Logging into my blog there for some reason my password failed, I had to reset it...hope its not been hacked I'll have to have a look through and see if all my little comments and thoughts have been altered.
So...not much to report this week. We had a few meetings at uni to close up the academic year, followed by a couple of BBQ's and drink sessions, was all very nice.
Now officially starting 6 weeks of paid holiday...:D yes...6 weeks. Academia is awesome.
The DS project is giving me absolute hell, a seemingly simple issue with the eeprom system on the carts simply refuses to work, and the longer I spend on it the more the bug list is growing and the deadline looms ever closer. I'm losing motivation but must keep going as we're very close to the end.
I had my 1st Dutch lesson this week to, Bina asked a lady from work who gives language lessons to come over and break us in gently....it was hard. I mean really hard, the precision of pronunciation is just mad. And Dutch is one of those languages that sounds nothing like it is written.
We're going to struggle with this I fear, but we are quite determined to acquire some basic skills so we'll push on with our weekly lessons and homework. At least its the 3 of us trying, it would be too easy to give up if it was just one.
We were going to drive over to Cologne today, we had a weekend away booked and theres a festival of lights there culminating in a big firework display that Bina really wanted to see. But finances have taken a bit of a hit after paying for the Turkey holiday we have booked in August, so we're going to stay at home...which for me is just as well I have to get this eeprom issue fixed and I'd have been fretting about it all weekend if I had gone.
Anyway....better crack on...eeprom bugs won't fix themselves.
Ahthankyew
Saturday, 11 July 2009
Monday, 6 July 2009
Last week
This is it...the last week of the school year.
No students, they pretty much finished last week. So I just have to check and send in grades, attend a few meetings and go to a couple of BBQ's and I'm done.
Then its the holidays...of course the great thing about academia is the holidays, 6 weeks of chillin' (DS project deaththrows notwithstanding). Can't wait.
We've got a few things planned, such as a trip to Cologne for some firework thing that Bina wants to see, a bit of exploring The Netherlands and 10 days in Turkey, so lots to look forward to.
But mostly just time to sit back and relax a little.
Also gives me to time to look back on the last year, most of which I had no clue what I was doing and refine my courses for next year.
I've enjoyed it immensely, and once I've got rid of my DS project I can put much more time into developing the courses and also the console programming course which was very restricted last year, since we didn't actually have any consoles to work on.
This year at least we have a couple of PSP dev kits to play with, courtesy of Sony's Academic program. Nintendo sadly won't even answer my emails about starting a similar course...expected I suppose, but disappointing. I'm planning to write a small article for one of the UK dev mags about the mess that console makers have made of their approach to Academia.
Anway, better got finish up the grading and get on with clearing off my DS project
Oh I can name it now, its called Squeeballs, a fun multi game project based around some toy characters www.squeeballs.com if you want to see some info
Ahthankyew
No students, they pretty much finished last week. So I just have to check and send in grades, attend a few meetings and go to a couple of BBQ's and I'm done.
Then its the holidays...of course the great thing about academia is the holidays, 6 weeks of chillin' (DS project deaththrows notwithstanding). Can't wait.
We've got a few things planned, such as a trip to Cologne for some firework thing that Bina wants to see, a bit of exploring The Netherlands and 10 days in Turkey, so lots to look forward to.
But mostly just time to sit back and relax a little.
Also gives me to time to look back on the last year, most of which I had no clue what I was doing and refine my courses for next year.
I've enjoyed it immensely, and once I've got rid of my DS project I can put much more time into developing the courses and also the console programming course which was very restricted last year, since we didn't actually have any consoles to work on.
This year at least we have a couple of PSP dev kits to play with, courtesy of Sony's Academic program. Nintendo sadly won't even answer my emails about starting a similar course...expected I suppose, but disappointing. I'm planning to write a small article for one of the UK dev mags about the mess that console makers have made of their approach to Academia.
Anway, better got finish up the grading and get on with clearing off my DS project
Oh I can name it now, its called Squeeballs, a fun multi game project based around some toy characters www.squeeballs.com if you want to see some info
Ahthankyew
Friday, 3 July 2009
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
From Barrel to 6 pack in......well this lifetime would be good!
Yup, its that time..the midlife crisis has hit, I'm looking at Harley Davidson's and thinking more about how comfy they are rather than how fast. I can totally see the sense in buying a 3.5litre 2 seater Porsche, and I've joined a gym.
Well we all have actually, both as part of the getting to know people and to deal with the fact I can no longer see my knob when I look down...Yes that point has been reached..despite being blessed with a tree trunk* of a member the old beer barrel is in the way...So I have to aim from memory when I pee (luckily, I have a good memory and practiced peeing a lot in my youth) time to fix it.
Oh that and Bina's constant nagging about how chubby I'm getting has prompted me to finally take the plunge.
We started tonight by having a go at the local badminton club. New rackets and trainers were purchased and off we cycled up to run around for an hour or so chasing a shuttlecock.
Now the funny thing is, that having been here nearly a year now, and getting in lots of cycling..I'm actually pretty fit, despite my lack of knob visuals, and occasional WC floor splashes, and it was Bina who was suffering from exhaustion and had to take a break every 10 mins just as I was warming up.
Ha...and I thrashed her in the 2 competitive games. I roooool.
Tomorrow will be different though..we have to do the assessment session at the gym to work out our programs...I of course want to have a body of a Greek God in 2 weeks, I don't think I will have the patience to wait much more than that...Also if they can supply that in the form of a milk shake or 1 off injection, I'll be right there.
oh yes....this fitness lark...I'm going go sail through it........probably.
Ahthankyew
* well maybe a Bonsai?
Well we all have actually, both as part of the getting to know people and to deal with the fact I can no longer see my knob when I look down...Yes that point has been reached..despite being blessed with a tree trunk* of a member the old beer barrel is in the way...So I have to aim from memory when I pee (luckily, I have a good memory and practiced peeing a lot in my youth) time to fix it.
Oh that and Bina's constant nagging about how chubby I'm getting has prompted me to finally take the plunge.
We started tonight by having a go at the local badminton club. New rackets and trainers were purchased and off we cycled up to run around for an hour or so chasing a shuttlecock.
Now the funny thing is, that having been here nearly a year now, and getting in lots of cycling..I'm actually pretty fit, despite my lack of knob visuals, and occasional WC floor splashes, and it was Bina who was suffering from exhaustion and had to take a break every 10 mins just as I was warming up.
Ha...and I thrashed her in the 2 competitive games. I roooool.
Tomorrow will be different though..we have to do the assessment session at the gym to work out our programs...I of course want to have a body of a Greek God in 2 weeks, I don't think I will have the patience to wait much more than that...Also if they can supply that in the form of a milk shake or 1 off injection, I'll be right there.
oh yes....this fitness lark...I'm going go sail through it........probably.
Ahthankyew
* well maybe a Bonsai?
Thursday, 25 June 2009
Well that was unexpected
Its going to be all over the news for weeks so I might as well mention it here.
Michael Jackson has died...apparently, still waiting to hear the official news but it seems to be pretty certain at time of writing.
50 yo...eek I'm not that far from that.
Certainly a strange and possibly dodgy bloke but in his pomp an amazing artist so it is quite a shame.
All those poor buggers who paid a fortune for tickets to the O2 will be upset...hell the O2 management will be well out of pocket too...there will be ramifications of this for lots of people.
Ah well, I think the bloke lived in a total fantasy world his entire life so maybe in death he'll get some normality. And I have to thank him for the Thriller album, which btw I can probably recite word for word, since my brother Colin played it repeatedly non stop for weeks when he bought it...at least he never tried to do the dancing....or the singing :D
Ahthankyew
Michael Jackson has died...apparently, still waiting to hear the official news but it seems to be pretty certain at time of writing.
50 yo...eek I'm not that far from that.
Certainly a strange and possibly dodgy bloke but in his pomp an amazing artist so it is quite a shame.
All those poor buggers who paid a fortune for tickets to the O2 will be upset...hell the O2 management will be well out of pocket too...there will be ramifications of this for lots of people.
Ah well, I think the bloke lived in a total fantasy world his entire life so maybe in death he'll get some normality. And I have to thank him for the Thriller album, which btw I can probably recite word for word, since my brother Colin played it repeatedly non stop for weeks when he bought it...at least he never tried to do the dancing....or the singing :D
Ahthankyew
Wednesday, 24 June 2009
So Tired
Its 1.44am here in NL, and I'm having a 10 min break to make a coffee and rub my aching bum which I have been sat on for most of the last 7 days. I tried to get Bina to rub it for me, but she refused...nicely, but still... (if she loved me she'd do it)
Of course I'm crunching, the thing I hate most about programming, especially as I spend so much time advocating for an end to it in commercial planning, here I am doing it on my own projects. I'm also fitting in exam marking and prepping where I can too.
I'm desperately tired, having got by on 5 or so hours sleep and an evening nap (getting old y'see), am prone to bouts of code blindness* even with my big whopper in front of me :D and did I mention my bum hurts.
When I tell my students all about the long hard hours, the lack of social life, the frustration the sore bum and even bouts of panic that come with this kind of working, they can't wait to try it....they must be mad..I must be mad to still be doing this.
But its nearly done, I've fixed a few massive errors that will reduce my bug count considerably (currently standing at 71) and hopefully soon we can submit this bugger and get on with the summer.
Anyway kettle has boiled, time to unstick myself from the bum groove in my chair and get some caffeine in my system,
Ahthankyew
*mum, its when you stare at the screen and simply can't read what the code is doing, bit like writers block.
Of course I'm crunching, the thing I hate most about programming, especially as I spend so much time advocating for an end to it in commercial planning, here I am doing it on my own projects. I'm also fitting in exam marking and prepping where I can too.
I'm desperately tired, having got by on 5 or so hours sleep and an evening nap (getting old y'see), am prone to bouts of code blindness* even with my big whopper in front of me :D and did I mention my bum hurts.
When I tell my students all about the long hard hours, the lack of social life, the frustration the sore bum and even bouts of panic that come with this kind of working, they can't wait to try it....they must be mad..I must be mad to still be doing this.
But its nearly done, I've fixed a few massive errors that will reduce my bug count considerably (currently standing at 71) and hopefully soon we can submit this bugger and get on with the summer.
Anyway kettle has boiled, time to unstick myself from the bum groove in my chair and get some caffeine in my system,
Ahthankyew
*mum, its when you stare at the screen and simply can't read what the code is doing, bit like writers block.
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Bina's Birthday
Today is Bina's Birthday
It is very very important that I do not forget that it is Bina's Birthday,
because today is Bina's birthday, and I must remember to go out and find her a card in English for her birthday which is today.
I must never ever forget that it is Bina's Birthday, having done so once before and been reminded of it every goddamn year ever since
So today its Bina's Birthday, and I am writing this Blog so I won't forget.
Thats it...Today is Bin.....oh....wait....today!!!!
That explains the silence!!!!
Ahthankyew
It is very very important that I do not forget that it is Bina's Birthday,
because today is Bina's birthday, and I must remember to go out and find her a card in English for her birthday which is today.
I must never ever forget that it is Bina's Birthday, having done so once before and been reminded of it every goddamn year ever since
So today its Bina's Birthday, and I am writing this Blog so I won't forget.
Thats it...Today is Bin.....oh....wait....today!!!!
That explains the silence!!!!
Ahthankyew
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