Newsnight have had to eat dirt…toxic dirt over the Trafigura case. Because the 30,000 Ivorians  who sued Trafigura got paid out before the issue of deaths was established in court it meant that Newsnight would have to win that argument in court….a very expensive libel action indeed. So its cheaper to backdown despite widespread evidence to the contrary.

Libel Laws need reforming…to get to the truth more easily.

Change the libel laws a campaigning track by Sly and Reggie

As they say, in for a penny in for a pound! I’m in. This is lifted from the below site and is my way of showing support to highlight the Trafigura scandal.

A book blog by Richard Wilson

Late last week the BBC chose to delete from its website a damning Newsnight investigation into the Trafigura scandal, following legal threats from the company and its controversial lawyers, Carter-Ruck.
Previously, other media outlets including the Times and the Independent, had withdrawn stories about the case, amid concerns that the UK press is choosing to engage in self-censorship, rather than risk a confrontation with such a powerful company in the UK’s archaic and one-sided libel courts.
The BBC is a dominant player within the UK media, and its independence – supposedly guaranteed by the millions it receives from licence-payers each year – is vital both to its public service function and its global reputation.
Freedom of speech means very little without an effective and independent media – if it’s true that the BBC’s independence can so easily be compromised by legal threats, then this sets a very dangerous precedent for the future.
The mainstream UK media has so far assiduously avoided reporting on the BBC’s climbdown. Yet it’s an issue that raises serious questions about the state of press freedom in Britain, at a time of unprecedented attacks on the media.
To help subvert this latest attempt to muzzle the press, please embed this video on your blog, and link to this PDF of the original story.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Bloggers – help beat Trafigura gag on BBC! (liberalconspiracy.org)
• BBC removes Trafigura story after legal threat (newstatesman.com)
• A year of gagging, and fightbacks (guardian.co.uk)

By Michael MacLeod

COMEDY bad-boy Hardeep Singh-Kohli is proving a box office flop after a series of sex scandals saw him axed by telly chiefs.

The Glasgow-born comedian was first ditched by the BBC amid sleezy allegations he sexually harassed a female researcher – despite denying the claim.

He then sparked another storm by posting a list of ‘kid porn characters’ on Twitter – twisting names of top children’s favourites such as Randy Pandy and Little Jack Hornier.

Now some comedy venues across Scotland admit that they are struggling to sell tickets for his nationwide tour.

One venue said it had shifted just 17 tickets for his gigs – which start in just eight weeks time.

Hardeep, 40, previously sold out two nights during the Edinburgh Festival.

He was also picking up lucrative TV appearances on the likes of Newsnight and Question Time.

But he was dropped from his main presenting job on the BBC’s One Show during the summer.

Apology

The corporation ordered him to apologise and take six months off to “reflect on his behaviour” after the sex pest claims.

Hardeep said at the time: “I recognise I over stepped the mark and have apologised unreservedly.”

And in August he was forced to close his Twitter account after a backlash from angry fans reading his “joke” list of “porn kids’ characters.”

His managers hoped to use a tour at the end of his six month telly ban to “test the water” among fans.

The tour, titled The Nearly Naked Chef, takes in 19 venues including a homecoming show at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre as part of the Magners Comedy Festival next Spring.

Tickets have already sold out for fellow television comedians Frankie Boyle, Dara O’ Briain and Lee Mack.

However some venues have admitted they are toiling to shift briefs for Hardeep’s gigs.

17 tickets sold

A spokesperson for the Rothes Halls in Fife said: “Hardeep’s show has sold 17 so far.

“We’ve not got any of the posters yet to publicise it.

“Hopefully sales will pick up after Christmas.”

Pitlochry Theatre – which has a capacity of 544 – has only sold 73 briefs.

Head of marketing Giles Conisbee said: “We’ve sold 73 tickets so far.

“We expect his concert will sell out eventually.

“Buyers tend to fall into two categories of those who buy in advance and those who buy in the fortnight approaching the show.”

And a Falkirk Town Hall box office spokesperson said: “We can’t give exact figures but the uptake hasn’t been huge I’m afraid.”

Organisers from all the others venues confirmed that they still had tickets on sale for the remainder of his gigs, but were “reluctant” to state how many had been sold.

“testing the water”

Anna Cornelius, marketing assistant for the festival, said: “We are unable to disclose ticket sales.”

However Hardeep’s London-based manager Paul Sullivan last night admitted they chose small venues to “test the water”.

He said: “There are some small venues in there but it is Hardeep’s first ever national tour so we are testing the water a bit.

“He is in a really good place at the moment and looking forward to the tour.

“What is really edifying for him is the amount of people coming up to him in the street telling him how much they love his work.

“He has never set out to be controversial, he is just himself.”

He added: “We are pleased with the sales so far.”

See more of our videos at our dedicated channel,  Deadline TV.

For Patsy

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Thank You To All Yesterdays Visitors…Wow

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Horrific !!!!

Islamic militants stone man to death for adultery in Somalia as villagers are forced to watch

This barbaric scene belongs in the Dark Ages, but pictures emerged today of a group of Islamic militants who forced villagers to watch as they stoned a man to death for adultery.Mohamed Abukar Ibrahim, a 48-year-old, was buried in a hole up to his chest and pelted with rocks until he died.The group responsible, Hizbul Islam, also shot dead a man they claimed was a murderer.

Begging for his life: Mohamed Ibrahim appeals to Islamic militants not to carry out the execution as he is buried in the ground as his villagers are forced to watchBut the verdict was so shocking that it prompted a gun battle between rivals within the group that left three militants dead, witnesses said.The executions took place yesterday in Afgoye, some 20 miles south-west of the capital of Mogadishu.Hizbul Islam fighters ordered hundreds of residents to a field, where a rebel judge announced that the two men had confessed to murder and adultery.

No mercy: The militants bury Ibrahim in the ground in a village south-west of lawless Mogadishu, SomaliaA woman who had confessed to fornication had been sentenced to 100 lashes, he added.’This is their day of justice,’ the judge, Osman Siidow Hasan, told the crowd. ‘We investigated and they confessed.’But when some Hizbul Islam fighters wanted to delay the executions, a bloody gun battle broke out between the two factions, shocked residents said.

Gruesome end: Hizbul Islam group members pelt Ibrahim until his face is a bloody mess and he dies. His face has been pixellated on grounds of tasteThe second condemned man is shot dead at point blank range by a relative of the man he was convicted of murdering

‘Three Hizbul Islam fighters died and five others were injured after they fought each other,” Halima Osman, an Afgoye shopkeeper, told Reuters in Mogadishu by telephone.’Some wanted to delay the execution while the others insisted. They exchanged fire. The group that was against the execution was overpowered and chased away,’ she said.Once the gun battle was over, the militants coldly carried out the verdicts.A relative of the murder victim shot the first as he lay on the floor.’I could not watch,’ local man Ali Gabow told Reuters. ‘The lady who had been with the second man was only given 100 lashes because she said she had never married.’

The executions were the first time that Hizbul Islam guerillas had dealt out the type of punishments usually associated with the more hardline al Shabaab rebel group in Somalia.The U.S. claims that al Shabaab is al Qaeda’s proxy in the failed Horn of Africa state. That rival Islamic groups are beginning to align their practices with al Shabaab is a chilling twist in the already frightening militancy that is gripping the country.President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s Western-backed government controls just a few strategic sites in Mogadishu.Western security experts say the country has become a safe haven for militants, including foreign jihadists, who are using it to plot attacks across the impoverished region and beyond.There are some fears that Somalia could become the new pre-9/11 Afghanistan. Al Shabaab, and to a lesser extent Hizbul Islam, are fighting the government to impose their harsh interpretation of Islamic Sharia law across the drought-ravaged country.

Al Shabaab clerics have banned movies, dancing at weddings and playing or watching soccer in the areas under their control, as well as carrying out executions and amputations.Fighting has killed 19,000 Somali civilians since the start of 2007 and driven another 1.5 million from their homes, triggering one of the world’s most acute humanitarian disasters.The chaos has also spilled offshore, where Somali pirate gangs have made tens of millions of dollars in ransoms targeting commercial shipping in the Indian Ocean and busy Gulf of Aden.

Not so Swift (but trying): Injured bird Sisso gets harness so he can learn to fly again

He may be a Swift. But after damaging a wing, Sisso struggled to get anywhere quickly after losing his ability to fly.Now, seven months after being brought to an Israeli animal hospital, the little bird is able to take to the air again– albeit with the help of a special safety harness.Fitting snugly into a red tube-like vest made of bandages and gauze pads, Sisso has holes for his head, wings, feet and tail.

Holding up well: Sisso flies in a harness, made from bandages and gauze pads, that is attached to string

A string fixed to the harness and attached to the ceiling allows him to practice flying around a room at the Ramat Gan Safari Park Animal Hospital without falling to the floor.However, until the muscles in his weakened right wing become strong enough, he will be kept indoors and kept in the sling.But vet Dr Ariela Rosenzweig said this is a vast improvement to before when he would flap aimlessly on the ground, unable to take off.Staff now hope to build a daily training programme so he can extend the amount of time he can stay airborne.

On a wing and a prayer: A vet at Ramat Gan Safari Park Animal Hospital, Israel, watches Sisso flap his wings

As a Common Swift, Sisso would normally spend most of his life in the air, looking for prey.Since he cannot feed himself while in the hospital, every hour staff provide insects for his to eat.But they are hopeful, he will one day return to nature.

Onions

A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father, ‘Dad, how many kinds of boobs are there?
The father, surprised, answers, ‘Well, son, there are three kinds of Boobs:
In her 20’s, a woman’s are like melons, round and firm.
In her 30’s to 40’s, they are like pears, still nice but hanging a bit.
After 50, they are like onions’.
‘Onions?’
‘Yes, you see them and they make you cry.’
This infuriated his wife and daughter so the daughter said,
‘Mum, how many kinds of ‘willies’ are there?.
The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, ‘Well dear, a man goes through three phases.
In his 20’s, his willy is like an oak tree, mighty and hard.
In his 30’s and 40’s, it is like a birch, flexible but reliable.
After his 50’s, it is like a Christmas Tree.’
‘A Christmas tree?’
‘Yes – the root’s dead and the balls are just for decoration.’

And the winner is… Simon Cowell: After the most-watched X Factor final ever, he’s set to be TV’s first billionaire

Should you drive past Simon Cowell’s Los Angeles mansion at a time when he has decreed that the hedges should be clipped, you may see a rather strange sight: a gardener, equipped not only with a pair of shears and a set of power tools, but also with a tape measure so that he can ensure the greenery is trimmed to the millimetre. Simon Cowell is a man who knows exactly what he wants, in every area of his life. These days, he is also a man who gets it.

The hype this week is about Joe McElderry, the fresh-faced 18-year-old who has just taken the X Factor crown.It’s certainly no small deal. McElderry is to be whisked to Hollywood. There is to be a £1million contract. His name will very likely be on this year’s Christmas Number One.But let’s not kid ourselves that he is the real winner of the talent contest that at the weekend secured a peak audience of 19.1million – the sort of ranking that takes a royal wedding or funeral to beat.That honour goes, of course, to Simon Cowell, the undisputed power behind the X Factor throne.The success of his hard-bitten TV image and canny business brain has made Cowell rich beyond most mortal yearnings. He earned £46million last year alone (as you can imagine, that created quite a tax bill – £21.7million to be precise) and he is worth £123million.Cowell has never made any secret of his desire to be rich. ‘Money,’ he once said, when asked what he wanted most in the world. ‘As much money as I can get my hands on.’

But those who know him best say there is something Cowell prizes even more than wealth. ‘For Simon it’s more about power,’ says a friend. ‘He wants to be the most powerful man in TV.’The most important thing to him is that the entire country is wrapped up in his TV creations, and that they’re so embedded in the national consciousness that they replace the weather as the main topic of conversation.’Nor are his ambitions limited to the entertainment world.

Last night on BBC2’s Newsnight, Cowell disclosed his plan for a series of prime-time shows to be screened in the run-up to the General Election in which the public would hear two sides of a debate on hot political subjects such as immigration and the Afghan war, and vote on the outcome.And lest anyone think such a programme might have a certain Question Time-like, intelligent, discursive appeal, Cowell said he would like it to be a ‘bear pit’.The prospect of crucial election issues being slugged out on a show where priority is given to maximising sensation and emotion is more than a little terrifying.

You need only look at the influence already wielded by the two reality shows Cowell coproduces and presents – The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent – to see what a huge impact a political show could have.A glance at this week’s Top 40 singles chart reveals the stranglehold Cowell has on the record industry. Five chart places are occupied by his X Factor/Britain’s Got Talent protégées. X Factor judge Cheryl Cole has another two.Another is taken by Lady Gaga who went to No.1 after performing on X Factor last Sunday. And nine more are occupied by artists who appeared earlier on the show.’It’s the only game in town,’ says Gennaro Castaldo of HMV, one of the few music retailers that retains a High Street presence.’As soon as an artist goes on, almost overnight we see a surge in demand. Album sales can double or treble. The impact is so great that a good chunk of our planning revolves around the show.’But what broadcaster would turn down the possibility of ratings of the order that Cowell’s shows routinely pull in? Not to mention the advertising revenue.Indeed, the show is said to have saved troubled broadcaster ITV. As early as November, ITV was already selling 30-second X Factor advertising slots at £250,000 a throw. The final alone netted the network £20 million in advertising.In all, this season’s series raked in £100 million in advertising, sponsorship and profits from the phone lines as, week in, week out, millions of viewers paid 35p a call to vote for their favourite star.No wonder executives at ITV, which has screened The X Factor since its 2003 debut, are nervously immersed in negotiations to renew Cowell’s enormous contract.His current three-year, £20million deal ends in a couple of weeks’ time. The party line from Cowell’s staff is that he ‘wants to stay with ITV because they have been loyal to him from Day One’. But Cowell – while skirting round the issue of his own multi-million pound salary – has said he wants more money to spend on the show, and made not- so veiled public threats not to take the it elsewhere, but to stop making it altogether if his demands are not met.’I think there is genuine interest from the people behind the show to bring it back – but if we do, it needs to be better,’ he said.

For ITV, for whom there is a potential £100million at stake, there have been some hairy moments as Cowell kept them hanging on a thread while he gave precedence to the plans he has for America that have been dictating all his other negotiations. Cowell is paid £22million a year by the Fox network to present American Idol. This contract – which ends next May – has also been up for renegotiation and Cowell has been keen to work out a deal that would allow him to continue with this – as well as allowing him to take The X Factor to the U.S. ‘The X Factor was going to go to the U.S. next autumn, but it would have clashed with our show, so we are trying to work things out,’ says an ITV executive. There was a moment when it looked like we would not have it back next year, but it’s being sorted. I don’t think The X Factor will hit the U.S. until 2011.’ It’s a complicated business, not least because Cowell doesn’t own the rights to The X Factor – they are owned by Sony [parent company of Syco Music, the record company created by Cowell]. In fact, Cowell doesn’t own the rights to any of his shows, which is something that rankles badly.

‘Simon likes control, and one of the most annoying things to him is that he can’t control anything that happens on the production of American Idol,’ says a friend. No one understands the desire to do as you please better than the High Street fashion mogul Sir Philip Green. Green and Cowell – a combustible combination if ever there was one – have long been friends, holidaying together in Barbados every year. They recently teamed up in a business plan, too. Their ambitions are far from small: they want to rival Disney. They plan to form a massive entertainment conglomerate that will not only take The X Factor to the U.S., but also stage X Factor competitions around the world, and market a vast range of merchandise, too. Of course, first they will need either to buy The X Factor rights, which will not be a cheap move, or agree some sort of deal with Sony. ‘Simon has worked with Sony for 20 years; we’re confident they will come to a resolution that will keep everyone happy,’ says a source close to Sir Philip. Already, experts predict that Cowell will soon be our first broadcasting dollar billionaire. And, of course, with that sort of money, will come even more power …

‘I didn’t realise how much pressure she was under’: Simon Cowell says he has a duty of care towards Susan Boyle for as long as her fame lasts

X Factor mogul Simon Cowell has admitted that he felt a sense of responsibility for Susan Boyle’s breakdown earlier this year. The 50-year-old made the admission during an interview with BBC2’s Newsnight programme. He also revealed that he offered her family the chance to rip up the singer’s contract if they felt she wasn’t up to it. Asked if he felt some responsibility for Boyle’s breakdown Cowell said: ‘Yes, yeah I did, I had a total responsibility for the fact that we had auditioned her on the show, we’d put her through, that we’d created this enormous press story and the week she was in town during the semi-finals leading up to the final, ‘I didn’t realise how much pressure she was under that week within all the scrutiny. ‘So I accept total full responsibility for that. ‘ And, after admitting that her fame could last for a long time, Cowell was asked if he had a duty of care towards the star, to which he answered: ‘I would accept that.  Yeah, when we sat here in this office where we’re sitting now, we sat with a family and at that point we had an option to pick up a record or not within the competition, and I said to them at the time, the truth is, if this is too much for her or if she doesn’t want to do it, we’ll rip the contract up. ‘No one is going to be forced into doing anything.  So this has to be her decision, your decision, we’re happy to do this, but if you think it’s the wrong thing we’ll walk away. ‘And they came back very quickly and said no they want to do it. ‘And then I spoke to Susan about it and I said: “Are you sure you want to do it?” She said: “I’ve waited all my life to do.”’

X Factor success… enjoy it, Joe! Next year it’ll be panto with The Krankies

Let’s hope that amid all the excitement of the weekend, Joe McElderry remembered to set his Sky Plus box to record his X Factor duet with his hero George Michael. Because in the not-too-distant future, watching re-runs of his brief moment in the spotlight might well be all there is to sustain him when he’s sharing the bill with the likes of Roger De Courcey and Nookie Bear, The Krankies and that bloke from Bucks Fizz who can’t use the group’s name for legal reasons. In other words, a bunch of nobodies. I don’t mean to be too hard on Geordie Joe – the nice but dull boy with the winning smile and pleasant enough voice – but isn’t everyone getting just a tad carried away here? Listening to all the hype, one could be forgiven for believing Simon Cowell and Cheryl Cole had been responsible for discovering the next Caruso.

Cowell’s already been boasting that he’s going to take the 18-year-old from South Shields to Hollywood and turn him into a movie star in a reported £5million deal, and that he’s Britain’s answer to the star of High School Musical, Zac Ephron.But does Joe really have a future beyond his (inevitable) Christmas No 1 single, The Climb, first made famous by High School Musical’s Miley Cyrus.Personally, I would be prepared to bet the show’s entire budget for Cheryl’s hair extensions and cantilever false eyelashes that, in no more than 18 months’ time, the best Joe can hope for is that he is the subject of a Trivial Pursuit question and a ‘Where are they now?’ newspaper feature.For Joe McElderry may have won X Factor, but he’ll never be a star.While the audiences went wild for him on Sunday night (as they have done over the years for all the X Factor winners, however swiftly forgotten they’ve been afterwards), music insiders have been gossiping that Joe is nothing more than a decent karaoke singer – a sort of George-Michael-lite (without the interesting private life and rather haphazard approach to road safety).On the night of the final, internet sites and X Factor chat rooms were abuzz with gossip – who would win, who performed best and who had the best personality. Even Joe’s fans had to concede that, while he has a better voice than runner-up Olly Murs, he’s hardly a born showman.

While Olly swung his hips and jived on stage, boyish Joe widened his eyes and swayed from side to side – hardly enough to whip the audience into a frenzy.And certainly, if the experience of some of the previous five winners of X Factor is anything to go by, Joe should think twice before he leaves his mother’s home in the North-East and starts shopping for houses near Simon Cowell’s mansion in Beverly Hills.The very first X Factor winner, Steve Brookstein (‘Who?’ I hear you say), signed, like Joe, to Simon Cowell’s record label Sony BMG.He had a No 1 single with a cover of the Phil Collins’ hit Against All Odds in December 2004, but failed to release a second single, and just eight months after winning the show, was dumped by Sony.From the heady heights of his X Factor fame, within 18 months he had been reduced to performing as a cabaret act on P&O ferry crossings between Portsmouth and Bilbao. He was last heard of performing to diners at a branch of Pizza Express in Maidstone, Kent.So disillusioned is Brookstein with his own X Factor experience that he’s lent his name to a 600,000-strong internet campaign to boycott this year’s winner’s single. Instead, he is urging the public to buy Killing In The Name, by rock band Rage Against The Machine, in a bid to keep Joe off the top spot.

Then there is Leon Jackson. Remember him? Like Joe, he was just 18 when he won the fourth X Factor series in 2007. He, too, went on to top the singles chart at Christmas two years ago.But in March this year, following poor record sales, the Scottish-born singer was quietly dropped by Sony BMG and barely received a mention on this year’s show, despite other recent winners Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke making guest appearances.Leona has, of course, been a huge success, but then she does have an undeniably fantastic voice. And Alexandra, too, has a slightly younger, hipper appeal.Part of the problem is that, unlike the strategy Cowell adopted with 2006 winner Leona and last year’s champion Alexandra, where he took them out of the spotlight for a year to work on the right material, the window to develop Joe’s career is much smaller.Cleverly, Cowell aimed Leona and Alexandra at a slightly older, 20 and 30- something market of consumers who are known to be big record buyers. But Joe, who appeals specifically to the very young, simply does not have the ‘cool’ factor needed to win over this particular demographic.’The problem for Joe is that because much of his fan base is very young, Simon Cowell can’t really risk taking Joe away to give him the time he needs to develop himself and his material,’ says Gennaro Castaldo of HMV.’There will be a concern that his young fans might quickly forget about him if he goes off to the States to work with production people over there.’Likewise, the millions of older women who swooned over Joe’s cherubic looks are not naturally big record buyers, which only adds to the fear that the teenager’s pop career could be over almost before it has begun.

In many ways, despite ending up as the runner-up, Essex boy Olly Murs might have a brighter future, given that while his voice is certainly shaky, he does at least know how to work a crowd. During their duet of Angels, Olly virtually out-performed Robbie Williams.If Olly were to become bigger than Joe, it would not be the first time an act that has come second or third will make it big, as JLS and Rhydian Roberts will testify.No wonder, then, that Cowell is keen to cash in on his new winner as soon as possible. Already there is talk of Joe recording a duet with his X Factor mentor and fellow Geordie Cheryl Cole – which sounds to me like the most uninspiring Tyneside pairing since South Shields was twinned with the German industrial town of Wuppertal, home of the aspirin.Even so, the likeable but uninspiring Joe should make the most of it. One thing is for sure: Simon Cowell tends to be interested only in performers who make him money – and lots of it.

‘Family comes first,’ claimed Tiger Woods in last interview before infidelity scandal broke

They are the words which must be keeping him awake at night.In his last interview before his spectacular fall from grace, Tiger Woods claimed that his family would always come first.Speaking on the Sky Network in New Zealand, Woods told sports broadcaster Murray Deaker his family has ‘been the best thing that ever happened’ to him.Deaker then asked him, ‘Family first and golf second – [Will it] always be like that?’Tiger answered, ‘Always.’

..

Bitter irony: Tiger Woods’s wife Elin, left, was pictured on Sunday for the first time since the scandal broke. She was not wearing her wedding ring. Right, Tiger Woods , who claimed in his last interview before the scandal broke that his family would ‘always’ come first

Of his two children, he said: ‘They’ve got my wife’s stubbornness, so that’s enough.’The interview was taped at the Australian Masters tournament in November – just days before the Thanksgiving car crash that set off a chain of events which exposed his infidelities.The interview aired last night. It was originally due to be broadcast on Christmas Day, but with Woods’s various affairs coming to light Sky decided to air it earlier.The irony of the comment was underlined yesterday as a blonde older woman became the 11th to be named as one of Woods’s mistresses.Theresa Rogers, who is in her 40s, claimed her affair with Woods began before he married and continued afterwards. She said she travelled extensively with him over the past five years.She has hired Gloria Allred, the high-profile lawyer who is also representing Rachel Uchitel, the 34-year-old New York club promoter who was the first woman linked with Woods. Internet rumours about the Uchitel affair broke just days before the row with his wife that led to Woods slamming his car into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home. Also added to the list of alleged mistresses yesterday was former nightclub waitress Julie Postle, who has hired an Orlando lawyer to represent her.

Mistress number 10: Julie Postle was named by the New York Post yesterday, taking the number of named Tiger Woods mistresses into double digits

The two new names were added to Woods’s list of women as a weeping blonde model claimed she ended her affair with him after she woke in the middle of the night to find him texting other mistresses.Cori Rist, 31, who has a seven-year-old son, said she had initially believed the billionaire golfer when he told her that his marriage was on the rocks. And she thought she was the only ‘other woman’ in his life  -  until she caught him secretly sending texts while he was in bed with her.’I would wake up sometimes in the night in hotels with him and hear him text messaging,’ she told a U.S. breakfast TV show. ‘I’d lie there and realise he was having a conversation, so I suspected there were others.’ Woods, 33, has kept out of sight since women started coming forward to expose him as a serial love cheat.

Tears for the TV screen: Cori Rist claimed  Tiger Woods would text other women while they were in bed but denied being a prostitute

Confession: Ms Rist tells all to the Today Show’s Natalie Morales

Miss Rist, from New York, broke down in tears as she told how she gradually came to realise Woods had been lying to her. She said: ‘He has a way to make you believe that he is a very honest and good man. ‘But I realised the things he was telling me were false. I’m not like most of these girls. I’m a mum and I try to set the right example by my son.’ She said of Woods’s Swedish wife Elin Nordegren: ‘I’m just sorry for her pain. One day I will have to look my son in the face and explain all this.’ Miss Rist said she and Woods had a physical relationship for six months after meeting in a New York club in 2006, and stayed friends for two years afterwards. She said she was speaking out in response to claims that Woods paid her for sex. Asked how she felt when she learned she was just one of many mistresses, she said: ‘It’s disappointing, because I think we all would like to think we were special. ‘I don’t know how he had time to have so many women in his life.’ The golfer’s chances of saving his five-year marriage were not helped last night when Theresa Rogers and Julie Postle were named. Postle was only 20 when she met Woods in Orlando, according to her former boyfriend Brian Kimbrough.’She said Tiger told her his marriage was only for publicity. She said it was for his image and wasn’t real,’ said Kimbrough, 28. He told the New York Post that Miss Postle, now 25, called him once from Woods’s family home  -  a £1.7million mansion in Windermere, Florida.He said: ‘She was in his closet at 5am calling me and he was in the background telling her to get off the phone.’It comes as the fifth woman linked to Woods – porn star and dancer Holly Sampson – revealed details of their alleged affair.The 36-year-old claims they met after she was hired to perform at a surprise birthday party for the sports star in a suite at a five-star hotel in California.Sampson said that afterwards she was approached by Woods’s female assistant who told her the golfer would like to ’see you alone’.She added: ‘I knew what that meant and I didn’t hesitate to say yes.’It was a very sensual, beautiful experience. I wanted to give him a birthday to remember,’ she told the Sun.However, Sampson admits that she hasn’t seen Woods since.Meanwhile Elin was spotted without her wedding ring at a petrol station near their home in Orlando, Florida. The absence of the gold band fuelled speculation that the 29-year-old mother of two is on the verge of dumping Woods for what would be one of the most expensive divorces of all time.

A traveller walks past an Accenture advert featuring Tiger Woods – the accompanying slogans such as ‘compete for high performance’ have been amusing passers-by

Paul O’Grady’s last TV panto

Paul O’Grady has pulled out all the stops for his last TV panto on Monday…Kelly Brook takes the lead as Sleeping Beauty, with Paul as the handsome prince. Then there are Jo Brand, Johnny Vegas and Amanda Holden as the three fairies with Celia Imrie as the bad queen, Denise Welch as the good queen and Larry Lamb as the king. The whole shebang, at 5pm on Channel 4, will be pulled together by narrator Stephen Fry. Bye Paul, see you on ITV (oh yes we will…).

Car crash leaves woman turned on for sex 24 hours a day

Mum Joleen Baughman’s life is made hell by a car crash injury that has left her constantly craving sex.The smash two years ago damaged a nerve in her pelvis which controls desire, leaving it permanently switched on.It means Joleen, 39, becomes aroused by even the slightest movement – while vacuuming, sitting on a bus, bending over or walking across a room.She said: “It’s unbearable. Just my clothes rubbing gets me so aroused that I can hardly think straight.“It’s very embarrassing and it’s impossible to concentrate.”The mum of two is officially suffering from a rare condition known as Restless Genital Syndrome or Persistent Sexual Arousal.Joleen, of New Mexico, says even regular sex with husband of 20 years Brian does not alleviate her symptoms.She added: “We’d have sex once and I’d feel no release at all.“So we’d go again and then it would start really hurting but I would still want sex, even more than before.“If my hus-band managed to go for a third time it would be agony but I would still feel no release.“Being aroused pretty much 24-hours a day is exhausting.“It’s so embarrassing. I have to try to keep my feelings under control and to ignore them so I can get on with normal life.“But I often worry people can guess what I’m feeling even though they can’t.”Joleen, who has to take sleeping pills at night, added: “If my urges get really strong I lie down very still so there is no vibration at all and that helps a little bit.“It’s mind over matter. But I’m hoping a medical cure can be found in the future.”

Todays WTF !!!

Carter Ruck seems to have got Newsnight to pull their piece on the toxic waste scandal.

But its still on Youtube even if pulled from the BBC.

Beat the ban by putting the youtube video on your blog

Censored Newsnight story: PDF

Don’t get fooled again.

Not a good day.

Looks like Carter Ruck have managed to get the excellent piece made by Newsnight on the Trafigura case to get withdrawn from the web.

Do your bit by doing this.

All the more reason for the libel reform campaign, launched this week, to get things changed.

New track from Sly and Reggie ‘Change the libel laws‘ can be heard on the last.fm

Dizzee Rascal

‘And all I care about is sex and violence

A heavy bass line is my kind of silence

Everybody says that I’ve gotta get a grip

But I let sanity give me the slip

Some people think I’m bonkers

But I just think I’m free

Man I’m just living my life

There’s nothing crazy about me’

This year, Dizzee Rascal has shocked the US music industry with his inimitable style and some addictive tunes. Yet, at only 24, he has remained a British icon for almost a decade. The East London-born rapper mixes grime and electronic music to complement his signature fast-paced, staccato lyrics. Since 2002, Dizzee, née Dylan Mills, has released four albums, all of which have captivated the critics. But his childhood was not as idyllic as his music career. Raised by a single mother, he was expelled from four schools, earning the brand ‘rascal’ from an early age. Consequentially, violence and crime characterized his teenage years.

Although Mills’ struggle is not one with race, he seems to be severely conflicted over the representation of his identity. On the one hand, his lyrics are ostentatious and bold, spattered with constant referrals to money, and reveal his prominent competitive streak. In one of his earlier songs, Money Money, Mills expresses the urge to increase his wealth, adding ‘Don’t get it confused, I will never lose.’ In a later song, Old Skool, he advises to ‘Stand tall even when their hating and their scheming, Yeah watch your money rise right to the ceiling.’ Mills does not shy away from his fame either. In Holiday, he raps:

‘Party around the clock
And when we get there it’s strictly VIP
No need for ID, security know me
No waiting in line, no high entry fee
Don’t worry about nothing when you’re beside me.’

Dizzee Rascal – Holiday

Yet on the other hand, Mills still yearns to be perceived as normal. In his most recent success, Bonkers, he insists that, although ‘some people think I’m bonkers [...] there’s nothing crazy about me.’ However his insistence of normality is farfetched, especially when the following lyrics claim that ‘all I care about is sex and violence.’ At the very least, Mills expresses the desire to counteract the ‘self’ that his industry success has created. In his second big hit and one of my favourite Dizzee Rascal songs, Fix Up Look Sharp, he addresses this concern:

‘I’ve heard the gossip from the street to the slammer,
They’re trying to see if Dizzee stays true to his grammar,
Being a celebrity don’t mean shit to me,
Fuck the glitz and glamour, hey I’m with the Blicks and Gamma.’

Dizzee Rascal – Fix Up, Look Sharp

Despite Mills’ struggle with self-image, his ‘Englishness’ has remained a part of his true identity, and inspiration for countless songs. He stays loyal to his roots, rapping in his signature, quirky cockney and embellishing his lyrics with English street slang. He repeatedly refers to himself as a ‘rude boi,’ terminology that originated in London. In Wannabe, he states:

‘Leave me alone or you’ll be sorry,
Beef ain’t nothing new to me, you wally,
Why don’t you just kick back, be jolly,
Stay at home with a cup of tea, watch Corrie.’

In the end, Mills does not seem to use his race as inspiration for much of his work.  Indeed, there is very little direct mention of the colour of his skin anywhere on his albums, something that seems a rarity for black rappers today. Instead, he focuses on his hometown, a theme that may grow in popularity as the younger generation puts racial struggles behind them and focuses on newer issues of the future. Mills sums up his sentiment in his interview with British newsman Jeremy Paxman. When asked if he was British, Mills replied:

‘Of course I’m British, man [...] It don’t matter about what colour you are, but it matters what colour your heart is.’

Dizzee Rascal interviewed by Jeremy Paxman for BBC Two’s Newsnight Barack Obama Special

ANNA CHRISTOFFERSON

There are many arguments that climate change sceptics can use to further their scepticism against those who argue that climate change is happening and caused by mankind. However the sceptics seem to use the weakest arguments. Some deny that climate change is happening; others deny that the polar ice is melting and others that temperatures are not rising. These are poor arguments because they are untrue. There are far stronger arguments that they could use, and I have covered many of them in these posts.

Climate Change Sceptic Marc Morano and Climate Change Believer Professor Andrew Watson debated climate change on Newsnight – a leading BBC news program – on Friday night. The debate did not really get anywhere because hardly any time was devoted to it. Mr Morano, presumably thinking it the best course, was insulting, bullying and scornful. He shouted down his opponent with one line quips. Mr Morano seemed to think that the East Anglia Climatic Research Unit was a world leading authority on climate change and their statements are universally embraced without question by scientists across the world. It was also his thesis that the scientific world believed that the IPCC had run its course.

This style of argument befits a former spin doctor, which profession is to make propaganda. Traditionally western democracies despised spin doctors; no one thinks very highly of Dr Goebbels these days but somehow society thinks highly of spin doctors today. They appear on TV and are often showered with praise and money.

It would have been better if Mr Morano could have given us some genuine reasons why he thinks climate change is not happening, instead of using put downs. I wanted to hear what he had to say but he never said anything to engage in the debate. You do not further the argument if one side says “it’s getting warmer” and the other side says “no it isn’t”. That just leads you to the classic pantomime chant of “o yes he is” followed by “o no he isn’t”.

Unfortunately Professor Watson did not add to the quality of the debate with his final sotte voce “what an asshole” which seemed to amuse Mr Morano and upset the BBC.

Ideas on climate change will never be seriously challenged or explained on a five minute section of a news or radio program. Nevertheless these debates fill up air space and no doubt help the broadcasters to earn their money.

Jeremy Paxman’s five minute interview with Sting will make uncomfortable viewing for the celebrity eco-campaigner’s PR handlers.

His “I-believe-in-good-things-but-please-don’t-press-me-on-the-details” type approach didn’t cut the mustard with a sceptical Mr Paxman. It made the pop-meister look more than a little vacuous.

The lessons for those leading campaigns or undertaking TV interviews?

First, anticipate the difficult questions and develop clear, credible answers. Don’t wing it.

Second, understand that few things harm a cause more than the appearance of hypocrisy, and position yourself accordingly. You don’t have to be perfect to champion a cause – just don’t forget to add a little humility to the mix if you’re one of us who fall short.

Third, don’t lose your cool or try to score points against the interviewer. You will lose. Instead, use the opportunity to demonstrate quiet confidence and inner strength.

Next time Sting will no doubt do his homework before appearing on TV.

This post was written by Regester Larkin Director, Andrew Fairburn.

When London Mayor Boris Johnson came to the rescue of its founder and director, Age of Stupid film-maker, Franny Armstrong, 10:10 was catapulted into the media spotlight overnight. Surely Boris should have known that any promises he made whilst walking Franny home would have to be upheld! See what happens when I put him on the spot at a Q&A session at City Hall, chaired by BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis.

This is all very strange. When I met with Daniel Vockins, he told me categorically that Boris had still not signed up, and yet, in his response to my question, Boris seemed sure (well as sure as Boris ever seems) that he had. This fact was rather emphasised by one of his aides standing shiftily behind me ‘bouncing’ – as Maitlis kindly points out, and not nodding as Boris had optimistically declared.

In early 2010 Gil Scott-Heron will release a brand new album entitled ‘I’m New Here’ on XL Recordings. For more info and to download the track ‘Where Did The Night Go’ for free go to http://imnewhere.net/

Originally broadcast on BBC2 on Monday 16th November 2009

They are crazy in the Nanny state… totally crazy, one could even say the Brits are more crazy than the Muslims eh
Funding religious fanatics schools.. muhahaha
No faith schools should get taxpayers money.. end of story.

Evan Davis

Dragons Den and BBC Radio 4’s Today programme presenter Evan Davis spoke today about his life as a journalist and current state of the industry as whole at a university today.

After recent discussion of Murdoch’s proposed move to transfer all of News International’s content to Microsoft’s search engine Bing, Davis suggested that the BBC should begin to charge users for the use of its site via a micropayment programme – with surfers paying one pence per webpage, and the money then going towards a reduction in the broadcaster’s television license fee.

This suggestion is entwined with the continual discussion as to whether the license fee should be shared proportionally with other terrestrial channels such as ITV. Although the license fee perhaps needs to be reviewed, the idea of charging web users in order to off-set the costs is ridiculous. People who do not use the BBC will inevitably get reduced fees whilst attributing nothing, whilst BBC.co.uk viewers will be penalised.

Davis has been on the end of heavy criticism following his interview techniques during The Today Programme, admitting he was “reading emails everyday, and getting more and more depressed by how many people hated me’ The approach has seen him slated for not being harsh enough on guests and not being Paxman-esque, who is renowned for being devastatingly hard-hitting on interviewees during BBC One’s Newsnight.

I believe that it is unfair the way that Even Davis has been hounded by certain viewers. The nation has been brainwashed to believe that the only way to get information out of interviews is to behave like Jeremy Paxman. Although Paxman is brilliant at his work, which he has whittled into an artform, it is not the only way it can be done, with Davis’ subtle way being just as acceptable.

http://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors/2009/11/25/evan-davis-ponders-micropayments-for-the-bbc-at-coventry-event/

Utterly shameless and disgusting is the only way to describe Newsnight’s opening salvo in the election campaign last night. Employing just about every fallacious argument in the book it sought to sling as much mud as possible on the European Conservatives grouping in the hope that some of it might stick.

This of course is a rehash of David Milliband’s attack on Michal Kaminski back in October in which he labelled him an anti semite. The idea of course was to portray the Tories as “hanging out” with racists and by extension being on the “fringes” of Europe. The hope is to contrast this with the alleged Labour position – spun as being in “the heart of Europe”, which is why we hear that particular soundbite bantered around so frequently. Dragging the name of our European allies through the mud to assist a domestic election campaign is naturally not below this desperate politician. For the BBC however this is a new low.

So addicted is the BBC to it’s licence fee funding that it is terrified of what a Cameron government might to do constrict the mighty flow of funds it regards as it’s birthright. Jumping in to assist it’s Nü Labour comrades it is hoping to ensure that this nightmare scenario does not occur. In doing so it has tossed away even the pretense of impartiality into becoming a full blown propaganda arm of the Labour government.

Of far right meetings in Poland where Jews were denounced

Although Kaminski was not present at these meetings, some allege he helped inspire them

No need to name names obviously. Kaminski is a politician with political opponents in his country. Finding people to allege things against him would be pretty trivial for journalists on the Observer / BBC.

Another corker, after hearing Kaminky defend himself against allegations and defend Israel.

But what does this man really think?

Shameless. This issue was put to bed back in October when the chief Rabbi of Poland no less, Michael Schudrich, stated

“There is no doubt that Kaminski is a strong friend of the State of Israel. He himself has spoken out against anti-Semitism on several occasions during the past decade. It is a grotesque distortion that people are quoting me to prove that Kaminski is an anti-Semite.”

But the BBC chooses to resurrect it because slinging mud at the European Conservatives (and the Tories) is an effective smearing campaign.

The BBC has indicated in no uncertain terms that it is prepared to be the mouthpiece for it’s Labour chums in this upcoming election. That is does so with monies forcibly extracted from Tory, LibDem, SNP and UKIP supporters alike is a travesty and is unacceptably undemocratic.

When a group of agents join together to fight so-called Islamic extremists they often enjoy the fruits of their labours for a short period of time and then enter into a period of decline. Because fighting any sincere Muslim implies a certain amount of moral degeneracy, this degeneracy tends to spread out within the group and affect the overall quality of the operation of the anti-Muslim cell. When the United States of America and its allies launched their war on Muslims in 2001, they of course maintained their initiative through the use of military force. They enjoyed success in Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. They destroyed whole communities. And their Intelligence driven initiatives – awash with funds – made several advances.

But of all the charges levelled against them, the Muslims were only guilty of one: they were guilty of knowing there is only One God and knowing that Allah (swt) created the universe single-handedly, that God has no sons, daughters or wives and that Muhammed (pbuh) was his Last Messenger, the Seal of the Prophets.

Of course truth was on the side of the Muslims.

It is therefore not surprising that whenever problems occur within an anti-Muslim cell, when an analysis is undertaken by management, a cover-up will ensue. Any honest analysis should conclude that the anti-Muslim cell is rotten to the core – but that could never be admitted. It is sometimes very educational to observe how anti-Muslim cells function in times of crisis. It’s interesting to see what kind of analysis takes place and what conclusions are drawn. If we can see that an analysis of their problems avoids placing blame for tension and violence at their own feet, we are entitled to conclude that dishonesty has prevailed. What is needed now is to focus on one particular example of problems occuring in an anti-Muslim cell. That way we won’t be talking about the idea in the abstract. We should focus on one example and as a particular set of circumstances are discovered, we should be able to reach sound conclusions about the problem. In our analysis we won’t be blaming personality clashes, mental illness, disputes over funds, for any underlying problems, as the infidels are doing. We’ll be looking at the lack of moral fibre and ethics spread right throughout the infidels and focusing on that.

It is fair to say at this point that any analysis of the problem has to be examined truthfully by this writer. If I were to launch an investigation and then only confirm preconceived ideas that would be a tragedy. It would also be disinformation and the antithesis of our main ideal, which is truth. If we can’t keep telling the truth, maintaining the truth and proclaiming it simply because it is the truth, then we promise to be quiet. We won’t say a word because of our shame.

One particular problem which has occurred within an anti-Muslim cell recently is the problem of Glen Jenvey getting caught planting fake stories in the UK press about terror plots. Mr Jenvey could be said to have made a complete ass of himself in the last year or so as he first fell out with at least one but probably two or more of his bosses and then had a public tantrum which led to some sort of breakdown. Mr Jenvey’s problems didn’t end there and he belatedly apologised for planting fake terror stories in the Sun newspaper. He was due to appear on an internet radio broadcast but failed to turn up and was said to be in hiding, fearing for his life. He then faked his reversion to Islam presumably to buy himself some time. When he felt confident enough to admit to the truth, he confessed that he drank beer and ate bacon sandwiches. More importantly, he conceded that his reversion to Islam was a farce and then went on to further describe his behaviour as an experiment. At the time of writing there have been reports that Mr Jenvey has been arrested for inciting racial hatred. That, if true, would be an irony as Mr Jenvey is a non-white Asian whose real name is Jenvey Zia.

What can be said with some certainty is that Mr Jenvey has a lot of enemies. It should be pointed out Mr Jenvey made a lot of enemies in 2002 and 2003, for example, and continues to do so today. It is fair to conclude that Mr Jenvey always puts himself in situations where he makes lots of enemies and that is part of his psychological profile. After his recently faked reversion to Islam, he failed to apologise to offended Muslims and exhibited psychotic behaviour which included a total lack of awareness that his actions were seen by Muslims as totally abhorent. But Mr Jenvey wasn’t content to insult Muslim religious beliefs and leave it at that. As if 1.5 billion people wasn’t a big enough number of people to upset, he also attacked Jews so ruthlessly and with such invective and hatred, we are convinced it was not part of the hoax. We therefore conclude that Mr Jenvey has indeed become even more psychotic than usual and turned against a significant number of his former associates and whole races.

The initial crisis was prompted by the discovery that Mr Jenvey planted a fake story on the Ummah.com discussion forum calling for a campaign of harassment and intimidation against members of the United Kingdom Jewish population. It is manifestly unfair to target any Jewish person who is not living in Israel as this places Jewish people in an impossible position. If the Jewish person is resident in Israel they are often described as Nazis, baby killers and terrorists. Perhaps a Jewish person might not use this same language to describe Jews who live in the Zionist state but it is clear that a large number of Jews do not live in Israel because they do not agree with the goals and ideals of the Jewish state. Many Jews who live outside Israel see the proliferation of corruption within the Zionist state apparatus as being symptomatic of a deeper malaise, for example. They are not surprised at the rise of criminal gangs associated with the drug trade and oppose Israeli military tactics in Lebanon and the West Bank. These Jews are a source of inspiration for other Jews and also for the rest of us. Their political position needs to be strengthened through dialogue and encouragement and the idea they should be targeted for who they are is abhorent. Thus we can see that Mr Jenvey’s targeting of UK Jews is the work of a warped and twisted mind. Going on to give the story to the Sun newspaper is totally reprehensible and we would also think criminal. In fact, the absence of criminal charges is both noticable and surprising. The absence of criminal charges leads us in the direction of believing that Mr Jenvey’s actions were state sanctioned.

One needs only look at Mr Jenvey’s known associates to further strengthen this belief. A list of Mr Jenvey’s known associates reads like a who’s who of the international anti Muslim coalition: Ilham Frandsen, Michael Starkey, Dominic Wightman, Richard Watson, Jeremy Reynolds, Neil Doyle, Patrick Mercer, Howard Altman (Tampa Trib), Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, P.C. Sharma (retired), Bill Warner (insane pi), Jonathan Galt , Mrs Galt, Jim Ownbey, Salehal Moussa, Jon David Messner, Lt. Col. Abul Rahim Khan, Aaron Weisburb, Tim Greene, Merrick Rose, The Cheerleaders, Paul Ray. Please note this list has been revised since the publication of the previous one. Please also note there is a current investigation in progress which aims to reveal the identities of Jonathan and Mrs Galt. A note should be made at this point that the name Ilham Frandsen comes from a single source whose motives for disclosing this name may or may not be dubious. It should further be pointed out that not all of the above listed individuals work together on an ongoing basis at the present time. Mr Doyle and Mr Jenvey, for example, appear to have parted company after publication of the book Terror Tracker. Salehal Moussa and Jon David Messner appear to have dropped off the radar completely and there have been reports that Messner passed away. Because of the nature of his work in hijacking so-called Islamic radicals’ websites, it is likely Mr Messner had good reason for believing that reports of his death may have thrown off any enemies who were chasing him. In the shadowy, morally degenerate world of the anti Muslim coalition, a faked death and a new identity can be seen as a breath of fresh air.

To further strengthen our case that planting fake stories in the UK press is the modus operandi of the anti Muslim coalition, we should look for other instances where this type of behaviour has occurred. And fortunately other examples do exist which go some way to proving our contention. Please refer to the post I made recently where Met Police emails were published which refer to a fake terror plot allegedly hatched by Dominic Wightman. In the period when Mr Jenvey was faking being a Muslim, he stated that the secret brief which the British Home Secretary used to continue to imprison Abu Qatada contained false information which indicated Abu Qatada was planning to break the terms and conditions of his release. We are entitled to conclude from the context of his statement that he knew information had been planted by himself or known associates. At this point we would like to appeal for information about the evidence used to convict Abu Hamza with whom Jenvey developed an obsession. Please forward any information to Muddasar Arani, a highly capable individual who represents Sheikh Abu Hamza. While it is true that I’d like to know any information which throws doubt over his conviction, the proper course of action would be to contact his lawyer. A further example of planting allegedly fake stories was recently uncovered where so-called Islamic extremists were said to have targeted the singer Madonna. If as we suspect this is only the tip of the iceberg, we can see why focusing on Mr Jenvey’s mental state and describing him as a bumbling fantasist has been the order of the day. It is a smokescreen to hide the fact that what Mr Jenvey did was and is considered normal operating procedure. By smearing Hizb-ut-Tahrir in the BBC Newsnight programme with the use of private security consultants, the BBC and henceforth the government can maintain plausible deniability if the information provided by these private individuals subsequently turns out to be fake. Of course if Hizb-ut-Tahrir are the threat that Mr Wightman and Mr Jenvey claim they are, we wonder why MI5 didn’t report directly to the Home Office and the organisation could be proscribed. Of course the Home Office might require the provision of evidence which isn’t the case when Mr Wightman and Mr Jenvey can make unsubstantiated allegations on the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme. There has also been some evidence that an anti Muslim cell member suggested to Omar Bakri Mohammed that Dublin Airport might be a good place to attack as it was used as a staging post for American troops. We immediately suspected the clowns without a circus of the anti-Muslim cell operating around Mr Jenvey and Mr Wightman as it is Shannon airport which US troops use and not Dublin airport. If the threat had been developed by individuals intent on attacking American troops on their way to Iraq, we think those individuals would be keen to attack the right target and not get their knickers in a twist.

Of course it is only one step away for under-cover operatives to suggest to so-called Islamic extremists an idea for a particular terror plot – and then to go on to provide them with cash and resources. I’m quite sure Mr Omar Bakri isn’t as stupid to accept such an offer but we can imagine the following scenario. Operative: “Yes, it’s certainly the case that American troops are being ferried to Iraq via Dublin airport and we should attack them there.” Mr Omar Bakri Muhammed: “Hit the target, hit it hard….Blah, blah, blah… the answer lies within your own question.” If £50,000 arrives in the operative’s account via a Western Union money transfer in the coming weeks, that’s all the evidence the police need to swoop. And if, as sometimes happens, an attack does take place, that’s the fuel needed to keep the anti Muslim crusade going and perpetuate the spending needed to underscore the infidel nations’ fake war on terror. We correctly identify the war on terror as the morally bankrupt infidel nations’ attempt to inflate military and intelligence spending in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. We know an attractive alternative for the diverted funds would be to invest in infrastructure, schools and health services. And for those who wish to point out that western civilisation needs the resources to defend itself because of 9/11, please don’t speak too soon as we haven’t even got to that subject yet. Because all the while independant so-called American investigators focused on alleged bombs in the buildings and missiles hitting the Pentagon with dancing Israelis laughing in the background, the real investigation has been going on here, on this very same computer, and the results will be published on this blog unless it gets closed down. Please remember that free speech is implied but not written into the Australian constitution and any internet service should not see the Australian constitution free speech provisions as something they can choose to ignore. It’s also quite clear by now that all forms of terror are opposed equally by us and in making the points we make we adhere to the truth. Truth isn’t subjective, it’s objective. Although we can define objective truth in a subjective manner, that can’t add or subtract from the objective characteristics of our world. All the words in the world wont change the fact that a group of anti-Muslim private consultants have been duping the public with fake terror stories. The facts exist without this commentary and can be independantly verified by anyone who knows how to use an internet search engine.

We also appeal to the United Kingdom police for a forensic examination of the twenty machine guns confiscated from Mr Jenvey’s secret UK home. We think it is reasonable to ask what reasons Mr Jenvey provided to the police for amassing such a sizeable arsenal. It seems quite clear that twenty machine guns are not needed for self-defence when a nine ml Glock or Beretta would serve the same purpose. We would also like to reinforce our opinion that holding twenty machine guns in a suburban Wilthshire residence places local residents in grave danger. It seems strange that a realistic defence of Jewish rights should come from a Muslim. In conclusion I would like to point out that ethics have a universal quality and are not confined to one particular group or another. Discovering true ethical conduct or re-discovering true ethical conduct is something which renews the internal dynamic of any society.

Useful links: Bing.com and Silobreaker.

Operation_Breaklock@yahoo.com.au

Andreweslazak@yahoo.com.au

Fancy a bit of agitating?

Involve yourself in a flashmob on  Thursday Novemeber 26 2009 outside the offices of Trafigura, 2 Portman St W1 6DU at 1pm

Trafigura are still suing Newsnight over the toxic waste scandal and the plan is to get the ban lifted.

Publishing Hansard is one of the people’s basic rights and so the following text is not to be gagged.

“The recent example of the release of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast leading to the deaths of a number of people and the hospitalisation of thousands underlines the risks involved in the movement and management of waste.” 

Bring your camera phones and film yourself saying these words and post them around the web.

Sly and Reggie will be there. Dubs blazing.

Sign up here for the event on Facebook

Listen to Sly and Reggie Dub track Trafigura  Trafigura

"ietwat vernederend portret van België"
aldus De Tijd

“België belachelijk gemaakt”
aldus reaguurders in De Standaard

… naar aanleiding van een ietwat tongue-in-cheek filmpje over de gedoodverfde kandidaat-voorzitter van de EU ministerraad.

Euh, waar halen ze het?  Je mag al blij zijn dat buitenlanders je land kennen – ga dan niet zeuren over clichés maar buit ze schaamteloos uit in je marketing. En als Belgen mogen lachen om de ongeëvenaarde grijsheid van Van Rompuy, dan mogen buitenlandse media dat ook!

My ears pricked up this week when I heard 50 Cent on the Today programme.

In between items about climate change and the justice system, the rapper was interviewed about a new business and self-help book he has published.

The unexpected inclusion of a popular rapper on Radio 4’s high-brow breakfast show reminded me of a similar instance when Dizzee Rascal appeared as a guest on Newsnight.

On that occasion, Jeremy Paxman was accused of being ‘patronising’ and ‘crass’ for asking, ‘Mr. Rascal, do feel yourself to be British?’ And Dizzee Rascal was criticised for fuelling negative stereotypes of black people through his poor grammar and unserious attitude.

Youth Culture

On the Today programme, however, the presenter Evan Davis proved to be far more in touch with youth culture than might be expected of a man who shares a studio with John Humphreys on a daily basis. He appeared as comfortable questioning the platinum-selling rapper as he would a Member of Parliament, and was able to refer to other rappers and 50 Cent’s career without appearing unnatural.

50 Cent was softly spoken and thoughtful. His ideas are probably not the most original –the principal being that you have to conquer your fears in order to succeed in business and life in general. Though the parallels he drew between business life and life on the street were interesting, if at times slightly uncomfortable.

At the beginning of the interview 50 Cent compared criminal bosses who murder to people in the corporate world who speak metaphorically about killing the competition.

If such comparisons made for slightly uncomfortable listening, references to 50 Cent’s own experience of violent crime were more problematic.

Face Slashed

At one point Davis referred to an incident from 50 Cent’s past, in which he slashed the face of rival’s assistant. In response, the rapper told Davis that if he had had the choice he would rather not have gone through such experiences, but did not express remorse for what he had done.

In September, the BBC was criticised for a programme in which the disgraced former Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken revisited the house in which he grew up. Criticism of the programme centred on the fact that it provided Aitken, who spent seven months in prison for perjury, a platform for restoring his public image.

If the BBC can be criticised for helping to rehabilitate a man who has committed perjury, surely it deserves greater criticism for helping to promote the work of a man who has committed serious violent crime –and who stops short of apologising for it. In the case of 50 Cent, he is already incredibly successful and does not need help to rebuild a career, though the respectability which the BBC provides could still be beneficial.

Puzzled

Aside from the ethics of broadcasting such an interview, I found myself puzzled by its inclusion on a programme like Today.

In spite of all that I have said, I found the item interesting and a welcomed break from the other hard news stories which made up the show. But I am sure that I belong to a small minority of Today listeners who knew anything about 50 Cent and his music.

If Today was trying to represent a more multicultural worldview and broaden the horizons of its middle-aged, middle class listenership, these are highly commendable objectives. But I fear that by choosing an interviewee such as 50 Cent, they maybe have been compounding, rather than combating, negative views which some of their listeners may have about minority groups.

Servizio di Liz MacKean per BBC Newsnight

Sull’onda del motiplicarsi degli stati di allerta (750 allarmi bomba negli ultimi due anni, come rivelato dalla British Police Federation nel rapporto del 24 settembre 2009) e delle violenze settarie, Liz MacKean ha incontrato una delle tante famiglie costrette loro malgrado ad abbandonare le loro abitazioni come reazione alle continue intimidazioni, e Gary Donnelly del 32 Counties Sovereignty Movement, il quale ha dichiarato che le violenze potrebbero ora diffondersi alla terraferma britannica.

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NI terror threat ‘could spread’ (BBC News Northern Ireland)
An increase in the number of violent attacks on police and security forces in Northern Ireland has led to many families being re-housed.
Newsnight’s Liz MacKean spoke to one such family, and to Gary Donnelly of the nationalist 32 Counties Sovereignty Movement, who thinks the violence could spread to the UK mainland.

The past couple of weeks have been a columnist’s wet dream. Stephen Gately’s death and Jan Moir’s subsequent diatribes; Jimmy Carr’s ill-judged stand-up gag; Nick Griffin’s raucous Question Time debut; in the face of this deluge of moral transgressions, even the most untalented and unconscientious artisans of prose could not fail to pass some spirited, provocative comment. But quantity is no assurance of quality, and numbers in and of themselves certainly don’t help to fill in the vacuousness in the news media.

Yesterday, BBC Newsnight had this to offer on Twitter: “Has homophobia gone away or is it just in the closet? We’ll debate tonight at 10.30pm on BBC Two.”

Sure, why not? It’s one of those generic social issues that are blissfully unburdened with sell-by dates. The question itself is highly versatile too – swap homophobia for racism, sexism, ageism, or even football hooliganism and voila, another Newsnight feature/Panorama investigation/tabloid pablum.

I should add at this point that the actual Newsnight feature wasn’t exactly as advertised, although this should hardly be surprising. A hundred and forty character-long microblogging platform is never ideal for the presentation of a comprehensive synopsis of…anything. In any case, the gist of the Twitter advert was swiftly demolished with the feature’s opening gambit (its news peg essentially) - a homophobic gang attack on a trainee policeman in Liverpool on Sunday. Very well, question answered. The rest of the feature only goes on to hammer home the point, presenting interviews with victims of homophobic assault and a publisher of a gay magazine, citations of police figures of rising homophobic crime and the estimate that 75 per cent of victims do not report the crime to police, and rounding it off with a lively exchange between Johann Hari and Anne Atkins on (in)tolerance.

Surely, armed with all this information and, indeed, having put them together in the manner that they actually did for the feature, the Newsnight team could have, very justifiably, come out strongly with their case in demonstrating the persistence of homophobia in British society. But no, Auntie is impartial, Auntie is fair, and Auntie is balanced. So Auntie must make her Newsnight pitch sound just that, by framing it as an rhetorical question that could still pretend to be inconclusively answered.

Appearances do matter, after all.

But even the wimpy, sitting-on-the-fence approach in posing questions on social issues can get a bit stale. The unapologetically conservatie Spectator, never one to pull its punches, characteristically published, earlier this month, an emphatic cover story declaring that “Britain is no longer racist”. Penned by Samir Shah, chair of the Runnymede Trust, the piece argues that the simplistic view of racism as an inhibitor of social mobility is passé, and in its place is a form of “cultural cloning”. The argument itself is interesting, but the nuance-free headline is nowhere close to an representative summary of what is in the fine print (indeed, it’s just as hard to get headline writers to present a fair synopsis of the content as it is to get some tetchy critics to actually read/watch/understand the objects of their ire).

Lazy, irresponsible journalism is one thing, but there is an underlying teleology that is perhaps more problematic. Both examples, although derived from different editorial lines, appear to share this underlying belief in progress, a conviction in its certainty. And the phenomenon isn’t new. Political scientist John Mueller had trumpeted this sort optimistism in his books Retreat from Doomsday (1989) and The Remnants of War (2004), in which he suggested that war, like slavery, would eventually become obsolete and consigned to history as a cultural relic.

Bold claim it is, but certainly not unique in its spirit. Similar teleological outlooks can be discerned in the public discourse on social issues – the racisms, ageisms, sexisms, homophobia and what else have you. Commentators like to put forth these rhetorical posers about whether we are living in a “post-racial” society, if bigotry is history, if social class is a thing of the past etc. The unspoken assumption is of course one of teleological progress; that bigotry can be cleansed, that the wars against drugs, obesity, terrorism, religious fundamentalism can be won, that the very notion of warfare itself can be eradicated like smallpox. Hegel’s dialectics in action as it were.

Maybe they do believe that there is a brave new world waiting to be born, each one of them a Robespierre in spirit if not deeds. Maybe the notion of continuous struggle is their last resort, having gained a “cynical liberal…ironic wisdom”, as Slavoj Žižek described it, that their ideals are impractical pipedreams.

In any case, these didactic representations of society works – we buy into them, lock, stock and barrel. We, through the media and our politics, may demand the restoration of a fabled golden era – no violent criminals or drug-ridden louts on the streets, a proud nation with exalted heritage and strength of character in diplomacy. Or we may believe (or at least pretend to) in a possibilty of creating a bastion of liberty, free of discrimination and bigotry, filled with aspiration and opportunity. We want to cure all ills, right all wrongs, and we are convinced it can be done, if only we try. And then at times we try too hard, and shit happens. Robespierre, Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot et al will vouch for that..

Relativism has little room in our society it seems; no quarter is given, even if it means denying the essence of our humanity. Maybe we do need more cynical, ironic liberal wisdom, to contain our at times quite dangerous pursuit of reified virtue. But Žižek disagrees, so what do I know?

I dipped in and out of last night’s BBC programme. I  don’t always watch it, usually preferring “Newsnight” on the other side. I thought, that for such a highly charged programme, it was quite devoid of any depth and real policy, although I must congratulate the BBC on their audience selection, as a lot of them were quite savage as they went for Nick Griffin. He did himself no favours, although I suppose he could make a living running courses on evasion and vacillation. The trouble is, are those people who are likely to vote for the BNP likely to watch a mainstream political programme? I’m sure they would prefer the X factor or the like. I wonder whether this furore will have died down by the time I come back.

When I was made redundant I told my friends that I was “a victim of the credit crunch”.

In a way that was to make me feel that I was a part of the great unfolding economic drama rather than just someone without a job, but I think it was also true. I worked for a company that relied on massive borrowing from the banks, and which was scared that it might no longer be able to raise the credit it needed. At its simplest, credit is just a way of doing today those things that we’d otherwise have to wait until tomorrow to do. Or in the case of the company I worked for, what we’d have to wait 20 years to do. Unfortunately, credit has come a long way from its simplest. The opaque packaging of debt to be sold on in ever more, literally, fantastic ways is generally reckoned to be at the heart of the crisis.

Ironically, the solution seems to have turned out to be the suspension of one kind of disbelief, and its replacement with another. Suddenly the old disbelief that these packages of debt might actually be worth something to the suckers who’d paid for them could be suspended no longer. Instead, we are now expected to suspend our disbelief in “quantitative easing”, and pretend we haven’t noticed that it’s simply making money up. The banks’ bad debts were made-up money that was exposed as just that. The new made-up money is different in this respect, however: the con-men who made up the old stuff have largely got away with it, whilst the new stuff has got to be paid for eventually by all the rest of us through higher taxes and drastically curtailed public services. Meanwhile the real economy of making things continues as before, with the slight hiccup of depressed demand and massive unemployment.

Reflecting on the anniversary of Lehman’s collapse a couple of weeks ago, the Archbishop of Canterbury said on Newsnight that if we’ve learnt nothing else in the last year we’ve learnt that economics is far too important to be left to economists. Whilst it’s probably not a good idea to leave it to theologians instead, Dr Williams’ criticism that we’ve been “projecting reality and substance onto things that don’t have them” seems a pretty fair one to me.