TomRed's blog & stuff

Among the garbage on this blog would be a few good posts, generally with a beat of meat on ’em (though such a thing is extremely rare in the early posts). I’ve realised I’ve been getting >100 views for the past ten days or so in a row now (surprise only arises when disregarding the fact that it’s exam time). I think it’s a good thing to recommend this random traffic to a blog that has the equivalent of my best posts as a daily occurrence, ergo GameInfoDaily.

Yes, it’s a friend’s blog so there is a bias in this quasi-advertisement, nevertheless I haven’t been obliged by him to suddenly make this post (procrastination happily gave me the nudge). It’s exactly what it says on the tin, in depth reviews on games, game series, components on gaming (shit, I’ve just lost The Game in doing this). If you’re remotely interested in gaming (i.e. a male) then take a look, and bring with you an integrity to read the many paragraphs that constitute the daily doses.

Now shut up and watch this first part of the Stephen Hawkins documentary. Thanks to Jason for the video. You wouldn’t think he was 68 now would you?

Mechanics was yesterday. I did it and during the exam my opinion on my performance fluctuated quite a bit, at the end I was quite scared as the last question I managed to check appeared to be wrong. Leaving the exam, that question was right. All the others were wrong.

OK, not all the others, but enough to lose 90%, and possibly 80%. Aiming for 100% in this case wouldn’t be so damaging if I wasn’t arrogant at every waking moment and invested all my pride (and a bit of cash) on my performance. I’m not really angry at Edexcel, I just had a bad day. I’ve learned that arrogance is no virtue.

Why am I so sure I made a mess of things? Post exam discussions can be quite reliable, even though not exactly consented. What eliminates hope is a leaked copy of what appears to be a mark scheme:

If you believe in the saying ‘ignorance is bliss’ then stay away from that shit.

Ah well, there’s still C2. I’m just lamenting the loss of myself on the highest step on the maths podium, then moaning that I hurt my knee on the fall.

On an unrelated matter, I think I should mention the link to a ZIP folder concerning the Knockhardy presentations and stuff for chemistry I put up today, the link isn’t that noticeable in my chemistry section.

Update: this guy does solutions (including M1 solutions) on YouTube. He might be your last hope.

For those of you that don’t do mechanics, walk away, nothing to see here. As explained in the A-level stuff section to your top right I don’t have a maths section, so I’ll put this material here.

Basically, in mechanics, almost every paper asks a question or two about mathematical modelling, and requires a bit of common sense and awards a mark or two. I don’t have common sense, so if you’re on mutual grounds with me then you might want to know the general answers, and they are as follows:
• If it asks about how you’ve used the fact that the string is light, tensions will be the same for the two particles.
• If it asks about how you’ve used the fact that the the string is inextensible, acceleration will be the same for the two particles.
• Asking about what it means for the string to be light, mention that it has no weight.
• When asking about how a model is unrealistic or what refinements can be made for kinematics, mention air resistance or possibly the ‘spin’ of the particle (use your head).
• If it asks what it means that a beam is uniform, the weight acts at the midpoint of the beam.
• If it asks what it means for something to be a particle on a beam, mention that its weight acts precisely at that point.
• When asking about what it means for the plank or beam or whatever to be a rod, it means it’ll remain a straight line/rigid.

I think that’s correct, don’t kill me if I’m wrong. I got them from the mark schemes, and compiled them on this document:

I’m not really in a religious-bashing mood, I just find this video interesting and upbeat. However, I will kill anyone who insults science.

Did you watch South Park’s 200th episode and its successor? If so, continue reading. If not, watch the two then come back with an understanding of the context.

Basically, the religion of peace is on its time of the month again and has again displayed its title as the motherlord of artistic criticism. To protect the legends that make South Park, the Internet has uptaken a safety in numbers approach to depict the prophet Muhammad in creative ways, ergo Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, ranging from the intentionally offensive to intentionally inoffensive. I’m not a fan of freedom of speech, if I came into power tomorrow there will be a lot quotas on speech but that’s a different story. However, when an ideology comes to take this fundamental human right away from us with the threat of random violence, that’s when I get mad.

Ladies(?) and gentlemen, let me give you exhibit A:

This is Muhammad, this is my impression, this is suspiciously similar to the 4chan face. Don’t be a pussy, make your own.

Perhaps I should have made a post acknowledging the new government, or at least mentioning that I have study leave as of today. Whatever, here’s a video of a possible solution to what was ‘the Brown problem’.

I was going to post something politics related, you know, because the government’s sluggishly reforming. However, after coming across a 2010 version of a song parody I like I feel the urge to share like it’s a command of Man Law.

It has recently come to my attention that we live in a country where we get to choose our leader. I find such an idea radical and unsafe, and advise my fellow man to vote against it.

What can we expect? The Dear Leader Gordon Brown coming back to lead the country into what would almost be a single-party state? Market man David Cameron cutting expenditure and the balls off the working man? Filthy liberal Nick Clegg killing every child under the age of two due to a lack of religion that makes him know right from wrong? A hung parliament?

My money’s on a hung parliament, as with most, based on the evidence. Personally I’m neutral (but with bias for the TomRed-Peter Fascist Party), not because I want to be impartial to my readers, but because I believe I’m too ignorant to make a choice. This election does appear to be different from the others, I mean, the liberals might have a sniff of what it’s like to have governmental influence, and it could well be a hung for the first time in about 36 years.

As for my party, fear not the reason why we’re not running. Democracy is an inferior method of attaining power.

I (Joe) have finally fixed that small annoyance concerning the address bar (i.e. when you click a link it will remain as ‘http://www.thomas-reddington.com/’ and there’s nothing you can do about it. As it was brought up to me today, I (Joe) decided to fix it, single-handedly. Furthermore, notice I moved the ever-growing A-level stuff section to the main bar thing, which was suggested by the same anon (I should make him a chief engineer or something).