the fourth place

I have occasionally written in to radio programs and got read out. John Peel read out my email once suggesting Glastonbury website users turn off images in their browsers naively assuming that the problems there were bandwidth related. I was quite pleased by that given that John Peel is no longer with us, but it was pretty cringeworthy. Anyway, I'm reminded of why I don't do that too often by my experience just now at Sky.

I was impressed that they got it on so quick, either they have low traffic or they are moving very fast there. I think the latter as only the one small part of the email was read aloud. - less than a complete sentance - and they gave my name when I asked them not to. Because of the butchering and the name giving, I thought I'd post about that I did actually say.

To clarify a soldier had come on to talk about recruitment, and was invited to respond to a parent of a soldier killed in Iraq who highlighted the problems with equipment. He said that it was upto soldiers to ensure they were effective and that they shouldn't moan about the equipment. He did not say that equipment didn't matter or that soldiers died due to their own incompetance.

I did not say simply that it was the soldiers responsibility to make themselves effective. I merely responded to mischaracterisations of what a soldier had come on and said by re-iterating it and correcting an earlier email contribution. It was worth re-iterating if only to put my point into context, but it the extra wordage was a liability. I kept it short, but less words next time, huh...

The original thinking that I did add was that most professionals buy equipment for themselves for the purpose of making themselves effective. Accountants buy smart shoes, salesmen buy flashy suits and get ridiculous haircuts, plumbers buy tools, we all need diaries and organisers. Soldiers want comfortable boots and brighter torches than the standard issue.

I also added that it is refreshing to hear a soldiers individualist perspective rather than guilty hand-ringing about crappy APCs - however justified that is.

I'd bring you a verbatim copy of what I did say, but my computer swallowed it (I know, I know, very convenient, also very embarrassing).

I guess I have to look on the brightside - a tough-liberal meme was circulated (if only to the newsroom) and a dweeb at Sky picked my message from the others to hand to the anchorman. Horaah! If only my parents gave me more praise ;-)

PS When I heard my full name read out on global TV I sent that bit about please not giving my surname again in 24pt red bold. You have to wonder what else they get wrong.