Saturday, April 30, 2005

I've been to a marvelous party

Stayed up to 7 last night. Uh, in the morning. The other way would be rubbish. And unlikely. I don't think I've fallen asleep before midnight since..... jeeze, I honestly can't remember. A damn long time anyways.

But yeah, went to a marvelous party last night, where there was much rejoicing and drinking. Impressively, from an entire night, I can't think of any memorable anecdotes. Oh, memorable things happened, but not things you'd be remotely interested in. We did have an intriguing debate about religon, politics and love at Alex and Rich's house from 4-7, in which we concluded, as Rich said, that we don't know the answers.

But... yeah. I have often said, and many people have said, wouldn't be awesome to have a groundhog day like power. So you could just reset your life to a certain point and play it out again and again until you got it right. And we have sat and said, wow, that would be awesome. But to be fair, if you are going to claim power of such a ridiculou extent, you might as well say "wouldn't it be awesome to have a genie to grant your every wish". Its kind of a silly question. Of course it would be awesome, its quite a bizzare wish actually.

Although I do remember wishing I had force powers before. Which, to be honest, wouldn't be THAT useful. Oh sure, I would be able to lift things without moving.... but as skills go.. not that great. I could use it to annoy people, certainly, and it might come in useful in a fight, but I don't want to fight anyone ANYWAY. Its hardly a power which would let me achieve ANY of my goals in life, modest as they are. Unless you could entertain the ladies with force juggling. I suppose you could use your jedi mind tricks, but those only work on weak minded fools.....

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Voting in a weeks time!

Yup, its coming up. Its the first election I will have the opportunity to vote in (apart from local elections. And EU. The first general election). I will exercise it most happily. And so should you.

Ideally, everyone apart from people who disagree with me should vote, leading to the perfect world. Or at least, a slightly better world. Some might claim that this amounts to virtual dictatorship, but, to be fair, they would be put in camps so I wouldn't have to listen to them anymore.

At each election, of course, no party gets 50% of the votes. In other words, the majority of people will dislike the current government, as the most anyone has got in the last hundred years or so is just under 50. This presents a curious form of rulership, certainly, but I suppose at least we know that most people are unsatisfied with the current governments decision, rather than in dictatorships where, in a similar situation to above (but not quite, because my system is of course a democratic one), those who don't agree with the government either shut up or put up.

Which makes one wonder exactly what kind of government mr Bush felt he was ruling when he made his rather famous proclamation "you are either with us or against us". It seems to imply a slightly less concensual way of thinking than one would imagine a democracy is meant to be. This is not to be confused when he REALLY doesn't mean to say what hes saying. Like, for example, with weapons of mass destruction, where he claimed that Iraq had some and posed an immediate threat, while what he REALLY meant was they didn't have any and we were just trying to liberate the people. Its hard to count the amount of times I've made that mistake.

Tony made a similar mistake, but in a more well spoken manner, proving that one can mispeak even when one has mastered public speaking as mr Blair has. At one point, apparently, Jack Straw discovered that the 45 minutes weapon claim was blatantly untrue, but didn't tell him because he thought Tony already knew. Hmm. That last one is true, I think, although unfortunately I did not save the article at the time.....

Also another mistake mr Blair made when writing the manifesto. See, he promised not to create top up fees, and then he did. Bit of a mistype there really- someone should be editing those manifestos of his.....

But then of course we have Mr Howard, who has made some very odd promises on asylum seekers which I can only assume are a mistype. See, he's promised to only allow a limited number of people escaping war and torture every year, sending the rest home. To help him do this, he is going to get another country to process these claims for him. No country has yet stepped forward yet, but don't worry, they will....

If you can't guess who I am going to vote for by now, then you probably haven't read much of this post. In a surprisingly biased turn from the usual impartial me, I still urge to keep the conservatives out of power. Their horrific focus on disgusting asylum policies are clearly designed to appeal to racists, and if they get in with such dirty tactics, then it will really be a sign that our country has gone to the dogs.

Which, considering it, is a VERY odd saying. Go to the dogs? Gotten gnawed and chewed on so its all covered in slobber and has got toothmarks? Hmm, I have no idea how to spell gnawed. And I have no intention of using that spell checker thing at the top. Curse it!

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Webcomic a every now and then when I feel like it

Hmm, Lore brand comics. One strip gag comics from the guy who brought you the brunching shuttlecocks often amusing and you can make a lot of strips made into a t-shirt. It updates every monday (usually). Its good, clean, fun, although a fairly small archive makes me sad. Check it out.

NERVES!

I don't deal to well with nerves. I can manage to make myself nervous about any particular event if I over think it. Speeches, meetings, lectures, leaving the front door. The worst part of it is my hands. Thing is about my hands, is they have a natural tendency to shake (young parkinson's or something). Many people (at least 2..) have asked me if (or why) I'm nervous when I am not at all. Thats how much my hands shake normally. So imagine how bad they are, when, say I have to do a speech in front of the whole group. Now imagine if I have a piece of paper in my hands.... unbloody readable. Its quite frustrasting, as while my hands might shake, I normally have a very good control over my voice, and can normally be interestin' enough, but obviously if I can't read what I'm saying the overall effect is somewhat spoilt.

This leads to me having to learn my speech (or at least most of it) before doing it. But meh, I can deal, and the final effect is great. Well, as it can be anyways. Theres probably some method to reduce nerves- imaginging the audience naked probably wouldn't work, as often theres my friends out there, and I don't want to see them naked. Actually, in general I don't want to see naked men- its not particularly something I strive for in life. Thinking about it, that is the ONLY technique I have heard to reduce nerves. Picture the audience naked. Why is this? Are there no other techniques? Or maybe the naked technique is incredibly effective; i have never actually tried if after all. Perhaps next time I will give it a shot. Hmm, watch out, speech receivers, you will be naked!

Of course, the technique could backfire if you imagined everyone naked, and they actually were naked, because you had walked into a nudist conference (I'm sure they have one), and started giving a speech talking about the evils of nudism (prepared for the anti-nudist brigade (I'm sure they have one (ooh, double brackets (ooh, triple brackets (Ooh, I've now made this sentance unreadable))))), and they mobbed and killed you. That would be a blow.

Been being virtous today. Coursework doing, swimming, exactly the same as last week actually. Aren't you proud? You should be. Course, I did play on WoW for 2 and a half hours, but... uh that was necessary.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Stuck in a moment

And you can't get out of it. You know, thats not so much a bother as it might sound to the layperson. Being stuck in a moment, I mean. Think about it, how long is a moment? And I don't mean one of your "scientific" or "mathematical" or "correct" definitions, I mean as long as you like. I'll be there in a moment can extend from a second to an hour. In theory, you should be able to extend it, to say, a day. And then if you can take it to a day, why not a week? And then a year, and soon you're not stuck in a moment anymore.

Honestly, if people asked me... all songs would be ruined.

So yes, on campus again, and bored, and a little anxious. My amazing talk to Amnesty on the manifesto is happening in twenty minutes or so, and I have not reaaaally put that much into researching it. But never mind, hopefully I will be forgiven by the nice fellows at amnesty. They're great like that.

To kill time, incidentally, and also so when I get home I can click on this link, check out something awful's comedy goldmine for today. People not being smooth, something I am expert in. I actually have an amusing anecdote involving my "friend" Toby, who spends a significant proportion of his life mocking me, so I feel I should pay him back (PS, arsenal are rubbish!)

See, we were at a party, and Toby was chatting to the ladies upstairs. He was being ultra smooth, and had two of them enraptured by his charms (or at least, in the way he tells it anyway). I head up to go to the toilet, and as I pass, saying hi to Toby, he instictively mocks me. The girls suddenly coo, "aww, don't be mean", and I head into the toilet. He's lost them. The fool.

Bwa ha ha ha.

Two men walk into a bar. The third one ducked......

I love awful chat up lines. I had a list of them, which I will link you when I get home and have access to them all (and remember). My favourite are the ones about heaven missing an angel. Not being one who hits upon girls on that manner (the creepy stare from across the room is SO much better), I have never had opportunity to use a line. Frankly, I don't think I could succeed in saying one with a straight face. Perhaps one day I will do a sponsored chat up, where I use a line per girl, going through pub after pub getting laughed at and slapped. OK, it'd have to be a damn worthy cause, thinking about it......

Monday, April 25, 2005

I'm feeling totally emo

I try and to sneak into as many cultures as I can. The indie culture, I have a shoe in. I know what being "emo" is, if you mention a band, I can either say "oh yeah, I've heard a few of their songs", or, alternatively, lie. The anime culture I have crept into (I'm gonna change nerd into various categories, because its really more diverse than one might think), and now know various random Japenese phrases, and how to use them appropriately (did you know that, in fact, everything is kawaii? Spray your catgirl!). I watch a lot of movies, so I can get many of those references. In fact, for spotting pop culture references, I rule. Literature? Rough knowledge. Art? I can struggle through. Video games? Don't mess with me! Politics? Oh yeah! AMERICAN politics? Yup, I can deal with those too.... Sports? Damn.....

Yup, when it comes to sports, I am suddenly left out. Bear in mind this is a deliberate choice. I dunno, I suspect if I got into them, sports could be interesting, but I've found the mindless competition, and also the amount of ferocity supporters to have discouraging. However, such a lack of knowledge does limit my amazing conversational repotoire.... perhaps its time to get into sports?

...Nah. But I thought about it, and now if anyone mentions sports, I can say "yeah, I thought about following sports, but then decided against it..."


infalgration. matlefat. biobies. gorpa.

Just seeing if I can get the number one hit on google for anything... wouldn't that be cool?

As you can tell, I haven't been getting up to much. Been playing that WoW game quite a bit, its rather addictive. Also been courseworking it. Having finished our modelling coursework, we now have stats coursework to do- a mathematicians work is never done.

As a result I'm preparing a speech for tomorrows Amnesty meeting now. If I had more time I'd have OHTs an stuff. But I don't.....

Sunday, April 24, 2005

World of Warcraft

I knew we shouldn't have got it. It was such a bad idea- I knew I would get hooked, and worse, would have to share it with my flatmates so wouldn't be able to always cure my cravings. Which are eating at me now.

But no, we bought World of Warcraft, and now I can't stop. After arriving home from a party last night I played on it until 20 to 7! Today, immediately after getting up, I played it up. I currently have a level 7 Tauren druid named Kman (I forget on which server).

See, we need to finish our coursework today. We have not begun work yet..... Sob, there goes my plan to get more done.

Yes, went to a party last night, where I sat and watch the amusing mating dance of the men. Yes, there was flailing dancing to drum and bass. Now it might be that some men dance because they enjoy it, I suspect most do it to impress the ladies. Which was a shame, especially this night, because the ladies kind of weren't paying attention..... Never mind- at least the men were making an active courting effort. Oddly my sitting and staring blankly into space was not the most seductive, not that, to be honest, I had intended to be so.

Its really weird having short hair, I keep wanting to brush hair out of my eyes that aren't there....

Saturday, April 23, 2005

And the hair leaves me

Woah. All the hair is gone now. Its really weird, my head feels light, and I keep wanting to brush hair out of my eyes that isn't even there. But whats done is done. Already some have encountered the hair, and been shocked by it, much to my amusement. I am going to a house party tonight, where I can shock more people (well, those that I know.)

As promised, here are the photos.

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HAIR

Oh god..... I'm going to get my hair cut. Three years of growth- all gone in one mammoth session. Well, for prosperity, here's it now.....

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Youu'll have to wait for after....

Channel 102

Found this awesome site thanks to xoverboard. Check out Jesus Christ Super Cop, Cat News and Locked in a Closet. Those are all I have seen to far: this is an awesome site!

Friday, April 22, 2005

Onward with progress!

Thanks to Atrios for this ('cause, you know, he cares about my weblog). The new pope, more conservative (or so they say) than the former one, has condemed a law in Spain, whic would allow homosexuals to marry.

Great. I dunno, I suppose he is standing for what he believes in, no matter how hateful it is, but it is making the catholic church seem so out of touch.

[sorry, just to interrupt my ire, the article has a VERY amusing sentence in the article "Belgium and the Netherlands only allow same-sex marriages" which is very amusing. Those poor straight people living in sin...]

Honestly though, the prescription against homosexuality comes from Leviticus, which includes says that mixed fibres should not be worn. This is a list of things you can't eat according to it. Theres a bit about casting out lepers, theres also, just before the hatred of homosexuals, a short passage saying that adulterers are bad too.... hmm, should they not be able to marry? I dunno, I'm not an expert theologan, but aren't there other things to worry about? The world has moved on from the hatred implicit in the old testament, as it had moved on when Jesus denounced many of the proclamations of the old testament.

The catholic church had a chance to be relevant this century, and has blown it. Thin is, is that while some claim that scripture is unchanging, and it shouldn't change for society, it clearly does. Scripture can be used to defend prejudice. It was used to defend slavery, and then sexism, and now is being used to support homophobia. Its a brave person who reinterprets scripture to make it relevant for the people, but it is necessary. There is nothing wrong with being gay. Nothing. It harms no-one, and, indeed, with the population growing as fast as it is, one might suggest its necessary to stop us starving out our homes.

However, fear not, for progress is on our side. We have seen change, major change, and it is always in favour of more liberalism- perhaps not economically, but socially, with more and more knowledge being spread, old prejudices become unacceptable. We must fight prejudice in all its forms. Unfortunately the catholic church has chosen to take one of those forms.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Region 2

I may have said this before (I should make a list), but the DVD makers hate region 2. I read of DVDs, such as the Princess Bride Special Edition, which is packed full of special features being released in the US in 2001. I beg for Dogma to finally have some special features added to it, as it and all other Kevin Smith movies do in the USA. I hope that possibly they might finally consider matching the standards of Asian Kill Bill DVD's over here.

Thing is, they are missing out. I am not about to buy vanilla DVD disks of those films, even though I desperately want to buy them. Thing is, I have many of these things on video, or I can just watch my friends' (who were foolish enough to buy the early versions of Kill Bill) copies. But if special editions came out I would snap them up. I don't understand why exactly they do this- surely taking out the regions would encourage imports, which would encourage profits. What the hell is wrong with that? I suppose UK DVD manafacturers don't want the market flooded with cheaper US DVDs, but that is capitalism for ya. I mean, I'm not the hugest fan of capitalism at all times, but if we're gonna have the system, we should have it properly. Free trade for all!

Frustratingly they do this with some games too. Final Fantasy Tactics never came out here because of a perceived lack of demand in the European market. A big problem us Brits have is we share our market with the Europeans- us being up for a product is not necessairly enough to get them to make it for us. Damnit.

Of course, I could buy a multi-region DVD player, but that would cost me money. Or I could buy an illegal pirate copy of the DVD, or even download it... but I wouldn't do that, for I am a law abiding citizen.

rock on

This is awesome.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

webcomic a day

Hmm, what am I up to? Ah No need for Bushido. Another heavily plotted comic, you will need to read this from the start. This is a fully coloured... interestingly plotted, and very funny webcomic. A satire of samurai and ninja (sort of), while still being (reasonably) respectful to the genre, this is a great comic. The main problem is the infrequent updates, but we can deal with that.

Check it out.

Swimming

I haven't been swimming since last summer. Thats always the way, I go on holiday, go swimming, and think "oh, this is fun, I should do this more". Its exercise, but its fun! Well ok, not THAT fun, but you know what I mean. Actually, swimming is great. No, it is, cause you get to be totally underwater. Thats the full 100%. And you don't feel bad about it, cause when you normally get wet its quite irritating. Unless its a shower, I suppose, and you expect it.

But yeah. I always get freaked out swimming in the sea because I expect the worse. Jellyfish, sharks, sea urchins, I expect them to be swarming towards me. Well, the sea urchins can't exactly swarm towards me (that WOULD be scary) but you know what I mean.

Anyways, I did 40 whole laps today, and just now we have been doing coursework, so I am feeling SO damn virtuous right now. I'm just waiting for my metaphysical reward. Hopefully it will come in the form of women. 50 women. They can cook for me.....

Actually, so far my metaphysical rewards have extending to discoverin I have no onions when I want to cook with them, and my cucumber having collapsed into a rotten thing when I wanted to eat it. So not so much with the rewards. Never mind, I have had 70 something visitors to this site. I like to imagine these are all seperate people, and they check this website one after the other, once weekly, meaning I have the hugest readership in the world.

I finished the Princess Bride over the weekend. Awesome book, I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a morsel of litery taste. Well, one who liked fantasy, and satire, and other things like that. Or the movie, of course. It was weird reading it, because I have seen the film so many times, so I would recognise scenes and nod in recognition, and be surprised when they were different. Which I have never had that way round- I've seen films of books I love, but this is the first book of a film I love.

K, webcomic a day in a minute. Maybe.

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Another post

I couldn't leave you with only just ONE post today, and that about an (admittedly awesome) webcomic. So you have another opportunity to read through my ramblings.

OK, what am I going to talk about? Well..... I have coursework due in on monday, which is a bit of a shock, as it actually involves working. Luckily, its working in a group, so I am not fully dependent on my brain, also luckily, they are all my friends, which means none of the implied awkwardness of working with a group of people you barely know (well, apart from Toby. I hate that Toby).

The down side is we are all equally stupid. Upon presenting our amazing equations to our tutor, he scoffed and scorned, and we had to rework them all. Damnit. Oh well, such is life, and we still have many more days to do it in. Tomorrow being the main one. I'm also going swimming tomorrow, which is making me wish I was getting my hair cut today, as, well, when I go swimming my hair has quite a tendency to get in my eyes, leaving me a comical figure as I usually have goggles on. I don't like swimming without goggles. I spend a large portion of all swimming underwater, and chlorine is nasty stuff, so its either swim blind (leading to oh so humorous collisions with other people and the walls), or wear sexy goggles. Its just occured to me that I may not have my goggles with me. Damn. Oh well, sexy collisions it is.

Apparently (at least, according to Rich, one of the four of the Krazy Koursework Krew), if you have glasses and bad hair you have an innate ability in mathematics. When he mentioned this, oddly everyone looked at me.... I wonder whether, when I get my hair cut, I will proportionally lose my powers. That would be a little bit disappointing, I must admit,as I need what little skill I have to blunder my way through the rest of the degree. There is now one module of which I understand absolutely nothing. I am holding on to the quaint belief that a quick read through the notes when I get time (which means a week before the exams) will clarify things, but I suspect it might be shattered when I actually look at my notes. Reimann integrability indeed.....

Having said that, just because I will have shorter hair does not mean it will necessairly be GOOD hair. Indeed, I suspect one of the reason my fellow students are pushing for this cut is in the time they have known me, they have never seen my hair particularly short. While it is not quite as bad short as it is long (and much less hassle to have), it does quickly grow into the "monk" style, which oddly has never caught on as a fashion icon. I have a vague hope that maybe I can spear head the movement, and then I will instantly turn into a lady magnet. Although, to be honest, a lady magnet would not be as good as it is touted to be. For one, you would find it very difficult to get anywhere with all these ladies stuck to you. Unless it only works in a sort of fridge magnet kind of way, in which case you will need a very small lady, and for her to be exceedingly close. All in all I don't think they thought through that particular metaphor.

On campus craziness

"The hardest part about hugging someone to whom you are attracted but not already makin' out with is knowing how long is safe. End the hug too soon and it's weird; the other person thinks "man why did he/she only hug me a little bit?" Hugging someone for too long, on the other hand, is a clear signal that HELLO YOU GIVE ME BONERS/SQUISHY LADYPARTS HAGBLGABGLH. We walk a tight-rope, my friends, a tight-rope over the chasm of AWKWARDNESS."

From the newspost on todays www.questionablecontent.net. In fact, lets make it the webcomic of the day. I haven't titled thus, because, well, I wasn't originally intending to write about it, but I'm already halfway towards raving about it, I might as well. Questionable Content is a great little webcomic, well drawn, funny, and about indie kids. Its even got a reference to Guided By Voices in it, which sends it up in my estimation.

It is plotted, but not in a planned way (or at least, I don't think so). Instead its more in a ctrl alt delete style, where the characters are mostly living a normal existence, and the comic focuses on their relations and how how they evolve. These kind of comics are probably my favourite kind, and they should be yours too. So check it out!

Hmm, perhaps you shall hear from me forthwith. For now, lectures rear their ugly head.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Gay Paree

I wonder if I can do those little french accents on the e? Hmm, they have a special name, don't they? I haven't done French since I was 14, so I don't really remember much. I can count to 20, and maybe ask for a bill, but thats it. And also the only reason I know to ask for a bill is because I asked my Dad.

So, Paris. A very nice city. My impression, from the many places I visited in the few days that I spent there, is that it has a LOT of stairs. Still, that could just be because I climbed the Eiffel Tower (screw elevators!), and also Sacre Ceour (Sacre Bleu!), and... well I walked a lot of places, and being unfit as I am (more on that later), I was quite tired. Also it involved getting up at such hours as 10 to 4, which is kind of the time I go to bed normally....

The main thing I noticed about Parisians in general is they are INSANE drivers. It seems the way one drives in Paris is to basically bully the other cars- the most aggresive driver always wins. Red lights are only for wusses (making crossing the road an exciting and rewarding experience- will you escape with your life this time?). Of course, topping the car drivers, are the motorcyclists. I'm pretty sure they never stop moving, to the point that they will DRIVE ON THE PAVEMENT to get through traffic.

All in all, I have no idea how pedestrians have a life expetency longer than a week in Paris. Although, I suppose most of the pedestrians are tourists, so maybe that explains it... all the locals drive everywhere.

My nails are hardcore. They have been growing very long, mainly because I have lost yet another nail clipper. I go through nail clippers like nobodies business, being able to lose them with uncanny accuracy, despite there not being many places to hide the damn things! Oh well. I borrowed Fred's smaller nail clippers to cut them, and found them unable to break through! Oh well, will just have to buy some more for my own.

Yes, finally, I have decided t fight laziness. As you may know, I am extremely lazy, but I have decided its time to actually be pro-active, and rather accept apathy, to at least attempt to fight it. So I am going swimming, and playing badminton, and actually working on my course, and getting up when my alarm goes off, and not snoozing for an hour. And, of course, I am getting my hair cut.

Yes, this saturday, my collosal, ridiculously long hair, will finally be shorn off. I might collect it all into a wig...... I will post photos, of course. Before and after......

Right, must be off.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Away

This weekend I am off to Paris, so I'm afraid you will miss out on several days of posts, including friday, which, statistics show, is my most popular blogging day.

To make up for this horrific lack of random, incessant opinions that I hurl at you endlessly, I am going to write a bumper long post. Just as soon as I think of something to write, that is.

You may have noticed that I have recently been failing to post a webcomic a day. This is not because I have ran out- far from it. Its actually because I have consitently forgotten to do it- I am unable to on campus, without my big list of bookmarks. In fact, I am powerless without my big list of bookmarks, which often irritates me while at university. With a lack of sound, I have to be able to find text only things to entertain me, and while I can always full back on things like the Brunching Shuttlecocks and Rinkworks, sometimes the mind yearns for more.

And when I see more, I tend to mean webcomics....

OK, so yeah, whats been happening to me recently? Welll.... not that much to be fully honest. I've been going to lectures- today I got up at the insanely early time of 8:30. Or rather, I was woken at 8:30 and got up at 9. Still, pretty good for me. Of course our plane tomorrow leaves at 7, so I will have to get up at some kind of hour that I would normally go to sleep at. Its probably a sin to get up that early. Good things I don't believe in God, as Dante's test will tell you.

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)Moderate
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)Low
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very High
Level 7 (Violent)Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Moderate

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

I'm sure you've all seen that before, but I'd like to point out that I was THIS close to being a heretic. Lucky escape there. From a hell made up by Dante, that is.

Its actually interesting how a lot of christian stuff (well some) has been created much later. The Bible is actually very low on its details about Satan, although it does detail hell to some extent. Satan and his back story was mostly created later on by various writers, for reasons that I honestly do not know- possibly to make christianity more exciting- a battle between good and evil. I think the study of religon, from the view of a non-believer, can actually be very interesting. And now, I'm sure you do, after that random litle snip bit of the study of God!

The Da Vinci Code, however, manages to get it all wrong. Honestly. Its a great book, and deserves to be a bestseller, but its amazing just how much misinformation he manages to pack into one book. For more you would have to read the Rough Guide to the Da Vinci Code, which these days tends to sit next to it in most bookshops, because book sellers aren't stupid.

He also wrote an earlier book (Dan Brown, this is), called Angels and Demons. I reccomend it to anyone with a knowledge of A-level physics or higher, because the physics in it is SO rubbish. Its absolutely hilarious, honestly.

I've started reading the Princess Bride now, which is really rather good. Just finished Enders Children, which I know some people curse, but I think it is actually better than Xenocide, the third of the Ender Saga. The best are the first two though, Ender's Game and Speaker of the Dead, which I would really, really reccomend.

Anyway, I'm sorry if this is more rambly than usual, I'm distracted. Also- double figures on the counter- huzzah!

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

webcounter

I've added one, taken from the excellent out of Boredom weblog, which in turn is taken from some technical website. Click on the number if you feel like checking it out.

Hopefully I'll hit double figures eventually....

What was I going to say....

No, honestly, what was it? Grr, this happens all the time.

Never mind. Apparently the world doesn't revolve around me, as I am stuck on campus waiting for a meeting that is scheduled 2 whole hours after my last lecture of the day! Whats up with that? I'm pretty sure most people do secretly believe the world revolves around them, but are afraid to admit it, but I am not! I will stand up and be proud to be egotistical! Because why not after all?

Well it seems like I may not be chair of Amnesty after all. There is a challenger to my throne, one perhaps with fresh new ideas and sterling good looks (not quite as good as mine, but whos are?). It can only be settled one way- a battle to the death. Out of respect to Amnesty, it will be a fight using letters! Yes, we must both write letters out to various mercenaries and assasins, requesting they "take" the other guy "out". The most persuasive person wins!

I suspect this is secretly the basis on which all leadership contests are taken, or something along that note anyway. I've always though that the best way to spice up the elections would be to have a Gladiator style eliminator at the end-

"Tony Blair, you got 38% of the votes. You will go on my first whistle. Micheal Howard, you got 32% of the votes, you will go on my second whistle. Charles Kennedy, you got 20% of the votes, you will go on my third whisle. Others, you got the rest of the vote, you will go on my fourth whistle."

Face it, Tony doing the monkey bars would be freaking hilarious. It might also encourage some younger political leaders too.....

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

On campus posting

Oh how you missed it. Duhrin Easter all posts were made from the comfort of my laptop, but now some will come from the hippning happening Bath university campus, where anything goes, and you can never tell what might happen next!

To really spice up the excitement I could go to a web cafe, where anyone could be watching me write my posts- even a famous person! But to do that would require money, and as I am currently acquiring a profit of approximately £0 from this website, I doubt that is going to happen.

Hmm, its ironic (or something), that I clamour after fame (in a small little, thousand hits a day, kind of way), yet if I were to achieve it this website would crash and burn. Indeed, this is the peril many websites face, especially those with high bandwidth uses like webcomics- many end up actually paying for their success. Which is why they have those little donation buttons, although as to how much money they get out of them, I honestly do not know. However, I do crave fame, so if you love and adore this blog (as I'm sure you do), why don't you tell your friends? Actually, screw that, aggresively campaign in favour of this blog. If your friends refuse to read it, grab them by the neck and put them in front of a computer with it up. Send viruses to websites which send out millions of email advertisements for here. Graffiti 15 feet high advertisements for the website. Take over the nation with the express purpose of forcing everyone to read this. Those are only a few of the easy, achievable measures you need to take to make this blog the number one place for.. well everyone really. Not everyone will LIKE it, but the state police will be watching to make sure they read it and comment with something appropriate (for example "this is the best blog ever, I adore you Kieran, please have my babies").

Hmm. This is what happens when I post on campus....

Monday, April 11, 2005

webcomic a day

Fade Resistant. A comic about a zombie. Working for God. Well, sort of. Its yet another plotted comic, although in a far more flippant way than errant story (and, dare I say it, unplanned way). It takes quite a bit of time to get off the ground, but once it does its quite amusing. Its also quite frequently updated, which is a bonus. This won' be a comic you'll be hungering for updates to, but I think you'll enjoy it.

Learninating

So, back to university, and things to learn. Not to an early get up time this morning I have to admit- 10 to 12 I struggled out of bed, and with only two lectures, this was not the most strenous day so far. I am beginning to get highly suspicious, however. I know we should be getting set coursework, and yet it does not come. I think the two courses which will be setting it are waiting til the last possible moment. Perhaps at the same time as revision, that would be fun.

Thats the frustrating thing about coursework- while theoretically it is a better way of measuring achievement, its such a small percentage that you still have to revise hard for that exam, but not small enough so you can crash and burn in it. With the tendency to set it at the same time as revision for other courses without coursework, all it does is effectively double your workload. Some courses manage to have really easy coursework, which you can easily score highly in, and I rate those highly, but most do not, which means the advantages of coursework are really quite obscure. Who DOES it benefit?

Ah, such is life, and at least I don't have to do 10,000 word essays as you hear other students on "easy" courses. Thats always the amusing lie, this idea that science students do more work because we have a few more lectures. The fact is that we get it really quite easy, with only a handful of problem sheets a week. None of this essay nonsense. Urgh, imagine it.... you wouldn't even be able to help each other, as helping someone with an essay normally amounts to straight plagarism in reality.

Hmm, so the new election comes, with the conservatives launching a new manifesto. Its got a few reasonable ideas, although I have to admit a slight suspicion at the idea that they are going to reduce taxes, reduce borrowing, and match Labour spending on various vital organisations. Apparently this is going to come from reducing waste. Hmmm. I wonder how easy it is to work out which beuracrat is essential and which isn't (because some ARE needed. We don't have beuracracy for nothing). I suspect that if you make massive cuts in staff, you are bound to get rid of services somewhere (as well as living many unemployed. These are real people after all...). I agree we probably have a lot of waste, but if you are relying on getting rid of it to make money, rather than doing it incidentally as a good thing, I suspect mistakes will be made.

And frankly, this weird thing about choice of hospitals kind of freaks me out. You can choose which hospital you are going to??? On the few occasions that you are in a position where that is viable, surely the most qualified person to do that is your doctor, and not whatever some ratings table says? Oh.. hmm it seems to say you might have your local GP to help you. Hmm, still...

But I think the thing that really sells any other party but the conservatives for me is the line "take a fixed amount of refugees a year from the UNHCR". How on earth is that justifiable? Do they understand what refugees ARE? These are people who have been raped, tortured, had their families killed, been threatened with death, people who have desperately escaped. How on earth can we close our doors on them? The thing is, we don't actually take THAT many. The only reason the conservative party has introducted this is because it will be popular. Its a really, really bad way to deal with what is admittedly a situation that needs dealing with.

But anyhey, they were never aiming for my vote at all, so meh.

Sunday, April 10, 2005

webcomic a day

errant story. I can't remember how I ever found this comic. I suspect I was linked by another comic.

This isn't your average webcomic. Most, while having characters that do evolve, are quite happy to do one shot gags, and quite frequently have evolved into a more plot based form. This comic starts plotted from the very beginning. As such, you will need to go to the very beginning of the story and read through.

Don't worry, despite having a plot, its still very amusing, with a few mangaish influences detectable. Its also very well drawn- certainly the most detail you will see out of all the webcomics I list (though some are coloured).

I really like this, although now I've caught up with the story I find the pace a tiny bit slow, but I have that with all plotted comics. It updates... fairly regularly.

Check it out.

Ye Olde Britain

I sometimes have repetitive stupidity. This is where I will make a mistake, and then repeat that mistake many, many times.

This has occured with my radio. The radio buzzer no longer wakes me up, so I only use the radio as an alarm, set to the lovely radio 4. In the old days, when I had both waking me, I'd set them 10 minutes apart so one could wake me up if the other didn't. For the past few months, I have had two alarms 10 minutes apart, of exactly the same radio show. So halfway through playing the radio to my sleeping form, the other one kicks in and plays..exactly the same thing.

I do love radio 4 though, because its kind of rubbish, but its British rubbish. The other day I switched on at the end of the program, where the narrator said "next week we will be looking at the effect of the Spanish on French music." Isn't that great? Its just like some kind of essay one might do at university, in fact it probably IS. So many random radio plays (including one about a girl with an amazing talent with the violin, but just wants to be normal!). Its like these shows are made immaterial of whatever kind of ratings they get. And its awesome, its so pathetic, and wonderful at the same time. So many smart people, all doing weird little shows in radio 4. I love it.

I love a lot of random British things. The Boat Race is one of those. Two teams, one from Oxford and one from Cambridge have a race down the thames? And there is live coverage for several hours preceding and receding? Brilliant! No really, thats awesome, although its sort of let down by the fact that the teams are now made up of people who are about 26, and have appeared in the olympics for, for whom you have to suspect they have actually made up a degree for.

Another tradition, is, of course, the grand national (which might have lost some ratings this year to that couple... can't remember their names....). Every year, I place a bet (usually on a favourite- this year Colnel Rayburn), and every year my horse falls somewhere on the course. As a family (a total bet of maybe 10 whole pounds), we normally get about half of what we put in in collective winnings. Just goes to show that gambling isn't worth it, but once a year hardly hurts.

So, there, a few great things about the UK. Remember that, as you listen to that walking sleazebag, Howard, dragging politics into the gutter by issuing trash policies on immigration and aslyum (and they are actually VERY seperate issues). Remember, on average immigration earns more than it spends in tax dollars.... But everyone knows someone who knows someone who's been hurt by it, so it MUST be bad. I'm not saying that there aren't problems, only that we aren't going about them th right way....

Urgh, i hope the Conservatives don't win. I don't want Labour to have a huge majority, but if the conservatives win... well its not an issue I can deal with anyway as its between the lib dems and conservatives here. Of course, what should really be happening is reform, because what we have right now is NOT democracy. There about 800,000 votes that count in this entire country..... Thats less than a 60th of the population.

Hmph. Its not an even issue because no-one chooses to make it so...the only hope is that Labour will need the lib dems, and then will cave on electoral reform.

But listen to me witter on. Britain's great, ya hear?

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Webcomic a day

Edible Dirt is by the writer of another comic, Nodwick. This was linked to me by something positive. Its in a sort of Far Side style, in that it involves one shot gags, but these are normally quite unpleasent, and often very, very funny. Theres no plot, these are all about a simple joke. Its quite enjoyable, although the archives are dissapointingly small.

Anyways, check it out.

Back to Bath

Urgh, I should really make myself do more during the holidays. When I allow myself to sit and stew, doing absolutely nothing with myself, I get completely lazy and unmotivated, which means the next term proves quite a shock. But meh, thats me, incredibly lazy. Hmm, and I've agreed to be Amnesty chair next year... this could spell disaster.

Anyway, as I might have promised in the last post (can't remember, I was drunk), I've got a very amusing photo from last night.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Hehe. Apparently Ad was putting on a "disapproving look". He kind of managed that, in an insane freak kind of way. I have many other photos from that night, reveling in my new digital cameraness, but that is the funniest by far.

Annoyingly I threw up this morning, which I feel is a little unfair. I don't get as drunk and I get a hangover? The worst of both worlds? Fate is poking me in the eye, clearly.

A day of drinkin'

So just got... well got back quite a while back, but lets pretend I just got back from the pub. We intended to spend the whole day in the tem, but instead went to the tem instead.

I had the oddest experience tonight. As I couldn't drink THAT much, seeing as I was feeling kinda ill, Ad and Troll were drunker than me. I am ALWAYS the drunkest. This is a rule for me. Well, if I'm not the drunkest, I'm too drunk to notice that someone is drunker than me. I am also using drunk like a verb, which is probably wrong on many levels, but there you go.

I have many photos from today, some of the best I may well post for your delight later, but for now, ciao. Not even a webcomic tonight guys. Sorry, but I'm kinda tired- just gona check the webcomics, then I'm off.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Webcomic a day

http://dominic-deegan.com I have to check that works once I've posted this.... Anyways, this is one of my favourite webcomics online. Its initially about a grumpy seer and his moronic customers, but with the introduction of Luna it gets to some sumptious plot goodness. You wil almost certainly want to start at the beginning of the archives, here. I really like this comic. Its very amusing, and the characters are very involving- I am fully absorbed by the story right now.

Be warned, there are a LOT of puns in this comic. But I'm sure you can deal. To sell it to you, I just have to post this, my favourite comic from it.

Check it out.

I can't let you do that Dave

Hmm, I can't show you the article, because I can't find it, but in this weeks New Scientist there is an article about a new bionic suit. This will, in theory give its user freedom of movement and "super-strength". It could be used to help the disabled, infirm and elderly move about.

So far so good. But something struck me about this system. Its a Hybrid assistive Limb... so guess what its called. If you can't from the title (or indeed just a bit of common sense) then you haven't seen 2001 but they've called it HAL.

Hmm. Soon people are going to be walking the wrong way down the street, screaming for help as their suit refuses to let them go into the shop they want to.... When will man learn!!!

Anyway. I have discovered one of the most frustrating things in this whole universe that we live in. Picture the scene. I am playing on Ico (more on this later), and I get past a certain point in the game. There are no opportunities to save, and there won't be for a long time. However, the game can be paused at any time, so its no big deal. I continue onwards, knowing i've got the whole evening free, and fully prepared to pause for dinner.

I reach the final boss. At this point I am totally engrossed, not interested in what time it is, and after some craftiness (for Ico is all about the craftiness), I take her down. After I do, the game goes into cut scene mode. Just after this, my Mum yells that its time for dinner. One hour and a half of playing, and she calls THEN! Its not even a sensible time- 25 minutes past 7, what kind of crazy insane time is that? Crazy insane time, thats what. So of course my food gets cold and my mum gets annoyed (I am 15 minutes late, I suppose...). And it also means I can't enjoy the ending.

Cause Ico is a good game. It was worth the hunt. Its beautifully animated, and is a lot of fun to play (well, apart from a few moments). The central conceit of the game is you have been locked in this castle for some such reason, and you have to guide the beautiful (but apparently mentally defective) Princess Yorda out of it. Most of the game is made up of solving some puzzles, some devious, some painfully obvious, with a bit of fighting weird shadow creatures thrown in for good measure. The only way of losing is if you fall to your death during the many jumps you make, of ir Yorda gets sucked into shadow land by these shadow creatures. From this simple premise, a great game is made.

Its very short, and sometimes frustrating. Chains will be the bane of your existence (just trust me on this one), and every now and then Yorda's incompetence will get to you (just climb the f*cking ladder!), although mostly she is very pleasent. You actually grow attatched to her during the game, which is often hard to do in a game where you have to guide someone. This is possibly BECAUSE they didn't try to make her smart- whenever games do that, it often means that your AI guy who, if they die, will make you lsoe the mission, will rush off into enemy territory and get slaughtered. Because thats what intelligence does for you....

Anyway, I would fully reccomend Ico. Its got kinda Lara Croft puzzling, but better, and with less flaws. Its quite similar to SOS final escape, only without the inventory or earthqakey bits. Its simple. And thats what makes it great.

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

webcomic a day

http://ctrlaltdel-online.com . Computer gaming humour. This has a bit more of a plot than penny arcade, which I shall talk about some time in the not too distant future. Very funny, quite random comic about two gamers, essentially. Sometimes the humour is about the games themselves, more frequently its about the gamers and their... slight lack of sanity. Good stuff- you don't really have to read through the archives to get it, but its probably useful, and I would always reccomend you do so anyway. The only thing with me is that I am not a big fan of Chef Brian, possibly because for a while my flatmate Fred would not stop quoting him (before I had even seen ctrl alt delete. This is the ONLY comic Fred reads... don't ask me why). And also 'cause I don't think hes that funny, but thats just me.

Still, he doesn't appear that much. If you like penny arcade you will enjoy this- this is a very likeable comic, although you probably need to be a gamer to get it.

Princess Bride

I ordered it off Amazon. I couldn't resist it. Stupidly, I bought a bunch of extra books (all of which I'm sort of interested in, I will add) to bring up the price to free devliery level and then an hour later ordered Buffy season 7. Which, if I continue watching at the current pace, I will have finished by the end of this night.

Anyways, it has arrived, and I am staring at it eagerly. Unfortunately, having finished my book before it did, I had to start another one (couldn't possibly do that!), and I do so hate to switch books mid... stream if you will. Enders Children, if you're interested- it seems ok so far, but we shall see. This is book four of the Ender saga by Orson Scott Card. The first book, Ender's Game, is amazing, as is the sequel Speaker of the Dead. Xenocide... little iffy. And now its the fourth.

The only books I have ever stopped reading a book for are the Harry Potter books, but I think thats excusable. Even then I've felt kinda bad, but the rest of my family have wanted to read them and I needed to finish 'em fast. Still, Princess Bride is tempting me. I have read the introduction and it is exciting me. The introduction to a frickin' novel is exciting me. The guy who wrote this, Wiliam Goldman (or abridged, as he claims), also wrote the screenplay for Butchcassidy and the Sundance Kid! (and Stepford Wives, and Marathon Man, and many more) Pretty exciting stuff.

Heh, I've go so much stuff to read, watch, and play on. What more could a young boy need?

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

blogger hates all of humankind

Well it does. If it keeps screwing up as much it does, I might well have to shift hosts (a hefty threat, I know, with my ten hits a day keeping blogger in business). Honestly though, its always crashing, and commenting sometimes doesn't work and... urgh.

Anyways,heres a link for you. She was kind enough to link to me and so i return the favour. Also she posts many pretty pictures, while i mostly just have words....

webcomic a day

And so on to the fourth link. These are all things I check daily for updates so far, by the way.

http://www.building12.net and http://www.misfile.com . I mention these both together because they are both by the same artist, so if you enjoy one you will probably enjoy the other. You can tell that both are heavily inspired by japenese manga, with the latter being about a man trapped in a woman's body, and building 12 having a girl pretending to be a guy. Its all amusing stuff, and if you like Japenese manga have no doubt that you will enjoy these.

However, you don't need them to enjoy them. Personally, I think misfile is actually better. Both are telling a story, and misfile is a little tighter, focusing as it does on a smaller cast of characters- building 12 has a huge amount, leading to a more chaotic and sometimes a little confusing story. So I would reccomend starting with misfile. However, I started with Building 12, so meh.

Notice how I have not been giving webcomics a mark out of 10, or anything. This is partially because this would be hard- I like all the webcomics I am advertising here, so don't really want to rate one down in favour of another. Also, I don't think a rating system is the best way to judge something, especially not something as subjective as a webcomic. Finally, I want you to read all the pretty words I''m writing, because I am vain.

Buffy!

Just been watching nothing but it recently. I watched series 6 in four days, and now series 7 has arrived. Jesus, Series 6 is depressing. I know that was their intention, but they really went for it. Every single relationship, every single one, ends with a considerable amount of pain. According to their words, series 7 is more upbeat. I don't particularly remember that, but I could be wrong....

Thing is, despite series 6 being the most depressing series of the lot, ts also really very funny. I mean, it includes the Musical episode, which is so incredibly good, that i really puts most British output to shame. The yanks really do have it in terms of new drama (yeah, I'm calling Buffy drama. I went there), with things like the awesome Six Feet Under (which you really should watch, because its so good), the ludicrous 24, and the apparently good Sopranos (which I really should be watching). Not to mention the tried and tested classic, ER.

Heh, I was gonna talk about very specific things from Buffy, but I chose not to, so as to not exclude the parts of the audience who don't care about it, or who for some reason have not got round to watching season 6 and don't want spoilers to the many, many shocks that the season throws at you. So you don't get that.

Hmm, my stomach bug appears to have cleared, which is good as, as I have mentioned, I intend to spend the whole of friday in the tem (the local wetherspoons, for the layman), where apparently we will be mixing shots. Yes, someone had the bright idea of mixing two different drinks together into a double. Which you would drink straight. I think I might be resisting that notion, because it sounds disgusting, not to mention suicidal....

Monday, April 04, 2005

webcomic a day

THANK GOD! I actually managed, again, to forget to save the last post, but it publised ok. Thank God. Not that I believe in him, but what the hey, gotta thank someone, and its more concise than thanking the laws of nature that have led inevitably to this moment in time.....

Today its a webcomic I have a poster from (there are three of these), http://angryflower.com . This is a comic I also found very early on in my days of having the internet. Its a truly random thing, and can be completely surreal, but also at times absolutely hilarious. These comics are all stand alone, although occasionally jokes will make a bit more sense if you've read through the archives. I haven't done this for the rest, but heres my favourite comic from the series. Check it out.

(I'm intending to get "check it out" as my catchphrase...)

RIGHT!

Fouth time I'm writing this.... don't ask.

So, Bo Selecta bad! People who say otherwise wrong! Twice appearance on top 50 sketches unforgivable! Little Britain too high due to being recent! I watch much comedy! I like comedy!

Thats a very shortened version of what I've been saying. I WILL save the draft this time, in case blogger fails again.

I've got a bit of a stomach bug, which means I'm on soup. Really nasty tasting soup too. I'm, as i have mentioned, a really picky vegetarian, and I have been trying to ween myself away from that. However, just eating stuff I don't like does not, in fact, improve my feelings towards it. This might be obvious to your average person with a brain, but not to me.

Anyway, webcomic a day in a minute. Although you'll have already read that. Unless you just sit staring at my blog waiting for updates. In which case... while I am flattered, you could possibly find something else o stare at. Like the webcomic I'm about to talk about... (like the link?)

Sunday, April 03, 2005

webcomic a day

It occurs to me that despite my mighty archives I might well run out of webcomics. Hmm, it should take me at least a month though. To try and prevent that, I'm gonna throw in some things that aren't technically comics as well.

Today its the practically never updated www.bandwidththeatre.com . This is essentially a collection of all the very amusing movies by Lore of www.brunching.com fame. It shouldn't take you too long to watch them, so if you enjoy them you might want to check out brunching, which has shut down now, but has many, many archives. Its very funny stuff: www.brunching.com was one of the first websites I ever found on the net, so I hold it with a special fondness.

RIP Pope John Paul II

Well, the Pope has died, at the grand old age of 84. And while people are entitled to their grief, he is a very old man. He has lived a full and, I imagine, fufilling life. I did not agree with some of his ideas, or certain ways he handled uissues he handled, but in the end he handled things in a way that he felt was right. He probably was a force for good, just sometimes I felt it was misguided.

But anyway, the point is is he lived a long time, and people can grieve. And, indeed, the news should indeed contain a fair amount about it. But blanket coverage? I dunno. I could probably wonder off and find some people dying right now. If I go to Africa, they could be dying of hunger, or diseases that we know how to cure. And I like to think the Pope wouldn't want us to ignore these things right now. The best thing to do with his legacy is help others, as he would have wanted. He was an old man, and he died- there were no surprises, and he died with as much dignity as he could with 24 hour news coverage of him. Meanwhile kids die as early as 14 when we COULD help them.

So if you're feeling a bit bad about the Pope dying, why not do something good? Join the make poverty history campaign http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/ . Just a thought

Saturday, April 02, 2005

New look

Fourth post today, I know. Just pointing out the new format, because the old one was kind of cruddy. This is a variation on a theme of this rather good blog (check it out, its better than mine- it was mentioned in the guardian, fer crying out loud!). I didn't make it myself, I hasten to add. My expertise with html goes about as far as frames and then rapidly stops

posting machine

I know, I said I had nothing to post and then I do three. So sue me (please don't, I don't have any money....). Anyways, these and these are hilarious. Check em out.

Webcomic a day

With a lack of things to talk about, I'm gonna talk about my favourite webcomics. As I have mentioned, I read a lot of webcomics. It takes up a lot of my time. And I am jealous that you still have that time. So I am going to steal it.

Now bear in mind that I might have mentioned these before, but now you get to read about them in detail. Cause, I dunno, I'm sadistic or something.

First on the list is the occasionally updated www.sexylosers.com. This is a great little, incredibly dirty webcomic. There are about 251 proper strips, with over 100 guest strips there, so that should keep you busy. The strip is well done, very disgusting, and also very funny. Its an x-rated comic, being all about sex. Actually, being all about weird sexual perversions (including necrophilia, and a man who prefers masturbation to everything else....).

Anyway, if you are not easily offended, you should definitely be reading www.sexylosers.com . Be warned, updates are very infrequent.

Dun, dun dun dun

Thats the Buffy the Vampire Slayer theme tune. You can tell, can't you? No? Well you clearly suck. Severely.

So yeah, i'vbe been watching the 6th series, which is classic. I do like a bit of Buffy. If the new series of Dr Who (another episode tonight) can match its quality then I shall be pleased.

Had some vegetarian sausages while everyone else had proper sausages today. Foul, absolutely foul. The problem is is that the people who make is are too busy trying to make it sausagy that they forget to make it taste nice, so you end up with some of the nastiest sausage you can imagine. There are a lot of flavourings out there people! There is such a thing as garlic! I don't care if my vegetable sausages don't taste like sausages, they just have to taste NICE. Its like vegetable kievs, they don't taste anything like chicken kievs. No, they just taste delicious. I wonder if food manafacturers realise that most people don't become vegetarians to torture themselves. Perhaps its a conspiracy to make me eat meat? Shan't work, I'm too hardcore (hardcore vegetarians do exist. Cause I say so).

The Eels are having a gig in May, in an entirely difficult time to do. A monday... grah, I really want to see the Eels again, who are one of my favourite bands in the entire world. But... meh, I can make it, it'll just be dificult. Then again, difficult is my middle name. Or it will be when I've filed this deed poll.

Actually, it shouldn't be too hard to change ones middle name as most people don't know it, and most forms store it. So as long as you keep the same initial you should be fine. Right, I've got a J to play with.... Toby, get to work!

Friday, April 01, 2005

Aquamontologist

Hmm, blogger told me "There were errors" last publish. How uninformative. Errors of what kind? I can only assume it means while posting, and not just errors somewhere along the way sometime, and it felt the need to inform me.

Anyhow. As you might be able to tell from my slightly insane subject title for this post, I couldn't get to sleep last night. My body clock is a sly son of a bitch. Its very easy to set it later. I can easily just stay up til about 4, and then go to bed, get up late, and do the same the next day and be fine. Setting it earlier is much, much harder. I can be as tired as I like, I can have drunk a bit, but if I try to go to sleep earlier (worse, if go to sleep early with some kind of deadline to get up for the next day), then I am NOT getting to sleep. Nope, I have to wait until 4. Or, usually, it likes to take its revenge by making me have to wait LONGER, and even then have restless sleep. As a result I have been stiff all day, but meh.

ANYWAY, when I have a lack of sleep, I have time to think, and I come up with my best ideas. Like the Aquamontologist. I have decided that later in life, when it gets to the point when I have to go to those awkward parties (So, what do you do?) when asked as to my career, I will respond as to Aquamontologist. If pressed for details, I will explain that it involves highly scientific calculations while underwater. If fully pressed, I might admit that it has something to do with the moon. If pressed so hard my eyes bleed, I might go as far as talking about Aquamontologisitics, the study of Aquamontologists, and suggest they take it up. Making them an Aquamontologisticist. Which would be pretty awesome.

Actually, I might introduce myself as one of those. Anyhow, this is why I should never be allowed time to think....

The most dastardly conspiracy ever conceived

Recently my kindly grandparents gave me a cheque for a whole one hundred pounds. Money beyond my wildest dreams indeed, and, more importantly, enough to pay for my excesses this Easter as long as I didn't buy anything.

But apparently, someone got word that I might actually balance the books this month. And so they hatched a dastardly plot. Knowing that I would soon be travelling to Cambridge, they placed DVDs and cds they knew I could not refuse! I was first taken in by Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now I've always loved a bit of Buffy- I think its great stuff, but per season you are talking about an 80 pound cost to buy one. And thats just plain stupid. But lo and behold, I wonder into fop to discover that, for some inexplicable reason, they were charging 30 POUNDS A SEASON! Thats a 50 pound reduction! Bear in mind it costs 40 pounds to buy the damn thing off EBAY! So I of course HAD to get one season (I picked season 6. I know some people hate it, but at least it doesn't have the despicable Angel). And then there were some quality cds at low low prices, so I HAD to get those. Having spent all this money, I decided that I would buy no more.

So we went into Game, and I looked through the pre-owned games. They had Ico. Unbelievable! That game is SO hard to buy- honestly, I have been searching for a long time to find it for sale. And there it was, 15 pounds, sitting in Game! So I had to buy that too. So yeah, budget balancing is over rated anyhow.