tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-145497272024-03-08T00:34:43.191+00:00Rachel from north LondonThe political is the personal, more often than you'd thinkRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.comBlogger1035125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-29963248926595954592010-05-08T08:43:00.008+01:002010-05-08T15:23:16.529+01:00I stopped blogging last year, for various reasons.The main one was that a member of my family became suddenly and seriously ill. They did not want their illness made generally well-known and public. Since this blog at one time had a lot of readers, including people who know, or who know of my family, that meant I could not mention what was happening to my family here.As I have always been honest Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-57270967577616567152009-08-02T14:03:00.001+01:002009-08-02T14:04:38.360+01:007/7 The Untold Story: The Big IssueThe Big Issue has a piece out about the lack of an inquiry into 7/7.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-44364690702576375692009-07-18T17:33:00.003+01:002009-07-18T17:40:40.345+01:00Business Guys on Business Tripshat-tip, urban75Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-15867108581969322052009-07-11T11:42:00.005+01:002009-07-11T12:14:18.434+01:00Inside British IntelligenceI'm reading a big fat hardback book at the moment, which means I am reading it slowly, since it is too heavy to carry on the bus to work without wrecking my handbag, and reading it at night makes my wrist ache.I saw this feature in today's Guardian, and thought 'I bet Richard Norton Taylor has already finished his copy'. The book is 'Inside British Intelligence' by Gordon Thomas and covers 100 Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-12214877851467525982009-07-10T16:24:00.006+01:002009-07-11T22:40:48.476+01:00The neo-Nazi 'asylum seekers'Interesting BBC report on the jailing of two men who are the first men in Britain to be convicted of inciting racial hatred online. I wonder if this news will unsettle prominent '7/7 Truth' 'researcher Nick 'Swimming Pools of Auschwitz' Kollerstrom, (who was one of the founders of the 'J7 Truth' campaign) - or any of the other antisemitic creeps, liars and deniers associated with the '9/11 and Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-90153347013545474472009-07-10T10:52:00.005+01:002009-07-10T15:27:11.792+01:00On torture and terrorThe real question is: How much truth can I stand?- Friedrich NietzscheWhat madness seized our leaders, after the carnage and horror of the September 11th attacks? The 'rules of the game' changed, the 'gloves came off' - but at what terrible, bloody cost?<!--#include file="m63-article-related-attachements.html"-->'MI5 is not like Spooks. In Spooks everything is solved by half a dozen people who Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-3437346284552832432009-07-08T20:26:00.004+01:002009-07-09T10:46:23.148+01:00Home Affairs Select Committee announces 'biggest inquiry into 7/7 & terrorists incidents in Britain'Britain's anti-terrorist police face budget cuts for the first time since the July 7 attacks, Scotland Yard's head of counter terrorism has warned.John Yates, assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, admitted that having to make savings was "inevitable" despite the risks associated with staging the 2012 Olympic Games in London.His warning came as the most extensive inquiry yet in to theRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-17971276803630809922009-07-06T20:55:00.002+01:002009-07-06T22:24:30.222+01:00AnniversaryRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-14055539493269518742009-07-05T12:23:00.004+01:002009-07-05T15:27:51.915+01:00Links round upNoticed online this week...Sarah Palin resigns! Gosh darn it! Like millions of people all over the world I was completely agog at the bizarrely-entertaining but actually-quite-scary Sarah Palin soap opera of a campaign last summer and autumn. And now, post a triumphantly rabid Pro-Life redmeat tour in the US, covered in a hard-hitting Vanity Fair article which apparently caused senior RepublicanRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-20197260607904533702009-07-04T11:37:00.015+01:002009-07-05T14:16:10.188+01:00Andy Hayman's book, 7/7 conspiracy theories and the campaign for a 7/7 inquiryOn June 20th, Andy Hayman, CBE, QPM, who was in overall charge of the Counter-terrorism Command and Special Branch at the time of the London 7/7 bombings, and was the UK's National Counter-terrorism Co-ordinator, sensationally came out in favour of an independent public inquiry, in the media as he pre-promoted his new book 'The Terrorist Hunters', serialised in the Times and the subject of a Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-1659546940200579842009-06-30T09:27:00.003+01:002009-07-10T11:07:46.930+01:00Luke Jackson: Goodbye Londonvia email from Luke JacksonRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-89392626213184610382009-06-10T21:29:00.000+01:002009-06-10T21:30:51.645+01:00Refugee WeekRefugee Week June 15-21 When brutality and terror and abuse are government tools, used against people whose only crime is to want to come to this country for a better life, it’s a vital time to fight for the rights of refugees. It’s Refugee Week from June 15 - 21. There’s loads happening. Perhaps a simple act is in order. Pass it on.Thanks Chicken YogurtRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-57322650558461215352009-06-08T13:31:00.003+01:002009-06-08T13:35:39.585+01:00Rest in peace, PoonsI was very, very sorry to hear that Dave 'Poons Howling Spoons' has died. Dave was a commenter on my blog and a lovely, sensitive person whom I enjoyed being in intermittent email contact with. He enjoyed writing, and music, and politics, he was kind and thoughtful and life hurt him very badly at times. He tried very hard to overcome depression and alcoholism. My condolences to his friends and Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-83897709363664787492009-06-08T13:28:00.004+01:002009-06-08T13:38:27.793+01:00The BNP. Not in my name.Please pass around and if anyone has any good ideas besides signing petitions, then let's hear them.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-86880903483418296702009-06-07T13:24:00.001+01:002009-06-07T13:26:29.506+01:00The Mandelson-Draper emails in full.For those with the appetite for it.'...this is not a substitute for policy formulation and taking well prepared, well ordered decisions that the government collectively owns.'Yeah. You said it, Peter Mandelson.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-42931686763830523752009-06-07T11:25:00.009+01:002009-06-07T19:05:04.905+01:00A sorry showThere is still a very great deal I could say about the ISC report, which was published last month. As there's legal proceedings going on, however, I'm not going to go into great detail on this blog, not yet, as I don't see why I should publish everything I now know and thus help the other side. Suffice to say this has not gone away, nor will it, and there will be more soon, so wait and Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-82714119768274920262009-05-18T22:14:00.012+01:002009-05-28T23:59:25.501+01:00The 2nd ISC report is out - and here's the questions they're unlikely to answerBack in 2007, you may remember, there was a major terrorist trial into several men who had been under surveillance as they planned to make a huge fertiliser bomb and kill civilians in the UK - probably 'slags dancing around' in the Ministry of Sound and shoppers in Bluewater. 'Operation Crevice', it was called. It was a major police and security service success and well done to them for it.The Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-6193969332621679002009-05-11T21:43:00.008+01:002009-05-12T09:43:48.774+01:00Meanwhile, elsewhere...Noted during my limited surfing this week...1. 'The police wanted a riot'. A depressing and frightening post from Liberal Conspiracy guest blogger John Q Publican2.' British victim of Mumbai terror tells of official neglect back in the UK.I raised this issue of people being victims of terrorism in countries other than their own at the UN Symposium on Victims of Terrorism; so did several other Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-50792455801855367172009-05-07T06:57:00.002+01:002009-05-07T07:02:22.203+01:00The courage to talk to the other sideLast year, I met the amazing Robi Damelin. Robi is in London on Friday and appearing at Regent's Park Mosque. If you can make this, I strongly urge you to go along, it's free and all are welcome .The City Circle is pleased to support the following event this week. Women Without Borders and SAVE (Sisters Against Violent Extremism) invite you to: THE COURAGE TO TALK TO THE OTHER SIDE SpeakersRachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-68408229916950752592009-05-05T23:15:00.003+01:002009-05-05T23:17:36.663+01:00Jonathan Myerson says Jacqui Smith can keep his DNA for as long as he likes. Daft article, great comments. Which is why I've linked it here.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-1501457685249473382009-05-04T14:03:00.002+01:002009-05-04T14:08:11.544+01:00Adventures in WatercolourAdventures in Watercolour, which offers water colour painting tuition courses abroad and in the UK - for both beginners and more advanced students - has some course places available in 2009. Please view the attached flyer or click here for further information http://www.adventuresinwatercolour.com/courses/courses1.htm. Should you know anyone who would like an interesting birthday present or Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-89997873286247906792009-05-02T18:46:00.007+01:002009-05-04T15:17:15.000+01:007/7 Conspiracy Theories: the TRUTH at lastUPDATE NOTE: the collection of conspiracy theories below is SATIRE. It has been posted because after three years of seeing utter rubbish disseminated on the internet through blogs, forums, home-made 'truth documentaries' and 'truth research', which are nothing more than paranoid speculation, I believe it is time to show this stuff up for what it really is. The sane, clear-eyed calls for a 7/7 Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-27904491100469451052009-05-02T13:44:00.002+01:002009-05-02T13:48:59.971+01:00'A hole in the road means M15'The Telegraph's Neil Tweedie and Duncan Gardham in a fascinating article on paranoia and suspicion in Beeston, where the three men whose trial ended this week, and three of their friends, the 7/7 /2005 suicide bombers hailed from.Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-55891563926298453042009-05-02T11:42:00.007+01:002009-05-02T14:20:09.234+01:00CIF:'To understand 7/7 we need an official account'It's good to see the issue of an independent inquiry into 7/7 getting support from across the board. On Newsnight, Keith Vaz seemed to be suggesting a Home Affairs Select Committee might consider looking at the matter. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have both come out in support of an inquiry, with, for example, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling is known to support a judicial Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14549727.post-55482125995850639122009-05-01T22:50:00.002+01:002009-05-01T22:53:01.319+01:00'This is about the coming of spring'Sing along (warning: SWEARING, sorry Dad)Rachelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04807921540492728422noreply@blogger.com0