"Our time is a time for crossing barriers, for erasing old categories, for probing around. When two seemingly disparate elements are imaginatively poised, put in opposition in new and unique ways, startling discoveries often result."
-Marshall McLuhan

Hunter S Thompson Trashes Tony Blair

Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas author Hunter S Thompson, who guest
starred on Paul Oakenfold's album Bunkka last year, ridiculed Oakey's new
next-door neighbour Tony Blair this week, attacking him over his close
personal relationship with President Bush.

"We are losing this stupid fraudulent war in Iraq and every nation in
the world despises us," the American underground icon complained,
"except for a handful of corrupt Brits, like that simpering little whore Tony
Blair." (The Independent)

"You can pick up one of his books and still relate to it today," he
told Australian magazine 3D World last year.

"It's dangerous- I like that, it appeals to me and it appeals to youth;
the danger is what he says because it's so truthful," he added.

Chatting to Skrufff soon after (to Skrufff's then man in China Seb
Bayne) Oakey revealed he's also kept in close touch with the Colorado based
renowned gun fanatic, since collaborating on Bunkka.

'I speak to him every time I am in his part of the world", Oakey
revealed. 'The first time I noticed George W Bush," Hunter Thompson tells me, "was
when he passed out in my bathtub at the Hyatt Regency in Houston. He
was with a guy who had come to sell . . ." . . .Look, I'm not going to
put this next sentence on the record. Let's just say that 'a friend of
mine' was buying cocaine . . .'

"I was a little reckless with my comments, to be honest. I realized I
relinquished my power too early after I educated myself. I shouldn't
have said that until I felt that there was somebody that could be better
for my people."
P Diddy announces he regrets calling for voters 'to get George W.
Bush's ass out of office' (before voting began)

Australian Beauty Student Faces Death In Indonesia

Authorities in Bali are to seek the death penalty against Australian
tourist Schapelle Corby, 27, who was arrested two weeks ago when airport
cops found 4.1 kg of cannabis in her luggage, at Bali's International
Airport.

According to a report in the Herald Sun this week, the trainee make-up
artist is being detained in a 'tiny' cell in the Denpassar Police
Headquarters, Bali, despite continuing to plead her innocence. Ms Corby is
claiming the marijuana was planted in her unlocked body-board bag and
also passed blood and urine drug tests showing she's not a user.

Her prison conditions, however, contrast favourably with those
experienced by the 134 foreigners currently detained in the Philippines prison
system, which includes 4 Brits, 6 Americans and two Australians,
according to local newspapers.

The Manila Times (Philippines) reported last week that gang violence,
disease and substandard food are endemic throughout the countries'
jails, which are massively overcrowded due to ultra harsh mandatory drug
laws introduced in 2002, which make possession of microscopic amounts of
any drugs punishable with at least 12 years in jail.

"Inmates have a living space of 0.28 square meters per person, way
below the 3-square meters per inmate set by the UN Minimum Standard for the
Treatment of Prisoners," the Manila Times reported, "prisoners sleep on the
floor when they could find space."

John Peel Had An Immeasurable Impact on Club Culture

"What always struck me was the fact that his method for choosing what
to play on the show was so arbitrary.

He called the system 'childish and unfair'. He worked out that every
week, if he listened around the clock every day, he received three weeks'
worth of music, so he often chose the music that came in good sleeves
(skulls particularly appealed), or by bands with great names, or that
he'd been handed in a taxi on the way to work.

My wish is that someone, somewhere, in these times of marketeers,
methodisers, playlisters, whatever, can step up to do the same . . . (more)"

He will be missed

Bonkers Belgium Anti-Gay Bigot Bites The Dust

Infamously intolerant Catholic Cardinal Gustaaf Joos, who earlier this
year branded 90% of gays as sexual perverts, died this week, of
unspecified causes.

The 'close personal friend of Pope John Paul II' (gay.com) launched a
virulent attack against gays earlier this year, which included a bizarre
condemnation of gay people's fashion tastes.

"I am willing to write in my own blood that of all those who call
themselves lesbian or gay, a maximum of five to 10 percent are effectively
lesbian or gay, all the rest are just sexual perverts," the Belgium
religious leader pontificated in February.

"Real homosexuals don't wander in the streets in colourful suits," he
declared (P Magazine)

Massive Attack star Daddy G also spoke out about homosexuality this
week, questioning the true sexual orientation of homophobic Jamaican
reggae stars.

"If you're into guns and you hate batty-men then dancehall is right up
your street," he told the Guardian.

"Dancehall stars are obsessed with gays and you wonder why they are so
obsessed," he continued, "I'd say there's no smoke without fire but I
don't even want to go there." (Guardian)