So Bruce wrote the song on the weekend, recorded the song on Monday at Stone Hill Studio, mixed on Tuesday and released on Wednesday. The song was released just four days after the murder of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis [24/1/26], before that, Renee Good was shot by ICE Agents in her vehicle [7/1/26].

This folk rock US President Donald Trump described Bruce Springsteen as “a bad, and very boring singer”, this is a standard Trump response. This is to call that person not smart, untalented, over-rated, or some basic schoolyard bullying name calling. In relative terms, Trump is describing himself, his fragile ego cannot accept any form of criticism, he sees his own intellectual shortcomings so he tries to project them on others.

Bruce Springsteen described the Trump Administration as corrupt, incompetent and treasonous during a Manchester show in 2025. Naturally, Trump had a public meltdown and in a post called the Boss writing “importantly, he’s not a talented guy — Just a pushy, obnoxious JERK, who fervently supported Crooked Joe Biden, a mentally incompetent FOOL. In Trump style [or lack thereof] added this dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country.” This is a pretty personal attack, especially for a guy still filling stadiums like he did in the 1970s and 1980s.

So how did this song go, 2.5 million views on YouTube on the day of release, holding the number one spot on iTunes in 19 countries including the United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, France, New Zealand, and Italy. A pretty decent song debut for an untalented guy who is apparently incompetent. Even better, Krisi Noem is gone, she got a starring mention in Bruce’s lyrics. Even more embarrassing to the Trump Administration, her husband is cross-dressing in Barbie clothes, another sex scandal for an Administration that appeals to right-wing Christian conservatives.

I was a frequent purchaser of Wolf Blass reds a number of years back. I think when chasing the international market, they became a little too fixated on preservatives making the wines real headache material, that was the point I dropped Wolf Blass wines pretty quick. Wandering through the departures lounge, I viewed a bottle of their 2012 grey lable shiraz and I thought I would revisit the producer – I was glad I did.

The wine was particularly complex exhibiting bold oak notes supported by ripe berries, hints of spice, chocolate overtones, and a just hint of pepper. This 2012 vintage release is from the shiraz McLaren Vale region supporting the renowned shiraz expressions of this region. The outstanding fruit grown in this maritime coastal region has been crafted with the structure and character that this shiraz is expected to age impeccably. 

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Limited Edition Chronograph x Oracle Red Bull Racing is worth a look. Whilst I am a longtime fan of TAG Heuer, I am not really into Formula One, so I do not keep up with the teams or the drivers.

So when I read the specifications, TAG Heuer stated this limited edition timepiece has a black DLC-coated case. Ok, so what is DLC coating? This is diamond-like carbon, a thin-film coating composed of a carbon-based material that possesses diamond-like properties. Right, so this offers a hard scratch resistant case with a deep colour.

A DLC coating is applied using physical vapor deposition [PVD] or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition [PE-CVD] processes. The PVD process uses a vacuum-based technique to create a thin, yet durable film by vaporising a solid source material and condensing it onto the case surface. This Formula 1 limited edition comes on a blue rubber strap to offer a sporty yet comfortable feel of this timepiece.

The Red Bull team logo is written between 7 o’clock and 10 o’clock on the dial, with an asphalt-textured dial in Oracle Red Bull Racing blue. The chronograph sub-dials are at the 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. There are red highlights on the pushers, red on the sub-dials and a yellow second hand. There is a steel bezel with aluminium insert, the caseback is engraved with 20th season logo, with a One of 3000 inscription to denote the limited edition status.

So now that President Trump has declared victory in Iran, one would expect the Strait of Hormuz would be opened again.  Yet Donald Trump continues to bang out content on his social media site that the Ranians are begging for a deal. Naturally, this disrespect irritates them, they pull out of negotiations and instead release another Lego video. If the situation was not so serious, this would actually be funny.

The first thing that needs to happen is Donald Trump gets off social media, he is not helping the situation, he is making it worse. Secondly, Trump needs to stop making media comments, he needs to hand over responsibility to Marco Rubio, and tell him to get it sorted. No more Steve Witkoff, no more Jared Kushner, serious negotiators from the State Department need to be brought in and negotiate in good faith. Trump can then concern himself with the East Wing Ballroom, and monuments to himself in Washington.

The ridiculous double blockade of the Strait of Hormuz needs to be lifted, the oil and gas needs to flow again and economic activity resume. The gulf states including Saudi Arabia are losing patience. Already MBS has blocked the US military access to their airspace, their aircraft were effectively grounded and left parked on the tarmac at Prince Sultan airbase. Now other gulf nations are looking at the Saudi stance and may impose restrictions of their own on the US military.

Gulf state infrastructure is getting hit by Iranian missiles and drones, this hurts their oil production and has damaged their reputation as a safe tourism destination. The gulf states are the ones bearing the brunt of the US war against Iran, this is costing them enormously. The Saudi leadership quickly put an end to the US operation to escort ships through the sess lanes, this operation lasted less than 36 hours before being shut down after pressure from Saudi Arabia. This is a mess, Trump needs to get out before we have a global recession, Trump needs to shut his mouth and stand aside.

When I am in Singapore I love eating at hawkers huts, the food is good quality and really simple. There is no hanging about, get in and eat, then get out. All the stalls are set up with electronic payment systems so I can just tap my card, this is simple and straightforward, I don’t need to carry too much local currency. I have had my credit card chewed up by an overseas ATM in the past, so much easier now. 

Breakfast is relatively easy, if you are eating Chinese style it is a couple of soft boiled eggs, kaya toast, that is a two sided toast with coconut jam, and a coffee with condensed milk. The Indian style is warm prata bread with a number of fillings and a Dahl, mutton or chicken curry, light and easy. I like to switch it up on alternate days when I am in Singapore, Chinese Singaporean or Indian Singaporean styles are both great, a good simple breakfast.

Russia was desperate for a ceasefire for their May 9 Parade to go ahead without the prospect of a Ukrainian missile or drone strike. So Vladimir Putin requested a ceasefire with Volodymyr Zelensky offering Vladimir Putin permission to hold their May 9 parade without disruption. This was a fantastic trolling, Zelensky granted permission for Russia to parade around Red Square.

There were no tanks rolling through Red Square, the military parade is all about weapons, there were no truck mounted missiles either, this is projecting Russian power. Russian anti-drone units were stationed just outside Red Square; they were still concerned. Even more ironic, Ukraine war veterans are marching in the parade, the Ukraine war has lasted longer than the Soviet involvement in World War II. The laughs keep coming, Ukrainians make up 25% of the Soviet force, they fought with distinction.

What Zelensky did was brilliant, he gave an assurance that Ukrainian Commanders would not target Red Square on May 9 after numerous requests and negotiations from the Americans, Zelensky decree he would allow the parade to go ahead. Even funnier, he then gave the coordinates for Red Square in the letter. Putin has increased security, he is concerned, he is coming across as a paranoid dictator who is losing control. The Russian people are seeing all this play out, the hits on Russian oil infrastructure are taking its toll, the smoke and the black rain are getting sighted.

The new Longines Hydroconquest reference L3.788.4.98.6 is a nice looking upgrade for the Hydroconquest line. The HydroConquest was introduced in 2007, had an upgrade from the aluminium bezel insert to a ceramic bezel insert to a full case and dial upgrade. I was looking to purchase a HydroConquest, but I thought the aluminium insert would soon be superseded, so I was right. The second generation was a GMT movement, this is now the third generation and I reckon it will be a hit.

I wandered into Mazzucchelli’s Jewellers in Karrinyup, they have a good range of RADO, Longines, and Tissot, just to name a few brands. They also had TAG Heuer, but lost the range in that store when TAG Heuer opened their second boutique at Karrinyup Shopping Centre. It is still available in the stores not competing against the TAG Heuer boutiques. So I had a look at the older versions and planned my trip in my mind to the Longines boutique in the city for the next day.

As this was a new reference, Mazzucchelli’s Jewellers did not have any inventory, they were waiting for a shipment to arrive. Naturally, the Longines is going to get their shipment first, they want to be first to the Perth market as they are direct competitors. Mazzucchelli’s Jewellers had the older version with the Arabic numerals at the 3, o’clock, 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions for me to have a look at, the updated reference, if I recall correctly, was introduced in 2022 and I tried that on too back then.

As a dive watch rated to 300 metres it has a screw-down case-back, a screw-down crown, and integrated crown guard as one would expect. Naturally, the sapphire crystal prevents scratches and damage to the crystal, the ceramic bezel insert prevents scratches and has a really good wrist presence. The first generation used the Conquest case and had the externally mounted crown guards, that was an acquired taste, but I was ok with it.

The H-link bracelet is tapered, the older versions used a straight bracelet with a twin lock clasp. I liked the micro-adjustment, that was pretty neat, that is the first of these I have come across and I immediately loved it. There is a 42 mm and 39 mm case version, for me the 42 is perfect as I have an 8 inch wrist, the 39 mm version is perfect for most wrists. There is also a Milanese bracelet version that I am sure will be popular, but won’t work for me.

The frosted blue dial of the reference L3.788.4.98.6 uses wide index markers, with dot markers, at the 6 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions, the 3 o’clock is substituted with the date window. I can’t say I am a fan of the two dot markers, they should have kept geometric markers throughout. The 12 o’clock marker is an archetypal triangle, the hour hand is a snowflake type, the minute hand is straight, and the second hand is a lollypop type.

Despite the three different types, the design works. I do not like excessive writing on the dial, it is cluttered and messy, the HydroConquest is pretty clean here, just enough to identify Longines, even the hourglass logo is subdued.

The automatic movement is based on, some would argue evolved from the ETA 2892-A2 that has been internally upgraded, the Longines L888.5, a silicon balance spring enhancing anti-magnetic capabilities with a 72 hour power reserve. Beating at 25,200 vph [3.5 Hz]. The movement has 21 jewels, I cannot see the finish on the movement as the solid case-back is is laser etched globe with winged hourglass logo.

The development of leadership skills are learned in a range of contexts as leadership is influence although not necessarily learned at home. Confidence is important, you don’t necessarily need to be an extrovert but you need the ability to address both small and medium sized groups of people. For some, addressing groups of people are the difference between becoming a leader, an introvert v extravert dilemna.

Much energy has been expelled on studying leadership traits and while values and beliefs are important, I believed these are learned attributes. I’m not convinced that the results from early trait leadership studies are the answer. I am a believer in behavioral leadership contexts, the theory considers observable actions between leader and team members. Placing leadership in context; the skills of initiative, critical thinking, motivation, active listening, delegation, conflict management, communication and exhibiting role model behaviour all form leadership skill-sets.

I was sitting in Archies on the waterfront at Mandurah’s Dolphin Quay having a kolsch beer. On the tv was an old Ashes test match that they were showing. I was trying to mentally work out when the match was being played. I find it interesting that Fox Sports was playing old games, I would be a little annoyed if I was paying for this service and got served up old test matches.

Stuart McGill was getting some wickets, Glen McGrath was sending down some pace, but I could not really concentrate on the match as I was chatting with my mate who is a head chef a little further down the boardwalk. I am a big fan of Stuart McGill, he was a great bowler mostly kept out of the team by Shane Warne. So this gave me some time frames to work with, I don’t believe McGill and Warne played that many test matches together, that is why I am guessing this match replay was mid-2000s.

I am no fan of Warne, he was described as a larrikin, more of a yobbo to me. From what I observed, Stuart had better figures for the limited matches he played, he was viewed as a bit of a strange guy, as opposed to Warne who was very popular with teammates and the public. When they played together in the team, I knew McGill had not only more wickets than Warne, I was aware he had a better bowling average too.

When they showed the Australian second innings, Michael Slater came in with Mark Taylor and was out for two, Justin Langer came in at number three and was out for one run. The sponsor was Ansett, so I know at least the base dates here. Justin Langer was eventually dropped from the team during an Ashes campaign in England as number three before reinventing himself as an opener with Mathew Hayden. Mark Waugh was next in before Fox Sports flipped over to a rugby match, I am not a follower of NRL, so my interest waned and I was off.

I cannot believe the power of the United States President, a US President can initiate military action without the express authorisation of the Congress. However, the President must inform Congress within 48 hours once the military action has started.

So US President Trump, the guy who campaigned on no new wars initiated a second military conflict with Iran after the relative success of Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025. When I say relative success, the operation was well planned and executed as one would expect with the US Air Force. However, the bunker bombing clearly did not obliterate the Iranian nuclear program as Donald Trump claimed, as the US needed to go into Iran again in January 2026 for Operation Epic Fury as Trump claimed Iran was weeks away from launching an attack on the United States.

So now we have Operation Epic Fury started on February 28, the military action hit the Iranian regime pretty hard, the US expended a large inventory of precision weapons. Based on the 1973 War Powers Act, the US President has 60 days to initiate military action before Congressional approval is required. If Congressional approval is declined, the President has a further 30 day withdrawal period. President Trump expected a swift capitulation of the Iranian regime, especially after the loss of leadership. Instead, it appears to have hardened the stance has allowed the new leadership has dug in.

So how did we get here? Well, Donald Trump was full of positivity after the lightning raid on Venezuela and the capture, or kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro in early January 2026. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu successfully convinced Trump to engage in a surprise attack on Iran where they took out the Iranian leadership in a precision bombing action. The US and Israeli precision bombing, with the exception of the girl’s school, has been a military success. The war with Iran, it is a war, has been a military success and a strategic failure.

Well, that was until Iran decided to close the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Navy is gone, yes they have small fast boats, but all their ships are gone. So how did the Iranian regime close the Strait of Hormuz? Well, we all know there is a bottleneck between Iran and Oman, there are narrow lanes, plus a buffer zone for the large oil tankers to transit. The Iranian military is not directly attacking ships in the gulf, instead the threat of action has spooked insurers who have clearly acted with extreme caution.

The Iran’s Revolutionary Guard [IRGC] has threatened to attack any ship trying to navigate the strait without permission. Therefore, the major shipping companies including Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, and CMA CMG have suspended transit through the strait over genuine concerns for their ships and crew. The threat to mine the strait right at the chokepoint has pretty much stopped the transit of vessels. The Iranian regime opened the strait allowing transit to be rerouted past the island of Larak, that is close to the Iranian shore allowing Iranian forces to have a real close look at any vessel trying to transit the region. So what happens at the 60 day requirement, I reckon the Trump Administration will just ignore the requirement, congress is unlikely to hold Trump accountable and the Republican Party certainly will not do anything.