What makes you happy ?

Finally got around to buying a HDMI cable for the PS3. The TV we have – Toshiba 37X3030D – gave a great picture (I thought) when playing games, and Casino Royale looked good. I’d see the images in HD in the shops and knew it would be better but this is gobsmackingly good. Ridge Racer 7 is awesomely great, Stardust is amazing, GT HD is superb. I was sitting playing Ridge Racer and hardly looking at the road because the scenery was just so damn perfect (I still won). The picture quality is phenomenal. Jawdropping.

When we agreed with P that we would get Sky I was looking forward to the 24/7 news. As it turns out CNN is still a pile of junk but between Sky News (all that red gets old fast) and News 24 (noticed how many of their female presenters are blonde? Not that there is anything wrong with blonde) it’s not too bad. But Dave is perfect. It’s like so much of my favourite stuff distilled into one smooth package – I don’t even mind the ads. Right now it’s 8:05 am on a Sunday, I’m working and TOTP2 is on in the background – ideal for what I’m doing (mind you, all the miming is a bit weird). And Top Gear? My girls sat and watched a couple of programs – they love it. (hasn’t the accident aged Hammond! I suppose it would though). Anyway, on the cheapest Sky package Dave is by far the best channel for me.

So the people running Blue Peter lied about the name of the cat. Regardless of all the other lies at the BBC this one really does take the proverbial biscuit doesn’t it?
They have a new cat, they want a name for the cat so they ask the viewers of the program to name it. And when those viewers do name it they ignore it on the grounds the name could offend viewers. So why ask?
What is stranger is that the BBC, Times Online, Guardian, Mirror, Digital Spy and others I trawled through did not reveal this name. The Times cryptically refers to “a variant on Puss”. It takes The Sun to come to our rescue and daringly print “Pussy“. So the kids wanted pussy and the grownups gave them socks instead. Sounds about right :)
I could understand if they’d called it ‘furry bastard” or “Mouse Murderer” and that would have said a lot about the state of the nations youth, but Pussy? Good grief even James Bond had Pussy galore. Oops, missed the capital G there :)
You know what’s next – “Here’s one someone else made earlier”.

Update!
Latest from the BBC: “The cat was called Socks after staff changed the results of an online poll. Viewers wanted the cat named Cookie.” Now someone somewhere is now lying because everyone else was singing from the same songsheet.

I love the Derren Brown programmes and his last ‘Trick or Treat’ series was pretty good.
This was a Trick. I reckon it’s actually the best Treat of the series.

If the amount of money spent on TV advertising is falling it might not just because less people might be watching, it might also be that the ads are pretty crap.

Unlike this one.

I like the points made here about the BBC. That’s the people taking our money to pay huge salaries  to people to create content which isn’t ours but which we paid for but they’ll talk about how great they are anyway. I’ve said it before – the licence fee does not exist any more – it’s a tax – and at least with a tax you know you’ll end up worse off.

During tea P switched channels. I was assaulted by the redness and noise of Red Nose Day for several seconds.
Horrendous.
And my aim for today was to avoid it all.
Damn. Failed.

The film Uncle Buck is on and I just happened to glance at it. It’s a great film and I’ve seen it many times.
When Buck goes to the school there is a scene with his niece Maisie. She is sat in the classroom and when she answers a question the young male teacher brandishes a ruler and says “Blasphemer“. They cut it. Why?
That means they put that word on the same level as ‘Fuck’. On the same level as nudity, sex.
But isn’t the word ‘Blasphemer’ something that applies to all religions? So a Muslim could use it as readily as a Catholic? So it is a multi-religion word, a multi-religion concept…….. except when it is used in a family film and the word is being applied to the Christian god. In such a case it requires censorship. Bizarre. Pathetic. And indicative of a terrified corporation who dare not offend anyone. Except Christians.

Children’s BBC is being revamped. It won’t be as good as when I were a kid….

Mary, Mungo and Midge
Trumpton
Camberwick Green
Hammy Hamster’s adventures on the riverbank
Bill and Ben
The Magic Roundabout
Andy Pandy
Pogle’s Wood
The Herbs
Hector’s House
……..and they are the ones I remembered as I started writing this. Classic I tell you. Classics!

Article on the BBC about his new show opening badly

It was beaten by almost all its main multi-channel rivals
Why is this a surprise?

The programme had been heavily-trailed on both TV and with a poster campaign.
Positively sickening it was.

Brand had been on the crest of a wave after successfully presenting part of the Big Brother coverage.
‘successfully’ ? Bollocks.

He received glowing good reviews for his stand-up comedy show
As in “Excellent – this crap isn’t on the TV!”

…was voted most stylish man by men’s magazine GQ.
Like people will tune in to see him because of that?

Russell Brand is one of the most exciting talents on British TV
Even bigger bollocks. The guy is a grade A twat. What he needs is a good slapping.