Photo envy, power generation and Athlete at the Junction

2010 Wildlife photographer competition

We visited the Natural History Museum this week for the 2010 Wildlife photographer of the year exhibition

I’m glad I am a member of the museum, there are some real advantages in that you don’t have to book a time slot in advance for any of the exhibitions and you can skip the queues of people trying to enter the free part of the museum (freeloaders, as I like to call them*) and who, on Sunday, were snaking around the block. You could see the seething resentment from the freeloaders as I produced my membership card and ushered our group through at the front.

* I myself can be a freeloader when it suits….

I don’t suppose I will ever enter anything for this competition but Mrs B sweetly said she thought some of my pictures were as good as many of the entries. I thought that was really nice until I remembered Christmas is just around the corner….. It’s a bit like bonus time at work when you suddenly remember it might be a good idea to be nice to the boss (Not that I’m the boss in the house - Mrs B made that clear years ago….)

This years overall winner
The judges must have been a bit wary after last year’s debacle, with the discovery that the winner (subsequently stripped of his prize) had hired a tame wolf for the picture.  The judges proably felt that the cost of either bribing or training a large number of insects to pose for a photograph would be more than the £10,000 prize.

My favourite – A springbok sandwich – take two slices of cheetah and a fresh springbok – I would like to think that they were just playing and all went home together for tea and jam sarnies…..
The fact that this picture was taken by a close relative of The Beast (another D700) may have influenced my choice….although the winner was taken by another cousin.....Hurrah! The rise of the D700s
If only The Beast had a better custodian (you don't get to own The Beast, he sometimes allows you to pick him up.  If he’s in a good mood you get a loud clicking that sounds like a contended purr) he could have been a contender...


Going Green
I reported a few months back that we were on the green path and had ordered solar roof panels. I am pleased to report that they are in place, which means that we are now electricity producers and get paid for every KW generated. While I don’t suspect for one minute that we will become millionaires, I have high hopes that we will make a good return on our investment. Unfortunately the short days, low sun and propensity for cloud cover in winter means this is not the best time of year to make this assessment. All I will say is that I’m glad the panels are not very prominent on the property.  I discovered (after we had signed up for them) that the income we will receive will, in turn, be derived from an increase in electricity prices. Ouch, that's not going to be popular with your average consumer......................

New regular section - "Energy watch"

Monitoring our way to a fortune (or not):
KW Produced so far - 65
Which has earned us approximately – £28.50
(Not taking into account how much we have saved by not drawing electricity from the national grid)

I can’t believe I didn’t get slapped

Martin, in spin class :– “I hate looking in the mirror, I look like sh*t”

Me :– “I wouldn’t worry about it Martin, you look like sh*t in person too”

My Doh! moment of the year....so far
I was out with our friend Ash the other day and for some reason he would not let me use the Sat Nav and said he knew the way and I didn't need to use it. As we were driving along :-

Ash :- "Turn left....take the next right....note the camera coming up

Me :- "You see that's why I like using the Sat Nav...It tells me about the speed camera's"

Ash :- "Dude**, but I just told you about the camera..."

Me :- "Oh, yea.....Doh!...."

** What can I say, he lived in Canada for awhile...Mitch you have been warned....

A record of the week

Picture Book by The Kinks
Bein' Green by Sesame Street
Wires by Athlete
The Outsiders by Athlete
Orbiter by Alice Gold
You've got the style by Athlete

Photo finish
This week's photos are of Athlete at Cambridge Junction and the support act Alice Gold (I can't believe I did not get any pictures of the other support act Stony, who was so good I actually purchased his CD) - once again Mini Mega Beast was on duty while The Beast is still recovering from its over-exertions in Cuba.... 

Alice Gold -

"umm I write songs and sing them

loudly on guitar with a band."

Alice The girl with the guitar. or it would have been

if that head had not got in the way...

----------------------------------------

Athlete may not have the biggest following in the world but from a selfish point of view this is a good thing. Great music in intimate venues and unlike some of the mega stadium filling bands they actually appear to be still enjoying playing music 10 years into their career.

Joel Pott - Lead singer of Athlete

 I'm not sure if this is an advert for the latest werewolf

movie or for expensive bottled water.... 

During the encore someone at the front collapsed, Athlete

noticed and stopped the music and made sure they were

taken to safety- not very rock n’ roll but shows

what nice people they are.

 "Half Light"

from Tourist (2007)

"Best not to think about it" 

from - Beyond the Neighbourhood (2007)

----------------------------------------

For the observant amongst you this is not Cambridge

Junction.  It is in fact the now empty space between

our property and the neighbours (the nice ones).

As soon as it was stolen Mrs B sent me

out to look for a local fence…..

No?, I guess that's why I'm not a stand up

comic, I thought it was quite funny...

I’ll get my coat……

It seems to have gone a bit chilly in these parts….

Pop in next week for further BlackLOG adventures