PM Glass Box for Thursday
Hello,
Every evening after the programme we meet in our glass box to discuss what went well, and what didn't go so well. Sometimes the discussion can go on a bit! So why don't you tell us what you thought of the programme. Eloise Twisk is Editing again tonight and she'll look at your views when we emerge around 18.30.
all the best,
sequin
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© MMX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~46~RS~)
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I think the glass box wants an ASBO climbing that tree like that. The Council will be along shortly with a chainsaw to ensure it doesn't happen again.
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If I'm not mistaken, Lepus, it's a cotoneaster, not a tree.
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I am truly concerned now about the BBC spelling fiasco. If you go to their main website and search for 'damming report' you will find several entries where this apelling has been used instead of the correct spelling, i.e. damNing. This may make me sound like a pedant, but I truly think the BBC needs to come out and admit that it has made a huge error and that it is working to ensure that correct spellings are used everywhere within the public world of BBC. By allowing such mistakes to go unmonitored and unacknowledged, there is a real danger that, given the world-wide importance of the channel, the BBC will become a laughing stock.
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Sorry, mistyped there myself - apelling should read spelling ;o)
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On this day in 1969 – The first-ever computer-to-computer link is established on ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet.
So I suppose you could say the Internet is 40 years old today.
-oOo-
But in sadder news, Phil Archer has died:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8331558.stm
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mittfh(5) It is indeed sad news about Norman Painting, but great to hear that he did his final recording only two days ago.
Condolences to his nearest and dearest.
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Can the reputation of the BBC be further tarnished after it got decapitated by the government for telling the truth on Saddam's WMDs?
There was more truthfulness in that BBC piece by Gilligan and Dr. David Kelly than the MPs expenses' and the world according to climate change zealots?
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Perhaps Nils could stop patronising listeners with economics for three year olds - '...10% unemployment, that's one in ten Americans is without a job', duh, and try joined up thinking. The world economy growing means the world environment deteriorating [not deteriating as increasing numbers of Blair's generation through school seem to think it is]. Carbon emissions have reduce through no action of government but because of the recession.
7. Lepus_Madus
Regarding 'climate change jealots' - to quote Groucho Marx, 'Who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?', ie. not noticed anything wrong in the environment huh? Like birds failing to migrate as usual, laying another clutch of eggs in October, leaves still resolutely not turning on many trees, species moving north to colder temperatures in Europe, and from subtropical areas to the north.
There are the blind, and there are those with their eyes tight shut.
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The current stories revolving around paedophilia are very disturbing. However, the reporting of them may, I hope, make parents more aware of the source of the risks. When you put this story alongside the CRB check issue, it becomes more understandable that there is pressure to try to stop anything like this from happening. I don't know how we can really stamp out these vile practices, but I can think what I'd like to do with the perpetrators. And it isn't pretty.
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BBC headline - Gordon Brown says Tony Blair would be an 'excellent candidate' for EU president
If as PM he could (allegedly) lie and deceive both Parliament and the people of this country in to a war on false grounds, should he not be disqualified from even being considered for the Presidency of Europe?
Just one other thought, has he picked up a trick or two from his good friend Mr Berlusconi . . . would being President give him immunity from prosecution as a war criminal?
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adrian hart - 'there is no racism in the playground' wow! why don't you come and live in the real world Adrian?
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I think as I get older I get less tolerant but the news on the US economy seems to have been reported in a grudging, sneering way. If it had been us no doubt we would have had A Darling plus maybe G Brown- maybe A Campbell in the background- telling us how well they had done and how they had always told us we would come out of this blah blah.
Instead we get a report on America which highlights government spending to bring them out of recession (and we didn't ??) and that renewed borrowing is a worry ( and it isn't here??)
Get a grip, folks.
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Adrian is talking a lot of sense, whilst the woman is reciting the PC mantra without any reflective thought, and, I suspect, any actual experience. The racism lobby is now well established and quite virulent. There is of course racism, there always has been among some, and probably always will be, but most aren't racist. But the anti-racist lobby [I know of no other name to give it] has become powerful and, in the manner of all human activity, is growing in strength and power, and inflates the 'problem' of racism constantly as part of this.
It's similar to the way kids have been sexualised, with younger and younger children being thought fit subjects for explicit explanations they can barely understand including STDs, and were previously entirely unaware of, and the anti-drugs lobby [another one intent on growing its single issue power] has thrust drugs down little ones' throats [metaphorically] and awakened their interest on the flimsiest of justifications based on the 'dealer at the school gate' stereotype beloved of the scaremongers.
Children used to be allowed to be kids, play dirty, learn to swear and insult each other at will, take risks, hurt each other's feelings, break up, make up and suffer a little in the process, learn to comfort each other. In short, experiment, with guidance, with what it is to be human. Now the thought police minitor their every move and word, scrutinise their 'progress' in regular tests, and then rate teachers on the results, vaccinate their minds against every danger that exists in their fevered PC minds. They won't rest until all kids can recite the doctrine of anti-racism on cue.
Good to hear a sensible voice of experience at last raised against this madness. Could it be a turning back from what the PC dogma has done? I live in hope.
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13. I agree with much of what you say, but I think the playground's as good a place as any to start to teaching children not to abuse each other just because of skin colour. It's fairly brutal being picked on at school for racist reasons, as an adult you can rationalise, but not so easy for a kid.
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#11. capncapncapn
This racism in schools is not new. During the 1980's at my daughters school the school provided two containers for the little angels to place their lunch boxes. The teacher noticed that one container was stacked up and overflowing, the other container had just 1 lunch box. Although the class had black, white and mixed race kids it was an asian girl that was being singled out.
From what I remember, from what my daughter said it was a boy that started this action and got the rest to follow.
The school not only wrote to all parents but also called the parents in for a meeting.
The school did not feel that this was just between the kids but was being brought in from outside.
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9. Big Sister - the human rights of the offender are more important than a ruined life. There are also some who believe they can be 'cured' with counselling, another word for learning the form of words to pacify a socialworker's worries.
I think the problem may be worsening for a number of reasons; each paedophile probably abuses quite a few children in his/her life, many of which will then grow into abusers, and so the contagion spreads. Mothers who dress their pre-teen daughters like whores might be contributing a little bit too.
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Matthew Parris doesn't strike me as 60.
It's time to seriously review ageism in recruitment? I'm 40s and not being usefully employed and I'm donating my time volunteering.
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First Shakespeare, now 'Noddy'. Is nothing sacred?
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Hats off to Norman Painting who appeared to have lived his professional and private life (on and off the radio) exactly as he had wanted. His familiar voice will be missed. Hope the storyline will be just as he would have liked too.
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14. capncapncapn - yes, kids pick on each other for a variety of excuses; if they have red hair it will be red heads, if they have freckles it will be that, if a different race...
It's the victimising and bullying that has to be tackled, and that's usually later than nursery school surely? The flag that's used to hang the bullying on isn't the main issue. But racism has become the new major sin that dominates, when actual, real racism as exhibited by Griffin and his goons [I hope I don't get referred to the mods for calling them an unkind word] is quite rare if you dig down a bit, it's really stupid to think skin colour matters, so few would admit to it, except the stupid who don't realise.
The lunchbox episode sounds totally instigated by a parent to me.
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20. agreed.
now can we hang tony mcnulty please?
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#20. DoctorDolots
Well we all knew it was the boy bringing into school racist attitudes from his family and it was the one asian girl that was the target. It may have been at the time of Norman Tebbits infamous "cricket Test" comments. I have noticed that Tories like Powell and Tebbit usually pandered to the lowest.
In case you are wondering the kids were 6 or 7 and this boy's parents did not go to the meeting arranged by the school.
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Anyone interested in the possibility of an EU President?
A couple of questions that the BBC may want to ask. Who is doing the voting? is this taxation, because we have to pay, without representation? Aren't we all supposed to be saving money? Someone should tell the beaurocrats in Brussels.
How did Tony Blair become popular again? let's call it the Kinnock effect. Fail in the UK and go to the EU for a non-job, big pay and whacking great pension.
Why hasn't a reduced contribution to the EU machine been a part of the governments plans to save money? Cut the territorial army but don't cut Brussels?
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Should pm hold one of those very interesting sessions where they ask the public for their varied opinions. Here's a thought; what do you want politicians to talk about that would improve your quality of life?
change the English clocks back to EU time and give people in England an extra of summer sunshine?
Separate church and state, it's an anachronism and does not give a representative view of a modern multi cultural and multi religious Britain and potentially invites terrorism against a perceived Christian nation.
Tell Tony Blair that he can be EU President after he's sorted out the mess in Iraq that he was so keen to start. That should keep him busy for a while.
Switch of all lights on advertising boards and switch off every 2nd street light as a first step in a government contribution to reducing energy use.
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capncapncapn
re now can we hang tony mcnulty please?..and draw and quarter?
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I was interested in listening to the issue on reporting racism in school. I've been reading Enid Blyton stories to my daughter since she was a little un and she's nearly 9 now. I understand that some people consider Enid to be racist but when I read The Faraway Tree and Wishing Chair etc to my daughter I remembered to read the stories in their original context and then explain those words in the text that aren't used now so that she could understand the issues. It's interesting that if you get the DVD on the above stories the names of some characters have changed to reflect the changing issues in society today.
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Tony McNulty - I don't suppose he was paying them rent then eh. He's lucky to get away with only paying back this amount. Let's hope that the public remember this when voting gets underway in June. Mind you, if the public vote out those with no sense of public morals the Monster Raving Loony Party just might get a look in. I'd like to see the European Butter Mountain turned into a ski resort!!!!
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DoctorDolots - I read your comments about paedophiles with interest. I'm just glad that people in my profession adopt a common sense approach to dealing with this subject and don't get sidetracked by opinions like your own.
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McNulty? Just another hypocritical politician? I guess politicians go to some residential training college to be taught on how to be so righteous and bombastic? It's like the college the Blair Babes went to so they could learn to talk in condescending simpering tones?
Can we control the climate?
Why do we think we can? Why? We can't control MRSA in hospitals, we can admit that the economy is based on an unsustainable bubble fuelled by cheap credit being given away like a free newspaper at a tube station, but somehow we can change the climate?
We're incapable of controlling things we can influence, like the economy so why on earth do we think we can control the climate?
The temperature trend is downwards. But it'll ramp up again soon, just wait and see?
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Regarding @23, chrisandvicky:
Please please please everybody, pleeeease don't let Tony Blair become the president of Europe. That would be such an amazingly horrible drag. That nasty smug little man has already done so much damage to the world, he should never be allowed anywhere near a seat of power again.
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#30. idontcareanymore
Look, I understand that the EU president will not be as per the French or American presidents. It is more of a figure head and will not be deciding jack _ .
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On the subject of childhood racism I can't recommend strongly enough the PBS documentary 'A Class Divided' which can be viewed from the following link...
A Class Divided PBS 1968
There are very few social experiments which have given such insight into human nature and it also, I suspect, provides good background to the Channel 4 documentary on at 10pm tonight.
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#32 lucein_desgai, thank you for the heads up on the Channel 4 programme. It clashes with QT. I wonder if anyone will question whether Jacqui Smith's selsction via all women shortlists and her abuse of the expenses system is linked?
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33 L_M
i before e except after c except when it's luc.
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If Matthew Parris doesn't think he deserves his bus pass, he has the solution in his own hands - pay the fare.
Sixty? he sounds more like six. If he doesn't want something freely offered he argues that no-one else should have it. Many people need and appreciate their bus passes and use them regularly and why not? Without the over-sixties many of our buses would be running empty.
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I apologise Lucien. :)
I've an elderly relative that's not put in for their over 60s pass bus. It's a perception and misguided pride thing, they're not rich.
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@31 Looternite
I don't even want Blair as a figurehead. If he becomes president then I'm going to join UKIP. Probably. Possibly. No no no no no! Not Blair! No.
NO!
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I mean it!
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I love my bus pass.
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So that's it for McNulty is it?
Healed, restored, forgiven? Back on QT, AQ, Newsnight, Labour Party hard hitter, how an MP should be, tough ruthless, prinicpled, blah, blah, blah.
Instead the creep is capable of the sort of cheap scam you'd think only banksters were capapble of.
If someone whose family NEEDED the money on some 'sink estate' had done it, they'd have banged him up and thrown away the key.
As it is, his 'I didn't realise they'd catch up with me so I apologise' line, accepted by the 644 others, just proves to me we should kick them ALL out NOW.
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Hopefully lots of quality independents that aren't career politicians will stand next time around.
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The danger being that they are so full of themselves as personalities, people of independent opinion, their own success stories and their slbrity, that they will just NOT see the need
So, all that you say, plus, socialists from genuinely working class lineages.
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The danger being that they are so full of themselves as personalities, people of independent opinion, their own success stories and their slbrity, that they will just NOT see the need
To secure for the workers by hand or by brain the full fruits of their industry and the most equitable distribution thereof that may be possible upon the basis of the common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, and the best obtainable system of popular administration and control of each industry or service, let alone equality of work.
So, all that you say, plus, that they be socialists from genuinely working class lineages.
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Lucien, I watched the C4 programme by their iplayer equivalent. I am still pondering it.
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43 and 42.
Sorrt about the unnecessary repetition (pause for highly witty remarks by the usual suspects).
Stretched myself with a bit of Ed Iglehart HTML, at which,m on Posting, the Comment space went pale and then shivered for 5 minutes. So I clicked away to check whether I'd HTMLed it correctly. Decided I hadn't, so clicked back only to find the text still sitting, but now calmly, in the Comment box. So I adjusted the HTML and posted.
Apparently the post had been posted AND left behind, the first time round.
Sorry, even I didn't think it was worth saying twice.
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The nub of the bus pass debate was passed over.
At the same time as automatic Senior Citizen bus passes appeared, privatised "public" transport did too.
The automatic passes represent a huge chunk of council tax direct to the coffers.
No cat needs to do a thing to get fat on that. The problem is simply; how to cut as many services as possible - these actually involve SPENDING all that "free money".
I understand the reasons for avoiding means testing, but this policy must be one of the leading causes of the decline of public transport.
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So why not have passes that are only issued if you turn up to the Town Hall and sign a declaration that you need it?
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9 "I don't know how we can really stamp out these vile practices"
By finding out what has gone wrong with those people, of course. The thing that you probably have not overlooked is; this is not normal. You have to overcome massive organic self-disgust, the difficulties of opportunity and persuasion and risks considerably greater than the law: you have to be able to explain sociopathic, psychopathic behaviour to yourself.
Unfortunately common morality, with its various archaic, religious and political baggages, is not equal to the task of a rational and wholesome debate on sex. The "sexual revolution" has descended into sleaze and, if sex is inherently sleazy and exploitative, then this is just another type of sleazy exploitation - unaccountable, a matter of taste and choice.
And if any scientist comes up with a reasonable way forward, the government will sack him/her.
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