Archive for the ‘television’ Category
Boris Johnson Dirty Tricks Against Ken Livingstone
Boris Gets It Wrong, Wrong, Wrong
Boris must be worried about Ken. In a snide, nasty and Soviet-style move, Boris’ team has enlisted a herd of tame bloggers to campaign against Ken’s assignment with Press TV.
Now of course, Press TV has very dodgy antecedents. It’s backed by the Iranian government and very probably subject to a degree of control by Allahshandjob and his theocratic Nazis. Inevitably the Zionists are up in arms, manipulating, bullying, bribing and coercing their friends into a disgraceful smear campaign against Ken. It’s really a battle of one Nazi ideology against another. I’m very surprised and deeply disappointed to see Boris getting involved.
It’s worth reading Press TV’s perspective on the issue in “Britain trying to halt Press TV”.’
The Mayor Of London’s office flatly refused to comment on this story. In fact they couldn’t put the phone down on me quickly enough. I can tell you though, with absolute certainty, that specific instructions went out from Boris’ office to round up his sheeple and get them all writing the same story – particularly to link the phrase “holocaust deniers” to Ken’s name as often as possible.
Any reasonable person condemns both the Iranian and Zionist regimes. They are both a force for evil and a threat to world peace. We should be encouraging their involvment in the media though, in the ebb and flow of news and information. That is the way towards a more honest, inclusive and peaceful world. The British media is often biased but we would be outraged if any part of it was subject to such a campaign of smear, innuendo and attempted gagging. This is a repressive, anti-democratic campaign. Boris should stop it immediately. It’s a mistake.
Journalists work for Fox News all the time and there’s no more despicable news organisation. Left and right wingers write for the Daily Mail every day, despite its legendary bias, misinformation and scandalmongering. Andrew Gilligan has worked for Press TV. Why shouldn’t Ken?
Probably the worst mistake I’ve ever seen Boris make. This sort of behaviour is beneath him and entirely unnecessary.
How Drugs Work – Cannabis
Well done to the BBC for its programme “How Drugs Work – Cannabis” tonight. It was a well balanced and wide ranging examination of the subject. Inevitably it looked at extreme cases and was sensational in parts but I thought it was fair.
I could pick at details. It certainly didn’t provide any comparisons against other drugs. It should have clarified how dramatically more dangerous is alcohol and with many fewer benefits but overall it was a good job, well done.
I am encouraged by this well produced treatment of the subject. We may well be making progress!
Rebecca – I Told You So! – WRONG—WRONG!
I had this all ready to go!
I think the result is very strange. Rebecca should have won.
She is the one who will go on to achieve great success.
It’s wonderful to be able to say I told you so nearly ten weeks ago!
She is the one with the X Factor.
She deserves it.
Home Office Plays A Cruel Game Of Media Spin
There is no logic nor common sense nor science nor rationale in UK government drug policy. Everyone knows that. Nearly every commentator, scientist, doctor, even most politicians in private, acknowledge that there is no reasonable basis for our current drug laws. They do more harm than good and in the process they waste billions of pounds in law enforcement costs and create massive harm to society and to public health. The report issued today by Professor Nutt and his colleagues reveals the appalling incompetence of our drug policy. See here.
Monster
Unlike every other country in Europe, the UK places drug policy in the hands of the Home Office rather than the Department of Health. Nothing reveals the idiocy of this more than the current debacle over medicinal cannabis. See BBC Inside Out London tonight at 7.30pm or here on the iPlayer tomorrow.
What is truly disgraceful about the Home Office is the way it plays the media game with complete disrespect for and by ignoring citizens to whom it owes a duty of care. While it issues conflicting messages to the media, it fails to respond at all to dozens of individuals suffering from debilitating diseases who have sought its advice on obtaining their medicine. Hundreds of individuals have written repeatedly to the Home Office but have received no reply. The conduct of the minister responsible for this scandalous episode, James Brokenshire, can only be described as cruel, negligent and irresponsible. While the rest of us may debate the political issues around drug laws, thousands continue in pain and suffering while this monster continues his game of media spin.
There is no justice or truth in government drug policy but in this instance there is blatant evil and disregard for human suffering in James Brokenshire. The man is a disgrace and not fit to hold public office.
Who Rattled Andrew Marr’s Cage? I Think He’s Worried.
It's Called Competition
Andrew Marr’s rant against bloggers rather surprised me. His Sunday morning show is a fixture for me. I think his intemperate and short tempered polemic betrays an old-fashioned journalist’s insecurity and fear of the new media
Someone in his privileged position has only to sneeze and he will be published in front of millions. I admire his work but there are thousands, equally capable and with equally valid opinions who are now able to express themselves widely on the internet. The real question is when will the “dead mens shoes”, “who you know not what you know” culture be overturned? Let’s not be shy here, I know my writing is generally better than most that’s published in the national press, yet I only enjoy that audience occasionally. Those, like Andrew Marr, who already have their foot in the door, shut it firmly in the face of their challengers and competitiors. It’s a closed shop, much worse than any trade union restrictive practice.
I do agree with him completely about anonymity. It is a matter of pride to me that, wherever I can, I use my own name when writing, commenting, abusing, complimenting, agreeing or yes, occasionally, even ranting. I also agree, in this one instance only, with that obnoxious little billionaire, Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, when he said “Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity”. I think he’s absolutely right on this and I hope more people will follow his and my example.
Overall though Mr Marr, I think your rant about bloggers says more about you than anything else – and you’re right to be worried. I hope you stick around but there’s plenty of dead wood in journalism and broadcasting that needs chopping out. Editors are the lazy ones, the real culprits. It’s easy for them just to sign off the same old names time after time. They have become far too powerful and need taking down a peg or two. They should be scouting round the blogosphere for new talent instead of sitting on their backsides getting fat and lazy.
Rebecca
Someone, I can’t remember who, taunted me to write about The X Factor, so here I am.
I wish I’d done it before because we’re all in the “I told you so” business and it’s true, I promise, I’m hardly an ITV dot com type but I was looking up Rebecca last week. She has a rare authenticity that moves me and I believe in.
I think she’ll go far.
The BBC’s Absurd Level Of Coverage Of The Pope
This has been another grave error of judgment by the BBC.
According to the 2001 census there are 4.2 million Catholics in the UK. According to the 2005 Church census, just 887,000 are regular worshippers. Does this justify the absurd level of wall to wall coverage we have had to endure over the last four days?
It looks totally disproportionate to me. More like some sort of subversive attempt by religious zealots to impose their superstitious beliefs on the rest of us.
If any other group can prove nearly a million regular supporters in the UK will the BBC guarantee equivalent coverage?
With 96 straight hours of guaranteed airtime, whoever you are, whatever your “act”, you’ll easily be able to fill Hyde Park and venues all over the country. You’ll make a fortune!
Peter Reynolds 
