It was a new one on me when I first heard the term ‘bucket list’. Apparently it’s a list of things you’d like to do or see before you kick it. Does that make sense? It does till you try to make one! I don’t know if there are any rules regarding length and feasibility for the list, but I decided to keep my list reasonably short; I’ve thumbed my nose at fate a fair bit recently and didn’t want to overdo it. I look forward to my fellow bloggers baring their all in reply.

I’d like to:

1. Live to hear a politician open a sentence by saying ‘I’m sorry I screwed up’ rather than ‘Under the previous administration’.
2. See Mick Jagger retire contrary to all predictions – he’s made old bones, but surely enough is as good as a feast?
3. Live somewhere that doesn’t have reality TV shows, headlines featuring unknown ‘celebrities’ or rap music.
4. Get some acknowledgment from manufacturers and retailers that plastic bags and packaging are causing more harm than the germs they’re supposed to shield us from.
5. See a total ban on cell phones within school precincts (including staff) and one compulsory gadget-free day per week.
6. Implement a serious review of the legal system to include tighter testing procedures for legal aid, firmer sentences (surely 5 years should mean just that?) and yearly reviews of judges’ performances.
7. Hear more people having a moan: all this tolerance and complacency is making life unpleasant.
8. Engineer a return to beer mugs with handles.
9. Direct greater resources to rail networks and car free city centres.
10. Pass much tougher laws regarding gun and weapon ownership.
11. Increase import duty on electrical goods and cars in order to reduce it on food and books.
12. Institute a ‘plonker of the year’ award to find the worst politician, public servant or government department.

A bucket of the above won’t really hold too much water, but with a pint mug in one hand and a packet of salt and vinegar crisps in the other, I could seriously kid myself.