Valient Starr

Next week Tuesday got to go on campus to meet Peter Hall to sort out Phd project thingy; so hopefully everything will be finalised, deadlines set etc. As of now it's more just random research so that I can be clued up on what's going on.

Reading code at work. By hand. Then compiling them in head. Please something exciting happen; like purple bubbles full of pikmin burst out of the fricken monitor!

Valiant

Edit: I should write a Sebastian post or two. Will do so asap. 

No more ruddy angst; I've had plenty this half of the year to last me for a long time. If the format of this lj entry turns out awry that's because the internet explorer thing is fail and the format for web pages (also for facebook) looks more than just a little wonky.

So anyways news.  Sorting out diet a bit; whilst I am pretty fit it is a hacked diet. The best way I can describe it is if you have two computer games that does the exact same thing (same characters, 'plot' etc.). But for game A the code is brilliant, it's self documented, comments are there, encapsulation and inheritance is used properly and it's pretty clear it was designed by a team that don't grow in the dark. The other game, game B, runs the same but it's different. It's made of macros and spelling mistakes and usage of routines generously named 'DoAction1', 'DoAction2', 'DoAction3' etc.

That's my diet. I look good, I am strong and healthy but I had to hack my diet due to costs so I end up being shrewd. The biggest payoff that people don't realise is beans. In sainsburies they cost something like less than a pound for a packet that can last you a week when meat for that amount costs more than three times. But anyways I would like to revaluate my diet. Next week of course; this weekend is the last this month so I get to eat what I want so horray to that.

Next is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ). From the last rolling session (sparring on the ground) I am left with mixed feelings. I won a few submissions with a dude who is A) a higher belt than me by a few and B) was wearing the Great British team blue Gi thingy with fancy labels on it. The thing was he's 12 and I can tell from his movements he hasn't really grasped yet how to "listen" to an opponent's body. But I guess it's good experience for him and also he may of only just recently graded. But it did leave me thinking about it. I did get to roll with someone much better than me but it took longer for him to make me submit so I guess I have improved.

Other news is there is a MMA/BJJ fight on the 2nd of May which I wont be going to; already have plans...to go to CP event :). I missed the last one because of the meetup with Cathy but I wont miss the next one. Besides if I want to study a fight I'd go and watch youtube or the internet. it works as well once you get better at it.

I think that's it at my end; so no more angst from my end and hopefully it will stay like that whilst I get on with the dynamic textures research.

Random Fact: I used to get mixed up when I was young with the words "Sublime" and "subliminal". I always got intriguing looks everytime I said "I love this cake, the icing wow it's subliminal". No one corrected me until I decided on the off chance to look it up in a dictionary.

Valiant

Had the phone call today and it turned out ok in the end. She got that I really trying hard over here and is going to stop asking for money from me. She's going to follow suit in working hard and try and get a second job and save more.

I'm going to gradually work upwards so we can help each other budget better and make the most of things. She also apologised and didn't mean the things she wrote in the letter. I am very relieved that she read the email and realised what I am going through and all.

Met Chris for the Phd research thing and has given me some reading to look at so I am much more prepared for the end of June. Will be looking forward to it. Also will be installing Matlab on my laptop because most of the code is implemented in it. The only issue is they didn't give me the activation code...

Valiant

So MMA training on Saturday was brilliant. I learnt my teacher is nails. Nails as in size 72 font, emboldened, with explosions coming from the background. I was holding the pad so he can demostrate a kick, a front pressing kick if one wants to get technical. I have had experience in holding pads for 3+ years and I know how to hold a stance.

I went flying. I was proud that I wasn't special enough to land on my arse and still be standing. I was funny though, I might as well of shouted "Whee!" whilst I was in the air. I was amazed that throught the pad I actually have a bruise in the lower part of my abs. Anyways I had fun and also enjoyed what I was taught.

Today was rather annoying though, I had to stop my training short and finish my weight training tomorrow. Which is fine because it fits in the 48/72 hour gap of weight training to build strength. But it's mainly because I am listening to my body and my left side of the body, near the heart, is painful. No don't worry it's not a heart problem, it's more to do with the fact there is a good few bruises on my chest and stuff.

So yes I think rest will be in order :S.

Valiant

Todays grilled cheese is...

Filling: Avocado, cottage cheese and diced red pepper.
three slices of bread, wholemeal.

1. Make the filling, mash up avocado and mix with cheese and diced red pepper (or chives)
2. Spread evenly over all three slices and grill until melted partially.
3. Slap together and fry.
4. Enjoy!

You could also substitute cottage cheese for any cheese that is good for a fondu pot. Some things to note, read "Let The Right One In" in the Metro. Nice. Will be looking forward to watching it at some point. Also I got work off, yay. Until Tuesday. Get in.

Will be training hard but also gaming on Street Fighter 4. I can pull off some of the harder combos with Ken :D. I did actually bring my medals in from Taekwondo just to motovate me to work harder. I would like to get another medal of the same calibur or better but that will be awhile yet.

Valiant

2 slices of bread, preferable with seeds in.
Gouda cheese, both sides
one side: Beef slices - very thin. with oregano if possible.
other side: Pork slices - ver thin. with sage if possible.

Grill so that the cheese is goey and the meat sticks to the two sides
slap the bread together.
Fry in butter.

Tada! Listened to Spill and heard Korey and Carlyle argue heavily about th similarities and differences to the films Taken and latest The Punisher film. Interesting...

Also looking into some more recipes, a friend of mine lent me a student grub book and it's good fun; just about finished reading the eggs section.

Valiant

I know the fancy ones are meant for the third week but I had to write this one in. I will make a fancy variant of this next week:

Two slices of white bread - rubbed down with garlic (rest is smashed with tomatoes and red peppers)
mozzarella cheese (plenty)
Chopped Basil

1. Make homemade sauce, smash up cherry tomatoes that were on the vine, red peppers and remainders of th garlic. Smear over bread like jam.
2. put on cheese.
3. toast under grill.
4. add the basil within the gooey mozzarella cheese and smooch together slices.
5. fry both sides in olive oil, drain and serve.

Whoo! Did BJJ yesterday and it was fun, bit sore in some places but the important thing is did learn quite a bit in that session and plan to analyse what kind of ground wrestler I am. That's a big thing as I don't know yet and I need to suss my style. Anyways enjoy the sandwich.

For extra Whoo add pepperoni or salami or whatever is at your disposal.

Valiant

Today/Yesterday I have been having a long dream about playing Warhammer (both the classic and the futuristic versions). Despite the fact I have never touched a figurine or rulebook before. But it's been bugging me and despite the artistic appeal and campaign thingy which I like there are some reasons why I wont get into it:

1. Space. I don't mean the marines either. I mean I don't have any room to store them in after painting them up and making them look pretty. It would be a pain to store them and I am even running out of space at home.

2. Price. Given how much they go for I don't think I would be able to keep it up. That and personally I don't want to be gaming in something where I would have to pay so and so amounts for it.

3. Time. I would not only take time to learn the rules but also time to play and to paint the things.  A lot of time. I know because I'm the type who likes to really do things perfectly when given the chance.

Soooo maybe in the future when I have a good job, space, and no looming modules to attend to. Then again I am happy enough without them. So yeah grilled cheese recipe for today:

3 slices of bread - make it 50/50 best of both.
1st slice: Cheshire Cheese and caramalised onions.
3rd slice: Stilton and aprocot.

Grilled open slices. Then spat them together and fry in butter in a skillet.

BJJ tonight, looking forward to it.

Valiant

April is coming soon and there is a holiday coming up. No it isn't April Fool's day I don't celebrate that but what I do like to celebrate is National Grilled Cheese Month which lasts the whole month where you celebrate this beloved comfort food.

It's one of those holidays not many people know about but its a good one and a good excuse to eat copious amounts of cheese and bread and butter. So I though in great celebration of this rather wonderful event of creating sandwiches of fried gold I will do the following on live journal  every week day from the 1st of April to the 30th. May have difficulites early April due to being at home but Im sure I will come up with something:

1: Give a recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich. Given type of bread, type of cheese and type of additional ingredients.
2: Comment on it and say what I think of it and alternatives you can add to the sandwich.
3: (Per Weekend) Hold a additional post on which one you think is really nice out of the five recipes (from Monday~Friday) on a Saturday post. Which one you vote as being the best I will try and make it for Sunday and post pictures of result.

That's it :D. I will make further posts on the categories I will be doing the recipies for. But they will fall into the region of:

1 "Simple" - Basic ingredients, one type of cheese and perhaps an additional ingredient.
2 "Spiced" - Like simple but with additional spices in the mix, also more ingredients.
3 "Exotic" - Elaborate ingredients used and techniques; such as cara....no that will be telling!
4: "Sweet" - i.e. a dessert grilled cheese sandwich.

Horray for golden goo!
Valiant

For those who know Resident Evil well here is a really funny clip that Shadowleggy made. It's not mine, all copyright is her's, RE is Capcom etc. etc.:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6wDhat6qYQ&feature=channel

And for the liquid gold here is the smoothie I made:

Ingredients:

Half a tub of cherry yoghurt
Milk
Raspberries
1 Banana
1 Kiwi
Half a dragon fruit
Half a fresh lemon + rind
Honey for sweetness.
Grapes

Just wack it into a blender and hey presto, an really awsome smoothie. My goodness I have invented a smoothie that is nicer than the Innocent kinds XD.

Valiant