Nigel Farage Did Nothing Wrong

The UK House of Commons Code of Conduct is very clear about what gifts must be disclosed. The gift received by Nigel Farage does NOT require disclosure. The relevant rule is cited below:

42. Members should not register under this category: 

a) Benefits which could not reasonably be thought by others to be related to membership of the House or to the Member’s parliamentary or political activities, for example purely personal gifts or benefits from partners or family members, or loans or mortgage arrangements on commercial terms. However, both the possible motive of the giver and the use to which the gift is to be put should be considered. If there is any doubt, the benefit should be registered;

Nigel Farage at the time he received his gift was not a member of parliament, nor did he intend becoming an MP. Thus, no-one could reasonably think this gift was anything other than personal in nature. Such personal gifts are expressly excluded and SHOULD NOT be reported.

Mr Farage is being pilloried for following the express rules.

Clearly, there is an attempt underway to neuter him politically. With a delegitimised Andy Burnham about to become PM, a General Election may be about to be called and they want Farage pushed under. His move to resign and force a by-election in his constituency is a genius move as he has now been elevated to top of the news cycle, effectively making Burnham look weak and useless.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201516/cmcode/1076/1076.pdf

Nuts and Bolts and Screws

It popped into my head the other day, whatever happened to Nuts and and Bolts and Screws Ltd? Turns out, they're still around, calling themselves NBS Ltd https://nutsandboltsandscrews.co.nz/about/

I used to buy things from them. You know the sort of thing, nuts, bolts and screws. I'd go in and ask them, you got any screws? They'd say, lots, what type of screw did I want? I'd say, one that's just right thanks. They'd ask self-tapping, and I'd reply, self tapping is best, always handy. They'd remind me to use a bit of lube, and did I want a coarse thread? I'd say I always use a bit of lube, and coarse is good but not too much friction. Then, they sell me a bolt and not a screw, because it's a bolt is what I really wanted.

Anyway, I still haven't been able to buy fork handles:

US-Iran War Kicks Off Again

Full conflict has resumed, and the problem for the West is oil has been further depleted. After the MOU was signed, oil flows recovered to about 25% of flows prior to the war. So, global oil reserves have still been used to keep things moving. 

I recently saw a video accurately examining Iran's strikes on countries in the Gulf. The extent of damage is much greater than has been disclosed previously.

This is very serious.

Prince Harry's Big Loss

Prince Harry sued the Daily Mail and he's lost on every point. Now, he and the other claimants will need to find 50 million pounds in costs owed to the newspaper publisher.

Oh dear, how sad, never mind. 

This may bankrupt the prince. Will his father or older brother bail him out? Hard to imagine that happening since Harry has burnt all of his bridges. As for his marriage, the clock is now ticking loudly.

Burning Bridges performed by the Mike Curb Congregation:

Farage Makes Statement, Watch Out, He's Motivated

Nigel Farage calls for a General Election and addresses the pile on; including The Times publishing a photo of his daughter's house.

Farage is resigning his electorate and standing again. He'll likely get more than 75% of the vote. This is a major strategic move and puts the ball into the government's court. He's a wily old fox is Farage.

Nigel Farage Constantly Attacked

In the United Kingdom, Reform UK now poll as the most popular political party by far. They lead with a clear margin ahead of both the UK government and Opposition. They've held this lead for over a year now, they've won literally thousands of council seats, they control many local councils and have several Mayors. In Westminster, they have eight Members of Parliament.

To put this in simple terms; there has been no political party in the history of the UK rise so fast. The kind of change we are witnessing is cultural, political and economic transformation. It is revolutionary. The man behind all this is Nigel Farage. Farage is a kind of political Arthur Daley-type figure with his flash suits and somewhat dodgy persona (channelling the TV series Minder). His Terry McCann-type sidekick is Richard Tice. The two, backed by financier Zia Yusuf, are the barroom brawlers of UK politics. The people like them for this, but the media hacks, establishment figures, City bankers loath them. They want Reform UK disposed of in the dustbin of history.

Daily we see constant personal attacks on Nigel Farage and his cohort. It has become tiresome to say the least. Opposition to Reform has plunged to the depths of the sewers, now devoid of ideas, or argument, just attacks on the man. How unseemly.

These attacks continue because the establishment are worried. Worried as in sweating profusely. They can see their future endeavour's being side-lined by the rise of Reform UK. From my vantage point, I find this hilarious, you can smell the desperation, almost taste it. 

And don't write off Nigel Farage. Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, I would ask people about Nigel Farage and he was always dismissed as a kook, a flash in the pan. Well, that proved wrong as he has had the biggest influence on British politics since 1945. Britain has now irreversibly left the EU, after it never democratically joined it in the first place. Britain shat on its empire, and joined their enemies on the Continent and were promptly bankrupted for their stupidity. Now, Britain has less of an economy, next to no military and cannot even secure its own borders. Farage says he can solve that, and I would not doubt him, he probably can.

Reform UK seem to have tapped into a mood across the UK that goes beyond middle class versus working class. In all areas, middle class, working class, North and South, people are voting Reform. Getting people to change habits when actually in the polling booth is a major victory and Reform has done that - amazing.

Farage needs to keep hammering the elites, and remind voters that when you're taking a lot of flak, you're over the target. Voters realise this and will vote for Reform, they can see these attacks for what they are; desperate measures from failing media and stale old-boy networks. 

At the next general election, if Reform UK can become part of a coalition government, or the Official Opposition, then I'd say this would be the biggest political shift in a hundred years. 

Upset France!

Tony Abbot is a former prime minister of Australia. He stopped the boats. For years, illegal migrants had bought passage in Indonesia and entered Australia at the nearest point. Abbot said enough of that, anyone arriving illegally by boat will never be allowed set foot on Australian soil. That did it, the people smuggling stopped.

Britain needs to take immediate action, listen to Tony Abbot.

Rugby Revived: Nations Championship

Rugby has been in the doldrums for years now, what with rigged games and lack of defence. But, watching over the weekend, the new Nations Championship format looks to be promising. This is where the top 12 teams in the world play one another for the overall title of world champion. The teams are divided into two pools, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Peculiarly, Japan has been placed in the Southern Hemisphere.

Results (North First, then South)

France 32 - 34 New Zealand

Italy 10 - 27 Japan

Ireland 33 - 31 Australia

Wales 39 - 24 Fiji

England 21 - 45 South Africa

Scotland 47 - 38 Argentina

The competition will take place over two years, culminating in a grand final where the top team from the North plays the top team from the South.

One problem with this format is it is likely to lead to the South dominating the North, because all Rugby World Cup winners, apart from just the one - England - are in the South.

World Rugby are trying to head off the challenge posed by rival promotions such as Rugby360. In Super Rugby they now have their Super Rugby Weekends where all the teams descend on one city and play over a weekend. This year it was held in Christchurch and proved very successful. It helped that Christchurch has a covered stadium.

Rugby has to look at covering its stadiums but at the same time not making them too large. Crowd sizes positioned close to the pitch and numbering about 25k is ideal. The NRL play open to the elements but they do keep their crowd sizes down and have fans able to see the action, which makes for a far better experience.

So, the Super Rugby weekends and this format of a Nations Championship does at least attempt to address the problems rugby is facing, and that is; a lack of fan engagement and high scoring but ultimately unsatisfying games. 

Rugby has to sort out their feed to Google and other search engines. Currently, it is hard to get updates. I'd rate their efforts as a whole a fail on this, a D- for sure. Soccer are always on top of things, by contrast.

The best link I've found is the BBC in England, check it out:https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union 

There is also a second division, called the Nations Cup, and that includes the likes of Georgia, Romania, USA, Samoa etc., but no promotion/relegation as yet. This won't happen anytime soon, but if it does, Georgia are looking the most promising. Even now, Georgia could just about replace Italy.

Good Dating Advice

I have this guy popping up in my feed these days; I don't agree with everything he says, but this video is quite accurate. My only quibble relates to timelines. When it comes to planning things, commitment, and rescheduling, these may occur more at the start as two people get to know one another. Events may clash etc. But on the personal level, lack of respect, denying your status within the group and lack of tactile communication are huge red flags in my opinion. 

This advice is aimed at men, but you can reverse it and much of it is advice that can be given to women as well. Basically, don't live in a dream world.

Progress Made on Release of THOSE Files

Gradually, inexorably, the truth is being revealed. Just release the files already!

Disillusionment

This is quite touching, all sides of the political spectrum in the US are coming to the realisation that everything is a lie - everything.

Become a Welder

Worldwide there is a critical shortage of welders. When I talk to a young person about job prospects, I always say, learn how to weld. The courses are not expensive and everyone wants a welder.

https://weldingonlineacademy.com/the-state-of-welding/

• Most welders are nearing retirement
• Schools direct people away from trades so you have less competition for jobs
• The pay is better, and no large student loans
• Advanced welding is complicated, leading to further expertise in areas of automation, basically putting you at the top of the hiring tree
• Welders are better looking
• You are everybody's friend

Weird Ideas from Billionaires

Peter Thiel is one very strange Dude. He bought New Zealand citizenship at one point, what was that all about? He's been reported as in Argentina, they're welcome to him, stay there Mr Thiel and while you're at it, take Elon Musk with you. But the strangest thing of all is his vision for the future. He and a few of his billionaire mates see a future that is a techno feudal state. I laugh when I hear about this stuff as these people seem to think they'll prosper from such a thing. Err...no, they'd be disposable. What do these Peter Thiel types actually do? They're not useful, so all those who are useful would simply dispose of them.

AIPAC Defeat in Colorado

Following major upsets in Democratic Party primaries in New York, Colorado has voted to unseat Diana Degette, the long time representative for Colorado's 1st Congressional District. It is a safe Democratic hold, so the new anti-AIPAC candidate, Melat Kiros, will be the new congressperson in the House of Representatives in Washington DC. 

It seems the Democratic Party is undergoing transformation, removing AIPAC-backed candidates. This is a grassroots level movement, not something imposed from the top down. It will be interesting to see how the party responds, as the Israeli lobby pretty much owns the Democratic Party for now.

Big Pharma Suppressed Warning Signals

Amazing how many still think the jab was somehow a good thing. For truth head over to my useful links page for resources which explain the extent of the horror unleashed.

War on the Ground Against Iran

The US may go to war against Iran on the ground. This is next level stupidity, but the US appears upset that it lost the war.

Claim and Counterclaim

Who to believe? The US and its tame media says that it has delivered a stunning blow to Iran. Meanwhile, Iran says it has caused serious damage to US interests in the Persian Gulf. The below report seems to substantiate the latter; US bases in the Persian Gulf have been severely impacted.

America Is Tired and Getting Angry

Imagine needing a subscription to possess the keys to your house. How about your car thinks you're too tired and won't let you drive. Cashless society, say hurty words online, card payments disabled. Not long to go now, the surveillance state will kick things off for real.

Idiocracy Was Documentary

When I first saw the movie, Idiocracy, I knew it was accurate. 

King Charles Breaks with Constitution

On the quiet, while no-one was watching, King Charles has stopped describing himself as Head of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith. Now he describes himself as protecting the space for faith within the multifaith nation. He spouts complete drivel in other words. 

The below video explains what has happened. I'm finding it hard to obtain a video explaining this succinctly. Most commentators blather on about irrelevancies, even this one, but at least it does get around to spitting it out.

Les Mills - Legend

New Zealand fitness industry heavyweight, Les Mills, has died at the age of 91. Les Mills founded Les Mills World of Fitness. Their fitness programs are sold by thousands of gyms worldwide. In the US alone there are about 4,000 gyms selling a Les Mills program. If you've seen BODYPUMP, BODYPUMP HEAVY, or BODYATTACK then these are Les Mills intellectual property. I often joke that we'll soon see PUMPIDYPUMPPUMP as a brand. Maybe BOOTYPUMP. There is no limit to the number of PUMPS possible.

Les Mills was a New Zealand Commonwealth Games field athlete who won a gold medal in the discus. He also won a silver medal in the shot put. Later, he coached Beatrice Faumuina to a world championship in the discus. 

Apart from sport and fitness, Mills was mayor of Auckland for eight years. He was big man, big in character and stature. His son built the business he founded into an international success story, but back in NZ he had little understanding of how big his name was. When visiting Texas, he was surprised at people's reaction upon meeting him, they were surprised Les Mills was a real person, not some French company!

I sometimes use Les Mills as an example of NZ's soft power. 

https://www.rnz.co.nz/life/people/celebrity/gym-chain-founder-and-olympian-les-mills-snr-has-died

Why Is Keir Starmer So Hated?

Interesting discussion this; examining exactly why the outgoing British PM, Keir Starmer, is so hated. Who thought promoting him into the highest office in the land was a good idea? Consider, when the question was put to him, Davos or London, he chose Davos.

That Trillionaire Elon Musk

Is Elon Musk a trillionaire? No, he isn't. The trillion dollar value people put on him is derived from his stock holdings, multiplied by the current value of those shares. A company may have a large market cap, but not be making a profit. Oh wait, that's SpaceX. 

Elon Musk cannot simply sell his shares and bank a trillion. In theory he can, but in reality if he put his shares on the market, the market as a whole would tank and he'd end up getting cents on the dollar. 

There are different ways of looking at this, I realise that, and there is no doubt Elon Musk deserves to be a billionaire off the back of Starlink alone. But beyond that, Musk's ventures are foolish, mostly flimflam. Look at the list; Tesla is the worst car ever made, SpaceX rockets blow up often, the boring company wasn't any kind of new idea, that hyper loop was stupid. Paypal leaves me wondering why people use that platform, I checked it out once and found that you basically give your money to them and they decide whether you can access it - not like a bank which rarely behaves like that. Twitter has always been a US government operation, governments have backdoors through which they monitor people. 

I look at Elon Musk as performance art. PT Barnum was the greatest and remains so.

One Million Reached - Thank You

The number of readers of my blog has reached more than one million over the past four years. And most of those readers have been visitors over the last two years. Readers come from all over the place, notably, Singapore, Brazil, USA, Hong Kong, France, Vietnam and Mexico. 

Don't forget to leave a comment below any of my posts.

Recently, I have been successful selling paperback copies of my books, with a resurgence in physical sales of my science fiction novel, Dana Point. If you enjoy visiting my site, then please consider buying the paperback of Dana Point. I don't allow advertising by third parties on this site, to make reading what I have to say easier.

You can buy Dana Point on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FP5DLJ1

Dana Point by Ken Horlor

Crash 2026?

We are due for a correction and there are a lot of overvalued stocks. AI is a bust, face it, it is often wrong. SpaceX doesn't make a profit, and may never make a profit but it is meant to be highly desirable. We've seen this before: the 1987 stock market crash and then the industrial property crash of the early 90's, the dotcom crash of the late 90's and early 2000's, then the GFC 2008, and now, 2026.

My issue is with the thinking that some companies are too big to fail. Constantly rescuing failed enterprises is a fool's errand. After 2008, all that happened was governments bailed out the chosen few and doubled down. We are living in a bubble. 

Elon Musk isn't a genius: according to some, he's an illegal migrant who should be deported to South Africa. His predictions turn out to be nonsense, and he's never invented anything. Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates are university dropouts we are expected to listen to. How did these individuals get to be super rich? My explanation is they're all the beneficiaries of taxpayer largesse, one way or the other. 

What I am describing is a situation where we're living on a leaky boat, and the people expected to keep us afloat are only interested in making the holes in the boat larger so it can sink faster. The politicians are owned by these same people, so they'll ignore the leaky boat. When the boat looks to be sinking and going under, they'll blame us. 

Funny - Royal Mail

I wonder if the UK's Royal Mail knows where New Zealand is? Today, I received an expo guide from the Quarrying Institute in Britain, promoting Hillhead 2026, a working quarry show held in Derbyshire every two years. I am a regular attendant, but did not plan on going this year. I received the guide after the show was held, 23-25 June 2026. The envelope was sellotaped together, it had broken in transit.

Normally I would receive such mail well in advance of the event. So I looked at the post mark - Sweden. The origin point was Nottingham, England; so I'm assuming this letter went from England to Sweden first. The mail system saw New Zealand, and thought, oh, Sweden (there is a Zealand in Denmark and the Netherlands, don't know about Sweden). It arrived there, and the Swedes nicely repaired the package and sent it on to the correct destination, New Zealand, on the other side of the world. 

Sweden can find New Zealand, but not the Royal Mail. Imagine the type of people they hire in mail sorting in England!

Prof Keen Explains Inflation

This is a good explanation of what is coming, and how those in charge lack the intellect to deal with it.

This is my way of explaining what he's describing: I want to cut down a tree in my backyard, but my axe handle is broken. I can choose to use the axe with the broken handle, and take a long time, or I can buy a new handle. The new handle costs $20 now, when it used to cost $10. Adjusting interest rates won't make the handle cheaper as energy is used to make all axe handles, and so no matter what I do, I am faced with paying more or going without and taking a long time to cut down that tree. Because all economic output consumes energy, if you restrict the flow of energy, prices rise and consumer behaviour has nothing to do with it.

Some will point out that we have had no shortages of fuel, the stock has always been there when needed. That is correct, but why the price of energy rose is due to the reserves being depleted. When Trump surrendered he appears to have done so after being told that the world had about 90 days of oil reserves left. The world had been running by topping up using reserves. Thus, we saw no empty tanks at gas stations, but in the background the feedstock was running low. 

Now we are faced with trying to rebuild refining capacity in the Gulf, and trying to get shipping back to normal. This may take a year or two. In the wake of that, we may be about to experience a major collapse, along with the AI bubble and all the other bubbles.

40% of Kids Cannot Read

It isn't just the US, this is a problem throughout the English speaking world. AI will make it worse. The children are not reading.

Nigel Farage Takes Victory Lap

Nigel Farage has been the most influential political figure of the twenty-first century in Britain. He was responsible for getting the UK out of the EU, and now he's effectively caused the end of the Labour prime minister. Labour has panicked and parachuted in the mayor of Greater Manchester. Such an undemocratic move just to avoid extinction.

The media are now relentlessly attacking Farage. Those swamp creatures are shameless, but when Reform UK do become part of a government they'd better look out, Farage doesn't strike me as a forgiving type. They've all got it coming.

The below interview is one of the few I could find that let Farage simply speak for himself.

Reinventing Starmer

Watch how the Labour luvvies now try to frame Keir Starmer as competent. For some odd reason, throughout his rise and reign, Starmer was given a free pass. 

Keir Starmer Resigns

Yes, it is happening, finally, the world's worst prime minister ever is calling it quits. Worse than Justin Trudeau, worse than Anthony Albanese, and worse even than Jacinda Ardern. Good riddance.

Makerfield By-Election

The UK Labour Party has a new member of parliament, Andy Burnham, the so-called 'King of the North'. Some pundits are saying Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, may step down almost immediately, effectively anointing Burnham as his successor.

Labour has to do something as, right now, Reform UK are eating their lunch. Reform consistently poll as the most popular, leaving Labour fighting over second place with the Conservatives, and both are distant second.

Reform didn't do too badly in the by-election that saw Burnham elected. The Makerfield seat is a Labour stronghold and yet Reform grew their vote from the last time in 2024. They went for the same candidate and he was relentlessly attacked, as you may expect. But, he proved to be quite popular and Burnham's victory was only possible due to the tactical voting carried out. Voters hate Starmer and so many voters of varying stripes simply voted for the candidate they knew could replace him. Consequently, the LibDem and Green vote collapsed. 

I note 'helpful' criticism of Reform coming from right-of-centre sources. They amount to nothing more than those wishing Reform join them in the swamp. Reform must stay the course and keep doing what they're doing, keep standing non-politicians as candidates and stay on message. With the thousands of local authority councillors they now have, they're well positioned to launch into a campaign for a General Election if one is called soon.

Clever Renewable Energy Idea

The movement of the seas provides a useful source of energy that is fairly consistent. It wouldn't be everything to all men, but this thinking is a start. An obvious problem is that when swells are too large, the energy flow would shut down, much the same way wind farms do. 

Iran Has the US in a Doom Loop

The 'deal' between the US and Iran hands Iran a huge win. Key in all this is the next 60 days. Over that time, while the final deal is being drafted, global oil reserves will be run down more and yet only a trickle of oil will leave the Persian Gulf. Moreover, oil that does get out will take time to process when it arrives at refineries. Iran can simply shut down the Strait of Hormuz again and completely crush its enemies.

Car Mechanics Speak Out

Car mechanics are leaving the industry. Cars are now too complicated, they're also junk, and the manufacturers don't want to pay a fair rate for repairs. 

Some Calling for NBA Finals Officiating to Be Examined

The claim being made is that the NBA Finals refereeing was heavily biased toward the San Antonio Spurs. Presumably, this was to ensure there was a game 6 and 7. If the series went to game 7, a lot of money would be generated. But, the New York Knicks won despite this bias, that's how superior they were (allegedly). What do you think?

France vs England

Was this the moment the San Antonio Spurs sealed their own demise? Victora Wembanyama was born in France, while OG Anunoby was born in England. Many are warning, do not celebrate too early, stay humble. But most seem to have overlooked that when a Frenchman goads an Englishman, things don't usually end well for the Frenchman. Students of history will know this very well.

US Lost the War - Confirmed

Iran did not get everything they were after, but they've clearly won the war that the US started. Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz was open, operating as an international waterway. Now, fees will be paid by commercial vessels transiting, and Israeli vessels can be excluded.

Iran do not get sanctions relief, but half of the money held overseas will be freed up. The Gulf States have guaranteed to pay, thus, if the US do not release the funds, then the Gulf States will pay regardless. Basically, Iran is going to be rolling in cash. That'll make Pakistan, China and Russia very happy as Iran will buy more from them.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/14/iranian-hardliners-in-vociferous-push-to-reject-proposed-peace-deal-with-us

Back to Back Mandated - Who Can Beat the Knicks?

Spike Lee and John Turturro reminisce; 53 years is a long wait.

Knicks Win NBA Title 4-1

Well, they did it, after a long drought. Well done the New York Knickerbockers, 2026 NBA Champions.

Elon Musk First Trillionaire?

I just don't accept that Elon Musk is a trillionaire ($1,000 billion). I figure that's because most of his wealth is derived from the US taxpayer, he's better described as the world's biggest welfare recipient.

Studying Musk, he's only associated with one venture that amounts to anything - Starlink. Starlink has been a game changer for people in remote locations and at sea. But, everything else of his simply doesn't add up.

Take his Tesla cars, they're rubbish and his truck is the worst vehicle ever produced. SpaceX always blows up, his rockets are no good. The Russians are still the only people manufacturing a reliable space vehicle carrying people to the space station. 

Comparing Musk to the likes of Jeff Bezos; the latter actually provides value, a real business. Musk, I predict, will go down in history as the biggest bullshit artist of all time. 

Knicks One Win Away

It looks like the Trump jinx has been lifted with the New York Knickerbockers winning game 4 of the NBA Finals, to go 3-1 up. Many alive today have never seen the Knicks win an NBA title. Now, they're one win away. In the final seconds, OG Anunoby, for the Knicks, pulled off a crucial block to prevent the Spurs from scoring, then at the other end, he made a spectacular tip-in to seal the win.

Kirsten Dodgen

Kirsten Dodgen has gone from being that young woman wearing the green top while dancing in Justin Bieber's video 'Sorry', to travelling the world teaching others how to dance. Many K-Pop groups now use her style.

Ms Dodgen is based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Gulf Stream Weakening

If the Gulf Stream shuts down, or even if it is seriously disrupted, then we are all in a lot of trouble. 

Belfast Attack

The UK has no idea who they've let in the country. Open borders have never worked; close the border now.

Did Trump Cause Knicks Loss?

Stephen A. Smith seems to think the New York Knickerbockers lost game 3 of the NBA finals because of Trump. 

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/critics-hammer-trump-jinxing-knicks-045430894.html

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith seemed to forecast the reaction to Trump’s attendance at the game if the Knicks didn’t bring home the win.

“If they lose tonight, I’m looking right at him,” Smith said. “I’m saying it, it’s just me. I’m blaming him. I’m blaming the president of the United States of America if the New York Knicks lose this tonight.”

Womack & Womack - Teardrops

Who thinks we need to rekindle a cheerful songs era? If I recall correctly, Womack & Womack had a global hit with Teardrops, but it failed to do much in the US. 

New Zealand Cricket Needs Investigating

New Zealand currently sits second on cricket's World Test Championship table, and overall fifth in the world. As I write this they are playing at Lord's Cricket Ground, the home of cricket. They're playing England who are ranked fourth in the world and currently sit seventh on the World Test Championship table. So, both teams are the creme de la creme of world cricket. You'd expect this to be a contest for the ages.

Except it isn't. What we are being fed is slop. The NZ team is playing so badly, one has to wonder about the players will to be in the team. They are atrociously bad, disgraceful. A school team could bat better. 

NZ has been given an easy target to win the match as England are playing equally badly. But, in all likelihood, NZ will lose as the batsmen simply refuse to score runs. They appear to be more willing to get out as soon as possible. The match is now only in its third day, and they've been like this the whole way through.

The pitch itself seems to be very substandard, but it is the same for both teams, so they should adjust. But in NZ's case that hasn't happened. Extras are proving one of NZ's best players. Yes, the runs scored not off the bat are doing better than these actual elite players.

Searching questions need to be asked, and players who haven't performed need to be dropped. And don't just look at athletic performance but everything else, including off-field behaviours and relationships.

Is JD Vance Completely Wrong?

The issue appears to be with two-tier policing, not one of migration per se, but JD Vance is right to at least ask the question.

EV's Are a Bad Idea

You'll never run out of reasons not to buy an EV. The most compelling reason being they're vulnerable to spontaneous combustion, and when that happens, the fire cannot be put out. Don't park one in your house.

AI Is Flawed, Here's the Case

AI is selling our own work back to us. They're charging consumers for information they themselves have not paid to acquire. In the near future, all those impacted will demand they be fairly compensated for their work, and that's when the edifice falls apart. 

Second Sonic Boom over the US

The first sonic boom was in South Carolina. Then, less than three days later there's been another over the east coast of the US, this time in Massachusetts, north of Boston. Weird, huh.

Hegseth Calls Out New Zealand

Well, it's been a long wait, but finally the US is calling out New Zealand for its lack of defence spending. Currently, New Zealand cannot even secure its own air space and it has naval vessels tied up because it has no crew for the ships. And even if crew existed, it's doubtful NZ could even find the money to pay them, within existing budgets. 

I've often written about this parlous state of affairs. I have tracked the decline in NZ defence spending to the start of NZ's MMP method of choosing political leaders (MMP = Mixed Member Proportional). From that date, 1996, defence spending started to fall off a cliff. The reason for this is easily explained; to form a government, the various parties contesting elections must form coalitions and make deals. Defence is always the unwanted cousin, and so is quickly traded away. Thus, now NZ's military barely exists. 

The current NZ government plans may as well be filed under, believe it when you see it. They're all talk, making endless announcements of announcements, going to do this, intending to do that, conducting consultations, examinations, it is most unseemly. 

However, the only issue I have is with the way the US is going about this; it won't have the desired effect. Usually, NZ is spoken to behind the scenes, quietly. With the approach the US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, is taking, don't expect NZ to spend more on American equipment.

Sonic Boom Over South Carolina

I wonder what this was? A sonic boom was heard over the South-east United States, about four hours before the Blue Origin rocket blew up in Florida. The most likely explanation is that it was a meteor, but it's still fascinating.

Rugby League: State Of Origin Game 1 2026

They're calling the result of last night's State of Origin match between New South Wales and Queensland the biggest comeback in Origin history. Queensland were running away with it until Kalyn Ponga was sent off for making head contact with a New South Wales player. This dropped Queensland down to 12 men for the rest of the game. New South Wales made a storming comeback and snatched the win in the dying seconds 22-20.

However, I think this perfectly illustrates how referees are having too much influence on the outcome of matches. The fans pay to see 13 against 13, not 12 against 13 for a long period. Mismatches ruin the spectacle. Personally, I think all games should stay 13 against 13, just that any player sent off must stay off for the remainder of the contest. 

Currently, one misdemeanour and the game is ruined. 

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/state-of-origin-game-1-live/live-coverage/2f4c15cc4857e3047744c4b0454d1553

Random Guy Explains The Problem

Listen to this guy carefully. Asmongold reacts to someone in Britain being interviewed while canvassing for Restore Britain.

War Ramping Up

Oh no, reports are coming in that the US may restart strikes against Iran. This would likely result in Iran targeting desalination plants in the Gulf, just as the region enters the summer months. For those who do not know, countries like the United Arab Emirates and Qatar rely on desalinated sea water for their potable water supply. Dubai, Doha etc will be unliveable without fresh water and their buildings also require air-conditioning because their daily highs can reach 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit).

Imagine 15 million people from the region moving out and arriving in the West, all within a month. Yeah, that'd be a problem.

Volkswagen Software Glitches

This is partly the reason I don't trust German software. It comes with bugs, because Germans always do things inhouse, instead of hiring the best. I've experienced this first hand with Lufthansa and so I had to laugh when I heard about it with Volkswagen. 

I remember back in the late 90s and early 2000s, hearing about their diesel engines, how clean they were. I thought to myself, they're probably faking it. That turned out to be true!

(Excuse the AI voice, these narrations are becoming somewhat irritating)

Hilarious Take on Why the US Is No Longer Cool

Had to laugh at this. Kyle Kulinski reacts to Tim Dillon describing why the US is no longer cool.

Did the Premier League Break English Football?

I found this video very informative. The strength of soccer in England is its depth. The Premier League seems to be damaging that structure. 

Premier League Relegation Battle

Association Football - It looks highly likely that Premier League team, West Ham, will be relegated to the second tier of the English pyramid system, called the Championship.

What does this mean for the club? Well, they'll receive a serious haircut in terms of revenue and they will need to sell off many of their most expensive players.

I like promotion/relegation, and this is what's wrong with the NBA and other leagues like it. At certain points in the season, teams know they cannot win the title and they stop playing hard, knowing they cannot go down. If there was even a chance the bottom team may drop, then watch the fur fly, they'd be scrambling for the wins. For the record, the team with the worst record in the latest season is the Washington Wizards with a regular season 17 wins and 65 losses. Why can't another team be given the chance of buying them out and potentially moving the team to another city? It'd keep the league on their toes.

New Zealand If It Was...

Over Europe:

NZ Over Europe

Over North America:

NZ Over USA

All areas in pink are NZ, including the little dots, being outlying islands. Not so small eh. Images have been rotated to reflect climate equivalence.

These images care of The True Size Of

East Africa Oil

Africa is embracing oil and gas. Oil from the Lake Albert field is about to start flowing down the pipeline from Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. Dangote has said he'll build a refinery there as well, so long as everyone in the region agrees. The pipeline has been built so that oil from the DR Congo and South Sudan can also travel along it. Not all oil is being exported, a percentage is held back where it is extracted, to support local businesses in Uganda. Things are really looking up.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation Leads

Pauline Hanson's One Nation party in Australia has just become the highest polling political party. This is a meteoric rise. They could become the government at the next election.

Revamp Rugby League

Rugby League in England is going through a tough time. Meanwhile, in Australia and New Zealand the game is resurgent. At the NRL level, games are sold out, and amongst youth, youngsters are on waiting lists trying to get into teams, and clubs are crying out for coaches.

Looking at the game in the North of England, there is a lot of history and passion there, no doubt about it. Moving to playing during the summer has been a big benefit. Games are now played in pleasant conditions, fans want to watch and players are not having to wade through ankle deep mud. Whoever came up with the idea was a genius.

I read somewhere that the NRL is making a takeover bid for Super League in England. As part of that, the games would have to move back to winter. Don't do it England, because if you do, you'll be consigned to the minors forever  (or is that miners...boom boom). The NRL see the competition on the TV and want to close it down, simple as that.

Better still, I have a few tentative suggestions for bringing life back to games in England:

1. Play over four, 20 minute quarters.

2. Introduce 2 point drop goals from anywhere (not the NRL two pointer from beyond the 40m line).

3. Scrap the 40:20 rule (largely due to the above, and what is explained below).

4. Only insist that the sixth play-the-ball must use the ball if play has not progressed 20 metres (this is like NFL, where you keep possession if you make yardage). If the team with the ball makes 20 metres, the referee calls tackle restart. 

5. Have two referees and scrap video referral.

6. Stop being ridiculous about how you define a knock-on. 

7. Score tries 5 points, conversion 1 point, penalties and drop goals 2 points.

8. Start the game and second half with a place kick-off, not drop-kick, and quarters restart from where play ended at quarter time.

9. Allow unlimited interchange, but have 5 players on the bench.

10. As a curtain-raiser, play women's Rugby League Nines.

11. Have a player draft, centralise player salaries with the cap at one million pounds per team. The local team becomes a licensee promoting the game.

12. Get rid of the 10 player overseas quota. This is nonsense as you can have an Englishman move to Australia at a young age, learn the game there, then return in their late 20's and be considered an import. Just scrap it, and have anyone of any nationality legally living in the UK able to play. 

13. Extra time is 10 minutes, with only a try immediately ending the match, otherwise the match ends in a draw if the score is still locked after extra time with no tries.

14. Scrap yellow cards. 13 players are on the field the whole time, but anyone sent from the field is excluded for the rest of the match. Teams only go to less than 13 when they run out of players on the bench.

Think about it; these suggestions would open up the game, reward effort both defensively and on attack, and make the contest fairer.

Brexit Being Undone?

Keir Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister in British history. The question I have: was he appointed to undo Brexit?

Countries Running Out of Fuel

After reading that the last oil shipment from before the war had just arrived in California, I asked myself; who will run out first?

Currently, there are five countries that could run out of fuel very soon: Philippines, Bangladesh, Malawi, Solomon Islands, Pakistan.

Maurice Glasman on Labour UK

Maurice Glasman is the founder of Blue Labour in the UK. He's generally right about most things, and here he explains what Labour UK need to do to turn things around. It's a hard task, but if they fail, they face extinction. That's because both Reform and the Greens are eating their lunch. 

Australia's One Nation Victory

While we were all studying the astounding victories of Reform and the Greens in the UK, Australia was having its own moment, leaving the plantation and voting in its first One Nation member to the federal House of Representatives. One Nation, under the leadership of its mercurial leader, Pauline Hanson, these days polls highly, often in second place. They're fast displacing the right-of-centre Liberal Party.

Pauline Hanson is an interesting figure. Personally, I cannot stand her voice, so I rarely listen to her. But she has stuck at it, never giving up. Finally, off the back of her own decades-long efforts, the party she created is getting traction. They're now a real force. They could become the government of Australia.

https://newsreel.com.au/article/government/one-nation-surge-is-now-being-taken-seriously/

One Nation’s surge can no longer be seen as a blip or an aberration.

As the results in the Farrer byelection showed, the right-wing populist party – which has been hovering on the fringes of Australian politics for 30 years – is now a serious electoral force.

While the byelection was considered likely to be a close contest between One Nation’s David Farley and independent Michelle Milthorpe, in the end voters delivered an easy win to Farley. His is the first One Nation victory in a federal House of Representatives seat.

UK Greens Crush Labour

Left-wing activist, Owen Jones, covers the extent of the Greens victory in the local elections just held in the UK. 

Owen Jones is accurate but maybe he doesn't quite understand the full extent of what happened. Labour finds itself isolated, with nowhere to call home. They've been attacked from two ends. Take voters in the North, many of whom ordinarily vote Labour. They voted Reform en masse. Then down South, the trendy champagne socialists who compost their kitchen waste and protest against Israel on the weekends, voted Greens. The breadth of the defeat is what is transformational. The new parties, no doubt, will have their struggles, but they now have a platform from which to grow. 

New Rugby 2026

Many may be aware that rugby union has many challenges currently, notably the drop off in audience. The problem as I see it is that the game has become boring, with frequent and unnecessary stoppages in play, and referees becoming too involved in the game. These referees are manipulating the outcome of matches. The spectators and wider audience can see this and turn off.

Here are some ideas to turn things around.

1. Play the game as four quarters of 20 minutes each, with slowdowns and other unnecessary stoppages penalised.

2. Allow unlimited substitutions and players may return so long as they haven't been sent off for foul play. Substitutions could be made during any pause in play.

3. The game is 15 vs 15 at all times. No yellow or red card. Players sent from the field for foul play are immediately excluded for the rest of the game, but may be replaced from the reserves. Teams only drop to fewer than 15 players on the field when they run out of reserves.

4. Scrums have to be set within 90 seconds, and failure to set the scrum results in a free kick (currently, the time frame is 30 seconds from when the referee sets the mark, but the referee may also call time off. My rule has no time off, just 90 seconds, as players can be replaced and return later at any time anyway, meaning time off is not necessary). 

5. Lineouts only occur when the ball goes out in general play and must be performed within 90 seconds. The 50:22 rule is scrapped.

6. Penalty restarts may be via a tap restart, scrum, kick for goal, or the ball is kicked out on the full. If the ball is kicked out on the full, then, as with rugby league, a tap kick restarts the game for the attacking team from where the ball went out (no lineouts off penalty kicks).

7. Phases of play cannot go beyond twelve consecutive rucks or mauls. On the twelfth phase the attacking team must do something with the ball or hand over possession.

8. Scoring; 5 points for a try, 1 point for a conversion, 2 points for a penalty kick or drop goal. The idea being it takes four kicks to better a converted try (currently, only three goals are worth more than a converted try). Conversions and penalty kicks must be taken within 90 seconds of the ball being placed.

9. Kicks from the 22 are replaced with a tap kick from the 22. Goal line drop-outs remain.

10. Kick-offs at the start and at half time are place kicks, not drop kicks (but cannot score points if the ball goes through the goal). Quarter time restarts occur at the place where play ceased, and restart via scrum, lineout, or tap kick.

11. Introduce synthetic turf. Modern synthetic turf is hard wearing and equalises teams, meaning home advantage isn't so pronounced. Modern turf is padded and cushions players from hard landings and friction burns are minimised by lightly spraying with water prior to games (mist rather than solid wetting). All the old criticisms of 'AstroTurf ' no longer apply.

12. Two referees should be used at the elite level, one leading, one trailing. No video referees, touch judges as now, immediate decisions.

13. Bonus point scrapped and 3 for the win, 1 for a draw after 10 minutes of extra time. If any team scores a try during extra time they win the game immediately, no further play. However, if either team kicks only a goal of any kind then play continues, giving the other side a chance to win the game with a try, or to kick for a draw. During extra time, any try trumps all kicks, so even if a team has three goals (6 points), one five point try results in victory. 

14. In knock-out playoffs; if the match remains a draw after extra time, then another 10 minutes is played with the first team to make any score being the victor.

My thinking here is to maximise spectator investment. They pay to see a contest, not see the game ruined by referees sending players off, or teams playing negatively to eke out a win. 

Reform UK and Greens Tsunami

A tidal wave has swept over the UK, with Reform and the Greens being the big winners. Reform gained control of 14 councils and had more than 1,400 councillors elected. The Greens now control five councils and they won two mayoral races. Both, prior to this election, were practically nowhere. Now, they'll both be part of the news cycle at the national and local level. 

I hope this kind of change will lead to something positive, such as rebuilding and replacing what is a broken country. The roads are rubbish, everything is falling apart, get on and reinstate services, get the job done. Then, when Labour are swept from office at the national level, get on and take control of the whole country. 

This sort of change is what is required Downunder in Australia and New Zealand. Both countries are mired in old thinking, with the right and left of both countries beholden to corporate interests. Hopefully, people will see what's happening in the UK and react. There are firm links with 'back home' and this message can get through.

https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2026/england/results

Election Storm in the UK

Nigel Farage's party, Reform UK, has pulled off a series of stunning victories in the recent local elections held in England, Scotland and Wales. The two big losers are the Conservatives and Labour. The Greens are on the rise, and the Liberal Democrats improved. The electoral landscape is now multi-polar, and the old left-right divide has been swept aside. 

For Reform and the Greens, they now have a firm launch pad for any General Election. 

Watch for panic from Labour. Their ineffective and rather loathsome leader, Keir Starmer, will be permanently looking over his shoulder from now on. 

Nigel Farage has proven to be very resilient.

The Kids Can't Read

This is America, but the English-speaking world is experiencing widespread illiteracy. The Latin world is fine; they still read. But we need to get children reading, and we need to worry less about feelings. Just read, anything.

Smuggling Diesel from Iran to Pakistan

The Iranians and Pakistanis are very resourceful and seem to love their Toyotas as much as Kiwi farmers do. As everyone must know by now, you cannot destroy a Toyota pickup truck.

More May Follow Spirit Airlines

Following the bankruptcy and immediate shutdown of Spirit Airlines in the US, Gary Leff has published the risk related to other US airlines that could follow. It is astonishing to see American Airlines on the list as they're one of the world's biggest airlines, with over 1,000 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

https://viewfromthewing.com/more-airline-bankruptcies-may-be-coming-jetblue-and-frontier-face-the-highest-risk/

• JetBlue: greater than 75%
  
• Frontier: 45% – 50%
  
• Allegiant: 36.7%
  
• American: 2.9% – 15%
  
• Alaska: Less than 3%

Who Is Winning the US-Iran War?

A quick scorecard, winners and losers:

Winners

Iran - their oil revenues have increased since the outbreak of the war. According to the Wall Street Journal, they're now selling 985,000 barrels of oil per day to China via the rail corridor that runs through the Stans between Iran and China. The marshalling yards for this traffic sit within Turkmenistan, and that's where loads are taken off standard gauge and placed upon the old Soviet wide gauge track. The trains are about 50 wagons long, 66 tons each wagon, and each oil tank holds about 400-500 barrels. Iran charge China's 'teapot' refiners Brent + $1.50. This compares with volumes of about 1.38m bpd via the Strait of Hormuz before the war. Thus, Iran in revenue terms is raking in about the equivalent of 1.5m bpd levels from before the war. They knew they were going to be attacked. Leading up they were shipping a lot of crude and simply parking it out there on the water. The US then lifted sanctions on this oil and Iran profited. They must have laughed. Iran also has rail links with Russia, Pakistan, and via the Caspian Sea and into Russia's Volga-Don canal system and ultimately the Black Sea. Iran now has complete control of the Strait of Hormuz, and it remains shut to those it considers its enemies. 

Israel - they are now the US's only remaining ally in the region. They would have noticed the rise of the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and in particular, Saudi Arabia. These states have been selling their soft power, with Saudi Arabia using sports promotions like LIV Golf to sell themselves. Israel won't have been happy with this overall, and now they can sit back and watch these states distance themselves from the US.

Russia - they're happy with the high oil prices. They've shut down the pipeline from Kazakhstan to Germany, likely motivated by the incentive of lifting prices.

Losers

USA - their attack has resulted in a massive strategic defeat. They've compromised food security and the world economy generally. American farmers will be livid as the attack on Iran came just before planting - not good timing.

Gulf States - they were mistaken in thinking the US could protect them. Dubai may come back to an extent, but people will never forget, and zero tax doesn't help one bit when a bomb may land on your bonce.

Asia (apart from China) - all Asian countries have been compromised and they'll likely move toward greater independence and away from the US.

China - they'd prefer the Strait of Hormuz to open, for conflict to end. They won't be greatly adversely affected but given their merchant outlook, they'd profit from less conflict, not more.

Oceania - they stand to go out of existence if they don't quickly get their act together. 

Africa - famine is possible, and their oil fields and refineries are only just now being built. This war came at a bad time for them.

Europe - deindustrialisation has proven to be a fool's errand. They're badly exposed with high cost structures and with few allies.

North, South and Central America (apart from the US) - they've been compromised, but countries like Canada have gained from their own oil sales to Asia. The picture is patchy, but overall a loss.

The war has benefited very few interests, and harmed most. End the war now.

US Imposes 25% Tariffs on EU Cars and Trucks

If this kind of random imposition of tariffs continues, European manufacturers may simply decide to pack up and leave the US. It'd be a sensible move as they could write off the cost and avoid tax in their own countries.

Reliance on Fossil Fuels

Big Green capital interests will tell you fossil fuels have had their day, that solar, wind and tides will replace them as a source of energy.

What are the facts? Fossil fuels play a greater part in daily lives now than at any stage previously. Production is increasing with new oil and gas fields coming onstream, and new coal mines being opened up. 

With the Strait of Hormuz currently blockaded, with the US also blockading the blockade, this has resulted in a crisis of truly global proportions. And no amount of wind and solar can address the problem. That's because the world population has doubled over the last 50 years, and they require food. Farmers need urea fertiliser to grow crops efficiently, and that's fossil fuels. Those calling for a move away from fossil fuels are actually calling for depopulation. They prefer to talk about the environment, but opponents of fossil fuels are really against humanity.

See the graph below, fossil fuel consumption has increased eight-fold since 1950. This trend cannot and will not be reversed. 

Fossil Fuel Consumption

How a Ballerina Looks After Her Feet

Ever wondered how a ballerina looks after her feet? This video shows the amount of care one dancer gives them. Her dedication is commendable.

Oil Scarcity

Some appear to be getting it, finally. With the current oil crisis, we are not talking pricing, we are talking about the complete lack of something. 

World Weeks Away From Major Crisis

Is oil moving? No. The politicians do not seem to realise that in situations such as this, where there is a complete lack of something, markets don't really work. Nothing is still nothing. 

Look at it like this; if you're dying of thirst in the desert, what the futures market is saying about what a glass of water is worth will do nothing of real value, you will still die of thirst as you have no water.

UAE Leaving OPEC

Apart from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the next biggest thing to happen as a result of the US-Iran war is the sudden announcement of the United Arab Emirates leaving OPEC.

When the Strait opens up again, and the oil is flowing freely, this move will have two effects; the first being to lower oil prices as the UAE will start pumping oil well beyond its current OPEC quota limits. They'll do this to help pay for damage caused by the war. A consequential effect may then be to challenge the viability of two industries, fracking and electric vehicles. The latter will only happen if the price of oil comes down by a lot, which it can do, but it is a wait and see.

Right now though, with the Strait still closed, we have an immediate supply crisis, that remains unchanged.

Looming Food Crisis

Make no mistake, this is serious.

But rejoice, the New Zealand government has secured nine days of diesel. Yeah, they really think that will make a difference. 

The World as a Globe, Not Flat Map

Have you ever looked at the planet from the perspective of the globe, rather than a flat map? As you may be aware, depending on the way a flat map is presented, we get a skewed presentation. It can be useful to see things as you'd see them from space.

Here's a link to exactly that, a 3D interactive globe: https://earth3dmap.com/3d-globe/

I often say that Western Australia and New Zealand should merge as they're the only sane people in the Southern Hemisphere. Looking at this map, a journey by sea from Bluff, NZ is almost a straight run to Perth, Western Australia. 

Action Required Now, Don't Wait

It is obvious the conflict in the Persian Gulf is not going to end anytime soon. Even if it does end today, oil flows will be down for the next year or two. That's because oil shore facilities have been damaged and will take time to repair, thus, the volume of oil that can be loaded will be well down. Additionally, oil storage facilities are nearing capacity and when these are maxed out, oil wells will start shutting down. Starting things up again is always a problem, often taking months, even years.

Both Australia and New Zealand need to take action now. Start building capacity of its own. Australia can build more refineries, and NZ should begin its stalled lignite to diesel project in Southland. Additionally, both should be looking to contract alternative supplies. Australia could try buying output from Uganda through the Tanzanian port of Tanga. This oil will become available later this year. New Zealand should see if it can buy finished fuels from the new giant Dangote refinery in Nigeria. Whatever options are available, both countries should be working at fever pitch, night and day to solve the problem.

What's particularly weird is that NZ still exports its high grade, light and sweet crude, while its own diesel tanks are about to run out. NZ has no plans underway to distill this easily processed crude into diesel. The NZ government is that stupid.

Both Australia and New Zealand are like possums caught in the headlights, they appear bereft of ideas.

https://www.worldoil.com/news/2026/3/4/producers-face-storage-crunch-as-hormuz-shutdown-traps-middle-east-crude/#:~:text=In%20theory,%20the%20Arab%20producers,be%20extended%20by%20a%20week.

“If oil producers reach ‘tank tops’ for lack of export outlets, then they have to curtail output,” Antoine Halff, co-founder and chief analyst of geospatial analytics company Kayrros, said in a post on LinkedIn.

Trump to Hand Falklands to Milei?

Upset that the United Kingdom has not joined the US war with Iran, it is being reported that Donald Trump may withdraw his support for the UK holding the Falkland Islands, effectively handing the islands to Argentina. Readers may remember that back in the early 1980's, Argentina invaded the Falklands and the UK went to war over it, and won the islands back. 

A bit of history; the Falklands are part of Britain, and Argentina has no rightful claim over the islands. The islands have also played a pivotal role in the Royal Navy's control of the South Atlantic. The British Empire, at one point, controlled all of the main pinch points, the North and South Atlantic, the Mediterranean via Gibraltar, Malta and Cyprus, the Strait of Malacca at Singapore, Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and access to the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, Strait of Hormuz, Cape of Good Hope, and the Tasman Sea through to the Southern Ocean. There was nowhere for an enemy to go, literally nowhere. 

So, the British have some serious soul searching to do. Are they going to grow a spine or shrink to nothingness?

Emergency Planning for New Zealand

Forget raindrops, diesel is running low. New Zealand has 21 days onshore, in tanks, right now. Three weeks and if any of the ships inbound don't arrive, the country runs out and the economy fails.

I looked things up and found the country can survive, kind of. NZ has about 100 steam locomotives, 20 of which are in regular use and ready to go. These operate on heritage lines and do tourist excursions. They may have to go back to work. Likewise, traction engine operators may be called upon.

The central section of the North Island main trunk railway line is electrified, thanks to Rob Muldoon's Think Big scheme, and another Think Big was NZ's conversion of LPG to urea fertiliser, which supplies a third of urea required by farmers. 

So, NZ will not come to a complete standstill, and farms will still be able to operate, but farmers may need to get back on the horse. Coal is still plentiful, it may come in handy.

NZ has a lot of wood waste, and this can be converted to biodiesel. However, the problem with biodiesel is it has a higher freezing point, so cannot be used in colder areas; think central North Island and the South Island's alpine areas and Otago and Southland. 

When food arrives in cities, electric vehicles will be needed to pick goods up and move them to warehouses and shops. Some electric buses could have their seats removed and be used as vans.

Given how stretched things will be, the country will need to work 24/7. To move around within cities, people will have to ride bicycles and electric vehicles. Many buses are now electric and they will still be working. However, as diesel vehicles are needed to maintain the electrical infrastructure, there will be more frequent outages, and people will die as back-up generators in hospitals will have nothing in the tank, or only 3 hours with refueling delayed beyond that. Fire engines may be unavailable if the country runs out of diesel. There are countless ways NZ will be adversely affected by the loss of diesel, these are just a few examples.

NZ needs to start taking this seriously. I have a plan and this should have been done already: https://kenhorlor.blogspot.com/2026/03/new-zealand-fuel-crisis-action-required.html

Update: The NZ government is incompetent. To think they're the party of the farmers! And yet they've kicked farmers in the teeth. Will farmers realise they're in an abusive relationship, or will they, as always, go back to their abuser, believing this time will be different?

Update: Reuters is reporting that Russia, from the 1st of May, is going to stop the transfer of oil from Kazakhstan to Germany via a pipeline that runs through their territory. This will put more pressure on existing fuel supplies as Germany looks to replace this lost supply with other sources of crude being imported by ship. NZ is at the end of the supply chain and has no leverage due to the small quantities required, thus, it is likely to be further squeezed. The NZ government appears oblivious.

Steve Keen Explains Just How Much of a Problem the World Has

This is a must watch. The world will experience a global famine if the Strait of Hormuz isn't opened up.

Luxon Destroying National and New Zealand

New Zealand's prime minister, the man who looks like a timeshare salesman from the 1990's, shiny suit, shaved head and all, has survived a confidence vote within his caucus. It was a vote called by himself. 

The bad news is diesel is still running out, but the good news is that if National go into the election in November with Luxon at the helm, they stand to be wiped out. That's because, with diesel now double the price of six weeks ago, the party of the farmer has kicked the farmer in the teeth. 

The farmers of NZ must soon realise that Luxon and his cohort represent the ruling corporate elites from overseas. They view NZ farmers as hayseeds, there to be exploited.

People may say I'm being too drastic, that National has always been around. Certainly, they've been around a long time, since 1936 in fact. They were formed out of the rubble of the rural Reform, and urban United parties. Labour had swept to its first election victory in 1935 and thus, effectively, gutted both Reform and United, as well as what remained of the once great Liberal party. Since 1936, National has been a kind of schizophrenic beast, with its urban and rural wings in constant turmoil. Now, the farmers can see just who is in charge, and it isn't them, that's for sure.

Back in 2020, there was almost an uprising with a group calling themselves Groundswell. But this was really only National supporters trying to defuse unrest. But, this time is different because in 2020 it was Labour in power, but now it is their own, National, who are the tyrants.

National deserves to be destroyed, and now that the piss-weak Luxon is hanging around longer, that outcome looks increasingly likely.