There's a bunch of strange "singers" appearing on the X Factor lately. There must be a lot of tone-deaf relatives and friends around encouraging no-hopers to go forward. I tend to agree with Cowell every time. The girl judges are just window dressing, although Dannii Minogue has shown some signs of brains, too. Walsh has absolutely no idea and comes across as insincere.
Whereas in Britain's Got Talent, it's Piers Morgan who constantly cheeses me off with his "everyone deserves a chance" attitude.
Like, the time in Britain's Got Talent when this no-hoper appeared on stage with a black bag.
"Ok, what's your act?" asks Simon Cowell.
"It's in the bag", says the man.
"Right, OK, off you go" replies Cowell.
Man dips his hand in the bag, and places a walnut on his head.
Cowell doesn't look too impressed. He presses his "X".
Pierce Morgan looks VERY impressed and beams enthusiastically.
Man dips his hand in the bag and fetches out a hammer. He uses the hammer to smash the walnut balanced on his head. Then curtsies theatrically to the audience.
Cowell rolls his eyes to view the ceiling and shakes his head.
Piers Morgan visibly laughs out loud.
Morgan is the first to speak, "That was a very brave thing to do. Not many people would want to make a living out of doing that. You certainly get my vote."
Cowell is astounded by these comments and looks contemptuously at Morgan. He asks the act, "What else have you got in your black bag?"
"Aspirin" replies the man.
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Like, the time in Britain's Got Talent when this no-hoper appeared on stage with a black bag.
"Ok, what's your act?" asks Simon Cowell.
"It's in the bag", says the man.
"Right, OK, off you go" replies Cowell.
Man dips his hand in the bag, and places a walnut on his head.
Cowell doesn't look too impressed. He presses his "X".
Pierce Morgan looks VERY impressed and beams enthusiastically.
Man dips his hand in the bag and fetches out a hammer. He uses the hammer to smash the walnut balanced on his head. Then curtsies theatrically to the audience.
Cowell rolls his eyes to view the ceiling and shakes his head.
Piers Morgan visibly laughs out loud.
Morgan is the first to speak, "That was a very brave thing to do. Not many people would want to make a living out of doing that. You certainly get my vote."
Cowell is astounded by these comments and looks contemptuously at Morgan. He asks the act, "What else have you got in your black bag?"
"Aspirin" replies the man.
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We Shall Fight Them on The Beaches: 1 Sept 2009
Clicking the link below brings an interesting response! No one can now say that they don't know what people are saying in the House of Commons, because speeches back to 1935 are now available online.
We Shall Fight Them on The Beaches
We Shall Fight Them on The Beaches
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Salmon Fishing in The Yemen 29 Aug 2009
This week I read Salmon Fishing in The Yemen by Paul Torday.
Sprinkled with interesting facts about salmon, and fishing terms, the novel combines emails, newspaper reports, diary entries, and interviews to tell the story of why a government scientist is "put up" to see through an impossible project to introduce salmon fishing in Yemen. The story gets behind the news to inform the reader about how government and diplomacy might work, and how the little man is easily walked over by those in the upper echelons. Peter Mendelsohn is easily parodied in the story as "Peter Maxwell", while Tony Blair finds his fictional self in "Jay Vent".
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A Fraction of the Whole: 29 August 2009
The Australian-based novel, A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2008. At 710 pages, it is a mystery around the key character Martin Dean. Who is Eddie who follows him around, and why does he keep his distance from Martin? Why does Martin almost worship his errant Uncle who apparently died in a bush fire while escaping from prison? All is revealed in the end, as the story moves from Australia to France and Thailand, and back to Australia. Great read! Enjoy!
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The White Tiger: 29 August 2009
When I picked up The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga earlier this year, I had no idea what the book was about, other than it won the Man Booker Prize in 2008. It turned out to be a compelling read throughout. A rickshaw puller's son goes to the big city, becomes a taxi driver, learns the ways of other drivers, and there is a dark outcome. Along the way, we get an insight into the poor and the rich side of India. A must-read for anyone wanting to develop an understanding of the seedier side of India.
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