Archive for the ‘Political activism’ Category

Of strikes and solidarity

Saturday, November 24th, 2007

The Writers' strike has garnered quite a bit of support, both from other entertainment workers and from the wider public. One idea for support that originated with fans, before being picked up by the union, is to send pencils to the media moguls that run 6 of the major companies ...

Using community radio to promote blogs, self, causes

Friday, November 16th, 2007

One of my Google Alerts pointed me in the direction of this interesting post on a site devoted to advising people on improving their sites' search placements. I usually stay clear of such sites, but this wasn't your run-of-the-mill recommendation from such a site:Take Your Blog to the Airwaves - ...

A Critical Ear – latest edition

Thursday, November 15th, 2007

This week's show is now online. It lasts just around an hour, and features Bob Naiman and myself discussing Pakistan, Iran, and the success of Brazil's AIDS drugs policy. Locally we discuss SEIU's possible strike and the growing support from the campus community, and the CCHCC protest about the exclusion ...

Solidarity efforts for WGA

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007

As the Writers' strike continues into a second week, word of an interesting solidarity action as many of the blogs that usually cover the content generated by these writers are 'going dark' for a day to express their support. This at the same time that another group of writers, working ...

Immokalee Workers win global anti-slavery award

Monday, November 12th, 2007

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers are doing important work across a range of areas. I first came across them in connection with their founding of WCIW, an LPFM station serving farm-workers in Florida.They are also well-known for their work to gain extra income for workers through putting pressure on companies ...

Latest Critical Ear – Iran, Iraq, Pakistan

Friday, November 9th, 2007

I've placed the latest edition of A Critical Ear online. It's about 45 minutes, featuring phone interviews with Bob Naiman and Sam Husseini. Broadcast live on WRFU yesterday afternoon.

Editors arrested for disclosing broad trawl for user records

Friday, October 19th, 2007

A story developing before our eyes. Early this afternoon (Pacific Time) I got a mail on Lauren Weinstein's Privacy mailing list, pointing to a subpoena directed at the editors of the Phoenix New times:In a breathtaking abuse of the United States Constitution, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, ...

A Critical Ear: recent interviews

Friday, September 14th, 2007

One of my current side projects is the radio show I present with Bob Naiman on WRFU. A Critical Ear covers a range of US domestic and foreign policy developments. Bob works for Just Foreign Policy and is incredibly well informed on foreign policy, activism, and labor issues, so it's ...

VoteTube encourages use of online tools in Irish political activism

Monday, November 27th, 2006

Just in time for this new report about online video eroding TV viewing comes Simon McGarr's new project, VoteTube, a competition for "the most entertaining, most persuasive and most effective political and civic message videos made about Ireland." Coming on foot of Simon's call for greater political engagement, this is a ...

Of coalitions, racism, and the U of I

Sunday, November 26th, 2006

Since being pointed to it by the fine folks at the Prisonship I've been reading and rereading the Red Pepper interview with Chantal Mouffe and Ernesto Laclau. There's just so much food for thought here, for scholars and activists. Not only do they clearly articulate the shortcomings of a Habermasian approach ...