Philippines and the ME War

Sorry about the nomenclature "Carpet Bombing" everyone is correct. I should have said cluster missiles that drop "bomblets" .

Bombletsare small, individual explosive incendiary or fragmentation munitions packed inside a larger container such as a cluster bomb, dispenser or Rocket and scattered over a wide area to detonate separately. Bomblets releases dozens or hundreds explosives causing significant civilian casualties.

Iran now is intentionally using cluster missiles on Israel cities (non military targets) to cause casualties and terror.

Israel & the US are attacking Iranian military targets, unfortunately there is collateral  damage and loss of life.

But the intentions differ between US/Israel and Iran.

Wined and dined Bob?

Cheers, Steve.

Wined and dined Bob?
Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

or Just wining?

Nothing wrong with a drink or five Fred, seems to work for me.

BTW the better half threw out 3 pairs of my undies "to be continued"

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . . Nothing wrong with a drink or five Fred, seems to work for me.

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That seems evident to me, over the years I notice the difference between your morning posts and your evening posts as far as content.

While I notice no difference with your negative contributions over those same years and as mentioned perhaps the MAGA cap you don.

You good sir should get your goolies together and focus on your miserable life with a nasty stepson and the wishful move to independence,,,,,,, doh, Not gonna happen. No need to worry about my life.

As for the topic I really care 2 sh1ts what the Donald Dump does nor other supposed leaders as I am in control of my life and direction and don't bother a soul unlike some.

A JD Bob? After all it's drink o'clock.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl said . . . While I notice no difference with your negative contributions over those same years and as mentioned perhaps the MAGA cap you don.You good sir should get your goolies together and focus on your miserable life with a nasty stepson and the wishful move to independence,,,,,,, doh, Not gonna happen. No need to worry about my life.As for the topic I really care 2 sh1ts what the Donald Dump does nor other supposed leaders as I am in control of my life and direction and don't bother a soul unlike some.A JD Bob? After all it's drink o'clock.

*****************************************

Well Steve your evening posts are getting more nasty.

There is a way at looking at life.

The bottle can be half full or half empty. Judging by your posts, it's half empty because you consuming your happy hour.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ex8ez3717o

The Philippines has declared a state of national energy emergency, citing the "imminent danger" posed to the country's fuel supplies by the conflict in the Middle East.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he had signed an executive order to safeguard energy security amid severe disruption to global supply chains.

Expats and locals are likely to suffer issues because of Trump's war. Those of you who invested in Chinese solar will suffer a lot less.

bigpearl said . . . While I notice no difference with your negative contributions over those same years and as mentioned perhaps the MAGA cap you don.You good sir should get your goolies together and focus on your miserable life with a nasty stepson and the wishful move to independence,,,,,,, doh, Not gonna happen. No need to worry about my life.As for the topic I really care 2 sh1ts what the Donald Dump does nor other supposed leaders as I am in control of my life and direction and don't bother a soul unlike some.A JD Bob? After all it's drink o'clock.
*****************************************
Well Steve your evening posts are getting more nasty.
There is a way at looking at life.

The bottle can be half full or half empty. Judging by your posts, it's half empty because you consuming your happy hour. - @Enzyte Bob

Sorry to piss you off Bob, perhaps next time I'll have one less drink.

Cheers, Steve.

Philippines Says Grounding Planes Is a ‘Distinct Possibility’

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. - Photographer: Lisa Marie David/Bloomberg

By Katrina Nicholas and Haslinda Amin

March 24, 2026 at 12:10 PM GMT+7

Updated on March 24, 2026 at 6:43 PM GMT+7

Takeaways by Bloomberg AI

The Philippines says grounding planes due to a shortage of jet fuel is a “distinct possibility,” according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

    Airlines in Asia are mapping out contingency plans as the escalating Middle East conflict threatens to trigger an oil shock, with some already reducing flights due to surging fuel prices.

President Marcos declared a national energy emergency that will be in force for a year to address risks to the domestic economy and help shield the public from the Middle East crisis.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The Philippines says grounding planes due to a shortage of jet fuel brought on by the war in Iran is a “distinct possibility,” according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Several countries have already told our airlines they cannot fuel their aircraft, so they have to carry fuel there and back,” Marcos said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Tuesday. “Long haul is going to be a much more serious problem.”

Asked whether, inevitably, planes may have to be grounded, Marcos said “we’re hoping not, but it’s a distinct possibility.”

Airlines in Asia are mapping out contingency plans as the escalating Middle East conflict threatens to trigger the worst oil shock since the 1970s. Because the Philippines relies heavily on imported crude — much of it sourced from the Middle East — it’s more highly exposed than other nations in Southeast Asia to energy shortages and spiraling (sic) domestic fuel prices.

Philippine budget carrier Cebu Air on Monday said it plans to reduce flights beginning next month because of surging fuel prices caused by the Middle East crisis, according to a statement.

Elsewhere in Asia, Vietnam Airlines is temporarily suspending flights on some domestic routes while VietJet Aviation JSC is reducing the frequency of flights. Another Vietnamese carrier, Bamboo Airways, said it will try to maintain flights during peak travel periods but has advised services may be fewer than last year if oil prices stay high.

Marcos’s comments appear to be at odds with a briefing Energy Secretary Sharon Garin gave earlier Tuesday. She said the Department of Energy had on Monday met with airlines and they’d told the agency they have sufficient fuel orders coming in.

“We met them because we wanted to know if they need help in procuring, but they have assured us they’re okay,” Garin said.

The Philippine leader late on Tuesday declared a national energy emergency that will be in force for a year as the war in Iran disrupts global oil supply. The move will allow the government to address risks to the domestic economy and help shield the public from the Middle East crisis through measures including the release of cash aid and fuel subsidies.

— With assistance from Manolo Serapio Jr

(Adds declaration of national energy emergency in last paragraph.)

source, Bloomberg

@Fred

The whole world is suffering yet again by foolish decisions, we have been through it all before as most well know.

I think my point is that the poor who can least afford stupid choices for either ego or profit ultimately pay the price,,,,, sorry kids no pencils for school this year, we have to walk to the wet market while most expats it really doesn't affect.

Solar systems matter little where they are made whether China or say Germany, even lowly Australia. Do the sums, My way of thinking is many fold but primarily save/make money, ROI, the second big one is no power outages that can be once or twice a week here and then monthly a 10/12 hour advised shut down for maintenance, the third is lowering our carbon emissions and finally a fully A/C home.

Having an EV now for some 9 or 10 months and charged from the solar system has worked well for us like your EV bikes seems to be a winner especially no grid for a charge at who can guess the costs per Kwh these days with oil hikes, end user again picks up the pieces.

Just me.

Cheers, Steve.

Those little bikes are great for us, but can change a country.

My wife's is a real motorcycle that needs taxing and so on, but runs on a very cheap lead/acid battery. Mine is officially a bicycle,  but I never put the pedals on and it looks like a scooter.

I've just calculated the cost per charge at roughly Rp.1,000 or 0.06 USD.

Yes, I did put the decimal point in the right place.

I will explain.

The glorified bicycle types don't require a license,  tax, or anything else, and the most expensive is around Rp12 million (700 USD) - The cheapest are 3 million.

The really expensive ones look like a Yamaha Nmax.

They are everywhere here and used for short runs by everyone from pretty poor people to loads of the middle classes in expensive housing estates.

The lead/acid can run for around 40 to 50 km, but the lithium version will do more.

Mine tops out at 46 kph - easily enough to keep up with slow city traffic.

These are already very popular but image what they can do for both personal economics and that of a whole country.

They massively reduce oil usage so, even if a total moron causes oil to get scarce,  cities can still run, and run far more cheaply than before.

Parking is no longer an issue as you can easily get 4 or 5 of these things into one car parking space.

Clean air and a quiet environment are bonuses.

The really beauty is that minimal or no infrastructure is required for the change.

Governments can use the Trump war mess to change habits and mindsets, and clean up cities as a bonus.

Jakarta's traffic is jammed, dirty, and noisy,  but the Trump mess might be a great way to both mitigate the issue and improve the city in one go.

The Philippines is in a fuel mess at the moment, but they can shift quickly as well.

Yes Fred many like yourself and us here went the EV route, millions of others also, My sis in Oz just dumped her Mercedes and purchased an EV replacement as their new home has solar and was being wasted, the excess going back to the grid. Perhaps she saw my experiences going solar and EV. Australia has a huge take up of solar and batteries both grid tied and stand alone as fossil fuel prices are ridiculous and like now? The whole world is opening their eyes as they are being hurt yet again in the hip pocket.

Don't misunderstand me though as we have another SUV, 2 motorbikes, chainsaw, 2 brush cutters that all run on petrol as does our back up generator,,,,,,, all rarely used and nobody wants the SUV nor the generator and sit in the garage taking up space.

Riding your bikes around Jakarta? Brave man, bad enough for me to go into town 4 klicks away and we are provincial and half an hour away from the hustle of our local city. When we lived in Manila Ben several times would ride his old bike to work,,,,,, that stopped and he just jumped in a Jeepney. That old bike is still going, he gifted it to his sister, then it went to her son and now his nephew has it, Value s it's now 20 years old and still going.

Said enough.

Cheers, Steve.

Riding in Jakarta isn't fun, but it can be done reasonably safely if you have eyes up your arse.

If ICE vehicles were banned for two days every week (with exceptions),  two things would probably happen

1. There would be massive fuel savings
2. The city would be cleaner and quiet

One has to wonder what two days of quiet will do to mindsets when they have three days of dirt and noise after them.

I can see a popular movement demanding more ICE free days.

I don't mind driving around in cities as you have a bit of meat around you and honestly Athens was the worst, other cities pale by comparison, a motorbike or push bike no thanks. For years it was me that drove around Manila but the last 5/6 years the better half took the helm and does very well.

What's got me stuffed Fred is the constant negativities by many against the take up of alternative sources to power the world into the future. minimal pollution, less noise, saving money,,,,,, doh silly me, some won't make money from fossil fuels if they are retired.

I did mention once before that our week in Hong Kong was a pleasure, half the wheels or more were electric, even many taxis. I wonder if electric cars will kill the birds and whales?

We have a fully A/C home and a PHEV with no power or fuel bills, not seen a dead bird or whale yet.

Cheers, Steve.

The Philippines is now buying Russian oil in an attempt to mitigate the Trump war mess.

Trump keeps declaring victory and, if his goal is to bust his own sanctions,  he's a winner.

The Philippines is also begging the US to allow it to buy Iranian and Venezuelan oil.

Trump's win just gets bigger and bigger.

Fred as we all well know many people are full of sh1t, new years resolution...... I'm going to give up drinking, I'm going to stop smoking, I'm going to end all wars, I'm going to reduce costs,I'm going to create more Jobs and wealth for the country, I've got a big head and focus on filling my pockets. You nor I voted for a fool and seems too many did and now regretting foolish choices. Buying Russian oil simply keeps funding a 4 year war,,,,,, to what end?

Your correct saying the Philippines, plenty of other countries will be seriously looking at alternatives to power their futures , no guess where that tech and know how will come from.

You keep mentioning Trump,,,,,,,, many fools are full of crap.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Fred as we all well know many people are full of sh1t, new years resolution...... I'm going to give up drinking
Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

I did that one, but not for new year. It was a result of a rather bad experience I would have handled very differently had I not been smashed out of my skull. I was an observer rather than a perpetrator, but the result of my drunken inability to think straight was the same horrible outcome.

It came in two statges:

Promising myself I would never get drunk again

Drinking carefully in order to not get drunk was boring.

Not touched a drop since. The upside is no more well deserved hangovers and generally feeling better.

Regret, as with Edith Piaf, is not something I care to indulge in, so I took action in order to advoid the same mistake ever happening again. Action is so much better than sulking.

However, Trump's war errors are something the fool can't go back from and, worse, is something he's very likely to repeat.

When Trump was elected I removed all investments in anything American (including money markets) because I foresaw massive stupidity ahead, but I didn't expect it to hit this world altering scale.

I have lost money as the new, safer investments are less profitable, but I'm no longer risking the lot on the whims of a dangerous fool.

I can see the Philippines (and much of the rest of the region) aligning closer to China and away from the US. That country was always a bit off, but it's totally unreliable now. There should be no permission required to import oil essential to a country's economy,  and I can see a good number of countries sanctions busting in order to keep their own people safe from the twit in the white house.

Fred as we all well know many people are full of sh1t, new years resolution...... I'm going to give up drinking...
Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

Yes. Cheers!

The Philippines is now buying Russian oil in an attempt to mitigate the Trump war mess.Trump keeps declaring victory and, if his goal is to bust his own sanctions, he's a winner.The Philippines is also begging the US to allow it to buy Iranian and Venezuelan oil.Trump's win just gets bigger and bigger. - @Fred

I was watching a news video the other day that said 98% of the oil the Philippines imports comes through the straight of Hormuz.  It sounds like they (and other countries) should look at NOT keeping all their eggs in one basket.  Similar to some of the countries relying on the majority of their resources from Russia.  I would think that would be common sense, but often times money overrules everything else.  It's great when things are going well, but all it takes is an issue out of your control to bring on a crisis.

TACO Thursday

He must love TACO's mugtech.

Cheers, Steve.

Fred said . . . . When Trump was elected I removed all investments in anything American (including money markets) because I foresaw massive stupidity ahead, but I didn't expect it to hit this world altering scale.
I have lost money as the new, safer investments are less profitable, but I'm no longer risking the lot on the whims of a dangerous fool.

I can see the Philippines (and much of the rest of the region) aligning closer to China and away from the US.

*********************************

There are 285 Chinese Companies listed on the New Stock Exchange & Nasdaq with a capitalization of over One Trillion Dollars. That's a lot of Yuans, 7 trillion, (Seventy thousand Billions).

So Fred, on your big switcheroo, what stocks did you sell and what stocks did you buy?

Fred said . . . . I have lost money as the new, safer investments are less profitable, but I'm no longer risking the lot on the whims of a dangerous fool.

****************************

Fred . . . . How can you lose money on money you never had?

Trading undies Bob, not very profitable though.

Cheers, Steve.

Trading undies Bob, not very profitable though.
Cheers, Steve. - @bigpearl

You are clearly unfamiliar with fetishism 🤣

But and but Fred are they trading well? Your fetishes aside we all make money in different ways, I'm simply glad I worked my tits off and very comfortably retired at 59 with diversified portfolios, plenty of cash in the bank, properties and honestly some years I make far more from retirement than when I was grafting and stashing it away. Too much it seems as I will never get a government pension after paying taxes for 45 years,,,,,, All governments are the same. A wonderfull better half and living in our bit of paradise with few worries.

Cheers, Steve.

TACO Thursday - @mugtech

That's very unfair- He chickens out regardless of what day it is.

As far as Iran goes, it's very possible he will be forced to chicken out because the damage to the world economy is so great.

Russia is making a fortune out of Trump's total inability to plan anything properly,  and it looks like US allies are eyeing up Iranian and Venezuelan oil regardless of US sanctions.

As with Biden using the Dollar as a weapon against Russia caused some countries to trade non-Dallar and move closer to China, Trump's war might very well see nations acting directly against US rules in order to save their own countries... well, more likely the politicians' skins as they know economic collapse will end their gravy trains.

Either way, The US forcing its rules around the world is at serious risk of ending.

At the moment, the Philippines is asking for US permission to import sanctioned oil, but I believe they will do it anyway if supplies dry up any more.

They will be joined by other countries.

It might also be noted that countries are taking a closer look at renewable energy in order to avoid issues caused by US wars.

Drastically reduced oil dependency also means the US loses a lot of its influence .... and US Dollar use - Bye bye, US economy.

It's like a surgeon removing a cancer, or someone taking a massive dump after being constipated for a week.

I predicted that Trump stupidity will damage the US very badly, but it's now looking likely that previously obedient/frightened countries will give the finger to Uncle Sam.

MAGA is turning into MAGTAH. Make America grind to a halt.

He chickens out every hour Fred, as I name him the petulant child that a good slapping will sort out. The slapping is coming big time.

OMO but he could never run a building site, how in frig do you expect him to run a country let alone screw around with world economies. Diplomacy wins the day, not rip tear bust. Dump aside Fred I agree with your sentiments that many countries have their eyes opened widely over the last 14 months and renewables and their take up are high on the agenda for many countries. The winner will be China.

Australia has been big on renewables for over a decade and I had a chuckle this morning on the Aussie news that the government opposition party wants to cut government fuel taxes by half and propose to balance the budget by cutting renewable incentives for the average punter,,,,,,,, yes right wing and like the Dump have no idea when it comes to planning for a sustainable future and treat the constituents as simply those that have no say yet they pay their wages. These days many don't vote for a right wing government as is reflected now in the US.

Probably why Australia has a left wing government steering the ship and a focus on direction.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

Prophetic,

Anthem for American Expeditionary Forces by George M. Cohan 1917

Over there, over there, The Yanks are coming

Send the word we'll be over, were coming over

And we won't come back till it's over, over there

And now Bob? He who started this stupid war is now calling on other countries to come and help, Then they face criticism for rejecting his asks for a war they had nothing to do with. Sounds a lot like soiling your pants, perhaps Fred can offer advice? Maybe there are fetishes for soiled undies on the market but honestly Bob the truth is unfolding and not looking real good for the petulant child grasping at straws at the expense of not only the American people but the world.

Like always well thought out and planned.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

perhaps Fred can offer advice? Maybe there are fetishes for soiled undies on the market - @bigpearl

Trump, the first president in world history to poop his pants on live TV, could probably sell his underwear on specialist sites.

After all, it's looks a lot like he's been insider trading oil stocks and there are strange Polymarket bets that are always placed just before Trump Truth social posts.

Yeah the poly market and I assume you are talking deep sea mining that could potentially truck up the environment, The ocean floor and fauna that live happily on the deep ocean floors and so many un named,,,,,,, Bucks Fred and we all well know who is good at finding them,,,, from memory an Aussie suspect businessman that has somehow got the Dump on board. Minerals such as copper, nickel and rare earths and further raping of the environment all for??????? Bucks while the people suffer.

Loved your clip Fred especially the clearing out of the media thereafter.Do remember though his age and the power he wields in his nappy inflicted on the world. Not saying any more or I'll get into further trouble.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

The question is if Iran was unfettered would the world be a safer place?

Iran had enriched the uranium to 60% and bragged to the negotiators they had enough uranium for 11 nuclear bombs, that prompted Trump to act.

What good reason would a country enrich uranium to 60% ?

1. Standard Reactor Fuel 3-5%
2. Advanced Reactor 5-20%
3. Research Reactor up to 20%
4. Naval Reactor up to 20%

If Trump offered to drop Fred's fetit panties on Tehran we would not have this discussion.

Fred said . . . . After all, it's looks a lot like he's been insider trading oil stocks and there are strange Polymarket bets that are always placed just before Trump Truth social posts.

***********************

Fred stick to the facts, this bs belongs in your panties.

bigpearl said to Fred . . . .Yeah the poly market and I assume you are talking deep sea mining that could potentially truck up the environment.

***********************************

30% of oil is from the deep sea.

85% of the new oil discoveries is deep sea.

For the uninformed, Polymarket is a betting site that only deals in Bitcoin.

Someone has been placing bets on Trump related possibilities, and always just before he announces what he will do.

The bets are always right, and the mystery punter always makes a fortune.

Have some examples, but don't bet because it looks like a fix by either Trump or someone close to him.

https://polymarket.com/predictions/iran

An oil rig is very different to mining poly nodules Bob. They sit in deep water 3, 4, 5,000 feet down, sit in total blackness and to mine them  requires specialised deep sea harvesters, the impact on the ocean floor for 10's of thousands of square kilometres? The impact on the flora that not only lives in the depths but also the ramifications of the silt and sludge dumped back into the water on the surface that affects whales and all other creatures that live in the shallower waters. A disaster in the making.

Your President thinks that wind turbines kill whales and birds but stupidly is investing bucks in this upcoming mining practice,,,,, why? Because there are bucks in it of him and seems he cares little about the whales and other wildlife, you go work that out with a little research, old mr. double standards at it yet again.

Seems current research also reveals that these nodule beds actually make oxygen in total darkness where there is no photo synthesis

I'll stick to my solar panels and wind turbines.

Cheers, Steve.

Sorry Fred I thought you were talking about poly nodules, thought I clarified that in post #194.

Thing is most like you and I well realise that everyday the sun delivers more energy on the surface of this our only world daily and makes all the fossil fuels and reserves locked up in the ground like a drop in the ocean,,,,,,, that's everyday and free.

Thing is with alternatives as well as plenty of other hardware we rely on rare earth minerals with our current tech,,,,, guess who controls 90% of the world market? China. Used to be America decades ago.

Like so many countries Australia included we let it all slip through our fingers.

Cheers, Steve.