CDs, SFA, H!

Wednesday to Friday was a bit busy in the evenings. I went to the alternative/indie music society's 'listening night' on the Wednesday, where we bring along CDs and play whatever we want. To prepare for this I wrote some CDs with a bunch of random tracks on them, but because I did it at speed, I found it difficult to read the tiny writing I'd done on the tracklist. I should make sure in the future to plan my track choices a couple of tracks in advance, as it can all go to pot when you pick a track only a minute long.

Thursday, I saw Super Furry Animals. Excellent stuff, made better by it not being too crowded, and being right at the front. From this gig, I have decided that masking tape signs are the future, and power rangers helmets should be worn more. It was quite an old crowd, in contrast with Friday's gig.

Hadouken!'s gig was attended mostly by very excited nu-rave kids between the ages of 14 and 19. As if the constant screaming wasn't enough, some of them were throwing glowsticks everywhere and breaking them. I know this makes me sound old, but to be honest, that's how it felt. I didn't mind so much later though, when the main act themselves started playing, and jumping around ensued. "Time to blow the speakers" indeed. Also, I nabbed a copy of their setlist, so I know what songs to look out for.

I think I need to stop going out for a bit after all that.

[rests]

Water Music

Right, an update. Not that anyone reads it, of course, but I feel I should try and get into the habit of posting now and then.

Well, I finished all the projects and exams, and now all I have to worry about is whether taking the modules I've chosen for next year are a good idea after all. Oh, and the third year project. I have a few options for that, including a hardware-based server, extension of a digital signal processor and Flac decoder/encoder, any of which could be quite difficult.

I only have a few days left in this house, which managed to flood last week. Something went in the plumbing, resulting in conversation along these lines:

"What's all that water coming past the window?"[Runs upstairs]
"Oh, it's coming out of the overflow... Wait.... I can hear a shower-like sound but there's nobody in there..."
"There's water coming out of the cupboard! It's everywhere!"
"It's coming through the ceiling! #$*%!!"

We managed to get it fixed quite quickly, but lost a television and Playstation 2 in the process.

I bought a ridiculous number of CDs over the term (or at least more than I usually do). So now I've got all the Radiohead albums and two very good EPs, all of the Kings of Leon albums, and the second Futureheads and Maximo Park albums. Those last two were fairly disappointing actually. 'News and Tributes' was fairly different to the first album, and while quite listenable, didn't have much of the energy that was from the first. Meanwhile, 'Our Earthly Pleasures' pales in comparison to 'A Certain Trigger', and I can hardly bring myself to listen to it all.


Radiohead - Airbag/How Am I Driving? - Meeting in the Aisle

On the other hand, I did buy the self-titled album from Clor, which is probably getting harder to track down in shops, as the band split last year. The first three tracks are very good (as singles should be) and although it took me a while to get into the rest of the album, I can see why some people labelled it an instant classic.


Clor - Clor - Good Stuff

I can't wait for Interpol's 'Our Love to Admire' to come through my door.

[anticipates]

Knackered

Is how I felt on Friday. We spent much of the day rushing around trying to finish a 120 page report, while several other groups tried to do exactly the same. This made things worse and worse, as the level of shouting, panic and general stress increased exponentially towards the deadline. In the rush, I then managed to lose my wallet while paying for the photocopier, not noticing until half an hour later when I'd got home. So I had to rush out again to find it. Fortunately, someone I know had picked it up, so got it back and then had a night out with some people from the Alternative and Indie Music society.

Due to general lack of interest from anyone else, I've ended up as their webmaster/monkey, and my first task was to create a MySpace and Facebook accounts for the group. Not difficult, except MySpace doesn't seem to work at all. It claims that the details I entered were ineligible for registration on MySpace, and also won't let me in my own account:

[type type type click]
"Sorry, you need to be logged in to do that!"
I'll log in then. [type type type click]
"Sorry, you need to be logged in to do that!"
I need to be logged in to log in? [type type type click]
"Sorry, you need to be log-"
ARRRGHHH...

Yet again, proving that MySpace is a badly designed, poorly maintained, (yet still incredibly popular) internet monster.

[fumes]

EDIT: Actually, I'd just put in the wrong password.

Too much work

Well, it turns out that this second year really is incredibly difficult. Or at least stressful. I've spent the past week spending hours at the uni, working on a group project to create a simple digital communications system. Almost every day, I've got home past 11pm, due to the sheer amount of work that needs to be done. It seems like every time I look at my section of code, another problem arises that can't be fixed.

I'll also have to go home a week later than planned, because to make the project fair on all the participants, the groups who have the project split over the Easter vacation period must hand in their initial design on Monday, as though it was their lab week. But it isn't. It's really inconvenient, especially for those who have already booked flights or trains home for the day before (as so many have done).

With this work, it hasn't helped that there were two assignments due in the week we started the project, and this was immediately followed by the setting of another large group project, this time on software. We have to create a program for an HP PocketPC, and the only criterion is that it uses GPS. By default, I've been made project leader, the only perk of which is that I now have custody of the group's PocketPC. Quite what to do with it now, I'm not sure, but there's going to be a lot of reading of software toolkits etc.

Enough ranting, I've got to prepare the design files for handing in.

[grumbles]

Insert sigh of relief here

I've finally found a house and housemates for next year. It's not far from where I am now, (and therefore not far from uni/shops/pubs), but has fairly low rent, and this is reduced over the summer (bonus!). I think I'll get along with the people just fine as well.

The second semester of my year has started, bringing with it the usual difficult lab sessions with lots of preparation required, and multi-lecture marathons (6 in one day). It's not all bad, some of the modules are interesting in parts, because they lead on towards third-year modules. And then there's 'Software Development'. This has now been officially designated as 'the sleeping lecture', due to its constant monotony, and the fact that half of it has been done before. Also, it's in the afternoons, giving excellent cardiac benefit.

If you haven't heard it yet, hear this. [grimes]

Super Happy Fun Stress Time!

Well, I've got exams next week, but wait... What's this?

"Hey, er, we thought we should tell you, we're looking for a six room house next year with persons A and B, thought we'd let you know."

".....[pause of calculation - six bedrooms, seven people]..... I see..."

So now, I've just been told I need to be looking for people to live with next year. Argh....

On the plus side, maybe my room will be better, as currently, following the 'you get what you pay for' rule, I'm not paying much.

I've already had a couple of offers after putting up an ad on the university site, so it's not going too badly. They are a little expensive, and I don't actually need a double bed. Or on-site parking.

Ah well, such is life. Or it's ability to always throw something at you at the last minute.

[pessimists]

Down South

I'm back in Southampton for another term.

Yes, you heard me right, Southampton, where no toilet is safe!

Still, at least he was tidy and made a very professional job of it.... BUT WHY!!?!

Possibly an escaped art student from Winchester going for a Marcel Duchamp style. Or he's a collector, and was too embarrassed to ask.

House Music

Ah, House Music. How can it give so much joy with such a simple premise? A couple of bars of chords on your synth, or just nab a sample from some old 80s tune, and you have yourself a floor-filler. Marvellous.

I went to the Cube (the Southampton uni club) and the Cut-Up Boys were there. It was like an odyssey through house. Pity about the turnout though.

When we got there, we asked the security guard how busy it was. "It'll be busy when you get down there." He was not wrong. We may as well have gone clubbing in the desert. It did pick up a little eventually, but it was still at about a tenth (or less) capacity.

House!

I went to visit my new student house this weekend in Southampton. There was trouble with keys to start with, I went to collect mine and walked to my house, ready to open the door. My other housemates had just turned up there, and I said, "I've got my key!", all smiles and eagerness to get into my new abode. They went off to collect theirs, and I opened the door. Or tried to.

Thank you to the people across the road, laughing at me sitting on the wall, unable to get into my house. I know where you live. Fortunately, the landlord cut me a new key at no extra charge.

Looking at my "boxroom" and comparing to the others, my chest of drawers is much smaller, and I have less floorspace. And then there's the boiler, ready to either poison me with carbon monoxide, or blow me up in the event of it breaking. There's also the window that is an entry point of choice for thieves - "Remember to lock your windows, there was a burglary last month. They got in through the back." Well, now I feel secure.

In other news, it's too bloody hot. Though you probably know that. Unless you're somewhere cold, in which case I say well done, and wrap up warm.