topham

So I forgot to blog on tuesday, and i felt pretty crappy about it. I realised at about 3am, and i'd got to sleep not long before, and woke up, wide awake, but at that point i realised that it would be incoherent and really wouldn't help anyone so I made a decision to leave it. This is currently my favourite song, and I'm learning the original version of it. Something about it is so captivating, and so drastic that it has had a profound effect on me during my time away, kinda leading me thinking of Singapore and what I've done here everytime I listen, and zombies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahyvWheMRkg So, this week I've started right from the beginning of my synthesis again, but this time I'm really going for it, and am gonna see how it unfolds next week as I have tomorrow off, as it is a public holiday. I'm having fun again with my project, but tomorrow I need to spend the day writing as much as I can on this project so that I have less work to do in the future. I went to jiu jitsu last night, and every single bout everyone went for my neck to choke me, even in disadvantageous positions, which was weird, but it was constant and tough every single bout. I'm still recovering from it now and I'm bruised all over, but I feel good. I am only 5 and a half weeks away from returning home, and I have the biggest list of Xbox 360 games, albums and DVDs that I want to get when I get home. I think right now the highest on my list is Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, as I loved the original one ages ago, and this one looks incredible. Also, Splatterhouse, which looks like a lot of fun. I came across it accidentally, when looking up info on 5 finger death punch, and seeing that they had a song chosen for the soundtrack, which made me intrigued and then explored further and now cannot wait to see what its like. I'm also excited about the big games that are coming out, and have come out, so really can't wait to get back. I went shopping with my friends this evening for a new backpack, which I got, then went out for some drinks, then managed to catch the second last train home, which was quite lucky, and had an awesome time talking about stuffs, and it was wicked. Supposed to be having a busy weekend, but not sure how things will transpire. Hope everyone is doing good. Peace

Wooo, I was gonna do some runecrafting, and now it seems the ZMI bank will be easier and cheaper to use soon, so I'll wait for the update before I do that. So far off the dungeoneering update its crazy. Both the quest and the herblore/hunter/farming thing look excellent, this might be the best set of updates I've seen in a long time.

6 weeks today I will be spending my first day back in the UK, which I really cannot wait for. However, I still have 6 weeks of lab work to do, and I'm kinda looking forward to it, but I've also got a lot of work to write up. On the plus side, today I got 92 cooking, got 58 dungeoneering, yesterday I got a Zammy Dhide body, and completed my first elite treasure trail, raised my slayer xp, and had fun while playing, organised my bank, and am looking forward to playing runescape to relax, which I haven't felt like in a long time. Although that being said, I still don't like dungeoneering. I trained TKD on friday which was good fun, and landed a back tuck for the first time in about 2 months, admittedly it was my only attempt, but I can still do it. I ran about 6-7 miles yesterday, and it was good, but then today I wanted to run about 7 miles, but only managed 3 as my calves started to hurt bad enough for me to barely be able to stand right now. I'm looking forward to this week, I need to collect some results tomorrow morning, and it should tell me what I did at the end of last week. I'm still unsure of how my project is going, but hopefully it'll be good. Not really much else to write about. Peace

Monster that dropped Clue: Desert Strykewyrm Level of Clue (If 100% known): Elite Clue Hint (With picture): Compass Where to solve Clue (With Picture): Level 55 Wilderness by Mage Arena east side Additional information if needed: Compass clue Uploaded with ImageShack.us The reward was some Nardah teles, 2 yew seeds, 124 laws and 14 tuna potatoes. This was my 4th clue in the series, the rest were already known.

Fade To Black - Apocalyptica

Far From Home - 5 Finger Death Punch

Last night I took part in a mini jiu jitsu tournament, which was a lot of fun, and in one of the bouts I pulled off a sweet set of moves with some awesome transitions that got the praise of the instructors, which was very encouraging. I ended up 3rd of 6 in the tournament and was very happy with that, as the one person that made me submit already had 2 years of training, rather than the 7 weeks that i've had, and the person that came in second, beat me by decision after time was called due to him having consistently better positions. I won my other three, 2 by armbar, and one by kimura. Those victories were good, one of the armbars was revenge as well as the guy I was against, although my friend, defeated my by RNC a while ago. Now I get to have an awesome rubber match with him at a training session soon. So my work is ruined. My project is over, and I'm not sure what will become of it for the next few weeks. I guess i'll find out my fate and the fate of my project tomorrow. No runescape news. I'm currently really enjoying training as its consistent and brilliant, but everything else seems to not be going so well. Oh well, things will start to look up soon, I'm running 12 miles at the weekend. Wooo. Peace

Yes!! Kick Ass Metal!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODhO97za77k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKwyTQkaQ8A 2 songs that I absolutely adore right now. Enjoy

So I've been in the lab the last two days, working incredibly hard to get my project rolling, but upon attempting the step I was at I couldn't progress any further no matter what I was doing, so I've had to call an end to the work I was focusing on and find a new way to reach what I'm after. Which is irritating as I was so close to completing as well. So I got demotivated, didn't want to carry on, and eat crap for the rest of the day. But I didn't, I went to TKD, and I had a wicked training session, it helped me with my attitude to my project, and it gives me encouragement for the work that I'm about to do. I changed my flight home so that I'll be able to spend my birthday with my friends for the first time ever i think, which I'm very much looking forward to. I haven't played any runescape, I know I've got a jungle strykeworms task to carry out, which is fun, and i'm looking forward to doing it, but slayer seems to be the only thing I'm actually motivated to do at the moment. Oh well, such is runescape. I've also been trying to get hold of one of my friends, but she's pretty useless, and I really wanna chat to her, but due to me being in a very different time zone I can't get hold of her at all. It's also annoying that I want to chat to any of my friends and at the moment I feel a bit redundant as I can't get hold of any of them easily, other than facebook, which I'm not too much a fan of, and I really need some friendly encouragement from them. I've not really got much else to write, so I'll stop here for now. Peace

So I'm back, after a week away in Japan, a weird week where I had someone to talk to at any time, and right now feel lonelier than I have in a long time as I didn't use my time to talk. (I haven't slept much last night, but was determined to be fixed so I can start my week well, so this may all be a little strange with no flow but eh... I hope is at least a little coherent) Japan. An amazing place. A place I adore. Somewhere I don't know if I want to visit again. I went to visit my sister and meet my dad, both of which I spent nearly all the week with, which was strange. I usually am alright with being around people, but not for prolonged periods of time, which is where my problems lie. Oh well. So, here I am, back in Singapore, feeling good about going into the lab tomorrow, looking forward to it, but feeling a little down that Japan wasn't as amazing as last time, but still, I've got something to talk about. When in Japan I visited Nagoya, and one day went into the Valleys surrounding to visit a village called Hiraoka, which is an absolutely amazing place, and the scenery in that area is truly incredible, hopefully the picture I asked my dad to take will come out well, and I might post it on here. I expected so much from Japan, but got so little, my love for electronics and gadgets is clearly not what it used to be, and the fact that everything is the same in their currency as last time, but its worth twice as much as last time, due to the exchange rate, was infuriating as everything was horrendously expensive. The trip gave me time to think, not specifically about my work and what I'm doing right now, but where I want to be next year, what I want to be doing, how I'm just coasting through taking opportunities as they arrive rather than hunting them down, and how nothing ever goes the way I expect, not in a bad way, but in weird and drastically different fashion to what I expect. Now I thrive to be brilliant at what I do, and give a solid effort with every thing I try, and I gave my all at Ultimate Challenge last saturday, before catching my flight. It was a serious camp with a 6 hour training session, which seemed never ending after the 3rd of the 5 major stations, especially when hunger kicked in, and everyone became a little de-motivated, but everyone kept everyone going and it was definitely one of my best experiences in Singapore. I want to apply what happened at this camp to everything, from the team work and constant encouragement to the positivity that everyone had, and the personal drive and my willingness to complete the task at hand. So much so that I'm gonna cut back on the martial arts, try and work at the weekend and really complete this project in 6 week that I have left here. I don't have too far to go, but at the same time I have a lot of work to do. I've got to do all the lab work, and a 40-60 page report on the work that I've carried out. I'm still unsure whether to pursue a PhD or go get a Job so I can have some money for once in my life and feel like I'm doing well for myself. I have a ridiculous list of things I want, things I want to accomplish, and I feel I can do them, but at the moment it all feels a little overwhelming that soon I'll finish here, have 6 months to really decide and get on with my life. Now this week I'm getting back into it, lab work begins tomorrow at 10 am, I'll get in then leave I reckon after 8 pm, then Run in the evening a big lap. Hopefully see my mates during the day and sort my flight back to the UK out and move it a week and a half earlier so I can get back to the UK and to Northampton, my home town, where my best friends are, for my Birthday... the only one I'll properly have spent with them... ever... so far I think... I wonder how many of you read the whole thing. I thank you for reading. Even if its not many people I feel this blog helps me really externalize and locate anything that seems to be going wrong, as much for personal reference as for other people to read. Now I'm tired, not sure what I've written, not sure if it makes sense. Hopefully a more sensible blog will approach on tuesday, but as for me, I'm off to bed. Peace

Everyone could always do with a Black metal/jazz hybrid band covering King Crimsons 21st Century Schizoid Man http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0j4WkoDrtg They also happen to have put out one of my favourite albums this year, its terrifying in places but its musically very interesting. Edit: I've listened to Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy today, and its grown on me, absolutely loving it. I didn't like it to begin with but now I'm really enjoying it and have began properly appreciating it.

I've started developing a fondness for beer as cider isn't available here. My favourite at the moment is Erdinger which is delicious, closely followed by Tiger beer because of how cheap it is in comparison to any other alcoholic drink at all. However I can't wait to get home, have some cider, vodka, Jagermeister among other drinks, clearly not all mixed together, as it's horrible. Yes, I've tried. Yes, its absolutely dire.

The City part of Singapore is really clean =) It's very nice, and over the whole island theres not many places where it feels unsafe, I've only come across 2 places, and that was due to me getting a little lost, and they're places people who'd come here to look around more than likely wouldn't visit. I really want to go to Canada, both for visiting some mountains and doing some snowboarding, but also because I'd like to compare it to where I've already been and see whether I like it, which I get the feeling I would. I also have always wanted to go to Sweden, Finland and Norway as those countries I find interesting and I want to visit with my friends. I'd like to visit Italy for a weekend as the rest of my family went without me and I haven't been and they all said it was amazing. I want to go to Japan, which is good because I'm going on Sunday for a week to visit my sister and I get to ride the bullet train. I don't know whether I'm more excited about seeing my sister or riding the bullet train tbh, its close. Also would like to visit New York for a week at most I think, I'm not too great in cities so a week would be more than enough I think.

So, unlike most people are expecting with a title like that, my blog will talk about cheating in games, but first something more fun/delicious. Today I decided, as I'm going on holiday and I've been particularly good all week with all my food, despite double lunches and large amounts of food for dinner, that I deserve a day where I can eat crap food and as much of it as I like. So I'm having a cheat day, and so far I've had cookies, crisps, mentos, peanut m and ms, i'm just about to have sandwiches with peanut butter, jam and m&m like things, then skittles and finish off with some mints. YAY!! So, another topic, cheating in games. When I was young cheating in games seemed like it'd be fun, and usually the codes were unlocked after completing the game, however, upon reviewing how many games had cheats, and whether they were useful or not, it really detracts from the game. I'm also glad that some games did have cheats, like GTA3, where once you'd completed the game there wasn't much to do so getting a large arsenal of weapons with lots of ammo was only a few quick button presses away, this is specifically the only game i can remember actively cheating since I've been playing games, that wasn't banjo kazooie that gave you most of the cheats throughout the game. Now, looking back at it, I feel my experiences of those games have declines as the cheating might have detracted from any game that was potentially good. Things like being rewarded for completing a game however, like Stealth, or the Bandana from MGS was a reasonable item to use, as it showed that you'd already completed the game, and you actually earned this item that makes parts of the game significantly easier. However nowadays most people I know don't cheat in games, and I don't think there is as much scope for cheating since the introduction of achievements, like gamerscore and ps3 trophies, as it'd detract from actually earning these legitimately. I have no idea if what I just wrote makes sense. Oh well. In other news, I'm going to Nagoya, Japan for a week, so my next post will be a week on Sunday, I think it'll be about the 24th. Peace

So I've been in the lab yesterday and today and I know my reaction has been going on, and when trying to isolate my product it is elusive and is difficult to find. Now I'm trying my best to find it, but I'm having no luck, and its becoming infuriating. So at some points I fear I might have accidentally chucked it away, which would be terrible as either the product or starting material has only been made by me and theres only about 200 milligrams of it in my lab, and its unlikely that anyone else is working on the same thing as me. Now this is both exciting and irritating, as "Yay!! I'm the only one to have ever made this" is a particularly weird thing to say, and then you need to characterise everything to do with the molecule so anyone else who is after it knows what to look for. Oh well. The new scape update looks alright, not what i was entirely expecting but I think i'll be using it sooner rather than later. In tae kwon do today I had a lot of fun, but now both knees feel bust and its difficult to walk and a bruise is growing just below my ribs and its rather uncomfortable. I feel like I'm putting weight back on, which is not fun, and I'm not enjoying it, but I'm getting stupidly hungry as of late, enough so that I had back to back lunches yesterday so that I could fill myself up. Peace.

Recently it's been a case of I want to be the best at what I do, as I've been training Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Tae Kwon Do, however, I've also been working in the lab, which for me, upon discovering new things has beat everything else. Further on this, Heck, Negishi, and Suzuki are to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry this year, and as such, and motivation for me that I guess has always been there is to become famous of sorts, have a reaction named after me, and be recognised as one of the greatest of all times in my field. However, my fondness for research has been fading as of late, and I'd settle for being able to have a decent, high paying job with a nice house and be respected in the community with a paper published before graduating, and enjoying what I do for a living as decent motivation.

So I'll start with some good stuff. I got back to back dark bow drops yesterday, which was incredible and was followed by a d med drop a few kills later. I also got level 91 defence which I think means this was a pretty productive weekend. Now the title argument that I'm so engrossed with at the moment. Cameras. Specifically people with 'expensive' cameras. At the moment, to me at least, it seems like everyone wants to take up photography and everyone needs an SLR. I really don't understand the fascination. I feel that taking a photo of a moment requires a set up to need it to mean something, where as anyone i know is snap happy and things anything will make a good photo, no matter what its about or what it involves. Now, today, in my opinion was a perfect opportunity for people to take pictures, as we were at a nature reserve, where pictures of animals are to be expected. However, waiting for these pictures to appear seems a bit redundant to me. Actively hunting them seems more appropriate, however the whole concept of taking photographs still I find utterly confusing. I hope I'm not alone in this matter, but I honestly cannot understand the reason behind everyone chronicling every single moment they spend doing anything. So this weekend for me has been pretty amazing, I went to a nature reserve and have a video of me close up to a lizard and it was so much fun, and I hope i entertained everyone I was with, and we had such a fun time, then we went out and got potato wedges and beer, which was a really enjoyable night, and I might have ended up a little drunker than I thought i would have, but at least I posted my blog on the right day eh? Peace

So this week, the people that I came to singapore with, my friends from southampton all went to Bali, they should be back tomorrow, and then we will all be seeing each other probably on Sunday. Now, I've been surviving by chatting to my friends online, and spending time with the people in my lab group, who are all excellent people, and all people I would call my friends now. However, upon spending time with nearly everyone today there is a clear split in the group, which is understandable, but hopefully nothing will come of it. Currently I really miss all my friends in the UK quite a lot, and I really cannot wait to get home and see everyone, and as much as I try I seem not to even slightly be able to keep up with everyone as much as I like, but I keep trying. My lab work is going well, and hopefully I've made enough for now to get a few steps closer to finishing, and I've explored some new things this week which was exciting. As for runescape... Nothing to report, trying to think of a decent goal I can get motivated to do. Oh well. Peace

I agree that they're difficult to tell apart at points, but there are some that aclear cut examples of each style. I'm loving 5 Finger Death Punch at the moment, can't stop listening to 'War Is The Answer' album. Also, when I'm in the lab I can't stop listening to Eluveitie. I don't know what it is about that band but their music is so relaxing to listen to. Also, I need to get caught up on Suidakra, as I haven't listened to any of their albums in forever. Also Raintime rule. I think their second album is better than their first, and their 3rd is also goood. I don't really know which track to suggest people listen to to get a decent listen of them, so I'll post 2. The first is an excellent cover song. Beat It, originally by Michael Jackson, but I prefer the Raintime version. The second, from the same album, a track called Rolling Chances. I hope you enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rObSwvfQcjg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfS46BjqYFc

Far From Home - 5 Finger Death Punch, Exodus of Autonomy - Wretched, Let This River Flow - Soilwork, and The Outsider - A Perfect Circle (Renholder Apocalypse Mix) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahyvWheMRkg

I love peanut butter!! Its delicious and yummy and one of my favourite things ever. I've just got in from having dinner, and it was delicious, even though it wasn't peanut butter based. I had a vegetarian briyani set and an egg and cheese prata. Both were yummy and I ate it all. I can still taste the prata as it was brilliant. Admittedly it was a lot of food and i'm only now realising that i shouldn't have eaten that much. We trained for 3 hours at tae kwon do today and did some motivation things at the end which were pretty cool. I've signed up for the clubs ultimate challange thats a week on saturday, which is from 11am to 10pm, then at 3 am sunday I'll need to head to the airport as I'm flying to japan, so that'll be a hell of a weekend. Kickboxing has been fun, but I'm really enjoying the sense of belonging to a club that tae kwon do has. I'm joining the boxing club on their first session at the weekend to try and help out at founding the club which is something I feel I can help with. I'm currently really enjoying 5 finger death punch sooo much, I don't think i can listen to their album enough. I was playing some runescape, and even after 50 levels and the skill being out for quite a while now I still don't enjoy dungeoneering. I tried, and keep trying but I feel its way too combat based, and I know that I play on my own, and my character is a good level, but I really don't like the amount of combat with it. I went to kill lots of bronze dragons but didn't get any good drops, but I'm still trying to fish, but its dificult for me to get motivated to do something I dont want to. I did a reaction in a microwave synthesizer this week, and so I'm currentlly investigating whats happened and whether I should keep using this methodology to help me get a good amount of product. The work up, like the filtration and purification is much better, I've eliminated a side product formation as well which is always good, and means my catalyst is pure, which I thought was a problem before, it just turned out that the reaction was crap. Also, green apples happen to be the best thing on the planet to eat. I can't go 2 days without an apple at the moment, as they're delicious yummy and incredible. Peace

This weekend I've spent working in the lab, only to find out my access to a vital piece of equipment has been revoked, which caused me untold frustration, as I can't analyse anything that I've made. And I spent today studying nearly everything that I learnt in my first year, which I seem to have forgotten a lot of. I've been playing some runescape, I've caught about 500 fish, I've burnt some logs, I've done some hunter, and done some thieving, although I've done nothing on a big enough scale to have got anything of value out. I've started making lists of everything that I want when I get home in a few months, they mainly consist of food I want to cook and eat, and albums I want to get. I'm gonna keep doing something every day for the next 2 weeks until I go on holiday to Japan, so I'm really looking forward to that, and I'm gonna be working hard.

Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter - Soilwork

The Day You Built the Wall - Nevermore

Its ACS:law thats the problem here. They tried to reload their site after getting attacked, and it came up with no encryption. The file thats in question should have been encrypted by them, as it was just a normal excel spreadsheet, and they sent it unencrypted via email. They got a court order to get the identities of a lot of people and send out threatening letters, not just sky customers, O2 customers as well, and many others. I have recieved one, but not heard anything else about it, I was on O2 broadband. It now looks like they could be facing a £500,000 fine, which gives me endless joy to see them suffering.