Doomed, I Tell You!

Private Frazer in the acclaimed BBC comedy Dad's Army was renowned for looking deadly serious - he played the part of an undertaker after all - and uttering 'We're all doomed!' Given the way things are in this country at the moment you could almost believe his words were prophetic.

After a very pleasant long weekend which included Friday and Monday off work, I headed back to work on Tuesday full of gloom. The day began with the alarm blasting out at 6.05am - and it was still pitch black outside. It was raining heavily in Edinburgh. There were long queues of traffic going nowhere on the peripherals of the city by-pass. The news on the radio was conveying the demise of one of the biggest financial institutions in the USA and how the knock-on affect for this country could be catastrophic. Jobs were at risk, the economy was close to meltdown and the effects of global warming meant we could expect more torrential rain and 'localised flooding' (I find that a curious term - is that in case we think if it's chucking it down in Inverness then Edinburgh better prepare to drown?)

The news tonight is no better. I wonder if the person who coined the phrase 'credit-crunch' took out copyright. They'd be a millionaire by now if they had. The price of food has rocketed and who knows how much we'll be paying for gas and electricity this winter.

A shortage of staff at work means everyone is working their collective backsides off for little reward. In fact no reward at all, just continual moans and groans.

And, having thought they had turned the corner, Hearts lost 2-1 to Falkirk at the weekend and a whole host of players are now receiving treatment for injuries. Our little neighbours from Easter Road are asking us to part with £27 for the dubious pleasure of watching the Hibs-Hearts game in dankest Leith at the end of October. To paraphrase a Scots term where two positives form a negative, 'aye,right!'

So, with all this doom and gloom, I've lapsed into grumpy old man mode tonight. I need cheering up. It's all very well for some people to say there are some people worse off. I don't doubt there are but that doesn't make me feel any better on this woeful Wednesday. My glass isn't so much half empty as totally devoid of any alcohol...

Now, where's that Dad's Army video....?