Friday, January 30, 2009
Into solid air
May you never - John Martyn
John Martyn dies aged 60: "The trappings of fame and celebrity held no interest for him, which is why one of the greatest, most exhilarating and innovative British albums of the past 50 years - 1973’s Solid Air* - remains largely unrecognised by the general public." (Telegraph)
Here is the title track from Solid Air (live in Dublin).
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Of cats, pigeons and prizegiving
"Why such grudging praise for Sebastian Barry at the Costa Book Awards?
"We had a taste of the marvellous kerfuffle this kind of thing would cause early last year when Zadie Smith, head of the panel for the Willesden Herald's International Short Story Prize 2008, announced that frankly, none of the entries had come up to snuff, so no one would be winning. ... At the time, it caused a furore – but wouldn't the fun of every awards ceremony be increased immeasurably by [...] adding the name 'Ron' to every shortlist: 'Re-Open Nominations'? Either that, or publish a full transcript of the judges' deliberations, and force into the open all the maneouvering and compromises and delicious bitchiness that are currently kept decorously out of view." (Telegraph)
Newsdesk
"We had a taste of the marvellous kerfuffle this kind of thing would cause early last year when Zadie Smith, head of the panel for the Willesden Herald's International Short Story Prize 2008, announced that frankly, none of the entries had come up to snuff, so no one would be winning. ... At the time, it caused a furore – but wouldn't the fun of every awards ceremony be increased immeasurably by [...] adding the name 'Ron' to every shortlist: 'Re-Open Nominations'? Either that, or publish a full transcript of the judges' deliberations, and force into the open all the maneouvering and compromises and delicious bitchiness that are currently kept decorously out of view." (Telegraph)
Newsdesk
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
The DEC appeal that BBC & Sky are ashamed to show
Video: Gaza aid appeal
"The Gaza aid appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee to be broadcast by ITV, Channel 4 and Five but rejected by the BBC and Sky" (Guardian Online)
"The Gaza aid appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee to be broadcast by ITV, Channel 4 and Five but rejected by the BBC and Sky" (Guardian Online)
The daily lemma
with Rev Ivor Draper
What to do with Facebook friend requests from people one doesn't know?
Perhaps the best idea is to put it to The Lord and wait for an answer. If you haven't had a twitter from The Lord in ten minutes, please reset your rotary mower and try again. Unfortunately Lord Rotor cannot enter into any correspondence about the results of prayers, due to the overwhelming number of submissions. Bless you all and bless the Willesden Rotary Mower Club.
What to do with Facebook friend requests from people one doesn't know?
Perhaps the best idea is to put it to The Lord and wait for an answer. If you haven't had a twitter from The Lord in ten minutes, please reset your rotary mower and try again. Unfortunately Lord Rotor cannot enter into any correspondence about the results of prayers, due to the overwhelming number of submissions. Bless you all and bless the Willesden Rotary Mower Club.
Campaign to boycott the BBC licence fee
Letters
The proposal: From April 1st 2009, no further licence fee subscriptions to be paid to the BBC. The BBC receives approximately two billion pounds extorted from every family in the country, with the exception of the extremely elderly, regardless of ability to pay. It is a poll tax.
Additionally the BBC has now proved that it is not representative of public opinion and is used as a tool of the craven government's corrupt foreign policy. As a result it is literally covering up, hiding the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, purely because it is beholden to the government and Israel for its luxuriant position embedded and dependent utterly in and on the status quo. The interests of the British public and the world on the other hand, depend on the dismantling of the status quo and on progressive policies.
If we all sign up to boycott starting from April 1st, we will have strength in numbers. Meanwhile the prospect of bankruptcy can concentrate the minds of the grovelling, backsliding sluggards who run the corporation.
A Reader, Kilburn
The proposal: From April 1st 2009, no further licence fee subscriptions to be paid to the BBC. The BBC receives approximately two billion pounds extorted from every family in the country, with the exception of the extremely elderly, regardless of ability to pay. It is a poll tax.
Additionally the BBC has now proved that it is not representative of public opinion and is used as a tool of the craven government's corrupt foreign policy. As a result it is literally covering up, hiding the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, purely because it is beholden to the government and Israel for its luxuriant position embedded and dependent utterly in and on the status quo. The interests of the British public and the world on the other hand, depend on the dismantling of the status quo and on progressive policies.
If we all sign up to boycott starting from April 1st, we will have strength in numbers. Meanwhile the prospect of bankruptcy can concentrate the minds of the grovelling, backsliding sluggards who run the corporation.
A Reader, Kilburn
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Public meeting
Tuesday January 27th 7:30 pm
PALESTINE, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ...
Stop the slaughter. Stop the wars.
Speakers
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Kate Hudson, Chair CND
Muthanna Al Qadi, Middle East Editor, Al Quds News Agency
Space 2, upstairs at
Willesden Green Library Centre
95 High Road, Willesden NW10 2SF
Nearest station Willesden Green. Buses 52, 98, 260, 266, 302, 460. Free parking behind Library Centre. Fully accessible.
Brent Stop the War (email)
Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign (email)
PALESTINE, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ...
Stop the slaughter. Stop the wars.
Speakers
Jeremy Corbyn MP
Kate Hudson, Chair CND
Muthanna Al Qadi, Middle East Editor, Al Quds News Agency
Space 2, upstairs at
Willesden Green Library Centre
95 High Road, Willesden NW10 2SF
Nearest station Willesden Green. Buses 52, 98, 260, 266, 302, 460. Free parking behind Library Centre. Fully accessible.
Brent Stop the War (email)
Brent Palestine Solidarity Campaign (email)
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Defy the BBC & Murdoch Int'l: Help the people of Gaza
Donate Now to the DEC Gaza Crisis Appeal.
Willesden Herald has donated £25 by the way (our horse came in)*. Only telling to encourage our readers to match it, not looking for any plaudits.
* What a pity it's not the BBC licence fee instead. Everyone has to give £100+ annually to Jonathan Ross & Co, even as they block an urgent disaster appeal. Ed
P.S. Don't be a mug and waste your money on Sky's ugly satellite dishes and tacky programming. Everything you need is on Freeview or cable. Give it to DEC instead. Ed
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Play for dead children
Enter Ehud Olmert and retinue, evidently contented
[Whispers] The schools are demolished? (Check.) The kids are dead? (Check.) Ok, ceasefire. Hold your phosphorous. Our strength is established - and more!
[Shouts] "Help! Don't let them get weapons! Help! Gordon Brown!? United Nations?! Help!"
Zoz
[Whispers] The schools are demolished? (Check.) The kids are dead? (Check.) Ok, ceasefire. Hold your phosphorous. Our strength is established - and more!
[Shouts] "Help! Don't let them get weapons! Help! Gordon Brown!? United Nations?! Help!"
Zoz
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Heathrow demo: No third runway
Demo at Terminal 5. 12:27 pm 17 January 2009. Sphagnum
Police cordoned off demonstrators on the Terminal 5 departures floor.
Feargal Mooney
Friday, January 16, 2009
"Give me time to realise my crime" - 15 months enough?
"Boy George was today sentenced to 15 months for falsely imprisoning a male escort by handcuffing him to a wall... In an apparently accidental allusion to Culture Club's 1982 No 1 hit [...] the prosecution [...] asked the jury during the trial: 'Did he really have to hurt him?' " (Guardian)
The perils of cocaine-induced paranoia. But fifteen months for this when thugs walk free every day for worse? For example, if you were one of the Leeds footballers who kicked an Asian youth almost to death outside a nightclub, you might walk free to continue your lucrative career in the
Jacintha Pukka for Newsmusic Desk
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Piccadilly
Piccadilly Circus 8:40 pm, 12 January 2009
The music is part of "Adios" by Kickland and Wood. Sorry about the abrupt ending.
Ossian
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
An Audience With - Count Arthur Strong
BBC iPlayer - Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show!: Series 4: An Audience With
I really think he's overdone himself this time, he's exceeded himself, if it were even possible for such a thing as what I just said. Listen how his masterclass on crime writing takes the audience from nought to asphyxia in about 20 seconds. He reminds me very much of the great Seán McGobaloon, raconteur and co-founder of the Bunch of Grapes Theatre together with the legendary Wilton Hardwicke.
Bob Harmless
I really think he's overdone himself this time, he's exceeded himself, if it were even possible for such a thing as what I just said. Listen how his masterclass on crime writing takes the audience from nought to asphyxia in about 20 seconds. He reminds me very much of the great Seán McGobaloon, raconteur and co-founder of the Bunch of Grapes Theatre together with the legendary Wilton Hardwicke.
Bob Harmless
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The big thaw
9:18 pm, 11 January 2009. Sphagnum
There is a burst water main at Willesden High Road in front of the Library Centre. It's blocking a busy and awkward tee junction. There were stop/go people letting traffic from three directions pass on one side of the traffic island tonight. Severe delays are likely in this area.
Newsdesk
January 20th - The Tricycle, Kilburn
OBAMA INAUGURATION PARTY!
"Celebrate the inauguration of America’s first black president at the Tricycle. On January 20th we will be screening the inauguration ceremony live in the cinema with American beer, pretzels and cheerleaders completing the party. Event takes place 4.30-8pm. Tickets £16/£15, all proceeds to the Tricycle Education Programme. Now open for booking."
"Celebrate the inauguration of America’s first black president at the Tricycle. On January 20th we will be screening the inauguration ceremony live in the cinema with American beer, pretzels and cheerleaders completing the party. Event takes place 4.30-8pm. Tickets £16/£15, all proceeds to the Tricycle Education Programme. Now open for booking."
Downing Street petition for trade sanctions on Israel
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ISRAELISANCTIONS/
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to take economic & trade sanctions against Israel and urge the EU to boycott the EU/Israel trade agreement and EU/Israel Association agreement." (More details)
Newsdesk
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to take economic & trade sanctions against Israel and urge the EU to boycott the EU/Israel trade agreement and EU/Israel Association agreement." (More details)
Newsdesk
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Moon Friday
4.22 natural
4.22 darkened
4.25 natural
4.22 darkened
The moon looks smaller in the pictures than in reality.
Sphagnum
UFO claim over wind farm damage
BBC NEWS | England | Lincolnshire (video)
Something heavy hit and broke a huge wind turbine, but nobody knows what. The Telegraph has more details, including links to sightings by locals.
Something heavy hit and broke a huge wind turbine, but nobody knows what. The Telegraph has more details, including links to sightings by locals.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Short story competition update Jan. 2009
We're busy reading the entries, 645, for which many thanks. It is taking a long time but it is going well. January is slipping by and at the present rate it looks as if the results will only be known about the end of February. Barring unforeseen events we are hoping to announce the winner at an event in London on March 9th, and we are hoping to have the judge with us for that (yay!) but please don't consider this confirmed yet. Announcements will be posted here when details become available. I know it's a long-ish wait, but I think it's better to keep you informed about what's happening. There are even longer waits for results in other short story competitions, as my bitten fingernails will testify.
Ossian
Ossian
State organised murder
Israel shelled Gaza Palestinians after evacuating them, UN says
"At least 30 people were killed in the Zeitoun district of Gaza after Israeli troops repeatedly shelled a house to which more than 100 Palestinians had been evacuated by the Israeli military, the UN said today." (World news | guardian.co.uk)
With one of the most dreadful pictures I have ever seen. It shows the law of the conservation of beauty, no matter how much you try to destroy it, it cannot be made into anything other than beauty. The destruction marks the destroyer, it never marks the victim. And medical help was denied access for several days, till they arrived to find dying children waiting beside dead parents. The great democracy!
Zoz
"At least 30 people were killed in the Zeitoun district of Gaza after Israeli troops repeatedly shelled a house to which more than 100 Palestinians had been evacuated by the Israeli military, the UN said today." (World news | guardian.co.uk)
With one of the most dreadful pictures I have ever seen. It shows the law of the conservation of beauty, no matter how much you try to destroy it, it cannot be made into anything other than beauty. The destruction marks the destroyer, it never marks the victim. And medical help was denied access for several days, till they arrived to find dying children waiting beside dead parents. The great democracy!
Zoz
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