Yum9me's Journal! » Blog

An Unexplained Absence

yum9me — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:03:19 +0000

You may have noticed that this blog hasn’t been updated in a couple of weeks. The reason is because I have found some work which is what I have been doing for the past week. That is also the explanation for my disappearance from the internet during the day time. A lot of you wouldn’t have noticed due to going back to school or being at work or uni or whatever. So that is the reason for the lack of blog updates and why I haven’t been spending as much time on the internet.

It has become much harder to manage time that I am doing things, especially when there are some other things I want to be doing and other responsibilities taking up my time too. I may have to drop half a dozen to a dozen TV shows from my weekly schedule just so I don’t have such a huge backlog of things to watch over the weekend. I have also gotten back into gaming on the Wii after finding some cool games to that make me want to go back and keep playing. I’m sure you will hear more about that on this blog. Not necessarily game reviews or such (unless you want that) but I may mention a few games here and there.

So this blog doesn’t completely die, I have a few blog post in the queue, some completed and some nearly there which will be able to be finished off and posted in a few minutes which will hopefully keep this blog updated over the next little while while I’m working and then when University starts. I do have a handful of other ideas in line for posting here too so really all I need is time and motivation to get some of these things put out there. So that explains where I’ve been, what I am doing and what is happening in terms of this blog.

The Lego Bots

yum9me — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:55:19 +0000

Our last unit in Electronics at school was Robotics. For this, we got to use the Lego NXT robots and program them to do different things. This was the unit most people were looking forward to because it means we can play with robots, Lego, not learn any theory and it was a very easy standard to achieve. There were many different robots, all built differently, that all did different tasks. Most of these robots did obvious things like Line Following, Object Avoidance, Light Sensing and such.

The one me and my robot partner, Martin decided to do was the Line Following Robot. it seemed like a simple enough one to do and shouldn’t be too much of a problem. After doing the starting paperwork, we then got given one of the Robot Kits. Lucky for us it was already pre-built so we didn’t have to make it from scratch. This allowed us to quickly getting into the adding of sensors and the programming. The annoying thing about the robots was the software used for programming them. It was a flowchart based language which was really annoying, and even painful due to the really slow lab machines. But it wasn’t too long till we hard a nearly working robot. After some minor tweaks in the power levels, we have a fully functioning line following robot.

Because we did that so fast, our Electronics teacher made us an “extension course.” The original course was a curvy lined course, which was pretty simple to achieve, but the advanced course had sharp angles in it, which required different programming techniques and such to get around it. After a bit of fiddling around with code, we couldn’t get anywhere near getting it to work on the new course. In theory, our ideas would work, but in practice, weird things happened. It just never seemed to work. It required some more thinking and different approaches.

After looking at some other robots on YouTube, I came up with the idea of adding a 3rd sensor onto the robot. This still didn’t work, but we did once get it to go around over half of the extension track, but it struggle on some of the angles over 90 degrees. This is when we admitted defeat. Unfortunately when messing around with the new course, we seemed to have lost out curvy lined program that we needed for the assessment. We managed to modify one of the 3 sensor codes to work with the curvy line.

Some of the other cool robots was another pair that made a line following robot. It also went around the curvy line but it hopped around instead of going around more smoothly. My friend Aaron made a light sensing robot which found the darkest place in the room and went there. This worked alright, but it was pretty average. My other friend Morgan made a Collision Avoidance Robot (again,) but this time with the Lego Kit. His seemed to have trouble at times which it strangling itself and hitting into things. Another pair did this same robot except took a different approach. It worked pretty well and looked cool. There was also a completely original robot that another pair made, and it was put on a table and avoided falling off the edge.

Making the robots and programming them was really awesome, and it was really great to see other peoples ideas and robots doing the same, and other tasks. This was definitely the best part of the year because robots a the best! Now all that I have to do is finish the paperwork for the standard so I can get my credits for this unit. I wish I had some spare money lying around so I could get some robots, I love playing with these things!

The Device Has Been Modified

yum9me — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 04:21:20 +0000

After the big blog update a week ago, a few more updates have happened elsewhere. The first is the yum9me.com main page. The old page has gone and been replaced by a simple page, written by TheSkorm in a few seconds. I like it over the older one because it is much cleaner, it works correctly on more browsers (curse you Internet Explorer!) and there is less clutter and jankness to it.

The second update was to my tumblelog theme. After using the dashboard theme for a little while, I started to lose interest in it and wanted a new theme, I just hadn’t seen any that I liked. That was until I saw a theme ported from a Wordpress theme on Alisha’s tumblelog, that’s when I knew what I wanted. I decided that I would use the Wordpress theme on this blog, and hopefully one day, she would be able to release the theme to the public.

Well that day did come shortly after, and managed to get back on my radar so I grabbed it. It wasn’t exactly how I wanted it so I modified it a little. The main modifications are the removal of the Disqus comment integration, and the Last.Fm and other site integrations. I also removed the followers down the sidebar. My intentions were to have a few links down the side for Mobile, Archives, RSS ect. I did have this working for a moment until during some other edit of the theme, it broke, so I completely removed it.

I also changed the description down the bottom of the theme to match that of the one on my blog, except with a couple of appropriate word changes and rearrangements. This is also where the about button will jump down to, if clicked. I also decided to have the links under the title be for my main page (or as I decided to call it, Portal,) my blog and my tumblelog. I also applied this to my blog.

I like how they both use the same theme because now they seem more unified and part of one system, which they are, instead of two separate unrelated sites. So hopefully all the changes can last a year or so before I decided to change them.

Milestone: One Year Later

yum9me — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:20:42 +0000

This date, one year ago, was the day I made my first post on this here blog. I am happy to say, my 5th attempt has been successful as this blog has survived a full 365 days and is still here, alive and well and being updated regularly (except for that null last month.) Over this time, not much has changed other than the image thumbnails on the posts and maybe other minor differences that are unnoticed.

Over this time period, I have written 170 posts, containing 64,215 words in total. I average at 377 words per post. My longest post was …And Back Again! containing 1199 words. Over the past 6 months I have had a stat counter, I average at 16 unique visitors per day, with a fair amount of traffic coming from Google searches.

To celebrate this wonderful milestone achievement, I have decided to update the look of this site by giving it a new theme. The theme is called Notepad Chaos and I believe it is a very appropriate theme for this blog. While the theme isn’t “perfect” and could improve in some areas, it is still a well made theme. I would be nice to use this same theme on my Tumblelog but that is just something I am not capable of.

Happy 1st Birthday Yum9me’s Journal! Let’s hope for many more!

Why No Post?

yum9me — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:43:45 +0000

As you may have noticed, the last blog post I have made here was exactly a month ago, on the 25th of July. Why has it been so long since I have posted? Well the main reason is the idea well run dry (thanks for all your suggestions, all who emailed in.) Now I have gathered up some ideas and have some new things to blog about after this break. I do think that this was a perfect time to have a break, right before my first milestone, more about that on the date.

So, what has happened to me since I have been away. Well first I got sick and had a week off school. I got sick on the Saturday, which was a week before the school Formal. I went to the doctors and he gave me medication to take but I wasn’t getting any better so I returned to the doctor on Wednesday who though it could potentially be appendicitis and sent me to the emergency department to get test taken. This was a scary thought as I hate hospitals and the thought of having surgery.

When I got there, I waited for a bit and then later got check out, where the stuck a thing in my arm, took some blood and then put me on a drip. I waited for about 3 or 4 hours before the results came back, which showed nothing so I got let go. I had KFC for dinner at 8:30pm which was getting late but I only ate half a burger because I really didn’t feel like eating.

After that I started feeling better but I took the next day of resting, and then on the Friday, although I would have preferred another days rest, and could have used it, I needed to go to school to pick up my Formal ticket for the next day. I already had payed $90 or however much it cost and already had a suit hired for the event.

So the next day, I went to the school Formal. This is a big deal for a lot of people, but for me, it was just meh. I thought I had better go because this would be my only opportunity to ever go to one so I needed to see what it was all about. It is really weird seeing everyone dressed formally. I am not used to seeing people like this. And the event, it was average, but nothing I would have missed if I didn’t go. Oh, also I have to mention how crappy the food was, I wish I had eaten beforehand. There was also an afterparty, but I don’t think I’ll go into that.

Other than that, I have had assessments and have been doing other stuff (iPhone *cough*) as well as the usual. Still have a few things to get sorted out but by the holidays, my todo list should be clear. I still have to start that damn reading log so I can get the English credit I need for University. I did plan on finishing it this month, which is now over, so I doubt that will be happening. It’s a shame because I was hoping to have this of my plate for when the Fall TV shows start their new seasons. Despite my workload, I will be trying to keep this blog updated like I had before my break.

Updates, Updates, Everywhere

yum9me — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:58:18 +0000

There have been many updates to my blog and tumblelog over the past few days. All the blog changes are hidden away. Peppery has been doing some stuff with servers and what have you, as well as updating the blog to Wordpress 2.6. On the tumblelog, the changes are more apparent, with a completely new look. The reason for the refresh was not because I felt like it, but because my old theme had disappeared from the internet. The full story, as what was posted on my tumblr, is as follows.

Today when I woke up, my theme had completely disappeared. After investigating, the domain where the theme files were kept was taken over by squatters. I thank Cameron Hunt for allowing me to use his theme, Banner Year Cyan over the past year. I really appreciate your work!

I’ve had the theme for about a year now and I do think its time for a change. I spend a good half an hour looking for a new theme and ended up with two that I liked. After trying both out, I decided to go with Dashboard Theme by Tal Atlas. Yes, I know the change is a little strange (different) but everyone will get use to it

You may as well have noticed the lack of blog updates. One reason is because I am on holiday and have not been bothered to write a blog post. The main reason is because I have nothing to blog about. Hopefully something eventful happens over the next few days and weeks that gives me something to write about. Other than that, everything is exactly the same.

Oh, The Irony!

yum9me — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:15:15 +0000

Yesterday, I made a post about backing up. A few hours later, Peppery, the server admin decided to upgrade my Wordpress blog to 2.5.1. Well what happened was instead of upgrading, he ended up deleting my blog off the server. He fucked up. To make it worse, he didn’t have a backup to restore my blog. Ironic how a couple of hours after I write a post about backing up, something goes wrong with my blog and there is NO backup!

At least all my posts and settings were in tack in the mysql database. He managed to restore my blog and theme and some of the plugins. I don’t have a clue what plugins are still missing but they can’t be important or else I would remember them. After he mucked around for a while, everything seems to be as good as rain. The only thing I am missing are PSP themes that were on the server. Lucky that I moved the pictures saved on the server to another host so they will be fine if anything was to happen, like this. Now I just need to restore the themes.

An Update

yum9me — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:02:06 +0000

As you may not have noticed, my blog was updated to Wordpress 2.5 last week, thanks to Peppery. The only noticeable change is in the admin panel where is has been redone to be easier to use and look much nicer. It is taking a little bit of getting use to but after a while, I’m sure I will remember where they have moved things. For a new Wordpress user, the admin panel will definitely be easier to use but for an old user like me, I’m going to have to get fully use to it.

You may have noticed the lack of update in the past week or so. The reason for my absence in blogging is because I have been overloaded with assessments that were due. I had 5 different bits of schoolwork to do. One was a report for geography on the processes of building the new Carisbrook Stadium in Dunedin, which was really hard to do. I’d be lucky to pass because I had no bloody idea what I was rambling about. I also had a Statistics project to complete which was straightforward, just took a little bit of thinking and time to complete and write up. There was also some small bits of homework such as 2 pages of physics questions, some Computing tasks and also an electronics research project on transducers to be completed.

I have finished doing all assignments and hopefully my plate stays relitively clean for a while, especially during the holidays, so I can do what I normally do and not be tied down with homework and assignments to get done. Hopefully there is no homework for me to do over the holidays so I can have a relaxing break without having to even think about school or school work. I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Blog 2.008

yum9me — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 07:02:01 +0000

Well it seems about time to write something in this blog. Last year, in my opinion, was a good year for my blog. 85 posts between October till the end of 2007, consisting of a total of 31,157 words. No I didn’t count them, I have a plugin. My fifth attempt seemed to be more successful than my previous ones, but in saying that, there are some people (Peppery) that have gone through many more without success. You might define success by the amount of readers you have, or even the amount of hits you get per month, but to be honest, success for me is keeping something alive, something which I managed to achieve with this blog last year.

Now that I know I can keep it alive, it is time to get some readers. A blog isn’t a blog without readers, but then again, is this a blog? Its really the rants and discussions of a seventeen year old New Zealander. I’m sure the 2 regular readers would agree that this blog is pointless and I should kill it, because there is no way on earth anyone would read my stupid writing. I am not going to kill this blog. It is not going into the pile of the other dead blogs that I and many others (TheSkorm) have. This is going to survive, even if I am my only reader.

What is in store for 2008 for this blog then. There is going to be a few changes, nothing big and noticeable. One of them is the less frequent posts. Last year, I felt that it was compulsory to post, just to keep this thing alive. I don’t really need to do that anymore because this is alive and the fire is strong. I will still post, but less frequently, and when I feel like it. This blog started to feel more like a chore than something to do for enjoyment. Blogging when I feel like it will put the fun back into it and make it seem less like a job and more like a leisurely activity. Also I felt that last year, the blogs were written in a systematic way. Everyday, every two days, six days a week. That is not going to happen because of less frequent posting, it will be when I want to do it and not at a set time or period.

Other than that, this year is going to be the same, except the unobtrusive advertisement at the bottom of my blog and tumblelog. If you have any suggestions or anything you want to me talk/rant about, do contact me. Peppery, you suggested more images. I hope you are happy with what I deliver. Lets see how this goes, also feel free to use the comments system to leave your opinions and criticism (be nice please.) To another successful year, cheers!

And We’re Back In The Room

yum9me — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 09:33:01 +0000

As you may have realized, my blog has been down for about a fortnight, on and off. Well I promise (well Peppery promises) that it won’t happen again anytime soon. Now I shall return to posting on a regularÂ schedule knowing that the blog will be up for me to do so. I am going to try for a daily post because I have the time to do that now that I am on holiday.

Well now exams are over and from Monday at 10:30am, I am officially on holiday, although my body and mind have been on holiday for a good two and a half weeks already. I managed to struggle though my exams without studying and we can see the results (or lack of) from this exercise. Lets hope I managed to fluke everything again like last year.

At the end of March this year, I left a service called Twitter. Today marks the day I return to the service because a lot of my online contacts use it and I have been following them for some time now. I feel it is time for me to participate with them on the website so tweeting commences on my original Twitter profile. I hope that this time I can stay a little longer, just long enough for the service to capture me in its net and not let me leave. We will see how this turns out.