An Average Days News

Stories seem to repeat themselves these days: US hypocrisy whenever it pleases, bird flu paranoia and political correctness gone not just mad, but completely insane. Some regular stories from today, April the 11th, 2006.

CHINA

Explosion kills 19 in an underground garage. Check up on the news coming out of China and you'll see something similar certinaly every week - and thats just reported incidents. The coal mining industry must be the most dangerous. As if to prove me right, a short glance at the BBC's Asia Pacific section reveals the headlines :

China gas leak forces evacuation 17 Apr 04
Chinese fireworks blast kills 36 30 Jan 06
Dozens dead in China gas blast 23 Dec 05
China mine blast leaves 74 dead 08 Dec 05
Clean-up after China gas disaster 27 Dec 03

These I'm sure, just a selection.

INDONESIA

The commotion about the Indonesian version of 'Playboy' is continuing. You can already buy every 'lads mag' (FHM, MAXIM etc which are basically soft porn anyway) on the shelves, so surely Playboy is just using its brand to compete in this market. These facts of course escape the extreme groups who are causing the fuss, blinded by the name of the magazine and upholding the following quote - "There is one thing which will keep the people forever ignorant, that is, condemnation before investigation".

HONG KONG

As if having a Disneyland in Hong Kong isn't sickening enough, they follow through with the usual, agressive 'we're a big corporation so we will pay you shit all and make you work all day long and if you don't like it get lost cause we can get another 500 people desperate to make a buck at the drop of a hat' attitude. Here's a quote from the article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4893448.stm

It accused Hong Kong Disneyland of making staff work more than the 45 hours per week outlined in their job descriptions, and forcing them to multitask in other parts of the park.

The union further alleges that the facility has been hiring staff on short-term contracts to avoid paying healthcare and other benefits.

So 'outlined in their job descriptions'? I think we should change that for 'contracts'. 'Forcing them to multitask in other parts of the park'. Something like this....

Mickey Mouse : "Phew, thank god that 8 hour shift of pretending to be nice to little rich Chinese brats is over.....it's damn hot in that suit too! And for only minimum wage, if we have that in Hong Kong!"

Power Tripping Arsehead Middle Manager: Hey Mickey, we need you over on Space Mountain. Get yourself over there will ya! (turns to get back to hanging around on the corner where he's chatting up Minnie Mouse)

Mickey Mouse: Woah woah woah I've just finished my shift!

Power Tripping Arsehead Middle Manager: Yeah it's a couple of hours, you don't mind do you?

Mickey Mouse: Actually I'm still tired from yesterday - I had to help out in the ice cream kiosk for a 'couple of hours' and I ended up doing a 12 hour day! So not today thanks.

Power Tripping Arsehead Middle Manager : What are you complaining for I'm sure you've got some vacation coming up.

Mikey Mouse: Well no, Disneyland Hong Kong TM made my contract 30 seconds shorter than the legal limit before paid holidays and health insurance are applicable. If that isn't motivation enough to work hard for the 'company', I don't know what is!

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THE UK : PC INSANE

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/manchester/4883398.stm

The case of 10 year old racism in the playground : Puh LEASE!

The boy is accused of abusing an 11-year-old pupil in a school playground between 1 July 2005 and 30 January 2006.
The court was told that the boys are now friends and play football with each other.

What's next? 10 year old boy in court for 'sexual harrassment' after a game of kiss chase?

Next case: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/4792490.stm -

A council that threatened to fine a man for dropping junk mail into a street bin has changed its mind. Andy Tierney, 24, from Hinckley in Leicestershire, dumped the unwanted mail on his way to work.

Thankfully returning to this case, I see that common sense has prevailed- but the fact remains that someone out there was jobsworth enough to write a letter containing the fine. In fact there must have been more than one person involved in the 'chain'.

So thats the PC rubbish - what about the 'Why is this in the news' award.

Here is the winner.

The captain of Oxford's victorious Boat Race rowing crew has been arrested and fined for being drunk and disorderly. After spending several hours in the cells in St Aldates police station both men were released, and Mr Williams received a fixed penalty fine of £80.

You have to be joking. Why is this news? Does our society's celebrity worship extend to this 'celebrity'? It also now seems to go beyond the tabloids.

We can also thank the British press for ousting the England manager Sven Goran Eriksson for no other reason it seems than because they wanted to. Watching numerous reports, we hear that he was victim of a 'sting'. Since when are tabloid newspapers organisers of stings, and where do they get the right to do it in the first place? It's just a disgusting and cheap method to make news, sell papers (i.e. make money) and at the same time ruin the reputation and career of a man just trying to do his job. Jon, do you fancy Sven or something? No, but imagine if it happened to you!