I did some research on yesterdays blog and found the information to be correct. At a party on Hampstead Heath I was passed a small plastic bag with a rolled note in it by someone who worked in conflict resolution. As I haven't done any of this in years (most of my k times are recorded here) and probably due to surprise and wine I obliged.
After that I might have insisted that, as everyone jumped into taxis that my bike was no use to me locked up in North London, and that I was fine to cycle through London's busy streets to a party in Holborn somewhere. On that journey I might have had strong affinities with Mr Hoffman's cycling escapades. I might even have screamed at every nightclub queue I passed
"You are alive! FOR A REASON!!"
with everyone shouting "Fark orrf" back at me.
Outside 200 Grays Inn I might have bumped into the court journalist I met at Hamid and Atilla's trial, finnishing his last day of work there. Maybe I screamed at the stars for no apparent reason. Maybe there was a cosmic reason. I am not sure. I think maybe I was explaining such an idea to him in a lot of detail before he dissapeared.
When I got to the party I might have found the open bottle of wine in my bag still contained about as much wine as it had on the Heath.
Maybe I bumped into a documentary maker who might have started ridiculing my efforts to film in Finsbury park. I think he gave up after a bit and gave me some advice.
"Well Hamza has said some things which have a bearing on International relations"
"True. Or maybe he is this guy who just says things."
"Maybe you should deconstruct what Hamza says for the viewing public?" he suggested.
"Sort of a we're right and they are wrong style of thing? Sort of like everyone else has been doing?" I wondered.
He spoke a lot more about "The noble thing to do" with my stuff.
His friend said that he didn't like docos where the documentary maker put himself in the movie (like his pal obviously did). I sort of agreed with him but acknowledged that this was what broadcasters liked. He said he felt he was being told what to think. Maybe, I said, or maybe you are just going on a journey through documentary maker's personal thought process.
I think I ended up on good terms with both of them and impressed upon them that I couldn't really consider myself to be a film maker till I had finnished a film, and that even if I never finnished a film I wasn't unhappy with what I have been doing.
Overall I had a really good night. I hadn't been to a wild party in ages and it was a surprise for me how easily I slipped back into it all. I had some really genuine conversations with some really fucked people. There is nothing intrinsically wrong or fake about the party lifestyle and today I feel like I have blown away a few cobwebs.
..
July 26, 2009
July 25, 2009
K IN DORSET
via Skrufff here
BRIDPORT is facing an epidemic of substance abuse with the new drug of choice being the animal tranquilliser ketamine.
Fran Abbott-Hawkins, manager of West Dorset CADAS (Community Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service) – part of the NHS community services – this week warned the number of youngsters taking the powerful drug was one of the biggest problems they faced...
..
BRIDPORT is facing an epidemic of substance abuse with the new drug of choice being the animal tranquilliser ketamine.
Fran Abbott-Hawkins, manager of West Dorset CADAS (Community Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service) – part of the NHS community services – this week warned the number of youngsters taking the powerful drug was one of the biggest problems they faced...
..
July 24, 2009
July 23, 2009
READING
We have all been watching Derren Brown teach a granny to beat a load of top poker players in a week. He taught her about "tells", how to "read" people and also hypnotised her to trust her instincts. It was pretty amazing to watch. Without learning any tells we had a go at this round the kitchen table tonight with mixed results. If I am not going to be into drugs anymore I think I might have a go at this self hypnosis and auto suggestion stuff for a bit.
I saw a cabaret Hypnotist do this about twenty years ago and I still love it.
I saw a cabaret Hypnotist do this about twenty years ago and I still love it.
MORECHOP
I had to indulge my inner eleven year old again to post this. Someone has turned a truly horrible bike, the CB500T into an object of beauty. The only thing I'd be worried about here is the CB500T-ness of this bike, namely the dubious engine and brakes. It shouldn't be too complicated to find some new wheels with discs on them. I wonder if an old British engine would fit in this frame?
July 22, 2009
LEFT WING BASTARDS
It's time for the left to get radical by Sunny Hundal in The Guardian.
Sunny's is the only UK left wing Political blog/forum I really keep up with. I read Rachel's and Anna's blog, but they are pals. I don't think Sunny and I agree about how to deal with mad Muslims all the time but I would imagine we'd agree about pretty much everything else and I am fairly level with the sentiment here. The conclusion is probably true too:
...More radical ideas, it seems, will only come from the Labour left once the party is out of power and they are free from the burden of political positioning...
Political positioning is probably the main thing which puts all of us of politcs in general. The article is based around the launch of the "New Left Forum" Open left. Glancing briefly across their homepage Peter Hyman, who famously gave up a top job in the New Labour machine to teach in a secondary school is the only person who would interest me.
Its just not sexy is it? Politics either needs some horn or more of this. At least South Korean politicians are entertaining. We need to show where "Left" works. Happy people who are experiencing the benefits of the things in life which are truly valuable. This isn't really done by Politics anymore, it happens on TV.
If you are into left wing politics still and need a tip, I'd probably ditch the "left". It's an outmoded concept. We don't need it anymore. People just need stuff that works. England has never been about quality of life. It should be.
..
Sunny's is the only UK left wing Political blog/forum I really keep up with. I read Rachel's and Anna's blog, but they are pals. I don't think Sunny and I agree about how to deal with mad Muslims all the time but I would imagine we'd agree about pretty much everything else and I am fairly level with the sentiment here. The conclusion is probably true too:
...More radical ideas, it seems, will only come from the Labour left once the party is out of power and they are free from the burden of political positioning...
Political positioning is probably the main thing which puts all of us of politcs in general. The article is based around the launch of the "New Left Forum" Open left. Glancing briefly across their homepage Peter Hyman, who famously gave up a top job in the New Labour machine to teach in a secondary school is the only person who would interest me.
Its just not sexy is it? Politics either needs some horn or more of this. At least South Korean politicians are entertaining. We need to show where "Left" works. Happy people who are experiencing the benefits of the things in life which are truly valuable. This isn't really done by Politics anymore, it happens on TV.
If you are into left wing politics still and need a tip, I'd probably ditch the "left". It's an outmoded concept. We don't need it anymore. People just need stuff that works. England has never been about quality of life. It should be.
..
BABYLON DEM TEEF MI ERB
Actually I haven't smoked any herb for two months, or any of the evil weed either. I have had to avoid a bit of social for a while, but managed to get totally pissed the other day without smoking a single fag for the first time. I can watch people smoke without wanting one, its no big deal really.
Anyway, I am not a big fan of other vices like trash TV but I must admit I have really been enjoying Hotel Babylon. I remember this from a few years back. I took no interest in it at the time. On this relaunch I have been hooked since the beginning. Episodes are available on the iPlayer here.
The script is mainly comedy. It is light and silly. A bit kinky, not enough for my liking, but still for family entertainment it is really quite fun. I like all of the characters. All of them except the guy who owns the hotel who sounds like kermit the frog. He looks like one of those bland failed Rugby player types and he is familiar from some other mainstream TV I have
successfully managed to avoid. Probably a Police show as he looks like a copper too come to think of it.
He didn't turn up from episode one scene one and when he did, without giving the plot away, it wasn't certain that he was going to stick around. I was a bit sad when he did as he doesn't act as well as kermit, but the other characters managed to hold my attention, particularly the sexy, scary east European cleaning lady.
I watched the latest episode earlier based around poker, where a cunning buisnessman was trying to get the hotel off of the green fella. I was cheering for the cunning stunt-er. I was almost hopeful when frog voice lost the hotel in a game of poker but sadly it was not to be. Overall this is just bubblegum TV which I shouldn't really be watching but save for the kermit influence I can't help liking it.
..
Anyway, I am not a big fan of other vices like trash TV but I must admit I have really been enjoying Hotel Babylon. I remember this from a few years back. I took no interest in it at the time. On this relaunch I have been hooked since the beginning. Episodes are available on the iPlayer here.
The script is mainly comedy. It is light and silly. A bit kinky, not enough for my liking, but still for family entertainment it is really quite fun. I like all of the characters. All of them except the guy who owns the hotel who sounds like kermit the frog. He looks like one of those bland failed Rugby player types and he is familiar from some other mainstream TV I have
successfully managed to avoid. Probably a Police show as he looks like a copper too come to think of it.He didn't turn up from episode one scene one and when he did, without giving the plot away, it wasn't certain that he was going to stick around. I was a bit sad when he did as he doesn't act as well as kermit, but the other characters managed to hold my attention, particularly the sexy, scary east European cleaning lady.
I watched the latest episode earlier based around poker, where a cunning buisnessman was trying to get the hotel off of the green fella. I was cheering for the cunning stunt-er. I was almost hopeful when frog voice lost the hotel in a game of poker but sadly it was not to be. Overall this is just bubblegum TV which I shouldn't really be watching but save for the kermit influence I can't help liking it.
..
INTERCEPT
The proposed use of phone tapping evidence to secure convictions in terrorist and criminal trials has been shown in secret tests to be unworkable.
Last year Gordon Brown proposed limited use of intercept evidence, gathered by intelligence agencies, in the courts and David Cameron has called for its introduction “so we [can] catch, convict and imprison more terrorists”.
Legal and counter-terrorism sources believe that the extremist cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri could have been jailed for involvement in international kidnapping had intercept material been available to prosecutors.
However, an intelligence watchdog disclosed yesterday that “live testing” of the idea in mock courtroom trials had encountered major obstacles...
...many senior police and intelligence officials have serious concerns that disclosure of intercept material will benefit criminal and terrorist organisations by exposing human sources and revealing the sophisticated technology that they use in covert surveillance...
...In another report published yesterday, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner complained that senior police officers and public officials with powers to authorise covert surveillance did not understand their powers and were unwilling to be trained...
I don't get this. Surely if people say compromising things over the phone juries should get to hear them no? What could go wrong?
..
Last year Gordon Brown proposed limited use of intercept evidence, gathered by intelligence agencies, in the courts and David Cameron has called for its introduction “so we [can] catch, convict and imprison more terrorists”.
Legal and counter-terrorism sources believe that the extremist cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri could have been jailed for involvement in international kidnapping had intercept material been available to prosecutors.
However, an intelligence watchdog disclosed yesterday that “live testing” of the idea in mock courtroom trials had encountered major obstacles...
...many senior police and intelligence officials have serious concerns that disclosure of intercept material will benefit criminal and terrorist organisations by exposing human sources and revealing the sophisticated technology that they use in covert surveillance...
...In another report published yesterday, the Chief Surveillance Commissioner complained that senior police officers and public officials with powers to authorise covert surveillance did not understand their powers and were unwilling to be trained...
I don't get this. Surely if people say compromising things over the phone juries should get to hear them no? What could go wrong?
..
July 21, 2009
Terrorists freed to live in bail hostels
I wrote about this a long while back, when Musa filled me in on some details after he saw a few of these guys at Atilla and Hamid's appeal. As far as I know this all sounds correct. Atilla could be out in March, I can't really say much more than that except that he is known to be very relaxed these days inside.
..
..
Kasab Confesses
Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab's confession took everyone by surprise - even his own legal team.
As news of his confession spread, the Mumbai courtroom became packed with reporters.
The shock came on Monday morning, when the court was in the process of recording evidence. The suspect told the judge he wanted to say something.
After speaking to his lawyer very briefly, Mr Qasab said: "I accept my guilt."
This case is fascinating
More- A totally different story to the one he came out with on the hospital bed.
Here also and on the BBC website. Also this little gem from Express Buzz in India
...There are several jihadis whose first name begins with Abu to confuse the police....
..
As news of his confession spread, the Mumbai courtroom became packed with reporters.
The shock came on Monday morning, when the court was in the process of recording evidence. The suspect told the judge he wanted to say something.
After speaking to his lawyer very briefly, Mr Qasab said: "I accept my guilt."
This case is fascinating
More- A totally different story to the one he came out with on the hospital bed.
Here also and on the BBC website. Also this little gem from Express Buzz in India
...There are several jihadis whose first name begins with Abu to confuse the police....
..
July 20, 2009
INTEGRATION
No trouble on the second day of The Lambeth Country Show but the cops were searching every "black yoof" just in case. Some people were saying the crew yesterday were beating up other kids. They certainly looked like trainee steamers. What can the Police do? It is a shame that this thing reinforces itself so being hassled by cops is a way of life for a black teenager in Brixton and not joining a gang leaves you vunerable to gang activity. Anyway I thought it was a great festival. It is a great experiment to bring a bit of the countryside into town. This is Brixton and there is nowhere quite like it.
Really stunning Cactii
Note the cactii tie. This guy said he had been coming down with his cactii from Lincolnshire since a year after the riots and had seen friends he had made at this event grow up. They are often at posher events in London, Hampton Court etc but they don't like to miss this one, everyone expects them to be there.
"I brought my wife down, she said at the end of the day she had never kissed so many black ladies in her life!"
Family Dread
Mark and Dark. DJ Dark (left) was put in jail for graffiti a while back. He said the open prison was OK and a lot of people inside had read about his case and knew he was coming.
"People were throwing plastic bottles of Appletons over the fence for New year!"
Heavy Entrance
No one is interested in the Liberal Democrats
Really stunning Cactii
The biggest one sold for eighty quid
Note the cactii tie. This guy said he had been coming down with his cactii from Lincolnshire since a year after the riots and had seen friends he had made at this event grow up. They are often at posher events in London, Hampton Court etc but they don't like to miss this one, everyone expects them to be there."I brought my wife down, she said at the end of the day she had never kissed so many black ladies in her life!"
Family Dread
Mark and Dark. DJ Dark (left) was put in jail for graffiti a while back. He said the open prison was OK and a lot of people inside had read about his case and knew he was coming."People were throwing plastic bottles of Appletons over the fence for New year!"
OPEN LETTER TO Alan García
I don't usually do campaigns here, but I found this on Derek Wall's blog
...the indigenous leader Santiago Manuin, is still very ill in hospital after being shot 8 times, the police want to arrest him and move him to a prison cell, he lacks money for proper treatment. Write to President Alan Garcia and protest...
......Santiago Manuin is a pacifist and has waged a struggle to prevent the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon being logged, he is a true ecologist, if you are at all serious about climate change and other ecological threats, it is vitally important to support his struggle...
...the indigenous leader Santiago Manuin, is still very ill in hospital after being shot 8 times, the police want to arrest him and move him to a prison cell, he lacks money for proper treatment. Write to President Alan Garcia and protest...
......Santiago Manuin is a pacifist and has waged a struggle to prevent the rainforests of the Peruvian Amazon being logged, he is a true ecologist, if you are at all serious about climate change and other ecological threats, it is vitally important to support his struggle...
EVERYONE RELAX SLIGHTLY
The government downgraded its terror threat level to "substantial" on Monday, its lowest for at least three years...
...an attack is a strong possibility, but is down from "severe", meaning an attack is highly likely...
...The five-grade threat level was first made public on August 1, 2006, when it was set at "severe."
It was twice briefly raised to the top "critical" level -- meaning an attack is expected imminently -- first on August 10, 2006, after a series of arrests linked to an alleged plot to down transatlantic airliners; and again at the time of failed attacks in London and Glasgow in June 2007.
But it has not been as low as "substantial" since the threat level was made public...
...an attack is a strong possibility, but is down from "severe", meaning an attack is highly likely...
...The five-grade threat level was first made public on August 1, 2006, when it was set at "severe."
It was twice briefly raised to the top "critical" level -- meaning an attack is expected imminently -- first on August 10, 2006, after a series of arrests linked to an alleged plot to down transatlantic airliners; and again at the time of failed attacks in London and Glasgow in June 2007.
But it has not been as low as "substantial" since the threat level was made public...
July 19, 2009
Lambeth Country Riot
Well that was fun for all the family. Goats, Chickens, Llamas, Eagles, Vultures, Owls, Sheep, Flower arranging contests, Cactii, Tents full of hollistic healing, stages full of reggae, a fair ground with rides full of gleefully screaming punters whilst a rioting mob of a hundred or more black kids went steaming back an forth pursued by a similar sized group of white Policemen. Before I left I spotted riot Police gearing up behind one of the attractions. I'm going back for more, with the camera this time!
..
..
MY REPUBLICAN BUDDY
(I should say one of them cos I have a couple)
Is on a mission to recruit blacks and hispanics into the Republican party.
I got to e-know Rightwingsparkle during the run up to what turned out to be George Bush's reelection. It goes without saying that we disagree on most thinks politically, but you just can't argue with anyone online for too long without developing some sort of friendship, or realising that you are communicating because you have something in common. These days the only thing I get angry about discussing with "them over there" is dead Iraqis. Things like that, and I have been able to rely on Sparkle as a friend with good christian wisdom through a couple of "reality quakes" over the years.
Anyway, I might be offended by some of the principles and practices but like Islamic Fundamentalism, I find the world of US Republicanism just too damn interesting. Blogs are a great window into the mind near and far. Sparkle's blog has been my window on the world of grass roots Bush fans and what makes them tick for a long while now.
It is a strange thing these days relating to "Them over there", now on the back foot as the party of opposition with George Bush's looming presence in world conciousness suddenly switched off. Obviously I'd love to believe Obama is going to make a better world. In world terms his communication is a world away from Bush's isn't it but in real terms? I couldn't really say I was an Obama fan for more than a week after the elections.
It is obvious that the Democrat party machine got its shit together to capitalise on "The Obama effect" and obvious to Sparkle, taking on some of her own fans in this, that without appealing to blacks and hispanics the Republican party is in dire straits. Now Sparkle is anything if not pragmatic. She is totally motivated by bare and basic pro life principles, but realises that pushing too far would just alienate any chance of achieving these principles as a result in the world America is now. She applies the same realism to where the Republican party is percieved to be now in terms of race issues in the States, and wants to use her influence and experience to do something about it. Its interesting to watch, particularly due to her personal experiences growing up.
anyway, read for yourself in a post entitled Black History, My History, And arms open wide
I have got used to her claims that Regan was a nice person but Nixon? Seriously? Surely not...
..
Is on a mission to recruit blacks and hispanics into the Republican party.
I got to e-know Rightwingsparkle during the run up to what turned out to be George Bush's reelection. It goes without saying that we disagree on most thinks politically, but you just can't argue with anyone online for too long without developing some sort of friendship, or realising that you are communicating because you have something in common. These days the only thing I get angry about discussing with "them over there" is dead Iraqis. Things like that, and I have been able to rely on Sparkle as a friend with good christian wisdom through a couple of "reality quakes" over the years.
Anyway, I might be offended by some of the principles and practices but like Islamic Fundamentalism, I find the world of US Republicanism just too damn interesting. Blogs are a great window into the mind near and far. Sparkle's blog has been my window on the world of grass roots Bush fans and what makes them tick for a long while now.
It is a strange thing these days relating to "Them over there", now on the back foot as the party of opposition with George Bush's looming presence in world conciousness suddenly switched off. Obviously I'd love to believe Obama is going to make a better world. In world terms his communication is a world away from Bush's isn't it but in real terms? I couldn't really say I was an Obama fan for more than a week after the elections.
It is obvious that the Democrat party machine got its shit together to capitalise on "The Obama effect" and obvious to Sparkle, taking on some of her own fans in this, that without appealing to blacks and hispanics the Republican party is in dire straits. Now Sparkle is anything if not pragmatic. She is totally motivated by bare and basic pro life principles, but realises that pushing too far would just alienate any chance of achieving these principles as a result in the world America is now. She applies the same realism to where the Republican party is percieved to be now in terms of race issues in the States, and wants to use her influence and experience to do something about it. Its interesting to watch, particularly due to her personal experiences growing up.
anyway, read for yourself in a post entitled Black History, My History, And arms open wide
I have got used to her claims that Regan was a nice person but Nixon? Seriously? Surely not...
..
WHO IS JESUS
Clicking through my webstats I noticed people were picking up on my posts about David Shayler. I was getting all this from Facebook where some of the Tyting farm community were posting these videos. I was having a bit of a laugh in the comments for a while firstly questioning and then defending Shaylers messianic claims when others questioned them. I'm not too bothered who David Shayler thinks he is. I think readers will know by now that I quite like eccentrics and as long as he is having fun and not hurting anyone I don't give a shit. I try not to judge people lest I may also be judged. I'm not that into religion anymore but I can see the wisdom in this.
Anyway clicking through webstats I noticed that none other than Warren Ellis was also blogging about Shayler. He takes quite a different view of Shaylers messianic claims. I really like Warren's work, especially Transmetropolitan which Mr Camel and I took as the inspiration for Socialistwanker (which we update rarely these days) . I put some more comments on Warren's blog, maybe they didn't get through. On his site Warren is doing a weekly comic called Freakangels which is really turning into something.
Rachel is also hmmm-ing dubiousity, posting a link to this article which talks about Shayler as a transvestite, so I thought I'd post here the missing video, of Shayler in full transvestite garb being evicted from Tyting farm. At the end of the conversation over on facefuck I said that I thought Shayler could be Jesus if he wants, but I wanted to be one of the thieves on the cross.
I have been evicted too many times. Sometimes I thought it meant something and we were on some sort of mission, other times it meant fuck all. I just think this sort of thing is great physical theatre only unlike Bruno, no one is joking. The guys who made these videos are editing a film of the whole project to be premiered at The Big Green Gathering. I will be in France but if you are green, enjoy!
Anyway clicking through webstats I noticed that none other than Warren Ellis was also blogging about Shayler. He takes quite a different view of Shaylers messianic claims. I really like Warren's work, especially Transmetropolitan which Mr Camel and I took as the inspiration for Socialistwanker (which we update rarely these days) . I put some more comments on Warren's blog, maybe they didn't get through. On his site Warren is doing a weekly comic called Freakangels which is really turning into something.
Rachel is also hmmm-ing dubiousity, posting a link to this article which talks about Shayler as a transvestite, so I thought I'd post here the missing video, of Shayler in full transvestite garb being evicted from Tyting farm. At the end of the conversation over on facefuck I said that I thought Shayler could be Jesus if he wants, but I wanted to be one of the thieves on the cross.
I have been evicted too many times. Sometimes I thought it meant something and we were on some sort of mission, other times it meant fuck all. I just think this sort of thing is great physical theatre only unlike Bruno, no one is joking. The guys who made these videos are editing a film of the whole project to be premiered at The Big Green Gathering. I will be in France but if you are green, enjoy!
Eviction Day from anaconda on Vimeo.
July 17, 2009
Self Starter Terr-ist Found Guilty
Isa Ibrahim, 20, made viable explosives, manufactured a suicide vest and carried out reconnaissance on the Broadmead shopping centre. Detectives believe he was about to launch an attack, possibly targeting the centre's busy food court area.
Police are heralding the case as a breakthrough as they say it is the first in which the information about a British would-be terrorist planning an atrocity in the UK has come just from a Muslim community.
Ibrahim's extremism did not come to the attention of the authorities until members of a mosque he attended grew worried about his behaviour and went to Avon and Somerset police.
Apparently Isa radicalised himself and learnt how to make his explosives online.
Telegraph,UTV,Sky,BBC,
They are making a lot of this guy taking influence from Abu Hamza. There is also an article written by a Muslim I have just found called Islam and Jihad in context of international treaties and citizenship of a Non-Muslim majority state which says
...Lamentably, today, some elements are exhorting impressionable Muslim youth with to renege on their commitments and pacts in the name of jihad. In this way they are seeking to instigate them to violate the commandments of the shariah and the limits set by God, while also causing grave damage to the cause of Islam and its followers. These stupid people are not friends of Islam. Many of them, in fact, have been nurtured and are being used by the enemies of Islam. In this regard I can cite two notable instances—Abu Hamza al-Misri and Omar al-Bakri—both of who are based in England and are engaged in provoking young Muslims to take to violence while themselves enjoying the protection of the British Government....
This is a minor problem for me in that from what I saw on the street Hamza was preaching against Jihad here, and serious about his covenant of security. I don't know Bakri, I have seen mixed messages online but last time I saw Anjum Choudhary preach he also spoke about a covenant of security. I have linked to some of Hamza's kutbah's in the side bar. Do go through them to see if I am wrong, but don't radicalize yourself and blame me. The thing is, Hamza's video's which Glen Jenvey put up could be taken in the context of radicalization. In his defence he said they were in the context of what was happening in Bosnia at the time. The jury rejected that defence, unsurprisingly as 7/7 happened two days into the start of his trial.
Glen, as you probably all know by now reverted to Islam over the phone with Omar Bakri and he talks about making peace between Al Qaeda and "The West" rather than any threat. I have never known for certain if these guys are a threat or not. Giving evidence Mohammed Hamid said that there was a debate at Finsbury between those who thought the UK attack on Iraq and Afghanistan was a breach of covenant and those who thought the covenant still existed for Muslims living here and benefitting from this system.
I think they have definately suffered from their own anger allowing them to be costsrued as a threat. For example, in the video I posted the other day Abu Waleed talks about kaffirs not washing. Would the Daily Mail interpret this as hatred of all of us? Would a jury of his peers? He talks OK to me. I don't get any hatred vibes. When I first spoke to him on the phone I got the impression that they were doing "PVE" for free. Watching these videos it is hard not to slip into the mindset of the "journalists" who make money listening through and picking out phrases here and there which might sound vaguely threatening.
The Daily Mail would also argue- everyone today is arguing taking Isa as an example that these preachers should take some responsibility for what they put online and they are right. Atilla always said his hatred and anger was directed at the government, but it wouldn't always sound like that to a stranger sometimes I am pretty sure from the comments which have appeared on my videos of him preaching.
None of this makes a lot of diference to me. I wouldn't give a shit if Muslims did think I was a dirty kuffar. I have always liked the track. Daniel Sanford said they all used to come away from court singing it and I don't think he is an extremist. Obviously I don't want anyone to blow up or be blown up here or over there, but myself here I am just a curious observer.
Nobody blow up OK? It wont do you or your cause any good for a start and you wont be around to try to wade through all this toward a peace where we can all look each other in the eye and say- we did that.
UPDATE: I just found this on an Islamic forum posted in some argument between Muslims about Glen Jenvey's revertion to Islam:
...Dave at malung-tv-news is well known and respected for his non-bias,so I would say this news is very credible due to the source...
Well that sort of balances out the "Unfit to sweep the sidewalk" comment on Ummah.com a bit I suppose but well known? I mean I have seen my webstats...
..
Police are heralding the case as a breakthrough as they say it is the first in which the information about a British would-be terrorist planning an atrocity in the UK has come just from a Muslim community.
Ibrahim's extremism did not come to the attention of the authorities until members of a mosque he attended grew worried about his behaviour and went to Avon and Somerset police.
Apparently Isa radicalised himself and learnt how to make his explosives online.
Telegraph,UTV,Sky,BBC,
They are making a lot of this guy taking influence from Abu Hamza. There is also an article written by a Muslim I have just found called Islam and Jihad in context of international treaties and citizenship of a Non-Muslim majority state which says
...Lamentably, today, some elements are exhorting impressionable Muslim youth with to renege on their commitments and pacts in the name of jihad. In this way they are seeking to instigate them to violate the commandments of the shariah and the limits set by God, while also causing grave damage to the cause of Islam and its followers. These stupid people are not friends of Islam. Many of them, in fact, have been nurtured and are being used by the enemies of Islam. In this regard I can cite two notable instances—Abu Hamza al-Misri and Omar al-Bakri—both of who are based in England and are engaged in provoking young Muslims to take to violence while themselves enjoying the protection of the British Government....
This is a minor problem for me in that from what I saw on the street Hamza was preaching against Jihad here, and serious about his covenant of security. I don't know Bakri, I have seen mixed messages online but last time I saw Anjum Choudhary preach he also spoke about a covenant of security. I have linked to some of Hamza's kutbah's in the side bar. Do go through them to see if I am wrong, but don't radicalize yourself and blame me. The thing is, Hamza's video's which Glen Jenvey put up could be taken in the context of radicalization. In his defence he said they were in the context of what was happening in Bosnia at the time. The jury rejected that defence, unsurprisingly as 7/7 happened two days into the start of his trial.
Glen, as you probably all know by now reverted to Islam over the phone with Omar Bakri and he talks about making peace between Al Qaeda and "The West" rather than any threat. I have never known for certain if these guys are a threat or not. Giving evidence Mohammed Hamid said that there was a debate at Finsbury between those who thought the UK attack on Iraq and Afghanistan was a breach of covenant and those who thought the covenant still existed for Muslims living here and benefitting from this system.
I think they have definately suffered from their own anger allowing them to be costsrued as a threat. For example, in the video I posted the other day Abu Waleed talks about kaffirs not washing. Would the Daily Mail interpret this as hatred of all of us? Would a jury of his peers? He talks OK to me. I don't get any hatred vibes. When I first spoke to him on the phone I got the impression that they were doing "PVE" for free. Watching these videos it is hard not to slip into the mindset of the "journalists" who make money listening through and picking out phrases here and there which might sound vaguely threatening.
The Daily Mail would also argue- everyone today is arguing taking Isa as an example that these preachers should take some responsibility for what they put online and they are right. Atilla always said his hatred and anger was directed at the government, but it wouldn't always sound like that to a stranger sometimes I am pretty sure from the comments which have appeared on my videos of him preaching.
None of this makes a lot of diference to me. I wouldn't give a shit if Muslims did think I was a dirty kuffar. I have always liked the track. Daniel Sanford said they all used to come away from court singing it and I don't think he is an extremist. Obviously I don't want anyone to blow up or be blown up here or over there, but myself here I am just a curious observer.
Nobody blow up OK? It wont do you or your cause any good for a start and you wont be around to try to wade through all this toward a peace where we can all look each other in the eye and say- we did that.
UPDATE: I just found this on an Islamic forum posted in some argument between Muslims about Glen Jenvey's revertion to Islam:
...Dave at malung-tv-news is well known and respected for his non-bias,so I would say this news is very credible due to the source...
Well that sort of balances out the "Unfit to sweep the sidewalk" comment on Ummah.com a bit I suppose but well known? I mean I have seen my webstats...
..
July 16, 2009
BIG NOISE
Summers here and I have again developed the disturbing habit of watching mainly Japanese engined British made Choppers on ebay. I never liked Harleys even before all the idiot advertising people in Soho started buying them. I can't stand these overblown, overpriced glitzy American chops you see on those satellite TV programs either but there is something about a simple, stripped down British made hardtail which has had my blood pumping since I was a greasy haired 11 year old Motorhead fan.
There are a thousand reasons why I shouldn't buy one. I live in London, which people struggle to get round on trail bikes let alone feet forward nightmares with zero back suspension. I don't need a motorbike to get around London and if I wanted to go any further than the M25 it'd be much more sensible to buy a conventional road bike. My back is already a bit fucked and my shoulder. No suspension? Reach forward riding position? Great idea. Where would I park it? The summer will be over soon and would I want to ride one in winter?
All of these reasons are seriously challenged by my heart strings and the fact that I am a bit of an impulsive fucker and have wanted one of these my whole life . Somebody stop me.
An unfinnished XS650 project sold for a grand.
My favourite, with a Z750 engine, the same owner for the last 11 years, taxed and tested- didn't sell, and I kept the guys number. No indicators, no mirrors, arms in the air so no chance of looking over your shoulder and I'd have to ride it back from the Scottish border. Maybe my mum dropped me on my head when I was a baby. Its strange because my parents were actually really sensible people, both of them. I think I need to be tied up. Help!
..
There are a thousand reasons why I shouldn't buy one. I live in London, which people struggle to get round on trail bikes let alone feet forward nightmares with zero back suspension. I don't need a motorbike to get around London and if I wanted to go any further than the M25 it'd be much more sensible to buy a conventional road bike. My back is already a bit fucked and my shoulder. No suspension? Reach forward riding position? Great idea. Where would I park it? The summer will be over soon and would I want to ride one in winter?
All of these reasons are seriously challenged by my heart strings and the fact that I am a bit of an impulsive fucker and have wanted one of these my whole life . Somebody stop me.
Fairly modern GSX600 engine, went for a grand and a half. I even like the red frame though I would want a sprung saddle.
Slightly less painful riding position. Seriously pretty XVS650 went on ebay for two grand
An unfinnished XS650 project sold for a grand.
A crazy looking one off project based around a Suzuki 750 engine this has got a hand made tank, welded chain built into the front of the frame and the wheels are fifteen inches across. Sold for six hundred quid. I am not sure I could get it on the road though- or round bloody corners when it was there come to think of it!
Reliability issues and the fact that I am not a good mechanic would probably put me off buying an old British engined chop, but they do sound bloody sexy and if you can keep them going they always hold their price.
My favourite, with a Z750 engine, the same owner for the last 11 years, taxed and tested- didn't sell, and I kept the guys number. No indicators, no mirrors, arms in the air so no chance of looking over your shoulder and I'd have to ride it back from the Scottish border. Maybe my mum dropped me on my head when I was a baby. Its strange because my parents were actually really sensible people, both of them. I think I need to be tied up. Help!
..
July 15, 2009
INTEGRATION
This is Abu Waleed explaining where he is at in relation to this country and government policy at the moment in a talk about Integration at the London School of Shariah
July 14, 2009
July 12, 2009
WEVOLUTION
Well that was a surprise. An amazing doco on the iPlayer about Robespierre and the French Revolution. Personally I have always believed in revolution, but never been into violent protest on principle. It has always been an untested theory though, lucky as I am to live somewhere where I still feel fairly free. The people in the UK I have met protesting who do believe in violent revolution are invariably playing out bad stuff from their childhood rather than coming out with any admirable principles.
South America, from what I have heard seems to be a bit different. People I have spoken to from there talk of a leftwing principled movement and a right wing capitalist/fascist movement of peoples who grow up in no uncertain terms that the other side want to kill you, and I would imagine a non violent ideal for anyone commited to change would be severly tested.
In terms of modern revolution, the French did it first and there is as is revealed, some frightening corelartion with later attempts to create a fairer society out of an impreialist one. It was fascinating that the only guy who was continually standing up for Robespierre,Slavoj Žižek betrayed so much in his body language that he was probably the same sort of person as Robespierre. An animated angry crank who, if he had any power would be fucking dangerous.
Overall this piece is fascinating, thought provoking and has a brilliant flow edit wise. It really encapsulates the fear any sane person with a revolutionary spirit has about overthrow and idealism inevitably leading to more of the same.
..
July 10, 2009
BRUNO
Yes I was set up for that properly watching some bequiffed idiot slagging it off on BBCNews24.
"I laughed three times blah blah, It's the end of the road for Sasha Baron-Cohen blah blah."
Pekham Multiplex is fairly rowdy on a Friday night and the perfect place to see this movie. I have never been in a cinema where everyone laughed so much. I can't say a lot without spoiling it for you. I prefer Borat as a character, but obviously with Bruno Baron-Cohen has more scope to offend more people in much more offensive ways which he does as an almost ritualistic artform. Genius. Watch it.
Lots of gay people review the film on Newsnight here, but watch the film first.
UPDATE: I watched the film again with some friends in the more sedate and plush Greenwich picture house. Deathly silence as the film started. It was all wrong. When I sit down in Pekham I usually ask myself why am I paying money for this- but to watch Bruno you need a baying crowd of friday night lunatics. None of the people I went with liked the film at all. I suppose you either get Sasha Baron Cohen or you don't. Personally I think he is the most imortant comedian alive at the moment. I think people are going to write thesies about his comedy. My friends were suggesting that it needed a written introduction for people to understand it!
..
July 09, 2009
POLICE DON'T HAVE TO BECOME HIPPIES
But Mr O'Connor is going to have a go...
...speaking at a conference of senior police officers in Manchester, Mr O'Connor said "it is not simple but it is a great British thing".
He added: "It is not that we have all become hippies now and we are all OK with that.
"But it is starting from a different place and having a different mentality."...
...Mr O'Connor admitted many of his recommendations were "not terribly profound"...
...He said: "In the medium term at least it may be worth monitoring the effect of containment on people.
"The object being to win the consent of as wide a group as we possibly can."...
...He said: "I have not heard a lot about crowd dynamics and also about our own group dynamics. It is a great challenge for officers to stand for hours facing a difficult situation."...
Yes. Erm... Tell them to "Chill out"?
..
...speaking at a conference of senior police officers in Manchester, Mr O'Connor said "it is not simple but it is a great British thing".
He added: "It is not that we have all become hippies now and we are all OK with that.
"But it is starting from a different place and having a different mentality."...
...Mr O'Connor admitted many of his recommendations were "not terribly profound"...
...He said: "In the medium term at least it may be worth monitoring the effect of containment on people.
"The object being to win the consent of as wide a group as we possibly can."...
...He said: "I have not heard a lot about crowd dynamics and also about our own group dynamics. It is a great challenge for officers to stand for hours facing a difficult situation."...
Yes. Erm... Tell them to "Chill out"?
..
July 08, 2009
IF YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THIS COUNTRY...
Though I am not sure which country it is legal to chuck diesel through strangers letterboxes and attempt arson... Yup. Mr Beheshti, or Abu Jihad and his pals have been sentenced to four and a half years. I like what the judge says
Sentencing Ali Beheshti, 41, and two accomplices to four and a half years, Mrs Justice Rafferty told them: 'If you choose to live in this country, you live by its rules.'
'There is no such thing as "a la carte citizenship" and, in your case, there is no such thing as "a la carte obedience" to the law.'
Andrew Hall, QC, said in mitigation for Beheshti that the arson attack was “an act of protest born of the publication of a book felt by him and other Muslims to be disrespectful, provocative and offensive.
“He wishes me to say now, publicly, that he considers his conduct to have been misguided, disproportionate and counter-productive,” he added.
The Jewel of Medina has yet to be published in Britain.
As I have said before, he was always one of the friendliest people I met in Finsbury. The moral of the story? Just because someone has kind, sparkling eyes and is really friendly it doesn't mean that they aren't going to lob diesel through someones letterbox and set alight to it one day in the future. Very sobbering.
Times, Daily Mail, Guardian, The Book Seller, BBC, Telegraph
July 07, 2009
I DREAM A DREAM
OK. It is safe now. Panorama's protest piece started by addressing everything I was moaning about, and proceeded through all the relevant questions about Police and FIT squad attitudes to protest. Well done Panorama, I'll shut up now.
Apart from that life is in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment. I may be filming, I may not. I may "get somewhere" filming, I might not. I might just branch off and do something totally different. Sort of same as usual really. I can't complain.
I have just finnished reading The Brotherhood of Eternal Love by two British writers Stewart Tendler and David May (interview here). This is an excellent book which, as David says might be made into a film at some point. I haven't wanted to take acid for a long while now, though I would like to again one day. I am off all drugs for the moment and I have stopped smoking for health reasons. I am avoiding social situations involving alchohol because I don't want them to lead to more cigarettes. I even went running with Mr Camel which was a surprise.
I haven't really made a point of taking a stand politically here because I don't really feel political, though I do feel a bit guilty about that. I assuage this guilt a tiny amount joining in debates over at the excellent Pickled Politics blog where I managed to get myself accused of being racist and of not being racist enough in the comments section of the same post.
I am not really any good at debating. I rarely take it seriously enough and pursue a path of comedic anti-intellectualism which is designed to be more entertaining than productive and probably isn't that entertaining either. Most of the time I find myself butting into the middle of some of the regular commenters long term rows with each other with the same stuff over again, but I like Pickled Politics and I think they are taking a very "live" attitude to the recent BNP gains in the European Parliament. I am glad they are taking it seriously even if I am not. I mean, the far right are no threat are they?
Whilst none of these extremist groups affect my life I hold the same attitude to all of them. I find these controversial utopic views fascinating. I don't know why, but I do.
What else have I been getting into? Oh yes. Lady Gaga at Glastonbury and I don't know why about that either. All her songs sound like the same mediocre Madonna song, but I am not sure which one. She sounds like she is doing a bad impression of Madonna when she sings, but scores a few points for grunginess. She is marginally prettier than Madonna was at her age. I think she will be quite sexy if she gets to forty- yet the whole package, together, I can't help liking, and I was never a Madonna fan though I liked the one with the buring crosses in the video.
..
July 06, 2009
Remember Who is Not Going to Remember You
...So why do they do it?
says John: "Because the government doesn't do it. We have never, ever had a government minister down here - only our MP, James Gray. He is the only one who has stood here with us. None of the others have."
"Maybe they're ashamed, because they know that the feeling here runs so high for each of the young lads who come through - irrespective of rank. The smallest number of people we have had here to witness a cortege was 600."
John is not sure whether the British campaign in Afghanistan can succeed, but he believes that the men and women of Britain's armed forces will give their utmost in the attempt. ...
..
says John: "Because the government doesn't do it. We have never, ever had a government minister down here - only our MP, James Gray. He is the only one who has stood here with us. None of the others have."
"Maybe they're ashamed, because they know that the feeling here runs so high for each of the young lads who come through - irrespective of rank. The smallest number of people we have had here to witness a cortege was 600."
John is not sure whether the British campaign in Afghanistan can succeed, but he believes that the men and women of Britain's armed forces will give their utmost in the attempt. ...
..
July 04, 2009
David Shayler Challenges Babylon's Authority IN HIS UNDERPANTS!
In his fuckin underpants man! Call yourself a revolutionary? You ain't shit...
Return to Tyting from anaconda on Vimeo.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)