I'm excited to announce
that tonight's programme will, for the first time, be broadcast in HD. This is a thrilling development, which will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the programme.
You shouldn't need any new equipment, but for extra clarity, our engineers recommend you clean any nearby windows. Spraying an air freshener near (but not at) your radio half an hour or so before transmission will also improve the quality.
The change means that I will have to wear even more make up - such is the clarity of the broadcast. It also means political bullsh*t will be all the more apparent.
There are people who say radio should stay out of HD but not us. It's the future.
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Eddie
Should I wear a dinner jacket?
So that I miss none of this technical development, I shall wear both my spectacles AND my contact lenses, and peer at my radio through both pairs of binoculars if I can remember where we put them last.
It's what we do.
Fifi ;o)
Oi Eric,
What the hell is HD anyway? Is it part of the 大象传媒's Creative Future review? Whatever that is.
Does one need to put on 'funny' cardboard eye glasses to hear it? It'll be interesting to see if it works. If I can still pick-up Charlotte Green I'm certainly willing to give it a go.
And a good day to you Mr Mair, and HD, of course.
How does it feel
To treat me like you do
When you鈥檝e laid your hands upon me
And told me who you are
Apparently, yesterday was Blue Monday.
But, having got through our sticky patch last week, I think that today is the first day of Spring as far as the blog is concerned.
Detox Day 23. As a moderate drinker, I was unsure how a month off the sauce was going to go. Would I be chewing the cushions on a Saturday night thinking about oak aged chardonnay? Could I endure a bad day at the office with the knowledge that there wasn鈥檛 going to be the fffssstttt & glug, glug, glug of an ice cold beer at the end of it?
I have really enjoyed it. No, really. As one of the fully paid up members of the Blog Insomniacs Society, one of the first major benefits I have found is good quality sleep. Not only have I slept well during the week, at the weekends, a time when the odd glass of wine or two have been know to go down, I have slept like a baby.
Ten, sometimes twelve hours a night!. I have gotten used to this bizarre sensation of feeling refreshed and ready to go on a Monday morning. Weird or what?. I could get used to this.
I decided to compile my Desert Island Discs yesterday. You know, just in case the phone rings and I am called as a late stand in for someone. It is really hard to do and like many lists, depends on the mood that you are in when you do it.
Anyway, here goes;
Anarchy In The UK 鈥 Sex Pistols
Thank You 鈥 Led Zeppelin
Adagio For Strings 鈥 Samuel Barber
Find The River 鈥 REM
Breakdown 鈥 Guns n Roses
Jesus To A Child 鈥 George Michael
God Only Knows 鈥 The Beach Boys
Fake Plastic Trees 鈥 Radiohead
Book 鈥 Complete Works Of Bill Bryson
Luxury 鈥 A Radio (worldwide multi-band thingy, of course)
Could all be different tomorrow........
Oh good. It鈥檚 now chucking it down with rain. Again.
Happy week all.
Tom Harrop - (1) - I think you'll find there's a bit of a queue in front of you if you're trying to pick-up Charlotte Green. Bad luck.
Eddie - I was going to write & say that there was at least 1 of your audience who wasn't entirely sure what "H D " stands for. Now I know that's 2. Is it High Definition? And if so, I thought that was TV- speak. But you're telling me we can hear you in even greater clarity tonight? Goody goody. I'm off to clean those windows.
HD?
Hardly Distinguished?
Hairy Dunce?
Horny Dundonian?
Actually, I've just looked up HD on a technology website. I didn't really understand it, but it's something to do with the number of pixies involved apparently.
I understand Sequin has a few spare lippies, Eddie - Perhaps you could ask for her advice as to what you should wear tonight?
N.B. Are those my windows or Mr. Gates'?
Does this mean we will see all the wrinkles in the show? Or that Eddie will be less fuzzy?
Yes it WAS Blue Monday wasn't it, Chris (4)? We toyed with the idea of doing an item of only uplifting stories. But we didn't. Maybe it would have cheered everyone up.
Belinda- 7
Eddie?
Fuzzzy?
Never!!!
Mollyxx
So what's today? Turquoise Tuesday?
Eddie, I'll miss the programme, so I wonder whether Listen Again will transmit in HD?
I shall shake my ball gown out of the mothballs.
Eh?
Eddie, are you鈥 avin鈥 a laff ? Is 鈥榚e 鈥榓vin鈥 a laff ? Is 'ee?
High Dependency?
I know you creative types like your nose powders... I think we should be told...
I'll bet the good folk of Higham Dykes are agog with excitement!
Has the Beeb sent loudspeaker vans round the the township to alert people to crank up their generators in readiness?
Big Sister,
I quite agree that dogs are great stress-relievers, albeit sometimes stress-bringers the way they moult so much. Still, I look on it that it's a great way to make me do the housework. I wouldn't brush the stairs or sweep the kitchen floor so much is there weren't hairs there.
Our black lab Bridie moults all year round: even though most of our house is v. chilly, she likes to cuddle up to the Aga - she's our "Aga Lout" and perhaps your dog is the same. :-) One good tip is to add a bit of oil to their food, maybe some yummy and healthy olive oil. Bridie is gorgeous, one of life's real enthusiasts.
Will there be anymore reporting of the Big Brother/Channel 4 debacle tonight?
If so, please inform me as I will put a CD in the car on the way home from work.
I have avoided seeing any CBB this year as I have watched virtually no TV and only see it when I am flicking channels. I t has been great.
BUT I have had to endure one of the 大象传媒's flagship current affairs programs go on about it night after night. I don't care about the program. I don't care about who is bullying who on the program. If I did care I think i would be a radio 1 listener anyway and would not be listening to PM.
Moronin C4 programs and football are two things that should not be on PM.
What next: The PM World Cup desk of Reality TV?
Daisy (16): Are you mindreading? I may have said that somewhere on the Blog, but I don't recall saying it recently ..... (I note the 大象传媒 are doing a lot on memory at the moment - Note to self to listen!)
But, in fact, I do absolutely agree with you on both counts. I will find it very hard to keep going when my pooch dies - which cannot be that far away given his age. I know how I was when my previous dog died, and he in the prime of his life. SO is less keen than I, and only sees the disadvantages (the hair being one, but the main gripe being the 'tie' of dog ownership). I, for my part, dread the day when a return home won't be greeted by my best mate, nor my evenings in cheered by him nestling at my feet, nor all the other many, many things he provides me, which no human could, or would, be able to add to the quality of my everyday life.
As to being an Agalout, he is when we're in Wales, but in Sussex he's a sofalout.
Well, how fascinating. If only I could tune my radio in properly to start with. Does this mean the hissing will be clearer?
Oh, and SSCat (6) hahahaha. But we all know that it's elves that run the PM programme.
I'll definitely be looking at the webcam, btw. Eric in drag! He's not the only one who's excited!...
It is impossible to lick your elbow.
Aperitif (18):
Uhuh-huh. Thankyouverymuch.
Big Sister 18?
I think I agree about the dog thing, but I am a cat person. cats are very relaxing, very cuddly and very very demanding.
My cats have trained me well, when they want food, a cuddle, water, infact everything. I have one cat called Mack (mackpoos) he wakes me up every moring, he is better than putting the alarm on snooze he knows when I have to get up and when I am sleeping in, very clever considering he does not wear a watch, and may not be aware of the days of the week.but I think it is having a pet that is good for you, whatever your pet.
Dozy (20): Why would you want to? I would much rather lick someone else's elbow.
I'll shut up.
Hi Big Sister (18)
I've got a dog called Hooch who is 11 and is a springer/labrador/red setter cross (his mother got around a bit!!) Love him to bits though I do get sick of throwing stones for him constantly.
I'm more of a cat person - we have 7 indoor cats - Muffin, Mallow, Cadabra, Sweep, Jet, Humbug and Billie Whiskers. Sweep, Jet and Humbug were hand reared from the day they were born along with 2 other siblings who have been re-homed.
In addition we have a feral group of about 25 cats which I have been having neutered over a period of time in conjunction with the Cats Protection League. My husband recons I'm like the Pied Piper at feeding time with a long line of cats following me across the farm yard. They are all very friendly and one of them looks like the Cat in the Hat from Dr Seuss!!
And then there are the dairy cows and cattle......!!
:-)
Big Sister,
I Know what you mean about a dog. We lost our mutt (Delbert, long story as to how he got that name) this time last year at the ripe old age of 20.
He was replaced almost imediately (well you have to do something with those Sunday dinner scraps) with a black and white bundle of mischief we called Buster - he has added a new verb to our family as you can now get Bustered !! He is great fun but there is still a big hole in our hearts for Deli, still you can not be down for long when the big eyes are looking at you so dotingly
Katrina: Believe me, my dog can also train humans!
As to cats - well, I've had several cat friends in the past, but for most cats it is very much on their terms. I know this is what attracts many cat owners to their pets, but a dog will be a more reliable companion. Also, loving wild birds, cats have now become a complete no-no for me. My old pooch used to catch rabbits, if off the lead and near the burrows, which also appalled me - until we had a rabbit infestation in the garden, when I began to see the point of his activities. Now the garden is rabbit proofed and dog probably incapable of hunting activity.
Dozy (20)
Oh no it isn't!
Big Sister and Daisy,
I think we need to genetically engineer dogs that don't shed hair.
Or what about make their hair magnetic - then all dog owners could have a little metal pole in their flat/house, and train the dog to rub against it, all the magnetic hairs would stick to the pole.
Or make the dogs bald. With global warming going the pace it is, they wouldn't be cold for long. Might look a bit funny though, and not be as nice to stroke or snuggle up with or whatever. It would probably eradicate any flea problems too.
Talking of fleas, did anyone see the program on religion recently? (Dawn French narrates) where Stuart Maconie tells the story of a little child that drew a nativity scene with Mary, Joseph and an insect. when asked by the teacher about the picture, the child replied the story said that God told Joseph to "take Mary and flee to Egypt".
Boy did I laugh out loud!
Anyway, once all the genetic engineering has been thoroughly tested on dogs, maybe I could get some for me?
Ann B: How lovely to hear your shaggy dog story! And, eerily, your current dog is named after my last dog... Could it be a case of canine reincarnation?
Yes, I know there'll always be another one needing a dogloving home, but, like you, I don't forget past canine partners easily. My last dog died over 15years ago, and I still feel guilty for loving the current one as much as I do. Still, at least that shows I'm a faithful type. Probably why I prefer dogs to cats, don't you think?
Marmalade Mary (is this a hint of your current activity, btw?):
I really don't resent having dog hair to clear up. I have long hair myself, and probably, pro rata, am as guilty as my dog of adding to the housework. Anyway, back to my last dog, I well recall how, once he'd died, it gave a kind of bittersweet pleasure to keep finding little reminders of his existence around the house for months and months .....
Alternatively, we could seek out one of those people who use animal hair to create knitting yarns. Imagine: for years to come we could have a useful reminder of deceased friends!
Daisy & Big Sister
Is the dog story to do with
Marmalade Mary: A further point. Dog hairs, my SO would argue, are already magnetic, since they very successfully stick to most things ....
RJD: That all makes sense to me. But then I guess it would ... And I know you are also a member of the dogloving fraternity.
Big Sister,
I joined the doggy owning brigade on Sunday.
He's a black and white bundle of fluff called Badger, got him from the local dogs trust centre.
However, he didn't make me feel all warm fluffy and happy at one o'clock this morning ......when he was yapping to be let out of his pen..;-)
Still he gave me such a big hug when I let him out it was all worth it.
Take care one and all.
Big Sister,
I have two dogs and they are so old now. I can't take them out for walks as when I get back one of them actually can't stand up again for hours and she creaks so badly.
I love them to bits and look at them with a kind of sadness now and they look at me the same way sometimes. Especially when I open the back door to let them out when it's cold. I'm making the most of every day with them.
Dozy (20);
Not when you have a prehensile tongue, it isn't!
Katrina (22);
Dogs come when called. Cats take a message and get back to you.
Thousands of years ago the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats as gods. The cats have never forgotten!
Jamie (33);
Take it easy on that. Some trainers would argue that you should let the fella yap on. Never respond. He'll learn eventually that night time yapping gets no response. Getting up to him only rewards 'bad' behaviour and encourages him to do it more.
You may gather that I'm somewhat of a doggy-type and indeed an ex-owner (two English Cockers). I had this problem initially and ignored it. It went away after a week or so. It's something to do with the dominance battle, the newcomer to your 'pack', trying to establish it's place in the pack hierarchy.
Si.
All you dog lovers. Spare a thought for me please - just a little one.
Debbie: I'm right with you there. Know just how you feel.
Note to Eddie: I think you'd better rename this thread 'Shaggy Doggie Corner' or similar.
I think from now on I'll call myself Lucy.
The Doctor is In- 'And the next ....'
Worry not, silver-fox. Dogs are your close relatives. It's just the canine hooligans who forget this.
Big Sister,
There's a product you can get called Moult (I think it's by Vetzyme) and it is supposed to help reduce the 'fall out'.
Problem is, the more you brush, the more you'll stimulate his folicles and so it goes on.... Also, central heating confuses dogs cos they're used to living outside (well maybe not used to it as most now live inside, but they're designed to live outside) so when it's warm their bodies tell them it's Summer and time for a new coat. Anyway, you're right, having a dog is fab and I love my lady Mabel to bits as well as my other two Poppy and Tucker. They're all mastiffs and very lovable, even with the slobber (my version of dog hairs).
Hello Big Sister,
My cats, and pets in general, don't care what sort of day you've had, all they care is that you've come back to them, to feed them, to stroke them, to spend time with them and to take some care of them, to share some love with them, and in return they will do the same for you.
If people treated other people the way the vast majority of people treat their pets, then the world would be a much nicer place. Yes there are some lowlifes out there who dont have the intelligence to care for an animal.
In general, good pet owner - good person. Just like you Big Sis. :-)
Big Sister - I used to have dogs in my 20's but I wasn't a good owner as all I was interested in was drinking and chasing women.
Walking the dogs would have been better as although I was good at drinking I was rubbish at catching the girls.
So then I had a gap and now, at the age of 44 and with 3 kids we thought it might be a good idea to get a dog from the Dog Welfare Trust in Kenilworth.
Our oldest lad, my stepson, had been piling on the pounds and we thought that having a dog would encourage him to exercise. I was strict and said that it wasn't my responsibility. After all it was the others who wanted one, not me.
Little did I know that I would fall head over heels for a black labrador named FONZI. Aged 2-3 and with soulful eyes and a very loving and gentle disposition no-one in the family gets a look in.
He is MY dog and I walk him religiously 3 times a day. a) it gets me out the house at bathtime and b) I love the solitude and c) I can listen to my MP3 without having to shout when someone asks me a question.
At night he curls up at my feet. How my life has changed. Gone are the nightclubs and beer, replaced by moderation, relaxation, grey hair and slippers. I fancy a pipe but it wouldn't agree with my asthma.
All because of FONZI, the greatest dog in the world.
PS:- Not keen on picking up the poop but at least the Council have plenty of bins.
To: Big Sister,
Dogs are without doubt one of the best things in the whole wide world. I love all 6 of mine.
My little Maisy is my constant companion and as a toy poodle she doesn鈥檛 moult so no worries with hair !!!
I find her snoring unbearable but she makes up for it in so many other ways... One of the best things we ever did was registering our dogs as P.A.T dogs. This means they can be used for Pets As Therapy.
Its a fantastic service where they are completely vetted and go through a series of behaviour tests etc before being registered. Once registered they can then visit hospitals, old peoples homes etc where people who might not otherwise have access to a pet can spend some time with animals, hence pets as therapy. Its wonderful to see how much joy they can bring.
It looks like one of our old girls, Tizer, will not be with us much longer. Terribly sad as she has been a wonderful dog for 14 years. She is going down hill quite quickly at the moment, still happy enough in her self but unfortunately we don`t think we have much time left with her.... She is a wonderful dog and is very very loved.
Hope all is well in everyone鈥檚 world today.
Big Sister (38) No need....HD...Hairy Dogs
Eddie, will you also be wearing your best cologne?
Big sis 32ish
Please tell me what an 'SO' is- I've been meaning to ask .
Lots of you have them and I don't know if I do yet.....
Mollyxx
Molly (45) Significant Other (as in 'partner') as far as I understand....though I am sure there are lots of alternatives!
Belinda (23)
Because that is where the jam is! I remember, now, that my mother always used to tell me that I should not sit with my elbows on the table. I have now found out why. :-(
H.
As to dogs, can anyone tell me how to breed the YAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAPYAP out of jack russells? I might tolerate them better then. They also run after anyone passing by on the road, treating it like it was theirs. I know it's mostly being friendly, but there are actually folk in this world who don't want to be greeted by a string of swirling Chinese firecrackers.
Grrrrr!
ed
Oh contraire Humph -- I have had my elbow licked many times...
: she steps outside Green Zone for brief peek at conditions.
U. S. NEWS
Cheney Threatens Iran
If they don't stop meddling in Iraq, he'll use his power as Vice President to order massive nuclear strike.
Pentagon Sets Rules for Trials of Detainees
Hearsay evidence, coerced statements okay, as long as they confirm preconceived assumptions.
Bush Administration Cuts Back on Satellites Tracking Climate Change
鈥淲hat we don't know can't hurt us,鈥 explains spokesman.
xx
ed
Appy
Sorry to be pedantic in a French way but it's "au contraire."
But never mind that - more on the elbow-licking please!
Gillian - LOL! and to the others who keep contributing their doggy stories to this thread, may I just say how very heartwarming I'm finding it - and I hope others are feeling the same.
And the next ....
... and sometimes even by human beings (when it's a dog it makes me feel a tad queasy).
RJD: I rather think Appy was being facetious, don't you?
Molly:
Yes, SO is Significant Other when I use it, unless he's in the doghouse when the initials stand for S*d O*f. :o)
Big Sis (54)
I should think so. I was more interested in the second half of the sentence.
Just had a look at the web cam. HD? ona 2x2 picture does it matter?
The desk looks more detailed
RJD: That's a man thing, I guess. I've always wondered why Sarah Ferguson's toelicking was regarded as so very salacious, but now I'm beginning to understand.
Of course, spoonlicking is quite another thing ........ and you can insert whatever part of the anatomy you wish for the word 'spoon'! ;)
Ed (48) - I was at the Dog Park on Saturday excerising my dog Stella (Cattle Dog mut) when a Jack Russell arrived. It ran up to several dogs barking and trying to herd them. Eventually another dog nipped at it (no blood) and it went away screaming like the world had ended. The owner looked mortified and cuddled it like a baby and then went to her car and left.
Another example of owners of dogs treating their dogs like children. I am a big fan of Cesar Millan and the Dog the dog Whisperer show. His advice has helped us consitently inforce pack order with Stella who its a 60ib alpha female. His general rule is it is the owners who need training and not the dog.
Well, this has turned into a topical topic, hasn't it? Three dog topics on PM today, and we didn't even know they were coming up.
BTW, Eddie, you're in the pink today. And did you and your studio colleague deliberatey 'co-ordinate'?
Big Sister(66) There! I told you so! H.D.......!
HD?
It did not seem to make any difference to us long suffering outcasts who listen (complete with PM whistles and other interferrence) on the Long Wave. At least we did not have this evening's emmission ruin by bl***y Test Match Special. I thought that Radio 5 was the channel for sports fans.
Gillian: This even spookier than Daisy in Windermere! You are now allocating me to spot 66 when you were on 61!
More Twilight Zone than X Files, don't you think?
Big Sister (75) I don't know what you mean!
Gillian and Big Sister
Thanks for that.. can't wait to use it, respectfully, of course.
Was the 'doghouse' link deliberate?
Mollyxx
Gillian and Big Sister
Thanks for that.. can't wait to use it, respectfully, of course.
Was the 'doghouse' link deliberate?
Mollyxx
Gillian (64): This was your earlier posting
At 06:37 PM on 23 Jan 2007, Gillian wrote: Big Sister(66) There! I told you so! H.D.......!
Your posting was number 61 - Post 66 hadn't by then appeared, though it looks as though (by coincidence!) this will be 66.
Twilight Zone was a very spooky science fiction programme, and I thought your posting was rather spooky as you appeared to be indulging in some kind of knowledge of the future.
Sometimes it doesn't pay to explain things, and I think this may fall into that category.
Molly: How well you're beginning to understand my sense of humour (file under Awfully Obvious, by the way - or 'btw').
All these shortforms can be confusing when you're blogging, particularly if, like me, you don't 'text' much. So never feel afraid to ask. It took me ages to work out LOL, ROFL, etc., etc., though I used google to help me work some of them out.
LOL = Lots of laughs ROFL = Rolling on the floor laughing, or translations to that effect.
Big Sis in Snowy Sussex
Gillian: Have just reread your 64 and am now ROFL at you, and at myself (67).
How irony hurts!
Big Sister (167)
Confused- moi?
I'm honestly wondering how I got here- I only meant to have a quick day-trip to the beach on Eddie's advice one wet Friday...
Having spent the evening ROFL (I think she's got it!) thought I'd sit under a tree and watch the comings and goings.Still here--just!
Anyway, thanks for the info- must go- work's suffering!
Mollyxx
p.s..what IS 'texting'?...
On second thoughts, perhaps my sense of humour is Obviously Awful.
Sis, Gillian, et. al.,
If you really want to, you can use to set up your computer so when you type btw it puts out 'by the way' or roflol 'rolling on the floor laughing out loud' , etc. you can set it up to handle as big a list of idiocies as you wish....
afaik, fwiw, imho, imvho, imo, iow, aamof, asap, snafu,
A partial list from elsewhere:
"AFAIK":"as far as I know",
"AFAIR":"as far as I recall" , "BTAIM":"be that as it may" , "FFS":"for f...'s sake!" , "FOAD":"fuck off and die (particularly applicable to certain irritating posters)"
"FOMCL":"falling off my chair laughing"
"FWIW":"for what it's worth" "IIRC":"if I recall/remember correctly" , "DNFTT":"do not feed the troll" , "HTH":"hope that helps" , "IMHO":"in my honest/humble opinion" , "IMO":"in my opinion" "LOL":"laughing out loud" , "OLMA":"other listings magazines available" , "ROFLMAO":"rolling on the floor laughing my a... off" , "ROFL":"rolling on the floor laughing" , "TIA":"thanks in advance" , "WTF":"what the f...?!" , "YMMV":"your mileage may vary"
Other lives are available.
xx
ed
Big Sister(69....really!)I've been out all day, so I'm just catching up. I'm ROFLing now, too...but out of sympathy, you understand!
Ed: Thanks for the useful (!) link. If only the rest of life was that simple ....
Gillian: Whatever you do, leave out the irony, it is far, far to painful!
Molly: You're getting very wise very fast. That's life on the PM Blog. Lovely to be here on the Beach with y'all.;o)
PS Shall I send Eddie my doggie picture tonight, or shall I save it as a treat for him tomorrow?
PPS Shall we set up a doggie photo gallery, with the doggie stories which flooded in yesterday, as a tribute to K-9 friends?
Ed 71
It's amazing !
Mollyxx