23 injured in attack on Norway refugee centre

It’s completely off-topic for my blog, but I have to speak here.  Look at this news article:

OSLO (Reuters) – Twenty-three people were wounded when a gang of 40-50 men armed with steel bars and machetes attacked residents at a refugee centre in Norway late on Thursday, officials said on Friday.

No one was seriously wounded, but 10 were sent to hospital and 13 treated at a local clinic, hospital officials said.

An official at the centre in Oestfold south of Oslo said the attackers were Chechens and the victims Kurds. Police declined to confirm or deny that and said they had made no arrests so far.

“There was an attack from outside the asylum centre by people who don’t live here, Chechens, 40 to 50 men armed with steel bars and other weapons,” Ole Morten Lyng, an official at the centre, told NRK public radio news.

Well my milk of human kindness has now officially dried up at the teat. So the Norwegians let one bunch of spongers in, followed by another bunch of spongers who hate the first lot. The result? A peace-loving country is subjected to backward, violent outbursts. I’ve got a great idea. Send both these bunches of losers back to their homeland where they can knock the living hell out of each other for all I care.

You want an allegory? It’s like inviting a tramp in off the street out of the goodness of your heart, feeding him, then finding he’s shat on your carpet.

Please leave comments, accusations of racism, and bleeding-heart liberal diatribes below.

Kev Moore

…but you don’t actually want to LIVE in Somalia, do you?

I found this report on the BBC News page, and almost exploded with outrage! How the hell can this guy be serious? He comes to live in the UK, enjoying his freedoms and benefits from the hell-hole of Somalia and yet;

Aydarus Yusuf has lived in the UK for the past 15 years, but he feels more bound by the traditional law of his country of birth – Somalia – than he does by the law of England and Wales.

“Us Somalis, wherever we are in the world, we have our own law. It’s not Islamic, it’s not religious – it’s just a cultural thing.”

What planet is this guy on? And what the hell is happening when even the Head of the Anglican church thinks adoption of Shariah law in part is inevitable??

 This is Britain!! We have one law for all, BECAUSE ITS FAIR! If you don’t like it , go back to Somalia, where I’m sure you will be subject to the letter of the law you so dearly love.

As long as the government continue to pander to the ludicrous views of these people, they will win. I live in Spain, am I supposed to argue if stopped by La Guardia Civil that I dont really feel obliged to listen to them, because “its a cultural thing”? My god, its a madhouse, and nobody seems to have the courage to do anything about it.

Just when will Britain wake up and smell the coffee?

 

Vandals at Orpington Rail Station throw paint at the walls. A good argument for sterilisation, or in this pillock’s case, smothering at birth. His mother must be so proud.

Teacher, Linda Walker, (50) has been cleared on appeal, after serving 5 weeks of a 6 months custodial sentence for firing an airgun near two youths who were harrassing her outside her home in Urmston, Manchester. She now has a 12 month suspended sentence hanging over her head.

What the hell is going on? This woman was driven to despair, fearful and angry at the relentless abuse and vandalism to her and her house and garden that wnet unchecked and unpunished by the Police, but oh, the moment she decided to act, SHE was the criminal all right, charged with affray and possessing a firearm.

Last year, Father of three Garry Newlove was KICKED TO DEATH outside his home for trying to protect his wife’s car from being vandalised. Do you know what? If he’d had a gun  and blown the lawless scum to the hell in which they belong, I would have shook his hand, because he would stil be alive to shake it. The perpetrators? Probably being educated at her Majesties Pleasure, and taxpayers expense to a higher standard than our own children, and then given new identities.

I denounce and despise the country in which I used to live when it allows scum like this to wreak havoc and ruin, and take innocent lives.  Great Britain? Don’t make me laugh.

Ill winds are blowing

There are certain spots around the world that are powder kegs waiting to explode. The Palestine/Israeli region is one, and the spark was thrown in by a renegade jew who decided Rabin’s olive branch was a step too far.

Now, we have the troublesome triangle of Pakistan/India/Kashmir. Long teetering on the brink of disaster, the indiscriminate murder of 20 people in order to successfully assassinate Benazir Bhutto is another spark to an already explosive powder keg. Where are the voices of reason? Where is the sanity? Why is the loudest voice that of the murderer, the madman, the fanatic?  We can only hope the sound of the assassins gun will rouse the Silent, subdued, and thoughtful majority. For without a voice of reason, and quickly, these regions are doomed to a cycle of death and destruction.

The Moore and The Christians

Miki and I head down to my other “hometown” of Mojacar this weekend, and something occured to me. It’s well known for their spectacular Moros y Cristianos-Moors and Christians festival which takes place in June. Miki has worked her magic and presented me here in traditional Moorish (what else?) costume alongside a cigar-chomping Christian. This festival happens all over Spain, at different times of the year, but down in Almeria province where the Moors influence can still be seen, it carries a special resonance.  Now, my surname is Moore, and I’ve always thought I’ve been drawn to Mojacar, its always felt like home to me, perhaps it’s in the genes-who knows? But when I thought about it,. The Moore and the Christians,  I found it quite amusing, because over the last few days, I’ve been embroiled in heated and not-so-heated debates with a number of Christians across the blogosphere. It was probably an unconscious decision to redress the balance after my Islamic hysteria recently!

I like to think I’m an equal opportunities religion-prodder. The really interesting thing that’s come out of this is the chance to get to know people on “both sides of the divide” to put it crudely. To see how people really think away from the media hype and hysteria.

I can always agree to differ, and ironically, following my outbursts on Christianity and Islam, Miki and I have received complements on our work from members of both faiths.

I guess what I’m trying to say in my own fashion, is, we all have points of mutual reference, regardless of polarising differences. It is by holding fast to these slender threads and reeling them in, that we will all get along, and the likes of the Rev.Ian Paisley and Osama Bin Laden will be out of a job . 

 Kev Moore

Art /Photography by Miki

Mohammed is free!

Well, at least Gillian Gibbons, whom the furry one got into trouble, is free.  Thanks to Two British Muslim peers, Lord Nazir Ahmed and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, The Sudanese government eventually saw reason, or more likely, saw an acceptable way to extricate themselves from this monumental embarrassment.

The Sudan clearly have no idea about life on the world stage, having caused catastrophic damage to the cause of moderate muslims trying to convince the West that Islam is a peaceful religion. I sincerely believe, following this farcical, yet undeniably scary incident, that our efforts are best directed at urging peace-loving muslims to publicly decry and denounce those fundamentalists that are poisoning their faith.  I neither practice nor acknowledge the veracity of any religion, cases like this reinforcing that view, but I do recognise people’s right to their own beliefs, and their freedom to observe them, but not when it is accompanied by threats, torture and murder.

Let us hope Ahmed and Warsi continue the good work they’ve just done in the Sudan, by urging Muslims in the UK to support peace, and denounce tyranny.

Kev Moore Copyright 2007

Art by Miki and Kev Moore

Gimme the Emergency Exit, and make it Snappy!!

Incredible. Once again the stupidity of airline passengers is illustrated perfectly in this sadly all too believable tale of a woman who refused to move her metre-long cuddly crocodile toy from blocking the Emergency Exit of a Ryanair flight. You know the type; They applaud like morons when you land (what are they gonna do if you crash, boo?)

They are out of their seats like a greyhound out of a trap the SECOND those wheels hit the ground. How many times have you seen it? The seat belts signs are clearly illuminated, the stewardess has specifically reiterated the need to remain in your seats…..and….THERE THEY ARE! The moron that decides to hell with regulations, I want my mobile phone out of my unfeasibly large handbag NOW, because Im going to text someone regardless of the risk of igniting the aviation fuel because its all about me, me, ME!

This is the kind of attitude which has led me to suffer at the hands of Ryanair, who now have draconian laws preventing me from stowing my guitar in the overhead lockers.

I’ve already waxed lyrical about the joys of airline travel in my post Airline Etiquette, but oh, there’s so much more to say. Thank you, Mrs. Two-weeks-in-Benidorm-respite-from-a squalid-council-house-existence, you really take the biscuit.

The crocodile woman is one such person. What kind of mentality actually thinks its okay to argue that their stupid damned toy should block the emergency exit? It’s no wonder most of the Ryanair stewardesses go around with a face like a slapped arse, who can blame them, when they have to contend with this sort of pond life?

One can only hope that when this idiot gets home, the crocodile becomes possessed by the spirit of Steve Irwin, and the bugger bites her. 

Kev Moore

Art by Miki and Kev Moore

Good Men do Nothing

I have read, with increasing disbelief, the current news story about the British Teacher incarcerated in the Islamic state of Sudan for allowing her class to name a Teddy Bear Mohammed. The reactions of religious zealots demanding her public flogging, death, or both, is only surpassed by the deafening silence from the supposedly peace-loving majority of muslims.

My anger is swiftly overtaking my despair. I tried to release some of it in the following verse.

Good Men do Nothing

Such anger boils within me

What right have they to hijack faith

And use it as a stick to beat the innocent?

Projecting their warped hatred of faith

On that icon of love, a child’s teddy bear

Where the condemnation for those

That murder in their prophet’s name?

Poisoning Islam blood-lust to kill and maim

The so-called moderates standing piously by

Oblivious to horror, pain and suffering

This evil will take wings and fly

If all good men do nothing.

Words: Kev Moore Copyright 2007

Art by Miki and Kev Moore

Airline Etiquette, or; Give me a good seat or I’m hijacking this Mother to Cuba!

 

I have just returned from playing a Festival in Lubeck, Germany, which involved 4 flights in 28 hours, having to fly via Palma, Majorca from Mainland Spain. 

Kicking my heels in any number of departure/waiting/transit/boredom lounges gave me time to ruminate on the modern torture that is air travel. I’ve broken it down into four main bones of contention: 

1) Seat Allocation.  Nowadays, not a given, although it doesn’t prevent the mentally challenged myopic woman looking for seat number 236. I have lost count of the number of times the stewardess has to repeat “It’s just your allocation number, you can sit anywhere.”By the time the penny has dropped with these people, “anywhere” is usually in the cargo hold.Like a shining light, some economy airlines still offer you the opportunity to choose your seat, if you’re at the airport early enough. Like before you were born.

I selected an exit seat, needing the extra legroom. “Aisle or window?” I was politely asked. I opted for the aisle. I got the aisle, but not the exit. I attempted to dislocate my knees, so that I might insinuate myself into the miniscule gap between my seat and the one in front. Once wedged, I could observe the tide of humanity coming down the aisle.  Which brings me to the next point;

2) Passengers from Hell.  There are a number of types you wish to avoid, but basically we can narrow it down to two. 

1) Mother with screaming kids

2) Extremely large person 

You definitely don’t want screaming kids near you. They don’t shut up. Ever. And the small ones don’t know how to compensate for the air pressure thing with the ears. It hurts. They don’t know what to do. They cry. You try and put them out of the emergency exit. It’s all very embarrassing.

A word to families with noisy and/or badly behaved kids; If you’re going on holiday- TAKE THE CAR. 

Extremely large people can be a problem in several ways. If they sit next to you, your armrest becomes enveloped in the folds of their body. I once sat with such a person and they could only open their dinner tray to their chin. Still, I guess it was easier to sweep the food in…

The second hazard from extremely large people is the one I suffered at the weekend. They sit in front of you. They like to test the “springiness” of the seat, and, even before take-off, see how far it will recline.

NEWSFLASH: This seat is reclining nowhere buddy, my knees are nearly coming out of your face, and I might never walk again but you’re getting NO extra degrees on this angle! 

3) The Terrorist Inspired Mini-Industry manufacturing little bottles and transparent bags.

Who said Al Qaeda doesn’t believe in Free Enterprise? Why, singlehandedly they have created a new market for stupidly tiny receptacles for a pointlessly infintessimal amount of hair gel/toothpaste/pile cream etc. Retailers have been quick to jump on the band wagon “catering to our needs” and lining their pockets. There’s even a vending machine at some airports selling empty plastic bags. Now that’s cutting edge commercialism…Oh, sorry, no it isn’t, It’s a bloody great rip-off, I was confused.

So, there we have it. If Mr and Mrs Grey Haired Anglo-Saxon retirement couple from Dorking want to blow up a plane they’ll only be able to take a hundred millilitres of each dangerous substance in a clear plastic bag, that virtually no-one looks at, so that’s all right then,. We’re all safe.  

4) In Flight Food 

So called because it’s quickly thrown back at the stewardesses.Most economy (i.e.crap) airlines now fail to provide any food unless you provide them with the deeds to your house, so I suppose I should be grateful that I got “food” at the weekend.

On the first flight, a bottle of water and some cheese “snacks”. On the second, a slice of reconstituted Turkey in a J cloth…no, sorry, it was bread. An easy mistake to make. And the Turkey looked like the nearest it had ever been to a bird was the woman who was serving it.

Of course, this freebie food is designed to make you clamour for their executive menu, where you can pay 10 euros for…well, pretty much the same thing, but with some sauce. 

So there you have it. If you really need to fly, buy your own plane.

A Poem and a Picture

I dabbled a little in nonsense verse when writing the song STRAWBERRY HOUSE, and decided to take it a little further with this little offering about a strange man:

B.S. Wattenbuttel

B.S.Wattenbuttel lived in a room
That he kept very clean with an imaginary broom
He would sweep all the dust and the cobwebs away
With a wave of his hand, but just the same, they would stay
And the days turned to months and the months turned to years
And B.S.Wattenbuttel was up to his ears
In the dust and the cobwebs he thought he’d removed
He feared he might die, and so it was proved
There was no fuss or inquest when he was found dead
For B.S.Wattenbuttel never got out of bed.

 Copyright Kev Moore 2007