Saturday Night Opera

Don Giovanni's tremendous final scene sung by Bryn Terfel

End of Year Review

Yes its time of year again, list compiling

so where to start?

Top 5 Movies of 2006

The Departed (Marty Scorsese is God!)
Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest (Johnny Depp rules)
Casino Royale (Daniel Craig is one sexy and bad ass Bond)
Borat (Hilarious)
The Devil Wears Prada (Gorgeous clothes)

Top 5 Tunes

Nelly Furtado - Maneater
Justin Timberlake - SexyBack
Fergie - London Bridge (A guilty pleasure)
Kasabian - Empire
Lilly Allen - Smile

TV

I have really enjoyed Torchwood, the Dr Who spin off produced by BBC Wales, it is an incredibly well made show which cracking storylines and great characters, a wonderful mix of CSI/X-Files/Buffy/Dr Who. I also loved the 'second' series of Dr Who, the divine David Tennant.

For sparkly factor I must mention Strictly Come Dancing, a great piece of Saturday night light entertainment, with a great band, cool dresses and beautiful dancing.

Top 5 Albums

Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Nelly Furtado - Loose
Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
Lilly Allen - Alright Still
Basement Jaxx - Crazy Itch Radio

Top 5 Blogs

Dave's Part
Billmon
Riverbend
Blairwatch
Lenin's Tomb

Me

On a more personal note this year has been fairly uneventful, I passed my retakes in August and began my third and final year in September, I cannot believe I'll graduate next year, it only feels like yesterday I finished my A Levels and began my studies in Ancient History. at Swansea University.

I've made some very good friends as well, which has helped me grow as a person, becoming less shy.

My politics has also changed since I started University, I move from what you could say was a social democratic position to a more Libertarian Socialist viewpoint, from reading Ken MacLeod, who is one of my favorite authors and Kevin Carson who writes very good stuff and is a very nice guy. I even managed to 'liberate' my laptop by switching to Ubuntu, free open source software, its Mutalism in practice you could say.

My Hopes For 2007

We withdraw from Iraq, its time to go, we are not doing anything helpful being caught up in a local punch up.

That I graduate and make my friends and family proud

The Execution of Saddam

Saddam Hussein executed

Saddam Hussein was executed at dawn today following his conviction by an Iraqi court for crimes against humanity.

The death sentence was carried out at a former military intelligence headquarters in a Shia district of Baghdad at 6am local time (3am GMT).

One of those who witnessed the hanging, Sami al-Askari, an adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, said Saddam struggled when he was taken from his cell in a US military prison but was composed in his last moments. He expressed no remorse.

Saddam was a loathsome individual, who was backed by the United States for quite a long time until he stopped doing their bidding.

What will his hanging exactly achieve? Its not like once he is dead violence is suddenly going to stop. I would not be suprised if there is a rise of attacks on Shiites in the next couple of weeks and so the cycle of violence continues.

Its grotesque the way the press has been slavering over his hanging as well.

If you want to be even more angry go check out Riverbend and Chicago Dyke.

More Viewpoints

The death of liberalism.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

George Gets His Snuff video

Arab haj pilgrims outraged at Saddam execution

Friday Cat Blogging


George and Heidi in their respective cats cradles


George showing off his kinky tail, his show name is Caudus Curvus or Curly Tail in Latin.


Heidi all dopey from the radiator heat

A Rant

What also angers me is when these 'war yay' bloggers love to talk about how its a 'struggle for civilization' and that 'only one may win', I mean sounds like they have overdosed on Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome one too many times.

Its the way they frame it into black and white, the way they choose to ignore complex truths.

Its irritating that that they can be so fucking stupid.

How we must fight this 'Islamist' menace, which they can't even explain very well, how they pervert words to their own twisted end, how they .muddy the issue and viciously attack any one who disagrees with this 'war on terror', who think the 'clash of civilizations' is bollocks, how your either 'with us or against us'.

Or how every single conflict going on in the world today has to be drawn into the 'war on terror' even if there is no real link just because it makes it simpler for the War Whores.

A simple world view exposed by the Bush Junta has done so much harm in so little time. It has not made us any safer either.

Its an 'epic war' for the war cheerleaders as long as they don't have to fight it.

Palestinian Poetry Blogging

We Travel Like People

We travel like everyone else, but we return to nothing. As if travel were
a path of clouds. We buried our loved ones in the shades of clouds and
between roots of trees.
We said to our wives: Give birth for hundreds of years, so that we may end this journey
within an hour of a country, within a meter of the impossible!
We travel in the chariots of the Psalms, sleep in the tents of the prophets,
and are born again in the language of Gypsies.
We measure space with a hoopoe's beak, and sing so that distance may forget us.
We cleanse the moonlight. Your road is long, so dream of seven women to bear
this long journey on your shoulders. Shake the trunks of palm trees for them.
You know the names, and which one will give birth to the Son of Galilee.
Ours is a country of words: Talk, Talk. Let me rest my road against a stone
Ours is a country of words: Talk, Talk. Let me see an end to this journey.

From Fewer Roses (1986) by Mahmoud Darwish

Translated by Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché

Not Black and White As It Seems

Islamist forces desert Somali capital

Troops loyal to Somalia's weak transitional government were today poised to retake Mogadishu after Islamist movement fighters abandoned the city.

Clan militiamen poured into the streets to take control of the capital as government troops, backed by Ethiopian forces, prepared to follow from their bridgehead outside the city. "We will capture Mogadishu any time within the coming hours," the government spokesman, Abdirahman Dinari, said, adding that the country was under a state of emergency. "We are now at the entry points of the city."

Sheik Sharif Ahmed, the executive leader of the Somalia Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC), told al-Jazeera television that he ordered his forces out of Mogadishu, which they have occupied since June, to avoid bloodshed in the capital. Residents living south of Mogadishu said they saw convoys of Islamist fighters driving south towards the port city of Kismayo.

What is so depressing is that certain sections of the blogosphere and even the press seem to pain this as 'Christian vs. Muslim' and view it through the prism of 'The War on Terror' they seem to disregard the complexities of the complicate political and social issues in Somalia, how the SCIC transcends the clan boundaries and in this regard is socially progressive, they are popular with the Somali people because they provide law and order to a country which has been in the grip of the warlords since the 1990s, a stateless place where life means nothing, and finally a long comes a movement which offers a way out, its not black and white.

The Ethiopians are backed by the US, which is not surprising, its par the course for Uncle Sam.

I have one word for those cheering this invasion: What a bunch of idiots, their depth of stupidity astounds me.

More in depth analysis here - "Government forces" vs "Islamic militiamen".

Merry Christmas

Rudolf Nureyev and Merle Park dancing the Grand Pas de Deux from Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker"

A Festive Extra Cat Blogging

Posting will be fairly light over the festive period, enjoy Heidi and George getting into the Christmas spirit

I wish all my blog readers and occasional visitors a very merry Christmas/Yule/Mithras Day


George admiring our Christmas tree


Heidi picking what tinsel to go in my room

Friday Cat Blogging


George


Heidi

Friday Fun


Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

Christmas Blogging


Chez Moonbootica's Christmas tree


My room


Heidi liking the tinsel

A Short Video of Chez Moonbootica's Christmas Tree

Palestinian Poetry Blogging

We Journey Towards A Home

We journey towards a home not of our flesh. Its chestnut trees are not of
our bones.
Its rocks are not like goats in the mountain hymn. The pebbles' eyes are
not lilies.
We journey towards a home that does not halo our heads with a special sun.
Mythical women applaud us. A sea for us, a sea against us.
When water and wheat are not at hand, eat our love and drink our tears...
There are mourning scarves for poets. A row of marble statues will lift our voice.
And an urn to keep dust of time away from our souls. Roses for us and
against us.
You have your glory, we have ours. Of our home we see only the unseen:
our mystery.
Glory is ours: a throne carried on feet torn by roads that led to every home
but not our own!
The soul must recognize itself in its very soul, or die here.

From Fewer Roses (1986) by Mahmoud Darwish

Translated by Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché

Delusions

Hard Iraq choices loom, says Bush

US President George W Bush has said the conflict in Iraq will require "difficult choices and additional sacrifices" in the coming year.

Mr Bush called for an increase in the size of the US military, but he said he had not yet decided whether to boost troop numbers in Iraq.

He spoke as new US Defence Secretary Robert Gates began his first visit to Iraq, two days after taking office.

Mr Bush is expected to announce a new strategy for Iraq next month.

Everyone else realizes that there is no more troops to send to Iraq except Bush, McCain and Lieberman.

That the US military is a money making machine, there are currently around 120 thousand serving in Iraq but only 20-25 thousand are front line troops and all they doing are protecting the other personnel.

You scored as Freyja. You are Freyja! You are a the mother of Baldr, and the most loving and compassionate God. You are very spiritiual and caring. Freyja 63% Odin 53% Baldr 48% Tyr 35% Thor 35% Loki 28% Which Norse God Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

The Poodle



A tour of the ruins in his twilight days.

Blair makes one last push in Middle East with Palestinian funding plan

· PM proposes bypassing Hamas with aid to Abbas
· MP warns against funding sides in coming civil war

Tony Blair yesterday proposed a controversial plan to bolster Mahmoud Abbas in his escalating battle against Hamas by funnelling millions of pounds in aid directly to security forces under the Palestinian leader's control.

The risky move, probably Mr Blair's last power play on the Palestinian territories before he leaves office, has been agreed with the US and is designed to break the deadlock that has held back progress in the Middle East for months.

The Poodle aka Blair is busy running away from domestic problems by playing the great statesman in the Middle East.

Someone needs to tell Blair he is wasting his time, him being there is going to do fuck all to solve the Israel/Palestine crisis, he has no real reason to be there, running away to the ME is not going to stop how loathed you are at home, or the many scandals surrounding your premiership.

It also appears rather desperate, Tony Blair has delusions of grandeur, a messiah complex, he has retreated into a fantasy world.

Saturday Family Blogging

Today we went to a local pub and had a very yummy roast dinner and delicious desserts.


My niece being extremely cute


My niece and her parents


Grandmother Moonbootica


Grandpa Moonbootica


Aunts


Aunty Moonbootica

Friday Cat Blogging


George


Heidi being really cute

A Rant - This 'War on Christmas'

For some reason certain sections of the British press and blogosphere have been infected by this 'war on Christmas' bollocks they have to take their lead off old O'Reilly.

It is a load of rubbish, imported right wing American nonsense.

British people are highly secular and they don't care about this silly made up 'War on Christmas'

Secularization won years ago and that left a bitter minority who now whine about anything to do with 'multiculturalism' or 'war on Christmas'. Get over it!.

Oliver Burkeman of The Guardian puts this in much better words.

Palestinian Poetry Blogging

On This Earth


We have on this earth what makes life worth living. April's hesitation, the
aroma of bread
at dawn, a woman's point of view about men, the works of Aeschylus, the
beginning
of love, grass on a stone, mothers living on a flute's sigh and the invaders' fear
of memories.

We have on this earth what makes life worth living: the final days of
September, a woman
keeping her apricots ripe after forty, the hour of sunlight in prison, a cloud
reflecting a swarm
of creatures, the peoples' applause for those who face death with a smile,
a tyrants fear of songs.

We have on this earth what makes life worth living: on this earth, the Lady
of Earth,
mother of all beginnings and ends. She was called Palestine. Her name
later became
Palestine. My Lady, because you are my Lady, I deserve life.

From Fewer Roses (1986) by Mahmoud Darwish

Translated by Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché

Friday Cat Blogging


George


Heidi

Palestinian Poetry Blogging

Neighing On The Slope

Horses' neighing on the slope. Downwards or upwards.
I prepare my portrait for my woman to hang on a wall when I die.
She says: Is there a wall to hang it on?
I say: We'll build a room for it. Where? In any house.

Horses' neighing on the slope. Downward or upward.

Does a woman in her thirties need a homeland to put a picture in a frame?
Can I reach the summit of this rugged mountain? The slope is either an
abyss or a place of siege.
Midway it divides. What a journey! Martyrs killing one another.
I prepare my portrait for my woman. When a new horse neighs in you, tear it up.

Horses' neighing on the slope. Upward or upward.

From Fewer Roses (1986) by Mahmoud Darwish

Translated by Munir Akash and Carolyn Forché

Which Famous Revolutionary Are You? Che Guevara “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love.”

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

who is the terrorist?? Meen Er Habi (Free Palestine)

palestine

happend in palestine .......by israeli fuckin soldiers

The Enemy

want to see the enemy of israel ??

Palestinian Photo Blogging

My friend Handool's village was recently visited by a Spanish TV crew, he acted as a guide.

Local News

BNP candidates to flood west Wiltshire

THE British National Party has hinted it will use the murder of Hayley Richards in a bid to win votes at next year's local elections.

The party has promised Wiltshire will have its fair share' of BNP candidates for the town and district elections due to be held in May.

Last week the Wiltshire Times reported the party had been targeting local schools to spread its message. In a letter to the paper BNP Wiltshire organiser Mike Howson defended the campaign and criticised Wiltshire Police's community safety officer Glynn Hookings for getting involved with the issue.

Mr Hookings criticised the BNP for campaigning on the issue of migrant workers.

This pretty worrisome but knowing the BNP they will probably end up in trouble just like Richard Mulhall, who sits on Calderdale council, who was found guilty in October on 4 counts of benefit fraud, totaling £3000.(saw this in Private Eye) or the ongoing troubles of the BNP in Barking and Dagenham.

hat tip to reader Simon for the news item.

Do You Want To Know How They Treat People In Palestine ???

Do You Want To Know What Israel Is ?

Friday Opera

Anna Netrebko singing Musetta's aria from Puccini's La Boheme.

Friday Cat Blogging


George just being handsome


Heidi having a lazy day