One Last Post Before I Go

So we had fun, didn't we? I surely did. Though I didn't manage one post a day, I did however manage 31 posts in 31 days. So In my own way I can say that I did it.

I wrote things from the top of my head and I talked about ponies. There were planned posts and I talked about ponies! There was the quiz, that massive Eurovision post and I even talked about ponies!

But I don't actually feel like stopping to be honest. I might just continue doing this. It most definitely will not be one a day. But I may make it one a week. Who knows what day. It may not even happen at all.

You know how I was talking about cookie clicker where one of my achievements was to get 400 cursor upgrades. Well tonight it happened! So two things are completing for me tonight!

Argh! Only 15 minutes left in the Blaugust! Not much time to go now! I better actually post.

 But before I leave you I have one more Pony thing left to leave you with. And that is the Japanese Localisation! My Little Pony Tomodachi wa Mahou is what resulted. Most countries, when they dub a show would just put a new audio track and leave it at that. Not Japan! They made new opening and credits sequences and even made a new theme songs for them. They even have a live segment at the end of each episode for reasons I can not explain.

They have only done two seasons so far. Someone has actually gone and subbed it for the all of us!

Here are all the songs they made for it!


Well now it is time to go.

So Until Next Blaugust,

Have Fun And Stay Sexy!

Fanfiction Dramatic Reading (NSFW)

This is something I've been meaning to do all month! Even before I started Blaugust this year. When I got sick my voice was not up to scratch but now that I'm better it's something I can actually do.

A DRAMATIC READING!

I decided to find a piece of fanfiction and tell it to you. Much like an audio book. I decided that I'd do one take and only one take to get it done. There are mistakes, but I don't really care. It was fun!

Ever heard of the Harry Potter fanfiction of Hogwarts Castle and the Giant Squid? Well, now you can hear it!

Here is a direct link if you do not see an audio player.

So I have finally been able to be really horrible and unleash this on you all! There are probably more perplexing fanfictions out there but I don't exactly go out looking for these things. There's that horrifying My Little Pony gore fanfic that people know about but I'll let you look that up only if you wish.

I'm almost done and there is only one day left. Therefore there is only one post left. Tune in tomorrow when I sign off for another year.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

Writing blog posts on my phone sucks.

So I will be attempting to write this on a horrible phone. Did I mention that my phone is terrible? I'm at a birthday party so we'll see how bad this post goes. Though I have my car here so alcohol is not that much of an option tonight. Why must commitments take up my life?

I currently have absolutely no idea how I'm going to get this out of this note taking app and into my blog. I'll get to that problem when it comes.

It turns out that writing a blog post on a phone is pretty antisocial. So I'll end it and make a nice big post tomorrow.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

Trolling EVAC while writing my posts? Why Not?

So I pull out my laptop at EVAC because I have not yet written a Blaugust post for the day and start typing. Not really knowing what to type about and not even telling anyone quite what I’m doing.

It’s exactly seven o’clock. I know because I hear an alarm go off that I know happens every hour and at 8:30 for some reason. This isn’t my alarm. I just know that it exists.

I played the game of the week and bombed out in the first round as per usual. The game changes but the result is always the same. This week it was F-Zero GX!

So what exactly should I write about? I am unsure? Perhaps I should ask people around me.

Aparantly am talking about dragons and furries! Well dragons cool. They breathe fire and are awesome. There was the episode of My Little Pony where Fluttershy stood up to a dragon! I will show you in this following youtube video!

Now I need to talk about furries? Is it because the the massive pair of cat ears that I am currently wearing? Probably! I ain’t wearing them because I am a furry. I am in fact wearing them because I am a horrible troll. Do you all remember that furry convention in the US where some guy released chlorine and many people were hospitalised? What an unfortunate incident that was? Almost as unfortunate as that My Little Pony episode where they change the voice of a background character because the writing staff thought she sounded mentally challenged. Everyone int the community complained. I mean EVERYONE!

The is probably one of my worst blog posts so far. I will make sure that it is.

Tony Abbot sucks Tony Abbot sucks Tony Abbot sucks Tony Abbot sucks Tony Abbot sucks Tony Abbot sucks … OH GOD I am doing that joke again?

No I do not normally narrate my blog posts as I am typing them. I if did this during that Hungary Jacks one I probably would have been mugged. Which would be she second time something like that would have happened in my presence.

Because I would rather be doing something else right now, I shall end this post.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

This Will Send Your Heart all a Flutter!

So, I've written about many things. Eurovision, stuff I even did a quiz which Thom managed to win.

And then there have been the Ponies. Five out of the mane six have been covered. Which means I have one left. 

And she’s my absolute favourite! FANBOY TIME!!!!!!!!

I introduce to you all the timid pony. She’s a bit shy. You could even say she is Fluttershy! That’s actually her name. Fluttershy.

In many Anime’s you have the concept that is Moe. The moe character is the one that you feel affection affection. She is your waifu. Well for me, Fluttershy is definitely mai waifu. She does absolutely everything in a cute fashion. Here’s Rainbow Dash teaching her how to cheer!

But it’s not just her cuteness that makes her who she is. It’s her resolve. She knows she’s not the greatest, the most daring or the strongest. But she is definitely the most caring. Especially when it comes to animals, which she has an amazing way with. Which is why she’s many people’s favourite character.

Her greatest time to shine was probably the second season episode “Hurricane Fluttershy” where all the pegasus ponies had transport water with a tornado. First Fluttershy tries to get out of it because of how embarrassed she’s be by being the weakest flyer.

But then Rainbow Dash forcer her to join in the training. She ends up being the weakest and feels humiliated but then her animals friends cheer her up enough for A TRAINING MONTAGE!

The problem in the end wasn’t that she was a bad flyer because when an emergency situation arose, she was one of the best flyers around!

Do I need to show any more? Clearly I do! Here’s the best of Fluttershy from the first season!

And finally I will leave you with a cute little gem I came across of Fluttershy trying to have a conversation with Siri. It’s not the real voice actor but whoever it is does a damn good job of it.

So that is Fluttershy. And that is all the Mane Six! I could keep on going but I think I've fanboy'd over Fluttershy more than enough enough for one night.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

UK in Eurovision - A Tale of Tragedy!

Enough of these last minute posts, ramblings and ponies! This guy needs to get back to his roots! I'm FINALLY doing a post on EUROVISION!

I once decided to rank all the 63 winning songs of the contest from most favourite to least favourite. It might come as a shock to you that, though it ranked highly, ABBA's Waterloo (Sweden 1974) did not in fact top that list. Instead that title belongs to the United Kingdom's winning song from 1997. Katrina and the Waves, famous for their 1985 hit "Walking on Sunshine" competed with this little gem and won in record breaking fashion.

The UK used to do so well. THey won five times and have been the country the most often to finish in second place. So you have to ask this big question.

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED TO MAKE THEM SO TERRIBLE?

The UK have somehow managed to turn themselves into a Eurovision laughing stock. Did they stop caring? Are they trying not to win? I don't honestly know and I don't think they do either.

Because ranking things in lists is something I like to do I thought I would do exactly that for all of the UK's Eurovision entries after their big win in 1997. I'll start with the "least worst" of the songs then go to the one that is the biggest pile of garbage.

I apologise to your eyes and your eardrums.

Number 18 - 2009 - It's My Time - 5th Place

This is probably the best attempt the UK has made since their win. After being so bad for so long they actually tried this year. They got Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the song and held a competition to find the voice. They were ultimately rewarded with 5th place when they went to Moscow.

Number 17 - 2002 - Come Back - 3rd Place

Another year where they actually did pretty well was 2002. This ended up in equal 3rd place. This is sung well by Pop Idol contestant Jessica Garlick, but the song itself is ultimately pretty boring.

Number 16 - 2014 - Children of the Universe - 17th Place

After two yeas of sending has-been artists to the contest the BBC thought they'd give some new tallent a go. I actually liked the song the more I heard it, but because the UK automatically qualify for the final, you only have one chance to impress. I wasn't impressed the first time I heard it. Neither was the rest of Europe in the end.

Number 15 - 1998 - Where Are You? - 2nd Place

This is the song the UK thought could defend their big win from the year before. Not a bad song. Probably pretty slick by 1998 standards. It did come second after all. But it's a little dated now don't you think?

Number 14 - 2011 - I Can - 11th Place

"Let's send a boy band who are big in Europe" was what the BBC were thinking in 2011. They were even big favourites to win. The song is not bad either. But that staging is really tacky. Also, it's A BOY BAND! Did you really want these people to win? But then again I thought the song Azerbaijan sent that won that year was pretty crap too.

Number 13 - 2000 - Don't Play that Song Again - 16th Place

Did I say the last song's staging was tacky? I apologise to the last ones, this is even worse! Those dance moves are probably the worst I've seen. Don't play that song again huh? You don't say!

Number 12 - 2008 - Even If - 25th Place

So they thought this time they could win by getting funky! I don't mind this song to be honest. But it's not much to write home about. I feel for the guy singing on stage. He looks absolutely terrified. Definitely not the worst song of Eurovision 2008. It was a shocking year, which it's why it's my favourite year for train wrecks. This was also the year that officially broke Terry Wogan. He even threw a tantrum on air at the end when this didn't win! THIS!

Number 11 - 1999 - Say it Again - 12th Place

So you're the UK and one of the biggest musical acts at the time are the Spice Girls. They aren't interested in Eurovision so who do you send? Another girl band apparently. But this song is booooring!

Number 10 - 2004 - Hold On To Our Love - 16th Place

But not as boring as this! 2004 was a big festival year where all the songs were flashy carnivals. I could just imaging the crowd falling to sleep during this one.

Number 9 - 2005 - Touch My Fire - 22nd Place

So the next year they try for that ethnic rhythm feel and fail miserably! It's almost like watching your 7 year old sister get into your mothers dresses, put on make-up and pretend to be a grown lady. You tell them they look nice whilst trying not to hurt their feelings by laughing at them. This song is more famous for the "wardrobe malfunction" that happened during the UK national pre-selection show.

Number 8 - 2012 - Love Will Set You Free - 25th Place

In 2012 the BBC thought it would send some big famous singer to the contest. Was a pitty that the only one who would agree was washed up. Engelbert Humperdinck was who they went with who tried with a sweet ballad which was anything but appropriate. Of course it was going to do badly.

Number 7 - 2001 - No Dream Impossible - 15th Place

"Be Strong! On and on! Keep pushing on and on!" As soon as I heard that stupid rap break I burst into laughter! The rest of the song could have been brilliant (it really wasn't) but with a shit rap like that, it's a guaranteed failure!

Number 6 - 2013 - Believe in Me - 19th Place

Sending a washed up has-been didn't work  the year before but for reasons I'll never be able to grasp they did it again! This time it was Bonnie Tylers turn to show how her best years were behind her. She did a better job than Engelbert Humperdinck points wise but I think she made the worse performance!

Now we get to the scum of the pile! The bottom 5 are particularly terrible! When I think of bad UK songs these are the ones that will always come to mind!

Number 5 - 2006 - Teenage Life - 19th Place

Don't you love it when the UK try to send some kitschy trash? It's always a dud! And this one is a RAP SONG! The gimmick should have been laughed out of existence! But instead it was voted the best song to send to Europe? The singer even screams "Vote for the Music" at the end. On the music alone I would give it a poor score!

Number 4 - 2015 - Still in Love With You - 24th Place

People were saying that this years entry from the UK was something you either loved or hated. I absolutely hated it! What a load of tacky garbage? The singers look awkward. And those electro breaks are the absolute worst. My prediction was that this would finish dead last. It didn't. But it only got 5 points in the end which was exactly 5 points more than it deserved! It was also less that the 3 minute time length which must have used some form of time travel because IT, FELT, LIKE, THIS, SONG, WOULD, NOT, FUCKING, END!

Number 3 - 2010 - That Sounds Good to Me - 25th Place

2009 was a great year for the UK. They finally worked out how to do well. Which makes how the next year being so terrible was perplexing to me. They held a contest to find a singer for a song to be written by industry professionals. The problem was they got people who were successful in the 1980's. They wrote this pile of crap that would have been dated in 1991! The UK went back to finishing in dead last!

Number 2 - 2007 - Flying the Flag (for You) - 22 Place

I can't help but think this entire act was a massive troll. But I know for a fact that this group were serious! This is the most kitsch crap the UK have ever sent. Once again the British public voted for this crap. This is something you'd expect from Hi-5 but perhaps without all the poorly executed sex jokes.

Number 1 - 2003 - Cry Baby - 26th Place

I wouldn't be doing this properly if the worst UK entry wasn't Jemini's Cry Baby. The song that failed to get a single vote in 2003. And there's a strong reasons why. The singing is horrible and the dance moves are bland. There singers claimed they were sabotaged by the technical crew because of the UK involvement in the Iraq war but people in the know really knew they were just a genuinely terrible act. But they were surrounded by yes men that told them they were brilliant.

So that is the terrible songs from the UK since 1997. We need something to make us feel better so I will leave you with a good UK Eurovision song. To do that I'll take you all the way back to 1959. This song didn't actually win like Monty Python lead you to believe but it did come second. You probably have heard of it, but have you actually heard it? So I give you (in my best Monty Python Mao Zedong impersonation) SING LITTLE BIRDIE!

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

The Awkward is Better at Hungry Jacks!

I’m am writing this in the 24 hour Hungary Jacks in Rundle Street so I won’t make this a very big post.

I always end up here every Tuesday evening. I’s been a ritual I’ve had for some time. After AJAS we all go down here, buy food and have a long chat. The atmosphere is kinda weird here though. For example this seems to be a large hangout for a lot of homeless people. I guess it’s because it’s indoors and there’s a toilet. The toilets at this place are also disgusting.

The food is also getting worse and worse the more I come here. So why do we still come? TRADITION of course! And it is the only place open near the University. I still love coming here every Tuesday. You just have to keep your wits about you. So having a laptop here at 11PM is probably not the greatest idea. Which means I’ll wrap this up pretty quickly.

Don’t remember to do my quiz. I will be releasing the answers tomorrow.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

This Blog just became 20% Cooler!

So I come to that time where I throw together another post. Don’t forget that you all have until Wednesday to do my quiz for a packet of Werther’s Originals. So far there has been one attempt so the prize is definitely going to be given to a recipient but still do give it a go if you don’t think you'll do that well.

I read one of Thom's answers to the pony question. It was about the first pony I covered in 2015. I was like, “Rainbow Dash. RAINBOW DASH? Are you KIDDING ME?” I haven’t even talked about Rainbow dash yet!

 Because she was my next Pony on the list!

So far I've done the two earth Ponies. They don’t have any major visual feature though they are good with the ground. Then there are the unicorn/alicorns. The unicorns can do magic with their horns, the alicorns can do magic with their horns and fly with their wings. I left the Pegasus ponies to last. They are of course, the specialist flyers. And one of the greatest flyers of them all is Rainbow Dash.

She’s definitely the athletic pony and has a lot of drive to to well in everything that she does. And almost all of it is athletic. Naturally she has an ego to match it. She doesn't just think she’s the coolest most awesomest pony alive. She KNOWS she’s the coolest most awesomest pony alive.

Of course this comes to a head when paid with Applejack, the last pony I covered and there was an entire episode devoted to this.

On a side note: Do you know how hard it is to find clips when you search things like “Rainbow Dash vs. Applejack”? I kid you not almost EVERY result is a slash fan-artwork!

Rainbow Dash also started a huge saying in the MLP community that ended up on t-shirts and uttered practically everywhere. It was from that episode where Rarity was making dresses for everyone. Of course everyone started requesting changes.

This is all Rainbow Dash had to say on the matter.

Which is where i got my title for today’s post!

So we have covered all of the Mane Six. Well all but one. I saved her for last for a reason. You think I've been fanboying so far? All these pony posts have got noting on the one that’s coming! For I still have yet to do my absolute favourite character yet!

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy

Let's get Quizzical, Quizzical. I wanna get get Quizzical, let's get into Quizzical!

So I think it’s time to finally do a quiz!

I love quizzes despite being the guy that isn’t that good at everyone else’s. So I thought I would do one where I would be the expert. It’s also one to see how well you have have all been paying attention.

For the topic of my quiz is simply going to be:

Shaun’s Blaugust Posts!

As this is the second time I have done Blaugust, I only have a little under two years of info to go with and if you’ve read them all then there shouldn’t be too much trouble. Honest practice suggests that you should attempt this quiz without Googling or looking back at my posts. You will have until the end of Wednesday to get your answers in. The winner shall receive a token prize of a packet of Werther’s Originals to be given to you at the next practical opportunity.

So here we go!

1. On the 6th of Blaugust 2015 post titled “Back to the daily grind of a professional student...” I mentioned that I felt like I had forgotten something I was meaning to buy that was IT related. I had mentioned “It makes me feel like some forgetful geriatric.” I then realised what the item was immediately afterward. Name the item in question.

2. I had previously done a quiz on the 20th of Blaugust 2014 (“Quiz-time!”). Explain briefly (in 140 characters or less) the topic of that quiz.

3. To date I have done 5 posts on the Animated Series “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic” of which 4 have been in 2015. Name the MLP character I discussed in the first Pony post of 2015 (3rd of Blaugust 2015 “Everyone loves to party!”).

4. In 2014 the theme for my posts were in alphabetical order. However, in order to have enough posts I had an “Alphabet free day” on a certain day of the week. Name that day of the week.

5. On the 14th of Blaugust 2015 I discussed a game that had been frequently played at EVAC. Name the game in question.

6. On the 7th of Blaugust 2014 entitled “Fanfiction (Warning: NSFW)” I wrote a terrible Fanfiction. Name the source material for which that Fanfiction was based.

7. On the 1st of Blaugust 2015 I described how I had bought a new Dell monitor from a government auction. Name the public entity from which the Monitor came from.

8. On the 6th of Blaugust 2014 “Eurovision” I did a “Top 10 train wrecks ever presented at the Eurovision Song contest (that I have come across).” Name the Country and year for the song in the top position of that list (2 point awarded).

9. Explain briefly (in 140 characters or less) the concept that resulted in the post on the 8th of Blaugust 2015 entitled “This is why we can't have nice things”

10. On the 5th of Blaugust 2014 I state that the SNES version of a certain video game is better than the NES version (and it still is). What is that game?

So that is my quiz. I urge you to give it your best shot.

So until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

Unfinished Buisness

Today I am going with a writing prompt I saw on one of Thom's posts.

What some big things you've started but never finished?
My word I could answer this question entirely with TV shows. And that is exactly what I plan to do.

First off, many of you may know of my plan to watch every Eurovision Song Contest ever staged. That is with the two exceptions of 1956 and 1964, both of which the footage is lost but the audio remains. I started this last year where I was just watching DVD's I got from the library but then I went toward YouTube for the ones that have not been sold in stores. Of the 60 that have been staged, I think I have about 20 of them left from memory. Which is exactly how many of them I had left to watch after about June this year. I go through stages where I watch a bunch of them, then leave it behind to watch other things.

Which is exactly what I did when I told myself I would watch ALL of Seinfeld. There are 9 seasons if Seinfeld that were made. I think I died of around when I was watching the fourth. Though I did watch the occasional ones out of order. I mean, how can you say you're a fan of Seinfeld if you haven't seen the Soup Nazi episode?

Then there was Star Trek: The Next Generation. I had seen all of the original series and all the movies. And I don't just mean the two reboot films either. I've seen the original series ones (including that really shit one William Shatner directed it) and the Next Generation ones, mainly because they came in the same box set. So I wanted to actually experience The Next Generation. I even BOUGHT DVD's of them. Once again i got up to the fourth season of that one. About four or five episodes after "The Best of Both Worlds Part II." I really should get back to the Next Gen. I know it's something I definitely will complete eventually but there's way more Star Trek to experience as well.

Then I thought it would be a good idea to actually watch The Simpsons from the very start and stop when it started to get sour. I think I made it up to partway through the third season of that before I got distracted.

So why am I talking about shows I have claimed I will watch every single episode of? Because I had the idea that I would start another one! I thought because Top Gear is going to be undergoing a drastic change (based on sacking Jeremy Clarkson), I thought I would watch them all from the very start. I don't know how long it will last but I'm partway through the first series. The one where James May isn't even on the show yet.

Why do I do this to myself?

Will I ever finish any of these? I don't honestly know. I will absolutely finish the Eurovision journey (of which there is a post that is long overdue in the subject) and probably the Star Trek TNG. Everything else is up in the air though. But for now, I do have an episode of Top Gear I plan on watching.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

Everything is all right! I can just steal other peoples ideas!

So we've come to the point where I totally haven’t run out of idea for my Blaugust posts. No, not at all. But I have hit the point in my latest cold where doing stuff is a bit exhausting. So to go out searching for inspiration I have decided to look toward other Blaugusters and see if I can write post in their style so they I may do them justice. Laura’s seems like a good one to go with. It’s just chock full of writing prompts!

So first things first, I needed a dog. Here’s a good one it even comes with a complimentary chicken! Two animals for the price of one photo!

How is Nursing going?

Nursing myself back to health is going steadily... um... my sister is a nurse... so is my auntie?

I think the writing cue for this one needs a tweak for my purposes. Let’s change it to...

How are University Studies going?

Well I've had the last few days off, what with the cold and all. At least lectures are recorded so I can go back and probably not bother watching them. I'm unsure about the tutorials. My Software Engineering Project group is going along. I still don’t know exactly how well it’s going along but it is going along none the less. I told them that I wouldn't be able to go in to the meeting today due top illness. They were like, “That’s ok but make sure you get your bit of the work done by Saturday.” I think I'll have to explain that being sick generally means working on things is a struggle. Especially when you’re constantly sneezing and leaking phlegm out of your nose like I am right now. I'll tell you right now in my room, There are tissues EVERYWHERE! I even had to stay home from EVAC. But I am still alive so that’s always a good thing.

What Video Game are you Playing Right Now?

I don’t know what lead me to bought it but I've been playing Euro Truck Simulator 2. “Playing a Simulator? What is this madness you speak of?” Well I find it also of fun. You drive trucks and ferry cargo from point A to point B. You are also able to choose the town where your base is located. I went with Köln in Germany. Because there are Autobahns everywhere there are no speed limits! Or Speed Cameras of which there seem to be way too many in the UK and the Czech Republic. It also has a really cool business management element where you can expand your garage, buy more trucks and hire drivers. There’s even a bank loan system. It helped me do the above but now I am €400,000.00 in debt. I'll be able to pay it back over 70 in-game days though which I am capable of doing.

I also immerse myself further by listening to a web stream of Star FM Berlin. Lot;s of variety on that one though I did hear at least one Nickelback song. But the German pop music is really cool when it come up.

What Song Have you got Stuck in Your Head?

And I haven’t even heard it on the German radio yet!

So that is my attempt at a Laura styled post. I don’t know who’s template I might use next (though I do feel a quiz of some description is in the air). Feel free to borrow any of my styles though the sky would probably fall if anyone else started talking about Ponies!

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

Meet my Anime girls! I mean Computers!

So today I have had a very uneventful day. I had the day off due to being sick and all so I have spend most of today either in bed or gaming on my new PC.

All my computers since 2006 have been named after Anime girls or been given one retrospectively. The first one I named was a Dell Laptop I got in 2009. I named her Kagami from the character from "Lucky Star". Then there was my desktop I built in 2008. That became Asahina from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya". Up next was Nagato (also from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya"), my ancient Compaq laptop from 2006 that was steadily falling apart at the time. Hence the need for a replacement. Sometime around 2010 I got myself an eeePC to play around with. She became Ushio, named from the "Clannad" series. I also ended up with an HP machine I got from a school I was working at for $20. I was originally going to turn it into a MAME cabnet but it served many other duties instead. She became Haruhi (Surprise! Surprise! Also from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya")!

In 2011 I ended up moving to the Mac platform with an i7 Macbook Pro which I still have and upgraded pretty much to the limit. She was christened Mio from "K-on!". I also got handed down my mums old laptop in 2014 when Windows XP bit the dust. I still actually use it for windows XP related stuff. I named her Asuka from "Neon Genesis Evangellion". She was also the first PC not named after a series by Kyoto animation.

So when this PC came to life I knew it was time to give her a name. I went with Reina. She's named after Kousaka Reina from "Hibike! Euphonium" which is an awesome Anime based on a High School Concet band aiming to compete in the national high school band competition. Reina is a first year (Year 10 equivalent) trumpet player who is good at what she does and only strives for brilliance despite how others think of her. So definitely thought she was worthy of being the name of my new machine. I also went back to a Kyto Animation series this this girl.

 So that's my story when it comes to naming my computers. Tune in next time for when I desperately write a post in the last half hour of the day! But for now, back to my gaming!

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

Apples! The drinking game!

Another late one for me tonight. I apologise but I have spent at least who hours waiting in a doctors surgery so I could get a certificate and make sure I’m not dyeing. I got the certificate but they were unsure about the dyeing thing. They gave me a referral in case I get worse. What I probably have is a cold but I also have some neck and shoulder pain as well. Put them together and it could result in meningitis which is terminal if left untreated. Though he did resaure me that I’m probably fine, to take some Panadol and take tomorrow off. Only if I suddenly feel a lot worse should I need to use the hospital referral and get a blood test. I’m reassured that I'm probably fine.

 So knowing that I’m probably not THAT sick I can now talk about ponies!

So I covered Pinkie Pie, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity. Three down and three to go. Rarity was the most posh of the bunch. This next one is as far from that as you can get. And the basis of a drinking game where you'll probably end up with alcohol poisoning! The key word is Apple! For this next pony is named Applejack! She lives on an Apple farm by the name of Sweet Apple Archers with her Grandma named Granny Smith, her older brother named Big Mac and her younger sister named Apple Bloom. We don’t know about her parents but it has been hinted by the writing staff that they passed away when Applejack was younger. The farm is on the outskirts of Ponyville, the main town.

Because she lives on a farm she posses a cowboy personality. She’s very much a tomboy type character and tends to take on a lot of responsibility. Though she is also quite caring she has a habit of being very suborn at times. There was an entire episode in the first season based on Applejack biting off way more than she could chew. The Apple Harvest was overdue due to Big Mac being out with an injury but she refused to ask for help. She was also to busy helping everyone else because she was to proud to tell everyone that she was too busy. Because she was exhausted she ended up making everything worse in a comedic fashion. The classic example would be when she “helped” Pinkie Pie make some cupcakes.

On a slightly related not that is how I felt today at the doctors surgery.

A really great paring in the show is when they Pair Applejack with Rarity. It doesn’t happen very often but when it does it usually ends in hilarity. There was this one tiome where they were mocking each other by swapping their personalities in the fourth season. I really can’t remember the reason but it was pretty funny.

So that is Applejack. Her paring with Rarity is great but it’s still nowhere near as epic as the next character Applejack is usually paired with! But I’ll leave that for another time. For now, I have a plan of bed rest and recovery.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

If I ran the AJAS Playlist

I am at AJAS tonight writing this in a dark lecture theatre with Anime playing. It’s not one I’m majorly into so I don’t mind typing this through it.

The AJAS playlist as it is currently is, how do you say, learning toward a certain genre. Of the seven shows that are being played, 1 is a “slice of life” (Non Non Biyuri Repeat), 1 is science fiction (Charlotte), 1 is action based (Durarara!! x2), 1 is a Mech Anime (Knights of Sidonia S2) and THREE are all fantasy (Arslan Seniki, Seven Deadly Sins and GATE). I guess the guy running the playlist must really like fantasy Anime.

So what would I had picked if I were doing the playlist?

First off I would keep Non Non Biyuri Repeat. It’s brilliant. It’s also as close to an Anine of Yotsubato that we’re ever going to get! So that’s one Anime down and six to go.

Next i would also keep Arslan Seniki as the fantasy Anime. It’s an epic about two waring nations and one prince who has tasked himself in ending the war and uniting everyone under one banner. But I do have the feeling it’s going to end in a Deus ex Machina.

So that’s Slice of life and Fantasy planned out. But what about the Action? I still go with Durarara!! x2. Why wouldn’t you? Though it is definitely a very a big investment. Not as much of an Investment as Bacano was but it is stil alot of plots that overlap each other.

Want a Sci fi? I’d still go with Charlotte but I’m a bit on the fence with this one. It’s an interesting concept. Some people get supernatural abilities when they hit puberty. In rder to escape prejudice and medical testing they stick togethor in a special high school and help each other out. Think X-Men but in a high school.

Of course all those are already on the AJAS playlist. What about something different?

Next off I would go for an Anime about making Anime! Or to be more specific, Voicing Anime! That’s why I would pick Sore ga Seiyuu! It’s a show about three grirls who are up and coming voice actors in the Seiyuu buisness and the strugules they are going through to make it. It’s also really informative as to how Anime is voiced in Japan.

I would then move on to Iron Chef the Anime! Or more specifically, Shokugeki no Soma! It covers a 1st year student who wants to be a chef, just like his father. So his dad sends him to a specialist cooking high school. One that Elite, rich in culinary tradition and brutal to it’s students. They are always facing of their talents creating the greatest food possible. The food porn is strong in this show but they take it to another level with FOOD ORGASMS!

Finally this last one I haven’t seen but I would still give it a go. Kangoku Gakuen Prison School. I’ll just cut and paste the synopsis for this one. Hachimitsu Private Academy was a revered and elite all-girls' boarding school on the outskirts of Tokyo...once upon a time. But with the new school year comes a revision to school policy: Boys are to be admitted into the student body for the first time ever. But on his first day at Hachimitsu, Kiyoshi Fujino discovers that he's one of only five boys enrolled at the school. Their numbers overwhelmed by the thousand girls in the student body, is it heaven or hell that awaits these five (un)fortunates?!

Oh, now there’s a show I actually want to watch that has started so I’ll end it here.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

How Would You Solve The Dining Philosophers Problem?

So I have another post for today. I promised that I would make up for my lack of a Saturday post and I plan to deliver. Like the postman! And it’s not even about Ponies!

Last Monday one of my lectures covered a brain teaser and it came up again in a different subject’s lecture today. It is Edsger Dijkstra’s Dining Philosophers Problem.

It goes like this. There are 5 Philosophers sitting at a round dining table. There is a bowl of rice in the middle which anyone can eat from (philosophers don’t care much for flavour) but only if they have two chopsticks. The problem is that there are only five chopsticks which are placed between each philosopher. Each philosopher can only pick up the chopsticks to their left and right. Apparently Philosophers can only eat or think. Talking is not an option for them. So you need to find a system to let everyone eat from the bowl of rice. It is also assumed that there is an infinite amount of rice in the bowl.

Most peoples reflex action would presume the answer is for each philosopher to pick up a chopstick and wait until the other one is available. This will quickly end in a deadlock where everyone would be holding onto a chopstick and refusing to put it down because no other chopsticks are available.

Last week I came up with a solution that wasn’t elegant but it was a solution none the less. All the philosophers need a process that they must follow.

1. Pick up the right chopstick if it is available (currently in deadlock on the first iteration).

2. Hold onto the chopstick and pick up the left chopstick if it is available within 5 seconds (still in deadlock on the first iteration).

3. If after 5 seconds the left chopstick is not available then put the right chopstick down. Pick a number between 1 and 5 and wait that many seconds (this is the point where the deadlock can be broken). Wait another 5 seconds and proceed back to step 1.

4. If you did pick up the left chopstick then eat from the bowl for 30 seconds. Put both chopsticks down, wait for 15 seconds then proceed back to step one.

I know it has floors. For example, if during step 3 everyone always picks the same number (1 because they are hungry) then there will always be a deadlock. This may not result in each philosopher having an equal share of the rice but everyone does have the chance to eat.

Afterward we were shown Dijkstra’s original solution to the problem. I won’t put it up here but it is on Wikipedia. However I’d love to see if you have a more elegant solution to the one I came up with. Ultimately you want to come up with a queue so that all philosophers have equal share. So get thinking and post your answer. I will be judging you!

But don’t worry too much because the solution provided by the lecturer I had today was horrible. Either that or we was just really bad at explaining it. First you number the philosophers from 0 to 4 (programmers always start at 0). You then let the odd numbered philosophers pick up the chopsticks and eat (so far so good) then after they have finished you let the even other philosophers eat. It’s that easy! Except it’s wrong! That doesn’t work because you have three philosophers (requiring 6 chopsticks) trying to eat with 5 chopsticks! But there is definitely a way to improve that which I’ll let you work out if you wish.

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!

The Search for a Good Computer Keyboard

So I’m writing this in my lecture (shows how much I am paying attention).

My dad’s birthday is coming up later on in the week and I have yet to buy him a present. I know what I want to get him but I am having great difficulties in doing so. Basically I want to get him a new keyboard for his PC because the HP OEM one he has is fast turning into a piece of garbage. He uses his constantly in his free time and the odd moment when he needs to work from home so the letters on his keyboard keys have faded to the point that you can not read them. He’s even mentioned off the cuff that he needs a new one. So I want to get him one that is nice and will last a long time. What I really want to get him is a backlit keyboard. I have a Logitech Illuminated Keyboard K740 I got for myself in 2010 and I love it so I originally wanted to get him the same one that I have.

Except that you can’t seem to be able to get them in stores anymore.

“Not to worry,” I think to myself. “I can just get one that is similar.” But that is turning into a difficult talk. If you want to get an illuminated keyboard then gaming keyboards are you only option. But you know what gaming keyboards are like. Aggressive looking things usually with different coloured WASD keys, huge drivers and programmable macro keys. Getting one of those would be like getting a bowling ball for Marge with Homer’s name engraved on it.

So what about a mechanical keyboard? One with really cool clicky keys that feels great on your fingers. That would be a good idea if they didn’t cost $150 a piece. And once again the majority of them are gaming keyboards. I think I’m also getting in into bowling ball territory again. If wer’re talking about the keyboard I would buy for myself then what I’d personally want is a Model M. The original clicky keyboard that was originally made by IBM. They are still being made by a company called Unicomp who got the rights to them by Lexmark who originally got the rights from IBM. They also service any Model M as well. I’m still up in the air if I would want a Unicomp model or an original 80’s IBM one which are near indestructible. They just need a DIN-5 to PS\2 adaptor plugged into a PS\2 to USB adaptor to work. Although I think I think my new PC does still have a PS/2 plug. Mainly because of the ghosting issue with USB keyboards. Basically there is a limit to how many keys you can hold down on a USB keyboard. Not so for the older variety! Now if there was an illuminated version of the model M that used a PS-2 plug I would be forever grateful! But based on how these are made that is not possible.

So back to my dad’s birthday present. I think I might have found it! The Gigabyte Aivia K8100! It is a gaming keyboard but it is not overstated. It has an inbuilt 2 port USB 2.0 hub, doesn’t need ridiculous drivers and is backlit. It’s red backlighting which I’m not a fan of (I prefer blue but my current keyboard is white) but it’s not for me and you can switch it off. It also won’t break the bank either. I think my dad would like it as a gift.

Now I just have to find the store that has it in stock and sells the black version of it. That’s right, there’s different colours of it. It comes on black red and yellow. The red and yellow ones look ridiculous if it was for my dad but gamers would probably love it. Me, I’d stick with the black.

So I guess I’ll go find it Wednesday considering that’s the only large chunk of free time I will have.

There’s is also going to be a BONUS POST tonight (otherwise kown as the post to make up for the one I didn’t write on Saturday) which means my regular sign off for my posts won’t make much sense. But it’s tradition for me this Blaugust which means I ain’t changing it!

So Until Tomorrow,

Have Fun and Stay Sexy!