What do all of you think of this fellow?
Buck Rogers
Posts: 2,185
Hello!
This interesting fellow arrived on Monday last week,
Let's just say he won't out do B. Bunny's relatives in covering the world in problems. Oh and how do I get the attachment manager to translate the photos which I took using the camera of a Palm Z device to show thumbnails? The thing is displaying question marks.
I'm also noting with amusement that it does remember me....
Problem solved. That's him up there.
This interesting fellow arrived on Monday last week,
Let's just say he won't out do B. Bunny's relatives in covering the world in problems. Oh and how do I get the attachment manager to translate the photos which I took using the camera of a Palm Z device to show thumbnails? The thing is displaying question marks.
I'm also noting with amusement that it does remember me....
Problem solved. That's him up there.
640 x 480 - 106K
Comments
Are you baiting us with a photo of your wife's favorite wig?
BTW, my Palm Zire72 finally died when I plugged in the wrong charger and zapped it with an over voltage. ASUS ZenPhones have a much better camera. And even my favorite app for the Palm Zire72 upgraded to being even more helpful in Android. It is time to let go, and get a new device.
Hello!
And Jordan you win the prize. Your right. He is. Even came with a short list of instructions.
Hello!
I'm not married. And to make the photos easier would have required a completely different camera and that one uses Windows 98SE for its software.
As for a new device, I already have here an HTC Dream phone. Oh and Jordan got it.
Sorry Rick. Right time period wrong individual. Harry Mudd was a conman, who did revolting things. Cyrano Jones was an all around fellow who sold stuff to make a living, and one of them was tribbles.
Hello!
I don't but thanks.
I did discover that he doesn't like professionally rude security guards by the way. That happened when he arrived here. He does like Oreo cookies though.
http://www.tribbletoys.com/buy.html
Now I am seriously worried what is happening to American adults.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/11611086/Secret-files-reveal-police-feared-that-Trekkies-could-turn-on-society.html
Looks like you should leave that little fella at home if you visit the UK.
Ever since the X-Files I have not seen any point in wasting time with it.
Mind you, I was really into The Munsters, Lost In Space, the original Star Trek, even Happay Days and Mork and Mindy. Oh and let's not forget Bugs Bunny and The Road Runner.
Not that I'm suggesting Brit TV is any better now a days, apart from Dr Who of course.
I have never owned a TV in my life, and I'm not inspired to consider it now.
Probably because trhe humor is more to my liking, I far prefer British comedy shows to American. We get some of it here on Netflix, Acorn, and Hulu Plus. Chris O'Dowd may not be your cup-of-tea, but Moone Boy is a fun show with good writing. Coupling, Gavin and Stacey, Black Books, Father Ted, and IT Crowd are favs, too.
There are some excellent mystery programs that far exceed the formulaic writing on most programs from the US. Foyle's War, George Gently, Inspector Lewis (just Lewis over there, I believe) and Endeavor come to mind. But I tune out the "gritty ex-con turned Met chief inspector" high concept yarns that, in the end, can't support more than a few story lines. British crime drama can be very dark, and I prefer Poirot's off-screen deaths over gruesome scenes of torture.
I am particularly fond of period pieces combined with good mystery stories. The care in maintaining the period (especially Foyle's War) is astounding. I even learned predecimalized currency so I could know how many bob goes into a pound.
I'm sure there are loads of Smile on the British stations. I understand it's littered with game shows, shopping channels, and "antique roadshow" programs. Urp, pretty much just like in the US!
Well, back to Tribbles, all 1,771,561 of them.
It's only recently I discovered Russell Brand. Here he is trying to bring Brit humour to New York:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baMW9t-Ui0U
Russell Brand is definitely a guy you have to get used to. Or not.
Can't be bothered to worry about the Brit commercial channels.
Luckily the BBC Radio 4 channel is mostly available anywhere. That's all I have really needed since 1970 or so.
Russell is a clever guy...
And that's how he got here.
Yes Trekkers (Myself included. I'm also a fan of Doctor Who and Star Wars, and sometimes Buck Rogers, hence the name,) do have Klingon. And fans of Doctor Who like myself have Martian.
Anyway, the deal was that if you lived in the UK and owned a TV you had to pay a licence fee. Which went to the BBC. For this reason we had the best TV in the world for a long time. Real programs no advertising, it was great. And believe it or not politically neutral for the most part.
Not sure how it goes now. The BEEB is a serious business selling it's shows around the world. For this reason I cannot just watch them here.
So no, not secret at all.
Dr. Who does have at least one specialty language, Gallifreyan, an ancient language spoken by the Timelords. Maybe it's not as popular as Klingonese, but chalk that up to fandom. Trek has an enormous following, and for good reason.
Sorry, your point is eluding me. Are you upset that the BBC monetizes its shows in foreign markets? If so, and looking at the production quality of programs like Foyle's War, you really think TV licensing fees alone are able to pay for that?
In the US, the average cost to produce a one-hour drama for episodic TV is now $3 million. I'm sure the costs are similar in the UK for the quality shows. After TV fees, national lottery, and all the other gimmicks, there still isn't enough to pay for what it costs these days to make a TV program (sorry, programme). So everyone looks to DVD and foreign sales as part of their income.
Or maybe you were trying to make a different point. If so, no need to be obtuse about it. Where's "here"?
Back in the day I don't think here was such a global market for the BBC output. Did you guys get the original 1963 Dr Who series on your channels in the USA? I'm guessing not. Such business was not on the agenda. Or if it existed at all it was not a big deal.
Today, we are globalized. Standards are high. Sure it can cost millions to make a TV show. Sure you have to then market it globally to recoup the cost.
Sadly missing the point that with talent you can make entertainment on a shoe string. You need good performers and good writers and that is about it. Do you think classics like Monty Python or Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy cost anything like that much?
Just now I find myself watching lots of vids on YouTube. The products of zero investment and a lot more fun than CSI This or That.
I have no idea why you mention the national lottery here. As far as I know that is totally disconnected. Never mind "all the other gimmicks" whatever that may mean.
I'm not being obtuse. Whatever point I was trying to make is independent of who I am or where I may happen to be.
As it happens, I'm in Helsinki. Where people still enthuse about the Benny Hill show. God knows why.
If it comes to the point that maximizing profit in that global market becomes more of a focus than fulfilling it's charter then I can well see that changes the whole character of the BBC as an organization and consequently it's output.
Not only that it would put into question the whole idea the licence fee. It changes from "let's pay to support some independent and talented people make good stuff for us" to "why are we supporting this profit based corporation in making mush for the world?"
Ah well...
Hmmmm...aren't you on record saying you're not familiar with the current BBC output? Then how can you have an opinion of it?
By obtuse, you haven't made clear whether you cannot or will not or don't want to watch BBC. What does "I cannot just watch them here" mean? I couldn't care less where you live. It would be nice to know what you're trying to say.
As for the old Dr Who's -- we have them in the US, but didn't during their original run. Not because of any lack of financial incentive -- BBC, ITV, and Thames have/had long sold their content here. Most Americans at the time would not have found the style of the videotaped Dr Who's compelling. Except for sitcoms and some staged plays, American TV has always preferred single-camera filmed dramas. Plus, the old 405-line PAL format of the time converted very poorly to American 525-line standard. What people see today are digital conversions, FAR better than the analog method possible in the 60s.
Since you seem unaware of it, for maybe 50 years the BBC has partnered with the Public Broadcast System in the US to fund programming. This has been going on since the 60s; in the early 70s, WGBH (PBS station in Boston) produced "Masterpiece Theater," originally hosted by Alistair Cooke. It was filled almost entirely with BBC imports. What you imagine as a sell-out has been a long-established business model. I'm certain they would have liked to sell Dr. Who into the US, just like the Beatles wanted to sell their records here. Something to do with the amount of money that can be made in the US, but I may be wrong...
Finally, if you are in the UK, you should know the national lottery partly funds film production and film education in that country. Mostly small films, but bigger ones, too, like the King's Speech. It and license taxation are "gimmicks" in that the funding sources are indirect, unlike simply charging admission or a monthly fee for access, which is the norm in the US.
Back in the day one turned on the telly, waited for it to warm up, tweaked the dial, fiddled around with the antenna, and there was the BBC. Or perhaps the commercial ITV channel which was awful.
All I'm saying is that outside of the UK one cannot do that. Clearly over the air broadcasts don't travel and the beeb has yet to make it possible for one to view their output over the net, even if one was prepared to pay which I am. Yes it is indirect and yes many people argue against that.
I'm going to argue that it is no more a "gimmick" than taxing people to fund NASA, basic science research, or a million other things that governments get done. Average Joe will not pay for that with a season ticket.
Thank God for the BBC I say.