Toop

More school

Back to school for my Master's Degree!  One more year (or sixteen months) couldn't hurt right?  I guess not, except for the bank account.  I'm sure it will be worth it.  Today I had my first class in my Master's in Computer Game Technology degree.  It's been a long time coming, this summer has seemed like one wait after another, with the final one being the start of the semester.  We end up starting later because of the Scottish school year so I got a little extra break at the end of my summer job.  Just enough to get me used to being a TA for some undergraduate classes.  Should be fun!

Concerts

Just quick note here on another good year of concerting.  I saw Collective Soul, Dave Matthews Band, The Foo Fighters, Bloc Party, Radiohead, Brand New, Broken Social Scene, and Rage Against the Machine.  Not a bad collection if I do say so myself.  I don't know how I'm going to keep this up into next year.

Art?

The ssm-deviants are supposed to be having a show (hopefully) this fall/winter.  If that happens I might bust out the charcoal for another piece.  We shall see.  In the meantime I might try for a digital piece.  I don't know how much time school is going to leave me with.  I guess that's about it for now!


Spencer

This journals lyrics are from Right Where it Belongs by Nine Inch Nails.  Read 'em!

See the animal in his cage that you built
Are you sure what side you're on?
Better not look him too closely in the eye
Are you sure what side of the glass you are on?
See the safety of the life you have built
Everything where it belongs
Feel the hollowness inside of your heart
And it's all
Right where it belongs

What if everything around you
Isn't quite as it seems?
What if all the world you think you know
Is an elaborate dream?
And if you look at your reflection
Is it all you want it to be?
What if you could look right through the cracks?
Would you find yourself
Find yourself afraid to see?

What if all the world's inside of your head
Just creations of your own?
Your devils and your gods
All the living and the dead
And you're really all alone?
You can live in this illusion
You can choose to believe
You keep looking but you can't find the woods
While you're hiding in the trees

Almost...

Introduction

The section about my thesis is down below because I know most people won't read it.  So I put the usual content up here!   School is coming to an end.  This end marking the completion of my undergraduate degree in computer science.  Not that it means the end of school for me though, a Master's Degree is up next.   Should be fun though and keeping busy is part of having fun, no matter what anyone will tell you.  I'd like to note right now that I am almost 100% when it comes to getting garbage in the waste basket across me room (I just threw some old cheese in there).  Anyway, closure on this chapter of life is really interesting to consider.  It feels good right now.

And read SmirapDesigns's journal here graphicstreetracer.deviantart.… can even scroll down and read my comment if you want.

ART

Yes I still do art.  I have my print stuff back from art class, I will still try to get it up.  Plus the ssm-deviants club is having a surreal competition and I think that would be a great exercise to get me back into the swing of things.  I've been considering that I really need a solid portfolio of work if I will be applying to game companies in the future, so maybe that will provide some solid motivation over the summer.  I will submit!

Thesis!

So with school winding down my thesis is coming to an end.  Last Friday was the final public presentation which went quite well, especially since I'm not a big fan of public speaking.  I know it went well because all of the questions I got at the end were in depth, a result of people understanding what I was talking about.  That is always reassuring.  I've also been told by my supervisor all sorts of good things about my thesis, so I feel great about how I did on it.  Anyway, today I had a meeting with my supervisor and a guy who has worked in the gaming industry, who my supervisor asked to read my thesis (with my permission) and give me feedback on it.  Let me just say that I have never been through such a rigorous critiquing of anything I have ever done.  My supervisor informed me afterwards that I was basically given a PhD-level critiquing on an undergraduate level thesis.  My supervisor knew this is what would happen too, he just thought I could take it, so he didn't inform me just how intense it would be.

None of this is bad though.  Although the critique was harsh and I have revisions to do before the final submission date, it was a great experience that will allow me to better face future critiques.  Comments have come from project leaders in the gaming industry saying that new graduates are sometimes not able to cope with the harsh realities of having to cut out their hard work in order to better the overall project.  Experience with criticism is valuable in an discipline and right now is a great time to learn to deal with it, for me that is.  My thesis, although long, is far from higher level dissertations, and getting that first time over with is a good step.

Finally, I just have to say that I could not believe how physically exhausting it was.  I was never angry, sad, or scared during the critique, and yet I still came out aching.  All of the advise and comments were justified and I appreciated it all.  Yet by the end my head was completely full and I was at a loss for words.  Glad that is over with for now.

I'm out!
Spencer


Spencer

No big ass speech about lyrics this time, just the lyrics.  Enjoy!

This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here:
HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate
my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there's no sense crying
over every mistake.
You just keep on trying
till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are
still alive.


I'm not even angry.
I'm being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because
I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data
make a beautiful line.
And we're out of beta.
We're releasing on time.
So I'm GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are
still alive.

Go ahead and leave me.
I think i prefer to stay inside.
maybe you'll find someone else
to help you.
maybe Black Mesa...
THAT WAS A JOKE, HA HA, FAT CHANCE.
Anyway this cake is great.
It's so delicious and moist
look at me still talking when theres science to do
when i look out there
it makes me glad I'm not you
i've experiments to run
there is research to be done
on the people who are
still alive.


and believe me I am still alive
I'm doing science and I'm still alive
i feel fantastic and I'm still alive
while your dying ill be still alive
and when your dead i will be still alive
still alive
still alive