Scrap the licence fee

The BBC are a bit annoying at the moment aren't they? If they're not punking the the queen with crazy video pranks, they're ripping off the public with phoney competitions. Why not get rid of the licence fee, and replace it with a subscription for BBC services? "Oh no", I hear, "then the BBC would be forced to lower standards and chase ratings in order to compete". Seems to me it's already chasing ratings at every opportunity and there's a bit too much of the BBC trying to be the news instead of just reporting the news (OK, I read this somewhere and am just repeating it, but I do like it). Every day on BBC Breakfast one of the lead stories is about something the Beeb itself has done, this doesn't seem quite right. Also there are a few too many Fame Academy / Strictly Come Bull Fighting type shows on all the time.

I didn't think I liked ITV, but we do seem to spend a lot of our time watching old crime dramas on ITV3, plus we watch a lot of TV productions on DVD.

I'm not saying I wouldn't subscribe to BBC services (I like lots of Radio 2 and we've been watching a good documentary about Bombay the last couple of days on BBC4), but people should have the choice.

A petition. Um, not many sign ups yet.

Yeah, more holiday writeup coming soon. Where was it I went again? Seems like ages ago, I'm struggling to remember what I liked and what I didn't.

Nice weather where you are? Looking a bit stormy here in Folkestone, but we've not had the threatened ten inches of rain yet...

Possibly going out in Hythe tonight with some people from work. Just to keep you up to date on my movements.

2007 :: Comment / reply

Folkestone and Stokey in the same Guardian column?

The Guardian's Backbencher column today has a mention for Stoke Newington's own 73 and the fact that the reality TV winning political candidate has announced his intention to stand against Michael Howard in Folkestone. More on www.voterodders.org. With all the free publicity he could probably get in somewhere, frightening. It's like pop idol but real, can anything be done?

Our replacement of Angel series two disk 3 still didn't work, so taking it to Folkestone for the weekend to watch it there...

Ew, Queen tickets go on sale in the morning. Only Brian May and Roger Taylor, John Deacon has better sense (I met him once you know, at a Pobitch party), and Paul Rodgers of Free is replacing Fred. Blee, you might as well go and see We Will Rock You. Dates here, from 10am Saturday. But still don't do it.

How smart is this? It's the life story of the guy who makes the minipops pictures, but with BRANCHES. What if he didn't go to uni? You probably don't know him but it's an interesting idea. Seen any rip offs of this yet?

On the subject of art projects the wacky Old Street pranks I mentioned before are still in place, but getting gross now. The milk bottles on the breakfast table laid out on top of a bus stop have gone really rotten, and for some reason the whole things' not been washed away by the weather. Next time, whoever you are, use white paint instead of milk, please. Hmm, I have a picture of this on my phone I think, but I rarely take pics off the phone again...

2005 :: Comment / reply

Old Street Art Pranks

Saw a wacky situationist prank at Old Street this morning, a breakfast table set up on top of a bus shelter, with bowls, cups, plates, milk jugs, the lot. Snapped a pic but can't get it off my phone until I get home. It's got a mention in London By London this morning too.



COOL weekend, a bit rock actually... Friday night a cheeky one in the Wetherspoons on Farringdon Road, then on to The Trolley Stop in Dalston to meet up with old FortuneCity chums. Wow going internal link crazy today. Anyway the pub was deserted, we were the only people there, though it looks like an alright place, Irish jukebox and pool table. Had some food next door, then late drinking at Dalston Jazz Bar, very crowded, tiny little student party type place.

Saturday we planned our shopping and more or less completed it, most of it without actually leaving the house... we watched more of the documentaries on Return of the King then headed into town to meet up with the best man and his wife, which turned into such an ace evening. Wasn't really planning a big one, just thought a few quiet drinks and a bit to eat, but it developed a life of it's own. Started in the Hogshead near Leicester Square (at last one that BITE have), then fairly disappointing food in Soho Spice then on to ROCK at the Intrepid Fox. Not been there for such a long time, but it's inspired us to head to an old hangout of ours - The Air Balloon in Portsmouth - next weekend. We should have called it a night there, the country mice ran back to the station and JUST made their train back to Fareham. But we didn't stop there, we tubed it back to Finsbury Park and stayed in the 12 Pins drinking cider until our money ran out and howling along to some Irish duo. Then we went home and howled along to Once More With Feeling, so we slept most of Sunday... Shopped a bit, baked a pie, and that's about it.

And I can't be the last to mention this, predictive google, how on earth does it work? I'm guessing on each key press some JS runs and checks if it needs to import some more JS that has the latest stats on... amazing, but similar to it's address book stuff in gmail.google.com.

Wow, even Paul Stanley has something to say (on www.kissonline.com) about the death of Dimebag Darrel

I'm stunned. The taking of Dimebag Darrell's life in this horrific murder is a senseless tragedy for his fans and an unfathomable loss for his family. I send my deepest condolences to Vinnie and the rest of his family. My thoughts are also with the families of all the other victims of this heinous act." -- Paul Stanley

2004 :: Comment / reply