… Justin Webb on yesterday’s Radio Five Drive show, being interviewed about Kate Couric, new CBS news anchor. He spoke about how the big networks were losing market share to cable and the internet.
“There ate three groups of people who don’t watch the evening news any more, and they are intelligent people, young people, and right-wing people – and obviously there are some people who fall into all three categories – at least (laughs) arguably – so right-wing people tend to watch Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, intelligent people tend to not bother with the telly at all, and young people get their news from the internet where they get it at all.”
I wonder what happened to the American left ? I suppose that’s synonymous with intelligent.
If anyone wants to listen, it’s here for a week (Wednesday’s show, 2h53m in).
The american Left are busy writing news scripts for MSM but he wouldn’t want to tell you that…………………but I am worried that intelligent people are not watching TV nor doing anuthing else – as if the Internet is not for them either !
The left read things like the Daily Kos which proves they aren’t intelligent people.
She’s actually always called “Katie” Couric, Laban, and there’s a law in the U.S. which requires one to add “America’s Sweetheart,” every time one mentions her name. Barf.
New books for Andrew Marr to discuss on “Start The Week”
http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/article.jsp?content=20060410_124576_124576
Don’t suppose the BBC finds this interesting:
The Times April 04, 2006
Just look at how the last occupants left the place
A new biography of Laura Bush, the First Lady, published today claims that she was appalled at the way the Clintons had decorated the White House and the condition in which they had left the official residence.
It was reported that Laura Bush: An Intimate Portrait of the First Lady, by Ronald Kessler, details how Hillary Clinton gave Mrs Bush a tour of the White House on December 18, 2000, just after the Supreme Court ruled on the election.
The incoming First Lady was allegedly dismayed at the frayed carpets and furnishings in the West Wing and public areas, and the garish red, blue and gold carpet in the Oval Office. Mrs Bush also commented on the state of the Lincoln bedroom. The book was written with White House co-operation.
Did Dubya find any used condoms in the fireplace?
Nice little article which debates if Jesus really walked on water;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4881108.stm
Any chance the BBC will write an article on a certain child rapist?
Blair, Brown, Prescott, and Straw have been kidnapped. They have been dowsed in petrol and the hostage takers are threatening to burn them. Everyone British citizen is asked to comply with the captors demands. Most motorists are donating a gallon of petrol.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4881824.stm
i think the BBC should be applauded for this story.
Clearly there is a great need for extra helicopters and most importantly that the RAF Harriers remain to provide air cover and the Hercules transport aircraft are fitted with defensive systems immediately.
Otherwise, i fear that the Govt will need a good supply of body bags and the PR will be terrible, let alone the loss of life.
The Afghans have never been defeated.
i should add, if the number of helicopter transports is not doubled to say atleast 20. i think there are going to be major problems.
the govt would surely be wise to avert this and act now, even if it had to buy cheaper american helicopters to fill the shortfall.
Surely, Blair cannot want further bad PR.?
Did Dubya find any used condoms in the fireplace?
Sarge uncensored | 06.04.06 – 10:17 am | #
Probably Clinton has them on EBay to fund his retirement
http://www.thenews.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=455&ArticleID=1423396
IF THIS ISNT POLITICAL INTERFERANCE AND MOTIVATION I DONT KNOW WHAT IS…ITS OUTRAGEOUS…WHEN SIR MICHAEL BOYCE SAID ANYTHING HE was fired…
this guy knows how to kiss ass..
Labour have been in charge for going on 10 years, and this fool blames the conservatives.
Labour got rid of 5 frigates upon election in 97, froze defence spending and have since cut the fleet in half…is he a fool or new labour man?
For us un-intelligent folks here is a Fox News type report found on All-Africa website, something the BBC is unlikely to highlight.
”
gypt: U.S. Gains International Support in Blocking Terrorist Funds
Email This Page
Print This Page
Visit The Publisher’s Site
United States Department of State (Washington, DC)
April 4, 2006
Posted to the web April 5, 2006
Elizabeth Kelleher
Washington, DC
Countries are cooperating with multilateral organizations and the United States to cut off terrorists’ and money launderers’ access to global financial system, officials from the U.S. Treasury and State departments said.
Testifying April 4 before the Senate Banking Committee, Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levey said the “global designation program,” in which United Nations members report terrorist supporters to the U.N. Security Council, “might be the most powerful tool” against supporters of al-Qaida. All 191 member-states can act as one to ban reported terrorist supporters from using their countries and from opening accounts at their banks. In 2005, 18 members reported names to the committee, according to Levey.”
http://allafrica.com/stories/200604050369.html
Ian Barnes
From The Times
Good news –
The purchase of sophisticated guided weapon systems in recent years has also transformed the RAF’s ability to make a difference on the battlefield. Weapons such as the Brimstone anti-armour missile have given the RAF a technological superiority unmatched even by the United States.
bad news –
“The RAF chief is not happy with everything in his service: the most embarrassing problem he has faced was the purchase of eight Chinook Mark 3 helicopters from Boeing for £259 million which then failed to meet British military flying standards and have been grounded since they arrived. “It’s a . . . situation we’ve got to put right because we need them now, we don’t have enough helicopter-lift capability,” Sir Jock says.
The procurement contract was signed in 1995. But Sir Jock adds: “I don’t think we’re going to get the helicopters this year. It will take time.”
The so-called “peace dividend” resulted in many redundancies in the armed forces, this was after the collapse of the Soviets and the end of the cold war. Since then, things have hotted up on the terrorist front so manpower is again at the forefront of military planning.
Hold the front page!!!!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4882230.stm
Rowling bemoans paper ‘shortage’
When she finished her last pad during one recent writing session, it took her 45 minutes to find a shop in the Scottish capital selling a replacement.
Harry Potter novel delayed by 45 minutes!
Is that really supposed to be news?
If UKIP members are “closet racists” does this make conservatives “closet socialists?”
Grimer,
I don’t think Rowling knows what a paper shortage is!
World War 11 and the great British public were wiping bottoms with newspaper, no fluffy loo rolls until the 60’s. remember Izal?
I was brought up on the Daily Mirror, torn into strips and hanging from a piece of string, pretty useless if it gets wet. The font in periodicals and books was about 8 so you had to squint to read.
As for hosepipe bans we could only bath once a week in 4 inches of water.
Sarge,
Ref the article about the Chinook.
The story is somewhat incorrect in saying that they weren’t of a quality that wasn’t good enough for the RAF. The MOD insisted that the software that would run the kites would be British. As per usual the Brits failed to deliver the goods on time.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3606325.stm
As a side note, as the Brits weren’t using these kites the Yanks requisitioned them to be used in the invasion of Afghanistan. (Using the original software designed for them I presume)
Sarge
No it doesn’t make Conservatives closet socialists. The fraud we allowed ourselves to be conned into electing as leader is, but the party isn’t, and I suspect (hope) he may find himself a leader without a party soon.
pounce
Thanks for your update, I assumed the Air Chief knew his onions.
MarkE
Perhaps I should have said “Does this make the conservative laeder..”
Apologies to the Tory faithful…
Although in my defence the conservative leader did smear everyone who votes UKIP and the party as a whole. Unlike myself he refuses to apologise.
Perhaps he will go down in history like General Custer who when asked to apologise, remarked ” I never apologise, apology is a sign of weakness”.
He went on to make his last stand.
pounce,
It reminds me of the F4 Phantoms.
The UK bought them off the US, but constructed them in the UK. They let the British engineers loose on them and they decided it would perform better with a more powerful engine. Indeed it did and lots were made. Unfortunately, the bigger engine required more fuel, so the effective range was reduced. To overcome this problem, they had to fit drop-down fuel tanks to the wings. This increased the plane’s drag and reduced the speed to below that of the original American version.
Britain ended up with a more expensive, slower, less manoeuvrable version of the American plane.
Looks like they’re at it again with these helicopters.
Grimer
“When she finished her last pad during one recent writing session, it took her 45 minutes to find a shop in the Scottish capital selling a replacement.”
It appears Rowling does not know the advantage of Izal, time we sent her a gross.
Read the reviews: Izal,
Advantages: tracing paper
Disadvantages: harsh scratchy
Advantages: protects environment
Disadvantages: you may as well use your hands.
Advantages: Great tracing paper
Disadvantages: Your fingers may slip through.
This tough and rough tracing paper-like, loo roll really is as old as the hills. (like wiping your bum on a sheet of A4) and as far as I am aware is available only in white.
Advantages: very helpful to the environment
Disadvantages: not very comfortable
After using Izal I feel like going out, chopping down and incinerating every tree I can possibly find just for fun. have you ever wondered what it would be like to go bare bum down a slide made of glass and sandpaper?
I suspect the fresh faced beeboids don’t know the meaning of a paper shortage either.
The American Left doesn’t need the news, most intelligent people get the news and form their opinions from it, the Left tend to already have opinions and pick and choose the “news” to match it.
MarkE
“closet whatsits”
a case of the boot on the other foot?
BBC Jeremy Vine show subject
BIRD Flu.
“Oh my gawd doctor how do I know if I have got bird flu?”
“You will be irresistibly drawn to car windscreens.”
Boris on de Villepin’s possibly doomed efforts to reform French employment law
The crisis in France is affecting the whole of the EU, meaning that Europe’s growth will lag behind America’s for the 13th year in a row. Why do we hear so little from the British government about the complete failure of Europe to reform? Why, when France and Italy engage in a spat of old-fashioned protection, do we hear almost nothing from Labour except a mild protest, by junior Foreign Office minister Douglas Alexander, in a German newspaper?
Is it possibly because the Labour government is increasingly nervous about the way its own policies have swollen the state payroll, and does not feel able to criticise?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/04/06/do0601.xml&sSheet=/opinion/2006/04/06/ixop.html
Since when has it required the UK government to initiate criticism of anything?
Isn’t the great silence that emanating from the BBC, whose coverage of the minutiae of events in fat, SUV driving, right wing USA far exceeds that from their many staff (can’t call them reporters) in Europe?
With all the BBC’s concern over fat Americans & their campaign against junk food in this country (which always seems to be illustrated by McDonalds rather than fish’n’chips), you would have thought that they would be reporting possible strange & dangerous dietary arrangements in China
The grisly discovery of 121 human skulls, many with their tops sawn off
Police have confirmed that the skulls are human and are of “recent origin”, as suggested by the fact that some had skin and hair still attached.
A further twist came with a find in a landfill site in the same province of two arms belonging to a child believed to be aged between five and eight. The arms appeared to have been cooked with chilli and ginger.
The South China Morning Post linked the finds to rumours of cannibalism in another part of China three years ago, which were firmly denied at the time.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/04/06/wskulls06.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/06/ixworld.html
will
…the BBC, whose coverage of the minutiae of events in fat, SUV driving, right wing USA…
Politics of envy?
will
Junk food is a slang word for foods with limited nutritional value.
If you want to cut down on junk food, cut down your intake of salt, sugar, fat and refined foods
http://www.dietitian.com/junkfood.html
Rick
I hope you are wrong. An ever increasing amount of people are not only on the internet, they are useing it. Look how many comments this site now gets. Radio stations and MPs get an increasing amount of input from E-mails. This is now becomeing a habit, with a large amount of the VOTEING public. Bias BBC has, I should imagine, a far larger readership than contributers.
This will have an increasing affect on Elections. The power of the internet has not reached a critical mass yet, but it will one day.
We have been told by lefties and the BBC that the media has a right wing bias for a long time. This lie has now shown itself to be so.
Why else, do you think the EU want to control the internet so much?
Living and working more at home will and is, making the people of the western world more independant of the state, not less. This has made the left more desperate and vindictive than ever.
Mark E
Good point. I have been trying in a much more long winded way, to say the same thing. Although many on this site say they dont trust the BBC, they still pay to much attention to their bullshit.
I think the Internet is making a big difference, but let’s not forget how many people are in AOL and never venture into the Internet; or are just in Chatrooms or looking at Page 3 in interactive format.
There are levels of user and the blogs tend to get the critical, the interested, the disaffected, and the hopeful…………..hopeful that someone out there is listening and reading and noting……………….their fear is that the rulers will try to control dissent as in China or Saudi Arabia.
Radio amateurs and pilots had the only two hobbies regulated by international treaty. Radio amateurs cannot discuss politics or economics by law – whether that can happen to the Web is a moot point. China and Saudi Arabia have a fiirewall around the country which blocks all but the fanatics who can tunnel through it.
In the same way most libraries have a firewall which blocks the obvious porn sites unless they are entered in Polish or French, but happily blocks quite normal travel sites or other mainstream URLs.
The Web is the source of much BBC reporting because they have so cheapened their operation that experienced, balanced journalists were kicked out under Birt and replaced by young graduates who had noone older to teach them the ropes.
The BBC is basically like a lot of companies – it removed experience in favour of enthusiasm – and as the enthusiasm wears off they do not have any real expertise. Much of what we take for bias in the BBC is in fact ignorance; they don’t know any better because anyone with a balanced or even a cynical old-hand approach was long gone in favour of young women probably active in student politics because others would not have the contacts to get the jobs in such a nepotic sector.
The real question is – does anyone with intelligence watch the BBC any more ? An old Astra satellite dish and receiver gives lots of options quite cheaply without subscription.
Earlier today this comments page was headed:
“Banned by webmaster. Your comments will not be added” (above the indemnifying B-BBC line), and that was before I’d even tried adding my name, or a comment; and, indeed, I was unable to post anything.
Anyway, the message has disappeared now: does anybody what this was all about?
Cheers.
As an example of sidestepping the old media, I am currently watching the heated debates on immigration live from the floor of the US Senate on my laptop. Just by clicking c-span.org and selecting the right CSPAN channel. I have close friends in LA and visit there each year, and I am very intrigued by what will be done about the huge rise in illegal immigration to “Mexifornia”. And meanwhile I can also listen to real Americans commenting on the radio talk shows, and I can scan a lot of articles in the US press online – on both sides of the argument.
I don’t need to let the BBC warp the news – or fail to cover it. I don’t have to listen to the whole Today prog or watch Nesnight and get spoonfed propaganda, I can check individual items on the website of catch reference to them here. So I listen to re-runs of the Goon Show or Beyond the Horne on Radio 7 rather than spoil my breakfast with John Humphrys.
We can all now have a wider lens, or we can zoom in to our particular interests, without having to suffer the monopoly news feeds.
Those who embrace new technology became known as ” early adopters”. My interest goes back to the Sinclair XZ81 and I was on the INTERNET from the outset. Some of my friends still ask, “but what do you do?”
I confess to not owning a blackberry, PDA, or smart phone. The man on the Clapham omnibus however seems at home with his mobile, and texts deftly with his left finger.
Each to his own. If you have an interest, you will look for ways to expand it. Bogging has to be taken notice of because it reflects views springing from the well of unsullied propaganda, a pure spring untainted (hopefully) by dogma or servitude to a cause.
Bogging? sorry Blogging
Its perhaps not even the M word that is crucial.
HYS posed How can police improve relations with the Asian community?
swiftly relegated to the also ran subject list. But received this interesting comment
What is Asian community? I am born in Asian Turkey, so I am Asian. My colleagues are from China, Korea, and Vietnam; they are Asian. My other colleagues are from India and Iran; they are Asian. We don’t have much in common, and we certainly don’t have any problem with the police. Stop calling us all “Asian”. We know which Asians have problems with the police force, and I have to say it’s mostly their fault.
Mustafa Yorumcu, London
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&edition=1&ttl=20060406155653&messageID=646791򝺇
“Israeli officials have been ordered by the Sharon regime not to link the London attacks with attacks on Israel in any manner. Israeli officials have therefore been reluctant to suggest that Britain’s soft position with regard to terror groups like Hamas may have contributed to their own misfortune.”
Well we can say even if they can’t.
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2006/02/09/invitation-to-isms-spring-campaign/
The Israel National News reported that British and Israeli intelligence reports show that Muhammad Sadique Khan, who had a British passport, arrived in Israel on February 19th , 2003 and stayed for just one day. There, he may have met with the two bombers, Asif Hanif and Omar Sharif, who were also assisted by Hamas. The explosives material used in the Mike’s Place bombing was found by British and Israeli intelligence officials to be remarkably similar to those used in the London subway attacks. It seems Muhammad Sadique Khan may ahv delivered the explosives material used in that terror attack.
Hanif and Sharif went from Britain to Israel under the auspices of the ISM’s Alternative Tourism Program. Those terrorists met with the ISM in Gaza before murdering people.
http://www.dafka.org/NewsGen.asp?S=4&PageID=1111
“For God sake please stop calling us Asians. I am Indian and I feel insulted if someone calls me Asian. Say Indians, Chinese, Pakistani, Thais etc etc. Asia is not like Europe where everyone follows the same principals. We don’t have any problem with the world and stop giving us problem by counting us with those who is bombing our country.
jim, Birmingham”
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?sortBy=2&edition=1&ttl=20060406155653&messageID=646791
OT
Lefties = Mole Rats?
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025465.500-lazy-mole-rats-that-get-fat-to-have-sex.html
It’s the BBC what’s labelled you “Asian” sorry but they don’t know what they are doing.
Spose you’d called it unwitting racism?
I wasn’t convinced by Laban’s complaint. Justin Webb is obviously a professional cynic, but he is one of the few BBC reporters that I can conceive of saying : “intelligent people, young people, and left-wing people – and obviously there are some people who fall into all three categories – at least (laughs) arguably”
So I don’t regard his comment as biased, just knee jerk cynical-chic.
Laban asks :
“I wonder what happened to the American left ? I suppose that’s synonymous with intelligent.”
Not at all. The American left are the ones watching network news.
“The American left are the ones watching network news.”
That’s probably why they are so poorly informed.
The American left are reading Daily Kos and listening to Air America for as long as it remains on air with support from people like George Soros and Kerry’s rich wife.
“I wonder what happened to the American left ? I suppose that’s synonymous with intelligent.”
Some are…….most are not. Most just want to be in a group mouthing soundbites and emoting rather than thinking……………..the Left is just like the pre-war Right – full of mindless slogans and emotions in place of insight and reason.
It is like a rave or a concert – being there is everything – knowing what is going on is secondary.
We live in the era of mediocrity and mindless narcissism – none of them want to think because they were never taught the basic historical facts to have any basis to assess present and future……………..as Orwell said…………He who controls the Past.
They live life as if it is a constant protest – they act as if they are the centre of the universe – and they have been let down by the planets which refuse to orbit around their little sun
Off Topic from original post but on some of the topics in this thread…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cumbria/4877412.stm
A man is jailed for six months for shouting “racist insults” and the BBC reports:
“Bryan Cork shouted slurs including “proud to be British” and “go back to where you came from” outside Carlisle’s Brook Street mosque.”
So the BBC thinks “proud to be British” is a racist slur?
Story found via Harry’s Place:
http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2006/04/06/racist_jailed.php
YOU’RE fat, lazy, and only the prospect of mating can propel you into action. But that’s just fine – as long as you’re an African mole rat. Your fellow colony members will even toil to support you.
From the mole rat link. Why did John Simpson pop into mind when I read that?
A Sudanese ex-slave walks 300 miles in the US to draw attention to the genocide in Darfur:
http://sudanwalk.iabolish.com/
Does the Beeb cover it? Hell no – they’ve got their whole US crew following a much more important story, the Fat Man Walking. That’s the Beeb’s priorities — African slavery and genocide, no. Fat American guy trying to shed his blubber in a peculiar way, yes.
“I think the Internet is making a big difference, but let’s not forget how many people are in AOL and never venture into the Internet; or are just in Chatrooms or looking at Page 3 in interactive format.”
I was dispirited by a recent visit to the local library, which has free internet access and is handy for a couple of things that you can’t get at home – the BFI’s website, Screeonline, is only fully usable in a library and the same is true of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Anyway, you’d expect a library to be full of literate and interesting people who read books, although having said that the local library has a dismal selection of books, many of which I remember being there when I was a nipper. Books are no longer its focus. There’s a copy of TE Lawrence’s “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” which I would love to have borrowed if only it had not been filled with squashed bugs and brown sauce stains. I assume they were brown sauce stains.
But no, the computers were hogged by people playing Flash games. And that was that. I was reminded of the old quote about how if you see someone on the bus who is over the age of thirty, you know that they have been a failure in life. The same could be said of libraries. They are the proles from 1984.
Hitler had something to say about persuading people, in the introduction to “Mein Kampf”, which is as much of “Main Kampf” as I could be bothered to read. It was a pre-war copy with guarded endorsements from the New York Times (“this interesting man has a lot to say”, that kind of thing). Hitler believe that you can only really persuade people with oratory, and that the written word is fine but only up to a point. The written word alone cannot drive people into the kind of raging frenzy that gets things done. Internet pundits and this website are therefore limited by their inability to oralise (fnar).
I must admit that I may have strayed from the topic at hand. You have to tell people what they already know to be true; let them know that you know that they know; make them believe that they are one of many.