30,000 Hits

30,000 Hits

It is nice to see that today I had my 30 thousandth hit on puntiki.blogspot.com
Thanks to all of you who keep an eye on me on a regular basis. With the NZ and US elections coming up this year I will en devour to make a few more posts on a regular basis.

Keep coming back. Cheers Rob in LA.

ACT in the NZ elections 2008

In the post below is a list of electorates in New Zealand, the MP who won the seat and the margin of votes in which the candidate won the seat.

While I am here in Italy, I certainly have a bit of time to put some effort into this blog so I thought about how ACT can get at least 10% in the next election which will probably give them the balance of power hopefully with their logical ally and effective cousin National .

Now this is all hypothetical and it is based on the previous election in which Labour came out ahead so really I am sure this will be picked to pieces by anyone who is an expert in these fields but...

If ACT was to get 1/2 of the margin that the winning MP got over the second candidate then it would equate to about 10.33% of the vote without taking the local MP favorites away from the voting public. I did not count the Maori seats or Epsom, although the mathematicians out there wont take more than 3 or 4 minutes to figure it out.

I have also identified seats in which the margin is about 4% or less. These are the seats where competent ACT candidates should run for the seat and give it 100%. These seats are:

East Coast: Which went to National with a vote margin of 1219
Hamilton West: which went to Labour with a margin of 825
Otaki: Which went to Labour with a margin of only 382 votes
Rotorua: Went to Labour with a margin of only 662 votes
Taupo: Labour with a margin of 1285 votes
and
Tauranga which should be left to National's Simon Bridges who will make a brilliant MP.
(margin 730)

So taking Tauranga out of it, and adding Epsom for Rodney there are 6 electorates in NZ in the forthcoming election that ACT should seriously have a go at. Along with 1 in ten people voting for ACT with a Party vote getting about 10% or slightly more then ACT are in a serious position to make a difference in NZ. The public of NZ are looking for a change and are slightly weary of the two main parties. This would provide a change for the better for all New Zealander's and would give National weary supporters strength in knowing that effective cousin ACT is there for stability and verification.

I have mentioned to Rodney a way that I think will get as much as 15-20%+ of the party vote. Time will tell if ACT use that idea..... If I can take a page out of Sen Barack's book I would have to agree and say that it is time for change. If National get over a 50% majority will that necessarily make for a better NZ, or will it make for a regime that makes all of the decisions as they please without being checked on the consequences? Time will tell.

NZ election results 2005

Electorate	Result	Winning Candidate	2nd Place	Margin
Aoraki	100.0%	GOODHEW, Jo (NAT)	SUTTON, Jim (LAB)	6,937
Auckland Central	100.0%	TIZARD, Judith (LAB)	WONG, Pansy (NAT)	3,884
Banks Peninsula	100.0%	DYSON, Ruth (LAB)	CARTER, David (NAT)	1,923
Bay of Plenty	100.0%	RYALL, Tony (NAT)	SCOTT, Pauline (LAB)	13,584
Christchurch Central	100.0%	BARNETT, Tim (LAB)	WAGNER, Nicky (NAT)	7,836
Christchurch East	100.0%	DALZIEL, Lianne (LAB)	ROUND, David John (NAT)	11,973
Clevedon	100.0%	COLLINS, Judith (NAT)	HEREORA, David Murray (LAB)	12,871
Clutha-Southland	100.0%	ENGLISH, Bill (NAT)	TALBOT, David (LAB)	13,032
Coromandel	100.0%	GOUDIE, Sandra (NAT)	PURNELL, Max (LAB)	10,578
Dunedin North	100.0%	HODGSON, Pete (LAB)	RICH, Katherine (NAT)	7,630
Dunedin South	100.0%	BENSON-POPE, David Henry (LAB)	POWELL, Conway (NAT)	10,640
East Coast	100.0%	TOLLEY, Anne (NAT)	MACKEY, Moana Lynore (LAB)	1,219
East Coast Bays	100.0%	McCULLY, Murray (NAT)	McCRACKEN, Hamish (LAB)	7,286
Epsom	100.0%	HIDE, Rodney (ACT)	WORTH, Richard (NAT)	3,102
Hamilton East	100.0%	BENNETT, David (NAT)	YATES, Dianne Fae (LAB)	5,298
Hamilton West	100.0%	GALLAGHER, Martin Owen (LAB)	MACINDOE, Tim (NAT)	825
Helensville	100.0%	KEY, John (NAT)	LAWLEY, Judy (LAB)	12,778
Hutt South	100.0%	MALLARD, Trevor (LAB)	THOMAS, Rosemarie (NAT)	5,740
Ilam	100.0%	BROWNLEE, Gerry (NAT)	BLANCHARD, Julian (LAB)	7,821
Invercargill	100.0%	ROY, Eric (NAT)	HARPUR, Wayne (LAB)	2,052
Kaikoura	100.0%	KING, Colin (NAT)	BURNS, Brendon (LAB)	4,675
Mana	100.0%	LABAN, Winnie (LAB)	FINLAYSON, Christopher (NAT)	6,734
Mangere	100.0%	FIELD, Taito Phillip (LAB)	SIMICH, Clem (NAT)	16,020
Manukau East	100.0%	ROBERTSON, Ross (LAB)	YEE, Ken (NAT)	9,890
Manurewa	100.0%	HAWKINS, George Warren (LAB)	AIONO, Fepulea'i Ulua'ipou-O-Malo (NAT)	11,707
Maungakiekie	100.0%	GOSCHE, Mark (LAB)	GOLDSMITH, Paul (NAT)	6,450
Mt Albert	100.0%	CLARK, Helen Elizabeth (LAB)	MUSUKU, Ravi (NAT)	14,749
Mt Roskill	100.0%	GOFF, Phil (LAB)	BLUE, Jackie (NAT)	9,895
Napier	100.0%	TREMAIN, Chris (NAT)	FAIRBROTHER, Russell (LAB)	3,591
Nelson	100.0%	SMITH, Nick (NAT)	McCUTCHEON, Jen (LAB)	10,226
New Lynn	100.0%	CUNLIFFE, David (LAB)	HARRIS, Mita (NAT)	8,078
New Plymouth	100.0%	DUYNHOVEN, Harry (LAB)	IRVING, Moira (NAT)	5,439
North Shore	100.0%	MAPP, Wayne (NAT)	TWYFORD, Phil (LAB)	9,701
Northcote	100.0%	COLEMAN, Jonathan (NAT)	HARTLEY, Ann (LAB)	2,383
Northland	100.0%	CARTER, John (NAT)	JONES, Shane Geoffrey (LAB)	9,275
Ohariu-Belmont	100.0%	DUNNE, Peter (UFNZ)	CHAUVEL, Charles (LAB)	7,702
Otago	100.0%	DEAN, Jacqui (NAT)	PARKER, David (LAB)	1,995
Otaki	100.0%	HUGHES, Darren (LAB)	GUY, Nathan (NAT)	382
Pakuranga	100.0%	WILLIAMSON, Maurice (NAT)	WOOD, Michael Philip (LAB)	9,582
Palmerston North	100.0%	MAHAREY, Steven (LAB)	PLIMMER, Malcolm (NAT)	5,500
Piako	100.0%	TISCH, Lindsay (NAT)	MORONEY, Sue (LAB)	8,351
Port Waikato	100.0%	HUTCHISON, Paul (NAT)	WALL, Louisa (LAB)	13,498
Rakaia	100.0%	CONNELL, Brian (NAT)	MILNE, Tony Robert (LAB)	10,448
Rangitikei	100.0%	POWER, Simon (NAT)	BROWN, Marilyn (LAB)	9,660
Rimutaka	100.0%	SWAIN, Paul (LAB)	LEDDY, Mike (NAT)	8,277
Rodney	100.0%	SMITH, Lockwood (NAT)	DUNLOP, Tony (LAB)	11,536
Rongotai	100.0%	KING, Annette Faye (LAB)	YOUNG, Nicola M J (NAT)	12,638
Rotorua	100.0%	CHADWICK, Stephanie (Steve) (LAB)	STEHBENS, Gil (NAT)	662
Tamaki	100.0%	PEACHEY, Allan (NAT)	BOYLE, Leila (LAB)	9,510
Taranaki-King Country	100.0%	ARDERN, Shane (NAT)	STREET, Maryan (LAB)	13,118
Taupo	100.0%	BURTON, Mark (LAB)	KIRTON, Weston Mervyn (NAT)	1,285
Tauranga	100.0%	CLARKSON, Bob (NAT)	PETERS, Winston (NZF)	730
Te Atatu	100.0%	CARTER, Chris (LAB)	HENARE, Tau (NAT)	10,447
Tukituki	100.0%	FOSS, Craig (NAT)	BARKER, Rick (LAB)	2,402
Waimakariri	100.0%	COSGROVE, Clayton (LAB)	WILKINSON, Kate (NAT)	5,606
Wairarapa	100.0%	HAYES, John (NAT)	MacKENZIE, Denise (LAB)	2,752
Waitakere	100.0%	PILLAY, Lynne (LAB)	BENNETT, Paula (NAT)	4,942
Wellington Central	100.0%	HOBBS, Marian (LAB)	BLUMSKY, Mark (NAT)	6,180
West Coast-Tasman	100.0%	O'CONNOR, Damien Peter (LAB)	AUCHINVOLE, Chris (NAT)	2,154
Whanganui	100.0%	BORROWS, Chester (NAT)	PETTIS, Jill (LAB)	2,402
Whangarei	100.0%	HEATLEY, Phil (NAT)	CHALMERS, Paul (LAB)	9,089
Wigram	100.0%	ANDERTON, Jim (JAP)	LOMAX, Allison (NAT)	8,548
Ikaroa-Rawhiti	100.0%	HOROMIA, Parekura (LAB)	POANANGA, Atareta (MAOR)	1,932
Tainui	100.0%	MAHUTA, Nanaia (LAB)	GREENSILL, Angeline (MAOR)	1,860
Tamaki Makaurau	100.0%	SHARPLES, Pita Russell (MAOR)	TAMIHERE, John (LAB)	2,127
Te Tai Hauauru	100.0%	TURIA, Tariana (MAOR)	MASON, Errol (LAB)	5,113
Te Tai Tokerau	100.0%	HARAWIRA, Hone Pani Tamati Waka Nene (MAOR)	SAMUELS, Dover (LAB)	3,613
Te Tai Tonga	100.0%	OKEROA, Mahara (LAB)	OHIA, Monte (MAOR)	2,503
Waiariki	100.0%	FLAVELL, Te Ururoa (MAOR)	RIRINUI, Mita (LAB)	2,871

On Holiday in Europe

I am currently situated in Corsanico, which is in Tuscany in Italy. It is very nice here. I am staying the www.d-h-h.com house here with my family and friends. (Not a free bee). It is very nice here with about 2 acres, a pool and guest house, spectacular views and even a cherry tree ripe for the picking. I am also particularly impressed with the BMW X5 diesel (Just like Pablo's) which has plenty of power and lasts about 400 miles on a fuel tank. Bring on the BMW diesels in the USA. I flew in yesterday from Glasgow in Scotland where I visited cousin Derek and his lady and twins. The twins were very well behaved for nearly being 2 and the haggis and irn bru, which is a favorite of mine, tasted just as good this time as it did 7 years ago, even better.
Here for another couple of days, then a quick stop off in Munich and London then back to Los Angeles for my friends Kristin and Scott's wedding. What a fun week.

2009 Cadillac CTS-V

It seems that the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is going to be a tire smoking power house. Its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 is expected to produce 556 horsepower at 6,100rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3,800rpm. Cadillac claims the CTS-V sedan will go from 0-to-60mph in just 3.9 seconds and through the quarter mile in 12 seconds flat. Now that my friends is FAST.

Top speed when equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission is limited to 175mph. Get the six-speed manual and you’re free to run all the way to 191mph. Autobahn type situation on our hands courtesy of Detroit.

Even with gas at about $5 per gallon, if it is as economical as it's cousin the Corvette ZO6 then this may well be the candidate for my next vehicle.