mrsneeze
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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in the "mrsneeze" journal:[<< Previous 20 entries]
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02:27 pm
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I do write entries sometimes
Just not very often. I've been very busy lately with games, and inevitably I've got a new one to advertise, being Spaceman: Prelude - a vertically scrolling shooter with art (and comics) from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ayto. Let me know if it's broken, I'm a bit worried that the preloader won't work properly for everyone.
The games programming is actually going fairly well. I've been earning about $15 a day for a couple of months now, and while it's not millions, it's getting towards a livable wage. I've just released spaceman, and I've got another game to release soon, so hopefully this will be a nice extra bit of income.
I had a nice holiday (of sorts) in london and thereabouts last week and caught up with people I've not seen for a while, although there's always more people and I never manage to see everyone I want to. Actually, it seems to be holiday time at the moment, since I also went to Alton Towers on sunday, which was pretty fun really. Been a long time since I've been to a theme park!
I went to a very disappointing vegetarian/vegan cafe in Chesterfield yesterday (elliots or something like that) - the food wasn't -that- awful, but it wasn't what it said on the tin. I had a stuffed aubergine with, in the order on the board, tomatoes, carrots, sweet chili sauce, walnuts and raisins - the walnuts and raisins being tacked on the end of the board as an afterthought. It turns out that it was stuffed with raisins, and everything else was an afterthought. Stef's vegan "lasagne" turned out to be vegan cottage pie. Even when I was asking about tea, having spotted sencha tea on the pots at the back, and asked about that, I was told that wasn't an option. Green tea was available however... that being (probably) sencha. Was left feeling let down - probably the worst meal I've had in any place with specific vegan things on the menu.
I'm sure there's other exciting things to say, but you'll probably have to wait another few months :P
Current Music: Fatima Mansions - Lost in the Former West
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11:38 am
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One Miiiiillion...
I've not posted here in ages. I think most of my posts start like that.
Anyway, I wish to inform you all in my best self-congratulary tone that Colourshift has now had more than one million plays. Isn't that exciting? It also means I'm actually making money at long last - only about as much as the dole, but that's a start.
I also outstared a cat this morning.
Current Music: System of a Down - Mezmerize
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01:11 pm
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Colourshift
About 9 months ago I wrote Lightshift. Some of you may remember this. About three months ago, I wrote an extension to it using colours, called Colourshift. This is finally released... play here. Let me know what you think!
I'd also appreciate any comments on that website too (and it might help if you create users too :) - it's my own arcade site, Red Tower Games. Yes, I did ignore all your suggestions. Sorry ;) It was mostly because of difficulties with finding an available domain name. In the same vein, if you have any games you like, please suggest them (here, or on the forums on Red Tower).
Current Music: Depeche Mode - Exciter
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02:27 pm
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Cars are evil.
My car has broken down again. This is very fustrating, since it appears to be a clutch related fault... again. Anyway, I'm tired of it all and it's time I sold it. I've never really liked that car - it has got me around, but it hasn't done a good job of it. Sometimes it's time to move on.
Anyone want a car? ;) It might work, if you push it or something. Its got some parts in it too.
This also means I will be without car for a while. I can't afford one anyway, and perhaps it'll be good to save a bit of cash on insurance etc.
Amusingly enough, I was on my way to halfords to buy bits to fix my bike and a helmet. Looks like that might be my means of local transport for a while. I've not used my bike for so long I'd almost forgotten I had it - I've spent the last ten years living in places where a bike is impractical to store, but now I have places. It might be good for me too, get me out of the house a bit.
Current Music: Metallica - Black Album
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08:05 am
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I need ideas!
I've not posted in ages. Um... hello.
I've been writing a website for flash games recently, but I'm really struggling for a decent name. You lot are fairly imaginative, can anyone make any suggestions? Any name will do. Well, maybe not Brian. I dont think I'll call it that.
Current Music: Kosheen - Resist
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10:49 am
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Christmas
The lights in Wirksworth have to be some of the nicest christmas lights I've seen this year. They're not over the top, gaudy coloured things, but rather more sedate with numerous short chains of white lights hanging from most of the shops. It's really quite pretty and not at all over the top, which is rare these days, and certainly not tacky. There's a picture here, but it doesn't really do it justice I think - the tree isn't really the best bit and the rest of the lights are drowned out.
Anyway. Despite christmas, I'm having a party at my house in Wirksworth on Saturday 27th December. I severely doubt most of you can make it, but if you can it'd be lovely - floor space available.
Current Music: Tim Finn - Tim Finn
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11:47 pm
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Long time no post.
It's been ages since I posted here. Oops. Sorry.
So, firstly all the usual game plugs: I've been being busy writing card games lately, which is proving to be quite fun, and possibly handy to aim at a slightly different audience. I've written 8 of those, so far, but they're fairly easy to write so I tend to add one every week. Suggestions for games always welcome!
In the puzzle games, I've got Pentrix - a five block tetris variant - and Montage - a colour matching puzzle game. Feedback welcome from those too :)
Anyway, that's the business side over with. In real life, things seem reasonable. I'm very poor at the moment, since it all takes time to get business things started and that's not ideal. I've still not got many friends up here, and not enough visitors :P But that's getting slightly better - I've taken to going to a pub quiz at the Derwent Hotel on a monday, and we're getting to know people there. My house is still nice, although cold, and noone's bought it yet so I'm not homeless ;) My computer repairs business hasn't done much lately, but I get a bit of interest from people in the pub, so that helps, and I get the odd pint for giving advice.
So there you go. My recent life in a nutshell. Now go and play my games! :)
Current Music: Rotersand - Truth is Fanatic
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12:46 pm
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Aliens from Outer Space!
Ok, it's yet another "I've got a new game" post. Aliens from Outer Space! is a space invaders style game with a b-movie theme. I drew all the aliens myself!
I'm sure I should post about interesting stuff that's happening really, but I can't think of much that is all that interesting to say.
Current Music: Neuroticfish - Gelb
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09:30 am
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New Game
Not very good at posting am I? Unless I have a new game, which I do, although it's a bit too difficult to be really all that great. Anyway, I present: Pinwheels.
I should add all the random life things in here. Did I mention that I'd signed off the dole in order to make games for a living? On that note, did I mention that I'd signed onto the dole because I thought I couldn't make any money from games? Well, I did (sign on, then sign off). It's not going massively well so far, but we'll see how we go. If anyone does have ideas, I'm always open to them.
In other news, I seem to have aquired a jigsaw habit. They're very cheap from charity shops, and provide a break from the computer...
Current Music: Crowded House - Together Alone
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01:45 pm
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More games
I've got a new game - the highly originally titled Cavern Flier. It's very simple but I think it's quite fun :)
Current Music: Dropkick Murphys - Do or Die
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11:53 am
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Long time...
I've not posted here in ages. Not for any good reasons, I'll hasten to add, I just don't really have much in the way of significant news. Since I've been writing flash games lately, in lieu of actual relevant things to say, I thought I may as well post a link to my most recent game.
Current Music: Blink - Deep Inside the Sound of Sadness
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07:40 am
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Back
I've been away for a bit, for those that didn't know. I'm back now though. Exciting eh. I've been to France (and Belgium) - I have, amongst other things, presented my first paper at a conference, driven up a mile high mountain, been ran off the road by a bin lorry and been endlessly confused by shopkeepers saying "Can I help you?". It was all quite fun really, but it cost too much money and now I need a job. If anyone has one spare, I'd be grateful.
Current Music: Depeche Mode - Music for the Masses
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01:17 pm
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Visiting london
I shall be visiting london this weekend. Isn't this exciting? So, if anyone fancies joining me... Friday - I'll be probably in the intrepid fox earlier on in the evening (till about 8), the union in the middle of the evening (probably only till about 9 or so), the head of steam/doric arch later on (till about 11) and Sin City afterwards. Feel free to come and find me at any of these places, or text me if you want to know where we are (including on saturday or sunday daytime). On saturday, the plan is much less concrete, but will involve Slimelight at the end of it all. Possibly also the dev and 55, since I'll be in Camden in the day. Anyway, it'd be nice to see whoever's around.
Current Music: Rotersand - Truth is Fanatic
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12:09 pm
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Noise!
I was pleased to read this article on noisy adverts - this is something I've found annoying for ages, especially when I'm sharing a house with thin walls; I'd often turn down the volume during advert breaks, just because they're loud (and even if it's just perception... that means they're louder to me!) I suppose it's a bit less relevant now I live on my own with thicker walls, but still.
Oh, I've not posted for ages, so my mother says. Um. I've been fairly busy coming up with new and random ways to make money. Most of them don't work. I really should tell people to go and post comments or suggestions about games on the Cathelius site, or if anyone has any contract programming they need doing, I'm short of work atm ;)
I'm also off to COMMA'08 to present my paper at the end of this month. All very scary. This does mean I'll be out in London on the weekend of the 24th May, too; probably be out generally on the friday night, and was thinking of Slimelight for the saturday since I've not been in ages and I need to collect my memebership card...
There we go. A post. Of course, I've broken my own rules by wibbling about three different things in one post, which means (in my mind) that people might not read the rest of it if they're not interested in the first bit, but you can't have everything. Hm. That's four things now in one post.
Current Music: Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental
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02:05 pm
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Coins...
How exciting... we're getting new coins, say the royal mint. I really wish people wouldn't release things around April the 1st though, it's sometimes hard to be sure... Anyway, this means that my (ahem, I'm not really that boring, honestly) coin collection is going to become more interesting. I'm sure people will be up in arms about taking away our treasured existing images. My only real complaint is the lack of actual numerals on them (as observerd by the BBC), which could make things hard for some poeple.
Current Music: Bowling for Soup - Drunk Enough to Dance
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12:26 am
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Woodwork
Well, not many people need computers fixed, it seems, so I've been whiling away the time making the pieces for the Settlers of Catan out of cardboard and wood. It's quite liberating, really, I've tried to use only tools I have in the house, and only raw materials I already have lying around. My one problem is development cards, although I think I might have some old business cards I can use for those. I have cardboard tokens in place of resource cards, and my cities are cubes of wood, with settlements being smaller cuboids. I was going to make roads from matchsticks, but they were a bit hard to colour, so I used split wood. Colouring was achieved through use of food colouring, which soaks nicely into the wood, so I have black, green, orange and blue as my four colours. The robber is a rough cylinder with a sphere carved at the top, and uncoloured. All in all I think a worthwhile use of a few hours. My fingers hurt from the sandpaper though, and they're coloured blue, currently. I would take photos, but I have no camera.
So... anyone fancy a trip to Derbyshire for a game? :)
In other news... um... there's not really very much. Sorry.
Current Music: Culture Kultür - Reborn
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12:16 pm
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hmmm
I can no longer say that I have not made a single cent from offering computer repairs in Wirksworth. Yes, that's right, I've had one cent from the ad on the webpage. I suppose can even claim then to have made a penny (that being the american english term for a one cent coin, for those that don't know). I've not actually repaired any computers though.
Disaster struck today in terms of car tax being due - thought it was next month - which is very annoying, since that's 120 quid that I don't have. Must go and write some viruses or something so people hire me. Still, I can look on the bright side, since I did get a cent, it's only £119.995 that I don't have.
Yesterday out of boredom I walked to Matlock Bath to go and see a free gig - The Idle Hands at the Fishpond. It was quite fun really, the band was entertaining and fairly good although the guitarist had a habit of trying to show off at the end of songs, and that didn't really work. I think I like blues a lot more than I thought I did. The walk wasn't too bad either - took me 50 minutes each way. There's an enormous hill (about a mile at 1 in 10) in Cromford, which doesn't help, though, but I suppose it's good exercise.
Current Music: Rotersand - Truth is Fanatic
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02:55 pm
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Random update
So, I've not posted properly here for ages. I feel a need to do bullet points, but I'm going to refrain, and start with saying my sleeping is really bad lately. I wake up every hour or so, and have a large number of really vivid and realistic dreams, which make it very hard to know if my memories are real or not. This is confusing. It's also not the first time it's happened, though.
I also really should get a job. While what I've been doing with programming for myself is productive, it doesn't actually make any money. Unfortunately, I don't really want a job, so I've been putting all this off until I run out of money properly. Which I pretty much have done. I have put a sign in the window saying I'll do computer repairs, but noone has bitten yet. A shame, really, since I think it'd be a good thing to do, and I don't know of anyone else locally that does it. At least my programming has been going fairly well, though.
Wirksworth is nice though. I'm getting to know a few people, although I'd not say I've got any close friends yet, and I still don't really know anyone my age. I like having a house to myself, although if anyone wants to visit, I'd love to see people - I'd reckon it's a nice place to come up for a bit of a break too, especially as it gets a bit warmer and the walking in the area becomes more pleasant. I do need to find more nightlife though; I feel in need of some proper clubbing or at least a pub night with some music I really like.
Anyway. I'd better get back to things.
Current Music: Iris - Wrath
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05:27 pm
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Can you do my homework for me?
I signed up for a freelancing website recently, partly to see what goes by and partly to see if anyone talks to me (which I doubt). However, so far several requests for work which are just cut-and-paste from a university assignment have cropped up. This really really annoys me. I would say that this undermines my degree... not that I worked -that- hard for it, but if someone isnt capable of writing a program to play mastermind or an essay on their nursing placement, then I don't think they deserve the qualification (and if they're too lazy, they probably don't either). So I've taken to pasting bits of it into google and forwarding the advert to whoever I get back as setting the assignment. I think if I were setting the assignment, I'd want that.
I'm not sure if anyone really wants to know all this, but it's been annoying me, so you're all going to be told anyway. I suppose I just want validation, really. I'd hope that every university has support in place for someone who, say, physically can't do it, so, is there any situation where it'd be valid to pay someone else to do part of your degree for you?
Along other trains of thought, how different is this to my not wanting to report a pub for possibly allowing people to smoke?
Oh, and my programming is going well, I have lovely siblings and Wirksworth is sunny, for those of you that want real life and not philosophy.
Current Music: Mesh - Who Watches Over Me?
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07:25 pm
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Frozen "north"
So, I've left. It's quite scary, really, and fairly sad.
Of course, as soon as I get my car outside my house to unload, what does it do? It snows. Typically, of course, it stops snowing just as I finish packing, so I don't even get the bonus of having snow, but I do get very cold and wet.
Current Music: Split Enz - Enz of an Era
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