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This is a picture taken with my samsung digimax i5 camera, I've had it a wee while now and like all "gadgets" is very out of date in comparison to those now on the market, but I am still happy with it.

The picture is one of The Barrhead Dams, and was taken in December, so, Barrhead is in Scotland, note the weather, no more cracks about the Scottish weather.

The dam supplies water to the south side of Glasgow and can be found on the road from Barrhead to Newton Mearns, the area has been developed into Pollok Country Park and is only a 10 Min's walk from my house.

Maybe it's a sign that I am getting old, my memory wanders. I was trying to remember, as you do, what was the first joke that I heard.
It was from my dad, what, 50 years ago, I think it's funny.

A new prisoner arrives in the cell, his cell mate, an old lag, says, “This is a good day, all the prisoners meet in the hall this evening and we have a tell a joke session”.

That evening the new prisoner and the old lag sit together in the hall.

One of the prisoners stands up an shouts, “33”. The prisoners in the hall laugh out loud.

Another prisoner stands up, “27” he says, this time the hall erupts with screams of prolonged laughter with tears running down the cheeks of many of the prisoners.

The new prisoner turns to the old lag and asks, “What’s happening?”.

“Well“, says the old lag,“we have all been here for a long time and we know all of the jokes, so, we have just given them numbers now”

“That great”, says the new prisoner, “can I have a go?”.

“Of course”, says the old lag.

The new prisoner stands up, “43”, he shouts out.

Silence in the hall.

“What was wrong” he asks the old lag, “is that a poor joke?”.

“No”, says the old lag, “It’s the way you tell them”.

I have never seen this joke written down, or heard it told, in all those years, has anyone come across it since?.

Does some part of our wonderful Labour government think that we are all daft?

The way that Blair, Brown and the spin doctors have control over the party would not allow Des Browne, even if he does have the title Defence Secretary, to make any announcement unless it had first been approved.

Now the poor "sap" has to say it was his fault.

But, he will keep his job