Always the fault of the Jews

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The hajj

The UK media is full of coverage of the hajj, as more than two million Muslims gather to enter Mecca. What I have not seen mentioned is that under the law of Saudi Arabia it is illegal for non-Muslims to even enter Mecca. This is based on a verse of the Koran:

'O you who believe! the idolaters are nothing but unclean, so they shall not approach the Sacred Mosque after this year; and if you fear poverty then Allah will enrich you out of His grace if He please; surely Allah is Knowing Wise.'
blockquote>
—Qur'an, Sura 9 At-Tawba, ayah 28

Please note that any non-Muslims who enter Mecca are liable to arrest and prosecution by the Saudi authorities.

All of this and yet the Western media call Israel 'an apartheid state' never criticising Saudi Arabia for its 'apartheid' policy regarding entry to Mecca. Those of all religions, or none, may enter Jerusalem. Indeed in the oldest part of the eternal capital of the Jewish state, Jews are restricted to worshipping at the one remaining wall of the Temple (the so called Wailing or Western Wall) whilst Muslims worship in the two mosque built either side of the Temple Mount - the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This contrasts with the state of affairs that existed in Jerusalem between 1948 and its liberation in 1967. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the Old City including the Wailing Wall were captured by Jordan. Article VIII of the 1949 Armistice Agreement provided for Israeli Jewish access to the Wall. However for the following nineteen years, despite numerous requests by Israeli officials and Jewish groups to the United Nations and other international bodies to attempt to enforce the armistice agreement, Jordan refused to abide by this clause as part of a policy of Islamization. Some sources claim Jews could only visit the wall if they travelled through Jordan (which was not an option for Israelis) and did not have an Israeli visa stamped in their passports. Others say Jordan even barred non-Israeli Jews, demanding that tourists present a certificate of baptism before a visa would be granted.

The most sickening thing about this, is that if you presented this information to the sanctimonious hypocrites that call Israel an apartheid state they wouldn't even care. They 'know' the 'truth' and everything else is irrelevant. They know that Israel is an 'apartheid state' and nothing will change their sick, closed, hate-filled minds.

The one hundred and sixth weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

This week's winner is The Telegraph for today's headline and subheader

'South African townships still dangerous post apartheid
Township visits are now celebrated as a legitimate tourist experience, but travelling at night through these underlit and overcrowded areas is tempting fate, says Graham Boynton.'

Really? Gosh I would never have guessed....

'South African townships still dangerous post apartheid... travelling at night through these underlit and overcrowded areas is tempting fate'

"No shit, Sherlock!"

You're safe riding an elephant, after all what would attack you?

On Assignment: Kaziranga 2008 from gabe deloach on Vimeo.

Thanks to Boing Boing for the spot.

Jon Culshaw does Michael McIntyre on last night's The Impressionists

Altogether now "Walk back, walk back - irritate, annoy"

M4 bus lane being removed!

Sky News report that:

'Work is beginning this evening to remove the unpopular bus lane from the M4.

The M4 eastbound, between junctions 3 and 2, is being closed overnight for four nights this week and next, while the M4 westbound will be closed for three nights from tonight.

Road signs and road markings will be removed and a revised road layout put in place.'

Thank you Philip Hammond, thank you David Cameron; f**k you John Prescott.

But all the scientists knew the world was cooling in the 1970s and 1980s

Omniclimate it would seem can speak Italian and has used this to do some intersting research, let's let him explain:

'Italian newspaper “La Stampa” has just put online its 1867-today archive (yes, it IS in Italian). What better chance (well, for me at least…) to explore the evolution of “global cooling” thinking in the 1970s beyond the usual English-speaking newsmedia? With the added bonus of plenty of names and other key words to use as…keywords for further research.

Very briefly: in the 15 articles I have found so far:

* the popularity of scientists predicting an ice age is very clear up to the Feb 1979 meeting of the World Meteorological Organization
* “upcoming ice age” is the meme du jour up to 1985 at least
* there is a warmist slant in 1990 but strangely, the arguments of discussion are more or less the same still central to the debate in 2010

This collection strongly indicates that in Italy, like elsewhere, the average reader of newspapers would have had all the reasons to believe in a “global cooling consensus” for much of the 1970′s and even later.'

Read the whole article, fascinating...

'Hamas loves Obama' - Now why would that be the case?

Fox News report that:

'"Abu Hussain! Palestine loves you!!!"
This slogan, in English, appears on a poster and other products produced by the Palestinian Hamas movement and put on sale in Gaza. Yesterday, it adorned the front pages of several leading Arab dailies.
The "Abu Hussain" is President Obama. The poster pictures him wearing the signature Arab headgear, the kaffiyeh.
That the most radical Palestinian faction has declared its love for the president may be bad news for the stalled Middle East peace talks, which Obama has promised to help restart before the end of the year.'

Now why would Hamas so love Barack Hussein Obama?

More Irish accountants misbehaving - 'The whisper'

Following yesterday's post that:

'PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of Britain's largest accountancy firms, has launched an investigation after male staff at one of its branches in Ireland were found circulating emails where they rated the attractiveness of their female colleagues.'

I now read that:

'another KPMG associate maybe not using the best judgment, sharing his plans for putting the moves on a special lady friend with his mate over firm email.

...

From: John [redacted]
Sent: 22 October 2010 11:48
To: Ian [redacted]
Subject: RE: Wed

Alright next thurs, im gonna stick the head in. Just wait for the right moment. (When shes drunk) and she cant say no. Got this unreal technique for scoring aswel, called the whisper. I pretend im whispering in her ear and when shes not looking I just kiss her. The element of surprise throws then off and BOOM.'

Ah 'the whisper', what is it with Irish accountants?

The 'racist state' of Israel again

The BBC manage to report the news that:

'Israel's cabinet has approved a scheme to allow into the country nearly 8,000 Ethiopians of Jewish descent.'

But being the BBC they have to get in this dig:

'More than 100,000 Jews from Ethiopia are believed to live in the country. They make up one of the poorest sections of Israeli society.'

Presumably the Falasha feel they are better off in Israel than Ethiopia, that's why they want to leave the latter for the former. Maybe they realise that it is better to live in Israel than in desperately poor conditions in transit camps in northern Ethiopia.

Two contrasting views of Israel and the 'occupied West Bank'

The BBC push the news that:

'Israel's prime minister has briefed his cabinet on a package of incentives the US has proposed if it renews a partial freeze on settlement construction.

Washington has reportedly said it will strengthen its commitment to oppose UN resolutions critical of Israel, and offer defence and security guarantees.

In return, Israel would stop building for 90 days in the occupied West Bank.'

Meanwhile YNet News reports that Geert Wilders understands the 20th Century history of the Middle East rather better than most:

'Geert Wilders, who leads the right-wing Party for Freedom (PVV) in Holland, said last week he believes Jordan should be renamed Palestine. The Jordanian government responded by saying Wilders' speech was reminiscent of the Israeli right wing.

"Jordan is Palestine," said Wilders, who heads the third-largest party in Holland. "Changing its name to Palestine will end the conflict in the Middle East and provide the Palestinians with an alternate homeland."

Wilders added that Israel deserved a special status in the Dutch government because it was fighting for Jerusalem in its name.

"If Jerusalem falls into the hands of the Muslims, Athens and Rome will be next. Thus, Jerusalem is the main front protecting the West. It is not a conflict over territory but rather an ideological battle, between the mentality of the liberated West and the ideology of Islamic barbarism," he said.

"There has been an independent Palestinian state since 1946, and it is the kingdom of Jordan." Wilders also called on the Dutch government to refer to Jordan as Palestine and move its embassy to Jerusalem.'

Of course Islamic countries are in uproar at the truth coming out:

'The Saudi Al-Watan carried Jordan's response to Wilders' speech. The kingdom's embassy in Hague was outraged, and said the Dutch ambassador would soon be summoned to explain.

Jordan's minister for media affairs and communications, Nabil Al Sharif, asked for clarifications. He described Wilders' declaration as "an echo of the voice of the Israeli Right" and "crows' screams".

"Jordan is an independent and secure country which supports the Palestinian issue, and these imaginings of finding them an alternate homeland are nothing but the delusions of a few people," he said.'

Hmmm, just remind me if the 'Palestinians' living in the 'West Bank' pre the 1967 Arab-Israeli war considered themselves living under occupation by a foreign power (Jordan)?

As I blogged last month:

'The other uncomfortable truth about Jordan is that it is the Palestinian State. It was set-up in 1929 on part of the land promised by the 1917 Balfour declaration for the 'establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people'. Here's a map of the Palestinian Mandate, can you see how it divides between what is now Israel and what is now Jordan?

Do remember that back on March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper Trouw published an interview with Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Zahir Muhsein. Here's what he said:

"The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people, since Arab national interests demand that we posit the existence of a distinct "Palestinian people" to oppose Zionism.

For tactical reasons, Jordan, which is a sovereign state with defined borders, cannot raise claims to Haifa and Jaffa, while as a Palestinian, I can undoubtedly demand Haifa, Jaffa, Beer-Sheva and Jerusalem. However, the moment we reclaim our right to all of Palestine, we will not wait even a minute to unite Palestine and Jordan."

Remember also that on the same day Yasser Arafat signed the Declaration of Principles on the White House lawn in 1993, he explained his actions on Jordan TV thus "Since we cannot defeat Israel in war, we do this in stages. We take any and every territory that we can of Palestine, and establish a sovereignty there, and we use it as a springboard to take more. When the time comes, we can get the Arab nations to join us for the final blow against Israel."

Is there any chance of the BBC actually reflecting historical truths rather than their own prejudices?

Sunday evening catchup (part 2) - The Global Warming issue

1. Christopher Booker in The Telegraph explains that:

'The climate change scare is dying, but do our MPs notice?'

Do read the whole of Christopher Booker's piece as he explains much, here's one extract:

'Our governments in London and Brussels charge on with completely unreal and damaging policies which increasingly look as much of a shambles as the warming scare which inspired them. Scarcely a single politician dares question the Climate Change Act, by far the most expensive law in history, which commits Britain, uniquely in the world, to reducing its CO2 emissions by 80 per cent in 40 years. By the Government's own estimates, this will cost up to £18 billion a year. Any hope that we could begin to meet such a target without closing down most of our economy is as fanciful as the idea that we can meet our EU commitment to generate 30 per cent of our electricity by 2020 from "renewable" sources, such as wind and solar.

It was recently reported that farmers are rushing to cash in on the ludicrous subsidies which could earn them £50,000 a year for covering 35 acres of their fields with solar panels bought from China. These yield, on average, only 8 per cent of their capacity. Last year, all the solar panels in Britain generated an average 2.3 megawatts, barely 1/500th of the output of a single medium-sized coal-fired power station. Yet our Government wants us to pour billions of pounds into this scheme, just when Spain, Germany and Australia have drastically reduced their own solar subsidies, because the billions they lavished on them turned out to be a total waste of money for virtually no return. '

2. David Whitehouse at Watts Up With That wonders why the temperature is unchanging?

'Some eminent climatologists, such as Professor Phil Jones of the University of East Anglia’s Climatic Research Unit, suggest the global annual average temperatures haven’t changed for the past 15 years. We are reaching the point where the temperature standstill is becoming the major feature of the recent global warm period that began in 1980. In brief, the global temperature has remained constant for longer than it has increased. Perhaps this should not be surprising as in the seven decades since 1940 the world has gotten warmer in only two of them, and if one considers each decade individually the increase in temperature in each has barely been statistically significant. Only when the warming in the 1980’s is added to that of the first half of the 1990’s does the change exceed the noise in the system.

But what does this 10-15 year temperature standstill mean?'

Read it all, it's excellent and will of cousre be ignored by the BBC. Roger Harrabin are you reading?


3. Climate Change Dispatch claims that 'The Green Bubble is about to Burst' and explains thus

'There is a revolution coming that is likely to burst the green global warming bubble: the temperature trend used by the IPCC (the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to support their conclusion about anthropogenic global warming (AGW) is likely to turn out to be fake. The situation will become clear once Virginia's attorney general, Kenneth Cuccinelli, obtains information now buried in e-mails at the University of Virginia. Or Hearings on Climategate by the U.S. Congress may uncover the "smoking gun" that demonstrates that the warming trend used by the IPCC does not really exist.

It has become increasingly clear that any observed warming during the past century is of natural origin and that the human contribution is insignificant. It is doubtful that any significant warming is attributable to greenhouse gases at all.

Once the public accepts these scientific conclusions, it should have immense consequences for policy. It will mean that the impact of rising CO2 levels is negligibly small, as has already been concluded by the NIPCC (Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change), a group of scientists skeptical of the U.N.-supported IPCC. It would also mean that wind energy, solar energy, and other "non-carbon" energy sources are not needed and are in fact counterproductive. It would remove the need for alternative fuels such as ethanol (which might please many true environmentalists). It would also mean that carbon trading, cap and trade, and fanciful schemes for carbon capture and sequestration would all end up in the dustbin of history.'

4. Climate Change Dispatch again and this time they explain

'The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) admits it was wrong about urban heating effects as a professional statistical analysis by Andrew Barnham exposes a BOM claim that “since 1960 the mean temperature in Australia has increased by about 0.7 °C”; the BOM assertion has no empirical scientific basis.

Barnham, who spent 8 years working in emerging South Asian economies building high volume transaction processing systems, applied a high-tech statistical technique very different from an earlier well-publicized probe by fellow Aussie, Ken Stewart on his blog, Ken’s Kingdom.

...

Like Stewart, Barnham paid particular attention to BOM’s methodology in addressing what is known as the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHI), a proven phenomenon whereby thermometers measuring temperatures in towns and cities become unduly influenced by extra ‘background’ heating from buildings, road surfaces, machinery, etc. It’s in the UHI adjustments that the greatest discrepancies appear to lie.

BOM concedes that daytime temperatures in Aussie cities are warming more rapidly than those of the surrounding countryside and that this is due to the cities themselves. In effect, the admission undermines all prior claims that such warming is principally due to man-made emissions trumpeted in the similarly discredited “greenhouse gas theory.”

Skeptical researchers have long argued that little or no weighting has properly been ascribed to the UHI

5. Tom Nelson explains that

'It's a consensus: Every year's climate hoax talks are the Earth's "last chance"'

Good spot Tom.


6. Cfact describes how

'An Australian software developer grew tired of debating climate realists on Twitter so he created spambot to wear down his opponents. The bot responds to anyone who expresses skepticism about man-made global warming by posting one of hundreds of canned replies in an attempt to frustrate skeptics.'

Ah technology...


7. Finally Activist Climate Guy reports an interesting challenge

'Peter Laux, Locomotive Engineman from Australia, “will pay $10,000 (AUS) for a conclusive argument based on empirical facts that increasing atmospheric CO2 from fossil fuel burning drives global climate warming.”'

You can read Peter Laux's challenge here. So keep an eye on Activist Climate Guy and Peter Laux as the 'warmists' have 20 years to claim their easy money, and it must be easy money because as we all know the science is 'inconrevertible'...

Sunday evening catchup (part 1)

1. Paul Kedrosky reports

'Recent media reports citing information from China's electricity authority claimed that 64.5 million urban electricity meters registered zero electricity consumption over the past six months, equating to enough empty flats to house 200 million people.'

2. This is Money reports

'The European Parliament has launched a controversial new power grab, demanding the right to make tax raids on Britain. 

MEPs said they would approve a 2.9% rise in the Brussels budget – demanded by David Cameron rather than the 6% originally proposed – but only if they get powers to raise taxes.'

3. Archbishop Cranmer reports and analyses the EU's latest power grab as EU President Herman Van Rompuy informs us that

"The time of the homogenous nation-state is over…
The national and the European interest can no longer be separated; they coincide…
We have together to fight the danger of a new Euro-scepticism.
This is no longer the monopoly of a few countries.
In every Member State, there are people who believe their country can survive alone in the globalised world.
It is more than an illusion: it is a lie!"

More catchups later...

The Middle East problem in a nutshell - with Dennis Prager

Thanks to Theo Spark for the spot.

Are vibrating seats are a good thing?

Top Gear show that it might be, watch from 1:28. That girl looks like she might buy one... "Ohh it's good!"

"If you really hate the bourgeoisie then why are you so happy for them to pay for your degree?"

I don't think Dan Bull is 100% behind the Millbank anarchists...

The future?

Devils Knife (formerly Devils Kitchen)

'finds himself unable to comment on anything at present.

I simply don't have the will or inclination to write, or even care, about politics at the moment. And even if I did express myself in terms which would lead to some catharsis, I would probably find myself in court.'

He and Al-Jahom  admit to feeling despair and asking "What's the point".

And I thought it was just me that felt like this!  Actually I knew it wasn't; I too thought that getting the evil of Blair, Brown, Mandelson etc. out of power would be 'a good thing' and indeed it was. The trouble is the country has been so screwed by the last Labour government that no incoming Conservative government could really have achieved that much even if they really wanted to. Labour almost managed to build a large enough client state that they could keep their horrible, hateful hands on power. As it was the Conservatives couldn't quite climb the electoral mountain created by Labour and so find themselves governing in a Con/LibDem coalition. For liberal Tories like David Cameron this is no great issue but for those who want to see real change in this country it is a massive problem.

On matters pertaining to the EU, economic & social reform, immigration, 'climate change', countering radical Islam etc. there will be no major change and there desperately needs to be.

I started talking to friends and family about the need to leave this country around ten years ago, the writing was on the wall then. However I am partly a coward and partly a patriot so I stayed to fight for what is right. What was right then was getting rid of the evil Labour government, what is right now... I am not so sure.

I have never blogged harder than I have over the last year but I too am not sure if I have the enthusiasm any more. Mine was never a 'Conservative' blog, it was more an anti-Labour and associated evils blog. Maybe it is easier to rail against things than to create a better world but then maybe it is too late to create utopia, or at least something noticeably better than what we have.

Either way, in recent months I have found my enthusiasm for blogging diminishing and the types of blog posts has changed. There is much much more about Israel and Islam and much less about UK politics. I have started posting many more lighter posts of interest just because I need to feel enthused about something. I have prepared quite a few lighter posts for the coming weeks and I will post more thoughtful pieces as well but I am not sure for how much longer; what's the point?

I wrote the above this morning but then at 11:00 I sat in silence and remembered the fallen and how they fought for what was right against what was wrong. I thought of the bravery that that must have taken and I wondered where they found the courage. Then I realised that just giving up blogging was the cowards way out, so I will blog on and even when I think 'what's the point' I will remember that others fought and died so I could have that choice. If my blog enthuses just one person to stand up and fight against the tide of evil and apathy then it was worth my while.

For Armistice Day

I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,
  The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
  The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
  I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

  I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
  They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
  They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
  But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

  Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
  Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
  An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
  Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

  We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
  But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
  An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
  Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

  You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
  We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
  Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
  The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

Rudyard Kipling - 'Tommy'

This reminds me of one of my favourite witicisms, whose I do not know: 'Do you like Kipling? I don't know, I've never kippled...'

Is that a complete denial?

Every so often I hear someone say something that everyone seems to take as a denial but I hear something else. There was an example in The Independent on Friday:

'"There is no evidence to back up accusations that NUS stewards did anything to encourage this despicable violence," Aaron Porter, the NUS president, said'

So did the NUS stewards do anything  to encourage the despicable violence or is there just no evidence? Am I just being cynical?

Condom or no condom

Condom, no condom? is an interactive video where you decide what happens. Just choose which button to click at the end of each section to continue the story.

The media are in an uproar, what do you think? I think it's a reponsible piece of realism for the 'Skins' generation but how many teens will actually watch it?

“Islam is not compatible with democracy.” He also says that a husband has the right to administer “some type of physical force… a very light beating” to his wife, to prevent her from committing “evil.”

Andrew Gilligan in The Telegraph has a fascinating piece about the latest happenings in Tower Hamlets where Lutfur Rahman was elected mayor in a bad tempered and dirty campaign, amongst Lutfur Rahman's supporters was Ken Livingstone, despite Lutfur Rahman not being the Labour candidate.

Here's the context of the remarks in this piece's title:

'Two weeks after the extremist-backed politician, Lutfur Rahman, became mayor of Tower Hamlets, his council has placed CDs of sermons by an extremist Islamic preacher in its Town Hall.
The preacher, Abdur Raheem Green, has stated that “Islam is not compatible with democracy.” He also says that a husband has the right to administer “some type of physical force… a very light beating” to his wife, to prevent her from committing “evil.” There is, of course, a considerable irony here. You may remember that Lutfur won the mayoralty with the help of smear literature falsely claiming that his Labour opponent was… a wife-beater.
The CDs are being handed out to council workers and visitors as part of an official council-sanctioned display mounted in the Town Hall reception area from last week by an organisation called One Reason. Two councillors have been given them and have passed them to me.'

Fascinating stuff...

"The bigger the state, the lower the level and the growth rate of national output"

from last night's Channel 4 scare-fest about the UK economy.


Thanks to A Tangled Web for the spot.

'two sapodillas and a nine inch banana'

More Guyanese soca music...

At last a smartphone comparison to warm the 'cockles of your heart'

Which smartphone lasts longer on a portable barbeque grill? The contestants: Representing Android - the G2, representing Windows Mobile 7 - The HTC Surround and representing the dark forces of Apple - an iPhone4.
What a senseless waste of technology but it does establish that if you are going to work on top of a barbeque then you may be best advised to buy an HTC Windows Mobile 7 smartphone.

Quite impressive when the battery blows isn't it?

Oh and don't try this at home!


Engadget made the spot.

I thought I liked dogs as much as the next man, but it seems not if the next man is Australian rugby player Joel Monaghan

AOL have the full story...


UPDATE - 15.11.10:
Joel Monaghan is rumoured to be heading for UK Rugby League side Castleford Tigers. Looks like rather than 'lock up your daughters' the warning cry will be 'lock up your Labradors'.

6,5,7,7,6,9,6,7,8,7,7,7,7

The Telegraph explains that

'PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of Britain's largest accountancy firms, has launched an investigation after male staff at one of its branches in Ireland were found circulating emails where they rated the attractiveness of their female colleagues.'

And has the pictures.

Sexist swine, accountants!

Ken Livingstone and Lutfur Rahman

Andrew Gilligan in The Telegraph reports on Andrew Neil's putting of Ken Livingstone on the spot, here's a brief extract:

'“Andrew Neil: Why should Labour people go out and campaign for you when you campaigned for Labour’s opponent in the Tower Hamlets mayoral election?

Ken: No, no, I made it quite clear, I called for a vote for the Labour candidate. But this is one of these Alternative Vote things. What I said was, you must use your second vote for the person that the local Labour people selected.

Neil (laughing): You said the Labour candidate wasn’t credible or competent. That’s hardly campaigning for him! You said people should vote for a candidate that isn’t credible or competent?

...

Ken: I would have been quite happy to go down with the local Labour candidate, but he didn’t want me around, because he’s been one of my opponents for a long time.

Neil: You were attacking Phil Woolas, though, for smears and so on. But here are you, backing a man who distributed 90,000 copies of a Bangladeshi freesheet which carried smears [on] the Labour candidate, the man you’re supposed to be supporting, calling him “the wife-beating candidate” and a racist!

Ken (smiling): It’s very dirty politics down in Tower Hamlets. No-one denies that.

Neil: Much worse than anything Phil Woolas said. And you’re backing this guy!

Ken: I mean, I don’t believe Lutfur Rahman put that [out]. A lot of dirty stuff was circulated, always has been, and one of the reasons I wanted a directly-elected mayor in Tower Hamlets is so you move away from that very sectional politics to someone who has to appeal very widely. And Lutfur Rahman’s been subject to a long smear campaign by Andrew Gilligan. Well, that immediately suggests that he can’t be all bad.”'

 Andre Gilligan comments:

'The fact that Lutfur is opposed by me appears to have become the main argument used by his supporters – see also here and, even more comically, here. Given the actual charge-sheet against Lutfur, I think you’ll need to do better than that, lads.'

If as seems clear Ken Livingstone campaigned against the labour candidate in Tower Hamlets, whey is he still in the Labour party contrary to party rules? Is Ken bigger than the party? He's certainly better known than Ed Miliband. Is it in fact possible that if Ed Milibnad was run over by that pesky theoretical bus that the leadership battle of a more left-wing Labour party could include uncuddly Ken?

The LibDems, the party of principles - "should have been more careful"

The last general election was no different from most that I can remember in that the LibDems and especially their leader endlessly portrayed themselves as the honest party, different from the two 'old' big parties. I knew it was rubbish and I am sure you did too, but the BBC lapped it up - anything to hurt the Tories. Unfortunately for the BBC, it seems that the LibDems just couldn't face propping up Gordon Brown and Ed Balls was a step too far as well, and so entered into a coalition with David Cameron's Tory 'lite' party.

The fuss in recent days has been over university tuition fees, a matter brought into sharp focus by the London student riot. So I was intrigued to read on Sky News that:

'The Liberal Democrats drew up plans to abandon Nick Clegg's flagship policy to scrap university tuition fees two months before the general election

...

A confidential document drawn up in March concluded that insisting on the move - which was opposed by the Tories and Labour - would be a "headache".

It is detailed in a new book about the formation of the Tory-Lib Dem administration by Conservative MP Rob Wilson, extracts of which are published today by the Guardian.

Mr Clegg, now Deputy Prime Minister, admitted this week that he "should have been more careful" when he signed a pre-election pledge to oppose a rise in tuition fees.'

Something makes me think that Nick Clegg is going to take a long time to live that comment down - "should have been more careful"!

The LibDems have tried to defend themselves thus:

'"These are selective extracts of documents which discussed a range of options ahead of any possible negotiations.

"As the Liberal Democrats made clear throughout the election and in negotiations, they had four key priorities which were set out on the front page of the manifesto.

"All of these priorities were agreed in the coalition document."'

However I don't think that this will be enough for the media or the Libdem voter. The pressure on Nick Clegg is going to increase and he will have to be strong, stronger than I think he is, to keep the coalition going past the next set of local elections. If, as I think will be the case, the LibDems suffer a massive electoral defeat then the left-wing of his party will either try to unseat him or cross to the Labour party. The latter move would at least have the virtue of honesty as the left-wing of the LibDems have more in common with the Labour party than a party with the word 'Liberal' in its name.

I have mused about the LibDems future before now and maybe it is now more possible for the Lib Dems to split: mostly to Labour with the Orange Bookers to the Conservatives. That would be an interesting development in UK politics but I wonder if the Conservative party could also have problems soon as the 'right' wonder if David Cameron rather than being a closet Thatcherite as many hoped, is in fact a closet Heathite as some feared.

Top 10 low flybys

Kudos to the man on the ground in the third rated video...

The United Nations and Israel again

The Sixty-fifth General Assembly's Fourth Committee has been discussing Israel again. Here's a list of the countries who spoke: Egypt, Qatar, Tunisia, Malaysia, Morocco, Sudan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Libya, UAE, Algeria, Lebanon, Yemen, Nigeria, Tanzania, the Palestinian Authority and oh yes, Israel. Apart from pointing out that the Palestinian Authority is not a country but is allowed, nay encouraged, to speak as one at the United Nations, it is interesting to note the majority religion of each of the other countries:
Egypt - Islam
Qatar - Islam
Tunisia - Islam
Malaysia - Islam
Morocco - Islam
Sudan - Islam
Bangladesh - Islam
Bahrain - Islam
Iran - Islam
Jordan - Islam
Libya - Islam
UAE - Islam
Algeria - Islam
Lebanon - Islam
Yemen - Islam
Nigeria - around 50:50 Islam & Christian
Tanzania - no figures for over 40 years - suggested at 40:40:20 Islam:Christian:Others
Palestinian Authority - Islam
Israel - Judaism

Yes it's inexplicable why the Sixty-fifth General Assembly's Fourth Committee is so anti-Israel...

'Give me a suck on your Julie mango'

Ah happy days, Guyanese Soca - Byron Lee - 'Julie mango'

'The BBC is by no means a 'liberal' institution, it's bound by strict legislation to be entirely impartial... The majority of other media outlets belong to Rupert Murdoch, who by the way, is a Conservative. You only need to read the Daily Mail to realise it's his filth.'

'The BBC is by no means a 'liberal' institution, it's bound by strict legislation to be entirely impartial... The majority of other media outlets belong to Rupert Murdoch, who by the way, is a Conservative. You only need to read the Daily Mail to realise it's his filth.'

Just two extracts from a fairly long comment to my posting about how the Media, especially the BBC, have reported the rise of the Tea Party in the USA.

For full context do read my posting first but here's the comment from 'Anonymous' in all its glory:

'" the left-wing media (including the BBC)"

I'm sorry, what? The BBC is by no means a 'liberal' institution, it's bound by strict legislation to be entirely impartial. When millions of people are taxed for its obliged to be unbiased. I couldn't continual broadcasting, it's possibly imagine the public's fury if it was any other way.
Essentially, you believe the BBC is 'liberal' because it's pluralistic, tolerant and keen not to offend. Basically, they aren't arseholes.

The majority of other media outlets belong to Rupert Murdoch, who by the way, is a Conservative. You only need to read the Daily Mail to realise it's his filth.

No, I think you're coming from an American perspective, that's all. Here in Britain, we do not entertain the bigotry so often found on 'alternative networks' like Fox. Many Tea Party members are homophobic, and many are racist; so naturally, it's equated and despised in the same fashion as the UK's British National Party.

" have been hiding this behind endless reports in favour of the 'first black President'."

Have they? I'm yet to see such a broadcast.

"'suggests that strong anti-Obama sentiment is fuelling votes' - Why 'suggests'?"

Because suggest is synonymous with 'indication'. The number is 41%. Hardly a majority, so no terms of certainty can be used by the journalist in question. '

Quality commenting? I was staggered so had to respond:

'Wow, are you serious?
'The BBC is by no means a 'liberal' institution, it's bound by strict legislation to be entirely impartial.'
It is indeed meant to be impartial but nobody could seriously listen and/or watch its news and current affairs output and think it is impartial. Can I suggest you look at the evidence on this site, Biased-BBC and Beeb Bias Craig before you make such ridiculous claims.


'Essentially, you believe the BBC is 'liberal' because it's pluralistic, tolerant and keen not to offend. Basically, they aren't arseholes.'
The BBC are happy to offend those who are not amongst its favoured groupings; thus religious Christians are fair game whilst religious Islamists are not. Israelis are always attackable whatever the truth of the incident, whilst the Palestinians are all but untouchable.


'The majority of other media outlets belong to Rupert Murdoch, who by the way, is a Conservative. You only need to read the Daily Mail to realise it's his filth.'

I see a few problems with this. I don't think Rupert Murdoch's News International control a majority of other media outlets, but maybe you could provide the figures to prove this. However I doubt it since you seem to think that Rupert Murdoch owns the Daily Mail. I think you will find that yhe Daily Mail is owned by a public company 'Daily Mail and General Trust' who are not in any way 'owned' or 'controlled' by Rupert Murdoch or one of his companies. In fact the only newspapers that Rupert Murdoch is considered to control are The Sun, The Times, The News of the World and The Sunday Times.


'No, I think you're coming from an American perspective, that's all.'

I am English, live in London and have done all of my life.


'Here in Britain, we do not entertain the bigotry so often found on 'alternative networks' like Fox.'
Fox News is no more bigoted than the BBC, maybe in a different direction. Certainly there seem to be more off-message debate on Fox News than on the BBC. The big difference is that I don't have to pay a tax to pay for Fox News, I do have to pay for the BBC. If the BBC wants to spew out prejudiced propaganda then they should not demand payment from every UK TV owner.


'Many Tea Party members are homophobic, and many are racist;'

How do you know this, source please.


'so naturally, it's equated and despised in the same fashion as the UK's British National Party.'

Just as pre the US midterm elections the BBC and MSNBC in the US were telling us how much the Tea Party was despised, and then the Tea Party showed how much support it had, I think you might be surprised to know that not everyone in the UK shares your somewhat blinkered views.


'" have been hiding this behind endless reports in favour of the 'first black President'."
Have they? I'm yet to see such a broadcast.'

I assume that you are joking, the whole Presidential election campaign was full of adoring articles on the BBC by the likes of Matt Frei lauding the Obamamessiah and denigrating McCain and Palin.


I know suspect that you are either a troll or so badly informed that I won't even bother to reply to your last few points. Get a grip, read more widely and you might learn something. '

I have yet to receive a reply. Maybe 'Anonymous' is too embarrassed by his Rupert Murdoch owns the Daily Mail claim...

Thursday night catchup

1. Iconic Palestinian image a hoax, says critic -

"This is not a Jewish issue, it's a democracy issue. If you can't trust the TV, the newspaper, what can you trust?"

Ah a good question...


2. Government minister of 'moderate' Indonesia regrets shaking Mrs. Obama’s hand -

'A conservative Muslim government minister admits he shook hands with first lady Michelle Obama in welcoming her to Indonesia but says it wasn’t his choice.

...

“I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs. Michelle held her hands too far toward me (so) we touched,” Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring told tens of thousands of followers on Twitter.'

So that's 'moderate'.


3. Christian woman sentenced to death in Pakistan ‘for blasphemy’ -

'A Christian woman has been sentenced to hang in Pakistan after being convicted of defaming the Prophet Mohammed.

Asia Bibi, a 45-year-old mother-of-five, denies blasphemy and told investigators that she was being persecuted for her faith in a country where Christians face routine harassment and discrimination.

...

The court heard she had been working as a farmhand in fields with other women, when she was asked to fetch drinking water.

Some of the other women – all Muslims – refused to drink the water as it had been brought by a Christian and was therefore “unclean”, according to Mrs Bibi’s evidence, sparking a row.

The incident was forgotten until a few days later when Mrs Bibi said she was set upon by a mob.'

Ah the the religious tolerance that the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is famed for.


4. Islam Channel censured by Ofcom -

'Programmes on the London-based broadcaster had advocated marital rape and violence against women'

I presume left-wing feminists will be up in arms...


5. Baroness Ashton's empire: The EU diplomatic army that dwarfs anything our own Foreign Office could muster
-

'The so-called European External Action Service (EEAS) will have an annual budget of £5.8 billion and an army of ambassadors across 137 embassies, with up to 7,000 Eurocrats trained to pursue the EU’s foreign policy.

It will be run by Baroness Ashton, the obscure Labour quangocrat and Blair-appointed peer who last year was surprisingly nominated by Gordon Brown to be the EU’s foreign secretary – even though she has never been elected by British or European voters.'

Ah the EU spending money and self-aggrandising.

What a massive surprise

Sky News reveal the incredible shock news that:

'Sky News has found evidence of internet discussions about potential violence at the student protests at least a week before Wednesday's riot in London.

Student anarchist groups had been using known protester forums and Facebook to call for "direct action", "civil disobedience" and "occupations" since at least October 26.'

Isn't it incredible how demolition crews know exactly which way a demolished tower will fall? Usually!

It was in Ohio I believe.

A life on Facebook

For all of you who live their lives on Facebook...

Oddly moving video though and anything with 'Paint It Black' as the soundtrack is fine with me.

Is your baby driving you mad? The answer is Bob Marley!

The power of reggae!

Here we go again

I read  that:

'The European Union said on Monday it would lift visa requirements for travellers from Albania and Bosnia next month, aiming to encourage democratic reforms in the Balkan states, but warned that restrictions could be re-imposed if travel rules are abused.'

Do we ever learn? So Albanians will no longer have to pretend to be Italian in order to work in the UK but will be able to visit  here as prospective EU citizens. How many will disappear once here and add to the costs of the welfare state. Are we, as a country, so stupid as to let the EU get away with this sort of decision? Why does the EU need to expand further, is it doing that well? Or is is a simple matter of diluting the power of individual countries so as to concentrate the power in the EU itself?

A backwards lip dub

Shorewood High School's backwards Lip Dub.

Justice

Yesterday I blogged that

'there is a lot of video and still photos of 'students' breaking windows and throwing objects. I would like each and every person identifiable be charged with criminal damage, affray or some other public order offence, convicted and punished. The punishment should not be just a warning and a metaphorical slap on the wrist but a serious custodial punishment.

I also trust that University Vice-Chancellors will be viewing the images and taking action against any of their 'students' found to have been guilty of public order offences.'

So I am pleased to see that someone wants to do something positive, Guido Fawkes has tweeted

'Gathering evidence of NUS officials who rioted yesterday - send names, photos, tips to guido.fawkes@order-order.com'

Do please assist, these people need to know that their violent actions will have consequences.

Good but still so wrong

I hear that Iran was not voted onto the new UN Women agency, that's good as Iran's human rights record is execrable. However I also hear that Saudi Arabia has been given a seat on the new super-agency for Women and that is so bad. In Saudi Arabia women are forbidden from driving and are treated under Sharia law as second class citizens.

Well done the United Nations, another stellar decision.

Scrapping the Harriers

I am a huge fan of the Harrier jumpjet and just could not understand the decision to scrap the UK's force of Harrier jumpjets and preserve the RAF Tornado bomber fleet instead.

So I was intrigued to read a letter in today's Times by the leader of Britain's heroic commandos and paras during the Falklands War (former Royal Marine major-general Julian Thompson), along with some retired admirals, which argues that the Coalition's recent decision to scrap the UK's force of Harrier jumpjets and preserve the RAF Tornado bomber fleet was a huge mistake and should be reversed.

The letter to the Times runs thus:

'Harrier could still use Kandahar runway if half of it were blocked by Taleban action; can use any make-shift landing site; has a response time of less than 10 minutes, as against 30 [for the Tornado]; performs better in hot weather; requires fewer ground crew; and has better availability.

Harrier can deliver close air support of ground forces anywhere from the existing carriers ... [it] has nearly twice as many airframes provided with precision-guided ground attack capability [as Tornado]; will not require a further £1.4 billion to re-engine in 2014; and can remain in service until 2023 without significant investment.

The existing Tornado force will cost, over 10 years, seven times as much to keep in service as Harrier ...

The decision to axe the entire Harrier force is strategically and financially perverse.'

Signing the letter alongside Thompson is another Falklands veteran, Lord Alan West who later became head of the navy. Also signatories are former First Sea Lord, Julian Oswald, and two retired vice-admirals, Jeremy Blackham and John Mcanally.

Remember the Falklands, a war that happened (at least partly) because the Argentinians decided that the UK wasn't serious about defending the Falklands. Land-based RAF aircraft couldn't reach the theatre of battle effectively (remember the incredible feats required to get one Vulcan to bomb Port Stanley airfield) and so it carrier-borne Harriers that had to to fight the Argentine air force for control of the skies. Without the Harrier carriers the war of 1982 would have been a bloody, disastrous defeat for the UK.

I remember a TV piece about the Harrier operating in Central Europe that impressed me then and has stuck in my mind. It compared the length of time required to build a runway for conventional jets as opposed to clearing the space needed by a Harrier; the versatility was incredible.

I doubt that the Tornado is suited to flying out of Kandahar, the runway is too short for safe takeoffs and too easy to damage thus making in unusable by Tornados.

Flexibility is the most important factor in modern warfare and I know which of the Harrier and the Tornado is more flexible; the Harrier. It also being the only plane that could give the UK a carrier borne plane until (and if) the new carriers and planes come into service.


The experts have spoken, so has common-sense; is it too much to hope that David Cameron, Liam Fox and the Chiefs of Staff reconsider their decision?

The student protests

Unacceptable behaviour but what I want to say is that there is a lot of video and still photos of 'students' breaking windows and throwing objects. I would like each and every person identifiable be charged with criminal damage, affray or some other public order offence, convicted and punished. The punishment should not be just a warning and a metaphorical slap on the wrist but a serious custodial punishment.

I also trust that University Vice-Chancellors will be viewing the images and taking action against any of their 'students' found to have been guilty of public order offences.

I have been warning for some time of civil disorder by elements fighting against 'the cuts' and unless strong action is taken now against these 'students' they will only get bolder and more dangerous.

'Is the Western Climate Establishment Corrupt?'

A damn good question and one that Joanne Nova asks and answers; do take a read. Here's a very short extract that summarises some of what I have blogged about in the past:

'The Western Climate Establishment is cheating:

1. Official thermometers are overwhelmingly in warm localities such as near air conditioner exhaust vents, buildings, concrete, tarmac, or asphalt.
2. Officials hide the Argo data, which shows the world’s oceans are cooling.'

Future shock India

YOU SAY PARTY - 'Lonely's Lunch' [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Love the visuals and the Indian city scenes, not so sure how practical it would be to escape in an Indian three wheel taxi as most that I have  travelled in have been somewhat arthritic!

Thanks to Boing Boing for the spot.

The one hundred and fifth weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

This week's winner is the headline on the BBC website

'Bank of England says inflation will be above 2% in 2011'

"No shit, Sherlock"

Harry Potter News

The news has broken that Daniel Radcliffe says he is unlikely to appear in another Harry Potter film.

SO WHAT! I have never read a Harry Potter book, never watched a Harry Potter film and find the sight of adults reading these 'children's books' just plain embarrassing, get a life...

Obama's "Yes We Can" = "Thank You Satan"

As fisrt posted by me in March. As I said then

'One of the best pieces of conspiracy theory video I have seen for ages; enjoy. But what if it is true???'

Incidentally I wonder how all those people faithfully echoing 'Yes we can!' feel now?

The best Newsbusted yet?

Jodi Miller's Newsbusted daily videos have been a must watch for a long time now, and I watch them at Theo Spark as he puts them up so promptly. Yesterday's was a really good one, so I reposted... I do like a bit of triumphalism!

What has happened to The Telegraph website?

When I visited The Telegraph web site I assumed they had had a problem and that was why all the pages looked so weak. However it seems that they have in fact had a redesign, a poor one. The site looks cheap and dull with a particularly retro look to the 'Comments and blogs' sidebar. The top advertisement takes up about a third of my laptop screen and just like when the BBC redesigned their news website, the amount of information on each page seems to have been reduced.

The result of this redesign will be that whilst I will still visit the site, it's less biased than the BBC News site, I won't enjoy it...

Who said White men can't sing blues/funk?

Eric Burdon and War - 'Tobacco Road'

Hold on that's odd - Dr Who and Million Pound Drop related

The Mail amongst many news outlets reports an odd question and answer on Channel 4's Million Pound Drop quiz:

'A couple who lost a £325,000 TV quiz show prize after the programme's fact checkers got their answer wrong have been handed a reprieve by Channel 4.

Husband and wife Johnny and Dee will return to Million Pound Drop on Friday night and will have their £325,000 kitty reinstated.

The couple were originally booted off the show last Friday night when they supposedly gave the wrong answer to the question 'Who played Dr Who for the longest time?'.

The pair were asked to chose between four actors: Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston or David Tennant.

Unable to decide on the correct answer, they split their remaining £650,000 between McCoy and McGann, only for the host to inform them the answer was Tennant.

However, the error led to Doctor Who fans calling in to complain at the factual inaccuracy.

Tennant, the tenth Doctor, played the role from 2005 until 2009.

And while McCoy only played the role from 1987 until 1989, he also starred in a 1996 film and, given that no one else portrayed the Timelord between those two points, he takes the title as longest reigning Doctor.

A statement from Channel 4 read: 'Having spoken to the Dr Who production team at the BBC, the Million Pound Drop producers have confirmed that the correct answer to this question was Sylvester McCoy and not David Tennant as shown on the broadcast on Friday 5th November.

'This is due to Sylvester McCoy’s final appearance in a 1996 TV movie.

'We apologise for this oversight and as a result, the contestants, Johnny and Dee, will return to the show to finish the game this Friday or Saturday at 10pm on Channel 4 with the £325,000 they placed on McCoy.”'

I see something else that's a bit odd with that question; what about Tom Baker?
I calculate that Tom Baker served seven years as the Fourth Doctor to the five years served by David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor. However the contestants were indeed correct Sylvester McCoy was the Seventh Doctor from 1987 to the start of the 1996 film.

Actually a further thought strikes me, the First Doctor appeared in the 1983 special 'The Five Doctors' so from first appearance to last that is 20 years BUT William Hartnell who originally played the first Doctor was dead by 1983 so his part was played by Richard Hurndall. So maybe Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) holds the title for 1966-1969 + 1983 (the Five Doctors again) making 17 years?

That's the trouble with quiz shows just looking at Wikipedia, they miss the wrinkles...

Cheeky American Football play

EMBED-Trick Play Touchdown - Watch more free videos

A middle school football team in Corpus Christi, Texas pulls off an epic trick play to take the lead in a playoff game this past weekend.

Thanks to Theo Spark for the spot.

It is the realisation that Danny Baker, bless him, is something of a genius.

Danny Kelly in The Guardian explains why Danny Baker is a genius, the piece ends:

'It took a horrible illness to awaken us to a simple truth. We live in a society awash with celebrities, but have very few authentic National Treasures. Danny Baker is very much one of the latter. Good luck mate.'

I couldn't have put it better myself.

Whilst the UN debates every action taken by Israel to protect itself from the enemies that surround it, what does the UN do about Burma?

Burma has just held  a general election, it wasn't free and it wasn't fair and the result was never in doubt, how could it be with the leader of the opposition under house arrest and freedom of speech even further restricted than  usual.

Burma's military rulers have committed many acts of terror against its own people; they have tortured, raped and murdered thousands of people but the UN and the Israel obsessed western media make no more than token squawks of protest. Mother Jones covers some of the vileness of the Burmese regime here and here's a longish extract:

'IMAGINE, FOR A moment, that Texas had managed to secede from the union, and that you live there, in the sovereign Republic of Texas. Imagine that shortly after independence, a cadre of old, paranoid, greedy men who believed in a superior military caste took over your newly autonomous nation in a coup. Your beloved president, who had big dreams of prosperity and Texan unity, whom you believed in, was shot, and now the army runs your country. It has direct or indirect control over all the businesses. It spends 0.3 percent of GDP on health care, and uses your oil and natural gas money to buy weapons that Russia, Pakistan, and North Korea have been happy to provide. It sends your rice and beans to India and China, while your countrymen starve. There is no free press, and gatherings of more than five people are illegal. If you are arrested, a trial, much less legal representation, is not guaranteed. In the event of interrogation, be prepared to crouch like you're riding a motorbike for hours or be hung from the ceiling and spun around and around and around, or burned with cigarettes, or beaten with a rubber rod. They might put you in a ditch with a dead body for six days, lock you in a room with wild, sharp-beaked birds, or make you stand to your neck in a cesspool full of maggots that climb into your nose and ears and mouth. If you do manage to stay out of the prisons, where activists and dissidents have been rotting for decades, you will be broke and starving. Your children have a 10 percent chance of dying before they reach their fifth birthday, and a 32 percent chance they'll be devastatingly malnourished if they're still alive. What's more, you and 50 million countrymen are trapped inside your 268,000-square-mile Orwellian nightmare with some 350,000 soldiers. They can snatch people—maybe your kid—off the street and make them join the army. They can grab you as you're going out to buy eggs and make you work construction on a new government building or road—long, hard hours under the grueling sun for days or weeks without pay—during which you'll have to scavenge for food. You'll do all this at gunpoint, and any break will be rewarded with a pistol-whipping. Your life is roughly equivalent to a modern-day Burmese person's.
Now imagine that you belong to a distinct group, Dallasites, or something, that never wanted to be part of the Republic in the first place, that wanted to either remain part of the United States, which had treated you just fine, or, failing that, become your own free state within the Republic of Texas, since you already had your own infrastructure and culture. Some Dallasites have, wisely or unwisely, taken up arms to battle the Texas military government, and in retaliation whole squads of that huge army have, for decades, been dedicated to terrorizing your city. You and your fellow Dallasites are regularly conscripted into slavery, made to walk in front of the army to set off land mines that they—and your own insurgents—have planted, or carry 100-pound loads of weaponry while being severely beaten until you're crippled or die. If you're so enslaved, you might accompany the soldiers as they march into your friends' neighborhoods and set them on fire, watch them shoot at fleeing inhabitants as they run, capturing any stragglers. If you're one of those stragglers, and you're a woman, or a girl five or older, prepare to be raped, most likely gang-raped, and there's easily a one-in-four chance you'll then be killed, possibly by being shot, possibly through your vagina, possibly after having your breasts hacked off. If you're a man, maybe you'll be hung by your wrists and burned alive. Maybe a soldier will drown you by filling a plastic bag with water and tying it over your head, or stretch you between two trees and use you as a hammock, or cut off your nose, pull out your eyes, and then stab you in both ears before killing you, or string you up by your shoulders and club you now and again for two weeks, or heat up slivers of bamboo and push them into your urethra, or tie a tight rope between your dick and your neck for a while before setting your genitals on fire, or whatever else hateful, armed men and underage boys might dream up when they have orders to torment, and nothing else to do. And though you've been sure for decades that the United States can't possibly let this continue, it has invested in your country's oil and will not under any circumstances cross China, which is your country's staunch UN defender and economic ally, so you really need to accept that America is decidedly not coming to save you. Nobody is.'

Shocking? Yes very but where is the United Nations outrage? Where is one tenth of the coverage the BBC devote to every supposed claim of Israeli brutality?

For more on Burma, forget the MSM instaed visit The Democratic Voice of Burma. They have many articles about the election including here.

Codes of ethics in the Middle East

Double Tapper reports on the Israeli Defence Force's Code of Ethics, here's one clause:

'The IDF serviceman will use force of arms only for the purpose of subduing the enemy to the necessary extent and will limit his use of force so as to prevent unnecessary harm to human life and limb, dignity and property.

The IDF servicemen's purity of arms is their self-control in use of armed force. They will use their arms only for the purpose of achieving their mission, without inflicting unnecessary injury to human life or limb; dignity or property, of both soldiers and civilians, with special consideration for the defenseless, whether in wartime, or during routine security operations, or in the absence of combat, or times of peace.'

Now could someone point me  to Hamas or Hezbollah's Code of Ethics? Or does it just say 'kill as many Jews as possible'?

This is what terrorists leave behind

For more about Dan Biddle's incredible story read The Mail. Remember Dan Biddle  when people try and justify terrorism because 'we invaded Iraq, or because 'Israel stole Muslim land' or whatever. What part did Dan Biddle play in these 'offences'? What part did the others who were injured on 7/7 play in these 'offences'? What part did those who dies on 7/7 play? Terrorists are terrorists and deserve no sympathy at all.

So what?

Reading through some old articles I found this Telegraph article about Labour's Baroness Uddin. The bits that struck me were first that:

'New evidence which came to light during the formal parliamentary sleaze inquiry into Labour’s Baroness Uddin is being passed to the Metropolitan Police, who may now consider reviving the criminal case, which collapsed amid recrimination earlier this year.

Angus Robertson, the Scottish Nationalist MP whose complaint to police sparked the original criminal inquiry, confirmed that he would write to the Met asking police to reopen the case in the light of this new evidence.

...

'She was found to have “misled” the subcommittee after suggesting that she regularly stayed overnight at the Kent flat – which she described as a “bolt hole”.
However, police obtained statements from 12 neighbours who all said that she had never been seen there and that they referred to the property as the “empty flat”.
Water bills showed close to zero usage, leading the water company to replace Lady Uddin’s meter, assuming it was broken because levels were so low.
At one point, some shirts blew off a washing line on to the balcony of the flat, and were left to gather mould because no one removed them.
Neighbours said that they could see that there was no furniture in the flat until press reports about her case, and no signs of occupancy other than a single unshaded light bulb, which was set on a timer switch.
Lady Uddin had asked the letting company to forward all correspondence to her London home.
The subcommittee report said: “We find that Lady Uddin deliberately misled us as to the frequency of her stays in Maidstone'

And second that

'Lady Uddin has said that she does not have the money to repay the £125,000 she illegitimately claimed.'

I trust that the CPS will take on board the new evidence regarding Baroness Uddin's non-use of her Maidstone flat and prosecute her accordingly.

I further trust that in reply to the Baroness's squeals that she doesn't have the money, the authorities say "So What?" and ask her to pay in large instalments or even use an 'attachment of earnings order'. If proven, why should Baroness Uddin get away with her illegal claims?

David Miliband writes

In case you are not regular readers of the New York Times, here is an article that might be of interest as it is written by the former Labour Foreign Secretary and almost Labour leaser, David Miliband:

'In the wake of the “humbling” of President Obama by American voters there is a lot of talk about what needs to be reversed or buried from his first two years. For the Republicans health care tops the list, closely followed by determination to maintain tax cuts for the wealthy. That is a matter for the American political system. But the rest of us also have a huge stake in what is kept and what is junked on the foreign policy front.
In his first year, President Obama made the rebuilding of America’s reputation and partnerships with the Islamic world a central theme of his presidency. His commitment to the development of trusting, respectful cooperation with the Muslim world needs to be rescued, burnished and supported.
In Ankara in April 2009 he set out his credo: “I know that the trust that binds us has been strained. ... We will listen carefully, bridge misunderstanding, and seek common ground. We will be respectful, even when we do not agree.”
In Cairo in June 2009 he called for a “new beginning.” He was right to do so. There are major responsibilities for those of us in the West if this is to be achieved.
For starters, we need to understand and explain to our publics the differences within the Muslim world. This is not just a question for theologians debating the differences between Sunni, Shiite and Sufi. It is a political recognition that the differences between Turkey’s secular state, Indonesia’s pluralist democracy and the Gulf monarchies are as striking as the similarities.
Further, while the intelligence cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the United States in the recent bomb plots originating in Yemen is a stark demonstration of the vital need for real-time cooperation on security issues, the reason for closer relations between our countries goes well beyond security.
Muslim-majority countries are major players in the benefits of globalization — economic, cultural, scientific, social. And they are major players in confronting its dangers — from water shortages to global health to terrorism to climate change.
In building consent for closer cooperation we have a responsibility to eschew the simplistic language of “moderate” and “extremist” that does so little to explain what people believe. We also have a responsibility to stand up for the institutions that can bring Western and Muslim countries together. For those of us in Europe, the European Union is a prime example — with the power to push ahead the vision of membership for Turkey and a creative and serious partnership with our North Africa neighbors.
However, it is not only the West that must bear responsibility. The leaders of Muslim-majority countries also have their responsibilities. Internal reforms to honor international commitments to human rights, independent courts and press freedoms cannot be a Western imposition, still less a Western peculiarity.
The requirements of an interdependent world are for shared action to secure public goods — from security to financial stability to environmental sustainability. And governments cannot build coalitions of respect when their populations learn only of difference and superiority.
There is also pressing need for shared effort on the great dangers and grievances that will otherwise pull us apart. We in the West need the support of Muslim-majority countries to bring an end to the war in Afghanistan.
Military effort gets the headlines, but peace will only come with a political settlement. Bringing all the Afghan tribes inside the political ring is the only basis for a sustainable future. That requires leadership from the Afghan government, but also an internationally sponsored drive for the countries in the region to support stability in Afghanistan in a structured and serious way.
Muslim populations around the world look to the West to bring justice to the Palestinians. They are right to do so. Most would accept security and recognition for Israel as the price. That is essential too. President Obama’s efforts deserve united international support.
U.S. efforts would be augmented by further international support for Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s state-building plan. There also should be closer engagement between the quartet (the U.N., the E.U., the U.S. and Russia) and the so-called Arab quartet of countries — otherwise we will lose hope for pan-Arab recognition of Israel in return for a Palestinian state.
Finally, we need to cooperate on the slow-burning fuse of the Iranian nuclear program. This is a threat to all of us.
In Cairo in June 2009, President Obama listed historical forces that had created tension where there should have been cooperation — colonialism, the cold war, the sweeping changes brought by modernity and globalization — and led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam.
Hopes were high in June 2009. But the president made clear in his speech that no one should expect fast progress. Simply to list the issues shows the scale of the challenges. But that is reason to get on with it, not to abandon the effort.'

 There goes our former Foreign Secretary showing that, just like Barack Obama, he really doesn't get it.

The one hundred and fourth weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

This week's award goes to Barack Obama for his insightful remarks, as reported by Sky News that:

'Burma's first elections in 20 years will be "anything but free and fair"

Elections in Burma not 'free and fair'!

"No shit, Sherlock!"

Reasons to be angry - 1,2,3

1) The Telegraph report that: '

“The radical Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki who is accused of inspiring the cargo bomb plot has been backed by a prominent British campaign group which has financial support from leading charities.
Cageprisoners, a self-styled human rights organisation, has a long association with Anwar al-Awlaki, who was last week accused of being one of the figures behind the terrorist plot to blow up cargo planes which saw a powerful device defused at East Midlands Airport.
Awlaki is believed by Western intelligence services to be an ideological figurehead of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the group blamed for the cargo bombs. Last year he praised the Muslim US soldier who killed 13 colleagues at Fort Hood, Texas.
Cageprisoners was set up to lobby on behalf of terror suspects held at Guantanamo Bay and those monitored under control orders in the UK. The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that it is being funded by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, a Quaker-run fund set up by the chocolate-maker and philanthropist a century ago, and The Roddick Foundation, a charity set up by the family of Anita Roddick, the Body Shop founder, after her death three years ago. The Joseph Rowntree Trust is giving Cageprisoners £170,000 in donations over three years – with the latest payment due this month – and The Roddick Foundation another £25,000

2) The Telegraph's Andrew Gilligan reports that:

An investigation by The Sunday Telegraph has established that the education watchdog has published positive reports praising Muslim schools for their contribution to community cohesion -- even in the case of a school which openly states that Muslims "oppose the lifestyle of the West".

The Ofsted inspector responsible for many of the reports, Michele Messaoudi, has been accused of having links to radical Islamist organisations.

This newspaper can reveal that another recent Ofsted inspector, Akram Khan-Cheema, is the chief executive of a radical Muslim educational foundation, IBERR.

Its website describes Islamic schools as "one of the most important factors which protect Muslim children from the onslaught of Euro-centrism, homosexuality, racism, and secular traditions".

Ofsted has also passed the inspection of dozens of Muslim schools to a new private "faith schools watchdog", the Bridge Schools Inspectorate, which is co-controlled by Islamic schools' own lobbying and trade body, the Association of Muslim Schools.

The Bridge Schools Inspectorate allows Muslim head teachers to inspect each other's schools.

Among the schools directly inspected by Ofsted was the Madani Girls' School, a private Islamic school in London's East End.

Its Ofsted report, written by Mrs Messaoudi, said it made pupils "aware of their future role as proactive young British Muslim women" and left them "well-prepared for life in a multicultural society".

However, the Madani Girls' School's own website openly states: "If we oppose the lifestyle of the West, then it does not seem sensible that the teachers and the system which represents that lifestyle should educate our children."

It says that under western education "our children will distance themselves from Islam until there is nothing left but their beautiful names".

Last month, this newspaper revealed how girls at the school were being forced to wear the Islamic veil, a fact that was not mentioned in its 2008 Ofsted report. The Madani School declined to comment last night.

Ofsted also inspected the Tawhid Boys' School in Hackney, north London. Its Ofsted report, written by Mrs Messaoudi, said the curriculum was "good ... broad and balanced in Key Stages 2 and 3".

However, the school's prospectus says that the curriculum is kept strictly "within the bounds of Sharia [Islamic law]." Its art syllabus bans pupils from drawing human beings, animals and objects that Islam deems "unlawful". The school did not return calls.

Mrs Messaoudi also wrote the Ofsted report cited by Ed Balls, the then schools secretary, as "clearing" schools run by supporters of the racist, extremist sect Hizb ut Tahrir.

The schools, the Islamic Shakhsiyah Foundation establishments in Haringey, north London, and Slough, Berks, received more than £113,000 of public funding and became the subject of national controversy after being exposed in The Sunday Telegraph.

One of the Foundation's trustees, Farah Ahmed, who is also headmistress of the Slough school, wrote a chapter in a Hizb ut Tahrir pamphlet attacking the National Curriculum for its "systematic indoctrination" of Muslim children "to build model British citizens".

She criticised "attempts to integrate Muslim children" into British society as an effort "to produce new generations that reject Islam".

She described English as "one of the most damaging subjects" a school can teach and attacked fairy tales, saying that these "reflect secular and immoral beliefs that contradict the viewpoint of Islam".

She also attacked the "obvious dangers" of Shakespeare, including "Romeo and Juliet, which advocates disobeying parents and premarital relations".

Mrs Messaoudi's Ofsted report on the Haringey school said it was "satisfactory." [...]

Unlike "mainline" Ofsted inspections, which are carried out entirely by professional inspectors, BSI inspections of Muslim schools are often done by a team of three which always includes one head teacher of another Muslim school.

The BSI report into Bury Park Educational Institute, a mixed but gender-segregated Muslim secondary in Luton, claims that "the quality of education is good" even though the report itself admits that girls at the school get less teaching than boys.

"Some aspects of National Curriculum subjects are in a few respects currently less for the girls than for the boys," it says, and there is not yet "full, equal access to National Curriculum subjects" between girls and boys.

3)  The Telegraph also reports that: At least 46 convicted Islamic terrorists who have been either released from prison or are close to being freed “pose a risk” to the public and face tight new controls on their freedom, a secret Government document discloses.


So we have  UK charities supporting 'charities' with seeming links to Islamic terrorists, Islamic schools being inspected to a lesser standard than non-Islamic schools & apologies being made for their lack of equality and finally Islamists who 'pose a risk' to the public being freed from jail so they can 'pose a risk' to the public.

Reasons to be angry? I should say so!