So the bit on the telly went pretty well. As ever, it feels like you’ve walked into the middle of a busy kitchen and everyone else knows what’s cooking, and only have time to tell you just barely what you need to know to do your bit. Trying to say everything you want to get said in the three minutes or so, while talking to – slightly hyper-sounding – presenters who do this for a living is hard enough. Trying to do it without going blank, tripping over your words too often, being too long-winded or talking in a high-speed unintelligible babble, is quite the challenge.
Eoin Colfer had apparently been in too – though I didn’t bump into him – and did an interview on the run. I did get talking to Katie Taylor’s dad (and coach), who was there with one of her fans to argue the World Champion’s case for the Elev8 ‘GR8s’. Basically, they’ve picked a bunch of people from different categories to do an ‘Ireland’s Greatest’ kind of thing. Darren Shan is in there representing writers. But yesterday it was Katie’s turn, and she has a record of wins that’s second to none for someone her age. Pete Taylor and I were sitting together while we waited to go into the studio, and chatted for a while. He’s a sound guy, and Katie’s doing brilliant things for Irish boxing in general, and women’s boxing in particular. But I have to confess to hoping Shan takes the title for the books crowd.
When it comes to dreaming up children’s programming, half the shows seem to fall into the category of: ‘Why should we do it? Well, why the hell not?’
In honour of that ethic, here’s a few things I’ve come across recently:
When your job is etching microscopic circuits onto computer chips, I can imagine there comes a time when you might feel the need to go a little mad, and express yourself a bit. In the case of these tech-heads, that’s a really, really small bit.
I found an article showing images etched onto microchips by computer engineers who obviously feel that their creativity is being suppressed. They are, for the most part, done without the knowledge of the clients who commission the chips, and are unlikely to be seen because they’re microscopic. This image and the others featured in this Wired.com article are magnified 200 to 500 times. So you’d have to be really looking to find them.
On a slightly larger scale, this library desk made of books is a brilliant idea, and one that would be pretty easy to copy (and probably just as easy to cock up in spectacular fashion). It was designed by architects, and can be found in Delft University of Technology, where it was built after a fire destroyed much of the original library.
Speaking of libraries, the last thing you’d expect to find in a school library is a jukebox, right? I mean, there supposed to be quiet places, aren’t they? Well, the JCSP (Junior Cert Support Programme) Libraries tend to be set up in schools where an alternative approach is not just a nice thought, but bloody essential. I walked into Patrician College in Finglas recently to find music playing softly, chess and draughts sets on the tables, and a general chilled atmosphere. If it works, why the hell not?
And finally, a Croatian mate of mine sent me this link to a piece of video that shows a seriously different way of playing a tune. It’s an ad for a phone, but is such a lovely, simple idea and so brilliantly done (assuming it’s actually real) that I’m passing it on. Enjoy.
