Richard Dawkins reads his fanmail

We're all terrorists now pt 534

Well, it's been a busy old week for the Guardian's home affairs editor Alan Travis

On Tuesday he wrote an article which revealed that...

"A Whitehall counter-terrorism unit is targeting the BBC and other media organisations as part of a new global propaganda push designed to "taint the al-Qaida brand", according to a secret Home Office paper seen by the Guardian."

(Lord Patel has already posted on this story and whilst the news is not particularly surprising it is depressing to see confirmation that there are publicly-funded astrotrufing twunts out there who think in terms of brands rather than ideologies - the same kind of bloodless sociopathic twunts who started the Al Qaida 'brand' in the first place)



And last Thursday Alan wrote an absolute corker which revealed that

"MI5 has concluded that there is no easy way to identify those who become involved in terrorism in Britain, according to a classified internal research document on radicalisation seen by the Guardian."

The classified report concludes that domestic Islamic Terrorists are...

- not religious (!?)
- not mental
- not stupid
- ethnically diverse

In fact, the only thing they all appear to have in common is that they have shit jobs

There's no reason to think that MI5 are leaking this stuff to Alan simply because he's a nice guy. So, it's only sensible to conclude that there are some twisted, Machiavellian reasons for doing so

In the case of the terrorist profiling story it would seem to be just another step in the process of gradually expanding the public perception of what constitutes a terrorist to include anyone with a loose tongue who's fucked off with the state of the country and has a shit job - which by this time next year should cover about 20 or 30 million people

There's the distinct possibility of a class war looming on the horizon and virtually everyone is going to be invited

And even though the terrorist profiling story is deliberately leaked Mi5 bollocks, it's still a slap in the face for all the supposedly left wing and progressive commentators and bloggers out there who have been faithfully parroting any old establishment crap about the nature of the TERROR threat whilst posturing as legitimate opposition to that establishment

All in all, a handy little link to refer to next time you encounter some twunt posing as a passionate opponent of the encroachment on our civil liberties, whilst at the same time putting the boot into Muslims for somehow being responsible for all the shit that's going down

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Geocache of the Week - GCM5RC

Runner Up - GCWW99Y...

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A fascinating new passtime

I've spent most of my spare time over the last few weeks hoofing around London trying to walk off a few pounds - ten or more miles at a time

This can get a little boring at times and I've been casting around for something to spice up my walks.

Photography is always a good stand-by but the weather, and the lighting, has been pretty rubbish of late

And then, the little GPS unit I use to mark out my routes and record my walks inspired me to think about participating in the vibrant geocaching community




Geocaching involves hiding waterproof containers containing a logbook and treasure (i.e. some plastic crap), the location of which you post on the web, for other people who are into that sort of thing to find with the aid of GPS




When you find a cache you leave an entry in the logbook, maybe take a picture, and swap some crap you brought with you for some of the crap in the box




For obvious reasons, geocachers have to be careful when searching for caches and ensure that members of the general public don't see the caches and trash them

For equally obvious reasons, a moment's thought will suggest that geocaching has the potential to get you into all sorts of interesting situations and zany adventures; involving as it does -

• lurking around and behaving furtively in parks and other public places

• hiding tupperware boxes in those parks and public places

• walking around town with a backpack, a camera and a handheld GPS

• having the lamest of excuses for what you are doing when challenged by members of the public or the security forces

The emphasis on the tupperware boxes is, in particular, a stroke of genius




An interesting side-effect of of geocaching is that maps of cache locations offer an interesting insight as to where cachers feel comfortable enough to hide sealed tupperware boxes without running the risk of being shot. The maps are, in effect, a rough indicator of 'security' hot and cold spots

Central London's extensive network of caches thins out considerably near places like Buckingham Palace, Parliament Square, Waterloo Station and Canary Wharf but I can't help noticing that there's a heap of caches in and around The City proper

Someone should be told

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Bread and Circuses

Anyone who knows a little about the kind of fruity little clubs and belief systems popular with our ruling classes will have some sympathy with Lord Patel's reservations about the corporate-sponsored wankfest that was yesterday's Olympic handjobover ceremony...

"There is something sinister about the heady state sponsored chauvinism which we can be assured will be relentlessly aimed at us for four years"

C'mon Everybody!! Let's have a Visa™ party!!

All that choreographed veneration of flags and torches is entirely reminiscent, and not accidentally, of Nazi Era iconography, and something much older than that

Coincidentally, as part of a personal regime to get fit enough to qualify for a visa to get the fuck out of here long before the Illuminated Fascistic Horror that will be London 2012, I walked down the length of the River Lea in East London and through the 2012 Olympic site a couple of days ago

There's a lot of building work going on and plenty of publicity material slapped up on the walls to remind passers-by, or rather not remind passers by, of the massive exercise in dissonant doublethink which has the likes of McDonalds, Coke and Visa investing heavily in sponsoring an event which purports to represent everything that they are not

Official Olympic 'Partner' logos

Not Official Olympic 'Partner' logo

Whilst in the area I checked out Hackney Marshes, home to no less than 88 full size amateur league football pitches and arguably London's most iconic monument to the supposed Olympian amateur sporting ideal - something which wasn't lost on Nike...





The fact that the Marshes are going to be smothered in delicious concrete and turned into a car park for the Olympics says it all really




Cue the Joni Mitchell...





...though comparing Hackney Marshes with Paradise might be pushing things, just a little

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The more things change the more they stay the same pt239

I'm currently working through the Gill Scott Heron back-catalogue on my wireless personal gramophone

Highlights so far include...


The Revolution will not be televised

"There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay"

Hmmm...


Whitey in Iraq on the Moon





B-Movie




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Headline of the Week

Pimp My Mousemat

• Multi-function Mouse Mat
• Designed for you to place your mouse and enable you have better control of it.
• It also can be used as a stereo speaker, a microphone and a 4 ports USB hub.
• No doubt this multi-functional mouse mat will bring more pleasure to you.
• It requires no installing drivers, plug and play.
• The USB hub is compatible with Universal Serial Bus Specification Version 1.1 and 2.0.
• It is designed with a blue LED light and an earphone jack.
• It can be powered by external power (DC 5V) too.
• It is suitable for all windows operation system, 2000, XP, Vista.
• 100% Brand New

Go on. You know you want one

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When banks implode...

An illustration of the kind of disgraceful public behaviour that can happen when things start to get wobbly and there's too much social cohesion and not enough CCTV surveillance and involuntary medication...

Would You Like to See More?

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Messiah Update!!

Roseberry Topping

Strawberry Topping

Confused ramblers

Would You Like to Know More?

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The Ghosts

Would You Like to Know More?

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What It's All About

There's a guy called Don Harrold who produces a series of Youtube videos on the US financial markets

A couple of days ago Don put out something a little different

Anyone who has lost someone close to them especially, I think, if that someone took a while a passing will know exactly what Don is talking about

But, being human, we start to forget that feeling after a while - which is a shame as it is the single most valuable lesson there is to learn





and it's no accident that our supposedly superior, consumerist culture bends over backwards in its efforts to help us forget that lesson with every fibre of its being

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Tonight on BBC Four

Given that the show is presented by someone who worked for MI5 for thirty years, the non-partisan objectivity of this show is virtually assured ...

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Reap the Whirlwind

Thanks to anon for sharing a link to this clip of US servicemen pissing themselves at the sight of an Iraqi woman walking towards a controlled explosion...





People who are pro the occupation probably won't see much wrong with this at all - the woman survived and you can plainly hear someone in the background trying to arrange for her to be warned off and to be given assistance. That laughter sounds more nervous than genuinely gleeful...

People who are anti the occupation will doubtlessly think this clip is disgraceful

Personally, after watching the clip a couple of times I was left thinking that there are going to be an awful of lot of desensitized, fucked-up and combat-trained kids returning home to America and the UK over the next few years

Hmmmm...

I wonder what they'll end up doing for a living

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The End of History

An amusing little graph (all standard caveats about stats apply) I just bumped into on my travels...

Francis Fukuyama eat your black neocon heart out...

You've got to love the way that the author has lumped Russia and Venezuela in with autocracies; on the basis that the governments of both countries have 'authoritarian sides'

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and whilst on the subject of those evil Russians, thanks to anon(s) for posting me links to a couple of mainstream newspaper articles on the conflict in Georgia...

• NATO is pushing Russia into a new Cold War

• This is a tale of US expansion not Russian aggression

In contrast to the bulk of journalistic chunder currently being inflicted on people, both articles at least attempt to emphasize with and explore the motivations of the 'other side' - one of the key difference between analysis and propaganda. A distinction which is most certainly lost on our State Broadcasting Company

Still, it makes a nice break from all that state-endorsed War on Terror bollocks

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Whooops

The really scary thing is that, in this fucked-up post 9/11 world, it's only the strength of Russia and China that stands a chance of keeping our own war-mongering establishment in check

which is probably why the likes of the BBC, CNN, SKY and Fox have been contorting themselves to an embarrassing degree in their efforts to maintain their uniformly bent coverage of the fighting in Ossetia and the pissiest little foul-ups in Beijing

and as for David Miliband accusing the Russians of pursuing '19th century forms of diplomacy' and behaving in a manner that was 'unacceptable in the 21st century', the warmly appreciative comments underneath this article (PS nice one Merkin) suggest at least some people are as nauseated by that hypocritical c*nt as I am

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Is that Guy Pearce sitting next to the Russian defence minister?

Congratulations to Finnish Foreign Minister and Chair of the OCSE Alexander Stubb for brokering a cease-fire between Russia and Georgia

Alexander Stubb

Kudos too for his amusing resemblance to a perma-tanned Guy Pearce

Guy Pearce

And some of the photography on his homepage is pretty special as well...






Alexander strikes me as a very interesting individual; capable of negotiating the suspension of the most savage genocidal conflicts, yet sensitive and comfortable with himself enough to prance around cyberspace like a complete nonce




I salute him


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Russia: Again Savior of Peace and Life

If you want to know what's really going on in Georgia why not check out Pravda.ru





"The international community collectively held their breath waiting for the reaction of Russia after the savage, brutal, criminal attack by Georgia on South Ossetia. After having offered a cease fire in hostilities, the back stabbing Georgians immediately violated the cease fire, invading South Ossetia and causing massive destruction and death among innocent civilians, among peacekeepers and also destroying a hospital.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. Moscow time Georgians opened fire with heavy artillery from the side of the Georgian villages of Ergneti and Nikozi against the city of Tskhinval, the Defense Ministry of South Ossetia announced on Thursday. Georgian troops attempted to storm the city much as Hitler‘s Panzer divisions blazed through Europe. Also noteworthy is the fact that Georgian tanks and infantry were being aided by Israeli advisors, a true indicator that this conflict was instigated by outside forces."




"Ask anyone* in the Caucasus region, and they will tell you never to trust a Georgian because they would shake your hand with a smile and then stab you in the back. On Friday morning, we saw a perfect example of this treachery, when hours after declaring a ceasefire, Georgian military units launched a savage attack on the civilians of South Ossetia"

* = excludes Georgians

Hehe, isn't this biased OtT propaganda shit funny when other countries' newspapers try it on




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and once you've had your fill of the True™ story of the Ossetian situation why not check out Pravda's fascinating selection of lifestyle articles on such diverse topics as cryptozoology, Jupiter-influenced global cooling and that age-old question 'Can Herbivorous and Carnivorous Humans ever understand each other's eating habits?'



Well, for all their foibles, Pravda raises no questions about the honesty of Herbivorous Humans - unless they're back-stabbing Georgian Herbivorous Humans, obviously

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Georgia's always on my my my my my my my my my mind

Thanks to the Underdoug for a link to this out-take from Max Keiser's show which predicted trouble in Georgia last year...





This clip was filmed for inclusion in a program about the role of the World Bank in deliberately subjugating and ripping off developing countries...







(Anyone who's read John Perkin's Confessions of an Economic Hit Man will be on familiar ground here

Perkins claims that, as an 'economic hit man', his function was to convince the political and financial leadership of underdeveloped countries to accept enormous development loans from institutions like the World Bank. Saddled with huge debts they could not hope to pay, these countries were forced to acquiesce to political pressure to 'reform' their economies and turn over public assets and resources to private finance.

The catch, of course, in Perkins' thesis was its implication that this sort of thing happened in the past, as opposed to the present, and only happened to developing countries)

In his film Kaiser mentions the World Bank funded BTC pipeline. A provocative little number which may end up transporting oil to Ashkelon and Eilat - which might explain those rumours of Israeli ornithologists and cycle tourists taking their summer holidays in the Caucasus

Methinks there's a lively few decades ahead for residents of a certain geopolitically interesting little gap between Russia and Iran

The unswervingly anti-Russian bias in the mainstream news coverage I was obliged, thanks to a lost Internet connection, to endure this weekend seals the deal as far as my opinion as to what's going on in Georgia is concerned




And, sorry Mr Murray, you're flat wrong

"I am Vladimir, I have gas. I have many, many gas. You want my gas? Sure, you want my gas. You love my gas. If I say act like perfumed lady and you can have my gas, you will act like perfumed lady. You love my gas. But how much you want my gas? Put dress on. Do it now!!"

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Fish of the Month August 2008 - The Coelacanth

Coelacanths are, of course, popularly known as 'living fossils'




The oldest Coelacanth fossils have been dated as being about 400 million years old. The youngest fossil Coelacanths have been dated at about 70 million years old

And, for a while, palaeontologists and evolutionists thought that the coelacanths could possibly have been the first fish to develop legs, take the first tentative steps on land (presumably whilst holding their breath until they evolved a set of complimentary air-breathing lungs) and started the land-based evolutionary branch which culminated in the birth of Richard Dawkins

There wasn't actually any direct evidence that leg-sprouting fish have ever actually existed but they would fit nicely into a particular story and so evolutionists have allways been keen to find, or draw, some

Fantasia (1940) - leg sprouting fish make their appearance @1:48

Unfortunately for the coelacanth's place in evolutionary history, the coelacanth had to be taken off the list of possible candidates when people started pulling living examples out of the sea from the late 1930s onwards...

which raised all sorts of interesting questions such as...

• Where had they been hiding for the last 70 million years?

• How is it that a fish that was once identified as being the possible ancestor of all land based tetrapods, which is a fair old slab of evolution by any measure, didn't actually evolve very much at all?
  
  According to the Coelacanth page on Talk Origins that's because -'The theory of evolution does not say that all organisms must evolve. In an unchanging environment, natural selection would tend to keep things largely unchanged morphologically'
  
  ...except for when things do change
  
  which is another way of saying that evolutionary theory is a great way of 'explaining' things after they've happened but crap at predicting what will happen (cf. Nostradamus)
  
  (things must have been very quiet around the waters off Japan, where this character lives, for the last 550 million years)
  

More walking fish - this time courtesy of Guinness

Coelacanths do, however, clearly have a sense of humour and are aware that humans used to draw pictures of them walking around the sea bed on their fins, rehearsing their conquest of Land

Because, whenever anyone points a video camera at a coelacanth, they swim around doing cute little vertical headstands, keeping their feet fins as far away from the sea bed as possible...





So, in the context of the coelacanth, the term 'living fossil' is another, shorter, way of saying...

'we used to think this creature was long dead and thought we could get away with making up all sorts of fairy tales about it but then the fucker turned out to be still alive and left us all looking like gimps, the bastard'

The Coelacanth - My Fish Selection of the Month, August 2008 - learn more over at...

DINOFISH.com

NB Richard Dawkins is currently appearing in Summer Season over at Channel 4 - and for someone advocating such a supposedly unassailable case his compulsion to tell one or two whoppers in the process is quite perplexing

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Ah well, it's only money

Thanks to anon for posting a link to this fascinating little chart produced by the St Louis Fed's Research Department...



Oooo-er...

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