Confessions of a Misguided Trio

A Sign of Things to Come?

2008-05-22T16:37:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes a campaign commercial, they flood the screens and they are always the same. Then I stumbled upon these here, and thought, wow, now that is something different!

No real change in negative, boring political campaigning there, pretty shameful too might I add. However the democrats opted to step somewhat above the fray with this response...

One of the best responses to a negative campaign I think I have ever stumbled across. If this is what to expect from the Democrats leading up to November, one can only hope that it changes the tone of all future political campaigns around the world. It's time to stop with the negativity and make people accountable to their failures!

Videos originally found here.

US Presidential Race

2008-05-19T21:36:00.000-07:00

I've held back for a while, for no particular reason, on blogging in relation to the US presidential race, but time to change... As the candidates are falling into place, YouTube is becoming even more popular a channel for conveying political opinion...

I was mildly amused at McCain's comments re- Obama's Experience (see entire article here.)

CHICAGO (AP) - Republican John McCain accused Democrat Barack Obama of inexperience and reckless judgment for saying Iran does not pose the same serious threat to the United States as the Soviet Union did in its day.

McCain made the attack Monday in Chicago, Obama's home turf.

"Such a statement betrays the depth of Senator Obama's inexperience and reckless judgment. These are very serious deficiencies for an American president to possess," McCain said in an appearance at the restaurant industry's annual meeting.

My reason for such amusement, well, obviously Mr McCain believes that singing about bombing a sovereign territory dictates experience and sound judgment, something the rest of the world continually wishes an American president WOULD possess.

And because I have really enjoyed posting video this week, I through in this Robert Greenwald doozy, on the aforementioned Senator...

A tiny bit of commentary....

2008-05-18T01:11:00.000-07:00

On GITMO courtesy of the folks at Boston Legal and Crooksandliars.com

Something Different

2008-05-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

Stumbled across this the other day and felt the need to share it...

MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Douglas Feith and the Cheney Doctrine

2008-05-13T17:42:00.001-07:00

I have recently been reading The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind which tells the interesting tale of the Cheney Doctrine. In essence the doctrine can be boiled down to one sentence, "if there is a 1% chance of something negative happening to America, then America must do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening." A chilling notion that barely meets any standard burden of proof, I mean there is at least a 1% chance of me having a drink tonight (OK it's much higher than that) I guess it's more a 1% chance of me NOT having a drink tonight, that doesn't mean the university tavern should close... (Terrible analogy I know)...

I wasn't overly concerned until I watched former undersecretary of defence (US) Douglas Feith being interviewed on The Daily Show. I've embedded both parts of the "uncut" (if it was uncut, I fail to see why there is two parts) interview, it seems to confirm Suskind's argument, especially towards the end where Feith proclaims something along the line of "Imagine what the pundits would be saying if we didn't invade Iraq and something happened..."

As Jon so eloquently puts it, I'm not entirely sure that you can invade a country based upon a "hypothetical"...

Part 1

Part 2

World Bank Promotes "Reverse Prostitution"

2008-04-29T19:19:00.000-07:00

In an effort to combat HIV/AIDS in Tanzania the World Bank in collaboration with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Population Reference Bureau and the Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund, are offering cash to Tanzanian to stop them from having sex!

The designers of the Tanzanian programme believe that payments of $45 when combined with careful counselling could play an important role in reducing HIV infection, especially for vulnerable young women.

The study will be conducted by the Ifakara Health Research and Development Centre in Tanzania, in conjunction with researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, the University of California, San Francisco and the World Bank.

The Tanzanian trial programme, which is still subject to fine-tuning and ethical approval, will not specifically test for HIV, which is costly and already widely conducted in the country. It will use proxies including gonorrhoea, and guarantees any participant found to be infected receives state treatment.

So there is a need for us to get this one right... It is an anti-HIV/AIDS programme, that doesn't test for HIV? An interesting notion I guess...

Italics taken from here

Britain Admits Violating Human Rights of Iraqi

2008-03-27T21:57:00.000-07:00

LONDON: The British military admitted Thursday that some of its troops breached the human rights of an Iraqi man who died in custody and of eight other detained Iraqis.

The Ministry of Defense said it expects to negotiate compensation for the survivors of the dead man, Baha Mousa, and with the eight former detainees.

The nine were taken into custody as suspected insurgents, then were held in stress positions and deprived of sleep for about two days in extreme heat at a British army barracks near the southern Iraqi city of Basra in September 2003, prosecutors told a British military court.
Mousa, a 26-year-old hotel receptionist, died from asphyxia after soldiers restrained him following an escape attempt.

One soldier, Cpl. Donald Payne, 35, was convicted of inhumane treatment in that case, making him the first British soldier to plead guilty to a war crime under international law.

In a statement that apologized for the abuses, Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth stressed that nearly all of the 120,000 British soldiers who have served in Iraq behaved properly.
"But this does not excuse that during 2003 and 2004 a very small minority committed acts of abuse and we condemn their actions," Ainsworth said.

Britain's highest court, the House of Lords, ruled in June that prisoners held by British troops are protected by European human rights law.

In Mousa's case, the Ministry of Defense admitted "a substantive breach" of a provision in the European Convention on Human Rights that recognizes the right to life and another that prohibits torture. It said the torture ban was violated for the eight other detainees.

"The Ministry of Defense further accepts that the admitted substantive breaches of the convention give rise to claims for compensation," it said.

... About Time...

Good News...

2007-12-18T00:43:00.000-08:00

In a world where we don't get to hear that much good news anymore I was delighted to just hear on SBS news this evening that the woman from Saudi Arabia mentioned in this post, has been granted a pardon.

Wishing all misguided ones a fantastic holiday season!!!

Howard, Rudd and Yoda

2007-11-23T01:53:00.000-08:00

Bush Aide Condemns Saudi Arabia, and then resigns?

2007-11-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Ok so I probably should be doing things other than reading online news and making links, but the Australian Election is boring, although I will post my thoughts on MP Jackie Kelley's husbands letter drop later today...

Yesterday I was shocked to discover that a gang-rape victim in Saudi Arabia had been sentenced to 200 lashings and a 6 month gaol term. From News.com.au...
The woman was initially ordered to undergo 90 lashes for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape," the Arab News reported.

The tougher sentence was handed down after Saudi Arabia's Higher Judicial Council ordered a retrial after an appeal and a court in the eastern town of Al-Qatif more than doubled the number of lashes to 200.

A court source told the paper that the judges had decided to punish the woman further for "her attempt to aggravate and influence the judiciary through the media".

Saudi Arabia enforces a strict form of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism and forbids unrelated men and women from associating with each other, bans women from driving and requires them to cover head-to-toe in public.

Her assailants, six Saudi men, were initially sentenced to between one and five years in jail for the rape.Their sentences were stiffened to between two and nine years in prison, but they escaped the death penalty.

News.com.au has started a petition which it intends to present to the Saudi Embassy in Canberra demanding that PMJH protest the punishment, I encourage you to sign it here.

One of the more interesting bits that I have stumbled across which may or may not be related to this matter were to comments of a Bush Administration official...

Fran Townsend, President George W. Bush's adviser on domestic security and anti-terrorism, said on CNN television: "The case is absolutely reprehensible."..."I just don't think there's any explaining it or justifying it," she said.
Source: here.

An interesting comment from an official in an Administration that is so "buddy, buddy" with the Saudi's... Then I started checking a students reference in a paper (yes I do check student references in a paper, it's sad I know) at the White house website, and discovered that on November 19, Fran Townsend's resignation was announced by President Bush, where he proclaimed that "We are safer today because of her leadership." (available here.)

You have to wonder if the two stories are related, was Townsend forced to resign? Why all of a sudden would someone who has made us (or at least the US) "safer" for over 4 and a half years, resign?

Legal news

2007-11-14T00:48:00.000-08:00

Two legal stories of note today:

Prosecutors want drunk driver jailed for life:
Drunk and eager to get home on Jan. 20, 2006, Raymond Charles Yellowknee, then a 32-year-old repeat impaired driver, made a decision that could trigger a legal precedent in Canada.
The aboriginal man from Northern Alberta stole a running pickup truck and eventually crashed head-on into a Pontiac Sunfire carrying a young mother and her three daughters near Slave Lake, 250 kilometres north of Edmonton. All four died.
Crown prosecutors in Alberta are now trying to have him deemed a dangerous offender - a rare legal move that could potentially keep the chronic drunk driver and father of three in jail indefinitely. A court-ordered dangerous offender designation - the Criminal Code's most punitive designation - is usually reserved for people who have committed violent and/or sexual crimes.
Panel Decries Terrorism Blacklist Process: U.N., E.U. Methods Violate Basic Human Rights Principles, European Committee Says
The methods used by the United Nations and the European Union for blacklisting terrorism suspects are "totally arbitrary" and "violate the fundamental principles of human rights and rule of law," a European human rights panel said Monday.
The Council of Europe's legal committee urged an overhaul of international regulations so that individuals and groups being blacklisted -- which imposes a freeze on assets and a ban on traveling -- would have access to evidence against them, rights to a fair trial or impartial review within a reasonable time and compensation for wrongful designation as a terrorist.

2007-10-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Good morning my little cabbages. Happy Halloween to those who celebrate it (I suppose it's over already in the southern hemisphere.) Anyways, a quick round-up of randomness collected before my second cup of coffee:

Two screenshots from Drudge:

No Bush costumes peeps.

Two news stories:

The only person (apart from perhaps the NDP) who thinks he should pay more tax: I should pay more tax, says US billionaire Warren Buffett. Put that on your blog.
And in case you're curious: The top US conservatives and liberals.

Video Montage: I love you

2007-10-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Who invented YouTube? Because they are awesome.

I see that my esteemed college Dr. Mark already posted the video which has started "ear-wax-gate" 2007, which, coincidentally made news in the Northern Hemisphere. Anyways, here's another video for you, because, you know, it's video Tuesday!! And the Rockets play tonight. Go Rockets.

Rudd "Waxes Lyrical"?

2007-10-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ok so not the greatest title there, but you get the impression. I wasn't going to post anything on this video that someone placed on YouTube, the only reason I am embedding it here today, is that I just heard it mention on the BBC... To think that the alternative PM of Australia managed to get attention on the Global News Podcast courtesy of the BBC...

Obviously I think even the most ardent Liberal supporter, if not solely for the sake of Australian Politics, wishes this was never released...

But it was... and that's that...

Personally I fail to see the appeal in consuming Ear Wax, granted I've never done it before, and one shouldn't chastise something they haven't tried...

The election is really shaping up to be pathetically boring, although there is a real concern that the Australian Democrats will cease to exist post November 14th, which is relatively sad because why the major parties are promising signing Kyoto, the Aussie Democrats want to save the Koala...

I wonder if that means K-Rudd and Little How How (reaching a new low on that one, sorry) are completely against Koalas?

Video Time

2007-10-23T00:11:00.000-07:00

Just stumbled across this one, thought I should share, one of the funniest things I've seen today!

Howard "Rubs Out" Costello

2007-10-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

It appears as though PMJH has decided that getting re-elected in his own seat is more important that winning parliament. The old boy has opted to take up a slightly different tactic by deleting all references to Peter Costello in a personal letter sent to voters in the Prime Minister's own seat of Bennelong.

...While Coalition MPs around the nation, including ministers such as Malcolm Turnbull and Andrew Robb, refer to "the Howard-Costello team" in their mailouts, Mr Howard uses a much less specific term - "the strong Liberal team"....

News.com.au goes further...
Of the two, Mr Howard has the more humble letterhead, describing himself as "John Howard MP, Member for Bennelong, Prime Minister". Mr Costello addresses his local constituents as "The Hon Peter Costello MP, Treasurer, Member for Higgins".

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said last night he was unable to comment on the issue.

In the debate on Sunday, Mr Howard said: "One of the differences between me and Mr Rudd is that I have a fantastic team. And most of them are here tonight. And I can say with certainty that we have worked as a team over the last 11½ years. I mean, Peter Costello and I together have worked on building the Australian economy."

Costello has, from memory, something like an 8% approval rating compared to Howard's (as of today) 43%, Rudd is still holding out at 50%.

If the PM isn't prepared to back his pre-ordained successor (Howard has said that if re-elected he will hand-over the top job to Costello) why should the rest of us?

Note to Campaign Managers

2007-10-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Stop the songs!!!

I was just catching up on Canadian news when I noticed a "Google" ad appear in the Ottawa Citizen's website!

Kevin Rudd's Man for the Federal Seat of Moncrieff.
Nobody Will Work Harder for You.www.SamForMoncrieff.com

Don't go to the website, it's really really scary... watch this video though, it's hilarious... and enough to make you NOT vote Labor...

***This is not an endorsement for "Sam Miszkowski" it is however a serious dis-endorsement of whoever thought it wise for such a woeful commercial...

Howard suprises... well... me...

2007-10-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

Barely 24 hours into the federal election and already I have been shocked by PMJH! It appears as thought PMJH is so keen to take on K-Rudd he has challenged him to a debate already, with conditions attached of course.

According to News.com.au...
The Prime Minister wants to bypass the free-to-air TV networks, proposing that the debate be moderated by David Speers from Sky News.

Mr Howard wants a 90-minute debate to be held before an audience in the Great Hall at Parliament House next Sunday night.

In a letter sent to the ALP's national secretary, Tim Gartrell, yesterday, federal Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane suggests a panel of five senior journalists nominated by the National Press Club, including at least one person representing TV, radio and print media.

The debate would be broadcast live and be available to all media outlets on condition that the broadcast was not "wormed" or otherwise changed.

FYI the worm relates to instant polling data which used to accompany the debate proccess, somewhat determining the winner of the debates instantaneously.

Howard's move comes as a suprise as, well let's face it, the guy doesn't debate... His role in parliament is usually relegated to that as a conductor of noise, he leaves the "debate" to others. This is the first time that PMJH has initiated a debate, somewhat disturbingly the extra condition of it being broadcast on SKY News (for Cable Subscribers only) could be taken two ways -

The PM is nervous about being heard by the Aussie "Battler" who, courtesy of the interest rate rises over his period in office, are now responsible for larger mortgage payments then ever before. This newfound responsibility prevents a number of voters from being able to afford Cable television.
PMJH doesn't trust Australia's free-to-air networks, something I have to kind of agree with anyway.

Potential voters, thanks to Howard changing the laws on electoral enrollment, now have 3 more days to enroll, they used to have a week... Not to sure why the law was changed...

As mentioned we are barely 24 hours into the 2007 election and already somethings are becoming clear...

Downer Concedes Already?

2007-10-13T18:10:00.000-07:00

I Just posted the first of many posts concerning the election and it looks like one Government Minister is already conceding (FYI the election is still yet to be announced)...

The Foreign Minister's wife Nicky has been reported as having told friends that her husband believed the Government could not win.

Obviously Downer denies such rumor mongering (as we've come to expect) I stumbled across this whilst looking for a Downer clip to share!

And we're off and racing...

2007-10-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

1/3 of the trio is back, and having just watched PMJH speed his way through the Governor-Generals' gates it's pretty obvious why... It's officially election time here in Oz, I've been resisting the temptation to commentate until it was called, and whilst it is being called, I thought I may as well start!!!

The date is expected to be the 24th of November, plenty of time for all those negative ads to get plenty of airtime! Stay tuned to see if K-Rudd can beat down the coalition to bring Labor to government for the first time in 13 years or so...

My first bit of commentary has to go towards to high amount of people at GG's gates waiting to watch PMJH speed by, not even a stop to say hello might I add... And what's with the police escort all of a sudden, it used to be a unmarked car, but no longer...Oh and kudos to Sky News for the cut away during the arrival... Nothing better than boasting "live" coverage of his pending arrival, and completely screwing the shot up...

The fun starts now people!

Live Earth is a Win for Global Yawning...

2007-07-09T20:40:00.001-07:00

I have just had the great honor of reading the best review of a concert I think I have ever seen/read/heard...

The Telegraph's Neil McCormick wrote a scorcher of a review which can can read in whole here.

Some personal highlights...

"If you wanna save the planet, jump up and down!" urged Madonna. Can global warming be stopped by an out-of-breath, middle-aged, super-rich narcissist in a leotard and high heels?

The superannuated pop queen was certainly up for the challenge, but judging by the negligible response to the text message number displayed on stage, I suspect the public may have been justifiably confused by the link between aerobics and the environment.

As global satellite multi-media musical entertainment, Live Earth was just about adequate. As a platform for stadium politics, it was a dismal affair. "Can you help save the earth?" bellowed Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles. Cue muted murmur of support.

"We might be screwed if that's the response," he half-joked.

We know what to expect by now: bands play three songs each; celebrities make speeches; short films illustrate the cause. The portmanteau aspect tends to drain momentum, and with no Bob Geldof figure to drive the event along, Live Earth lacked urgency, emotion or sense of internal narrative. Instead we had Geri Haliwell, chattily complaining about "this freaky weather".

The whole tone felt misjudged: Al Gore appeared by satellite, to no great reaction in the stadium, and seemed to be addressing a small audience of native Americans, not seizing the world by the reins...

... The bill was, if we're honest, not particularly impressive. Live Aid and Live 8 were the greatest gatherings of musical talent ever seen, but they didn't happen by accident. On this evidence, Gore lacks the persuasiveness and contact books of Geldof and Bono. Where were the great campaigning rock bands of our times?

There was no U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, REM, Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan (indeed, no classic veterans at all, which may have accounted for the failure of the singalongs). Where were the collaborations and reunions? Live 8 got Pink Floyd, Live Earth got Spinal Tap...

...Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, woke a lot of people up to the very real and imminent dangers of climate change. But the inconvenient truth of Live Earth is that it was a soulless telethon, with no clarity or drive.

The concluding lyrics of Madonna's closing song, Hung Up, may be ironically prophetic: "You'll wake up one day / But it will be too late."

I watched part of Live Earth over the weekend, and have to admit, even the re-emergence of Crowded House didn't do much for me... If I see one more short film about how screwed the earth is, I just may have to go for a drive to the nearest winery... Somewhat ironic I know...

Live Crap

2007-07-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to pay any attention to this. Except for this little diddy I found mildly, amusing let's say, while quickly checking out a website for the impending live earth concerts. Madonna! Save us!

And the truth will set you free...

2007-07-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

It is quite obviously an election year in Australia, as opposed to America, who seem to think they are in an election year judging by the amount of news time the shenanigans of the Republicans and Democrats are getting in Australia...

At long last the Howard Regime has confessed to why Aussie Diggers are in Iraq!

Brendan Nelson admits oil behind Iraq deployment
THE Federal Government has admitted the need to secure oil supplies is a factor in Australia's continued military involvement in Iraq.

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said today oil was a factor in Australia's contribution to the unpopular war, as "energy security'' and stability in the Middle East would be crucial to the nation's future.

Speaking ahead of a key foreign policy speech today by Prime Minister John Howard, Dr Nelson said defence was about protecting the economy as well as physical security, and it was important to support the "prestige'' of the US and UK.

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has said this contradicts what Mr Howard said at the start of the war and the Government is making up policy as it goes...

...When Australia joined the US-led invasion force of Iraq in 2003, the government said it was primarily because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction that could pose a threat to the US and its allies.

"When Mr Howard was asked back in 2003 whether this war had anything to do with oil, Mr Howard said in no way did it have anything to do with oil,'' Mr Rudd said.

"This Government simply makes it up as it goes along on Iraq.''

Mr Rudd said it had been a mistake to send troops into Iraq in the first place.

"Mr Howard should follow Labor's lead and have a clear cut exit strategy from Iraq,'' he said.

"Australia's involvement in the Iraq war continues to make Australia a greater terrorism target than we'd otherwise be.''

For the full article go here.

It's nice to know that 1000's of people had it right the first time around, and correctly depicted this invasion for what it is...

Howard is due to make a Foreign Policy speech later today, I will try to post a response sometime this afternoon!

Knut??? hello.

2007-06-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

I feel like I woke up drunk today - it's such a nutty news day.

Alabama Senator Charles Bishop punched a fellow Senator in the face.

US Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace held a news conference to announce he will retire, cutting into............. **SHOCK** news coverage of some dumb blonde going to court.

Lastly, can you dig the AP headline from today: "Oman: Dozens Dead; Oil installations OK"

Here's Senator Bishop, doing something very unparliamentary.

China: Olympic Boycott Not Very Nice

2007-05-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

China threatening over threatened boycott...... errrr, right, that's it.

Olympic boycott calls 'will fail'

I'm not taking either side here, but the US is hardly in a position to lecture other nations over selling arms: "...some European and US politicians have called for the 2008 games to be boycotted because China continues to sell arms to Sudan."

Note to Canada: Strippers are People Too!!!

2007-05-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

As per usual I am embracing procrastination the way it should be, and then I stumbled across this...

From the same country that wanted to protect Bigfoot, and I'm not talking about the film...

Foreign exotic dancers to be banned from Canada
Updated Wed. May. 16 2007 3:31 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

The federal government is set to bring in a new law that will ban immigrants who come to Canada as exotic dancers.

The change to the Immigration and Refugee Act is expected to be announced Wednesday by Immigration Minister Diane Finley, who told the House of Commons that the move will protect "vulnerable foreign workers," such as strippers.

Under the current laws, the onus is on strip club owners to prove there is a shortage of Canadian dancers each time they apply to bring in a foreign exotic dancer....

...The Tories have been touting the move as a response to the so-called Strippergate scandal when former Liberal immigration minister Judy Sgro resigned amid accusations that she fast-tracked the immigration papers of a Romanian stripper who worked on her campaign.

"The Liberals gave blanket exemptions to foreign strippers to work in Canada," a senior government source told The Canadian Press.

"We're putting an end to the Liberal Strippergate in order to prevent the exploitation of women."

I have a problem - "Blanket exemptions to foreign strippers", doesn't that defeat the purpose of stripping?

BBC Reporter Petition

2007-05-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

So far 82,000 people have signed, please add your name! By clicking on the button below or going to here.

Canadian Political Petitions

2007-05-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Whilst I would usually leave Canadian Politics to an actual Canadian, I couldn't let this one slip up...

It seems the people of Canada have espoused great concern in regards to the protection of a certain species... One so rare that it's doubtful existence makes it worthy to protect...

Confused?

The debate over their existence is moot in the circumstance of their tenuous hold on merely existing," reads a petition presented by Mike Lake to Parliament.

"Therefore, the petitioners request the House of Commons to establish . . . legislation to affect immediate protection of Bigfoot."

Lake is the Conservative MP for Edmonton - Mills Woods - Beaumont, I'm not sure if that means anything!

Afghanistan

2007-04-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

From Paul Wells today:

"the government was told, by its own officials, to expect all this; that it lied when first asked, insisting in writing that "no such report on human-rights performance in other countries exists;" and that it then released a heavily redacted version of the report, whose deletions cannot be explained under federal Access to Information law...

The rest of us need to understand: This government lies to us without compunction or apology about the most important files a government can be asked to handle."

Misleading Parliament and indeed, the Canadian people, is a big deal.

Debate Time?

2007-04-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

Just wanting to throw this out there, mainly because I haven't reached an opinion yet... so let us see if we can get fired up on this one...

HIV detainee image 'must be released'
DOCTORS say the image of HIV detainee Stuart McDonald should be released in the interests of the public.

The Australian Medical Association's call comes as the South Australian Opposition calls for the wives, girlfriends and partners involved in the HIV scandal to be financially compensated if they have contracted the virus.

The Government has opposed lifting a suppression order on McDonald's image, arguing it would hinder police investigations after authorities linked him to 11 different men with the virus.

AMA president Dr Chris Cain said yesterday McDonald could have used an alias and potential victims might not be aware they were infected.

"In terms of safety and having blood tests then you can make a good case for it being known," he said. "In public interest, I would say yes his image should be made public."

Independent MP Nick Xenophon has foreshadowed an anti-suppression Bill.
"It seems absurd and inconsistent that you'll suppress the image but not the name, particularly given the public health considerations," he said.

Complaints were made to health authorities in early and mid-2005 that McDonald was recklessly spreading the virus and had raped a man.

Opposition health spokeswoman Vickie Chapman said the Government would have to deal with compensation.

Let's ignore the compensation thing for a bit, unless of course you don't want to, but the image being released is an interesting conundrum for me...

Do we respect the right to privacy for those suffering from Infectious Disease? I think we should...

Do we continue to respect that right if they intentionally spread the Infectious Disease? I'm not sure, I am leaning towards an emphatic no, but am yet to be convinced...

In my research lately, which has been somewhat neglected for reasons beyond my control, I have been tinkering with an Idea first bought to my attention by Carla, the concept is a Bill of Rights for Infected Persons.

If H5N1 starts taking over the planet, what rights do we guarantee the infected? Surely if they get the flu we can't discriminate, but doesn't that violate the rights of the un-infected?

The image of a person who has intentionally infected others being released to the public... Is it a public service?

If he is guilty, does it matter? We see images of murderers all the time... Does his guilt remove that right of privacy?

Let me know what the feeling is out there! Please!!!

More Politics of Fear.... this time, over Kyoto

2007-04-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Canadian Federal Environment Minister John Baird, instead of taking action to deal with climate change, is now taking the approach that combating climate change through the world-standard Kyoto Protocol, would be too costly. Baird approached the Senate environment committee insisting Kyoto would *manufacture a recession.*

In the committee, Liberal Colin Kenny challenged Mr. Baird to provide a step-by-step explanation of how he arrived at his dire figures. Mr. Baird referred Mr. Kenny to a document that he provided to the committee, but committee chairman Liberal Tommy Banks said he could not find any arithmetic in the document that justified the figures.

....

In the committee, Liberal Colin Kenny challenged Mr. Baird to provide a step-by-step explanation of how he arrived at his dire figures. Mr. Baird referred Mr. Kenny to a document that he provided to the committee, but committee chairman Liberal Tommy Banks said he could not find any arithmetic in the document that justified the figures.

...

A study last fall by Nicholas Stern, former chief economist of the World Bank, said costs of combatting global warming are manageable and would be much less than the costs of taking no action.

Kyoto would 'manufacture a recession': Baird

Indeed, what are the costs of taking no action?

Dinosaurs were Chicken!

2007-04-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

Or at least part of them was...

Scientists have managed to extract protein from a T-rex that was 68 million years old, (not so sure on its original birthday) the exciting part is that...

'When the scientists compared the protein sequence pattern to those of living animals in a database, it was found to be structurally similar to chicken collagen, and there were also similarities with frog and newt protein.'

Let's ignore the whole frog/newt thing, I think I have the problem solved...

The world didn't get cold... There was no massive meteor...

A T-rex sneezed and infected all the others with H5N1 (Bird Flu) or given the size of a T-rex H5N1 to the power of 500 (probably more)...

My point is...

Well i have no point...

Oh yes i do, we are running around somewhat scared of these chickens giving us the flu, when it could be much much worse...

We could be worried that we'd get the flu and then get eaten by the chicken!

"Free and Fair" elections spark travel warning...

2007-04-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much time free to post anything of late, it's been kind of crazy and will continue to be for a while... But, for those of you who keep up with international news, you should be aware that the Timor Leste presidential elections were held the other day. It looks to be heading for a run-off between PMJRH and Fretilin candidate aka Fmr PM Alkatari's puppet, Francisco "Lu Olo" Guterres...

Official figures were something like this...
As counting from Monday's presidential poll progressed today, Mr Guterres had 28.79 per cent of the vote to Mr Ramos Horta's 22.6 per cent. Democratic Party candidate Fernando "La Sama" de Araujo was running third with 18.52 per cent.

Whilst reports were off a relatively free and fair election, although Horta and de Aruaujo did mention allegations of Fretilin intimidation, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warned Australian Citizens not to go to Timor, whilst numerous warnings have been issued, this is the first time DFAT has outright said DO NOT TRAVEL.

FYI, the last time DFAT raised a travel warning for Timor, civil unrest broke out and people died, the First time DFAT put out a warning, two members of the TRIO called off their trip, which would have landed them there the morning 9 members of the police force were executed on the streets of Dilli.

The general parliament elections have been set for June 30, I have every intention of getting myself over there at some stage... Unless it gets raised higher.... (Which it can't)

Human Rights in Central Asia

2007-04-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

Amnesty International has released its report on human rights in Central Asia.

"...Grave human rights violations routinely continue to be committed with virtual impunity...

Beatings by law enforcement officers, especially in temporary pre-charge detention centres and in the streets, are still considered routine. Torture or other ill-treatment in detention continues to be widespread throughout the region and systematic and systemic in Uzbekistan."

Central Asia Summary of Human Rights Concerns
January 2006 -- March 2007 [AI]

Big PUN

2007-04-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Bad media puns (particularly in newspapers) are a dime a dozen. But this one from the Herald Sun which came across my gaze, is particularly.... ummm.... delicious (?).

John Howard hunts Rudd October

Breathe it in, cabbages, breathe it in...

Yup

2007-04-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

I'm totally against April Fools Day.

Holy Knut Batman

2007-04-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, well, I'm putting that title down to no caffeine yet!

For those of you in Australia who were fortunate to watch Media Watch last night, you probably already know this, for the rest of the world, I wonder if it has been bought to your attention!

Recent Worldwide headlines about crackpot animal rights activists calling for 'Death to Knut'... Knut is of course the pathetically cute polar bear increasing Zoo visits in Germany... Media Watch went to great lengths last night, to explain just how much of a scam it really was...

You can't have missed the story of poor, sweet Knut rejected at birth and raised by a zookeeper only to face calls that he be given a lethal injection.

Journalists were queuing up to talk about those unfeeling animal liberationists.Knut made headlines around the world when activists insisted that he'd be better dead than raised by humans.— Channel 9 (Adelaide), News, 24th March, 2007

…made headlines last week when an animal rights activist suggested he be put down.— Channel 7 (Adelaide), News, 24th March, 2007

Stephanie Kennedy: Now animal rights campaigners argue Knut should be put down...— ABC Radio News, 21st March, 2007

Bob Francis: There's always animal liberationists of some sort will make some sort of bloody comment wont they?— 5AA, 21st March, 2007

Tracy Grimshaw: Now to the polar bear cub at the centre of a fierce debate over whether it should live.— Channel 9, ACA, 21st March, 2007

Lee Lin Chin: ...and animal rights activists want it killed.— SBS, News, 24th March, 2007

Virginia Trioli: Bild newspaper quoted animal rights campaigner Frank Albrecht as saying "in fact the cub should have been killed". — ABC, Local Radio 702, 21st March, 2007

John Laws: As you can imagine the animal rights activists caused an uproar when they said the little bear should be killed...cause they're right aren't they? Anything that cute and cuddly has gotta be dangerous. Idiots. — 2UE, 23rd March, 2007

Well it was all a complete fiction.

The Complete explanation...

Animal rights activist Frank Albrecht (37, window fitter) continued: "Actually, the polar bear cub should be killed."Why? He refers to the Leipzig Zoo, where a baby sloth bear was given a lethal injection in December when its mother rejected it.— Bild magazine, Animal rights activist calls for his death, 26th January, 2007

Frank Albrecht had taken legal action against Leipzig Zoo for putting down another motherless cub.

He lost, when the court accepted the zoo's argument that raising the cub by human hand would be against the law of nature.

So Frank Albrecht raised the obvious parallels between the Leipzig cub and Knut.

For the full transcript go here...

As Media Watch concluded we were told of death threats towards both the animal rights activist and the zookeeper, as host Monica Attard put it...

So congratulations to the world's media for saving a bear that was never facing death. And putting in mortal danger two animal loving men who never intended it any harm.

Karl Rove.... keep your day job, rapper

2007-04-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

I know he's Karl Rove, but I got that "I'm embarassed for you" feeling while watching this.

March 29 - White House advisor Karl Rove grabbed the spotlight Wednesday night at the Annual Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner.

Word.

*I do note M. Rove may have perfected the penguin dance, if you watch carefully.

*I'm totally breaking out the Karl Rove dance next time we go out.

Comment(s) of the week...

2007-03-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted a comment of the week, so in an effort to make up for that, I am posting a couple, disturbingly they all come from the same person, in the same interview, taken from the same article...

Pauline Hanson... I have a severe disdain for this woman, although she is managing to make me laugh on a Friday morning whilst I wait for about 15,000 words to turn up to my desk for grading...

Wannabe Senator Hanson has had a doozy of a week in the press, not only announcing she wishes to run for the Senate, her first foray into politics since it was announced that she was a racist, saying her former offsider cooked for her, so she had sex with him (I've cooked for hundreds of women over the years, and not one of them offered such a transaction), oh and let's not forget the US Secret Service bodyguard for Clinton she met in a nightclub and embarked upon a 2 year affair with...

Sadly folks this is what Australian media has come to reporting, a really bad soap opera or Tele-Novella if you like...

Regardless of her past, her future looks... well daunting to the rest of us... So on to her comments...

Ms Hanson is a little 'wary of letting Muslims settle in Australia, unless, of course, they are Christian Muslims...' (She didn't define a Christian Muslim)

She believes David Hicks to be a 'suicide bomber that wanted to blow himself up so he could kill others...'

And perhaps my favourite... Expressed concern about Malaysia which 'had been taken over by Muslims, despite a long history of Islam in that country...'

Whilst you mull over these comments, I shall echo the words of Roland Jabbour, chairman of the Australian Arabic Council, "I think her comments are a reflection of someone who is totally ignorant...It would be a sad day if she ever succeeded in gaining a seat in Parliament again."

A Sad day Indeed...

Wal-Mart enforces the rules, bitch

2007-03-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

Somewhere here there's an obvious funny analogy relating to national security (or something of the sort), I'm just too tired. Anyways, pun away, cabbages.

The investigator flew to Guatemala in April 2002 with a delicate mission: trail a Wal-Mart manager around the country to prove he was sleeping with a lower-level employee, a violation of company policy.

The apparent smoking gun? “Moans and sighs” heard as the investigator, a Wal-Mart employee, pressed his ear against a hotel room door inside a Holiday Inn, according to legal documents. Soon after, the company fired the manager for what it said was improper fraternization with a subordinate.

Bare-Knuckle Enforcement for Wal-Mart’s Rules [NYT]

Tally of Candidates

2007-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

As the race heats up, it's useful to keep track of things, outside of major headlines. Anyways, I've come across this useful tally from Politco.com

Candidates Page: 2008 Presidential Candidates

Hicks Pleads Guilty

2007-03-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Australian GITMO prisoner David Hicks has just plead guilty to 'providing material support to terrorism'.

A plea arrangement has been made, the penalty could be up to life in prison, in which case, under a prisoner exchange agreement, he may serve in Australia...

More to come on this as it develops...

Timor-Leste Election Begins

2007-03-24T01:40:00.000-07:00

East Timor election campaign starts against backdrop of violence
[IHT Fr]

Boom Boom on Ban Ki

2007-03-23T00:09:00.000-07:00

Wow that is a terrible headline...

I wanted to post this in the AM but ran out of time... A bomb hits the Green Zone in Baghdad during a joint press conference between Iraqi PM Maliki and UN Sec-Gen Moon, note the minimal reaction from Iraqi PM, and UN Sec-Gen ready to leave, at least he packed his notes away!

According to Sky News the bomb hit 50 metres away...

Comuzzi booted from Caucus

2007-03-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

grrrrrrr!! ROAR!!!!

Joe Comuzzi: Why I'm supporting the budget [CTV]

Where Else but Queensland?

2007-03-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

So here I am at 0630, having just read my morning news catch up before I head in to re-write an entire lecture that I completely screwed up last night...

Then I stumbled across this doozy! Apparently in our fine state of Queensland, when we decide that our State MP's are pathetic, worthless and no longer worth our vote, they take this to heart and have a hard time "Readjusting" to civilian life!

New rules will entitle defeated or disendorsed state politicians to a "resettlement allowance" to help them make the transition to ordinary citizen.

It is understood the State Government will soon sign off on an allowance that will hand dumped MPs the full pay of a backbencher for two months – about $17,000 before tax.

The lucrative perk will add to the allowances already afforded to former state MPs which include two return flights from their electorate to Brisbane in the two weeks after an election.

Former politicians are also entitled to unlimited rail travel and an annual return flight for themselves and their spouse to their destination of choice in Australia, New Zealand or Papua New Guinea.

The resettlement allowance is aimed specifically at former MPs who have brief careers or are too young to gain access to either their pension or superannuation when they are forced out.

It has won universal support from Queensland political leaders of all persuasions...

...The allowance was limited to politicians who retire "involuntarily" through defeat or disendorsement. Those pushed out for reasons of misconduct are not eligible.

Apparently this decision echoes that made in Federal Parliament, which seems pathetic, tell them to do a Latham, get a book deal, and get out of out lives!!!

Does this sound right to you, you loose your job because you mis-represented your community, and because you mis-represented them so well, here, take $17,000... Maybe I should capitulate and run for state office!

BC gets the rubber end of the budget plunger, if you know what I mean

2007-03-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Despite a faux pas in the budget speech, literally leaving British Columbia out of Canada, Monday's budget leaves much to be desired for poor little beautiful British Columbia.

The plot thickens.....

2007-03-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

The White House has offered both Karl Rove and Harriet Miers up for interviews.

White House Offers Interview With Rove [AP]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House offered Tuesday to make political strategist Karl Rove and former counsel Harriet Miers available for congressional interviews—but not testimony under oath—in the investigation of the firing of eight federal prosecutors.

Sen. Charles Schumer, [D-N.Y.], said he would still press for White House aides to testify under oath but that White House counsel Fred Fielding "indicated he didn't want to negotiate" whether Rove and others would have to appear in a full hearing. "That doesn't mean we're not going to try," Schumer said.

Bits and bites.

2007-03-20T12:10:00.000-07:00

Hello world! How are you today? I am fine.

Anyways, I am just recovering from a crazy weekend, and thought I would just post a quote I was reminded of in a random weekend moment. It's a classic.

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."
-Donald Rumsfeld, former US Defense Secretary

Happening this week..... in no specific order:

Federal [Canada] budget fallout. Not a big splash. The opposition might get around to reading it...
O sad folly: O'Connor admits to misleading the House. "Minister accepts 'full responsibility' for false information on Afghan prisoners." [G&M]
Fourth anniversary of the Iraq war/ invasion/ liberation, etc etc etc. Timeline here.
Sudan fallout: refugee camps nearing capacity. [UN News]
Uncle Bud turns 79!

Edit: Iron Lady Film!! woot! Margaret Thatcher to get big-screen treatment [MSNBC]

Israel Recalls Diplomat

2007-03-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

Very few things this morning are making me smile... This particular story courtesy of BBC online, had me rolling on the floor...

Israel has recalled its ambassador to El Salvador after he was found drunk and naked apart from bondage gear.

Reports say he was able to identify himself to police only after a rubber ball had been removed from his mouth.

A foreign ministry official described Ambassador Tzuriel Refael's behaviour as an unprecedented embarrassment....

...He was being recalled, although he had not broken any laws, foreign ministry spokeswoman Zehavit Ben-Hillel told reporters.

She confirmed that lurid reports of the incident in the Israeli press were accurate.

"We're talking about behaviour that is unbecoming of a diplomat," she said.

Israel has been rocked by a recent series of misconduct and corruption scandals, shaking public confidence in the political leadership.

Haaretz website reports that police found Mr Refael in the Israeli embassy compound where he had been found bound, gagged and naked apart from sado-masochistic sex accessories.

Further reports suggest that upon return to Israel Mr Refael is in for a spanking from this man...

Who appears to be waiting Refael's arrival with what could only be described as... much Gusto...

Syndicated Coulter Column Continues to Drop

2007-03-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Two More Papers Drop Ann Coulter: They Explain Why

The Sanford (N.C.) Herald has become at least the sixth newspaper this week to drop Ann Coulter's syndicated column following her March 2 remark concerning Docratic presidential candidate John Edwards that included the term "faggot."
...

"So yesterday we called Universal Press Syndicate and 'fired' Coulter. What she said was wrong and hurtful and stepped way beyond the line of human decency, much less political commentary."

Not exactly what "political puppet" means....

2007-03-07T15:28:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for this video for a few days... As one commenter noted, no wonder the NDP is at 13% in the polls.

(Yes, these are elected MP's. Sad, I know.)

Meat: Quite an Inconvenient Truth, Indeed

2007-03-07T14:47:00.000-08:00

A recent UN study has found raising animals for food production is most terrible for the environment, producing significant amounts of greenhouse gases.

"The livestock sector emerges as one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity."

[Report]

SO of course, PETA must get involved. Yesterday they sent a letter to Al Gore "explaining to him that the best way to fight global warming is to go vegetarian and offering to cook him faux “fried chicken” as an introduction to meat-free meals. In its letter, PETA points out that Gore’s film, An Inconvenient Truth—which starkly outlines the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming and just won the Academy Award for “Best Documentary”—has failed to address the fact that the meat industry is the largest contributor to greenhouse-gas emissions."

· The effect that our meat addiction is having on the climate is truly staggering. In fact, in its recent report “Livestock’s Long Shadow—Environmental Issues and Options,” the United Nations determined that raising animals for food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined.
· Researchers at the University of Chicago have determined that switching to a vegan diet is more effective in countering global warming than switching from a standard American car to a Toyota Prius. PETA also reminds Gore that his critics love to question whether he practices what he preaches and suggests that by going vegetarian, he could cut down on his contribution to global warming and silence his critics at the same time. “The single best thing that any of us can do to for our health, for animals, and for the environment is to go vegetarian,” says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.

“The best and easiest way for Mr. Gore to show his critics that he’s truly committed to fighting global warming is to kick his meat habit immediately.”

Last November, I celebrated my tenth year of being a vegetarian. Not to gloat about being ahead of my time or anything....

Talks to save Khmer Rouge trials

2007-03-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

[BBC]

Cambodian and international judges have begun talks to prevent the possible collapse of the Khmer Rouge trials.

The trials - which aim to put the surviving leaders of the brutal Maoist regime in the dock - have ground to a halt over procedural differences. Foreign judges want full international legal standards, while the Cambodians say local law must take precedence.

About two million people died during the years that the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia in the 1970s.

Amazon is at it again...

2007-03-06T15:41:00.000-08:00

This isn't too clear because I have no Internet at Home, and i can't work the office computer... However...

Amazon.co.uk is not telling me to "Get HIV/AIDS in Russia and Eurasia"...

With all due respect to Amazon... I think I'll pass...

U.S. Conservatives Scare Me...

2007-03-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

A behind the scenes of CPAC 2007 doco for you...

I Don't really have to much to say...

Please Proofread

2007-03-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

It's generally a wise idea to proofread your 'shit' before publishing.

Major Mori to be Charged?

2007-03-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

Fairfax news is reporting that David Hicks' military lawyer may be charged for breaching Article 88 of the US Military Code...

It relates to using contemptuous language towards the president, vice-president, and secretary of defence. Penalties for breaching the code include jail and the loss of employment and entitlements.

Major Mori denied he had done anything improper but said the accusations left him with an inherent conflict of interest.

“It can't help but raise an issue of whether any further representation of David and his wellbeing could be tainted by a concern for my own legal wellbeing,” Major Mori told Fairfax. “David Hicks needs counsel who is not tainted by these allegations.”

Major Mori, who has been to Australia seven times, will seek legal advice. The issue will also have to be raised with Hicks when his legal team next sees him, Fairfax reports.

Colonel Davis said Major Mori was not playing by the rules and criticised his regular trips to Australia. He said he would not tolerate such behaviour from his own prosecutors.

“Certainly, in the US it would not be tolerated having a US marine in uniform actively inserting himself into the political process. It is very disappointing,” he told Fairfax. “He doesn't seem to be held to the same standards as his brother officers.”

Whilst this may be bad news for Major Mori, there may be a silver lining for David Hicks... If Maj. Mori is charged, he would be removed from Hicks' case, thereby deeming it necessary for a replacement, which could take 'months for a new lawyer to get to grips with the case and the new military commission process.'

Prime Minister John Howard has told the US any action leading to further delays would be unacceptable and would prompt him to demand the return of Hicks, 31, after five years in Guantanamo Bay.

Mori has also raised concerns of a conflict of interest now existing, which may prevent him from representing Hicks.

Interesting start to the week...

Randomness

2007-03-02T21:50:00.000-08:00

So apparently Treasurer Costello is annoyed that Opposition Leader Rudd met with a corrupt State Premier in 2005, the only Australian Premier to ever serve a gaol sentence, today it was announced that a certain Government Senator/Minister met with same corrupt premier, over a year after OLR did...

So to honor this monumental screw up of an attack by the G'ment on the Opposition, and then watching them get bitch slapped back courtesy of The Weekend Australian...

I've decided, today, (with a little help from my friends) to highlight the stupidity of the Australian Foreign Minister... Alex Downer...

Oh to be a fly on the wall when he got home after this doozy....

Oh and his little Confession to the Misguided Trio over his role in the AWB Scandal (Courtesy of Youtube/ausarma)

And to top it all off, a little doozy of a cover of Midnight Oil...

Update: About 3 hours after I posted this, the Minister involved with the former Premier resigned from his cabinet position, which, for the record, whilst some what admirable, means very little in an election year....

Update #2: I am aware that I may have used the word doozy, a few too many times in this post, I apologise...

New Poll

2007-03-02T10:26:00.000-08:00

Conservative: 40%
Liberal: 26%
NDP: 15%
Bloc: 10%
Green: 8%

Dramatically different from the poll just days ago which had the Conservatives at about the 30's, still minority government territory.

See Horta Run, Run Horta Run...

2007-02-26T15:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not entirely sure why i chose that title, I dare say it has to do with not having any caffeine in the last 24 hours, and if you are wondering why I haven't had any caffeine in 24 hours you have obviously forgotten just how lazy I am...

In perhaps the most easily predicted political move of the century, Timor Leste PM, Jose Ramos-Horta, more affectionately refereed to as PMJRH, has announced his candidacy for the Presidency of his great little country...

Ramos-Horta, who promoted East Timor's rights while in exile after Indonesia's occupation, won the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for his work to bring about a peaceful settlement. Xanana Gusmao, who led the independence struggle, currently holds the post of president and has said he won't seek re-election.

``I will continue, if elected president, to continue this same approach of institutional harmonization because I know that only this way will we manage to guarantee national independence and state unity,'' Ramos-Horta said, according to an e-mailed transcription of his speech. ``A country in which several institutions are dysfunctional is a country that cannot develop.''

PMJRH, was promoted to PM after previously holding the posts of FM and DM. His promotion came after Mari Alkatiri was forced to resign amid speculation that he 'fomented unrest between civilian groups and security forces.' Australia's ABC network put forward a pretty good case showing that Alkatiri formed death squads, but no one really knows what is going on there...

The elections are being held in April, i am still doing my best to get over there, although the Australian Military isn't exactly helping the cause, shooting a civilian and raising their travel advisory...

My little spies at DFAT have informed me that the Australian Government and the Government of Timor Leste have signed an agreement on the Timor Gap, I'll check it out and get back to you, because there is nothing I enjoy more than telling people how good Australia is screwing over a developing country!

ICJ clears Serbia of Genocide

2007-02-26T11:44:00.000-08:00

But rules it violated international law by failing to prevent massacre at Srebrenica in 1995.

Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro)

The Court finds that Serbia has violated its obligation under the Genocide Convention to prevent genocide in Srebrenica and that it has also violated its obligations under the Convention by having failed fully to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

Summary of Judgement: Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro

Court clears Serbia of genocide [BBC]

That's hot.

2007-02-24T12:58:00.000-08:00

From today's Ottawa Notebook in the Globe and Mail: "Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a interview on CTV Newsnet's Mike Duffy Live this week that his wife, Laureen, thought billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates was the world's 'sexiest man'. "Laureen said, 'When a man has that much money, he's sexy.'" Mr Harper said. The topic came up because of Mr. Harper's meeting Tuesday with Mr. Gates about his foundation's support for the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative."

Oz heart DC

2007-02-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

How many protests were there? Anyways, US conservative newswatch site Drudge Report puts it this way:

Update: Not your average protestor.

Extension of UN Mission in Timor-Leste

2007-02-23T00:39:00.000-08:00

Security Council extends Timor-Leste mission for 1 year, boosts police

The Security Council today extended the United Nations mission in impoverished Timor-Leste for another year until February 2008, while adding up to 140 extra police officers to help counter the increasing violence as the tiny nation gears up for this year’s elections.
...

The Council also expressed its “full support” for the International Security Forces (ISF) in Timor-Leste, and also urged the Government to continue working with UNMIT on a comprehensive review of the security sector.
...

The first round of the Timorese presidential election is scheduled for 9 April, with the parliamentary election to be held later. These will be the first polls held in the tiny nation since it gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.

Man Sentenced in Oil-for-Food Scandal

2007-02-22T21:20:00.000-08:00

"NEW YORK, Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tongsun Park, 71, a citizen of the Republic of Korea, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for his role in connection with corruption of the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia of the Southern District of New York announced. On July 13, 2006, Park was found guilty by a jury of conspiring to act in the United States as an unregistered agent of the government of Iraq, specifically to assist the former Iraqi government in the creation of the U.N. Oil-for-Food Program.

Park was sentenced to 60 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Park was also ordered to pay a fine of $15,000 and to forfeit $1.2 million to the United States. The funds forfeited in this case, as with other funds recovered in the investigation of corruption in the Oil- for-Food Program, are expected to be remitted to the Development Fund for Iraq."

New York Man Sentenced for Role in Connection With Corruption in Oil-for-Food Program

Spank me!

2007-02-22T14:23:00.000-08:00

Public Eye Online calls it a 'carrot and stick' scenario, but it's almost closer to a damage deposit akin to renting an apartment. The Conservative Party's "behave or else you'll lose your deposit" approach to candidates is curious.... but I suppose when you have members of a party linking Iraqi insurgent killings to abortion* [the list of examples could go on and on] any measure to keep mouthpieces under wraps in a highly volatile political environment is perhaps wise.

According to the party’s nomination rules and procedures - which were distributed to riding associations this past June - candidates must make out a $1,000 cheque payable to the Conservative Fund Canada to "serve as a Good Conduct Bond." Those who follow those rules and procedures will get their cheque back. But it’s tough luck for those who don't. And the news is even worse for candidates who win less than 10 percent of the vote at a nomination meeting. They have to relinquish their $1,000 "Non-Frivolous Bond." Which means troublemakers who want to run for the Conservatives for shits and giggles are going to be out $2,000. Ouch!

*MP Gallant compares abortion to Iraq beheading [CTV]

Vancouver Sun: Research Bureau of the PMO

2007-02-22T12:04:00.000-08:00

Oh, to be a Vancouver Sun reporter!!!

If I had known that PMSH's new conservative government sole source of information used in the House of Commons was the Vancouver Sun, perhaps I would have reconsidered my career path. Oh, the power, Kim Bolan!

For those who have been skipping their dose of CPAC lately, the Government has a habit of replying to questions in Question Period with answers completely unrelated answers attacking the Liberal opposition. While PMSH may be the captain of this team, Minister of the Environment John Baird is certainly the top scorer.

Anyways, yesterday was the supreme case in point, and a day of ruckus in the House political commentators have never seen. The Opposition was attacking the government for changing the process in which judges are chosen, and in reply, PMSH referred to an unrelated matter regarding the Air India investigation, Canada's worst case of terrorism, killing 329 people:

Responding to unrelated criticism about the way his government chooses judges, Mr. Harper attempted to read from a newspaper report saying the father-in-law of Ontario MP Navdeep Bains would not have to testify at the criminal investigation into the Air-India bombing if the measures are allowed to die.

"Obviously, the Liberal Party opposes the change we have made . . ." he said of the judicial-selection process. "I am not surprised, given what I am reading in The Vancouver Sun today, when I realize this is how the Liberal Party makes decisions."

PM's attack on Liberal fuels bedlam in Ottawa

"AIDS worse than 9/11"

2007-02-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

In a timely addendum to my last post on Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's sudden awakening to the need for action by the Canadian government on AIDS, every Australian law students' favourite High Court Judge, Justice Michael Kirby, has questioned the perspective of continued fear-mongering of the 9/11 attacks.

"HIGH Court judge Michael Kirby yesterday accused America of being "obsessed" with September 11, 2001, saying more people died each day of AIDS than perished in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington."

AIDS worse than 9/11, says Kirby

Justice Kirby played down the significance of the attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon - in which 2900 people, including 10 Australians, died - after questioning claims by lawyers for the commonwealth that they had made Australia more vulnerable to terrorists.

He made his observation as the High Court considered an appeal against a control order imposed on "Jihad" Jack Thomas, the first man convicted under Australia's new anti-terror laws.

Federal police obtained the order last August after his two earlier convictions for terrorism-related offences were quashed by the Victorian Court of Appeal. The charges were reinstated in December, and he is on bail awaiting trial for allegedly accepting funds from al-Qa'ida and falsifying a passport.

America obsessed with 9/11: Kirby

Harper Suddenly Pays Attention to AIDS

2007-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

Bill Gates, Canada team up to fight AIDS

Ottawa will contribute 111 million Canadian dollars (95 million US) toward international research efforts and to build a Canadian facility to make vaccine candidates for use in clinical trials, while the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will provide 28 million Canadian dollars (24 million US).

The collaboration will "accelerate the pace towards the discovery of an HIV vaccine ... move vaccines to the clinical trial stage more quickly and improve access to an eventual vaccine," Harper told reporters.

The result would spare "millions of people from the horrific reality of HIV-AIDS," he said.

Harper, Gates announce millions for HIV vaccine research initiative

After Harper and his government were an embarassing no-show at the 2006 AIDS conference in Toronto, one wonders what has suddenly encouraged PMSH to get active on the file.

WTF???

2007-02-19T16:57:00.000-08:00

What is it with Tuesday mornings just being... well... Weird...

Priest gets 14 years' jail for crucifying nun
Tuesday Feb 20 09:31 AEDT

A Romanian priest charged with crucifying a nun he believed was possessed by the devil has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

Four nuns who were found guilty of being accomplices to the exorism-turned-murder were meanwhile sentenced to between five and eight years in prison at the end of a trial in Vaslui in eastern Romania.

The five defendants were also, along with the Husi diocese in northern Romania, ordered to jointly pay 3,000 euros ($5010) in damages and interest to the victim's parents.

The nun, 23-year-old Irina Cornici of the Saint Trinity of Tanacu monastery in northeastern Romania, died after being gagged, chained to a cross and left without food or water for several days. Her body was discovered on June 15, 2005...

...According to the indictment, "the defendants have confessed to the facts during the investigation but claim they were motivated by a wish to save the victim from the evil spirits that possessed her".

The prosecutor also charged that the five had "intentionally" deprived Cornici, who suffered a psychological illness, of medical treatment.

The case sparked an outcry in Romania against the "mediaeval" practices tolerated by the Orthodox Church, to which a majority of the population belongs.

See what I mean, ignore the slap on the wrist gaol term, it's just weird that they were fined 3,000 Euros... Doesn't that seem a little on the cheap side? I mean, they CRUCIFIED A NUN!!!!

Howard/Iraq

2007-02-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

Two random Monday stories. The first to amuse, the second, well....

1) PM says he's weathered bad polls before

2) "Rudd did not mince words. He cited Howard's "false basis" for Australia's decision to join the invasion, his "misuse of intelligence material to justify" the decision, his "failure" to "articulate a clear cut mission statement" for Australia's "continued participation in the war", Howard's "failure" to develop a "clear cut exit strategy" from Iraq, his "refusal" to explain "his strategy for winning the war", his "attack" on the US Democratic Party as "al-Qaeda's party of choice", and "the Prime Minister's lack of guts and courage in refusing to accept" Rudd's challenge to a national television debate "on Labor's plan to bring our troops home" and Howard's plan "to leave our troops in Iraq indefinitely". The motion was worded as provocatively as possible to try to goad Howard and leave him little room politically to decline." [SMH]

PMJH May Loose Seat

2007-02-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

Had a good laugh after reading this one...

It appears as the John Howard may not even be a part of the government post election whether he wants to or not...

A telephone poll of almost 400 voters in Bennelong, Sydney, found 55 per cent supported Labor on a two-party preferred basis.

And 49 per cent said Kevin Rudd would be a better prime minister than Mr Howard, who scored 47 per cent...

...The poll found 40 per cent of Bennelong voters would give their first preference to Mr Howard - down 9.9 per cent since the last election.

Forty-one per cent said they would cast a primary vote for Labor - up 12.6 per cent since 2004.

Mr Kerr said the poll confirmed that Bennelong would be a front line seat in this year's federal election.

But, he said, there was one small silver lining for Mr Howard - 46 per cent of voters in Bennelong still think the coalition will win the next federal election - and the prime minister can choose when to hold it....

Let's face it, you can't have too much faith in polls, especially when it is only 400 people, and it is conducted by the Roy Morgan Research Group and Crikey.com.au, not to slander either group, as I said, I just found this funny, and thought I'd share...

New Iraq Strategy

2007-02-13T16:19:00.000-08:00

As a form of procrastination I visited the BBC's news website. I was told of a new strategy for Iraq being employed by the Iraqi government...

Iraq says it will close its border crossings with Iran and Syria for three days as part of its new security plan for the capital, Baghdad.

Top commander Lt Gen Abboud Gambar used a live TV address to unveil the plan which also extends the Baghdad curfew.

The first thing one must ask themselves is why only three (3) days, surely it makes sense to just close them for a few months, allowing aid to be delivered by the "coalition of the willing", meaning that unless you are a part of the "coalition of the willing" you aren't going to cross the border. The reasoning for the closure...

Officials also said that after the 72-hour border closure, the crossing points with Iran would only be partially reopened.

Gen Gambar said the new plan would give him sweeping emergency powers, combining the command of the police and armed forces.

Weapons permits would be restricted to the Iraqi and US military.

So the theory is, let's close the border for a few days, then reopen all of Syria's and just a little bit of Iran's crossing points, and then only allow Weapons permits to Iraqi and US military personnel...

I won't comment on the irony of issuing weapons permits to those primarily responsible for the violence, (like it or not, if the US military had no weapons they never would have invaded)...

I will however ask if anyone out there can tell me what difference three days will make?

I guess it may establish a supply line of weapons, only if the violence quells for three days, although that infers that insurgents don't have any stockpiles of weapons...

This is starting to hurt my head...

To read the article go here.

Australian Defence Minister Not Quite All There...

2007-02-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

Last night Aussie Defence Minister Brandan Nelson was on ABC's Lateline, defending his wife's, I mean the Prime Ministers honour when he concluded with something that made me hang my head in shame...

Nelson was quizzed over what would happen if Obama's resolution was victorious and the Americans were forced to withdrawal, would Australia stay on?

TONY JONES: But if the Iraqi Government said “Leave the Australians in place, even though there are no Americans here”, you'd do that, is that right?

BRENDAN NELSON: What you're suggesting is essentially ridiculous, Tony, because, at a military level, and indeed at a political level, we negotiate what is in the best interests of Australia and then the interests of the Iraqis themselves and I certainly don't foresee any, if you like, situation whatever the colour of the administration in the United States, where we're going to be in any sort of situation like that. That's a hypothetical and I certainly don't think it will happen.

First and foremost, I have no idea what colour has to do with anything, the entire interview was hilarious, especially when Jones mentioned that Obama's plan was essentially that of the Iraq Strategy Groups which called for a phased withdrawal of US troops, a strategy which Aussie Foreign Minister Alexander Downer described it as a good piece of work, a useful contribution that "draws all the right conclusions about the ultimate objectives"...

Nelson was out of his league and struggled his whole way through, one has to wonder why Howard led this lamb to slaughter... For a full transcript go here.

I'll try not to post on this issue again, unless of course it gets more funnier....

UK, Indonesia Closer Military Ties Despite Human Rights Concerns

2007-02-12T08:11:00.000-08:00

TAPOL [Indonesian Human Rights Campaign] press release voicing concern over UK-Indonesian military deal.

Step change in UK-Indonesia military ties

The controversial plans for stronger military ties were first announced during Prime Minster’s Tony Blair’s visit to Indonesia in March 2006 [2]. In November, BAE Systems attended the second Indonesia arms fair in Jakarta [3]. Last week, Defence Minister Sudarsono held talks with BAE Systems during a visit to London for the inaugural meeting of the UK-Indonesia Partnership Forum set up during Mr Blair’s visit to Indonesia [4].

Despite embarking on a process of reform, the Indonesian armed forces (known as TNI) continue to be implicated in human rights violations and to resist accountability for past abuses. The TNI has been notorious for its use of imported military equipment in conflicts in Timor-Leste, Aceh and West Papua.
TAPOL is particularly concerned about the possible use of Hawk aircraft in the conflict area of West Papua where Indonesian rule is strongly contested, human rights violations are routine, and
military expansion is under way.
......

Timor-Leste’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) recently recommended that business corporations which profited from the sale of weapons to Indonesia during the occupation of Timor-Leste should contribute to a reparations programme irrespective of whether the equipment they supplied was used in specific violations. The British company that derived the most profit - mainly through the sale of Hawk aircraft - was BAE Systems (then known as British Aerospace) [5], but it has made no attempt to act on the CAVR recommendation.

Paranzee Prosecution Unleashes...

2007-02-11T23:20:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging about the Paranzee trial for a while now, whilst it is still under appeal, and still not getting any major press, the attention it is getting reveals that the prosecution is taking its role seriously...

American biomedical researcher Professor Robert Gallo appeared by video-link today in the South Australian Supreme Court of Appeal as a prosecution witness in the appeal case of Andre Chad Parenzee.

Prof Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, was called to counter testimony of two Perth AIDS dissidents who believe the virus is not linked to AIDS or is sexually transmitted....

...Prof Gallo was one of the scientists who discovered AIDS in the early 1980s and linked HIV as the cause of the disease...

...In cross-examination today, defence lawyer Kevin Borick QC questioned Prof Gallo on reports he had been charged with misappropriation following US government inquiries into his scientific work in late 1980s.

Prof Gallo angrily rejected the questioning, saying he had been "found not guilty of nothing" and a draft report accusing him of misdealing with a virus sample given to him by Montagnier had been disavowed by the author.

"It is not fruitful and it wasn't needed and anybody who read the conclusions knows the story," Prof Gallo told the court from Bethesda, Massachusetts.

"My integrity is not on trial, Mr Borick."

Prof Gallo said the mainstream scientific community had accepted that HIV existed and dismissed the claims of the defence witnesses – Eleni Papadopolous-Eleopolos and Dr Val Turner – as nonsense because they relied heavily on early studies that were now dated.

"It is no longer child's play – we quickly passed 1983 and 1984 with far more evidence than is given to the court," he said.

Prof Gallo said the defence evidence had made conflicting arguments and much of the research was inaccurately presented.

"Their statements are just all over the place," Prof Gallo said...

All I can say is that you know you are in trouble when they pull out the old video link up!

Howard Government Attacks Democracy

2007-02-11T20:27:00.000-08:00

The big news out of the House on the Hill today has been a failed censure motion against PMJH for his comments against Obama, the bigger news should be the plans for the Government to silence debate in 'That Place'....

Leader of the House Tony Abbott will today move a motion that will limit debates on matters of public importance (MPI) from two hours to one hour, Independent MP for New England Tony Windsor said.

The MPIs, generally held every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on parliamentary sitting weeks, give members a chance to bring up any issue of concern.

Labor regularly uses the MPIs to criticise the Government over the issue of the day, while Mr Windsor said they were also a vital method for MPs to represent their constituencies. MPIs last week included water, climate change and education.

Mr Windsor said the Federal Government planned to use its numbers in the lower house to silence debate in an election year.

It's almost as if you couldn't tell it was an election year....

Obama Slaps Little Johnny

2007-02-11T12:39:00.000-08:00

I've just been told that Aussie PM John Howard actually got some airplay in the US overnight, which is hilarious...

PMJH was being interviewed on Channel 9's Sunday program and was asked for a reaction to, potential US president and current US Sen. Barack Obama's Iraq withdrawal policy...

I think he's wrong. I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory,".

"If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

Obama has commented on our little Johnny, giving him what could best be described as a diplomatic bitch slap into line...

I think it's flattering that one of George Bush's allies on the other side of the world started attacking me the day after I announced," Senator Obama said in Iowa.

"I would also note that we have close to 140,000 troops in Iraq, and my understanding is Mr Howard has deployed 1400, so if he is ... to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq.

"Otherwise it's just a bunch of empty rhetoric."

20,000 Aussie troops would erode an Reserve ADF members (19, 275 as per 2004/05), then again that is just the reserves, if Howard was to deploy from the permanent ADF, currently at 51,189 reduced to 31,189 personnel...

Regardless, Howard can't follow through on Obama's challenge as...

The latest ACNielsen poll in Fairfax newspapers today has the Labor party 16 percentage points in front of the governing coalition on a two-party preferred vote while Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd also leads Mr Howard in the preferred prime minister stakes.

This is all very reminiscent of Dick Armitage telling Australian politicians what they should do... Howard rebuked the ambassador then, it is now time for the Australian people to rebuke Howard, tell him to concentrate on this country, and not comment on his superiors!

Edit: I didn't realise just how big of a story this was going to be, the news bulletins tonight have been coming thick and fast... Perhaps the most well thought out response comes from Michael McKinley from ANU...

Foreign policy experts doubt the episode will do any long-term damage to the alliance.

Dr Michael McKinley, an international relations expert from the Australian National University, described the Prime Minister's comments as stupid but doubted they'd have any long-term impact on relations between Australia and the US.

"If the Democrats win, some of them will remember this but it's quite likely that John Howard will not be prime minister for very long, if at all, when it happens," he said.

Blogging Losers

2007-02-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Running negative attack ads in the run-up to the run-up of an election campaign is, well, fine I guess. But just don't forget to keep the troops motivated with these spunky screensavers and wallpaper! Courtesy of Blogging Tories, they're fresh, hip, and sure to increase your confidence. Stop laughing.

Those Crazy Cat's!!!

2007-02-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has announced, what has been deemed a victory by dog lovers the world over, that Cats or Genus Felis if you know Latin, have the ability to become infected by the current strain of H5N1 (Bird Flu).

As a precautionary measure, FAO recommended that in areas where the H5N1 virus has been found in poultry or wild birds, cats should be separated from infected birds until the danger has passed. On commercial poultry premises cats should even be kept indoors.

The agency advised against killing cats as a virus control option because there is nothing to suggest that cats are transmitting the virus in a sustained way. Removing cats could lead to a surge in rodents such as rats, which are an agricultural pest and often transmit diseases to humans.

This is not the first time that cats have been infected as previous incidents in Thailand, Iraq, the Russian Federation, the European Union and Turkey show. Cats can become infected by feeding on sick domestic or wild birds; they can develop severe to fatal disease and excrete the virus from the respiratory and digestive tracts.

Perhaps highlighting that the FAO has a sense of humour, they posted their story along with this picture...
I'm almost afraid to ask why the file was saved as "Turkish Cat", regardless, felines of the world take note, if you bring about the end of the world as we know it, well, I don't know what I will do, but it won't be friendly towards cats!!!

Queensland Parliament takes Stupidity to New Level

2007-02-08T12:55:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh during the week when QLD (State) opposition leader Jeff Seeney was ejected from parliament for essentially being an idiot and taking parliament to a whole new low. Last night however, I was ashamed to called a resident of Queensland, when news came out about, quite possibly the most irrelevant being on the planet, and yes I realise the irony of posting about something that is irrelevant, Nationals' MP Rob Messenger, took the parliament to a scene more reminiscent of some f-grade talk show from the US.

While debating extra protection for whistleblowers, Mr Messenger on Wednesday night likened the Premier in a dinner suit to "watching a prostitute dressed in a ballgown talking about celibacy".

Mr Beattie yesterday demanded an apology, which he initially appeared to be getting.

"I have had this morning to think about my comments and reflect on my behavior. I have decided that the Premier is right. My comments were unparliamentary and I should apologise. So I wholeheartedly and sincerely apologise to the prostitutes of Queensland," Mr Messenger replied, sending the house into uproar.

The dis-honourable Messenger went further, professing Premier Peter Beattie to be "one of the most disgusting and contemptuous (sic) people to have ever drawn breath in Queensland"....

Obviously we shouldn't expect much from Messenger, he was the baffoon who led a one man protest against Premier Pete during the recent election, where he (Messenger) invaded a hospital with a megaphone and continually berated the Premier, no doubt disturbing patients in recovery...

It's a shame that it is not an election yet in QLD, I am sure that you would likely see either Premier Pete become Australia's first dictator, taking all seats from the opposition, or at the very least, the demise of the National party in QLD state politics. Their actions over the last week or so have been deplorable and bought the entire parliamentary process into disrepute. I feel sorry for all those members of parliament who purely desire to do the right thing and represent their constituents, yet now fall into the same boat as the likes of Seeney and Messenger!

You can decide for yourself the title of that boat!

Ban extends Timor's Ability to Survive

2007-02-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

New UN Sec-Gen has had a shakey few weeks start at the "loneliest job in the world". A number of gaffes over the Hussein execution, and a few other minor mishaps, has had a few members of the trio slightly concerned.

Now it's time for Ban-Ki Moon to step out of the shadows and take the lead...

Ban has drafted a report to the UN Sec-Council recommending the extension of UNMIT (United Nations Mission in Timor) for 12 months.

"The long term commitment of the international community to Timor-Leste (East Timor) remains critical to enabling the return of this new nation to the path of stability and development in a climate of democratic, accountable and responsive governance," Mr Ban said.

"In my view, an extension of the UNMIT mandate for a period of 12 months would send an important signal of the willingness of the security council to sustain its commitment to East Timor," Mr Ban said.

"In order to strengthen security for the critical electoral process, I support the government's request that an additional formed police unit be deployed," he said.

The elections in Timor are taking place on April 9th with current President Xanana Gusmao opting out of the race, but talking about a run as PM. For those of you questioning why the Timor mission should be extended, last time the UN pulled out...

This happened...

Not to mention the thousands displaced, the hundred of homes burnt, for Timor to remain Timor, the UN must provide it the support it requires. Unless, of course, certain members of the Security Council would prefer to see Timor Leste to no survive...

Paranzee Update

2007-02-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

For those of you that have forgotten, Paranzee is the twit in Adelaide who has been charged with intentionally infecting women with HIV. Disturbingly it seems to be an ongoing trend around the world with cases in both Italy and in Canada...

In Canada it's a former CFL football star, my memory is failing me to remember about the Italian... The point of my post is that Paranzee's appeal is underway, and after 3 weeks of the denialist jumping up and down saying HIV doesn't exist and isn't sexually transmitted, it's the prosecutions turn to rebut the case...

For the full version go here...

Some snippets for your educational pleasure...

The Perth Group, led by medical physicist Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos has for more than three weeks given "expert" testimony claiming HIV has never been isolated in the laboratory and is not sexually transmitted.

The claims came in the appeal of Andre Chad Parenzee, 36, who is attempting to get a retrial on charges of endangering the lives of three former girlfriends by having sex with them knowing he was HIV-positive.

...Professor Moore's comments are part of his pursuit of AIDS denialists, on the internet and with opinion pieces in The New York Times and a letter to Harper's Magazine.

He said the Perth Group were "not in the mainstream of AIDS denialism", and were considered a "joke" by HIV and AIDS researchers.

Professor Moore, who has written and co-written more than 200 peer-reviewed articles on HIV and AIDS, said: "They are not experts except in their own minds. They have never worked on HIV, with HIV patients, or studied it first-hand. It is the equivalent of me saying I'm an expert in astrophysics because I've read some books on it."

...Perth Group member Val Turner said on Friday he was walking in the footsteps of scientific mavericks such as Galileo, who was imprisoned by the Catholic Church for his espousal of the sun-centred solar system. Professor Moore said this was "bullshit".

Bullshit indeed...

A special Announcement from the Onion

2007-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

I laughed... Then Cried... Then Laughed Again...

In Order To Save The Whales, We Must Breed With Them

Misguided Question Time?

2007-01-27T18:33:00.000-08:00

I received an email from the Misguided Geriatric suggesting, that much like Parliament's based upon the Westminster system, the Misguided Trio start a Question time of their own...

Ok so he didn't really put it that way...

More this way...

Mark,

I have a submission, perhaps the Misguided Trio blog could have a question and answer section where readers could ask questions of you.

For example, I have the following questions.

Given that Senator George Brandis believes that the Prime Minister John Howard is a 'lying little rodent', did Brandis actually believe Howard when Howard announced that Brandis would become a Minister?

For that matter does he believe it yet, or is he just not going to turn up at the Ministers office on Monday morning to avoid being caught by a Howard 'gotchya'?

Yes Minister!

MG

Not that bad of an idea, and whilst I am thinking that MG's question may have been originally posed as one of rhetoric substance, I may as well throw an answer, well more of a response, out there...

Senator George Brandis, supposed Liberal from Queensland, somewhat famously called PMJH "a lying rodent", following the whole children overboard affair.

From the archives of the Sydney Morning Herald...
According to a statutory declaration signed three days ago by a former senior official in the Queensland division of the party, Russell Galt, Brandis "unambiguously referred" to the PM as "a lying rodent", in relation to the children overboard affair at a meeting in May last year.

That's pretty serious, given that the PM's integrity has been challenged over the matter, and that barrister Brandis has led the defence of Howard in the Senate inquiry into the issue.
Galt swore that "while referring to . . . Hearings of this committee, Senator Brandis made the following two remarks: "He is a lying rodent" and "we've got to go off and cover his arse again on this".

Brandis denies ever calling the Prime Minister "a lying rodent" yet has been known to call him "a rodent". Whilst I am talking about Brandis it may be worthwhile pointing out that when he called Howard a "lying rodent" he wasn't even an elected official. Brandis was appointed to his Senate seat in 2000 following the retirement of Hon. Warwick Parer...

Brandis loves the spotlight, which may be why he was chosen to chastise Sen. Brown and Nettle for disturbing G.W. Bush's address to a join sitting... PMJH was a little bit upset with his response though, when Brandis chose to lable the Greens "Nazis"...

"I intend to continue to call to the attention of the Australian people the extremely alarming, frightening similarities between the methods employed by contemporary green politics and the methods and the values of the Nazis."

Brandis is a showman, calls the PM a rodent, no doubt appealing to the majority of voters, and manages to actually win his seat in the 2004 election.

Brandis has been appointed Minister for the Arts and Sports, making him responsible for, well, considering the States take care of most of the Arts, and the Sports, Brandis's primary responsibility is to look after the National Portrait Gallery and Old Parliament House.

Is the rat deceiving his foe with a faux appointment? Personally I feel that the rat required new faces, and his foe was after more camera time, perhaps the original 'rodent' has manipulated the less intelligent rodents into embracing his Rodentology?

And yes Virginia, I did just call Liberal party members, "Rodents", I also may have alluded to them practicing their own religion called Rodentology, oh, and for the record I am seriously disturbed at just how much time I have devoted to this post....

Then again it's a Sunday and the Entourage Marathon doesn't start for another hour...

(Note: For our Canadian friends, my reference to Liberal Party members being rodents is purely towards the members of the Australian Liberal Party, feel free to apply the same comments to your Conservative Party)

That's Deep Man...

2007-01-24T00:11:00.000-08:00

So I was essentially mastering the art of procrastination when I stumbled across this video, eventually I managed to find it on YouTube...

It's only just over minute long, and I encourage all to watch it...

Is this flag a rallying call for racists?

2007-01-21T13:52:00.000-08:00

Wow, you go out for dinner at a friends place, drink a little to much red wine and wake up the next morning with the national flag being touted as a sign of racism!!! I may still be drunk...

Organisers of the Big Day Out, a concert festival featuring the likes of Tool and Jet, have reportedly banned the Australian flag from entering the venue for their Sydney Concert...

According to the Big Day Out's website...

We are not banning the Australian flag but are simply discouraging its use for anti-social purposes at the Big Day Out.

In recent times, there has been an increased incidence of flags brandished aggressively and this has led to increased tension. Our only intention in discouraging this activity at the Big Day Out is to ensure that our patrons are not subjected to this aggressive behavior

This has prompted, not surprisingly outrage from numerous people...

PMJH - "The event organisers should not ram their peculiar political views down the throats of young Australians who are only interested in a good day out," an angry Mr Howard said yesterday. Such an event with such a condition is not welcome anywhere in Australia."

Don Rowe, NSW RSL President - It's a load of garbage, it's the symbol of our nation. Using the Cronulla riots as an excuse to outlaw it is an absolute bloody outrage,"

NSW Premier Morris Iemma - "They should see the error of their ways and reverse this decision straight away or take their event somewhere else," he said. "We have no control over the event ... We are the host."

Australian National Flag Association - "That is bloody disgusting, the only people who say this sort of thing are tree-huggers who are out of touch with the majority."

I can appreciate what the organisers of the Big Day Out are trying to do, following the Cronulla Riots I believe that the flag had been tainted and, somewhat disturbingly, saw it in a different light. I wouldn't call it a sign of racism, but a point of national pride. Much like the tennis riots (well more of a scuffle) last week, between flag bearing nationals of different countries, it has become disturbingly common, the presence of a national symbol during violent encounters.

Regardless, if the Big Day Out is going to start "discouraging" punters from bringing things to their concerts, can we please start with those stupid extras people misguidingly thing are "cool", such as, Fairy Wings, Devils Horns, To-toos (I have no idea how to spell it), body paint or any other sort of paint that will cover other paintless punters in the mosh pit, Boogie Boards...

The list is endless, my point is, more injury is caused by stupid people bringing in stupid things, or looking stupid. Flags don't really have a place at a concert anyway, if someone was waving a flag in front of me at the U2 gig, I probably would have grabbed it off them and thrown it on stage, I didn't pay $100 to have my vision impaired by a flag...

Now, I am fully aware that I could have written on, well, pretty much anything else this morning, like the UN declaring 34,000 dead Iraqis in 2006, or Senator Clinton announcing her candidacy to become the first female President of the United States, or Russia spending 217 million to combat HIV/AIDS or even the Legionnaires outbreak in Sydney... Yet for some reason all anyone is talking about at 0810 on a Monday morning, is some concert organisers "discouraging" the bringing of vision impairing items to a gig...

And people questions my sanity?

Amazon has me concerned...

2007-01-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

I received an E-mail from Amazon.co.uk the other day, recommending something that I am sure I was not interested in, yet somewhat concerned about...

For those of you with failing vision, Amazon.co.uk has officially recommend "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine".

Somewhat disturbing... to say the least...

I think I am most concerned at the potential definition of more? Who's next after Palestine? I am confused....

Do the right thing

2007-01-12T16:39:00.000-08:00

So....I figured it was time that I posted, which I seem to do once a year! No really, I've been busy trying to find that job that will help me contribute to making the world a better place. In the meantime here's a pic that I thought was rather interesting. It shows one Chief Master Sgt John Gebhardt in Iraq holding an infant girl whose parents and siblings were killed by insurgents. She too was shot in the head, but she managed to survive with the aid of the Sgt. She would cry and moan at night and nothing seemed to comfort and calm her except being held by Officer Gebehardt, so he spent four nights in this position with her to help her on her way to recovery. There are many things that could be said here, however I leave you to think about it. Thanks E!

The United Nations at Work?

2007-01-12T14:18:00.000-08:00

BBC Online is mentioning here, that Russia and China have vetoed a Security Council resolution calling on Burma to end it's human rights abuses. The two countries reasoned that the situation in Burma was not a threat to international security.

The two countries' ambassadors said the resolution was outside the remit of the Security Council. It is the first time that the countries have jointly vetoed a resolution since 1972. Non-permanent member South Africa also vetoed, but it was unanimously decided by all those concerned that that doesn't really matter...

I was going to make a list of the consistent violations of the UN Human Rights Charter that Burma, or maybe I'll just call it Myanmar, has committed... But to be honest, I can't be bothered... Kind of the like the UN I guess...

Bits and bites...

2007-01-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

This picture scares the crap out of me.

Trudeau eyeing Liberal run in Montreal?
Howard supports Bush Iraq *plans*... continues wearing women's Akubra
Wither the Australian influence in the Pacific?
Matthew Fox loves skinny dipping

From the Desk of the Misguided Geriatric

2007-01-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

The death penalty is the delivery of revenge that is sought by angry people, it is not the provision of justice.

In reference to the death penalty, the Dalai Lama stated; “The death penalty is pure violence, a barbaric and useless violence. Dangerous even, because it can only lead to other acts of violence – as all violence does. The supreme punishment ought to be a life sentence, and without brutality.”

Now, I understand that George W. Bush and John Howard are not Buddhists and I wonder if George even knows who the Dalai Lama is! But he knows who Jesus Christ is, because George has ‘God on his side’, just as the insurgents in Iraq claim to have the Big Guy in their corner, just as claimed by both the Allied and the Axis forces in World War 2, as Bob Dylan told us in ‘With God on our side’, “For you don't count the dead When God's on your side”.

However, I am not sure how well George W. knows or understands the teachings of good old ‘J.C.’. The last time I checked the Bible, J.C. was still insisting that in response to violence we turn the other cheek. There is nowhere in the New Testament where I can find a reference to George W.’s Saviour ordering that wrongdoers be put to death, in fact I recall an incident at his arrest where J.C. intervened in a fight between his apostles and the Roman soldiers during which a Roman had his ear chopped off, J.C. healed the Roman before the Roman arrested him.

Look, nobody would expect us to turn the other cheek to Saddam’s crimes but most of us would expect justice to be served in a fair manner to all involved because if the justice system is reduced to being a purveyor of violence then it will simply provide that example to both their enemies and friends as an acceptable form of justice. Governments must not murder people, especially in the name of ‘justice’.

Aw gosh! Maybe it is time that I come to my senses, in the past I have been accused of being a gullible dreamer and someone who is confused and unable to accept reality, I think that I am beginning to realise that when God is on your side, you can do no wrong, ask Bob Dylan if you don’t believe me.

M.G.

Saddam Execution Continued

2007-01-08T02:39:00.000-08:00

BBC News Online is carrying a story that all charges have been dropped against Saddam Hussein... So justice really never will be served I guess...

From here...

The Iraqi High Tribunal has dropped all charges against Saddam Hussein, who was hanged on 30 December, as the genocide trial of his co-defendants resumed.

Saddam Hussein and six others were charged with crimes against humanity over a campaign against Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s that left 100,000 dead.

Saddam Hussein was hanged after an earlier trial over the killing of 148 Shias in the town of Dujail.

It's nice to know that in a country that is suffering some major problems, the vast majority of which has been blamed upon sectarian divide, that the "justice" for killing 148 Shias takes priority over "justice" for killing 100,000 Iraqi Kurds...

What the heck is happening?

2007-01-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

I arose this morning wandering what world I had awoken into...

Last night I was only able to have a glass or two of some great Cedar Creek Rose, granted they were awfully big glasses, but I wasn't that drunk, I went to sleep, arose this morning at about 0800, turned on my much trusted Sky News Channel only to discover that the tables had turned in the Iraq war...
Either Iraq has changed the name of its capital to Denver, or Iraq has launched an offensive in Denver, Colorado....

It's a scary world we find ourselves in...

Saddam Execution

2007-01-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Over the last few days I have been contemplating a number of things, including, but not limited to...

How those who had previously stated their utmost disgust in regards to the death penalty, such as PM Howard, and FM Downer, fully endorse the execution of Saddam Hussein. Why they are willing to send official communiques of disgust to country's such as Singapore when they are about to execute a guilty drug courier, yet not in the case of Saddam Hussein...

When I have spoken to people about my concerns, the majority of them are offended that I didn't think justice had been served, that given Saddam's outright evilness, how dare I even suggest that justice wasn't served. I will leave debate over the death penalty out of this post, but if you honestly believe that justice for the countless victims of Saddam's reign was served when he was found guilty and executed for the deaths of those executed in Dujail, and no others...

Then I am forced to question your sanity.

The International Herald Tribune, on Tuesday (January 2nd 2007), published an Op-Ed piece entitled 'Justice, But No reckoning'. Within it Najmaldin Karim, a neurosurgeon and the president of the Washington Kurdish Institute says the following...

Killing Saddam now, however, for ordering the massacre at Dujail in 1982, means that he will not face justice for his greatest crimes: the so-called Anfal campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s, the genocidal assault on the Marsh Arabs in the 1990s, and the slaughtering of the Shiite Arabs and Kurds who rose up against him, with American encouragement, in 1991...

...Saddam Hussein did not confront the full horror of his crimes. Building on previous initiatives by Arab nationalist governments to persecute the Kurds, he turned ethnic engineering and murder into an industry in the 1970s. Hundreds of thousands were evicted from their homes and murdered. Swaths of Kurdish countryside were emptied of their population, men, women and children taken to shallow graves and shot.

Initially, the United States backed those of us who took to the hills to save our lives and freedom, but in 1975 (and here is an irony) Gerald Ford agreed to stop financing us in order to settle a border dispute between Iraq and Iran. As so many times since, human rights were no match for a desire to keep the oil flowing. During the 1980s, entire towns, including Qala Diza in Iraqi Kurdistan and Qasr-i-Shirin in neighboring Iranian Kurdistan, were destroyed. To ensure that survivors would never return to their homes, the mountains were laced with land mines. The widows and children were detained in settlements lacking fresh water and sewage disposal; these were called "mujammat" in Arabic, which translates, with all the dreadful implications, as "concentration areas."...

...Saddam Hussein's trial shed new light on these tragic years. Documents came to light revealing that his regime coordinated with Turkey in its efforts to isolate Kurdish villages in 1988, in which he used chemical weapons. This should lead to some important soul searching in Turkey.

But the failure to put Saddam Hussein on trial for the Anfal offensive itself will cheat us of learning the full details of investigating whether the Turks suppressed evidence of Iraq's use of chemical weapons by preventing foreign doctors from seeing Kurdish refugees; of knowing the extent to which Saudi Arabia and Egypt may have aided Saddam Hussein's weapons production.

Kurds aren't the only ones who will be cheated out of full reckoning. In 1991, as we all know, the retreating Iraqi army massacred Shiite Arabs as well as Kurds who had heeded President George H. W. Bush's call to overthrow the Baathist regime. According to the 2004 report of the Iraq Survey Group, the dictator used chemical weapons against Shiite Arab civilians in 1991. Without putting Saddam Hussein on trial for these offenses, or for his campaigns against the Marsh Arabs of the south, will we ever know what really happened?

If one is to subscribe to conspiratorial theories then is it viable to speculate upon the "State Secrets" that will continue to remain "State Secrets"?

The Politics of Protest

2006-12-26T13:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers:

Poll: what is the difference between wearing leather and wearing fur?

More later....

All Hail Sir Bono!

2006-12-23T12:59:00.000-08:00

From the Prime Minister of England's Website.
Tony Blair says the honorary knighthood awarded to anti-poverty campaigner Bono is a deserved reward for his "remarkable" humanitarian work.

In a letter to Sir Bono, Blair says...
I am absolutely delighted that you have accepted an honorary KBE in recognition of your outstanding contribution to music and for your remarkable humanitarian work.

I'll leave it to others far more knowledgeable than me to talk about U2's music. All I'll say is that, along with millions of others right across the world, I am a huge fan. But I feel a little more qualified to talk about your personal commitment to tackling global poverty and, in particular, to Africa.

I know from talking to you how much these causes matter to you. I know as well how knowledgeable you are about the problems we face and how determined you are to do all you can to help overcome them. You have tirelessly used your voice to speak up for Africa.

I want personally to thank you for the invaluable role you played in the run up to the Gleneagles G8 Summit. Without your personal contribution, we could not have achieved the results we did. So thank you and I look forward to continuing to work together to maintain momentum on Africa, and ensure leaders around the world meet the promises they have made.

Both in your music and in your determination to help tackle global poverty, you have been an inspiration.

Those out there who know me, are fully aware of just how much of a fan of Bono's I am. The countless debates that separate this man from the likes of Pink, and her stance against the Australian Farmers, are always fun and passionate, and might I add, always finish with Bono streets ahead.

A deserved knighthood in my book... Now if she would only give one to me, this world would be such a better place. (I can't back that up, but I do enjoy the occasional Sir Mark salutation!)

If I don't get back here in time, Happy Holidays to all our readers, and may you all have a safe and prosperous New Year!

Inflatable Santas Prosecuted in Iraq

2006-12-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

Whoops, got those two NY Times headlines all jumbled up.

1) For once, the NYT agrees with me (it's hard to be sarcastic in type): those inflatable santas [pictured above] which some people think are cool really do look like shit.

2) In a bid to increase credability in Iraq, the US is moving towards punishing soldiers who allegedly have been involved in crimes. Today, four US marines were charged with the murder of 24 Iraqi civilians, including 10 women and children, and an elderly man in a wheelchair.

Military prosecutors also charged four officers, including a lieutenant colonel in charge of the First Marine Regiment’s Third Battalion, with dereliction of duty and failure to ensure that accurate information about the killings was delivered up the Marine Corps’ chain of command. A military investigation has found evidence that Marine officers may have obscured certain facts in the case.

The Marines could punish other ranking officers administratively in weeks to come. But the criminal charges filed yesterday against Lt. Col. Jeffrey R. Chessani, 42, and three other officers reflect an unusually aggressive judicial reaction by military prosecutors to a massacre that has damaged the military’s credibility with Iraqi officials and civilians, military justice experts said.

Marines Charge 4 With Murder of Iraq Civilians [NYT]

Human Security Report

2006-12-21T11:40:00.000-08:00

Via Reuters AlertNet: Human Security Centre has released its Human Security Brief 2006 today 'with some encouraging news from the field of conflict resolution':

The number of violent conflicts around the world is down, as is the number of battle deaths. Also, the number of wars ended by negotiated settlement is growing. As with the Centre's 2005 report, credit for these successes goes to increased international action, led by the UN, to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts and support post-conflict reconstruction.

The report can be found here. [Human Security Centre]