I tap, it grows...

I hadn't really meant to get an iPad until a friend said she could get me one on opening day if I should like one. In my mind, it was one of those gadgets I'd eventually end up with, but, I wouldn't think of standing in line in the midst of all the hype. Neither would she. A few quick emails to some secret amazing source earlier in the week secured our Pads and a back door appointment at the Apple store. She delivered it to my door at exactly 2pm yesterday.

It is the ultimate procrastination device. You can't actually MAKE or DO anything with it. But, you can read, watch, arrange and communicate. I've spent the past few months with a standard issue laptop trying to pinch and poke it to expand the text. It was having none of that. And we were in bed together. Ego-killer. And it had a bit of a snore.

The iPad is anthropomorphic. We are having a relationship. You know, the early days knickers flashing cartwheel type phase. I tap, it grows. It is warm, but not sweat-inducing hot. And it has shockingly reasonable speakers. Finally, it is the ultimate Lexulous device.

My complaints? Well - it could be even bigger. Gigantic, able to be mounted on the wall with a remote would be neat. It would balance on my legs better if it were larger. In addition, I'll have to see if I can do two-handed typing - my instinct says that my one handed typing skills are about to blossom instead. The useful thing is all these apple gadgets that seem to sprout like mushrooms in my house are all linked by mobile me. Which means everything updates everything in relative real-time. Conceptually, I like that.

My good friend Tim still thinks it is a dumb purchase. Like my short-lived Ubuntu phase. We'll see...

The Summer Au Pair...

 Missmc has started the search for a summer au pair.  This year, the choices are very very good.  A PhD student economist from Italy?  An architecture student from the Czech Republic?  A journalist from Poland?  All good fits for this house.  The journalist from Poland could be an awkward fit as she only eats Halal.  So I am not sure how to respond to her as we are generally an open-minded house -- a summer of Halal cooking is not quite what I had in mind.  But she seems bright and lovely so she will remain on the b list...

In addition, there were three economists and one management consultant who have responded to my au pair ad.  Unemployed graduates, not students.  Economics?  In previous years, we have attracted journalism and philosophy students as well as the usual large response from unskilled escapees from various hard situations.  The awkward part of interviewing and culling candidates is the humanist in me has to go on holiday.  There are many heart-breaking stories and my motherly instinct wants to scoop them all up and help out.  The hard-nosed other side of me wins and looks for the smartest and most able.  

And then, I feel horrid.

Yes I am indeed worried.

Two pictures, same place.  One by Google street view, the other by The Convergence Crew, a group of anarchists who have taken over a disused pub in Shoreditch/Hackney as a base for the upcoming G20 protest.  On a wry note, the building has been for sale since last summer when Google street view was filming.  Personally, I miss the yellow cat.