British Weather and the Death Toll

A horrific implication of the immediate nature of new media has been making itself much too apparent today, as storms have whipped through much of Britain. I've been internetting on and off all day, and watched as the death count has risen on the BBC RSS feed, from two this morning to eight now.

This is not pleasant. It means I know that five people died whilst I studied and another one whilst I played Wario Ware. It's a stark and grim and deeply uncomfortable thing to watch.

LATER: The number went up to nine whilst I wrote this post. It's awful.

The news is rubbish

It must be so dull to be a journalist these last few weeks. Nothing has happened. Yet, there has been so much potential. Prescott as acting prime minister must have created some kind of headline story. I thought it was his job to keep a number of journalists employed, seems he can't even do this properly. I want scandal.

Instead, I am constantly reminded of 'what is going to happen in 2007' and the Ashes. All fair and well, but if I have to read that 'later this year, Bush will become the most experienced G7 leader' again or England lose again, I will have to start making the news myself. An idea that comes to mind would be invading a country. I've always wanted one of those. Obviously invading somewhere where they can fight back would be a silly idea, that's why i'm off to the Dominican Republic, where their military expenditure is $0. I cannot lose. Genius.

Then I can be portrayed as a wicked dictator. Wicked in the sence that i'm great, not that i'm a tyrant or something like that. Although I can't rule that out. I think i'll have to leave a little subclause in the constitution, 'may be a tyrant if forced'. I mean, I wouldn't want to. Just if it was necessary. People would love it. I have found there can be too much free thought and happiness, I can't let them get away with it.

Write about that, Mr Guardian.

BBC air Tom Stephens interview, despite assurances of anonymity

BBC Editors Blog

Stephens was interviewed some time ago as park of the background to the case: it appears he was promised that it would not be broadcast and he would not be named.

With a surprising lack of integrity, the BBC has dang old gone ahead and broadcast these interviews anyway.

Mr Stephens should be presumed innocent until proven otherwise in a court of law; it is not for the BBC to judge these things. And untill that point, his confidences should have been kept.

That another man has been subsequently arrested shows quite how complex the case is, and the BBC had no right to presume to air something they had sworn not to. Least of all because it will jeopordise their chances of getting such interviews in the future.

Girl gives birth whilst at school

From the BBC

I don't wish to moralise here, but I think that there is an element to this story that simply cannot pass without comment.

"The Year 11 pupil is not thought to have known she was pregnant. "

It is true that I am male and, as such, have not had first-hand experience with preganacy. However, all reports seem to indicate that it is a fairly obvious 9-month process. At some point there, one expects the bearer to become aware of the growing child.

Or perhaps I am mistaken.