The iPod is an icon of the postmodern age - sleek, sophisticated and immensely disposable. I was reading this article in The Guardian and remembered the many people (eg) I've heard of whose iPods have given up the ghost. A cynic would argue that Apple planned it that way to ensure it would be a continued money making venture, but a life of 1 year is surely less than most purchasers of these glorified hard discs expect?

I haven't yet succumbed to the iPod bug, but would certainly consider shopping else where if they don't improve their track record. Our market is set up so that media image is everything, and I believe that if we put pressure on Apple to make a product which promises longevity and not just temporary cool, that's what we'll get.

So if you find yourself with a Bad Apple I suggest you email the guy who wrote the Guardian article. Or you could try this.

Let's make iPods reliable.

Return of the Mac
Yesterday I got the call that my iBook was ready to be collected. It was the hard disc that needed replacing and when I drove down to pick it up I had no idea if any of my data would have been recoverable. I was relieved to find out that all the work, programs, music and photos that I had saved on there had been rescued! Needless to say, an external hard disc is at the top of my list of future purchases...

Living without it for a while has been a good experience as I've discovered some better ways of working. I've decided that Bloglines, the online news aggregator, is better for managing my RSS feeds than Thunderbird, the email client I had been using. I also found out that Gmail now offers a Notifier for the Mac which sits on your desktop and tells you when you have mail. Gmail is also making me happy with masses of storage, emails arranged in conversations (and fully searchable) and the ability to use other, non-Gmail addresses.

I'm thinking that Google should start an ad campaign based on the Carlsberg ads - "if Google made..."

My blog template up until today was a mish-mash of tables, a bit of CSS here and there, individually formatted tags. It really wasn't coherent.

So my challenge, when I've had time over the past week, has been to clean up my code without really affecting the look of the site too much. It wasn't until this was done that I changed the header and some text formatting here and there.

So here it is, my blog, changed not just in appearance, but deep down inside.

This explains the silence since my last post.

Last night I went to the launch party of Julia's new album. She played really well and it was great to hear some of her more recent material (last time I heard her must have been 3 years ago). The party was held at an old fabric storage warehouse that has been converted into an art space (they basically just painted it white). click here to visit Julia's website...

In search of...
Yesterday we loaded up the car and went in search of waterfalls in the Neath Valley. It was great to be out of the city, and to hear the sound of rushing water and birds singing without the usual background hum of traffic. My favourite was Henrhyd Falls, which we were able to walk behind.

This morning I checked out a trail I hadn't ridden in ages that is now far clearer than I remember it.

Music-wise I'm currently loving Headphones and Sigur Ros. I've just started reading Pride and Prejudice, which I've been meaning to do for a long time, but somehow kept putting it to the bottom of the pile. Austin's manages to paint a wonderful picture of characters who are at the same time both pretentious and lovable.

Today I feel like taking a Fika (going for coffee) at Zenit. Kladdkaka made with organically sourced ingredients and served with delicious vanilla icecream. With a mug of fairtrade coffee and some good company. mmmmm.

Too bad I'm not in Malmo.

If you're in Malmo tonight you should definately get down to Pa Besok to hear some of this.

For Sale
2 x Technics 1200 Turntables (inc. Flightcases)
1 x Vestax PMC-03A (well used beginners) mixer
2 x Ortofon Concorde Pro S cartridges

I'm thinking of selling the Decks, Flightcases and mixer for £500
And the cartridges (which were originally £49.99 each) for around £50 (ONO)

Anyone interested? (photos to follow)

Those of you who know me will know that since I returned to the UK most of my activities have centred around ensuring that my business is running,smoothly and building a strong portfolio.

Yesterday morning my iBook decided it didn't want to start up. I tinkered for a few hours, following the suggestions of Apple Support, but still no startup.

This morning I took it into the local Apple Dealer and their Engineer will fix it. WITHIN 10-15 WORKING DAYS!

Dave has just started blogging and is already making friends.

As Emma pointed out to me the other day, this site really is ready for a redesign. The snow has melted even in Sweden (at least Skåne).

This morning I rode along the banks of the River Taff and stopped to watch the water glisten over the top of the stones. It could have been mistaken for the middle of summer, birds singing, the sound of the river flowing, a light wind through the trees.

When I was younger my approach to mountain biking had to do with speed and danger. These days, while I still love riding a fast, technical trail I also enjoy stopping to take in the surroundings.