If there is anything I detest it's negativity (and its close cousin cynicism). I just can't abide it and, by and large, I don't suffer it. The simple reason for this is my life experiences haven't engendered within me a raft of negative attitudes or my character makes me filter events that would have resulted in negative and cynical attitudes out of my system. It's probably a bit of both, as I am a bottle half full person. It's a essential that I am, if I was laden with negativity and cynicism the majority of things I do in my career would just collapse as I'd spread the foul disease to everyone I 'touched' and I'd achieve nothing. Negativity and cynicism generally lead to the evil of inaction and paralysis.

I have to say though, for those unwilling to fall to the tide, it's currently involves a significant amount of effort to not be weighted down by the overbearing tide of negative waves cascading out of every available outlet and associated input. It's almost impossible not to drown in it at the moment.

It's got to the point were I find myself not wanting to read or watch the news because of the continual tirade of information and opinion designed to inform us about how we are going to be living in the stone age and nothing good will come of the next few decades. Every bit of news is designed to support this view. Nothing positive can be reported. Nothing to balance it out. Why do we hear so little about the Olympics? Because it's currently on plan and going well, so there is obviously nothing to report there. Why do we not hear holistic and cohesive strategies, backed up by sound arguments, to dig us of the mess? Then throw in the fact that every country is obviously doing better than us, at everything, and experiencing no problems at all, so the news tells us. That's because another countries own issues and problems are rarely reported and you can bet they exist (they may still be doing generally better, but the dichotomy is still out of balance).

This isn't helped by the election campaign which just needs to get moving already. This is the chance to inspire, to get the country moving, to start to alter things for the better (even if it is a long-term plan) but instead we are in a ridiculous situation. Whatever party you support, or if you tend to be the quintessential floating voter like myself, it is absolutely ridiculous that Labour are so well represented in the polls. Statistically no party wins a fourth term. They've dug us into the mess having peaked some time ago. Gordon Brown is an absolute joke in terms of being able to lead due to public perception and the fact everyone obviously wants him out (how many leadership challenges has it been now?). Hell, even though you don't vote on a Prime Minister, supposedly, there is every chance Gordon Brown wouldn't be the Prime Minister by the end of the fourth Labour term. This then brings me to the Tory party, again whether you support them or not, their leadership has been an absolute disaster. Any party that cannot lead itself to a high poll position when facing the dead in the water Labour party with all the old faces has to have done something wrong. Where has direct, honest and substantive leadership gone? I'm not even looking to agree with any particular leadership direction at the moment, just it existing would be nice.

The final annoyance that constantly preys on my mind is it doesn't really matter who I vote for as I can't imagine Labour ever losing in my region. Institutional, generational voting, is something I particularly despise.

As I say, it's difficult at the moment to keep one's head above the negativity waters. I refuse to drown though.