Saturday
Oct162010
by 
Bishop Hill
Bishop Hill The reverse twinkle
Oct 16, 2010 Climate: other Hat tip to Barry Woods for this excerpt from the website of Thames Valley Climate Action, which gives guidance on how the organisation runs its meetings. They have a thoroughly nifty set of hand signals to enable attendees to indicate how they feel about what is being said:
I particularly like the idea of a "reverse twinkle" to show that you disapprove. Personally I think the whole AGW thing could be considered one large reverse twinkle.
Reader Comments (23)
"Stand-asides are where people do not actively support the proposal, but are OK for it to go ahead. "
I will sleep soundly tonight in the full knowledge that the good people of Thames Valley are keeping democracy afloat!
Here is a nice guide to gestures.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Gestures
What a silly organization this Thames Valley Climate Action is.
This was under Climate Camp - Regional Groups
(just browsing the links from Campaign against climate change)
You missed out their Final Comment
"So, you've read this far about our group decision-making processes - well done! But just in case you're thinking "good grief, TVCA is just wrapped up in process stuff" we'd like to make it clear that we aren't. We use these processes because we've found that they work in organising direct action against climate change - and that's what we're about. We're very open to comments or suggestions on improving our processes. Stopping catastrophic climate change is what we're about."
"Raise one or both hands and wiggle when you hear an opinion that you agree with, wave a hand with your fingers pointing upwards. This saves a lot of time as people don't need to chip in to say "I'd just like to add that I agree with that point." This is sometimes called a twinkle. Some people use a 'reverse twinkle' (hands pointing down and wiggling) to show disagreement with the point being made."
I might be considered a 'block' and asked to leave....
•Blocks are where people feel so strongly that the proposal should be rejected that they would consider leaving the group if the proposal is passed. People that block will be asked why they are doing so in the hope that the proposal can be modified to address their concerns. Ultimately, if there is a block, consensus has not been reached and the decision will not be taken. If you find yourself blocking a lot it could be that you don't share the same values and vision as the rest of the group and you might think about leaving the group for one that does share your values.
•Stand-asides are where people do not actively support the proposal, but are OK for it to go ahead. As with blocks, people that stand aside will be asked why they are doing so that the group can understand the concerns people have and, hopefully address them. If lots of people stand aside the facilitator may decide that consensus has not been reached and look to reform the proposal. If only a small number of people stand aside the facilitator may decide to go ahead and check for consensus.
•Consensus is when people actively agree to the proposal and are willing to implement it. If you consent to the proposal, show this with the twinkling hands signal.
If you are a block, you have to leave.
Leaving of course a like minded 'consensus' behind.
some consensus, asking people to leave....
Maybe the IPCC should try this approach to form consensus ( no red button, if you are asked toleav, your choice, no pressure)
I would love to see Pachauri perfom a REVERSE TWINKLE
One should only perform a reverse twinkle when the wind is at your back.
The "twinkle" is applause in sign language. No harm in Thames Valley Climate Action being inclusive, but they might acknowledge where they got the sign from. Next time I see my profoundly deaf brother-in-law I'll ask him what the sign language for "You're talking a load of cobblers" is.
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/a/applause.htm
Why doesn't Bishy just get to the point and tell you all which big oil teabagging slime you should vote for when the time comes?
All this tease is just so juvenile.
I suspect that these innocent-seeming hand signals are, in reality, eldritch gestures of Earth magic, by which the group are able to harness elemental powers in order to cast their mighty spells against the daemonic ultimate evil that is Climate Change! Io! Evohe!
But what sign do yo make if you do a reverse twinkle by mistake? How do you reverse, a reverse twinkle? And if you block a reverse twinkle, where does your twinkle end up?
Should you wash your hands after so much public twinkling, or would a discrete baby wipe suffice?
All this gesturing and gesticulating reminds me of a line from Woody Allen's "What's Up, Tiger Lily:"
"Would you like to see my collection of off-color Italian hand gestures?"
The T hand signal is commonly known in sports as asking for a "time out".
I think the pic here is what happens to an over enthusiastic twinker
https://we.riseup.net/oxford-cca
also great quote from their meeting notes-
Feedback from last CE meeting
* Not clear what the group is meant to be doing?
* Next meeting
Perhaps all the hand waving and scientology/NLP stuff confuses people? Oh, and Hail Eris!
Confuse them with the sceptic special Full Monty subtle shoulder lift, the one in the line at the unemployment office, (to Donna Summer's Hot Stuff).
As soon as I read this I thought "They have to be based in Oxford" Yep,I was right. This is the same place that painted out half the crossbars on the bikes on the cycle lanes in the name of equality and flew the CND flag on the town hall for reasons I know not.
Mind, I bet their meetings are a bundle of laughs, with all that hand waving they must go on all night.
Has anybody asked them what their plans are for preventing CCC?
*For the pedant out there I should have written "the cross bars on half the bikes" but it is late.
@Bishop Phil
"Why doesn't Bishy just get to the point and tell you all which big oil teabagging slime you should vote for when the time comes?"
Should we take that as a reverse twinkle from you then, or just more arm waving?
I explored the site and decided to complain about the errors.
The best thing about the site is the instruction for entering email address:
¨Email (your real one if you want a reply!)¨
Oh, dear lord, kindly send us a better class of troll! The present set are sooooo witless. Jayus, BP, you must have spent hours coming up with that witless comment. Surely you can do better. What happened, did you run out of your meds or what?
As for the reverse twinkle, I really don't see it catching on. One upon a time, people use to queue up and be polite, but of late, that has gone to the dust bin. Particularly those watermelons carrying red buttons.
Still, a nice idea. But more likely they will simply push each other to get to the microphone.
You've got to hand it (ha-ha) to these folks -- they're always coming up with new ways to make their struggle meetings more entertaining.
The missed off the sign with the raised middle finger.
At first I misread "runs" as "ruins": "...how the organisation ruins its meetings." That gave me a different perspective on the whole thing.
Hallelujah!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nPvqZG8mLM
Thanks.
I am embarrassed to admit that for the past 50 years, though a devout member of the primate family, I have never quite understood the meaning of the reverse twinkle until now, when it has been quite fully explained to me. I can see that there are a large number of past conversations upon which I will need to reflect and decide if I have misinterpreted some subtle displays of body language. I fear I may have to repent for some harsh and unmerited conclusions about others that I have drawn.
Nah, All just handwaving and gesture politics. They seem to have left out quite a few of the more common ones that might be classified at 'Thats not the boy scout salute!' or 'I don't like your horse either', which probably limits the scope of the debate a bit?
But perhaps they could learn a bit from a master of the art -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqNl6Tc70M0