i have some very difficult decisions to make

these are regarding work. the first one is regarding potential industrial action over pay and privatisation. royal mail have just announced the biggest profits in their recent history in spite of apparently falling mail volumes (don't believe what you read in the press i haven't seen any evidence of it). on first issue, whilst it would look bad when the rest of the country is getting wage decreases or freezes, which is what we have been offered, and i can certainly understand why that would look bad, postal workers earn well below the national average wage and if the profits have doubled, then i think it is fair that some of the money is filtered down to those who make royal mail or indeed any company what it is. also someone may go in to work during an industrial dispute doesn't make the same sacrifices that the strikers do but still gets the same reward and my conscience would also find that difficult to deal with. on the issue of privatisation, hypothetical scenario is that we may force the government out next year, but then we will end up with the lib dems or the tories who both want to privatise fully which could mean having to go through the same thing all over again. according to mike newport our area cwu rep though, tnt and cvc the potential buyers have seen the hostility from both the public, the union and the royal mail employees and are apparently now not so keen on the idea now.

the other issue going on in my mind at the minute is forthcoming european elections and specifiacally with regard to the british national party. as is the normal situation with royal mail we have been told two completely different version of the rules, one by the union who say we don't have to do this because of the 'conscience agreement' and royal mail who says we do because of freedom of speech under the representation of the people act. my personal opinion of the bnp is that they're the biggest hypocrites and hatemongers in politics and are just the modern day version of the national front or oswald moseleys blackshirts under a different name. this after all a political party that a) claims not to be racist but has it written in to its constitution that members must believe in segregation of all races b) has a leader that confesses that he admires hitler c) denies the holocaust d) claims to believe in the principle of free speech but are always the first to condemn muslims for speaking out about the iraq war saying that these people should be shut up. this is also an organisation that claims to be democratic but would probably become a dictatorship if they ever came any where near power and would quite probably introduce 1960's style apartheid in this country. with that in mind i wonder how any person who is of sound mind could ever contemplate voting for them. i appreciate that there is a problem with immigration in this country but the bnp solution of repatriating every foreigner will only lead to violence as it is unlikely that they will all go quietly as many of them have built lives for themselves over here.

on the runnin front i have had a couple of easy days after doing 11 miles on wednesday night, the longest i have covered after my come back started. i felt good after the end of the run but come thursday morning i was rather tired and this lasted right the way through til last night. the thought of doing a marathon is still something that is very much at the forefront of my mind and with this in mind i will be looking a training plans for a sub 3 hour marathon some time soon, hopefully planning for london either next year or 2011. not doing any speed work at the minute concentrating on getting the strength up for the winter season, but once again this is all if i am running again next year and anyof the rowing clubs haven't been in contact.