What is Santa Bringing You This Year? And What Are You Getting Other People? December 19, 2011
Posted by Garibaldy in Capitalism.trackback
As per usual, I’ve done no Christmas shopping as yet, nor have I given any thought as to what I would like to receive from the beardy red himself.
Giving it some thought now, apart from the new edition of LookLeft, Fearghal McGarry’s Rebels: Voices from the Easter Rising seems like it would be a fascinating and enjoyable read, while Richard Gott’s Britain’s Empire: Resistance, Repression and Revolt looks interesting, although possibly bad for the blood pressure for various reasons. I’ve already read Sins of the Father, as I presume pretty much all of us have, otherwise that would be at the top of the list. I don’t have a BluRay player, otherwise I’d be spending Xmas morning, afternoon and evening watching Star Wars on BluRay, and there’s no films I missed in the cinema or on TV I feel I ought to own on DVD. I saw both Game of Thrones and the Killing during the year as well, so no must-have TV series. On the plus side, Christmas is a Sunday this year, so there’s a present all in itself 
Anybody got any suggestions on either end?
Cinema:
Imperialists, Cartels, Monopolies, Anarchists, Plots, Bombs, “Politics Divides Us – Business Unites Us” all that stuff- plus a good laugh besides.
See the New Sherlock Holmes Film.
Planning to see that myself. The first one was good fun. Although I see the complaints have started
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2011/dec/19/forensic-guy-ritchie-sherlock-holmes
I’m with the sad traditionalists I ‘m afraid. I much preferred the Sherlock Holmes TV series than the Ritchie film.
I’m hoping Santa will bring me Eric Hobsbawm’s “How to Change the World: Tales of Marx and Marxism”.
I got my dad a copy of Padraig Yeates book “A City in Wartime: Dublin 1914 – 1918″, looks like a good read.
You’ll not be disappointed if Hobsbawm is sticking out of the stocking on Xmas morning. I hope your dad isn’t expecting a surprise present!
@LATC
Well, here is how to change the world:
Print-off a copy of your County’s ‘rent’ investors, i.e.:
https://www.prtb.ie/public_files/html/meath_HTML.mhtml
https://www.prtb.ie/public_files/html/wicklow_HTML.mhtml
Bring this print-out to your Local ‘Authority’; and insist that it be accessible by the public.
Not necessarily of political relevance to this blog but “Jerusalem” by Simon sebag montefiore was probably the best book I read this year.
More likely his biography of Young Stalin! Whats Jerusalem about? Have Hobsbawm on the shelf to finish off after getting through about half way during our mini heatwave in July (21C!) but it is piled under David Graeber’s Debt, Tristam Hunt’s biography of Marx’s General (Engels), Lief Jerram’s Streetlife and (another delayed summer read) Ron Weiner’s Rape and Plunder of the Shankill. Dear Santa, all I want for Xmas is the time during the rest of the year to read all my pressies!
“all I want for Xmas is the time during the rest of the year to read all my pressies!”
+1
In the middle of reading “33 revolutions per minute -A History of Protest Songs” by Dorian Lynskey which I’d recommend. Tells the stories of various songs, the artists and the political time they operated in.
Think I’m getting “Follow The Floodlights” a book about LOI teams, A surprise, Anna Calvis album and some westerns that I don’t have on DVD. Oh and an old Ian Paisley Election leaflet.
..and if anyone got a Christmas card from a politician .. I’d love a copy.
I was going to return Catherine Byrne’s but if I can donate it to medical science… get it to you via WbS?
that would be great thanks.
Damn, Joe Costello’s one went straight into the recycling bin.
I’m hoping for (heavily hinted at) a Cuba 1962 Castro Short Sleeve Retro Shirt or similar from Casa Rebelde in Crow Street (if my family can find it on the trendy southside – too late for Internet shopping). http://casarebelde.com/
Failing that, Pádraig Yeates’s book wouldn’t be sniffed at nor Revolution: A Photographic History of Revolutionary Ireland, 1913-1923.
I’m hoping for a pair of adidas london’s (black on black c/w), a mini Lenin statue from Connolly Books, Gott’s book on the Brit Empire, Bohs membership, lookleft subscription, a bag of pre rolled joints, logic, tickets to all of Ireland’s Euro games, a green card, Enda Kenny’s head dry roasted on a platter, perspective, Gadaffi’s golden gun, Pat Kenny’s charisma, the ability to grow a beard like an ICTU offical, a bag of cans and a cat in a hat so I can call her.
Being an atheist I’m not expected to buy.
Can an atheist not believe in Santy?
Churchill’s Secret War by by Madhusree Mukerjee, paperback 2011,Basic Books, shows how Churchill’s actions in Bengal in 1943 resulted in the deaths of 3 million people.
CL, that’s one to remember next time Ganley is going on about “communism” and how it led to the millions of deaths…
A good read is ‘ Afghantsi ‘ by Richard Braithwaite the former British Ambassador in Moscow. Whatever your views on the Soviet Invasion/Intervention this book dispels many of the cold war myths and of course is resonant to current events in that country.
Garland to get a good result tomorrow would set up Christmas nicely.
A universal Li-ion charger (well one that takes Canon and Sony batteries anyway. All over the net at less than 20 yo-yos but can you get one in Dublin for under €90?); a subscription to the Dublin Review; a voucher to get the car serviced. If he’s reading this, I’ll be in Belfast – the usual place. Good man.
Something for the missus and something for the cat.