Perhaps the shock of cold mornings has worn off now, or perhaps the day is genuinely milder, but today is bright, sunny, and bearably chilly. On my way the Job Centre to deliver my daily excuses I stopped in the park, watching the gathered waterfowl swim back and forth vainly waiting for a passer-by to stop and throw breadcrumbs. What? On a cold day like this?

I have to admit I remain bemused about how these birds don't freeze. After all, they live outdoors and swim in cold water. I suppose it's the insulating quality of their feathers. After all, I'm currently surviving the early winter by virtue of a duvet stuffed with them, but it's impressive nonetheless.

My claims advisor wondered if I wasn't feeling myself. I'm sure he didn't mean anything literal, but was commenting on my apparent state of health. A bit tired, if I were honest. Punch & Judy have started banging on walls in the wee small hours in order to both entertain themselves and satisfy their east european sense of honour. I guess it keeps them happy.

Cloak of Invisibility

I see now that scientists are talking about manipulating the speed of light. It's been known for a long time that light travels through different transparent materials at different rates, and I recall a science fiction collection about the ramifications of doing this. The author invented 'Slow Glass', which effectively trapped light and made it possible to see an event long afterward albeit with no replay button. So a man watches his family play in the garden long after they died in an accident, or a crook is revealed as the police wait patiently for the image of his actions to emerge from the window.

All us veterans of Dungeons & Dragons (Go on, just admit you played it) will remember the ubiquitous Cloak of Invisibility. A concept ripped from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings perhaps, but then, Tolkien himself drew heavily on celtic mythos when he sat down to write his stories.

Now you know what Area 51 is for, and why no-one sees anything happening there.

Eh?

Following the student riots at Millbrook, I saw an interview with a self confessed anarchist who called for anarchists everywhere to get together and make more direct protests. Pardon me? An anarchist wanting organisation? What is the world coming to? Tear down your poster of Che Guevara young man, and hang your head in shame.