tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49962062051594251232024-03-14T04:39:53.541+00:00Zakerius, Mayor of JoltsvilleZakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-1498951209795949282015-11-11T15:59:00.000+00:002015-11-11T16:01:42.049+00:00(Lack of an) Online Presence<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Blogs and forums have always been first on my list for preferred methods of web-based communication and especially outreach/information sharing. It's often hard to keep track of though, and can require quite a large amount of effort. Afterall, a 140 character tweet can be drafted, proofed, and published before you have boiled the kettle. I can only imagine the quantities of tea/coffee that content creators like <a href="http://kurzgesagt.org/">Kurtzegast</a>, <a href="http://www.smartereveryday.com/">Smarter Every Day</a>, and <a href="http://www.periodicvideos.com/">Periodic Videos</a> go through for each video. <br />
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Being fair to myself and the lack of effort I have put into blogging (or the various online projects I have initiated and never followed through on) I have had my hands tied by PhD work. The good news there being that I am <a href="http://www.preab.org/publications.php">submitted</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viva_voce">viva voce</a>-d, and to <a href="https://medicine.tcd.ie/physiology/news/IMG_0866.jpg">graduate</a> any day now. <br />
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I would really like to get involved in <a href="http://whatdidsciencedotoday.blogspot.ie/">science web content</a>, it has been a desire in the back of my mind for a long time. The work with the Physics Society DIT, lab demonstrating, teaching hours, tutorials, talks, posters, conference dinners, discussions over tea, general academic life, all of this does really help grow a broad perspective. I've been very lucky to sit on tables with experts and attend talks by award winners, it's nice to share that for anyone who is interested. I realise there are plenty of staffers out there who do this, but there's always room for one more eh?<br />
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I wanted to put up a five minute blurb as a getting-back-to-it. As usual if you read this and want to comment I'd love to hear from you, but for the time being this is for myself I suppose. <br />
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#WhatDidScienceDoToday<br />
<br /></div>Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland53.308728784327052 -6.223572243408170853.30635678432705 -6.2286147434081709 53.311100784327053 -6.2185297434081708tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-51410166011700512512013-01-14T16:41:00.001+00:002013-01-14T16:41:09.722+00:00Links<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We all have draft emails or bookmark lists (or text files if your lists go back to 2005 like mine...) of "interesting" links, ones emailed from friends or recommended at parties, scrawled down and half forgotten.<br />
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About 5 years ago I had a plan for these links, to have them in a browsable format, like so many other websites out there. At the time I had been watching <a href="http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/">Albinoblacksheep</a> and <a href="http://www.fat-pie.com/">Fat-Pie</a> along with all the other stops out there with cool videos, for some reason I thought I should list the ones I liked. Half so that when I told a friend about them they could go see them easily through <a href="http://preab.org/">my site</a> (just links, no thievery, I've always meant to give credit where it's due). <br />
As it ended up I just made a shuffling list of links on the index page of my rubbish site and left it there, a decaying list with no maintenance while my lists of links grew and grew.<br />
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<i>Sidetrack<br />
This reminds me of an XKCD comic:<br />
<a href="http://xkcd.com/386/"><img src="http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/alternate_currency.png" /></a><br />
When I saw this comic I was glad I wasn't alone, oh so many images.<br />
/Sidetrack</i><br />
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I had other plans to for <a href="http://preab.org/">my site</a> of course, lots of plans. They came and went, and inevitably I would find another site that had come along and done it better, with more class and with features I'd never have thought up. But that's the way it goes. (When I was 7 I thought up a new form of bowling, nobody has stolen it yet. I did think-up the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_C1">motorbike with a hood</a> that year too, but BMW got there before me. I was a practical kid, who wants to get wet when they're looking cool on a bike? My bike would of course not have looked as.. interesting.)<br />
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Anyway, long story short I might go back to posting cool images and links for awhile. Because lets face facts here, I'm very poor at this whole keeping up appearances. I do still take photos of Dublin which I keep meaning to add into posts alongside my inane ramblings about whatever it is I do keep filling pages with. But maybe inbetween that I can add videos which everyone has already seen thus proving how late to the party I really am.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/56810854" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe> <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/g1Lxmjidfmw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eGbucSjSLDw" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/the_raspyni_brothers_juggle_and_jest.html" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="560"></iframe><br />
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A lunchtime's worth of videos maybe?<br />
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Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0Dublin, Co. Dublin, Ireland53.3494426 -6.260082499999953153.045942600000004 -6.905529499999953 53.6529426 -5.6146354999999533tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-12063770971092557882012-10-05T17:29:00.001+01:002012-10-05T17:30:52.806+01:00Old posts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Was just looking through my drafts folder there, wow there are a lot of half baked memories with cobwebs on. Like when I went for<br />
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Saturday <i>(I think the 5th March 2011)</i>:<br />
Skype morning with Steve, Rory etc. <i>(while they were in New Zealand!)</i><br />
1:30pm dart to Odette's,<br />
hung out,<br />
watched Dark Knight<br />
set mouse traps.. emptied a mouse trap.<br />
crashed<br />
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Sunday: <br />
Came back from Odette's on a dart at 9am after leaving her off to work.<br />
Apt was empty, cleaned my room a bit but wasn't arsed to wash the windows like I planned. Met Kevin and helped in the market, arranged a games night with Fern & Sean for 7pm. Helped Kev and Silke pack away the cheese from the market at 5pm and went back to the apt with Kev, by 6:30 I was wrecked, wanted to crash out and sleep. Josh texted me then asking to call him ASAP about a crane in danger on Wood Quay.<br />
This crane in danger turned out to be a cormorant which wasn't able to fly running back and forth on the road. Luckily I'd brought a really big fabric shopping bag, a beach towel and some water for the "crane in danger". After some running around we ran at it in a pincer move and I caught it under the towel (after it gave Josh a nasty bite on the arm through his jumper).<br />
Just then, perfectly timed with me kneeling with a massive bird under a towel on the side of a major road the Gardai turned up (apparently a passing car had phoned in earlier about the bird). They said they couldn't do anything for us, no cages available in the station and their dispatcher said they couldn't give us a lift to what we had then found out was the only open vets (thanks to our mother who Josh was on the phone to after I nabbed the cormorant), <a href="http://www.ucd.ie/vthweb/index.html">UCD Veterinary Hospital</a>. The <a href="http://www.dspca.ie/">DSPCA</a> weren't answering their mobile weekend number so we took it upon ourselves to hop a taxi to UCD and the two Gardai wished us well.<br />
We flagged down a taxi even before the Gardai had left (it was the quays after all) and I managed to lift the struggling bird bleeding and in a towel into the large bag (all the while holding firm and covering it's eyes. Remembered these tricks from some animal program, TV educations are the best).<br />
I don't think the taxi driver was too pleased with the idea of the bird on my lap (hur hur) but we were in the car before we warned him. He got us to UCD anyway, we rang the doorbell and were greeted by a young nurse who knew we were coming (again thanks to our mamma). <br />
She lifted the bird out of the bag and out of the bloodstained towel to examine it, after a game of hide and seek behind the vending machine (and a nasty bite on the hand for me, cover the eyes people!) she ascertained that the injury was on its leg and its wings seemed fine. She took it into the back and after a short while she returned and said that it couldn't stay there for the night. So we were given 2 choices, they could put it down then or give it to us and we could ring the DSPCA again in the morning...<br />
So of course we said we'd take it, the poor confused thing. After a quick bit of food, water and some antibiotics they returned it to us in a box then, the doctor showing a nice big scrape down his arm (they had put a rubber band over its beak to stop bites.. the hook on its beak proved effective enough!).<br />
We got the bus back to town then from the main stop at UCD, the box placed carefully on the luggage rack by the door.. with clear sounds of movement inside.. and the occasional shuffle of the whole box. I don't need to tell you the driver was giving us some funny looks!<br />
We got off on Westmoreland St. then and walked to the apt. where we met Una and inside met Fern and Seb who'd been waiting on me for something like 2 hours after my organising a games night! What a shit host I am, glad Kev was in haha. We put the boxed cormorant in my en-suite shower, it being the quietest room in the place (what with the nightclub under us being on that night too haha).<br />
We had our games night then after Josh & Una left.<br />
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Monday: <br />
In the morning then Josh came over, from his place on campus in TCD, at about 9:15am and we called the DSPCA. The box was shuffling around plenty so clearly the sedative had fully worn off and this bird was ready to fly (with any luck!). The woman from DSPCA arrived at around 10:45am to collect our recovering comrade. We handed over the box and were told it would be off to a fowl sanctuary in Wicklow, I said "That's not very nice, why can't it go to a pleasant one rather than a fowl one"... no I didn't I wish I did though. Then she'd had said "They don't get on in pheasant company" and we'd have been married the same day... Oh what could have been! Cormorant, that lady and I!<br />
*Cough*<br />
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For the rest of the day I worked from home on the transfer report. Dull stuff there.<br />
BUT I made a Damn tasty spicy salad for lunch, should have taken a picture, but it's all in mah belly now. Cleaned the counter tops then and swept and mopped the kitchen and some of the sitting room because I didn't get to yesterday. Now back to the transfer report (sorry for all the past to present switching).<i>have to laugh at past to present switching when this is only published more than a year on</i><br />
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Tuesday:<br />
went to college after lunch to sort out a circuit, helped Gearoid in the lab and ran into James and had a chat.<br />
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Wednesday:<br />
worked all morning on the transfer, 4:45 pm got a bus to Dave's for his birthday. Had dinner there, hung out until 9 pm and then got a bus back to town with Josh. Spoke to Odette on the phone then for a little while once I was back in the apt. and then went over to <a href="http://www.olesyaswinebar.com/">Olesya's Wine Bar</a> with Kev & his dad <i>(Lord rest his soul, what a great man)</i>. Had a few glasses of lovely red wines, a nice Italian, 2006 Masi Valpolicella Bonacosta, and then a nice Chilean wine, can't remember the name. We left after last orders and had to get Kev's dad out of Dame Tavern and into a taxi, which was hilarious and difficult. Headed straight back to the apt. then and spoke to Odette for a minute, it being her birthday for about 10 mins at that stage and then went to bed.<br />
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Thursday:<br />
Woke up at 4:30 am thinking it was 7:30, washed my face and started waking up when a panic came over me, where were all the other pets I was supposed to have. My shelves were full of STUFF, no pets. What had I done with them, did I leave them somewhere? Oh My God, Odette is going to kill me, where are all the other animals, what time is it? Why is it 4:30 am? What other animals, I only have Nuvola <i>(poor little Nunu, I miss her)</i> and she is right there. Why am I shouting at myself at 4:30 am. Time for sleep.<br />
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I worry about myself sometimes.<br />
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8:45 am I got up then, pottered around, answered emails and such, didn't start college work until around 10am, breakfast now (11 am) and a quick semi update of the blog, plan to try fill up missed days in here later on.<br />
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That was the end of the blog I'd written back then, don't think I planned to "full up missed days" so long later haha. I'd literally just written bullet points, good enough to rebuild the days for a blog post.<br />
I miss living in town sometimes, the apt. is a most amazing place and living with Kevin was great. I'm really happy I live with Odette now though, so happy in love and do like Blackrock and love the cottage we found. Crazy how much changes in a year and a half.<br />
Back to work now. Very busy week next week.<br />
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P.S. all Italics in the main body of text were added as thoughts from now me, the rest is memories from past me. And they said time travel wasn't theoretically possible..<br />
</div>Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1The Past53.3494426 -6.260082553.197787600000005 -6.5759395000000005 53.5010976 -5.9442255tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-70770864482776903092012-09-26T17:16:00.000+01:002013-01-25T13:37:29.444+00:00Ain't I been saying it?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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10 points to whomever can name the movie I mean to quote in the title.</div>
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I'm sure I've mentioned this before but I really like postcards, there is something nice about sending and receiving postcards. Doesn't matter what they say or where they are from. I think it's why I like personal blogs too. The stupider the better almost, just squeeze each thought off the tip of your tongue and onto the paper. Let it soak up that one moment and then post it off. I got a postcard from a young Italian girl (via postcrossing, I'm not off asking random kids to send me mail. Just to be clear.) a couple of months ago which I loved. It wasn't anything fancy, it was just a snippet of her life. What sticks it most in my memory was that she drew at the top what the weather was like, a little cloud half over the beaming sun (as you would recognise from weather forecasts) with the expected temperature for the day.</div>
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There's something about that, the idea that a moment, one silly little ineradicable moment is selected and the sudden thoughts are saved.</div>
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Now of course I'm not saying every postcard is like this, I know all too well that when writing postcards (especially on holiday) can be a rushed affair and you may say the same 5 key things on each one just like we did in school for our Irish, French, German, Spanish etc. classes. "A Liam a chara, taim anseo i merica creid no na creid..." and so forth. But I do enjoy those postcards too.</div>
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For the past few years myself and <a href="http://newsofthecurd.com/">Master Powell</a> have been exchanging postcards (oddly to the same address, as we lived together for a year and a half of it) from each place we would visit with the oddest things we could come up with, typically hinting at underground spy work or assassinations in the making. (Dear FBI, we are not going to do anything bold, we promise, kisses K & I)</div>
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<img height="600" src="http://www.preab.org/img/fludge/001_028.png" width="507" /></div>
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If you want to get involved in this we are of course more than happy to post you a card of some sort anytime! I keep my stamps in my wallet, I'm not kidding. Zakerius at the home of gmail.com of course. Or just join postcrossing, it's a lot of fun!<br />
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Listening to <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Modest+Mouse/_/Broke">Modest Mouse - Broke</a> (great song, great band, good times)<br />
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P.S. sorry all of the images take forever to load lately, I've switched back to using my server space and foolishly keep hoping that massive images will load quickly. I will go for smaller images in future most likely.</div>
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Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0Basement office, Westland Row, Droichead Na Dothra, Dublin 2, Ireland53.3429223 -6.25003153.3405523 -6.2549665 53.3452923 -6.2450955tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-72153062016042175022012-09-20T13:08:00.001+01:002012-09-20T13:10:09.540+01:00Nearly finished with September 2012 already<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Isn't the world ending soon? I really do never get enough time to finish what I start..<br />
I never even get a chance to start half the things I want to start really.<br />
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<img height="337" src="http://www.preab.org/img/fludge/001_023.png" width="600" /></div>
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College term is beginning again, final year of my PhD, the start of my 21st year in education, my 8th year of graduate physics and coming up on my quarter of a century.<br />
More than this, much more than this.. (hur hur) one brother is starting his leaving cert courses (5th year), <a href="http://zakerius.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-brother-is-gone-d.html">another has moved to San Diego for his PhD in UCSD</a>, one sister is starting schooling (5 years old) and another is going to be moving to England to continue her graduate level architecture. Really crazy to think, I find it hard enough to believe that little Alannah is 5, let alone that Josh isn't going to be living in Ireland for at least the next 5 years. Feels very odd indeed.<br />
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<img height="600" src="http://www.preab.org/img/fludge/001_024.png" width="450" /></div>
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Listening to Interpol on my headphone in the office, just G and myself in the office at the moment, I like Interpol sometimes. What do you like to listen to when you're working? Do you not get to listen to music when you work? I hate it when that happens, I never work right without music. I remember my first job, it was just a summer job in a primary school (1st level of education) near where I was living. I had just finished my leaving cert and my dad sorted me out with a few weeks repairing and upgrading the computers he had sold them years before. I spent about the bulk of it just formatting machines, fresh install of the latest Windows and all that.<br />
I would walk down to the school each morning, stop off in the shop and buy an Irn-Bru and a pack of Crispy M&Ms. I had brought a set of PC speakers (the same set I have in my office now, had them for about a decade [harman/kardon HK195]) and was blasting Eagles of Death Metal while I worked alone in the computer room. The school was basically empty except for me and the odd teacher who was dropping by to grab this or that from their rooms. Just me, spinning on office chairs and checking the HDDs, dusting out machines and replacing power supplies that had lived their lifetime. Was a fun couple of weeks considering I was getting paid to do it. <br />
I like that memory.<br />
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<br /></div>Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0Basement office, Westland Row, Droichead Na Dothra, Dublin 2, Ireland53.3429223 -6.25003153.3405523 -6.2549665 53.3452923 -6.2450955tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-73139450690895817142012-09-18T16:47:00.000+01:002012-09-18T16:49:40.842+01:00My brother is gone D:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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All the way to San Diego, 8363.86 km away (give or take). I really hope he is settling in well over there, in those 40 degree highs and 20 degree lows. With the sunshine, and the sandy beaches. Getting paid to be a student, doing maths (well, he likes that.. that wouldn't be for me). That bastard.<br />
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<img height="333" src="http://www.preab.org/img/fludge/001_020.png" width="600" /><br />
Recent (iPhone) photograph, taken in Blackwater, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford (Aug 2012).<br />
My two brothers, Daniel and Josh (L-R) scoping the fields ahead for dinner.</div>
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But I really miss him, even if we didn't see each other every day it's hard to think he's not even remotely close by. I mean, it's nearly the other side of the world (well New Zeland is really the other side of the world to Dublin [nearest land mass anyway]). But I'm really happy he has found somewhere which will look great on his academic CV and also give him a great chance to explore and grow as travel only can (not to mention give me another handy holiday destination for the next 5 years).<br />
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As for everything else in life I will sit down and finish blog posts and organise images eventually. I enjoy writing blogs because it feels like having a journal you can access everywhere (or a log book, draft blog posts allow more control than draft emails for sure). It's nice to collect moments in time and to have somewhere to share things as everyone who writes personal blogs knows.<br />
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<img height="412" src="http://www.preab.org/img/fludge/001_012.png" width="600" /><br />
Childhood photograph, taken in Blackwater, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.<br />
From left to right are my nana, Shauna, Josh, myself and my grandad, rest his soul.</div>
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Back to work with me now, preparing a poster for the <a href="http://www.euvlitho.com/">2012 International Workshop on EUV and Soft X-ray Sources</a> and getting a general talk ready for the postgraduate seminar I have to give in October.<br />
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Listening to <a a="a" ben="ben" href="http://benprunty.bandcamp.com/"> Ben Prunty Music's</a> songs from the game <a href="http://www.ftlgame.com/">FTL</a> (which is an epic game btw, worth well more than the $9).<br />
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Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1Basement office, Westland Row, Droichead Na Dothra, Dublin 2, Ireland53.3429223 -6.25003153.3405523 -6.2549665 53.3452923 -6.2450955tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-67874639516502082912012-06-28T15:20:00.002+01:002012-06-28T15:34:23.752+01:00June is Ending<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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View from Sandymount/Sydney Parade across Dublin bay towards Howth head.</div><br />
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I just saw <a href="http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/">Terry Pratchett</a>, watched a live stream of his talk at <a href="http://sciencegallery.com/">Science Gallery</a> and then went over for a coffee at, funnily enough, the exact time he was leaving. Oh how coincidental, you'd swear I planned it >.><br />
Unfortunately I didn't bring the Discworld book I'm currently reading for him to sign but I wouldn't really have wanted to bother him, he was already surrounded by fans anyway.<br />
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Same old life other than that, data analysis, finding and reading papers about Z-pinch experiments, the latest EUV results and the odd few laser ablation papers with novel setups. So many papers, my <a href="http://www.mendeley.com/">Mendeley</a> (highly recommend for citations, paper arranging and backup etc.) is ever stocking up. Somehow I've managed to put 9,841 scientific papers, books & manuals on my office computer... Luckily with Mendeley I could sort these and so not get perpetually lost in information when trying to cite someone specific.<br />
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Also my, I say my because it's the laser I've used most for the past 3 years and I love it, <a href="http://www.continuumlasers.com/products/pulsed_surelite_series.asp">Surelite Nd:YAG</a> seems to be fixed once again. Looks like it was just a faulty flashlamp, I had replaced it as pretty much the first response to the initial failure but it looks like the new flashlamp wasn't up for the task. In any case it looks to be working now, will run it again later on and tomorrow to make sure it's functioning, maybe take an energy measurement and burn pattern too. Will need it working perfectly for my next experiment in August.<br />
There are lots of other things I really need to sort for this experiment too, fingers crossed I can get it all to slot neatly into place. If anyone knows who that guy I talked to at a conference about the cheap EUV filters his group made was, please tell me. It's this reason everyone should make up business cards (not that I have any), I can never remember names.<br />
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<div align="center"><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/02.png" width="400" height="643"><br />
Honey dressed up for the day by her fabulous stylist Odette.</div><br />
Odette & I had the lovely Honey as a house guest for this last weekend gone, a big dog in a small cottage. Could be a good book. The accursed Irish summer weather in all its undependable glory meant we didn't take her on a walk at all (the poor pup) but we did dress her up! That makes it so much worse right! Hahaha. Odette got better pictures of Honey sat in an armchair with a beret on, she really is a patient dog.<br />
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Otherwise I don't have a huge amount to report, I am loving <a href="http://www.postcrossing.com/">Post Crossing</a> and trying to get more people to get into <a href="http://ashow.zefrank.com/">A Show with Ze Frank</a> (and the <a href="http://ashow.zefrank.com/fun/question/?pid=30">Finishing Stamp mission</a>). Cooking with Odette lots, she has restarted her <a href="http://odiesfoodmusings.blogspot.ie/">cooking blog</a> and is continuing her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MissAyela">YouTube channel</a>. Kevin has started an <a href="http://newsofthecurd.wordpress.com/">instructional cooking blog</a> too. <br />
'Tis the season I guess! (whatever convinced me to get back blogging at the same time)<br />
I feel like this post looks like a very poorly edited wiki page of someone's conversation to the demons in their head.<br />
Send help.<br />
<br />
<div align="center"><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/01.png" width="800" height="600"><br />
View east along the Liffey from Grattan bridge showing the Millennium bridge & Ha'penny bridge.<br />
<IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/05.png" width="800" height="600"><br />
View from the bridge over the duck pond in Saint Stephen's Green.<br />
<IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/010-1.png" width="800" height="494"><br />
Tide in at Sandymount/Sydney Parade (not exactly the same location as the 1st image).</div><br />
All pictures from now on will be mine, do with them as you will, pretend they are yours, email me a picture of you and I will photoshop us both into them and we can say we once hungout in Dublin... with Elvis.. and a llama. <br />
</div>Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com3Basement office, Westland Row, Droichead Na Dothra, Dublin 2, Ireland53.3431826 -6.249868653.3408126 -6.2548041 53.3455526 -6.2449331tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-85031420878766984582012-06-18T14:29:00.003+01:002012-06-18T14:30:42.126+01:00A lack of blogging<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
So, this is where I left you off, nearly a year ago and the beginning of a huge experimental investigation of our Laser Triggered Vacuum Arc lamp (LAVA-lamp). I haven't as yet published any papers on this work but have presented a couple posters.
Here's one <b><a href="http://www.euvlitho.com/2011/S53.pdf">poster</a></b>, presented at the <a href="https://www.euvlitho.com/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=39">2011 International Workshop on EUV & Soft X-Ray Sources</a>, 7-9 Nov, UCD (N.B. font went a bit bonkers, save the page and open pdf to see it properly). I won best poster for it actually (modest as ever I am), was absolutely chuffed.<br>
But yes, the experiment went really well, gathered a huge amount of data, was wonderful to work alongside Larissa on it. That work finished up in late October due to other deadlines and the analysis is ongoing (due to the volume of data and other engagements). Over all I have to say the last 3 years of PhD have flown by, it's a little shocking really, but I have loved it. I'd recommend any physics student who enjoys working on interesting and challenging projects to get out there, contact groups who's work you find interesting. There's always an intern position somewhere and it's such a great way to learn what research is like (and earn a bit of money sometimes too). <br>
<a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1795.jpg"><div align="center"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1795.jpg" height="400" width="533"></div></a>
One more year left myself now, the big thesis write up to do and a whole pile of papers and theory to brush up on. Practise makes perfect but re-reading is Always a bonus, you'll never keep exactly the right time without checking back every now and then. It's scary but it's fun and I'm so lucky to have fallen into such a good group and such an interesting project. Plasmas are all around us you know, every day, most of the universe is in a plasma state, everything came from plasma too in the very beginning. Without our local massive globe of plasma our planet wouldn't support life. It's nice to be able to try grasp these things sometimes, forget any real physics and just think about what we are. Those immortal heart wrenching words We are star stuff. You have to admit it's fun to think about that, and if you don't think so then I'm sorry you can't see the wonder in the things around you. Wonderment is the most important thing in life, without it what's the point.
<a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1732.jpg"><div align="center"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1732.jpg" height="400" width="533"></div></a>
Anyway this is getting ranty and that wasn't my point for this post. I just wanted to write something because life is flying by! So it's good to have a record of where I once stood and what the air was like, how were the natives, what was the view like.
The biggest news I have in life is I've been living with my lovely Odette for just over a month now in a pretty little cottage. Really loving it, it's going to be a fun year full of adventure I'm sure. I hope everyone else is well out there, lots of hardships but I hope there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Until nextime I guess.
<div align="center">
<a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1727.jpg"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1727.jpg" height="400" width="533"></a><br>
View off Killiney hill, looking south towards Bray head.<br>
<a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1634.png"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1634.png" height="394" width="533"></a><br>
Blackrock baths looking north west towards Dublin city centre.<br>
<a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1628_2.png"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/IMG_1628_2.png" height="300" width="472"></a><br>
Hanko finishing stamps for one of <a href="http://zefrank.tumblr.com/post/18626339725/how-to-make-your-finishing-stamp-hanko">Ze Frank's missions</a>.<br>
</div>Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0Basement office, Westland Row, Droichead Na Dothra, Dublin 2, Ireland53.3429078 -6.250039853.3405378 -6.2549753 53.3452778 -6.2451042999999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-88981367601524286302011-07-31T12:25:00.003+01:002011-07-31T12:33:52.496+01:00What did science do today #3<span style="font-style:italic;">(Every day is too much to expect really, so it will be an intermittent thing, okay? Okay.)</span><br /><br />As part of the research I will be working quite a lot in UCD (the project I work on is jointly funded between UCD, DCU and TCD)<br /><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/1-2.jpg" width="800"><br /><br />One of the next steps in my work in UCD will be doing visible spectroscopy on a Sn laser triggered discharge source. For this I will be bringing the visible spectrometer I use in TCD to UCD, to make this easier the table and optics have been set up ahead of moving the spectrometer, so no time is wasted.<br /><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/2-2.jpg" width="800"><br /><br />For this alignment I went all Art Attack and made a cardboard cut-out of the spectrometer I will be transporting (to make sure I can fit it around other analysis tools which will have to be attached to the chamber).<br /><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/3-2.jpg" width="800"><br /><br />I know, I'm a pro-scientist, you don't need to tell me. Sticky-tape physicists have nothing on me.Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-66240105808014044202011-07-31T11:56:00.005+01:002011-08-01T00:11:44.009+01:00Survivor sitrep<span style="font-style:italic;">(backdated - 23rd July 2011)</span><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/1-1.jpg" width="800"><br />Last Saturday the weather was beautiful, sun was beating down and I was flaking out on the grass in St. Stephen's Green. Was lovely to just relax and enjoy the sun for awhile with my dearest Odette. The problem with working in labs is you miss out on sunshine (usually not a problem living in Ireland where the sun doesn't like to show up unless there are exams on somewhere).<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/2-1.jpg" width="600"><br />We were both minding our own business when the outbreak took hold!<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/2_a.jpg" width="600"><br />Before we knew it They were everywhere!<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/4-1.jpg" width="800"><br />Luckily they all seemed more interested in each other than in the survivors in the next green behind the bushes and so we could make swift our escape, but not before seeing some horrific sights of the victims of this terrible plague.<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/5-2.jpg" width="600"><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/6-1.jpg" width="800">Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-3315481653344866362011-07-22T00:30:00.002+01:002011-07-22T01:02:00.776+01:00>.>Two days in a row with very little worth showing.<br />Maybe this wasn't such a hot idea at the moment?<br /><br />Blah blah blah science.<br /><br />New mural in Meeting House Square in Temple Bar:<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/a.jpg" width="800"><br /><br />The plants in my bedroom window, I loves me green things:<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/b.jpg" width="800"><br /><br />And for anyone who doesn't already know how retro-cool I am, the floppy diskettes I use Still for recording experimental data:<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/c.jpg" width="600"><br /><br />I will try and maybe think up a weeks worth of stuff over the weekend. That or just do some interesting work once in awhile haha.Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-69327622704361144772011-07-20T20:33:00.000+01:002011-07-21T01:11:45.884+01:00What did science do today #2Today wasn't a day with a lot of photo opertunities, I continued to work on the Faraday Cup setup. Spent a fair amount of time sorting out the lab, was trying to find a piece of kit I knew I had put somewhere "safe". So other than cleaning and sorting the day was spent reading, sending emails, phoning suppliers to check lead times, drawing up aditions to designs and looking over data.<br /><br />I really did try to think of something good to photograph. But ahwell. Hopefully tomorrow.Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-38521179360774707232011-07-19T14:27:00.002+01:002011-07-19T14:41:49.016+01:00What did science do todayWelp, this is my plan, I'm going to tell you what I did each day.<br />What do you think?<br />I will try and keep it short and interesting but I also wont be putting up much detail on things as it isn't good to give up my results to the world quite that freely just yet.<br /><br />One side note, I ran into two guys from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/sixtysymbols">Sixty Symbols</a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/periodicvideos">/Periodic Videos</a> walking through TCD just before lunch. I watch their videos all the time so I don't mind saying I was a little star struck. There is a talk on this evening in the Science Gallery by the producer of the videos but I can't go because I am going to see an exhibit of Andrew's art.<br /><br />What I've done today is mostly wrapped up with the design of the Faraday Cup I plan to use in future laser triggered plasma discharges. It is used to detect ions by biasing the centre copper cup and counting the electrons that essentially go missing when they pair with the ions (in simple terms and skipping stuff). <br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/FC.png" width="800"><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/FaradayCup_2011.png" width="800"><br />A magnetic field can be used to stop any secondary electrons which are knocked off by the impinging ions from escaping and being counted as an ion pairing (which would lead to extra ions being recorded that didn't strike the cup) and by using the shielding and aperture any electrons which are excited off other metallic surfaces by the strong emission of light from the plasma are stopped from impacting the cup and causing a decrease in the number of ions recorded.<br /><br />So that's that, other things were done but I think one thing a day.<br />Thoughts, comments and opinions are as always more than welcome.Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-59211660495483704282011-07-06T16:38:00.002+01:002011-07-06T16:40:28.660+01:00CrapitMissed a month.<br />When did that happen?<br />The flip?<br /><br />I'm still alive, still with Odette, still in college, still writing dull blog posts over using the word still. Have pictures of things and news about things. Will try put together a fludge soon. A proper one.Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-37927348679374079852011-05-25T19:31:00.003+01:002011-05-25T20:12:50.621+01:00Things I like to view onlineSo for no reason other than the fact that my head is sore from stupid slides that never seem to look right I am going to try write a post. The topic of this fludge post is fairly self-evident but just to spell it out T, H, I, N, G, .... ohright, sorry, yeah. I'm just going to go through a few things I enjoy keeping up with on das internet.<br /><br />Epic gifs can frequently be found here:<br /><a href="http://senorgif.memebase.com/">Senor Gif</a><br /><br />Wonders of a quite interesting nature always here:<br /><a href="http://www.qi.com/qtube/">QTube</a><br /><br />If like me planes make you daydream this is for you:<br /><a href="http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/aircraft-pictures/">Flight image of the day</a><br /><br />Oh so many ways to kill time, but whynot get informed about a random chunk of the news:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/sxephil">Philip DeFranco Show</a><br /><br />You can't beat XKCD, just incase Anyone doesn't already read it:<br /><a href="http://xkcd.com/">XKCD</a><br /><br />Monty Python's youtube channel, lots of good laughs there:<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MontyPython">Monty Python</a><br /><br />I try not to let myself get trapped with exponentially expanding tab bars but Reddit makes that difficult:<br /><a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/science/">Science Reddit</a><br /><br />Any gamer out there will already know Yahtzee, but just incase:<br /><a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation">Zero Punctuation</a><br /><br />A recent thing on my radar, and it being <a href="http://www.towelday.org/">Towel Day</a> and all it simply has to be included:<br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/game_andrew.shtml">Hitchikers Guide Game</a><br /><br />And finally:<br /><IMG src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/24795.jpg">Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-86100799489466969502011-05-20T00:08:00.006+01:002011-05-20T00:22:27.802+01:00The gig I missedWell QOTSA played a few meters from where I sleep and I didn't get to see them play.<br /><br />I did hear every beat though, which rocks, and I got (bad) pictures of them. It was Josh Homme's birthday yesterday, so I guess he left earlier than the others to nurse a hangover maybe. The guy beside me got Joey's drum sticks, right in front of my eyes. I also got to talk to Joey which was epic (although brief). The gig that never was, for me anyway. Or maybe half was is more accurate. Next time eh?<br /><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN4069.jpg" width="800"><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN4073.jpg" width="800"><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN4074.jpg" width="600"><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN4075.jpg" width="800">Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-82605871541346079002011-05-11T15:35:00.006+01:002011-05-11T19:22:00.500+01:00Whynot? But why?!So yeah, things flying by, mostly time, but other things too.<br />On the happy side of my mind at the moment, the other side doesn't see much daylight anyway, but definitely on the happy side.<br />Work is going well, well it is going well enough. Well well well. Wellity wellity..<br />The changes I was asked to make to my transfer/continuation report (the thing required of PhD students at around the 18 month mark of their studies which is used to #1 show people they are on track and/or learning stuff & #2 give them a feel for what the big write-up will be like come the 4 year mark) were mostly small things, slight issues with phrasing and such (physicists can't say "vast quantities" and the like, one must quantify one's self if one wishes to be well read) [honestly not ripping the piss, this is how it is and I do try to write scientifically when drafting reports/posters/presentations]. There were however things of a larger nature that needed addressing, for example the explanation (& derivation) of Bennett's condition (I wanted a link here to explain this for me but I will have to do it myself.. Bennett's condition, in the case I am looking at it, is a balance of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta_%28plasma_physics%29">plasma pressure</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_pressure">magnetic pressure</a> inside a plasma which can be used to yield estimates of the plasma and discharge conditions required for a <a href="http://www.micalex.com/cgi-bin/Definitions/definitions.cgi?file=Plasma-Pinch.htm">Z-pinch</a> to occur). This isn't a huge thing to ask, it is something which I should understand empirically as it is essentially a cornerstone of the pinch work (kinda). But none the less, reading so much theory and trying to piece it together and make a clear, concise picture in my head was/is difficult. There is a lot to be said for having an expert explain things to you, but trying to make yourself an expert really means kicking your own ass ten times a day. You feel it too, no pain no gain and all that. Feel like I've a bruised brain, maybe that's why I'm in a writing mood.<br /><br />Getting the feeling I'm losing my train of thought though and this post is becoming a nightmare. So I will add some disclaimers to it and move on to the rest of life?<br /><br /><div align="center">|-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-|</div><br /><u>Personal life stuff now:</u><br />Josh & myself got to hangout with my nana & granddad on Sunday which was lovely, my aunt & uncle were there too with my uncle's two girls. Always fun seeing them, crazy how quick time goes, they're little messers but that's the best way to be. Gotta love family, can't beat the feeling really. Togetherness is what we're made for, social animals and all that.<br /><br />Got to spend time with Odette Monday evening & yesterday evening (despite my 13 hour day in the office melting my head) which was lovely, love her to bits. She is the best, never too sure what to say, to many things in my head, so many little stories but I think I want to keep them to myself. Makes me think of that bit in Saving Private Ryan when Cpt.Miller says he is saving the memory of his wife cutting the roses to himself. They're too nice, they're just for me. Those moments, little smiles for no reason, sudden feelings and heart flutters. All the sweet things shared. Nawww.<br /><br />The little fuzz ball that is Nuvola is as lovely as ever, never thought a little rodent could have so much character! She really is hilarious, funny to watch her trying to learn things and figure out patterns, great then to throw in a change and see how she tries to adapt. Never thought I'd get so attached to a hamster either, guess that's the way it goes, she is just too cute. Keep meaning to upload videos of her to YouTube.<br /><br />Hopefully be able to get back to being a social animal myself soon by the way, haven't really seen friends outside the apartment for a while, glad I've gotten to see Fern a bit during the past few months and been meeting up with Josh alot which is always good but if it wasn't for Kevin bringing people over to the apartment I'd not really be seeing people.<br /><br />On to summer plans? Whynot indeed. Well, lets see. May has arrived with all its bells and whistles, enjoyed as much sun as work would afford me during April, try my best to do the same in May. Want to take Tony up on his offer of a couch in Paris at some stage. Wouldn't mind trying to convince Odette to go see Sophie too. Then it's just dreams of sunshine and beaches in late August early September. Might try and get down to Wexford too, would really like to. Will see if I can talk Josh into going. Will be spending time up in Louth with my mammy too for sure, lots of hiking & hanging out. Also want to read half a dozen spectroscopy, plasma theory, atomic physics and magnetohydrodynamic texts. Will keep myself busy, no doubt about that.<br /><br /><div align="center">/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\_/\</div><br /><u>DISCLAIMER:</u><br /><b>Two</b> important things I would like to add here just to cover myself:<br />#1 this is not intended as an information source to anyone in Any way, undoubtedly I will lead those looking to learn astray (I welcome comments/corrections to anything I have stated in the first section)<br />#2 I am deeply sorry that I have linked to Wikipedia as a source of understanding, there are no other links I could find to explain the terms in very simple terms (a job I may undertake in the future?)<br /><br />I would also like to apologise for the manner in which most of this is written, there are more parentheses in this fludge post than there are spots on a giraffeZakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-75631122336248365512011-05-05T16:35:00.002+01:002011-05-05T22:31:27.824+01:00wha's new(s)?The only thing that happened this week in my life to speak of is my 5 year aniversary with Odette <3
<br />Five years?! Can you believe it? I can't, don't know where the time has gone. Also means I'm pretty much 6 years studing physics at 3rd level.. All very scary really, how quick time goes by!
<br />
<br />Love my baby madly though, she's wonderful in most every way. I wont go getting all mushy though, more just wanted to say. Everybody has those times they say things they regret or do things they didn't think through, but through it all I've loved her with all my heart, more and more every day.
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<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3849.jpg" width="600">
<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3913.jpg" width="800">Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-58802477767820110862011-04-28T14:30:00.005+01:002011-04-28T14:48:43.952+01:00So what you're saying is...Rightso, back to blogging?<br />Do you think I can do it? Do I think I can do it?<br /><br />The biggest problem is the whole day to day idea I was trying to keep, it has meant that I now have a massive half empty blog post of days that have gone by and clues for myself to fill in the events of the past... months.<br /><br />I can cut all that down to this I think:<br />lots has happened, I didn't fail my continuation Thing (ergo I get to stay in TCD to finish my PhD short of anything awful), still love Odette to bits, hamster still epicly cute, still listen to massive amounts of music, still working in lab/office & forgetting to eat, still cooking things and adding far too much chilli so you can't taste anything properly and still failing to get out of bed after my alarm goes off and missing the real morning hours. <br /><br />Also still being crap at family-keep-up (a game I've realised I've been failing at for a long time). Although I have to say, was good on Easter Sunday, went back to my dad's and hung out for the evening, was bullied by Alannah (3) and went to see my nana which was all great. Also saw my mam a few weekends ago on a Saturday evening, we had a few glasses of wine and tapas in a place in Ranelagh while she was in Dublin teaching. So haven't been As bad. But still haven't seen my nana&grandad since they had their 50th wedding aniversary... which was ages ago. I know, I suck.<br /><br />I've no pictures of my own to add to this (in college) but this is my current college PC background:<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mi24CP_edit.jpg"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/Mi24CP_edit.jpg" width="800"></a>Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-49796016163246780062011-04-16T17:56:00.003+01:002011-04-17T13:17:00.987+01:00Pic-er-nicWell, it's been awhile hasn't it.<br /><br />Uber stress for Mr. Isaac I'm afraid, massive amount of work for continuation/transfer. But that is mostly behind us now, so on with life and on with blogging!<br /><br />Last Saturday (9th April) I went out to Odette's, we'd maybe planned on going for a walk but stormy clouds made the walk look risky so instead Odette made a lovely picnic for us and I went to her house and we hung out in the back garden while the sun was out.<br /><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3684.png" width="800" height="600"><br /><br />It was really lovely, couscous, hummus and carrot and homemade frozen yogurt. Very tasty all round! Other weekends have also come and gone, they all merge in my mind in some ways but I have pictures to prove there were different ones!<br /><br />Found a really big dead crab on day and left it in a metal hoop<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3675.png" width="800" height="600"><br />Not too sure why.<br /><br />Had my birthday at some stage in the past few weekends<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3646.png" width="800" height="600"><br />either that or I like blowing candles out on cakes.<br /><br />I was also in London with Odette at some stage<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3558.png" height="800"><br />see?<br /><br />And have spent much time photographing and videoing Nuvola (the products of which are adorable and must be uploaded to YouTube soon)<br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3652.png" height="800"><br /><IMG SRC="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3651.png" height="800">Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-31646352563956594902011-02-25T14:20:00.003+00:002011-02-25T15:24:03.936+00:00Quickly quickly<u>Tuesday</u><br />Happy (not) pancake Tuesday... I have been misinformed, which has lead to me misinforming others. Which has lead to the possibility of having Two pancake Tuesdays in the space of a few weeks. Wonderful result eh?<br /><br />So I woke up, a little later than I had planned but still, early enough, but Kevin then told me New Zealand had been hit by an earthquake. So I looked up the distance between Christchurch and Wellington (where Rory, Stephen and Sue are at the moment), around 450 km, what time the quake hit, around 1pm local time (aka around midnight GMT), so I checked their respective Facebook pages just to make sure [though Kev did say Sue had updated since, just wanted to make sure] and Sue had updated saying their fine "about an hour ago". Good good.<br /><br />Sort notes, shower, dress, eat toast, drink tea, get to college. Morning plans go-now!<br /><br />Morning plan falls flat, extra extra!<br />Spoke to Rory & Stephen on gchat, they are, indeed, okay. Good times, wish I was there though, be great. But the PhD wont last forever, then some freedom! Maybe >.> Ugh. Life is stressful, what happens if I get offered a great postdoc or something, will everyone hate me if I just work forever?<br /><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3032.jpg" /><br />TEA&TOAST TIME.<br />Mmmm, damn tasty. Nice brown toast, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.naturaebonta.com/English/azienda.html">Natura e Bonta</a> spicy veg. pesto-esque stuff & <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9D" com="" pages="" cheese="" 133815726666023="">Corleggy</a> smoked Drumlin cheese. Mmmm mmmmmm. Also, Barry’s tea brewed for a min or so with a bit of milk. Today has been good, but I think it may have jumped the shark already. How could it get better? Ohwait, pancakes later. Yes!<br /><br />Sometimes I'm nervous eating at my desk, esp. since my PC now lives next to my chair like this:<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3033.jpg" /><br />as it kept overheating in its normal tower position. Stupidly designed case, really need to get looking for a new case with uber fannage.<br /><br />The morning went quickly, and then the afternoon followed suit. Now somehow it is 5pm. Bye bye daytime. I'm not going to do 2.5 hours of lab work.. there is no point, that wont do anything. I am meeting Odette (I think) at around 7:30pm, not changing that. It's (not) pancake Tuesday afterall!<br /><br />Well I met Odette at around 8pm in the end, we did some shopping in the new Tesco on Fleet Street for pancake ingredients. We had spelt pancakes made by around 9:20pm and we enjoyed them with fresh made blueberry & raspberry coulis.<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3036.jpg" width="”600”" height="”800”" /><br />I can’t take the credit for doing anything other than look (half) pretty and letting Odette do all the work, what else am I good for really? Crashed out quite early then, Kevin, Matthew & Adam ate pancakes in the kitchen from around 10pm but I was pancaked out and feel very sleepy. Roll on not-pancake Wednesday?<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3037.jpg" width="”640”" height="”564”" /><br /><u>Wednesday</u><br />Went in to college early, got set up as best I could for the Sn experiment, got working on it properly by about 11am, worked then through (bar around 30mins for a late lunch at about 4:30pm) until bang on 7pm when I met Gearoid and we walked up to Bleeding Horse on Camden St. to meet Tony et al. for his going away drinks.<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN3057.jpg" width="”600”" height="”800”" /><br />(this is what I look like when doing science)<br />They had a promotion of 4 bottles of Brahama for €10, this wasn’t a good thing for me. Haven’t a clue how much I drank but it was clearly enough for bouncers to tell me I was too drunk and for me to lose the hours between 1:30am and 3am and then storm into the apt, ignore Kevin for some unknown reason, slam my door and then fall asleep after failing to get more than my coat and one of my shoes off.<br />I will say now, how Odette puts up with me I will never know.<br /><br /><u>Thursday</u><br />This was a painful morning, I woke up at about 10:30am and realised I was in a bad way, one shoe still on laying in a bed totally covered in clothes and junk from my room which I hadn’t been bothered to move clearly. I tried to find my phone then and found it in my coat pocket. 20 missed calls and dozen messages… ohdear. Anyway, I really am sorry I worried Odette (again) and that I did such damage to my head that I couldn’t face the world properly when I really should have been analysing the data I got the day before. Eventually I got up and showered and checked emails and tried to deal with the world while I had the feeling like the roof of my mind would cave in at any moment and I would be left trapped in a painful little hell inside my head.<br />Skip forward to 5:30 pm I met Gearoid, Inam & Clelia at Mongolian Barbeque. Tony was next to arrive, then Bredan, then James came along and was followed soon after by Ronan and Ciaran. We then got into the food, my explanation of how things worked didn’t seem to help anyone really though and it was the second bowl that everyone seemed to find their feet. I was glad my body allowed me to eat, for most of the time we had been waiting for the others to arrive I had been sitting in silence trying to not give in to the awful feelings in the back of my head. But once I got food in me I livened up a fair bit and managed four bowls of food. We went to Foggy Dew then where they had pints and I sat, digesting and chatting to Clelia about music. I left, not before others had, but still early enough, talked to Odette on the phone then, was home by 10:45 ish &then fell asleep by around midnight.<br /><br /><u>Friday</u><br />Woke up at 8am, lay about until about 8:45 when I went and put the kettle on and made sure Kev was ready to book me some QOTSA tickets. Unfortunately they sold out in no time at all, so come 9am the site was telling us there were no available tickets, and despite around 15minutes of checking over and over for a ticket I was left with none. This was saddening, so I listened to two QOTSA albums and started to read over notes to try put together slides for the mid term review of the project I’m funded by out in UCD… I am still looking at these slides. 10 slides, that sounds like it shouldn’t take long. Try hours, feck I’d say a day or two, I’m nowhere near happy with what I’ve put on the 5 slides I have Anything on. Hopefully James will be able to give me some good ideas and a good way to work through them. Had a nice mug of tea and a banana for breakfast, then a really nice smoothie for lunch, going to meet Odette at 4:30pm and am looking forward to that.Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-41594731279352637662011-02-25T14:17:00.002+00:002011-02-25T14:19:19.594+00:00I gave upThings got on top of me and I let them beat me into not doing things online,<br />however, I am now caught up on Reader, FB and Twitter.. so that just leaves this thing here, my Fludge. Well, there were lots of things that happened recently, and I Wanted to tell them all. However, now I cannot remember what I wanted to say at all at all.<br /><br />Let's see, I updated on the morning before I went up to my mammy's house for the evening (<a href="http://zakerius.blogspot.com/2011/02/todaytomorrowtoo.html">Wed. 9th Feb.</a>). So I will do a day by day run down to bore any remaining readers away from here. Or not, whatever.<br /><br /><br /><u>Wednesday 9th Feb</u><br />I felt like death, had a bad cold coming on, was in college in the morning, left early for lunch with Odette and after leaving her to a bus I went to meet Michele in the Travelodge in Ballymun and did around 4pm, went to Co. Louth with her to see my mother. Had a lovely dinner with them, chatted to Karen for ages and played with the dogs. Went to bed quite early because I was getting up early for a lift back to Dublin<br /><br /><br /><u>Thursday</u><br />Got a lift back from Co. Louth bright and early the next morning, was back in town for 8:30am, the day went by in a flash, did some work, got some results, nothing really worked properly as usual but I left and met Odette at 6pm and hung out with her for the evening which was nice. Always good to get to spend time with her.<br /><br /><br /><u>Friday</u><br />Went to college early, left Odette off to a bus into college & worked all day then. Met Odette again in the evening, planning on going to a party for Josh's 21st.. but it was cancelled, apparently it was never really going ahead. So I had dragged Odette to town for no reason other than to spend time with me (not that that is a bad reason), we had dinner in Mao but after that we both felt crap & really tired and we ended up falling asleep at like 8pm.<br /><br /><br /><u>Saturday</u><br />On Saturday Odette had her girlies over in the evening, so we did food shopping in the morning, cooking in the afternoon and in the evening when Kevin was off work him & myself walked to Joe Burger in Rathmines, it was really good. If you have not been there and like lamb burgers (or any burgers) go there, and eat well for a pretty good price. After eating a massive amount we walked around to try find Fern’s house because we knew she lived near there on a T junction. Eventually we found her & her brother wandering around trying to find an open chemist because Fern wasn’t feeling well. The four of us slowly wombled down Camden St., first in search of cold/flu medicine, then in search of a cup of tea. Unfortunately Fern gave up around George’s St and our party became 2. Kevin & myself went and did indeed get a LPT in JoC/Brick Alley Café and stayed there for ages, chatting to staff and then watching a very very drunken man lean against the door and slowly fall over, then get up.. and then slowly fall over. Lots of people stopped along Essex St. To photograph him or just watch his slow rise and fall along the doorframe. We gave up on this after over filling with tea & went back to the apt. to find 3 drunken dancing girls, haha. They weren’t really drunk, but they were really dancing. Left them to it really, I was wrecked and just sat at my PC until around 3am when Odette collapsed from too much dancing and the music, both in Sin & in the apt., fell silent. That is when I went to sleep.<br /><br /><br /><u>Sunday</u><br />The next morning I woke up early with Odette, she was in work at 10am in Dalkey and was getting a lift at 9:30 from the quays. So she hopped up and went to the bathroom mirror to clean the makeup off her eyes and fell over. The poor dear literally collapsed and blacked out, I caught her as quick as I could and dragged her from the bathroom and placed a pillow under her head trying not to move her neck. I was thinking all the worst things and for about 30 seconds I was in first aid mode (although I failed to put her into the recovery position). She came around quickly and assured me she was okay and not to call an ambulance.. Anyway, she was indeed okay, I made her lay still for awhile and then helped her up and watched her closely until it was time to walk her to her lift. Once that craziness was over & Odette was on her way to work I started sorting out pictures, printing and cutting them for Josh's birthday present. Odette’s girlies left for work and home after awhile and I washed some dishes and then cut more pictures. Then went with Kev to buy the photo album for Josh (and a paper for Kev) and finished as many pictures as I could. Got to Dave’s around 5pm and went straight for dinner. Was a lovely family dinner out, the restaurant was very nice, a new Italian place in Ballygall, where the laundrette used to be on <a href=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Fitzmaurice+Road,+Dublin,+Ireland&aq=0&sll=53.382615,-6.277378&sspn=0.002256,0.004023&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Fitzmaurice+Rd,+Dublin+11,+County+Dublin,+Ireland&ll=53.382562,-6.277176&spn=0.001128,0.002012&t=h&z=19>Fitzmaurice Road</a>. I went back to Dave’s after for a little while and then back to town then because I had a group meeting on Monday morning to prep for.<br /><br /><br /><u>Monday</u><br />Valentine's Day, well I did update with A post then, but it wasn't a blog post, just a rant about loving each other. There is so much hate and destruction, so many people dying fighting one another, it's good to take a moment to make all this awful stuff around us an exception to the rule rather than making kindness and love the exceptions. But anyway, was a good day, took off from college a little early, made Odette dinner in the evening and we watched Singing In The Rain. Was a nice Valentine's Day, carved Nuvola a heart out of the red pepper I had cooked with (see picture in previous post).<br /><br /><br /><u>Tuesday</u><br />Left Odette in the apt. reading papers, she had decided trekking to UCD was pointless when I had a quiet desk to work at and internet connection available. I headed out to UCD for 12am to get sorted with some info. on a piece of equipment they bought which I wanted to replicate. I ended up staying out there for longer than I had expected, got a coffee with Enda and talked to him about his college routine and how life was going with him. Do miss the old DIT days still myself. Got back into town for around 4pm and then went and got my keys back off Odette at 4:30 and left her to a bus home. Went down to the lab then and got stuff organised to begin getting data, before I started I met Valentin & Sophie at 5:20 pm to give them a tour of the lab and show them how everything worked. They headed off around 6pm and I stayed in the lab working late through the evening and then until midnight. Was falling apart brain-wise by the time I left, had yet to get the ion probe signals which was stupid but it wasn’t working out and by then I was in no mood to figure stuff out so I left the last bit of work until the next day.<br /><br /><br /><u>Wednesday</u><br />Got set up in the morning in the lab, before I took the measurements I met Odette for lunch at 11:30am, after that we got all our ion probe measurements done before it was late so didn't have to work late that evening, Kevin's mam was staying over and they were finishing dinner when I got home. Had a quiet night, just relaxed knowing I’d have to organise data and get ready to do the whole lot with the experiment again for tin soon.<br /><br /><u>Thursday</u><br />Can't really remember what happened... spoke to James on the phone at some stage as he was off to Denmark, pretty much just did college work. Was one of Those days, think the midnight lab work had sapped me of any want to continue in the lab for that time.<br /><br /><br /><u>Friday</u><br />I went to college early-ish, which means early for me, worked away and talked with Gearoid because we were meeting James on Monday to show results from the experiment. Worked along then until I met Odette just after 5pm, had dinner in Wagamama at 6ish, went back to hers and watched some TV and she fell asleep on my shoulder at around 11pm, so cute, she was wall fallingly tired.<br /><br /><u>Saturday</u><br />Woke up in Odette's house around 10:30, her mother's parents were over so got to say hello to them, had breakfast with Odette first, watched <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006v5y2">Saturday Kitchen</a>. Odette was in work at 1pm & I had planned on leaving at 12 and working in the lab all day... then I convinced myself not to and spent the rest of Saturday in the apt. not achieving a whole bunch but it was a relaxing day anyway. In the evening Kevin and myself walked to Phibsborough to Peter's house for his going away thing. Didn't stay long though, got there around 9pm and left around 10pm (I think). Walked back into town and got a LPT in JoC and chatted to the staffers there for awhile. Went home then and talked to Odette on the phone and that was Saturday over.<br /><br /><u>Sunday</u><br />Sunday I got up early..ish, although maybe 9am is early for a Sunday? Anyway, had planned on going to college to do the experiment with tin but again convinced myself not to go in because James had asked us to discuss the results before moving on to another element. So once again I was just in the apt. all day, though I did do some reading, but nothing much really.<br />Then in the evening people came over from Fallon & Byrne for Rachel's last day there, Kevin cooked pizzas from scratch, base and all. Were nice, though I burned my tongue so bad I can feel it stinging still. They all went out then after some of us had vodka & sorbet for desert, I decided I didn't want to go, instead I washed all the pots & dishes, cleaned all the flour off everything, swept, spoke to Odette on the phone, put all the tea towels on to wash and then mopped the floor in the kitchen. Went to bed then and read for awhile, then Kevin et al. returned so I got up and said hello, Rachel left then, I squeezed a lemon into a pint of water, as I do, drank it all and went back to bed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><u>Monday</u><br />Woke up at 7:30 to my alarm, got up, checked my emails.. went back to bed. 8:30, got up, put on the emersion.. went back to bed. 8:55 got up and showered, dressed, failed to find a breakfast worth having, washed teeth and went to college. Checked lab was all still in order, sat in office, realised I hate today already and it's not even 10:30 am yet. Debated a coffee & flapjack of some sort..<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/aaa.jpg" /><br />got myself a latte & a hazelnut flapjack, damn tasty, though the almond one seems a lot less oily (though it is with non hydrogenated vegetable margarine, so the lesser of two weevils [best movie joke ever]). We'll see how the rest of today goes, I will stop typing a minute by minute run down. For now.<br /><br /><a href="http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/movies/encounters/od131cruiseorbitsandtimeline.mov">Great little video</a> of the flight path, for want of a better phrase (controlled orbits? Anyway..), of the Mercury bound Messenger probe launched by NASA back on 3rd August, 2004. Astrophysics comes across some much cooler than most other fields, I guess the pressure of getting every last little detail perfect must be a major stressor. Not to mention having to wait 7 years for your data to be available.<br /><br />Also, very cool talk on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kLUINS_riw">the Evidence for Ocean on Titan</a>, by Prof. Francis Nimmo of UCSC. Have yet to watch through the full talk, but the first 10mins is very interesting. Although, I can't help but compare him to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsxHORdOtn0">Prof. Ian Duncan (Community)</a> in my head. I think it's the voice, am I the only one?<br /><br />The more I work in one area of physics the more I want to learn in other areas, the fifth law of student life, or the Grass Is Always Greener theory as it's sometimes known.<br /><br />Came home at about 6:30pm and literally collapsed onto bed, dug iPad out of bag and read tweets without moving more than my finger to scroll for about 35 minutes. So bloody tired. Got up then when Kev came in from work.. and watched the two Harold & Kumar movies back to back. I do not know why. But that was the best end to a President's Day I've ever noticed I lived through. Watching George W. Jr get wasted, what President's Day was no doubt made for.<br /><br />Then I noticed KT Tunstall outside signing autographs, so I took a blury picture of the top of her head and waved to (her) fans. <img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/KTTunstall.jpg" width="800" height="600" /><br />Did this last part while speaking to Odette on the phone, and now it is time for bed.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />^ All of the above was typed over a large number of days, I can only imagine how all over the place it is and how many things I left in I meant to take out not to mention things I've forgotten to mention. Editing this mess is far worse than any report editing I've ever had to do. Will continue to write up for the days since Monday, but I thought while I have this much done I may aswell update. Comment to tell me how little you care to hear the silly details of my life :PZakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-49093335091412362352011-02-14T22:59:00.004+00:002011-02-14T23:04:31.599+00:00The big V day<a href="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/aaaa.jpg"><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/aaaa.jpg" heigth="600" width="800" /></a><br /><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/bbbbb.jpg" width="800" /><br /><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/ccccc.jpg" width="800" /><br /><br /><br />("That sounds like vagina day")Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-13577748442833135952011-02-14T00:50:00.000+00:002011-02-14T00:51:59.067+00:00Forget you?Never, I was just resting my eyes for a moment and suddenly it wasn't the right day anymore, or even really the right week, but I'd never Forget.<br /><br />Happy Valentine's Day one and all, enjoy it as you should any other day, just try and fit one extra hug in there somewhere, don't forget we're all the same under the silly attitudes and everyone deserves a hug at least sometimes.<br /><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN2912.jpg" width="800" height="600" /><br /><br />Lab work last week resulted in lots of more round about’s thinking over how we align our optics and which methods of checking alignment work for me best. It's good in some ways to be driven round and round with equipment and setup because it teaches you the hard way how to do something right so you can (hopefully) get it the first time around next time. Must remember to write out all the little ideas and processes used to get the experiments rolling smooth, even just so I don't forget them. This is what held us up, the non uniformity of the laser ablation crater.<br /><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN2958.jpg" width="600" height="800" /><br /><br />When Odette saw the image she instantly began singing Poor Leno by Röyksopp, crazy concentric ring laser ablation eyed target-for-a-face face monster. It's alive, ALIVE.<br />(YOU WANT TO WATCH AN EPIC MOVIE, WATCH <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072431/">Young Frankenstein</a>. Watched it again recently, well most of it, such an amazingly funny movie. Great love for Mr. Wilder.)<br /><br />Here is an ablation eye (a.k.a. crater) up-close:<br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN2951.jpg" width="600" height="800" /><br /><br />Bloody Frenchy froggies singing some drunken songs on the street outside, Sin blasting away into the night its bass-y tunes, drunken smokers releasing their vile smelling foul-ity upwards such that I can't open my doors to let in the night's cool air (not to mention their noisy drunken blabbering but I have headphones to help block that out).<br /><br />Also, I recently dug my old Kodak Advantix camera out of a box, so my camera collection is looking a little something like this:<br /><br /><img src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y221/Zakerius/DSCN2920.jpg" width="800" /><br /><br />Minus the two cameras I am using at the moment (<a href="http://www.olympus-europa.com/consumer/29_sp-560_uz.htm">Olympus SP-560UZ</a> & <a href="http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/coolpix/style/s8000/">Nikon S8000</a>) and the <a href="http://www.sony.co.uk/product/sdh-minidv/dcr-hc20e">Sony Handycam</a> which I use as a webcam/Skype mic as I lack many occasions to film things really.<br />I do love my camera collection, and want to get them all running properly, need to test most of them to see if age has had its way with them yet or if they are still functioning as new.<br /><br />For now it is bed time though, so thoughts shall be of restful things before the week wakes me to begin (an end of) the experiments which have been plaguing me since Christmas. Until tomorrow?Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4996206205159425123.post-82506031194087249072011-02-09T12:15:00.000+00:002011-02-10T14:37:14.624+00:00Today,tomorrow,tooI feel like death, got a hard case of man flu, you know how it goes, be dead in an hour, can only see out of my ear. Makes for a fun me I’m sure, and of all days to really feel taken down on it’s the middle of the week, I’ve a million and one things to do and I’m heading to see my mam for the first time since early November. Good times, great timing as always.<br /><br />Not getting anywhere with the stupid experiment, just one thing after the other. But nobody cares to hear more about that. Least of all me. <br /><br />Looking forward to seeing my mother et al. up the side of the mountain, want the weather to be good & get a nice trip up for a weekend. Feck it, I really want some time away from it all. Can’t wait for this bloody transfer to be over and done with so I can get it out of my head and on with life. Have to get this stuff done, bloody annoying stuff. Stupid experiment.<br /><br />Hope the weekend will be a good one, Josh’s 21st birthday, as good an excuse as any to relax. Anyway, I’ve to get to Ballymun to get my lift and I’m going to go grab some lunch first with Odette. Until we meet again!Zakeriushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08221384526864767786noreply@blogger.com0