Foot In Mouth Disease

Over this bank holiday weekend, I was up in Pembroke Dock (that's in Pembrokeshire, fact fans). Why? Because it was those happy days with the people from Clic and the other sites like theSprout, Swoosh and YoungFlintshire. Well, other people went too, from counties that have no site yet, but since they have no site yet, I cannot link them here. Ah well.

But yeah, young people from all over Wales collected in Pembroke Dock to have a residential. This was my third one. the first one being up North Wales, where some people from Newport decided they didn't like me for some reason. The second was in Cardiff Bay, where I was punished with cups. But this was a weird one.

To be fair, I realised my insanity would take over the moment I got out of my father's car to get on the Clic bus, with one of the people who tormented me with the cups of dread from the Cardiff Bay showing me the fact that she brought a cup to this one. Joy. Not only that, an eleven year old girl (I think that's her age) attacked me as we were waiting to pick some other people up.

Yes. I got attacked by a young girl. With plastic forks. Happy days.

But alas, we arrived safely at the place. Nice place, to be fair.

Nothing really happened in that Friday, other than the dreaded icebreakers. I'll be honest, I don't understand icebreakers. I can't really describe some of the icebreakers, or how it made everyone look like they're attending a mental institute (no offence intended to people who have any sort of experience with mental institutes). On the Saturday, we actually got into the whole 'doing stuff for Clic', which went alright. The music activity didn't go well though, as I took my bass and I had no idea what to do over the chords Paul (a guy from Anglesey) played (damn you, capos...). But alas, I figured out what he was playing and just played the bass notes. That's the joys of the bassist, eh?...

So, why have I named this post Foot In Mouth Disease? Well, basically, y'know that young girl who attacked me on the bus on the way to the place with forks, well on that Saturday she decided to attack me again. This time with her feet.

Well, most of the time she was jumping on me and Elin (the cup tormentor from Cardiff), but other times she was messaging my face with her feet. But I think we got away with a little of that girl's evilness, as she was off attacking Dan most of the time.

But yeah, it was an alright residential, to be fair. Also met someone else who is off to the Atrium too. Woop. But yeah, roll on the next one, eh?

Edit - if you are bored or have a fetish for deja-vu, then feel free to read this article that I've written for Clic about the residential. I've added more to that one, so it'll feel more like semi-deja-vu. Happy days...

So, in other news. It's MkI's birthday on Friday. She'll be twenty-five and she wants to go out for food. So, it's a chance for people to watch us eat, and judge us for what we are eating. Not only that, MkII and MkIII are both being baptised in September. MkII one week, MkIII the next. I'll be honest, it seems to me that they are only getting baptised to please their boyfriends and their families. I, in all honesty and sausages, do not want to go to either of these baptisms. I'd feel like a fake. I'd feel like the whole situation is a fake. I'd feel that my sisters are fake.

But, before I go, I'd like to wish Rhys Bowen Jones a happy birthday, as he has finally turned eighteen, right before Sarah Thomas turns nineteen. So yeah, happy birthday for you two dudes. Don't die too soon, yeah? =].

Whoa, there's a load of links in this post, eh?

- Just one cornetto, give it to FIN.

A Year Has Past Since I Wrote My Note

In the past few weeks, two things have happened that have stapled the reasons why I despise those two aspects of my life.

The first thing is food. For some bizarre reason, I became sick after eating a small amount of the food my mother made me for the evening. It wasn't badly cooked. Neither was I eating too fast. But I was sick. Twice. This has happened numerous occasions before. I have no idea why it happens. I wish I did. But then again, if I knew why that happened, I'd know more facts about my despicable body. Happy joyous times.

Secondly is sleep. Last night, I went to bed at about twenty past midnight. I woke up roughly an hour later. I found myself waking up, feeling all paranoid. Okay, I've had worse nights where I was physically shaking because I thought the writing on my walls were moving (I'll stick some photos up here in a new post if anyone either doesn't believe me or just wants to see the walls of my room). My mother thinks it is a lack of vitamins. How can a lack of vitamins do things like that to someone?

Yes, I know. I can't get away from food or sleep. I need both to live. but, by fuck does it annoy you when something like eating and sleeping turns on you and buggers up with your brain...

This part's just a filler for the next part, consider this the in-post interlude. I aplogise for the lack of ludes. But, for some reason, I've started to get into the music by the Police. I've been playing to this song for a while, as I murder both bass and vocal parts of this song. Such a good song, man...



But alas, I shall carry on.

Y'know that they say that everyone has a novel in them? Well, I think that's what people say. I've heard that saying before. But we're not here to discuss the origins of sayings (oh, and by the by, sorry if this post seems rather... shall we say, meh). Any-mr-potato-head, I don't think I have a novel in me. But I will say this. I do want to try my hand at writing comedy. Yes, that last sentence may well be one of the funniest things I've ever written. Damn, I've peaked too early...

But yeah, I wouldn't say no to writing something that people would consider comedy. It's the only genre that I can probably do. Every time I try to write serious stuff, I always cock it up with something funny. I don't even put it in, thinking it's funny. An example of this was when I had to write a 'letter to Jarvis to give my thoughts and opinions on the new school building' for my English GSCE coursework. I wanted to emphasise how narrow the corridors were. So what did I compare them with? Yes, umbilical cords.

I used umbilical cords in a comparison to the corridors to emphasise the claustrophobic feelings of those long pathways to individual hell-holes others may call classrooms. And I thought this was normal.

My English teacher told me I had to re-write it, as it was 'too funny for a letter'. Okay, I'm not piling everything on something I wrote three years ago, but it has got me thinking...

Are some people automatically attracted to one genre of writing than the others, in the case of writing?

Obviously, the answer is yes.

If you were to write a short story about cheese, and could take it anywhere you'd like, there's a massive chance that there's a hint of your natural genre in that text. Saying that, I have no idea about writing. Yes, I have this blog and I write a few stuff for Wicid (with a handful of them actually getting onto Clic), but they are just some stuff I write. Granted, it has my style of writing, but it's just that, a style of writing. Nothing in this blog (or the posts on Wicid for that matter) that I write isn't meant to bring you down in a barrel of laughs (and neither does it seem to succeed in that case).

I'm not saying about me writing pilots for comedy sketches. Neither am I thinking about doing stand-up (which, if I had the confidence and the material, I would consider, but as I have the natural comedy style and timing of a pig that's been circumcised with a coat-hanger, I think not). I just want to do some writing that people would at least chuckle. Maybe a written version of David Mitchell's Soapbox, where I just write opinions in a hope that someone will not just find humorous, but like it enough to come back an read newer posts again and again.

I'm not saying that's what David Mitchell's Saopbox is like. I actually like the vlog-type things he does. Like this one.



Well, that's me done for this time.

- One, two, three, four. I declare a FIN war.

Alive And Kicking

Before you think But the Saturday morning show was actually called 'Live and Kicking', it has nothing to do about that, nor has it to do with this song, by Nonpoint.



Obviously, that song is not to everyone's taste. But yeah, hi. =].

This post has to do with this little called examination results. I know it's late, but yeah, I'll carry on regardless. =].

On the day of resultness, which was yesterday (Thursday the nineteenth, fact fans), I woke up at roughly half five in the afternoon. Ha, fooled you, it was actually the morning. I will spare you the details which are pointless, like the fact I went downstairs and saw my mother watching tellie, 'cause she couldn't sleep for some reason.

When the clock struck six, I logged into Edexcel's results page. And a shroud of doubt filled me, like helium filling a balloon... Overall? I had a D in Music Technology.

Shite.

I needed at least a C to get into university.

So, I was worried at what the other two subjects - Chemistry and Physics - had in store. But, just in case the worst came, I looked at the available courses at Glamorgan University on the clearing pages.

And you know that balloon simile that I said before? Well, nothing has changed to that yet. But, I will say that I saw my course, Creative Technologies (Multimedea), appeared in the list of courses available through clearing.

What could this mean? Did I get in? Did I miss out and my place on the course up for clearing? Who knows...

Well. I do. Since, in a vain hope (I thought), I tried to log into the UCAS track section at about half six. And after two attempts, I got in. And guess what it said...

Congratulations! Your place at University of Glamorgan, Cardiff and Pontypridd (G14) to study Creative Technology (Multimedia) (HP63) has been confirmed.

And at that moment, the helium escaped from the balloon with great excitement (I am really crap at similes, aren't I?). I, with at least a D to my name, have gotten into university. I'm going to Glamorgan University, baby.

Though I know I was into university, I still wanted to know what I got in Chemistry and Physics. But alas, I had that letter that looks like a B but without the middle support. Yes. I had a D in both Chemistry and Physics.

I am, a D student.

Granted, I took (apparently) two of the hardest subjects you can take. And I took a subject that the school didn't even allow until two years ago (and apparently, D was the highest grade out of our Music Tech class, but I'm not sure if this is correct). But, as you hear your friends getting high grades, it does question your intelligence.

That said, I don't think I'm clever. I've been told I'm clever a handful of times. I honestly don't think I'm clever. Okay, I'm not thick, but I at least hoped for one C in my A level results. But at least I didn't relive the image I had when I was in year eight.

What was that image? It was me, aged eighteen, running from the Neuadd (this was before I knew of the new school) in tears because I failed miserably in my exams. Granted, the sky was grey and everyone was laughing at me in that image, and I was taller. But that image was not relived, like a freaky deja-vu moment. I walked out of school rather happily, to be fair.

But, I had three D's in my subjects, and as a D works out to be sixty UCAS points. So, three sixty's are 180. And even if I did get a pass in Key Skills, I'd still be under the needed points by at least fifty, and the fact that my course was in clearing, it got me thinking.

Did I get into that course, because hardly anybody tried for it?

To be fair, I have no idea what the answer to that question is. My parents keep telling me that the interview was the place where I sold it to Glamorgan, that I am actually not bad at knowing stuff. But I don't know. Damn, why can't I remember the right stuff for exams?...

Hang on, I don't have to worry about that now...

But yes. In three (or four, possibly) years, I will (hopefully) become a Bachelor of Science, with a degree in Creative Technologies (Multimedia). Who knows what will change in those three years. Maybe the course name will change to Creative Technologies (Production), or maybe the word in brackets will disappear totally.

But, all I know is, I'm going to study something that really interests me. Yeah, Chemistry, Physics and Music Technology, but stuff like web design and typography really interest me. Granted, people call me sad when I know the difference between Verdana and Trebuchet fonts. But who cares?

- Oh Nemo, you have a really small FIN there...

Dead Man Walking

I know. I know. I bring so much happiness in my blog titles...

So, how've you been?

Well, I'm not bad. But, I will tell you, it seems that I'm shaping up better than other people.

If you didn't know by now, tomorrow is the A Level results day (or, as I like to call it, the day of three letters. A day where we, as past key stage fivers, discover if we managed to pass the exams and sail through on the sea of opportunity to the dock of knowledge and wisdom we usually call university.

Some people, like my friend RuhBuhJuh, are panicking over the results. Either losing sleep over their unknown future, or just feeling jittery about the whole situation.

But, for me, and with many a-blog post here...

It's just another day.

I know, I might change my blog tagline to Another day, another failed blogger as I use those same four words in that same order over and over. I've said it about Christmas, about my birthday, and now A level exam results. Okay, some things in my lifetime won't be just another day. I might get married (that is, if I lose all hope in finding a wife normally and end up buying a Russian bride who won't put out until I marry her, only to have her stolen away from me by some Chinese dude who learned to speak Russian for her love... hang on, that's an episode of American Dad...). That wouldn't be just another day. Neither would be the birth of my children (yeah, I thought the same thing...). Or, and I hate to say it, the death of someone close. Other than those potential events, everything else is just another day.

But this post was not supposed to be about me and my never ending use of that four word sentence.

Yes, I am somewhat nervous about what the three letters will turn out to be. All I know is that I have about twenty five percent chance of getting a vowel in my grades, with 99.99% of that quarter being an E or lower. But then again, I can't see myself earning anything over a C grade in my subjects. But these are just my thoughts and predictions for tomorrow.

Tomorrow starts at six in the morning, while others have to wait until the anti-six (ie, nine) before even thinking of having the grades in their hands. Why six? Well, Edexcel (the examination board whose behind giving Rhydfelen the choice of doing Music Technology for an A level) release their exam results at six in the morning.

Six...

Yeah, sure, I'll be up by then. Fuck, I was up at six this morning without anybody calling me. So, chances are that I would be up at about four, five tomorrow. Hey, maybe even earlier. I have no plan for if I stay up all night tonight (other than watching endless shows of the Peep Show, Mitchell And Webb Look and A Bit Of Fry And Laurie). Neither do I know what I will do if I see the grades on the screen to be lower than the C. I'd be kind of gutted, I admit. But, what then? Do I slow-walk to school, further lowering my expectations of what I had in the other subjects?

No idea. But what I do know, is that I'd probably be updating this blog. Not necessarily on this post, bit on a two-for-one post. Either one post on pre-nine-thirty and post-nine-thirty (both are in the morning), or one continuous one, though I would publish the post before I go to school to collect my results. Then I shall update it with the news of the other results and if I got into university.

So... expect tomorrow to be a hectic day for blog posts. I apologise in advance.

I shall leave you now, as there's nothing else I could say. My ankles hurt from walking from a meeting for Wicid yesterday , so I find it hard to play drums a bit. Yeah, my life's a bit dull, yeah? I'm also going on another Clic residential at the end of this month. Such lovely information for you. =].

But yeah, sounds cheesy, but if you are waiting for exam results, I hope your results are what you are hoped for. =].

- I FINished ze blogpost, ya?

Break It Down.

Today, I was looking back at the past blog posts, and I stumbled upon the post named Diweddglo, which was written before the Earth had it's two thousandth and tenth birthday. It had four 'hopes' there...

And it got me thinking...

How close am I to them.

Let's revisit them, shall we?...

First one was about the exam results, and my hope that I would get into Swansea Metropolitan University to study Interactive Media Design. This was also before the open day when I went to visit the university. If I haven't said before, it doesn't seem like a good university. To me, for some bizarre reason, the building felt like the old Rhydfelen, but without the soul. The tutors sounded bored out of their skulls, and the only flicker of happiness from the people in the university was the image of a land that time forgot (otherwise known as Swansea itself). Now, I'm not calling Swansea a shitehole. But, it must say something about a university when nearly everyone looks bored and looks like they want out, right?

Luckily, I went to the Atrium for Creative Technologies and Music Technology. I won't bore you with the details of them, but I received offers from both courses. Music Technology for 300 points, and Creative Technologies for 280.

As out of the two Atrium courses Creative Technologies was my first choice, it made no sense for me to make a course that required more points to get into as an insurance, nor did it make any sense to go to a university where the tutors were counting down the days to retirement. So, I went for the Creative Technologies as my first and only choice.

And, about the grades I'm expected, you're better off looking at this post...

The second hope, which was to start a band, or at least work with a songwriter, I'm not sure where I am with that. Nick (who I know from school, if you didn't know) asked if I could be the bassist for his band (or possibly, bands). But, as nothing has really happened yet, I'm still not sure what will arise from his proposition. I still really want to work with a lyricist, even if we become like the band Gorilaz and just exist as animated characters. But, I'm still looking for a wordsmith of sorts...

There's no point talking about the third one. I can't see any chance of finding someone this year. Maybe next year (or decade), Ga?...

And the last one, keeping in contact with the people I like after school finished. I have done that, sort of. Be that meeting up if a pub for Jam Night or seeing some of them during the Wicid meetings. But, lets see what'll happen after September, shall we?...

I also have a question for you. With some things, parents can pass certain traits to their offspring. I remember, during a GCSE Biology lesson, me and my friend were having a discussion, which ended up with him asking the teacher (who was Mr Porter) if gambling was in people's genes. And he said they were. I know (well, I think I know but I'm not sure) that the possibility of certain illnesses is increased if the parent has that illness (for example, some cancers, mental illnesses, others).

So, my question is this. Well, not this, but you know what I mean...

Is alcoholism hereditary?

Answers (or thoughts) are welcome in the form of a comment, a Twitter mention or a passing comment on the street in real life.

But yeah, that is it for now. If I get a why are you asking if alcoholism is hereditary? question sometime, I may elaborate in blog form at a later date. But for now. Au revoir.

- And next on BBC One, The FIN Show...

Alone

Before I get on with this, this has nothing to do with loneliness. I couldn’t think of a better title. But, it does have a link to me…. Yeah, you thought you got away with not getting SoundClouded here… but you were wrong. MWAHAHAHAHA…

Anyways, this is my A Level coursework for Music Technology, called Alone. It’s supposed to reflect the lyrics, and their pretty depressing (lyrics can be seen by clicking the info thing on the side, then clicking the name of the song). And as you can hear, this isn’t really depressing… it’s rather happy. Which is different to the sound people would expect from me, since they kept playing Em9 (guitar chord, for those not in the know) since it (somehow) looks like the word emo. But yeah, here it is. Credit for the solo goes to Adam Hill. =].

A Level Music Technology Coursework - Alone (No Vocals) by CrazyDistortion

And that, my friends, links to what I actually wanted to discuss. And what many a seven- or eighteen year old does not want me to discuss.

Yes, that right.

I’m going to talk about sex.

Nah, I jokes. It’s actually about the exam results.

Cue said seven- or eighteen year olds leaving blog…

I shall continue regardless. I've only thought recently that there's nine, ten days left until I see the three letters of fate that will decide... well... my fate. If I see BBC, then I'm in. If I see anything below a C, then I will live out the one thing that I dreaded since sitting in one of those cabins in the old Rhydfelen.

But, what are the chances of the Atrium taking me if I've failed to earn 280 points? Not good, I believe. But, what do I really need? Do I need 280, or do I need 250?

During the AS year, I did ICT as a basic skills thing (it's sgiliau allweddol in Welsh, though I have no idea what the correct translation to English is, sorry). I have no idea if I passed or not. If I had, I would've had either 20 or 30 UCAS points. If not? Nothing. The only way I have any idea if I did pass or not is if someone else who did ICT Skills has passed. Why? This short course thing is decided by the fact that if one person fails, then everyone fails (or, so I'm told). But, if someone did get a pass in that course, then I would've banked 20 or 30 points. A thousand huzzah's and several packets of tuna to celebrate.

So, what does that mean? If I pass, it means that I now need 260 points to complete the 280. That's two C's and a B in gradespeak. That seems more realistic for me than B-B-C.

But, looking back, I can't see me getting anything better than C-C-D (ie roughly what I had in AS). Basically, I did terrible in the fourth modules in both Chemistry and Physics (earning an E and D in them exams respectively). I did rather well in the Physics practical exams (both the resit and the A level exams), gaining about four more marks in the resit and getting one mark from full marks in the second A level exam. That, when you see who is in my Physics class, is something of an accomplishment... Even in Chemistry, where I shake constantly and unsure of what to do next, I still managed a B for the AS coursework. That is pretty good. And considering that I seemed to do well for the A level coursework in Chemistry (I hope), then that might be my C and D...

But Music Tech might be either my saviour or my downfall. In one sense, I felt that my exams I sat this year went far better than the exam I sat in AS level. The coursework went so much smoother as well. No fuck-ups in the recording song. The MIDI piece sounded much better. Though, I think that the two songs I wrote for the two courseworks (AS and A Level) were, and I hope this doesn't sound big headed and obnoxious, pretty funky indeed. The song I posted at the top of this post was my A level coursework, while this song (a version of No Angel by Dido in the genre of 80's Rock, which I also failed in) sounds rather decent considering it was one of the first songs where I wrote a whole song...

By the by, here's the track.

AS Level Music Technology Coursework - I'm No Angel. by CrazyDistortion

The exams, on the other hand, they felt much better. They felt like I knew the stuff. But, in the A level Music Tech one, the computer buggered up more times than Elton John has. Ha. But, ignoring that cock-up, they went well.

And, that's where the problems begin...

Every exam that I have found remotely good, I did shite at it. Look at CH4 and PH4 earlier this year, I found CH4 (Chemistry 4) much easier than PH4 (Physics 4). But, I managed a D in that Physics paper and an E in CH4. See where I'm staring to worry? I've only found one (well, maybe two) exam(s) hard (not saying I found the others easy, I found the other exams better than shite). So, I will only probably do decent in those exams (funnily enough, both exams in question are the Physics exams). That's not a happy thought, to be fair.

And, sure enough, on the day I will see many people, including many of my friends, celebrating at the fact that they have gotten what they want. I, on the other hand, will probably hide my sadness with a mute smile, as I wonder where I went wrong. Or, I may join in with them. Who knows.

But, let me just add this for the joys of the Welsh language. Even if there is little or no Welsh in this video. But who cares, when it's a sketch from Mitchell And Webb Look? =].



- Why not try our new Mc Chicken FINgers...

Every Little Thing Is Gonna Be Alright.

Sorry. I must begin with this...

May I present to you, Alright, by Skindred...



Sorry, I had to. Such an amazing song. It's bands and songs like these that make you want to make a band just to try to create the eargasm such as they created. Either that, or the thought of you not being able to create that double rainbow of a song. Meh...

Anyways, that had to start with that. It's going downhill from here.


If you didn't know, I have three older sisters. This blog is about two thirds of them.

If you didn't know already, Rosie and Lowri (who I shall call MkII and MkIII respectively throughout my blogging life, and just to be fair, MkI is Emily, the oldest sister) are religious.

Yes.

You read that right, reader.

Religious.

I'm not here to belittle any religion, nor am I here to support any. The mere fact of this surprise statement is that I (along with my sister) were brought up in a rather atheist household. We had no God to worship. No religious guidelines to live our lives through. It's only since MkII and MkIII met their now boyfriends (otherwise known as BfII and BfIII) that they have turned to religion. Both have entered into relationships with Christian men.

And, for some reason, it seems to me that they have competitions on how Christian they are...

What do I mean? Well, quoting bible passages is the main one (I'm sorry, but I cannot give any examples), but recently a new competition has arisen...

The competition on who can get most excited about getting themselves baptised.

Yes, they both want to get baptised. It makes no sense to me if I'm completely honest. But I've only now just realised that I have other family members who are Christian, mainly my cousin and her family. so if she (or her family members) read this, please don't take offence (well, this could be a plea to any Christian who reads this, on the off-chance that there is anyone reading this). But needless to say, like my endless stupidity, I shall continue...

As you might have guessed, I do not believe in the same God as any of the main religions. Saying that, I do not consider myself religious. Just because I believe that there could be a God somewhere does not mean that I worship him/her. I'm a science person, someone who can understand scientific discoveries, be that for good or not. Such as the Big Bang. There's a theory (I believe, either it's a theory, actual fact or something I just made up) that the reason for the Big Bang is the pressure (or heat, or something like that) between the dust, small molecules and crap was too much. This resulted in a - you guessed it - a massive bang, renamed the Big Bang 'cause they thought it would sell more books that way.

But, what made that happen, if nothing existed before the Big Bang?

Maybe there was a God, and he/she placed all the resources needed for life and did something to create the Big Bang. Maybe he sacrificed him/herself to create the bang and thus, creating life. Or maybe he/she lit a fart and thus creating the bang.

Well, that is assuming that there is a God.

If there is no God (and a few of my friends would agree that there is no God), then what made the bang? Was it too much pressure? Too much heat? Too many failed attempts at a Rubix cube?...

I've just realised how off the road I've gone. I was going to have a mini-rant (mint, if you will) about how my sisters had Christian contests. And I've ended up talking about God and such. What made me go off the road so far?

Ah well. I'm not sure I want to go to either of my sisters' baptism. It doesn't seem like them. It kind of feels like their only doing it to please their boyfriends and their possible future in-laws. Oh, how my sisters would kill me if they read that.

But to be fair, I don't think that if I had a religious girlfriend (I know, imagine me with a girlfriend... never going to happen...), I don't think I'd have a baptism seven months down the line. Sure, I'd respect her thoughts, feelings and other stuff. But I can see a problem with having a girlfriend who believes in different things to me. There'd be arguments and the like. So, yeah... what am I on about now? God, this is worse than my Twitter account recently...

Ah well, Y'know what they say...

Every little thing is going to be alright...

- Na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na BATFIN.