Mr. Blobby drops a whoopsie on Aunty's doorstep

Noel admits TV license evasion live on BBC news!

Whatever his past (a BBC largesse beneficiary no doubt), his Grumpy Old Man persona, self-promo, etc, he not only 'cancelled ' (well, says he did) his licence, but weighed in big time on a few other issues, too.

Credit the poor presenters who were surfing a 'Britain is broken' slag-fest initially, but then found their employers were rolled in to the mud-slide as major culprits.... they actually didn't clam up but giggled along pretty well.

It will be interesting to see if this gets quietly dropped or noisily picked up. Who is likely to do which I can't imagine. Depends how slow the news this weekend is.

BBC - Edmonds begins TV licence boycott - Credit for them sharing! Though I understood from his words that to call this a 'beginning of a boycott' is not, as such, accurate. Also the database might more correctly suggest potential evaders, and not very exactly. I am being harassed with threats for an S. Martin, albeit it at this address, who bought a TV a while ago. Nice one, BBC. I am not telling them because I don't like their methods one jot, just as I currently pay my licence not because I am honest, but because I have no choice. I don't fancy jail, though it seems that these days I might find my fellow lags to be a more amenable lot as the favoured targets of our screwed up legal system which leaves thugs on the street but will imprison a person who doesn't fill a bin correctly.

Daily Mail - Noel Edmonds: 'I won't pay TV licence because of 'threatening' BBC adverts

Telegraph - Noel Edmonds is wrong: Take away the licence fee and you also take away the Proms

Per Mrs.Merton: What was it that first attracted you to the generous profile and career enhancer, the BBC?

I no longer live in London, but such self-interest does not help one's voting intentions when deciding upon who is deciding what is in the majority interest.

One 'right' (...for who to enjoy what. where?) does not atone for many, many wrongs, especially when that right is optional and may not appeal to all, whereas the wrongs are imposed on pain of jail no matter how great their lack of appeal to many. And the price we all pay per 'free' ticket for you....?

The BBC is more and more coming across as an organ for a privileged minority to get paid a fortune (inside and, it seems, without) to impose their views on others, whether they like it or not. Not the smartest wagon for a populist pol to hitch their wagon to.

Gaurdian - The Midas touch of Noel Edmonds - Comes out 'fighting'. I wonder why?

You know, in some ways you are so... well informed. But in others, so predictable.

Which, when it comes to a view (Or series of them) that does not meet with yours (and hence must be wrong, seen to be wrong and hence pursued as wrong), leads to an inevitability: play the person; not the ball.

I don't defend Mr. Edmonds, nor some of his actions and/or statements. A few do indeed come across as a bit loopy. However, some do indeed strike a chord, which the former do not negate. So, looking at this interesting little piece I can't help but pick up on the summary:

'Yet Noel still has that annoying habit of fronting winning formats.... he just instinctively grasps what [most?] people want.'

Were it that such as the Guardian and those it pays to write for them could try and figure out why that might be, rather than instinctively attack anything that might be contrary to a rather minority, and often by exposure to such reactions further reducing, view.

Guardian - Aha!

StillBreathing & MoveAnyMountain [previous posters]

This section of the online CiF seems to have a new home page listing, such that I need to scroll page by page now.

And having done so back for a few days have noticed a rather odd series of what can only be described as rather single-minded, if not obsessive posts along the lines of 'Sarah Palin ate my hamster (and may also eat babies, too, I'm told)' by one person who has taken it upon himself to rummage in the gutter, if not having been tasked and paid to do so.

Thing is, and with no comment on my personal views of Mrs. Palin, almost all this effort seems to have been based on the very worst journalistic practices overseen by thoroughly dire editorial agenda, often highlighted by the efforts of such as your goodselves.

As to my personal view of the Guardian: 'You have totally lost the plot, guys'

Gaurdian - Enoch Edmonds? - Worthy on a few counts. Rivers of Blob? Mainly for playing the man. But they can muster at least 5 in support. The advertisers must be impressed.

Indy - Edmonds accused of hollow talk over TV licence row - Accused by whom, I wonder? Mind, I did note in my first post that his possession or otherwise of a licence was unknown, though I reckon irrelevant. Well, to most.

BBBC - NEW - 'Regardless of whether or not Mr Edmonds has a TV license, surely TV licensing should not release this information as this would be in breach of the Data Protection Act? Good Qu.