Anyone read or heard this? 

Good 'ole Texas, making sure that coloured folk go to prison for their crimes, even if they didn't commit them! I'm sure when presented with two white criminals and one innocent black guy a Texan police officer must collapse in a fit of mathematical confusion. Do two white felons equal more guilt than one black civilian?

Apparently for this guy the numbers were against him, and he's had to spend 23 years in prison for a crime he most likely didn't commit. It highlights problems that happen when you mix southern values, racial politics and rape cases, the wrong kind of people given the right to arrest, as well as relying solely on the testimony of someone who's probably been coached into giving her answers by those same wrong people.

Of course, it's fair that the prosecution are fighting, because it is best to observe due process; but if they do exonerate him, I sincerely hope they compensate the fellow for what's he's been through. Not that any amount of money could make up for spending what is at best a quarter of his life in prison for something he didn't do, completely removing his ability to function in society, as well as subjecting him to well documented levels of violence and overcrowding.

If they won't compensate him, he should be allowed to commit 23 years jail-time worth of crimes, excluding murder/rape. At least 23 years of theft or beating the arresting officers/jury members responsible for incarcerating him might offer the catharsis he'd so dearly want.

Anyone read this? 

Long story short, an acetone fire burnt several overpriced dinghies at Newport (Sydney's northern beaches area), leaving greasy fund managers and property developers wondering who they'll have to rip off to replace them. Now it's time for several spoilt soccer mums to sob in their Lexus 4WDs, insurance agents to rub their hands with glee as they work out how to avoid paying out, yacht builders stricken by the financial crisis to eagerly await some new business and me to wonder where I left that bottle of nail polish remover.

Peace out!

Hey there! Did you hear that the Lonely Planet guidebook suggested tourists avoid Gallipoli on Anzac Day? And did you hear about the special people who acted like it was and act of meanspirited 'blasphemy' (RSL and Channel Ten's words, not mine) to say so?

Apparently the boozing, violence and littering that scar the place after the Australian 'mourners' come through there are all part and parcel of what is a very solemn and peaceful bit of observance. Yeah right, if you wanna get hammered, trash things and get beaten up just stay in Australia. It's cheaper and the booze money, health care costs and extra garbos employed will help out local economy.

I'm not even all that big on the notion of deifying those involved with Gallipoli; it was a mess, lambs to the slaughter and all that, I don't think its good to celebrate any facet of a war, especially a mistake like that.

Oh well, peace out and best to all of you. I'm gonna go 'mourn', hope I don't get a hangover.

Condolences and best wishes to those who've lost friends and family in the Victoria fires; as well as hoping that those left behind are able to rebuild both the physical and emotional structures they lost in them. While I loathe the people who participated in deliberately lighting fires, I'm suprised so many people find the behaviour impossible to conceive. For the amoral and stupid out there, it's a one way ticket to getting lots of attention and causing a lot of drama.

I also think the evacuation policy being discussed at the moment doesn't need changing, it seems that better fire education would endow people with the knowledge and prepatory skills needed to asses whether they'll stay to fight a fire or make a break for it. It's things like embers sparking housefires or people not made aware of just how close the fires are (and how quickly they can move) that seem to have taken many by surprise.

It'll take days to fight fires, months to identify bodies and a year at least before the reports yield recommendations of any note and weight. Let's hope that people can find some peace in the middle ground. Here's hoping you're all well, take care!

Today on Fear News.

1. In a disturbing refutation of all evidence to the contrary, a relatively high profile real estate agent thinks this Fear is capable of writing good copy and ads for their properties, as well as schmoozing their vendors, and is offering somewhat lucrative employment and lovins' in a month or two.

2. A Spaniard and a Hawaiian are calling for a legal injuction to prevent a Swiss research team from firing up the world's most powerful particle accelerator, on the grounds that the ENTIRE WORLD is threatened. Meanwhile, Zimbabwean mothers are suing the American marketing team of the Hummer on the grounds its pollution threatens the ENTIRE WORLD. On another note, I'm suing the Catholic church, under the belief their ass-backwards views on sexual conduct and social structure threaten the ENTIRE WORLD.

3. THE CAKE IS A LIE!

Regardless, I'm pretty damn happy people, so live it up! Bonne nuit à tous!

EDITED AT 5:10PM - 03/04/08 TO REPLACE EMO WITH PORTAL REFERENCE

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/28/2201237.htm?section=justin

"Mr Brown (British PM and international man of mystery) said Britain, which will host the 2012 Olympics, would definitely not be boycotting any part of the Beijing Olympics."

Definitely not. That's comforting, I'm glad Mr Brown is such a rock to the British people. As a Prime Minister he really should stand by poor, defenseless nations getting maligned by greater powers. So Mr Gordon's determination to spare China from cruel and unnecessary humiliation from countries such as France or, worse still, Poland is a noble goal indeed.

China's only great crime is poor media controls. Not enough of them. We wouldn't be in a quandry about their human rights stance if they hadn't let it slip that, yeah, what do you know, they DO harvest the organs of political prisoners, and oh yeah, they do tend to fund and support some of the world's worst dictatorial regimes. I mean, by implication all the countries that "definitely won't" be boycotting the Beijing games support their media restrictions, which is obviously unacceptable as those restrictions need to be far tighter to prevent those awful truths from hurting anyone.

Now, supporting awful dictatorial regimes is a longstanding tradition I know, look at the US, its become the master of it. Indeed this is a case of looking inwards on someone looking outwards because China in itself, no matter how much its government would like to colour it differently, is one of those regimes. Mr Brown and his counterparts in the US and Australia are examples of the kind of political thinking we need nowadays, where one can defend the invasion of a foreign, sovereign, non-attacking nation to oust a leader whose war crimes are the equivalent of kicking a dog, while supporting a financial and political boon to a government that thinks that the best solution to left wing media is not Piers Akerman, but to capture members of that media group and disect them. If that's the case, Matthew Moore and Ross Gittins should certainly keep their guard up now that that our current PM is so fond of Chinese customs.

Ultimately, its especially noble and noteworthy that the promise of mining contracts and continued cheap (almost slave) labour has blinded our politicians to petty concerns such as human rights, and we hope they don't let morality or public opinion or, heaven forbid, good taste prevent them from straying down the path of boycotting that was taken with that truly evil behemoth, Soviet Russia.

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

Oh and I have no problem with the Chinese. Just their government. Over and out :P

MARCH 27 2008, 4PM
Jay Hieronymus Fear reporting...

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has left Australia for a seventeen day long diplomatic tour, the US and China being major focuses, leaving his cabinet to the tast of constructing its first budget unsupervised. Leader of the Liberal Party and the Politicians without Support support group Brendan Nelson claims that the trip at such a time is poorly advised and against the wishes of the Australian public.

Julia Gillard, acting PM while Mr Rudd is abroad, in response to Mr Nelson says "How did he hear what the public wants? Anyway, there is absolutely nothing to worry about, everything will be under control as soon as I find the keys to the office... unless Peter [Garret, Minister for Wombats and Good Vibrations] has swallowed them again," going on to say she's sure that the cabinet is well equipped during their leader's absence, with enough crayons and Barbie Fairyland colouring books between them to last a month.

From his fortified bunker in Nundah, Queensland, treasurer Wayne Swan is already working on the complicated set of tasks left behind by Mr Rudd, including calculating the tab from his last trip to McDonalds, and how to avoid reporters asking questions regarding adjustments to pensioners' earnings. He also denied claims that the first budget checklist prepared for Mr Rudd's absence only has one point, "Wait for me".

Before leaving this morning, Mr Rudd responded to criticism of his having left Japan out of his itinerary on his whirlwind diplomatic tour, simply saying "You know how they say what happens in Tokyo, stays in Tokyo? Well, sometimes it stays there too long".