We're back and broadcasting Shire Network News again. This week we've put together a cracking show featuring old favorites and a special timely interview with former guest, Professor Barry Rubin, Director, Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and Editor, Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal.

He is talking to us direct from Israel where he is only just outside Hamas rocket range. He's also got some very wise words for us all on not taking the media too seriously and the implications for the rest of the world of criticism of Israel's actions in trying to deal with the Hamas terrorist threat.

Please feel free to follow your host, Brian of London on Twitter. In Blog News we hear some Hamas terrorist biographies from Israellycool Dave's site. You should be following Dave's site for the best live blogging with his own brand of commentary.

We also hear Victor Davis Hanson's suggestions for how the Israelis could be a bit more "proportional" in their response.

It's been a long time but this much Gaza noise and the fact that it even invaded his cozy world of Second Life, has brought our old friend Laurence Simon out of retirement. You can find him on line at his site "This blog is full of crap" where you'll find links to his other work. Laurence mentions sending a pizza to the IDF which you can do from Pizza IDF.

Meryl Yourish is also, of course, right on top of this topic. Please visit her excellent and constantly updated blog.

We close with an extract from a particularly strong speech given by Winston Churchill. I urge you to read the whole thing. The Munich Agreement.

I will also re-iterate here: we are looking to raise money to make this show grow substantially. Please help us out if you can. We've provided years of top quality news, satire, humour and entertainment: you decide if that has been worth something to you. And to all who have donated all ready our very heartiest thanks!

If you would like to advertise on our show, please get in touch!

So with that, I commend this show to the house!

Yes your iTunes feed is not deceiving you! Shire Network News is back for one more show before Christmas. We've pulled out all the stops to bring you a whole new show with contributions from Shire Network News regulars, Meryl Yourish and Doug Payton. Both are looking back on what a fine year 2009 (yes Two Thousand and NINE) has been

In addition, Tom has been hard at work in the cutting room pulling together some of his favorite blog news items from over three years of material. I'm sure you'll agree that good satire never goes stale. Except for the story about the French rejecting the European Union. That story is so old we've had at least four more attempts by European  faceless minions to foist the sorry constitution on their various peoples since that rejection.

Tom is serious in the show, we are looking at putting on a major marketing effort in the new year and any donations you make (see the button to the right) will go toward expanding the show's audience. And not pay for Brian to be able to listen to live coverage of the numerous defeats of the England cricket team.

As ever, enjoy the show and see you all next year!

Here it is, the long awaited, we're not sulking, back from the dead episode of Shire Network News.

This week its a round table discussion between Tom Paine, Brian of London, Meryl Yourish and Doug Payton.

We're looking for your feedback!

This week Shire Network News struggles to remain upbeat and cheerful. We will not lose, we will not lose. This week's guest, Kathy Shaidle, has just released her new book (co-written with Peter Vere): "The Tyranny of Nice:  how Canada crushes freedom in the name of human rights -- and why it matters to Americans".

If you order the book from Mark Steyn's site, he'll even autograph it for you.

Kathy blogs at five feet of fury and speaks to us about the abuses of the Canadian Human Rights system.

This week the show features almost all of our more regular contributors:

Evan Sayet is on and keeping the tone optimistic. You can find details of his conservative comedy show at his web site.

Doug Payton is asking us to think carefully as usual.

Peter Glover  returns, soggy and enraged, from Wales.

Meryl Yourish is very happy not to have become a journalist.

Blog News this week has been replaced by a pep talk from our glorious leader. No, not him, the other one, Tom Paine.

In a world where truth has been inverted and nobody knows what is going on any more, Brian of London returns to Shire Network News to bring you the interview of the year.

This week Tom Pain, senior Shire Network News film critic speaks to the Director of probably this year's most universally panned movie (in the main stream media). Yes we speak to David Zucker, director of An American Carol. David speaks to us about the movie's initial reception and the process behind getting an overtly conservative movie out of Hollywood.

Meanwhile in our Blog News section we have, once again, sunk to the level of over covering the US Presidential Elections. Regular service will return moking Jihadis as soon as we can.

We first cover some of the overt attempts to rig the ballot and register new voters. For some reason no one is concentrating on rounding up unregistered Republicans. Take a look at HolyCoast.com for more details. Michelle Malkin is covering the less than public goings on as well.

Our final part of this story, covering the horrific attempt to disenfranchise imaginary-Americans comes from Iowahawk.

If, for some reason, you want to learn more about Cynthia McKinney's claim that the US government executed 5000 prisoners and dumped them in Louisiana's swamps under cover of Katrina: go ahead.

It is from Jim Treacher that we learn the left's reaction to McLame's claim that Obama is his "Opponent".

As ever, Evan Sayet is on hand and you can catch Evan Sayet's "Right to Laugh", an evening of conservative comedy every third Tuesday of the month at the World Famous Laugh Factory on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles.

And if anyone can offer Brian of London the use of a RECORDING STUDIO when he visits Israel, these shows might come out on time and not be plagued with background noise when he finds himself trying to record a show on a park bench in the middle of the night, eventually giving up because the Damn Crickets were so loud.

In this week's edition of Shire Network News, our guest is Australian writer John Birmingham, who has just published a book in which the Left gets it's oft-stated wish that the world wakes up one day and America is simply not there anymore. It's called "Without Warning", and we must warn prospective readers, it contains plenty of what  John Birmingham calls "explody goodness".

We hear disturbing evidence of the cult-like worship of the Dear Leader, Obama, patron Saint of Hopeful Change and helmsman of all our destinies, Slow Joe Biden does a passable impersonation of Grandpa Simpson and alerts us all to the real danger we're in from....er....corn syrup. So it looks like that long-awaited carpet bombing of Iowa is getting the green light from Washington on Inauguration Day then. That'll teach those Iowans not to dis Delware's most famous Senator on Caucus night.

 The BBC gets a caning from Muslim clerics for not bending over and saying "thank you sir, may I have another" enough, Muslims get to hold religious events on state property and the ACLU doesn't dare utter a sound, and the one-eyed nature of Saudi religiosity is finally revealed for all the world to see.

Meryl Yourish says Sarah Palin is making Democrats go a little funny in the head, and Evan Sayet is not surprised that the endorsement of Sarah Palin by the chair of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Organisation of Women has apparently slipped down the memory hole as far as the media is concerned.

Doug Payton arises like Lazarus from a bed of pain to talk about political philosophy, but honestly it's way more interesting and relevants than that sounds.

Go and see "An American Carol" this week please, in fact we are hoping to be able to speak to the film's director, David Zucker, on the podcast next week. Oh, and if you're holding off on helping the McCain campaign because you figure he's "not conservative enough" for your personal tastes, how would you feel about four years of "The Jimmy Carter Presidency, Part Two - This Time He's Black, Not That It Makes The Slightest Difference To His Incompetence And Instinctive Desire to Appease the Enemy?

I lived through the 70's, trust me on this, you do NOT want a re-run of that. Besides, disco sucked hard enough the first time, and the thought of having to endure constant jihadi suicide attacks on our major domestic population centers while having nothing but Bee Gees tribute groups or KC and the Sunshine Band retrospectives to listen to on the radio is simply too much to bear.

This week's guest is Dr Rusty Shackleford, proprietor and founder of the My Pet Jawa Blog. Using just his computer and an internet connection he stumbled on what looks like a possible campaign scandal. His first post on this broke the story to the world.

Rusty explains to us exactly what astroturfing and sockpuppetry are and the steps he and his team of web sleuths went through to do the job the Main Stream Media won't do for you.

In Blog News this week we look into the British Identity card that seems to carry no sign of British identity. Eurabia here we come!

Weird Fatwa of the week is all about mouse extermination and it doesn't stop at real mice, oh no, cartoons are once again raising the ire of Muslims.

The Washington Post is not a reliable source for the McCain campaign to cite in campaign adverts. According to the Washington Post.

CAIR now believes we can blame the people who flew into buildings on 9-11 in addition to the United States. Thank you. And from Iraq, internal Al Qeda memos have surfaced in the hands of yet another dead Muslim terrorist.

Doug Payton joins us again with his top nine answers Ahmadinejad would give at a presidential debate.

Meryl Yourish gives us one of her best ever pieces (we're not biased) comparing the speech of Ahmadinejad at the UN with the speeches of Hitler. Hitler quotes are voiced by us (no we haven't discovered unknown recordings). This is powerful stuff. Zionist = Jew is the filthy trick he's using and the world, almost to a man, is buying it again.

Brian makes some reference to his postings on Israellycool. Stick that in your RSS reader.

Evan will return when he can.

 It's all-Palin, all the time here on Shire Network News this week, as the race suddenly gets flipped and Republicans look like winners. Naturally, we mock our chums in the Democratic Party and the media (but we repeat ourselves).

There are scandals involving a British soldier being refused a hotel room, verbal inexactitude from Senator Obama which would have earned President Bush a scathing Moment of Zen from Jon Stewart, the Democratic Party has a message for all those women out there, and an Iraq war veteran has a message for Senator Obama.

Oh, and we have some rather disturbing love of nature.

The feature interview is with El Marco, whose photoblog, Looking At The Left is doing sterling work in exposing the reality of leftist protests. He used to be a Canadian hippie you know.

Meryl Yourish hearts Governor Sarah Palin. Doug Payton hearts Palin as well. And hey, what do you know, so does Evan Sayet! Is this a trend? Oh, support conservative comedy! Go see Evan's show in Los Angeles, third Tuesday of ever month. Right To Laugh. Be there or be somewhere else.

Brian of London is .... missing in action. His subtle guiding hand may have helped coax this show onto the interweb, but we know not where he is.

For the second week, we are talking to David Horowitz of the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He talks to Tom about the direction the Democratic party is taking and how this is rooted in the politics of the 1960's. They discuss the take over of the College Campuses and the importance (or not) of Europe.

In blog news this week we have a bit of thing for Sarah Palin. Well you can hardly blame us can you? Have you seen how many guns she has?

Meryl Yourish has some excellent work about Sarah Palin. This post by Atlas is also rather good: RNC Lynch Mob. The Roslin/Airlock '08 campaign would look like this.

For the imposition of Ramadan on unwitting Dhimmis, look to the Daily Mail.

Also from the Daily Mail comes the despicable story of rape in Calais.

Evan Sayet chats with Tom Paine about Obama's Greek Odyssey and you can find out more about Evan's monthly show, Right to Laugh, at the website of the Laugh Factory.

Doug Payton is also making a welcome return. Check out his site.

This week Shire Network News becomes the Shiresky Neit-Work Pravda podcast. We've gone over to the left and our guest this week is one time Marxist, David Horowitz from the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He talks to Tom about the direction the Democratic party is taking and how this is rooted in the politics of the 1960's.

In blog news this week we discuss whether the US Military or even the Taliban are human beings. This after a BBC reporter calls for us to acknowledge the humanity of the Taliban.

From Egypt comes news of an ad campaign to encourage women to enslave themseleves, sorry, cover up. And it's not worried about sun burn.

And I also mention the Olympic closing ceremony.

Look, if you're reading the show notes but you don't listen to the show, you're really missing something. Give it a try, download the file or click play up to the right of the screen.

Evan Sayet chats with Tom Paine about Obama's choice of Veep and you can find out more about Evan's monthly show, Right to Laugh, at the website of the Laugh Factory.

If you think that you, or someone you know, may be close to converting to left wing hysteria and voting for Obama, please introduce them to our show. It's not too late, almost anyone can be saved.

Douglas Murray, the Director of the Centre for Social Cohesion think tank, joins us for a talk about the latest report from his think tank. It's a bombshell report on the attitudes of Muslim students in the UK.

It makes for exceptionally disturbing reading

Douglas Murray says many of the Muslim leaders in Britain who constantly complain about their faith being depicted as being at odds with the country's values seem to not be aware that it's often they themselves who go out of their way to give people precisely that impression.

Do go to the center's website and download the whole report in PDF format.

In Blog News we talk about the difference in style between Obama and McCain when answering questions like, does evil exist. Obama is not sure what to do about it. McCain knows.

More jihadis are caught and convicted in the UK. World Yawns. 

Your humble host, Brian of London, signed the petition to ask the UK government to bin the EU "treaty". This week Gordon Brown said no:

The Irish government has made it clear that they need time to analyse the result and its implications, and to consult widely at home and abroad.  At the European Council on 19/20 June, EU Heads of State and Government agreed with the Irish Government’s proposal that they should reflect on the result of the referendum and then submit a report to the European Council in October.  In the meantime the Council, including Ireland, has noted that the ratification processes are continuing in all of the other Member States.

We have our regular chat with Evan Sayet and you can find details of his now regular comedy show at the Laugh Factory.

Doug Payton is back and talking about AQTV. Find his writings at his site.

For the second week, our guest is author and activist Ibn Warraq, who has been writing and speaking against Jihadi Islam for decades. His work on what the Koran really says, and what the core of Islam is really about is the kind of writing and thinking that Islam's phobia of self criticism makes impossible from within Islam. You can find Part 1 of his interview here.

He's the author of many books, such as Why I am Not A Muslim and editor of The Origins of the Koran, The Quest for the Historical Muhammad, What the Koran Really Says, and Leaving Islam.

His latest work is "Defending the West: A Critique of Edward Said's Orientalism".

You can also find regular articles by Ibn Warraq at the tremendous site, New English Review.

Our first story: Almighty Allah busted on drug charges can be found WTNH.com. There really wasn't too much point in re-writing that story, it was too good the way it was.

The Russians invaded Georgia. The Left blamed America. News? Or Israel.

The story from New Zealand of the vanishing polygamy and polyandry speech can be not found on the govt site here. Or found on another site where it has been carefully saved from Google Cache.

Ezra Levant's own site is a good source for news of his antics. The particular interview we play comes from John Oakley.

We speak, as ever, to Evan Sayet and you can find details of his now regular comedy show at the Laugh Factory.

Our guest is author and activist Ibn Warraq, who has been writing and speaking against Jihadi Islam for decades. His work on what the Koran really says, and what the core of Islam is really about is the kind of writing and thinking that Islam's phobia of self criticism makes impossible from within Islam.

He's the author of many books, such as Why I am Not A Muslim and editor of The Origins of the Koran, The Quest for the Historical Muhammad, What the Koran Really Says, and Leaving Islam.

His latest work is "Defending the West: A Critique of Edward Said's Orientalism".

You can also find regular articles by Ibn Warraq at the tremendous site, New English Review.

The tremendous ad for Mohammed Condoms comes from The Nose On Your Face. Head there to see the accompanying video.

For more on the Jew-Zionist-Death-monster Rats in Jerusalem, head over here.

Details on the $30,000 worth of T-shirts bought by two brothers in Gaza can be found at World Net Daily. Atlas Shrugs, however, has been on this story from the start.

We speak, as ever, to Evan Sayet and you can find details of his now regular comedy show at the Laugh Factory.

Finally, we end the show with the song Appeasement by Weapon of Musical Defense. Their new web site is taking shape and from there you can download your very own, pristine copy of the song.

This week we have part two of our interview with Anne Franklin of Clintons for McCain. She says they want Barack Obama to lose this election, in order to clear the way for Hillary Clinton next time. They're working overtime to defeat Obama in November.

In Blog News ths week take a look at the events arising from Obama's trip to the Middle East and Europe. If you want to see the little reported truth of who was on the stage before Obama in Berlin, take a look at Spiegel Online. I disucss the me me me of Obama's prayer. Oh dear. More on that at Atlas Shrugs.

The story of the United Church of Canada and its hosting of yet another loony left conference can be found on Kathy Shaidle's site.

Other stories covered include an advert in favor of Global Warming from Australia and the main stream media being in the tank for Obama.

This week we spoke to Evan Sayet about the now regular "Right to Laugh" event to be held at the Laugh Factory in LA. More details about that here.

This week our feature interview is with Anne Franklin, a spokesman for Clintons For McCain, Hillary Clinton supporters who are working overtime to defeat Barak Obama in November.

That's right, independents and Democrats who are so alarmed at the prospect of an Obama presidency that they're supporting Republican nominee John McCain.

Ann Franklin, herself an independent, tells SNN's in house spin doctor "Tom Paine" why Clintons For McCain feel America can't afford what would probably turn out to be a Dhimmi Carter second term.

In other news this week we take aim at the BBC's shocking, but unsurprising view that in drama, Christians can cut off the heads of Muslims. Way to go BBC. There are many links in Doug's blog post on this subject (which formed the basis for this news report): Beyond Parody.

The astonishing Hamas hand bunny chop clip has to be seen on Memri.

For the definitive puff piece on Obama, head over to The Onion.

This wee we are graced with pieces from Peter Glover and Doug Payton. Check out their own sites.

The final quote from Dan Gilerman can be found over at Israellycool.

Canada's Human Rights apparatus is at it again! We talk this week to Guy Earle, who committed the unpardonable sin of having a go at some hecklers at a show in Vancouver.

They were lesbians, and it turns out the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has decreed lesbians are permanently out of season and probably a doubly protected species (they're Gay and Women!), so now Guy Earle is in the same boat as Mark Steyn and Ezra Levant.

Read more about his impending legal fight at his website. If you're in Toronto on the 19th, do be sure to support Guy Earle's fight with the anti-free-speech bureaucracy by going along to the Comics for Freedom Rally at The Comedy Bar which is at 945B Floor West.

In Blog news this week we express our support for the left wingers (I know, I know) over at Harry's Place who are getting into a legal battle with Hamas. Well done for drawing them out into the open where the rest of us can snipe that them! More about those people who are withdrawing from IslamExpo can be found here.

The use of the term Black Hole (by anyone except Stephen Hawkins we assume) is now not allowed in racially hyper aware America. More details from Michell Malkin and Five Feet of Fury.

Despite what the NYT or Fox or any other mainstream outlets might say, the latest Fauxtography scoop came from LGF. The Iranian reports of Israelis fleeing Israel (which seem to be as trustworthy as their photographs) can be found on Ynet.

This week Meryl is discussing Pat Buchanan, Doug has a few things on his mind and Evan is talking about the implications of Guy Earle's prosecution in Canada.

This week we welcome Dr Mordechai Kedar, of the Arabic Department of Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv. While appearing recently on Al Jazeera talking about building apartments in Jerusalem, he decided not to take the role of a pinata as expected by the show's host.

He informed the Al Jazeera interviewer that what Israel does in its own capital was none of the Arab world's business as it has been the capital of the Jewish people for three thousand years, ever since the ancestors of the Arabs had been burying their infant daughters live, drinking wine and worshiping stone idols.

You can watch the exchange on YouTube. I should point out that this clip appeared online first in the original Arabic and it was with the help of Palestinian Media Watch that the clip was subtitled in English.

Also on the show this week we cover the extraordinary pronouncement by the most senior Judge in Britain that maybe Sharia isn't so bad. Melanie Phillips' (no relation) blog is a good place to look.

Eye on the UN produced the video of David Littman being shouted down by Egypt while trying to speak about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) at the UN Human Rights Council.

Barry Rubin wrote the tremendous piece noting the New York Time's 1924 headline: "Hitler Tamed By Prison; Released on Parole, He Is Expected to Return to Austria.". You can find his article here: Prisoner Rehabilitated; Fifty Million Die.

Two crazy kid stories out of the UK. Nursery teachers on the look out for nursery Nazis and teenagers who refuse to kneel and pray to Allah.

The short quote from Danny Gillerman comes from Israellycool Dave's blog. Find it here.

This week we are joined once again by Peter Glover speaking about Israel's flying pigs.

Evan Sayet would very much like you to know about his up coming show "Right to Laugh" in Hollywood on 22nd July. More details here.

Doug Payton is back and sounding better than ever.

Shire Network News is back and this week we continue with Part 2 of our interview with journalist Bill Bishop, author of "The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart".  He says America is increasingly divided, not just politically, but by basic, fundamental world views.

You can find his book at Amazon: The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart.

In blog news this week we look at the use of sniffer dogs in the UK. Guess which religion has a problem with sniffer dogs. I don't know, they had the cutest beagle at JFK. Adorable.

For more Latin Mottos for Obama, head over to IMAO. And I will apologise for my merciless massacre of the Latin. Sorry.

For the full comedy video from Canada, head over to YouTube. Beware.... there be bad language there!

This week's new boy is Peter Glover. You can find his blog and other work here. Say hello and tell us what you think in the comments.

And you can find out more about Evan and his show, "Right to Laugh" at his website: http://www.evansayet.com/

This week's show is hosted by former tea boy, Doug Payton. The feature interview this week is with journalist Bill Bishop, author of "The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart".  He says America is increasingly divided, not just politically, but by basic, fundamental world views.

You can find his book at Amazon: The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart .

We have blog news this week, but you'll have to listen to the show to find out what's in it!

After a long period spent doing... who knows what, Damian Penny is back with a piece on the Canadian free speech fights.

Meryl Yourish turns in a piece this week on a wide variety of subjects.

Tom Paine has his usual chat with Evan Sayet. You can find his blog here.

Every now and then, someone in the Left takes a long look around and realises that there might be something in the state of  their movement. Latest in this distinguished line is Martin Bright the political editor with the left-leaning New Statesman magazine.

When Israel marked it's 60th anniversary recently, he decided to marek the occasion by publishing an article questioning the Left's increasingly hysterical assaults on the country, which have escalated from criticism of individual policies to an outright questioning of it's very legitimacy and existence.

The article was called "The Great Betrayal".

As regular listeners to Shire Network News will probably have guessed by listening to our previous chats with another UK left wing journalist Nick Cohen, who also raised these issues, Martin Bright found that the sky fell on him.

In blog news this week we take a look at a video that LGF linked to guessing what today's media might have said about the D-Day landings.

Are you in fact, not ready to be A Good Democrat and just pull the lever for Obama. There are some signs, as listed in the website "Don't Be a Good Democrat".

George Galloway supports Obama for president. What a surprise. Thank you Memri for bringing us more from this odious cretin.

EU allows privacy invasion of Americans. Another shock I know.

Doug Payton has sent in something this week about a lawless city. Can you guess where?