Question Time's new low with Fern Brittan

"I can not believe it" was a phrase often quoted by TV character Victor Meldew.  The same words crossed my lips when I saw the panelists for the last Question Time (23/06/11), one of which was Fern Brittan, a soft TV presenter of daytime TV who in order to lose weight had tummy reduction surgery and said it was down to dieting.  Who has never in her years of TV presentation ever asked a political question.  Who quite frankly on this program could only make a sours ear of it.  The producer of QT should of gone to a children's nursery to have got a guest rather than ask Fern to turn up.  Not to mention comedian David Mitchel.  It can only be someone has had a quite word in the producer's ear to get her on there.  She must be suffering from her less than normal 8 hours TV coverage.  Within five minutes of the start her ignorance belows out like Sarah Palin commenting on any political issue in the US.  A question on Greece and whether they can be saved, all Fern can do is refer to a conversation she had with an John Redwood MP (Tory) on the panel earlier (not during the program airing) and gave no viewpoint. In ignorance she states troops should come out of war torn countries such as Afghanistan, but she doesn't present any justifiable reason why those countries would then be allowed to run amok in a self genocidal manner.  It is as though Fern wishes the word "ignorant" be replaced in the dictionary with her own name.  Her view is talking should of taken place first.  Weird, all the while the talking would of taken place she doesn't care about the many more thousands of innocent people dying at the hands of tyrants.  Talk about lost it.

So it seems, the producer of this program must of lost it because he bloody well could not of been in his right mind when he put the panel members together.

Student protest and police behaviour

This morning while listening to Radio 4, The Today Programme a wheel chair student protestor Jody McIntyre gave a description how he was treated by police as he protested.  How they turn his chair over, how one office who spotted him again later when he was not in the crowd, again turned over the wheel chair then dragged the disabled student accross a road to just leave him laying there.  It was police officer KF936 if anyone is interested to know. He also described how in peaceful protest the batton wielding police struck him.  In the same demonstration Prince Charles and Camilla were surrounded in their Rolls Royce while protestors daubed it with paint, the smashed a window.  They chanted "off with their heads" which sounded a bit funny.  Camilla was frightened.  Royalty had police protection and it was not long before they were out of this situation.  Whereas this single wheel chair student protestor had no protection and was treated in a far worse way.  Somewhere this incident will be on camera.  If the police have it videoed I have no doubt the recording will be destroyed.  If the media had it, it would now be on the national news and the offending officer bought to charge.  I suppose you can guess who has it.

If you are interested in ths student's Blog, do a search for Life on Wheels.

Teen Speach - being something they're not

Why is it teenagers take on an accent when they speak, as though they are imitating the voice of a Patois Jamaican.  But they have never been or lived in one of those beautiful places.  I can understand the need to establish your own niche in society, but to talk as though you have come from a different culture altogether seems stupid to me.  Very stupid.  Because this is an insult in two forms.  First an insult to the cultural background they actually come from and secondly an insult to the culture they are trying to mimic.  Do they think they are any different from the world?  By ending every sentence with the word "man" or wearing jeans/trousers which have crutches so low it looks like they have shit themselves.  Without fail, every time I see a young person with these fashion conscious leg wear I have the image of a baby walking.  A baby with a nappy full of crap, and being weighted down by the the crap. Or is it something to do with death row inmates in America and their not having belts.  Oh yes of course, because everyone is on death row here aren't they?

I have been listening to an extra ordinarily talented female singer Adele.  She has a great voice, her lyrics are good, but yes, you guessed it.  I can hear that sound in her voice, the linking of words, the tempo, the missing of phonemes in her words.  So in a second sense although I'm liking her music it also grates on me.  If she wants to segregate a potential audience then she has gone the right way about it.  Just as the unfortunate Nina Simone found herself blacklisted by a number of record companies when she sang songs relating to how life could be from her cultural background.  She recognised the damage later in life how those songs had effected her own career.  It might be I am getting old.  My voice is worth nothing in the world of music.  I'm not saying all of Adele's music is sang in this same slang like manner because there are entire sections of songs which are sung quite eloquently and without the unnecessary stress of pretentious-something-she-is-not-and-never-will-be.

Watch this space, will she change?  Will the idiots of teenage life grow older and then comment on the teenagers they see as they grow up into adults?  No doubt the answer will be "yes" even if it is in part.

Liberal Democrats have lost the plot

It is a known fact.  The more someone states something in a speach the more likely what they are doing is completely the opposite of what they state.  George Osborne's Comprehensive Spending review and subsequent speach used the word "fair" a total of 27 times, as reported on the radio this morning.  However, when you take a closer look at the review and listen to the analysis now emerging from various news programs.  The review is anything but fair, because those who will suffer most are those who need government resources the most.  The presenter or LBC said the like of Wayne Rooney, who now earns £250,000 per week will not have to pay tax.  The reason being, because he will employ an accountant who will ensure this money is shuffled around in various ways so he hardly pays any tax at all.  Where the lower paid Joes and Janes of this world, who don't have tuppence to spare on an accountant will pay full tax to the very last penny.  Even being in trouble if they are unluck enough to have been on the Inland Revenues list of persons who has underpaid tax because they changed job in the last couple of years.  Such a thing has happened to someone I love very much.  I woudn't mind but their job pays minimum wage.

So when I stated the Liberal Democrats have lost the plot, I say so for a very good reason.  They have now formed a coalition with the Tory party and they have gone against statements they had put in their own election manifesto.  Effectively, for a share of power in government they have lied to their own voters.  A real example of this can be seen in Student fees.  something which Lib Dems canvassed would be abolished or reduced were they to come to power.  Well, they are in power and the Tory coalition government had alternate plans.  These included putting up the costs of Student fees.  So, in agreeing to this one of the Lib Dems fundamental promises to their voters has been broken.  This is just one exmaple.  There are others.  So now the Lib Dems have began to lose their identity.  They are publicly shown to be liars and there is an undercurrent of discontent between those of their own party who sit on the back benches against those who sit on the front benches.  We see Nick Clegg named as the deputy prime minster.  However, we don't see an equal rather an individual who to all purposes appears to have become intoxicated in the company of another individual, similarily well educated, rich and well presented.  They have become a comedy double act in each others company.  They just happen to get on well as individuals.  Unfortunately, Clegg has sold out the core moral values of his own party.  A party which now has very much lost the plot.

Shame on you Mr Clegg, because what you really do not understand now is the future of the Liberal Democrat party after this government is so in doubt it will likely be another 50 or 70 years before they will ever get power or be taken seriously.  What you have effectively garanteed Mr Clegg is a two party system once the term is up.  As for proportional representation it has now gone in the same direction as your own manifesto pledges.

Unatural white teeth

Sometimes an occurrence will grab my attention.  Perhaps because it is out of place, unusual, or maybe because it repeats itself.  Recently this has happened to me while watching TV.  I have  seen broadcasters who have unusually white teeth.  These teeth are so white it looks like they have come out of a washing powder commercial.  My eyes squint when I see them.  Worse of all, they are so unnatural.  There are very few people in the world who actually have naturally occurring white teeth, the reality is teeth are varying shades of  pale beige, or even yellowish.  Whilst black skinned people may appear to have teeth which look whiter, this could be from two factors, one genetics and two contrast.  The contrast of seeing teeth against black skin makes them appear whiter than they actually are.  If you see an old movie, the actors have perfectly kept teeth but not necessarily white, just well looked after.  Like they had just been to the dentist for a scrape and polish.  This is acceptable as standards of oral hygiene have improved over they years.  But white teeth is abnormal.  People who have artificially white teeth do look out of place and on TV a warning should come with them, advising the view to put on the sun glasses.

Stress Monkey

In the Fish Factory there is an individual I have to associate with.  They have a personality trait which is begining to get too annoying.  They are a stress monkey.  They blow up every time something comes up which they feel unable to deal with.  Their own attitude and behaviour then effects other people, a bit like a whirlpool anyone who is within three desks can get sucked into it.  My personal irritation level is rising.  I had learnt some time ago it doesn't do much good getting annoyed.  It will always happen when something gets to you, but the only way to rise above it is to give it a moment then get on with the job.  Concentrating energy on solving the problem rather than moaning about it.  Which also lead me to be as self sufficient as I could.  I'd find out how to do something by myself and then I'd do it.  But people are different.  The Stress Monkey reminds me of my own stress monkey and my need to keep it under control, I don't need another person waking it up.  The fact this person is irritating me is a point marking my stress is now being effected.  I want a quite easy life.  I don't need all this exploding bloody stress monkey only a few desks away.  I've contemplated murder, with the hope as the criminal justice system has gone down hill I'd get let off for good behaviour.  This individual is on medication for their stress.  One solution might be just to wait and if I wait long enough they will literally explode.

Useful idiots

I was listening to the radio this morning.  It was the World Service.  This is a good channel to listen to on a Sunday because it gives news items and little sketches of interest.  One item today was about the Holocaust Stalin had inflicted upon his own people.  It was said some 10 million Russians died during it, when referring to the Ukraine genocide.  But because Putin is in power today and was a member of the secret police, he had managed to re write the history books so now in schools there is only one short paragraph which disputes it ever happened.  There was also something they called 'useful idiots.'  This term had apparently been coined in Lenin's time. Such people of  were used as free public relations advocates for Russia.  They would be wined and dinned and given all the best treatment while visiting Russia.  Nice things would be said to them of their work, they would be flattered and men were often given the attention of very attractive Russian women.  They were famous people, writers, singers, actors and the such like.  A short list would include Ernest Hemmingway, Walter Duranty and Che Guevara.  After being wooed and their big ego's stroked they began to purr louder than the biggest Persian cats.  Sent back to their own countries to extol the virtues of communism and Russia as the best thing since sliced bread.

How sad it is normally intelligent people can be so hoodwinked and how important it always is to have a second viewpoint, an opposing view point which is ready to ask questions some find very uncomfortable.