Hello again, not been around for a while. Watching the Olympics, mainly. Especially the Badminton in the first week, which has led to even more enthusiastic than usual gallumphing around a court on my part trying to emulate the heroics of Gail Emms and that guy who looks like Stuart out of Big Brother.

I play at my local sport centre with a group of Asians and it is my experience there that has made me realise that my fond youthful dream of being a journalist was just fine staying where it was in la la land.

What would your average half decent political journo have done with the opportunity of socialising with a group people that includes a fair amount of Muslims, at this time in our history? Might he have broached the subject of the Iraq war, for instance? May he have used this opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of Muslim attitudes to 9/11, Islamophobia, Islamofacism etc? Or would he spend his time debating the demerits of the panhandle grip and the forehand serve?

Thought so.