We have an excellent couple of Whiteley links already (previous entry); a man whose 30 seconds are well and truly up. In a tenuous link, Edinburgh is also counting down to the G8 summit on Tuesday (see?).
It’s pretty clear the the summit itself at Gleneagles will be raided by militant protesters pretty spectacularly. (While we’re here check the Gleneagles link to try out Google Maps – I guarantee you’ll never touch multimap again).
Before that however is the Long Walk To Justice in Edinburgh city centre, organised by the Snake Poverty Mystery people. Something like 250,000 people are expected to turn up. This is a lot. Given the many militant anti-capitalist groups expected, most people are expecting a week of chaos. Unavoidable example: my client just told me and my colleagues that we are not to even attempt the commute to Glasgow all of next week, just in case the commuter trains are targeted in some way. Several of my friends working in Ed have been ordered to wear casual clothes just in case they’re attacked for being capitalist scum. It’s all most unusual and to be honest fairly exciting.
Changes are visibly in place; Arthur’s Seat/Holyrood is surrounded by steel fencing. Got off the train at Haymarket today be greeted by a meerkat group of police at the main junction. It’s amazing how police presence itself causes tension; all of a sudden you’re alert and looking around for the rumble when actually there isn’t one. You can easily see how things kick off with cops and large groups in proximity.
To maximise the danger then I’ll proudly be taking part in the march on Saturday with pals. Wish me luck – should be an extraordinary day.
29-Jun-05 at 10:54 pm | Permalink
GodSpeed on your journey through chaos.
29-Jun-05 at 10:56 pm | Permalink
So it’s suggested that if I want to visit Edinburgh to buy comics, I instead go to Dundee? But then where will I buy trousers? Dundee is poor for trousers. And the comic shop man is scary.
Also, bets on some rowdy elements of the protest being the only thing the media focuses on, thus diminishing the whole thing?
30-Jun-05 at 9:57 am | Permalink
google maps + satellite = cool^2
Edinburgh Airport
Interesting how the general public gets access to satellite maps just before the G-Hate forum, eh?
Google – Do no evil, my arse.
Once you have a look and are suitably impressed, you’ll realise that only certain areas are covered in detail on the satellite map. Zoom out to southern scotland and you can see them as shaded areas on the map. Got it? Right, so now we think ‘it’s covering the major cities, obviously’. But wait, they’ve missed Glasgow and just got the south west corner. Hrmm, or, Glasgow Airport to be precise. And what’s that detailed area a bit to the North of Glasgow, seemingly in the middle of nowhere? Isn’t that where we keep our (US) nuclear subs? And, just north of Edinburgh, why is that area picked out? Another military installation.
Conspiracy? I don’t know, I just cite the evidence for the jury to make up their own minds.
30-Jun-05 at 11:16 am | Permalink
The past month has been pretty chaotic for me so I’m escaping to Berlin on Saturday for a few days. If I was around I’d be marching with you.
Have a good one.
30-Jun-05 at 12:03 pm | Permalink
You see!?!??
30-Jun-05 at 3:03 pm | Permalink
Make Coldplay history.
That is all.
30-Jun-05 at 4:20 pm | Permalink
Google Earth, eat my scorn! My house and the village nearby are not on it. Just acres and acres of fields. Bwahaha! I win!
For now.
30-Jun-05 at 5:15 pm | Permalink
I’m coming down for MPH. I’d be sensible to travel on the Fri night, wouldn’t I?
Will this be as fun as Paris ’68 (not that I was there or anything).
03-Jul-05 at 8:38 am | Permalink
Hope all went well at march, just gotta say that GoogleMap is the coolest thing i have seen in a long while.. but why they have put a grainy picture of an upside down leg, between Sweden and Finland, you gotta be starting to ask yourself questions
03-Jul-05 at 4:51 pm | Permalink
Yes, how was the march? The people I know, all they did was either spend all day drinking on the meadows, or leave the march early and go home. Myself, I spent the amount I normally spend on bus fares to Edinburgh on a PC control pad, a lottery ticket, and a rental of Shaolin Soccer. Just as GeldBob intended.
Saw some of the Live8 stuff on TV. Thank you Maddonna, for ruining Like A Prayer forever. And thank you to all the acts, really, for making me hate music in general.
It was funny to see Razorlight Twat doing his Geldof impression in front of him. What, you mean that wasn’t an impression etc. ho ho.
Grumble swear grumble.
I hope poverty is now a thing of the past. That shower of baws has to have existed for a reason.
Mmmm. Shower of baws.
05-Jul-05 at 11:24 am | Permalink
It was more of a stroll than a march. Quite boring actually. I don’t blame those who gave up and went to the pub.
27-Jul-05 at 2:19 am | Permalink
Make Coldplay History