Al on a bicycle

Friday Afternoon (15 Jun)

I've won another competition. That's two this month. I won a cartoon competition on the Daily Telegraph web site. I'm thinking of turning professional. This month I have won a book and an original cartoon by Christian Adams. I should probably go out and buy a lottery ticket. I've entered the cartoon competition again today, but I used my fathers name and address and a different e-mail address. I feel that my chances would be spoilt if I used the same identity twice in two days. I don't think it's cheating.

I finally got around to watching "An Inconvenient Truth" this week. It's a very slick presentation. I have an issue with all the figures which get thrown out. I have a bigger issue with all the emotive images that assault the viewer. It's not rubbish, but it's not good science either. The thing that amused me most were the link shots. Between each scene we are treated to views of Al working tirelessly at his laptop, invariably he is on a light aircraft, or some huge vehicle. Can anyone really imagine Al on a bicycle?

The dragon made an interesting point. She noticed that Al spent well over an hour telling us what was going wrong and that we're all going to die if we don't do something, but he spent just a few minutes actually focusing on what we can do. It makes me wonder whether Al is more interested in scaring people, or solving the problem.

Monday Morning...

We spent the weekend in Devon. Managed to avoid the rain for the most part. The plan was to drive up on Friday night. It's a two hour journey and I was intending to get us rolling around 8 pm. It didn't work however. Our car is rarely used during the week and I'd left it garaged since the previous Sunday with the door half closed. Thus, the interior light had been on for 5 days and there was no battery. I called Pete for a jump start, but he was missing in action. I called Lyn, and she'd had a couple of glasses of wine, so she couldn't come. Eventually I got hold of Ryan, the world's most reliable man, and we were road worthy once more.

I felt guilty because Ryan gave us a lift from the airport last year and I never paid for his petrol, so I gave him some cash in an envelope. I found it posted through the door unopened when we returned. He really is a nice chap. Well, he did attempt to make me feel bad for not calling him unless I want something, which is sadly true.

It was fathers' day this weekend of course. I came home to find a book, a balloon and a sun hat, and of course a card. My own father received a card, some cheese, and a bottle of Chateaux Neuf du Pape, which of course we all drank. I thought it was very nice, and it went well with the roast beef, very traditional.

Dumpy behaved himself all weekend. He slept when he was supposed to, and he ate well. I think he had a good time.

London is officially the second most expensive city in the world. Apparently it is now three times more expensive to ravel around London than New York. Property prices are also outrageous. Only Moscow is apparently more expensive than London. Apparently coffee is £3 a cup in Moscow.

Currently I'm reading Flim-Flam by James Randi. I have a signed copy - how cool is that!