The Glass Box for Friday
The Glass Box is the place where you can comment on what you heard on PM, interact with other listeners and get responses from the people who make the programme.
Just click on the "comment" link.
The Glass Box is named after the booth outside the PM studio where we all discuss the programme at 18.00 every weeknight. We try to be honest and constructive. Sometimes there is criticism, and the criticised get a chance to explain themselves.
The people who make PM will read the comments posted, and will sometimes respond. Unless it's Roger Sawyer editing. He's completely hopeless. Please feel free to post your thoughts. There is a link to previous Glass Boxes on the right.
Also on the right, you'll find lots of other links you might like. The Furrowed Brow for example is the venue where you can start talking about anything serious of your choice: The Beach is a fun place, and there are links to Blog entries with photos, audio and links. And if you want to see us drone on about awards, you can do that too.
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I've just been listening to the item about the Gurkha seeking to come to Britain. I believe all these people who have served us long and well in the thick of war and in peace should have a lifelong right to come and go as they please. We owe them more than we can tell.
Dr John Taylor
Canterbury, Kent
Those who served us in War deserve every courtesy and respect - regardless of their ethnicity.
The gurhka who has today received a visa deserves a hero's welcome - and good for your programme in adding to the chorus calling for decency in relation to this honourable man
Oh dear.
One person -- ONE PERSON -- wrote a mean-spirited, petty little post worthy of the worst sort of FO mandarin, saying "whinge whinge why should he get treatment on the NHS if he hasn't paid national Insurance?"
Why did you have to give this dreck airtime? It's received no support at all on the blog, as far as I can see.
Has it been said in the papers, or something? I wouldn't have said it was a defensible attitude, not one that needed to be voiced again. Ever again.
Did I hear correctly? The Conservative MP for Totnes parked for two days in a disabled space on the basis he thinks the number of such spaces is disproportionate.
I used to think the same until two years ago when my husband, then in his mid 50s, had his left leg amputated. Now I realise there aren't nearly enough such spaces. Does Mr Stein have experience of trying to find somewhere to park with a disabled person?
I hope David Cameron will discipline him as he did Graham Brady who was speaking up for his constituents. I am disgusted at Mr Stein's arrogance - and I speak as a Conservative activist!
This pompous Tory MP who felt it was OK to park in a disabled bay for *days*. Too frightened to justify himself on PM, it seems. I hope his electorate remember this stupid outburst...
Too *many* disabled bays? My disabled mother doesn't think so; she can never get one of the four bays at her local hospital, so although she has a blue badge, she has to have friends or use a taxi when she has to go there - for appointments to do with her disability.
Just listened to Eddie Mair's interview about cheap alcohol. Why was the spokesman from the Portman Group(I think) not faced with the fact that his responses echo those of the tobacco industry through the decades? His statement that price does not influence drinking behaviour for instnce could have come from Imperial Tobacco. Please make these people face up to what they are doing and saying by the questions you ask. Make them recognise that we have seen and heard all this before from the tobacco industry and make them comment on the similarities of their wriggling out of tough decisions in pursuit of money.
Yours,
Ali Wills
I must visit the RSPB blog if possibly rude words are being replaced with Asterixes rather than asterisks.
Obelix me if I don't think that's a Dogmatix good idea. We should try that on our Vitalstatistix blog!
"When will these gay people stop imposing their will on others", asks one of your contributors. That would be their will not to be persecuted or discriminated against, I presume?
I'm straight, and so have no axe to grind on my own part, other than that I detest bigotry and injustice. I'm also intrigued by the obsessive fascination some people have with what consenting adults should be allowed to do in the privacy of their bedrooms.
I must admit I'm loving the final item re the RSPB. After all, if you remember, when the Hooper Swan with bird flu, their official release states that it had "probably flown across the North Sea, felt like cr*p, landed, and died". a wonderfully light piece (and wonderful interviewee) to finish the programme with
When I heard about the use of cock, shag and tits I was wondering if the young lady from the RSPB knew to what extent they use asterixes in Gaul?
Deep joy!
The word c o c k was replaced, it seems, by four Asterixes!
But why not one Asterix, one Obelix, one Getafix, and one Dogmatix?
I've listened to the comments made by catholics and non-catholics re the abortion debate with the objective ear of someone who practises no religion and I have a question about which I am genuinely curious. A couple of weeks ago I heard a programme on Radio 4 about "limbo" and the plight of catholic parents whose stillborn offspring were not allowed to be buried in consecrated ground as they had not been bapistised, and, therefore, would not be acepted into heaven. I am, as I say, curious as to why stillborn children are not deemed to be worthy of heaven, yet abortion is deemed to be murder. I understand that catholics defend the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn child - but where is the line drawn between a life that is "worthy" and can go to heaven, and one that is not? If a child dies in the womb why is it unable to go to heaven? Surely it is not the fault of the unborn child that it was not baptised? Please could someone explain this to me as I am interested in understanding the theological reasoning - not just "picking a fight."
There is plenty to tell you about the programme - but it's going to have to wait. More to come after England v Brazil. But if we're down three nil at half time it could be earlier.
Chris Fish(8)
What a gent that interviewer is. Just the one gentle nudge towards the correct pronunciation / word.
Such excellent self control should not pass unremarked.
D'you know his name. perchance?
It would seem that Alan Johnston is alive & well and speaking the Truth again, perhaps under duress this time....but I thought why he is so admired as a crusading journalist; is/was that he was trying 'too expose lies and tell the Truth' about the Middle East, for several years....Which can change over time, for example when my late step father was in Palestine in the Army in 1947 a minority of Jews were called terrorists......if only Bush & Blair could have a sense of historical perspective; as Mrs Blair did for a few seconds a few years ago...as I remember it...we may have a better world!
Brian V Peck
I'm afraid I found the RSPB item very amusing - despite the fact I'm in my forties. A great way to end the show on a Friday,
How on earth is Eric keeping his face straight during the RSPB item?
Paddy wouldn't have managed it!
What a load of rock*.
Fifi
* Fifi Rhyming Slang
(and apparently I'm malicious too....)
Of course i'm prejudiced what with being agnostic, but listening to that Scottish ecclesiastic reminded me of the neo-voltairean comment that if God really existed he would never have invented religion.
(True believers can skip this comment).
Let us hope that Alan Johnston returns safely.
Sir,
Re the news observation regarding Mr. Pun, some 25 years ago in Abonema, Nigeria I was on cargo Watch on the MV Badagry Palm, I was sitting next to a Tally Clerk on deck who told me that he had been in Burma during the Second World War, being a shallow and callow fellow I did not pay him much attention.
However , next day I was again sitting next to him on No. 4 Hatch, and he produced a medal box with a cluster of medals prominent amongst them was(I think) a Burma Star, it must have had some effect on me in that I remember it to this day.
I personally like the American reaction when person is encountered wearing the Congressional of Honor, he outranks all and is accorded the due deference, we should adopt the same attitude regarding honoured veterans.
Yours aye,
John Kelly
Delighted to hear that the RSPB website continues to mention cocks, shags and tits.
Please can we be assured that there will also be room for a pretty little chough, every now and then?
I think it was terribly mean that the Gurkha was refused entry to the UK in the first place. he was a decorated soldier who served tyhis country. What on earth goes through some peoples minds that they could begrudge him a place here is beyond me.
We should be putting the flags out for him when he gets here to show him gratitude for his service to this country. he probably has given more for this country than some of the "mr angry's" who will moan about him coming here!
John Kelly, I understand that holders of the VC are simialrly treated in Britain, for some obscure reason they take on the rank (civilian or military) of the most senior person in the room that they are in and are, uniquely, not obliged to bow to the sovereign. I discovered this only yesterday when browsing some of the service sites where the case of Mr Pun was being debated. I was greatly moved by all the people who were trying to do something, I think Mr Byrne must have had a blocked in box for days, and lots of MPs were obviously in support. It's good to know that some things can still motivate the public to protests and that 'people power' can occasioanlly acieve something worthwhile.
I must visit the RSPB website it sounds a lot more interesting than I had hitherto thought!
Mary
Please be careful about confusing the nice town of Palmerston in the South Island of NZ with Palmerston North in the north island. Don't know what the northern one is like as I have never been there.
As you know most, if not all, of us at PM know Alan well. So it is difficult to know exactly what to say about the release of the video by his captors. Speaking personally, it came as some relief and we continue to hope and pray for his early release. Terry Waite's contribution was both warm and welcome.
Elsewhere in the programme, I was pleased to hear Eddie interview with the man from the Portman Group ( Tom has a good post on the handicapped thread on this - and to be clear Eddie wasn't saying cheap booze was wrong, we were taking our cue from the SNP - they clearly think cheap booze is morally questionable ). We did try and engage with the government on this - whether there is an issue to be looked at with so many more of us drinking at home, fewer visits to the pub and cheap supermarket booze. Anyway, it was a Friday and the DOH unsurprisingly declined our request for an interview.
Sgt.Pepper was fun. As was Damian's new piece of art.
Finally, there have been many times when I have seen large parts of my career drift slowly out of the nearest window at TV Centre - and the RSPB item could well be one of them. For those who want to know how Eddie kept a straight face - can I bring to your attention that this story was what we call a "pre rec". Marilyn, one of top producers, did wonders with the edit.
PS - to Andy W. So, the Dutch TV kidney story was a hoax. But hey, we fell for it, and you got a chance to talk about the lack of donors on the wireless. No harm in that.
Once again, thanks for taking the time on a Saturday Morning to repond, Rupert and Eddie (on another thread).
It is a great blog (as Roberto would say), and it is so precisely because there is so much informed debate, with a lot of feedback both ways.
The Glass Box has turned out to be an inspired idea!!
All good wishes,
nick
Rupert;
Any chance that an unedited version of the RSPB package might just slip out onto the Blog anytime soon?
Si.
Big Kidney donor show in bad taste perhaps. Certainly up close and personal. Every year half the cystic fibrosis patients on the transplant list in the UK, who are waiting for lungs, die ever so quietly and politely when a deceased donor could help each one of them. That is reality. If every person who heard of this TV show were to sign on the organ donor register on www.uktransplant.org.uk we would go a long way to solving the organ donor shortage in the UK.
Dylexia
I am pleased that you played the part of the dyslexia debate that the debate held on Wednesday should have been held upon. Just one question from this, when Eddie says there was an awlful lot of exitement on the blog, does he mean this one the glass box, or is there another place where common sence debate can be read and joined in with as necessary etc??
Helen, @29, thank you for posting that donor-address. I've carried a card for decades, but it was good to do the proper registration on-line too. I didn't know they had recently changed the system until I followed up on that.