"Always Coca Cola"... or maybe not.

Tonight, I have been mostly sitting in a theatre with the good lady,
observing one 'Mark Thomas' perform at one of the local theatres.

As well as his usual anti war / capitalist stuff, his main piece was quite a
good one concerning as to why we all shouldn't buy Coca Cola any more.

This is the second time in just over a year I've been to see Mark Thomas -
whilst tonight I recognised some of the material as some I'd heard at the
first, (more focussed on the then impending bombardment of Iraq), show, he
came up with enough new stuff tonight to make me feel it was worth going
along to, and as always, he managed to first get the room buzzing with
laughter, and then silenced it with a very emotive finale - in this case, he
was relating the investigative work he's done so far in relation to Coca
Colas operations in, amongst other places, Columbia, and the way in which
paramilitaries have been used to intimidate and kill persons who work within
said organisation, as part of a campaign to hound out the main trade union.

I appreciate that in the great scheme of things in the world today that
4,000 (1) or so people dying in recent times as a result of the political
situation in their work place is hardly front page news (2), worthy of our
consideration, but it's made me think, anyway - YMMV, I suspect it's yet
another result of my apparently high 'EQ' (3) kicking in again, but
whatever, I don't intend to buy any more Coca Cola products for the
foreseeable.

Anyway... if you ever get the chance to go see him live (4), *do it* - he's
very entertaining when relating some of his protest and political anecdotes,
and I've yet to see anyone else who can turn a giggling mass into a dead
silent, reflective mass, so quickly.

The world needs more people like Mark Thomas.

(1) His figures, and ones I'd trust given he's normally pretty good in doing
his homework before spouting off in public.
(2) ...especially when we've got more important things to concentrate on
such as 'X Factor', and besides, "they're all greasy wops anyway, so why
should we give a shit?"
(3) 'Empathy Quotient'
(4) ...or if not, his website is here: http://www.mtcp.co.uk/index.php

 

You'll know when he's really making a difference. He'll inexplicably get a
form of cancer that's almost unheard of in someone his age, then die.

And on that note, I'm off to listen to my Bill Hicks albums...

 

Heh, very true.

He must be pretty high up on some wishlists for that sort of demise by now,
I'm sure - he's upset the Septic administration on more than one occasion,
for one thing.

 

JackH emerged from their own little world to say

You're being a bit naive to single out Coca Cola.

In Colombia, Shell fund paramilitaries to protect a vital pipeline thereby
prolonging the civil war.

BP in Nigeria....

LG in Newport....

Don't buy anything.

 

he's good at that.

has anyone apart from des got more than 57 yet?

I said that.

Agreed. When I first saw him me and ex hubby to be were only people to
turn up for a signing (- got the sex, lies and religion tape, think
that's what it's called it is very ukrm) and got invited back stage
afterwards - top, top bloke, he was just going onto weighting more
political stuff then. seen him every tour since. can't keep up with

Yep.

 

In

<snip paramilitary employee relations>

Shhhh don't tell Cane ...


--
Steve Parry

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

http://www.arrivedeprived.org.uk/

K100RS SE
F650
(not forgetting the SK90PY)

 

Because it is crap?
Be patriotic. Drink dandelion and burdock.

I thought there was no coca in their cola these days.

 

In

hmmmmm d+b ..... lovely stuff and light years nicer than that feckin'
awful Dr.Pepper stuff the yanks drink +o(

Plenty of acid though ;o)


--
Steve Parry

http://www.gwynfryn.co.uk

http://www.arrivedeprived.org.uk/

K100RS SE
F650
(not forgetting the SK90PY)

 

I've never found any reason to buy coloured sugar water at all.

 

One man's coloured sugary water is another's pointless flickering lights I
guess.

 

I don't know *what* you mean.

 

No doubt.

 

I mean it's not even as if it still has cocaine in it anymore.

 

No - I got 57 on the EQ, Des claimed 67 (high sixties anyway, may have
been 65)

 

Oh _please_ tell us that you don't believe me.

_please_

I'm begging here ...

 

Lady Nina secured a place in history by writing:

WTF is EQ??

 

Pay attention at the back

http://www.guardian.co.uk/life/news/page/0,12983,937443,00.html

 

Them flickering fluorescent lights do, how else would the electrons get
excited?

 

Lady Nina secured a place in history by writing:

42. How tediously smack in the middle of predictable.

 

Did it twice, without recording the answers I gave the first time. First
one 26 (eek). Second one 41. Depressingly average. Mean point between
the two - 33. Sounds about right.