Today's news.   

Things we have learned lately (another in an ongoing if somewhat sporadic series)

Keep a weather eye out from now on for drunken Vegans!

A Sienese wine producer, Alberto Cenni, from Fattoria Casabianca has produced the first wine not to use gelatin or fish-bladder membranes which we delicately and sneakily call isinglass. Doesn't it sound romantic, almost innocent!? Certainly exotic, it is truly revolting!

Isinglass - eeeyewwww!

Obviously vegetarians and vegans have never drunk alcohol up to now that would be hypocritical but watch out from now on as they lurch around corners carrying bottles of the stuff. They'll get a taste for it mark my words!

But I didn't inhale!

Indonesians didn't have much choice when the authorities "accidently" set light to three tonnes of seized marijuana. (Doesn't look accidental to me) Residents of a West Jakarta suburb around the police station offices complained of headaches and feeling"dizzy" on finding themselves engulfed by fumes and smoke. Most of the police seemed to be adequately forewarned however and wore gas masks!(some of them . . . . )

Sneaky lot! Not, I would have thought, something to be caught out on so close to an election?

John Bercow was close to tears today as MPs dramatically defeated a Tory plot to oust him as Commons Speaker

Am I the only one despairing of politicians behaviour in the beginning of the run up to an election? Apart from clearly not telling us anything they are going to do before we elect them their underhand and frankly appallingly school playground behaviour of late beggars belief. The Government seem to have been hoist with their own petard after a particularly underhand move to oust the Speaker of the House, John Bercow, but it fell foul of their own members. Now I'm not the biggest fan of Mr Bercow (or his fame hungry wife) and he may have raised hackles from time to time but for him to have been reduced to being close to tears is underhand "jiggery-pokery" of the poorest sort. A nasty vindictive stealth move that resulted in its Machiavellian perpetrator, one Mr William Hague on his last day of his parliamentary career (Hoorah!), being described as "grubby", "squalid" and "nauseous"! Which sounds about right to me and one for the history books to note for one who showed such promise as Thatcher's Golden youth! So much promise to come to this to find yourself leaving parliament siding with the despicable Michael Gove in such a nasty devious attack on democracy.

Commons Leader William Hague today defended the move which Labour branded 'petty and spiteful'

No it isn't April Fools!

MEANWHILE
I am mildly horrified to learn that MacDonald's has launched its own clothing range. Based apparently on inspiration by their Big Mac! You couldn't make it up!