I've been trying to get a scarf like this for ages. I've subsequently been told me that a black weave means you're a supporter of Hamas. Well I'm certainly not that; I think they should stop their rocket attacks on Israel immediately. Of course, Israel should also end its illegal …

I still haven't had a reply from First Great Western about my complaint about the Bath Half -marathon train debacle, so I've written again to the DfT, and I've added a new complaint!

Edmund,

I'm afraid I haven't received a reply from First Great Western about the Bath Half-Marathon train …

The Conservatives want to give a cash reward for being married. I think they're utterly wrong, and that marriage should be disestablished.

The syllogism that the Tories trot out is that married couples are good for society, so if we pay people to get married there will be more married …

Depressing reading. Not sure I can vote for the LDs with opinions like this. Miserable sticking-plaster solutions for proplems that all need dealing with in a more direct way (ie. re-nationalising the railways if they can't run them properly!)

Following our debate, I've received further comments from Trevor Carbin. He writes:

Rather than go over the specifics yet again I'll look at the general argument. Your viewpoint seems to be that government should not intervene and should let markets look after themselves, with regulators regulating where necessary.

Fair enough …

By the end, Diary Of A Country Priest had moved me to tears. It's a film with a great deal of depth, so it's hard to take in in one go. When watching a film I first try and identify the baddies and goodies. Of course, if the film is …

I don't want to have the same problem as Michelle Obama, so I've written to Structural Soils Ltd to see if they can test my soil for me:

Hi, I intend to grow vegetables in my garden, but I want to make sure
that the soil is safe first. Is …

The Murrison camp is gearing up for the election. Andrew Murrison is my current MP, and although voting Tory isn't in my DNA, I have to admit he's dealt promptly and effectively with the issues I've raised with him during his time as my representative. In particular I remember writing …

Mandelson has criticized the large amount of money that the president of Barclays earns. But Barclays wasn't bailed out by the government, so I don't think it's the government's role to involve itself in how businesses choose to pay their employees.

What I'm angry about is Mandelson's government spending £140 …