Jan 23rd 2010 @Trafalgar Square

Lets hope that this means that stupid things like this won’t be happening in the future- but just to make sure you could always go to Trafalgar Square on January 23rd for what could be one of the most photographed events of the year and an ideal opportunity to show off all those camera-related xmas presents.

(hat tip: Jams)

Looks uncannily like the way the CIA kill civilians as well…

As an atheist, my knowledge of Bible stories is fairly limited, but I am sure there is a lot in the New Testament about forgiveness and compassion.   I had a nice long chat about this with a work colleague who is a committed God-botherer who reached that position after careful thought and study.  Along the way I even learned something myself – the origin and meaning of the description ‘ lamb of God’.  From what I understood of the discussion, the forgiveness of greater offences is obviously harder and therefore is the greater challenge to one’s faith.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I can’t see how anybody can truly believe in the whole God/Jesus thing but reject the concepts of compassion and forgiveness.  Cometo think of it, forgiveness is not even an issue here because I don’t think anybody, least of all the Scottish government are saying they are forgiving al-Megrahi – they are just applying their standard policy which is showing a degree of mercy, and not just towards a prisoner but towards his family who are as innocent as anybody.

Funnily enough, the most potent commentary on the whole situation came from Jerry Sadowitz in his show last night, in one of the few points where I felt he went so far in his offensiveness that it hinted that it really is all an act (because nobody who really thought what he was saying would actually say it).   I can’t remember the exact words or anything like that, but he was saying he didn’t care if al-Megrahi was really guilty or not, that he would actually prefer it if he wasn’t guilty and still died horribly in prison, that it was his own fault for being foreign, having a beard and a funny name and being within 100 miles of an explosion, etc. etc.  ending saying something like “I want to see him suffer so that I can feel better about my own horrible existence”.

Shocking stuff.  I am paraphrasing and obviously losing the effect from the style and delivery.  There was uneasy laughter throughout.  You could imagine the average Daily Mail columnist to be nodding away in agreement to it all and as a bleeding-heart liberal  you don’t want to be lending support to such opinions through laughter – but then you realise it is all a trap to lure in anybody who thought of agreeing because he is actually saying more about them and their motivations than about anything else.  It is a bit like what Al Murray does with his pub landlord character, but without making any concessions or pulling any punches because there is no way he has to worry about whether his act will get a TV show.  Very uncomfortable comedy, but maybe even less comfortable for anyone who agrees with the superficial sentiments yet has the imagination to realise they are being satirised.

All of which is to say that I have very little time for so-called Christians who in the cliched phrase talk the talk but unable to walk the walk, and well done to the SNP who were willing to do something that is likely to have no benefit to them whatsoever – whatever the real motivation was, and I’ll leave that for the conspiracy theorists to have a field day with.

Is it a ploy by business travellers to make rail travel even more expensive and slower than it is so that they can make a sound business case for travelling by car instead as a cost-saving measure?  (Answer: no. But that’s how it would end up)

1. and probably in first class with a guaranteed seat

Last time the council and police managed to calm everything down extremely well, and that was without a lot of warning so I am fairly confident everything will be OK now. Our journey home takes us through Langley Green and already there was a veritable convention of TV camera crews at the community centre and plenty of police on the streets.

At least we don’t need to waste any time wondering what will be on the front pages of the local rags this week!

Grim times, but even so you have to appreciate the irony that the Langley Green mosque is located on Martyrs Avenue.

So the list contained names like Ade Edmondson, Glenn Tilbrook, Danny Baker, Siouxsie Sioux and Cindy Wilson.

And then right at the end it had Osama bin Laden and I did a comedy double-take. I don’t know why, but I just always assumed he passed fifty a long time ago. Perhaps its the beard. Its an old male trick to grow a beard when young to look more mature and then shave it off in middle age to suddenly lose a decade of apparent age. Its called “doing a Kris Kristofferson” I believe.

Anyway, the big day is March 10th in case anyone wants to send a, ahem, ‘package’.

originally uploaded by Krypto.

Andrew at Wongablog has spotted further suspicious behaviour on the streets of Britain.

I imagine the phone call going something like this:

“Hello 999, police please… hello police, there are a group of men carrying stout sticks facing up to each other in the High Street. They appear to be wearing some sort of gang colours. I think it might turn ugly… not interested?… why yes, now you mention it they do have beards… yes one of them does have something bulky strapped to his chest… OK. Thanks. I’ll expect the SWAT team in 5 minutes. Bye.”

So far they are getting away with it – but people have been shot for less recently!

Here is a counter-surveillance picture taken at London Bridge station by the intrepid Stef of these shadowy figures, believed to belong to the Al-Anorakeeda faction…