Yesterday according to the Telegraph a group (or groups) known as the The English and Welsh Defence League and Casuals United held a demonstration near the city's Bullring shopping complex in Birmingham. UAF held a counter demonstration.

I had never heard of Casuals United or the English and Welsh Defence League... or the British Defence League for that matter so I was curious to find out a little more about them. A check on the group’s website (no link but Google Casuals United if you are that way inclined)they claim to be Normal British people who have come together in order to create a massive but peaceful protest group... The thrust of their protest seem to be violent Islamic extremist but claiming that “the Government and police are either turning a blind eye, and/or actively helping them in their aims”.

They claim to be non racist and have no links to the BNP or other such organisations. Indeed the Who We Are section states “We are not against Muslem (sic) people per se, we are against those in their community who wish to promote or raise money for terror, abuse our troops and attempt to impose medieval and barbaric laws upon our country". Fair enough...

BUT

go to their Armchair Warrior section you will find a link to a Daily Star story (I kid you not) and the following comment:

the traitor Alan Johnson wants to keep letting immigrants, most of them terrorists or sympathisers into this country, read the above story then phone/write or bombard him with emails outlining your disgust, please forward this to all your mates and pass his number on to people you know will complain. British people must make a stand and the scum that have allowed our country to get in this state need to be told.

We have no chance of removing islam with rodents like this in power. This man is in charge of immigration control and openly states that he doesnt care how many people come here. No, well he wont be on the train when the next bomb goes off, so why should he care?

So not against Muslems (sic) per se but wish to remove Islam? Somebody’s not quite got their message straight. Perhaps they should combine brain cells (if any) and work out exactly what they want.

The not-wife did point out something staring me in the face - Who the hell calls themselves a casual in the 21st Century? Surely that expression is so 1982!

L Ron Hubbard was a fraud (no surprise there!)

Discovering that Lafayette Ron Hubbard (left) - writer of abysmal pulp science fiction, proponent of diuretics, (sorrythat should be dianetics) founder of the church of scientology and all round bullshitter and charlatan - was a fraud should be akin to finding out that the sky is blue or that water is wet. However, 30 years ago the British Government devoted time to determining the extent of his fraudulence.

According to the Times scientologists had threatened to sue the British Government for libel after it banned in 1968 followers from entering the country to visit the sect’s world headquarters in East Grinstead, West Sussex. To defend itself, Britain needed to establish whether Lafayette Ron Hubbard was a charlatan. L Ron Hubbard was also subject of an exclusion order.

Diplomats found that Hubbard had awarded himself a PhD from a sham “diploma mill” college that he had acquired. Department of Health files released early to The Times following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

The papers include a signed statement by a former senior Scientologist who said that he had been informed of the doctorate scam by one of Hubbard’s collaborators.

“I understand it is asserted that L. Ron Hubbard was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Sequoia University on February 10, 1953, in recognition of his outstanding work in the fields of Dianetics and Scientology and that the said degree was recorded with the Department of Education of the State of California. The position is L. Ron Hubbard [and others] acquired premises somewhere in Los Angeles which they had registered as a university called Sequoia and immediately awarded each other doctorates.”

Junkie and all round arsehole Pete Doherty.. a the poster boy for the Church of Scientology?

Whitehall officials asked the British Consulate in Los Angeles to investigate him. The answer came from Los Angeles on April 26, 1977: “After exhaustive enquiries we have now tracked down organisation named which was closed down by state authorities in 1971 and all documents impounded. The facts are that it neither has nor ever had approval and its status is not recognised in California . . . It is a ‘will of the wisp’ organisation which has no premises and does not really exist. It has not and never had any authority whatsoever to issue diplomas or degrees and the dean is sought by the authorities ‘for questioning’.”

Although it was not as if L Ron Hubbard was photographed munching on the bones of an infant it was an indication of the man. After all he was a pathological liar who found an ideal way to con thousands of dupes out of their money. Surprisingly his ridiculous cult has continued to thrive, raking in even more money from even more idiots

Jabba the Uzbek gets his greasy mitts on a piece of Facebook

I missed this story last month but better late than never. Genial Uzbek billionaire and friend to all little fluffy creatures everywhere has been increasing his portfolio by taking an indirect investment in Facebook according to Alibaba.com Digital Sky Technologies (DST), a Russian paid $200 million for a 1.96% stake. This apparently values the social networking site at around $10 billion (well above the $3 billion reported a few months before by private-equity investors)

Digital Sky is backed by Alisher Usmanov who has never ever had sex with a miner and whp reportedly has a 32% stake in the Digital Sky. A spokesman would not confirm Usmanov's participation, but a source familiar with the company said Usmanov had a "substantial" stake. Earlier this week, the Russian daily Kommersant reported that he had upped his holding in Digital Sky to 32%, from 30%....Usmanov also owns Kommersant.

Uncle Alisher, as he is known by former former Uzbek ambassador, Craig Murray, is a staunch defender of free speech on the internet, retaining a high powered law firm Schillings to work pro bono where websites have been taken down at the behest of other complainants. To underline his commitment to bloggers world wide, he owns half of LiveJournal-owner SUP.

So there you have it. Alisher Usmanov, truly a living saint!. Meanwhile a number of Facebook malcontents have created such groups as: Alisher Usmanov is a fat cun* and Alisher Usmanov go fu*k yourself

Support bands I have seen #3

Cardiacs supported Here and Now at the Southampton Civic Hall in March 1984. Much as I liked Here & NowCardiacs blew them off stage.

Photo Hunt - low

The theme for this week's Photo Hunt is low. Lacking photos of the Fens or of lowing cows, here's a photo of an early encounter between newcomer Boris (left) and alpha cat Robyn. The scene may not look tense but it would do had I recorded the soundtrack!. Hopefully this marks the low point n their relationship. Robyn is a laid back moggy so that should help

Boris takes a brushing with fortitude

New arrival Boris takes a brushing. This week's entry for the Friday Ark and Carnival of the Cats.

And now the Mars Bigfoot, err Log, err skull, err monolith....

There's a monolith in here, honest!

A rectangular object found jutting out of Mars's surface and caught on camera (you can see it absolutely clearly in the above photo) by the University of Arizona has caused speculation over the nature of the "monolith" and its origins.

According to the Telegraph the scientists at the University of Arizona who captured the image from a powerful camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter satellite, insist that the structure is a normal, if striking, natural phenomenon.



Needless to say parallels are being drawn with monoliths 2001: A Space Odyssey. But not by the University Alfred McEwen, professor of planetary science "Layering from rock deposition combined with tectonic fractures creates right-angle planes of weakness such that rectangular blocks tend to weather out and separate from the bedrock. It is not that unusual. There are lots of rectangular structures on Mars. It is striking when you see one that is isolated, but they are common."



Veteran astronaut Buzz Aldrin recently stoked space conspiracy theory further by announcing that a similar "monolith" had been detected on Mars's moon Phobos. "There is a monolith there, a very unusual structure on this little potato-shaped object that goes around Mars once every seven hours. When people find out about that, they are going to say 'who put that there?’ Well, the universe put it there, or if you choose, God put it there."



Monoliths? Whatever... let it join the face and all of the other so called structures in the title to this post. One thing is for sure. Mars seems like a Pareidolia paradise

O Canada!

Last mont I posted a poem by Canada's and perhaps the world's finest cheese poets. A regular and most welcome visitor Claudia and a newer but equally welcom visitor Knatolee want to teach me the French version of O Canada. In fact it is Claudia's depest wish to see the French version of teh Canadian National anthem on this blog

Never let it be said that I don't listen to my readers so here is O Canada in French:

Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.

As a bonus I have decided to include the Inuktitut version too

Uu Kanata! nangmini nunavut!
Piqujatii nalattiaqpavut.
Angiglivalliajuti,
Sanngijulutillu.
Nangiqpugu, Uu Kanata,
Mianiripluti.
Uu Kanata! nunatsia!
Nangiqpugu mianiripluti,
Uu Kanata, salagijauquna!

Ahmadinejad sworn in

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has finally been sworn in as “president” of Iran. The ceremony was boycotted by many opposition leaders and politicians, including former presidents Rafsanjani and Khatami (no real surprise there) – a number even walked out when Ahmadinejad started talking. Hundreds of opposition supporters gathered outside parliament faced by several thousand Basij thugs and riot police.

Despite frequent outbursts of Uncle Napoleonism by the Iranian authorities the British ambassador, Simon Gass attended the inauguration. Only France and Sweden also sent ambassadors. The Foreign Office defended the decision to send Gass to the ceremony, saying it was important "to keep channels of communication open" to address issues of concern...However, the UK did join Germany, France and the US in not sending a letter of congratulations to Ahmadinejad.,

In a display of petulance he mocked the Western snub, saying "We heard that some of the western leaders have decided to recognise but not congratulate the new government," Mr Ahmadinejad said in an acceptance speech before the Iranian parliament. "Well, no-one in Iran is waiting for your messages. The Iranian nation neither values your scowls and threats, nor your smiles and greetings."

He trained much of his wrath on opposition supporters saying he would "resist any violation of the law, We will not remain silent," he added. "We will not tolerate disrespect, interference and insults."

Having stolen the election, Ahmadinejad looks weakened and increasingly isolated, facing the wrath of opposition protestors and considerable anger from his core supporters. Luckily for him his job does not have a lot of real power – that still lies with Khameni – so he can rant and spout all he likes. Possibly his biggest problem is the one thing that underpins the Iranian economy, OIL. The economy is not in a good way at the moment. If prices fall, then he could be royally screwed.

Ahmadinejad isn’t down yet and the theocratic rulers of Iran are not going to be swept aside tomorrow but I wonder if, in moments of lucidity, he is beginning to regret having the election rigged.....

Someone at Fox News needs to learn a bit of geography!

Via Media Matters My thanks to Gert for drawing this to my attention