| Training for the West Highland Way: Day 9 |
[Jan. 20th, 2009|01:27 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Strathclyde University | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Walk Run | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes | ] |
Training has been a bit lax of late. Not ran since last Thursday, but I am going a run tonight. Next Tuesday, 630pm I am going to Super Circuits at the gym with Gary. That should knock me right down with exhaustion, which is good, because I really need to exhaust myself outright. Running is tiring, but you aren't entirely motivated to exhaust yourself.
Next to this I'll do some weights to improve the strenth of my back without necessarily gaining to much muscle (which would make the journey harder as muscle=weight=heavy). Im really worried about my stamina at this point. Maybe a little worried about mental determination, but thats too hard to really judge without practice walks.
Another thing i've been planning is to take some cod liver oil to aid my joints, which I have been worrying will hamper me. Researching the different kinds, I will probably take the straight oil over the casules.
Time is not on my side, I only have 3 months worth of possible training left before we go.
I went to tiso with Scott today and looked at boots, socks and bags. Scott has given me a Karrimor one, but its got far too high a capacity. I will have to be disciplined in not filling it right up.
On the boots front, ive been looking at Karrimor KSBs, but worrying that they're maybe a bit too heavy. When I asked the assistant at Tiso, the first thing he said was "Ah, West Highland Way, flexible sole then". Id like something in between, ideally. The idea as it stands is to look and see if I find anything in tkmaxx that fits the bill, otherwise I would buy some KSBs in a shop for hopefully around £50. Even those are extreme for the bill though.
I need to talk to Scott a bit more about this |
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| Training for the West Highland Way: Day 4 |
[Jan. 15th, 2009|12:17 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Strathclyde University | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Camping | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Animal Collective - Summertime Clothes | ] |
The consideration of tents right now is probably my toughest decision.
I have to decide whether its better to buy my own tent, or share one with Calum. The advantages and disadvantages are obvious: someone to talk to at night, but being around someone for that length of time whilst tired might get irritating; his tent is a nice weight, but do I want my own space?; I wouldn't have to pay money, but then I wont have any privacy.
The Vango Ultralite 100 looks good. Its around £100, but I think that if I waited/shopped around, then I would be able to get it for around £70.
More running tonight. Had a night off last night to go home, but back into the swing of things today. Will be good to get a few days running under the belt. Im going to start running with a backpack full of weights too. I want to make it as easy as possible for myself |
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| Training for the West Highland Way: Day 1 |
[Jan. 12th, 2009|06:17 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Flat, West End | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Walk | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Lemonheads - Outdoor Type | ] |
Decided with a few people from uni (Scott, Jenny, maybe Alex) and some best friend (Robbie) to do the West Highland way sometime this year. Probably in May, when the weather is nice and walking up it is "like Sauchiehall street on a Saturday", according to Scott (pardon the ignorance, sirs, last time Scott went into town Sauchiehall street was still the place-to-be).
The trip is approximately 100 miles, from the centre of Bearsden up to Fort William, via Loch Lomond of course. Most people complete it in 7 days, some in 5 (Jenny), some in 10 (Scott). The best part of the trip is flat land, with some hills to walk up on occasion, but generally its assumed a person of average fitness can do it.
And that's where my problem is. I have, according to Jo, "the fitness of a fat man". So I started "training" today for this behemoth walk. I went out jogging around the west end of Glasgow, mostly just up and down the streets and alleyways. The running is tough going right now, mostly on my lungs though; they seem to hurt much faster than my legs. The plan - at least right now its the plan - is to go running 6 days a week. The 7th day is reserved for when I go to my mum and dad's on a Wednesday, though as time goes on I will probably go then too. At some point, I will incorporate the gym into my training as part of more muscular training as opposed to only cardiovascular.
Four most important things when doing it: boots, jacket, sleeping bag and self inflating mat. Everything else you can live with/without, but those are the main 4.
I will be back to blog soon about my investigation into those 4 areas |
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| Open up your open up your open up your open up your |
[Jan. 7th, 2009|11:26 am] |
I am liking music more & more & more & more. Great stuff i've been enjoying:
Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion (Esp. Summertime Clothes, My Girl, Brothersport)
Wilco's YHF
Andrew Bird's Noble Beasts
Life is going pretty good also, thanks for asking |
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| Something I would like to own |
[Nov. 12th, 2008|12:27 am] |
A Leica M8 with a little 50mm lens. I want to be just like Cartier-Bresson
Anyone have a spare £5000? I'd be helping you live your dream of me living my dream |
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| Note to remember: |
[Oct. 4th, 2008|09:33 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | West End, Glasgow | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Loney, Dear - I won't cause anything at all | ] |
I love my photography. I love taking photographs. There is almost nothing as good as being satisfied with a photograph I've taken
 |
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| No Woman, No Cry |
[Jul. 3rd, 2008|08:23 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Genoa, Italy | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Sing | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Bob Marley - No Woman, No Cry | ] |
I just watched a Sean Kingston cover of this. Oh god. He got the meaning of it completely wrong. It was really embarrassing, he changed all the verses (those wonderful verses...) to lyrics about how he remembers when an ex girlfriend's brother had kids then tried to fight with him...
Oh man, im so sad about it. Bob Marley's version of No Woman, No Cry is one of the best songs of all time. Its not about saying no woman equals no sadness, its him telling a friend of his not to cry after she's lost someone. Aside from that, the lyrics are just really clever, they're really what lyrics should be about, you know? Exposing people to hardships, explaining someone's struggle of life to someone. And, importantly, not in a "look where I am now" way. With perfect grace. Perfect grace is a thing that really draws me to artists.
The same goes to you Stephen Marley. Shame on you for cashing in on your dad. He's rolling over in his grave listening to you let Wyclef Jean sing about projects
Last words of Bob Marley, to his son Ziggy: "Money can't buy life".
Here here
No womam no cry
no woman no cry
no woman no cry
no woman no cry
Say I remember when we used to sit
in the government yard in Trenchtown
Ob- observing all the hypocrites
as they'd mingle with the good people we met
Good friends we had and good friends we lost
along the way
in this bright future
you can forget your past
so dry your tears I say.
no woman no cry
no woman no cry
Hey little darling don't shed no tears
no woman no cry
I remember when we used to sit
in the government yard in Trenchtown
and then georgie would make a fire light
as it was love wood burning through the night
and we would cook wholemeal porridge
of which I'd share with you
my feet is my only carriage
so I've got to push on through
but while I'm gone (I mean it)
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
ev'rything's gonna be allright
No woman no cry
No woman no cry
Oh my little sister don't shed no tears
no woman no cry |
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| Today is a wonderful day |
[Jun. 19th, 2008|09:45 am] |
Despite what kind of day you or I are having, today is a wonderful, fantastic, fucking amazing day for the world
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080618212711.38ht6zq0&show_article=1
Advanced stage 4 melanoma, spread to lymph nodes and one lung. Full recovery. FULL RECOVERY. Right on the edge of death with cancer spreading (and we all know lung cancer/advanced stage melanomas are a death warrant) and there was full recovery.
This is the most hopeful i've ever been. |
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| mmm |
[Jun. 11th, 2008|03:22 pm] |
There is nothing like playing music to your whole office really loud because they asked you to
I killed a party again
I ruined it for my friends
"Oh you're so silent Jens" |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 7th, 2008|03:27 pm] |
I still wear these worn out jeans
I have to wear long-johns underneath
Down by the harbour there's a cool, cool breeze
I've never wondered if oceans can freeze
The strings on my fathers old guitar
The positions of the northern stars
The clock-like beat of the budgies heart
Tick, tick, tick now they know where you are
I tried the light therapy
From a Xerox-machine
The gentle beat of a tambourine
And it's not that I can't stand
To see you with another man
I just don't want to see good love
Fall into the wrong hands
Behind the craze there's a pretty sunset
The water shines like tiny bells
I feel the warmth in a cigarette
But everything else
And it's not that I can't stand
To see you with another man
I just don't want to see good love
Fall into the wrong hands
I tried the light therapy
From the Xerox-machine
The gentle beat of a tambourine
And it's not that I can't stand
To see you ruin our plans
I just don't want to see good love
Fall into the wrong hands |
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| The Lights |
[May. 15th, 2008|01:54 pm] |
I have decided that I want to see the aurora before I die. Borealis, Australis, either. Im not greedy |
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| Hmmm |
[May. 9th, 2008|12:57 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Strathclyde University | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Questioning | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | Smiths - Girlfriend in a Coma | ] |
I think i've started to like people who question things. Not punks, not anti-establishment, just people who are inquisitive about things. Bill Hicks, Morrissey maybe. Ansel Adams definitely. Pioneers? Top of their fields? Probably. I like people with different viewpoints |
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| (no subject) |
[May. 1st, 2008|12:47 am] |
The world is like a ride at an amusement park. It goes up and down and round and round. It has thrills and chills and it's very brightly coloured and it's very loud and it's fun, for a while. Some people have been on the ride for a long time, and they begin to question: Is this real, or is this just a ride? And other people have remembered, and they come back to us, they say, "Hey - don't worry, don't be afraid, ever, because, this is just a ride ..." And we ... kill those people. Ha ha, "Shut him up. We have a lot invested in this ride. Shut him up. Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and my family. This just has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill those good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok. Jesus murdered; Martin Luther King murdered; Malcolm X murdered; Gandhi murdered; John Lennon murdered; Reagan ... wounded. But it doesn't matter because: It's just a ride. And we can change it anytime we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings and money. A choice, right now, between fear and love.
The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love, instead, see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money that we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace. Thank you very much, you've been great. |
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| Svetlana |
[Apr. 24th, 2008|02:29 pm] |
Today my results didnt go too well. But this is at the end of the day, lets start from the middle.
In the middle of the day we had a power outage down the whole building for an hour. People walked through the corridors looking surprised, but not sad. Everyone stood in the corridors and talked: graduate students and PhD students, PhD students and Professors, people who wouldn't normally talk. If human-kind came down to a massive power out to never come back on, we wouldn't divide up and panic, we'd group together and help each other, and we would laugh at each other's misfortune about being without power, and we'd joke about what we would do when we got the power back.
Its not what you think, we wouldn't riot, we'd help each other out. We've evolved past being selfish really quickly.
Ive been living a lot of my life through a lens for the past while. It makes me warm to travel. It helps me appreciate everything a lot more than before. Its like a magic glass that you pull up and narrow everything down to a small sensor. But not the Eiffel Tower at night, the Empire State building, or the London Eye. Its copyright infringement then.
A person is happy when they enjoy the world. Do you enjoy it?
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| Thumbs Down to HDR |
[Mar. 10th, 2008|01:28 pm] |
Man, I really hate HDR images. I've been browsing through interesting photos on Flickr, and lots & lots of them are the HDR images with the characteristically ridiculous looking skies and annoying extreme contrasts. I am really tired of people trying to impliment gloom from clouds using photoshops. Pesduo-Gothic photography. They look so tacky. In fact, they have been added to my list of terrible looking cliches on photoshop:
1)HDR Photos
2)Desaturation of photographs to leave just one hue (usually RED BALLOON RED LIPS)
Things which I love to see in photographs:
1) Subtle desaturation of many colours to provide a gritty look
2) Use of polarisation to give a beautifull blue hue to the skies and make lakes look fantastic
3) Use of split toning to give a not-quite-black-and-white-not-quite-sepia look
4) Lovely sharp images
Ive started to get into photography quite a lot. I bought Scott Kelby's book on Lightroom, Scott Kelby's book on CS3 and, surprisingly, Scott Kelby's book on Digital Cameras as a whole. I really like to pour over the photgraphs I have taken, despite how infrequent it may be.
I think I may take a walk round to the back of Glasgow University this evening to get some shots of Glasgow going towards the transport museum. |
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| Saturday Night |
[Feb. 18th, 2008|10:33 am] |
I thought he was a spy. My friend thought he had the internet in his brain. |
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| University Work |
[Feb. 11th, 2008|01:30 pm] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Strathclyde University | ] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | Dropping | ] |
| [ | Current Music |
| | The Decemberists - On the Bus Mall | ] |
Sometimes when im doing work for my PhD I feel like im dropping the ball. Today I was reading some papers about people doing one-photon excitation of melanin and they said they were exciting at 400nm and getting some fluorescence results. Granted, this isnt entirely obvious as the absorption spectrum is a continous decay from the far-UV, so where would you know to excite it? Well, I should really have tried exciting it at many parts of the spectrum, as someone obviously did, and I would have got some result at 400nm.
Its really hard to keep all your wits about you at the time and not do something thats gonna cause you to have to repeat. I did AFM images and, stupidly, didnt keep constant the area I was scanning, so they are nearly totally useless as im wildly varying important factors.
I guess i'll learn to make it better |
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