Even though the vast majority of the country couldn't care less about the Leveson Inquiry, the media is full of it, probably because they are the subject of the inquiry.
Politicians are bending over backwards to avoid any suggestion that they are trying to interfere with the press, but we all know that they pander to the journalists and editors in fear of bad 'reviews'.
Ages ago I wrote about changing the system, which they are apparently not going to do, merely using different words to justify the very expensive investigation, in which I stated something that I thought was pretty damned obvious. I fully support the freedom of the press; I fully support free speech. We were all brought up to believe we had such a principle and that made us believe they were telling the truth.
We equated 'free' with 'truth'. Oh boy were we wrong. Then they made them self-regulating. Good idea... not. Since when did we let the criminals judge the criminals?
I believe in the right to privacy above the right to free speech. This does not just apply to the world of celebrity/politicians. My father, many many years ago when I was a boy, had a full interview printed in a newspaper. He had never been interviewed at all. So many times I have read of 'so and so' being accused of something long before it ever gets to a court. Whoever that may be is tarred with a bad reputation because he has been found guilty before being PROVED to be guilty.
So, dear politicians, to me the law has always been wrong. If someone breaks into our properties we can have them arrested. Why can't we do that with interfering nosey parkers who break into our private lives, uninvited, without our permission, when we have committed no criminal act.
I would take that one stage further and even prevent publication until the person is PROVED guilty.
Years ago a woman in the audience asked the great American comedian Jackie Mason whether he thought the (her words) 'womaniser Bill Clinton should be allowed to run for President'. As we have had so many people's reputations ruined because of similar reportage, Jackie's answer has lived with me for a long time.
"Imagine that you have root canal problems. Your face is throbbing; the pain is the worst you have ever experienced. Every dentist is fully booked for months ahead. You are suffering and there seems to be no end to the pain. Suddenly you get a phone call. One dentist has had a cancellation. Immediately you jump into a taxi and get to the surgery in record time. The receptionist shows you through and a nurse puts you into the chair. The dentist approaches you with the needle that will take all the pain away. Do you say 'Stop! Are you having an affair?' The question should not be 'Are you having an affair?' The question is, Can he do the job?" Brilliant.
I could not care less if a politician, a footballer, or anyone else for that matter is having an affair. It's their business, not ours. I have heard all the goodie goodie moral arguments and they don't mean a thing. To be honest it's boring AND it is their PRIVATE life.
So, I think the law should be changed to only allowing ANY form of media to write about anyone who has not committed a crime, provided that journalist/editor has the permission of the subject to print the article/photograph.
Should this law be broken then the newspaper/radio/TV/internet would be banned from publishing for three months and the owners not be allowed to create another newspaper/radio/TV/internet prog, in that time.
Self regulation does not work. These people have proved time and again that they think they are above the law and that they don't CARE about anyone else's feelings. All they care about is making money.
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Tuesday, 27 November 2012
Floods
Right across the UK there are flood warnings and the like. The government speakers prattle on about how many houses are now protected and how flood barriers are now coming into place whilst at the same time reducing the amount of investment in flood protection. Actually, I do feel sorry for them because they did inherit an unbelievably large debt from the last government and it must be very difficult to balance the books and decide where money is to be spent.
Insurance companies are refusing to insure properties in flood areas.
Hmmmm.... I wonder if we are looking at this in the right way? I know dredging rivers is expensive and a long continuous process but we have had a lot more flooding since they stopped doing it. I heard an Environmental Agency representative saying that the difference is 'marginal' but I think every 'margin' helps, doesn't it?
We also have 'flood plains'. Could we dig them out and make them into Summer Parks/picnic areas and let them flood in the winter to take a greater amount of water?
Is anyone looking at the runs and flows of the water and where it breaks its banks? Could we not do what I have seen in other countries where they have large concrete runs for when the rains come?
Could we not use the weirs and locks to lower the water in, say, October, in preparation for the coming rainy season?
I'm sure others can come up with diversion systems or other ideas rather than rely upon the ever inefficient barrier systems we have now?
As for insurance, we have a postal service that charges the same amount right across the board for mail. The densely populated areas subsidise the remote country deliveries by averaging out all the costs. Couldn't the nation do the same with insurance premiums, spreading the cost across ALL the buildings?
One person said it's all caused by the ice melting and all the global climate changing. Really? Perhaps I could believe that about coastal areas, but upstream in non-tidal waters? I think not.
On a final note can someone explain to me why successive governments, who have decreed that there can be no development in Green Belt, have not decreed that there must be no building development in flood plain areas? Madness.
Insurance companies are refusing to insure properties in flood areas.
Hmmmm.... I wonder if we are looking at this in the right way? I know dredging rivers is expensive and a long continuous process but we have had a lot more flooding since they stopped doing it. I heard an Environmental Agency representative saying that the difference is 'marginal' but I think every 'margin' helps, doesn't it?
We also have 'flood plains'. Could we dig them out and make them into Summer Parks/picnic areas and let them flood in the winter to take a greater amount of water?
Is anyone looking at the runs and flows of the water and where it breaks its banks? Could we not do what I have seen in other countries where they have large concrete runs for when the rains come?
Could we not use the weirs and locks to lower the water in, say, October, in preparation for the coming rainy season?
I'm sure others can come up with diversion systems or other ideas rather than rely upon the ever inefficient barrier systems we have now?
As for insurance, we have a postal service that charges the same amount right across the board for mail. The densely populated areas subsidise the remote country deliveries by averaging out all the costs. Couldn't the nation do the same with insurance premiums, spreading the cost across ALL the buildings?
One person said it's all caused by the ice melting and all the global climate changing. Really? Perhaps I could believe that about coastal areas, but upstream in non-tidal waters? I think not.
On a final note can someone explain to me why successive governments, who have decreed that there can be no development in Green Belt, have not decreed that there must be no building development in flood plain areas? Madness.
Sunday, 25 November 2012
France and Flooding
It has taken someone on Twitter to make me realise that I forgot about blogging. Sometimes my life is so full that I don't think about time whizzing by. This past month has been such a time.
I've done a few shows, been to a few parties, and added a few videos onto my YouTube channel. Added to that I've done a zillion Tweets and done some more teaching/advising on my Magic Days. That's another thing I have left slip, sorting out the future dates, which I must get round to... very soon.
The Grand Adventure this month was to head off to Macon in France to do some more teaching/advising so Debbie and I decided to have a mini break and drive instead of fly. Great decision. We booked to go via the Chunnel but I thought my claustrophobia might come thundering back when the sides of the coach closed down so we made a last minute booking on the P & O ferry. Great decision.
We drove to the dock, got a ticket, and drove straight onto the ship which left immediately. The crossing was calm and fast and suddenly we were trying to remember to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. It became a running joke as we alternated the job of driving.
At home I had decided that we should travel roads that took us around Paris, not through it, and that certainly on the way to Macon we would avoid the toll roads. Great decision. We meandered through small country roads and through the Medieval villages and towns of France. We stayed in a lovely hotel that had at one time been a monastery in Arras.
The next night found us in Troyes, pronounced Twahhh... or similar. Can I recommend that you all go there and visit their 'old town'. Wow Factor Plus.
It was a little bit worrying the next day when the Satnav took us into a farm. Hmmmm.... BUT then we discovered why we were both so relaxed about it all. We had no immediate deadline. All our normal lives we have to be somewhere by a fixed time and this trip we had PLENTY of time. We got to Macon by teatime and then the mayhem began.
Debbie drove off the next morning facing a 5 hour drive south whilst I was faced with four days of the most intensive convention in which I have ever been involved. The days started early and simply never stopped. I talked, lectured, demonstrated, advised, watched, laughed and generally really tired myself out. When Debbie came back she had to do most of the driving whilst I recovered.
The last night of that convention was a Gala show in a great theatre. Unbelievably the sequence of the show and who was doing what was left until the afternoon of the day. It worked and I was the penultimate act, doing a routine with onions and lemons, red peppers, boiled eggs and a pumpkin. The audience was in hysterics and BIG thanks to Gaeton Bloom for helping me out with the language.
The last act produced a (no kidding) helicopter. I laughed when one young man pointed out that you can either spend $60,000 on an illusion or, like me, you could go to the supermarket and get an act.
The year before, apparently, a famous French magician had done a lecture about ME! He edited together a video of bits I have done over the years, which included quite a few singing routines. Hey.. the French think I'm a SINGER!!! A new career beckons on foreign shores.
The drive home was uneventful and the ferry crossing back was as good as when we went and SO much less stressful than an airport.
Right now I am home. It's raining and there are flood warning everywhere. Our river is rising fast but if they will not dredge the rivers and/or create 'flood canals' like they have in other countries what do they expect?
I wonder what the morning will bring....
I've done a few shows, been to a few parties, and added a few videos onto my YouTube channel. Added to that I've done a zillion Tweets and done some more teaching/advising on my Magic Days. That's another thing I have left slip, sorting out the future dates, which I must get round to... very soon.
The Grand Adventure this month was to head off to Macon in France to do some more teaching/advising so Debbie and I decided to have a mini break and drive instead of fly. Great decision. We booked to go via the Chunnel but I thought my claustrophobia might come thundering back when the sides of the coach closed down so we made a last minute booking on the P & O ferry. Great decision.
We drove to the dock, got a ticket, and drove straight onto the ship which left immediately. The crossing was calm and fast and suddenly we were trying to remember to drive on the 'wrong' side of the road. It became a running joke as we alternated the job of driving.
At home I had decided that we should travel roads that took us around Paris, not through it, and that certainly on the way to Macon we would avoid the toll roads. Great decision. We meandered through small country roads and through the Medieval villages and towns of France. We stayed in a lovely hotel that had at one time been a monastery in Arras.
The next night found us in Troyes, pronounced Twahhh... or similar. Can I recommend that you all go there and visit their 'old town'. Wow Factor Plus.
It was a little bit worrying the next day when the Satnav took us into a farm. Hmmmm.... BUT then we discovered why we were both so relaxed about it all. We had no immediate deadline. All our normal lives we have to be somewhere by a fixed time and this trip we had PLENTY of time. We got to Macon by teatime and then the mayhem began.
Debbie drove off the next morning facing a 5 hour drive south whilst I was faced with four days of the most intensive convention in which I have ever been involved. The days started early and simply never stopped. I talked, lectured, demonstrated, advised, watched, laughed and generally really tired myself out. When Debbie came back she had to do most of the driving whilst I recovered.
The last night of that convention was a Gala show in a great theatre. Unbelievably the sequence of the show and who was doing what was left until the afternoon of the day. It worked and I was the penultimate act, doing a routine with onions and lemons, red peppers, boiled eggs and a pumpkin. The audience was in hysterics and BIG thanks to Gaeton Bloom for helping me out with the language.
The last act produced a (no kidding) helicopter. I laughed when one young man pointed out that you can either spend $60,000 on an illusion or, like me, you could go to the supermarket and get an act.
The year before, apparently, a famous French magician had done a lecture about ME! He edited together a video of bits I have done over the years, which included quite a few singing routines. Hey.. the French think I'm a SINGER!!! A new career beckons on foreign shores.
The drive home was uneventful and the ferry crossing back was as good as when we went and SO much less stressful than an airport.
Right now I am home. It's raining and there are flood warning everywhere. Our river is rising fast but if they will not dredge the rivers and/or create 'flood canals' like they have in other countries what do they expect?
I wonder what the morning will bring....
Wednesday, 24 October 2012
The World Economy
Hey... how heavy a title is that? On the other hand it is something that has been bothering me for quite a while.
I know, of course, that I come from a different time; I come from a time when you saved up to buy something that you wanted and if you couldn't afford it, you didn't buy it. Simple. In today's luxury society everybody seems to want it now and they get it hoping they can pay back the money they have borrowed to buy the goods.
Astonishingly they don't seem to realise that doing it that way means they can buy LESS because they are paying more, via interest, for the original purchase. Weird or what?
This mantra of saving to buy was drummed into me and I assumed that intelligent people knew the principle was the most economical way to live. Silly me, I thought we voted for intelligent people.
A country is a business. I believe the business of a country should be run on the same lines that I was taught. So how did the world finish up in so much debt? If we look at low population countries like Ireland and Greece, who are both in financial trouble, where did the money GO? Who GOT the money because their debts far outnumber the population? America and the UK? What happened.
Surely those in charge know how much the country earns? They know, therefore, how much they have got to spend and should allocate that across the country's expenses and if they can't afford it they should NOT borrow just to keep themselves in power by not telling the people the truth.
In the UK, and this is not a political rant, just a fact, that we go through cycles whereby, to the working masses, it would appear that we are doing OK, but in fact the Labour Chancellors are borrowing zillions. Then when we are in deep poo, the country puts the Conservatives in and they HAVE to take punitive measures to try to dig us out. It's happening now. It's tough as hell but the National Debt is reducing which means we have to pay less interest so the reduction should speed up.
The problem is that the working masses are not told of this cycle which we have had since the Second World War and it goes round and round. I guess it's the same in other countries, not just us.
All this came to mind when I heard a Scottish MP proposing that, as 16 year olds can get married etc., they should be allowed to vote. This is in direct contrast to my observation of a few years ago that people should not be allowed to vote until they are 30, by which time they have experienced, possibly, several different governments and have the knowledge on which to base their vote.
Finally, at elections, I vote. Do you?
I know, of course, that I come from a different time; I come from a time when you saved up to buy something that you wanted and if you couldn't afford it, you didn't buy it. Simple. In today's luxury society everybody seems to want it now and they get it hoping they can pay back the money they have borrowed to buy the goods.
Astonishingly they don't seem to realise that doing it that way means they can buy LESS because they are paying more, via interest, for the original purchase. Weird or what?
This mantra of saving to buy was drummed into me and I assumed that intelligent people knew the principle was the most economical way to live. Silly me, I thought we voted for intelligent people.
A country is a business. I believe the business of a country should be run on the same lines that I was taught. So how did the world finish up in so much debt? If we look at low population countries like Ireland and Greece, who are both in financial trouble, where did the money GO? Who GOT the money because their debts far outnumber the population? America and the UK? What happened.
Surely those in charge know how much the country earns? They know, therefore, how much they have got to spend and should allocate that across the country's expenses and if they can't afford it they should NOT borrow just to keep themselves in power by not telling the people the truth.
In the UK, and this is not a political rant, just a fact, that we go through cycles whereby, to the working masses, it would appear that we are doing OK, but in fact the Labour Chancellors are borrowing zillions. Then when we are in deep poo, the country puts the Conservatives in and they HAVE to take punitive measures to try to dig us out. It's happening now. It's tough as hell but the National Debt is reducing which means we have to pay less interest so the reduction should speed up.
The problem is that the working masses are not told of this cycle which we have had since the Second World War and it goes round and round. I guess it's the same in other countries, not just us.
All this came to mind when I heard a Scottish MP proposing that, as 16 year olds can get married etc., they should be allowed to vote. This is in direct contrast to my observation of a few years ago that people should not be allowed to vote until they are 30, by which time they have experienced, possibly, several different governments and have the knowledge on which to base their vote.
Finally, at elections, I vote. Do you?
Monday, 8 October 2012
Magic Days
I have called this blog (and yes I do know it is way overdue) 'Magic Days' because that is what I have been focussing on for the past few weeks.
I have been doing other stuff of course, like the props for 'Scared to Death' at the Sonning Mill Theatre, and also props for 'Jack the Ripper' which will go on in Wargrave this week. Debbie and I also went over to Great Yarmouth to do a show for the International Brotherhood of Magicians British Ring and they seemed to be happy with what we did. It was great to see old friends again, isn't it always?
We managed to fit in a trip on a cruise ship, doing shows on the Adonia, so maybe I have been busier than I remember. For me it is always 'what does tomorrow bring?' rather than looking backwards.
On weekends when I am at home groups of up to 10 magicians at a time have been coming to our house and they have been questioning me on all aspects and skills of magic. The days go from 10 in the morning until 5.30 in the evening with an hour for lunch and yes, they can be a bit tiring for me, but also great fun. It is time I passed on all this stuff that's in my head to do with the magic business and the response has been tremendous.
I can't remember everything that I have been asked but the range and depth of the questioning has kept me on my toes. I have shown how even the simplest tricks can be handled better, made more entertaining, shown how to develop comedy, build routines, taught a couple of tricks they have never seen before, talked about the 'theatre' of magic and the knowledge that you should have.
And so on... it has been very good for me as well as for them, because it reminds me in detail of all the things that I would do automatically after so many years of performances in working men's clubs, nightclubs, theatres, arenas, village halls, private and corporate events, and of course, television.
On another tack, apparently (I wasn't in on this) a couple of magicians at the IBM 'do' asked Debbie if I was hard up. Bless her, she didn't burst out laughing. Their worry was based on the fact that I was still doing shows and that I was no longer driving a Bentley or Ferrari.
Well, I still do shows because people ask me to do them. I had a manager who came of retirement age and thought I should retire too. I had about a year of not doing much. I went nuts. That's not for me until it is forced up on me. I like working. Mind you, I have told Debbie that if I start to slow down and look like a doddery old fart on stage, she has to shoot me!
I simply do not understand why some people seem to revel in 'old age' and give up on living. The world, to me, is now more exciting than it has ever been and I want to be part of that.
The cars question I found funny and then realised it came from two younger guys who still believed in the Clarkson syndrome, that cars are the be all and end all of status. I am now of an age where wisdom has taught me that cars are very nice, but really they are just tin boxes that get us from A to B. My Prius does that in comfort and quiet with plenty of room and I can't see why I should pay tens of thousands more for another box that does no more than the Prius. It's that simple.
Thank you for your concern if you think I am hard up and don't let the above explanation stop you sending donations.
I have been doing other stuff of course, like the props for 'Scared to Death' at the Sonning Mill Theatre, and also props for 'Jack the Ripper' which will go on in Wargrave this week. Debbie and I also went over to Great Yarmouth to do a show for the International Brotherhood of Magicians British Ring and they seemed to be happy with what we did. It was great to see old friends again, isn't it always?
We managed to fit in a trip on a cruise ship, doing shows on the Adonia, so maybe I have been busier than I remember. For me it is always 'what does tomorrow bring?' rather than looking backwards.
On weekends when I am at home groups of up to 10 magicians at a time have been coming to our house and they have been questioning me on all aspects and skills of magic. The days go from 10 in the morning until 5.30 in the evening with an hour for lunch and yes, they can be a bit tiring for me, but also great fun. It is time I passed on all this stuff that's in my head to do with the magic business and the response has been tremendous.
I can't remember everything that I have been asked but the range and depth of the questioning has kept me on my toes. I have shown how even the simplest tricks can be handled better, made more entertaining, shown how to develop comedy, build routines, taught a couple of tricks they have never seen before, talked about the 'theatre' of magic and the knowledge that you should have.
And so on... it has been very good for me as well as for them, because it reminds me in detail of all the things that I would do automatically after so many years of performances in working men's clubs, nightclubs, theatres, arenas, village halls, private and corporate events, and of course, television.
On another tack, apparently (I wasn't in on this) a couple of magicians at the IBM 'do' asked Debbie if I was hard up. Bless her, she didn't burst out laughing. Their worry was based on the fact that I was still doing shows and that I was no longer driving a Bentley or Ferrari.
Well, I still do shows because people ask me to do them. I had a manager who came of retirement age and thought I should retire too. I had about a year of not doing much. I went nuts. That's not for me until it is forced up on me. I like working. Mind you, I have told Debbie that if I start to slow down and look like a doddery old fart on stage, she has to shoot me!
I simply do not understand why some people seem to revel in 'old age' and give up on living. The world, to me, is now more exciting than it has ever been and I want to be part of that.
The cars question I found funny and then realised it came from two younger guys who still believed in the Clarkson syndrome, that cars are the be all and end all of status. I am now of an age where wisdom has taught me that cars are very nice, but really they are just tin boxes that get us from A to B. My Prius does that in comfort and quiet with plenty of room and I can't see why I should pay tens of thousands more for another box that does no more than the Prius. It's that simple.
Thank you for your concern if you think I am hard up and don't let the above explanation stop you sending donations.
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
Unbelievable, simply unbelievable
I really cannot believe what happened today, but as every day those around me and those I meet socially all ponder upon why there's nothing much worth watching on TV, perhaps it is more surprising that I am surprised.
The email message, at first glance, seemed to be a proposition to do a magic show. Actually a bit more than a magic show. It was from a woman and contained all the usual blurb that they must teach in media studies about how this programme was going to be the most wonderful, fabulous, 'treat magic as an art', which I have always thought it was, ever ever made. Believe me I have really cut down on the superlatives.
The programme, to be made by an independent production company, is to be called The Story of Magic and would tell the tale of Western Magic since Victorian times to the present day. From the wording of the letter it was obvious that the person doing the research/story telling did not know anything about magic at all. Good beginning, not.
More than that she wanted me on the phone to help her with this project. OK. It's a job. Magic is my job. I forwarded the message to my manager, pointing out that I was surprised that if such a programme was being commissioned that we weren't making it, or at the very least called in early as consultants. That isn't a conceit. I have spent a lifetime in the study of all aspects of this fabulous art and enjoyed quite a bit of success in the direction and performance of a vast range of magical genres.
I also asked him to ask if the woman knew of a book called Paul Daniels and the Story of Magic. It turned out she did and it was on her desk. OK, he said, let's talk money.
To his boggled astonishment she said there wasn't any.
Forgive me if I get a little angry here. How the hell do these people think we make a living? We get paid for our knowledge of magic, of our performances of magic, we are the specialists. Another man that I recommended, it turned out, had already been approached and said 'no' because they were not going to pay him! Like me he has spent a lifetime in the study of magic and in my opinion is the magical historian of the world. He said no. Good decision Professor Eddie Dawes, good decision.
It is no good the BBC saying they haven't any money. The license fee is now bringing them in more money than ever before. I don't argue against the license fee; I love TV without advertisements stopping the flow of the programmes. Sometimes in the studios I would ask the audiences in the recording gaps about the license fee and they all moaned. Then I asked them if they would pay 50p each to see me do a show in the West End of London. They all said a resounding 'Yes'.
That was when I pointed out that if that was the case, my pay for the last show should have been £8,000,000 because I had 16,000,000 viewers. From the gasp you could tell they had never worked out just how cheap they were getting their national independent television AND radio. Thanks to millions of us all paying our way, Auntie does have the money to make great programmes, and if they haven't, they must be wasting a helluva lot on daft decisions like moving north and selling the Centre.
So, if this programme is going to be made, if this writer/researcher is going to be paid, if the cameramen/soundmen/production crew and all and sundry are going to get paid, why aren't the people who are REALLY making the programme come to life being paid? So if this programme goes out folks, and I am sure it will, instead of being the great story it could be, don't be surprised if it isn't nothing more than a filler with inserts from 'magicians' no one has heard of but think that being on TV will lift their status.
It's unbelievable, but more than that, it is so sad.
The email message, at first glance, seemed to be a proposition to do a magic show. Actually a bit more than a magic show. It was from a woman and contained all the usual blurb that they must teach in media studies about how this programme was going to be the most wonderful, fabulous, 'treat magic as an art', which I have always thought it was, ever ever made. Believe me I have really cut down on the superlatives.
The programme, to be made by an independent production company, is to be called The Story of Magic and would tell the tale of Western Magic since Victorian times to the present day. From the wording of the letter it was obvious that the person doing the research/story telling did not know anything about magic at all. Good beginning, not.
More than that she wanted me on the phone to help her with this project. OK. It's a job. Magic is my job. I forwarded the message to my manager, pointing out that I was surprised that if such a programme was being commissioned that we weren't making it, or at the very least called in early as consultants. That isn't a conceit. I have spent a lifetime in the study of all aspects of this fabulous art and enjoyed quite a bit of success in the direction and performance of a vast range of magical genres.
I also asked him to ask if the woman knew of a book called Paul Daniels and the Story of Magic. It turned out she did and it was on her desk. OK, he said, let's talk money.
To his boggled astonishment she said there wasn't any.
Forgive me if I get a little angry here. How the hell do these people think we make a living? We get paid for our knowledge of magic, of our performances of magic, we are the specialists. Another man that I recommended, it turned out, had already been approached and said 'no' because they were not going to pay him! Like me he has spent a lifetime in the study of magic and in my opinion is the magical historian of the world. He said no. Good decision Professor Eddie Dawes, good decision.
It is no good the BBC saying they haven't any money. The license fee is now bringing them in more money than ever before. I don't argue against the license fee; I love TV without advertisements stopping the flow of the programmes. Sometimes in the studios I would ask the audiences in the recording gaps about the license fee and they all moaned. Then I asked them if they would pay 50p each to see me do a show in the West End of London. They all said a resounding 'Yes'.
That was when I pointed out that if that was the case, my pay for the last show should have been £8,000,000 because I had 16,000,000 viewers. From the gasp you could tell they had never worked out just how cheap they were getting their national independent television AND radio. Thanks to millions of us all paying our way, Auntie does have the money to make great programmes, and if they haven't, they must be wasting a helluva lot on daft decisions like moving north and selling the Centre.
So, if this programme is going to be made, if this writer/researcher is going to be paid, if the cameramen/soundmen/production crew and all and sundry are going to get paid, why aren't the people who are REALLY making the programme come to life being paid? So if this programme goes out folks, and I am sure it will, instead of being the great story it could be, don't be surprised if it isn't nothing more than a filler with inserts from 'magicians' no one has heard of but think that being on TV will lift their status.
It's unbelievable, but more than that, it is so sad.
Saturday, 1 September 2012
Decisions Decisions
It has been busy busy busy round here, the way I like it. I have started to work to a sort of schedule to prevent me getting bored with any one particular job. So, the average day has changed somewhat...
I get up and the first job is the emails and I check all my different addresses. Like most people I guess, I have different addresses that make it easier to sort out what they are for. The busiest over the last couple of weeks has been the one that deals with the Magic Days I am hosting and I have just been sorting stuff out for tomorrow's visiting magicians.
After emails I visit Twitter, which I have linked to Facebook but I have to go to FB to reply to the Facers. Then, with a cuppa, I go up to the room where I am copying my TV shows in real time onto DVDs. When I was at the BBC and the shows were being recorded and transmitted I bought a whole set of recorders to make sure I got the best of copies. Now, thanks to modern upgrading DVD recorders those copies are now just about as good as they will ever get. I am thinking of starting a PDMS 100 Club. The 100 Members will get DVDs based on how they can afford them. Current costing, and remember these are not big runs, is working out at about £11 a disk and they will get one a week, a fortnight, a month... their decision. To be honest I don't think I'll do anything until I get 100 members 'cos it simply isn't worth the hassle of copying the disks, printing the disks, printing the covers, posting them out...
I try to do a bit on the boat, in the shed, and work on the coming IBM show every day.
For those who follow our antics, everybody seems to be fine including the rabbits.
I get up and the first job is the emails and I check all my different addresses. Like most people I guess, I have different addresses that make it easier to sort out what they are for. The busiest over the last couple of weeks has been the one that deals with the Magic Days I am hosting and I have just been sorting stuff out for tomorrow's visiting magicians.
After emails I visit Twitter, which I have linked to Facebook but I have to go to FB to reply to the Facers. Then, with a cuppa, I go up to the room where I am copying my TV shows in real time onto DVDs. When I was at the BBC and the shows were being recorded and transmitted I bought a whole set of recorders to make sure I got the best of copies. Now, thanks to modern upgrading DVD recorders those copies are now just about as good as they will ever get. I am thinking of starting a PDMS 100 Club. The 100 Members will get DVDs based on how they can afford them. Current costing, and remember these are not big runs, is working out at about £11 a disk and they will get one a week, a fortnight, a month... their decision. To be honest I don't think I'll do anything until I get 100 members 'cos it simply isn't worth the hassle of copying the disks, printing the disks, printing the covers, posting them out...
I try to do a bit on the boat, in the shed, and work on the coming IBM show every day.
For those who follow our antics, everybody seems to be fine including the rabbits.
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