Things I Have Learned This Week

1. Or , in other words, X Factor is back on TV in the UK this week. A sure sign that Summer is pretty much over and that perhaps the sun may never shine again. 

Much has been made of the fact that there are three new judges, but viewers should expect more of the same sub-Mariah warblers, more ridiculing of entrants who are clearly mentally ill, more guest appearances from virtually naked American female singers promoting their latest single, more Dermot O'Leary grinning determinedly whilst on the inside hating himself that he can't resist taking the huge bags of cash for presenting this shit, and so on.

2. Not only X Factor to darken our evenings, Big Brother has risen from the dead and has a new channel, along with a new bunch of (celebrity) freaks and airheads. Two people (and we forget that they are two people, as they seem to take up just one place on every programme they appear on), who came to prominence on X Factor and are now housemates on BB, are John and Edward Grimes: better known as Jedward.

Whilst I am unlikely to be watching, I do feel sympathy for the other housemates which Channel 5/Endemol have cobbled together in the Big Brother house. The hyperactive, hyper-annoying duo are unbearable enough on TV, but at least it can be switched off. To have to put up with their incessant drivel 24 hours a day could push anyone over the edge.

ADMIT IT. YOU'VE FANTASISED ABOUT DOING THIS

When I came across this picture I thought the inevitable must have happened , that someone had just finally lost it with them.

Turns out it isn't real. It's a poster for an anti-bullying campaign in Ireland, so fair play to them, worthy cause etc.

3. Tweet of the week comes from @prodnose - the incomparable Danny Baker. This was after the announcement that the veteran US greasepaint rockers Kiss had been dropped from the upcoming Michael Jackson tribute concert in Cardiff.

If you're on Twitter, you should follow Danny ... as long as you don't mind reading around sixty tweets per day.

4. That story prompted me to spend way too long doing (in my ham-fisted way) this:

The official reason given for dropping Kiss by the organisers was that they were "...previously unaware just how terrible they are. We're talking Nickelback levels of shit here". 

5. Basketball gets interesting.

Never really cared much for basketball. It's fun to play, but a spectator sport where a goal (or whatever it's called) is scored every 2.7 seconds doesn't really grab me. If, however, every game was like this one I might change my mind. A US university team on a ..ahem..goodwill visit to China are tied at 64-64 (!) with a local team when a minor skirmish breaks out...

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