The Biase Goes On

As for the Orange Order, words fail me. One of my hopes in an independent Scotland is that this organisation is no longer permitted to close down city streets in order to peddle their religious bigotry.  

Note:  Paul Mason, who produced this video, is the former economics editor of the BBC who now works for Channel 4.

Tweet

Nick Robinson’s Lies

Nick Robinson of the BBC accused Alex Salmond of not answering his questions on the BBC News yesterday.

His video was certainly cut to suit his agenda.

The above is Alex Salmond’s lengthy response to his questions. Usually I hesitate to call people liars, but Robinson so blatantly lied on several BBC news broadcasts yesterday, he deserves the description.

Tweet

The QT Remark

My thanks to Moridura for the video.  Still don't know how he manages to clip these but I have tried to find software for a Mac which would do it with with ease.

However I digress.  It was Clarinda who drew my attention to this 'joke' on Thursday's Question Time.  

It's my intention to ignore the smug individual who made the remark. People like him were ten a penny when I lived in England and I eventually discovered the best way to prick their bubble was to disregard them. 

Some are appalled by the audience's response, but again I wasn't surprised.  The Scots and Irish have always been the butt of English humour.  David Dimbleby's description of the mark as 'chauvinistic' was inappropriate, although he had the measure of the audience member I have to admit.

I'm not overlooking the fact that the 'joke', made during serious discussion of nuclear waste, was distasteful, but what does surprise me (and really shouldn't) is that the BBC decided to actually broadcast it.

QT is pre-recorded and edited - or used to be - with a very sharp knife.  Yet someone within the department decided this purile remark was worthy of inclusion in the programme.

As much as the incident tells us about the contributor and the English audience, it says even more about the BBC and it's attitude to Scotland.

If the contributor had mentioned a country such as Afghanistan or Mali in a similar content, the cutting would have been the first on the editing floor.

Tweet

Just When The Public Think BBC Standards Can't Go Lower

Check out the 'injured' male at around 2:11 and witness his remarkable recovery at around 2:42.  Is he part of an amateur dramatics society?

The more watch at this the more it appears to be like a rehearsal for some B-rated film.

With the revelations of the past few weeks shining a light into some dark crevices of the BBC, this standard of reporting not only highlights the doubts of its supposed impartiality and integrity but its basic journalistic competence. (I've plagerized the above from the excellent Pointman blogger who has his own opinion of the BBC's current 'dilemma').

Tweet

The US Has Chosen

It was a long night for political pundits as the US election votes were, until around 3am, continually too close to call.

I feel asleep listening to Radio5 Live's commentary and wondering how many BBC staff were in the US covering the event.  It seems that BBC radio and television broadcasting staff work entirely separate and 'ne're the twain shall meet'.  An expensive business indeed.

JRB posted a comment on yesterday's post about the US election and just in case some missed it I'll repeat it today.

Am I alone in thinking that elections in America have descended to an obscene and grotesque level where the questionable power and influence of the mighty dollar far outweighs any sense of reason, let alone democracy?

The amount of money spent by both parties on this election campaign could have removed the debt of several third world countries, eradicated several killer diseases, lifted entire nations out of poverty - in short it could have done endless amount of good.
But no, the Americans prefer to squander such wealth on advertising and promotion so their man and their party can have its four years of power.

Such is not Democracy, such is Obscenity.

He's correct of course.  The money spent on this campaign is obscene and makes it even more important that Alex Salmond manages to restrict the independent referendum campaign spending.  I disagree with Magnus Gardham of the Herald, who suggests that a restriction on expenditure would limit debate.

Since when was debate so expensive?

Tweet

The New BBC Test Card

Courtesy of BBC Scotlandshire who is a little disappointed at the BBC's lack of coverage of the SNP party conference.

Tweet

BBC Biased? You Bet!

The much 'treasured' BBC Scotland - on the command of their London superiors no doubt - has decided to terminate the broadcasting of Newsweek Scotland after more than 30 years on air.

The unbiased presenter, Derek Bateman, announced this on his blog the other day and I hope he will receive much support against the decisions of his masters but I would think he is loyal enough to realise that if his programme is to be taken off the air, then what voice does BBC Scotland have, other than BBC Alba.

For those of you who cannot access Facebook (or have no wish to do so) Derek Bateman suggests the following is the best option for complaints:

Phone the BBC on 03700100222. Option 1 then 3 (I assume he means the keypad business) then complain.  Vital to your complaint is asking for a written reply.

The BBC has a blatant objection to providing a balanced debate concerning Scottish independence and regardless of political affiliations, people should abhor their strategy.

If that wasn't enough evidence then Lesley Riddoch's latest tweet says it all:

LesleyRiddoch Lesley Riddoch 

Update. Newsnight Referendum Special 10.35pm BBC1 25th Jan & R Scotland MW & online. N Sturgeon (not Lec) M.Moore, J. Lamont & me #indyref

I presume she is chairing the event, she doesn't say and although she admits to being against independence for Scotland, as a chairperson she is always impartial.  However, for the BBC to broadcast a programme about the referendum without having some person - or more - from the 'undecided' to be on her list, shows the BBC's contempt for Scotland.

My phone call wasn't well received - in fact the telephonist was surly and that's being polite. But don't let that deter you, phone them and don't forget to ask for a written reply. If my experience is anything to go by you may have to repeat your address several times (something with which I seldom have problems) but I don't be put off. I know you wasn't!

Update:  Lesley says she's on the panel so it's a 4 to 1 debate.  How insulting to Scotland.

Tweet

Doom And Gloom

A post from Tedious Tantrums

Well that’s it then. Another BBC News at 6:00 and then BBC Scotland News. What fun.

Inflation is down. Comments were directed at it still being too high and the historical editorial was that interest rates should be put up. No sign of any cheer then, that inflation was going down. Not a glimmer. Good news? Not for the BBC apparently.

Then there was that happy soul and interesting character Ed Moribund. Ed thinks it’s a good idea that public sector pay rises are kept at 1%. His pals in the unions think this is an appalling idea. They would though because that’s their job. Ed reckons that a 1% increase means more people will be kept in work. He may well have a point, however; his party have spent the last few months rubbishing even the notion of a 1% pay restriction. Now he is agreeing with Call me Dave and Boy George Osborne. He’s also agreed with them about the union and they will jointly oppose the SNP notion that Scotland should leave the UK. That’s a lot of agreement between the government and the opposition. Not much cheer in this article on the BBC news either.

Oh well maybe the Scottish News will be chock-a-block with chuckles? Then again, perhaps not. Highland Council voted to oppose a wind farm in the Cairngorms. This isn’t good apparently. No real mention of how 31 wind turbines 360 feet high might be detrimental to the environment. Unsightly? Damaging to birds? Expensive to erect and run and producing the most expensive electricity possible.

The very next item , and this is hard to believe, covered Big Power Week. We have the power? No, but we have incredibly expensive electricity and gas. Big Power Week is being carried out by the Citizens Advise Bureau. They have advisors all over Scotland this week providing advice to the public so they can reduce their gas and electricity bills. Good idea.

There’s one bit of advice they could provide to people, well certain people who work in government like a Mr A Salmond, a Mr D Cameron, a Mr C Huhne and a Ms C Lucas amongst others. Remove the renewables levy from electricity bills saving everyone 20% on their bills immediately. That would ease household budgets and reduce inflation.

At least the Scottish News has a saving grace - the weather ladies. Thon wee Cubie lassie and Judith Ralston do a good job of presenting the weather news.

Which brings me to my final gripe. Who trains the BBC presenters in hand waving? Do they go to classes and learn how to develop waving and personalise the waving, gesturing and general wafting to match their personality? Just give us the news wave free please and try to keep it within balanced bounds. I know that is a big ask but we can only try eh?

Tweet

BBC Censorship Exposed

Tweet

A Drama Documentary Not To Be Missed

At 9pm last Friday evening BBC2 (Scotland) television broadcast a programme KJB - The Book That Changed The World. It is a drama documentary to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. I didn't watch it then and neither did I record it, but I'm so grateful to the friend who raved about it in an email.

The BBC iPlayer describes it:

'John Rhys-Davies leads us back into a darker time to discover this fascinating tale of saints and sinners'.

Last night I viewed it on iPlayer and found it to be one of the best programmes I've viewed all year.  I'm not sure if readers who live outside Scotland can access BBC2 Scotland on iPlayer and I'm also confused as to why the BBC has denied the rest of the UK the pleasure of this excellent programme, but if you can view it here, I doubt if it will disappoint.

Tweet

Dear Santa

A post by Tedious Tantrums

Dear Santa,

Hello Santa. It’s been a few years since I last corresponded with you. I say corresponded although in reality it was all one-way traffic. I wrote and asked and you delivered, up to a point anyway.

I enjoyed the red and yellow fixed wheel Triang tricycle with the solid tyres you brought for my 4^th Xmas. I was also particularly keen on the huge crane for my 7^th, the gun that shot round corners for my 8^th and Tommy Gun (down market version of Action Man) although his orange facial colouring may well have been ahead of it’s time.

There were many other presents, which I also enjoyed. The pretend shop with it’s own wee till and the pretend post office with it’s stamper could be enjoyed for hours at a time. Meccano and Lego were equally splendid as was plasticine. Spirograph had it’s moments along colouring in books, sticker book rub on transfer book thingies, painting by numbers and plastic moulds for making plaster of paris figures could also be entertaining but probably only the once. Other oddities, included bagatelle, home knitted jumpers or socks or gloves, pyjamas, slippers etc. didn’t quite hit the spot.

The Broons, Oor Wullie, The Beano, The Dandy, The Victor and The Rothmans Football Year Book were all very acceptable for reading material. And the copious amounts of chocolate from selection boxes.

All in all Xmas presents were pretty damn fine. Well done you Santa.

In later years things became a tad more sophisticated. My Timex watch, which showed numbers rather than having hands and a face, was a wow moment. I didn’t realise that buses didn’t run exactly to the timetable until I had that watch. There was also a pen, which could produce about ten colours of ink although it was fairly bulky. A full size drawing board complete with set square, those clear plastic triangles and a proper compass and dividers was used for years.

Music albums, cassettes CDs, music players of varying sizes and sound quality, cameras of varying size and quality although it was rare that the films were ever developed because it wasn’t cheap.

Yes Santa you did me proud.

I’m offering a deal here. I’ll not write to you again, ever, if you deliver the following requests? I’m sure this would save you and the elves time since it would reduce the metal bashing, wood turning and electronic soldering which modern day elves have to be experts on.

My list this year is –

1. Reduce the size of the BBC as suggested by Peter Jay.
2. Make the Guardian cease to exist or have it move right by a few degrees.
3. Shut the IPCC down.
4. Begin criminal prosecutions against all those scientists, journalists, politicians and general gobby warmists who have been responsible for presenting information in a misleading and biased form, which have resulted in policy development detrimental to the wider population.
5. Disband the EU instantly.

I have many other similar requests Santa but I think these five should “hit the spot as it were”.

I shall ensure that a drink, a cake and a carrot or two are left out for you and the reindeers when you make good the delivery of the aforementioned items.

All that is left to say is “have a restful time following your busy evening on the 25^th. I hope your New Year is jolly good and all the better for knowing you will have one less delivery to make from now on.

Bah humbug!  

Tweet

Today's Non-Story

The image is from the Guardian: outrage from 'nearly 5000' who complained about Clarkson's comments on a magazine-styled television show last night.

I don't watch The One Show because it's not my cup of tea watching celebs promoting themselves and there's no celeb better at promoting himself than Jeremy Clarkson. The man makes a very comfortable living - aside from playing with fast cars - at being provocative and, to be fair, he's quite good at it.

This blogger assesses the hysteria surrounding the latest Clarkson outburst in his usual sensible and eloquent style.

At times I'm grateful I am of a certain age, because, if memory serves me well, I'm quite sure I threatened my family (when they were young) with 'I'll shoot you if...'  These days I could well have a criminal record and a large fine or prison sentence for uttering such rhetoric. Oh for the days of yore when your every utterance wasn't policed by the Righteous.

Of course the overpaid, self-serving union leaders may have forgotten the following when they launched their latest rants.

I'm told by tweeter @allandssmith (who supplied the image) that the photograph is genuine. Where was the moral outrage then?

Tweet

In Defence Of The Baby Boomers

Yesterday morning BBC News 24 broadcast a clip comparing baby boomers' younger lives and the lives of their children today. All part of their 'blame' series for the problems in England last week.


The BBC's definition of a baby boomer is anyone born 20 years after WW2. My definition would be anyone born during WW2 until the mid-50s. 


The clip involved a mother - possibly in her late 40s early 50s and therefore born in the 60s - and her 20-something son. Both lived in London. The woman stated she had purchased her first house at the age of 22 and had moved onto her second property at the age of 27, but her son found it impossible to raise the money to buy his own home and even with the help of another sibling or his girlfriend, he was sure the combined salaries would make only £250,000 available from mortgage companies.  Not enough for him to buy a home he opined and his mother agreed.


Is there nobody on the massive BBC payroll with a knowledge of sociology? 


I know of only one couple who bought their home upon marriage back in the late 60s because most rented. Both were in their early 20s and the husband had received a small inheritance which enabled them to step on the property ladder. Cohabitating wasn't socially acceptable then and house title deeds excluded the wife's name. Few of us expected to own a home in our 20s. Were our expectations low?  Indeed not, but we understood the rules of acquiring a mortgage offer involved saving hard to gather the mandatory deposit. Some didn't earn enough but it didn't stop them trying to put a little in the bank every week and astute housewives always managed to squirrel away a few shillings for the proverbial rainy day. 


Until the early 80s it was impossible to find a mortgage company or bank which would offer a single woman a mortgage even though she was able to put down a bigger than average deposit. I wore out a pair of lovely Italian shoes walking the streets of Shropshire searching for a building society to lend me 75% of the cost of my first home. When I finally found one it was too late. The vendors had sold it to another bidder.


Baby boomers were content to furnish their homes with donations from family and friends or a purchase from the local saleroom.  The salerooms of my youth no longer have weekly auctions bulging with excited twenty-somethings desperate to buy the gateleg dining table at which they would proudly entertain their friends with pate maison and garlic bread. Local auctions now concentrate on 'antiques' - although few of the items are more than a hundred years old - but I still enjoy a visit to a sale room


Somewhere between the 80s and today values changed. No longer are the young content to begin their married lives with secondhand items. More and more young people are having their children first before they consider marriage - if they ever do.  Marriage is regarded as unnecessary, so is any form of religion - yet the church taught my generation our values as well as parents.


The flaws in today's society can't all be laid at the door of the baby boomers, but we allowed the destroyers of family life to push through their liberal policies, thinking they would improve the lives of our children.  Even though most of us disapproved, we didn't fight when it was proposed under-aged girls could be given contraception without the knowledge of their mothers, because we wanted to believe that such a policy would greatly reduce teenage pregnancies.  It hasn't. Many other liberal policies have had the same outcome - well intended but wrong.


As a baby boomer I feel guilty for not speaking out against the destruction of the values which were handed down to me by parents and grandparents and at times I shudder at the materialism which has crept into society in the past few decades. Is materialism Christianity's replacement?  That's for another time.

Tweet

Press Controls

Apparently, Ed Milliband is suggesting that Murdoch, or anyone else for that matter, should be restricted to owning no more than 20% of the press? This is so predictable. Politicians, or to give them their technical name headless chickens, try to be seen to do something with meaning whilst showing responsibility. Of course they actually achieve the reverse.

Complete yawn time. Reach for the legislation. Several new laws designed. Tiresome voting required. Job done. Move on. The next overhyped crisis will be along shortly. Bank on it, especially if it’s a financial crisis but that’s another story entirely.

You can second guess what they will actually do. They’ll come up with something, implement it and then months later we’ll find out that it affects us more than it affects the people it was supposed to. Of course there will be absolutely no chance, no chance at all that they will then change it or ditch it. Once it’s there it’s there forever.

For goodness sake.

And… and… we sit back and take it. Everytime! Will we ever learn?

How about they do the following -a.  Bring all the UK newspapers into the scope of the inquiry.b.  Also include the BBC and all the other UK broadcasters.c.  Do not consider, plan or layout any new legislation until the inquiry has fully and finally reported.d.  Do not increase privacy laws, which will damage democracy by allowing the creeps, who tell us what not to do getting away with doing it them selves.e.  Split up the BBC and immediately remove the license fee.

f.  Give every license fee payer an equal share of the money raised after selling off every single bit of the BBC. g.  Re-enforce the requirement on all press and broadcasters to ensure balance at all times regardless of subject etc.

Will it happen?

Of course not.

Well at least not soon.

But maybe.

Just maybe sooner than the politicians etc. expect?

Let’s hope.

Petem

Tweet

The BBC v Scotland

The BBC hasn't served Scotland well for many years but when the corporation decided to build a new £72m office in Glasgow, which opened in 2007, it was thought there may be some change of heart from the London based organisation.

The First Minister wants a Scottish Digital Network which would air local news and current affairs, homegrown drama and entertainment plus minority sports.  The channel would be financed by £75m from the UK licence fee.  Considering the cost of moving the Breakfast Show to Salford is in the region of £877 million - with no real advantage to viewers - an SDN would be excellent value for money.

Another nonsensical move is the production of the Weakest Link (to be dumped next year), Eggheads and the Review Show from the Pacific Quay BBC Scottish HQ plus the controversial move of Question Time.  What is Scottish about any of these programmes? Nothing.  It's purely a PR exercise to 'balance' the percentages of regional programmes.

Now that the majority of the Question Time production team are based in Glasgow, surely we could have a BBC Scotland Question Time once a month until the new Scottish channel is in place.

Or is this asking too much for our licence fee?

Tweet

Disheartening Debate and a Dastard

Did you watch the Politics Show yesterday lunchtime? Were you poised, like me, for some serious debate? 

If your answer is no then consider yourself fortunate.  It was dismal; so much so that I'm not even going to suggest you watch it on iPlayer. In fact I would go as far to say it was insulting to Scotland's electorate. It was more like an informal rehearsal than a live programme. Another pathetic effort by the BBC and with ITV not faring much better with their Leaders Debate production last week, Scotland is being deprived by our national broadcasters, of intelligent and serious discussion. 

But as it's Monday morning and I've no wish to start the week negatively, what about a citizen's award for the individual who took photographs, on his mobile phone, of Charlie Kennedy having a smoke outside Glasgow Central Station on Thursday and was fined £50 for littering.

According to the onlooker, who refused to be named:

“He'd been puffing at the entrance for about half-an-hour while chatting away on his mobile phone.

“He stood in the one spot and must have smoked four fags – each time letting the dog-end fall on to the pavement beside him.

“But the council litter patrol was keeping a good eye on him to see if he was going to leave them there.

“And once he started to walk away, they pounced.

“He wasn’t happy because I was standing there taking pictures, but I said to him, ‘it’s a public place Charles, I have got the right to take pictures.

“You have got to accept your punishment. You are not above the law’

I can think of an award for this self righteous dunderheid: a weekend, equipped with a bucket, shovel and brush, cleaning up the rivers of vomit which make Glasgow city's pavements like obstacle courses on Friday and Saturday nights.  If four doups on a pavement cause him/her so much delight, they'll be ecstatic making the footpaths safe for their fellow Glaswegians.  As a gesture of goodwill I'd be prepared to be their personal photographer.

When I was young we used to call such people snitches or clipes. Why they refuse to be named is a mystery.  After all, upstanding citizens usually have nothing to hide and are pleased to have their civic duties publicly acknowledged.

Whoever they are I doubt if they'll be bragging about their 'conquest' in any Glasgow pub. 

source

Tweet

Caption Required

"Are you sure they'll see my new earrings?"

image courtesy of Counting Cats

Tweet

Today's Non-Story

During an interview with the Radio Times, the former MP, Jacqui Smith, remarked:

"I know that it was my expenses people looked at first because I was a woman and should have been at home looking after my husband and children," said the mother of two.


She said that she felt 'protective' towards her husband because of the contribution he made to their family - which she was unable to do due to her heavy work schedule.

"I couldn't have done the job without Richard to pick the boys up when they were sick, make them do their homework and piano practice,"

Ms Smith just doesn't get it does she?  Her expenses were examined because she designated her family home as her 'second home' and her 'main home' as a London property she shared with her sister.  It was nothing whatsoever to do with being a woman - it was to do with defrauding the taxpayer.

However, she is a woman who believes in her abilities (I'm being polite) and can be heard presenting a documentary about pornography for Radio 5 Live next Thursday, which she hopes may lead to further opportunities as a broadcaster. I'm sure she recognises the irony as she enjoys the financial benefits of her latest project with the BBC.

source

Tweet

Iain Gray Interview

For those of you who are unable to view BBC Scotland or missed the Politics Show yesterday lunchtime, Moridura has kindly uploaded the video section in which Isobel Fraser interviews Iain Gray.  I presume this was Mr Gray's attempt at gaining a higher profile after the poll results last week.  It backfired spectacularly.

Like many I congratulate Ms Fraser on her accurate research and incisive questioning. My cynicism compels me to think she unfortunately, may be replaced shortly once labour inundate the BBC with complaints about her performance today, because that's how they operate.

She's certainly been a breath of fresh air on Newnight Scotland and the Politics Show in the past few weeks.

Tweet

Transparency at Work

click to enlarge

The above site link was sent to me by a friend so I had a look round.

'Most BBC staff decide for themselves how long they work...'

That answers a few questions.  Lucky BBC staff.

You really need to click on the one below to read it.  It was sent in a Tweet last night.  My reply was 'surely it's a typo'. The sender, Steve Tierney, is a Tory county councillor.

stevetierney Steve Tierney 

@scots_subrosa @Political_Fun Yes, Im guessing is must be a typo. It must be last year's results. Funny tho. Surprised when I found it. 

stevetierney Steve Tierney 

@ 

@Political_Fun "Is that for real?" As far as I know its for real. Was searching for who the candidates were 2011 and google revealed that.

Thanks Steve. We'll just have to wait to see if such a meeting takes place on that date - this year.

Tweet