A Two-Headed Calf and God...

A farmer in Egypt has declared that the birth of a two-headed calf was a divine miracle. The vet has said that the calf is likely to survive. However, it is being reported that the two heads are a little heavy, in fact too heavy for the calf to stand up at the moment. So, the calf is being hand-reared.

The farmer is apparently going to keep the calf as a reminder that "God is able to do anything".

Personally, I would reckon there are other things that God could be doing to convince the non-believers among us that s/he is real rather than producing two-headed calves.

Bali, Drugs, and Australians...

When will Australians learn that carrying drugs in Indonesia is a serious criminal offense? The odds are such that it really is only a matter of time, sooner or later you will get caught out. The penalties that attach to drug offenses reflect the seriousness that Indonesian law enforcement view this issue. If one has any doubts, then have a look at the Schapelle Corby case or those of the Bali Nine. Or, if you are more interested in seeing how you can do as little time as possible for indulging in your excesses, then have a look at the Michele Leslie (or Lee) or Robert McJannett cases (McJannett has indicated that he is petitioning for bankruptcy as his freedom, after a short jail stint, cost him AUD 71,000+).

An Australian, Angus McCaskill, was arrested in the Tuban district in Bali with five packets of cocaine in his possession.

The police have not said whether MCaskill was dealing or whether the cocaine was for personal consumption (red: addiction). This determination will be important in determining how much jail time McCaskill is likely to do. Having not seen the fact sheet it is difficult to say which way his legal representatives should go, but my guess is that if a guilty plea is the option chosen then this will be accompanied by relevant supporting documents to suggest that the fellow is an addict and the drugs were for personal consumption.

This would fall within the gambit of a Supreme Court Circular which directs District Courts to sentence offenders to rehabilitation type facilities or to shorter jail terms where the offenders can get the rehabilitation treatment that they need to be re-integrated into the broader community.

Independence Day -- US of A...

Happy Independence Day!

Metro TV, Porn, and KPI Sanctions...

Oops!

Metro TV has 'mistakenly' broadcast some rather graphic images during its morning news program. The offending footage was associated with a news piece about a raid on an internet cafe in East Java. Unfortunately for the station and the news editors, someone has missed a close up of a computer screen that had not been pixelated to remove the images.

The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has decided that the most appropriate sanction is to pull the program from the airwaves for a week and require the station to broadcast an apology three times a day for three days.

I cannot work out whether the station was fined as well. However, a fine and an apology would probably have been sufficient. Pulling the program for a week seems a little like overkill to me by a KPI that is hungry for attention, and in need to justify its existence.

Howard Snubbed for the Status Quo?

It would seem that being a cricket tragic and the former Prime Minister of Australia for 10 or so years are not qualifications enough to be rubber-stamped as a vice president of the International Cricket Council (ICC). The current format sees a rotational policy in operation where the vice-presidents rotate through the presidency of the ICC.

Unfortunately, for the former PM and self-declared cricket tragic, the powers that be aligned against him and have seemingly thwarted his attempt for a chair at the big table.

I am not sure that this should necessarily be seen as an insult to either John Howard or to Australia. The wash-up of this is likely to focus on a desire of some nations to keep the status quo, perhaps even some might want to discuss that the corrupting nature of power is at work here where vested interests are not going to allow the organisation to be cleaned up. There have been charges in the past that corruption is rampant in cricket and that the ICC does not have the desire or the power to clean it up.

There is one thing for sure, John Howard would be coming in all guns blazing. But, this is all hypothetical now as his nomination has hit the skids big time.

Too bad, but Ho Hum...

Ariel, Peterporn, Don Juan, and Bunga Citra Lestari...

The Indonesian National Police Force surely have more important matters to be devoting large amounts of human hours to rather than Ariel of Peter Pan (now know as Peterporn) fame and his sexcapades with a reportedly long list of women. There is a touch of the Don Juan in the manner and desire to film the "event". Yet, there have been reports in the past that there is a significant number of Ariel related "events" that have been recorded.

The two most prominent of these to date have been Luna Maya and Cut Tari, However, a recent police raid on the recording studios used by Ariel and Peter Pan have apparently resulted in the seizing of two computers that have more explicit content on them. The police have used the term 'obscene', but I guess obscene is in the eye of the beholder. Reportedly, this explicit content is contained in a number of movies. One of these movies is allegedly a clip involving Ariel and Bunga Citra Lestari or as she is known to her fans BCL.

Here are some photos of BCL for your viewing pleasure.

My guess is that if there is such a video in existence then it is likely to find its way to the internet in the near future.

Ho hum...

Drugs in Indonesia...

When will foreigners (and some Indonesians) learn? Drug related offenses are considered to be serious criminal offenses that attract harsh penalties. You are not in your country of origin and the standards you might expect may not be available to you. The slap on the wrist you might feel you are entitled to is not likely to be forthcoming just because you are a foreigner.

Three foreign students, and two of their Indonesian friends, were arrested in Bali for marijuana and hashish possession. They are now facing the prospect of four years in the slammer. If played right, they are likely to do 5 - 7 months as drug addicts, and this is likely to be time served as their individual cases are more than likely to play out over 5 months or so.

The urine tests were positive for drugs. Assuming these positive tests related to THC then the appointed lawyers might decide the best course of action is to plead addiction.

Not everything is a stitch-up designed to shake-down the innocent for cash!

The happy snappy is supposedly of law enforcement burning the marijuana and the heroin that sent Schapelle Corby and the Bali Nine to long-term jail sentences and death sentences (for some).

The Face of Indonesian Islam?

Is this the future face of Indonesian Islam?

Perhaps, it is time the good men and women of Indonesia stood up to this band of thugs and said, "enough is enough!"

If I am not mistaken, Edmund Burke once said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men [and women] to do nothing".

Just a thought...

American Violet...

I have not done a movie review for a while. There is good reason for this, I have not watched any movies! Doing a Masters is always a lot of work I am told. I am doing it in accelerated mode, so I am doing a 150% load. Anyways, enough with the excuses and back to the review.

I am not sure what made me pull this movie out of the pile of 50 or so that arrived home with my parents after their recent jaunt to Bali. But, I like Will Patton as an actor, and I saw his mug shot on the cover of the DVD and thought, why not? Besides, there was the added attraction of it being supposedly based on real events. And, it was about how the law can be used and abused by those with an agenda. I did a law degree because I wanted to help those less fortunate and those who always become the victims of those in power who seek to use and abuse the power that they have been given.

The film was American Violet.

The film shines the cold, hard spotlight on race relations in the US. It is particularly scathing in terms of the portrayal of power and how that power is used to racially profile and discriminate. It was also interesting to hear that in the US somewhere in the vicinity of 85% of all criminal cases end with a plea deal (personal note: go check this out). It is a scary statistic in that plea deals often force innocent people to plead to crimes they did not commit in order to avoid a much harsher penalty. Yes, I am sure there are figures out there that show that people who have committed serious crimes exploit the plea deal system to garner a lighter sentence than they deserve. But, it is my review!

For me, this was an excellent film. It was powerful and simple in its depiction of racism. It was equally powerful in terms of its message, little people can sometimes beat the odds and win. It is not a movie that everyone will enjoy, but you cannot please everyone all of the time.

The film is based on a raid of a poor black housing project in Arlington Springs (Texas) in 2000. The raid for drugs was based on the grand jury testimony of a single informant. The raid ensnares single mum, Dee (Nicole Beharie). Dee is accused of selling drugs in a school zone which sees her facing somewhere between 15 and 26 years in prison. Ultimately, the District Attorney offers her a plea deal; a ten-year suspended sentence. To get this deal she must plead guilty. A guilty plea has significant repercussions, not only is Dee a felon if she does, but she is also likely to lose any benefits that she receives. Dee chooses to fight.

However, she is not in this fight alone as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) appears and offers to take her case as a means of highlighting the racist nature of the raid. In essence, the case becomes a significant test case on racial profiling and the use of single informants in grand juries to secure arrest warrants, at least in Texas.

This is a movie with a feel good ending. Although, the end credits include a note that the District Attorney who is responsible for Dee' predicament manages to secure re-election to the position of DA. So, despite the feel good nature of the ending, the reality remains that obviously a vast majority of the voters in the relevant area seemingly agree with the vision of the DA.

I recommend the movie (not that this means anything in the grand scheme of things). It is an enlightening and entertaining 103 minutes.