Monday 7 December 2009

Blogging?

So yeah, been a while. A long while.
I haven't been sure what to write about mostly.
But I'm seriously considering taking up Vloging, not in a very frequent capacity but I think I'd enjoy it. What I really want to do, if I had a lot more free time, is redo my site (preab.org) so that I could do all of the things I'd planned to do with it.
A few of the ideas were an easy add link setup so that members of the forums (while not inputting to the forum) could add links to the random link bar. I would also like to have a search function, so that a specific link could be found. And maybe a setup so that the links could be ordered, eg. games, comedy, movies, youtube..etc.
On top of the interesting links I wanted to have it set up with better gallery software, the one that is there now is great and all but it's overcomplicated for what I use it for. Aswell as that I want to have it so that I blog on it, not through this but directly onto that. Now I know alot of these things are Very easy to do but I just don't have the time and energy. A lot of these things I hope to have easily updatable by everyone who registers on the forums, such that everyone basically has a photobucket/blogger/link directory all in one.
It's not that I want this to be widely used, I'd mostly just like to use it myself and maybe have some friends using it (always interesting to see what friends are up to!). Also, if you check out my main page you'll see links to my FB, Twitter, LastFM.. etc, I'd like for friends to have pages like this as part of the setup.
Just need to magic myself up a month or two to get everything I want to do done.

Other things are on the to do list too, always lots of little things. Lots of hobby related stuff really, my plants, my books, my models. Haven't played any computer games in AGES, over a month I'd say. I downloaded DOW2, really not the best, cleared it anyone, a few missions a night after work and such. But not something I'd imagine I will go back and replay ever. Quite dull really, the multiplayer isn't very well thought out and although the campaign was fun you can only play as the Space Marines which limits the enjoyment. Since then I haven't really been arsed to play. Downloaded a few games and still have the other constant favorites (Dungeon Keeper, Day Of Defeat: Source, Team Fortress 2.. etc) but just not feeling the gaming of late.

Been playing Magic The Gathering the last 3 Thursday evenings in Gamers World on Jervice Street, quite odd to get back into it and play often again, mostly just good to see people. Hadn't spent any time with Elmo in ages and now I've seen him weekly. Although I am thinking every week might be a bit much, quite tempted to ask Stephen for a game of Warhammer Thursday after next, haven't seen him in months now (although hopefully seeing him this Saturday at the Crhsitmas market).

Work/college is going well, there is always a fair bit to be done, a nice mix of practical and theory work. Enjoy the experiments, most of the time, usually the setup is the best part, trying to think things out. Data analysis is still a lot of work, so many things to remember so little memory in my head!

My weekends are flying by, which is getting to be a pain, enjoying them too much. Hardly spending a single Friday or Saturday night at home really. Although because of work I only really get to see Odette then so it's understandable that I don't want to spend the days at home.

Christmas is nearly here too, which is damn scary. I think I get my holidays starting the 24th and then I'm back on like the 4th. Have to try and figure out my plans, heading up to my mam's for some of it, gotta see my aunt&uncle while they're over from NY/NJ and hopefully wont have any work related stuff to do over the week. Still have all of my shopping to do to, I'm thinking early Thursday morning should do nicely for the first wave of things.

One thing more, lots of people I was following on this have stopped using it, I want to know where they've gone, because I miss reading what they're up to.
Anyway, finished my lunch so back to work.

Thursday 25 June 2009

Summer?

Right so, crazy stuff going on with me this last month since I posted last. I finished my exams for one, all went fairly well, got my 1st class honours! 2 exams didn't go so wonderful which dragged my percentage down but I still made it. Went out after we got the results with the group and a load of lecturers to Dicey Reilly's, was a good laugh, so weird to be done, just the graduation left to go.

The TCD prof. which I had contacted had me in to meet him (as did the UCD prof.) and after a few weeks I'm already working in TCD! I officially start my PhD in Oct. (pending formal application) and then another 4 years of magnetohydrodynamic effects in laser produced plasmas and I will be Dr. Tobin! Scary or wha?!

Kinda crap to be working already I know, no more summer and all that, especially seeing as the last 3 days have been so bloody nice out, but it's pay and that's why I went for it. I'm also going to finish up with this on Sept 4th and wont start the PhD until near Oct. In those few weeks I will have my holidays and am already planning a trip to Italy with Odette for a week and a day there. Should be amazing. My aunt Paula was also trying to convince me to go to NY again, saying they're going on a cruise and to head over with Caroline again. I'm sure it wont be long till I go again, New Jersey is a really lovely place and NY is a lot of fun. For now I think it's Dublin and Italy though, and try save up a bit.

Anyway, I'm sure there's other stuff happening but I'm a bit strung out and have to clear up my room a bit.
Will try update before next month ;P

Monday 25 May 2009

Summer!

Wahey! Another week and I wont even remember what study is like!
I might not ever have to sit an exam again, isn't that just wonderful, I think that's worth a smile. Really wish I could drink properly with the lads (and lassy) on Thursday, I can have a pint but yeah. I think the results are out on the 10th of June! How crazy is that! 3 weeks until I find out like.

Applied for a PhD in UCD (4 years on plasma lasers) and emailed a lecturer from TCD too to ask for advice/help. Have to find more things to apply for soon, ensure I have something to do for the next few years!

Ran into Sarah McCall yesterday evening, she was on her way home after enjoying some sun, I was on my way home from not enjoying some study. Always lovely to see her, always lovely to see most people I know. I miss most people I know!

Went with Odette to a Movie Extra's thing yesterday too, she signed up having been told you get a lot of work (mostly in things like Fair City but it's all money in the end of the day!). Open casting call on Wednesday&Thursday in Liberty Hall for the Tudors, Cian did that last year so I figure after my exam on Thursday I will go to that, see if I can make some monies.

Exam now at 1pm, think I should be able to get a good mark in it, nuclear and astrophysics, then another tomorrow which should be okay, diagnostic imaging, then Thursday I have advanced optics which should also be okay. So I think I'm all set! Then it's lots of fun, sun... gun? No, porbably not. But people! Lots of people. Starting with Odette, Rory, Clem, Kevin... don't think I've arranged to meet anyone else yet. Book now!

Anyway, off to study,
TTFN!

Sunday 17 May 2009

Yo ho ho

And a bottle of... water.
Not drinking isn't fun,
I have moments where I'm glad I can't,
removing temptations etc. but it does make me feel abit silly.
That and I kinda miss that warm fuzzy feeling, the one when you know you're taking it a bit too far. I guess that's the main reason I'm glad too...

Anyway, exams start tomorrow. Will be waking up in almost exactly 13 hours to head in early to get the last few hours (essential) cramming done. All my exams are at 1pm, which is pretty gravy. Exams are Mon,Wed,Fri,Mon,Tue,Thurs. So have a few days around the place to finish off the study. So many bits of courses not done (of course that's why I have time to blog!) and then I'm done on the 18th!

Other than that, lets see, what else haven't I said in this blog?
Did I mention me and Odette were 3 years on the 3rd of May?
Saw Kev for lunch on Friday, played some MTG in Joy Of Coffee, which was good.
Still haven't applied for any postgrad stuff... or gotten on to t'old survey mine to get my old job back (we can hope!).

Other than that I am cold, very sleepy and doubting I will be ready for any of these exams really. If I can pull 75% off in each then I have my first. I think that is an attainable goal. And if I have my first I might just get a PhD position which pays. Which would rawk teh sawks like they have never been rocked... or something. Maybe. Brr.

Wednesday 22 April 2009

Guh?

Yeah, so I meant to update this deal yesterday during a free half hour, but the interslice was moving like molacis on the college computers for some reason. So instead I will write in here today! Wahey!

Nothing too major going on with me right now, study is progressing, quite proud of myself starting with a month to go, much smarter than my usual two weeks approach. Kinda screwed still though, far too much reading to do. I reckon I can have one of my six courses finished this week, including doing past papers. But that still leaves five courses and just under four weeks. Keeps some fingers crossed for me!

Seeing some friends every now and then, always nice, can't wait for the summer to be here, as in for my exams to Not be arriving on the next flight. The weather has been so nice the past few days, and I've been stuck in the library :'( Also I keep wearing my big coat, I really need to Remember to forget it tomorrow. Although, knowing my luck, it will snow the day I leave it at home.

Thinking about trying to get my call centre job back, just for the summer months. Also, new grants available in NUI Maynooth, seriously considering applying to as many physics research groups as I can. Not huge grants, around €8000 per year plus fees paid for a four year PhD... Wish I had lots of money, just have to wait until Friday when I win the Euromillions I guess.

Anyway, I guess I haven't got much else to say, hope all is well and wonderful with everyone in the world. Buh-bye

Wednesday 8 April 2009

Hmm Hmm

Really not very good at this study thing, like woeful.
Had my first bloodtest since I was a baby today, went grand, tho walking home wasn't the best plan hehe, got a bit light headed. Then I watched a little TV, then organised my room, then ate, then cooked dinner for everyone and then mounted my two ancient external drives to backup my music and pictures... then got distracted by old pictures. So many funny memories. Wish I had more free time, think I'm going to have to make some.

So, here is my plan:
early mornings next week, all week. Walk to town, study in town, if ANYONE wants me, text or call me and I will make myself free, I will be in town afterall. I can't drink, so it is known. I don't expect anyone to notice this really. But so that the world has the posibility of knowing, I'm only a text and a busride away. Really miss most of my friends, Jane, Andrew, Sarah and Kevin most of all, I do miss Rory and Stephen tons too. Always missing Odette and I'm with her loads, so nothing I can do there, I think it's terminal craving for her, so not much I can do about that :P

I want to play some MTG again, and I kinda wanna play Warhammer, although sometimes I feel like slapping myself for wanting to play again. I still love painting... just wish I was good at it. Really feeling very happy though, I only miss people properly when I'm happy, otherwise I just want to sleep or play games. Not that I don't want to do that.

Loving the sun, I prefer it when there is rain in between, makes me feel like the plants are happy, the air tastes better when it's rained recently too, you can smell happy plants. (I best stop before I scare myself aswell as everyone else).

Friday 3 April 2009

Vamos!

So, Friday? Fried-eh? I dunno about that anyway.

I want to have a nice rock garden, full of ferns under the shade of a few nice deciduous trees, with a man-made stream and small pond full of pretty water plants. And have a lots of box nests on the trees for small birds. And tons of feeders. And local squirrels stealing nuts out of them.

Should have gone to the gym today by my lonesome, feeling rather like jumping out my window and sprinting as far as I could (read as 'not far'). I think it might just be a few coffees and large meals over the last few days, but I really feel like running places, if only I'd somewhere to run.

But anyway, college over for Easter, 2 weeks to catchup on a years work, if I can get 3 or 4 sets of notes summarised I will be a very happy Isaac. However this is probably a very optimistic goal. I think I will start with Advanced Optics, shouldn't take Too long, then move onto Quantum Physics Of Solids which will take half a year worth of Isaac-Effort. 6 exams, pretty alright number, kinda usual. 18th, 19th, 21st, 25th, 26th and 28th May all from 1:30-3pm. So this time 2 months I will be finished 'em and hopefully out the other side of a degree program. David Isaac Tobin BSc MIoP (I think), really gotta start looking for work though, jobs, research postgrads and etc. Would love to find myself in a PhD program, that would be a dream come true I think.
Well that and winning 30mill on the Euromillions.
I promise I'd fly everyone to my castle in France and have one hell of a party. Taking orders: chicken or beef?

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Life the universe and everything.

So yeah, finished Twin Peaks season 2 Monday night, creeped the fuck out'a me I'll say.
Had some trouble looking in mirrors, closing my eyes, hearing what I thought were owls.
God I love that show. So much fun to get a good creepy feeling, like you just feel so damn scared while laughing because you know how stupid you're being.

College is going grand, been to every lecture so far this week. Are you shocked?!
Gotta photocopy notes tomorrow, going to sort out the dates I need tonight then hopefully sort it out tomorrow so I can be ready to start the big push up Mt.Study.

Got gets 'em till their teens then the devil gets 'em till their twenty.
Love that quote. Seems so true.

Really want to give my site a good overhaul, but I'm never going to do that.
Downloaded Tie Fighter the 1994 game, gotta set up some crazy ass thing to get it to work, but as soon as I do some good old fashioned fun will be had. So damn glad to be finished with the thesis. Gotta figure out when I'm seeing my mammy next. Gotta make it soon.

Away I go, to continue this endless battle. (not that I'm complaining, sorry if it seems like I complain too much)

Saturday 21 March 2009

Forth

Or was it fourth, Goddamn spelling mistakes.

Twin Peaks ftw, honest to God, what a show!
There's just, wow, watching now, 2nd season 1st ep. end of.

But yeah, anyway, thesis is done and handed in, so one less thing for me to bother everybody about with my incessant whining. Whining, I don't like that word, looks wrong, could be.

Anyway, college gack will begin again Tuesday, gotta catch up on missed lectures. Try get a golden week! Be the first one since 2nd year! I really am a model student. Kinda hoping (another word I don't like, I miss the e) that I can get the photocopies quick and easy, maybe get some reading done from the get go. Be nice to make my two weeks off two weeks Off. Although I know that wont happen.

What a show, every second word has a deep meaning. WHAT. A. SHOW. "my grandson is studying magic".

Haven't seen Odette in like two weeks, which sucks, but we both have had a lot of work to do, the two hours journey time added into a day can really set you back... Hopefully see her on Thursday or Friday.

Dunno what else to say really, kinda wanna play Day Of Defeat: Source, kinda wanna do lots of things. Want to see Odette really. Whine Whine Whine.

What a show. THANKYOUANDGOODNIGHT

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Chaotic pursuit of chaos theory

^I thought that was a nice title, might see if Cathal will let me rename my thesis.

This past few weeks have went like split seconds, hardly a day passes with enough hours being given to me, I really am being short changed! Need to get a time accountant.

The programs I've written have an odd sort of flow, first you make a data set for the two variables (mu and k), which comes with a nice 20,000x20,000 image of the return maps (X1 Vs X2, X1 Vs Y & X2 Vs Y) which lets me make sure the data set covers a good, full map. Next I use the correlation dimension program I wrote to examine the data set generated, it takes a radius and one point and examines Every other point (50,000 points) and then moves to the next point and checks around the radius for It. Then it takes a bigger radius (2000 radii in all).
Each radius takes around 10 seconds, what with the 50,000 points checked against 50,000 (2500 MILLION checks). And then of course you can all work out how long it takes to finish it all for each data set I use ([2000 x 10]/[60x60] = 5.5hours).
And then Sometimes I have to do it for 10,000 radii! Fun times!

Other than that I don't really have any news, being lazy on basically every front, no gym, no society work, no nothing. But ahwell, I can ocassionally make time to see Odette, and these 5 hours slots are good movie time ^_^

Thursday 1 January 2009

Argh!

So, new year eh? Whole new set of 365.. 364 days to play with.
I didn't start it in the best way, drinking oh say half a bottle of taquila, a third of a bottle of vodka, half a bottle of lemon liquor and a quater a bottle of Apple Sourz... My body really is not in a state of harmony today needless to say! Had fun though, Kevin was over in mine for it, we played poker and then Cranium and then I dropped a glass and me and Josh fought and then me and Kev hoovered the whole kitchen and went to get some sleep.

Anyway, I'm alive today by some miricle and can remember all of the sillyness of New Years night 2008! Woop!
2009 should be a good year, I hope it will be a year full of lottery wins, changes of pace and scenery and a lot more seeing Odette.
Good God do I miss that girl, it's like having a big chunk of my brain out of reach, so many disisions I can't make because I feel like I don't have the right balance to make them. Not in a "ohh but but Odette wouldn't approve D:" more in a "but I KNOW there is an easier way to do this, and I've nobody to tell me what it is >.<"
Not that I really need to explain that, but I dunno, I need my better half back!

On the college front I am very far back... like at the starting line. Which is fecking stupid of me, in all reality I do this to myself every year. I do try study, I did some during the college term even. But this last 2 weeks have gone by FAR too quickly, I seemed to do nothing constructive at all like. But I still have 13 days till my first exam (Oh Jesus Christ do I ever need help!) and I only have two exams. I should be okay. Just need to get started!

Rory is having a dinner party tomorrow, Kev and myself are meeting up before hand to buy deserts as requested by Rory and heading there for around 7pm. I'm thinking I start the study tomorrow morning... or I go to the gym tomorrow morning. I have to do something productive even if it kills me!