Flickr Of The Day

Ballooning
Originally uploaded by cowgirls_lament.

Ballooning over the Yarra Valley, just East of Melbourne

Banana Republic?

A quote from Karl Rove in a speech to Republican lawyers:

"'We're, in some parts of the country, I'm afraid to say, beginning to look like we have elections like those run in countries where the guys in charge are colonels in mirrored sunglasses,' Mr. Rove said. 'I mean, it's a real problem.'"

He's talking about himself, surely, and his own party's policies - electronic voting machines with no paper trail and poor security, voter suppression tactics, partisan prosecutions of opposition politicians, swift-boating campaigns - the list goes on. He obviously has no faith in or respect for the will of the people and is intent on rigging the next election to get the right result.

Reasons to Live in Melbourne - No 1

I thought I'd start a series of posts about why Melbourne is such a great place to live.

1 - The Weather. Most people from New South Wales and Queensland would think I'm nuts. They hate Melbourne weather as too cold or too changeable. Melbourne is famous for its 'four seasons in one day' but I love it.

The Winter doesn't get too cold, Summers are warm and sunny (and occasionally too hot), and Spring and Autumn are great.

Flickr Of The Day

Twilight at Lorne
Originally uploaded by aumbody images.

We've just had a glorious long weekend of weather over Easter, and it look's like it's going to stay warm all week.

Here's a shot of Lorne Pier, down on the Great Ocean Road, in Victoria

Flickr Of The Day

glenfinnan
Originally uploaded by mike138.

A lovely moody shot.

Political Overreach

So you don't have to be associated with a terrorist organisation, you don't have to have committed any crimes, you don't even have to look suspicious. No all you have to do is be critical of George W. Bush!

"I presented my credentials from the Marine Corps to a very polite clerk for American Airlines. One of the two people to whom I talked asked a question and offered a frightening comment: "Have you been in any peace marches? We ban a lot of people from flying because of that." I explained that I had not so marched but had, in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution. "That'll do it," the man said."

So what is exactly the point of this action? Is it to intimidate opponents? Is it a punishment for daring to speak out in opposition? Is this what the 'leader of the free world' has come to?

I would imagine that the airlines will be complaining if the Department of Homeland Security are going to want to ban two thirds of their potential passengers.

Flickr Of The Day

Stairs
Originally uploaded by sunny-drunk.

Posted 7th April. Great Colours!

Freedom Of Speech in Once Great Britain

How can MPs vote for a law which removes the right to freedom of speech in Great Britain? I've just read an article in The Times in amazement:

The tourists by the entrance to Downing Street laughed and clapped as Neil took up his spot outside the gates. They queued to have their photograph taken with him, but the police were not amused because he soon produced a sign from his rucksack that said “NOT ALOUD”, which because of the ludicrous nature of the government’s new Serious and Organised Crime and Police Act’s exclusion zone meant that he was breaking the law.

Within minutes an armed officer called over to him.

“You can’t stand there, mate. It’s illegal.” Neil shrugged as though he didn’t understand. The policeman tried again. “You can’t demonstrate.

Move along or you’ll get arrested.” The crowd of people began to boo at the policeman. “Doesn’t he have the right to remain silent?” I offered. The crowd laughed. The officer angrily looked at me.

“Are you trying to be funny, mate? Who are you? Are you with him?” I shook my head and he turned back to Neil, who was doing his best to look scared, which was drawing sympathetic noises from the crowd. One called out: “Leave him alone, he’s only standing there!” Someone else put in: “It’s a free country, isn’t it?” Neil shook his head with a rueful smile and the crowd began to applaud and cheer.

Governments will take any excuse to reduce the freedom of its citizens, it seems to me, and the 'War on Terror' has given them the perfect opportunity to restrict people's right of expression. In the USA, the FBI are spying in its citizens without restraint and the New York Police infiltrated groups who might protest the Republican Convention in the city and locked peaceful protesters up for days. The vast majority of these were released without charge.

It's time that MPs and Congressmen remembered who they are representing.

What is going on at the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office?

Three senior attorneys at the Minnesota US Attorney's office have resigned their management positions to return to prosecuting cases rather than managing other prosecutors.

The message was succinct, one source told the Pioneer Press: " 'They did it jointly because they couldn't stand [U.S. Attorney Rachel Paulose] anymore,' the source said, citing what had been described as her 'dictatorial management style and general lack of management experience.' "

Paulose's thin résumé has raised eyebrows since her appointment a year ago. At the tender age of 34, she appears to have powerful political connections but little in the way of powerful prosecutorial experience.

As the editorial points out, the position of US Attorney is a political appointment but on condition that they leave their politics at the door and that they be competent.

In Rachel Paulose's case, the latter is in question and the former must be in doubt being an appointee of this administration and of Karl Rove. Minnesota will be one of the important swing states at the next presidential election and I imagine one of her priorities will be the mythical 'voter fraud', i.e. the disenfranchisement of Democrat voters.

Go Geraldo!

Well, I never thought I'd say it, but good for Geraldo as he stands up to Bill O'Reilly who tries to make a Drunk Driver fatality an illegal immigration issue.