Reposts – Page 91

All Questions Answered

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Ruth wrote:

Today we have been…

…testing Dan. Earlier I sent in to ask how many times the big Panda said ‘nice’ in Panda Ko Panda (12, 5 times referring to bamboo). When we were getting food at the Chinese, Dan accused Bryn of having sent that in (he was logged on at the time), I might have got away with it but I burst out laughing.

Then just now, Bryn and I were wondering how many cups of coffee you could make using all the water in the pacific ocean. In case anyone wants to try it, the answer is 259 million cups, using 518 million tablespoons of ground coffee. That’s a lot of caffeine!

Bryn: “Can you imagine the size of the coffee filter?”

Repost #13118

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Claire wrote:

Well, the clocks have gone forward and the sun has come out. Something tells me there’ll be no more snow for a while. Yesterday, Dan, Paul, Bryn and I went up Pen Dinas (large hill south of aber with monument atop it) and had a picnic. The food was good, the company better and the sunset… well it was just another sunset really. I’ve realised that i can’t remember ever having seen a sunrise. Maybe one of these days I’ll be up early enough, and up a hill, and I’ll see one. Ah well.

After the picnic we went down the hill to Rummers, where we played silly games, first Cluedo(Paul won), then a game called Ntropy where the aim is to place sticks on a stick structure without any sticks falling off. Sounds simple but it got really tactical during the second game. Two random people joined us that time, so we had six players and only a few sticks each. It was tense, but Bryn won (again). We are goin to have to find a copy of that game so that we can finally beat bryn!

Then the last orders bell rang, and we returned to the flat, where we played Lord Of The Rings: the board game. It’s surprisingly good, given that you play cooperatively against the rules to try to get the ring to Mordor. I was Pippin – impetuous.
Now it’s morning and I have a headache from all the beer and a backache from the rolling down hills head over heels. Nevertheless, it was a good day.

Thankyou

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Fiona wrote:

You have made me both think and laugh tonight Dan. Thank you.

Thank you Paul, you got me in to this- it is my main way of being in touch with all of you.

Thank you all for posting, I often feel as if it should be me moving to Aber, I would be happy their.

I should study, but I’ll probably knit.

Last Troma of 2003

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 23 March 2019.

Kit wrote:

TromaNight rolls to a close in 2003 with three excellent offerings. Tonari no Totoro, Pitch Black and Kiki Delivery Service. The first and last were excellent. Pitch Black was a good middle film without doubt – but perhaps easier to forget because the other two were so charming.

The music in Kiki is really rather special. It was a joy to watch and listen to – and the cat! The cat (played by Phil Hartman, of Simpsons fame (Troy Maclure and Lionel Hutz)) was a joy to watch. Very *very* catlike in behaviour and commentary…

Cross-reference: Final Troma Night Of The Year

Disneyporn

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Sian wrote:

Just got back from me favourite sleepy seaside town, missing it already. Dumped my brother in Penbryn, caught up with Strokey in the Blue Creek Cafe (which now has my fave Aber hot chocolate), learnt the wonders of googlewhacking and disneyporn with Dan and Claire, and saw Derry for the first time in ages (and got a Hollywood, yay!). It was so nice to wake up with someone again. Nice lazy Aber day today. I know I’ve done the right thing with having a year out – I’ve got loads more confidence and money – but I did feel jealous seeing all the ickle freshers arriving all nervous and excited.

My cousin, who’s in the TA, has just been called up to serve in Basra, which sucks. He’s just turned 18. Ok, so it’s his choice, I’m sure he’ll be fine, and he’ll get loads of money for it, unlike the Iraqi civilians who had no choice in the matter, but it still sucks for his family. Ach well, that’s war for you.

I don’t recall this particular incident of googlewhacks and disneyporn, but I can imagine the conversation, in retrospect. The former probably came up in respect to my experiments around that time into Google Search’s quirks and googlebombability; the latter perhaps an attempt to squick out “Strokey” Adam.

Edge of darkness

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 22 March 2019.

Kit wrote:

A day of energy and focus. Paul and I hacking through stuff, fixing, tweaking, making work, prodding, pushing.

Its a slick operation. Paul and I discuss bugs and problems, mark them up on a whiteboard on the wall (installed for the purpose) and clear off fixed issues. Dan chews through problems in staccato style – a quick hit and run raid on a bad patch of bugs, followed by some Civilisation 3.

I spent much of the early part of the day creating new icons for the help section and improving some others. Later on Paul replaced me at the terminal – weaving together a gossamer of information into a cohesive and structured explanation of how the system works.

Bryn closes hostilities with a QA roundup. Vigorous and detailed, he pulled out anything he found that was out of place or untidy in the help system and listed it for change.

So its morning. We’re a touch behind schedule – but quality of the product is all. We are determined to fix the “showstoppers” (big bugs) and make a good dent in anything silly outstanding before we declare it released. I can see that taking a few more days.

Paul and I were left discussing its worth in our currently debris-strewn living room. What does this project actually mean? It means a lot – to me, to Dan, to everyone involved. Most of all its yet more proof of the magic that is Aberystwyth.

At the edge of darkness, all that is left is tomorrow.

Sand and seawater

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Claire wrote:

Got up late, and spent the day on Ynyslas beach (A small town North of Aberystwyth, on the coast) with Paul, Kit, Fiona (Kit’s new girlfriend, as I’m sure he will relate in his next entry) and Dan. The water was warm, if a little shallow. We went for a swim, had a barbecue and watched the beautiful sunset. Pictures will be online soon enough. We climbed lazily back over the sand dunes to return to the car. Dan ran ahead, stopped at the crescent of a dune, and turned. “Drop your bag, take your keys, your car is underwater!” I thought he was joking.

So i wade into the now several inches deep water, just below the level of the exhaust pipe. Uncaring about getting sand in the car from my soaking shoes, I jump in and start the engine. I rev and rev, but my wheels are spinning and I’m digging myself deeper into the sand. Eventually, as the water continues to rise, some strangers come to my aid. (Dan had gone to get the others.) With about five people pushing and me panicking slightly less, the car was rescued and i drove it away from the water.
As I drove, very relieved indeed and driving cautiously in case the brakes had been damaged, a woman shouts at me. “Your lights are off!” she tells me. The least of my worries on an almost deserted beach after escaping a drowned vehicle! I flipped them on and waited for the rest of the crew.
We returned to aber, and laughed at our stupidity. Ok, my stupidity, I guess. This sort of thing only happens to me. We washed the salt water off the car and went back to the flat for beer and “Cannibal the Musical”. Hooray. A good day all round.

I’m considering giving my car bouyancy aids and an anchor.

Up all night

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I’ve drunk too much coffee and can’t sleep. After “Equilibre” last night, Dan and I discovered the difference between men and women is that men don’t understand art, and women don’t understand art but are good at pretending they do.
Been coding all day. Creating adventure games is harder than it looks! I have two games on the go – one called “Absurd” and one called “Dungeon.” Both are in their early stages. I have to be doing several things at once or I get bored, so when I get stuck on one bug i swap to the other adventure.

Have been pondering the fact that I’ve spent most of my life trying to find something to belong to, to fit in with, to be part of, and i think i’ve found most of it now. No reason to stop searching through the maze though ;) I flitted through friendship groups faster than a speeding meercat in the past, but at least at uni it feels a little more permanent, if an illusion as everyone leaves sometime. I have Dan. Hooray! Enough soppiness (I’m not good at expressing my feelings, but I love you, my dearest, always and forever).

I have Aberystwyth. Ok, I *will* leave at some point, but it will always be here and in my memories as home. Hopefully my new degree will become part of this happy set-up.

I have coffee. This is why I’m still up. Suppose I’ll hack till I drop. I chose hacking over shopping today, normally its playing pc games that wins but now I’m writing my own games, which is more fun.
At least when i go see CompSci’s admissions tutor I can say “Sorry if I’m tired, I drank too much coffee and spent the small hours coding in an object oriented fashion.” He’ll be delighted to have me aboard.

I’d best stop my rambling and get some code done that will be incomprehendable by the morning. Just like this post.

Claire

The Sims

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Claire wrote:

I’ve just made a sim Claire, Dan, Kit, Paul and Bryn. I was bored ok?
Dan and Claire hardly see each other because they work opposing hours, Kit and Paul are jobless bums who spend all day at Dan and Claire’s or playing on their computers, Bryn has a tiny house and is a drill instructor. Dan’s a website manager, Claire is a busker. It’s a little true to life.

Claire keeps setting fire to the kitchen by trying to cook.

I haven’t a clue where Kit or Paul are, normally they’re here harassing me to do things by now. I miss them. Also I’m hungry and I want them to decide where I should go eat. I have to go to work at 4, hopefully the manager will be in and I can hand in my notice as planned.

cold

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 18 March 2019.

Paul wrote:

Long time, no update. (shrugs). Went for a pickled egg in Aber but couldn’t find one after searching nearly every pub in the area, so we’ve decided to make our own with vinegar, garlic, chillis, mustard, red hot tobasco sauce etc… should be quite interesting. Results in two weeks

Dan and Claire seem to be getting more use out of my dinghy than me, but I don’t mind…. I enjoy seeing people have fun

Haven’t seen Stan for a while…. I wonder how long it will be before he actually asks me for rent…

I’ve heard nothing from a couple of jobs I’ve applied for, so I went to the Job Centre and found one for “Arcade Cashier”. It sounds quite good and pays over £200 a week (before tax) so that will do me nicely…

Cross-reference: Pickled Eggs

Quarter Life Crisis

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This repost was published in hindsight, on 11 March 2019.

Claire wrote:

I’ve been having feelings of general worthlessness and pointless recently, which Dan has dubbed my “quarter life crisis”. Basically, I’m 20, and I’m supposed to be all adult, and useful to the world. I didn’t want to ever grow up. I have very little to show for my twenty years of life, I don’t do anything much that affects the world at large or even my own little world. I feel like I’ve floated through life so far, like a piece of driftwood, or an electron – taking the line of least resistance all the way.

This is going to change. As I said to Dan yesterday, it’s all worthless and pointless when all I do is think about how worthless and pointless it all is. So, bored of being a whining teenager, and wanting to justify my own existance, I’m going to DO things. Less talk, more doing, thinking, travelling, experiencing.

I’ve begun to enjoy working at McDonalds, sadly, but i still need a job where I can earn more for doing less so that I don’t feel constantly tired.

Rant of the day: Bruises, scrapes and burns.
Not a work-day goes by where I don’t injure myself in some way. Some of this, I admit, could be put down to general clumsiness on my part but I know people who’ve been there longer than I who have more scars. The fry station – hot fat, hot baskets, hot fries, hot metal everywhere, and I have to move fries about quickly and accurately. The floor – always slippy for some reason, my “regulation” flat bottomed shoes have little grip. The spatulas – metal, sharp, hot. I have a bruise on my leg from turning too quickly and knocking “Archie” (the fry machine) when I’d taken off the guards to clean him. The boiling water that comes out of the tap for tea. It hurts. There’s no way to keep safe, especially when you have to work so quickly. But, they put “Wet floor” signs and “Careful, it’s hot” everywhere, so it’s all ok.

But as I said. Less talk. More do.