Yesterday I'd arranged to meet DW for a photo-shoot in town. The weather map last night showed rain crossing the country and I had images in my mind of being immortalised as a miserable drowned rat. As it happens the weather wasn't too bad, being merely overcast.

With my business for the day seen to I had some time on my hands. Quite a lot of it So I sat down outside the library and watched the world go by. What is this life if we have no time to sit and doss?

All of a sudden I realised DW was emerging from the nearby cafe. That was a suprise. I hadn't expected him to turn up on time, never mind an hour early. He looked mystified. "Are you seriously going to sit there for another hour?" He asked.

Mate - I'm unemployed. What did you think I was going to do?

Being Seen

This wasn't the first time I'd done a photo shoot by any means. Having been in the music business for many years the need to be publicised usually got the better of me sooner or later. DW asked if I was okay about doing something unusual in public. Erm... Like what? I'm not stripping naked mate.

He'd chosen that part of town to get a sense of activity and life into the photos as the public walk by. I guess a lot of people might find that sort of thing intimidating, posing for photos in a busy public thoroughfare, because let's face it, inevitably you look ridiculous. Some members of the public thought I might be some kind of nut. No comments please. Actually I'm not botherd. I've performed in public since I was a little kid. Just another gig really.

So for a fun hour I had my picture taken. It's a strange thing to see yourself in a photograph sometimes. Normally I only gaze wearily at a face in the mirror every morning and I think my brain is trying to con me into believing I'm still twenty one. In the photographs I look like Moses. All I need to do is grow my hair a bit and Ian McKellen will never get the chance of playing an old wizard in feature films ever again.

Inevitable

The Lib-Dem conference is in full swing and they want to be the greenest party ever. For some reason that doesn't fill me with joy. In their enthusiasm to inspire ours, they tell us that cutting carbon is essential for human survival. Actually that's rubbish. Cutting carbon won't make that much difference. With populations expanding everywhere it's inevitable that at some future point there really will be starvation on a colossal scale. It's a law of supply and demand that nature is very strict on. Less carbon does not equal more food.

Never mind. At least the low carbon economy will boost growth. Not sure why that should be, because inevitably enforcing restrictions raises costs and reduces spending. In any case the while the Lib-Dems talk about it the rest of the world is slowly overtaking them. I see on the news that the first hydrogen refuelling station has opened in Swindon. That's inevitable too, with petrochemicals taxed several times over and batteries just as incredibly expensive as they always were. It does beg the question though who actually owns a hydrogen powered in Swindon.? Anyone? No?

Let The Buyer Beware

I know that shops are struggling these days but heck - avoid music shops at all costs. I made the mistake of asking for some replacement locknuts yesterday, little nuts and bolts that aren't essential for an electric guitar but certainly help keep it in tune. Fifteen pounds they charged me. Fifteen quid! The guy told me he only orders japanese parts, not the rubbish chinese ones. What a rip off.

I daresay he was very pleased with himself having cost me a weeks food. I wonder if he realises how much trade that's going to cost him?