwell's 1984, not just heading there, it has arrived:

Communism Defined

Just a quick guidance for those wondering what the near future will be like: 

US Presidential Elections and the Electoral College

Over the next few weeks there will be a lot of talk about the national polling for the two big candidates for the US Presidential elections. A lot of this is meaningless as the popular vote does not count. What counts are the Electoral College and critical battleground States.

The following are the main toss up or swing states this time round:

Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. 

These states are either complete toss ups or they lean a little one way of the other, but that lead could be easily overturned. That's a total of 106 Electoral College votes up for grabs, and the road to 270 Electoral College votes does not require all of them to be won for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. Each candidate by now, should be exclusively concentrating on these states. Running various permutations and for Trump, Pennsylvania is looking really important.

Of course, if it appears that Harris will lose, expect anything to happen, the current cabal running things in Washington DC will be that desperate to hold on to power, they'll be prepared to do anything. We've already seen what they're capable of.