Monday, 26 October 2009

America by Ralph Steadman


Currently reading

A great find at a garage sale yesterday. This book, Fred and Judy Vermorel's 'Sex Pistols' book and Ralph Steadman's 'Scar Strangled Banger' all for $12!
(Sort of made up for never getting my copy of Steadman's 'America' book returned to me all those years ago!)

Exposing the colour of prejudice

How much does the colour of our skin make us who we are, and shape the way the world sees us?

The answer to that question may seem obvious now after decades of slow and uneven progress towards racial equality and enlightenment.

It would have seemed very different 50 years ago to the white Texan writer John Howard Griffin, when he embarked on one of the most remarkable one-man social and psychological experiments in history.

Griffin was the white man who fooled hundreds of Americans into believing he was a black man as he travelled through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia - and who felt at first hand the bigotry that meant.

In later life, the six-week venture - described in his book Black Like Me - was to expose him to the hatred and violence that underpinned that bigotry, too.

When he toured the South lecturing to white audiences about his experiences as a black man, he was threatened, intimidated and, on at least one occasion, seriously beaten.

@'BBC'

Bong Water illegal in Minnesota

State Supreme Court calls it a “drug mixture.”
The lesson is clear: If you live in Minnesota, and you happen to own a bong, be sure to pour out the water after each use.
Bong water is now officially a controlled substance in Minnesota, according to a state Supreme Court ruling last week. An Associated Press report by Steve Karnowski in the Minneapolis Star Tribune said the decision “raises the threat of longer sentences for drug smokers who fail to dump the water out of their pipes.”
@'Addiction Inbox'

Slightly strange this story as the water tested positive for methamphetamine not cannabis! In a 4-3 decision Thursday, the state's highest court said a person can be prosecuted for a first-degree drug crime for 25 grams or more of bong water that tests positive for a controlled substance.

Nick Griffin attacked by his own BNP supporters over Question Time

The leader of the BNP, Nick Griffin, found himself the victim of an extraordinary attack from his own supporters last night following his controversial appearance on the BBC's Question Time.

As a public postmortem into one of the most divisive broadcasts in the corporation's history attempted to gauge its impact on the party's fortunes, Lee Barnes, the BNP's legal officer, accused Griffin of "failing to press the attack" during the televised debate, which was watched by a record 8 million people. Others sympathetic to the BNP's views expressed dismay at Griffin's flustered attempts to appeal to the mainstream.

@'The Guardian'

Scientists study possible health benefits of LSD and ecstasy

A growing number of people are taking LSD and other psychedelic drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy to help them cope with a variety of conditions including anorexia nervosa, cluster headaches and chronic anxiety attacks.

The emergence of a community that passes the drugs between users on the basis of friendship, support and need – with money rarely involved – comes amid a resurgence of research into the possible therapeutic benefits of psychedelics. This is leading to a growing optimism among those using the drugs that soon they may be able to obtain medicines based on psychedelics from their doctor, rather than risk jail for taking illicit drugs.

@'The Guardian'

YES!

LIVERPOOL 2 VS 0 MANCHESTER UTD.

Sunday, 25 October 2009

Icon

Cheney's blood lust

Cheney's "dithering" salvo was just the latest attack on Obama from the former vice president and his daughters. Lee Siegel on a family crusade worthy of Ancient Greece.

There is something Greek about the Cheney family’s obsessive persecution of President Obama. Ancient Greek, that is. It recalls the vindictive persecution of the House of Atreus by the Furies in Aeschylus’ great trilogy of tragic plays, The Oresteia. The Cheneys’ Fury-like pursuit of Obama is relentless, irrational, and unforgiving.

@'Daily Beast'

Why I don't go out much...

I LOVE IT!
GREAT NEWS FOLKS

...speaking to a philosophy student earlier who brought up Peter Singer. "Vegetarian?" I asked, yes she said. Wear leather shoes I asked "Only second hand" she replied!

THE COW DOESN'T GET KILLED TWICE!

Saturday, 24 October 2009

Should you be in Berlin tonight...


Start: Friday, 30 October 2009 at 22:00
End Time: Saturday, 31 October 2009 at 05:00
Location: St.Georg
Street: Ritterstrasse 26 (Aqua-Butzke Höfe), Berlin

Mark Stewart, Monitorpop & Spex presents:
Massive Attack Aftershow Party

Live Acts:
Namosh
Angie Reed

DJs
Mark Stewart (Bristol)
Max Dax (Spex)
Professor ERIC D.CLARK
iGedget (Beatevolution)
Grizzly Adams
Jose Fox (Lissabon)
DSB (London)
€ 5

Girlz With Gunz # 86

Girlz with Gunz Guitarz # 5

Girlz With Gunz # 85