I am more and more convinced...

... that the result of the German elections is an unmitigated catastrophe. For some people to gloat because one party has not got into power is fantastically irresponsible and shows just how destructive party politics has become. The governance of Germany is a concern of the world, let alone Europe; and even if we grant that neither leading party seems up to the job, nothing could be worse than weeks of unprincipled negotiations ending, perhaps, in a grand coalition whose members hate each other and have nothing in common except deviousness and lack of principle. Germany must go back to vote again and not stop until it has a workable government, however bad.

I just got enlisted again.

Like most Italian lads of my generation, I did my time in the army and never progressed beyond Private. Now, however, I had evidence that it is never too late. Searching for information about Italian military history, I registered on a forum dedicated to the Italian cavalry regiments. When my name came in and I started a thread with the questions I needed to ask, I was delighted to find that - guess what - I had just been made a knight. Or a cavalryman. The two words are the same in Italian. Anyway, decidedly better than "House elf, Malfoy Manor," which is all that FA deigns to offer me for 460 posts.