World travels online

My buddy John's india trip blog is up and running. His World cup blog was essential reading throughout the tournament so this one is worth a look.

Dutchies win solar race

The Dutch team Nuon has won the World Solar Challenge across Australia with its car Nuna 4. From the ABC website

It has crossed the finish line on Adelaide's northern outskirts at about 5:00pm ACST, having led for most of the journey from Darwin since the race started on Sunday.

The Dutch entrant was about 45 minutes ahead of its nearest opponent at last report

Nuon. That's my energy company.* Who just let me negotiate my monthly contract payment downwards by 30 euros with a single phone call. Nuon who are running prime time adds with archive footage of floods, devastation and disaster, a rousing folk song that end on a black screen with large lettering "The climate is changing". "Sign up to our climate reductieplan" at the end. Out ahead of the Australian Feds on coming to grips with that one.

*and no, I haven't gone with green power yet. Sorry Australia, I'm just not sure if I can afford the regular tariff before I go leaping into green ones. The monthly charge here is about the same as the quarterly charge there. I ride a bike instead of taking any motorised transport, does that count?

Europop frippery

I see this clip at least once a day on the local music channel TMF. It makes me happy every time.

Diet coke and pizza, please/ Diet coke I'm on my knees, screaming /Big Girl you are beautiful
You take your woman, and multiply her by four/ Now a whole lot of woman needs a whole lot more ...

It says on Mika's myspace that he was born in Lebanon and rasied in Paris and London. Go mika, you euro-dog.