Lovely morning on the estuary here, much better than on the Gulf coast I’m sure.

Ahh, but for how long?
Da da da daa :)

I succumbed to the never-to-be-repeated opportunity for an in-context triple sort-of pun, not intended as a cheap shot, but as a comment on the depth of analysis of BP's motivations.

Here's one to dip your shtick in.

Yeah, my bad.

I succumbed to the never-to-be-repeated opportunity for an in-context triple sort-of pun, not intended as a cheap shot, but as a comment on the…

Not ‘Mark Twain’, more like ‘Dip Stick’.

Cheap shot.

Why thank you ChrisW, I wonder what the W stands for?

That too, although you were provoked.

Argue vigorously, gentlemen, but try and keep it non-personal.

You want it both ways, that BP are concerned about the lost revenue from the escaping oil but not the damage it does…

Not ‘Mark Twain’, more like ‘Dip Stick’.

Here's one to dip your shtick in.

Is Using Dispersants on the BP Gulf Oil Spill Fighting Pollution with Pollution?

Have you never heard the term "Privatise the profits, socialise the cost"?

I think the costs are being broadly spread over both BP and the environment, government, private individuals in this case. Fucked up all over.

. It doesn't take a rocket technologist to work out that the lost oil revenue of a million or few dollars a day is small change to BP in comparison to the tens of billions of dollars in subsequent…

See, when these fuckers look at all that oil in the water, they don't think "Look at all the damage we're doing" they think "Look at all that oil were losing".

Earthy, colloquial and dazzlingly accurate. I nominate Steve PAS's local Mark Twain.

Wow, not just accurate, but dazzlingly so.

Thine…

See, when these fuckers look at all that oil in the water, they don't think "Look at all the damage we're doing" they think "Look at all that oil were losing".

Earthy, colloquial and dazzlingly accurate. I nominate Steve PAS's local Mark Twain.

BP suffered a setback when a discharge of liquid and gases forced it to remove the containment cap.

How would this force them to remove the cap? It was liquid and gas before, no? There is a point at which you start finding the conspiracy theories just that little bit…

Problem With Cap Causes Causes More Oil to Gush in Gulf
By LIZ ROBBINS 6:37 PM ET

BP suffered a…

The End of The World

The World is empty. It has been abandoned, its continents unfinished. Through binoculars, I think I can glimpse Britain; this sceptred isle barren in the salt-breeze.

Here, off the coast of Dubai, developers have been…

Given an earlier theme, it would be remiss not to link to the Informations Is Beautiful Gulf Oil Spill Infographic.

And it's not as if they didn't know it could happen...
FEDS Knew of Gulf Oil Spill Risks in 2000, Document Shows

Glad it's not only me that worries they have special thread killing abilities.

Ronald Hugh Morrieson really did capture something of the spirit of the place, then?

Quite possibly. I remember that Hawera had a wine bar, which was the source of some fascination. I guess RHM was their best customer. Must have been real rot-gut in the 1950s.

But I can never…

Well, quite. The 50s NZ male was not known for his conversational vivacity. That sort of thing was frowned upon.

But grandmothers, in my experience had plenty to say. A cup of tea, a game of chess or backgammon, and stories of old China, with a bit of Confucius thrown…

Well, quite. The 50s NZ male was not known for his conversational vivacity. That sort of thing was frowned upon.

Then again, my late grandfather was someone who never used two words where none would do but when he did open his mouth he had a Martini-dry sense of humour…

Growing up in South Taranaki . . . we went searching for a severed head reputedly thrown in a local river.

Ronald Hugh Morrieson really did capture something of the spirit of the place, then?

When I first read this editorial I thought it might be a spoof, or Garth George having another spasm.

The latter. I'm pretty sure it bears the mark of Garth Vader.

As for conversation, there really wasn't any..

Well, quite. The 50s NZ male was not known for his conversational…

I dimly remember life-before-television in New Zealand and it really was a dull, insular place. Growing up in South Taranaki, the biggest event…

Older people carry a mental supply of conversation-starters – polite personal inquiries, news of common acquaintances, events of interest or, if all else fails, the weather.

I've also noticed that racist and homophobic rejoinders tend to be quite popular with these older folk. Ah, the good old times.

TVNZ's 50th anniversary was marked last week by recollections of early television but it could equally have commemorated a time without television.

It was a reminder that nobody…

Informations Is Beautiful Gulf Oil Spill Infographic.

That's amazing. I loved the colours in culture one too. New Order Album cover made easy.

And Gio, how did it know where I live? Well, I know, but that was a little scary.

This brings it home nicely (h/t Zef Fugaz.)

Sweet, sweet data in lickable form? Or information pornography?

You decide!

New Reality TV show.

America's Next Top Kill Model.

Or, as I suggested before, America's Next Top Role Model?

I don't know what's next...

Relief wells, aka The Ultimate Solution.

Caught in the oil.

Well, they've announced they're not going to nuke it, so I don't know what's next...

I'm glad they considered it though. You don't want to rule out anything, even if the potential fall-out and possible seismic event could wipe out America. You've gotta keep things in perspective.

New Reality TV…

the only way to stay awake in an airport hotel is to watch porn.

there's always the Gideon, Bart :)

Now available with wipe-clean cover and extra-absorbent pages?
.
.
.
.
Which way to the cloakroom?

Well, they've announced they're not going to nuke it, so I don't know what's next...

This from a sadly now lost Jalopnik comment on other possible fancy-named ways to stop the leak (post-"Top Kill"):

The "Lost" Method
Technical Summary: Lower Jack down into the hole to plug it with a…

We need better information, not more data

Agreed – and anyone who finds that leak to be compelling repeat viewing has bigger problems

And does nothing to stop the damn leak.

Well, they've announced they're not going to nuke it, so I don't know what's next...

I do wonder in this case if it's just provided convenient imagery for tv news to put in the background while they cover day 41 of the story

But we're supposed to be wanting to bypass that – why else would there be an iPhone app for it?

We need better information, not more data. All these live feeds and infographics and live crosses just serve to defer forever the moment of synthesis and criticism.

And does nothing to stop the damn leak. The only news of any relevance, IMO, is the one that says 'yay for us,…

They still do some live crosses of course.

Does more 'data' (if we can call imagery of oil spewing out that) cause less context/knowledge? Are there being resources being diverted from elsewhere to show these images or are they just additional?

Attention resources are beind diverted, our capacity to make sense of things. Think for how long, for…

The oil spill cam effectively adds another television channel dedicated to just watching the oil flow. More information, yay. But information isn't knowledge, and the problem is still how to create a media ecology where we can acquire and exchange and create more knowledge.

Does more 'data' (if we can…

I think I once read (prolly on dooce.com, queen of the mommybloggers) that some LDS folk also drink vast quantities of Diet Coke, as it is not a *hot* caffeinated beverage. Loophole!

Ah, yes... reminds me of a Mormon gentleman of my (mercifully brief) acquaintance, whose "blowjobs aren't really sex,…

And cocoa. Because it's allowed for the LDS, cocoa is to Salt Lake City as coffee is to Seattle.

I think I once read (prolly on dooce.com, queen of the mommybloggers) that some LDS folk also drink vast quantities of Diet Coke, as it is not a *hot* caffeinated beverage.…

Great programme tonight, Russell--but there is now competition from my Significant Other who wants to watch SGU (StarGateUniverse) on Prime at the same time.

Meh... after the distinctly under-whelming pilot (and word of mouth that it doesn't get any better for a loooong time), I think SG:U is going to…

I mean the cocoa, of course.

By far the state with the highest usage of porn in those circumstances was Utah.

Well of course. What you aren't factoring in is that they don't do coffee and that means the only way to stay awake in an airport hotel is to watch porn.

perfectly reasonable don't you…

They were echoing the criteria that the Qantas awards were purportedly following

Really? Why? Isn't the whole point of the thing that they didn't like the Qantas awards?

There was a point, long since lost in the madness, that two of the finalists in the Qantases didn't seem to relate…

BTW, isn't "gardening leave" a synonym for "waiting til my non-compete clause expires before starting my new job"?

Well you might ask. We were speculating wildly at this morning's editorial meeting.

Loving the one hour timeslot – the interviews aren't feeling rushed or cut off just as they're getting going.

It's bloody hard work though! I can't believe we did it every week last year.

Isn't the whole point of the thing that they didn't like the Qantas awards?

I believe *that's* what they didn't like about it

They were echoing the criteria that the Qantas awards were purportedly following

Really? Why? Isn't the whole point of the thing that they didn't like the Qantas awards?

Really enjoyed the show Russell. Go hour-long Media7! And Mr Barbosa is a great foil. Shades of the Blues Brothers when you…

define blogs as being "primarily dedicated to reporting news or views on news"

They were echoing the criteria that the Qantas awards were purportedly following

Go with tossers. Some of the behaviour this week has been unbelievable.

And yet the Union represents us, and every other blogger in New Zealand :-)

Of course it's just data, and of course you can not watch it. But isn't inordinate data consumption part of the problem?

I'll have to respectfully disagree there.

I'm with Tom Coates when he says "you can never have too much sweet, sweet data," even though that's not very good…

On a not totally unrelated note: did anybody else notice how the – what's a nicer word for tossers?

Go with tossers. Some of the behaviour this week has been unbelievable.

I really don't get your objection. It's just data. It's there anyway. No one is being exploited or humiliated, it is not doing any bad thing that I can think of.

Of course it's just data, and of course you can not watch it. But isn't inordinate data consumption part…

This is not a dig at the iPhone specifically, but... what's the communicative or social function of the iPhone oil spill app? Who needs to look at the oil spill while on the move? What does it say about the meshing of information with entertainment?

I really don't get your…

Not if you were standing in it

Oh, he's just aspirationally adjacent :)

I suspect you could say that of a thousand other iphone apps Giovanni

I plan to.

Y'all are just iParty iPoopers.

How could you not love that?

Not if you were standing in it ;-)

http://greylynnweather.net

It even tweets me. And it allowed me to tell everyone I met on Tuesday that we'd just had 2% of the rainfall for the year to date in 10 minutes.

Russell, you have family and friends that love you and can help you with these issues. You need…

Personally I've never understood apps that tell you what the weather is where you currently are. For people without windows apparently.

http://greylynnweather.net

It even tweets me. And it allowed me to tell everyone I met on Tuesday that we'd just had 2% of the rainfall for the year to date…

I suspect you could say that of a thousand other iphone apps Giovanni

I plan to.

I think there's enough other coverage to provide context, surely

Perhaps. Or perhaps what the webcam does is replace context, reflection and action with spectacle.

This is not a dig at the iPhone specifically, but... what's the communicative or social function of the iPhone oil spill app? Who needs to…

not information + context (= knowledge)

I think there's enough other coverage to provide context, surely

By far the state with the highest usage of porn in those circumstances was Utah.

Yes, it seems Utah invariably tops this particular sort of league table.

The irony there, of course, is that it has long been said that conservative Republicans are secretly keener consumers of porn than their dirty liberal foes.

There was a quite amusing study a couple of years ago of pay-per-view porn usage in airport hotels in different states. You know, the…

BP were *forced* to make that footage public – so I guess watching it is part of a bigger action about bearing witness.

They were forced to release it to the authorities, not to the public. And I still think it turns the spill into something of a spectator sport,…

This is an important issue for many conservatives in the US – they object to the bundling of various cable channels, as this means they can't get the wholesome channels they want without also paying for filth.

The irony there, of course, is that it has long been said that…

Time-shifting means I would never hear the collective gasp and roar that is shared when people watch things at the same time.

That's already a factor with online dicussion about tv shows and movies that are released here late – or never in some cases, as Russell mentioned.

I ... have been quietly waiting for a subscriber on demand model that goes beyond the cable style models I have seen in the past.

This is an important issue for many conservatives in the US – they object to the bundling of various cable channels, as this means they…

I no longer have a TV and have been quietly waiting for a subscriber on demand model that goes beyond the cable style models I have seen in the past. So perhaps my view is quite limited these days.

Are such events inextricably intertwined with television now anyway?…

Or the classic "that book is the equivalent of eating icecream, why don't you read something good for you?"

Well, when I was at boarding school a thirteen year old boy reading Anna Karenina was looked on a sign of something unhealthy brewing. Confuse and bewilder 'em early, confuse and…

This was already true when Postman wrote his book.

Already true in the US. I really mean it when I say that in those days our socio/media trends were a decade behind them.

I'm sure I've mentioned before that the early seasons of the Simpsons were so hilarious here in…

What bugs me is the way spectacle parades as information so often on TV these days: the freak-of-the-week documentary, the fat people "factual" show, the way a cooking show can't be a fucking cooking show any more — it has to be a contest or a mission-doc.

This was already…

Our respective sites do have quite distinct styles, don't they?

RolfArohanui

too many answers were flashed to viewers before they got a chance to participate at home.

I saw about 20 minutes of it – my partner and I are a fan of quizzes – and this is what annoyed me the most. The question was often about the show or…

Herald: Viewers pan TVNZ's 50-year celebration:

All this fracas will only serve to increase the post airing views on the TVNZ website. We all love a good train wreck. Especially when we have an accurate body count and hi probability of gore.

Actually, Marcus Lush would have been a better…

I wonder whether in the future there will ever be room for live FTA broadcast. It would seem a strange life indeed to go without shared cultural moments of this type.

Will the balance continue to change between television *creating* those moments – with certain expensive programming like big dramas,…

When did a desire to be "entertained" become the intellectual equivalent of admitting a fondness for kiddie snuff porn?

Umm Never?
But thanks for repaying my bombast with more of the same.

Or the classic "that book is the equivalent of eating icecream, why don't you read something good for…

Perhaps, but I still have horrible flashbacks to balmy childhood days and the constant drum-beat of "why don't you get your nose out of that book, and do something useful?" :)

Or the classic "that book is the equivalent of eating icecream, why don't you read something good for you?"…

But the gameshow format and light style of the Jason Gunn-hosted programme angered some who would have liked to see 50 years' commemorated in weightier style. Media websites and talkback radio ran hot with criticism yesterday.

"Thanks TVNZ for making a show that is the…

Trivia fans may care to note that, thanks to the impetus of the 1974 Commonwealth Games, New Zealand went colour two years before Australia. I still remember seeing one at the Cantebury A&P show, then the wonder when a boxy Thorn set arrived in our lounge.

We watched the CWG portion…

... the networks do their best to make the show look like a proper (ie US / UK / Aus.) operation, instead of understanding that the purpose is the transmission of timely and relevant information.

There are live crosses in US news – I occasionally watch ABC World News -…

There was also the pre-Bell Curve IQ Test episode of Good Times.

Thanks for that Russell (finally got around to watching it). Having never seen anything more than a dy-no-mite from Good Times, it's good to know that – for a while at least – it was a pretty good…

the purpose is the transmission of timely and relevant information

sorry, it's only entertainment to deliver audiences to advertisers

Ah... actually, you're right. I forget, sometimes. Curse my idealistic nature!

the purpose is the transmission of timely and relevant information

sorry, it's only entertainment to deliver audiences to advertisers

TV news' obsession with live crosses is another example.

I've always considered it a kind of cargo-cultism, where the networks do their best to make the show look like a proper (ie US / UK / Aus.) operation, instead of understanding that the purpose is the transmission of timely and…

But just as it was a rubbish celebration of local TV history full of meaningless montages of past presenters showing the various golden eras of the TVNZ hair and make-up department, it wasn't even a very good quiz show – too many answers…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8llgvgHxHE

It's the co-dependent logic between the spectator and the media, whereby you demand to be entertained, and the culture in turn demands that you be entertained and nothing else.

What bugs me is the way spectacle parades as information so often on TV these days: the freak-of-the-week documentary, the fat…

No one's against entertainment, per se, surely. The problem is when its omnipresence smothers other aspects of life.

Perhaps, but I still have horrible flashbacks to balmy childhood days and the constant drum-beat of "why don't you get your nose out of that book, and do something useful?" :)

I've…

I'm thinking about the fact that "entertainment" (ie the showbiz type, not the seeing-people-slip-over-on-muddy-grass type) is, mostly, capital-I Industry. Make no mistake; the creators of content inject the psychological equivalent of whatever it is that Griffins put in Chocolate Chippes that makes you unabled to stop eating them.

It's an…

The problem is when its omnipresence smothers other aspects of life.

I spoke clumsily. To be honest, I knew as I was writing that that I hadn't nailed it.

I'm thinking about the fact that "entertainment" (ie the showbiz type, not the seeing-people-slip-over-on-muddy-grass type) is, mostly, capital-I Industry. Make no…

My apologies for the misunderstanding.

But yeah, sorry, I forgot for a moment that this topic was on "the list".

Sorry, I was trying to be light-hearted, but I can see it might not come across that way. Wasn't trying to dig at you.

But yeah, sorry, I forgot for a moment that this topic was on "the list".

Since you're here, I just received my copy of The Windup Girl which I am devouring as time allows. I wonder whether reading it hard on the heels of Norwegian Wood is such a good idea. Especially as that was not, as I was reliably informed, about sex with…

The problem is when its omnipresence smothers other aspects of life.

"Attention all passengers. We are now entering "the mere existence of Battlestar Galactica prevents people being involved in politics". We may experience some intellectual snobbery and righteous indignation from people who feel their intelligence has been slighted. Please take…

what constitutes "entertainment"?

I'm probably not the best qualified to answer that.

The problem is when its omnipresence smothers other aspects of life.

What percentage of entertainment in life constitutes 'smothering'? Like, 33% is sleep, 33% (if you're really dedicated) is work, so... And actually, now that I think about it, what constitutes "entertainment"? I think cooking and eating are both pretty…

When did a desire to be "entertained" become the intellectual equivalent of admitting a fondness for kiddie snuff porn?

As usual, your questions are... rather difficult to answer. :)

No one's against entertainment, per se, surely. The problem is when its omnipresence smothers other aspects of life.

Oh, and +1 on wanting clarification on how you play scrabble/sex. This thread is throwing up more questions than answers.

More even than a final episode of Lost.

When did our days become soooo careworn, that "entertainment" became what we craved?

Some time before 1985, obviously.

And yeah, the content is FREE! FREE I tells ya! FREEEE! So MySky is totally out of the question, especially since I choose to transgress the national obsession with 15 a side.

…

When did our days become soooo careworn, that "entertainment" became what we craved?

When did a desire to be "entertained" become the intellectual equivalent of admitting a fondness for kiddie snuff porn? In one of those delightful moments of cross-platform synchronicity, I just happen to have David Mamet's latest book…

History Channel will act in the best interests of its business. "Sensational" seems to work best, over many different genres and channels in US cable…

Just by the way, I intensely envy Henry Sandon. He doesn't do what he does for wealth (although I would guess he is well off enough nowadays), he does it because he loves it. He is possibly the happiest man I've ever seen on telly.

And he has a convertible…

All that follows is conjecture, extrapolation or supposition.

Exactly. With the arrival of digital TV I was hoping for a feedback loop from the TV (or STB/PVR) that could report exactly what was watched. This would remove the need for this conjecture. In turn, I believe this would have a…

AC Nielsen provides ratings for every 15 minute slot.

ACN's brief is to measure "presence in the room where a TV set is on". This happens for evrey 15 minute slot (well, more correctly, buttons are pushed), from a base panel of 500 NZ households. All that follows is conjecture,…

Apparently these programmes are also partly responsible for the property bubble and subsequent demise. The power of television aye?

Wasn't there a similar brouhaha over dear aunty Antiques Roadshow spiking antiques prices?

I bet dear old Henry Sandon MBE never went broke though.

Just by the way, I intensely envy…

Phil Spencer went broke don't you know.

With appropriate emphasis to indicate the gaining of knowledge... 'No, I did not know that!' Apparently these programmes are also partly responsible for the property bubble, and subsequent demise. The power of television aye? Or not.

Occasionally I'll even watch one of the…

it's so tiresome to be pigeonholed

But if they can pigeonhole you then they don't have to treat your opinions as if they were from a real person.

As for paying for single episodes. That will depend on a change in bandwidth most likely, that really is all that is…

So sure, 'dancing with the changing room stars of Coronation Street while finding a place in the sun' can pay for your daily runing costs, but maybe the should be a slice of the pie for speculative stuff that might pay off only in the longer view, too.

I'm quite…

If a television station/channel is run as a business, then it's obliged to please shareholders. If those shareholders demand increased returns, then even a subscription channel is tempted run advertisements, and move "down-market", where the audiences are larger.

Depends if you can sell your shareholders on the idea that a…

Honestly, it's so tiresome to be pigeonholed as a brainwashed moron for watching certain shows.

I have certainly been guilty of that in the past (as you noticed with my Coronation Street comment). Today I'm a bit more relaxed, but I can still not understand why people would want to…

Location Location Location

Phil Spencer went broke don't you know.

Started with a 19.0, built to 19.1, 19.1 and ended on 19.5. Peoplemeter people clearly love that stuff.

When's the next My House, My Castle gonna be on?

And we emerge blinking into the daylight from our telly caves, those driven to anger by teh mindless fodder are sectioned off from those who were sedated by the diet of drivel.

Yeah, yeah, "wake up, sheeple!" I watched ten straight years of Jerry Springer; my brain, like Jackie's, is…

Cheers for 50 Years was the highest rating non-news programme of the year to date. We are doomed.

This also highlights another point. Broadcasters have been tricking advertisers for years by tauting overblown stats that are said to represent the TV viewing public based on highly floored sampling methods. I…

Cheers for 50 Years was the highest rating non-news programme of the year to date. We are doomed.

Okay, I'll finally own up to having watched, and mostly enjoyed, the whole thing.

I quite liked that it carried the history of television in New Zealand – which is what the…

"A shark would have found Anne Frank, like *that*

rofflenui

Why is the majority of programming on the History channel all about Hitler??? is it just that the rights are in the public domain and the History channel folks are just cheap bastards?.

Sharks and Nazis!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3m0qKiY_Ek

Newspapers need to make money. But TV News doesn't need to make money, TV networks do. Newspapers would be in a much better position if all that needed to happen was the printers/publishers needed to make a profit, so that newspapers could be support by books and magazines, etc., as…

Imagine your brain if you watched this shit?

Mine's fine thanks. I even watch Charm School .

Telelvision – both highbrow and trashy – gets me googling, sends me off to the library, gets me outside.

here's an interesting article about business models, news providers and Google

It always struck me that newspapers were in a much more precarious position than TV news:

Newspapers need to make money. But TV News doesn't need to make money, TV networks do. Newspapers would be in a much better…

I think television – like theatre, movies and band gigs – is mostly used for recreation.

Oh The missed opportunities...
Sorry my last line was a failed attempt at humour.

Sacha

When did our days become soooo careworn, that "entertainment" became what we craved?
Uh, one of the longest…

The purpose is to end the discussion with more knowledge than you started not to "win".

Yes that. Arguing to win is more like dick-tation.

Over time you realise that if you enter a discussion assuming others might know more than you, things tend to go much better than if…

I know you can pay to watch individual movies on Sky, but I also know that in most places, you can't subscribe to just one subscription TV channel.

Sky you can also individually subscribe to Rialto and the Rugby channel I think.

But that's again different from 'show me this…

(was trying to add that same point last night, but overwhelmed by site glitches)

Hmm. Just had that myself. Ill follow it up.

people like talking about the items of culture they have in common

I agree – it's just that we have a wider range of sources now for conversational objects, as Bart notes. Look, we're even talking about scrabble.

By all means bring your differences of opinion and better yet differences of experience and knowledge.

This.

scrabble/sex

Can we have an overview of the rules for this variant? Everyone seems to play online now.

When did our days become soooo careworn, that "entertainment" became what we craved?

Uh, one of the longest working weeks in the "developed" world, thanks to low investment in productivity and capital funds, thanks to decisions made in the 80s and 90s by idiot neolibs some of whom still grace…

@Kyle: To "break even on the broadcast" is a considerable challenge.

Yes, I suspect the model I have in my head works well for more mainstream TV series, suitable for large international audiences, made for 7.30 – 9.30 weeknights.

and the 16th episode of the second season of the Beverly…

For me the issue around TV of the future is not about extinction it is about adaption.

50 years ago when it got dark you read a book or watched TV or played scrabble/sex. That was it.

What has happened over the last 25…

arguing is about comparing ideas worldviews and sometimes, hopefully, knowledge . The purpose is to end the discussion with more knowledge than you started not to "win".

Yes

(though I have learned that trolls bring out the worst in me and expecting them to argue in good faith is pointless)

Tell that to amazon and google.

And facebook and apple

(was trying to add that same point last night, but overwhelmed by site glitches)

Clemenceau famously remarked that war was to important to be…

Niche advertisers rarely have enough dosh to support niche channels, especially when you consider that the cost of making a commercial can be roughly equivalent to the amount these potential advertisers have to spend on their marketing.

That's a good point if we're talking in terms of current traditional expensively…

Arguing is about winning.

I grew up with argumentative Dutch parents. For them arguing was about winning, and they were good at it. My father took particular pleasure in arguing full circle until his "opponent" was arguing against their original position.

To me that defines trolling.

If your intent is…

Don't you have to buy that Freeview thing though?

My JC Matthews 320 GB decoder/recorder used to retail at a cool $800 slides, which sounds a lot, but increases the quality of our telly viewing by a far greater margin that would the same amount spent on fancy new flatscreen…

That Calvin cartoon reminds me of a picture researcher on a magazine I used to work for, who asked in all seriousness if a Renaissance painting she was sourcing for us was supposed to be in colour or black-and-white.

And me of some research I read a while about about…

I think television – like theatre, movies and band gigs – is mostly used for recreation.

What makes you think that personal interactions…

—Usage note
3. Enormity has been in frequent and continuous use in the sense “immensity” since the 18th century: The enormity of the task was overwhelming. Some hold that enormousness is the correct word in that sense and that enormity can only mean “outrageousness”…

careful and considered caution against being seduced by the rhetoric of yet-unsubstantiated change

I'll check out Turner's book. I still have one foot firmly in the skeptikal camp :)
And it surprises me personally, how little television I now watch on FTA television. It could just be me, but once…