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Nobody is watching your live, twenty-four-hours-a-day seven-days-a-week video blog.
;-)
ED
No, the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain are not 'joined at the hip'. What a loathesome image! Eddie, go and wash your mind out with soap and water!
If there is a Great White Shark on the loose, good. Better that than wounded and left too far inshore so that it behaves atypically and attacks swimmers on a beach (see Jaws the book, rather than the film.)
Oh joy, the Yanks now have a NICE bomb.
If they don't use it on civilians, does that mean they don't like them !?
Does Britishness cut across UK - US boundaries?
Are we listening to the racial domination of the Western world, to the British Empire relocated??
I am afraid I will not shed any tears for Phil Drabble. He was a lifelong participant in, and apologist for, bloodsports in all their manifestations, and thus caused a lot of harm, which is not much of an epitaph.
Rest in peace Mr Drabble ? I wish you as much peace as you allowed to the innocent animals you persecuted throughout your life.
To be honest, I think the shark piece was too long. After all, it does sort of epitomise a Silly Season story...
Did I really hear the cruise-ship passenger say his holiday was ruined from the moment the gym was closed?
Either I mis-heard, or I live in a completely different world from everyone else...
"What's that? The gym's off-limits? Woo-hoo! Guilt-free scoffing and lazing about in the sun!"
Hi - it's Rupert the Ed.
I'm not sure I'll ever hear the phrase "complete pen" again on PM. Confess I was totally unaware that Mr.Drabble was for some ( 5 ) such a hate figure. Still, I'm prepared to wager that "One Man & His Dog" is still much missed by a large chunk of the audience.
We took some of the Camp David press conference live - it can sound a little rough around the edges - but gives you a better idea of the mood & dynamic between the two - but pls let me know if you'd rather we left all that to N24 & Five Live.
Apologies, if you were hoping to hear from Mr.Robinson in his Joe 90 glasses. Our Political Editor - I'm told - "went dark" for a bit after the press conference. Hope he's ok.
Special Needs - too much? It does animate a lot of our listeners.
Finally, the shark & lack the of. It was - hands up - our Ronseal moment. Fred - we did have another story about a lost language from miners in NE England - it might get to see the light of day ( no pun intended ) but we needed more time with the edit.
Eddie,
How did you manage to resist the temptation to play the Jaws theme when introducing that piece? :)
Meanwhile, I'm still laughing at the chap who suggested that if a shark approached, he'd:
"throw the kids overboard - give them something to eat!"
I heard the comments from Labour about how por education is the result of poverty.
No it isn't.shortage of money in a family does not result in poor education, lack of will to learn etc. I started school in 1951 when people were poor, clothes were passed around people could not afford to eat properly nor buy soap to wash.
What happened is that parents wanted their children to get better jobs and be better off than they were. They encouraged attendance and learning. We had the 11+ but it was explained that people had different ways of learning and that Grammar Schools were not right for everyone. Learning practical skills at a Secondary Modern School was just as valuable as going to University.
Now mahy parents do not bother to demonstrate to their children that an education is important. there is no real poverty becaise the State provides a better standard of living for many than they would achieve by working so where is the encouragement to get an education.
Apart from the earth-shaking importance of the shark piece generally, I felt it came off a bit odd. Maybe I missed something, but it sounded as if there was unanimity among the interviewees about the story being wrong, with the commonest explanation being that it was a Basking Shark. Best being the mother who enthused about her Jaws-fan sons, but when asked her own opinion immediately went into 'pull the other one' mode.
Yet your reporter ended with the classic 'some think it's real, some aren't so sure' gambit usually reserved for ghosts and the like. It felt as if the conclusion had been decided before the interviews took place. Ironic, because it was a golden opportunity to dump on the Sun's propensity to make up the news instead of reporting it, something you can't do too often in my opinion.
Eddie Mair, presenter Pm Radio 4
I'm a first time user of blogs so I found it rather a problem, but at last I'm through.
My comment concerns your item today about special needs for disabled children.
I've experienced in the past the contrast of statementing and obtaining specialist autistic education, through my complaint being upheld by the local government ombudsman, which transformed the educational provision for my daughter who has autism.
could someone from pm contact me regarding a story which I would wish eddie mair to follow up, which offers a far fuller detailed picture, of your story that shows I was at least 10 - 15 years ahead in all that is now being confirmed - as given today in your programme?
This is a highly political story, not party political.
Thanks
Hilary
Eddie Mair, presenter Pm Radio 4
I'm a first time user of blogs so I found it rather a problem, but at last I'm through.
My comment concerns your item today about special needs for disabled children.
I've experienced in the past the contrast of statementing and obtaining specialist autistic education, through my complaint being upheld by the local government ombudsman, which transformed the educational provision for my daughter who has autism.
could someone from pm contact me regarding a story which I would wish eddie mair to follow up, which offers a far fuller detailed picture, of your story that shows I was at least 10 - 15 years ahead in all that is now being confirmed - as given today in your programme?
This is a highly political story, not party political.
Thanks
Hilary
Bit of a slow news day was it? I confess, I heard only the last 15 minutes.
Hey, my predictions (PM Review Monday Comments) are even worse than the expert,s the Beeb dragged in to calm nerves last week - she said the FTSE at 6500 was the absolute floor!!!!!
Coping with 'cognitive dissonance' (studied when a bunch of 'world enders' found it hadn't. Ended I mean. I mean the world - even though all their predicitions said it had. (Said it would, then siad it had))
There WERE huge CHANGES in NY after Europe closed rahter uncertainly.
Isn't it then that the 'public face' money (secret authorities market interventions) went in?
At a hunderd points above what it was when EURPE closed, the Dow is offering the FTSE 50 points up first thing tomorrow. Which it will take.
Wednesday, Thursday, who knows? But another step-down 200 point crash in London after the market has seen thru' American games playing is very possible,
There is a real crisis in American banks attitudes at the moment and it is the sort of crisis that needs Keynesian policies which are anathema to the Bush - appointed authorities there.
Hey, my predictions (PM Review Monday Comments) are even worse than the expert's the Beeb dragged in to calm nerves last week - she said the FTSE at 6500 was the absolute floor!!!!!
Coping with 'cognitive dissonance' (studied when a bunch of 'world enders' found it hadn't. Ended I mean. I mean the world - even though all their predicitions said it had. (Said it would, then siad it had))
There WERE huge CHANGES in NY after Europe closed rahter uncertainly.
Isn't it then that the 'public face' money (secret authorities market interventions) went in?
At a hunderd points above what it was when EURPE closed, the Dow is offering the FTSE 50 points up first thing tomorrow. Which it will take.
Wednesday, Thursday, who knows? But another step-down 200 point crash in London after the market has seen thru' American games playing is very possible,
There is a real crisis in American banks attitudes at the moment and it is the sort of crisis that needs Keynesian policies which are anathema to the Bush - appointed authorities there.
----------------------------------------------
Did the world end yesterday? Is that why we're all on the Beach? Did Death set a Simultaneous Chess record? I can't believe he did. The day he picked to play Ingrid's father and win, every game would have been with a player of the highest quality. For Bergman and everybody today's players left behind.
Phil Drabble.
God bless you Phil
The Lord is my Shepard but we lost the sheep dog trials
Amen
Hilary at 12 and 13 - well done for getting it all to work. The best way to progress is if you send us an email at pm@bbc.co.uk. Thank you.
Shark piece - sorry, but this was a tad lame.
This is not so much a comment about Phil Drabble but the "Sport" of Sheep-dog Trials.
Many years ago while on holiday near Dornoch we (wife & children) went to a Sheep-dog Trial. But because of the over-crowded car-park I parked very near the competitors car-park. What we saw there has stayed with me since. We saw the Shepherds kicking, whipping and, generally ill-treating their dogs because they had not performed well in their trial.
I should have done something but I did not....
I often wondered whether Phil Drabble knew this kind of behaviour existed.
Eddie and the team:
We were in Wales for a long weekend, so I heard your report about the death of Phil Drabble while packing to come home. Dafydd - the 17 year old PM collie - was lying nearby having a well earned doze. But the familiar sounds of the working collie's 'must see' programme woke him, and it was a joy to see his responses to the familiar whistles of the shepherds.
As a young dog, he loved to watch One Man and his Dog, which was presented by Mr. Drabble until; 1993. With all due respect to Robin Page and other later presenters, they never matched Phil Drabble's quietly confident commentary. The border collie is a magnificent and highly intelligent animal, and to watch working collies is a joy, but it takes great skill and understanding of both the dog and the viewer to bring out the best in the sight of collies at work. Phil Drabble never condescended, but took the viewer through the action in a way which made you feel you were there on the fells, or wherever the trials were being run on that particular Sunday.
He had a keen love of the country and did much more than present this much loved programme. That love was evident in his commentary, and I have no doubt that it made a significant contribution to keeping alive the love of the British countryside during years when the majority of the nation had little opportunity to enjoy it at first hand. He also helped take that wonderful breed of dog to almost cult status.
As collies are to dogs, so Phil was to television presenters - humble and underestimated, devoted to his work, and more concerned with substance than appearance.
He was a very special man, and I for one am so glad you gave time and space for the nation to remember him.
"That'll do", Phil. Thank you for what you did.
And, PM team, thank you.
Sorry - last comment of mine (wherever its got to) was not overly constructive. Sound bites weren't overly interesting and there was no debate or questioning if a great white could be there. And if it was then why/how? Seemed a bit of a filler to be honest.
Surprised theres not been more comment on the compulsory education idea. Hard enough to teach younger children that don't want to be there, let alone older ones who are looking to start there own lives (speaking as someone who went to a school with a very small take up of post GCSE qualifications - vocational or otherwise). I tend to agree the modern apprenticeships don't quite do the job but surely they could be improved to fill this perceived gap in education?
Well said, David Frankis and others who have spoken about the Shark piece. I have never commented about reporters previously, as I am merely a consumer of their output and know nothing of what they have to endure whilst getting a story. However, I feel compelled to say that the reporting for this was lazy and more akin to something hard on a local station. How could he possibly say that there was mixed opinion on the boat, when there was clearly consensus - against the claim it was a great white.
Whilst I am an avid fan of PM and both it's serious and "fluffy" pieces, this one was unworthy of it.
btw, I was listening in the car with SO and he actually shouted at the radio, which is most unlike him.
Re the piece about driving under the influence of drugs. I presume what is meant are "illegal drugs" although this phrase was not used in the programme.
I'm a diabetic on multiple daily insulin injections to control my blood sugar level. If I cause a road accident because of low blood sugar whilst driving, I can currently be charged with "dangerous driving whilst under the influence of drugs". Fair enough. But I could be described as being "under the influence of drugs" at any time, since there is no time when my body is not influenced by injected insulin. Similarly, blood pressure tablets can cause dizziness or collapse if they reduce blood pressure too much but it is safe to drive whilst taking them at an appropriate dose.
Any legislation would have to be worded very carefully to avoid effectively banning a multitude of safe drivers from ever getting behind the wheel.
Sue (24),
Thanks for that perspective and a perceptive observation.
xx
ed
Sue @ 24, in fact I think the words "illegal drugs" were used a couple of times in the report, as a sort of afterthought, but it certainly wasn't obvious that was what was really meant.
It seems to me that in cases in which someone needs to take a prescribed drug that "normalises" their state, s/he might properly be castigated for driving when *not* "under the influence of drugs". Would that be fair?
I forget what proportion of "Road Traffic Incidents" (accidents to you and me) are attributed to people driving "under the influence" of prescribed as opposed to proscribed drugs, but I think last time someone was producing the figures and I happened to notice, legal drugs were implicated more often than too much alcohol was. Perhaps the person who produced those figures was looking at what had actually happened in the incident rather than automatically attributing everything that went wrong to whichever person in either car involved had had a drink before getting into their car, which too often seems to happen. If a sober driver accidentally comes out of a side-street too fast and rams the side of a car whose driver has had a couple of pints, the accident may be regarded as the "fault" of the "drunk driver" even if all s/he was doing was driving along a main road in a straight line at 30mph, which seems to me a little unfair.
Roger Dollery (10)
I read an article in the Telegraph this morning "Shock statistics on child poverty". Nearly four million British children are still living in poverty - even though one or both of their parents are working.
The link between poverty and poor education is well documented. If children go to school hungry and stressed they have great difficulty in concentrating on anything.
Your point regarding parents who fail to encourage their children is far more complex than you suggest. For example, there are tens of thousand of child carers, these are children from the age of 5 who take care of a relative who has a long-lasting physical illness, mental illness, disability, substance misuse, alcohol misuse or fraily. There are many child carers who do not make it into the statistics, they do not identify themselves because they are afraid of being taken into care. When child carers go to school they suffer anxiety at leaving the parent(s) they are caring for, they are very often bullied and many lose the opportunity for education. In adulthood, many of these children are relegated to most of the undesirable groups within society e.g, the poor, uneducated, emotionally stretched. The whole subject of poverty and poor education is very complex and has been neglect for far too long. I applaud Gordon Brown in his attempt to tackle this problem as huge as it is.
In all the existance of the Welfare system some people take the view that if people remain poor then it is because of individual pathology. This isn't the case in a Capitalist society people are made to feel ashamed of being poor when in fact it is the systems that fail people.
Did I really hear that Labour MP exclaim: 鈥渙h, come on鈥 to a perfectly sensible question posed by Eddie?
The quality of vocational training is only marginally better over the last few years. Unfortunately school children have become so fed up with the system those with a practical aptitude do not see the point of such training. Most of the kids doing college courses are the ones the schools have given up on. Unfortunately the message is, this is a reward for bad behaviour.
Note, I work as a supply teacher.