Not written on this blog in a very long time... Partly cause I've been busy with other important things... like reading hoards of junk mail, stalking people on facebook, warming my seat at work etc etc... anyways not like anyone reads this bar myself...
I just wonder how many people out there have blogs, n what kind of an audience they have... I myself do not have a clue as to why I started doing this, as there is no purpose nor anything in it for me... I am a very self centered individual, who only embarks on a mission if there's something in it for me... I guess I am not dif from the other 6 billion odd ppl around the world. Which reminds me...
a friend of mine sent me this web application, abt world birth rates, deaths and load of other fact n figures... which I will write abt as soon as I get some grub for lunch...
Monday, July 30, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Storage Compartments
Sri Lanka's cabinet expanded to 54 ministers a few weeks ago, which is said to have compounded the already nightmarish logistical problems that parliamentary staff and government officials endure. I personally believe that our current president, H.E Mahinda Rajapakse, has taken up the wrong definition for cabinet - a piece of furniture resembling a cupboard with doors and shelves and drawers; for storage or display - and is now on a mission to see how many MPs he can collect/store for display purposes! what still baffles me though is how he missed out on the first bit of the definition.
With the two junior ministers, the total number of ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers add up to an unprecedented XXX, below is a comparison between the cabinets of some countries and that of Sri Lanka.
America- 15 ministers for 274 million people
Bangladesh- 22 ministers for 150 million people
Canada- 31 ministers for 37 million people
India- 20 ministers for 1000 million people
Malaysia- 23 ministers for 25 million people
Pakistan- 13 ministers for 130 million people
Russia- 25 ministers for 150 million people
Sri Lanka- 108 ministers for 19 million people
According to LBO Guinness World Records could start a new record category on jumbo sized cabinets of ministers if a formal request is made. Guinness World Records had said that they don't monitor jumbo sized cabinets of ministers as yet, but are willing to open a category, if anyone's keen on creating a category to include Sri Lanka, they can make a formal request of the record through the Guiness World Records website.
Sri Lanka's 225-member parliament now includes 108 legislators (out of the 121 government members) who hold some portfolio in President Rajapakse's cabinet, i.e 90% off government members are legislators!!! Quite amazing/amusing.
According to the Sunday Leader, the tax payers will have to now cough out a monthly total of Rs. 6.9 million (63,500 US Dollars) simply to maintain three tiers of portfolio holding politicians.
In addition to the above expenditure non cabinet and deputy ministers can use 2 official vehicles and one security vehicle, but for now every minister has at least 10- 15 security vehicles. There are times that some ministers use 50-100 security vehicles under security reasons. Transparency International has revealed that some ministries were paying Rs. 300,000 a month (2900 US dollars) to rent super luxury SUVs for the minister.
Below is a break down of the benefits of being brain dead:
Monthly salary of a cabinet minister ? Rs. 65 000
Monthly salary of a non cabinet minister ? Rs. 63 500
The incentive for participating for a parliamentary session ? Rs. 500
The incentive for participating for a select committee? Rs. 200
Monthly fuel incentive for a cabinet and a non cabinet minister ? Rs. 75 000
Monthly fuel incentive deputy minister ? Rs. 50 000
Monthly incentive for the personal telephone ? Rs. 20 000
Monthly mobile incentive ? Rs. 10 000
The facility is provided to take an unlimited amount of idd and local calls from the official telephone for a month.
Every minister has a right to employ 4 secretaries as media, personal, coordinating, and public relations. Vehicles, fuel incentives, telephone incentives and limited entertainment incentives are provided for all of them from the ministry.
For the 18 cabinet and non cabinet ministers, the monthly expense for fuel from the government is Rs. 1,350,000. Also for the 10 new deputy ministers, Rs. 500,000 should be separated. The total monthly fuel expense for them is Rs. 1,850,000 (17,100 US Dollars)
After all being a politician in Sri Lanka is one of the least taxing occupations in the world - a task(s) that a coma patient shouldn't have trouble carrying out. What am I doing here, why am I taxing my brain??? I should start canvassing...
With the two junior ministers, the total number of ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers add up to an unprecedented XXX, below is a comparison between the cabinets of some countries and that of Sri Lanka.
America- 15 ministers for 274 million people
Bangladesh- 22 ministers for 150 million people
Canada- 31 ministers for 37 million people
India- 20 ministers for 1000 million people
Malaysia- 23 ministers for 25 million people
Pakistan- 13 ministers for 130 million people
Russia- 25 ministers for 150 million people
Sri Lanka- 108 ministers for 19 million people
According to LBO Guinness World Records could start a new record category on jumbo sized cabinets of ministers if a formal request is made. Guinness World Records had said that they don't monitor jumbo sized cabinets of ministers as yet, but are willing to open a category, if anyone's keen on creating a category to include Sri Lanka, they can make a formal request of the record through the Guiness World Records website.
Sri Lanka's 225-member parliament now includes 108 legislators (out of the 121 government members) who hold some portfolio in President Rajapakse's cabinet, i.e 90% off government members are legislators!!! Quite amazing/amusing.
According to the Sunday Leader, the tax payers will have to now cough out a monthly total of Rs. 6.9 million (63,500 US Dollars) simply to maintain three tiers of portfolio holding politicians.
In addition to the above expenditure non cabinet and deputy ministers can use 2 official vehicles and one security vehicle, but for now every minister has at least 10- 15 security vehicles. There are times that some ministers use 50-100 security vehicles under security reasons. Transparency International has revealed that some ministries were paying Rs. 300,000 a month (2900 US dollars) to rent super luxury SUVs for the minister.
Below is a break down of the benefits of being brain dead:
Monthly salary of a cabinet minister ? Rs. 65 000
Monthly salary of a non cabinet minister ? Rs. 63 500
The incentive for participating for a parliamentary session ? Rs. 500
The incentive for participating for a select committee? Rs. 200
Monthly fuel incentive for a cabinet and a non cabinet minister ? Rs. 75 000
Monthly fuel incentive deputy minister ? Rs. 50 000
Monthly incentive for the personal telephone ? Rs. 20 000
Monthly mobile incentive ? Rs. 10 000
The facility is provided to take an unlimited amount of idd and local calls from the official telephone for a month.
Every minister has a right to employ 4 secretaries as media, personal, coordinating, and public relations. Vehicles, fuel incentives, telephone incentives and limited entertainment incentives are provided for all of them from the ministry.
For the 18 cabinet and non cabinet ministers, the monthly expense for fuel from the government is Rs. 1,350,000. Also for the 10 new deputy ministers, Rs. 500,000 should be separated. The total monthly fuel expense for them is Rs. 1,850,000 (17,100 US Dollars)
After all being a politician in Sri Lanka is one of the least taxing occupations in the world - a task(s) that a coma patient shouldn't have trouble carrying out. What am I doing here, why am I taxing my brain??? I should start canvassing...
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Miscarriages (of justice)
A taxi driver in Japan is arrested for rape and attempted rape, he subsequently confesses to both crimes, is convicted after a brief trial and serves his three years in prison. Meanwhile, another man, arrested on rape charges, also confesses to the two crimes the first man (the taxi driver) was convicted for. He, too, goes to jail and serves his time.
The above is not a riddle of any sort nor is it the opening para to my new crime fiction paperback; it’s a recent instance and, (supposedly) not an uncommon one, of the Japanese judicial system at work - according to this week’s (19/02/07) Economist Magazine.
As a result of the above going to the press - ‘Jinen Nagase, Japan's justice minister, apologised for the wrongful arrest of the taxi driver and declared that an investigation would take place. After all, the suspect had an alibi, evidence that he could not have committed the crime and had denied vociferously having done so. But after the third day in detention without access to the outside world, he was persuaded to sign a confession.’
In Japan it turns out that you are 100% guilty until proven otherwise. This here is a 1st hand account from a gringo who had the misfortune of experiencing Japan's justice system right after his 36th B'day party: 'I ended up being interrogated for 12 hours straight and having to sign my own arrest warrant that night and spend the night in lock up. In Japan the police have 48 hours with which to decide what to do with suspects and of course they don’t do anything. Then they can hold you for 10 days to investigate the complaint and if still not resolved they can hold you for another 10 days. Of course they didn’t bother interviewing my friend who verified that I was telling the truth until Day 16. Day 19 meant they dropped the charges of assault and robbery, but I still had to handle an “accidental cause of bodily injury” charge which was fair enough. 23 days in the slammer, wow. Had to pay the guy damages to speed up the process and a 300,000 yen fine. Damages were 1.5 million yen, plus lawyers fees of 300,000 yen. So not a very cheap birthday party.' (you can read the above in detail over here)
And NO it’s not just in the east that these sort of incidents happen; for prosecutors to seek and win convictions against two defendants in a crime, knowing only one of them can be guilty, is dismaying, disgraceful and unpardonable, nevertheless it's not illegal, at least not according to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
A court upheld a 16-month increase in a defendant’s (Defendant A – Shaw) prison sentence for a 1995 restaurant robbery, based on the jury's conclusion that he held a gun to the restaurant manager's head. In a separate trial more than two years later, prosecuted by the same county district attorney's office, another jury found that a second participant in the robbery (Defendant B – Watts), was the one who held the gun to the manager's head, a finding that added 10 years to Watts’ sentence. That jury at the time was unaware of Shaw's verdict. Subsequently the appeals court said only one of the two men could have wielded the gun (No shit Sherlock!!!), but that no law prohibited prosecutors from making inconsistent arguments to different juries, as long as they don't falsify the evidence!!!
Shaw and Watts, were both given increased sentences for an action that only one could have done: pointing a gun at restaurant manager and telling her to open the safe during the $1,500 robbery of a restaurant in September 1995.
Shaw, tried first, was convicted and sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison, including 16 months for use of a gun. Prosecutors offered new eyewitness testimony at Watts' trial two years later, and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years, including 10 years for gun use... You can read more about the above case and more here.
Pretty screwed up eh?
The above is not a riddle of any sort nor is it the opening para to my new crime fiction paperback; it’s a recent instance and, (supposedly) not an uncommon one, of the Japanese judicial system at work - according to this week’s (19/02/07) Economist Magazine.
As a result of the above going to the press - ‘Jinen Nagase, Japan's justice minister, apologised for the wrongful arrest of the taxi driver and declared that an investigation would take place. After all, the suspect had an alibi, evidence that he could not have committed the crime and had denied vociferously having done so. But after the third day in detention without access to the outside world, he was persuaded to sign a confession.’
In Japan it turns out that you are 100% guilty until proven otherwise. This here is a 1st hand account from a gringo who had the misfortune of experiencing Japan's justice system right after his 36th B'day party: 'I ended up being interrogated for 12 hours straight and having to sign my own arrest warrant that night and spend the night in lock up. In Japan the police have 48 hours with which to decide what to do with suspects and of course they don’t do anything. Then they can hold you for 10 days to investigate the complaint and if still not resolved they can hold you for another 10 days. Of course they didn’t bother interviewing my friend who verified that I was telling the truth until Day 16. Day 19 meant they dropped the charges of assault and robbery, but I still had to handle an “accidental cause of bodily injury” charge which was fair enough. 23 days in the slammer, wow. Had to pay the guy damages to speed up the process and a 300,000 yen fine. Damages were 1.5 million yen, plus lawyers fees of 300,000 yen. So not a very cheap birthday party.' (you can read the above in detail over here)
And NO it’s not just in the east that these sort of incidents happen; for prosecutors to seek and win convictions against two defendants in a crime, knowing only one of them can be guilty, is dismaying, disgraceful and unpardonable, nevertheless it's not illegal, at least not according to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
A court upheld a 16-month increase in a defendant’s (Defendant A – Shaw) prison sentence for a 1995 restaurant robbery, based on the jury's conclusion that he held a gun to the restaurant manager's head. In a separate trial more than two years later, prosecuted by the same county district attorney's office, another jury found that a second participant in the robbery (Defendant B – Watts), was the one who held the gun to the manager's head, a finding that added 10 years to Watts’ sentence. That jury at the time was unaware of Shaw's verdict. Subsequently the appeals court said only one of the two men could have wielded the gun (No shit Sherlock!!!), but that no law prohibited prosecutors from making inconsistent arguments to different juries, as long as they don't falsify the evidence!!!
Shaw and Watts, were both given increased sentences for an action that only one could have done: pointing a gun at restaurant manager and telling her to open the safe during the $1,500 robbery of a restaurant in September 1995.
Shaw, tried first, was convicted and sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison, including 16 months for use of a gun. Prosecutors offered new eyewitness testimony at Watts' trial two years later, and he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years, including 10 years for gun use... You can read more about the above case and more here.
Pretty screwed up eh?
Monday, February 19, 2007
1810 years ago
A small History lesson - going back 1810 years today...
19th February 197 (197 AD) – Septimius Severus defeated usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France).
Severus' victory apparently allowed him to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire - This battle is said to be the largest, most hard fought and bloodiest of all clashes between Roman forces.
Albinus' army had fallen back to Lugdunum, Severus had followed, and on February 19, 197 a massive and ultimately decisive battle had finally commenced. The exact details are as vague as the exact numbers involved. However, they do know both sides were roughly evenly matched and it was therefore a bloody and drawn out affair lasting over two days (it was apparently rare for battles of this time to last longer than a few hours). The tide had shifted many times during the course of the battle, with the outcome hanging in the balance. It seems that Severus had had the edge in cavalry which swung the battle in his favor for the final time. Exhausted and bloodied, Albinus' army was finally crushed.
Albinus' exact fate is said to be unclear. He'd fled into Lugdunum where he either, in the Roman tradition, "ran upon his sword" after finding all escape routes cut, or he was finished off by an assassin's blade. Severus had Albinus' body stripped and beheaded, afterwhich He rode over the headless corpse with his horse in front of his victorious troops. He had then sent back the head to Rome as a warning along with the heads of Albinus' family.
- that's quite harsh I think... n they used to call their enemies barbarians - bloody hypocrites!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lugdunum
A piece of rather useless information, but I found those names quite amusing - and thought I'd share it with all of you ppl. who have nothing else or better to do...
19th February 197 (197 AD) – Septimius Severus defeated usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France).
Severus' victory apparently allowed him to become the sole ruler of the Roman Empire - This battle is said to be the largest, most hard fought and bloodiest of all clashes between Roman forces.
Albinus' army had fallen back to Lugdunum, Severus had followed, and on February 19, 197 a massive and ultimately decisive battle had finally commenced. The exact details are as vague as the exact numbers involved. However, they do know both sides were roughly evenly matched and it was therefore a bloody and drawn out affair lasting over two days (it was apparently rare for battles of this time to last longer than a few hours). The tide had shifted many times during the course of the battle, with the outcome hanging in the balance. It seems that Severus had had the edge in cavalry which swung the battle in his favor for the final time. Exhausted and bloodied, Albinus' army was finally crushed.
Albinus' exact fate is said to be unclear. He'd fled into Lugdunum where he either, in the Roman tradition, "ran upon his sword" after finding all escape routes cut, or he was finished off by an assassin's blade. Severus had Albinus' body stripped and beheaded, afterwhich He rode over the headless corpse with his horse in front of his victorious troops. He had then sent back the head to Rome as a warning along with the heads of Albinus' family.
- that's quite harsh I think... n they used to call their enemies barbarians - bloody hypocrites!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lugdunum
A piece of rather useless information, but I found those names quite amusing - and thought I'd share it with all of you ppl. who have nothing else or better to do...
Personality Test(s)
My attention was directed or rather diverted to this personality test website; it being Monday and seeing that my motivation levels (to work) had hit a new low... I decided to pass my time by taking these tests (and that too not just short versions both the long 45 Question version and the short 9 Question version) and voila the results are as follows:
1. The Classic Movie Test Results
2. The Leader Test Results
1. The Classic Movie Test Results
2. The Leader Test Results
Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Quays at Night
More mobile phone blogging exploits... Custom House, Dublin
The Custom House is often considered architecturally the most important building in Dublin and apparently the first major public building built in Dublin as an isolated structure with four monumental façades (does that mean anything to anyone? what's so special abt four?)
Created a new blog for all the pics called vistas
www.duerf-vistas.blogspot.com
Friday, February 16, 2007
The Quays at Dusk
Tried using my phone to Blog... and surprisingly enough it was quite straight forward and to top it off it actually worked!!!. I'm quite chuffed... simply coz, I could, from now on blog away the pictures I snap with my phone (not sure if that's a good thing or bad) without having to upload them seperately and all that...
Life' certainily is a breeze...
Wonder howmuch that cost me though... neverthless it was worth it... me thinks
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