Oops! Sorry, forgot to write for ages again....

Well, I've got marginally closer to organising my trip. I still haven't booked the ticket yet, but I have finally found an insurance company that will cover me in indonesia! It's so ridiculous that most of the insurance deals refuse to cover me there. I mean it's not even as if I'm asking them to cover me against war/terrorist risk, I'm just asking for health insurance. I fail to see how the Bali bombing or any of the mini battles going on there could affect my general health. I mean, if I get a stomach bug in Sumatra, is it actually the fault of an Al Queda cell which infected my food?? Stupid bloody paper pushers! Anyway, the company that will cover me is the one that covers all the journalists who go into war zones and stuff and is twice as expensive!! Bloody stupid if you ask me! Oh well, ours not to reason why, ours just to pay the money....

I went to a peace vigil against the war on Iraq today in my little town of hereford. There was quite a good turnout really. It was organised by the Quakers (an eccentric yet groovy religion based on being nice to each other in a very sensible manner and not bothering anyone else ever under any circumstances). The only thing that made it a bit annoying was that it was a 'silent' vigil, meaning I had to stand with my placcard and not speak for an hour. I have to say I would have prefered one of the demonstrations where you get to chant loud slogans and march about the place acting important, but i think it had the desired effect anyway. :) But will it help? Who knows. It seems to me that my 'democratic' government has forgotten what democracy means, and is treating public opinion as a mere annoyance rather than as something that should influence their decisions. Bush is determined to have a war now, mainly I think, beacause he said he would and he's too embarressed to back down. Not to mention of course the fact that after the war (if he wins of course) he will control the biggest oil reserves in the world....

The situation here is odd to say the least. The press are against a war. The public (60%) are against a war. London has seen the biggest anti war rallys EVER in our history, and yet the government seems to completely ignore all of this. I don't know what to think anymore. All I know is that if we do go to war, there's going to be a lot of dead ppl on both sides, and there's also going to be a LOT of very pissed of muslims who will be far more likely to be recruited by militant and fanatical groups such as Al Queda. Ultimately this war on terror is going to increase the amount of global terrorism against the west rather than defeat it.

god damn politicians!!! :)

on a lighter note, I'm going to the pub in a minute and my girlfriend's just come online! :) see ya!