In the spirit of a picture being worth a thousand words, I leave you all with my fondest Yuletide wishes. Please worship responsibly X.

This morning found me queueing up outside the local Wesleyan Hall, for this is where the nearest Citizen's Advice Bureau to Chéz Sonique is located, and I'm in need of some impartial advice from a grown-up.
On the the phone, the CAB-lady told me to be there around 9am. What she failed to add was that the doors don't open until 10am, so I had an hour in which to admire the imposingly dark satanic facade of this once magnificent religious establishment. Makes Miss Havisham's gaff in Great Expectations look like Studio 54. The clock is permanently stopped like hers, too. If you look closely, you'll also see that the local brethren have named the basement drinking-den Wesley's, in honour of the building's proud past.
Still, as the advice centre operates on a first-come-first-served basis, I ended up as #1 in the queue. I duly got myself the relevant advice - no details yet people, you'll be reading about it in the society pages soon enough - and am back home now. Not for long though because in one hour exactly, I have yet another appointment with a purveyor of the worst form of institutionalised cruelty, sometimes referred to as the Physiotherapist. Yes, my day continues to get better.

Listening to: Get Carter - Original Soundtrack

Interesting tonight to see that Robert Kilroy-Silk, independent member of the European Parliament, was the first person to be voted out of ITV's reality show I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.
The public, who (allegedly) vote by phone for who stays or leaves, were swift to grant him this wish. Now that's what I call unloved by the general public, pop-kids.
Much media-debate has taken place over the value or not of shows like these, but from the point-of-view of those involved the advantages are obvious. Bigger wages and job opportunities upon exit, generally. Apart from Johnny Rotten, who can blame 'em?
However, can there be any more odious an entrant for such a TV show than a practicing politician?
Apart from anything else, Kilroy-Silk has been taking his parliamentary wage, despite being absent from duty, alongside his fee for the show. Preening self-obsession is generally expected in applicants for IACGMOOH - after all, that's where most of the laffs for the viewing public are - but when it's a politician that's involved, as opposed to some forgotten Variety star, the mirth takes on a different, often more uncomfortable tone. Plus, politicians are generally more self-aware, self-obsessed and self-deluded than the average D-List Sleb. George Galloway, please come on down!
It has to be said - and American readers know this already -there's nothing more dangerous or unfunny than a politician with an eye on a show-biz career.

Listening to: Dick Dale - Hava Nagila

This is how I began my week.
Just me and Cassandra in the Sonic Chariot parked up a sidestreet in Harehills, Leeds, waiting for a noon appointment with Pain. Another of those Monday morning in-car hot-water bottle scenarios. I definitely need to go somewhere very sunny for quite a while right now, that's for sure.