Twelve video clips of the month, 2010

Regular readers will know that a recurring feature of this blog is the inclusion of video clips to illustrate the points discussed in different posts.

So here's one from each month of 2010 highlighting themes that seemed worth blogging about during the year:

January
Politician gives 5 straight answers to 5 consecutive questions

February
Nobel Prize for Economics (& Atkinson Award for Imagery): Joseph Stiglitz

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December
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England Ashes victories: 2010 & 1953

2010



1953

My parents bought their first TV set just before the coronation in 1953. Tiny black and white screen it may have been, but it did enable us to watch Dennis Compton (right) hitting the winning run that regained the Ashes in the final test match at the Oval (scorecard HERE).

I'd like to watch it again - so if anyone knows of an internet link to it, please let me know.

P.S. Thanks to 'pje' for entering the link to what I was looking for in the comments section - the British Pathe film can now be watched below.

FIGHT FOR THE ASHES - FINAL TEST AT THE OVAL, 1953

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PowerPoint Christmas circular competition result

This year's competition, inspired by the rise and rise of the Christmas circular letter, invited readers to take this art form to a new level of tedium:

All you have to do is to design a PowerPoint show for posting online to keep all your friends and relations up to date on the wondrous achievements of your children, the latest antics of your cats and dogs, your exotic holidays, etc., etc., etc. Whether you stick to the truth or tell a pack of lies is entirely up to you.

AND THE WINNER IS ...
Laura Goldberg, who will be receiving a signed copy of Lend Me Your Ears for producing such a masterful blend of banality, boastfulness and fake sincerity.

She lost a few points early on in the show for being rather too clear and persuasive, concentrating as she did on three children and three pets, about the first few of which there were three blobs.

But she made up for this by earning bonus points for screwing up such a promising start by abandoning the structure completely, for no apparent reason and without any rational explanation whatsoever (from slide 5 onwards) - thereby demonstrating one of the many types of audience distraction commonly inflicted on audiences by PowerPoint presenters.


SLIDE (1)
Hello dearest friends.
We are delighted to inform you of our family news this year.

SLIDE (2)
Our children are splendid
Tom Cooper Ellis Joy Jones (15.5yrs)
  • Upgraded school shoes from velcro to laces
  • Makes us smile every day.
  • We're very proud.
SLIDE (3)
Our children are splendid
Calum Ben James Marcus Oliver (17yrs)
  • Spelt out word for female breast on his calculator.
  • Most creative in expression.
  • Destined to be a writer.
SLIDE (4)
Our children are splendid
Timothy Alfred Jack Louis Daniel (19yrs)
  • Reached second gig venue on Guitar Hero World Tour.
  • Very talented.
  • On his way to rock stardom.
SLIDE (5)
Our pets are bothersome
Tom (cat)
  • Lives largely in own world.
  • Brings home assorted fish for our supper.
  • Salmon. Haddock. Plaice.
  • Makes a mess.
SLIDE (6)
Our pets are bothersome
Harry (dog)
  • Is deaf as a post.
  • Munches treats a little too loudly.
  • Plays Elgar on our piano.
  • Irritates the family.
SLIDE (7)
Our pets are bothersome
Dick (hamster)
  • Thinks himself a Houdini.
  • Escapes regularly, with not a tooth mark in sight.
  • Cage security grows by the day.
  • As does our resentment.
SLIDE (8)
Happy Christmas
Lloyd-Kennedy-Davies family XXX
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Anoraks' Corner: Two Christmas TV speeches

In case you missed them, as I did, here are two Christmas messages for you to catch up on.

YouTube scores (so far): Ed Miliband, 8,970; The Queen, 2,744 (though the former was posted four days earlier than the latter).

Favourable reactions in YouTube comments suggest that Miliband is in the lead (so far).

For what it's worth, I thought there was something a bit odd about both of them, but have yet to figure out exactly why. See what you think:



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Last minute Daily Telegraph Christmas quiz

With only 24 hours left for you to enter my main Christmas Quiz (HERE) and inspired by the standards of journalism propagated by the Daily Telegraph over the past 48 hours (for more on which, see HERE), here's a last minute Christmas competition:

The said 'quality' newspaper has offered you the chance of sending their tape-recording buggers to bug a conversation between any two people in the world, a transcript of which will be published in the Daily Telegraph (and on this and Robert Peston's BBC website blog).

All you have to do is to name two unsuspecting victims on whose conversation you would like to eavesdrop.

Optional for anoraks: Write a short transcript of what they might be saying.

PRIZES
The winner will receive the same prize as the winner of my main Christmas competition - with the added bonus of an indeterminate amount of fame among readers of this blog and my followers on Twitter.
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