It’s nice to sit down after a busy day and read the paper or a book on your journey home. Sometimes little things will conspire against you. Like this evening and the sound of a faulty air conditioning unit on a bus. I actually laughed when I heard it at first. After a while, I must confess it was very annoying. Judge for yourself, I recorded 15 seconds of it.

This is a flash video. If you don’t see anything below with a big button to play the video, seek technical assistance to get it working. Don’t ask me, I can’t hear you!

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This is just classic and unintentionally funny. Extracted from everyone’s favourite free ads magazine “Busy Body Adz”. Picked it up off a bench earlier because the front cover was so bad it was good. They also have the brilliant tag line “Oh yes, it’s free”. That’s exactly what I was thinking when I picked it up. Clairvoyant publishers?

One of the articles in the magazine is “How to amuse toddlers”. The author says “I hope that other childcare providers and parents will find inspiration in this article to challenge their babies with creative new experiences”.

Number 7 on the list is : Pretend to fix things with tools.

Give your toddler some tools and something to fix. It helps if you are fixing something alongside the child. Avoid tools that have sharp edges or are likely to pinch. Wrenches and screwdrivers are fairly safe. Just don’t let them run around with a screwdriver in hand. And don’t leave them unattended with a flat headed screwdriver and an exposed electrical outlet. A very dangerous combination You may just want to stick with Phillips head screwdrivers since they won’t fit into an outlet slot. (You really should have outlet covers on all toddler height outlets anyway.)

So there you go mums and dads, bet you’re glad Busy Body Adz enabled me to bring you this unique way to amuse your toddler.

Here’s a quiz question I heard last night and it’s sure to get your brain into gear on this lovely summer morning

What links the following 3 :

- A clown that claims to be the second most recognised figure in the world

- A writer that inspired an egg dish

- A rodent that was once a common site in the early mornings

If you do get it, let me know in the comments as I need to know who’s a clever clogs. Don’t reveal the answer though, that would spoil the fun. No googling either.

Update : Answer is posted at http://tinypaste.com/bf5e2

Flicking through the local paper this evening the headline “Driver drank window cleaner” caught my attention.

Basically, the guards were called to a bit of an argument going on outside a pub. Guy is seen driving car by guard. Guy stops the car, jumps out, gets in to the passenger seat while the passenger gets in to the driving seat. The classic “quick, you’re sober, lets swap places and the guards won’t see” trick.

Guy is taken to the garda station where:

“during an attempt to get a breath test, Coughlan sprayed window cleaner into his mouth”

Yes, window cleaner. I’m trying to picture it in my head –

“Blow into this Mr. Coughlan”.

Coughlan surveys the room, beads of sweat forming on his brow. He knows he is drunk and that anything he does now is just futile, but he doesn’t care. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots it. A gleaming bottle of Windolene with added vinegar. While the guard is distracted by a doughnut, Coughlan makes like a mouse and heads for the bottle.

Tip toeing across the room, he grimaces ever time his new Nikes squeak on the lino. After what seems like an eternity he reaches the other side of the room. Bottle in hand now, the guard still hasn’t copped what’s going - someone just sent her a really funny youtube video. Lucky for Coughlan that the bottle nozzle is “ready to fire”.

Opening wide he releases the deadly cocktail of chemicals and vinegar which induces a violent coughing fit. Hearing the commotion, the guard has to hang up in the middle of ordering a chinese take away and is in no mood for messin’…..

Anyway, they all lived happily ever after. Apart from Windolene man – he got banned for 6 years and fined €750. No mention of any adverse affects from the Windolene though

There’s something hypnotic about tennis. It’s one of only a couple of sports I can sit and watch without getting fidgety.  Caught the end of Andy Murray’s game this evening - exciting stuff. Nothing says summer like Wimbledon – even if we’re not getting very summerlike weather.

Chicken tennis anyone?