Posts by Robert Fox
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I know Rupert Murdoch is a trendy bogeyman (and not entirely without reason), but anyone who thinks Fleet Street was a fragrant bower before that ghastly Ocker vulgarian slithered above the salt is guilty of nostalgia of the most fatuous kind.
Meh, I'm certainly not nostalgic for an imagined pre Murdoch nirvana where the British 4th estate kept the establishment and parliament accountable for the good of the nation. Twas never thus. But to dismiss the Murdoch's News Corp as just another example of an out of control press baron ignores the fact that in the last 30 years it has become the largest and most influential media organisation the west has ever known.The NOTW and the Sun have been playing their A game for such a long time that its easy to forget how their pioneering market research led content has helped set the tone of public discourse in the UK and beyond for nearly 3 decades. Where News Corp's red tops led everyone else followed . To see such an immensely strong brand take such a hammering now is akin to scientists finding definitive proof that Coca cola causes bowl cancer.
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Hard News: A nation bullied, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
The Elephant in the room of course Murdoch's takeover bid for BSkyB, which has been opposed by pretty much every media outlet whatever their political bias. It is broadly viewed as a Murdoch acquisition too far and has helped forge an unholy anti News Corp alliance right across the political divide. The Beeb will never be seen to crow openly, but the powers that be at the coporation will be particularly chuffed that Murdoch junior, News Corp's chief BBC heckler, has been splattered by a few globules of the faeces that is flying round. And at the other end of the food chain are the bottom feeding shysters like Richard Desmond who will now be licking their filthy lips at the prospect of a bigger slice of the sewer that the death of the NOTW presents and will attempt to scoop up their share of the spoils with every shitty trick in the book. As everybody knows, Hypocrisy knows no bounds in tabloid land.
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http://www.ukrockfestivals.com/glastonbury-festival-1987.html
This should bring back some fond memories. Also reminded me about the heavy vibe around the Peace Convoy and also of how crappy things had been in the UK during the 80's. The last time I went was 1995 and although the festival had become corporatised and lost some of its edge you still couldn't fail to have a good time. Tricky on the Jazz stage that year was the highlight for me. -
Ahh Glasonbury 1987, my first as well. Spent a whole week there. Magic mushrooms, Mutoid Waste Company Car Henge, Gaye Bykers on Acid, New Order on the Pyramid stage with lasers. I never really came home that one.
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Hard News: We are all Twitter, in reply to Russell Brown,
Not a Happy Hammer then?
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How did West Ham go this season?
Finished bottom and relegated.
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<i>and I really, really, admire the way they have just ... kept on keeping on</i>
We kind of have to really, no other option. I suppose like Lilith and Emma I see things changing quite effectively day to day out in the suburban streets . On a personal level I suppose you have to be proactive about things as much as you can though. Our house was filed in the 10,000 - $100,000 worth of repairs category after the first quake and wont be reassessed for this one until July at the earliest. My driveway pools ankle deep in places when it rains and that wont be fixed for ages but we managed to get our damaged header tank and garage door fixed and got the money paid back to us through EQC's $2000 emergency repairs fund. However EQC wouldn't pay for the repairs to the section of our deck we had to tear up to save the lives of 2 trapped squealing cats that were in serious danger of drowning as the liquefaction flood waters rose around our house on the 22nd. That is about as personally traumatic it got for me and my kids. Still I know of a lot of people doing it harder than us in the worse hit suburbs and it is always quite sobering to be reminded of that.
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Hard News: Some Lines for Labour, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
Frankly, Robert, I just wanted to Hulk out and smash the Labour MPs who stoop up during the third reading of the Civil Unions Bill and told folks like me and Emma to STFU about marriage equality because, hey, we should be thankful we're allowed to sit at the back of the bus rather than being thrown under the wheels
I understand and totally agree with your sentiments there Craig, and in 2005 I certainly didn't support a party headed by a man who's position on said bill mysteriously changed around the same time as agreeing indirect financial support from a fascist religious sect.
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Danyl
I agree that Key probably is a pluralist, its just a shame he fronts a party with a large cohort of members who's version of pluralism excludes most Polynesians and is also directly proportional to an individual's credit rating.
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Fortunately, the actual coverage will be direct from the BBC
Might be worth watching to see Prince Charles’ favourite BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell manages to endear himself to the Heir of Sorrows again. Or you could just watch this piece of Morrisey\ Derek Jarman 80’s brilliance one more time instead.