Poppy Fascism
I learned this phrase yesterday reading Obsolete's blog. It appears that it was coined by Jon Snow back in 2006 when he refused to wear a poppy onscreen. Fair play to him.
I've chafed before about this business of everybody and their dog having to wear a poppy when appearing before television cameras in a studio. It's so false that it amounts to hypocrisy. It's obvious that they are handed out to people as the microphones are being fitted, and it's a knocking bet that the poppies are provided free of charge by the Haig Mob, as a promotional device.
At the moment it seems that charities purportedly supporting 'our boys' are springing up daily. Why? Isn't the Haig Fund doing the job it was set up to do (I don't mean keeping the Haig family in clover)?
As I walked around the town today and yesterday I checked for people wearing poppies - I reckon less than five percent. Still, early days.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
So the Crozier gang have got their way and forced the postal workers to walk out. Our spewsome Prime Minister and His Eminence Cardinal Mandarin have backed the fat cats, but Cameron thinks they're wimps because they haven't sent in the SAS.
Desperate dolies who have abandoned all self-respect are queuing up to scab, according to the (not very credible) Post Office management mouthpieces.The first casualty of war is the truth, as the old saying goes, and that goes for the class war. Are we being prepared for rerun of the Thatcher-Miners confrontation? Certainly Crozier has set his stall out to de-unionise his fiefdom and assume command of a cheap, short-term contract workforce. If it works he'll award himself a massive bonus. If it doesn't he'll take the golden handshake and move on to ruin some other business.
From the 'Private Eye's, Number Crunching feature -
3 Hundred and forty-six pounds was the average wage of a postman last year
3 Hundred and twenty-one million pounds was the profit of Royal Mail last year
3 Million pounds was the pay packet of chief executive Adam Crozier last year, including two bonuses
(etc.)
Mick Hall has more to say on this subject on his blog.
Desperate dolies who have abandoned all self-respect are queuing up to scab, according to the (not very credible) Post Office management mouthpieces.The first casualty of war is the truth, as the old saying goes, and that goes for the class war. Are we being prepared for rerun of the Thatcher-Miners confrontation? Certainly Crozier has set his stall out to de-unionise his fiefdom and assume command of a cheap, short-term contract workforce. If it works he'll award himself a massive bonus. If it doesn't he'll take the golden handshake and move on to ruin some other business.
From the 'Private Eye's, Number Crunching feature -
3 Hundred and forty-six pounds was the average wage of a postman last year
3 Hundred and twenty-one million pounds was the profit of Royal Mail last year
3 Million pounds was the pay packet of chief executive Adam Crozier last year, including two bonuses
(etc.)
Mick Hall has more to say on this subject on his blog.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The journalist Sunny Hurndal has offered a list of twenty questions people might want to ask the one-eyed fuehrer on Thursday's 'Question Time' (BBC1). I'm particularly interested in hearing the following two questions asked and answered, or ducked.
Concentration on the BNP's racism tends to divert the spotlight from other policies which the party would prefer not to have to explain, though some of the mouthier members stray from the script occasionally. Their attitude towards the disabled and the chronically ill, the "unproductive", should be better known. With a little luck and a non-intervening chair we might learn something.
Concentration on the BNP's racism tends to divert the spotlight from other policies which the party would prefer not to have to explain, though some of the mouthier members stray from the script occasionally. Their attitude towards the disabled and the chronically ill, the "unproductive", should be better known. With a little luck and a non-intervening chair we might learn something.
7. Does Griffin agree with the senior member of the BNP who is on record as stating that he supports forced euthanasia of people with disabilities and others deemed to be "a waste of time, money and resources", including the very old and (especially) newborn babies?
20. How will a BNP government ensure the safety and welfare of Britain's disabled, considering that a senior member of the BNP (Jeffrey Marshall) has been on record as stating that "We live in a country today which is unhealthily dominated by an excess of sentimentality towards the weak and unproductive. No good will come of it", in response to the death of David Cameron's baby in spring 2009?
Monday, October 19, 2009
The current issue of 'Private Eye' carries a letter from a member of the British Nazis, which includes the following -
"In 2005 the BNP were asked to send two members to the recording of Question Time to be part of the audience with the implication that they would be heard and allowed to ask questions."
The two members who attended were called on to contribute, and did so, identifying their affiliation. The correspondent continues -
"Certainly not the same as being on the panel, but the 'No Platform for the BNP' policy has been a dead-duck for many years now."
One is led to wonder if the policy ever existed at the BBC.
"In 2005 the BNP were asked to send two members to the recording of Question Time to be part of the audience with the implication that they would be heard and allowed to ask questions."
The two members who attended were called on to contribute, and did so, identifying their affiliation. The correspondent continues -
"Certainly not the same as being on the panel, but the 'No Platform for the BNP' policy has been a dead-duck for many years now."
One is led to wonder if the policy ever existed at the BBC.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
GOB IRON
Browsing in Hull's sole remaining record store* this morning I came across a CD entitled "Gob Iron" (or perhaps "Gob-Iron, memory fails). It was a collection of blues harmonica recordings. I was surprised, I thought that this expression was peculiar to Hull. Clearly not. I like 'tin sandwich' but preferred what I thought was local slang. I must do some checking.
*No name, no publicity. It's one of those chain outfits that change their name every so often, but never get any better. I don't like patronising it, but the other options are second-hand 'specialist' shops that overcharge.
Browsing in Hull's sole remaining record store* this morning I came across a CD entitled "Gob Iron" (or perhaps "Gob-Iron, memory fails). It was a collection of blues harmonica recordings. I was surprised, I thought that this expression was peculiar to Hull. Clearly not. I like 'tin sandwich' but preferred what I thought was local slang. I must do some checking.
*No name, no publicity. It's one of those chain outfits that change their name every so often, but never get any better. I don't like patronising it, but the other options are second-hand 'specialist' shops that overcharge.
"It's a story from the dark political underbelly that makes you question the entire setup, rethink humanity, and lean out your window and scream: what the hell is wrong with these people? Who are they, really? Why do we give them power?
...
"You read that right. It's a can't-sue-us-if-you're-raped clause. In a U.S. government contract. Aimed squarely at Halliburton. Thanks, Dick Cheney!
...
"The most repellant part is the 30 U.S. senators -- Republicans each and every one -- who just stepped forth to vote against the Franken amendment, essentially saying no, women should have no right to sue if they are sexually abused or gang raped, Halliburton and its ilk must be protected at all costs, and by the way we hereby welcome Satan into our rancid souls forevermore. God bless America."
(Via Angry Arab)
...
"You read that right. It's a can't-sue-us-if-you're-raped clause. In a U.S. government contract. Aimed squarely at Halliburton. Thanks, Dick Cheney!
...
"The most repellant part is the 30 U.S. senators -- Republicans each and every one -- who just stepped forth to vote against the Franken amendment, essentially saying no, women should have no right to sue if they are sexually abused or gang raped, Halliburton and its ilk must be protected at all costs, and by the way we hereby welcome Satan into our rancid souls forevermore. God bless America."
(Via Angry Arab)
Thursday, October 15, 2009
"Though Blair spends only a week a month in the Middle East, he has managed to keep busy. He maintains a grueling, globe-trotting schedule of lectures, for which he receives up to $500,000. On top of this, he has been at work on his memoirs, for which he received a $7.3 million advance. Consulting work brought him $3.2 million (including a bonus) from J. P. Morgan Chase and $800,000 from Zurich Financial Services. By October 2008, he had amassed at least $19 million, far outdistancing even the enterprising Bill Clinton. He is thought to be the highest paid public speaker in the world."
There's more, there's worse. The war criminal dismisses the war crimes of others.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Catching up.
Racism on the BBC - so what's new? As Bruce Forsyth put it: "We used to poke dogshit through Pakis' letterboxes. People had a sense of humour in those days." I may not have got the quote exactly right but I think I've got the gist of it. Marina Hyde called it "Play Your Race Cards Right".
I'm grateful to Ms. Vanessa Feltz (there's a first time for everything) for the information that Anton Du Beke is really called Tony Beak.
So Beaky was just being humorous and not edgy like Moyles and Clarkson, the darlings of the BBC.
Still the corporation's resident nasties had better look to their laurels. Their employer's love affair with the BNP is not losing its lustre.
Radio 1's "Newsbeat" recently featured an interview with "two young guys who are members of the BNP", who have since been outed as leading members and office holders.
A spokesman for the Neo-Nazi party later commented, "We were surprised not to have faced more difficult questioning but Radio 1 is not a heavy-duty political organ like Radio 4." A lot of listeners were also surprised at the easy ride the racists got. The Mail on Sunday was outraged too, and identified the "young guys". Needless to say the Mail's readership were not so upset. They were generally in favour of the broadcast.
The British establishment's cosying up to the extreme right is further exemplified by the Conservative Party in Europe placing itself under the command of an ex-Nazi named Michał Kamiński. The party denies that this fellow is a racist, and anti-semite, and rationalises his homophobia as something he shares with many Polish Catholics (well that's OK then).
Unfortunately, while they are denying he said certain things he himself is confirming them to the press. So are the Tories lying, or have they been duped by this Kamiński? Clarification needed.
Racism on the BBC - so what's new? As Bruce Forsyth put it: "We used to poke dogshit through Pakis' letterboxes. People had a sense of humour in those days." I may not have got the quote exactly right but I think I've got the gist of it. Marina Hyde called it "Play Your Race Cards Right".
I'm grateful to Ms. Vanessa Feltz (there's a first time for everything) for the information that Anton Du Beke is really called Tony Beak.
So Beaky was just being humorous and not edgy like Moyles and Clarkson, the darlings of the BBC.
Still the corporation's resident nasties had better look to their laurels. Their employer's love affair with the BNP is not losing its lustre.
Radio 1's "Newsbeat" recently featured an interview with "two young guys who are members of the BNP", who have since been outed as leading members and office holders.
A spokesman for the Neo-Nazi party later commented, "We were surprised not to have faced more difficult questioning but Radio 1 is not a heavy-duty political organ like Radio 4." A lot of listeners were also surprised at the easy ride the racists got. The Mail on Sunday was outraged too, and identified the "young guys". Needless to say the Mail's readership were not so upset. They were generally in favour of the broadcast.
The British establishment's cosying up to the extreme right is further exemplified by the Conservative Party in Europe placing itself under the command of an ex-Nazi named Michał Kamiński. The party denies that this fellow is a racist, and anti-semite, and rationalises his homophobia as something he shares with many Polish Catholics (well that's OK then).
Unfortunately, while they are denying he said certain things he himself is confirming them to the press. So are the Tories lying, or have they been duped by this Kamiński? Clarification needed.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
My missus is out walking the dog this morning, and, passing one of those big commercial wheelie bins, she sees it start to move. She moves on quickly and looks back. A bloke climbs out covered in all kinds of detritus, shakes off some of the gunk and says, "Good morning, love." Missus responds in kind and listens while he complains of the lack of fruit among the bin's contents, then witnesses something really strange.
The bloke is staring up at a nearby roof for a while, then he shouts, "Come on, lads!" Three pigeons fly down from the roof and land at his feet. The bloke strolls off down the street and the three pigeons walk along behind him.
A disturbing coincidence -
I'm reading through the teletext news this morning, and there's a piece about a bloke sleeping in such a bin in Nottingham (I think it was). The binmen turn up, tip the bin into their vehicle, dosser still in, and the poor fellow's crushed to death.
According to the missus, our pigeon-fancier had been dossing in the bin, not just dumpster diving.
The bloke is staring up at a nearby roof for a while, then he shouts, "Come on, lads!" Three pigeons fly down from the roof and land at his feet. The bloke strolls off down the street and the three pigeons walk along behind him.
A disturbing coincidence -
I'm reading through the teletext news this morning, and there's a piece about a bloke sleeping in such a bin in Nottingham (I think it was). The binmen turn up, tip the bin into their vehicle, dosser still in, and the poor fellow's crushed to death.
According to the missus, our pigeon-fancier had been dossing in the bin, not just dumpster diving.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
On Saturday the Telegraph published an article, by Damien McElroy and Ahmad Vahdat, claiming that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran was of Jewish ancestry; that his original family name was Sabourjian "a well known Jewish name in Iran".
It turns out that this story is a fabrication, one that may have originated among Ahmadinejad's enemies in Iran. The Telegraph's source for this non-story was an unnnamed "expert on Iranian Jewry". This individual appears to have been an expert on Telegraph journalists, knowing that they wouldn't bother to check that the information given was credible.
Anyone with a knowledge of the Farsi language and of Iranian nomenclature would have dismissed the explanation of the surname out of hand. But who'd want to spoil a good yarn with the boring facts? Not the people at the Telegraph, not even Ahmad Vahdat. Hang on a minute! Isn't that an Iranian name? Presumably the name does not guarantee a knowledge of Farsi, but I'm beginning to wonder if it could belong to our "London-based expert on Iranian Jewry".
Since the article was published this falsehood has been disseminated across the internet, with Ahminejad haters crowing about his Jewish identity. It's strikes me as anti-semitic that one would want someone one hates to be Jewish.
Since the story was exposed as a phoney the Telegraph has made no attempt to correct its error. No need, it's only Ahmadinejad.
After reading the story, and reflecting on a recent Telegraph column in which birth statistics were misinterpreted to show that immigrants are breeding at a disproportionate rate, I googled the words 'Telegraph' and 'downmarket'. This is what I found -
"They've tried turning it into the Mail, now the Telegraph is going downmarket instead. Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie was offered a lucrative contract to write for the comment pages. Sadly, he has refused as he's still tied to The Sun, where he writes a column. Next on Will Lewis's shopping list is MacKenzie's mate and former Sun colleague Nick Ferrari, who happily said yes and penned his first piece last week. Ferrari is perhaps best known for inventing topless darts."
(from the Independent)
The Telegraph, though right-wing, used to stick to the facts in its reporting, and was read by people who didn't agree with its politics. I wonder if this is still the case.
Caution: on rereading the offending article I see that the quoted expert/charlatan is described as Jewish. It strikes me as unlikely that an Iranian Jew would be called Ahmad, so perhaps Mr. Vahdat is not the 'expert'. On the other hand, if 'Jewish' was a false description it would fit neatly with the rest of the article.
It turns out that this story is a fabrication, one that may have originated among Ahmadinejad's enemies in Iran. The Telegraph's source for this non-story was an unnnamed "expert on Iranian Jewry". This individual appears to have been an expert on Telegraph journalists, knowing that they wouldn't bother to check that the information given was credible.
Anyone with a knowledge of the Farsi language and of Iranian nomenclature would have dismissed the explanation of the surname out of hand. But who'd want to spoil a good yarn with the boring facts? Not the people at the Telegraph, not even Ahmad Vahdat. Hang on a minute! Isn't that an Iranian name? Presumably the name does not guarantee a knowledge of Farsi, but I'm beginning to wonder if it could belong to our "London-based expert on Iranian Jewry".
Since the article was published this falsehood has been disseminated across the internet, with Ahminejad haters crowing about his Jewish identity. It's strikes me as anti-semitic that one would want someone one hates to be Jewish.
Since the story was exposed as a phoney the Telegraph has made no attempt to correct its error. No need, it's only Ahmadinejad.
After reading the story, and reflecting on a recent Telegraph column in which birth statistics were misinterpreted to show that immigrants are breeding at a disproportionate rate, I googled the words 'Telegraph' and 'downmarket'. This is what I found -
"They've tried turning it into the Mail, now the Telegraph is going downmarket instead. Former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie was offered a lucrative contract to write for the comment pages. Sadly, he has refused as he's still tied to The Sun, where he writes a column. Next on Will Lewis's shopping list is MacKenzie's mate and former Sun colleague Nick Ferrari, who happily said yes and penned his first piece last week. Ferrari is perhaps best known for inventing topless darts."
(from the Independent)
The Telegraph, though right-wing, used to stick to the facts in its reporting, and was read by people who didn't agree with its politics. I wonder if this is still the case.
Caution: on rereading the offending article I see that the quoted expert/charlatan is described as Jewish. It strikes me as unlikely that an Iranian Jew would be called Ahmad, so perhaps Mr. Vahdat is not the 'expert'. On the other hand, if 'Jewish' was a false description it would fit neatly with the rest of the article.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
Gore Vidal interviewed by someone called Tim Teeman. My day is made.
Some quotes -
"One thing I have hated all my life are LIARS and I live in a nation of them."
"Obama would have been better off focusing on educating the American people. His problem is being over-educated. He doesn’t realise how dim-witted and ignorant his audience is. Benjamin Franklin said that the system would fail because of the corruption of the people and that happened under Bush."
[On Edmund White] "He’s a filthy, low writer. He likes to attack his betters, which means he has a big field to go after."
"Does anyone care what Americans think? They’re the worst-educated people in the First World. They don’t have any thoughts, they have emotional responses, which good advertisers know how to provoke."
[On Katherine Hepburn] "She had Parkinson’s. She shook like a leper in the wind."
Ms. Hepburn had the temerity to criticise his screenplay of 'Suddenly Last Summer'.
Some quotes -
"One thing I have hated all my life are LIARS and I live in a nation of them."
"Obama would have been better off focusing on educating the American people. His problem is being over-educated. He doesn’t realise how dim-witted and ignorant his audience is. Benjamin Franklin said that the system would fail because of the corruption of the people and that happened under Bush."
[On Edmund White] "He’s a filthy, low writer. He likes to attack his betters, which means he has a big field to go after."
"Does anyone care what Americans think? They’re the worst-educated people in the First World. They don’t have any thoughts, they have emotional responses, which good advertisers know how to provoke."
[On Katherine Hepburn] "She had Parkinson’s. She shook like a leper in the wind."
Ms. Hepburn had the temerity to criticise his screenplay of 'Suddenly Last Summer'.
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