Stuff

So ends another week in bustling Bath, and it is bustling at the moment. It must be all this unseasonably hot weather, which when combined with a lot of wind and rain, has made for some enjoyable cycling. This week, I've ridden through shin-deep puddles and collected a lot of mud for posterity my posterior.

It is now dry, so I do intend to go to Llangybi this weekend and find the birthplace of great grandfather Gwyllim. Then I might even go out with the nascent VC Walcot on Sunday. Let's see if they have got it together more than the Bath CC boys. There's also a couple of other Saturday options: go out on the Chippenham cemetery ride or do Mat Brett's (C+ editor) small group ride. But that'll have to wait until next week, as I have a mission to get to Wales.

I am continuing my education. I learned how to effectively libel people this week, and I've also signed up for a course in novel writing at Bath Uni. Or is that a novel course in writing? Or is that the Uni of Bath? It's like the People's Front of Ba'ath and the Ba'ath People's Front. I'm sure right-minded readers will be able to tell the difference. Continuing on from that, is it a test of your sanity whether you're able to spot libel? My lawyer advises me that I need to adjourn to a JK Rowling approved bar to consider that one.

[A pause for Staropramens. Due to the backwards and forwards nature of writing, this pause may have happened earlier in the blog.]

I note that England is continuing its mighty run in Australia, losing the Ashes 5-0, then getting thrashed in both the 20-20 and the one dayer. I'm beginning to lose interest in cricket again.

In other old news, I worked out why I was so disheartened at being stopped in the street by a charity worker last week. I will hasten to point out that I was not heartless, as I did sign up for the charity (I had no justifiable reason not to), but it left a bitter aftertaste. I had no personal objection to the bloke who stopped me, nor the charity, nor charity in general. But I don't like the fact that when you are stopped by someone on that particular street, it's only because they want your money. In Gent, by contrast, they generally ask for directions.

It all relates to the breakdown of society into a collection of individuals. Well OK, that probably happened a long time ago. But I now understand why the iPod (now iPhone, subject to Cisco lawsuit) holds such sway here, because it allows you to be completely isolated from everyone around you, even in a crowded London tube. I don't do enough commuting or have enough 'dead time' to get one, but maybe it'd be handy to avoid being collared on Milsom Street.

Finally, I'd better review Helen Garner and the Meaning of Everything, by (uncle) Alex Jones. Disclaimer: that qualifies me as possibly being biased, but I'll give my opinion anyway. I really enjoyed the book, and would have enjoyed it even more had I read anything by Helen Garner. It's gunna appeal to the linguists out there, as well as the right-minded reader.

The defence must rest, m'lud.