I swore I wasn't going to do any more Demographic Shifts posts, but I miss it. I must be a sucker for dating punishment or something.

Somehow I have found myself wanting to do it again. I know its probably a bad idea, but I thought I would try a few, which will be interspaced with also taking 'Gordon's Breakfast'

I haven't exactly been on many recently, about three in five months. I know I should try harder, but what with work being rather hectic and currently trying to write a book.

That said, I did go on an online date recently and it started out in a promising way. We met in a Soho café bar as you do and were there for about two and half hours.

This was an impressive feat for me, I had been at a friend's birthday on Saturday and was particularly bleary eyed.

We spent a lot of time talking books and politics, which for me at least is a rather good combination. We disagreed on one or two issues, but that's okay. Nothing strong enough to make either of us get up and leave.

After the date, and in a positive light, I sent her an email:

"Hi, nice to meet you yesterday (I could have done with a few more hours in bed today), I'd be up for meeting up again let me know if you fancy it."

And after not too long a wait, I get a reply:

"I've spent the morning discussing the future of the nation's mental health with my new friend D______. His is a truly magnificent reinvention. I really like him now. Yes, it was jolly yesterday evening and we should do it again when you are less weary. And thank you for providing me with a thoroughly non-toxic introduction to the world of meeting strangers in bars. I can genuinely say that at no point did I want to throw myself out the window - and this was a concern of mine."

We exchange a few more emails, which are all quite friendly with the odd political banter reflecting our differing positions on the world at large.

Then I wrote this "What civil war? Iraqis say life is getting better" on another blog I contribute to Harry's Place and dropped her a friendly email:

"I have read a trees worth of newspapers - good news we're winning -;) - and drunk the corresponding amount of black coffee and while all this sunshine is much appreciated I am having sporadic difficult seeing my screen. You're right I should probably go out."

You see still friendly and the "we're winning" is definitely in jest, but apparently not as quick as you like comes this email my way.

"Why of course - one piece of polling that runs counter to everything else that's been done, predicated on the asumption (sic) that when asking a terrified and traumatised population a quarter of whom have lost a loved one they'll answer you honestly. And which can probably best be explained by sectarian and regional differences, and difficulty of demographic weighting over there. That's what I call Winning, loser."

Loser? Charming, I swear some people have no sense of humour. I really thought I was over falling out with people of politics (and to be fair I think I am), it's just that other people aren't.