"Super-diversity" and the BBC

I find it odd that this article on the BBC is actually declared as being an "opinion". There seems to be less "opinion" in that article than in most other non-opinion articles on the BBC.

It certainly doesn't compare to this piece by Matt Wells published a couple of weeks ago. Astoundingly that article was published originally without "viewpoint" included in the title. I don't think its original absence was an error. It was more likely to have been deliberate. Only when people started to question such opinionated bilge did they add it to cover themselves. The BBC seems to be increasingly showing its true colours recently. They can't report on anything to do with Bush, or America in general without their biases showing through.

Those at the BBC ought to remember they are supposed to remain impartial.

We don't pay their license tax so that they can shove their one-sided political beliefs down our throats.

Tory leadership election

If you fancy a flutter on the upcoming Tory leadership election these are the latest odds from William Hill.

D Davis
8/13
K Clarke
2/1
D Cameron
6/1
L Fox
14/1
M Rifkind
20/1

It is very possible that any of the top three could win. Those three have their good and bad points. What would be perfect is a mix of all three.

As I've not been taking as much notice of politics and news for a while I think now might be a good time to read up on what's happening. I may even find out what David Cameron stands for before the votes are cast. I personally think the odds on Clarke winning aren't very generous. Shop around! (as they say) I'm sure I glimpsed some bookmaker elsewhere yesterday that was offering 4/1 on him winning, or maybe i just imagined it.

Paddy Power has it as an even closer contest

David Davis
4 - 7
Ken Clarke
2 - 1
David Cameron
4 - 1
Liam Fox
12 - 1
William Hague
16 - 1

If it wasn't for the BBC...

I would be so culturally unaware.

I got my fix of other cultures today (and now i feel good about myself) by clicking a link to an article which was about a new muslim faith centre being opened today somewhere in Britain (probably Cardiff) and Cat Stevens has the honour of opening it. His name isn't Cat anymore of course, it's Yusuf. Yusuf Islam. Every article you read about him has to contain the obligatory "previously known as..." or "formerly known as..." or to a lesser extent, "the artist formerly known as...". He's never going to get away from his past life.

I learned today that Cat, i mean, Yusuf, no I do mean Cat, became a muslim in 1977. Cat is one of the good guys - a moderate muslim. Lets forget the little problem of his [alleged]* funding of middle eastern terrorist groups.

Look, he's a moderate! ok? He is a fine figurehead for moderate muslims. Along with all those other moderates the media refers to who support the killing of innocent jews. Centre director

Sophie Gilliat-Ray said Cardiff was an ideal location for the venture because the city was home to one of the oldest Muslim communities in Britain. "Few people know that the first mosque in the UK was established in Cardiff in 1860," she said.

Wow, that's a long time ago. Maybe only "few" people know that fact because it isn't really relevant to the lives of the average briton in 2005.

Singer Islam opens faith centre

I think i'll go and impress people with my cardiff mosque knowledge now to show how culturally aware i am.

*I inserted [alleged] last. You can never be too careful.

I still haven't written the article promised in the last post. Be patient!

Tensions in Basra

Apparently two British soldiers were arrested yesterday in Basra for allegedly shooting at policemen (maybe they had good reason) and ended up in the hands of Shia militants. (Although, there does seem to be slightly differing accounts about what exactly happened, but isn't there always)

Dramatic stuff
All hell broke loose as tanks, armoured vehicles, and helicopters descended upon the police station where they had been held. But the soliders were no longer being held there (according to the Times and the BBC) and had been handed over to Shia militia. No doubt those at the police station quickly decided it was in their best interests to co-operate with people who had just come crashing through the walls in their tanks (it was an accident says the MOD and the mass escape of prisoners wasn't part of the plan) and they generously gave them information which led to the rescue operation being successfully completed at a nearby house just a few hours after the soliders had been seized.

Whilst all this was going on an angry mob saw an opportunity to express themselves by throwing petrol bombs at the armoured vehicles, with their occupants having to make a swift exit. (as is clearly evident in the above picture) and the video footage.

The Telegraph
Troops free SAS men from jail

I am always amused by the BBC and its habit of not publishing little facts that other news sources do. Nowhere on the page of the BBC article do they mention that the soldiers were special forces. The nearest they get to this is in a caption under a picture of the soliders whilst in captivity where it says "British officials would not say if the two men were working undercover"
A good clue might be in the fact that the MOD requested the media to conceal their identities.

We might be in an age where news arrives on our screens within minutes (or as it's happpening) but there are still times that you can find crucial little facts published, dare i say, in the Sun, many hours, or even days before the BBC touches them. The SAS example maybe minor in the grand scheme of things, but many more obvious examples are commonplace. The BBC isn't always so backward with delivering details, though, which brings me on neatly to my next post.

Not so neatly as i'd like, as i haven't written it yet.

Success!

I have somehow managed to add links! It's quite an achievement due to the fact this template doesn't have them pre-inserted. The longer i've been using the net and computers the more technologically incompetent i've become. I hate technology and technology hates me.

Am i back?

I do believe i am.