Saturday 21 July 2007

The 'Great British Summer' media conspiracy

Every year the media shows a lack of balanced reporting in its coverage of the weather: "Great news - another scorcher on the way"; "Britain basks in 35 degree temperatures"; "We're delighted to announce the first day of summer"; "Here's hoping for a scorchio Bank Holiday" and so on.
In this age of respect for minorities, is it not high time that some consideration be shown to the sizable minority (if not majority?) who find the 'Great British Summer' well-nigh unbearable? Our dislike of hot weather is based on sound, common-sense principles: the onslaught of hayfever; unbearable conditions in the Tube, with one's nose firmly wedged into the armpit of the 'sanitarily challenged'; armies of ants and flies; public parks taken over by grotesque chavs of all description; being compelled to leave one's windows open and thus act as an advertisement for burglars; the inability to sleep at night due to the appalling heat - I could go on!
There is a conspiracy afoot in the media - to make believe that we all love this hot weather. Not so!

Friday 13 July 2007

Tsar-tterly nonsensical

So we have a 'Crime Tsar', and a 'Roads Tsar'. Now, I understand, there is a 'Cancer Tsar'! Sheer absurdity – did the UK become Imperial Russia, whilst I was having a nap? In fact, I fear that this 'Tsar' nonsense is yet another instance of the creeping Americanization of our culture, as we inexorably slide towards our transformation into the 51 st State of the good ol' US of A.

God help us all.