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Jerk Halloumi
Jul. 15th, 2024 08:31 pmThis is another one of those weird "must write about this" notes I've left myself
Some time ago (like pre-COVID ago), there was a departmental barbeque that we were all expected to contribute to. Not a problem, I don't cook often but I am not completely incompetent.
But, because I am not a horror, I wanted to cook something for the vegetarians.
Cue a level of panic because the only veggie barbeque dish I know of is tinfoil bananas (which are a delight) but 1) they're a dessert, 2) someone else was already cooking them.
Waitrose came through for me and suggested Jerk Halloumi, and let me assure you, it is the future!!!!
Some time ago (like pre-COVID ago), there was a departmental barbeque that we were all expected to contribute to. Not a problem, I don't cook often but I am not completely incompetent.
But, because I am not a horror, I wanted to cook something for the vegetarians.
Cue a level of panic because the only veggie barbeque dish I know of is tinfoil bananas (which are a delight) but 1) they're a dessert, 2) someone else was already cooking them.
Waitrose came through for me and suggested Jerk Halloumi, and let me assure you, it is the future!!!!
Leg update - only a week late
Mar. 3rd, 2024 11:56 pm1) I am now back in the office, oh yeah, so good. Like, I have the utmost sympathy for people who don't like working from offices, and I am very happy to have 2 days a week where I don't, but I do prefer being in the office regularly to full time working from home.
I have been promised the fire marshals have been trained in evacuating those with mobility issues. The fire marshal on our floor was away at the end of the week so I haven't had it confirmed by a trusted source.
2) I'm back to fencing. May have overdone it this week. J, who is one of my favourite training partners, not just because he's excellent left-hander practise. But he also gave no quarter so ... pain. Well not pain, just sore. Not helped by going over on that ankle walking to fencing. Also not helping is item 6.
3) Before the recent oops, I could do 2 1/2 hours on feet nonstop before they complained. Now that's down to maybe 1 1/2 hours but a lot of that was uphill, which also did not help.
4) Getting into and out of the shower no longer a thing of terror, which is a very good thing.
5) I am now allowed to go to the gym. Was meaning to go on Wednesday before last, but it was so cold and wet I decided to skip it.
6) The reason I didn't go last Wednesday was because I was in the Netherlands. First business trip since the break, first big customer visit ever. To quote Australian role equivalent, "they're nice in real life than in print". I will get back to Utrecht for fun reasons because that was some really interesting architecture.
I have been promised the fire marshals have been trained in evacuating those with mobility issues. The fire marshal on our floor was away at the end of the week so I haven't had it confirmed by a trusted source.
2) I'm back to fencing. May have overdone it this week. J, who is one of my favourite training partners, not just because he's excellent left-hander practise. But he also gave no quarter so ... pain. Well not pain, just sore. Not helped by going over on that ankle walking to fencing. Also not helping is item 6.
3) Before the recent oops, I could do 2 1/2 hours on feet nonstop before they complained. Now that's down to maybe 1 1/2 hours but a lot of that was uphill, which also did not help.
4) Getting into and out of the shower no longer a thing of terror, which is a very good thing.
5) I am now allowed to go to the gym. Was meaning to go on Wednesday before last, but it was so cold and wet I decided to skip it.
6) The reason I didn't go last Wednesday was because I was in the Netherlands. First business trip since the break, first big customer visit ever. To quote Australian role equivalent, "they're nice in real life than in print". I will get back to Utrecht for fun reasons because that was some really interesting architecture.
Given the travelling I have been doing with work, I thought it was worth chronicling where I have travelled to, and lucky, there's a website for that ;)
The US and Germany are explained by big conferences, as is Stockholm. I got sent to the Czech Republic and Poland to cover for someone else because I have regional experience.
The US and Germany are explained by big conferences, as is Stockholm. I got sent to the Czech Republic and Poland to cover for someone else because I have regional experience.
I require some California knowledge
Jun. 23rd, 2023 07:22 pmSo the good news is that work are sending me to a really cool conference.
The bad news is they're insisting on black and white as the colours, which means a black suit for me, for a conference at the end of July. Not a problem, except the buying of the item (because I do not own a black suit). Fine, I'm sure somewhere will be selling them.
What I want to know, is how broiled am I going to be in a suit in Anaheim at the end of July.
The bad news is they're insisting on black and white as the colours, which means a black suit for me, for a conference at the end of July. Not a problem, except the buying of the item (because I do not own a black suit). Fine, I'm sure somewhere will be selling them.
What I want to know, is how broiled am I going to be in a suit in Anaheim at the end of July.
Working from Home
Apr. 9th, 2022 06:33 pmI want to start with saying that if you prefer Working From Home, I will happily stick up for you in an argument, but I am so glad we're back in the office.
Work have switched to hybrid working for our role. Interestingly, they've also switched to hybrid for my old job, which is interesting after 4 years of them insisting that was impossible (basically 3/4 of that dept. can't work from home so it was decided that the remaining 1/4 wouldn't either).
For me, that's great, I live in a 1 bedroom flat, I do not enjoy working from home because I have enough space for 1 laptop and no screens, and really, I need at least 1 extra screen. In the office, I have 2 screens, a comfortable table and better lighting. So much better for me.
I admit that I probably wouldn't feel quite so enthusiastic if I didn't have the 2nd shortest commute of my colleagues, but basically, I get up at 7 am 3 days a week and 8 am the other two. This system works for me.
The other bonus is, because other people don't like being in the office, and I've chosen Monday and Friday as two of my days, there's so few people at work when I am that it's almost as quiet as my flat.
Work have switched to hybrid working for our role. Interestingly, they've also switched to hybrid for my old job, which is interesting after 4 years of them insisting that was impossible (basically 3/4 of that dept. can't work from home so it was decided that the remaining 1/4 wouldn't either).
For me, that's great, I live in a 1 bedroom flat, I do not enjoy working from home because I have enough space for 1 laptop and no screens, and really, I need at least 1 extra screen. In the office, I have 2 screens, a comfortable table and better lighting. So much better for me.
I admit that I probably wouldn't feel quite so enthusiastic if I didn't have the 2nd shortest commute of my colleagues, but basically, I get up at 7 am 3 days a week and 8 am the other two. This system works for me.
The other bonus is, because other people don't like being in the office, and I've chosen Monday and Friday as two of my days, there's so few people at work when I am that it's almost as quiet as my flat.
Work (conference), fencing and F1
Dec. 12th, 2021 05:31 pmTo do list for this weekend
1 - attend virtual conference running on Georgia (US) time zone
2 - attend fencing competition, that I could only attend because physical attendance at (1) was cancelled
3 - watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
3/3 achieved but only due to whichever demon looks after the clumsy and foolish.
1 - the chaos started on Friday. Conference attendance no longer happening so I got switched to virtual attendance. Not a problem.
Conference website crashes when I try to log on, but I finally get in half an hour late.
I'd blocked the afternoon out at work, but everyone decided that "[real name redacted] is in a meeting" on Teams means I am available to be called. Normally, I'd just type them a message going "in a meeting, will call when available". Unfortunately, because of the way Teams is set up, it shuts off the talk I am in. This happens, I get rid of the people who decided a phone call was needed for something that could have been an email. Return to conference just in time to hear "[something out company does] is useless in situation", without any of the context. Cue panic.
Thankfully, talk was recorded and have been able to listen today.
The other talk I missed for similarly reasons is also up on the website so I will survive.
2 - the fencing competition is an odd set up, teams of 1 epeeist, 1 foilist and 1 sabreur and at least 1 of the 3 has to be female. (As you can imagine, that means most teams only have 1 woman because fencing needs more women.)
I was going to be in the US so didn't have a team. Tell the organiser that I will be available, there's already one team who needs a female foilist (their foilist was poached to go ref in France) so I am loaned out to them.
Different team need a female epeeist and ask 3 days later. It is explained to them that I am already on a team. There is sulking.
Competition rolls round - ack 1 of my teammates is 18. I am now old enough to be my teammates mother.
It goes well, we win a silver (after a stewards's enquiry about the indicators [goal difference but for hits scored Vs hits received]).
It goes badly; teammate dislocated his thumb, I make two opponents cry and slash another one across the wrist.
I also miss one of the talks at (1) that I have to hear but see previous re fools and clumsy people, and it's been recorded.
3 - so I can see a different set of talks at conference (1) I had to listen to the Grand Prix on the radio. BBC app started late so I was 10 minutes behind. I think the main problem is that the stewards made the wrong decision first and then had to fix it.
1 - attend virtual conference running on Georgia (US) time zone
2 - attend fencing competition, that I could only attend because physical attendance at (1) was cancelled
3 - watch the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
3/3 achieved but only due to whichever demon looks after the clumsy and foolish.
1 - the chaos started on Friday. Conference attendance no longer happening so I got switched to virtual attendance. Not a problem.
Conference website crashes when I try to log on, but I finally get in half an hour late.
I'd blocked the afternoon out at work, but everyone decided that "[real name redacted] is in a meeting" on Teams means I am available to be called. Normally, I'd just type them a message going "in a meeting, will call when available". Unfortunately, because of the way Teams is set up, it shuts off the talk I am in. This happens, I get rid of the people who decided a phone call was needed for something that could have been an email. Return to conference just in time to hear "[something out company does] is useless in situation", without any of the context. Cue panic.
Thankfully, talk was recorded and have been able to listen today.
The other talk I missed for similarly reasons is also up on the website so I will survive.
2 - the fencing competition is an odd set up, teams of 1 epeeist, 1 foilist and 1 sabreur and at least 1 of the 3 has to be female. (As you can imagine, that means most teams only have 1 woman because fencing needs more women.)
I was going to be in the US so didn't have a team. Tell the organiser that I will be available, there's already one team who needs a female foilist (their foilist was poached to go ref in France) so I am loaned out to them.
Different team need a female epeeist and ask 3 days later. It is explained to them that I am already on a team. There is sulking.
Competition rolls round - ack 1 of my teammates is 18. I am now old enough to be my teammates mother.
It goes well, we win a silver (after a stewards's enquiry about the indicators [goal difference but for hits scored Vs hits received]).
It goes badly; teammate dislocated his thumb, I make two opponents cry and slash another one across the wrist.
I also miss one of the talks at (1) that I have to hear but see previous re fools and clumsy people, and it's been recorded.
3 - so I can see a different set of talks at conference (1) I had to listen to the Grand Prix on the radio. BBC app started late so I was 10 minutes behind. I think the main problem is that the stewards made the wrong decision first and then had to fix it.
An RL update
Oct. 14th, 2021 10:28 pmWork can be summarised by an image
( Giant image of Kate McKinnon as Angela Merkel with text saying 'Once again, everything has fallen to me )
But I now have 9 days off in a row. I will snooze while Rome burns.
( Giant image of Kate McKinnon as Angela Merkel with text saying 'Once again, everything has fallen to me )
But I now have 9 days off in a row. I will snooze while Rome burns.
(no subject)
Feb. 21st, 2020 07:13 pmTonight, I am mostly avoiding company.
Colleagues are having a meal out. I am not going. Partly it's because I want to strangle them, and they are going somewhere that even this degenerate hipster regards as excessively hipsterish*. And partly because I have already had to people three nights this week and will be having to people on Sunday, and ... too much people-ing.
If I didn't want to strangle them, I would probably be more willing to people tonight, but I do, so I am skipping tonight. I am blaming fencing and I am sure the fencers will cover for me.
*Of course, I was a hipster before it was cool ;)
Colleagues are having a meal out. I am not going. Partly it's because I want to strangle them, and they are going somewhere that even this degenerate hipster regards as excessively hipsterish*. And partly because I have already had to people three nights this week and will be having to people on Sunday, and ... too much people-ing.
If I didn't want to strangle them, I would probably be more willing to people tonight, but I do, so I am skipping tonight. I am blaming fencing and I am sure the fencers will cover for me.
*Of course, I was a hipster before it was cool ;)
So the main reason I am so far behind with *everything* is that, much earlier this summer, I went to a conference in Sweden. Stockholm to be more precise.
1 - Stockholm is lovely, and is definitely on my list of places I want to visit properly.
( Three pictures underneath )
2 - The thing about everyone in Stockholm speaks English is a lie. Now of course, both times this happened, it was when I didn't have my Swedish pocket dictionary to hand, but the urge to say "I told you so", remains.
3 - The conference was huge, like at least as big as the biggest NMR conference I've been too, and I've been informed that it "wasn't that big". I blame the medics. I also blame the medics for the fact that it was significantly tilted toward clinical stuff (and away from sciencey stuff). According to boss, this year it was particularly medicine-based. That was, at least in part, because a bunch of big clinical trials were reporting in. Because big clinical trials *have* to have cool names, we heard from pretty much every member of the Greek pantheon. My eternal respect for the speaker who started his talk with "this trial doesn't have a good name, it has good results instead."
It was very different to NMR conferences. I don't know if that's because it was so much bigger, or because I am completely new to the field, but it felt a lot less collegiate. Despite the fact that I ran into another one of the old NMR lot there, who has also joined the dark-side.
Other things that were interesting were the lengths to which the vendors would go to get their company name out there. The company who were selling a generic version of (important drug), I could understand why they were going with racing cars as their theme, especially as they're the first to make a generic version of (important drug) and it being a difficult drug to make as a generic because it's a biologic. The much bigger company who went with a JCB digger, I am less sure about.
Also, dear one big company who wouldn't let me have a cup of tea on satellite symposium day - know that it cost you about 10 cups of coffee throughout the rest of the week. I am small, petty and had my revenge.
It was the first conference I'd been to where speakers have had to put the "conflict of interests" bit at the start of their talks. It smacks significantly of "people in power have decided they must be seen to be doing something", rather than anything effective. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, speakers now have a compulsory 10 second slide at the start of their talks listing their various honorariums.
If I see someone with none, I don't think, "my, what a clean pair of hands", I think "ah, this is an early career researcher". If I saw someone who was obviously not an early career researcher without any, I wouldn't think "my what a noble scientist, untouched by industry", I'd think "so, they've not worked on anything important."
The basic problem is that, if you're working on a cancer and company x develop a drug which might treat it, the only way they're going to be able to find out if it works is by running trials. If they're running trials, they're going to have to be giving you the drug and paying for some of your time. Everyone in the field knows this, everyone in any medical science field knows this. There is no other way that the system can work until the drug is tested and approved.
You also get glorious situations like Austrian Prof who obviously thought the declaration slide was BS and therefore said, "Obviously I run trials for x and y because their drugs are the best available," while her declaration slide was up. I don't think the people who came up with the terrible idea intended it to be an advert but ...
You also get aged profs who can't work the technology who accidentally skip backwards in their talk (twice) and therefore we have to sit looking at their COI slide for 30 actual seconds.
I completely understand the idea behind it but it isn't any better than the previous "comment at end of talk" and I don't see the point of showing them at scientific conferences where everyone is going to be a medical science person who knows what the deal is. And I do not exaggerate, the conference is ~ 350 Euro to attend so everyone that's there is there because they are in the field and need/want to be there.
4 - After the conference, we fly back on a different route (note, people flying to/from Stockholm, Broma airport is still at the tiny, barely-one-terminal stage of its development) and because we are flying via Brussels, my colleague I is introduced to the Brussels Shuffle. Of course we came in all the way at the end of one terminal and had to rush all the way round to the middle of another.
The one upside is that I got to see the Brussels Airline Smurf plane. Brussels Airline have painted 1 plane with Smurfs (aerosmurf, more details here - https://www.brusselsairlines.com/en-be/misc/meet_aerosmurf.aspx), one with Tintin characters (Rackham), one is Magritte (Magritte), one is for a Belgian music festival (Amare) and one is for the football team (Trident). Sadly I didn't manage to get a picture of it, but I did manage to get a photos of the Smurf statue in the airport.
1 - Stockholm is lovely, and is definitely on my list of places I want to visit properly.
( Three pictures underneath )
2 - The thing about everyone in Stockholm speaks English is a lie. Now of course, both times this happened, it was when I didn't have my Swedish pocket dictionary to hand, but the urge to say "I told you so", remains.
3 - The conference was huge, like at least as big as the biggest NMR conference I've been too, and I've been informed that it "wasn't that big". I blame the medics. I also blame the medics for the fact that it was significantly tilted toward clinical stuff (and away from sciencey stuff). According to boss, this year it was particularly medicine-based. That was, at least in part, because a bunch of big clinical trials were reporting in. Because big clinical trials *have* to have cool names, we heard from pretty much every member of the Greek pantheon. My eternal respect for the speaker who started his talk with "this trial doesn't have a good name, it has good results instead."
It was very different to NMR conferences. I don't know if that's because it was so much bigger, or because I am completely new to the field, but it felt a lot less collegiate. Despite the fact that I ran into another one of the old NMR lot there, who has also joined the dark-side.
Other things that were interesting were the lengths to which the vendors would go to get their company name out there. The company who were selling a generic version of (important drug), I could understand why they were going with racing cars as their theme, especially as they're the first to make a generic version of (important drug) and it being a difficult drug to make as a generic because it's a biologic. The much bigger company who went with a JCB digger, I am less sure about.
Also, dear one big company who wouldn't let me have a cup of tea on satellite symposium day - know that it cost you about 10 cups of coffee throughout the rest of the week. I am small, petty and had my revenge.
It was the first conference I'd been to where speakers have had to put the "conflict of interests" bit at the start of their talks. It smacks significantly of "people in power have decided they must be seen to be doing something", rather than anything effective. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, speakers now have a compulsory 10 second slide at the start of their talks listing their various honorariums.
If I see someone with none, I don't think, "my, what a clean pair of hands", I think "ah, this is an early career researcher". If I saw someone who was obviously not an early career researcher without any, I wouldn't think "my what a noble scientist, untouched by industry", I'd think "so, they've not worked on anything important."
The basic problem is that, if you're working on a cancer and company x develop a drug which might treat it, the only way they're going to be able to find out if it works is by running trials. If they're running trials, they're going to have to be giving you the drug and paying for some of your time. Everyone in the field knows this, everyone in any medical science field knows this. There is no other way that the system can work until the drug is tested and approved.
You also get glorious situations like Austrian Prof who obviously thought the declaration slide was BS and therefore said, "Obviously I run trials for x and y because their drugs are the best available," while her declaration slide was up. I don't think the people who came up with the terrible idea intended it to be an advert but ...
You also get aged profs who can't work the technology who accidentally skip backwards in their talk (twice) and therefore we have to sit looking at their COI slide for 30 actual seconds.
I completely understand the idea behind it but it isn't any better than the previous "comment at end of talk" and I don't see the point of showing them at scientific conferences where everyone is going to be a medical science person who knows what the deal is. And I do not exaggerate, the conference is ~ 350 Euro to attend so everyone that's there is there because they are in the field and need/want to be there.
4 - After the conference, we fly back on a different route (note, people flying to/from Stockholm, Broma airport is still at the tiny, barely-one-terminal stage of its development) and because we are flying via Brussels, my colleague I is introduced to the Brussels Shuffle. Of course we came in all the way at the end of one terminal and had to rush all the way round to the middle of another.
The one upside is that I got to see the Brussels Airline Smurf plane. Brussels Airline have painted 1 plane with Smurfs (aerosmurf, more details here - https://www.brusselsairlines.com/en-be/misc/meet_aerosmurf.aspx), one with Tintin characters (Rackham), one is Magritte (Magritte), one is for a Belgian music festival (Amare) and one is for the football team (Trident). Sadly I didn't manage to get a picture of it, but I did manage to get a photos of the Smurf statue in the airport.
1 - Girl cousin is getting married this October and I am a bridesmaid. This is a good thing. I have been given the following as a guide for what I'm wearing, "sleeved dress, black, ivory or burgundy". Of course, those are the colours that aren't in at the minute, not with sleeves and with lengths longer than risque for a wedding.
2 - For the above, I am growing my hair out. My hair hasn't been long for more than half my life and it's all how did I use to cope with this. Too much hair with a vengeance.
3 - We do not speak of the paper.
4 - Due to the above I am running away on holiday at some point. The options are fjords and Norway in general, which would knock off another one of my 'one day I will' destinations, or pool/beach/boil my brain in the sunshine.
They've both got their good points and bad point, so I'll see what happens later this summer. If the weather stays good, Norway's probably the way to go, but trying to get itineraries and prices for the same trips is almost impossible.
2 - For the above, I am growing my hair out. My hair hasn't been long for more than half my life and it's all how did I use to cope with this. Too much hair with a vengeance.
3 - We do not speak of the paper.
4 - Due to the above I am running away on holiday at some point. The options are fjords and Norway in general, which would knock off another one of my 'one day I will' destinations, or pool/beach/boil my brain in the sunshine.
They've both got their good points and bad point, so I'll see what happens later this summer. If the weather stays good, Norway's probably the way to go, but trying to get itineraries and prices for the same trips is almost impossible.
Wrestling and The Wolf Of Wall Street
Jan. 23rd, 2014 06:36 pmWondering why I suddenly had "I Am" running round my head at work. Then realised that it might have something to do with the presentation on P1 protein. Pavlov has nothing on wrestling.
~~~~
I haven't seen the Wolf of Wall Street (although it's doing very well at the cinema if the number of sold out screenings in Birmingham are anything to go off). This is partly because it doesn't look like my kind of film, and partly because I can't shake the feeling that I've seen this film already when it was called "Boiler Room".
~~~~
I haven't seen the Wolf of Wall Street (although it's doing very well at the cinema if the number of sold out screenings in Birmingham are anything to go off). This is partly because it doesn't look like my kind of film, and partly because I can't shake the feeling that I've seen this film already when it was called "Boiler Room".
Good Thing, Bad Thing and A Favour
Dec. 9th, 2013 10:12 pmGood Thing - The insurance company and the building management have finally got their acts together and have said I can get my flat fixed.
Bad Thing - So my project at work is based on someone else's work. And their work is quite frequently wrong or corners have been cut and it isn't complete. So I keep having to redo bits of it. The thing I'm working on now was mostly computer-based and, while he was almost a menace with lab stuff, he was reasonably competent with the computer stuff, so I thought it would be okay. Only then I kept getting weird results and went, okay, back to basics, go back to the start and go over everything. It turns out, this guy, who has a PhD, screwed up something you could leave a first year to do. So now I have to explain this to my bosses, and apologise to one collaborator who has spent time helping me. The only reason I haven't damaged the other guy is because my arms do not reach to Cambridge.
The Favour - Does anyone have time to Ameri-pick a 1300 word X-Men fic? No knowledge needed of canon but I fear a few British-isms have snuck in.
Bad Thing - So my project at work is based on someone else's work. And their work is quite frequently wrong or corners have been cut and it isn't complete. So I keep having to redo bits of it. The thing I'm working on now was mostly computer-based and, while he was almost a menace with lab stuff, he was reasonably competent with the computer stuff, so I thought it would be okay. Only then I kept getting weird results and went, okay, back to basics, go back to the start and go over everything. It turns out, this guy, who has a PhD, screwed up something you could leave a first year to do. So now I have to explain this to my bosses, and apologise to one collaborator who has spent time helping me. The only reason I haven't damaged the other guy is because my arms do not reach to Cambridge.
The Favour - Does anyone have time to Ameri-pick a 1300 word X-Men fic? No knowledge needed of canon but I fear a few British-isms have snuck in.
Fencing and Mold and Oops
Oct. 6th, 2013 06:15 pmCame 3rd at the Ashton. Lost my semi 14-15, which is :( but I know where I went wrong and next time I will win. (insert evil laughter)
Unfortunately, it turns out that the mold has attacked two of my coats which are presently being boiled alive in the washing machine. I doubt it will rescue them but it's worth a go.
I've also managed to stab myself in the hand (thankfully, my left) with a glass pipette. Our official health and safety form now says "users have been told to use with due care and attention" possibly because "[real name redacted] is dipsy" doesn't sound particularly official.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the mold has attacked two of my coats which are presently being boiled alive in the washing machine. I doubt it will rescue them but it's worth a go.
I've also managed to stab myself in the hand (thankfully, my left) with a glass pipette. Our official health and safety form now says "users have been told to use with due care and attention" possibly because "[real name redacted] is dipsy" doesn't sound particularly official.
Good News/Bad News and A Meme
Jul. 22nd, 2013 07:03 pmScience:
Good news: I may have interesting results
Bad news: I can't interpret them because work computer is, to quote the Linux dude, "shafted".
Good news: The project students are gone at the end of the week
Bad news: Leaving me with a mess of data because they did not listen and didn't add DTT or TCEP to buffers when I told them to.
RL:
Good news: The students being gone means I can start fencing again
Bad news: I haven't fenced in months. I am going to die. And so is my wallet (need to resub to the national body and pay my club membership).
Writing:
Good news: I am getting somewhere with the novel I'm working on (hat-tip to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
idleleaves for some of her suggestions).
Bad news: I'm not sure I'm getting anywhere useful.
Good news: I think I know how I'm ending part 2 of the never ending Mystique fic
Bad news: Part of the solution is to add about 2 more long paragraphs of thinking and a bit more speaking. Part 5 is already 6 people sitting around a table with no action. I wanted there to be less of that in part 2. (Part 4 is two people sitting round a table but fun stuff happens, and part 6 is two people sitting round a table but interesting stuff happens)
Fanfiction Meme - Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Not sure it's my favourite place, but I do most of my writing on my sofa. I wish I had a desk (like I used to) but there is no room in my flat. I used to write in bed but there's only one easily accessible socket in my bedroom and my alarm clock now uses that.
I write using my laptop and, 99/100ths of the time, using Notepad. I have no idea why I prefer it to writing in Word, I just do. I always send my fics through Word before I post. It's amazing the number of times doing that catches those little details I've forgotten to put in, or those tiny mistakes I have left in.
For some unknown reason, I find it easier to write Harry Potter fic by hand.
( Other Days )
Good news: I may have interesting results
Bad news: I can't interpret them because work computer is, to quote the Linux dude, "shafted".
Good news: The project students are gone at the end of the week
Bad news: Leaving me with a mess of data because they did not listen and didn't add DTT or TCEP to buffers when I told them to.
RL:
Good news: The students being gone means I can start fencing again
Bad news: I haven't fenced in months. I am going to die. And so is my wallet (need to resub to the national body and pay my club membership).
Writing:
Good news: I am getting somewhere with the novel I'm working on (hat-tip to
idleleaves for some of her suggestions).Bad news: I'm not sure I'm getting anywhere useful.
Good news: I think I know how I'm ending part 2 of the never ending Mystique fic
Bad news: Part of the solution is to add about 2 more long paragraphs of thinking and a bit more speaking. Part 5 is already 6 people sitting around a table with no action. I wanted there to be less of that in part 2. (Part 4 is two people sitting round a table but fun stuff happens, and part 6 is two people sitting round a table but interesting stuff happens)
Fanfiction Meme - Day 27 – Where is your favorite place to write, and do you write by hand or on the computer?
Not sure it's my favourite place, but I do most of my writing on my sofa. I wish I had a desk (like I used to) but there is no room in my flat. I used to write in bed but there's only one easily accessible socket in my bedroom and my alarm clock now uses that.
I write using my laptop and, 99/100ths of the time, using Notepad. I have no idea why I prefer it to writing in Word, I just do. I always send my fics through Word before I post. It's amazing the number of times doing that catches those little details I've forgotten to put in, or those tiny mistakes I have left in.
For some unknown reason, I find it easier to write Harry Potter fic by hand.
( Other Days )
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If the work thing leads to the thing my boss thinks it might lead to, the stress will have been worth it.
That being said, I look forward to work settling down a bit so I can carry on with the stuff that's actually directly mine.
That will also, hopefully, lead to me not forgetting as many things. So far I've lost one USB stick (probably forever, but there's a chance it's been handed in at work). It had a couple of meme answers on so I'll be even longer in responding that usual. I also nearly mislaid my wool needles. But I found those a couple of days later. Dear self, cease with the gaslighting.
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Wrestling - someone posted this set of Evolution gifs on tumblr - http://brightnshinythings.tumblr.com/post/54093487534/randy-orton-a-to-the-z-e-1-is-for-the-evolution I may have squeaked.
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Fic Meme - Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
I used to sit straight down but I found I had far too many things going on at once and never seemed to get anywhere with any of them, so now I write a basic outline of the idea in my "to write" file, throw in any phrases that I must put in, and I'm only allowed to start the next one in the file once I've finished another fic.
The other advantage is I don't waste time on fics that I can't remember the purpose for, they just get put to the end of the list when I reach them.
( Other Days )
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Glastonbury Comment
While I've been writing this up, the Arctic Monkeys have been on the tv. When they were first a thing, I didn't get it. I accepted that they were decent musicians, but not "OMG saviours of music".
I still don't think they're all that, but they give a good live performance. And I get what people see in the lead singer.
That being said, I look forward to work settling down a bit so I can carry on with the stuff that's actually directly mine.
That will also, hopefully, lead to me not forgetting as many things. So far I've lost one USB stick (probably forever, but there's a chance it's been handed in at work). It had a couple of meme answers on so I'll be even longer in responding that usual. I also nearly mislaid my wool needles. But I found those a couple of days later. Dear self, cease with the gaslighting.
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Wrestling - someone posted this set of Evolution gifs on tumblr - http://brightnshinythings.tumblr.com/post/54093487534/randy-orton-a-to-the-z-e-1-is-for-the-evolution I may have squeaked.
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Fic Meme - Day 19 – When you have bunnies, do you sit down and start writing right away, or do you write down the idea for further use?
I used to sit straight down but I found I had far too many things going on at once and never seemed to get anywhere with any of them, so now I write a basic outline of the idea in my "to write" file, throw in any phrases that I must put in, and I'm only allowed to start the next one in the file once I've finished another fic.
The other advantage is I don't waste time on fics that I can't remember the purpose for, they just get put to the end of the list when I reach them.
( Other Days )
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Glastonbury Comment
While I've been writing this up, the Arctic Monkeys have been on the tv. When they were first a thing, I didn't get it. I accepted that they were decent musicians, but not "OMG saviours of music".
I still don't think they're all that, but they give a good live performance. And I get what people see in the lead singer.
Superbowl (but somehow mostly rugby)
Feb. 3rd, 2013 03:01 pmNormally this time of year I ask who I'm supposed to cheer for, but this year, the 49ers have already claimed me as I spent time around San Francisco this summer.
Not that I'm going to actually be able to see any of it (or much of it). I've got 3 more proteins to purify by Friday so I need to be in work early on Monday.
So happy that Ireland won. Poor Owen (who thankfully is on the other side of the Atlantic since we have had housewide rows on these topics before) got up at 6 to watch that. He agrees with me that if Wales had started with Tipuric it wouldn't have ended that way. And not in a month of Sundays should Zebo's flick trick have worked.
England vs Scotland was a lot closer than the English press would have you believe.
We will not speak of Saints vs Huddersfield
The French rugby union team are a marvellous band of men, but I continue to be amazed that between 15 men and replacements, not a one of them can sing in tune.
And someone may wish to warn them that Castrogiovanni looks like he's ready to murderise them.
Not that I'm going to actually be able to see any of it (or much of it). I've got 3 more proteins to purify by Friday so I need to be in work early on Monday.
So happy that Ireland won. Poor Owen (who thankfully is on the other side of the Atlantic since we have had housewide rows on these topics before) got up at 6 to watch that. He agrees with me that if Wales had started with Tipuric it wouldn't have ended that way. And not in a month of Sundays should Zebo's flick trick have worked.
England vs Scotland was a lot closer than the English press would have you believe.
We will not speak of Saints vs Huddersfield
The French rugby union team are a marvellous band of men, but I continue to be amazed that between 15 men and replacements, not a one of them can sing in tune.
And someone may wish to warn them that Castrogiovanni looks like he's ready to murderise them.
The Up Goer Five Thing
Jan. 20th, 2013 07:11 pmPinched variously from nwhyte (http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2055197.html) and Derek Lowe at In The Pipeline (http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2013/01/16/drug_discovery_with_the_most_common_words.php) where you describe your job using the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language.
Both of the above gentlemen do a much better job of explaining themselves than I do.
I study how the small parts of the body work, smaller than a cell. I try to see how what they look like changes how they work.
I am hamstrung by shape not being one of the words. Or meat. I can explain proteins better if I have access to those two words.
If you want to give it a go, here's a link http://splasho.com/upgoer5/
nwhyte (http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/2055197.html) and Derek Lowe at In The Pipeline (http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2013/01/16/drug_discovery_with_the_most_common_words.php) where you describe your job using the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language.Both of the above gentlemen do a much better job of explaining themselves than I do.
I study how the small parts of the body work, smaller than a cell. I try to see how what they look like changes how they work.
I am hamstrung by shape not being one of the words. Or meat. I can explain proteins better if I have access to those two words.
If you want to give it a go, here's a link http://splasho.com/upgoer5/
Science: If you are ever in a position where someone asks if they can use your freeze-dryer to lyophilise rat waste, say no. If, like my group, you are forced to be collegial, demand an air freshener in payment. In short, bad stench. In a machine I then had to clean.
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Formula 1: I didn't say much about it at the time, unless you happened to catch me gloating about drinking the tears of the Hamilton and Alonso fans. This is not just because I do like Sebastian Vettel. It's also because I love the design of the Red Bull cars. As a Ferrari fan, it pains me to see how bad the car is in comparison to the Red Bulls. Heck, in real, bang for your buck terms, it's not even doing as well as the Sauber which is a Ferrari engine customer car. My boys, we are being beaten by a satellite team.
And, in an odd sort of way, it's why I'm glad that Alonso didn't win. Because it would have papered over the design cracks in the same way that the Raikkonen win in 2007 did. We* haven't had the best car since ~ 2004. And it will not do. I don't advocate sackings, but I am quickly coming round to the idea of stocks and or enforced press ups until that bloody car works properly. I'll settle for less over-steer and a bit more grunt.
*I am a tifosi (or tifosa rather). We is the appropriate pronoun.
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TNA - Those people who said Final Resolution was good are misguided. I missed the first two matches (so those may have been stellar) but the rest of it, with two more exceptions was bland. Not bad, as such, but ho-hum. The two exceptions were the women's match, which, yes, threw in shenanigans but they were expected, plus the wrestling was good.
The other exception was the Styles vs Daniels match, which wasn't Iron Man standard, but if TNA actually stick with it and have this be their last match for a while, it's a good match for them to go out on. There was a distinct sense that they'd been told to go wild and murderise each other for half an hour. It was glorious. They made a Russian leg sweep look evil. And Daniels ... I'm a Daniels fan and even I wanted to punch him (seriously, wonderful heel work).
Also, apparently, according to the commentary, it was either their 115th match or 150th match together. Anyone else think that's an under-estimate?
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Links -
Heart-warming football story of the week - Only one Udinese fan turns up to their away match at Sampdoria - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20700529 or http://tinyurl.com/loneudinesefaneurosport Highlights include - But Sampdoria stewards gave him coffee and home fans invited him for a drink after the match.
Odd horse story of the week - Gold-winning show-jumping horse bought by Bruce Springsteen - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/equestrian/20683089 The course of events makes more sense but it's still one heck of a headline.
Idiotic F1 article of the week - Andrew Benson takes his dislike of Schumacher to new heights. Apparently, he's lucky to have won 7 titles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20669262 The best bit. People tearing the article to shreds in the comments by pointing out that there were three more years were Schumacher was in with a shout at the end of the season (not counting the other one, where he broke his leg and then missed a few races) so if Benson's going to write 3 of Schumi's off, they're adding those three.
Yet another Alex Zanardi article - http://tinyurl.com/alexzanardieurosport
A good result from the heart tests instituted after Fabrice Muamba's collapse - http://tinyurl.com/muambatesteurosport
Golf course builds giant dinosaur, loses PGA event - http://tinyurl.com/golfdinosaureurosport The article does not elucidate a lot, but it's one heck of a headline.
Fantastic story about someone who worked at a bank but, after writing a book about the theory of scoring from set-pieces started to work for Fiorentina - http://tinyurl.com/banktofootballbencheurosport
And now Galatasary and Besiktas fans riot at wheelchair basketball - http://tinyurl.com/wheelchairbasketballrioteurosp There's a certain lunatic determination by both sets of fans to try and murder each other no matter what the sport.
~~~~
Formula 1: I didn't say much about it at the time, unless you happened to catch me gloating about drinking the tears of the Hamilton and Alonso fans. This is not just because I do like Sebastian Vettel. It's also because I love the design of the Red Bull cars. As a Ferrari fan, it pains me to see how bad the car is in comparison to the Red Bulls. Heck, in real, bang for your buck terms, it's not even doing as well as the Sauber which is a Ferrari engine customer car. My boys, we are being beaten by a satellite team.
And, in an odd sort of way, it's why I'm glad that Alonso didn't win. Because it would have papered over the design cracks in the same way that the Raikkonen win in 2007 did. We* haven't had the best car since ~ 2004. And it will not do. I don't advocate sackings, but I am quickly coming round to the idea of stocks and or enforced press ups until that bloody car works properly. I'll settle for less over-steer and a bit more grunt.
*I am a tifosi (or tifosa rather). We is the appropriate pronoun.
~~~~
TNA - Those people who said Final Resolution was good are misguided. I missed the first two matches (so those may have been stellar) but the rest of it, with two more exceptions was bland. Not bad, as such, but ho-hum. The two exceptions were the women's match, which, yes, threw in shenanigans but they were expected, plus the wrestling was good.
The other exception was the Styles vs Daniels match, which wasn't Iron Man standard, but if TNA actually stick with it and have this be their last match for a while, it's a good match for them to go out on. There was a distinct sense that they'd been told to go wild and murderise each other for half an hour. It was glorious. They made a Russian leg sweep look evil. And Daniels ... I'm a Daniels fan and even I wanted to punch him (seriously, wonderful heel work).
Also, apparently, according to the commentary, it was either their 115th match or 150th match together. Anyone else think that's an under-estimate?
~~~~
Links -
Heart-warming football story of the week - Only one Udinese fan turns up to their away match at Sampdoria - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20700529 or http://tinyurl.com/loneudinesefaneurosport Highlights include - But Sampdoria stewards gave him coffee and home fans invited him for a drink after the match.
Odd horse story of the week - Gold-winning show-jumping horse bought by Bruce Springsteen - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/equestrian/20683089 The course of events makes more sense but it's still one heck of a headline.
Idiotic F1 article of the week - Andrew Benson takes his dislike of Schumacher to new heights. Apparently, he's lucky to have won 7 titles. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20669262 The best bit. People tearing the article to shreds in the comments by pointing out that there were three more years were Schumacher was in with a shout at the end of the season (not counting the other one, where he broke his leg and then missed a few races) so if Benson's going to write 3 of Schumi's off, they're adding those three.
Yet another Alex Zanardi article - http://tinyurl.com/alexzanardieurosport
A good result from the heart tests instituted after Fabrice Muamba's collapse - http://tinyurl.com/muambatesteurosport
Golf course builds giant dinosaur, loses PGA event - http://tinyurl.com/golfdinosaureurosport The article does not elucidate a lot, but it's one heck of a headline.
Fantastic story about someone who worked at a bank but, after writing a book about the theory of scoring from set-pieces started to work for Fiorentina - http://tinyurl.com/banktofootballbencheurosport
And now Galatasary and Besiktas fans riot at wheelchair basketball - http://tinyurl.com/wheelchairbasketballrioteurosp There's a certain lunatic determination by both sets of fans to try and murder each other no matter what the sport.
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