American justice - I think not!

So the story which has been in the news recently in Adelaide is this one about an Australian single mother who has been jailed in America for fraudulently claiming food stamps for her children.

If this is evidence of the American justice system then I think Obama should hang his head in shame.

Why couldn't you just let her come home where she could have accessed support for her children, despite them not being Australian citizens? No, instead the American government had to totally ballz up the passport process and force her to commit a crime, and not for one second do I believe she had any other choice.

She committed a crime, I get that. Crimes should be punished, I get that too. But holy hell, you show me one mother anywhere in the world who wouldn't do exactly what this mother did for her children and I'll bite my tongue.

She wasn't living the high life or living in luxury - she was simply trying to feed her children. Five years jail for a crime like that, while perverts who prey on children walk free. Yeah damn right I'm on my soapbox.

This whole story infuriates me and when I listened to this being debated on radio this morning I wanted to thump every narrow minded person who said she committed the crime and she should do the time. Five years jail for frauduently claiming food stamps to feed her children.

Not a crime of murder, not assault, not theft, no violence was involved, she wasn't living the high life off the profits of crime or fraud. This was a shocking and unfair punishment for a mother who had already endured 7 years of abuse at the hands of her husband.

Now climbing down from my soapbox let me add that it's been a shit of a week weatherwise! I love hot weather, but five days over 40C (104F) has just been insane. My exercise plan went totally out the window this week, I couldn't exactly walk the dog when it's still been 42 at 8pm.

Tonight the whole of Adelaide is relishing the cool change. I've finally been able to open up the house and air it out. The kids have been sleeping on the lounge room floor under the air conditioner all week, as has the dog because its been so damn hot.

On Thursday the United Nations were reported as saying that on this day Adelaide would be the hottest city on the planet. Being that half of the world is in the middle of winter is probably the only way that's possible. We were aiming for 46C, we only made 44C.

Not many of us were disappointed that we missed hitting an all time temperature record in Adelaide.

Well that's all my news for now, I'm off to an all day travel writing seminar tomorrow which sounds really good. Ironically, after I'd registered and paid I found out that one person who attends tomorrow will have the opportunity to submit a travel article by mid April to be published in an Australian travel magazine in June.

How completely awesome is it that I was prepared for this and booked a holiday to Phuket in March? The Universe is on my side perhaps?

Have a nice cool night everyone, I'm looking forward to a nice sleeping temperature finally.

Cheers, Fi