"Oh Mandy. You kissed me and stopped me from shaking...". Yeah, for all of 20 minutes.

So the Labour party has learnt to love resident Prince of Darkness Darth Mandelson. Considering the hoo-hah that surrounds him whenever he manages to worm his way back into Downing St that's quite an achievement. The (somewhat considerable) applause eventually died down and he was no longer the Rasputin-esque figure of yore, but a new darling for the Labour party to look up to. He had more charisma through the duration of his speech than Gordon Brown's managed in two years since taking office.

However, while his speech no doubt lifted the battered spirts of poor Labour supporters, the spring in their step will no doubt be unsprung when they remember that anyone with an ounce of grey matter can't stand the bloke. How crap must your lot be when the only beacon of light in the fetid mire that is Labour is a politician that nobody else likes?

I equate being a Labour supporter to like being a Newcastle Utd fan; you know you're really too good to be doing as badly as you are, but that doesn't stop you being a bit rubbish and everyone else having a good laugh at your expense.

You utter swine!

So an outbreak of Swine Flu has spread around the globe, prompting fears of a pandemic.

It's likely that this will all just blow over like Bird Flu and SARS did, but this is the same virus as the Spanish Flu which killed millions after WWI, so it has potential. Plus the people it's killed have been young and strong, not the usual victims of other types of flu which are the old, young or weak.

Luckily, because it's been around for so long, most people should have developed some kind of immunity to it (at least in theory).

'Oh Dearism' - The role of News Theatre in shaping the World

Adam Curtis, the news documentary film maker behind 'The Power of Nightmares' and 'The Century of the Self', created this short documentary film for Newswipe. He makes an excellent point on how the news has become a way in which the audience isn't driven to help people, but is actually driven into a state of apathy due to over-exposure of terrible events.

At face value, this may seem odd, as the dour presentation of the news in the past also did little to make people get up and act over the injustices of the world. However, the modern news industry has become so pre-occupied with the notion of 'bad news is good news' that images of starving children in Africa no longer stir the feelings in the public that there was after the Michael Buerk documentary on the Ethiopian famine of 1984-85.

Yes, there are still massive amounts of aid being given through money sent to charities from the public, but not that sense of guilt or overwhelming melancholy. People see these things on the television and donate a few pounds, but only to feel as though they're doing something about it and for their own peace of mind.

If there's one thing the Scottish like more than swearing it's drinking, so trying to pass a law to set a minimum price for alcohol when the PM's a Scotsman is going to be about as popular as a pork chop at a synagogue.

Personally I'm vociferously opposed to such plans. I can understand the reasoning (flawed as it may be), but I can't agree with it. Yes there's a drinking problem, but ramping up the prices isn't the answer. It's like papering over the hull breach in the Titanic with paper towels and spit. When you look at mainland Europe, which has lower age limits for alcohol, as well as lower prices, yet they don't have the massive fuss that we do over here. Drink isn't treated as a stigma and people are taught how to drink in moderation from a young age. This is the way forward, not trying to hide away or price out of reach that which the majority enjoy sensibly.

Northern Ireland.

With another shooting in Northern Ireland, this time resulting in the death of a policeman, is Northern Ireland seeing a resurgence of the sectarian violence that used to dominate the country, or is this a bad patch in an otherwise improving country?

With Sinn Fein not exactly helping following the less than emphatic condemning of the barracks shooting last week, I can't see how true peace in the country can be achieved without fierce condemnings of the attacks by all sides, so long as they are truly interested in peace. Sinn Fein tip-toeing round the attack I just can't see helping in the long term.

Northern Ireland has come a long way since the height of the Troubles. I've the good fortune of knowing several Irish people and they say that yes, it's not brilliant there, but it's improving and becoming more multi-cultural and more tolerant. My boss from my job back home used to be in the police force and was stationed in Northern Ireland for several years and compared to what he's said about it (not being to have your back to the pub for fear of being stabbed for instance), it certainly seems to be improving.

I just hope that these attacks don't result in retaliations and an escalation in violence...

Special relationship or relationship of convenience?

Gordon Brown and President Obama met in America today, repeating the lines we've all heard before about Britain and America's "special relationship". However, I doubt if the sayings about this special relationship match the feelings of President Obama. Pres. Obama's suspected feelings towards the British have been well reported. I'm sure that Britain and America will continue to work together efficiently, but I don't think it'll be the type of relationship that there was when Bush and Blair were in office.

I hope that the relationship between us and the USA is maintained, especially in such difficult times as I truly think Pres Obama will turn things around in the US and I personally wouldn't mind being part of that, even in a distant way.

Charlie Brooker: My idol, my inspiration, my God.

His article in The Guardian today was absolutely superb. He nailed what the government has come to in this country: a bumbling, authoritarian mire that views the public as small pieces of rabbit shit on their Ikea flat pack flooring. Just an absolutely superbly written, eloquent and hilariously damning verdict on the government.


Bring on the Summer of Rage!