back to article BBC has newsgasm over Obama's dog

Those of you who believe the BBC is inexorably drifting away from hard-hitting, insightful journalism in favour of lowest-common-denominator populist piffle will be relieved to know there's still one reporter out there willing to file essential analysis of today's key issues. And today's key issue is, of course, just what kind …

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  1. Frank

    Independent cartoon

    I recommend that you have a look at this.....

    http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/the-daily-cartoon-760940.html

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    er....

    "drifting away from hard-hitting, insightful journalism in favour of lowest-common-denominator populist piffle"

    Paris, because it illustrates my point perfectly.

  3. Z
    Black Helicopters

    I weep...

    So much for UK Journalism. Scandal and juciy stories about the corrupt who run this country are but an investigation away and all the BBC can concern itself with is dispatching news readers to the US to talk about Obama's new dog.

  4. Niall
    Coat

    Why is it

    that American Presidents are apparently required to have a dog?

    Mines the Afghan (so many levels)

  5. Chronos
    Coat

    Poodle crosses

    Yes, I've seen them. My wife was once at a market when a woman, replete with false fur and nose in the air, passed with some strange mutt on a lead. What is this strange dog, my better half inquired, us being doggy people and all.

    "It's a Yoodle, dear, a pedigree Yoodle." the old dame replied, nose still sniffing the Stanlow fumes, whereupon a Scouse stallholder chipped in with the best pull-down I've ever heard:

    "It's a bloody Heinz 57. No, bugger that, it's a Pot Noodle. Now sod off before I boil a kettle."

    The mutt, apparently, was a Yorkshire Terrier - Poodle cross and its owner was well known by the stallholders for affecting airs that didn't match her background. Now, a peanut for anyone who can formulate a "Google."

  6. Random Noise
    Dead Vulture

    Lazy Journalism

    So Lester what is worse; the fact that the BBC created this piece, or the fact you have just written a piece about the BBC one?

  7. Prag Fest
    Heart

    Spot on

    "drifting away from hard-hitting, insightful journalism in favour of lowest-common-denominator populist piffle"

    The Reg is rapidly becoming a sanctuary for my sanity.

  8. Matt Bryant Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Mr Haines, you owe me a new keyboard!

    I just spat coffee all over this one whilst laughing. Many thanks for lightening a tiresome day.

  9. Mike Crawshaw
    Go

    I claim my peanut!!!

    "Now, a peanut for anyone who can formulate a "Google.""

    German Shepherd + Poodle = Google.

    Looks attractive enough, makes a lot of noise, but you sure as hell don't want to be there when it's made....

  10. Adrian Challinor
    Joke

    a Putbull called lipstick

    Someone owes me a new keyboard, Its full of coffee now!

    Thats was the best suggestion so far.

  11. Chris Miller

    Is the excitement generated

    anything to do with the Beeb homepage showing a 'restricted format due technical difficulties' message from (roughly) 22:00 - 08:00 last night?

  12. Mike
    Paris Hilton

    Google...

    Greyhound, poodle and beagle?

    Paris, because if it's cute, she'll probably buy one

  13. Goubert
    Coat

    Google

    Wouldn't that be a Greyhound-Poodle cross ?

    Mine's the one covered with cat hair.

  14. Anonymous John
    Coat

    @ Poodle crosses

    Don't forget the shoodle.

    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/26/ovine_poodle_scam/

    Min'es the poodleskin one.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "News"

    What do you mean by "...those of you who believe the BBC is inexorably drifting away from hard-hitting, insightful journalism in favour of lowest-common-denominator populist piffle"... I wasn't aware it had ever been anything other than that, certainly not in the last ten years. I don't think the BBC could ever be accused of conducting proper investigative journalism - or at least, that which has been done would almost certainly never see the light of day - the truth isn't very

    No, this seems fairly par for the course for mainstream news outlets, perhaps just a little more blatantly retarded and obviously irrelevant than usual. Certainly no worse than the whole Ross/Brand farce, which we should apparently all be up in arms about. Never mind the rights and wrongs of killing kids in foreign countries for cheaper oil, let's stand up together and united against this outrageous answerphone message. ..

    Keep looking this way people, never mind that over there, look here, isn't this interesting and sparkly?....

    Tell you what - f*ck Osama's dog (literally if you like, I'm sure it'll make front line `news`), and Ross and Brand - how about doing some cutting edge investigative journalism about the massive ongoing fraud being commited by the World Bank, the IMF et al, and the Wars which you and I are funding (like it or not) with the taxes that are leeched (read: stolen) from us at the behest and for the privelege of some enormously wealthy public schoolboys club, which could quite frankly pay for it out of their own pockets and probably not even notice the difference.

    "Comfort the Afflicted - Afflict the Comfortable".

  16. Dave Gregory
    Stop

    Beards?

    Do you get dogs that are scared of beards? Or turbans?

    I detect anthropomorphism and projection...

  17. TeeCee Gold badge

    Google.

    I concur with Greyhound / Poodle. That gives you the speed and fluffiness.

    Of course, show Googles should be properly groomed with a "Google clip". This involves shaving off most of the hair to leave apparent text* advertising a range of relevant services.

    *As seen on the back of a right twat's head.

  18. Nic Brough
    Paris Hilton

    Socks?

    So what about the cat? Surely far more important than the mutt, as most of the last 8 years documents have probably been written in Lolcat. With a crayon.

    Paris, as a stand in for Palin

  19. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Beards?

    My mum's dog was frightened of kitchen lights, rubber gloves, and sneezing. Dogs are very odd. Wouldn't surprise me if you got a few beardphobic turban-averse ones.

  20. Damn Yank
    Joke

    why American Presidents are apparently required to have a dog?

    Clinton had a cat. "Socks".

    Cue the jokes about having some extra p*ssy in the white house...

  21. Dave Murray
    Boffin

    @Sarah

    Pogonophobia

    As a beardie wierdy myself I have to know these things. ;)

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Dead Vulture

    Most web-based news recently...

    "Inexorably drifting away from hard-hitting, insightful journalism in favour of lowest-common-denominator populist piffle "

    Including the Reg... I remember when it was all about IT. Recently its become like every other red-top.

    Anyway - labrador retriever - can't go wrong with a dog like that - although in the original article on the BBC I was impressed at the president who got 2 alligators!

  23. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Most web-based news recently...

    >Including the Reg... I remember when it was all about IT. Recently its become like every other red-top.

    Oh yawn. Bootnotes is easy enough to avoid. If we took all the silly off here we'd never hear the end of it. Besides, we have irony on our side, see?

    >Anyway - labrador retriever - can't go wrong with a dog like that

    Yes you can. They get fat and roly and they are boring. There I said it.

    God, it's only 2.30.

  24. Tom

    Don't drink coffee whilst reading The Reg

    The proportion of bootnotes or BOFH stories on this site that have an amusing comment along the lines of "you owe me a new monitor/keyboard" in the comments section is surprisingly high - I really thought people would have learned by now not to read The Reg and drink coffee at the same time.

  25. Sarah Bee (Written by Reg staff)

    Re: Don't drink coffee whilst reading The Reg

    We have a stock of keyboards in the back. You can apply for one explaining how much you laughed and at which of our lovely stories and from which facial orifice the hot beverage of your choice did issue forth.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    @Poodle crosses

    I've read the comment a couple times, and can't decide who is more pretentious. Is it Chronos or the poodle cross owner?

  27. David Perry
    Stop

    Pitbull called palin?

    She has no substance - all bark and no bite. That would be insulting to a pitbull, in the way she tried to insult the nation's intelligence - read today that even the McCain camp had issues with her incompetence. Stop cos I'm an animal lover.

  28. Niall

    Damn Yank

    Socks wasnt his pussy (surprise,surprise) but he also had a dog Buddy.

    Calvin Coolidge beats them all two lion cubs, an antelope and a hippo to name but a few, accord to the fount of all wisdom or wikidom is you prefer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Presidential_pets

  29. Damn Yank

    @Niall

    And don't forget Teddy Roosevelt. He was (if I recall..) presented with a Koala bear. Fast forward and little kids all around the US have "teddiy bears"...

  30. Dave The Cardboard Box

    Just get a mongrel

    and tattoo "Republicans, this is what your face looked like on November the 4th" on its arse.

  31. Anonymous Coward
    IT Angle

    Hmmm

    Glass houses perhaps?

    When El Reg actually gets back to the drudgery of IT instead of tabloid sensationalism perhaps then you can throw the first stone.

    I guess that El Reg Hacktards are paid by the article regardless of relevance or quality.....

  32. jake Silver badge

    *oodles & @Sarah

    *oodles are a way of separating idiots from their money.

    You want a real hunting dog that is hypoallergenic?

    Get a Standard Poodle. And get one from a REAL kennel club recognized breeder. My 9 year old Standard helps me take many ducks and geese every year ... and my nephew who is allergic to dogs just plain loves him.

    Personally, I think the Obamas should look into Whippets, but I'm biased :-)

    Sarah wrote:

    >Dogs are very odd.

    No. They are not. They are dogs. Canis Familiaris. They have been hanging out with humans for a LONG time. If you try to make them into something they are not, you might wind up with something "odd" ... or, more likely, you'll wind up with something dangerous.

    As a side-note, Goldens (and other hunting dogs) only "get fat and roly and they are boring" if their owners are clueless about diet, exercise, keeping their minds active, and entertaining the punters.

    >There I said it.

    Yes, you did. Proud of your self? How old^Wyoung are you, anyway?

  33. tony trolle
    IT Angle

    color race thing ?

    chocy lab, white poodle, or fire engine dog (Dalmation) with brown spots.

  34. Jonathan Mills

    @Damn Yank

    Koalas are not bears.

  35. Peter

    It's understandable

    OBsession - between love and madness

    http://www.visit4info.com/advert/Calvin-Klein-Secret-Obsession-Calvin-Klein-Perfume-Range/62927

    There will be more. Much more. Journalism has entered a new phase.

  36. BioTube

    @@Damn Yank

    But they're known as "panda bears". As for what dog, I recommend an all-American mutt or a JRT(pure showbreeds have too many health problems).

  37. Pyros

    Bah

    Get 'em a cat. A Cornish Rex to be exact--they're one step up from the hairless Sphinx and sorta look like Obama already, IMO.

    Oh, and Sarah? Labradors are considered ideal Canine Companion dogs due to their selectively bred traits, such as their gentle mouths and high intelligence. We have a reject living with us--she only failed the last exam due to a shorter than ideal attenton span. (Canine ADD, we call it. Can't even properly focus to play with us for extended periods of time.)

  38. mittfh
    Pirate

    Google?

    Whatever breeds make up a Google, surely it would be omnipresent and omnipotent, but have the fatal flaw that it interprets everything you say as an order...

    So if someone invents a canine-operable computer, keep it well away from a Google in case it 'accidentally' launches a nuclear strike against Iran...

  39. jake Silver badge

    @Bio Tube

    >But they're known as "panda bears".

    No. Koalas are NOT known as Pandas.

    >As for what dog, I recommend an all-American mutt.

    Agreed. Some of my best dogs have been Heinz57s.

    > or a JRT

    Not unless you have a job for the dog. JRT's need to WORK, or they get destructive and/or loud and/or fat. Probably not a good match for today's Whitehouse.

    > (pure showbreeds have too many health problems).

    ::snort:: Your ignorance is showing. If you do the research to find a good show breeder, you'll find that they breed away from bad traits. Bad hips, bad eyes, cancer problems, and etc. do NOT make for a good, high quality show line. Puppy-mills and back-yard breeders, on the other hand, don't give a rat's ass. At least in this country ... England may be different (are UK Kennel Club members now breeding bad lines? I honestly don't know ... ).

    NEVER BUY A DOG FROM A PET STORE!

    In the states, if you want a GOOD purebred dog, go to an AKC registered breeder (no other kennel club need apply). You'll be able to see the health of the ancestors of the dog for yourself. I have personally met all of my dogs parents, most of the grandparents, and occasionally several greats back.

    A good breeder will allow you to see vet records & etc for your new pup's ancestors. I have my dogs pedigrees going back 8 or 10 generations, and I can research them even further back if I want to. The breeders I'm talking about are PROUD of their lines, only breed quality, and pay close attention to genetics. If you ask for it, they'll happily give you a 4 hour dissertation on the health of your new pup. These people are more into dogs than I am into technology ... "dog geeks", if you will. They LOVE to talk about their breed of choice.

    Yes, you'll pay quite a bit for such a dog at the outset, but you will probably not have massive vet bills later down the line.

    Don't believe me? Attend an out-door AKC dog show in your area. Talk to breeders.

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