The Hindu cow - Shambo - is dead. Where are the the protests? Where are the Hindus marching on the streets of Cardiff burning the Welsh flag? Where is the Government appeasers desperately trying to hush the marchers advocating mass murder?
Oh wait, there are none.
So, we have an interesting moment appearing here. 18 months ago, a cartoonist in DENMARK published some cartoons satirising Mohammed (not unlike the thousands of cartoons that have satirised Jesus, Bhudda, Vishnu etc) and there is anarchy on the streets of London from "extremists" and "religious fundamentalists".
So, if a cartoon in Denmark caused that, why, when a key part of the faith is removed from the temple, taken away and MURDERED, are there no massive protests, no flag burnings (here or in India) and no advocation of violence or murder against the Welsh people or their Assembly?
If the Islamic faith had a similar kind of deification of an animal, and it could potenially be a public health risk, do you think such an unfortunate situation would be resolved in such a calm way?
It's intersting that there hasn't been any massive media coverage of this either. No newspaper enduced hysteria. No screaming 10 o'clock bulletins. To be fair you can't blame them. I mean, in terms of a sensational story, cartoons will get far more attention than the slaughter of a sacred icon. Right?
Or is it that without media fanned flames and fewer psychopaths in their midst, people can look at things with a bit more of a mature, 21st century view instead of one that seemed to be popular around the time of the Inquisition.
Maybe, being the worlds oldest religion still practised today (predating Christianity by around two millenia (surely that gives them the rights to any and all theories on God and soul saving then)) they've learnt to live with the rest of the world, rather than try to convert it.
Friday, 27 July 2007
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
Eat Me, Drink Me - Inspired By
It’s a wasteland…. An endless, unforgiving wasteland… I see nothing but sand and steel. Grains of dust, and chunks of reflection. Blank, blue sky and a blank of yellow desert that is nothing other than what she chose. It houses the gates of her Eternal Thorne. The most to be seen is one shrub a few miles away. This is the desert she decided upon. The desert that The Red Queen fashioned for herself. This used to be a rainforest. An endless expanse of lush greenery. It housed the oldest tree on Earth. The rarest of the species. This was the house of paradise. Now it’s nothing.
Now all I see before me is sandy desert. A nothingness of wind and dust. It hurts to know what this once was. The trees in her courtyard are painted in blood because there is no other liquid to paint their steel shells with. I stand before the Red Throne. Guilty of buying into her future.
Then our star rushed in; feeling like a child, but looking like the woman. She was no longer a soul. She was the Red Queen’s pawn. Another pawn used over the centuries. She screamed and cried. The press cried out. She invited us to a beheading. We felt like butterflies by the flame. We dashed to the site. Eager. Hopeful. A celebrity had been forecast with an attempt to kill herself. The ending had not tested well.
But no one cared.
We watch. We wait. We hope the blade will fall. We long to hear the sound of shearing flesh. It slices through the skin and scales and bone. But as her head fell… We felt our horror mirrored in the sundown of her blank stare.
We had sold our souls to The Queen. We were now her. Nothing but morbid husks of flesh. We were all the stranded and the spectators of the great coup. We bought into the future without ever living the present that led into it. We were the slaves. We are the pawns. We bought into Her fame. Bought into the fame she granted to others. And sold our own to facilitate her infinity.
We sold our souls for the spectacle… And found the lonely sound.
Now all I see before me is sandy desert. A nothingness of wind and dust. It hurts to know what this once was. The trees in her courtyard are painted in blood because there is no other liquid to paint their steel shells with. I stand before the Red Throne. Guilty of buying into her future.
Then our star rushed in; feeling like a child, but looking like the woman. She was no longer a soul. She was the Red Queen’s pawn. Another pawn used over the centuries. She screamed and cried. The press cried out. She invited us to a beheading. We felt like butterflies by the flame. We dashed to the site. Eager. Hopeful. A celebrity had been forecast with an attempt to kill herself. The ending had not tested well.
But no one cared.
We watch. We wait. We hope the blade will fall. We long to hear the sound of shearing flesh. It slices through the skin and scales and bone. But as her head fell… We felt our horror mirrored in the sundown of her blank stare.
We had sold our souls to The Queen. We were now her. Nothing but morbid husks of flesh. We were all the stranded and the spectators of the great coup. We bought into the future without ever living the present that led into it. We were the slaves. We are the pawns. We bought into Her fame. Bought into the fame she granted to others. And sold our own to facilitate her infinity.
We sold our souls for the spectacle… And found the lonely sound.
Monday, 2 July 2007
Why Terrorism Always Fails
I was originally going to video blog about this, but I can't be bothered seeing as my webcam isn't working properly.
The events of the weekend have been interesting, shocking and somewhat pleasing. Interesting to see that terrorist groups are now resorting to more desparate and amatuerish, Iraqi style car bombings to try to create... something. (Fear? Regime change? Foreign policy change? Have we had any demands?) It was shocking to see these people attempting to use such tactics, which - while far less grand in their scale and execution - are in theory much easier to pull off. It was pleasing to see that the first attempted attack was thwarted by the Metropolitan Police and that they bungled the second attempt with their own inability. And got caught, even while on fire.
To those that wish to seek war with the West and any free thinking nation or free thinking person: Let your mujahideen come and bring all the war mongering Allah you can muster. Because your barbarism, hatred and sense of inate oppression will break against the resolve of the free like water over rock.
Terrorism does not work. It fails in moreorless everything it attempts to do. The only thing it really succeeds in is creating fear, but even that is often washed aside as a more patriotic and steel willed resolve develops throughout the people who are under attack. There is not one instance in the history of human civilisation where terrorist activities alone have bought about a change in government policy (domestic or foreign), a change in the people or a change in the way a nation has been run. In every instance it has failed in its goal of trying to instigate change through the threat of violence. The times when it could be argued that it has succeeded have been times when the people of a nation have been disatisfied with their Government and its policies and have been actively seeking change.
The simple reason is that people do not like being attacked. When they are, especially when it is due to their way of life or their belief system, the only thing the attackers do is strengthen the determination of their targets in their belief that their way of life is just, their beliefs are true and their cause is noble. It does not even lead them to consider that they should change their way of life because of the threat. And thus, terrorism fails in its goal.
Apparently, we are in a war. East versus West. Islam versus Christendom. If these "warriros" want to war, then they should fight soldiers. They kill innocent people in their own land because they are an easier and more high peofile "shock" target than a soldier. Soldiers are paid to fight, civilians are not. Their get out clause to justify their actions is "You supported this war"/"You elected this regime". They conveniently ignore that many people did not support the Iraq war or the invasion of Afghanistan. They use weak rhetoric and logic to justify their cowardly acts.
But it does not matter. The United Kingdom has seen worse than this current threat. In fact, in the past thousand years, the Union has seen an invasion by the French Anglo Saxons, numerous attempted invasions from France, World War I, World War II and the IRA. The people of Great Britain have seen worse than the al-Qaeda and its cronies. They were not brow beaten by the threats of the IRA, and will not be brow beaten by the numerous foiled/bungled terror attacks by the current Middle Eastern problem.
I am no patriot. I am no nationalist. But I believe that people should be free and have the right to live however they choose, provided they harm no one else or impose their lifestyle choices on others. Britian allows this. Britain encourages this. And the people of this nation believe in this. That is why terrorism will fail.
The events of the weekend have been interesting, shocking and somewhat pleasing. Interesting to see that terrorist groups are now resorting to more desparate and amatuerish, Iraqi style car bombings to try to create... something. (Fear? Regime change? Foreign policy change? Have we had any demands?) It was shocking to see these people attempting to use such tactics, which - while far less grand in their scale and execution - are in theory much easier to pull off. It was pleasing to see that the first attempted attack was thwarted by the Metropolitan Police and that they bungled the second attempt with their own inability. And got caught, even while on fire.
To those that wish to seek war with the West and any free thinking nation or free thinking person: Let your mujahideen come and bring all the war mongering Allah you can muster. Because your barbarism, hatred and sense of inate oppression will break against the resolve of the free like water over rock.
Terrorism does not work. It fails in moreorless everything it attempts to do. The only thing it really succeeds in is creating fear, but even that is often washed aside as a more patriotic and steel willed resolve develops throughout the people who are under attack. There is not one instance in the history of human civilisation where terrorist activities alone have bought about a change in government policy (domestic or foreign), a change in the people or a change in the way a nation has been run. In every instance it has failed in its goal of trying to instigate change through the threat of violence. The times when it could be argued that it has succeeded have been times when the people of a nation have been disatisfied with their Government and its policies and have been actively seeking change.
The simple reason is that people do not like being attacked. When they are, especially when it is due to their way of life or their belief system, the only thing the attackers do is strengthen the determination of their targets in their belief that their way of life is just, their beliefs are true and their cause is noble. It does not even lead them to consider that they should change their way of life because of the threat. And thus, terrorism fails in its goal.
Apparently, we are in a war. East versus West. Islam versus Christendom. If these "warriros" want to war, then they should fight soldiers. They kill innocent people in their own land because they are an easier and more high peofile "shock" target than a soldier. Soldiers are paid to fight, civilians are not. Their get out clause to justify their actions is "You supported this war"/"You elected this regime". They conveniently ignore that many people did not support the Iraq war or the invasion of Afghanistan. They use weak rhetoric and logic to justify their cowardly acts.
But it does not matter. The United Kingdom has seen worse than this current threat. In fact, in the past thousand years, the Union has seen an invasion by the French Anglo Saxons, numerous attempted invasions from France, World War I, World War II and the IRA. The people of Great Britain have seen worse than the al-Qaeda and its cronies. They were not brow beaten by the threats of the IRA, and will not be brow beaten by the numerous foiled/bungled terror attacks by the current Middle Eastern problem.
I am no patriot. I am no nationalist. But I believe that people should be free and have the right to live however they choose, provided they harm no one else or impose their lifestyle choices on others. Britian allows this. Britain encourages this. And the people of this nation believe in this. That is why terrorism will fail.
Wednesday, 27 June 2007
2 Points
Can Kanye West not come up with his own songs? His whole first album did nothing but sample infinitely better and more succesful songs, and now he's at it again with his newest work "Harder" by using the robot gods Daft Punk and a sample of "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger". I don't care whether they agreed to be in the video, come up with your own stuff for God's sake and stop putting laughable lyrics ("It's going off tonight/You can be my black Kate Moss tonight" (DOes this mean Kayne West is the black Pete Doherty? Either way, thank you but I'll pass)) and bland "beats" over a (Inter)stellar riff!!
Now. The other, far more important point; Ed Banger Records, the electro scene and its increasing influence on fahion, coupled with the decline of rock and indie. Look at through the pictures at:
http://www.myspace.com/busyp
http://www.myspace.com/etjusticepourtous
http://www.myspace.com/boysnoizemusic
http://www.kidzbycolette.free.fr
Now look at:
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/BPMEN
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/GUCCIMEN?trend=&page=2
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/DVNMEN
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/AMCMEN
You can see the obvious influence. The sunglasses styles, the colours, the cuts, the sense of anarchy and very discordant attitude in the mix of clothes, combined with a very light, very beachy/surfer/sun, sea sand.Ibiza ("ravers paradise") kind of feel. It seems rock and roll and the indy scene's grip on pop fashion is finally fading after the last four or five years, and that nu rave is seemes to be passing fad in the transfer; it's the way to bridge the gap between rock and electro style of fashion. Of course, these are Spring 2008 collections, so don't expect to see it really take off until the summer of the same year, but it seems that for many designers the straight indy style has had its day in the sun. Unless your Dolce & Gabana, in which case rockpunkS&M seems to be the way forward... http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/DGMEN
Now. The other, far more important point; Ed Banger Records, the electro scene and its increasing influence on fahion, coupled with the decline of rock and indie. Look at through the pictures at:
http://www.myspace.com/busyp
http://www.myspace.com/etjusticepourtous
http://www.myspace.com/boysnoizemusic
http://www.kidzbycolette.free.fr
Now look at:
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/BPMEN
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/GUCCIMEN?trend=&page=2
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/DVNMEN
http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/AMCMEN
You can see the obvious influence. The sunglasses styles, the colours, the cuts, the sense of anarchy and very discordant attitude in the mix of clothes, combined with a very light, very beachy/surfer/sun, sea sand.Ibiza ("ravers paradise") kind of feel. It seems rock and roll and the indy scene's grip on pop fashion is finally fading after the last four or five years, and that nu rave is seemes to be passing fad in the transfer; it's the way to bridge the gap between rock and electro style of fashion. Of course, these are Spring 2008 collections, so don't expect to see it really take off until the summer of the same year, but it seems that for many designers the straight indy style has had its day in the sun. Unless your Dolce & Gabana, in which case rockpunkS&M seems to be the way forward... http://men.style.com/fashion/collections/S2008MEN/complete/thumb/DGMEN
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
The Islamic States Are Throwing Tantrums Again
Apparently the wider "Islamic World" is up in arms over the knighthood of Salman Rushdie. They're burning effigies of the Queen, complaining incessantly and generally behaving like a spoiled child that just stomps its feet until it gets its own way. In fact, the Government of Pakistan has requested a formal apology from the United Kingdom and a withdrawl of the peerage.
Let me make one thing clear:You govern your country, and I'll govern mine. If you have a disagreement (and this is the part that so many of the Islamic states fail to grasp) TOUGH SHIT.
I don't see British people burning effigies of Pervez Musharraf, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Abdullah bin Abdulaziz whenever they stomp all over the rights of women, homosexuals or non-Muslims. We disagree with it, yes, but it is not our country and (unlike George Bush) we believe in countries being allowed to rule themselves and make their own decisions. However horrifically ancient they may be.
You didn't see members of the Catholic and Anglican churches burning effigies of Dan Brown for writing The Da Vinci Code do you? Or Ron Howard for directing the film version? No. Did they disagree? Yes. Did they protest? Yes. And that's all. They didn't whip up entire nations into a frenzy of religious ferver just to try and change get things done their way.
It goes back to the problem of last year with the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons. Everyone had every right to complain about how The Prophet had been depicted as a simple terrorist with a bomb in his turban. They had no right, however, to try to tell the rest of the world that they may not produce images of Muhammed because it is against their faith. THEIR faith. Not mine. Not yours. THEIRS. You stick to the governing tenents of your belief system, and I'll stick to mine. But I can - and will - produce images of Muhammed because I find no problem in it and it does not affront my beliefs. Tough shit if it affronts yours.
Iran ran a competition to find the most anti-Semetic cartoon in the NATIONAL NEWSPAPER! Where were the masses of angry Jews burning effigies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Did they all vehemently disagree? Yes. Was it disgusting and wrong? Yes. Did they try and change things? No. Why? Because it's not their country.
xThis is what the Islamic world seems to need to realise. There are things in this world that can, and will offend or upset their beliefs. Knighthoods will be given out to authors who write things they disagree with. And I'm afraid they are just going to have to live with that. The world does not have to make its decisions based on how the Middle Eastern nations will view it. And of all places, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a thousand year old monarchy, one of the oldest DEMOCACIES on earth and one of the nations responsible for the way of life that exists today, should not bow to the whinings and tantrums of religious nations a thousand miles away.
The motto of this country is "Dieu et mon droit", which translates from French into "God and my right". My right. My right to free speech. My right to freedom of expression. My right to live my life openly and freely and to make my own decisions about my life. And the right of me and my fellow countrymen, my Parliament and my monarchy to govern our own land. Not the right of Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, UAE, Saudi Arabia or anyone else.
I don't tell you how to rule your country and how you should hand out peerages. Don't you dare think that your religious zealotry gives you any RIGHT to tell me how to rule mine.
Let me make one thing clear:You govern your country, and I'll govern mine. If you have a disagreement (and this is the part that so many of the Islamic states fail to grasp) TOUGH SHIT.
I don't see British people burning effigies of Pervez Musharraf, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or Abdullah bin Abdulaziz whenever they stomp all over the rights of women, homosexuals or non-Muslims. We disagree with it, yes, but it is not our country and (unlike George Bush) we believe in countries being allowed to rule themselves and make their own decisions. However horrifically ancient they may be.
You didn't see members of the Catholic and Anglican churches burning effigies of Dan Brown for writing The Da Vinci Code do you? Or Ron Howard for directing the film version? No. Did they disagree? Yes. Did they protest? Yes. And that's all. They didn't whip up entire nations into a frenzy of religious ferver just to try and change get things done their way.
It goes back to the problem of last year with the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons. Everyone had every right to complain about how The Prophet had been depicted as a simple terrorist with a bomb in his turban. They had no right, however, to try to tell the rest of the world that they may not produce images of Muhammed because it is against their faith. THEIR faith. Not mine. Not yours. THEIRS. You stick to the governing tenents of your belief system, and I'll stick to mine. But I can - and will - produce images of Muhammed because I find no problem in it and it does not affront my beliefs. Tough shit if it affronts yours.
Iran ran a competition to find the most anti-Semetic cartoon in the NATIONAL NEWSPAPER! Where were the masses of angry Jews burning effigies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Did they all vehemently disagree? Yes. Was it disgusting and wrong? Yes. Did they try and change things? No. Why? Because it's not their country.
xThis is what the Islamic world seems to need to realise. There are things in this world that can, and will offend or upset their beliefs. Knighthoods will be given out to authors who write things they disagree with. And I'm afraid they are just going to have to live with that. The world does not have to make its decisions based on how the Middle Eastern nations will view it. And of all places, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland - a thousand year old monarchy, one of the oldest DEMOCACIES on earth and one of the nations responsible for the way of life that exists today, should not bow to the whinings and tantrums of religious nations a thousand miles away.
The motto of this country is "Dieu et mon droit", which translates from French into "God and my right". My right. My right to free speech. My right to freedom of expression. My right to live my life openly and freely and to make my own decisions about my life. And the right of me and my fellow countrymen, my Parliament and my monarchy to govern our own land. Not the right of Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, UAE, Saudi Arabia or anyone else.
I don't tell you how to rule your country and how you should hand out peerages. Don't you dare think that your religious zealotry gives you any RIGHT to tell me how to rule mine.
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
The Ghastly Gourmond Gagmeister Is Gone!
So the fat man is dead. Bernard Manning is no more. Thank God? I'm not sure. Looking over message boards and "tributes" it has been interesting to see a considerable amount of ugliness about the way Bernard Manning was viewed.
One thing you cannot take away from Bernard Manning was his ability - as a comedian - to delivery a joke. His timing was absolutely perfect. And for that he deserves credit.
Unfortunately it was the material that kept him off television and cast aside from the mainstream for the last twenty years of his life. His fans will blame the "PC Brigade", I believe they are creating excuses.
Manning's comedy was at its zeitgeist when Britain was still coming to terms with its rapidly changing cultural identity. After the Second World War and the collapse of the global empires of Western Europe there was a massive movement of human life across the globe. A lot of people came to Britain, helping to create the society we see around us today. Manning's comedy appealed to the national concern and interest at what was happening. I do not believe that his comedy is rendered any less incorrect based on the time frame, as I feel that laughing at someone based on their ethnicity is wrong. But the people of Britain were still a little less enlightened back then (for the most part) and Manning captured that feeling expertly.
Where he fell down was his refusal to move on. His refusal to change onto more relevant issues, and continue to make jokes about the differance between us (generally white, working class, Northern men) and them (everyone else).
People have been trying to defend Bernard by saying that he was one of the last advocates of free speech and resolutely fought the "PC Brigade". This is incorrect. "Political Correctness" has only really gone into its crazy overdrive in the last several years; Manning has been off television since the '80s. Because he was stuck in the humour of the '50s and the '60s; the lair of the Alf Garnetts and The Black and White Minstrel Show.
What has been more alarming to see, is how many fans of Manning's seem to be blaming politcal correctness for preventing them from spewing a kind of vitriolic hatred towards anything they don't consider "the norm". Political correctness had nothing to do with people being disgusted by Manning frequently calling Asians "Pakis" or "Gooks", or black people "Coonss", or gay people "Queers". Political correctness didn't reduce those words to the gutter, the general public did it because they are abhorrent terms. It is shocking to read how many people seem to be blaming their own closet racism on the "PC Brigade".
The other thing that his defenders have jumped up to point out is that "Bernard picked on everyone", which is another flase truth. Bernard picked on everyone except white, working class Northerners, who were apparently the salt of the earth and could do no wrong. Was it also a coincidence that the majority of these ignorant, uneducated people were the ones that kept his career afloat since he fell out of public interest? I think not.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am all for outrageous, offensive humour. I find it amusing. I find humour in painting images and using jokes that go so far beyond the realms of offensiveness that they become farcical. If it was said with seriousness and malice, the views and the jokes would be so morally offensive it would be untrue, but they are not. They are said with full knowledge that it goes so far past "the line" that it becomes humorous again. Bernard Manning's jokes were always just on the line. They were never outrageously offensive like a Jerry Sadowitz, they were just observations of how different other people were to him and his kind. And that - and only that - therefore made them the subject of his comedy. Manning and his audience in the vile little billiard hall; the "world famous" Embassy Club (a run down ex billiard hall somewhere in the middle of a parking lot in north), laughed at other people because they were different.
They were ignorant, intolerant and tremendously bigoted, whether they want to admit it or not. And trying to talk about Manning's "charity work" would be like trying to say that the KKK are alright because they give cash to animal shelters. It still doesn't change the message. It still doesn't change the fact that a fat, uncultured bigot, way past his heyday that appeals to a bunch of equally intolerant bigots were clinging to a decaying idea of what Britain once was (hint: WHITE). He were pointing and laughed at anyone different from him and his audience. At anyone that couldn't defend themself. At anyone that wanted to do more than drink beer and eat "pie and chips" and drone on about how wonderful Britain is.
Keep the north, keep Blackpool, keep you're "salt of the earth." I have a brain and an opinion and can change with the times and I'm proud of it.
Laugh at me all you want Bernard. I'll quite happily take what I've got over what and you're kind have you ended up as.
One thing you cannot take away from Bernard Manning was his ability - as a comedian - to delivery a joke. His timing was absolutely perfect. And for that he deserves credit.
Unfortunately it was the material that kept him off television and cast aside from the mainstream for the last twenty years of his life. His fans will blame the "PC Brigade", I believe they are creating excuses.
Manning's comedy was at its zeitgeist when Britain was still coming to terms with its rapidly changing cultural identity. After the Second World War and the collapse of the global empires of Western Europe there was a massive movement of human life across the globe. A lot of people came to Britain, helping to create the society we see around us today. Manning's comedy appealed to the national concern and interest at what was happening. I do not believe that his comedy is rendered any less incorrect based on the time frame, as I feel that laughing at someone based on their ethnicity is wrong. But the people of Britain were still a little less enlightened back then (for the most part) and Manning captured that feeling expertly.
Where he fell down was his refusal to move on. His refusal to change onto more relevant issues, and continue to make jokes about the differance between us (generally white, working class, Northern men) and them (everyone else).
People have been trying to defend Bernard by saying that he was one of the last advocates of free speech and resolutely fought the "PC Brigade". This is incorrect. "Political Correctness" has only really gone into its crazy overdrive in the last several years; Manning has been off television since the '80s. Because he was stuck in the humour of the '50s and the '60s; the lair of the Alf Garnetts and The Black and White Minstrel Show.
What has been more alarming to see, is how many fans of Manning's seem to be blaming politcal correctness for preventing them from spewing a kind of vitriolic hatred towards anything they don't consider "the norm". Political correctness had nothing to do with people being disgusted by Manning frequently calling Asians "Pakis" or "Gooks", or black people "Coonss", or gay people "Queers". Political correctness didn't reduce those words to the gutter, the general public did it because they are abhorrent terms. It is shocking to read how many people seem to be blaming their own closet racism on the "PC Brigade".
The other thing that his defenders have jumped up to point out is that "Bernard picked on everyone", which is another flase truth. Bernard picked on everyone except white, working class Northerners, who were apparently the salt of the earth and could do no wrong. Was it also a coincidence that the majority of these ignorant, uneducated people were the ones that kept his career afloat since he fell out of public interest? I think not.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am all for outrageous, offensive humour. I find it amusing. I find humour in painting images and using jokes that go so far beyond the realms of offensiveness that they become farcical. If it was said with seriousness and malice, the views and the jokes would be so morally offensive it would be untrue, but they are not. They are said with full knowledge that it goes so far past "the line" that it becomes humorous again. Bernard Manning's jokes were always just on the line. They were never outrageously offensive like a Jerry Sadowitz, they were just observations of how different other people were to him and his kind. And that - and only that - therefore made them the subject of his comedy. Manning and his audience in the vile little billiard hall; the "world famous" Embassy Club (a run down ex billiard hall somewhere in the middle of a parking lot in north), laughed at other people because they were different.
They were ignorant, intolerant and tremendously bigoted, whether they want to admit it or not. And trying to talk about Manning's "charity work" would be like trying to say that the KKK are alright because they give cash to animal shelters. It still doesn't change the message. It still doesn't change the fact that a fat, uncultured bigot, way past his heyday that appeals to a bunch of equally intolerant bigots were clinging to a decaying idea of what Britain once was (hint: WHITE). He were pointing and laughed at anyone different from him and his audience. At anyone that couldn't defend themself. At anyone that wanted to do more than drink beer and eat "pie and chips" and drone on about how wonderful Britain is.
Keep the north, keep Blackpool, keep you're "salt of the earth." I have a brain and an opinion and can change with the times and I'm proud of it.
Laugh at me all you want Bernard. I'll quite happily take what I've got over what and you're kind have you ended up as.
Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Most Played - Jan - June 2007
My musical tastes for the first 6 months of this year:
1. Eat Me, Drink Me - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me Drink Me
2. Newman - Vitalic - OK Cowboy
3. Dundun-Dun (MSTRKRFT Remix) - Para One - Dundun-Dun (Remixes) - EP
4. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
5. Just A Car Crash Away - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
6. Head/Off - SebastiAN - Ross Ross Ross EP
7. Human After All (Superheroes Remix) - Daft Punk - Live @ Coachella
8. Atlantis To Interzone - Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
9. Golden Skans - Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
10. Putting Holes Into Happiness - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
11. Mutiliation Is The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
12. Greel - SebastiAN - Ed Rec Vol. 2
13. Walkman - SebastiAN - Ross Ross Ross EP
14. D.A.N.C.E - Justice - D.A.N.C.E
15. Rainbow Man - Busy P - Ed Rec VOL.2
16. New Killer Star (Live) - David Bowie - A Reality Tour
17. "Heroes" (Live) - David Bowie - A Reality Tour
18. I'm Alright (You Gotta Go There to Come Back) (Live) - Stereophonics - Live From Dakota
19. Cellphone's Dead - Beck - The Information
20. DJ - David Bowie - Lodger
21. NARC (Paul Banks Remix) - Interpol - Interpol Remix EP
22. Suzy - Kelly Jones - Only The Names Have Been Changed
23. Mighty Girl - Lindstrom And Prinz Thomas - Karl Lagerfeld - Les Musiques Que J'Aime
24. Vigo Bay - Minotaur Shock - Karl Lagerfeld - Les Musiques Que J'Aime
25. Red Sky - Acoustic Ladyland - Skinny Grin
26. Alive (Prime Time Of Your Life Remix) - Daft Punk - Live @ Coachella
27. Rosie - Kelly jones - Only The Names Have Been Changed
28. Spellbound - Siouxsie And The Banshees - Karl Lagerfeld - Les Musiques Que J'Aime
29. Miami - Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now
30. DVNO - Justice - †
1. Eat Me, Drink Me - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me Drink Me
2. Newman - Vitalic - OK Cowboy
3. Dundun-Dun (MSTRKRFT Remix) - Para One - Dundun-Dun (Remixes) - EP
4. Young Folks - Peter Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
5. Just A Car Crash Away - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
6. Head/Off - SebastiAN - Ross Ross Ross EP
7. Human After All (Superheroes Remix) - Daft Punk - Live @ Coachella
8. Atlantis To Interzone - Klaxons - Myths Of The Near Future
9. Golden Skans - Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
10. Putting Holes Into Happiness - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
11. Mutiliation Is The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery - Marilyn Manson - Eat Me, Drink Me
12. Greel - SebastiAN - Ed Rec Vol. 2
13. Walkman - SebastiAN - Ross Ross Ross EP
14. D.A.N.C.E - Justice - D.A.N.C.E
15. Rainbow Man - Busy P - Ed Rec VOL.2
16. New Killer Star (Live) - David Bowie - A Reality Tour
17. "Heroes" (Live) - David Bowie - A Reality Tour
18. I'm Alright (You Gotta Go There to Come Back) (Live) - Stereophonics - Live From Dakota
19. Cellphone's Dead - Beck - The Information
20. DJ - David Bowie - Lodger
21. NARC (Paul Banks Remix) - Interpol - Interpol Remix EP
22. Suzy - Kelly Jones - Only The Names Have Been Changed
23. Mighty Girl - Lindstrom And Prinz Thomas - Karl Lagerfeld - Les Musiques Que J'Aime
24. Vigo Bay - Minotaur Shock - Karl Lagerfeld - Les Musiques Que J'Aime
25. Red Sky - Acoustic Ladyland - Skinny Grin
26. Alive (Prime Time Of Your Life Remix) - Daft Punk - Live @ Coachella
27. Rosie - Kelly jones - Only The Names Have Been Changed
28. Spellbound - Siouxsie And The Banshees - Karl Lagerfeld - Les Musiques Que J'Aime
29. Miami - Taking Back Sunday - Louder Now
30. DVNO - Justice - †
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