Lime KitKats are just plain wrong. It's like eating toilet cleaner wrapped in white chocolate, or car-air-freshener-infused-wafer in cardboard flavoured white "chocolate". These things are disgusting.

You! Yes You! Stand Still, Laddy

Been listening to Pink Floyd - The Wall a lot recently. I got the film version for Christmas. It's rather good.

I've got too much work to do, too little time to do it in, and too much on my mind to actually do anything useful. Fuck. Fuckedy fucking fuck. Today is not a good day.

What Not To Study at UWA

While I think that my choice to do an Engineering-based computing degree rather than the straight-forward BSc Computer Science was a good one, I am really wishing I had gone for BSc simply to avoid the dreaded Formal Methods. Formal Methods? Formal Headfuck more-like. I know that my blog seems to get hit quite regularly by people looking for information on studying for the MEng Software Engineering at Aberystwyth so I feel this particular entry may be of interest to them: What modules I feel are best avoided at UWA. I have only two modules on this list because they are two modules that I have taken during my time here and have decided are the biggest pile of bollocks anyone can be expected to endure. Those two modules are Databases in the second year and Formal Methods in the third year.

I use databases all the time. My year out involved databases. I've built god-only-knows how many websites that are database-driven. I don't claim to be an expert in the field of databases, but I feel I should know enough to pass a module on them. But this, it would seem, is not so. Databases is the ONLY module I have ever failed, I was 2% below the pass-mark. Horst Holstein who teaches the module is the single most boring lecturer I have ever had the displeasure to listen to. It got to the stage where I stopped going to the lectures because I couldn't stay awake in them; an accolade that I can attribute to not one single other lecturer. Sadly, if I remember correctly, this module is a requirement on all the Computer Science / Software Engineering degree schemes. So my advice to you is this: Forget the lectures, just spend that hour looking at the past papers to see what kind of stuff you need to know, then research that information in the lecture notes, books, and on the Internet.

Formal Methods is almost as boring to sit through as Databases, but Fred Long who lectures it is not nearly as boring as Horst Holstein. Unfortunately he has a slightly odd approach to the concepts discussed in the module as he comes from a mathematical background. As a result he has a far more mathematical way of thinking than the average computer scientist / software engineer, and so nobody can follow him. Well, I couldn't at least. Furthermore the module seemed to jump from being very slow moving and very basic stuff (once you'd waded through the sea of mathematical bollocks that makes everything take 3 times as long to explain as is really necessary) to moving extremely fast and suddenly gets very technical and complicated towards the end.

Then, when Fred has finished confusing the fuck out of you he will present you with an assignment which may or may not relate in some vague way to the module. Sadly Formal Methods is a requirement if you want to be a Software Engineer, although I have no idea why. Formal Methods are used by only an incredibly tiny minority of all the software houses out there. Why? Because they are expensive to use, few people really understand them (we're programmers, not mathmeticians for fuck's sake!) and it's an additional design step to slow everything down that little bit more. Formal Methods have little in their favour, as does the module.

Anyway. I'm procrastinating again so I had better get on. Mind you, this is (was) the Nation of Procrasti, so you shouldn't be surprised...

Tax Returns Form ... CHECK!

Filed my tax returns form earlier. I had that awful sickening, stomach-churning feeling when I realised that I'd not submitted my tax returns form by the December 30th deadline. Arse. Feckin' arse. Anyway I went and filed it and I don't think they are going to fine me.

At about 3 I arrived back in Aberystwyth. My room was a shocking mess, and once I had unloaded the car it was even worse. In the kitchen I discovered the horror of the bottle of full-fat milk I had left in the fridge.

But more on that when I have more time, am not starving and am not shattered and suffering with a headache.

Ja, Das Hokey Kokey

I'm back online! It's been a while since my last blog, due to the fact that it has been difficult to get to a 'net connection. I'll try to summarise what has happened as concisely as possible to save you all pages and pages of boredom.

After my last blog I went to my parent's to spend Christmas there. Christmas itself was good and went fairly smoothly, although I'd have preferred to spend it with Liz than with my parents. After Christmas things became a little strained as my Grandma started being a bit arsey, and as I got more and more sick of being stuck at home. Met up with Dale, and went for a beer with Rick where I consumed far more alcohol than I had planned to (nothing new there, though).

Well, Christmas was easy... Now onto New Year:

I left for Leicester on the 30th. Before I left I drank a lot of water to recover from the minor hangover I had given myself by drinking far too much with Rick. Got to Leicester and found Ricey's flat without any trouble. If anybody had been in the car with me they'd have thought I knew where I was going, but really it was all just intelligent guess-work. I was desperate for the toilet when I got there, but Ricey's phone was switched off and I didn't know what his flat number was. In the end I legged it to the train station and used their loos, then waited for Liz's train to arrive.

Ricey was late as usual. We were supposed to leave at 11 but left some time around 1 or 2 if I remember correctly. Ah well. After a four-and-a-half-hour journey we reached Beddgelert in the dark, and then we were told that the cottage was a 20 minute walk up the side of a mountain. Luckily I had brought a 5 million candle power torch with me, which I had received as a present for Christmas. It helped us get up the hill. I hefted my holdall which was stuffed with clothes (nobody had told us the cottage was halfway up a mountain) and my rucksack and my torch up the slippery, waterlogged path to the top. Then we climbed down the hill again to get the first 20 litre polypin of real ale.

I carried the beer most of the way up the hill, and eventually Ricey and I swapped what we were carrying. The plan had been to carry it half-way, then swap, but I misjudged where "half-way" was. Ricey carried it the last little stretch to the cottage where he was hailed a hero for carrying so much beer. Cunt. Drank WAY too much beer that night, and awoke the next morning feeling a tad weak and washed-out. Then we got to see the scenery outside the cottage, which had been invisible during the night. What a fantastic view. As soon as the pictures are online I will link to them.

New Year's Eve I drank far less (my Kidneys were killing me) and we watched Bill Bailey - Part Troll, which I had provided for the entertainment. Everyone loved it. The BBC News theme tune remix was particularly popular, but Das Hokey Kokey was definitely the winner. In fact, after we had celebrated the new year for the third time (Ricey's time keeping skills strike again) I found Ricey stood outside with his laptop, playing Das Hokey Kokey and dancing. Oh how I laughed. Then he was joined by someone else. And someone else. Then someone else. In the end we were all outside dancing to Das Hokey Kokey and various other Bill Bailey choons. The pictures of this are quite hilarious.

At some point during that evening, my memory fails to provide an order to the events, Gremmie decided to wade into the stream. I might point out that it was rather cold at the time, but that didn't seem to deter her. After we had gone back inside and warmed up, Catalyst decided to join the fun. 3 times. The pictures, sadly, failed to capture the hilarity.

We all had a great time. We all ate too much (damn you Catalyst!) and drank too much (damn you Ricey!). The only downside was that I spent my entire time there sneezing, scratching, rubbing my eyes and coughing. Seems I was rather allergic to something in the cottage, although I never did work out what. Liz and I are considering hiring the cottage at some point and having a holiday there. If we do I will be taking a supply of anti-histamines with me.

We left late on the 2nd. When we got back to Leicester Liz had no hope of catching a train, so both Liz and I returned to my parents house. I spent half the night fixing my Mum's computer which she had managed to balls up royally, and then we left for Newbury early the next morning.

And now here I am. I have mountains of work to get done this month, and I mean mountains. I've got at least 3 assignments to hand in during January, a huge website to build and set up some time between the 15th of January to the 15th of February, my major project to work on, and revision for my exams.

Fuck.

Brrrrrrrrrrr

Had a great mini-Christmas with Liz yesterday. We watched lots of Christmasy stuff, ate WAY too much food (I should be given an award for the amount I packed away) and drank rather too much. Just like Christmas should be. Splendid.

We even went so far as to buy a Christmas CD, which wasn't too bad except it contained far too many crappy covers of good Christmas songs by modern "artists" who are obsessed with flattening melodies, because they couldn't possibly sing to an exciting melody. In fact when I come to think about it, music does seem to be getting flatter on the whole. Melodies are slowly becoming less and less interesting with the emphasis being shifted onto the drum-pattern and the bassline.

There was much comedy to be had when Minsc (Liz's rat) climbed into my hat, got stuck and then fell off the sofa in it. Ridiculous rodent.

Right, I smell the smell of a very nice soup wafting from the kitchen so I shall now bugger off. Bah, got to go see the parents soon (Wednesday morning). Now there's something to look forward to.

Merry Mini-Christmas!

Liz and I are celebrating our mini-Christmas. So, grab a shot of Baileys, put on your favourite Christmas music CD and plonk yourself under the mistletoe.

Merry Christmas!

Phantom Of The Opera

Liz and I decided to go to the cinema last night as it was Wednesday: The day Orange do their infamous two for the price of one offer. Simply text the word FILM to 241 to receive your ticket for the evening. Calls cost 10p. Always ask the permission of the bill-payer. Available at participating cinemas only. Some films may have an adult certificate and therefore be unsuitable for children or those with a weak heart. Phone radiation might kill you, but there is no conclusive evidence yet. Do not text us while driving or operating dangerous machinery. Promotion not available to the dead ... ...

When we got there the only films that were showing within a reasonable time-frame were Bridget Jones' Diary II - Return Of The Diary (or whatever it's called) and Phantom Of The Opera. We chose Phantom Of The Opera.

Before we go any further I should point out I do not like musicals. However I can honestly say I really enjoyed this film. I'd never seen POTO in any form before and just knew the vague plot from what I had picked up over the years, and I knew a number of the songs because I have a very broad taste in music. Not knowing it made it interesting and new to watch, but the story is so powerful ... I had no idea.

This film is well worth watching in my opinion although I doubt it's half as appealing on DVD as it was in the cinema.

Anyway a good evening was had by all, although we stayed up too late (again) and are both utterly shattered this morning. That's the problem with going to the cinema, it's half an hour away in the car. By the time we've driven there, seen a film and driven back it is usually rather late. Ah well. I'm not the one who has to work this morning. Well, I do, but in a different way. I've got to get on with my major project.

Term 1: Over

I can hardly believe that the first term is over already. I knew it would go fast but I'm stunned at just HOW fast. I've just been to the train station, as one of my flatmates is going home today so I gave him a lift into town. It turns out that he lives in Bristol - I will be driving pretty much straight past Bristol later. Ah well, it couldn't be helped. He bought his ticket last week and I only found out I would be doing this trip on Sunday, and the day was only confirmed on Tuesday.

For some reason I woke up around 6 this morning. I've no idea why. I tried to get back to sleep but my body was having none of it. Now I have to wait until the CO-OP opens so I can go and get some milk to make myself breakfast with. Then it's a case of packing, loading the car, and buggering off once again. It'd be nice to time it just right so that I avoid the 9 o'clock rush, and the lunchtime traffic.

Friends

Met up with some friends for a final farewell before I disappear again. Tomorrow I shall be returning to Newbury where I shall stay until Tuesday before going on to Nottingham. It was nice to see them one last time and it reminded me that I have some damn good friends in Aberystwyth.

Earlier I went to the doctors to get my sinuses looked at. After an hour I decided it was a waste of time and left. Wankers. I hate the doctors at best, but I think an hour of waiting is just plain ridiculous. There were loads of people arriving during that time who had appointments who would wait for 5 minutes and then be called straight in. However, under the current system in the "Church" Surgery in Aberystwyth students are expected to arrive during a student drop-in session and wait indefinitely to be seen. There is one doctor who deals with the student drop-ins each day, so how long it takes to be seen is dependent on how many other people are there at the time. I'd rather make an appointment and arrive on time ready for that appointment.

Anyway I will change doctors after Christmas, I think. I've got enough shit to deal with at the moment without waiting for hours to be told by a doctor what I am already aware of.