And yet another pathetic moment passes

The 3000th US soldier has died in Iraq marking yet another milestone… or maybe millstone?… in the short period of the US assault on the country.
The march to democracy and justice ‘US style’ was given a lurch backwards with the death of Saddam after a mockery of a trial in which the first judge was [...]

Happy New Year

For those of us alive right now… we can only hope and pray where appropriate that we are here *next* year to celebrate the passing of another year.
Best wishes to all and sundry… *especially* the sundry who never seem to get an even break.

Execution videos… gruesome!

No doubt Saddam is dead… and buried. The *full* execution video… including ‘the drop’ and his swinging body with face uncovered… is now online… looks like some fool with a cellphone took images in more than enough detail to satisfy the most morbid or disbelieving of people. For those interested… go to netscape.com.
Dreadful, but I [...]

Saddam dies.

An hour or so ago he was hung… what a demonstration this is of the violence the invasion was supposed to stop. More later no doubt but so far the news is that it was just an excuse for more internecine violence.
I tend to judge a country’s adherence to civilised behaviour by the way it [...]

Saddam counts the hours.

Reports are coming in that the US forces have handed Saddam Hussein over to the Iraqi government who intend to hang him as soon as practicable.
The rights and wrongs of executing him seem to be beyond discussion now. He is about to join the millions of other Iraqis who’ve died on the path to their [...]

Atomic power in Oz - why??

John Howard has come down in favour of throwing caution to the wind, and is reccomending atomic power as the fuel of choice in the country that has most to gain from solar energy and least to gain from nuclear power plants.
The sheer insanity of this decision is hard to comprehend. We have abundant accessible [...]

Auld lang syne?

Just in case I don’t get the chance to make another post in the next couple of days, I wish one and all the best year possible. And remember…
… in the end
the love you take,
is equal to
the love
you make.

Japan - still the home of culture.

Ever anxious to bow to ‘western sensibilities’, Japan decided Christmas Day was the appropriate time to execute four ‘criminals’. They haven’t mentioned who they were, or what they did… just the ‘matter of fact’ of their deaths.
There were of course countless other deaths from any number of causes from war through famine to disease. but [...]

And how was it for you?

Our day? I thought you’d never ask! Actually, this is mostly lifted from a letter sent off to friends… I’m just too bone idle to think of new stuff right now.
For starters, as I’ve already written… we had 99% of our rations pre-cooked and set out on Christmas Eve. I figured we may as [...]

Ok… we’re ready to go!!

I made an Xmas pudding, and cooked, marzipanned and iced a *very* overdue cake today. Nobody really likes either… but it’s Xmas and some things have to be done regardless The ham is cooked… maybe a little overcooked… turkey is done too. Prawns are seasoned and cooked… and we have ‘plain’ cooked for those [...]

Talking of spiders…

A guy on the Gold Coast is lucky to be alive after being attacked and bitten by a funnel web spider.They are more prevalent this time of year as the males meander about looking for mates and even the dought is bringing them me and more into contact with humans.
This guy is lucky to be [...]

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

This we are told will be the title of the final part of the Potter series. A story of sorts on the topic can be read here. Of course… what we *don’t* get is a timeline for it’s release.
There are rumours… as always… it will appear mid-2007 but this could be wildly out [...]

Lucky or too thick to know the difference?

I wrote a short piece yesterday on a guy who survived a sinking boat and spider bite. Since then more details have emerged. The full story is here.
Basically Robbie Hamouda and a mate were on their way home from a fishing trip when the battery died on their way up the Georges River. The battery [...]

Open Season - 3D

The wife went to an office party yesterday… the one in her new office where she’s yet to meet anyone! While she was there we decided to visit the iMax cinema and take the kids to see a 3D version of the new cartoon ‘Open Season’.
As always… viewing *anything* on those massive screens is [...]

My back hurts

Yet again in response to some weight loss my back has started hurting. Yet again the method was the same as always. I lean forward, pick up something relatively light, and move it from left to right.
You’d think by now I’d have learned to avoid moving that way! Trouble is it doesn’t *always* do it… [...]

Poor little Christmas Beetles

The Christmas Beetle is a well-loved visitor around this time of year. The sight of these bumbling short lived creatures is a welcome reminder of the seasons change. Their bright golden hues and idiotic inability to avoid attraction to bright lights makes them a real sight… usually.

This year however their numbers have been very depleted [...]

Thoughts for Xmas

This is a little reminiscent of the “sixties” in style and form, but the underlying message is still as real now as when it was written back in 1952 and at least it avoids the ‘yuck’ factor present in ‘Deck of Cards‘ by T. Texas Tyler (1948)!!
+++++++++++++++++
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and [...]

Irving home for Xmas

The unqualified, would-be historian turned holocaust denier, British idiot David Irving (69), is to be released from an Austrian prison and will be allowed to serve the remainder of his two year sentence on probation.

Austria is one of several countries that has laws making denying the Nazi atrocities of World War Two a crime. I [...]

Some people have all the luck!

One poor sod went fishing on the Georges River south of Sydney yesterday and his boat sank. So unable to summon assistance… he swam ashore… only to be bitten by a spider as he struggled through dense bush after coming ashore.
The 24 year old man is currently in Westmead hospital being treated… and protected from [...]

McGrath Warne out?

Following on from the complete humiliation of the English cricket team in the last three Ashes tests, two of our most famous players seem ready to announce they’re pulling up stumps.

Both Shane Warne (37) and Glenn McGrath (36) are expected to announce their decision to retire from International cricket by the end of the fifth [...]

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