15th June:

Everyone's favourite pop starlet (everyone apart from me, that is) Britney Spiers has popped up in the press today with the somewhat predictable 'I hit rock bottom, my drink and drugs shame' confessional that we all expect these days as a precursor to the equally inevitable new-album-comeback-attempt. She has even asked her fans to help her name the new album. Insert punchline here. The apathy is palpable. Your congenial host would suggest "Meh, whatever" as an opening gambit. Any takers?

Let's face it, where else do you go when the world has seen your fluffy bits on YouTube?

In other news, Palestinians continue to shoot at each other as the government is dissolved and a state of emergency declared. You cannot help but think that all this factional in-fighting has also killed the dream of an independent Palestinian state for another generation. Idiots. Meanwhile, Israel stands quietly on the sidelines, licking its lips.

It's a glib statement, but perhaps Bush's greatest success has been in dividing the Arab world.