The Years End

Of course it's not the end of the year, that happened some months ago.

But it is nearing the end of the school year here, so I'm soon to be out of work until the new school term ramps up (the contracts are designed to be slightly less than full-time so you can't claim the benefits of full-time work from the company, like rolling holidays, maternity leave and whatnot).

In the meantime I'm going to be off on holiday.  The one I alluded to earlier that made me ill.  I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures and probably more than one or two videos.  I'm somewhat concerned about the battery on my camera, it doesn't last very long these days and being out and about doesn't lend itself to recharging.  However, I will also take a little 35mm film camera which will do in a pinch and requires only watch batteries.  If it requires batteries at all.  (I'll double check later).

Anyway, I'll hopefully have a few pictures to put up in a couple of weeks when (if) I make it back.

So that'll be nice.

Phew

So I've officially finished my contract for this year.  There's a long layoff until the next one starts so I'm sitting on my hands somewhat.

I would like to say that doesn't mean I'm being lazy, but it probably means exactly that.

I've applied to various jobs, although I doubt they'll get back to me (not pessimism, just raw experience) so I've been hitting the gym and awful lot.  I'm going to make a timelapse video of a gym session because I'd be interested to see how much time I actually spend working versus time spent admiring myself in the mirror.  I fear the results won't be particularly satisfying.  I'm also interested in the various ways of doing timelapse.  The primary method for photographers is to purchase an off camera trigger that will time shots, the downtime, number taken etc.  Of course I don't have one of those, so what I might try doing instead is taking a video, then editing out large numbers of frames, leaving single frames in at set intervals.  It comes with a couple of caveats.  Firstly, I don't know if my battery will last that long shooting long videos.  Secondly, the camera only supports up to 30 minutes clips.  Today I spent close to 4 hours in there, so I don't know if I can trigger the camera without moving it about and ruining continuity.  Lastly, I don't know if the card will hold all the video.  I guess we can try it out at least.

In other news, I've put up some damned stupid videos of me and my friends playing games on youtube.  The idea is to learn the adobe suite of programs (just get a basic knowledge really).  Did you know that after effects can analyse a scene, determine the 3D properties of the scene, and then let you edit the footage as if it were in 3 dimensions ala 3dsmax or autocad.  I'm just going to let that sink in for a second.

It's not flawless, but when it works it's absolutely mind blowing.  The latest video I uploaded has exactly one effect added from after effects.  The scene lasts about 25 seconds, 10 of which have this effect added (just 3D text pinned to a wall to make it look like part of the scenery, not very well).  It took 2 hours for AE to figure out the properties of the scene and another 2 for it to render, but goddamned that is amazing technology.

In the past, gaming was the route to greater technological innovation - pushing polygons onto a screen was extremely hard work.  Then consoles kind of ruined everything by standardising to the lowest common denominator and now every game has a pixel budget determined by consoles - meaning any old PC can play games at a respectable quality.

I think it's editing software of this ilk, that will one day make it to the youtubes of the world, that will once again force technology forward (in the computer realm anyway).

Anyway, I can barely type because my arms and shoulders are full of lead or iron or something heavy, so this is me SIGNING OFF.

Bye.

Zetsubun

Happy Chinese new year!

So it's Chinese new year which means a lot of people (really, an awful lot) are having holidays right now. Being in the workaholics country of choice that means of course we will not have a holiday, but we do get to throw beans around.

The long remembered of you may recall that this is the time of year during which people throw beans out of the windows and doors of the house to scare away devils. Or rather, THE devil. Obviously, this is more of a tradition passed down to children (young children) so naturally I was privy to a demonstration this year. And last year. And the year before.

But what the hey, at least I got to eat some nuts (which I don't really like but it's free food so...)

Anyway, in less bizarre news, I went to a shrine over the weekend. I took a few pictures, which will arrive upon ye blog at some point in the future - probably within the week.

In more disgusting news, today is the day of incredible disease (obviously people didn't throw their nuts out of the window hard enough) because one of my 8 classes today (tiny little kids, so only 25 minutes per class) had nine people absent, the others all had at least one. I also have a cold. AND ONE LITTLE TREASURE VOMITED IN MY CLASSROOM. What in the world was he drinking last night.

Pretty Tired!

So originally I was going to record a video post whereby I was going to do a little tour of the new house and tell everyone what's been happening.  But then I decided to not sleep on Monday night, which has left me with a debt to the sandman. 

Then last night I carefully considered my options and decided to once again forego sleep in favour of lying awake coughing.  Not pretty little coughs either - hacking bronchial coughs that reduce villi to pulp and pave the way to bronchitis.

Anyway, the upshot is that I am ruddy tired and quite frankly can't be bothered to record and edit even a short video.

I don't have the space either.  All the parts for the worlds most awesome NAS (16tb, 4 mirrored) have arrived except for the hard disks, kind of the most important part.  Then again an NAS without an enclosure isn't really N or A.  I didn't realise my bank balance was so perilously low.  If I'd ordered less manly drives I would have been fine; but I can wait until I transfer some money across.  All told I now have (or rather, will have) some 20plus terabytes of storage.  Hard disks are about the only expenditure you can justify in terms of tech because they generally last long enough, and you can get an awful lot of space for the money now.

Anyway.  When I get some space and whatnot, I'll put all the pictures I've recently taken on there, and they will subsequently appear here.

Until then!

Weather

So there's nothing much to report.  It's currently -14 degrees in Seoul, which means about -8 here.  I'm making some burgers for a midnight snack.

It's the New Year.

Happy New Year everyone.

...

That's just about it.

I found a picture that sums Korea up nicely.

Withdrawal Symptoms

So I've just realised that I've gone a month and a half without playing any computer games.

Not being able to play them is really frustrating, because a back-catalogue of stuff I really want to play is building up, and the longer I spend without the means to play these games, the more I'm going to miss.  Console games are okay, because you can pick them up whenever and wherever, but PC games are harder to play, especially online, past their selling date because fewer people play them, and no one stocks them for long.  PC gaming is in decline for sure, and aside from league of legends, around four games have come out that I can no longer find legitimate outlets for (and the illegitimate outlets won't serve them forever) and I'm gutted!  I've only just realised this because I haven't had time to sit down and do nothing lately.  What with my diseases and illnesses, I've realised that I need to get a computer (which I knew I needed anyway, in the long term) quite quickly, just for my own peace of mind, and for something to do in the interminable nights when I'm not going to the gym, or playing american football, or playing basketball... Oh wait - I don't have any time when I'm not doing something.

Anyway...  I need a computer.

In other news, my cold/man flu is getting  better, and I feel that tomorrow will herald the end of it.  Luckily the gym is closed tomorrow, so I can't do what I normally would, and thrash out the kinks in the gym - and make myself ill the very next day.

An extra day of doing not a lot squared.

Woop.

If I'm not completely cured by Monday I will give up and let the viruses win.

In entirely unrelated news; a friend of mine came up with an acronym for his workplace which is pretty cool (he's a game developer): JSTS - Just Ship That Shit - the wikipedia page will define it as meaning, 'to rush unpolished and underdeveloped software for the purpose of making money.'  Contributions welcome.

Nothing Ever Changes

The same old same old has been prevalent around these parts for a while now.  I might be heading to Korea soon, but that's not certain yet.  Maybe, maybe not.  Who knows.  Besides; until I'm there and working, I won't believe it.  Don't count your chickens, after all.

On a side-note, don't take life too seriously.

However, on a tangential trajectory to the side-note (which would place it  in line with the original, perhaps?) 'Bulletproof Monk,' is a terrible film.  Do not watch it.  It's a literal and figurative waste of your life.  Don't take life too seriously, but it's a rare film that can take itself lightly and be respectable.  This is not one of those films.

Live life by the minute everyone!

Click to Enlarge.  If you've never seen Futurama it won't work.

Driving Lessons

I've started taking driving lessons.  After a prolonged period of inactivity on this front I've managed to twist the arm of the involved parties, and have commenced learning how to drive.  I have stalled the car once so far, and tried changing into the wrong gear once as well.  It's not as complicated as flying a helicopter, but there are significantly more obstacles.  I guess that kind of evens itself out then...

I'm sure there are other things to report...  Wait no, there aren't.

That is all.

Oh!  Happy chinese New Year!

And here's a random nebula.  Orions belt; just below it in fact.

Recently posted on wired; I'm sure I'm breaking copyright infringement...  Oh well.

Pretty right?  Click for a full-sized view of the image.

Just a Quick Update...

Things are running along with my intended foray into the world of architectural design.  It's a lengthy process, and one that I'll hopefully be able to expose fully at a later date.  Needless to say, a lot of time has to be spent editing and whatnot.

On another note:  Australians are a rough bunch, aren't they?  They all spend their time sheering sheep and growing crops and whatnot; generally living tough lives that make them big and strong.  (Something of an exaggeration I grant you)  However, it seems they are very stupid.  (Bear with me here)  Because they have banned yet another computer game, because it is too violent for children.  Except of course that children are not meant to play it.  Presumably, therefore, the government thinks the average Ozzie parent is too stupid to say 'no' to their children.  The upshot is that the Australian censorship laws are stuck somewhere between the dark ages, and a hard place.  People did watch public executions during those times however, so there's an argument to say that Australia is even further behind the times than that...

Unfortunately the market for such games is a niche one, and the percentage of voters who are affected by this issue is relatively small; the minority will have to suffer because of the ignorance of the majority on this issue - despite the fact that this is one situation whereby ALL PARTIES CAN BE SATISFIED.  Allowing violence in videogames DOES NOT AFFECT ANYONE WHO DOES NOT PLAY THEM.  Wake up and realise this, please.  Seriously, you're not stupid, yet your government takes you for imbeciles.

England is exactly the same of course; except they take our physical freedom, in allowing the police to arrest us for any amount of time 'they deem necessary,' and they take our money to protect us, from ourselves; in the form of carbon dioxide molecules.

It has also extended to game trailers, so chronic is their problem.  You can't show trailers of games that will not be allowed, so that people don't kick up a fuss when it magically doesn't appear on store shelves.  Ignorance is bliss!

There is a simple solution to this small problem however.  Download it.  The internet prevails over stupidity once again.  You won't be breaking any laws, because you're not allowed to distribute copies of the offending article, so as long as you don't flog it down the local market, you'll be alright.  Plus you get a morally justifiable free game!  Awesome!  Manhunt 2 uncensored, anyone?

Four Thousand Page Views and....

Well my little page counter is telling me that this little blog has had four thousand visits so far.  These are not unique individuals of course, and the vast majority are myself, editing and re-uploading pages.

The other little secret to this number, is that I have reason to suspect some kind of attack on blogspot, (the page counter went up 1,000 overnight early in this blogs' history, and again midway through) therefore the actual number of hits is actually uncountable, and because of the idiot-friendly nature, and closed systems of blogspot, I cannot trace traffic; basically, no one will ever know how many views these pages have had.

In unrelated news I've started writing my autobiography!  I've always threatened to write about myself, (my own ego dictated that this be the first port of call in any attempts at writing) and now seemed a logical time to start.  I have an inordinate amount of time to myself, and reflection is almost inevitable in such circumstances.  To show the pre-empted nature of such writing, I even took a module in autobiographical studies at university.  Autobiography is an overlooked form, but pre-existing works outline any number of ways approaching such writing.  As usual I've just conglomerated every 'style,' creating a bastardised English that is actually rather difficult to follow.

I'm still debating whether to keep what I've written, as it realistically reflects me, but will (probably) make very little sense to anyone else.  It's also extremely interesting to find myself reading what is already committed to page and thinking; christ, this is difficult to read.  I've often criticised other writers for having styles that are almost impossible to read fluently, requiring an adept cipher inside ones' mind, rather than a curious mind.  They are essentially the kind of books that egoists and pretentious prattlers love so much - apparently I secretly fall among their ranks.  Of course the egotistical nature of my personality is not surprising, anyone who writes about themselves at any length has an ego measurable on the richter scale; but I've always tried to avoid pretence in everything I do, or write.  Except within my family and close friends, maybe.

On another tangent, christmas beckons.  No jobs as of yet, some presents purchased, the dole beckons, and tensions are (as always) frayed within all family departments.  This is pretty much par, for the circumstances I find myself in.  JET scheme (an ephemeral shadow organisation, spear-headed by God or the devil, depending on whether you've been accepted or not) has recieved my application and is now reviewing it.

And that, as they say, is that.