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It's hard to believe it's been almost two months since the last post here on Reason, but how about this for breaking the silence....
If you're not yet familiar with the "micro-blogging" world of madness that is Twitter, Suspect Paki, who first pointed yours truly in its general direction and whose own #Gaza Tweets were featured in the New York Times, explains what it's all about: If blogging was cocaine, then Twitter is crack.
Eagle-eyed Reason readers will already have noticed a new feature in the left hand sidebar of Reason, Antagonista Reason'd Tweets which contains real-time updates of The Antagonist's latest witterings on Twitter.
Running in parallel, yesterday, a little discussion about the position of poet laureate was instigated by laureate candidate in the running Wendy Cope, who suggested that the post of laureate should be abolished because poetry can't be written to order. The Channel 4 News team (who produce by far the best news programme on any UK TV channel) begged to differ and farmed out a couple of Tweets to their 2,800 or so followers on Twitter:
At 5.30pm yesterday, things began to roll. The daily Snowmail arrived containing a link to "some of the best entries so far: http://bit.ly/Foge", which amazingly included the entry above, and a Channel 4 News Tweet advised:
Below is a brief video snippet in which the daily news' requirement for the repeated repetition of "boom and bust" subliminally replaces the "bust and boom" that was actually written, taken from the full report that can be seen here courtesy of Channel 4.
Congrats also to fellow Twitterer supercoolkp for making it onto the show. Top marks to the Channel 4 News team for embracing the interactivity of cutting edge Internet technology and, of course, for their excellent taste in poetry. Thanks folks!
Viva la people's revolution!
If you're not yet familiar with the "micro-blogging" world of madness that is Twitter, Suspect Paki, who first pointed yours truly in its general direction and whose own #Gaza Tweets were featured in the New York Times, explains what it's all about: If blogging was cocaine, then Twitter is crack.
Eagle-eyed Reason readers will already have noticed a new feature in the left hand sidebar of Reason, Antagonista Reason'd Tweets which contains real-time updates of The Antagonist's latest witterings on Twitter.
Running in parallel, yesterday, a little discussion about the position of poet laureate was instigated by laureate candidate in the running Wendy Cope, who suggested that the post of laureate should be abolished because poetry can't be written to order. The Channel 4 News team (who produce by far the best news programme on any UK TV channel) begged to differ and farmed out a couple of Tweets to their 2,800 or so followers on Twitter:
channel4news So the favourite to succeed Andrew Motion as poet laureate says you can't write poetry to order. We think otherwise, oh Twitter-verse
channel4news ...so, Twitter-verse: 'A poem to lift the spirits of a nation'. Up to 140 characters minus @channel4news The best featured tonight.'A poem to lift the spirits of the nation' seemed like an interesting challenge, as well as an opportunity to reach the Channel 4 News audience with a message of hope and a succinct synopsis of the ethos behind this blog. So, text editor and character counter at the ready, a short entry was soon submitted.
At 5.30pm yesterday, things began to roll. The daily Snowmail arrived containing a link to "some of the best entries so far: http://bit.ly/Foge", which amazingly included the entry above, and a Channel 4 News Tweet advised:
"Studio run through of our Twitter verse feature. Time allowing Krishnan will read two of our favourites. Stand by @antagonise, @supercoolkp"Surprised? Yes, very! Then, when Channel 4 News went to air, viewers were treated to the amazing sight of Channel 4 News' anchor man Krishnan Guru-Murthy sat in front of a revolutionary meme:
Below is a brief video snippet in which the daily news' requirement for the repeated repetition of "boom and bust" subliminally replaces the "bust and boom" that was actually written, taken from the full report that can be seen here courtesy of Channel 4.
Congrats also to fellow Twitterer supercoolkp for making it onto the show. Top marks to the Channel 4 News team for embracing the interactivity of cutting edge Internet technology and, of course, for their excellent taste in poetry. Thanks folks!
Viva la people's revolution!
19 comments:
Another meaning to Looni-verse, heh?
Well done!
Pah! If only I'd thought of that first!
Australia's The Age newspaper:
Buckling Europe fears protests may spark a new revolution
Is the message getting through?
You've got them worried.
"TV broadcaster Five’s chief executive is calling on Channel 4 to curb its hostility to merger talks, saying she is being encouraged by government to pursue the state-owned broadcaster, in the Sunday Times. "
ShareCast News, 01/02/2009
I have a feeling they're a little more afear'd of the wildcat striking masses -- which aren't completely wildcat because they must be organised to get so many people out in solidarity -- bringing everything grinding to a halt, and doing it far more effectively than a bit of snow might.
Seeing the sour faces of BrNWO and the loathsome Mandy (he with yet another house that he technically can't afford to pay for) appeal for continued subservience to the completely fucked old system is a sight to behold.
I wonder if the recent proposed neutering of Channel 4 by Ofcom might have had something to do with the choice of Twitter Verse winners.
bravo that man
it was truly a glorious sight to behold on the tv, a terrifying message of hate™ directed at the harbingers of doom and their funny money @ interest printing gloom causing masters
a seminal moment for The Conspiraloon Alliance™
But the "wildcat striking masses" seem to be against "foreign labour" rather than against the powers that be (or are their true aims being misrepresented in the media coverage?). Aren't you concerned about who is likely to be doing a lot of the organising if this is the case?
All valid points, cmain.
Admittedly, things would be a little less concerning if the workers were organised in a similar way to the that of the French. Recent strikes there have been across various public services and managed to garner, if reports are to be believed, the support of 70% of the French public, which is far more support than any government gets.
Bloomberg: About 69 percent of the French people back the strike, according to a poll by CSA-Opinion for newspaper Le Parisien on Jan. 25. Forty-six percent support the strike, while 23 percent “sympathize,” with the union call, Le Parisien said. Of those interviewed, 12 percent were opposed or hostile to the strike.
The 12% opposition roughly equates to the small minority of people that think everything is fine and dandy.
It's at times like this the repercussions of Thatcher's coordinated campaign to destroy the unions and working class solidarity become apparent.
Probably also worth reproducing a couple of comments I left over on Lord P's blog, with regard to who's doing what and the presence of particular undesirables in attendance at strike locations:
As far as I am aware, it was only the excellent Channel 4 News that covered the presence of someone who claimed to be "the Wakefield organiser of the BNP" (Video here), although the clip was cut just as he was giving his name.
The report included footage of someone handing out BNP leaflets and a scene involving a trade union rep and a policeman. The clip showed the trade union rep stating the presence of the BNP man was not acceptable, citing musical (not really) and ideological differences.
Meanwhile, the BBC dig up the corpse of Nigel Farrage to provide the commentary in an increasingly vain attempt to promote fascist ideals among the bourgeosie.
According to Google search summaries, the Wakefield Organiser of the BNP is one Ian Kithing. Google doesn't seem to know much more about him which, in itself, is interesting.
What you don't find in the MSM:
What’s really behind the Lindsey Oil Refinery strike
Keith Gibson, Personal Capacity, GMB. - elected onto unofficial LOR Strike Committee.
Note: At the time of writing there are plans to lobby Alstom Head Offices on 5th February in London.
A ninety day redundancy notice had been issued around mid November 2008 at Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR) for Shaws’ workforce.
This meant that by February 17th 2009 a number of Shaws’ construction workers (LOR) would be made redundant.
The day before the Christmas holiday Shaws’ shop-stewards reported to the men that a part of the contract on LOR’s HDS3 plant had been awarded to IREM, an Italian company.
The Stewards explained that Shaws had lost a third of the job to IREM who would be employing their own core Portuguese and Italian workforce numbering 200-300.
Stewards and Union Officials asked to meet with IREM a.s.a.p. after Christmas to clarify the proposal i.e. would IREM employ British labour? Shaws’ workforce were told that the IREM workforce would be housed in floating barges in Grimsby docks for the duration of the job, they would be bussed to work in the morning, bussed to and from the barge for lunch.
IREM workers would work from 7.30am - 11.30am and 13.00 - 1700. On Saturdays they would work 4 hours to make up a working week of 44 hours. The normal working week is 44 hours divided by 5 days, from 7.30 -1600 finishing at 1400 on Fridays (most workers work overtime).
Normal breaks include 10 minutes in a morning and a 30 minute dinner break. Stewards were told that IREM workers would be paid the national rate for the job; to date this has not been confirmed.
After Christmas the nominated Shop Stewards entered into negotiations with IREM. Meanwhile, a National Shop Stewards Forum for the construction Industry held a meeting in London to discuss Staythorpe Power Station where the company Alstom were refusing to hire British labour relying on non-union Polish and Spanish workers instead.
It was decided that all Blue Book sites covered by the National Agreement for the Engineering and Construction Industry (NAECI) should send delegations down to Staythorpe to protest against Alstoms’ actions.
The workforce on the LOR site sent delegations. Then, on Wednesday 28th January 2009 Shaws’ workforce were told by the Stewards that IREM had stated they would not be employing British labour.
The entire LOR workforce, from all subcontracting companies, met and voted unanimously to take immediate unofficial strike action.
The following day over a thousand construction workers from LOR, Conoco and Easington sites descended outside LOR’s gate to picket and protest.
This was the spark that ignited the spontaneous unofficial walk outs of our brother construction workers across the length and breadth of Britain.
This worker solidarity is against the ‘conscious blacking’ of British construction workers by company bosses who refuse to recruit skilled British labour in the U.K.
The workers of LOR, Conoco and Easington did not take strike action against immigrant workers. Our action is rightly aimed against company bosses who attempt to play off one nationality of worker against the other and undermine the NAECI agreement.
THE B.N.P. SHOULD TAKE HEED, U.K. CONTRUCTION WORKERS WILL NOT TOLERATE ‘ANOTHER RACIST ATTEMPT’ TO SEVER FRATERNAL RELATIONS WITH WORKERS FROM OTHER NATIONS
Demands for Construction Industry:
No victimisation of workers taking solidarity action.
All workers in UK to be covered by NAECI Agreement
Union controlled registering of unemployed and locally skilled union members
Government and employer investment in proper training / apprenticeships for new generation of construction workers
All Immigrant labour to be unionised.
Trade Union assistance for immigrant workers - via interpreters - to give right of access to Trade Union advice - to promote active integrated Trade Union Members
^ Thanks for that Bridget. That covers the valid questions raised by cmain which, in conjunction with the demands for the removal of the BNP from strike locations, suggest that this is a class based action. (i.e. the sort of thing that the BNP love to try and pervert in their own bigoted and pernicious interests.)
I wonder if we'll be seeing further class-based solidarity actions across wider sections of the workforce that the government, with its 'democratic' bailouts of bust banks, has condemned to further wage slavery and servitude.
Socialist Unity makes the point, emphasis mine:
When the bosses divide our class along the lines of race and nation, we are weaker. Instead of capitulating to the anti-immigrant sentiment fanned by the gutter press, unions must demand legislation that prevents employers from taking on workers at below the basic rates of its workforce. Unfortunately, as this appears to be beyond the political imagination of many a trade union leader, it falls to the small and scattered forces of the left to make this case at the refinery gates.
Today's lunchtime report from Channel 4 News is here.
It strikes (pardon the pun) me -- and in response to the questions raised by cmain earlier in the comments -- that a lot hinges on the way in this story is being reported. News reports claim that the strikes are "over the use of foreign workers". In reality, the issue is that, whatever way you cut it, all workers are being shafted.
Once again, as with the BBC's White Season, the endeavour is to distract from very real class issues, in favour of playing the trusty old non-issue of race.
Whatever the race, colour or creed of a worker, they are still members of the working class who are, for now at least, subjugated and oppressed by the ruling classes.
People over profit, or frogmarch into fascism?
Thanks Bridget and The Antagonist for those pointers.
You're most welcome.
Just for the record, this evening's Channel 4 News update, which I haven't managed to find on their web site, contained footage of a speaker reiterating the class basis for the strikes.
I've yet to see such coverage on any BBC News items in relation to the matter.
so it is the same MO as used on people disliking being shafted by the EU, spin it as xenophobia
not so much Godwin's Law as Godwin's Universal Equation
as globalisation of all things bad becomes more overt, we're seeing - so it seems - a global fight back
viva that revolution you wrote so poetically about
Hello
It has a nice blog.
Sorry not write more, but my English is bad writing.
A hug from my country, Portugal
Thanks Luis!
Aaaaaa, how sweet Ant. A career high I would say!
"A seminal moment for The Conspiraloon Alliance™"
Yes, of course. Which of the four definitions of 'seminal' were you refering to jon dory?
1. pertaining to, containing, or consisting of semen.
2. Botany. of or pertaining to seed.
3. having possibilities of future development.
4. highly original and influencing the development of future events: a seminal artist; seminal ideas.
It can't be 2,3, or 4, so my guess is no.1 judging by the big group wank you're all having over this!
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