The ants are doing well. They now have a garden into which they can venture by means of a clear plastic pipe. There is a pond in the garden which acts as a moat like structure to ensure they don't go walkabout.

The grass in the garden need cuttng about every 2 days or it would look like a jungle, although I leave the cress to grow as it looks like trees. I hope that this enhances the ants life experience but I have not canvassed their opinion yet.

They are still getting their fruit every Saturday morning and they all appear to be fit and well.

I am not ANTicipating any problems at the moment.

My legs are as stiff as boards and extremely sore, especially the fronts of the old thighs.

Come on you lot. What can I do to get rid of this. Long walks, runs etc. are out of the question as I can hardly get up and down the stairs.

I think I am getting old!! 

What about our human rights? I would have thought that the human rights of the population of this country should be put first in the pecking order as I would feel particularly infringed if one of these mad buggers blew me up.

Or is that not logical?

Information is sketchy at the moment. Wonder if anybody out there can enlighten us?

Report from the Fire Service says that several people have reported hearing a large explosion.

Earth tremours are not that unusual in Britain. Several are felt each year but from reports it would appear that this is an unusually large one.

Scotty was always my favourite member of the crew of the USS Enterprise. God speed.

Apparently their behaviour transgressed the bounds of decency for behaviour in public.

Given that India has a huge AIDS problem and a child prostitution problem I think this may be just a little two faced.

The horse riding fraternity are continuously whingeing on and on about the helicopters flying low. This is a necessary thing for them to do to allow for pilot and crew training.

The guys in the helicopters are going to be expected to fly in war situations. Do the horse riders not understand that they must be allowed to train for this eventuality.

If a decision has to be made as to whether a helicopter crew is going to be put at risk because they may upset horses and riders then my vote comes down very firmly on the side of the helicopters.

The big worry is that the vast majority of vacancies that are being frozen or staff being made redundant are front-line clinical staff.

The government will tell you that there are more NHS staff now than ever before, which is true. What they won't tell you is that the reduction in staff for next year is going to be even bigger as the NHS tries to balance the budget.

Lies and spin.

Apparently the latest thing is that employers are being advised to let their employees go for stop smoking counselling in works time. This is as a result of the much awaited smoking ban which comes into force on the 1st July (Yeeeeessssssss says I).

Just where does the government think these smoking cessation services are going to spring up from? The services in this area and nationwide are already heavily oversubscribed with waiting lists as long as your arm. There is no extra money and no extra staff in the pipeline as far as I can ascertain.

So this is just so much spin. Tell the workforce that they should be able to go and have counselling in works time and get the brownie points as a good guy government. At the same time ignore the fact that the services aren't there to be accessed but don't tell anybody.

They never change.

GOLF WITH STEVIE WONDER

Stevie Wonder and Tiger Woods are in a bar. Tiger turns to Stevie and says,
"How's the singing career going?"

Stevie replies, "Not too bad... How's the golf?"

Woods replies, "Not too bad, I've had some problems with my swing, but I think I've got that right now".

Stevie says, "I always find that when my swing goes wrong, I need to stop playing for a while and not think about it. Then, the next time I play, it seems to be all right."

Tiger says, "You play golf?"

Stevie says, "Yes, I've been playing for years".

Tiger says, "But, you're blind. How can you play golf if you can't see?"

Stevie Wonder replies, "I get my caddy to stand in the middle of the fairway and call to me. I listen for the sound of his voice and play the ball towards him. Then, when I get to where the ball lands, the caddy moves to the green or farther down the fairway and again I play the ball towards his voice."

"But, how do you putt?" asks Tiger.

"Well", says Stevie, "I get my caddy to lean down in front of the hole and call to me with his head on the ground and I just play the ball towards his voice."

Tiger asks, "What's your handicap?"

Stevie says, "Well, I'm a scratch golfer."

Woods, incredulous, says to Stevie, "We've got to play a round sometime."

Wonder replies, "Well, people don't take me seriously, so I only play for money, and never play for less than $10,000 a hole".

Woods thinks about it and says, "OK, I'm game for that, - when would you like to play?"

Local paper has reported that mugging and violence is up 58% locally. I think that is just terrible.

Next breath they are saying, but don't worry this is still one of the safest places to live in the country!!!!!!

What must other areas be like?

What is this country coming to?

Law and Order a Priority. Respect Agenda. Instant Fines. Remember all that crap from Tone and the boys. Seems to have worked then!!!!!!!

So he should be. The first fully elected president of the Soviet Union and the architect of the downfall of communism.

I am not sure the world understands just what a debt they owe to this man.

A drunken fool at times but a man of huge courage and foresight.

RIP

Still think Milan are the favourites in this one though!!

Firstly you have the NHS workers. These people have been shafted by this government with a derisory pay rise and they are not going to put up with it. Just about every union and college have either balloted their members or have decided to do so. This means that apart from doctors there will be strikes throughout the NHS.

Next you have the civil servants. Job Centres, Courts, Driving Tests, Passport Applications even Museums are going to be effected. This is because this government has boosted the numbers of civil servants to such an extent that it can no longer afford to keep them. So they have now brought in redundancies, low pay and are considering even more privatisation to cut costs.

This government, as nearly all Labour governments before them has taxed the populace to the hilt and then spent the money on unsustainable projects and systems and staff levels. They never seem to be able to plan for the long term.

I have asked this question many times but what have they done with the money that they have filched from our pockets? Nobody seems to know the answer.

First strikes are going to be early May so if you are going to need any of the services above I reckon you better get in quick or you will be disappointed.

Don't blame the workforce when you cannot access the services you need. These people are quite rightly trying to hang on to their living. Blame this government from top to bottom. They have a lot to answer for.

I was getting fed up watering my allotment but now I won't need to for a few days. Great.

I try not to be an angry old man but sometimes I look around me and think what the hell is this world and specifically this country coming to. All the old values of responsibility, respect (not Tones version), family etc. etc. seem to be mocked nowadays and lightweight, unworkable beliefs put in their place.

Don't get me wrong, I am not depressed or anything like that but sometimes I just get pissed off completely by events and comments and the not my fault outlook.

Gotta get it off my chest somehow!!!

They miss the point. The point is this is just advice. If they don't agree with the advice or don't want to take it that is their perogative. They are doing no more than taking the responsibility for their own and their childrens welfare which is their right to do so.

I am just intrigued by their need to complain that they are being given the advice. Is it that they are not confident in the way they are leading their lives, or is it that they are aware that what they are doing is perhaps not the best way and therefore field the need to respond?

The effort, the emotion and the sheer eccentricity of the day puts it head and shoulders above anywhere else in the world.

Well done all that finished from 2 hours and a bit to 8 hours, who cares. You all achieved your goal. Anybody who has never done it doesn't and can't understand.

If it isn't them it is Rangers. Is there a less exciting competition in the world of sport? I don't think so.

How boring.

We are lucky if we get 25%. Why is this?

Is it because the politicians are better than ours? Is it because the French electorate is more intelligent than ours, or is it that we are becoming populated by a tribe of people who dont give a sh** about society really as long as they are alright Jack. As long as they can get pissed on a regular basis, get drugged up when they want and produce kids without the need to provide any kind of financial support to them everything seems to be okay. Whatever!!!

Pass me a shellsuit I think I'll join in.

They attacked a field of beans not potatoes.

Even my 8 year old daughter can tell the difference but these dick-heads couldn't.

Sad really.

And the farmers biggest complaint? This rabble who are determined to save the world left huge piles of placards and crap behind. They couldn't be bothered to look after the countryside and follow the age old rule. "Take only photographs and leave only footprints"

One of our number WannabeTVChef (Kev) has been nominated for the best food blog. His blog is great, as are his recipes. If I tried thim all I would be cooking until the cows come home.

This is him, don't be put off by the picture.

Come on. Go to his blog click on the link at the top and get voting. Lets get Blog.Co.UK better known and help Kev at the same time.

The voting process is a bit of a bind but easy enough if you follow the path.

Come on, give him 5 minutes of your time and lets see if we can make him a star!!!!!

(That'll be a fiver please Kev and a spot on your show when you are famous)

The lass did alright but their was not timbre to her voice, no gravitas, not the real excitement that you get with male commentators (unless it is Peter Reid - he wouldn't show a spark if connected to the national grid).

No this is one domain that shoule remain strictly male for me.

Not only was Brian the best batsman in the world over the last 10 years or so, he also carried the West Indies almost single-handed during that time.

A batting genius and a nice man. Not a combination you will find very often.

He will be sadly missed on the grounds of the world.