Bill Hicks (14/12/61 -26/2/94) - It's Just A Ride

 One of my favourite comedians, still relevant, still pushing buttons,his ride was a life lived without fear. An anti war,  pro smoker, who waged war against corporate America and its bastions of mainstream media.As well as being  a brilliant stand up comedian, social critic, satirist and musician he attacked the complaceny of our so called consensus realities, through laughter  he made unacceptable ideas seem irresistable, cutting through  bullshit with bullets of joy.Raging  hard against  the injustices of life.
Nearly 20 years after his death, his reputation just grows and grows.You can get more from him over here. Lovely documentary about him from the BBC, that old institution that we used to trust so much.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010j56z
 
"The world is like a ride at an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it, you think it's real, because that's how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and round and round and it has thrills and chills and it's very brightly colored and it's very loud. And it's fun, for a while. 

Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: 'Is this real? Or is this just a ride?' And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and they say 'Hey! Don't worry, don't be afraid -- ever -- because... this is just a ride.' And we kill those people. 

'Shut him up! We have a lot invested in this ride! Shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry; look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real.' 

It's just a ride.

But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that -- ever notice that? -- and we let the demons run amok. But it doesn't matter, because... it's just a ride, and we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort. No worry. No job. No savings and money. Just a choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your door, buy bigger guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. 

Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, into a better ride:

Take all that money we spend on weapons and defense each year and, instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would do many times over -- not one human being excluded -- and we can explore space together, both inner and outer, forever. In peace. 

- Bill Hicks 

95th anniversary of the Balfour declaration.

 Lord Arthur Balfour

The Balfour Declaration (1917), which is named after Arthur James Balfour, the British Foreign Secretary during the Word War 1, was the one of key developments in the early stages of the twentieth Century  that influenced the Jewish communities of the world to believe that Great Britan would support the creation of a jewish state in the Middle East. The ramifications would be seen up until the present day.
Balfour sent an official letter declaring the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the area  known as "Palestine" to Baron Walter Rothschild (the 2nd Baron Rothschild), a leader of the British Jewish community, who accepted it on behalf of Great Britain and Ireland.

The immortal words of the letter said the following:

" His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by jews in any other country."

The Original Letter of the Balfour Declaration

Seems the latter half of this letter has been completely ignored by Israel.With those words, which were later incorporated into the Severes peace treaty that ended hostilities between Britain and Ottoman Turkey at the conclusion of the First World War, the Zionist cause took a giant step forward, aided and abetted by the cloak of imperialism.

Zionism is the belief in the establishment of a national homeland for the jewish people in their ancestral Biblical homeland. The word "Zionism" comes from Zion which is also called Jerusalem.

The letter was also incorporated into the league of Nations Mandate for Palestine, becomming further enshrined in international law.
In another letter Balfour sent, after the WW1 had ended, he answered some of the critics of the Declaration who said that it was not right for England to "impose" Zionism on the local Arab indigeneous population he said.

" I do not think that Zionism will hurt the Arabs, but they will never say they want it......Whatever be the future of Palestine, it is not now an 'independent nation' nor is it yet on the way to become one......If Zionism is to influence the Jewish problem throughout the world Palestine must be made available for the largest number of Jewish immigrants."

The rest is history and started a series of events that led to the foundation of the State of Israel and what is now to the occupation against the people in Gaza, and the continual violations in the West Bank, the illegal settlement activities in occupied Jerusalem, and the attempt to force the Palestinians out of their lands. Before we celebrate Happy Balfour Day we should remember this. I personally reckon that Balfour would be turning in his grave at the histiorical injustices carried out in his name.

1948

With the Balfour Declaration, Britain, because yes it was us, unleashed a series of events in Palestine that have caused enormous suffering and loss to the Palestinian people.It is unnacceptable too, that today, 65 years after the partition of Palestine, the UK has recognised the state of Israel but not the state of Palestine. The occupation of the Palestinian territories is not just illegal but brutal.
Consequently occupation always generates resistance. Britains history in all this narrative is shameful, but the present day atrocities lay at the door of only one nation. End the Occupation, end the problems in my humble opinion.
Let us remember too, that it is the policies of Israel today, that are themselves an insult and a threat to Jews everywhere. The  leaders of Israel  were never satisfied with what they eventually got in 1948. They unfortunately set their sights much wider. And to this day carry out policies of expansion and domination in acts of provocation.
Until measures are made by Israel to improve the standard of living, and bring economic prosperity to the Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Bringing some chord of social justice, and recognition of the Palestinians identity , and stolen land given back to them,and an end to their continuing use of apartheid practices., their will be no peace. That is Balfours tragic legacy.

Djamila Bouhired ( b.1935) Revolutionary and Icon.

In memory of the Algerian Revolution, 1st 1953, Djamila Bouhired is a leading Algerian heroine and revolutionary,
She fought in the war of national liberation 1954 -1982, and has worked as a vocal activist in the movement for womens rights in Independent Algeria. She joined the Algerian National Liberation Front ( FLN) while a student activist  to fight for Independence from France. She and other women played a critical role during the battle for Algeria, which began on September 1956. She assisted the FLN leader, Saaadi Yacef, in recruiting young muslims from the capital who could pass as Europeans. Dressed as Frenchwomen she and two other female militants placed concealed bombs in the European sections  of Algeria. Two exploded, causing civilian casualties, her bomb failed to detonate.These actions must be remembered in the context of the daily oppression that theAlgerians recieved at the time. This event and others unleashed the Battle of Algiers, which raged until 1957, when she was arrested, imprisoned and subjected to appalling torture. In July she was sentenced to death by the guillotine after a trial deemed a travesty of justice. However she became a cause celebre  because of international media coverage of the French army's systematic use of torture, and she was eventually released.
She continued to be actively involved in feminist politics, advocating fundamental transformations in the legal, political abnd social status of Algerias women roviding a new generation with a role model of an active anti-colonial fighter.

Further Reading

The Wretched of the Earth - Franz Fanon
(Penguin, 1967)

My Battle of Algiers - Ted Morgan
(Smithosian Books)

Books are Magic

                                              The wheel has turned, the veil has thinned,
                                              from wood to paper, find ideas to save,
                                              pause in resolution as words reveal,
                                              follow paths already lit, before nights incision roars,
                                              magic hooks, offering garlands of depth,
                                              along the margins, along the cracks, and the edges
                                                                                                     of time,
                                              planting seeds of promise and change,
                                              blessed be........


Happy Samhein/halloween
heddwch/peace

Watch out , watch out!
their are tories about!
  
Look to the FUTURE

"Not a Dreamland" Artists and Alternative Subcultures in Gaza

http://electronicintifada.net/content/video-images-and-sounds-gazas-vibrant-subculture-not-dreamland/11825

This short, produced by ActiveStills, features both established artists and performers such as hip-hop group Palestinian Unit, unconventional filmmaker brothers Arab and Tarzan, painters from the art collective iltika, break dancers from Camp Breakerz as well as less known youth who experiment with parkour, beat box, break dancing and roller skating. Interview extracts and striking images give context to the conditions under which these artists create, giving vivid insight into a vibrant side of Gaza that is rarely shown.

Terry Callier (24/5/45 -28/10/12) Folk Jazz Mystic R.I.P

Amazing following yesterdays post about the death of David S. Ware, have found out today that another legend of the music world has passed away. Terry Callier was an American jazz, soul and folk guitarist, singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois, whose music simply defied categorisation. Despite releasing some truly amazing records in the late 60' early 70s he never found stardom, and was largely overlooked. After retiring from music in 1983  he re-emerged in the 90s  , rediscovered  by  his collaborations with the likes of Beth Orton, Massive Attack and later Paul Weller, he became associated with the burgeoning Acid Jazz Scene.
Long have his records given me comfort over the years, his truly beautiful and soulful voice was truly unique, his albums,  The New Folk Sounds of Terry Callier ( 1968)   and   What Color is Love from 1973 I have long believed have been timeless classics.
A truly elevated and conscious man, he sang of  the universal themes of love , truth, and peace, he was given by the United Nations, an award  for his outstanding Contribution for World Peace in 1998.
A true icon of our age,who had sadly  dissapeared from view in recent years. His voice will be sorely missed  but  I will continue to find solace in the the legacy that he has left behind. R.I.P

Terry Callier - What Time is Love?

Terry Callier - Time Peace

Terry Callier - Your going to Miss me Candyman

Terry Callier and Massive Attack - Live with me

Terry Callier - Brotherly Love

Autumn leaves - David S. Ware ( 7/11/49 -18/10/12) R.I.P

Found out only yesterday that David S. Ware, powerful jazz sazophonist had passed away, recently in a hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, after a long illness, at the age of 62. He was influenced by many of the greats, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler , Roland Kirk and Pharoah Sanders. He went on to develop his own voice, taking a transcendent approach to music, in a spiritual quest , that celebrated the universe of sound. His use of free improvisation took him far away from the jazz mainstream whilst maintaining a tonal breath of much clarity. Finding his own inner vision and language, he leaves behind a solid shelf of great music. He will be missed by fans and musicians alike.

Here is a link to his obituary in the Guardian Newspaper
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/24/david-s-ware

Autumn Leaves - David S. Ware

David S.Ware- Peace Celestial

David S.Ware - Astral Earth

David S. Ware Quartet - Aquarian Sound

Here is a link to a short film about him  made by the David Lynch Foundation

A World of Sound

http://dlf.tv/2011/david-s-ware/