My day at the LA auto show

I went to the LA auto show today and had the opportunity of seeing some exciting new cars and taking a few photo's.
I have posted the pictures and comments on the show here .... So if you like cars take a look.

John Key is the new leader of National

John Key the National MP for Helensville is now the new leader of the NZ National Party. The Deputy Leader is now Bill English who had a stint as Leader before Dr Brash, and understands that he will probably never be Leader again.
The National Party list shows Dr Brash as # 3 and it appears that he has taken over the caucus Responsibilities of Spokesman for the Security & Intelligence Service and Spokesman for Relationships with Non-Government Parties. He is also on a select committee in relation to Security & Intelligence.

I wish the National Party well and I expect that they along with strong coalition partners like ACT will be in the position to win the next election.....

Don Brash resigns as Leader of National Party

Dr Don Brash has just resigned as leader of the New Zealand National Party.

He had called a press conference at 1pm after mounting revelations about his leadership in a book by researcher Nicky Hager.

Dr Brash made his announcement to a press conference called at short notice.

His resignation would take effect from a special caucus meeting on Monday, he said. This will probably be John Key's chance to take the leadership. Don Brash has done a great job for National and although there were alligations he certainly did a better job as leader if we compare him to Bill English.

Now is the time for National to take the reigns and build up to a landslide win at the next election...

Onwards and upwards.

Elderly drivers and their license.....

Santa Monica — According to Fox news, an 89-year-old man whose car hurtled through a farmers market at the end of the street from where my office is, killing 10 people, was let off on probation Monday by a judge who said he believed the defendant deserved to go prison but was too ill. It is a hard call as he was negligent in his driving abilities and it makes me wonder if there shold be a more regular auto license test for elderly drivers.

George Russell Weller was convicted Oct. 20 of 10 counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.

Weller, confined to a sickbed, was not in court for his sentencing.

Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson said he agreed completely with the jury and called Weller's actions callous and showing "an enormous indifference to human life."

Weller was 86 when his 1992 Buick Le Sabre plowed at freeway speed into the crowded farmers market on July 16, 2003. In addition to the 10 killed, more than 70 people were injured.

Weller could have received up to 18 years in prison, but the judge said Weller's health problems, including severe heart disease, would make him a burden on prison authorities and taxpayers, and that imprisonment would most likely kill Weller.

Defense attorneys argued that Weller was a victim of "pedal error" in which he panicked and mistook the car's accelerator for the brake. Prosecutors said he was careless to the point of criminal negligence.

The judge noted that Weller had enough control of his vehicle to avoid cars and trucks within the farmers market.

"Mr. Weller chose to steer into the people, plowing into the crowd and literally launching bodies into the air as his car sped 2 1/2 blocks," the judge said. The judge also called Weller's apologies hollow.

The district attorney's office did not make a sentencing recommendation but cited a probation officer's recommendation that Weller spend at least a short time in prison.

"I believe the courts have to be practical as well as principled," the judge said. "I don't see any purpose of sending Mr. Weller to jail or prison. It wouldn't do anybody any good."

Weller, a month short of his 90th birthday, was placed on five years' felony probation. Penalties and fines against him totaled $34,000, and he was also ordered to pay restitution to survivors of those who were killed.

The crash sparked a national debate over whether elderly drivers should be given road and written tests when they renew their licenses.

Although Weller did not testify, a tape of his interview with police immediately after the accident was played in court. He told authorities he did everything he could think of to stop the vehicle, including attempting to throw its gearshift knob into park.

I personally think that when a person hits 70 years old that there should be a test from that age every 2 years until they turn 74 then a driving test every year from then until they hit 80 when it will be necessary for a driving test every 6 months.

It is not a bad thing to do, as peoples driving abilities can deteriorate rapidly upon getting to the 80 year old mark. How often have you seen a blue rinsed Granny riding the clutch in the Toyota as she is looking behind her sholder on a one way road?

That is possible with pople of all age but I truly think that driving testing of the elderly should be mandatory.

If you go swimming in Cape Town ZA

WATCH OUT!!!!!!!

Helen Clark invites George W Bush to NZ

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark confirmed last night she had invited US President George W Bush to New Zealand after the APEC summit in Australia next year. She had also suggested that Mr Bush meet Pacific leaders while in Auckland. Maybe there will be Kava served, that would make for an interesting meeting....

Helen Clark and Mr George W Bush (#43) were attending the Apec leaders summit in Hanoi, Vietnam when Helen invited 43 to NZ (nice pic above).

HELLen spoke informally to Mr Bush for about 15 minutes at the summit. Mr Bush remained highly appreciative of New Zealand's work in Afghanistan and in the Pacific, she said. He was also interested in meeting Pacific Island leaders. I am not sure what else he could say really without wanting to offend anyone, but lets hope 43 makes it to NZ, it will be a good test on NZ's security systems and will bring some good old publicity to NZ.


If George W Bush visited New Zealand he would be the first president to do so since Bill Clinton visited Christchurch and Auckland for the Apec leaders'summit in September 1999. Now that was an interesting time.

Greg Johnson in London UK Dec 20th.

Greg Johnson for the first time in London for many years. This will be a great show..... Tickets selling fast at 16 Quid. Don't miss out.

John McCain is exploring...

(According to CNN) The 2008 race for the White House intensified Thursday as one of the big name Republican players, Sen. John McCain, threw himself into the fray. This is great news in my opinion. John McCain is more popular to most Democrats than Hillary Clinton, so it will be good to see John and Rudy duke it out then give Hillary a knock out punch.

The 70-year-old Arizona senator is the fourth Republican to say they will form an exploratory committee in the race for the GOP presidential nomination since the party took what President Bush called "a thumping" in the midterm elections.

Exploratory committees allow would-be candidates to raise campaign money without having to publicly disclose donations or expenditures.

McCain's name recognition can only be matched by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who filed papers with the Federal Election Commission to form a committee last week. The moderate conservative's performance in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks earned him praise and fame across the nation.

Rep. Duncan Hunter of California, outgoing chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, was the first to form a committee.

On Wednesday, Tommy Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor who headed the Department of Health and Human Services in Bush's Cabinet during his first term, said he is considering a White House bid. An aide said Thompson is expected to create his exploratory committee early next year.

McCain posted a statement on his Web site Wednesday saying the move will "continue my conversation with the American people over the direction of the Republican Party and the future of our country."

"During the next couple of months, I will be talking with my family, friends and supporters about whether to officially announce a run for president," McCain said. "Prior to that decision, the formation of this committee is the first legal step in that process."

McCain is expected to file committee registration paperwork with the FEC on Thursday.

He will also spend the day delivering speeches to the Federalist Society, a group of conservative attorneys, and GOPAC, an education and training center for Republican candidates and activists across the country.

Registered Republicans surveyed in an October CNN poll about their 2008 presidential preferences put Giuliani and McCain at the top of the heap, well ahead of other possible contenders.

Giuliani was the choice of 29 percent; McCain, 27 percent.

I am thinking that either John McCain or Rudy Giuliani would make a great President, although John McCain probably more suitable with his time in the senate. Maybe Giuliani would be a great VP?

Greg Johnson in Hollywood Dec 6th

Come along..... Will be a fun night. Listen to Greg and Ted play all the favorites including Save Yourself from "Here comes the Caviar", Swagger, Liberty and of course the new songs from the soon to be released album "Anyone can say goodbye".

Vladimir Palahnunik (Jack Palance) dies.

According to the NZ Herald. Oscar-winning actor Jack Palance, who starred as a heartless gunslinger in the classic western "Shane," died at his California home on Friday at age 87, his spokesman said.

Palance, who won an Academy Award for playing a tough cowboy in the 1991 comedy "City Slickers" and famously performed one-armed push-ups on stage at the ceremony, died of natural causes, spokesman Dick Guttman said.

He usually played menacing villains and was also nominated for Oscars for "Shane" and 1952's "Sudden Fear," in which he played opposite Joan Crawford as a man out to kill his wife.

Born Vladimir Palahnuik in Pennsylvania in 1919, he was a professional boxer and a decorated World War Two veteran before his long career in movies. I rememember him as the host of Ripleys Beleive it or not some years ago. He was good at that.

Guttman said Palance died at his home in Montecito, California, surrounded by members of his family.

RIP

Donald Rumsfeld has resigned

Donald Rumsfeld is to resign with immediate effect.......

He is to be repaced by Robert M Gates upon Senate approval. He served as Director of Central Intelligence from November 6, 1991 until January 20, 1993, capping a 26-year career in the CIA and the National Security Council. Immediately before being nominated to the post of Secretary of Defense, he was the President of Texas A&M University and the National President of the National Eagle Scout Association.

Rumsfeld to resign RUMOR?

It has just been rumored that Donald Rumsfeld is about to resign....

More news soon.

Borat #1 movie in USA.

Forget the predictions that people somewhere wouldn't "get 'Borat'", Sacha Baron Cohen's raucous comedy.

The movie literally swamped the box office on Friday night. According to figures from showbizdata.com, "Borat" took in a whopping $8.925 million on just 800 screens, with a per screen average of $10,663.

"Santa Clause 3," starring Tim Allen, took in only $5.4 million, yet it played on 3,458 screens.

This should put to rest all the predictions based on "tracking" that "Borat" would not be a superstar performer at the box office. The funny thing will be to see all the so-called experts who anticipated the comedy's failure suddenly taking credit for its success.

At this rate, "Borat" should take in around $30 million for the weekend. Next Friday, it expands to 2,200 screens, and then the box office will be limitless. The government of Kazakhstan will have just a few days to suddenly embrace the fun, as "Borat" could wind up grossing $200 million to become the biggest comedy of all time.

I like....

Borat the movie....

I went tonight to Manns theatre in Santa Monica to the premiere of the Borat movie.

It was sold out and I am hoping that the box office puts the movie in the # 1 position.

It was extremely funny, although some of the funnier skits were re hashed from the English version of Borat that I saw many years ago. We went with 10 people and most all of them felt it was one of the funniest movies they have seen. I can't believe that he managed to pull the movie off witout being shot or arrested more than once. I thoroughly recommend it and I for sure will be buying it on DVD for my collection.

Woo Hoo.

Trump cited for having an oversized flagpole

Donald Trump's display of patriotism is apparently too flamboyant for this chic oceanside town of Palm Beach, Florida.

Palm Beach officials cited Trump for hoisting a large American flag atop an 80-foot pole at his lavish Mar-a-Lago estate and club.

Town officials said the real estate mogul has violated zoning codes with a flagpole taller than 42 feet and for erecting it without a building permit and permission from the landmarks board.

Trump has until November 27 to apply for approvals or face a December 21 code enforcement hearing that could result in $250-a-day fines. I am thinking that with The Donalds track record of fighting in court, this may last a while.

"You don't need a permit to put up the American flag," Trump said Tuesday. "The day you need a permit to put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country."

Lee Hanley, vice chairman of the town's landmarks commission, previously said the 15-by-25-foot flag makes the town look like "we have an Okeechobee car dealer," referring to a strip of auto dealerships along Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach.

Trump responded in a letter last week saying that "anyone who objects should not, in my opinion, hold a public office of any kind, at least not in this country."

The flag first appeared outside the estate October 3.

Rumsfeld announces troop increase in Iraq

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has just announced that the USA is about to increase the troop numbers in Iraq. Currently there are less than 325,000 but it is going to be rapidly ramped up to a level which will allow the mission to finally be acomplished. While it is not a pleasant thought to send the military in harms way, it is going to allow the coalition to get things done.

It is my belief that the reason Colin Powell resigned was because his advice to get the deal done in Iraq was to have over 500,000 troops. Lets see if that finally happens.

Happy Halloween

KFC to slash trans fats.

According to CTV.ca. KFC announced Monday that it will switch to a cooking oil free of artery-clogging trans fatty acids in all of its Canadian and U.S. restaurants by early next year. That is a good thing health wise, but will it taste the same?

The fast-food giant said it will start using a healthier cooking oil that will ensure virtually all of the menu items will have zero grams of trans fat.

In Canada, the new canola cooking oil will be gradually phased in through the month of November in all KFC Canada restaurants in British Columbia and the Maritime provinces, followed by Quebec and Ontario.

By early 2007, all 786 KFC restaurants in Canada will have converted to the canola oil, the company said.

KFC Canada's preliminary nutritional analysis shows that the cooking oil has cut saturated fat levels in many products, on average, by 40 per cent.

"We've worked very hard to get virtually all of our products, including our original recipe chicken, to have zero grams of trans fat without compromising the great taste (customers) expect with KFC," said Jeff O'Neill, president and chief operating officer of the Priszm Canadian Income Fund, which operates KFC restaurants in Canada.

In the U.S., KFC will start using zero trans fat soybean oil for its Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken, Potato Wedges and other menu items.

KFC's American rollout is to be completed by April 2007, but the company said many of its approximately 5,500 restaurants already have switched to low linolenic soybean oil, replacing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

The fast-food giant's decision won praise from a Washington, D.C.-based consumer health group that had filed a lawsuit against KFC in the U.S. over what it says can be "startlingly high" levels of trans fats.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is formally withdrawing from the lawsuit, it said in a written statement on Monday.

KFC joins the ranks of burger chain Wendy's International Inc., which has already switched to a zero trans-fat oil amid criticism that fast-food restaurants are contributing to obesity rates.

McDonald's announced in 2003 that it intended to do reduce trans fats in its products. But while the chain has introduced healthier foods, it has yet to follow through on its promise.

"What are McDonald's and Burger King waiting for now?" CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson asked in a statement.

"If KFC, which deep-fries almost everything, can get the artificial trans fat out of its frying oil, anyone can. Colonel Sanders deserves a bucket full of praise."

Meanwhile, the debate on trans fats is expected to heat up south of the border in New York.

Public hearings to discuss the fate of trans fats in restaurants across the city are set to begin on Monday.

If approved, the ban would not extend beyond the city's limits, nor would it affect grocery stores.

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the ingredient is so common that the average American eats 4.7 pounds of trans fats a year.

Many New York eatery owners use ingredients prepared elsewhere, and aren't always aware whether the foods they sell contain trans fats, Neighborhood Retail Alliance Richard Lipsky told The Associated Press.

Experts say the city's food service industry, with its 24,600 establishments, is so large that any ban is likely to be felt across the nation.

"It's going to be the trendsetter for the entire country," Suzanne Vieira, director of the culinary nutrition program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I., told AP.

A Canadian federal task force has proposed new regulations that would see a two per cent limit of total fat content for vegetable oils and soft spreadable tub-type margarines; and a five per cent limit on all other foods containing industrially produced trans fats.

If followed, they would decrease the average trans fat intake of Canadians by at least 55 per cent.

Fats found in foods are made up of four different types of fatty acids, including polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated and trans.

Trans fats are found naturally in some animal-based foods such as dairy products and beef and lamb.

But they are also formed when manufacturers use a chemical process that turns liquid oil into a semi-solid form.

The main benefits of these artery-clogging fats are that they enhance taste, extend shelf life, and break down less easily, which makes them suited to frying.

Trans fats are used in foods made with shortening, margarine or partially hydrogenated oil such as crackers, cookies, donuts, and fried foods like french fries.

Health experts suggest minimizing the consumption of trans fat, as research shows it raises LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, while lowering HDL, the "good" cholesterol.

Studies show that consuming just five grams of trans fats a day over many years boosts the risk of heart disease by 25 per cent.

I am not sure if it is a good idea for the government to dictate what should or should not be in prepared foods? Is'nt it up to you the consumer to decide what you door do not eat? Having said that good on KFC for making the change. I wonder if it will make changes in countries like NZ and Australia too?

First Borat, then Bruno.

From the daily news. Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen is at the centre of a major bidding war to secure exclusive rights to a new film based on his latest character.

Hollywood film company Universal is offering £22 million for the worldwide rights to the film Bruno, based on a flamboyant gay Austrian fashion reporter.

A counter-bid is understood to have come in from Twentieth Century Fox, which was behind the Borat movie.

Further bids are assured as the low-budget Borat attracts rave reviews. Baron Cohen - as actor, writer and producer - is guaranteed at least a 15 per cent share of the deal for Bruno and, if box-office takings are good, his take could spiral into tens of millions. He's already set for a bumper pay day from Borat.

News of the bidding war came just a day after red-faced bosses at Fox admitted they had slashed the number of cinemas at which Borat opens this weekend in the US.

It had been scheduled to open in 2,000 cinemas, but will now open in only 700, which is a silly think for Fox to do. The hype for this movie is massive.

Fox executives pulled the plug on the wide opening after the film tested poorly, leading them to expect scathing reviews.

To their surprise, and now embarrassment, the reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. The film has also received massive coverage in the media.

Fox distribution official Bruce Snyder said studio bosses were now hoping to extend the film to as many cinemas as possible in the coming week.

The new film will feature the character Bruno, made popular from Da Ali G television show in 2000, as he travels around the US where he targets homophobic Americans by showing up at such events as gun shows, with the intention of provoking a reaction.

Like Borat, Bruno will entertain audiences with the same sartorial blunders and level of controversy.

A spokesman for gay rights campaign Stonewall predicts the film may spark off further debate and potential controversy.

"This character will definitely cause a debate especially among the gay community themselves about whether this character is helping to further their cause or make things worse.

"People do have different views, some may find it hilarious and some will take offence. This film is bound to impact the same way the gay character in Little Britain did.

"It seems to be that he is using gay and lesbians in the movie and that seems to be his style with his characters, like he did with Ali G and Borat".

The film Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan looks set to be a hit in both the UK and America despite controversy over his offensive portrayal of Kazakhstan.

Speaking at the Oxford University Union, Erlan Idrissov, UK Ambassador for Kazakhstan added to the debate about the film.

He said: "Sacha Baron Cohen has developed a grotesque character who mocks many people in this society and my own.

"What I saw of the film was not Kazakhstan. He used village people from a very remote part of Eastern Europe. I am also very sorry for the people who acted in Borat's film because he used them for his own self promotion.

"And also I felt sorry for the Americans he duped in his film,that was an utterly rude mocking of American society. I couldn't get rid of a small feeling of being insulted by the film."

Sacha Baron Cohen, a Bafta Award winner for Best Comedy Series in 2001, first hit the screens as Ali G in the channel four series of the Eleven O'clock Show.

Following the success in the UK, the show was then taken over by the US, where it aired on HBO.

Way to go Mr Cohen... Keep up the good work.

AhMADinejad blowing smoke again

The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called Israel a "counterfeit and illegitimate regime that cannot survive", in a live broadcast on state television. He seems to have a lot of concern for Israel. Maybe he should be more concerned with his own land.

"The Zionist regime is counterfeit and illegitimate and cannot survive," he said in a speech to a crowd in the town of Islamshahr in southwestern Tehran. I wonder if Israel will take that as a threat and give him a surprise sometime soon.

"The big powers have created this fraud regime and allowed it to commit all kind of crimes to guarantee their interests," he added.

The Iranian President is a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic.

300 million people in USA

According to the AP. The nation's population officially hit 300 million at 7:46 a.m. EDT Tuesday, when the Census Bureau's population clock rolled over to the big number.

But there weren't any wild celebrations, fireworks or any other government-sponsored hoopla to mark the milestone. Why bother? Many experts think the population actually hit 300 million months ago.

"I don't think anybody believes it will be the precise moment when the population hits 300 million," Howard Hogan, the Census Bureau's associate director for demographic programs, said in an interview before the milestone was reached. But, he added, "We're confident that we're somewhat close."

It's not easy estimating the exact number of people in a country the size of the United States. It gets even more complicated when you take into account illegal immigration, another reason for the federal government to let the milestone pass quietly.

When the U.S. population officially hit 200 million in 1967, President Johnson held a news conference at the Commerce Department to hail America's past and to talk about the challenges ahead. Life magazine dispatched a cadre of photographers to find a baby born at the exact moment, anointing a boy born in Atlanta as the 200 millionth American.

This year, there's a good chance the 300 millionth American has already walked across the border from Mexico.

"It's a couple of weeks before an election when illegal immigration is a high-profile issue and they don't want to make a big deal out of it," said William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.

Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said the Bush administration isn't playing down the milestone, though he said he had no plans for Tuesday. Census Bureau employees planned to mark the moment Tuesday afternoon with cake and punch.

"I would hate to think that we are going to be low key about this," said Gutierrez, whose department oversees the Census Bureau. "I would hope that we make a big deal about it."

Gutierrez said America's growing population is good for the economy. He noted that Japan and some European countries expect to lose population in the next few decades, raising concerns that there won't be enough young people entering the work force to support aging populations.

"This is one more area where we seem to have an advantage," Gutierrez said. "We should all feel good about reaching this milestone."

The U.S. adds about 2.8 million people a year, for a growth rate of less than 1 percent. About 40 percent of the growth comes from immigration. The rest comes from births outnumbering deaths.

The Census Bureau counts the population every 10 years. In between, it uses administrative records and surveys to estimate monthly averages for births, deaths and net immigration. The bureau has a "population clock" that estimates a birth every seven seconds, a death every 13 seconds and a new immigrant every 31 seconds. Add it together and you get one new American every 11 seconds.

The 300 millionth American - born months ago or on Tuesday - is probably Hispanic because they are the fastest growing demographic group in the U.S., Frey said.

Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center, said the Census Bureau has improved its population estimates in the past few years, but it still undercounts illegal immigrants.

There are an estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. Experts differ on the specifics, but many estimate that more than 1 million of them don't show up in census figures.

"The census clearly misses people," said Passel, a former Census Bureau employee who used to help estimate the undercount. "Having said that, when they crossed 200 million, they were missing about 5 million people. We think the 2000 census missed a lot less than 5 million people."

Greg Johnson to play in London England

London England. Bloomsbury Theatre Dec 20th!
Greg Johnson and the band will be performing in London at the end of December before the release on Baria Records of "Here Comes The Caviar" in the UK... more shows and ticket details very soon...kiwis in London please start spreading the word!!!

Squaw Valley USA

I am off to Squaw Valley, Tahoe tomorrow to do some business for www.distinctiveholidayhomes.com As I have said before if you haven't been there you should do it, and what an opportunity it would be for you if you were a member of Distinctive Holiday Homes. Squaw Valley has some of the best skiing in North America, and the snow is due very soon.

Ban Ki-Moon for U.N Secretary General

South Korea's foreign minister kept his spot as the clear favorite in the race to succeed U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in an informal poll Thursday, the only one among the seven candidates to get the needed majority of votes. There appears to be no mention of HELLen Clark's name at this stage contrary to reports mentioned on this blog before.

Ban Ki-Moon received 13 votes in favor, one against and one of no opinion, China's U.N. Ambassador Wang Guangya said. He slipped slightly from the previous poll, held Sept. 14, when he received 14 votes in favor and one against.

Despite that dominating lead, the secrecy of the ballot meant it was not known whether he got the necessary approval of all five veto wielding members of the council, and the ballot is difficult to interpret. The results could either give Ban the momentum he needs to win or clear the field for more people to enter the race. Maybe HELLen is waiting for the South Korean to get booted before jumping in.

The 15 council nations checked one of three boxes for each candidate: "Encourage," "discourage," and "no opinion." Secretary-General Kofi Annan steps down on Dec. 31, when his second five-year term expires. Thank goodness for that. It is time for a change at the U.N.

Bangladesh's U.N. Ambassador Iftekhar Chowdhury said he attended a speech Ban gave on Wednesday and approved.

"He came out quite good mature, balanced, and with the right amount of experience, gravitas, the qualities that you seek in a secretary-general," Chowdhury said. "We think he'll make an excellent secretary-general, of course."

None of other six candidates to succeed Secretary-General Kofi Annan even got the necessary nine favorable votes to make their campaigns viable.

As with the previous two polls, Shashi Tharoor, the Indian U.N. undersecretary-general, was second, with eight in favor, three against and four undecided. Latvia's President Vaira Vike-Freiberga was third with seven in favor, six against and two undecided.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who was the first to announce his candidacy last year, received five favorable votes and seven against, worse than last time and likely the result of a coup back home.

The other three candidates former U.N. disarmament chief Jayantha Dhanapala, Jordan's U.N. Ambassador Prince Zeid al Hussein and former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani received only three votes in favor.

In the next straw poll, set for Monday, the five veto-wielding members of the council will use different colored ballots than the other 10. A veto from one of the five Britain, China, France, Russia or the United States could doom their campaigns.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said he would have preferred the colored ballots Thursday.

"We should have had a differentiated ballot today," Bolton said in a statement. "I look forward to a real vote on Monday, when we'll have two different colored ballots.

Interesting indeed..... Wonder if there is any bribary going on behind the scenes?

White House gates shut on Borat

This is funny just imagining what the guards at the White House in Washington DC were thinking when Borat tried to invite President Bush to the screening of his new movie with O.J Simpson.

I am really looking forwards to seeing the new Borat movie... LOL

Funny stuff

Update: President Bush is due to meet with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev today. The Kazakh President is expected to lay a complaint to GWB about Borat...

Way to go Vodafone

A friend of mine had this idea about 7 years ago when he was in control of a large internet company. I always though that it was a very good idea and I am glad that Vodafone are releasing this service soon.

Check this out

Good idea.

Dow Jones record high.

The Dow Jones industrial average topped its record-high close this morning, reaching a milestone in Wall Street's recovery from nearly seven years of corporate upheaval, economic recession and the impact of terrorism. The previous high close was 11,722.98 set on Jan. 14, 2000.

Lifted by growing optimism about stable interest rates and a soft landing for the economy, the Dow rose to 11,724.86 in morning trading, before slipping back to 11,699.08. It faced one more milestone, its intraday high of 11,750.28, before it could move into uncharted territory.

Where do we go from here...?

Lieberman in the lead

Sen. Joe Lieberman has a 10-point advantage over Democrat Ned Lamont among likely Connecticut voters, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

Lieberman, a three-term Democrat running as an independent after losing the party nomination in a primary, is favored by 49 percent to 39 percent over Lamont in the three-way race. Republican Alan Schlesinger has a lot of work to do as he trails with 5 percent.

The race has tightened slightly since an Aug. 17 poll that showed Lieberman leading 53 percent to 41 percent.

"Ned Lamont has lost momentum," said poll director Douglas Schwartz said. "He's gained only two points in six weeks. He's going to have to do something different in the next six weeks or ... Lieberman stays in for another six years."

The race is seen as many as a referendum on President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Lamont, a political newcomer and multimillionaire, ran on an anti-war platform to upset Lieberman in the Aug. 8 primary.

Lieberman, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2000, is a staunch supporter of the war.

The Quinnipiac poll showed that Lieberman has higher favorability ratings among likely voters, 51 percent to Lamont's 31 percent. While Lamont has slightly higher favorability numbers among Democrats (47 percent to 43 percent), Lieberman far outdistances his challenger among likely Republican and unaffiliated voters. Seventy percent of Republicans view Lieberman favorably compared to 12 percent for Lamont, and 48 percent of independent voters view Lieberman favorably compared to 30 percent for Lamont.

Unaffiliated voters outnumber Democrats and Republicans in the state.

"Lamont wins among those who say Iraq is the most important issue to their vote, but that is only 35 percent of the electorate," Schwartz said. "Lieberman wins on all the other issues voters say matter most to them, including terrorism and the economy."

The telephone poll was conducted between Sept. 21-25. Quinnipiac surveyed 1,181 likely voters and the poll has a sampling error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

American politics are very interesting indeed.

National Party up by 11 points?

National looks to have jumped to an 11-point lead over Labour in the latest One News opinion poll released on Sunday night NZ time.

It was the first poll to be taken since revelations about Don Brash's personal life, and was conducted in the middle of the current round of political mudslinging about the sexuality of the PM and her husband.

The One News Colmar Brunton poll puts National up 4 to 49 percent and Labour down 5 to 38.

The Greens are on six, up from 3 percent in the previous poll, with it being the only minor party above 5 percent. ACT is still below 1%, and the Maori Party is steady on 3%.

I guess it is possible for National to get into a majority position without the need to work with any of the other parties, but in the mean time ACT must keep working hard to get above the threshhold. It is possible, but something needs to be implemented very shortly to do so.

The poll of 1,200 people has a margin of error of two-point-eight percent

Jackass #2

Last night I viewed Jackass #2 on the 3rd Street Promonade in Santa Monica.

There was some extremely funny parts of the movie and there was some extremely demented and sick parts to the movie.

Be afraid be very afraid.

They played the trailer for the Borat movie coming out in November.... I cant wait.

Guns and Roses ROCKS

I went to Las Vegas on Saturday to attend a Guns and Roses concert at The Joint in The Hard Rock Cafe. We arrived at the venue, got a mandatory JD and ginger-ale,and proceeded to the club. I was impressed by the smallness of the room, and I really don't think that there was any more than 2000 people there. I was 4 rows maybe 5 from the front and it was standing room only. I was in a great position.

Axl and the band was really on form, and played for close to 3 hours with what seemed like 3 encores. Close to the end of the show Axl sort of slipped in "No he is not here and he's not playing tonight". I was sort of hoping that he "Slash" was going to make an appearance, but I wasn't expecting it. The song of the night was My Michelle, although Rocket Queen, Paradise City, November Rain, Out to get me and everything else simply......

ROCKED

If you are a fan and get the opportunity to see G'N'F'N'R anywhere. Do it.

You will not be disappointed if it is as good as the show I went too. It was outstanding.

Rock on Guns and Roses.

Bush to meet Borat

Spectacular......

AhMADinejad to visit New York

Iranian President Mahmoud AhMADinejad will visit Senegal on Wednesday, kicking off a major international trip that will also take him to Cuba, Venezuela and the United Nations.

AhMADinejad would then head to Havana for a summit of Non-Aligned Movement leaders which will take place on Friday and Saturday before jetting on to Venezuela for a one day visit with Chavez. It is not my idea of a party with AhMADinejad and Chavez in one room, although it could make for some Borat style humor.

AhMADinejad will then visit New York on September 18, 19, 20 to take part in the general assembly of the United Nations. He will give his speech on the first day of his stay at the United Nations," said Jahandideh.

AhMADinejad had already made clear his intention to travel to the United Nations in New York and even challenged US President George W. Bush to a debate there, a proposal rejected by the White House.

Wonder where he will stay in NY? Probably at the UN as I can't imagine him getting a visa to go site seeing in Manhattan.

September 11th 2006

It has been 5 years. It is eerily quiet today in LA. Let us not forget.

Peter Brock 05 RIP

It is sad to see that my favorite Australian motor racer Peter Brock has passed on after a vehicle accident. Brock was participating in a rally in Western Australia when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a tree.

I always enjoyed watching Brock kick ass in the 05 Holden's at Bathurst.

Peter Brock's adoption of the number 05 was to highlight the Victorian Governments 05 blood alcohol limit to the public. So from 1975, Brock maintained 05 as his car number even when as Australian Touring Car Champion, he was entitled to use the number one.

He raced Fords for a short period and also raced Volvo, but he will best be remembered as the King of Mount Panarama in the 05 Holden's.

One word.... Bugger.

The guy was a legend.

Helen Clark for UN Secretary General?

New Zealand's Prime Minister Helen Clark has been named by Time magazine as a possible contender for the role of United Nations secretary general.

United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan steps down at the end of this year, couldn't be sooner in my opinion, and there has been speculation about who will replace him.

Speculation is that no candidate should come from one of the five nations with a permanent seat at the UN Security Council. This ruled out candidates from the United States, Britain, France, Russia or China, although Bill Clinton would probably be good for the job.

To win the post of Secretary General, a candidate must have the backing of all five permanent members. With NZ's interesting attitude towards USA under the leadership of Helen Clark, do you think that she'd get the nod from them?

Helen Clark said last month that she had had no approach about the UN secretary general job and she is enjoying being the PM of NZ. Although she may now need the money to pay back the public. Maybe she should apply.

NZ has had a good record of sending our ex PM's and public figures into the international spotlight in leadership roles. Mike Moore and Don McKinnon are two that come to mind.

The next Secretary General of the UN needs to have a firm handshake, big balls, and can't be a walk over. They can't be overly staunch and one sided, and need to have an ability to get out there and do the business. Helen Clark has not been the most diplomatic PM, but she does like travel, and I wouldn't call her a walkover. I think she has all of the attributes to be the next Secretary General of the UN.

This will also allow for new leadership in the Labor Party. It is time.

Crocodile Hunter is dead

The likeable crocodile hunter Steve Irvin has been killed by a stingray while making a documentary off the coast of Cairns in North Queensland. It seems that the stingray punctured his heart and he was pronounced dead as the ambulance arrived.

Many would have expected him to have been eaten by a crocodile or bitten by a snake, but up to this date his biggest complaint was that of a parrot bite.

He certainly was an interesting and entertaining character, I must say I enjoyed watching his shows.

RIP Croc Hunter.

Apple Ipod 60GB

I took the liberty of purchasing the new black 60gb Ipod from Apple the other day. The ipod mini that was given to me by a friend for a best man gift decided to spit out it's battery, so I had to move fast to get a replacement before my airplane trip to Colorado.

I am amazed on how good the video function is. I downloaded to itunes for a low price of $1.99 a meet the press clip of Ronald Reagan in 1966 when he declared his Republican candidacy for Governor of California. The clip was great and although it was black and white the presentation was magnificent.

Now I downloaded an episode of Jackass and Punk'd both in color which I will view on the way back.

The battery is meant to last 20 hours, but I will confirm that later, and it should hold about 15,000 songs, so I am impressed.

I wonder what Apple will think of next?

Beaver Creek Colorado

I am taking time to review the renovations on the home Distinctive Holiday Homes owns here in Beaver Creek Colorado. The house is about 7000 sq feet and is complete with 6 bedrooms, 7.5 bathrooms, a media room, pool table, spa pool and a couple of steam rooms. The renovations took about 4 months and the house is looking great.

Last night after I arrived here from Los Angeles, I noticed on the news that the terror threat for internal flights within the USA had been increased... I am glad my flights were trouble free, other than a bit of turbulence over the rockies before landing.

Beaver Creek is a magnificent place, the skiing is great, the dining is great, and it is really peaceful here. During the summer months there is golf course which is utalized regularly by the golfers in the area.

If you get the opportunity join Distinctive Holiday Homes and visit Beaver Creek.

Distinctive holiday homes

Today at 6am EST the web site for Distinctive Holiday Homes was launched. Distinctive Holiday Homes is a top class property club that makes for truly spectacular vacations.

Visit the site: www.distinctiveholidayhomes.com

Reagan Ranch; Rancho Del Cielo

Yesterday I had the privilege of joining Shane Frith, David Farrar (both pictured below in front of the home on Rancho del Cielo) and other right wing thinking young folk involved with the IYDU to an incite of the 40th President of the United States of America, Ronald W Reagan. It was a spectacular and very informing day.



After I arrived in Santa Barbara the first speaker was Presidential speech writer Peter Robinson. He spent six years in the White House, serving from 1982 to 1983 as chief speechwriter to Vice President George Bush and from 1983 to 1988 as special assistant and speechwriter to President Ronald Reagan. How he got the job was very interesting, but I guess that if we were at the Auckland Club that would be Chatham House rules.


Peter wrote the historic Berlin Wall address in which President Reagan called on Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall!". From the sounds of it, it went down to the wire as to weather the words "tear down this wall" were to be included in the legendary speech that may well have been the straw that broke the camels back for communism. Contrary to advice given to him, the President chose to use the words and history was made.

This is me with Mr Robinson in front of a authentic piece of the Berlin Wall. It is just a pity that my eyes are shut......



After the very informative speech by Mr Robinson, we hopped aboard a bus for the 45 minute drive to "The Western White House", The Reagans 688 Acre ranch called Rancho del Cielo "Ranch in the sky". The property was reported to have been purchased by Governor of California and First Lady Reagan for $547,000 towards the end of his second term in 1974.

The property is not opened to the public and was purchased from Nancy Reagan by the Young America's Foundation in 1997 for around $4million. The property was left in it's original state as built by the President and is fully furnished including the book Witness by Whittaker Chambers which was a book that the President used as a guide during his time in office.

It was truly amazing to see the property and the humble home which had no A/C or fan in the bathroom from what I could see. The main house would have been less than 1000 Sq Ft and consisted of two bedrooms, a dining room with a magnificent outlook over the ranch and a 70's style kitchen. We were told that although the President didn't like to drink often, his favorite beverage with alcohol was a screwdriver which he would mix up in the small bar by the kitchen. I was pleased to see a sheep skin on the floor which was from New Zealand..... Maybe Mr and Mrs Muldoon visited the ranch at one point?

Out on the front lawn by the lake that Ronald Reagan dug out, John Barletta the Presidents riding partner and Secret Service agent gave us a speech about the President and gave us some great stories. John was with the President for 18 years and became one of his best friends. He has written a book called Riding with Reagan which has a lot of great stories about the President on the ranch.

John Barletta in the middle with myself and a gentleman from the Canadian contingent.


One in particular was funny. There was a grey heron that used to torment the goldfish and animals on the ranch. It was known to be particularly snappy and The Gipper was not to fond of it. One day the President spotted the bird and pulled out a pistol and fired a shot. We were not told if it connected with the heron, but what is known is that 50 secret service agents in their office just up the hill heard this shot and presumed the worse. They radioed John and asked for info. He said that all was fine as the President had shot.... They were not the best of words for him to pick, creating a massive panic for 50 agents. All was quickly sorted out and John promised to inform the agents before anything like that happened again.

Lake Lucky and the dock Ronald Reagan built by hand.


After having a nice time with John Barletta, we went for a tour of the ranch. We first went to a new area which has been added since the Reagan's sold the property. This is the area where all the people who donate to the project are honored called Freedom Wall. I have a nice picture of David Farrar next to a bronze of RWR with his cowboy hat on.



From there we walked to the Presidents utility shed complete with Jeep, an as new Subaru Brat, and this.......

The First Lawnmover complete with the seal of the President of the USA on the hood.... I particularly liked this one.



I then had the honor of ringing the bell that #40 would ring to notify Mrs Reagan that her horse was ready to mount ( pardon the pun ) in which they would ride off into the yonder accompanied by John Barletta and a swarm of Secret Service agents.



It was extremely peaceful up there, and I can see how anyone would like to use the place to relax (not that the President did much of that) think and recharge.

A magnificent day and I thank IYDU for the opportunity. It was also great to catch up with Shane and his "fiance", as well as meeting Kiwiblog author David Farrar.

Guns and Roses September 16th in Las Vegas

I am very excited to have just purchased 4 tickets to Guns and Roses's first West Coast gig in Las Vegas in quite some time.

The gig is to be held at The Joint at the Hard Rock Cafe on September 16th and according to reasonable reports, the venue holds 1500 people...

Last time I saw G'N'R play it was Axl's 30th birthday in Auckland NZ. He is now 44 I believe, so I hope he is ready to Rock and Roll.

The much anticipated album Chinese Democracy is due out sometime this year, and according the AXL on K-ROQ radio on Friday, we should expect to hear 5-7 of the new songs at the concert...

I can't wait.

President of Iran interview with Mike Wallace 60 Minutes

I just watched on CSPAN 2 versions of the interview presented to the public last night, by 88 year old veteran reporter Mike Wallace, of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

I must say that both versions were of interest, but the uncut version which was run exclusively on CSPAN tonight was the best. I am of the understanding that the Iranian President requested that CSPAN run the uncut version tonight, and I am glad they did.

It is very obvious that the Iranian President is not Israel's biggest fan calling Israel and everyone he does not like zionists. He never once said the word Israel to what I could hear and he still seems to be confused about the holocaust. He thinks that there needs to be more research on the subject and thinks that there is governments or people out there not allowing further research into the gruesome subject. He wonders why if the Nazi's caused the holocaust why it is that the Jewish people claim in his words Palestine as their new homeland, and not somewhere else.

He stated the Iran is a peaceful country having not initiated an invasion or caused a war with any country for over 200 years. He was quick to quote that since the US has been in place he is of the opinion that the US has started 105 wars or invasions....

He was very cagey and evaded the direct questions with a smile and another question. Some people are commenting that Mike Wallace was condescending to the Iranian President, but I couldn't see that. I am sure if he was interviewing George Bush or Tony Blair, or Helen Clark for that matter that he would have been just as direct with them.

It seemed very clear to me that in the interview the Iranian President was trying to reach out to the west by saying that he believed in peace and that his interests in nuclear technology is for generating power for the future of his country. He feels that the west wants to control the generation of power so as they can push their ideas upon the rest of the world, and he does not like oppression that he says US is putting upon his friends in Iraq.

The question was put to him of what he thought of US President George Bush. He managed not to say anything derogatory per SE, but inferred that his letter (all 18 pages of it) to the US President he was trying to I guess give him advice and ask questions as why a man who believes in Jesus would be invading other countries and supposably causing oppression... He did bluff over the question that Iran is supplying ammunition to hezbollah by saying that USA is supplying ammunition and technology to Israel. He quoted UN resolutions a few times by stating that anyone is allowed to defend their home.... Seems that he has prepared for the interview.

He stated that it has been 26-27 years since high level correspondence has been between the USA and Iran. He says that it was not Iran that cut ties, and is seems rather obvious to me that by writing his letter, creating a new blog, and doing this interview that he is interested in talks with the USA, or at least sympathy from the general US public.

Having said that I still think he is a dangerous man who cunningly accepted this interview with Mike Wallace so as the UN (who he may well think of zionist's too) will not be as harsh on Iran when it is time for sanctions and anything else that may come Iran's way.

He shot down that comment that his letter to President Bush was a publicity stunt and I can see some folk over here wondering why George Bush didn't reply....

I think that what his plan was.....

The interview was interesting.... If you get the opportunity to see it do so.

After watching the interview, I guess I have some questions.....

Do you think that the President of Iran should have been given the interview, and do you think that George Bush in good faith should have replied to the President of Iran's 18 page letter?

A whole lot of riff raff from AhMADinejad

I came across the news on Reuters that the President of Iran has created a blog / website dedicated to himself. It is not nearly as good as ACT Leader Rodney Hide's site, but just for the curiosity of it here is the link.

http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/

P.S I am not a fan of AhMADinejad and this link is here just so you can see what sort misguided person he is.

Not very Presidential

A picture I don't like...

Jenson Button wins in Hungary

After 113 Grand Prix starts Englishman Jenson Button with Honda finally wins a race.

Congratulations.... Well deserved.

Both Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher had to retire from todays race, along with Kimi who started from pole position in Hungary....

A magnificent race indeed.

Villeneuve off to NASCAR in 2007?

It is rumored that BMW F1 driver Jacques Villeneuve could be heading for NASCAR next year. This was recently reported in the Journal de Montreal newspaper. The story suggested that Villeneuve has already signed a pre contract with a NASCAR team conditional on him not finding an F1 drive. He would spend one season racing in the Busch Series and then move into the Nextel Cup in 2008. The existence of a deal has been denied by Villeneuve, but it is clear that there is contact with NASCAR teams.

It has been said before, but with what is happening in Hungary at the moment with the 3rd driver replacing Jacques, there seems to be very little chance of Villeneuve returning to F1 again.

This would really boost the ratings of NASCAR with Juan Pablo Montoya already confirmed with Ganassi NASCAR next year. Nothing like seeing Jacques and JPM wheel to wheel.

Plus the money is very good in NASCAR and you can race well into your 40's.

Way to go I guess, although F1 wont be the same without Villeneuve and Montoya.

Cow crap powers your Ferrari...

Dallas Texas USA... Panda Ethanol Inc. announced that its Hereford subsidiary has successfully completed the debt financing on its 100 million gallon ethanol plant in Hereford, Texas. The company will immediately begin facility construction on the 380-acre site and anticipates ethanol production to commence in the second half of 2007.

The first of its kind facility will generate the steam used to manufacture ethanol by gasifying more than 1 billion pounds of cow manure a year, making it one of the most fuel efficient ethanol refineries in the nation. Once completed, it will be the largest biomass fueled ethanol plant in the United States.

This is fantastic news. Not only is the manure plentiful in Hereford, but when the process is finished you have Ethanol, warm water and ash which can be used for making concrete. The plant is expected to be 90% self sufficient.

I have been posting on Ethanol before, and I must say that the Govt of NZ should be closely watching and learning about Panda Ethanol Inc. It would not hurt NZ to start up an self sufficient ethanol plant that will provide renewable fuel for locals without relying on foreign oil.

Hereford has been dubbed the Saudi Arabia of dung.... At least a company with some ingenuity has taken advantage of the situation.

Shouldn't NZ be working on something like this too?

A message from the Governor of California

Gov Arnold Schwarzenegger
Maybe a message similar to this will help grow momentum for smaller right wing parties in NZ?

Castro hands over power to brother in Cuba

Veteran Cuban leader Fidel Castro has temporarily handed power to his brother Raul because of illness.

A statement written by the president and read out on TV by his personal secretary said Mr Castro had undergone surgery to halt internal bleeding.

The Cuban leader, who turns 80 this month, said a punishing schedule in recent weeks had affected his health. He has not been in the best of health for a couple of years.

This is the first time Mr Castro has relinquished any of his duties since he came to power in 1959, which means that it must be more than small surgery for this to happen.

Raul Castro, the defence minister, has long been designated as his successor should he become incapacitated.

Cuba has a communist style, one-party system.

In his statement, Fidel Castro said a recent trip to Argentina and last week's anniversary of the Cuban Revolution had caused him "days and nights of non-stop work" and put him under "extreme stress", resulting intestinal bleeding he said, which meant he needed an operation which would require several weeks of rest.

"Since our country is threatened by the US Government under circumstances such as these," the statement said, Mr Castro had delegated his functions as president and first secretary of the Communist Party to his brother Raul, who is 75.

The BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Havana says the fact that the Cuban leader did not appear in person to read the letter has added to speculation about the gravity of his condition. Is Castro dead?

There is no question that something serious is happening to Fidel, and this may be a major turning point for Cuba.

Handing over the reins of power will be a shock to many Cubans, 70% of whom have known no other leader, our correspondent says - and the external enemies of Mr Castro will doubtless believe this is the moment for change.

Fidel Castro has been among the world's longest-ruling leaders - outlasting nine US presidents.

The White House said it was monitoring the situation, but did not wish to speculate on Mr Castro's health.

"We will continue to work for the day of Cuba's freedom," said spokesman Peter Watkins.

***Update*** He is back and recovering nicely, according to himself.