Update

Well since last time I posted a real update my dear wife glittersavvy has been busy with her new job at the uni and we have had the pleasure of being able to spend more time together. It also means the future is somewhat more exciting as we can afford to go on holiday etc, the first of which is for our 1 year anniversary of being married, and we are going to York for a few days next weekend. IT should eb really good fun as we will also get a chance to see Nix and Tofu.

On the work front I am still coding away, getting nearer to that first Warwick paper, while also working hard on my first research proposal, and preparing for applying to EPSRC for more funding. I have also been getting a few chances to do some teaching, only helping in tutorials, but it is all good fun.

But I have now been able to sign off on my literature review paper. I have seen the final cover proof of the journal, and it will appear in print on March 18th in JPCA. I also have news that another paper is being put together based on my work at Manchester. This would bring papers from my PhD to 8. And this one would be the fucking icing on the cake as the models I developed are applied to long timescale simulations to obtain macroscopic water properties. Quite good timing considering the cover article on New Scientist this week.

IN other news roleplay for this year has been restarted, and the chronicle now nears the first major event. Setting shaking stuff. All this is on etheric_labs

Otherwise we have had the pleasure of having James M stay over for the weekend, glittersavvy photobook by aiko273. It's called The Orpheum Circuit. Aiko is extremely talented and the book looks stunning. Maybe some of you might consider buying a copy? You can do so here, as well as preview the book: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1147613

Add to that her nice new hair which I love!

So all in all not a bad few weeks!

Natural Selection... Kill the Weak!

So this week I have been have great fun coding up a optimization algorithm that makes use of Genetic Algorithms. The result will be a code that works out all the parameters for me automatically. This is rather big improvement on how it is normall done i.e. making the changes by hand in a very tedious fashion. So things are looking good for the next week when all of this falls into place and the last 6 months will finally spawn some results.
Also this week I have booked myself in for my graduation ceremony, the 17th of July at the Whitworth hall. The colours of my gown will be something like this.



So yes black floppy hat! Otherwise the rest of the week has been very good. Great weather, the hamsters making themselves at home, and of this week there has been a conference at the uni on the subject of Molecular Dynamics. This has meant that I have had the joy of talking to Matt who still works in Manchester in the Popelier group, and who inherits my old work, and Dr Richard Henchman, who gave me a good reference for my current job! This has meant some good conversation, some new ideas, and a bit of a tour about the uni.
Otherwise, last night was the end of story 1 of Unhallowed Metropolis, and I have learnt that I need to make the setting more dangerous. Next time I'll push them all to the very bitter end.
Today I met up with Sam who was having fun in the park with her friends, many of whom are final year students at the uni, and then going for a cheap dinner at Prezzo with James and some of his frineds from work etc.
This weakend should be some fun as we have a bit of a bbq/piss up at Prof Rob Deeth's place to celebrate 1) Rob getting promoted 2) Me getting my PhD 3) one of Rob's PhD students passing his PhD 4) and a whole load of other good reasons.


 

      So about this time 4 years ago I was finishing my last exams and my future was not so certain. It had been the best part of a year since my relationship with my girfriend of 3 years (and of course through most of uni) ended, and well as far as my final year of uni was concerned it was not great. Since I was the only person sitting my specialization, Chemical Physics, I was not able to sit the course that would have suited me. No I had to make do with typical normal chemistry. This of course was the reason why my grades were dropping and I came out of my degree with a 2.i. It coud have been better but alas no. But of course my old supervisor could see my aptitude for the computational side which he was fully aware was not being taught. So of course my project work was fine.
      The end of uni was good though. I had learnt I had friends where I had least expected. To be honest then end of my 3 year relationship was not easy. I had to remove myself from certain circles of friends which I found left me quite alone. However, to my surprise, the people who I knew in my year at uni held me in high regard, and so I found that I had more friends then I initially thought. Together we all stood the the edge of the future as none of us were convinced we would be getting the courses we wanted. However, nearly all of us had been offered a PhD in the uni, and mine had the clause that I just had to get a 2.i. Thus the next 2 months were quite nail biting and I was already making preparations for the worst. Of course this was made all the worst because no matter how much there wasn't competition I felt that I had to for the sake of my parents. My sister had straight A's at A-Level and a 1st at uni. Myself, well I was more the rebel it seemed. I had only an A and two B's at A-Level and well I was doing so well at uni.
      July though was to determine my future. After a nervous walk into uni and a double take at the results I found that I got my 2.i. I was congratulated by the my class mates as it meant we were all still together in the coming three years. About a month later or so I quit Games Workshop. My manager was beign an ass, incompetent and well I had no reason to be there. I was being nice. I was clear that I was starting my research early. But no. He crossed a line and I quit.
      Now of course doing a PhD, having a lot more money and meant I had new freedoms, and found many new friends as I discovered the goth scene of Manchester. It was music had liked or a while but for the first time I felt myself. It was good as many of the people I met at Sin City soon became some of my best friends and friends that I respect and in time would be people who would make the effort.
      Now almost 3 years ago I went down to UCL with my old supervisor and some people from the old group to apply for hours on a super computer. It was a farce as I remember and well it didn't amount to much. It was also about this time that I was about to move house to live in Withington.
      2 years ago around about this time myself and Sam, now a fairy new item, headed off to see Pirates of the Caribbean 3. This was still early into our reationship and it was intoxicating as I had not felt this way about someone for so long. Also about this time I was was the filming of the zombie short film. This was the film that myself and Dan had spent some time writing and now was the chance to use expensive BBC equipment.
      1 year ago was not so good though. It was half way through the final year of my PhD. We had got back from Venice about amonth ago which was the best thing ever in my whole life. I was engaged to Sam, but then it all seemed to have nearly fallen apart. I don't need to go through the gory details but lets just say things were on a cord ready to snap, and Sam was hurt and it has now taken a year for her to now be fuly better. But it still means that there is some pain that will never go. We had just started getting a new flat together in order to ground us and repair ourselves, rather more apart. But the worry, pain and unease I had caused now put both my life with Sam and my PhD in danger. I was a wreck, and it seemed that I couldn't turn to some friends as they were being so nonchalant, or because of their own incorrect opinions, or in fact that they seemed to not see it from Sam's perspective and yet understand how I felt her pain. I was angry because I seemed to not be able to turn to anyone because it seemed to me that they thought I would be fine and that Sam was just someone passing by, an unimportant plaything, or a little melodramatic girl. Or that we were both over reacting. Well it's funny how it all turns out in the end. I'm glad that I can say all that is now over, but over the following year, and of course during my final few months in Manchester and my wedding gathering there, you come to realize who you can depend on.
      So thats whats kinda come to pass. Ups and downs yes. Plus a number of papers and here I am now with a official piece of paper with saying I am a Dr of Chemistry. I now have a nice new set of friends down here who also form my new roleplay group. Also we now have more of a chance to see Dan and Stacey and others in London. This last six months have really shown me that I have been right to stick to my guns, and that I have made the right sacrifices. And in some ways I am now happy to have left Manchester behind me, after 7 years of being there I think I am glad to leave it and fine and forge my life with Sam.

    So this week has seen my fourth and third paper get accepted/published on the web. Also today we went for a long walk, almost into Warwick as I got us lost, to the pet shop to look at Dwarf Hamsters. So looks like we are going to get some and fuck what the landlords say. Hopefully won't be long before we can move out. Sam got a job interview at Warwick this week which is also good news.

      In the end it all kinda works out, regardless of what some people may think.


Back this time 2008 I had black hair!


Back in June 2007 me and Sam outside Manchester student union waiting to see Mechanical Cabaret

I think in 2006 my hair was red.

Bit of an update

SO how have things been since we got back from Venice.

Well of course we had a few days back in Manchester and on the Saturday 7th we had our hand fasting. Sam and I had worked out what was most suitable, making the entire event far more intimate and personal. At around 4 our friend began to arrive. It was a good turn out, more than I expected to see considering that some people had messaged to say that they had other things on/last minute changes/seriously low funds. I was really happy to see Dan and Stacey as they had made it all the way up from London to us. Plus they had brought us presents. The most epic of toasters, coffee, cookies and honey. I was pretty much knocked back by this generosity since we had seen each other in months. Well of course that will change now we are 'down south'.

Drinks were poured and we all sat about looking at the photos we had a the time and watching the wedding video (I now can this onto the computer but need to edit it). And then we moved outside for the main event. The blessing. Sam and I exchanged our vows in a ceremony that suited our own personal beliefs, which is why it was more of an exchange of vows before the stars and universe. We then exchanged roses representing ourselves and kissed. Alan caught a really great photo of the moment.

Afterwards we all bundled into taxis and headed to the northern quarter to get food, which was an entire pain in the arse, before we all gathered back together in Socio Rehab for drinks. We were also really happy that Kirsty, Sam's friend from Ireland, got on so well with everyone.

So yes those who were there thank you. Especially Dan and Stacey for making such a long journey up to see us. It really meant a lot.

The day after was more crazy as all of Sam's family from her mum's side descended on us. Many were ok. There were just a few that were more difficult. Needless to say the day passed by and in the end things were ok.

So after all that we came back to Leamington. So far work has been ok. I have been trying to get my sleep pattern back into gear but I think the lack of stress has meant my body has decided just to get more sleep. I have my viva next tuesday so I have been preparing a bit for that. But I feel quite confident. So yes next tuesday I will be back up in Manchester for a few hours. Otherwise we met up with Ben last night and watched them kill some zombies on the Wii. It's good to have some people we know just down the road. Tomorrow after we have gone for food Sam and myself will be meeting up with some fellow goths for the first time who also live in Leamington. Should be good to speak to some like minded people.

Of course this Saturday we are heading up to Leeds on the bus to stay at Mel's for her birthday at Wendyhouse. Can't wait!

Oh and of course in preparation of starting a new roleplay group I have created a new community called etheric_labs  where all the session posts and madness can be posted

The Bear and the Ragged Staff

So this is my first post since getting to Leamington Spa. No I haven't tried the waters yet. So the last week has been a mixture of fun and games. First up was moving. A 21 hour marathon of fun. Rob, my sister's boyfriend, helped us move in the van they hired for us. Two trips back and forth from Manchester and plenty of loading and unloading in the rain. Oh and did I say I fucking hate the taxi drivers who parked right outside the old flat making it even more of a hassle loading up the second time. The fun and excitement of getting to leamington was soon replaced by fatigue and some madness (Sam getting spaced out by the neon road signs).

Of course to make matters better.... err worse.... was that we had a leak in the flat in the main bedroom because the pressure was too high in the boiler and the piping in the walls in the bedroom popped. Joy. Oh and how much fun is it to get the landline connected to a brand new flat?? Not very and also very expensive. Ergo yesterday we got mobile broadband and in the deal a brand new laptop. The up side of this?? We can take the internet on holiday with us!! It also means we have no sky now... but I think that it has made us realise that we really only need freeview. I mean do we need 100+ channels of shite we never watch.

Today has been sort of my first real day at work. Rob Deeth, my new supervisor, it very laid back compared to Paul Popelier. This can be both a blessing and a curse. On the upside my previous knowledge of machine learning and of course my links to the Popelier group are already being brought into play. My new work will focus on the modelling of Copper complexes in proteins. I think from I have learnt so far that copper is important for understanding prion diseases.

Leamington we are finding is quite a pretty, sunny, clean, pigeon-less, town. It has many nice restaurants and cafes and it is pleasant not to have morons walking into us while we go down the street. The university of Warwick is likewise very nice and has it's own cinema and theater. It's very green fields and is a short journey on the bus away. This has allowed me to once more enjoy reading books while on the bus.

Otherwise that's about it. Right now just trying find out whats on, getting together a roleplay group and of course getting married in a months time!

Well I think that is all.

Postdoc in Warwick

Got onto the long list for the Warwick postdoc. Not totally my best possible post but still good. Just got to answer some question for it and hope I make it to the short list and get to interviews.

Today was the deadline on the UMIP submission, so that has now gone in and we wont get to hear anything more until Paul goes for the Q&A session for it on the 4th, so finger crossed on that one.

Tomorrow is my interview in Essex. This postdoc is totally in my field of expertise so I am looking forward to this one. I have to give a 15 minute presentation on my research, so today I have been updating my final year presentation. I have given it twice so I know I can fit it and plus I know it like the back of my hand and hvae had the chance of updating a number of the figures and tables since I last presented it. Plus it's only going to be to a few people so that should be well easy.

Now just got to hear about the consultancy job in Surrey, the job in Yorkshire and the postdoc in Venice.