bleungberg.com

Is it just me or are they trying to get rid of Saddam before 2006’s out?

And during the climax of the Hajj as well?

That means I have to go and buy newspapers for his obituary on a Sunday then? Oh well, maybe I’ll give the Gardening section in the Sunday Times a second chance before recycling it.

2006 looks set to become a bonanza for obituaries - Turkmenistan’s Niyazov, General Pinochet, Gerald Ford, James Brown, cartoonist Joe Barbera, jockey Scobie Breasley and now Saddam; six iconic individuals who’ve helped define the late 19th century - good or bad - in their own inimitable ways.

Could things get any worse for the Church of England? Faced with a possible split over female priests and gay bishops, plus some pre-festive drunken rampage by the Bishop of Southwark, Dr Rowan Williams has now said that he should’ve spoken out against the war in Iraq earlier.

Oh really?!

It’s astonishing that it should take a person who preaches peace, love and tolerance nearly four years to condemn the invasion.

He defended his silence stance over the war as he (still) believes that the British government invaded Iraq ‘in good faiths’.

He only changed his tune after a brief trip to the region during which he witnessed how the local Christian population has suffered greatly through religious sectarianism caused by the on-going conflict in Iraq.
Well, I could’ve told him that - and I’ve never even been to Iraq!

But isn’t it his duty to stand up for the weak no matter what faith or creed that person is? No wonder religious affiliation is in decline in the UK; with a man like this at the helm of the Church of England, the organisation might as well be made redundant now.

Great news about the 48-year-old charged for the working-girls’ murders.

Not so good news for the media - the bloke they wanted banged up is out on bail!

Which means they should never have named him in the first place!

The police still haven’t said his name, and won’t unless he’s charged.

Now though, suspect number 1 will have to watch his steps carefully as the media will be following his every move.

I seriously hope he’s innocent just so that he can sue everybody in the media for printing his name without permission.

Well done, Suffolk Police for upholding Britain’s legal system.

As I sit at my desk at 4am, I can just about see through the heavy fog outside that a cat is scratching and nibbling away at the bin bags left on our driveway.

Great - yet another reason to hate these fuckers!

I’ve hated them ever since I saw a dead cat when I was six on my way to school. It was a white cat, and it had just been run over, with his pink intestines spewing out as if someone had ripped them out deliberately.

I’ve thus been deeply opposed to people letting their cats out on the streets for the past 20 years. “But it’s cruel to keep them indoors!”, say cat lovers. Well, they won’t be saying that when their beloved pets get run over.

Besides, cats are vicious animals. They bully and hiss at each other. They play loudly at night. They shit and piss all over our front and back gardens - I mean, why should we clean up after our next door neighbours’ mess?! And why should I care when they go missing, as I seem to get asked by my concerned neighbour about once or twice a year?!
Besides, isn’t it a bit nippy to leave your cats outside tonight, eh(?) Can people get done for animal cruelty? i should hope so. Be gone with the cats and their owners, I say!

The most disturbing news of the week - for me anyway - was undoubtedly the appointment and defection of sports presenter Gabby Logan from ITV to the BBC.

I’ve never been a fan of her - certainly not during the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul from where a heavily-pregnant Logan anchored ITV’s coverage dressed as a tramp, or as one newspaper put it, looked as though she had stumbled into the studio after a night out clubbing.
Her fluffy, lightweight presentational style was brutally exposed that night, as was evident during coverage of the Boat Race and the Super Bowl on the commercial network.

It’s therefore baffling why the BBC should want to waste their money on someone, when they already possess enough in-house talents.

Apparently, Logan’s appointment coincides with a soon-to-be-launched sports news shows, but also with an eye to co-hosting the 2012 Olympic Games.

Looks like I have to wait a long time to see the back of her. But, spare a thought though for the current front-line sports presenters on the BBC - they’d better watch out, Logan’s after them!

Frustrating matter 1 - I went to bed at 5.30am this morning, having stayed up to watch England’s rather swift defeat in the Ashes. It could’ve been earlier had Shane Warne bowled the tourists out before lunch, but opted instead to get some food down his stomachs first and then get rid of the English two balls into the afternoon session. That greediness deprived me of 50 minutes’ sleep.

Frustrating matter 2 - Woke up a few hours later at 10.59am to hear that a man had been arrested for the prostitutes’ murders in Ipswich.

A quick glance at the details on the various news channels and a replay of the police news conference soon got me thinking that how come I, and everyone else knew the suspect’s name. The police never mentioned it, but somehow the media went ahead and broadcasted everything one could possibly want to know about a person who’s supposedly innocent till proven guilty. No chance of a fair trial then.

Strange how things work out sometimes.

The past weekend saw the second favourites from both Strictly Come Dancing and The X Factor booted off their respective shows, whilst the long-time second favourite scored a sensational upset by defeating the overwhelming odds-on shot at the BBC Sports Personality awards.

Reckon I fancy the outsiders again next weekend.