Update From Mordor

Apparantly I've been reading LOTR too carefully recently. I blame Tim for that. So I provide you with some random images to entertain you while you wait for the next update.

General Update

Well, I've not updated for a few days, so I suppose I should provide some general update. I've been mostly working on researching into the availabilities of Postgraduate courses for the coming year, and there are a few I'm looking into more closely with a potential for actually taking one of them.

Aside from that, I've been mostly watching the football. Having not updated since the end of last week, I can share general opinions on the games since then. Saturday saw two contrasting quarter-finals. England-Portugal has been analysed to death, but here is a superb summary of my general opinion on it:



Compare that to the evening's game where you had an absolute masterclass from Zidane which was amazing to watch, and it's obvious to see which was the greater entertainment; watch the video I've found on YouTube below for a compilation of some of those moments.



Then tonight we had the absolutely superb semi-final between Italy and Germany; one of the best games I've watched for ages, and a credit to the tournament; two teams playing superb football, and Italy looked a class apart and ran out deserved winners with two absolutely splendid goals. To make them anything but favourites now would be ridiculous, and I personally hope France win the second semi-final so that we can have a good showcase final.

On The Technicalities Of Suffixes

Well, here I am once more. Here being home, to alleviate any slight confusion there. Apparantly there was a mystery that I might be somewhere else. Not sure why, but so it goes.

Anyway, as the title cryptically hints at, I have now gone from being an -and to an -ate. Crazy as I sound, this is technically true. This of course refers to Congregation, Graduation and the general fact that I am no longer a graduand and am now officially a graduate.

Congregation was on Tuesday, and a fine Tuesday it was too - sunny day, probably birds singing in the trees if you like that sort of thing - and as poetic as I'm being I'm meandering like a river through a silty plain.

It was generally good; all very official and ceremonial, as you would expect from a ceremony. Spent time chatting to people before and after, and then we all got officially called forward to shake the hand of the Chancellor and be conferred with our degrees, which was duly done without even tripping over the two steps up to the mini-stage where he was stood.

We then had an address from the Chancellor - Chancellor being, if you do not know, Bill Bryson, this was entertaining and amusing and also short and to the point; two valid qualities that this post could take a lesson from. Not that qualities give lessons, but if they could, these would be two that should.

If anyone is exceptionally bored, they can look at a picture of me at Congregation, which is below. The robe doesn't show up too well. Tragic, really. Also, the sun is rather too bright. Besides all that, it's a great photo. If you are not scarred at first glance, then feel free to click it for a larger version.

Nasssty yellow face!! It burns us, precious!

Well, I am shortly (ten minutes or so) leaving for Durham once more to attend Congregation. Having spent a panicky hour or so trying to get in contact with the robemakers to confirm that my hire order had gone through, I'm now all prepared.

You see, on the form, it says that you need the receipt to collect your robes. However, I didn't have a receipt. After eventually getting through, I was informed that they don't send out receipts if the form only arrived within the last week. In which case - why panic me unnecessarily and put it on the form in the first place that you need a robe? It makes no sense.

Thinking on Lord of the Rings quotes, as we've been using the last few days, I just suddenly thought Gandalf would be a great exam script marker. Can you imagine that? "You shall not pass!"

It'd be awesome.

There And Back Again

Tomorrow I leave to go back to Durham again, probably for the final time - to recieve my degree. Well, just the existence of a degree. The actual parchment I won't get for some months.

Things to do still: haircut, packing, organising.

Oh, and yesterday I had a barbeque with friends, and it was superb. Although to be more grammatically correct, my friend had a barbeque and I went to it along with others - otherwise it sounds as if I was the instigator of the barbequeing madness. Which I wasn't. However, I was second-in-command of the barbeque, a position of great responsibility and trust. It was a good time had by all, however, I must stop this barbequeing madness before it gets out of hand. I always feel guilty about food not being eaten so keep eating it. I swear it's not good for me, or my waistline. Ho hum.

In other news, Ponderers are still better than Pigeons; a nine wicket thumping was on the Carte de Jour this afternoon, effortlessly overtaking the Pigeons feeble total of 202 all out with 203-1 in only 40.4 overs.

Five, Four, Three, II.1, Thunderbirds Are Go

Well, I'm back home. Fact. Finished with university life. Another fact. I finished with a II.1 for anyone who doesn't know by now by the way. Third fact.

Um, yeah. Feel somewhat strange to be finished really. That's it.

Immense Link

Please read the following short site, describing a player of various football simulation computer games, who sends in a job application to manage Premiership Middlesbrough based on his virtual manager credentials. And then recieves an absolutely brilliant reply.

A gamer applies for the Middlesbrough job.

Awesome.

Kurwa Polska

For those of you whose Polish isn't up to scratch, that's me cursing at Poland. There is a reason for this, as you will now be told the tale.

At the college bar on Sunday (& Monday) there was a mightily inspired World Cup tournament of PES. Which is immense - it's hard to explain how mighty playing PES on a 42" plasma screen is, but it's damn amazing. It's also entertaining to watch an entire bar cheering, ooohing and ahhing over a computer game. It was great fun.

The groups were formed as in the real world cup, with appropriate substitutions when there was a team that wasn't on the game, and everyone was drawn a team at random. And knowing my luck, I got Poland. I thought this was a fairly average pick - a medium-level side - in a reasonable group. However, they're a lot worse than I thought.

With five minute games, and my typical inability to score, I struggled to a 0-0 game against a rampant Costa Rica. Having gone back to my room and checked out the Polish squad, I came back with a new lineup and new formation for the game against Germany, and completely dominated another 0-0 draw and was unlucky not to win.

In my last game, I needed to beat Ecuador to progress. My typical inability to score kicked in again, and changing my formation after 60 minutes to go for a more aggressive playstyle led to my downfall as my two man defense conceded a goal in the 90th minute to put me out with no goals from three games.

The eventual tournament was won by Brazil, beating Sweden 1-0 in the final. The shock of the tournament was Tunisia, who qualified ahead of Spain and then beat Argentina on penalties. Poland finished bottom of their group and went home with their tails between their legs. However, after looking at their squad later in the day, I discovered that Poland were actually the second worst team in the competition, according to PES, better than only Saudi Arabia. Even Iran were better than them. So, bugger.

But it was still great fun.