Friday's Clue:

What is one thing Muss hates about the holidays?

The BBC has obviously decided that it has made enough enemies for the time being without provoking the fury of commercial radio and regional newspapers. Having theatened to plant its huge, galumphing, publicly subsidised foot smack in the middle of the fragile local news media market, it has now decided that that might well be a bridge too far.

By pulling back from the brink, it may have staved off, for the moment, a tide of outrage that would have resulted in a major inquisition into its invidious role in distorting whatever media market it chooses to invade. By creating local news websites which would certainly have been able to compete unfairly (because of resources provided by their share of public funding) with small local news operations which were dependent on advertising revenue, the BBC would have been threatening the diversity of news media and extinguishing a myriad of distinctive voices.

What is quite extraordinary is that the plans to do so were allowed to survive as long as they did - only being withdrawn at the last moment, when it became clear that the Corporation was under so much fire on all sides that another contentious move could have threatened its very survival.

What is most egregious about the BBC's sanctimonious defence of its public service remit is that it does not even seem to understand the possibilities that digital channel niche marketing can offer. Sky, an uninhibitedly commercial outfit, has managed to create a truly higbrow channel in the form of Sky Arts 2 which is currently showing splendid recent opera productions and uncompromisingly elitist programmes. It is, in other words, doing precisely what tiresome old BBC4 ought to be doing - and all without the aid of a legally enforced licence fee.

"Gipsies get £100 million from Government for new camp sites."

Question 1 : Do gipsies (gypsies - take your pick) pay income tax?

Question 2 : Do gipsies pay VAT on payment they receive for driveways resurfaced etc?

If answer to either question is "No" then can someone please explain to me why gipsies are entitled to anything from the public purse. 

 

Note, I have no rebuttal if you respond "What about immigrants?". My comment is about gipsies not immigrants. Or are they one and the same?

Those of you that were listening to Poolboy's show last night heard the "ordained minister" call in upset that his daughter was listening to 98Rock and the "filth"(his words, not mine) that Poolboy was broadcasting over the air..

 

Poolboy, in all his Poolboy fashion...remarked that the minister might be one that was stealing from the offering plate. The minister insisted that those were all donations. I almost lost it there...but wait, it got better.

 

Poolboy then proceeded to ask this fine upstanding religious "leader" what kind of car he drove...with MUCH hesitation...the minister replied..."an Escalade"!!!

 

AN ESCALADE!?!?!?!  With religion supposedly being a not-for-profit organization...I am seeing a lot of things that would hint otherwise.  For one...a minister driving an Escalade??? WTF man??  And if any of you have ever driven past Idlewild Baptist Church on Lutz Lake Fern...this place is ENORMOUS!!  All of our churches back home were small, modest buildings...this place is a friggin' resort! 

 

Well...anyways...I wasn't really here to rant about religion...just to let Poolboy know that I am glad he asked the question and shoved his foot right up that minister's cornhole.  Well played good sir.

Grab a cup of coffee (one of my favorites) and set a spell. This might take awhile. 1. First and formost is my granddaughter Cassidy. She is my first grandchild and my first grandaughter. She is my angel and my little princess. I love her with all my heart and soul. She's 4 and 1/2 now going on 16. She loves to call me and just chat on the phone. "SO whatcha doin' granma?" Her favorite word right now is actually. "Well actually I like to do it this way. Or"Actually I don't want to wear that skirt." I say well actually Cassidy granma loves you more then the world! 2. My first granson Connor. OMG He is a character. A little gang buster. If he wants something he will do anything to get it. All boy. I love him so much cuz he looks so much like his daddy when he was that age. 3.Courage-Today I have courage. Courage to face myself and deal with what I need to. Courage to try new things, like going back to school. Courage to remove myself from a relationship that wasn't good for me. Just the courage to be the woman God intended me to be. 4.Conscience-today I have one. It used to not bother me at all to steal from you to lie to you, to steal your drugs your money or something I could use to pawn for drug money. I'm not like that at all today. I wake up every morning and pray to God for me to do the next right thing throughout my day. 5.Commitment-I am so committed to this program and to AA. I have it to thank for giving me my life back. 6. Cuddling-Even though I don't have anyone to cuddle with right now I like to. 7. Carson-for starting this totally awesome site. 8. My friend Christine-always gentle, always kind. 9. My real life sister Carol- She loves me and supports me. She doesn't understand what being an alcoholic and addict mean but that's Ok. Ok that'll do for me. I"m sure I'll think of more as soon as I press send. have a gentle day my friends. Love, Julie

See, there's this station in LA that has had the record for webpage views since 2004 and our bosses bet us to break it, but we need your help!  We need to break this!  If we do, we'll get some cool bonuses (like $1,000)...but of course we can't ask you to do something without doing a little something in return...we're going to offer our bonuses up to YOU on Monday!  As long as we break the record...we will give out $1,000 EVERY HOUR on Monday!!!

 

Help out Samy, Sarah and Erick too by visiting their pages...also, don't forget to check out this dirty intern video that we got...why would you ever put a mic in your pants?!

 

Tell every friend and every co-worker that all they need to do to help get us to our goal is to visit HOT995.com and click on "Kane"!  When we hit record, we'll give out the cash Monday morning just for YOU!!!!

All I have to say is...either he's REALLY tired...OR...LOL

YOU BE THE JUDGE

 

The EU has launched a search engine to rival Google. Only, this being Europe, it's state-funded to the tune of €250 million. When it launched, (hat tip, eursoc) its home page featured a picture of Hitler and a bit of porn. Who said the EU was out of touch with modern consumers? Get with the beat, daddio.

Now, it has crashed altogether. At the time of writing, the site reads: "We are doing our best to reopen Europeana.eu in a more robust version". What a perfect metaphor for European integration.

I welcome myself to capcom. Anyway some new features of it can only be reached through higher rank A.K.A. Felyne Chief and G-Rank Quests.

Hypnock-First Higher Rank Quest

Queen Vespoid-7 star quest and HR4

NarugaKaruga-Urgent Quest to get 9 star and HR6

Green Congalala & Purple Daimyou Hermitar-G-rank(HR7)

Desert Blangoga, Red Ceanataur & Volganos-G-rank(HR8)

Yamatsukami-G-rank Urgent Quest to get HR9

Ucamulbas-G-Rank Final urgent Quest

 

Note: Im not sure at the Yamatsukami & I heard that Volganos can be fought at Higher Rank. PM me about this.(death_penalty117@y.c.)

 

Anyway, I know much about Monster Hunter Freedom 2 & 2g.Ask me if you want to.

These are my version of the Monster Hunter PSP intro

Monster Hunter Freedom/Portable

Monster Hunter Freedom/Portable 2

Monster Hunter Portable 2g

The French have (D'Accord) upset people,especially English ones by omitting even one British film from their top hundred. Looking at the list I find it in variance with my own which I'm putting here. My top dozen. No mention of Baby Peter.

Defence of the realm, Spartacus, The Comedians, The Third Man, Raging Bull, Cross of Iron, Withnail & I, Kentucky Fried Movie, Artificail Intelligence, Mishima - a life in four chapters, and Come & see (Idi i smotri).

This is in answer to a comment by Ferret was from Kevin Straw 's blog yesterday, and although I could have posted this response there, trying to answer it led me onto somewhat wider issues as to the nature of “evidence”.

One of the main problems with “debate” MyT style is that is rarely is true debate in terms of how I understand it anyway. It seems to be an exchange of either “cut and paste” and the odd link thrown in by people who in the main are unlikely to be swayed from their view of reality. If one has the temerity to offer the other side of the argument, one’s view is either ignored or responded to with varying degrees of vitriol and personal abuse. This is most certainly a generalisation but true exchange of ideas is quite unusual and it is rare that anyone concedes that someone else may have a point.

How do we form our opinions? In my view these tend to be a mixture of upbringing, education, lifestyle and research. The internet has certainly in some ways made this easier but the overwhelming amount of information has made this something of a daunting task. Research to me means looking at all opinions on a certain subject and then deciding which is most convincing. I used the word “opinions” in my last sentence to describe interpretation of “fact”. What is “fact”?

So, back to the comment.  Brendano, for example gave this link Ferret which does present a different view of the BNP. This article in the Times also explains why the BNP finds respectability so hard to achieve.  The BNP’s manifesto seems to me, taking into account their origins, to have been “sanitised” and tailored to appeal to those from all the major parties who are quite rightly somewhat disenchanted by their performance. To me it reads like a fairy story and in, as you say, the unlikely event the BNP will ever become a political force in this country, it would be both unaffordable and impossible to implement.

I have run out of time Furry, so apologies. I am aware that I have failed to produce the evidence you seek but this is my view for what it’s worth.

What's your favourite news story of the year?

 

It can be anything, political, humourous, uplifting, vindictive, whatever it's your choice, you're individuals (well most of you).

 

For me it was the news that not only were B&Q stocking mole scarers, people in NI were actually buying them despite the fact that there are no moles in Ireland.  It still gets the odd laugh in our household and we're still refining the plan to introduce them.

The Steelers beat the Bengals in a cold, snowy game at Heinz Field last night, 27-10. It was the Steelers 5th straight win in a row vs. the Bengals and takes the Steelers overall record to 8-3 now.

The Steelers defense gave up only 208 total yards. It's the 11th straight game that the Steelers D held the opponents to under 300 yards.

CLICK HERE FOR STEELERS/BENGALS GAME PHOTOS

The news that journalist John Sergeant has quit Stricly Come Dancing has caused a nice storm in the british teacup.

But.

Did he jump or was he PUSHED? Read this article by a celebrity publicist - its a bit of an eye popper:

http://www.markborkowski.com/?p=7778

Insider info?

All I can say is if it's strictly a dance competition then don't invite people to take part who really can't dance" I guess the producers picked him to be on the show partly for the PR storm that would ensue when he clashed with the judges!

Could it be that this whole affair has been engineered from the start for the PR?

 

 

I have just read that beavers are to be re- introduced in Scotland.

Unless the lasses can be persuaded to start wearing the kilt.....how will we ever know?

The list of famous throw-in takers is far from long an illustrious, despite the fact that the throws they take are long and effective.

Rory Delap is almost single-handedly keeping Stoke City's head above water in their first season in the Premier League - almost because he still needs someone to aim at in the opposition box.

Dave Challinor, then of Tranmere, enjoyed his day in the sun and had specialist ball boys situated around Prenton Park with towels to dry the ball for him, as well as gaps in the advertising hoardings to allow for a decent sized run up.

And then there is the late great Ian Hutchinson, he of the windmill throw, with his long and winding follow through, who did so much for Chelsea beyond his touchline bombs.

But now there is a new addition to the list. Step forward Paul Ladd, who has perfected the oft attempted, oft failed, flip-throw, in which the ball is propelled a mighty distance due to a full 360 degree rotation of the youngster's body.

Well, almost perfected. Standing someone a foot in front of him can put him off a touch - though he appears to be working on an effective tactic for dealing with that, too.

As we've reported previously, the Hitler's bunker scene from Downfall has been re-subtitled several times in the past to attack such targets as XBox Live, Sheffield United and the TV programme Torchwood so it was only a matter of time before the BNP membership leak got the same treatment.

The resulting video is very funny but sensitive viewers should be warned that Hitler does get a bit sweary.