The legendary writer, arranger and producer past away yesterday.
Marvin Gaye
Gladys Knight & The Pips
Temptations
Edwin Starr
Rose Royce
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
Monday, 22 September 2008
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Both Bosco and Babi deported, government and airline condemned
Cross-posted from LGBT asylum news
Campaigners have lost two gay asylum seekers to deportation over the past two days. Both are returning to unsafe situations where they are at real risk of violence, one has documented evidence of a death threat, and in both cases lawyers for the men believe the deportations are illegal.
The deportations occurred despite assurances from the Deputy Prime Minister to correct unfair treatment of LGBT asylum seekers.
John 'Bosco' Nyombi was deported on a flight to Entebbe, Uganda on Friday evening. He has managed to briefly borrow a phone (he didn't have one) to contact UK supporters and is now in hiding from police.
His story has been featured in the Ugandan Press within the last few days including an up-to-date photo of him.
He is in danger of being murdered by Ugandan extremists who are homophobic and he is in danger from Ugandan government political supporters who murdered Bosco's brother because of his high-profile political opposition.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission issued an action alert on Thursday because of the escalating violence directed at the emerging LGBT community in Uganda.
Bosco's solicitors believe that the deportation was "an illegal act of the UK Border Agency".
Bosco is a former bank manager who spent the past six years caring for mentally challenged people in Southampton.
Babakhan (Babi) Badalov was deported from Heathrow Airport yesterday afternoon on a British Midlands Airways (BMI) plane to Baku.
The deportation was described by his supporters as appearing to go against the UK Border Agency's rules as they changed the details of Babi’s forced removal at the last minute and did so on a Saturday.
Babi reported being told by a Border Agent, "you make us sick, you're going back where you belong.”
He was due to fly earlier in the day on Azerbaijan Airlines but the airline refused to take him after they were contacted by supporters of Babi. As soon as supporters learned of the change of airline to BMI they attempted to contact them, however many were not able to get through and claim that the Press Officer of BMI's contact number was deliberately switched off.
A medical assesment conducted on Friday had strongly recommended that Babi required a mental health check and an appointment with a neurologist had been arranged. His local MP Jenny Willotts has made strong representations for Babi urging the Home Office not to deport him.
Further, Peter Tatchell, who was contacted by Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Harman, after she was booed at the London Pride Rally in July because of the government's approach to LGBT asylum, contacted Harman about Babi:
Babi emailed the following message to supporters on Sunday:
In the wake of the deportations, gayasylumuk reiterated its call made on Thursday for two things:
Campaigners have lost two gay asylum seekers to deportation over the past two days. Both are returning to unsafe situations where they are at real risk of violence, one has documented evidence of a death threat, and in both cases lawyers for the men believe the deportations are illegal.
The deportations occurred despite assurances from the Deputy Prime Minister to correct unfair treatment of LGBT asylum seekers.
John 'Bosco' Nyombi was deported on a flight to Entebbe, Uganda on Friday evening. He has managed to briefly borrow a phone (he didn't have one) to contact UK supporters and is now in hiding from police.
His story has been featured in the Ugandan Press within the last few days including an up-to-date photo of him.
He is in danger of being murdered by Ugandan extremists who are homophobic and he is in danger from Ugandan government political supporters who murdered Bosco's brother because of his high-profile political opposition.
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission issued an action alert on Thursday because of the escalating violence directed at the emerging LGBT community in Uganda.
Bosco's solicitors believe that the deportation was "an illegal act of the UK Border Agency".
Bosco is a former bank manager who spent the past six years caring for mentally challenged people in Southampton.
Babakhan (Babi) Badalov was deported from Heathrow Airport yesterday afternoon on a British Midlands Airways (BMI) plane to Baku.The deportation was described by his supporters as appearing to go against the UK Border Agency's rules as they changed the details of Babi’s forced removal at the last minute and did so on a Saturday.
Babi reported being told by a Border Agent, "you make us sick, you're going back where you belong.”
He was due to fly earlier in the day on Azerbaijan Airlines but the airline refused to take him after they were contacted by supporters of Babi. As soon as supporters learned of the change of airline to BMI they attempted to contact them, however many were not able to get through and claim that the Press Officer of BMI's contact number was deliberately switched off.
A medical assesment conducted on Friday had strongly recommended that Babi required a mental health check and an appointment with a neurologist had been arranged. His local MP Jenny Willotts has made strong representations for Babi urging the Home Office not to deport him.
Further, Peter Tatchell, who was contacted by Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Harman, after she was booed at the London Pride Rally in July because of the government's approach to LGBT asylum, contacted Harman about Babi:
He (Babi) is scheduled for deportation despite him being in the process of filing a new asylum claim with fresh evidence. This new evidence includes one of his brothers threatening to kill him on grounds that he had shamed the family by being gay. There are also new witness statements detailing Babi’s history of violent, homophobic persecution in Azerbaijan.Tatchell says that when he recently met Harriet Harman, she and Barbara Follett MP sagreed to examine and assist in the correction of any unfair treatment of LGBT asylum applicants.
In these circumstances, his removal should be put on hold until he has an opportunity to put forward this new evidence to an asylum tribunal.
Babi emailed the following message to supporters on Sunday:
FAKKK YOU MISS JACQUYI LOCKSMITH FROM HELLBAIJANHis supporters said:
FAKK YOU UNITED KING KONG YANKEE GO KHOMEBASHI
WILL NOT DIED N KILL MYSELF
WILL CONITINE EXCEPT YOU GIVING ME ADVENTURE PAIN
I AM LIVE BUT ITS VERY TERRIBLE PLACE TO BE HERE
I AM AFFRAID OF MY FAMILY COME FIND ME HERE
I LAV ALL ALL YOU THERE
YOU ALL SO GOOD AND NICE PLESANT TO ME
If anything happens to Babi in Azerbaijan, British government and the BMI airline will bear the ultimate responsibility for that.The editor of Scotsgay Magazine John Heim noted that the MD of airline BMI is gay man Sir Michael David Bishop CBE.
Please write to BMI stating that you will ensure none of your friends and family travel with them in the future, that you will campaign ceaselessly against them, for they have acted selfishly, with no regard to an individual’s health and mental well-being.
Let’s make sure they experience a backlash.
In the wake of the deportations, gayasylumuk reiterated its call made on Thursday for two things:
1. maximum embarrassment and a collective 'turning of the back' by UK LGBT and all right thinking people, particularly as the governing Labour Party conducts its annual conference in Manchester next weekNoting that the government has flown rainbow flags from Eastern European embassies, they also reiterated their call made earlier this year that:
2. signatures to the petition initiated by the Rev. Walter Attwood to Gordon Brown [http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Stopdeportinggay/]
"Gay and lesbian Labour voters in particular consider changing their vote if the [LGBT asylum] policy isn't changed before the next election. This is one way to get the message through on their hypocrisy regarding lesbian and gay rights issues — when embassies in other countries are flying the rainbow flag they aren't doing this in Tehran, Kingston or Kampala."
Saturday, 20 September 2008
Nick Clegg on the Daily Show
"Just one more thing, ask the Prime Minister why he dragged my country into an unnecessary war ... "
Music: Love Sensation
Dan Hartman and Tom Mouton wrote, produced and arranged this masterpiece of disco by Loleatta Holloway.
Famously sampled for the hideous "Ride On Time" (she sued, successfully) and subject to numerous unnecessary remixes.
Friday, 19 September 2008
Picnik
I've been using Snipshot for ages now as as v. quick, in-browser method for generating web ready images on-the-fly. For web purposes it's great.
But it's not ready yet for Firefox 3.0 and has thus disappeared from my right-click.
What's replaced it is Picnik, which is similar photo editor but with more options and also a firefox add-on (Facebook too). It is Flash based, takes slightly longer, it does try to sell to you and it is tied into Flickr.
But that's being picky. Recommended!
Music: Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now
:[ Gone. 2015 replacement with extended original.
McFadden & Whitehead's classic was played as Barack Obama accepted the Democratic party nomination.
There are innumerate versions of this. Here's the original extended version for extensive partying down.
Ban this sick filth ...
HT: Chris Boland
Try the Daily Mail headline generator:
WILL THE LEFT TAX BRITAIN'S SWANS?From the people who bring you the David Blunkett policy maker, Michael Howard Sings The Smiths, and Alastair Campbell’s Wheel of Retribution.
DO IMMIGRANTS DESTROY THE MEMORY OF DIANA?
COULD TEENAGE SEX TAX YOUR HOUSE?
COULD GAYS DESTROY YOUR HOUSE?
WILL POLITICAL CORRECTNESS DESTROY CAR DRIVERS?
COULD CHANNEL 4 CHEAT BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY?
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