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By Chris WalesOctober 19, 2004 - 2:30 AM
See Also: 'Crow's Feet' Episode Guide
Hello World!
So there we were, fixing my friend's computer whilst waiting for the latest episode of Spooks to air, idly watching a TV programme about phenomenally bad moves that various organisations have made.
The first one was a little non-descript- it was the removal of the British flag from all British Airways aircraft (a move that cost £31 million, was scorned by Lady Thatcher, and subsequently reversed not long later). But the second was in some ways more interesting and equally funny... the ill-fated Millennium Dome.
For those not in the know, this was the UK's attempt to make a landmark to celebrate the millennium. It was probably the biggest flop in the history of government-run tourist attractions – spiralling maintenance and construction costs, bad press and poor value for money. The thing ate up nearly £1 billion in construction alone and continued to eat into government budgets long after it shut down.
I used to teach debating as an extra-curricular activity at secondary school to younger kids, and we covered all sorts of reasons why the Dome didn't work. Bad location. Bad traffic infrastructure. Supposedly poor attractions and nothing to attract patrons.
And yet when we actually took some of said kids on a visit to the Dome, we all thoroughly enjoyed it. And so I began thinking about the real reasons people bad-mouthed the place – allegations of political scandal that plagued it. Very harsh critical reviews in the press. General negative publicity on all sides. Aside from its other flaws, the Dome was brought down by the media.
This programmed exposed the fact that on the night of the Dome's opening, because traffic infrastructure was not good enough to handle the crowds, many national newspaper editors got stuck in traffic for hours waiting to get in. Hence, they gave it terrible publicity. Hence, the feelings of a handful of men turned the entire country against the Dome. When in fact, it was actually pretty good.
And I just thought – and now particularly timely, with elections over in Australia and just about to start in America – I wonder how many times they've done this with politics?
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Today's Television Listings
- Tomorrow's CSI: New York outing, "Grand Master" will air 10:00pm. According to TV Guide, "Mac and Aiden investigate the murder of an up-and-coming hip-hop artist who was stabbed to death shortly after being crowned the winner of a DJ contest and days after signing on with a new label. As the CSIs track down clues surrounding the murder of DJ Banner, they learn that he signed a record contract a few days before his death with hip-hop mogul Kevin Vick, who they question. Meanwhile, Stella and Danny investigate the death of a fashion designer who was found in her penthouse pool. The case leads them to a sushi restaurant that specializes in food served on nude models."
- On Thursday at 9:00pm CSI: Crime Scene Investigation episode "Crow's Feet" will air. According to TV Guide, "Catherine is called to the scene of an apparent death from Ebola, but the autopsy reveals the lesions on the female victim's skin are from cosmetic surgery. After a second female victim is found dead with similar indicators, Catherine and Nick discover that both women have recently undergone an anti-aging treatment from a plastic surgeon. Meanwhile, Grissom, Sara and Greg investigate a homeowner found dead inside his tented house post-fumigation."
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