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UK PoliGAF thread of tell me about the rabbits again, Dave.
- Thread starter Chinner
- Start date
Cosmonaut X
Member
phisheep said:
Indeed - although you've now gone and made me nostalgic for the likes of What the Papers Say, World in Action, Death on the Rock, The World at War, Sapphire & Steel etc. etc. etc.
None of which would have been possible without ATV, Thames et al. Shame to see the state ITV is in today.
Sky expanded the amount of programming on TV - they gave people choice. Their price competition with cable has driven prices very low. Their price competition with telecom providers has also contributed to lower broadband prices.
It doesn't matter to me if they import American shows here, since American shows tend to be better anyway, save documentaries and BBC output. I really couldn't give a shit about British drama productions. I doubt many people do.
They have also helped turn the Premier League into the richest league in the world, with their insane bids for TV rights.
It doesn't matter to me if they import American shows here, since American shows tend to be better anyway, save documentaries and BBC output. I really couldn't give a shit about British drama productions. I doubt many people do.
They have also helped turn the Premier League into the richest league in the world, with their insane bids for TV rights.
What's this radical, liberal, homosexual, confucian, left-driven world coming to when an upstanding newspaper can't report the same story in two different disingenuous flavours, years apart?Wes said:
I tell you, you do a tiny bit of misleading to further your agenda and all these bleeding hearts come crawling out squealing about 'truth' and 'fairness'.
Makes me sick.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
avaya said:
Choice, eh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T2zUEiVQU4
Maybe the reasons for yours and others' antipathy towards non-BBC British productions is because Sky are fucking inept at original programming. (Outside of Sports, which they are very good at - and they better be) Perhaps if they offered some quality content rather than outbidding their rivals for foreign shows the British scene would be far better.
Irrelevant to the TV market - they are incredibly anti-competitive in the sporting sphere and reduce the amount of choice available to people. Why does it matter if the Premier League is the richest league, anyway?
Mr. Sam said:
I love how he seems to think everyone shares the same opinion as him, But allot of BNP's supports spout the same shit, I know as I had to work with one for 6 months.
In a big case of irony the office building we worked in also held the Citizenship test centre, he ended up getting fired to putting BNP stickers on the test centre computers.
killer_clank
Member
Meanwhile, in Scottish politics, it looks like the election campaign will be based on personal insults, at least on Labour's part. Ed Miliband may be doing alright to improve the image of the national party, but the scottish one still seems to be just as bad.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/politics/gray-faces-snp-backlash-after-salmond-insult-1.1076603
Ugh.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/politics/gray-faces-snp-backlash-after-salmond-insult-1.1076603
Ugh.
industrian
will gently cradle you as time slowly ticks away.
killer_clank said:
You have no idea just how much the Unionist parties (Labour in particular) truly hate the SNP. It's proper literal hate too, not just for the cameras. They despise the SNP.
But yeah, Labour candidates could hail Satan, jerk off and skin kittens alive on Buchanan Street and they'd still win most of the Central Belt. I hate the fact that many Scots still give unquestioned loyalty to the Labour party.
killer_clank
Member
industrian said:
This is what bitters me the most about it. Forget what's good for the country, if it's an SNP policy you can guarantee every Labour MSP will vote against it.
Last week I was watching First Ministers questions, and all Iain Gray asked about was silly questions about independence from quotes off the SNP website that had nothing do with Scotland's issues at that moment in time (I swear Labour seem to talk about independence much more than the SNP), whilst there was issues with snow, and lifeguard stations being closed by the westminster government. The leaders of the other parties asked much more reasonable questions.
It's pathetic. By all means have party rivalries, but when it actually threatens to affect proposals that are good for the country, then it's gone too far.
radioheadrule83
Banned
kharma45 said:
oh god its cringeworthy... the guy is so aggressive I actually felt sorry for Michael Gove :lol
"he'd wipe the floor with you, what you're saying is laughable"
"really.."
"you're fiddling with the dashboard michael, leave it alone!"
I actually kind of respect Gove for remaining a part of the discussion and allowing the guy to say his piece... its actually an interesting discussion between the two men. I wonder if he'd allow himself to be drawn into a public argument like that on television!
radioheadrule83
Banned
Chinner said:
I don't think they really understood one another and I think Gove was just so embarrassed that he was just trying to find a way to 'win'... which yeah, isn't great..
the guy wasn't saying basic literacy and numeracy shouldn't be taught, he was saying that beyond that the subjects shouldn't be given any further emphasis and kids should be able to identify the things in education that they themselves enjoy. Not necessarily saying 'leave all education choices up to the child' as Gove was choosing to interpret it, but rather - don't make the teachers foist certain subjects upon children and drill them on those subjects as though they're more important, purely for the purposes of improving league tables.... just let the teachers teach everything as they see fit without as much government meddling, and let the children develop. He referred to Gove's ideal for schools as being like factories churning out clone worker bees, there might be something to that -- a regimented approach to improving league tables could well make both staff and student hate the work and the environment, and stifle creative development..
I'm sympathetic to his argument really, but I don't think Gove got it.
JonathanEx
Member
Govey is on QT tonight.
So I've missed this English Batchaheheleller thing entirely - so correct me if my understanding is wrong.
BBC News says "The English Baccalaureate, or EBacc, was announced in summer 2010, and will, in future, be awarded to pupils attaining A*-C GCSE passes in maths, English, two science qualifications, a language, and geography or history."
So despite me (ok, what, 4 years ago, but still fairly recently) getting about 12 A*-B GCSEs, because I didn't do either geography or history - instantly boom, it's as if I don't matter any more in comparison to people who got this new magic award thing.
Sure, I did some of the arts (not that they're important, lol), but then does this mean that statistics, a second English are considered worthless by this thing?
I don't like the sound of the Baccalrurey. Sounds like some private school wankery thing anyway.
So I've missed this English Batchaheheleller thing entirely - so correct me if my understanding is wrong.
BBC News says "The English Baccalaureate, or EBacc, was announced in summer 2010, and will, in future, be awarded to pupils attaining A*-C GCSE passes in maths, English, two science qualifications, a language, and geography or history."
So despite me (ok, what, 4 years ago, but still fairly recently) getting about 12 A*-B GCSEs, because I didn't do either geography or history - instantly boom, it's as if I don't matter any more in comparison to people who got this new magic award thing.
Sure, I did some of the arts (not that they're important, lol), but then does this mean that statistics, a second English are considered worthless by this thing?
I don't like the sound of the Baccalrurey. Sounds like some private school wankery thing anyway.
radioheadrule83
Banned
Wes said:
Its because the Conservatives packed boundary reform into their AV referendum bill.. it is percieved as disadvantaging Labour so they are trying to pressure changes to the bill. Probably won't happen, but I can kind of see their point -- why do boundary changes and a vote on AV have to be linked? They are seperate considerations surely..
Alan Johnson, the guy who knew less about economics than George Osbourne, yet still the most experienced shadow minister, has resigned.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12242397
He is now replaced by Ed Balls, renowned for being a more bullying version of Gordon Brown. You squint a bit and it almost looks like Tony and Gordon again.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12242397
He is now replaced by Ed Balls, renowned for being a more bullying version of Gordon Brown. You squint a bit and it almost looks like Tony and Gordon again.
Sad thing is from the longer than usual (in these scenarios) statement I really think this is down to a distressing personal reasons, and you know the papers are going to be speculating and ripping his life apart trying to find out.
Of all the sods in Labour, I always found him bearable but he was poorly matched for the Shadow Chancellor position. Placed there purely to cockblock Balls.
Of all the sods in Labour, I always found him bearable but he was poorly matched for the Shadow Chancellor position. Placed there purely to cockblock Balls.
radioheadrule83
Banned
About time. There's no way he didn't know what was going on at News of the World IMO; I think there's a lot more to come out of that story too. I believe someone came out recently to add further fire to the phone hacking allegations?
And like he's said - "when the spokesman needs a spokesman, it's time to go"
And like he's said - "when the spokesman needs a spokesman, it's time to go"
blazinglord
Member
I think you mean better for Clegg and Cameron.Chinner said:
A high-profile deficit denier and Brownite who was at the heart of the treasury that presided over economic collapse. Well, the attacks just write themselves. Sure Labour might get some short-term gain with pugnacious Balls attacking the government constantly, but in the longer term Labour have managed to appoint someone who is, quite amazingly, even less likeable than Osborne. There are rumours floating around that it was an aide of Balls who was divulging details about Johnson's personal life to the press at a time when Johnson was politically weak in order to force him out. A nasty piece of work indeed.
I had high hopes for this show, but I found it kind of juvenile and boring really and turned it over to newsnight half way through.Mr. Sam said:
As for Andy Coulson, aside from the guardian and Labour tribalisits, nobody cared when he was in no.10, and nobody cares he has gone. He was a spin doctor who controlled the government's message, he didn't make policy and nor was he a minister. A pointless scalp that is unlikely to do any harm to the government. Cameron should have just got rid of him earlier and appointed another ex-Murdoch employee instead. Still, at least this hacking scandal obsession distracted a bit of attention away from implementing unpopular cuts.
blazinglord said:
Weird thing was I couldn't stop thinking how unsuitable the set was for the show. Brooker's pre-recorded pit and Mitchell's rehearsed bits were the best. Carr's opening jokes about all the different news stories were terrible. Way worse than his 8 out of 10 cats openers.
Disagree completely. Media will too. It was way more than the Guardian and a subset of Labour calling for his head. Silly to try and portray it that way. He was the closest thing Cameron had to Alaister Campbell and it was obvious from the get-go that he'd been involved in the hacking. Impossible for him not to be as editor. Cameron hired a criminal.
blazinglord
Member
I mean the ordinary men and women voters don't care. As someone who has more than a passing interest in politics, I've never had much interest in Campbell or Coulson. I doubt voters with nil interest in politics in between elections knows what a 'director of communications' does let alone name him. It might mean something to Fleet Street until a replacement has been appointed, but other than that. It really isn't a big deal. Also it is worth bearing in mind that people already hold the assumption that tabloid journalists are amoral douchebags who [rightly or wrongly] do illegal activities in search for scoops. I certainly do. As a consequence, I don't think anyone really found the News of the World hacking scandal really that shocking.Zenith said:
phisheep
NeoGAF's Chief Barrister
Coulson: don't care. Never have cared for government press spin doctors whoever they are, but one more or less is no odds. I do care that governments think they need them, but in the light of the recent press wolfpack stuff I can sort of see why, at least some of the time. But isn't this what Whips used to do?
Johnson: do care. Gave every impression of being a decent man at the heart of difficult politics. Doesn't matter all that much whether he was out of his depth in economics or whether he disagreed with Ed M. Decentness counts. As does a semblance of honesty and honour. I'll miss him, and hope he comes back.
Balls: do care. The man is poisonous. And dangerous, uncontrolled, overambitious. I have absolutely no idea whether as shadow chancellor he will be good or bad for labour/tories/liberals - and that really ought to worry somebody. Worries the hell out of me.
Johnson: do care. Gave every impression of being a decent man at the heart of difficult politics. Doesn't matter all that much whether he was out of his depth in economics or whether he disagreed with Ed M. Decentness counts. As does a semblance of honesty and honour. I'll miss him, and hope he comes back.
Balls: do care. The man is poisonous. And dangerous, uncontrolled, overambitious. I have absolutely no idea whether as shadow chancellor he will be good or bad for labour/tories/liberals - and that really ought to worry somebody. Worries the hell out of me.
radioheadrule83
Banned
I actually found the interview with the chap about tuition fees quite good, largely because any quips didn't make it uncivil, and its a subject that some members of the shows audience were probably genuinely ignorant on...
I think they need to take a good look at the Daily Show and see how Jon Stewart makes the news funny. The worst parts were the entertainment news spoof with Lauren and the Tunisian holiday ad with Jimmy. Those were awful... the best bits were probably David Mitchell's local news rant, and Charlie Brooker's newswipey Sarah Palin summary.
I think they need to take a good look at the Daily Show and see how Jon Stewart makes the news funny. The worst parts were the entertainment news spoof with Lauren and the Tunisian holiday ad with Jimmy. Those were awful... the best bits were probably David Mitchell's local news rant, and Charlie Brooker's newswipey Sarah Palin summary.
-0.5% fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. I know it snowed...but it shouldn't be down that much. Some analysts said even without the snow it'd be 0% or -0.1%. 
Service industry is oversaturated.
Oh, and this is obviously hugely anecdotal, but at XXX (where I work as a delivery driver) we've been getting more orders than last year, and making more money.
But worryingly...very worryingly...a lot of these orders are for chavvy families in poor areas, who aren't using any vouchers, (i.e. about £13 a pizza) and paying on, you guessed it, credit cards. There's an area here in York called Tang Hall, which is essentially an underclass council estate and the people here are all people with moderately nice cars families of 5, nice furniture, and they all order needlessly expensive (if you use online vouchers it can be reasonably cheap, about £6 a pizza) pizzas, all without having a job.
We need a change of attitude about debt in this country or we'll be facing an American style crisis. Oh and these parents need to stop giving their kids unhealthy food, which is gonna cost the NHS billions in a few years.
Service industry is oversaturated.Oh, and this is obviously hugely anecdotal, but at XXX (where I work as a delivery driver) we've been getting more orders than last year, and making more money.
But worryingly...very worryingly...a lot of these orders are for chavvy families in poor areas, who aren't using any vouchers, (i.e. about £13 a pizza) and paying on, you guessed it, credit cards. There's an area here in York called Tang Hall, which is essentially an underclass council estate and the people here are all people with moderately nice cars families of 5, nice furniture, and they all order needlessly expensive (if you use online vouchers it can be reasonably cheap, about £6 a pizza) pizzas, all without having a job.
We need a change of attitude about debt in this country or we'll be facing an American style crisis. Oh and these parents need to stop giving their kids unhealthy food, which is gonna cost the NHS billions in a few years.
radioheadrule83
Banned
My brother is in construction and this is the first year in his time doing that that he'd gone abroad for work... everyone I know who knows someone in the building trade has been saying about how hard it is for work in that sector at the moment, and there it is in big bold yellow...
Really concerning. Gotta wonder what measures this government have introduced are actually going to help - because April onwards is when the public services cuts are going to hit, and I'm not seeing how or where the private sector is going to compensate.
I can't imagine that a Labour government would have helped matters either, in fact delayed action from them could have dented confidence and recovery as well. We are about to reap what we've sewn...