Author: Mike

Forgot that this was going to happen today, but it’s release day for another update to the BBC News site ( as part of their overall revamp of its web presence), this follows on from  the changes that have already happened to the BBC home page, thought I am convinced that many people thought that the BBC News page was the BBC home page!

Anyway, I like the new design, except for the over use of vertical white space. It’s far too much and needs to be reduced, not back to what it was on the old style web site – it’s been increased to aid overall accessibility – but the adjustment is far too much!

Seems that the changes have again solicited a high number of comments – 420 when I last looked. It is true that you can’t please everyone all of the time. However, I still think it looks better that CNN or Sky.

More changes are due to appear on other sections of the BBC web site over the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see what comments those changes create.

It’s the Boat Race today.

In light of that, this article from the 2008 Nurses’ League Newsletter of the Worcester Royal Infirmary was an interesting find and cause to me to have a chuckle as I read it.

Is it a fair comparison? I leave it to you to decide, but I guarantee you’ll find some of it it very familiar!

Enjoy.

12:30 pm Update – Seems that the BBC have a link now that has more info, but still not as comprehensive as the Daily Mail papers list, not that I’m championing that paper.

Previously: I watched the TV news today and saw the article about the removal of cough medicine from shelves that may be adversely affecting 2 year olds and below. What I found odd was that either BBC, ITV or Sky News actually mentioned any of the brand names of the ones that were affected!

I carried out an Internet search and much to my amazement I could only find one list that actually contained all the affected brands, that was the Daily Mail.

In this information age, I find it quite strange that a) you have to make a number of searches to find out what’s on the list and b) not even a public broadcaster like the BBC (or ITV/Sky) provides more information about the affected brand, not even on their own web site – certainly at the time of this post.

Is business controlling what TV news organisations can say about their products?

I took part in an online Webinar this afternoon and unfortunately the organisation had not supplied a local UK phone to dial in for the audio. I have normally used one of the many ‘discount’ dial-ups saving a few pence off the per minute rate for these type of calls.

However, I had heard that a number of newer companies using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology to provide low-cost long distance calling routes and after short search on the Internet came across this one. Planet Numbers rate for the calls to the USA; one pence per minute!

There are a number of other companies providing similar services but for the time I’ll stick with Planet Numbers, unless I can find a better deal.

It seems that certain MP’s have something to hide when it comes to their expenses.

The Speaker of the House has launched a High-Court action to prevent any release of our esteemed Prime Ministers expenses being released.

It all seems strange, as we already know some of the expenses that he has clamed in the past, such as:-

£17,017 – Cost of staying away from main home
£18,961 – Office running costs
£86,055 – Staffing Costs
£9,557 – Air Travel

All taken from last years  Members’ Allowance Expenditure April 2006 – March 2007 listing.

If I didn’t think there was anything suspicious before all this started, then I certainly do now!

Does Michael Martin think that his actions will help the general public believe that MP’s don’t have something to hide, in particularly Gordon Brown! More to follow I’m sure.

We’ve already seen the initial demonstrations around the lighting of the Olympic flame.

I wonder how many more we ill see as the supposed symbol of piece is paraded around the world, we could end up seeing (or not as the case may be) the Olympic flame carried through the streets of the world, surrounded by a phalanx of security guards complete  destroying the meaning of its original purpose.

I can only think that when London hosts the flame route the whole thing could get even worse.

Give me a break. Next we’ll be banning the Fire and Ambulance Service from recruiting in schools – we don’t want anybody seeing a burnt body or a massive head/leg injury in a car accident!!

We live in a very real world and yes some jobs do carry some risks, even teaching!

Perhaps Paul McGarr would accept that it is okay for his Socialist Workers Party to recruit in schools – they always paint such a rosy picture of the world! Stick to teaching Mr. McCarr; it’s what you’re paid for!

I did a Google search on Paul McGarr it turns out that he is a Socialist historian, author, political activist and member of the Socialist Workers Party and Respect.

With the release of a new Colossus Computer video from Silicon.Com, it adds to the growing list of online information about this important computer development that helped shorten and win WWII.

The Colossus development should have positioned the UK to lead the computing world after WWII, sadly this was not to be the case for various reasons such as security and lack of business foresight.

Here are some more links to Colossus related information.

• A good starting point

• Part One of the rebuild

• Part Two of the rebuild

• More Rebuild info

A story on the BBC news front page about Austria, granted it is about a motorway accident involving 12o vehicles!

But good to see that someone in the BBC is looking to a land mass that starts just 35 Km’s away as opposed to 5,500 Km’s!

With elections due this weekend and Robert Mugabe likely to win again, one wonders what the UK and USA Governments are now going to do to help resolve the ongoing suffering of the Zimbabwe population, considering how successful their tyrant liberation policy has been so far in Iraq!

But hang on a moment, I don’t think there’s any oil in Zimbabwe!

More background here [1], [2].