Lookalike: Milo Ventimiglia = Adam Levine

Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia = Maroon 5's Adam Levine

Lookalike: Kieran Richardson = Noah Gray-Cabey

Sunderland FC's Kieran Richardson (aka cousin of Big Brother's Charley Uchea) = Heroes' Noah Gray-Cabey (aka Micah Sanders)

My take on the Russell Brand/Jonathan Ross/Andrew Sachs issue

• How did it become top-line news? It seems Monday was the day it hit the news, despite the broadcast in question having been made after 9pm on Saturday 18 October.


• Brand's "performed" far worse material on the same BBC Radio 2 slot.


• How and why did the number of complaints the BBC received, increase from a reported 1,500 on Monday 27 October, to over 20,000 today? Have all these people listened to the show in question?


• Sachs was due to go on the show -- it's not as if Ross and Brand decided to call anyone up.


• If Ross wasn't involved, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have become such a major issue. For many, this is a chance to attack him and his salary.

bbdo.co.uk

Lookalike: Mike Wooten = Greg Grunberg

Greg Grunberg (aka Heroes' Matt Parkman)
=

Mike Wooten (aka Sarah Palin's ex brother-in-law)

Drawing the line at too large Tesco sign

thisissussex.co.uk: Drawing the line at too large Tesco sign

Thomson and Five

I've recently bought a Thomson Freeview recorder box -- maybe not as good as Sky+, but if you don't opt for a Sky channel, Rupert Murdoch charges you £10 a month for the priviledge of recording on the box.

So, the Thomson version is an adequate replacement if you can live without Sky Sports, although why they ask you to leave it on Channel 5 for its first hour of use is beyond me. Do they have a deal to boost audience figures?

What does...

... the "W" on Gordon Ramsay's chin stand for?

Pierre Issa

Sometimes you remember reading something yonks ago, but then can't find any concrete info on the subject.

According to my memory - unless I was dreaming - South African footballer, Pierre Issa, was suspected of wearing a headset during a World Cup game, and was in communication with his manager on the touchline. Did this actually happen?

YouTube: Pierre Issa gets dropped!

Michael Winner looks like...

=

Why is everything so small?

I recently saw the Angel of the North, up in Gateshead, and was surprised it wasn't as big as I imagined.

I was even more surprised to read that the Statue of Liberty is not as tall as the angel's wing span. Titchy.

Idle thought of the day

I do not know when I first heard of "paedophiles", but has the word replaced one I was brought up with - "strangers"?

Do children today still get warned about accepting sweets from strangers? Or is it all about paedos?

Incidentally, here's the latest on Gary Glitter from The Daily Telegraph: Gary Glitter flees hiding place and plans life abroad

Dave TV channel and its very very bad ad break editing

Why oh why of why oh why, are the advert breaks on Dave so appallingly edited?

For example, on Who's Line Is It Anyway, the presenter will announce the next round, then the adverts will begin. When the programme resumes, it will be halfway through the next round.

So shockingly bad, it's almost good.

UPDATE! Dave says:

Dear Miscellanean,

Thank you for your email.

Thank you for your comments. We strive to edit programmes so they appear seamless and do not affect the editorial quality of the programme.

We do acquire most of our programming, so it is possible that this show’s editing was carried out by an outside production company.

We are sorry to hear that on this occasion the edit affected your enjoyment of the show, and we will feed back your comments.
Kind regards

The UKTV Team

uktv.co.uk
http://www.uktv.co.uk

Find out more: Dave message boards

eBay eashing

There's been a lot of eBay bashing (eBashing, if you will), with most of it focused on a new management team and it's shift away from what's made the site - auctions.

In the shift to fixed, buy-it-now listings, and a rise in selling costs, I've only just noticed that I was viewing the site in a new "search experience". I only realised, as one of the site's best features - the RSS feeds - was not included. You have to "opt out" of the amazing RSS-less experience to find the function (at the bottom of every search results page).

I never knew that... Millets and Blacks are one and the same!

Blacks ("the outdoor experts") and Millets are both owned by Blacks Leisure Group.

Focus DIY: taking the Michael

[Mini-rant] Focus DIY store closed their Crowborough doors a couple of weeks ago, with Tesco's grubby fingers poised to take over.

So it was a little bit rich to find a Focus advertising supplement stuffed through my front door. If I was was to take up on any of their "great savings for a great home" I would have to make a 46 mile round trip to Burgess Hill. [Rant-end]

eBay: ungrateful so-and-sos

[Mini-rant] Why don't people leave feedback on eBay? I've left feedback on all my transactions - 370 in fact. But I've only had 332 comments in return. I've always sent sold items ASAP and paid for won items as quick as I can. I'm proud of my 100% rating, but I would love to know why 38 people haven't bothered to respond. [Rant-end]

Crowborough: two weeks, two stabbings

BBC news: Groom stabbed at wedding party
26 July

BBC news: Boy stabbed in fight outside shop
14 July

Not quite right

Surprised to read about Russell Brand's deteriorating relationship with "Rainbow George", especially as the latter was on the former's Radio Two show last week.

As read in The Observer, Pendennis column: That's enough Brand awareness

McDonald's: i'm lovin' it, i'm killin' it

Unreported fatality

There was a death at Eridge, East Sussex last Friday (20/06/08) which has gone completely unreported.

The only record of this is on the national rail enquiries website:

"Train services are being disrupted between Ashurst and Uckfield due to a fatality at Eridge."

Only just realised...

Britannia Music Club no longer exists!

I was reminiscing the other day about their old five-CDs-for-99p* adverts in magazines.

pinkfishmedia.net: Britannia Music club in administration....

* Your only committment is to buy one full price CD once a month, for the rest of your life.

Email response from my local MP, Charles Hendry, about his expenses

Dear Mr Miscellanean

Thank you for your email request and I am sorry for the delay in responding. [Couple of weeks - Misc.]

Following the recent Court decision, the details of the expenses of all Members of Parliament, related to their constituency/second homes, are to be published later in the year. As you will appreciate, with 650 Members of Parliament this will involve a significant amount of work and my understanding is that this should be published in September.

From the start of this financial year, we are also publishing on a quarterly basis details of all expenses that which we have claimed.

Many of us have been appalled by the recent revelations of what it is permissible to claim. I have never bought anything from the so-called 'John Lewis list' nor have I ever claimed for anything which is not be backed by a receipt.

Yours sincerely

Charles Hendry

Member of Parliament for Wealden
Shadow Minister for Energy, Industry & Postal Affairs
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

www.charleshendry.com

Update following House of Commons vote

Dear Mr Miscellanean

Thank you for your email about how I voted in the recent "John Lewis" debate. I voted against the so-called 'John Lewis list' and in favour of greater transparency and external auditing.

As I stressed in my earlier response, I have never claimed for anything from the 'John Lewis list' nor made any claim without submitting a receipt. Having worked in the private sector for almost all of my life before being elected to Parliament, I cannot comprehend how any MP can think that we should have more relaxed rules on expenses than apply to our constituents.

I hope this helps to reassure you.

Yours sincerely,

Charles Hendry

Tes-go to Crowborough

The Focus DIY store is now half-dead, selling off it's odd ends of wallpaper and cracked toilets with a massive 20 per cent off. I made the mistake of visiting after being enticed by amazing offers in the local paper, none of which were in stock.

Don't go there, it's a waste of time.

Crowborough.biz: Another supermarket?

Why Southern Railway don't allow bicycles on all their trains

Dear Mr Miscellanean

Thank you for your email.

Firstly, I would like to clarify our exact cycle policy, which is as follows:

Ordinary cycles are not permitted on weekday trains travelling towards London or Brighton that are due to arrive at either destination between 0700 and 1000. Also, ordinary cycles are not permitted on weekday trains leaving London or Brighton between 1600 and 1900. This includes shorter journeys commencing or finishing en route on such trains. However, if the train does not fall into any of the above categories, then you can take your cycle on it at any time.

Standard-sized folding cycles are permitted on any train. By standard-sized we mean traditional folding cycles, with small wheels, that fold in more than one place to about the size of a briefcase when fully folded. We do not mean a normal sized cycle that folds in the middle so that you can get it in your car easily.

This policy has been in place for a number of years. Up until now, we had been happy to let the policy self-manage, particularly on routes where old slam-door trains with guards vans were present. However, more and more passengers are using our trains and we had been receiving complaints from passengers and staff that cycles were blocking access and egress and this position was no longer tenable.

Our predecessors made a policy decision several years ago to eliminate guards vans as such in favour of additional seating and we do not plan to reverse that judgement. However, before reaching a conclusion about cycle policy enforcement, we researched the issue and found that the number of cycles on our trains at the busiest times was impeding the free movement of both passengers and staff. Staff had been experiencing difficulty in walking through the trains which in turn had a negative impact on safety, security and revenue protection. We also found that as well as preventing disabled people accessing wheelchair spaces, the presence of cycles was causing occasional damage to vehicle interiors, and making it difficult for passengers to move through trains, causing unnecessary crowding.

With the completion of our new trains introduction programme last November, the increase in cycle storage facilities at stations (many provided through partnerships with local authorities), and the increase in the carriage of cycles, we decided to enforce our policy. In doing so, we accept that this will cause some inconvenience to cyclists, many of whom have taken their cycles on trains for many years. However, our assessment is that if we had not taken this action, the already significant problems I have highlighted would have worsened.

We have not introduced an outright prohibition because we only wish to prevent the carriage of ordinary cycles where absolutely necessary. This enforcement brings us into line with the policy adopted by most other train operators who provide commuter services including the neighbouring South West Trains and South Eastern.

With regard to users of folding cycles being asked to fold them prior to reaching the ticket barrier, our aim is to avoid congestion which might otherwise arise at the platform entrance. The related need to have them folded upon entering the platform is to try to make sure that they are folded before entry to the train and to avoid users being left behind when trains are dispatched. I am sure you will understand that we would not opt to make a train leave late in those circumstances. However, we’re not being absolutely rigid about folding and, where carrying a folding cycle presents the owner with particular difficulty, we will allow them to wheel their bike up to the train so long as they agree to fold it before they board.

Finally, I should make clear that we welcome folding cycles at any time. We are sympathetic to the aspirations of the cycling community. That's why we are only restricting cycles during peak hours when so many of our trains are already operating at full capacity.

Regards
Xxxx Xxxx
Southern Customer Services

Euro 2008 lookalikes II

Michael Ballack

=

Matt Damon

Euro 2008 lookalikes I

Michael Hasselhoff

=

Jens Lehman

Lewes FC v Dorchester FC 19 April 2008

How can I stop receiving BT phone books?

I thought BT would not make it easy to cancel the massive slab of paper that is the annual phone book. I haven't used it (or the paper Yellow Pages) for years. However, a couple of emails, and I am now on the 'Not to send to' list.

Of course, the reality is I won't know until next year - when they deliver the book to my area again - whether or not any of the distributors pay any attention to the people who who have requested not to receive a copy.

To stop getting the BT phone book, email: directory.products@bt.com

BT phone book, Yellow Pages, etc.

How can you stop getting these slabs of paper delivered?

Paper, paper, paper

At the end of last year I returned to Sky (from Tiscali), deciding to take up their TV, broadband and telephone package. Here is all the paperwork it took (excluding many phone calls):



Total: 3 Sky booklets, 14 Sky letters, 3 Tiscali letters