Several blogs, including the aforementioned Samizdata, have made comments on the most recent Olympic "storm in a tea-cup." This "skating" row is just a pathetic way for the Olympics to get some attention. Everyone loves a good controversy and the Olympics have provided one. Now the Olympics are in the top 5 stories on the main news, not dead last. What me cynical?
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/16/2002 11:18:00 PM [+] ::
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Over at Samizdata there is yet another cheap ploy to get hits. This time the lovely Ms Radic, Samizdata's own spokesmodel, dishes the dirt on a Valentine's Day Party she attended. While I am loath to comment on a Valentine's day party, it did seem rather cool and I am jealous for two reasons: one Ms Radic was there and I wasn't, the other being that at least one of the rooms was playing some very cool old school goth music. The fake tatoo was kind of neat as well. Did I mention there is a picture?
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/16/2002 11:11:00 PM [+] ::
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Friday night I attended a meeting where the head of the Parliament of Kurdistan spoke at lenght. It was most interesting speech and q&a session where we learned about the progress of the region of Iraq. It will not surprise anyone to hear that they are particularly keen on reports that the US and its allies are thinking of have another "go" at Saddam Hussein. They were worried about post-Saddam Iraq and made it clear that they would international need help with any Iraq administration, to ensure their rights.
What was most interesting is the fact that they wish to have a federal system within Iraq and do not seek independence from the country. They firmly believe in the state of Iraq and wish it to be free for all Iraquis, not only Kurds. Dr Shawaz, who is the Speaker of their Parliament in northern Iraq, gave eloguent answers to some fairly complex questions. He catagorically supported the war on terror and condemned any terrorists be they Islamic or Kurd. He specifically mentioned the PKK in his answer to my query.
Dr Shawaz was here in the UK to speak to both to Scottish and British parliamentarians, lobbyists and academics. He seemed very pleased with the response to his approaches.
Interesting developments in the illegals riot here in the UK. It seems not all of the inmates are accounted for, and it is believed some may have died in the fire. One further, more startling revelation is that the facility, despire being "state of the art", had no fire sprinkler system. Nice to see that the immigration service pays attention to government regulations when it comes to building safety
requirements.
PS: I apologise for the lack of posting but Blogger.com is having more problems today and was not allowing me to post.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/16/2002 07:42:00 PM [+] ::
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:: 2/15/2002 ::
Last night a bunch of illegals rioted and torched a state of the art holding centre here in the UK. The building which cost £100 million to build, contained many of the mod-cons of an apartment block, yet they still torched it. Police believe it was part of a planned break out, several of them are still on the loose. It turns out all those in the facility were set to be deported, so they had nothing to lose. Why, oh why, were they still in the UK if they were to be deported? Surely this effort to torch the place should result in the immediate expulsion of every resident in the centre.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/15/2002 02:41:00 PM [+] ::
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Instapunditgate continues a-pace, with my last post resulting in several emails on the subject. I received an email today from another blogger than has not been recognised for his contributions to Instapundit. In the past, I have recieved other missives warning me that Glenn was a bit slow at giving credit. The following is an open to letter to Mr Reynolds.
Glenn, I think as one of the leading lights of blogdom you need to try to make a better effort to credit fellow bloggers. It does not take that much time and saves a great deal of frustration for the rest of us. We could stop sending you things that might interest you or stop posting stuff on our sites. If this were to become the state of play it would be unfortunate for the whole blogging universe. If other bloggers, including major ones, can make the effort why can't you?
Andrew
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/15/2002 02:28:00 PM [+] ::
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Ok, now I am bloody pissed off with Glenn at Instapundit. What the hell is his damn problem with giving people credit for sending him links to stuff? I live in London, got The Spectator as soon as it came out and sent him info on it. Did I get any credit, NO! Glenn thinks he is god to bloggers and doesn't have to give the rest of credit for giving him heads-up on stuff. I am not the first to complain about this.
Come on Glenn, what is your damn problem? Are you too good for the rest of us now? Get off your high horse and help the rest of out will you?
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/15/2002 12:24:00 AM [+] ::
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:: 2/14/2002 ::
The Spectator (UK) has weighed into the anti-semitism debate, with a cover depicting a priest burning an Isreali flag and two articles. In an article entitled "Christians against Isreal," Melanie Philips takes on the anti-Isreali feeling eminating from certain Christian churches.
It seems that some senior Christians insist that it has little to do with Isreal, but more to do with something called "replacement theology." This is the belief that Christians are now the "chosen ones" and not the jews, and thus Isreal is illigimate. Christians may claim this title as a result of God giving "them" the messiah. There are some evangelicals who believe just opposite and believe it is Christian's duty to protect God's "chosen ones", the jews. The former belief, perpetuated by the church(s) for centuries and suppressed after the Holocaust, is rearing it's head again, egged on by Palestinian Christian revisionists.
I have heard this in the US, when asking a devout "Christian" (ie: one who wears his religion on his sleeve) why he was so anti-Jews. He said: "well they killed Jesus didn't they?" And for this person it was end of story.
He ignored my query that I thought it was the Romans who killed Jesus not the Jews. Surely he should be anti-Roman/Italian not Jews? I asked. His response was more anti-Jewish conspiracy-laden bigotry. I might point out that I heard this at a National Federation of Young Republican gathering and it was in ear-shot of loads of other people. Not one rose to my aid or to lambast the cretin for his diatribe.
It will be interesting to see what kind of heat this article produces in the light of the row of the New Statesman debacle. See Kesher Talk for my take on the row.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/14/2002 05:07:00 PM [+] ::
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Over at MacEvangelist they are selling some really amusing t-shirts that mock Microsoft. "Microsoft Vacuum: A Microsoft product that Doesn't Suck!" Yeah its petty and trite, but so what, it's still kind of fun!
by Marty
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/14/2002 04:28:00 PM [+] ::
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Savatage played the Highbury (London) Garage last night, and put on a stunning, 120 minute show. The extended set was thanks to Vicious Rumours getting kick off the tour for being way too rock & roll and pissing off their hosts. It was a win/win really, although I would have liked to have seen VR.
Blaze put in a competent if, pedestrian set, as he is wont to do. Why does this man persist in putting out decent albums and then putting on lame live shows? The sound mix for Blaze wasn't terrific either, making both the bass and Blaze's voice seem even flatter than usual. He belted out, as best he could, tracks from both of his albums, Silicon Messiah and the newie, Tenth Dimension. It was bit sad to the former Maiden singer drinking his pint alone at the end of the bar during the Savatage set. The lad is much better on record than in concert, nuff said.
Savatage, on the other hand, put on an incredibly good show, as close to perfection as possible. The sound was tremendous, the band were on brilliant form and the crowd, clearly almost all there to see them, were entralled. Having such a long time to play, the band managed to play something for all periods of the career and threw in two short meddlies for good measure.
Both new boys, Jack Frost (guitars) who replaced Al Pitrelli who sodded off to Megadeth and Damond Jiniya, the new vocalist with a 4.5 octave range, performed brilliantly. In fact, the band was so tight it would be hard to fit a penny between them. Despite the tiny stage at the Garage the band performed a great set. Best quote of the night was down to Chris Caffery guitarist who said: " I have been playing with this band for 14 years and still haven't got out of the fucking garage!"
To cap the night off Savatage played two of their best tracks, the haunting "When the Crowds are Gone" and the ott spectacle of "Hall of the Mountain King" as encores. During both songs, there were times when both Jon Olivia (vocals/keys/piano) and Damond Jiniya, both powerful voices, were drowned out by the crowd.
All in all the crowd, which included several well known musos, left well satisfied as they wandered home on a crisp February night.
by Marty
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/14/2002 04:24:00 PM [+] ::
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:: 2/13/2002 ::
Ye Olde Blogge is back and working. This cleverly named site is going through some changes, but Andrea assures her loyal readers that all will be ok in the end.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/13/2002 06:05:00 PM [+] ::
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John over at Random Jottings is might peeved at the treatment being metted out on American Indians by the federal government. It seems they still have not sorted out a trust fund for these poor people even though they have been trying to sort it since1938! It seems bureaucrats in DC just don't want to deal with the problem, so it is just being ignored. 100s of millions of dollars with no paper trial: does this sound familiar? Congress is investigating when it happens in a private company namely Enron. When the same thing is happening in the public sector does not merit the same treatment? Hell no! This is just another case of bureaucrats practicing what they do best: c.y.a.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/13/2002 05:16:00 PM [+] ::
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MEMRI continue their excellent expose into the background to the recent female suicide bomber. I highly recommend subscribing to their email list. It is essential reading for all those interested in Palestine and the Middle East.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/13/2002 04:00:00 PM [+] ::
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Still waiting for a heads-up from Instapundit. In blogging terms a mention on Instapundit is akin to being given a knighthood (Sir). It means you have arrived. Getting a perma-link on Glenn's site is the blog equivalent of getting seat in the House of Lords. Oh well, I shall continue to wait for the tap from Mr Reynolds. He does run a damn good site and one that should be on every bloggers daily list.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/13/2002 03:57:00 PM [+] ::
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I would like to welcome all those expecting to see the Lupus & Co site. The site has been formally retired as it has done its term of service. My thanks to all those who helped make it what it was: Jessica, Philippe Bonneau, Matt "Trollboy", Hellfire and all those who lent me their eyes.
Those of you left wondering why the site lost its www, might wish to ponder things Cthulhu-ian. Was it the octopoid one's minion's that took away my www so that no one could find me? Are the Shoggoths at it again? Only time will tell, watch this space. And watch out anyone who smells too much of the sea, especially if they have huge eyes.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/13/2002 03:56:00 PM [+] ::
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It seems Germany is being let off for violating the terms of the Euro arrangement. Portugal has flouted the rules as well. How are Europeans suppose to have any confidence in currency when one of the major players does not even pay attention to the rules? Now we can all watch the Euro plummet, as we pity the Germans who were promised the Euro would be as strong as the mark. Well a least Tony Blair will be happy, even the most ardent pro-European would not think this the best time to go for a referendum.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/13/2002 03:17:00 PM [+] ::
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:: 2/12/2002 ::
The Africa piece on AirStripOne (see below) was not by Goldstein but by Hadrian Wise. I apologise to both for my lack of due attention (see excuse at the beginning of the day). I stand by the rest of the post.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/12/2002 10:33:00 PM [+] ::
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On AirStripOne Goldstein conitinues to vent his spleen about goings on in Africa. In an interesting twist he tells us get could not give a "stuff" about Africa as a continent. He wishes he could but he can't.
This rant is well worth a read and I agree with almost all of it. As far as I am concerned, African countries made their beds and now they have to lie in them. They were the ones who pushed out the colonial powers. They claimed they could run their own affairs better than their colonial rulers. It is fairly obvious, these many years after independence, that they can't.
Now many of these countries expect their former colonial masters to bail them out. Why should we? Aren't we the "white devils" who exploited the continent? Africans told us to get lost and continue to do so. So we should stay "lost" and let them bail themselves out.
Continued foreign aid just props up corrupt governments and allows them to continue outdated socialist policies. Why should the taxpayers of the west pay to bail out these countries? Why is it in our national interest to do so?
Western nations need to seek out what is in their best interest and stop wasting time and effort in Africa. Wasn't the American experience in Somalia proof enough? When has Western/UN intervention ever done any good?
It is time for Africa to grow up, dust themselves off and join the rest of the world.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/12/2002 07:34:00 PM [+] ::
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Speaking of MEMRI they have posted an interesing expose into the "first woman suicide bomber." In keeping with everything on the site the article is both fascinating and disturbing all at the same time. It is a very sad tale of betrayal and social pressures on a young woman, who through no fault of her own, could not bare children.
The article contains something that is so bad as to be almost laughable. It seems that even on a suicide mission a woman needs a chaperone!
"A few days later, Sheikh Yassin amended his position,
saying that a woman going out to wage Jihad must be
accompanied by a male chaperon only "if she is to be gone
for a day and a night. If her absence is shorter, she does
not need a chaperon."(13)"
It then goes onto descibe a debate between clerics about whether or not she needs a chaperone on a suicide mission. If it weren't these men were talking about the rules for young women to go kill innocent Isreali citizens, this could be seen as laughable.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/12/2002 07:33:00 PM [+] ::
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Well the bloke over at Chorizo had this say about my comments on the Bush/Blair pol over on the Beeb's website
"Are the liberal left so stupid that they need to be coerced into stating that they don't see Bush as a credible recipient of the prize. Of course not. Has the author any evidence? No. Is the author an idiot? Possibly - listen to what he says next..."
Well at least I know all my hits are not from web-crawlers. Anyway I have decided to link to this site, he mentioned me, it is the least I can do is link to him.
The left don't have to be coerced but I bet the Islamic types need to be. Since I don't read Arabic I can't hit those sites that are pro-fundamentalist Islam. I might just email MEMRI and see if they can provide me with proof.
I get emails all the time from different groups trying mobilise people to go vote one way or other in some online poll. It is an online version of Get Out the Vote (G.O.T.V.). I am sure the left does it with thier supporters just as much as anyone else. The guy can't be that naive can he?
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/12/2002 07:31:00 PM [+] ::
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Stephen over at Vodkapundit sent me a kind note about my blog. It was only then I realised I erred and not put his fine contribution to blogdom on my links list. In an ironic twist his was one of the first emails I looked this afternoon after I go up. Last night I went out and drank way too much wine with a lovely lady. Thank god I don't do hangovers.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/12/2002 02:20:00 PM [+] ::
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:: 2/11/2002 ::
Random Jottings has an eerie photo of the WTC before 9/11. There is some speculation to its authenticity, but nonetheless it is pretty neat. So find this clever blog on the list to the left.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/11/2002 09:52:00 AM [+] ::
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Taking the advice of Samizdata I am going to mention Britney Spears. However, not to be outdone I mention POPIDOL, HEARSAY, SEX, DRUGS and Rock & Roll. It is not like this is a NAKED attempt to get hits.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/11/2002 01:08:00 AM [+] ::
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Brian Linse over at AnitnoBadDude has responded to Tim Blair's query about leftwingers and blogs. In an interesting rant about the left, Brian falls into the same old trap of equating the political spectrum with a clock. Granted this is better than the line analogy for politics. Unfortunately his clock anology has no room for libertarians. If 9pm is socialist, 3pm is a Conservative/Republican and 6pm are fascist "assholes," where does that leave libertarians?
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/11/2002 12:38:00 AM [+] ::
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:: 2/10/2002 ::
Goldstein at AirStripOne is starting to get on my nerves. I call him a moron once, and he then apologises for calling me/us Anglosphe(racists). He admitted to not realising how it could be taken wrong. Now he goes and posts the extremely interesting link to the following article: Our Islamic Fifth Column. Long and short of it, while I don't endorse all that he writes, Air Strip One is a blog that is worthing hitting frequently.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/10/2002 11:57:00 PM [+] ::
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MuslimPundit features a great expose on what really goes on outside the mosques after Friday prayer. It makes for some rather disturbing reading. It is about time the politicians and the police get their fingers out and do something about the islamo-facists peddling their hatred outside the Mosques. While Muslimpundit concentrates on the British Islamic experience, we know after 9/11 that the same thing goes on outside US and European mosques. Muslimpundit and MEMRI.org should be required reading for the authorities and governments in the West.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/10/2002 10:49:00 PM [+] ::
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I have an excuse for the lack of posting in the last few days. I have recently gotten a copy of Giants: Citizen Kaputo for the Mac. This highly addictive, somewhat poorly ported game, from MacPlay, is taking up quite a bit of my time. Expect to see a review of it on MacCritic sometime soon. While the game has some pretty substantial flaws in gameplay and function it retains an annoying addictive quality. As a result there are occasional squabbles in the flat over who gets to play next.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/10/2002 04:34:00 PM [+] ::
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In the Sunday Telegraph, Giles Brandreth gives his two shillings on the debate about older women & teenage liasons with a confession of his own. It is no surprise to see Giles writing about the subject as he seems to have an opinion about everything. Unlike some of the things he pens, this piece is pretty amusing.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 2/10/2002 04:23:00 PM [+] ::
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