Well, it has been a long time since I've posted here.

While you've all been sadly pining away in my absence, I have been up to sundry and divers things.

Issues

This has had an alpha released. Sadly, it seems that my main potential user base, viz Twisted itself, has started a flirtacious affair with Roundup.

University

Did a 50% load on the coursework in first semester, leaving me little time to do any work or reading for my thesis.

Thus, I had five exams to do. The first exam and the final exam were disasters. The first was worth 100% for that unit, Catastrophe Theory. The unit was taught in a much less formal manner than most of my other maths courses in the past (e.g. it wasn't made clear where proofs started and ended), which made it less grippy in my brain. While it seems a fairly simple branch of maths to get ones head around, I think I went extremely poorly in the exam.

The second disaster was a course on Transform Methods and Complex Variables. After taking a bit of time at the start of the semester, to start thinking in applied maths terms once again, I found it pretty manageable, although it required more work in understanding than my other pure units. However, on the day of the exam, and on the day before, I was sick, and unable to focus in the slightest.

So, this all has resulted in a fair bit of consideration about my plans for next semester: especially, whether I should continue my course in honours, given that getting "first class" appears hopeless. Especially, on top of the somewhat anti-climactic release of Issues.

[Aside: Without first class honours, it will be highly impractical for me to do a PhD, as I will not be able to get a scholarship. In the past, I have been particularly driven to do one, but have wanted to have the option open.]

SICP

Reading "The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs". The amount of stuff I am learning is quite disgusting in its enormity. 13 years of programming, a degree and 3 years of commercial experience, and I am learning much about the fundamentals of my trade from what I am told is a first-year text book. (Note that this is also my first serious non-emacs exposure to lisp)

Ulysses

This book totally rocks. Hard work, but well worth it. Up to the bit where this priest walks through town and there are all these different POVs. Amazing.

Twisted / Python

I've been doing this sort of stuff for a while. Python rocks, I love it. Twisted has it's probs, but is always getting better and is still The Framework of My Internet.

However, I'm feeling more and more like a one-trick pony. And not a very good one at that.

Dedicated to Antonio Salieri, the patron saint of second-class honours students.