You Would Think...

You would think that after all this time I would learn. I would learn that I am really bad at keeping things up.

Well I didn't, but I now vow to change this bad character trait of mine - and will stick out things I start until the end!

I promise a photo will be up with my next post.

Dom

Pia-Pia-Piano...

I have a piano.

I'm going to learn how to play it.

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

Dom

My Bad...

I think I may have disappointed some of my fans yesterday with what can only be described as a lacklustre display. I was just rather peeved at the way the Houses of Parliament were ruined because some policeman had a power trip.

Like I have fans... Pah.

This is todays offering, I hope you like it, slightly grainy, which is a shame, but I messed up the setting on my camera - live and learn. What is odd though is that my old camera took less grainy pictures at the same setting (its called noise, and this camera is not as good at handling it.)

Should be revising, but alas, I am not - mainly because Prob+Stats, Programming and Computational Maths don't instill the same fear as the previous three exams, even though I am sure that these exams will be of a similar difficulty.

My student loan comes through on Monday aswell, which is good news that further takes my focus away from the task in hand.

Wish me luck,

Dom

Very Frustrating...

You take two hours out of your evening, lug all your gear across London, get stopped by the police TWICE, and you still don't produce a picture worthy of showing anyone, none sharp, none properly exposed, except one - which you see above, I thought this one was pretty good.

Yes, stopped by the police twice, under the "Terrorism Act." Both scenes sort of went like this:

*Policeman sees tripod*
"Well well well, whats goin' on 'ere then?"
*Thinks to self, what the f*ck does it look like?*
"Just taking some photos, officer"
"Can't allow that I'm afraid, its a security risk."
*I look up and down Embankment to see at least 5 people on compact cameras taking pictures, and countless mobile phones*
"Why is it a security risk, officer?"
"Because you could be a terrorist or something, doing reconnaissance work"
*I bite my tongue and move on*

Seriously though, I doubt any terrorist with more than sh*t for brains doing recon work would use a bloody great tripod to take pictures of his target, from the other side of the river, and stick around for 30 minutes. It's not some elaborate double-bluff!

I did figure out what it does mean though: the terrorists may not have sh*t for brains, but that policeman certainly did, and so did the other one.

Harrowing.

Dom

P.S I'm sure not all policeman are stupid, but with more and more reports of photographers being harassed as terrorists, it certainly seems that the number is on the rise.

Where is the Love...

There is not enough Love in the world, so I made some and put it in a photo.

...

Okay, so thats a lie, I just wanted to fool around with blu-tack and my camera and this is what came about of it. Right now all my photography is rather constrained by my time and lack of going out due to exams, so its all done in my 30 - 40minute revision breaks.

I am not one to find pretentious meaning or value in my photos, I just want to make them look nice, or funny, and stuff like that.

And if anyone makes fun of the poor cutting out of the heart, let me tell you something, its MEANT to be like that, it was cut rough, like love cuts rough. [ahahahahaha.]

FAIM went pretty well today, banking on around 70%? Which is still a 1.1 mind you.

Economics next!

Wish me luck,

Dom

Play with fire...

You won't get burned, but you will get incredibly hot.

*Insert blog here*

Dom

Love or Hate...

I'm definately a Marmite lover. Theres nothing tastier than Marmite on toast and I really don't see how people can dislike the stuff.

No blog post today, just the picture - to make up for recent lack of pictures.

Dom

On University Lecturers...

I do wonder where my £3145 a year goes.

Take Secondary and even Primary school education, the teachers follow a curriculum, they are routinely assessed and monitored, with regular "Staff Training Days" (Read: Day off school,) OFSTED inspections and the like. I really appreciated my secondary school education, the teachers at The Latymer School, Edmonton, really were top notch (Ten pounds... Please.)

Then I arrived at university.

Where everything went terrifically wrong, I hate to say it, but, with one exception (Kudos Mr Rickayzen,) our lecturers are absoutely terrible, I teach myself more in my free time than my lecturers do! I had to call a good friend of mine to teach me Taylor and Maclaurin series over the phone because my lecturer is too much of an imbecile to teach it properly.

And no, I'm not just slow.

The general consensus across many London unis (UCL, Kings, City/CASS, Queens and Imperial), seems to be that university lecturers suck, and I find it laughable that I actually have to start paying for this useless series of lectures.

Its funny how the world works isnt it?

Maybe university isnt just about learning things relevant to your degree. Perhaps its more important that people who go to university learn one important thing: you aren't spoon fed your whole life.

And I guess I'm just picking up on that.

No picture today, I'm too busy learning discrete random variables - because my lecturer didnt teach it to me very well.

Dom

Insomnia...

Insomnia leads to weird things.

In a scene similar to "Fight Club," I've managed to completely misplace the last 2 hours, I know where I was and what I was doing, I just don't seem to remember anything I've done, and now its 3AM, how odd.

I know what I should be doing, its one of two things: revising, or sleeping. But I can't seem to crack either, attempting one always leads to yearn of the other. So as Classic FM plays in the background, I'm left in a middle ground that is ideal for procrastinating.

I did manage to clean the bathroom and kitchen though, which, in all honesty, was a long time overdue. I'm still not quite used to being here alone though, its eerily quiet. (I should probably elaborate and let people know that I live in student halls in a flat of five, but am currently the only one residing here over whats left of the holidays.) It has made me realise that living alone is something I definately don't want to do in later life, 12 hours alone in this place is already enough to drive me insane - with boredom mainly. I wonder if this perspective changes as one matures? Only one way to find out I suppose.

I don't reckon anyone is particularly interested in my blog as my musings are rather mundane, but they sure do help pass the time. Comments and criticisms always welcome, particularly on the photos, I doubt anyone reads what I write.

I don't see myself falling asleep anytime soon though, and the light is too poor to get any decent photos out, I guess revision is the only option open to me, unless another poor soul awake at 3:17AM has any suggestions?

No?

Revision it is then.

Dom

New Toys...

I have not been keeping up with this blog very well - my New Years resolution has halted at day one.

I do have a reason though: It is because the main reason this blog exists, is to improve my photography, and with Jessops advertising stock as: "In-Stock for Home Delivery," when it isnt, and has to be back ordered - I can't really photograph anything.

But the camera is here! So my first picture is up, its not bad - could be alot better, but, I was a bit itchy to just get one up.

I love the feeling of getting a new toy - its a feeling I'm sure every man and boy can relate to. The opening of the packaging, unveiling the prize under layers of polystyrene and plastic. It's superb. Then comes the best bit... You get to play. So I took lots of rubbish pictures of rubbish things, and promptly deleted them all.

Then I realised that old nugget revision was still hanging over my head, so I got back to work. And here I am now!

I hope you all get new toys soon, so you can feel my joy.

For all the girlies out there, think about the first time you slip on a new pair of high heels - you now understand the feeling.

Dom

Of Procrastination...

There are 30 minutes (33 for you pedants,) left until the New Year. This year I count down in the comfort and warmth of my own home, with my wonderful girlfriend, who is asleep on the sofa next to me, blissfully unaware of the time. I'm watching spectacularly terrible television and generally find myself at peace.

Well, almost...

You see, all I can think of is: "Shit, my god damn exams are in 12 days and I don't know a God damn thing."

My Uni exams begin on the 12th, and boy, have I been the king of procrastination over the festive season. I've employed every procrastination technique that exists, from cooking food, to cleaning, to writing a blog. Hell, I even postponed revising for exams by doing irrelevant things that I had procrastinated away from doing previously.

One of my New Years resolutions was to maintain this blog, but some of you keen beans may have noticed that I started in December '08. theres a very good reason for this, its because I need to get into the habit, and whilst the prospect of writing a blog seemed quite boring, it was invariably less boring than revision, and so, took priority.

I have found the secret behind procrastination, and how to deal with it. It revolves around two key facts:

1. One only procratinates around things they do not want to do
2. There is a mental prioritisation of things to do, and the least desirable of two options always loses

Sounds elementry I'm sure you'll agree. So heres the crux of it all, if theres something rubbish you need to do, the only thing that you need to motivate you is something even more rubbish you need to do.

A wonderful life lesson there from me, unfortunately, writing this blog did not prove to be the "more rubbish" thing, and it won. Plus, there are some jobs where doing nothing at all, is actually more desirable - I call these tasks, pure evil. Financial and Investment Mathmatics is a good example of pure evil.

I've waffled away far too much time, and now, with 12 days left, the New Year dawning, and impending doom just over the horizon, I've decided to actually do some work. But only after tomorrow of course, it's New Years Day tomorrow, and nobody works on New Years Day...

Oh dear.

Dom

New Years Resolution, and an Introduction

The beginnings of a blog - The introduction:

I know quite a few people who write and maintain blogs, journals, diaries and other memoirs, and I often think it would be pretty nifty to do that myself. With the New Year fast approaching, what better time to start then now?

However, I do doubt the interest value of my day to day life. And so, this blog will be less about what I do every day, but more, some general musings and observations, on my day to day life.

Which one is more boring remains to be seen.

I'll also be using this blog as motivation to get out more and take pictures with my camera. I have been a keen photographer for about 2 years now, and another of my New Years resolutions is to progress my photography. (For the togs and camera buffs out there: Nikon D80 (The body is spanking new, just upgraded from a D50), Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, Nikkor 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5, Sigma 10-20mm f/4, Nikkor 50mm f/1.8, Redsnapper Tri-283 with RS528 and a Nikon ML-L3.)

I'll hopefully try and post a new entry once every few days, along with a photo, but being a student in a course that has bent me over and taken me like a prison bitch, I dont have alot of time, and will try and put tid-bits and details in as best I can.

I wont't be publicising this blog to friends and family until I have five entries, that way, they have something to read.

Wish me luck and perseverance. Hopefully I can amass something that I can be proud of, or at the very least, something I can laugh about in ten years time.

Thanks for getting this far,

Dom