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.

Happenings 7/31/6

I have been busy. I went to Squaw Valley Lake Tahoe to list for sale the property the company owns. It was fantastic weather and was nice to have a day up there. If you'd be interested in a magnificent home in California within a mile +/- of world class Squaw Valley ski resort, then let me know... $2,998,888 US.

Gregory Johnson and Ted Brown arrived back in cooking California over the weekend, I have now got my copy of "Anyone can say goodbye". It is a great album, and I'd like to remind those of you in New Zealand to buy it. The first single "Now the sun is out" is currently # 2 on the Top AC charts in New Zealand, way to go Greg and Ted.

My folks went to the ACT conference over the weekend and were impressed with what Rodney, the President and others had to say.. It sounds like the momentum is building for ACT in NZ, and that is good for everyone.... Lower Taxes...... Vote ACT.

The War in Lebanon and Israel is still happening.. I hope that an agreement happens very soon.

The Santa Monica Daily Press wrote a well informed front page story on the suicide of my dear friend and US Army Sgt. Ananda Das McClure. They interviewed his bride Laura for the true story which is still very sad to all of us here who know Laura and knew Ananda. Please read it and feel free to comment.
Hurting on the home front

Happy birthday Paul "Moo" Bartley

Happy birthday Paul CockI Buddy L Bathbags Moo Bartley....

Getting a little older on July 29th 2006.

Would you drink recycled sewage? Toowoomba in Australia is considering it.

Residents of a drought-stricken Australian town of Toowoomba will vote this week on whether they're prepared to drink water recycled from sewage (yummy) the first such scheme in the country and one of only a handful in the world.

The town of Toowoomba in the state of Queensland is DIVIDED about drinking recycled water, although the town has faced water restrictions for a decade.

Local Mayor Dianne Thorley, who is leading the "Yes" campaign, said that without drought-breaking rains the town's dams could dry up within two years.

She insisted the 73 million dollar (US 55 million dollar) plan to pump purified wastewater back into the main reservoir for drinking was safe.
peline to be built to bring water from a nearby reservoir.

"Somewhere, sometime we have got to stand up and change the way we are doing things," she told AFP as the town prepared for the July 29 referendum.

"Otherwise our great grandchildren are going to be living in something like the Sahara desert."

A vocal "No" campaign opposes the proposal, and says there are unforeseeable health risks for the town's 100,000 residents.

"The scientists say it should be safe," said local councillor Keith Beer, one of three members of the nine-strong council that opposes the plan. "That is not good enough for me, for my kids and my grandkids."

Toowoomba City Council says the solution is recycling effluent and pumping it back into reservoirs for drinking a system known as planned indirect potable reuse.

The wastewater would pass through seven cleansing and treatment processes including ultraviolet disinfection, advanced oxidation and ultrafiltration before being pumped into the town's Cooby Dam.

It would remain in the reservoir for up to three years for testing, before being pumped through the town's existing water treatment plant.

Similar schemes are up and running elsewhere in the world.

Since 1976, authorities in Orange County, California have injected purified wastewater into an undergroud aquifer (no tap water for me at Disneyland) and since 1978, the Occoquan Reservoir in North Virginia has been topped up with recycled water.

In Singapore, one percent of supply has come from recycled water since 2003. But opponents say the scale of the Toowoomba project, under which 25 percent of the town's supply would be recycled, is unprecedented.

"Nowhere else in the world deliberately drinks water reclaimed from sewage to the degree proposed by Toowoomba," the No campaign website says. "Any water supply for over 100,000 people should use tried and proven methods. We are not guinea pigs."

Maybe they can recycle the sewage for watering purposes and pipe in water from another place? I would have to buy a lot of bottled water if I lived near Toowoomba if this passes through......

Would you drink recycled water?

***Update*** The residents of Toowoomba voted against the proposal surprisingly enough.

Secretary Rice visits Beirut

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice , left, shakes hands with Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, right, at the government house, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 24, 2006. Rice made a surprise visit to Lebanon to launch diplomatic efforts aimed at ending 13 days of fighting as Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into the country in heavy fighting with Hezbollah guerrillas.

It is good to see that President Bush had her stop off in Beirut first. It really says that the enemy is hezbollah and not the average Lebanese person. I can see that there is diplomacy in action, and the US is trying to prevent Iran stepping in and causing a catastrophe and possibly WWIII. Thing is.... what does Israel have planned? I am sure that the US has helped or at least knows what it is, but once they start they rarely back down until the job is complete....
Maybe we need Israeli troops assisting us in Iraq?

Lebanon had a deal with Israel that they would control or eradicate hezbollah from Israel's northern border, this has not happened and Israel has to go and deal with this by itself.....

I hope everything gets sorted soon, but good on Secretary Rice for working with Beirut first.

File note: Doesn't Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Saniora look like previous Auckland Mayor John Banks?

Greg Johnson: Anyone can say goodbye

Gregory Johnson who has been living in sunny Santa Monica California for the last 5 years, has just released in NZ his new album "Anyone can say goodbye". He recorded it here in USA with his trusty and talented friend Teddy Brown, and it is very very good indeed. His previous album which I believe is Platinum in NZ was released in USA by Baria records a month or two ago to much acclaim.

Anyone can say goodbye is already jumping up the charts in New Zealand in it's first week of release, and the first single "Now the sun is out" is getting plenty of airplay.

Greg and Ted are currently touring NZ promoting the new album, and are due back in the USA to begin a rigorous touring schedule that will bring them much success.

If you are in the USA buy "Here comes the caviar" from Borders or Amazon.com

If you are in NZ, take advantage of the early release of "Anyone can say goodbye" and buy it before it sells out.....

Below is a list of songs you will find on "Anyone can say goodbye". I even hear that if you look in the back cover you might see mention of ME?

1. California's Fine
2. Anyone Can Say Goodbye
3. Venom
4. Now the Sun Is Out
5. Mountains
6. Horses
7. New Car Smell
8. Star Of the Show
9. Maybe Your True Love
10.When the Rain Comes

Keep up the good work Greg and Ted.......

Happenings....

SO George W Bush said sh%t, watch his ratings increase next week....

Winston upset the NZ media in DC, but he did manage to get meetings with the guy that may well be the next President Senator John McCain, and Secretary of State Dr Rice. I'd say Winston did a good job. He is a smart guy, and I am sure he impressed them all. Certainly good to have Senator McCain pushing for a free trade agreement, and Dr Rice having the time to even talk to Winston at this time.

Isreal are dropping bombs in Lebanon, will this lead to WWIII? I certainly hope not. Iran should be quiet and stay away. I would like to think that the issue will be sorted promptly, with the release of the Israeli hostages...... Something really needs to be done in that part of the world.... It seems that it will take generations for the hatred to disband..... Why can't we all just get along?

The weather is very very hot in the USA at the moment.... I wonder if there will be blackouts (like in Auckland) due to excessive power use for A/C? Maybe it is a good time to build more nuclear power plants?

Has anyone heard about Bin Laden lately? Will Saddam finally stop his hunger strike?

What is the deal with Don Brash's approval ratings? Is ACT planning a massive comeback? Will it work?

G8

Interesting photo, can you name all of the leaders? I hope that they managed to get down to business and get some serious work done.... It is entirely possible as Newt Gingrich says that we could well be heading into WWIII.....

That would not be good.

An exciting couple of weekends... #2 Las Vegas

On Thursday I picked up my friend Ryan from Calgary at the Los Angeles airport, and we promptly drove to Las Vegas after stopping at In N Out burger for a #1 combo.

As with the road trip to Prakash and Priya's wedding the week before, I was very happy with the fuel economy of my car, which made it to Vegas in less than a tank of fuel.



We got to the Mandalay Bay on the Strip in about 6 hours, as the traffic was horrid and I guess we left at the wrong time. The others that were meeting for the UFC fights on Saturday were held up in Calgary, so Ryan and I went to the casino and met with a former colleague and friend of mine Mat Simper for a buffet dinner Vegas style. We then proceeded to go to Rumjungle club for a quick beverage... Thursday night was a bit quiet.

The others were there from Calgary on Friday, so we went to the beach pool and to the Luxor Hotel for a lunch and the world largest marguerita. Friday night was interesting, a couple of the guys were a bit up on the casino, and they certainly enjoyed the free beverages while gambling. I had spent my $40 budget, so I was a bystander for most of the gambling time, although I quite like the free drinks, and the wheel of fortune one armed bandit machine is very tempting, although the house normally wins.

I took this photo of the Vegas airport from my hotel room. The planes that you can see parked up are the unmarked 737's that ferry workers from Vegas to Area 51 which is the top secret US Airforce base about 80 miles north of Las Vegas. I would like to see what the military has hiding out there...



On Saturday I drove up the strip to look at a piece of property that is for sale in which I have been working on selling. The outside temp was about 42 C. Phew



I then proceeded to go to Henderson Nevada where Mat Simper lives. He lives in a great subdivision and it is about 20 minutes from the strip. We hopped in the car and proceeded to drive to the Hoover Dam which is on the Nevada Arizona border. It is an amazing piece of construction and as you can tell Mat seemed to be impressed too.



So we crossed the Hover Dam to Arizona and took some great photos of the dam and surrounding areas.... Here is the proof I was actually there.







I tell you, it was hot out there, but they tell me it was a mild day.



Knowing how hot it was, 41C, doesn't that water look inviting?



So we hopped back in the car and headed back to the great state of Nevada. It was very exciting driving over the Hoover Dam. The Government is constructing a new bridge to bypass the dam, so it wont be much longer you will be able to drive over Hoover and take pictures like this...





I then went to Mat's place and watched the UFC fights on pay per view. I went back to the hotel and got up very early this morning and drove back to my place in just over 3 1/2 hours.

That was my weekend..... I had fun.

An exciting couple of weekends... The Wedding

I have had a magnificent couple of weekends in the last two weeks. Last weekend I was invited to the traditional Hindu wedding in San Jose California of my friend Prakash to his now bride Priya. I drove up to visit my friend Mat from NZ and his Italian girlfriend Claudia just south of San Francisco on the friday night so I could be at the wedding early on Saturday. On the way up I encountered a scrub fire on the side of the road.



This is a random photo of a plumbing van I saw on the way to San Jose.



What an amazing experience the wedding was, the wedding celebrations go on for 3 days and there is dancing and negotiating and partying and singing and celebrating.
It is basically separated until the last day of the ceremony with the bride and groom having their own celebrations. On the first day there was a ceremony where all of Prakash's family and friends spend a good amount of time putting various paint like substances all over him for luck. Afterwards we quickly visited the brides party where there must have been 1300 people. We witnessed some formalities then had to sit in a room while all the ladies from the brides side trys to trick Prakash into eating and drinking trick food. The idea is to pay them off and leave. After a while Prakash and his entourage of which I was involved payed the ladies $330 and quickly departed.

We then went to a party and dinner at another function and there was lots of dancing, throwing of money and eating. I had the honor of making a small speech in front of everyone. Luckily it was after midnight and most people had had a few drinks.

The next day was the official wedding day. The friends of the groom wore turbans and since I am a friend of the groom I wore a turban too.... It fitted nicely and was surprisingly cool. Having the turban told the brides side that we were there to protect Prakash during this particular ceremony.



Prakash then hopped on a carriage which was towed by a horse and we then began to dance and wave our hands in the air in front of Prakash on the carriage. We had a drummer with us and I am thinking that traditional Indian music must have had a hand in the creation of techno... We all had lots of fun as you can see.



After the horse ceremony, we then wait till the brides party comes to the horse and carriage to "convince" the groom that now is a good time to get married. There was a lot of negotiations and a few tricks..... It really was interesting. In the end the bride came out after a ceremony that had Prakash once again get partly painted and covered in string. This time the brides party had to pay the grooms party and I am thinking that maybe Prakash made an advance on his original payment of $330.

We then went in and had a small tustle with the brides party over a pair of shoes and the party began....

There was time when Prakash and Priya sat on stage with the religious person who came from India to perform the wedding.... After that was finished and it was quite some time they were officially married. We then got changed and came back for a massive feast, more speeches, lots of dancing and some beverages....

Prakash and Priya's wedding was a really special occasion and I am very happy that I was invited. I met lots of good folk and yes.... We did manage to have an afterparty which virtually lasted all night.

The next day it was time for goodbyes and I made it home to Santa Monica in just over 4 hours.

ITALY wins the world cup soccer.

Italy does it 5-3 over France on penalties... Congratulations

Juan Pablo Montoya to NASCAR

Rob Good: I am disappointed to learn that Formula 1 will be losing one of my favorite drivers to NASCAR next year. Juan Pablo Montoya has secured a deal to drive for his former boss Chip Ganassi in NASCAR for the 2007 season, and may even be in #42 car sometime this year after the F1 season is finished.

Montoya’s only stock-car experience came in June 2003 when he and four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon “exchanged” race cars for an exhibition at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Montoya drove Gordon’s Chevrolet while Gordon took a spin in Montoya’s F1 car.

Juan Pablo's switch to NASCAR comes on the heels of reports that former Formula 1 World Champion and another of my favourite F1 drivers Jacques Villeneuve, an Indianapolis 500-winner himself, has expressed interest in driving in the series. Both the newly-married Villeneuve and Montoya are at the end of their current F1 team contracts with the conclusion of the present year's campaign. Most veteran observors did not feel Montoya was being courted to continue at McLaren/Mercedes with reigning F1 champ Fernando Alonso coming to the team in 2007. imagine Jacques and JPM in the same NASCAR team.....


2007 is going to be an interesting year in motorsport that is for sure.


Good luck to him.

Why does this have to happen?

Why?

These folk put their lives on the line for the country and come back to this.... I find it to be a massive slap in the face for them. If the govt can spend Trillions on the war, can they not make sure that there is some more support for the troops when they get back? Isn't that logical?

ACT the massive rebuild.

There is about 4,134,200 people living in New Zealand. About 1 million of those people are too young to vote or infirmed, so that leaves us with about 3,100,000 people who are able to vote in NZ.

Lets remember that a lot of people simply don't vote, and I can remember my friend Daniel F King getting into a heated argument with someone when he told them that if they don't vote, they cant complain.... Daniel had a very valid point...

In the last NZ election in 2005, 2,286,190 people voted in the General election which was 80.9 % of the voters out there.

Labour 935,319 41.1%
National 889,813 39.1%
NZ First 130,115 5.7%
Green 120,521 5.3%
United 60,860 2.7%
Maori 48,263 2.1%
ACT 34,469 1.5%
Progressive 26,441 1.2%
other 29,828 1.3%
informal 10,561

Therefore about 500,000- 700,000 people did not vote in the elections in 2005... Why?

ACT lost 5.6% support from the previous election (145,078 votes) and only got 2 MP's in. That is not a good thing... The "Other" Parties nearly got as much support as ACT did. Why? Rodney Hide won Epsom for the first time which was a good thing, but where did 110,000 party voters for ACT go? Did they think that National could get a majority, or did they not like the way the ACT party was leading? If Rodney was so bad then why did they vote him in>?

The answer more than likely has to do with some of these...

1. Other parties have pinched a few of ACT's good deas and managed to publicise them (well) as their own.

2. The big money of 2002 and before possibly dried up.

3. There seemed to be internal arguments going on within ACT from the public's point of view.

4. The President and internal officials must not have been doing the right job.

5. A bit of flip flopping and teething problems were evident from the leadership change.

6. Roger Douglas kept opening his mouth at the most unopportune times.

7. Negative press made the party look like it was going to disappear.

8. Aaron Bhatnagar went to the National Party (I am being a bit funny with that one)

9. Rodney can't do everything himself.... He needs some really good thinktank people and support groups.

10. ACT stands for the Association of Consumers and Taxpayers.. Where on earth did the silly motto the "Liberal Party" come from.

11. ACT is regarded by the public as the Rich persons party. Most NZ'ers are not rich.

12. Fresh and valid policy needed to be put in front of NZ'ers.

13. The message was not getting out.

14. Maybe the message was getting out and people didn't like it?

There are a few ideas there of what may have been the cause for the loss of support for ACT.

Now the NZ public are very aware of Rodney Hide now thanks to Dancing with the Stars... Most of the public seem to like him, and he certainly showed the average voter that he has the balls to do something that scares him... He has tenacity and does get things done.

I would think that now is a great time for ACT to get into the grass roots level and capture support for the party while Rodney is fresh in their minds.

How do they do this?

For one I would suggest getting the ACT website totally redone, making it more patriotic and appealing to the common voter. Mellow out the colors, change the photographs, and get rid of the Liberal blurb. It takes money to do but as the leader of ACT if I had to pay for it myself I would. The website is ghastly. Not a good way of swaying the curious Georges that decided to search ACT over the internet when it was thrust upon them Samba style.

Is the blog (as much as I like it) really a good thing for the Leader of ACT and MP of Epsom to be spending his time on? Maybe he needs to have a guest poster that publishes his diary and blog in a more professional level allowing time to do other things?

Get key people together and make goals for the party. It should be possible to get 15% of the party vote if ACT gets it's A into G. Come up with good new policy and stick to it. Make it known that certain policies that other parties are floating are ACT policies and get the power back.

Recruit some high profile people to commit to running for electorates now. Train these people up in the ACT policy and get the support back. ACT should target at least 3 to 5 swing seats plus Epsom which Rodney should win again if it doesn't look like the party will crumble away, and aim to win them by getting the candidate ready and working them now. It is possible, but the party, leaders and members need to believe it too.

Build a big team have them on the same page and as John Banks once said " Treat every day like you are working your election campaign."

Get the publicity for the right reasons, don't knit pick at things that are more on a personal level. Earn the countries trust, and show the NZ that ACT has the ability and the knowledge to effectively and correctly play a crucial part in the next NZ government.

There is more to say and do, but that is my 2 cents for now. What is your opinion, how does ACT claim back and earn more votes than the 2002 election?

President Bush and PM Koizumi to visit Graceland

The Memphis, Tenn., home of the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley will host a summit of sorts Friday when President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi travel to Graceland for a personal tour of one of America's wackiest, and some may argue tackiest tourist attractions.

This is the first time a sitting president has visited Graceland..... Koizumi is a good friend of G W Bush, and a massive fan of Elvis. Koizumi even serenaded President Bush with an Elvis song at his last birthday party.

I guess George must have liked the song PM Koizumi sang so much that he is taking him the the home of the King.

Elvis's ex wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa-Marie Presley will be the tour guides for the President and PM this Friday...... I wonder if they will be fed peanut butter and banana sandwiches?

Bill Clinton explains friendship with G H W Bush

Former President US Bill Clinton told students Monday night that his new relationship with former President George H.W. Bush is an example of how people can overcome differences to do good. These previous Presidents work well together for the good of the country, and it is a pleasant change to see the both of them together in an interview.

"I like working with him," Clinton said to hundreds of students at the World Scholar Athlete Games at the University of Rhode Island, "and I like arguing with him."

While Clinton's main message was to look beyond individual differences in the name of altruism, he added some muted criticisms of the current Bush Administration.

"You have to try to make more partners and fewer terrorists, more friends and fewer enemies," Clinton said.

In response to a student's question, Clinton spoke of mending his differences with the current president's father, a political adversary he defeated in the 1992 presidential election.

President George W. Bush asked Clinton to work with his father to raise aid money after a Tsunami devastated Asia in December 2004. When hurricanes devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast last year, the pair of former presidents worked together again.

Clinton stressed that the two remain very different men.

"He's 80-some years old and he jumps out of airplanes," the 59-year-old said. "I just play golf."

Since their friendship, the two presidents from opposite parties have not changed their political opinions, Clinton said. Instead, the pair have looked beyond their differences to areas where they agree and can help others, an example he hopes other politicians will follow.

"All this bitter partisanship has been poison for this country," he said.

Maybe this is a good lesson for the boys and girls from ACT and National in NZ??? Get along and find good ways to work together to win the next election for the better of NZ.....

Through his friendship with the current president's father, Clinton said his respect for the current president has grown. Bush has a better take on immigration than the more conservative members of his party, Clinton said, and he got Congress to spend millions fighting AIDS.

Still, Clinton noted that he and George W. Bush have "huge differences."

I wonder if Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark ever get together for a game of bridge?