While Scotland Yard ramps up its investigation into murderous attack on Royal Fusilier Lee Rigby in Woolrich, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Melanie Phillips both remind us again of the truth behind much of the West's rosy view of Islam -and we keep listening: Ali Hirsi: "The Problem of Muslim Leadership - Another Islamist terror attack, another round of assurances that it had nothing to do with the religion of peace", Phillips: "Until our leaders admit the true nature of Islamic extremism, we will never defeat it"; Suspect Michael Adebowale brought to Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning, while Channel 4 News reports that suspect Michael Adebolajo had a split personality -both alleged murderers are said to be members of the Woolrich Boys gang

ITN YouTube Channel video: The family of slain Royal Fusilier Lee Rigby visited the scene of his grisly murder outside the Woolrich Royal Artillery Barracks in Artillery Place at the hands of two Radical Islamists. They laid flowers and read many of the tributes for the 25-year-old soldier who while off-duty and walking down the sidewalk last Tuesday was intentionally run over by a blue Vauxhall Tigra automobile and hacked to death with a machete. Meanwhile, British Home Secretary Theresa May warned there are potentially thousands of people at risk of being radicalised in the U.K., as she indicated plans for a fresh crackdown on extremist groups. Reported by Tom Ellis.  Uploaded May 26, 2013. http://youtu.be/j0xrrb27OCc

The Daily Mail's minute-by-minute account with map:  How The Horror Unfolded
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2329648/Police-commander-forced-defend-response-time-desperate-Woolwich-killing-999-calls-claims-armed-officers-14-minutes.html

Close-up of above map: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/05/23/article-2329648-19F241AD000005DC-798_634x681.jpg

Channel4News YouTube Channel video: One week after the Woolwich attack on drummer Lee Rigsby, while hundreds of members of the Metropolitan Police Service continue investigating the case, Channel 4 News has been told that one of the suspects, Michael Adebolajo, was described as having a split personality. Uploaded May 29, 2013. http://youtu.be/fZeUQzongVE

Official statement from The Met: http://content.met.police.uk/Appeal/Appeal-one-week-on-from-murder-of-Lee-Rigby/1400017575490/1257246745782

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Wall Street Journal

Opinion

The Problem of Muslim Leadership

Another Islamist terror attack, another round of assurances that it had nothing to do with the religion of peace

By Ayaan Hirsi Ali

May 27, 2013, 6:40 p.m. ET

I've seen this before. A Muslim terrorist slays a non-Muslim citizen in the West, and representatives of the Muslim community rush to dissociate themselves and their faith from the horror. After British soldier Lee Rigby was hacked to death last week in Woolwich in south London, Julie Siddiqi, representing the Islamic Society of Britain, quickly stepped before the microphones to attest that all good Muslims were "sickened" by the attack, "just like everyone else."

This happens every time. Muslim men wearing suits and ties, or women wearing stylish headscarves, are sent out to reassure the world that these attacks have no place in real Islam, that they are aberrations and corruptions of the true faith.

Read the rest of the essay at:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323475304578503613890263762.html

The Daily Mail
Until our leaders admit the true nature of Islamic extremism, we will never defeat it
By Melanie Phillips
PUBLISHED: 17:04 EST, 26 May 2013, UPDATED: 17:04 EST, 26 May 2013

Ever since the spectre of Islamic terrorism in the West first manifested itself, Britain has had its head stuck firmly in the sand.

After both 9/11 and the 7/7 London transport bombings, the Labour government promised to take measures to defend the country against further such attacks.

It defined the problem, however, merely as terrorism, failing to understand that the real issue was the extremist ideas which led to such violence.

Read the rest of the column at 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2331368/Until-leaders-admit-true-nature-Islamic-extremism-defeat-it.html

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Anyone who filmed or took photos of the incident are asked to send the moving or still images to police via woolwich@metincident.co.uk - please include your name and contact details, which will be treated in strict confidence. Anyone who may have such material is asked not to delete it after sending it in.

More information is available at the Metropolitan Police Service website: http://content.met.police.uk/Home

FULL SPEECH video: Kevin Costner's heartfelt & nuanced speech about Whitney Houston delivers an emotional wallop that won't be forgotten by anyone who heard it

ITN's Show Biz 411 video: Kevin Costner's ENTIRE speech at Whitney Houston's funeral at the New Hope Baptist Church, Newark, N.J. February 18, 2012 http://youtu.be/2wjh0N1EzPI

Kevin Costner's ENTIRE heartfelt and nuanced speech about Whitney Houston delivers an emotional wallop that won't be forgotten by anyone who heard it. Given the level of sadness that was both inside and outside of that church, this speech was about as close as you can come to pitch-perfect.

How the U.K. & Miami are alike: Whilst "good journalists remain in the majority" elements of the press have become "putrid"; that £100k offer

Channel 4 News video: Alastair Campbell slams 'putrid press.

Correspondent Andy Davies reports on what the former Tony Blair press guru said on Wednesday to Lord Justice Leveson's inquiry on media hacking and ethics.

He also reports on complaints about lax action by the official media watchdog, the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) by a former high-ranking official there, Alec Owens, even when there was clear evidence of wrong-doing.

http://bcove.me/17xpks6a

Story at: http://www.channel4.com/news/alastair-campbell-slams-putrid-press

How England and Miami are alike: Whilst "good journalists remain in the majority" elements of the press have become "putrid."

Except here in South Florida, as I've pointed out here to a fair-thee-well, and as I and many of my friends and fellow bloggers know from personal experience, they're actually in the minority, and are often too lazy to show-up at actual news events without being handed the pre-digested facts on a silver platter by a PIO before showing-up.

That is, IF they show up at all.

Unfortunately for residents like me who want to know more about what's going on here in the country's fourth-largest state -and in-depth- the truth is, South Florida is the the exact opposite of the hot-house competitive reporting atmosphere in England that brings out lots of important news stories that would otherwise never see the light of day.

Channel 4's webpage of archived stories on the multiple phone hacking scandals:

http://www.channel4.com/news/phone-hacking-media-scandal

On Monday, a media-savvy friend in England who's been following this matter a lot more carefully than yours truly, sent me an interesting email, which, for reasons of shorthand here on the blog, I'll simply call The Curious Case of Charlotte Church.

Serendipitously, in my YouTube Channel mailbox later in the day was the ITN Showbiz 411 video below, which tells you everything you need to know about her part in a strange tale.

Yes, some pretty odd and forthright stuff coming from the Welsh songbird.

ITN Show Biz 411 video: Charlotte Church 'offered £100k to sing for Rupert Murdoch -or favorable "press"'; her testimony from the Leveson Inquiry

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afCYiojhR5c&feature=youtu.be

I last wrote about Charlotte on the blog back on October 27th, 2010 in a post I titled,

The Klaxons -Twin Flames (featuring Charlotte Church) from Richard Bacon's new afternoon program on BBC Radio 5 live

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/klaxons-twin-flames-featuring-charlotte.html

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http://www.charlottechurch.co/

My favorite Charlotte comment from her website above?

Easy, it's from February 11th, Storm in a Tea Cup, featuring the cutting closing remark about the news media: "Still, it's always a shame to spoil a good story with the truth isn't it?"

Beautiful!

http://www.youtube.com/user/charlottechurch

Quality writing & acting wins again! Downton Abbey scores 4 at Emmys, as U.S. eagerly awaits Season 2's melodrama amidst WWII on PBS January 8th

ITN's The Showbiz 411 video: Downtown Abbey scores Emmy success, nabs 4 awards, including Best Mini-series, Best Supporting Actress (Dame Maggie Smith), Best Writing and Best Directing at 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, ATAS, telecast on Fox-TV, September 18, 2011. http://youtu.be/YM_g9hxdYMU

Downton Abbey ITV1 promo

http://youtu.be/2M3moEeErr8

Quality writing & acting wins again! Downton Abbey scores 4 at Emmys, as U.S. audiences eagerly awaits Season 2's melodrama amidst WWII on PBS January 8th

I loved everything about this show and saw each episode at least twice -uninterrupted and non-distracted. (Like I was watching game film!)

Already being seen on ITV1 in the U.K., I can't wait for the second season to finally get to PBS!

Just under 15 weeks from yesterday -January 8th!

And if you didn't see it earlier this year, the first year of Downton Abbey re-airs on PBS beginning Sunday, December 18th at 9:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific.

Trust me, you will hear about that as you know that PBS will be mentioning it every five minutes after Thanksgiving, and maybe even do a print ad campaign to create some synergy with the new season starting in January.

Downton Abbey - Series 1 promo

http://youtu.be/Sb0L3KH6YGY

Downton Abbey - Series 2 promo

http://youtu.be/1fwab6S6IWA

PBS video: Elizabeth McGovern on Season 2 of Downton Abbey

Watch the full episode. See more Masterpiece.

PBS vids with the cast of Downton Abbey are here:

http://www.pbs.org/search/?q=%22Downton%20Abbey%22

Australia's Channel Seven video: The hosts of Better Homes & Gardens went to Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed to give viewers a behind-the-scenes look at upcoming Season 2, the amazing castle and meet the very talented cast.

http://youtu.be/VltkmtmNBl4

Thanks to my observant friends, loyal confidantes and trend-spotting spies around the world, I got tipped-off to this video and can tell you that TODAY, Sept. 19th, is the first day that you can pre-order the new Decca Music CD containing the soundtrack of Season 2 of Downton Abbey produced by John Lunn,via Amazon.co.uk.

And it features the series theme, Did I Make The Most of Loving You?, being sung by Mary-Jess, a.k.a. Mary-Jess Leaverland, which I have videos of below.

In the U.S., you can also now pre-order it thru the American office of Amazon.com, but it comes as an Import and runs $28.68 plus shipping.

The CD will be released September 27th, 2011.

See the British link above to see and hear the selection of songs.

Decca Music video: Theme to Downton Abbey (Mary-Jess) 2011.

http://youtu.be/uCa-Bxl1s1c

Mary-Jess -Did I Make The Most of Loving You? ("Downton Abbey" theme) 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0AbTiBYrbg&feature=colike

If you really watched the first season you ought to get the inside jokes and references here in this parody.

It's cracking good!

BBC video: Uptown Downstairs Abbey Part One - Red Nose Day 2011 - BBC Comic Relief Night. May 2011.

http://youtu.be/r5dMlXentLw

Thanks to its Emmy win last night, Amazon.com is offering a great deal where you can purchase the Original U.K. Unedited version for only $15.49 for over six hours.

Corteges for British war dead returning from Afghanistan to soon drive down side streets to avoid public in Wootton Bassett; town residents upset

Sky News video: War dead to be driven down side streets to avoid the public.

July 2, 2011. http://youtu.be/2_rTmaQj7Qc

News that funeral corteges for British war dead returning from Afghanistan will intentionally bypass the public in Wootton Bassett and Carterton starting in September, after the closing of RAF Lyneham, and instead, drive thru RAF Brize Norton, continues to outrage many area residents who feel that the new policy is insulting.

Video from two years ago shows what some of those corteges can be like.

This is the tradition they want to end.

ITN News Video: British troops killed in Afghanistan returned home

http://youtu.be/2BWdETm9u5A

Read more about the tradition here in The Guardian:

Loyal Wootton Bassett to become Royal Wootton Bassett

Wiltshire town gains rare title in recognition of its honouring of fallen service personnel returning to Britain

By Steven Morris, guardian.co.uk,

Wednesday 16 March 2011 13.03 GMT

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/16/wootton-bassett-royal-wiltshire-service?INTCMP=SRCH

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From http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafbrizenorton/

REPATRIATION OF BRITISH ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL KILLED IN SERVICE

The timings for the funeral corteges of personnel who have been killed in service, and who have been repatriated through RAF Lyneham, are published on the Wootton Bassett Town Council website. Timings are subject to change at short notice, so please use the Wootton Bassett Town Council website for up to date information.

As of today, RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire remains the largest station in the U.K.

See more on the base's ties to the U.S. Army Air Corps/Air Force here:

http://carterton-tc.gov.uk/heritage_rafusaf

Look out NASCAR! The monkeys at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire have a car of their own to play with -they're 'grease monkeys' AND quick learners!

Monkey Mayhem Returns to Longleat!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sst5olU-0jw

Look out NASCAR!
The Rhesus macaques at Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire have a car of their own to play with -they're 'grease monkeys' AND quick learners!

And their sponsors love them -or rather, will.
http://www.longleat.co.uk/

While they have learned how to keep making left-hand turns for 500 miles and how to pull into the correct spot in the pit-stop, there are certain things they still haven't quite caught on to, but give it some time.

For one, they haven't quite figured out how to do the celebratory donut in the infield after the race, an obligatory move in this day and age.

And most importantly for any professional automobile driver, they STILL haven't figured out how to start every post-race interview by thanking their sponsors and mentioning each one in declining order of financial investment.
Next year at Bristol and Martinsville!

I should also add that like me, other than at the Indy 500 or the Daytona 500, races with real tradition, the monkeys in Wiltshire see little value in having military flyovers at automobile races.
If it seems silly to them, imagine how it seems to those of us who can can add the taxpayer dollars involved...

I should mention here that one monkey wanted to put a Miami Dolphins pennant clip on his back window while still another wanted to put a bumper sticker on the back of the Mercedes that read "My child is a Honor Student at Jim Notter High School", but I talked them out of it.

While you're in the area, you may even want to visit a place that's even more famous, Stonehenge, which is why a friend is fond of saying, "Come for the Monkeys, Stay for the Druids."

Official tourism website for Salisbury & Stonehenge:
http://www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/salisbury/home




STONEHENGE -Wiltshire, England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yz0xNkMmAI




National Geographic video: Secrets of Stonehenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6oxmxPKoSE

See also:


ITN Video: Monkeys ravage car at Longleat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be2Eqw5PGa0

BBC News
Longleat's monkeys given their own car

18 March 2011 Last updated at 07:47 ET

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12773736

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/NationalGeographic
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/