That’s odd enough but the real kicker is:

There isn’t a ban on smacking in this country.

This is as odd as people complaining about “jaywalkers” and “how come the police don’t do nuffink about ‘em”.  Well mainly ‘cos that’s not illegal here either!  All it takes is a bit of cultural importation and a kneejerk response to assume everything’s going down the pan for people to get all huffty about non-story.

Mind you it does prove the story that right-wingers are thick. (Mind you I half expect that story to be a troll on the part of the Mail just to see what lefties think of it before the reveal)

However the aspect that surprised me was the massive support that Rupert is giving to his chief exec.  There’s loads of shots of them off out to eat together; him saying that she’s his greatest priority at the moment etc..  But why can this be?

I can only think of 3 reasons.  I think number 3 is most likely:

1. She has embarrassing photos or information of him and his family.
2. They have a “fruity” relationship where she manages to give him more than he’s had elsewhere.
3. They are both David Icke’s shape shifting alien lizard people who are in charge of everything that happens anywhere in the world.

I can think of no other possibility.

No in fact it was the entire front page as far as I could see.  There was a story about the BBC (filth-ridden, tax burdenous scum the lot of them) and how they scandalised the nation by broadcasting a rude word, no THE rudest word, at 6.30pm on a Friday a few months back.

I don’t know how we all missed the story when it happened as it was obviously a massive thing to be deserving of a whole front page of a national newspaper.  Clearly there can be no other things of national and international importance ongoing that deserve precedence over this outrage.

I wasn’t about to buy the rag so I looked online when I got home again.

Once into the detail of the story it turns out that they didn’t broadcast the word at all, merely hinting at it in a scripted link between questions on an episode of the News Quiz.  So could this be right?  A national front page story about a swear word that wasn’t even uttered?  Apparently so.

Brace yourselves, I am about to repeat the joke:

“The tories, putting the n into cuts”

A little risque but hardly deserving of moral outrage.  Despite the not-at-all feigned outrage, of this utter non-story the paper even then re-prints the joke in full without any censorship.  So not even a slight bit hypocritical then?

The BBC has had a long history of risque comedy on the radio from the Goon Show’s “Hugh Jampton” through Round the Horne’s beautifully disgraceful pushing of the boundaries to near breaking point to ISIHAC (“brushing the dust and wax off in the dark”) and more.  So what’s special about this incident?

And isn’t radio 4 supposed to be a grown-ups channel?  I hardly think there’ll be a million bored and impressionable teens sat listening to the News Quiz of a Friday evening.

Was it a cavalcade of complaints that set this off?  No?  In fact there was a startling total of 1 complaint.  Yes, 1.  Against one of radio 4′s most listened to shows.  Thankfully the complaint was thrown out.  This was what kicked off the news story.

But what’s the actual story here?  Could it be the Mail’s relentless campaign to use any ammo whatsoever to try and kill the BBC?  The most respected broadcaster anywhere in the world?  Probably.  What a depressing world it would be if the piece of vile nastiness that is the Mail manages to impoverish the culture of this country yet further.

2278%

Just wow!

The wonderful deal offered to me by the government re pay and conditions is in the news again. (see about 3 posts ago)

Seems the RCN are to vote against.  Can’t imagine Unison voting for it either and I imagine the BMA are likely to be not in favour.

Seems like a long shot but I don’t think I’m too out there in suggesting we’re going to be looking at a lot of NHS strikes and action in the next year.

So pleased I voted for the Lib Dems, and so pleased to see so much of their “moderating influence” over the loathsome filth (sorry Tory party).

A fun year ahead.

Or at least that’s all I can read into this story.  Otherwise why is there any interest in this? 

Another marvellous leap of logic for the Mail.

Staff are to be asked if we wish to have no pay rise (despite one already being negotiated, albeit a rather poor deal at best), no increments (we’re on a system where, assuming you’re doing well in the job you go up within a pay band every year until you hit the top of that pay band) and with compulsory increased pension contributions from our wages.  And all this is return for a “no compulsory redundancies” promise.

So less take-home money year on year, no incentive to do well and in return they won’t sack us.  Nice.
(aside – I quite like the idea of higher pension contributions – but I bet those will be to get our existing benefits not anything better)

Which government was it who said that frontline services wouldn’t be hit?  I can’t quite remember.

So this was fun reading and then I hit the pay off.  This amazing once in a lifetime deal is for pay band 1-6 staff only.  Guess what band I’m in?  Could it be 7?  Why yes I believe it is.

So less take-home pay (and furthermore reducing cf the cost of living over a couple of years) and I would still be at risk of compulsory redundancy?  Not sure the incentives are quite there yet for me to vote for this.

I do wish all discourse could be conducted in the same manner.

Out in the world we now have a bizarre mix of Tory and Lib Dem in charge of everything.  I was never so keen on the Cons manifesto but the joint document (here) actually hits quite a few of my buttons.

Away from politics things are also in quite a bit of flux.

I’ve just asked at work to go part-time.  And they’ve agreed.  This’ll leave me free 2 days a week to work on “other projects”.

One of these projects is an MSc wot I’ve just been accepted on.  Many colleagues are looking at MSc Physio courses but I’ve always felt that they’re pretty limited in their scope.  So I’ve gone for an OU course in “Advancing Healthcare Practice“.  It starts in October, work are keen on me doing it and, hopefully, it gives me plenty more options than a straight physio course.

In addition I’ve had a couple of fruitful chats with private practices in and around Derby.  Fingers crossed for those.

Anything else?

I’ll get back to you.

…Ah damn…