End thoughts

I would like to write something intelligent and insightful about the year but instead a myriad of trivial things come to mind more readily than anything else I could say. It's a shame. However, I am suffering from another cold and I'm tired today having spent much of last night awake coughing. Tomorrow is the final day of December in 2007 and a new year knocks on the door. I wonder what it will bring us? It would be nice to think that man will realise his limitations and wage peace instead of war. It would be nice if the sexes respected each other for what they both bring to the world. It would be nice if all ages respected the young for the future that they will become. An imminent new year always manages to fill me with hope, however desperate it may seem. I am hopeful for 2008. I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and lots of love!

Tech Gifts

Funny how times change, isn't it? The growth of the electronics industry has led to the the development of plenty related industries. Toy departments have been affected a lot by changes in the toy industry, not always for the best. I've seen quite a number of toy shops close locally. Those that continue less resemble a toy shop than an electronics store. It's a bit of a shame, I feel, when kids engage more with a screen than their imaginations. I had some electronic toys in my childhood but they were fairly naff and restricted by battery power and there was no world wide web to connect up to. I'm not a fuddy duddy, I love playing videogames and I love gadgets but I do wonder sometimes where it is all leading and whether it has got out of control for very young children. We've had to set our PC up for parental control recently because my kids are starting to use the computer now for school work and email. Knowing what's out if you look for it there makes me very wary.

I wonder how big the market for tech gifts is? My wife and I have spent a load of money this year on presents for each other. I think next year we should aim to be less tech-driven and give ourselves some good old fashioned stuff like clothes and books.

I saw a new shopping category in the catalogue this year: PINK GIFTS. Oh My God! Please shoot me if I ever buy anyone a pink gift: ARRGGGGHHH!! I ordered my wife something pink just the other day!!! (At least it wasn't from the pink gifts catalogue). BUT the pink gifts section must be a nightmare for catalogue publishers because there doesn't seem to be any connection between the stuff apart from the fact it is pink - so they have to duplicate the stuff again in their respective categories.

PS. We bought a really cheap keyboard some weeks back and the B key doesn't always work, so any typing usually involves proof reading to ensure I've not missed any Bs out - infuriating!!! OK, so I guess a new keyboard is some other new tech that we have to get. :-(

2007, you're nearly up

How was 2007 for you? I know it's not yet over but in general its been alright without being extreme in either good or bad terms. I feel somehow that I'm either entering a creative period or leaving one - I hope I'm entering one because I don't feel I've been particularly creative this year. I feel I've withdrawn into my shell over the last few months, certainly blogging wise I've found it difficult as I've had to be more focused at work, less relaxed and hence more organised. This affects what I do in my spare time, in order to balance things out I've become less organised in my social life - it's not been a conscious effort I have just been pondering things and came to that realisation about 5 minutes ago. So, in my head I've been thinking about next year. I am 40 in 2008, so I'd like to do something memorable. I've also been thinking about writing. Writing a novel is very demanding but I have been considering the challenge - without really considering what kind of novel I would write. I'll be thinking more about my achievements this year, I'm not sure whether I'll share them here or not yet. I started this blog in January 2005 and one of my considerations will be whether or not I want to continue it. There might be other vehicles for articulating my thoughts. I don't know. I'm rambling, so goodnight and I'm off to listen to some music....

The Simpsons Anniversary

Today in 1989, the longest-running US sitcom and longest-running animated series began with a half hour Christmas edition.

My favourite episodes are probably the Halloween related ones but The Simpsons can still make me laugh, I felt I should post something since its been a while and The Simpsons deserves some kind of anniversary statement from me since I've enjoyed the show so much over the years.