Do it again

So.

I'm still knitting this cardigan top-down and in the round. No-one ever tells you the bad things about a new technique, you notice? Like, if you make a mistake and have to rip it back, it's both two fronts and a back. *sigh* Also, no one ever tells you how mindless the knitting in the round with stocking stitch is, but I can probably see myself reaching for this cardigan (if it comes out rather decent) frequently, because it's not fairisle, or my Loll, or anything that is rather striking.

But because I love you all, I'm going to tell you a few of my favourite things right now. As in, the things that are calling me away from my knitting, like a siren song.




1. Do It Again - Chemical Brothers. As usual, these boyos do not disappoint: this tune has a hearty, bouncy beat, fun lyrics, and a catchy hook (Do it again). So if you want to dance this Saturday night in the comfort of your room with your underwear on and your laptop being your own boombox have a listen here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xidZW3x8AGo




2. Eoin Colfer: Half Moon Investigatons and The Artemis Fowl Series.

Before I start my review, I must admit, I tend to stay away from books with smart assed teenagers. I taught them in school, I don't need them in my fictional life, YKWIM? The only exception to this rule was Harry Potter, because he started off life as a sweet, surprisingly well adjusted boy then he turned into the species of teenage boy-man.

Then, just to be difficult, I don't like Terry Pratchett *cue shocked silence* because I find his sense of humour so twee and his annoying footnotes don't help either.

So all this to say, that Eoin (pronounced 'Owen') Colfer's characters should not even get a look in.

I resisted his writings for a long time due to these two factors, but before I went on holiday, I bought both the Artemis Fowl books and Half Moon Investigations. Colfer has a sense of humour rather like Pratchett (but without the twee) and a sort of twist in the phrasing that really works. Even with the first hand narrative -which I normally can't stand- the narrator's voice in Half Moon Investigations is funny, wry and highly observant.

Artemis Fowl is a series you'd either like or loathe. Fowl is an early teenage genius, and unfortunately for everyone else, he knows this. You will either find yourself rolling your eyes or just enjoying the mechanics of this boyo's mind. Mr Colfer obviously enjoys his young protagonists, which is a treat to see. The supporting characters in both Artemis Fowl are relatively enjoyable, could be a bit more three dimensional (you find the adult characters in the Harry Potter series to be just that), but that's a small wrinkle in an otherwise smooth read.

If you're in the mood for snappy comebacks, a sharp turn of phrase, and interesting characters, I recommend Mr. Colfer.

3. Nokia N95 : Forget the i-phone - it's expensive, and newer techie stuff by Apple (apart from their computers) never works in its first incarnation anyway (see: ipod, ipod shuffle, etc.). To add insult to injury, it's going to cost you about $2000 US a year just to get your technology on. Enter the nokia N95:

To quote Gidzmodo.com

"The smartphone has a 5 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens, which they say can take dvd-like video clips. It also has a 2.6-inch QVGA screen, and runs on the well supported Symbian 60 OS. It also has HSDPA and EDGE cellular data. Oh, it has nice Flickr integration with the photos you take.

And it's got this "2-way slider" thingamabob that kicks out both a numeric keypad and media control keys."



All I gotta say is, sweet. When I got my Sony Ericsson k750i, I thought it was the business. Now, it's still a nice phone, but pales in comparision to the pretty.

So, what are a few of your (new) favourite things?