The Hour Of Power

As the Luddite festival of Earth Hour approaches with much orgasmic anticipation by misanthropists, Eco-Fascists and easily-led twerps everywhere, we announce our plans for tonight:

Nora and I intend to turn on at least one light in every room of the house.

In the living and dining rooms, which feature chandaliers containing 3 incandenscent bulbs, we will select the chandaliers over our single bulb table or standard lamps, especially the one containing a compact fluorescent light we purchased as an experiment a few years ago before we appreciated its deadly toxicity.

In the kitchen, perhaps the 40W range hood light in addition to the 60W overhead. In the bedrooms, the 60 watters all, not the wimpy bedside lamps. And all the outside lights to signal a challenge to the darkness of idiocy sweeping the world.

There's a load of towels left undone from this morning's domestic chores. They'll be going in the washer.

Oh - and mustn't forget to leave the radio on, not so much to keep Asta, our faithful companion animal company as to give that lived-in sound that might ward off burglars.

Because we'll be out having dinner at the nearby home of friends.

And we won't be cycling there as we have on the past two occasions, enamoured as we are with our latest keep-fit fad - we'll be driving. Not in the little 1.4L runabout though. We'll take the 4WD.

And the 2km each way won't even begin to warm the catalytic converter.

Speaking of warming, does anyone know how much carbon a house emits when it burns down from a knocked over candle?

-- Nick and Nora