Bits and pieces

Apologies for the lack of blogging, mixture of being busy and bloggers block.

While I ponder doing a proper post, here are some bits and pieces that caught my attention.

Belated link to Jim's Carnival of Socialism, a very good round up of international affairs , Labour and bit of culture .The next one is over at BoffyBlog on the 10th May, so send posts for inclusion to Boffy.

Meanwhile Coatsey, if not a national then a leftie 'treasure', has decided to come upwith his own Carnival of Contrarians :

There’s something called the ‘Carnival of Socialism’. It’s a rotating list of Blog posts the ‘Carnis’ decide are socialist. I suppose they must be - if I could be arsed to check up on all of them. Like most self-appointed glee clubs it’s terribly dull. The latest one looks as if it’s written by a professional dullard. Somehow Tendance Coatesy, despite its leading position in the labour movement, and the hope and joy it spreads amongst the world’s struggling oppressed, doesn’t get mentioned. In its place too many Quorn pies of bland comment maketh a sorry feast.

With a proud tradition of contrarianism we at the Tendance are now holding an alternative Carnival, of, you guessed it, Contrariness.

Well always room for more carnivals, and thanks for the link Coatesey, but I must defend Jim J . He is open to anyone hosting a blog (socialists of course)and having themes or just general leftiness and isn't a professional or even amateur dullard. I do look forward though to more Coatsey Carnivals !!He is of course welcome to host his an edition of the Carnival of Socialism and even theme it , perhaps on contrarians and the left!

I'd also like to encourage anyone else to consider hosting it. It is actually fun to do (or is that me being sad ?) , it highlights blogs across the left and hopefully introduces people to ones they hadn't come across .In the general bickering and point scoring that is a feature of the left, that's all for the good surely ? As Dave points out :

PERHAPS it's the spillover effect from the sectarianism that typifies the hard left away from the keyboard, but for some reason leftie bloggers rarely draw attention to good stuff published on other leftwing websites.

Received info on this via facebook:


Vigil for Iraqi LGBT
To remember the dead, to protect the living...


01 May 2009
08:45 - 09:30pm
The Indian Gate (Gateway to South) The Pavilion, Brighton
Palace Place, North Road
Brighton

A candlelit vigil...to remember those in Iraq who have died from homophobic violence, for those who are hiding and for those who are trying to recover... we will remember them, we will keep them alive, we will support them seek asylum in the UK.Candles provided.
Info at:
http://www.iraqilgbt.org.uk/
And Facebook.


I hope to get along and report back.