In the News

I know that I must be sounding like a stuck record but since I decided to boycott all the daily newspapers the only news I see is on the BBC and I'm now considering giving Auntie the old heave ho - why is that?  I hear you ask - well for one the BBC seems hell bent on destroying the economy of this country.

Does that sound a little harsh when politicians seem to have buggered up the economy since time began? well maybe but let's consider the facts.  This country, along with many other around the world, is suffering a downturn in it's economy due in no small part to the American system of giving mortgages to people who can't afford them.  That might sound a little simplistic but at the end of the day the world would not be in the state it's in now if American bankers had been more responsible with their lending. That of course is not the only reason we are in this state but I'm sure that the hundreds of hours that the BBC have spent 'explaining' the credit crunch have either informed you or bored you to death and you don't need me waffling on about it here. 

But my biggest reason for looking for an alternative source of news is BBC TV's paucity of world news. Did you know for example that the Israelis are still trying to starve the  Palestinians in Gaza  into submission or that 5 Brits have been killed in Afghanistan so far this month or that a company in China that employs 200,000 people has had it's shares suspended because of suspected stock market fraud or that after only a year since it joined the EU Bulgaria has been warned that it's eurofunding will be suspended if they don't get their act together over corruption and fraud.  Do you even know the name of Australia's Prime Minister or the fact that he is proposing the creation of an Asia-Pacific block similar to the European Union?

 No well you're are not alone. I think it's about time we rebelled and told the BBC what we really want in our news bulletins - news - not gossip from reality shows or pathetically staged vox pops or even god forbid that lizards are the new Labradors (I kid you not, Breakfast news had a big article this morning on how people are buying reptiles instead dogs because of the credit crisis - ahhhhhhh!)

(by the way the Aussie PM is Kevin Rudd)

Teachers Training Day

They really don't do themselves any favours do they?

Teachers to Train in Spain

Girl of 15 goes on £2,000 spree after bank gave her a card

I'm sorry but I couldn't resist this headline from the Daily Mail

Girl of 15 goes on £2,000 spree after bank gave her a card

The girl's mother was shocked that her 15 year old daughter was given a debit card by Lloyds Bank. Now maybe it's me but why would you put over £2000 in a current account for a child when you don't trust them not to spend it? Why didn't they just stick it in a building society account in their own names? They don't trust their daughter to manage her own money, OK so don't give her any, easy!

But the icing on the cake for me was this comment from the mother:- 'We are astonished that, given the current economic climate and the credit crunch, this has been allowed to happen.' - with that kind of financial savvy it's no wonder the kid doesn't have a clue. Is she implying that her daughter's wreckless spending is solely responsible for the 'current economic climate'? It really does beggar belief that the Mother can blame the banks when in fact it is her that is to blame. She is responsible for her daughter's actions, no one else, not the banks, not even the government (remember this was in the Daily Mail)

With this total lack of sympathy you can imagine my reaction when I saw the following article about a boy who had been given a debit card by his bank:-

One father reportedly complained to the bank, claiming that his 15-year-old son bought cheap cigarettes, Viagra and a fake adult ID on the internet using one of Lloyd's cards.

The fags and ID I can understand but why the hell does a 15 year old boy need Viagra? I would have thought that most boys that age have more problems keeping in down rather than problems getting it up!

Here is the News

As I was making the tea this morning I put on the TV to watch the news on the BBC. Well I'm sorry but how the BBC can call their breakfast show a news programme is beyond me. Their lead item was the inquest into the death of Diane Princess of Wales, they then 'reported' on the resurgence of the beehive hairdo and rounded off with an interview with Don McLean (remember him?......American Pie, Vincent etc). A quick look on their website however tells us that the Prime Minister has flown into Baghdad and the Tory's are planning to scrap the early release of prisoners, as well as news from Burma, an obituary for Ned Sherrin and my personal favourite news item of the day, 'Italian Convent To Close After Sisters Maul Mother Superior' Now that's what I call news!!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/