Trilateral talks

The photo is of Canadian PM Harper, US President Bush and Mexican President Fox. They are having trilateral talks in Cancun, Mexico. President Fox and President Bush were pleased to accept, on behalf of their country's, Prime Minister Harper's invitation to host the next trilateral leaders meeting in Canada in 2007.

It is good to see that these meetings are taking place. I hope that some good comes of them.

F1 update pre Australia.

It has been an exciting change in Formula one so far this year. The qualifying is very interesting, the new V8's are getting through the teething problems, and hasn't Nico Rosberg with Williams been rather impressive setting the fastest lap during a race on his maiden outing in a F1 car?

The first two races have been dominated by 05 Champions Renault with both Alonso and Fisi taking the top step on the podium each. McLaren have been a bit down so far this season, but I am predicting that the Australian GP in Melbourne will bring them to light. Kimi and Juan Pablo are wanting the spotlight, as is Jenson Button of Honda.

Ferrari and Michael Schumacher took the # 2 place on the podium in Bahrain which was the best result for them since Indy 05 which was a bit of a farce. The improvement looks to be there with Ferrari, so keep an eye on them. Massa is proving to be a rather good match for Schumacher.

Honda is showing some potential too, although it looks like Reubens is being out shone by Button. I think that like Jacques Villeneuve, Reubens likes the car set up perfectly then he can bolt on up the standings. Looks like Honda need to move quickly in setting up Reubens car.

I am really hoping that Jacques Villeneuve can pull something out of the hat this year, it is possible although BMW seem to be a little down on power at this stage. His performance in Malaysa was rather impressive, but he is on the same engine for Melbourne, so he may be a bit light on the throttle during practice and at the beginning of the race. Time will tell, but I know that Jacques still has it in him.

So watch the race this weekend. It is a pity that Murray Walker turned down the opportunity to do the commentary for the Australian race. But he will be there as a Honda representative, so he may pop up sometime during the race. I hope so.


Nico Rosberg of Williams Cosworth F1

NZ $ dropping

The $NZ has had a good run lately. It has been as high as .74 to the $US and New Zealanders have had plenty of time to take advantage of the high dollar to purchase imported products from overseas.

When I moved up here to the USA, $1 NZ purchased me 0.42 cents US. That was certainly an expensive move, but I am looking to make some of that back when the $NZ drops into the $.50's against the US.

It is good for the exporters for the dollar to go lower as NZ products become more affordable for the foreign purchasers. That in turn can create a increase in demand for NZ products overseas and the economy can benefit from that. Now is the time to try and get the NZ/US free trade agreement in place.

I predict that th NZ dollar will be worth $.56 maybe even less to the $US within 6 months.

Here is a graph of the value today.

Million Dollar Mouth on Sunset Strip

Last night I went to the upstairs room (On the Rox) at the Roxy on Sunset Strip to watch Mike and the boys from Million Dollar Mouth play. They banged out some great tunes, and on the way home it was mandatory to stop off at Pinks hotdog stand (world renowned) on La Brea for a mild Ozzy (Osborne) dog..... Good times.

Busted with Billion dollar bills....!

Well if they were real then some of these fake billion dollar bills could be used for the Presidential fund, but no, the largest denomination available in the USA is $100...

US Customs agents in California said they had found 250 bogus billion dollar bills while investigating a man charged with currency smuggling. Really, I mean who'd have change for a billion?

Tekle Zigetta, 45, pleaded guilty to three federal counts of trying to bring cash, phony bills and a fake $US100,000 ($NZ158,252.88) gold certificate into the United States in January. I really don't know what this guy was thinking...He must feel real bad telling Baba at the State penitantary about why h was arrested.

Further investigation led agents to a West Hollywood apartment where they found the stash of yellowing and wrinkled one billion dollar bills with an issue date of 1934 and bearing a picture of President Grover Cleveland. The 34 bills are worth more than $1 as a collectors item... Who'd really spend them?

"You would think the $US1 billion denomination would be a giveaway that these notes are fake, but some people are still taken in," said James Todak, a secret services agent involved in the probe.

Tekle may well be the Nimrod of the week......

Slobodan Milosevic DEAD

It is reported today that Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav leader died Saturday while on trial for crimes against humanity. He was 64.

Milosevic was found dead in his prison cell at the United Nations detention center near The Hague, the U.N. war crimes tribunal announced. He died of apparent natural causes. An autopsy has been ordered. Milosevic had a history of poor health, including high blood pressure and a chronic heart condition. His four-year trial on genocide and other charges was often interrupted by his illnesses.

That puts and end to that.

Formula 1 2006

The 2006 F1 season is about to start with the first race in Bahrain this weekend. Current world champ Fernando Alonso is tipped to be challenging the podium along with Kimi Raikkonen, former and 7 times world champ Michael Schumacher, and expect good results from Button and Barrichello of Honda.

The season is going to be interesting with tyre changes allowed and new v8 engines replacing the v10's with exception of Torro Rosso, which will be using the rev limited V10. Maybe just maybe Toro Rosso will be in the position to get some reasonable results in the first couple of races with new drivers Liuzzi, and Scott Speed of USA.
Speed with his apt last name will be the first American on the f1 grid since 1993.

BMW took over Sauber, and dumped Williams or visa-versa. Red Bull took over Minardi and is now called Scuderia Toro Rossa. Honda brought out BAR, and now is just Honda. Midland took over Jordan. Super Agri is running old 2002 Arrows chassis and is a new team with Honda support, and Williams is partnered with Cosworth.

There is plenty of driver changes and the qualifying format has changed, so I am predicting that 2006 is going to be one of the most interesting seasons since..... last year. I can't wait to get up in the middle of the night to watch races on the speed channel. I'd like to attend either Indy or Montreal this year...?

Giuliani for President?

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is the most popular politician in the United States, according to a national poll this week testing support for potential candidates in the 2008 presidential race. This is a good thing.... as long as his health is good. Rudy would make a great President.... Might get a bit dirty if the Dems bring up his infidelity though?

The survey of some 1,900 voters by the Quinnipiac Polling Institute asked respondents to rate several nationally known politicians on a scale from 0 to 100, with higher numbers reflecting higher regard. Although the poll is small, it is a good indicator of what might pan out in the next Presidential election. Will Rudy run?

Giuliani topped the list, with an average score of 63.5 percent, followed by Democratic Senator Barack Obama, seen as one of his party's rising stars. Obama scored 59.9.

In third place was veteran Republican US Senator John McCain at 59.7 who has recently been to NZ, followed by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice with a score of 57.1. Not sure that Condoleezza is planning on running for President, but would she make a good VP?

Former US President Bill Clinton rounded out the top five with a score of 56.1 in the poll by the Hamden Connecticut-based political institute.

His wife, US Senator Hillary Clinton, seen as the Democrats' top bet to run for the White House in 2008, came in eighth place, with a score of 50.4. Also good news for the right. People seem to be a little concerned about the former First Lady having the top job.... Maybe she will also make a good VP?

Newly designed US $10

The new US $10 note was issued on March 2, 2006 and is the latest in the new series for U.S. currency. The new series began with the introduction of the $20 note on October 9, 2003, and continued with the $50 note issued on September 28, 2004.

The combined efforts of public education, law enforcement, improved security features and public awareness have all kept counterfeiting of U.S. currency at low levels. Current estimates put the rate of counterfeit $10 notes in circulation worldwide at less than one note for every 10,000 genuine $10 notes in circulation. Most counterfeiters tend to copy the old $100.

The new currency designs will help stay ahead of counterfeiters, who are turning increasingly to digital methods, as advances in technology make digital counterfeiting easier and cheaper.

In the past decade, digital equipment has become more available to the general public, and as a result, the amount of digitally produced counterfeits has risen. Since 1995, digitally produced counterfeit notes have increased from less than 1 percent of all counterfeits detected in the United States to about 52 percent in 2004.

I would like to see the new $10 in my hand in less than a week...... Banks are pretty quick here.