Guantanamo Bay 2008

The U.S. detention camps at Guantanamo Bay have been operating now since 2002.

There are still over 250 people being held in these camps without formal arrest or charge.

The Rudd Government may ignore the moral and human rights implications of supporting the government which operates these camps and our courts may remain silent because the issue has not been before them.

However, the British High Court of Justice (Queens Bench Division) spoke out in a limited fashion in an open judgment on 21 August 2008, about certain circumstances making an arguable case that rendition, unlawful detention, cruel and degrading treatment had occurred to a former British resident currently held at Guantanamo.
Along with attempts to deny the ability to conduct a fully informed defence.

Judgment summary here.

Full judgment here.

The Nature Notes cartoon came from The Times online

Grafton Jacaranda Festival, 24 October to 2 November 2008

Time to mark your calendar for Grafton's Jacaranda Festival which has been held each year since 1935.

Markets, street float parade, pipe bands, dancing, fireworks, dragon boat racing, competitons, kids fun, exhibition gardens and an evening ball - just some of the things to enjoy.

Details here.

Photos from Hub Pages

A little Ginger Meggs grafitti

Opened up the local rag to what's become the most important page since Chapman turned it into an ersatz Tele and there lurked the background grafitti within Ginger Meggs:

Why experiment on animals when there's so many politicians around?

Ah Ginge, when all else fails you remind me that everything has its funny side.

So you think you can run a council.....(5)

ABC TV Media Watch alerted us all to an amusing scenario last night.

It seems that National Party stalwart, Neil Marks, may have to face the possibility of an obviously unplanned loss of income if he is elected as a Lismore City councillor and mayor.

Neil Marks presents the breakfast show on Radio 2LM which is owned by Richmond River Broadcasters.

On this show he informed all and sundry of his registration as a candidate in the forthcoming local government elections and granted himself a bit of free air time to broadly outline his ticket.

Neil Marks: National Party is nothing to do with this. The people I am involved with in the, in the ticket have nothing to do with the National Party whatsoever. We are people who are just concerned, who want to see what we call sensible growth for the area... It will be pretty exciting I think and you know, I'll give it my best shot. — 2LM Breakfast, 13th August, 2008

Mr. Marks then came a cropper.

...should Mr Marks be elected to Council his future tenure at the station will be reviewed by 2LM management.— Email statement from Bill Caralis (Chairman, Richard River Broadcasters) to Media Watch, 1st September, 2008

Statement from Richmond River Broadcasters here.

One may remember that Neil Marks stood for National Party preselection in the seat of Page prior to last year's federal election campaign.

Here is Mr. Marks with his Nationals hat barely disguised when interviewing Joe Hockey during that campaign.
Uncle Joe liked it so much he posted it on his own website.