Google

I was trying to work out how to create a Joint Primary Key in Postgres earlier as I found a bug in my major project due to an error with the primary key. I tried googling, originally, for postgres "joint primary key" which gave very few (and not at all helpful) results. So I generalised the search to "joint primary key". I found what I needed, and implemented it ... another job well done.

After I had finished I closed down the editor. Behind it was the Google search results window. As I was about to close it I noticed a very familiar title in the search results: "LoweyBlog 2" ... Seems my blog is on the first page of results for the search term "joint primary key". I was the seventh result at the time of writing! :-s

Anyway, I am aware that there is now a possibility that this entry may end up on the google results page for searches about how to create a primary key in SQL, so here is how I did it, for anyone who came here wanting to know how it's done:

HTH. --Lowey

2 Months

Just 2 months and I'm out of here. I can't wait. I've been looking at some jobs websites which has left me feeling a bit shit: Everyone seems to be looking for programmers with 4+ years "business experience". I managed to find two or three that only wanted 2 years experience, and a grand total of one that needed only 12 months experience. But then that one wanted a high first in a relevant degree! They're taking the piss. How is anyone supposed to enter the I.T. market? That's what I want to know.

Anyway my plan is to just apply for everything, no matter what they're asking (within reason). If they ignore my application then so what? My only option will be to take whatever I can get.

Another Comedy Error Message

And in Other News

I've been to the finance office to try and clear up the little problem with my rent. It didn't go too badly. That is, they didn't get a drill out and threaten to "knee-cap" me. I left with all limbs intact. My bank account has been maxed. My parents are going to have to lend me £500 quid. The £300 the University owes me for the work I did is going to have to go straight back to the University in the form of rent. I'll be applying for a hardship grant. My next loan cheque will go straight to the University... After all this I might just be able to make the payment, and I might be able to make it before the mid-May deadline after which I won't be allowed to graduate.

Anyone wanna lend me a few hundred quid?

The finance office have caught up with me. No not the one that give you money, the one that takes it off you. They've caught up with me. They want my blood. :(

It's been "one of those days"

I take back everything I said in my last blog about the train companies. They're fucking useless.

When I bought my ticket on Friday they failed to mention the little fact that there was engineering work on the lines between Reading and Newbury and between Birmingham and Aberystwyth. Only two thirds of my journey. An easy mistake to make, I'm sure. As a result I had to come home today - Monday.

The train out of Newbury was delayed by 5 minutes this afternoon to allow a faster train to pass. As a result we were delayed by 5 minutes later on in the journey. This meant that I missed the connection to Birmingham, which meant I missed my connection to Aberystwyth, which meant I had a 2 hour wait for the next train to Aber. So a journey that was stated as taking 5 hours actually took 7 hours and 45 minutes.

I got home, after trudging up the hill, to find that one of my flatmates was still in the flat. Exchanged pleasantries, then went to get a drink as I'd not had one for over 8 hours. Remove my teatowel from my cupboard in order to get to my glasses which are all underneath it. The towel was completely soaked. This pissed me off somewhat, someone had obviously been using it without my permission - or so I thought. When I looked at my pans I found they were all completely FULL of water.

I then realised the entire cupboard was awash, the floor was sticky and the carpet stained. Evidently the twat had managed to flood the fucking kitchen. He's come close before but in all previous cases someone had prevented a live re-enactment of Noah's Ark just at the last second, but with him being the only one in the flat there was no-one to hold his hands as he washed up and he ended up flooding everything.

I now have to wash everything I own as it is all covered in stinking putrid water. But oh wait, I haven't got a teatoweal to dry up with, and all of his crap is still in the drainer on the sink, so there isn't enough SPACE to wash all of my stuff.

Fan - fucking - tastic.

Amazing

I am truly amazed by one of my flatmates' ability to spend 1 minute in the bathroom and, during that time, somehow cause it to absolutely STINK of garlic. If it were just on their breath you'd think it might make it smell a little off-colour for a few minutes after they leave, but it still stinks in there now several hours later. In fact it's so bad that just opening the door to go in was enough to make the hallway stink for a few hours.

God knows how they manage it. They must be smearing crushed garlic cloves on the walls or something.

Badminton

Oops, just re-read the "catch-up" blog and realised I forgot to mention what happened in Badminton on Thursday. I was playing against two people (just me on one side of the net and 2 people the other, singles rules applied my side and doubles rules applied on their side) which is hard work. The two on the other side have a huge advantage: Between them they can cover the whole court far more easily than I can cover mine; so the best thing they can do is force me to run around the court lots until I get tired and then they can wipe the floor with me.

This was obviously what they were doing to me on Thursday. The shuttle sailed right to the far-right of the court, so I had to run backwards to get it. I returned it. Then they dropped it just over the net on the left-hand side of the court. I had to run the longest length of the court to try and get it. I remember running towards it and in my mind I was thinking "I can get it, I can get it, I feel like I'm going to trip, it's fine keep going..." Then my legs wrapped themselves around each other and I quite literally wiped the floor. My racket went flying and I rolled straight into a wall. I heard everyone sucking air through their teeth and then go "OOOOH" emphatically as I smashed into the wall.

Good healthy fun!

Hand-in

Another assignment handed in. I finished it on Friday morning but didn't dare go to bed until it had been handed in. Handed it in around 2pm, got home about 2:30 and went to bed. Got woken up around 7pm by the fire alarm (arsehole flat-mate smoking in his bedroom) and then went to bed again. Woke up next at 11am Saturday: around 21 hours of sleep.

Now I am starving and need to get some breakfast.

Catch-Up

Just a quick blog to bring this up to date before I begin my 3rd all-nighter to get an assignment handed in on time...

Yesterday we got to play with some Pioneer robots which was excellent fun. We killed "Maggie" :( The first time we ran our code it beeped to say it was beginning to run the code, the wheels turned randomly, then it refused to shut down. It was led away making strange clicking noises. We then got "Marge" as a replacement. It was good fun. We even managed to make it drive in a square as required.

Today I have had the day from hell. I had to spring out of bed and tidy my bedroom this morning when they came to inspect it. Then I had to ram some food down my neck before legging it to my first lecture of the day. I had about 50 minutes to discuss my assignment with friends and then I had to run up the hill to grab my kit for badminton, leg it down the hill to badminton, leg it around in badminton, then I had an additional lecture (as we had a room change), followed by a meeting with Adrian, and now I have another lecture. I'm going to have a long, hot bath when I get home.

Air

I've been threatening to do it all year, and I've finally done it: I've taken a screw-driver to the metal bar that prevents my window from opening more than about 3 inches. It now opens by about a foot and a half and I can actually feel a cool breeze in my room.

Only problem is, there's an inspection tomorrow where they check our rooms, so I haven't chosen the wisest of times to do it. However, I need to be able to breathe, so they can go fuck themselves if they've got a problem with it.

Acceptable Service

Went to Liz's this weekend on the train, due to the problems with the car, and they actually weren't that bad. Makes a change. I was late getting to Newbury, but it was a fairly smooth journey coming back. There was a scary moment where the train I was on was 20 minutes late but my connection was similarly delayed so it wasn't a problem.

Only issue was that I was bloody ill all weekend. On the train I kept having to half stand up in my seat to leg it for the toilet because I thought I was going to be sick, but it would subside as I got up and I would settle back down only to repeat a few minutes later.

Had a nice relaxing weekend with Liz, god knows I needed it. Now I am back in assignment hell: I have one to complete by Friday and one to complete for the following Wednesday. Then it's Easter during which I will have to write most of my dissertation and various other assignments. After Easter there will be 1 week in which to get the dissertation printed and bound, then it'll need handing in. Then there will be 3 weeks to prepare for 3 weeks of exams.

And then it's all over. Scary stuff.