good stuff thread.

[Beast]

Today is supposedly National Milk Chocolate Day...so basically I had a second birthday I didn't even know about?! WORSHIP THE CHOCOLATE, BITCHES! :p

[EEVILMURRAY]

Thinking about applying for the junior writer position at Rock Paper Shotgun. It's come at such a shit time though with my end of year assignments due in real soon.

I've given it a bash. I downloaded a game especially to write about. Fuck, it was terrible.

 

Only If, if anyone;s interested.

[The Bard]

I've heard good things about that. Will give it a try. I haven't had time to play anything avant garde recently so I just wrote a paragraph about the opening minute of Half Life 2.

[EEVILMURRAY]

I've heard good things about that.

What goods thing did you hear? from where?

 

Would like to see them.

[Goafer]

WORSHIP THE CHOCOLATE, BITCHES! :p

 

[Guy]

Derp.

Edited August 16, 2017 by Guy

[Magnus]

I guess with Shortpacked! ending, someone had to take its place.

 

Now to keep updating three days a week for the rest of your life.

[Ganepark32]

Despite my supervisor being worse than useless at giving me feedback on my 1st draft (he's only given me feedback on my introduction, the area where I need the least feedback as he knows I know the literature but hasn't bothered to give me anything on my results sections and the more empirical parts which was the purpose of writing a report ), I've finally managed to finish writing up my end of 1st year report for my PhD!

 

A small thing but so glad to have finished writing it up as its been a long process, especially with having to teach myself signal detection theory and run a series of analyses on that. Hand it in tomorrow once I have a final check over for spelling, formatting, etc., but it looks good and though I didn't find what I initially expected with my experiment, what I did find is interesting and I've been able to provide solid empirical arguments and explanations for the differences in my findings compared to the literature.

 

Anyway, so glad it's done. Now to have a well earned couple of days break to recharge! :awesome:

[Goafer]

Got a mortgage promise from Halifax. Basically means we have been approved for a mortgage.

 

We're not looking at buying anywhere until the new year, but it's nice to know for sure that we can actually get a mortgage.

 

 

On a side note, it's depressing how cheap houses in Scotland are. As a comparison, we'll be lucky to get a 2 bedroom place down here. I looked out of curiosity after our holiday there and it's very tempting to move up there. The only problem is we'd be far too far away from everything (My family and friends, my other half's family and friends, major cities etc). Plus the faff of finding work on top of moving etc.

[Jon]

Got a mortgage promise from Halifax. Basically means we have been approved for a mortgage.

 

We're not looking at buying anywhere until the new year, but it's nice to know for sure that we can actually get a mortgage.

 

 

On a side note, it's depressing how cheap houses in Scotland are. As a comparison, we'll be lucky to get a 2 bedroom place down here. I looked out of curiosity after our holiday there and it's very tempting to move up there. The only problem is we'd be far too far away from everything (My family and friends, my other half's family and friends, major cities etc). Plus the faff of finding work on top of moving etc.

 

Certain places in Scotland. Unfortunately my city is not one of them.

[bob]

Plus after Sept, you'll be living abroad and may need a visa.

[The Bard]

Fashionably late to the party; I watched two seasons of Community over the last five days. It's the best thing of all time.

[Mr-Paul]

Fashionably late to the party; I watched two seasons of Community over the last five days. It's the best thing of all time.

 

First two? Most people say they're the best, but the third is my favourite. A lot more wacky, but some brilliant episodes. Quality drops off a little in season 4 and 5, but it's still one of my favourites. Such a great show to binge

[Beast]

I love Community but it may as well be called The Abed Show. Everything seems to sort of centre itself around him. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Abed hater but I'd like to see more of the other characters like Shirley.

[Mr-Paul]

It's all about Annie's boobs, tbh.

 

 

Oh, I meant...

 

[The Bard]

First two? Most people say they're the best, but the third is my favourite. A lot more wacky, but some brilliant episodes. Quality drops off a little in season 4 and 5, but it's still one of my favourites. Such a great show to binge

 

Yeah, about to move onto the third. Looking forward to it all to be honest. I was hoping the fifth was a return to quality since the Harman returned after season 4?

 

I love Community but it may as well be called The Abed Show. Everything seems to sort of centre itself around him. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an Abed hater but I'd like to see more of the other characters like Shirley.

 

Abed is a more central (and interesting) character to me than Shirley because he's a vehicle for the show to reflect on itself - the constant references to popular culture are both an interesting framework for him to apply a logic and structure to the shit that happens in his life, and also work because the references allow the show to winkingly spoof other film and tv by way of presenting events through Abed's viewpoint. He's like the writers' direct line to the audience, and by far my favourite character.

[Mr-Paul]

 

Yeah, about to move onto the third. Looking forward to it all to be honest. I was hoping the fifth was a return to quality since the Harman returned after season 4?

 

Abed is a more central (and interesting) character to me than Shirley because he's a vehicle for the show to reflect on itself - the constant references to popular culture are both an interesting framework for him to apply a logic and structure to the shit that happens in his life, and also work because the references allow the show to winkingly spoof other film and tv by way of presenting events through Abed's viewpoint. He's like the writers' direct line to the audience, and by far my favourite character.

 

 

You've totally nailed why Abed is such an important character to the show. Wouldn't work without him.

 

To be honest, you'll see lots of people saying to skip S4, or skip certain episodes, but I say ignore that. I think if you don't actually realise S4 is Harmonless, you won't tell much difference from the first 3 seasons. Season 5 is very different, very creative at points, actually a tad too self indulgent in my opinion - I think they went into it thinking they had nothing to lose at that point. But it's very enjoyable, if not as laugh filled as earlier seasons.

 

S4 is trying to be the first three seasons, but just fails slightly as they were creating many of Harmon's ideas for episodes he'd left on the whiteboard but without him there to edit and make it tight. It really is his show, but they did a pretty good job without him.

[Goafer]

Finally finished my GTA 5 loading screen:

 

 

It took way longer than I thought and I kind of look like Michael Jackson, but whatever. It was all done with the paint brush tool in Photoshop (except the background, which is just a Photoshop filter over a photo. I was too fed up with painting by that point), so it'll do.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Stuck it to the man on an audio typing exam by pointing out an error they had made. Which was rather weird but hoping I won't get penalised for following the orders given.

[Dog-amoto]

Found out my girlfriend is pregnant a few months ago. Went for the second scan earlier this week and looks like we're having a baby girl . Due 21st December, so looks like Christmas will be expensive for me for the rest of my days!

[Sheikah]

Found out my girlfriend is pregnant a few months ago. Went for the second scan earlier this week and looks like we're having a baby girl . Due 21st December, so looks like Christmas will be expensive for me for the rest of my days!

 

Congrats man, you must be excited!

[Goafer]

Not quite up to new baby standards of good stuff, but someone at work scans and digitally restores film photos for a collector. They're of car races from approximately 1910-1960 and he always brings me in a copy, since he knows that I love cars.

 

I can't post the photos here as they're from a guys private collection and one of the conditions of him sneaking me a copy was that I don't post them all over the internet. The photos are incredible though. There's photos of Enzo Ferrari with his early cars, Alberto Ascari's (Race driver and the guy who the British car manufacturer Ascari are named after) fatal crash and funeral, Maserati prototypes and countless vintage Ferraris, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos.

 

Here's similar photos I found online to give an idea of what they're like:

 

Enzo Ferrari:

 

 

 

 

 

Because the images I have are direct scans from the negatives, the quality is astonishing. Really beautiful photos. The fact that I struggled to find any comparable photos online shows how rare photos like these are.

[The Bard]

I forgot Weston's is 8.2%. Shouldn't have had three the night before a dissertation meeting .

[Supergrunch]

I forgot Weston's is 8.2%. Shouldn't have had three the night before a dissertation meeting .

I'm pretty sure that improves a dissertation meeting.

[nightwolf]

Not quite as exciting.

 

But my new manager has offered to give me lifts to and from work. To put that into perspective, a week I pay:

 

£30 petrol

£5 a week parking

£2.70 a day getting the bus

 

(the bus is park and ride so its barely 10 minutes each way, I've also been cycling to compensate but with the weather and being ill its been a big issue).

 

So in a month just under 200 quid, just to get to work. If I added the petrol for a weekend it'd be over 200 a month.

 

New manager has asked for £10 a week. So its going down to £40 a month. Saving me a buttload of money.

 

I'm so pleased, it also cuts my travel time down, from 1.5 hours to 30 minutes. Christ.