Senses:// Re-engineered

Civil Engineering MEng Classification

2010-06-29T13:29:00.004+01:00

For those of you who can't be here or can't be bothered coming in for the release of 2010 Civil Engineering classification release, here's the result (click to enlarge):

Congratulations to those who have done well and commiseration to those who hadn't. It's been a mad four years! Good luck for the future! :D

IT MUST BE A SIGN!!!!

2010-05-04T19:20:00.005+01:00

Well, the UK General Election is only 2 days away and strange things have been happening to me. There seems to be some high power at work, trying to sway my vote for this Thursday.

I was out during the Bank Holiday weekend, had a jolly right laugh with my friends! Woke up the following evening and guess what I found in my pocket? An aspirin with this unusual marking!

IT MUST BE A SIGN!!!

On a serious note, Nick Clegg promised a fairer regulation for drugs, one that is based on facts, evidence and advice from an independent expert panel.

Went fire spinning and this is what came out as one of the shots!

IT MUST BE A SIGN!!!!

Woke up this morning and I felt great! So I went out for a train ride. And guess what I saw in the sky!!!!!

IT MUST BE A SIGN!!!

On a serious note, Nick Clegg promised to reuse existing manufacturing infrastructure to support the development of green energy. The air will stay clean and the sun will carry on shinning for everyone!

After studying hard and caring about the world around me, I felt a bit peckish so I went and fix myself up with some toast. You guys won't believe what I saw on the toast!!!!!!!!

IT MUST BE A SIGN!!!

On a serious note, Nick Clegg promised to cut the cost of energy so now it will be even cheaper to make toasts!

In My Backyard

2010-04-07T22:34:00.006+01:00

The sweetest about fire art is the places it takes me and the spinner I have crossed paths with. I have burned with people from all over the world and from all walks of life - artists, writers, doctors, engineers, nurses, fireman. Although each have their own motivation and unique way of expressing themselves, we are all bonded through our passions for the art and daredevil outlooks in life.

Having travelled the length and breadth of the country, meeting fire brethren from all corners of the globe, I have recently stumbled across a group of fire artists in the city across the river from my own. It was weird to actually discover a whole new world of talent right in my backyard!

It was an absolute pleasure burning with them!

Foreseeable Failures

2010-01-11T01:30:00.001Z

Over the past couple of weeks the term "Dunkirk Spirit", or the lack of it, has been overused by the media in slating the public service's inability to cope with the onslaught of white stuff. I have always imagined the essence of that to be "EVERYONE chipping in at the times of adversity" (e.g. how every sea-worthy ship, big or small went out to rescued those stranded on the French coast). A lot of people seems to be under the impression that since they have paid their dues, the council should do everything for them.

Sorry but this is a 1-in-30 years snow for Britain and on very rare occasions are systems designed to cope with such probabilities.

No councils would hire the amount of staff or stock the level of grit, on standby, to cope with this kind of weather. And even IF there is enough staff and IF there is enough grit, the geographic locations of some places would probably mean that the logistics won't reach them until all the snow has melted.

Some people even questioned why the army has been drafted in to provided relief to the local councils, since good tax money has been paid in the form of council tax. Why can't the council take care of themselves? The simple answer would be: Civilian Infrastructures are designed for "Return Periods" much shorter than those of the military. It is therefore natural for military resources to be deployed during freak weathers such as this.

The local councils are all struggling, some worse than others, because it is uneconomical to cater for 1-in-30 year occurences like the one we are experiencing. It wouldn't make sense to stock up on grit and ploughs for one year and having them go to waste in the other 29.

Government/military and other mission critical installations (power plants, water pumps) are designed for 1-in-50. This is the reason why some roads are fucked but we still have the basic essentials like gas and water. The entire Gloucester was fucked over by that 1-in-50 years storm and even the military struggled to cope with the rescue operations.

Same with the flooding up in Cumbria which have washed away a couple of bridges last year. They were all designed for 1-in-20 storm and they got washed away by a storm beyond 1-in-20 occurance... So the Military came in and built a 1-to-100 year temporary bridge, within 5 days, because they are equiped to do so.

Pretty much everything we are seeing now are unfolding like they are meant to. All the numbers are pretty much laid out like poetry on paper...

My Experience (now in 3D!!!)

2010-01-06T22:51:00.007Z

My first experience with mainstream Hollywood 3D make-overs was when I saw "The Final Destination". The whole thing was pretty much a normal gore flick with loads of cheese, intermitted with 3D bits - objects flying out of the screen, objects with high depth differentials (e.g. stick/knife poking out at you). There were some "Wow!" elements, but a lot of the techniques felt really inelegant. A lot of "start-and-stop" and obvious "rough seams" where you can see the director thought it might be a good idea to be 3D so he's poured EVERYTHING 3D he has in his scrapbook without much thoughts or care. As dispensable as the experience was, I did get to witness my first 3D softcore porn scene. That was fun! I was reaching out for the screen, scratching wildly at thin air, like a child would when a cute flying cartoon creature emerge from the screen. Although I could see the potential in 3D cinema, I was left unconvinced with "The Final Destination".

Then came Avatar.

I could understand the general complaint - there is nothing inspiring with the story. A lot of the things were already seen in previous Cameron movies. It was almost like they were included on purpose so more attention can be spent on the budding new technology. It was James Cameron's first attempt in making a 3D movie and all the filming methods and technologies are still at their infancy, so he had to keep everything else simple to make sure he gets the 3D parts right. The 3D depths of the scenes need to be done so they change into one and other gradually, otherwise people with poor eyesights (and weak eye muscles) can't focus and will end up feeling sick or getting a headache.

The way the 3D-ness in Avatar was used were VERY subtly and served to draw you in slowly into being a part of the scenes and emotion. The restraints it had in many of the places (build up to the flight scene) added to the final flurry of colours, motions and depths.

The castings were perfect! Sigourney Weaver was a stroke of genius and a no-brainer at the same time. She pretty much picked up where she had left off from "Aliens" and "Gorillas in the Mist".

Zoe Saldana was amazing for the part of Neytiri too. All her features really came through on the CGI replication and all her emotions conveyed across well. The techheads did a good job giving her an air of ethereal quality during the transition.

Stephen Lang's army hard man kind of reminded me of Apocalypse Now's "I love the smell of napalm" Kilgore but with a nice blend of gang-ho, comic book-styled marines from the "Aliens" to him to make him hype real and fun.

I literally LOLed when I saw Michelle Rodriguez. I don't think I could think of anyone in movie history who have managed to play the same character, using the same facial expressions, in virtually the same wardrobe, in so many movies. She is a genius in her own right. She is like the crocodile, having stayed virtually the same biologically since the prehistoric age because it has attain the anatomy of the perfect predator. Rodriguez has evolved to the point of being so perfect for her persona that she no longer requires any further evolution to adapt to her movie. As a matter of fact, when I first saw one of Rodriguez's pictures (left) on Google Image, I had to do a double-take to see if it's a picture of her assuming her role in Avatar or as Vin Diesel's girlfriend in Fast & Furious. She even had a dog-tag there, but I guess her leaning on a car was kind of a give-away.

Worthington's Sully was pretty hollowed out or "empty" has it was said in the film but served to allow the audience to channel through him. The concept of the protagonist transplanting his consciousness to a new body (ala Matrix), therefore acquiring a new sense of reality, ran parallel with the audiences' cinematic experience, many of whom are probably watching their first 3D movie. This is a very smart way of "breaking the fourth wall", similar to that seem in "Neverending Story" (which had me screaming a random girl's name at the screen near the end of the movie). The effectiveness of the movie in striking a chore with the audience was particularly obvious in light of news reports of fans becoming suicidal after forming deep-rooted connection with the world of Pandora, making their joyless lives seem EVEN more joyless.

All in all, Avatar has Cameron's fingerprints all over it. Even the final showdown between the Colonel in A.M.P. suit vs Neytiri on a Thantor was reminiscent of Ripley in robotic-suit vs Queen Alien. It was a very well played and planned out. A lot of safe techniques were used to ensure the new 3D technologies goes off without a hitch (although I kept seeing "ghosting" at the extremes during some scenes).

So what now then? After Cameron's box office success, other movies will undoubtably get the 3D treatments and based on some of the previews, it's all looking very good! And don't let the "Tron Guy" (picture right) put you off. The trailer for Tron Legacy is looking very promising indeed. Then again, I guess we can't really pass judgement until reports come through on how many fans are feeling suicidal because they thinks the real world has too little to offer after experiencing marvel of the Tron universe. :p

My Trip Around Europe

2009-09-12T09:20:00.006+01:00

A higher resolution display of the My Google Latitude map.

The location tag is updated every time I get lost and log onto Google Map Mobile.

LOLmography

2009-01-28T21:40:00.007Z

Finally got around to picking up the 120 medium format films for my Holga CFN 120. I am quite pleased with the picture especially after hearing so many horror stories about how the picture don't always come out right. I absolutely love the tripping effects you can do with the colour flashes:

Honestly, this is so much fun and the end result have a lot more character than the usual sterile digital pictures you get from pixel camera. More on my Flickr page.

Helping the People of Gaza

2009-01-05T02:35:00.013Z

Israel has maintained a media blackout in the Gaza area to limit the world ability to witness the full extent of the civilian casualties sustained during their prolong attack on areas of high civilian populations. As the Israeli propaganda machine continues to produce white-wash version of their actions in the Gaza strip, the civilian death toll continue to rise in an alarming rate.

This is what the Israelis are trying to hide (distressing footage):

If you want to help their cause...

All articles cited are well worth reading in full for yourselves. If you don't have time, are not interested or simply can't be bothered to read, but if you want to help - please check the 2nd post I will put in this thread for information of what you can do. It's easy to feel helpless, but it's extremely important that we use any diplomatic and peaceful resources we have available to try to do a little bit to help those suffering.

For some of us it's difficult to smile whilst our news headlines have been dominated with the mass destruction and murder taking place in Gaza this past week. Compiled below is some very important information which has not reached many people clearly, due to an intentional and calculated public relations game by Israel.

The vicious and barbaric genocide being committed on the people of Gaza must stop immediately. Israel has calculated every move and manipulated the world into believing it is merely another act of self-defence when in reality it was they who broke the ceasefire in November when the rest of the world had their eyes turned to the US election.

Israel has barred all foreign media from entering and reporting on Gaza so they have almost monopolised what we, the rest of the world, get to see or hear about. Eight months ago they set up National Information Directorate which they believe has helped them win "broad international support in the media...thanks to its PR strategy...referring variously to information, spin, and propaganda.".

Speaking for the Israeli military, Major Avital Leibovich said;
"Quite a few outlets are very favourable to Israel, namely by showing [it] suffering ... I am sure it is a result of the new co-ordination."

"New media is a new war zone within the media - we are planning to be relevant there," said Leibovich.

Chris Hedges covered the Middle East for 7 years for the New York Times. As a highly educated and well informed Jew he writes;

"Our self-righteous celebration of ourselves and our supposed virtue is as false as that of Israel. We have become monsters, militarized bullies, heartless and savage. We are a party to human slaughter, a flagrant war crime, and do nothing. We forget that the innocents who suffer and die in Gaza are a reflection of ourselves, of how we might have been should fate and time and geography have made the circumstances of our birth different.

Privilege and power, especially military power, is a dangerous narcotic. Violence destroys those who bear the brunt of its force, but also those who try to use it to become gods."

- Full Article

Mark Steel, writing for The Independent mockingly states that the US and Israeli politicians must suffer from a "Visual Carnage Responsibility Back To Front Upside Down Massacre Disorder". He continues using various ridiculous metaphors to emphasis the extent of the misinformation being spouted from official Israeli sources;

"The gap between the might of Israel's F-16 bombers and Apache helicopters, and the Palestinians' catapulty thing is so ridiculous that to try and portray the situation as between two equal sides requires the imagination of a children's story writer.

The reporter on News at Ten said the rockets "may be ineffective, but they ARE symbolic." So they might not have weapons but they have got symbolism, the canny brutes.

It's no wonder the Israeli Air Force had to demolish a few housing estates, otherwise Hamas might have tried to mock Israel through a performance of expressive dance."

[But] they prefer a direct approach, such as the statement from Ofer Schmerling, an Israeli Civil Defence official who said on al-Jazeera, "I shall play music and celebrate what the Israeli Air Force is doing."

- Full Article

Israeli lies

The manipulation and lies have extended from the "but they started it" argument, which if I remember correctly, was never an excuse for anything as a kid. That's what my teachers and parents taught me from a very young age. But if it is a blame game then the world needs to (at the very least get it right) - we have been led to believe that this savage attack is a response to Hamas rocket fire. What we have not been told is that Hamas did keep up their end of the bargain as set out by the terms of the most recent ceasefire. They did not initially fire any rockets into Israel.

Israel, however, having already not kept up their half of the bargain and relaxed their stranglehold on the Gaza strip, used the cover and distraction of the Obama election week to murder/assassinate (whichever you prefer) 6 Gazan residents and capturing 6 others.

- Source
- CNN's Rick Sanchez, "bursting Israel's PR campaign" with the truth over who really broke the ceasefire.

Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, during a visit to Paris yesterday that "there is no humanitarian crisis in the Strip, and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce". - The Independent, 2nd January 2009.

But

"After 18 months of a blockade of Gaza, constituting an illegal collective punishment under international humanitarian law, the bombing has left families facing critical shortages of food and fuel. Some 80% of the people in Gaza relied on food aid. Since 18 December the UN has suspended food aid distribution. What food is available in the shops has trebled in price - and lack of cooking gas means many people can't cook the basics.

Gaza's main power plant has closed for lack of fuel. Hospitals are reliant on back-up generators which will run out of fuel in a week or so if they don't collapse from overuse first. The water authority will run out of fuel and chlorine in a few days, while the majority of people in Gaza now only have water a few hours a week.

What is needed is an immediate and lasting ceasefire to end the appalling suffering, an end to the blockade and the resumption of efforts to start peace talks."

- Kirsty Hughes, Advocacy director, Oxfam

Attacking civilians or Hamas fighters?

The Israeli military says it bombed a lorry which Hamas fighters were loading with rockets on Monday.

But an Israeli human rights group says civilians were killed as they tried to protect their goods.

8 people were killed in the bombing, including his son.

- Video report

- BTselem, The Israeli information center for Human Rights.

- Al Jazeera, English.

- Haaretz, for an insight into the more liberal of the Israeli media and a great recent article which addresses the Jewish community who feel they can't speak out against Israel;

"There is, though, a third stream of Jews - perhaps not the widest one, but I believe quite significant - who have more complex and uncomfortable feelings on the matter. They care deeply for Israel and understand even why its government felt compelled to launch the devastating Operation Cast Lead, but they are extremely disturbed and hurt by the level of civilian deaths and destruction that almost seems part and parcel of the action. Surely, they say, there must, there has to be another way of doing this. And they live with those doubts, often unexpressed, even among families and close friends because the worst thing they find is that others around them don't seem to discern between the different nuances, and can't find in themselves compassion for the dead and wounded on the other side. They begin asking themselves very awkward questions: Are they surrounded by latent racists, or is something wrong with them that denies the feelings of certainty of those around them? Or does everyone have similar doubts but are simply afraid to express them?

I feel so alone because no one seems to understand how torn I feel about this. I understand Israel's position very well and to a degree identify with the reasons for launching the operation, but why are none of them saddened by children dying? They don't even seem to see these reports."

Some more useful links for further reading

- BTselem, The Israel information center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
- The Guardian, Israel & The Palestinians - loads of background and current information, pictures, videos and interactive maps.
- The Independent, at the bottom of the page you can "click here to explore further".
- World Vision UK, Violence Against Children, information on the devastating effects of the conflict on the Children of Gaza.

International pressure was what ultimately ended the Apartheid regime in South Africa. Please pass the following details to anyone who might want to help and tell them to make sure they get their voices heard. Post any responses in this thread if you wish.

- Click this link and you can find letters already prepared to the BBC, Fox News and to CNN. It is just a matter of copying and pasting these letters to the corresponding links provided and clicking send. Please take just a few minutes of your time to do this.

- Call the BBC on 0370 010 0222 - (ordinary landline rates apply). Insist that it was not Hamas who broke the ceasefire and ask them to report only evidenced truth.

- Email the Israeli Embassy in London and demand that they stop the bombardment of Gaza and allow humanitarian aid in immediately.

You can call or email any or all of the following, including members of the Israeli Government and demand that they:

- Immediately STOP attacking the civilian population of Gaza
- STOP using violence to prevent human rights and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.
- Demand that they allow the international media into Gaza in order to provide us with independent reporting from the region.

Mark Regev in the Prime Minister's office at:
+972 2670 5354 or +972 5 0620 3264
mark.regev@it. pmo.gov.il

Shlomo Dror in the Ministry of Defence at:
+972 3697 5339 or +972 50629 8148
mediasar@mod. gov.il

Major Liebovitz from the Israeli Navy at:
+ 972 5 781 86248

You can also write to your politic representative. Their contact details can be located using WriteToThem.

Anatomy of a "Burn-Off"

2008-12-17T14:40:00.006Z

One of the major moves in fire-spinning is the "Burn-off". The staff is usually held horizontal, spun about its axis while being thrown into the air. The centrifugal force created by the angular inertia causes the fuel to exit the surface of the wick in the form of fine mists. The release fuel particles are ignited by the burning wicks to form flame balls which adopts the shape of mushroom clouds as heated air raises through convention.

Ironically, this move actually reduces the danger level of the burning staff as excess fuel is spun off, effectively reducing the risk of secondary burns caused by fuel residues from drips.

2008-11-23T23:11:00.004Z

As many of you may know, my sister is currently studying Fashion Design at UCLAN. As a part of her final year project, she stands the chance of having her work being displayed at the London Graduate Fashion Week! The catch is that as a class of 50, they will need to raise £5000 to cover for the cost of hiring the promotion stand as well as additional costs such as tickets, models, hairstylists, make-up, photographers etc. Whatever the student raise, the university will match!

For her bit, she is raffling off bottles of wine for 50p a raffle ticket.
- There are 6 bottles to be won: 2 red; 2 white and 2 rose. 6 winners will be drawn at random.
- Winners will receive a text message and can pick up prize from arranged point.
- You can get the raffle through me!

Being sponsored by the likes of River Island, L'Oreal, Revlon and the British Fashion Council, the London Graduate Fashion Week is frequented by headhunters and top gurus from the fashion industry. Having the opportunity to showcase her work there would no doubt serve as a springboard for her career in fashion and an invaluable networking opportunity. I have to admit, she is very talented and commited to her course so much so that I have already chipped into £20 to the course.

Here are some of her work:

New Workmule

2008-10-28T01:52:00.002Z

Decided to throw in the towel with the iBook (after a HD change and several reboots) and gone for the new Alu Macbook. Did the whole printer and iPod rebate as well as the education discount. Managed to push the cost down to around £800 in the end for a baseline Alu model with maxed out 4gb RAM. It would have been 1050 with the RAM bump so not too bad. The Macbook is unbelievable.

I know it's silly to compare it with my experience with the iBook but everything just blaze through! Even when I threw some of the more demanding stuff at it, it hardly flinched! Got VMWare Fusion, running Google Sketchup while doing some thermal exchange anlysis on XP plus doing loooooads of other stuff like Office, iTune, BT, FF back in OS X and there was virtually no lag. Was a good call to choose the new Alu Macbook with its new graphics card because a friend has complained about white Macbook's inability to handle 3D geometry. Since I will be doing plenty of that this year then I think it would be wise to invest in something which can perform when the need arises.

The HD heat issue has been resolved completely and you can hardly feel a thing! Went in Second Life to try out the graphic card and it was only then, under max graphic settings, the Macbook got a bit flush in the face (could also feel a little heat building up). Going to try and DL CoD4 now and really give the MB a good work out!

The battery is unbelievable! Worked for 2hrs off the hook and it was still on 50% before I decided to burn a CD which drained the battery down to 15%. No idea how to the glossy screen is going to behave in bright light but it is really really bright! If you are on low ambient light in a dark room and you max out the brightness quickly, your retinas will sting before you could adjust to the brightness properly, it likes staring right into a fluorescent light as you come out of a dark room! The ambient light sensor is pretty annoying at times when the light source is behind you and you end up casting a shadow on it so the sensor will mistaken that for a change of environment and adjust the brightness. You can be leaning over to grab a drink and the brightness will go up and down which kind of irritates. The one-piece alu case is solid, no flexing, no creaking, just solid!

Got to know a lot more about the UNIX core because of the project I am working on and its insane! There are actually loooads of codex built into it as standard! I am using Python to code a dataflow management program and you can literally get into its shell from the terminal. And I am more than impress with Fusion! The degree of control is just sweet! Its kind of annoying having to run XP because of one small add-on but its nice to know it will be in the "naughty" corner where I can control its network usage whenever I want.

New Poster

2008-10-10T18:53:00.004+01:00

Its been finalised. Everyone seems to be pleased with the design so here it is, the new poster for the Liverpool Fire Group!

Wireless Signals going to War!

2008-09-27T18:52:00.004+01:00

I have heard a lot of news about how easy it is to break into someone's wireless network but never thought about it twice. My new temporary flatmate thought it would be funny to switch off the wireless modem because I wouldn't tell him the password to my computer so I thought it would be interesting to check if the news are correct. Even though it would be wrong to break into other people's Wifi signals and I would never do such a thing! (honest :P), it would be interesting to switch my own router to WEP and see how easy it would be to breaking into WEP encryption which is used by a lot of people (44% in Seattle). The following are quite interesting:

KisMac3.

KisMac is the most capable program available. While it does not handle bonjour networks, its wireless capabilities far exceed those of both MacStumbler and iStumbler. Beyond the basic scanning, signal strength testing, and so on, KisMAC can use GPS systems much like MacStumbler. Furthermore, it is capable of loading maps internally, where you can plot hotspots visually.

Beyond this, KisMAC has one capability that puts it far and above the other programs: the ability to crack WEP keys. If you have a Airport card (not airport extreme, sadly), you can recover network packets and then crack the key using a variety of built-in methods. Those using ibooks and powerbooks don’t need to despair though: KisMAC can use USB prism2 based cards, which are the best for this purpose anyway. Using these methods, it is possible to gain access to networks for which you do not know the password. I don’t advise this though, breaking into networks without authorization is illegal. Still, if you forget your WEP password for your router (as I have done), then this ability is VERY handy.

So this software creates a map of all the wireless network in the proximity and display it on a map, after which you can obtain the WEP code. On top of that I also stumbled upon a lot of "stumbers".

I know WEP encryption is poor but this is ridiculous. Other interesting facts were revealed during some "wardriving" (when driving to find free wireless network) exercise carried out by 100 undergraduate student in Seattle. It was found that "44% were secured with WEP encryption, 52% were open, and 3% were pay-for-access. They noticed trends in the frequency and security of the networks depending on location. Many of the open networks were clearly intended to be used by the general public, with network names like "Open to share, no porn please" or "Free access, be nice." The information was collected into high-resolution maps, which were published online."

And then I came across some stuff that could dissect the wireless going between wireless interfaces. Wow! I wonder that they could do!

All that thanks to my weird new flatmate turning off the wireless signal. Its nice to learn something new, who knows it might all come in handy one day. Like a condom, its better to have it and not needing it than to need it and not having it.

Turned out that my Apple Airport Extreme Extreme with Broadcom chipset is not supported by KisMac so need to investigate other options; Found this very interesting conversation from a guy needing to buy a Prism2 USB which is required by KisMac to work. The guy refused to divulge what purpose he had but he was busted by another reader:

Question: "I need a Prism2 USB adapted to work with a specific program that doesn't support the AirPort card."
Answer: "The only programs that it would matter to would be WiFi sniffers..."

And amazingly, I think I have a Belkin F5D7050 lying around the house somewhere. This is getting very interesting!

Also learned how to do the same thing for other platforms, how it works and ways to beef up the security in a wifi connection. Interestingly, it compares transmitted data package to work out a common denominator to produce the required key code. During the Second World War, the code for Nazi's Enigma Machine was broke in similar fashion by the Operation Ultra with Alan Turing (from Manchester no less, his statue can be found in Sackville Garden next to Canal Street), the grandfather of the very first conceptual computer (Colossus) and modern day computers which revolutionise our daily lifes. Similar words within a Nazi transmission, like weather reports which starts with the same prefixes, were used as baselines to derive decryption techniques at Bletchley Park, the home of intellectual elite selected to aid the British Intelligence's decryption effort. One of the quickest decryption was down to a German operator sending the same message twice while forgetting to change the key code. The breaking of the code was ultimate the reason for the Allied's success at Operation Overlord after the Nazi were fed falsified information in regards to the point of entry for the invasion. The operation was so successful that Hitler was still convinced that the real attack is to happen elsewhere and gave stand off orders to the nearby Panzer Reserve. Another genius in the Operation Market is that it's point of attack is that Normandy was chosen because that is where the weakest troops were deployed:

716th Infantry Division (Static) consisted mainly of those 'unfit for active duty' and released prisoners.
352nd Infantry Division, a well-trained unit containing combat veterans.
91st Air Landing Division (Luftlande – air transported), a regular infantry division, trained, and equipped to be transported by air.
709th Infantry Division (Static). Like the 716th, this division comprised a number of "Ost" units who were provided with German leadership to manage them.

Two Infantry Division which were considered "unfit for active duty". If Hitler were to have given the green to the release of the Panzer-Lehr Division comprising SS Troops, Hitler Youth, and their Tiger tanks, they would have kicked the shit out of the landing party, closed off the invasion and delay an Allied victory for many years.

Operation Fortitude and Overlord were gorgeous! Shame about the over-ambitious Market Garden that followed! :D

I guess at the end of the day its all the same, if WEP can be fooled using the same techique to bring down Hitler then its not really worth having to protect your Wifi. Its all about WPA2 these days! :D

More Tools for Engineering

2008-09-10T13:02:00.002+01:00

More ideas on the application of Web 2.0 technology and other IT tools to further improve efficiency in an engineering environment:

RSS Feeds/Podcasts

Stands for Really Simple Syndication, a relatively new web feed format which have been adopted by major corporations to increase its efficiency in data transfer. The orange “RRS” logo is quite a common feature to news related websites such as BBC, Sky News, This system allows the publisher to syndicate their work to its aimed audience in a quick, easy and automated fashion. For the readers, it allows multiple feeds to be delivered to the same client software, eliminating the need for the users to go through multiple websites for updates. What separates RSS from the classic email newsletter system is that it can be applied to a website and program to extrapolate new contents and direct the data to the audience in a highly efficient data stream. By applying such a system, company news, update on industry regulations and other data can be delivered to each member of staff via a stand-alone software client, easily customised to suit the needs and purpose of the user. Due to the versatility of such system, RSS has been adopted and modified to deliver alternative media formats such as video and audio files. The best example is the prolific spread of the “podcasts” system currently popularised by BBC Radio and other radio stations, where broadcasted shows are delivered to subscribing listeners. Such systems can be implemented to deliver industrial speeches, conferences and seminar allowing members of Mouchel to be better informed. In the world of engineering, where success hinges on the ability to monitor and adapt to changes, the ability to deliver relevant breaking news to its member would play a key role in its ability to face upcoming changes.

http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2002/12/18/dive-into-xml.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS_(file_format)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/3223484.stm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/directory/

Additional Information Technology and Networking Ideas

Apart from the application of Web 2.0 technologies, Mouchel can also enhances its performance capabilities using other up and coming mobile technologies.

3G mobile broadband technology has already been adopted by a few employees in the office. Mouchel would have a lot to gain, especially for its travelling members and site workers if more supports are given to this technology.

http://www.three.co.uk/personal/products_services_/mobile_broadband_/index.omp

http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/shop/mobile-broadband/

Due to the nature of the work carried out by engineers, it is often useful to have small program to carry out short calculations such as units conversion and access to physical constants. The solution to this could be a Widget Toolbox System which offers a wide selection of small program aimed to perform the above similar tasks. The advantage of having widgets is that such system is seamlessly integrated into the OS user interface and can be easily called up by the user without the hassle of loading time. All the widgets are contained within an isolated area which can be hidden and redisplayed with a click of a button. The widgets will also leave relatively small footprints in term of memory and CPU cycle consumption. Such systems have already been integrated as native feature on systems like Windows Vista, Linux and Mac OS X to much appraisal from its users and it can also be downloaded and installed on XP systems as an add-on.

http://widgets.yahoo.com/

http://widgets.opera.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Widget_toolkit

One of the major downside in any multitasking OS is that the workspace will eventually becomes cluttered and the switching between different applications and documents becomes confusing and difficult. One solution to this problem is the Virtual Desktop whereby users can categorise and allocate different program windows into different workspaces based on their own method of work and switch between the workspace when needed. This system would allow the users to speed their workflow and reduce the amount of time navigating through the maze of opened and minimised windows. Such systems have already been integrated as native feature on systems like Linux and Mac OS X to much appraisal from its users and it can also be downloaded and installed on XP system as an add-on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_desktop

http://virtuawin.sourceforge.net/

http://www.shelltoys.com/virtual_desktop/

Strange Days

2008-08-16T21:12:00.008+01:00

Just had the strangest week! Interesting twists to the plot and turn of the tide! Went through the whole work thing Spartan-style! Charged into some major work head-on and did the best I could. The people who gave me the work can obviously tell how much I have put in and were all quite impressed with how much I am willing to do and am capable of doing. So much so that Loukas, the CAD technician, currently semi-promoted (more responsibility but no pay-rise) to organising the computer drawings workload between the technicians, is willing to give me more and more opportunities to take on more complex tasks. This coupled with my previous appraisal from my line manager equates to me gaining some powerful allies! With all this going, I would be a fool not to ride this missile to the end, Dr Strangelove-style! During a small meeting with my new Divisional Director and Line Manager, I popped the big question on whether it would be possible for the company to sponsor me through the rest of my degree. They seemed open to the suggestion and asked for official records of my grades from university and I can see that their eyes literally lit up when I told them that I got a first class honour and a scholarship for my performance in first year, then missed the first class by 1 marks in second year but am confident that I will get it back in third year. Everything was in a state of flight until I bumped into my old Division Director in the toilet.

"I remember" he said to me,
"How do you mean?",
"You blog... I know I didn't get back to you on that but I remember...".

The weird thing was that I wasn't sure what he was getting at until I sat down and thought about it that evening. So with everything else going so so well, something might bump up from the past to bite me on the arse! The previous Divisional Director could say something to my line manager or the new guy in charge which could chip some score on my sheet. He could intervine and object to the descion of me being hired again next summer. So many things could go tits up just when things are finally back on the move for me. Having said that, I guess its the little twists and turns in life that make it worth living! I love real-life dramas! :D

Lord of My Keys!

2008-08-14T21:31:00.001+01:00

Had such a long day! I was told that some design drawings need to be done by today so I went in early this morning to make a head start. Got in 0815 only to find that my work was saved in another folder on the network. Spent the better half of an hour messing about to get the file opened again. Spent ages doing correcting some of the stuff and the guy who I was doing the drawings for kept riding me all day and kept taking over helm of the computer. It was well fucking annoying! I mean if he wanted to do it so bad then he might as well have done the whole thing himself. If he gave me something to do then he should trust me and let me do the thing on my own. Didn't get out from work until 1800! Thats almost 10 hours in work!!! On top of that, there were "good" news from my manager. The clients have requested the reports to be split into smaller report for submission. She actually thought it was a good thing until I did the number with her. Turned out that in total, there will be over 50 folders we need to submit!!! 50 folders!!! :(

And to close the day off, I had to go to the other side of Manchester to pick up my set of keys! I admit it was my fault for drinking too much and passing out in my friend's living room and I should have checked if my keys have fell out of my pocket before I left. Either way, I spent the whole week calling the guy and who didn't respond until today!!! I already told him that I might have left my keys at his place on Sunday and it's taken him till today to actually look in his living room and get back to me that he's found my keys! Honestly, I couldn't believe it! Afterwards, I had to wait ages for a bus so I started walking when a bus went pass, so I walked to the next stop and the same thing happened! Honestly, by the time I got on a bus, I was so fuming and having an empty stomach did not help at all! In the end, I got home so late that even the bus driver was cracking jokes about me being in my shirt and tie at that time of night!

Oh well, I am glad that the weekend is almost here! Going to be out to a few bars tomorrow night and then possibly go to a fire party. Met a fellow fire artist couple of weeks back, she said he was invited to a fire juggling party but don't know if she will have the money for the train ticket. If not then I will probably go back to Liverpool to pick up some stuff. Still need to repair some of the fire gear! I have managed to break another piece of my equipment the other week and even though a new set of fire chains I have order from the internet have arrived a couple of days ago, it doesn't feel right to be without my main prop! Anyway, I should get that sorted by next week!

My Very Own Normandy

2008-08-09T13:58:00.008+01:00

Had another good week. The encouragement from the Divisional Director to explore new avenues in going about engineering problems has lead me into experimenting with using Google Sketchups for the construction some of the drawings. Lukas, one of the CAD tech, who has been semi-promoted to dish out the work, caught a glimpse of what I was doing and joked that since I am going some CAD-related work, I can be considered to be a CAD asset. I replied that I am that I am always up for a challenge. Couple of days later, I was up and running doing some basic detailing on train station schematics. Did a pure rave scene with the work: Whacked on some dirty, heavy beats on my iPod, wired in and blasted through the job. My new Line Manager was quite impressed with the my motivation and the work load I was going through. Words came from two colleagues that she was so impressed that she is hoping of trying to retain me for the next two summers then possibly try to employ me when I am done with my degree. It's strange how things can take a turn like that! Last summer I was getting completely blasted all over the show by Kasia, the work was dull and the people were drones. I was almost completely broken by what happened in Birkenhead, the experience was so negative that I was only too glad to see the back of the place. The Ferry trip back to the home side felt so bad that it was like my very own Dunkirk. I was demoralised, unfocused and was so put off from the industry that I was literally dragging my arse through the second year. This year, I have hit the beach running and am making head way in one of the top 5 company in UK to the extend that I am making a noticable splash within the company. I guess there were several good calls that helped decide such a radically different result to date:

Cutting Down Play
Compare to the five festivals of 2007, having just one mother-of-all festival has paid dividend. Glastonbury was more than enough to satisfy my lust for partying and instead of coming to work all hollowed out, weeks after weeks like last year, the afterglow was more than enough to kept me going for a long while. Plus keeping myself relative clean from toxins have no doubt improve my performance a lot in comparison to my hollowed-self of yesteryear!

An Early Start
Commencing my work placement early and taking a pre-emptive strike no doubt made a difference to the overall position between me another the other work placement. I would like to think that we are mutually supportive and have respect for one and other. During her first couple of days, I did my part to help introduce her to the office with the motivation that she was a fellow budding engineer-to-be (and that she was cute :p). However, as pointed out by a member of my team, to think that there is absolute no competition between us would be too complacent and naive. If the resources and workloads were limited (which it was!), then the ability to secure the best works would provide a good platform on which I can display my ability. Being there early meant that by the time the other placement started, I have already established an understanding with members of the team, enough that I was fed some of the more interesting leftover scraps. That in turn have kept me more interested and motivated so I was able to plow through the work with more vigour and purpose.

The Works
Without a doubt, the work given to me during this summer placement was A LOT more interesting than what I had to sit through last year. Knowing that the end product would somehow be of use to the public, that this work could potentially outlast our own lifetime was a great incentive indeed. Even when given some of the drier content to sieve through, the nature of the project was enough to have kept me going at a reason pace while producing work of a reasonable standard.

The People
I honestly can not think any more highly of the people who works in the company. Before I started, I heard rumours that people from the top 10 company in UK tends to have a chip on their shoulder but I didn't get any of that during my time on the placement. People were friendly, interesting and very encouraging. Each have their own personality, aspirations and cool things to talk about. During my adventures, I have came across leaders who would later go on to lead soldiers into battle, teachers who would continue to be shepherds of future generations and medics who are healers of the hearts and minds. Even when place side-by-side with such people, some people from the company shines just as brightly, displaying similar (if not higher) degree of charm, grace and integrity. They are people, I should aspire to become and compare to the people at the last placement, this all feels like a world apart! Needless to say, that the positive atmosphere the company have foster played a key role in allowing me to perform to the best of my abilities.

It is definitely a little too early to be chalking up the scores on the board but the above are nevertheless worth taking notes of because I believe they played pivotal roles in helping me be a better prospective engineer and could serve me in becoming a good engineer in the future.

Web 2.0 for Engineers

2008-08-04T23:39:00.009+01:00

Was given the task of writing a small report on how useful internet technologies can be implemented to enhance the capability of an engineering company. I was told to write a brief 2 pages report. Kind of got carried away because there are so many Web 2.0 system with so much potential.

Web 2.0 is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies.

Here’s a small collection of Web 2.0 which can be adopted by an engineering company to enhance its communication compatibilities internally and externally, encourage exchange of ideas, speed up the flow of information with the prospect of improving the image of the company as a whole.

Blogs
(eg http://blogger.com, http://word-press.com, http://livejournal.com)
Blog is a media already been adopted by major corporations like Microsoft, Google, BBC and the likes of NASA. Based on the Web2.0 architecture and coded in a special dataflow model, the way in which the information is delivered is a lot more efficient and dynamic. The authors of the blogs are no longer required to be skilled in the previously required computer language (HTML, Java) before they can publish materials on the internet. A very small amount of time, resources and skills are now required to set up a basic layout on to which the blog entries (articles) are displayed. Using a very simple user interface, users are able to write articles with media attachments like pictures, music and videos. Most blogging system also leaves room for additional coding to be included which will allow the use of advance features such as animated menu system or live media feeds. Using such technologies, the corporations listed above have already gained mass audience and delivered breaking news as it happens with entries similar to an article in a magazine. Employees are encouraged to write their own blog in the form of a journal (where readers can interact with the author of the article via comment box) giving their company human faces which clients could relate to. BBC editors were able to talk directly to the audience and express their view clearly and personally. Programmers from Microsoft and Google are amongst people whose blog are often viewed by software developers interested in the operation of the company. This system is very easy to implement and adapt to an existing website. Apart from addition coding mentioned above, blog can be combined with “RSS“ to deliver the entries straight to the end users and save him/her the time and effort of revisiting several blogs to check for new entries.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts116/launch/launch-vlcc.html
http://www.microsoft.com/communities/blogs/portalhome.mspx

Micro-blogging
(http://twitter.com, http://www.plurk.com)
An alternative of blogging system where users can send in snippets of updates (usually no longer than 140 words) via SMS from mobile devices. The short message will then be published and logged on an update page which will contain messages from the users and members of his “friend list”. If taken up and utilised, this offers a robust communication platform on which members of a team can have regular update messages on the status of other members in a neat, time-stamped and tabulated format accessible from anywhere using the internet! Users will also have the option of receiving a copy of new update message on their mobile phone whenever an update is posted. In cases where multiple agents are “out in the field” (eg surveyors, site visits), such systems would allow the status of each member to be display clearly and concisely and for their manager to monitor their progress in a precise manner, further enhancing his/her ability to manage coordinate the process.
Such updates can also be fed into and displayed on a website or a blog. This system has been used by the NASA to announce breaking news on its website and it has been known that such system was also used to exchange information during emergency events such as the Virginia Tech Shooting and California Fire. The American Red Cross also use said system to provide live update on their disaster relief efforts around the world.

http://twitter.com/RedCross
http://twitter.com/NASA

Online Forums
(http://www.phpbb.com/, http://www.vbulletin.com/)
First taken form as BBS bulletin board during the early days of the World Wide Web, online internet forum is a comprehensive community system in where topics can be discussed extensively using complex “thread” structures. A new thread can be made with specific title with an initial paragraph and other users can then participate in the discussion using the “reply” and “quote” function. Again, this offers the capacity of sharing images, diagrams and other media so collaborations and exchange of idea is encouraged. Major technical company’s like Apple and Microsoft have their own forums which contains discussion over topics ranging from ideas for new products, customer feedbacks, reviews on new releases and technical support. Some online store have also utilised such forum system to their advantage whereby high sale volume was generated from a loyal community created by a forum they have established themselves! However, the anonymity it offers often leads to abuse. Limitations to membership and the presence of moderators are often required or connection to the user’s real identity is an effect means of prevention.

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa
http://forums.microsoft.com
http://forums.macrumors.com/
http://www.homeofpoi.com/

Online Whiteboards
(http://www.scriblink.com/, http://www.skrbl.com/, http://thinkature.com/)
Effectively connecting multiple parties at different locations via an online workspace. Documents and drawings can be uploaded and displayed live on the whiteboard where comments and alterations can be added live in front of other users. Some services will even provide voice feeds which means the users could give live voice annotations as he adds creative input to a piece of work or idea.

Google Earth
(http://www.GoogleEarth.com)
The use of Google Earth have already gain widespread acceptance in many industrial. There are not add-ons available which enable which allows further customisable and modification to the existing 3D satellite images on offer. 3D model of buildings can now be imprinted on to the 3D photo-realistic terrains to provide a better project on what a project would look like. Using Google SketchUp or other CAD software packages), designs of proposed and complete projects can be added to the existing Google Earth layer. This is just one small example on how Google Earth can be adapted for the work we are doing in An engineering company. There is currently a wealth of other add-ons available which could also be put into use.

http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=36241

File Delivery Service
(www.yousendit.com, www.megaupload.com, www.mydocsonline.com)
There is currently an well established industry on the internet which offers to ability to deliver digital files free of charge up to a certain file size (usually below 100 mb). Such systems offers additional services such as delivery monitor and extra securities as add-ons. Other than a web browser-based delivery system that is easy to use, software clients are also available which simplifies the sending and receiving of files even simpler and more efficient. Such system could in effective speed up the delivery of projects to the clients while reducing the load on the company’s main email server.

Facebook with existing communication portal
(www.facebook.com)
At the core of Facebook is a very comprehensive social hierarchy which connects relevant people with one another. There are a lot of elements from Facebook which can be utilised within the existing communication portal to further enhance the ability for employees to communicate and further develop the community spirit which the company is trying to foster. In FB, users can fill in details about themselves and opt for them to be displayed to people of their choosing. Such profiles system can be used to display CV, work experience and project they have been involved in. The Facebook system is also designed in such a way that events and activities attended by a member are announced to his friends and colleagues. Such a system can be encompassed into the Existing communication portal whereby members of staff are notified of relevant training courses, seminars and ICE meetings based on the attendance of their peers. The Groups section in Facebook could also be used with existing communication portal for the arrangement of team building exercises and other social activities as well as photo albums and message boards. The impact of such social network system can be seen all over the media and inclusion of such a powerful tool, if implemented in the correct manner, could serve to invigorate the social dynamics of the organisation.

Wiki
(http://pbwiki.com/, http://www.wikispaces.com/, )
Made famous by the world renowned Wikipedia, the Wiki is a concept in which knowledge are arranged categorically in a meaningful manner making retrieval easy for the readers who have also been empowered to make their own contributions and carry out enhancements to the existing entries. A Wiki library on how different engineering problems were resolved can be extrapolated to offer an archive of knowledge and past experiences from engineers. Alternative solutions to a problem or refinements to a technique can be later added by other users to produce a definitive interactive engineering handbook that is comprehensive, up-to-date and constantly improving. Such knowledge depositaries have long been used amongst software developers to share coding techniques and other useful tricks & tips.

http://engineering.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page
http://gentoo-wiki.com/Main_Page
http://wiki.debian.org/
http://www.emacswiki.org/cgi-bin/wiki
http://www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

Reverse Auction
(http://www.bidjam.co.uk/, http://www.esourcingsolutions.co.uk/)
This is a concept first introduced by General Electric executive Glen Meakem back in the 1990s. This is basically a platform where a buyer can present a proposal and the sellers can bid for the contract to supply goods or service by offering the lowest price. Essentially reversing the role of the buyer and seller, this system aims to drive purchase prices down and provide extra saving to the buyer. Again, because this is an online system, this allow the reverse auction to take place with the involved parties in different locations and without the restraint of a hosting venue, it can take place over a long time scale. An engineering company can make use of such system to bulk purchase or set up contracts for things like stationary and IT equipments.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_auction
http://www.carkeys.co.uk/news/2004_january/14/1692.asp
http://www.telebid.com

Second Life
(http://secondlife.com/ , http://secondlifegrid.net/)
This is the most ambitious and far-fetch online tool but can be extremely effective if executed correctly. Second Life is a community platform where information is presented in a virtual online 3D world. A “sandbox” environment where users can purchase their own territory to construct interactive buildings and models that can then be used to deliver information of their choosing. Using an “avatar”, a model representation of the user, s/he can travel between different maps and interacting with other people and their creations. The best example is the NASA map: As a visitor, you are free to roam a landscape filled with “life-size” models of every space rockets ever made by human. Explore exhibition halls with all the vehicles used in space exploration (like the lunar buggy or the Mars land probe). With a click of a button, the virtual models come to life and demonstrate its functions complete with sound effect and text. At a pre-arrange time schedule, lectures on topics like Quantum Physics and advance rocketry are given via video feed to the gathered audience. There is already a mature community of developers available on Second Life which means a virtual world can be made to any specifications. In other words, An engineering company can have a virtual space where all the project its been involved in are made into moving, 3D life-size models. CDs can be made and distributed to potential clients which will utilise the Second Life engine and showcase the company’s previous achievements in a living, breathing virtual world. Users can explore the interior of buildings from the prospective of an occupant or experience a highway improvement from the prospect of a road user. Automated bots can be included to further demonstrate the overall operations of a completed or prospective projects.

http://www.slideshare.net/musebrarian/a-second-life-for-your-museum-3d-multiuser-virtual-environments-and-museums
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9018238

The beauty of the systems listed above is that they are tried, tested and have already established a mature user base and community. They are freely available to use and are very adaptable in their usage and implementations. Each can prove to be extremely effective as a standalone tool or in conjunction with the existing website, online communication portal and other systems being used within the organisation.

A State of Fire Disrepair

2008-08-03T21:35:00.007+01:00

Its been a sobering day as a fire artist. Another fire meet in Manchester, did a couple of dry-spins only to realised that out of the 6 screws holding in the fire wicks, two of them have snapped off due to previous high drops. Having checked my fire inventory, it turned out that virtually ALL my fire gears are under a state of disrepair! The baby staff needs re-wicking, the handles need replacing; Shreds of my fire poi heads were left on some pavement back in Liverpool after a spinning burn-off; The latest casualties only adds to the long list of maintenance work required! It might be just as well since the mother staff need some work done to her anyway, the grips are getting worned down really quickly, the plastic seal at the end of the grips also need replacing. It has been 18 months since the big staff was contructed back in the heart of Mount Pleasant (doesn't have as nice of a ring to it as Mount Doom but nevermind) at the Liverpool University. It has taken me almost as long to build up enough confidence to wield such a heavy and unforgiving staff. Much to my annoyance, as soon as I have tamed it, it is pretty much out of action until I can find the parts. Oh well, I guess if a car need to be checked every 12 months for MOT, something as dangerous as my fire toys should be checked more regularly. To be honest, I am fortunate to have discover it before the loose part come off during a spin and take out someone's eye with burning pieces of metal. It is time to upgrade my fire arsenal for bigger burns!

The River of Growth and Development

2008-08-02T12:21:00.002+01:00

It's been such a long time since I have been out amongst those from the same racial kin as myself. So much so that I was kinda of dreading it at one point. With my best friend being the birthday boy, my attendance felt more like an obligation. I must confess, the usual drinking games and karaoke frequently the highlight of most oriental gatherings have never been my thing, maybe to the point of disliking it but I actually had a good time nonetheless. It was great to see that my friend has finally found a good companion and more importantly that he is happy and have something to aim for.

Met some interesting characters tonight. Quite surprised by their kindness and how open they were. Perhaps their actions have made my previous errors in judgement ever more clearer. Earlier betrayals have no doubt instilled a feeling of distrust and doubt in me, but to make assumption of many based on the experience of a few was folly. Perhaps I should let go of my preconception and be more willing to embrace everything new. Oh well... Its just another day.

Throughout the night, being in the presence of my racial equals, I couldn't help but reminisce on a time beyond, an age passed, a lifetime ago. A time and place when I was still seeking myself, trying to find an identity of my own from people who appear, at least on the surface, to be the same as myself. Addicted on the notion that I could be accepted for who I am, I found the complete opposite to what I was seeking. The feeling of belonging was short-lived and soon enough, I was pulled deeper and deeper into the wrong circle until it was too late. I got hurt, saw many wicked faces and at present still wears wounds from yesteryears that never fully healed, still itches and stings till this very day. The small social circle magnified the complexity of human interaction, while the label of ethnic minority fostered a feeling of distrust, competition and anger, brewing and fermenting. Further lines of segregation were draw as Chinese of different origin piled into the melting pot that is Manchester. BBC, CBC, HKBC, VBC are just some brandings given to Chinese of different origins and with them also came the less pleasant side of a culture, completely different from what I have previously experienced.

I have came to accept my experiences and my mistakes in the past and came to terms with everything that has happened. I am at a place I enjoy, shown who I am and where I can potentially be. I am luckier than many by far and for that, I should take comfort and cherish everything. Its better to get there later rather than never, the sorrow, regrets and reflection might have been the currency for the ferryman of the river that is growth and development. Good things awaits on the other side! Never look back! Take heed to the lessons learned, pay the ferryman handsomely and feel the brisk wind of change!

In Flames, and within...

2008-07-11T22:46:00.001+01:00

Not actually posted any picture of fire art in this blog so here's my first entry. It first came to me Summer of 2005 during a catastrophic come-down after a heavy night at the Glade festival. Feeling really dirty about myself, I turned to my friend and vowed to pick up something wonderful and spectacular. The only thing I could think of at the time was the glow-spinners I saw the previous night at the ID spiral stage. Playing with glow-sticks was deemed not spectacular enough, I decided to do fire-spinning as something I would do to filled the massive gaping hole in my life: daring, reckless but at the same time requires a high degree of discipline, focus and concentration, it was everything I needed at the time. Since then I have made many friends from all corners of the world and travelled many miles with my fire kit. I would go as far as saying that the flames have supported me through some of the worse turmoil of my life. It has shown me what I am really made of, taught me to believe in myself once more.

In the flames, the whole world dissolves into darkness until there is nothing left other that you, the roar of the flames tearing through the air, the shearing heat, the motion coupled with the music (if you choose to have it). Your mind is truly free from emotion: fear, hate, envy, sorrow, regrets, it all becomes irrelevant when you have two balls of fire flying at speed around your neck. To try out a new trick, every single one of your muscles in sync, timing perfect with the staff, matching every beat, shoulders locked, arms tensed at that sweetest second, adrenaline pumping... The shroud of everyday life is lifted to reveal reality in its purest naked form.

It is my meditation and sanctuary...

The full experience

2008-07-02T20:11:00.014+01:00

I think I finally understands why when people were asked how good Glastonbury was, the replies were usually very reserved and humbled. Any attempt to describe their experience would give it no justice because somewhere down the line, Glasto have mutated into something beyond a mere festival. The sum of its many parts combined have managed to create something that is beyond anything that can be experienced in the real world. Each part wildly different from each other yet co-exists in harmony in the confine of such a relative small domain. There were none of the aggression like the feelings of being at the Leeds festivals. There were madness in the air but it was controlled, moderated and isolated, innocent enough that parents felt safe to bring their off-springs along for the ride. A heritage of good nature and well meaningfulness have been past on from previous generations to the newcomers, influencing and empowering everyone with the courage to be good so all are welcomed and treated with kindness and smiles. Instead of profanity, cheers and laughter resonated between the valley even before the commencement of the festival.

The quality of the features that helped shape the landscape demonstrated passion, pleasure and pride of the artists in their crafts. Sculptures, furnitures, decorations, even the litter bins were made to the highest standard, each conveying deep meaning and messages. The Trash City was something that is beyond description, made to thrill, amaze and dazzle. An imaginary post-apocalyptic intergalactic Amsterdam where creatures from the further reach of the universe conjugates to party the night away under the glow of roaring flamethrowers and top notch electronic beats. The Green Field, a tranquil garden blossoming with messages of peace, harmony with nature and environmentalism. The Tiny Tea Tent played the part of a safe refuge for the mind and soul of my party on many occasions. Rich, strong chai that warms the heart and skilfully crafted furniture provided the perfect meeting point or pit-stop between different laps of madness. Furnitures were carved out of a whole tree to add to the return-to-nature feel while renewable energy source was used to power the electrics. The stalls in the Green Field, each with their unique identities and displays, encourages awareness to human's impact on the environment and suggests ways of remedying our effects.

The nights fire-spinning at the Stone Circle were inspiring in many ways. Some would vouch that the Sacred Area was a portal in which the fire-art got into the British Isle. Considering half of my fire friends took up the art at that very field, I would not object to the above statement. I was not disappointed even with as high hope as mine. Seeking to find the inspiration at root of the UK fire-art movement, I had chanced upon the very person who inspired me into fire staff! Fire-spinning while watching the sun rise over the whole festival site was a joy which goes beyond anything I have experienced.

Another story came a full circle when I bumped into a fellow steward who were in my care during an overdose coma last year. He was on my mind throughout the year and it was good to see him healthy and well. Although he failed to recall who I was (can't blame him because he was unconscious at the time), it was nevertheless a great feeling being introduced as "this gentleman is one of the people who saved your life last year!". The feeling would probably have being even more elating if I wasn't warped and twisted at the time. Oh well.

It was different from the others. Like a good meal, Glastonbury was fulfilling and satisfying. Even though the memory of the experience was relished many times after the event, there was no sorrow or longing when it came to an end. My companions and myself were so content that we all left the festival with smiles on our faces. I guess it wasn't what was there that made it stand out of the crowd, it's the effect it had on those present that show you what can be done and a glimmer of hope of what could happen if people were to spend less time fucking each other over.

Full album here!

Storm ahead!

2008-06-20T07:09:00.003+01:00

Usually, the weather is a topic reserved as a life jacket for conversation about to go under. However, for Glastonbury, it is at the top of everyone's mind. And it doesn't look good this year! Not sure if it will be the same as the 2005 "Brown Wednesday" but it looks like its going to be a wet one! We are talking about army boots, full boot lining for water-proof effect and gaiters!

Bleeding My Life Red!

2008-06-14T12:58:00.006+01:00

This entry is kind of dry, I guess this is more for me than anyone else. A kind of nav-point to help me backtrack when I want to do a memory recall years later.

The work placement have kind of slowed down back to the average documentation stage now. Most of the meats have been roasted and its all about writing it all up nice and neat for the client. The mistiming on some of the documents were quite comical though. Corrections were requested from a third-party consultant in regards to documents provided for the contractors building the footbridge. The only thing is, the footbridge is at the last stage of assembly! So I am sure the documents presented were pretty well received by the contractor if they are that far in the game. I suppose its just down to getting it perfect and professional at the end of the day. I would probably have understood the general idea of Lord of the Ring even if it was peppered with spelling and grammatical mistakes but I doubt it will attain its place in the English literacy world if thing were not at the highest of standards and I guess the company is where it is now for a reason!

Committed the mistake of updating documents in an old folder, possibly because of the notes I have made on week 1. Either the guy has given me the wrong directory or I have skimped on the note taking and I screwed up. One of the document was affected, otherwise the damage was limited and damage control has been implemented. In all honesty, the existing folder system is a mine field. There is no logic to which the files are arranged and it would often take in-depth knowledge into a certain project in order to fully appreciate the location of documents and how they are networked.

On a brighter note, during a chat with my Divisional Manager - Faisal, it seems like I will be taking a much more active role in the footbridge design for the next project! Asif, one of the main engineers who has been looking after me, expressed his concerns in my ability (gave the whole "he is too green! he can't handle the G-force, he will die" speech) but Faisal seems keen on pushing me through. This is going to be fucking great opportunity and a worthy challenge to prove my valour! Another one of those "finest moment" scenario and honestly, I can not fucking wait! Its hard not to feel that Asif thinks of me as somewhat a burden. He's got enough on his plate already and to have to show a summer place the rope on top of everything else must be a real drag. Credits to him though for acting so professionally and patiently throughout his ordeal. Even though it feels like he sees me as a nuisance, he nevertheless would give me the time of his day to go through things with me.

During uni, doing an all-nighter in the library was not something unusual and I am not just talking about those desperate pre-exam cramping sessions! Engineering soon changed from bring a career to a lifestyle choice as it bleeds into other areas of your life. The upcoming battle will hone all my existing skills to a new level as well as bestowing me with many new ones! I will be learning to apply my engineering knowledge using Staad Pro, an engineering package I have had no previous contact. In order to excel and achieve, I will need to re-evaluate everything I have learnt, fine-tune all my knowledge and evolve! During this new adventure, I will be overwhelmed, I will suffer failures, frustrations and disappointments, but I will stay strong and focused! I will learn and grow, taking another major step to becoming a full fledge Structural Engineer! If engineering has bled into other aspects of my life during uni, then may my life be stained, forever red! It's time to stop being a student and to start seeing myself as a future engineer!

Have also started my training session for the marathon. Managed to push to it to 8 miles start and stop so that is something that needs improving on. The state of my ankles also raise some concerns as pain started to develop within 30mins of running. Hopefully, additional training and the dietary supplements will help push back its onset. Once fully warmed up, the endorphins seems to mask the pain which would return the following morning.

I would like to think that things are going well in many aspects of my life. The new house is awesome! I have had my reservations at first over the size of the room but it is relatively cosy even with the wardrobe put in. Chris, my new house mate is really cool. I have known him as a brief acquaintance for close to three years now, we share common grounds in term of music and I have been socialised with him a couple of times but I have never had much in-depth contact with him. Always gave me the impression that he is the boring, silent type but he turned out to be quite a laugh. Good to have an intelligent conversation with but also shares my passion for the Nintendo Wii. Our hunt for Mario Kart has taken us across many supermarket megastores across South of Manchester.

The job is developing steadily, it is not without mistakes but I am slowly learning the ropes and its all starting to fit in nicely. I am getting on very well with the people there and I seems to have left a positive impression on Faisal, who is a well rounded team leader and respected by most. He will be leaving us shortly for a position in Dubai. Emidoyo is almost like a brother to me. His humour might rub people the wrong way but he has a clean soul and is a competent engineer! Roxanne is kind and gentle, verging on to being timid but she does the job and she does it well, the only problem is that she need to establish her presence and really communicate. Tarun is the "cool kid" in the team, well-liked by the whole office and a budding engineer with huge potential although he never fails to amaze with the number of arguments he gets into with Faisal. His presentation on Climate Change being exaggerated was pretty controversial. Daniel is a "man's man", beer drinker, good to talk to, a football loving average Joe who have recently found out that his ex is pregnant with his kid. Amed is fresh off a part time MSc, academic in appearance, an echo of Bill in many ways. Lucas, Greek, a cool friendly expert on CAD who will be getting me some Ouzo when he is next in Greece! Kristian, a quiet reclusive Poles who also specialises in CAD. Chris, another typical English gentleman, father, mature and friendly. Overall this team is so so much more interesting and "normal" than the team I had to work with last summer. And nothing can be worse than having Kasia on my back half the time, but thats another story altogether. I guess the only thing I need to watch out for is the amount of partying I have been doing. Some financial issues are in desperate need of sorting out! Possibly because I have been put on the emergency tax, I am effectively getting paid £4 per hour!!! I could have been working in Poland for this kind of wage! :p

Making a Real Difference!

2008-06-02T20:03:00.008+01:00

Definitely been an interesting day! Got the result for my official alcohol and drug test and I am in the clear! Was not without its scare tho. The regional director came up to me: "We have the result of your A and D test..." *long pause, solemn face... then thumbs up*. Honestly, the pause was so long and unnecessary that I could have fainted twice! Oh well, it's the result I want to hear and now is to decide what I want to do for Glastonbury! :D

Work has been so cool! Spent Monday checking up schematics for train station platform and footbridge designs to see if they comply with the regulations aimed to satisfy the Disable Discrimination Act. Might sound boring but its amazing how much care and considerations have been put into the rules to ensure people with difficulty in movement can have access to the train station platforms. Lifts access to platforms, ramps will need to be below a specified gradient, even handrails will need to be fitted a certain way to ensure that people with partial disabilities can make use of the train station. This is especially special for me since I have had personal experience in travelling with people with physical handicap. For voluntary work I have had the pleasure of being assigned to a particular gentleman in an elderly visit programme: Jeff, ex-army, full of life and a very classical sense of humour. I would not be surprise to see him in an episode of Dad's Army. During our times together, we have form an interesting friendship and he was often kind enough to show me around different towns and cities. Even though confined to a motorised wheelchair, he took me on many adventures to many places. It was interesting to see the world through his eyes and his thick glasses. During a trip to Heaton Park in Manchester, even thought it was equipped to deal with disabled people, one of the lift on the leading to the platform was inoperable and we had to resort to boarding a train in the opposite direction, cross to the other side at another station before getting a train back to Manchester. As a twist of fate, several stations down the line didn't have the facilities to cater for disabled passengers which meant we had to stay on the train for a couple more stops before we could disembark, cross to the opposite platform and board a train back into the city centre. It would have been pretty much impossible for the disabled within the area to utilise the public transport and there was no end of complaints from Jeff for days that followed and quite rightly so!

I guess I have spent quite a lot of my time try my best to make a difference in the past but this project is almost like a godsend! Having hundreds of pounds donate to Oxfam, saving someone's life by putting him into the recovery position and raising the alarm, years worth of voluntary work are waned in comparison because the work I will be involved this summer will last for a long time and will serve many people for years to come! To actually make sure that new train stations will be capable of catering for people who are weighed down by their disabilities and offer them to chance to go out and enjoy the world, to see new things and new places just like Jeff had shown me. Honestly, it feels good to get up in the morning!

Don't Assume, Design!

2008-05-29T20:53:00.004+01:00

Third day at work, the job itself have progressed nicely from yesterday. Nice learning curve, smooth but enough to kept me on edge. Same problem to solve: design a lintel which will support the weight of the bricks above, instead this time a simply-supported reinforced concrete beam will be used. Very straight forward but a chance for me to experience an alternative design and different document set.

My support was amazing, very patience, confident and all-knowing, strict Muslim who prays five times a day, good honest bloke! I must have learnt more from him in one day than I have from my lecturer of the concrete module in a one month! Although there was this rather weird look in his eyes when I asked him about having to pray in the direction of Mecca. I think I saw the same look before when I have shown a slight interest in Islam to my friend who later tried to convert me. Oh well. I will never make a good Muslim. I drink, I smoke and quitting pork would mean I won't be able to eat half the food my parents cook.

The process was so much simpler compare to when I first learnt it. Same as the process in the steel lintel, there is a loading due to the Load Triangle plus any additional attachments within the Load Triangle and 50% attachment contribution from within the Interaction Zone. The moment and shear imposed can be deduced from the point load or UDL (wL^2)/8 wL/2. Decide on an appropriate design and then calculate to see if such configuration will satisfy the required moment and shear: Work out the effective depth (d), determine K and then K' based on the redistribution factor. Choose the correct equation to work out the moment capacity based on the two Ks relationship. The necessity of shear links can be determined by working out the shear resistance of the beam + bars. If shear links are required then another equation can be used.

It is important to note that:
1/ The links can not be placed at the end of the re-bars;
2/ Even though compressive bars are not needs, they are often added so shear links can be installed;
3/ Shear links are included for safety issue even though the values suggests otherwise (shear stress<0.5 shear resistance of reinforced beam).

The highlight of my day - My support: "You are a designer now, you don't assume, you design!"

Lintel and Piss

2008-05-28T19:05:00.006+01:00

Even though I have already done a summer placement and have worked in an engineering office before, I think today was the first time I have made a real contribution to a real living and breathing engineering project. The work I did last year was all statistical based, building computer model on existing pipe networks which have already been built and been in use for a long time. Grooming data and adding hydraulics elements into the model so analysis can be done over its efficient and defects. Today, was something special! I was assigned the task of designing a structural member which will be actually be a functional part of a building! Needless to say, it was something small, a lintel which goes across the top of an opening in brick wall to support the weight of the bricks above. It was still interesting none-the-less and gave me a great insight on how things are done.

The method itself was pretty straight forward. It is assumed that the only part of the wall exerting a load on the lintel is within an isosceles triangle of two 45 degrees corners. The length of the base would be assumed to be the opening in the brick wall plus a predefined value (e.g. the width of a brick or a value given by the lintel manufacturer) for both ends. The volume of the load triangle can then be deduced with the thickness of the wall (presumed to be the thickness of two bricks) and when multiplied with the density of the brick and mortar, the loading on the lintel is produced. With the engineering industry as developed as it is today, the dimension of the lintel can then be chosen from the manufacturers' brochure. Additional detailing might need to be produced for the concrete padding below the lintel, which will help dissipation the loading into the bricks below, but they are usually specified by the lintel manufacturers.

Also had my medical test today. Considering the abuse I have put my ears through during all those endless raves and concerts, I am please to report that my hearing is only slight off optimal. Eye-sight is normal with my glasses on and so was my bloody pressure. Although the nurse was a little concerned with my high heart-rate which she measured three times. Each and every time, they were over 100bpm! I guess a guilty conscience can have a huge effect on your pulse! All I need to do now is wait for the result for the alcohol and drug test. *dum dum dum!*

A New Crusade

2008-05-18T16:20:00.012+01:00

Another week, another incident of football violence unfolded in the city of Manchester. The massive public TV erected in one of the city's main squares to broadcast the UEFA final broke down so a couple of hundreds of Ranger fans decided to go on a rampage. Ironically the Ranger fans usually have quite a good reputation when it comes to attending football matches. The media got hold of the affair like a rottweiler on a scouse toddler and spewed the content all over the front page of newspapers, websites and TV new reports. Honestly, since the Manchester police were renowned for their heavy handed tactics (2) (3), it was actually quite entertaining to watch those incompetent arseholes getting chasing down by 200+ Ranger supporters (2).However, after all the fun is over, was it all worth it? Money spent on the policing and crowd control, damage to the bars and shops and the cost of clean up afterwards, not to mention all the hurt and trauma to the people. Remember that there were women and children there as well! What was the point? All this over a game? I guess a lot of people don't see it that way.

The English football fans have such a bad reputation when it comes to football violence that millions of pounds and hours of police time are wasted to keep the aggression under control. Visiting fans are escorting to the sporting venue from the point of entry to the city at the beginning and end of the match by massive police presence. And the funniest thing is that English football hooliganism is at a level where police resource are wasted on admin work even when the game is not held in England! I mean FFS! So known football hooligans are not allowed to leave UK when the England football team playing a game? So how many pen pushers are needed to keep track of the hundreds of confiscated passports? And how many additional staffs are required to register every "potential troublemaker" reporting to the local police station every time England have a match on? And while football clubs and sport gear companies are raking in millions of pounds from football merchandises, how many percent of this income goes back into the police force for controlling the hooligans and local councils for repairs done to damages cause by riots?

Are they forgetting that this is just a game? And that there are better things in life to fight over? There are talks of football being a religion and when people have this kind of attitude, they are ultimately justifying what these criminals are doing. And the sad thing is that it's all going to be a downward spiral from here. The players are going to get increasingly absurd wages which validates their existence even more. I am sorry but am I the only one who thinks that being paid £1m to kick a ball around a field is too much? And that such "talent" (eg the ability to kick a round leather air-sack) should be better categorised as a circus art rather than being something "heroic"? Some of these arseholes wouldn't even donate a day's wage to a charity for disfranchised nurses! The people who bear the burden of treating and caring for society's sick and wounded? And I could almost taste vomit in my mouth when I saw the tributes for George Best, I mean the guy was a playboy womaniser when he was young and an alcoholic and a wife beater when he was old! He broke his wife's arm during an argument! And Alex Best is fucking hot!!! I mean why would someone like that get so much respect that Tony Blair, the Prime Minster at the time, mentioned his name in one of his conferences? And the twisted thing is that I foresee the same will happen for the insane Paul Gascoigne and Eric Cantona! Respect and glory with all the wrongs forgiven.

So we have false idols and figureheads being worshipped for their useless talents which serves no real purpose to society, the English fighting in foreign lands bearing the Cross of St George over a belief which again do not produce provide any enhancements to anyone's living standard in this lifetime. All this shit is actually pretty reminiscent of the crusade! So little have changes.

A Step Back Too Far...

2008-05-09T17:46:00.000+01:00

Another exam, another missed opportunity. Just the latest in a series of hopes and expectations failed to come to fruition. To be fair, most people were overwhelmed by the questions in the test but I know I could have done much better given more revision time (and more sleep!). Similar to the Integrated Design project, which I have have done so much more with the ideas I had in my head if only I were to have invested more thoughts and passion. And Constructionarium, although it was definitely a good idea to take a step back after being a team leader for the ID, choosing a position which ultimately put me completely out of the loop was a very bad idea. I guess in the end, I have managed to get myself a summer placement but I came out of the project feeling very unsatisfied. Not only was I not able to participate in and enjoy the core functioning of the team, I've also missed the opportunity to scorch in front of a bunch of contractors from Mott McDonald and Morrisroe. Getting an interview that way at the time would have been very handy indeed! It should not not about making excuses to explain why things can't be done, its about just making things happen. Can't scorch the sky with no fire!

A New Blog

2008-05-07T21:15:00.000+01:00

Its in the air! Summer have officially began! Although I am still in the midst of the exams, I can't help but cast my mind to what I have install for me in the coming months. I will be working for a Civil Engineering consultancy company with the possibility of participating in the design of train station platform enhancement for the disabled. That would definitely be a dream come true since "making a difference" is one of the reason why I got into Civ Eng in the first place. Funny enough, during an interview I had with another company, the trainee manager was quite blunt in declaring the truth with the industry: "At the end of the day, we are in it for the money. However, every now and then, there will be projects which would give you karma point but these projects are hard to come by". This opinion was echoed by another engineer whom I have met, ironically, on a charity project. So I guess I am really lucky to have the opportunity to get my feet wet on something which means so much to me. I really need to stay focus this summer and give it my all. Three years ago, I moved away from Manchester pretty much with my tail between my legs, this time to be able to return to the city and work for one of the biggest engineering firm in the country is something I should treat with uppermost regards!

Apart from that, there is Glastonbury to look forward to! One of the most celebrated and longest running festival in Britain if not the world. The general opinion on the festival this year is lukewarm at best. Regulars complained that the overall atmosphere of the festival has degraded over the past couple of years and the public reactions to the choice of headliners (Jay-Z) were quite critical. Either way, I am just going to enjoy it for what it is. Fact is, there are still a lot of bands I want to see who will be playing so I am not fussed over who is playing at the Main Pyramid Stage. I will be stewarding with Oxfam for this festival and from my experience from last summer, I honestly don't think there is any other way of enjoying a festival. To combine charity work with fun, getting into the festival for free, the enjoyment of free meals and all the staff facilities like clean toilets/shower. Stewarding for Glade and Leeds last year was amazing and I hope to experience something similarly wonderful again!