su·per·cil·i·ous

Sounds like Lufthansa is working hard on ensuring its future in the predicted airline consolidation. They have announced that they are in 'constructive negotiations' with Brussels Airlines to take a share of the company with a view to a future takeover. They have also confirmed that they are planning on bidding for Austrian Airlines which the Austrian government is privatising. The have also taken equity in US airline Jetblue and are due to takeover British carrier BMI. Add this to a planned LCC collaboration with TUI Travel and Thomas Cook and they are starting to become a big arse airline.

A fairly lazy day. A spot of shopping. A bit of domestic stuff and also I checked out the total old lady chick flick Bonneville in which Joan Allen, Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange go on a road trip (in a Pontiac Bonneville) with the ashes of the husband of one of the trio. This is an interesting enough film - but just not the kind of genre I tend to watch! The cute hitchhiker is worth checking out though.

I was really really pleased to read that finally all charges have been dropped against Mohamed Haneef with the Australian Federal Police saying he is no longer a person of interest. The statement said: 

At the present time, there is insufficient evidence to institute proceedings against Dr Haneef for any criminal offence. 

Now of course he is happy with this outcome, but now is the time for the Australian government to offer up an apology and compensation - he shouldn't have to seek it. I assume the government will hide behind the fact that there is currently an inquiry going on - but given we know that the AFP spent upwards of $8m on trying to prosecute the case against Haneef and he lost his job as a result - we should be inviting him back as soon as possible.

The goings on in Thailand at the moment are just bizarre. The authorities have had to close three airports today with reportedly 5000 people invading Phuket International Airport and occupying the runways to stop flights. Jetstar flight JQ27 had to go to Bangkok with passengers accommodated overnight in the hope the airport will open again tomorrow. In Bangkok thousands of protesters are also laying siege to the Government House calling on the PM Samak Sundaravej to resign - but this kind of thing seems to go on in Thailand no matter who is in government.

Equally bizarre (I think) is the choise of Sarah Palin as the running mate of John McCain in the US Presidential election. I can see the logic of a female and someone younger - but did they specifically go looking for the hottest Republican woman in the US? From what I have read she isn't without controversy. While she was was originally lauded as a reformer there have been accusations that she tried to use her position to have her brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper as part of a messy custody battle. She also opposed the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species which didn't endear her to environmental groups. Is it just me, or will American's worry about 72 year old McCain dropping dead and having a 44 year old with only two years experience as a Governor and prior to that a part-time mayor of a small Alaskan town in charge of the nation? 

I'd be my usual cynical self if I thought this was simply about trying to pick up disillusioned Hillary Clinton voters who don't want to vote black.