MERRY CHRISTMAS

To All,

I am off to take a well earned (I reckon anyway) break...

Have a great, safe and happy Christmas and New Year..

Who knows Indonesia may even get a Christmas Present and the "Brothers Grimm" may be brought to account before the law!!

Anyway........HAVE FUN AND REMEMBER CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT FAMILY AND FRIENDS..CALL SOMEONE FROM YOUR PAST AND JUST SAY HI..(It may be the best present they receive this year).

If a goat, cow or turkey comes a knocking...Refugee status applies at this time of year

IRAQ

Personally I had grave doubts about Iraq long before the WMD proved so damn hard to find. No doubt that Saddam was a murderous bastard but then it’s not like there are not another dozen like him in the world.

Of course, there is a certain amount of selective blindness on both sides of the equation. Its interesting to note the outrage of some parts of the world in regard to Iraq but absolute silence to the genocide in Sudan (a large number of those being slaughtered being Sudanese Muslims but apparently the "Animal Farm" theory is in effect here). Even more revolting is the simpering greetings give to Sudanese Ambassadors by ...Ahem...some governments.

Still back to Iraq whilst not funny the following highlights the folly of it all.

IRAQ

Gloating I am

I shouldn't gloat but...I as a confirmed Cricket Tragic, I can't help myself so...

Billy was at school this morning and the teacher asked all the children what their fathers did for a living. All the typical answers came out, fireman,policeman,salesman, chippy, captain of industry etc, but Billy was being uncharacteristically quiet and so the teacher asked him about his father. "My father is an exotic dancer in a gay club and takes off all his clothes in front of other men. Sometimes if the offer is really good, he'll go out with a man, rent a cheap hotel room and let them sleep with him." The teacher quickly set the other children some work and took little Billy aside to ask him if that was really true. "No" said Billy, "He plays cricket for England but I was just too embarrassed to say."

As for the real news besides again pasting the English in the traditional manner expected, the best Headline from the WACA was:

Privilege to watch three musketeers put England to sword
"Only the most hard-hearted rejoiced at the disintegration of the elite of English cricket, but it was a privilege to witness batsmen of the calibre of Michael Hussey, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Clarke in full cry"

Gilchrist was in full cry too, 24 of six balls and the same poor "bowler" and 100 in 57 balls..

Oh well sometimes..life is good!!

King Prawn Cricket

Another Cricket Test is underway (Still cannot watch it here..bugger!) and some of my associates have been kind enough to send me pictures of themselves enjoying the match from a Corporate Box. This raises two questions; Who did they kill for tickets? Would it be considered bad form, if I send them a King Prawn by snail mail for xmas?

Undercover Cookie. has been kind enough to correct my post on the cricket. It’s the Barmy Army not Balmy Army although UC should be careful correcting my spelling errors it is a full time job with very low pay and job satisfaction.

UC further states that like millions of other poor souls, she really has not got the hang of cricket yet. She should not be disappointed, it’s like reading a Joseph Conrad novel, an acquired taste requiring concentration and dedication but once acquired everything else is just a pale imitations.

By the way, if you like reading, do try some Joseph Conrad. Enjoy the magnificent use of words to paint a picture. Its interesting to note that English was not even JC’s first language yet he puts all to shame before his prose. Wilbur Smith could only dream such ability.

On lighter news (or should that be lightweight news). Despite the fact my Trolls have obviously died and been recycled as road way humps, there is a sort of competition to decide what is the correct plural term for Trolls. Some early suggestions include:

Herd, Cluster, and personal favorite a ‘Nuisance of Trolls” (Thanks UC). Of course some of the more non PC had to be ruled out for legal reasons i.e. A LAPINDO of Trolls or a Bakery (sic) of Trolls. Anyway feel free to post any suggestions. The winner will be re-directed to Treespotters site as with his untold wealth, he is always giving away prizes like two tickets to Disney On Ice in Tehran or such like (I can only afford to throw in a free Bintang).



Anyway, winding down to Christmas and a holiday in beautiful Bali..Countdown has begun.

P.S. The Poms are losing the cricket again..oh the joy..the joooyyy…

P.P.S. Rumour has it (and I missed it) that Beheadings in Iraq were aired on national TV Today. Note to the "Powers that be" (Or Idiots that are) you only look very very stupid and ignorant when you complain about people kissing on TV but allow beheadings to aired in prime time (let alone any other time). What sad twisted values some people (?) have.

Im Back...Where's the Troll?

Been a bit crook (sick) and at the same time busy traveling around a bit so my blogging has been more slack of late. I think my trolls have died of neglect (similar to real life I suppose).

Still not all is lost, Treespotter has been exposed as one of the pasty Balmy Army. After all I have written, bleated, blabbed, moaned and groaned about! It is my post on the miserable effort by the POM’s in the first Ashes Cricket Test that leads him to accuse me of cultural superiority.

Tough!!…Did I tell youse, the Poms got flogged, shellacked(?), beaten, trounced, whipped and burnt in the Second Ashes test as well. I did get some advice where the cricket could be viewed but not being a Jakarta lad, I am doomed to internet streaming (at glacial download speed, I think that’s Wally Grout coming up to wicket keep now)

Other things of note; It looks like a former GAM fighter will be governor of Aceh which is sure to make the “powers that be” in Jakarta more than a tad jittery. I can have a second girlfriend and/or wife (although apparently my penis will be removed, which kinda defeats the purpose). Sorry if you don't get the last one. Its been all the rage lately in Indonesia if it is right or not to take one wife or two, three or even four ok five then. It has been quite a talking point (the topic not the wives).

There is a BLOGFEST on this Friday?? See Jakartass for details..

Oh and I nearly forgot... Vice Prez Kalla reckons (and I paraphrase here)”The current anti corruption drive is making government officials to scared to do their jobs and therefore stalling numerous projects” I must be a cynic..Does that mean they don’t how to perform their duties without being corrupt..nagh couldn’t be!!
Some one really needs to a book on our Kalla, the US has its Bushisms we could have our Kallams, its only fair why should the yanks have all the fun.

My own personal view is that the current (oops anti-corruption) corruption drive is all arse about. I don’t believe for a minute that the average Indonesian is any more corrupt than anyone else. The vast majority of (all) people will take advantage if they think they can get away with no consequences. The difference being is a free and robust professional press/media is just waiting to shame you. Name any country with a free and robust press and you will find them near the top of the anti-corruption tree..Name any country with a restricted, muzzled, pliant press and you will find them languishing at the bottom of the corruption tree (where the manure collects).

Of course, that means activists should not die on national carriers, reporters should be protected not beaten up or killed, and editors should not have to face long and lengthy trials for publishing unpopular stories (nor have their homes seized).

Free the press, Free the nation.

Lastly, according to the Jakarta Post today "20 Greenpeace Supporters were jailed for protesting the destruction of Indonesian Forests. Interesting...there are currently……..0, zilch, nada in custody for covering hundreds of homes in mud. . Yosef Ardi has interesting post on the topic here.