Updates

So I have a bad cold, which is even causing me to skip part of the working day. Thankfully, it isn't too busy at the lab anyway, though the pre-Christmas rush will kick in soon. Apart from that, not too much is going on.
I also haven't been surfing the net too much - though my rare visit to the MS site did make me find an extra theme for WinXP. Yes, MS released something different than the WinXP standard in 3 colours. The theme is released to promote the new Zune media player, and hence is available from zune.net (or straight away via this link). Its black, looks like the royal inspirat mod that is available for patched theme.dll's and has orange highlights. Probably, it has some Vista-ish looks as well.

Update:
News just in: Apparently, the ground floor of my building has been sold. Well, as soon as I and the other inhabitant sign the forms that grant our approval to the deal.
That and:

(More Cat images hosted by Knitemare over here)

Long delayed post

After hell breaking loose, hell breaking loose again and both of my previous operating systems deciding to burn in the fires of hell at the same time, things are getting back on track. Though I lost half the links and the other half is outdated, here goes:

Elections: De zweefwijzer. Sound enabled.
Elections: Another zweefwijzer. Slightly buggy.
Random: 'Vereniging ter behoud van het Nietszeggende Spreekwoord'
Scary Shit: BioTech tinkering at home, with the first site listing resources right here. The projects are a bit weird... As far as I know, you still need a license to do most of the stuff listed here...
Linux: Quick video of Beryl available from google. I think the MS Vista visual experience just became outdated.

It works!

Okay, apparently Casema has trained monkeys and psychics working for them - they sent us the codes even before they cut us off - but not in a smart way: They sent it to the parents of the guy that lives downstairs, as they have the same name and initials, but a different address. The letter appears as an overview of the services on offer at this address, and even lists this address as both the service and billing address (remember, however, this letter was sent to a completely different address) and follows a long string of erraneous invoices. I got to see this letter and only after reading it twice, did I notice that it listed a modem code and password, somewhere in the whole overview past the price, a whole lot of other numbers and before some more random numbers. No word about how important this letter is going to be...

Of course, it didn't get fixed

So, here's the full deal: My ISP, which is Casema (who now also host Orange), started denying that there was ever an internet connection at my address when my housemate called them to ask why our internet connection was no longer active. They would get back to us on that as soon as possible, (most likely) within 24 hours. >48 hours later they got back to us saying that we would just need to take a new contract with them, which, according to the commercial is 'zo geregeld', which is not the same as 'zo aangesloten' because this would take them just under two weeks. So being the geek that I am, I occasionally check the connection, figure out that it throws a modem activation page at me, served to me by their servers. So, what I'm waiting for, turns out to be an activation code. Yes people, two pairs of six characters. Which is now already taking over 1 day per character. Do they hire monkeys to type and then verify these codes? I'm sure that a room full of monkeys with typewriters could generate a short coherent story faster than Casema can generate an activation code...

Their helpdesk line has been modified to mention that if you've been cut of it's their fault: administrational problems, but you can stand in line for 10ct/min in the queue for new contracts that they refer you to.

Long Story short: Casema has a glitch and dumps it on the customers without being helpful in any manner to resolve the issue quickly. Will update blog again in two weeks or when I have internet at home, whichever comes first.

Downtime

Erm, I currently do not have (legal*, 24h) internet access at home, as the modem is malfunctioning or the ISP is 'malfunctioning'. Seeing as I don't have access to the modem, or the ISP details, this is quite fatal blogwise. Not that too much was going on anyway...

*It recently became illegal to connect to an accesspoint that you do not own or have been granted express permission to connect to even if no security measures are in place on it - this means that if you leave winXP zeroconf the way it is and it can't find your own AP, that in it will illegally connect to another accesspoint. Dutch law can be fun! Why you would want to use an unencrypted wireless connection for, well, anything is a bit of a puzzler for me, but ow well... Not that WEP isn't crackable in less than 30 min.

Random Ramblings

I think I'm now an outsider even in my Masters programme: everyone is linked to either the Bijvoet centre or the IB (Institute of Biomembranes) and hence has seminar days of those organisations. There are some vague links between the department that I work in and the IB, though only on a very limited level. Aparently the Institute of Environmental Biology is the place to be. Yup, I really have reached the plant world.

As most of you will know, the IgNobels have been awarded some time ago (of course Wageningen University is one of the winners), but the best one is still the prize for Literature, which this year was awarded for work entitled: "Consequences of Erudite Vernacular Utilized Irrespective of Necessity: Problems with Using Long Words Needlessly." Though last year it went to: "The Internet entrepreneurs of Nigeria, for creating and then using e-mail to distribute a bold series of short stories, thus introducing millions of readers to a cast of rich characters -- General Sani Abacha, Mrs. Mariam Sanni Abacha, Barrister Jon A Mbeki Esq., and others -- each of whom requires just a small amount of expense money so as to obtain access to the great wealth to which they are entitled and which they would like to share with the kind person who assists them." Full list at the Journal of improbable research Ig Nobel prize winners page.

Also good is the famed Journal of Irreproducible results, which also features an article on why the National Geographic magazine is the doomsday machine

And to revisit the NS-by-the-ways: On the 18th of October there will be a disaster exercise on platforms 18 and 19 involving one blown up train and trained actors. More info in the Utrecht city council press release over here.

Trouble in video land

Google has now bought YouTube, which apparently is a bad move: 'Moronic' video deal buys Google legal woes?. Anyway, whilst it still is active, here's a nice music video off of YouTube: OK GO - Here it goes again. That's all for now, on a course again, finishing of the exam of the other one, and hearing that my new internship has finally been approved by the board of examinations.

Ow, and as for the NS: Timetables for the new service schedules for trains in and out of Utrecht (and other places)

And now, for some distraction

Quick link round-up, mostly borrowed from the below blogs:
In movie-related stuff:
The biology of B-movie monsters
6 steps to writing a fantasy blockbuster
In LEGO (ab)use:
ASL's LEGO page (scroll down or click for example of Esher in Lego)
In Space:
Pretty picture (spacestation, more images here)
In Nerd/Geek:
Weird Al - White and Nerdy
In Blogs:
Project Rungay (for any project runway fans)
Dom's Weird News (news, but then the less usual)
Confessions of a science librarian

Long time, no entry

Okay, here's the quick update on the life and times of me: I've finished one internship (ah, still need to hand in one copy of the report) and started the next (Molecular Genetics - Model organism: Arabidopsis Thaliana (I'll do a post on it soon)). Well, started: after one week my direct supervisor left for 4 weeks, and my other supervisor just left for a week yesterday. Perfectly fine - I left for a week this week (to take a course on Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry), and after next week I'll be gone for another two (to take a course entitled 'Advanced Protein and Lipid Analysis').
Which brings me to the unavoidable science story of the post: A bit of background on the Chemistry Nobel Prize winners of 2002 (more info here). The two guys who won ¼ of the prize each "for their development of soft desorption ionisation methods for mass spectrometric analyses of biological macromolecules" have backgrounds that could not differ more from each other. John B. Fenn was offered the prize when he was in his seventies, whilst Koichi Tanaka won the prize when in his forties. Fenn was working for some time at one of the prestigious US universities, untill they let him go when he reached retirement age. However, Virginia commonwealth University did find it worthwile to give the man an office, and he did the work leading to the prize there (at least, that's what I've been told). So, you can still do prize winning work at high age. Koichi, in contrast, did the work he was awarded for as a technician when he was 25 or so. Twenty odd years later, when he won the prize, he was still a technician at the same company. This is, however, where his story turns a little tragic: once he won the prize, he immediately became head of the facility, and as he was a bachelor, he also became a high-ranker on the most-wanted bachelor list. Having lost contact with the lab-work he enjoyed and being pursued by women at the level that it is very, very annoying, he wasn't feeling as happy as he was before he won the prize. In fact, he ended up leaving the company and the country, and now works as a technician doing the work he likes elsewhere...

It's been a while...

Time for the quick update on the life and times of me: I kind of finished my 9 (oh, wait, 11 month) internship, though I still haven't been graded. The core course of the programme I managed to get through with grades increasing each exam, as opposed to most of the other people who had decreasing grades. Weird, given the fact that my prior knowledge of the subject decreased with each exam at the same rate as the decrease in time spent preparing. As it's time for something completely different (within the field, so no, not quantum physics time just yet) my 6 month internship is within a genetics group and involves plants. Yes, plants.
So currently I'm working for a short period for a real ***** of a boss, even though I nearly resigned last Friday. Amazingly enough she hasn't got round to firing me yet, but maybe she's too afraid to do that just yet. She's not entirely stupid, there's four experienced people there including me - she realises that if she fires one, all four of us will walk and she definitely cannot handle the situation on her own...
Regrettably, I (again) haven't been able to make it to various places in the country such as Didam and Breda, and I even have some difficulties in reaching the UC campus. It's a shame that I'm missing Natasja before she leaves off the US. Natasja will be blogging about her trip at: www.takeitontheroad.net.

Happy Planet Index

The NEF (New Economics Foundation) have calculated the Happy Planet Index, in which HPI score is defined as Life Satisfaction X Life Expectancy / Ecological Footprint. To cut to the chase:
"On a scale of 0 to 100 for the HPI, we have set a reasonable target of 83.5. This is based on attainable levels of life expectancy and well-being and a reasonably sized ecological footprint. Today, however, the highest HPI is only 68.2%, scored by the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu."
"The message, simply put, is that when we measure the efficiency with which countries enable the fundamental inputs of natural resources to be turned into the ultimate ends of long and happy lives, all can do better. This conclusion is less surprising in the light of our argument that governments have been concentrating on the wrong indicators for too long. If you have the wrong map, you are unlikely to reach your destination."
And a surprising note: Islands score better: "They have higher life satisfaction, higher life expectancy and marginally lower ecological footprints than other states. Yet their incomes (in GDP per capita terms) are roughly equal to the world average"
Netherlands scores joint 6th (with Cyprus) in the western world (HPI 46 - Life satisfaction 7.5, Life expectancy 78.4 and Ecological footprint 4.7). The highest ranking western world country is, of course, an island: Malta.
The US is dead last; HPI 28.8 (LS 7.4, LE 77.4, EF 9.5)

The full report, and all the interesting details can be found in the NEF Happy Planet Index publication (free pdf)

Pathetic

...but predictable. The CEI has released a number of 'commercials' on carbon dioxide emissions. The catchphrase is 'they call it pollution, we call it life' Now, this weeks quiz questions include:

1. How many fallacies are there in all three commercials together?
2. What is actually the worst line of the lot? (not counting the one mentioned)
3. Anyone else agree that these adds are actually more frightening the climate issue was to start off with?

Unfortunately, no prizes this time round.

Bad Weather, Good Colours

Problems, problems, problems

But those can wait. Dropping in a few quick links instead:
The simpsons on evolution: Simpsons episode on evolution.
Making Ice-cream, the quick way: Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Recipe.

Procrastination, but make it quick

Slightly overworked, basically working fulltime at the lab, whilst preparing for my final talk until 23:00 every evening, so no time for, well, anything, except some therapeutic ranting. Definitely no time for: my bike being funny and breaking down before I even left the neighbourhood (but some nice bikerepair shop that repaired it in 30 min whilst I did some shopping, at least I think the guy said that, I still suck at dutch with heavy turkish influences, but my bike works, so yup, that would have been it). Cold showers in the morning keep me awake, though I don't have an option as the boiler went on the blink (something that I also don't have time for). I think I just got that sorted, so I can add taking apart (and reassembling) (the easy parts of) the boiler system to my list of skills. Ah, and then I'm forgetting the social thing that I arranged months ago...
Ow well, back to the hell that is IF pictures and powerpoint...

I really did intend to bring this up to speed again. It'll have to wait

Just this once then...

...and no, I do not have a demonic PC (Weeble & Bob - Blog)
But there is a new flash that's decent. Uses a couple of styles, half of which I don't like, yet still: The Beatles - Glass Onion.
Thinking about picking up the pace on the blog again...

P.S.: I am still alive. I think*.
*Okay, maybe thinking is a bit ambitious..., something approaching that then...

CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

The site will not be disbanded, yet activity is likely to cease for a while.
Availability via e-mail and IM networks remains unaffected.

Okay, time to up the Nerd factor

As my laptop is still a bit on the hot side (though taking it apart and putting it back together again did help somewhat), it's time to dismantle the thing, add a new thermal compound between the processor and the heatsink and hope for the best. So if you don't see any updates over an abnormally long period, I screwed up. Though I'm quite positive; the instructions start with: 'Don't put it in your mouth'. Although it does classify me as hardware: 'Instructions to clean it off yourself, your CPU, and other hardware'. At least I've had a dummy run, so I know where the screws go...

Tapping along with the flow

Times have been busy, with the first presentation of what I've been up to on my internship being the main culprit. That, and the fact that I shouldn't try to leave the lab early, as this doesn't seem to work - it only leads to me leaving later. So after letting some more people in the lab find out that I can nearly be concidered bilingual, everything is back to 'normal' again (including the noise of my laptop - I'll disect and rebuild it some time soon, changing the cooling paste on the way).
As a result of all the required running about, there isn't much to tell. One interesting things is a site where you can tap along with a song to identify it. Seems to actually kind of work, try it. Ow, and there is also a newer version of openttd.
In weird science, there are reports that the authenticity of Jackson Pollock paintings may be proven by fractal analysis of the works (nature). Well, given Jackson Pollock's style, I wouldn't be surprised to find more things in his paintings: chemical formulas for cures to cancer, alien comminucations and tomato soup. Also: Scientists still seeking cure for obesity, here at the Onion.

Reason #2593 to switch to Linux

Those anoying web adds (the ones that the Firefox adblock extension doesn't catch because you haven't updated the filter) that look like a window, but aren't, look stupid and are dead wrong, as they refer to stuff that your system doesn know about.
What I personally like most is seeing that things can be done differently, whilst some concepts stay the same. The upcoming new windows version promises to be quite impressive, with a lot of eye-candy as well (hence boosting the system requirements sky-high). It'll even enable the use of small screens on the outside of your laptop, making it like a flip-phone (see your agenda on the outside, no need to waste power on booting) - which undoubtedly will make the hardware popular and give vendors something to sell. Yet, it gets released slightly slower than the speed at which your computer becomes obsolete. Linux is somewhat more dynamic. It comes in more flavours, releases aren't that spectacular, yet happen far more frequently. It can also adapt to low end as well as high end computers. And leaves room for choice, lots of choice. As example - if you want a graphical environment you need an X-server, of which there are two main implementations, on top of that there is a window manager (wide variety) or a desktop suite (includes things like a file manager, application launcher etc) of which GNOME and KDE are the most common. Within those, the appearance of all the items is again very customisable. Lots of things to play with. If you want to play with linux a little bit yourself - the most accessable distribution, Ubuntu offers live CDs (from which you can boot your computer into linux without changing or having to install anything, just remove the CD and reboot to go back to your old system).
Anyway, I'll stop ranting. I got the new kernel working and with it the touchpad, so on it goes!

So where is now exactly?

That's it, I'm lost. I think I've lost all timeframe reference and feel like my mind is in 6 different times at the same time. Apart from that, I feel (relatively) sane and my health is (relatively) good. This week has already seen a few healthy discussions that fall under the category 'what the **** am I doing here? again?' that actually do help. A little. In perpetuating my lack of direction. I feel like I'm being set up though, time to first see how devious my supervisors are (in other words: are they purpously trying to influence my opinion on matters in a way that they hope I don't notice). I'll keep you updated.
Anyway: smaller updates:
Lab: Dropping falcon tubes is a bad idea when contents is frozen. Solved issue by breaking off the bottom of the tube (which had nearly broken off) and ejecting contents into new tube. Otherwise, things are their usual self.
Computer: Some kernel issues, pulled out an old kernel image and all of a sudden everything works fine, including things that didn't when that one was active. Switched to binaries for some of the larger programmes. Now using Linux as primary OS, though more work is required (mainly getting the touchpad to work, but also increasing space). Other computer is working media jukebox. Abonding TV-card efforts, as disc is full and no driver has been tested for the card.
Room: Still improving small things. Tidied last boxes, waiting for remaining panel to complete long-term storage unit. Need to tidy desk... Need to invite people round as soon as I have time.

Anyway... forum abuse, anyone?

Fooling around

...in the dark. Literally. The joy of developing film in a darkroom. For some reason, in the first round, my vision didn't adjust. Though an accurate simulation vision-wise of me nearly blacking out, I didn't know the room I was in so it didn't take me long at all to walk into a table. Last week was even more fun, as my blood pressure apparently wasn't at all well - who needs to remember what they did anyway... Damn anmesia, still don't understand how that one works.

Anyway... Link time (limited)
The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny - Flash at its worst.
Giant Microbes - Get your cuddly pathogens right here...

And that is exactly why...

...I keep my family on a need to know basis. Give them a little information, and they presume their own version of the rest*. The most recent illustration of how much trouble this saves me was this weekend. It's very interesting to know that I'm very smart (according to my grandmother) for not doing such a stupid thing has having a girlfriend, as not only am I a bit young for that, it would be too daft to even think of, seeing as I'm a student and it'll be impossible to balance studying with anything, let alone having a girlfriend. The fact that if I want to get married at a younger age than my parents I need to get a move on is ignored, and the fact that my grandmother doesn't have the foggiest clue about studying also isn't a barrier.

* Examples include: 'I'm going on a trip to Italy with someone from the College'. Assumptions made: 'someone' is male. We will have single rooms. The trip is very soundly planned and there is someone to look after us. Reality: He is a she, we've not planned the whole thing, and we'll just see if we can find a 6 person mixed dorm to share with total strangers in some hostel somewhere.

Sorry for not updating

but my stress levels went through the roof and are still rising.

I'm not going to bitch, hence the positive points are:

• Anna is returning. Soon.
• I've started a new sub-project at the lab, involving cell culture.
• I've found a trick to solve the problem that the access-point loses touch with the cable modem upon a (frequent) provider glitch. Old solution: 'simulating a power failure', as the AP is in a locked room I have to black-out half the house (but the not the half I live in, teehee). New solution: going to the AP management page (still reachable), not changing anything and then hitting the 'save changes' button on the correct page. AP reinitialises WAN connection. Brilliant.
• The old computer is succesfully using the TV as monitor. Now to turn it into a videorecorder on a €0 budget (do have an external TV capture card though).

I'll get back to you sometime with somewhat more interesting content (providing I find it).

And on to the future...

With one of the more expected developments of the rest of the decade being space tourism. Off course, with such nonsense going on as four year olds being dangerous terrorists and therefore on the no-fly list (or misunderstandings as outlined descirbed by the BBC in ''babies hit' by terror flight ban') there are already calls for security measures on this form of travel, naturally headed by the US: US draws up space tourism rules. Though in the case of violent passengers, it's quite difficult to just dump them on some forlorn Island, as outlined in the 'pilot dumps drunk man on island' story. Also, there are rules about losing your passengers, but even in commercial flight it's possible to gain them mid-flight, as the story 'woman gives birth in plane toilet' illustrates. And of course, with space travel, you need rules on what to do in case of alien hijackings as well. Okay, enough in-flight nonsense.
Also on the BBC, an overview of the best and worst adds in the UK. I might try and link a couple if I can find them. One that I can link to is the guinness 'rhythm of life' add (QT, 5.93 MB). In the meantime; be warned, as the crazy frog is back, yet again.

Once more, with feeling

For some reason, people (some estate agent) trying to sell the downstairs floor don't get the following facts:

• I'm doing an internship in a hospital lab; I don't do 'bereikbaarheid' and definitely not mobile
• I can't just take time off on a whim; let me know a week in advance, not 22 hours.
• I can't 'let you know' if you don't pronounce your name clearly and don't leave a number.
• I rarely have time between 09:00 and 17:00 to let anyone know anything.
• I don't appreciate replanning half a week to wait for someone who doesn't show up at all.

So things never change, despite mentioning them numerous times. Guess that's going to be another letter stuck to the door, there's no way I can meet and greet a prospective buyer at 13:00 tomorrow. Sorry for the buyer, not his/her fault, I know.
Non-ranting content should return to this page soon. I'm planning to be home on Sunday, if anyone feels like dropping by, let me know.

2006...

Okay, anybody reading this has presumably reached 2006. Congratulations, just keep on counting.

More hopefully soon.