The News and Weather

We’ve been intermittently pummelled by hailstones this afternoon. What the weather forecasters euphemistically refer to as “wintry showers”, but in practice are more like the immediate aftermath of making a prank phone call to Odin. I’ve been known to enjoy some proper snow and ice in my time, but driving sheets of hailstones that quickly melt into icy puddles can’t be on anyone’s list of favourite weather. I was thinking this even before our cat Charcoal entered through the cat flap at Mach 3, drenched from head to toe, freezing cold and squeaking indignantly. She’s much happier (and warmer) now.

Meanwhile the Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross¹ story climbs to new depths with “emergency crisis talks” at the BBC, and journalists charging after BBC executives in the street shouting “Do we know who’s to blame yet?” (Those were the exact words). News 24 have belatedly starting asking whether this mob-mentality is all a bit much, but as far as I can tell this has only recently occurred to them and they’re mainly using it as a bonus talking point in interviews. In any case I’m going to have to join the mob now, because otherwise I’ll find myself calling Noel Gallagher rightheaded, and then the world will end.

I also caught a bit of Obama speechifying on the campaign trail on News 24. That man may or may not be from Krypton, but he certainly knows how to make speeches. Sometimes I do wonder whether (assuming he wins the election) the weight of expectations on his shoulders is so impossibly huge that we’re in for a New Labour-style backlash when he doesn’t fix EVERYthing. I also hope there’s some real substance behind the fervour. Mainly I hope we get to find out.

Lastly, and on behalf of my wife, I would just like to say ZOMGSharpe!!!111.

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¹ In the “you can’t make it up” category, Jonathan Ross currently has a book out entitled Why Do I Say These Things?.

EDIT: Now the controller of Radio 2 has resigned.