Today's show 21/10/11

I see the BBC are in the news again today, although both stories will be conveniently buried under the tidal wave of Gaddafi stuff. You probably missed them, so here they are...

The first one concerns the BBC's coverage of the Dale Farm debacle (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8839523/BBC-accused-of-overstaffing-as-protesters-pull-out-of-Dale-Farm.html):
BBC accused of 'overstaffing' as protesters pull out of Dale Farm

The BBC was accused of "ludicrous over staffing" today after it emerged that it had more reporters than there were protesters at the Dale Farm traveller eviction.
While the number of activists dwindled, the BBC still had six satellite crews, a handful of local correspondents and a team of documentary makers on the six acre site.

Other news media organisations apparently managed with less facilities and less staff, not that I saw any of the coverage. We can only hope that those BBC cuts are long, hard and painful.

The second one is a follow-up from the Rangers Football Club story I brought to your attention a few days ago (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15395427):
'Criminality' claims over Rangers owner Craig Whyte

Rangers owner Craig Whyte has said he will take legal action over a BBC documentary which carried allegations of criminality in his past dealings.

I am no fan of football, but I wish him the very best for a successful prosecution. Hopefully it will be the first of many.

Today's issue that affects me: Eating burnt toast - good, or bad?

A quick scan of today's topics for your programme shows that you have managed to resist the latest "global warming" story that was pummelled in to my brain by the Radio 2 news just after 08:00 this morning (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15373071). Perhaps we can have a one-sided argument (in that you will tell me what to think, I will contradict and you will ignore me) next week, maybe?

So, what did you choose for Friday's menu...

1) COLONEL GADDAFI - The Sun’s front page shows a picture of a dead Colonel Gaddafi with the headline ‘That’s for Lockerbie’. He may have been a brutal dictator, but is this the best way to get justice? Meanwhile, television news splashed pictures of a bloodied Gaddafi’s body being dragged through the streets. Were you appalled by the brutality of the pictures? : Gaddafi's death is unfortunate as it means that he cannot be put on trial, and after which he would probably have been killed anyway, like Saddam Hussein. A trial would have brought all sorts of interesting episodes to light, and I feel sure that Tony Blair, and others, slept a little more soundly in their beds last night by knowing that he is silenced. So, and in answer to your first question, this was not the best way to get justice. Unfortunately, the Jeremy Vine Show has a record for not changing anything so I have doubts that you can bring him back from the dead. The second question suggests that you want to spend time looking at the journalism used to cover Gaddafi's death - big up the journo scum! The papers are a disgrace, as usual, and I didn't see any of the TV pictures so I have no opinion on them. More importantly, which flesh-presser are you going to have on the show to tell us how wonderful and misunderstood Gaddafi was? I doubt you'll get Blair, and I think Gordon is still not talking to you, so my prediction is that it will be Galloway. I'm not prepared to take that risk so there, Jeremy, is a good reason not to listen. Next... 

2) STAMPS - Would you pay £1 for a first class stamp? : There is no mention of a £1 fee on the BBC news page you link to, so where did that figure come from? The Ofcom proposal (for that is all it is at the moment - http://consumers.ofcom.org.uk/2011/10/safeguarding-the-uk%E2%80%99s-universal-postal-service/) says: Ofcom proposes to put a price cap of between 45p and 55p on Second Class stamps for standard letters to protect vulnerable customers from significant price rises. That'll do for me, and other delivery services are available. If first class stamps go up to £1 it will make it worthwhile for somebody to find a way to forge them. Next...

3) LIVING ALONE - Esther Rantzen joins us for a special item on the loneliness of living on your own. Esther writes for the Mail Online : I lived on my own for years, but I don't any more. Good to see the Mail making an appearance on your programme, though. Next...

4) WORRYING LIVESTOCK - Farmers often threaten to shoot dogs who worry their livestock. A farmer from Burton did just that and killed a beagle and a whippet. Find out more from the Burton Mail : The loss of a pet is always heart-breaking, but I've never owned a dog and have no plans to do so.

A dead dictator, stamps going up, loneliness and dead pets, and you just said on Ken's show "Don't miss that" ... I would rather boil my head, and so it just has to be:

The Jeremy Vine Show - brightening your weekend in our own special way!