Indonesian Justice, More Plans, Life Update, Adelaide Institute and Unitarians, Good Liberals.

[tcpip]

The Schapelle Corby case has really captured Australia's imagination and surprise over the Indonesian justice system. Just to put Corby's case into perspective, consider the legal action applied against the architects of violence in East Timor in the last days of the occupation. Nice to see that you can kill 1500 people and dislocate a quarter of a million and receive a promotion, but if you have a few kilo's of marijuana on you it's 20 years jail.

luciusmalfory are plotting a naughty but educational website. It's a long-term plan, something that will take probably a year to set up. 'Nuff said on that matter. Secondly, brendan and I bounced around a couple of ideas for a Paranoia supplement. I shot a letter off to the publishers and they're very interested indeed! Which goes to show, when I work on it I can have a really silly sense of humour.

Saw Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on Saturday. Didn't think much of it, not as good as the TV series. I gave it a 4/10. Zaphod was sufficiently annoyingly, tho'. Have spent some time upgrading my home computers. Will end up with four different operating systems when finished. Debating internally on whether to buy a Compaq ProLiant 3000 that's on the cheap. On the work news front, Inmatrix just rang to say that they now want me as permanent part-time on contractor fees. Nice. Meeting with Cameron from Swinburne last week went very well, looks like RPG journal is a going concern. Speaking of which, Scene 10 of Ten Thousand Islands is complete. Have also been playing more of the one-to-one Nephilim/Call of Cthulhu crossover with caseopaya, which is really developing into quite a story. Finally, Outbreak of Heresy starts this Sunday.

Crazy thing happened at the Unitarians last Sunday. A person approached the Church to give a lecture on Florence Nightengale some time back, which was all fair enough and he gave a reasonably accurate report, although certainly nothing special. However, a little bit of subsequent investigation reveals that the speaker, one Geoffrey Muirden, is a former leader of the anti-Jewish and historical revisionist Adelaide Institute. That's not so good.

Full congratulations are due to Petro Georgiou and his colleagues in their valiant stand against the government's inhumane treatment of asylum seekers. Labor for Refugees will be organising a protest in favour of Petro's actions. This should attract some media attention.

Comments

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Have you worked with Mongoose before?

I've heard about the traps that there can be some small problems obtaining payment.

[spinner.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone out there is still aware of the Adelaide Institute.

I process some of their print materials: what a horrible, horrible organisation stocked with (non-specifically) horrible people to deal with.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

Crikey today is on the verge of suggesting that Ron Bakir might well have been involved in owning the drugs.

Legally thin ice that, but it would make sense from one POV.

Did you get to reading this?
Angry redneck army roaring at the gates (http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1292&storyid=3206907)

By PIERS AKERMAN

[catsidhe.livejournal.com]

Media Watch has some things to say about Corby. One point they bring up is that Abu Bakar Bashir was accused of the Bali Bombing, he is suspected of same, but he was acquitted of it. Those who were tried and found guilty are all on death row. Comparisons of Corby's sentence with that of Bakir's are to that extent bogus. Twenty years is not vindictive in the context. Now questions of bias (given that a perfect 500 case run of convictions, not one single acquittal is a little suspicious), or of problems with the concept of being theoretically able to prove one's innocence, they are where we can get good and angry.

[strangedave.livejournal.com]

The Adelaide Institute link is broken.

The holocaust revisionists are an interesting case, and one that really gets into the nitty gritty of free speech. They have learnt how to clothe their hate speech in the trappings of academia, and to the extent that they are historical researchers (which is limited but not completely non-existent) they should have a right to say what they say - but if you read that link you will see how a close examination can cut through the cloak of academia and expose the racism within. Thanks for it, it was educational.

But I think its important that in dealing with them people make the distinction clear, and not show them the hypocricy they show us. Respect their right of free speech up until they step over the line, and then make it very clear to them that they have stepped. Make it clear that they can argue any point they want if they behave with genuine tolerance and inquiry, but that they can't just dress themselves in the trappings of academic inquiry and make snide accusations. In summary, I guess if he made the report and it contained nothing offensive, then nothing needs to be done.

[severina-242.livejournal.com]

Saw Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on Saturday. Didn't think much of it, not as good as the TV series.

But what about Marvin?

playing devils advocate or just being cynical??

[caseopaya.livejournal.com]

But at least Schapelle Corby's family will be making a LOT of money out of that 20 years.... they have signed a contract with a media organisation (surprisingly not the one I work for), and I have no doubt that there will be a TV mini series made out of this.

Then there are the magazines like Woman's Day who will also buy their stories.

I guess they will have enough money to go visit her quite often.

As for Hitchhikers - I agree. They missed out the classic "mostly harmless" and "It's so amazingly, amazing I think I'd like to steal it!"

*sigh* is there such a thing as a good movie anymore?

[stawberi.livejournal.com]

The Australian public going crazy over it didn't exactly help Corby's case.

[evil-genius.livejournal.com]

omg....you play paranoia......... I gave away a boxed set of the books when I left the states.

[bellaforte.livejournal.com]

Dammit, after some of the political BS here, Australia is sounding better and better, cuz Canada's sure as hell too cold and I can't speak French worth crap ;)