The International (2009) – cross James Bond with Bourne Identity and an ‘Introduction to accounting’ book and you have this film.  It’s alright.

Knowing (2009) – Alien bollocks with Nicolas Cage.  Says it all

In the Loop (2009) – Superb film of the TV series ‘The Thick of It’ – Favourite Malcolm Tucker Quote: “Well, it is out there, it’s out there now, lurking like a big hairy rapist at a coach station. You know, if I could, I’d punch you into paralysis!”

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) - I can’t belive I’d never seen this, however it’s my main reason for buying a poncho.

Tell No One (Ne Le Dis a Personne) (2006) – Ace french film about a bloke who’s wife is murdered and his attempts to find out why.

In Bruges (2009)  – Not a great film but it’s made me want to go to Bruges.

The Uninvited (2009) – Some bird comes home fromt he mental hospital (you can tell where this goes already) to find his dad shacked up with another woman who she thinks is trying to kill her and her sister.

Gran Torino (2008) – Great film directed and staring Clint Eastwood. An ignorant racist who comes good, nice story.

Eastern Promises (2007) – A great British film about the Russian Maffia.

I finish with a film that I am really excited about seeing in new year, ‘Where The Wild Things Are’, a Spike Jonze film based on famous children’s book by Maurice Sendak.

http://www.shropshirestar.com/2009/03/31/mp-calls-for-expenses-reform/

The above URL links to an online article titled: MP calls for expenses reform, reporting that Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard has called for
expenses reform.

The quotes here are EXACTLY the same words used by Mark on the Jim Hawkins show on Radio Shropshire leading me to two possible scenarios;

1) Mark pre rehearsed the lines, and sent a written copy to the Star upon request.

2) Some lazy hack in Ketley was listening to the radio this morning and wrote his piece based upon it.

If number two is the correct answer then why not cite the source of your quotes here and give Jim and his team the respect they are due?

If number one is the correct answer then forgive my tone, but given the recent ‘borrowing’ of the Wrekin/Gem stone story from the Birmingham Post finance editor (Source), I’m starting to wonder if the Shropshire Star is being run by 6th form media students.

I would appreciate if it someone would look into this issue and explain the stance. Can I also ask that if, like many times before, my concerns are ignored I shall take this to mean that the Shropshire Star does not mind any form of plagiarism and I am okay to reproduce the entire day’s paper verbatim and sell it at a 5p lower than the Star?

Kind Regards

Merk

Update: I have an email back from the Internet Editor who writes: It could be, of course, that Mr Pritchard gave his comments to Radio Shropshire and the Shropshire Star. Have you considered that possibility?

To which I reply yes I have, thats why I have asked the question.

Update II: This isn’t some sort of personal vendetta against my local newspaper but another possible example of the dwindling standards of journalism and I think that is a shame.

heh.

It’s my take that while the calls were inappropriate, it certainly isn’t something which should result in the sacking of two of TV and Radio’s biggest names, apologies have been made – Ofcom will investigate and that make a judgement and that should be that.  No one died.

For me there are some issues relating to all this brouhaha (yes, I did just say brouhaha);

I find it amazing that only 2 people made complaints after the show went out and now over 10,000 people have complained since reading about it in their favourite right wing shit rag.  That means that all but 2 people listening to the show were not offended by the broadcast, if that is the case then the matter is entirely between Andrew Sachs and BBC radio 2.

Sach’s granddaughter is a Burlesque dancer who appears in the a dance troupe, she (according to her myspace) calls herself a ‘swinger’ and a ‘groupie’ and has appeared with very little clothing in more than one newspaper – yet she is somehow embarrassed enough about the revelation that she shagged one of the most sexually active ‘celebs’ in the country to quit the ‘Satanic Sluts’ European tour?

BBC News channel are showing their impartiality by covering this story to death, apparently there is nothing else going on in the world. Honest.

Shit newspapers who love a good bit of BBC bashing are baying for blood in this and will use this as any excuse to whip up a frenzy of anti-licence fee idiots to do their best ‘Angry of Tunbridge Wells‘ impression even though I’m willing to take a punt that a great deal of those 10,000 complainants haven’t even heard the broadcast.

As someone with experience in radio (albeit not the heady heights of Radio 2) – it was a shit piece of radio, really really bad, but not sackable shit.  Christ, if only this baying mob had heard some of the shit my co-presenter and I used to come out with (Lockerbie the Musical anyone?) we’d have had our head on spikes before you could blurt out “He fucked your Granddaughter“.

As I write this I see on the BBC News channel have announced that Brand and Ross have been suspended pending investigation, perhaps this is the correct thing to do and should have happened (and those involved in the decision making process for it to go out) as soon as this looked as it was going to blow out of all proportion.

The best thing the Beeb can do now is let this settle and wait for the Springfield Mob to move onto the next subject, then re-instate two of their most popular broadcasters (even Sachs has himself said he didn’t want to put any more pressure on Ross after a personal apology) on the understanding that when the OFCOM ruling comes in, Ross and Brand pay the fine (which is likely to be a big one now).

More photos at Walts Flickr

Fast forward to half way through for the good stuff!

But now Wellington night club Pussycats Nightclub have decided to give it a go, with Dale and Bevo doing all the promtional leg work and me & Stavros playing tunes.

Clockwork is going to be monthly night and will start this week on Thursday (8th May) and subsequent nights on the first Thursday of each month from then on.

I suppose in a way we’re trying to emulate Blast Off of old (pre EMO!) but with a live element too, the first band playing are a great local group called HEY EDISON, I’m looking forward to hearing them perform.

It’s 2 for 1 on drinks too.

It should be fun, see you there?

Frank Zappa defends the right of artists not to be censored from 1986. Frank Zappa rips these dinosaurs apart!

Fulla: Long Live the King! (attaches a picture of a Custard Cream)

S: now come on, you know that’s not true. a ginger nut can take more dunks than any other biccie. apart from maybe the abbey oat crunch. that’s the Don.

I’ll keep you updated as to how it continues!

My DVD collection is less than ten, most of those are retro cartoon type things and the occasional film (lock stock). I don’t seem to be able to watch films more than once like some people do so I never see the point in buying them.
I do have a few ‘favourite’ films that I can watch over again though;

The Usual Suspects
The Hudsucker Proxy
Goodfellas

There are probably a couple of others that I like but I can’t think right now.

So anyway, I decided to try and watch more movies. I’ve been subscribed to Sky Movies for years but can never find owt decent to watch when I had the urge so a few weeks ago I installed Sky by Broadband. A p2p system that allows you to download from a whole host of movies from Sky, including some classics, new releases and obscure shit films that no one has heard of!

Because of the heavy DRM included to the files, you’re only allowed to download them to one PC per sky viewing card and you cannot transfer the media to any other machine. Otherwise the quality is pretty good. If you have Sky (sports and movies package needed) and don’t mind sat in front of your pc for a couple of hours it’s worth it.

That wasn’t enough though, currently Sky by Broadband don’t update the movies as often as I’d like. So today I’ve signed up for Amazon DVD Rental. Six quid a month for 3 DVDs from their collection of over 40,000 titles. You can have more if you pay for a higher package but I thought I’d try it out first. It’s non obligation so I can cancel whenever I want. I got the first month for free too. Ace.

So, my beautiful readers I’m looking for your suggestions of what to rent from Amazon. What should I be watching? I am counting on you to help boost my monthly movie intake!

You see, I’ve done no Christmas Shopping and it’s now the 18th December. I don’t get paid until the 23rd and I’m working until the 24th…………………………..shit. Actually I lie, I’ve managed to get Stavros some stuff from Amazon but I’ve done nothing else. I don’t even know what I’m going to get people.

I know what’s got to happen. It’s called running the Telford Shopping Centre Christmas Eve Gauntlet and goes as follows;

07:00 – get up
07:30 – book taxi for 07:50
07:50 – get in taxi
08:00 – Arrive at Shopping Centre
10:00 – Leave Shopping Centre with McDonalds breakfast.

or it could go horribly wrong;

07:00 – Get up
07:01 – Go back to bed
07:45 – Get up, Dressed, wash if I can see
07:50 – Phone Taxi
08:00 – Phone taxi to find out where the fuck it is.
08:30 – Arrive at Telford Shopping Centre
08:32-10:00 -AGHGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
10:02 – Beat someone to death with Stav/Mom/Dad/Grandad’s present
10:10 – Police Station
11:00 – 2015 (the year) – Mental health unit.

I’m sure it will be fine!

I’ve been to Wolverhampton the last couple of days to do some radio recording. Saturday it was to record Wolverhampton Community Radio Xmas Day Breakfast show……..(gosh, you mean it’s not live?) and Today to record the Wolverhampton New Years Day Quiz for BBC WM. It’s all good fun, and today I remembered just how ace I am, so that was nice.

My grandad came back from Spain today and with him bought us both FC Barcelona scarves for when we go over in the New Year, not cheap tat either – kosher official merchandise. I’m going to take my Everton flag too see if they won’t lend us Ronaldinho or Eto’o – They’d literally WALK into the Everton team, I’m sure they’d want to – playing the likes of Wigan and losing to Bolton!

I’ve just made Mince Pies, they’re excellent. Too much mince though, but that’s not really a bad thing is it? If you want one you’ll have to be quick!

The other artist is Lori Nix, who creates miniature scenes and photographs them with brilliant likeness for the real thing. Lori’s current work is titled “a world gone wrong”.

Click for biggie

We planned to meet up with Daniel after the show and no sooner had the curtain gone down he was sitting down enjoying some Crown atmosphere and a few pints of Hobsons!

I had a great night, normally I just get pissed on a Wednesday, this week I watched a good show and got pissed. Cheers Fella’s.

10 out 10