28 Responses to OPEN THREAD…

  1. Millie Tant says:
    May 31, 2010 at 8:36 pm

    STOP PRESS:  Queen can tighten belt like everyone else.
    ================================
    The reference here to the item on Today about David Laws led me to listen to it on iPlayer. 
     
    At the end of that item I was amused to hear Humphrys telling us that the Queen was asking for £6m more a year as the royal household has run out of money. 

    Humphreys informed us that we could have two responses to this, the first being that they should be told “to tighten their belt like everyone else”. 

    Bah! Not everyone, Mr Humphrys. Who or what do we know of, Mr Humphrys, which has NOT had to tighten a belt or make do with the same amount of money for the last 20 years, as The Queen has?

    Clue: a publicly funded organisation.

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  2. mr angry says:
    May 31, 2010 at 9:57 pm

    RE: reply to some people from the other day.

    David Vance,
    My apologies if I ofended you. That was counter productive.
    So where do you stand on homosexuality? Do you accept that people are born gay?
    Paul Weston
    <b>Only an absolute cretin could make an association between Christianity, Islam and homosexuality.</b>
    I’ll forgive the juvenile name calling tone. My reasoning and that  of Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Douglas Murry seems to be that those who like to read the same book, live their lives by the best of bronze age philosophy  their “truth books” where they will find justification for their homophobic views.
    There is a higher % of homophobic bullying of pupils at faith  schools in the UK than non faith schools. (Go check!)

    <b>How can you expect to be taken seriously on any political matter if you cannot spell a word so manifestly simple it could be mastered by a child yet to overcome the intricacies of shoelace tying? <b/>

    Ok, my spelling is poor. However your point is juvenile and lowers the tone of civilised debate on this site.

    Jack Bauer
    No I am not a moral relativist and can clearly see the difference between the examples you gave. Islam  and what to my mind, should be a basic human right, living  in a democracy  seem engaged in a Highlander style struggle to the end. But hey ho!

       1 likes

    • Grant says:
      June 3, 2010 at 8:41 am

      Can someone translate Mr. Angry’s post into english for me, please ?

         1 likes

  3. Guest Who says:
    June 1, 2010 at 6:01 am

    Just switched on my PC’s PiP TV (licence required).

    And the bouffant and brunette are solemnly intoning that all that transpires in the Middle East will be explained and made clear by… Jeremy Bowen.

    That I just smiled at the very notion that this might be claimed shows just how far the BBC’s credibility has sunk.

    The Israelis seem to have made a diplomatic (international waters? Daft) , military (just what were they thinking?) and PR (pretty much exactly as expected) horlicks of just about every aspect. 

    However, with the latter they have merely handed the likes of Mr. Bowen and his employers every element to ‘report’ ‘objectively’, if perhaps with an interesting slant in the edit suite.

    As more information unfolds, trying to spin this mob as a ‘peace flotilla’ trying merely to deliver much-need ‘aid’ is, frankly, in-credible.

    I will await Mr. Bowen’s expert take with interest.

    If it turns out to be yet more fanning of flames by an in theory objective responsible state broadcaster, then whatever transpires they are equally culpable.

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  4. Winston Smith says:
    June 1, 2010 at 6:42 am

    Tim Walker of the Daily Telegraph writes:

    “Mandrake is banned from evening BBC bulletins”

    “One can’t obviously name the senior BBC presenters who have been in touch to offer words of consolation after Kevin Bakhurst, the controller of the BBC News Channel, banned me from reviewing the newspapers on the evening bulletins.

    “One imagines in the meantime you will be seeing a lot more talking heads from the Daily Mirror, the Guardian and the Independent on the evening bulletins.”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mandrake/7786534/Nicky-Haslam-has-designs-on-Downing-Street.html

       1 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      June 1, 2010 at 6:12 pm

      And the BBC got its knickers in a twist on the issue of powerful minority elites shaping agendas to suit?????!

      On what possible basis, assuming this to be the case, can the BBC defend an employee of the state broadcaster banning a commentator,especially one from a political spectrum already with near zero representation? 

         1 likes

  5. George R says:
    June 1, 2010 at 7:02 am

    “The BBC: Official Voice of Ecofascism”

      (by James Delingpole)

    http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100041708/the-bbc-official-voice-of-ecofascism/

       1 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      June 1, 2010 at 9:08 pm

      Justin “Farcical Man” Rowlatt isn’t the only Beeboid who occasionally pines for an autocratic dictatorship of some kind which would allow the right leader(s) to force through laws that are really best for all of us.

      “Sometimes you look at countries like China and you think, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to be an autocracy in times like these?'” Matt Frei, Americana, September 20, 2009

         1 likes

  6. Ojala says:
    June 1, 2010 at 7:30 am

    On the Today programme Humphries just accused the Israeli commandos of boarding the Mavi Marmara with ‘machine’ guns – one of the major musunderstandings of this whole affair. What a shame the Israeli ambassador did not pick him up on this! The Israelis had ‘paintball guns – they were dispropotionately underarmed – naviely beileving that ‘peace’ activists, who in fact were affiliated with the Turkish branch of Hamas,  would not attack them with knives, iron bars and even rife shots from ‘peace activists’. The Israelis had to use their hand guns as a last resort, but the BBC is spinning it as ‘disproportionate’ force.
    Here’s a selection of weapons the IDS found on board, but no, they are not allowed to defend themselves.
    http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/3106.htm

       1 likes

  7. Ojala says:
    June 1, 2010 at 7:49 am

    Apologies, here’s my post with the mistakes corrected:
    On the Today programme Humphries just accused the Israeli commandos of boarding the Mavi Marmara with ‘machine’ guns – one of the major misunderstandings of this whole affair. What a shame the Israeli ambassador did not pick him up on this! The Israelis had ‘paintball’ guns – they were disproportionately underarmed – naiviely beileving that ‘peace’ activists, who in fact were affiliated with the Turkish branch of Hamas,  would not attack them with knives, iron bars and even rife shots. Some ‘peace activists’…. The Israelis had to use their hand guns as a last resort, but the BBC is spinning it as ‘disproportionate’ force. 
    Here’s a selection of weapons the IDF found on board, but no, the BBC would not allow them to defend themselves. 
    http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/05/3106.htm

       1 likes

    • sue says:
      June 1, 2010 at 8:09 am

      Unbelievably, Jeremy Bowen seemed like the voice of sanity after John Humphrys’s attack.
      Yes, the machine guns, uttered twice, and now, don’t you know, knives are not weapons! You heard it on Today!

         1 likes

      • Guest Who says:
        June 1, 2010 at 6:18 pm

        ‘knives are not weapons!’

        I look forward to one of those ‘unique’ 180 degree flips from Aunty on this topic when the subject of banging up a boy scout for having a Leatherman en route to camp is an entirely justified use of the full force of the law, whilst bruvvas from the ‘hood should merely be ‘understood’ better when they do a driveby with an Uzi that takes out a kid.

           1 likes

  8. Cassandra King says:
    June 1, 2010 at 8:25 am

    The BBC toady show was on top form this AM, caught the interview with the Israelli ambassador and John Humphries was on top form.
    Never have I heard a segment before an interview where 4 critics are aired before the interview itself, JH was itching to use the word ‘disproportionate’ as many times as possible(must force that meme hard) John(a knife is not a lethal weapon)Humpries tried again and again to pin the blame on the IDF while ignoring the violent protesters actions completely. JH had made his mind up before the interview, his prejudice was set in stone and he simply wished to use tricks to justify his prejudice.
    Five ships were peaceful and one ship was violent, thugs attacked the IDF and that was the aim all along, provocation pure and simple no ifs and no buts.
    If the aid was so badly needed then why not follow the rules and offload the cargo in Israel? But then again the aim was to break the blockade so arms could follow later unsearched and undetected and that is the aim of the jihad.
    The BBC uses its power to influence and manipulate the public, they are experts and they no longer hide their agenda. All the stops were pulled out for this episode and hamas/islamist terrorists will be thanking the BBC heartily, the cause of rearming hamas with modern attack weaponry and explosives just got nearer, the excuse of the hate mobs to attack Jews everwhere just got aired by the BBC and the blood of innocent Jews will flow because of the BBC but then again they are only Jews, its not like they are real human beings eh BBC?
    De humanize and delegitamize the hated Jews in the eyes of the world, another job well done by a very pleased BBC, just the entry phase into the ‘the Jews are our misfortune’ and ‘the eternal Jew’ era of hate broadcasting by a hate filled BBC with blood on its hands.

       1 likes

  9. NRG says:
    June 1, 2010 at 9:13 am

    Read this story on BBC NI website

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/10197607.stm

    It is about villagers in the Republic of Ireland campaignign for a by-pass. Why is the BBc reporting on parochial stories in a foreign country? Could the Beeboids be promoting the Irish nationalist cause by routinley covering irelevant stories in the Republic? A. YES

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  10. David vance says:
    June 1, 2010 at 9:19 am

    NRG

    Precisely.

    Mr Angry

    My views on the nature of gayness have nothing to do with bbc BIAS.

       1 likes

  11. NRG says:
    June 1, 2010 at 9:48 am

    Beeboids find a new way to squander your money
    http://www.desperaterussianhousewives.co.uk

    You pay for it but the Beeboids will not tell you: The BBC released the details in response to a Freedom of Information request, but declined to reveal a full list of its websites.

    You might expect a shady dating agency to be behind a couple of websites called http://www.desperate russianhousewives.co.uk and http://www.singlessos.co.uk — but they are run by the BBC.
    The corporation has released a list of 154 of the internet domain names it operates, ranging from foreign language news to spoof tie-ins with TV programmes.
    Some of the stranger web addresses registered by the BBC include http://www.coconutloving.com (promoting offbeat comedy The Mighty Boosh), http://www.bestmurders.co.uk (Psychoville) and http://www.watchagrownmanrot.co.uk (for EastEnders).
    EastEnders is also linked to the website http://www.desperate russianhousewives.co.uk, and http://www.singlessos.co.uk is part of an online game for the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.
    The BBC released the details in response to a Freedom of Information request, but declined to reveal a full list of its websites.

    Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/technology-gadgets/weird-websites-owned-by-the-bbc-14826069.html#ixzz0paqe4X7h

       1 likes

    • Travis Bickle says:
      June 1, 2010 at 1:44 pm


      The BBC released the details in response to a Freedom of Information request, but it declined to reveal a full list of its websites, saying:

      “Disclosure of all domain names would, in effect, disclose our domain name strategy.

      “In providing our strategy for names, we would face the increased possibility that individuals or organisations could potentially register domain names for our key brands and/or forthcoming programmes or services and try and profit by attempting to sell them back to the BBC at inflated prices.

      “Furthermore, disclosure of the names and, in effect, our domain name strategy could provide an open opportunity to cyber squatters or domain redirection services to understand our strategy for registering names and could result in multiple registrations of key domain names which would then have to be recovered through litigation procedures.”

      What utter shit. Since when has registering domain names been a ‘strategy?’

         1 likes

  12. David Preiser (USA) says:
    June 1, 2010 at 2:56 pm

    BBC making a big deal about Danny Alexander’s lack of experience in The City and the financial world.  Funny how there were never any concerns about a politics lecturer from Scotland with no business experience being Chancellor for 10 years and then the PM who was going to save the world from the financial crisis.

       1 likes

    • Grant says:
      June 3, 2010 at 8:46 am

      Almost as bad is that the BBC did little to quash the impression that Gordon the Moron has a degree in economics when it is actually history !  

         0 likes

  13. Cassandra King says:
    June 2, 2010 at 4:34 am

    Just a word on the latest greeeeen eco lunacy to save a tiny amount of aviation fuel.

    So called green landings where a passenger jet comes in to land with its engines set to idle. Oh yeah thats a great idea innit?
    Just at the time where power could be needed straight away in case of near misses and unstable air cells and other emergencies you shut down the only way a plane can escape using power, an invitation to stall as the engines take long seconds to spool back up to useable power levels.
    So to save a bucket of fuel you risk crashing the plane at its most dangerous time, yeah its a stunningly cunning plan so what if it leaves the plane vulnerable to a stall, you just couldnt make it up could you?

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    • MarkE says:
      June 2, 2010 at 12:59 pm

      Read an interesting article recently, in which someone claimed that ICT use accounted for 2% of the UK’s power consumption and hence carbon emmissions, which is the same as air travel.

      The guy was trying to sell ICT consultancy, but I don’t think that means his underlying figure is necessarily wrong in this case.  Until/unless someone refutes that claim I shall be using it whenever I see the usual anti air travel nonesense from the warmists.

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  14. Grant says:
    June 2, 2010 at 9:14 am

    Just catching up, but “The News Quiz” was a Labour-free zone last week, apart from the panel. Not a single joke directed at Labour, but all at the Con/Libs.
    I would have thought the elevation of Prescott to the Lords was laugh of the day, but not in Beeboid land.
    Does Sandi Toksvig’s voice annoy anyone else apart from me ?

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  15. Julio says:
    June 2, 2010 at 5:17 pm

    Demonstration in support of ‘TV licence refusenik’ Tony Stone
    Friday 4 June 2010 at 10:00
    South West Surrey Magistrates Court, Mary Road, Guildford GU1 4AS

    Our colleague Tony Stone is on trial this Friday in Guildford for his refusal to pay the TV licence fee on the grounds of the BBC’s indecency, bias, and the general unfairness of the TV licensing system.

    Other well-known ‘TV licence refuseniks’, such as Vladimir Bukovsky and Gerard Batten MEP, are coming to support Tony and to give evidence in his defence.

    You are invited to join our demonstration outside the Court to support Tony and protest against the BBC bias.

    Please spread the word.”

    Regards,
    The TV LICENCE RESISTANCE Team.

    http://tvlicenceresistance.info/forum/index.php

    I’m not going, too short notice and too far away but if anyone’s in the vicinity ..

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  16. George R says:
    June 3, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Ephraim Hardcastle ‘Daily Mail’ on BBC, Labour and Prescott:

    “+Tonight former deputy premier John Prescott presents BBC TV’s ‘Have I Got News For You’, a show which specialises in ridiculing people in the public eye like himself.
    “Yesterday he posted a message on Twitter crowing: ‘Some great lines. My bits are scripted. Everything else is pure ad-lib.’
    “He also took a photograph of his name on the dressing room door and posted that on Twitter. Perhaps team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton will cut him down to size.
    “Pathetic how the BBC flatters such people, isn’t it? ”

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1283537/EPHRAIM-HARDCASTLE-Is-normally-fastidious-Tristram-Hunt-trying-little-street-cred.html#ixzz0pnMirBH6

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  17. George R says:
    June 3, 2010 at 1:35 pm

    BBC: still propagandising for Labour’s anti-men HARMAN

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/politics/10225683.stm

    An alternative report on this at ‘Evening Standard’-

    [Extract]:

    Harriet Harman caused uproar within Labour today by announcing plans to give half of the party’s shadow cabinet jobs to women.
    She was accused of “extraordinary” behaviour by colleagues angry at her attempt to change the rulebook while serving as interim party leader.”

    “She was accused of ‘extraordinary’ behaviour by colleagues angry at her attempt to change the rulebook while serving as interim party leader.”

    http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23840886-harriet-harman-half-of-top-team-will-be-women.do

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