David Hicks Freed

In the slow news days between Xmas and New Year, conspicuously timed to be AFTER the recent Federal Election, David Hicks was freed today .

David Hicks should never be remembered as an "innocent man", but it needs to be held up for the public record that David Hicks spent 5 1/2 years in jail without being charged or convicted.  What got his freedom was that he came to an arrangement with the US and Australian governments and was allowed to be repatriated and held in incarceration until after the election.

You can tell this by the way the media have been labelling him these past few days.  Words like "terrorist supporter" or "friend of Osama Bin Laden" are used... not "convicted terrorist" or out and out "terrorist" nor "prisoner of war" nor any other term that may be legitimately labelled against a man convicted of crime.

Instead we get this media dance and use of flowery language that tries to portray him as evil yet he is in reality an innocent man.  (Remember, we're all innocent until proven guilty!).

Yes, David Hicks is a man who was perhaps misguided, stupid, money hungry or a little of all three.  Yes, he was captured during a gun battle with US soldiers in Afghanistan (you remember, the place BEFORE Iraq).  But other than being an active participant in a war, what has he done wrong?  And if he has done something criminal, why wasnt he charged and found guilty.

So, now we have what can be best described as a man who would be suffering from the side effects of the brutal torture in Guantanamo Bay and he will be pursued and lured with media money.  He cannot before 1 March talk to the press as part of his deal and he must report to a police station 3 times a week... why, who knows...

The media, particularly Terry Willesee on SkyNews, seemed indignant that he didnt apologise in his written statement.  Why should he apologise?  I did note in his statement he thanked alot of people, but I think those that he didn't thank stood out more than anything else.  No thanks for Mr Howard or Mr Downer who assured us for the past 5 years that they were doing "all that they can" to get Hicks released.  No thanks for his US Military legal advisor's - Major Mori - who seemed to be a bumbling fool rather than a competent lawyer and was after all a paid member of the prosecution being the US Army.

So, in short, we wont be seeing the Hicks case disappear in the short term.  The media circus as 1 March approaches will be huge.  Hicks' pleas for peace and quiet from the media will fall on deaf ears and he will have trouble adjusting to an Australian society that is very different from when he would have left Australia...

All I can say is good luck!

Christmas Wrap...

Well, Christmas has been and gone for another year and I have to say it was one of the better ones. I think our approach to having one family get together on Christmas Day and one on Boxing Day worked very well. Our girls were much more relaxed, they got to spend time doing what they wanted rather than being ferried in a car and the days leading up to Christmas were much more relaxing than last year.

Christmas Day was spent at my sister in laws Lyn and all of Niki's family gathered for lunch. We had a hot lunch this year with baked potatoes, broccoli & cauliflowers and beans and carrots. Hot turkey and cold ham accompanied this and we basically stuffed ourselves. We even got a game of road cricket in and the girls swam in their new swimmers and using their new goggles & snorkels despite it being overcast and cool...

Before lunch however, the girls woke us up at a respectable time of 7am to open presents and the girls got what they have been asking for for weeks: Kate a PlayStation 2 with Singstar and Brooke got a Nintendo DS Lite with games.


There were other presents, but this was the main game for our girls and they were very excited.



Boxing Day was my family over to our place and we had a cold lunch after I had gone down to the Fishmarkets... I left the house at 5:15am to be there at 6 and I picked up about 3kg of prawns and 8 Balmain Bugs.... very yummy.

Funniest thing of course was my family all belting out songs on the Singstar... lets just say we all hum the national anthem!



All up a better Xmas than last year... to be able to spend each day at one place was much better rather than driving like a mad idiot!

Merry Xmas To All

Yes, I am busy and all that, but not to end on a heavy note, I would like to wish all my regular readers and passers by a Merry Happy Xmas and a safe and enjoyable New Year.  Today is my last day at work and so given I wont be attached to a PC all day, my posts will be sporadic over the break… I am intending to be back at work on 14 Jan, but as I alluded to yesterday, that may change between now and then…. So unless something radical happens in the world, Lime Kettles will die down a bit for next few weeks.

But come 2008, I will be back on deck where you can read all about my stubborn opinions and irrelevant diatribe once again!

Merry Xmas,

Clay

Xmas Wind Down?

My life is frantic at the moment… work is going through a huge shift at the moment and I can’t really say too much at the moment, but the company is looking to change its strategic direction… that is management speak for all bets are off!

 

In addition, with that added distraction, a major contract needs some urgent attention and my earlier note here that I may have to head overseas in January is looking like that could be January 2.  I think I will find out today / tomorrow (well I have to, its farking Xmas for those here in my office who seem oblivious to that).

 

In amongst all this hectic work load, the usual Xmas fare of lunches and drinks continues unabated… somewhere you’re supposed to get some sleep!

The Force Moves In Mysterious Ways

Very funny... kudos to Victoria at work who passed this on...

When Cultures Collide

When Zorba the Greek meets Arnham Land...

Plane Troubles

After having a two day business trip to Melbourne, when it comes to getting home you really do wish to be able to teleport back…

Yesterday though I had “one of those days”…

• Booked on the 6pm flight, I miss the check in window by 4 minutes (I had luggage… if I didn’t I could have gotten on).
• Was rebooked into the 6:30pm flight and I go to the gate to wait…
• Boarding time was supposed to be at 6:10pm, but nothing seems to be happening.
• 6:40pm, I observe all the flight crew walk off the plane… not a good sign.
• 6:45pm… announcement that due to mechanical difficulties, the flight is CANCELLED. Please proceed to Gate 21 for re-ticketing… I join a stampede from Gate 24 to 21!
• I am booked into the 8:30pm flight and I head to the Qantas Club lounge… lounge is packed and I have to queue to get a bite to eat and a drink!
• Boarding was supposed to be 8:10pm… no word however.
• 8:30pm, we’re invited to go to the gate… Whilst we were told it was to be Gate 7, it has been moved to Gate 1. Confusion reigns.
• Get to Gate 1… it is closed. Nobody is boarding.
• 8:40pm… commence boarding, I am actually 3^rd person to board and get my seat.
• At this stage, I have finished the novel I bought on Sunday and now have nothing to read.
• 9pm, plane backs away from the gate… much apologising is taking place over the PA system.
• 9:15pm… we take off.
• 10:30pm… we land… seemed to be “descending” for ages. Flight time was announced to being 53mins but it clearly has taken longer.
• 10:45pm, after I had a window seat, it takes an age to get off and get to the baggage carousel. No bags…
• 11:00pm… My luggage isn’t there and after everyone goes, myself and about 10 other passengers are informed that our luggage is on the flight landing now… they split the 6:30 luggage over two flights.
• 11:30pm… I have my luggage… I am in a cab… at this time of night and the fact he is a speedy driver it only takes 45mins to get home… Cab fare $190.
• 12:30am… zzzzzz

Joy!