THE SUNDAY SECTION

As I said in yesterdays post “what recession” Miliband seeks private jet tender the government is seeking to rent a private jet for the use of Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

A tender for the hire of a charter aircraft was issued in February and will last two years, it is understood.

The ministerial code states that scheduled flights should be used unless deemed impractical.

The Foreign Office said its decision was aimed at securing value for money following changes in the availability of RAF flights for ministers.

A spokesman said: "Unlike a lot of other countries we don't have a Foreign Office plane.

"We always try to use commercial airlines but sometimes that is not practical. Until now we have been able to use the RAF in those circumstances.

"Changes in the RAF mean we need the ability to charter aircraft sometimes at short notice - value for money is a top priority."

In March last year, the government scrapped plans to buy two private jets to fly the prime minister and the Royal Family around the world, citing cost and environmental reasons.



Another do as I say, not what I do from our wonderful Government, let him fly Ryanair, and hopefully he will have to use the outside toilet.

I want one of those (but not a Skoda) Artist creates invisible car The 22-year-old student at the University of Central Lancashire spray painted a battered Skoda Fabia to match the car park and entrance to her art studio.

Her work, created as part of her drawing and image making course at the university, creates the illusion that the car is see through.

The car is reminiscent of the work by pavement artist Julian Beever, whose attempts to trick people's minds into seeing perspective on the flat surfaces of paving stones.

Here are some of his works:

This one isn't

Pot-Kettle: John Prescott's attack on the English language

A sample of Prezza’s “English language” -

Mr Prescott told the BBC show: “A bus is a good way to get over to campaigning. You know I’m into Facebooks and all that kind of new technology now. But I’m into face to face. You’ve got to go out in the market square.

“I undressed 450 students yesterday with Ed Miliband and Eddie Izzard and I did 300 last night.

“You have got to talk to our people and when I hear Charles Clarke saying it’s a shame, I have got to say ... bit of dayjay vu. They were the same people who crawled out of the woodwork last September, told us they were finished, Gordon should go.

Just stick to the pie and mash John; at least that will keep your mouth shut.

And finally:

Keep away from my pigs!

Farmers fear pigs may get swine flu from people KANSAS CITY (Reuters) - Humans have it.

Pigs don't. At least not yet, and U.S. pork producers are doing everything they can to make sure that the new H1N1 virus, known around the world as the "swine flu," stays out of their herds.

"That is the biggest concern, that your herd could somehow contract this illness from an infected person," said Kansas hog farmer Ron Suther, who is banning visitors from his sow barns and requiring maintenance workers, delivery men and other strangers to report on recent travels and any illness before they step foot on his property.

"If a person is sick, we don't want you coming anywhere on the farm," Suther said.

Those sentiments were echoed by producers around the nation this week as fears of a possible global flu pandemic grew, with more than 200 people sickened, including more than 100 in the United States, and at least 177 dead, all but one in Mexico.

"There is no evidence of this new strain being in our pig populations in the United States. And our concern very much is we don't want a sick human to come into our barns and transmit this new virus to our pigs," said National Pork Producers chief veterinarian Jennifer Greiner.

"If humans give it to pigs, we don't have things like Tamiflu for pigs. We don't have antivirals. We have no treatment other than to give them aspirin," said Greiner.

That reminds me I must make a bacon sandwich.

“We work in the dark, we do what we can, we give what we have, our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task, the rest is the madness of art.” Henry James

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