Having seen loads of advertising for BT Privacy I thought I’d take a look. And what a waste of time it is. I registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) sometime ago and while it’s proved very effective, I still get the odd unwanted sales call (mainly that recording of an American woman telling me to press nine to claim my free holiday). I recommend signing up for the Mailing Preference Service too.

So how is BT Privacy different? Well, it isn’t. Sign-up for BT Privacy and they’ll register you with TPS and throw in caller display, which normally costs £5.75 per quarter. But I’ve already got caller display and there’s the rub… they planned to carry on charging me £5.75 per quarter while giving the product away to new customers. Their excuse, ‘We are promoting BT Privacy at Home from 1 July 2005, using a wide variety of media. It will also be included in Update, which is sent to our Consumer customers with their BT bill.’ I’ve opted out of the paper bill. Bas****s.

And while on BT I signed up with BT Broadband from the outset as they were first to market. In February this year they promised an upgrade from 512K to 2MBs at no extra charge. That’s nice I thought. And if you’re a new customer, they’ll give it to you right now. But those of us who’ve shown some loyalty (albeit of the can’t be bothered to change variety) are still waiting. Bas****s.
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The Daily Express has proved itself beyond the satirical capabilities of Shot by Both Sides with a front page Assistant fans assumed must be fake (and given the misspelling of ‘sponging’ you’d think them correct). It’s a small relief that such hysteria is almost certainly an effect of the Conservatives’ political impotence: all they can do is squeal from the sidelines. And the more shrill the Express gets, the sharper its decline. Just as there are no votes to the right, it seems there are no readers there either.

That’s not to say that the Express and the Daily Mail, of which it is a cheap copy, aren’t dangerous. Of course they are.

Contrary to the Express headline the successful bombers were British born and bred. But that’s beside the point. The Express and Mail constantly propagandise against those – like ‘travellers’ – who don’t conform to their narrow yet ill-defined notions of Britishness. In doing so they contribute to a climate in which minorities are bound to feel alienated and which ensures efforts to define their own strand of Britishness are stifled. This comes at a time when the Muslim community does need to take action against those who bomb in Islam’s name, as only Muslims can define what is and isn’t Islamic with authority. People like Shahid Malik, MP for Dewsbury, recognise that the Muslim community has ‘reached a dangerous crossroads, and the direction we choose will prove to be a defining moment in our history’ and is working tirelessly to ensure it takes the right path. He points to a ‘fear that criticising radicals in our midst gives ammunition to the far-right’. That fear must surely extend to the mainstream Conservative press.

So this afternoon I’ve written this complaint to the Press Complaints Commission, which outlines at least two breaches of the Code of Practice to which the Express allegedly works. I believe the Express may be providing ammunition to terrorist propagandists and so may even encourage further terrorist activity. Why not send a copy yourself, by clicking this link and then send? And do let me know how they reply to you.

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A hundred times better and this would have been drivel. ‘Is it the terrorists,’ is as clever and contemporary as it gets. Seen it before special effects just aren’t enough, neither is ten-year-old Dakota Fanning’s superb performance. Tim Robbins’ holed-up whacko provides some relief, but should’ve been killed off far sooner.
A time wasting 1 out of 10.
Director: Steven Spielberg…….Starring: Tom Cruise…… Dakota Fanning…… Tim Robbins
Gangster Number 1……Dear Wendy