Thursday 26 May 2011

Question Time comp.

Dimbleby is in Exeter,{lab} with Jeremy Browne MP,{Lib Dem up and coming at the F&CO.}
Louise Bagshawe MP,{the chick lit girl. She broke the Super-injunction on HIGNFY, but it was edited out. Shame.}
Hilary Benn MP,{Lab and been in government at Foreign aid and Green issues. I can't remember a word he's ever said. Something about badgers & ..erm..?}
Sir Christopher Meyer {back again. If you want a clue when he was asked which country had influence over America he replied Israel.}
and Charlotte Harris {I'm certain but isn't she's one of the lawyers seeking out phone hacking at NOTW.}

BQ thinks
1. Ash cloud and Ryanair
2. Irish O'bama. Is there a special relationship anymore?
3. Railway privatisation. Where is that in the manifesto?
4. NHS and Clegg trying to distance himself from his own signature.
5. Super-injunctions. Ryan Giggs and should the internet be policed.





Leaderboard Update

Measured - 8.5
GSD - 6

Miss S-J - 5
Mark Wadsworth -5

Botogol -4.5
Bill Quango MP -4.5
Appointmetotheboard - 4.5
Malcolm Tucker -4
Hatfield Girl -4

Miss CD -3.5
Nick Drew -3.5
Dick the Prick -3
Timbo614 - 3

Philipa -2.5
Amy -2.5
Blue Eyes -2.5
Andrew - 2

Budgie -1
City Unslicker -1






38 comments:

Botogol said...

I am not quite sure why, but somehow I think this is a hard week... anyway here goes, there's one thing that springs to mind anyway...

- do we still have a special relationship with the US? 'cos Mr Obama hinted things might have changed.

- are the cuts going too fast? 'cos Mr Obama hinted that he thinks they are

- is it realistic for Israel to be forced back to '67 borders, despite Mr Obama hinting that he thinks it should

- now that even the Deputy prime Minister is against it, isn't it time the govt abandoned their reform? 'cos Mr Obama is having to abandon his ?

- Now, can we finally get on with shooting our disease-ridden badgers?

measured said...

1. #superinjunctions. Did John Hemming abuse Parliamentary privilege in naming Giggs? He did so what ya going to do?

2. #separation of powers. Are judges abusing their powers too? No, but they have an overinflated view of their powers.

3. #The Press. Are the press abusing their powers by deliberating leaking the information? Possibly, so show me the evidence Twitter.

4 #Obama. Is the US abusing the special way of saying special relationship? Yikes, Obama didn't praise the cut but what's new? The US might be able to sort out the Middle East, Israel, the UK, Europe, the world, the galaxy, the universe...

5 #Libya Let's abuse our powers and ensure Ghaddafi goes the same way as Saddam. Yay! Power corrupts and absolute power? Absolutely.

Please not doctors and the NHS, please.

Miss S-J said...

1.Obama told his Mid-East peace process is garbage. Should Obama now give even more money to Israel and buy his way out of trouble?

2.Phone Hacking. Should rich newspaper tycoons be able to buy their way out of trouble?

3. NHS. Clegg says rich private medical firms mustn't be allowed to buy NHS.

4. Libya. Should rich G8 countries be allowed to buy support to topple Mummar?

5. Yemen. Should anyone with some cash now buy their way out of that country?

andrew said...

1 obama - on the same level as mandela and the pope - or just another soon to be ex-president

2 ash cloud - highlighting the fragility and complexities of western economies

3 more jailed politicians - it is now safe to say politicians as a class are less honest than the public, so why should we have any respect.

4 imf should lagarde be the next head - why another french person - what is wrong with Gordon B - do we have a duty to support Egypt / Tunisia etc

5 NHS - is constant revolution a good thing

hatfield girl said...

Are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge determined to avoid the curse of the Browns? Sarah and Gordon Brown were denied an invitation to the royal wedding because it was not a state occasion, and the Cambridges didn't go to the state banquet, but met President and Mrs Obama privately, because it was a state occasion?

Why should advanced capitalist countries concede the managing directorship of the IMF to state-directed underdevelopment?

Could the underdeveloped poor and our politicians now recognise that we have poor all of our own to answer to?

How can the Labour party get rid of Ed Miliband and achieve a return to the decencies that were once its brand?

Should judges judge, executives propose, and legislatures legislate once more?

GSD said...

I can remember Hillary when he was minister-for-floods saying something like: "it's impossible to sort out our national flood defenses - it would cost far too much, around £2Bn". Oh, how the floodees laughed after the bank bail-out was announced! [I think this is the only bit of borrowing I wish the New-Lab twats *had* done, but of course they didn't].

Anyhow, my guesses are:

1) Can Hunne function properly as a gov. minister while under investigation [not sure if the "while under..." matters there]. Should he resign?

2) Privacy/Phone tapping/Injunctions - The whole mess rolled into one Q (that has no real answer). [Note to BQ - this is not a spread-bet!]

3) PC Harwood [Mr Tomlinson's death at the G? summit]. Can he get a fair trial?

4) POTUS visit: Armed forces cuts endangering the "special relationship"?

5) End of the world "Rapture" thing: "what would the panel done in their last..." type Q.

Dick the Prick said...

1) Obama - and US leadership

2) Localism

3) IMF

4) Sovereignty

Timbo614 said...

Nearly forgot. I've been soooo busy don't think I have watched any telly this week or done much surfing.

But here goes:

1) Can Mladic get a fair trial?

2) Is Obama all mouth and trousers, does he need to up is game a bit?

3) Should we (the men) hand over all top posts to women and Would they do a better job?

4) Should the Internet remain "free" and unregulated? If not who is going to create the internetional [New word alert:)] laws?

5) When is the NEXT end of the world due...?

appointmetotheboard said...

Timbo614 - EOTW scheduled for October. Got the maths wrong, apparently...

Nick Drew said...

1. should localism include the right to reject dumping nuclear waste IMBY ?

2. a twittery super-injunction type of qn

3. FIFA (should we withdraw from the World Cup ? or some such)

4. we think we understood 'special' but what is an 'essential' relationship ?

Miss CD said...

1. Mid East peace and Obama

2. Mlladic. Is it worth putting him on trial?

3.Libya. UK increases its mission. USA not so keen. Are we the new USA?

4. Clegg and Health reforms ..end of the coalition..blah, blah..

5.Expenses fraud. Tory peer convicted.Does he have much to fear? Labour MP releasd from prison already after just 1/3 of sentence.

appointmetotheboard said...

Cutting it fine. Hence this may not be... inspired...

1. Your right to play away vs my right to know. And my MP to ignore all that and tell us before Twitter does. Note BQ MP, Parliamentary privilege doesn't extend to the blog. So, er, that thing - y'know - keep it to yourself...

2. American royalty vs British royalty. Special or essential? And who flips the best burgers?

3. Mladic trial vs the bin laden treatment. Which rocks more?

4. NHS. Clegg vs Tory right.

5. Regional accents. Is football and x-factor some massive government smoke and mirrors trick to do things over here, whilst the populus is looking at things over there? Or should I go easy on the absinthe?

Malcolm Tucker said...

Nearly forgot! Who chose mid week for this show?

1. Libya and G8, Arab Spring.

2. 1 million people are turning to serious drink and Alex Salmond declares war on drunkenness. Is it time to do something about 24 hour drinking? Maybe make it 25 hour?

3. Twitter. Who makes the laws? Parliamentary wannabes, or self important judges?

4. Army pay and allowances. + the parachute payment thing. Linked to army pay vs MP pay or somesuch.

5. Is it right to send helicopters to hunt down teenagers in case their victims commit suicide?

Mark Wadsworth said...

1. Ash cloud, were they too strict/not strict enough
2. Mladic, should he be sent to the Hague
3. Obama, would you vote for him to be re-elected
4. NHS/Clegg
5. My name is Amanda and I'm an alcoholic. Oh f-! Wrong meeting!

Old BE said...

Forgot to watch, any good?

Bill Quango MP said...

Dimby starts off with a BBQ joke.

1. One for twitter fans. Did Hemming abuse his PP? Lawyer says he did.{to zero applause.} Browne avoids the 'in the house' answer, but criticises the law, a little.
Dimby pulls him back . Well done Dim. Meyer agrees with the law too.
Louise thinks 333 injunctions are far too many. Charlotte gives the legalese anonomysied injunction vs super injunction? We don't care. Tell us the names! So we can forget them next week!
Hilary says JH should not have broken the injunction.

Q2.What right do the public have to know about Injunctions. {Surely doesn't need a separate Q. Was bound to be part of Q1 discussion, which it was. {New editor, did this last week too.}
CM gets the applause for a keep 'em zipped comment.

Audience women said 'we pay their wages' And everyone clapped.
But we don't pay their wages. Big Brother celeb and a contract footballer?

Q3. Who's benefit is the 'special relationship'. CM, entertaining. He thinks Essential relationship is a better description.
USA/ Israel came from the audience.

Q4. IS it right to intervene in Libya, whilst ignoring Bahrain/Yemen etc.
JB says yes. Stopped the Benghazi massacre. Dimby hinted Apache helicopters are going to bomb Tripoli.Really? They are being deployed, but I doubt its to bomb Tripoli. They don't carry bombs for a start. Just missiles. Audience goes mad because of the OIL word. Lots of students in. Big student city Exeter. Its a tiny place on its own.
CM is right. Our inconsistency reflects our interests. So it is oil related. But not totally oil related.
HB agrees.In fact all the panel agree Libya was 'right thing to do.' They are right. Now, if only we can find some way to get out of here.

Q5. Alcohol related illness. 1 million and the Scots minimum pricing. All the panel worry about civil liberties.
None seem to remember the PM brought in a feeble, weak and cowardly minimum pricing structure in March.
Supermarkets vs pubs debate coming up. Selling below cost. Treasury should remember that selling below cost incurs no VAT and is a loss that can be offset against other profits.

Q6. Miladic Question. Serbia and EU. Was someone hiding him, Osama style?

Did anyone have six questions?

Bill Quango MP said...

Scores.

BQ- 2.5

Botogol {it was indeed a tough one} - 1.5 + no badgers.

Measured - outstanding! I make that - 5. {could have got another 1/2 if you'd said Yes! NHS!} -5

Miss S-J. Nice phrasing. I think its - 2.

Andrew - a few 1/2 rights. - 2
{why is there no 1/2 key on a keyboard?}

Hatfield Girl -1. +.5 for the superbly worded Michelle/Kate Q that didn't come up. -1.5

GSD - Didn't Labour cut flood defence budget to spend it on a regional development office or a focus group centre or something?
Excellent guesses. Sadly only the injunction/privacy counted. Luckily for you it was asked twice. - 2.

Dick the Prick. - just the 1.

Timbo614.The way it was going I felt sure there would be an internet regulation Q. But no. - 2

Nick Drew - 2 +.5 for the 'essential' - 2.5

Miss CD - good guesses - 2.5

appointmetotheboard - Good late effort. - 3.5
{I won't mention the ..erm..incident.}

Malcolm Tucker- 3 solids too. 3.

Mark Wadsworth - Also 3. Excellent.

Blue Eyes - never mind . 1/2 for just turning up. - .5

{it was ok. 2 injunction questions dragged a bit. And panel mostly in agreement on everything, which is rare.}



Winner is Measured with 5.

Helpfully yours said...

Bill, there is ½ for the keyboard, but you have to know where to find it. Ask your PA.

Hope that helps.

Dick the Prick said...

Bugger. Got a new job yesterday so all my effort went into typing straight after the whiskey tour of the local bar. I just don't think i'm giving this compo all that I can!

Injunctions? Who gives a toss? Ho hum.

lilith said...

Arrrgh! I missed it again!

andrew said...

I think that the 'two questions on the same subject' thing is supposed to indicate that the questions really are taken from what is on the audiences collective mind.

Note to BBC : The collective mind needs editing.

O/T : I was going to suggest running a competition on who gets chucked out of the apprentice, but after watching it for the first time last week, I could not think of one I wanted to stay.
Do they pick horrible people or do people become horrible in those circumstances or is it fiendish editing.

Philipa said...

Sorry I missed the comp, my PC was busy rebooting all night - I was trying to install Twitter on my Blackberry and failing miserably. And I only had injunctions as a suggeestion which pretty much dominated the whole prog which was a bit disappointing on the variety front I thought.

Please have a read of my blog post on the subject, here. And I'd love it if you left a comment, even if you have a negative view, thanks :-)

Nick Drew said...

Philipa -

would love to comment on your blog but it won't let me without some complicated registration so I'll do it here !

excellent essay: you (and DA, whom I generally despise and have done for 35+ years) are headed into Dostoevsky / C&P territory with rocks our world and mocks our limitations - a worthwhile exercise, as some of the arguments need rehearsing from time to time, (as with the problem of suffering etc)

need to explore your blog some more, as CH is an interesting puzzle, too ... (more so than DA, anyhow) - I have been gobsmacked by Martin Amis' recent drivel: I know they are great pals but even so

Philipa said...

Thanks Nick, I didn't know about the registration, I thought CHWatch was open to all. Will discuss with the board ;-)

Everyone I've communicated with on DA has the same view as you, I've been astonished by how much that man is despised. Did you hear Peter Oborne give DA a good pimp-slap on the moral Maze last night? I nearly choked on my claret. Clearly it's not all lovey-dovey in Fleet St!

Martin Amis an arrogant p***k if you'll excuse my phrase but there's no other word for him IMHO.

Botogol said...

(must do better next week)

one way that QT shoot themselves in the foot is that they pre-determine the order of the questions (or at least they did when I went) leaving them no flexibility to adapt to the discussion by (for example) skipping one.

it can be like a bad interview when the the intervieweee unexpectly answers the next question, but wossie (for it is normally him) can't adapt and asks it anyway.

1.5! Must do better

Bill Quango MP said...

Helpfully Yours. - I have asked my PA. But since I missed her birthday the other month she has taken to mockery.
"If you press the red scroll lock button it makes the screen interactive" & "Hold ctrl-alt-del for save" etc.
I suppose you could be miss CD under a pseud?..If so ..Sorry! sorry! sorry I bought the cakes..remember..sorry! & Where is the Hastings report?"

DP good effort for a bleary eyed one.

Lilith: I couldn't put out the Wednesday reminder. Power cut. Lasted 4 hours. That's a long time in the country. Finally found a battery radio. Could only pick up Mehdi Hassan on some prog, so went to sleep.

Andrew: Must be. I don't like it. Remember we had 4 Q's on Libya once.
Except when Myers and Harris were speaking I drifted off a lot. reminded of Gladiator.
"Are you not entertained! Are you not entertained! " throws sword into crowd.
{that scene is pinched from a book , whose title i can't recall.Gladiator frozen in ice and thawed out in the mid 70s.}

Philipa said...

I've checked the permissions on the blog post and they are open to all. So if anyone else tries to comment on my blog post here and is met with a registration procedure can they please please tell me? Many thanks x

Bill Quango MP said...

Philipa. Will look later. like ND I can't access yours from work, but can from home.

Botogol. Exactly! Dimby interrupts with "We are going to discuss that in a minute so.."
Don't stop them man. Otherwise we have to listen to the question being asked again and the panel member repeating what's been half said.
I suppose the Q's are in a strict order so the camera knows which audience member to focus on. "Row 4- seat 15..face like a wheelbarrow."

Did you feel there was a move to avoid discussing cuts?
Show was better for it though.

You and I missed out by not knowing the panel. I was sure the mid east peace slap to Obama was coming. But it was be obsequious to the Pres week, so it wasn't polite to ask.

Botogol said...

no doubt that was the original thinking, but I reckon now it's just a inflexible habit: the cameramen are actually *really quick* you'll have noticed they rarely even miss the commenters from the floor which are chosen without preamble.. (just 'man with red shirt there' and they are on him very impressivley, also with th boom mike)

with the Questions Dimble says 'and now a question from John Smith who is a train driver' and that would give them plenty of time because of course they have already marked out the location of each questioner. You could also have a rule - Dimble can skip one, but can't otherwise chop and change.. then they only need to be ready for one of two choices.

measured said...

It is high time Ken Clarke had a new pair of pyjamas. He was there, but you didn't see him as he was snoring quietly in the corner.

helpfully yours said...

Bill, No I am not your PA, but it sounds like you need to get more doughnuts in!

I assume you are running Windows 7 (in XP, type 'symbols' in the "run" box at bottom left of screen and follow the procedure below).

It is preferable to initially type your responses to contestants' entries in Word rather than directly into the blog.

Open a new document. At the top of the page you will see a toolbar containing the word 'insert'. Click on that and a new header opens. Go to the far right and click on the box marked 'symbols' which will open up an array of boxes, one of which will contain what you are looking for. Highlight, cut and paste into your document as and when required.

When you have completed your draft, simply copy and paste the lot into the blog.

Et voilĂ  (see, it even has French accents!).

Hope that helps {properly this time! :-) }

James Higham said...

Lovely name, Bagshawe.

Timbo614 said...

BQ (with apologies to helpfully yours):

To get the half character you don't need all that nonsense, do the following:

Hold down the left Alt key while typing codes on the numeric pad type the following codes(You have to hold down the alt key while you type the entire code):

¼ ALT + 0188
½ ALT + 0189
¾ ALT + 0190

Other fun:

© ALT + 0163
­­­® ALT + 0174
¥ ALT + 0165

It will be interesting to see if this is gibberish when published by blogger....

Timbo614 said...

Who-hoo it's not :)

Can be tricky on a laptop, but most have a blue Function + num lock set based on the 789,uio(654),jkl(321), m(0) keys which will then work :)

©Timbo,
Weird Key Sequencers us ® us

helpfully yours said...

Timbo - thanks a lot for that mate.

I have often tried that method of typing fractions but kept getting either gibberish or nothing, the reason being that nobody previously mentioned that the code-number sequencing has to be typed on the number pad rather than using the numbers along the top row of the keyboard. I learned something new and very useful today and I hope our host is taking notes....!!

Bill Quango MP said...

You press the what thingy..with the which finger..?

No number pad on work keyboard.
But now I realise what that blue num lock button is for.

Extra ½ for you next week Timbo.

Timbo614 said...

Your next lesson starts next Friday @ 19:30. Don't be late :)

Mark Wadsworth said...

Thanks for marks.