BBC Radio 4: Real Dictators

 

'Real Dictators,' is a programme running o Radio 4 at the moment, or at least on the iPlayer.  It features all the best, Hitler, Stalin, Napoleon, Pol Pot, and so on.  Plus Oliver Cromwell, Enver Hoxha and Julius Caesar.  Quite a few unpleasant characters, unless you were on their side of course.  All became dictator in time for a variety of reasons.  Some were to enjoy brutality, others just used that to cause fear and limit opposition, none were original, to me they were all the same and somewhat boring.  

All these guys lacked sympathy with others.  Some clearly were unwell, especially as time passed, and most were paranoid knowing that any one of their loyal followers would do them in, just ask Julius Caesar.  

Most of us knew something about all these guys, and they are all men, Thatcher and Catherine the Great appear to have been missed off.  Others were less well known, Pol Pot for instance, who knew he died of a heart attack and never faced a court, outside of his own group?  Attila the Hun kept attacking simply because he had no choice, his followers wanted the bling stolen but could not create a city state as they were all nomads.  

I've enjoyed these almost hour long programmes as the history is quite good usually, at least involving those I knew something about.  However, there are one or two annoying features.  The narrator has to over dramatise everything all the way through.  Historic fact does not require dramatisation, facts speaks for themselves!  Also, the first 5 minutes are used as an introduction that is overlong and not required.  At the end another few minutes is wasted on the next chapter also!  And during the programme music appears in the background, unwarranted and unwanted.  Again overdramatic and needless.  What is it with people who cannot listen to words without noise in the background?  Are we all 12 years olds?  

That said, the series is worth a listen, though some programmes are a year old now.  If you like your dictators have a listen and see what you think.  Real Dictators

Nothing! I have Nothing to Say

 

Normally, having nothing to say has not meant I did not go forward and say it.  The effort required to speak when no words are available to appear can be demanding.  I don't do demanding so a mind strained as bad as my arm results.  This having nothing to say in public, or indeed on Twitter or Blogger or anywhere else online, has not actually been recorded as a 'bad thing.'  Indeed, the opposite view has been proffered.   

I considered my day for inspiration, that failed.  I considered my life experience and burst into tears again.  I made my way through the depressing online papers and began to feel seriously unwell.  Can there be any hope in this new government, will they inspire?  Not yet.  And what a government says it will do may not be what it actually does.  How about the radio?  Well Rory Stewart is making the case 'for ignorance.'  Well, Rory I am well ahead of you there.  How about 'Is Psychiatry Working?'  Well let's just look at all those men pretending to be women and say no, it has failed greatly.   Mark Steel in East Grinstead might be worth a listen, but this programme is not what it was, I know not why, but recent progs have not be that good in my opinion.  

I am of course, working my way through several books at one time.  Always a fast moving one, always an interesting one, and always several either to heavy, too slow or of lesser interest in the rear.  A new book arrived for my birthday, a second on the way, I get excited awaiting unknow books, yet wary in case they are not up to it.  I have baited breath for this one however.

We await with baited breath also for 8 pm on Sunday evening when Spain slaughter the colonial imperialists Engerland, hopefully by at least 5 clear goals.  A quick glance at the world and we see which nation is supporting which nation during this game.  It ought to come as no surprise really.

It must be said this was not one of the greatest tournaments ever.  Feeble sides like England won through but never deserved victory.  Netherlands, Germany, Scotland all failed to produce, and France fell asleep before the kick off.  Many players did not end the tournament with much hope of future 'caps.'  Germany and Netherlands will however, be stronger in two years time, but will Scotland?

I Say BBC!

We are all well aware re the BBCs political correctness and their 'lefty liberal' approach, though that does not appear on the BBC News where the Conservative Party and far-right headbangers rule, but this one is interesting.  The advert, for a music producer, is aimed at people who are disabled.  There are certain things you must 'identify' as including being 'dead.'  Somehow I am unsure that this is a typing error.  

Another vacancy includes reference to 'Sliced Bread.'  I remain unsure as to whether this is a programme or providing sandwiches for the workers.  

This of course I found on Twitter, where it originates I know not, but it will please the 'Daily mail' and the moron readership awaiting the opportunity to spell their name next to the 'Reform' candidate.

I wonder if this is true?  It certainly appears that way, as all those still with large lands tend to be Lords and Dukes etc.  Whether they have any money is of course another story but they do posses much land.  It is slightly different in Scotland, the richest, largest landowner I think is a rich Dutchman, though that may just be my memory.  However, it may well be those landowners might be the descendants of Willie, you and I may be descendants of them also, hopefully.   

How many do you still have in the cupboard?

The King and Her

The coronation took place today, in case you had not noticed.  Several thoughts coursed through my mind throughout.  One that kept returning was the thought that Camila was only there because she had been told it was a 'Coronation Street' party.  She looked a wee bit disappointed.

My thoughts concerning Archbishop Selby and his fellow Bishops on show were not polite.  While working through the liturgy as if he believed it, he forgot to add that he was opposing it with his 'Stonewall' propositions.  He was asking the King to be 'defender of the Faith,' while all the time moving away from that very faith.  The title itself was given first to Henry VIII in 1521, by Pope Leo X, after he wrote a booklet opposing the works of Martin Luther.  He had it removed a while later when he decided to become head of his own church, an action that begat much seen in today's coronation.  It had actually been offered to Scotland's King James IV in 1507, many years before, as 'Protector and Defender of the Christian Faith.'  It could be said the kings since that date have been defending the Rome version, but I suspect legal moves since have abandoned this. 

Anyway, throughout I was not happy with the Bishops performance, more an event than a Christian service, though the biblical words I liked.  Leaders of the Anglicans in England are becoming more of a shadow of the faith rather than leaders.

One thought concerned the chair.  The throne on which the King is 'kinged,' I note was not as it appeared in the shop.  Behind the king were initials cut into the wood, I spent much time attempting to read them rather than watch the event.  I winder who scribbled on there, when, how?  Probably kids from the choir.

The overlong ceremony did appear to be out of place in today's world.  If we have a king we need a coronation, I understand Charles changed much, but it appears the CoE, therefore the Archbishops, who have the last say.  It is a church run event.  

The BBC coverage continued in the normal royal vane.  The commentators bland, grey voices, the information regarding the marchers, the dresses, what the kids were doing, the false enjoyment of nothing almost 'Daily Mail' like.  Indeed in the studio a royal correspondent from the paper itself offered his opinions.  Who heard the word 'slime ball' there?  Others who appeared to offer their thoughts 'How fantastic,' 'wonderful day,' 'excitement,' and so on.  Gush, gush. gush.  Now I expect much of this at these times, but there is a limit.  I also noted the BBC appeared not to mention the 'Not my King' protestors who were arrested, nor the 'Stop the oil' bairns also.  Maybe the BBC did not know?   

I was more concerned for the troops standing for hours in the rain, sometimes at 'attention.'  All night they will be drying their outfits, scrubbing equipment, polishing steel, and proud to have taken part, well, most of them.  All will be glad they did not faint, drop the gun, trip, or walk behind the horses.

All have done their duty, the policemen working out how much overtime they will get, the rest sitting in a pub before making off home tomorrow, unless there is more overtime.  

Events like this do bring the nation together, however, the generation gap, the Conservative Party, and rising electricity prices have dampened much of these events.  The royals will have to work hard to change their image, and possibly within 10 years we may have another royal funeral, and then 'Dim Wullie' under his wife's orders, will be king.  Oh dear oh dear...

Gary Lineker and Prince Who?

The Gestapo like control from the Conservative controlled BBC continues.  Having refused to Kow-Tow to Tory policy Gary Lineker has been removed from his position on 'Match of the Day' because the Tory government demands this.  The fascist takeover of the nation continues.  The journalists that report facts objectively have been removed, anyone who disagrees fears for his life, so they keep quiet, and now Gary is being used as a weapon to demand obedience Nazi like from the Conservative controlled board.

A reminder, the Board of the BBC has 12 members, 9 of whom belong to the Conservative Party.  The Chairman of the BBC gave almost half a million pounds to the Conservative Party, he also 'arranged' a 'Loan of £800,000' to Boris Johnson.'  The Director General of the BBC stood as a Conservative Candidate at an election, and failed.   He headed up the Hammersmith Conservatives for some time.

Now they accuse Gary of 'lacking impartiality' on one of his personal, not BBC, Tweets on Twitter.  Here he likened the Tory approach to asylum seekers arriving by boat as similar to Germany in the 30s.  He was not wrong and has gathered great support.

Today we hear he has been forced to stand down from his job.

Sieg Heil I say!

Who is this?

Have you heard of him?

Nobody appears to have any knowledge of this man.

However, King Charlie III has.

Not only does he know him, he has decided to use this man both to fill up a gap in the royal protocols, and to annoy his brother Andrew.  Charlie has named this geezer 'The Duke of Edinburgh.'  

Now, you and I know this man has never been to Edinburgh, and indeed may not go there for some time, if at all.  We know this has been done because Andrew, awaiting trial in the USA, is not fit for purpose and must be shoved aside out of the way for another few years.  So, whatsisname comes in as 'Duke.'   This man already is a Duke, the Duke of Wessex, but that title now gets passed onto his son.  Gosh isn't this interesting?  Edward, for this is he apparently, is already Earl of Forfar, if he knows where that is, and is no doubt keen to be seen wasting folks time around Scotland.  

What do the people think?

Have they noticed?

Do they care? 

Well, no...

Wales

 

Wiki

 

I was watching a bit of the Wales v Scotland ruby match this afternoon when I recalled these three 30 minute programmes on Wales on BBC Radio 4 by Jeremy Bowen. Jeremy is better known for being shot at by various peoples out in the Middle East where he normally works as a BBC foreign correspondent.

These three interesting programmes give an insight into the growth of Wales as a nation, the historical background and present day realities.  All from a man who was born and bred in Cardiff.  

We all know Scots history, a thousand years of English oppression and all that, but nobody knows Wales.  Wales is just that bit on the end of England, annexed by Edward the Thug a thousand years ago and ignored ever since.  sScots empathise with the Welsh quite easily, Wales rugby fans have always found a welcome in Scotland, it's the Scots rugby fans we refer to as 'Hooray Hamish's.'  Having an oppressive neighbour next door does bring a shared understanding.  Wales however, is not Scotland and the story is a very different one.  These three programmes are well worth a listen.

 

Lies will Succeed

It appears to me, sitting here in my garret, that there are two reasons for the debacle that has occurred to the Labour Party in England.  One is the poor leadership of Keith Starmer.  Though at heart a talented Barrister and determined to make a better society than the one offered across the Despatch Box he has failed to make a mark on the gangster Boris Johnson and his cohorts.  

The other is the acumulation of anti-migrant and anti-EU propaganda spewed out by the Conservatives for the past 30 years.  Constant attacks, usually lies, in the Right-wing press on the EU and migrants, often from Boris Johnson himself, with little if any evidence to show, has led to the lower middle classes and white working classes feeling 'Left out' by Labour policies which are perceived to be in favour of incomers at the indigenous populations expense.  The result is the 'Sun,' 'Daily Express,' and 'Daily Mail' reading public convinced they are on the losing side, so they reach out to the Tories to save them.

 

The Tories have learned much from Goebbels, possibly with the help of Steve Bannon, one of the neo Nazis of today.  Point the finger over there - at the Jews in the Nazis case, and if you repeat the same lie long enough, a simple straight forward lie, people will become convinced of its truth.  It worked in the 1930's it has worked again here.  The thinking middle classes, usually University educated and full of themselves, are less likely to follow the Tory line.  Electricians, engineers, small shopkeepers and artisans, often wise and sensible people, however see some substance in the Tory message, one perpetrated via the press and the Tory run BBC, the channel the majority watch.  With no mention of Boris's corruption, no questioning of Brexit, no desire to make politicians accountable the man in the street has little knowledge of what is going on.  Many are happy with this, the effort to seek out varied opinions does not trouble them.  

The results will soon burn the voters.  Tory councils will be approached by many wishing to build houses in the voters backyards, objections will get little support.  The disabled, the hungry, the unemployed, the local NHS will soon start to show the cracks of Tory policy.  

The question then will be, can the nation recover from this?       

Now I'm Not One to Complain, but...

Have you noticed how radio programmes have 'dumbed down?'  I mean on Radio 4 and 4 Extra.  Here we see the imposition of 'Bread and Circus's' clearly.
Once there were many good programmes covering a wide range of issues, often well researched, constructively presented and well worth a listen.  Today there has been a marked increase in drama, Political Correctness (almost every programme has to have a woman knowledgeable or not, and a lessening of factual, Historical or religious programmes.  It appears taking your mind of reality is now the main driving force in radio.
There has on Radio 4 always been far too much 'drama,' Books' and 'stories,' almost all aimed at women, but there is a great increase today.  This appears in my mind as part of the slow erosion of the thinking mind and the replacement with programmes that do not challenge and encourage a slow seeping of the questioning mind.  You do not get that from 'Book at Bedtime.'
This is a deliberate policy.
The new 'BBC Sounds' which replaced the 'iplayer' has also encouraged this by lessening the number of aged programmes than can be obtained.  Those that are available will be the ones chosen for us by our superiors, and we can trust them can we not?
We have a 'dumbed down' media, the press, TV and radio offer nothing to inspire, educate and open the mind.  Far too much follows the rule of the powers that be.  Any who oppose and disagree may well soon see their books burnt.  Just saying...

Now you mention it, why are there so many women chatting on Radio 3 these days?  There was a time the presenter presented the music and the music played.  Now it appears either  a woman presents, which means talks needlessly about, the music and some of it plays.  Now there has been women presenting on Radio 3 for some time, very good ones at that, but there is a new generation introduced by Political Correctness to fill the air with sound, the sound of their voice, not music. 
Yesterday the 'Early music Show was more talk than music, late the other night, just after midnight, a trio of women came on to discuss women composers, usually by giggling rather than talking and avoiding playing much music by female composers while they giggled like teenagers. 
Today, Donald MacLeod has a women to discuss Beethoven during 'Composer of the Week.'  Why?  He has never required assistance before!  While the Beeb is cutting back by removing 450 'journalists (no managers appear to be leaving) it is adding needless females to all parts of the BBC for PC reasons, thus increasing costs and wasting cash!  The money saved on journalists, mostly those who opposed Brexit I suspect, will be spent on the women infesting Radio 3 with their talk.  Talk?  Ten words when one would do thus offering less time for music which is what the station is for!
If I go on like this I may have to apply for a job at the 'Daily Mail!'

Coventary & Mudlarking

Radio 4

Every morning at 9:45 Radio 4 offers a 'Book of the Week.'  Usually it is some women's book, often concerning how hard their lives are, while occasionally something interesting drops by.  I thought this week the book sounded quite good at first sight, 'Coventry,' a book by Rachel Cusk, the Radio schedule tells us the book is a 'new collection of witty and clear sighted essays.'  I looked forward to something other than the usual.  Having heard the first, read by an Amelia Bullmore, a woman who's voice indicates she is on the verge of suicide, and cogitated on the fifteen minutes of grumbling about other people's driving habits I found myself not over happy with the results.  Her driving, mostly around narrow roads near the sea appeared hindered by slow drivers, tourists gazing at the view, people wondering where the next turning was and then she ventured onto the motorway somewhat reluctantly.  Her moaning continued, everybody was at fault, and I was wondering if possibly she herself could be a problem on the road.  Other people getting in the way are indeed a nuisance.  The 'wtty' bit was lacking and her 'clear sight' blocked by 40 ton lorries I think.
This morning I gave her another chance, however the second programme is one in which she labours on about how her parents kept 'sending her to Coventry,' something she claims they have done all her life.  Fifteen minutes with none of the 'witty or clear sighted' writing hove into view.  Depression, desolation, gloom and wrist slashing while throwing oneself of a railway bridge certainly did however.  Is it part of the female psyche to consider such things witty I ask?  A combination of the tale of woe with a melancholic reader do not in my mind result in 'witty and clear sighted' essays.  There are three more programmes like this and by Friday I expect the Samaritans will be calling out for more volunteers to answer the phones!
Last weeks book, 'Mudlarking,' by Lara Maiklem was similarly spoiled by her revealing her personality all the way through and then reading her own book with an unsuitable voice.  The actions of the 'Mudlarks' are often very interesting in themselves but their broken lives are revealed all to easily in five 15 minute programmes.
I spent a very relaxing day after this downloading lots of 'Podcasts' from the BBC.  Thanks to 'BBC Sounds' replacing the 'BBC iPlayer' it took long enough to find 'Podcasts' but find it I did.  I then wandered about therein seeking items that have been heard before, many I had not known existed and others that will require listening to soon.  I will put them in the 'Brexit hoard' as after then there will be a shortage of programmes as the only thing to be heard will be wailing and gnashing of teeth! 

Good Friday

'Good Friday' reflects the UK as it is today, folks are either on holiday or shopping!  In the past most would take the day off, today most shops are open, the museum also, and many football matches have taken place.  One or two items re Easter have appeared on the BBC but in very BBC style of course.
Many are enjoying the warmth that has returned for a few days.  Outside the sky is pale blue, the blossoms flourish on tress and greedy birds desperate for forage race around as the breeding season is in full bloom also.  Men dispense with jackets, girls with almost everything and others have crushed their way to the seaside in long lines of cars or busy railways.  Most will travel back in similar fashion.  Why they do this I fail to understand.
I merely ensured I was able to take my remaining cough to St P's this after noon for the 'Hour at the Cross' meditation.  The vicar was praying i would be healthy enough as she had given me a portion to read!  Now I have read this as ordered I suspect the praying will cease and the sickness return!
It is several weeks since I walked that far and I feel it now.  Made worse as too few vehicles are around as many are away so offers of lifts were non existent.
How I suffer!
The weather is warm, the wind light, the knees upset.  
Nothing changes bar the weather.
This meant I lazily made use of a Pizza I had in the freezer, cheaper than 'Pizza Huts,' and fills a large space. 

One BBC offering is David Suchet with 'In the Steps of St Peter.'  This two part programme traced Peter's life from the Sea of Galilee to Rome.  Apart from being too slanted a Roman Catholic offering it was not that bad a programme.  Some points were clearly either wrong or er, misunderstood, but overall it must have been great for him to explore these places and make the programmes.  Hard work at times but fun also.  
One noticeable BBC aspect was the number of women involved.  Almost every 'expert' good and bad, was female,  I suspect when fishing in the Lake the director was upset he had to use a boat full of men rather than one run by women.  For the BBC this was not bad an effort and I quite enjoyed it, especially the bots I could indicate were erroneous!  Great fun.
There is also a programme shown this morning that I missed featuring a large black woman and a male discussing 'Britain's Music Traditions.'  Much more BBC in appearance but I ave not yet watched this and will do so later.  
I am listening to Radio 4's 'Witness: Behind Luke's Story,' with Ernie Rea and the first 15 minute programme, from 2007, was quite good and I have hope for the rest.  Radio 3 has of course relevant music today and Sunday and the Essay has had a few interesting 15 minute programmes also.  So pagan BBC has been reasonably successful so far, not as it ought to be but better than it has been in the past.  
However tonight I will be seeking out BBC Scotland channel for Ayr United v Ross County, life must go on...

Mouse, Theresa and Money

Mugmania

This is a small bag of chocolate coins, the type that appear every Christmas to overcharge the parents and vainly satisfy the kids.  These are popular, these are just chocolate wrapped in gold foil, and these were stolen by the mouse!
To combat this menace I have taken obvious action.  Food is hidden, bins removed or sealed, nothing left making it easy for him, and holes searched for.  This however is not perfect.  On my bookcase I
have a cup wrapped in paper which will soon wend its way to the birthday girl on the appropriate date.  Inside that mug, just to keep it somewhere, was a bag of gold chocolate coins.  On the shelf beneath were coins, fivepences, tenpences etc that I take into work to use in the till.  Yesterday morning I came into the east wing and found coins on the floor alongside other detritus, all of which had been knocked from the shelf.  Collecting them I noticed the gold coins had gone, the metal ones to hard on the mouses teeth I suspect, and no trace to be found.  
Eventually I found the hole where he had taken them, only one item of gold paper to be seen, alongside a scouring pad, backed by foam, that disappeared the other day from the sink.  Last night, having moved heavy items of furniture, stacked with books, I shoved the scourer into the hole in a vain effort to seal it, it had been pushed aside this morning, and decided to buy some 'wire wool' as I have heard this deters them as their teeth don't like it.  Now I have some of this steel wool I will spend tomorrow morning filling holes with it and see how mouse likes that.  I may even find the rest of the golden paper.  The cheek of the brute!

Indy

Theresa has done it again.  She may it clear a shuffle of her cabinet was under way to prove she was in charge and she would get her personal manifesto put into action.  She failed.  Her Health Secretary refused to move and added another bit to his kingdom, the Education secretary refused the poisoned chalice of the DWP (where sick and unemployed and put to death) and this was later filled by another hard hearted type much loved by 'Daily Mail' readers and lots of nobody's took positions nobody cares about (including our Boris fan MP).  In short it was an abject failure.

The press, especially the ones that hate immigrants, and announcing a 'diverse' cabinet as if they cared while they really want a white, right wing, male cabinet to satisfy their ideas of superiority.  All this while pretending to support the women while striving to have her removed.

I begin to feel sorry for the hard hearted bint.

 

The media, run by men, are making a big deal of Carrie Gracie's publicity stunt of the last few days regarding men being paid higher salaries than she was.  She has 'stepped down' as the BBC China correspondent to return to a sea on the BBC newsdesk.  This she did as a complaint regarding BBC men being paid more than women.
She forgot to mention how much she is paid (just under £150,000 I suspect) and she does not lose any of this by moving to another department.  She does however get to spend more time with her family which she claims to have missed though taking a job 5000 miles from home would probably lead to that happening I suspect, and now she is better of than 90% of the population and grumbling about it not being fair.
The phrase 'aye right' goes through my head.
Why is it that the best paid women, doing fewer hours than most, grumble about a 'gender gap?'  
I have never had a job where I got paid more than the women!  Secretaries simply by being secretaries get paid far more than men who have to work.  Office girls are well paid unlike men working on the job and yet grumble about cash.  Media stars have an inbuilt right to more money than anyone else but there appears to be no reason for this.  If you don't like the conditions, which you signed up to, do what a man has to do and find another job.  Then we will see if anyone thinks you are worth what you think you are worth.
Oh and as you are paid a s a 'company' I suspect you pay little tax on this money.

The Benefits of the Wireless

Now OK, I realise most folks call it a 'radio' today but I always find the word 'wireless' appearing in my head and so I might as well use it.  When young we did indeed have a 'wirelss,' a great big box with an aerial that looked like a bent birds cage which hung outside the window do obtain a good reception.  I wonder if this was obtained second hand or possibly through my aunt who worked in 'Jenners' Edinburgh's principal shop, the one where all the rich women spent much time drinking tea with their pinkie sticking out and discussing the merits of other women's lives.  My mother did not have the cash for that pleasure and merely gossipped with the neighbours.  
Anyway I recall, possibly before I began school, a large 'Radiogram' appearing in the corner.  This vast cupboard had a lid which when lifted exposed the large dial for the wireless on one side and a record layer (ten '45's at one go!) on the other.  This my elder brother and sisters much enjoyed though I also took happily to their choice of 'Rock & Roll.'  
On the large dial, over a foot in length and several inches wide, there was a list of foreign places from far away.  I cannot mind now but I suppose both Long, Short and Medium wave were available on their however if we listened to the radio we most probably only had three stations at that time, the BBC 'Home Service, the BBC 'Light' programme and Radio Luxembourg which in those days played music young people wished to listen to, the BBC remained rather stuffy until the pirate radio ships gave them a shove in the 60's.  I spent many a Sunday afternoon with my head up against the speaker listening to the 'Billy Cotton Band Show,' 'The Goons' with their 'pictures in the mind' and other comedy shows that abounded in the afternoons.  During the week the 'Tony Hancock Show' brought in an audience of 25 million!  This of course before TV was common and then did similar when transferred to the telly later on.  Those days have long gone and even the dreadful 'soaps' only get 13 million by adding the two showing of the programmes together.

The Internet has been a blessing regarding listening to the wireless as the BBC iplayer allows me to catch programmes I usually miss and indeed many of those programmes once hear while munching mums salad rolls on Summer Sunday afternoons.   Now we possess the updated (though the names do need updating once again) Radio's 1,2,3,4, plus 5Live, the rather juvenile station, plus the World Service once the best of them all now dumbed down and as PC as the rest of the BBC and Radio 4 Extra, a station that plays old programmes, mostly sad to say dramas, stories and pap.  However via the iplayer I can catch some wonderful programmes and today I have been working my way through the Radio 3 excellent 'Essay' series.  In particular I have been enjoying some of the 'Free Thinking' programmes, I listened to the 15 minute ones where one person spouted their opinion on a topic (many wide and varied) and dis so in an intelligent and thoughtful manner.  I did not always agree, some were spectacularly wrong, but I had to listen and wanted to hear more.  There are so many talk shows on Radio 4 that are decidedly middle calls and usually aimed at women with problems that when you hear grown up women talk on Radio 3 you wonder if it is not time for a change in the programming layout somewhere.  Maybe the Radio 3 audience is more open to reason?

I must confess that I have had a fill of thinking talk for a while and may well retire to the West Wing and place my dull ear to the speaker again and listen out for something that either takes me out from this box or makes me laugh, I don't as yet now which.  Either way it will be better for me that glueing my face to the box in the corner where 50 channels, when they work, offer me little of value.  Once again there I must reach for the TV iplayer and seek something worthy.  

Tory Grumbling While Rolling in it.

Oh what a fuss, the BBC pays its people lots of money and folks now complain, what a 'to do!'

In the days of long ago when Maggie Thatcher was king the back bench Tories shouted loudly about BBC bias and questioned whether there was a need for a licence fee, how times change?  The Tory back bench demanded programmes that reached a mass audience rather than just the quality programmes then available on the BBC.  To answer this Michael Grade was appointed and he introduced 'Eastenders' a soap opera that has done more to lower the standards of behaviour in the UK and elsewhere than anything other than Rupert Murdoch's 'Sun.'  Other such tripe were produced and quality has ever since been shoved aside in the search for ratings.
Recently BBC employees whether staff or entertainers have been criticised for huge payments, this by Tory back bench MP's earning £74,000 plus all the other jobs and 'appearences' they make and having a cabinet in which each and every one of them is a multi millionaire. (Hunt the Health Secretary now engaged n selling the NHS to private operators has masses of shares in said operators, he is also the richest member of the cabinet!)  This outcry, taking up willingly by the 'Daily Mail' (Editor Paul Dacre on £2 million a year plus) and other Tory rags.  The Beeb then lowered some of the big names salaries, including the Director General and when this failed to stop the whining decided today to reveal the names of those who earn over £15,000 a year.  It must be stated that many do not get paid PAYE but form themselves into 'companies' and thus avoid much tax (Tory style).
The outcry, much expected and mostly jealously unleashed, was drowned out by that other paper seller the 'gender imbalance.'  This is an invention middle class women have come up with to grumble about men earning more than they do.  So today the usual suspects were brought out complaining Gary Linekar get almost £2 million for a football programme and no woman is anywhere near this.  This argument ignores Claudia Winkleman, one of the worst females ever to appear on the screen gets pad £450,000 for doing almost nothing!  Some blond on the 'Now Show' another piece of emptiness from the BBC gets similar for what?  The number of empty meaningless women paid over £150,000 is staggering yet the cry is there are not enough of them?  This cry often from the women who are looking for such jobs! 
The real reason for the gender gap' (note how we never say 'sex' these days) is that the men are better at the job and  bring in the viewers, in TV and radio that is what matters.  That is also why some women have their jobs, not that they are good but that women respond to them, BBC Breakfast staff please note.
I was shocked to say the least when I saw some payments however, Stephan Nolan getting half a million?  Nothing justifies this.  Chris Evans £2,25 million?  How on earth he gets this I fail to understand, just as Jeremy Vine pulling in over £700,000 for a crap radio show and as a bad quizmaster on 'Eggheads.'  How often he does not know the answers to things I knew in primary!  

When you think about it the payouts are not in media terms excessive.  Had these folks gone to ITV they would often get twice or three times the money, maybe we ought to be glad they stay where they are?  The women whine as always yet never mention the abundance of female newsreaders (Sophie Rayworth getting £250,000 for reading a prompt) and the vast number of women on BBC sport, mostly ignorant of their subject.  I could mention 'Farming Today, produced and presented by women but always it is male farmers interviewed, sexism here clearly.  Sexism works two ways but the women never notice this.  It is of course 'selfishness' not 'sexism' that is at the root.    
The market sets the prices on offer, the Tory party back bencher will wallow in grumbling until something is done then head off to earn a great deal more than anyone in the Beeb, but that appears to be OK.  This does not bother me overmuch, happiness does not come from the cash obtained by fronting poor programmes or getting jobs because of who you know, and this happens everywhere in life.  Life is more than cash and we live well without it, don't we? 

Slow Day

The decision to 'Go to war!' as the 'Daily Mail' gently put it has filled the grubby media today, that and the media attack on Jeremy Corbyn.  It is amazing how the middle class BBC liberals are so keen to attack Corbyn.  They are supposedly 'lefties' and I suspect they are afraid of his popular backing.  It would not do to have the people demands seen as important, at least not as important as the middle class 'lefties' demands anyway.  Tsk!  They might not be allowed to tell others what to do.

The world continues as if nothing happened and I followed them by posting two more Xmas packets, cheap gifts for the family, I send Gift Cards and I am real happy 'Poundland' now do them.  The I had an attractive blonde cut my hair and wandered around Tesco.  On the way back I passed the museum so I popped in to say 'Hello.'  Within minutes I was busy at the desk as nobody was in and I had to cover for an hour!  Typical!  I spent some time looking through the 1937 'Kellys' Directory' which lists the people and life of the town at that time.  Ridiculously interesting to see my home was once used as a surgery by a doctor who bought it from a family chap.  He took over the house from a woman who made corsets, that's one way to get around women.  This unexpected diversion, not the corsets, meant I was unable to spend time on my latest exercise regime.  Sadly I had to let that pass. 
Nothing of any moment has passed through my mind or across my consciousness all day.  Whether that is because nothing has or whether it is because I am too dumb to see it today I know not but nothing has happened.  So I suggest you take yourself over to Dave and see his excellent photos taken on his travels.  Well worth a look!  As for me I am downloading the Windows update on the other laptop so that will keep me busy for a while.

Lazy Post

But funny.
Sophisticated satire on PR during the days of Tony Blair.

Sunday Smile

Something Different

The Clyde Puffers used to sail the west coast of Scotland to the isles delivering this that and everything.  Now long gone only one is left, taking tourists through the road to the isles.' 

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A MishMash

Today I decided that I required to take more care when blogging.  I should choose carefully the subject, consider all aspects then when ready write logically and thoughtfully of my topic.  This is of course wise and good healthy advice.

I forgot all about it.

Now here I am brain dead and with nothing to say, logically or in the more usual scrawled style.

As usual nothing happened today.  I never left the house as some malady kept me in this morning even though the weather turned out reasonable.  The football certainly filled the afternoon and some pleasure has been taken dealing with the riff-raff in the follow up.  Dearie me how Hibernian folks get excited when they win.  I suppose this is because it is such an oddity they are not sure what to do!  Two football matches in a row are quite wearying, the emotions aroused, the shouting at the ref, the stress caused and like most others I needed to lie on the floor for a bit to recover my equilibrium, which I am told lies just behind the kidneys.  

After this there was nothing to do but raid the Radio iPlayer for old programmes.  This I must say is how I tend to listen to the radio these days.  It is almost impossible to be there when the programme you wish to hear is available and I find some of the old comedies funnier than those now on offer. Whether this is age or the BBC's unwillingness to serve up anything controversial on these lines I know not, I do know they are quite touchy about bad reports after some folks upset too many.  We are left with puerile or unfunny stuff all too often instead.  Milton is not too bad mind.

Telegraph

As if things were not bad enough the US has started it now.  The Clinton missus has announced she will run for President.  This means we not only have our own election special boring the pants of us as they lie through he media to us all we also will be engulfed by news of Clinton and her fans, news of her opponents and the media baloney that follows them.  Oh joy!  I suspect when election day arrives we will just put a cross somewhere with our eyes closed to get it over with for all the difference it makes. 

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'Clue.

'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' is one of the BBC Radio 4's better efforts.  Smutty in bits it also possesses much humour.  This particular episode features the great Humphrey Lyttleton as chairman.  Sadly he died 19 days after this recording.  You may, or may not, like this.

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Flutterby

This boy has been sat here on my bathroom wall for three days now.  Sitting there, face down, as if he expects to be fed somehow.  What is he doing there? The door, a large wooden thing that fills a hole, is wide open, leaving a large empty hole through which he can leave, this is positioned only six inches from his face, yet he stays there.
His mate flew in the other night and fluttered about for a while in the bedroom banging his head on the window before he worked out to go through the open bit.  He flew out to join several other butterfly's fluttering by and yesterday there appeared to be a great many of the things around.  This can only be good as the beasties are suffering a lot with the muck we pollute the air with.
I may however have to call the bailiffs in for this visitor.

The BBC iPlayer is down!  It is impossible to get programmes to arise!  How can I live without listening to something I could not hear when originally broadcast? This great boon to mankind now lying broken somewhere in White City or wherever is more important than anything else to those of us off an intellectual bent.  And I have often been informed my intellect is very bent indeed!  I was listening to the 'Essay' on Radio 3 and it would not work. Last weeks was about the first world war and offered interesting insights as to how it effected people in various nations today, very clever programmes.  This week we have had A.L. Kennedy talking about Scotland!  You would not wish to miss this!  I canny agree with Kennedy on some things but I find her short talks very interesting and clever. Well worth a listen, once the blasted thing comes back up that is!!! Bah!!!  

No iPlayer and it's back to this.....