Thursday, August 03, 2006

The Now Show

A topical news show, broadcast on Friday evenings at 1830 UK time.

Worth it for Mitch Benn alone.

And now a podcast!

Give it a rest Tony

For goodness sake.

Its dead.

Leave it alone man.

You won't even be in the country then, you'll be on some lecture tour in the US.

Link to story.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Nursery rhymes

Let me ask you a question: Do you prefer "Baa Baa Black Sheep" or "The Ugly Duckling"?

Those of you who know me will remember (I'm sure) that I am noted for my melodious tones, although generally not the ones emanating from my larynx. I have a repetoire of nursery rhymes inherited from my family which I have sung to my other children to soothe them (with varying success).

Mrs B is 20 weeks now. Bumpy Brown is kicking for England. So I've started talking and singing to it. Rather bizarely, it seems to ignore Baa Baa Black Sheep, Jack and Jill or Half a Pound of Tuppeny Rice, whilst consistently becoming still if I sing The Ugly Duckling or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, only to get going again once I've stopped (after a suitable pause for reflection and appreciation of its father's performances).

Hopefully, the little mite will recognise my voice after its been born. At 20 weeks gestation, it can already hear things in the womb. My singing will be audible to it, and although the hard consonant noises won't get through the softer vowel sounds and general tone will. Given it already seems to settle with certain songs, I suppose its possible we already have a baby with favorite nursery rhymes.

The alternative is that Bumpy is quivering in the corner or the uterus with it's fingers in it's ears, hoping the caterwauling will stop soon...