Is this a wise move? China obtains most of its imported crude from Iran, while Australia relies on China to buy its output from its mines. Won't this aggressive act by Australia result in backlash from China?
March 11, 2026
March 08, 2026
Message - Don't Panic
Here's a rational explanation as to why the closing of the Strait of Hormuz is NOT an apocalyptic crisis. Although I'd add that some regions will be far more seriously impacted than others. The Far East, South-east Asia and Oceania being top of that list. China has stopped exporting fuels, which further restricts supply to the region.
March 07, 2026
Fuel Oil Supply Strangled
Something I overlooked is that fuel oil supplies for ships are being affected by the war in the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is a major supplier of the fuel oil required for ships, and Singapore is a major refueling point which imports its fuel oil from the Middle East. Fuel oil prices have therefore surged 30-40%, and supplies will run out toward the end of March.
The cost of goods will rise worldwide as shipping costs adjust upward, and some countries that rely on exports for their income may simply be unable to ship to their customers. Likewise, energy imports will be choked off.
Australia and New Zealand are two countries impacted, and the rest of the Far East as well.
The price of fuel oil has surged this week as the stalled tanker traffic at the Strait of Hormuz is tightening supplies of the fuel in Asia, the key bunkering hub for fuel oil used in ships.
The Middle East is a major global supplier of fuel oil, especially of high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO). But the Iran war has all but halted traffic via the Strait of Hormuz, stranding supplies for Asia and its key bunkering hub of Singapore.
As a result, prices have soared and are set to continue rising, traders and analysts told Reuters on Friday.
March 05, 2026
Strait of Hormuz
Commentators predicting an oil crisis following Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz are well wide of the mark. That is because Saudi Aramco has started shipping more oil out of its Red Sea facilities (see link). Furthermore, Egypt is offering its pipeline to move Saudi oil to the Med.
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/egypt-offers-sumed-pipeline-to-facilitate-saudi-oil-exports-amid-hormuz-closure/I've also seen predictions that some of the people in the Gulf states will starve. But anyone looking at a map will see that there is a land corridor to these states, and so food can get in to feed stranded tourists. The same land corridor could be used to evacuate people from Dubai, Doha and the like. Buses are starting to look mighty useful.
However, there are some serious issues regarding the viability of the United Arab Emirates long term. Dubai as an airport hub could be lost. Ethiopia has been promoting Addis Ababa as a useful mid-point stopover, and they've commenced building a new international airport there.
Dubai's status as a tax haven sanctuary may be over, too. The rich don't like adding bombs to the risk assessment. It'll also be interesting to see how the large sovereign wealth funds based in the Persian Gulf fare now that their economies are toast. This will massively impact the United Kingdom. Interesting times ahead indeed.
Iran appears to have lost its navy and air force, and this war will end when it runs out of ordnance. I give it another three weeks at this rate. Will China and Russia come to their aid? I doubt it, as Russia has its own issues, plus it'll be selling more oil right now. China tends to be all talk; they've never won a war, and if they enter the fray, they too will lose their entire navy.
South Korea, Japan, South-East Asia and Oceania may experience the rapid onset of an energy crisis, and in Australia and New Zealand, there seems to be little urgency. The latter two really do have useless leaders.
March 04, 2026
How Much in the Tank?
Australia has less than a month of fuel in reserve. Watch as it implodes as the conflict in the Middle East worsens. I made only one prediction for this year and that was - Australia will collapse in 2026.
March 02, 2026
Fuel Prices Set to Spike
The utter stupidity of the New Zealand government is now on full display as the price of fuel is set to rise following the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
New Zealand has its own oil, but no ability to refine it. That's because the NZ government allowed its one refinery to close down.
Get working now you cockwomble NZ government. Get that refinery up and running again, pronto.
February 28, 2026
US Strikes Iran
The Winter Olympics have wrapped up, the US carriers are in place; time to end the Iranian regime. I hope this can be a swift victory and that Iran can go back to being a civilised country.
Goldie Ghamari has started a live feed
February 27, 2026
Green Breakthrough UK
There appears to be a major political shift taking place in the United Kingdom. The Green Party has won the byelection in the Gorton and Denton electorate, a traditional Labour seat. What's more, Reform UK came second. Labour came a distance third, while the Conservatives didn't even get their deposit back.
Polling across the country has reflected this shift, with the Green Party rising and Reform UK polling the highest. This is different to the 1980's when the newly formed SDP came close to replacing Labour. Now, there are several challenges to Labour's supremacy and the Conservatives are also under pressure from Nigel Farage's Reform, and Rupert Lowe's recently established Restore.
It is about time we saw the old corrupt hegemony deposed. May this trend be repeated worldwide. I realise this comes with risk - be careful what you wish for - but since tyranny has taken hold, we need swift and sweeping change to at least punish those who tried to cancel our freedoms.
The Green party has pulled off a landmark victory in the Gorton and Denton byelection in a significant blow to Keir Starmer.
Hannah Spencer, a local plumber and Green party councillor, was elected as the party’s first MP in northern England after overturning Labour’s 13,000-vote majority.
Labour came third in the tightly contested race, 5,616 votes behind the Greens on 14,980 votes, while Reform UK finished second with 10,578 votes. The result represents a 25.3% drop in Labour’s vote compared to 2024.
The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats lost their deposits as they won fewer than 5% of the votes, with both under 2%.
February 25, 2026
Cash Is King, Says Reserve Bank of New Zealand
New Zealand's Reserve Bank has issued a statement pointing out how important cash is to the economy. They are commencing moves that require banks to make cash available, quickly and easily.
Cash is of paramount importance. NZ is regularly impacted by natural disasters and the power can be out. Cash is all that works in such times, forget credit cards.
Remote rural communities, these days, often have no cash withdrawal or deposit machines, leading to long drives to major towns and cities to do just a little banking. This works as a major handbrake on the country as a whole.
Credit where credit is due, it appears the Reserve Bank has listened to voices shouting loud and clear; cash is critical, we must keep cash.
RBNZ director of money and cash Ian Woolford said providing and handling cash should be a basic banking service.
"We believe banks must provide cash services to customers, free-of-charge, because cash is an essential part of a customer's relationship with their bank."
He said banks had been reducing the places where customers could get cash, bank cash or get change, especially in rural areas, with about 40 percent of bank branches closed over the past decade.
"We want this to change, and we are open as to how," Woolford said.
"Cash benefits society, as it is used for economic, social and cultural reasons, and as the steward of cash we are focused on ensuring the cash system is healthy and available."
MSM Dead
Anyone wondering why exactly the mainstream media is effectively dead needs to watch this video. They're a bunch of liars, and people are sick of it.
February 24, 2026
Prince of Darkness Arrested
The dominoes are starting to fall, but I get the feeling they're only arresting people now as a form of damage control and not due to some high-minded reason, like seeking justice and accountability. Had the Epstein Files not been released, then I don't believe anyone would have been arrested. There is a lot more to come out yet, I'm sure. What has been released in the US is only a small proportion of what they have, and they appear to be redacting the files to protect suspects, not victims.
February 21, 2026
Royal Lodge Search
Police searching Royal Lodge, the home of Andrew for the last 20 years, seem to be concentrating on a building next to the main house. I wonder what is of interest in there?
What's Up Between FIFA and Trump?
At last someone has called this out. FIFA is meant to be about sport, and sport is meant to be above politics - right?
Well, no, it appears FIFA has crossed the line. It's about time another organisation took over world soccer - or association football for all you nerds who insist on the correct name.
In recent years Gianni Infantino, the most senior official at the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), and Donald Trump have been hogging international sporting, and political headlines.
The latest came on Thursday 19 February when FIFA announced an initiative to assist Mr Trump’s Board of Peace rebuild Gaza using sport. Mr Infantino’s declaration to “foster investment into football for the purpose of helping the recovery process in post conflict areas” was made at the Trump Peace HQ.
<snip>
Mr Trump’s ethically questionable control over world football seems mild in comparison with command of violent ICE agents or his takeover of Venezuela. But as always with Mr Trump, he has managed to gatecrash and despoil much of what he touches; in this case, the world’s beautiful game.
February 19, 2026
The Andrew, Formerly Known As Prince, Arrested
About time, this has been like watching paint dry. Looking up the last time a royal was actually arrested, you've got to go back to Charles I, who lost his head.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c70kjr9wjw0t
Everything we know about Andrew's arrest so far
In the last few minutes we have learned that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been arrested. Here are the key details.
- Thames Valley Police arrested Andrew, who turns 66 today, earlier this morning
- The former prince was arrested on suspicion of of misconduct in public office and he is in custody
- Police are searching addresses in Berkshire and Norfolk
- Thames Valley Police said he was arrested after a "thorough assessment", with an investigation now opened
OpenStar Nuclear Fusion
New Zealand nuclear fusion company, OpenStar Technologies, has reached a critical milestone, and the NZ Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, was there to push the big green button as the process was turned on in Wellington.
OpenStar could do a better job of explaining exactly what they're doing. Imagine we are all 10 years old. I say this because I'm left wondering what exactly this milestone was?
February 15, 2026
Wellington at Risk
New Zealand's capital city, Wellington, could be about to experience a serious depopulation event. That's because its ageing infrastructure is collapsing but its idiotic and immature council insist on prioritising cycleways over sewers.
Currently, the main sewage processing facility is out of action, and this may go on for months. But, added to that is the underground pipes are old and giving away. Not only that, but the fresh water supply sees the streets leaking. This is a matter of urgent public health concern as sewage may get into the fresh water supply. If this gets much worse, I can see Wellington having to be evacuated, it is that bad. Birmingham type bad.
The government seems unable or unwilling to do anything about it. The New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon, should sack the Wellington City Council and put in commissioners to run the city. In the last 16 years across NZ, this has occurred three times, but this disfunction in Wellington is by far the worst NZ has seen in 40 years - but nothing is done. Luxon is a craven middle manager, scared of his own shadow. He's indecisive and weak.
Sack the Wellington City Council and put people in charge who actually know how to get things done.
February 14, 2026
How Much Do Chinese Know About the World?
Chinese people, when asked questions in the street, do not seem to know that much. They appear to be as bad as Americans, but with better humour. Rather strangely, they did know 9/11 was New York, but someone thought the capital of the US was Boston.
The person who thought China fought Vietnam in the Vietnam War was nearly right as China did invade Vietnam soon after the Vietnam War ended. But so many thinking India was in Africa was really unforgiveable. I laughed at how often England got a mention; their soft power is clearly still evident.
February 13, 2026
Climate Foolishness Out, Industry In
The Greens will be spewing, but the trend now is to rollback all the net-zero nonsense and get back to making stuff, and using clean, efficient energy derived from coal, natural gas, and nuclear. Add to that hydro and geothermal where possible.
Something we are not going to able to do is power an industrial economy using solar and wind. That's because the energy from these sources is far too dispersed. These sources of energy are uneconomic.
Get with the programme, industrialise.
The Environmental Protection Agency or EPA's new rule cancels a 2009 "endangerment finding" which says that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare. The Obama-finding is the legal basis for most climate rules under the Clean Air Act covering emissions from cars, power plants and other sources that warm the planet. Court challenges are expected.
The repeal wipes out all greenhouse gas standards for cars and trucks and could open the door to rolling back on rules on power plants and oil and gas sites, according to experts.
Interesting Information
A lot of people around Jeffrey Epstein ended up dead, how about this one, found at the bottom of a cliff - Al Seckel
February 11, 2026
Missing Minute Found
There are some clever people out there; the missing minute from the security footage from inside the prison housing Jeffrey Epstein has been restored from a pdf file. They took the pdf link from the Epstein Files and changed the suffix to .mp4. When played, the mp4 link shows the missing minute. A prison guard gets up from their desk and walks toward the staircase to Epstein's cell. Remember, we were told the guards were sleeping. Were they sleep walking?
February 10, 2026
Joe Rogan Sold Out?
Kyle Kulinski has an entertaining rant about how disappointing Joe Rogan has become.
February 09, 2026
Super Bowl LX
I watched maybe 45 minutes of Super Bowl LX, and was lucky to see many of the scoring plays. Basically, I'd never go out of my way to watch such stuff, but I was following the winter Olympics at the same time, so did change channels from time to time.
This was some of the worst football of any football code I've seen. How can anyone watch such rubbish? This was worse than rugby union, which has gone down the same road of incentivising less play while trying to look good doing it. For examples of football sports that actually play foot-ball, try rugby league or soccer. With these, the ball is in play almost continuously.
The big problem with American football for me is players being allowed to throw the ball out. In all other football codes that's not allowed. In soccer, you throw the ball in from out of bounds, but throwing it out is hand ball and a penalty, likewise in rugby it is also a penalty. The game is foot-ball, you kick the ball with your foot, if you want the ball out, you must kick it out.
For the first time I saw the kick-offs where no-one can move after the ball is kicked, which is counter-intuitive, and looks silly. The ball has been kicked, but everyone waits like a field of pansies. And the scoring team kicking off is also silly, they tried this in rugby league and it failed back in the 90's. There is talk of bringing back some version of this again, but it's a bad idea, the scoring team usually receives the kick off in other football codes. To explain the thinking behind this, it prevents the team scored against ending up perpetually trapped in their own half. It is counter to the spirit of the game and would be very boring to watch, which American football is actually, very boring.
Anyway, back to the Winter Olympics for me, where athletes actually compete and do not stand around comparing their tutus.
February 07, 2026
Epstein Living in Israel?
The gaming community believe they have found Jeffrey Epstein. A profile he is said to have used is active in Israel.
February 06, 2026
The Mandelson Affair
The British government has hit rock bottom. How long can Prime Minister Keir Starmer remain in office?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0q4jk5pnl9
The deepening scandal prompted an apology on Wednesday from Sir Keir to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein for believing Lord Mandelson's "lies" and appointing him when the peer's friendship with the paedophile was already public knowledge.
Despite the prime minister's attempt to defuse the row, some of his own MPs are calling on him to stand down.
February 05, 2026
Epstein Files - What Was Epstein up To?
Looking at the big picture, I've formed the conclusion that Jeffrey Epstein's principal goal was to obtain advanced technology.
Epstein went out of his way to ingratiate himself with scientists, mostly physicists in fact, and he even had an office at Harvard University. His whole operation seems targeted at this area, academia, and their advanced research into areas many consider to be science fiction, but are not; science has moved on a long way over the last 40 years.
His obtaining kompromat on politicians, financiers, artists, and the like was intended to be the self-funding part of the operation. The proceeds from blackmail covered the cost of his lavish lifestyle. He had extremely poor taste, but this, together with the intimate services he offered, appeared to lure in enough people to gather the sources of funding he required to cover the operating cost of several aircraft, an island, ranch and residential buildings.
Ghislaine Maxwell would be his handler, and then above her, senior intelligence people would be overseeing what was going on and storing away the information they gathered. If any advanced technology appeared useful, then it would be sent to tame scientists for evaluation. Epstein and Maxwell had enough education to identify potential, but they wouldn't be good enough to evaluate; thus, they'd hand this upstairs.
When he supposedly died, he was reported to be worth $500-600 million. This becomes difficult to explain as his investment record is patchy at best. He did not appear to have professional staff; who exactly was looking after all this money? I am inferring with this that he had other sources of funds, outside of commercial gains and losses, and the kompromat he used against people.
I'll put it like this, bluntly: Epstein had a long list of contacts, all of whom he had something on, allegedly. How come his operation survived as long as it did? You may blackmail one or two individuals, but eventually someone is going to off you, get my drift? So, he has to have been protected, and at the highest level imaginable.
In the files, an FBI source said an informant heard a high-profile lawyer saying that Epstein was a US and its allies' intelligence asset. It was said outright, explicitly, and the cumulative weight of evidence infers that he was an intelligence asset.
The next question, then; who is allowing this to become known? My thinking is that there is a power struggle going on within the US right now. Back and forth they go, but the forces of darkness appear on the back foot at this point.
How Did Epstein Get Rich?
The question still needs an answer; exactly how did Jeffrey Epstein get rich? Looking at it closely, his net worth doesn't add up. Face it, he was a moron. I see him as more of a middleman with no or very little forecasting skills.
I found the video below, and it tries to answer the question.
February 03, 2026
Epstein Files Reveal Methods
With the Epstein Files release, can people now see these so-called elites for what they are?
Putin, Epstein and Trump
It makes sense that Jeffrey Epstein had deep Russian links. A lot of Soviet Jews emigrated to Israel after its creation in the late 1940's, thus, there are established relationships between Israel and Russia, at least at the business level.
February 02, 2026
Russia Collusion
I'm placing this here for balance. The allegation is that there was collusion with Russia by certain elements of the American right.
Paula Froelich on People
With the latest Epstein Files release, the former deputy editor of Page Six talks about people mentioned in those files.
Melania (Movie)
I have noticed critics of Donald Trump claiming that the documentary on his wife has been a failure. So, I checked, and found this is not the case.
Melania (the movie) has been out three days. According to Box Office Mojo, it debuted third, despite being in half the number of theatres of its two competitors with bigger numbers. After three days it has grossed $7 million dollars, making it the biggest documentary of the last ten years. Bear in mind that documentaries generally do not do well. However, across America, Melania (the movie) debuted third, then went to fifth, and now back to third. This is a strong performance, and given it will no doubt be released to television and other platforms, it may actually recoup budget.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/01/melania-trump-documentary
Amazon’s Melania Trump documentary has reportedly beaten box office expectations and recorded the strongest start of any documentary in over a decade, taking $7m at the US box office during its lavishly-promoted opening weekend. But it also cost quite more than a typical documentary, at $40m to make and $35m to promote.
February 01, 2026
Divide and Rule
Asmongold goes on an epic rant, but can anyone say he's wrong? He points out that Occupy Wall Street was the closest America has come to an awakening, but that the culture wars destroyed it. Victor Davis Hanson points out something similar, saying that Barack Obama did a lot of damage to American society by pitting people against one another.
As people closely examine the Epstein Files that have recently become available, it is obvious that very dark forces have been at work.
Walls Closing In
The former prince, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, may yet have to answer questions put to him by the US over what he knows about Jeffrey Epstein and his victims. The latest batch of Epstein Files, available to anyone online, are truly horrifying.
Keir Starmer has said Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor should testify before the US Congress about his links to the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The prime minister, who is in Japan for a meeting with its premier, Sanae Takaichi, was asked by journalists if the former prince should apologise to the disgraced financier’s victims and give evidence about what he knew about his crimes.
Mounbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his titles last year amid the fallout from his friendship with the billionaire, features heavily in the latest tranche of Epstein files, released on Friday by the US justice department.
January 31, 2026
Tulsi Gabbard in Atlanta
The everything about 2020 was free and fair, nothing fixed, not ever, we won so there brigade are sounding desperate as the walls slowly close in. It's good to see Tulsi Gabbard present in Atlanta as the FBI conducted its Fulton County raid. That's because she seems to appreciate the global significance of the rigging that occurred in 2020.
Make no mistake, it appears arrests are imminent, and about time. The four years of the criminal Biden regime have to result in individuals being held accountable.
In New Zealand in 2020, their rigged general election was held two weeks prior to the rigged election in the US. However, all ballots from that election in NZ have been destroyed. Yeah, very suspicious, eh. Consider that the NZ election was a practise run, before the main act in America.
January 29, 2026
Lydia Ko at Millbrook
Lydia Ko is such a wonderful person. Here she is in New Zealand playing a round of golf with friends at the Millbook Resort, near Arrowtown in Otago, the South Island of New Zealand.
US Make Demands
The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has arrived near Iran and the US has renewed its demands; it looks as if an attack on Iran will come soon.
Al Jazeera are operating this live feed of updates: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/28/live-iran-says-it-will-respond-like-never-before-after-trumps-threats
- President Donald Trump has revived a threat that the United States is ready to launch a military attack against Iran as he demands Tehran make a deal over its nuclear programme.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said that the Iranian government’s “days are numbered”.
- Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the country will deliver an unprecedented retaliation to any US attack.
- Iran’s currency has fallen to a record low of 1.6 million to $1, a month after the start of nationwide protests sparked by the country’s economic woes, according to local currency traders.
Silver Price on the Rise
The markets generally know where things are headed and right now there is a rush to delivery of the physicals. China is leading the charge.
January 28, 2026
Board of Peace
California Governor, Gavin Newsom, posted this imagining of what Donald Trump's Board of Peace would look like:
 |
| Board of Peace Imagined |
January 27, 2026
Kyle Kulinski Rant
Quality rant, brilliant, but Kyle Kulinski criticises Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is also right. However, what he doesn't say is that Donald Trump appears prepared to go to any lengths to avoid releasing the Epstein Files. He'll push the button and go to WWIII if he feels it necessary.
The whole world is being held to ransom; forget the Epstein Files or get torched. It is insane. Remember, we were all told there was nothing in those files? Now we find out that there are 20 million records, and they're much worse than anyone thought.
We need those files to be released, and arrests made, and we need it done right now.
January 26, 2026
Now It's AI, Forget Net-Zero
Have you noticed how, suddenly, no one is pushing all that net-zero nonsense? Yeah, turns out priorities have changed and none of that matters. Now, the new shiny thing is AI. It requires huge amounts of energy, so let's burn more coal. You cannot make this up; it is that shameless and utterly corrupt.
Trump Derails Peace?
Allister Heath sounds sensible; Donald Trump has done some good things, and some really bad things.
January 25, 2026
Does Trump Have Dementia?
First, we had Joe Biden clearly suffering from dementia, and now people are pointing out that Donald Trump is also suffering. He's about the same age as his father, Fred Trump, when he had dementia.
So, who is in charge?
Elon Musk
Following the spat between Elon Musk and Michael O'Leary of Ryanair fame, I'm posting this useful profile of Elon Musk. Michael O'Leary launched an idiot sale after Musk called him names.
It's only a matter of time before the house of cards that is Tesla comes tumbling down. Musk relies on the US taxpayer, he's not a genuine businessman.
January 24, 2026
Backlash to Trump's NATO Slur
Oh no, what's Donald Trump gone and said now? He's claimed that non-American NATO troops in Afghanistan stayed back from the frontline. That is simply not true, and a slap in the face to America's NATO allies. For those not aware, Article 5 of the NATO agreement has only been invoked once, and that was by the US following 9/11. All of NATO answered the call.
January 22, 2026
US Politics Explained
A Japanese newspaper illustrates the left vs right of US politics, who populates each side, what they consume and what they represent. Is this accurate?
January 21, 2026
Trump at Davos 2026
Donald Trump will be speaking at Davos, Switzerland, this Wednesday. No doubt he'll put the cat among the pigeons, but this got me thinking; is Donald J Trump really in charge, and if not, who is running the US?
Consider December 3, 2019, the date Kamala Harris announced she was withdrawing from the 2020 presidential election. According to official figures, she raised more than $40 million toward her campaign. That's a lot of money, and easily enough to continue into the Democratic Party primaries held in 2020. Personally, I believe that date in 2019 is a signpost to the fix being in, Joe Biden was to be the next president, and the most likely challenger, Bernie Sanders, was derailed, marginalised, and dismissed at every turn. Despite that, Sanders did rather well in the primaries, winning the largest state, California.
Then, with Joe Biden installed and his running mate announced, in the form of Kamala Harris no less, he campaigned from his basement and won a clearly rigged election to become the 46th President of the US. The following four years were chaotic, and it was clear that Joe Biden was not in charge. He couldn't be, as he was clearly suffering from dementia.
Then, leading into the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump experienced several attempts on his life, one of which was nearly successful. This happened in Butler, Pennsylvania, and yet do you ever hear about this today? It is as if a cone of silence has descended over the issue; it is never to be discussed. However, Trump survived and became the 47th President. Is it clear that Donald J Trump is in charge? It isn't clear to me at all. Rather like Joe Biden, he appears to be managed too, with others making decisions on his behalf.
I'll cut to the chase: over the last few years, I believe we've been witnessing a power struggle between factions that actually run the US. The faction that now runs things was ultimately successful. What that means for the rest of the world is more disruption and change to the accepted rules.
January 20, 2026
USA Taking Greenland
Here's a counterproposal to the idea that the US should get Greenland. I'm putting this here for balance.
Personally, I think the US taking over Greenland makes a lot of sense, and earlier I embedded the reasoning behind that as explained on the UnHerd podcast.
With the US now looking at Greenland, it is only a matter of time, perhaps, until the US looks at the South Pacific and annexes New Zealand to gain easy access to Antarctica. The US has a base at Christchurch International Airport, from which they fly down to McMurdo Station, which is situated on Ross Island. Technically, this all sits within NZ territory, and given climate change and the resources contained there, the US may want complete control of the region.
I don't think these latest moves come exclusively from Donald Trump. What we are seeing is a shift in American thinking, from having close allies, like Five Eyes, to having branch office operations. We now see Britain, Denmark, Norway, etc being treated like a corporate branch office. Do what we say, or we shut you down type of thinking. My only surprise in witnessing this shift is that it is happening much faster than I anticipated.
January 19, 2026
January 17, 2026
Will Iran Be Free?
The US is moving a carrier strike group in the direction of Iran right now, so it does look as if they'll intervene in what's going on there, at least in some capacity. They could easily shut down Iran's oil trade, effectively cutting off their source of income.
The latest claim is that the regime has used chemical weapons against the protesters.
January 15, 2026
All Blacks Coach Sacked
Scott Robertson has lost his job as coach of New Zealand's rugby team, the mighty All Blacks. It was to be expected. He hadn't measured up as the team at times looked disjointed and lacking direction, and they could just collapse at critical times. During his tenure, the All Blacks won 74% of their games played, which is similar to the amateur era, and well below what is expected of a fully professional outfit. As pro's they're expected to win more than 80% of all matches played.
Personally, I think the rot began even before Robertson took over. That's because he was announced as the next coach before the incumbent had even taken his team to the 2023 World Cup. That they made the final was a truly incredible achievement when you consider that the coaching staff had no job after that final game. That coach, Ian Foster, is due a major apology. If he's available, he should be offered his old job back.
Then, Robertson chose Scott Barrett as All Blacks captain. That job is more important than that of prime minister in NZ, but the problem was that he's not good enough to keep his position on the field. So the team was always down one lock, effectively, while the team was often going backwards.
On a wider note, and something rugby pundits fail to mention, is that rugby worldwide is undergoing a cash crunch. That's because sponsors are leaving. Rugby does not bring the audience that sponsors require. This year, they've suspended the Rugby Championship and instead, the All Blacks will do an old-fashioned tour of South Africa to rekindle interest and no doubt bring in some revenue. I think this cash crunch must have something to do with this coaching change.
What sports are prospering right now? Rugby League is very popular, and in NZ the numbers entering the game at the junior level are so strong, they are struggling to find coaches for them all. Motorsport is also back, and athletics is once again very popular.
And one last note: in 2023, the Rugby World Cup blew it by rigging the final. That was the last time a truly global audience tuned in to see a rugby game, and many were sitting down in front of the TV to watch for the first time. Many of these viewers know sports well, just not rugby. What they saw was a travesty, clearly rigged, and they started switching channels halfway through - that early. Since then, the audience numbers have plummeted. People have got better things to do than watch nonsense WWE-type stuff.
Update: I made this comment on YouTube, and quite like the way I worded it, so adding it here as well:
What went wrong? Scott Robertson coaches the game in a two dimensional way, while the game is at the three dimensional level these days. Steve Hansen understood this and managed his team superbly, and he had an answer to everything the opposition was going to come up with. Ian Foster, his understudy, carried this legacy on and did well, making the 2023 RWC final which was rigged (convince me I'm wrong) and so not his fault that it was lost. Robertson was a regression to predictable operations which most opponents could counter. Hence, the loss to Argentina in Argentina, and the capitulation to South Africa in Wellington. On a wider note, I'm pretty sure David Kirk (Chairman) is looking at the bottom line and realising sponsors are not interested in an All Blacks side that does not win ALL the time. It's about eyes on the screen for sponsors and these days there is a lot of competition, with rugby well down most people's priority list (NZ audience numbers are not significant). We have soccer resurgent, League is back big time with matches sold out, the NFL coming back after its woke-fest etc. When you look at this big picture, people are not tuning in to see a group of grown men do a dance and then look indecisive and, well, a bit soft. Sorry Kiwi fans, time to grow up and put your big knickers on, you're not going to be given a free pass because you look cute.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/584112/disposable-razor-scott-robertson-dumped-as-all-blacks-coach
January 14, 2026
January 13, 2026
Leave Iran Now
The US has issued a warning to its citizens in Iran - leave now.
https://ir.usembassy.gov/iran-security-alert-land-border-crossings-january-12-2026/
January 11, 2026
January 10, 2026
Islamic Republic Days Numbered
So close now, I get the feeling this is a critical moment in history.
January 09, 2026
Revolution in Iran
A full-scale revolution appears to have erupted in Iran, but you wouldn't know it if relying on mainstream news media. Why are they so silent about this?
My thinking is the West do not want change in Iran. They're quite happy to have Iran part of the 'axis of evil'. If the Iranian regime does change, then that could result in many people in the West asking searching questions about their own leadership, too many questions. And we cannot have that, can we?
The only place to find reliable reporting on the issue comes from independent voices, such as the Canadian-Iranian Goldie Ghamari and British-Iranian Mahyar Tousi, both of whom are prominent YouTubers. Tousi is a conservative, while it is hard to place Ghamari. She appears to be a centre-right leaning Zoroastrian constitutional monarchist.
Right now, the internet is down in Iran, which usually means a lot of people are being shot, but despite that, there are millions on the streets all over the country. However, Starlink is available and Elon Musk has to be thanked for making that so.
People have seen police shedding their uniforms, and government buildings are being burnt or occupied. It does look as if this is it, but a lot of water is yet to flow under the bridge, so we'll see.
January 08, 2026
January 07, 2026
Rocket Lab Getting Busy
Originally a New Zealand startup, Rocket Lab is now Nasdaq listed and an American company. Make no mistake though, the New Zealand taxpayer can be thanked first and foremost for getting this venture off the ground. Then came NZ private equity and finally, American equity.
Early NBA
I notice more early NBA footage is available online. The standard of play was really high and very competitive. I rarely watch the NBA these days as it has become a snore fest. The three point shot has killed the modern game, and a host of other rule interpretations haven't helped either. I still think a three point shot light needs to be introduced. That would mean a three point attempt can be made when the light is illuminated but not when it is off. One way this could work is if a three point shot is missed, the light goes off and no further three pointers can be made until the team makes another basket (1 or 2 pointer).
January 06, 2026
Was Maduro Betrayed?
A bit obvious, I'd have thought, how else would Delta Force know exactly where Maduro was? He had to have been served up.
The latest news coming out of Venezuela sounds as if they're going to start fixing their oil infrastructure and start pumping oil. A figure I saw has their output at about 750k barrels per day, down from their usual one million, which is even far worse than their 1990's output of three million barrels per day.
Venezuela has gone from being the richest country on Earth per capita in the seventies, to abject poverty today. If regime change lifts the standard of living, then that's good. I'm fairly sure that behind the scenes the two sides have been talking and the deal was that Maduro has to be given up, and America gets involved once again in their oil industry.
January 04, 2026
Prediction 2026
I've got just the one prediction for 2026, and that is, Australia is going to fail. That's because they're heavily indebted and faced with a slowdown in China. That means less coal and iron ore sales to China and less exports of food there as well.
The mortgage market in Australia will suffer serious reversals in all the major cities, wiping out homeowner equity. Smaller banks may fail. Unemployment will skyrocket.
Remember, you read it here first.
Venezuela Oil
What I said back in October 2025 is starting to look pretty accurate right now:
I said:
I've been thinking of a reason the US may be about to take Venezuela, and the only explanation I can think of is that they want its oil. Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves by far, yet it only pumps daily about 10% of what it should be pumping. That's because, after decades of economic failure, their oil equipment is broken.
Right then, so what I think the US could do is take control of Venezuelan oil. To do this, they wouldn't need to occupy the whole country. All they'd do is control those areas where the oil fields are located, and also control pipelines and port facilities. Study the map to see where those assets are located.
Venezuela is surrounded by adversaries. Guyana is part of the Commonwealth and a former British colony, and likewise, so is Trinidad and Tobago. Then, to the west is Colombia, which is now fully developed and a member of the OECD. Only Brazil may be an ally of Venezuela, but it's through a jungle and undeveloped areas too far south.
The scenario would be to first crush all of Venezuela's oil exports, then occupy the oil fields. They'd need to take out Venezuela's military assets as well, and leadership in Caracas. But they'd just destroy the government and military assets, not take them on head-to-head.
Why is this a brilliant strategic move? If the US does this, then China is cooked. What has this got to do with China?
China controls the so-called renewables sector, wind and solar energy generation, and it controls EV battery production. If the US starts pumping Venezuelan oil at ten times its daily rate right now, the price of gasoline will halve and wipe out the renewables sector overnight. Why would anyone buy an EV, or install solar panels, or a wind turbine when oil is cheap and limitless?
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| Venezuela's Oil Assets |
Maduro Captured
US President Donald Trump is claiming to have captured Venezuela's President Maduro. This sets a bad precedent. I wonder if the US has thought this through?
Update: it has occurred to me that Maduro's people were so sick of him that they simply gave him up to the US. This allows for regime change, it'll be interesting to see how the story unfolds.
January 03, 2026
Iran Uprising
Very confusing what's going on in Iran right now, but it did occur to me that China's downturn may have caused the crisis, as Iran's income may have dried up as a result of China buying less oil. But then again, economic protests don't usually cause regime change.
For those interested in the Shah of Iran and his descendants, if ignoring male primogeniture rules, the man currently promoting himself as rightful heir, wouldn't be. A woman living in Switzerland would be the rightful ruler (if applying modern rules) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahnaz_Pahlavi
January 01, 2026
Remember California
The exodus from California is real, businesses and people are leaving the state as its economy and crime rates worsen.