Harry's Blog

Memory is a funny thing, the way certain experiences are recalled via various connections. Take for example the arrival of The Sims 3 review code in the post today.

I'm sat at the PC installing it now and it reminds me of 2006 when Lanie spent most of the year playing The Sims 2. She got completely addicted to the game, raising little families within the game and - much to my surprise - killing off elderly neighbours by trapping them in the garden so she'd inherit their wealth.

The Sims 2 and Lanie's addiction to it was about the only thing we ever argued about. But I know she played the game to avoid worries over paying for our wedding (which was a very stressful time for us both) and also to avoid worrying too much about being pregnant with Patrick and Kitty (or Domino and Zizzi as they were known early on).

So today I'm installing the next game in the series in the knowledge if she was still alive Lanie would be very excited to get her hands on this sequel. And so, who knows, I may slaughter a few elderly neighbours in memory of her.

Me: It doesn't look like there's anything on the telly tonight.

Her: Good, I want to watch the rest of that Iron Maiden Blu-ray.

o_O

This isn't my Cowon S9 32GB review. You've probably noticed that from the title. It was meant to be though. I just haven't finished that yet. Along the way though I picked up Fiio's wonderful little E5 headphone amplifier and I thought I'd post this mini review to tell you all about it.

But first, why on earth would you need an amplifier for your MP3¹ player?

There are several reasons. Firstly the headphone amp in many personal music players is cheap, nasty and the last thing on the mind of the designers of what might be otherwise an excellent quality PMP. Some lack power, meaning that even on small headphones you have to crank up the volume to hear in a noisy location but the result is distorted sound. Also small rechargeable personal music players - even the very good ones - aren't designed to be able to power massive audiophile headphones with an impedance of 300ohms.

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Granny and Grandpa bought Patrick and Kitty a sand pit. Foolishly Mummy and Daddy let the twinnies play with sand and water at the same time. And this is the result.

Come on dads you've seen plenty of Cbeebies.

So the question is...

...Nina or Sarah Jane?

While we're no fans of the continuum method and its mad fixation with toddlers learning to chop cucumber our twins have spent the afternoon playing with knives.

Wifey bought them some toy fruit and veg to go with their new play kitchen and the plastic food is quite interesting. It comes complete with a plastic knife. And the fruit itself splits down the middle and is only held together by Velcro.

Patrick took no time at all learning to chop the fruit and veg in half using the plastic knife. Our daughter on the other hand struggled quite a bit. Despite being able to feed herself and being very capable in many areas her skills with her hands to lag behind Pat.

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I'm working on a new science fiction story and have decided that I'm going to post it here in episodic form. While ultimately my goal for the various books I've started and not finished is regular publishing - I think some episode tales here online is in the best tradition of novel writing.

I also think it's a good way of being encouraged to release the next part. Today though I'm not going to start with a full chapter. Instead I thought I'd bring you the opening page of an as-yet untitled new work. I hope it whets your appetite for more.

The following serves as the story's opening and I'm sure, the ideal blurb for the back cover...

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It's well known among those who can read a book without moving their lips that Dan Brown is a terrible writer. However some of you not be aware of just how bad his research is despite Brown's claim that his books are full of facts. Just take a look at this amazingly long list of factual errors in Angels & Demons.

Children's television has always been a harbour for the weird. For example my generation got spaced out stuff like Jamie and the Magic Torch and Chorlton and the Wheelies.

One of the oddest shows on CBeebies at the moment is Numberjacks. It really is weird. The programme is a maths education show, but that doesn't really cover the weirdness.

How weird? Well the heroes are numbers which live in a space age bunker hidden within a sofa. They venture into the world to face spooky maths-based paranormal events.

The only thing I can compare it too is Sapphire and Steel from the eighties and that wasn't even a kids' show. Numberjacks just seems to be a kiddie version of that weird David McCallum/Joanna Lumley sci-fi.

Except much shitter.

Our little girl has the sweetest voice you've ever heard, the kind of bell-chime angelic tone often inpersonated by actresses when providing toddler voices for TV shows. She even has a slightly higher sweeter voice reserved especially for me - when she wants something and her mother has already said "no".

Kitty has another voice though - one that will be all too familiar to any of you who have seen The Exorcist (hence the title of this post, which is a quote from the movie). Crikey it's a scary voice. It tends to be reserved to shout at her brother - who she's terribly bossy with.

This morning I was awoken by the twins having a screaming row with each other over who could use the wicker chair in their bedroom.

"My sit down Kitty."
"No my sit down Pat."
"My sit down."
"PAAAAAAAAAT, MY SIIIIIIT DOOOOOOWN."

I was expecting to hear Tubular Bells next. Scary little girl.

I resolved the conflict in the time honoured way of avoiding the conflict completely. The coward's approach is often the best where warring twins are concerned. I just took the chair out of the room and went back to bed.

This isn't my Cowon S9 32GB review. You've probably noticed that from the title. It was meant to be though. I just haven't finished that yet. Along the way though I picked up Fiio's wonderful little E5 headphone amplifier and I thought I'd post this mini review to tell you all about it.

But first, why on earth would you need an amplifier for your MP3¹ player?

There are several reasons. Firstly the headphone amp in many personal music players is cheap, nasty and the last thing on the mind of the designers of what might be otherwise an excellent quality PMP. Some lack power, meaning that even on small headphones you have to crank up the volume to hear in a noisy location but the result is distorted sound. Also small rechargeable personal music players - even the very good ones - aren't designed to be able to power massive audiophile headphones with an impedance of 300ohms.

Read more »

I told you a few days ago about how much Jo and I love unpacking the shopping with the help of our two-year-old twins. Yesterday saw confirmation that it was something the twins really enjoy too.

I was working upstairs, well actually I was playing Battlestations Pacific - but that is my job. My review is here at Boomtown if you're interested. But I digress...where was I? Oh yes, I was working upstairs and the doorbell rang. Waitrose was delivering our groceries.

A few minutes later I heard the voice of our little girl. "Dadda," she cried. "Dadda."
"Yes honey?" I replied and she came up the stairs and wandered into the sitting room.
She ran excitedly over to where I was sat and tugged at my fleece.
"Dadda," she said. "Dadda shop. Help shop Dadda."

And with that she took me by the hand and lead me downstairs for what seems like the highlight of her week too.

Both of the twins are in the "why?" stage of toddlerdom. Kitty more so that than Pat. You can guarantee that whatever you say to Kitty she will respond with "whiiiiiiiiy?" Most of these times the "why" doesn't actually seem to fit the conversation at all.

Kitty will point at her cereal. "Breakfast Dadda", she'll say.
"Yes it is sweetheart."
"Whiiiiiiiiy."

Where do you go from there conversationally?

Being the parents of twin toddlers certainly has its ups and downs. Watching them play together, chatting in what little English they posses, is just adorable. If you don't have twins I think you really miss out on this part of your baby's life - there's something very special about the interaction of twinnies.

But it's damn hard too. Especially when your beloved daughter turns into a snatch monster. Kitty has been on the step twice this morning for snatching toys from Pat. Meanwhile Pat has been a whiney little so and so for a week, understandable when his cold was in full flow, less so now. Right now he seems to want to whine and cry at the least little thing and it is driving us a bit potty.

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