Literature out of Sorts

Super Abridged Classics Dept. continued

(Effects - castle door slamming)
Aragorn: "Hi Honey, I'm back!"

From the book "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King"

Even more later, whether you are lucky or not..

 

Project Power

One of the perks of my job is the student projects. It is like having your own research and development team! I've got some very nice projects running this year, a lot of them based on Pocket PC and Smartphone which should be fun. The downside is that I have most of my project meetings on Friday morning, around five in a row. This means that by Friday lunchtime I have virtually no brain left....

Just had a first year student get in touch asking for more labs. Apparently he wants to work on his programming over the weekend and he wants the next lab. We tend to set the labs on a week by week basis, depending on the overall progress of the class - but it is always nice to find keen people. I've pointed him at one of our "extra nasty" problems to keep him busy. Well, he did ask.

In between watching Babylon 5 and 24 we've been watching series 1 of the X-Files. Number one son hasn't seen them, and they are always worth a viewing. I reckon that the X-Files thing peaked around the end of series three, and so we have a few more to go at. I think I've now reached the point where I watch more DVDs than real telly. I might ask for a refund of part of the licence....

 

Bloggers Block

Now here's a thing. What do you call it when you can't think of anything to put in the blog? Does this imply that a whole heap of nothing happened today? Or was it that what happened was too boring to write about. Or was it that it all happened so quickly that I can't remember what went on. I'm going for the latter. We get a lot of this once term starts rolling. You get so involved in lecturing (loops this week) project supervision and stuff that you forget the passage of time. So, today was busy.

I've noticed a little problem with the World Wide Web. Which is concerned with the name. It is most annoying. It is a problem because it means that all web addresses begin with w. Which is the hardest letter in the alphabet to say. It is one of the few letters in the alphabet which has more than one syllable. And it has three. And we have three ws in every web address. That's nine syllables of noise. By the time you've got www out of your mouth your brain has just about given up on the idea of speaking and forgotten about saying the rest of the address. I've never met Tim Berners-Lee (but I would love to). However, if I do I would - as tactfully as possible - suggest that the father of the World Wide Web might have thought about this issue before he gave it the name it has.

 

Fame At Larst

I was walking back to my office yesterday when I saw a new colour poster on the corridor wall. It is to advertise a highly prestigious event which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the University of Hull. We have been in business for 75 years this year(although I've not been here quite that long.). Anyhoo, this picture shows momentous people in the development of the university; Philip Larkin - a famous poet, a king of some description, other important folks. Plus me. Down in the left hand corner, with Ian and Paul and "the product that cannot be named". I've no idea what I've done to deserve this. Neither has Ian, but there we are - large as life and twice as ugly. I'm definitely going to try and sneak one of these posters after the event....

And I've just found out that the Microsoft .NET degree, and our Imagine Cup success are going to feature in the Times Higher Education Supplement, with my name in print there as well (but fortunately no photograph this time). At this rate I'm going to need an agent soon.....

 

Oncemore to Doncaster. And then a meal with a bang

Went to Doncaster again. This time I was giving a talk to new students about how to manage final year projects. Did a huge number on the importance of proofreading your report before you hand it in. It will be interesting to see what effect this has on the submitted work.....

Then out for a meal. A little Indian restaurant in Cottingham; the Alishaan. Very good stuff. I had a Korma because I am a wimp where strong seasonings are concerned. One of our party (no names, no pack drill but you know who you are..) had a rather advanced cooked at the table job (I think it was a Khulnar). This was most impressive. The cooking process seemed to use copious quantities of brandy, producing an intense conflagration and a huge pillar of smoke which virtually filled the room. I nabbed a piece once the smoke had cleared and we could see each other again and the process certainly works. It was delicious. If you need a good place to eat out at reasonable prices I can strongly recommend the place. They do takeaways too.

 

Big Risk. Big Reward

Highlight of the day. Topped 400,000,000 on the Twilight Zone pinball machine. Number one son has topped out at 394,000,000. He is trying to beat my record as we speak. Documentary evidence will be added to back up this claim when I can get the picture off my camera.... Nobody in our family has ever made it "into the zone". When we do; expect a really jubilant post. If you are not sure what I'm talking about, take a look here.

Oh, and I know that such scores are pretty paltry amongst proper pinball wizards. It is just that we've only had the table around six months and I'm still learning...

 

Literature of Sorts

Super Abridged Classics Dept.

Shopkeeper: "Good morning Mr. Potter sir, and how may I help you"
Harry: "I'd like to reserve one of those birds which rise from the ashes"
Shopkeeper: "Certainly. It will be here in two weeks"

From the book "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

More later, if you are not lucky.