I am becoming quite fond of my little corner of Schiphol airport. I have put up my Christmas cards and a few bits of tinsel. I now have a boarding card for the 0800 to Manchester. This is the sixth boarding card I have had. It is very hard to understand why, time after time, they don’t know a flight is cancelled until some time after it was due to leave and all the passengers have queued at the gate for hours.
Of course, Manchester is a lot further from Ramsgate than Schiphol is, so even if the flight atually goes, this represents rather dubious progress.
Happy New Year everybody.
Remarkably, KLM delivered my lost luggage, including my laptop, at 9.30 pm on New Year’s Eve. At that time a pretty lively party was already in full swing,much improved by the presence of a great many beautiful young women, mostly from Latvia. I am not sure why; my life as ever consists of a bewildering succession of chance encounters with really nice people. I am in the fortunate position of being able to say that Nadira was the most lovely of all, without indulging in dutiful hyperbole.
It was an extremely happy Christmas. Having my mum, both my brothers and all my three chidren together was as great as it was rare.
We have been through the laptop in lost luggage discussion before. The problem is that my shoulders dislocate at the drop of a hat, and I travel without hand luggage to avoid an accident.
2011 is going to be a very important year for me. particularly the first quarter. A number of crucial events are going either to set me up financially for the rest of my life, or result in real distress and failure. At present I have reason to be very optimistic. I am also very absorbed in my life of Alexander Burnes, which I hope will help establish a serious academic reputation.
The Portuguese edition of Murder in Samarkand has sold unexpectedly well in Brazil. The translation of the Turkish edition has just been finished.
I hope to do a Wikileaks retrospective in the next couple of days. Just a quick thought on the case of the poor young gardener in Bristol. Of the Jill Dando case, long before Barry Bulsara’s succesful appeal I blogged that this appeared to be a miscarriage of justice in which the police had fitted up the local weirdo.
Despite not being enamoured of landlords in general, I fear the same dynamic is at work in Bristol, albeit Chris Jefferies is much more intellectually capable than Bulsara. My instinct is that the police have picked up on Jefferies for being camper than a boy scout jamboree and archer than Trajan.
Jefferies’ release on bail has me worried that there was nothing against him other than the “He’s a weird one, guv” instinct of some not very bright cop. The case needs to be closely watched as history shows that the powers of the police to make the evidence fit the suspect are considerable.
The Cable story has developed. Further taped remarks he made that were anti Murdoch and his proposed takeover of BSkyB were not released by the Telegraph. Peston of the BBC has revealed them so Cable obviously concealed them from Clegg/Cameron. Now it is being said that Cable as Business Secretary cannot now rule on the Murdoch takeover so he will have to go as he is considered to be in a ‘difficult position’. Are Coulson’s mucky hands behind this at all?
All will be revealed in Part 2!
The great St. Pancras queue will no doubt take its rightfull place in history, as a sign of the time, marking the relentless downdrift of society, modernity crumbling, it will be referenced as the great gettaway that never was.
Hope Craig has arrived home by now.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12053656 the story….so far.
21 December 2010 Last updated at 15:26
Vince Cable criticises Murdoch takeover in secret tapesContinue reading the main story
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Vince Cable told undercover reporters he had “declared war on Rupert Murdoch” and planned to block his efforts to take full control of BSkyB, according to the BBC’s Robert Peston.
The business secretary’s admission came in conversation with Daily Telegraph reporters posing as constituents.
Robert Peston said the Telegraph chose not to publish the “most explosive” part of its investigaton.
But a transcript was passed to him by a whistleblower.
According to the transcript seen by the BBC’s business editor, Mr Cable said: “I am picking my fights, some of which you may have seen, some of which you may haven’t seen.
“And I don’t know if you have been following what has been happening with the Murdoch press, where I have declared war on Mr Murdoch and I think we are going to win.”
News Corporation, which is run by Rupert Murdoch, already owns 39% of BSkyB but wants to buy up the remaining 61%.
The group also owns News International – whose publications The Sun, News of the World, The Times and The Sunday Times account for a third of the UK’s national newspaper circulation.
Mr Cable ordered Ofcom to investigate the proposal over concerns about press freedom and consumer choice – but he will have the final say and has stressed the need to be politically impartial.
The BBC News Channel’s chief political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said the revelation would be “uncomfortable” for Mr Cable and could lead to questions about his future.
BSkyB has declined to comment on Mr Cable’s remarks.
In the transcript, Mr Cable tells the undercover reporter:
“Well I did not politicise it, because it is a legal question..but he (Mr Murdoch) is trying to take over BSkyB – you probably know that.”
The reporter says: “I know vaguely”.
Cable: “With considerably enhanced…”
Reporter: “I always thought that he had BSkyB with Sky anyway?”
Cable: “No, he has minority shares and he wants a majority – and a majority control would give them a massive stake.”
“I have blocked it using the powers that I have got and they are legal powers that I have got. I can’t politicise it but from the people that know what is happening this is a big, big thing.
His whole empire is now under attack…So there are things like that we do in government, that we can’t do…all we can do in opposition is protest”.
Well, my first reaction is that it’s about time somebody (!) declared war on Rupert Murdoch.
First I start to wonder whether powerful media interests have declared war on Vince Cable.
But then I start wondering whether the ‘leak’ might have been deliberate, as most govt. leaks tend to be, designed either to undermine Cable’s position in the Coalition or else to enhance Vince Cable’s stature among disenchanted Lib Dems and we, the people.
Is it theatre, is it real? Is theatre real?
As Evgeni said on the other thread, all of these are possibilities.
SkyNewsBreak tweeted this earlier today:
EU Commission clears bid by News Corp to acquire the 61% of BSkyB (parent company of Sky News) it doesn’t already own
“”Fucking someone when they are asleep”
Was she unconscious?”
Dreoilin – maybe she wasn’t asleep at first, would that be so surprising, I mean he is a computer geek?
Craig – sorry to hear you’re snowed in, sounds fabulous from where I am sitting right at the moment you can have our 37*C heat(and this is just the start of summer – bleahk)! Well you can always spend the next few days trawling through my archives :}}}
D’oh – it’ll be hard for you to read my archives without a link…
“Dreoilin – maybe she wasn’t asleep at first, would that be so surprising, I mean he is a computer geek?”
One of my sons is a computer geek. He’s also a rugby player.
Were there some portents for Cable in the ‘blood red moon’ last night? First time a lunar eclipse has coincided with the winter solstice since the 17th century.
Nice photos. Did anyone see it?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12049947
I remember the last time well, somebody. Ah yes, the Puritans were on the ascent… Mark you, the Cavaliers had better millinery!
O/T: from the Guardian Corrections page today:
“Contrary to a claim made in a leaked US diplomatic cable whose contents we reported, Sicko ?” a documentary by film-maker Michael Moore ?” was not banned in Cuba. The film, which examines US healthcare through comparisons with some countries’ publicly funded systems, including Cuba’s, was in fact shown in film theatres throughout the island and on national TV (Cuba ‘vetoed’ healthcare film, 18 December, page 7).”
To be honest, I am as sick to death as anyone with this 9/11 bollocks, but some website – opednews or maybe truthdig – said uou really should watch this Jesse Ventura thing about 9/11 – but the videos are a bit dodgy – and so they gave two versions. Now apparently this thing has been shown on mainstream US TV – episode 8 I think it was in his conspiracy bollocks series…
So I thought well, I’m bored – and will watch it for a few minutes…
So I clicked on the bloody thing – and my PC completely and utterly locked up – as if I was watching a dodgy porn thing on Windows 95 15 years ago…
So I thought fuck it and left it – and tried to get my lad’s car started. That’s fucked too.
I didn’t use to have these problems with either computers or cars.
I used to be innocent, and believed everything I read in The Daily Telegraph and saw on News at 10 – especially when that nice Trevor Phillips was reading it.
Now everything is fucked and I’ve got soggy feet – cos I tramped out in the slush in my sandals.
Lets face it, things were better when we had Maggie Thatcher in charge – and she organised these proper wars in The Falklands and we could all sing rule Brittania as we beat the Argies cos they stitched us up with Maradona’s hand of God.
Now all we have got is Vince Cable to laugh at – and Craig Murray recruiting pissed off students in the snow.
Lets have a decent fucking riot for fucks sake before absolutely everything goes to hell.
Tony
Now, even I have a great deal of difficulty seperating fact from fiction, and I have seen some of these blokes videos – and understand the difficulties of actually trying to make a living from doing the kind of stuff that he is doing, so whilst I will discount some of his wackiest things he has done – like – I don’t buy all his UFO nonsense – nor even his 9/11 analysis – he did have the balls to interview and also visit in jail – Anthony J Hill
Now you may not know or care who Anthony J Hill is – but he was the bloke from Sheffield who made a video about 7/7 – which I vaguely remember watching several years ago…
Regardless of absolutely EVERYTHING – why is this bloke in jail tonight. I mean – he isn’t a threat to anyone – is he???
Except those who want to bury the truth…
But don’t these people realise they are shooting themselves in the foot – by keeping him in jail?
Let him out FFS – he hasn’t committed any crime so far as I can gather. He made a video and sent it to Kingston court. That is not a crime. How can supplying relevent and additional information to a Judge on a DVD be a crime?
Watch the video that he did before he was extradited from Ireland…
This bloke shouldn’t be in jail.
You want a link???
Find it yourself you lazy bastards..
If you can’t be bothered to find it, then you can’t be bothered to watch it…
Don’t expect me to spoon feed you…
http://www.richplanet.net/detail.php?dbindex=256
Tony
A J Hill is charged with perverting the course of justice, because he apparently sent copies of his 7/7 video to the judge and the foreman of a jury involved with a trial associated with 7/7.
I think Hill is probably a harmless nutter. But trying to influence a jury is a reliable way to piss off a judge. Poor A J Hill; he probably meant well.
Clark,
I know all the facts about AJ Hill, and I know he sent the DVD’s addressed to the Jury Foreman, before he sent the same thing to the judge…
So from a technical point of view, I can understand the charge…
But FFS – he sent them to The COURT. If he had interefered in any way by directly contacting the Jury (and I have served on a jury, then that would be a much more serious matter altogether – but still not in the realm that would necessitate him being declined bail – even if his “crime” eventually resulted in a jail sentence)
His video had already been seen by MILLIONS of people all over the World before he sent a few copies out to a COURT of JUSTICE.
Now I got this from a CONSERVATIVE Website
Sometimes I think The UK Tories are much more LIBERAL in their sense of Justice and Freedom of Speech Than Are The Rest of The Political Spectrum in The UK
John Pilger: Global Support for WikiLeaks is “Rebellion” Against U.S. Militarism, Secrecy
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/15/john_pilger_journalists_must_support_julian
Tony
“But trying to influence a jury is a reliable way to piss off a judge”.
But he didn’t did he? He didn’t know who the jury were. As you correctly stated in your previous sentence he sent copies to the judge and the jury foreman, exercising his right under amicus curiae to provide additional evidence to the court.
As you correctly stated in your previous sentence …
“I think Hill is probably a harmless nutter.”
You are acting as judge,jury and prisoner…you have already decided that he is a nutter….
But I bet you haven’t spent the time that AJ Hill has analysing all the avialable evidence – and having the COURAGE as a result of so doing – And THE TECHICAL CAPABILITY – To Produce a Video of EVERYTHING He could find about the Case – Using SOURCES That WERE ALL Publicly Released Information…
Maybe He isn’t a “Nutter” at All
Maybe He Has Got More Courage, Justice, Action and Capabilty Than all The Supposed Judges and Jounalists Put Together…
I Mean FFS Someone Has Got To Have The Balls To Stand Up To The ATROCITY of Our Current Existence
I wish I Had The Courage of AJ Hill – Even If He Got His Analysis Completely WRONG
At Least He Tried…
He Didn’t Make Any Money Out Of His Attempts To Reveal to The World What Is ACTUALLY GOING ON
All He Gets Is a FUCKING PRISON CELL
And He Is Still There.
I think I might Visit Him on Christrmas Day in JAIL. I used to Drive Past It Everyday.
It won’t get him out of Jail, but it might make both him and me feel better.
Tony
I don’t like to see any innocent person in jail. But once a jury has been empannelled, I wouldn’t send anything to a jury foreman as I’d assume (just assume) I was breaking the law. And not a bad law but a good law.
@Daily Magnet In case you didn’t get my point, which stereotype do you think my son should introduce himself as? Just wondering.
I’ll keep a lid on the ribbing next time you post a vid ‘somebody’ – your 11:14 post proves the mustard – bless you for digging down that far on Mark Stephens the man who recently shut the door in my face and will live to regret it.
dreoilin,
I already understand your point, and I am trying to maintain the little threads that still exist in my memory of British Justice actually doing what it was set up for in the first place…
But AJ Hill’s “Sin”, even if he was aware of all the legal niceities of the UK justice system – may have actually been successful…
So far as I am aware, and I have not followed this closely – all the accused “Muslim” Terrorists were found innocent and released
It is only the Whisteblower that was jailed – although his “Trial” has not yet even come up – despite his extradition from Ireland.
I used to go Gliding at Derby and Lancs Gliding Club which was nearer to Sheffield – where he comes from than Sutton Bank that is in Yorkshire.
My wife has just told me to leave a Generous Christmas Present For The Milkman
I said he’s a hero…
She said – well I think he may be a Milklady actually
I am now confused – cos the person who came back with a limp to deliver a sack of spuds in the snow – after his milkround was definitely a bloke.
Normally he turns up at around 5:00 am before we have gone to bed.
Do you think £10 is O.K.?
The binmen are Twats and They Are Getting NOWT off Me This year…
Though She will Probably Go Running After Them in Her Nightie Wearing No Knickers If Its Been My Lucky Night…
SXeXm dripping Everywhere
Tony
I agree with toy and MJ, tony hill had the balls to get off his backside and DO something. OK his website is slightly weird and kinder enervates his meticulous research but he has obviously raised the bristles on ‘team kilo’ bless him and now they are on the defensive.
“With lies you may go ahead in the world, but you can never go back”
Mark, thanks though I don’t quite understand. Are you saying that the tentacles stretch a long way?
Craig: oh no! came the cry from this household. Very funny, though. Do you need any help?
I didn’t even know he had a website, and I only vaguely remember watching at least some of his Ripple Effect.
To be honest the London Bombings were much too close to home…
I don’t know if he got the title from what I wrote at the time…
But I was seriously worried…
My wife wasn’t home and I thought she may have again into London and one of the bombs went off right next to where she used to work…
You see The Ripple Effect Worked…
Although I didn’t hear the explosions the Birds did…
And it Spooked Them…
I was sat working on my computer…
And The Birds Went CRAZY
TWO MASSIVE BIRDS CAME SQUAWKING THEIR HEADS OFF They Came Right Down to The Entrance Of Our Home
It Was Quite Surreal…
The Birds Told Me Something EVIL Had Happenned…
And So I turned The Radio On
I didn’t Know it Had Happenned in Central London
I was frightened as my Mobile Didn’t Work and I couldn’t Contact My Wife
We also had this Shit on 9/11
My Wife Gave Up her Job Working For a Bank in The City whe our Daughter was born and became a Childminder. She Was Looking After Twin Blonde Baby Girls…
Their Grandmother was in One of Them – When it Was Hit on 9/11 in New York
She Phoned The Mother of The Girls – Feeling Certain She Was Going To Die
For 24 Hours There was No Working Phone Connection Between London and New York
Yes I Do Know People Who Work Or Have Worked in Both London and New York
9/11 and 7/7 were Attacks on Us..
I am still trying to work out who is responsible for these Atrocities on Us..
We didn’t do it – and I am almost 100% certain that MUSLIMS didn’t do it – even though I think Most of Them are Twats – Especially The Blokes – The Girls Are O.K. – in Fact I Once Fell In Love With a Girl Who’s Parents Came From Pakistan…
I think her daughter may have been in a Harry Potter Film.
Tony
“The smoking cable: Israel said it had ‘secret accord’ with U.S. over expanding settlements even as Obama said in Cairo they must stop”
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2f8avdo
As reported in The Guardian ?” “WikiLeaks cables: Sudanese President ‘stashed $9bn in UK banks””
If these allegations are true (1) does this constitute money laundering in London on a humungous scale? (2) are there other foreign or home politicians doing the same thing? (3) will these allegations that The Guardian has reported on be investigated or is it cover-up as usual in The City.
Jillian boots 5509 snow boots
With reference to the earlier discussion about Assange on R4, this link has a summary and the actual audio as a link:
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/assange-people-affiliated-organization-assassinated/
Oh no! The Jews are bad!
“As in other recent assassinations in Syria, speculation about who could have done it will likely be rampant. The most obvious suspects are the Israelis. SARG security services are well aware that the coastal city of Tartous would offer easier access to Israeli operatives than would more inland locations such as Damascus. Sulayman was not a highly visible government official, and the use of a sniper suggests the assassin could visually identify Sulayman from a distance. As Tartous is also close to the northern-most part of the Syrian-Lebanese border, the SARG might blame pro-Saudi Islamist militants from Tripoli or the Nahr al-Barid camp. Some may even go so far as to suggest the (comment: unlikely) possibility that this was an inside job to prevent Sulayman from damaging the Syrian regime.”
http://213.251.145.96/cable/2008/08/08DAMASCUS541.html
Having said that, it has long been known that Israel was the likely culprit given that the guy they shot was a Syrian government agent of Hizbollah.
About 10 years ago, when the Internet was fairly new – and we were all talking bollocks – mostly about investing money in companies who we thought were going to make us all rich – most of us who are still alive are completely bust now – but we were innocent – we didn’t realise what was going on – it was a new medium and the world was bright and beautiful…
And we didn’t just talk about shares going up and down and all that stuff – we talked about each other – personal stuff – and actually met each other and we posted Christmas Cards to each other – sometimes using our real names and home addresses….
And some of us who were into both computing and art – made these most amazingly colour drippy Christmas Cards – that were fully animated with well basically Love…
We weren’t trying to screw each other – well not at least until the boys actually met the girls…
It was just a virtual thing…
But some of the animations produced were absolutely fucking Beautiful
This was years before 9/11 and everything fucked up
But when you gradually withdraw from all this lunacy…
And still the dripping postcards come through the real postbox…
And still it is completely loving and innocent – and yes I took my wife and kids to meet hers once…
And I had to gradually reduce the phone calls to maybe once a year or maybe once every 18 months or so…
I know She Is Still Alive…
Well she Was a Few Months Ago…
But If I phone Her Up or Send Her a Christmas Card…..
I Don’t Do That Anymore…
She’s Probably Still Reading What I Write
Goodnight Sandra
Love & Peace,
And Ceanothus and Sunflowers – and The Prayers From Hundreds of People You Had Never Met You That Resulted in You Coming Out of a COMA that you had been in for over 6 weeks
I had to come and see you just to know that you were for Real – and it wasn’t all bollocks
Tony