There is to be change at the Whitehouse, not before time. It will be interesting to see how it goes, for when the new man gets there he will find the larder quite bare. Obviously things can only get better. There seems to be something perverse about American Politics, did someone calculate that every vote cast, cost the Campaigners eight dollars? After such expense it would have been nice had the BBC Radio not interrupted the winners Acceptance Speech from Chicago five minutes before it ended, to voice inane comment from two Presenters, orchestrated by what I took to African Mood Music. When one sought to see the rest of the Speech on BBC Television, one was treated to the sight of David Dimbleby discussing the matter around a table. By contrast ITV positively sparkled Lively on Site, well done to them, and thank you for not charging me any sort of a Licence Fee as a Quid pro Quo. (Oh dear one isn’t allowed to attempt Latin anymore, too un. PC.)

For better or worse there are occasional Iconic or laconic Performances to be seen and or heard. Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson, Mrs Thatcher on the way in and on the way out, even the hype of Tony Blair’s progression by car from Islington to Downing Street. If Obama’s speech was not one of such, what on the Earth would be?

Should not the BBC be doing a lot better. The announcer having broken in on the speech advised that I tune to BBC Five, what or wherever that may be. Seemingly one can tune all the way up to BBC Seven; and see BBC one to four through a Satellite Dish. One may watch and hear BBC programmes both live and ‘canned’ on line, do so on demand for at least a month after a broadcast. Is this profligacy of expense necessary, whilst even their Long Wave can be difficult to receive when holidaying on the Continent?

One has become somewhat punch drunk concerning the whole audio visual spectrum, so I have little knowledge of which Broadcaster produces what, even so why has it become necessary to serve an incessant rehash of the same old celebrity Chefs producing boring cuisine, whilst at other times Antiques Personages, for want of a more specific terminology rummage through the Nation’s Attics and Car Boot sales, demanding to know what some lucky recipient is ‘going to do with the money?’ Then others move onto an Archaeological site with a JCB, and go to great lengths to re-discover this that or another wall, which was rightfully buried to benefit posterity. I recall when at School, ‘our’ Fosse Way Roman Camp Site, was advisedly, excavated with trowel and paint brush.

I am ‘into’ both Antiques and Cooking, and have a dangerous knowledge of each, but is not enough, enough? My allied weakness is the acquisition of second hand Cookery Books, (had one hundred and Fifty at the last count, one so likes to support Charity Shops, do you know!) but use only three ‘Source Books’ .The ‘French’ tend to own but the one Recipe Book and are astounded to hear of our alleged propensity for watching others cook on Television.

Is not the BBC selling us short ? Why is it necessary to pay one Jonathan Ross an alleged umpteen millions a year, or pay so many BBC executives more money than the Prime Minister. Such money derives from the Obligatory Licence Fee. There was a time, that this money was used for the Production of Quality Programmes, rather than pay for the repetitive twaddle currently broadcast in lieu thereof .

One was rather looking forward being excused paying the licence fee next year on the basis of old age, or is it senility? Now there is some Cameron Chappie promising to cut the cost of the Licence Fee. I see this as a diminution of the value of my expectations, and will expect to be compensated for my financial loss.

Should any wonder concerning the Picture it is of Persons queuing for some four hours to vote in the USA. (Courtesy of the New York Times). Is there some lesson there for us, when it comes to next year’s
Unitary Authority Election?