Today, driving back from Hemel to Lincoln, me and Heather decided to go via Peterborough to do a spot of shopping.

On route at Hatfield, just before the A1(M) a hitchhiker was asking for a lift to Peterborough, so I stopped and picked him up.

Now I’ve been hitchhiking before, and have always promised myself to pick up anyone going my way. I’ve only seen people a few times, and they’ve always been going the opposite direction.

Luckily for myself, Heather and the hitchhiker, none of us were axe murders, and we all managed to get to our destinations safely.

With the news that more 16 and 17 year olds are being bribed to go to school, occurs on the same day my statement from the Student Loans Company (SLC) came through.

Now what I find shocking, is that although in the last tax year (April 2003 – March 2004) I paid off £550, I was charged £250 in interest. Now of course I understand that the loan is index linked, and the interest rate was 2.5% (or something similar), the problem I do have is that the £550 taken from me, by the Inland Revenue, never accrued interest whilst they were holding it for me, to give to the SLC.

So I’m asking those MPs that read my blog, is this really fair?

Further to yesterdays post, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is now number one in the Amazon Charts.

In today’s Sun editorial, they ask this question

The question all the doubters must answer is this: Have you got a better way of fighting terrorists?

So my answer to the Sun must be this: More Policemen

Also in the main story, the only reason they give for having ID cards is

A: Ministers say the cards will help fight terrorism, illegal immigration and identity fraud

Exactly how they don’t say.

Whilst I on at the Sun, all of the letters seem to believe that Blunkett resigned due to “family issues”, that he was the best Home Sectary yet, and that he should still be in the cabinet, yet I’m pretty sure the resignation was to do with the fast tracking of a visa.

Whilst I’m pro ban of smoking in the work place, and hate the smell of tobacco, does anyone else really believe this will work?

In the days before tobacco advertising was banned in the media, did children really get what the adverts were about?

All I can see happening now at point of sale, is a whole lot of 200 cartons stacked up where the small adverts used to be.

The sixth Harry Potter book will hit the shops on 16 July next year, although Amazon aren’t yet taking pre-orders, I’m sure this link will work soon.

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002J4WNU/artesea-21

I was going to posts these after each day, but forgot.

On Wednesday Heather came down to London, and we went to the Liberal Democrat Christmas Staff Party in the House of Lords.

Chris Rennard was Father Christmas, and after we finished there, we went on to Strangers Bar with several MPs.

Thursday was a bit more quiet, but Heather did get to meet my Nana for the first time.

Friday was Heather’s birthday, and amazingly she help me at work for most of the day. After work, we went off to the London Eye, which if you can manage to get on it during the night, whilst people are still at work, and have a clear sky it is really, really lovely.

On Saturday, we visited my Nana to fix her computer, went shoe shopping in London (which oddly was rather busy). Then in the evening, we went to Walthamstow Dogs, with James, Helen, Chris, Will, Brian, Theo and Dan. Whilst I did lose money overall, I did have some winners.

Then on Sunday, we went to the Wedding of Stuart and Lesley, two Liberal Democrat friends in Hemel Hempstead. The wedding service was lovely, and the reception was held in the beautiful Berkhamsted Old Town Hall.

Finally on Monday, Heather managed to escape, although only after she spent another day helping me in the office.

After my post earlier this month about getting emails read on 6 Music, the office have managed to get on the radio twice this week on Vic McGlynn show.

On Wednesday Seth our intern won CDs for the tedious task, saying the most disappointing Soundtrack CD was Batman, and today James had a go at Guided by Noises, with a guess of Rubberband Girl, which was wrong, but he did manage to sign Vic up to the Party!

The current Chip and PIN ads in the newspapers are giving us this piece of advice:

Keep forgetting you PIN?
It’s easy to change with chip and PIN.
To something more memorable like a birthday or your lucky numbers. You can change your PIN at the cash machine. Easily. Or by simply contacting your card issuer.

Right, so when the thief steals my wallet, the first PIN combination they are going to try is DDMM or MMYY of my birthday, which is on my driving license and they are now also telling us that we can change our PIN by phone!