The Tragedy of Afghanistan

The whole country is in a solelm mood as it reflects on the deaths of several more young men, heroically fallen in their prime. As Operation Panther's Claw, designed to surge forward to clear what were believed to be only remnants of Taliban insurgents, continues, it becomes more apparent that throughout its duration, we will be hearing daily of similar tragedies.

We will lament the woefully inept hand that the Armed Forces have been given by the Government and surely the in-fighting and bittnerness between politicans and those associated with the Forces will intensify. A few leaked excerpts from one solider depict a sorry tale where those 'in theatre' (what a callous and reductive phrase) are often misguided and hopelessly under-equipped to carry out the tasks given to them.

Operation Panther's Claw, combined with the U.S military offensive, Operation Strike of the Sword, is supposed to be winning the hearts and minds of the Afghan people. They have become weary of air strikes felling their countrymen so a strategy aimed at taking on a malleable and evolving enemy head-on was sought. What of the thoughts of the British publiic? Confronted by the latest losses, there has been a remarkable stoical resillience. Support for the Armed Forces has reached a fresh high. How many hearts and minds across the world will have to undergo untold physical and mental anguish before this bloody war is over?

Promotion, Shares and the Summer of BB

Hurrah! We finally did it. Wycombe Wanderers achieved what had eluded them for the past five years and won promotion to League One. Congratulations to the whole squad. The Chairboys can now look forward to visiting the thrilling fields of fallen giants Charlton Athletic, Norwich City, Leeds United and Southampton. This next season could be one of the truly memorable ones with so many exciting fixtures to look forward to, including re-uniting with old sparring partners, Colchester United.

When examining the finer details of the forthcoming season, it is fascinating to consider that a few short years ago, Wycombe were facing Charlton at The Valley when they were a Premiership side and now we will be playing them on an equal footing. Our first pre-season fixture saw us beat AFC Wimbledon 1-0 with none other than former Premier League 'star' Carl Cort on trial for the Blues. Swings and roundabouts.

Changing tack completely, I have recently attempted to get involved in the murky world of share dealing. Unfortunately I've fallen at the first hurdle and lost interest already. If anyone can provide a layman's guide to share dealing for dummies, please get in touch.

The summer of Big Brother (am I the only one watching it this year?) continues with some pleasant surprises. Narcissistic Kris has been given the boot by the voting public, proving that there is still human decency in the wider populous. Please take Marcus with you before he sexually assaults 'cock-blocker' Noirin who has already succeeded in casting a spell over the ever so respectful and well educated Sree and continues her man-eating spree unabated.

Oh, there is also something called The Ashes going on as well. Summer is here.