I thought the Spaniards had thrown out their war-moungering right-wing government and installed a fraternal peace-loving Iraq-withdrawing party of progressive utopians.
Perhaps the islamo-fundies aren't watching the BBC.
Police Find Bomb on High-Speed Rail Line in Spain (washingtonpost.com)
Nick Smith has got a slap over the hand with a wet bus ticket after being convicted of contempt.
TV3 were pinged for $25,000 although after the Solicitor-General went for $100,000 this is probably not too bad an afternoon.
As for the by-election issue, I shall consider that at length as work drinks begin!
What's worse: Not describing Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad as terrorist groups because they "are NOT included in the UN's list of terrorist organisations" or discovering that this list doesn't exist?
Don't worry, Australia's ABC doesn't have a clue either.
You can't trust these damnable Iraqi exiles, who tricked the peace-loving American nation into overthrowing their political opponent with incredible tales of so-called Weapons of Mass Destruction.
One, he says, was under an island in the Tigris River near Saddam University. Another was beneath the house of one of Saddam's cousins, and reached by a tunnel with a hidden entrance 800 metres away.He described the bunkers as being built 15 metres underground, of reinforced concrete, and multi-storeyed. "Between these layers, pipes would rise up, through the building above to provide access for ventilation.
"The lethal chemicals were stored in drums and the bunkers were air-conditioned. But there were also artillery shells and 122-millimetre rockets armed with chemicals."
That island one should be pretty easy to find, IF IT EXISTS!!!
Secret bunkers held chemical weapons, says Iraqi exile - Iraq - www.theage.com.au
National Business Review (NBR) - Shock poll puts Labour back in lead
On the other hand this is just mean...
Here's a dilemma for you.... With all your honour and dignity what would you do?MORE...This test only has one question, but it's a very important one.
Please don't answer it without giving it some serious thought. By giving an honest answer you will be able to test where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation, where you will have to make a decision one way or the other. Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.
... they just don't know it.
Huata keeps playing the Court game to stay in Parliament.
Awatere Huata's lawyer's say she never left the waka but was thrown out and "is still clinging to the side paddling in the same direction and even offering them her paddle".
Sometimes a dignified exit is a whole lot better - even an undignified exit would do...
Not a particularly original headline but when the government has 1 April 2004 as the day new legislation takes affect what can you expect?
The long awaited Holidays Bill took effect today. Yay.
The Unions think that it is great, employers are less impressed (although seem more concerned about updating contracts) and bar owners are threatening a levy during Easter.
To be honest I would take the hospitality association's criticism with a grain of salt in this instance - certainly my understanding is that many bars paid (at least) time and a half for public holidays.
As I see it, the old Act was a shocker and had been superceded by modern working patterns (shift-work, closedown periods, commission based salaries etc) and bits and pieces legislations (ANZAC Day Act etc).
The new Act is simplier and does attempt to cover "modern" working conditions plus an (un)healthy dose of costs for employers.
Unfortunately the Act is almost oversimplified and is silent on a great many issues - including what exactly constitutes a weeks annual leave (for say a 4 day on, 4 day off shift worker) and has the rather nebulous definition of "ordinary weekly pay" on which to base annual leave calculations. Worse, to calculate time and a half or alternate holiday pay for statutory holidays the formula is "relevant daily rate".
In theory this is to reflect an employees actual earnings (including regular overtime, regular productivity payments etc) rather than ordinary working hours. In reality expect litigation.
An employer can not require an employee who is sick for less than three consecutive "calendar" days to produce a medical certificate, so expect a few more long weekends. Sick and bereavement leave has probably been well covered in the mainstream media with 5 days sick leave (able to be accumulated) and 3 days per death of a close family member or 1 day per other death.
The really kicker will be the extra administrative costs. Employers, especially of small businesses, will be driven mad trying to keep up with the 16+ records required to be kept. Name, holidays taken and entitled are fairly obvious but alternative holidays (and date they became available), number of hours worked on any given holiday combined with the requirement to provide access to the records at any given time will add significant red-tape.
I guess the government claims to be small business friendly and this is another fine example of making large and medium business small (sorry old joke I know).
The real highlight is the four-weeks annual leave come 1 April 2007 - I wonder if National will commit to removing that? Good politics v good sense - place your bets.
Disclaimer: The above is a comment and should not be relied on as legal advice.
"Did you just walk into these chambers chewing gum sir?"
Day By Day by Chris Muir, cartoon for: 3/31/2004
With the Clarke gossamer scandal now fading from the TV screens it might be useful to reacquaint ourselves with the facts of a decade of islamo-fascism prior to September 2001.
Only one president to blame really.
How the Left Undermined America's Security Before 9/11
Sixty years after the Holocaust, in the heart of Europe, in civilized, enlightened, tolerant Holland, representatives of states and organizations that practice slavery, Shari’a law, female circumcision and “honor killings,” torture, and mass murder pilloried the Jewish state for building a fence aimed at protecting its citizens against waves of terror that have killed nine hundred and maimed thousands. They did so amid the full decorum of a “Court of Justice” established by the UN and underwritten and legitimized by the countries of the world.
FrontPage magazine.com :: World Kangaroo Court by P. David Hornik
So the SIS Inspector-General, Laurie Greig has been forced to resign after critical High Court ruling that found he was guilty of 'apparent bias' towards Ahmed Zaoui.
Whatever your opinion of Zaoui (and mine isn't terribly sympathetic), it's hard to respect the judgement of someone stupid enough to grant an interview to The Listeria in the first place, then ring one of Hel-zilla's spin doctors for advice on how to deal with the fallout.
Driving US consumption since 2002.
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical: I'm Hot
