nb. some men are from Venus: 2008

BBC Oceans

I've been hearing about the new BBC series on the oceans for the past few weeks as it's taken center stage on www.soton.ac.uk. Tonight was the first episode. Sadly I was not that impressed. It seemed so poorly put together with very little actually said and much of the content tenuous at least - why did they investigate a wreck to learn about Asian slavery when the ship had been sunk deliberately to form an artificial reef?

It was dumbing down at it's worst. Not a BBC Bristol classic and not a good showcase for Southampton as a leading research institute. Bring back Attenborough.

BBC Advertising - Ahh!

So now I see. As I am now outside the UK I have to suffer the BBC with advertising. They have adverts that those of you in the UK won't be able to see as you pay your licence fee (you do now, don't you?) and so that 'entitles' you to watch the BBC advert-free.

This FAQ explains it.

BBC's Own No Advertising Policy

For your information.

Adverts on the BBC - link.

The BBC is Dead. Long Live the BBC

That is it, the BBC as it was is finished. No longer is it the unique broadcasting service which is paid directly by us, the viewers. Oh no. Now it is run on advertising.

This morning, sitting in my youth hostel in Seoul, Korea, I logged onto the BBC and saw a link to a new Hydrogen Powered Car. I clicked the link and found the video clip. Then to my horror below the video window I saw a little box with a link to Facebook in it, and the ghastly words ADVERTISEMENT emblazoned above it.

Then to my further shock and horror as the video played (without sound as I had it in mute) I became aware that I was not watching a film about a hydrogen car at all but rather an advert about a new Nokia phone.

I guess this was bound to happen. Advertising is the new currency as Google has shown, but I surley wasn't ready to see it on the beeb.

BBC RIP 16 July 2008

Nick

Do we get to stop paying the licence fee now?

bbc, advertising, nick bailey

Barefoot on the BBC

On Wednesday I was interviewed by Indy Almroth-Wright from BBC Hampshire about my barefooting life. After a rather fun interview she showed me round Broadcasting House in Southampton (which was quite exciting) and then we went for a little wonder outside (both shoeless) to take some photos.

Her article is now online for your reading pleasure:
Nick Bailey - BBC Hampshire Barefoot Interview

Myself and Blackberry rabbit
photo credit: Kim Suyeon

barefoot, bbc, hampshire

Vegetarian Fish & Chips

Last Friday I tried an experiment. Having recently discovered that the International Food store in Portswood sells vegetarian fish (see title link), I decided to take some along to the best chipshop in Southampton, the Seven Seas on Burgess Road to see if they would fry it
for me. Sure enough they did (at no cost) and so I enjoyed, for the first time in over
ten years, fish and chips. Damn tasty!

'fish'

'fish' and chips

fish&chips, seven seas

Oxford Over Easter

On Easter Saturday Suyeon and I went to Oxford with my parents. Here are a couple of photos.

Lincoln College (where Wesley stayed)

Outside Kings College

The beautiful Suyeon outside Kings

Me at the Bridge of Sighs. Ahhh...

Oxford, Oxford University, Easter

Some Arty Blossom Shots

Here are a few Photoshop art filtered photos I took of the early blossom coming out in Southampton over the past few weeks.

southampton, photoshop, blossom

Bunny Dating

This photo of Barney (boy, back) and Blackberry (girl, front) was taken today on their second 'date'. We'd let them run free together in the garden just after sunset yesterday in a chaperoned sense with four of us observing and ready to jump in if required. It was an... interesting sight, with Barney definitly quite keen on Blackberry, if a little keen on the wrong end. Still, no fighting happened so all was good.

Today I let them roam free all day as I was going to be gardening. It was lovely to have them bounding round together and occasionally helping me with some gardening. Lots of positions were experimented with (I'm told by Dr Christelle) and by the evening they were much calmer and relaxed around each other.

Bunny Love

, ,

Gathering Hazel Nuts

After dropping François off at Heathrow I though I'd take a little break on the way home when I saw brown signs to some country park. Of course only when I reached the entrance did I find that the park is only open from March to October, but I parked up never the less and went for a wonder where I could.

While kicking my way through the leaf litter up an avenue of trees I noticed something hidden in the leaves. Closer inspection revealed a beautiful golden hazel nut. On crouching down and a little rifling through the leaves I came across more, loads in fact. So I filled a pocket and went on my way most enlightened by being a little more in touch with my Mesolithic ancestors.

Now how to cook the...

One of the Hazel trees with nuts scattered around