Past Mortem

Tuesday

I've started reading Past Mortem, by Ben Elton. I've never read any Ben Elton novel before, but I'm getting quite into it. I have a problem with Ben Elton. I am in no doubt that the guy is a very clever and talented man. One only has to look at his past work on such things as Black Adder to confirm that. But he's a socialist, so he has only my grudging respect. He seems to have a knack of coming up with iconic pieces.

Anyway, Past Mortem is a novel about a Police Inspector that logs onto Friends Reunited and looking up a childhood girlfriend. I don't really know what happens after that, I'm only 50 pages in. But, it was a book recommended to me by that ex-girlfriend I met in Starbucks a couple of weeks ago after a 25 year gap. And I don't know whether I mentioned it, but we met up again after a Friends Reunited contact. So, I'll keep you posted on that. I'm racing through this book because I want to start "Steamboat Gothic" which was the 1952 book I picked up at the second hand sale the other day.

I see that the Us has trashed the Bush plan for buying bad debt. The British tax payer is however bailing out the Bradford and Bingley mortgage business. I don't understand why the US gets to decide whether or not to they go ahead with a national rescue plan, and the British just get what they're given.

The government has been releasing prisoners in England and Wales up to 18 days early to reduce prison crowding. No one except the government and the felons ever thought it was a very good idea, but they did it anyway. Now it would appear that 1,244 of those freed were called back to prison for breaking the conditions of their release and, wait for it, 111 didn't come back. That would be just under 10%. I'm amazed the other 90% came back. Seriously, what happens, do they get a phone call from the prison asking them if they wouldn't mind coming back?

Wednesday

Mother tells me that I am wrong about venison. It is farmed in this country, unless it is poached. So it's just as unethical as any other meat I guess.

David Cameron has made his conference speech. I think he played it safe. It went down well, but it wasn't a performance of earth shattering significance. I wonder what he opinion polls will say tomorrow.