The Thing About This Is...

Westminster was buzzing today, the wait for Blair to arrive for his final Prime Minister ’s Questions at the House of Commons - the press took over all the green bits, the campaigne rs hijacked Parliament Square and there was I, walking in between the two. Of course, I didn't go inside the Commons, couldn’t get in even if I tried, people booked month s in advance for this show. I had to do with watching it on BBC News. Courteous, funny, not at all sentimental, Blair gave his final performance and a great one it was. Praised by his peers including Cameron, this was the best exit Blair could hope for. Tony hasn’t wasted any of his time, he will return to us as an envoy to the Middle East! Use his Northern Ireland tactics to solve the problems of the troubled gulf. Err, yeah...luck! After an hour of telly I made my way to the commons to join Air Sylhet for their ‘launch’…it was actually a PR-thing. They invited Khalid Mahmood MP to sit and chat and take pictures with them. The ne...

Brick Lane Circle presents 250 years of the Battle of Plassey Conference 24th June 2007 [11am - 5pm] London "23rd June 2007 will be the 250th year of the Battle of Plassey. This was a decisive day in 1757 when the British achieved victory in Bengal under Robert Clive. It was also the beginning of the British Indian Empire. The events organised by Brick Lane Circle (BLC) will consist of a Poetry Reading session on Saturday 23 June and a one day Conference on Sunday 24 June at the Whitechapel Idea Store followed by an East India Company Walk on Sunday 1 July. The Conference will bring together a number of scholars, researchers and members of the community where the context, impacts and the implications of the Battle of Plassey will be explored." Click to enlarge

Time Out recently did an article on how London would benefit from becoming "Islamic." London population is currently around seven million and growing, take on the Muslim population (1.5-2million) and round it up a little it will give you; every fifth person in London is Muslim. (How cool is that?) Well, it's nothing to boast about. [Overt] Islamophobia is on the rise and so are Muslim activists (or radicals would be the wider perception) and it just feeds into the "clash of civilisations" ideology that the media likes perpetrating. The comments from the article alone would make you want to wish the article was not written. I am always taken back as how racist people tend to be on online blogs. Mayor's Office On a lighter note, do think these pictures are rather pretty! Update: Debate on the subject with Michael Hodges (the author of the article) on MuslimCafe.tv [ Video: Londinstan - Is London's ...

There are six things wrong with my life: 1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years. 2. It is on my nose. 3. I have a there-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room. 4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her sadistic teachers. 5. I am very ugly and I need to go to an ugly home. 6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive. An extract from Louise Rennison's, extremely funny teenage novel, 'Confessions of Georgia Nicolson: Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging'. The book is in the process of being made into a film by Gurinder Chadha , who is currently casting for the lead role. Not sure how well it will do as film, as I don't think it can top the book, but after this article on Time Out thought it was worth a post.