Sorry Rubes, I cant see it either.

I'm tired.

My German tax returns for the period 2002-2005 are going to be audited. 2006-07 hasn't been done yet and my German accountant is nagging me. 2007-08 hasn't been done yet and my English accountant is nagging me.

I know I should be patient with the osteopath but I'm beginning to suspect the treatment isn't doing much apart from lightening my bank balance and falsely raising hopes about dealing with the fact that I can hardly stand up in the morning.

I have far too much work to do and I'm behind with all of it.

I stubbed a toe on Sunday evening and it's turned purple and swollen up.

I have to get up at 5 tomorrow morning to catch a plane.

There! Six rants for the price of one.

Richard, maybe it's a physio that you need and not an osteopath. Could you not ask your GP to refer you to the physios at your local hospital?

Purple swollen toe? Umm, might you have broken it? It's easily done without realising it. Oh dear, sorry. I'm sounding like Eeyore

I'm in  Cornwall for 2 weeks, courtesy of a friend! Any board members down that way?

My rant.

Mrs BBM had a hectic day at work, so much so, that she over cooked the chicken. It tasted ok, the trouble was that it did'nt cut very well. So she drove home, circa 9am(I was in pjs still!!),and I dropped her back at work, went down to Sainsburies, and had to get the order. £49!!

O well, these thing s happen, i suppose.

I knew the much expected grand-child was not going to be cheap. We're buying some of the expensive things for our daughter, like the nursery furniture (Babies R Us), the pushchair/carseat (Mamas & Papas) and quality clothing from places like Gap, the Torchwood shopping centre in Solihull did well out of us at the weekend!

No, I'm not grumpy about how much we are spending.

The bank called.

(Man in Bombay) Mr Wright I am calling as part of out Fraud Prevention Service...... I want to list some purchases made on your credit card in the last two days ....... Babies R Us, Gap, Mamas & Papas, Tesco, Asda, Handmade Burger Co., The Bear Inn Berkswell, BP Service Station..... over £1300 in two days....

'Yes, I can confirm I made all these purchases'

'Well as a precaution we have cancelled the card, and your wife's, just as a precaution you understand. Please don't use the cards during the next three days, you will receive new cards in two days.....'

Well, I didn't even argue with him, what would be the point 

How infuriating John!

One year just before Christmas I made more purchases than usual over a couple of days using my Visa card. Eventually this caused a long delay in every shop during the second afternoon of relatively expensive purchases (I normally don't spend much!) as I had to provide extra ID to the store manager with him/her confirming my identity to the Visa people on the end of the phone - actually I recall being put onto the phone myself too and being interrogated.

I'm not impressed that they cancelled your card without even a phone call first. Or were you out shopping and missed their call?

What??? That's just ludicrous.  I suppose it's not your bank card, which would be immensely irritating, but even so... you'd think they'd speak to you first, or that there should be a way to temporarily block the account without cancelling the damn cards.  Grrr on your behalf!!!

Am I the only one who sees a potential for a new kind of fraud?

• monitor the traffic of the companies that already monitor credit card activity for potential fraud
• select potential fraud victims
• inform them that their card is being cancelled
• use the card frantically for the next 24 hours, for anonymous online purchases

Yes, I do have a nasty suspicious mind even if I don't completely understand the workings of sophisticated credit card fraud.