Today's show 28/09/11

It has just occurred to me that there has been a subtle change to your daily Radio 2 web page since my return last week. Not once since then has there been a link to a story from a newspaper and all of the "Read more here" links are to BBC web pages. Is this purely coincidental, or is it an attempt to make your stealing of stories from the Dead Tree Press just a little less obvious?

The newspapers will, of course, continue to provide a good background for your daily discussion topics and they, unlike you, actually do the investigative journalism needed to provide the real story behind your scant descriptions. For example, yesterday you discussed Rory Weal's speech at the Labour Conference and described it thus:
RORY WEAL - We spoke to the star of the Labour Conference, a 16 year old Labour activist, who says his family owes everything to the welfare state
Interesting then that today both the Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2042623/Rory-Weal-Child-star-Labour-conference-truth-life-poverty.html) and the Daily Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/labour/8792350/Labour-conference-star-Rory-Weal-is-former-private-school-pupil-whose-family-fell-on-hard-times.html) have run stories concerning Mr Weal in which they describe his extremely privileged upbringing, which he seems to have somehow forgotten. Suggestions have been made that he would make a good MP, even a Prime Minister. With that kind of background and his selective forgetfulness he should go far.

Today's issue that affects me: An ebay seller accidentally lost my payment due to a PayPal error and didn't send the goods. We went through the ebay dispute process, he found my payment and sent me the goods AND a full refund but over a month after I made my purchase. The goods arrived and are in full working order. Should I send my payment again?

On today's meaningless menu then...

1) ED MILIBAND - In his speech to the Labour Party Conference, Ed Miliband has attacked the ‘something for nothing’ culture in Britain. He made a distinction between good companies and bad companies. Do you work for a business that is a predator or a producer? : Oooohhh, I hope I'm a predator! You must be a predator too as you don't produce anything. So, according to Ed, it will up to the State to decide which companies are "good" and which companies are "bad". That should be fun. I wonder how he is going to do that. Did you notice, as I did, that he seems to have had some speech reading coaching? He now. Talks in. Very short. Sentences. Instead of listening to your discussion I'll keep myself amused by taking another look at http://awkwardedmilibandmoments.tumblr.com/. Next...

2) RIHANNA - A half naked Rihanna is told by a God-fearing farmer to stop filming her video on his land. A local journalist says he’s made Northern Ireland a laughing stock : Good to see a story that does not have its roots in London and the South East, even if it is a day old. And good to see that a local journalist (presumably the BBC "entertainment correspondent" featured in the film clip) continues to fight for a grip on anything to do with the Real World. I'm sure she'll get over it, it really isn't important. As for being half naked... I've told you a million times: Don't exaggerate! I was amused by a comment on your Twitter feed where one of your lucky followers (not me, of course, as I am still BLOCKED) who wrote "I assumed this must be midwestern US - now I read & see it's Wales!!!". No wonder your programme is lost on me. Next...

3) AFFAIRS - Lib Dem MP John Hemming says his wife was aware of his affairs. Are you a wife who’s turned a blind eye to your husband’s infidelity? : Am I a wife? No. Are you? Good to see sexism alive and well on the JV show. How about a husband who turns a blind eye to his wife's infidelity, or don't they make good radio? Next...

4) GREECE BAILOUT - The Greek Prime Minister says his country is suffering as it does everything the EU is asking of it to cut its deficit. But do you think the Greek people are suffering enough? : Good question! Yes..., errr..., I mean No. Oh, I don't know. Unfortunately I'm a bit busy today, otherwise I would have booked a flight for my first trip to Greece and asked them. It would be the least I could do and only then would I be able to form an opinion and answer your question. In the meantime, can I tick the "Don't Know" box?

The Jeremy Vine Show - last with yesterday's news, again


UPDATE:


Just seen JV's script on Twitter ... interesting use of commas and apostrophes: