tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-189536032012-02-17T03:20:16.315ZThe thoughts of one Londoner arising on the daily commute, life at home, life in the office and the world in general.Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.comBlogger4421100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-31236183951559954322009-08-22T18:16:00.004Z2009-08-22T18:33:35.350Z

including this blog................Just a note to those who check in to this blog periodically that I am planning to make this my last entry unless something truly unexpected happens.There is so much I could and would have liked to have written on in recent months but my current life of work and family commitments does not seem to leave me the time !Maybe some other blog will arise in due course.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-57683269624092011832009-07-26T22:06:00.006Z2009-07-26T22:40:05.445Z

We visited Flanders this weekend, staying in Brugge.Whenever I am in northern France or western Belgium I am always drawn to the many war cemeteries of WWI that are scattered over the countryside.I visited a few with my own Father and I find them moving yet peaceful at the same time. The peace is in great contrast to the horrific events that occured around them.This time was no exception and I

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-84309592509433386192009-07-17T20:14:00.003Z2009-07-17T20:24:09.473Z

Here is another example of the erosion of liberty.It is not just the Met Police who seem to have lost sight of what their true role is . Here it occurred in Chatham, a town some 30 miles from London.The photograher's own account described how he was arrested for taking photographs of an old flyover being demolished and of a fish and chip shop !

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-34709073395490097152009-07-12T22:06:00.003Z2009-07-12T22:27:28.698Z

Swine flu seems to have created two tribes. First there is probably a majority of people outwardly blahsay about the whole business, pointing out that normal flu is just as bad if not worse and we should all keep things in perspective. Second there is another group who are actually quite alarmed, refer to history that viruses can mutate and get worse and think we are not out of the woods

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-76595510169766443182009-06-25T21:10:00.004Z2009-06-25T21:17:56.709Z

There's something I thought I would never write !However I have recently been following a lot of the cartoonists in the mainstream quality newspapers (Times, Telegraph, Guardian and Independent) and have been coming to realise the power of them as a means of expression.The one below is simply brilliant, not to mention tragic and saddening. Good old Steve Bell- there I go again !

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-40109144433581899182009-06-23T19:19:00.007Z2009-06-24T22:32:40.795Z

A natural reaction to the sad and shocking of Neda Soltani is to try and give her a purpose far bigger than she would have had if she had lived and far bigger than all of us who are currently still living.That seems to be an attempt to bring a shred of moral justice to a situation that is so wrong, so at least those who have died young and violent deaths can be elevated above the rest of us who

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-20708637439857081372009-06-20T19:26:00.003Z2009-06-20T19:44:37.613Z

OLDCNN 33 minutes agoProtesters beaten, tear-gassed in streetsBBCIranian police have used water cannon, batons, tear gas and live rounds to break up protests over the presidential election, witnesses in Tehran say.A BBC reporter said he saw one man shot and others injured amid running fights.Defeated candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi repeated calls for the election to be annulled on the grounds it

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-90970905464190194422009-06-20T09:44:00.004Z2009-06-20T09:58:02.304Z

Most major news outlets are still reporting that a large opposition demonstration will go ahead at 16:00 Tehran time (12.30 London).There is an air of foreboding about this following the remarks by the Supreme Leader of Iran that:"The candidates in the election should be very careful what they say and how they behave," he said. "If they want to break the law, they will be responsible for the

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-30591386003593999242009-06-17T20:14:00.004Z2009-06-17T20:16:51.919Z

Just for a change, a rather more light hearted look at recent events...........Picture Credit to http://imgur.com/GbwhK.jpg

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-8885295230749955712009-06-16T22:44:00.003Z2009-06-16T22:50:41.210Z

Alleged film this evening of a raid by Basij miliitia on university dormitories:

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-86801777793544285502009-06-16T20:56:00.003Z2009-06-16T21:03:48.019Z

Up until now I have always been rather sceptical about the merits of Twitter. Who wants to know what X-celebrity is thinking at this moment or that Y is currently visiting Tescos ?!However the uprisings in Iran may turn out to be Twitter's moment. Twitter offers the opportunity to distribute information, photos and videos in the most convenient way and people can do it from mobile phones and on

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-71347787694232809442009-06-16T20:26:00.004Z2009-06-16T20:34:24.570Z

............ the least we can do is to circulate themJune 15th, 2009Tehran Streetsخرداد ۲۵ ۱۳۸۸تهراننیروهای بسیجی‌ با تیر اندازی به تظاهرات صلح طلبانه ۸ نفر را کشته و صد‌ها رازخمی کردند.Shootings in Tehran streets.Pro-government militia troops reportedly opened fire on a previously peaceful election protest in Tehran, killing at least 8 koshtar havali meidan azadi dar yek padegan basij

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-60490157497678381692009-06-15T18:53:00.009Z2009-06-15T20:40:00.484Z

As the Iranian authorities seem to be moving to block key internet sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as jamming some satellite transmissions, I thought I would include links to a few of best blogs and internet sites related to the uprising in Iran.http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/06/irans_disputed_election.html Very powerful collection of protest photographshttp://tehranlive.org/

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-12911285675356743422009-06-13T20:59:00.003Z2009-06-13T21:07:23.696Z

From a country where barely 30 % turned out to vote in the recent Euro elections, the scenes from Tehran are a reminder of how those without real freedom will take enormous risks to try and gain it.The Iranian election results are to say the least dubious. I found this clip which looks like it was shot on a mobile phone. The film-maker seems very brave. It is premature to talk of another

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-74634088055376185372009-06-10T20:49:00.003Z2009-06-10T21:20:37.738Z

One of the main stories of last week's Euro elections that has largely been overlooked by the mainstream media is the fact the UK Independence Party (UKIP) came second in a national election for the first time.A remarkable detail of UKIP's results is that one of the 13 UKIP MEPs is one Marta Andreasen, former Chief Accountant at the European Commission. When trying to exposure the corruption at

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-92134183820210438752009-06-10T19:43:00.003Z2009-06-10T19:50:15.498Z

This story is not yet being covered widely. It is on Sky News but not the BBC or any of the main newspaper sites. There is a good deal of mystery about flight AF447 between Rio and Paris. In the modern world planes do not really fall out of the sky without so much as a mayday message. The authorities may not want to alarm people with talk of terrrorism but if this turns out to be true, it

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-35974084651745656422009-06-09T20:51:00.003Z2009-06-09T21:27:14.943Z

Ever since the Euro election results were announced on Sunday evening, there has been much hand wringing by the establishment that two of the 72 MEPs came from the BNP.While this is not a party I support, there is no doubt that they were fairly elected. As has been pointed out by many, including Daniel Hannan, the BNP are incorrectly described as a "far right" party when in actual fact most of

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-34623561030955111052009-06-08T20:51:00.004Z2009-06-08T21:07:48.071Z

Full credit should go to Iain Dale and his Labour blogger co-host Hopi Sen for an excellent radio programme covering the Euro election results last evening.In contrast to "state media" (the Beeb and to some extent Sky) they actually proved very efficient at getting results out as quickly and in as much relevant detail as possible. Operating on a shoe string via PlayRadioUK, they managed a good

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-67676614811720678112009-06-08T19:02:00.002Z2009-06-08T19:09:49.645Z

Despite Labour winning barely 15% of the popular vote in the nationwide Euro elections, still Gordon Brown seems to want to cling to power.Labour has faced its worst results since its establishment as a national party in the 1920s. The election results are a triumph for right of centre and Euro sceptic parties. Here is the inimitable Daniel Hannan calling for Gordon Brown to go in the early

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-49971783679349288212009-06-07T22:03:00.003Z2009-06-07T22:11:13.224Z

That seems to be the theme of the European Election results coming in so far (as at 11pm).The Conservatives have come top which is as expected. However UKIP look as if they may come second which is extraordinary in a national poll.Labour, as the governing party, is doing disastorously and may come fourth across the country as a whole. In Cornwall they were beaten into sixth place behind Mebyon

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-11962320197750512402009-06-06T08:19:00.003Z2009-06-06T08:34:02.083Z

Today is the 65th anniversary of D-Day.The preparations for this year's commemoration turned into something of a diplomatic shambles after it was initially planned to be a "Franco-American affair" with no offical presence from Britain or any other countries despite the fact that Britain and other countries played a significant part in D-Day. Without dwelling on the lack of historical knowledge,

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-42682985405433142432009-06-04T20:30:00.002Z2009-06-04T20:34:44.533Z

If anyone has a spare hour and an interest in contemporary China, this progamme comes highly recommended.Katie Adie reports from Beijing where 20 years ago she reported live from the massacre perpetrated by the Chinese People's Army in Tiananmen Square.It is available on this site until 10th June.Programme description:Kate Adie returns to the scene of one of her most memorable assignments:

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-64635921057728405202009-06-03T20:55:00.006Z2009-06-03T22:04:18.180Z

Despite the horror of the act of suicide and the pain it causes those left behind, it is difficult not to feel sympathy with Neil and Kazumi Puttick, the couple who flung themselves off the vast cliffs at Beachy Head with the dead body of their son Sam.Sam had died of meningitis after spending most of his 5 year life disabled by a car crash. The website maintained by his parents is a testament to

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-50403868666560715042009-06-03T20:10:00.005Z2009-06-03T20:45:40.923Z

Aside from the elections, tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.China is reported to be shutting down hotmail, Flickr and twitter to prevent any attempt to commemerate the event.I visited mainland China for the first time in March and have a slightly different but fundementally unchanged perspective as a result.What I had not really understood before is that most

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-80451908888985690182009-06-03T19:56:00.006Z2009-06-03T20:10:26.470Z

Tomorrow is the European elections and although in many ways they do not really matter (the government remains the same whatever) they will be real test of the country's political leanings.These have been extraordinary times. Not only is a tired discredited government clinging onto power and almost certainly in its dying moments. but the expenses scandal has meant that Labour, Conservative and

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-36353274407301165052009-06-02T22:14:00.002Z2009-06-02T22:23:55.856Z

The disappearance of flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris has a peculiarly haunting feel.Not only is there a sudden loss of 228 souls and the pain of their families who were waiting for them in various countries of the world. There is also the realisation that in 2009 when the earth often seems very small and it seems possible to see everything with a satellite; that it is still possible for

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-10611233826083842522009-06-02T22:05:00.005Z2009-06-02T22:13:10.625Z

Every day as I walk to my office on route from the station, I pass by the Bank of England.I find myself wondering what is happening about the various enquiries into the death of Ian Tomlinson, the newspaper seller beaten to the ground by the police during the G20 protests in April.For those who remember the details, he was minding his own business and a video showed him as a rather vulnerable

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-20000996266842077982009-05-22T09:50:00.013Z2009-05-29T18:58:50.622Z

I have recently returned from visiting my wife's family in Ukraine. My wife and son are staying a little while longer.This was a trip planned a few months ago but the timing has turned out to be rather appropriate, if sad.My wife's father passed away two weeks ago so the first day we arrived via Kiev, coincided with his funeral. He had been ill for some time so his passing was not a complete

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-80890224061940441982009-05-11T20:54:00.003Z2009-05-11T21:19:40.293Z

Enough has been written on the subject of MPs expenses to last a life time. I won't add to the tales of taxpayer money spent on plasma screen tv's, multiple lavatory seats, mole catchers and horse manure.As every party seems culpable to a great extent it is difficult to know what to say. Are they all really as bad as each other ?What seems certain is that the public in general are all largely

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-64830763896219475092009-05-04T17:04:00.005Z2009-05-04T18:30:15.248Z

.....the English summer is developing slowly. This was the scene in Cambridge yesterday. It is refreshing to leave London sometimes....

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-35039072352968951252009-04-16T20:41:00.002Z2009-04-16T20:46:22.810Z

The Metropolitan Police have now told some Austrian tourists to delete photos of buses "to prevent terrorism. See here for full story. The Austrian father and son had their passport and hotel details recorded.These days the Met seems to be going out of its way to offend as many people as possible.As has been noted elsewhere, there is more than enough material on "Google Street view" to plan a

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-60469107182809512862009-04-11T22:36:00.026Z2009-04-12T07:36:46.395Z

This Saturday I attended a protest march from Bethnal Green Police Station to the Bank of England. The aim of the march was both to remember Ian Tomlinson who died after being pushed over and apparently hit by police during the G20 protests last week and to protest against the tactics of the Police that increasingly undermine Britain's status as a democracy that values the right of protest and

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-48818686345255362882009-04-11T08:58:00.003Z2009-04-11T09:05:56.507Z

In case anyone is looking for it, a protest is being held at Bethnal Green Police Station followed by a procession to the Bank of England to commemerate the death of Ian Tomlinson.I feel it is important that people who disagree with the recent Police tactics and behaviour do make their voices known. After all, even those amongst us who are not "climate campers" and "anti-capitalists", will

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-41487289142858472602009-04-08T20:32:00.003Z2009-04-08T20:38:18.234Z

More evidence that the Metropolitan Police approach last week was far from cricket. The advise given to businesses in the City last week was the "Climate Camp" had permission to stay overnight. Obviously the Metropolitan Police had other ideas and in the clip below launch into a mixed crowd of men and women expecting to camp overnight. The police have battons and riot shields. The prospective

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-87963635403509114142009-04-07T21:07:00.004Z2009-04-07T21:26:12.429Z

The death of Ian Tomlinson outside the Bank of England during the G20 protests has taken on a significantly darker feel this evening.A film taken by a visitor from New York shows Mr. Tomlinson in a rather unsteady, even pathetic state, being beaten from behind by a riot policeman. He falls to the ground and is apparently dazed. A short while later he died.The policeman who attacked Mr. Tomlinson

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-37916902582426625972009-04-06T21:20:00.003Z2009-04-06T21:46:39.369Z

The BBC and other news channels are now reporting that the man who died during last week's protests during the G20 summit had "contact" with the police before he died close to the Bank of England.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7986192.stmThis had previously been denied. It was claimed that he had just got caught up in the protest and then died of an unrelated heart attack.Whatever is ultimately

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-43686793634177879932009-04-02T21:05:00.020Z2009-04-03T23:16:43.676Z

A Bank of England "heavy" stands at the steps to an entrance on Threadneedle Street. Four female protestors discuss the day's events.A statue boarded up had become an unofficial shrine to a man who died outside the Bank of England on Wednesday night. His cause of death remains unclear but many have questioned the controversial Metropolitan Police practice of "kettling" where protestors are

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-82613596867622110632009-04-02T20:51:00.012Z2009-04-03T23:25:27.885Z

Below is a selection of photos from the protests in the City of London yesterday. As I was at work during most of the day, these were taken in the evening. The low quality is due to the fact they were taken on a mobile phone camera. Nonetheless I think they give a flavour of the scenes around the City yesteray. Protestors gather in Poultry, City of London Crowded scene outside the Bank of

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-50243725613924450312009-04-01T09:22:00.004Z2009-04-01T09:31:39.530Z

The world comes to London today. The leaders of 20 nations from the US President, King of Saudia Arabia, French President and many others are in town."Obamamania" means he is the focus.Today it is billed as the day of protestors. Anarchists, class-warriors, enviromentalists and many others are forming unlikely alliances.The City of London has lost its pinstripe suits in favour of jeans as no

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-44833451881602916072009-03-28T18:30:00.016Z2009-03-28T19:23:41.024Z

It is over two weeks since I returned from Hong Kong, one of my favourite cities. Hong Kong always feels to me to be quite a homely place. There are reminders of Britain at every corner whether it is just driving on the left, the electric plugs they use or the names of the streets. That said Hong Kong is also a Chinese city and developing ever closer links with its ruler, the People's Republic of

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-81894600467171891892009-03-27T21:38:00.005Z2009-03-27T22:12:19.717Z

In the time that my blog was effectively dormant for most of the year to date, one tabloid story spread into the broadsheets, the BBC and no one in Britain could have missed it.That "story" was the couragious fight by Jade Goody against cancer, a fight she lost last Sunday.It is a healthy thing to be proved wrong from time to time but I found myself both surprised and in a strange way delighted

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-20890483430385532982009-03-27T19:55:00.003Z2009-03-27T20:05:04.329Z

Thank you to my blogging friend Joanie, who brought this speech to my attention from the other side of the Atlantic. Maybe a case of a prophet being without honour in his own country.....I have heard Daniel Hannan speak in the past in Kent and he is a rare breed, someone unafraid to take a lonely path or court controversey in pursuit of what he believes in.He has really become the man of the

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-75760148605547833092009-03-26T23:26:00.004Z2009-03-26T23:50:51.029Z

Apologies for the long absence from here. I have been travelling on a rather long journey which was work related and took me from London to Hong Kong, to Shanghai then back to Hong Kong, back to London and out to Dubai and then finally to Abu Dhabi.Three weeks were spent in a collection of taxis, planes, trains, hotels and offices. It was rather fun although I am not sure my wife would agree. ! I

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-91890193676843429932009-02-15T08:23:00.011Z2009-02-22T20:39:58.202Z

There is one regret coming from my recent visit to Toky0. Simply a regret that I never visited before.It is a bit of a cliche to say that Toky0 is unique. It is unique, but it is still worth saying in a world where so many places start to look like each other.The first thing that struck me was the procedure for waiting for the bus from the airport. I stood any old how but was told (very politely)

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-22376585969402641772009-02-08T21:52:00.002Z2009-02-08T22:00:28.760Z

I seem to be finding ever less time to write on this blog of late. Apologies to those who are still following ! For the last week I was in Tokyo. It is an amazing city of light and energy, of which I hope to write shortly. Just look at their underground train map below (click on photo to expand). This was the scene from the plane window as I prepared to land back in London yesterday. It is

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-59584912017135495342009-01-21T23:03:00.005Z2009-01-21T23:09:36.258Z

A sobering thought for those, who like me, try to move away when a passenger with a bad cold gets on the train and sits beside you.An al-quaeda cell in Algeria have apparently been wiped out by the medieval disease, the black death. The chilling prospect is that they were developing a strain to spread in Western cities. We can only hope that the specialist knowledge to do this, died with them.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-88383526479969070032009-01-20T22:17:00.006Z2009-01-20T23:20:00.036Z

Obama-mania reached some parts of London today.Mania is the right word because it is a form of madness and is based on nothing rational or proven. It is simply based on a feeling and a vague hope.Even in allegedly serious corporations and firms such as the one I work for, an email was received inviting all those interested to attend the auditorium and watch coverage on TV from 4.45pm GMT. Never

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-28429642454286697422009-01-03T20:28:00.006Z2009-01-03T21:24:37.205Z

Today saw thousands of people, mainly British born, march through the streets of London to protest against Israel's air attacks on Gaza. In many respects it was the usual suspects:Ken Livingstone, Tony Benn, a few "leaders" of the British Muslim community and a handful of "socially concerned" actors and similar.Therefore it would be easy to dismiss. However there are some things that should be

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-11423829871844220842009-01-01T00:38:00.003Z2009-01-01T00:41:15.044Z

Happy New Year to all readers ! We are just spending it at home this year which doesn't seem so bad when it is -2 C outside ! 2008 was such a difficult year in so many ways. Here's hoping for better things from 2009 ! Happy New Year !

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-58210996136289619502008-12-27T18:45:00.015Z2008-12-27T19:27:25.898Z

Our local Woolworths closed today. You would need to have a heart of stone not to feel some sadness walking round the battered shelves knowing that all those who worked there would be without a job at 5.30pm. What began over 99 year ago is now ending. A shop that in its prime was valued by millions of Britons. Although it declined since then and no longer offered anything that other shops

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-64455243298750241012008-12-24T15:20:00.003Z2008-12-24T15:30:46.281Z

Just when you thought there was a limit to political correctness, Channel 4 (the Channel that gave the world such delights as Big Brother and Celebrity Big Brother) goes and proves you wrong.Channel 4 consider the Queen's Christmas message to be far too conventional. So, as a change, they have decided to invite an overseas Head of State to give a Christmas talk. That in itself may be unusual

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-53003369945446853242008-12-22T12:18:00.003Z2008-12-22T12:34:32.443Z

When I read stories like this (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5375668.ece), I think I have had my eye off the ball for too long. Liberty seems to be being eroded so fast and in so many areas that we are in danger of only realising when it is far too late.Not only do we live in an over-regulated, over-taxed country but it seems that one of the last areas of freedom, your

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-36602805520309699722008-12-21T21:46:00.007Z2008-12-21T23:04:56.130Z

Last evening, I watched the Russian film "9th Company" which portrayed a group of Soviet conscripts going to Afghanistan in 1988. As someone who has watched most of the better known Vietnam war films, the basic structure of the film was remarkably similar. A group of fresh faced conscripts with different backgrounds and personalities undergo training from a rather brutal commander before going

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-28280527661408703162008-12-14T16:17:00.002Z2008-12-14T16:19:01.259Z

Sometimes no further comment is needed. Here is Gordon Brown making a slip of the tongue and perhaps revealling his real inflated view of his own abilities:

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-21559682509889816312008-12-13T18:44:00.005Z2008-12-13T21:41:33.139Z

A forlorn shelf in a forlorn shop on the brink of closure. This is not a scene from some developing country in an early stage of development. It was the scene today at our local Woolworths.Woolworths is closing down which will leave 815 gaps in British high streets and 30,000 people without a job.Walking around our local Woolworths today, it would have been hard not to feel a bit sad. This is a

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-25728127433459745752008-12-08T23:30:00.002Z2008-12-08T23:34:55.091Z

Just to note that I am still here, despite rather busy times in the run up to Christmas.London is cold and frosty with a northern wind. This was the rather frosty and slightly desolate scene in the outer suburbs of London this morning.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-16748361193268362032008-11-30T17:15:00.008Z2008-11-30T22:16:09.677Z

Signs of the times: Just another speculative headline about the role of Britons in Global JihadAs some of the facts surrounding the terrorist attacks in Mumbai become a little clearer, it seems doubtful whether any of the terrorists were British citizens or had significant connections with Britain.That a connection with Britain could be assumed following a terrorist attrocity in India, says

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-52828832084076583632008-11-28T09:51:00.002Z2008-11-28T11:57:34.967Z

The Telegraph is reporting:"As Indian troops cleared the last terrorists from buildings across Mumbai this morning, UK authorities were following up reports on local news channel NDTV that the terrorists included 'British citizens of Pakistani origin' ".I have been meaning to write about the phenomenon of the "British Jihadi" for a little while. If there was "British" involvement in these

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-74203213120530199252008-11-27T22:46:00.004Z2008-11-27T23:05:03.398Z

I was thinking today that terrorism is pretty much a fact of life the world over.Understandably people focus on 9/11 due to its sheer scale and horror. However since 2001 there have been numerous terrorist attrocities like the one in Mumbai overnight, often involving British victims:October 2002- Bali- 202 deaths including 24 BritsNovember 2003- Istanbul- a branch of HSBC Bank and the British

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-39720690596646976692008-11-26T21:57:00.003Z2008-11-26T22:07:23.942Z

It has been a busy time at work. The VAT changes have caused a big headache due to the very short time available to implement them. I have had no real time to devote to this blog.However such issues are surely put in perspective when events such as those in Mumbai this evening occur.As fate would have it one of the senior partners of the firm I work for was visiting Mumbai with two colleagues.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-14233040099203902442008-11-24T23:31:00.002Z2008-11-24T23:37:55.167Z

To change the rate of VAT in less than a week is, quite simply going to cause chaos for many businesses accross the country.Of course, a tax cut should be welcome but the changes announced today do not seem at all well thought out.Worse still are the dreadful borrowing figures with figures next year set to reach £118 billion.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-58459402057158451382008-11-23T21:31:00.002Z2008-11-23T21:36:44.165Z

Does this weekend's almost confirmed appointment mean a Clinton will once again be leading the "Free World" ? If nothing else, they appear to be getting closer.The cartoon below is from the Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/cartoon/) . With apologies to those who feel this blog is rather more transatlantic than its title suggests.........

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-53761040765537499942008-11-16T21:06:00.004Z2008-11-16T21:28:40.634Z

It is perhaps my recent viewing of "Spooks", the lightweight but highly entertaining BBC drama on the British security services that has heightened my imagination when walking about London. Most of the plot in the latest series of Spooks has been around the security services battling to stop various Al Quaeda plots in London. Like millions of people, my journey to work was interrupted during

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-61249224443561056652008-11-16T16:10:00.008Z2008-11-16T18:00:10.384Z

If the media coverage this week could be seen as in any way representative of how children get treated in Britain, it could only be concluded that this is a dreadful country.At least four separate and unrelated cases stand out within the last week:1) A mother is on trial for faking the kidnap of and drugging her own daughter which lead to one of the biggest ever police investigations in the

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-57780365870492574172008-11-09T14:48:00.009Z2008-11-09T15:36:29.201Z

Today is Remembrance Sunday and Tuesday will mark 90 years since the end of the First World War, the war in which Britain suffered its worst ever casualties (significantly worse than the Second World War).Remarkably there are still a tiny band of surviving veterans from the First World War and I understand three were at the march past at the Cenotaph in London today.The fields of northern France

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-11033214819846482912008-11-08T20:41:00.005Z2008-11-08T20:57:37.980Z

well, it seems to be the eighth of November this year.All over London it sounds like a war has broken out as fireworks explode everywhere.As the nearest Saturday to November 5th most people and most official firework displays are taking place today. For anyone reading who is unfamiliar with this festival this is how we remember the failed attempt by Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators to

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-37622683760458635482008-11-07T22:43:00.003Z2008-11-07T22:50:08.507Z

This is the great hope of the world (according to the media at least).Sometimes you just couldn't make it up :-)

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-53544866246010487552008-11-05T21:44:00.004Z2008-11-05T22:04:58.312Z

I wanted to use a quote from Janet Daley in my last post but I couldn't find somewhere that it fitted well.Therefore I will post it on its own. I think it is of relevance both to those who feel very fearful at the election of an unknown quantity and also to those with unrealistically high expectations of Obama. We should not expect too much from Obama and if we expect the worst we can still do

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-52019797334036827072008-11-05T20:37:00.007Z2008-11-05T22:06:36.114Z

Not superman but for better or worse he is American PresidentA few final thoughts on the election of Barack Obama, before we start turning to "real life" again:1) Whatever one thinks of him, he appears to have won a genuine mandate from the majority of American people. This was no "landslide" as some are calling it. At least 52 % to 47 % is not a landslide in my book. You don't have to look far

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-6208856370385606202008-11-05T01:19:00.003Z2008-11-05T01:23:27.270Z

There is a lot of detail still to come but the numbers look like Obama has won.I am not putting up with Dimblebore on the BBC anymore !I just hope his powers are not completely unfettered by the Senate.There will no doubt be a lot of froth in the press tomorrow. Give it two years and I think we will have a more realistic picture.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-26159115692932071872008-11-04T23:34:00.004Z2008-11-04T23:38:36.076Z

I am staying up for a while to follow the US results. I have work in the morning but these seem times and events of sufficient importance to warrant a bit of lost sleep.I am not sure if I can face a smug "Dimblebore" on the BBC so I am following events online for now. It is actually possible to get a wider more balanced picture by switching between various mainstream news providers and other

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-70812822274536390022008-11-04T23:22:00.003Z2008-11-04T23:30:13.350Z

The architect of the Bush election victories, Karl Rove is predicting a clear if not landslide Obama win.I think my views on Obama are fairly clear from previous entries. There are some ludicrously inflated expectations of what his election will bring. That will mean a lot of very disappointed people within a year or so.Obama's own policies, such as they are, are all about redistribution of

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-21879173244422094502008-11-04T21:23:00.004Z2008-11-04T21:27:45.182Z

Maybe not in Philadelphia. A side the BBC and CNN may not show. Here a couple of Black Panthers "stand guard" outside a polling station. They are challenged by a rather brave concerned citizen complete with his camera phone:

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-63423522154321129592008-11-04T20:58:00.003Z2008-11-04T21:02:11.359Z

If Obama wins tonight, here is one of his many supporters who will experience a dose of reality in the coming months.She believes that Barack Obama will help her pay for her "gas and mortgage". How do people manage to get so deluded ?!

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-23030306285673032512008-11-03T22:57:00.003Z2008-11-03T23:12:17.659Z

That is the simplest analogy I can think of.America's strength has in the past been based on a low tax, deregulated economy where those who work hard are rewarded while those who don't may struggle.Obama's policies, such as they are, all seem aimed at rolling back these areas of strength , not to mention weakening the military and in the process giving a freer hand to potential tyrrants the world

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-41816449971793317852008-11-02T22:30:00.005Z2008-11-02T22:50:38.358Z

At the eleventh hour there is a glimmer of hope that America can avoid some of the European diseases like mass ranks of welfare recipients living as clients of an ever growing state. Despite the silver tongued words of Barak Obama, that is in essence what he seems to promise: higher taxes, a scaled down military and a much enlarged welfare state dedicated to "the redistribution of wealth".While

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-89492598255895112542008-10-27T20:50:00.004Z2008-10-27T22:24:32.231Z

With many commentators now predicting that the election of President Obama, is a foregone conclusion, it is probably worth noting a few points about the man who could effectively be "the most powerful man on the planet" from next week.Nothing I have read, and I have read fairly widely, gives me a serious idea about what policies he is proposing other than some broad outlines. The broad outlines,

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-81143372013628403902008-10-26T23:07:00.005Z2008-10-26T23:37:16.543Z

I am noticing a trend amongst colleagues, friends and the public in general to be not only talking down the state of the economy and emphasising the hard times in which we are entering but almost relishing the prospect too.I find the relishing aspect a little short sighted as if the downturn does become really bad we could all be effected far more than we are expecting. However in London and the

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-22847081894885602942008-10-25T15:48:00.003Z2008-10-25T16:34:02.591Z

It has been a busy few weeks since our return from Turkey and I had not planned to post as little as I have done.However a busy time at work and a PC failure at home have taken their toll on my internet time. Thankfully the PC is sorted, even complete with an upgrade to a wireless router. As the weekend is here, I am posting a couple of photos from Turkey.These are the ancient ruins of Heraklia

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-70038102719972896102008-10-22T20:55:00.003Z2008-10-22T21:02:08.442Z

Almost in the blink of an eye, life in the City of London seems transformed.As little as six weeks ago it seemed a hub of the global free market, bristling with brave hope that all would be well.Now there is a distinctly gloomy atmosphere and the City the centre of a quasi nationalised economy. The R word (recession) is out of the bag and there is real concern for personal prosperity as well

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-15233052061875596902008-10-11T09:47:00.012Z2008-10-11T15:44:14.925Z

A young Gordon Brown looks like a disciple of Michael Foot. Both Gordon Brown and Tony Blair were elected on the Foot Manifesto of 1983. (note the signs of the times- an ashtray was openly on display on the table)The irony of this week is that 25 years after Foot's annihalation in the 1983 General Election, a key plank of his manifesto (described by Gerald Kauffman as "the longest suicide note

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-64997151259365535002008-10-10T23:58:00.003Z2008-10-11T00:03:41.837Z

As the oil price continues to fall (today it virtually collapsed below $80 a barrel) the stubbornly high price of petrol seems ever less justifiable.I know there is a time lag but funny how the time lag is very short when oil rises but very long when oil falls !Oil is now little more than half the price of its peak (at $147 a barrel). In London at least you are doing well to find petrol that

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-29130953569557364972008-10-10T23:34:00.003Z2008-10-10T23:54:17.721Z

These is the the remains of the Library of Celsus in Ephesus (now part of modern Turkey). Around 100 AD, Ephesus was a major port, a Roman regional capital and with up to 500,000 people then one of the largest cities in the world.As the sea gradually moved out and after waves of attacks from Barbarians and then Arabs, the city entered a terminal decline. It was finally abandoned altogether by

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-27361176153950503252008-10-08T22:35:00.004Z2008-10-08T22:44:52.672Z

It is stating the obvious to say these are extraordinary times in both in London and across the world.It is far less obvious whether this current crisis is ending or just beginning.Yesterday the Royal Bank of Scotland Group lost 40 % of its value. Today at one point it regained much of this while HBOS rose 60 % before falling back later. That banks with stable Scottish heritage should be

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-47124132263629519362008-09-29T14:38:00.004Z2008-09-29T14:56:43.889Z

This will be a short post from Turkey where my family and I are spending a fortnight's holiday. An internet cafe and a Turkish keyboard are not condusive to a long note.However I just wanted to record what a wonderful but contradictory country Turkey can seem to the visitor. Aside from the hassling street traders who shout 'yes please!' at anyone looking remotely like a visitor, the people are

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-77899521580240612532008-09-15T22:38:00.005Z2008-09-15T23:09:03.709Z

A hard day in the office for some in London todayAlthough the collapse of Lehman Brothers is clearly a bit of a disaster for all concerned, including the 5,000 or so London-based workers who will probably loose their jobs, I do think this is one of the most sensible things to happen in the financial markets in the last year.Until today, the emphasis has been on saving and bailing out every

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-73856695295702091912008-09-13T22:07:00.003Z2008-09-13T22:29:47.024Z

I have deliberately been keeping my powder fairly dry on the US elections. Ultimately, despite the importance of the result to the wider world, this is a matter for Americans to decide. Past embarrasments, notably the Guardian readers' campaign to make the voters of Clark County, Ohio vote for John Kerry in 2004, should act as a reminder against "meddling" in overseas elections. (For the record,

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-30168116594865466512008-09-11T18:26:00.005Z2008-09-11T19:40:16.722Z

I had just started a job working for the Ford Motor Company and was visiting their Motorsport operation deep in the Cumbrian countryside. September 2001 was unusually bleak in Cumbria. It is a beautiful place full of hills and lakes and normally full of farm animals. However in 2001 a deadly outbreak of foot and mouth hit England and millions of animals were slaughtered and disposed of by

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-21777277919173046992008-09-10T23:18:00.002Z2008-09-10T23:24:30.000Z

I intend to come back with something more insightful in the near future, but for now time limits me to a moan about petrol prices !With oil falling below $100 a barrel this week, this represents a near 33 % fall from its peak of $147 in July. Surely for a commodity to fall in price by a third is a massive movement even allowing for the dramatic rise beforehand ?It is a shame that the petrol

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-61985168312029871242008-08-31T10:24:00.005Z2008-08-31T14:23:49.782Z

Unlike conventional wars between nations, the "drugs war" in Mexico seems to have attracted relatively little international coverage. However the level of violence that has caused around 2,700 deaths this year alone is really extraordinary.Some the tactics adopted by the drugs gangs are beginning to resemble the Iraqi insurgency with such horrors as mass beheadings. In fact the level of

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-9892293327252603832008-08-31T09:38:00.004Z2008-08-31T10:05:05.501Z

Here are two youtube videos for readers to judge for themselves.The first purports to show Georgian troops attacking Tskhinvali before the Russians arrived. The APCs certainly have Georgian markings and the apparent pot shots taken at an unarmed shepherd are disturbing.The second is a Fox News interview with two Ossetian Americans, a 12-year old girl and her aunt who were in South Ossetia,

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-50541458773452925912008-08-31T09:10:00.003Z2008-08-31T09:14:36.937Z

It seems a little unfair, after such a poor summer, but there is no denying that there are hints of autumn now appearing.This morning London was covered in fog. That has now cleared but it promises to be a wet and stormy day. I suppose we shouldn't moan too much as yesterday was quite hot and sunny.However tomorrow is the start of September and orange and brown leaves can already be seen. There

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-7693954894858919512008-08-25T10:08:00.010Z2008-08-31T19:51:07.945Z

The ruins of Tskhinvali after Russia and Georgia fought over this town. The West in general has quite a lot on its plate already before having to bail out President Saakashvili for his rather rash expedition here. Since the conflict between Russia and Georgia started a few weeks ago, many commentators (both those I genuinely respect and some "others"!) have written or spoken of the potential for

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-18917336879940907572008-08-20T14:57:00.004Z2008-08-20T15:06:28.538Z

I am currently on a work related trip to Moscow. While this is a very topical place to be right now, time precludes putting too many thoughts to paper for the moment. Below are a few "snaps" I took with my mobile phone. Moscow is hot and humid right now so there is no danger of the snow at least one person in London told me to look out for :-)On a humid August evening in Moscow Russian

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-1000866685155211882008-08-16T19:33:00.005Z2008-08-16T20:27:48.771Z

The man who just last week ordered an artillery and rocket assault on a largely civilian but rebel province of his country has done quite well in terms of global sympathy. Nicolas Sarkozy, Condoleezza Rice and David Cameron (no less!) have all made the pilgramage to Tiblisi this week.Of course the level of Russian response has been highly questionable and the thuggish elements of South

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-50866801794173876392008-08-16T19:28:00.003Z2008-08-16T19:33:11.425Z

Depending on if the clouds ever clear it should be possible to see a partial lunar eclipse tonight, in London and much of the world.I could find disappointingly little on UK websites but it is described here on an Irish website.Somewhat ominously, in view of recent events in the Caucuses and elsewhere, if the moon is visible it may appear blood red.

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-85168206231472010252008-08-11T11:15:00.002Z2008-08-11T11:19:28.993Z

Whatever the many disagreements it is possible to have about South Ossetia and the conflict between Georgia and Russia, most people would have to agree that it is a sorry mess.While not being an apologist for the Kremlin, the trigger for this episode seems to have been a Georgian attack on its South Ossetian minority. While this follows years of dispute and months of escalating tension, the

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-76275884120393606202008-08-08T13:55:00.000Z2008-08-08T13:59:05.340Z

Russia and Georgia seem to be at war.It is not realistic or reasonable to expect a military superpower to let its citizens be killed by an external force as seems to have happened to Russians in South Ossetia, the disputed region of Georgia.In terms of timing the Chinese see today (8/8/08) as a lucky day. It is potentially lucky for Russia as they have two weeks to do whatever they want in

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-77280219688745414662008-08-06T22:06:00.003Z2008-08-06T22:12:44.993Z

How awful this tale was today.A woman was commuting to work by train and challenged two men for smoking on the station platform. The result was she ended up on the track narrowly missing electrocution and fortunate to escape with just a broken wrist.It is not at all typical of a normal trip into work but is symptomatic of the everyday aggression and nastiness that seems to build up amongst

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18953603.post-35781584562918582042008-08-06T22:04:00.001Z2008-08-06T22:05:35.764Z

A group of pro-Tibetan British and American protestors in Beijing today:

Luishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13101628574058713071noreply@blogger.com0