Sunday, May 29, 2005
I am Marvin. I am here to change your world.
But its not going well. I need my beauty sleep. People always respond to a pretty ruler.
What are you staring at?
Stop staring.
You need a hobby.
Can I direct you to my personal website?
Wait.
You are already on it.
Far out man.
42
As the title may suggest, I went and saw the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy a couple of nights ago. It was a truly amazing film, and did a very good job of trying to convert the zanyness of Adams to the big screen. The romance between Trish and Dent was a bit overdone - but still a darn good movie. Especially the factory floor of the planet maker - absolutely breathtaking.
But the highlight of seeing that film was chiefly due to the conversations I had later on that night. Suffice it to say that trying to perform natures duties in the outreaches of Mongolia proves to be a lot more difficult than you would think - one needs to factor in half a dead donkey, amongst other things. And if you think that was wierd...
...try imagining me with dyed hair. Suggestions, anyone? My future neighbour seems to be quite up for dyeing my hair. So let me know what you guys think would best suit me....I am thinking purple streaks......
Went punting today as well - absolutely amazing. Cant believe how gorgeous cam weather can be. Am trying to organize an overnight punting trip at some point in the future - if you like the sound of it, let me know! The more the merrier.
This is starting to sound like a "what i did today" blog. Bah. Thats annoying. Stop that. Ah, much better. Now more a "stream of consciousness". Six of one and half a dozen of the other eh.
And to help you along your news surfing:
Christs College VISA card
Unbelieveable.
Also,
Headless Zombie Bunny
It is not a grose website. Trust me. Its amazing. I love the BBC.
And on the cricket side, Bangladesh just got thier arses handed to them on a plate by England. Cant help feeling sorry for them - so much passion coupled with so much lack of ability must be quite sour. As for the Pomms- is this a good thing or a bad thing when one factors in that this will be our prep for the Ashes? Hoggard can get away with 15 no balls here no problem - but will this help him not do it come crunch time in 5 weeks time? Time will tell.
Since I am feeling sporty - I shall divulge that Liverpool won the Champions League (good god - everyone knows that already. wow) However, it is ironic that that victory is coupled with a a godawful showing in the Premiership - not even being able to grab a slot to participate next year! Murphs Law reigns supreme.
Incidentally, if you happen to see a really badly driven BSM car careening around corners over the next month, it probably will be me. I have signed up for driving lessons, and hopefully in a few months will have a full license. Lessons are a darn signt mroe expensive here though than in Oman! Outrageous. I miss the good old days when you just had to figure out what the steeering wheel was and know your right from your left.
"When a woman asks for a surprise, give her one that she expects, like flowers. Dont give her an actual surprise, like a hoover.
And no, her bum NEVER looks big, not in anything she wears."
- How To Understand Women
[This is probably why I have such a bad track record when it comes to the opposite sex ;) ]
But the highlight of seeing that film was chiefly due to the conversations I had later on that night. Suffice it to say that trying to perform natures duties in the outreaches of Mongolia proves to be a lot more difficult than you would think - one needs to factor in half a dead donkey, amongst other things. And if you think that was wierd...
...try imagining me with dyed hair. Suggestions, anyone? My future neighbour seems to be quite up for dyeing my hair. So let me know what you guys think would best suit me....I am thinking purple streaks......
Went punting today as well - absolutely amazing. Cant believe how gorgeous cam weather can be. Am trying to organize an overnight punting trip at some point in the future - if you like the sound of it, let me know! The more the merrier.
This is starting to sound like a "what i did today" blog. Bah. Thats annoying. Stop that. Ah, much better. Now more a "stream of consciousness". Six of one and half a dozen of the other eh.
And to help you along your news surfing:
Christs College VISA card
Unbelieveable.
Also,
Headless Zombie Bunny
It is not a grose website. Trust me. Its amazing. I love the BBC.
And on the cricket side, Bangladesh just got thier arses handed to them on a plate by England. Cant help feeling sorry for them - so much passion coupled with so much lack of ability must be quite sour. As for the Pomms- is this a good thing or a bad thing when one factors in that this will be our prep for the Ashes? Hoggard can get away with 15 no balls here no problem - but will this help him not do it come crunch time in 5 weeks time? Time will tell.
Since I am feeling sporty - I shall divulge that Liverpool won the Champions League (good god - everyone knows that already. wow) However, it is ironic that that victory is coupled with a a godawful showing in the Premiership - not even being able to grab a slot to participate next year! Murphs Law reigns supreme.
Incidentally, if you happen to see a really badly driven BSM car careening around corners over the next month, it probably will be me. I have signed up for driving lessons, and hopefully in a few months will have a full license. Lessons are a darn signt mroe expensive here though than in Oman! Outrageous. I miss the good old days when you just had to figure out what the steeering wheel was and know your right from your left.
"When a woman asks for a surprise, give her one that she expects, like flowers. Dont give her an actual surprise, like a hoover.
And no, her bum NEVER looks big, not in anything she wears."
- How To Understand Women
[This is probably why I have such a bad track record when it comes to the opposite sex ;) ]
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Me hungry.
Now thats what I need right now.....(sigh)
Though you wonder how something this good could be bad for you.
Nutritionists, shut up. :-) Dont spoil the moment.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Some people are very...special
Dont ever wave at people.
Because when you do, fate smiles.......and you walk into a bollard.
And you feel like the dumbest mutt in the universe. It takes something special to miss a metre high bollard....
But then I found some even more special people, and I didnt feel as alone anymore.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4575291.stm
"Two hurt in mock light sabre duel"
And you just shake your head. At least I do.
And the best moment of my day came when I read that the crazy frog ring tune will outsell Coldplay. Wow. One just admires the music taste of the majority of the English (remember, I am Irish, so I can diss the Brits).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4576119.stm
"Start each day with a smile.
And get it over with"
Because when you do, fate smiles.......and you walk into a bollard.
And you feel like the dumbest mutt in the universe. It takes something special to miss a metre high bollard....
But then I found some even more special people, and I didnt feel as alone anymore.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4575291.stm
"Two hurt in mock light sabre duel"
And you just shake your head. At least I do.
And the best moment of my day came when I read that the crazy frog ring tune will outsell Coldplay. Wow. One just admires the music taste of the majority of the English (remember, I am Irish, so I can diss the Brits).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/4576119.stm
"Start each day with a smile.
And get it over with"
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
The thin line between a dream and .... exam term
Exams do strange things to people.
On one hand, they throw together people who would normally not interact together for weeks on end as they cram/stress/de-stress/talk in the library. It forges new freindships, and renews acquaintances that were dwindling to the point of beocming a footnote of the chapter titled university.
On the other hand, it transforms perfectly cool people to complete geekazoids :-)
Nah just kidding. Its more that people tend to talk on more surreal topics than they would otherwise. Its like they are drunk on fatigue and stress and let go of the control between mind and mouth....
Why should I talk of such topics, you may ask? Given that I finished exams a long time ago (ha!), a valid point. Succintly put, I was bored. And I know people in the library are always ripe for a break and distraction. Its not like I am being mean - these people in the library have skills that must be showcased, else they will be lost forever. During my 20 minute visit, I was given
a demonstration of levitation (he was really good as well!)
a talk about how a math student is now Pocahontas
a demonstration of Robbie Williams danced in his teens....
Now thats not bad for a random visit is it. It seems so surreal though, I could have sworn it was a dream.....
I also posted my brother one of the "stand up, speak up" anti-racism bands today. I have so much rage against these bands - they have become such a fashion object that people seem to have forgotton thier primary objective. One of my friends told me how her sibling could not believe she did sport one of those bands - apparently not displaying allgeiance to a particular causes(s) is now definitely uncool. Honestly. I know its a controversial topic, and I admit its a great idea as it must generate a lot of revenue for the charities. But I wish people remembered thier true cause.
Thought of the moment:
"Silliness strikes every 10 seconds" - Garfield
On one hand, they throw together people who would normally not interact together for weeks on end as they cram/stress/de-stress/talk in the library. It forges new freindships, and renews acquaintances that were dwindling to the point of beocming a footnote of the chapter titled university.
On the other hand, it transforms perfectly cool people to complete geekazoids :-)
Nah just kidding. Its more that people tend to talk on more surreal topics than they would otherwise. Its like they are drunk on fatigue and stress and let go of the control between mind and mouth....
Why should I talk of such topics, you may ask? Given that I finished exams a long time ago (ha!), a valid point. Succintly put, I was bored. And I know people in the library are always ripe for a break and distraction. Its not like I am being mean - these people in the library have skills that must be showcased, else they will be lost forever. During my 20 minute visit, I was given
a demonstration of levitation (he was really good as well!)
a talk about how a math student is now Pocahontas
a demonstration of Robbie Williams danced in his teens....
Now thats not bad for a random visit is it. It seems so surreal though, I could have sworn it was a dream.....
I also posted my brother one of the "stand up, speak up" anti-racism bands today. I have so much rage against these bands - they have become such a fashion object that people seem to have forgotton thier primary objective. One of my friends told me how her sibling could not believe she did sport one of those bands - apparently not displaying allgeiance to a particular causes(s) is now definitely uncool. Honestly. I know its a controversial topic, and I admit its a great idea as it must generate a lot of revenue for the charities. But I wish people remembered thier true cause.
Thought of the moment:
"Silliness strikes every 10 seconds" - Garfield
Monday, May 23, 2005
Ha!! Take that Excel!!!
Yes, as you may guess, I have just solved my dehydration column. Apparently I can ignore the energy balance and use some rule of thumb calculations instead. I love engineering.
Right, I am guessing you all have probably had enough of this, so I shall stop talking chem eng speak. Though I hope you have enjoyed my mood swings through the past couple of days....
Back to the real world. I have bought more Jaffa cakes - thank you to the anonymous post-writer (read comment on Ramblings of a broken mind). Yes I did know that Sainsburys has a 2-for-1 offer on Jaffa cakes, but I have been too busy lamenting over the death of my sanity to get some.
And could people please post thier name when they write in comments - I welcome all comments, but I would like to know who you are! Anonymous comments are a bit silly really.
Thought of the day:
"Cats are poetry in motion
Dogs are gibbberish in neutral" - Garfield
Right, I am guessing you all have probably had enough of this, so I shall stop talking chem eng speak. Though I hope you have enjoyed my mood swings through the past couple of days....
Back to the real world. I have bought more Jaffa cakes - thank you to the anonymous post-writer (read comment on Ramblings of a broken mind). Yes I did know that Sainsburys has a 2-for-1 offer on Jaffa cakes, but I have been too busy lamenting over the death of my sanity to get some.
And could people please post thier name when they write in comments - I welcome all comments, but I would like to know who you are! Anonymous comments are a bit silly really.
Thought of the day:
"Cats are poetry in motion
Dogs are gibbberish in neutral" - Garfield
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Excel wins. It has broken me.
As you can see, its not going very well. I have just calculated I need a zero flowrate in my product stream to produce 100,000 tonnes of ethanol a year. Prizes for anyone who can spot the logical fallacy...........
Ramblings of a broken mind
Why why why ?
These three words sum up my life at the moment.
Why is my jaffa cake packet empty?
Why is my dehydration column so bereft of soul and pity that it continues to bully me?
Why is a crazy person running towards the wall, jumping onto it and crouching on it?
I am not kidding about the third "why". I was standing at the corner of our college bar last night, holding a packet of Twix (the only thing keeping me sane now - all the jaffa cakes have gone!), when all of a sudden, this politics student rushed out of the bar, and decided to try and scale the wall. He didnt get very far up, but he did remind me of Gollum. I half expected him to attack me and steal my Precious (Twix) !
As for the football, Arsenal managed to trump Manchester United at the very last second. Man U is definitely paying the price for not having a class goalkeeper, something Arsenal demosntrated is vital to any winning side. Well played to the gunners, but we know who the real winner is :-)
Moving on to more important sports, cricket! India have at last appointed a new coach. What baffles me is the whole outcry against a foreign coach. Look at the heights Wright has acieved. This is best encapsulated by Jimmy Amarnath, another coaching-contender, when asked about technology:
"I dont have a laptop, I only have a lap".
Wow.
And if your bizarre-quota has not been filled, allow me:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4569259.stm
The world is an interesting place, thats for sure.
The Eurovision contest was also held last night. I missed most of it, though I did hear Israel had a participant. Israel performed quite well I thought - but it does beg the question: are they European? A moot question perhaps, but in these times of stress and excel-bashing, something to think over.
Greece emerged as the ultimate winners however. Jarvine finished 3rd from bottom (hooray! we were not last!). Moldova I think were the true champions - how many other groups would be "brave" enough to front an 80-yr old grandmother as a percusionnist? Amazing. Moldovians, you rule.
Excel, here I come.
Thought of the day:
"When in doubt, act stupid."
These three words sum up my life at the moment.
Why is my jaffa cake packet empty?
Why is my dehydration column so bereft of soul and pity that it continues to bully me?
Why is a crazy person running towards the wall, jumping onto it and crouching on it?
I am not kidding about the third "why". I was standing at the corner of our college bar last night, holding a packet of Twix (the only thing keeping me sane now - all the jaffa cakes have gone!), when all of a sudden, this politics student rushed out of the bar, and decided to try and scale the wall. He didnt get very far up, but he did remind me of Gollum. I half expected him to attack me and steal my Precious (Twix) !
As for the football, Arsenal managed to trump Manchester United at the very last second. Man U is definitely paying the price for not having a class goalkeeper, something Arsenal demosntrated is vital to any winning side. Well played to the gunners, but we know who the real winner is :-)
Moving on to more important sports, cricket! India have at last appointed a new coach. What baffles me is the whole outcry against a foreign coach. Look at the heights Wright has acieved. This is best encapsulated by Jimmy Amarnath, another coaching-contender, when asked about technology:
"I dont have a laptop, I only have a lap".
Wow.
And if your bizarre-quota has not been filled, allow me:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4569259.stm
The world is an interesting place, thats for sure.
The Eurovision contest was also held last night. I missed most of it, though I did hear Israel had a participant. Israel performed quite well I thought - but it does beg the question: are they European? A moot question perhaps, but in these times of stress and excel-bashing, something to think over.
Greece emerged as the ultimate winners however. Jarvine finished 3rd from bottom (hooray! we were not last!). Moldova I think were the true champions - how many other groups would be "brave" enough to front an 80-yr old grandmother as a percusionnist? Amazing. Moldovians, you rule.
Excel, here I come.
Thought of the day:
"When in doubt, act stupid."
Saturday, May 21, 2005
I want to hit something very very hard.............
I am feeling very angry at my dehydration column. The darn thing refuses to obey me.
Thought of the moment:
" (an overpowering sense of rage) "
And so it ends.....
Not the jaffa cakes. The jaffa cakes continue...
What does end is the Star Wars saga. The Revenge of the Sith, which I saw last night, is definitely one of the stronger movies in the Star Wars Franchise, though no where as good as The Empire Strikes Back. I admit I was sceptical of how good this movie could be, having seen (and shuddered) at the Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones.
But where Revenge shines is its continuity with the original trilogy. Scenes from the film are unmistakeable homages to the orignal trilogy - to name one, the duel between Anakin and Dooku as Palpatine watches on. The lightsaber duels deserve special priase - they are definitely now a weapon and not some fancy glowstick. Finally!
Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is a bit of a washout. As a standalone film, decent summer fare, but nothing special. As the final Star Wars film though, and keeping in mind the other 5 films, awesome.
And no matter what anyone else says (like Mr Barry), lightsaber duels on thier own can make a movie.
And so ends the Star Wars saga. As well as my rave and rant of this film. Non-geeks and non-cool people can now start reading again.
Had a great dinner last night with some badminton folks at Yippees, the best noodle bar in Cambridge. The conversation did tend to be on the slightly bizarre side - for reasons best known to my fellow diners, I am now to blame for it raining on our walk to the restaurant! Yes you are right, I am a weather-god in disguise. And i didnt feel like stopping the rain last night.
And calling all grass jelly lovers! Calling all grass jelly lovers! I need to know why or how you like it - according to our residential expert, it is but a black blob and definitely not a "cool slinky sexy black" but more of a "ugh, nasty dark" black. So let me know!
Right, back to the grind it is for me. I am currently requiring 40 tonnes of CO2 per hour for my process deisgn - either that, or a nuclear reactor. Anyone having either of these items going spare - let me know!
Thought of the day:
"Maturity is over rated" - Garfield
What does end is the Star Wars saga. The Revenge of the Sith, which I saw last night, is definitely one of the stronger movies in the Star Wars Franchise, though no where as good as The Empire Strikes Back. I admit I was sceptical of how good this movie could be, having seen (and shuddered) at the Phantom Menace and the Attack of the Clones.
But where Revenge shines is its continuity with the original trilogy. Scenes from the film are unmistakeable homages to the orignal trilogy - to name one, the duel between Anakin and Dooku as Palpatine watches on. The lightsaber duels deserve special priase - they are definitely now a weapon and not some fancy glowstick. Finally!
Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is a bit of a washout. As a standalone film, decent summer fare, but nothing special. As the final Star Wars film though, and keeping in mind the other 5 films, awesome.
And no matter what anyone else says (like Mr Barry), lightsaber duels on thier own can make a movie.
And so ends the Star Wars saga. As well as my rave and rant of this film. Non-geeks and non-cool people can now start reading again.
Had a great dinner last night with some badminton folks at Yippees, the best noodle bar in Cambridge. The conversation did tend to be on the slightly bizarre side - for reasons best known to my fellow diners, I am now to blame for it raining on our walk to the restaurant! Yes you are right, I am a weather-god in disguise. And i didnt feel like stopping the rain last night.
And calling all grass jelly lovers! Calling all grass jelly lovers! I need to know why or how you like it - according to our residential expert, it is but a black blob and definitely not a "cool slinky sexy black" but more of a "ugh, nasty dark" black. So let me know!
Right, back to the grind it is for me. I am currently requiring 40 tonnes of CO2 per hour for my process deisgn - either that, or a nuclear reactor. Anyone having either of these items going spare - let me know!
Thought of the day:
"Maturity is over rated" - Garfield
Friday, May 20, 2005
Why? - And ignore the apostrophe mistakes
Its all about the jaffa cake. Obviously.
Having rediscovered them after a term and a half, I can confidently tell you that they are the best cure for any revision doldrums - they just make you want to bounce. Haribo comes a close second - but jaffa cakes have one amazing advantage that haribo will never be able to have: fewer people like jaffa cakes, so you are unlikely to share your packet as much, and hence more sugar for you!
And why this, you may wonder. (As if I didnt talk enough) - yes, I can hear you thinking.
The reason for creating this blog, although it may sound inane and run-of-the-mill, is perfectly true: attempting to communicate to mass audiences. This is my first little foray of organized communication - too often I take the easy way out and just talk loudly to anyone in earshot (and we are talking about some considerable distances here). I plan to do a radio show next term as well, granting in one fell swoop two gifts to the world: volume control and a power-off button. (Laugh, darn it, its funny. Even if you have heard me say it before, its more fun reading it!)
Right, back it is to bed for me. But as a parting thought:
" Practical jokes are wasted on the stupid" - Garfield
Having rediscovered them after a term and a half, I can confidently tell you that they are the best cure for any revision doldrums - they just make you want to bounce. Haribo comes a close second - but jaffa cakes have one amazing advantage that haribo will never be able to have: fewer people like jaffa cakes, so you are unlikely to share your packet as much, and hence more sugar for you!
And why this, you may wonder. (As if I didnt talk enough) - yes, I can hear you thinking.
The reason for creating this blog, although it may sound inane and run-of-the-mill, is perfectly true: attempting to communicate to mass audiences. This is my first little foray of organized communication - too often I take the easy way out and just talk loudly to anyone in earshot (and we are talking about some considerable distances here). I plan to do a radio show next term as well, granting in one fell swoop two gifts to the world: volume control and a power-off button. (Laugh, darn it, its funny. Even if you have heard me say it before, its more fun reading it!)
Right, back it is to bed for me. But as a parting thought:
" Practical jokes are wasted on the stupid" - Garfield
