8.4: nothing without

Grippystuff. My much-preferred substance for the undersurface of trainers. Won't slip on those red knobbly bits at pedestrian crossings. Won't slide off algally-slippified rocks by the sea. Won't skid on damp nor dry and dusty rocks on the hill. Will slip slightly on the bit of pavement beneath the trees on the south pavement past Duddingston Kirk where all the rotting leaf litter forms a thin layer of slidiness but everything slips on that. Won't slip all that much on damp and icy steps in winter. As reasonably hard-wearing as one could hope for with such grippiness and the amount of use they get. Its only faults are a tendency on my last couple of pairs of trainers to squeak mightily in the damp. Unfortunately it's not quite bouncy enough to run in and is therefore partly to blame for me spraining my ankle last year on the one occasion when I wore my less-grippy-and-supportive running trainers for a scuttle up and round the hill.

I've already done webcam duties but got a call from TFP at lunchtime asking me to help control/get a backup blip from the Princes Street camera for the second half of Northern's double-webcam-blip, also captured by Red. My original plan had been to sneakily sneak down there and get myself into the picture but a quick check revealed that when viewing the area by the children's bungee tent the railings on Princes Street itself were not visible at a decent level of zoom. I don't know if either of them were in control of the camera a few minutes before the appointed 12:30 bliptime but they whoever it was seemed strangely interested in the felt roofing on which the camera sits.

I had a nice early finish today to pop to the bookfest to see (and indeed hear) Clive James although (thanks to LRT and whoever it was decided to shut Cameron Toll roundabout) Nicky was still stuck on a bus on the bridges when the ushers shut the doors to the auditorium. His latest work sounds extremely interesting but I try not to pay £25 for books if I can possibly help it. No more festival stuff now until Saturday evening after parents arrive and the intervening period apparently has to be occupied with nothing other than making the place sufficiently tidy and presentable.

Also spotted some oaves on the way home who are doing absolutely nothing for their reputation and now additionally run the risk of featuring on a mock fringe-poster for "MORONS! - the musical". I've been meaning to do fake fringe posters for years but have never quite got round to it; annoying construction workers seems a good enough reason.