(M)iTunes

Am feeling quite the smartypants this morning.

A couple of months back after a lengthy stand-off -18 months to be precise- I was forced for Health & Safety reasons to clean out my elder son's former bedroom after he had left home and left an utter mess ...think Third World dumping ground.

Aside from the 20-odd quid of loose change I found, exchanged for proper money and kept/spent, I also found an ipod nestled among the debris.

He said '"nah, don't wan' it" ...too complicated to use with all that having to do stuff thru iTunes etc. You can have it if you want.'

So after removing a layer of encrustation and buying the necessary cable (original lost) to connect/charge it and downloading and installing the iTunes software I thought I'd have a go at musically getting with the 21st century.

Had a quick squizz at the manual, also downloaded (original lost) and then set about transferring my music files.

Same elder son also got a 15-quid iTunes voucher for Christmas -still unused ...and here comes the smartypants bit... last night I downloaded my first iTune from the iTunes store and synced it onto my new gadget.

Daniel Merriweather feat. Wale - Change

Seemed appropriate somehow.

When he came to visit (my son, not Daniel) I showed him all I had done and he cast a rueful, misty eye at his old ipod.

I clutched it to my body and shouted (not on purpose just had loud music clamped to my ears) "Mipod now!"

Am now seriously considerring downloading an audiobook (any recommendations?) ...never enough time to read books and am working on the theory that if I just play it into my ear while doing other stuff I might osmotically absorb the contents which is a better working hypothesis than expecting to absorb books by the same method from the bookshelf.

Anyway, I'm still here with a will to blog but not enough time (caring responsibilities) and love gadgetry but cannot afford (so good on Labour for this!) to keep up with it all (caring responsibilities) but for now I love my new toy and I'm a happy dancing bunny.

Currently on mi'pod then is a 6 cd set 101 Trance anthems, three Muse albums, a compilation of 80's 12" ...there was supposed to be the soundtrack to the second series of Ashes to Ashes but seem to have lost that somewhere in my library, some random other stuff ...Kraftwerk Popcorn, some 80s dancey stuff and some noughties pop.

Will have to learn to be a bit more selective about what I put on it because it only has 4GB of space!

Next on the list of desired gadgets would be a Blackberry but could never afford one in a million years. Am stuck using the calendar function on my VERY basic mobile phone for now.

One day I hope to be as tech-savvy as John Prescott.

News

Is it me or do I have to read the News through not just the ideological and/or moral commitment of the MSM proprietors but also through the individual egos and pretensions of some journalists/commentators as well. No links. Just a pure off the cuff observation on reading a sunday paper.

2009 still here

I am still here and willing to blog (if not time -caring obligations and all that), though hats off to the Twitterer who managed to twitter from a plane crash (find your own link). Think there is some point to be made that it is easier to Twitter from a plane crash than it is to Care and Blog.

New Year's Eve, I am the unpaid care for my 17/18 year old Autistic son. So much for having a life, education, employment of my own according to the spirit of various Acts of Parliament. I am home, babysitting an 18 year old.

Sorry, but while many dedicated and long-standing parliamentarians have fought hard to create a legislative and cultural spirit about looking after carers so that they can look after the utterly more vulnerable, I fear another huge effort is necessary to make a reality of carers well-being as law depends on people on the ground testing it.

The story that caught my attention over the last few weeks is that of the 5-year-old Autistic boy who drowned in a swimming pool in France. Sure young children often get caught up in accidents of this kind. But his Autism was surely a contributing factor. His mother lost sight of him for a second.

A friend of mine once entrusted with the care of my similarly aged Autistic son returned from a trip out with him only to declare that they were unqualified to be THAT vigilant on his behalf and that how was it humanly possible to safeguard a child like him in such a normal envirnoment. Autism is characterised by a lack of awareness of danger. My son is almost 18 and I kid not, Tesco's car park is a life and death situation.

I have spent the last decade-plus being THAT vigilant. Autism isn't terminal but it could well be. If it hadn't been for the support of the much maligned 'traditional' respite services ensuring my being able to be vigilant he would not be alive today.

If there is any test of 'caringness' -both parties are failing.

While billions are poured into the financial system -I contend we have no option - the opposite is tantamount to saying 'stop the world I want to get off' - we seem to have lost sight of what wealth creation was for. It has become a thing in itself.

How many nights respite care can be purchased for the price of a designer handbag or a Smythson product.

Here in the north of England this would buy a complete night off for a family caring for a severely disabled child.

Happy New year!

One man's misery is another man's wonder

Earlier this year George Osborne inadvertently expressed some underlying assumptions which inform his worldview...

‘No one takes pleasure from people making money out of the misery of others but that is a function of capitalist markets.’

Osborne tried to wriggle out of ownership of the sentiment revealed in his words by saying he was 'misquoted' but whether he likes it or not it does express a complacent acceptance of markets making money out of other people's misery.

And, lo! What's this, David Cameron doing just that.

While thousands of Woolies workers face the loss of their jobs, income and livelihood, the Camerons who are not without a bob or a million, were keen to take advantage of the cut price goods which signal the great closing down sale of Woolies and the people who work there.

That's the wonder of the Tories.

Pre-Budget Report

I think you'll find that for people on a REALLY low income the cut in VAT helps. It may not go fully towards the scale of the challenge people on fixed low incomes face in trying to survive in a time of rising costs but at this level every penny counts.

Also welcome is the 60 quid one-off payment for disabled children. But please make it in the early part of January before my son turns 18! Wouldn't it be horrible to miss out on it by a few days.

I'm blogging wearing a fleece, thermal walking socks and wrapped in a blanket. The fear of turning the heating on isn't just for pensioners.

Guess who?

I know it looks like one of those Alison Jackson celebrity photos but be assured this was the authentic one.

CIN

Actually, I have a Child in Need, technically speaking. And I donated ten quid, so what's your excuse?!

Donate now, here.

Must confess that I had a glass of wine during the evening while doing and thinking about other stuff (been in very important meeting today about the future of services for disabled children in our area) so that the number to ring to donate was actually double everything. 03457 33 22 33

What a PANSI

Have much to say about international events such as the US elections and the International Financial Crisis in the UK (IFCUK). Which is what I really want to be doing.

However, as ever, caring tasks and the 'meetings' I am involved in have prevented me from posting it. Hopefully, at some point, when it is not totally irrelevant, I will be able to comment, as the IFCUK is not going to go away, ANyTime Soon (ANTS).

So much for the government's intention that I should, as a carer, whose contribution is acknowledged/respected/valued, be able to have an ordinary (blogging?) life (almost oblong) etc etc though they (the govt) have made clear I must wait 'til 2018 for this, or something, by which times having an ordinary life will be an absurdity as I will be in some kind of recovery process myself from the trauma, yes trauma, of being a life-long carer (toll).

There is a school of thought (soot) that in this process of 'involving carers' in the achieving of ordinariness (achoo) we must do away with all that jargon and acrynomiousness in local govt official-speak (logoffs) in order to make it 'more accessible' (mass).

But I have to say, that for my own entertainment, I have begun, in this rather serious environment I have been forced into, to make a mental note of some of the more amusing acronyms I have come across and am well considering a Campaign to save Amusing Acronyms (CAMPAS) like PANSI.

W. .....the f...?

as expecting something insightful but have to say first impressions (and this is a pun hinting at a more in-depth review which I do not have time to write at the moment) are that this movie was a bit thin.

Election night

Bloggers blogged live on telly...

pundits pund... (University of Virginia’s Professor Larry Sabato was good)

Dimbleby dimbled..

and Obama won.

Ohio, O bye-o!

2.11am HRH David Dimbleby says Ohio for Obama has not been verified by BBC yet so ....I'm definitely off to bed now.

O just a minute Simon Schama and John Bolton/Boulton relative of Adam?

Colour confusion

Is it just me or does anyone find this colour symbolism reversal of the respective parties in the US and UK, confusing?

2.05am Anyway Georgia defo for McCain but Ohio for Obama ....signifcant.

Must go to bed.

Is it safe to go to bed yet?

1.40am I have to get up early in the morning and be a responsible carer to my son, duty-bound to carry out a number of caring tasks, efficiently, on his behalf. See how the full exercise of my citizen rights as theorised by T H Marshall are so curtailed. Actually, I am coming down with something awful at the moment as well. The esteemed pundits on the BBC, including a US bemoustached bloke called Larry who seems to know what he is talking about seem to be indicating that it might be ok to go to bed and catch up with the news in the morning.

Poor as I am, I quite foresightedly invested in a small portable digital TV some months ago when it was on special offer at a local electrical retail outlet, though I still had to forego some fresh vegetables and soles on my shoes. So, I can go to bed and sleep with one eye open as I have become accustomed to as a carer anyway

1.45am Georgia ...Democrats hoped to win (in some kind of more massive landslide) but maybe going for McCain.

Pennsylvania

1.00 am Pennsylvania and New Hampshire Obama projected to win.

Pennsylvania ...apparently key win. Can't believe I knew how to spell it without checking. All eyes on Indiana, or not depending on which pundit you listen to.

1997-2008

In 1997 I had the privilege to spend British election night with a visiting Professor from a Uni from across the pond. She was intrigued and excited to share in our election night rituals and punditry.

Wherever she is now, it certainly feels the same as back then.