RobbieDo graduated from here "many many years ago and that was pointless too":
And below is a picture of me with Clare English in the PM studio, before one of us died. It's taken from the webcam on the night we decided to invite in a special guest for the whole show. Can you tell who it is yet? Clue: he's in the middle...
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Is it Gordon The Gopher?
or Horrors !
Roland Rat?
yes you bleep did give me a heart attack!
Yo
I'm famous
Could it be Roland Rat ?
Is it ET?
(The one in the middle I mean, hoho)
Can you take credit that your blog has created a surge in interest?
The web's love affair with blogging shows no signs of abating according to the latest report from blog tracking firm Technorati.
Every day 100,000 new blogs are created and 1.3 million posts are made, it found during its quarterly survey.
For the mathematicians on the blog just what percentage do we represent?
Newsletter arrived only 34 minutes after posting! A record?
Salami
ed
Ah, what a jolly japer ol' Eddie is, hey? Luckily, having been following the news, I heard all the discussion about the interest rate rise on tWaO - otherwise, I'd prolly be in the same boat as Sophie. It brought flooding back memories of . I remember hearing of the rate hike on the news on that occasion and saying, "well, that's the house gone" - I was with my dad at the time and he just replied, "yes, ours too". Fond memories, indeed.
Anything else interesting going on today? The sun is shining at the moment - that's good, at least!
John H (9)
About Interest Rates
I sent a letter to the Guv'nor of the Bank about a month ago, explaining why raising interest rates pushes up inflation, and how Ken Clarke eventually grasped this fact.
I received an acknowledgement postcard, but it seems the whole thing was pointless. Wish I hadn't thrown out the card - I could have sent it to PM.
The one with the yellow head looks like the 'Mash' alien .....
Don't like your hair in that one, Eddie.
BTW, have you tried coffee yet?
John H,
The old has returned on the other side of the pond. Actually it's been hanging around for some time. It is usually considered a forward indicator of economic recession or worse.
Some way has to be found to make our public debt attractive to the East Asian countries who are financing our profligacy. Shrub has written cheques for over one million million dollars for 'defense' this year, and the US is already deep in overdraft.
Be of good cheer, and, above all, celebrate on my birthday!
That'll show 'em!
ed
Jimmy Crankie 4/6
E.T. 3/1
Ronnie Corbett 5/1
Donald Rumsfeld 66/1
Sorry Big Sister, that's no mash alien - that's Zebedee from the Magic Roundabout.
Have you ever been to the honging in Connemara?
Is it Muffin the Mule?
This message not to be read by anyone already weakened by the prospect of an item on French kissing.
I think it's Waldorf from the Muppet Show.
"I don't know why I come here, I guess I'll never know.
It's like some kind of torture to have to watch the show."
Well, no correct guesses up to (16)...
Eddie, is it the real Donald Rumsfeld?
And he always looks so tall on TV. The tricks you can play with cameras.....
Si.
Eddie
It's not a very clear picture. I think we need a clue.
Don't know whom or what it is, but is it related to the 'Parma ham' incident?
I think it's Sooty. What's the prize Eddie?
I've printed out the photo and applied my printer's loop. The wind changed while I was looking through it, and I fear I may now have a permanent squint.
;o?
My only observation (other than that I must be really, really bored...) is that, whoever it is, it ain't animate.
Knitted possibly, or potted. But not born, in any sense we squint-eyed Scottish frogs porn freaks understand.
Secret Squirrel, but if so, he's of gthe damned American breed!
xx
ed
It's relevant to a story that's in the news. Oh yes.
By cunningly enlarging it in photoshop it seems to be a grey thing with a slightly pointy face, like a rat, but with a red and white bandana at a rakish angle across one ear. If that reminds you of anyone that’s probably who it was.
Perhaps you could tell us when the photo was taken, then we might be able to narrow it down. As far as I can see it looks a bit like a donkey with a bobble hat on....
Sophie (25)
I think that's the microphone. :-)
Got it.
You're right, the clues are all there:
The pointy, rat-like demeanour. The natural reluctance to be caught on camera. The fact that one of you 'died' on air because (presumably) he was a rubbish guest, refusing to talk.
I seem to recall that's a bit of a no-no in radio broadcasting.
It was Markus Wolf, and I claim my five pounds.
By cunningly enlarging it in photoshop it seems to be a grey thing with a slightly pointy face, like a rat
Wow, you had Ken Livingstone on the show?
Valery - you're not getting donkey fixated, are you?
Sophie (25) wrote; "By cunningly enlarging it in photoshop it seems to be a grey thing with a slightly pointy face, like a rat, but with a red and white bandana at a rakish angle across one ear. If that reminds you of anyone that’s probably who it was."
Oh my God. It's the Michael Jackson comeback album story!
Si.
The red and white bandana makes it sound like the Children In Need Bear. May I claim my prize?
Certainly it's not :
Backside firework prank backfires.
Salami
ed
Basil Brush.
Btw, it's 4.34 in this neck of the woods, and I haven't had my Newsletter yet, tsk, tsk.
What's more I'm being fast and offensive and in need of being curbed. Obviously getting carried away on my moment of Frogfame..
Is it a wolf (as in Markus Wolf?)
Or David Cameron?
Sonic the Hedgehog (He's in the news) ?
He's got a mic pointing at him - so he must talk then --
C'mon Ed put us out of our misery !
This is worse than a good day on Radio Solent
Kevin Federline? He's in the news and definitely looks like a rat.
Is it the Governor of the Bank of England?
Sorry, delete that last guess - it's Charles Aznavour
Re; Gossipmistress, Have you some breaking news about David Cameron ?
I think it could be Glenda Brownlow from Crossroads (though she's not dead either)
Can we have a prize for this, Eddie?
It WAS on Children In Need night...but it's not who you think....
Is it Harriot the Cow then ??
Has she been slaughtered yet ?
That was such a sad story I was nearly in tears
Pudsy the bear has died ?
Is it the 'digital' monkey with reference to the NTL story?
Peter Mandelson?
Mr. Mayor
I think that it is a blind mouse that can now see how it runs.
That is in the news, isn't it?
Oh, it got dropped.
Darn!
H.
It could be Silver Fox. He hasn't been around for a while.
Was it a frog who paid a fortune just to have a sock (and a bandana) on the programme?
And is that its hot water bottle cover just behind Ms English?
re Eddie at 44 - so not the Irish man then?
just seen this post which I've copied from the Children in Need message board!
---------------------------------------------------Our head teacher has banned children in need this year at our school! he says that all the money comes back into orkney and he dosn't want to raise money for orkney he wants to raise awareness of global charities. i agree with raising awareness and money for other charities but i think we should also be allowed to fundraise for children in need which is an amazing charity. i put this to him but he still refuses to allow us to do anything. i'd love to hear your views of this outrage. he makes me so mad!!!!!!!!! ---
/dna/mblifestyle/F5108024?thread=3661451
Is it that stupid puppet, with the whiney voice that advertised ITV Digital?
(NTL and ITV proposed tie-up)
Well done Deep thought! The ITV Monkey!
..and we put a pudsey bandage on him...
Or is it one of those annoyingly strident puppets they used to have on the Big Breakfast?
(No, not Chris Evans.... although.....)
Jonnie (46):
Pudsy the bear has died ?
It would be the kindest thing I think. He's obviously not healing. Better to put him out of our misery.
Re: 40-somethings adoption...
I'm nearing 40, does anyone want to adopt me?
Well, I'm none the wiser.
but it gave me a chance to try Ed I's link - deep joy, thank you Ed and Andycroak (on a thread several days/hours ago the one with the Pollock pc, or pc Pollock)
Eddie (55),
Much though I would like to accept your congratulations, Tania (47) posted ahead of me, but I had not seen her entry when I posted mine. There, what does honesty get you?
Still, you can get me a drink at the Day One bar.
<galantry>...well, Tanya did not make it clear that it was the "ITV monkey", but when I saw her entry a little later, I thought she'd won it, as referencing the NTL story, anyway....</galantry>
At least it's not that infuriating Pudsey. Blech.
Eddie, please, you're not doing something embarrassing for CiN, are you?
Why has my newsletter stopped arriving before the programme again? I still haven’t had one today.
Well done Tania and DeepT!
well done Deepthought! and Tania and of, course Sophie who identified the bandage!
That's actually still unfair for Eddie to fool us all with the bandage though.
But .. Why on earth did he need a mic ?
Gosh I'm glad I haven't missed too much while I've been out most of the day. And don't start me about banks because we went into town for an appointment at the bank, only to discover that it had been moved to tomorrow without any reference to us. I was SO cross!!!
meanwhile I am most intrigued by the post which Jonnie has tranferred from the Children in Need message board because as it happens I live in Orkney and I am now desperate to know which school it is whose headmaster has banned the C i N fundraising. I think I must do a little stirring up with local paper and see what happens.
About the newsletter; It was timed 12:48, and in my mailbox by 12:52 (i.e. ready for me to download). I think a different group of people are affected each day, I suffered a long delay a couple of days ago, for example. Perhaps Fifi should post the newsletter everyday!
BTW, on the ITV Monkey, I don't have any TV sets, so not quite sure why that irritating thing came to mind. Eddie has not explained why the motif of the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's rival was doing in the PM studio that day.
Well spotted Deepthought & Tania. I'd have never got that.
Johnnie(42) no I have no breaking news re David Cameron, he was just mentioned in the newsletter. But now I come to think of it there are some similarities with the monkey.....
Well I've never even seen the ITV monkey, & come to think of it, I've never watched Chidren in Need either. Another handicap was that I was looking at the yellow blobby thing on the studio desk which looked like Garfield the Cat on my screen (not being clever enough to enlarge the photo). So well done to Deepthought & Tanya. Was there a prize?
And I haven't had a newsletter today - first time since the "new" newsletter era started. Not that I'm one to whinge....
I say chaps, after yesterdays serious blogging about crime, Peter has sent a reply, on "Sorry". It was no. 39, last time I looked.
Hmmm, still no newsletter.
Fifi, the call goes out. Post the newsletter on the blog.
Ta DeepT. Thanks for the cognac too :o)
Attn: Lord Mair (and Richard)
Eddie, Rich
Annasee alerted me and I think John H to the fact that Peter Rippon had sent a response message within Eddies blog, yesterday.
However the 'recent response' section should have put something there (I guess) otherwise we would'nt have known. John H and I would like to know if there is any better way of organising it so that we can be alerted ? probably sad really that we should have lives but hey.
Anyway you have a show to present and this is only a blog, but for your info we told Peter what a nice man he is
Good morning everyone.
Still no newsletter yet, I received the day before's.
And yes I am whinging. I WANT MY NEWSLETTER.
What a way to start the day.
Yesterday's newsletter arrived within 18 minutes of sending, so clearly something odd still going on. But could the problem be with the recipient's ISP rather than the beeb's server?
Also comments are persistently failing to remember who I am.... who I think I am... who I might be - feel an existential crisis coming on.
Does Lissa's first aid course include first aid for blogs and newsletters?
I think that ITV Monkey competition was discriminatory towards the 99% of people in the UK who own televisions (and more discriminatory towards the 5% of those who regularly watch ITV). I am lodging a formal complaint in the name of all who are TVless, even if we are already £120ish richer each year.
On a brighter note - for the first time in months, I feel happy and energetic. It could be just that it is friday but I feel something more profound has happened, could it be the power of the frog?
Johnnie (65):
"That's actually still unfair for Eddie to fool us all with the bandage though.
But .. Why on earth did he need a mic ?"
Why did he need a bandage to disguise him on a radio programme? Was it to prevent the ITV monkey being recognised by any ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ person passing by the studio? Then again, would any ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ person confess to watching ITV? Curioser and curiouser, it seems to me.
Jonnie
Could you be more specific about the locatio of PRippon's response? I've searched and cannot find .... But I don't doubt you.
Thanks
Big Sis
Ah, the power of the Frog :-) I've just looked outside, and it's actually sunny! Plus, it's almost the end of a tiring week. I feel it's time to head towards the beach, and start the weekend party going already!
Frog...
Frooooogggggggg....
Aha! Tis the power of the FROG!
No newsletter either, and no blog yet either. They're all asleep in the production office
Re; The Stainless steel cat (Adoption) -- Would love to but we have a Stainless steel dog.
Belinda (76) You must get a telly, it's worth the money and Eric pop's up now and again doing some strange thing with commanders -Oh, and people in History
Rosalind (75) This is what you missed :-
--------------------------------------------------
Hello,
What's your rate of interest today? 12? 102? I suppose it would help to have some kind of scale. The Bank of England has raised its interest rate today, by more than 10 points to 15 per cent.
Only joking. You're not having a heart attack are you? Now I feel bad. In fact the base rate has risen by 0.25% to 5%. No-one in the City fell off their chairs.
In the programme tonight, David Cameron speaks out in immigration. Is he heading in the same direction as his predecessors? Also, Markus Wolf, the spy-master of communist East Germany and one of the legendary figures of the Cold War, has died. We might talk a little about his interesting life. There'll be more fallout from the US elections, and from France, a little kissing.
See you on the ice at 5,
Eric Aznavour
------------------------------------------------------
Belinda - the frog is powerful right enough! More power to your elbow, and everywhere else of course. Jonnie said something a bit earlier about the frog becoming life-absorbing (my interpretation J) and I agree, but designate that as a positive attribute! I don't find it sad at all. I would liken it to the feeling you get at the end of a novel, (tell me if this is just me?) when you find yourself speculating about the continued well-being of the characters - beyond the end of the story as you know it.
Yesterday, as I was on my mission to replace the errant postcard, I mused on the fun I was having selecting cards, buying a coffee (and cake) to enjoy while I wrote them, finding I didn't have enough stamps left, etc etc. At that point I realised that I had joined an interactive novel, except all the characters are real (with a bit of personal interpretation of course).
Hmm, so where was I going with that? Well, anyway I agree with you Belinda, the frog is good.
Happy Birthday Eddie when it comes!
P.S. Newsletter arrived at 20 to 1 in the morning, someone was up late clearing out the tubes?
Hi froggers,
Belinda speaks of the power of the frog, but how about the power of the Pachyderm in the pond?
Not a peep!
Salami
ed
No matter what side of an argument you're on,
you always find some people on your side
that you wish were on the other side.
-Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987)
Am alarmed to hear some people are not getting the newsletter, as it all appears to be working ok. Let's see how we do today - and apologies for its absence.
Below is a extract from the mail section of this weeks ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ in-house magazine 'Ariel'
----------------------------------------------------
WHO'S IN THE HOT SEAT?
I am sitting in Bush House, here in London, with the windows wide open, because the temperature outcide is 19C. The radiator is pumping out heat and has no thermostat or any way of turning it off. Lights are on all around me in unused offices.
Meanwhile, with my headphones on, I am listening to a discussion of climate change on Radio 4's 'you and yours'., which appears to blame car manufactureres for global warming. I look forward to hearing the next 'you and yours' interview with ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ managers, explaining in their turnwhy global warming is always someone else's fault.
(A ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ employee.)
Apologies Deep (26) ... I am not a night-time frogger so I missed your plea for the newsletter.
But I see Jonnie (82) obliged instead. Thanks mate!
Perhaps I'll just post it as soon as it gets here, on that day's thread ... somebody nudge me if I forget.
On the subject of adoption ... I've never been very taken with the idea of children, but I could imagine adopting someone about my age or older, and probably hairier.
My cat is a fine example of this. Daisy got here aged 10 (what's that in cat years?) four years ago and is rapidly turning from a scared fat bagpuss into a happy fat kitten.
So, if you want to become a happy fat kitten, scoot on over to Fifi's place!
Jonnie,
Anyone we know?
Halal Salami
ed
Big Sister
It's on Sorry Nov 6 Message 39
Valery P. (83),
I do so agree about the frog as an interactive novel and have often wondered whether it is because we are radio listeners and therefore used to imagining faces for the 'voices'.
Anne P (88)
Speaking of ,
I guess I'm ruled out of yet another career.
;-) ed
Did anybody hear anything of the piece about CB radio on the, er, radio this morning? I never did CB - but it did strike me that we're kinda involved with the modern day equivalent. Oh damn! I wish I'd been paying more attention now - I could have attempted to say something that would be CB-speak!
Ten four on that, John H!
Deepthought (60)
Thank you for that, bottom lip gone back in now!
John H (92): I dabbled a bit with my neighbour's CB when I was a bored teenager. Other than collecting 'Q-cards', which were the pointless postcards of their day, I couldn't find much entertainment in it.
Q-cards, I seem to remember, were a way for a CB-er in one place to prove that their signal had been heard by another CB-er somewhere else. Basically, you sent a postcard saying where the sender had been. There were some quite clever ones.
But what's so clever about that?
I agree the frog has things in common with it... but in my experience froggers have a lot more 'about them' any than CB-ers I have met!
Ribbit .. ribbit .. ribbit ..
Cheers Jonnie
I'll look it up.
Ed (91),
Would you agree that the image of David Cameron on the page to which your link connects looks not unlike Michael Schumaker?
This is of No Importance Whatsoever. It interests me nevertheless.
Re: Ed (88) and Big sis (96)
Hi Ed, I haven't a clue who she is but I'm already taking a liberty in 'very badly' typing out the article --
Hey, at least I don't bother with spellcheckers as you've noticed ! - however (she) has a point I think ?
Big Sis obviously knows the name ;-)
Jonnie,
I asked because there was a familair turn of phrase not unlike some presenters we hold in high regard.
And you get an automatic online spellchecker when using Thunderbird and/or Firefox. It has just now underlined online and spellchecker, which are obviously not in the British English dictionary, but they are now. It informs me that it prefers them as two words or hyphenated, but I like them runon .
Vaya con Gaia
ed