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The revolution is only a train stop away

There is a revolutionary movement growing in this country. British people are defying those in authority and forcing the powerful to change their plans. At the moment the movement is small, but it is growing and the time when those in power will be forced to strike against the agitators or surrender to anarchy is fast approaching.

It started in St Albans.

The battlefields are the trains and platforms of First Capital Connects’ shambolic empire.

Otis Gibbs “Joe Hill’s Ashes”

Funny how things workout sometimes. No sooner had I finished rambling on about the PSA’s political songs than I got an email from singer Otis Gibbs saying that his new album Joe Hill’s Ashes was available for download.

I’d never heard of Otis Gibbs until I saw him support Billy Bragg just over a year ago – where he did a great job – and persuaded me to pick up all his albums in the bar after the show. Grandpa Walked the Picket Line, 49^th and Melancholy, Once I Dreamed of Christmas (not exactly an anti-Christmas album, but perhaps a realistic Christmas album – one where Santa stabs Lloyd the Reindeer in a bar fight and features the classic Crap for Christmas) and One Day our Whispers are all good examples of the blue-collar American singer songwriter’s art. There’s bits of folk and bits of rock and bits of blues and a dollop of country. Reading about his life (http://otisgibbs.com/) and listening to his lyrics you can see that Woody Guthrie was a big influence on the young Gibbs – and there’s some of Guthrie in the music, but the most obvious influence is Steve Earle (though, perhaps inevitably, there are threads from the likes Dylan, Springsteen and Willie Nelson on some of the tracks on some of the albums). Read more »

Posted February 26, 2010

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Political songs

So the Political Studies Association is holding a ballot to identify the top ten political songs as part of their 60^th Anniversary celebrations. Below the break is the list of the songs they’ve put forward – I’m listing them all because you can’t get to it unless you’re a member of the PSA (members can also nominate one song of their own…)

The songs are: “chosen to represent different times and places, but also to reflect the various ways in which music is allied to politics – in expressions of protest, but also of patriotism and propaganda.” Read more »

Posted February 25, 2010

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Back again

So, long time no blog…

No excuses, just busy, but that’s probably going to change over the next few months so I thought I’d get back on the horse and see whether we cleared some hurdles (or something).

So, straight to business, having lost a lot of work to a computer malfunction recently I’ve been writing quite a lot. Read more »

Posted February 25, 2010

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Dead dogs and weird children

Wil Wheaton’s dog died – losing a pet is horrible. I know the cynics will roll their eyes but if you’ve lived with an animal – especially a dog – it’s almost impossible not to imbue them with human characteristics. They become friends. And they’re more reliable than most humans. I can still be brought to sudden tears if the memories of my childhood dog’s (Rusty) death sneak up on me…

Wil’s post reminded me of the weirdest thing that happened over the weekend.

To James Purnell and his cohort…

Very briefly.

You know what really pisses off ordinary members of the Labour Party? It’s having spent the best part of 20 years being told we mustn’t rock the boat, we mustn’t challenge the leadership, we must always be loyal, and we must never allow the press to allow us to appear split. Because divided parties are doomed. Aren’t they?

And then, after we made years of sacrifices waiting for you milksops to deliver, we get to spend the last three or four years watching one Blairite arsewipe after another publicly indulge their plotting, hissy-fits and whining.

Piss off, the lot of you, and don’t the door hit your arse on the way out.

Posted June 5, 2009

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Twitter Updates for 2009-03-26

@garethlpowell Oh, nasty. I don’t know about Orwell, you definitely look like Baldrick balancing a slug on his lip in Blackadder Goes Forth in reply to garethlpowell #

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Posted March 26, 2009

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Twitter Updates for 2009-03-25

Punishment for being rude to PGR? Immediately fell ill – again – oh dear. But I will make Eastercon! #
@bigdumbobject What? How did that happen? in reply to bigdumbobject #
@bigdumbobject I can do that. in reply to bigdumbobject #

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Posted March 25, 2009

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Twitter Updates for 2009-03-24

@PaulGrahamRaven Easterconners say, don’t be such a wuss – if I can plan to make the whole thing, so can you you big baby! in reply to PaulGrahamRaven #

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Posted March 24, 2009

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