and they watched big brother whilst the country crumbled

i'm curious, if you can be bothered, mention in the comments which you think is worse from the below list - all taken from today's news headlines.

the economy is fucked, and getting worse.

UK inflation jumped to an 11-year high of 3% in December, raising the prospect of more interest rate increases.

yet more prisoners abscond, this is now a weekly occurance. when will they realise prison works?

Another terror suspect on a control order has absconded, Home Secretary John Reid has revealed in a written statement to MPs.

those in charge can't even count; that or they're out right liers.

Scottish Executive economists have admitted that the level of public spending may have been over-estimated by more than £400m.

in one week over 1,000 people have lost their jobs.

Cash machine manufacturer NCR has announced plans to cut 650 jobs at its plant in Dundee.

and...

Six of Music Zone's Scottish stores have closed after the CD and DVD retailer went into administration... with a loss of 325 jobs across the country.

they ban smoking for us but fag away to their hearts content.

The leader of one of Scotland's largest councils was last night forced to apologise after being caught smoking in his office. Jim McCabe, the Labour boss of North Lanarkshire, repeatedly lit up in an interview with a reporter despite having local responsibility for enforcing the smoking ban... North Lanarkshire said he would not be fined as it was not its practice to fine individual smokers - instead it focused on premises which allowed it... Since March, when the ban came into effect, anyone smoking in an enclosed space has been liable to a fixed fine of £50 per offence, while owners of premises which allow smoking can be fined £200.

and what are our elected leaders talking about? yep, big brother.

A row over remarks made to Celebrity Big Brother's Shilpa Shetty will be raised in Parliament after thousands of viewers complained to the TV watchdog.

and the government wonder why they're hated so much...