Window Cleaners are Scum

On Monday I picked up a copy of Reach Magazine on the train. It's a complimentary mag published by First Great Western. It's not wonderful, but I noticed from the cover that there was a competition to win a portable digital radio inside and I was quite keen to have a look. So I did. I had to trawl through articles about hair gel and Johnny Depp's love life before eventually finding that, to enter the competition it is necessary to visit a website and send details.

So I made a note of the URL and entered the competition when I go to the office, except it didn't work. I got an error message. I tried a couple of times with no success before giving up. I thought it could be because I was behind a firewall. I tried again when I got home, but still it didn't work. So I thought I'd drop First Great Western a line and tell them their competition page was broken. And I got a reply the next morning. There was an apology for the problem and it was suggested that I call the support team. A premium rate phone number was included. They actually took the time to reply to my e-mail and asked me to call their support team when they could have simply forwarded my mail to the support team themselves. I was astounded. I wrote back a hugely sarcastic note. And the website works this morning.

Did I mention that I finally met the window cleaner? I've been looking out for him for weeks and he finally knocked on the door about ten days ago. He said I could have a year's subscription to his window cleaning service for £60. I told him that I wasn't keen on the idea because he could just take off with my money and not clean the windows. He told me he would be cleaning the windows on 16 Oct. So I gave him £60 and I haven't seen him since. I called him and left a message, scum bag. I haven't given up yet. More news as we get it.

Did anyone notice that the Prince of Wales is in the limelight because he's making squillions of pounds from his Duchy of Cornwall estate, and not seemingly paying the same rate of tax as everybody else? The Prince seems to think that we the people should be grateful for any tax that he does pay, because he's under no obligation to pay anything. I thought only the queen was exempt from tax, though even she does pay some. It's impossible to know how much profit the queen actually makes however, since she is not required to declare her share portfolio for reasons of national security. I know, I can't believe it either, I sound like a socialist. Here's the twist however; in a startling role reversal, the socialist chancellor, Gordon Brown, is supporting Charles. Why could this be? I don't suppose it could be because he wants Charles' support when he makes his bid for leadership of the labour party could it?

The royal family are also facing a legal case from a man who claims to be the illigitimate son of Princess Margaret. Funny how he waited till she was dead to speak out about this isn't it. I read his story in the paper this morning and it was a complete joke. He has no evidence at all.

Michael J Fox has made an emotional appeal for people to vote against Bush in the mid term elections. He has a strong reason for making this plea being a parkinsons sufferer and idiot boy Bush banning stem cell research. Rush Limbagh immediately rubbished Fox and said his parkinsons was exaggerated for the tv. Even if it was true that was a really scummy thing to say. Limbagh is someone I had some respect for, though he doesn't really make his point very well in my view. I think it takes a certain courage to stand up and display a condition like parkinsons for the whole world to see.