ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Who is the annoying blonde woman on Newsnight review panel tonight? Anna somebody? Please do not invite her back. She constantly interrupts everyone else and should be told to shut up. The looks on Bidisha's face when interrupted in mid-sentence, and on the face of the bloke to the blonde's left (John?), when he was interrupted, gave the game away that they were pretty fed up with her too. (and both knew they were being more 'intelligent' in their analysis than the interrupting (and apparently only interested in 'pop' lowest common denominator culture) "me, me, me" Anna. Kirsty did not do a very good referee job here. (See the first comment from last week's message board - more poor chairing.)

*
**
*

Might the US decide to overcome the problems of the accuracy of the anti-missile defence by increasing the explosive warhead of the explosive? Nuclear perhaps, such a warhead might destroy an incoming missile quite far away,

but it would be bad luck for whoever was below, either us or our European friends

and this might tally with the new programme to develop smaller nuclear weapons,

*

The item about 'son of Star Wars' included a graphic with Iran marked in red, and a clear implication that Iran poses a threat to the UK. Iran has no nuclear weapons. This sort of insidious implication that we face a military threat was used to soften up public opinion ahead of the illegal invasion of Iraq, and I was appalled to see a similar process in relation to Iran. I watch Newsnight to get an incisive and challenging view of current affairs, not careless collusion with the Bush government's demonisation of Iran.

I totally agree with you about the blonde woman called Anna Blundy or whatever. She intrrupted everybody, and said nothing interesting. She is too boring, too morning/afternoon show type to appear in the Review. I don't know who chose her as a guest, but certainly she did a single good job: she made all the others absolutely superior intellectually.

I was dying to here more from Toby on exactly which type of school you're allowed to go to if you want write songs and play music! Does his theory extend into other walks of life? Can a public school boy join any left wing or liberal leaning association? I guess not. Arse.

It is a sad day when ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ news broadcast is censored and blacked out for viewers in the USA.
I have been watching ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Newsnight for years, but starting with the Feb 6, 2007 programme I started experiencing the following:
On Feb 6, 2007 at 22:47 GMT Jeremy started into the next report with these words: "The American authorities.." At that moment a notice appeared with music playing, which read: "For copyright reasons we cannot show this video. Newsnight will resume shortly."
The music continued playing in the background every 20 secs with 20 sec duration, then 20 secs of no sound. The GMT time was on the screen, so I know the exact time it began and ended at 22:57 GMT.

I haven't recorded all incidences of this, but the Friday programme blocked out the segment about Bush's star wars plan for the UK.

What gives? Who is behind this insideous development?

It's a shame that newsnight review seems to have got rid of all the people with real-life experience. It's like listening to a load of sixth-formers bickering. Just how are they qualified to make comment on Arcade-fire in the way they did? I don't like Arcade-Fire myself but I felt that the review was extremely patronising, especially from Bidisha. How old is she? I am surprised she knows who the Beatles are! Did they ever do a Christmas album? What a ridiculous comment she made. I actually agreed with Toby for once. At least he seems to have some passion and some respect for what/who he is reviewing.

I'm from the UK, yet still couldn't see the main article about US missles being stationed in the UK 'for copyright reasons'.

What's all this about?

I thought the reviews were supposed to be informative. Take the Arcade Fire as an example: Bidisha was expecting Birthday Party and the Afghan Whigs but all she got was a Paul McCartney Christmas album played in the style of a hoe down. Err right. Thanks for wasting five minutes of my Friday night with pointless name dropping and a ridiculous comparison.
Toby misses his working class heroes. Well I just wanted to know if it was good music. And thanks to the juvenile posturing of the reviewers I havent got a clue whether The Arcade Fire's new album is worth listening to or not.
I'm all for having opinionated reviewers but could somebody please remind them of their main purpose on the show.

Could you please clarify the 'copyright reasons' issue.

I'm sorry to be a dissenting voice...
I had never before seen Anna Bundy, and I found her interesting, charming, attractive, too - even, gasp, captivating - I think it was her presence that actually made me pay attention :)
I went to "look her up", but the web mainly has articles on her writing - her novels, and her newspaper articles. Seems the books are all available in Polish, too :)
I may even buy one of her novels. Maybe even more than one.
Sorry about that :)
Bring her back - maybe even give her her own programme !!!!

Seems like I'm not the only one who felt that Anna Blundy's over-eager, excited puppy-like behaviour ruined my usual enjoyment of Newsnight Review. First-timers should be given some clear guidelines i.e. wait until you are invited to speak by the Chair and do not constantly mutter agreement/dissent with everyone else's views as though you're the only person listening... Aaargh!

Having heard the new Arcade Fire album the review was a shambles. Can't journalists and "academics" get past the backgrounds of two out of the seven band members and judge an album on its musical worth. Regine Chassagne and Win butler are co-writers. The band takes a democratic stance on the creative process. Regine's family fled persecution from Haiti, after all! It was just Win and Will that atteneded private school, but music has always been part of their life. Their late grandfather invented the pedal steel, the forerunner to the electric guitar. Their mother and her parents were all musicians.

I think Neon Bible utterly mind blowing, but I'm fine with people disagreeing. However, the childish, immature and cocky battle to look big and tough was ridiculous. The one guy who was supporting the album looked horrified. when can these people just relax and not use a televsion appearance to promote themselves. Anna Bundy clearly hadn't listened to the album and she talked about her life as a journalist. Listening to an album once is a terrible way to form a judgement. So many great albums take repeated listens before they can be fully appreciated.

Michael Meacher did not do his case for leadership of the Labour Party any good. His contribution (why use a few words when you can use 1000's) took me back to the 60's/70's and the old CND arguments.

The worrying aspect was that the more he spoke, the more he reminded me of Frazier in "Dad's Army, with his "Doomed, we are all doomed" type of argument. At times he even exhibited his mad stare.
However his chances of becoming leader is so remote that in the words of Corporal Jones, "Don't panic, don't panic!"

Toby Daniel Moorsom Young's father invented the term meritocracy and Mr Young Jr went to Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. He's obviously in a position to start the cultural revolution against the upper-class establishment.
Blundy should listen to an album before going on TV to critique it. Just a suggestion. Still, she was quite attractive, so I'll let her off with it.

I do fully agree with some of the comments about last night's Late Review - particularly the manner of Anna Blundy. At times, it made for difficult viewing with the repeated cutting in on people's comments - and not actually offering anything of any great depth when she'd interuputed successfully.

I did feel that three of the four panel possibly hadn't listening to the Arcade Fire album with too much attention or, for that matter, read the press biog I presume they were also supplied with.

Somewhat surprised to read of Bidisha's music journalism background after naming the artists she was expecting it to sound like - particularly the mention of 'Closer' by Joy Division. The songs on that record, and its recording, were made in such vastly different circumstances, followed not long after by the suicide of singer and writer Ian Curtis. Perhaps she should have taken a look at this weeks NME cover story - a previous publication she wrote for. I've not read it, but would guess it to be a little more informative than some of the panel appeared to be last night.

"psychics at the MOD"

This has to be a class A.
I thought New Labour were taken something my worse fear have been confirmed.

From Newsnight web sit...

"It's emerged that the MOD will go to just about any lengths to combat the threat of terrorism, including recruiting psychics".

"In 2002 they paid Β£18,000 to fund a study to see whether certain people had extraordinary powers to enable them to "see" invisible objects".

New Labour will go to any lengths to prove there`s WMD in Iraq.

if you had put a tenner a point on the gb/yen exchange you would have made Β£4000 last week.

I disagree totally with the criticism about Anna Blundy. As a true pro she was playing to the whistle. If the ref Ms Wark, is reluctant to blow the whistle then the protagonists will behave badly. It was good to see Toby Young subdued and John "I am prone to be pompous" Harris kept quiet by two very articulate women who refused to be cowed and responded with reasoned argument rather than rhetoric.I'd certainly like to see and hear Bidisha and Anna Blundy back any time, preferably before Germaine Greer, Mr Young and Mr Harris.