Nasty dark drizzle this morning, but I went up to the club where there were a dozen blokes willing to go out. Anything rather than hang about indoors. And the drizzle stopped, and we all had a good morning. Isn't that nice!

I was amazed to read about the money that was sprayed at the Olympic sports people over the last four years. £235 million! Athletics got £26mio, swimming got £20mio, sailing got £22mio. Even diving got £5.8mio and there's only a few of them. Cycling got a lot, but then they came back with a lot of medals.

The strategy to get a good medal count is to specialise in disciplines where there isn't much competition. Everybody can run and jump and fight, but you don't get many sailors, cyclists, rowers and swimmers from what used to be called the Third World.

Big dodgy banks are looking for an injection of public funds, but this surely has to involve the government, in the taxpayers name, taking over a chunk of the banks' equity. If and when things recover, there would be public benefit, and perhaps a way of checking the bankers excesses. I feel sorry for the Icelanders. There's only about 300,000 of them; they only have cod and geo-thermal power, which could have been enough. They are an impressive people, but they didn't keep a grip on their banks.

Over-elaborate cooking for one is happening. Last night, I used two pans and two roasting dishes to make my modest supper. Tonight's magret de canard boulangère (unknown in France) will only need three pans, so there's progress.

A day off tomorrow.