We must defend the Beeb

It is the long-term goal of the Tory party and right wing newspapers to abolish the TV licence so they can pocket the cash for their outside interests.

House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee have published a report suggest the licence could be replaced within 15 years and that it is "becoming harder and harder to justify" the fee. The committee is made up of 11MPs, five Tories one pet Liberal Democrat, and five Labour members.

For what the BBC give you for your licence fee is fantastic for a cost of around 39p a day. Just think How much the pay-to-view stuff would cost you per day, triple or much more depending on the package you subscribe to small or large.

My Virgin TV package costs £117.58 with Sky Sports and Sky Movies per month and £1.408.96 per year.

My TV licence costs me £12.41 per month and £145.50 per year.

A big difference in cost but one I am willing to pay for access to premier TV supplied via pay-for-view TV but their needs to be something like the BBC to counter Sky and others. If we want to preserve quality public service broadcasting in Britain, we must defend the Beeb.

One option they are considering to replace the licence fee would be to make some BBC services available by subscription and I bet it will cost more than £12.41 per month. The BBC has long tried to offer "something for everyone" but in recent years of lost out to Sky and now BT both making inroads into their sports coverage, and in the case of Sky, news coverage. On sport the BBC have recently been striking up partnership deals like the one with F1 motor racing in a bid to keep some sport on the channel.

Both the BBC and Sky are the only channels with 24 hours news, which is a bone of contention with Rupert Murdoch who doesn’t like seeing anyone but him making money out of the media. In the past he as attack the BBC over their news on the net. If like the committee suggest the BBC should no longer stray into areas that are well catered for by commercial broadcasters what is left. BBC is the only ad free channel and I for one would like to see it stay that way.

Madonna 'Material Girl' ... Timber

On her way down

So what is the big news story of the day? Could it be the Tory Government plans to regionalise the National Health Services or some 56 year-old pop star falling down some stairs, you know it is going to be the latter.

It is the prominent story in most papers with pictures although a few earlier print runs missed the story in full but I can’t see the story dying anytime soon. I missed the action at the Brits mainly because the music of today means little to me with my musical tastes laying elsewhere.

I heard about the incident went social media when haywire with laughter about Madonna and it was not long before rough videos of the incident were awash on Twitter and Facebook. I couldn’t find in my heart to have a little giggle at her expends I was reminded of her past glories before over-elaborated stage performances. There is a need for these performers to keep it simple backing dances can kill.

Reports suggest the reason for the fall was down to Madonna herself after she failed to untie her cape in time before one of her backing dancer's ripped it away. The 56-year-old looked shocked after she fell backwards down a set of stairs but like a trooper, she picked herself up and continued to the end.

It will be the main talking points about the 2015 Brits winners will be forgotten but Madonna will never but forgotten. Something that can by forgotten was the performance by Kanye West which I just caught up with.

Done Lidl ... not a fan

I have ticked shopping at Lidl or Aldi off my bucket list with a trip to the fore mentioned Lidl as they have conveniently opened a new store not far from the homestead.

 

Therefore, this morning we sacrificed our normal shopping trip into Canton for a jolly walk to the Capital Retail Park in a downpour of hailstones. News reports have been suggesting Lidl was now the shop of choice of the rich and wealthy looking for bargains in their new Waitrose. I was looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the Cardiff elite. Nevertheless, judging by the carpark and the lack of Range Rovers and the like they have yet to find this store.

 

My experience was nothing to write home about I didn’t see many of these great bargains I had been reading about. It was nothing-special yes there were a few bits and pieces but I don’t think I could do a full shop there. I hunted down some bargains not many and my star buy was a plummet of grapes that normally cost me £2 but only cost £1.49 in Lidl. The wife seemed to like the place and is planning a revisit not sure what she saw maybe I should worry.

 

It was a nice store, roomy for the wife in her wheelchair and not too busy but that could have been down to the lousy weather. Will I shop there again, doubtful? I think when I’m shopping next at the Capital Retail Park I prefer Adsa’s.

Papers and me

Mainly buy the papers I buy for the sports pages although I do love to hover up news anyway. Normally I buy the Daily Mirror, The Daily Star and the Sun or another paper; three is my number in one day.

I am ever so OCD I even have an order in which I read them and why. I always start with the Star because I find it a bit of a lightweight paper on news and more interested in celebrity. The sports section is not up to much either so why the hell do I buy it? Could be because it is cheap and I like reading crap.

Mid-day or early afternoon I partake of the Sun or the Echo although I tend to read the Echo online most of the time. If it is the Sun, it’s for the sport mainly with the politics in the paper so far right of Genghis Khan making it too much for this socialist to stomach. Many people have problems with the sun for all kinds of reasons and so do I. That is why I tend to buy it at the weekend for the sport.

My main read of the day is the Daily Mirror and not because I am a socialist, I have always preferred it has long as I can remember. I even preferred the old page seven that would have a model in lingerie or bikini than the topless page 3 in the Sun. The sport reporting is top notch, politics is right down my street most of the time, and it lays off the celebrity over kill you get in other papers.

From today’s front page the story that caught my eye was the ‘Brit girl: I’ll be wife on Mars’ in connection to the story hitting the press about 5 British volunteers willing to take a one-way trip to Mars. The five are on the short list of 100 hopefuls and hoping to make the final four to be marooned on the red planet. When people eventually live on the moon, it is expected a return trip would be viable but for now, Mars is a one-way trip. Many experts have expressed doubt that even if they do land safely, radiation would soon kill them off. If this were on offer in the early 80s, hell I would have loved to volunteer.

Another story, Jon Snow has been doing some skunk (weed) for some upcoming TV show and he said never again.

A comment he made about his experience,

“You can hear this distant voice wailing ‘I can’t stay here … let me out.

“I’ve worked in war zones but I’ve never been as overwhelmingly frightened as I was right then.”

He was join by former MP Matthew Parris and former royal correspondent Jennie Bond both of whom didn’t find the experience enjoyable. Free weed! I no one of my sons who would love that,

Not a pancake fan

I don’t like pancakes so Pancake Day means little to me so I don’t think our frying pan will be seeing much action.

While out shopping, I jokingly suggested to the wife she should knock up some pancakes but she reminded me no one likes the bloody things. I offer to buy her one of those shake and make bottles, how easy would that be but she poo pooed my idea.

The only thing I liked about Pancake Day was the pancake races you would get years back that you don’t tend to see or hear about these days. Maybe today’s mums and girlfriends are too posh for a pancake race, to posh to toss.

Screw it; I think I will give one ago. If my memory serves me, the pancakes in Burton the Bakers looked nice so I will get wifey to pop in and buy one for me. Thinking about it, I must have tried one as a kid to decide I didn’t like them. Mum would make a plate full as a kid, and just because mum made them didn’t necessarily mean I would like them.

I Hate Valentine’s Day

I hate Valentine’s Day and I am not alone in this hated sham of a celebration. One day of the year, you are commercially forced to declare your love for your wife/husband, partner, girlfriend/boyfriend, or secret admirer.

I don’t know why we have a Valentine Day thrashed upon us but it’s hard to miss with the mass consumerist melee inspired by greetings card companies. The second the Christmas cards were out the door in came the Valentine cards. In my book, the only people that end up happy on Valentine’s Day are shop owners, internet shops and greeting card companies. Restaurants, jewellers, florists, chocolates manufacturers, stuffed animal pushers…..you name it, they turn a profit.

I have a wife and as much as she tells me, she doesn’t like Valentine’s Day I get the idea she would be pissed off if I didn’t do something. Therefore, I duly stump up something with a smile on my face, declaring my love because for some reason it means more than any other day.

As the male of the species, I feel we are under the most pressure to perform and a card just don’t win you any kudos for not  stepping up to the plate with a hand full of goodies.

My hatred of the whole Valentine thing doesn’t stem from the fact I only received three Valentine cards as a youngster in over ten years in school, I am not bitter. It hurt a bit to feel unloved or unfancied when your friends ‘allegedly’ are loading up with cards, or they tell you they have. What proof do you have your mate is awash with cards, their word. I would have liked to know who sent me those three cards one I received in secondary school and the other two were locally received.

I have been in the pocket for the wife I expect nothing in return, not even a card I have warned her. I stepped up a bit, this year from lingerie, which is my normal gift for the wife, and you could class it as a joint gift, "Know what I mean? Nudge, nudge. Wink wink. Say no more".

PMQS a joke

Wednesday and the joke that is Prime Minister’s Questions or (PMQS) are on and one thing is for sure you will not learn much about British politics in this 30 plus minutes it a joke.

 

It is supposed to be 30 minutes but tends to run over because of all the screeching and shouting from both sides of the parliament. It is just so childish. The speaker of the Commons is on hand to try to control the MPs but it is difficult.

 

The Prime Minister is supposed to be on hand to answer questions but rarely does unless the question is from a member of his own party. No matter what he is asked, he normally gets a joke or mention of the past Labour governments in for good measure. The opposition sit booing or hissing and depending on the passion jumping up before the speaker asking the ‘honourable gentlemen’ to sit back down.

 

The exchanges between party leaders are the biggest joke of the 30 minutes. The Prime Minister is there to answer the question from the leader of the opposition who gets six tries to get an answer to the question asked.

 

We have to go to the polls in May to vote this shower back on the gravy train for another five years.

50 Shades of Grey .... Bored now

50 Shades of Grey release on Friday is causing some excitement on social media and in the press. Rumours or press speculation suggest the cinemas around the country will be bursting at the seams while I will be hanging on until it appears on Sky in a year or so no rush to the cinema for me.

Most of my social media friends are saying they have no intention of succumbing to the hype around the film. I suppose quite a few will end up sneaking in and thanks to multi cinemas they can hide their true intensions by pretending to be off to watch Shaun the Sheep. It is suggested the cinemas will be full of sexually frustrated wives and girlfriends rushing to see the erotically charged pages of their favourite novel come to life onscreen.

The two main characters in the film have been at pains to say how uncomfortable they felt making the sex scenes in the film. However, it’s not just the cinemas and film companies looking forward to the money rolling in. Sex shops and internet sex outlets are looking forward to a second coming with nipple clamps and whips shooting out the door.

While in America one cinema chain are reportedly have taken the drastic measure of fitting wipeable plastic covers to the seating. They claim it will help with the turnaround meaning they will have the screen ready for the next showing in minutes. The more cynical and dirty minded could feel it is for another reason. Especially if you frequented the old Prince of Wales cinema during its old ‘porn flick days’ you would have an idea of what I am talking about.

Over this side of the pond B&Q are stocking their shelves with essential products and have sent a memo to all its stores entitled ‘Staff Briefing,

Following the film release of Fifty Shades of Grey, B&Q employees may encounter increased customer product queries relating to rope, cable ties and masking or duck tape. Store Managers should anticipate the need for extra stock and store staff should read the following brief to prepare them to handle potentially sensitive customer questions.

Knowing how much B&Q like to put on an in store demonstration this could be interesting. I envision they soon will have detailed instruction pamphlets on how to build your own bondage equipment like frames and racks.

Experts say the film is more likely to lead to more sexual experimentation owing to the fact you are watching instead of reading.

I broke my duck

I have said many times before how I hate TV advents and how I find them a total waste of time because they never make me want to buy their products. I particularly hate those ads from companies that sell their product on TV only. You have heard the spiel lots of times sounding something like below,

“The Fools Gold maker and only yours for £19.99.

"When you buy the fantastic Fools Gold maker we will also give you for free the Fools Silver maker and if that is not enough you also get FREE the Deluxe Fools Gold maker all for the amazing price of £19.99.”

I play a little game when these ads appear on the TV shouting “What! Only £19.99 I will have two, no make it three”. Stupid I know but they really get my back up and I never thought I would fall for it.

However, the other day it could have been the pain I was in from my leg on hearing the voiceover to the InstaHang Dispenser I was transfix like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car in the dead of night, splat and one less rabbit in the world. Well the InstaHang was staring me down and I soon found myself wanting one and willing to part with £14.99 plus postage.

I soon found myself searching for the company’s website and clicking away until the checkout button and with one press of the button, it was mine, and within seconds found myself regretting my decision. I had visions of the K-Tel Record Vacuum I was suckered into buying in the early 80s in the hope of keeping my growing record collection in pristine condition; it was crap, had I revisited a failure of my past.

However, I am now the proud owner of an InstaHang Dispenser (unused at the present time) and after opening up the parcel I found there was little excitement from me just a wish it would work when the time came for it to do its duty. The wife is now expecting me to bang up a shed load of picture frames all over the walls while I will consider it as a possibility.

The Chippy Butty ... Food porn

Stock: Library picture

The Chip butty! Licking your lips, well I am, but I am unlikely to be devouring one anytime soon. For health reasons I have kicked white bread into touch (mostly) and I don’t know if you feel the same but brown bread chip butties just don’t do it for me.

You could go along the line of a chip sandwich or a chip butty made with a crusty cob or soft bap I prefer the latter two myself. Not saying if all I had was a few slices of bread I wouldn’t knock up a chippy sarnie but you can’t beat a freshly baked cob or bap.

So a cob or bap, which is my chosen pleasure? A crusty cob with chunky fried chips because oven chips are just not the same and they are all I have to work with at the moment.

The make up for a chip butty is so simple but the pleasure it can give you is immense.

You take one crusty cob, slice it three quarters of the way through the middle, and spread a big dollop of butter, it as to be butter on one-half of the cob and the thicker the better. Taking it for granted you have the chips and they are hot and greasy so they sink into and melt the butter you have food porn. Simple but all those calories are enough to send the anti-fat brigade into a frenzy.

You could leave it just plain or smother with ketchup or brown sauce and another option is to slap a fried egg on top, up goes the calorie count. The reason for this post was that a Facebook friend was banging on about a chip barm (a northern thing) and topping it with mayonnaise, you can’t be serious, mayo is the devils spread. He should be shot at dawn for his crime to a chip butty.

Midweek cooked dinner

Stock: Library picture

Thinking about the menu for this week’s shopping I was minded to remember we always had a mid-week cooked dinner as a kid. Do I think about food a lot, well I do. I just don’t think about it I watch it on TV and read about it even if I will never eat it.

It was our normal fare for a Wednesday growing up in the Ugarte household, a small version of Sunday dinner, which by the way is my all-time favourite meal. No joint of meat on offer but chops pork or lamb; and god how I hate lamb chops, they are all bone and little meat. To this day, I turn my nose up at lamb chops and this Welshman is not to fuss on lamb as a whole. That lamb chop hate is still with me today and I can’t remember the last time I bought any.

When I first got married and our kids were growing up a mid-week dinner was a regular on out dinner table on a Thursday has our boys had football training on Wednesday’s. Recently it’s become a rarity surpassed by curries on our menu and we just happen to be having the fore mentioned curry tonight.

We mostly missed out on chops when we do have one and plumed for a sausage dinner instead and I am licking my lips thinking about it which means it will soon by on my plate, maybe Thursday.

I love you Cardiff I do

Being a Cardiff City fan can be depressing and over the years, we fans have suffered for our love affair. However, I have felt myself more detached over the last few years than I ever felt.

This morning when I found I missed ‘The Football League Show’ because it made way from its normal time for the tennis I just sat back. Normally I would go off on one and curse the BBC but I actually didn’t care. It got me thinking about the relationship with my boyhood club.

I don’t frequent the Cardiff City message boards these days like in the past when I posted daily on various sites. Long gone are the days I would wake up, switch on my laptop, and check out the latest news on the Bluebirds. I pick up breaking news on social media these days if I am interested and I noticed I don’t post much on social media about the City anymore.

This is the first thing I have written about the City in a while and remembering when it was a daily task when I had a dedicated blog/website about Cardiff City.

I could have watched the Football League show on the iPlayer but why bother! Derby win, scored twice, and Cardiff were shit, which saved me a few minutes of highlights. Being back to blue as not turned our season around and for me I was never expecting it to; the rot has been set in all season. It’s the manager I am afraid to say, the one before, and the lack of passion on the pitch that is rubbing off on the fans who boo the team off the pitch and who leave the stadium full of negative vibes.

The league table don’t lie. We are a massive 20 points off an automatic promotion ship and 13 points of a play-off spot and more worrying only a slender 7 points from a dreaded relegation place. I think we can forget any idea about finishing in the top six we would need many teams above us to implode which is just not going to happen.

In his after match conference manager Russell Slade said about the play-off,

"It's not impossible. It's becoming a little less realistic that's for sure, with the amount of points we've got to make up" he said.

"But that's not to say that we've given up.

"There's no reason why we can't go and win our next game and then gain some momentum over the coming weeks.

"It's been a tricky period, a difficult period to navigate through.

"We've played some good teams and we've shown that we are short of that level at this moment in time."

My crystal ball tells me it’s not going to happen mid table is about the best on offer even if we dump Slade.