The Little Guy Isn't Always Right

Last Friday saw a $1.92 million verdict against a Minnesota woman — and so far only — music file -sharing defendant to go to trial....accused of sharing 24 songs over the Internet...The jury decided on $80,000 per song.

I'm with the Record Companies and the US Constitution on this. Anyone with an entrepreneurial bone in their body ought to be pleased that property rights are being protected - whether the abuser be a large electricity company or an illegal music file share-er.

The United States Constitution provides explicitly for the protection of private property in the Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment:
The Fifth Amendment states:
Nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation
The Fourteenth Amendment states:
No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.

Deserves a Medal

A Wairarapa real estate agent Kelly McIsaac.

"He was on top with his arms around my throat, I couldn't breathe...I thought I was going to die. When he first grabbed me he smacked my head against the tiles two or three times. I think he was trying to knock me out....Using duct tape, Whakarau taped Ms McIsaac's hands behind her back, taped her mouth, and left the house to move his vehicle closer...He grabbed her and pulled her outside, dragging her by her clothes towards his vehicle and threatening her with a knife....he began pushing her head-first into the boot, she saw a screwdriver and ....stabbed him several times and, when he let go of her, she ran to the house and locked herself inside...called the police."

This oxygen thief's history ? From Garth McVicar's site:
Had been released eight months earlier from a lengthy jail term for the home invasion and kidnapping of Kaponga businessman Roy King in April 1996.
Also invaded an elderly Wanganui couple's home carrying knives in 1988.
Current Location: Prison
Parole/Release Dates: To be sentenced ... may get preventive detention.

You think?

Served 10 years 7 months of his previous sentence. The parole board wisely kept him in prison beyond his Final Release Date ... because he was guaranteed to reoffend in a serious violent way.

Well Done Revenue Gatherers !

Black Adder would have been impressed with this cunning plan.

Well done to the Immigration and Police for their collaborative approach to identifying overstayers whilst covering costs via the confiscation of the proceeds of crime.
The dead give away is the fact brainiac of the week Gerard Otimi had 40k in cash sitting at home along with certificates with peoples' names on them.

I'm damn sure someone at Immigration or the police mustr have put him up to it.

O for awesome.

Under Their Skin

Q of the day : How much is Pac Blue paying for landing rights at Hamilton Airport?

Jetstar and Pac Blue aren't finding the going smooth in NZ.
Us Kiwis are so used to turning up with 10 minutes before take off that when an airline actually sticks to the 30 minute cut-off prior to blocks out, up to 50 passengers missed their flight.
To all the bleaters:
STFU or start your own airline and see how easy it is!

Torres !

Awesome.
Not surprising when we're doing airshots in front of the net. Damn shame after pushing Italy hard.

Getting out there..

Even with full wetsuit and booties, fishing in winter is not that comfortable when Hamilton has just had 3 x -4 degree nights in a row. Still a great weekend with plenty of kahawai and snapper. Love to know what keeps snapping my line.

And nowhere near as cold at Mr Fiennes Antarctic manhaul.
All he wore under his cotton parker and cotton army pants in -80 degrees for 12 hour days were thin longjohns !

.....unqualified.....

...Broadcasting Standards Authority has upheld a complaint about the unbalanced airing of "the reactionary views of an unqualified right wing individual..."

and .... Shock ! Horror !

... the presenters expressed sympathy for Mr McVicar's views ...

which ....

criticised the leniency of a 21-month prison sentence given to a gun collector convicted of illegally selling a large gun collection, saying the judge had "got it wrong".

...after selling his gun collection, including military-style weapons, to criminals....

Mabey is still fighting the claim in the courts but has pleaded guilty to selling off 31 of his most lethal weapons - an estimated return to him of $200,000.

This expectation that media demonstrate '..balance by providing only one viewpoint when discussing a controversial issue of public importance.' rather than allow opinion explains why blogs are such great value.

No wading through bullshit lame excuses for balance.

"..unqualified..."

and "A sex act gone wrong could have been behind the strangulation.."

I've a view on that to.