Have your say & ask the experts

A couple of things in the news have caught my attention recently:

1. An article in the metro recently told of how police officers in certain counties have been warned not to use the words 'evening' or 'afternoon' since different cultures can have a different perception of time, and others have been told to refer to children, in the singular, not as 'child' or 'youngster' but as 'young person.' Apparently the former two terms give a perception of unreliability.

2. An article in one of the main newspapers reports that in order to combat climate change we need to give up meat as the methane produced from pigs and cows is having a disastrous effect on the environment. Yet airport expansion is fine, and the carbon caps which were to be sold to corporations to limit their emissions in the US and which could be subsequently traded are, instead, to be distributed free of charge allowing companies to then sell them to each other pocketing the profit, but animals are a significant threat to the planet.

3. The recent tragedy in Iraq has been blamed by its citizens, not on the terrorists who placed the bomb, but on the government.

4. On a more general point, why is it that newspapers, admittedly the more trashy ones, constantly report on celebrities like Jordan and Peter Andre or X factor rivalries as if that were news? Surely this can be covered sufficiently in weekly magazines rather than occupying the front pages of several newspapers, and if the answer is "because it sells", then doesn't that say a lot about our country?

Sorry for the rant. Has anyone else come across anything bizarre in the press recently?

I used to work with a guy who always used to bring this stuff to my attention.  Political correctness gone mad. Every day there would be some un-news story saying that we cant put up xmas lights in case it offends someone or manhole covers now need to be referred to as person hole covers (in case the manhole gets offended I assume), blackboards being renamed chalkboards, etc.

There was a case a year or two ago where a violent burglar who as a result of being chased by the police, climbed up onto a roof
of someones house and spent four hours throwing tiles at anyone who went near him. The
police had to send up a KFC meal because he asked for it and it would
have violated his human rights if they'd let him go hungry.  He also refuse the bottle of coke they sent him as he wanted his coke in a can.  The poor little man.

My mate always ended his conversations with "Is it me?". He was a very funny guy but always had a serious undertone and he was genuinly baffled about what went on in the world.

Must admit i have no interest in the fact the fred is marrying betty in some soap opera tv programme thing, or that Julie is cheating on Gary.  I also have no intrest in in what Jordan has to say about Peter or hear that Brittney Spears has put weight on (again).

I used to find all these stories incredilous, but as time has worn on I just accept them as part of the mad sad world we live in.

BBC news top three stories right now

1) Nimrod review reveals 'failures of culture, leadership and priorities'

2) Scores killed by Pakistan car-bomb

3) Barbara Windsor is leaving EastEnders

Andrew Everard:

3) Barbara Windsor is leaving EastEnders

As Elvis Costello (under the guise of 'The Imposter') sung in Pills and Soap, back in 1983:

"Give us our daily bread in individual slices

And something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis"

Rest of the lyrics remaining depressingly pertinent, too....

Or indeed as Billy Bragg said in "It says here"

It says here that this year's prince is born
It says here do you ever wish
That you were better informed
And it says here that we can only stop the rot
With a large dose of Law and Order
And a touch of the short sharp shock

If this does not reflect your view you should understand
That those who own the papers also own this land
And they'd rather you believe
In Coronation Street capers
In the war of circulation, it sells newspapers
Could it be an infringement
Of the freedom of the press
To print pictures of women in states of undress

Given the dire economic situation the UK finds itself in, is it possible that the retail industry have lobbied the government into bringing Christmas forward to stimulate spending in this sector?

I ask because yesterday, whilst doing a bit of grocery shopping in my local tesco, I came across a person putting Christmas pudding into his basket. When I looked at the shelf, I saw that it was packed with the stuff. Then this afternoon on a walk on oxford street I came across selfridges which had, at its main entrance, two enormous Christmas trees. I was further confused to see displays in their window selling props and things for halloween.

Please forgive my naivety as this is my first year living in London so this might just be normal here, but having spoken to family living abroad, they tell me that Christmas decorations are not yet up.

hmtb:

Given the dire economic situation the UK finds itself in, is it possible that the retail industry have lobbied the government into bringing Christmas forward to stimulate spending in this sector?

I ask because yesterday, whilst doing a bit of grocery shopping in my local tesco, I came across a person putting Christmas pudding into his basket. When I looked at the shelf, I saw that it was packed with the stuff. Then this afternoon on a walk on oxford street I came across selfridges which had, at its main entrance, two enormous Christmas trees. I was further confused to see displays in their window selling props and things for halloween.

Please forgive my naivety as this is my first year living in London so this might just be normal here, but having spoken to family living abroad, they tell me that Christmas decorations are not yet up.

hmtb:

Please forgive my naivety as this is my first year living in London so this might just be normal here, but having spoken to family living abroad, they tell me that Christmas decorations are not yet up.

This is quite late. Some places have had Christmas foods and other products on display for a month or more.

Andrew Everard:

hmtb:

Please forgive my naivety as this is my first year living in London so this might just be normal here, but having spoken to family living abroad, they tell me that Christmas decorations are not yet up.

This is quite late. Some places have had Christmas foods and other products on display for a month or more.

Really? How odd! So some places clearly need to familiarise themselves with a calender if they're putting christmas products on the shelf in September.

hmtb:

Andrew Everard:

hmtb:

Please forgive my naivety as this is my first year living in London so this might just be normal here, but having spoken to family living abroad, they tell me that Christmas decorations are not yet up.

This is quite late. Some places have had Christmas foods and other products on display for a month or more.

Really? How odd! So some places clearly need to familiarise themselves with a calender if they're putting christmas products on the shelf in September.

 

Afraid thats the way it is. Easter eggs will start appearing in the shops first week of January.

hmtb:

A couple of things in the news have caught my attention recently:

1. An article in the metro recently told of how police officers in certain counties have been warned not to use the words 'evening' or 'afternoon' since different cultures can have a different perception of time, and others have been told to refer to children, in the singular, not as 'child' or 'youngster' but as 'young person.'

2. An article in one of the main newspapers reports that in order to combat climate change we need to give up meat as the methane produced from pigs and cows is having a disastrous effect on the environment.

3. The recent tragedy in Iraq has been blamed by its citizens, not on the terrorists who placed the bomb, but on the government.

4. On a more general point, why is it that newspapers, admittedly the more trashy ones, constantly report on celebrities like Jordan and Peter Andre or X factor rivalries as if that were news? Surely this can be covered sufficiently in weekly magazines rather than occupying the front pages of several newspapers, and if the answer is "because it sells", then doesn't that say a lot about our country?

1. The people who keep coming up with these silly ideas have to justify why they are there , you think it going to stop its not , soon we will not be allowed to sneeze in public as it may offend someone ( just an idea if you start running out of ideas ) 

2. stealth tax , i'm all up for making things more environment  friendly and using less power but to keep rubbing it in about CO2 and climate change , its funny how you can find info on anything with statistics and evidence on whats actually happening apart from the made up stuff 

3. You mean Gordon brown is corrupt ? you shouldn't taint them all with the same brush . God what was you thinking 

4.Thats the reason i don't buy the paper because its full of rubbish, but people do buy and love to read about mind numbing stuff . Why anyone would entertain people like Jordan is beyond me  

God just seen an advert on Tv Cast offs that starts next week , looks like it will upset a few people  

Yes, indeed it has and here in Norway I feel we must be leading the way sometimes.
Our Xmas day is 24th December and we usually remove the Xmas tree the day after!
As for the media, here's a few examples of today's headlines :

New virus attacks your mobile phone causing it to make a call every 60 seconds without you knowing it.
A lot of British towns are now underwater due to freak storm conditions.
New tax on BioDiesel will make it more expensive than petrol.
Oprah is quitting.
Xmas special offer! Sony STRDA-2400 ESB amp now on offer for only £1000 pounds.

Yep, expensive it is.
But hey, the price of a  has come down from £10 to a "reasonable" £6.50 so I can't complain. 

P.S.  That last remark is to be taken in a sarcastic manner, but the prices are unfortunately genuine!