Abu Ghraib

Abu Ghraib Damn good page summarising some startlingly blatant lies from Rumsfeld et al. Plus a a summary of the whole issue.

WAR IS FOR SUCKERS

http://warisforsuckers.com/clip.php?id=890&p=0 - watch and learn something you may not know.

Yet another "coincidence"

Investing - The Tamiflu Tug of War - FORTUNE - Page: "Among the beneficiaries of the run on Tamiflu is Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who was chairman of Gilead from 1997 to 2001 and owns at least $5 million of the stock, which has jumped from $35 in April to $47. Former Secretary of State George Shultz, who is on Gilead's board, has sold more than $7 million worth of Gilead in 2005. As the bird-flu issue heated up earlier this year, according to a senior Pentagon official, Rumsfeld considered unloading his entire Gilead stake to avoid any perceived conflict of interest. He sought the advice of the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the federal Office of Government Ethics. When those agencies didn't offer an opinion, Rumsfeld consulted a private securities lawyer, who advised him to hold on to the stock and be vocal about his earlier recusal from all matters involving Gilead, rather than sell and run the risk of being accused of insider trading. Holding on has paid off; it's made the Pentagon chief, already one of the wealthiest members of the Bush cabinet, at least $1 million richer."

Well, well. Another obscure company gets rich, which makes a current government member rich and this is all just sheer happenstance. The simple fact that Bird Flu is scarcely more than a fairy story similar to that of Saddam's weapons is neither here nor there, of course.

Why America can't cope

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article10214.htm

A simply fantastic article from The New Statesman which articulates much of my sentiments about the situation. The nation has been let down by decades of erosion and governmental stagnation. Not to mention the slow starving of government of liquid cash to pour into vital projects like levees.

Katrina has taught America some valuable lessons but it's anybodies guess if the country will actually realise what they are.

Busy

For the 0 readers out there salivating for more posts, I'm incredibly busy at the mo. So hang tight and I will return!

zzzzzooooooooooooommmmm!

MI5 links Iraq to terror motivations

Guardian Unlimited Special reports MI5 links Iraq to extremists in UK

Blair et al should admit how wrong they are, wouldn't you say? Ah, but then they'd have to change their rhetoric...

Former Bush aide turns critic as Iraq inspector

Former Bush aide turns critic as Iraq inspector

The tip of the iceburg. Just the tip. And the US government and its political minions tries to claim the UN is hopelessly corrupt or incompetant!

I name the four powers who are behind the al-Qaeda conspiracy

I name the four powers who are behind the al-Qaeda conspiracy

This article by former Tory MP Matthew Parris perfectly encapsulates and explains my motivations for my approach to the entire phenomenon of the war on terror.

This describes the situation perfectly in why I have felt uneasy from the very beginning - and by that I mean 9/11 and the reporting of that onwards.

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | World 'ignores' Niger food crisis

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | World 'ignores' Niger food crisis

Not one word in G8 about this. Just shows how full of rhetoric and bluster 1st world politicians really are.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Conflict 'kills 25,000 Iraqis'

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Conflict 'kills 25,000 Iraqis'
This is, if anything, an underestimation of deaths and, believe me, all insurgent deaths known to anyone at all will be reported (it serves the authorities to report them, to show how lethal and to be combatted they are) so what are we left with?

We have most deaths by disenfranchised/greedy criminals and occupation forces killing most Iraqis. And more than ever.

And, meanwhile, our leaders walk around in some deluded stupor.

We have another famine, this time in Niger, which had been warned about for months. Guess what, nothing was done and so yet more poor people are dying of nothing but hunger. Angry is not the word...

Newsday.com: 18 Killed in Clashes Near Afghan Border

Newsday.com: 18 Killed in Clashes Near Afghan Border: "Pakistani soldiers fought militants in a northwestern tribal region near the Afghan border, the military said Sunday. Eighteen people, including one soldier, died in the clash.

A military statement said some of the dead were women and children, while a military official told The AP that a majority of those killed were women and children who were believed to be members of the militants' families. "

We are really gonna burn if so many of our allies (nevermind the US) are so "clumsy" as to kill women and children of Muslim/taleban/militant fighters. This is so counterproductive.

Hunting of terrorists - whoever they may be - is entirely necessary but it's gotta be done properly. A bit less bulldozing, rocketing please and massacring has got to be avoided.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iran-Iraq talks heal old wounds

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iran-Iraq talks heal old wounds

Please god this sort of, as the Americans will see it, entanglement with Iran will make it politically impossible for the US to support invasion or even Israeli bombing - which the Israelis have all but threatened on more than one occasion and, in fact, performed already once.

Mirror.co.uk - News - EXCLUSIVE: WAS IT SUICIDE?

Mirror.co.uk - News - EXCLUSIVE: WAS IT SUICIDE?

The first couple of hours I noted the lack of Allah Akhbar cries. I would not be in the least bit surprised if they were manipulated in a clinically cold way and that they didn't expect to die.

Newsday.com: Poll: Bush Approval Rating at 42 Percent

Newsday.com: Poll: Bush Approval Rating at 42 Percent

This'll get Bush smiling. Not.

Further thoughts...London Bombings/investigation

Ok, so things are happening.

Can I just say that I do genuinely trust the police on these kinds of matters. I think they are now so skilled in this sort of case and would be so averse to deliberately participate in any inside job or get suckered into a goose chase by some Israeli plot or any other similarly extreme explanation. So on this matter I'm gonna just believe what they say.

There were four suicide bombers, the bus bomb is believed to have been an accident. They were second generation Pakistani/British lads from Leeds.

This shows how shortsighted and simply stupid these xenophobic calls for watertight borders are. Ideas can pass through borders undetected. The affront many Muslims feel about British and American actions toward other Muslims penetrates people wherever they are regardless of how many Xray machines you have on our borders.

It also betrays the lie that they bomb us because they hate our freedoms. They have enjoyed our freedoms from birth. They know our society first hand and still they would rather blitz themselves and other people in a tunnel 120ft below the streets of London.

This must lead any sane person to ask the question, "why?". Every reason offered by received wisdom, "common sense" and unimaginative media for bomber's motivations (hatred, desperation, wanting to destroy the west, to turn Britain Muslim, poverty etc.) has never been proven to be true by the simple fact of who these bombers are.

We must also not forget that those who knew the Middle Eastern Islamic society best - namely those of that descent - never give those as key reasons. They say it is Western policy and the frustration of collusion within Mid-East governments in this policy that focuses minds enough for this terrorism. Al Qaeda represent merely a notion. It is one (poster boy) example of radicalised Muslims who want to turn to terrorism to hit back at the West. Many more small organisations exist with similar goals and philosophy but, importantly, not identical. Bin Laden's Islamic philosophy is significantly different from the Taliban's. He likes to use modern technology, like radio, video cameras, etc. but the Taliban made it illegal to use radio or listen to music in Afghanistan. The only thing that bound the two was simply the growing hatred and distrust of America. Plus the cold hard cash Bin Laden will have paid them.

We'll learn ever more details about the bombers and then I hope our country will learn that the basis for this terrorism is rooted in our behaviour. As I have said in a variety of locations, the existing members of these groups are past appeasing but it is certainly within our power to act in such a way that the cooking pot from which terrorists scoop volunteers is kept below boiling point and then reduced to a cold, congealing mass, useless to them.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq's treasures still being looted

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq's treasures still being looted

If you didn't look for this stuff, you wouldn't know how little control anyone has out in Iraq. This is just one example of how the invasion has impoverished Iraq.

BBC NEWS | UK | Police appeal for bombing footage

BBC NEWS UK Police appeal for bombing footage

"On Sunday, three people were arrested at Heathrow Airport under anti-terror laws, but no link to the attacks was made. They were later released without charge."

Just more examples of how terrorism continues to be played up in the media. Two sentences devoted to the releases but many more devoted to the original arrests.

My post here also contains interesting stuff I've found: http://forum.digitalspy.co.uk/board/showpost.php?p=4775076&postcount=27

The hype and jitteriness was entirely expected. But how planned was all this? If the secret service network is involved it would be so easy for them to pull the strings it's not funny.

This is a scathing article, worth reading, by John Pilger as published in the New Statesman:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article9432.htm

I have noted with interest, more American commentators acknowledging that al Qaeda (and its followers/sympathizers) are not motivated by simple hatred and a desire to wipe Western civilisation from the face of the earth but simply as revenge and an extreme (and, of course, unjustified) protest at the horrors and humiliations inflicted on Muslims and Arabs directly and indirectly by the West. Western policies feed the hate that breeds terrorists. And it looks like potentially the debate is turning (at the speed of an oil tanker) in that direction. Especially as Iraq is stagnating, and indeed rotting, in a swamp of violence. The pitiful stupidity of the invasion is hitting home and the masses in America (where the majority were simply not informed enough to judge Bush's choices) are realising the spectacular poverty of Bush's foreign policies.

Bush's pathetically asinine response to a question on ITV1's Tonight show about the aid provided to murderous Islam Karimov, president/dictator of Uzbekistan, and the lack of conditions on that aid in contrast to those pressed for by Bush for African aid was completely telling. A dictator who boils people alive, merely receives "encouragement" to stop boiling people alive and still gets millions in US aid because he is "an ally in the war on terror". In short, he lets the US have an air base there and he massacres and tortures Muslims for fun.

Great. And we think that Islamic terrorists are fuming because they hate our freedoms?????!!

London Bombed

No surprise from me. Just anger and I feel simply sick of it all. Sick of pointless causes being used to justify evil violence.

I knew it would happen eventually, mainly because it was so easy to do and required so few people to do it that no amount of MI5 activity would pick it up.

I have said on Digital Spy that me and a mate could do it for little more than £500.

The timing was devastating and it is sad that the achievements of G8 and the Olympics have been massively overshadowed by warped idiots who somehow think terrorism has any chance at all of achieving their aims.

I used to live in London and I have ridden on the number 30 bus which was blown up and I have travelled quite a lot through Liverpool St station and Kings Cross, of course. Had my life panned out differently, I could have easily been dead today.

But I am so tired, bored and sickened by this violence. I just want it to end. But as we re-energize these fools with wars that we start and by being so close to an America that sits on its hands over Israel, it quite simply won't. As long as there are Muslims that still follow this fundamentalist ideology, it simply won't.

It is a sad, sad day.

Live8

Live8, or Live 8, is underway and I am very split on it. I hate how the combined worth of the stars performing (don't forget, Paul Mccartney's there) totals the GDP of probably the poorest 5 African countries, are performing their latest singles.

I hate how Tony Blair sees this as a fantastic opportunity to get the electorate behind him again (distracted from Iraq) and to once again cast him as a crusader.

But it would be truly great if acceptable debt relief was agreed upon. Where the rich countries opened their markets to the third world on a truly fair basis. If this works, thanks to the overwhelming publicity Geldof has generated, then all the queasiness I feel will be worth it.

The fact is that when people (50,000 a day) die from preventable, cureable diseases and plain hunger we have to act. Now I know this has been going on for the best part of 25 years but now it seems those with true, treaty signing, exchequer manipulating power are going to do something concrete to allow poor nations to end the horror - I see this word as no exaggeration.

Bush keeps on lying

I'm watching Bush lying again on Fox. He is making his Iraq speech. He keeps claiming that the US will "leave" when the job is done. This is not true as there will be permanent US bases there whatever happens. See: http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2004/040323-enduring-bases.htm and http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/21/AR2005052100611.html They include official denials, of course, but, let's be realistic, when will the "insurgents" really give up? I'd bet never.

He has just directly linked Iraq with 9/11 again. And he has said the challenge in Iraq is to defend democracy again. "Iraq is where the terrorists are making their stand". There were no terrorists there before you invaded!!!!

There really is no end to his delusion, is there.

I assume somewhere here you'll find his full remarks: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,160958,00.html

Throughout his entire speech (as usual) it looks like he is reading the words for the first time. And he has just "advertised" the concept of joining the US military (I wonder why) http://www.americasupportsyou.mil - Need I say more?

Jesus. If this man hasn't done anything impeachable, I don't know who has.

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Crucified nun dies in 'exorcism'

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Crucified nun dies in 'exorcism'Yes, folks, this sort of madness still goes on in the 21st century. Stunning.

Bush haemoraging support

Bush at all time low
So the US electorate is seeming to be seriously regretting re-electing him. It took less than a year.

Let's also not forget that GOP senators are also grumbling.

The main problem with all this is that it is all after horse has bolted and things are gonna keep going like this until 2008 (!). Iraq, Social Security and some serious leaks about Bush's approach to the invasion are damaging but I really don't think this will oust him early.

I confess, my main thought about all this is that the US public must be mainly thinking "Doh!". They elected Mr Burns when they should have elected a Lisa Simpson.

Revenge of the Sith

So I've seen it and I have to say it did pretty much everything I thought it would do. It's a film that has to be viewed within the confines of the saga itself - and the foibles therein previously exhibited. All the usual faults are there; substandard dialogue and inconsistent acting (diarmid is superb but McGregor is, ahem, weak).

This, like you would hope, is very reminiscent of Empire Strikes Back. It's a sad conclusion to the first half of the saga (bar the births of what know now to be the key to the defeat of the Empire). But the feel good factor is (possibly unique in cinema) that you have witnessed all the loose ends, from both the sequels and prequels, tied up rather neatly and you are satisfied that the sinking into the dark side of Anakin is fully believable and is shown to be a far from simple decision. There is quite a complex piece of writing going on here.

I felt elated after coming out of the cinema simply because Lucas didn't cock it up. This was a big fear. But no, he embraced every aspect of modern filmic technology, regained his focus on the twelve year old target audience and answered every IV V and VI question posed in a highly satisfactory way.

I'm not going to go into content as that would spoil it but I can promise you that if you were waiting for an episode III that did what a Star Wars fan would want an Episode III to do then George has done just that.

So we can now relax, save up for a high def DVD player and for the I-VI High Def DVD box set.

Nerf Herder!

Revenge of the Sith

Come back soon when I'll review the final Star Wars film once I've seen it today.

ABC News: Saudi Prince Accused of Drug Smuggling Avoids Prosecution

ABC News: Saudi Prince Accused of Drug Smuggling Avoids Prosecution
My god. The US (and the Bush family) really knows how to pick its friends, don't it.

The Connecticut Post Online - News

The Connecticut Post Online - News

This story is interesting. Just imagine the scandal if this had happened in Britain. This sort of thing reaks of Banana Republic.

The General Election: my take...

Strange

Ah, the 2005 general election. An election where the turnout fell (if you strip out postal voting), the winner's share fell to as low as Simon Amstell's trousers and where the Tories somehow managed to gain 50 seats yet grew their share nationally by something like 0.5% (roughly the percentage of hairs on Paul Mccartney's head that are their real colour).

Strange indeed. So we now have a prime minister whom the 4th estate will be pushing out of office by rumour mongering alone and a Tory party seeking a fourth leader since Major (ah, currie shagging Mr Peas, doesn't it seem decades ago since he was PM? And it was only 1997!). I was saddened at the lack of progress from the Lib Dems but, you cannot forget that the swing to them was most probably shallow and temporary due to voters wanting merely to wag their fingers at Blair about Iraq than get close to allowing the yellow party to usurp the Tories as the official opposition.

Honest

My feeling is that the Lib Dems are at least honest. What party would not be honest whilst it pledges to add a layer of income tax for the top 1%? How credible and talented their MPs are in comparison I really don't know. It's a bit like Shaun Murphy winning the snooker World Championship, he didn't look like a world-beating professional sportsman but he turned out to be a record breaker. Is this how the Lib Dems may surprise us if they ever sniffed the Brasso of Number 10's knocker?

Majority reduced

But Blair has lost 100 seats and this means he cannot assume all legislation will fly throw the Commons any longer. Which can only be a good thing. And George Galloway is still an MP. And, by god, will he make full use of this fact!

I fully expect Blair to stay as party leader and PM until the European Constitution referendum (you'd forgotten about that tedious debate hadn't you) and then, regardless of the result, resign as party leader but stay as PM. Then, the new party leader is elected and Blair hands over the reigns probably as the next election hoves into view. This is my prediction based on virtually no evidence.

Good riddance

Good riddance, Howard, by the way. The man makes my food go cold as I watch his Gollumish face contort to a friendly grandfather's in trying to explain why every problem in the nation from immigration to MRSA boils down purely and simply to discipline and law and order. In other words, his facial "velvet glove" is trying to soften the iron fist he was attempting to apply to every area of government responsibility. Of course, pretty much all of his measures have no guarantees that they will make the slightest improvement in the country. But that's the Tories for you.

Now, when Israel bombs Iran, we'll see what happens and who is prime minister at the time. I only hope to god that, if Brown becomes PM, he doesn't lick cowboy arse quite as much as Blair.

Sky News : The Tough Battle To Get Into Britain

Sky News : The Tough Battle To Get Into Britain
Any Chance of the Tories shutting the hell up about this now?

Only once they lose the election, I suspect, and then move on to a new leader. Sheesh.

XML Feed

Incidentally, if no one's noticed, I've put a link to this blog's XML/RSS feed in my links to the right. So you don't have to remember to visit every time and can be spoonfed the stories I find, the stuff I write and the other things I put into the blog that most likely 0.000 people read. Hell, an average blog probably only gets the writer as its sole reader, so this ain't out of the ordinary. Though, I have noticed some hits coming from search engines (one for gay schoolboy stories!) that never really seem appropriate for what I'm doing here.

Still, I know Monkey75 has read it. Once. Or twice. So that makes this blog ABOVE average!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=2491

CNN.com - Berlusconi under pressure on Iraq - May 3, 2005

CNN.com - Berlusconi under pressure on Iraq - May 3, 2005
There was 90% popular opposition to Italy taking part and now it looks as if those in government are crumbling. Much like the coalition in general, with Hungary and Poland and Spain withdrawing.

Of course, it's highly likely that this sort of thing will only make headlines in the US if the British did the decent thing and pulled out in time for the end of the UN mandate. I think this would reduce violence and let Iraq settle down to itself. I only want a phased withdrawal but I think it has to happen.

Gallup: 50% of Americans Now Say Bush Deliberately Misled Them on WMDs

Gallup: 50% of Americans Now Say Bush Deliberately Misled Them on WMDs

And yet the fool was re-elected!

Go figure...

Proof Blair was told war could be ruled illegal

Proof Blair was told war could be ruled illegal
Blair didn't want to hear it.

Some scripts

Just posting some material from last month that didn't get performed in the end. I like them, though.


"Making Thinroads"

RACHEL HUNTER COMES ON STAGE.

HUNTER: Hello there, I'm Rachel Hunter and welcome to “Make me a Supermodel”. This is the show where young, thin, young, female, thin and...thin ladies compete for a lucrative modelling contract. We're going to be at least as strict as we would be in the real modelling world so watch out ladies! Ok, first up is Daisy.

A WIRE COATHANGER WITH A BLOUSE HANGING ON IT COMES ON STAGE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE COATHANGER IS HANGING FROM ITSELF BUT SOMEONE DOES HAVE TO CARRY/PUSH THIS ON.

HUNTER: OK, Daisy. Now you've been on a photo shoot with the rest of the girls and we've had a look at the results. I've got to say, the camera does seem to add a few pounds on to you. One too many cafe mochas, would that be?[PAUSE] Ah, the enigmatic type. Fine. Well, what I'd suggest if you really want to be a supermodel is watch that weight, get some discipline with what you eat and..for god's sake try to avoid the fate of so many hopefuls; of ending up as just another quick fix replacement car aerial.

LIGHTS OUT.

END.

Song spoof:

TO THE TUNE OF TONY CHRISTIE'S AMARILLO.

(Verse)
Went to get a new phone,
It's got that crazy frog ringtone,
I can play some games and,
Listen to songs by my fav'rite band,
I can email my mum,
I can text rude words,
But there's just one problem,
I think is so absurd,

(Chorus)
Show me the way the make a phone call,
The bloke in Carphone Warehouse knows fuck all,
Just wanna make a bloody phone call,
To sweet Marie who waits for me,
Show me the way the make a phone call,
Customer services made me bawl,
Crying cos I simply can't call,
My sweet Marie or anyone,
(MAYBE SHOUT “3G” WHEN MUSIC DOES THE BAH BAH AT THE END OF THE BELOW “LA LAS”)
Sha la la la la la la X3
How the hell does this thing work?

(Verse)
Look my phone is ringing,
That sweety chick is singing,
When I try to pick up,
I will always get the same hiccup
It can open tin cans,
Show my Horoscope,
But the flaw in this plan,
Makes me lose all hope,

(Chorus)
Show me the way the make a phone call,
The bloke in Carphone Warehouse knows fuck all,
Just wanna make a bloody phone call,
To sweet Marie who waits for me,
Show me the way the make a phone call,
Customer services made me bawl,
Crying cos I simply can't call,
My sweet Marie or anyone,

Sha la la la la la la X3
How the fuck does this thing work?
Sha la la la la la la X3
What's so great about 3G?
(End)


"The BBCheap"

V/O ANNOUNCER: and now on BBC 1, Strictly Dance Fever!

A BIT OF MUSIC AND THEN A MAN IN A BROWN OVERCOAT SHUFFLES ON STAGE, HE IS QUITE OLD. STRONG COCKNEY ACCENT.

MAN: Alright? Dave's the name. I knows you were probably wanting that glittery bloke off Channel 4 but we've had some cutbacks y'see. Thousands of jobs gone and they thought Mr..Mr Norton was a bit pricey. They got the freebees off 'im on Comic Relief, though, eh. Heh heh...Yeah, so this is Strictly Dance Fever. Like the set, eh? Bloody marvellous. Amazing what you can do with a used birthday card and a stuffed womble toy. Cor! Now we were gonna have 12 contestants on the show but we could only afford two. And they're me mates. Come on Smithy, you an'all, Sandra.

SMITHY AND SANDRA COME ON STAGE. THEY'RE PRETTY SKANKY.

MAN: Now these two are gonna compete to see who you like the best. Now we were gonna have a series of this shit but we thought, nah, no point, so we're gonna have 10 minutes dancing and then you lot vote on £2 a second premium rate number to vote for the best. Gotta pay for me taxi home, y'know.

THE STAGE LIGHTS FLICKER THEN GO OUT.

MAN: Oh, bloody 'ell! Anyone got shrapnel for the meter?

END.

MediaGuardian.co.uk | Broadcast | Row as BBC cuts Bafta speech

MediaGuardian.co.uk | Broadcast | Row as BBC cuts Bafta speech
Must say I was very pleased to see this excellent documentary win major TV awards. I am also not in the least bit surprised that this speech was cut entirely. But his point is entirely correct. When journalists, especially broadcast journalists, extrapolate consequences and expand ideas from slivers of fact that is when irresponsibility creeps in and we get a very warped message of the true threat to "the nation".

Why We Fight

Why We Fight
A superb documentary.

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Pope John Paul II dies in Vatican

BBC NEWS World Europe Pope John Paul II dies in Vatican

A shining example of pure religious zeal

My assessment of the pope.

He was a shining example of pure religious zeal. And a marvellous example of the deep flaws the church has never really rooted out.

He naturally spoke out forcefully against atheist communism, but only once he was safely in Rome as Pope was anything more than an agitant.

Catholic doctrine rather than Christianity

He allowed the scandalous cover up of paedophile priests which cost the church money and incalculable damage to its reputation. He pushed Catholicism into Africa and (perhaps relative to its anti-contraception rule) witnessed the fastest spread of AIDS anywhere in the world in that wretched continent.

He did not so much stick rigidly to Christianity as to Catholic doctrine. The abortion, contraception, the unmarried/celibate priests, the anti-gay stuff, the canonisation of Mother Theresa (who didn't attempt to treat the sick, merely gave them a place to die - a commonly misunderstood fact) and other such highly objectionable stances were sourced from Catholicism in large part.

A man of peace

For my particular theological position, you can read it in the Anada archive and in Digital Spy (quick google search should do it). In short, I'm a fully paid up atheist.

That all said, he was, without question, a man of peace - although, his affect on the real world to establish peace cannot exactly be described as profound. During his time in office, more Catholic countries than ever before have been embroiled in wars (civil and cross-border) and turmoil (such as brutal dictatorships). Italy, itself, was wracked with corruption for at least a decade of his office but then we have Guatamala, Columbia, Ecuador, Panama, the Philipines, Argentina, Chile and so on all suffered despite the Pope's countless windowsill speeches.

But no, he was a man who passionately loved peace and sought to keep peace at the top of the world agenda - as do I (although, he had a bit more clout than I). He was a man who inspired his Catholic followers in clear ways but whether this was simply because he turned up rather than sipping wine in his golden palace is another matter.

What good did he do?

In the real world, and I think this is the only angle from which a non-Catholic can have any interest in judging him, I still have to ask what good did he actually do?

The sole answer I can conjure is in inspiring Solidarity in Poland. This was a Catholic-driven grass routes workers movement which formed just months after the new Pope's first visit to his homeland. It slowly reached a critical mass whilst the Polish communist government simultaneously withered and eventually, a bloodless handover of power from the communists to democracy (and a Solidarity government) took place. Now, this was good but how fundamental was Solidarity's (and, therefore, the Popes inspiration) existance to the tearing down of Poland's Red government? Had this happened out of the blue and in absolute isolation then I would have said "very". But, let's face it, Communism was doomed from the mid-80s and the Iron Curtain was due to fall anyway. Communism had eaten itself alive - the Communist (not Marxist) experiment had been shown to have a finite lifespan, more finite than even the West had guessed - and so Solidarity, it could be argued, was simply there to fill the vacuum. This in itself was good too, as many Eastern Bloc states did not have this comfy sofa of a back-up government to fall into, post-Communism. So for this, the Pope could rightly be given credit.

He was more Catholic than all the clergy put together and doubled

I am never one for eulogies of someone given simply because they are recently deceased. Just because they are dead, their faults and achievements survive still in equal measure.

One thing you cannot criticise him for is any kinks in his faith. The man was cut through with Catholicism. He was more Catholic than all the clergy put together and doubled. And in many ways he was the perfect example of a head of a church. Dedicated, passionate, intelligent, energetic and driven by faith and nothing else.

I have already outlined where this clashed with the real world but that is an argument not so much with the man as with the doctrine. He was not the first and he won't be the last to follow it so what I take issue with is the doctrine itself.

So I listen to many people spreading messages on radio such as "without John Paul II the map of Eastern Europe would be very different today" - nonsense. And we hear various representatives of other faiths paying their respects. Fine. And we hear hours and hours of coverage of this long expected event. I now look forward to seeing who the next Pope will be. Until then, what else is there to say?

New Torture Memo Implicates Top US General + Powell sort of apologises

New Torture Memo Implicates Top US General

Colin Powell only now feeling uneasy about the US's pre-war behaviour. Bit late, mate.

General suggesting techniques that, shock horror, we saw in US prison camps but yet he claims he never gave permission for them to be used. Hmmm.

FOXNews.com - Politics - Fifty-Nine Ex-U.S. Diplomats Oppose Bolton

FOXNews.com - Politics - Fifty-Nine Ex-U.S. Diplomats Oppose Bolton

It virtually goes without saying that this plea (as sensible as it is) will go unheeded. It's not like it's the first time a collective if experts has proclaimed abhorrence at a Bush policy or decision.

USATODAY.com - Bush approval slips to 45%, lowest of his presidency

USATODAY.com - Bush approval slips to 45%, lowest of his presidency

It took twice as long to get this unpopular in his first term. Hmmm...America regretting its decision?

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | US to sell fighters to Pakistan

BBC NEWS World South Asia US to sell fighters to Pakistan
Of course, the US is not really selling them to Pakistan, it is buying them from the arms industry for Pakistan. The US is providing over $3bn dollars in aid to this dictatorship which has already wriggled out of blame for its top scientist providing nuclear technology to Iran.

In many ways it has echos with Iraq and Iran and how they were played by the US. Saddam was considered and ally and helped militarily. Then he turned bad. Admittedly, India is far from an enemy from the US but clearly has little respect from Bush, otherwise this decision may, at the very least, have been arrived at in consultation with them. Musharaf is a dictator, an ally and is recieving more in military aid than some countries' entire GDP.

I hope that this repetition of such a risky and purely pragmatic strategy does not end up in yet more blowback for the US and the world.

Like all dictatorships, we see plenty of this - for more detail you should click here.

Still, as with Saudi, Kuwait, Panama (in the 80s) and Uzbekistan, the US says good words but you can always tell a lot about someone by who their friends are. And what they do with people in Guantanamo Bay, of course.

Wow, I'm writing!!

I'm actually writing again! It just happened. I sat down and in two days I have about 6 sketches, which have already gone to the Treason Show. The script editor just invited me to send stuff to the Newsrevue as well, so we'll see where that takes me. I really love writing and it is ball crushingly frustrating when I can't get ideas flowing.

So, I'll put some of the better scripts up here once they've been picked out by the editors. Even if they don't get used (I'm up against something like 60 writers) then I'll still put the best ones up.

Bit stuck now for a sketch but I do wanna write something tonight. Better go, having a ding dong on Digital Spy forums with Monkey75 (what a pro-war card he is, very droll, but not so often with me, for some reason).

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel confirms settlement growth

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel confirms settlement growth

The simple truth is that if Israel had the slightest interest in peace where both sides win they would not be doing this. It's insanity of the most inexcusable kind.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | Blair's case for war questioned

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Panorama | Blair's case for war questioned Stunned? Me? Not in the least...

What I don't know...

Hmm, I sometimes forget that I can have opinions, opine until I start repeating myself, but I am shamefully low in a lot of knowledge many I look up to take for granted.

Sure, I had a brief bit of Latin at school, I have a smattering of Spanish, I know something of history, geography and sociology. I have a deep interest in psychology and communications media. I have a passive interest in cosmology and physics.

But I know very little about the technical nitty gritty of computers, HTML, classical literature, political history, art, poetry, anthropology, biology and many other topics.

In non-UK and US current affairs I really feel undone. I really know nothing of what goes on in South America, the Far East, Africa or..or..well you get the idea.

It boils down to the fact I am not the fastest reader in the world and I work about 70 hours a week. I don't mean my lips move when I read, I mean I simply read in such a way that means I don't need to reread it (it all goes in).

I am also so skint that buying a broadsheet paper on a daily basis is impossible and reading that sort of stuff on the internet is much much more time consuming.

So I'm left with simple gut reactions to things. I try to be detached but I largely rest my responses to subjects on the principle I outlined in earlier posts.

What set this little...thing off? I saw an "around the world in 80 seconds" segment on Fox News!! I, in my smug little way, thought typical Fox, devoting 80 pitiful seconds to non-American stories, how ill informed is the American public? But then they reported on protests in South Korea against Japan because there is some longrunning Falklands-style dispute between the two countries over some islands. Didn't know that. I would probably never have known that if I hadn't tuned into Fox News at that time. Scary. This sort of incident is a wakeup call and no mistake. If I need to tune into Fox News to fill in some knowledge blanks I REALLY need to get me some reading done, urgently.

I've also notice my spelling has drifted to the depths of a 10 year old. I don't know why, I just find myself totally unable to spell words I know for a fact I have used before. If it was CJD I would not be surprised. I was something of a cheeseburger addict 10 or 15 yearsago...

So, aside from this lack of varied knowledge, an everdiminishing spelling facility and a lack of creative juices (see, used lack twice in one sentence, similies are too much to generate!) this blog should be crammed to the rafters with insightful, high quality writing. Enjoy!!

Ah..christ.

A battle the Neo-cons lost...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4354269.stm

This report tells a very important story. Nevermind that Big Oil won out over "mental neo-cons" just look at who the neo-cons are and what they wanted to do. It really is scary.

All Change - stay tuned

Well, I'm finding it increasingly hard to write, especially now that I have become a freelance photographer. So, with that in mind, I doubt I shall add any posts to this blog for around six months. Once I do, I shall reveal who I am and start publicising my work - Pets and kids portraits welcome, sort of thing - and showing my favourite pics on this blog.

Should I ever write anything else - and hopefully, once I'm established, I will - I'll put it up here.

So, to the reader of this blog (I can't believe there's any more) hold tight until I'm settled down.

I may add thoughts on events here, so don't assume this blog will be blank for six months.

A catch up on events

It seems I have to be tanked up on spirits and cola to have any writing impulse these days so, as I am currently half cut on said concoction, here I am.

You can't imagine how creatively constipated I have been. I have been so busy that I have been unable to concentrate on anything long enough to even be passionate enough to comment on huge stories. It also makes me slightly uneasy at the vague potential prospect that I have to be drunk to be creative. I see so many alcoholics and see how tired and wasted they are. I don't want to have to be fucked up to write.That would be more than depressing.

I'll get on to the tsunami in a second. Blunkett's affair really seems minimal now but it has been event I was never particularly animated about even before we lost a further 124,000 poor people in the tsunami. I don't really feel Blunkett had a serious upward route in politics left and he was really nicking ideas from America most of the time in his role. Although, I think the fact that the US hasn't even seen it fit to create an ID card scheme shows how relatively pointless it is. If the US (the bullseye of terrorist targets) hasn't even begun to countenance it that why should we? I don't have a principalled stand against ID cards I just want to have a damn fine argument why they are essential.

OK, I think I can move on to the tsunami. It is a disaster that would not have been as bad had these countries been richer than we allowed them to be. The psychological damage done to individuals must be huge and this is what affects me most. The random and sudden death, largely based on chance and the heart breaking "what if"s that produces (what if I'd held on to her/him, what if I'd not missed the bus etc.) really gets to me.

I hope this historical disaster has a real effect on the soul of the rich world. I hope it (in dreadful ironic pun) causes a seachange in the developed world's thinking of how the world works. I just hope it doesn't smother the larger poverty campaign being co-ordinated this year. I hope those behind it are astute enough to use this disaster as a tool to push this broader agenda. I want to wish them the best of luck.

A interesting thing to do is look at coverage of the disaster on TV and see that all 24 hour news channels have virtually wall to wall coverage except Fox. Surprise surprise, Fox was all about Iraq, Bush and Law and Order. As I type, Fox is adjudicating the biggest News Stories of 2004 as being the election and Iraq above the tsunami. They have said that basically, the tsunami "may" beat the latter two as the biggest story!!! Come On!. This beats 9/11! This should be called the Boxing Day disaster and be referred to it as such like 9/11 is refered to. Then again, the commentator on Fox just said that Reagan was one of the "seminal thinkers of the 20th century". Jesus H Christ. John Kasich on Fox just tried to imply that the Florida hurricanes and the tsunami were possibly hinting at the end times. Jesus H Christ!! It really is staggering such tossers get on to mainstream TV in America. But the fact that CNN, ABC and NBC news are really looking at the Boxing Day Disaster so intensely is heartening.

Happy New Year.

It's a rough time

Busy, tired all the time and unemployed is not what you want in the run up to Christmas. It's also not want you want if you want to write. I currently have difficulty typing accurately due to tiredness and a worryingly unfocussed mind. So this is a brief post. If it was any longer I'd miss typing errors, so knackered am I. :(

Sky+

I'm getting Sky+. Should I be fortunate enough to have snagged any non-British eyes to this rather substandard blog, Sky+ can be explained better than I can by visiting http://www.sky.com

I have been getting more and more bored with TV and being able to choose from more channels and being able to record better is also a boon, together with easy DIY upgrading of the hard drive for a few pounds. So, I'm gonna give it a go. Wish me luck!

Hostettler mounting campaign to change the name of Interstate 69

Hostettler mounting campaign to change the name of Interstate 69 Only in America, dude, seriously.

We're a creature of three levels and they ruin our lives,
What we are, what we show and what we want in our lives,
We want to be seen as calm and true and happy souls,
But we're really insecure and lose sight of our goals

We ignore our selves at the cost of happiness,
The image of it's easier even if you're a mess,
In truth, we hate ev'ryone including ourselves,
But we never admit this, whoever delves

We're our own locusts,
Feasting on our own feast,
Burying our own lusts,
Trapping our own beast

The surface is a sham whoever you may be,
What's the point of "liking" a rich celebrity?,
We're all caked in lies and pretence like stage makeup,
We compress the real selves only crises rake up,

We're our own locusts,
Feasting on our own feast,
Burying our own lusts,
Trapping our own beast

We aim for popularity, success and love,
But then we sacrifice them in life's push and shove,
Preachers and mentors try to give them back to us,
But we all know what they're game is, they're after us

We're our own locusts,
Feasting on our own feast,
Burying our own lusts,
Trapping our own beast.

(c) Schoolboy 2004.

You blew it Kerry - Just as I thought you would.

I had written a piece but then it got deleted before I could publish so this will be a little rehashing of it.

"Kerry was the wrong man. About as charismatic as a rheumatoidal filing clerk."


I never supported Kerry, I just didn't support Bush. Kerry fucked up this election like no one else could. The Democrats fucked it up.

This was always an election for Kerry to lose rather than for Bush to win. Bush has his 48 million Christian evangelical idiots to vote for him but Kerry made so many mistakes it's hard to know where to begin.


"Bush was elected not on issues...Simply on gut fear."


Firstly, Kerry was the wrong man. About as charismatic as a rheumatoidal filing clerk.

Then you have all these targets he barely touched upon: The millions in lost jobs, the millions living on food handouts, the millions without healthcare, the deficit etc. He allowed Bush to hype his "war president" message. He allowed Bush to get away with consistent distortions of pretty much every issue.

"They accepted Bush (as did Kerry) declaring that the "American people know I have a plan" without stating what the damn plan IS."

Bush was elected not on issues, not on whether he's any good or not. Simply on gut fear. Fear of change, fear of terrorism and fear of the unknown. They accepted Bush (as did Kerry) declaring that the "American people know I have a plan" without stating what the damn plan is. Kerry failed to tell the voters who he was. He was insincere (pretending to be pro-gun, for instance) and just not a good match for the electorate.

Bush was perfect at speaking in general, simplistic, convicted terms. It didn't matter if he was right or wrong he knew what he thought. That was basically the only attraction to Americans.

He underused Edwards and they just weren't ruthless enough against the most ruthless election machine in history that Rove has constructed.

"He is free to select Supreme Court judges the average Brit would scarcely believe."

Kerry also massively fucked up in concentrating almost entirely on the swing states and leaving those that subsequently switched from Gore to Bush in this election to themselves. Bush, through his media friends and spinners, has bombarded the entire country with propaganda about terrorism and the like so much so that Kerry strongly underestimated how this had affected people's judgments across even formerly Democrat states. In a country so ignorant that 40% of people still think Iraq was behind 9/11, where virtually no one knows where Iraq is, where over a third of of under 25s think Italy, Japan and Germany were allies in WWII this propaganda sinks a lot deeper than it would in Britain.

Time and again, you speak to an average American and they'll spout the now stock oneliners Bush has dripped into their minds "with us or against us", "war on terror", "we are a beacon of freedom" and other complete myths.

So now Bush is free to run the country into the ground to bed the US into a virtually permanent and pointless state of war. He is free to select Supreme Court judges the average Brit would scarcely believe, and he is free to set up the nation for either a Jeb vs Clinton or Rice vs Clinton 2008 race. Or maybe we'll see some other race. But I see death, destruction, waste and further poverty for millions of Americans and the world.

If Bush is assassinated I wouldn't be surprised. After all, pretty much the only people on earth who do not wish him gone from the Whitehouse are the 60 million Americans who voted for him. Other than them basically the 6bn other people on the planet feel differently. Probably more enemies than any assassinated president ever had. Hope it doesn't happen, but then it's not up to me. I think it would be the worst outcome imaginable but, sadly, a far from impossible one. Given the unprecendented depth of hatred in certain parts of the world.

CBS News | Even Republicans Fear Bush | October 31, 2004�14:23:31

CBS News | Even Republicans Fear Bush | October 31, 2004�14:23:31

Every American should read this article. It may then have an effect on the election in my opinion.

FAIR MEDIA ADVISORY: If Only They Had Invented the Internet

FAIR MEDIA ADVISORY: If Only They Had Invented the Internet

This is the sort of weakness many members of the media on both sides of the Atlantic. Both parties play the game, of course. That is, Kerry and Bush. Now journalists expect to be spinned to but why do they seem so naive as to barely question if they are being outright lied to?

Answers on a postcard please...

What's going on?

I intend to embark on a bit of question asking and look back over recent history to figure out why the hell has world politics (with the notable exception of some European countries) swung so far to the right?

It would be a relatively simple matter to analyse if this was purely a US phenomenon in isolation but this is not the case. If you look at where Eastern Europe is going, where France is leaning and Italy plus Australia, New Zealand, Southern America and, one might even say, China you see a definite patter of right-wing governments claiming and keeping power.

I've got say here and now that I do not consider myself left-wing - as a non-party member of any group and a non-politician I have real problems with labels like this - I certainly can put my hand on my refried heart and say I am not right-wing. To me, the right-wing world view is profoundly illogical. It struggles consistently to balance the mutually exclusive notions of liberty and conformity. They wish for near perfect social conformity but also wish for individual freedom (small government) which is an impossible mix. And those "libertarian" right-wingers have an even more illogical world view which relies largely on some phantom innate trustworthiness on behalf of profit-making companies. The simple fact is that neither of these approaches is workable in the long-term or makes much sense.

I, on the other hand, don't subscribe to a philosophy as such. I merely start from an atheist standing start and work from there. The next step is to say individuals and any institutions should treat others in the same manner they would wish to be treated themselves. Any transgression of this should be disapproved of at best and outright prevented and criminalised at worst. This social framework is what, I believe, government is designed to form and maintain on behalf of the electorate. Is this such an unworkable platform to form a world view? I don't think so.

As government is an instrument of the people's will, this fact will inevitably affect a government's policies but, frankly, I would have thought that if there was a consensus on the above stated purpose of government in society then the policies favoured would only serve to further that aim. Let's apply what I am thinking to specific instances. In terms of sexuality, in my opinion government and everyone else should continue to treat every straight, gay, bi person as they would wish to be treated themselves. Being gay does not forfeit your right to this. So, government's role in this area is to ensure that every citizen respects this right. As transgressions of this right can affect employment and profoundly affect someone's quality of life there must be legislation that ensures that no one will be treated badly simply on the basis of their sexuality. This would be the same for all forms of discrimination on the grounds of an unchosen aspect of an individual's identity.

The right-wing mentality has it that we should dictate as little as possible to companies what they can and can't do yet individuals should be brow-beaten into living a 2.4 children nuclear family lifestyle as closely as possible. Individuals should be prevented from having sex at 16 if they're gay but not if they're straight. Huh? This is not the actions or policy of a government treating people like they would wish to be treated.

So onto this phenomenon which has crept up on us across the world. Now, of course, a large part of the blame has to be laid at the Socialists' doors. They have failed in many countries to run the nation properly. And this fact cannot be ducked. As I am not a socialist I think socialism, too, is lacking in logic in swathes of their thinking. Nationalising everything is not the panacea they claim, for one.

But in large part, the Right has risen of its own accord. It has, almost simultaneously, found a way of shaping the public's minds to their world view by, in many cases, hijacking truth and beating into such a pulp you only see small traces of it beneath the damage inflicted on it by spin and lies. For evidence of this, witness the credit for election wins by right-wing or right-leaning politicians being heaped upon their spin-masters. Karl Rove, Alastair Campbell, Lynton Crosby (Oz prime minister John Howard's Karl Rove) and the like are the real forces behind the rise of the right and the shaping of people's increasing tendency to spray right-wing deodorant over the stench of societies' problems.

As these people, by definition, have tentacles deep within the media machinery they can plant stories, influence vocabulary and the agenda of the press in such a way that the people simply don't realise their opinions are being changed. A fantastic example of this is the staggering number of US citizens (over a third) that still think Saddam Hussein was directly responsible for 9/11. That fact really says it all, as far as I'm concerned.

Another example of this is the increasing use of the phrase "tax relief" - a phrase the right always uses - which even anti-tax cut people find themselves being suckered into using. Now you don't need to tell me that that phrase has very significant connotations. You also have this interesting notion that rights are held to ransom with the prices being "responsibility". This is the phenomenon where politicians say "we aren't going to let you fully realise a basic right until you start taking some responsibility". If it is a right then "taking responsibility" in a related area should not be a pre-requisite for receiving this right. It is a right, not something earned from lawmakers if we're "good" people. What they are referring to is a privilege not a right.

Then again, the whole "war on terror" thing is completely and entirely a concoction of spin. It is an utter fantasy. When they could have approached 9/11 with an air that these are sad and desperate religious fanatics who are not a formal organisation nor a threat that can ever even dint western society, they decided to actually legitimise these idiots by giving them the "war" they so wanted. They are an fully fledged "enemy", rather than simply some nasty mosquitos to be swatted by the twin tools of the FBI and CIA. This is utter madness and far exceeds the real life situation. Thousands of per cent the number of those who have and will die from terrorism this decade die every year from violent crime and drunk driving in America alone. Are tens of billions spent on combating this? No.

And this is why so many people think there has to be another reason for this "war on terror". When you look, you see the neo-cons with their Straussian myth-making history (witness the non-existent threat from the Soviets hyped by them in the 70s to being an "evil empire") and you see the vested interests blanketing the pentagon and White House. Look at Dick Cheney's wife -a board member of Lockheed Martin from 1997 until 2001. Look at George Bush's dad, an employee of the Carlyle Group - a company heavily involved in the arms industry - until only about 6 months ago. This has never happened before, where so many conflicts of interest have been allowed without an outcry and barely any reporting. I haven't even mentioned Cheney's Halliburton connections - Halliburton apparently traded with Iraq during the sanctions period - http://www.truthout.org/docs_01/02.23D.Cheney.Circumvented.htm .

So what's going on? Of course, it's not like these countries have never been right-wing before. They have had conservative/Conservative governments and so on. But these have previously been of a notably different flavour. They have been somewhat less coated in a snooker-ball hard veneer of ideology that countenances no moderation. Even Thatcher had Hesletine, Clarke and Hurd in her cabinet. In Labour in the UK, the noted left-wingers have slowly left of their own accord as the government has gone on. Short, Meacher, Field, Robin Cook all left for numerous reasons. This cabinet is now full of Blairites with a sprinkling of Brownites.

Of course, I'm no expert in world politics but I know when I see a trend. In Italy, you have a very different political system and culture - and, of course, history - which has seen dictatorship and wild swings from virtual communism through to virtual fascism within a few years. Now we have a person who practically owns the nation's media and is the richest Italian in the country now also prime minister of the country. Despite this, due to the old footbrake of proportional representation, he has to share power with a ragbag of right-wing parties, each with some frightening and some moderate views. But Berlusconi's initial offering of a gay-hating, woman suppressing man as EU Justice Commissioner - where he must oversee human rights implementation - kinda shows where he's coming from. Yet he has been the most long-serving premier the country has seen since Mussolini. Italy went through a long neutered period of constantly changing prime ministers and deadlocked government which allowed the Mafia to thrive. Then years of ridding the country of such corruption (at least as far as Italy's concerned, it certainly wouldn't meet British standards of a corruption free system) has finally resulted in relatively stable government, though a far from blistering economy. Still, as the selling of the defence part of an Italian government-owned engineering company to Carlyle shows, there are real ties to the US administration which suggests why Berlusconi went into Iraq with them.

I'm afraid that I can't really go much further than to say that it does appear to be a mixture of interconnected interests, tactics and aims that have brought nations round to a right-wing angle but I must say I have not forgotten that Bush lost the popular vote and that there are still many millions of people in each country who have not been seduced. I can only hope that more people see through the right-wing folly and begin to throw them out. A good place to start, of course, would be Bush.

BBC NEWS | World | South Asia | Afghan vote boycott creates turmoil

BBC NEWS World South Asia Afghan vote boycott creates turmoil

So we see how hard it really is to force democracy on a never democratic country. A democracy invades a tyranny and we get this complete and utter mess. Deaths daily, a country so unstable the unelected president can only venture outside the capital once to campaign and then the election process itself brings about a massive candidate boycott. Let's hear Bush brag about this.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq war illegal, says Annan

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq war illegal, says Annan

About bloody time he said this. I think if any does know then he should! I've been saying this since the invasion began.

Things better for me, God knows about the rest.

Well, at last I get broadband and I also get a laptop and digital camera. And a job. And a car. And prospects and I start writing scripts again. It's all going on.

That said. Into the world, which this blog is more about than anything else, and things are getting worse. The media constantly banging on about rapist lottery winners and dodgy vaccinations and the like. Then look at the state of Iraq and Blair suggesting they treat the unelected Prime Minister of Iraq (who was put into power after an illegal invasion) as guest of honour at the Labour party conference!

Utterly astonishing. The good news in the US is that there appears to be a growing groundswell of people trying their damndest to stop Bush getting elected. Michael Moore, of course, pulling out all the stops. Releasing the DVD of Farenheit 9/11 and a book of supportive letters from US servicemen just before the election cannot fail but have an effect. Plus, the other campaign groups involved quite diverse public figures provides some hope.

Make no mistake, this Bush administration (especially a certain Karl Rove ) is a dark and ruthless one. Hence the very suspicious anti-Kerry ads causing Kerry to file a complaint. Problem is, once they're out, they're out.

More consistent enrichment of the oil companies in the $49 barrel. They are making obscene profits on this. The value of which sometimes equates to several countries' entire government budgets.

Here is more dodginess: http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6776.htm

Never mind the collosal amounts of book cooking going on in the Pentagon anyway: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/05/18/MN251738.DTL

Sheesh.

It's late...Bed for me.

Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | PM admits graves claim 'untrue'

Guardian Unlimited Politics | Special Reports | PM admits graves claim 'untrue'

So Blair has not only sexed up the WMD claims "in good faith" but also the known and provable atrocities. Can we get just one straight fact about Iraq from this man?

The spinning of truth, the hyping of third-hand estimates and "evidence" continues so that Blair can cling on to some figleaf of "justification" for this illegal and still deadly invasion.

Also, you may have missed it that the provisional Iraqi PM has allegedly shot 6 prisoners with his own gun "to prove a point". Nice.

Go to http://www.informationclearinghouse.info to find a link to the story and further background on Allawi.

The Happy Coat

A mad, nonsense (in the Lewis Carroll sense) rhyming story I wrote
when bored at work a few months back. For any US readers who may not
have come across the phrase "Am Dram", it means Amateur Dramatics -
i.e. amateur theater.

--------------------

The Happy Coat

Pam the Am Dram fan who did plays about spam walked past a shop for
fops with chopped poptarts in the window. She sighed as she spied her
dyed hair (a colour shared with Cher and the hair bear bunch)
reflected in the window. She hated that her mate had over rated the
stuff when she stated she'd bought a crate if it.

She was feeling down, looking down at her brown shoes, which cost a
pound and made her feet bark like hounds. Then she saw a store with
more than she bargained for. A big coat with a note, on which was
wrote "Stoat lovers should gloat wearing this dead cheap coat". I love
stoats and weasels squealed Pam who's mind reeled at the deal.

She went in and binned the thin tin shinguard she was wearing and
spinned her yarn about farms, barns and stoats. She got the coat and
she did gloat like a boat with a new coat of paint. She was happy.

Time went by in units I can't rhyme and by the time she was in her
prime her mime act had got her sacked and the odds were stacked
against her. The fact was the coat she backed was lacking the knack to
help her crack a smile. So she sold the old coat, folded in a jelly
mould, to a bold soldier with a cold. He was Stan, a man with a Gran
who ran an african bran shop in Oman. His cold began when another man
sneezed on his flan and ran away. He was miffed that he'd felt iffy
and had sniffed and coughed for days. But the coat made him happy.

He loved his coat so much it shoved Doves off the number one spot
(second was crop tops on top popstars). His coat made him feel blest
and he tested how rested he would feel if he nested in bed in it. It
made him smile, feeling nine miles high but then he got piles.

Out of work and realising he'd been a berk he had to shirk the coat.
Thrown away, the coat swayed an amazed radio ham (who wrote plays
about spam) who was passing and was a massive bluegrass fan. As it was
Christmas he passed it off as a crass present for Cass, his last
girlfriend. She was depressed cause she'd messed up a dress in a
trouser press with excess pressure. She took the coat cause it looked
like one in a book. A crooked duke in this book had worn it to spook
his cook, who's cooking was puke, but died in a fluke hook accident.
Cass was happy.

Later, she dated and estate agent and his mate in a spate of dates she
hated. She wasn't well, she felt like hell and felt like she'd been
pelted by melted egg shells. She put the coat on Ebay, saying it was a
ray of light, in spite of the way she hated it. And there it stays to
this day waiting until they want it. Constantly reposted on Ebay for
days and days and days.

If you're sad or feeling bad because of some cad or lad you had the
hots for, this coat might make you happy. But not for long.

Farenheit 9/11

OK, so I finally got to see Michael Moore's latest opus and it was, as a
film, not quite as good as Bowling for Columbine but the content and the
power was definitely there.

I have researched Bush quite a bit and can confidently vouch for every fact
presented in F9/11. Few facts presented were not already known to me but it
is important that a film, or some other mainstream media channel, clearly
bound them all together to show people why Bush has got to go and the
methods he'll use to stop himself from being kicked out.

I'm not one to post my flag on a commentators like Michael Moore. I only
link to his site because it is accessible and full of facts and stories
worth knowing. Moore the man does not interest me in the least. His approach
is a little too overtly manipulative but his points are very valid. I'm and
atheist and find it gratifying that a committed Catholic can come to very
similar world view conclusions to mine using a wholly different route.

If you want some sober, even more well researched and even more cogent
arguments try Gore Vidal, Noam Chomsky and their ilk.

If you want to see what many Republicans think of Bush, try reading some
Republican internet magazines, you'll find senior Republicans are very
worried about what Bush is doing.

Look at the many former US and UK diplomats vocally and jointly protesting,
the former CIA, military and FBI men screaming until they're hoarse about
the shocking, appalling things the administration has done, both policywise
and in how they run the government.

What was important in F9/11 was in how he demonstrated that the Patriot Act
and the massive military budget increases and the illegal wars Bush has
started are not and never were to do with safeguarding the American in the
street. National Security does not need the Patriot Act.
The cutbacks on policing and border patrol, the cutbacks on veteran and
serving military personnel benefits and pay that Bush wanted - and sometimes
pushed through - shows you this. The fact that the Bush administration
reportedly wants to collapse Iran's government shows how expansive their
ambitions are. They don't want to set up a friendly government for the "sake
of the Iranians", they want to secure the oil and make sure the Middles East
as far as possible, toes the US line under threat of their now substantial
military presence.

We cannot allow Bush to continue this way. His Neo-con slimeballs are going
to wreck not only America but huge swathes of the world (and that's not
counting the suicidal environmental policies) if they are allowed to
continue for another 5 years. I urge you to see F9/11 if only to see a good
film. But it must have some affect on you. My girlfriend felt physically
sick with fear and anger after seeing it.

Rant over. :)

Incidentally, the still is from the CG company who made the Sprite. Glassworks: www.glassworks.co.uk 

This is a still from one of my favourite adverts on TV at the moment. It's for Sprite but the whole concept and the execution of the CG sprite is beautiful to behold. He's one of the cutest "grotesques" I've ever seen. 

Rain, Rain go way!

This summer has been utter crap for the weather. I live in the North
East of England and it has rained more than at any time of year I have
ever known.

It makes you think about whether this is significant in regards to
climate or just a rubbish summer. Saved a fortune in car wash bills, I
can tell you!

On another note, I started listening more to Radio 4 for some reason.
I've always known it was a good service but it really is like a TV
channel on the radio. I have a feeling I'm going to be listening more
to it. Never thought I'd say that before I'm 30.

This is done by email so I think this is the best way to post entries
on this blog whilst I'm on dialup. So I should be posting a bit more
regularly very soon.

Propaganda - let's use when it is accurate in ALL circumstances

Michael Moore.com : Mike's Message : Mike's Latest News

Damn good article. Why don't the media label government messages propaganda? Why only critical polemic? I'm not arguing for Michael Moore, I'm just arguing the case of the article. Which, to me, makes complete sense. The media always fall into this lazy trap and it bugs the hell out of me.

Death Blamed on Mushroom

I'm a massive fan of Brass Eye - I've mentioned it at least once on this blog - and I always delight in seeing instances in the media that are pure Brass Eye. The headline above is an example. This is a real headline in the local paper from a few days ago.

I confess, it's mainly local news - TV and Papers - that fall into the B.E. trap but it's always hilarious.

I've just watched the Channel 4 show about the lives and history of camp entertainers and it really brings home to you how fortunes have constantly ebbed and flowed for gay performers and, indeed, gay people. As is usually the case, lesbians were utterly ignored. The fact that they have had to fight much harder to secure any kind of sensible response from the press and public was totally unaddressed. There is still only one lesbian performer high in the public mind, you know who I mean. A rather desultory number when you look at Paul O'Grady, Graham Norton, Dale Winton, Julian Clary, Boy George, Brian Dowling, Matt Lucas, (allegedly) Sean Hughes, etc. who can be reeled off almost subconsciously.

I just discovered Peter Ackroyd (he who authored London, a Biography) is gay. Just one of those things I didn't quite expect. Not that it matters.

But I do really admire Paul o'Grady. Partly because he embodies what TV people should be - themselves - but partly the very clever and disciplined way in which he carved his career. Writing reams of material and catering it at exactly the right level for the audience in hand. This Morning he brought the house down but never got the ITC rapping on their door. On the Big Breakfast he was great but never slipped up and got the tone right their, too, whilst still staying true to the Lilly character.

Now he is just Paul but this generally equates to Lilly sans fishnets. His travelogues are completely honest, not glossy or rye, just "what Paul did when he visited Bangkok/New York/Japan". They are riotously funny but you still don't hate him when he gets into a rant. You just admire that he doesn't give a shit about the cameras and is not ashamed to admit he can be as grumpy as any human mind can conceive at times. But who isn't, at times?

I'm not writing at all at the moment. It's horrible but I'm so full of "get a job, get a job" and "sort this out and that out and get that money" that nothing funny or particularly original can poke through. Some of my unfinished pieces have real potential but I just don't have it at the moment due to all these other pressures. Three interviews next week, so hopefully by the week after you have a new Schoolboy typing at you. Fully employed once more....

Shitty Dial-up!

Haven't blogged properly for a bit. Why? I've been forced onto dial-up. So far I don't know how long but the more I've had broadband, the more the dial-up experience is unbearable.

I'm spoiled, I know. But you just can't be arsed surfing with this sort of speed. It's all you can do to sit and wait for emails to turn up. They take over a minute in themselves!

Anyway, should my circumstances improve, I'll blog more regularly. I can't even face forums as the page load times piss me off so much.

Fingers tightly crossed that my new abode will avail me of broadband. But until then I'm suffering a much curtailed Web experience. Thank God the Internet is not my life or I'd be a gibbering wreck by now.

Of course, meanwhile, loads has happened out there in the world. Iraq is still a bit of a sow's ear and Saudi is finally finding it impossible to fend off terrorists with bribes. High oil, and many other juicy subjects. But my forum and detailed responses will just have to wait until I a) have the time to ponce about on Dial-up or b) get broadband.

BBC NEWS | Business | Petrol prices reach 80p a litre

BBC NEWS | Business | Petrol prices reach 80p a litre

I'm about to buy a car but don't let that worry you. This sort of price will be peanuts in comparison to the price we'll be facing in 20 years time.

You wait. I don't intend to own a car past 2010.

This is really just the start. If I had something to gain from saying this I'd hope you'd ignore this but I don't.

I got a call a few weeks ago from an American cold-caller pretending to have heard that I own shares. He asked when the last time was I had bought stock. I said never (after a second of complete confusion and wondering how to answer). He said, "Your kidding! Really?", (like I'd said I'd never circumcized my child). I said, "yes". And he quickly finished the call. This to me shows what America has become.

Even if I had the spare cash to invest in stocks, the last 24 months persuaded me never to blindly invest cash into stocks as long as I can make out colours. The fact that this "caller" thought it was barely credible that I didn't throw money at the stock market shows where America has gone and how we must think very carefully about how the country's values have been molded. Stocks are a con that the rich and the rich alone benefit from. The poor (i.e. the bottom 50%) have only lost in the last 15 years and the crashes only go to prove this.

Call me a socialist if you want. I merely think that financial advice should be regulated on both directions, not just on investment. Only investment seems to get any kind of regulation (however, half hearted) whilst borrowing (i.e. debt) gets barely a thought. Why? Because it is with debt that corporations really get their profits. It is debt that fuels the economy. That's why there is so much pressure for the ordinary American to risk his earnings and his pension on the roulette of stocks. When he loses his money he has to borrow more to get by (profits result for companies). If he doesn't lose, the money is still "owned" by the corporations for their use.

See, it all makes sense now.

War war warwarwarwarwarwarwar...

So we see two wars started by a megapower continuing. We see politicians pretending things are going in a bearable fashion whilst they try to scrub the public memory of what has gone before.

Let us not forget that America failed in Korea and failed in Vietnam. America now decides to start two more illegal wars and are making a complete hash of it yet again.

Afghanistan is something that the media has generally lost interest in but it is just as hellish as ever. Sure, the Taliban are banished from Kabul (except their former foreign minister who is part of the new unelected government) but they are in control of swathes of country and the rest is largely the domain of warlords. Women are still subject to the usual discrimination over the majority of the country and Afghanistan is once more the number one grower of Westerner-killing heroin. Woo Hoo!

Now we have Rumsfeld (resign, resign) coming to Congress and saying so much rubbish you would think he had taken some form of lie serum. The abuse of Iraqi and Afghan prisoners is clearly not isolated and clearly not something they care too much about. They didn't seem to care until it was about to hit the media.

The one single positive that can be pulled from the current circumstances is that it could bring to an end Bush's frightening, failing and terrible presidency.

Believe me, my fingers are crossed.

I just saw Kevin Eldon walk past me in Holborn today. I was dead chuffed. Haven't seen someone I actually like that's famous in the street for ages. The last vaguely public figure was Lord Robertson, used to run NATO, walking about. I thought it odd that he had no bodyguard but what do I know.

Still, I got a real buzz seeing Kevin wander around. In case you don't have much interest in left-field comedy performers (which will probably be most of you) Kevin Eldon is a regular on shows written by the Baby Cow/Chris Morris clique of actors. He's on normally anything Steve Coogan, Graham Linehan, Armando Iannucci, Peter Baynham, Rob Brydon, Chris Morris, Julia Davis and (when together in the early to late 90s) Lee and Herring did/do. Which, let's face it, is the most exciting set of 90s comedians in the country.

Kevin initially delighted me with the demented Simon, the hobby guy who always accompanied his adventures with a shot of "weak lemon drink". If you asked someone in the street about Kevin Eldon you'd most likely get a blank look but show him a photo and you'd probably get a flash of recognition, even if they wouldn't be able to say what show he was in (he's in so many).

I seriously admire someone who can do such varied characters as the pointlessly jolly, racist kitchen salesman in I'm Alan Partridge, the deliciously creepy Cleaner in Black Books ("Dirty" has never been spoken so well), cuckholded Terry in Nighty Night, and, of course, the innumerable sketch parts in Jam, Brasseye and Big Train. Once my private life settles down I serious hope to write something (more an ambition than anything likely - I'm not demented) that Kevin can be in.

Then I'd know I'm writing something really decent.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | US air strike hits Falluja mosque

Bombing mosques now. Oh boy. The yanks really can't get anything right in the middle east, can they. I have warned for months that this sort of thing was likely and now they bomb a mosque. This will never end if one side doesn't give. The question now remains, Who will cave in and when?

Will we ever see free and fair elections in Iraq? Who can say, but it has never looked very likely.

About Gmail Unexpected and very interesting. I think I'm starting to feel a "bye bye" to my hotmail coming on. I think, however, that it seems rather ambitious to hope that just text ads will pay for this. We'll see on that score...

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/video1/cbs60minskullandbones.rm

Kind of an important CBS 60 minutes episode about Skull and Bones. Considering both Bush and Kerry (and the SEC chairman) are members.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'He is not guilty and he is not innocent'

This story is massively telling. Who is behind this sort of pointless persecution? How high up does this go?

I guess we'll never know.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Pentagon drops chaplain charges

Hmm. What the hell went on here?

Utterly bizaare. Shows how wrong the US military can get it. Raises questions, does it not, about the veracity of their suspicions about the 600 Gitmo detainees?

It seems highly likely that had that chaplain been Catholic or something, he would not have been watched so closely and lept upon by MPs at the slightest thing. It really seems like just a basic distrust of Muslims. Maybe I'm reading too much into that but it's hard to understand how else this whole storm in a teacup could come about.

BBC NEWS | Business | Coke recalls controversial water

You couldn't write this, you really couldn't.

Way to go, Coke.

This is a little poem I wrote about clowns. My girlfriend is shitscared of them so I thought I'd play that up. If you read this really really slowly out loud it is especially creepy. But funny at the end.

White face, big smile, red hair, black heart,
Don’t look, don’t run, don’t stare, eyes dart,

Big flowers, big boots, big hat, no soul,
Crouch down, tremble, felt that, feel cold,

Random, bright clothes, magic, unknown,
Can’t move, lungs tight, feel sick, miss home,

Small car, honk horn, red nose, kill kids,
Shout out, no sound, he knows, you’re his.

Routines, play fights, white foam, Death’s friend
See chance, kick nuts, run home, the end?