April 2, 2012
Drama Queen
As usual, WT lags a fair way behind the ravening social media jabberwock that is Facebook, at least in some regards. But for completeness, there was this:
Discussing that clip's soundtrack with (separately) Davide and Ian reminded me that there's been a dearth of dicking about with GarageBand lately. Coincidentally, a recent app update introduced some new instruments to play with, so here I am playing with them. Really this represents a step backwards in what passes for my music-making, in that it basically just layers together a few automated instrument patterns rather than making any attempt at a watchacall tune, but I enjoyed it anyway.
In other news, I didn't get shortlisted for the CoMPLEX 2020 Science fellowship that I applied for, in a frankly somewhat half-baked fashion, a few weeks ago:
The panel were very impressed with your application, but felt it would be stronger once you have some publications. We may have another call in 6 months time, depending on the outcome of this round.
Not really unexpected, but curses anyway. Although on the basis of some of the reports I've had from spies within the 2020 camp, it's possible I've had a lucky escape.
- I'm at the 2020 external advisory board meeting. Boom - there's the word 'agile' being used.
- Kill everyone in the room.
- I would, but **** is here, and my Jedi mind tricks are useless against a Hutt.
- In that case, flee. It may not be too late to save yourself.
- What you fail to realise, it seems, is that 'agile approaches are the current state of the art in small-scale collaboration' (quoth **** ****).
- Oh well, in that case. Colour me convinced.
- Yes. It was enough to make me consider going back to the 'kill everyone' plan, and taking my chances v the Hutt-with-****-hair.
- Boom. Says **** the Hutt: '2 groups nucleating in this program are implementing some kind of agile process'.
- I am wiping away tears. Not quite sure whether they are of laughter or sorrow.
- Jesus wept. Even over lunch they're at it. Thank fuck I'm off.
Names redacted to protect the guilty, obviously. There is context for all this, which I am not about to go into, but at some point I might get around to explaining just why such bandying of non-skid agility merits execution...
As for the ostensible reason for rejection, my lack of publications is not helped by the fact that someone we might as well refer to as Lord Voldemort is obstructing my small-but-scientifically useful paper because he stupidly considers it to be a threat to a big-but-utterly-meretricious one he hopes to browbeat the editors of some high-profile journal or other into accepting despite its conspicuous lack of utility. I hate science.
Anyway, you must excuse me. I have, inter alia, a large Hilbert curve template to make for Maison Bertaux...
Posted by matt at April 2, 2012 4:03 PM