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Day: 9 December 2002

Weird: Shutdown the Internet

December 9, 2002
1 Comment

[Don't push the button]You all know to shut down your computer properly at night/when you finish don’t you? Well – did you remember to shut down the Internet correctly when you had finished using it?

No? Well, next time – remember to take your Javascript enabled web browser over to Turn Off The Internet and safely shutdown the Internet when you’ve finished with it.

Before you do that, remember that Windows allows you to use Alt+F4 to close the current window…

(I actually have fond memories of a big red button – some ODP editors will probably remember a big April Fools joke that was played on us in 2001. I think we all learnt that when a sign says “Do NOT [Push] the Big Red Button!”, it’s advisable to NOT push it: no matter how much you are tempted. Following instructions is a good idea sometimes 🙂 )

TV: Granada Men And Motors

December 9, 2002
4 Comments

[Emma Ford]I’ve just spent a number of lazy hours watching TV and eating whilst idly channel “surfing”. During that time, I noticed the the ‘slightly adult’ Men And Motors channel from Granada Sky Broadcasting seems to give a stereotypical impression of part of the population. Basically, Granada (the TV station that brings you Coronation Street) is based “up” in Manchester – and the “Men And Motors” shows seem to just have “northern lasses” on the programmes (the Manchurian and Liverpudlian accents tends to be quite distinctive, but some of the girls actually state they are from the North and North West – whether it’s a “cost saving measure” to save the camera crew travelling around the country, I don’t know). The only thing is, most of the shows on M+M appear to me to be about strippers and their work.

Yep, you’ve guessed it – it seems to give the impression that only “northern lasses” strip (and the majority of them are actually blonde – but on most you can tell they are bottle-blondes). Oh, and it’s doesn’t really help the “stereotypical impression” about “Scousers” being a bit lacking in the intelligence department either when some of the women being interviewed (this instance from a catwalk show or similar) come up with remarks such as “It’s not just about the look, it’s about the whole package – the walk, the look. It’s about the package”. In other words, “judge me and my fellow women by the way we look and walk only”.

Oh – and girls, I’ll hate to disappoint you, but some blokes do find large breasts a big turn-off!

Sorry for the slight rant, but I dislike “stereotypes” being reinforced – but Men And Motors just seems to want to reinforce the “Northern Blonde Bimbo Who’s Willing To Take Her Clothes Off As Soon As You Ask” stereotype a bit too much. And if it wasn’t for NTL: forcing me to “take” ‘Men and Motors’ as a cable TV channel then I wouldn’t have this to rant about (NTL show “Granada Plus” [an enjoyable channel showing old re-runs] between 6am and 11pm, when it then “switches over” to Men and Motors).

(Disclaimer: I’m actually from the Midlands and as far as I know, I have no relations in or from the Northern part of England – so you can’t say I’m “defending” the Scousers because I am one – as I’m not! A! Now just calm down, calm down!)