Given the light that's been shone upon the Murdoch empire's illegality & collusion in police corruption, you'd think that their rivals would follow the Guardian's lead & roundly excoriate such sewer-like shenanigans. You'd certainly think that about the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo titles, owned, as they are, by Trinity Mirror, publishers of the once respectable Daily Mirror.
Well, erm, no, not really. Aside from a characteristically Meldrewesque piece by Joe Riley last Thursday (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/liverpool-columnists/joe-riley/2011/07/21/joe-riley-metropolitan-police-commissioner-sir-paul-stephenson-should-arrest-himself-for-lack-of-judgement-over-the-news-international-scandal-100252-29092215/ ), the gloating has been relatively muted.
Why's that, you may ask. Well, it could just have something to do with the fact that phone-hacking wasn't a practice confined to Wapping. It was apparently also employed by the Mirror stable (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/23/phone-hacking-piers-morgan-mirror?INTCMP=SRCH & http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/default.stm ).
It certainly makes for an onerous in-tray that faces Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey who, indignity of all indignities, today found herself downgraded by the Guardian in its Media 100 list for 2011 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/interactive/2011/jul/25/mediaguardian-100-2011-interactive ).
Monday, July 25, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Praiseworthy Journalism
After a week in which the most base & venal form of journalism has been globally excoriated, it's time to give credit to the Guardian's Nick Davies whose articles on News International over the last couple of years have led to the bemusing spectacle of the Tories voting against Murdoch's BSkyB's takeover bid in tomorrow's House of Commons debate. Davies also broke last week's story concerning Milly Dowler's phone (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2011/jul/12/phone-hacking-nick-davies-select-committee ).
A View From Across The Pond
A boneheaded decision by executives at Channel 4 last year saw the dropping of daily transmissions of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It's a pity because it means all but the web & blog-savvy won't have seen this clip from Monday's programme which takes a look at the phone-hacking scandal: http://gawker.com/5820243/jon-stewart-tackles-the-news-of-the-world-scandal .
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Flushing Out The Rodents
What sort of words come to mind when you think about News International hacks? Feral? Yep. Shifty? Spot-on. Spineless? I'd say so. All of which makes it seem like I'm surveying a surrealist vista when I hear terms such as "principled", "decent" & "courageous" wheeled out by apologists for Murdoch's minions, particularly those who have scribbled their propaganda in the late, unlamented News of the World.
As that rag's editor Colin Myler led his rodents out of their Wapping hole to face the cameras last night, I have to say my sense of satisfied schadenfreude outweighed any sympathy I normally feel for workers made redundant. They knew the nature of the beast they were feeding. They shouldn't complain when the beast turns on them.
It's a sentiment shared, rather more elegantly, by the BBC's Paul Mason (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14093772 ):
"Those bemoaning the 'unnecessary' closure of the NOTW ignore the market logic. Even if the guilty parties had long ago moved on, the NOTW was essentially the same product."
Mason notes the necessity of the rag's demise "as a brand to prevent gangrene to the whole of Newscorp".
The notion of just one limb of Murdoch's corporate body being gangrenous is rather charitable, I'd say.
As the clock ticked remorselessly towards the NOTW's nemesis, its political editor Dave Wooding scrawled a self-serving, whingeing & cliche-ridden piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free page (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/09/news-of-world-last-edition ) whose hysterical premise was that "the bad guys" could sleep easily from now on.
Both Wooding & Myler have links to Merseyside. They should know better than other Murdoch hacks how his empire is viewed in these parts.
Wooding wailed:
"The loss of the News of the World from our lives is a bombshell like the break-up of the Beatles, the collapse of Woolworths and the end of Concorde."
If Wooding finds it hard to find alternative employment (Murdoch's Sun on Sunday replacement won't take many NOTW staff on), he could turn his hand to comedy writing.
[Speaking of comedy, it was one of those golden TV moments on Friday's Newsnight when Steve Coogan, along with Greg Dyke, exposed & ridiculed former NOTW features editor Paul McMullen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkeSJLgzG8k ). The feral-featured McMullen was reduced to making cheap jibes about Coogan's wealth & private life.]
Of course, it is nauseating to witness senior politicians across the board now join the chorus of condemnation when they were all too happy to kiss Murdoch's ring just a week earlier; Cameron, Clegg & Miliband all attended News International's summer party recently. It's touched upon elsewhere in Paul Mason's article:
"The strength of the Murdoch newspaper and TV empire was that it occupied the commanding heights of a kind of journalism that dispenses power, intimidates and influences politicians and shapes political outcomes."
That "kind of journalism" is now under the cosh as never before ( it is, indeed, Middle England's Hillsborough moment). That cosh should be wielded repeatedly & mercilessly until we know the beast is dead. The rest of the country can now look to Merseyside's boycott of Murdoch's rags as just one tactic to employ. It's a tactic highlighted just yesterday in a brilliantly observed composition by Billy Bragg (http://vimeo.com/26203800 ).
As that rag's editor Colin Myler led his rodents out of their Wapping hole to face the cameras last night, I have to say my sense of satisfied schadenfreude outweighed any sympathy I normally feel for workers made redundant. They knew the nature of the beast they were feeding. They shouldn't complain when the beast turns on them.
It's a sentiment shared, rather more elegantly, by the BBC's Paul Mason (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14093772 ):
"Those bemoaning the 'unnecessary' closure of the NOTW ignore the market logic. Even if the guilty parties had long ago moved on, the NOTW was essentially the same product."
Mason notes the necessity of the rag's demise "as a brand to prevent gangrene to the whole of Newscorp".
The notion of just one limb of Murdoch's corporate body being gangrenous is rather charitable, I'd say.
As the clock ticked remorselessly towards the NOTW's nemesis, its political editor Dave Wooding scrawled a self-serving, whingeing & cliche-ridden piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free page (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/09/news-of-world-last-edition ) whose hysterical premise was that "the bad guys" could sleep easily from now on.
Both Wooding & Myler have links to Merseyside. They should know better than other Murdoch hacks how his empire is viewed in these parts.
Wooding wailed:
"The loss of the News of the World from our lives is a bombshell like the break-up of the Beatles, the collapse of Woolworths and the end of Concorde."
If Wooding finds it hard to find alternative employment (Murdoch's Sun on Sunday replacement won't take many NOTW staff on), he could turn his hand to comedy writing.
[Speaking of comedy, it was one of those golden TV moments on Friday's Newsnight when Steve Coogan, along with Greg Dyke, exposed & ridiculed former NOTW features editor Paul McMullen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkeSJLgzG8k ). The feral-featured McMullen was reduced to making cheap jibes about Coogan's wealth & private life.]
Of course, it is nauseating to witness senior politicians across the board now join the chorus of condemnation when they were all too happy to kiss Murdoch's ring just a week earlier; Cameron, Clegg & Miliband all attended News International's summer party recently. It's touched upon elsewhere in Paul Mason's article:
"The strength of the Murdoch newspaper and TV empire was that it occupied the commanding heights of a kind of journalism that dispenses power, intimidates and influences politicians and shapes political outcomes."
That "kind of journalism" is now under the cosh as never before ( it is, indeed, Middle England's Hillsborough moment). That cosh should be wielded repeatedly & mercilessly until we know the beast is dead. The rest of the country can now look to Merseyside's boycott of Murdoch's rags as just one tactic to employ. It's a tactic highlighted just yesterday in a brilliantly observed composition by Billy Bragg (http://vimeo.com/26203800 ).
Friday, July 08, 2011
At The Click Of A Mouse
Recommended reading: Laurence Durnan, editor of Political Scrapbook (http://politicalscrapbook.net/ ), draws attention to the role played by online activists in responding to the News of the World scandal (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/laurence-durnan/how-social-media-helped-b_b_893108.html?ir=UK ).
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Murdoch's Attempt At Re-Branding
Murdoch's decision to close the News of the World (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/07/news-of-the-world-to-close ) is certainly big news. However, it should be seen for what it is: a desperate attempt to distract attention from News International's hacking operation. Moreover, don't swallow the warm words from editor Colin Myler that all revenues from the final edition will go to "good causes". As PR stunts go, it falls flatter than a pancake.
In addition, it's impossible to think that Murdoch will no longer have a Sunday title. Expect a replacement for the NOTW to be unveiled after a couple of months (Sunday Sun?) & be presented as some sort of fresh start with lessons duly learned.
Long before Murdoch's decision to ditch his squalid Sunday rag Ed Miliband told BBC News of his views on the paper.
"It [NOTW] needs to restore its reputation," he yapped cluelessly.
We all know what that "reputation" has been.
As I write, BBC News are reporting that Murdoch will, indeed, unveil a "Sunday Sun". Predictable.
In addition, it's impossible to think that Murdoch will no longer have a Sunday title. Expect a replacement for the NOTW to be unveiled after a couple of months (Sunday Sun?) & be presented as some sort of fresh start with lessons duly learned.
Long before Murdoch's decision to ditch his squalid Sunday rag Ed Miliband told BBC News of his views on the paper.
"It [NOTW] needs to restore its reputation," he yapped cluelessly.
We all know what that "reputation" has been.
As I write, BBC News are reporting that Murdoch will, indeed, unveil a "Sunday Sun". Predictable.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Hitting Murdoch Where It Hurts
I never make assumptions about any person who reads this blog, but I presume they're not regular readers of Murdoch's rags. In that context I rather suspect that calls for a consumer boycott of both the Sun & the News of the World are pretty academic on Merseyside. Far more damaging & crippling, hopefully, for News International would be a withdrawal of advertising revenue from many companies which are household names. Credit, therefore, to Sunny Hundal over at the Liberal Conspiracy blog for naming names & providing links as well as email addresses (http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/07/06/the-campaign-for-an-advertiser-boycott-of-notw-how-you-can-help/).
On a related note, BBC Sport reporter Dan Roan (http://twitter.com/#!/danroan ) tweeted thus yesterday:
"The man speaking on behalf of News International, Simon Greenberg, used to do the same role for Abramovich's Chelsea FC and England's World Cup bid."
Greenberg, whose TV appearances have managed to make Ed Miliband's recent robotic I-speak-your-weight "interview" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtVm8wtyFI ) look polished & relaxed, clearly has a penchant for arrogant & deluded employers.
On a related note, BBC Sport reporter Dan Roan (http://twitter.com/#!/danroan ) tweeted thus yesterday:
"The man speaking on behalf of News International, Simon Greenberg, used to do the same role for Abramovich's Chelsea FC and England's World Cup bid."
Greenberg, whose TV appearances have managed to make Ed Miliband's recent robotic I-speak-your-weight "interview" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZtVm8wtyFI ) look polished & relaxed, clearly has a penchant for arrogant & deluded employers.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
Middle England's Hillsborough Moment
I can't say I was totally astonished by the revelations concerning News International over the last 24 hours (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/04/milly-dowler-voicemail-hacked-news-of-world ). As Murdoch's rags have demonstrated on countless occasions over the years, no depth of subterranean intrigue has ever been considered too low for the sick, twisted bastards who do their master's work.
Roy Greenslade suggested various ways in which the general public could register its disgust at NI's antics, one of which was a boycott of the News of the World (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/jul/05/newsoftheworld-milly-dowler ). Good idea, Roy. Only thing is we've been boycotting Murdoch's poisonous rags for 22 years.
Roy Greenslade suggested various ways in which the general public could register its disgust at NI's antics, one of which was a boycott of the News of the World (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/jul/05/newsoftheworld-milly-dowler ). Good idea, Roy. Only thing is we've been boycotting Murdoch's poisonous rags for 22 years.
Monday, July 04, 2011
Selective Amnesia Greets Toxteth Anniversary
I haven't always agreed with Ed Vulliamy's impressions of Liverpool over the years, but his piece for yesterday's Observer on the 30th anniversary of the Toxteth riots (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/jul/03/toxteth-liverpool-riot-30-years ) is to be commended.
Not to be commended, however, is a typically shaky editorial on the subject in today's Oldham Echo (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/our-view/2011/07/04/we-must-never-forget-the-lessons-of-the-toxteth-riots-100252-28987476/ ).
The Echo asserts that the riots "created headlines around the world, and was just the start of a decade in which so many stories about Liverpool would tell of political confrontation, anger and economic despair."
Claiming a link, however tenuous, between the riots & events such as the city's local government battle with the Tories a couple of years later smacks of lazy journalism.
The Echo also goes on to deliver a breathtakingly bogus assumption:
"We were all taken by surprise thirty years ago, by what seemed to be a sudden madness that gripped Toxteth and other inner city communities around the country."
Not all of us were taken by surprise. Many older people in the city, not just in Liverpool 8 itself, expressed their astonishment that the riots hadn't occurred some years earlier, given the depth of deprivation & discrimination that was rife.
As for the Echo's coverage & reaction to the riots back in 1981, I seem to recall the paper handing its front page over to Alan Bleasedale for an anguished "calm down, lads" piece. Well-intentioned, but hopelessly naive & out of touch.
Yes, we shouldn't forget the lessons of the riots, but Oldham Hall Street ignored them at the time & downplays them today.
"In the Echo they get it wrong", Piggie in the Middle Eight by Cook Da Books (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTY1aFB71KY ).
Not to be commended, however, is a typically shaky editorial on the subject in today's Oldham Echo (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/our-view/2011/07/04/we-must-never-forget-the-lessons-of-the-toxteth-riots-100252-28987476/ ).
The Echo asserts that the riots "created headlines around the world, and was just the start of a decade in which so many stories about Liverpool would tell of political confrontation, anger and economic despair."
Claiming a link, however tenuous, between the riots & events such as the city's local government battle with the Tories a couple of years later smacks of lazy journalism.
The Echo also goes on to deliver a breathtakingly bogus assumption:
"We were all taken by surprise thirty years ago, by what seemed to be a sudden madness that gripped Toxteth and other inner city communities around the country."
Not all of us were taken by surprise. Many older people in the city, not just in Liverpool 8 itself, expressed their astonishment that the riots hadn't occurred some years earlier, given the depth of deprivation & discrimination that was rife.
As for the Echo's coverage & reaction to the riots back in 1981, I seem to recall the paper handing its front page over to Alan Bleasedale for an anguished "calm down, lads" piece. Well-intentioned, but hopelessly naive & out of touch.
Yes, we shouldn't forget the lessons of the riots, but Oldham Hall Street ignored them at the time & downplays them today.
"In the Echo they get it wrong", Piggie in the Middle Eight by Cook Da Books (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTY1aFB71KY ).
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Read All About It
With some media commentators & journalists tweeting today that there's a state of near mutiny at the Daily Mail over its claim yesterday that striking teachers were to blame for a 13 year-old girl's tragic death, it's worth airing this little gem which has been around for a few months, but which has enjoyed countless hits in the last 24 hours:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eBT6OSr1TI .
Friday, July 01, 2011
Rodent On The Move: A Case For Rentokill
It's been a long time (too long, perhaps) since this blog monitored the movements & utterances --I wouldn't use the word "thoughts", that's going too far-- of Kelvin MacKenzie. However, it appears that the individual who is to journalism what a prostitute is to celibacy is leaving Murdoch's empire to join the Daily Mail (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jun/30/kelvin-mackenzie-join-daily-mail ).
Many may well view the move as an upward one...from the sewer to the gutter; how apt for the lying rat who libelled Liverpool fans at Hillsborough*.
However, it would be wrong to assume that MacKenzie & his boss Rupert Murdoch have fallen out with each other. In fact, MacKenzie has penned a piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free page, singing the praises of the Australian businessman who eagerly adopted US citizenship in order to build his empire there (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/30/rupert-murdoch-monopoly-news-corp ):
"Thank God for the Rupert Murdochs of this world. I wish there were hundreds more in our country. Unemployment would be wiped out at a stroke."
I could quote more of MacKenzie's piece, but I don't want to make you feel too nauseous.
MacKenzie's new colleagues at the Mail will make him feel at home, I'm sure, particularly on the strength of a tasteful, balanced & scrupulously impartial article today (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010193/Teachers-strike-Sophie-Howard-13-killed-falling-branch-school-closed.html ).
Credit to the New Statesman for picking up on the Mail's article (http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/07/daily-mail-teenager-death ).
It isn't often that a rat finds common cause with a pack of jackals, but something tells me they'll all get along famously.
*If MacKenzie wishes to consult the lawyers over my description of him, I have this to say: See you in court. I'd relish the opportunity to highlight your lies.
Many may well view the move as an upward one...from the sewer to the gutter; how apt for the lying rat who libelled Liverpool fans at Hillsborough*.
However, it would be wrong to assume that MacKenzie & his boss Rupert Murdoch have fallen out with each other. In fact, MacKenzie has penned a piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free page, singing the praises of the Australian businessman who eagerly adopted US citizenship in order to build his empire there (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/30/rupert-murdoch-monopoly-news-corp ):
"Thank God for the Rupert Murdochs of this world. I wish there were hundreds more in our country. Unemployment would be wiped out at a stroke."
I could quote more of MacKenzie's piece, but I don't want to make you feel too nauseous.
MacKenzie's new colleagues at the Mail will make him feel at home, I'm sure, particularly on the strength of a tasteful, balanced & scrupulously impartial article today (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2010193/Teachers-strike-Sophie-Howard-13-killed-falling-branch-school-closed.html ).
Credit to the New Statesman for picking up on the Mail's article (http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/07/daily-mail-teenager-death ).
It isn't often that a rat finds common cause with a pack of jackals, but something tells me they'll all get along famously.
*If MacKenzie wishes to consult the lawyers over my description of him, I have this to say: See you in court. I'd relish the opportunity to highlight your lies.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Another Song For Our Times
On the eve of the public sector strikes it falls to Captain Ska (he of Liar, Liar fame) to articulate the views of millions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3yA7wiFqZ4 .
The Captain is turning into a more effective opposition leader than Ed Miliband (though many would say that isn't so difficult).
The Captain is turning into a more effective opposition leader than Ed Miliband (though many would say that isn't so difficult).
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A Point About That Pose
Recommended reading: David Hepworth's blog post last week on the passing of Clarence Clemons (http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.com/2011/06/clarence-clemons-and-greatest-pose-in.html ).
What's all too easily forgotten is that in 1975 a photograph of a skinny, white American rocker leaning affectionately against an African-American saxophonist was a big deal in both positive & negative ways.
What's all too easily forgotten is that in 1975 a photograph of a skinny, white American rocker leaning affectionately against an African-American saxophonist was a big deal in both positive & negative ways.
Looking To The Windy City
Belated thanks to Wayne for emailing a link to a blogpost by Cllr Malcolm Kennedy which attempts to liken the city to Chicago (http://malcolmkennedy.blogspot.com/2011/06/chicago-our-kind-of-town.html ).
Well, why not? We've had Oldham Hall Street drawing parallels between Liverpool & New York on numerous occasions (something I could judge for myself when visiting Manhattan last December (http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/12/unwanted-legacy.html ), &, yes, Times Square did remind me of Church Street on a Saturday afternoon). Moreover, Grand Central Station compares favourably to our own wonderfully-revamped Lime Street.
Far more grittily & unfavourably, of course, mention has been made of cities like Detroit & Baltimore in connection with Liverpool, particularly when you venture just a short distance outside the bubble of the city centre.
Cllr Kennedy mentions the Liverpool Waterfront Architecture Festival, which ended the day before yesterday. He goes on to declare:
"The opening of the Festival took place on Mann Island in what is a quite marvellous space between the two controversial black granite facia-ed (yes, granite!) buildings developed by Neptune. Everybody will have their own opinion on the buildings and the impact they have on the views of the Three Graces but one body has already made its view plain by taking space in one of the buildings."
The body? The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). As Tom Lehrer observed when Henry Kissenger won the Nobel Peace Prize in the early 70s, satire has expired. No flowers by request.
Kennedy talks of palling around with the Regional Director of RIBA, Belinda Irlam-Mobray, adding the observational gem, "She wants to see architects and architectural enthusiasts engaging more with the public."
Don't we all. Perhaps then we would have been spared the grotesque additions to what UNESCO are still calling a World Heritage Site. Perhaps, too, NML would spare us their pathetic PR stunts (http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/BeABreakfastBlogger.aspx ); bloggers welcome, are we? OK, Wayne & I will sign up for that slap-up brekkie at one of the Trashy Tarts on the waterfront (toast lightly grilled for me, thanks).
Intriguingly, Cllr Kennedy also a trip he undertook to the aforementioned Windy City:
"Last November Belinda and her colleagues invited me to join them in a visit to Chicago to see how the Chicago Architecture Foundation operates in that city. As their website explains, The Chicago Achitecture Foundation (CAF) 'is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design.' (http://caf.architecture.org/ ). CAF organises tours, exhibitions, debates, lectures, educational programmes and other activities as it seeks to advance public awareness of Architecture and Design. It provides a good model on which to build a Liverpool Architectural Foundation."
A few points to address here. Firstly, I presume the cost of Cllr Kennedy's generous invitation to head west was met from his own pocket. Perish the thought that CAF could be seen to be facilitating a rather tawdry civic junket. Secondly, the chunk of that quote about CAF's work is lifted verbatim from CAF's own website. Thirdly, if there is to be a Liverpool Architectural Foundation, how fitting that its acronym will be LAF. You are having one, aren't you, Malcolm?
Cllr Kennedy declares that the debate over the waterfront needs to be "enhanced by a more interactive process between the architecture profession and the public."
Amen to that, but, hang on, there's something about the use of the word "enhanced" which suggests the debate has been hitherto akin to a pub argument. No, it hasn't, Malcolm, & you know that full well. Wayne has obviously rattled you & your cohorts with his position, as consistently set out on his blog.
By the way, Cllr Kennedy is a fairly prolific Tweeter (http://twitter.com/cllrkennedy ). Drop him a line & let him know your views. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. After all, he does want "a more interactive process between the architecture profession and the public."
Well, why not? We've had Oldham Hall Street drawing parallels between Liverpool & New York on numerous occasions (something I could judge for myself when visiting Manhattan last December (http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/12/unwanted-legacy.html ), &, yes, Times Square did remind me of Church Street on a Saturday afternoon). Moreover, Grand Central Station compares favourably to our own wonderfully-revamped Lime Street.
Far more grittily & unfavourably, of course, mention has been made of cities like Detroit & Baltimore in connection with Liverpool, particularly when you venture just a short distance outside the bubble of the city centre.
Cllr Kennedy mentions the Liverpool Waterfront Architecture Festival, which ended the day before yesterday. He goes on to declare:
"The opening of the Festival took place on Mann Island in what is a quite marvellous space between the two controversial black granite facia-ed (yes, granite!) buildings developed by Neptune. Everybody will have their own opinion on the buildings and the impact they have on the views of the Three Graces but one body has already made its view plain by taking space in one of the buildings."
The body? The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). As Tom Lehrer observed when Henry Kissenger won the Nobel Peace Prize in the early 70s, satire has expired. No flowers by request.
Kennedy talks of palling around with the Regional Director of RIBA, Belinda Irlam-Mobray, adding the observational gem, "She wants to see architects and architectural enthusiasts engaging more with the public."
Don't we all. Perhaps then we would have been spared the grotesque additions to what UNESCO are still calling a World Heritage Site. Perhaps, too, NML would spare us their pathetic PR stunts (http://blog.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/BeABreakfastBlogger.aspx ); bloggers welcome, are we? OK, Wayne & I will sign up for that slap-up brekkie at one of the Trashy Tarts on the waterfront (toast lightly grilled for me, thanks).
Intriguingly, Cllr Kennedy also a trip he undertook to the aforementioned Windy City:
"Last November Belinda and her colleagues invited me to join them in a visit to Chicago to see how the Chicago Architecture Foundation operates in that city. As their website explains, The Chicago Achitecture Foundation (CAF) 'is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing public interest and education in architecture and design.' (http://caf.architecture.org/ ). CAF organises tours, exhibitions, debates, lectures, educational programmes and other activities as it seeks to advance public awareness of Architecture and Design. It provides a good model on which to build a Liverpool Architectural Foundation."
A few points to address here. Firstly, I presume the cost of Cllr Kennedy's generous invitation to head west was met from his own pocket. Perish the thought that CAF could be seen to be facilitating a rather tawdry civic junket. Secondly, the chunk of that quote about CAF's work is lifted verbatim from CAF's own website. Thirdly, if there is to be a Liverpool Architectural Foundation, how fitting that its acronym will be LAF. You are having one, aren't you, Malcolm?
Cllr Kennedy declares that the debate over the waterfront needs to be "enhanced by a more interactive process between the architecture profession and the public."
Amen to that, but, hang on, there's something about the use of the word "enhanced" which suggests the debate has been hitherto akin to a pub argument. No, it hasn't, Malcolm, & you know that full well. Wayne has obviously rattled you & your cohorts with his position, as consistently set out on his blog.
By the way, Cllr Kennedy is a fairly prolific Tweeter (http://twitter.com/cllrkennedy ). Drop him a line & let him know your views. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. After all, he does want "a more interactive process between the architecture profession and the public."
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Another Reason To Get Shirty With Oldham Hall Street
The absence of a byline to the piece immediately gives the game away. As does the wanton use of that strange language which bears little similarity to English, Marketese.
The most striking feature of the new strip, billed as the club's third outfit for the 2011/12 season, is the presence of blue, or "cyan", as it's being sold to many bemused Liverpool fans. The puff-piece oozes:
"The inclusion of blue --'cyan' say kit makers adidas-- on the shirt will raise one or two eyebrows across Merseyside, but adidas have revealed that the colour scheme is in tribute to the first-ever strip worn by the club following its formation in 1892.
"That strip was a Blackburn Rover-esque, blue-and-white halved design, which Liverpool wore for four seasons before switching to their iconic red uniform in 1896."
So then, cast your eyes back up the page & compare the two shirts. First, we have the club's new third kit (hello, Steven, haven't seen you for a while). Secondly, we have the kit worn by the team at its inception. Yes, the original kit does bear a striking resemblance to that long worn by Blackburn Rovers. However, what's with the bollockese about the new shirt acting as a "tribute" to the team's 1892 colours?
Moreover, the design of the third kit owes everything to the corporate colour scheme of the club's current sponsors, Standard Chartered, & nothing to the club's past.
It would be nice if Oldham Hall Street occasionally rose from its default position, ideal for the act of corporate fellatio, & displayed some journalistic rigour, even if it happens to involve the relatively minor matter of a local club's shirt. Alas, we are again disappointed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Looks Familiar
Those of us who have long criticised the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo, owned by Trinity Mirror, for publishing little more than press releases from the likes of Peel & the city council are tempted to recognise the parallels with the case of the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle in West London, as reported by Roy Greenslade on his blog last week (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/jun/08/council-run-newspapers-local-newspapers ).
The publisher of the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle? Trinity Mirror.
The publisher of the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle? Trinity Mirror.
The Big Society Wavers In Wavertree
As "Professor" Phil Redmond mumbles uncomprehendingly about being "had" by Cameron when he agreed to be the ConDems' representative on Merseyside last year (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-10687446 ), it's becoming evident that the chasm between Cameron's honeyed words on that sunny July day & the reality just a mile or so from the site of his speech is growing exponentially.
John Harris visited Wavertree last week for the Guardian's Comment is Free site (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2011/jun/13/faith-liverpool-frontline-big-society-video ) & spoke to members of an evangelical church in the area who offer practical & material assistance to prostitutes & drug addicts in their locality (in truth, prostitution & substance abuse are synonymous).
Whilst Harris rightly lauded the congregation for their actions, he was clearly (& rightly) unnerved by the notion that it should be left to such groups to provide any help at the same time as the State withdraws from such functions. Some of the comments by those involved also revealed the limitations of "faith-based" initiatives. Although there was none of the moralising & proselytising approach normally found with the US religious Right, the absence of views on issues such as a living wage jarred.
Be in no doubt that the cuts will intensify, affecting many more across Merseyside. Government will continue to abdicate its responsibility, leaving groups like those in Wavertree to apply band aids on gaping wounds.
John Harris visited Wavertree last week for the Guardian's Comment is Free site (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2011/jun/13/faith-liverpool-frontline-big-society-video ) & spoke to members of an evangelical church in the area who offer practical & material assistance to prostitutes & drug addicts in their locality (in truth, prostitution & substance abuse are synonymous).
Whilst Harris rightly lauded the congregation for their actions, he was clearly (& rightly) unnerved by the notion that it should be left to such groups to provide any help at the same time as the State withdraws from such functions. Some of the comments by those involved also revealed the limitations of "faith-based" initiatives. Although there was none of the moralising & proselytising approach normally found with the US religious Right, the absence of views on issues such as a living wage jarred.
Be in no doubt that the cuts will intensify, affecting many more across Merseyside. Government will continue to abdicate its responsibility, leaving groups like those in Wavertree to apply band aids on gaping wounds.
Decision Time For UNESCO & Port Of Liverpool
Wayne has already described the belated recognition by some on Oldham Hall Street of the reality after a long period of denial (http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2011/06/liverpools-world-heritage-status-faces.html ).
Marc Waddington's piece comes as close as possible to breaking the Pravdaesque line hitherto maintained on Oldham Hall Street:
"Some local heritage campaigners have criticised recent developments on the waterfront, including at Mann Island, where Neptune's three glazed black wedges have split opinion."
Split opinion? The reality is that most people in the city are united in their opinion about the despoiling of the waterfront.
Joe "Tea & Sympathy" Anderson pops up in Waddington's piece to bang the drum, come what may. Only problem is Joe's stint on the drum is akin to that of a tone-deaf person playing percussion with the Phil, as he declares that he doesn't think "a certificate on the wall enhances the beauty of the Three Graces. They speak for themselves."
Joe goes on to try & square what has become a bloody big circle, claiming that there is no contradiction between World Heritage status & Peel's Liverpool Waters behemoth. He even maintains that the two "offer unique opportunities".
Joe, lie down in a darkened room for a while. Trust me, it'll wear off. Then perhaps, just perhaps, you can develop some cojones & start standing up to the ConDem cuts of £100m in the city.
Typically opportunistic, the Fib Dems nose into the frame with a third-rate snipe from group leader Paula Keaveney. Cllr Keaveney should remember the disastrous legacy of Warren "War Zones" Bradley before wading in.
From The Mersey To Milan: A Cautionary Tale
Mention of Gary Hodgson reminds me of his grandiose musings in a Guardian article last week (http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/jun/08/train-link-mersey-milan ).
Helen Carter's piece, which features a photograph of the waterfront prior to the grotesque additions (or the arrival of the "trashy tarts", as Wayne memorably described them), uses the term "masterplan", though it isn't entirely clear if Hodgson is being directly quoted on this in Carter' piece.
So this mooted rail link linking the Mersey to Milan, Anfield to San Siro, the Empire Theatre to Teatro alla Scalla, where does it come from? Well, Gary's rhapsodies seem to have got the better of him; it's the sort of idea that belongs to what remain of the dock road pubs: "A rail link to the heart of Europe. Why not?"
Why not, indeed, Gary. Mine's a pint of lager, by the way.
Some commenters on the Guardian piece included a couple of trolls , one of whom admitted to being a Peel employee. Guess what he thought of the proposal. Carter herself took me to task for suggesting she'd been taken in by Peel's spin. It's true, as Carter stated, that she's been "robust" in her previous reporting on Peel. However, I stand by my view that the Guardian article was the sort of thing normally found in the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo.
Further proof of Hodgson's tenuous grasp of political reality can be found in this extract:
"He [Hogson] is urging the government to invest in the north west and says unless they develop 'everything is going to be crammed down in the south east.' "
That the ConDem cutters would even countenance government investment in the north west requires a suspension of critical faculties normally arrived at after a session in the Baltic Fleet.
Helen Carter's piece, which features a photograph of the waterfront prior to the grotesque additions (or the arrival of the "trashy tarts", as Wayne memorably described them), uses the term "masterplan", though it isn't entirely clear if Hodgson is being directly quoted on this in Carter' piece.
So this mooted rail link linking the Mersey to Milan, Anfield to San Siro, the Empire Theatre to Teatro alla Scalla, where does it come from? Well, Gary's rhapsodies seem to have got the better of him; it's the sort of idea that belongs to what remain of the dock road pubs: "A rail link to the heart of Europe. Why not?"
Why not, indeed, Gary. Mine's a pint of lager, by the way.
Some commenters on the Guardian piece included a couple of trolls , one of whom admitted to being a Peel employee. Guess what he thought of the proposal. Carter herself took me to task for suggesting she'd been taken in by Peel's spin. It's true, as Carter stated, that she's been "robust" in her previous reporting on Peel. However, I stand by my view that the Guardian article was the sort of thing normally found in the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo.
Further proof of Hodgson's tenuous grasp of political reality can be found in this extract:
"He [Hogson] is urging the government to invest in the north west and says unless they develop 'everything is going to be crammed down in the south east.' "
That the ConDem cutters would even countenance government investment in the north west requires a suspension of critical faculties normally arrived at after a session in the Baltic Fleet.
Parish Notice (Sort Of)
Not working today? Time to kill this afternoon? Thinking of going into town? If the answer is yes to all three questions, you could do worse than visit the Crowne Plaza Hotel at Princes Dock between 3.30 & 7.30. Peel are holding one of their PR stunts there (http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2011/06/15/public-consultation-of-port-of-liverpool-plans-gets-underway-92534-28878517/ ).
Alex Turner's terse puff-piece for Peel quotes Gary Hodgson, the managing director of Peel Ports Mersey, who delivers this gem: "These local events are very important.
"All written views given will be carefully considered and will help to shape the final version of the master plan."
Yes, he really did say "master plan".
So why not pay a visit to the Crowne Plaza today & let Gary, or one of his minions, know what you think of the "master plan" as well as the impact Peel has already made on what is still laughably referred to as a World Heritage Site.
After all, your views will be "carefully considered". Won't they?
Alex Turner's terse puff-piece for Peel quotes Gary Hodgson, the managing director of Peel Ports Mersey, who delivers this gem: "These local events are very important.
"All written views given will be carefully considered and will help to shape the final version of the master plan."
Yes, he really did say "master plan".
So why not pay a visit to the Crowne Plaza today & let Gary, or one of his minions, know what you think of the "master plan" as well as the impact Peel has already made on what is still laughably referred to as a World Heritage Site.
After all, your views will be "carefully considered". Won't they?
Friday, May 27, 2011
A New Ball Game?
Mindful, however, of the old adage that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it may be necessary for the club's supporters to keep an eye on any developments in this story.
Tony's Toxic Tweets
A couple of commenters on my post about Tony Schumacher's piece on Margaret Thatcher for Liverpool Confidential argued that I'd missed his central point. Fair enough, if I've been blind to Tony's position, I'm happy to be corrected.
Far more sinister, however, is the point made by one commenter that my post may have contributed to a climate in which Tony received several abusive & threatening tweets; Tony writes on the matter for Liverpool Confidential (http://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/News-and-Comment/Twitter-and-bisted ).
I've re-read my post & am confident that the points I made couldn't be reasonably construed to be an incitement to the idiots who have threatened Tony in this way. If, however, some moronic half-wits DID view the post in that way, I greatly regret it. For the record, I condemn the anonymous tweeters who posted their messages, particularly the charming individual who scrawled, "I hope you get cancer, you tw**".
Far more sinister, however, is the point made by one commenter that my post may have contributed to a climate in which Tony received several abusive & threatening tweets; Tony writes on the matter for Liverpool Confidential (http://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/News-and-Comment/Twitter-and-bisted ).
I've re-read my post & am confident that the points I made couldn't be reasonably construed to be an incitement to the idiots who have threatened Tony in this way. If, however, some moronic half-wits DID view the post in that way, I greatly regret it. For the record, I condemn the anonymous tweeters who posted their messages, particularly the charming individual who scrawled, "I hope you get cancer, you tw**".
Monday, May 23, 2011
Dwelling On The Past
It must have been a slow news day for Tony Schumacher to pen his Liverpool Confidential piece on Margaret Thatcher (http://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/News-and-Comment/Should-Liverpool-forgive-Thatcher ). Given all the issues facing the city, even those who cut their political teeth in the 80s (guilty) will view Schumacher's article as, at best, a half-hearted stab at controversy.
It's true to say that Thatcher's legacy for areas like Merseyside is still ruinously evident (generational dependency, an exponential rise in the underclass, etc.). Moreover, some of us recall the comment by Geoffrey Howe in the wake of the Toxteth riots that government policy towards Merseyside should be one of "managed decline".
That said, dwelling on Thatcher's record at a time when the city continues to be governed by a motley collection of political eunuchs & invertebrates who collude in the destruction of Liverpool's waterfront while meekly accepting the ConDem cuts is perverse to the point of irrelevance.
It's true to say that Thatcher's legacy for areas like Merseyside is still ruinously evident (generational dependency, an exponential rise in the underclass, etc.). Moreover, some of us recall the comment by Geoffrey Howe in the wake of the Toxteth riots that government policy towards Merseyside should be one of "managed decline".
That said, dwelling on Thatcher's record at a time when the city continues to be governed by a motley collection of political eunuchs & invertebrates who collude in the destruction of Liverpool's waterfront while meekly accepting the ConDem cuts is perverse to the point of irrelevance.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
After All That
Text message from a mate of mine: "10 years searching. Trillions of dollars spent. Thousands of soldiers dead. Smart bombs. Cruise missiles. Un-manned drones. Satellite technology. And the USA finally found Bin Laden in his own f***in' house?!"
Merseytravel's Clumsy Attempt At Censorship
Ms Outram's missive, a po-faced concoction of faux legalese, shoddy grammar & appalling punctuation, informs Wayne that his posts concerning Scales amount to defamation:
"It has come to our attention that the above blog for which you are named as the editor contains a number of articles and comments regarding Mr Neil Scales that are not only offensive but are entirely inaccurate.
"We also consider such comments are defamatory and actionable in law."
Ms Outram's letter goes on to list the posts where it is felt a defamation of character has occurred & demands:
"At this juncture we request that you immediately remove the above articles from your blog and we also request a letter of apology be provided to Mr Scales for the offence and distress the contents of this blog have caused him.
"We expect to receive this letter by Friday 6 May 2011."
Let's get one thing straight from the outset. A claim of defamation & possible legal proceedings is to be financed by the taxpayers of Merseyside (the letterhead is that of Merseytravel, a publicly-funded body). To use an old cliche, it'll never stand up in court; if Scales wishes to proceed with his action, he should do so from his own pocket, not ours.
Moreover, it's significant that nowhere in Ms Outram's letter is the content of Wayne's posts disputed. Her letter complains of what can be seen as name-calling; I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me that name-calling & defamation are two entirely different matters. Regarding the content of Wayne's pieces about Scales, which I've re-read a couple of times, the claims made about his decisions, actions & policies are substantive, detailed & researched. You would expect Ms Outram to essay in broad outline, at the very least, where & how Wayne's posts are inaccurate &, indeed, defamatory. So does she? Er, no.
This matter goes beyond that of Scales & Wayne's blog. It amounts to a gagging attempt by those who should be accountable but aren't. If Scales gets anywhere with his action (funded by you & me), it sets a dangerous precedent. What Wayne is guilty of is honest opinion, self-expression, a call for transparency from our elected (& unelected) decision makers & a deeply-felt appreciation of the city's heritage.
Wayne certainly expresses his views in robust terms (as do I), but to openly claim that this is tantamount to personal defamation is laughable. I've spoken to Wayne & he has no intention of backing down, a stance which I back unreservedly. Perhaps Scales would prefer to operate in an environment which brooks no dissent or scrutiny from those who help pay his considerable salary; there are such places around the globe where that applies (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/may/03/press-freedom-vietnam ).
The message is simple: Wayne won't be censored & nor will I.
Monday, April 18, 2011
So Long, It's Been Good To Know You
Electoral fraud is a serious charge & it is one Bradley now faces.
David Bartlett has republished Bradley's resignation statement (http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/dalestreetblues/2011/04/in-full-warren-bradleys-resign.html ).
As parting shots go it captures Bradley's gift for self-delusion, self-pity & a tenuous grasp of political reality (not to mention tortuous syntax). He writes that "although I fully intended to stand down this May to persue my fire service career, I will be with immediate effect standing down as the Leader of the City Council Liberal Democrat Group (hooray I hear from some)".
Casting himself as a sacrificial victim (anybody got a cross for him?), Bradley continues:
"Sincere apologies if this issue causes you more electoral problems (I think the national party have already done that -- but I am now the scapegoat!), it is the last thing that I would want. Electioneering was never about me, but the Lib Dems in Liverpool, it is such a pity the same cannot be said for some."
Such venom, such rancour, such bile. Such a shame it had to end like this, eh, Warren?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Oldham Echo Links Up With Cameron & Clegg
Expect the Oldham Echo's editorial policy on the ConDem cuts to soften over the coming weeks. Why? Simple. They've jumped into bed with the coalition (http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46972&c=1 ).
The government's Regional Growth Fund is hailed by its cheerleaders as the catalyst for private sector job creation (you know, those private sector vacancies that will suddenly appear while the public sector shrinks).
Along with the Western Morning News, the Echo will, according to the Press Gazette, "launch competitions inviting small and medium-sized businesses -- particularly those hit hard by the economic downturn -- to apply for grants. They will be run over an 18-month period and each paper will be empowered to allocate between £10,000 and £100,000 from the RGF to distribute to the winners.
"Press Gazette understands that each title will have at least £1m worth of grants to allocate."
Big Al Machray is quoted by Hold the Front Page (http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/campaigns/110413growth.shtml):
"We are delighted to have won government backing for our campaign. We are planning to announce details very shortly."
However, there is a fly in the ointment for Big Al, a bloody big bluebottle actually, as Hold the Front Page's piece continues:
"Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has praised the Echo for the launch of its intiative...
"Mr Clegg said: 'It is absolutely fantastic that the Echo has taken the initiative.' "
Warm words emanating from a source that even Warren "War Zones" Bradley views as toxic are likely to make the minions on Oldham Hall Street (already uneasy about the whole charade) run to the bathroom.
The Regional Growth Fund, trumpeted by Cameron & Clegg as a successful alternative to the Regional Development Agencies, has been greeted with scepticism, if not hostility since its inception last year (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/28/labour-attacks-regional-growth-fund-pathetic-fig-leaf ).
The notion of the Oldham Echo picking winners, as it were, who will suddenly create private sector employment to even ameliorate the fall-out from the public sector jobs cull on Merseyside belongs to the realm of Lewis Carroll. Alas, the farce doesn't end there. According to the Press Gazette, staff at the Echo "will provide 'mentoring, consultancy and business support' for the winning bidders."
So the business which sacked 100 local printers as it moved its printing operation outside Merseyside & which continues to lose readers will mentor & support the lucky winners? Poor bastards.
As one commenter on Hold the Front Page's article remarks, it beggars belief that Trinity Mirror should be chosen for this lunacy.
The government's Regional Growth Fund is hailed by its cheerleaders as the catalyst for private sector job creation (you know, those private sector vacancies that will suddenly appear while the public sector shrinks).
Along with the Western Morning News, the Echo will, according to the Press Gazette, "launch competitions inviting small and medium-sized businesses -- particularly those hit hard by the economic downturn -- to apply for grants. They will be run over an 18-month period and each paper will be empowered to allocate between £10,000 and £100,000 from the RGF to distribute to the winners.
"Press Gazette understands that each title will have at least £1m worth of grants to allocate."
Big Al Machray is quoted by Hold the Front Page (http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/campaigns/110413growth.shtml):
"We are delighted to have won government backing for our campaign. We are planning to announce details very shortly."
However, there is a fly in the ointment for Big Al, a bloody big bluebottle actually, as Hold the Front Page's piece continues:
"Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has praised the Echo for the launch of its intiative...
"Mr Clegg said: 'It is absolutely fantastic that the Echo has taken the initiative.' "
Warm words emanating from a source that even Warren "War Zones" Bradley views as toxic are likely to make the minions on Oldham Hall Street (already uneasy about the whole charade) run to the bathroom.
The Regional Growth Fund, trumpeted by Cameron & Clegg as a successful alternative to the Regional Development Agencies, has been greeted with scepticism, if not hostility since its inception last year (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/28/labour-attacks-regional-growth-fund-pathetic-fig-leaf ).
The notion of the Oldham Echo picking winners, as it were, who will suddenly create private sector employment to even ameliorate the fall-out from the public sector jobs cull on Merseyside belongs to the realm of Lewis Carroll. Alas, the farce doesn't end there. According to the Press Gazette, staff at the Echo "will provide 'mentoring, consultancy and business support' for the winning bidders."
So the business which sacked 100 local printers as it moved its printing operation outside Merseyside & which continues to lose readers will mentor & support the lucky winners? Poor bastards.
As one commenter on Hold the Front Page's article remarks, it beggars belief that Trinity Mirror should be chosen for this lunacy.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Pleasing Their Corporate Constituents
Recommended reading: a piece by Peter Wilby in today's Guardian; it's unarguable in its case & cogently put as he considers the wider issues thrown up by the phone-hacking exploits of Murdoch's empire (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/12/politicians-control-over-corporate-interests ):
"This affair is just one example of how politicians have lost the authority, the will and the moral compass to control corporate interests. They consider only the most modest proposals to bring banks to heel. They make it laughably easy for multinationals to avoid tax. They stand by as supermarkets drive out small retailers. They introduce 'reforms' to education and health that allow corporations to take over the provision, if not the ownership, of our biggest public services. The corporate sector gets what it wants. Why shouldn't Murdoch? It's business as usual.
"The Labour Party was once the political arm of the organised working-class. All three main parties are now the political arm of the organised corporate class. This is not a peculiarly British phenomenon. Almost every advanced democracy, and particularly the US, struggles to control the corporate sector. It is not just that politicians depend on its donations to finance election campaigns but also that they lack the staying power to withstand corporate pressure."
"This affair is just one example of how politicians have lost the authority, the will and the moral compass to control corporate interests. They consider only the most modest proposals to bring banks to heel. They make it laughably easy for multinationals to avoid tax. They stand by as supermarkets drive out small retailers. They introduce 'reforms' to education and health that allow corporations to take over the provision, if not the ownership, of our biggest public services. The corporate sector gets what it wants. Why shouldn't Murdoch? It's business as usual.
"The Labour Party was once the political arm of the organised working-class. All three main parties are now the political arm of the organised corporate class. This is not a peculiarly British phenomenon. Almost every advanced democracy, and particularly the US, struggles to control the corporate sector. It is not just that politicians depend on its donations to finance election campaigns but also that they lack the staying power to withstand corporate pressure."
The Professor Has A Scoop
The Professor has the first draft of Warren "War Zones" Bradley's "we're all doomed & it's your f***in' fault" email to Nick Clegg: http://profchucklebuttychronic.blogspot.com/2011/04/exclusive-leaked-first-draft-of-that.html ).
Monday, April 11, 2011
Warren's Worried, Very Worried
An email sent from Warren "War Zones" Bradley to Nick Clegg has been leaked to the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13043023 ). It urges him to pull out of the ConDem coalition.
It's a far cry from last May when Bradley was waxing lyrical about the protection the Fib Dems would accord the city, despite all the evidence to the contrary (http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/05/hes-still-there-you-know.html ): "[Bradley] said Liverpool should not expect savage cuts from the Tories like it suffered in the 1980s. And he added: '(Deputy Prime Minister) Nick Clegg has given me assurances that will not happen.
" 'Social justice that Liberal Democrats believe in will be a golden vein that runs through the coalition government.' "
Looks like that "golden vein" has well & truly run dry for Warren, as he contemplates the once unthinkable notion of Labour gains at the Fib Dems' expense in areas like Childwall.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
An Unfortunate Discovery
Not before time, Liverpool Discovers have apologised for their unsubstantiated claim that Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech was penned at the Adelphi (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-12977162 ).
The, erm, brains behind the organisation now sheepishly admit they were taken in by our famous Scouse wit. However, I can provide Liverpool Discovers with this astonishing revelation about local history: Liverpool people have always been keen to hoodwink gullible souls from further afield who'll swallow any old crap.
The, erm, brains behind the organisation now sheepishly admit they were taken in by our famous Scouse wit. However, I can provide Liverpool Discovers with this astonishing revelation about local history: Liverpool people have always been keen to hoodwink gullible souls from further afield who'll swallow any old crap.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Treating Hearsay & Rumour As Fact
Picture the scene: Liverpool in the early 60s. Crowds flock to the Cavern, Anfield & Goodison regularly attract 50,000 fans through their turnstiles & the planners assure inner city residents that moving to the new towns of Kirkby & Skelmersdale will be the answer to their housing woes. Meanwhile, in a room at the Adelphi Hotel Martin Luther King sits down to compose his memorable "I have a dream" speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk ).
Still with me? No, I haven't been on the Ossie Whites at Yates' Wine Bar, but I suspect a few characters in the city council, particularly those in the tourism department, may well have been. How else to account for the bizarre claim that Dr King penned his most famous address at the Adelphi (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/8426617/Liverpool-tourist-chiefs-stand-by-Martin-Luther-King-claim.html ): "The allegation has been made in a guide to a major art event entitled 'Liverpool Discovers', commissioned by amongst others, the city council. "A map in the guide shows how more than 20 locations where famous people were born along with places associated with celebrities and events in their lives.
"The guide proclaims: 'Martin Luther King visited his supporters in Liverpool three times, and the first draft of his famous
"I have a dream" speech is alleged to be written on Adelphi Hotel headed notepaper.' "
Note that word, "alleged". Here we have a jaw-dropping case of slack, lazy assumptions being tarted-up as historical fact. Forget the fact that no evidence has been produced to justify the claim.
The Telegraph report quotes the city council's defence, which is, by twists & turns, contradictory, defensive & puerile: "All of the facts we had came from a public consultation where we asked people to submit what they knew about Liverpool.
"They are not official; they are just things about Liverpool that many people may not know.
"As you will appreciate it is sometimes difficult to prove historical facts, and we have run the map by local historians to best verify what appeared.
"Although biographers such as those associated with Martin Luther King may not be aware of such a fact, with all due respect to them, that in itself does not prove it to be untrue.
"Many cities reference stories about their history that cannot be absolutely proven -- and in this case the word 'alleged' informs the reader that the fact is not set in stone."
So this "fact" concerning Dr King came from "a public consultation", did it? And I presume that describing this "fact" as "not official" is another way of admitting that it's complete bollocks, particularly when the local historians approached by the idiots who dreamt up this story have no knowledge of the claim & no evidence for its veracity. Moreover, the phrase, "to best verify what appeared" is code for "We know this claim is crap but we'll run with it anyway". There's also an obnoxious arrogance displayed towards biographers of Dr King; "with all due respect", the city council should issue an apology to them.
Liverpool has many links with America. Those links have been historically verified & the requisite evidence duly provided down the years. This claim is as bizarre as it is self-servingly squalid & it should be withdrawn immediately.
Still with me? No, I haven't been on the Ossie Whites at Yates' Wine Bar, but I suspect a few characters in the city council, particularly those in the tourism department, may well have been. How else to account for the bizarre claim that Dr King penned his most famous address at the Adelphi (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/8426617/Liverpool-tourist-chiefs-stand-by-Martin-Luther-King-claim.html ): "The allegation has been made in a guide to a major art event entitled 'Liverpool Discovers', commissioned by amongst others, the city council. "A map in the guide shows how more than 20 locations where famous people were born along with places associated with celebrities and events in their lives.
"The guide proclaims: 'Martin Luther King visited his supporters in Liverpool three times, and the first draft of his famous
"I have a dream" speech is alleged to be written on Adelphi Hotel headed notepaper.' "
Note that word, "alleged". Here we have a jaw-dropping case of slack, lazy assumptions being tarted-up as historical fact. Forget the fact that no evidence has been produced to justify the claim.
The Telegraph report quotes the city council's defence, which is, by twists & turns, contradictory, defensive & puerile: "All of the facts we had came from a public consultation where we asked people to submit what they knew about Liverpool.
"They are not official; they are just things about Liverpool that many people may not know.
"As you will appreciate it is sometimes difficult to prove historical facts, and we have run the map by local historians to best verify what appeared.
"Although biographers such as those associated with Martin Luther King may not be aware of such a fact, with all due respect to them, that in itself does not prove it to be untrue.
"Many cities reference stories about their history that cannot be absolutely proven -- and in this case the word 'alleged' informs the reader that the fact is not set in stone."
So this "fact" concerning Dr King came from "a public consultation", did it? And I presume that describing this "fact" as "not official" is another way of admitting that it's complete bollocks, particularly when the local historians approached by the idiots who dreamt up this story have no knowledge of the claim & no evidence for its veracity. Moreover, the phrase, "to best verify what appeared" is code for "We know this claim is crap but we'll run with it anyway". There's also an obnoxious arrogance displayed towards biographers of Dr King; "with all due respect", the city council should issue an apology to them.
Liverpool has many links with America. Those links have been historically verified & the requisite evidence duly provided down the years. This claim is as bizarre as it is self-servingly squalid & it should be withdrawn immediately.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
End Of The Road For Hicks?
Some may have blanched at my description of Hicks & Gillett's reign at Anfield yesterday. However, here's confirmation that the wheels appear to be coming off for Hicks in his own backyard (http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/03/kpmg_sued_for_giving_tom_hicks_clean_audit_a_year_before_525-million_loan_default.php ).
The true nature of this charlatan & Bush buddy should be clear to all. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that Rick Parry & David Moores still have everything to explain for their tawdry actions in agreeing to the sale of the club in 2007, Moores, in particular, given the £90m he pocketed from the transaction.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
New Owners, Same Old Problems?
After the ruinous & fraudulent reign of Hicks & Gillett Liverpool fans could have been forgiven a sigh of relief for their unlamented departure & the arrival of John Henry's NESV outfit. However, in today's Digger column in the Guardian, Matt Scott warns that the club could conceivably be drawn into a conflict of interest which would delight the lawyers & dismay the supporters (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/30/roma-thomas-dibenedetto-liverpool ). The miasma of byzantine & secretive structures surrounding the club's new owners is detailed by Scott who concludes his piece by asking: "Why so secret? Surely fans are entitled to know who owns their club, whether they are baseball or football fans, because sometimes it just might have an impact on the integrity of a competion."
Is It The Final Voyage For Peel's Public Money Scam?
There have been further developments surrounding the "Cruise Wars" saga (http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/public-money-to-pay-for-ports-plan.html & http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/03/peels-press-gang-plan.html ). It emerged earlier this week that Southampton's civic leaders have held meetings with ministers & mandarins in Whitehall (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12880551 ) over Peel's brazen plan to finance a private project with public money. The BBC report notes: "The government is taking a new look at Liverpool's application, which had previously been rejected. "It needs to approve the plan because a £9m EU grant helped pay for its cruise liner terminal, which cost £20m." The "final decision" on this interminable farce will, the report states, be made "within weeks".
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
When The Vultures Swooped Down On Liverpool
Culture year. Remember that? Oh, come on you must, surely. It was the global event of 2008 & provided the foundation for a prosperous & idyllic future for Liverpool.
Well, that's what Oldham Hall Street claimed.
Sevenstreets carries a piece about a soon to be released film by the City Picture collective (http://www.citypicture.co.uk/ ) concerning the distortion, corruption & mendacity surrounding 2008 (http://www.sevenstreets.com/performance-and-film/capital-of-vultures ). Sevenstreets notes of the film, Liverpool08-Capital of Vulture:
"An unflinching, honest and --at times-- acerbic snapshot of where we're at, the documentary posits whether, in the wake of the Capital of Culture, the city's artists (so essential for the regeneration of run-down post industrial areas) have experienced anything approaching a legacy, or whether the event did little more than hijack their community for a year long knees-up at our expense."
I think we all know the answer to that one. The notion of there being an 08 legacy is as risible as that of Oldham Hall Street undertaking investigative journalism. That reality notwithstanding, Sevenstreets plays an unnecessarily even-handed approach:
"It's a thorny subject, for sure, and one that elicits more heat than light: there are as many versions of the 08 story as there were tattered flags lining Edge Lane. For some, it was a platform to showcase the city as a cauldron of creativity, for others a PR excercise of cliques and canapes that failed to ignite any real sense of inclusion or momentum."
Before it fades further into the realm of urban myth & sepia-tinted nostalgia, it's worth reminding ourselves that the heat elicited by culture year continues to emanate from Oldham Hall Street, the city council, the main players in the late, unlamented Liverpool Culture Company, the parasitical PR agencies, "Professor" Phil "Big Society" Redmond, et al. Any creativity within the city was either sidelined or ignored; community projects & initiatives in areas like Kirkdale, Speke & Norris Green were conspicuous by their absence from the city centre-based itinerary.
Culture year was little more than a Bread & Circus scam, dispiriting in its content & corrupt in its organisation. Don't believe me? Track Jason Harborrow down, if that's possible, ply him with a few drinks & discover the truth of that eternal phrase, in vino veritas.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Safe In Their Hands?
As well as Captain Ska's "Liar, Liar", this inspired rap was played a few times on Saturday's demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1jPqqTdNo .
Not So Much Ouside The Bubble As Cocooned Within It
I'm happy to contradict myself. Having said that I wouldn't link to asinine articles about Saturday's march, I really have to do just that with a piece which reeks of ignorance, defeatism & stomach-turning timidity. In fact, this counsel of despair missive reminds me of the "dented shield" argument propounded by many in the 80s when Thatcher's cuts were facing millions. Want to know the provenance of this pale, pathetic piece? Look no further than the Daily Ghost, soon not to be a daily, according to those in the know. David Higgerson, author of the "Outside The Bubble" blog, pens a script that could have been issued from Downing Street (http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/outsidethebubble/2011/03/will-the-cuts-protests-just-ma.html ) Higgerson writes: "Cameron, at around the time of the TUC conference in Manchester last September, alluded to the fact he wanted to work with the unions. Not much has been said on that since. It perhaps suits the unions to be at a distance from the discussions which are taking place about cuts. "But at the same time, if those doing the cuts aren't listening, to traditional protests, then surely the trade unions also need to move their positions too. The cuts are coming, no two ways about that, so how about trying to minimise the impact of those cuts. A little less King Kanute [sic], a little more Florence Nightingale." To which one can pithily reply, a little more standing up to the Tories, a little less planning for that trip to Dignitas. Or perhaps, a little more Terry Fields, a little less Neil Kinnock. Higgerson's dull, defeatist mantra stands in stark contrast to Nick Cohen's thoughtful piece in yesterday's Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/27/nick-cohen-protesters-government-spending ).
Misreading The Mood
Today's reflections on Saturday's march in London have been as predictable as the tide. Most aren't worth referring to, let alone linking to, due to their synthetic outrage & puerile pontificating. Indeed, it seems that the mainstream media doesn't quite know how to handle a story like this. Even the Guardian's Michael White can't help balancing the march with the clashes that took place elsewhere (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/27/britain-decent-demo-mob ). More perceptive observers are now acknowledging that the role of civil disobedience, as opposed to the trashing of Top Shop, is a tactic that will gain in currency & viability. As the cuts bite, the traditional tactic of marches may look insufficient; Ed Miliband (or "Ed Millipede", as he was called by one marcher) has stated his view that the ConDem cuts will prevail for the full term of this parliament. Such an opinion could look discredited & defeatist before the end of this year. Apropos the marchers, I noticed an array of banners & placards which deviated refreshingly from the stereotypical norm. One marcher at Waterloo Station held a placard which posed the cerebral, but intriguing question, "What would Gramsci Say?" Another was less subtle & damningly direct, showing a picture of Nick Clegg with the words "Rent Boy" underneath. Despite the many different reasons given by people for their presence in London on Saturday, & they ranged from the Spirit of Shankly group to the Women's Institute, one refrain was notable for its ubiquity: this is just the beginning.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
The Big Society Comes To Town
Contrary to the sadly sensationalist BBC reports throughout Saturday evening, London was not in the throes of unbridled anarchy. I should know, I was having a pint just a few molotov cocktails away from the highly localised disorder in Picadilly. Regrettable? Yes, of course. Worthy of hysterical live coverage on the BBC News channel? You must be joking.
Friday, March 25, 2011
All Together Now
In anticipation of tomorrow's march here in London, I suspect this catchy ditty from last year will get an airing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFwxw57NBI .
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
No Comment
Recommended reading: a piece by Dave Hill on the Guardian Comment is Free site earlier this month: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/11/democracy-bloggers-tweeters-councils ).
Although it concerns itself with Barnet Council in North London, it certainly has wider relevance, stretching, ooh, 200 miles north-west, of London, wouldn't you say?
Although it concerns itself with Barnet Council in North London, it certainly has wider relevance, stretching, ooh, 200 miles north-west, of London, wouldn't you say?
Leaving A Sour Taste In The Mouth
Those of us attending Saturday's march in London against the ConDem cuts (http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/ ) will have our numbers augmented by workers from the Burton's confectionery plant on the Wirral, soon to be closed by its owners. Indeed, the question of who actually owns Burton is raised by John Harris in a piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free site (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2011/mar/22/union-moreton-burtons-factory-jobs-video ).
As Harris discovers, the ability of Unite, the union representing Burton's staff, to establish the identity of the company's owners turns out to be anything but straightforward; global capitalism has, he concludes, made it necessary for a globally-organised & coherent programme on the part of trade unions around the world. Utopian, perhaps, but, as he ruefully remarks, Saturday's "march for the alternative" won't have one unless it recognises the necessity of an international approach. Problem is, such an approach is light years from both the understanding & inclination of the Labour Party & TUC leadership.
Illustrating the need for working people to broaden their case as widely as possible is the case of the state government staff in the US state of Wisconsin (http://huffingtonpost.com/news/wisconsin-protests ).
As Harris discovers, the ability of Unite, the union representing Burton's staff, to establish the identity of the company's owners turns out to be anything but straightforward; global capitalism has, he concludes, made it necessary for a globally-organised & coherent programme on the part of trade unions around the world. Utopian, perhaps, but, as he ruefully remarks, Saturday's "march for the alternative" won't have one unless it recognises the necessity of an international approach. Problem is, such an approach is light years from both the understanding & inclination of the Labour Party & TUC leadership.
Illustrating the need for working people to broaden their case as widely as possible is the case of the state government staff in the US state of Wisconsin (http://huffingtonpost.com/news/wisconsin-protests ).
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Royal Recognition For Procession Of Coffins
Steve Bell's cartoon in today's Guardian unflinchingly reflects the reality behind the decision to bestow royal status on the town of Wootton Basset (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2011/mar/17/steve-bell-on-wootton-bassett ).
It's sure to stick in the craw of those who continue to support an illegal war in Iraq & an unwinnable conflict in Afghanistan, but that's their problem.
It's sure to stick in the craw of those who continue to support an illegal war in Iraq & an unwinnable conflict in Afghanistan, but that's their problem.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Daily Ghost To Go Weakly?
Far be it for me to rain on Trinity Mirror's parade as they bask in the glory of civic recognition today (all that lobbying paid off big time, eh, Alastair?). However, storm clouds are, alas, on the horizon in the form of Roy Greenslade's blog which today suggests that the Daily Ghost could soon be a weekly paper (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/mar/09/local-newspapers-trinity-mirror ).
Remarking on the Ghost's appropriately spectral circulation figures, Greenslade links to a blogpost by Steve Dyson, a 20-year veteran of the regional newspaper business (http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/blogs/110309dysonblog57.shtml ).
Dyson takes a dim view of the Ghost as a product in the market place, in particular delivering a forensic critique of the edition for Wednesday 16th February. Enjoy the wine & canapes at the Town Hall, guys.
Remarking on the Ghost's appropriately spectral circulation figures, Greenslade links to a blogpost by Steve Dyson, a 20-year veteran of the regional newspaper business (http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/blogs/110309dysonblog57.shtml ).
Dyson takes a dim view of the Ghost as a product in the market place, in particular delivering a forensic critique of the edition for Wednesday 16th February. Enjoy the wine & canapes at the Town Hall, guys.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Wapping Displays Its Knowledge Of Liverpool
It's only fair to point out that Oldham Hall Street doesn't always have a monopoly when it comes to fiction masquerading as journalism about Liverpool, as Wayne observed earlier today (http://liverpoolpreservationtrust.blogspot.com/2011/03/same-old-liverpool-same-old-second-rate.html ).
Judging by the paucity of facts & the preponderance of nauseous PR guff in the Times piece, you have to surmise that the best place for the piece is, indeed, behind Murdoch's self-defeating paywall. The fewer readers who come across such garbage the better.
Judging by the paucity of facts & the preponderance of nauseous PR guff in the Times piece, you have to surmise that the best place for the piece is, indeed, behind Murdoch's self-defeating paywall. The fewer readers who come across such garbage the better.
Oldham Hall Street's Parallel Universe
It is, of course, no surprise when Oldham Hall Street dutifully plays the role of cheerleader for business interests whose motives have everything to do with corporate enrichment & nothing to do with local civic & economic concerns. A cursory look at the coverage of the Liverpool Waters affair will immediately confirm that. Indeed, the alacrity with which the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo (flushed with self-congratulation from successfully lobbying the council for Freedom of the City status) throw themselves into cheerleading mode for Peel Holdings, et al, often leads them to issue the sort of bilge which illuminates their blithe disregard for reality. Take this gem from last Wednesday: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/views/our-view/2011/03/02/liverpool-can-ride-out-this-crisis-100252-28261133/ .
Friday, March 04, 2011
Putting Rivalry Into Perspective
Ahead of Sunday's match at Anfield, Louise Taylor writes a piece for the Guardian sports blog which sets the rivalry between Kenny Dalglish & Alex Ferguson in a measured perspective (http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/mar/04/kenny-dalglish-sir-alex-ferguson ).
As the tabloids & Sky prepare their lurid weekend war analogies, supplying the ammunition to the neanderthals on both sides, & too many deluded saps in Glasgow perpetuate the folly of sectarianism (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/03/celtic-rangers-cards ), Taylor relates:
"[Dalglish & Ferguson] have always harboured a mental as well as physical edge -- while Ferguson's is more overtly aggressive, Dalglish's spikiness invariably features cutting sarcasm -- but both appreciate some battles are pointless. Significantly, neither had any truck with the sectarianism that scarred Glasgow during their respective upbringings. Although a Protestant, Dalglish was perplexed by religious divisions and grew up alongside close Catholic friends. Unusually, in extremely Protestant Govan, Ferguson was the product of a 'mixed' marriage, his father having broken a widespread taboo and married a Catholic.
"In later years Manchester United's manager would tap, productively, into the emotional energy fuelled by his club's supporters' 'hatred' for Liverpool, but that Govan upbringing had imbued him with an ability to grasp a bigger picture. Immediately after the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989 he followed up a phone call to Dalglish by dispatching a deputation of wreath-bearing United fans on a respect-paying mission to Merseyside."
As the tabloids & Sky prepare their lurid weekend war analogies, supplying the ammunition to the neanderthals on both sides, & too many deluded saps in Glasgow perpetuate the folly of sectarianism (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/03/celtic-rangers-cards ), Taylor relates:
"[Dalglish & Ferguson] have always harboured a mental as well as physical edge -- while Ferguson's is more overtly aggressive, Dalglish's spikiness invariably features cutting sarcasm -- but both appreciate some battles are pointless. Significantly, neither had any truck with the sectarianism that scarred Glasgow during their respective upbringings. Although a Protestant, Dalglish was perplexed by religious divisions and grew up alongside close Catholic friends. Unusually, in extremely Protestant Govan, Ferguson was the product of a 'mixed' marriage, his father having broken a widespread taboo and married a Catholic.
"In later years Manchester United's manager would tap, productively, into the emotional energy fuelled by his club's supporters' 'hatred' for Liverpool, but that Govan upbringing had imbued him with an ability to grasp a bigger picture. Immediately after the Hillsborough Disaster in 1989 he followed up a phone call to Dalglish by dispatching a deputation of wreath-bearing United fans on a respect-paying mission to Merseyside."
Liverpool Honours Oldham-Based Papers
Take a trip down Dale Street next Wednesday & you'll witness a spectacle in the Town Hall which belongs to the world of Lewis Carroll. The Oldham Echo, along with its sickly sister the Daily Ghost, will be awarded the freedom of Liverpool (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/03/02/liverpool-echo-makes-headline-by-being-given-freedom-of-the-city-100252-28261044/ ) .
Yes, the sorry rag which claims to speak for Merseyside, but which sacked 100 Liverpool printers when it moved its printing operation down the East Lancs Road, will be "honoured" by the city council. Aghast at this brazen act of mendacity & self-delusion? Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson isn't. In fact, he plays the part of civic fluffer to perfection, proclaiming that the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo have been "the voice of the city for more than 150 years and they constantly champion Liverpool as a great place to live, work and to do business."
Ah yes, of course, given the bilge slapped on the Echo's front page every night (tales of small-time hoodlums, Z-list local celebrities, etc.), any visitor arriving at Lime Street who happens to peruse the, erm, publication would be immediately struck by the way in which the city is championed, as Joe puts it, by Oldham Hall Street.
As an aside, you might think that Anderson would want to keep a relatively low profile after meekly acquiescing to £90m worth of Tory cuts.
The comments left at the foot of the Echo's self-congratulatory piece are almost uniformly hostile. One contributor, JB_Kirkdale, submits a few observations which merit reproduction in their entirety:
"This paper is a rag, a tabloid rag and a very poor shadow of the paper we all respected when we were growing up.
"Remember [the] campaign and outrage from the Echo when it was suggested Liverpool's blood units be moved to Manchester, yet it has done exactly the same thing, sacking many in Liverpool while employing people in Oldham to print it. Its hypocrisy is staggering.
"It calls itself the voice of Merseyside but it stayed silent on the Americans raping LFC in case it lost its access to the club and its players. John Thompson, the sports editor, is another disgrace which has been noted by many.
"I cannot believe this rag has the freedom of Liverpool when it has barely any connections with the place apart from collecting its revenue here and investing it in Manchester.
"I wouldn't wipe my harris on it and I can barely stomach it even when it's free."
JB, you should be a blogger!
Another commenter, georgechristophermciver, notes, "The headlines compete with the Daily Sport."
Touche, sir!
Sensationalist in its tone, crass in its handling of issues which require a modicum of thought, the Oldham Echo provided further evidence of its cack-handed ways a few days ago, as Simon, the blogger behind the no rock and roll fun blog, remarked with regard to a piece on a raid at a Bootle chip shop (http://norock.tumblr.com/post/3379792287/liverpool-echo-puts-sensitively-chosen-advert ).
Since Oldham Hall Street trumpeted its impending "honour" it's become apparent that all is not what it seems in this sorry farce. Trinity Mirror, the parent company of the two rags, & which has this week admitted its parlous state in its annual figures, lobbied (yes, lobbied) the city council for freedom of the city status. Anxious to remain in Oldham Hall Street's good books, Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson immediately assented to their lobbying efforts.
A city council which implements Tory cuts & a pair of rags which are to local journalism what Ron Jeremy is to celibacy. They really do deserve each other, don't they?
Yes, the sorry rag which claims to speak for Merseyside, but which sacked 100 Liverpool printers when it moved its printing operation down the East Lancs Road, will be "honoured" by the city council. Aghast at this brazen act of mendacity & self-delusion? Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson isn't. In fact, he plays the part of civic fluffer to perfection, proclaiming that the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo have been "the voice of the city for more than 150 years and they constantly champion Liverpool as a great place to live, work and to do business."
Ah yes, of course, given the bilge slapped on the Echo's front page every night (tales of small-time hoodlums, Z-list local celebrities, etc.), any visitor arriving at Lime Street who happens to peruse the, erm, publication would be immediately struck by the way in which the city is championed, as Joe puts it, by Oldham Hall Street.
As an aside, you might think that Anderson would want to keep a relatively low profile after meekly acquiescing to £90m worth of Tory cuts.
The comments left at the foot of the Echo's self-congratulatory piece are almost uniformly hostile. One contributor, JB_Kirkdale, submits a few observations which merit reproduction in their entirety:
"This paper is a rag, a tabloid rag and a very poor shadow of the paper we all respected when we were growing up.
"Remember [the] campaign and outrage from the Echo when it was suggested Liverpool's blood units be moved to Manchester, yet it has done exactly the same thing, sacking many in Liverpool while employing people in Oldham to print it. Its hypocrisy is staggering.
"It calls itself the voice of Merseyside but it stayed silent on the Americans raping LFC in case it lost its access to the club and its players. John Thompson, the sports editor, is another disgrace which has been noted by many.
"I cannot believe this rag has the freedom of Liverpool when it has barely any connections with the place apart from collecting its revenue here and investing it in Manchester.
"I wouldn't wipe my harris on it and I can barely stomach it even when it's free."
JB, you should be a blogger!
Another commenter, georgechristophermciver, notes, "The headlines compete with the Daily Sport."
Touche, sir!
Sensationalist in its tone, crass in its handling of issues which require a modicum of thought, the Oldham Echo provided further evidence of its cack-handed ways a few days ago, as Simon, the blogger behind the no rock and roll fun blog, remarked with regard to a piece on a raid at a Bootle chip shop (http://norock.tumblr.com/post/3379792287/liverpool-echo-puts-sensitively-chosen-advert ).
Since Oldham Hall Street trumpeted its impending "honour" it's become apparent that all is not what it seems in this sorry farce. Trinity Mirror, the parent company of the two rags, & which has this week admitted its parlous state in its annual figures, lobbied (yes, lobbied) the city council for freedom of the city status. Anxious to remain in Oldham Hall Street's good books, Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson immediately assented to their lobbying efforts.
A city council which implements Tory cuts & a pair of rags which are to local journalism what Ron Jeremy is to celibacy. They really do deserve each other, don't they?
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Let Me Tell You How It Will Be, The Taxman Lets Them Off Scot-Free
Perfectly catching the mood of the times, Captain Ska released his "Liar, Liar" single towards the end of last year. It wasn't a chart-topper, but it went viral on the web. Now he's back with "Shame on You", his take on the tax-dodging reptiles whose kid-glove treatment at the hands of HMRC clearly shows we aren't all in this together: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B_dVrA9AwE .
It isn't as catchy as "Liar, Liar", but the video cleverly references Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues & the early Madness videos.
It isn't as catchy as "Liar, Liar", but the video cleverly references Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues & the early Madness videos.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Spin Over Substance
An associate once said to me, "PR is the art of making a turd look like a ruby."
I was reminded of those wise words when I saw a Guardian piece earlier about the rise of "churnalism" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/23/churnalism-pr-media-trust ).
Paul Lewis' article cites a website (http://churnalism.com/) which highlights the burgeoning level of PR bullshit masquerading as news in the media. Those media outlets guilty of complicity in this squalid game of journalistic faute de mieux aren't always the usual suspects, as Lewis refreshingly admits:
"Interestingly, all media outlets appear particularly susceptible to PR material disseminated by supermarkets: the Mail appears to have a particular appetite for publicity from Asda and Tesco, while the Guardian appears to prefer Waitrose releases."
It's reassuring to know that the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo wouldn't stoop to such base levels, isn't it? Oh, hang on, what's this: http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/inspired-comparison.html .
I was reminded of those wise words when I saw a Guardian piece earlier about the rise of "churnalism" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/feb/23/churnalism-pr-media-trust ).
Paul Lewis' article cites a website (http://churnalism.com/) which highlights the burgeoning level of PR bullshit masquerading as news in the media. Those media outlets guilty of complicity in this squalid game of journalistic faute de mieux aren't always the usual suspects, as Lewis refreshingly admits:
"Interestingly, all media outlets appear particularly susceptible to PR material disseminated by supermarkets: the Mail appears to have a particular appetite for publicity from Asda and Tesco, while the Guardian appears to prefer Waitrose releases."
It's reassuring to know that the Daily Ghost & Oldham Echo wouldn't stoop to such base levels, isn't it? Oh, hang on, what's this: http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/inspired-comparison.html .
Compare & Contrast
It would be remiss of me not to point out that while Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson was shamelessly trying to justify his adherence to Tory cuts whilst berating those who have the temerity to organise opposition to them, the Liverpool branch of UK Uncut (http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/ ) were showing, by way of a complete contrast, how effective their spontaneous & fluid campaign is.
The Vodafone store in Church Street remained closed for the day as protesters highlighted the tax-dodging antics of the company. Though relatively small in number, they made their point in eye-catching manner & showed that they have a level of spirit & ingenuity in their ranks which shames Anderson's defeatist rump of time-servers.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Joe Anderson's Bluster & Bombast
The sadly small smattering of the committed, converted & the affected who turned out at the steps of St George's Hall today in protest against the city council's cuts were largely regaled with rhetoric that was cliched & pitiful in equal measure. However, proceedings reached their nadir in a shrill, defensive rant from Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson. It's one thing to highlight the devastating effects of the ConDem cuts in the city. It's quite another to do so while implementing them, as Anderson well knows.Anderson's address wasn't so much a speech as a puerile whine of self-exoneration. The cuts? Nothing to do with Joe, even though he's now Cameron's Cutter-in-Chief in the city. Instead, he lobbed a couple of barbs at Degsy & Co. Forget the rather inconvenient fact that Militant haven't been around as a significant political force for 20 years or so. Anderson also declared opposition to both the Tories & "the Loony Left". It's nice to see him use a phrase first coined by that well-known champion of Merseyside, the Sun, back in the 80s.
Those who should know better, such as Anderson, are disingenuous; you can't rally the troops while depriving them of their rations. It's no exaggeration to say that empty rhetoric was the most "constructive" element of his address. Talk of mobilising the Labour Party & TUC was laughable back in the 80s when Thatcher was in her pomp. To invoke both in 2011 when the cuts dwarf those of that decade could be interpreted as a sick joke.
Be in no doubt, the cuts will be savage. Indeed, the shape of things to come was outlined by a Guardian article last week (http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/feb/11/marmot-report-health-equality-data ).
In such a context, it is even more risible for Joe "tea & sympathy" Anderson to laud the legacy of Robert Tressell, the centenary of whose death in Liverpool has just passed (http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/news/details.aspx?id=193281 ):
"Robert Tressell's social commentary should not be underestimated and it's a shame that he only received recognition for his talents posthumously."
Robert Tressell, or Robert Noonan to give him his real name, would surely have seen the dark comedy in a supposed trade unionist implementing the millionaires' wishes whilst bewailing the consequences.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Anti-Vodafone Protest In Liverpool
Dismissed & disdained in equal measure by nearly all media outlets at first, the UK Uncut campaign is now beginning to be grudgingly acknowledged not just for its actions, but also for the clarity & veracity of its argument that multinationals are paying little or no tax on UK income. After Monday's feature on Newsnight (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/9383598.stm ), during the course of which Paxo had his Naughtie moment, the campaign continues apace across the country this weekend, including Liverpool.
If you're in the city centre tomorrow & are disgusted by the way in which we most certainly aren't all in this together, you can show your support for the campaign as it marches on the Vodafone store in Grosvenorpool (http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/201 ) around lunchtime.
An extra reason for showing what you think of Vodafone was provided a few days ago when it pulled the plug on internet & mobile phone links in Egypt as the protests against Mubarak's regime gathered force (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/04/british-oil-banks-egypt-protests ).
If you're in the city centre tomorrow & are disgusted by the way in which we most certainly aren't all in this together, you can show your support for the campaign as it marches on the Vodafone store in Grosvenorpool (http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/actions/201 ) around lunchtime.
An extra reason for showing what you think of Vodafone was provided a few days ago when it pulled the plug on internet & mobile phone links in Egypt as the protests against Mubarak's regime gathered force (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/04/british-oil-banks-egypt-protests ).
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
A Game Of Two Halves
Contrary to the perennial grumblings from many football supporters, there never was a halcyon age in which the game was run as some sort of workers' cooperative. The development & growing popularity of the professional game in the late 19th century went hand-in-hand with the most frenetic & burgeoning period of the Industrial Revolution.
However, the level of expenditure on transfer fees yesterday, as the deadline came to a close, has prompted at least some who normally shrug their shoulders & accept its free market nature to question its sense of priorities. Those Liverpool fans who bemoan Fernando Torres' departure make the right points about the malaise affecting the modern game, but they should also see the bigger picture. David Conn certainly does that in a piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free pages today (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/01/football-cant-kick-big-spending-habit ).
Drawing together the wanton excesses of the current professional game with the economic reality affecting those who watch it, Conn concludes:
"[Tory] Sports minister Hugh Robertson has described football as 'the worst governed sport in the country'. Its story is of an obsession with money, and great inequality between millionaire superstars paid by plutocrat owners and fans paying fortunes to watch -- while the masses who play the sport prepare for years of underinvestment by Robertson's 'austerity' government."
However, the level of expenditure on transfer fees yesterday, as the deadline came to a close, has prompted at least some who normally shrug their shoulders & accept its free market nature to question its sense of priorities. Those Liverpool fans who bemoan Fernando Torres' departure make the right points about the malaise affecting the modern game, but they should also see the bigger picture. David Conn certainly does that in a piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free pages today (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/feb/01/football-cant-kick-big-spending-habit ).
Drawing together the wanton excesses of the current professional game with the economic reality affecting those who watch it, Conn concludes:
"[Tory] Sports minister Hugh Robertson has described football as 'the worst governed sport in the country'. Its story is of an obsession with money, and great inequality between millionaire superstars paid by plutocrat owners and fans paying fortunes to watch -- while the masses who play the sport prepare for years of underinvestment by Robertson's 'austerity' government."
When A Spoonerism Becomes A Freudian Slip
Yes, of course it isn't a nice word to use & it remains, understandably, one of the few words in the Anglo-Saxon lexicon to remain taboo. That said, it was somehow apt that Jeremy Paxman's verbal faux-pas on Newsnight yesterday evening was committed in the context of a piece about the ConDem cuts & the tax-dodgers who donate to the Tory Party (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZtd4X8ubXA ).
What a load of, erm, cuts.
What a load of, erm, cuts.
Monday, January 31, 2011
On The Ball?
It's transfer deadline day. Cue hysteria & hype from most of the media & football websites. For those who have both the time & the inclination, the Guardian's running an irreverent & spiky live blog on what does & doesn't transpire before the 11pm deadline (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jan/31/transfer-window-deadline-day-live ).
So, too, is the Oldham Echo & the quality of their effort can, perhaps, be summed up in the question posed by their hack, Neil Macdonald (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/01/31/transfer-window-deadline-day-live-blog-from-7am-11pm-100252-28078031/ ):
"Will Liverpool hold on to Fernando Torres or sign someone else?"
About the tooth fairy & Santa Claus, I've got some bad news for you, Neil.
So, too, is the Oldham Echo & the quality of their effort can, perhaps, be summed up in the question posed by their hack, Neil Macdonald (http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2011/01/31/transfer-window-deadline-day-live-blog-from-7am-11pm-100252-28078031/ ):
"Will Liverpool hold on to Fernando Torres or sign someone else?"
About the tooth fairy & Santa Claus, I've got some bad news for you, Neil.
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