| Not dead... |
[Nov. 22nd, 2009|12:12 pm] |
Honestly.
We've just been somewhat busy. We've been Barcamping, Geekupping, Climbing, Fencing and a rather unfortunate amount of work. Things should start to settle down a little now, there's only a few more geekups and the Manchester Digital Christmas to go. Oh, and some more climbing and fencing...
For the interested, #geekclimbs happen on a Friday, moving around from climbing wall to climbing wall. We've got a mixed ability group, they're a nice lot. If you're a noob wanting a try, or an experienced crag-rat, drop me an e-mail and I'll let you know where we are next.
I'm also spending time where I can writing for the Android platform. It rocks, and is the most fun to dev for I've had for a while. I'll be releasing a new app after the weekend - watch all the usual spaces...
Finally, we ran a small fencing competition for juniors yesterday. It's not as grand an event as the Manchester Cadet, but we ran most of it on paper, small learning curve there. All went well.
Today, planning on a cooked breakfast and then Botany Bay before seeing the parents, who we haven't seen in a while. |
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| lONdon |
[Oct. 21st, 2009|08:32 am] |
Am currently in London until Friday on work related gubbins.
If people want to meet up on Thursday evening drop me a comment here or grab me on twitter. |
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| Diet shakes. |
[Jul. 23rd, 2009|10:11 am] |
| [ | Dancing To |
| | Bitter Lager Cider Ale Stout - Lancashire Hotpots | ] |
This is harder than it looks.
You can laugh now.
I'm currently attempting to follow the "Slim Fast" diet. A shake for morning and lunch, and a balanced something or other for dinner.
Day 1 (Tuesday) I had the shakes alongside some regular meals-ish.
Day 2 (Wednesday) I had the shakes for morning and lunch, gave in to hunger pangs at 3pm and nommed a pile of toast. Dinner wasn't exactly healthy either, but made me feel better.
Day 3 (Thursday) I'm aiming to keep on the plan. Just drinking my first one, we'll see how we go today.
Why the hell am I doing it? Because I'm stuck. I'm in a position of relative inactivity, and although my weight has current stabilised out at 95kg, it's still several stone above what it should be. I need a drastic method to watch my calorie intake on a given day, and this *so* far seems to be the best option. As a foodstuff, it takes 30 seconds to prepare, which means I don't have the excuse of "I don't have time" and nomming something doubly stupid. I'll carry on with this until these projects get out of the door. August is the new September, and will hopefully see some serious gym time (I'm *REALLY* hoping). |
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| GIP |
[Jul. 22nd, 2009|12:38 am] |
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GIP |
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| Busy weekend was busy. |
[Jul. 13th, 2009|08:18 am] |
Saturday was the Manchester Open (not a good result, fencing foil, don't care)
Sunday was paintballing (for my sins)
Today is work and then climbing at 5pm.
Just tried to put my harness on. Found it a little on the small side (the belt doesn't close but the tape does. I'm a little upset by this. |
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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) perdita_x has been a busy person. |
[Jul. 5th, 2009|07:59 pm] |
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| Dear Kian |
[Jul. 3rd, 2009|09:55 am] |
| [ | Dancing To |
| | 25th June 2009: Gordo, Glasto and Silvio - BBC Radio 7 | ] |
Remember your own advice.
"#15 — Added by GeekBot
Caius: The problem I've found with having to wear all the hats is sometimes one of them falls off..."
http://dump.willboyce.com/irc/quotes.php |
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| Please stop extending my Fallout time... |
[Jul. 3rd, 2009|09:26 am] |
| [ | Dancing To |
| | 25th June 2009: Gordo, Glasto and Silvio - BBC Radio 7 | ] |
Dear Bethesda,
this is an open letter.
I really enjoyed your game. So much so, it has managed to suck away whole chunks of my life. I don't think I've ever wanted to play a game so thoroughly as Fallout 3 in my entire existance.
I admit, I was somewhat annoyed by your original ending. Far too final, and with no option to continue exploring the capital wasteland, it felt like a far too final a full stop on what had been such brilliant open ended gameplay. As such, I was happy that you remedied the problem with the release of Broken Steel. New open ended gameplay and some extra missions. And the missions were good. The world was right.
But you couldn't stop could you? Operation: Anchorage was a bit of a let down and whilst interesting wasn't very ... Fallouty. Then you went and released The Pitt. But I held off, since I've got projects I'm trying to desperately get finished. A few cold showers and I thought I was fine. I enjoyed the current gameplay I had, grabbed a few bobbleheads, finished off all the super-mutant behemoths, finally found that blasted violin and had a cold shower. But then, just when I thought it was safe, you release Point Lookout which introduces a completely new *type* of area, baddies and missions. And it's a fifth the size of the wasteland. A whole fifth! My Gods, that's a lot of expansion.
But I've held off. These projects will be finished before I grab the expansions - oh yes they will. Here's hoping I get them finished before Mothership Zeta is released, otherwise I'll be forced to bill you for lost earnings.
With Love,
Three DogKian |
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| A note about footwear... |
[Jul. 1st, 2009|12:39 pm] |
I am both relieved and kicking myself.
I am relieved because I am not going completely mad. My footwork hasn't been deteriorating that badly over the past three years. How do I know this? I changed by crap--o-la Adistars out for a new pair of Hi-Tec Scimatars. The difference in my ability to balance properly and move on the piste was immediately obvious.
I'm kicking myself because I should have done this around three years ago.
Why such a big difference? For many years *the* only top-end fencing shoe on the market was made by Addidas. And for a long time they were good with it. The EQT2000s were excellent shoes, as were the first generation Adistars. Their mid-line shoes weren't bad (and still aren't bad either) with the D'art, the D'art2 (the D'art with a new paint-job really) and the current generation En Guarde are a basic, functional and cheap (at £50) fencing shoe.
But what the hell is going on with the last few generations of Adistars? The previous generation (silver/black) I suffered with for three years. The sole is too thin, leaving you feeling like you're balancing on a knife edge, and the *horizinontally* rolled heel gives you the impression you're simply fencing on roller blades. There is integrety to the base of the shoe due to a torsion bar, but it doesn't really help with the overall stability of the shoe. I know I'm not the only person who had problems with this particular shoe, so I was hoping Addidas would have learn't for the next generation.
But the current generation dissapoint me even more. There's a regression in this shoe. It is no longer a fencing shoe, but a tennis shoe with a few customisations (in fact there's an Addidas tennis shoe on the market for £50 less that is almost identical). It really feels like all the innovation has gone out of their fencing shoes. This may be a shoe that suits epeeists, but it isn't a shoe for foilists or sabourers. I've watched people doing footwork in them, they are a hinderance not a help.
A few years ago, Hi-tec, with Leon Paul designed a shoe. It wasn't perfect, no first generation product is, but the Blades were a damn good first attempt at a technical shoe from a manufacturer with no background in fencing. They were at the very least what the Adistars *should* have been, with most of the major kinks resolved. Stupidly, I held off and carried on fencing on my PITA adistars for a few years longer. Hi-tec then released the Scimitar, the next step on from the Blades. A lighter shoe with some *real* hard-wearing abrasion zones, and a moulding footbed, these are what a top class fencing shoe *should* be. And they're half the price of the Adistars. I did my first session in a pair last night and the difference was indescribable. Stability, sense of floor, all where it should be. And my foot didn't ache after a few hours fencing (my Adistar's needed heelcups, et al).
Leon Paul and Hi-Tec, well done. You have managed to do what Addidas could not. And made me a happier fencer for it. |
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| Well that's one hell of 24 hours. |
[Jun. 14th, 2009|02:28 pm] |
Fenced at the Wrexham Open yesterday. *Think* I came 15th/28. It's a L16 at least, and will come with around 60 points. That'll do. I'm aiming to grab a couple more of those this season.
Cat's been managing foodstuffs and general household for the past month while I've had my head down on this project. She has been awesome. Awesome also included home-made chinee-foo last night. We've had a few chinese dishes these week, Cat is bringing out her inner food-fu. WIN.
Aim is to keep July free for various personal projects, picnics and trips. In general, relaxin' and chillin' and doing nothing related to code (well, maybe attend a few community events). Looking forward to the break.
[Edit] Results are up - I came 12/29, with 63.51 points (making my season points total 140.31) which should put me into the sub-200 group. |
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| I'm Upset |
[Jun. 1st, 2009|04:08 pm] |
Officially annoyed at perdita_x.
I'm rather enjoying Smallville. |
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| Well that was ... fun. |
[Jun. 1st, 2009|10:41 am] |
Morning humanoids.
Weekend was good. We went to Camelot on Saturday. They shut down last year after the owners went kaput. New owners took over and they're attempting to breathe a new life into it. The park looks a somewhat dated, like something out of the 90s. It is however clean, and functional.
The rides are still fun, but the show-stealers are the ... erm ... shows. The joust show is more than just a joust, it's joust, combat (all designed for the kiddies), with an impressive half time show with a pair of jesters. The show lasts 50 minutes and is almost worth the ticket price on its own. The magic show is significantly shorter, but also a lot of fun.
The park *does* need an injection of money. It *needs* a couple of new, big crowd-pulling rides and it needs to make more use of it's theme. I know there's not going to be much cash around for this season, but they could make a better experience by employing a few strategically placed costume greeters wandering around. They're also missing easy money making opportunities - there's almost *no* branded merchandise (I can get a knight's set from anywhere, but I can only get a Camelot branded knight's set from Camelot), and there's only two? on ride photos. Small investment, good short term yield leading to a large pot for investment next year.
Now it might sound as if I'm being over critical. We *really* enjoyed our day out. Liam worries me (13 year olds shouldn't be going *again* *again* at the big, bad ride), and Rowan made me laugh (16 year olds shouldn't be afraid of Ferris wheels). And I'd like to see Camelot succeed. I want to be able to go back next year and enjoy it as much as we enjoyed it this year. For that it needs variety and experience value. It wouldn't take much, and I'm hoping Camelot's new owners have something planned.
Sunday we cleaned the car. *Really* cleaned it. And polished. And waxed, and hoovered and did all the stuff to make it sparkle (oh yes, and cleaned the plastic). Funnily enough, it appears to make quite a big difference. It does take quite a bit of time. Waxing seems to take *hours*. If anyone has a quicker way of doing it, I'd love to know.
Sunday evening - back to work. Monday - more work :-) |
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| Regionals |
[May. 24th, 2009|09:15 am] |
Came 3rd in Men's Sabre.
Nick won the epee and came 2nd in the sabre.
Currently in bath soaking off the effects of three pools (8 fights, 7 fights and 7 fights) and four rounds of DE. |
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| Fuckity fuck fuck. |
[May. 19th, 2009|09:13 pm] |
Update from the Sheffield Open, 29/40. Could have been better, could have been worse. It's point scoring so that was the aim.
Missing: Vader. The mask that is. No idea where he is atm, and it's annoying me. Don't want to be without him for too long.
This weekend: regional championships. Not feeling too great about it. Not being helped by the fact I've left fencing this evening crippled with back pain. Am now on the couch. Not great. |
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