Ian, a clamp lamp only costs about 5 or 6 dollars if you get it at a Walmart or some similar big-box mega-lo-mart. Your dad's being a skinflint.
When I was a 12-year old kid (many many many many moon ago), I used to drape a piece of old extension cord with a bulb socket at the end over a nail, just like that. When we moved out of that apartment, I had left a burn-mark the size of a quarter on the wallpaper.
P.S. You still got the old plug? Trade you for the clamp lamp if you can't score a cheap one. Hehehehe
