A massacre you haven’t heard of yet: Camp Ashraf, Iraq

What is Camp Ashraf? Camp Ashraf is a community of 3,400 Iranian exiles and refugees who fled their country in the years following Iran’s Islamic revolution. It is located 60km north of Baghdad, in Iraq. Who lives there? The camp is famous (or infamous) as a centre for the banned Iranian opposition group the People’s … Continue reading A massacre you haven’t heard of yet: Camp Ashraf, Iraq

Bob Dylan live at London Feis 18 June 2011

Quite simply: the best Dylan show I’ve ever heard. Okay so that’s only out of two, but it was also right up there with all the live recordings I’ve heard: The Rolling Thunder Revue of 1975, the Halloween Show in 1964, 1965 at the BBC, and even the infamous 1966 tour of England. Honestly. Every … Continue reading Bob Dylan live at London Feis 18 June 2011

MacAulay & Co: The Programme

For those of you who missed it, here’s a link to ME, live on BBC Radio Scotland with MacAulay & Co:David Charles on BBC Radio Scotland Highlights: RG: “Did anyone stop who looked like Rutger Hauer?”DC: Who the f*** is Rutger Hauer? “Ha ha ha…” DC: “I’ve met squaddies, religious fanatics, mine investors, hydroelectric dam … Continue reading MacAulay & Co: The Programme

Sleep, Meditation and Dreaming

The Rise of Meditation in the West Meditation in the West has seen a burst of popularity since the 1960s. An Australian survey in 2002 found that 11% of people in Western Australia have practised meditation at least once in their lives. A 2007 government study in the United States found that 9.4% of people … Continue reading Sleep, Meditation and Dreaming

UCL Friends of Palestine: Why Am I An Activist?

On the 16th of December 2010, about forty people crammed into a small lecture theatre on a snowy night in London. Just one week on from the tuition fees protest, the topic of this evening’s event could not have been more timely. Why am I an activist? This is a very personal question – why … Continue reading UCL Friends of Palestine: Why Am I An Activist?

Norman Finkelstein on Gaza and Israel’s Sinister Conspiracy

“I’m no prophet…” says Norman Finkelstein, slayer of myths and self-hating Jew, before proceeding to unveil a monumental international conspiracy: the impending Israeli invasion of Lebanon, due, according to Finkelstein’s crystal ball, in the next 12-18 months. It was interesting hearing this Rottweiler of verifiable fact and reason succumb to the seductions of speculation. but … Continue reading Norman Finkelstein on Gaza and Israel’s Sinister Conspiracy