Just a quick update - thankyou to everyone who has sent supportive comments. Also, at least 14,000 people have now read this blog since it began! Please do keep sharing. I'm not very good at twitter but if you tweet, you could maybe use the hashtags #LondonHotel or #HotelUnion - thanks and more coming soon (:
I don't really wear gloves but if I did - this is how I'd wear them (: This image is borrowed from a Greek cleaners union which managed to win back jobs and better conditions for 595 women cleaners at the Ministry of Finance this year. Solidarity can win.
https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/person/15896087
ReplyDeleteAnd this persons name is borrowed from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15384074/
Deletehttps://youtube.com/shorts/foI7vmgjcEE?si=HDphfMviZDc_4b5X
DeleteDoes cypriot greek count?
ReplyDeleteDe Valera appointed Collins as Minister for Finance in the Ministry of Dáil Éireann in 1919.[31] At this time, most of the Dáil Éireann's ministries existed only on paper or as one or two individuals working in a room of a private house, as large gatherings of Irish republican politicians would be vulnerable to raid attempts by British Crown forces.[citation needed]
ReplyDeleteDespite that, Collins managed to produce a Finance Ministry that was able to organise a large bond issue in the form of a "National Loan" to fund the new Irish Republic.[32] According to Batt O'Connor, the Dáil Loan raised almost £400,000, of which £25,000 was in gold. The loan, which was declared illegal by the British, was lodged in the individual bank accounts of the trustees. The gold was kept under the floor of O'Connor's house until 1922.[33] The Russian Republic, in the midst of its own civil war, ordered Ludwig Martens the head of the Soviet Bureau in New York City to acquire a "national loan" from the Irish Republic through Harry Boland, offering some jewels as collateral. The jewels remained in a Dublin house until 1938, when they were handed over to de Valera.[34]
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/russian-jewels-hidden-in-dublin-chimney-breast-in-1920-1.4116867
DeleteIn the 1918 general election Sinn Féin swept the polls throughout much of Ireland, with many seats uncontested, and formed an overwhelming parliamentary majority in Ireland. Like many senior Sinn Féin representatives Collins was elected as an MP (for Cork South) with the right to sit in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London. Unlike their rivals in the Irish Parliamentary Party, Sinn Féin MPs had announced that they would not take their seats in Westminster but instead would set up an Irish Parliament in Dublin.[29]
ReplyDeleteDe Valera resigned the presidency and sought re-election but Arthur Griffith replaced him after a close vote on 9 January 1922. Griffith chose as his title President of Dáil Éireann, rather than President of the Republic as de Valera had favoured.[97] The Dáil Éireann government did not hold legal status in British constitutional law. The provisions of the Treaty required the formation of a new government established under British law with royal assent, which would be recognised by Westminster as pertaining to the Free State dominion that had been agreed under the Treaty. Despite the abdication of a large part of the Dáil, the Provisional Government (Rialtas Sealadach na hÉireann) was formed with Michael Collins as Chairman of the Cabinet (effectively Prime Minister). The Provisional Government operated concurrently with the Dáil Éireann government under Griffith. Collins retained his position as Minister for Finance in both governments.[78]
DeleteCollins and the IRA were a major source of inspiration for the leader of the Zionist insurgent Lehi group and future Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Shamir. During the 1948 Palestine War Shamir adopted "Michael" as his nom de guerre.[143][144] Chinese leader Mao Zedong also studied Collins' practices of guerrilla warfare.[145]
ReplyDeleteThe Crown responded with an escalation of the war, with the importation of special forces such as the "Auxiliaries", the "Black and Tans", the "Cairo Gang", and others. Officially or unofficially, many of these groups were given a free hand to institute a reign of terror, shooting Irish people indiscriminately, invading homes, looting and burning.[27][39]
ReplyDeleteBefore the new body's first meeting, Collins, tipped off by his network of spies, warned his colleagues of plans to arrest all its members in overnight raids. De Valera and others ignored the warnings on the argument that, if the arrests happened, they would constitute a propaganda coup. The intelligence proved accurate and de Valera, along with Sinn Féin MPs who followed his advice, were arrested; Collins and others evaded incarceration. Collins reportedly spent time hiding among Dublin's Jewish community, even posing as an Orthodox Jew and once cursing at the Black and Tans in his best imitation of Yiddish.[30]
DeleteCairo Gang just sounds like an Egyptian thing lol!
ReplyDeleteThe 1936 film Beloved Enemy is a fictionalised account of Collins' life. Unlike the real Michael Collins, the fictionalised "Dennis Riordan" (played by Brian Aherne) is shot but recovers. Hang Up Your Brightest Colours, a British documentary by Kenneth Griffith, was made for ITV in 1973, but refused transmission. It was eventually screened by the BBC in Wales in 1993 and across the United Kingdom the following year.
ReplyDeleteIn 1969, Dominic Behan wrote an episode of the UK television series Play for Today entitled "Michael Collins". The play dealt with Collins' attempt to take the gun out of Irish politics and took the perspective of the republican argument. At the time of writing the script, the Troubles had just begun in Northern Ireland and the BBC was reluctant to broadcast the production. An appeal by the author to David Attenborough (Director of Programming for the BBC at that time) resulted in the play eventually being broadcast; Attenborough took the view that the imperatives of free speech could not be compromised in the cause of political expediency.[citation needed]
A 1987 film production based on Collins' life, directed by Michael Cimino, was halted due to objections from Irish locals.
Irish-American folk rock band Black 47 recorded a song entitled "The Big Fellah" which was the first track on their 1994 album Home of the Brave. It details Collins' career, from the Easter Rising to his death at Béal na Bláth. Irish folk band the Wolfe Tones recorded a song titled "Michael Collins" on A Sense of Freedom (1983) about Collins' life and death, although it begins when he was about 16 and took a job in London. Celtic metal band Cruachan recorded a song also titled "Michael Collins" on their 2004 album Pagan which dealt with his role in the Civil War, the treaty and his eventual death. Also a song by Johnny McEvoy, simply named "Michael", depicts Collins' death and the sadness surrounding his funeral.
ReplyDeleteWolfe was born in New York City, the son of Mary Olivia (née Ayers) and Emerson Leroy Wolfe.[9] He had polio as a small child.[10] He and his family moved to Houston when he was 6, and he went to high school and college in Texas, attending Lamar High School in Houston. While attending Texas A&M University, he published his first speculative fiction in The Commentator, a student literary journal.[b] Early in his writing career, Wolfe exchanged correspondence with J. R. R. Tolkien.[12]
DeleteWolfe dropped out during his junior year and subsequently was drafted to fight in the Korean War.[13] After returning to the United States, he earned a degree from the University of Houston and became an industrial engineer. He was a senior editor on the staff of the journal Plant Engineering for many years[14] before retiring to write full-time, but his most famous professional engineering achievement is a contribution to the machine used to make Pringles potato chips.[15]
So you prefer Wolfe Tones to Wolfe House?
ReplyDeleteThe poem "The laughing boy" by Brendan Behan lamenting the death of Collins was translated into Greek in 1961 by Vasilis Rotas. In October of the same year, Mikis Theodorakis composed the song "Tο γελαστό παιδί" ("The laughing boy") using Rotas' translation. The song was recorded by Maria Farantouri in 1966 on the album "Ένας όμηρος" ("A hostage") and became an instant success. It was the soundtrack of the movie Z (1969). "The laughing boy" became the song of protest against the dictatorship in Greece (1967–1974) and remains to date one of the most popular songs in Greek popular culture.
ReplyDeleteAfter Gonçalo was rejected by Warner Bros., Paramount and Disney,[182][185] Cimino began to work on writing his first novel, titled Big Jane. Set in 1951, and 173 pages in length, the story follows a "dynamite-looking, six-foot blonde who wears blue jeans, a Miss Universe of muscle," who travels by motorcycle across America and ends up fighting in the Korean War alongside a brigade of women.[9][8] Initially conceived as a screenplay, Big Jane was meticulously translated from English to French and published on September 5, 2001, by publishing house Éditions Gallimard.[20][185] Cimino later tried seeking interest from U.S. publishers, to no avail.[9] He first appeared with the screenplay treatment (written in prose at novel length), at that year's Venice Film Festival, where he conducted a staged reading from the piece and proclaimed that the next time he would return with a film made from the story.[186] Cimino was then honored at Deauville, where he received the Prix littéraire Lucien-Barrière, an award that previously went to Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal. "Oh, I'm the happiest, I think, I've ever been!" he said in response.[9]
ReplyDeleteI think the guys dating Josephine!
Delete*L'Oreal Paris
DeleteIn May 2024, a BBC World Service documentary titled "Perfume's Dark Secret" uncovered widespread child labor in Egypt's jasmine fields, an essential source for fragrances used by major beauty brands, including L'Oréal. The investigation exposed that children, some as young as five years old, were engaged in the physically demanding task of picking jasmine flowers. These children worked under grueling conditions, often beginning their shifts at 3 a.m. and working in high temperatures. The documentary highlighted the poverty these children faced, with some earning as little as $1 per day, far below a living wage.
DeleteThe BBC's findings sparked global concern over labor practices in the perfume industry, particularly regarding the exploitation of children in rural areas of Egypt. The country’s jasmine flowers are a key ingredient in high-end perfumes produced by companies like L'Oréal, leading to questions about the ethical sourcing of raw materials in the beauty and fragrance sector. Despite claims by L'Oréal and other luxury brands of strict monitoring systems, the documentary suggested that these children had been overlooked by current auditing processes and that insufficient measures were in place to protect workers from exploitation.[165]
Summer is a killer. 40 degrees in the shade, apparently!
DeleteL'Oréal continues to sell skin whitening products, which have been criticised as "capitalising on women's insecurities due to colourism." They advertise these controversial products, which have been criticised for promoting a colonial attitude as well as having safety concerns,[145] on their website by claiming; "Achieve clear, translucent and radiant skin. Our skin whitening products work to fade dark spots and brighten skin to give you the fair, flawless complexion you desire."[146]
DeleteLol, aren't a fair few wearing fake tan these days?
L'Oréal has conceded that its founder, Eugène Schueller, was a Nazi sympathizer and antisemitic fascist.[125][126] He was also a member of La Cagoule, which supported the Vichy regime, and was a violent, pro-fascist and anti-communist organisation. Eugène bankrolled La Cagoule and some meetings of La Cagoule were held at L'Oréal headquarters. Some of the criminal activities perpetrated by La Cagoule include firearms transportation, assassinating a former minister, and firebombing six synagogues.[127][128]
DeleteSchueller provided financial support and held meetings for La Cagoule at L'Oréal headquarters. La Cagoule was a violent French fascist-leaning and anti-communist group whose leader formed a political party Mouvement Social Révolutionnaire (MSR, Social Revolutionary Movement), which in Occupied France supported the Vichy collaboration with the Germans.[129] L'Oréal hired several members of the group as executives after World War II, such as Jacques Corrèze, who served as CEO of the United States operation.[130][131]
DeleteThe company also supplies hygiene products to hospitals, maternity homes, centers with forcibly displaced persons, homes for the elderly, the military, etc.[116] L’Oréal Paris financially supports employees in Ukraine, guaranteeing the payment of wages and providing additional financial assistance, and provide accommodation for employees who are abroad and assist with temporary employment in other L'Oréal branches.[117]
DeleteAfter the suspension, L'Oreal increased cooperation with other sites, including sanctioned ones. The company officially works in Crimea. Advertising expenses were not stopped - all investments were suspended for only 2–3 months. Now everything has been restored and even increased. The delivery of goods through Turkey and Kazakhstan was arranged.[115]
DeleteIn 2021, L'Oréal announced the acquisition of the vegan skincare brand Youth to the People.[23][24]
DeleteL'Oréal has many products which are tested on animals.
DeleteSince the 1980s, L'Oréal has invested €900 million in researching alternatives to animal testing for product safety, using methods such as reconstructed skin models, such as the Episkin model[107] at their research centres in Gerland, France, and Pudong, China.[108]
Nevertheless, this is complicated by markets such as China,[109] where it is difficult to sell a beauty product without animal testing.[110] Cosmetics by brands such as The Body Shop, which refuse to do animal testing, are thus not sold in China.
In 2013, L'Oréal was part of a consortium calling on the EU to invest more in research on alternatives to animal testing.[111]
They have to make their money somehow!
DeleteMichael Antonio Cimino (/tʃɪˈmiːnoʊ/ chim-EE-noh,[5] Italian: [anˈtɔːnjo tʃiˈmiːno]; February 3, 1939 – July 2, 2016) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer and author. Notorious for his obsessive attention to detail and determination for perfection.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fucking curse to me!
The solution is to do as Marshall did: operate through a kind of remote
Deletecontrol. Hire deputies who share your vision but can think on their own,
acting as you would in their place. Instead of wasting time negotiating with
every difficult person, work on spreading a spirit of camaraderie and
efficiency that becomes self-policing. Streamline the organization, cutting
out waste--in staff, in the irrelevant reports on your desk, in pointless
meetings. The less attention you spend on petty details, the more time you
will have for the larger picture, for asserting your authority generally and
indirectly. People will follow your lead without feeling bullied. That is the
ultimate in control.
Another anecdote explaining iwao-no-mi concerns an accomplished
ReplyDeletewarrior who had reached the highest stage of the art of sword fighting.
Having been enlightened as to the true meaning of the art of sword
fighting, which should be based on the promotion of well-being of
people rather than the destruction or killing of others, this great master
was not interested in fighting any longer. His ability in the art of sword
fighting was absolutely unquestionable; he was respected and feared by
everyone. He walked the streets with a cane like a bored old man and
yet wherever he went people looked at him with intense fear and
respect. People were careful not to anger him and the old man was
nonchalant. This is akin to having a huge rock hanging above a
mountain path. People are afraid of the rock, which they believe may
come down at any moment, and so they walk quietly and carefully under
the rock. But the rock is actually very stable, being planted in the
ground so deeply that it will never fall down. But people do not know it,
and they continue to fear that it will fall down if they make any kind of
loud noise as they walk under it. The rock just sits there completely
indifferent to its surroundings and people's fear and awe.
A WAY TO VICTORY: THE ANNOTATED BOOK OF FIVE RINGS,
TRANSLATED AND COMMENTARY BY HIDY OCHIAI, 2001
It is easy to be overwhelmed by everything that faces you in battle,
ReplyDeletewhere so many people are asking or telling you what to do. So many vital
matters press in on you that you can lose sight of your goals and plans;
suddenly you can't see the forest for the trees. Understand: presence of
mind is the ability to detach yourself from all that, to see the whole
battlefield, the whole picture, with clarity. All great generals have this
quality. And what gives you that mental distance is preparation, mastering
the details beforehand. Let people think your Buddha-like detachment
comes from some mysterious source. The less they understand you the
better.
“Be extremely subtle even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent's fate.”
Delete― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
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ReplyDelete