I heard a short discussion on the radio about which books politicians should take with them to read during their summer holidays.  The ideas from the lads came thick and fast when I raised it. Cameron and negotiation are words that don’t sit comfortably in the same sentence but we found a book that might help.  Getting Together by Roger Fisher and Scott Brown is well worth a look; only a couple of hundred pages so Dave should be able to read, learn and inwardly digest without reducing his 'me' time. If he struggles to understand the logic it delivers, we are available.  The Ultimate Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham would be useful to statistic spouting Ed Miliband.  He may even learn something from Mexican revolutionary Sancho Villa’s dying words – “Don’t let it end like this, tell them I said something.”  Villa didn’t have enough breath to add his last word, “useful” Ben’s suggestion. That final word would be essential rather than useful to Miliband’s case.  Nick Clegg seems hell bent on political suicide and we asked the library if they had any books on the topic of suicide.  Apparently there are some, but borrowers never return them!   

    Hillary Clinton has been busy promoting her book Hard Choices during a visit to the UK.  We got talking about it since four of us have either seen or heard her on television or the radio.  The fact Jez heard her on Woman’s Hour raised a couple of eyebrows but we don’t bother to comment anymore.  Accepting that she was promoting her book and would behave accordingly, all our comment seemed positive.  She’ll go head to head where necessary, as Obama found out when they met ‘gloves off’ for the Democratic nomination, but she understands diplomacy as well.  On reflection, her balanced approach to the role of Secretary of State did a great deal to re-establish the US reputation and position in the world after GW’s sabre rattling.  She’s playing her cards close to her chest, fairly close anyway, hint, hint, about running for president but she’d get our vote.  That won’t help much if she runs, but with Bill behind her, I should really rephrase that, we believe she’d do a good job.  

    Tracy Emin’s bed made £2.5mill to an anonymous buyer when it went to auction last week.  Adrian bets the wife of the bloke that made the winning bid doesn’t know he bought it.  But art lovers can relax since Jez has already started to save his used underpants.  We know it will be a sculpture since some of the offensive garments already stand up of their own accord!

    Speaker of The House, John Bercow, has found it necessary to tell the media that he’s not a sex symbol. We’re not the right crowd to make a judgement so checked with the ‘girls’ in the pub.  No worries John, it’s not a general perception.  Apparently wife Sally says his role in Westminster has made him more sexually attractive.  Maybe he wears his robes in the bedroom while Sally pretends to be a party whip?  Whatever the reason, Ben summed up the announcement perfectly.  Straight faced, he voiced that “it was only a short statement.”  You cannot argue with that.

    An interesting bit of information about global warming also got us talking this week.  America’s Snow and Ice Data Centre, funded by NASA, revealed that the amount of Antarctic sea ice has hit a new record high.  Satellite observations didn’t start until 1979 so it’s a short term trend; it is however, supportable and accurate.  Climatologists base their predictions of global warming on computer modelling, not data, and berate any doubters.  We won’t be around to find out who is right, but based on our own recollections we’ve generally been in agreement that the weather in the UK has changed during our lifetimes. Global warming, who knows?  Like so many major issues, we’d love to see real data rather than opposing arguments.    

    Paedophilia is filling the headlines at present, another potential scandal daily it seems.  As elderly entertainment figures begin their sentences, a potentially greater concern is surfacing.  Did a paedophile ring of the great and the good also get a free pass because of their power in and around government?  Names have surfaced, mainly posthumous, but if the rumours are proven, there will be survivors. If so, the perpetrators should be punished, but so should those who protected them from exposure; they are equally culpable.   Right now, there is a strong smell emerging from the corridors of power and a radical fumigation is required.

    Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, is quoted as saying she wants teenage boys to grow up as feminists; all for equality then.  I’m not sure how that will stand up if we find all women short lists interviewed for certain posts.  If she can make unequal equivalent to equal, she should be shadow chancellor! 

    Funniest comment of the week came from Jez about spectators doing ‘selfies’ of The Tour De France.   “The silly buggers are turning their backs on the peloton.”  Someone has to tell him!!