Monthly Archives: June 2009

A LITTLE INFORMATION…

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Just to let you know that Geoff – he is my much valued helper on B-BBC Question Time and also a positive force in the redesign of B-BBC, is not very well having had an accident. What this means is that I will be stepping into the breach on Geoff’s “All Seeing Eye” blog to keep it going until he is feeling better. This will inevitably mean less blogging from me here but I hope you will understand why. Geoff has been a great supporter of this blog and I hope you may join with me in wishing him a speedy recovery so he may be back with us all. I will be posting daily over on The Eye and you are all welcome to visit there whenever you feel so inclined.

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English Lawns

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I hope DB doesn’t mind, but his comments on the latest Mark Easton drivel bear putting up here. I know that not a few other comments could be similarly worthy. Pot luck really, but as I steer clear of reading Easton for the very smug, ignorant, conformist liberalism which DB notes, it seems fair’s fair to highlight it.


With US First Lady Michelle Obama ploughing the White House lawn to plant organic vegetables, with climate change making lawn maintenance more problematic in Britain, with the fashion for the natural and with a global economic downturn, it may be that what was once a status-symbol is now a little bit naff.
The pampered lawn looks increasingly like an unsustainable relic from an era of excess.

Gratuitous mention of the Obamas – check. Climate change reference – check. Bit of leftie ideology – check. And all in the space of two sentences about English lawns. Good going, Mark. Of course, to be a perfect encapsulation of BBC journalism you needed a couple more items:


The pampered lawn looks increasingly like an unsustainable relic from an era of excess, a throwback to the dark days of George W. Bush, and as out of place in the landscape as a partition barrier in Israel.

The last points are just a little extrapolation ;-), btw.

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Credibility Gap

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The BBC and the Government are constantly on the look out for good news about the economy, while bad news is given the heave ho. For the BBC, this is big news, this, not so much. Then you have fatuous features like this one.

My point is that it doesn’t do any good to demean journalism for political purposes. Gordon Brown doesn’t do himself any good pretending that his actions aren’t dictated by his need to avoid responsibility for past mistakes. He’ll be far better off when he follows Susan to the Priory. The BBC does no good pretending that the crash isn’t a crash but merely a hiccup in domestic demand which is being overcome pronto. It’ll be far better off when it’s being looked after by someone who understands the media in society, like Simon Cowell. Denial is the way to turn a crisis into a greek drama.

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JUSTINIT FOR THE SYCOPHANCY

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Did you read this latest love-in between Justin Webb and his good friends in the Obama regime? The contrast between the studied belligerence that typified BBC coverage of the Bush years and the slobbering sycophancy that now characterised Obama’s reign could not be greater nor the bias more rampant. This is not balanced and objective reporting but rather sustained PR spin.

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EU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!

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You should have a read of this BBC item concerning the news that the UK’s Conservative MEPs have formed a new “anti-federalist” European Parliament bloc.

The new European Conservatives and Reformists Group includes 55 MEPs from across eight member states. Leader David Cameron had vowed to take his MEPs out the centre-right European People’s Party, saying its federalist views were against Tory policy.

What interests me is the structure of the article. It starts of by informing us of this move by Cameron before finishing with a critical attack of this move by retiring Conservative MEP’s and, of course, Barroso. The reader is therefore left with the subtle message that the Conservatives are divided over it and have done something which is wrong! Always pro-EU and always anti-Conservatives when they show a little determination not to be rabid federalists.

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CRACKERJACK!

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Wonder what you make of the news that one of BBC Radio 2’s most popular religious presenters has launched a stinging attack on the BBC suggesting the broadcaster is biased against Christianity.

Don Maclean, 66, who hosted Good Morning Sunday for 16 years, said the broadcaster was ‘keen’ on programmes that attack the Christian church. He said programming chiefs were keen to take a ‘negative angle at every opportunity’ in a way they do not with other faiths like Islam. Mr Maclean said programmes about Anglicanism on the BBC always discuss gay clergy and for Catholicism they always mention paedophiles.

Maclean is simply being honest and since he was on the inside he merely confirms what we see from the outside, don’t you think? The BBC is institutionally anti-Christian and pro-Islam.

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EVERYBODY LOVES MARGARET?

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I was reading the BBC’s coverage of the race to become Speaker here. It seems that Margaret Beckett is now the hot favourite (one of the very few times you will see the words “hot” and “Margaret Beckett” in the same sentence!). The BBC seems to approve of her since the only Conservative they take comment from, Richard Bacon, is content to see the foul Beckett in the chair.

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ST VINCE AND THE CURIOUS

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I was reading here that economic “guru” Vince Cable was too disorganised to pay his own bills on time, his expenses claims have revealed.

The Lib Dem deputy leader, who lectured the Government on economic prudence, received 19 reminders and warnings from utility firms and office equipment suppliers during 2005-6. His electricity and gas suppliers both threatened to cut off his constituency office over non-payment of bills

Anyone got a link to the BBC coverage of this?

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