two steps forward

I'm not very keen on reading books about child development, as I think they'll make me paranoid, or more paranoid to be accurate. I have trusted my rather spotty memory of studying this area to carry us through. This has been great, as I have been able to confidently assure Mr McMuffin that our son is a genius and his physical prowess is unsurpassed.

Over the last week or so, Babycake has become (and this is a ridiculous thing to say about an 18 week old) a little bit regressed and like he was at fourteen weeks and a bit needier! I decided to consult the baby manual and it all now makes perfect sense. He is at the age where he is becoming more cautious of strangers and therefore needing more ressurance as to what is predictable and routine. I also took the opportunity to have a quick glance at what similar babies are capable of and have concluded that Babycake is generally making good progress, but should try harder to roll from his front to his side. His verbal abilities are excellent and he has been making the 'ah-goo' noise for a good couple of months. All in all he has demonstrated some good work and so I have awarded him a B+.

apple's itunes drm

I have been following with interest the long running debate about Apple's iTunes DRM. For some reason there are a lot of people who seem to think that it is wrong for Apple to lock iTunes Store users into using an Apple iPod. The French even tried to legislate against it, but the proposed bill has been watered down and probably will not bother Apple too much. I don't quite get it. I appreciate, up to a point, the arguments around being able to use the music you have bought on any machine that you like, but that's a bit like arguing that Rolls Royce should ensure that Vauxhall parts can be used on their cars. If you want to use the iTunes Store get yourself an iPod. It's okay if you don't though, because there are lots and lots of alternatives. I know the iTunes Store is the best out there, but there is a premium to be paid if you want to use it. It really is that simple.

i found this funny too...

Psychiatric office answering machine

johnny cash

We watched Walk the Line last night. Good film. Reese was wonderful, of course. I have been listening to Johnny Cash since then. I am now beginning to wonder just how much Johnny Cash can one man listen to without going mad? I think Mrs McMuffin has already lost her grasp on reality. I need to change the music.

because it made me laugh

From toothpaste for dinner

holiday, celebrate

Mr McMuffin and I want to go away on holiday for a week in the next month or so, but we have no idea where to go. We want to go somewhere we haven't been before as we're not very well travelled and lovely as Madeira is, we feel the need to go somewhere else. We have a list of requirements:

Destination has to be a city in Europe
Warm and sunny, but not boiling hot
Pushchair friendly
Not hugely expensive

We're thinking possibly Krakow or Budapest, but would be most grateful for any suggestions.

can you believe it...

I went to work tonight, and started working, only to find out that I wasn't supposed to be there. Apparently, I had swapped the shift with one of my colleagues. It's great to be away, but it feels like I sort of wasted the day, waiting to go to work. Anyway, I've got Walk the Line for us to watch tonight. I love Reese Witherspoon, and Joaquin Phoenix is okay, although he does have strange sloping shoulders that no one talks about.

the cheek of it

As I was writing my last post I was rudely interupted by a knock on the door. Some fella from Southern Electricity tried to tell me that their records showed that I had failed to claim my discount and I was still paying the old rate for our electricity and gas. I smelled a rat, but when I asked him if we buy our gas from him, he had the nerve to say that I did, and he went on to explain that his company sells the gas that all the power companies in the South East use. In the end I asked him if we pay him any money for any services from his company at the moment. He finally admitted that we didn't, at which point I told him that he was being misleading and I shut the door in his face. I could hear him muttering, "it's not misleading" as I walked away. I wonder how many old folk he suckered today. How can these people sleep at night?

new music...sort of

I haven't mentioned any new music in ages. I have just discovered Electrelane, an all-girl band from Brighton who know how to rock. I am currently listening to their debut album, released in 2001 Rock It to the Moon. It's kind of hard to describe the music, but Mogwai springs to mind as I listen to them. Each track builds driven by urgent beats and bass, and lots and lots of organ. The tracks seem to go on for ages, as if they couldn't quite bring themselves to stop. Excellent stuff. Here's a track from the album called Gabriel. Enjoy.

macbook

I have completely forgotten to mention my latest obsession. I want a Macbook. I have been thinking about a new computer for a while. The trusty iMac still does everything that I need, more or less, but it is nearly four years old, and looking a little tired. If the truth be told, it does struggle a little with some of the newer software that I inflict on it. The Macbook seems to offer the best of all worlds: it's pretty, with lots of good stuff included in the price, great performance, lots of software and, perhaps the most important thing, it's available in black. Oh, and it's dead cheap, as far as these things go. I want one.