From the directors of 'The Lindy Chamberlain Story', comes.....

As I was having breakfast at Arcadia on Gertrude Street and perusing through The Sunday Age 'Sunday Life' lift out, I came across an interesting snippet entitled 'Word of the Week'.

"If you've ever scoffed loudly at a colleague's complaint about the sheer number of emails they've received and then let it be known that you've received at least 10 more, you've engaged in the new work practice of e-upmanship. Coined by the word-watching website The Word Spy (www.wordspy.com), e-upmanship is defined as "the act of showing up another person by claiming to receive more email messages per day than they do". It's a boast disguised as a whinge. And be warned: the "my inbox is bigger than yours" practice is particularly rampant the morning after a day off."

So I'm a itty-bitty bit angry this week following Friday's telecast and media storm surrounding Schappelle Corby's sentencing in Bali (which is not actually part of Australia - something that may come as a surprise to Australian commerical network 'journalists'... I know). I've discussed this issue with many already, detailing my anger towards the Australian media, the Australian public and the Indonesian justice system.

The Australian media, in the last week, have become the most pathetic source of news and current affairs I have ever seen. After viewing their coverage of the Corby trial live on Friday, I felt betrayed as a viewer and a member of the general public, as all commercial networks failed to educate me on necessary issues such as the Idonesian justice system and it's relative technicalties to the Australian justice system. Instead they chose to take the easy way out by blatently ignoring that issue and inciting Bali bashing from Australians. By screening stupid statements such as that of Schapelle's close friend calling upon the Idonesian governement to realise how much the Australian public helped them during the time of the tsunami's, demanding that they release Schappelle purely based on the fact that Australians helped the Idonesians during their time of need, is an obvious a ploy to pull on the heart strings of all ignorant Australians. For example, if an Indonesian tourist was to commit a murder against an Australian citizen during their time in Australia, and the Indonesian public asked the Australian government to set their citizen free, do we really believe it would ever be accepted by the Australian government? Let alone the general public? I think not.

I realise the difference in a murder as oppossed to 4.1 kg of marijuana, but looking at both the Indonesian and Australian justice systems in relation to each other, one must acknowledge that drug trafficking is a much more serious offence in Indonesia than here in Australia. I do believe Schappelle is innocent. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt in saying that I don't believe she would be so stupid to just place 4.1kg of marijuana in her boogie board bag. Seriously. The fact that the Indonesian police didn't fingerprint the bag of marijuana, gives me the allowance that without knowing that the drugs were in fact handled and in her 'possession', my mind can't convict her of 'drug possession'. I just hope that she is proven innocent, comes back to Australia and makes a heap of money. I think she deserves it. But then again, who am I to say?

By the way, Channel 7, I loved the way you tried to make us sympathetic towards the Corby family, with the use of a dubbed voice over footage of Schappelle's father being rushed out of the courtroom through the barrage of media.

"...and Schapelle's father who is battling cancer, a life sentence of his own... then faced the same barrage of media..."

Too tragic.

Take me to the place I love; take me all the way

So the propaganda machine around the world keeps rolling, as I find an example of a government taking advantage of their mis-educated citizens here in the Philippines.

On bridges around the country, a sign painted onto the side of the bridge walls...

"GMA Cares"
=
"Gloria -middlenameunpronouncable- Arroyo Cares"

Whatever. If she really cared, she would do something about the abundance of rubbish lining the rivers that the bridges cross. She would do something about the polluting fumes from the diesel fuelled Jeepneys that stain the bridge walls. She would do something to help the people living in houses made of corrogated iron on top of a pile of rubbish. But alas, the country is the same as I remember it back in 1993.

I guess the "GMA Cares" sign is better than the bridge signs found in Cambodia, as told to me by Au Maya who is accompanying me on my trip to the Philippines.

"This bridge is donated by the Government of Cambodia..."

and the small print following...

"...funded by a loan from the ADB."

The ADB being "Asian Development Bank". Tragic. The stupid buggers.

OnAir with BlackPunk: Natalie Imbruglia - Counting Down The Days

Salamat

Mabuhay from the Philippines.

Okay, so on short notice, I've been relocated to the Philippines for a week due to a family emergency. I will post what I can, a few polaroids will pop up soon hopefully, as internet access is only possible after two jeep rides trekking through 40 degree heat. Are there any requests for quirky things you would like to see? I loved the sign in McDonald's (it's the only food I'm willing to consume) that said...

"Share a seat, win a friend"