'Resistance! Occupied Iraq and its Defiance of Bush'
I have just finished reading 'Resistance! Occupied Europe and its Defiance of Hitler'. Its is a fascinating trawl through the WWII underground. Full of inspiring stories of humanity and courage in the face of dictatorship. Stories like the spontaneous movement of Danes to hide their fellow citizens who were Jewish from the Nazi sweeps which saved around 90% of the population from the final solution. It also makes you think of contemporary times – Iraq and its insurgency/resistance/terrorists – whatever. In the talk by Eric Herring I listen to he talked about the Colition counter-insurgency officers who discussed the 'borrowing' of Nazi methods. If this is the case, here is food for thought from the book: Olaug Titlestad, a member of the resistance in Norway during the war notes; "When somebody had been arrested by the Gestapo, we used to watch his family and we invariably found what we were hoping for: we recruits for the resistance." Another resistance member, Dr. Eilert Eilertsen echoed this, "I am convinced that the Gestapo’s violence and terror actually created the Norwegian resistance movement."

Could it be that the coalitions killings, torture, bombings and corruption is creating the terror? Think so? Hmmmm.

Pantera Plectrum Takes on GM Milk!
So I've donated a Signed Pantera Ticket with Plectrum to aid the Sainsbury's Five. I got the ticket signed and plectrum from a gig in Newport, Wales in 28th September 1992. I traveled up from Devon just to see Pantera. They were supporting Megadeth at the time. At the end of their set, Pantera's guitarist 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott threw his plectrum into the crowd and my then girlfriend caught it and gave it to me! Rock on! After the bit of the gig I went to, I went to the bar and there saw Dimebag Darrell getting a drink. I had a brief chat with him, told him the show was great (because it was) then asked him to sign my ticket, which he did. I am a little sad to part with these, but want to help the cause by donating something unique – of which I thought of this!! I guess it is doubly sad as DimeBag Darrell was shot last year by an angry fan. Still it is cool to see Pantera being given the breakcore treatment by people like Aaron Spectre.

Check out the full auction here:
http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=24493

Last Toxic
Last Saturdays Toxic was amazing - Drop the Lime was fucking amazing, so good it hurts. Parasite also did a jumping set of great mashup. Looks like I am not the only one who enjoyed it - Radio 1's Mary Anne Hobbs was also bigging-up Toxic Dancehall:

dswat.net link to mary-anne_hobbs_breezeblock.mp3

Oh yes, Breakcore- putting Bristol on the map! Plus that was also the end of an era as the event closes, I guess there is something to be said for going up on a high - and it would be difficult to top the last event:

//Farewell TD//
It is with a great sadness in our hearts that we announce that the Toxic Dancehall on Saturday 3rd December 2005 was the final event ever! Through the general geographic dispertion of the night's promoters and some slight differences in musical outlook for the night we thought it best cease.

We, as promoters will continue to promote events but of a similar ilk: Clean Cut, Language, Dissident & Prank will be starting a new night at the Blackswan in June/July 2006 and Death$ucker and Anakissed will be running events at an (as yet) undisclosed location to begin in January/February 2006. The Toxic Dancehall website will remain as an archive and will also display info on related events.

Toxic Dancehall was started as bit of a laugh by a handful of mates, we could never have dreamed of being in the position we're in now. We are still very much good friends and that is one of the reasons we decided to stop, we want to remain that way. We are deeply indebted to all rigs, artists, djs, vjs and ravers who have help make the night what it is.

- Ali, Armin & Ed.
http://www.toxicdancehall.com

The War on Terror is Terror
I have run out of describing, identifying, or quantifying words related to how the war in Iraq is sinking our culture to new lows of violence and debasement. This conflict has no 'bottom' and we seem locked in a deadly embrace with al-Qaeda, cycling down into hell. This is not paradise lost, its paradise no-hope. Its time to call it what it is - the War on Terror is nothing more that Terrorism on a grander scale than al-Qaeda, ETA, The Real IRA or anyone else you care to mentioned could conceive of...

From GNN"The Interior Ministry is at the epicenter of Iraq’s violent malaise. It is the headquarters for the Badr and Wolf Brigades; the American-trained death squads which are responsible for the massive assassination program directed at “alleged” Sunni resistance fighters. The torture chambers, death squads, and random bombings are not caused by foreign terrorists, nor are they the work of Iranian agents striving for a theocratic regime in Baghdad. They are, in fact, the nefarious activities of American puppet-masters, who matriculated in the terror wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. Now, under Uncle Sam’s benign gaze, they are plying their trade in Iraq; wreaking havoc and spreading suffering on an unimaginable scale."

BBC Spin
BBC broadcast ’fake’ news reports: A Spinwatch investigation has revealed that journalists working for the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC) have been commissioned to provide news reports to the BBC. The BBC has been using these reports as if they were genuine news. In fact, the SSVC is entirely funded by the Ministry of Defence as a propaganda operation, which according to its own website makes a ’considerable contribution’ to the ’morale’ of the armed forces.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/12/328988.html