A peaceniks view of the war, now that is over, (sort of over).
Fascinating profile of Saddam.
The New York Times on press coverage in the Arab world.
Robert Fisk in Bagdhad the day after the liberation.

Interview with Robert Del Naja, which focuses on his tastes in porn, rather than anything else. It's odd I knew nothing of his porn consumption before reading this. Now I know more than I ever needed to.



Below is the text of an e.mail I sent to Sainsburys earlier on. I don't post it because I think it is witty, erudite or clever but because I fully expect an automated response which takes no account of the content of my mail. I will post it when it arrives.
I have to write to express my extreme dismay and disgust at the treatment I have receieved at the Sainsburys store in Cwmbran over the last 2 days.
Put simply, I was given the wrong change, I don't think I was, I know I was because I had been to the cashpoint and knew exactly how much I had.
I purchased items worth £6.94 and handed over a £20 note. I was then given change for ten. I pointed this out, very politely and was immediately treated as if I was at best a swindler and at worst a thief. I found it very embarrassing to have to point the error out at all, I was then further embarrassed by the assistant loudly declaiming in a disbelieving tone that I thought I had given over £20. Another assistant appeared and the same was said again in a tone which clearly indicated to everyone in the vicinity that I was clearly a liar and just trying it on.
I was informed by yet another assistant that no cashing up would be done till 9.30 am today(Friday) and that I would be contacted at that time. I departed , short of ten quid, through no fault of my own, feeling humiliated and slandered.
By 2 p.m this afternoon I had not been contacted so phoned the store. I was told that they only cash up once each week but they would give me ten pounds as a gesture of goodwill.
In other words they would return my money which they had no right to and expect me to be grateful. I duly took the time and trouble to return to the store where I began to explain my situation to someone in customer services, another lady loudly stated that I had spoken to her on the phone and that they were giving me £10 as a gesture of goodwill. She stated this again when she rang it up to groceries...no she said..it is a goodwill gesture, ring it up to goodwill.
Now, again, it was plain that the staff at that shop thought I was carrying out an elaborate scam to enrich myself by 10 whole pound. Again, I was made to feel embarrassed and slighted.
Now to me goodwill would be a gesture over and above the return of my money which they had no right to, even if it were only an apology, for the embarrassment I had sufferred and the inconvenience I had been subject to, but nothing was forthcoming.
On average I spend in excess of £600 per month in that store.
I cannot begin to put into the words how enraged I feel at the appalling way I was treated. It may be some time before I return.

I don't know where those chuffin question marks come from, I typed a pound sign.

I may have mentioned before, once or thrice, that we live up a mountain, so our garden is not exactly level. The 2 year old has commandeered the 3 year olds trike, but his little legs can't work the pedals. No matter. He drags it to the top of the incline, sticks his head down and lets himself go, stopping only when he crashes into the fence. I swear, between them they will have me in an early grave.

TheTelegraph, of all organs, has an interview with former Clash men, Jones and Simonon, by another old dinosaur, Charles Shaar Murray.
The Observer interviewed Simonon about his growing reputation as an artist a while back. Handsome young dude spends his youth and early adulthood not just as a rock and roll star but as a rock and roll star in one of the best and most influential bands ever. Once that game is up he gains more respect and earns a handsome living as an artist. All the while hanging on to his dignity. Where's the chuffin justice in that?

The game room.

Courtesy of Plep, some images of Cuba, suchuffinperb
Some more fantastic photos, big thanks to Squealy who found them on Mefi, and alerted me to them via STB; all of which can be accessed if you look left a bit.

I got home about 4.45 pm and got straight on the pc fully intending to get cracking on my mefiswap cd. So far, after 4 hours 30 minutes I am on my second bottle and have not yet worked out the first track even, any track in fact. It's as though I know no tracks worth sharing at all. I wonder why manana is my favourite word?

I still have no idea what I will put on my mefiswap and its now near midnight. Perhaos i should concentrate on the Friday Five:
1. What was the first band you saw in concert?
I have absolutely no idea, someone at the Town Hall, might have been Family, but I doubt it.
2. Who is your favorite artist/band now?
Sum 41. Just joking, they may be good for all I know, but I don't know. It's very hard to answer these questions. My favourite band isn't even a band it's a person..Manu Chao, till I change my mind in about 3 minutes.
3. What's your favorite song?
Crosby Stills Nash Young.... Our House.
4. If you could play any instrument, what would it be?
Triangle
5. If you could meet any musical icon (past or present), who would it be and why?
Joe Strummer, coz I just about love the dude, I think.