I Intend To Escape ......................And Come Back

No Sport Please, We're Marxists?

Today sees the start of the Socialist Workers Party's annual jamboree - Marxism 2010, at the University of London Union at Malet Street. 

As happens every four years or so, this clashes with a much more entertaining contest - the World Cup. Veterans of Marxism, and indeed veterans of the SWP, will be aware of the organisations traditionally po-faced attitude towards sport, and football in particular. Slipping into the ULU bar one day during the 1994 World Cup, I hoped to see the scheduled match between Brazil and Holland. Instead, I and many others were met by TV screens with the following message:

"The organisers of Marxism 94 have requested we do not show World Cup coverage"

As I wrote in issue 64 of Class War, in September that year: 

"The arrogance of a supposed 'revolutionary' party telling its members what they can and cannot watch in their own spare time tells us much about how any future society governed by these gangsters would look".

So, sixteen years on, will anything have changed? Certainly the University of London Union is suggesting so, with this poster promising full World Cup coverage in the bars during the tournament. Has the SWP finally grown up, on this issue at least?

 

TV Weathercams

This may be a bit weird, but stay with me.

I have an unusual hobby on holiday, which I have not been able to indulge for some time. Many European TV packages come complete with an obscure channel showing weather cams. This is particularly popular in central Europe, and I have spent many late night hours in German and Slovenian hotel rooms watching the Weather Cam station. 

These stations (I don't know the German word) take you to a succession of weather cams across the country, ranging from the centre of Berlin to mountain side locations. Normally you have a 30 second or so shot - which is often nothing more than a few cars passing, or the wind fluttering the trees - and that's it. The programme then switches to the next location, and you are off on a magical mystery tour, often of places you have either never been to, or have not seen for years. I should just add that the importance and pleasure of this is greatly increased if you are either pissed, stoned or both! 

For some reason, I am yet to find any of these channels on British TV, even though I now have a satellite package that includes everything from Conspiracy TV to Nigerian church services. In the absence of this important televisual feast, I have had to turn to Earth TV, which offers 'live TV cameras on 5 continents'. 

To be honest 100 cameras across Germany would do me, but in the meantime - thank you to Earth TV!

Dispatches, Britain and Israel

Tune in to Channel 4 at 8pm this evening, for Peter Oborne's investigation of the pro-Israel lobby in the UK. 

As unpleasant as some of Israel's neighbours and some of her opponents are, the who, what, why and where of this documentary is potentially fascinating. 

More on Inside Britain's Israel Lobby here. 

The Enemy Within?

Channel 4's drama-documentary, by Joe Bullman, comparing Islamist and Anarchist terrorism can be seen at 8pm this evening. 

Some further information on the programme comes from the Channel 4 website. 

Laugh? I Nearly Paid My Licence Fee

I am sure I am the last person to recommend it, but do check out the TV catch up site, which streams live TV to your computer or lap top.

Farewell to the licence detector man and his little van! Forward the technological revolution.

The Curious Views Of The BBC

Tonight sees a programme on BBC3 at 9pm on the rise in teenage pregnancies.

This is how TV And Satellite Week trails the programme:

Teens Hooked On Porn
Examinging how the easy availability of pornography on the Internet could be related to an increase in pregnancies among British teenagers.

Surely internet porn should have the opposite effect? I was not aware that anyone ever became pregnant through wanking?