Rooney and his pals failed to wop Israel's asses in the World (or is it Euro?) Cup qualifier last night, not that I care. But it did result, as anticipated, in the first communication from My Certain Someone since our New Year's Eve resolution. Exchanging some flip nationalistic football insults set me off pining for some real exchange with him.

Rasmia & Noor. Photograph: Sabri Hakim  

We'd arranged a bonding trip to the Dead Sea today, for Rasmia and Jamila to have a rare good time and, hopefully, trust us a little more. They are understandably very nervous of British people - as their lives have been destroyed by the Americans (and British). So we booked a minibus and a load of kids we picked up at the school video session.

My long-term distributor, some-time editor, part-time counsellor and full-time friend, Mark Stucke, called this morning with the horrific news that his great friend - and frequent filmmaking partner - freelance cameraman Martin Adler was shot dead by an unknown gunman at a peaceful rally in Somalia yesterday. Fucking shit.