Is it me?

On the news this morning.

Suggested changes to the curriculum include teaching cookery. When was it removed? Younger Son did it and that was only 6/7 years ago.

A survey has found that the public's perception of Islam has been adversely affected by the recent failed bombings in London and Glasgow. Well, d'uh. And people get paid to find that out.

Racist?

Just heard a news report that a theatre, about to raise its ticket prices, had come up with a scheme to offer reduced prices to locals, who pay towards the upkeep via their council tax.

Sounds good and sensible to me.

Unfortunately the Maltings Theatre is in Berwick, which is only a few miles inside England away from the Scottish border. Now a Scottish Nationalist is claiming that it is racial discrimination against the Scots who would have to pay more.

Sometimes it's not necessary to say anything, is it? Things speak for themselves.

Then again, something like 41% of the theatre's audience comes from Scotland. The theatre management asked the region to contribute to its costs: the local authority refused. So it could be spin or spite.

Boom!

A bomb went off in the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre in Swansea at 9.23 this morning. I knew nothing about it until Dr Stu in Germany advised me in a post on this blog about an hour ago. It must not have been a very loud bomb. (But we are the other side of town.)

One woman was slightly hurt and is in hospital. It's the third bomb in as many days attacking institutions connected with motoring. I was going to ask why, but the answer is plain: insanity.

DVLC gave me my first job and my husband. I object to them being targeted by idiots. Road rage has a lot to answer for.

I know it's not funny ...

but how can you not smile when you hear on the news that someone made a bomb out of hydrogen peroxide and chapatti flour?

I wonder if organic wholemeal would have worked as well.

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Also on the news was the fact that the number of pet dogs in Beijing is rising rapidly. The Chinese government has ruled that families must not have more than one dog. One man said he had four but that they stayed with other families. I suppose that is easier than farming out extra children.

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A flamingo has been blown away from a zoo in south England. Florence has been missing for a week now.

WARNING

It's reported that you can now sign up for emails from MI5 updating the daily terrorist threat level. They're talking about doing it by text as well. That sounds better: they could just text, 'DUCK!'

In the news

Fancy owning your own country? If you have money to spare (in the eight-figure bracket) you might consider making an offer for the Principality of Sealand.

With Prince Roy of Sealand now in his eighties and his son, Prince Michael, having his own business interests in the UK, the family has decided to sell their country.

Sealand was originally a military base, Roughs Tower, situated slightly north of the estuary region of the Thames River, in the international waters of the North Sea. On 2 September 1967, former English major Paddy Roy Bates formally occupied the island, settled there with his family, and proclaimed the island his own state, with its own flag, national anthem, stamps and passports.

Prince Michael, when interviewed on radio 4, described Sealand as 'far from pretty', but mentioned that it would be attractive to some as it had its own laws, and certain activities that could not be undertaken elsewhere, such as online gaming or certain forms of banking, were legal in his country.

Sealand has already proved to be popular with some people. In 1978, a group of German businessmen tried, unsuccessfully, to take over the island for their own use.

Prince Michael also said that although the title of Head of State was not up for sale, he was sure that, if it were important to the purchaser, a title of some form could be agreed upon.

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Why is there about to begin an inquest into the deaths of Diana and Dodi? Haven't we already had one? Plus any number of inquiries, post mortems, law suits, goodness knows what.

And apparently the lady judge is both assistant royal coroner and coroner for Surrey. If she dispenses with a jury, she will need to act as coroner for Surrey. (I think it's something like that.) The thing is, as royal coroner, she will have to ask herself, as Surrey coroner, to take on the case.

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There has been some criticism in the media today of Ruth Kelly, government Minister, for deciding to send her special needs child to a private school for two years. She was advised by professionals that this was the best course of action for her child.

And which of us wouldn't do the same in her position? Governments come and go; policies change - look at New/Old Labour. Her child has one life. Let Ruth Kelly do what is best for that life, and ignore those critics on her own backbenches.