Is there anything wrong with swearing?

British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has been so foul-mouthed in his series ‘Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares’ that Australian senators are considering changing their country’s broadcasting standards. According to one senator, Ramsay used the ‘F-word’ 80 times in one 40-minute show (“And I’m not referring to fondue,” he added).

Talking Points for 20 June

UPDATE: Ros here. We’ll be broadcasting live today from the Civicus World Assembly in Glasgow. We’ve just met with some of the people who are coming along . Here are their five suggestions for you to consider.

1. Are you satisfied with how your government is tackling the threat of ‘terrorism’?                              

2. Is a Western lifestyle something to aspire to?

3. Should leaders be left to lead? Or do you want more involvement in the decisions they make?

4. Should the developing world be left out of the fight against climate change? Why should it compromise the wealth and lifestyle that it’s only just getting?

5. Are there some services, such as trasnport, healthcare and education, which should always be in the hands of the state?

Let us know what you think. Here are the other stories that we’re considering….

Talking points for June 12

Our virginity debate is still simmering away on the blog.

Talking Points for 6 June

Thanks very much to Steve for being our night editor: lots of new ideas in there, including a discussion of secularism and the headscarf in Turkey, and whether PDAs (public displays of affection) by lesbians should be allowed.

Meanwhile our debate on vegetarianism is still raging, and it looks likely that we’ll dive in today and talk about it on air.

Should first cousins be allowed to have children together?

Change of plan. We’ve had a string of problems getting the guests we need to set this discussion up. Some people won’t come on air to talk about their experience, others are simply unable to make today’s show. We may return to it another day when more people are available. We’re definitely going to speak to people affected by the Chinese quake, and we may go for another subject. I’ll update here when we decide.

Talking points for 13 May: reprise

I see Peter posted on the blog when he got home from our Sony awards party, late last night… It was certainly a euphoric evening. 

Talking points for 6th May

The Burmese authorities now say that at least 15,000 people died in Saturday’s cyclone, and that many more are missing. Reports coming out of the country describe scenes of total devastation.

Do we unfairly blame mothers when things go wrong?

The spectre of the ‘bad mother’ has been haunting the British headlines in the last few weeks. As it often does…

Are you worried about rising food prices?

The prices of basic foodstuffs – like wheat, rice and corn – have soared over the last year, hitting the pockets and bellies of people in communities all over the world. And the increased cost of grain means it’s more expensive to feed the livestock that provide us with meat and dairy products… Many people are now talking about a global food crisis – with no end in sight.

Talking points for 2nd April

This morning, Zimbabwe is still on the brink, waiting for the results of Saturday’s election. A state-owned newspaper has acknowledged that President Mugabe may face a run-off vote later this month – the first official hint that he and his party have not won an outright victory.