Just a thought. I wondered whether news today of this £2.5 million donation to the Labour party might have something to do with the recent introduction of links between the NHS and Sainsburys (which I blogged about earlier this month).

Perhaps Tony is just cheaper than Jamie these days.

Just in case anyone out there is feeling generous/has won the lottery/has too much money, this is the new mobile phone I want. Apparently, it’s not just a phone, its a new “lifestyle choice”. Oh, it’s so Sex and the City!

The way I see it, it would be an investment. Sure, I’d probably only ever use it in the way I currently use my pay as I go Nokia (i.e. for telephone calls and text - you know the stuff a mobile is supposed to be used for). Nonetheless, I’d look sooo cool! The touch sensitive screen, the polyphonic tones, the e-mail accessibility. Me likey. More to the point, I need it - or is it just that the advertising and professional peer pressure is getting to me?

Come on girl, snap out of it! In two-months, you’ll be able to get it free with Cosmopolitan, or a similar girlie magazine. Just hold on ’til then.

News from Reuters this evening that nuclear bunkers are the new “des res”.

As the bunker comes with a small amount of land above, most potential buyers are thought to be looking for allotment space in the Midlands. As the report atests, the bunkers are little more than damp cellars with a chemical toilet.

Now, that should be a challenge to even the most imaginative estate agent.

“Compact and bijou, with a smell all its own, this delightful property offers the sights of
the countryside, along with the reassurance of being able to protect your family against the
ever present danger of nuclear, biological and chemical attack.
The extensive roof garden lends an attractive air, and allows an outlet for the keen
gardener in the absence of war. The integral chemical toilet is designed with the
weekender in mind.
Centrally located in the Midlands, this would be an ideal bolt-hole from London or
Birmingham - providing the place in the coutry all young professionals aspire too.”

Feel free to add more!

Fascinating article tonight on the BBC News Health website, relating the fact that researchers in Germany now think that sperm may “smell” their way to the egg.

It gives up some pretty interesting notions of new contraceptive methods. Perhaps, in years to come, women will be able to take something to make their eggs smell different (for some reason, I was thinking like strawberries, but that could just be because I polished off a punnet on Sunday). Alternatively, perhaps men could use an anti-Vicks remedy, to “block” the sperms nose. Certainly gives pause for thought…

My car is sick. Not terminally sick, but its petrol gauge isn’t working. The sensors inside the petrol tank, I am imformed, are fine, but the gauge is “buggered” (word of trusted mechanic, hence highly technical, I’m sure). The mechanic is ringing the parts people tomorrow (as their procurement guy had the day off today, so no-one else in the entire company knew whether they had the part in stock). He thinks it’ll have to be ordered, as they are unlikely to have one on the shelf.

So, not an insurmountable problem, other than I have no idea how much petrol is in my tank. I’ll have to fill it to the top, reset my mileometer thingy to even have the faintest idea when to fill it again. It also means that any type of long journey is quite out of the question, as I’ll be panicing all the way along the motorway. Not that I was planning a long journey, you understand, but I might have wanted to go somewhere, perhaps.

So, now have to wait for trusted mechanic to ring me with the damage. I hate being a car owner sometimes.

Interesting article on the BBC News website today about self-harming. It’s not particularly in depth or anything, but certainly worth a look.

Interesting article on Reuters tonight about soldier’s blogging to keep in touch with their families. Was intrigued to read that US military personnel have access to e-mail, with “..each having an e-mail address..”. The wonders of modern technology - that don’t seem to have hit the British troops, as yet.

Also in the report, another mention of Dear Raed. Out friend hasn’t posted since Monday. I hope this has something to do with the electricity/internet supply, and nothing to do with bombs and the like.

Well, what to write? Have I finally got “bloggers block”?

No, well, not really. I’m just not feeling excessively chatty at the moment. Why? Can’t really say. It could be that I’ve become increasingly consumed by the coverage of the invasion of Iraq. It’s a bit like a road crash you can’t look away from.

But, it’s not really that. Last night, I sat and watched Charlie’s Angels (the film) and tonight - following my Iraq dominated OU tutorial - it was Bridget Jones. Why? Ah, a case of the blues, I feel. It would also account for the excessive eating, lack of talking and the general hang-dog expression.

The blues (it’s not depression - I haven’t broken open the razor blades quite yet) are rather like a sand-storm in Iraq. They sweep over and around you, it’s difficult to see the road ahead with any sort of clarity and have little idea when it will be over. Until it is all you can do is “hunker” (I think this is a word - I seem to have heard it a lot over the last few days) down and wait.

A couple of links that hit my desktop tonight, which I thought you might enjoy sharing.

First, courtesy of John, a little animation on the subject of war, entitled Get Your War On. NB - Beware the excessive swearing if you are in work - or have young people around.

Secondly, and on a MUCH lighter note, a link stolen from Vodkabird - randomly enough giving the rules for the Gulf War Drinking Game. It’s not big, and it certainly ain’t clever.

Finally, noticed that Dear Raed has made some updated posts. I just hope the coverage he has received in the Guardian doesn’t lead to anything nasty happening.

Now fully recovered from my rant, I noticed that my dear friend, John, is off to save the world again later today. Thank feck for him and the people like him, who do these things.

If you are going on the March in London, you may want to pop over to his site - some wise words on what to do if you see ANYONE in a ski mask. I only hope that the carnage that has been at the front of my thoughts most of the day doesn’t occur.