At all ends of the political spectrum, the problem is the same. How to convey the message; how to engage. The problem is more acute for the far-right shock troops of the BNP, who know that most will refuse to read their unsavoury internet ramblings unless they are disguised to make them palatable. Here, chairman Nick Griffin spells out how it can be done. "The proper way to use the blogosphere is to draw in readers interested in a certain geographical area," he says. "'Yourtown Blog, by Fred the Whistleblower', or in a certain hobby, 'Eel Fishing Blog', for example ... Then drip, drip the politics in as an ordinary Joe with no party axe to grind. That's where the real power of this medium lies - not the naked politics that turns off most of the population, but subtle 'independent' popular validation of our views and our party." This might seem like misrepresentation. It might even upset the eel fishing community. But if the ends justify the means.

· After quitting the Cabinet Office to become a human flak jacket for the parents of Madeleine McCann, does Clarence Mitchell ever yearn for the certainties of government? He has spent a month as the public face of Team McCann and already some observe that his brow is furrowed, the eyes have dimmed. "They hunt in packs - the snappers all in one place, the broadcasters in another, the British nationals in another," he told journalism students in a heart-rending address at Coventry University recently. "You just go from one hotel or bar to another to brief them." He was asked about the Portuguese media and the police but indicated that there was little he could say about them that would not cause a diplomatic incident. There'll be a time for harsh words on that subject when the time is right. But the time is not quite yet.

· Even the greatest optimist will understand that some things are just not possible. We have learned that an uncontroversial biography of George Galloway is one of those things. So David Morley, the author of Gorgeous George, must have known that his not entirely complimentary book about the maverick politician would encounter turbulence. And so it has. "The sweepings of the internet floor," Mr Galloway called it in his Daily Record column. "A collection of every smear I've ever faced, with a larding of cod psychology." For all that, the real battle is being fought on the internet, where cyber-bouncers confront potential purchasers on Amazon. "Please do not bother buying this book," says one. "He has never met George Galloway and brings no understanding to the incredible life of a great man." Another warns: "He resorts to smears and character assassination. Do not buy this book. It's sewage." In defence of Mr Morley, a supporter claims the protests are bogus, adding: "The book had not been sent out in time for these people to have read it." Others say it is fairly balanced. But in the fog of war, the truth is lost. It was ever thus.

· Isn't it great to see that Portmeirion, where the cult 60s TV series The Prisoner was filmed, featuring Patrick McGoohan proclaiming that he's not a number while being watched the whole time, now has real-life 24-hour CCTV surveillance. We all need someone to watch over us. We know that now. Had Sky One not shelved its plan to revive the classic series, we might also have seen Number 6 grappling with ID cards, DNA testing and the congestion charge. For we are all numbers these days. And proud of it.

· And yet all this surveillance has not made us feel safer. The problem isn't just crime. The figures are going down. The issue is fear of crime. That's why we endorse The Back Up, an American device that allows concerned citizens to store their rifles by the side of the bed. It hooks under the mattress and makes the firearm readily accessible. "It's the smartest money you'll spend in your life," the manufacturer says. "Some people are ordering one for either side of the bed." Of course rifles don't form part of most home security regimes in the UK, but with adaptation the gadget could perhaps hold a weighty frying pan or a penny whistle. Here, as in the US, good people will protect themselves as best they can.