Tweeting heck - how Richard Keys tops twitter trends!

I was struggling a bit today for what to write about. "Well, don't write, then!" might be a good response.

However, I decided to see what was TRENDing on twitter. What are the hot topics?

Ignoring "Promoted" tweets the top 10 today are:

1. Richard Keys - for reasons of sexist comments "off-air" on Sky Sports.
2. #improudtosay - and people say what they are proud of. An example is: "I'm an ELF" by @_ki_chan_
3. #celebritydeaths - example: "Homer Simpson, murdered by Ned Flanders. Pissed Ned off for the last diddly-ass time." by @MrGBIZ
4. #talksport - because they interviewed Richard Keys.
5. Force India - driver news at the Formula One team.
6. Sian Massey - see numbers 1 and 4 above. Sian is the object of the comments made by Keys and fellow (sacked) presenter Andy Gray.
7. NTAs - huh? National Television Awards, being screened by ITV tonight.
8. Razorlight - something about their new press picture.
9. Alan Partridge - apparently (tongue in cheek, presumably) being recommended to take over from Andy Gray/ Richard Keys (see numbers 1, 4, 6 above) as a sexist football pundit.

What a bunch of twits.

BBC cuts 200 websites. How many?

I see that, as part of a cost-cutting exercise, the BBC is to close down about 200 websites.

What? The BBC has over 200 websites? Obviously loads more than 200, because presumably they're cutting only a minority, not a majority.

What on earth is it doing with all those websites? It's trying to be too many things to too many people - that's what. Although people respect the BBC's views (as being accurate and impartial), they don't have to be the mouthpiece for everything.

The British Broadcasting Corporation should stick to broadcasting in the traditional sense and work on making quality programmes - the competition appears to be concentrating more and more on making dross.

Among the BBC sites to close include teen services Switch and Blast,as well as Raw, Video Nation and community site 606. I've heard of 606.

It looks like there have been far too many niche websites. Let's face it: there are plenty of other Internet players out there, who can cater for niche markets. The BBC should stick to the mainstream.

Who can tell me about their iPad?

I'm considering getting an iPad for my wife.

She currently uses an old laptop that is slow, the battery has failed and the mains connection is 'dodgy'. She uses it mainly for browsing the Internet, email and music (iTunes). She uses it while sitting on the sofa watching TV.

It seems to me that an iPad is looking like a sensible replacement.

Would anyone like to share their iPad experience to tell me whether or not it will be a good investment for my wife?

Thanks!

Our thoughts remain with Australian flood victims

The continuing stories of the floods in Australia are an ongoing nightmare. The latest news is that residents of the south-eastern town of Kerang have been told to leave their homes, as the river continues to rise.

“You should ensure you have left your property immediately,” a State Emergency Service (SES) message told the 2,500 townspeople by text at 1920 GMT on Tuesday.

The day before a boy drowned in Victoria, and further north in Queensland more than 30 people have died as victims of the floods.

A 13-year-old boy became a national hero, but sadly died, when he insisted that rescue forces save his younger brother first, after the family car had been swept along by the floodwater.

The weather forecast says that there is more rain to come.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to Australia where the floods are said to be the country’s most expensive natural disaster.

Pigs on the rampage in Southampton

No, it's no the police charging down a protest march!

Apparently, two pot-bellied Vietnamese pigs have been on the loose in Sothuampton sicne Saturday afternoon.

In a somewhat mysterious statement the BBC reported that the police said the incident may have be linked to a "breakdown in the relationship" between the couple which own the farm.

["Oh well, if you're going to be like that I'm going to set the pigs free." "Go on then." "Right I will!"]

The one black and one white pigs have been sighted several times, but so far they remain at large. They're probably motivated to stay away from the arguing couple.

Daviot Lodge in the Scottish highlands

It's Friday, and every Friday I advertise a local business that I use, know, support or like, or all four.

They're not exactly local to me in Surrey, but today I recommend the cottage for rent Daviot Lodge at Highland Holiday Lodge.

Set among tranquil birch woods in beautiful Strathglass, Daviot Lodge is the perfect highland retreat. With the beauty of the Scottish highlands and the comfort of our lovely lodge, this is the perfect place to get away from it all. Sleeps 4 (one double & two single beds).
Well-behaved pets are welcome.

Call 01463 782931 or see the website http://www.highlandholidaylodge.co.uk/.

Rubbish collection service is rubbish

The subject of rubbish bins rears its head from time to time. It seems to be a subject that gets us all a bit riled from time to time.

Here's my two penn'orth, and I know it's been said before.

Why is that I have to leave my bins (today it was a large general recycling bin and a small food recycling bin) neatly at the edge of my property ... but the bin men (for 'tis thus how they are known) can leave the larger one askew on the pavement and the smaller one sideways down in the flower bed?

If I were to leave them askew on the pavement and fallen over in the flower bed next Wednesday morning for the bin men to collect, guess what? They wouldn't touch them, and maybe I'd get a note telling me off.

It's not very good service is it? In fact, it's rubbish.

If Virgin succeeds, let's all get a rebate

I see that Virgin Atlantic does not want to the fees it pays airport operator BAA because of its "slow reaction" to last month's heavy snow.

Good idea.

How many times have we all thought that we should get a rebate for things like:

• Sky or Virgin TV (irony) service not working.
• Power cuts.
• Phone failures.

I'd love to withhold payment when my services have failed, wouldn't you?

Good luck, Virgin. And if you succeed, can I have a rebate for my failing Virgin V+ box last month?

England and the Barmy Army do us proud

Well done, England's cricketers!

Having retained the Ashes in the fourth test match, they duly completed the job at Sydney earlier today by beating Australia by an innings an 83 runs to win the series 3-1.

This has got to be the best England team for many a year - and the poorest Australian team for many years too. But despite the Australian shortcomings, we should take nothing away from England who batted well and always looked as though they could bowl the Aussies out - which you have to do twice to win cricket matches.

Presumably Alastair Cook has been or will be named man of the series with a fantastic 766 runs in five matches, but many players hit excellent form during the series.

The team has been followed by the unique "Barmy Army" and the support must have been inspirational to the team. For the fifth day of the fifth test, the ground was taken over by the Army, and there's a fantastic picture on the BBC website that sums up the ebullient mood of anticpated victory as Anderson took a catch in front of the Army. See the picture here.

Marvellous.

So as Andrew Strauss raised the smallest trophy in sport, let's say again: Well done, boys.

It was the coldest December on record

We've arrived at the New Year and I've just heard that December was the coldest since records began in 1910 and the coldest month since February 1986. The average temperature last month was a bracing -1 C for the whole UK. No doubt some areas had an average a lot colder than that.

It makes the current 5 C in the south east seem positively balmy, although the wind-chill is making it seem colder.

Nevertheless, on we go into January with the days getting longer and promise of brighter, warmer things to come.

The weather is always a huge talking point in the UK, and it's probably the same in Australia right now, with the city of Rockhampton and the state of Queensland suffering from flooding. Let's hope it doesn't get any worse before it starts to get better.