FRIDAY OPEN THREAD…

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My goodness how the weeks fly in. And so we reach another Friday and so it is time for a new one of these to see us off into the weekend. Detail the BIAS here please.

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185 Responses to FRIDAY OPEN THREAD…

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  1. Mice Height says:
    April 22, 2012 at 12:23 pm

    David Cameron’s Utopia not quite as his arse-licking speech made out:
    http://www.persecution.org/2012/04/21/muslim-residents-in-indonesia-caught-on-video-violently-blocking-church-from-holding-service/

       2 likes

  2. chrisH says:
    April 22, 2012 at 1:02 pm

    Heard Paddy O Connell on Broadcasting House this morning.
    He was asking Damon Hill about Bahrain , and Damon said-that like the drivers and teams-he was working out there in reporting the race, and so the politics was a nasty sideline and distraction.
    Paddy quickly finished his piece by saying that the BBC will keep a rolling eye on things should they change.
    I therefore do not expect those BBC cameras to be focused on the race itself-because this surely sends the wrong signal to the Bahraini authorities-but I do expect those cameras to be out of the race arena and watching the security services on the streets of Manama.
    Do you think this will happen boys and girls…or will the BBC bear witness to history by giving up hours of broadcasting time in showing this terrible event nonetheless….for whatever reasons the BBC think are “appropriate in the circumstances”?
    Uttelry schizoid aren`t they?…but still they always seem to get the nice hotels, the box seats and plenty goodie bags and buffets, as well as air miles discounts…because-being the BBC-they cannot be paid or pampered enough…ask Stuart Hughes!

       3 likes

  3. George R says:
    April 22, 2012 at 1:48 pm

    EGYPT.

    INBBC’s Ms KNELL, that ‘right-on’ feminist, may not report this anytime soon, given INBBC’s political predilection for Muslim Brotherhood:

    “For Egypt’s women, the Arab Spring does not spell freedom.
    “They hold only two percent of seats in the new parliament, compared to 12 percent during the Mubarak era.”

    http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/for-egypt-s-women-the-arab-spring-does-not-spell-freedom-1.424962

       2 likes

  4. Craig says:
    April 22, 2012 at 2:18 pm

    ‘Sunday’ with Ed Stourton talked about the French elections. I bet you could have guessed the angle they chose (it being the BBC):

    “As the French vote in the first round of their presidential elections we discuss the way the candidates have played the issue of Islam in a campaign that saw a row over the labelling of halal meat and that was, of course, interrupted by the tragedy of the shootings by an extremist in Toulouse.”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01gf4jz

    That duly was the angle they took, with two guests – BBC favourites, Guardianista Nabila Ramdani and fellow Guardianista Dr. Matthew Goodwin – both strongly savaging Sarkozy, the French Right and the European Right in general for being beastly to the Muslims.

    The other guest was French journalist Anne-Elizabeth Moutet, who tried to counter some of Nabila’s most vicious (and seemingly unfounded) attacks on Sarkozy.

    Still, why 2 against 1? And why was Goodwin there to talk about right-wing extremism when the issue should surely have called for an expert prepared to talk about Islamic extremism (which was studiously avoided as a topic)?

    Also – and it’s an old B-BBC point – why on earth did Ed’s introduction talk of “the shootings by an extremist in Toulouse”, when it would have been more accurate and – in the context of the issue at hand – helpful to say “the shootings by an Islamic extremist in Toulouse”?

    As well as this, ‘Sunday’ also contained a frosty interview between Ed and a traditionalist Anglican (anti-gay marriage, anti-women priests) and a not unfriendly interview between Jane Little and a feminist nun in America whose organisation has been condemned by the Vatican. There was also a report for the programme by Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue, who is working with a nice communist landless people’s organisation in Brazil. In other words, the usual ‘Sunday’ sort of thing.

       4 likes

    • Millie Tant says:
      April 22, 2012 at 3:52 pm

      Yes, and shootings rather than killings. Sounds more innocuous, less lethal possibly, doesn’t it?

         2 likes

    • John Anderson says:
      April 22, 2012 at 4:36 pm

      Craig

      The item on France was as bad as I have heard on this travesty of a “religious” programme. As you say – a stacked discussion, bleating about Muslims as victims when the real issue is their refusal to integrate into French society – it just added to my Islamonausea. I turned the dial to LBC and stayed there all day until the P G Wodehouse play at 3pm. I am glad I missed the other items you report on – they sound typical for Stourton’s unctious and flabby bias.

         3 likes

    • Sue says:
      April 22, 2012 at 5:01 pm

      Why was Matthew Goodwin there to talk about right-wing extremism?
      I’ll wager it was because of his forthcoming book “The New British Fascism: The Rise of the BNP”
      I love the picture. A proper misery-guts is our Matthew.

         2 likes

  5. uncle bup says:
    April 22, 2012 at 2:47 pm

    ‘And runners in today’s London Marathon include BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth and Labour Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls.’

    Topped off a BBC vews bulletin this morning.

    Thirty thousand runners they had to choose from and there you had two of the BBC’s greatest loves – itself and the Labour Party.

    Shame there wasn’t a radical Muzzie cleric running, because with only room for two at the end of the bulletin… who to leave out… who to leave out.

       4 likes

    • Guest Who says:
      April 22, 2012 at 4:59 pm

      ‘Sophie Raworth and Labour Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls.’

      A peroxide sink and a slab of lard with a tuft of fur still attached combed over on top walk around London and the nation’s most trusted broadcaster speaks for… to.. ‘us’ about their two favourite subjects: themselves and those who give them what they want.
      Will Bill be completing the spousal exchange on the Breakfast sofa: “Tell me young Yvette, what have those bastards in the Coalition done to incur you wrath today? It’s OK, I won’t mention you did it for 13 years first.”

      Unique.

         1 likes

  6. Millie Tant says:
    April 22, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Just watching the tail end of The Sunday Politics in which they had a panel of three people giving their opinions on issues of the day.

    Who are these three? Well, I didn’t know so I watched eagerly awaiting to find out. Up comes a caption which labels one speaker as “Isabel, political editor…” and the next one that pops up tells me that another speaker is “Janan, political correspondent…” Yes, that’s right: first names only!
    Isabel who? Janan who? I have no idea. I didn’t find out even the first name of the third speaker as I just gave up. How stupid are these people who are let loose on Beeboid programmes? Is that really the best the “World’s Greatest Broadcaster ” can do?

       1 likes

  7. Millie Tant says:
    April 22, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    Yesterday they had a Saturday morning programme on Radio 4 which felt very much like a cross between a homage to Billy Bragg and a love-in between two peas- -in-a-pod lefties as they shared views, reminiscences and the inevitable guffaws about Thatcher, natch.
    I know there are others mentioned in the programme synopsis but I heard only one other and most of what I did hear seemed to go overboard and devote an inordinate amount of time to Bragg.
    Here are the programe notes (a record plug too!):
    “Richard Coles with musician and activist Billy Bragg, poet Murray Lachlan Young, Prof Harry Rothman, son of Benny Rothman, the leader of the Mass Trespass on Kinder Scout to mark the 80th anniversary of the climb that won our generations’ right to roam, Simon Wheatcroft an blind ultra-marathon runner, a feature about a homeless man from London, James Bowen, who was adopted by a cat and now they’re constant companions, and Adrian Mole author Sue Townsend’s Inheritance Tracks. …
    STUDIO GUEST :: BILLY BRAGG
    Billy Bragg, musician, songwriter and activist, gave voice to the British left in the 1980s. ‘Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions’ features Woody Guthrie’s lyrics set to Billy Bragg and Wilco’s music. It’s out on 21st April, which is also Record Store Day.”
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01gd4lf

       2 likes

    • Sue says:
      April 22, 2012 at 5:04 pm

      Yes, I heard that programme. It was dire. Apparently, Billy Bragg once wrote a good song. Is this true?

         0 likes

      • John Anderson says:
        April 22, 2012 at 5:24 pm

        I am willing to accept that Bragg may have done some good stuff on re-recording the Woody Guthrie songbook.

        So why can’t we hear that – rather than Bragg’s nasal drone and sycophantic Beeboids swallowing all his leftie propaganda ?

           0 likes

  8. DB says:
    April 22, 2012 at 6:28 pm

    Happy Earth Day!

       3 likes

  9. will says:
    April 22, 2012 at 8:15 pm

    Doesn’t read like it is really Beeboid Christian who is “daring to believe”
    Christian Fraser BBC News, Paris

    The first cheer came when the result appeared on the TV screens. Any lead at this stage – be it two or three points – is considered a strong performance.

    The second cheer came for Jean-Luc Melenchon who called on his supporters to join forces with those of Mr Hollande to defeat Nicolas Sarkozy. Mr Melenchon is a good orator – he kept the Socialists waiting, building the suspense. They appreciated it even more when the endorsement came.

    Nothing will be taken for granted here. In 1995 Lionel Jospin lost a first-round lead. Greater efforts will be made in the next week to get out the vote.

    But 350 polls published since this campaign began have put Mr Hollande in a commanding lead for round two. The celebrations must wait another two weeks – but they are daring to believe.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17806398

       1 likes

    • will says:
      April 22, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      Sorry that should be “Doesn’t it read like it is really Beeboid Christian who is “daring to believe””

         0 likes

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