How long ago is 'a long time ago'? The answer, my friends, is 2006 - at least according to my PC.I've been uploading some video files to our publication's YouTube account. The videos are show reports dating from 2008, 2007 and 2006 - here's the full list:So either 2006 is 'a long time ago' or my PC just can't count up to three... Read Full Story

Replacing swear words in a news story with a string of asterisks may protect the sensibilities of easily offended readers but it doesn't always aid understanding. For example, Metro's front page lead today begins:British National Party leader Nick Griffin found himself in the centre of a racism court case today - in which he claimed to be the victim.The far-right leader and North West MEP alleged he was racially abused by a driver who made threatening 'gun gestures' towards him and called him... Read Full Story

At the weekend I went to order a particular product from the Amazon website. But I hit a problem: the product in question was available from a number of sellers, all of whom had almost identical prices, ratings and returns policies. I'd never used - or even heard of - any of the sellers before either. How to choose?Well, the seller that was advertising its "sameday disptach" service ruled itself out of the running:After all, if it can't spare the effort to spell correctly, how can I be confid... Read Full Story

Footballer Frank Lampard recently appeared in an anti-obesity advert (pictured) with the caption "Even the best finishers need someone to start them off".At a party yesterday, someone pointed out to me that this caption could be taken as rather rude. And yes, I believe it could.Any other unintentionally smutty ads out there? Read Full Story

I use Wikipedia quite a lot, and only occasionally spot acts of vandalism. But here's one possible example, from the entry on Tolworth (check out the final sentence - and click on the image to see a larger version):Yes, it says: "I have been here and its not all that to be honest just a bunch of old folks".Wikipedia defines vandalism as "any addition, removal, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of Wikipedia". However on the same page it also makes re... Read Full Story

BBC News is running a story today about a French love letter in a bottle that washed up on a Cornish beach.The man who discovered the bottle, Martin Leslie, is quoted as saying: "I assumed that it was a suicidal note that we came across."Suicidal note: a note that tries to kill itself...Associated Press: Former child actor Joe Pichler missing, suicidal note found; was in `Beethoven' comedies Read Full Story

So Marks & Spencer charges 5p for each of its regular carrier bags, partly "to encourage customers to reduce the amount of bags they use".Today I bought a few groceries at Marks & Spencer, and the cashier persuaded me to pack them in two small carrier bags "because they're free" rather than in one regular bag.Go to Marks & Spencer and use more plastic bags!Image courtesy of FreeFoto.com. Read Full Story

So the tool we use at work to track our website's page views is feeling wildly optimistic today (click on the image to see a larger version):There's a clear weekly pattern, and when I took the screengrab at 3pm today we were on track to hit (or slightly exceed) the average for a Monday. Where the forecast of 50,000+ page views came from I don't know. Not least because it would be 14,000 page views above our site record... Read Full Story

So my local Indian takeaway has an interesting item in the 'specials' section of its menu:Nihari £9.95Lamb on the bone is slow cooked to release all its flavours making a rich, very distinctive curry. Best eaten."Best eaten"? Does that mean that the other dishes are best avoided?Funny, but I've found a very similar description on another restaurant's menu - only this one ends with "Best eaten with garlic naan"... Read Full Story

I did mention this great typo on Twitter yesterday but I think it's worth recording for posterity on the blog. You never know, the Daily Express might get around to fixing it at some point:Daily Express: A Generation Hat is Ignored and Scorned Read Full Story