´óÏó´«Ã½

From the top deck No. 12. Thursday, 25 June 2009

Once .....

.....upon a time Mummy Smith went shopping. As she couldnt fully justify the expense of getting the bus home she knew she had little option but to walk despite the fact that the hole in her shoe caused her to hobble. Making the most of the light drizzle of the english summer and taking pleasure from the cosmopolitan bustling street market that was the community hub of the town where she had lived, mostly contentedly and always well supported, all her relatively short life she mused that today just might be the day when Daddy Smith announced that one of his many job applications hadnt just been used by yet another clerk to make a paper aeroplane but instead had evolved into his first job interview since being laid off six months before.

Unfortunately Mummy Smith had not really had the time to read her tea-bag that morning before dragging her children to the local Dumprehensive that, ironically, was the same crumbling institution that she had done her very best to avoid for as many school days as her sole-parents drunken comas would allow.

Little did Mummy Smith know that in the months to follow there would be many times when she would look again at that tea-bag, still in the same chipped collectable woolies mug she kept on the floor, and wonder if her compensation claim would come through in time for her ten day holiday in the Costa del Ecstacya.

Little also did Mummy Smith know that her psychic powers would forever fail her in the same way that this morning she, as always, failed to see what was about to happen. Nor could she ever imagine, even in her worst hallucinogen induced state, how her life would change in future times to come.

Reaching the end of the crowded high street, turning toward College Green ....

She was thugged.

Her reaction would not have surprised many in much the same way that she herself was not overly surprised, after all this was a nice part of town. She later recalled, when she accidentally overdosed on her prescription drugs, that her first thought centred on Not again. Her second thought on that occasion caused her to wonder as to whether she would get the same headline treatment as recently deceased A-listers but thereafter, drifting into a catatonic state, all became unimportant.

The thugging was a brief episode in the history of Wallyton.

Passers-by did not intervene, traffic did not stop - stating, when asked, as having no change for the meters - and shopkeepers rapidly flipped their signs from open to back in ten minutes. The recent increase in the number of thuggings in town had made all these actions look, to an outsider, as though all these Wallies spent much of their spare time rehearsing for such an event. There would be little doubt that these strangers would soon accrue the skills to make their own contribution to such routine occurrence.

It was shortly after the incident, as she was brushing the cigarette ash from her sleeve, that Mummy Smith had her second real shock of this day - her first being that this far from the next giro she still had cash to go shopping - when a member of the Constabulary appeared in what was, well known to her, unusually quick time.

Once the Constable had established that this was not a repeat of his usual, and regular, daytime encounter with Mummy Smith, thanking under his breath that fortunately he was not again risking more broken ribs, he took notes of the description being mumbled through him.

Mummy Smith went to great lengths to explain that she could not understand why anyone whom had obviously lost such a vast amount of weight would not knowingly buy a smaller pair of trousers. She took glee from describing the length of the assailants feet but was unwillingly silenced when describing the possibility of the comparative size of other less visible attributes the Thug might have. Constable Dixon, quite correctly, explained that the length of the Thuggers toes would not stand up as useable evidence were prosecution to follow.

Constable Dixon could see his Collar Rate climbing as Mummy Smith droned on, he just wished he was on some kind of a cash bonus scheme for arrests, after all it would considerably help him clear the stack of speeding ticket fines sitting on the sideboard at his detached holiday cottage on the south coast. He swore under his breath praying that none in the gathering crowd would hear. After all, he thought, another disciplinary charge pending wouldnt be too much in the way of fun.

........... to be continued
................ assuming this part gets past Da System dat iz?.


´óÏó´«Ã½ .. 1 ....

Q .... cannot independently substantiate .... unQ

So why report it?

Mr Cameron .....

No sackings, no whips withdrawn and no by elections, yet nearly half the party .....!

Q .... fundamentally the system was flawed ..., the rules were rubbish ... unQ So is the outcome of your internal investigation.

250k repaid is only a faustian fee.

´óÏó´«Ã½ .. 2 ....

Q .... would fear that its stars would migrate .... unQ

So?

Prayer .....

Presumably not that easy with only one hand and one foot?

Altruistic Donors .....

Consider giving up the car for the planet instead?

Politics .....

The trick to success .... Offer the people what they think they want, having already convinced them that they want it, stating that the party genuinely wants them to have it because the GBP have been asking for it, knowing full well that it is only really what the party wants and inevitably will do the GBP no good anyway.

Oh cynicism, where for art thou?

QUESTION FOR BUZZ ALDRIN

With the world going bonkers, and no one looking half like they know what to do: what is your favourite colour?

There's edgy.

"WE WILL BE HEARING ABOUT WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN DO"

Haven't we done 'enough'?

Oh help - I truly AM close to weeping for Britain. When you have interviewed Buzz, will 'the cow' come on as a surprise guest?

QUESTION FOR BUZZ

What do you make of all the crazy people who ask who was holding the camera as you took

THE LOGIC OF THE NEXT PM OF GREAT BRITAIN

"We Conservatives are paying money back because we understand what is making people angry."

MY anger increases EVERY TIME money is paid back; the more so if it is TOKEN REPAYMENT for party advantage.

Am I right in thinking Dave has got this wrong? Might it be that an Eton Brainwashing kills the brain cells necessary to understand?

What else might this buffoon get wrong? (Think Tony.)

Question for Buzz

The whole amazing experience - travelling such a vast distance to another part of our solar system, seeing our Planet Earth as a complete sphere from outer space, the absolute discipline and fear involved -
In what ways (if at all) has it changed your outlook on life (beliefs, meaning of life)?

Would he agree to feeling some disappointment that, considering the enormous cost and risks taken, nothing truly remarkable or beneficial has resulted for mankind from that moonwalk by two men? (apart from beating the Russians, and some would claim the development of the teflon frying pan).

#4 JJ

Buzz didn't it was Neil

celtic lion

It's nice to see "Newsnight" maintaining its journalistic integrity, viz., a 'hot' and topical interview with Buzz Aldrin. This couldn't have anything to do with rounding off the ´óÏó´«Ã½ 2 'moon landing' season of programmes, could it - a season of programmes, which, to be honest, I hadn't noticed, until I read about it?

I watched some of the 'Wimbledon Championships', today, and particularly enjoyed the female tennis players hard at work earning the same as the male players, whilst only doing 60% of the work. I felt a glow of pride in being British.

Regarding the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s expenses: what about Kirsty's grossly-large pay-packet? To the blogdog: I distinctly remember, in the past few years, the details of a previous pay packet being widely discussed in the print media, so I don't think I'm saying anything out of turn.

The uniqueness of the ´óÏó´«Ã½ was displayed in all its glory in tonight's feature on expenses; it was one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time.

But why wasn't Kirsty demanding in her usual tone that presenters pay and expenses are revealed? Loved the subtle reference by her that the problem is 'in particular with ´óÏó´«Ã½ entertainment stars'.

Not those other presenters, that do news and things.

THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO - REALLY.

A good/fair interview of Caroline Thompson (´óÏó´«Ã½ Chief Operating Officer) by Kirsty Wark. Caroline Thompson has clearly learned to talk the talk just as the ´óÏó´«Ã½ DG did over the earlier scandals. Unfortunately, none of this washes anymore (for me at least, it never did). It's never been about being able to provide plausible verbal arguments (i.e. spinning), it's always about providing a transparent (accurate and honest) account of behaviour, and much of the behaviour that we saw/heard reviewed tonight is no more acceptable than the expenses of MPs or the earlier ´óÏó´«Ã½ scandals.

Incidentally, when reporters are pictured in ´óÏó´«Ã½ NEWS on College Green, are they actually there, or is it just an image with the live Westminster caption accurately describing the back-picture but not the reporter?

There is far too much of this questionable material these days.

We have a very long wy to go in this exposure of intensional opacity in favour of referential transparency. When it starts to happen, science ('pursuit of truth') will come off the back burner, and we will begin to see some dramatic changes for the better in society.

I am not holding my breath. :-(

Erratum (#4) (thanks for correcting vague referent KCL)

QUESTION FOR BUZZ

"What do you make of all the crazy people who ask who was holding the camera as Neil took man's first step onto the surface of the moon?"

;-)

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ expenses publication means nothing, they are not democratically
controlled, it may make them think twice about some stuff but we are still
forced to pay 3.6 billion for "TV and radio entertainment" staggering isnt it .

Jacksons life in the balance and no mention of Farrah.

Is it me or is my fav presenter looking a little (just a little) more voluptuous than usual.

Questions for Newsnight: W"hy are we covering Iran's Presidential election troubles? Why is there all this misleading coverage of the 27 year old woman shot in Tehran and not kids shot and knifed in London? How do people know it was the Iranian Basij (rather than a number of others posibilities) who shot her given the Basij are allegedly in plain clothes? How does interviewing someone who saw her die help matters? Why is 'reporting' so infuriating these days?

#7 indignantindegene

Velcro. Don't forget Velcro. Though invented in 1941 by Swiss engineer, George de Mestral it's success was mainly due to it's popularity after NASA used it.

Celtic Lion

(It was also one of the most important influences on my life as well- Landing on the Moon, not Velcro)

THOSE WHO RIGGED THE ELECTION

Again, note the assumptions and inferences. If the voting was rigged who was it rigged by? It could have been engineered by foreign powers (agents of USA or Israel or even UK) could it not? All they would be interested in doing is discrediting the electoral process itself, thus causing dissent.

Why has nobody asked these questions? Why has nobody asked who shot Neda Agha-Soltan, and why?

REVERSE OSMOSIS (#8)

"female tennis players hard at work earning the same as the male players, whilst only doing 60% of the work."

Then there is Kirsty earning vastly more than other presenters, for speaking a truncated version of English that takes far less effort to enunciate.

And now they want to be allowed to cover their faces in public places when others may not. Is there a trend here?

THOSE WHO RIGGED THE ELECTION

Again, note the assumptions and inferences. If the voting was rigged who was it rigged by? It could have been engineered by foreign powers (agents of USA or Israel or even UK) could it not? All they would be interested in doing is discrediting the electoral process itself, thus causing dissent.

Why has nobody asked these questions? Why has nobody asked who shot Neda Agha-Soltan, and why?

Answer:- because people here are being misled by propaganda to think what the enemies of Iran want them to think, and that's worrying.

This justifies complaints and actions by the Iranian government does it not?

#10 JJ

Re re and back to source

You have to go to the start of ninth para from bottom, shot rang out





Journos para phrasing sub conscious memories of times past?

Though I am pleased that eventually the mods decided a previous post was acceptable (I thank you) Here it is if you only saw the referred to moderators caption

/blogs/newsnight/fromthewebteam/2009/06/tuesday_23_june_2009.html

#4,7,11

At least it shows I was paying attention. Thanks for ack.

Celtic Lion

#18 CL

Last part refers to #13 not what I referenced to, if I had got it wrong.

Celtic Lion

Addendum (#17) The USA has been surrounding Iran for years (Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Pakistan). Israel has threatened pre-emptive military strikes on Iran.

A little election rigging would hardly be inconceivable given all of that surely?

Just wait until they get to the "talent" expenses! Jeremy Paxman, for one, is expected to get payed in excess of one million pounds! Lords knows how the taxpayer will respond to this revelation! But then, individual expenses will not be released, ergo, ´óÏó´«Ã½ talent is exempt from the same level of scrutiny given to MPs (also public servants).

The ´óÏó´«Ã½ expenses revelations are interesting because the ´óÏó´«Ã½ is largely exempt from the Freedom of Information act. So for example, if you filed an FOI request demanding to know why the ´óÏó´«Ã½ avoided mentioning the term "white phosphorus" for so long during the recent Gaza crisis, you would be out of luck.

Nos 16

I find it rather sickening as well watching just about any ´óÏó´«Ã½ presenter talking about the expenses row.

But how can it be rained in, how can we put a stop to this obscene waste of public money? Over the years I've know 4 or 5 people who have worked at the beeb - they all spoke of terrible waste and over management. How can we get the politicians to seriously prune this money monster that drains us while we hear news of our hospitals breading a culture of negligence for the old and sick. Staffordshire Hospital was truely shocking - who's going to jail ?

And those that dont look young and perfect with all arms, legs and eyes intact, anyone remember the Gary O'Donoghue discrimination scoop case? is it the same editor that works(ed) for NN, I cant be bothered to look it up - Im so fed up with it all.

The whole TV visual high definition body, face perfection that the camera engenders with its concentrated rectangle, no stop stutter speak reality, conditions our notion of acceptability. And the Oxbridge elite who run the reality rectangle replay addiction have brainwashed themselves in a belief that this is absolutly fine and ok, how do we pull the plug on this delusion ?

The beeb have been playing a dangerous game stoking the Iran situation, the whole Pak-Afgan-Taliban-Iran is a future nightmare with Pak nukes. It's amazing to me that they just dont get how dangerous it all is.

Beeb FOI has to happen, the politicians have got to move on this for starters. No doubt Aunty will spend a ton of our money fighting it all the way.

As we're in a kind of a news investigating/reporting era...

Why did his family need to come home too? The ´óÏó´«Ã½ said it was due to "safety considerations".

Would the ´óÏó´«Ã½, or one of its 3rd person 'weren't us guv' cutting edge news gathering organs, care to see if that may be amplified a tad?

Last time there was a cock-up at my office and I had to scoot back, the family stayed put and came back once the hols were over. They seemed safe enough without my manly presence. Fair enough that my business paid for my one way flight as my return was demanded.

What was this trip to? A Cosa Nostra bonding seminar and white slavery training day?

HOUSE OF CARDS?

There are interesting (and just) cases beig filed and rled upon with respect to the Race Relations Act. First the BNP and its ethnic membership criteria has been challenged, and now the JFS and its has been ruled illegl.

DIRTY TRICKS

streetphotobeing (#23) "The beeb have been playing a dangerous game stoking the Iran situation, the whole Pak-Afgan-Taliban-Iran is a future nightmare with Pak nukes. It's amazing to me that they just dont get how dangerous it all is."

Yes. If people want to protest it should be about all this.

Note no mention of Israel at present.

First foment dissent expecting a crackdown. Then arrange saturation news coverage with the odd sensational event. Finally use all that to justify a pre-emptive attack on an evil regime which threatens to challnge Israel's regional hegemony?

"..lawyers are licking their lips in anticipation, even though Jack Straw has already declared the extraordinary rate of growth in the legal aid budget to be unsustainable. It was £536 million in 1982 and is now £2 billion. Moreover, the number of practising lawyers has doubled since the early 1970s. At that time there were just over 2,500 barristers and about 32,000 solicitors, compared with 15,000 and 108,000 respectively today."

Are people finally waking up from this nightmare?

´óÏó´«Ã½

MT at the same time they compared ´óÏó´«Ã½ to 'the market price' and then to 'other state working conditions'. Does he not decided which one it is?


Didn't MT only have to come back because the deputy was on holiday at the same time? why no one asked if that is standard management practice? Its just rubbish management. A fish rots from the head.

´óÏó´«Ã½ executives don't get it. For them there is no credit crunch. Gold plated pay and pensions breed a Palace Prince and Princess mindset?

JJ 27 Can I please have A Barra (A Barra Soap)

Cant ever See Me Feeding/Needing/Sustaining barrister's (I Can Defend/Fend for MEself)

Pass any spare soap 2 gordon and the rest of the ShOWer

Foreign multinational energy companies ripping uk punters off? The govt must think hooray its market forces?

all this summer they will be buying uk gas to store abroad then sell it back tio us when they no doubt put the price up again in the winter.

also given the glut of oil is such that people are concerned where they can store it why is the price going up? No doubt the govt will say the market is the best at price fixing er i mean 'discovery?

what the energy companies have been allowed to get away with and Gordon going out of his way to block of a feed in tariff is a national scandal.

#29 dAllan169

You cannot defend yourself. If you go into court with that delusion you will have a wake up. It is a close knit group. You will be the outsider. You will be intruding on their territory. You will not be permitted to 'present a full and fearless defence' of your own interests.

Celtic Lion

1three JJ Very Good Point on the Stabbings in London and Elsewhere as opposed 2 the Slaughter of the young woman in Iran. (among others)

How many Children have been Murdered by Heroin these last 10 years and more in this country? where does Most of it come from? Who brings Most of it In?

Chemical Ali/Chemical WARFARE perhaps

Post 31 KCL Your Last Is A Very Fair Comment.

The Jury Is Out. (I Have Rubbed shoulders with some of these Clowns)

How EASY Can It Be (easier than EASY)

PERFECT PRESENTERS (#23)

The anomaly is weather presenters, where a 'cute' lisp or slight problem with Rs, seems to amount to 'edginess' in a meteorological setting. That being said, Kirsty is, and I suspect always will be, Queen of Auditory Confusion.

KLC Is this what's needed?

Or could it be achieved much cheaper?

#33 dAllan169

experienced shared- not theory of a fair justice system

Celtic Lion

#13 JJ very good points made here. In fact why don't we as a nation keep our nose out of other countries business, and concentrate on the massive problems at home?!!!!! The ordinary man in the street is going to have to pay, pay, pay.

A thought or two for today.

36 KCL Bang On

A Case inPoint = The Start/Before The Start of the Iraq WAR the top legal eagle of country stated the war the war was legal/illeagal.

presSure/sure pressure from A NO1 NO2 + cambell oh and CULLusion/delusion from the red lord

#35 Ecolizzy

No its a completely different vision of the way to the future we need I should have referenced someone elses quote here a few days ago.

Munich Re put the cost of climate change in 2007 at £1000 billion. This was my projection in the proposal for the Dome.

This without all the other pollution, species extinction, general ecosyrem collpase. The figure is meaningless as the attitude is wrong.

What was that opening from Stairway to Heaven. Theres a lady whos sure
All that glitters is gold And shes buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows If the stores are all closed With a word she can get what she came for. Ooh, ooh, and shes buying a stairway to heaven. Theres a sign on the wall But she wants to be sure cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.

GOVERNANCE NOT ANARCHISM

ecolizzy (#37) "..why don't we as a nation keep our nose out of other countries business, and concentrate on the massive problems at home?!!!!! The ordinary man in the street is going to have to pay, pay, pay."

Exactly. In the news today, we see regional changes in (overall down), , and Gordon Brown pressing for a universal fund . Is that NewSpeak for 'penetrate Third World markets' to keep the Chinese and Russians out?

Why doesn't he do what his party was elected to do, i.e. govern what little is left of Balkanized Britain?

Too much to ask - as it requires governance, not anarchism I suspect - too 'protectionist'. What a great abrogating ruse internationalism is..

#40 Leo, thanks I thought that's what you would say! I like all your music references, very apt that one, you must love music as I do. It also ties in with JJs views on women and consumption!

#41 Oh JJ how I agree with you!!!! I'm so very, very angry, and there's nothing I can do! The Beeb is the mouthpiece for the labour government, not that any other party appears any better. I'm sick to death of hearing about muslim countries, let them live as they want to, who are we, a tiny, little, unprincipled country to interfere in any countries lives.

All hell is going to break loose here, and the media never mention it. We are rapidly rushing to third world statehood. We have never ending immigration, which I never hear mentioned, the birth rate by these new people is nearly a quarter of all births. That's incredible, but no one says a thing. And if you do you are described as racist. I don't hate these people, they are doing what we let them do, which is infiltrate and take over our way of life, but hey, I mustn't say a word! Nobody seems to understand we are a dot of a country, we have NO room, we can't even feed ourselves, well only 32per cent. What happens when the food runs out?

Where is all the money to come from to pay for our infrastructure etc. These new people are poor, they don't pay much tax or NI. But they WILL need a massive amount of care, homes, healthcare, education, where is the money going to come from, the common man in the street. Someone here will tell me we are the richest country in the world, we are also the best at avoiding tax. Jo bloggs will always have to pay his share, big business never will. Look at Russia, look at all those big fat rich oligarchs, they took the money from the poor, and now swan around the world with Russias wealth. And we are just the same, look at the ruddy Fred!!!!!

But the ´óÏó´«Ã½ news is so keen on running around the world sticking it's nose in every other countries lives, and ignores us, why we fall apart.

p.s. I hope no-one is planning a ferry trip to France on Saturday, I see there will be a massive demonstration by the ridiculous No-Borders and illegal immigrants in Calais etc. tomorrow.

Ecolizzy

I Thank You. I'll give you the accurate figures in terms of project magnitude here over weekend or at mine.

No time now, building walls, repairing window frames. So only have minute here and there on computor.

Just stick the music in for a laugh. There are always lines in songs to reference to.

Anyway after the Top Gear album, Match of the Day album, soundtrack to Ashes to Ashes perhaps the ´óÏó´«Ã½ will release the Newsnight Blog Mega Mix.

Catch you later

Mr Leo

Yes I did experience this last night.. I couldn't get on any site, including the ´óÏó´«Ã½, so it did happen! ; )

But I wish this was taking centre page... how sad for these women. I can't believe that any human being would want to burn another alive!

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Ecolizzy (#45) "how sad for these women. I can't believe that any human being would want to burn another alive!"

Agreed, it's clearly murder. This sort of thing does alas, go on in some form even in the UK alas, as was covdred by Newsnight some time back. I remind you of global variations in mean cognitive ability and how it covaries negatively with measures of religiosity/superstition.

I made the error in #46 of posting a link to Western witches suggesting that they deserved a 'roasting', not realising that in doing so I was possibly guilty of incitement, and definitely guilty of inadvertent advertising (which is just as irresponsible).

I'm listening to Robert Wyatt

I don't think he had any influence on Michael Jackson.

#45 Ecolizzy

"I can't believe that any human being would want to burn another alive!"

I can it's called 'dropping bombs on children' aka Gulf War

aka napalm, aka white phosphorous aka...

Why single just them out, it is what the arms industry...

Celtic Lion

MMMM the one show too night MMMMMAGGOTS, there are Maggots and there Is/ARE Maggots

#49 KCL how right you are. Sadly I remember the film of the little girl burnt by napalm, although she has survived and appears happy.

#51 Ecolizzy

I remember it too. One person can write one word and another can get the exact same image by association.

Those in the Big House who voted for war on Iraq did nothing more or less than decide they wanted to drop bombs on children and burn them alive.

Each and evryone should be put in front of the Iraq inquiry and asked "Why did you want to drop bombs on children and burn them alive?"

The Horror

#51 Ecolizzy

This was the line from Apocalypse Now I was looking for but couldn't find on You Tube

Kurtz: We train young men to drop fire on people. But their commanders won't allow them to write "----" on their airplanes because it's obscene!

Celtic Lion

#50 dAllan169
Oh, I know, for the time being

Just watched Top Gear for the 3rd/turd time not 2nd

I still think Jezza should be Arrested vfor that shirt

reCONsidering thee/ye OLDE liesense Fee

Fifty MimPromtU INdEED

You Pay for Things or You Dont

I Dont, not for Them

Were Closing in on BeniFIT Theives Right Start with the NO TEN and U auntie beeb

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