Friday, April 30, 2010
Get down to Brighton and elect first Green MP
Paul Steedman, campaign manager for the Greens in Brighton Pavilion, said: "The last few months have seen a continued rise in attention and support for the Green Party especially in Brighton. Going into the last weekend of the campaign sees us with a surge of momentum and we expect to have around 150 people knocking doors and meeting voters all across the constituency.""What we have found on the
Hungry? The 50 Best Restaurants In The World-- And The 100 Best... And Good Dining In L.A. Too
molecular gastronomy
Roland seemed pissed off yesterday when he told me that CNN reported that the new San Pellegrino list of the 50 best restaurants in the world was out and that there isn't one single Los Angeles restaurant on it. It probably didn't cheer him up any when I said that if Pellegrino expanded to the top 100, L.A. still would probably not make it. (I was right.) And the kinds of restaurants that Roland and I favor these days-- healthy ones-- don't even get considered. In fact, we were sitting in Life Food Organic when he mentioned it, munching tiramisu as delicious as anything we ate at Il Canto in Siena's Certosa De Maggiano Hotel-- only not harmful to our well-beings.
On the other hand, except for professional gourmands, who's eaten in as many of these restaurants as we have? The shock of Noma in Copenhagen being named the best restaurant in the world over El Bulli in Roses, Spain came as a bit of a shock-- although probably more to Ferran Adrià than to us-- but neither of us is that big a Scandinavian food fan anyway. And El Bulli (between Barcelona and Perpignan)... any time! El Bulli has been numero uno over and over again. This review by Sue Dyson and Roger McShane will give you an accurate idea of what we love about it.
A visit to El Bulli requires a willingness to suspend the reality that eating is a basic fundamental of life, something we do in order to survive. There is little about a meal here that bears any relationship to notions of eating for living. It's an experience that will give you sensual and intellectual pleasure, as far removed from eating to live as reading Kafka is to following a set of instructions on how to program a video recorder. The connection is there but it's not immediately obvious.
In a world where too many people struggle to get the calories they need just to survive, it is a luxury to eat just for the pleasure of a series of tantalising games, where the satisfaction of hunger doesn't seem to have any part in the motivation for preparing and offering the meal.
Once you accept all that, and it doesn't take long because from the moment you arrive it's so beguiling, then you're in for a memorable experience, one which the restaurant staff appear to enjoy as much as the diners. If you choose the degustation menu, and on a first visit almost everyone does, you'll experience some 25 different tastes, each one memorable and some exquisite.
...The meal is progression of some eleven courses. Some are a single dish. Others are a collection of three or four exquisite tastes. In all, you'll eat about 25 different dishes. Sometimes, you're given strict instructions on how to eat something, for example the famous pea soup, served in thin cone-shaped glass. Drink it all in one go is the advice. While the texture and colour remain constant, as you drink the temperature changes, starting hot and finishing cold. It's a fascinating education as the flavour changes along with the temperature, its ‘peaishness' more obvious as the temperature lowers.
Every dish is served with purpose-designed crockery. In fact every element of this place appears purpose-designed, not least the streamlined and beautiful kitchen, where each small masterpiece is constructed, and which chef Ferran Adriá's partner and master of the front of house, Juli Soler, shows off proudly.
Highlights? Although famous for his ethereal foams, which aim to capture the essence of a flavour, and which have now crossed the Atlantic and have even been sighted in Singapore, for us two of the most memorable flavours were ravioli. One, sea-urchin ravioli, served with a sea-urchin jelly, had a rich, creamy intensity. It was served with pineapple and mango jelly, a fennel jus, and a raspberry-coloured foam made from aromatic herbs! Another ravioli was almost transparent, revealing ahead of the first bite, small bright-green broad beans and just a hint of a strong ham. A later ravioli was filled with oysters, served with oyster jelly, with seaweed and tea foam. Hidden inside this were two tiny, invisible, pieces of extraordinary-intense lemon zest, revealed only in the mouth...
But this is Noma's year and everyone is raving about the young, aggressively Nordic chef René Redzepi. He's all about "a regional, seasonal agenda that is right on the cutting edge: if it isn't available in the Nordic region, he won't cook with it. The result is a very idiosyncratic style of food that speaks to concerns about the way a global food culture turns our eating experiences a uniform beige."
But it goes much further than the agenda: Redzepi is a gifted cook with an extraordinary palate who does amazing things with wild herbs and flowers, bitter green leaves and the freshest local seafood.
In some quarters, of course, the decision will be read as a slap in the face for the modernists, especially for El Bulli and the Fat Duck.
Heston Blumenthal, chef and owner of the Fat Duck, responds-- quite reasonably, I think-- that if his or Ferran Adrià's restaurants had plummeted down the list, then that might well be a viable argument; as it is, what we are really seeing is just a little bit of jostling in the rankings.
What other stories are there? The UK has just three entries, with Claude Bosi's Hibiscus making its first appearance, alongside Fergus Henderson's St John. There are a couple of other places in the UK I would happily see in there, but I can't argue with that overall result: three out of 50 for the UK seems about right. It was always absurd that London restaurants such as Nobu and Hakkasan ever made a showing. The best Japanese and Chinese restaurants in the world being in London? Ludicrous.
The fact that Chateaubriand is the highest ranked French restaurant, ahead of all the over-gilded gastro-palaces, is a breath of fresh air. It is a low key bistro, with apparently fabulous food (I've never been) and if the food is what matters more than the decor then that has to be a good thing. I'm delighted that Japan, with two restaurants, makes a showing, though it is still grossly under-represented.
We keep trying to fiddle with the judging system to up Japan's representation but it's very tough, because the interplay between Japan and the rest of the world remains low key. And that's what's needed for a restaurant to break through: lots of people from outside the country in which it is situated eating there.
Of course, lots of people will take issue with the list: in some European countries it has been decried as some sort of fix (though god knows how you are supposed to fix the votes of 800 people). As I've said in previous years, that sort of thing is taking it far too seriously.
Is it the definitive ranking of the world's top restaurants? Absolutely not, because there is no such thing as a definitive answer to the question. It is just a list, and we all love one of those. Each year, as a result of its publication we argue for a few days about the merits of certain restaurants over each other and, while it is only a tiny part of the conversation to be had around food, that has to be a good thing.
Aside from El Bulli. my faves from the list this year are-- in order of list rankings, not mine-- Daniel in NYC, Per Se (NYC), Pierre Gagnaire (Paris), Le Bernardin (NYC), Iggy's (Singapore), L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Paris), the French Laundry (Yountville, although they also have a wonderful affiliate, Mozaic in Ubud, in the middle of Bali that we love), the aforementioned Il Canto, Alain Ducasse (in my favorite place to stay in Paris, the Plaza Athénée), Biko (Mexico City), Hibiscus (London), Eleven Madison Park (NYC), and then in the bottom 50, Jean Georges (NYC), Chez Panisse (Berkeley), The River Cafe (London), Enoteca Pinchiorri (Florence), Masa (NYC) and La Pergola (Rome).
If there's a restaurant remotely like Spain's El Bulli in Los Angeles it's a new Basque, not Catalan, restaurant opened by José Andrés (who actually trained under El Bulli's Adrià) at the SLS Hotel on La Cieniga. The L.A. Times described the experience of eating there as "Fellini-esque, a gastronomical circus, a flirtation with the flavors and soul of Spain? Los Angeles has never seen anything remotely like this..." If any L.A. restaurant is ever going to wind up on that San Pellegrino list, it's El Bazaar. We took a friend from out of town there last weekend. When it first opened, the Wall Street Journal reviewed it and came away saying it "may be the future of fine dining." It cost over $12 million to put together. "It serves no appetizers or entrees: All meals are made up of tapas, and signature items include drinks and canapés dipped in vats of liquid nitrogen. First-time visitors might wander the ground floor of the SLS Hotel looking for the restaurant-- and not realize that they are already standing in it. A palm-reader roams the floor, offering predictions... A mobile cart of liquid nitrogen wheels up to tables that order a $20 Brazilian cocktail, which is dipped and instantly frozen in the steaming brew. Another cart offers 'Cotton Candy Foie Gras,' a block of rich paté that a waiter twirls in spun sugar. A third cart serves "caviar cones," fish eggs served in paper-thin pastry cones... Half the menu belongs to the category of avant-garde cuisine, or molecular gastronomy, which uses advances in culinary science to create new flavors and textures. Mr. Andrés's "olive oil bon bon," for example, looks like a tiny glass sculpture but is in fact olive oil encased in solidified sugar; bite down and it bursts flavorfully in the mouth. Avant-garde cuisine has transformed fine dining in Europe. American avant-garde chefs, from Grant Achatz of Chicago's Alinea to Wylie Dufresne of WD-50 in New York, are heroes to many young chefs."
We're having dinner at Cru tonight. The food is organic, healthfully prepared, delicious and... well eating there will add years to your life, rather than cut it short. Here's the menu (click to enlarge it):
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
iPad Papercraft
For those of you who don't live in America and can't afford to import an iPad - this may be the answer. It's a paper model replica of Steve Jobs latest shiny toy. Almost as good as the real thing right? Yeah.. not quite but hey at least you can say I do have an iPad albeit a paper one.
Grab it here
Papercraft Designer Toy
There is nothing like the smell of freshly printed papercraft in the morning - well actually there is: freshly printed hand-drawn papercraft of a Panda Totem Mech carrying lovable children off to a joyous adventure somewhere. What am I talking about? This papercraft right here - designed by French graffiti collective Pandacrew. Get it, print it, make it and love it.
Geoff Martin says vote Green
Geoff Martin, Labour's parliamentary candidate in Sutton and Cheam in 1992 and a leading campaigner in the fight to save services at St Helier Hospital today called on local voters to back Sutton's Green Candidate Peter Hickson. Geoff Martin, who lives in Sutton and who was expelled by the Labour Party last year, said: "Voters sick and tired of the spin and sleaze of the main Parties have a real
Caroline Lucas 'I respect my Labour opponent Nancy Platts'
All the other parties have trained their fire on the Greens in Brighton.There can only be one reason for all this attention: they see the Greens as front-runners in the race and regard us as the party to beat - just like the bookies.The Tory tactics are clear - to split the progressive vote and bustle unsatisfactorily through the middle.They seem to be hoping that, if the Labour share rises at
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Greens should vote Lib dem?
well Lord Avebury has been superb but here in Berkshire we remember the Lib Dems supporting the Newbury by-pass...a giant road like a motorway that cut through fields and forests of our beautiful county.A Green Party spokesperson today branded the Lib Dems “the biggest eco-charlatans on this part of the planet”: “Objectively speaking, the Lib Dems are the least trustworthy party on the
Climate vigil
PRESS RELEASEfrom Christian Ecology LinkFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT DETAILSRuth Jarmane-mail : ruthj@phonecoop.coopJo AbbessLocal Call Rate : 0845 45 98 46 0e-mail : info@christian-ecology.org.uk=======================================================CLIMATE VIGIL PRAYERS1. Christian Ecology Link, the Campaign against Climate Change, andother members of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition are
Same Sex Marriage In Nepal-- And A Very Different Kind Of Attitude In Morocco
I'll never forget the first sight I had of Morocco as I approached on a ferry from Spain early in 1969; I was in Africa. The smells, the sounds and the sights all hit me at once and I fell in love with it-- even though I wasn't really in Morocco yet, but approaching Spain's last toehold in Africa, Ceuta. Funny, how I've been back to Morocco a dozen times since then but never to Ceuta again. Even the first time I got there I left almost immediately, anxious to get to "real Morocco," hightailing it out for Tetouan and then on to Ketama in the Rif Mountains with its infamous kif (a kind of hash) fields; never been back to that part of the country either. I always gravitate to the south-- Fez, Marrakech, Essaoura, Taroudant...Earlier this year I read about the life of Moroccan ex-pat writer Abdellah Taïa in Out. Taïa's from Salé in the north; he one of Morocco's bets-known writers and he lives in Paris. He's openly gay and living in Morocco would be uncomfortable. He lives in Paris.
Last year, when Morocco’s interior ministry announced a crackdown on writing and books “seeking to attack the moral and religious values” of Moroccan society-- code for supporting gay rights-- Taïa responded with an open letter, “Homosexuality Explained to My Mother.” “There is a generation of Moroccan people trying to express itself, and the government’s response is aggression,” he says. “I knew I couldn’t write to a minister-- he wouldn’t respond because they don’t recognize people like us-- but I could write to someone related to me.”
Taïa’s campaign goes beyond gay rights. After two young brothers died in a suicide attack outside the U.S. consulate in Casablanca in 2007, he wrote an editorial for Le Monde titled “We Have to Save Moroccan Youth,” in which he addressed the exploitation of teen disaffection by Islamic extremists. “But I realized I had to go further than that,” he says. “I had to break the isolation of young Moroccans.” Inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet-- a series of 10 letters written to a young man entering the German military-- Taïa approached artists and writers of his generation to contribute essays for an update. Eighteen responded, including Tahar Ben Jelloun, one of Morocco’s most famous writers-- a measure of Taïa’s success in transcending knee-jerk prejudice. “Books have given me a legitimacy that I might not have had without them,” Taïa says. “That a homosexual writer-- the one who is demonized, criminalized-- can unite these forces behind him is amazing to me.”
Letters to a Young Moroccan was published last August, but Taïa didn’t stop there. Aware that his target audience could not afford books, he approached millionaire philanthropist Pierre Bergé, who had owned a home in Marrakech with his lifelong partner, Yves Saint Laurent. Bergé agreed to fund the printing and distribution of 90,000 copies of the book in French and Arabic-- the kind of bold gesture Taïa himself would never be able to make if he still lived in Morocco. “They would say I’m crazy, and who do I think I am-- a political leader? Life is when you can think of something and make it happen.” He pauses and shrugs. “But maybe I’m talking too heroically.”
His newest book, a kind of autobiography, is Salvation Army, his first book to be translated into English. "Taïa has defied Moroccan society’s don’t-ask, don’t-tell attitude toward homosexuality-- and prison sentences that are still on the books in the North African kingdom-- to write five autobiographical novels about growing up poor and gay in the northern coastal city of Salé."
The novels, peppered with sexually explicit passages, have catapulted him to fame in his native country and made him the de-facto poster child of its budding gay rights movement.
His work has sparked harsh criticism. Taïa said some outraged critics have called on him to renounce Moroccan citizenship so as “not to bring shame” on the country.
It’s also alienated him from his parents and eight siblings, who figure extensively in the books and complain that Taïa has publicly humiliated them.
But the 35-year-old author insists he’s never been cowed by fallout from his work.
“When I write, I feel a sense of urgency, as if my life depended on it,” Taïa said in an interview in Paris, where he has lived for almost a decade. “When I first started writing, it never occurred to me to invent some fictional character and talk about made-up things.”
His latest novel, L’armee du Salut, or Salvation Army, focuses on his decision to move to Europe. An English translation recently came out in the United States, with an introduction by author Edmund White.
Though Taïa immigrated legally-- he was awarded a scholarship to study in Switzerland-- his experiences in Geneva paralleled those of thousands Moroccans living in Europe without papers.
After his older Swiss lover who was supposed to pick him up at the Geneva airport never shows up, a penniless Taïa seeks refuge at the Salvation Army, where he lives among illegal immigrants from throughout the developing world.
...Like nearly all Arab countries, Morocco considers homosexual relations a crime, punishable by fines and prison sentences of six months to three years. Such penalties are rarely applied, though, and in practice Morocco has a long history of leniency toward homosexuality and other practices forbidden by Islam.
Last week my friend Danny, knowing of my affinity for Morocco, sent me an article from Carnal Nation, First Arabic-Language Gay Magazine Scandalizes Morocco. The name Mithly has a double-meaning in Arabic: "homo" and "like me." It was published this month-- in Rabat... and in secret. "The editors and publishers of this bold new publication emphasize that Mithly is first and foremost a forum for those suffering under Islamic laws that criminalize homosexuality. Indeed, the appearance of the magazine has so incensed conservative officials that some have called upon the government to hunt down "sleeper cells" of homosexuals like terrorists.
Gay pride parade in Kathmandu
A couple of years after my first visit to Morocco, I found another country I fell in love with and have returned to many times, Nepal. It's more remote and, in many ways, even more foreign. But very live-and-let-live, at least in practice, and not homophobic, at least not for foreigners. It's a Buddhist kingdom that is mostly Hindu and now-- as of 2008-- a republic. And now live-and-let-live has turned into a gay-oriented marketing theme as tourist promoting Nepal looks for gay dollars by offering same sex weddings... on Mount Everest. I sure hope the grooms don't have to trek to the base camp the way I did in 1971.
“We’re completely changing this country. It’s a newborn republic-- and we want to showcase this change,” Sharat Singh Bhandari, the Tourism Minister, told The Times. “We also want to re-establish tourism as a major industry.” He aims to attract one million tourists in 2011, more than double the number last year.
He kicked off the marketing campaign in October with a written message to the International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism in Boston-- an unprecedented gesture for an Asian minister. “As the world knows, Nepal is the land of Mount Everest, world’s highest peak and the birth place of Lord Buddha, light of Asia,” the message said. “I, therefore, would like to take this opportunity to invite and welcome all the sexual and gender minorities from around the world.” ...The tourism board is already talking about same-sex weddings on Everest, elephant safaris for gay honeymooners and other specialist activities.
Happy Birthday Mumia Abu-Jamal
"When a cause comes along and you know in your bones that it is just, yet refuse to defend it--at that moment you begin to die. And I have never seen so many corpses walking around talking about justice." - Mumia Abu-JamalLets keep working for the liberty of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the US authorities are very keen to kill him.
Arthur Scargill targets Caroline Lucas
The Socialist Labour Party formed by Arthur Scargill are contesting Brighton Pavilion....pretty dumb if you ask me.Its the number one constituency for the Green Party, perhaps they might have chosen some where else.I suspect their vote will not be large.SLP candidates list here....seem more like spoliers than a serious party.
Independent on Sunday say Vote Green and elect Caroline Lucas
"They have been able to do what the left hasn't been able to do, which has been to put forward an alternative to the free market and sound credible."Mark Steel, Comedian"Vote for what you believe in. There are no real differences between the main three parties. If you really want change, vote Green."Alistair McGowan, Comedian"The Green Party is the only political party to have a consistent
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Condensed Green Party manifesto
Green Party policies Fair is worth fighting for The banking systemThe Green Party would fight for a fair financial deal, with community banks, credit unions and mutuals, providing realistic loans. We will fight to introduce a High Pay Commission to reduce financial inequality.Health and the NHSGreens oppose cuts, closures and privatisation and demand a full programme of locally accessible
Friday, April 23, 2010
GUERILLA GARDENERS SET UP AN ECO-VILLAGE IN BRISTO
Spotted this in Schnews, good news....I lived in St Werburghs in 1993/1994....its a great place to live, rather miss itGIVING THE GREEN FINGERAS GUERILLA GARDENERS SET UP AN ECO-VILLAGE IN BRISTOL...Bristol eco-village set up camp this week with huge support fromlocal people and activists from all around the country. The off-grid,urban community kicked off last Saturday (17th) on a patch of
Disc cover of album by Reinhard Lakomy
Disc cover of electronic album by German musician Reinhard Lakomy.
Statement from climate conference Bolivia 'Today, our Mother Earth is wounded and the future of humanity is in danger'
Today, our Mother Earth is wounded and the future of humanity is in danger. If global warming increased more than 2 º C, which would lead to the so-called "Copenhagen Understanding" there is a 50% chance that the damage caused to our Mother Earth are totally irreversible. Between 20% and 30% of the species would be in danger of disappearing. Large tracts of forests would be affected, droughts and
Thursday, April 22, 2010
UBS cleaners demonstration
Hi everyoneJust a reminder of the UBS cleaners' demo, 5pm on Friday 23rd April at 100 Liverpool Street. We will be demonstrating not only in defence of the cleaners' conditions and for the reinstatement of sacked shop steward Alberto Durango, but also in protest at cleaning company Lancaster's role in the detention (and planned deportation) of a recent ex-UBS cleaner*.Bring friends, bring
Fallout 3 Papercrafts
It took me a while to come around to buying Fallout 3 - I've never been a big WRPG fan and the game slipped under my rader as an oblivion with guns clone, it wasn't until I started watching some videos on youtube that I realised the game might be an improvement on the Bethesda formula, so I traded in a couple of games and brought the sucker. I'm glad I did, it ended up being one of my most played games of all time. Now with Fallout New Vegas on the horizon I need something to occupy my cravings for more Fallout goodness and this collection of papercraft will do just that
Fallout Alien Blaster Papercraft
Fallout Combat Shotgun (one of my favorite weapons)
Megaton Bomb (did you blow the sucker up?)
Fallout 3 Ammo
Bobblehead Charisma Papercraft
Bobblehead Speech Papercraft
Have I missed any? Let me know...
Still havent got a copy of Fallout 3? Buy it here
Derek Wall rejects Heathrow expansion
Derek Wall, Green Party candidate for Windsor, said a third runway would "devastate" the area."People feel the area is already blighted by Heathrow."We're not 'nimbys', this is not about just one area, we want to see no expansion of aircraft, we need better rail services."http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/england/8625435.stm
NICK CLEGG IS GREEN?
And what of Mr Clegg personally? Well, he has fiercely condemned the influence of lobbyists as part of the "old politics" and called for "reform on lobbying". But he has been distinctly coy about his own two past spells as a lobbyist, leaving them off his official biography on the Lib Dem website. Most interesting and recent is Mr Clegg's high-level stint, in the middle of his political career,
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Live report from Birminghall Hall Green, Salma looks like a winner
Just has this report from Ben Bradley of the Green Party and Green Left, he has been working very hard to get the Greens ahead in Solihull but has been campaigning for Salma Yaqoob....Greens are backing her and she is backing some of us, Labour seem to be fighting dirty against her and have produced a leaflet about the Lib dems which has proved offensive!That is not the half of it. Labour also
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sizewell anti-nuclear power camp
Please circulate widely.Stop Nuclear Power Networkhttp://stopnuclearpoweruk.net Camp Against Nuclear New BuildFriday 23rd – Monday 26th AprilThe UK government is now talking aboutmassive expansion of nuclear power in the UK.Sizewell is planned to be one of the first built....Campaigning against new-build is stepping up. If we want to stop the nextgeneration of nuclear power – NOW is the time to
New book asks 'Why Vote Green'?
'Radical politics, Climate Change mitigation and a Just Society are what makes the Green Party a force for good and deserving of the voter's serious consideration. We saw, in chapter one, why Greens understood that gaining office was not an end in itself but a vital means towards delivering radical political, social and ecological solutions fit for the scale and urgency of the challenges faced
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Open letter to participants of the climate change conference in Bolivia
Open letter to participants in the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother EarthFollowing the complete failure of the COP15 and the climate negotiations that came before it, it is clear that the world’s governments, their intergovernmental organizations, and the corporations who sit at their tables, are not capable of taking the steps needed to prevent further climate
Best UK politician: Caroline Lucas
Chosen by Johann Hari Saturday, 17 April Since 1997, Britain's emissions of warming gases have actually risen – and if you factor in the emissions from goods now manufactured for us in China, they have risen dramatically. Very few politicians have been honest about the crisis we face, or demanded the swift transition to an economy powered by the power of the sun, the wind and the waves. Working
Thursday, April 15, 2010
'Equality, ecology, peace'Green Party manifesto for download
our visionSome will tell you that ‘green’ issues are a luxury in times ofeconomic hardship. Wrong. Green policies are essential if we areto get out of this mess and create a sustainable and fair economy.Our vision is of a fairer society that meets everyone’s needs,and an economy working with nature rather than against it.Of a more equal society. Of higher incomes for pensioners ratherthan bonuses
Novelist backs Derek Wall for Windsor
Very pleased to have an endorsement from the novelist China Mieville backing me as Green Party candidate for Windsor:'With the shamefully similar agendas of the main parties in this election, radical voices are more essential than ever, for democracy and decency's sake. Derek Wall is one such voice, and a vote for him is a vote against the drab, right-wing status quo.'He also told me, 'Having
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Chinese Green activists fight the authorities to save East Lake
Lib com are a great source of news, must link more often, now I know there are some huge ecological and land struggles in China but I don't have the direct contacts as i have in some parts of the world.The Battle for East Lake in Wuhan, ChinaSubmitted by husunzi on Apr 13 2010 18:37tags: China community activity demonstrations environmentHundreds of Wuhan citizens are fighting to save the city’s
Vatican blames gays for child sex abuse
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone says gays caused the church paedophilia scandal London - 13 April 2010The number two in the Vatican hierarchy, the Pope's Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, claims there is a link between homosexuality and child sex abuse. "He has, in effect, blamed gay priests for the paedophile scandal that has engulfed the Church," said human rights campaigner, Peter
Is Thailand Falling Apart? Is It Safe For Tourists?
Thai teabaggers demand fascism
Yesterday I picked Roland up at the airport. He had just returned from a couple weeks in Thailand and northeast India. Neither is on the list of the top 10 spring break destinations, which is more about Cancun, Acapulco, South Beach and South Padre Island. Not Roland's cup of tea. No, he wanted to see Benares (Varanasi) and visit a friend living in Bangkok. He got to Bangkok just as the government declared a state of emergency, flew to Calcutta and then took a train, the Vibhuti Express, to Varanasi just as reports came out about 76 Indian soldiers being slain by Maoist rebels. He was more concerned with the filth and sewer-like conditions that he experienced in town. "Why didn't I listen to you?" he asked, rhetorically, when he arrived.
China has already halted tourism to Thailand and the U.S. State Department is warning Americans about travel there. Roland said the atmosphere was "festive" in Bangkok, including among the Red Shirts.
"U.S. citizens are reminded that even demon-strations intended to be peaceful can turn confront-ational and escalate into violence with little or no warning," it said. "U.S. citizens are urged to avoid the areas that may be targeted for demonstrations and to exercise caution in their movements around Bangkok.
Tourism, which accounts for 6 percent of the Thai economy, is suffering after scenes of heavy fighting in Khao San Road.
The State Department said travel to Thailand remains "generally safe" but the possibility of explosive attacks could not be ruled out. "U.S. citizens are reminded to exercise caution and vigilance at all times." it said.
It's likely that the Thai tourist industry will be devastated by the unrest there as thousands of tourists cancel plans. It's probably a great time for intrepid risk-taking travelers to look for bargains. It's certainly safer than Kyrgyzstan.
UPDATE: Violence Escalates
I love Thailand and I've been there over a dozen times. But I wouldn't think about going there now. The pro-government yellow shirts and the teabagger/pro-fascist red shirts are turning increasingly violent. Suddenly the fireworks are now grenades and there are people dying in the Land of Smiles. Although the burgeoning medical tourism industry (mostly intra-Asian) hasn't been impacted much (at least not yet), the big, mainstream tourism industry is in really bad shape... again. The grenade attack at the Sala Daeng intersection and the adjacent BTS Skytrain station on Silom last night is a place where all tourists in Bangkok visit. The Federation of Thai Tourism Associations (FETTA) says tourists have been canceling their trips.
FETTA earlier estimated that if the political turmoil continues, the number of travelers to Thailand will fall by 2-2.5 million because the tourists have lost confidence in Thailand's safety measures.
Due to the escalating tension, Mr Apichart said, it is hard to see that there will actually be 15 million visitors traveling to Thailand this year as the government previously had projected.
Last year tourism accounted for 6.5% of Thailand's gross domestic product-- the country's single largest foreign-exchange earner. This year hotel occupancy in Bangkok was off by a third even before the grenade attack. And the hotels near the protests, including the big 5-star joints like the Four Seasons and the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel are closed as are malls, department stores and restaurants that cater to tourists. The carefully crafted "just like Disneyland" image is going down the drain-- with billions of dollars-- and, at least for a while, Thailand is going to be an adventurer's destination again.
UPDATE: Violence Escalates More... Much More
Going to Thailand now would be walking into the middle of a pitched battle. Soldiers have been told to shoot-- to kill. And they have. Thirty have died and hundreds are injured from this weekend's fighting. The government is fighting fascism with... fascism. What a mess! The Australian Embassy closed down and warned its nationals to leave the country at once and the British Foreign Office has told its nationals to avoid Bangkok, even if just for transit purposes. (Israelis, on the other hand, are ignoring the danger despite government warnings.) The Thai stock market is crashing and the bond market is soaring. The baht is a bargain against the dollar (32.41 per dollar). Meanwhile, Malaysia is trying to take advantage of the situation to horn in on Thailand's gigantic tourism industry, currently moribund. Tourists are generally avoiding the trouble spots but the trouble spots aren't always static and tourists are among the injured. In central Bangkok, a small number of hotels have either been caught up in the crossfire or have been used as sniper nests by the army. The tourist authorities are hoping people visit Phuket and Chiang Mai instead of Bangkok.
The 5-star Dusit Thani Hotel has one of my favorite restaurants in Bangkok, the Benjarong, and I always eat at least one meal there on any trip to Thailand. It was hit by a couple of grenades Sunday night.
Executives at the Dusit Thani Bangkok Hotel are in shock after the hotel was targeted in a grenade attack that is believed to be linked to suspicions that Maj Gen Khattiya Sawasdipol, a red-shirt leader, was fatally shot by a sniper who was hiding in the property.
Both the allegations and the attacks have shocked hotel staff and executives.
Grenades fired from an M79 launcher hit the five-star hotel late on Sunday night. The blasts sparked off fires on the 14th and 22nd floors when they exploded... The attack on the Dusit Thani may have been motivated by rumours that it was a sniper positioned in the hotel who shot Maj Gen Khattiya, also known as Seh Daeng, last Thursday night just moments after giving an interview to journalists from the protest camp outside Lumpini Park. Maj Gen Khattiya died from his head wound yesterday.
Revenues are down 13% over last year and the hotel posted a net loss of 107.9 million baht (around $3.3 million).
Monday, April 12, 2010
Ecosocialist rally at global climate conference in Bolivia, on 22nd April
Estimados companeros, dear comrades,el evento del Red Ecosocialista Internacional esta fijado como anunciado abajo por los organizadores de la conferencia. Es un poco infeliz, yo pidi por el miercoles en la tarde, pero espero que nos vemos alli.the event of the International Ecosocialist Network will take place like announced below by the organizers of the conference. It is a bit unfortunate;
Sunday, April 11, 2010
A MASSACRE FORETOLD IN THE MINING MUNICIPALITY OF SUÁREZ, CAUCA, COLOMBIA
Santiago de Cali, 8th April 2010 Eight miners were murdered by armed men travelling in two vehicles and a motor bike. The killings occurred in a place known as “Alto de Ovejas”, a rural zone in the municipality of Suárez, department of Cauca, southern Colombia. The place where the massacre occurred is the upper part of the Ovejas river. It can be reached by a one and a half hour journey on
BBC 'Green Party have 'real chance' of MP after election'
Green Party have 'real chance' of MP after electionThe Leader of the Green Party told Andrew Marr that people 'liked their policies'. Lucas also said the argument that cutting public services was a good idea was 'fantasy'.Green Party leader Caroline Lucas sees a "real possibility" they will get their first MPs elected to Parliament.Ms Lucas told the BBC that the Greens offered something different
Salma can win!
This is a good report from Ger Francis of Salma Yaqoob's campaign, Salma (leader of the RESPECT Party) backed the Green Party in the Euro-elections and has been urging voters to support Caroline Lucas, she has done great work for peace, green new deal and anti-cuts.The Green Party in Birmingham stood down their candidate to give Salma a boost....any where here is the report.The word on the
Venezuela deserves a fair hearing. Pablo Navarrete
A media focus on Hugo Chávez means the voices of the Venezuelan government's grassroots supporters are rarely heard Pablo Navarreteguardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 April 2010 10.00 BSTIt is a little over 11 years since Hugo Chávez first assumed the presidency in Venezuela, following a landslide election victory that swept the country's discredited traditional parties out of power. Since then, Chávez
Obama punishes Bolivia for fighting climate change
Well I am not surprised. If you do something real about climate change you get punished. Chris Bryant MP as a Foreign Office MInister visited Peru and failed to make any public protest about the massacre of indigenous people defending the Amazon on June 5th last year at Bagua (make my day if lost on May 6th).Sadly good deeds are punished.Countries that reduce the barriers to oil exploration,
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Brighton blogger 'Brighton Pavilion has been awash with Greens today'
Brighton Pavilion has been awash with Greens today. Between 80 and 100 activists (not all party members but people who want to see Caroline Lucas in parliament)flooded the constituency. Even in the heyday of Labour activism in the 1980s, there was rarely a day when there was a mass turnout like this.Channel 4 News covered the Greens campaign, filming over two days, and interviewing Ms Lucas,
Vote for Palestine!
I have signed the Palestine Solidarity PledgeCall on Israel to end its violations of international law, including ending its illegal occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and GazaOppose any attacks on universal jurisdiction and support bringing those responsible for Israeli war crimes to justiceWork to end the siege on GazaCall on the government to ban the import of settlement goodsCall on
Greens run full slate in Berkshire
I am getting too busy with the election to blog, stall today in Windsor went good.Great team of supporters, Climate Camp activists from Windsor helped, my middle son's godfather Larry came as well and my eldest son Vince...and Dan from Royal Holloway.Canvassing South Ascot tomorrow....Windsor monday night....Wraysbury tuesday night....probably a bit pushed with work on wed and thursday.Another
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Labour MP endorses RESPECT PARTY candidate
Lynne Jones MP has just endorsed Salma Yaqoob.Well she says as MP for part of what is now Hall Green constituency that Salma is closer to her values than Godsiff the Labour candidated.Incidentally I was very pleased that Salma has called on Windsor voters to vote for me in the General Election.More here
Roll of honour tiny number of MPs who voted against digital bill
April 8, 2010The DEBill Roll of Honour - the stars who voted NoWho voted NO?Vote #2 – Question put forthwith (Order, this day): That the Bill be now read the third timeIan Paisley, Kate Hooey I am not so keen on.Some lib dems, even a scattering of Tories, a few Labour.And of course Dai Davies, independent green socialist welsh MP, getting him back into parliament should be priority for all
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Supreme Court introduces corporate rule
When There Is No Precedent[col. writ. 3/28/10] (c) '10 Mumia Abu-Jamal Few Supreme Court cases have evoked the sentiments unleashed by the Citizens United decision. Not since Bush v. Gore, have we seen so clearly that politics decides cases ~ not law. The Citizens United case, which granted First Amendment rights to corporations, did far more than simply decide that corporations have
Derek Wall supports VENEZUELA UNDER THREAT statement
PRESS RELEASE - VENEZUELA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGNFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEINDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY PUBLISHES STATEMENT FROM LEADING VOICES IN BRITAIN ON VENEZUELA UNDER THREATThe Independent on Sunday has published the launch statement of the VSC’s Venezuela Under Threat campaign initiative. The statement has been endorsed (see full text and signatories below) by a wide range of leading figures from across
Whose is backing Derek Wall for Windsor in the General Election
"Derek Wall has worked tirelessly to promote green politics, every vote he receives in the Windsor constituency will strenghten the case for an ecological alternative. We need an alternative to the traditional political parties whose policies have failed to deliver economic stability, equality or policies to protect future generations, Derek provides voters in Windsor with such an alternative
Compass votes Green!
Compass are campaigning for a radical Labour Party manifesto but these policies are all green policies already, well not sure if we have the junk tax and the military convenant is a bit obscure (no Trident, troops out of Afghanistan).I am not a Compass fan but at least they are backing us! Vote Green!http://action.compassonline.org.uk/manifestoThis election should be a watershed moment in which
Killing for sport? Not something I support.
'Shooting for pleasure disgusts me, please don't vote for me...Many voters locally in the Windsor constituency tell me they strongly oppose animal cruelty.'Dear Mr Wall,I am writing to remind you that you have not yet taken up the opportunity to make your views known on legitimate shooting via our campaigning website. In the last parliament legitimate shooting sports received support from all
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Demand Justice for Chagos.
NEW FEATURE @ http://www.facebook.com/l/4b05a;www.chagossupport.org.uk/how-you-can-help/mpsandppcs+++ Lobby your MP and/or prospective parliamentary candidates +++Now that the general election has been called, the UK Chagos Support Association is asking that people lobby all of those who are aspiring to become Members of the UK House of Commons – including both sitting MPs and prospective
The Stone Guest
Poster of the theater show "The Stone Guest", which was in Kaluga in the end of March 2010.
Ecosocialist rally at global climate conference in Bolivia
Hugo Blanco and other ecosocialist speakers....lets get organized!Dear comrades /estimad@s companer@s,para informarles: El taller con el titulo: "Que es ecosocialismo", que vamos a hacer en Cochabamba, es confirmado, he comunicado con la organizadora, que necesitamos mas tiempo, por lo menos dos horas. Espero que van a hablar Margarita Aguinaga (Ecuador, confirmada); Hugo Blanco (Peru, confirmado
RECORD NUMBER OF GREENS TO CONTEST GENERAL ELECTION
Apr 6, 2010 2:39:05 PMBy Andrew Woodcock, Press AssociationPage 1A record number of Green candidates will fight the May 6 GeneralElection, the party said today.With candidates in more than 300 constituencies, a spokesman said theGreens were "fighting to win" their first seat in the House of Commons.Top targets are Brighton Pavilion, where party leader Caroline Lucas ishoping to become the first
Monday, April 5, 2010
Green Party runs over 300 candidates as Brown calls General Election
Yep he is off to see Queen Liz tomorrow, she shoots the starting gun I suppose and we are off.looks like over 300 candidates for the Green Party, at least seven out of eight constituencies in Berkshire.You can see who is backing me as MP for Windsor here.And you can join my General Election Facebook here http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=275358301499&ref=ts
Sinistra Ecologia e Libertà
Just had this from my friend Fabio Barteri from the Italian Ecosocialist network http://ecorise.org/Just a few weeks ago 13 italian regions (out of 20) faced elections to renewthe Regional Council and the President of the Region. The left- wingopposition gained 7 regions and the government coalition gained 6 regions,but on the overall, the Berlusconi's coalition took a 3% more than thecentre-
Avatar director to make film on the Amazon indigenous struggle
Popular culture can have a positive effect. Avatar was a bit cardboard but it did flag up the indigenous struggle. So I am encouraged that its director James Cameron has visited indigenous people in Brazil and supported their struggle against the removal of a chunk of their land for a hydro-electric dam.Hope he can make it to Peru, there is a major film in the story of Aidesep.Although the idea
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Chris Grayling must apologise and retract
Chris Grayling must apologise and retract David Cameron should repudiate his comments Tories need to state whether they support B&B discrimination London - 4 April 2010 "Chris Grayling should apologise and retract his support for discrimination against gay couples by B&B owners. His comments create serious doubts about the Conservative party's commitment to lesbian and gay equality. "David
Grassroots Power and Non-Market Economies
An Interview with Beverly BellBeverly Bell is program coordinator for Other Worlds, an international multimedia education and organizing collaborative. She is the author of Walking on Fire: Haitian Women’s Stories of Survival and Resistance. She most recently wrote the report, “Who Says You Can’t Change the World? Just Economics and Societies on an Unjust Planet.”Multinational Monitor: You write
Picket BP Annual shareholders
15 APRIL – BP MUST RECOGNISE ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO CASANARE WORKERS, COMMUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT Picket BP Annual shareholders General Meeting 10.30am Thursday 15 April Excel Conference Centre, Royal Victoria Dock,1 Western Gateway, London E16 Workers at the BP processing plant at Tauramena, part of the Cusiana oil field in Casanare, Colombia went on strike on 22 January 2010 for improved
Defend Abdul Omer
Bosses at Sovereign have sacked Abdul Omer, the Unite convenor for Harrow and Edgware bus garages who had organised action to improve pay and conditions (forgive us if I've heard this one before). Please get messages of support asap to defendabdulomer@yahoo.co.uk
Saturday, April 3, 2010
The grand alliance for politics in 21st century
Excellent article from Michel Bauwens, however this is about struggle, for the forest, for the net, against enclosure...non violent battle has to be waged...Viva Aidesep, they fought and won and are totally ignored by the left, greens and FOSS community....if it works it isn't on the agenda, one might say! Viva Aidesep. Commons is one thing getting to a common world is going to involve some
Shut it!
On Friday, March 26, 2010, two hundred Indigenous Landowners and concernedcitizens stood up in protest against the Chinese-owned Ramu nickel mine inMadang Province, Papua New Guinea. The peaceful protest was deemed illegal bypolice and halted. The event took place in front of a packed courthouse, where the ChineseMetallurigcal Construction Company More here
Elect Adrian Ramsay as Green MP for Norwich South
Just had this, no excuses, get on the doorstep and campaign.Evidence on the doorstep in Norwich South is showing we can win and increasingly close between Adrian Ramsay and New Labour MP, Charles Clarke, who brought us student top-up fees, wants more privatisation of council housing, education and the NHS; helped bring in ID cards and was part of the Iraq war cabinet.We do not have time to wait
Chagos Marine Reserve 'justified by lies'
I thought the idea that conservation meant excluding people had finally been buried by Elinor Ostrom's Nobel Prize win. So I am sad to hear that the Chagos Islands have been made a conservation reserve by the British government.The Chagos people were physically removed from their islands to make way for a US base. The US gave the UK government £11 million towards Polaris nuclear weapons in the
Friday, April 2, 2010
Chicka Dixon, indigenous and trade unionist gets state funeral
Aboriginal activist Charles “Chicka” Dixon’s state funeral today featured traditional Aboriginal body paint, the black power salute (made famous at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games) and a coffin draped in the Aboriginal flag and covered with messages from those left behind.Mr Dixon’s legacy was evident in the sea of tears on the Sydney town hall steps today. This man waged a war against
Thursday, April 1, 2010
New woodcarving by Philip Allin
This woodcarving by Philip Allin is based on Escher's litograph "Metamorphoses III"
CLIMATE CHANGE: Native Peoples Reject Market Mechanisms
CLIMATE CHANGE: Native Peoples Reject Market MechanismsBy Daniel ZuerasSAN JOSÉ, Apr 1, 2010 (IPS) - Solutions to global warming based on the logic of the market are a threat to the rights and way of life of indigenous peoples, the Latin American Indigenous Forum on Climate Change concluded this week in Costa Rica.Proposals from governments and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
Canadian company drills Ecuador
I would cut out the middle person and support the indigenous in Ecuador, Correa has not been a consistent friend of tierra madre. Any way just had thisDear friends,The Canandian oil company Ivanhoe Energy obtained a concession from the Ecuadorian government for an oil exploitation project in Block 20, which lies in the UNESCO Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, in the Ecuadorian province of Napo. It is
Binfield keep it green
Binfield, which is on the edge of Windsor constituency, closer to Bracknell, looks likely to be drowned in a sea of concrete.Our green and pleasant is fast disappearing.Binfield parish council have undertaken a vigorous 'Save our Village' campaign.On the door steps there is a lot of voter anger about the thousands of houses being rammed into the area. Binfield will be absorbed into Bracknell and
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