https://minimal.org.uk/categories/offspring/ Recent content in offspring on minimal.org.uk Hugo -- gohugo.io en-gb ian Mon, 07 Jul 2014 09:17:24 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2014/07/07/lasers-and-midi-and-software-oh-my/ Mon, 07 Jul 2014 09:17:24 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2014/07/07/lasers-and-midi-and-software-oh-my/ Photo of Jean-Michelle Jarre performing in Helsinki in 2009 © Miemo Penttinen What happens when a music teacher suggests instrument variety is a driving force behind a child enjoying music, the child says “anything unusual” is good, the other child wants a techie project and the father has far too much 80’s electronica ? We decide to get a laser harp, of course ! 🙂 And there’s no way at all this could have been due to my obsessive saving of paper-round money to buy Jarre albums on tape to listen to on my Walkman (with Dolby-B, I’ll have you know – quality antiquity ! https://minimal.org.uk/2009/01/28/the-house-of-arguments/ Wed, 28 Jan 2009 20:36:38 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2009/01/28/the-house-of-arguments/ Excellent conversation with the eldest, E: E: You know that house on the TV where they have all those arguments ? N: Big Brother ? E: No, the Houses of Parliament https://minimal.org.uk/2008/12/02/halfords-how-not-to-run-an-online-reservation-system/ Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:33:15 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2008/12/02/halfords-how-not-to-run-an-online-reservation-system/ I’m probably a little naive given that I work in computing, but after the number of years that Argos have managed to run a nice and simple online reservation/order system I’d have thought it was a simple thing to copy. It’s not. Having reserved a bike for my eldest at Halfords one Sunday morning last month, we all went down to collect it with the idea of building it together. The actual reservation was pretty straightforward, and I was quite impressed with the SMS reservation code they texted me within 2 minutes – the bike was in stock and available that day and the next and all I had to do was turn up and pay. https://minimal.org.uk/2008/11/03/pitching-in-apple-retail-store-field-trips/ Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:10:51 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2008/11/03/pitching-in-apple-retail-store-field-trips/ This is slightly out of character for me but I think there’s an obvious point being missed here: Apple Retail Store Field Trip: http://speirs.org/2008/11/01/apple-retail-store-field-trip/ Whilst at first glance this does make it seem as though “Media Awareness” should now become a pre-school activity, take a step back and ask what passes for ICT in the majority of UK primary schools right now. I freely admit that without children of my own in such a situation I might not know, but unsurprisingly it’s pretty much a Microsoft shop – there are some glimmers of hope (some variants of free software have finally been approved for ‘purchase’) but basically you will be taught the MS way of working. https://minimal.org.uk/2008/01/13/was-small-sayings/ Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:18:46 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2008/01/13/was-small-sayings/ This is the full version: N: “What’s the next number in this sequence…” E (interrupting): “7” N: “…” N: “Err, yes.” The best bit is that she was, indeed, absolutely right… https://minimal.org.uk/2005/07/16/why-silly-me/ Sat, 16 Jul 2005 14:48:00 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2005/07/16/why-silly-me/ “Of course it’s nice. It’s got sugar on top” Aha. I’ll try to remember that then. https://minimal.org.uk/2004/06/27/iraq-redux/ Sun, 27 Jun 2004 20:49:03 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2004/06/27/iraq-redux/ Comment from the big one after viewing a trailer for a news documentary on Iraq which opened with the statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down: “Some people like that. Some other people don’t” Possibly the shortest and most unarguably accurate statement on the whole affair so far… https://minimal.org.uk/2004/04/07/small-sayings/ Wed, 07 Apr 2004 07:35:05 +0000 https://minimal.org.uk/2004/04/07/small-sayings/ head mystery teacher tukey == turquoise