Emma's landed an interview at Sale Grammar School after Easter. I reckon she's doing something right - after sending off four applications, she's had interviews at three schools. Her school broke up for Easter today, so hopefully she'll get a well deserved rest from her PGCE course. She's got a ton of work to do over the two week break (well, two and a bit - it includes Good Friday) but is hoping to get it out of the way in the first week.
We'll be heading up to Kendal to see Mum & Dad at the caravan and maybe a bit of youth hostelling while we're there.
I think I'm getting sufficiently involved with my studies: I'm starting to view holidays as an interference with mathematics, rather than a break from it. Scary, eh?
Thursday, 24 March 2005
Wednesday, 23 March 2005
Tuesday, 22 March 2005
As I've not blogged for a while, I should probably update on the state of my PhD. Feel free to study this text in detail if you're having trouble sleeping, if you're a masochist, or if (bizarrely) you're genuinely interested.
I'm in my final year, so probably need to think about starting to write up my thesis. I get paid for three years, but don't have to hand it in at the end of that period - I can take up to four years - but that's probably not a great idea. I still need to eat!
I managed to get a couple of calculations that I've been working on finished. I would write down the results, but I don't know how to import .pdf files (just need a line or so - let me know if I can do it!). The techniques used seem likely to generalise and I'm confident about churning out similar results in the near future. The good news is that a pattern seems to be emerging, so hopefully I can prove a general result - which would be ideal for a nice thesis - the tough part will be proving it.
I'm in my final year, so probably need to think about starting to write up my thesis. I get paid for three years, but don't have to hand it in at the end of that period - I can take up to four years - but that's probably not a great idea. I still need to eat!
I managed to get a couple of calculations that I've been working on finished. I would write down the results, but I don't know how to import .pdf files (just need a line or so - let me know if I can do it!). The techniques used seem likely to generalise and I'm confident about churning out similar results in the near future. The good news is that a pattern seems to be emerging, so hopefully I can prove a general result - which would be ideal for a nice thesis - the tough part will be proving it.
This tickled me: In response to America's new willingness to try diplomacy & financial aid to encourage Iran to halt their nuclear weapons programme, Iran is offering to send George Bush truckloads of pistachio nuts if he will dismantle America's huge nuclear arsenal.
Iran is now my favourite country.
Iran is now my favourite country.
Sunday, 20 March 2005
Some Psalms (and a canticle) that I might try and write music for.
5th Sunday of Easter
6th Sunday of Easter
Ascension - God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Ps. 46
7th Sunday of Easter - I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living. Ps. 26
Pentecost
The Most Holy Trinity - To you glory and praise for evermore. Dan. 3:52-56
Corpus Christi - O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Ps. 147
9th Sunday of the year
(n.b. St. Justin, Martyr)
10th Sunday of the year - I will show God's salvation to the upright. Ps. 49
11th Sunday of the year - We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Ps. 99
12th Sunday of the year
13th Sunday of the year
Ss.Peter and Paul
14th Sunday of the year - I will bless your name for ever, O God my King. Ps. 144
5th Sunday of Easter
6th Sunday of Easter
Ascension - God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. Ps. 46
7th Sunday of Easter - I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness in the land of the living. Ps. 26
Pentecost
The Most Holy Trinity - To you glory and praise for evermore. Dan. 3:52-56
Corpus Christi - O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Ps. 147
9th Sunday of the year
(n.b. St. Justin, Martyr)
10th Sunday of the year - I will show God's salvation to the upright. Ps. 49
11th Sunday of the year - We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Ps. 99
12th Sunday of the year
13th Sunday of the year
Ss.Peter and Paul
14th Sunday of the year - I will bless your name for ever, O God my King. Ps. 144
Thursday, 17 March 2005
More fun with American clocks, sigh
I had a clock returned on Monday, apparently the striking mechanism was jamming the time part. Solving these problem required dismantling the clock to shorten one of the springs. An unenviable position because American clocks don't normally have anything to hold the very tightly wound mainsprings while your dismantling. Trevor found a couple of C-shaped bits of wire that were supposed to solve this issue. Only one of them did its job properly, thankfully I didn't get injured thanks to holding it in a death grip with thick work gloves.
I started on another American clock a little later in the week, this is a fine example of why clocks should be regulary serviced. The pivots were deeply scored and at least four of the hole are so worn that they move well out of proper alignment. On the other side it's a unusual movement, there's much more brass in the plates than is usual for an American and it will strike the half hours by means of a passing strike, very odd.
I had a clock returned on Monday, apparently the striking mechanism was jamming the time part. Solving these problem required dismantling the clock to shorten one of the springs. An unenviable position because American clocks don't normally have anything to hold the very tightly wound mainsprings while your dismantling. Trevor found a couple of C-shaped bits of wire that were supposed to solve this issue. Only one of them did its job properly, thankfully I didn't get injured thanks to holding it in a death grip with thick work gloves.
I started on another American clock a little later in the week, this is a fine example of why clocks should be regulary serviced. The pivots were deeply scored and at least four of the hole are so worn that they move well out of proper alignment. On the other side it's a unusual movement, there's much more brass in the plates than is usual for an American and it will strike the half hours by means of a passing strike, very odd.
Good word of the day:
In other news, someone seems to have replaced my trousers with sheets of lint.
Word of the Day for Wednesday March 17, 2005And qabbalah is what that Madonna woman was getting up to - gnosticism by a different name I suppose.
cabal \kuh-BAHL; kuh-BAL\, noun:
1. A secret, conspiratorial association of plotters or
intriguers whose purpose is usually to bring about an overturn
especially in public affairs.
2. The schemes or plots of such an association.
intransitive verb:
To form a cabal; to conspire; to intrigue; to plot.
[...]
Cabal derives from Medieval Latin cabala, a transliteration of
Hebrew qabbalah, "received," hence "traditional, lore," from
qabal, "to receive." The evolution in sense is: "(secret)
tradition, secret, secret plots or intrigues, secret meeting,
secret meeters, a group of plotters or intriguers."
In other news, someone seems to have replaced my trousers with sheets of lint.
Bordering on ageism or We think we're cool, but we're not
So Fr. Paul intimates that the Catenians, a group of Catholic businessmen, considerably older than yow, who come to the chaplaincy once a year for a mass and a quiz, come because they want to be exposed to more exciting liturgy than they get in their "parishes" (if I could, I'd replicate his tone of voice). Proceeds to pick the sort of songs we sing all the time. And then Kris suggests that the entrance song might be a bit much for them.
"Hmm", I think.
Presently have my "Hmm" vindicated by the loudest rendition of Be Still I have heard for some time. Naturally they have a tolerable knowledge of the other two songs as well.
So Fr. Paul intimates that the Catenians, a group of Catholic businessmen, considerably older than yow, who come to the chaplaincy once a year for a mass and a quiz, come because they want to be exposed to more exciting liturgy than they get in their "parishes" (if I could, I'd replicate his tone of voice). Proceeds to pick the sort of songs we sing all the time. And then Kris suggests that the entrance song might be a bit much for them.
"Hmm", I think.
Presently have my "Hmm" vindicated by the loudest rendition of Be Still I have heard for some time. Naturally they have a tolerable knowledge of the other two songs as well.
Wednesday, 16 March 2005
http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/election/
Just so's I know where to find it. Last election, the Evangelical Alliance put out a handy pack as well.
Just so's I know where to find it. Last election, the Evangelical Alliance put out a handy pack as well.
Friday, 11 March 2005
Ugh.
Bored.
Falling asleep.
Got a load of claim forms to fill in - been doing it since about 10:00. Most of them don't provide a pay reference, so you have to look it up yourself, write it in, then check it's actually right, and not for their wife or something stupid like that, then assign it an arbitrary code based on what hourly rate of pay it is and whether or not they're in the pension scheme. And some idiot writes all over a bit that's obviously meant to be left blank every single bloody month, and divers other silly things are done by other people.
The chocolates don't work, they just make things worse.
Still, nearly done, and I feel a little better for moaning about it.
Bored.
Falling asleep.
Got a load of claim forms to fill in - been doing it since about 10:00. Most of them don't provide a pay reference, so you have to look it up yourself, write it in, then check it's actually right, and not for their wife or something stupid like that, then assign it an arbitrary code based on what hourly rate of pay it is and whether or not they're in the pension scheme. And some idiot writes all over a bit that's obviously meant to be left blank every single bloody month, and divers other silly things are done by other people.
The chocolates don't work, they just make things worse.
Still, nearly done, and I feel a little better for moaning about it.
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