September 22, 2005

Buzz-Worthy

Today's newest entry comes via Bharath 'Buzz' Mohan [he's got a blog too, for anyone interested in reading more about Timor], who found it via ETAN, who found it via ... I don't know but who cares it's funny. It's even more funny if you know that Mr. Buzz is from Adelaide.

Here it is: East Timorese man fined over cock-fighting involvement

An Adelaide court has been told that a man from East Timor, convicted for being involved in a cock-fighting racket, considered the practice as "normal as Australian Rules football and horse racing". Lien Kong Puc, 30, of Melbourne today pleaded guilty in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court to two counts of ill treating animals. In July police found three fighting roosters inside boxes in the boot of Puc's car, when they raided an organised cockfight at a farm north of Adelaide. Puc's lawyer said the roosters did not belong to his client, who did not know it was illegal to attend a cockfight in Australia. He said Puc came from East Timor, where cockfighting was an accepted sport similar to horseracing in Australia. The magistrate convicted and fined Puc $1,000 and ordered him to pay costs to the RSPCA which took care of the roosters.

Posted by storbert at 10:56 PM | Comments (1)

June 5, 2005

Catching Up on Laguardia

I've finally been catching up on my absolute lack of news over the last few decades and a story caught my eye: apparently there is this whole hubbub over Laguardia, and I don't mean the airport. The controversy was started when, on May 17th, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) of the Philippines Chairperson, Consoliza Laguardia, announced that all,

. . . public affairs programs, news documentaries, sociopolitical editorials and all other programs of the same category submit themselves to screening. [From ABS-CBN News Editorial]

What is fascinating is that this announcement has caused such heat as to engender calls for Laguardia’s resignation – both from the Senate Minority Leader, Aquilino Pimentel Jr, as well as Monsignor Nico Bautista, an influential Catholic priest. The fall out is interesting, and many journalists are responding vehemently to the request for censorship. Where it will all lead, no one really knows.

Posted by storbert at 1:39 PM | Comments (0)