Londonon and on and on...

Random thoughts (and more than a little scorn - so I had a bad day a work. Sue me.)

* America thinks about the possibility of increased risk of attacks on them. Oh please! Someone tell them that it's not about them for a change.

* Australian punter on the street says on the news "America's been hit. England's been hit, and we'll be next. That's the three big countries". Excuse me? Australia isn't part of any 'big three' unless you're talking about relative house prices and cost of living.

* Beazley talks about terrorists as "Subhuman filth". Geez, brilliant language Kim. Way to get voter-folks onside.

* Old dude in England grins and says "We've been there before, haven't we. Nil Desperandum. We'll get there."

* Bush stands behind Blair at his speech, with his mouth hanging open stunned mullet style. Close your mouth boy. If you think you're looking serious, or concerned, or respectful, or determined, or anything similar - you're not. You look dumb and bored. Gah.

* America talks about 'finding them and bringing them to justice' and 'spreading an ideology of hope to counteract their ideology of hate...'. England actually does just that, instead of talking about it. See speeches of Blair http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005310428,00.html and London's Mayor, Ken Livingstone http://www.todayonline.com/articles/60388.asp

* And finally a bit of light reading from: http://popmatters.com/features/050707-londonthoughts.shtml
"The more immediate worry is that racial tension, traditionally relegated beneath contempt in cosmopolitan London, will rear its hideous head. Although far from perfect, London's ethnic harmony is more often than not, worth celebrating. After 9/11, the widespread hostility aimed towards Arab-Americans was widely reported and universally criticized over here. Undoubtedly, Britain's small but despicable far right movement will use today's attack to launch the familiar scare tactics over immigrants, Muslims, and any groups they can aimlessly lob accusations at.
There's a good chance that London's famously stern personality could get a great deal sterner over the coming days and weeks too. Londoners don't speak to each other unless they can absolutely help it, and the added fear that the person sitting opposite you on the bus could be a suicide bomber could only worsen the situation. The capital's often-tangible tension -- instantly recognizable to anyone who's ever tried to walk down Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon -- is primed to be cranked up a notch or two. Music and cultural events across London have been cancelled for the foreseeable future. It's hard to say when people will even consider going out or enjoying themselves again. "