tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62303122011-04-21T21:12:56.838+01:00Quardlepleen's view: Rant, and the World Rants with You - Whinge, and you Whinge alone. Maxnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-3861392566527081242007-06-03T11:38:00.000+01:002007-06-08T12:03:31.573+01:00

Another government job creation scheme was unveiled today as there was a call for a complete overhaul of the car number plate system because so many are now being cloned. Almost 40,000 car identities were stolen in 2006, a rise of 25%.40,000 seems a huge number, but compared to the total UK car population of 33 million it's actually miniscule, and minor compared to other serious crimes, including

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-36936504152631021442007-06-03T10:14:00.000+01:002007-06-08T12:36:00.170+01:00

They were queuing up at the podium at the Department of Homeland Security today to trumpet the latest victory in the so-called war-on-terror.Four men were arrested in connection with a plot to blow up the fuel supply line to JFK airport, which runs under New York city. Estimates of the number of people killed range between thousands and millions.How fortunate that the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-64064431166019967362007-05-19T13:40:00.000+01:002007-06-08T12:37:19.530+01:00

Saw this on YouTube and almost wet myself - I'll bet John Sweeney wishes he could have finished his rant the same way.Less funny was the pontification posted about this on the BBC's Editors blog by Kevin Marsh, who is "Editor of the BBC's journalism college".He puts a particularly sycophantic spin on the whole incident, saying it is the new era of journalism, open feedback, instant access, blah,

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-5263592942866123962007-05-13T19:20:00.000+01:002007-05-13T19:45:39.893+01:00

BBC reporter John Sweeney has been "arse-kicked" but not fired over an incident in which he shouted at a member of the so-called Church of Scientology. This is a church which demands you pay them £100K just to learn about their core ideology and which has failed to be recognised by the UK Charity Commission.Sweeney spent months investigating this cult, was filmed by members and had to go through

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-90447444462952045412007-05-10T21:46:00.000+01:002007-05-19T13:46:46.988+01:00

I thought I'd come out of blog retirement to examine a question which is currently rattling around inside many people's noddles at the moment, well, followers of Doctor Who that is:Just who is Harold Saxon?In the best traditions of the series-long threads that have run through the series since its return to our screens in 2005, like 'Bad Wolf' and 'Torchwood', the latest has the recurring "Mr

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1110504172368949212005-03-10T23:55:00.000Z2005-03-11T01:22:52.370Z

So staff at the BBC reacted with "anger and dismay" when 1,370 redundancies were announced today among the so-called 'Professional Services'? This is reaction is, in itself, amazing considering that they were told by Mark Thompson back in December that 45% of them would be losing their jobs as part of the overall efficiency improvements at the Corporation.To be honest, they deserve it. All big

Maxnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1110137317211944732005-02-23T23:10:00.000Z2005-03-06T19:33:47.053Z

Once again the Government are trying to convince us that we live in a free country by taking away all our freedom. What kind of half-wits do they think we are?The equation is very simple: The moment we start removing even the most basic freedoms from honest citizens in the name of security is the moment that the terrorists have won, and in the case of the UK, they will have won without lifting a

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1106871930524108612005-01-28T01:17:00.000Z2005-01-28T00:27:07.463Z

Why on Earth does anyone think that the man behind the Crazy Frog ringtone has anything to apologise for? The BBC seem to think he has and say so in a magazine piece today. Unfortunately the writer (like many of his colleagues at BBC News Online) seems to think his opinions are more fascinating than the impartial, objective reportage the Corporation should be producing. This could have been an

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1106872583925592182005-01-22T13:17:00.000Z2005-01-28T00:42:05.753Z

So that's what the new Mac Mini is for - yup it's the first bit of iPics/iFlicks/iFlix/iFilms (delete where applicable Mr Jobs) - coming soon to make a TV near you seem just the teensy bit sexier. So that's what Robert X Cringely is for ... stating the bleedin' obvious. So that's what iPod Shuffles are for ... it's Apple's stalking horse to try and break into the lucrative hearing aid market!!!

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1106169829554312332005-01-19T21:13:00.000Z2005-01-19T21:23:49.553Z

This is life in Iraq under the "supervision" of the US military - proof if any were needed of the folly of the Bush/Bliar action in Iraq and a gut-wrenching reminder of how far these citizens still have to go to be free. A family, already brutalised by the Saddam regime, survive the wars only to get blown away by US soldiers as they go about their lawful business. The parents are dead, the

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105986889319902162005-01-17T18:34:00.000Z2005-01-17T18:38:07.536Z

US state acts to stop 'spammers' The Texas attorney general launches a lawsuit against two men it says are spammers. While I can only applaud Texas for taking this action, it's still not clear whether a successful prosecution (and the death penalty for those found guilty) would be enough for us to forgive you for inflicting Dubya on us.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105985846003574962005-01-16T17:59:00.000Z2005-01-17T18:17:26.003Z

After decades away from the real world, Robert Jackson, Conservative MP for Wantage, decided to crown a career of political anonymity by defecting to Labour just before he steps down as an MP. What is about these people that makes them think we give a damn about their pathetic party posturing? To start with, Jackson's actions are craven and cowardly, coming as they do just a few weeks away from

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105565945332633212005-01-12T21:39:00.000Z2005-01-12T21:42:13.483Z

HOWTO: Hack iPod into iPod Shuffle Now erase all but 240 of your songs. (Thanks, Gizmodo!)

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105565551813307772005-01-12T21:32:00.000Z2005-01-12T21:32:31.813Z

Blogger sacked for sounding off - Waterstone's employee becomes the first blogger in Britain to be sacked for writing about his job. Waterstone's will never get another penny out of me. Mind you, with Amazon around, their days are numbered anyway.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105470851186089382005-01-11T19:14:00.000Z2005-01-11T19:14:11.186Z

The new Mac Mini has just been announced at the MacWorld - yes, that time of year when Steve Jobs stands up and opens his post-Christmas bag of goodies. The price-point is interesting, let's hope they take a similarly agressive stand when it ships in the UK - £349 would be nice. One question though - wouldn't it have been better with Tiger? The specs say it comes with Panther, but that probably

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105474694054351602005-01-10T19:50:00.000Z2005-01-11T20:40:11.646Z

So the world is still spinning on it's axis even though the BBC went ahead with it's broadcast of Jerry Springer: The Opera. I watched, I was entertained - it was every bit as clever and funny as I'd hoped, although the filming left a bit to be desired. And what do we find: Death Threats made against BBC bosses according to the Mail on Sunday - very Christian I must say - after the ringleaders

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105061944010718512005-01-07T01:39:00.000Z2005-01-07T01:40:34.436Z

Springer complaints hit new high The BBC says it's still going ahead with Saturday's showing of 'Jerry Springer: The Opera' despite concerted efforts from the moral hysterics to get them to stop it. The complaints are nothing short of a concerted campaign against freedom of expression and should be resisted entirely. Good for the Beeb, I say. I pay my licence fee to see the BBC push the

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105055734077018212005-01-06T23:55:00.000Z2005-01-07T00:55:26.336Z

Bill Gates has done his annual party piece - standing up on his hind legs at CES and preaching the World according to Redmond, and it's then left to bloggers to guide everyone calmly and subtly back into the real world. Gates' keynote was overseen by talkshow host Conan O'Brien, and his comments were probably the best part of that event. There's a transcript available, but don't eat any pretzels

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105010200187173162005-01-06T11:08:00.000Z2005-01-06T11:21:54.830Z

Good to see someone with principles - Dan Gillmor is practising what he preaches and going it alone to further the work of bloggers as the mainstream media continue to struggle with the concept of open (or as he calls it distributed) publishing. This article particularly had me laughing - basically a photographer was told they needed to get permission to take pictures on WalMart property in

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1105008166961197982005-01-06T10:35:00.000Z2005-01-06T10:42:46.960Z

Interesting article on Reuters saying that Hitachi is working on a 500GB hard disk capable of storing up to 200 hours of digital video at VHS quality. Yup - half a terabyte under yer telly. Hitachi was the first firm to produce a 400GB drive and the article quotes them as saying they want to make the hardware available by the Spring. It also says Hitachi are working on a 10GB microdrive that

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1104544542025365162005-01-01T01:31:00.000Z2005-01-01T01:55:42.026Z

So here it is - 2005, and a celebration tinged with sadness at the continuing news coming out of southern Asia, with the death toll from last week's tsunami now having reached 150,000. The response from the public has been amazing - I was in a pub this evening and joined many others pushing notes and coins into collecting buckets as they were passed round, and almost everyone had a story to share

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1104544959599197722004-12-30T20:38:00.000Z2005-01-01T02:02:39.600Z

South Africa hit 16 off one over and then go off for bad light, just because they didn't think they could hold on for a legitimate draw in the second Test against England. After five days of exhillarating, roller-coaster cricket, which many (including myself) agree was one of the best Test matches for years, the Springboks ran away and basically gave the fee-paying spectators (and viewers) the

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1104543089511648812004-12-28T22:06:00.000Z2005-01-01T01:31:29.510Z

Have been watching the news bulletins and reading the blogs with a mounting sense of sadness after the tsunami hit so many countries around the edge of the Indian Ocean. The death toll is bound to rise into the hundreds of thousands, and while my family has not been affected directly, I know a couple of friends who have relatives who were on holiday out in Thailand and Sri Lanka and who are

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1104542683507623052004-12-25T08:16:00.000Z2005-01-01T02:03:27.413Z

From me and mine to you and yours. Nuff said

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103726790414069352004-12-22T14:41:00.000Z2004-12-22T14:46:30.413Z

Fifa have handed out their 'punishment' to Spain for the racist taunts against England a few weeks ago, and those trying to stamp out racism in the game have rightly condemned them for their spinelessness. I said after it happened that the authorities should take a tough line on this and make an example of the Spanish both for the behaviour of the crowd and the team's coach. Fifa's fine is

Maxnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103728890961068812004-12-20T23:52:00.000Z2004-12-22T15:23:02.150Z

Saw this article by Jon Henderson in The Observer on Sunday; I couldn't believe how a journalist could get his facts so wrong, put two and two together and make the square root of dingo's kidneys. From what I've seen the BBC certainly did not "walk away" and "sulk" about the ECB's misguided sell-off of the Test cricket rights; they knew Sky wanted them and would outbid everyone to get them. The

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103490287209277722004-12-19T21:04:00.000Z2004-12-19T21:09:27.906Z

It's not often I thank lawyers or courts or legislators for anything, but on this occasion, I have to say that this headline - ISP Awarded $1 Billion in Anti-Spam Suit - was worth maybe one cheer. They'll get the other two cheers if the e-mail service providers sees a cent of his money. In the meantime, who's for moving their e-mail servers to Iowa?

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103225289791371802004-12-16T19:28:00.000Z2004-12-16T19:29:32.273Z

Terror detainees win Lords appeal: The detention of foreign terrorist suspects without trial breaks human rights laws, the UK's highest court rules. If 'Bully-boy' Blunkett hadn't resigned yesterday - he would have probably had to today. As it is, 'Crusher' Clarke can just blame him.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103223123150677292004-12-16T18:52:00.000Z2004-12-16T18:55:08.646Z

Epson Eyes Electronic Paper : I've been saying for some time that electronic paper would appear soon, especially after seeing an excellent mock-up in 'Minority Report'. Epson is getting there, and saying it should be out in the market place by the end of the decade. One question struck me initially: Why have electronic paper that degrades at all? Surely the technology would allow a virtually

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103213779926035022004-12-16T16:12:00.000Z2004-12-16T16:16:19.926Z

Just seen this link on John Naughton's site - it takes you to a wonderful "what might be scenario". If you weren't worried about freedom of information before seeing this, you may have questions afterwards. I think it's somewhat fanciful myself, since any company whose representatives were THAT annoying wouldn't have customers for very long.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103212881123816552004-12-16T15:58:00.000Z2004-12-16T16:01:21.123Z

Dunno why I would want one of these, but I do. Wonder when they'll be available in the UK? Do they use RSS and whatever they use, where do they get their data from?

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103152731005028152004-12-15T23:09:00.000Z2004-12-16T09:51:57.730Z

So at last, bully-boy Blunkett has bowed to the inevitable and resigned. Hoist by his own petard and hung out to dry by the party faithful, who realised they would never get their own faces in the papers or get a look in on the telly while the Blunkett inquiry dragged on. Realising this, his support crumbled. The fact that he was as guilty as hell didn't help either. If he had had a shred in

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103190336226041052004-12-15T13:25:00.000Z2004-12-16T09:47:54.903Z

Another Great British tradition ruined - the greedy old men at the ECB have sold their souls and the sport of cricket to Murdoch, who now have exclusive live coverage of all professional cricket in the UK. This came despite calls from many quarters for the summer tests to be left on terrestrial television where they could be watched by millions. But no, the wonks wanted a wodge, and they didn't

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103195126378865092004-12-13T23:00:00.000Z2004-12-16T11:52:54.086Z

This is what I've been saying for a while, although not in so many words as Melanie Phillips: "The issue is no longer economics and the market. It is no longer tax rises or reductions, God help us, or a bigger or smaller state, or the dire condition of the public services. It is, quite simply, the threat to our civilisation, our nation and our democratic values and traditions from a decadent

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1103194506367763232004-12-11T21:41:00.000Z2004-12-16T10:55:06.366Z

I've taken a little while to assess and digest the announcement from new BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, about the future of the BBC, mainly because there was so much of it, and because it's a decision which is so important for the whole of the UK media industry. My verdict - bit of a curate's egg; good in parts, woeful in others. It will be interesting to see how such a diverse

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1102117820575811342004-12-03T23:36:00.000Z2004-12-03T23:50:20.576Z

One would have thought that the Football League and the FA existed to protect clubs and help them get by in times of trouble. Wrong. These idiots not only create the climate in which rich teams get richer while the rest struggle to make ends meet, but when clubs are down, they give them a damn good kicking. Wrexham have been forced into administration to keep the creditors at bay while they get

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1102116953833336502004-12-01T23:15:00.000Z2004-12-03T23:35:53.833Z

At last we get to see Lord Burns report on the future of the BBC, and what a pathetic waste of time and effort it was. This Treasury mandarin obviously has rarely set foot in the real world, and certainly wouldn't know one end of a broadcaster from another. You can tell from the basic and credability-destroying mistakes he makes. For instance he says that digital switchover and the ability to

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1101857674198101082004-11-30T23:16:00.000Z2004-11-30T23:36:38.036Z

Small glimmer of hope that some of our judges might just have some common sense after an injunction banning a man from taking his wife to Switzerland so she could end her own life with dignity was lifted. Here is a woman who knows she is dying, who is in pain, and who wants release. The handwringers say she can go, but her husband can't because that would be "assisting a suicide" which is

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1101375861297508332004-11-25T09:36:00.000Z2004-11-25T09:44:21.296Z

What on Earth is going on in the game of cricket? There are rows aplenty over the current tour to Zimbabwe, which England rightly want to cancel, but they've been threatened with humungous fines by the International Cricket Council if they do. The stance of the ICC beggars belief, and their cravenness and corruption (their willingness to see this only in terms of money) is shown by their

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1101377264115374922004-11-24T21:54:00.000Z2004-11-25T10:07:44.116Z

I downloaded the new version of Mozilla Firefox a few weeks ago, and I have to say, it rocks, (although I have to admit it's still not quite as cool as the Mac-restricted Safari). The more I show Firefox to people, the more they realise how awful Internet Explorer is, but their response is often the same: "You've got to download it and install it, what happens if things go wrong?" Which is

Maxnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1101290543214328012004-11-24T09:52:00.000Z2004-11-24T10:16:18.480Z

Sir Alex Ferguson celebrated his 1,000th match in charge of Manchester United by saying he will never speak to the BBC again, because of a row over a programme which delved into the murky arena of big money in football. Considering how much damage Manchester United (with their over-paid, over-rated, prima-donnas) have done to the game, along with the other top-flight clubs and B-Sky-B, and that

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1101291775955756872004-11-23T19:16:00.000Z2004-11-24T10:22:55.956Z

This just sums it up really. John Prescott on the Today programme: "Cor blimey! Why do we want to talk about foxhunting? Iraq is a very serious question - foxhunting is not." Dunno if you've noticed Prezza, but your Government has just wasted hundreds of hours of valuable Parliamentary time on something that you "don't think was the biggest issue in the world". Why do we continue to give these

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1100825969710199382004-11-18T22:59:00.000Z2004-11-19T01:02:13.480Z

Looks like the next election will be an interesting one, after the Lords forced MPs into passing the Hunting Act with only a three month delay, rather than the 18 months they original proposed. Ministers were so scared of the potential backlash, they even suggested extending the delay to three years, just to try and avoid a clash with any public vote! Now the ban will start in February 2005,

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1100874318542704632004-11-17T23:57:00.000Z2004-11-19T14:26:46.380Z

I switched off tonight's 'friendly' between England and Spain, it was appalling. England were playing like a bunch of schoolgirls, Wayne Rooney was a pouting, petulant, immature thug, and that was topped by some of the worst racism I've ever heard from a football crowd. As far as I am concerned, Sven and Becks should have brought the team off the pitch and told the Spanish to get lost, and then

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1100704074411546952004-11-17T10:07:00.000Z2004-11-25T09:47:53.256Z

I was phished this morning (oh Matron, the screens!), well OK, there was a phishing attempt on me by someone claiming to be from my bank, trying to get me to go to a false site and hand over lots of goodies. Not only did the attempt fail, but it failed dismally, almost laughably, as you can see if you click on the picture. It was sent to my work account, which I've never given to my bank, the

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1100082570409102212004-11-10T07:14:00.000Z2004-11-10T11:02:50.000Z

I'm sure that was the start of a quite long conversation amongst a group of nice dinosaurs way back, 65.1 million years ago, just before they all died out. Today we have a new breed of dinosaurs, the mainstream media, who are obviously still in denial about the power of the blogsphere and the power of the public to write and diseminate information. Eric Engberg of CBS News (yes, the same people

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1100030424452735102004-11-09T19:47:00.000Z2004-11-09T20:00:24.453Z

10x10 is an amazing website which brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "a picture paints a thousand words". It uses RSS to collect 100 words and pictures which sum up what three leading international news sites (BBC, Reuters and New York Times) are saying and showing and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. This builds up every hour and they hope that

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099939421973750092004-11-08T18:42:00.000Z2004-11-08T18:43:41.973Z

At least some people have it, shame the politicians don't.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099940673875808442004-11-07T20:55:00.000Z2004-11-08T19:04:33.876Z

...when I saw the news this morning about the train crash in Berkshire. I was travelling on a similar train in July 2003 when it hit a minibus on an farm crossing, killing three people in the vehicle. Fortunately one of the two engines on the train wasn't working properly, so we were only travelling at half-speed, about 50 mph, rather than the 100 mph+ those trains normally travel at. As a

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099939319689522582004-11-03T22:53:00.000Z2004-11-08T18:41:59.690Z

Four more years of Bush eh? Well the satirists will be happy, and the idea of Osama appearing on Al Jazeera smugly claiming it was him that won it for Kerry just doesn't bear thinking about. Am I surprised? Let's wind the clock back to another General Election - the incumbent was already known to be a mendacious, spin-obsessed, power-hungry loony whom most people, including many in his own party

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099704382064990312004-11-01T10:23:00.000Z2004-11-06T01:26:22.063Z

Actually, I've definately decided now that I want Bush to win on Tuesday, it's certainly only fair that he clean up the mess he's created in Iraq and around the world with the co-called War on Terror. But the main reason is that I couldn't bear Osama bin Laden looking smug and being able to claim that he'd determined the outcome of the US Elections. It'd be unbearable!!!

Maxnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099698726546800262004-10-31T20:43:00.000Z2004-11-05T23:53:52.413Z

A couple of days to go, and guess what - yup, Osama's re-appeared to scare the gullible Yanks into voting for Dubya. Actually, Georgie must be feeling confident about November 2nd as Osama's still out there, and I've lost my bet. Actually the video was probably filmed in Burbank, and this Osama's actually a puppet - notice there was no gun, he loooked clean, wasn't in a cave and he never moved

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099697199414579322004-10-28T21:48:00.000+01:002004-11-05T23:26:39.413Z

I had a strange thought today. I found myself asking why John Kerry is so keen to take over from George W Bush (and likewise, Howard and Kennedy wanting to take over from Bliar)? Bush and Bliar created the problems in Iraq, and have yet to account for the continued lies they tell about the so-called War on terror, so why would anyone want to depose them and face all that sh*t in their inbox. You

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099698048873692642004-10-20T22:08:00.000+01:002004-11-05T23:40:48.873Z

Just finished watching the first of a three-part documentary about how both Islamic fundamentalists and right-wing American neo-conservatives have made up threats against their respective societies just to scare the populace into giving them power. The Power of Nightmares is shaping up to be an excellent series, and I hope that as it's story gets past 9/11, it will finally demonstrate how the

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1099704159360818762004-10-17T01:06:00.000+01:002004-11-06T01:22:39.360Z

Such approbium, such bile, such utter pomposity. Poor Boris Johnson (media tart and one of the brainless lobby fodder) runs an Spectator editorial berating Liverpool for being "professional victims" after the murder of Ken Bigley, and is forced to apologise. Why? What's wrong with telling the truth? As a kid, I stood on the Leppings Lane terrace to watch my heroes at Sheffield Wednesday (tough

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1096236345871997862004-09-26T23:02:00.000+01:002004-09-26T23:06:21.586+01:00

The state of Florida is under seige for a fourth time after Hurricane Jeanne made landfall this morning, and there's still two months of the hurricane season left. If I believed in God, I'd almost be tempted to say someone was trying to tell George and Jeb something.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1096236936884191652004-09-24T13:33:00.000+01:002004-09-26T23:15:36.883+01:00

I cannot imagine what torture the family of Kenneth Bigley are going through at the moment, nor indeed can I imagine what is happening with Mr Bigley himself. It is heartbreaking, and behind the personal tragedy for the Bigleys, you can see a well-orchestrated and cold-blooded scheme in play here. The hostages are playing the Allies off, one at a time, milking each hostage for as much publicity

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1095348017600163572004-09-16T16:07:00.000+01:002004-09-16T16:23:02.490+01:00

What did I tell you? After yesterday's invastion of Parliament by pro-Hunting supporters, what do MPs do? Do they call for the head of the Serjeant-at-Arms (who's in charge of Palace security)? Do they call for a review? Do they make arrests? Do they call for David Blunkett and John Prescott to be appointed as the official bouncers (well, they are ugly enough)? No. They just blame the BBC. A

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1095287209847416532004-09-15T23:00:00.000+01:002004-09-16T00:48:31.573+01:00

I say, it's not cricket. Protestors on the floor of the Commons? What were they thinking of? The poor old dears, sorry, MPs, simply couldn't understand what was going on, any more than they can understand the workings of the countryside. Despite that, the gravy-train riding n'er-do-wells who inhabit the hallowed portals of power voted to end the hunting of foxes in July 2006, and said they would

Maxnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1095289130606931002004-09-15T16:31:00.000+01:002004-09-16T00:36:35.176+01:00

The blogosphere has been alive to the hunt itself in the past few days over the strange case of the George W Bush war records and Dan Rather's claim on CBS' 60 Minutes that they shed even more light on the President's so-called military service. Many bloggers, especially the Freepers on Free Republic, claim to have proved the 32 year-old documents were fake, because they used a proportional font

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1095285634712456602004-09-14T21:32:00.000+01:002004-09-16T00:35:16.003+01:00

Dire warnings of apocalypse, the four horsemen brushing their steeds and blowing up their water wings. Yes, Brainless Blair has decided to go eco-super-hero and turn his attention to a war on global warming. On the face of it you may think it seems a good thing, but behind the headlines, there's a whole heap of festering organics. First off this means he's realised the War on Terror can't be

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1095159655183298612004-09-14T08:46:00.000+01:002004-09-14T12:00:55.183+01:00

Lots of wry smiles on the tube this morning as people read about the latest exploits of the "Fathers-4-Justice" campaign group and the latest stunt to draw attention to what they say are unfair custody and access laws for divorced fathers. Many papers ask the question: "What if it had been a real terrorist?". Not a bad question, but most terrorists wouldn't have thought to dress up as Batman to

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1094408157107112702004-09-05T19:11:00.000+01:002004-09-05T19:15:57.106+01:00

A few reports knocking around today saying that the Allies may be closer to catching Osama bin Laden. I'm not actually holding my breath for two reasons: 1. How long can a half-crippled sociopath who needs regular dialysis live in a cave without anyone catching up with him? 2. What's the betting that in fact, Osama has been in US custody for several months now, and will magically be "caught" in

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1094030727935964642004-09-01T10:10:00.000+01:002004-09-01T10:25:27.936+01:00

So Rudolph Guiliani, former mayor of New York, the man who was one of the human faces of 9/11, thinks George W. Bush is a statesman in the mould of Winston Churchill. I admired and respected Rudy for his steadfast and calm approach in the hours after the terrorist attacks in New York, he spoke for his city and his city answered his call. But now, he's just another apologist for the House of

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1094031200197244672004-08-29T10:27:00.000+01:002004-09-01T10:33:20.196+01:00

Alistair Campbell was a "deranged, vindictive bastard", according to Greg Dyke's new book, Inside Story. Well, everyone knew that, but it still needed saying. Good on yer, Greg.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1093531761876950692004-08-26T15:47:00.000+01:002004-08-26T15:49:21.876+01:00

Well, lots of people actually. But maybe it's time to test that assumption. I give you Exhibit 1: A website devoted to bad parking. Genius!

Maxnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1093513114485028722004-08-26T01:26:00.000+01:002004-08-26T10:38:34.486+01:00

"When are Micro$oft going to get their act together?" It's a question I've heard over and over again, and I'm sure there are probably some quatrains from Nostradamus that might give us an idea, but one thing is for sure - it ain't any time soon. Windows XP Service Pack 2. According to El Reg, to already has a security hole in it the size of a "crater". What's all that about? Even more worrying

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1093373549276085812004-08-23T23:36:00.000+01:002004-09-01T09:59:00.766+01:00

If you're a fan of Paula Radcliffe, look away now, as I am pretty disgusted by her performance in the Olympic marathon today. No amount of tears or excuses about the heat are going to change the facts. Radcliffe has been described by various eulogists today as a "professional athlete". So one has to ask the question: "How did a 'professional' get it so wrong, while the amateurs around her all

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1093372509259222862004-08-19T22:32:00.000+01:002004-08-24T19:53:59.946+01:00

Another great piece of multi-media satire: Bush and Blair's motivation - being pulled around by their noses. Hysterical stuff.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1094031804436563572004-08-05T20:37:00.000+01:002004-09-01T10:45:29.023+01:00

MP's visit Murdoch in California at the tax-payers' expense to hear his views about the renewal of the BBC's charter, and are then sworn to secrecy. Apparently they had to go to him, because, being a US citizen now, he can't be called to appear before them in Westminster. If his views were that important, shouldn't he have answered the call voluntarily? The fact that he didn't shows he doesn't

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1090435459809556392004-07-21T17:31:00.000+01:002004-07-21T19:44:19.810+01:00

Interesting to corollary to yesterday's Burns report on the future of the BBC:   It strikes me that most of the people who complain about having to pay £10-a-month for the BBC are same people who quite happily part company with £35-a-month for over 400 channels on Sky, most of which are crap, and all of which display the same aim: To fill in the time between the adverts as cheaply as possible.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-109043440066008392004-07-20T19:05:00.000+01:002004-07-21T19:45:54.006+01:00

This is the kind of misleading and downright biased reporting which really annoys me, and to be honest, I would have expected better from the Guardian.   The report claims 67% of people in the UK want the TV licence fee abolished. In fact, if you read the Burns report it says that the number of people who want the licence fee abolished is just 7%. So how did the Guardian arrive at the figure?

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1089931720661048852004-07-15T23:34:00.000+01:002004-07-15T23:48:40.663+01:00

Now don't get me wrong, I cannot abide bigotry and racism is evil, but while the BNP have been rightly shown up for the nasty fascists that they are, their leader, in an interview on Newsnight, makes an interesting point.   Nick Griffin says Islam is a "vicious, wicked faith", and that Britain has "a monster in it's midst". He says new laws which prevent him making such criticism are wrong, and

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1089930711112559382004-07-14T23:29:00.000+01:002004-07-15T23:33:28.050+01:00

So the Butler report has said there were plenty of mistakes, but no-one is to blame. What a surprise!   Whitewash 2, Integrity 0.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1088983048193899082004-07-05T00:07:00.000+01:002004-07-05T00:19:00.586+01:00

After cheating their way past England and through the semi-finals, justice was duly served on Portugal's national team, as the Greeks failed to read the scripts written by the Asian betting mafia, and beat the host nation 1-0. The referee and the officials still tried their best to help the home side, giving them several dubious decisions, but the Greeks refused to let Portugal through and won

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1088805928008578222004-07-02T23:00:00.000+01:002004-07-02T23:06:23.710+01:00

Moments after I saw the Humberside Police story, the bulletin moved onto this: Ambulances will no longer face fines for speeding if they have their blue warning lights flashing. I'm sorry, but it just beggars belief that they ever faced them in the first place. Who was demanding the fines? Well blow me down, it's the Home Office again, and the bully-in-chief, David Blunkett. What's even worse

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1088805533243165822004-07-02T22:50:00.000+01:002004-07-02T22:58:53.243+01:00

So David Blunkett, after throwing his toys out of the pram, finally stamped the floor enough for some tame judge to roll over and tell Humberside Police Authority they have to do as Blunkett says and suspend their Chief Constable over the Bichard inquiry into Ian Huntley. Welcome to Britain 2004, where we've just been given a national police force, without so much as a "by-your-leave", and I'm

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1088150975602013602004-06-25T09:01:00.000+01:002004-06-25T09:09:35.603+01:00

Fox News describe the BBC as "liars" who display "frothing at the mouth anti-Americanism". For this piece of unimpartial polemic, they are rightly censured by the media regulators in the UK. How interesting then that this morning Fox are interviewing veteran BBC journalist David Dimbleby about his recent interview with former US president Bill Clinton. Couple of quick questions then: Surely if

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1088150236908836652004-06-25T08:50:00.000+01:002004-06-25T08:57:16.906+01:00

So both the Conservatives and Labour want the public to have lots of choice in how they are treated by the health service in the future (if they win the next election that is). Am I missing something here? When I use the NHS, I don't want a choice - I want to be treated, and I want to be treated as close to home as possible, as quickly as possible, in a hospital that's clean, where the food is

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1088127434679964882004-06-25T02:26:00.000+01:002004-06-25T09:16:16.713+01:00

Euro 2004 - and once again, England's football team fail miserably, despite all the promises from the press that they could go all the way. Mind you, there's no doubt that England did actually win the game 2-1 in normal time - how different things might have been if we'd had a half-way competent referee. Interesting that the referee was from Switzerland, who were sent packing from Euro 2004

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1086912531778801682004-06-11T01:04:00.000+01:002004-06-25T08:59:54.110+01:00

Don't get me wrong, I secretly enjoyed the first couple of series of Big Brother. The original reality show caught a wave and initially rode it well. Sadly it spawned endless copies, and just like copies they get worse the more you copy them, and even BB itself is a caracature of its original self. As for the implications, well, Melanie Phillips is far more eloquent, and a much needed voice of

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1086815702761658802004-06-09T22:08:00.000+01:002004-06-09T22:15:02.763+01:00

So Sky have launched their own version of Freeview, having seen the terrestrial digital service get into 3.5 million homes in half the time it took for Sky to. Murdoch's obviously rattled by the upstart after he thought it was dead and buried as ITV Digital, and satellite subscriptions are levelling off. A satellite version of Freeview? Well, no actually. Most of the non-BBC channels offered on

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1086715124971829442004-06-08T18:12:00.000+01:002004-06-08T18:20:13.233+01:00

So Boris Johnson claims Blair's Chief of Staff Jonathan Powell told him that Gordon Brown would never become Prime Minister. Powell denies he ever said it. The comments were allegedly made as the two men were waiting at traffic lights on their bikes in London So who do you believe? Indeed, do you care? I certainly don't care, both are as bad as each other, but I raise this merely to point out

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1086354157651870722004-06-04T13:55:00.000+01:002004-06-04T14:03:10.996+01:00

Egads, just one posting in May - seems to indicate how busy I've been recently at work. I've been prompted to return after one of those events which seems trivial, but then it gets you thinking. I was on the Tube going to work when a girl got on and sat down opposite me. She looked like she had just stepped out of the shower, got dressed and run down to the station. She then proceeded to brush

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1084564766814616882004-05-14T20:55:00.000+01:002004-05-14T21:04:45.683+01:00

So the editor of the Daily Mirror, Piers Morgan gets the bullet for publishing some pictures which were vile, mocked up and obviously fake, even though they represent exactly the kind of abuse being carried out by a tiny minority soliders in Iraq, probably acting under orders from superior officers or so-called Military Intelligence. The Chairman and Director General of the BBC likewise are

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1083228712879408282004-04-29T09:43:00.000+01:002004-04-29T09:57:46.560+01:00

If I'd seen this on April the 1st, I would have dismissed it, but it being April 29th, I think we'd better assume it's true, but it could be far more worrying than it seems at first sight. Robot bollards which move around to change road priorities - the face of it, it seems a good idea to improve the efficiency of road management. But the article doesn't answer some very important questions: 1.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1083228180498529162004-04-29T09:39:00.000+01:002004-06-08T18:34:40.180+01:00

Found this the other day courtesy of my trusty RSS Feed reader: YetiSports Brilliant, but don't show it to a penguin lover. I wonder whether the Yeti is related to the Sugar Puffs Honey Monster - there's certainly a family resemblance somewhere. Perhaps they have a common ancester - Bigfoot maybe?

Maxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1083178737456935192004-04-28T19:51:00.000+01:002004-06-08T18:35:09.836+01:00

A friend of mine told me a wonderful story about his daughter, aged 4, who was in the garden with her Grandma one day, looking at the flowers. Grandma was explaining how the birds spread seeds from plants around the garden, allowing new plants to grow. The yougster gave her a strange look, she'd seen Mummy dealing with seeds and knew all about the subject, so said: "Don't be silly Grandma,

Maxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1082569145676878462004-04-21T18:35:00.000+01:002004-04-21T18:45:12.186+01:00

There are quite a number of distributed computer projects knocking around at the moment, and I myself feel I'm doing my bit for the SETI@Home project. But here's a new turn - hiring out your computer's CPU time for spam distribution, at $1 an hour. If anyone's tempted - I hope it fries your motherboard.

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1082563114045536532004-04-21T16:54:00.000+01:002004-04-21T17:03:51.123+01:00

So Mr Blair has finally given them what they want - a referendum on the new European constitution. The snag? It won't be held until after the next election, which mean it'll be held in Autumn 2005 at the earliest. I can't help thinking that while the PM seems to have done a U-turn to wrong-foot the Opposition, and appear like a good guy, that in fact the whole idea of a referendum is actually an

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1081526603394077502004-04-09T17:03:00.000+01:002004-04-09T17:09:48.950+01:00

You are a GRAMMAR GOD! If your mission in life is not already to preserve the English tongue, it should be.Congratulations and thank you! How grammatically sound are you? Brought to you by Quizilla

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1081328201657971182004-04-07T09:50:00.000+01:002004-04-07T10:02:09.936+01:00

Here's a contender for both the looniest idea of the week, or a knighthood depending on your point-of-view: The UK Government wants to use the roadside telematics system to provide low-cost wireless internet access. I think it's got potential, but like everything else in the world at the moment, it's not going to happen overnight. But if it works, I say bring it on. The cynic in me says it will

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1081112154451142212004-04-04T21:38:00.000+01:002004-04-04T21:59:57.343+01:00

Mixed feelings about Michael Grade being appointed as the new Chairman of the BBC Governors, and I've taken a couple of days to read reaction before committing myself. Even now though, I'm not sure. Yes, he's experienced; yes, he's charismatic; yes, he's got experience of business; yes, he's his own man and nobody's lackey. He ticks all the boxes for the kind of person needed to deal with the

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1080635605143465362004-03-30T09:27:00.000+01:002004-03-30T09:45:00.420+01:00

Why aren't people in public life more careful about what they say? The latest case of foot-in-mouth disease comes from tennis star Serena Williams, who says she may pull out of the Olympics because of fears about terrorism. She says her life is "more important than tennis". It's nice she has a choice. I doubt that many of the people whose lives were snatched away from them in Madrid were in

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1080585884938049872004-03-29T19:18:00.000+01:002004-03-30T09:45:44.903+01:00

So the two Sumo wrestlers, one marked the EU, the other Microsoft are now fully squared up to each other, after the Competition Commission, headed by Mario Monti, slapped a fine of £330m on Bill Gates for anti-competitive behaviour. Now, while I have little time for the gravy train that is the EU, I have to applaud their decision, although the cynic in me thinks that if Bill ever does write that

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1080428056002621872004-03-27T22:44:00.000Z2004-03-27T23:02:49.263Z

Just finished watching the match between England and France to decide the Six Nations championship, and hats off to France for winning the Grand Slam, especially after their dismal performance in the World Cup semi-finals. The match tonight could easily have been a World Cup Final itself, and one wonders, given another five minutes, whether England could have found the three points they needed,

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1080375475671861902004-03-27T07:50:00.000Z2004-03-27T08:21:26.983Z

As a journalist, I do get annoyed when other journalists get lazy. I know most of them are cynical, as am I (it pretty much comes with the turf), but when they get lazy as well, it all starts to unravel. Take the BBC's Six O'Clock News the other night, as they covered the story of the boy bomber who was caught by the Israeli Army; who got the bomb off him, destroyed it and saved both his life

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1079790122275973232004-03-20T13:33:00.000Z2004-03-20T13:46:34.966Z

So Christopher Eccleston is to be the new Doctor Who, although I still read in the Daily Mail that it will definately be Bill Nighy - I suspect that there'll be some red faces (and P45s) among their Entertainment hacks on Monday. Bless. Eccleston's casting is sound on the face of it, although I would liked to have seen what Nighy could have brought to the role. I must admit I was disappointed

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1079743541391656082004-03-20T00:34:00.000Z2004-03-20T00:49:46.403Z

The European Competition Commissioner, Mario Monti says they've failed to reach a settlement with Microsoft over its alleged anti-competitive behaviour in European Union. It is possible the EU will now fine Microsoft, and the fine could run to billions of dollars. On the other hand, Microsoft could then appeal and take the EU into endless rounds of further litigation, and still not cough up a

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6230312.post-1079094186216938252004-03-12T12:10:00.000Z2004-03-12T12:29:13.170Z

Another terrorist atrocity, this time in the beautiful city of Madrid. Scores of people went to work yesterday morning, kissed their loved ones goodbye, thought about their plans for the rest of the day, maybe even the weekend, and an hour later were blown to pieces - victims of mindless barbarism. Why? It's the question on millions of minds and thousands of blogs today. What purpose does it

Maxnoreply@blogger.com0