AM glass box for Friday
Do you have any ideas you could share with us for tonight's programme? If so, drop them into the glass box before we have our meeting at 11am. Thanks, sequin.
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The blog for the afternoon news and current affairs programme presented by Eddie Mair.
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Have you noticed that less people use their indicators when driving nowadays? Do people think they are saving battery power or C02? What about a campaign to get people winking again?
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What a fantastic team to lead Europe, just imagine Tony Blair as President and David Miliband as Foreign Minister, I wonder which countries will be first on their list for 'regime change' this time?
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Someone suggested a while ago on the blog that MPs will get out of parliament when they realise they can't make any more money at it. The number of MPs stepping down at the next election (record levels) should tell you a thing or two then. Perhaps its the fact that it might be the last time resettlement allowances are going to be paid? Worth up to fifty grand I hear.
What makes MPs think that there corruption is any different from anybody else's? Tony McNulty apologised for something he didn't do wrong according to hear him speak. He went on to say, he should have been more aware of how his second home expenses claims would look in the public perception and he should have been basing his claims on this. They then go on to pontificate an apology to who...the rest of the house of (expense corrupt) commons. Not a hint of sorry to the public who's money it was/is.
For Mr McNulty's information (and all the other hangers on), he could have easily have based his claims (along with many others) not on public perception but on the fact that the public were unaware of the second homes/expenses gold mine, and, the fact that MPs wanted to keep it all under cover, hushed up, kept from us! If it hadn't been for the whistle blower, We wouldn't have heard of McNulty's parents subsidy at our expense. "I should have been aware of public perception". Indeed, only too well aware that you thought we would never get to know.
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I cannot hear enough from the fellow you know. Captain Sullenberger. It is all on record. That inflight conversation - I am staggered. A stroll in the park came to mind the first time I heard it.
FiveLive's Drive had a Tannoy Moments piece yesterday and I was laughing at some Emails sent in - one pilot jocularly supposedly telling his passengers "this is such and such a Citys airport BUT I will do my best" - allegedly. I hope it was true - Email - listening to how easily we can be outraged by a tale from Australia. He is still a young man. Give him a break I say.
But Captain Sullenberger. He has been a hero in my view since I heard of that Hudson River landing. It is his attitude I love. One of the few I will allow a book. lol I hope PM has or had access to him too. More please PM.
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Back to the subject of European President, a woman would be a good idea, let us hope that someone puts forward Mary Robinson the former Irish President and more recently former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She would be an excellent choice, why not invite her on your programme?
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I misspoke or mis-wrote. Perhaps a bit like one can do if you are not employed by the Dire Media. He IS a sort a younger man - if you consider my advanced time of life but hey!
But perusing the Internet news - nothing to see here. Move on. A Lords financial arrangements still hasn't been resolved? My goodness - if that we thee or me - allegedly....
These titles attributed to people in newspapers - is a sort of sneer isn't it - allegedly? I do it on my blog but as no-one at all of any importance reads it - my blog - it may as well not be sneered at all. Going all the way back to Turnip - now Boney - Squeaker? Not nice in my view. I thought of the word "sneer" when the one word "lie" was shouted out from an audience member watching two interviewees attempting reconciliation on an American TV Talk Show. No pleasing some people I thought and then this.
Subject: sweetner is silent killer
Anagram: "Winterkills" Set sneer "lie"
Good film by the way - Winterkill - if you like your conspiracy theory genre films. No time for them myself.
So before next year can we have a clear resolution of those financial arrangements. You would do it for Randolph Scott! lol
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3. Well said, Joe. Though at least he did apologise profusely - there are others who are still carping at being forced to repay monies. The whole thing is shameful. Depressingly, last night Andrew Neill and co were saying how the reform of MPs' expenses is likely to lead to a class of professional politicians (i.e. people who don't come with a wealth of experience from other fields). I think we are already seeing this, though unrelated to MPs expenses. As to the resettlement grants, I would remind MPs that a vast raft of people work 'on contract', usually without any final settlements to help them as they sort out their finances while finding more work - though it has to be said that MPs don't even have the guarantee of knowing if their mandate (i.e. contract) will be renewed, so the situation is slightly different.
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5, - I totally agree, and had thought the same. Mary Robinson would, in my opinion, be inspirational.
On another European issue, Sequin, is there any chance, do you think, of getting Mr. Miliband (David) to reply to the Polish Chief Rabbi's interview on Today? I hope he will be prepared to accept the Rabbi's views as they were expressed, albeit with reservations.
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Teenagers to hold debate in House of Commons...
"Why?! Why do I have to?! It's just not fair! And YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!!"
But enough of MP's being made to repay their expenses, I wonder what the teenagers are going to say.
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FunnyJoe and Big Sis: "hear, hear".
Agree entirely about the resettlement grants - what other profession provides this?
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In last night's PM there was a discussion between Mathew Paris and some other bloke about ending the over 60's free bus scheme. In the discussion an example of not letting on about how old you may be at the chemist, and thereby losing your over 60 free prescription was given. It is not generally known, but your age, down to even the month, is on the prescription.
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Did anyone see the Channel 4 programme on racism last night.
I would refer you to yesterday's PM Glassbox #32. lucien_desgai and follow the link.
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#11. bankingballs
I'm not yet old enough to get a bus pass (soon though). The fact that Mathew Parris talks about ending the scheme just goes to show how he is still an unreconstructed Thatcherite and goes to show how penny pinching the Tories can be.
If well off people like Paris and Co get on the buses and mixing with the oiks then the bus pass scheme has a secondary social benefit.
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With respect to Prince Edward and his comments on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, does anyone feel that he was factually wrong in anything he said?
I thought Australia had avoided the cotton-wool world syndrome that pervades everywhere, but instead it seems that the world of rugged Aussie blokes and gals has disappeared...
Anyway, what PE should have said is: "What? Thousands of adults, teenagers and children die needlessly in motor accidents every year, and you ask me about the death of a single teenager? What are you, some kind of idiot?!"
It does fascinate me how media can fixate on one or two deaths, while ignoring the elephant in the room.
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The bus pass has, for many older people, added an unexpected dimension to their retirement years and I know of several whose outlook on life has improved immensely as a result. Given the correlation between state of mind and health, this can only be good for the coffers of the NHS.
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I suppose there won't be an item on the multiyear [all year round] arctic sea ice which is now effectively gone for good?
This has the facts http://planetark.org/wen/55254
But this isn't evidence the deniers want to read about, they'd rather read that the Earth is cooling and it's all a conspiracy...
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14. jiffle - my thoughts also. The 'health and safety' obsessives will doubtless want to ban the Duke of Edinurgh awards now they know the incredible risks teenagers are taking. He was totally right of course, an occasional death is what adds spice to the risk taking. Wait till they find out how dangerous gymnastics is, and swimming!
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Good morning, glass boxers. Apart from that summit, it's a quiet day so far in news land. Anything you want to hear about? Apart from Prince Edward?
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Jo - Eddie's tan?
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Ok, here's a question that I've been wondering about:
It was announced this week that Tamiflu vaccinations would be starting for the vulnerable - the old, young, etc. However an acquaintance said that he'd been offered the ability to, as he put it, "jump the queue" as he is a member of BUPA (even though he is in his 20's and perfectly healthy).
Is is true that BUPA have been allocated supplies of this limited resource, and, if so, what proportion is going to private health operators?
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Jo perhaps you'd like to investigate the possible effect of the postal strike on the swine flu vaccination programme. I know of one surgery that has cancelled next week's vaccinations because they can't rely on getting the appointment notices out to patients.
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And on health issues, can the topic of NHS dentistry be raised again? We have a real problem in this area, the nearest with any availability being about sixteen miles away. I joined a distant practice, had one course of treatment and was then told that I would have to find another practice because I was 'out of their area'. But there isn't anyone nearer to me. What do I do? I need dental work and cannot afford to go private.
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#20. jiffle
Tamiflu is not given by vaccination. I think you mean "Swine Flu" vaccination.
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#23 Looternite
Thank you - I stand corrected. My question should have been about the Swine Flu vaccination programme, not the use of Tamiflu.
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I have just checked with the person who told me about this, and and he says that it was the Swine Flu vaccine that was offered by BUPA.
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During the 1960's all the apprentices where I worked were encouraged to do the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme. I did the Silver award but although I did the outdoor activity hike for the gold award I never completed the rest of things to get the award(couldn't be bovvered).
The expeditions were in Snowdonia and names like Beddgelert and the Watkin path still are remembered by me. The company I worked for believed in "charater training". There was a mountian in North Wales that had two prominent pinacles "I think they were called Adam and Eve". Anyway we all jumped from one to the other, one slip and it was a long way down. The two instructors went first and then we all took turns. No one was forced or told to do it.
The silver award expedition was in 1967 and "Whiter Shade of Pale" was being played non stop on the radio it seemed. Even now whenever I hear that song it takes me back to Snowdonia. I also carved my name on a rock at the top of Snowdon. What memories!
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#25. jiffle
I am not a member of BUPA and do not know what they are offering.
However my guess would be that as these vaccinations are produced by a commercial company, then BUPA can purchase them direct from the manufacturer.
That's my guess.
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#27 Looternite
That is a perfectly logical explanation. Whether it is an issue that might upset people depends, I guess, on whether there are sufficient supplies to vaccinate all of the 'vulnerable' individuals...
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#26. you (Me)
Correction: bloody hell am I getting old.
I did the Silver award expedition in 1966 and the Gold award expedition in 1967.
In 1969 I went to the lake district for a months "outward Bound". Fantastic!
Was my employer trying to tell me something with all this character training.
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26. Looternite - 'I also carved my name on a rock at the top of Snowdon'.
I hope you don't do that any more. The peak jumping sounds utterly sickening to someone with a dread of heights.
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#30. DoctorDolots
Of course I wouldn't, I have had my "character trained" since then.
I've not been back, I dread what Health and Saftey would have made of it.
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Just looked it up. The mountain with the Adam & Eve rocks at the top is Tryfan.
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I'm sorry, but:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8330930.stm
if you substitute any possible meaning of the word 'abate' in the various uses he makes of hte root, NONE of them make sense, do they?
Could a good pedant ((:-)) without an axe to grind check it, please?
Personally I think it's the usual gibberish.
Whatever is he saying?
If hte House has accepted that, it seems to me it is another reason fore kicking htewm all out now.
I bet he's hiding behind some 'Personal Statement' convention, where no one asks 'Whatever are you TALKING about?', whilst the 'Hear, hear's show they've swallowed this tosh whole.
They should be run out of town on a rail, back to their first homes, EVERY, EVERY ONE OF THEM.
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Ah, Capel Curig, lovely place. There's shot of Adam and Eve in Google Earth, really scary, there's no way I'd ever go up there, let alone jump from one to the other, even if they are quite flat!
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EtE - I suspect he meant this [OED]:
" 11. trans. To bring down in value, price, or estimation. arch."
But I suspect you're right - he's using archaic language to avoid saying 'I overcharged', or 'I should have cut the amount I claimed'.
[I doubt if I qualify as a 'good pedant']
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Sid and EtE - I disagree. "Instead he said he had informally "abated" other costs to reflect the fact his parents lived in the house."
That is a perfectly proper and understandable use of the word 'abate'. In our work we are frequently asked by clients to abate our fees and contracts will sometimes stipulate that some costs will be subject to abatement.
What Tony McNulty is saying is that he did not claim, or reduced his claims, for some costs that he could have legitimately qualified for. In this 'informal' way he was reducing his overall claim to reflect the fact that his parents were in the house. What the Parliamentary Commissioner objected to was the 'informality' and said that he should have "formally abated his claims to reflect his parents' living costs."
I think that McNulty comes out of this pretty well, unlike a lot of other MPs who have got away free with claiming every penny up to the maximum amount.
But whatever the rights and wrongs of the case, there is absolutely nothing wrong or archaic about the use of the word 'abate".
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PF @ 36
I don't think there's anything wrong grammatically or semantically with the use of the word by McNulty and others - but I'd still say it's rather an obscure use compared to 'cut' or 'reduce'. And if the OED says it's archaic ...
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But Sid, it is the correct term, and Mc Nulty's background (lecturer in organisational behaviour) was allied to the world of business, which is possibly why he used it.
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Sorry, I meant to add that it means 'to reduce in proportion', so it does have a specific meaning that seems to chime with what Mr. McNulty said.
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Sid (37) - Well, it's certainly not archaic in the industry that I work in. I hear the word and see it in print all the time.
And going back to your (35), I've no idea how you can suggest that his use of the word 'abate' was "to avoid saying 'I overcharged', or 'I should have cut the amount I claimed'"
What Tony McNulty is saying is that he actually DID cut the amount he could have claimed. I honestly don't think that you have properly understood his statement or the Parliamentary Commissioner's judgement.
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The young Paliamentarians - all over TV News. I wasn't particularly interested until mention made suggested a few real MoPs were less than enthused. The words "sullying the sanctity" or some such nonsense. But it was the other words - that it was the "first time" other than elected Members had used the place for their meeting that surprised. A lot of films have used the exterior for their productions.
PM perhaps you would confirm this is a fact. About the "first time".
That the interior shots of these same films - with Westminster as a backdrop and scenes purporting to be the Houses Of Commons chambers etc - were all purpose built in Pinewood, Shepperton or somewhere and that in the past - no actors have been allowed a few minutes to "pretend" to be real MoPs in the real Houses Of Parliament for certain productions?
I must look more closely at these films if this is true. I was completely taken in by these pre-Computer Generated Imaging (CGI) sets.
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Former teacher and respected youth worker James Rennie was a senior adviser to the Scottish government on gay issues involving children and influenced key policy decisions. He has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years after being exposed as the lead figure in Scotland's biggest-ever paedophile ring. How many other self-styled 'experts' with a vested interest are currently persuading government organisations to provide unnecessary sex 'education' for young children?
Is this no more than state-sponsored 'grooming'?
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Oh dear.
You are entitled to claim on a house that you just do not live in, but your mum and dad do.
Unabated tosh.
This bloke has got 'fighting his corner' down to a way of life. My corner right or wrong. That wasn't an apology. It was a platform for getting back on the tele.
He didn't expect ot get caught and that is what he is saying, cos all 645 MPs were silent witnesses to or participants in such scams.
We found out via Speaker Martin trying to shut everyone up and the Telegraph. The 'whistle blowers' knew in detail what was going on but didn't name names 'cos that would have been to break the club rules.
They are all, every one of them, up to their necks in dishonesty or connivance or in failing to legislate properly or in acting deliberately too feebly.
They ALL Should be kicked out now, if only for deliberately failing to keep us in the picture.
PS, I'm sorry, but the word abate does NOT make sense in McNulty's statement but it does lend a false grandeur to his remarks.
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ExpectingtheEnd (43) - The word 'abate' makes perfect sense. The fact that you apparently do not understand its usage displays either your appalling ignorance of English vocabulary or. . . . Nah, I expect it is just ignorance.
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