Large sewer grate covers and heavy drain covers are lucrative money spinners for those prepared to take risk. Sold for a fraction of their replacement cost there is still a tidy profit to be made in this trade. A quick check on google reveals that problem is not exclusive to West Midlands. Similar experience in Aberdeenshire, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk have been widely publicised.

Councils are being urged to consider upgrading their security measures and to investigate possible replacement of some high risk covers with more secure and harder to remove products. More modern covers offer recessed locks which are almost impossible to remove.

Councils are united in their condemnation of this new trend of mindless and irresponsible theft. Their concerns, apart from inconvenience and cost of replacement, are fact that these drains are left exposed and likely to be a serious safety hazard to pedestrians and motorists. Imagine a motorcycle travelling at speed and hitting a hole in road or a small child or elderly person falling into a hole in ground.

Just like Cher or Charo, she only needs one name.

Condi

Bursting unto stage of global foreign policy, black stiletto heels: tight, black leather power outfit. Dominatrix style. She cuts quite a dashing figure, if you read a lot of comic books.

And picture in that leather outfit finally answers question: "Oh THAT'S what he sees in her."

That picture of Mistress of Foreign Policy will of course be flashed about world. Just another reason for those sitting in town squares of world to believe that lame brains we American's put in power have nothing to offer beyond "talking points" that can be summed up on a Power Point presentation.

As that picture, with all it's cheap sex and bully power gets flashed around world; I was wondering what reaction would be when New York Post was tossed up on front porch of 704 Hauser Street in Queens New York.

I can see, no---I can see and hear--America's first, best TV bigot Archie Bunker opening up his paper, eyes widening as he sees Condi in Catwoman outfit, "Aw geez Edith, would ya look at this!"

Edith would shuffle over, look down at paper Archie was holding, as he stood in back of his chair, and she would say something like: "Ohhh my. . . . ."

And in pure unadulterated genius of these two master actors, Carroll O'Connor and Jean Stapleton.; everything that needed to be said about just how bizarrely wrong on so many levels, was fact that Condi even had this job. That's all you need when actors are that good. A word or two and expression on their faces. No analysis, punditry, or fair and balanced "news." Just Archie and Edith commenting on Condi.

And as morning got going in Queens, it would of course be Edith who provided perhaps best picture of why Condi story was just so wrong.