The BBC have announced that they are decreasing the size of the increase in tv license fee that they want for the next 10 years.

The new bid is now 'only' inflation plus 1.8%.

As I was driving to the bus station to pick up my dear wife last night, I switched on the radio as usual. Nothing on 5 Live, nothing on Radio 2, nothing on Radio 4. So I did something I don't do very often nowadays, I put a tape on (yes the car's only a year old but it has a tape player).

Back in 1978, I was the only person who listened to reggae in Sunderland, a town not known for it's immigrant population. The tape I put on was called "Best Reggae Hits Since The Last Compilation We Did" or something like that. As I drove along not being inspired by "Mr Loverman" by Shabba Ranks (i.e. Shabba!!!) I reflected on how I hardly ever listen to music anymore and wondered if I was succumbing to that terrible affliction - age.

Then something hit me. It was the opening beats to "Uptown Top Ranking" by Althea & Donna. Up went the volume and I started getting down. For the next three minutes, I drove through the Gloucester city centre pumping out the bass like some... like some... well, you know, those young lads who buy a £75 car then spend £3000 on a sound system for it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althea_%26_Donna