Duo launch the first Marxist iPhone app
Two programmers: Ben Carey and Henrik Delehag, have created what they claims is the “first Marxist iPhone app”.
They tell us:
The “Marxist” reference should be taken with a pinch of salt these days of course, but it’s an attempt to do something other than just treat mobile devices as cash cows, and try something a bit more experimental and political.
So what is the app about?
‘Situationist’ connects you to random strangers to “help you snap out of the routine of contemporary capitalist life”. It is an application based on your geo-location. It alerts members to each other’s proximity and gets them to interact in random “situations”.
These situations vary from the friendly (“Compliment me on my haircut”) to the subversive (“Help me rouse everyone around us into revolutionary fervour and storm the nearest TV station”).
Members simply upload their photo and pick the situations they want to happen to them from a shortlist, in the knowledge that they might then occur anywhere, and at any time.
The application is named after the Marxist movement that sparked the May 68 Paris riots, the Situationist International, and is the brainchild of Benrik, artists and authors of the cult “This Diary Will Change Your Life” series.
Ben Carey of Benrik adds:
When the media deliberately demonise strangers as paedophiles, stalkers or terrorists, it is time to fight back and reconnect with our fellow citizens and human beings.
They say they are also “aware of the ironies of calling an iPhone app ‘marxist’, and have written more about it here.
The Situationist went live on Monday. It is a free app, and free of advertising.
How exactly will IDS pay for his flat pension scheme?
There are powerful arguments in favour of a simpler flat-rate pension of the kind outlined by Iain Duncan Smith yesterday.
The question is who is going to pay for it. Who will win? Who will lose? We do not know the answers to these questions yet. Simplification is always a good thing in principle, but in practice is almost always much controversial.
continue reading… »
When will something be done about street harassment?
Alongside the focus on the most serious forms of violence, discrimination and exploitation, it is important to find room to talk about the minor, everyday acts of casual contempt that are still a reality for almost all women, including right here in the UK.
One of the most prevalent and least examined of these, which urgently needs more input not just from policy-makers, but from journalists and researchers and even bloggers, is sexual harassment on the streets.
continue reading… »
BBC London accused of toning down ‘cuts’ news
The Guardian reports:
A row has broken out between the BBC and the Labour party over the corporation’s use of the word “savings” to describe what senior Labour officials insists are government cuts.
The disagreement reflects growing unease amongst opposition figures over the way the BBC is reporting the coalition’s spending cuts. Labour sources claim the corporation is caving in to government pressure to tone down its coverage.
Labour lodged a complaint after BBC London News ran a report last night about NHS cuts in a bulletin broadcast after the 10 O’Clock News on BBC1.
Officials are angry the item mentioned NHS budget “savings” around half a dozen times, while a graphic illustrating the piece also referred to “savings”.
The article mentions says “it is understood” there have been discussions within BBC London News about the right way to describe the government’s cuts, but does not reference Liberal Conspiracy, which first broke this story.
This is what I reported last week:
In particular, BBC London journalists have been told by senior management that they should use ‘savings’ as much as possible for on-screen graphics and the big plasma (the screen which sits behind the presenter).
Staff were told by senior management that ‘cuts’ made the news coverage appear too negative.
I specifically mentioned BBC London news and the focus on on-screen graphics.
It’s amusing that BBC editors keep refusing point-blank to admit that this is going on. I’ll have more on this soon.
Cooper slams Tory hypocrisy on trafficking
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has today released a statement highlighting the Government’s attempts to weaken and dilute international action to protect women from domestic and sexual violence, despite the Home Secretary’s claims that violence against women is a priority.
Home Office officials are proposing amendments to water down the Council of Europe convention on violence against women – including on rape during war and conflict situations and treating violence against women as a violation of human rights.
It is hypocritical for the Government to claim that violence against women is a priority and then behind closed doors to try and water action down.
We know that in many conflicts rape has been used systematically as a weapon of war – most disturbingly in the DRC, but in other conflicts too. The idea that women should only have a right to be protected against sexual or domestic violence in peace time is appalling, and it is shocking that the government is trying to water down international action to protect the most vulnerable women in the world.
Taken alongside their continued refusal to sign the European Directive against human trafficking, it shows the Tory-led government are going cold on their commitment to stop violence against women and girls.
She also said the cuts will make things harder for women.
Domestic and sexual violence organisations are struggling to keep support services open due to the scale of government funding cuts, and the complete removal of DNA for those arrested but not charged looks set to make it harder for the police to achieve rape convictions.
This week Theresa May said she was publishing a government strategy on violence against women.
From a press release
How times have changed
contribution by Elizannie
Each of my great-grandmothers have been described at various times by various descendants as ‘a strong woman’ [sometimes the adjective has not been so kind as 'strong'!].
But to survive in those times [last forty years of the 19th century onwards] working class women as my great grandmothers were, had to be ‘strong’. One great grandmother was widowed aged just over thirty with three children aged under five.
continue reading… »
Duke of York: time to get a job, mate
Highly attractive woman though Angelina Jolie indisputably is, I do sometimes wonder what it is about thespianism that makes her especially suitable for her role as goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Nor am I clear why Geri Halliwell was chosen to undertake a similar job for the UN Population Fund, although she may possess greater legitimacy than Tony Blair boasts as quartet special envoy to the Middle East. At least the Spice Girls never actually invaded any of the countries in which Ginger is expected to spread peace, love and understanding.
continue reading… »
How I’m trying to stop library cuts in Camden
contribution by Cllr Tulip Siddiq
I very rarely cry. It’s just not me. But attending the ‘We Love Highgate Library’ day and being greeted by children standing in the cold with banners proclaiming their love for their local library made me feel a bit teary.
Julian Barnes dramatically declared that he would go down on one knee to stop me from making cuts. Danny Scheinmann interrupted me with a copy of his book Random Acts of Heroic Love. ‘I’ve inscribed it for you Councillor Siddiq’ he said (‘Always do the right thing’ it said).
continue reading… »
Don’t tell us we don’t need feminism any more
contribution by Sian Norris
Last year, Nicholas D Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn published their game changing book, Half the Sky. In it, they talk about the 107 million missing women.
These women are missing because of femicide, because of lack of healthcare, because of domestic violence and because of trafficking. These are the women who we don’t hear about on the news.
continue reading… »
James Bond fronts IWD campaign
The two-minute short film, specially commissioned for International Women’s Day, sees 007 star Daniel Craig undergo a dramatic makeover as he puts himself, quite literally, in a woman’s shoes.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» The real agenda behind Telegraph’s abortion investigation
» How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists
» When disabled people want to work – employers can hold the back
» Revealed: the reality behind Workfare and why it doesn’t work
» Job snob? No, I’ve got the T-shirt
» Why country-by-country reporting matters to our wellbeing
» If Unions want to become stronger, they need to modernise
» Why work “reforms” in Spain are a warning for workers across Europe
» Five things you need to know about the NHS bill
» Bigger. Fatter. Gypsier. More Racist.
» Laziness levels in Britain getting lazier, wails government
|
62 Comments 15 Comments 23 Comments 8 Comments 24 Comments 16 Comments 16 Comments 83 Comments 203 Comments 85 Comments |
|
LATEST COMMENTS » JIm posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » pagar posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » Chaise Guevara posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » Katie posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » Chaise Guevara posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » TimJ posted on How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists » Shatterface posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » Cylux posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » pagar posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » pjt posted on The real agenda behind Telegraph's abortion investigation » nothingspecial posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » Chaise Guevara posted on How Scotland Yard monitors prying bloggers and journalists » Patron Press - #P2 posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » karl meyer posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? » BevR posted on Workfare - what does the evidence show? |
