1. For those of you who’ve forgotten, we’re all about to die of Avian Flu. Just like we were all about to die of SARS a year or so ago. And AIDS before that. If the terrorist sleeper cells don’t get you, the infected bacteriological ones will, it seems. Welcome to the climate of fear. Welcome. None of this is exaggerated. Good lord, no.

2. Oh, and in case you missed the vote, George Best is now revered as a saint amongst men. Sorry, no, too late for you to cast your vote, he’s already joined the pantheon of people who everyone had mixed feelings about until their death. The process is technically referred to as Di-ification.

3. She doesn’t like to take off her clothes unless I turn off the bedside lamp, she feels too naked and exposed: the unlightable bareness of being.

4. For those of you who were worrying how the HSBC farrago referred to in my entry of Sunday 27 November has panned out, HSBC have apologised for the inconvenience and offered to give me a £75 compensatory gesture. Which would be nice if there wasn’t a debit last week on my account for £75 which I can’t account for, followed by two credits of £75 from HSBC Card Services later the same day. It might be me forgetting that I’ve arranged a debit, but the two payments in from HSBC look rather damning, I’d say. It rather looks as if they made an unauthorised debit of my account instead of compensating me, then paid it back, and then paid me the compensation amount… but, er, wouldn’t that be kind of illegal ? Can’t wait to see what they say to my letter (posted today) asking just that question. Can anyone recommend a decent bank ? Maybe one that does those offset mortgage thingies I’ve heard about ? Let me know. No, seriously.