The time has come the old fart said

To talk of many things: of dickhead Dave--and  gobshite George--of cabbages and kings--and whether pigs have wings.

Still more than bleedin hot, still no atmospheric movement, and just enough skywater over the dark thing to make the "muggy" even more so.

But the "new" Honda sailed through the MOT with no thingies, the "lawn" has turned into a giant wheetabix and I am having to stagger about with the watering can many, many times a day.

His Maj is full of the joys of something and the elbow still hurts more than a digital prostate exam.

 

So: in order:

 

Dickhead Dave, you know that bloke who lives in Downing street, isn't gay and leaves his kids behind in pubs.

I see that his latest "policy" is to tell us what we can and can't access on the interweb thingy, it appears that the only way to stop brats from watching porny stuff is to block it from every user in Blighty unless one wants to tell one's provider that one wants to watch porny stuff.

Here's an idea-why not put the onus on parents to police their ignorant, arrogant snotty nosed teens from banging one orf whilst "surfing".

 

Gobshite George-that other bloke who also lives in Downing Street, isn't gay and couldn't organise a stiffy in a knocking shop.

Allegedly alien reptile in disguise George (I want to plunge Blighty back into an even deeper recession than the Bankers managed) and chancer of the exchequer Osborne wants to lend mortgage money to people who can't afford it and guarantee the upcoming toxic debts with our fucking money.

He really doesn't have a clue does he.

 

 

Then we have the cabbages-otherwise known as the BBC "management" who seem to think that all and sundry in baking Blighty are so dim that we want to watch "news" about the birth of yet another Royal bloodsucker continuously for two endless fucking days and nights.

 

Expensive, boring Royal bollocks.

 

Which brings me to "Kings"

 

After what seems like nine months Pippa's sister has finally dropped the next, next, next King of Blighty amid thunder storms, lightening and torrential rain, and after looking at the pic I have come to the conclusion that the Anti-Christ has finally arrived,

Wonder if he will have ginger hair.

 

 

Do pigs have wings?

They must have if this .... millionaires club coalition think that they can sort Blighty out.

 

 

That's it: the elbow is giving me more than jip, still I can finally have some physio on August 20th, only three months after my General medic referred me.

 

Back again sometime....

 

 

Angus

 

 

Second best Blighty: It’s a Pigs Life: Aunties Elfandsafety: and the Aryayek Time Travelling Machine.

Many, many drops of skywater, nary a wheeze of atmospheric movement, quite a lot of lack of cold and not a glimmer of solar stuff at the Castle this morn, just returned from the stale bread, gruel and his Maj’s food run dahn Tesco, even more interweb robots to avoid and according to the “price check” thingy I managed to save 1p over the other places I could have gorn to spend my dosh.

Woke up this morn with a really, really big Quasi, don’t know why I think it must be the loss of the rusty old bag taking its toll.

 

I see that the “debate” over the old handbag is continuing

 

Pic from Funny Pictures

And after almost two days, endless bleedin hours of mas-terbate in the arse of Commons and seven hundred “news” items the old fart will be planted next Wednesday after being dragged through the Smoke on a (part time) gun carriage.

Of course the Millionaires Club Sideboard won’t tell us how much we are going to fork out for the forking waste of time and money because as usual they don’t have a clue.

 

Roll on next Thursday....

 

 

According to U.S. “Economists”

Britain has been ranked as the second most advanced country in the world in a new measure designed to rival GDP.

And the UK outstrips the United States, Germany, France and Japan for overall progress in living standards, infrastructure and individual opportunity.

Only Sweden scores more highly overall in the new “Social Progress Index” (SPI), which ranks 50 leading countries by combining figures on everything from health and crime to broadband access and freedom of speech.

According to the authors, Britain’s constant efforts to “straddle” Europe and America have made it one if the best places to live in the world overall.

 

Oh har-fucking-har, you can tell they don’t live here....

 

West to the home of economists and the land of this little piggy

A pig pardoned by the Piggly Wiggly grocery chain and sent to a farm to live out the rest of its life has been shot to death after it escaped from its pen in Charleston County.

Deputies said the 700-pound pig named Maggie was killed Tuesday afternoon by a 26-year-old man, who told investigators he was afraid the pig was going to cause a wreck.

But witnesses told deputies the man said he was going to kill the pig and take it to a local butcher, then went home to get a pistol. They also told investigators the man appeared to be trying to load the dead animal into his vehicle before more people arrived.

Deputies wrote a citation for malicious injury to animals that carries a $1,092 fine.

 

“Malicious injury”, a bit of an understatement methinks...

 

Back in second best Blighty and to wherever Auntie is nowadays,

Allegedly BBC workers are fuming after being told they are not allowed to pick up hot sausages with tongs or make their own toast – in case they burn themselves.

The BBC Club, set up as a private-members group for employees in 1924, was put in charge of the Beeb canteen on April 2.

But just a week later, staff at the Media Centre in White City, West London, are complaining at the “health and safety crackdown” that means they cannot pick up sausages – even with tongs.

BBC bosses defended the apparently new restrictions, claiming that such actions had “never” been allowed.

Which does explain a lot....

 

And finally:

 

East to one of the “troubled” countries

Apparently Ali Razeghi, a Tehran scientist has registered "The Aryayek Time Travelling Machine" with the state-run Centre for Strategic Inventions.

The device can predict the future in a print out after taking readings from the touch of a user, he told the Fars state news agency.

Razeghi, 27, said the device worked by a set of complex algorithms to "predict five to eight years of the future life of any individual, with 98 percent accuracy".

According to the “scientist” "My invention easily fits into the size of a personal computer case and can predict details of the next 5-8 years of the life of its users. It will not take you into the future it will bring the future to you."

Razeghi says Iran's government can predict the possibility of a military confrontation with a foreign country, and forecast the fluctuation in the value of foreign currencies and oil prices by using his new invention.

 

Not working that well is it Razeghi; back to the drawing board: but you probably know that already.....

 

That’s it: I’m orf to edit some Google maps

 

And today’s thought:

This tinnitus is giving me the hump

 

Angus

How to buy a Policy: Aunties “personal service” non employees: High living on Mont Blanc: Zombie proof motor: Paint your lawn: and The poisonous Moon.

Yet again we have sunny/cloudy, wet/dry, warm/cold, calm and atmospheric movement at the Castle this morn, late again-I overslept and his Maj was waiting at his rear exit with his legs crossed.

The interweb thingy has perked up a bit this day-sort of so I decided to give the laptop a good “seeing to” and managed to rip orf the ‘pause’ and ‘print screen’ buttons from the keyboard, which of course won’t go back on, that’ll teach me....

Up in the smoke

Allegedly ‘The City’ spent £93 million lobbying the Piss Poor Policies Millionaires Club Coalition last year according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ).

It seems that the lobbyists managed to cut the UKs corporation tax in Britain and duties on banks' overseas divisions, which TBIJ claim will save the sector – and deprive the Treasury – of billions of pounds.

And the "neutering of a national not-for-profit pension scheme launching in October that was supposed to benefit millions of low-paid and temporary workers"

Why am I not surprised....

Still in Olympic city

Auntie is being a tad naughty: in evidence to the Public Accounts Committee the BBC admitted that 148 of its 467 “on screen” presenters were paid through “personal service” firms rather than as ordinary employees.

Being paid in this fashion allows the employee to be taxed in part at the corporation tax rate of 21 per cent rather than pay as much as 50 per cent in income tax.

MPs said they had received evidence from one presenter who was told to charge the BBC through a company or take a pay cut.

The broadcaster said that “in light of public concern” it was now reviewing the number of its employees who were paid through these companies.

A breakdown submitted to the committee showed that some of the actors, presenters or musicians were paid more than £100,000 a year through personal service companies. Three of the performers received more than £150,000 annually. The broadcaster did not provide any names.

The news came as the corporation’s annual report disclosed that it pays 16 performers more than £500,000, including three who earn more than £1 million a year.

Nice to see our license fee being spent so carefully...

Right a bit to the land of big rocky things

Teetering 1,000ft above jagged rock faces on the approach to Mont Blanc in the Alps; this ultra-modern refuge is designed to be a lifesaver for weary rock climbers.

Built to withstand extreme weather conditions on Europe’s highest mountain, the red and white metal tube can sleep up to 12 mountaineers en route from the Italian side of the peak.

It includes wooden bunk beds, a kitchen, dining room, storage racks and a living room with stunning views.

The 100 square foot shelter is 9,000ft above sea level and half of it hangs over a ­terrifying drop.

It is “fastened securely” to the rock face using heavy-duty bolts.



Sod that....

Left a lot to the home of motors and the land of Zombies

Hyundai has come up with some new wheels with-spikes, armoured windows, a top hatch, a nice Zombie plough all designed to make your trip to the shops safe from the undead.



Spiffing, I could use one of those dahn Tesco’s….

Still in the land of hot weather and no water

An Indiana man said his lawn has stayed lush and green during the current dry weather due to his secret weapon: paint.

Timothy Birdwell of Indianapolis, an employee of Imperial Painting, said he and a friend came up with the idea to paint the grass when they were confronted with dry weather and a watering ban, WISH-TV, Indianapolis, reported Monday.

Birdwell said the paint, which is specially designed for grass, wills last two to three months.

"If it rains, the grass just grows," Birdwell said. "At that point, you can go out there and touch it up if need be. You can have that kind of yard all year round with no water bill from watering your yard."

Wonder if they have something to make lawns waterproof....

And finally:

According to ‘Scientists’

Any thought of living on the Moon has taken a bit of a knock because it is poisonous.

The surface of the moon is coated in a layer of thick, undisturbed dust, which is not only ultra-fine - and therefore easy to inhale - but can increase the risk of various cancers, similar to breathing asbestos and volcanic ash.

Researchers from the University of Tennessee, referring to Neil Armstrong's first steps onto the moon, said: "The Apollo astronauts reported undesirable effects affecting the skin, eyes and airways that could be related to exposure to the dust that had adhered to their space suits during their extravehicular activities and was subsequently brought into their spacecraft."

Humans have only spent, at max, two or three days on the moon in total, and this time has often been spent in spaceships or airtight suits.

But with long-term exposure, the team says that inhalation would be harmful - even when wearing protective gear, as dust trails the astronauts back into living quarters.

Once inside the lungs the super-fine, sharp-edged lunar dust could health issues, affecting the respiratory and cardiovascular system, causing airway inflammation and increasing the risks of various cancers.

 

That’ll piss orf bearded Branson.

That’s it; I’m orf to have a look at UK science for free

And today’s thought:

Invisible 100 metres hurdles Olympics

Angus

Aunties high cost rail: Most money-least tax: Bubble houses: Mac flashback: and an Elephant on mars.

A slight lack of warm stuff at the Castle this morn, but Dawn’s crack was quite impressive and the big yellow thing is climbing into the sky.

The garden is looking much better with more than a whimsy of wet stuff and I have been ‘spring cleaning’ the large cupboards-yet another trip to the “recycling centre” in due course, but I did find a sundial which has lain in repose for about thirty years (since the 1980s) and will go into the ‘new corner’ of the Castle grounds-pics to follow.

In “austerity” Blighty

According to the Torygraph the BBC has spent more than £2 million ferrying and flying staff and guests between London, Manchester and Salford in two years, despite promising to employ more people locally.

New figures show the public service broadcaster paid for more than 24,000 train journeys and at least 500 flights between the capital and the North West, where its new media centre is based.

The train travel bill totalled more than £1.84 million while air mileage cost licence fee-payers nearly £77,000.

The corporation’s bill for rail journeys increased by nearly 30 per cent in 12 months, the figures released under Freedom of Information laws show.

The statistics cover journeys made through the public broadcasters “central booking agents” for the financial years 2009/10 and 2010/11.

It covers journeys made by staff from all BBC departments and also includes travel undertaken by guests.

I can’t afford to use the chuff-chuffs anymore; still it is nice to know that Auntie is so generous...

Parallel universe time

Apparently alien reptile in disguise George (I have so much money that I need several bank accounts) Osborne is "shocked" that some of the UK's richest people have organised their finances so that they pay virtually no income tax.

George (oh god we have been rumbled) said he had seen "anonymised copies" of tax returns which showed him that some of the highest earners paid an income tax rate averaging at just 10%.

He said he would take "further action" but did not outline any new proposals.

At least not until he has managed to have a word with his accountants....

West to the warm bit of the ex-colonies (and back more than half a century)

The Bubble Houses are two historic bubble or airform houses located next to each other in Florida.

Completed in 1954 by Air-form, the Bubble Houses were designed by Eliot Noyes using the airform monolithic dome system developed by Wallace Neff, which consists of reinforced concrete cast in place over an inflated balloon to establish the house’s shape.

The original interiors of the houses consisted of a bathroom and open concept living, dining, and kitchen area on the 569 square feet (52.9 m2) main floor, with a loft-style, raised sleeping space above.

They were built to sell for $6,500. Shortly after their completion, it was stated that more than 3,000 people had toured the newly constructed bubble houses.

The two bubble houses were featured in Life magazine in its February 22, 1954, issue, which described them as “both hurricane-proof and bugproof”.

Not “inflation” proof though.....

A message to all those smug Mac users

Last Thursday the computer security industry buzzed with warnings that more than a half-million Macintosh computers may have been infected with a virus targeting Apple machines.

Flashback Trojan malware tailored to slip past "Mac" defences is a variation on viruses typically aimed at personal computers (PCs) powered by Microsoft's Windows operating systems.

The infections, spotted "in the wild" by Finland-based computer security firm F-Secure and then quantified by Russian anti-virus program vendor Dr. Web, come as hackers increasingly take aim at Apple computers.

"All the stuff the bad guys have learned for doing attacks in the PC world is now starting to transition to the Mac world," McAfee Labs director of threat intelligence Dave Marcus told AFP.

"Mac has said for a long time that they are not vulnerable to PC malware, which is true; they are vulnerable to Mac malware."

Dr. Web determined that more than 600,000 Mac computers may be infected with Flashback, which is designed to let hackers steal potentially valuable information such as passwords or financial account numbers.

Hackers trick Mac users into downloading the virus by disguising it as an update to Adobe Flash video viewing software.

  

You have been warned....

And finally:

There is an Elephant in the cosmos

The image above is actually of the dried flood of lava over the Elysium Planitia volcanic region of Mars, as captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Wouldn’t want to have to clear up after that...

That’s it: I’m orf to look for goldfish in the moat

And today’s thought:

I hope u-turn Cam has the right clothes with him.

Angus

The Sunday Section

Salesman wanted; Sick and nicked; Crispy cracker; BBC bother; and the Elf and safety of carol singing.



Still not sleeping, about six days. Or rather nights now, I manage to grab an hour here and there. I don’t know why, must be all the excitement.

Looks like we are in for a “cold snap”, yet another time when the country will grind to a halt because of a half an inch of snow, which reminds me I must wax the sledge runners.










The Gov in all its wisdom has decided to Catch them Young, specially trained officers in one area have already begun visiting nurseries in order to identify youngsters who could be vulnerable to radicalisation.

In the West Midlands on officer with the counter terrorism unit wrote to community groups warning: "I do hope that you will tell me about persons of whatever age, you think may have been radicalised or be vulnerable to radicalisation ... Evidence suggests that radicalisation can take place from the age of four."

Arun Kundnani, of the Institute of Race Relations, who contacted the officer, said he explained how members of his unit had visited a number of nursery schools.

Mr Kundani told the Times: "He said the indicators were they [children] might draw pictures of bombs and say things like 'all Christians are bad' or that they believed in an Islamic state. It seems nursery teachers in the West Midlands are being asked to look out for radicalisation."


Nice.



And:










It also seems that Ed Balls (love that name) has caught ‘Browns disease’ and has decided that Laws requiring 11 million adults who work with children and vulnerable people to undergo criminal records checks are to be watered down following a massive public outcry.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls confirmed he had accepted all the recommendations of an independent review into the way the Vetting and Barring Scheme (VBS) was operating.

Crucially, adults will only have to be vetted if they come into contact with the same group of children once a week or more, rather than once a month as under the present arrangements.

It’s a start I suppose.




First up:

Sell snow to the Eskimos

Inuit communities need funds to adapt to climate change in the Arctic, including measures to build communal deep freezers to store game because warming is reducing their hunting season, an Inuit leader said on Friday.

The Inuit, the indigenous people of Greenland, Canada, Alaska and Russia, have traditionally hunted for Arctic species from seal to polar bear, whale to caribou.

"In Canada we see climate changes on a day to day basis," said Violet Ford, a Canadian official of the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC).

Ford, who was born and raised in the Inuit community of Makkovik, Labrador, said more funds are needed for adaptation and response to climate change in the Arctic and in developing countries.

Have a word in Gord’s ear he seems might be able to give some of the £1.5 billion he has found for climate change.

The face of things to come?

From Aceh to Bali, Indonesians have donated a truckload of coins in support of a woman jailed for criticising health care provision in an email to friends.

In a nationwide cause, the money has been gathered to help Prita Mulyasari, 32, pay a fine of 204 million rupiah ($21,400) after she was convicted of defamation by a local court on the outskirts of Jakarta.

Indonesians were so touched that volunteers began collecting money on the streets, in offices and in kindergartens and publishing details on the social networking site Facebook.

"This is the first time Indonesians acted to help someone by giving their coins," volunteer Esti Gunawan said.

"We feel sorry for her. As a mother, I feel that I would also need tremendous help if I were in her position."

The ongoing saga of Mulyasari began last year when the bank employee and mother-of-two sent an informal email to 20 friends and colleagues informing them of her poor treatment at Omni International Hospital outside Jakarta.

Mulyasari, who had been misdiagnosed with dengue fever at the hospital, found after being moved to another institution that she in fact had mumps.

Her email was transferred without her knowledge from one mailing list to another in cyberspace before being tracked by the Omni hospital, which filed a complaint.

Mulyasari, who was still breastfeeding her second child, was sent to jail in May and charged by prosecutors with defamation, which can carry a jail term of up to six years.

She was freed after 21 days, having promised not to abscond or destroy evidence, amid a huge outcry from the media, bloggers, and politicians including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

You have a lot to answer for George Orwell.

A crisp too far

Joel Bradley was caught allegedly selling a packet of Discos at a marked-up price of 50 pence.

The student at the Cardinal Heenan High School was given a day's suspension because it was the second time he had been caught.

His father, Joe, told the Liverpool Echo the youngster was being ''victimised'' for the enterprise, which could earn him as much as £15 a day.

Mr Bradley, from Norris Green, admitted he too had once been caught selling canned drinks, chocolate bars and crisps from a van outside the school.

He said: ''I think the school has made a beeline for him because of what I've done.''

Cardinal Heenan's head teacher Dave Forshaw said: ''We are a healthy school and proud of it.

''If parents are not happy then they are perfectly free to take their children to a school that allows pupils to sell these things and allows a father to sell them outside on the pavement.''

The head teacher said pupils were caught around ''three or four times a week'' selling snacks at the school.

''We have six to seven regular sellers we pinpoint'', he said.


What next, mind control?

Luvvies revolt

BBC personalities have criticised the production of a 'Top Talent' league table revealing what the Corporation really thinks about its best-known presenters.

Dozens of big names have been ranked in four 'divisions' according to how much audience appeal they are deemed to possess.

Many BBC presenters have expressed their surprise at the rankings, which see Alan Yentob, the BBC's creative director, heading the "Top Tier – Highly Valued" category, alongside Stephen Fry, Nigella Lawson, Jeremy Paxman and Jeremy Clarkson.

Lesser known presenters, such as Kate Humble, the wildlife presenter, Jimmy Doherty, the TV farmer, and Charlie Brooker, the host of BBC4's Screenwipe, also appear in the top division.

Meanwhile, household names including Delia Smith, Professor Robert Winston and Michael Palin are consigned to the bottom category, entitled "Occasional sparkle but limited appeal".

Other hugely popular personalities including Paul Merton, Ian Hislop, Alan Titchmarsh, Ben Fogle, Monty Don and Melvyn Bragg are deemed to have only "average appeal".

The rankings were compiled by senior managers at BBC Knowledge, the corporation's factual arm, and set out in an internal document entitled "Knowledge Commissioning Graded Talent List".

Ben Fogle, a former Countryfile presenter, expressed his surprise at the league table, saying: "I've got quite a thick skin from over ten years working in television so I'm not totally offended by being called average.

"I'm more surprised at some of the other people's ranking in the charts. I was very surprised to see Michael Palin down at the bottom.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "These artists are highly valued presenters and viewers will recognise that they appear regularly across our channels. Our current schedules and our forthcoming seasons make it abundantly clear how important these presenters are to the BBC."


Luverly.

And finally:



The dangers of carol singing

A safety leaflet has been produced to help singers avoid the pitfalls of performing Silent Night or Once in Royal David's City in a suburban street or local shopping centre.

the Ecclesiastical Insurance Carol Singing Guide warns: "Never sing in the road."
Naked flames can also be dangerous, it reminds festive souls, telling them: "Don't carry candles if they're not protected by a lantern."

And for those thinking of sending their young sons and daughters out at night to do some carol singing for them (and after all, who could resist the rattle of the collecting tin from the little angels?) Ecclesiastical has these stern words: "Ensure children are always accompanied by an adult."

These are some of the words of advice from its well intentioned guide, which runs to four pages.

Writing in its introduction - titled "How to ensure you're safe and welcome this Christmas" - Michael Tripp, the company's chief executive, explains: "This guide gives you some handy hints and tips which will help you hit the streets in full voice with confidence."

Other "essential safety advice" includes the top tips "always go with a group and stick together" and "don't carry large amounts of cash - if your donations are stacking up make provision to drop it off, or have someone collect it from you".

John Coates from Ecclesiastical, who helped put the leaflet together, admitted it was "basic".

However, he explained: "There are so many people who have got out of going carol singing that we felt we should start from the ground up.

"And with health and safety around the corner, we thought there was nothing we could leave out."

Ecclesiastical, which is the largest insurer of Anglican churches in the country, has also gone to the trouble of producing a downloadable window poster for those who want to welcome carol singers.

Earlier this year it carried out a survey that found nearly half of respondents did not like carol singers.

Almost a third (29 per cent) said they didn't want singers at the front door (29 per cent) and almost a fifth (19 per cent) said they simply would not open the door to them.

And 100 percent said that they didn’t need Elf and safety advice on carol singing.



Angus

AnglishLit

Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE

Angus Dei politico

Sunday Section

Yet another week comes to an end (or beginning, depending where you live), and the news is all a bit odd, especially from across the pond.

First up:

Thar's Gold in them thar gills ELEELE, Hawaii - Hawaii resident Curt Carish boasts a timely fish tale - a 25-centimetre reef fish he caught by hand in shallow water coughed up a ticking gold watch.

Carish says he was enjoying a picnic Wednesday on Port Allen beach when he saw the nenue fish awkwardly swimming close to shore.

He says a friend gave him a bamboo stick and told him to get the fish.

So he jumped into the waist-high water and hit the nenue until it went limp.

He noticed the fish had an abnormally large belly as he tossed it into a cooler.

A friend opened the cooler later to discover a gold watch next to the fish's mouth.
Carish says the watch was ticking and keeping correct time.

Well that was a timely catch!

Bite me she said so he did! MERIDEN, Conn. - An analyst at the Connecticut Police Academy says a co-worker responded literally to her "bite me" remark and chomped on her.

Former Waterbury police captain Francis Woodruff was charged Tuesday with disorderly conduct and released on a promise to appear in court. He's accused of biting academy licence and applications analyst Rochelle Wyler on April 24.

A police arrest report says Wyler had teeth marks and bruising on the back of her left arm.

Wyler's complaint alleges Woodruff was annoying her by calling her a clerk.
She says she responded with "bite me" - and he did.

Woodruff is also a training co-ordinator with the 130-member police department in Meriden, just south of Hartford.

He says he was joking.

Once bitten?

Big Mac man calls police ALOHA, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon man spent Memorial Day in jail after dialling 911 to complain that a McDonald’s worker was rude and didn’t give him an orange juice he ordered.

Raibin Osman of Aloha is accused of improper use of the emergency telephone number.

The Oregonian newspaper reports that the 20-year-old bailed out of the Washington County Jail on Tuesday and could not be reached for comment.

Sheriff’s Sgt. David Thompson says Osman ignored deputies who told him the emergency number isn’t to be used for straightening out fast-food orders.

A McDonald’s employee also called 911 during the incident to complain that Osman and the people with him were blocking the drive-thru lane and knocking on the restaurant windows.

What a whopper! Or is that another “caterer”?

Some home grown “news”:

New sat nav badge for scouts tying knots map reading and lighting fires, traditional skills for a scout, but now it seems that a new “Hiker” badge is to be awarded for the use of Sat Nav devices.

Mary Spence, a former president of the British Cartographic Society, said: "These youngsters don't need any instruction on this kind of technology.

"They are born to things like mobile phones and sat navs. For a start, there is nothing to work on a sat nav – they are so intuitive and easy to use. I'm astounded at this news. I am on a tirade now.

The new badge also promotes "geocaching" – which involves following a series of predetermined way points using a GPS – as an alternative to the more traditional scouting activity of orienteering, which involves following map references around a course.

Even I can use a Sat Nav and this sort of defeats the object.



And finally:

The Government wants to use our BBC license fee to finance news programmes on commercial TV channels A long-awaited white paper by Lord Carter, the technology minister, is understood to propose "top slicing" of the BBC's budget – using up to £100 million of BBC funding to pay independent companies to make regional news programmes for ITV.

It is also said to recommend taking an extra £30 million – or possibly more – of licence fee money to allow producers to make current affairs documentaries to be viewed either on television or on the internet.

Another plan, which would see financially troubled Channel 4 "bailed out" in a partnership with BBC Worldwide, the corporation's commercial arm, is still being wrangled over by ministers this weekend.

The proposals will be published this week in Lord Carter's report, Digital Britain, which will propose the biggest shake-up of British broadcasting for a generation – as well as mapping the future of broadband services and measures to deal with internet piracy.

It will be presented to the Cabinet on Tuesday and be published "later in the week," government sources said.

Last week, in what some critics saw as a public relations exercise ahead of the report's publication, it was revealed that BBC star names, including Jonathan Ross, Jeremy Clarkson and Graham Norton, are to have to take pay cuts of up to 40 per cent.

The Sunday Telegraph understands that Ben Bradshaw, the newly appointed Culture Secretary who will take the lead in presenting the report, held a meeting with senior BBC executives in the last few days.

Bennie Lego-Bradshaw was a pillock when he was a health minister and it seems he hasn’t changed, if ITV and Channel four are short of money they should stop making pathetic “reality TV” shows and use the money for News programmes, we pay our money for the BBC and that is where it should stay.


A bit of good news (or bad) depending on your outlook-the Angus Dei politico
And Angus Dei-NHS-THE OTHER SIDE sites will be back on line tomorrow after a revamp.

"'Tis pleasant, sure, to see one's name in print. A book's a book, although there's nothing in't."-Lord Byron

Angus

NHS Behind the headlines

ANOTHER NEWSPAPER, ANOTHER VIEW

Today I am taking a “take” on the Express (no don’t laugh).

The best and the funniest (inadvertently I am sure) head line is- Body parts murder clues adding up and I know it isn’t funny, all these parts of someone being discovered all over the place but you must admit it is a gaffe worth noting.


In addition, a good bit of news for America- Paxman axed as Newsnight in US flops the US edition of Newsnight has been dropped after Americans failed to be won over by Jeremy Paxman’s acerbic wit.

The show, launched amid much fanfare in February last year, started off in a prime‑time Friday slot before being moved to Thursdays.

Paxman was expected to be a huge hit and was even compared to fellow Brit, music mogul Simon Cowell, who dominates US TV.

Acerbic Wit? That’s one way of putting it.



Here’s one to cheer us all up- BBC stars to take a pay cut some of the BBC’s highest-paid stars are facing huge salary cuts as part of the broadcaster’s tough plans to curb spending.

They include £6million-a-year Jonathan Ross, who recently returned to work after a three-month suspension for his part in broadcasting lewd phone calls to veteran actor Andrew Sachs.

Also on the hit list for cuts are Graham Norton, on £2.5million, and Jeremy Paxman, on £1million.

It has been reported that up to 40 other BBC television and radio stars on more than £1million a year face seeing their enormous earnings cut after years of bumper rises.
A senior source at the corporation last night insisted that no one was too important to avoid the sweeping pay cuts.

He added: “There are no sacred cows in terms of BBC programmes having to make big savings.”

And about bloody time, but there is some bad news-“The budget-slashing is thought to have taken place on what are known as “returning dramas” like My Family, Spooks or Doctor Who.” three of the best programs on the BEEB.




Something that can affect all of us- How noisy neighbours ruin millions of lives (I had to put the ruin in myself) another editor for the sack!

THE lives of millions of Britons are being blighted by noisy neighbours, a survey has found.

More than a third of us have been disturbed by a racket from nearby houses and many say they can no longer enjoy their homes as a result.

The biggest gripes are loud TVs, radios and hi-fis but some say parties, rows and even karaoke machines drive them crazy.

Research by insulation firm Rockwool found that 38 per cent of Britons – equivalent to 17.5 million people – have been disturbed by noisy neighbours in the past two years.

Six per cent say the problem is so bad; their homes have become virtual prisons.
Forty-two per cent say loud music and TVs are the biggest problem.

Raucous parties upset a third of people, while nearly as many are disturbed by neighbours’ rows.

Almost one in three is also bothered by DIY next door.


So there you are-TURN IT DOWN!




And finally:

Something I think we all know anyway- Prescott is Labour’s laziest MP FORMER Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott was yesterday revealed as Labour’s laziest MP.

Mr Prescott – who got £141,000 in expenses and allowances last year as well as his £64,766 salary – missed more than half of all votes, failed to speak in the Commons, belonged to no select committees and tabled no written questions on behalf of his constituents or other taxpayers.

But Mr Prescott has been keeping busy elsewhere. Since leaving government, he has earned £170,000 for private speaking engagements, book-writing and a TV show.

Meanwhile, a new report says that dozens of MPs are not bothering to turn up to vital committee meetings.

Members often claim the reason so few are seen in the Commons chamber is because they are working with groups, such as the Treasury Select Committee, which influence Government policy and new laws.

However, the study reveals 60 of the 220 members on the most important committees “skived off” more than half of all meetings last year.

Worth every penny and that’s what he should be paid.

So there you go, apart from the typos and bad grammar (which my spell checker has corrected) not a bad selection of news, and not a hint of a story about Princess DI, tomorrow: who knows, apparently it is some sort of bank holiday this weekend, I may have a break, then again…….


“Newspapers always excite curiosity. No one ever lays one down without a feeling of disappointment.” Charles Lamb ("Last Essays of Elia," 'Detached Thoughts on Books and Reading')



Angus

NHS Behind the headlines

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