Joseph Bloggs

Cycling home tonight up Banbury Road, I encountered a man on a motorised skateboard. At first i thought he was being towed by a cyclist, but no; he really did have a skateboard with a little engine under it. I guess it was an electric motor (it made no noise), positioned underneath the deck, between the trucks. He had some sort of controller in has hand that looked like a staple-gun, which he regulated his speed with. He was going at a fair pace, overtaking some cyclists and I had to cycle a little faster than normal to keep up with him.

He reckoned he could get up to 20mph on it. I asked him if it was an experiment, or just his usual commuting arrangement. He replied that he usually used it if it wasn't raining. Well, I cycle that road every day and I've never seen him before, so either he's exaggerating somewhat, or it's just a damning indictment of the Great British Summer...

I didn't know quite what to make of it really; the hardened commuter-cyclist in me thought he was insane, the boring law-abiding citizen in me wondered if it was legal and the skate-kid in me thought it was the best thing since bread came sliced, my childhood dreams come true!

I'm inclined to agree with skate-kid...

What can I say?

It's dark...

Essentially it's a serial killer movie with a 12A rating, how did that happen?

Oh, that's right, it's (notionally) a superhero, film, and it'll hurt the box office if it's a 15...

Crazy...

Still, the film's bloody excellent. I liked Batman Begins a lot, but it doesn't follow that the sequel will be any good...

But it is, maybe better. Everyone's been raving about Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker and talking of Oscars; I assumed that everyone was exaggerating because the guy's dead, but no. Ledger is absolutely amazing. It's a truly scary performance, you don't see Ledger at all, just this psychotically unhinged villain.

It's a performance worth of an Oscar. Since it's a superhero flick, ordinarily he'd have no chance, but since he's recently deceased, he probably git it.

You want crazy? Gotham's got nothing on Tinsel Town...

I told you I was fit...

Apparently drummers are as fit as Premiership footballers, according to some study. Brilliant, I've been wasting my time doing all that running; I should just play drums more...

Playing drums is hard work, it's true. They're suggesting that this is a way to make exercise more interesting and save us from a generation of fat kids. Fair enough, but they seem to forget that playing drums isn't the most convenient pastime in the world:

• Firstly, you need a kit (they're expensive);

• then somewhere to put it (they're bulky too);

• and some way of transporting it (they're also quiet heavy);

• and you need somewhere to actually play it (I've heard they can be noisy...)

Which makes me very grateful for the willing parents, thick walls and tolerant neighbours I had as a kid...

Nice idea though.

Beat the lard!

It's that time of year again, and since biblical level floods were not forthcoming this year, Truck was on, and we went...

Truck is the best festival ever. Well not ever, but it's the best festival around these days. Not that I go to many others, so I have very little frame of reference.... but Truck's just so hassle-free. You turn up, people are friendly, getting around is easy, most of the bands are worth a go, and most important of all, you get the general feeling that people (bands, stall holders, organisers) are there because they want to be, rather than because they're being paid...

The catering was a little more varied this year (a little...), which was the one disappointing aspect last year.

My highlights:

• Tommy Truax just like last year: weird, witty, beautiful - the man just makes you smile

• The Nuns - all-girl cover band of 60's band The Monks, never heard of 'em but must now check them out...

• Excellent hip hop DJ set whichI think was listed as the FOTB allstars, but I'm not sure that means much...

• Evan Dando's solo down-tempo rendition of "Skulls" by the Misfits

• Someone drunkenly pretending to be a Professor of Physics at Oxford University as justification for playing with fire (magic lanterns) - and getting away with it!

• The rumour of the Market stage mystery guests being the Magic numbers actually turning out to be true (well, half of them anyway - made Heather's day, which is good enough for me...)

• The weather - let's face it, after last year, if it got rained off this year, that'd probably be the that - but it was gorgeous!

• and many other things...

A great time was had by all. Truck last year restored my faith in festivals, this year it simply restored my faith.

Roll on next year for our Truck hat-trick...

I really do...