Stacking the deck: Up your energy: False imprisonment: The road to nowhere: Wi-Fi wobblers: Exploding vodka: and Cats in hats.

Dark, dry and dismal at the Castle this morn, Dawn’s crack has just appeared on the horizon, the study is half full of non functioning whatsits and I have sent my Gas and Leccy supplier a stiff email on a bit of cardboard.

According to “those in the know” ten million voters could be knocked off the electoral register under government plans which have left MPs "genuinely shocked".

Many of those likely to be affected are from poorer backgrounds and considered more likely to vote Labour.

MPs on the political and constitutional reform select committee realised the potential effect of the changes after three evidence sessions this week with election experts.

Even Tory committee members expressed surprise at the proposals, which would register voters individually and no longer make it compulsory to co-operate with electoral registration officers.

Tristam Hunt, a Labour committee member, said: "These plans show how little this government really cares about democracy or fairness.

"If they get away with it, the effect on the 2020 general election will make the chaotic boundary review published this week look minor. This is designed to wipe the poor and the young off the political map.

"We are moving from a notion of registering as part as a civic duty to something akin to personal choice like a Nectar card or BA miles."

Or maybe a ticket to the circus.....

 

Chris (no nuclear/yes nuclear power) Huhne

Has decided that he will “get tough” on the six companies that dominate the energy market.

The Liberal Democrat minister believes that making it easier for customers to switch energy suppliers will drive down prices.

One reform intended to encourage switching is the introduction of regulations obliging companies to carry out requests to switch within three weeks, instead of the six it takes currently.

Mr Huhne will also offer customers the chance to join online “co-operatives” to bulk-buy electricity and gas from energy companies and automatically get the lowest price available.

Ministers are increasingly worried about public anger over ever-higher prices, which have meant falling standards of living for many homes. All the so-called “big six” firms — British Gas, Scottish and Southern, EDF, E.ON, Npower and Scottish Power — have increased prices in the past month, leaving households facing average bills for electricity and gas of more than £1,200 a year.

Yeah right-just like no increase in VAT and tuition fees......

Up in Rochdale

Two security firm workers have been sacked after being tricked into putting an electronic tag on a criminal's false leg.

Christopher Lowcock, 29, wrapped his prosthetic limb in a bandage and fooled workers at security services company G4S who failed to carry out the proper tests when they set up the tag and monitoring equipment at his home in Rochdale, the Rochdale Observer reported.

Lowcock could then simply remove his leg - and the tag - whenever he wanted to breach his court-imposed curfew for driving and drug offences, as well as possession of an offensive weapon.

A G4S spokeswoman said: "Failure to follow procedure is a serious disciplinary offence, and the two employees responsible for the installation of the tag have now been dismissed."

Oh well...that’s alright then.

Dahn in Wiltshire

A new bus service has been introduced in Wiltshire which, due to council cuts, is offering no return service.

The 87 bus timetable, released earlier in the month, offers three buses a day and one on Saturday from Winterslow, Wiltshire to Andover, Hampshire

But with a limited return service and buses scheduled to leave before passengers arrive, residents say the route is effectively a one-way service.

Anne Riggs from Winterslow said "it would be better not to have it at all".

She said: "We've never had it before but when we found out that there was going to be a bus service to Andover - we thought wow, good a bit of variety.

"But with the new one-way service, we can board a bus and travel to Andover but there is no provision for getting us back."

The 87 bus route operates three buses a day from Winterslow arriving in Andover at 1040, 1240 and 1440. The return service leaves Andover at 0945 and at 1145.

The service on Saturday arrives in Andover at 1850 with a return service available at 0815.

Makes you proud.....

Over to the left a lot

Dozens of Americans who claim to have been made ill by Wi-Fi and mobile phones have flocked to the town of Green Bank, West Virginia

Ms Schou is one of an estimated 5% of Americans who believe they suffer from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS), which they say is caused by exposure to electromagnetic fields typically created by mobile phones, Wi-Fi and other electronic equipment.

Symptoms range from acute headaches, skin burning, muscle twitching and chronic pain.

Her symptoms were so severe that she abandoned her family farm in the state of Iowa and moved to Green Bank, West Virginia - a tiny village of 143 residents in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains.

I find that wrapping silver foil round my head and Man Veg works quite well, but you do tend to rustle a bit while walking round Tesco.

Dahn in Welsh Wales

A man was left dazed and wandering the streets in his singed underwear after almost blowing himself up brewing home-made vodka.

Ten neighbouring dwellings had to be evacuated after Lawrence Toms, 43, had a tinker with his distillation equipment, sparking an explosion so powerful it blew out the windows and damaged the roof of his home in southern Wales, newspaper the Daily Express reported.

Neighbours said Mr Toms, an inventor, had been making vodka after downloading a recipe from the Internet.

The crews of four fire engines battled a blaze while Mr Toms was taken to a specialist burns unit for treatment. Police have begun to investigate the explosion.

Mr Toms is believed to have made a still in a bedroom of the terrace house.

Should have used the silver foil trick....

And finally:

Designer Amelie has created a hat for every cat - and every possible occasion.

From French berets, to witches hats, Stetsons and sombreros, every chic kitty is sure to look their best.

And the cute clobber isn't just for felines; they can be worn by other four-legged fashionistas too.

Amelie, from Atlanta, US, sells the lightweight headpieces, which stay in place thanks to an elastic band, from just $14 each.

And she even gives her buyers some tips on how to dress their pets on her ToScarboroughFair website.

She says: "Don't force the cat if he or she really does not want to 'dress up'.

"Encourage and praise the kitty for good behaviour. Always be very gentle and talk in a warm, soothing voice."

 Yeah right.....

That’s it: I’m orf to change my energy supplier to Biomass.

 And today’s thought: how to combat global warming-turn the air conditioning up.

Angus