GadgetVicar

Cloned?

If Mossad is responsible for the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, how did they acquire the details of the people whose passports were cloned? I got thinking about this today, when I remembered my visit to Israel in the summer of 2008. Going through immigration at Tel Aviv airport, I was made to wait in a room for almost an hour, during which time my passport was kept by the powers-that-be. It was a little bit concerning and no explanation was given when my passport was returned. Certainly there was plenty of time to get up to some mischief with it.

Hopefully, I won't be implicated in another plot at some point. Then again, mentioning this incident might make me a target for retaliation by spooks?;-)

Please Help Rima

One of our congregation, Rima Andmariam, is under threat of deportation again, and we are mobilising support in terms of writing to politicians about her case. She is from Eritrea originally, and has had a harrowing time. She is a lovely young woman who needs compassion, grace and a little mercy.

Please consider writing to the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson (Download Home Secretary_Letter), the First Minister, Alex Salmond and any MPs or MSPs you can (Download MP_MSP letter). If you do write, please personalise it a smuch as possible and leave a comment here, so that we have an idea of how many letters are being sent. If you are given to pray, please remember Rima, and her foster parents, Robert and Alison.

Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
Home Secretary
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF

public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

 

Alex Salmond
Office of the First Minister
St. Andrew's House
Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
email: FirstMinister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

We have evidence that volume of letters supporting a claim makes a real difference:

Please also send a hard copy of your letter to:

 

Director: UK Border Agency Scotland

Festival Court,

200 Brand Street,

Govan,

Glasgow G51 1DH

Rima writes:

I am Rima,

I am asking you to be kind for me please, and to let me stay in UK because I am living with more than Mum & Dad, and I love them. I have got many friends and I am going college and I am doing well. I was really missing my family and I was just kept crying but now I am very well because of Robert and Alison they made to forget how much I miss my parents. They love me and I love them, We adopted each other just like parents and daughter so please don’t make me separate.

I love my college and my teachers and my classmates and I don’t want to miss going College and enjoying with my friends.

Please let me stay in UK and don’t let me go away and missing everybody please.

In the name of Jesus Christ

Amen

God bless you.

Rima Andmariam

Please reply to my Mum and Dad and to all my friends with full details about my case. I don’t need you to keep anything secret from them.

Florence Gets A Brit!

My old pal, Florence Welch (have I mentioned that I've met her?), won a Brit  for the Best British Album last night. Hooray!

I will be seeing her in concert again in May (this time in Auld Reekie). This will be the first time in my life that I will have seen one group perform live four times in a calendar year. I know this pales into insignificance compared with some peoples' devotion to artistes (some Porcupine Tree fans for example - hi to you all!), but it's a big deal for me!

Last time I saw Florence & The Machine, GV Bro and I joined the queue outside the venue, and we felt really old. The average age of the punters seemed to be about fourteen. I used to go to gigs and wonder who the old age pensioners were that showed up. Now I discover that I'm one of the OAPs. On the other hand, I was at the lower end of the age spectrum at the Carolina Chocolate Drops' Celtic Connections gig. I guess that's what middle age is all about.

Gibson Street Gala

One of the highlights of the year for the local community is the Gibson Street Gala. Over the last few years we've loved being part of it. It's one of our highlights too! This year it will take place on the 20th of June. I was at the little organising committee meeting  today. 

This year we face the challenge of having to find a considerable amount of money just to pay for the closing and cleaning of the street. Something like £2500-£3000. This really needs to happen to make the whole thing work. There isn't the same money around to fund these kind of community events that there has been in previous years, so it's going to be tough, but I'm sure we'll get there.

We've got an able chairperson and some enthusiastic volunteers who will persevere, but if there are any philanthropists out there who want to give us a helping hand with some cash, why not drop me a line?