RE: Lockerbe

Yep, that’d be right…

“The one, the only…..ANDREWM.”

Duhhhh!!

Regards

Wombat

RE: Least Favourite Beer

Resch’s Dinner Ale ….jet fuel in a jam tin.

Wombat

RE: The Washington Sniper —- Death???

Hand and Rabie

I previously replied to Hand’s question, but the post has been lost in the ether somewhere,

Re our status with the Death penalty – the last execution in Australia was in 1967 in Victoria, the last state to have the death penalty. It was abolished shortly afterwards. Life imprisonment is now the maximum sentence anywhere in Australia.

Rabie:

Re your responses –

Response 1. Not every serious murderer is deemed mentally incompetent, even though their actions defy the understanding of reasonable people. Some of them are just plain evil, but fully in control of their senses. Therefore, locking them up in places like Broadmoor is not a realistic option.

Response 2. It is only cheaper if you have a legal system like America’s, where defendants can appeal over a very protracted period to a multitude of levels of court on the slightest technicality. Whilst the Westminster system of justice has similarities, the US system has evolved along different paths and is certainly NOT the model for the rest of us to follow.

We don’t have “Gulags”, but maybe we should. The level of accommodation provided in modern prisons in our countries is hardly a punishment for the most serious crimes.

As for life imprisonment as against death because it is their human right, my belief is that when you have committed the crimes some of these mongrels have, you forfeit your rights as a human being.

Response 3. “It’s worked in the past”. True, but it’s also failed in the past. I don’t believe in the death penalty being levied as a deterrent to further crime being committed, but as a penalty appropriate to the crime in question.

I realise every country has its rotten criminals, but let me outline one of our most serious offenders in recent years.

Ivan Milat was convicted about five years ago for a series of murders of ‘backpackers’, mostly British and European, whom he enticed into his vehicle on the highway south west of Sydney. They were probably hitch-hiking, so getting them into his car was no problem. He would then drive into a state forest where he would tie them up and use them for target practice. This went on over a period of a few years, with the tourists just going missing and nobody having any idea of where to start looking.

It was only after a body was accidentally found by a camper, buried under a log, followed by a second body almost immediately after, that police had some idea where to look for other bodies. I think they eventually found 7.

Milat was eventually tracked down and jailed for life. His past was revealed to show that he was really a rotten apple. He has never displayed any remorse and attempts to use our legal system to have his case reviewed, despite absolutely overwhelming evidence against him, including identification by one lucky Brit tourist who escaped from Milat’s vehicle.

I’m sorry guys, but Milat deserved nothing better than a nice piece of rope slung over a beam and a long drop to oblivion.

We will always disagree with each other over this issue, as it is extremely emotive and our life’s experiences will colour our perceptions. When we haven’t been victims of serious crimes personally, or haven’t had access to the background of serious crimes, we can’t always imagine what went throught the minds of the victims or the offenders. I just don’t believe that the worst offenders deserve to live. I’m not barbaric and I don’t believe that society is uncivilised when it exercises the death penalty. Some criminals should never have the right to expect they will ever be treated as human beings.

Regards

Wombat

RE: Be happy for me!!!

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 31-10-02 AT 09:12 AM (GMT)]Jeuneturc

If this was the best they could design, I think it’s just as well they stopped building them. Boy, are they UGLY!!!!

Regarding your comment on the ownership of Holden, yes, you’re correct, Holden is the Australian equivalent of Vauxhall and Opel. Whilst the Commodore started out in 1978 as a heavily Australianised version of the Opel Kommodore/Senator, with Australian engines, transmissions, steering and suspension, it has evolved over the years to a much better vehicle which now enjoys substantial export sales in the Middle East, South East Asia, New Zealand and next year, the USA.

The Holden Statesman, a long wheelbase version of the Commodore, is now the largest rear wheel drive vehicle built by a General Motors company anywhere in the world. The original shape for the current Commodore was developed at the same time as the Vauxhall Omega, and the doors and various other parts are similar. The front and rear designs are quite unique and the Statesman is totally unique to Holden. Holden enjoys a great deal of freedom in its designs today.

Because the Australian new car market is small by world standards, (about 190,000 this year which would be a record), Australian car makers have to achieve a great deal with a small budget. Holden has been recognised within the GM world as exceptionally proficient at doing this and the range of vehicles available here is now so good that the Yanks want a piece of the action for themselves. The Monaro coupe, based on the Commodore, will be exported to the US in late 2003, marketed as a Pontiac GTO, simply because GM in the States no longer makes anything like the Monaro.

Hand – I have had a love affair with cars, particularly Holdens, since 1970. In fact, whilst aircraft are my first love, I digressed for about 30 years and devoted my attention to working on and restoring cars. I still take an avid interest in them, but aircraft have resumed their rightful place in my life. (second to my family – didn’t think I was going to say that, did you?)

Mixtec

Ever looked under the hood (bonnet) of a late model Jap car – they ain’t so simple anymore. Multi-valves, quad cams, fuel injection, air-conditioning, all stuffed into a space smaller than your nannie’s nickers. You hope to God they’ll be reliable because nobody in their right mind would want to venture in there to fix them. I think it’s pretty fair to say that all modern cars are pretty complex and it is getting more and more difficult to do anything more than basic servicing yourself unless you are highly trained and well equipped.

Regards

The mechanical Wombat.

Where’s me bloody spanner???

RE: Which countries build the best cars and why?

Scott

You’re talking about the Holden Monaro. This two door is based on the most popular car sold down under, the Holden Commodore 4 door sedan. The Monaro and Commodore are sold here with a 3.8 litre supercharged (ex-Buick design) V6 and the Generation III Chev 5.7 litre V8 – 235 kw, 6 speed manual/4 speed auto transmissions. Fully independent suspension, full leather interior, air, power windows, power seats, 10 stack CD and loads more – the full house. Sells for about $60,000 on the road out here, but you can also buy Holden Special Vehicle versions with load more grunt and up to $90,000 pricetag.

I just hope you yanks don’t stuff the car’s good looks up too much trying to make it look like an old GTO!

Regards

Wombat

RE: The Washington Sniper —- Death???

Interesting that nothing has been heard from the “no death penalty” brigade to my questions in post 21.

I don’t want to argue with Geforce and others, but if they oppose the death penalty, how do they respond to my questions?

Or don’t they have any answers?

Regards

Wombat

RE: The Washington Sniper —- Death???

To those who are opposed to the death penalty, I must ask the following questions:

1. What penalty should apply, if not death?
2. If life imprisonment is your recommended penalty, why should society be expected to house, feed, clothe, administer medical aid and in many cases, protect prisoners from other violent prisoners, for many years, at massive cost?
3. Why is the death penalty condemned on the grounds that this is the 21st century, which means we should all be civilised and not result to barbaric punishment for serious crimes?

The severity, level of violence exhibited, and degree of planning and pre-meditation that goes into some serious crimes today, far outweighs the nature and severity of crimes in the past. Today’s worst crimes are totally uncivilised, why deal with them by administering “civilised” punishment?

I have asked this question before, with no answer received, so I ask it again – how would those of you who oppose the death penalty, punish Bin Laden if he was captured and it was proven beyond any doubt that he was the planner and instigator of the WTC attacks?

Regards

Wombat