Mice

Comments

1. At 04:00 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Nick Murphy wrote:

   Should we be worried that you're all drunk and you're on air in an hour? Or is this some secret PM tradition?

2. At 04:03 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Tony wrote:

   Perhaps you could prop your dead mice postcard in the corner of the studio with the corpse.

   I think it's a corpse - he hasn't moved since I started watching the webcam.

3. At 04:16 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Dr Hackenbush wrote:

   What’s wrong with being drunk? Ask a glass of water.

   On a serious note, I’d like to advocate the notion that not drinking alcohol is also an option. Perhaps binge drinkers of a youthful disposition are encouraged by the fact that not only is drinking socially acceptable, but that not drinking is often seen in the opposing light. There.

4. At 04:31 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Rufus T. Firefly wrote:

   
   Hey, Dr Hackenbush

   I don't drink water I've seen what fish do in it.

5. At 04:36 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

   It was probably drink that killed the mice. Think on that when you sober up.

6. At 04:58 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

   sb6

   re 5: That's why I don't plan on soberinbg up!

7. At 05:05 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

   Did I really just hear a story about the toilet habits of a chess player called Vaseline?

8. At 05:08 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Essex Bound wrote:

   Tony (2) - I can't see anybody (or, indeed, any body) on the webcam.

   Is Mr Ed in a secret nuclear bunker or broadcasting where his feet go brown?

   I think we should be told.

   SB6 - but probably SB10

   It can't possibly be that the webcam isn't what it says on the tin, can it? Lissa wouldn't do that to us, would you?

9. At 05:11 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Essex Bound wrote:

   Oh no, now there are two bodies...

   You wouldn't be able to see the mice, dead or not the pic is so small.

   Is there a Rolec on view?

10. At 05:16 PM on 29 Sep 2006,whisht wrote:

    ahh, nice - gave me a smile to hear that again rufus... plenty of spledid ones from the WC

    oddly enough I actually do have a bottle of beer on my desk that I'm gently nursing into my body.

    of course other bodies are available

11. At 06:04 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    re 6

    As evidenced by your fingering, Fearless... ;)

12. At 06:24 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    well spotted!

    Ah well, what can I say? It's the end of the week, and all outside is grey and rain-soaked. Thank heavens for the PM froggers:))

13. At 06:29 PM on 29 Sep 2006,andycrafsh wrote:

    Fingering froggers eh?

14. At 06:40 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Kathy wrote:

    New Age discrimination legislation?

    You get the job if you have the requisite beads and crystals?

15. At 06:44 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Stop it, Andy-fish. You know I'll bite.

16. At 07:17 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    Too many jokes spring to mind!

17. At 07:46 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Nice one Kathy (14)

18. At 08:37 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Don Corleone wrote:

    Carissimo Capo Capone (aka Signore Mair):
    The mice conceal the message.
    Do not forget your roots.
    La famiglia ti ricorda.
    You may run but you cannot hide.
    D. Corleone
    

19. At 09:08 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Annasee wrote:

    A tape is discovered in which Lissa has the starring role...
    (Boss’ Office. Knock at the door)
    Boss: Come in, come in my dear, Lissa isn’t it. How lovely to see you. What can I do for you?
    Lissa : I’m terribly worried about Eddie, Sir.
    B:Who?
    L: Eddie. You know, The one I’m supposed to “look after”. Does the 5 o’clock slot on Radio 4. Cutting edge news & politics. As it happens. It’s what we do.
    B:Oh yes, I remember now. Carolyn Quinn’s show. Lovely girl. Bit bossy, but then I like that in a lass. (dreamy pause)
    L: Yes Sir. But when Carolyn’s busy, we have to use Eddie, & I’m just getting so stressed & worried at the moment ( voice breaks)… I have to photograph 3000 postcards by tomorrow morning for the blog, & I have to do the producing some days because all the rest have gone off sick apart from Rupert, & he just hides under his chair whimpering all day. It’s absolutely terrible down there, and now Eddie’s started cooking in the studio during the programme. Horrible smelly things like onions & cumin & curries even, some nights.
    B:Well he can’t do that! Whatever gave him the idea?
    L:He heard about Jim & Sarah getting scones & clotted cream on “Today” & he thinks he’s so good at multi tasking he can cook as well as eat. He says because the canteen doesn’t open til 5 he gets hungry. And he keeps typing that wretched “blog” of his while he’s eating – the computer’s covered in curry stains & there’s rice gone down the keyboard. I don’t know what IT Support are going to say.
    B: So your main problem is?
    L:The smell’s turning the guests green Sir. Some of the politicians won’t go into the studio because of it, so we’ve had to borrow a phone line from The World at One and interview them from the office next door. They’re charging us 20p a minute & the programme budget just won’t stand that for long.
    B Are you telling me none of the guests go into the studio now?
    L: Only John Prescott Sir. He & Eddie shared a huge curry last night – you could hardly make out the interview there was so much eating going on. And empty beer bottles afterwards all over the studio…
    (Thoughtful silence)
    (tape is interrupted here lest a too-long blog gets moderated – but side B should follow later)
    

20. At 09:25 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Roberto Carlos Alvarez-Galloso,CPUR wrote:

    Please let me know when you receive the post card from Miami Florida. Thanks.

21. At 09:36 PM on 29 Sep 2006,anne wrote:

    very good Annacee. you know the thing I couldn't understand about that whole Today program scone and jam and cream thing was - who on earth can eat cream scones at 8 in the morning? I mean, I give way to no-one in my hunt for the perfect scone but even I couldn't tackle one that early in the day.

    plus I've been out this evening and now I've come back and three pointless postcards have appeared where at least one member of staff's photo was. When did that happen? I don't know, you turn your back for 5 minutes and when you come back the world is on its way to hell in a handbasket....

    I'm off now to watch an episode of ER, but I remble at the thought of what will have happened by the time I get back for my pre-bedtime check of the frog.

22. At 09:43 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Annasee wrote:

    (tape side B begins with thoughtful silence from Boss)

    Boss: I’ve got the complete solution. Just needed some helicopter thinking on this one. We’ll move the PM show to the canteen, Eddie can cook & do interviews from there. I’ll rent out the old PM studios to the someone from TV – they always need more room & we can make a big profit. That will more than pay for the phone line rental from World at One, to the canteen. In fact, if we put it out to competitive tender, you might get a phone cheaper from “Today”. They finish work at 9 anyway so they don’t need it. Then, ( and this is my real stroke of genius,) any leftover food that Eddie’s cooked, we’ll freeze dry, package up & sell through BBC Worldwide. We’ll label it “Uncle (BBC Worldwide Catering )Eddie’s Instant Meals – Ideal for microwaving while you listen to Uncle Eddie on the radio” Brilliant! The DG’s going to love me for this!
    Lissa: Yes Sir. Not too sure about the canteen staff though. Do you mind if I get back to my postcards now Sir? Only they’re blocking the fire escape .
    B: No, no , run along my dear.
    (tape ends to Boss humming happily to himself “We’re in the money”)
    

23. At 10:05 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Chris the Pickle wrote:

    Anne (21) - how do you remble? Sounds fun!

    :O)

24. At 10:14 PM on 29 Sep 2006,andycraQI wrote:

    [complaint corner]

    1. Glamasee - where is my Ironing CD? I know you must have had to make thousands, but I was one of the first to order it. Well, request it via email, that is. Maybe you didn't think I was serious!

    2. why is no-one interested in Eleanor Thomas's sad goldfish story?

    [end complaint corner]

    Excellent stories Annaseed!

    Is it pronounced "scone" or "sconn", anyone?

25. At 10:43 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    The Chatbot's persistent, innee?

26. At 11:12 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    SB26

    Maybe it's "scoon", andy :p

27. At 11:37 PM on 29 Sep 2006,Annasee wrote:

    Aperitif - yes I noticed he was back. Just a bit boring, isn't he. What is the underlying purpose to being a chatbot? (I'm new to all this)
    Andy - sorry, didn't you get a paypal invoice from the "staff" here? I can get him to send another if not. We have plentyof CD's here - your order the first of - well - one. I did actually think you'd changed your mind. Someone from Newsnight did that once - I was distraught. Really thought that was our big break. His email had the dinkiest colour copy of their logo across the bottom too. Sooooo posh. But , sigh... it was not to be. The road to fame & fortune is a steep one, I'm afraid.
    I reckon it's pronounced SSSgon - (as in, "what's the fastest cake? sssssgon). But what would I know. I've only got a NEW ZEALAND accent for heavens sake. Hope you all feel mean now.

28. At 12:32 AM on 30 Sep 2006,anne wrote:

    it's sconn of course.

    I have a much sadder - yes really - goldfish story than Eleanor's.

    if you don't kow how to remble Chris - well you don't know what you're missing! but it's the sort of thing that needs face to face tuition, can't be done via frog sadly.

29. At 12:40 AM on 30 Sep 2006,anne wrote:

    you know I feel this should have occurred to me before but who on earth produces postcards with pictures of dead rodents? and what sort of sick person buys them? I think we should be told.

    Actually I think if I were a member of the PM production team I think I'd be a bit worried

    'Lissa and Rupert - they sleep with the mice'

30. At 11:49 AM on 30 Sep 2006,andycraCD wrote:

    Glamasee : PayPal doings done, I must have turfed out the original email with the spam I suppose.

    I eagerly await ... :)

    anne : I don't want to hear any more sad goldfish stories. One's enough for a while.

31. At 12:15 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Annasee (27) a couple of weeks ago someone posted a link to an article about robots who speak (I think) 40+ languages and are designed to pop up in chatrooms etc. and... do you know, for the life of me I can't remember what the point was. These had been amusingly named "Chatbots". (Sorry, that should've said 'These had been "amusingly" named "Chatbots".')

    Anyway, since then it has been noted (by Eagle-eyed Fearless*, I seem to recall) that we appear to have our very own Chatbot (not to be confused with a 'talkative arse') who crops up just to say something unlikely and refer us to his website. He has a lovely name though.

    I'm sure someone else can refer you to the original story - or provide a more coherent explanation, but that's the essence of it, I think. Keep your eyes peeled! (eww).

    *not so eagle-eyed he can find my hidden cameras, mind you.

32. At 01:38 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    maybe I have found them and I'm just not saying!

    I'm glad to see I'm not the oly one who shudders at the phrase "Keep your eyes peeled". As a youngster I never liked that at the end of Police 5...

33. At 03:12 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    But Fearless, if you've found them why haven't you removed them?

34. At 03:31 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    Well, this way I can get good feedback about my sartorial choices. I need all the help I can get!

35. At 03:47 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    re 34: Today's relaxation outfit looks entirely suitable to me.

36. At 05:51 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    At least you haven't laughed about the haircut!

37. At 06:02 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    btw, AndyCragg, Valery, Doc and Fearless, I know where you all go when you've had enough of the nonsense here, or want to retreat to EMBRACE each other. I wouldn't mind, I only found the 'back of the wardrobe', because I thought Peter Rippon looked rather handsome and I wanted to examine him more closely. Couldn't bring myself to join in though - one silly, distracting pastime is more than enough...

38. At 08:31 PM on 30 Sep 2006,whisht wrote:

    Aperitif - what the hell are you on about?

    in 37 I mean.

    :¬.

    (I've completely missed this "cameras" stuff - but if you are lookng at this blog through a scanner darkly, then... I wasn't even there...)

39. At 08:39 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Annasee wrote:

    Appy - thanks for 31 - I thought it must be something to do with sending traffic to a web site, but didn't know the derivation. Well I've never looked at his website so it hasn't worked. Not much to entice one with conversation -wise - so why would you bother?

    Andy - thanks, your cd will be in the post Monday. Hope you've been saving all your ironing (if not I could send you ours to test drive. There's plenty of it)

    Re the mice. Honestly, everyone is barking up the wrong tree (splendid mixed metaphor) there's nothing sinister about them -it's ART for heaven's sake. And they're an exclusive import- you try asking your local village post office for their selection of dead mice post cards & see how far you get. Ditto WH Smiths or Paperchase. Sometimes the New World has so much to teach the old world about trends in contemporary art...

40. At 09:12 PM on 30 Sep 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Whisht (38) - I fear only those in the cult (I know where it meets but have not joined) will understand my 37 - but try getting to know Peter Rippon a little better and you'll soon see what I mean.

    The reference to cameras is quite simple. I have strategically placed cameras in Fearless' house and in many other locations that I am not prepared to divulge. This is becasue I work for the RSPCD (think duvets) and am on covert operations. Or maybe not - but how would one know?

    Annasee (39), I've been to the 'Wirld of Wirriblert' in Nelson (pronounced 'World of Wearable Art' elsewhere). The use of the terms "New World" and "Comtemporary Art" in the same sentence therefore has a special "thrill" for me...

41. At 12:16 AM on 01 Oct 2006,whisht wrote:

    Aperitif - thanks, that makes me feel so much better.

    
    scared. very, very scared.........

    :¬*

42. At 08:22 AM on 01 Oct 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Valery,

    I have just read your 22 on 'Perv'.

    Thought you would like to know.

43. At 08:28 AM on 01 Oct 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Wow!

    Someone (is it Chris Legard?) is in the studio!

    Either that or the webcam is lying to me. Good grief. At this time on a Sunday morning?? Did you get up thinking it was Monday sir?

    Frankly, I didn't forgo my Sunday lie-in for this - on with the "important" typing...

44. At 09:03 AM on 01 Oct 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    I've realised my mistake re 42. You'd think the words "Webcam Live: Weekdays 1700-1800
    Saturdays 17.00-17.30" underneath would've been a clue...

    
    

45. At 10:11 AM on 01 Oct 2006,valery pedant wrote:

    Aperitini, thanks for reading!

    Ah, so we have a new member? Excellent, well once you've got all that work done, you can investigate further, but not till then.

    Not been around much myself, we seem to have picked up a worm which has hijacked our email address and we are being deluged with "undelivered message" style emails, but emails we didn't send! They use the last part of our email address but with a different front-end. I daresay you techy-types may be able to give me a bit of advice?

    Now get on with that work (now I'm having to organise you Ap, as well as Fearless!)

46. At 11:42 AM on 01 Oct 2006,Annasee wrote:

    Pleased to see Sunday is as busy as the rest of the week for all us blog commenters. Just thought you would like to know the cat left us a sweet little dead mouse in the cellar today. Only as big as my little finger. Do you think he has been reading this blog? I don't see why not - if a 3 year old can buy a car on ebay Gordon (that's his name by the way) could certainly operate our computer.
    Val - I'm no techy (see my views on Firefox elsewhere) but your email problem sounds sinister to me. I'd be going over your computer with a bucket of bleach & a scrubbing brush if it were mine. Or get some really good worm tablets from the chemist & pop them into those little slots along the side - are they called USB ports? One pill per port should fix it.

47. At 01:26 PM on 01 Oct 2006,whisht wrote:

    hi all,

    has anyone read the webcameron blog thing??
    https://webcameron.org.uk/
    uh oh.....

    the "open Blog" shows a few signs of seeding and moderating.
    the pieces to camera are... hm. I'll take my politicians interviewed methinks

    I definitely hope a piec on his blog makes the PM programme...

48. At 01:56 PM on 01 Oct 2006,whisht wrote:

    oh - i posted it here!!
    duh!
    I just repeated my self on the previous posting!!

    must be the weather.

    anyway, I've signed up to webcaeron and started posting.... lets see if its quicker than here or (godforbid David) slower! (thats our David Mc and not the cam...)

    also I've discovered this site:
    https://www.webcameron.com/

    oooohhhhh I'm gonna have fun asking David about his poetry....

49. At 08:59 PM on 01 Oct 2006,Aperitif wrote:

    Valery, re Ah, so we have a new member? Excellent, well once you've got all that work done, you can investigate further, but not till then.

    Any idea when that will be?

50. At 10:07 PM on 01 Oct 2006,valery pedant wrote:

    About tomorrow lunchtime I seem to remember - it was Your plan, Ap?

    Thanks Annasee - yes, it makes me feel extremely invaded and so on. I'll try the worming tablets, just as soon as I've worked out why this new whoop-de-doo 2007 (sic) internet security suite we have now downloaded makes the whole jingbang lot run unfathomably slower than it did before (and that was bad enough). You can press the start button, go and have a walk round the policies, catch up with the ironing and make a coffee, then come back and it's just about ready to let you do something on it - by which time you've either forgotten what it was you were going to do (happens all the time sadly) or changed your mind.

51. At 09:42 AM on 02 Oct 2006,Fearless Fred wrote:

    Hi Val: I recommend booting the machine up, open the scurity suite and check for updates, then disconnect from the internet. Next, run through a complete system scan with the security suite virus scanner (make sure to check the available advanced options to include any hidden or system files). That can take an hour or two to run, but it should scrub everything clean (without the need for Brillo pads!*).

    Appy how's the work going? I saw from your other posts you'd got to a proof-reading stage...

    *other wire-wool soap pads are available

52. At 11:03 AM on 02 Oct 2006,Dr Hackenbush wrote:

    we are being deluged with "undelivered message" style emails, but emails we didn't send! They use the last part of our email address but with a different front-end
    (45)

    This is a typical spam e-mail tactic, which suggests that this ‘worm’ sent news of your e-mail domain to said spammers, which are seemingly always automatic. Unfortunately, once the data is secured, there doesn’t seem to be anything much you can do to stop the spam. I get rather a lot of it...

    P.S. All should know that there is a capital ‘I’ in Internet.

    SB52 ?

53. At 11:26 AM on 02 Oct 2006,John W wrote:

    Just for fun, shall we all keep quiet about the new "listeners postcards" feature on the blog today?

54. At 11:28 AM on 02 Oct 2006,John W wrote:

    ...meanwhile, we should all mention that the calendar says it's September, but the dates fall on the days for October.

55. At 05:35 PM on 02 Oct 2006,valery pedant wrote:

    Fearless and Doc - many thanks. Watch this space.

56. At 12:51 AM on 03 Oct 2006,Tim C wrote:

    Are you sure the mice are dead?

    could they be sleeping?

    could they be pretending to be dead?

    could they be in a coma induced by boredom?

    could one be dead and the other alive?

    could one be dead and the other asleep?

    could the other one be dead end the other asleep?

    so many questions.

    I think we should be told.

    PS My horse escaped

57. At 03:47 PM on 03 Oct 2006,valery pedant wrote:

    Oh Tim C, hi there? Where have you been all this time?