Blogging Update
Sunday 23 August 2009 at 6:28 pm
Going to be updating my blog in the next week or two, so if it suddenly vanishes for a few days you'll know why. After that i will be posting more often in it... i promise :P (0 votes, averaging 0.0)
Pole-attics
Sunday 21 June 2009 at 8:02 pm
Yes, its misspelt. And intentionally so. Why not make fun of the whole institution?
Lets look at some simple facts. Here we are fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and supposedly if the Iranian government was to be believed, getting mixed up in the middle of the Iranian election. And all in the name of "Supporting the choice of the People".
The simple statement itself coming from the Current UK government does absolutely nothing but make me almost wet myself from laughing. We're talking about a government who is headed by a Prime Minister who WAS NOT elected by the public, Has suffered a complete and utter loss at the lasted European and Local elections and has ignored numerous calls to Stand aside and let the UK actually vote for someone of our choosing to lead OUR country.
At which point do we the public draw the line? Why is no one in the media drawing these clearly obvious conclusions? Do we have to take up arms and wrestle power from the cesspool of corruption that is Westminster and perform our own wire brush and bleach cleaning of the halls by whatever means necessary to give US the PEOPLE power back?
Maybe our news channels should focus internally for a while and help us remove those in power from there seat. Instead of getting in the middle of an Election that frankly has nothing to-do with us and should have nothing to-do with us!
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Well that month passed
Wednesday 13 May 2009 at 02:21 am
Previous month passed by rather quickly, I never did get to the point of releasing any of the stuff I'd programmed. Mostly because i haven't been playing any subscription games at all lately. Its been refreshing actually. I finished both assessments, One of them i was finishing off with hours to go before the submittal deadline. Purely my own fault too, i just kept putting it off and putting it off. And suddenly the deadline was upon me. But they're done and both passed. Got 2 assessments left on the computing course and that's it done for the year. Basically finished one of them just need to cleanup the written parts and format the code. Other is a multiple choice paper, which I'll do in the coming days. Then its 100% focus educationally on the mathematics course till October when i start the next computing course.
I did make some changes to the cramped computer room, I added some shelving. Trying to work out a way of adding more actual desk space without cramping my movement room to much, but i have some ideas. I'll get round to it, The shelves alone gave me plenty of room to move, and they're well out the way of the two smaller people i live with. So its not so much of an issue right now as it was at the time of the last post. Still haven't built G a computer area yet, but i really want to take a decent amount of time on that and do it 100% correctly and make sure it'll last as long as the ones I've built for myself at least.
On the project side, I've been making some headway. Collected a metric ton of research materials and schematics, started slowly building up my parts inventory too, Checking over my current equipment and see what needs replacing/updating before i really get started in earnest. Nothing worse than starting something and having to stop to wait on a part or something to be delivered. There was a lot more to learn though than I'd actually considered, So it may take a bit longer than I've estimated to myself but that's not going to stop me! Its just a matter if finding a good starting point, or even several starting points. Once i get those i'll rush onwards.
On the coding side for the above mentioned project, I do love C#, but when it comes down to it I'm still i Delphi man, and its hard hard work to not switch back just due to how easy i find good ole Pascal to use, especially when it comes to breaking completely new ground for myself. But i think I'll soldier onwards with C# anyway.. or maybe a bit of both depending on how it all goes. Getting ahead of myself here anyway.
Anyway, its damn late as i write this, so i think I'll finish up right here.
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Busy Month Ahead
Monday 06 April 2009 at 5:59 pm
Yup, as the title states April is going to be a very busy month for me. Got 2 assessments to start and finish this month alone, and both are due around the 25th too. So I've got to get onto those. Throw in the fact that Garion's at home most of the month too due to school holidays, means its definitely going to be an exciting time. Plus we're actually working towards getting G into school for a whole day too. All of which just means more distractions.
On top of the two things mentioned above, I've also recently "Finished" a little program that displays the latest Eve-Online Wallet entries on my G15's LCD. So i also want to fire on through and clean it up, remove unneeded/wanted processor usage and just overall make it more presentable and fire it out there into the ether and see if anyone uses it. Knowing me this will take most of the month also. Been working on another little "for fun" project too, Takes your twitter feed, and you can link your friends to Xbox-Live Profiles and it takes there avatar and displays this right into your desktop with whatever they've said, or said to you. Kind of a nice little visual Avatar group/conversation. I know, it's a kind of pointless program and serves absolutely no useful purpose. But i don't really care. Its something fun to-do. I'll get around to posting screenshots of both of them at some point this month also.
And now the real project that I'm going to focus on through the summer/autumn. Radio and Computer interfacing. As I've mentioned before Amateur Radio is a sort of hobby of mines. Its always drawn my attention and imagination. And finally I'm in a position where i can actually do something with this interest. It's going to be fun, for me at least. So expect more on this through the summer months especially when my first course wraps up in the next month or so, which will give me some more time to devote to it before i start the third in august. Lets just say that i wont be buying any prebuilt equipment beyond the power supply which i already own and there will be a lot of computer interaction with it. I dare say this one is going to be a long haul project, but I'm eager and excited and willing to learn whatever it takes to get to where i want to be with it in the end.
I'm also going to be hopefully doing some more work within my current house, my small computer room has been great. BUT! I'm quickly running out of room in it and that's just with my course materials, which I'd hedge a bet and say are only going to be getting more plentiful as the course ramps up in difficulty through the years to go on it. So i need to start thinking of shelving and some more actual work space. as you can see from the recent picture its getting pretty cramped. Maybe move the wall, or remove the wall and replace it with a half height partition. Either way, something has to be done about it. But i still feel the need to keep the equipment separate from the rest of the room. What i really need is a larger house, but that'll come! Also need to plan out and build a decent computer area for Garion. He seems to prefer a full sized desk and chair these days over the smaller ones that are more aimed at his age.
So that's my very rough plans for this summer and what i want to get done. Isn't as much on that to-do list now that I've written it all down. But course I'm not taking into account all the good weather were sure to get and the endless afternoons of sitting in the garden with a book basking in the sunshine. *wonders if its still sleeting outside*
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Badly researched Articles
Wednesday 01 April 2009 at 03:02 am
As well all you know, my son is on the Autistic Spectrum.
And well a pet hate of mines is to be looking through information Autism, new research etc. and Occasionally you come across posts like this one
http://treatments4autism.blogspot.com/2009/03/tips-for-managing-autistic-children.html
Which are just so badly researched, and so outdated in there views it completely shocks me. Especially as to me that article is aimed at new parents probably just starting to cope with the fact that there child is autistic. Then they're going to come across just things like that. From the very onset the article starts by saying there's no cure, and you can only manage the symptoms. Cure for what exactly? Autism isn't a disease!
Anyway i posted a comment back on this article but i kind of doubt it'll see the light of day. So i decided to post also post it here :) That way i can vent and know at least someone beyond myself has read it.
I'm really surprised by the arcane stereotypical view of autistic children being "Generally Aggressive" in this article.
Quite shocked that someone supposedly writing tips on managing autistic children can pigeon hole such a wide and diverse spectrum as aggressive. This inaccurate and outdated view is something that should be fought against at all costs. It hinders ASD children and can cause negative feedback against ASD children in the community in which they live.
Also the dietary tip.. its yet to be proven that any specialist diets actually work in controlling or altering the "Symptoms".
My honest view, is that its unfounded and badly researched articles like this that hinder public understanding and awareness of the diversity of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. And cause undue stress to the parents of children recently discovered to being on the Spectrum.
And well yes, that's my view.. I'm still unbelievable annoyed and shocked that someone can so casually include the biased view of aggression and pin it to the entire autistic population. That really pisses me off. Its something that we as parents have to deal with a lot when telling people that G's is autistic. And it'd be so much easier for strangers to understand if piebald idiots like this would really just shut the fuck up about their mercury rising experience of autism. The need to go away and watch a few of the Documentaries on the subject. Then they might get that they're unfairly labelling all autistic people as aggressive.
*end rant*
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The EBook Reader Debate.
Friday 27 February 2009 at 8:17 pm
Been reading up on this, and of course a quick discussion with morduun too. For those who have missed it, the publishing business is all up in arms about the fact the Kindle2 does Text To Speech. And quite simply i think that this whole debate could have been 100% absolutely avoided if the advertising people behind the Kindle2 had a clue. If they'd just advertised it as a accessibility feature for the partially blind/blind people then no one wouldn't even looked twice at it. But nope instead they advertised it as a text to speech system on a ebooker reader. What can i say beyond "Idiots"
Anyway, in Course land another Computing and a Maths assessment turned in. Don't have the results back for the computing one yet. But on the maths i lost a few points because of not using "Mathematical English"
They were looking for something like:
The is a triangle, so has the area = 1/2 of base x height
= 1/2 x 10m x 12m
= 60m squared
and i wrote something like
10 x 12 = 120
120 / 2 = 60
So the area of the triangle is 60m squared
Stupidity loosing marks for that, but meh if I'd had my coursework BEFORE I'd done the assessment I'd have know how they'd wanted it.
Either way, i only actually lost 3 marks out of the entire assessment for it, just grating that absolutely none of them where for my actual maths solutions.
The above is purely an example btw, i way to lazy to type out a real one!
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Snow finally comes!
Monday 02 February 2009 at 5:31 pm
As per the BBC have been going on about all day, the UK finally got some decent snow. And most people are complaining, but not me. Its a great time to be out in the garden with Garion and having a blast. as i have been. Snowball fights a plenty and a perfectly aimed snowball to the lug for Kirsty, I even managed to get a shot that went behind her Glasses. ROCKIN!
Course she wasn't happy about that, but no one that gets smacked with a well aimed snowball ever is.
I even managed to get lots of photo's and some "Artistic" shots which is very very rare for me. my photo's are usually blurry and shakey and just plain bad. but i like these two. One taken with my Digital camera and the other taken by my Nokia N70 phone. Hope you like them.
More snow is on the way supposedly with the worst due tonight and tomorrow. which is great as we got about 1ft this morning and a i'd say probably about another foot this afternoon. though its hard to tell cos the drifts and the fact we've been in and out all day with Garion playing in the snow.
Anyway, Enjoy it if you've got it folks!
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Education Meetings
Wednesday 28 January 2009 at 11:09 am
Had a meeting with G's school today, went really well I'd say. Just the "normal" progress reports really. well not normal as it wasn't the standard parents evening. But normal in a sense relating to G. Anyway things are going pleasantly well for the little man, He's actually learning and with real proof now. He can write his letters and that with no problems we're told, But only on his terms. But they've caught him doing it himself and managed to get the evidence. Numerical though, he can count and all that, Which was a surprise to them. They weren't really sure if he was actually counting and recognising the numbers or just memorising the material. So they did a little test with brand new material he'd never seen which he handled with ease. So overall great progress on that front.
He hasn't has any Speech and Language therapy since before Christmas, Which he should have weekly. But we ourselves as his parents and even all 4 or 5 of his active teachers are noticing a massive improvement in his verbal communication, Much longer sentences and very little "Nonsense" and "Babble" these days.
I'm happy with the outcome and he'll be getting closer to being at school for the whole day. another marked improvement.
Well shall see what the next few months bring on that front.
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Not so long fable
Thursday 15 January 2009 at 09:10 am
So, the downloadable content for Fable 2 was released, YAY cos we were awaiting that release eagerly. So last night there i was, bought my 1000 MS points and paid 800 for the addon. waited forever for the 500+mb thing to download, for some reason it kept stalling was rather annoying. But i finally got it and fired up the game. and off i went to the new Island
Flick forward an hour or two later, and the questline is finished.
I feel cheated, sure it was a complete new zone. But it just wasnt long enough to warrent buying it, Tried it out on multiplayer with Daniel (Kerouac).. and god the multiplayer is a major disappointment too. A static camera view that really really gets in the way. We lasted about ooo 5mins max, and we both went back to our single player games.
Flick forward another hour or two, and i've not only finished the quest lines but also got all the achievements. Now Fable 2 really is a great game, but this addon was such a BIG let down. I was just absolutely no where near long enough. Containing basically 3 quests. Disappointed.
*additional note* i've changed the address for the blog, basically removed the /blog/ from the url. I never did what i was planning with the rest of the domain. so umm update yer bookmarks to just http://www.specis.me.uk/ *end of note*
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