That Was 2025

Lessons everywhere, but what a strange year.

Epstein Network Still Operational?

Why was the Miami Herald investigative reporter who broke the whole Jeffrey Epstein story being tracked, and why did the authorities continue tracking her long after Jeffrey Epstein's death?

Laughing Stock UK

The UK is now a laughing stock - convince me I'm wrong.

EU Against Free Speech

European elites have always treated speech as optional privileges.

King's Christmas Message 2025

As I see it, King Charles gave two messages loud and clear at his annual Christmas address. The first is get ready to fight a war. He mentioned the young die in wars and images of veterans and wounded soldiers kept popping up throughout. 

The second message was that Jesus was on a journey, looking for understanding and just wanting to get along (my words). This conflicts with scripture; the Christian message is repentance, confess your sins and sin no more. That there is no other path to salvation than through Him. Life isn't about wombling along as some kind of New Age Hippie. 

Charles isn't a Christian, and he has no place being head of the Church of England. 

Alien Invasion

All mine this idea, I haven't seen it anywhere else, but there are probably many versions out there.

Alien invasion: Aliens are already here, they're amongst us. The World appears to have gone crazy where just about any stupid shit now appears the norm. This new reality can be at the street level and go right up to leaders of the Free World, there are no exceptions.

What the aliens are doing is manipulating Earth's geomagnetic field, and in so doing changing perception. Eventually, human biochemistry will change, and then the aliens rule in this new reality.

Convince me I'm wrong, because let's face it, 2025 has been off-the-scale weird. 

Anyhoo, have a very Merry Christmas everyone.

Andrew Lownie on Where to from Here

The British Royal Family face interesting times. More scandals are anticipated and author Andrew Lownie sums things up succinctly. 

New Age of Crap Cars

Automobiles these days are more expensive and unreliable. Who will go back to making a simple car?

Vote Rigging 2020

Vote rigging in the 2020 election was very real, and people who think that's not the case are either stupid or dishonest.

Sam Altman Exposed

AI offers some benefits, but one problem I see is there appears little economic return on the massive infrastructure cost required to bring it on. 

This is a classic cost/benefit exercise. We need cheap electricity to provide a low cost economy, powering hospitals, schools and such. If we take the money that could go into these areas, and put it in the hands of the owners of AI, how can we be sure that money will be returned to the investors and society in general?

One option may be to make AI a public good. Make AI like the air we breathe. This would make AI and the code it runs on widely available to all businesses. If not taking this approach, then AI will need to be strictly regulated. For instance, in any area where things become highly technical or subject to opinions, I find AI fails almost every time. AI is usually wrong in those areas. If you need an example, take Kim Kardashian's failing the bar exam and her blaming AI. When looked at, AI was feeding her legal answers that were wrong.

Imagine using AI to build a bridge across a ravine, or designing a passenger airplane. Are you going to trust it? However, I do see a place for robots and AI fetching and carrying, that'd be something both are capable of.

In the below video, Sam Altman's background is closely examined. Is this someone you want your economy invested in?

Russia Now Hardened

Lawrence Wilkerson points out that what the US and Europe have done is essentially battle harden Russia. This was an incredibly stupid thing to do. I point out that the last time Russia really got on a roll, they took Paris in 1814. 

Epstein Files Release

As expected the files just released are heavily redacted. This issue won't go away as it crosses political dividing lines, the cabal have a real problem over this.

Rolls-Royce May Pack Up and Leave the UK

This would be a blow to the United Kingdom; Rolls-Royce is looking to move at least part of their production overseas. Taxes and compliance costs must be prohibitive.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-15386153/Rolls-Royce-jet-engine-snub-Labour-Engineering-giant-threatens-1-6-trillion-project-US-Germany.html

Rolls-Royce could build a new range of jet engines in Germany or the US instead of Britain, in what would be a major blow to Labour’s faltering growth hopes.

The FTSE 100 aerospace giant is being actively courted by politicians in Berlin and Washington over a programme that will create 40,000 jobs across the company and supply chain.

It comes as surging energy costs – blamed on Ed Miliband’s Net Zero drive – are making it harder to make money from manufacturing in Britain.

New Zealand Launch

Heh, Australia, launched anything into space from your own territory yet? Nothing?

National Slump, Team of Chumps

The National Party lead the current government of New Zealand. The most recent poll has them at a low of 30 percent support, eight points behind the Opposition. Why is their support plummeting?

Read this you National Party chumps. On November 21 you put out a request for information, which formally introduced the proposal for pay-per-mile for all light vehicles, including petrol cars. The latest poll result comes a couple of weeks later. Well, if you'd bothered to check the internet, you'd know that all Kiwi voters are really upset with this proposal. They're punishing you, and they'll continue to do so if you don't promptly scrap the proposal. You are about to become the National Party's first one term government.

What National did amounts to an act of massive betrayal. Kiwis have been paying fuel tax for generations, and most of those funds go back into roads and bridges. By moving fuel tax onto a standalone pay-per-mile platform, it effectively allows for the sale of the county's roads. People are justifiably upset about this and the NZ internet is full of comments about how they're done with National.

Kiwis commenting are not wrong, National are proven liars and deceivers. 

More Bondi Heroes

Footage has emerged of two people challenging the Bondi Beach shooters, just as they emerge from their car and before they start their rampage. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/16/boris-and-sofia-gurman-identified-as-couple-who-lost-lives-trying-to-stop-bondi-gunmen-as-attack-began-ntwnfb

Also, the man who is seen in earlier footage throwing a brick at the older gunman, he was later shot and has died. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/dec/16/he-went-down-fighting-daughter-of-bondi-terror-victim-reuven-morrison-says-her-father-threw-bricks-at-the-alleged-gunmen-ntwnfb

I'm still asking the question: where were the police?

 

 Only two police were at Bondi at the time of the attack:

 

Donald Trump, Just Button It

This is just cruel, Donald Trump has dumped on the memory of Rob Reiner, who was murdered along with his wife Michele over the weekend. 

Reiner's movie Stand By Me is a classic. Many of his movies have become culturally significant.

Trump doesn't seem to know how to say something appropriate.

Parents of Bondi Hero Speak

Turns out the Bondi hero was a former police officer. Where were the Sydney police during this incident?

Civilian Hero at Bondi

The man who took the gun off one of the shooters at Bondi yesterday, is Ahmed al Ahmed. He owns a fruit and vegetable shop in Sydney. This man saved a lot of lives, how about everyone in Sydney go to this man's shop and buy some produce!

Bondi Terror

Shocking events at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. 

RangeDayBro on Charlie Kirk

RangeDayBro sums up where we're at when it comes to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

California Faces Fuel Crisis

Hard to believe I know, but oil rich California has been so badly managed, the lower supply of oil has resulted in expensive fuel prices at the pump. Who'd a thunk? The state is now reliant on non-US supply despite sitting on the resources to drive the whole state.

This is a lot like New Zealand. It now lacks a refinery and is wholly reliant on overseas fuel supplies, despite sitting on a mountain of crude.

Is this a conspiracy to collapse the economies of both territories, or just stupidity on the part of governments?

Australia a Proving Ground

The ban on those under 16 using social media is another of the many measures that get tried out in Australia first, and if it works, governments will implement it worldwide.

Australian Banks Ripping Off Customers

In New Zealand, Westpac Bank has gone in the opposite direction in response to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand lowering its Official Cash Rate or OCR.

There have been a lot of excuses given by the bank and economists about why this move. That's because one would expect banks to lower mortgage interest rates when the Reserve Bank lowers the OCR. I think Westpac has raised interest rates to prop up Australia. New Zealanders are subsidising the Australians.

Here's my thinking: Australia has a major problem. China is slowing up and will not be buying the same volume of coal and iron ore, simply because it won't be making as much stuff and won't need the amount of steel it has previously. Australia needs this business as it lacks its own industry. Australia has always thought it a good idea to rip raw materials out of the ground, export, then take the money and buy flat screen TV's with the proceeds.

Australia is also faced with higher inflationary expectations. They've mismanaged their economy, and expect Kiwis to pay. It's as simple as that.

NZ should stay the course. Inflation does appear under control and confidence has returned. Kiwis should think carefully about whether moving to Australia is a good idea as there is a real risk of being stranded without a job. 

As a side note, Australia is currently heavily promoting itself to Kiwis. They're using positive and negative campaigns. The positive ones mention better quality of life and higher pay. The negative campaign says NZ is falling apart (it isn't), and that everyone is leaving (they aren't). This kind of advertising can have real consequences. I recently saw a young doctor originally from Christchurch, on YouTube describing her life on the Sunshine Coast now she's moved to Australia. She described how she'd gone from receiving free meals at Christchurch Public Hospital, and all learning materials being paid for, to Australia where she has to pay for meals and pay for everything else. Then, she described trying to get onto her speciality course, and not being able to. Well, no shit Sherlock, the Australians will always prefer their own, the immigrant is there to work, not to get ahead. And based on the Sunshine Coast, a swamp two hours from Brisbane. She gave up living in the most positive city with a wonderful buzz, to go to the Sunshine Coast to be eaten by mosquitoes. And despite the negatives, she remained positive about her move; all I can to that is a fool and her money are soon parted. 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/581436/finance-minister-advises-mortgage-holders-to-shop-around-as-westpac-increases-rates

Coronation Street Dire

Will someone please push the cancel button on this snore fest of a once great ITV soap opera.

Coronation Viewing Figures Plummet

Japan Earthquake Prediction

Stefan Burns is a geophysicist who has been knocking it out of the park recently. He accurately predicted recent volcanic eruptions, and now he's accurately predicted the current earthquake swarms, the worst of which was a Richter 7.6 earthquake off Japan. He blames recent activity of the sun, fascinating stuff.

Reform UK and Conservatives Lead

The most recent public opinion poll in the UK:

Reform 31%

Conservatives 20%

Greens 18%

Labour (government) 14%

At this rate, if an election was held tomorrow, Reform UK and the Conservatives would likely form a coalition government.

(Pollster: Find Out Now)

What Went Wrong? Jacinda Ardern

Graham Norton has asked Jacinda Ardern the question on his TV show in the UK. As per usual, she makes it all about herself and she blames the people of New Zealand. What went wrong?

Let's get this straight, Jacinda Ardern was not elected prime minister in 2017; she came second, but a dithering old fool by the name of Winston Peters selected her. She became prime minister through the back door. Then, she was reelected in 2020 on the back of a rigged General Election. 

Ardern was and remains the worst prime minister in New Zealand's history. She was an authoritarian monster who developed a two-tier system, where the underclasses were treated with contempt. She is one of the few prime ministers to have actually sought to harm the country, and succeeded in that endeavour, as few pushed back against her tyrannical rule. NZ may never recover; that's how much damage she has done.

In New Zealand, apart from a few fans that remain, she is loathed. She has to stay away from the place, a permanent exile. Good luck, US and UK, and please do NZ a favour, keep her. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360910644/graham-norton-asks-jacinda-ardern-what-went-wrong-her-popularity-new-zealand

Rigged Rugby World Cup 2027

I can see World Rugby is still up to their old tricks. I watched the draw for each group online and noticed that the teams were drawn from barrels that you could not see into. Not only that, but people reached into the barrels containing team names, and drew them out of this covered barrel by hand. Not a good look, why did they not have a machine tumbling the barrels, and then drawing the names automatically?

The structure of the tournament appears designed to allow host Australia to win. We have the ridiculous situation where New Zealand could play South Africa in the quarter-finals. Basically, the final at the quarters stage. I'm not going to be watching, what a farce. The way things are structured, both New Zealand and South Africa would be better off coming second in their groups. Make it make sense.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2027_Men%27s_Rugby_World_Cup

Candace Owens Is Not Suicidal

The world has gone mad.

Solar Activity and Need to Stay Manual

Airbus grounded their A320 fleet worldwide, and this was due to the potential of solar activity impacting their aircraft electronics. However, this may only be the start of things as we need electronics in every part of our lives, but the sun right now is very active. This activity can knock out electronics, effectively cutting off electricity as well. This solar activity may also trigger volcanoes and we've seen multiple eruptions off the back of this solar activity.

You just know our political leaders will know nothing about this. But, my advice is to keep some cash to hand, you may need it.