Post Christmas mash-up
Merry Christmas, folks – if indeed there is anyone still reading.
Okay, so there’s been nothing new here for almost three weeks, but in my defence I have been insanely busy with both ‘proper’ work and freelancing; over the last month I’ve been working with Jajopa in Philadelphia and another local agency i3media, as well as working on a sizable contract we’ve just won at work, so there’s been little time (and even less enthusiasm) for writing about web stuff on here.
Not that there’s been anything to actually write about; the above has sucked up every bit of spare time I’ve had – including working until midnight on several occasions – so instead, here is a slightly seasonal mash-up of random thoughts, plus my own personal pick of 2005.
Christmas
Here’s a little tip for any parents considering purchasing a mini-trampoline for their little bundle(s) of joy: get one that comes ready-built, because they are quite possibly the most difficult child’s toy to put together in the world.
Bolting the legs together is easy enough, but I defy anyone to be able to thread the rope through the canvas and exert enough consistent pressure in exactly the right directions at the right time to get the damn thing put together at the first attempt.
I had my wife to help, but apparently making fun of my attempts to explain Newtonian physics was a much more productive use of her time than actually helping. We got there in the end, and then wished we hadn’t; size of trampoline = 2 children, number of kids in the house = 3, net result = lots of screaming when mummy and daddy decided it was someone else’s turn. Makes it all worth it, doesn’t it?
I received a couple of eighties-tastic DVD box-sets from the kids – all four Superman movies and the Ghostbusters special editions. The Superman films are disappointingly low on added extras, with just a few documentary shorts with the first film, but it was still enough to hold the attention of the children for a while.
Our eldest, now 3½, has reached the age where she will sit and watch a ‘grown-up’ film as long as we can answer her questions about what is going on. I tried her on Star Wars the other week, which held her attention for almost an hour (she liked all the “monsters” in Mos Eisley), and although she found the overlong prologue to Superman a little boring, she perked up once the action reached Earth. I’m already planning some weekend viewing for her for the next ten years…
Music
My wife also gave me the Kaiser Chiefs’ album, Employment which has been on heavy rotation ever since; I’m really starting to get into this new early-eighties-influenced sound epitomised by bands such as Franz Ferdinand, Interpol and The Bravery, and more than ever I am itching to make some music of my own.
You might remember that I mentioned a musical ambition a while back; unfortunately my laptop’s stuttering hard-drive has had other ideas recently. However, we will soon be replacing it with a brand spanking new desktop machine, so (freelance commitments notwithstanding) I will be renewing my musical efforts shortly. Watch this space.
Pick of 2005
There have been a few ‘pick of the year’ type posts from various bloggers in recent weeks, but I really just want to highlight one site that I really enjoyed reading this year.
I discovered Kevin Leitch’s ‘Left Brain, Right Brain’ back in February, although it seems to have been through at least half-a-dozen redesigns since then! Kev writes – occasionally – about web standards, SEO and coding; but much more frequently he writes compelling commentary and relates personal stories concerning autism, and specifically about his 5-year-old autistic daughter.
Unfortunately, the attitudes and actions of some that do not agree with Kev’s stance on autism have meant that he no longer writes about his daughter, which is a pity as those posts were some of the most informative and enjoyable.
It is sometimes easy to become so obsessed with the latest trends and techniques in the world of web design blogs that we forget that there are real people behind the discussions on image replacement, semantic code and all the rest of it; Kev’s is one of the few sites I read regularly this year that covers a non-web subject, and through it I now know infinitely more about autism, the arguments and treatments surrounding it than I otherwise would have done.
Definitely my pick of 2005.
Upcoming
Next – more work, more projects, but hopefully more time to write here. I’m already lining up those New Year’s resolutions…
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Comments
- Derek Featherstone
- 1537 days ago
- Matthew – so many points you’ve made and so many to agree with!! I had the same issues with my kids and the first Superman movie, and I’m in total agreement with you about the quality of Kev’s writing. It really is a shame it all had to disappear – his writing was honest and from the heart and I loved reading it.
- #1
- Kev
- 1535 days ago
- Wow, thanks very much Matt and Derek :o)
It is a shame I can’t write more directly about Megan but we just didn’t feel comfortable exposing her life to a the small minority of people who felt it was OK to email us abuse directed at and about her.
However, I don’t have to stop writing about autism (and have no intention of doing so) and I’m still playing with the idea of creating a ‘walled garden’ area for those like yourselves who want to keep up with Meg.
Thanks again for the kind and positive words Matt, I’m very humbled by them :o) - #2
- Matthew Pennell
- 1535 days ago
- No thanks necessary Kev – thank you for providing a window on a world that we might otherwise have not given a second thought. :)
- #3
- Andy Saxton
- 1524 days ago
- Matt, I bought the little one a trampoline for christmas and I feel your pain too. Oh my god.
- #4
