a boy claims to have been sexually assaulted by a soldier in Iraq - the Army hastily apologises (whether he's guilty or not, it's a great story)...

the News of the World says children were murdered, assaulted and burned in Jersey (yes, good old Jersey - such a great source for great stories)...

the Pope apologises for Australian sex assaults (whether or not they took place, it's a great story)...


thank god for great stories. We'd all be so bored if the media didn't have them.

Finally, someone also said on Radio 4 on Sunday that the media were 'overcooking' the credit crunch/recession stories. I have always felt that the media are driving us relentlessly into recession because they are just fuelling underconfidence in people. There's still loads of money out there. I was at Goodwood on Friday when a jaguar racing car sold for

I agree to a point with Jk but to use the sale of a

It's a pretty good barometer. During the last recession, prices of classic cars went through the floor. That Jag would have gone unsold or been considerably less

The credit crunch does not mean that people have no money. The REAL inflation figure of between 10% and 20% ( 20% on most things this year - fuel, food, COngestion charge, TV subs, ) means that disposable income is reducing each month.

This means that at present most people are not effected that much - it is being stored in the system. But come November if it continues we could see the Christmas period crash and burn for retailers and some sectors of the entertainment industry.

If this happens then we will have "talked" ourselves into this position BUT the oil rise ( which is fake ) will have pushed all the World's economies towards this position.

In the 1970s Governments said they would never be reliant on Oil again - and set about renewable energies etc. Funny how in 2008 we are in the same position ( possibly worse ) and the price of oil determines the health of the economy.

I hope those with money keep spending this year so that few people lose their jobs and go under.