The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is caught up in yet another controversy this evening, this time over the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. One song from that show is likely to top the download charts this weekend, and the BBC is concerned if it should be played on the radio. I’m not sure that in 1939 they had any grasp of music charts let alone music downloads, probably more interested in what a certain German was up to. Now I can understand the BBC being worried about the lyrics of certain songs, like Relax recorded by Frankie Goes to Hollywood which had clear sexual innuendo and Je T’aime a duet written by Serge Gainsbourg, sung with lover Jane Birkin in 1969. As attempts at censorship both of these failed badly, and in the latter case because it was effectively banned from sale in the UK, so a copy was given away with every copy of Private Eye one week, which I believe is still one of Private Eye’s top selling issues. This however is a children’s song and the lyrics simply celebrate the death of the wicked witch. The problem seems to stem not from the song itself, but from the people who bought it. Yes, for the slower amongst you, it has been bought by people who are not supporters of the late Baroness Thatcher. The BBC’s proposed solution is to have two audience guests in to discuss the reason why the song is in the chart and then play less than 10 seconds of it. The irony of all this of course is that Thatcher was very against state control and censorship for censorships sake, and she would have opposed any moves of this sort were she still in office. It does however serve as testimony to the divisiveness of Margaret Thatcher that tens of thousands of people have downloaded this track as mark of protest even though she left office nearly 25 years ago.

If the title is incorrect, take it up with wikipedia!!

Courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Yes, its Chinese New Year, and this year is the year of the snake. Seems the Chinese like snakes, and people who are snakes are not all bad. However, we in the west take a different view of snakes. If I were to say Tony Blair was a snake, most people would instantly agree with me, when all I would be pointing out is he was born in 1953 the year of the snake.

Today is going to be an excuse to try cooking chinese food, although I’m the first to admit I’m not very good at it. Maybe I’ve just spent too much time in Hong Kong and Singapore to appreciate what is available in the UK, certainly I don’t go to Chinese restaurants in the UK for that reason.

It seems that vegtarians have a lot to thank Beef steak for, well according to the BBC News this morning.

To quote the BBC:

The Beefsteak chapel hardly sounds like a place where vegetarians would be welcome, but more than 200 years ago, this tiny chapel in Salford was the British birthplace of the meat-free diet.

In an even greater twist, the cleric who preached the moral virtues of vegetarianism was the Reverend William Cowherd. His Beefsteak Chapel was the country’s first vegetarian church.

For people who want to read more – http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20666581

I saw this on facebook, and whilst its not a post as such, I thought it might be a bit of harmless fun.

Acknowledgements to Barry Anderson.