The health and safety experts have been at it again. The age old tradition of children participating in sack races at schools sports day, all in the name of that horrendous past time called fun, have been ruled out on the grounds that it is dangerous.

I suppose it's because of that awful chaffing of the sack cloth against the children's knees.

T. Boone Pickens is a legendary Oil man and investor who reached the billionaire stage long ago. Pickens knows a thing or two about oil drilling and America's dependence upon foreign oil.

In a recent interview with CNN's Lou Dobbs, Pickens had this to say about the sad state of America's current energy position.

"The problem is unbelievable for this country.

Infection control has become somewhat of a political hot potato in recent years with the media producing stories on the spreading of so called 'super-bugs' in hospitals and medical institutions. Thankfully to combat the problem a growing number of workers are undergoing online training programmes to reduce instances of these bugs such as MRSA and C.

The private hospital is experiencing a boom in the modern healthcare structure. The reasons behind this are diverse but there are a few which stand out; of these a dissatisfaction with the national health service is the most striking. However, people are also choosing to visit a private hospital so they can have their own room, a more diverse menu and the option to have family stay with them.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has stated that the average household in the UK is wasting around 8 pound sterling per week on unnecessary food bills. Brown's suggestion that the British public should think more carefully about their food shopping in an attempt to reduce the horrifying effect of the credit crunch seems laughable. With the cost of oil soaring and the cost of living up by a reported 9.

America had an energy crisis starting in 1973 with the Arab oil embargo. Unfortunately we didn't seem to take it all that seriously as it was fairly short lived. Certainly the United States didn't learn much from it.

The 1970's energy crisis led to greater interest in renewable energy and spurred research in solar power and wind power. It also led to greater pressure to exploit North American oil sources, and increased the West's dependence on coal and nuclear power.

All investments depend on making returns, which in turn are affected by macro cycles such as the Great Depression or the dot-com boom. When a market is receding, it makes more sense for long-term, stability-seeking investors to look elsewhere upon first glance. However, in the case of the housing market of many parts of the US, the likelihood of long-term housing depression are still relatively slim.

And once again we have health and safety madness at its true British best!

Illegal raves that cause disruption to nearby residents, where illegal drugs are sold and consumed by many and where the countryside is trashed by people who couldn't give a damn, will NOT be broken up by police because they have not had the necessary health and safety training in the dark.

We're all well aware of the benefits of recycling but who, in all seriousness, has the time or inclination to do so? Most households now have their solitary green recycling bin duly supplied by their local council but if plans to cut down to once a month rubbish bin collections goes ahead, how will this little recycling bin be enough?

The whole issue surrounding recycling is very confusing but rules have been clamped down on even before anyone understands fully what can and can't be achieved.

"I was eating a tomato at teatime the other day and it occurred to me that mummy is not dead at all, just very, very mysterious." Tony Baekland.

Based on the book by Natalie Robins, Savage Grace is a deeply disturbing, psychologically-charged film about Barbara Baekland (played by Julianne Moore), and her only son, Tony (played by Eddie Redmayne).