Last week another discussion on knife carrying youths of today, with not a single young person participating in the radio programme, you see the brains behind this discussion .....forgot all about the obvious ...the schools were open!. This sure got me thinking a little as today's job vacancies against applications were fired out on the news, for school leavers and graduates. There is hope as apparently there are 5000 jobs for Apprentices, as the BBC hope to build a Cane factory in the Ibrox area.
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Not to worry, they have their gadgets, and opportunities to fight for a crumb of media attention as compensation for present and future poverty. Now our streets are flooded with scores of creatures holding a device, a mobile, or is it a blackberry or perhaps an apple? In fact these young people were written about over a year ago, and lampposts needed repairing as the metal received so many head butts by texters.

Now of course over a year later we have more mobile phone advances like easier internet access. This is great for our youth and our media has now given them additional opportunities to even walk off a cliff! The race to get more and more texts and now Twitter messages, or emails is of prime importance to our media stars of television and radio, with the winners giving a new meaning to modesty as the count is declared.

Yes, it must be fantastic being young, as you are told about hyped up stars of the music industry, then once their fame is reached, the truth about miming comes out. Then you are crucified as the poverty-stricken millionaires come a howling, all because you copied a CD from the internet. Well guess what, as an oldie, I sure resented the cost replacing my old vinyl stuff with new CD's all because these people have the need to buy fresh 21st century meat.

Now if you want to change things, just wait until the next election and decide with great care which crook to vote for, after all, you must believe what you see and hear. Friendly advice for today's youngster wishing to travel on a political journey to superstardom:- buy a jar of Vaseline and grease just about every media star you meet then you have half a chance of success ....and if you are from Springburn don't bother having ambition, nor attempt to speak in public!

We all love sports so if you want to see the real deal , well the essential glamour pusses, the duo of TV presenters plus the hidden extras need to be paid for, get real - most of our youth might as well dream of seeing their heroes live. Don't forget 80 million quid footballers who like your money from merchandising sales, and their loyalty to the fans is as fictional as Harry Potter.

Back in the late 60's and early 70's the youth looked outwards yet today they are so wrapped up in their devices, as they travel in our streets, that the real world passes them by, and perhaps we should ask why ?

As I approach retirement, I cannot help wondering would I like to be young today? Well, there are exceptions to every rule, but on balance I would have to say no . Even if on some future day I needed to give even more body swerves in every public place to avoid colliding with some person holding a super slick wave tray, which has become their brain and complete life in one. Amazing is it not - we older ones need to be careful walking, after all, this is the age of litigation.

Finally, when our young reach our age they will be able to take full advantage of advances in 21st century cosmetic surgery. It has already started...... the Face Lift Book ...Arnie, Bruce, Robert ....

THE MEDIA STUKA BOMBER BLOWS BRITAIN'S POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM TO BITS

Well, if Gordon does indeed resign, there can be little doubt it will have been a most successful witch hunt by our media. The problem is that we public are in a dilemma - who on earth do we vote for?

Clearly the transparency issue is not sorted yet, and no doubt more expense details have to surface. Would David Cameron not hesitate if he has a few more worms hidden to govern us?

Of course the transparency issue is fine at the BBC, as even in Scotland a friendly Magpie can view activities through the glass windows, so why on earth should we worry about Star Presenters salaries? It is none of our business, and of course the after dinner speech fees, the books, magazine articles, advertising revenue, plus any possible nod wink activities should not even be considered, as these perfect public servants are immune from criticism!

We can guarantee for an increased amount of undeclared cash, the Telegraph will happily send that expense whistleblower to the Tower of London.

When these eminent critics of everything we do take over well, no doubt everything will be like a Disney fairy tale .

The British Broadcasting Celebrity ...(corporation) will be a very active board of governors and new ministries will be created.

Communications ...the Telegraph ..... vanity ....the Mirror ..... Law enforcement and policing ....the Guardian ....Information ...the Record .... Spin ... the Observer .... Honours ...the Herald ... and so on.

The chosen celebrity stars who run these ministries will be protected as their personal life details will replace the real news .

Wonderful, and as an insurance policy in case things go wrong , we will be treated to even more reality television .

Watching Dogs do it in the park ... Sex in River City .... Police torture Chamber ...
The Celeb Tartan army in action .... What is it like to be a Failure?

Considering that viewing and readership figures are the 21st century currency, who would fight against the Media Goliath ?

Utterly stupid nonsense of course, as this Blogger needs a brain test .....or is there more than a grain of truth here ?

The game of media ping pong continues, and the crucifixion of our MP's is probably for the best, and if we drive every one of them into Hades it will be a job well done. The book case business was a classic example of spin .....3 bookcases costing £18000.00 and the inflated claim was for £ 7800.00 not the former figure. Yet we were bombarded all day with the larger one, and then the culprit, a Tam Dalyell, refused to be apologetic, but at least we were treated to the true picture with a late radio interview. It may well be proven he did indeed want the whole amount , but at least he was given the opportunity to state his case.

It seems to me that it everyone in public life was subject to the scrutiny these unfortunates have been, well, one does wonder if the Devil might have a right old party in Hell. Can anyone in public service feel safe now, if a whistleblower can, for a heavy purse, open a fresh can of worms? Will the Telegraph pay the tax on the large sum of money paid to this individual?

Once the dust has settled it seems highly likely that quite a few decent politicians may well say enough is enough, and allow a new breed of less than streetwise people spend most of their time map reading the political terrain rather than getting anything done in a new Parliament.

It might sound crazy but I sure would be willing to bet a few quid that many people in my shoes might be prepared to overlook the expenses issue if just one MP took a good look at the plight of the self-employed vehicle owner and then do something to help us in our time of need.

When I was a kid there was the list of baddies - old men wearing long coats, children be warned ....then I saw a Clint Eastwood Western and he was the good guy. The idea that all builders, car mechanics etc were crooks....then one day I saw with my own eyes the truth, that this was utter nonsense. Amazingly, bankers were held in the highest of esteem in those days!

It may well be that this crisis had to happen and some good will come out of it, and some MP's will get their just desserts, but one does wonder if it will cure the cancer of corruption? History surely suggests otherwise, and fresh scams will be created to fatten some wallets, but not all of them - as a common voter I refuse to believe every public servant is a crook. Perhaps when the media jackals have torn to shreds everyone they can, the Telegraph will produce an in-depth table offering an analysis of all our MP's and show the public the true percentage of blatant abusers.

In our celebrity culture perhaps it is time for more imaginative television. We could have Cash for Question time ...hosted by the Hamiltons, or You do Hate Us Politicians but We Love You British Public hosted by the Sheridans..... Then we can expect the interviews for the long awaited celebrity book festival as god knows how many of these disgraced individuals flog their words to us all. The media enemy suddenly becomes the essential friend, with the writers and broadcasters having a ball with it all. If this is indeed to be the future trend then we are in for a right old treat. Yes, being greedy, nasty and arrogant and economy of the truth are the new currencies guaranteed to secure a decent retirement pension. After all, that is all the gullible British Public seems to want these days if we are to believe what we read, hear or see.

On Wednesday night Man Utd failed to win the champions league - I guess I won't be shedding any tears. Yet their manager was the subject of BBC hype and taunting throughout Thursday. One cannot help wondering what has caused sport reporting standards to fall so low that all we are getting for our licence fee is a fresh witch-hunt on the old Knight. Does Ferguson deserve this, and listening to the questioning by that 5 Live reporter got me hopping mad? I cannot ever recall ever hearing in those golden days of true quality interviewing a top manager giving an upstart senior football reporter a bit of stick, and the reason was obvious, in past decades these people were professionals but that joker disgraced the reporting deck, with a cynical and utterly stupid question..... Allowances were made for disappointment, and respect was shown to the peers of our sporting world. Then BBC sport stood for excellence. Not now, it is all about getting a negative reaction ...at any price ... ....what a great pity.

'Parking Chief Executive - Mission to impose as many fixed penalty fines on our motor vehicles to fill the Council's coffers. This stealth tax is a new method of obtaining fresh meat as we, the common people, scrape a livliehood in these troubled times. No one is safe in Scotland's cities and towns. Congratualtions on increasing the already existing misery for us all with a special mention for self-employed tradesmen'

As a self employed tradesman working in our City of Glasgow, I think it is indeed time to congratulate our council for their assistance in making my business a horror story in our capital city. For £50.00 I have the privilege of parking outside my home, but if my permit disc falls off the windscreen, I am guaranteed to get an additional tariff called a fixed penalty notice. You see, it is one expensive business to make a phonecall to the database to confirm the unfortunate punter has a current valid disc. The rules are to be obeyed by all, but to make sure they patrol the Woodlands area as early and late as humanly possible for our revenue gaining benefit.

This wonderful and caring spirit extends to additional areas in our city, but they offer a special clemency to the west end . Our council are most happy to see tradesmen phone them up for permission to feed their meters 3 times a day with coin, yet show no consideration for say a plumber ....racing out of the house to feed the meter, and then watching the house blow up, as he forgot to turn off the gas of the boiler. So health and safety are neglected to keep their coffers choking as the coinage is rammed down the meters.

The residents of zoned areas are kept happy with empty bays every day, as tradesmen sneak their vehicles to non-permit streets, or even worse returning home to park the vehicle there after unloading their tools, materials at the property, and then walk happily along the street singing ..the Esther Rantzen song, That's Life! One does wonder if any of the councils' administrators looked at weight - these items are heavy and not all of us unfortunates can employ carrier pigeons to swoop from the sky to aid us scaling the heights of tenements whilst gasping for breath , sweating in fear in case the dreaded meter runs dry .

The cost to the tradesman or the householder seems to be irrelevant, as the scheme offers no flexibility or any common sense. Time wasted when a solution seems so obvious as the residents want us there to do the necessary work. Wow, yes ....a tradesman's permit for an annual fee seems clever, and believe it or not, ask these people ...the hassle the current system causes beggars belief.

So I offer our Glasgow District Council ....congratulations, thank you so much for every assistance in guaranteeing myself and many thousands of others brain damage ......
It is so commendable that everything is done in the right spirit for everyone. Let us all have a dose of Gordon's Gin, with a Cameron flavour, in Liberal quantity to celebrate the Democratic way our local leaders give us the wisdom of their Council !! And ...........a special mention from the following ...........
Large supermarket delivery vehicle drivers ....no problem with our tickets, we just give them to the office and they mail them back without payment .Small firms simply refuse to deliver, said a Woodlands resident. A Glasgow fire service car driver offers a special gratitude for booking him as he was inspecting a fire - he was fired for refusing to pay the fine.

The third most at risk public servants, traffic wardens, mentioned to myself they are being spied upon by plain clothes council people so as to ensure the maximum fixed penalty revenue is guaranteed!

The expenses topic is all the rage these days, but public expenditure is always worth scrutinising. Recently there seems to have been a revamp of broadcasting studios, with space being a prerequisite. Watching Newsnight one could imagine an aerobics class having a workout around the newsdesk. Then it was even more interesting as Paxman walked from his chair to another part of the floor to say 'hi' to his political pal .......all that was missing from the little table was two pints of larger and a packet of crisps! Well I suppose one could guess why a small licence fee increase is necessary ...............

Nice one, Richard, nice brand, son. Hi ho Hi ho, it's off to work I go, tattoos and all, having a ball, as I mock my staff ........ ahhhhh, it's only a laugh...........

Advertising is certainly getting more and more of my attention these days but for negative rather than positive reasons.

Having seen a clip from You Tube relating to the 25-year Virgin airlines advert, plus a Branson interview claiming it was the finest ad Virgin had ever done, well, for myself at least, the jury is out. The problem is not the idea of showing glamour, as the tycoon has every right to flog his service in an imaginative way. However when the camera focuses on a woman in her 40's-plus glaring with hostility at the beautiful stewardesses whilst she is shown to be a very ordinary jealous-looking nobody ......well, it somehow sums up our society the assumption being the masses don't matter, so cynical cheap shots at ordinary working people are just dandy.

Then last week another disturbing advert was shown for the promotion of Virgin trains in Glasgow. Apparently the Union of the railwaymen depicted in this media masterpiece was not amused. A well known radio programme which our taxes pay for, mentioned the advert in the morning but by lunchtime the reporting had stopped. This decision by the BBC news smacks of protecting some and slaughtering others, Sir Richard being an untouchable, so the grilling technique is avoided when it comes to the likes of him.

Something is very wrong here when peoples' livelihoods can be mocked so easily, and with a little common sense the adverts could have been far more effective. Had the airline advert not shown the jealous lady clip, plus the railway advert had had the ugly tattoos plus the black teeth removed, then one could forgive Branson for promoting his products in this humorous way. The airline staff are beauties, and his railway staff (excluding first class) look like Charles Dickens 19th century Fagan types with a uniform on!

John Cleese was interviewed by the Beeb last week who asked him about modern sitcoms, and he replied the writers seemed to be too young. Well, the marketing company working for Branson could take heed, as the comical idea in making a sales campaign is as old as the hills and it works.

One wonders when the RBS recovers what might happen if a future advert had a Fred Goodwin lookalike smiling at the customer services desk, saying 'thanks for your help'?

Every company or organisation needs to be imaginative and yes, have a little humour, but when photo in the back room dartboard becomes the workforce or the public rather than the boss ........... well, it suggests a form of arrogance at the captain's table. In 1912 the Titanic sank, and we all know about the Virgin balloon. The company itself is not a toy for a little boy, but a successful organisation which needs to stay afloat if only for the jobs it gives to so many people. Free advice Richard:- keep making money for Britain and yourself, but replace your marketing company with another one, and have a few mature comedians on tap for advice.

Congralutions to the BBC for using their mighty media force to create a deserved victory for Johanna's Ghurkas. More is the pity the reporting during and after the publicity the story seemed to be more and more about Johanna and less about the Ghurkas - perhaps this is why today so many people don't bother fighting for causes as the stranglehold of celebrtism takes control.

Is there a conspiracy about as some of us are refusing to be brain washed by what our so called leaders and successful achievers our media hype up? Conventional methods of protest are all but worthless as past attempts have shown, even with politeness offered.
Clearly driving to Edinburgh with a truckload of bananas for the capitals monkeys running the political show might get one in the papers, but will it really change anything?

So the depression route is a grand option - see the shrink offer all your worries to the miracle worker, and hey presto, after the hour spent there, enjoy exactly the same conditions that existed before the treatment. Don't worry about the cost as if it is private well, what are you so depressed about, you can afford it? If it is public, well your shrink will say all the comforting words like 'take a positive look at life'. Great advice but not much use if you have no job no money, no hope.

So the distraction of the reality world may offer some solace for a while, but real issues do appear and need to be dealt with by us all.

It is hardly rocket science to work out the current scandals of political expenses added to the banking pensions fiasco are driving some people over the edge, but does our media give a toss to the undeserving millions of public nobodys?

If some lunatics lose the plot and cause mayhem, oh goody, more sensational news, and our leaders will offer wonderful praise to the restrained majority. Such convenient events will offer more camouflage to hide the corruption within the system.

By obeying the rules of our leadership the boat sails calmly through the stormy seas, and the few casualties are the depressed who cannot cope with the real or reality world so they end their lives or are taken away by the men in white coats. Everything seems so convenient between our leadership and our media, and we had better be warned:- play ball or else be dismissed as fanatics, attention seekers or raving lunatics . Incredible that having an opinion seems so dangerous to some, and yet the attention given to the few who are in the public eye, is supposed to be the super glue on offer to fix the rotten house.

Perhaps this little rant might offer an idea to any frustrated people of all ages out there. Blogging offers a wonderful alternative to smashing windows, taking booze, or pills and can, believe it or not, be rather therapeutic. The recent John Lewis delivery vehicle anger management course is a guaranteed way to encourage new business. Hog the road then hoot the horn and finally throw two fingers at the mug who irritated them. Wonderful as I won't be a willing purchaser at this famous store in the distant future.

Hope

A recent visit to Oran Mor in Glasgow's west end was of great interest. It was a lovely day and the sun was out. People were smiling again all thanks to the real world being a little more inviting.

Perhaps if our media devoted a little more time and space to positive things for the many then the cloud of apathy might be lifted a little, as the sun managed to offer our lives some warmth, on that memorable day. As many people I know have said privately, our media have spun us into this global depression , so rather than offering web site addresses for some famous reporters on our TV screens, they might use these spiders to spin us some fresh hope instead

If there is one thing that drives me mad, it is getting junk mail through my door from a company that advertises frequently on television with a very irritating motif. Top of my hate list are the insurance companies and the Churchill dog is public enemy number one. Wow do I dislike that fake relic and would I not like to rip his head off and then tear the beast into little pieces! Every dog deserves his bone and considering we have so many types of dog, one might expect to see a real one rather than a cheap and nasty reality one to flog the service. So the result for Churchill was the Elvis treatment:-

Return to sender, it's not for me ..........
Return to sender, hee he he
Postage to be paid..........

The phoney junk mail is also annoying as this form of litter is post free but labour intensive, but getting a religious card offering hope with an everlasting plastic coating was a true gem and deserves a mention. The Good Lord loves a trier, and the creative genius who designed that card has a lot more going for her/him than the Churchill clowns of marketing who should be chopped up and sold as credit crunch dog food.

Then we have junk e-mails but the deleting of them is highly satisfying and there is no litter! However it is wise to take care when assuming some mails are junk as the odd one can be from a forgotten friend, so caution is necessary and wise.

Finally we have junk males ...........yes, men who have been well and truly excommunicated by their women - and there are millions of us -, and the number is increasing. However, yesterday's junk male can be the prized collectable of tomorrow, and perhaps it is no bad thing too. We men cannot possibly allow the likes of David Dickinson to state we have no value, as there are far too many of us out there. Fortunately it takes two to tango and us Junkies are not always monkeys, so when our second chance comes we must grab this real opportunity and pour scorn on the reality rubbish pundits who would have us believe we are worthless.

psst

Last week a fellow blogger, Lorna, suggested in a dream the site became the best in Scotland and she is right as it could be exactly that. All it takes is more real people with real views to join us and to have their say. Why do we common people fear the uttering of words that question everything as not worth the effort? Or believe the only stories to be shared are the very ones that are fed to us by the media, every person has a tale to tell, and some can do it rather well. If one speaks from the heart, rather than for the purse, is it really any worse than what we read daily, hear on the radio, or watch on television?

Perhaps if there was a Speakers' Corner in Glasgow and Edinburgh at well known public venues, some real truths might come out. It is incredible that the latest new public expenditure exposures from Scottish political figures are just as bad as the other lot down south says it all. Within a week our media will be selling us drivel about another celeb as a fresh mist of fog hides the political parasites from our scorn.

Oh, how wonderful life can be as our Media rescued Me !

Wow, now I have a new coat and shoes all in exchange for 12 hours of being an April Fool, plus 20 days in the cattery.
The Media machine works quickly ...............with the Trinny and Susannah treatment in makeovers and Gok Wanned his magic too ..........all for Me.
Max Cliff...afforded his time in getting the multi-racial message across too with my new colour scheme .......black and white just looks so so right!. His Dutch publicist gave new correct shoes all for my public interest.
Surprise surprise ..........yes, Richard Bacon of Radio 5 Live has even had the best ham delivered from his Pork Belly Futures (stocks/investments), and I am now fattening up quickly . Max advised him about Nicky's negativity to cats on Watchdog, and even worse noticed a Persian feline ..........called Niqui... Cam...Belle wandering about the Beeb studio, the owner denies its existence of course.

The last defender of the old fashioned newspapers, the Daily Mail, has promised to find me a home but has sympathised with myself being fostered by Ordinary Fat Smoking People who admitted to the pure crime of loving humans, animals and antiques.

Sorry this vain Cat accepts all the goodies even from the baddies as it is all about Me so you can see. Even my naturally reinvented West ..... Bank has ministered the investment in Cat Culture as appropriate.... with my zero rated interest return guaranteed...... as the pounds flow in and hype flow's out, is that not what it is all about ?

Cats, you have to earn our affection, buy our media trivia for us selected few as you take your day trip on the bus or train. They say Hello here it is OK there and Grazia everywhere as your money flows into their snare.

Cynics will say I am but a Greedy Fatty Catty but I am sure not batty in this modern media game. For home and ham plus that wonder glam is it not cheap to sell one's soul to the Media Devil.

Last week in the real world, the circus of mockery continued, with a lady singer being hailed a hero for having a voice without the expected looks or glamour. The radio discussion on the Monday morning following the show on tv said it all. Does looking good make a difference in the entertainment world, being hosted by people who certainly love themselves? Maybe the nonsense of creating daft fictional cats on this blog is a useful retort to the mocking media of celebrity. As one listener said to the breakfast 5 live duo, the celebrity fare seems endless and so much of it is rammed down our throats. Trying to ignore it is difficult as for some at least the option of surrender to the brainwashed is the easy option. Then the earphones can be used later, to ignore the debates on who should win or lose.

A recent phone call to BBC Scotland was of great interest, as it was clearly stated to myself Facebook and Twitter and blogs were apparently nothing to do with the Beeb so one can certainly conclude that the self-promotion of some public broadcasting servants is being allowed to continue. Of course our small contribution of the licence fee to facilitate this is of no consequence as they are the new celebrities and deserve everything from the pro-celeb lobby and the anti ..........who cares about them .... This is no country for Grumpy Old Men..........or Women.

Lock and load, mock them back as it is the best form of counter-attack .

Last week another 4500 jobs gone at the Royal Bank, and apparently a fat cat with a well known banker's head was an offering used to illustrate the frustration shared by at least some people in the Media. The Mail offering of a photo of the knight abroad in hiding. Perhaps the real mocking exercise is the way the top executives of the bank we Joe Public pretty much own, and our government bicker about the rules of pensions contracts etc. Everyone clearly knows Goodwin is not the only culprit of this international crisis. So the bankers made the rules but the spirit in which they are used for their advantage is a complete insult to the intelligence of every person in these islands.

Exactly the same abuse in the horrible spirit of so called necessary expenses for our political servants. These elected people have taken the biscuit big time as millions struggle to buy a loaf of bread. More and more mockery and no doubt even more is to come when the media buy fresh shovels and dig up what the worms have left us to examine.

Looking at things in a more micro way the results get interesting..... in the street where this blogger lives there are at least 3 taxi drivers and according to these people the licences to carry the public are being sold like cartons of milk. Perhaps if a 6 year old child using an abacus was allowed to get a little fame and explain to the Glasgow Council the revenue gained for the sale of so many is killing the hope of so many drivers trying to make a living.

On Otago Street in Glasgow's west end, a small café pays high council tax to exist and not a single car is granted permission to park anywhere near the business , well done to our council at making sure the unfortunate owner may be in the bankruptcy cemetery by Christmas . We won't even mention the thousands of tradespeople or service providers who have given up doing any work in the city /town centres, but the big companies who can afford full time drivers can clean up the additional business.

Enjoyable shopping areas like Byres road have a multitude of vultures working hard for our city parking Chief to make the experience a memorable one for the unfortunate buyers as the dreaded penalty notices are placed on their windscreens. The enforced parking rules are very much a nice little earner for the council, but it sure looks like a very convenient form of local taxation and not showing the right spirit in these difficult times.

There is a lot of anger about our streets at the cynical way our leaders elected or appointed seem to be racing to the escape choppers as the unfortunate soldiers lie dead or are dying on the beaches in the fight for survival in the economic war.

This is downright mockery of the population and perhaps some might use the same weapon back ...........lock and load ...use the written word good or bad as at least it might offer a genuine real opinion from a personal point of view, and allow each one of us to let off genuine steam with passion humour and ridicule to those who scorn our intelligence.

If this blogging site had more genuine opinions offered and other vehicles were also used maybe just maybe our media might realise there are great stories to write about and make money too but in the real world ............not the reality one . At the risk of repeating the words clearly written last week, this blogger invites measured and very accurate critical remarks, and if certain readers offer insulting words to a fellow blogger rather than show us illiterates the true adult written word, then perhaps they might reconsider their position .

Last Sunday a great role model (not a footballer ) won a tennis match , and in his early years took a bit of stick for his honest views . Andy Murray is perhaps what the right spirit is all about. Grit, determination, guts and a never surrender attitude - one could say let us hope many kids took inspiration from him rather than the utterly sick mocking reality television show called Britain's Got Talent.

Every day some form of protest is made to government, local government and businesses by letter, phone, in person, and the modern e-mail way. The Media itself is by far and away the most feared organisation and those who question it are fighting a very difficult battle as this celebrity culture which dominates our lives is very rewarding for certain people. If it were to collapse there would be some seriously disappointed people who would stand to lose considerable fortunes. Everyone knows a complete disappearance of this culture is impossible and probably not desirable anyway, as some level of trivia always existed, and no doubt always will.

In the past fortnight some interesting developments took place on 5 live Radio and BBC television. As a forced contributor to the welfare and safety of this organisation's future the tax seems rather high when considering the return.

For years we have been told all about the magnificent quality (best in the world!) but it simply fails to add up when examined to at least some people (myself included), but there is no doubt having an over the top rant as a blogger will rattle cages ............good .............if one cannot stand the heat ......then leave the kitchen, so the negative replies to the Aprentice blog are fair game as are any other beefs to other views offered.

So let's present a few examples to justify my BBC beefs: - well, we are forced to pay for the product regardless of its good or bad qualities. Recently there was a protest match in London about the world financial crisis. The reporting of the BBC seemed pretty focused on the negative side. Smashed windows at the Royal Bank, police clashes and violence, fair enough some might say. Yet one could not help asking a question when the generally likable presenter of 5 live radio, Peter Alan, asked a protester why bother and what did you achieve by going to the march? It smacks of don't protest or complain as it is the media domain. Perhaps the protestor might have said 'I went because of the smashed lives of so many so perhaps a few additional broken windows were understandable, even if the actions were pointless'. At least a message was sent to the world leaders.

A second example was on the Victoria Derbyshire show on the same station, a pair of gentlemen were given an interview about the issue of male parents being represented more realistically on soaps, dramas etc, and this presenter came pretty close to mocking the views of these caring people . Her questioning was all about it is only make believe, darned right and this idea seems to have replaced the real news. Television reality shows like the Apprentice get incredible coverage to replace real life issues, happening every day. Television, radio and the now far less important newspaper form of media. In fact a 5 live show suggested some papers might need to become free to survive - lovely, one form has a monopoly whilst the rest of the media scrap for the crumbs. Surely in return for this privilege the Beeb might at least try to maintain the high standards of public broadcasting it reminds us of so frequently.

Now even further noticeable events, another pair of Derbyshire programme deliveries .............a supporter of the Goodwin pension case, ranted that everyone who stated they would not accept such a gift were either fools or liars. That seems incredible, as how on earth could a high ranking presenter not possibly ask the person .............are you sure as I don't think I would and your claim is very contestable to say the least ?
Then the Apprentice gaffe .............it's only cleaning! Amazing the way she dismissed the importance of the car cleaning task, and even when contested by a listener there was a reluctance to eat serious humble pie. One does wonder if any BBC Unison cleaners were listening to the show?

Perhaps the worst thing the highly charged topical station was guilty of was the Nicky Campbell crusade on hapless couples who might or might not have a history of porn watching. Who honestly cares about witch-hunts unsettling men and women by causing a right pot stir in their personal lives all for a slick phone-in? A serious question could once and for all be asked - would the public support the BBC by voting to continue to pay the licence fee for the current quality of programmes if the option was offered. A fairly recent 5 live radio show suggested the influence of the Daily Mail readership was the most important leading media vehicle in Britain. One does wonder how this number of people can possibly compete with the population of TV licence payers? It would seem logical to assume the celebrity culture of present society is fuelled by the BBC itself rather than newspapers which they claim to be the culprits.

More next week from the twit with no wit who won't grow up!

Psst: Last night the BEEB produced a programme of superb quality called 5 minutes of Heaven , so ironic that such a beautifully crafted piece of make believe , could cover so much ,with a genuine caring message for the viewers. Perhaps this is why I have offered a snarling cynical opinion of the most important Media form in the UK ..........maybe it is because I care and would like hours rather than minutes of Heaven from the BBC?