339 Responses to OPEN THREAD

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  1. Rufus McDufus says:
    March 13, 2013 at 6:19 pm

    Interesting-looking book regarding John Nathan-Turner, once producer of Dr Who.
    http://www.sfx.co.uk/2013/03/10/jn-t-the-life-and-scandalous-times-of-john-nathan-turner-review/

       4 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      March 13, 2013 at 7:21 pm

      I never noticed Donnison’s reference to “Palestinian herbs and spices” before. The silliness never ends.

         1 likes

  3. AsISeeIt says:
    March 13, 2013 at 7:25 pm

    Amusing comment from a BBC-invited expert on News 24 about the new Pope

    ‘It’s not a big change, it’s not like a change from Conservative to Labour’

    That’s putting it clearly in BBC approved terms.

       4 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      March 13, 2013 at 7:52 pm

      That kind of jibes with Gavin Hewitt’s recent opining that the Cardinals were more concerned with how to run the Church organization than with the conservative vs. liberal angle. Which makes sense, since that’s more or less why they put in Ratzinger as caretaker last time.

      Now I see we’ve got an Argentinian Pope, Francis I. But he’s a Latin America Jesuit, which means Interesting times ahead for Catholics. It just might be about control after all. Conspiracy theorists are going to have a field day, anyway.

         2 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      March 13, 2013 at 9:55 pm

      Meanwhile, the one time in years Mark Mardell turns his eye away from the President and things which might affect Him and heads to the other part of North America one would think his job title required him to notice slightly more often, it’s to write this exceedingly lengthy and bewildered report on how a Cardinal from Quebec could be the new Pope. Finger on the pulse as always.

      If you can bother slogging through the whole thing, you’ll probably notice which of the man’s qualifications Mardell found so worthy. Hint: it’s not the deeply conservative religious conviction.

         3 likes

  4. David Preiser (USA) says:
    March 13, 2013 at 9:05 pm

    BBC journalist Mario Cacciottolo on Nov. 7, 2012, basking in the glow of the US election result:

    New Gallup poll:

    World poll: Image of U.S. declines

    Worldwide approval of U.S. leadership dipped considerably during President Barack Obama’s fourth year in office — but it increased in some countries, including Mexico.

    The median approval rating for U.S. leadership for 130 countries was 41 percent in 2012, down 8 percentage points from the 49 percent approval during Obama’s first year in office, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

    Gallup asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the job performance of the leadership of the United States?”

    “This shift suggests that the president and the new secretary of state may not find global audiences as receptive to the U.S. agenda as they have in the past. In fact, they may even find even once-warm audiences increasingly critical,” Gallup’s Julie Ray wrote.

    How’s that hopey-changey stuff workin’ out for ya now, Mario?

       4 likes

  6. David Preiser (USA) says:
    March 13, 2013 at 10:31 pm

    Here’s US Beeboid Daniel Nasaw using his Twitter account to push his anti-gun agenda. Again.

    Curiously, he’s completely silent about the fiasco Gabby Giffords’ husband has gotten himself into for getting caught out buying an evil AR-15 and then claiming he did it to make a point about lax gun laws. Yes, that link is to Breitbart, but if you scream foul, then you have to also discredit the sainted CNN and Wolf Blitzer for quoting it and asking Kelly himself about it.

    Yes, Nasaw has the “views my own” get-out-of-bias-free disclaimer, but that’s no excuse for the arrogant, clearly partisan opinions he’s been tweeting lately. Look at his latest for more. And he’s actually born and bred here. The BBC sure knows how to pick ’em. I was shocked, shocked to learn that he’s an ex-Guardianista.

       5 likes

  7. David Preiser (USA) says:
    March 13, 2013 at 10:50 pm

    This must be another nuance of His finely-tuned brain Matt Frei told us about:

    President Obama Won’t Balance Budget ‘Just for the Sake of Balance’

    In an exclusive interview with ABC News, President Obama rejected calls to balance the federal budget in the next ten years and instead argued that his primary economic concern was not balancing the budget, but rather growing the economy.

    “My goal is not to chase a balanced budget just for the sake of balance. My goal is how do we grow the economy, put people back to work, and if we do that we are going to be bringing in more revenue,” he said.

    What more do you need to know? I’m sure Mark Mardell will be along shortly to explain this to you.

       1 likes

  8. Scrappydoo says:
    March 13, 2013 at 10:57 pm

    As mentioned previously, the BBC often uses “labour says” and the “conservatives claim”. More recently they have also started to use “the conservatives argue” what will be the next weasel word ?

       3 likes

  9. Pounce says:
    March 13, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    You just couldn’t make this story up in a month of Sundays:
    Exclusive bBC interview claims Chazev was murdered by either the US or Israel

       2 likes

    • David Preiser (USA) says:
      March 14, 2013 at 2:02 am

      Why do they give this nonsense the time of day? I guess because the BBC is a global media organization and targets content not only at the license fee-paying audience in the UK, but also at the extremists in South America who believe this stuff. I’m sure nobody at the BBC takes this seriously any more than they do 9/11 truther stuff or how the Jews pull Uncle Sam’s puppet strings, right? Oh, wait……

         1 likes

  10. Eric says:
    March 13, 2013 at 10:58 pm

    Uncommon Knowledge with Rupert Murdoch

    I came across this fascinating Hoover Institute interview with Rupert Murdoch. I thought I would share it here.

       0 likes

  11. Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:
    March 13, 2013 at 11:06 pm

    Oh shit it got worse, balls is on.
    Here we go, incomes going down, taxes rising, flatlining economy and only half a brain esler to ask questions?
    Shit shit and more shit.
    Sound bite tv, triple dips every minute?

       4 likes

  12. Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:
    March 14, 2013 at 8:25 am

    The bbc rolling 24 hour news channel, early this morning carried a secretly filmed report made in the extreme north-east of Nigeria. It was said that the area is hostile to journalists. The general thrust of the story was that troops have come in and taken, or even killed male members of families during the night. Boko Haraam was named as a problem in the area, but the bad stuff is definitely being done by the govt troops. The message being rammed home by interviewing young girls at a school. A school where the majority of pupils were shown to be girls, all dressed in islamic clothing. Subtle message there is that there is education for girls, in that islamic area. Did anyone perhaps care to define what Boko Haraam is capable of? No
    All the emphasis on nasty bad government troops, and education at a wonderfully inclusive islamic school for both genders.

       2 likes

    • wallygreeninker says:
      March 14, 2013 at 10:13 am

      There is a very long article on this (the situation in Maiduguri) writing up a Newsnight report of 12th Mar. What is very noticeable is that there is no mention of Christians whatsoever (he could have mentioned that 15 of them had their throats slit near the city last December – but didn’t) while the victims are the local population who are suffering at the hands of government forces. People in the area have also been killed for playing draughts and hunting bush meat so it’s clear the Islamo-nutters are giving everyone a hard time.Young men are being held or killed as Boko Haram members when, of course, they are innocent as the driven snow. It’s probably by the same correspondent who believes one of Nigeria’s greatest scandals is accused terrorists being held without trial.

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21764675

         2 likes

      • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:
        March 14, 2013 at 10:58 am

        Thank you wally for identifying the area Maiduguri, it was around 4 am when I clicked on the news in the middle of a sleepless period, therefore the name don’t stick so well in my min.
        I don’t believe there was any mention of Christians at all.

           1 likes

      • Dysgwr_Cymraeg says:
        March 14, 2013 at 11:03 am

        Well Wally, having read the report you linked to, it’s difficult to realise that the televised segment was meant to say the same thing. If they began with a longer segment and edited it to fit into a shorter time frame, they sure as hell missed out a lot of the important bits relating to Boko Haram.

           0 likes

  13. Dave666 says:
    March 14, 2013 at 8:28 am

    Aaaaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh!!!!!! BBc breakfast “Are you drinking orange juice with your breakfast?” Yes think about how much SUGAR is in it. Yes it’s “hidden” sugar in food. It’s “hidden” sugar in fizzy drinks. It’s not hidden because they bang on about it every two weeks.
    Yes food again!!!! Sod off BBc I’ll eat what I want to.

       4 likes

    • Span Ows says:
      March 14, 2013 at 8:37 am

      It gets me angry too because they are so obtuse/intentionally stupid about what ‘sugar’ is. MacDonald’s recently got their new fizzy drink allowed as ‘one of the 5-a-day’ fruit allowance despite media claims when it first came out that it was “full of sugar”. Soya milk is 10% sugar, most yoghurts are 5 to 10% sugar at least.

      Most media report ‘sugar’ as if it were white processed granules poured out of a Tate & Lyle bag, they are thick twats.

         3 likes

  14. noggin says:
    March 14, 2013 at 9:16 am

    i note further swipes at the catholic/christianity this morning,as “panto” pushes the “all anyone equates with THE church, is – sex offences”, can it clean up its act” narrative,
    hmm he once under pressure from the junta, supported the malvinas you know?, is his past murky? what will come to light?, no less

    er rochdale, oldham, anyone? … blackburn, oxford maybe?
    do all equate, murder, jew hatred, lying and paedos with islam?
    well listening to the bbc, to campbell … you ll never find out.
    traitors all

       7 likes

    • noggin says:
      March 14, 2013 at 9:27 am

      muslims own the bbc? … don t know about that, but
      islam seems to be the most revered of ahem “religions”?
      doesn t it?, we ought to ask the head of religious programs, if he thinks islam is important eh! .. just for clarity.

         5 likes

  15. thoughtful says:
    March 14, 2013 at 10:14 am

    You just couldn’t make it up!
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21783467

    I’m surprised they’ve covered this though.

       0 likes

    • noggin says:
      March 14, 2013 at 11:31 am

      the greasy chip shop baron strikes again …
      suppose the “jooos” made this arrogant and ignorant
      individual keep texting, as well, before he killed someone?
      wheres his 10, 00 muslims when he needs them eh!
      13 days before he was sentenced, he ensured a Dutch politician was banned from the United Kingdom for disagreeing with his ideology
      i mean What else would a good, moderate and pious Muslim committed to our core of democracy, free speech and other decent British values do in his position eh?

      “Lord Ahmed’s lawyers persuaded the court that his community work would be ‘irreparably and permanently damaged’ if he remained in prison.’
      but! but! … its the jews i tell you

      laughably … his maiden speech to the Lords was on prison conditions/reform/rehabilitation and for MUSLIM prisoners. no not black, white, Jewish, Christian, or Hindu, gay or straight.
      i ll stand to be corrected, but wasn t Lord’ Nazir Ahmed’s 12 week jail sentence for killing a man, automatically reduced to 6 weeks, reduced to 20 days, reduced to 16 and a suspended sentence on appeal anyway?
      did the jews do that?

      ps
      maybe he couldn t find his 10 00 men, but most certainly his “supporters”, claiming he got over 25,000 messages of support ‘from all communities’ ? over his conviction

      maybe an immediate bbc 5live “your call” about inherrent muslim antisemitism, is on the cards, or a slot on the bbc1 s “big questions” with panto feverishly writing the script …… no i didn t think so either

         4 likes

  17. thoughtful says:
    March 14, 2013 at 11:21 am

    AAARRrrgggghhhh
    From our own correspondent !

    I though the death of Ugo Shavezzzzz would be the end but no the bBCs Hugh Grant the bBCx special envoy to his Godliness Ugo manages to get in a lengthy report on queuing to view the body of their dead God. No doubt the BBC are praying that he will be resurrected come Easter !

       3 likes

    • Mat says:
      March 14, 2013 at 1:15 pm

      Hmm but what Huge Grunt didn’t tell you was most of the poor people filing past are just there to check the bastard is really dead !

         2 likes

  18. Guest Who says:
    March 14, 2013 at 11:24 am

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21226068?ocid=socialflow_facebook_bbcnews
    What Japanese history lessons leave out
    ‘Is history ever taught – in any country – without bias?

       1 likes

    • wallygreeninker says:
      March 14, 2013 at 12:22 pm

      The impression I get is that it is hardly taught at all. I notice she didn’t bother to mention experiments in bacteriological warfare they carried out on the Chinese and their mistreatment of POWs.

         1 likes

  19. JaneTracy says:
    March 14, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    Just spotted this but Gavin Hewitt got the Italian election all wrong…

    Gavin Hewitt‏@BBCGavinHewitt
    Caution needed with these phone polls in Italy. One projection now has Berlusconi’s party ahead in Senate and Grillo polling strongly

    That bloke Grillo he didnt amount to anything did he? Oh wait a minute……

       3 likes

  20. AsISeeIt says:
    March 14, 2013 at 12:41 pm

    This Open Thread is getting so old it’s in danger of being elected Pope.

       4 likes

  21. George R says:
    March 14, 2013 at 12:44 pm

    “The Question Time stooge:
    ” How Labour Party planted a diehard supporter in the BBC audience to attack UKIP panellist on debate show.
    “Labour activist Amy Rutland, 23, attacked UKIP candidate on Question Time.
    “Politics graduate called UKIP Eastleigh candidate Diane James ‘disgusting.’
    “Accusations she was ‘Labour Party plant’ deliberately given airtime by BBC.
    “BBC received dozens of complaints from viewers.”

    By SUE REID

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2292995/Question-Time-How-Labour-Party-planted-diehard-supporter-audience-attack-UKIP-panellist.html

       2 likes

  22. George R says:
    March 14, 2013 at 12:56 pm

    Mis-print at BBC-NUJ News online?:-

    “Mirror Group journalists held by phone-hacking police”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21785103

       1 likes

  23. George R says:
    March 14, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    INBBC reports Islamic reform in Saudi Arabia?:-

    “Saudi Arabia executes seven men for armed robbery”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21767667

       0 likes

  24. stewart says:
    March 14, 2013 at 1:27 pm

    I do Hope they are not remanded in custody
    I would Hate to think of anything terrible happening to them while in the general prison population

       0 likes

  26. vomitus says:
    March 15, 2013 at 9:06 am

    More value for money from our state propagandists; I leave you to ponder below:
    ******************
    Duncan Smith critical of BBC
    The Work and Pensions Secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, has criticised the BBC for “adopting the language of the Labour Party” by calling a key welfare reform a “bedroom tax”. In a letter, which was obtained by the Mail, Mr Duncan Smith says there has been “persistent use” of the term “bedroom tax” by the BBC’s correspondents and on its news website, despite the phrase being “innately political and indeed factually wrong”. He explained: “It is not a tax and it is wrong to describe it in this way. The BBC has a duty to inform the public. We believe that the BBC is failing in this duty and confusing members of the public. In using the word tax, the BBC has helped to worry those not in social housing that they might be taxed when this is not the policy.”
    Daily Mail, Page: 24 The Sun, Page: 2

       0 likes

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