30.7.08

Plus ca change

Against all odds we can still win, on a platform for change

Change? Must have seen that meaningless word borne by too many flat surfaces lately. Plus the walls and aircraft they like to stand in front of... on platforms.

To me it's now just the stuff that rattles around in my pocket until it makes a hole and falls from my grasp, only to be eagerly picked up as well by those who also turned my crisp notes into only so many loose promises.

Plus ca change.

BBC - Miliband in Labour rallying call - Change!

Telegraph - David Miliband is clearly enjoying the continuing speculation - I am glad some aspect of our country's governance and its impact on the people is being enjoyed by some. His name is tricky to spell, too, isn't it?

Guardian - Brown's courage and vision deficit knows no borders - As I still cannot post, I must reply on others to speak in proxy:

'David Miliband is a man of integrity. I know this for a fact.'

'Perhaps but just because he did you a favour and let you in the building doesn't translate into full integrity.'

Indeed. What a truly daft thing to write. And a glaring example of how those who have access via the media credentials can miss how things play from our political 'leaders' more directly to us.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, it has something of a one-eyed-leading-the-blind aura doesn't it.

But hey, what a fantastic soundbite from the Tories: "as bad as in Victorian times".... Truly Dickensian... And the best thing is they can't even come up with any data (however subjective) to substantiate it...

Emma said...

Frankly the Tories don't need to do anything much at the moment, and are smart not to do so.

However, to get my vote (I am still NOTA, though furious this statement of my disatisfaction is deemed 'spoiled' when I turn up to vote and don't find any I'd give my mandate to) they could spend the phony period trying to come up with some good reasons why I should (hint: 'change' might not swing it).

I can live with a bit of wallowing in some 'bad', but frankly I know it is... by being right in it (tried getting through to the Tax Credit line this last week...'we are very busy... please p*ss off').

Almost choked on my muesli this morning when the BBC Aussie luv suggested that 'those who have kids and may even be earning less than £50k should...'. Is that the kick off in London now?

ps: as guru of all things IT, any idea why the Gaurdian CiF site sometimes (it has done it before) knows who I am (it has my 'name' at the top to show I have logged in OK), gives me the comments box but has greyed out the upload so it's a dead duck? Did they get it from NN by chance?

pps: Did you see Paul Mason has now kindly replied. Twice. One to confirm, in glowing terms, his boss's move, and the other to answer my question on the difference bewteen broadcast journalism and online in ways I was unable to grasp.

Anonymous said...

Cripes, Peter!

Sorry for the delay...

Yes for the Tories - although they do seem to have an uncanny knack at getting themselves 'seen' and that may well work for those less critical, eg: your latest post from MediaMonkey and last night's Cameron on Radio 1 Newsbeat piece on Newsnight (warning: the woman reporter got to me so much I had to turn the volume down 3 notches... no joke I'm afraid)

I assure you that 50k is not kick-off in London these days - I'm looking for a job right now and, after 6 years of self-employment and 3 languages fluent, I'd be happy with a bit more than half that* - the last temp job I had paid 10quid/h for qualified work (though it was public sector)...

I'm afraid I might have to disappoint on the guru front.. I'm also not involved with the Guardian (I refuse to read it for as long as they employ people like Toynbee...). However, if I understand correctly, you log in and then type a comment but can't post it because the post-button is disabled? Are you saying others can post but you can't? Or is the blog generally closed to comments? The obvious thing to try - but I'm sure you know that anyway - is to log out, close your explorer, delete your cookies (or if you have saved passwords/preferences then just those related to the Guardian) and then log in again and see if that helped. But I'd need to see what is actually happening, it's quite tricky to visualise this via blogging. I will though stick my neck out and say that it's highly unlikely that this is somehow targeted at you. That kind of IP address tagging is still extremely rare and you don't strike me as a likely target anyway.

Yes, I saw Paul Mason's replies. I think he was very tired when he typed this one, he certainly seemed pretty exhausted in the two-way that he did with Gavin Esler just prior to his post. Personally, I think that he's missing a negation - if it read "[i]n on-screen reporting you can't pursue bar stool intelligence and try to stand it up as fact" the post would make a lot more sense... But I do like his blog a lot, I think it's the best of the Newsnight ones.

Right, think that'll do for tonight.. Regards etc. :)

* mind you, I'm still looking for something that'll keep my little grey cells happy - which cuts out quite a lot of secretarial/accounting etc stuff that I could do and will fall back on if I don't find something interesting soon

Emma said...

I must say I was intrigued as to what qualified one as a 'Radio 1' political reporter. Everything is relative, I suppose.

I honestly find these 'cross-section' set-ups dire, because you have no idea what agenda, from media producers or subject handlers, has led to the make up of the group.

Actually I was pleasantly suprised by the level of debate being conducted.... I fear a shaved head a tats mkes me prone to making judgements like most these days. Interesting to hear a pol try to trot out the usual nice bits and then fall behind perceived 'rules', such as minimum wage (or ageism legislation) that are fine in theory but may not work as well outside a department blue sky thinking flip chart.

Sorry to hear about the employment situation. It was just the way the presenter seemed to be amazed that anyone outside of his bubble could survive under that amount when I look at job ads daily that don't come close. I really need to supplement my eco-efforts with what I do well - ad writing - but there is nothing here and though there may be work in London I'm too old (there are ways) and frankly what is being offered wouldn't buy us back in.

Sorry, you are and always will be a IT guru in my mind.

Don't know about others but new ones certainly go up as I struggle. Yes, I did all you suggested. Usually it passes after a few days, so it is more a glitch. Whether it is one that they could advise on to avoid frustration (as with NN) is another matter. Don't worry, I am not that paranoid or egotistical to think that the forces of moderation have me noted... yet. Though sometimes you can wonder:)

Yes, rushing a post can result in problems, especially if you miss a key qualifier, as I did a few dasy ago. But then I am not a reporter for a national broadcaster... and I did put it right when I noticed.
And I usually 'fess up if it's pointed out, too.