Random thoughts not worthy of a thread (Part I)

[Devington]

God I hope Melbourne are competitive. I don't want them shitting up the competition for another year, none of us deserve it.

 

[Heaps of fun]

God I hope Melbourne are competitive. I don't want them shitting up the competition for another year, none of us deserve us.

Looking alright tonight. List still filled with a lot of C-graders that don't have much good footy ahead or behind them.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Jesus christ the siren is an air raid siren

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Seriously, F*** off with this siren, you dont need to use it every 10 seconds

 

[Horace]

Now I'll preface this by saying I am a pretty ugly b******. I started that way and over the years its been steadily downhill ever since.

But every now and again I get the feeling that bad and all as I look, there is a fair percentage of the population look worse, which is a worry.

I rarely need to venture into the centre of Melbourne too often these days but this afternoon I took the train into the city, got off at Flinders Street and walked up Elizabeth Street to an appointment in that suburb whose football team wears the wonderful colours of Royal Blue and White.

It was just after 5.00 pm, peak hour at its finest and the number of exceptionally ordinary looking people of all shapes and sizes that I saw was a bit scary.

And what's even scarier, maybe one day some of them will procreate with one another. God help the offspring is all I can say.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

seriously, why the hell are our politicians having a candle light vigil for 2 convicted drug traffickers?

I'm all for trying to get them off the death penalty, but having a Vigil for convicted criminals is utterly ridiculous. How about all the people innocently killed by drink drivers or people under the influence of drugs? hows about all the people murdered by people who were out on bail or parole? where the * was their candle light vigil. Makes me sick.

 

[wandering123]

Now I'll preface this by saying I am a pretty ugly b******. I started that way and over the years its been steadily downhill ever since.

But every now and again I get the feeling that bad and all as I look, there is a fair percentage of the population look worse, which is a worry.

I rarely need to venture into the centre of Melbourne too often these days but this afternoon I took the train into the city, got off at Flinders Street and walked up Elizabeth Street to an appointment in that suburb whose football team wears the wonderful colours of Royal Blue and White.

It was just after 5.00 pm, peak hour at its finest and the number of exceptionally ordinary looking people of all shapes and sizes that I saw was a bit scary.

And what's even scarier, maybe one day some of them will procreate with one another. God help the offspring is all I can say.

I was at that intersection at approximately 5pm

 

[Horace]

I was at that intersection at approximately 5pm

There were some very fine examples of the human species too, I must hasten to add so clearly you were one of those wandering123.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

seriously, why the hell are our politicians having a candle light vigil for 2 convicted drug traffickers?

I'm all for trying to get them off the death penalty, but having a Vigil for convicted criminals is utterly ridiculous. How about all the people innocently killed by drink drivers or people under the influence of drugs? hows about all the people murdered by people who were out on bail or parole? where the **** was their candle light vigil. Makes me sick.

If I see another vigil for them, I'll spew.

 

[roos_fanatic08]

If I see another vigil for them, I'll spew.

the other thing that shits me, is that the government left all this bargaining to get them out way too late, they've been on death row for nearly 10 years now, if they were serious about getting them off a lot more should have been done in the lead up to this.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

the other thing that shits me, is that the government left all this bargaining to get them out way too late, they've been on death row for nearly 10 years now, if they were serious about getting them off a lot more should have been done in the lead up to this.

Lip service.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

the other thing that shits me, is that the government left all this bargaining to get them out way too late, they've been on death row for nearly 10 years now, if they were serious about getting them off a lot more should have been done in the lead up to this.

Govt has lost a lot of face, theyre putting in the token effort now to try and get people on side. If they really cared they would have made effort before now

 

[kangaspurs]

One of the better satirical articles I've read. i recommend it.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport...nd-door-still-open-for-wg-grace-2015030595956

 

[niko11]

seriously, why the hell are our politicians having a candle light vigil for 2 convicted drug traffickers?

I'm all for trying to get them off the death penalty, but having a Vigil for convicted criminals is utterly ridiculous. How about all the people innocently killed by drink drivers or people under the influence of drugs? hows about all the people murdered by people who were out on bail or parole? where the **** was their candle light vigil. Makes me sick.

True send the S.A.S in to save them how many times can Aus Beg...

 

[Harvey Manfrenjensenden]

Any tips for removing unwanted ear hair?

 

[The Other Dean]

How very dare you guys doubt the government's sincerity. They will move Heaven and Earth to prevent this execution from taking place, just like they did in 2005 with Van Nguyen.

P.S. RIP Van Nguyen

 

[The Other Dean]

Anyone else starting to think that Horace might be Dorian Gray?

 

[Harvey Manfrenjensenden]

RIP Barlow and Chambers

 

[Kimbo]

One of the better satirical articles I've read. i recommend it.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport...nd-door-still-open-for-wg-grace-2015030595956

Although oddly reminiscent of...



"Colin Cowdrey at 106 is the... youngest member of the English cricket team."

 

[Flawed Genius]

How very dare you guys doubt the government's sincerity. They will move Heaven and Earth to prevent this execution from taking place, just like they did in 2005 with Van Nguyen.

P.S. RIP Van Nguyen

Noticed in the At the Bar thread you mentioned an affinity for Bali and Indonesia. What's your views on the upcoming execution and the overarching delivery of justice, as someone who probably knows the country and the people better than anyone on this board?

 

[utility]

Finally decided to get myself an avatar. This is probably my all-time favourite footy headline and newspaper front cover. Time for some rough Roos running riot this year. Courtesy of Truth Sport!

 

[Twinkletoes]

A Truth page 3 inspired avatar would've been just as inspirational utility. Nice work!

 

[Horace]

Noticed in the At the Bar thread you mentioned an affinity for Bali and Indonesia. What's your views on the upcoming execution and the overarching delivery of justice, as someone who probably knows the country and the people better than anyone on this board?

FG, as a Mod you should know by now, TOD does his best work in the very early hours of the morning. Very good question though and I will be interested to read the answer. (I think I know which way TOD might go on this, BTW.)

 

[The Other Dean]

Noticed in the At the Bar thread you mentioned an affinity for Bali and Indonesia. What's your views on the upcoming execution and the overarching delivery of justice, as someone who probably knows the country and the people better than anyone on this board?

Sheesh, FG. That’s a pretty involved question. I’ll try not to waffle excessively.

(Mmmm....excessive wafffles. Damn, I’ve started already.)

To begin with, I’m vehemently opposed to the death penalty. IMO, it’s barbaric and medieval. To employ a popular phrase, I see it as nothing more than state-sanctioned murder. On that note, it’s been comical to watch the media attempt to demonise the Indonesians and paint a negative and stereotypical picture of countries that employ the death penalty, while conveniently leaving our good buds, the ol’ US of A, out of the discussion. The ability of the Australian media to spin a twisted narrative and have people buy into it, will never cease to amaze me. And their hard-on for a Bali beat-up is downright legendary.

The inane bleating of our politicians is, as TPA correctly pointed out, lip service and nothing else. They are (rightly) limited in what they can do but, more importantly, they have zero interest in getting involved in Indonesian internal legal matters to save a couple of convicted heroin traffickers. The effort just doesn’t match the pay-off. Harsh, but true. And those looking for a degree of humanity to emerge in this scenario are doing it wrong. There’s a far bigger picture at play, and these things are measured ONLY by how they stand to affect political and economic relations. The government had no desire to butt heads with Singapore over Van Nguyen, and I can guarantee you that they would be even less excited about going into bat for Chan and Sukumaran. We’re dealing with a country that has the 4th largest population in the world, and – perhaps as a result of that – have in the past shown themselves to be quite sensitive about Australian intervention in Indonesian internal affairs. The feigned concern of our politicians is a sad charade. Like so much they do, it’s just opportunistic posturing designed to win a few extra votes.

Unfortunately, the vast complexities of the Indonesian legal system is something I can’t shed much light on. In fact, I once talked to an Australian lawyer who was involved in defending one of our fellow countrymen on a minor drug charge in Bali, and he said that he still couldn’t even begin to unravel it. It’s impossibly labyrinthine, frequently slow-moving (often to the point of stagnation), and riddled with corruption. I’m not about to belabour the last point because there’s hardly a country in the world that can claim to be clean in that regard, ours included. But it does help to further confuse those trying to make sense of it all.

I have been to Kerobokan a few times. (Actually, the trip before last I stayed just down the road.) I’m by no means an expert, but over the years I’ve also spoken to a number of others about their impressions of the place, both locals and foreigners. Obviously, it’s not a particularly pleasant place to be. (D’uh.) But it is the kind of jail where it’s possible to make your existence a little more liveable if you can afford it. (There’s a story that regularly makes the rounds about a local mafia boss once getting a Jacuzzi installed in his cell area.) I guess it’s more akin to a South American-style prison where the inmates are given a certain degree of autonomy within the prison walls, unlike, say, the pervasive scrutiny or more hands-on approach to internal discipline that you see in an Australian or US jail. The guards (and the mafia who rule over the inmates) are still capable of intense brutality, but money can buy the sort of break from regimentation and “freedom” within the prison walls that our inmates could only dream of.

I’m not sure where Chan and Sukumaran sat in the general scheme of the above, but it does seem like cruel and unusual punishment to immerse someone in that environment for 10 years, only to break the holding pattern and suddenly rapidly proceed to execution. As I said, unlike the more “active” death row appeal processes that exist in some countries, the Indonesian legal system can be a glacially-slow beast where communication and a prisoner’s psychological welfare are of little regard. The sword of Damocles tends to hang a little longer and drop a little faster in Indonesia. In that respect, I genuinely feel for the two of them. And to address your question specifically, the overarching delivery of justice in this situation is clearly s**t. It’s a horrible thing to endure. Regardless of the whole ‘personal responsibility’ argument. While they were completely aware of the potential consequences of their actions if apprehended, this is no way for their lives (or anyone else's) to end.

Saying all that, given the very clear state of play mentioned earlier, there’s not much anyone can do about it. It’s a tragedy, and believe me when I say that the notion of anyone having their life terminated on account of a drug charge is in-****ing-sane to me, but at the same time I’m a realist. I’ll leave the shaking of fists and/or jingoistic bandwagon jumping to others. Each to their own but, personally, I won’t be joining in on any cheesy vigils or misguided boycotts on this one.

P.S. Sorry to Tas-out on you there.

 

[bengrina]

Sheesh, FG. That’s a pretty involved question. I’ll try not to waffle excessively.

(Mmmm....excessive wafffles. Damn, I’ve started already.)

To begin with, I’m vehemently opposed to the death penalty. IMO, it’s barbaric and medieval. To employ a popular phrase, I see it as nothing more than state-sanctioned murder. On that note, it’s been downright comical to watch the media attempt to demonise the Indonesians and paint a negative and stereotypical picture of countries that employ the death penalty, while conveniently leaving our good buds, the ol’ US of A, out of the discussion. The ability of the Australian media to spin a twisted narrative and have people buy into it, will never cease to amaze me. And their hard-on for a Bali beat-up is downright legendary.

The inane bleating of our politicians is, as TPA correctly pointed out, lip service and nothing else. They are (rightly) limited in what they can do but, more importantly, they have zero interest in getting involved in Indonesian internal legal matters to save a couple of convicted heroin traffickers. The effort just doesn’t match the pay-off. Harsh, but true. And those looking for a degree of humanity to emerge in this scenario are doing it wrong. There’s a far bigger picture at play, and these things are measured ONLY by how they stand to affect political and economic relations. The government had no desire to butt heads with Singapore over Van Nguyen, and I can guarantee you that they would be even less excited about going into bat for Chan and Sukumaran. We’re dealing with a country that has the 4th largest population in the world, and – perhaps as a result of that – have in the past shown themselves to be quite sensitive about Australian intervention in Indonesian internal affairs. The feigned concern of our politicians is a sad charade. Like so much they do, it’s just opportunistic posturing designed to win a few extra votes.

Unfortunately, the vast complexities of the Indonesian legal system is something I can’t shed much light on. In fact, I once talked to an Australian lawyer who was involved in defending one of our fellow countrymen on a minor drug charge in Bali, and he said that he still couldn’t even begin to unravel it. It’s impossibly labyrinthine, frequently slow-moving (often to the point of stagnation), and riddled with corruption. I’m not about to belabour the last point because there’s hardly a country in the world that can claim to be clean in that regard, ours included. But it does help to further confuse those trying to make sense of it all.

I have been to Kerobokan a few times. (Actually, the trip before last I stayed just down the road.) I’m by no means an expert, but over the years I’ve also spoken to a number of others about their impressions of the place, both locals and foreigners. Obviously, it’s not a particularly pleasant place to be. (D’uh.) But it is the kind of jail where it’s possible to make your existence a little more liveable if you can afford it. (There’s a story that regularly makes the rounds about a local mafia boss once getting a Jacuzzi installed in his cell area.) I guess it’s more akin to a South American-style prison where the inmates are given a certain degree of autonomy within the prison walls, unlike, say, the pervasive scrutiny or more hands-on approach to internal discipline that you see in an Australian or US jail. The guards (and the mafia who rule over the inmates) are still capable of intense brutality, but money can buy the sort of break from regimentation and “freedom” within the prison walls that our inmates could only dream of.

I’m not sure where Chan and Sukumaran sat in the general scheme of the above, but it does seem like cruel and unusual punishment to immerse someone in that environment for 10 years, only to break the holding pattern and suddenly rapidly proceed to execution. As I said, unlike the more “active” death row appeal processes that exist in some countries, the Indonesian legal system can be a glacially-slow beast where communication and a prisoner’s psychological welfare are of little regard. The sword of Damocles tends to hang a little longer and drop a little faster in Indonesia. In that respect, I genuinely feel for the two of them. And to address your question specifically, their overarching delivery of justice in this situation is clearly s**t. It’s a horrible thing to endure. Regardless of the whole ‘personal responsibility’ argument. While they were completely aware of the potential consequences of their actions if apprehended, this is no way for their lives (or anyone else's) to end.

Saying all that, given the very clear state of play mentioned earlier, there’s not much anyone can do about it. It’s a tragedy, and believe me when I say that the notion of anyone having their life terminated on account of a drug charge is in-****ing-sane to me, but at the same time I’m a realist. I’ll leave the shaking of fists and/or jingoistic bandwagon jumping to others. Each to their own but, personally, I won’t be joining in on any cheesy vigils or misguided boycotts on this one.

P.S. Sorry to Tas-out on you there.

Top read mate