Least surprising news of the close season

....with Nirvana

The time has come where I need to set up parental controls on the PC as Twang Jr has discovered the delights of search engines, YouTube etc. Much as I want him to be comfortable with using the internet I obviously want to remove the chances of him coming across something unpleasant. Any starters for 10 on setting this up? PC not Mac. Ta!

Along with all other children's programmes :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18083178

Does it matter which channel a show is on?

Also, I often think it's funny when a show is "promoted" fron BBC2 to BBC1. Do some people refuse to press 2 on their remote control?

I have just received a jury summons, any thoughts or experiences on this subject, please?

I apologize if there is already a thread about this, I did look but couldn’t see anything.

Can you solve an argument that is raging at work today regarding last nights later with Jools Holland?
I thought that Dexys were fantastic. The general consensus in the office however, is that they were rubbish & butchered one of their own songs (see below)

Now this is one of my least favourite songs by Dexys but I thought they nailed it last night. My reasons for disliking it are purely down to it being overplayed. However, I though the arrangement/vocals were amazing and I felt that the song was being claimed back!

What are the views of the board? Am I being over protective of a band I love or are my colleagues wrong? (please tell me it's the latter!) :)

The thread on Rebekah Brooks somehow prompted an anecdote about throwing up on a Jehovah's witness....collective readership now switches to Rebekah Brookes thread.

This caused me to reflect on similar anecdotes.

I shall offer one .

A friend of mine was a teacher in the highhlands of New Guinea. Kainantu to be precise. In them thar parts the hooch is fiercely strong and back then was sold by the supermarket bag full.

My friend was at a dinner party where some drink was taken and then a rather large spliff was constructed. My friend's friend started to feel a bit unwell and also needed the use of the loo. Sitting on the loo, pants down [obviously] he started to spin out lent forward and had a huge chuck.

Yep right into his dacks. He then spent sometime scraping what he could off before slowly sliding the now cold slimey trousers back on. He then walked awkwardly back into the lounge bid a hasty goodnight and went home.

Whenever feeling a little unwell and seated on the loo I now make sure the pants are safely away from the danger of reflexive hurling

I notice we're being asked to do this a lot. Whether you buy something on line, enter a competition or play Angry Birds or whatever, you're more often than not directed to a Facebook page where you can express your approval by pressing the 'like' button.

But what does this actually mean? A product then boasts that it has 600 'likes' - so what? Does this translate into profit? Does the owner of the page go and tell potential advertisers or other interested parties that millions of people 'like' them? It seems advertisters love this sort of thing, but does anyone really know why people do it apart from the reason that everyone else is doing it and they don't want to look behind the curve or out of touch? Surely it doesn't make money or really drive anyone properly toward a brand.

I 'liked' the Bring Back Heinz Celery Soup page on Facebook, but I never went back there. I assume if you have to like something to carry about your normal business you do it then move on.

Clearly hopelessly out of touch myself, can someone who really knows how these things work explain this to me.

After a long campaign (http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/dec/06/morrissey-johnny-marr-david-...) Marr & Morrissey can finally claim victory : David Cameron has announced his favourite album is not The Queen is Dead.

No, it's Dark Side of the Moon (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/so-david-...).

Us....us....us .....us.... and them....them....them....them...and after all we're just ordinary men....

I'm sadly not a man of wealth and taste.

Thought I'd join up. Word reader. Friend of Retroman and I've met a few of you on here at gigs with him.
I'm the bass player in the popular beat trio the Jetsonics. I won't be spamming you all with that though. Although I suppose I just did.
I mostly like 70s UK punk, power pop, 60s garage stuff, pre dancehall reggae and dub. Just getting into a bit of late 60s go-go soul beats too. Not a big fan of classic rock, americana or jazz but there are exceptions here and there.

Anyway I like a bit of debate on music and stuff so hello to you all.

I love listening to a show on BBC Tees, presented by a guy called Bob Fischer (who also happens to be the author of a great book called Wiffle Lever to Full, and is a previous Sony Award winner. Plus, any man who has Harry Pearson on as an occasional guest can't be all bad). Anyway, this show is great - full of local bands (and not just via BBC Introducing), new stuff and oodles of curiosities like this:

where he played a track a night, or stuff by Ken Nordine. It's where I first heard something by the Dukes Of Stratosphear, for exmaple, and still where I hear lots of stuff that I might not otherwise. As a listener I contribute, as listeners do. It's a wonderful show. So, today, it looks like the BBC have killed it. The BBC Trust has published its DQF report on Local Radio.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/our_work/service_reviews/service_licences/...

And what a punch in the stomach it is for people who like the "localness" of local radio. While the Trust's report says:

"While we accept that there will be some overlap in music output between BBC Local Radio and other BBC stations, we would like music on BBC Local Radio to be as distinctive as possible in order to maximise choice for listeners. We have asked BBC management to develop a music policy that will underpin Local Radio’s distinctiveness within the BBC radio portfolio."

How is it going to underpin this distinctiveness? By sticking to their original proposal:

"On weekday evenings (7pm–10pm) all stations will join together for a new all- England programme, with opt-outs for live sport and local news (as currently provided)."

Excuse me, but if I wanted to listen to a national programme, I'd listen to a national station. This? No thanks. Pretty much the reason I listen to this BBC local station in the evening is to be removed, to be replaced by something which, by definition, narrows my choice and isn't distinctive.

Commiserations, Bob. You've been shafted. Royally.

I'm just off to bang my head against a wall now.

Michael Bolton
Billy Preston
Melissa Manchester
Mick Fleetwood
Chuck Bury*

*Sorry

What’s the worst name of a band you’ve ever played in?
Mine would have to include:

The Rampant Hormones
The Extension Leads
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Jazz
The Strap On Lovers
Keyboard Harmony

I'm quite interested in the whole Euro kerfuffle, but I can't claim to understand it - it all seems terribly complicated and a little bit over my head. However it has suddenly hit me that it's even more relevant to me now than when it was 'just' whole economies collapsing: I'm going on holiday to Greece on Monday.

Does anyone have any idea what it will mean to a tourist in Greece if/when they do all of a sudden pull out of the Euro? I'm pretty certain I can still spend my Euros, but will I be able to get money out of banks? Will everything suddenly cost more? Less?

Any informed people out there who can provide advice to a confused tourist?

Purely on a whim listened to "The White Room" - KLF

Although a little dated, it still sounded superb.

Err, that's it, message ends.