2009 Cadillac CTS-V

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

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

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

Senator Ted Kennedy has milignant brain cancer

Wish Sen Kennedy a speedy recovery...

Te he he T-Shirts

Would you go shooting with Dick, or take a car ride with Ted?

Is Obama a snob???

Do you find Hilary hilarious?

or

The terrorist's lodgings!!!

and

signing off.

Ananda's War

This is a video about Ananda McClure who is an Iraqi war Veteran x 3 and a good friend of mine. He committed suicide in May 2006 and producer Erica Bardin has made an exceptional documentary about him and his life. It brings to attention that there are certainly more Veterans out there, from many countries, in a similar position to Ananda, who deserve our help whether you believe in the war(s) or not . The video is 25 minutes long.

Sen Joh McCain on Letterman April 1st 2008

Senator Mccain has a good sense of humor :-)

ACT is back???

It seems that ACT is beginning to prepare for a successful bid in the NZ general election which will be held later this year. Party co founder Sir Roger Douglas is back fighting for the party after a sabbatical. He and ACT leader Rodney Hide have put their previous differences apart and are working well together at once again raising ACT's profile with the general public.

Rodney is reasonably well known as the pitbull MP who went dancing with the stars and is practically half the man he used to be, having lost a tremendous amount of weight and got fit.

Sir Roger is known as a forward thinker who has a uncanny knack of commanding attention and making changes. I find it very interesting that within a couple of weeks of getting invited back and putting his hat in the ring, Sir Roger has managed to get constant write ups in the press, has the current Finance Minister making comment on his return as well as the leader of the opposition John Key.

I think that Sir Roger has the ability to stir the pot and ACT has now created an opening for the voting public of NZ for a genuine point of difference. Labour is stagnant and National is not being aggressive enough to really make a point of difference from Labour. ACT is.

I think that people of any country want the benefit at least these 3 things.

1. More available funds without high inflation. The ability to make your earned income go further

2. The ability to "Green up" and implement change to decrease environmental damage and independence of foreign oil.

3. Safety and security. Knowing that law enforcement and the government is there to protect you, your family and your country.

I am sure that any reasonable thinking voter in New Zealand, Canada, USA, South Africa, Iraq, Australia and the world weather they are left, right or independent thinking would fundamentally agree with 1-3 above. It is not too difficult to implement 1-3 above, but first you need to identify a party that is actually going to make the changes. ACT!

When taxes are lowered, it is unwise to increase spending. ACT proposes to decrease taxes which is a benefit for all legally earning taxpayers on all levels of the financial spectrum. ACT proposes (as it always has) to not increase spending from the current levels.

It always amazes me that the Green party manages to get a rather high poll rating in comparison to other parties. Most of the Green Party candidates are not necessarily the folk that you'd like to have in control of the country are they?, but some of their policies are great.

It seems that the public would take the punt on giving the Greens a taste of power if it only means that they will implement some of their policy. Well ACT is here.... ACT has a "smart Green" policy. It is not good enough just to be green, you have to be smart about it. Allowing investment in reducing dependence on foreign oil, creating energy security and economic policies that facilitate environmental innovation are good for the country and good for our response to shifting environmental threats. Isn't it best to have a party that is not only green, but innovative, economically savvy and motivated to put more of your income in your hand?
ACT could take it a step further by using Rodney's previous training and putting forward a plan that could or would allow NZ to be oil independent in 20 years using renewable resources.

Security is an important factor for anyone. It is important that changes are made to provide and supply more police who are trained correctly and are heading in the right direction. You hear of people in distress having to catch a taxi because the police are busy, people afraid to venture out at night and police failing to arrive to inspect a property when a burglary or break in has occurred, but when you go 10 KPH over the speed limit there is always plenty of police to revenue gather and give you a fine. Seems that the priorities given by the government need to change don't you think? Labour has been in since 1999.... Change is not coming from Labour.

ACT proposes change, ACT instigates change and ACT will make changes for the benefit of all voters. All it takes is your understanding, acceptance, support and party vote for ACT (with the exception of Epsom where it is important to vote for the ACT candidate Rodney Hide MP.)

It is very likely that the next PM will be John Key which will be a boost for NZ. But you wouldn't necessarily give the keys to your new Holden with a full tank of gas to a learner driver who may not bring it back the same way you were hoping for. You need to have a trust worthy guardian with the driver and if John Key and National are the driver, then it is in the best interest of you the owner / voter to have ACT as the guardian. Do your research.... www.act.org.nz if you like what you see join, support, donate and vote ACT.

Australian F1 Grand Prix 2008

The Australian Grand Prix, the first of the 2008 Formula One season will be held on Sunday (Australian time) I would like to predict that Kimi Raikkonen will once again be World Champion with Ferrari. I think he may just win in Melbourne this weekend too??? It is going to be an exciting year in F1. hope Australia is still on the F1 circuit this time next year?.

March 13th 2008 :-)

Ralph Nader is running for President of the USA

Ralph Nader has thrown his hat in the ring for the 2008 Presidential elections. This will be his 5th time running for President (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008) and some say that he was the reason that Albert Gore didn't clinch the Presidency in 2000. What does this mean for the Republican and Democratic contendors if anything? He is probably good for 1-4% of the vote which could just tip the balance of power.
This is already an exciting race for President, it now gets more interesting. Question of the week....Will Bloomberg also run for President as an independent in 2008?????

Virgin Airlines runs a 747 on Coconut oil.

According to Fox news, Virgin Atlantic carried out the world's first flight of a commercial aircraft powered with biofuel on Sunday in an effort to show it can produce less carbon dioxide than normal jet fuels.

"This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected," Sir Richard Branson, the airline's president, said before the Boeing 747 flew from London's Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

He said the flight would provide "crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint," he said.

Sunday's flight was partially fueled with a biofuel mixture of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks. The jet carried pilots and several technicians, but no passengers. It was not a 100% bio fuel flight, they just piped some of it into one engine, but it is a GOOD start.

Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Charles predicted this biofuel would produce much less CO2 than regular jet fuel, but said it will take weeks to analyze the data from Sunday's flight.

The flight is the latest example of how the world's airlines are jumping on the environmental bandwagon by trying to find ways of reducing aviation's carbon footprint. Air New Zealand and Rolls Royce (airplane engines) has something on the go to be tested soon.

These efforts have included finding alternative jet fuels, developing engines that burn existing fuels more slowly, and changing the way planes land.

The experiment by Virgin Atlantic and its partners -- Boeing, General Electric and Imperium Renewables -- also comes at a time when high oil prices and the U.S. economic slowdown are promoting consolidation in the airline industry.

Charles said Virgin's Boeing 747-400 jet and its engines did not have to be redesigned to use biofuel on the test flight.

He said CO2 emissions on a normal flight are generally three times the fuel burned, and that technical engineers on the test flight would take readings and analyze data to estimate its greenhouse gas emissions.

This could be a great change in emissions from airplanes. Thing is that bio fuel tends to burn more rapidly which results in a reduced range. I will be very interested to see the results of this test when they are available.

Good on you Virgin and Sir Richard...

Fidel Castro steps down

It has been a long spell for Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz born in August 13th 1926. He has been in power in Cuba since 1959, but today he will resign his post to be replaced by someone else.
That person is likely Fidel's brother Raul, but that will not be confirmed until the end of the day.
Raul has been acting President of Cuba since July 31st 2006 when Fidel became reclusive after surgery so chances for him are good. Question is: Will Cuba change under Raul, or will it be an extension of Fidel and his dictatorship? Time will tell.

Grand Prix manager is back

Log in and sign up. See if you can beat me this year.... That is a challenge.

Mitt Romney drops out. News Flash

Willard "Mitt" Romney has dropped out of the Republican race for the President of the USA today. This leaves Mike Huckabee and John McCain in the race. I would suspect that Huckabee will probably pull out in the next two weeks and endorse John McCain. Lets hope that John McCain's speech at the CPAC convention convinces the movement that he is the man for the job.
*** Update. I watched John McCain's CPAC speech and it was particularly good......

Giuliani and Edwards end their race for President

Former NYC Mayor and previous Republican front runner for the Presidential Elections, Rudy Giuliani is to end his quest for the Republican nomination today. He is set to endorse Sen John McCain of Arizona. He seemed to put all of his eggs in one basket in campaigning hard in Florida while ignoring most of the other states in the Republican Primaries. He needed to win Florida to get momentum for super duper Tuesday next week. He didn't win Florida, John McCain did. Maybe there will be a job as Attorney General in the McCain Whitehouse for Rudy? This leaves Former Governor Willard (Mitt) Romney, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and Sen John McCain as the serious contenders with Rep. Ron Paul hanging in there like relatives looking for a slice of the inheritance.
Former Senator and VP Candidate in the 2004 elections John Edwards is dropping out of the Democratic run. He has not won any States to date and is bowing out graciously. No word on who he will endorse, but I am having a suspicion that it may be Sen Obama. Time will tell, there is a 50% chance that I am right. This leaves Sen Obama and Sen Clinton as the two Democratic candidates duking it out to become the Presidential nominee.
Super duper Tuesday is going to be an interesting day in US Politics. Anything is possible.

Cr. Bhatnagar considers retracting his comments

Further to my post below about Cr. Aaron Bhatnagar making the statement that a future development in Orakei looks like "East Germany by the sea". I have noticed on his blog that he is considering retracting his comment for this one......

"If Paris Hilton and Mohammed Al-Fayed were locked in a room and told they were not to be released until they had co-designed a set of apartment blocks, then the garages for the fleet of pink Bentley convertibles would probably look a little like what is proposed for the end of Orakei Rd."

While this is certainly not a compliment in any sense of the word, his comments may well raise peoples interest in the project as something that are worthy of a pink Bentley convertible to reside at?

It does appear that Miss Hilton drives a blue Bentley GTC........

"East Germany by the sea" Quote of the day.

Upon reading the NZHerald online this morning, I came across todays quote of the day which had me chuckling for a while.

It appears that developer Mr Tony Gapes plans to build 146 apartments on the water's edge at Orakei in Auckland. It seems that there is about 500 folk who find this to be not such a good idea.

Mr Gapes will start a two-week public hearing today for resource consent before many of the opponents give evidence against what local Councillor Aaron Bhatnagar has called "East Germany by the sea".

I can just imagine the developers and designers delight in having created designs on something so unique in the Southern Hemisphere.

My take on the upcoming US presidential elections

It has been some time since I sat down and made a concerted effort to prepare an entry to this blog. I feel that now is as good a time as any. We have the primaries happening all over the place for the upcoming elections in NOVEMBER for the President of the United States of America, and that will be the primary topic I will be discussing.

Firstly, I have taken the time to watch as many of the televised debates (both Democratic and Republican) that I have known about, there seems to be one or two every week at the moment. The more I watch these guys in action the more I feel that I am an independent. There is good from both sides, and negativity on both sides, but it really comes down to who I think is the best person to represent the USA on the world stage at this critical time, and who is less likely to make a mockery of the Presidency. A lot of it comes down to the person who will be the best Diplomat, with the best personality who is not going to whimper when important decisions need to be made.

Secondly I really feel that the Democrats and Republicans are a similar person with different hats. When you put the candidates next to each other with exception of a few differences (some fundamental) they could be running a stump speech for either party. Really it comes down to weather you feel that the war in Iraq should end forthwith, or not. Weather you think abortion should be legal, or not. Weather you think that there should be tax cuts, or not. Weather you think we should create a energy independence and how fast you can do it, and if you think that the Immigration policy (particularly for folks from Mexico) should be altered.

When it comes to the war in Iraq there are candidates from both sides that call for an immediate end. I am sure that there is only a small percentage of people living in the USA that thinks it should carry on for years to come, and I bet if GWB would admit to wanting to stop the whole thing if there was a plan to do so. Thing is is that there doesn't appear to be one. That being the case the next President needs to know what they are doing when it comes to this. Pledging that all of the troops will be out by the end of 2009 may not necessarily be the wisest thing for the troops, for the country (Iraq and USA) and for the security of the Middle East. For this subject, I believe John McCain would be the best candidate for President of the USA.

On the abortion Issue, I think it should be left up to the individual States to make their mind up. Although it is legal in most cases if the traditional Republican base had their way it would be an illegal process. I am sure that there are many Republicans that think it should be the ladies right to choose, they just can't say it if they really want to win. I don't think it should be an issue. For this subject I would need to vote for a Democratic candidate. In this case Barack Obama.

Tax cuts are a good thing in most circumstances. Tax cuts drive the economy, allow people to spend more of their own funds and if done correctly provide more tax revenue for the government that before the cut. Thing is that here in the good old USA there are a lot of loopholes that allow you to write everything off and lower the tax you pay. There are a lot of particular loopholes for corporations (so I understand) I believe in tax cuts if it is fair for everyone and isn't going to allow the extremely wealthy companies and individuals to have a specific benefit over those who are not wealthy. If you spent time on the ground in California, you will know that there are a LOT of homeless people and a lot of uncared for Veterans. They are basically John and Jane Doe's who would cost too much to help. If you break your leg while visiting USA and you forgot to get health insurance, you best mortgage the house (or sell it) to pay for your care. People go bankrupt in USA over medical bills which in other parts of the world would not be a big deal because of government medicine. The other thing that is in the hole is Social Security. It will be bankrupt in the not to distant future if changes are not made. These changes will need to be bi-partisan, but the President will need to be a phenomenal negotiator with big balls to sort this one out. It is impossible for the government of the USA to do anything about the homeless and the medical system without creating the revenue stream for it, social security has been pillaged and both sides are to blame. The person I would be happy handling these situations as the President on the USA is a tie between John McCain and Barack Obama.

All of the candidates think we should bump up the energy independence and lower our reliance on foreign entities. I think it is a major issue that all candidates take seriously. I thought the Bill Richardson the previous Secretary of Energy under #42 would have been a good one for this, but he pulled out of the running. Mit Romney wants to revive the auto industry in Detroit ( a state where his father was Governor) and the only way to do that is with world class energy technology. I will remain neutral on this one as if any candidate is telling 50% of the truth of what they are saying in the public domain, they all will make a difference in Energy policy. I do like the way Gov Huckabee says he will have USA energy independent by the time his second term is finished..... If with a bit more research that is possible, he may be the one.

Immigration is an interesting one. There is a lot of blood splattering all over the place with this one. It is beyond me why there is not a fence the length of the border of Mexico. It is clear that the illegal immigrants are creating a strain on the system. I can understand why they all want to be here, but it is ILLEGAL. I am not sure who to believe on this one really. There is NO WAY that anyone wants to allow an amnesty as the 40th President of the USA did. That really caused the problem that is here now. I think John McCain is trying to work something out that is fair, but most people didn't like it. I think Rudy has the right idea with tamper proof cards for foreigners. I actually came up with that idea with an old colleague of mine not so long ago. Change in immigration is necessary. The President who vows to build the fence and do something believable about the problem is going to be the best person for the job. Once again Gov Huckabee is looking strong in this area.It is going to be interesting tomorrow with the South Carolina primary Republican wise. Gov Huckabee is beginning to surge, McCain is strong, Romney is not doing too bad and Rudy needs a win along with Fred Thompson, or it will be endorse your favorite friend and get out. Rudy has gone down in the polls faster than you can imagine, but he says he is saving himself for Florida. I think he is treading water. Thompson was rather good in the Fox debate last week, but I think he will need to pull out something that no one has seen before to get ahead. In the Republicans I see it as a 3 way possibility for the nomination.

Senator John McCain
Governor Mike Huckabee
Governor Mit Romney.

I still stand by my remarks in an earlier blog that I would like John McCain to be President and Mike Huckabee to be Vice President on the Republican side.

With the Democrats. I see it as a 2 way race.

Senator Hillary Clinton
Senator Barack Obama

I think both are capable, but it really is time for change.

I would like Barack Obama for President with Joe Biden for VP. I think that Bill Richardson would once again make a good Secretary of Energy.

Lets see what happens tomorrow in South Carolina............. Super Duper Tuesday and during the nominations. This is interesting times in the world of US politics.

Happy New Year from LA

Happy New Year from Los Angeles, I would like to point out that it is currently hotter here in LA (winter) than it is in Auckland (summer), the weather here is brilliant. All the best for 2008. It is going to be an interesting year, what with the US Presidential elections and the New Zealand Elections.

I would like to see a President McCain and a VP Huckabee being elected in November and sworn in on Jan 20th 2009.

I would also like to see the National party get 48% of the party vote, with ACT getting 10% of the party vote giving NZ a new PM and giving us Rodney Hide as MP for Epsom, Deputy PM and Minister of Finance. There is a bit of work to do in NZ for this to happen, but it can be done.

In Canada I would like things to stay just the way they are, having the Conservatives and PM Stephen Harper complete their term without the Liberals having a vote of no confidence creating some work for the Governor General to do. I would like the Conservatives to get a majority in the next election as well.

Enjoy the Holidays.

RIP Kevin DuBrow

I am rather shocked to hear that Kevin DuBrow, the lead singer of one of my all time favorite bands, Quiet Riot, has been found dead from unknown causes at his home in Las Vegas Nevada.

DuBrow, 52, was found dead at about 5.20pm on Sunday, a spokeswoman for the Clark County Coroner's Office said. An autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Quiet Riot, which was founded in the mid-1970s, topped the Billboard charts in 1983 with the album Metal Health, spurred on by the massive hit single Cum on Feel the Noize, which was a cover song originally preformed by Slade from 1973.

Metal Health (bang your head) was a particular favorite song of mine, in fact the whole album and later releases are brilliant. This is a real shame.

RIP Kevin DuBrow

Kimi Raikkonen is 2007 F1 World Champion

Congratulations to Kimi Raikkonen from Ferrari who had luck on his side today when he came from behind to clinch the 2007 F1 World Drivers Championship. Well deserved, and it confirms it to me that Kimi is the best F1 driver out there. Lewis Hamilton let it slip by making a few silly mistakes, and Ferrari simply out preformed McLaren today. Alonso came in 3rd behind Massa.

So
Kimi is Champ with 110 points followed by
Lewis Hamilton with 109 point, then
Fernando Alonso with 109 points.What a great year in F1. Now we have to wait to March next year for the beginning of the 2008 Championship. Well done Kimi.

Pablo pulls through

Councilor Aaron "Pablo" Bhatnagar of Citizens and Ratepayers, has been voted in with the highest amount of votes as a Councilor for Hobson within Auckland City today. Congratulations. Good to see that John Banks is once again Mayor of Auckland. I expect a big difference in Auckland from now on. No more namby pamby politics.

Do you know what O.J Simpson's first name is?

Check it out here :-)

McLaren fined and wiped of constructor points for 2007.

Formula 1 team McLaren Mercedes has been stripped of all of their constructors points and fined $100 Million US less their loss of income from the FOM for 2007. This will allow drivers Lewis Hamilton and world Champ Fernando Alonso to continue and race for the drivers championship.

This is all because of the Stepneygate saga involving possibly using Ferrari information to modify the McLaren cars. This will be a blow for the team, but I guess they are lucky to not be totally banned. The fine was the largest in motor sport history.

McLaren will need to have their 2008 cars scrutinized by the FIA before the start of the race season next year to make sure no Ferrari type parts or intelligence has been used.
Ferrari are effectively now the 2007 Formula 1 constructor champions.

Led Zeppelin to reunite

According to Reuters.... Rock legends Led Zeppelin have announced a one-off comeback concert on Wednesday nearly three decades after disbanding. This will be a great show to see.

The group split in 1980 after the death of drummer John Bonham and have performed only a handful of reunion gigs, last taking the stage 12 years ago at their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The show will be held November 26 in London.

Tickets will cost 125 pounds ($US254.30), available by ballot only with winners' names chosen at random. Fans can register at for a chance to buy tickets.

The official tickets Web site crashed shortly after the announcement as fans swarmed it for a chance to see the band.

The concert organizer, Harvey Goldsmith, said he thought it would be a one-off show, not a full-fledged reunion tour, but said the band seemed to be bonding well together again.

Bonham's son Jason will wield the drum sticks for Led Zeppelin, joining its founding members: singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones.

The show will be a tribute to the late founder of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun, who signed Led Zeppelin in 1968.

I hope the band members like their reunion show and decide to tour the world. Come to LA....

Fred Thompson 2008. He is in.

Will Fred be the next US President?

New Zealander of the month

This gentleman should be given a medal, not court time. What is happening in NZ? The kids were not hurt, just scared. I bet that they will now think twice about burglarizing any more property.

Gareth Gadsby has my vote for New Zealander of the month.

Helen is # 38 most powerful woman in the world?

According to Forbes, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark is the 38th most powerful woman in the world. How can this be? Sure she has been in power for a while, but it seems that she will be retiring next year and handing the reigns to John Key. Surly the position as PM of NZ is powerful, but NZ is not powerful militarily, doesn't really pull too many strings in the UN and is no real threat to anyone. NZ is great a peace keeping some would be inclined to say, but with all due respect, why is Helen Clark in this list? Good on Forbes to think of her, but how do they back it up?

Sean Penn has met with Chavez

He's at it again... In CARACAS, Venezuela according to the (AP) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has praised Sean Penn for his critical stance against the war in Iraq, saying the two chatted by phone and have met in person. Next thing you know Sean will be vacationing in Pyongyang

Chavez said Penn traveled to Venezuela this week wanting to learn more about the situation in the country and walked around some of Caracas' poor barrios on his own.

"Welcome to Venezuela, Mr. Penn. What drives him is consciousness, the search for new paths," Chavez said Wednesday in a televised speech. "He's one of the greatest opponents of the Iraq invasion."

Chavez read aloud from a recent open letter by Penn to G.W Bush in which the actor condemned the Iraq war and called for Bush to be impeached, saying the President along with Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice are "villainously and criminally obscene people." Well Sean is the one that always makes friends with wacko world leaders, I wonder if he will finally take up my challenge and run for political office on his own. I am sure Chavez and the wackos will fund his campaign.

The socialist president, who shares those views, said he and Penn talked by phone—"with my bad English but we understood each other more or less." I think Sean can speak in an Iraqi dialect as well.....

Chavez said the two plan to meet Thursday. He called the actor "well- informed about what is happening in the United States and the world, in spite of being in Hollywood."

What's more, Chavez said, "he's made great films." The Venezuelan leader said he recently watched Penn's Oscar-winning performance in the film "Mystic River."

For his part, Penn on Wednesday toured Venezuela's new film studios on the outskirts of Caracas. Penn, whose visit was unannounced, did not speak publicly. I wonder what sort of hug he will get from Hugo?

I once again challenge Sean Penn to put his hat in the ring and run for public office. Put yourself up for the vote..... Just do it.

NZ working with US Navy

I noticed this in the NZ herald today. It is very interesting to read that six New Zealand Navy medics have joined a humanitarian mission in the Pacific on board a United States Navy vessel, USS Peleliu.

Defence Minister Phil Goff said it was the first time New Zealand had been invited to join the annual mission since the anti-nuclear rift of the 1980s.

"The medical team will be providing valuable clinical, medical and dental assistance to people who would not ordinarily have access to high-grade medical treatment," Mr Goff said.

I am sure that it will be an exciting time for the NZ Navy team. Great to see that there is a thaw in US policy towards NZ.

Formula one season update

What a phenomenal F1 season it has been so far up to the British Grand Prix in Silverstone England today.

Newcomer and rookie Lewis Hamilton with McLaren has been on all of the podiums (9) so far this year and is leading the championship in points with 70. He has won races and is re writing the record book. Ron Dennis made a wise decision in putting him in a McLaren this year.

This is what it looks like in the 2007 drivers championship so far:

01	Lewis Hamilton	70
02	Fernando Alonso	58
03	Kimi Räikkönen	52
04	Felipe Massa	51
05	Nick Heidfeld	33
06	Robert Kubica	22

It is impressive to see that BMW is 3rd in the championship points. They have some more work to do to be challenging the podium, but surely and steadily they are doing it. I'd think that by the end of the year they will be nipping at the heals of Ferrari and McLaren.

The race in Silverstone today was great. Lewis Hamilton was on pole slightly edging out Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari in qualifying. Felipe Massa was unable to keep his Ferrari running on the formation lap and was forced to start from LAST for the race finishing 5th behind Robert Kubica of Poland in the Sauber BMW who finished 4th.
Fernando Alonso looked like he was in with a shot for the win after the first pit stops, but the Ferrari crew and Kimi's spectacular driving knocked that on the head with Kimi winning, Fernando Alonso the current world champion of McLaren 2nd and England new super star Lewis Hamilton finishing the race in 3rd position.

I have to give it to Ferrari for this race. Kimi won and Felipe came 5th. I would expect that it would have been a Ferrari 1-2 if Felipe had of not had to have started from last place.

I still think Kimi is the best driver on the grid, so I am expecting the last half of the 2007 F1 season to be even better than the first. Will Lewis continue his podium streak? Will Kimi who has won the most races this year continue his pace? Will Fernando get upset by being overtaken by Lewis and switch teams next year? We will have to wait and see.

Aaron Bhatnagar for Auckland Council 2007

It is official.....

Aaron Bhatnagar for Hobson 2007

To quote his website...... "This election, you have a clear choice. Three more years of poor direction, huge rates rises and wasteful spending from City Vision and Action Hobson - or you can vote for change.

Your vote for me and all of my C&R Now colleagues will give you progress, good governance and careful spending. That’s why your vote for C&R is so important this year." Aaron Bhatnagar.

Puntiki officially endorses Aaron Bhatnagar for Councilor this coming election. He will be a breath of fresh air in the council buildings, he will stick to his word, he is trustworthy, he is well qualified for the job and he will get things done for the better of Auckland and Hobson. Vote for Aaron Bhatnagar.

Las Vegas is HOT

It reached 116 degrees F or 46.6 degrees C in Vegas yesterday. I expect that the hotel pools are getting a lot of use and the A/C units are working double time. It is amazing how the weather effects Las Vegas. This winter there was snow on the strip and now it is reaching record breaking hot temperatures. It is about time I make another visit to Sin City to play my favorite one armed bandit " Wheel of fortune"

Cute little pussy cat(s)

Animal behaviorist Kevin Richardson has such an intimate bond with big cats that he can spend the night curled up with them without the slightest fear of attack.

Richardson, 32, who is based in a wildlife conservation area near Johannesburg in South Africa, works his unusual magic on other species too. Cheetahs, leopards and even unpredictable hyenas hold no threats for him. I petted a Cheetah once and I wanted one immediately. Unfortunately NZ DSIR or whatever it was called at the time wasn't going to allow me to set up a Cheetah conservation in Coatesville :-(

So instinctively in tune is he with these beasts, whose teeth are sharp enough to bite through thick steel, that mother hyenas even allow him to hold their newborn cubs without pouncing to the rescue.

But lions are his favourite. He lavishes them with unconditional love, he says, treating each individual differently, speaking to them, caressing them and, above all, treating them with respect.

What an exciting job.

Hasta la vista Tony

The Governator of California Arnold Schwarzenegger is the last government official to meet with UK P.M Tony Blair before he vacates #10 Downing Street tomorrow. It seems that Mr Blair will be heading up a Middle East peace envoy and will be a busy man after leaving the top job in London so he can't say "I'll be back" to live in Downing Street.

Arnold is fresh from a European tour that took in trips to his native Austria, and to Paris to see French president Nicolas Sarkozy, Mr Schwarzenegger was in Downing Street to praise Mr Blair's work to combat global warming and to talk California / UK trade.

Looks like they got on well.

Ah Honolulu

Ah Honolulu, one of my favorite places in the world. I am here to look at property for www.d-h-h.com and attend a wedding today. What a great time. I hope to be back soon. :-)

A great couple of weeks

About 2 weeks ago I got back from a quick 5 day trip to NZ. It was great to see everyone that I managed to catch up with and like usual there were people that I'd like to have seen but didn't. I had a great time though and certainly enjoyed Dad's home cooked lamb shanks and vogels every morning.
Yesterday I hopped in the Car with Gregory and Ted to go to San Diego for a gig they were having at this brilliant club Anthology. We got there early for the sound check, so I caught up with my Kiwi buddies Mat and Sharon and we caught the bus to Tijuana Mexico..... What a fun experience. I have been here for just over 5 years but never managed to make it to Mexico. We got off the bus and walked around, I felt like I was on a movie set. We resided at a small bar and managed to fulfill our dream of a shot of Tequila in Mexico and a Corona.... It was all very fun with Lucas the bartender insisting that we had just one more shot... :-) Anyway we made it to the bus and crossed the border in enough time to catch Gregory and Ted's show back in good old USA.
I am off to Hawaii this week for the wedding of the year....... Fun Fun.

Team New Zealand do it.

Emirates Team New Zealand has won the Louis Vuitton Cup 5-0 against Luna Rossa and is now the challenger for the America's Cup against Swiss team Alinghi..... Way to go Mr Barker and team... Keep up the good work.

Republican US Presidential debate.

Tonight I watched the Republican Presidential hopeful debate and what an interesting program it was. It seems that most of the candidates would like to take off from where President Ronald Reagan finished and his name was mentioned at least 7 times throughout the night.

There were 10 candidates and they consisted of:

Gov. Mike Huckabee
Rep. Ron Paul
Gov. Tommy Thompson
Sen. Sam Brownback
Rep. Tom Tancredo
Rep. Duncan Hunter
Gov. Mitt Romney
Gov. Jim Gilmore
Sen. John McCain
Mayor Rudy Giuliani

I was particularly impressed with Gov. Mike Huckabee. He had a particularly good answer to a question Wolf Blitzer asked him about if he believes that God created life as we know it or if he believed in the big bang theory. Having been a previous Baptist Minister he obviously believes that God created man..... But if you or I would like to think that we were descendants of primates then we are welcome to believe it. His delivery of this curve ball question was magnificent. He seemed to have a firm control of his message throughout the evening and he was clear and precise. He seems to know what he is talking about. Would he make a good President? I think so. He'd make a great negotiator and certainly a good nomination for Secretary of State.

Sen. Tom Tancredo from Colorado seemed a little extreme. He has a point of difference on many ideas but I think that he would possibly be a bit much for the White House. He should get behind one of the front runners and offer his support. Maybe he'd be good in a Republican cabinet as he sticks to the book. He is not a fan of G.W Bush.

Rep Ron Paul from also seemed to me like he would not be a suitable candidate for the White House, but he did have a few good points and was not concerned about differing his opinion from his fellow on stage. Another potential for a cabinet, but as with Tom above, he should get behind one of the serious contenders and get out of the race.

Gov. Thompson had a few good one liners, but as with Hillary 2 days ago, we don't really need a comedian as President. While he had some good points, the main concern during the telecast amongst the people watching was weather he was wearing a hair piece. I can't answer that question for you, but I'd certainly accept him as President if his opponent was Dennis Kucinich.

Sen Brownback had a nasally voice somewhat like H. Clinton and had a resemblance of Beavis. I am not sure if the world community would be able to take him seriously.

Rep. Duncan Hunter is one of only a few people who work in Washington D.C that have a offspring in the military deployed overseas. So you have to give it to him that he'd have the troops best interest at heart which is important to me, but there is only going to be one President elected next year and I am not expecting it to be him. He'd be great in Veteran affairs and I hope he gets the opportunity to make sure that our troops are looked after both abroad and when they return.

Gov Jim Gilmore in the first quarter of 2007 raised a mediocre $174,790, the lowest of any of the major-party candidates besides Democrat Mike Gravel. Gilmore hosted only one fundraiser. He is obviously not making a serious run for the White House and although he has a few ideas that seemed reasonable I'd be inclined to think that he is enjoying the limelight and crossing his fingers that someone would like him to be V.P or in the next Republican cabinet. Power to him for trying, but unless he is going to have Mitt Romney open up his check book and spend some of his $500,000,000 on him, which is not going to happen, then he should back out.

Gov Mitt Romney has the look of a President. He has been hugely successful in business and seems to have high morals and trust ability. I am not concerned with the fact he is a Mormon. I have Mormon friends and they are great people. What I am concerned about is that he didn't have a clear message and of all his talking other than his pro-choice leaning at this stage, nothing was clear. He did come across a little bit like a well groomed car salesperson. He may make a reasonable V.P (maybe) but he needs to work rapidly on his message delivery if he wants to get close to the main contenders.

Sen John McCain seemed to me to have the most knowledge, respect and planning to make an excellent President of the USA. He is diplomatic, can work across the party lines and is by no means a freshman. A few of the questions asked were directly against his immigration bill and he got some flack for it from his friends on stage with him, but he managed to brush the water of his back and come back with flying colors. He was clear and precise. Good job.

Mayor Rudy Giuliani certainly has the ability to get the crowd going. He didn't seem as sincere as John McCain though. He got some laughs when lightening hit the roof when he was talking about abortion which was classic but I think that he doesn't have the experience of John McCain and could easily get overpowered by Washington. Not to say he wouldn't make a great President.

This leads to my choise for the President and V.P if I was to vote for the group above. There is always the chance the Frank Thompson may enter the race, and I will assess his potential when I see him in front of a crowd, but for now......

President John McCain
V.P Mike Huckabee

Democratic US Presidential debate.

Today I watched the live debate for the potential Democratic candidates for President of the United States in 2008

The Democrats debating were:

former Sen. John Edwards

NY Sen. Hillary Clinton

IL Sen. Barack Obama

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel and

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.

Firstly it was an interesting debate. It looked to me like John Edwards and Sen. Obama were overly favorable of each other. I am wondering if they already have an agreement that if one gets the nomination the other will be chosen as the running mate... That will be something to watch but I feel that if that was the case then once again Mr Edwards will be the Democratic candidate for V.P in 08.

I was particularly impressed with Gov. Bill Richardson I think you will find that the public opinion and approval ratings of him will go significantly up over the next few weeks. He seems to be onto it and has a proven track record in diplomacy having been the US Ambassador to the UN and energy having been #41's Sec of Energy. His is also Hispanic and may well attract the all important Hispanic vote. Only thing he said that I though was un apt was was to put pressure on China re the situation in Darfur Sudan and threaten to withdraw the US athletes from the Olympics in China if they don't do so...

John Edwards failed to impress me. I think a little too much of John Kerry rubbed off on him. He seems a little slimy a dung flinger for want of a better word and at this stage I'd like to see him drop out of the race.

Hillary Clinton seems to know what she is talking about and I must say her voice didn't seem to grate me as much as it usually does, but personally I am wary of her. Maybe she'd make a reasonable V.P, although she'd probably be better to stay in the senate and maybe accept a cabinet position if asked. I think it will be close when it comes to the nomination, but I am thinking that at this stage she won't be the next President of the USA. She did crack a few good one liners that got the crowd going, but we don't need a comedian in the White House.

Barack Obama is rather impressive. He does seem to know his stuff and seems to have the respect of the other candidates. I think that he may have a shot at the nomination and I would like to think that with the right advisor's he could actually make a change. Having said that there is a lot of time to go before the nominations and the election and I would think that if his opponent was John McCain, he'd loose.

Joe Biden Is a character. He is very experienced and has his definite opinions. He'd like to see troops in Darfur NOW and got rather loud when trying to get his point across. He reminds me of Howard Dean ( who I liked ) and I think he'd make a great Secretary of State but I am not expecting to see him as the duly elected President.

Dennis Kucinich is a interesting fellow. He is a Vegan, is pushing for peace, has a nice wife 31 years his junior, but he reminds me of Eddie the Eagle from the winter Olympics. He has the right idea and the respect of the people, but clearly no chance of becoming the President. He makes these debates interesting to watch, although he should stick to being a US Representative.

Mike Gavel from Alaska seemed to be a grumpy old man that disagrees with everyone else. I hope that he is not allowed to have anything more with anything to do with the Government of the USA. He should retire to a fishing lodge and enjoy his twilight years.

Chris Dodd seemed personable, but he didn't really say anything that made me think he was any better than the others. He will probably drop out of the race when the funds dry up, but will have fun running around as a Presidential candidate in the meantime.

A question was asked to all of the candidates as to what they'd do in their first 100 days in the White House.... This is what they said.

Edwards: "travel the world" and "re-establish America's moral authority."

Clinton: bring home U.S. troops from Iraq.

Obama: bring home U.S. troops and push for national health care.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson: upgrade U.S. schools and push a $40,000-a-year minimum wage for teachers.

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden: end the war in Iraq and defuse tensions with Iran and North Korea.

Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich: help "reshape the world for peace" and end all nuclear weapons.

Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel: remind Congressional leaders they can end the war in Iraq now.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd: "Restore constitutional rights in this country."

All in all, although I don't want the next President of the USA to necessarily be a Democrat, if I had to vote for one of these candidates right now and pick their running mate i would vote this way.

President Bill Richardson

Vice President Barack Obama

That could work... I now await the Republican debate on Tuesday.

Odin the Tiger

Surprise !!! Wouldn't really want to be in the pool to turn around and see Odin coming in for a dip with you....