EarthtoTurtle: politics

Friday, October 24, 2008

Gordon Brown Explains Amy Winehouse to Nelson Mandela

The Telegraph

Gordon Brown had to explain to Nelson Mandela who Amy Winehouse was and why she was singing "free Blakey my fella" at the former South African president's 90th birthday.

She performed at Mandela's London birthday concert in front of 50,000 people. She substituted the chorus of "Free Nelson Mandela with her own statement about freeing her husband. People started to sing "Free Blakey My Fella" instead of "Free Nelson Mandela." This left Former Prime Minister Nelson Mandela very confused. Gordon Brown then had to explain who Amy Winehouse was. Amy told her friends, "You know, Nelson Mandela and my husband have a great deal in common - both of them have spent a great deal of time in prison".

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison in apartheid South Africa and went on to become South Africa's first black president in 1994. Blakc Fielder-Civil is serving 27 months in prison for perverting justice.

Mandela spent 27 years in prison in apartheid South Africa, before becoming the country's first black president in 1994.
Fielder-Civil, 26, is serving 27 months for ABH and perverting justice.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

LIVE from Denver: The Media Circus

I was just interviewed by a woman from the New York Times and earlier Katie Couric was running around here with an entourage. Dan Rather spoke upstairs (see story below) but I did not leave this prime couch location, for it's great people watching and eavesdropping, as well as a place to plug in the laptop, drink Blind Roast Coffee (actually roasted by a blind man) and watch representatives of corporate media try to find out what goes on in the Big Tent.

It was enjoyable to tell the reporter why I don't watch television, even to see what others are watching. I don't necessarily eat fast food every day to see what that's like either. I told her that my primary news sources are NPR and the internet and have been ever since the 1991 Gulf War, which the media seemed to treat as a video game. It was amusing when she asked me my cell phone number and I would have had to look it up (since I use it as little as possible) so gave her my email instead. She also found out that I had attended both YearlyKos conventions, NetRoots Nation and the 2004 convention in Boston as well as this one.

Like Rick Steves the travel guru, I believe strongly that it is better to travel "close to the ground." It is pleasant to sit here on my couch and watch an interview going on not ten feet away from me, but I'll soon venture upstairs for the talks or out on the street. Andrew has been able to head over to the Pepsi Center, so will be close to the action. One thing I know - the food will be better here - and cheaper.

(This will be cross-posted at NW Progressive Institute.)