Please reply in English next time

Earlier this year I must have e-mailed the Department for Culture, Media and Sport - or at least filled out a form, petition or wrote something somewhere.

What I sent was obviously something to do with children’s television and the state of it in the UK - or at least the lack of homegrown children’s tv outside of the BBC.

Below is the response I just received - although it doesn’t really give me any clue to what I may, or may not have asked them in the original e-mail/form/petition…

See if you can make any sense of it - but from now on - please reply in English! Or if you can’t manage full on plain English - how about something that’s at least understandable to non-political normal human beings.

Thank you for your e-mail of May 2009 regarding the level of output for Children’s television programmes.

In our interim report, published on 29 January, we identified children’s content for all ages, but especially for the over 10s, as one of the priorities to be addressed by the new framework for public service content that is being designed. This would include content both transmitted on television and on new media platforms.

This approach was supported by the evidence set out in Ofcom’s statement on public service broadcasting, “Putting Viewers First”, published on 21 January, which reaffirmed their view, first set out in 2007 in their report into the children’s TV sector, that there was a market failure, especially for older teenagers and young adults, which would need to be addressed.

We recognise that this is a key area of concern for both parliamentarians and stakeholder and we will be outlining our proposed approach to this problem in the final Digital Britain report, which is due to be published shortly.

I hope this information helps

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Absense of journalists? Unmask the Stig!!

Ok so lets kick this blog post off with a list of headlines and their associated links. Then I probably won’t need to write anything else as you will have worked out what I’m talking about already.

The Sun: Stig Identity is revealed

The Sun: Clarkson names Top Gear’s Stig

The Sun: Fans blitz net in search of Stig ID

The Sun: Top Gear’s FOUR Stigs

The Mirror: The secret identity of Top Gear’s Stig revealed

Daily Mail: EXCLUSIVE: The eight drivers behind Top Gear stunt driver The Stig’s famous racing whites

Daily Mail: The Stig(s) unmasked: Top Gear use FOUR different mystery test drivers

The Guardian: Top Gear’s Stig: the truth is out there

The Independent: Top Gear’s Stig is unmasked

Telegraph: Top Gear: Rumours that Ben Collins was The Stig started on YouTube more than a year ago

Telegraph: Top Gear staff dress as The Stig

Telegraph: Stig unveiling could spell end of TV career

Telegraph: Stig mystery reignited amid claims he is played by four actors

Telegraph: The Stig’s true identity is still a mystery, claims Top Gear’s James May

Telegraph: Stig mystery reignited amid claims he is played by four actors

Telegraph: Top Gear’s The Stig ‘played by eight drivers’

Telegraph: The Stig mystery: Top Gear’s James May says ‘harmless fairytale’ like Harry Potter and Dr Who

Telegraph: The Stig: Jeremy Clarkson’s new revelation

Identity of Top Gear’s The Stig revealed as B———

Have you got the idea yet? I was going to write a long winded piece about how the lack of journalists, or at least the increase in workload for journalists has led to an increase in silly quick hit stories.

I’ve fallen foul of it myself - having written a number of stories for the sake of ‘filling the gap’ until I’ve been able to properly research and write up a full original feature.

But I decided that the subject had been covered to death so would pick a single ‘quick hit make word story’ and link to all the newspapers that have covered - the Telegraph seem to have really sunk their teeth into the juicy, pointless morsel.

Do I want to know who the Stig is? does it really matter who the Stig is? Do fans really care who the Stig is? No - not really.

But it has got lots of people talking about it, I’ve just linked about eight times to The Telegraph and other newspapers thus increasing their Google Juice and a number of forums, blogs and twitteres have been doing much the same since the story first broke weeks ago.

Still - last word to TopGear.com - who’d have thought Graham Hill was the Stig!

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What’s happening to me?

When I was a teenager at school I was (and there really is no other way of saying this) a little git.

I was cheeky, I talked back to the teachers and would refuse to do things I didn’t like the idea of. I was suspended from lessons (but never school) several times - usually for refusing to go to those “pointless” detentions.

The main problem I had with school was that I just didn’t see the point in it. I was constantly being asked to do things I didn’t really see the point in and it didn’t help that the teachers got annoyed with me when I asked them to justify their reasons for asking me to do it.

I’ve always had something of a problem with authority and authority figures - especially being asked to do things I’m not convinced are of any real benefit to me.

I’m still a little bit like that but as I get older and (painfully) rapidly closer to the big 3 0 I can’t help but see things from the teachers point of view.

I now have two children in school - one in reception (foundation stage) and the other in year three (key stage two).

When my children were young, before they started school I was adamant I wouldn’t make them do homework - that, if they ever got a lot I would stand up for them and tell the teacher I disagree with homework and demand they don’t give my children any.

But  age, maturity - whatever you want to call it has mellowed me and actually I can see the point of homework - it also helps that my daughter (son is too young for homework at the moment) actually really enjoys it.

In fact some of the homework my daughter gets can be a lot of fun - I oft times enjoy making boats, creating simple animations, teaching her how to write articles and stories etc…

In fact - getting involved in parents evenings, school events and activities as well as helping my daughter with her homework and reading through some of her school work at the end of time has really made me wish I worked harder while I was at school.

I’ve decided that blogging for me is the chance to do those - home time - reports (remember I write for a living) that I never bothered with while I was in full time education.

Photo credit: Classroom Chairs (seen on homepage) by James Sarmiento - Creative Commons via Flickr.

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New Movember Blog

I’ve just launched a new Movember blog for the Movember Team I’m part of - you can find it at beebmo.co.uk.

It’s pretty simple - just a place for the three of us on the BeebMo team to post our thoughts, progress and ideas over the course of Movember.

I’ll post occasional updates here but please go to BeebMo.co.uk for more.

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The start of Movember

If you read Up Your Ego by actually visiting the site at upyourego.com you won’t help but have noticed a cartoon of my face complete with big moustache.

It’s there because I’m taking part in a month long charity event called ‘Movember’ that will see men around the world growing a Moustache and getting sponsored for doing so.

They’re doing this to raise money for The Prostate Cancer Charity - to help research into and provide resources/education for men with Prostate Cancer.

I haven’t decided what type of moustache I’m going to grow yet - but have started the day clean shaven and will shave my face every day for the next month - with the exception of my upper lip.

At the moment I’m leaning towards a good old fashioned metal head style handlebar moustache - but I also like the idea of an old English RAF officer style one as well.

Anyway I’ve been to the bathroom mirror - razor in hand and have shaved - unfortunately I’ve got a big arsed cold sore on my lip that I ripped off with a towel just before shaving.

But I shaved, all sorted and I’m now ready for the month ahead. But what style?

Whatever I decide I’ll be posting regular updates here complete with photos and asking your opinion on what bits I should/shouldn’t shave off.

Anyway - I’ve been in the bathroom and shaved - all clean shaven and smooth for now - but it was tricky as I have a rather nasty cold sore that I ripped off with a towel just before shaving.

So I tentively attacked my face with a razor and cold water (I used all the hot water in my shower) and took a photo half way through.

I also got my daughter to take before and after photos - see them on my Flickr stream.

That’s it for now - more when a bit of growth actually starts.

If you have a spare £ or 2 you can make a donation on THIS PAGE.

In the meantime why not check out the brilliant new Top Gear site at bbc.co.uk/topgear or the equally impressive new look Radio 2 site (just to give you one from vision and one from audio and music).

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Growing a tash for charity

Throughout November (including while covering Jersey’s elections) I’m going to look like a bit of an idiot ;D

I’ve agreed to grow a mustache for a charity called Movember - it’s to raise money for Prostate Cancer (something my father in law came close to dying of last year - fortunately he recovered).

During Movember (the month formerly known as November) I’m growing a Mo because I’m passionate about tackling men’s health issues and being proactive in the fight against prostate cancer.

If you think this is a worthy cause - and I know there are a lot of cause based calls on your wallet - you can donate to my Mo by:

Going to the donation page and donating online using your credit card or PayPal account.

The money raised by Movember is used to raise awareness of men’s health issues and donated to The Prostate Cancer Charity which will have an enormous impact on many men’s lives and the awareness will help us to fight prostate cancer on every front - through research, support, information and campaigning.

Thank you in advance if you do decide to support me and thank you for not laughing - too much - at me if you don’t.

I’ll be posting photos of my progress during the course of the month.

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Tashing up for Movember

The moustache, once a beacon of gentlemanly authority, a guiding light that suggests power, intelligence and importance.

Now, like the cane – an icon of the alternative lifestyle, of something different and of people with the balls to say ‘look I’m different and I don’t care’.

But for one month the humble moustache (not so much the cane) will be making a come back on the faces of men around the world – including me.

Movember (the month formerly known as November) is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men’s health.

The event raises money for Prostate Cancer charities around the world and currently operates in the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Ireland and the place it all started, Australia.

There aren’t many rules - you start Movember completely clean shaven and then spend the rest of the month growing and grooming a moustache. It can be any style, any shape and any colour you like - but it has to be your own (no fakes).

In my office it was the resident Aussie sports producer, Daniel Corden, that kicked the whole thing off and now a few of us will spend the month of November with a moustache - looking like a complete tool (at least in my case anyway).

I haven’t actually registered as a ‘Mo Grower’ yet as registrations aren’t open - but as soon as they are I will be joining the local team and inviting you guys to donate.

It’s a good cause and you’ll get to see photos of the progress of my tash. I may even let you vote on what style you think I should adopt (no hitlers please - I do live in Jersey!).

Share your thoughts on styles below - should I got for a big bushy thing or something more traditionally English gentleman?

Photo credits for this post (all creative commons) Moustace Man by Hapal, Me with a Fu Manchu Mustache by japi14, WHY I MUST NEVER GROW A MOUSTACHE by the_moog, Houstonist - Mustaches for Kids by deneyterrio, Moustache by interrupt and Moustache by Pierre Guezennec.

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Who am I?

A friend asked me how I would rank the places and things that impact my identity the other day.

The concept behind it was to rank the things that make me who I am in order - starting with national identity and then gradually working down the list.

So the first thing on the list for me, as a British citizen, would be … well British but the concept then allows for anything to be put in the order of identity after that.

So it could be Geek, Musician, Drummer or even English, Magician or Lunatic. I’ve personally gone for geek as, in terms of personality I think of myself as a geek before I think of myself as English (even though I was born in England and spent the first 18 years of my life there).

Anyway, I’ve been thinking long and hard about it and this is the list I’ve been able to come up with so far - it may change depending on my mood.

• Father
• British
• Geek
• English
• Journalist
• BBC
• Jersey
• Blogger
• New Media/Web
• Drummer
• Hemel Hempstead

I don’t actually factor European in there at all - anywhere - mainly because (and don’t get me wrong I like the European idea) I don’t feel European or any connection with the continental idea of Europe.

When I think of Europe I get all stereotypical and imagine old French philosophers sitting at a cafe smoking and debating the world. I’ve never lived in France and only visited once and I’ve visited the rest of Europe (with the exception of Portugal) even less.

So my knowledge, understanding and relationship to Europe is limit to two week holidays in Portugal, having a cousin from Germany and a day trip to France in Primary School.

Anyway - I did toy with the idea of showing this list in other ways but in the end a good old fashioned list was the best way of displaying a few items.

What defines you? My wife suggested that I didn’t need to make a list as the tag cloud pretty much defines me already, that what I wrote about on my blog was a measure of who I am already - but to me that’s more a measure of what I like than who I am.

Here is the tag cloud as of now:

apple Arts audio BBC BBC iPlayer blog blogging british channel4 comedy Design download Entertainment facebook google interface internet iplayer ipod itunes itv James May Jeremy Clarkson jeremyclarkson jersey Last.fm Media mobile Music newmedia News Podcast Radio stig Technology Television top gear topgear torchwood tv UK United Kingdom Video writing youtube

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Paper planes with the kids

The purpose of this blog, its reason for being, its mission statement is to ‘build a guide to surviving life in the 21st Century, from a geek perspective’.

[Read more]

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