Category: my projects

Nano update

Vaguely feel like I can win now. This weekend has been mildly successful. Not marvellously successful, but better than the previous weekend. I should have written many many many more words to make up for reduced output during the week. At least I wrote over 2000 words per day on Saturday and Sunday — which proves it’s possible, and not really that difficult. Except, it did take longer than the spare time I have during the week.

If every day was a weekend, 50,000 words in a month would be a doddle. It’s not and it’s not.

My ‘required run-rate’ (to use a cricketing analogy) has creeped up just above 6 runs an over (i.e. 2000 words per day). Not overly taxing yet, but still quite a long chase since I’m not even half-way through the innings yet. If I can keep it at this rate though, I should win easily. But if the rate keeps on creeping up and lurks around 8 runs an over too soon, then I’m sunk. I suppose at least I can’t lose any wickets — but I can lose morale.

Writing quality has already started to deteriorate somewhat. When before I may have been meticulous about spelling and punctuation, I’ve noticed that I’ve been writing vast paragraphs with no regard for whitespace whatsoever. Typos abound. Commas are forgotten. This strategy is likely to be perfected next weekend when the working week takes its toll on my nanowrimo output.

I feel like this post sounds a little like Gaz’s progress reports on his various self-improvement endeavours. Think I see a little better where you were coming from, dude.

I’m writing a novel in November… eherm.

That’s right kids. I’ve stumbled upon National Novel Writing Month. I only need to write 50,000 words in 30 days and I’ll be a winner.
And it doesn’t even have to make much sense. They even said that it’s likely to be crap, but the goal is “quantity,” not “quality.”
Sounds like a job for Commitment Man!

I heard SETI call my name

Who the hell knows why, but I was reminded of my old ‘do-a-bit-for-humanity’ thing that I used to maintain at varsity. SETI@HOME. Use your computer to analyse radio waves from the stars in order to find aliens.
For those who don’t know, it worked like this:

  1. Download a small programme
  2. The programme downloads a work unit
  3. Your computer starts spinning away at the work unit in the background
  4. CPU runs at 100% all the time
  5. However, SETI runs at a low priority, so if you want to run another programme it doesn’t hog your resources (in theory – things slow down a little anyway)

This is boring.
Ok. The point is this. I’m running BOINC now. BOINC is a distributed computing application (like SETI@HOME), but it schedules the operation of different projects. Thus, I am helping to predict climate-change, cure diseases (I think), play chess960 games, and look for aliens.

What’s that? Oh, still boring. ;)

Satan’s Poodle is Go

Good news! The long awaited Satan’s Poodle Blog has its first post.
You are invited to visit there now. I will attempt to regularly update my account of the trials and tribulations of Mumphred the Yellow Plush Toy.

The current colour scheme is not ideal (although the minimalist aspect feels right). You make me a better template and I’ll give you a thank you (and a mention on the page).
If you are keen to design the look and feel of satans-poodle.blogspot.com then drop me a line and I can supply you with high resolution images of the satanic poodle so that you may design a suitable logo or whatever. Oh, and also discuss your ideas with me.

I must sleep now.