Artillery excitement and other things

Another week draws to a close, so here are the things which have been at the forefront of my mind these past few days:

Obama inauguration: As the man himself said, "They said this day would never come." It did, and the world is a very different - and, for now at least, more optimistic - place.

iShoot: I downloaded the free 'lite' version of this for my iPhone last week and liked it so much I happily paid for the full game. It's basically an artillery game where you attempt to blow up other tanks using a variety of weapons. Nothing more, nothing less. It's brilliant, and I'm totally hooked.

Battlestar Galactica: BSG returned for its final half-season on Tuesday night (in the UK), and I can't remember the last time I've been so excited about a series' return, even if this week's first episode was one of the most unflinchingly downbeat hours of TV I have ever seen. But that's what makes this show so great: not every problem is neatly solved with a bow on top; not every story has a happy ending. Better still, Lost is back on Sunday, with Volume 4 of Heroes to follow in the next couple of weeks. Gotta love this time of year as a genre series fan.

Money can't buy me love (or Kaka): Oh, how I laughed when the news broke that Manchester City's €100m-plus bid for AC Milan's Kaka had failed. The fact that this was rapidly accompanied by news of Robinho leaving City's winter training camp in Tenerife without permission - and subsequent fine of two weeks' wages (£320k!) - was the icing on the cake. The revelation that City apparently had also tried and failed to sign David Villa, Gianluigi Buffon and Thierry Henry just gave me that pleasant/unpleasant feeling you get when you've pigged out on too much of your favourite food. I believe the word I'm looking for is 'schadenfreude'.

Blue Monday: Apparently this Monday just gone was supposed to be the most depressing day of the year: a combination of Christmas cheer wearing off, bad weather, short days/long nights, holidays being far, far away, it just being a Monday, and so on. I have to admit, it wasn't my best day ever, but somehow I muddled through. However, as I sat in stationary traffic on the M4, I did realise I need to book a holiday soon so I have something to look forward to. Must get on to that.

Taming the tantrum tot: Good God, Zac can throw a strop when he's not happy! A face of perfect misery, rolling tears, a banshee wail, flailing limbs, the lot. Whatever happened to our little baby who used to just cry quietly when he was upset? However, it's interesting to see the things that calm him down; generally, anything on TV that's bright, loud and moving. So, Gladiators, Katy Perry videos and Pink's So What. Go figure.