Another week, and it’s another one-week Number One. Wait, another one-week Number One, the week after a different one-week hit? What is this, 1985? Just kidding—I’m actually glad the pace of the 1986 hits has been slower.
Be that as it may, on March 22, 1986 the new Number One song was “These Dreams” (video up top) by the American rock band Heart. The song was the third single from the group’s eighth studio album, “Heart”. “These Dreams” was also the band’s first Number One hit.
There’s an unusual bit of trivia about this song: This week’s song was wittern by Bernie Taupin and Martin Page, who also wrote the song in Part 23 of the 1985 series, “We Built This City” by Starship. They’re certainly very different songs.
Heart is group I really liked, and I liked this particular song, though it wasn't my favourite Heart song. I first became aware of the group because of a lot of TV commercials promoting their debut album, Dreamboat Annie. However, my connection with the band really started when their "Dog & Butterfly" tour (promoting the album of the same name) appeared at my university. There’s a little story about that.
My university’s arena, used mostly for basketball (go the Dawgs!—actually, I went to one game there), had a lot of concerts, too. However, in 1977, many weren’t exactly huge stars, but then they suddenly started programming bigger acts. In my first year at university, they hosted Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen, neither of whom I was interested in (though, decades later, I wished I’d seen Springsteen…). The first group I saw was Bad Company, who were promoting their new album, Desolation Angels (which I bought, but no longer have). I went because they were the first group that I was kinda, sorta, familiar with. But when Heart was there, I was really excited to see them. They performed songs from their first four albums.
Back to 1986, I have to admit that the video for “These Dreams” didn’t grab me (apparently a common thing for me in 1986… or, always?). I mean, it was okay, I guess, but it wasn’t one I was excited to see replayed. I was similarly indifferent to this song, and to me it was a pleasant background song with lead vocals by a singer I enjoyed. But—and even I’m surprised I thought this way—where were the rocking vocals I’d come to know Ann Wilson for doing? However, I think that in those days I probably would’ve listened to her sing the phone book (not a literal fact). Let’s just say my tastes are, and always have been, varied, shall we? Yes, let’s. The larger point here is that I really liked heart, and I thought this song was okay. That’s very often good enough for me, and while I remember very little of it (it was a long time agao…), I know I enjoyed it.
“These Dreams” reached Number 27 in Australia, 6 in Canada, 62 in the UK, and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100” and “Adult Contemporary” charts, and it reached Number 2 on their “Mainstream Rock” chart. It was also Number One on the Cash Box “Top 100” chart. The song apparently didn’t chart in New Zealand, but it was nevertheless certified Gold, and the linked Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any sales certification information for any other country. No idea what that means.
The album Heart reached Number 37 in Australia, Number 3 in Canada (6x Platinum), Number 19 in the UK (Gold), and Number 1 on the USA’s “Billboard 200” (5x Platinum). The album was certified Platinum in the USA. The album didn’t chart in New Zealand.
This series will return next week, on March 29, with the next new Number One from 1986, and it's NOT another one-week hit! But it IS one I liked a lot.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2 – February 15, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 3 – March 1, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 4 – March 15, 2026
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Friday, March 20, 2026
Fueling the rising costs for everyone
Fuel prices are rising throughout the world due to Tr*mp’s war against Iran, and obviously New Zealand’s fuel prices are rising fast, too. A couple days ago, an economist predicted that petrol prices could pass $4 per litre (roughly US$8.81 per US gallon). I think our prices will probably reach that point in maybe a week.
Here's why I say that: Late yesterday afternoon, I used the Gaspy App to look at prices at around 50 petrol stations within a relatively short drive from my house. The cheapest price for 91 was $2.93 per litre (three stations), and the highest price was $3.26 per litre. This evening, the cheapest price was $3.14 per litre (one station), and the highest price was $3.40—that’s around 24 hours later. It will keep rising.
Despite being late to take the situation seriously, the current NZ government is starting to talk about “worst case scenario” solutions. They claim NZ has seven weeks of fuel supply, counting both what’s here and what’s on the way, but experts in the industry estimate it’s actually around five weeks. One specific—and big—problem is that around 47% of NZ’s refined fuel comes from Korea, and they’ve talked about suspending exports, and if they do, this situation could get serious fast.
The government’s first step will be to work with partner countries overseas to try to find alternative sources of fuel, and they’re talking about temporarily relaxing fuel standards (I think, but don’t know, that they mean things like allowing higher levels of Sulfur in diesel). They also are working on a series of escalating restrictions on sales (to prioritise essential users, like emergency services and truckers shipping food to supermarkets) that they could use, if that becomes necessary—along with security guards at petrol stations.
I’m extremely lucky in that I don’t need to drive much or far, so this shouldn’t affect me for a while. Sales restrictions, if they happen, would obviously affect me, too, but, like everyone else, rising prices will increasingly mean I won’t drive anywhere unless I have to.
However, we'll all share the pain of fast-rising fuel prices because EVERYTHING we need to buy will become more expensive, including groceries, which are already at too-high prices—and, of course, farmers need fuel to grow and harvest our food (plus fertiliser may be hard to obtain). We’ve also been warned that because of all the uncertainties, there could be fuel surcharges added to anything delivered directly to us. Could? Make that there will be.
Related to that, I realised recently that this situation could mean that the guy who mows my front lawn may raise his prices. However, he recently cut back to mowing every other week, so even if he raises his prices, I should still be paying less per month than when he was mowing weekly. Like I said, I’m lucky.
No one knows how this will play out, or when the war will end. It certainly doesn’t help that the USA has a government that doesn’t have a clue what it’s doing, and the Republican politicians clearly have no idea whatsoever how to bring their war to an end. So, things right now are serious and getting worse, but they're not yet dire—emphasis on yet.
New Zealand is as vulnerable as any other country, and our own “Coalition of Chaos” government hasn’t exactly been inspiring confidence that they know what to do. Even so, I’m not willing to jump on the panic wagon about all this. First, there’s absolutely nothing I can do about the cause of all this turmoil. All I can do is manage what’s within my control, and I’m definitely doing that.
But, seriously, isn’t it about time we finally got to have some precedented times?!!!
Here's why I say that: Late yesterday afternoon, I used the Gaspy App to look at prices at around 50 petrol stations within a relatively short drive from my house. The cheapest price for 91 was $2.93 per litre (three stations), and the highest price was $3.26 per litre. This evening, the cheapest price was $3.14 per litre (one station), and the highest price was $3.40—that’s around 24 hours later. It will keep rising.
Despite being late to take the situation seriously, the current NZ government is starting to talk about “worst case scenario” solutions. They claim NZ has seven weeks of fuel supply, counting both what’s here and what’s on the way, but experts in the industry estimate it’s actually around five weeks. One specific—and big—problem is that around 47% of NZ’s refined fuel comes from Korea, and they’ve talked about suspending exports, and if they do, this situation could get serious fast.
The government’s first step will be to work with partner countries overseas to try to find alternative sources of fuel, and they’re talking about temporarily relaxing fuel standards (I think, but don’t know, that they mean things like allowing higher levels of Sulfur in diesel). They also are working on a series of escalating restrictions on sales (to prioritise essential users, like emergency services and truckers shipping food to supermarkets) that they could use, if that becomes necessary—along with security guards at petrol stations.
I’m extremely lucky in that I don’t need to drive much or far, so this shouldn’t affect me for a while. Sales restrictions, if they happen, would obviously affect me, too, but, like everyone else, rising prices will increasingly mean I won’t drive anywhere unless I have to.
However, we'll all share the pain of fast-rising fuel prices because EVERYTHING we need to buy will become more expensive, including groceries, which are already at too-high prices—and, of course, farmers need fuel to grow and harvest our food (plus fertiliser may be hard to obtain). We’ve also been warned that because of all the uncertainties, there could be fuel surcharges added to anything delivered directly to us. Could? Make that there will be.
Related to that, I realised recently that this situation could mean that the guy who mows my front lawn may raise his prices. However, he recently cut back to mowing every other week, so even if he raises his prices, I should still be paying less per month than when he was mowing weekly. Like I said, I’m lucky.
No one knows how this will play out, or when the war will end. It certainly doesn’t help that the USA has a government that doesn’t have a clue what it’s doing, and the Republican politicians clearly have no idea whatsoever how to bring their war to an end. So, things right now are serious and getting worse, but they're not yet dire—emphasis on yet.
New Zealand is as vulnerable as any other country, and our own “Coalition of Chaos” government hasn’t exactly been inspiring confidence that they know what to do. Even so, I’m not willing to jump on the panic wagon about all this. First, there’s absolutely nothing I can do about the cause of all this turmoil. All I can do is manage what’s within my control, and I’m definitely doing that.
But, seriously, isn’t it about time we finally got to have some precedented times?!!!
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Huge improvement
Every year, I have to get a WOF (Warrant of Fitness for my car. A WOF is basically a safety check—brakes, indicators, headlights/tail lights, no rust, tyre condition, etc. Every year I’ve hated doing it because the whole process can easily take at least an hour and a half—last year, it took an hour and forty minutes, which at the time I thought was pretty “fast” for them.
As I mentioned in last year’s post, VTNZ (where I get my WOF) started offering online booking, this year I decided to try to book an appointment—for the next day. I wasn’t exepecting much—I was trying for the very next day, after all, but I had to go that day regardless because my WOF expired that day. I was surprsided (maybe even a bit shocked) that I got an appointment for 11:40am that day, a perfect time for me (I avoid appointments for anything before then, if I can).
I got there at 11:35 (delayed by traffic slowing down for a sudden downpour), put my car in the appointments queue, and then went inside to pay. There it went south quickly (I still say their computer OS must be CP/M…). One clerk was really fast, the other not as much, but both were bogged down by customers renewing their driver licences.
After waiting in the queue for around 20 minutes, a clerk asked if anyone was there for a booked appointment and then said my plate number. Fortunately, I was next in line, anyway, because folks would’ve been annoyed if I was called before them.
By this time, the guy was nearly done checking my car, and I was gone a few minutes later—less than half an hour after I arrived. HUGE improvement! I took the photo up top standing just in front of my car (not in the photo, obviously) looking over to the pedestrian entry and the two lanes used for non-appointment WOF checks. At the time I was waiting for the guy to finalise the WOF by putting the official sticker on the inside of my windscreen.
After that exctiement, my next stop was to pick up a few things at the supermarket I moaned about early last month, and even that stop was much better than last time I went there. All in all a pretty good day.
This particular story is about how something I’ve dreaded doing for years was suddenly massively better. That doesn’t mean I’ll actually “like” taking care of that particular chore, of course, but the fact that I’ll no longer need to waste so much time doing it is huge. Sometimes, it really is the small things that make the most difference, and this improvement was huge.
Because I’m a giver, here are previous posts where I talked about getting a WOF, at least in part:
My car is fit – 2025
It was about change, not coincidence – 2024
The other real life – 2023
Sunday chores – 2016
Discovery in ordinary life – 2017
It is fit – 2013
Just a day – 2011
Testing day – 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 4
Mid-March and this is the first one-week Number One song of 1986. There were more.
On March 15, 1986 the new Number One song was “Sara” (video up top) by the American rock band Starship hit Number One for one week. The song was the second single from Starship, after 1985’s "We Built This City", which I talked about in my ”Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 23” post. The song was also the second and final Number One single from their debut album, “Knee Deep in the Hoopla” (“ We Built This City” was the first single). There would be one more for the band, though.
So: While—obviously—many people loved Starship, others, um, did not. I was mostly on the fence about the group, but, to be completely honest, I actually stopped paying attention when Grace Slick left the group. Be that as it may, I thought this song was pleasant enough, though it didn’t exactly grab me, either—but, then, many (most?) pop songs don’t “grab” me, so that’s not unusual. I guess you could say of my “relationship” with Starship, “It’s complicated.”
The video for the song also didn’t grab me—and that, too, isn’t unusual, of course. I’ve always considered music videos to be their own art form, and when they’re good, they’re pretty awesome. Most music videos are not pretty awesome (obviously?), but the ones that are get repeat views from me. This video, however, was not one of those. Oh, well.
“Sara” reached Number 10 in Australia, Number One in Canada, 16 in New Zealand, 66 in the UK, and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100”, as well as on their “Adult Contemporary” chart, and it reached 12 on their “Mainstream Rock” chart. The linked Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any sales certification information.
The album Knee Deep in the Hoopla reached Number 34 in Australia, Number 16 in Canada (Platinum), Number 43 in New Zealand, and Number 7 on the USA’s “Billboard 200”. The album was certified Platinum in the USA. (There’s no chart information for the UK, which usually means it didn’t reach the bottom rung).
This series will return next week, on March 22, with the next new Number One from 1986, and it's another one-week hit.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2 – February 15, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 3 – March 1, 2026
On March 15, 1986 the new Number One song was “Sara” (video up top) by the American rock band Starship hit Number One for one week. The song was the second single from Starship, after 1985’s "We Built This City", which I talked about in my ”Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 23” post. The song was also the second and final Number One single from their debut album, “Knee Deep in the Hoopla” (“ We Built This City” was the first single). There would be one more for the band, though.
So: While—obviously—many people loved Starship, others, um, did not. I was mostly on the fence about the group, but, to be completely honest, I actually stopped paying attention when Grace Slick left the group. Be that as it may, I thought this song was pleasant enough, though it didn’t exactly grab me, either—but, then, many (most?) pop songs don’t “grab” me, so that’s not unusual. I guess you could say of my “relationship” with Starship, “It’s complicated.”
The video for the song also didn’t grab me—and that, too, isn’t unusual, of course. I’ve always considered music videos to be their own art form, and when they’re good, they’re pretty awesome. Most music videos are not pretty awesome (obviously?), but the ones that are get repeat views from me. This video, however, was not one of those. Oh, well.
“Sara” reached Number 10 in Australia, Number One in Canada, 16 in New Zealand, 66 in the UK, and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100”, as well as on their “Adult Contemporary” chart, and it reached 12 on their “Mainstream Rock” chart. The linked Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any sales certification information.
The album Knee Deep in the Hoopla reached Number 34 in Australia, Number 16 in Canada (Platinum), Number 43 in New Zealand, and Number 7 on the USA’s “Billboard 200”. The album was certified Platinum in the USA. (There’s no chart information for the UK, which usually means it didn’t reach the bottom rung).
This series will return next week, on March 22, with the next new Number One from 1986, and it's another one-week hit.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2 – February 15, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 3 – March 1, 2026
Sunday, March 01, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 3
It’s been a slow and relaxed start to this year’s series, hasn’t it? Here we are in March and this is only the third Number One of the year. Last year seemed so frantic by comparison, what with ALL those one-week hits. At any rate, there was a new Number One song this week in 1986, and it’s one I thought—well, let’s leave that for a moment, shall we? On March 1, 1986, “Kyrie” (video up top) by American pop rock band Mr. Mister hit Number One for two weeks. The song was the second and last Number One from Mr. Mister, after 2025’s "Broken Wings", which I talked about in my ”Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 25” post. “Kyrie” was also the second single from their second studio album, “Welcome to the Real World” (“Broken Wings was the first single).
As with most Number Ones, this song was definitely on the radio a lot at the time, but that didn’t help for me: I absolutely loathed this song. I liked the sound well enough, and yet… Okay, here’s the thing: As the son and grandson of Lutheran preachers, I was well aware of what “kyrie” means in Christian use: Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison. which roughly translates as "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." In Lutheran liturgy, the Kyrie was a particular part of Sunday services. At the time this song was popular, I still considered myself a Lutheran, though I’d probably already left the church mentally, BUT I was definitely already a committed secularist, and, at the very best, very most charitable, I felt this song was inappropriately proselytising, and I didn’t like that—at all. For historic context, this was the same era in which self-proclaimed “christians” were by far the most strident (and wealthiest) opponents the LGBT+ communities faced (not unlike these days…).
I was surprised when I researched this post and learned in the Wikipedia article linked above that “According to [co-composer and lead vocalist Richard] Page's statements, he was initially skeptical about singing the Christian text Lang had written because he didn't want to make a ‘religious statement’”. So, even he realised it was religious. What I also learned, though, is something I was oblivious to:
“Kyrie” reached Number 11 in Australia, Number One in Canada, 30 in New Zealand, 11 in the UK, and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100”, as well as their “Mainstream Rock” chart. The song was also Number One on the Cashbox “Top 100 Singles” chart. The linked Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any certification information. Also, I see that it charted worst in Australia and New Zealand, arguably the least religious countries I write about—though I stress that may or may not be relevant.
The Welcome to the Real World album reached Number 17 in Australia, Number 2 in Canada (3x Platinum), Number 21 in New Zealand, Number 6 in the UK (Gold), and Number 1 on the USA’s “Billboard 200” chart. The album was certified Platinum in the USA.
This series will return in two weeks, on March 15, with the next new Number One from 1986, and it's also the first one-week hit of the year.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2 – February 15, 2026
As with most Number Ones, this song was definitely on the radio a lot at the time, but that didn’t help for me: I absolutely loathed this song. I liked the sound well enough, and yet… Okay, here’s the thing: As the son and grandson of Lutheran preachers, I was well aware of what “kyrie” means in Christian use: Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison. which roughly translates as "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." In Lutheran liturgy, the Kyrie was a particular part of Sunday services. At the time this song was popular, I still considered myself a Lutheran, though I’d probably already left the church mentally, BUT I was definitely already a committed secularist, and, at the very best, very most charitable, I felt this song was inappropriately proselytising, and I didn’t like that—at all. For historic context, this was the same era in which self-proclaimed “christians” were by far the most strident (and wealthiest) opponents the LGBT+ communities faced (not unlike these days…).
I was surprised when I researched this post and learned in the Wikipedia article linked above that “According to [co-composer and lead vocalist Richard] Page's statements, he was initially skeptical about singing the Christian text Lang had written because he didn't want to make a ‘religious statement’”. So, even he realised it was religious. What I also learned, though, is something I was oblivious to:
There is a myth that singer Richard Page wrote "Kyrie" while lying in a hospital bed after being assaulted. It was John Lang who had been assaulted three years before the composition; Lang has stated that the incident has nothing to do with the song.Well, okay then. I guess. Personally, I don’t think that any of that cleared up the religiosity (or lack of) in the song, and that was always the sticking point I just couldn’t get past, even though I liked the sound of the song well enough. Once again, this is an example of something that wasn’t the first or last time such a thing would happen.
“Kyrie” reached Number 11 in Australia, Number One in Canada, 30 in New Zealand, 11 in the UK, and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard Hot 100”, as well as their “Mainstream Rock” chart. The song was also Number One on the Cashbox “Top 100 Singles” chart. The linked Wikipedia article doesn’t provide any certification information. Also, I see that it charted worst in Australia and New Zealand, arguably the least religious countries I write about—though I stress that may or may not be relevant.
The Welcome to the Real World album reached Number 17 in Australia, Number 2 in Canada (3x Platinum), Number 21 in New Zealand, Number 6 in the UK (Gold), and Number 1 on the USA’s “Billboard 200” chart. The album was certified Platinum in the USA.
This series will return in two weeks, on March 15, with the next new Number One from 1986, and it's also the first one-week hit of the year.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1986” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 1 – January 18, 2026
Weekend Diversion: 1986, Part 2 – February 15, 2026
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