Happy pi approximation day!

Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Happy Pi Approximation Day | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: approximation, date, Pi

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I.e. I’m on Unit 14, I should be on Unit 18, the TMA is scheduled to take place after unit 16, but the tutor says it can be done before unit 15. Fortunately, my tutor said a short delay was okay.

I want to do well, I want to catch up – but I could do with gaps in the schedule, please OU. You built in a gap for easter, that was nice, but can we have another gap at the 70% done point please? I’d happily have the course one week longer to pay for it, with the extra week on the start of the course. I know there are study weeks, but these are scheduled for TMAs, not quite the same thing. Playing continual catchup isn’t fun! At the very least, post all the resources out a lot earlier so a ‘time bank’ can be built up! With presentations moving to October starts, I think I’ll be on hiatus, I don’t want to go straight from one course to another.

Right now, I’ve got some time, so I should be able to catch up – however, I’ve also got quite a few things to do for work, so it’s still uncertain. Fingers crossed I can get TMA05 in on time. TMA04 is still to do – and still very scary. Okay, internet. Stop being distracting. I’m off to think about the slave trade, once I’ve made a cup of tea…..

Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Behind with studies – A200 | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: A200, Open University

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Shame.

Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Higgs at Tevatron? | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Higgs, LHC, Physics, Science, Tevatron

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For the uninitiated, a cycling race isn’t just about who crosses the line first, there’s much more to it. The Tour is a multi-stage race lasting for most of July (with occasional rest days). There are teams of cyclist which enter. The teams usually have one or two stars who are in serious contention for the ‘maillot jaune’ or the yellow jersey. This is the big one, the whole enchilada, the big winner. The maillot jaune is worn by the rider with the lowest cumulative time on the whole race. Alberto Contador is a man to keep an eye on for this, though by no means the only one, Shleck is another contender, as are several others. The white jersey is essentially the same competition but limited to young riders.

The green jersey is awarded for ‘points’. Points are won in sprints, or by winning a stage. If the current leader in the green jersey is also the holder of the maillot jaune, then the green will be worn by the second place guy (the same goes for other jerseys).

The polka dot jersey is worn by the leader of the ‘King of the Mountains’ contest. Points are awarded for the first up the steeper hills.

The fastest team (determined by the fastest three in that team) bear yellow race numbers, and the rider with red race numbers is the most aggressive (as determined by a panel).

The peloton is the big bunch of riders. This is the most efficient place to be as you can stay out of the wind. In the closing stages of the race, a breakaway usually needs to be at least a minute ahead of the peloton for every km if they’re to be able to stay away.

In a team, there are climbers, sprinters, domestiques and so forth. A domestique is the unsung hero of the team. It is their job to act as a windbreak for the team leader (the guy with the best chance of glory) so that he can arrive relatively fresh at the finish and take victory; it is their job to drop back to the team car, collect water and ferry it back to the big names; and in a pinch, it is their job to sacrifice their bike for a team-mate if the team car can’t get there quickly enough. A climber aims for the polkadot jersey (doh!) and sprinters tend to be the guys to pop out for the stage wins.

Some riders are specialists on descents (this is spectacular to watch, but it’s where they often put the ad-breaks as the racing is really decided on the uphills).

Some riders will sit out on front, away from the peloton with no hope of staying away in the knowledge that it’ll give their sponsors lots of screen time!

Sometimes there is a breakaway, and nobody reacts – this is as the breakaway rider is not a threat for any of the jerseys. Sometimes a rider who is a threat will break away only to drop back – breakaways usually have to have a few riders so that they can take turns being wind-breaks, and take turns ‘resting’.

It’s like high speed chess on the roads of France (and Belgium, and the Netherlands).

Today, we have the prologue stage. This is a short time trial and won’t really separate the field, but it will allow the jerseys to be determined for the first stage tomorrow. The prologue will be in Rotterdam.

Personally I’m not that keen on the time trial, I like a good mountain stage, and there are some really good mountain stages in this race – the ride goes over the famous col du Tourmalet in the pyrenees, not once, but twice.

In the UK, you can see the Tour on ITV 4 (from 4pm) and Eurosport (from 3:15pm). Personally, I prefer the Eurosport coverage (but can only see that on cable, I’m not paying twice for the privilege of watching it upstairs, and I’ve no slingbox!)

More information is on steephill.tv (which I think is a very useful but too busy website – it could do with decluttering)

Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Le Tour 2010 | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cycling, Tour de France

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Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : The Lodger | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, Television

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For such a famous painter, it’s amazing the number of pronunciations we have for his name, Van Gock, Van Goff, Van Go (if you’re american), I couldn’t even estimate the dutch pronunciation!
(...)
Read the rest of Vincent and the Doctor (600 words)

Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Vincent and the Doctor | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, Television

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Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Cold Blood | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, Television

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Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : The Hungry Earth | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, Television

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Lauren, Sophie and Danielle. My favourite, Steph Fearon, was voted out last week.

The final three are all are very talented, and would make a good job, but who is best suited for the role?

For me, it has to be Danielle. She just ‘fits’ the best from the remaining potentials. She’s got those Judy Garland looks (which, as much as I hate to admit it, are important) and can act her little ruby slippers off.

Lauren is great, but for Dorothy she’s paradoxically too polished. That’s a silly thing to say, I know, but there it is. Anyone looking at #dorothy on twitter on a saturday will know she’s not the most popular of the three. Lauren would be very good for a different show. I can picture her being spectacular in something like ‘Chicago’.

Sophie is excellent, though she keeps putting me in mind of Karen Gillam who plays Amy in Dr. Who, very similar expressions and both red-heads. It’s the proximity of the two shows on BBC1.

The other week I was rather annoyed when her father said that ‘The People of Wales had let her down’. This should not be a national vote, but a vote for the part. This isn’t her fault, though.

I’d be happy to see Sophie as Dorothy if Danielle wasn’t still in the competition. As with Lauren, however, I can picture Sophie elsewhere. She’d be a good fit for ‘Avenue Q’, she’s got just the right comic touches for Kate Monster/Lucy, and with a colour change for her hair, I can imagine her as ‘Sandy’ in Grease.

My best guess for tonight is Danielle, though throughout I’ve had a poor record. In the previous series I had Jodie Prenger picked from Day 1, but this time, no. My first pick didn’t make the final ten, then Steph Fearon came to the fore, but she didn’t survive past the final four (I suspect because people are mistaken that everyone working on farms in 1930s kansas were white). If Steph isn’t snapped up for some production, I’ll be surprised, that girl was really an all rounder, and she didn’t survive, I think, mostly due to her not being a ‘Judy-Garland-a-like’. From the other Dorothy Potentials that have left, Jess stands out – she’d be great in something like ‘We Will Rock You’ or ‘Avenue Q’. Bronte seemed made for something like ‘Legally Blonde’.

So there you go, I think it’s Danielle – but I wouldn’t be shocked by the selection of any of the remaining three.

Worryingly, I’ve just realised that I’m old enough to legally be the father of two of the remaining contestants. Crikey, these things creep up on you, don’t they?

Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Dorothy | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Bronte Barbe, Danielle Hope, Dorothy, Jodie Prenger, Lauren Samuels, Over the Rainbow, Sophie Evans, Steph Fearon

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Link - (Come and Comment - I like comments!) | Original : Amy’s Choice | © Murky, 2010. | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Doctor Who, Eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, Television

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