How Symbolic

As Ralf Schumacher recovers from his horrendous crash at last weekend's Indianapolis Grand Prix, he could be forgiven for wondering what fate may have in store for him next season...

As of next year, Schumacher junior will be leaving the Williams F1 team to drive for Toyota. There's currently a rumour doing the rounds to the effect that next year Toyota's F1 team will be sponsored by Microsoft.

Given Windows' legendary propensity for crashing at inconvenient moments, there must be a big question mark as to the desirabilty of this particular promotional deal!

Ad Astra

In about half an hour's time, if all goes to plan, SpaceShipOne will become the first non-governmental piloted space vehicle. I really hope that this all goes to plan and I've a feeling that it will. I've nothing but praise for the whole idea of lowering the costs of access to space - if space tourism ever really does become affordable it'll be a case of "where do I sign-up?"

The Law is an Ass

Charles Dickens had it about right - the law IS an ass!

I've just seen the news that Gary Mann, the soccer hooligan sentenced to two years inprisonment by the Portuguese authorities, was deported on the understanding that he'd serve his sentence here. Well,he's arrived back in Britain and on some technical reason or other he's walked away facing not a day in the clink.

Exactly what message will this send to those of our hooligans who are still in Portugal?

Some Kind of Fan..

As Engerland, Engerland's football team limber up for tonight's game against Switzerland, my thoughts have turned to the conduct of what's a tiny minority of the national team's so-called fans.

Apparently one moron chucked a bottle at a military policeman and has promptly received two years in the pokey for his trouble. Excellent - for all I care, he and all of his ilk can stay there until they rot! I'm sick and tired of these cretins besmirching the name of my country...

Exercise the Franchise

Election Day's here then. OK it's the European parliament and the local council, not a general election, but it still matters and I do think everybody should make the effort.

I was actually quite dismayed to read yesterday that only about 38% of Britons bothered to vote at the last local elections - that's a horrendously apathetic turnout. Out of curiosity, of those 62% who stayed at home, how many have subsequently complained about something for which their council's responsible?

If you don't vote, you can't moan.

Was That it, Then?

Given that I wasn't alive the last time Venus transitted across the face of the sun - it was in 1882 so you weren't either - I was determined to catch the event yesterday and I succeeded in doing so.

Mostly I watched it happen via webcast - thanks BBC - but I did also actually watch the planet cross the face of the sun with my own eyes. I was able to do this safely as I have a pair of eclipse viewing glasses left over from 1999....I knew they'd come in handy eventually!

The thing is - it really wasn't that impressive to see. There was just a tiny black spot on the sun. Was it really worth the 122 year wait?

Is it an Age Thing?

We're all supposed to troop off to the polls next week for local and European parliament elections and, is often the case, I've no idea who I'll want to vote for. I do, however, know of one party who definitely won't be getting my X in their box:

Step forward the UK Independence Party. Quite apart from the fact that I'm fundamentally opposed to their basic policy, let's have a look at their "celebrity" endorsers. These include such ,er, luminaries as Joan Collins, Patrick Moore, Edward Fox,Sir Stirling Moss and the intensely annoying Robert Kilroy-Silk.

We're not exactly appealing to the younger element of the electorate with this rag-bag collection of has-beens and never-weres, are we?