The current allegations against President-elect Donald Trump can be found online. It is a 35 page collection of memos.
Read it here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3259984-Trump-Intelligence-Allegations.html
Bear in mind as you read, this is all just speculation and unverifiable. I've read it and I'm left wondering what all the fuss is about. But make up your own mind. The document has been highlighted by someone else, careful reading then as these highlights are not always appropriate. If reading then I suggest you look at the whole thing yourself and ignore the highlights.
Discussion on the document is welcome over at the forum. Do you think the Russians have anything on Trump that could be significant enough to shift the balance of power?
January 12, 2017
January 11, 2017
My 3 Rules for Stock Market Investment
Boiled down I have three broad rules related to stock market investment.
1. Boring is best
If the industry is out of date, no-one wants to know about it any more, isn't sexy, isn't highly technological, people laugh if you mention it or better still, have never heard of it and have no idea what it does exactly, then I'm interested in it.
2. Don't pay too much
That great company may be the bees knees, have great management, reasonable debt levels and has been making solid profits for a hundred years; but if it's over-priced it's still a no go.
3. It must be solid
The company must be respected, well managed, have a dominant position within its market, have brands that resonate, and been around quite a while.
My advice: take your own advice and use these three rules, then you'll likely do better than any investment adviser. Want a snapshot of how good returns can be? Check this out >>Do Not Click Here<< Nah, go on you can click it, what it shows is that by applying my three rules you can achieve better than a 40% return in less than a year.
To discuss please visit the forum. Your ideas are valued.
1. Boring is best
If the industry is out of date, no-one wants to know about it any more, isn't sexy, isn't highly technological, people laugh if you mention it or better still, have never heard of it and have no idea what it does exactly, then I'm interested in it.
2. Don't pay too much
That great company may be the bees knees, have great management, reasonable debt levels and has been making solid profits for a hundred years; but if it's over-priced it's still a no go.
3. It must be solid
The company must be respected, well managed, have a dominant position within its market, have brands that resonate, and been around quite a while.
My advice: take your own advice and use these three rules, then you'll likely do better than any investment adviser. Want a snapshot of how good returns can be? Check this out >>Do Not Click Here<< Nah, go on you can click it, what it shows is that by applying my three rules you can achieve better than a 40% return in less than a year.
To discuss please visit the forum. Your ideas are valued.
January 10, 2017
The Daily Opinion
As indicated last year, I've started a forum. It's called The Daily Opinion. This is where readers can go to share their own views and get in touch with one another.
http://dailyopinion.boardhost.com/index.php
Let the debate begin.
A permanent link is embedded at the top of the blog.
http://dailyopinion.boardhost.com/index.php
Let the debate begin.
A permanent link is embedded at the top of the blog.
January 09, 2017
Is NBA Rigged?
Just putting it out there. If not explicitly agreed then there could at least be a tacit understanding between teams to let the stars of the game shine. What I'm talking about is the plethora of double doubles and triple doubles being produced this season. Have these teams never heard of sitting on hot guys to prevent them from getting in their favoured slot? It is called defence. There is just too much room being given to the best shooters.
January 07, 2017
Blueprint for the New Zealand Armed Forces
It's 2017 and the New Zealand armed services keep shrinking. Will they cease to exist in my lifetime? Possibly, it's a sad state of affairs.
The reason things are in such a bad way goes to leadership. It's down to poor leadership from the people who run the country. There is no-one who can say, hand on heart, that they did their best.
The way I look at defence is like this: New Zealand has built something worth protecting, it's rich in natural resources and is a fully developed country (for the most part), all completed in less than two hundred years. The country is valuable, so look after it.
It's scary to think that one missile cruiser parked off the New Zealand coast would own the place. New Zealand has nothing to deter such a threat. Heck, ISIL or whatever they're called could load up three or four cruise ships and invade. They'd likely succeed. That's even scarier.
If you want farce and a sign pointing to just how feeble NZ is, consider when their frigate tried pulling over an illegal fishing boat in the southern ocean. It refused to comply and the frigate had to run away. I presume the fishing boat had more fire power than the frigate. Unbelievable.
If we look at comparable forces, NZ lags behind. Norway, for instance, has a similar population and standard of living as NZ and they take their military seriously. Norway is a useful benchmark; they have a long coastline, are located in a polar region, and have a large area of ocean to defend with abundant natural resources.
The following is a suggested structure for New Zealand, doing away with unnecessary parts of the force but ramping up those areas that are in dire need of enhancement.
Step 1: do away with Navy, Army and Air Force as separate services and merge everything into one force along the lines of the US Marine Corps. NZ pays lip service to the idea, so actually do it. Get rid of all those different uniforms and ranks, keep it simple.
Currently, NZ rotates the top job through the three branches. Stop that nonsense, have one top person in charge and let them keep that job until replaced by someone better or they retire. Think continuity and a clear direction.
Step 2: Reconfigure bases now everything is merged together.
Close down
Devonport
Whenuapai
Linton
Trentham
Woodbourne
Burnham
Retain
Ohakea
Waiouru - use it for exercises only, de-escalate as a base
Lake Tekapo
Other facilities not mentioned, or relocate and modernise
Build
A large base on the Kaipara harbour around where the United States set up during the Second World War (if not viable; then Opononi or Manukau, in any case west coast Northland or Auckland, not east coast). Think along the lines of Camp Pendleton. The Kaipara Harbour is shallow and plagued by tricky sandbars so difficult for an enemy to penetrate (dredge the channels). Devonport naval base is located on the Waitemata Harbour, a deep water port on the east coast and easily accessed for commercial shipping. Any student of history will know the east coast was mined during the Second World War and a ship was sunk (RMS Niagara). Why would NZ have its warships in that harbour or along the east coast?
The Kaipara base would also replace Whenuapai and the North Island army bases apart from Waiouru which would be used for exercises, rather like Salisbury plain.
The Marlborough Sounds should also be utilised more effectively (see below). You'll notice I'm putting things along the west coast of NZ, out to the Tasman Sea. There's a reason for this, any aggressor at least has to enter the Tasman to be effective. Why make things easy for the enemy?
Then build a base up around Niue, or Tonga, well into the Pacific.
Like this:
Many of the town depots and facilities are now unsuitable. Take the Christchurch city base HMNZS Pegasus. Look at the US and how they operate reserves, often they base these facilities in light industrial areas with a small office, yard and warehouse. They look like a rental or hire pool. NZ could do much the same and save money overall.
Step 3: Build a proper Navy
New Zealand consists of many islands in the South Pacific. It's territory is vast and claims one of the largest areas of ocean in the world. Most just think of the North and South Islands. But New Zealand extends north to the Tokelau, Cook and Niue Islands, east out to the Chatham Islands, then south down to Antarctica. A big area in other words, which NZ defends with two frigates, a RORO vessel and two offshore patrol vessels. That's pretty much it, and they struggle with that. If you want to laugh you can, but I'm not trying to be funny.
Norway by comparison has seventy, that's 7-0- sea going warships of various configurations, but from a NZ perspective note their five heavy frigates, ice breaker and six submarines. They take mine warfare seriously too.
But wait, Norway is richer. That's right, NZ's GDP is 36% that of Norway, which means NZ should have about 25 warships. Think about it, that sounds about right.
Therefore:
Scrap or Sell
The two Anzac class frigates (now ageing and never equipped with Harpoon - see below)
The RORO
Oiler (old)
Build
2 amphibious warfare ships, utilising helicopters and landing craft, able to conduct opposed landings within the Pacific and able to operate in large swells.
4 frigates
4 submarines
4 corvettes (escorts)
2 oilers
1 dive, mine warfare
1 ice breaker, disaster relief, scientific
Retain
2 offshore patrol
4 inshore patrol
1 dive, mine warfare
Total = 25
Deployed these would form two mini groups, thus each mini group configures:
1 amphibious
2 frigates
2 submarines
1 oiler
2 escort corvettes
As a group the amphibious ship is the heart and in the middle. These ships would be around 20,000 tonnes.
The frigates protect and they must be close to being destroyers, like Norway. The subs prowl, observe and protect while the escort corvettes form the outer patrol.
Some may remember a NZ Minister of Defence in the 1990's by the name of Doug Kidd, suggesting submarines. He must have had a rare moment of clarity. Subs project power far out of proportion to their size and manning levels. Subs mean New Zealand can be unseen, observe without being observed, slip special forces ashore, and be a threat to any enemy. For some odd reason Doug Kidd was shouted down, subs seem to trigger alarm amongst the loose limbed liberals, but in reality they're brilliant and should be taken seriously, Japan's Soryu class submarine is an excellent example.
Base these submarines in the Marlborough Sounds. From there they can slip out into the Tasman or through Cook Strait and into the South Pacific.
The balance, being dive and mine warfare operate where required.
Form a coast guard division within the all-in-one service; they then operate the offshore patrol vessels, inshore patrol, and the ice breaker/scientific vessel. They would also do fisheries protection.
Step 4: Get some force into the air
This is pretty simple, go high and be able to hit. Currently NZ has no, literally no high flying and fast air strike.
The closing down of NZ's Skyhawk air strike capability was the biggest cock-up ever perpetrated on NZ's defences. It never ceases to amaze me how often I hear people talk about this, like it was a sensible decision given the planes were old. They weren't supersonic. Oh no.
Well get a grip NZ. All air combat is conducted at subsonic speeds and to secure your own airspace all you need is a capable aircraft like the Skyhawk. It posed enough of a deterrent to make anyone contemplating something, to think again. Now, there is nothing keeping NZ's airspace safe.
Back in 2005 a nutter got the idea to threaten to fly his plane into the Skytower in Auckland. No means existed to prevent him then and none exists now. The guy got airborne but chickened out, righto, and NZ seems to accept that hoping someone will chicken out is an effective defence strategy.
Scrap
P-3 Orions
C-130 Hercules
Boeing 757's
Add
Drones - for search, patrol and combat. Also invest in drone swarm attack. This is where 10 or so drones simultaneously attack a ship, overwhelming its defences in doing so. The cost of these sort of disposable drones is less than the cost of sea skimming missiles that are often less effective.
Modern airlift - 12 units of modern C-130 Hercules or similar. Consider airlift at least in part which can fly to Antarctica and back without a point of no return (the C-130 is limited by range); this means procuring at least two C-17 Globemasters if they can be found.
Additional helicopters - 16 combat types for the amphibious vessels (8 on each), plus a further 8 larger helicopters such as the Chinook (enough helicopters exist in service right now to make up the balance).
Modern passenger aircraft less than 10 years old, the current 757's break down all the time.
The thinking here is NZ needs to have some strike capability, the drones can do that, they're also more effective in the search role, being able to see through cloud and to operate at night, spending much longer over any area being looked at. Then add more air lift and combat helicopters to cover the new vessels.
Step 5: Land forces to be amphibious
The land forces should be up to brigade strength and able to operate alone. That is, fully self-contained, not having to ask the Australians or anyone else for help. More to the point, NZ should be able to keep a brigade in the field for months at a time. That means they need twice the number of personnel they have now. Then when those numbers are up, any equipment they use must be suitable for amphibious operations. Currently - not really. They can't wade ashore very easily at all.
Step 6: Use missiles too
If it's a missile get interested in it. Missiles are brilliant. New Zealand hasn't embraced Harpoon. Well, wise up NZ, and join the 21st century. Together with the use of drones, an effective air force could be quite easily obtained.
The reason things are in such a bad way goes to leadership. It's down to poor leadership from the people who run the country. There is no-one who can say, hand on heart, that they did their best.
The way I look at defence is like this: New Zealand has built something worth protecting, it's rich in natural resources and is a fully developed country (for the most part), all completed in less than two hundred years. The country is valuable, so look after it.
It's scary to think that one missile cruiser parked off the New Zealand coast would own the place. New Zealand has nothing to deter such a threat. Heck, ISIL or whatever they're called could load up three or four cruise ships and invade. They'd likely succeed. That's even scarier.
If you want farce and a sign pointing to just how feeble NZ is, consider when their frigate tried pulling over an illegal fishing boat in the southern ocean. It refused to comply and the frigate had to run away. I presume the fishing boat had more fire power than the frigate. Unbelievable.
If we look at comparable forces, NZ lags behind. Norway, for instance, has a similar population and standard of living as NZ and they take their military seriously. Norway is a useful benchmark; they have a long coastline, are located in a polar region, and have a large area of ocean to defend with abundant natural resources.
The following is a suggested structure for New Zealand, doing away with unnecessary parts of the force but ramping up those areas that are in dire need of enhancement.
Step 1: do away with Navy, Army and Air Force as separate services and merge everything into one force along the lines of the US Marine Corps. NZ pays lip service to the idea, so actually do it. Get rid of all those different uniforms and ranks, keep it simple.
Currently, NZ rotates the top job through the three branches. Stop that nonsense, have one top person in charge and let them keep that job until replaced by someone better or they retire. Think continuity and a clear direction.
Step 2: Reconfigure bases now everything is merged together.
Close down
Devonport
Whenuapai
Linton
Trentham
Woodbourne
Burnham
Retain
Ohakea
Waiouru - use it for exercises only, de-escalate as a base
Lake Tekapo
Other facilities not mentioned, or relocate and modernise
Build
A large base on the Kaipara harbour around where the United States set up during the Second World War (if not viable; then Opononi or Manukau, in any case west coast Northland or Auckland, not east coast). Think along the lines of Camp Pendleton. The Kaipara Harbour is shallow and plagued by tricky sandbars so difficult for an enemy to penetrate (dredge the channels). Devonport naval base is located on the Waitemata Harbour, a deep water port on the east coast and easily accessed for commercial shipping. Any student of history will know the east coast was mined during the Second World War and a ship was sunk (RMS Niagara). Why would NZ have its warships in that harbour or along the east coast?
The Kaipara base would also replace Whenuapai and the North Island army bases apart from Waiouru which would be used for exercises, rather like Salisbury plain.
The Marlborough Sounds should also be utilised more effectively (see below). You'll notice I'm putting things along the west coast of NZ, out to the Tasman Sea. There's a reason for this, any aggressor at least has to enter the Tasman to be effective. Why make things easy for the enemy?
Then build a base up around Niue, or Tonga, well into the Pacific.
Like this:
Devonport ➨
Whenuapai ➨
Linton ➨
Trentham ➨
Woodbourne ➨
Burnham ➨
All these merge into ➽
All these merge into ➽
Pacific Islands base
Kaipara main base all-in-one
Waiouru exercise area
Ohakea air base and land forces
Marlborough Sounds subs and mine warfare
Lake Tekapo exercise area
Town depots/yards, reserves muster
Many of the town depots and facilities are now unsuitable. Take the Christchurch city base HMNZS Pegasus. Look at the US and how they operate reserves, often they base these facilities in light industrial areas with a small office, yard and warehouse. They look like a rental or hire pool. NZ could do much the same and save money overall.
Step 3: Build a proper Navy
New Zealand consists of many islands in the South Pacific. It's territory is vast and claims one of the largest areas of ocean in the world. Most just think of the North and South Islands. But New Zealand extends north to the Tokelau, Cook and Niue Islands, east out to the Chatham Islands, then south down to Antarctica. A big area in other words, which NZ defends with two frigates, a RORO vessel and two offshore patrol vessels. That's pretty much it, and they struggle with that. If you want to laugh you can, but I'm not trying to be funny.
Norway by comparison has seventy, that's 7-0- sea going warships of various configurations, but from a NZ perspective note their five heavy frigates, ice breaker and six submarines. They take mine warfare seriously too.
But wait, Norway is richer. That's right, NZ's GDP is 36% that of Norway, which means NZ should have about 25 warships. Think about it, that sounds about right.
Therefore:
Scrap or Sell
The two Anzac class frigates (now ageing and never equipped with Harpoon - see below)
The RORO
Oiler (old)
Build
2 amphibious warfare ships, utilising helicopters and landing craft, able to conduct opposed landings within the Pacific and able to operate in large swells.
4 frigates
4 submarines
4 corvettes (escorts)
2 oilers
1 dive, mine warfare
1 ice breaker, disaster relief, scientific
Retain
2 offshore patrol
4 inshore patrol
1 dive, mine warfare
Total = 25
Deployed these would form two mini groups, thus each mini group configures:
1 amphibious
2 frigates
2 submarines
1 oiler
2 escort corvettes
As a group the amphibious ship is the heart and in the middle. These ships would be around 20,000 tonnes.
The frigates protect and they must be close to being destroyers, like Norway. The subs prowl, observe and protect while the escort corvettes form the outer patrol.
Some may remember a NZ Minister of Defence in the 1990's by the name of Doug Kidd, suggesting submarines. He must have had a rare moment of clarity. Subs project power far out of proportion to their size and manning levels. Subs mean New Zealand can be unseen, observe without being observed, slip special forces ashore, and be a threat to any enemy. For some odd reason Doug Kidd was shouted down, subs seem to trigger alarm amongst the loose limbed liberals, but in reality they're brilliant and should be taken seriously, Japan's Soryu class submarine is an excellent example.
Base these submarines in the Marlborough Sounds. From there they can slip out into the Tasman or through Cook Strait and into the South Pacific.
The balance, being dive and mine warfare operate where required.
Form a coast guard division within the all-in-one service; they then operate the offshore patrol vessels, inshore patrol, and the ice breaker/scientific vessel. They would also do fisheries protection.
Step 4: Get some force into the air
This is pretty simple, go high and be able to hit. Currently NZ has no, literally no high flying and fast air strike.
The closing down of NZ's Skyhawk air strike capability was the biggest cock-up ever perpetrated on NZ's defences. It never ceases to amaze me how often I hear people talk about this, like it was a sensible decision given the planes were old. They weren't supersonic. Oh no.
Well get a grip NZ. All air combat is conducted at subsonic speeds and to secure your own airspace all you need is a capable aircraft like the Skyhawk. It posed enough of a deterrent to make anyone contemplating something, to think again. Now, there is nothing keeping NZ's airspace safe.
Back in 2005 a nutter got the idea to threaten to fly his plane into the Skytower in Auckland. No means existed to prevent him then and none exists now. The guy got airborne but chickened out, righto, and NZ seems to accept that hoping someone will chicken out is an effective defence strategy.
Scrap
P-3 Orions
C-130 Hercules
Boeing 757's
Add
Drones - for search, patrol and combat. Also invest in drone swarm attack. This is where 10 or so drones simultaneously attack a ship, overwhelming its defences in doing so. The cost of these sort of disposable drones is less than the cost of sea skimming missiles that are often less effective.
Modern airlift - 12 units of modern C-130 Hercules or similar. Consider airlift at least in part which can fly to Antarctica and back without a point of no return (the C-130 is limited by range); this means procuring at least two C-17 Globemasters if they can be found.
Additional helicopters - 16 combat types for the amphibious vessels (8 on each), plus a further 8 larger helicopters such as the Chinook (enough helicopters exist in service right now to make up the balance).
Modern passenger aircraft less than 10 years old, the current 757's break down all the time.
The thinking here is NZ needs to have some strike capability, the drones can do that, they're also more effective in the search role, being able to see through cloud and to operate at night, spending much longer over any area being looked at. Then add more air lift and combat helicopters to cover the new vessels.
Step 5: Land forces to be amphibious
The land forces should be up to brigade strength and able to operate alone. That is, fully self-contained, not having to ask the Australians or anyone else for help. More to the point, NZ should be able to keep a brigade in the field for months at a time. That means they need twice the number of personnel they have now. Then when those numbers are up, any equipment they use must be suitable for amphibious operations. Currently - not really. They can't wade ashore very easily at all.
Step 6: Use missiles too
If it's a missile get interested in it. Missiles are brilliant. New Zealand hasn't embraced Harpoon. Well, wise up NZ, and join the 21st century. Together with the use of drones, an effective air force could be quite easily obtained.
******
There you have it. What I've suggested isn't cheap. Security never is. The only time you don't regret spending the money is right after a failed burglary when they caught the bad guys. Defence of NZ would be no different, just dig deep and take a long breath. That is of course, unless NZ prefers being a lapdog to someone else. My guess is New Zealanders don't like the idea of being someone's lapdog, but I could be wrong. I prefer to think Kiwis were just lead by stupid people. Kiwis themselves are not stupid. At least I don't think so.
The way I see this force operating is like this; with the large base in Northland, it becomes cheaper to operate and helps develop that depressed province. And with a base farther up into the Pacific islands, NZ can react to anything going on up there, whether disaster relief or helping against insurgency or civil unrest.
The two mini naval groups operate in rotation. One in port and one at sea at any one time. And my hierarchy is Sea > Air > Land in that order. New Zealand is surrounded by ocean and sea power comes first, followed closely by air power.
With the decline in NZ's military, young people have drifted away and they're just not interested in joining the forces any longer. Provide the right structure, do things that are meaningful, and they'll get energised again and join up. Train them and think about post military life. The US has the GI Bill. NZ needs to look at that and see what they can do similarly. But note, the young are not stupid, they see ads on the TV with people jumping out of planes and they know that right now, it's all bullshit.
( Where I say build, NZ does the job or a large part of it, where I say add these are acquired or NZ provides a minor part of the build; does everything need to be brand new? Not necessarily if good secondhand is available).
Edit to add: This week (8-14 Jan 2017) Stuff reported Japanese reports that NZ is shopping for new aircraft: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/88301398/defence-force-denies-it-has-started-negotiations-with-japan-over-aircraft-order
NZ deny of course, but who would you believe? Oh that's right, the Japanese are to be believed. It looks like NZ favours the Kawasaki P-1 and C-2. Fair enough, they share parts, but I still maintain drones like the MQ-9 Reaper make more sense than a P-1 or P-8. But heh, the fly boys have to have something to get airborne with, that'd be driving their thinking. The C-2 on the other hand is pretty good, read about it here.
Further edit to add (13 July 2018): NZ is buying the P-8. Four units, they're proven functional and there is interoperability with Australia. So fair enough, go with that (you can detect the 'my god they're buying something' reaction). Drones are a little problematic at the moment so I'm told, but the US Navy is working on a Naval example, suitable for naval conditions. Pays to keep looking at that carefully I suggest. The C-2 transporter does not work on unimproved airstrips. True, but the obvious here is that NZ buys both the C-130 and C-2. The C-130 as the utility, the C-2 to replace the 757's, also for flights to Antarctica as it has no point of no return and works well in snow and ice, and it can fit the NH90 helicopters NZ uses. It's not an either/or situation.
( Where I say build, NZ does the job or a large part of it, where I say add these are acquired or NZ provides a minor part of the build; does everything need to be brand new? Not necessarily if good secondhand is available).
Edit to add: This week (8-14 Jan 2017) Stuff reported Japanese reports that NZ is shopping for new aircraft: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/88301398/defence-force-denies-it-has-started-negotiations-with-japan-over-aircraft-order
NZ deny of course, but who would you believe? Oh that's right, the Japanese are to be believed. It looks like NZ favours the Kawasaki P-1 and C-2. Fair enough, they share parts, but I still maintain drones like the MQ-9 Reaper make more sense than a P-1 or P-8. But heh, the fly boys have to have something to get airborne with, that'd be driving their thinking. The C-2 on the other hand is pretty good, read about it here.
January 06, 2017
Australia Needs To Wake Up
The land of the racist xenophobes, otherwise known as Australia, home to that prize wanker Russell Crowe the New Zealander who pretends to be an Australian, is now calling for immigration restrictions on Kiwis.
Admittedly the call comes from the loony One Nation party so it can't be taken too seriously. This is the party founded by former fish and chip shop owner Pauline Hanson. But my guess is many Australians share the same opinions as One Nation. If there's a racist bandwagon to be on, then Australians queue up for more. They're completely equal opportunity racists.
What smarts is these One Nation people think New Zealand should be taught a lesson over its UN Security Council vote which effectively sanctioned Israel (the US wisely abstained). No-one should be surprised by the Australian reaction as one racist generally backs another and here we have yet another example. You just know that Australians really want to drown all those refugees on their flimsy boats fleeing persecution; not take them to Nauru (come on they should all be rehoused in the Australian suburbs, the food would improve and Australia would get some work done ).
>> Read Here <<
Maybe Australians should get out a map and check where they are on the globe. The last time I checked they were surrounded by enemies and people who hate them, with their one friend being little old New Zealand, sitting neatly at their back door. Get New Zealand offside and they're completely surrounded. True, given its small population and large landmass it is only time before Australia is overrun by more enterprising and interesting cultures, but it should at least realise this fact and do something to stem the tide. But no, they want to piss off their only friend and support a monstrous regime in Israel.
Admittedly the call comes from the loony One Nation party so it can't be taken too seriously. This is the party founded by former fish and chip shop owner Pauline Hanson. But my guess is many Australians share the same opinions as One Nation. If there's a racist bandwagon to be on, then Australians queue up for more. They're completely equal opportunity racists.
What smarts is these One Nation people think New Zealand should be taught a lesson over its UN Security Council vote which effectively sanctioned Israel (the US wisely abstained). No-one should be surprised by the Australian reaction as one racist generally backs another and here we have yet another example. You just know that Australians really want to drown all those refugees on their flimsy boats fleeing persecution; not take them to Nauru (come on they should all be rehoused in the Australian suburbs, the food would improve and Australia would get some work done ).
>> Read Here <<
Maybe Australians should get out a map and check where they are on the globe. The last time I checked they were surrounded by enemies and people who hate them, with their one friend being little old New Zealand, sitting neatly at their back door. Get New Zealand offside and they're completely surrounded. True, given its small population and large landmass it is only time before Australia is overrun by more enterprising and interesting cultures, but it should at least realise this fact and do something to stem the tide. But no, they want to piss off their only friend and support a monstrous regime in Israel.
Innovative Water Export Scheme
I've been saying it for a long time and now it looks like someone has got the idea over the line - almost.
The West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is one of the wettest places on earth. The rain runs right off the mountains into the sea. It's pure fresh water untouched by industry. The water is suitable for export as ships can park right off the coast for loading.
>> The Scheme <<
A company has ambitious plans to pipe glacial water from rugged South Westland mountains directly onto tanker ships headed overseas.
Plans such as these help combat global climate change if the water is used right. If the water is exported to help green the deserts, then moisture from plant growth would help cloud formation and hence precipitation around the earth in areas where water is badly needed. The volume they're talking about taking is a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to the total rainfall on the West Coast.
The West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand is one of the wettest places on earth. The rain runs right off the mountains into the sea. It's pure fresh water untouched by industry. The water is suitable for export as ships can park right off the coast for loading.
>> The Scheme <<
A company has ambitious plans to pipe glacial water from rugged South Westland mountains directly onto tanker ships headed overseas.
Plans such as these help combat global climate change if the water is used right. If the water is exported to help green the deserts, then moisture from plant growth would help cloud formation and hence precipitation around the earth in areas where water is badly needed. The volume they're talking about taking is a drop in the proverbial bucket compared to the total rainfall on the West Coast.
January 01, 2017
George Soros: Open Society Needs Defending
Interesting views from George Soros on where we are headed:
https://www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/open-society-needs-defending-by-george-soros-2016-12\
After the Crash of 2008, the EU and the eurozone became increasingly dysfunctional. Prevailing conditions became far removed from those prescribed by the Maastricht Treaty, but treaty change became progressively more difficult, and eventually impossible, because it couldn’t be ratified. The eurozone became the victim of antiquated laws; much-needed reforms could be enacted only by finding loopholes in them. That is how institutions became increasingly complicated, and electorates became alienated.
The process is likely irreversible in my opinion. However, the challenges are probably a good thing. Europe and the rest of the first world have become burdened by bureaucracy and politicians who don't actually believe in anything. All they care about are their perks. The way I see it, democracy is likely to be strengthened by these changes (Brexit and the eventual collapse of the EU); at long last the voter is cracking the whip.
https://www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/open-society-needs-defending-by-george-soros-2016-12\
After the Crash of 2008, the EU and the eurozone became increasingly dysfunctional. Prevailing conditions became far removed from those prescribed by the Maastricht Treaty, but treaty change became progressively more difficult, and eventually impossible, because it couldn’t be ratified. The eurozone became the victim of antiquated laws; much-needed reforms could be enacted only by finding loopholes in them. That is how institutions became increasingly complicated, and electorates became alienated.
The rise of anti-EU movements further impeded the functioning of institutions. And these forces of disintegration received a powerful boost in 2016, first from Brexit, then from the election of Trump in the US, and on December 4 from Italian voters’ rejection, by a wide margin, of constitutional reforms.
Democracy is now in crisis. Even the US, the world’s leading democracy, elected a con artist and would-be dictator as its president. Although Trump has toned down his rhetoric since he was elected, he has changed neither his behavior nor his advisers. His cabinet comprises incompetent extremists and retired generals.
(snip)
The same is likely to happen in the European election season in 2017 in the Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. In France, the two leading contenders are close to Putin and eager to appease him. If either wins, Putin’s dominance of Europe will become a fait accompli.
I hope that Europe’s leaders and citizens alike will realize that this endangers their way of life and the values on which the EU was founded. The trouble is that the method Putin has used to destabilize democracy cannot be used to restore respect for facts and a balanced view of reality.
The process is likely irreversible in my opinion. However, the challenges are probably a good thing. Europe and the rest of the first world have become burdened by bureaucracy and politicians who don't actually believe in anything. All they care about are their perks. The way I see it, democracy is likely to be strengthened by these changes (Brexit and the eventual collapse of the EU); at long last the voter is cracking the whip.
December 30, 2016
Promotion to start 2017
Through an Amazon promotion I am making my two novels free as a Kindle read on the 1st and 2nd of January 2017. You can download and read an electronic version of these two great reads on those dates.
Physical paperback copies are available from CreateSpace. I have a high conversion rate from Kindle to the physical book, meaning many who begin reading the books on Kindle or on their computer, like the books so much they go and buy them in print.
>>Click Here for My Latest Book<<
The Crushing Son is set in the quarrying industry on the Gold Coast, Australia. The title is a play on words; the rival families work crushing rock, one of the sons crushes the father over time, and the oppressive heat crushes the spirit.
>>Click Here for my First Novel<<
Pitched at the young adult reader level, Basketball Obsession is set in the only town in New Zealand where basketball reigns instead of rugby. That town is Nelson, and we follow the fortunes of a team with obvious talent but little cohesion at the start. Pete is the team's power forward and he holds the team together as they advance to nationals and a shot at glory.
Physical paperback copies are available from CreateSpace. I have a high conversion rate from Kindle to the physical book, meaning many who begin reading the books on Kindle or on their computer, like the books so much they go and buy them in print.
>>Click Here for My Latest Book<<
The Crushing Son is set in the quarrying industry on the Gold Coast, Australia. The title is a play on words; the rival families work crushing rock, one of the sons crushes the father over time, and the oppressive heat crushes the spirit.
>>Click Here for my First Novel<<
Pitched at the young adult reader level, Basketball Obsession is set in the only town in New Zealand where basketball reigns instead of rugby. That town is Nelson, and we follow the fortunes of a team with obvious talent but little cohesion at the start. Pete is the team's power forward and he holds the team together as they advance to nationals and a shot at glory.
December 29, 2016
Donald Trump as President
I've been thinking that most of what Donald Trump has said he wants to achieve he won't be able to, simply because staff in the various departments and the defence establishment move very slowly. I imagine the scene, Trump wanting to shut this or that down and the reaction, silence. Then comes the stalling. Reports, endless reports.
Then at some point we'll hear a loud thud. That will be the sound of the penny dropping.
I saw a video somewhere where documentary maker Michael Moore described Trump as the last US President. I don't agree and wouldn't be surprised if Trump does not stand for re-election, or maybe even resigns. That would be consistent with my view that he didn't actually plan on getting elected, and he's as surprised as anyone that he won.
Then at some point we'll hear a loud thud. That will be the sound of the penny dropping.
I saw a video somewhere where documentary maker Michael Moore described Trump as the last US President. I don't agree and wouldn't be surprised if Trump does not stand for re-election, or maybe even resigns. That would be consistent with my view that he didn't actually plan on getting elected, and he's as surprised as anyone that he won.
December 25, 2016
Israel recalls ambassador from New Zealand
Background to the issue:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/passes-resolution-israeli-settlements-161223192709807.html
The UN Security Council has voted in favour of a resolution demanding the halt of settlement activity by Israel on occupied Palestinian territory with the United States notably abstaining.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11772739
The Israeli Government has recalled its ambassador from New Zealand after the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning Israel's continued settlements.
New Zealand co-sponsored the resolution, which said the settlements violate international law and undermine a two-state solution in Israel's conflict with Palestine.
My thoughts, good on you New Zealand, about time something was done. The UN, what a bunch of time serving bureaucrats, they've finally passed a resolution that amounts to something.
I wonder how NZ's Prime Minister is going to handle the fall-out? This will be his first test in international diplomacy. Not bean counting now there Bill.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/12/passes-resolution-israeli-settlements-161223192709807.html
The UN Security Council has voted in favour of a resolution demanding the halt of settlement activity by Israel on occupied Palestinian territory with the United States notably abstaining.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11772739
The Israeli Government has recalled its ambassador from New Zealand after the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning Israel's continued settlements.
New Zealand co-sponsored the resolution, which said the settlements violate international law and undermine a two-state solution in Israel's conflict with Palestine.
My thoughts, good on you New Zealand, about time something was done. The UN, what a bunch of time serving bureaucrats, they've finally passed a resolution that amounts to something.
I wonder how NZ's Prime Minister is going to handle the fall-out? This will be his first test in international diplomacy. Not bean counting now there Bill.
December 21, 2016
KiwiRail: Beginning of the End
The latest announcement from KiwiRail puts another nail in the coffin of New Zealand's North Island rail system, and undermines the NZ economy to boot. They've announced they're replacing North Island main trunk electric locomotives with diesel ones.
Does no-one in NZ have a brain? Does no-one remember the trouble the country went through to electrify the North Island main trunk line. The only trouble with it, is the system is not connected up, there are gaps, these missing sections need to be completed. But to go backwards like this is poor thinking indeed.
The Union are opposed, good on them, they're right: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=95658
“Our models show that reinvesting in an electric fleet is better for KiwiRail’s wallet in the long term and it’s better for the planet. The current electric fleet saves 8 million litres in fuel each year and the price of upkeep is only $1.13 per km, but the Chinese-made diesel locomotives will guzzle the gas the electric fleet saves and the likely cost of upkeep will be $2.27 per km.”
I'd add, consider the extra tonnage the electric trains can pull, this was a compelling argument back when the decision was made to upgrade. The revenue tonnage per mile is much better with electric, meaning you can transport bigger loads at less cost, with longer trains.
What this decision does is show the weakness of the current State Owned Enterprise (SOE) model. Key infrastructure decisions are left to wing-nuts. Decisions like this have to be made after lengthy consideration and I'm talking Prime Minister. Oh wait, New Zealand has a pretend Southland farmer as its PM now, well we're all jiggered.
I noticed the Greens being suitably outraged, well Greens, stop sitting on the sidelines all the time, enter government and take ownership if you think you're good enough. Your sitting in Wellington and being a permanent naysayer does not get anything done, you need to actually do shit. Stop being a spectator.
Does no-one in NZ have a brain? Does no-one remember the trouble the country went through to electrify the North Island main trunk line. The only trouble with it, is the system is not connected up, there are gaps, these missing sections need to be completed. But to go backwards like this is poor thinking indeed.
The Union are opposed, good on them, they're right: http://wellington.scoop.co.nz/?p=95658
“Our models show that reinvesting in an electric fleet is better for KiwiRail’s wallet in the long term and it’s better for the planet. The current electric fleet saves 8 million litres in fuel each year and the price of upkeep is only $1.13 per km, but the Chinese-made diesel locomotives will guzzle the gas the electric fleet saves and the likely cost of upkeep will be $2.27 per km.”
I'd add, consider the extra tonnage the electric trains can pull, this was a compelling argument back when the decision was made to upgrade. The revenue tonnage per mile is much better with electric, meaning you can transport bigger loads at less cost, with longer trains.
What this decision does is show the weakness of the current State Owned Enterprise (SOE) model. Key infrastructure decisions are left to wing-nuts. Decisions like this have to be made after lengthy consideration and I'm talking Prime Minister. Oh wait, New Zealand has a pretend Southland farmer as its PM now, well we're all jiggered.
I noticed the Greens being suitably outraged, well Greens, stop sitting on the sidelines all the time, enter government and take ownership if you think you're good enough. Your sitting in Wellington and being a permanent naysayer does not get anything done, you need to actually do shit. Stop being a spectator.
Michelle Obama: How Long Before She Leaves?
If you watched the Oprah Winfrey interview the other night, one thing that stood out for me was how unhappy Michelle Obama looks. She tells the story in her facial expressions and body language.
What's she going to do now her husband is essentially unemployed and possibly unemployable? Speaking tours? It doesn't look like she'll enjoy that.
Here are my odds for - she's outta there, bearing in mind you can easily find the divorce papers online, from back when her marriage to Barack was on the rocks:
(odds quoted are time limited from the date Donald Trump is sworn in)
Michelle Obama files divorce proceedings within 6 months 50-1
Michelle Obama files divorce proceedings within 12 months 3-1
Michelle Obama files for divorce within 24 months 500-1
Michelle Obama is still co-habiting with Barack Obama and has not filed for divorce at any time after Trump's swearing in after 25 months...1000 -1
What's she going to do now her husband is essentially unemployed and possibly unemployable? Speaking tours? It doesn't look like she'll enjoy that.
Here are my odds for - she's outta there, bearing in mind you can easily find the divorce papers online, from back when her marriage to Barack was on the rocks:
(odds quoted are time limited from the date Donald Trump is sworn in)
Michelle Obama files divorce proceedings within 6 months 50-1
Michelle Obama files divorce proceedings within 12 months 3-1
Michelle Obama files for divorce within 24 months 500-1
Michelle Obama is still co-habiting with Barack Obama and has not filed for divorce at any time after Trump's swearing in after 25 months...1000 -1
2016 Year of Upsets
What next? Will 2017 be anything like 2016?
Whether talking sports or politics, 2016 saw one upset after another. From Leicester City winning the English Premier League through to the Cubs winning the World Series. Brexit and then Donald Trump beating Hillary Clinton. Any one of these things in a normal year and we'd be surprised but they all came at once, plus more. Make up your own list, it's been an exceptional year.
But in little old New Zealand while it may wish it, the type of electoral system the country now uses will almost certainly guarantee the same old tired faces stick around. New Zealand adopted German-style MMP in the mid 1990's. It was meant to build consensus government, where parties would form coalitions and work together. NZ was told it would be a stable form of government. Out with the old, where first past the post often led to the government receiving fewer popular votes than the combined opposition.
How has it panned out for little New Zealand? Minority governments are still not uncommon and it receives the worst of all worlds. Politicians who lose their seat now get back into Parliament off their party list. You can't get rid of them. This system may have been appropriate for Germany, where extreme left and right has held sway, but middle of the road New Zealand gets stuck with aged mediocrity that seem to be wedded to the job. Voters are left trusting the parties to refresh their party lists.
Then you have parties like the Greens who are professional naysayers and cannot win a seat. They get enough party votes to have representatives in Parliament, all coming in off the party list. They offer nothing constructive.
What New Zealand ends up with is indecision or weak-kneed legislation like the anti-smacking law. NZ was promised no parent who smacked their child would be criminalised, but that's exactly what has happened. It's outrageous.
With this loose limbed, liberal, middle ground seeking, never face issues head on approach, NZ still continues to slide. Renewal at the top isn't possible, and that's because of MMP.
Description of MMP: http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/mmp-voting-system
Whether talking sports or politics, 2016 saw one upset after another. From Leicester City winning the English Premier League through to the Cubs winning the World Series. Brexit and then Donald Trump beating Hillary Clinton. Any one of these things in a normal year and we'd be surprised but they all came at once, plus more. Make up your own list, it's been an exceptional year.
But in little old New Zealand while it may wish it, the type of electoral system the country now uses will almost certainly guarantee the same old tired faces stick around. New Zealand adopted German-style MMP in the mid 1990's. It was meant to build consensus government, where parties would form coalitions and work together. NZ was told it would be a stable form of government. Out with the old, where first past the post often led to the government receiving fewer popular votes than the combined opposition.
How has it panned out for little New Zealand? Minority governments are still not uncommon and it receives the worst of all worlds. Politicians who lose their seat now get back into Parliament off their party list. You can't get rid of them. This system may have been appropriate for Germany, where extreme left and right has held sway, but middle of the road New Zealand gets stuck with aged mediocrity that seem to be wedded to the job. Voters are left trusting the parties to refresh their party lists.
Then you have parties like the Greens who are professional naysayers and cannot win a seat. They get enough party votes to have representatives in Parliament, all coming in off the party list. They offer nothing constructive.
What New Zealand ends up with is indecision or weak-kneed legislation like the anti-smacking law. NZ was promised no parent who smacked their child would be criminalised, but that's exactly what has happened. It's outrageous.
With this loose limbed, liberal, middle ground seeking, never face issues head on approach, NZ still continues to slide. Renewal at the top isn't possible, and that's because of MMP.
****
Description of MMP: http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/mmp-voting-system
December 18, 2016
Bill English: Housing Denier
It didn't take long for the incompetence to emerge after John Key resigned as Prime Minister. The new PM, Bill English, has a bee under his bonnet about housing. He wants to sell off the state housing stock to private investors, a staggeringly stupid idea. New Zealand can be proud of its past policies which have seen affordable housing built by the government. Whole suburbs such as Naenae, Wainuiomata, and Upper Hutt were built by the state (or the greater part of them) from one end of the country to the other.
The way they used to do these suburbs, was on one side of the street they'd build State Advances housing, these were houses the occupier would own, the money being lent by the government through State Advances (later becoming the Housing Corp) on favourable terms. Then the other side of the street were state rentals at a reasonable rate. They did it this way to mix the areas up with tenants and owners, they didn't want to create ghettos.
You could always tell which houses were rentals as they never had a garage. The state helps out and houses people, it doesn't provide a place for them to park their car, if needing state assistance then they should be taking the bus or train, ride a bicycle or use Shanks's pony.
On the side of the street that was State Advances, they could have a garage and houses could be altered at the design stage. I have a story about this, to give the reader an idea of what the pace of development was like. A few years ago the son of the state architect in charge of Wellington rang me to discuss things and in this conversation it came up that my uncle was one of the builders contracted to build the state houses in Lower Hutt. He said my uncle was building houses so fast his architect father asked him to slow down, he was building houses so fast they couldn't produce the plans quick enough.
Now fast forward to today, few state houses are being built and we have a PM who not only wants to sell those state houses off, but in his Cabinet line-up just announced he's scrapped the title of Minister of Housing. This is nothing short of outrageous and all New Zealand should be up in arms.
Quite why English hates state houses is a mystery. Does this go back to when he was young and denied housing because someone more needy got in first? He lives in a state house himself of course, with his many kids. Yes, he's a total hypocrite.
This will just be the start, Bill English with his faux Southland accent (note he's dropping it lately) and born to rule ways must be defeated at the box office, he's nothing but a menace.
December 17, 2016
Obama: Russia Hacked
President Obama is saying that Russia influenced the outcome of the Presidential election by hacking both the Republican and Democratic party emails; the Democratic emails were then released to damage the prospects of Hillary Clinton, the presidential candidate for the Democrats.
Hands up anyone who believes this?
Let's see the evidence. It isn't too much to ask, surely. Maybe an independent hacker could look at the evidence and issue a report, and let it be known who this hacker is so we can all see they have the expertise.
Putin must be sitting there grinning from ear to ear. It's like he found a discarded lottery ticket and found he's a major winner. Imagine your competitor insists on making it very well known how clever you are. That's the barb Putin has to endure every day (irony). Someone, please tell President Obama to silence, he's meant to be managing a graceful exit and right now he's looking like a chump.
Hands up anyone who believes this?
Let's see the evidence. It isn't too much to ask, surely. Maybe an independent hacker could look at the evidence and issue a report, and let it be known who this hacker is so we can all see they have the expertise.
Putin must be sitting there grinning from ear to ear. It's like he found a discarded lottery ticket and found he's a major winner. Imagine your competitor insists on making it very well known how clever you are. That's the barb Putin has to endure every day (irony). Someone, please tell President Obama to silence, he's meant to be managing a graceful exit and right now he's looking like a chump.
December 16, 2016
Auckland House Prices
If you've been watching the news from the US you'd have noticed statements by Janet Yellen, Chair of the Federal Reserve. The US is heading into an inflationary cycle and Fed rates will be rising.
This impacts house prices in New Zealand. The NZ banks fund their lending by borrowing overseas. Currently the cost of that money is very low, with competing major economies offering deposit rates that are zero or close to zero. Therefore New Zealand is an attractive destination for that money looking for a safe haven.
But with US Fed rates rising, money will start heading to the US as the US Dollar is still the safe haven everyone prefers. That means NZ banks will be faced with the higher cost of obtaining funds, and they'll pass that on to the NZ borrower.
It is prudent therefore to avoid debt over the next few years, at least until the impact of Trump policies is fully understood. Home owners could look at fixing their home loan rates, say, for five years if the mortgage is a large one. Reduce credit card debt.
If buying a house right now, maybe look to keep saving, deferring the decision to buy. As rates rise houses will come on the market that are being sold by owners heavily indebted and unable to afford repayments. Yes, house prices could even fall in this scenario. Prices are already plateauing in most of the country and small interest rate rises have already been announced by banks. Expect this trend to continue.
This impacts house prices in New Zealand. The NZ banks fund their lending by borrowing overseas. Currently the cost of that money is very low, with competing major economies offering deposit rates that are zero or close to zero. Therefore New Zealand is an attractive destination for that money looking for a safe haven.
But with US Fed rates rising, money will start heading to the US as the US Dollar is still the safe haven everyone prefers. That means NZ banks will be faced with the higher cost of obtaining funds, and they'll pass that on to the NZ borrower.
It is prudent therefore to avoid debt over the next few years, at least until the impact of Trump policies is fully understood. Home owners could look at fixing their home loan rates, say, for five years if the mortgage is a large one. Reduce credit card debt.
If buying a house right now, maybe look to keep saving, deferring the decision to buy. As rates rise houses will come on the market that are being sold by owners heavily indebted and unable to afford repayments. Yes, house prices could even fall in this scenario. Prices are already plateauing in most of the country and small interest rate rises have already been announced by banks. Expect this trend to continue.
Kaikoura Earthquake: Sate Highway 1 Repairs
It's been announced that the road from Christchurch to Kaikoura will be open soon, so it will be possible to drive to Kaikoura without having to go the inland route. That's fine, but why has there been no work on the massive slips north of Kaikoura?
The locals are fuming and justifiably so: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11767842
You know what I think has been going on in the background? Figuring out whether they'll even bother with it. That's right, they were thinking about closing SH1 north of Kaikoura and the rail line as well, maybe even closing all rail in the South Island.
C'mon people, this is a bunch of bean counters running the country, they've run the defence force into the ground, why would they not want to do that to the South Island as well?
I resent Gerry Brownlee resented deeply. Get off your lard arse Gerry and get diggers working. Is it that simple? Well it is actually, there are millions of tonnes to move and no time like the present to start, the job won't finish itself.
They say the job north of Kaikoura will take a year. My calculation says two years, and I've done a lot of earthmoving, so two years likely, possibly three or four if things go wrong, like major bank stabilisation being needed.
Kaikoura farmers and contractors, word of advice, scream your tits off. Demand action. They're the National party right? That's the farmers party, right? Little Bill English pretends to be a Southland farmer, they should be looking after you. Well wise up Kaikoura, they're only interested in the Auckland party vote, not the farmers, and English isn't a farmer, he'd struggle to turn a tractor on.
The locals are fuming and justifiably so: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11767842
You know what I think has been going on in the background? Figuring out whether they'll even bother with it. That's right, they were thinking about closing SH1 north of Kaikoura and the rail line as well, maybe even closing all rail in the South Island.
C'mon people, this is a bunch of bean counters running the country, they've run the defence force into the ground, why would they not want to do that to the South Island as well?
I resent Gerry Brownlee resented deeply. Get off your lard arse Gerry and get diggers working. Is it that simple? Well it is actually, there are millions of tonnes to move and no time like the present to start, the job won't finish itself.
They say the job north of Kaikoura will take a year. My calculation says two years, and I've done a lot of earthmoving, so two years likely, possibly three or four if things go wrong, like major bank stabilisation being needed.
Kaikoura farmers and contractors, word of advice, scream your tits off. Demand action. They're the National party right? That's the farmers party, right? Little Bill English pretends to be a Southland farmer, they should be looking after you. Well wise up Kaikoura, they're only interested in the Auckland party vote, not the farmers, and English isn't a farmer, he'd struggle to turn a tractor on.
December 15, 2016
Blog changes in 2017
Thank you to all my readers, you've all helped contribute to making this blog highly successful. I don't want to blow my own trumpet or anything, but right now I could be the most read New Zealand based blogger worldwide. I've got tens of thousands of readers, starting with the greatest number in the USA, then New Zealand, France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Canada, Indonesia, Australia and Ireland - in that order.
Just recently I've started gaining readers in Portugal, Poland, Spain, Latvia, Iraq and Morocco.
In the early days, people read about new trucks for the New Zealand army the most, but then I reported on the Australian who claims to be the first son of Prince Charles and his current wife Camilla. It went ballistic and my blog was reported in the overseas press.
But then something happened; people also started reading my Snob's Guide on moving to New Zealand (for those Americans thinking about this since Donald Trump has been elected) and about New Zealand and my plans for making it better. Those blog posts took over from the ones about the army trucks and Prince Charles. We are talking a lot of page views each day and rising.
I'm going to continue writing in a similar vein through 2017. I'll try to keep things somewhat eclectic, not just the same old same old. I plan on writing a third book, non-fiction, a Snob's Guide to Everything New Zealand and anything else interesting, and I'll keep you all updated on when it's due for publication. It shouldn't take all that long, I'll just rant at my middle child and then write these rants down soon after.
Forum
I plan on starting a forum. Any advice about which forum provider is best is much appreciated, I don't want to make a bad choice as it'll be hard to switch and keep the data once up and running. It'll be a free forum, with a link to it at the top of the blog alongside the other links.
The other thing to consider is the structure of the forum, the categories to use, making navigation easy. If you have a preference please let me know. There is a contact form >>> to the right which sends straight to my gmail. I check it several times a day.
Prizes
As an innovation I may offer prizes to readers (guess what the prizes will be...anyone?). These prizes may not be easy to win, and could involve hard quizzes on history, politics, economics, sport and general wingnuttery.
Contributors
At the moment only I write for this blog. But if you think you're up to it and can write a thousand words of cogent argument about something sensible (and if not sensible then it must be funny) then send it to me and if acceptable then I'll publish it with you getting credit. There will be no payment, but you do get credit. Think comment pieces, any original research or investigative work would be better placed in the forum.
To be a contributor you must use your real name, no aliases. I use my real name, and finding me is pretty easy, my details are in the NZ Yellow Pages online. So write away and submit to me, if you're hard to find I may ask to ring you up to check that you exist. If things go well and you become trusted, then you may get to register as a site user and post directly. This will not be that common as I'm a stickler for correctness, spelling and such, and try to eliminate errors. So to get the right to post directly on this site, you'd have to be very clean.
I've decided not to monetise the site at this stage, advertisements are annoying. But you can buy my books, that's always welcome: https://www.amazon.com/Ken-Horlor/e/B00VQEETJW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Anyone who contributes a piece that is published can have a link to their work too, no problem at all. Whether you provide a product or service, or you're promoting your talent or selling a book, it's all good but just remember, not too much shameless self promotion.
Why contribute? I've spent years on my little blog and have just broken through, by all means start your own blog but get ready for a long lead time. If you write and publish here, you'll get noticed much faster as you're going to be read a lot right from the word go. If you're a competitor, that is another blogger, then we may co-operate, that is we provide reciprocal pieces, together with links and credit both ways.
That's all folks, have a nice Christmas and great New Year, let's hope 2017 proves to be an interesting year. I'm sure it will.
Just recently I've started gaining readers in Portugal, Poland, Spain, Latvia, Iraq and Morocco.
In the early days, people read about new trucks for the New Zealand army the most, but then I reported on the Australian who claims to be the first son of Prince Charles and his current wife Camilla. It went ballistic and my blog was reported in the overseas press.
But then something happened; people also started reading my Snob's Guide on moving to New Zealand (for those Americans thinking about this since Donald Trump has been elected) and about New Zealand and my plans for making it better. Those blog posts took over from the ones about the army trucks and Prince Charles. We are talking a lot of page views each day and rising.
I'm going to continue writing in a similar vein through 2017. I'll try to keep things somewhat eclectic, not just the same old same old. I plan on writing a third book, non-fiction, a Snob's Guide to Everything New Zealand and anything else interesting, and I'll keep you all updated on when it's due for publication. It shouldn't take all that long, I'll just rant at my middle child and then write these rants down soon after.
Forum
I plan on starting a forum. Any advice about which forum provider is best is much appreciated, I don't want to make a bad choice as it'll be hard to switch and keep the data once up and running. It'll be a free forum, with a link to it at the top of the blog alongside the other links.
The other thing to consider is the structure of the forum, the categories to use, making navigation easy. If you have a preference please let me know. There is a contact form >>> to the right which sends straight to my gmail. I check it several times a day.
Prizes
As an innovation I may offer prizes to readers (guess what the prizes will be...anyone?). These prizes may not be easy to win, and could involve hard quizzes on history, politics, economics, sport and general wingnuttery.
Contributors
At the moment only I write for this blog. But if you think you're up to it and can write a thousand words of cogent argument about something sensible (and if not sensible then it must be funny) then send it to me and if acceptable then I'll publish it with you getting credit. There will be no payment, but you do get credit. Think comment pieces, any original research or investigative work would be better placed in the forum.
To be a contributor you must use your real name, no aliases. I use my real name, and finding me is pretty easy, my details are in the NZ Yellow Pages online. So write away and submit to me, if you're hard to find I may ask to ring you up to check that you exist. If things go well and you become trusted, then you may get to register as a site user and post directly. This will not be that common as I'm a stickler for correctness, spelling and such, and try to eliminate errors. So to get the right to post directly on this site, you'd have to be very clean.
I've decided not to monetise the site at this stage, advertisements are annoying. But you can buy my books, that's always welcome: https://www.amazon.com/Ken-Horlor/e/B00VQEETJW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Anyone who contributes a piece that is published can have a link to their work too, no problem at all. Whether you provide a product or service, or you're promoting your talent or selling a book, it's all good but just remember, not too much shameless self promotion.
Why contribute? I've spent years on my little blog and have just broken through, by all means start your own blog but get ready for a long lead time. If you write and publish here, you'll get noticed much faster as you're going to be read a lot right from the word go. If you're a competitor, that is another blogger, then we may co-operate, that is we provide reciprocal pieces, together with links and credit both ways.
That's all folks, have a nice Christmas and great New Year, let's hope 2017 proves to be an interesting year. I'm sure it will.
December 14, 2016
Made in New Zealand
How many global brands can you think of that are made in New Zealand? One that I didn't know about is Sistema Plastics. I saw that it has been sold to a US company for US$470 million. I have a daughter at school and she says that everyone she knows has a Sistema lunch box, while my wife informs me she buys Sistema because it is made in New Zealand. Well I never!
Read about the Sistema sale here; http://www.wsj.com/articles/newell-to-buy-sistema-woodwick-for-a-combined-570-million-1481547345
One brand made in New Zealand that I am fully aware of is the Barmac crusher. A Barmac vertical shaft impactor (VSI) can be found in 60% of the world's quarries. From Matamata to the world. The company is now owned by Metso, the Finnish giant.
How about Swazi wet weather and outdoor gear made in Levin: http://www.swazi.co.nz/about-swazi/
How about Tracgrip and Trackback, Kiwi engineering for getting your track-type tractor on the go up hills and for getting those tracks that skip off, put back on http://trackgrip.co.nz and trackback.co.nz/trackback/
How about Cavotec MoorMaster in Christchurch. They manufacture giant suction cups to hold ships in place alongside the dock, it really does work!! It's a surprise when you first see the suction cups lock on, it goes THUD: http://www.moormaster.com
Then Brightwater Engineering (yes, that's little Brightwater near Nelson in the South Island) manufacture Yarders, see their biggest machine: http://www.brightwater.co.nz/assets/Uploads/BE85-Yarder-Spec-Sheet-Web-Version3.pdf
You'd think with all this innovation and enterprise going on that the government would be a bit more supportive, eh. But NZ has a grandstanding attention seeking sound bite set of politicians who probably have never heard of any of the companies listed here, with the exception of Sistema (maybe not even then). New Zealand has to grow up and realise the rest of the world only pays lip service to free trade, they do not actually practise it and to compete NZ has to get real and tilt the playing field in its favour when it suits.
Read about the Sistema sale here; http://www.wsj.com/articles/newell-to-buy-sistema-woodwick-for-a-combined-570-million-1481547345
One brand made in New Zealand that I am fully aware of is the Barmac crusher. A Barmac vertical shaft impactor (VSI) can be found in 60% of the world's quarries. From Matamata to the world. The company is now owned by Metso, the Finnish giant.
How about Swazi wet weather and outdoor gear made in Levin: http://www.swazi.co.nz/about-swazi/
How about Tracgrip and Trackback, Kiwi engineering for getting your track-type tractor on the go up hills and for getting those tracks that skip off, put back on http://trackgrip.co.nz and trackback.co.nz/trackback/
How about Cavotec MoorMaster in Christchurch. They manufacture giant suction cups to hold ships in place alongside the dock, it really does work!! It's a surprise when you first see the suction cups lock on, it goes THUD: http://www.moormaster.com
Then Brightwater Engineering (yes, that's little Brightwater near Nelson in the South Island) manufacture Yarders, see their biggest machine: http://www.brightwater.co.nz/assets/Uploads/BE85-Yarder-Spec-Sheet-Web-Version3.pdf
You'd think with all this innovation and enterprise going on that the government would be a bit more supportive, eh. But NZ has a grandstanding attention seeking sound bite set of politicians who probably have never heard of any of the companies listed here, with the exception of Sistema (maybe not even then). New Zealand has to grow up and realise the rest of the world only pays lip service to free trade, they do not actually practise it and to compete NZ has to get real and tilt the playing field in its favour when it suits.