Alison's ramblings

politicalalison @ 2007-01-01T16:34:00

2007-01-01T16:42:30Z

Happy New Year everybody! It's 4.30pm and I've er, just got in.

I have absolutely no idea how I managed to go to Barfly, Enterprise and a party, get drunk although not embarrasingly so, and only spend £15. The Social were about as good as a band can be at 12.30 on NYE and Alfie, despite looking like he was going to at several points, failed to fall off his stool. Along the way I recall sitting in a sink in The Enterprise kitchen and having a right nice chat with some of my newer friends and being introduced to somebody else and saying "oh yes, I've seen you on Myspace". I must stop saying this to people. It makes me look like some kind of stalker. Which I'm not. Obviously. *ahem*

I also spent quite a while chatting to this guy who I was absolutely convinced I'd met upstairs at Nambucca at the Kid Harpoon after, after Fionn at the Union Chapel party. Turns out I hadn't met him there at all. He said "noooo, I met you at Fabric, I was with Sam". Then the penny dropped that he's the bass player in HOTS/Troubles. I *knew* I'd seen him somewhere before.

Anyway, yeah, it was all good, lovely to spend it with friends old and new. Definitely a good decision to go out. I'm going to have a lie down now and listen to the football. Hopefully we'll be 9 points clear by tonight.

politicalalison @ 2006-12-13T01:10:00

2006-12-13T01:10:21Z

1. I am drunk

2. I feel so incredibly fucking PRIVELIDGED it's unbelievable.

3. I have seen an AMAZING band tonight for FREE

4. I was having a fag on the pavement and got introduced to, and had a bit of a gab with, Paul Simonon.

5. *dies happy*

politicalalison @ 2006-10-28T18:39:00

2006-10-28T18:49:28Z

This afternoon I went to a Black History Month event sponsored by Love Music Hate Racism at Barking College - Barking has 12 British National Party Councillors. Love Music had a workshop at the event

Lisa Moorish speaking about the experiences of racism of herself and her family.

She brought along some other musicians who've recently been involved in LMHR: Didz, Drew and Gary.

Then Lisa and Drew played a brilliant acoustic version of White Boy, Brown Girl.

Then my camera packed up but karaadora has more.

James Dean Bradfield - Oxford Zodiac: 20.10.06

2006-10-21T20:41:11Z

politicalalison @ 2006-03-07T11:19:00

2006-03-07T11:21:18Z

I'm really freaking out at the moment. If anybody is going to be in the vicinity of Elephant & Castle before 1pm could they please ring me immediately.

Thanks.

politicalalison @ 2005-10-21T01:50:00

2005-10-21T00:50:28Z

A really lovely night all round was the very nearly unanimous verdict.

Best Kept Secret...

2005-08-24T20:47:09Z

Unbelievable as it seems, there are still some people on my fList who are not massive fans of the band Luxembourg. This situation MUST be rectified. I have therefore gone to great trouble (and believe me it is great trouble when you've still got bloody dial up) to upload their last single, What The Housewives Don't Tell You, and my personal favourite (I Need) A Little Bit More (Than You Can Give Me) for your listening pleasure. If you have ever liked Suede/Pulp/The Smiths you will love Luxembourg. Even if you haven't you should still listen. Here is the music:

What The Housewives Don't Tell You

(I Need)A Little Bit More(Than You Can Give Me)

You can get much more on the music front by visiting their very comprehensive website:

http://www.luxembourgweb.co.uk/

Now, all of this has been prompted by the fact that their new single Luxembourg Vs Great Britain, is out, on download only, this Friday. You will be able to download it here:

http://www.shiftydisco.com/

If you haven't got a debit or credit card then borrow somebody else's and give them a quid. It will be one of the best quids you spend this year.

Luxembourg's next live gig is on September 3rd (yes the day after Needs play Stay Beautiful making it the best weekend in ages) at The Metro on Oxford Street. Full details on their website.

How this band haven't been on Top Of The Pops is a complete mystery to me.

Radio, Live Transmission...

2005-08-10T17:38:59Z

You're a Post-Punk. You know 70s punk was cool, but
it was mostly just a stepping stone for the
greater intellectualism of what would come
after. The 80s were amazing. You quite possibly
have huge hair, and may wear lots of black.
Snare drums need reverb. Lots and lots of
reverb.

You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla

politicalalison @ 2005-08-10T11:40:00

2005-08-10T10:55:50Z

I too have been sucked into this MySpace malarkey.

Can anybody tell me what the point of it is?/how it is different from Friendster?

I feel I'm missing something.

Also, it pisses me off that it doesn't send you an email when somebody adds you back. Thanks to those who have added me back though. This is my address if anybody else should want to add me. I'm very indiscriminating so the chances of not being added back are small.

http://www.myspace.com/16907295

politicalalison @ 2005-07-09T10:35:00

2005-07-09T09:34:45Z

Vigil for the Victims of the London Bombings

5pm, Saturday 9 July
Garden, Friends Meeting House
Euston Road, London
Opposite Euston station

Called by Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Muslim Association of Britain.

politicalalison @ 2005-07-08T18:53:00

2005-07-08T17:59:53Z

Today I represented Tower Hamlets Unison at a peace vigil organised by TELCO, which is an umbrella group that brings together faith, community and trade union groups in the East End.

Representatives of the Christian, Muslim and Jewish Communities were represented. There were quite a lot of trade union people and also the local MP, George Galloway and the leader of the council. We stood in the middle of the one way system, which is closed because it is within the police cordon, and faced Aldgate station. A statement was read and then we were silent for about ten minutes before everybody turned to the person next to them and wished each other peace in their own language. It was very moving. Although it would have been nice if the Bishop of Stepney hadn't felt the need to ask what "those people", gesticulating towards us, were doing there. There was also tons of media.

politicalalison @ 2005-07-07T19:50:00

2005-07-07T20:00:07Z

I've just got back from Scotland. In the end our train was allowed to come to Euston. There was about 300-400 police to meet us. The phrase "Haven't you got anything better to do?" has never seemed more apt.

Today's events are tragic. War is a terrible thing. In war terrible atrocities take place. Our country has now been at war for the last two and a half years. Did any of us really think it would be a totally one sided war? Our troops, with our money, have been doing this every day now for two and a half years. Imagine not 34 dead but 100,000 at a conservate estimate (because this does not include the death toll of Fallujah). It makes me want to rage. The lives of ordinairy londoners , Iraquis, Afghans and Palestinians are all precious - why do we give wall to wall news coverage of some and ignore that of others? More than ever I want the troops home now, Israel out of Palestine and an end to the bloody madness.

I'm sure there will be peace vigils for all war dead over the weekend. I would think the Stop The War website would have details.

Lots of love xxx

politicalalison @ 2005-07-07T07:06:00

2005-07-07T08:02:03Z

Well we made it back from Glenagles at about 9pm last night. The police couldn't even organise that properly. They sent loads of coaches away at 5.45 even though they were half empty and had arrived full. It then occured to somebody that there were thousands of people wandering around Auchterader looking for their coach and that keeping all these people in the village overnight wasn't the best idea they'd ever had so they called the coaches and made them come back to pick up the people they'd been told they had to leave behind. Doh!

The demo WAS NOT cancelled. They did cancel it for about half an hour in the morning but then realised that thousands of people were going to turn up anyway. So they uncancelled it. Obviously the legal teams who had negotiated this LEGAL DEMO had something to say as well.

The fantastic news is that, in the end, despite the state putting absolutely every obstacle in our way for the past year and doing their best to stop us yesterday, 10,000 people legally marched at the fence of Gleneagles yesterday and maintained their right to protest and dissent. Just making it to the park felt like a real victory for democracy and it was fantastic to be waved at and clapped by the locals as we marched through Auchterader village with our snatch squad escort. Many who will read this will probably not have seen this kind of thing before but it does happen from time to time. Usually when the state thinks there is a danger of the public sympathising with 'the subversives ideas'. It really did remind me of the Miners Strike yesterday, when new 'laws' were conjured up out of thin air and hadn't been anywhere near a statute book. It became 'unlawful' to travel from one part of the country to another, it became a 'criminal offence' to 'harbour a picket'. At least this is what people were told at 5am when 20 Met Officers rampaged through their houses looking for said picket. Make no mistake, the state would rather rule by consent most of the time but it will show no hesitation in ruling by coercion when it deems it necessary. Please note how few arrests there have actually been up here. For all the talk of 'violent hate mobs' hardly anybody has actually been nicked. Could it be that there was nothing to nick them for, the police were totally out of control and they had no interest in having this exposed in front of a jury?

This post hasn't dealt with any of the issues of why we were there yesterday although the errosion of our civil liberties is an important issue in and of itself. I will do a post when I get back about what the G8 are doing. Suffice to say I find it incomprehensible that anybody thinks that the 8 men who are responsible for poverty in the Global South, who benefit directly from poverty in the Global South, have any interest whatsoever in doing anything to end it. No, it is in their interests to maintain that poverty and I believe that this week they will discuss measures that will enable them to make and keep people poor faster and quicker. This isn't bile or rhetoric. Examine the facts surrounding aid, trade and debt. And anyone who thinks that Saint Bob is anything but, at very best, a deluded fool and a worst the biggest nightmare the global justice movement has had to deal with yet, needs to have a long hard word with themselves.

I'm off to pack up me tent now.

Toodle pip xxx

Sorry to spam but this is really important. So come along and spread the word...

2005-06-09T19:13:46Z

...even if you can only spare an hour or two...

Holocaust Survivor joins music stars in campaign to stop the fascist BNP in Barking by-election.

Leon Greenman OBE Holocaust survivor survived six concentration camps under Hitler’s fascist regime and will be joining the campaign against the fascist British National Party in Goresbrook, Barking this Saturday 11th June. He will urge the local community to use their votes to stop the BNP in the forthcoming by-election in the Goresbrook Ward of Barking on Thursday 23rd June. A host of leading London Urban, Grime/ RnB artists including Kano, Doneo, Skeme and Big P and Gemma Fox and up and coming rock band Metro Riots will also be attending along with special guests.

Daniel Kelley, the BNP's first councillor in London since 1993, recently stood down triggering this by-election. He received 51% of the vote but over 70% of the electorate did not vote. Where the BNP have a presence, racist attacks increase - in the year running up to Kelley's election, racist attacks have soared by 18% in Barking and by 120% in neighbouring Havering. Unite Against Fascism is campaigning to highlight the importance of using your vote to stop the BNP.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

This an urgent call for mobilising against the Fascist BNP, we are urging all our supporters and members in London and Essex to give up a day to stop the BNP in London. If the BNP lose this election it will be a serious defeat for them, as this was the council seat in London they won in Sept last year.

The more of us that attend the better the anti-fascist impact in the area and the more likely we can ensure a BNP defeat. In the last ward election the turnout was very low (28%) and the BNP gained 51% of these

votes. Unite Against Fascism need your help to leaflet the ward and highlight the fascist nature of the BNP and urge people to use their votes and unite against them.
We need people to contact the unite office and let us know you are coming to help and ask others you know to come too.
Tel. 020 7833 4916 or 07838 370374 and unite@natfhe.org.uk

Please circulate widely, and encourage others to attend.

politicalalison @ 2005-05-06T03:50:00

2005-05-06T02:51:05Z

RESPECT have won by 2000 votes in Bethnal Green and Bow. It has not been on the telly because Labour have asked for a clarification but not a recount. Nobody has any idea what this means but it's all good. Can't believe it.

Thank you to all my friends, brothers and sisters and comrades in the constituency who have voted for peace. I look forward to going to work there tomorrow. Now for Tower Hamlets and Newham council.

xx

politicalalison @ 2005-05-06T03:04:00

2005-05-06T02:04:00Z

I HAVE JUST TAKEN THE PHONE CALL

WE HAVE WON

GEORGE GALLOWAY BEATS THE WARMONGER OONA KING IN BETHNAL GREEN AND BOW

OFFICIAL

OH MY FUCKING GODDDDD

politicalalison @ 2005-05-06T02:46:00

2005-05-06T01:45:30Z

Stephen Twigg goes. Not a good night for ex NUS presidents. That's another one who voted for tuition fees and top up fees. Those who live by the sword....

politicalalison @ 2005-05-06T02:41:00

2005-05-06T01:42:20Z

Get in. Lorna Fitzsimmons loses Rochdale to the Lib Dems. I hate her. This is the ex NUS president who got a safe Labour seat and then voted for tuition fees and then top up fees. Good.

politicalalison @ 2005-05-06T02:39:00

2005-05-06T01:38:11Z

RESPECT

Respect

Equality

Socialism

Peace

Environment

Community

Trade Unions

politicalalison @ 2005-05-06T02:34:00

2005-05-06T01:34:04Z

god it's getting close now. I'm at the point where I just want the result one way or another. I wish you were all here to hold my hand!

LABOUR PRESS OFFICERS SAY OONA KING HAS LOST

OH

MY\

FUCKING

GOD

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Love Music Hate Racism Meeting and gig in Trafalgar Square

2005-04-25T10:34:51Z

Please note that the meeting I told some of you about on Saturday is now on Wednesday, NOT Tuesday. Hope to see you there or in Trafalgar Square.I have also sent the following to some of you as an email. Please feel free to forward it/publicise it to anybody who you think would be interested. </b>

Thanks a million.

Alison xx

The Unite Against Fascism (UAF) MayDay rally with music in Trafalgar Square next Sunday, 1 May, should be a real blow to the BNP's plans to grab votes in the General Election the following Thursday.

Artists like Pete Doherty and Estelle will be joining campaigners like Tony Benn onstage to hammer home the message "Don't Vote BNP".

To make sure as many as people as possible hear about the event and enjoy it on the day we're looking for even more volunteers to help out. If you'd like to be involved in this exciting event there's lots of ways you can help:-

* Anyone in or around London who wants to help out on the day by stewarding, handing out leaflets, selling badges and t-shirts and so on should come along to the VOLUNTEER & STEWARDS MEETING this Wednesday 27th April, at 7.30pm at ULU (University of London Union), Malet Street, London WC1 (tubes Goodge St / Russell Square).
* Download the flyer from here:- http://www.uaf.org.uk/resources/PDFs/2005mayday%20A5.pdf - and pass it on to everyone you know.
You can pick up printed flyers and posters to pass around your workplace, college or local area - available at Wednesday's meeting or from the UAF office (020 7833 4916).
* There'll be after-work leafletting at tube stations and gigs in London all through the week - email or call us for details.
* Email us or call the UAF office to offer your help for the day itself.
* Join the UAF day of action on Saturday April 30th: anti-fascist leafletting in BNP target areas like Dagenham, Essex and others
* Just come along and enjoy yourself on the day!

Don't forget - for those in the north there are big LMHR/UAF gigs and activity in Bradford (also 1 May) and Leeds (29Apr-2May) happening too. See the LMHR website www.lmhr.org.uk for full details and feel free to email or call if you're up for helping out on those too.

Finally, the day after MayDay, 2nd May, sees a massive LMHR/UAF indoor festival in Dagenham - full line-up and info on the website.

LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM
UNITE AGAINST FASCISM
STOP THE BNP!

Love Music Hate Racism
lovemusichateracism@hotmail.com
www.lmhr.org.uk
Unite Against Fascism
unite@natfhe.org.uk
www.uaf.org.uk
Tel 020 7833 4916 / 020 7837 4522 / mobile 07974 095233

Tableau Vivant

2005-03-27T21:11:02Z

Please note that these images were not created without considerable amounts of "suffering for ones art" and a huge amount of stylistic direction. Thanks to white_city_girl, lacquer_, celticsilver, msdaccxx, karaadora, kateclaire, sparktastic and me obviously.

Also philrar even though he is a boy.

We are not emo about jesus today because "he is alive again!!!!!!1111!!!!"

politicalalison @ 2005-03-14T23:01:00

2005-03-14T23:04:44Z

This is where I, and hundreds of thousands of others will be on Saturday. The demonstrations are taking place all over the world and mark the second anniversairy of the start of the illegal war on, and occupation of Iraq.

For more information, and for details of transport from all over the UK, see here: Stop The War Coalition

I will be marching with the Globalise Resistance contingent. Please feel free to give me a ring or text and we can try and meet up.

xx

bloody meme things

2005-02-21T20:29:08Z

Personally I think my taste in music is far more impecable than philrar's but each to their own I suppose.

1. Total amount of music files on your computer? 1,520 but I bet I've got more vinyl than most of you so don't start.

2. The last CD you bought was... The Bloc Party Album cos everybody else has got it and I'm easily led.

3. What was the last song you listened to before reading this message? Just Got Paid - The Rakes

4. Write down five songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

Five! How am I supposed to pick just five? Bloody hell:

1. Jeane - Johnny Marr and Sandie Shaw
2. From Despair To Where - Manic Street Preachers
3. Atmosphere - Joy Division
4. Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (and yes, I stand by my general assessment of 'overated' but I have a reason for picking this. It's to do with when I had to appear at the high court. Have I ever told you about that?)
5. The Cutter - Echo and The Bunnymen
6. Time For Heroes - The Libertines. Sorry to be obvious but there's reasons for that as well.

Yes, I know that's six but I'm older than you so shut it.

5. What 3 people are you going to pass this baton to and why?
laquer_ because she has interesting taste in music.
albiongirl because it will be interesting for me to see what she comes up with.
msdaccxx because she remembers The Bunnymen properly (I think)

Ok, quite enjoyed that. I'm up for a quiz. Anybody got a music quiz for me and not one of those stupid lyric ones?

As is evident, I am not out at either of the two gigs I would like to be at. Still ill. Bollocks.

politicalalison @ 2005-02-20T14:08:00

2005-02-20T14:17:14Z

I am currently having a bit of a row on www.funfairs-and-heartbreak.com about sexism. It had to happen sooner or later. I must say I find it astonishing how ill informed and nonchalant the young women I meet today are about their own oppression. Maybe they just genuinley have never thought about how far women have travelled in the last 100, and more particularly the last 30 years.

Do they know that up until 30 years ago this year it was still perfectly legal for women in Britain, doing the same job as a man to be paid less? Nevermind that today women still earn less than a third of men. Do they know that, while for many women, particularly in rural areas, it is still very difficult to get a safe abortion today, up until 1967 it was still illegal in this country to perform an abortion and that thousands of women each year were killed and maimed on the back streets while others killed themselves or used knitting needles in the bath?

Today, young women expect to be both financially and sexually independant of their families and their partners. It fills me with joy to see confident, assertive young women. How on earth do they think we got from there to here? It wasn't by calling each other bitches, slags and whores.

I very, very rarely hear anybody that I know use racist language and I know that if such language was used it would meet a fierce reaction. The same can be said of homophobia. Unfortunately, masked as it is by the post feminists and lad culture, a culture that makes Spearmint Rhino a cool night out for the glamourous ladettes, women's oppression is alive and kicking. How can we expect men to challenge it if women perpetuate it themselves. Just how many women in bands have you seen lately?