Right, as promised, one last piece of admin. (This post will be removed in due time.)
We left yesterday’s piece and the associated poll up for two full days to make sure the people who don’t read Wings at weekends saw it and had the chance to vote in it too. But in truth it was pretty obvious how the vote would go from about 20 minutes in.
When the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died last month, the first of their songs that popped into my head, for no particular reason, was “Under My Thumb”, a mildly controversial 1966 album track the band never released as a single in the West.
Its most infamous place in history, though, is this.
Until Watts’ death I was only very broadly aware of the events at Altamont Speedway in 1969, a free festival at a racetrack near San Francisco at which four people died in scenes of malevolent chaos and which is widely regarded as the grim headstone of the hippy era.
But on seeing the extraordinary footage above for the first time on the day of Watts’ death – taken from “Gimme Shelter”, notionally the official movie of the show, although the first two-thirds of it are actually a mundane travelogue of the preceding tour dates – I did some proper reading up on it.
And as I did, a horribly familiar feeling started to unfold.
For many years now, whenever I’ve done one of those “Which Political Party Should You Be In?” online quiz things, it always says that I’m a Green, which is weird because I really hate cyclists. Nevertheless, it was still the result when I did one most recently, just last month.
So I decided that for the first time in my life it was finally time to join a political party.
Her Majesty’s Prisoner No. 157095, or Craig Murray as we still prefer to call him, is a fascinating piece of living evidence of the Kafkaesque country Scotland has become under the despotic rule of Nicola Sturgeon.
Craig has a number of serious medical conditions, one of which causes him frequent dizziness and fainting spells. To gauge their severity (because obviously it’s hard for Craig to judge, given that he’s dizzy and/or fainting at the time), his doctor gave him a device called a pulse oximeter. Depending on the readings from it after an attack, Craig’s life could be in danger and an ambulance should be called.
But because presumably even the Scottish prison authorities realise that it would look quite bad if a political prisoner like Craig died in jail, they did offer him an alternative.
An ongoing exception to this site’s retirement is for news relating to the scandalous imprisonment of journalist and former UK ambassador Craig Murray, the only human in the history of the planet Earth ever to be jailed for the barely-defined pseudo-crime of “jigsaw identification”.
We had another phone call from Craig in HMP Edinburgh yesterday, and he continues to be in good spirits and be well treated by both staff and fellow inmates. He expressed great gratitude for the flood of mail sent by Wings readers in response to our appeal a couple of weeks ago – he’s been receiving up to 60 letters, emails and packages a day, which have been very much appreciated in helping him pass the 22.5 hours out of every 24 that he spends locked alone in his cell.
The prison authorities, however, imposed some bizarre restrictions.
Dan on Seven Days Too Long: “And jist what are Aidan’s relevant qualifications and work experience for him to be such an expert on fossil fuel…” May 5, 13:55
Northcode on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““Scotland’s colonial ‘condition’ and role of the Kirk” This is letter to The Moderator of The Church of Scotland written…” May 5, 13:43
Geri on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Looks like someone has increased the twats pay per post from a penny to a whole 5p. He’s flooded the…” May 5, 13:38
Aidan on Seven Days Too Long: “Thank you for that brilliant summary of the macroeconomics of the oil industry. All this oil being stolen by paedos…” May 5, 13:30
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““You know nothing of God” Indeed, and arguably the missionary aspect of colonialism never needed to know much about God,…” May 5, 13:24
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “@Northy I think you’re overlooking the black, Scottish boy who appeared in several episodes of Porridge. Educate yourself, Dude! BTW.…” May 5, 13:23
Geri on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Yet, Shiteface, It isn’t the religion of peace invading other countries spreading tyranny, hunger, petulance, famine & death now is…” May 5, 13:12
Northcode on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““Mainstream Media vs. Alternative Media” The distinction between mainstream and alternative media lies in their content, audience, and financial structure.…” May 5, 13:07
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “How odd. Northy seems to have an AI that produces output in English – the lying language of the coloniser.…” May 5, 13:07
Mark Beggan on Binfire Of The Vanities: “This election for me is not about voting for this or that. It’s about standing on the right side of…” May 5, 13:07
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Careful how you flap your flippers, James. But I guess you never heard of Onan, outside of your library of…” May 5, 13:00
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““We’ll never be a nation again until we learn to mean what we say” Indeed so, Hatey. And, on the…” May 5, 12:55
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Taking some time out from his tour of the fishing ports of the Moray Firth, James the Walrus graces us…” May 5, 12:52
Cynicus on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Great Question The only one of your answers that matters is anti-SNP. These devoUnionists are a stronger bulwark of continuing…” May 5, 12:45
Northcode on Binfire Of The Vanities: “By the way, I’ve read several versions of the Bible, each of them a few times over, and an English…” May 5, 12:44
Northcode on Binfire Of The Vanities: “For fuck’s sake, Sven, that pish is from the Old Testament which even God tells me (in a dream) wis…” May 5, 12:44
James on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Quoting your imaginary friend again? Bless.” May 5, 12:42
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““merely requires better understanding of our colonial condition” Sigh. I guess the most depressing part of that statement is that…” May 5, 12:39
James on Binfire Of The Vanities: “looks like it’s newspaper stand business has folded….” May 5, 12:38
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““mainstream media blackout and censorship” OFFS, Alf! What century are you inhabiting? What you write of means NOTHING in today’s…” May 5, 12:34
James on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Hmmmm…..the “Site Prick” is now obsessed with “bumming”. Interesting segue. Who knew?” May 5, 12:33
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “We need a Pict Party. That would unite us Scots behind a single aim. Completing the extermination of the Picts…” May 5, 12:31
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Fat Slag Wilma Flintstone I would have thought “crushing a grape” was more your thing..” May 5, 12:25
Hatey McHateface on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Careful, CC! YL might swear a solemn vow, a mighty oath even, to post a half-decent response on here. Oh…” May 5, 12:22
Young Lochinvar on Binfire Of The Vanities: “C @ 12.04 Well if that makes you feel better. I’m sure if the Tories gain the seat in question…” May 5, 12:20
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: ““converting Scots to the Indy cause” merely requires better understanding of our colonial condition, which is all explained here in…” May 5, 12:19
Alf Baird on Binfire Of The Vanities: “Correct Northcode, every one Tommy, Craig and Eva seeking oor leeberation is easily worth a dozen or mair daeless SNP…” May 5, 12:14
Sven on Binfire Of The Vanities: “North ode @ 11.39. “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD…” May 5, 12:09
Captain Caveman on Binfire Of The Vanities: “😀 “W.w..why I’m SO ANGRY, I could THROW THE PHONE DOWN!!!!!!1111!!!”” May 5, 12:08
