In what was clearly a tragedy, the targeting of the girl’s school in Iran must be properly investigated. These young lives lost is a national tragedy, even during a time of war. I am no fan of the theocracy in Iran, they suppress the population, the murder and destroy the lives of the inhabitants.

I am certainly not asserting the United States intentionally targeted the school, it was likely an error where outdated intelligence identified the school as still part of the Iranian military installation. What is known is the US was operating in the area, this was not an Israeli operation, they were operating in the north of the country. It was likely a tomahawk missile, they are highly accurate so the intelligence used for the targeting was incorrect, this is what needs to be reviewed and rectified.

What annoyed me was the utter indifference of Donald Trump on Air Force One, totally dismissive and attempted to blame Iranian forces. Then there is Steve Witkoff”s dull look in the background, just a nepo appointment. I cannot say I am a fan of Pete Hegseth, but at least he had enough awareness to state an investigation was underway. We all know Trump is a pathological liar. Hegseth did not want to be caught up in Trump lies, but did not want to contradict Trump on camera on Air Force One. He knows what just happened to Kristi Noem, so he does not want to be next.

I was surprised, United States President Donal Trump stated that the Iranian nuclear program was obliterated during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025. Donald Trump is not famous for making factually correct media statements though, considering a nuclear development program was obliterated just over eight months ago, this is an amazing rapid rebuild.

The planning and execution of Operation Midnight Hammer was impressive, there is no doubting the preparation and execution of the US military. They have war plans developed, the US military has reach throughout the world, even though the B-2 is based in the United States, refueling aircraft and escorts are needed, they used the F-35 fighter jets in the raid. Naturally, everyone knew Donald Trump was lying, he never gives factual information. Only the truly MAGA faithful will believe what Donald is selling. So, where does this leave us?

The first week of the Iranian offensive saw an amazing volume of munitions deployed. The Finnish President Alexander Stubb estimated the air defence operations cost $40 billion USD. Ironically, this is more than the entire European spending on Ukrainian defences in an entire year. What we have learned is this is costing the United States big dollars, they are using expensive weapons to shoot down cheap Iranian drones. Iran has been firing missiles and drones in all directions, they have hit neighbours and even had a crack at Turkey and Cyprus, the gulf nations are feeling the pain.

It would appear that Israel really pushed this action, this is pretty much a bilateral operation between Israel and the United States. The initial raid was impressive, the intelligence to take out the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei in his bunker. The operation to assassinate Ali Khamenei was impressive, whilst we will unlikely to exactly learn how he was assassinated in the short term, we expect it was a combination of human sources, cyber warfare, and intelligence gathering.

What we have learned is Israel hacked the Tehran traffic camera network to track bodyguards. Mossad was able to build files on Khamenei’s bodyguards, they knew their work schedule, and schedules. The Israeli operation to plan and execute the bunker buster bombing of the Iranian leadership, this is a positive for the Iranian population, they are living under hard and hostile conditions. Hopefully the Iranian people will eventually be liberated from the theocracy.

The Flakpanzer Gepard is designed to provide mobile air defense coverage for ground units against low-flying aircraft and helicopters. The Flakpanzer Gepard is an air defence module that is built on the frame of the Leopard I main battle tank. The self-propelled anti-aircraft gun [SPAAG] is a mobile air defence system well suited for defending the skies and cities of Ukraine.

Armed with two 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannons with a combined rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute, this anti-aircraft weapon is perfect for Ukraine. The 35 mm Oerlikon KDA autocannon features a twin belt feed system for different ammunition types. The KDA is a variant of the Oerlikon autocannon introduced in the 1950s. The KDA valiant is designed for self-propelled anti-aircraft gun applications, so we are seeing a relatively old and proven design used to provide a reliable defence system.

A twin feed system for high-explosive [HE] rounds against aircraft and armor-piercing [AP] rounds against armored vehicles. Different Oerlikon autocannon include the KDB, a single belt feed anti-aircraft mount that is lighter and more compact design with a standard belt length of 56 rounds, the KDC is a single feed model that feeds from 7 round clips. The KDE is designed for infantry fighting vehicles that could be magazine fed or connected to a feed system.

The Flakpanzer Gepard was designed back in the 1960s and introduced into the German military in the mid 1970s. The Gepard has been upgraded over the years and is now equipped with independent surveillance and tracking radars to detect and engage targets. The Gepard uses a back-up optical sighting system for passive target acquisition and engagement. The German military has phased out the system and sent 50 refurbished units to Ukraine who have used these systems to great effect.

Yes, Ukraine is hit with Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic ballistic missiles fired from Tu-22M3 bombers, MiG-31K interceptors or some upgraded Su-34 fighter/bombers. Then there is the Zircon Russian Navy scramjet-powered cruise missile that also targets Ukrainian cities. The patriot air defence system takes care of these threats, I am discussing the relatively slow moving Shahed-136 drone. Wasting patriot missiles on the swarms of these drones is a terrible waste of resources or air-to-air missiles. This is where the Gepard air defence system takes out these drones, the Ukrainians are experts at developing and refining new techniques and tactics and will continue to innovate.

These days are well behind me now, we would be with the family drinking and we would open two bottles of Penfolds shiraz. One would be Bin 28, the other would be a Bin 128 so we could put the two shiraz up against each other, one was big, the other was smooth.

The Bin 28 was the smooth shiraz, the very first bin release with 100% of the shiraz sourced from the Kalimna vineyard in the Barossa valley. These days the fruit is sourced from multiple vineyards, now fruit is sourced from Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Padthaway, Clare Valley, and Wrattonbully. The colour is deep red with blackcurrant and blackberry flavours, chocolate overtones and soft oak nuances.

The Bin 28 was developed during the Max Schubert Grange project in the late 1950s, the Bin 28 was first released back in 1959. The Bin designation at Penfolds was based on a grape variety and location system used by the winemakers at Penfolds winery to track their inventory. I would view cellering the Bin 28 for only medium term, the tannins are soft and smooth so I don’t believe the Bin 28 should be cellared long term.

I was seeking to break into organisational development from training and development; I needed to begin with accurately defining what organisational development actually is. So I began undertaking some research into organisational development and I was surprised about the lack of definitive information regarding the term.

What I came up with after some research is organisational development is a planned, organisational-wide effort increasing organisational effectiveness and efficiency enabling the organisation to achieve strategic goals. When I was employed at a government training institution; the corporate world places training and development within the sphere of human resources. Organisational development is also linked to change management processes working together with frontline managers, middle managers and upper management.

This makes the human resources process infinitely more interesting – this is the natural procession from training and development. Now I am back employed in the private sector again, organisational development and the management of development programs is the next stage of evolution. Getting stuck in human resources was of no interest to me, I work in safety too, but I do not want to be attached to a human resources department that really does not have a safety focus, more of a compliance process. Embedding safety into organisational learning programs is more of interest to me.

I was reading a review comparing an Omega Planet Ocean against a TAG Heuer Aquaracer and I was intrigued, these are two timepieces separated by more than price. I would be more inclined to compare the Seamaster Diver 300 against the Aquaracer although that still isn’t an equal comparison.

I was even more surprised to read the reviewer’s opinion suggesting the Aquaracer as his watch of choice. We are naturally entitled to our opinions but I tend to disagree with their review. I would own a Planet Ocean over an Aquaracer in a second given the opportunity although I do like wearing the Aquaracer. Price is always a factor, the Aquaracer is by far a less expensive watch, but prices are creeping up, the TAG Heuer boutique wants to increase prestige.

The Planet Ocean has the superior movement, the in-house automatic is co-axial with a 60 hour power reserve. The TAG Heuer uses either an ETA 2824-2, a 25 jewel or Sellita SW 200-2, a 26 jewel movement with a 38 hour power reserve. There is really not much of a comparison between the ETA or Sellita movements, the Sellita is based on the ETA 2824-2 base, just an extra jewel and the finishing generally isn’t as good. Both ETA and Sellita are solid and a proven design, the Calibre 8900 in-house is a whole new level.

I have an Aquaracer, but not a Planet Ocean. I had the chance to purchase one at a good price and I made a huge mistake as I did not like the orange bezel. I have tried on plenty of Planet Ocean over the years and loved it. The big difference is the bracelet, the pin and retainer sleeve of the TAG Heuer is cheap, there is no other comparison, the Planet Ocean has screw type retainers, a much better, and more expensive option. The pressed diver extension of the Aquaracer feels cheap, the Planet Ocean uses proper screwed links, so much better.

The Planet Ocean has a retail price of $12,500 whilst the Aquaracer is $6,500 so there is a significant price difference here. The Planet Ocean has a 45 mm case diameter whilst the Aquaracer is 42 mm, both are big, but the Planet Ocean is seriously big. The Planet Ocean has 600 metre depth rating whilst the Aquaracer is 300 metre, still pretty good. Naturally, it depends on both budget and perceived value, the Planet Ocean is the better quality but is it worth almost nearly double the price?

Leadership is all about self-sacrifice, not self-enrichment and this principle is lost on so many people in these self-defined leadership groups that do not resemble any form of leadership. These are management groups, the management is recruited by the company and individuals are placed in positions of power to control costs.

Leadership can be displayed at all levels of the organisation, an individual does not need to belong to one of these management groups to engage in leadership. The role of the leader is to provide guidance, this produces motivation and offers direction. Leadership is about trust, when you see a bunch of individuals engaging in self-enrichment then all aspects of trust are destroyed, not eroded – destroyed. Until these people are displaced from positions of power, then there will be no resemblance of trust in the organisation.

I really dislike the term invasion day, the indigenous protests on Australia Day were also off the mark in my opinion. However, in a free and democratic society, you are allowed to protest in a lawful and non-violent manner, so they had every right to be there.

Despite my dislike of this rally on Australia Day, I absolutely deplore what happened at the protest. This was a terror attack, or at least a potential terror attack. A man, who had his identity suppressed, hurled an explosive device into a crowd where approximately 2500 people had assembled. Fortunately, the bomb failed to detonate and we are so glad it did, the bomb was filled with ball bearings and screws, the potential harm to the assembled people could have been horrific. This was planned as a mass casualty event, the intent was to injure as many people as possible.

There has been some concern that it took nine days to declare this as an act of terrorism, although I am ok with this. The police need to conduct investigations, they need to collect evidence, and they need to lay charges. What we don’t want to see is the accused found not guilty at trial and released. This needs to be a watertight case, terrorism is life imprisonment and nobody wants to see him on lesser charges. This is the first time terrorism charges have been laid in Western Australia, they don’t want to mess it up, so if it takes another week and a half to get this right, then no problems.

TAG Heuer is a well known luxury brand dating back to 1860, the brand has a serious heritage and a history of innovation. The reputation of the Heuer watch company was tarnished during the 1980s and 1990s after the TAG acquisition. The brand became mass produced, the quality of the product deteriorated and the branding was haphazard to say the least.

The Heuer brand had a serious motor racing affiliation with Formula One being the pinnacle of their advertising alignment. Hence, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 models make sense from a marketing perspective. The Heuer motor racing sponsorship will improve with the LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton ownership with Frédéric Arnault taking the brand upmarket. With new CEO Julien Tornare taking control in January 2024, the brand is repositioning itself and becoming more upmarket.

The Formula 1 series totally fits the marketing profile of TAG Heuer, Techniques d’Avant Garde came from a formula one background so this should have been a great branding. However, the question I ask is, is this range a good fit for you? For me, the quality of the Formula 1 models that I tried on are just not what I want to be wearing at this phase of life. The Formula 1 series just does not meet the wrist feel that I require. The Formula 1 series are all quartz movements, that in itself is not an issue, they are an affordable entry into the TAG Heuer range.

For me, they just do not feel great on my wrist, and in watch circles, the wrist feel is everything. I do wear cheaper brand watches so you need to be a little aware of what you are wearing, the TAG Heuer is closer to Longines in quality and not Tissot or Hamilton, so that needs to be taken into account. An example is the Reference CAZ1014.BA0842, a 43 mm brushed case chronograph, a blue sunray dial with a three link bracelet with folding clasp and push release buttons.

As the losses mount in the Russian-Ukrainian war, the war is coming home for Russians. I do not mean indiscriminate bombing of Russian cities by Ukrainian missiles destroying apartment blocks, schools and hospitals. I am discussing the highly pinpointed targeting of Russian fuel refining and distribution networks.

This is highly effective, Russia is burning and all their citizens are seeing this in real time. The long-term lines waiting for fuel are seen by all, the inflation and scarcity of consumer items. Russians have food shortages, flight issues with aircraft now not maintained correctly, Russian financial reserves held. Firstly, there is the financial cost to the Russian government, this directly funds the Russian war, the price of oil, the shadow fleet is still operating – at least under duress.

The population has been mostly shielded from the effects of the war. The elites in Moscow and St Petersburg don’t send their children off to die as canon fodder, that is the domain of the poorer population further east in Russia. These are more ethnic minorities who are poorly organised in terms of political representation, they are mostly poor, and live in more sparsely populated areas. They lack the voice, they lack the wealth and they lack the power to displace the elite in Moscow, they are the voiceless cannon fodder.