Too Many Things To Complain About

First of all, 'Cash For Honours'. Lord Levy investigated for allegedly asking a Downing Street staffer to change the statement she was due to give the police. Then the BBC get gagged for trying to report it. Then theguardian successfully appeal the gagging order and print pretty much the exact story the BBC still weren't able to report - which did make the paper review a slightly surreal experience to watch that morning. Yet Lord Goldsmith denies that the injunction was politically motivated. Yeah, right.

Secondly, and I really must congratulate the Conservatives for managing to move the above story from the top of the headlines with this, the Shadow Homeland Security Spokesman has been axed for saying that gingers have a harder time than ethnic minorities in the Army. To be fair to him, Mercer did only say that while trying to justify saying "being called a "black bastard" was a normal part of Army life." Which obviously needed clearing up. Perhaps Patrick Mercer would be better off joining the BNP.

Thirdly, stunning 'joined up Government' last week. On Feb 28th, the Government announce that they're scrapping The Youth Opportunity Card, then on March 5th, they announce that they're going to fingerprint all kids. Although they're only doing that so that they can have a biometric passport. The same kind of biometric passport that the Daily Mail(!) have managed to hack without opening the package it's posted to you in.

Fourthly, Sky & Virgin Media (who now provide my television 'service' since they bought Telewest) have had a tiff about how much each other's channels are worth. Net result is, I've lost two channels I used to watch fairly regularly, Sky One (for The Simpsons and, er, no, that's it) and Sky Sports News (which I watch every Saturday I'm at home for Jeff Stelling and the boys covering the 3pm kick-offs). Of course Virgin isn't taking this lying down, but it does mean I have to spend a lot more time in the pub. Which I should really sue both of them for.

Fifthly, I am still deaf in my left ear from being stacked over Heathrow for an hour over two weeks ago. Fortunately, I'm going to Spain in a week so if it has cleared by then, I may be able to replicate the effect of being underwater once more. While this does have an amusing element to it (I can completely ignore anyone standing to my left) it is becoming a bit of an irritation. I know I should get it seen to, but frankly I'd probably die of old age before getting seen to by my doctor. It's like the receptionists don't want the doctor seeing anyone who's actually ill, just in case s/he catches something off them.