Competition Notification: Random House

Whatever else I may be, I am consistent. I didn't win the recent mega-lottery ($35 million), nor any other major prize. Or minor one for that matter; although I did once win ten bucks in a game of chance. As far as I know that wasn't declarable on my income tax, but I guess I should have notified the Tax Office anyway, just in case.

Anyways, for those who like a dabble, Random House is offering chances in a prize. I can't give you the URL, coz The Usual Parties may well consider that I might be benefiting in some way - which past experience confirms that even one cretin with such a belief is sufficient to generate a complaint; two cretins sharing such an erroneous belief got me into huge pooh. Or poop, if you prefer.

And no, offering proof makes no difference to the determination; a review is apparently not an option. Nor does making an official complaint about the determination, the lack of investigation, and the clear denial of Natural Justice or even just a fair and unbiased investigation make one scrap of difference ...

I may have digressed there for a minute. Good luck with Random House's offering.

2011 Best Books?

The UK Guardian Newspaper has published its list of the Books of the Year.

I don't want to say too much about this list, cos there's a few 'personnel' who may complain to the 'authorities' (again) that it somehow shows I have a financial interest in the Guardian newspaper, and I'd be in yet more poop.

There's got to be something wrong with a government system that says they don't have to proved guilty of an unfounded allegation for which there is no proof; you that have to prove yourself innocent - when even Blind Freddy can see it's a malicious and vindictive complaint. Not to mention a backlog of allegations of which you aren't even informed!

No, no ... we're not speaking here of San Salvadore or any similar country. This is Australia, a Constitutional Democracy. Or so we teach in our schools.

A financial interest in the publication? Heck, I don't really even have an interest in their best books list ...

Justice for all?

He was 14 yrs. 6mos. and 5 days old --- and the youngest person executed in the United States in the 20th Century

In a South Carolina prison sixty-six years ago, guards walked a 14-year-old boy, bible tucked under his arm, to the electric chair. At 5' 1" and 95 pounds, the straps didn’t fit, and an electrode was too big for his leg. Now, a community activist is fighting to clear Stinney’s name ... You can read the rest of the news report here.

Sixty years later, and folk are now interested in the truth. It'll scare you - especially when you find out that this is still going on now, and where YOU live.

Here in Australia, a hundred years after his execution, Harry "Breaker" Morant may receive a posthumous pardon (see here) following the investigation of new evidence by Australian Navy Commander James Unkles.

However, the British government, who conducted the trial in 1902, refused to grant the pardon (see here). Australian Navy Commander James Unkles commented ''It is pathetic. Dr Fox appears to have been advised by a group of faceless public servants. The responsee does not address the legal issues involved. We will grind on until this matter is the subject of judicial review. This is only the beginning."

Is this our new poster-boy for justice? The South Carolina case re-opened after 60 years, "Breaker Morant's" steamrolling investigated after more than 100 years.

Meanwhile, here and now in this state, if a government employee gets "investigated" due to malicious and spiteful complaints by a manager - you're likely to be found "guilty" - based on no evidence at all and exclusively heresay - even to the extent of ignoring the recommendations of its own internal investigator. Cases won't be reopened even only months after they've been closed - regardless of how compelling the evidence or how many primary witnesses come forth unsolicited.

Anecdotal evidence together with mainstream media reports would seem to indicate that the incidence of suicide by public servants is escalating. (Interestingly, the Australian Bureau of Statistics does not record the occupations of suicides.) Would a firing squad ultimately be more humane?

... and thanks for all the fish?

Many thanks to those colleagues who have shared their own (similar) experiences, the expressions of support, and advice. Isn't it strange that in a supposed democracy such as Australia, there is still an automatic assumption of guilt - requiring the "accused" to prove innocence? But this is not the case in "common law" - only those in the employment of government services, who make the laws. Go figure.

This needs to be brought to the attention of Someone Who Cares. In the location of such a personage or organisation lies the first of many hurdles. What a shame my friend Steve Price moved to Melbourne ...

My New Hero

There is more than one Mohammad Tariq in the world, so if you are Googling, make sure you include "Keddies" in the search terms. You will unveil a story worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster.

This particular Mohammad Tariq took on a major law-firm, who had ripped him off mercilessly when they were supposed to be Acting On His Behalf. Mohammad Tariq - eventually - won.

You're probably thinking "that's nice", or something similar. Unless you are a compensation lawyer, in which case you're probably in the middle of shredding documents. Almost worse than a lone-voice-in-the-wilderness, Tariq fought against the establishment. He was threatened with incarceration as "mentally unstable" on one occasion. He was charged $49 by his own lawyer for being told said lawyer was taking a holiday. He was charged hundreds of dollars for phone calls that could have been (and most probably were) made by clerical assistants.

Tariq took to 'sandwich-board' protests. In April this year, one newspaper described him as a "one man headache" when he protested outside the TV station on which Keddies front man has a football talk-show. The same newspaper changed its tune in August, when barrister Michael Robinson, appointed by the Supreme Court, found that ''Keddies in each case has practised systematic duplication and overcharging, which, in my opinion, is deliberate and has in many cases led to the charging of costs that are grossly excessive''.

Mohammad Tariq took a stand and won. Sure, it took him 3 years, but he never gave up - despite all the 'experts' that told him that he would never win; he was wasting his time; he should get over it. Etc. Just a personal opinion, but I think he should be the official Poster Boy for natural justice and fair play.