Trials and flights

After 5 years of trying to ignore the case & passing the buck back to the American government David Hicks is tantalizingly close to having a trial date set. There's a sense that after 5 years the only really positive outcome would have been to bring him back home but nevertheless, a trial is a huge step in the right direction.

Alexander Downer seems to have changed his tune on the urgency of the trials too:

"All right, the Supreme Court made its decision earlier this year, but we do want the charges to be brought forward as quickly as possible and we do not want any more unnecessary delay in relation to this case."

Note the word "unnecessary"..

It appears that he has just admitted that the US and Australia have been faffing around and allowing the unlawful combatants in Guantanamo to be deprived of their right to a speedy trial for NO GOOD REASON. Surely not.

Cultural Insensitivity

I can't believe that everyone forgot Sinterklaas and there were no sweeties in my shoes this morning. I even left out my nicest stilettos....

Bond Girls

The latest Bond movie has been lauded for it's uncharacteristically masculine and real lead but it's other charms are of course the real draw card. The knee-quakingly stunning Caterina Murino and the strikingly chameleonic Eva Green are a wonderful demonstration of the allure of the brunette. We dark haired lasses seem to be slowly claiming ground on the everpresent blondes in Bond movies, the rest of the world will surely be a walk in the park.

And on that note, i think it's time to go a couple of shades darker.

Temptation

The Dendrobium Margaret Thatcher:





Must really add Singapore to that new itinerary..

Still in the sticks is Hicks

From the latest

Bulletin

:

On Wednesday, the US Defense Department announced that three more former "enemy combatants" - an Algerian, an Egyptian and an Uzbeki - had been released and sent to Albania. The three men, now classified "No Longer Enemy Combatants", were sent to Albania because the US could not guarantee their safety if they were returned to their countries of origin.

This seems rather akin to getting Rodney King-ed by the filth and then them gently protect your forehead as they place you into their Black Mariah.

After years in illegal detention enjoying hospitable sleep deprivation and other non-torture interrogation methods now we object to them possibly being deprived of their rights if we returned them? Marvellous.

They are now "No Longer Enemy Combatants"; this was just a phase.
"Insurgent Until Graduation" if you will......

Impending Doom

Grey hair number three.

Call in the marines/Dr Freud/Vidal Sassoon etc.

Please advise.

The hidden humour of economics

cvm: I'm drunk on power/economic liberalism .

I can't believe i just wrote this:
"Aid is approached as something which has a genuinely benevolent thrust "

Coming soon to a videostore near you: Jeff Stryker vs. The World Bank.


rheiner: JE LOVE IT.

'thrust'

"My that's an impressive austerity package"