Friday | January 26, 2007

Happy Wiintereenmas

Happy Wintereenmas, one and all.

I have tennis elbow >.< My elbow is in such paaain.

OH THE PAIN!

*sigh* As for anything else, I've started on my first book of the year :o It's "Another Life" [Torchwood novel]. I'll review it when I'm done, I guess.

Also, has anybody here ever done three dimensional trigonometry and triangulation? Ugh. I spent the whole day doing it (Perplex City event puzzle), and my answer is about 400 metres off everyone elses. So I guess I'm wrong.

*sigh* I like Perplex City, but I just feel like.. I'm sitting here, and just.. not helping at all. I'm just cheering on everyone else, saying "Oh well done", passively reading blog updates.. But today.. I really tried. I really did. I got it wrong, but I tried. And I'm going to try next time, as well. Until a puzzle comes along that I can do.

*sigh* I'm so useless in this.

Posted by Mindez at 01:26:55 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday | January 24, 2007

Do Not Disturb

I have... a Wii.

 

I'll see you in the summer. 

Posted by Mindez at 20:00:29 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Sunday | January 21, 2007

The rest is still unwritten

I've started another blog. So I'll have two on the go from now. The other one, though, is a Perplex City blog, for In-Character views of the goings-on in the Perplex City ARG.

This one will, then, serve as my main 'life' blog.

 

I have discovered Ultrastar, as well. If anybody's seen SingStar for the PS2, it's the same kind of thing, but it's PC and you can make your own tracks. So woo, I'll have something to do (When the rest of the house has gone out. Pssht, like I'd sing with them in the house. Pah!)

I also discovered SingShot, which is an online Karaoke site. It's not got a great selection of songs on at the moment, but it looks promising. The only thing that's really bugging me about it is that.. as soon as it becomes popular, you'll be able to sing something, then.. within mere minutes, nobody will ever find your recording. Which may or may not be a good thing, I don't know. But I think sites like SingShot only work when they're a [relatively] small community.

Well, I'd best get off and do my Electronics homework for tomorrow.

Have fun.

Posted by Mindez at 22:58:21 | Permanent Link | Comments (4) |

Saturday | January 20, 2007

Say It If It's Worth Saving Me

Everything's getting a bit hectic now.  The link to Perplex City has reopened, and through it seems to be sucking all my free time.  We have contact with our Perplexian friends again, and they're updating faster than ever in order, seemingly to make up for the past three month's lack of activity.  And what a busy few days it's been - Sente's been arrested, Kurt's been fired, Scarlett's been kidnapped... So basically, a lot's happened.
 
The "Cube Retrieval Team" on Earth has also been getting strange messages, from the Third Power, the schneeky group that's trying to find the Cube before us.  Something about them having something..  And the latest one, received today, says:
 
19012701215
To Earth operatives: Package aboard, in transit to secure facility. Not long now.
 
 No idea what this could mean.. But it may have something to do with yesterday's received message:
 
18012700448
To Earth operatives
We have gained access
A genuine non-repro Earth artefact dating from the time of the original theft has been discovered, confirming our initial hypothesis.
Our contact will schedule package pick up tomorrow.
Earth teams on standby - anticipate successful completion imminently
 
The plot continues.
 
Meanwhile, on the school front, I've been given a whole load more work to do.  I was leafing through a C1, C2, and S1 text book (Those are the AS maths modules), and they didn't look like the same syllabus that I did with the other exam board.  So I've been given the text books, and I've got to go through those and make sure I understand them for next year.  Ugh.  Still, not all bad news.  It also turns out that I've already done about 3/4 of the S2 work, which is next years Statistics module, in the S1 module of my previous exam board.  So next year's going to be nice and easy in pure maths =)
 
I've also been looking into open days at Aberystwyth, but strangely they only seem to accept open days from students that have already applied.  I know, it makes absolutely no sense to me either.  And I can't apply until mid-September, meaning that I can't go on an open day until next February. o_O;
 
In Computing, I have completed task 2, and task 3 parts a-c.  This is important for me to state repeatedly, because if I don't keep telling myself that, then I'll just keep redoing and redoing them.  No, I have completed them, and am NEVER EVER GOING TO LOOK AT THEM AGAIN.  Right, now that's sorted out.  I'm also the class swot in Computing, it seems.  I'm the only person that understands programming, think it through logically and can write structured codes, rather than just making a random collection of statements that doesn't work as a program.  So I'm the one that has to go around the class helping other people.  *sigh* The price of being good, eh?
 
I've ordered the three Torchwood novels from Amazon.  So those are going to be my first reads on my big 50-books-in-a-year list.  I should get through them all pretty quickly.
 
So, my 50 books for the year so far:
 
1) Another Life [Torchwood] - Peter Anghelides
2) Border Princes [Torchwood] - Dan Abnett
3) Slow Decay [Torchwood] - Andrew Lane
 
I'm also still waiting for Final Fantasy III for the DS that I ordered a few weeks ago.  *sigh*.
 
Mmm, this post's been very long, I should probably end it soon.  Actually, yeah, I will.  But first, I'll leave you with an awesome song, by Nickelback.
 
Nickelback - Savin' Me
 
 
Enjoy. 
 
Posted by Mindez at 00:35:24 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday | January 17, 2007

I hate the school bus

In future, I must remember not to turn my headphones off as I get on the school bus.  Listening to Linkin Park blasting in my ears is a damn sight better than the shouts of "Fat bastard!" and "Oh my God" as they desperately squeeze in to the side to allow my massive fat mass to find somewhere to stand.

 Yeah, that's all I've learned today. Except that I absolutely hate commenting code.

These comments are making my code ugly =( My nice pretty code ;-;  Ah well.

Posted by Mindez at 16:14:36 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday | January 16, 2007

Your regular scheduled wibbling

Goals for 2007:


1) Complete this ****ing Learn Japanese book and tapes that have been on my desk for years.
2) ...Actually pass my exams. And I mean pass, not like last year's "passes".
3) Write. Participate in NaNo 07 and WIN.
4) Write more. Fanfics and stuff are fun, I need to do more of them. My aim is about 5-10 fanfics for the year.
5) Read 50 books this year. So far I've read... none. >.>;

 

So, 50 books. And 5 fanfics. S'gonna be fun. I've started on my first fanfic. Doctor Who [of course].

As for 50 books.. I don't even know 50 books. Gah, darn this challenge. Well, I guess I'll start on Terry Pratchett.

Book 1: Mort

 

Also, it just hit me today, as I was looking through my Computing coursework folder. I've actually FINISHED task 2. All I have to do is the last 2 parts of task 3, and.. that's it. Of course, I'll probably redo Task 1, because I think I've done crap on it. But yeah.

*yawn* I'm tired. No physics tomorrow. I can take it easy, finish task 3..

Yeah, I'm bored. In fact, I'm going to bed. Wake me up when September ends.

Posted by Mindez at 23:16:17 | Permanent Link | Comments (2) |

Friday | January 12, 2007

Exams are done!

I have finished all.. well, okay, both... of my January exams!

I feel I have done well.  I believe 65/72 on Mechanics and 56/60 on Physics.

 So now, I can focus on what's important again.  Locating the Cube!

We have intercepted certain messages from the Third Power. http://perplexorum.com/showpost.php?p=6499&postcount=33 

I caught my Mew today, at last.  It's taken the best part of the last 5 days, and over 100 capture attempts, but I did it.  HOORAH!

Not much to blog about.  I'm just watching The Daily Show [satirical news program in America].  Woo.

*returns to boredom* 

Posted by Mindez at 23:06:37 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Wednesday | January 10, 2007

I'VE FAAAILED! I'VE FAAAILED!

Ugh.

 I had my Mechanics exam earlier today. And it was the strangest exam I've ever taken.  There was a strange and horrible anxious nervousness before it that I've never felt before, I normally just appear and do the whole exam perfectly happily and generally end up failing. Perhaps this year I really am paying more attention to my exams.

And then during the thing.. Well.  I'm normally finished with an exam [As was the case with all mocks that we did] within about 30 minutes, and then have to spend the rest of the 1:30 time period just sitting there with nothing to do.  But this was most different.  It was horrible, the time was going so much faster than normal.  I also had a small panic attack with 30 minutes to go, when I wasn't even half way through the paper.

Still, I did it.  I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked on the final questions [I think I dropped most of my marks on the last part alone], but I did finish, and I used 16 sides of paper, which is unusual for me.

My initial reaction tells me that I may have dropped only about 5 marks (On the final couple of parts), which would give me 67/72.  I'll be safe and estimate that I've got around 65/72 - A nice safe 90%.

I'll just point out that on EVERY SINGLE mock exam we've done so far for Mechanics, I've gotten 66/72 [91.67%].  On EVERY SINGLE ONE.  The same mark.

I'm hoping this one won't be any different.  91.67% would be most excellent.

I think there's a 95% chance that I've got an A, anyway, which is the best mark really.

One more exam to go. Friday, 2:15, Physics.

[Also, for the record, my rival finished way before me.  I so do hope I've beaten him.]

 

Actually, speaking of my rival.. Monday in Computing, I was waaay ahead of him with my task 3.  So hoorah, I'm counting that as another point for me. *nods* 

 

Posted by Mindez at 22:28:37 | Permanent Link | Comments (1) |

Tuesday | January 09, 2007

List clearupedness

Okay, ones I'm now seriously considering [in order of preference]:

Greenwich - http://www.cms.gre.ac.uk/undergraduate/CwGD.asp
Bolton - http://www.bolton.ac.uk/courses/course_display.asp?single=bsc_cgsd&mode=single&template=university
Salford - http://www.salford.ac.uk/course-finder/course/368
Northumbria: http://northumbria.ac.uk/?view=CourseDetail&code=UUSCGS1


But those are purely for Computer Games software, rather than just software.  I've had a think, and I've realised that all I really want is to program, rather than model, graphics, sound, etc.

So perhaps a course in Software Engineering.. [Which I assume is the same as "Computer Programming 'n' Stuffs] would be better.. 

*yawn* I need to give up with this and start again later in the year. 

Posted by Mindez at 04:41:02 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |

Monday | January 08, 2007

More Possibilities

More possibilities.  This post is mainly for me so I have the links at home:

Huddersfield: http://www.hud.ac.uk/courses/undergrad/ipp_pages00000506.htm
Hull: http://www.net.dcs.hull.ac.uk/ug/whatiscsgd.htm
Salford: http://www.salford.ac.uk/course-finder/course/368
Staffordshire: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/courses/undergrad/computingandit/tcm11012864.php
Northumbria: http://northumbria.ac.uk/?view=CourseDetail&code=UUSCGS1
Greenwich: http://www.cms.gre.ac.uk/undergraduate/CwGD.asp
Bolton: http://www.bolton.ac.uk/courses/course_display.asp?single=bsc_cgsd&mode=single&template=university

Ones I can't get on at school because the URL has the word 'Game' in it:

Suffolk: http://www.ucs.ac.uk/courses/bsc-computer-games-programming.asp
Teesside: http://www.tees.ac.uk/Undergraduate_courses/Computer_Games/BA_(Hons)_Computer_Games_Art.cfm
Sheffield: http://www.shu.ac.uk/computing/undergraduate/modules/sdgamesmodules.html

 

Some of these look very good.  These are the universities I'm considering based on the course.  I've not looked into any of the universities in terms of requirements, accomodation, how good they are, etc etc.

But these are the 10 I'm looking into.

I'm looking into Salford, Northumbria, Greenwich, and Bolton mostly.  Their courses look the best.  I hate the universities that don't put the syllabus on their site, that's annoying.

Greenwich university is VERY detailed.  I *LOVE* their website, and how it actually explains each part of the course.  Some don't even state what's in the course.  But yes, Greenwich is looking very good at the moment.  It's a great course, and a great website.  I'll look into that when I get home.

Only 1.66 years until university...

Anybody any comments/recommendations/advice?

Posted by Mindez at 13:31:36 | Permanent Link | Comments (3) |
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