BBC Radio Streams Cheers to Tomski for this gem.  ¶ Monday, November 29, 2004 0 Comments

  Fuck the South Warning this page contains explicit language, and no graphics, but I feel it hits the target.

(cheers to Sgt Squarehead for the link who in turn received it from debstheyank)  ¶ Monday, November 29, 2004 0 Comments

  I'm an officious twat As previously mentioned, I was working yesterday on Buy Nothing Day. As it goes the shop I work in is quite pricey when it comes to packets of cigarettes, so we often get people complaining about the price. My stock answer yesterday was "If you don't like the price Sir/Madam (delete as applicable) then don't buy them." It made me feel a bit better. But I digress.

Towards the end of the shift 3 teenagers entered the premises, and one requested 10 L&B's. I asked him for ID. He didn't have any and asked his mate to buy them for him.
I then informed them that I would serve none of the with cigarettes with the imortal phrase :

"I have reason to beleive that you are attempting to buy tobacco products for a person whose age I cannot acertain"

And the point?
a) I don't want to be fined thousands of pounds so a 15 year old can have a fag.
b) Ironically the only ID we will accept is:

1) Passport - Government Issued
2) Drivers Licence - I'm seeing a theme
3) Citizen Card - Well lordy lordy

Experian eh?
Well that means every induhvidual who signs up joins the credit rating race.

The ID card scheme that Blunkett has announced already exists if you are under 21 and need to prove your age.

(rant inspired by this)
(found im the comments over here)  ¶ Sunday, November 28, 2004 0 Comments

  Evergreen Albums So I don't lose it.  ¶ Saturday, November 27, 2004 0 Comments

  We DO need some compensation. Former schoolchildren who sang on Pink Floyd's 1979 single Another Brick in The Wall have begun action for unpaid royalties.
Royalties expert Peter Rowan said he was appealing on behalf of one former pupil and was working with others.

Fair play says I. According to this site Pink Floyd The Wall (the album) has sold 23 million copies.

Thankfully for poons calculating brain there are 23 pupils claiming. If they were to claim a derisory 10 shiny new pence per copy they would each receive £100,000 in crisp £50 notes. Not bad for an afternoon skiving off school, and that doesn't take into account single sales (we don't need no education), the film takings and subsequent video and DVD royalties and finally live performances (if they used a backing tape - dunno on this never seen them live). I'd be holding out for a quarter of a million each if I were one of them.

Update: Just e-mailed this

Ref: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/page.cfm?objectid=14918017&method=full&siteid=50143

I'd love to know what each of the 23 are now upto.
Did they get any GCSE's or O'Levels.
Did or Do they need their education?
And are they allowed pudding, even when they've not eaten their meat?

I think it would make a great read.

I will be posting this e-mail to my blog
If you run with it; all I ask is a link to me in the article and a subscription to The Mirror (for life)and a subscription to The Daily Mail (One year - to be sent to a person I don't like to be decided at a later date)


  ¶ Saturday, November 27, 2004 1 Comments

  Cheap, dirty, small and in amazingly bad taste I concur.  ¶ Saturday, November 27, 2004 1 Comments

  Cute? or Strangely Disturbing? My vote is for the latter.

-----------
I've never really needed a reason not to go the Gym.
But just in case

Requires Windoze Mediocre Player - but made me chuckle and is very well done.

-----------
FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra than on Alzheimer's research. This means that by 2030, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.  ¶ Friday, November 26, 2004 0 Comments

  EPIC 2014 Oh yeah - Manic served this up with a suitably glib comment.

If I may add to said glib comment - you may - thanks me.

When does the public lynching of Rupert Murdoch occur?

Just wondering so I can book the time off work...
No other reason. Honest.  ¶ Wednesday, November 24, 2004 0 Comments

  Light Bloggage Ahoy! Hi, apologies for the lack of activity.
Life, too much work and trying to cut down on alcohol consumption are all conspirying against poons at the moment, and a possible loss of net connection also looms as I am in the process of moving house.

----------

In answer to the comments on the Buy Nothing Day post.

BlogMonkey said...
Thats my birthday - can I still buy beer?

Absolutely not. However you could convince your friends of your moral stance, and let them buy you beer all night. Problem sorted! - Happy Birthday for Saturday.

RC said...
It's also the day of our Tower Hamlets protest against the war, so if anyone wants to come down and not buy anything, while joining our march. Please feel free.

e-mail towerhamletsATstopwar.org.uk for further info on this. Of course this also gives you a perfect repsonse to anyone trying to sell you a copy of Socialist Worker *evil cackle*

Shrub said...
Is it OK to go shop-lifting?

Well pedantically speaking, that does not constitute buying, though it is consuming so I'm gonna go with No Comment ;o)

Finally balders said...
That's our household buggered then. Refuse point blank to go shopping on a Sunday, and the rest of the week we work so Saturday's the only day to do the weekly shopping. Am I allowed to buy essentials (bread, milk, dog food, cereal), or is it belt-tightening time (not necessarily a bad thing) in the balders household?

Hmm tricky one. BND is aimed at anti-consumerism in the run up to The December Comsumption Festival, so I suppose as long as you picket the car park at your local supermarket with BND literature afterwards, it would form as serving penance for your evil capitalistic ways!

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

And now after the sanctimounious answers, I must admit that I will be working Saturday in a Newsagents/Off Licence, and am paired for the shift with my Boss, so I don't think I'm gonna get away with much convincing of people to put the items back and leave the premises.

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

Now Playing : Portishead - Sour Times - oh the bitter irony....  ¶ Wednesday, November 24, 2004 0 Comments

  Buy Nothing Day - 27th November 2004 The UK day is Saturday 27th November, traditionally the busiest shopping day in the run of to the Holy Festival of Over Indulgence.

  ¶ Sunday, November 21, 2004 2 Comments

  How do you rate? I managed a pathetic 14.  ¶ Friday, November 19, 2004 1 Comments

  Ten Hypothetical and Plausible Deaths in London Thanks to Diamond Geezer for this link
Contains adult content and strong language.  ¶ Thursday, November 18, 2004 0 Comments

  Hilary V. The Termininatorist - now with added fear Watch this space.

Edit:




;oP
(link via 6LG)
img src=thosebears
inspiration=
Wed, November 17, 2004
RWCs
Hello, is that housekeeping? Yes, the fear seems to be missing from this post. Could you send someone up to fix it? Cheers.
Posted by: Manic at 10:11   ¶ Wednesday, November 17, 2004 1 Comments

  Big Blunkett Um. BB not like store cards, but BB do like ID cards. I think I need to go and lie down.

Big Ups *cough* to Balders for posting an MP3 of Big Blunkett's interview on Radio 4 recently. Over to Balders.

"For those who abhor Real Player, an MP3 version of the interview can be downloaded here. Be warned, it's an 11Mb MP3 file, but worth listening to just to hear Blunkett's almost incomprehensible attempt to couch draconian restrictions on civil liberties in reasonable terms."

BTW: This was on Radio 4 this afternoon. (links to a Real Audio Player Stream. Big Blunkett is listening to you.

BTW2: You too can play: It looks like lots of fun.
*MEEP* *MEEP* *MEEP*.
Oh bugger.  ¶ Wednesday, November 17, 2004 0 Comments

  Church fury at Damned's switch-on Ha ha aha aha ha ahhha haaaa haaaa

  ¶ Wednesday, November 17, 2004 0 Comments

  Then I saw Her face, now I'm a grilled cheeser Sorry. Bad Pun. I'll just get my coat....  ¶ Wednesday, November 17, 2004 0 Comments

  atlantasouth: hi im chris who are you? Well go on - who are you?
I got the short straw - I got in the comments of the last post
"wats it like over there?" - I'm composing a post but i fear it may take some time.  ¶ Tuesday, November 16, 2004 0 Comments

  howlingspoons says.... I've just spent the last hour and a bit blogging the interesting bits from my blogroll before I go and meander through other stuff.
None but the last post appeared. 4R53 815CU1T5!
So go and read them yerself.

The Power of Nightmares
I'm off to read this instead, having missed the original series
(links from honourablefiend and tomski - both in the blogroll)  ¶ Tuesday, November 16, 2004 0 Comments

  Operation Manticore - Chasing Bush II I have been given enough information to know that this one is going to be great fun, but will require quite some support.

Watch this space.  ¶ Tuesday, November 16, 2004 0 Comments

  Snow Mail - Colin Powell "Big blast at the top tonight. It's goodbye Colin Powell from the Bush team - possibly the most popular man in the US Cabinet, the all-American hero, the achieving black soldier, son of Jamaican immigrants, has offered his resignation. Vietnam was the making of him - a war in which white men sent a disproportionate number of black men to fight. He fought and secured high promotion for his trouble.

Eventually the country's top general, he developed his own doctrine for the first Gulf war: overwhelming force. And, talking of the enemy, he added: 'cut it off, and then kill it.' But this fighting talk never made the transfer to his political activities. He could have been Republican or Democrat and may have been both and neither. Talk of him gunning for the Presidency in the mid-90s was rampant but empty - his wife didn't want him to, and he didn't seem to have the hunger for the campaign.

But he did decide he was a Republican and his mere refusal to run made him only the more popular. An American soldier hero... but did he make the transition to civilian politics? One of the least-travelled secretaries of state in modern history. The times I saw him, in Israel, in India, he looked like a man who'd rather be any place else. Tough talk in the Middle East he seems never to have been able to practise.

And when it came to the war on Iraq he had to stand idly by as Defence Secretary Rumsfeld eschewed the Powell doctrine that would have sent huge numbers of troops for the aftermath.

An apt question posed by his resignation could pretty easily be represented in the words 'why stay?' He was, in the end, no Republican fundamentalist. Pro-choice, relaxed on social issues - he didnt quite fit."  ¶ Monday, November 15, 2004 0 Comments

  Kathryn Cramer: Exit Strategies LOL  ¶ Monday, November 15, 2004 0 Comments

  Guerrilla News Network This looks like it could be one to watch over the next few months.  ¶ Monday, November 15, 2004 0 Comments

  Luke Speaks - A chat with The Diceman "24. Do you believe in capital punishment?
Only for other people."

  ¶ Monday, November 15, 2004 0 Comments

  Bush February visit rules out snap election Looks like we are under starter's orders once again.

  ¶ Monday, November 15, 2004 0 Comments

  For Fawkes' Sake Finally the true story. I always suspected as much.  ¶ Sunday, November 14, 2004 0 Comments

  ODB is dead "His mother, Cherry Jones, said: 'To the public he was known as Old Dirty Bastard, but to me he was known as Rusty. The kindest most generous soul on earth.' "

Chrisopher Reeve
John Peel
Fred Dibnah
Emlyn Hughes
Some Rapper (harsh I know but I don't do rap)

Is it just me or are there a lot of people dying these days?  ¶ Sunday, November 14, 2004 0 Comments

  Guide To Recovery Thanks to Rogi for the link  ¶ Sunday, November 14, 2004 0 Comments

  Another Indymedia "Not Me Guv" Answer Richard Allan MP is still on the case.
The EFF are also on the case.
See the links in the comments of Richard's post for further details.  ¶ Sunday, November 14, 2004 0 Comments

  Beware the Ides of November Boris - Apologies for the late arrival of this post. "'These are the Spectator's awards and the Spectator is an incomparable magazine. There is nothing like the Spectator for stirring up and stimulating political controversy. Indeed in all senses of the word it could best be described as political Viagra [laughter]. And I must [prolonged laughter] I must take this opportunity of congratulating Boris on the tremendous enthusiasm with which you have approached your various front-bench duties [laughter]. I had no idea when I appointed you as shadow minister for culture, media and sport that you would take to the task with quite such aplomb. You were keen to make your mark with the city of culture [ie Liverpool]. You wanted them to get to know you better. And you succeeded beyond my wildest dreams in achieving that objective... All I can say is Boris... keep it up!'"

  ¶ Sunday, November 14, 2004 0 Comments

  Gonzales' Appointment is a Danger to Human Rights "The Attorney General is often referred to as the highest ranking law enforcement official in the country. If Gonzales holds this position with his apparent disregard for human rights and accepted legal standards, what can we expect under his watch?"

This is chilling.  ¶ Sunday, November 14, 2004 0 Comments

  New York Surveillance Camera Players Coming to a place where you live. NOW.  ¶ Saturday, November 13, 2004 0 Comments

  Starbucks - Big Latte is watching you This excellent post from Waiterrant needs your help.
If you visit a Starbucks, ask whether they employ CCTV.
Ask for a Manager if needbe.
Send Waiter your results - there is an e-mail link on his page.  ¶ Saturday, November 13, 2004 0 Comments

  I Won't Vote Blair (I promise!) Sensible advice.  ¶ Thursday, November 11, 2004 0 Comments

  If... Amazingly this appeared in the Daily Mail - June 2003

  ¶ Thursday, November 11, 2004 0 Comments

  Scary Duck gets serious Almost.  ¶ Thursday, November 11, 2004 0 Comments

  Rules for Radicals As Manic said, well worth a read and a ponder.
Wanders off to ponder  ¶ Thursday, November 11, 2004 0 Comments

  Remember Yet those who allow our leaders to conduct such morally unacceptable acts are complicit. If you truly believe that wars such as this are wrong, then speak out lest your silence be taken as aquiescence.
We must do more than remember. We must learn.

  ¶ Thursday, November 11, 2004 0 Comments

  Marry An American Now that George W. Bush has been officially elected, single, sexy, American liberals - already a threatened species - will be desperate to escape.
These lonely, afraid (did we mention really hot?) progressives will need a safe haven.
You can help. Open your heart, and your home. Marry an American. Legions of Canadians have already pledged to sacrifice their singlehood to save our southern neighbours from four more years of cowboy conservatism.

I have already sent a strongly worded diatribe regarding this site. Where's the section for us Brits to snag a hot liberal progressive?

Outraged of Worcester, UK.  ¶ Monday, November 08, 2004 0 Comments

  Sorry Everybody Thanks to "No No" for the heads up.  ¶ Monday, November 08, 2004 0 Comments

  It's all got a bit foggy Have let my big sister know about my weblog
Expect embarrasing comments in 5 4 3 2 ........  ¶ Sunday, November 07, 2004 0 Comments

  The castration of the 'Reality-based community' Cheers to Blogmonkey for this gem.

I hope that every red-voting American ends up with a pregnant teenage daughter and a gay son and some point are left without health care to get cancer and die a slow painful death. They fucking deserve it.

Harsh? Maybe so, but the author is American.  ¶ Sunday, November 07, 2004 0 Comments

  Fallujah This came to me from a friend though I suspect it's from the Stop The War coallition originally.
----------------------------------------

It is becoming apparent that the attack on Fallujah is very close.

When this happens there will be a demonstration at Downing Street between 5 and 7pm on the day of the attack. Or in your town centre if you live outside London. I urge to to join this protests and tell as many people as possible about it – text messages are useful here.

I know many people feel disillusioned and pessimistic following the election of Bush, coupled with a feeling no one listened to the fantastic February 15th demonstrations but I think we need to remember that we wouldn’t have got the vote with out protests, we wouldn’t have got rid of the poll tax. And the Vietnam war came to an end in 1974 two years after the re-election of a republican president because of massive protests.

The BBC reported last night that Kofi Annan, in response to the Fallujah letter, has requested action be stalled until more information is obtained about the situation. The reaction of the Iraqi ‘prime minister’ Allawi was disgusting, he virtually said “What’s it got to do with the UN?” See more in The Washington Post and Independent

Annan's remarks on Iraq met with anger: U.S., U.K., Iraq fume over U.N. remarks

Last Fallujah civilians urged to go as Allawi says assault is imminent


Geoff Hoon made a similar statement last night when questioned by a reporter about troop movements within Iraq he said “it’s not political, this was a response to a military request from an American commander to a British officer.” Oh well that’s OK then.

I feel this makes action at Downing Street when this ground attack begins even more significant, we have to bring it home to our government that we know what they are doing, we don’t support it and it IS political, the movement of the Blackwatch regiment has made this possible, however they want to obscure it, it is cold blooded murder.

The BBC also confirmed that from the population of 300,000, many women and children have left, 50,000 people remain in Fallujah, and that the US are refusing to let men under 45 through their cordones.

Which effectively means if you are young and male and have the misfortune to find yourself in this city for any reason the US army will consider you as a legitimate target. Far from being a humanitarian gesture this evacuation is the preparation for a massacre.

The Bush/Blair/Allawi equation seems to be this; terrorist/insurgent=resistance=Fallujah. There is no doubt that the resistance do have popular support, or they could not have held out so long, surely then by definition they are not terrorists, lone operating insurgents with no popular support, representing no one? If you have any doubts compare these two statements reported by Jackie Spinner in the The Washington Post,

"A military operation is the last and only solution we have for the city of Fallujah," said Salih Kuzaie, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry. "The negotiations failed. ... It seemed like the Fallujah people are helping the terrorists. Thus, the military solution will end the crisis."

“We intend to liberate the people and to bring the rule of law to Fallujah," he said. "We have been asked by the people of Fallujah to help liberate them from the terrorists and insurgents.
  ¶ Sunday, November 07, 2004 1 Comments

  LetsRoll911.org Some pretty sensational claims being made on this 911 site. and this video is rather interesting. (requires Quicktime plug-in or right click and save the target MPEG)  ¶ Saturday, November 06, 2004 0 Comments

  Have the Americans invaded? It would appear that Worcester is currently under attack, the last big bang rattled my bedroom window good and proper.
There is a very scared black dog cowering in the room downstairs and I've got to venture out amidst it all to work.
I am turning into a grumpy old man - Time to ban the sale of EXPLOSIVES to the general public.  ¶ Saturday, November 06, 2004 0 Comments

  IQ vs Votes Just picked this link up from Rogi - I assume it's doing the rounds but I wonder whether it is an echo of this  ¶ Saturday, November 06, 2004 0 Comments

  UK Election Prediction I know it's still some way away - but this is an interesting site to add to your favourites.

(link via Richard Allan MP)  ¶ Saturday, November 06, 2004 0 Comments

  Back to business Okay, so the worst happened. It doesn't mean the same has to happen in the UK.

Manic has his sights set on Murdoch and the manipulation of the Western and US media that allows despots like Bush and Blair to remain in power. I will be supporting this campaign both via this blog and, hopefully, through a grass roots movement in Worcester who will aim to educate people to the lies and mis-represntations that today's media peddle.

Balders wants to find a way of ensuring that Blair has no seat in Parliament come the next General Election. Again I will be throwing my weight behind this. There is an e-mail link in this post if you've got any ideas.

As well as this we have two very dangerous pieces of legislation brewing. First off is the The Civil Contingencies Bill which will give the Government the right to suspend any (and indeed all) acts of Parliament in circumstances that could be described as "wooly", at the best. - See my posts regarding this here

I am also currently talking to people at the NO2ID campaign with regards to a local clipping service regarding the proposed introduction of a National ID Card Scheme.

I will state for the record now: I WILL NEVER CARRY AN ID CARD, AND WILL GO TO PRISON OVER THIS ISSUE IF NEED BE.

If you would like to help with the upkeep of the said blog by monitoring your local media - the main site has the national and international media covered - then please mail me dávéhálligán@yahóó.cóm removing the twiddly bits. The papers I need covered are listed here.

Finally, if you're still not convinced that Bush getting four more years is a bad thing watch this (link via Manic). I personally found it as (if not not more) compelling than Mr Moore's flick.

It can be downloaded in two parts here - should you wish to organise a local showing.

Oh, and as we all celebrate the 10th birthday of the tax on stupid people I remind you of another Mr Blair who was far more visionary than the other one :

They were talking about the Lottery. Winston looked back when he had gone thirty metres. They were still arguing, with vivid, passionate faces. The Lottery, with its weekly pay-out of enormous prizes, was the one public event to which the proles paid serious attention. It was probable that there were some millions of proles for whom the Lottery was the principal if not the only reason for remaining alive. It was their delight, their folly, their anodyne, their intellectual stimulant. Where the Lottery was concerned, even people who could barely read and write seemed capable of intricate calculations and staggering feats of memory.

Makes you think. I hope.  ¶ Thursday, November 04, 2004 0 Comments

  No more links tonight off to watch the vid's manic's had me downloading
and then I'm gonna send positive vibes for Kerry, because if bush gets in.....  ¶ Monday, November 01, 2004 0 Comments

  Man 1, Bank 0 It's a very big read. I loved it.  ¶ Monday, November 01, 2004 0 Comments