LONDON POST 7-7

OK Its movie time again.

I've never knowingly had a Muslim commenter on this blog and the "subjects" of these little movies have never told me what they think of them.

In Finsbury park, when I was filming I didn't tend to talk too much. I actually got round to asking Abu Hamza if he had watched any of the rough edits I was distributing amongst his friends. He said he had and he thought they were "interesting". The next week he was arrested, so Hajj told me, by Police with machine guns at 2 AM.

7/7 happened in the first week of his trial. A very disturbing time for me and Mr. Abdullah.

I caught up with him days later. He is very difficult to edit, being a preacher its very hard to interupt or guide the conversation. In this film I've focused on his comments about 7-7, though we spoke about a lot more which I will try and include in a future edit. The Albanian journalist in Preachers of Hate and I filmed this interview hours before the images of the 7/7 guys in Luton were released on the TV news.


LONDON POST 7-7

Please do report any technical difficulties. All comments, accusations of terrorist collusion or "propaganda" making are welcome as usual.

The film starts with a scene from Hyde park corner the first weekend after 7/7.

PRESSIES

One of my sisters scored top trumps in her choice of presents this Christmas by giving me Louis Theroux's latest book. As soon as I heard Abu Abdullah shouting about George Bush sacrificing children to Owl gods I thought I was onto a "Theroux" type of story. I do actually own a pair of those "British cooky documentary maker" style glasses, but mine were made in Delhi and I can't see through them that well.

I suppose the main diference between Theroux's approach and mine would be that it always looks like he is on a "piss-take" mission, although in the book you can see that actually he isn't at all, its just what he can "sell". I can see this "piss-take" element is quite entertaining but in this situation I'd rather try something which had an eye on some sort of solution to this "War on Terr-r" as NOONE ELSE SEEMS TO BE DOING THIS WITH FILM. I've always had high hopes, but then I thought the Make Poverty History campaign was going to Make Poverty History too didn't I?

The contrast of his warm human qualities combined with the hatefulness of his beliefs set a kind of gold standard for the kind of journalism I was doing, which followed my attempts to form something more than the usual journalistic relationships with members of strange groups

Another big diference is that all of Theroux's "subjects" were sideline figures and as such it didn't matter what he or they said whereas Hamza and his people- if you believe the British and US government are slap bang in the middle of all this "War on Terr-r". People in this country fucking hate Hamza, would never believe that he could just be someone who says things people don't like and would probably consider someone who calmly talked to those who believe he is innocent to be a subversive, or "in with them".

Theroux is also very honest about questioning his own role in these peoples lives which is very healthy. Maybe I should get the "big specs" out myself.

check this movie via alex303. Very surreal stuff.

Xmas not so blue

Christmas wasn't so bad. Mildly suicidal feelings on Xmas eve in a house alone but after that it definately improved. Family is a much less volatile concept as we all get older. I bumped into the only school friend I stay in contact with which was great. Neither of us have bothered to get any older which is strange.

When I got back to London the Israeli girl I share a house with had her dad over. (a British guy who has lived in a kibbutz for 25 years) and her brother who has just got out of the Israeli army.

I came downstairs to eat about 2AM to find them all drinking, the father berating his children:

"Neither of you are telling me about significant relationships you have had this year which worries me. You should both sleep with more people."

I didn't have that conversation with my mum over Xmas...

I have to tell you, there is close to zero security along much of the Pakistani border. There are no roadblocks (other than ones we set up ourselves for a few days at a stretch), there are no roving border patrols; there are only a few widely dispersed observation posts at the top of various mountain peaks, too far away to stop and check foot and vehicle traffic even if they wanted to (which they evidently do not).

Essentially, the border -- although technically “closed to commerce” (smugglers often trek their goods over the hills by mule to avoid notice) -- is an open sieve, allowing Taliban and al-Qaeda forces near complete freedom of movement in and out of the country. Still, the Pakistanis claim to be an “ally” in the hunt for bin Laden and his cronies. With friends like these, who needs enemies? In my not-so-humble opinion, we will never find UBL or eradicate the remaining ACMs without unfettered access across the border and into the heart of Pakistan. Invasion, if you will.

I would, but I know we won’t.

Like Cambodia was for the Vietcong, al-Qaeda will continue to use Pakistan as a safe haven and launching pad for further attacks on coalition forces for as long as they know that it is politically off limits to us.

I seem to recall the Bush Doctrine as stating that all terrorists, and any nations that harbor them, will be held equally to account.
Apply your doctrine, Mr. Bush. The Paki’s are not our friends.

DANCE MOTHERFUKA!

this via skrufff

I didn't eat enough Christmas pudding this year. I feel a bit light. If anyone has any left, don't chuck it. Post it to me.

NOW THIS IS NEWS

via Rightwingsparkle

I thought the states too prudish to be up in the newsreader fetishists stakes but I'm wrong.
Where does this woman read the news? I think she is looking at me in this photo. What do you think? Dave and Lauren? I think its made in heaven.

Great left wing thinkers part 3

Hang on...

I'm trying to find the links to a story about a girl who used to squat with us in North London who got into Buckingham palace as a hooker, slept with the guards, got them to photograph her in their uniforms and then sold the story to the tabloids...this is all quite recent apparently.

A friend of mine press-ganged me into the Xmas spirit a bit yesterday. Someone gave him the must have pressie for Xmas. A fluffy sheep with a long tail you can squeeze at diferent points to get musical notes or lay flat and play like a little organ. If anyone finds this on the net post me a link.

Merry Xmas everyone! I'm off innit.

BIBLICAL 9/11?

also via skrufff:

Quoting from the book Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler by Anthony Sutton, the late Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company said the following in the New York Times in 1938 about the Wall Street finances. “ … if the financiers had their way we’d be in war now. They want war because they make money out of conflict - out of human misery that wars brings (p. 90.)”. From these two quotes there is no doubt that New York plays a major role in financing wars and undermining countries for the love of money.

Another great American.

Heres a Christmas message from another great American left wing thinker who wrote part of this for us ages ago. (the anti-Bush part)

Out my window I have a stone wall, it is grey. One day I looked out and saw this perfect white pigeon. Is that a peace dove I asked myself?

remember to remember.

Merry Happy Wholly Days!!! Joy to the world Peace and prosperity on Earth, Health Harmony and Happiness for everyone under the sun, for we are one!!!

Remember to do your evening movement meditations before you rest for the night. At least 21 minutes. Deep breaths remember all the way in, all the way out, ya la, sing, remember if you can talk you can sing. Remember to remember, life is a gift, and the whole point and purpose is about giving back.

For a good life, give your goodness. For goodness sake we need to spread light until
we are truly out for the count. While we are still here move and groove find your inner self, your natural rhythm and dare to share with all others who are aware that the divine dance Is the way how you come home.

Om shanti, simply. Come home to the cosmic romance, where life is Magical and Mystical.

Remember to remember. For Real.

one question, from your heart, I ask you to answer from your heart, what do you Love most about life, about living?


and if that is not hippy enough for you try these Hoppi prophesies via Skrufff mailout

and:

A key truth is that there is a DIVINE PLAN. The future belongs to those that trust in the process and are willing to go with the divine plan. The main tool for understanding this plan is the Mayan calendar.

MAINTAIN FOCUS

If you were living to your full potential what would you be doing? A guy called Dave made this film when he was diagnosed with cancer and only had a couple of months to live. DONT WATCH IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH.

I am no longer wrapped up in "achievement" or "success" in middle class terminology. I think Hamza's story is a huge thing, but if no major broadcasters agree I don't mind. I've had fun getting turned down, I haven't looked for funding anywhere. I'd still like to finnish a film but I'm not sure where the story is going next. Glen Jenvey said he'd be happy to film in January when the trial restarts.

Everything I have so far is filmed with a one chip tourist camera which I still technically own but haven't seen for a while. I got a good reaction using this compared to people with big cameras which the Islamists tended to "posture up" to or try to destroy. The downside is its all shaky and the sound is all over the place.

I've come to realise that there are various artistic things you can do with film which don't involve traditional film making techniques, and videologging is an art in itself anyway. Sitting with my next door neighbours yesterday a girl casualy pulled one of these out and said she'd be happy to film with me. I've always wondered what Hamza's crew would make of a female camera person. There is a general view that women are treated badly in Islam. I've never spoken to any of the "sisters" of the Supporters of Shareeah. It seems women and men lead seperate lives. Certianly on their demonstrations the women seem as angry and enthusiastic as the menfolk.

"Do you agree with hitting women?" a journalist once asked one of the brothers in Finsbury park once.

"No. Do you?" was the answer.

They always tell me proudly that loads of women are converting to Islam in this country. My bet is that it won't make any difference. If anything judging from what Hajj told me, they would probably be quite relieved to see that I am not gay. Meeting a woman similarly pierced about the face (which she is) they'd probably wonder whether there was a tribe of us somewhere.

I know they are not allowed to touch women's hands, but I reckon they believe "Dawa" is to present a warm reflection of Islam rather than to be overly judgmental.

SNOW RENDITION

Mr Blair and Rendition
==================

I raised the matter of 'extraordinary rendition' with the PM, in his
morning press conference. He didn't seem much interested in finding out
about it, has no worries about our allies, the Americans. So maybe it's
all a storm in a tea-cup - and maybe it's not...


snowmails

A Belated Happy Thanksgiving

I meant to stick this up on Socialistwanker for thanksgiving but technical difficulties...

Anyway this is my sort of "left" if we are talking "left" from an American friend of mine in London.


Happy Thanksgiving today to all my friends who are not with me in the flesh...
This is just an update...

Being an American in exile having not lived in my country of birth for such a long time.. and not really keeping up with the American holidays, I took the decision to actually celebrate this Thanksgiving tradition tonight...for the first time in many years. I will even indulge in turkey, I decided.

I have not eaten the bird, nor any of his close cousins, for ten or more years but today I am living in the loving light of non-duality; That the God/the gods don't really care what I eat for lunch, they created tofu and turkey with the same thought. (As you will read below, it is an irony for the vegetarians that they are probably better off ethically to eat the bird instead of the bean anyway, as it turns out)..

Also, I had am auspicious invitation to join in Thanksgiving turkey dinner from a friend, Loki, who just appeared in England last week. Loki is as wild as in character as they come... He has traveled more than anyone I know. Thousands of miles all over the face of the Earth. He's lived in China and at the foot of Mt. Kailash in Tibet for a while, and he once rode a wild horse all the way from Tierre del Fuego to Mexico, only to barbecue it and eat it upon completion of his journey. .. He definitely plays with your preconcepts of what is 'good' and 'bad'.... so I thought I would break the turkey wish-bone with him tonight. A sayer of sooths and a caster of runes, he Loki is here to stir the pot, and I always bump into him unexpectedly, without appointment, at various points on the planet .

..India, Brasil, Costa Rica, America...and always at major crossroads in my life. He always gives me a very good and prophetic reading of the rune stones which he carries with him everywhere .

The name 'Loki' is from the Norse pantheon of gods. Loki is the god of mischief, the Coyote trickster, connected with fire and magic, and can assume many different shapes.

... Horse, Falcon, Fly.

This Loki I know lives up to his namesake...in fact he has changed name and form many times.. once called Flo, then Wolfsey.. but always the same infectious laughter, and he increasingly resembles a Sith from the Star Wars trilogy, or a wizard from the Lord of the Rings.

Face paint, black hooded cloak, and carrying a tall staff with a skull&crossbones flag.

We went together, Loki and I, with some Tibetan friends of mine, to meet with the Dalai Lama a few nights ago - at the Hilton Hotel at Heathrow airport. It was a very impromptu, last minute invitation and a rather exclusive gathering, only a handful of people and all Tibetan except us. I am not a follower of the Dalai Lama in the strictest sense, I don't have a photo of him on my wall, but I was in the right place at the right time.. and I suppose having Loki in my company might have had something to do with the gods cutting the deck in this way.

The Tibetans had a lot of reverence for Loki as he has lived at Mount Kailiash and had the appearance of a Bon Po shaman from old old Tibet. What was more funny was how Loki and I had been discussing the Dalai Lama throughout the day... how Loki and I are both born the same year, 1971, in Chinese this being the Year of the Pig.. and the D.Lama is also a Pig.

Loki and I had been discussing our Pig-like attributes - somewhat messy, but friendly with everyone. As well we discussed the Dalai Lama and the fact that George Bush had been speaking in defence of his Holiness to the Chinese government that very same day, as had been reported in the newspapers.

I felt a sense of warmth towards George Bush that he had been taking a stand for freedom of expression in a country where such freedom is little tolerated. For Thanksgiving Bush was in the news cavorting with Mongolian tribal chieftains, drinking horse's milk and sitting in a yurt making the wise observation that Mongolia is just like Texas:-

'Huge skies, vast horizons.. and was settled by men on horseback just like where I come from'.

... If only he would spend some time in the Amazon, and perhaps bring awareness to what is going on there. . and perhaps call up the Chinese on this. I went to a premiere of a new Greenpeace film about the destruction of the Amazon last week and as was confirmed to me, most of it is being slashed and burned to grow soy beans.

China's insatiable demand for proteins as well as oil is turning Brazil into the takeaway for the workforce of the world. .. and all the trees of the Amazon are being reduced to ashes to make room for more crops at a rate of 12 football fields per MINUTE, or a forest the size of Israel being destroyed every 12 months.

Some of the trunks of these great ancient trees are so huge that their embers glow on and off for more than two years after they have been slashed and burned. You just can't see the wood for the beans anymore. .. and even if Dubya were to be told by the voice of God to stop his Texan chainsaw massacre on the environment at this point, we would still have to persuade China whose reach is now covering the world.

China is losing a lot of its arable land to cities, factories and roads.. and must now import millions of kilocalories to fuel its growing appetite. .. not to mention lakes of oil.

Most of the protein is coming in the form of soya beans from the Amazon, used to fatten the pigs, poultry and fish for the dinner tables of the worlds most populous country.

What this deforestation of the Amazon spells for global warming is ecological madness. At this rate it seems that we are all as good as microwaved chop-suey...

or will we be poached? .... Would you like fries with that ??

and it did not escape me that as we left the Greenpeace film we were each given a little handy bag with a DVD copy of the film, plus a pair of silk lavender scented eye blindfolds (for wearing at night)..as a takeaway present..

Time to focus our gaze inward, perhaps ?? To see what it is that is witness to all of this but canot be touched by all of this...and begin to live our lives from this place on. Maybe then and only then the world will begin to heal....


I once had a Chinese fortune cookie that said 'Worry is preposterous' ..

...so I guess it better to live in the 'wonder' rather than the ' worry' about the future....wonder is worry without the anxiety. Better to function well in our own little way and just keep wondering..and live in the light of non-closure.

Who knows? Maybe we will all wake up at the critical moment, like the lowly and slovenly and rather stupid caterpillar ..which is very short-sighted and cannot see the bigger sky for the bigger picture... and this caterpillar just crawls around and keeps eating and eating to no end, consuming to the point of killing itself through over-eating (much like the majority of human species on the planet today)...

So it eats itself to death. It begins to be attacked by the same sort of juices that earlier in life it had used to digest its food...But within the caterpillar are certain cells called 'imaginal' cells which have remained asleep but then at the point of the caterpillar's death they awaken and flash on like lights, and begin linking up with each other...so at the point of finality when it seems the caterpillar (or the Earth, as the case may be) is reaching final death, a quantum shift occurs where the caterpillar suddenly becomes a butterfly...like a phoenix rising from the ashes of its former self...

Maybe an increasing number of people, imaginal cells, will start to link up till a critical mass, threshold, is reached .. and then the shift will happen and it will appear that the what we think we are, what is 'human' , bears no resemblance to what we really are...and the Earth was just a cocoon for this...an opportunity for us to awake to our true identity...

The Devil arrives but then the Angel arrives a moment after.

Like the Dalai Lama, we are all in exile somehow....
but somehow always at home in the wonder and unpredictablity of it all....

Give thanks for today ... and stay optmistic...

love, light & tofurkey...


*** chad

Read Bold as Loves tribute to Richard Pryor.

MY MUMS NOT WELL

I... realized clearly that my Mother was being continually and forcibly raped by giant corporations intent on profit.

It’s ironic that the never-ending quest for wealth has brought such destruction to Mother Nature because the desire for money is basically a desire for happiness. But true happiness lies in nature we relax and unwind and finally realize we are just on a hamster wheel.

(Now click on the picture for the true meaning of life.)

I researched the history of hemp (having been long since acquainted with its fun loving cousin) and discovered the absurd, corporate-driven fight to kill it to be the perfect parable in the vein of David and Goliath. It sums up the fight of the factory worker, the small farmer, the teacher, the field worker and the sharecroppers of the world still fighting against slavery.

The importance of the fight to make hemp legal cannot be over emphasized. Hemp is synonymous with sustainability and the fight for freedom.

Sydney race riots

FALUN GONG

For a week, starting on December 6, Falun Gong practitioners came to the Chinese embassy in Bangkok for approximately two hours each day to protest Chinese policeman He Xuejian's recent torture and rape of two female practitioners who were in detention in China. Each day, large numbers of uniformed and plainclothes police officers monitored their protest. On December 10, International Human Rights Day, Thai police, after coming in and out of the Chinese embassy, manhandled some of the peacefully protesting practitioners. The police forcibly dragged some of the practitioners away, searched their bags, and took away their banners.

On December 13, Special Branch police told the protesters that they had specific orders from higher up: if practitioners came to protest again the next day, they would be arrested. This prompted practitioners to request a meeting with the "higher-ups," which was set for the next morning...

On December 14, no practitioners gathered at the embassy. Instead, four practitioners went to the Special Branch and met with two of the agents who had been at the embassy...

he officials appeared to understand. They sympathized with the victims and explained that the Chinese embassy had directed them to remove the practitioners.

Moorewatch

Watch this space for Michael Moore's new film.

"They've created a fictional character called Michael Moore. I think it's funny."

via talentcircle:

Short films wanted for "My Kingdom for a Horse" at the Rio

Intriguing folksy submissions are wanted for a screening called "My
Kingdom for a Horse" at the Rio Cinema in East London on May Day 2006.

This is (approximately) a May Day/international labour day screening,
which wants to give a platform for all of those who love or hate what
May Day stands for.

Films/Videos should be about folk heroes, devils and peculiarities;
working-class idols; middle-class guilt; peoples' princes and princesses;
ethnic pride or shame of any background or persuasion.

International submissions very welcome, any genre or length considered,
although those that veer towards the shorter and experimental may make
us happier. The most important thing is that we don't want ironic
films, we want genuine testaments to folk culture and everyday
triumph/glorious disaster.

Email for full submission details and any questions.

Deadline for submissions - 28th February

Email: rio (AT) angelsedition.com
Posted by: charliesedition on 16/12/2005

The Insurgents targetting improves...

via turboslut

Jeremy Clarkson was shot at four times in one day on Sunday, and the camp where he was staying came under mortar-fire, while he travels on a fact-finding tour of Iraq.

The TV presenter – star of motoring show Top Gear – is visiting the troubled country to research a newspaper article. His journey began on Saturday when the Hercules transport plane he was traveling on on a flight from Basra to Baghdad was shot at with rockets by insurgents south of the capital. The plane was able to take evasive action and to release flares to shake off the attack.

While in the capital the US army Black Hawk helicopter he was traveling in came under fire again. Later in the day, his return flight to Basra also came under attack. Finally, within hours of arriving back at base at the city’s airport the camp came under mortar-fire by, it is believed, Shia tribesmen.

Clarkson, who was not hurt in the incidents, told the Daily Mirror: "I knew this would happen - this sort of thing always happens to me."

One British soldier said: "We've never seen anything like this occur to one person, especially not a civilian." The TV star has been called "Target Practice" by squaddies following the incidents. One joked: "People are saying he's saved lives because the Iraqis have used so much ammo trying to kill him."

Clarkson has said previously that the US invading Iraq after 911 would have resembled the US attacking China after Pearl Harbour, and has regularly questioned the purpose and wisdom of the invasion.

A couple of years back I used to hang out with a girl in West London and no kidding- 3 times walking in the street I looked up to see Jeremy fucking Clarkson staring at me sneering. I felt like asking him if he wanted my autograph. "Fucking Clarkson" as everyone in the UK calls him annoys me because I hate everything he stands for but love his TV show.

Fucking Clarkson

"The movie will do to Michael Moore and 'Fahrenheit 9/11,' what the bloggers have done to CBS and Dan Rather and America deserves to hear the truth."

--Victor Elizalde, 30th District Congressional Candidate, California

What bloggers have done to...did I miss something?

"the U.S. has had 200 years of representative government, but in your system people turn over control to others." Instead, in Venezuela, "we humbly are proposing a system where people hold power in a participatory and protagonist democracy. We want a new kind of democracy to attain a new kind of society."......They didn't want "a dictatorship of the proletariat or of any other kind," they said. Strikingly, they also said they didn't want "what Che died for, though they wanted to learn from that." They wanted to build something new, from the bottom.

These are not the droids you are looking for...Move along.

Whats all this about then?

A citizen of Mosul's son is a Star from Mosul who is a very happy voter.

I opposed the war at the start and was proud of UK kids for trying to stop it. Now, reading the words of those American's who believe they are risking their lives to "free" this guy from tyranny is sobering. After Dictatorship, democracy has to look like a good idea, unless you are Islamic, in which case you've got a Christian invader on your hands which it is your duty to fight apparently.

I hold a lot less opinions since I've been experimenting with film, and generally over the last few years. I rarely make judgments anymore. I lean left but its not the whole story. That I know for a fact. When I first started I thought "The media are all controlled by government" etc. I felt a lot more "activist" but was hugely cynical in "activist" circles.

Filming the Finsbury park story was like an artistic rebellion against that sort of "pigeon holing." of "self". I can't stand in any group of any description for too long. I used to have much more of a "monkey" nature.

FIT squad: So what have you been filming?

Bones: I've got 45 hours from Finsbury park.

FIT squad: So what are you goin' to do wiv it then?

Bones: I'm going to make a bloody film with it.

Watching the process of news being made and then seeing it on TV later I'm a lot more convinced that it is all a big misunderstanding. That George and Tony are actually nice people who are just ill advised or maybe just "unaware of opportunities" for humanity maybe. There is a great investment in the status quo. It doesn't matter how many people suffer elsewhere as long as you can't see them. Those who would interest others in change run too quickly down the "protest" funnel and make themselves unable to communicate the change that they want to see.


To be fair to the FIT squad, suicidal versions of the protestors they used to see many, many years ago must have been the nightmare which went through their minds when they saw me. Thats fair enough I suppose. We all see in stereotypes. I wouldn't like to do their job all day. Making a mental leap between leery, ketamine and can of cider/squat protest culture and sober, pious fundamental Islam would HOPEFULLY be too difficult for anyone to invent.

I've kept this blog just in case anyone with the power to remove my freedom would try.

I can't see a God anywhere, or any obvious answers. I'd like there to be a benevolent God but I've watched nature programs on TV. How animals behave towards each other doesn't hint at a benevolent God to me. Quite the opposite, and those who teach their children about a benevolent God seem the most predesposed to justify killing.

I can see right and wrong but I'm afraid that this is what I think life is really all about. I can't justify myself in this theory either.



It does sober me though, to find Police on the ground so easily obsessed with public order problems they never see anymore when in reality we seem to be threatened by miniscule numbers of well behaved people who might explode.

via Beautiful atrocities

“I’m not anti-Bush; I’m anti-Bush behavior,” Mortensen told Progressive magazine. “In other words, I’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and his administration.”

Gorillas in Banarnia

I just got back from watching Peter Jackson's Kong. Pretty good. Don't notice the 3 hours. Its great how much computer animated violence you can show to a 12 year old- as long as they are accompanied by an adult of course. At one point Kong actually bit the tongue out of a dinosaur's mouth and spit it out in slow motion. Great action throughout, spoilt by "Lord of the Rings" style "slow mo's with choirs" It was great to see the stars of Jurrasic park back in work and up to their usual tricks.

One of my favourite bloggers put her "bitchitude" into this movie a little while back. I can see her point, but I still think of the Gorilla as a Gorilla and not a black man. Especially this gorilla. The amount of facial expressions he comunicates is an artistic triumph. I always believed Golem was robed anyway, so give the Gorilla the Oscar.

In Jackson's version Kong is still the hero, and his friendship with the blonde chick is more platonic than in the slightly steamier 70's version. He's sort of a surf dude at heart who wants to chill and watch the sunset. Still a Gorilla though.

I'm more offended about Banarnia. When are we going to see a real British kid on film and not these stupid, dizzy Enid Blyton "posh twats for the American audience"?

"Oh Edmund! leth's go to Narnia! It'll be fantathtic!"

What a pile of bollox. Please don't encourage the makers of movies like these. If you are American write to your studios- DEMAND REAL ENGLISH ACTORS! Not this spiffing "blatht from the patht" with lashings of ginger beer bullshit.

Hearts and minds
=================

Another gripping report from Ian Williams in Pakistan tonight a neat
insight into how the Jihadists have seized the moral high ground and
popular support for their verve and efficiency in bringing aid in the
aftermath of the earthquake.

snowmails

Do you dare to feel responsible for every dollar you lay down

are you going to make the rich man richer

or are you going to stand your ground

You say you want a revolution

a communal evolution

to be a part of the solution

maybe I'll be seeing you around.

The 491 Gallery has turned something worse than a nightmare into something I am proud of, something I love, and something that has touched the hearts of thousands.

The council is stuck in a backwash of bureaucracy. What chance is there for regeneration to take place in our lives? Red tape blinds the eyes of those in the power to activate change. Good people struggle to help transform the lot of those less fortunate than themselves... and yet in the struggle for funding and corporate reputation find it near impossible to give true ownership over to those on the ground.

491 has taken its space, founded a pirate utopia and tries to build bridges to the otherside, to the everyday man complaining that there is nothing to be done.

...yesterday Adam Ingram, the armed forces minister, refused to say how many times a Boeing 737 and a Gulfstream identified by the Guardian as being used by the CIA - registered N313P and N379P - had landed in Britain. Such information could only be provided at "disproportionate cost", he said. The Department of Transport says it does not need a record of the two aircraft unless they were involved in "civil commercial" operations. It also says it needed no record if the aircraft landed to refuel.

Mr Straw and Mr Ingram yesterday refused to say what MI5 and MI6 knew about such flights, or about "rendering" suspects. It was the government's policy "never to comment on intelligence matters", they said. In an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme yesterday Mr Straw admitted CIA flights came to Britain. Asked if he was saying that aircraft - first identified by the Guardian - were not CIA planes, Mr Straw replied: "I am not telling you that."

A Citizen of Mosul tells it like it is

The doctor says the Americans have helped bring in new Iran-backed terror.

"So many of us are against Iraq being controlled by these fundamental Islamic Iranian loyalists like al-Hakim," the doctor told IPS. "Now we are seeing the suffering and ultimate dictatorship they have brought us here with the help of the Americans."


also from Channel 4:

the British Government considers the US military commissions do not guarantee a fair trial in accordance with international standards.

Hizb ut-Tahrir BBC,NDTV

I've got a cunning plan....

Is any of this varifiable or is it just someones fantasy? Al-Qaida's plans to 2020.
I remember Mr. Hamza used to say "I think Bin Ladens message means..."
and all the journalists used to scuttle off convinced Hamza had him on the other end of a satellite phone planning the minute details of global jihad. "Bin Laden" and "Al-Qaidas" enormity is cooked up between Republican and Islamic fantasists isn't it? Where are these hordes of Jihadis?

BARRY on Hamza:

"The national media have puffed this person up to be something that he probably delighted in being... It just seemed to me that the solution to the Abu Hamza problem was to actually stop giving him all the publicity that everyone was giving him and then the negative impact he was having on the Muslim community...the mainstream community...all of that was power...the fact that the newscasters would stand there and listen to what he said."

also for reference from the same article for whoever maybe taking an interest:


BONES: You see what I don’t want, as I am not attatched to a production company is if I have the phone numbers of these guys. I don’t want press saying "He’s with them" or any of that bollocks. You know, I ain’t a Muslim.not in any sense of the imagination. Never been tempted.

BARRY: Sure.

BONES: I mean I don’t want to be picked up myself, you know. Like “He’s been talking to them” I mean I have been talking to them. For two years, like. I am very interested in what they have to say.

BARRY: Well you’ve been talking to me as well. We’re cool about that. There’s no problem.

Many who have been involved in street protests, especially in London, in recent months will have come across the Metropolitan Police’s Public Order Intelligence Unit (POIU), part of its public Order Branch. Led by Inspector Barry Norman, it was set up initially to deal with football hooligans.

Richard Pryor 1940-2005

Forward INTELLIGENCE team

picture from indymedia

Not to labour the point, but the clue is in the title guys.

If 6 F.I.T. crew dawdle around incessantly photographing someone who looks like this whilst THOUSANDS of kids who look like this shouting "ALLAH HO AKBAR!! ARE YOU GOING TO ARREST ALL OF US?" pass by then all I can say is we really are in trouble in London aren't we???

OK guys. This is got me a bit melancholy. I mean shit. I AM JUST INTERESTED OK GUYS? In some ways its nice to know that I can still provoke that reaction in a member of the fucking F.I.T. crew but I think scores were settled between "them" and "us" a long time ago don't you? I mean Thatcher hasn't been in power for a long time now has she? I have personaly always been at peace with those who choose to wear blue all day.

I mean I want to go to America to film with all my Republican buddies for fuck sake. We're all friends. We don't want to kill each other do we? If they pass those photos to the Americans will I get fucking extraordinarily fucking rendered? I've got my rights!

To all who may happen upon this humble diary I'm telling you like it is. Its a good story. I'm just interested OK? Fuckin calm down like. Just let me follow the fucking story. I've met a whole load of crazy sounding people saying crazy sounding things. Even crazier people shout at them from crazy red newspapers, government chambers in the UK, the US and on frumpy suited television. I'm as close to the middle of it as I can get and I still don't believe there is a God. I'm beginning to wonder whether it is all just a huge misunderstanding and we can all fuck off home.

To anyone "else" I'm just trying to make your job a bit easier. Call it "Community liason."

Seriously from now on if you want to know who I am

ASK FUCKING BARRY.

Just ask him. OK?

TEMPLATE

Still got template problems. To the bloggers who I usually link to, you are coming back! I promise. Thanks for your support.

A BIT OF "SELF STYLING"

Hizb ut-Tahir march, London

Thousands of young Muslims from all over the country segregated into groups of men and groups of women. Most of the girls looked between the ages of 14 and 20. The result of the British "integration experiment."

Whilst A-B marches always have ordered slogans, non-denominational "peace marches" always have a bit of chaos around the edges. This was a march of monotheism with strict order and segregation. Overwhelmingly young Muslim's led from the front by, amongst others Yvonne Ridley.

I arrived late and caught the back end, filtering up the side as the crowd of thousands passed Downing street. Coming up on a group of maybe over a thousand Islamic girls shouting slogans was like listening to a flock of birds in the trees. Surreal.

I followed all the way, annoyed that I hadn't got a camera to record the thoughts and faces of passers by as they witnessed this strange sight. The Police, sensing no threat of violence did not enforce a strict "you're either in or you're out" policy and I was able to wander at will. I eventually parked myself at a coffee shop on Piccadilly to watch this strange procession and keep an eye out for anyone I might recognise from Finsbury park.

Sitting down I thought I noticed some Police vaguely peering at me from behind a plant I was sat next to. Sure enough, in a few minutes a F.I.T. photographer (see here and here)made it very obvious he was taking my photograph. I smiled and gave him a thumbs up for his picture and then looked at him very deliberately with righteous indignation which encouraged the original snoopers to come and question me.

"What is your name?" they asked.

"David." I told them.

"What's your last name David?"

"Unless you are arresting me, I'm not really happy to tell you anything. I haven't done anything."

"You've been following this demonstration for a long time. We don't know who you are."

I told them that I had been filming with Hamza's friends in Finsbury park for two years and that my films were on socialistwanker.com, which eased the tension a bit. I also told them that if they asked Barry Norman, he would be able to tell them who I was.

"Well we don't know who you are and you are shaking."

"I'm angry because the man took my photograph without asking who I was."

"Have you any identification?"

I pulled out my cashcard, which we had a bit of a tug of war with.

"Have you been arrested for anything before David?"

"No. Never. I am very interested in the story of British Fundamental Islam."

"So you are a self styled journalist with socialistwanker?"

I relaxed a bit when he said this. As it was the first indication that he actually understood who I was, I no longer felt myself to be at the mercy of a Policeman's imagination about who I could be. I realised that they were actually a bit nervous of me when they stopped me reaching for my pockets.

"So where do you live David?"

"London."

"Where abouts in London?"

"London in London. Look mate just ask Barry."

the questioning got a bit more peaceable as we moved on to the quality of the food in the cafe.

"So are you thinking of becoming a Muslim and joining this?" one of them asked.

"I don't believe there is a God." I answered.

He looked down, a bit thoughtful like. "OK. Thanks for your time."

I was still shaking a bit as I walked on, but to be honest I was glad to get the conversation out of the way. I should really get some sort of journalist card. The photographer still took photo's of me as I passed. In Hyde park I heard Babar Ahmed's father speak about the campaign to free him. I also heard Yvonne Ridley saying that anyone who bought Coca Cola was "Buying the bullets for the Zionists to kill Palestinian children with."

She asked for a moment of silence for the victims of 9/11, 7/7, Madrid and Bali and berated the government over their silence at thousands of Muslim deaths around the world.

she finnished:

"When the British government invaded a Muslim country we marched and it made no difference. If they dare to invade another, we won't march. We will riot."

at this point there were maybe 10 or 12 Police calmly standing at a distance from maybe 2 or 3 thousand Islamists, none of whom looked like they were about to riot.

If those 10 or 12 Police had heard what she said I don't think it registered. They were no doubt happy that because of the F.I.T. squads exhaustive work over the last 10 years those who really would riot stay at home these days and out of these well mannered shinning sucesses of the comprehensive school system they've only got to find the nervous few who would strap explosives to themselves and blow the rest of us up. Good luck.

My clue for nothing: None of them have bones in their ears or rings through their fucking shnozels.

The only broadcast crew who were filming came up to me, one of them smiled.

"The Police are taking a big interest in you. We were following that guy for a while. He came a very long way to take a photograph of you." he told me.

"Maybe the bones in my ears make them nervous." I answered.

A NEW TWIST...

Strangely enough Glen Jenvey got in contact with me the other day. I've always been aware of his workand the fact that it is his evidence which the prosecution are relying on in the Hamza case but I never thought of directly contacting him. My films are the opposite to his. Watch them. They were a big inspiration to me to look for the other side.

Last night, speaking to Hajj I told him

"Whilst you are not saying "Kill all Jews" and you clearly state that innocents should not be bombed in this country, I am always interested in carrying on following your story as none of you have threatened me and the Police don't seem to want to arrest any of you..."

I told him Glen had been in contact.

"Over the years I have developed a genuine concern, although I have no idea who Mr. Hamza is myself, in the fact that you believe he is innocent. You must also appreciate that in terms of a story, for me to get the other side of this accurately, and be able to contrast the two in film would be a serious development of the huge amount of hard work I have put into this project. In the interests of objectivity, a thing which British film makers champion."

Hajj told me that I should be paid thousands for what I have been doing, which was very touching.

The best thing I could hope for in terms of pure documentary exploration would be a filmed meeting between Glen Jenvey and the friends of Abu Hamza who I have met. I have read he claims to have recieved threats from Mr. Hamza's associates, so I am not sure how easy this would be to engineer, but I suggested it to Glen by email and got this reply:

Meet the man who put abu hamza behind bar's? interview? may-be not a wise thing i don't think they would want to meet me and i might not be allowed to do such a interview. but i my-self would say yes i'm interested in the idea if i get the going ahead. they may want to meet up and explain why they are so racist against other faith's and people living in the west i would be interested in hearing this from they own lip's.

It is interesting that Glen shares some of the same regular mistakes in written English that I manage to express myself with in this blog. I was also surprised that he shared the same mission:

my self i'm always looking for way's to bring peace not war i think al-qaeda and there supporters are a bunch of thugs may-be they can show to me they are human..

I'm really glad Glen has got in touch. He told me about a book he has been involved in and a film called Obsession. He promised to watch my films. He also tipped me off about a demo by Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain which I went down to today.

(is) there ... no will by the police to stop this group of islamic terrorist's? he asks.

He asked what I felt about the Iraq war. I answered that I was aware of good and bad on both sides, but I felt that Hamza was wasted in Prison. Whilst I have been making a huge effort to get Mr. Hamza's friends side of this story, it would be good to have the opportunity to place myself more squarely and responsibly in the middle. If I can record everyones views without upsetting anyone I reckon that would be an achievement.

Although no one has realised it yet, this is a hugely exciting human drama. I honestly feel for everyone involved in it.

HAJJ'S PLACE

OK. I just got back from Hajj's place where I got to see Channel 4's dispatches programme on Extraordinary rendition. Very good stuff anchored by Andrew Gilligan. I also heard from Hajj that two ex-attendee's of Finsbury park mosque have been arrested. A couple of Algerians they want to deport but I'm still trying to work out which ones. He went into more detail about the centrality of his house to "fundamental" Islam.

"al-Faisal used to call this his second home."

Hamza had been round, all the neighbours know Hajj well.

"Meetings with these people and up to sixty people happened here all the time for years. This is a dawa house."

The Police have never, ever questioned Hajj once about anything.

"Someone drew the curtain once. I said brother why do you draw the curtain? My house is open, the door is open. Nothing in here is secret. If anyone has secrets, take them somewhere else."

After the film I watched Yvonne Ridley on the Islamic channel for a bit. I told Hajj I had met her once but she didn't seem to like me very much. He said that all of them had thought something bad about me when they had first seen me.

"What- you thought I was MI-5?"

"Worse."

"A Satan worshipper?"

"Worse. I don't want to say and insult you..."

"Ahhh... You thought I was gay because of the bones in my ears..."

"Yes. That was the discussion we had. Its not because of what you look like in itself..."

"And being gay is worse than worshipping Satan?"

"Do you think homosexuals are naturally born that way?"

"Yes. I think so." I said. "Although I am not gay myself, I agree with the rights of gays and lesbians who live here in peace. The world is over populated anyway..."

"So how would God make something that isn't perfect?"

It is hard talking to someone with a God concept when I don't have one. Its strange talking in such a peacable manner about such emotive things. Hajj has taken a step back from all things "fundamental" including, I fear further participation in my filming. If I could I'd have a camera on him 24/7 and it wouldn't be for security reasons. I want to film him on his step-machine.

CATERPILLARS

Sorry I've lost all the links at the side of my blog. The caterpillars have been at my html again. Does anyone else get this problem?

SNOW NEGOTIATIONS

Cleric’s plea for UK hostage
=============================

We have the quite unbelievable sight of radical cleric Abu Qatada
speaking from Full Sutton High Security prison straight to camera as we have
never seen him before, pleading for the life of the British hostage in
Iraq, Norman Kember.

Heaven knows how this was conjured up. It has been suggested in the
past that British intelligence tolerated Qatada's radical preaching
because it enabled them to keep in touch with people who they were interested
in.

Whether that relationship extended to persuading the cleric to
intercede on Britain's behalf to save a British citizen, we don't know, but the
very idea of a man detained effectively without trial for opaque
charges connected with terrorism then being asked to participate in UK
diplomacy seems to be a novel turn.

UK role in terrorist rendition
================================

Jonathan Miller reports on the increasingly murky tale of Britain's
involvement in the transport of American-held terror suspects. This is a
story that threatens to get very seriously out of hand if the Blair
government can't hose it down.

The PM's efforts at PMQs today were not entirely persuasive. Charles
Kennedy is out of his quarters at the Liberal Democrat parliamentary base
to pursue the PM with very specific questions. We will be talking to Mr
Kennedy tonight.

sign up for snowmails

Lord Steyn on Guantanamo and "extraordinary rendition"

Getting Somewhere?

Absolutely fascinating news. Abu Qatada releases a "Don't kill the hostages" video from inside prison. Kidnappers extend deadline. The government say they will listen to the kidnappers but cannot negotiate. Word comes back from the kidnappers: "You won't listen to us!"

"Oh Yes we will!" say the government.

Bit Pythonesque no?

Malung prediction: Next message from the hostages will be "No you won't listen to us! You're all bastard kaffirs etc." the government will come back with "No! We are nice!"

All I can say is good luck to both sides in this and to the hostages in the middle. If these guys peace mission can bring peace, we've got to hope some good can come from this.

Independent,
Bloomberg

I've always refused to be drawn on the subject of conspiracy in the media. How the fuck do I know? Jamal once showed me a film distributed among young Islamists which seemed to portray media as a sort of “spell” which everyone was under. A deliberate “process” of secularization.

If there was a group who had that much control of the TV I see the messages were definately still slipping through their clutches today. First I watched a film on TV where a monkey was choosing the programming of a Television station. Then I watched a film which clearly said that I must move into a state of not trying, appreciating the journey around me through my eyes. Maybe TV is my guru. A woman taught me to bend. Things of value which cost nothing come toward me.I am very conscious of what God is Not an Asshole quotes:

"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."

Carved soapstone. More on my artblog

GOING DOWN

It was nice to be around St Agnes place as it finnaly bit the dust after 30 years. I never lived there but was invited to a couple of times. It seemed like it was a very hard space to hold over the last couple of years with the good guys putting lots of invites out to cool people they met to try and balance the more "difficult" element. Bob Marley stayed there a year after it was first squatted in 1972. It was funny seeing the press release Lambeth council put out with artists impressions of the proposed new development.

The last frequently asked question: Why has it taken 30 years to do this?

The 200 or so Police had it pretty easy. Plenty of people had been told about the imminent eviction including me. We all thought, yeah heard that last year, and the year before. I was actually heading up the previous night but was stopped by the cold.

A couple of my friends who shall remain nameless woke up to see riot Police coming down the road, headed their drugs and barricaded the doors. A lot of familiar faces congregated over the day and although the harder Police were their usual selves on the inside, on the outside Police were negotiating the return of peoples belongings. The best picture I missed was a Policeman in full riot gear carrying a bass-tube.

My friends came out eventually. The Police had told them there was a gas leak and that if they didn't come out they would be removed by force if necessary. It turns out they weren't lying either. The guy over the road had pulled a gas pipe off the wall and was threatening to light it. I asked the Police if they needed someone to talk to him but they told me a friend was already doing so from outside. I saw lots of photographers I recognised from Finsbury park. There don't seem to be that many news photographers in London.

video via indymedia
article indymedia

telegraph,BBC,Gulf Times, Qatar,Livestyle extra,Guardian
There was a tiny protest outside Brixton town hall, but most of the ex-residents were out cracking squats to live in. I think everyone is OK.

St Agnes place website

MULLAH

I've somehow managed to mullah my blog by deleting half my template late night blogging. That'll teach me.

100,000 Rings: In Remembrance of the Iraqi Civilian and Military Dead

Two women were arrested on Friday 25th November while holding a
bell-ringing ceremony outside Parliament as part of an international peace
event to mark the anniversary of the release of the Lancet study on 29th
October 2004 which estimated 100,000 people had died since the
beginning of the war in Iraq.

Anna-Linnéa, the other bell-ringer, said:"The fact that two women,
unarmed and totally open, accountable and nonviolent, get arrested for
ringing a bell in a remembrance ceremony outside Parliament proves how
much the authorities fear the truth. What we have to say is clearly
important since the government clamps down on us in this way."

The women were arrested for being 'participants in an unauthorised
demonstration'. The police were very reluctant to arrest and briefly
authorised the protest but then banned it again when the women refused to
give their details on the grounds that if the demonstration was now
'authorised' they should not be obliged to give their names.

The police also helpfully suggested that the two women join Brian Haw
on the opposite pavement as he is the only person exempt from the laws
ironically introduced to prevent his permanent anti-war display.

One policeman was heard saying 'I wish I could join you. I wish I
could do what you're doing. This is filthy. This is very hard for all of
us'.

The women were taken to Charing Cross police station but later
released without charges. As well as being reluctant to arrest, the Police
also seemed concerned at the possibility of two more people challenging
the new laws.

ww.iraqmortality.org

WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE

I watched The End of Suburbia earlier and was suprised to find that it wasn't all doom and gloom. It was mostly though. For those of us who are fans of alternative energy it's quite sobering.

Wind power? Bio-Diesel? You're having a laugh!

Right at the end the participants suggested that if we lived more "locally" in connected communities, took the road system apart, developed rail on a massive scale and became much more involved in food production we might just have a chance. Maybe. If we were lucky. But probably not.

HAJJ IS BACK

A friend of a friend is Guy Smallman, one of the more successful professional photographers who is also on the protest "scene". In passing he looked at my Malung Movies and took a liking to Hajj (I used to smoke dope etc from Preachers of Hate) and asked if he could maybe take a photograph of him.

Although his views are as controversial as the rest of them, its hard not to like Hajj. Anyway this gave me a good excuse to ring him and catch up, as the last I heard he was on his way to Cyprus with no intention of coming back.

I eventually got through to find that he was not only back in the country, but he had also patched up his differences with Abu Abdullah. I knew that Hajj was the first to speak to Abdullah on his road to Islam and how much their falling out had hurt both of them. I passed on Guy's request. He said he would check with Abdullah and Jamal first.

Although it should make no difference to me if they get on or not, I am pleased that they are friends again. They stood either side of Hamza throughout the protest and I always thought of them as the "Asterix and Obelix" of British Fundamental Islam when this story still had a funny side, before 7/7.

Cycling through the rain this morning I actually bumped into Hajj in the street.

Apparently he had lasted 3 weeks in Cyprus. Although he loved it he thought that the property boom had turned his country into "holiday homes" and some of the younger members of his family weren't too impressed with Cyprus in general.

"I walk down the street and no one hassles me. I could die there." he said.

We spoke a little about last nights Channel4 documentary about the "extraordinary rendition" process. I missed it, Hajj said I could come round his place and watch it.

I asked after the state of Mr. Hamza.

"They put sugar in his food. He is diabetic. We wont see him out. This Tony Blair will have his way."

I told him that I was having a "last ditch attempt" at getting this story to British TV. I called Juniper, who Christine Phillip's from BBC London had recommended I try yesterday. (She made this about us a couple of years back when I was still living in squatsville)

Hajj didn't think much of my chances. We'll see.

I tried to be a bit upbeat about Mr. Hamza's chances. I have no idea what he has or hasn't done but to hear Hajj talk about him...

"You never know. Sometimes it seems to me that judges are the only effective opposition to government in this country..."

"Abdullah Faisal got 9 years. They said he was saying "Kill all the Jews." but he was talking about the Zionist enemy. He's not a bad man. Someone punched him once and he just looked at him. He's never been in a fight in his life."

Hajj told me before that Mr. Faisal used to teach at his house. He's a whole movie on his own. How did a Cypriot hippie end up in the company of the most extreme Islamic teachers in my country?

"That's still a sentence. 9 years and he's out." I was beginning to sound a bit lame.

Before I cycled off he told me that Faisal was applying for parole next year. I don't think he ever expects to see Mr. Hamza as a free man again. I can't really imagine it myself either.

CAZALY

I think anyone with a slightly half-cocked grip on what passes for sanity in these strange times may have little alarm bells ringing in their head over this sad story.

I don't know the facts completely but the guy has no history of violence, he has a history of mental instability. It seems like the Police's interview techniques have convinced him that he has done it and then he's taken his own life.

Mr Harper said: "While his friends state that Richard Cazaly was a likeable man and that the attack would be out of character, we know he had become a long-term abuser of drugs.

After the attack, on 20 April, Cazaly told his girlfriend, Vanessa MacKenzie: "I know I didn't do it, but maybe there's a monster inside of me. How do you know there isn't a monster inside of me?"

I don't think that is a confession. I think that is someone who is already derranged who has been convinced that he's done it.

I wasn't at all suprised to read this in the Mirror this morning.

I wonder if there isn't a person who stabs people at random still wandering about somewhere.

CLICHE

Fucking hate cliche song lyrics. All this "Corners of my mind" shit. WHOSE fucking mind has corners in it? And all this "to the end of the line" bollox. WHAT end of WHAT line WHY?

E-Scag.

also via Omegaprojektet:

American officials demand Israel provide explanations for how U.S.-made choppers sold to Israel ended up in service of Columbian drug cartel.

Iraq: the Reckoning

Just watched this on Channel 4.

The guy reckons Muktadr Al Sadr is taking over from the US in Sadr city, implementing extreme Islamic law with US co operation. A US intelligence guy more or less admits this. He also goes to Basra where the same is happening. Girls who used to be able to wear jeans on the street under Saddam now cover up or loose their lives. The US are only fighting in a small area dominated by Sunni's some of whom are Al-Quaida.

He reckons the US and Brits have given up on the idea of representative democracy in Iraq, leaving the Militia's with the real power.

WHATS UP DOC?

Channel 4's 4doc's site is streaming probably my all time favourite documentary The Leader, his driver and the drivers wife by Nick Broomfield.

4Docs also hosts a film about the 491 Gallery in Leytonstone.

Before they found this place the original 491 posse asked if they could transform our squat in Hoxton into an art event. It was reeking and full of stinking junk at the time. I was outvoted and we turned them down.

SCAG BLOGS

Ex-Millenial girl was just posting about a friend of hers flushing bags of scag down the toilet she was hurling into. People make an exagerated deal about scag in my opinion. I think inert substances people put into their systems using whatever needles/pipes/supositories/whatever are the same.

My golden rule about drugs: You ingest them. You go up. You come down. You buy some more.

My biggest drug problem: Getting hold of good ones at the right prices.

My second biggest: I've been bored shitless by all of them for ages and I can't stop doing them.

My third: I find it hard to turn down anything offered even if i know I'm not going to enjoy it (coke).

Now if I did scag everyday for a month I would expect to be addicted. A friend of mine a while back was going around threatening people with a baseball bat because he was taking coke everyday. Not a fucking suprise.

People who are addicted are usually stupid about the person/place/subject/thing they are addicted to. I was joking with Mike the other day about him not liking to share his scag. I used to squat with junkies. I could see their little minds ticking over, thinking up ingenious ways to get me to pay for theirs. I used to just score off of their dealers and do it on my own. Even doing this there is always so much tedious bullshit involved brushing with the basic greed and selfishness of junkie mentality I'm just not interested in.

I can't see the point in getting stupid about inert substances. Lawmakers and TV people get stupid enough about them without us that do them getting stupid as well.

When I lost a lover one time, I lost my job, my friends, my home and almost ended up on the street. No substance involved. Addiction changes your brain and behaviour. Its not drugs, its not women, its addiction and you.

Clicking through a link on Ex-Millenial girls blog I found 35 more blogs with people blathering on about scag. Fascinating, he says yawning. Got some foil, off for a toot. See if I can break the projectile vomiting record. Its all entertainment isn't it.

LATER: Feel shit now. Self loathing is the worst addiction I've ever had to deal with. Its harder to kick than any stupid powder and permeates all parts of my life. I'm a morbid bastard. If ever I die can you make sure they play "Changes" by Black Sabbath at my funeral.

Morbid fucker. Shut up. Go back to bed.

Scag is good no?

WOMEN BLOGS

I just realised the other day that my top three bloggers at the moment are women. Number 1 is Ex-Millenial girl. If you've never read her stuff before, go back in her archive and start from the beginning. It reads like a very good book. I'm sure it will be one day.

My number 2 blog, and where I spend most of my time in cyberspace is Rightwingsparkleland.
Since the start of the Iraq war I've been fascinated by the opportunity blogging gives me to tap into exactly what grass roots Republican's are thinking. In the hysteria around George Bush's reelection I was certain that he would win. The image of those towers was just too far imprinted onto the American brain.

I used to be an "Activist." So much "activism" involves talking hysteria and listening to hysteria and clapping hysterical people. I felt that as I knew Bush would win, there was no point in not addressing exactly what his supporters were thinking in hope of some inroad into a solution to this "War on terr-r" nightmare. You never know.

I've calmed down in the last year or so, but for ten years before that, give or take a year in India and Pakistan, my life consisted of breaking into empty houses to live in, taking lots of drugs and doing illegal warehouse parties/artshows. Grass roots Republicanism is a world away from my life, yet on the level field of blogworld we can communicate. 'Sparkle has recently, and rightly been recognised as a "women blogger of note" I find a lot of what people write over there a bit scary but if solutions are going to be found this thought process has to be addressed head on. Fucking about demonising people and feeling superior is not for me anymore.


My number 3 blog is Angry Black Bitch. Her style is fantastic. When I read her blog I feel like I am sitting on the carpet in front of her just listening.

So what can I say about women bloggers. Does anything link these three wildly different "women with the blog obsession?"

Don't know. I'm going to think about it. What do you think?

Debate

Its great to debate with Republicans. Thanks for visiting me. Anyone feels like joining in do click here.

I am concious that some things I write on Sparkles blog (where I've met all but two of the Republicans I've bloggrolled) are less than constructive sometimes.

I hope that one day we might all be involved in a solution which suits everybody. I will try to remember to participate with this in mind in future. Its very important.

NEW MOVIES!!!

OK, some of you have been waiting a long, long time for these for which I must apologize. First I would like to introduce a clip of the first movie I ever made, documenting London Schoolkids protesting the very start of the Iraq war.

Day-X here, article here

I was absolutely astounded by what kids did on their own. The whole experience set me on fire to start documenting "War on terror" related events in London. I was in Finsbury park within a week.

I'm going to put the full 36 minute version on DVD soon I hope.

secondly I'm pleased to have finally put together part 3 of my Finsbury park series

Infidels, Thrills and Spills

The second week after Abu Hamza's arrest the UBA were in Finsbury park protesting, a guy called Patrick Holland from IWC Media was with me to see if we couldn't secure Abu Abdullahs trust for a Channel 4 documentary.

This piece is in two parts. In the first I was pleased to capture the reality of the chasm between Barry, as a representative of "polite British society" and Abu Abdullah as a representative of British fundamental Islam. While Mr. Hamza was around, I never saw Barry ask him when things would be winding up. I know nothing of their prior communication.

Remember this was after over a year of the internal politics, personalities and workings of a British mosque taking place in the street with the Police actively participating by "mediating" media involvement with a religious service. I think this is historicaly unique and always felt that while open communication was happening in my country, I was safer. No doubt about it.

A lot of Muslim commentators were going on record saying that it showed Islam in a dissrespectful manner. I didn't see them there. I'm not a Muslim. I think what I saw predominately were a lot of Londoners. Conservative , maybe pious is the wrong word. Certainly humble but very, very London.


Anyway I also found myself right in the middle of what some newspapers said was "Rightwing extremists clashing with Hamza's supporters."

As you can see this is not true. I had one elbow holding one guy who admittedly wanted a scrap but a much bigger guy easily had hold of him from behind. I wish a Policeman had just shouted at him to be honest but you can see the surge forward. I wish the participants had an opportunity to continue what was becoming a very interesting discussion.

This sort of thing makes "My job" as I see it much easier. Filming two opposing view points trying to make sense of each other rather than supplying any "angle" of my own.

Due to something I said to the UBA in Finsbury park, by the time we all made it to the US embassy in part2 they seemed to think that I was the first facially pierced Islamic fundamentalist. We've sorted all that out since, and if you are here from the UBA, welcome. I know there are a few of you. Try not to crash my server.

I have had good comunication with the UBA since, sadly I have found no one willing to go on camera yet.

My Thanks to all involved.

Due to the Malung nature of all this I'm afraid you're probably going to need the transcripts. I hope my enthusiasm and approach outweigh my technical short comings. Mike and I both use the Matrox G450 dual head graphics card which is available second hand for next to nothing.

Two screens with our mouses running happily from one to the other is the most useful feature of computing I know. We can run the film on screen one and put up the transcript on the other. Unless you are running seriously advanced gaming software this card comes highly recommended. Neither of us could go back to a single screen computer. Anyway I'll stop geeking now.

TWO VIEWS OF A BUSH

I don't know if you caught George Bush's speech the other day, here are two opposing viewpoints from the states.

Firstly "for" we have Rightwingsparkles The President's Speech Today Rocked

and against we have Peace on that's I'm so sick of Bush which I found through Bold as Love's blog.

I like this Britney video.

Apparently Fly Agaric Mushrooms are legal in this country, so here's a picture of half the haul. Unfortunately we lost a lot of them to maggots. I've eaten a couple of the others. Very mild but simmeringly loved up effect. Sort of a promise that a full-blown one would be amazing. Unless one of these little babies is a wolf in red and white spotted clothing I will have to wait till next season to find out.

Check out the Hugo Chavez doll.

RED GUARD YELLOW SUBMARINE

Posting this well late.

Anna Chen, a friend of socialistwanker from the start narates her new play Red Guard, Yellow Submarine tonight at 7.45 on BBCRadio 4. Also available online here for seven days.

WOOF

Whilst taking on Big Dog (and every other US bloggers) attempts to link the current French Revolution to the concept of Islamic terror fate has taken this opportunity to highlight a comment from Big Dog I had missed about Rave legislation in the US.

Instapundit - far from a leftwing blogger - sums up what little can be found from reputable sources on the web: http://instapundit.com/archives/025089.php a link that you might want to follow would be to FoxNews http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,58663,00.html which criticizes law enforcement's attitude toward Raves.

cheers BigDog.

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Ok, to counter Big Dogs arguments still further, the Sun, the most rightwing paper in Britain blamed the burning of France on lack of opportunities for people of colour, and racism from the Police in ghettoised communities and NOT Islamic terrorists. Its headline attacks the Conservative party leadership candidates for not supporting Blairs 90 day terror laws.

R+B tells of people wanting to deport young Africans born in France, he rightly asks, as they must be asking "Where to?"

I didn't realise till I looked at the Sun's map, quite how widespread this rioting is. I wonder if the balance has tipped in France?

PULL THE RUG

OK a bit of bollo-ticks for you all.

I enjoy looking at Republican blogs on all issues "War on Terror" "Blame the rag heads etc." but when I see local politics debated I glaze over. I hope you all feel the same about this excursion.

I actually felt something turn on its head tonight in my country. The Conservative party aided a government defeat with a reasoned Liberal arguement.

The Conservative party. Remember Margaret Thatcher?

Unbelievable. They didn't do it for the right reasons of course. They did it because they knew that if they withdrew their pre-agreed support for Blair on terror related issues post 7/7 at this crucial time they could erode his personal power. They couldn't say that of course, so instead they made the argument. Calmly and rationaly I watched David Davis, Conservative party leadership candidate making more or less the same case as Diane Abbot on the issue of civil liberty. Absolutely ridiculous.

IF THERE WAS A GOD

If a coupla my last blogs sounded anti-christian I hope this one makes up a bit.

We've been running a little film night once a week up the road in Camberwell. Last week we were lucky enough to have Sam Clements show his film The Student the nun and the Amazon.

In the summer of 2003 James Newton and Sam Clements headed to Brazil with a video camera, a map, and the idea to make a documentary. It was whilst filming in Southern Brazil that they heard about the extraordinary work of US missionary Sister Dorothy Stang, a nun with a price on her head. For over 20 years she had been fighting to preserve the Amazon rainforest, while helping peasant farmers live sustainably. Inspired by a mere five-minute call to Sister Dorothy, they set off on a 2500-mile journey to find her. Little did they know of the dangers ahead, or that Sister Dorothy would later be killed by hired gunmen.

If anything makes me anti-nationalist and pro-globalisation it is stories like this. When enough people feel like citizens of the planet rather than nation against pissy little nation, the Rainforest will be safe.

I also saw Liquid Crystal Vision. for the first time. This film does its best to document the emergence of a scene I was baptised with acid into 10 years ago and it doesn't do a bad job really. It was good to see who the people I used to see on the dancefloor actually were. A coherent political/spiritual "message" was a suprise too, along with quite rootsy British protest culture and great scenes from Burning Man.

Bigup to the originals like Raja Ram, Ollie Wisdom, Greg Sams, Alex Grey et all