Listening to: Nickel Creek : Doing: watching the Ashes : Pool Match: None this week
Spam Spam Spam - posted at 01:52, Tue 30th Aug 2005
Every once in a while I get emails from friends asking me to join some kind of service which lets me stay in touch with contacts. I always disregard them as dodgy services whose intention is to spam people (call me a cynicist if you want to).
Today, being bored and waiting for WWE Raw to come on TV, I thought I'd see whether my claims were well-founded. So I signed up to Bebo (obviously with an email address that doesn't exist) and proceeded to check out their wonderful service. So what did I discover?
Upon clicking on the link to add friends, I'm prompted for my Hotmail address AND PASSWORD. Hmmm... think what a spammer could do with complete access to your email account.
What's even more annoying is if people who signed up to this proceeded to add me as a contact, then I get spam. No matter how careful you are with your email address, someone else can easily screw things up.
As a side note, Birthday Alarm is the same company. So if anyone reading this has signed up to Bebo or Birthday Alarm and given them your email password, then you're quite foolish!
And to anyone who knows better than to use sites such as these... well done for being rational.
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Today, being bored and waiting for WWE Raw to come on TV, I thought I'd see whether my claims were well-founded. So I signed up to Bebo (obviously with an email address that doesn't exist) and proceeded to check out their wonderful service. So what did I discover?
Upon clicking on the link to add friends, I'm prompted for my Hotmail address AND PASSWORD. Hmmm... think what a spammer could do with complete access to your email account.
What's even more annoying is if people who signed up to this proceeded to add me as a contact, then I get spam. No matter how careful you are with your email address, someone else can easily screw things up.
As a side note, Birthday Alarm is the same company. So if anyone reading this has signed up to Bebo or Birthday Alarm and given them your email password, then you're quite foolish!
And to anyone who knows better than to use sites such as these... well done for being rational.
Comments: 1 : Post a Comment
The Race for Promotion - posted at 16:05, Fri 19th Aug 2005
Copied from a post I made on the BBC messageboard, detailing who is likely to get promoted from division 2 of the Frizzell County Championship (in which Lancashire currently reside). It's very long and very cricket-related, so unless you're a fan of the beautiful game you may wish to look away now.
Durham
Why? Top of the table with a 26 point lead (albeit having played one or two games more than the teams below them) suggests that Durham are clear favourites for promotion. Their bowling attack has been in terrific form all year, restricting many a side to low totals - even without the presence of England paceman Steve Harmison. Durham fans must be in some way pleased at Paul Collingwood's recent omissions from the Ashes tests - his sheer weight of runs has contributed a large amount to Durham's lofty position. Plus, the food-related duo of Mustard and Onions would be a welcome addition to division 1.
Why not? They might forget to turn up to their last 3 matches, and face a huge points deduction. In all seriousness though, it's difficult to envisage a situation in which they don't achieve promotion - they can probably get by in the remaining fixtures purely on bonus points alone. Staying in division 1 (and not 'doing a Glamorgan') will be more of a challenge.
Yorkshire
Why? Well, division 1 without Yorkshire just isn't cricket is it? After winning the championship in 2001, they probably didn't envisage being in a situation like this just 4 years down the line. However, they definitely have what it takes to achieve promotion. In Phil Jaques, Anthony McGrath and Michael Lumb, they have a top order that scores heavily, backed up by a captain with oodles of experience. Ian Harvey has been a consistent performer for them and will no doubt pass on the benefit of his experience to younger bowlers like Tim Bresnan. The only team to be unbeaten in either division of the championship this season, and a gritty rearguard in the roses match at Headingley proved that they're not going to give up lightly. A probable high-scoring draw in their current match with Lancashire will probably suit both teams.
Why not? Their first innings performances have been very poor - out of 12 games, they have conceded a first innings deficit in 9 of them and have had to rely on sterling batting in the second innings to rescue them (although admittedly they always seem to successfully manage to step up a gear). Their bowling attack looks a bit thin, especially without the injured Ian Harvey, and indeed only Glamorgan in either division have taken less bowling bonus points so far. Upcoming games against Durham and Worcestershire will prove crucial, as will the potential banana-skin against Derbyshire.
Lancashire
Why? As with Yorkshire, a division 1 without Lancashire just doesn't seem right somehow. On the field they also have the credentials to back up such a claim. The middle order is perhaps currently the best of any county. Loye and Law have both scored stacks of runs in the last 10 years, Hodge proved his worth at Leicestershire in all forms of the game and Symonds has been a revelation since his recent arrival. Their bowling attack is fast and furious and has definitely benefited from Anderson's return to the county game. Dominic Cork has lost none of his aggression, and Gary Keedy makes the most of conditions at Old Trafford, usually being amongst the top wicket takers nationwide. 5 wins so far and only 1 defeat suggests that Lancs have the ability to close out games, something lacking in last year's disappointing season. Twenty20 and C+G form will give them plenty of confidence as we approach the crunch stage of the season.
Why not? For all their talent, the batting line-up has a tendency to misfire on quite a few occasions. If the top order is removed cheaply, they tend to crumble - Cork can hit the ball a long way, but you can always sense a run out when he's at the crease. 28 batting bonus points isn't really a high enough return given who they have in the side. The infamous Manchester weather can always play its part - England's rain-affected test misery will come as no surprise to anyone living in the area.
Essex
Why? The current front-runners in totesport league division 1 (and surely soon-to-be champions of the division) will take great confidence from their one-day success this year and they lie only 4 points behind Lancs (although have one less game to play). The Flower brothers need no introduction and can always be counted upon to score runs, while young players like Ravi Bopara have found decent form this season. In James Foster they have a useful (if not test-standard) keeper who can contribute runs, and Darren Gough continues to soldier on with both bat and ball.
Why not? Their bowling looks a little weak, and taking 20 wickets in a match has proven to be an elusive task on many occasions. Their form has been inconsistent, with a win against high-flying Durham being offset against failures to beat Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Too many draws may prove to be their downfall, but if they beat Lancs at Chelmsford then they might be able to snatch the third promotion place.
Worcestershire
Why? Currently sitting 28 points outside the promotion places, you might well ask why? But with a likely innings victory over Somerset, the 22 points will put them right back in the hunt. With games to come against Lancashire, Yorkshire and Essex, their future lies very much in their own hands. The recent signing of Chris Gayle will provide extra strength to both their batting and bowling, and they remain the only side in division 2 to have taken maximum bowling points in all their games so far.
Why not? Their likely win against Somerset comes after a 4-game losing streak, and will be their first win in 6 games - hardly the form of promotion candidates. If any of their final four games ends in defeat, it could spell the end of any promotion challenge.
My predicted final league table:
1 Durham
2 Lancashire
3 Yorkshire
4 Essex
5 Worcestershire
6 Northants
7 Somerset
8 Leicestershire
9 Derbyshire
As a pseudo-Lancastrian, I'm obviously hoping that Lancs go up, and it would be nice to see Yorks in division 1 next season as well. After moving up to Leamington Spa sometime later this year, I'm hoping to make it to Edgbaston on a semi-regular basis next summer, and it would be nice to be able to see some quality Warks-Lancs and Warks-Yorks action.
One thing for certain is that whoever doesn't go up this year will find it much harder next year with the 2 up/2 down rule. I'm glad to see this change, but do feel sorry for whoever finishes 7th this year in division 1 (my gut feeling is that the last day match at the Oval will decide 6th/7th).
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Durham
Why? Top of the table with a 26 point lead (albeit having played one or two games more than the teams below them) suggests that Durham are clear favourites for promotion. Their bowling attack has been in terrific form all year, restricting many a side to low totals - even without the presence of England paceman Steve Harmison. Durham fans must be in some way pleased at Paul Collingwood's recent omissions from the Ashes tests - his sheer weight of runs has contributed a large amount to Durham's lofty position. Plus, the food-related duo of Mustard and Onions would be a welcome addition to division 1.
Why not? They might forget to turn up to their last 3 matches, and face a huge points deduction. In all seriousness though, it's difficult to envisage a situation in which they don't achieve promotion - they can probably get by in the remaining fixtures purely on bonus points alone. Staying in division 1 (and not 'doing a Glamorgan') will be more of a challenge.
Yorkshire
Why? Well, division 1 without Yorkshire just isn't cricket is it? After winning the championship in 2001, they probably didn't envisage being in a situation like this just 4 years down the line. However, they definitely have what it takes to achieve promotion. In Phil Jaques, Anthony McGrath and Michael Lumb, they have a top order that scores heavily, backed up by a captain with oodles of experience. Ian Harvey has been a consistent performer for them and will no doubt pass on the benefit of his experience to younger bowlers like Tim Bresnan. The only team to be unbeaten in either division of the championship this season, and a gritty rearguard in the roses match at Headingley proved that they're not going to give up lightly. A probable high-scoring draw in their current match with Lancashire will probably suit both teams.
Why not? Their first innings performances have been very poor - out of 12 games, they have conceded a first innings deficit in 9 of them and have had to rely on sterling batting in the second innings to rescue them (although admittedly they always seem to successfully manage to step up a gear). Their bowling attack looks a bit thin, especially without the injured Ian Harvey, and indeed only Glamorgan in either division have taken less bowling bonus points so far. Upcoming games against Durham and Worcestershire will prove crucial, as will the potential banana-skin against Derbyshire.
Lancashire
Why? As with Yorkshire, a division 1 without Lancashire just doesn't seem right somehow. On the field they also have the credentials to back up such a claim. The middle order is perhaps currently the best of any county. Loye and Law have both scored stacks of runs in the last 10 years, Hodge proved his worth at Leicestershire in all forms of the game and Symonds has been a revelation since his recent arrival. Their bowling attack is fast and furious and has definitely benefited from Anderson's return to the county game. Dominic Cork has lost none of his aggression, and Gary Keedy makes the most of conditions at Old Trafford, usually being amongst the top wicket takers nationwide. 5 wins so far and only 1 defeat suggests that Lancs have the ability to close out games, something lacking in last year's disappointing season. Twenty20 and C+G form will give them plenty of confidence as we approach the crunch stage of the season.
Why not? For all their talent, the batting line-up has a tendency to misfire on quite a few occasions. If the top order is removed cheaply, they tend to crumble - Cork can hit the ball a long way, but you can always sense a run out when he's at the crease. 28 batting bonus points isn't really a high enough return given who they have in the side. The infamous Manchester weather can always play its part - England's rain-affected test misery will come as no surprise to anyone living in the area.
Essex
Why? The current front-runners in totesport league division 1 (and surely soon-to-be champions of the division) will take great confidence from their one-day success this year and they lie only 4 points behind Lancs (although have one less game to play). The Flower brothers need no introduction and can always be counted upon to score runs, while young players like Ravi Bopara have found decent form this season. In James Foster they have a useful (if not test-standard) keeper who can contribute runs, and Darren Gough continues to soldier on with both bat and ball.
Why not? Their bowling looks a little weak, and taking 20 wickets in a match has proven to be an elusive task on many occasions. Their form has been inconsistent, with a win against high-flying Durham being offset against failures to beat Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Too many draws may prove to be their downfall, but if they beat Lancs at Chelmsford then they might be able to snatch the third promotion place.
Worcestershire
Why? Currently sitting 28 points outside the promotion places, you might well ask why? But with a likely innings victory over Somerset, the 22 points will put them right back in the hunt. With games to come against Lancashire, Yorkshire and Essex, their future lies very much in their own hands. The recent signing of Chris Gayle will provide extra strength to both their batting and bowling, and they remain the only side in division 2 to have taken maximum bowling points in all their games so far.
Why not? Their likely win against Somerset comes after a 4-game losing streak, and will be their first win in 6 games - hardly the form of promotion candidates. If any of their final four games ends in defeat, it could spell the end of any promotion challenge.
My predicted final league table:
1 Durham
2 Lancashire
3 Yorkshire
4 Essex
5 Worcestershire
6 Northants
7 Somerset
8 Leicestershire
9 Derbyshire
As a pseudo-Lancastrian, I'm obviously hoping that Lancs go up, and it would be nice to see Yorks in division 1 next season as well. After moving up to Leamington Spa sometime later this year, I'm hoping to make it to Edgbaston on a semi-regular basis next summer, and it would be nice to be able to see some quality Warks-Lancs and Warks-Yorks action.
One thing for certain is that whoever doesn't go up this year will find it much harder next year with the 2 up/2 down rule. I'm glad to see this change, but do feel sorry for whoever finishes 7th this year in division 1 (my gut feeling is that the last day match at the Oval will decide 6th/7th).
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Refreshing - posted at 01:00, Fri 12th Aug 2005
People say that buying things online takes all the fun out of shopping, but I've found that it's always a nice feeling anticipating the postman arriving with a nice parcel. Especially if said parcel contains the latest album by Nickel Creek.
For anyone who hasn't heard them before, their sound is somewhat similar to traditional bluegrass. I say somewhat similar so as not to dissuade anyone from listening to them purely because of a general dislike of any country-style music. This latest album is in fact a departure from any specific genre and really lets their musical talent shine through.
It's just a blend of refreshingly beautiful acoustic melodies, with an occasional edgier undertone. Well worth a listen - the cover of Bob Dylan's 'Tomorrow is a Long Time' alone is worth it.
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For anyone who hasn't heard them before, their sound is somewhat similar to traditional bluegrass. I say somewhat similar so as not to dissuade anyone from listening to them purely because of a general dislike of any country-style music. This latest album is in fact a departure from any specific genre and really lets their musical talent shine through.
It's just a blend of refreshingly beautiful acoustic melodies, with an occasional edgier undertone. Well worth a listen - the cover of Bob Dylan's 'Tomorrow is a Long Time' alone is worth it.
Comments: 0 : Post a Comment
Stupid Microsoft Word - posted at 00:31, Thu 28th Jul 2005
Don't get me wrong, I'm not a subscriber to the Microsoft-hating philosophy - my computer quite happily runs Windows XP and never runs into any problems. But tonight Microsoft Word has caused me plenty of grief.
I was working on the new Warwick Pool Club website, which I'm rewriting in PHP. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I think I'm doing a pretty decent job - it's pleasing to look at, and has some great interactive features. The problem with interactive features, however, is that you give people the chance to unwittingly screw things up - like the person who posted a news item by copying and pasting from text written in Microsoft Word. There's nothing wrong with that - apart from the fact that Word contains so-called 'smart quotes' which aren't recognised as valid Latin-encoded characters.
The end result? My page doesn't validate and I have to spend over an hour searching Google for a PHP function that can replace the offending characters. Sodding smart quotes.
Of course, it's all fixed now, and (touch wood) can't happen anymore. Time for a well-deserved brew.
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I was working on the new Warwick Pool Club website, which I'm rewriting in PHP. I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I think I'm doing a pretty decent job - it's pleasing to look at, and has some great interactive features. The problem with interactive features, however, is that you give people the chance to unwittingly screw things up - like the person who posted a news item by copying and pasting from text written in Microsoft Word. There's nothing wrong with that - apart from the fact that Word contains so-called 'smart quotes' which aren't recognised as valid Latin-encoded characters.
The end result? My page doesn't validate and I have to spend over an hour searching Google for a PHP function that can replace the offending characters. Sodding smart quotes.
Of course, it's all fixed now, and (touch wood) can't happen anymore. Time for a well-deserved brew.
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The future of Warwick Pool - posted at 23:24, Fri 10th Jun 2005
Next year is looking rosy for the pool club here at uni. We've secured sponsorship from the local Rileys and have been one of the top performers in national competitions this year. And we've even got a new logo, designed by yours truly. Here it is in all its glory:
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PHP Legend - posted at 16:55, Thu 28th Apr 2005
So, what have I been doing recently, apart from the immensly annoying final year exams? Well, I've been writing a special little program for the Warwick University Bridge Club, which generates random hands that can be used for competitions. Not only that, it also produces hand records in PDF format that can be printed out so that the hands can be discussed after the competition. As if that wasn't enough, it also produces dealing guides in both standard and secure format, to make it easy for the competition organiser to deal out the hands before the competition.
If you're bored and want to check it out, click here.
All of this is achieved via PHP, using the rather tasty FPDF program. It alows on-the-fly generation of PDF files, without even needing any PHP extensions to be installed. All you have to do is upload the scripts to your webspace and away you go. Awesome.
I've also been voted in as the new web monkee for the Pool Club, which basically gives me a blank canvas to make some awesome website additions over the coming year and show what I can do. Firstly, though, I'm having to recode the whole site from ASP to PHP. Worth it? Definitely.
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If you're bored and want to check it out, click here.
All of this is achieved via PHP, using the rather tasty FPDF program. It alows on-the-fly generation of PDF files, without even needing any PHP extensions to be installed. All you have to do is upload the scripts to your webspace and away you go. Awesome.
I've also been voted in as the new web monkee for the Pool Club, which basically gives me a blank canvas to make some awesome website additions over the coming year and show what I can do. Firstly, though, I'm having to recode the whole site from ASP to PHP. Worth it? Definitely.
Comments: 0 : Post a Comment
Revision diary of a final year mathematician - posted at 09:14, Wed 6th Apr 2005
Time: 9.12am
Measure Theory lectures revised: 0
Cups of tea drank: 1
Time: 1.40pm
Measure Theory lectures revised: 9
Cups of tea drank: 2
Frames of pool played: 6
Time: 4.22pm
Measure Theory lectures revised: 13
Cups of tea drank: 3
Temptation to play Stick Cricket: High
Time: 5.45pm
Measure Theory lectures revised: 15
Home time! Quite a successful day, despite the slow pace. Getting to campus for 8.30am was definitely a good move, I'll have to do that as often as possible now. Finish the notes off tomorrow, then start on the example sheets... bliss.
Now off home to watch Wrestlemania 21, have a few more brews and get a good night's sleep.
Thought of the day: The Learning Grid is good. Must revise here more often.
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Measure Theory lectures revised: 0
Cups of tea drank: 1
Time: 1.40pm
Measure Theory lectures revised: 9
Cups of tea drank: 2
Frames of pool played: 6
Time: 4.22pm
Measure Theory lectures revised: 13
Cups of tea drank: 3
Temptation to play Stick Cricket: High
Time: 5.45pm
Measure Theory lectures revised: 15
Home time! Quite a successful day, despite the slow pace. Getting to campus for 8.30am was definitely a good move, I'll have to do that as often as possible now. Finish the notes off tomorrow, then start on the example sheets... bliss.
Now off home to watch Wrestlemania 21, have a few more brews and get a good night's sleep.
Thought of the day: The Learning Grid is good. Must revise here more often.
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Feeling Nostalgic - posted at 00:03, Mon 4th Apr 2005
A pictorial journey back to April 2002:
During Easter of my first year at uni, I headed off to Ireland for an Easter break.
The main reason for going was to see Sara.
But I also got to see Paulie as well.
We played some football.
Ireland is pretty.
We visited the forest.
After leaving Sara's, me and Paulie went to stay with Nicola.
All in all, loads of fun.
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During Easter of my first year at uni, I headed off to Ireland for an Easter break.
The main reason for going was to see Sara.
But I also got to see Paulie as well.
We played some football.
Ireland is pretty.
We visited the forest.
After leaving Sara's, me and Paulie went to stay with Nicola.
All in all, loads of fun.
Comments: 0 : Post a Comment
National Shame - posted at 13:34, Sun 20th Feb 2005
England's national sport, often referred to as the beatuiful game, doesn't seem so beautiful after last night's game between Everton and Man Utd.
It's sad that this kind of thing happens, but even sadder that it was almost inevitable. Sport is not an excuse for mindless violence, although the sort of people who watch football aren't generally known for their rational behaviour.
Roll on the cricket season, then I can finally watch a proper sport.
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It's sad that this kind of thing happens, but even sadder that it was almost inevitable. Sport is not an excuse for mindless violence, although the sort of people who watch football aren't generally known for their rational behaviour.
Roll on the cricket season, then I can finally watch a proper sport.
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Baby Rhino - posted at 22:48, Mon 14th Feb 2005
Awesome present, cheered me right up.
I haven't really posted much on here recently - have been busier than I've been for a long while. But hopefully I can get back into the rhythm again soon.
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I haven't really posted much on here recently - have been busier than I've been for a long while. But hopefully I can get back into the rhythm again soon.
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