tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87901882024-03-23T16:46:33.969-01:00Musings from Middle EnglandPolemic, humour and trivia from a mythical land where neither the devil nor the Daily Mail have all the best tunes.Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.comBlogger620125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-83904152254647210122009-02-19T09:53:00.002-01:002009-02-19T09:58:38.360-01:00The BritsI tried to watch The Brits last night. I really did try. Honestly.But men of a certain age probably shouldn't even attempt to do so because you find that you're turning into your father.Some of the music is pleasant enough if you hear it on the radio. But to watch these people perform produces a degree of irritation that is unendurable. Both Bono and Chris Martin lunged around the stage in the Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-43755526525832899092009-02-13T10:46:00.002-01:002009-02-13T10:56:45.267-01:00I've been following some advice I thought I heard on the radio: don't blog unless your blog post is absolutely necessary. And I doubt that since blogging was invented there has ever been a blog post that was absolutely necessary. Certainly none of mine.Anyway, most of the snow has now gone, apart from the tops of the hills. But while it lasted the silence was blissful. No morning rush hour, no Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-26916175267452675122009-01-26T15:24:00.002-01:002009-01-26T15:45:08.744-01:00Monday's MurmuringsI assume the BBC will not in future screen Party Political Broadcasts since these would compromise its impartiality and we stupid viewers might think that the BBC itself was urging us to vote for a particular party.******** A nice man phones me from British Telecom.He asks why I no longer purchase my telephone calls from them.I tell him that my Internet Service Provider gives me free UK phone Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-64465616059610837242009-01-21T08:09:00.002-01:002009-01-21T08:18:35.316-01:00Thank God For Sky And CNNI criticised the BBC's coverage of the Presidential election and there's now general agreement that it was a shambles, redeemed only by Gore Vidal's tired and emotional spat with David Dimbleby.The BBC's coverage of the Inauguration yesterday was equally dreadful. I'm amazed that a broadcaster with the BBC's reputation could get it so wrong. It was misjudgement piled on misjudgement.Some things Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-35665085870380339482009-01-20T09:22:00.002-01:002009-01-20T09:28:25.203-01:00An Historic MomentIt would be pointless to try to downplay it.The words 'historic' and 'landmark' are unavoidable.It's something many of us thought we would never see.The judge in last night's Coronation Street trial was black.So too were a solicitor and a court official but they could be dismissed as long-established tokenism.The last judge we saw in Corrie was played by Ken Barlow's real-life wife, which might Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-74904095877875477782009-01-17T11:15:00.002-01:002009-01-17T11:25:50.782-01:00My Problem With Fiction"These days, a book he [Rebus] disliked was unlikely to last ten pages of his concentration." - Knots and Crosses, Ian Rankin.When I was young, I read a lot of fiction. I was mostly working my way through the nineteenth century classic novels - Hardy, Eliot, Austen, Thackeray, etc. - plus some less commonly read authors like Thomas Love Peacock. I also read quite a lot of contemporary fiction. Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-36663472007379865832009-01-15T15:10:00.002-01:002009-01-15T15:19:43.646-01:00All White Is Still All RightYesterday the news was dominated by some mildly injudicious remarks about the economy by a junior Minister.The big story of the day was almost totally ignored by all media: a BBC West documentary had uncovered racial discrimination in the employment and accommodation sectors on a truly massive scale.Of 30 employment agencies, all but five agreed to send only white workers for the job. It was all Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-42164406628554814402009-01-12T15:19:00.002-01:002009-01-12T15:25:36.942-01:00Going for Gold........and Frankinsence and Myrrh Perusing the Guardian job ads while some eggs were poaching, I was startled to find an ad for a Catholic Olympics Co-ordinator.
I knew that for many years there has been a Gay Olympics but I had no idea there was a Catholic Olympics.
I imagine that the first duty of the Co-ordinator would be to ensure that all athletes are over 16, the Catholic Church having paid out quite enough millions in Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-87661197115563054662009-01-12T07:31:00.001-01:002009-01-12T07:35:12.048-01:00Our Little PrinceI was deeply shocked by Prince Harry using the phrase "our little Paki friend" about a fellow soldier.There can be no excuse for using the patronising term 'little' about a colleague or anyone else. The only possible justification is if the person is of abnormally short stature but even then it might be considered impolite to draw attention to the fact.In this case, judging by the television Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-12259052379139881152009-01-08T16:42:00.002-01:002009-01-08T16:51:56.497-01:00TV: Waterloo RoadBecause I'm taking a break from The Bill (largely because they've reverted to bookending each segment with a close-up of a lavatory bowl), for the first time ever I dipped into Waterloo Road, BBC1's drama series set in a comprehensive school.Waterloo Road is so bonkers that it makes Grange Hill look like a documentary. But it does have something in common with Grange Hill: not even the mildest Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-72404746310537887512008-12-23T15:50:00.002-01:002008-12-23T15:53:17.349-01:00Season's GreetingsApologies for period of silence. I shall hope to resume in the new year.In the meantime, my best wishes to everyone for a happy holiday season.Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-20237849401797182152008-11-10T20:50:00.003-01:002008-11-10T21:04:17.328-01:00Power PushPresident-Elect Obama is a fast learner.I've just seen footage of his visit today to the White House. After the photos, Bush and Obama turned and walked into the house. Obama placed a hand on Bush's back and pushed him through the door slightly ahead of himself.This is a well-known assertion of superiority and precedence amongst world leaders. Sometimes a curious gavotte takes place as two Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-83903966412513835922008-11-09T19:10:00.002-01:002008-11-09T19:23:22.690-01:00X FactorBeing an unashamed fan of TV talent shows I usually write something about X Factor (ITV1). People have strong feelings about the contestants so this is always guaranteed to upset some readers.Right. Let me start as I mean to go on. This week's special guest was Mariah Carey. I had never seen Mariah Carey before. Her first song was tedious beyond belief. If she'd been a contestant the judges wouldWillie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-41224878001212194992008-11-07T15:42:00.003-01:002008-11-07T16:21:03.902-01:00Beautiful People: A Beautiful ThingI hate the phrase 'cult comedy' but I suspect Beautiful People (BBC2) may have merited that tag more than most. I'm surprised that I enjoyed it so much given that I'm generally resistant to the charms of camp men. (I belong to that class of gay men who argue that if we found femininity attractive then we would be heterosexual).But in this case, the drama was heavily dependant on the 'Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-48506016806243497362008-11-06T16:06:00.002-01:002008-11-06T16:08:45.536-01:00Yes You Can. With Nicorette.I have discovered a point of connection with the President-Elect. No, not that. The intelligence, charisma, etc, go without saying.I've discovered that, like me, he uses Nicorette chewing gum. From this I assume that he's an ex-smoker.Just as well, when you think about it. If getting a 'black' man elected President was an achievement, imagine the difficulty of getting a smoker elected in Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-1386148312750595352008-11-05T12:27:00.002-01:002008-11-05T12:41:07.379-01:00Not A Day For CynicismThere will be a time for cynicism. Tomorrow, probably. But today is a time to savour one of the biggest political events of my lifetime, one that was worth sacrificing a night's sleep for.Had I not done so, I would have seen only the edited version of Obama's victory speech and missed hearing him say that he represented everyone, "gay or straight." I never thought I would hear those words from a Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-55282116511474020972008-11-02T17:38:00.002-01:002008-11-02T17:46:34.842-01:00Just When You Thought It Was Safe........With Russell resigned and Jonathan suspended, BBC Radio must surely now be safe for a middle-aged gentleman like myself, particularly one who mostly sticks to the safety of the erstwhile Home Service.Well no, actually.I often listen to Radio 4 in bed, sometimes falling asleep with the radio still on and being rudely awoken at 1 am by the strains of Sailing By and the start of the World Service Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-52382000654805201722008-10-26T15:16:00.001-01:002008-10-26T15:17:57.083-01:00No smokey, no writey, writeyUntil Vicus poked me in the Comments Box, I hadn't realised how much time had elapsed since my last post.The reason for the silence is that I've been busy stopping smoking.An unfortunate side-effect is that it's almost impossible to write without a cigarette. These three sentences have taken me 15 minutes. I even have to set aside an hour each morning to compose my shopping list.I suppose I couldWillie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-42441046828046210562008-10-13T10:33:00.003-01:002008-10-13T10:39:48.997-01:00Laugh? I Came Close a Couple of TimesI was expecting to be disappointed by Peter Kay's talent show spoof The Pop Factor...... (C4) and I wasn't disappointed.......if you see what I mean.The reason this idea should have been instantly dismissed is very simple: you can't parody something that is already beyond parody.They spent shedloads of money on this spoof to make it almost identical to The X Factor - same studio, same set, real Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-85968634363711635732008-10-10T15:33:00.002-01:002008-10-10T15:44:34.136-01:00Beautiful PeopleWith no more Chris Lilley imports to watch and Gavin and Stacey a distant memory (and whilst carefully avoiding Little Britain USA), Thursdays are now bringing us the compensatory pleasures of 'Beautiful People' (BBC2).Based on the book by Simon Doonan, it's written by Jonathan Harvey, recently of Coronation Street and previously of Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, and the play and film Beautiful Thing. The Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-79564553797147242612008-10-02T08:15:00.002-01:002008-10-02T08:25:08.534-01:00Cameron's SpeechWhen David Cameron spoke of his wife - the posh-as-a-quail-egg-omelette Samantha - the TV cameras couldn't find her so the director gave us a shot of Theresa May instead. This must have confused some viewers, particularly as Cameron had just said he woke up next to an entrepreneur every morning. Was he confessing to an affair?The director was more mischievous when Cameron condemned the scandals Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-36219155827365339512008-10-01T08:03:00.002-01:002008-10-01T08:14:48.738-01:00The Tory Conference (LOL)You really would need a heart of stone not to laugh at what's happening to the Tory Conference.Swept off the headlines by the financial crisis, they're now much less likely to get a post-conference bounce in the polls.They are also on a sticky wicket in calling for more regulation of the financial markets, something which they have not only consistently opposed but which most of them have an Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-14922796944117600612008-09-27T09:29:00.003-01:002008-09-27T09:39:13.057-01:00The Nominees: The Final EpisodeThere was a structural difference between Summer Heights High and The Nominees which ended this week on FX channel.All the characters and action in Summer Heights took place in a school, which I suppose qualifies it as a 'sit-com' although I prefer to call it a 'comedy drama'. Or, to be strictly accurate, a 'mock-doc comedy drama.'In contrast, The Nominees followed the lives of six characters Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-16775198544465118272008-09-24T18:05:00.001-01:002008-09-24T18:07:00.254-01:00For Those Of You Watching In Black And WhiteI'm pleased the BBC have noted my recent reminders that millions of people are not on the internet.On tonight's One Show, Dom Littlewood said this:"If you're not on the web, there's a free phone number which we'll put on our website."Most helpful.I hope other programmes follow this example and start putting telephone numbers on their websites for the benefit of those who do not have access to Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790188.post-28414632392621093482008-09-23T15:42:00.002-01:002008-09-23T15:51:19.882-01:00Brown's Conference SpeechFirstly, a word about the BBC.It remains a mystery how the BBC squares its duty of impartiality with its employment of right-wing Andrew Neil to anchor these party conference programmes and allow him to make snide comments in his voice-over both before and after Brown's speech. He might make equally snide comments about Cameron next week but he shouldn't be editorialising at all.The BBC News Willie Lupinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644566259134259018noreply@blogger.com2