Doune The Rabbit Hole 450


I shall again be running the bar – the Whistleblower’s Arms – at the Doune the Rabbit Hole Festival from 22 to 24 August at Cardross, Port of Menteith.

I find this festival, which is very much a lifestyle event and features mostly new talent, an extremely life-affirming experience. Last year it brought me back from a very dark place. Some of this blogs most active commenters and helpers have been among the volunteers over the last couple of years, keeping the event going. Personally for me the festival is necessarily centred around Williams Bros and Thistly Cross, but there is a tremendous variety of music:

Doune-poster-updated-16th-june-01-1-2

The event is very family friendly, and also an amazing place to meet new friends. It does not have any specific political orientation, but I might fairly say that the vibe is very much in line with the kind of unconstrained intellectual space promoted on this blog. On top of which Cardross is an extraordinarily beautiful place. The variety of local food on site, ranging from vegan to game, is one of the things I really enjoyed. It is a not for profit event and nobody gets a salary.

Tickets are not expensive by festival standards, and certainly cheaper than a weekend break in a hotel. But there is also the alternative of working your passage – the festival still needs plenty of volunteers.

I am genuinely looking forward to it enormously. Hope to see you there.


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450 thoughts on “Doune The Rabbit Hole

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  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    Resident Dissident

    “Perhaps Mary, given her father’s stance against Nazi’s might wish to explain why she felt necessary to give succour to Irving’s cause just so she could get in an attack on Lipstadt’s lawyer?”
    ___________________

    Could the answer be contained in the old saw “my enemies’ enemy is my friend”, Mary’s enemies in this case being Deborah Lipstadt and her lawyer Anthony Julius?

    Of course, only Mary can tell us why she sees Lipstadt and Julius as her enemies….

  • Mary

    He’s still living on his wits.

    http://www.lordnorthstreet.com/our-team/team-members/john-verulam

    Living in a nice pad.

    New Gorhambury House We are allowed to gawp if we pay.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Gorhambury_House

    His speech in the Lords when they were carving up the Scottish oil. He had succeeded to the title 2 years earlier.

    Within this. http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1975/feb/10/offshore-petroleum-development-scotland

    and displaying a strong materialistic streak in this speech in an Industry and Society debate. Lord Brown who followed made a comment to that effect.
    http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1977/feb/09/industry-and-society-1#S5LV0379P0_19770209_HOL_143

    His wife is the Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire and they are such an arrogant lot that they brought the town’s traffic to a standstill at a family wedding. Let the plebs wait!
    http://www.hertsad.co.uk/news/traffic_chaos_wedding_was_that_of_earl_of_verulam_s_daughter_1_2238012

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    Dreoilin asks, à propos Brian Haw

    “Does anyone know what happened to his seven children?”
    __________________

    I suspect that part of the answer is that the fascist British state – through the agency of its evil social security system – kept the wolf from the door during the period of Mr Haw’s volontary withdrawal from the world of gainful employment.

    But, of course, I stand ready to be corrected (as always!).

  • Ben-LA PACQUTE LO ES TODO

    “Contrariwise,’ continued Tweedledee, ‘if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.”

    L. Carroll

  • Ben-LA PACQUTE LO ES TODO

    `Let’s fight till six, and then have dinner,’ said Tweedledum.

    `Very well,’ the other said, rather sadly: `and she can watch us — only you’d better not come very close,’ he added: `I generally hit everything I can see — when I get really excited.’

    `And I hit everything within reach,’ cried Tweedledum, `whether I can see it or not!’

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    ““Nearly 50 years before the war in Iraq, Britain and America sought a secretive “regime change” in another Arab country they accused of spreading terror and threatening the west’s oil supplies, by planning the invasion of Syria and the assassination of leading figures.
    Newly discovered documents show how in 1957 Harold Macmillan and President Dwight Eisenhower approved a CIA-MI6 plan to stage fake border incidents as an excuse for an invasion by Syria’s pro-western neighbours, and then to “eliminate” the most influential triumvirate in Damascus.”
    ________________

    Well, you can say what you like about old Ben, but one can certainly learn from him.

    Funnily enough, however, the various histories of Syria do not appear to record any invasion of Syria or indeed any assassination of its “leading figures” in 1957 or even in the years thereafter.

    What happened, Ben?

  • Macky

    Dreoilin; “Does anyone know what happened to his seven children?”

    I’m sure that they would all be touched to learn of your personal “concern” for them; or do you share the concern of Habby The Humane, that they may, shock ! horror ! heaven forbid ! have received any kind of benefit ?

  • Ben-LA PACQUTE LO ES TODO

    `Do I look very pale?’ said Tweedledum, coming up to have his helmet tied on. (He called it a helmet, though it certainly looked much more like a saucepan.)

  • Resident Dissident

    If we are going to have a statue to a pacifist – surely the Eminences can come up with someone better than Brian Haw who achieved close to bugger all when compared with someone like Bertrand Russell. But then of course if you believe in politics as street theatre then perhaps it makes some sense. I nominate a collection of naked Eminences to occupy the empty plinth in Trafalgar Square.

  • technicolour

    In his stand against war and lies, Brian Haw represented the views of the majority of British people, of all political persuasions and backgrounds, of course.

    “Friends and family attended the ceremony for the Woodford Green-born protestor at 1.15pm in Redditch Crematorium, in Redditch, Worcestershire, where he lived, before heading to the Foxlydiate Arms pub to share their memories of the man.

    His daughter, Catherine Fletcher, said before the funeral: “We would like to say a big thank you to everyone for their kind words and support at this awful time.”

    She also told the BBC that she was “very proud” of him for “standing up for what he believed in”, and said he attended her brother’s graduation and had come home now and then.”

    http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/9131446.WOODFORD_GREEN__Funeral_of_Brian_Haw_attended_by_friends_and_family/

  • Dreoilin

    “I’m sure that they would all be touched to learn of your personal “concern” for them; or do you share the concern of Habby The Humane, that they may, shock ! horror ! heaven forbid ! have received any kind of benefit ?”

    Typical idiot Macky to dive in nose first, without knowing jack schitt, either about me, or about Brian Haw’s children. Or without a shred of evidence that I would oppose benefit for them.
    You really are a klutz of the first order. Next time, count to ten before you open your big maw.

    ________

    Meanwhile, I found the following

    “The memory of an inspirational anti-war campaigner, who camped outside the Houses of Parliament for ten years in protest, will feature in a musical production.

    “Brian Haw became a familiar face to MPs and a controversial hero to civil rights campaigners as he protested about sanctions against Iraq and wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan until he died in 2011.

    “His family has given their blessing for the Youth Music Theatre to create According to Brian Haw. His son Peter even worked with the group to bring his father’s story to life.

    “Mr Haw, one of the protester’s seven children, worked as an adviser for the production which will begin at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, west London on August 20.

    “The 31-year-old said that the family completely supported his father’s decision to carry out the protest but found it hard to handle his absence as they grew up in Redditch, Worcestershire without him.”

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305662/Brian-Haw-Anti-war-protester-Life-Brian-musical-dedicated-memory.html

    A musical doesn’t sound like the right vehicle for the story of an anti-war protester, to me anyway. But that’s probably just a personal thing.

    ————–

    Glad to read your comment, Technicolour. Wikipedia made it sound like he walked out and never came back.

  • Ben-LA PACQUTE LO ES TODO

    Oh, the Pacifist Eminences need a tutor.

    `I know what you’re thinking about,’ said Tweedledum: `but it isn’t so, nohow.’

  • Macky

    Dreoilin; “Next time, count to ten before you open your big maw”

    You may fool some of the less perceptive people here, but your “innocent” Wiki quote & “concern” for his children, reveal exactly what a nasty piece of work you really are.

  • Dreoilin

    Sweet harmless little Macky considers herself “perceptive”.

    😀

    (Talk to the hand, Macky, because from now the ears ain’t listening)

  • dave

    The bastards have taken down the Hamas website: http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/en/.

    Meanwhile, Britain is allowing its territory to be used by those who are assisting with the Zionist war effort against Gaza.

    The territory I refer to is the head offices of major media organisations, both state and private. Those organisations are using the official Zionist military translation of “Operation Solid Rock” (or “Solid Cliff”) into “Operation Protective Edge” or “Operation Defensive Edge”. Those translations come directly from the IDF’s psychological warfare department.

    Can someone tell me whether there is a religious meaning to “מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן” (“Mivtzah Tzuk Eitan”). Other Zionist massacres have been given religiously-derived names (Passover Cleansing, Cast Lead, Pillar of Cloud), so is the ongoing massacre the same or different in that respect?

  • Ben-LA PACQUTE LO ES TODO

    Dave; A near as I can it seems to mean ‘make a rock’ which is interesting because when Moses returned from the Mountain, the Israelites had cast a Golden Calf to replace YHWH and Moses was told to stand aside because He threatened to destroy this ‘stiff-necked’ people and raise up descendants of Abraham from stones in the desert.

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    Macky (19h39)

    “I challenge you to substantiate any of these alleged “reproachments”(sic),…”

    _____________________

    With pleasure, Macky. Here’s what Craig said to you on the “When Lavrov was right thread” on 17 March a&t 18h54:

    “Macky

    You are astonished I talk about Kosovo when a few days ago I had little knowledge. It is called the capacity to learn, Macky, you should try it.

    Not only an I suddenly a US stooge for not agreeing with you, but now all twelve other countries at the UN security council which voted against Russia are US stooges too. Anyone who doesn’t agree with you is in the pay of the CIA, blackmailed by the US, or a Nazi. Weird that.”

    I’d say that’s a reproach in anyone’s book, Macky.

    More where that came from, Macky, just say the word and I’ll refer.

    Klutz!!

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    From Dreoilin

    “Sweet harmless little Macky considers herself “perceptive”.”
    _____________

    That “herself” reminds me that there was a long, very long exchange on Squonk back in March about whether Macky was male or female.

    A lot of hot air if course, and thoroughly pointless, but Macky did seem to get very upset with someone or other for outing him (or was that “her”?).

  • Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) !

    Germany 7, Brazil 1, huh?

    That must surely be the biggest defeat for any side ever in the World Cup semi-finals.

    Perhaps even the biggest defeat for any side in any round of any World Cup?

    Football fans please correct if necessary.

  • Ben-LA PACQUTE LO ES TODO

    Truly if Israeli’s are the chosen people, it’s a different kind of special status. Maybe they’ve ‘chosen’ the path of the Hittites, Amalakites,Sargon and their first King Saul.

  • Mary

    There is said to be no connection between the death of the ex husband of Mrs al-Hilli and her murder. He died of a heart attack in the US on the same day she died. A strange coincidence there.

    Al-Hilli murders ‘No Alps link’ in death of ex-husband
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28221435

  • Mary

    The question raised about Brian Haw’s children provided the troll with the opportunity to smear and besmirch a decent man.

    ~~~

    The promise of a Gandhi statue in Parliament Square came from the dynamic duo Gideon and Billy Fourteen Pints Hague on their trip to India. I bet they are having a great time out there. Hague hopes to flog Eurofighters to Modi. What would Angelina, Hague’s partner in the fight against rape in war, say about his hypocrisy?

    The ambitious Mr Javid is not to be left out.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/08/gandhi-statue-for-outside-parliament

    Q.Why is Javid, born here of ‘British Indian parents’, a Conservative Friend of Israel?
    http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/94117/muslim-tory-mp-after-britain-israel-best

  • Mary

    Dependent on a final ruling by the ECHR today, anonymous commenting on the internet might end. This comes soon after the recent ruling that Google, on request, must remove personal information.

    CASE OF DELFI AS v. ESTONIA
    http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/sites/eng/pages/search.aspx?i=001-126635#{“itemid”:[“001-126635”]}

    Delfi is a news agency.

    Background
    http://www.indexoncensorship.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/udgment-Delfi-AS-v.-Estonia-making-an-online-news-site-liable-for-its-readers-comments-was-justifie.pdf

    Freedom of speech on the internet is being closed down.

  • Macky

    “I’d say that’s a reproach in anyone’s book, Macky”

    LOL ! Thank you for starting my day with a great laugh ! 😀

    I reckon that Craig will thank you NOT for bringing that up ! 😀

    It’s no accident that you didn’t provide the link, where the context will show exactly what a schoolboy howler of a “misunderstanding” (let’s be generous) that Craig chose to reply with, rather than engage with points he found uncomfortable with.

    My reply to Craig’s incredulous straw-man attempt makes clear that if there was any “reproach”, it emanated from me rather than to me.

    http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/03/when-lavrov-was-right/#comment-446700

    Still no luck finding that mythical comment of mine where you alleged that I “swore never to return” ?! Funny that, and in the really side-splitting hilarious sense too !

    You will keep trying though, as there’s a new influx of Posters who need to have the pleasure of seeing you shredding your credibility yet again, and to realize that shameless bear face lying is really your strongest, & really, only forte.

  • KingofWelshNoir

    O/T

    I loved the footy yesterday, but I hate the way the commentators and pundits can’t seem to get out of the crappy WW2 movie mentality, with Germans forever portrayed as cold-hearted villains. Even when the commentators praise them they automatically turn to dehumanising adjectives like, ruthless efficiency, cold, calculating, forensic, machine-like etc.

    Last night they were a joy to behold. Hats off to them. And I say that as one whose sympathies normally lie with the Brazilians.

    End of rant.

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