All this good weather has been very seductive. It might be something people in other places around the world take for granted, but we British do enjoy our sunny weather when we can get. This weekend the clouds rolled in and as disappointing as it was, we do need the rain. I stopped for a while looking out the back window. The rainfall came in surges, no more than a light drizle one moment, a torrential downpour the next, though I didn't hear any thunder from the storms the weather people told us to expect.

So far this year I haven't had a good soaking. Perhaps that's tempting fate, because our variable climate is quite unforgiving for those who aren't prepared. You would think with many years of experience in coping with british weather that I would avoid the worst of it by second nature. Trouble is, we do tend to get complacent. And even with the cool breeze and bulging tufts of cloud drifting past the window today, it's actually quite pleasant out there. I mean, who needs a raincoat today?

Do You Knopw That...?

This morning I signed on again, my weekly ritual for ensuring I don't end up on the street. My usual claims advisor is on a training course, probably designed to allow him to recover from me, and my second least favourite advisor took over. In fairness he was friendlier than he usually is. having asked me how I was (they all do - it's a standard litany with advisors besides being polite) I replied I was a bit buffeted, hinting at the recent accusation of non-compliance. He of course didn't know anything about that, and instead pointed out I had a black eye.

Yes. I know. Thank you.

Live Without Money

This morning I saw a news item about a chap who decided to live without money. Apparently he barters for everything he needs. There is a ceratin attraction to this idea given that I'm a long term unemployed person, but what claims investigator is going to believe that two cows, three pigs, sacks of potato's, and a shiney new hammer aren't the proceeds of illegal earnings?

Interplanetary Billiards

The scientists do say that in Earths infancy the solar system was a dodgy place to be, with rocks colliding all over the place. Most have long since collided but there are still lots of mountain sized lumps of stone whizzing around out there. One is due to pass Earth within 2000,000 miles later this year. That's so close in interplanetary terms it has to be counted as a near miss. It's even closer than the orbit of the Moon for crying out loud.

If it collided with Earth, YU55, as the asteroid is named, would cause an explosion equal to 65,000 Hiroshima size atom bombs. Why do governments spend billions on high tech weaponry? All we have to do is chuck rocks at each other.