03/12/2012 James O'Brien Show - Knife crime, Israel, Corporation Tax

Credit: BBC

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Hour 1

• After it was announced that Chris Gayling will reveal that people wielding knives in public will go to prison, James takes calls from Londoner to get their reactions.

Hour 2

• James re-visits the Israeli-Palestine debacle again after reports that Binyamin Netanyahu plans  mass building on illegally occupied territories just a week after a peace agreement.  James wants to know what you think Netanyahu is playing at.

Hour 3

• More Israel/Palestine calls
• After Margaret Hodge's call to investigate the tax arrangements of multinationals like , Starbuck, E-bay, Amazon and the like, James wants to know where the popular refrain that "if we ask them to pay tax, they'll move abroad" comes from.

19/11/2012 James O'Brien Show - Mansion Tax, Young Drivers, The Middle East

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Hour 1

How can anyone object to a tax on property worth over £1m during a time of austerity? Call: @mrjamesob on: 0845 60 60 973
— LBC 97.3 (@lbc973) November 19, 2012

• As usual, The Telegraph readers lined up with their reasons why they think this is unfair to them and had their arguments calmly and intelligently decimated by our bearded hero.
• But some useful contributions too, especially the last caller John who encouraged us all to "be greedy but not too greedy".

Hour 2

• James discusses the proposed restrictions on young drivers.

Hour 3

• James discusses the Middle East (again) but this time contrasts it with the Northern Ireland.

I wanted to link to the Matthew Parris' Times column in which he articulates his frustration and boredom with the Middle East.  James quotes it often and has said in that he cut it out and kept it.  I can't link to it as it's behind the paywall - and I'm not giving that company any of my money - but when Mr Parris was on Question Time, he pretty much summed it up.

15/11/2012 James O'Brien Show - Sniper, Gaza, Mystery Hour

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Hour 1

• The Sgt Danny Nightingale story
• Should a soldier go to prison for possessing a firearm?

Hour 2

• After the tragic events in Gaza overnight, James braves the treacherous waters that is the Middle East politics.  

Hour 3

Free audio podcast of this hour is available here

• The origins of snod
• Shortsightedness - does it ever get reversed?
• Why do patients not bleed when they're being cut open in surgery? 
• Lieutenant, why do Americans pronounce it differently?
• Do colour blind people have to purchase a colour TV licence?  It didn't make it to the board.
• Do fish drink water, or whaEVER? It didn't make it to the board.
• Who invented the game of IT or tig or tag? I don't know either
• Why do we pull the face when we taste something sour?
• What is the difference between brook, stream and river?
• Why do push sprockets, gears on the right hand side? In the words of Homer Simpson: BORING!
• Can you record a smell? Duh!
• Phone boxes.  Do they come in different colours?
• How is the art industry having to buy all the colors when just three colours (magenta, yellow, cyan) would do when mixed?