Test post – please ignore.
On second thoughts, a question. I thought I had posted the miscellany below this morning (8.32am GMT). Does the fact that it has no comments mean that no one has been able to see it until just now (3.58pm GMT), or does it just mean no one had any comment to make?
I also have some BBC miscellany I have been wanting to post here for a while (thanks Natalie for sorting it out).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4307438.stm
“The army has opened an inquiry into the killing, which happened when troops opened fire at unarmed youths throwing stones as they were on patrol in the camp.”
UNARMED youths THROWING STONES? A complete BBC contradiction in the space of 4 words.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4305614.stm
BBC Mid-East review terms given: Details of a review into the BBC’s coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have been published by the broadcaster’s board of governors.
Does anyone here know anything about this? What can we expect from this review? Is there any way we can submit evidence to the panel?
Melanie Phillips has blogged about it, and has a page on the Beeb website about the proposed review
http://www.bbcgovernors.co.uk/docs/reviews/israelipalestinian_terms.txt
I read Adloyada’s post on her site yesterday and for clarity of thought and expression, she is a pleasure to read.
Interesting that you refer to Ron Liddle as “reformed”. That makes three fairly prominent (incl one very prominent)journalists who made their name on the left and have been impelled by conscience to travel over to the right. Liddle, of course, Nick Cohen and the one and only Christopher Hitchens.
Does anyone know of any who have gone in the other direction?
Verity
Melanie Phillips.
Read here about her rightward travels
http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles/archives/000041.html
David Brock who wrote “Blinded by the Right” is an example of a righty who turned leftward:
Omigod, how could I have forgotten the sainted (she should forgive the term) Mel!! Of course! Thank you, Fran!
Wicksy – youths with stones against the army are not ‘armed’. They should be arrested but not shot.
Having said that, I think the BBC could have improved one of their quotes:
“We will continue martyrdom operations throughout Palestine until the occupation leaves”
by presenting it as:
“We will continue brain-washing vulnerable young people throughout Palestine until Israel gives up”.
It would be more accurate. In fact, can the BBC produce a thorough article about how ‘suicide killings’ aren’t so unique after all, but are quite common throughout history? For example, the ‘Ninja’ in Japan (and also the Kamikaze pilots of course) and the ‘Hashishin’ in Persia. History is littered with examples of groups who successfully convince others (nearly always young) to give their own life to forward the group’s political goals.
Rob – “groups who successfully convince others (nearly always young) to give their own life to forward the group’s political goals.” Not just young, Rob, but 99.99% young men.
BTW, why did Kamikaze pilots wear safety helmets?
OT
This evenings NewsNight had Kirsty Walk linking America with the Pakistan earthquake. With Sir Andrew Green (migration watch) and Saleemul Huq (token Muslim) in a discussion about the earthquake, a consequence of the increased number of “Natural disasters” due to global warming is that environmental refugees should be given political refugee status and she said “America should pay” presumably for the 50 million expected migrants worldwide.
Perhaps Kirsty wouldn’t mind opening up her home to some of them. The way Houstonians of all colours opened up their homes to evacuees of all colours from NO.
I believe her home is already full of Scottish Labour MPs, other wise I’m sure she would do so. Bless.
How on earth does global warming **cause** earthquakes?
The Beeb has lots its marbles. It is well and truly nuts now.
“How on earth does global warming **cause** earthquakes?”
I thought the very same thing when I heard it tonight, HTF can they have linked an earthquake with global warming. I guess that the beeb is aiming at a lower IQ audience, as if they would be at home watching newsnight. Ha
I’ve live in earthquake country all my life. Every Californian over the age of 8 knows that earthquakes are caused by techtonic plates rubbing up against each other!
Sheesh!
They know less than eight-year-olds. They are beyond help. They are insane.
More on the independent panel appointed to investigate the BBC’s Middle East coverage:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16825020%255E7582,00.html
And on complaints regarding the new series:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1128955350266&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Susan
I hope my advice on conkers was of help! Do you have horse chestnuts in California?
Please someone, please tell me that the nation that produced Newton and Jenner has not been taken over by primitive jungle shamans who believe that earthquakes can be stopped by rattling a piece of paper called The Kyoto Protocols at them!
Britain is worse off then I suspected.
Be very afraid, O British people, be very, very afraid. . .
I hope my advice on conkers was of help! Do you have horse chestnuts in California?
Not sure — what do horse chestnut trees look like?
But anything will grow here if you just water it. I have an orange tree, two pomegranite trees, a dogwood tree, a holly tree, a Granny Smith apple tree, three birch trees, a maple tree, and a nectarine tree. Plus some really huge native oak trees that are about 300 years old, and some Zinfandel wine grape vines.
Thanks to all for the info on the BBC report.
I have stacks of URL’s, info, articles, pictures and screenshots here on my PC, each one demonstrating some aspect of BBC bias. Most are about the Israel/Palestinian conflict.
I would like to put them to good use if I can.
OK, educate the poor American… What do you get from BBC that makes the fee worth while?
The BBC news coverage is biased. More biased than most coverage in the US – even Fox on the right and CNN on the left.
They do produce very nice cultural pieces and historical dramas along the lines of “Upstairs, Downstairs.” I really liked the “Poirot” adaptaion and some of the others like “Prime Suspect.” But those could easily have been produced commercially. (Poirot I saw on Arts and Entertainment – a cable channel, so it was making money for someone.)
I hope their sports coverage is super, because I don’t see that what you folk’s get for your yearly fee comes close to being worth it. (Sports coverage can definitely pay for itself, if I can judge by contracts in this country, though soccer – sorry, football – may not have enough breaks for commercials. If they can make golf coverage pay the way commercially in this country, you should be able to support anything.)
Has something come along to take the place of Monty Python? Or even Benny Hill or the Two Ronnies?
Upstairs, Downstairs, Poirot and Prime Suspect were all made by commercial ITV companies. Have you considered Google as a starting point for the education you’re seeking? 🙂
Andrew –
Doesn’t that kind of prove Zendo’s point?
Thanks to all for the info on the BBC report.
I have stacks of URL’s, info, articles, pictures and screenshots here on my PC, each one demonstrating some aspect of BBC bias. Most are about the Israel/Palestinian conflict.
I would like to put them to good use if I can.
Wicksy | Homepage | 12.10.05 – 2:17 am | #
Wicksy – Please feel free to post them and your perceptions on my website.
Err earthquakes COULD indeed be happening as a direct result of global warming. Of course nobody is totally sure (least of all I suspect anyone in here). The scientific community is divided on the matter as to whether these quakes are a result of climate change, but we do know that tectonic movement and the global climate are inextricably linked and they may have a bearing upon each other. This plays into many other factors including volcanic activity and ocean temperatures as well as surprisingly the weight of glacial pack ice. Don’t dismiss this unless you know what you are talking about and for goodness sake stop the Americans teaching 8 year old children that earthquakes happen because “god is angry”.
Vassily
The only evidence you have provided in your post is that you are an ignorant anti-American halfwit.
“Of course nobody is totally sure (least of all I suspect anyone in here)”
You want to bet?