Kyle in the Dock

Now, let's be honest, we don't watch programmes like Jerry Springer and Ricky Lake to listen to an honest, open and heart-warming discussion. We watch them for a fight. Don't pretend you've never sat in your living room and chanted 'Jerry! Jerry!' while the chat-show supremo wades into a brawl?

Although I must admit, I never really thought that the guests and scenarios were real. I mean, why would you go on national TV to confess an affair / tell your partner he's not the father / disown your teenage son??

So I was fairly surprised today to hear that a Jeremy Kyle guest has been punished in court for headbutting his love rival on the show and that the producers are accused of winding up guests before they go on.

If that's the case, it was only a matter of time before it got serious. In case they hadn't noticed, people don't react well to affairs and will rarely be able to control their emotions just because several million people are watching. Not that this excuses the man's behaviour, but things like this are better sorted out in private instead of very publicly when the adrenaline is going and there's a studio audience to egg you on. Not good.

So I say, keep it Jerry style with a bit of fake drama and couple of burly bouncers to keep the screaming women apart. Come on, you know you want to..."Jerry! Jerry!"

Helen

Lord of the flies

‘Kid Nation’ - the latest reality TV show to come out of America and the controversy surrounding it was hitting the headlines this morning.

In what pushes the boundaries of what can be called entertainment, ‘Kid Nation’ involves taking 40 children, some as young as eight, to an abandoned New Mexico desert town where they are left to fend for themselves for 40 days. The youngsters are meant to create a functioning society with a system of laws, commerce and even a class system.

There has been a whole host of accusations thrown at it from children's rights groups, who have said it is tantamount to child exploitation and compare it to a modern Lord of the Flies with a Wild West twist.

However supporters of the show have been arguing that it is just a summer camp with cameras and point out that the kids are free to leave any time. Still, it does make me wonder, considering the kind of trouble and problems these kids could and probably will run into, what kind of parents could actually allow their child to take part.

However all that aside, if and when it does hit our screens, I for one will take a look and see what all the fuss is about.

Emma

Seize the day…It’s Bloomin’ Marvellous

Well, I have had one of the best weeks of my life this week…yes honestly-
I don’t think I have a rant in me!

I am finally moving into my very first house tomorrow, and if I ignore that little niggling voice that says I have an awful lot to do before then, I am really excited about it. I would, of course, be far more organised had the opportunity of a lifetime not come up on Monday morning. For those who don’t know, I have had a ridiculous obsession with the Hollywood actor, Orlando Bloom ever since he appeared in Lord of the Rings. It is the kind of obsession I really should’ve grown out of by now-the last time I felt like this, I was 11 and New Kids on the Block were at the height of their careers, and seeing as though I (gulp)turn 26 tomorrow I think I should be above this…but I’m unashamedly not!



Anyway, the opportunity came up to go and see his play in London, with return train tickets, and a night in a central London hotel for £20…well all thoughts of packing & my boyfriend’s sprained ankle went out the window and I went with my partner in crime-Jenny! And we had a marvellous night; I managed to get a signed picture, some photographs and got very close to man himself. (How sad…?!) But it made my day, in fact my week, nay my year!! It’s been a while since I did anything spur of the moment like that! To top it off-I got a free lunch on the way back home too! It really has been a fantastic end to my 25th year…what will my next year bring me I wonder…?

Ruth

(picture taken from the official In Celebration programme)

Sports Editors Take Note!

I haven’t had a good old rant for a long time, but with the upcoming rugby world cup and yet another football competition that England are more than likely not going to win there have been a number of articles in the press recently which have made my blood boil!

I barely read the sports sections of newspapers as I hate football with a passion that could rival the most dedicated supporter. I have been reading the sport's pages recently to catch up on the World Athletics Championships, and when I managed to find the results hidden behind the usual 100 pages of football & I discovered the latest trend- in depth discussions about how the rugby union team, cricket and the football teams aren’t on good form so therefore England has nothing sporting to look forward to, we are pants at everything blah blah blah…

blah blah blah... ...

What a negative stance considering this summer Great Britain has won a number of world class medals in a wide range of sports, for example:
• Para-cycling: 13 gold medals at the recent World Champs
• Sailing: 5 gold medals in the most recent world class event
• Rowing: 2 gold medals in the recent world championships
• Rowing: the Paralympics hopefuls won gold and silver medals at their recent world class event!
I found these results after a 2 minute search on the internet, so surely at this time when the high profile sports aren’t doing so well, rather than writing off the nation as a sporting champion we should be embracing these minor sports where we are, in fact, on top of the world …we are county rich in sporting talent, a fact that often goes unnoticed, overshadowed by our three favourite sports. I’m not naïve enough to think that these will ever take over football, rugby and cricket as the nation’s favourite sports, but rather than writing everybody off maybe newspapers should be balancing their stories with a little bit of our national success stories!

ahhhh, rant over-it's good to be back

Ruth

Bomber Blunder

Now, I've made some mistakes in my time, everyone has. But today's offering from the US Military really takes the biscuit.

In a show of extreme vigilance and regard for public safety (not) a B-52 Bomber flew the length of the US whilst loaded with armed-missiles. Very clever.

BBC Online says: "It follows reports in the Army Times that five missiles were unaccounted for during the three-hour flight from North Dakota to Louisiana. The air force said the cruise missiles were safe at all times. Army Times said the missiles were to be decommissioned but were mistakenly mounted on the bomber's wings."

I don't know about you but I think I might start panicking if I'd mislaid five missiles, and who's the bright spark who mounted them on the wings instead of decommissioning them?? D'oh.

At least the army were fairly quick to come forward and explain that there was never any danger if there was a crash (hmm, not totally convinced)and that a full review would take place.

They also said it was an 'isolated incident' well, yes, I should hope so!

Helen