matthewcornish.info

so you think you found me?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:54:00 +0000

Kinda; you should really start over at www.matthewcornish.info where one day a new blog will go up. In the meantime you should really be following either my facebook updates, or better yet my twitter account, for more on what's going on. This blogger page is left over debris from the old site but often features high in Google searches for my name. Micro-blogging really is easier and more fun to keep up to date with than the traditional blog; especially when it can be done from a mobile phone. Here's hoping this still publishes to my server... and that you're all safe and well!

Is this thing still on?

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Mon, 05 May 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Hello! Woah... my website is really getting out of date now! It's been a long time since I posted here and goodness knows where I would begin in catching up with old followers. Sorry if I give your RSS readers a heart-attack as the update comes in!

Anywho, I'm going to redo the website sometime in the near future. My degree comes to an end in a couple of weeks and I plan to use some of the time thereafter to focus on projects and other things that I want to do.

Hope all is well with anyone who happens across this old old blog. Take care.

Back in Newport

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 15 Apr 2007 10:11:00 +0000

Arrived back here at 0825 or thereabouts.

Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 07:00:00 +0000

I like Easter breaks away from University. This year especially I can appreciate the warmth of being home with family. No boiling kettles for hot water in the mornings to wash and shave with; no going to bed with a hot water bottle; no electric fan heater monotonously droning away in the background to keep warm during the day; no frowning faces when I walk through the house. Back to stress free Devon in the countryside where things seem so much better.

With the garden I worked on at Newport slowly blooming, I cut a dozen flowering daffodils to take home to Mum. I'd have taken more but as anyone who knows anything about gardening would appreciate - to expect bulbs planted during a cold November to all be out in flower come early April is silly. I was very lucky I had as many as I did to take home last week; as really bulbs should be put out in September. Not that we had a garden to speak of at that time! Anywho, next year they more than likely will be out in March but I'll not be around to see it. And when the rest of the garden catches up I'll be spreading them out amongst people who will appreciate them. That's my prerogative - I did put all the hard work in after all!

It's been a rough ride for my family recently. My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and rushed into hospital for surgery to remove it. Any sort of operation is dangerous at the age of eighty-six but he made it through and we understand he's clear of cancer now. Shortly thereafter, my niece Laura fell terribly ill one night in what my sister describes as the most frightening experience in all her life. The children's hospital took care of her and thankfully she has been steadily making progress. I gather she'll be on medication for a while. A nasty experience she hopefully doesn't understand; though that undoubtedly will make her stronger. Laura will be one year old in a couple of weeks time. How time flies!

So I've not been very happy recently and under a fair amount of duress with one thing or another; however, thanks to phones and the Internet I've been able to keep in touch with friends and family through it all. I'm not overly religious but my faith does help take the edge off when things get tough; and Easter is a good time of the year to reaffirm that. But I'll do that in my own private manner... the fact my father is a vicar doesn't make the slightest difference to how I feel about anything. In fact, it doesn't really figure at all in my life beyond being what my father does for a job - except when little children at primary school used to tease me about it. But hey, that's what little children do.

One thing no amount of faith was going to put right was the fact two of my camera lenses decided to give up the fight and die on me. The cost of repair actually exceeded the cost of replacing them so I've had to order new ones. I say new, one of the two lenses has been ordered brand new for just ten pounds more than the repair cost (and £90 was a great deal in itself). The other is no longer sold anywhere so had to be bought second hand on ebay and was thankfully in good condition. Plus £35 was a lot less than the £60 I was quoted for repair on that one!

Luckily over this past week I've been in possession of my good friends digital SLR camera which is a fantastic piece of kit. It's a Canon EOS-300D so feels very familiar to me, owning three Canon SLR cameras as it is already. I've been snapping away at stuff and for anyone who is interested it'll be possible to view some of those photographs as I trickle them up to my deviantART gallery.

Will this experience convert me from using film? If I could justify putting £500 down on a nice EOS-400D then sure... perhaps it would. Otherwise I can't see much need for it right now. I'm more interested in getting a decent 15-35mm wide lens for my current equipment and even then, that won't happen in a hurry having just spent out on replacing broken lenses.

Anywho, time for me to sign off. I hope to be visiting my grandparents on Monday but will spend the rest of the week working before heading back to Newport on the 15th.

Take care and have a great Easter.
Matthew.

Fear in Truth

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 16:18:00 +0000

There are a lot of ways the world could end. Flood. Nuclear war. Mad cow disease. Genetic manipulation gone awry. Dinosaur attack. Runaway greenhouse effects. Massive infidelity. Sentient cars. Asteroids. Comets. Asteroid throwing comets. A deadly pink-eye epidemic. Vampire invasion. Zombie outbreak. Michael Rader trying to act out Shakespeare. Or in my case, a complete and total lack of muffins. And as I look at the cupboard in steadfast horror, it is impossible to avoid the ever darkening shadow of truth that lurks over my retreating soul.

I have no muffins.

At last...

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 11:46:00 +0000

So yesterday saw the end of semester one -- second year -- with the grand finale being a somewhat daunting Systems Analysis and Design exam yesterday. While it has an interesting premise, it is difficult to engage with a subject called SAD. I've no idea how it would work but someone has to be able to work HAPPY into the equation. A golden donkey to he who can make this cheerful word work as an acronym for that module. Your children’s children will thank you for it. Perhaps.

Semester two rolls on next week. Sadly without one of my friends, who it seems is leaving. While I've not much time for quitters, I do respect him for making the decision and wish him all the best. You'll be missed my friend; take care.

I'm looking forward to getting my teeth into Special Effects & Animation, probably the most motivating module we'll have this semester. I'm not sure how Operating Systems will fit into the grand scheme of things. The Networking module seems rational enough but could be very dry depending on who teaches it.

I'll be using this weekend to finish off my dissertation proposal. Something inside me desires to know I've got that started nice and early... and I want to do the best I can.

University aside, there isn't a great deal going on. I earned some good money doing a little design work for the client of a friend of mine. This paid for a new scanner which has a film negative unit with it; which will save me money getting negatives scanned at the developers. See how you can connect the dots looking back.

I've been spending as much time as possible with friends, either going out, meeting up in uni, or staying in. With the state of affairs at the house being as it is, unmoving, I've appreciated the distraction. My thanks to friends and family for the support and advice on a scenario I haven't had to face before. We'll see how things pan out.

Before I wander off out for the afternoon, a little memorandum to watch out for a redesign of my site in the coming weeks. I'll be making the whole thing a lot more interactive in terms of me being able to show you what's going on in the relatively uninteresting world of me. With my website coming up to being ten years old it seems fitting to give it a major rethink. I hope you'll like it.

Back in Newport

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 13:00:00 +0000

I've gone back to Newport to continue my studies.

2006 - Still Working Hard; Still Single.

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 11:45:00 +0000

If one was to say that my 2006 would read like a long yawn then yes, forgiveness would be forthcoming for the understatement. If someone was to ask me to sum the year up in a sound byte phrase, it would be "Still working hard; still single".

Working hard is what I was brought up to do. It's not as though I can't be lazy -- I can be very lazy when I want to be -- however, going to university is something I take very seriously. After five years of working very hard in a career in architecture that I practically fell into, these studies should set me on a new path towards a hopefully happier future. I think that's worth working towards. Overall I averaged an A grade last year and I aim to keep that up for my second and third years. I have already begun work on my final year dissertation.

As for being single... that wasn't something I was brought up to do though it's something I think is being encouraged so as not to get in the way of my studies. That said, this year -- a matter of a few weeks ago in fact -- I bought some flowers and asked a friend if she'd like to go out with me. As I notch up another rejection I do get the feeling that nice guys like me are destined to have plenty of female friends, none of whom want more than friendship. Yes, it makes me a little unhappy at times but considering the alternative, I'd rather have them be my friends. Just the way things are.

So does this mean that nothing else happened in 2006? No. I just don't believe anything out of the ordinary happened. That said, when I moved into a house with five other students in September I became friends with some great people; if you put their attitudes towards bills and cleaning aside. Since moving in I have transformed the garden and look forward to Spring when it should come to life as I planted a gazillion daffodils out there. Oh and I discovered that I do in fact like Chineese food. Yes, the fact I'm now struggling to think of anything from 2006 I want to mention here probably says a lot.

All that's left to say is a big thank you to my family for their continued support; and that I hope everyone has a wonderful 2007. Happy New Year!

25

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:04:00 +0000

I'm twenty-five today

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Mon, 25 Dec 2006 10:52:00 +0000

The following is a repost of my journal entry at deviantART. The original may be found here and my art, as always, may be viewed here.

***

Entering my late teens, I lost the innocent acceptance of a commercialised Christmas that only children can be excused for enjoying. In short, I grew up. For me it has become time for being with family and reflecting on my faith. I'm not outwardly religious -- I don't go to Church or preach on street corners -- however I do believe it's very important to be mindful of God in all we do. After all, life is an ongoing dialogue with Him.

When you take a photograph; you're photographing God. When you paint a picture; you've painted God. When you work your craft; it is God you have worked with. When you write a poem; your words are God's words. If art is our way of expressing an idea, a view, or a feeling; then God is always there to hear it. When browsing through deviantART, you are in a sense reading our conversations with God.

My purpose here isn't to preach at you -- it may sound like it but I simply wanted to give an insight to my faith -- rather, I'd ask you to stop and give thought to what this time of the year is about. It's not about giving or receiving gifts. It's not about getting some time off work or school. It's not about partying and getting drunk. Regardless of your faith, it's a time of the year for love. Loving your family, your friends, the wider community around you. For Christians it's a time when we remember that God loved us so much he gave us His only son.

Anyway, I want to wish you all a great time this holiday season, no matter what you're doing. My special love to those here on devART who make a difference for me: Setenay, Sarahlouise, Paul, Carole, Bea, Carla, Irene, Becky, Lucia, Sarah, Karin, Saku, Theresa, Vickie, Kaz, Maria, Alina, Lynn, David, Michael, Swaroop; and those closest to me in my daily life who keep me going: Paul, Bonny, Terry, Zoe, Nichola, Sofia, John, David, Sean, Jon, Helene, Bridget, Sophie, Dave -- and others who I can't think of right now -- you're all great and thank you so much for being such wonderful people.

Kindest regards,
Matthew.

For Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 19:12:00 +0000

If I may I'd like to draw your attention to two items I'm auctioning off at eBay.

A Canon IXUS II APS camera: see here
A Sega Dreamcast console with accessories: see here

I'm only selling within the United Kingdom.

Thank you for your interest

Fined by the University

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 11:03:00 +0000

This morning I received my bond back from the University, which was paid for accommodation in halls of residence. Of course, this was less fines leveraged against everyone for the actions of a few.

So £38.50 of my £100 bond was taken because:

There was spray paint on a chair and the blinds of the communal lounge (I never actually knew where the communal lounge was. In fact I spent most of my time believing there wasn't one!)
The kitchen needed cleaning (I stopped using the kitchen after my first two weeks in halls due to the gross lack of hygine exhibited by other students.)
A broken mini-fridge door (They'd better not be refering to the mini-fridge in what was my room because I reported that broken from the start... and if it was from another room then why am I covering that persons costs?)
Someone let off the fire extinguishers (I'm guessing no one ever owned up to that, although I thought he (yeah, I know who it was) had.)

I'm not best pleased!!!

Cosham

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 22:58:00 +0000

Today I was in Cosham, visiting my grandparents (father's side). They're holding up well and seemed fairly chirpy, which is good. The weather was much cooler than it has been recently (in fact it's been raining all day back here in Tavistock) which was very pleasent. Drive up was great - took three hours with the roads being mostly empty. The way back wasn't so brilliant though, what with heavy traffic and conjestion with no cause. The wet weather back in Devon wasn't so fun to drive through... though I do love driving! I'm worn out...

CafePress

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 17:16:00 +0000

It has been a long time since I first used CafePress to order a tee-shirt designed by a friend of mine from deviantART. Sadly it's no longer avaliable to purchase but back in October 2004 I thought it was great - I still do think it's great - I just doubt you'll see me wearing it

Anywho, hop-footing it to the current day, I now find myself wanting to sell my own designs. A friend of mine owns a little outfit that wants to sell them but while I wait for them to get their act together, you'll find a nice range of items for sale in my CafePress store!

To view what's on offer, please visit www.cafepress.com/matthewcornish

deviantART :: Do Something Special

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:50:00 +0000

If you're a member of deviantART you may find my do something special campaign of interest. There's a nice little flash animation and details of things I'm doing to make the sixth year of deviantART. No getting official support from the community has made things a little difficult (admins were made aware of all this back in May). Disappointing... and I've had issues getting all this together... but we'll see...

University of Wales, Newport :: myCommunity

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sat, 22 Jul 2006 14:24:00 +0000

The University setting up a service such as myCommunity for use by staff and students looks to be a good idea. This comes as part of a wide range of additions and improvements that with any luck will enhance the overall experience. Progress is being made and it is possible to view the latest changes to myLearning Essentials at mlev2.newport.ac.uk. Hopefully what is there at the time of writing isn't the modern new look they're aiming for and that we'll see vast improvements over the next couple of months.

An instant messaging service is being provided which I gather you can only log into if you are a valid university member (i.e. you have a username/password for services such as myLE). This seems sensible, though many people who want to chat with each other online will probably use their existing instant messaging service of choice rather than have multiple IM clients running. Of course, being Jabber based, it might be possible to use this new service with Trillian (software that connects to multiple services).

Finally, there's a University of Wales, Newport Wiki - treat a Wiki as an information source to which users can contribute. If you have a valid university account (chances are you do if you study at the university) then it's possible to log in and start contributing!

So it's all looking interesting and with any luck it'll deliver and be of use. I'm not sure exactly what purpose an image gallery serves (other than it being a feature of the software this system is running) though I've added a few photographs from my deviantART gallery as a bit of self promotion. I'll be keen to see how open people are in talking about the university on a system hosted by the university (especially staff)! For my own ends, this may be useful for talking about university life, though I'm not about to give up on my own, often currently neglected blogger here.

For now, back to enjoying the Summer - it's great being home in Devon after my first year at the University of Wales, Newport and I'm looking forward to the next. Hope to see you all soon :)

Holiday and Summer Work

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 20:27:00 +0000

Sadly the work I had lined up for this Summer has fallen through. The firm would require me to work traditionally, at a drawing board. All my previous experience has been with AutoCAD on a computer so I've had to back down .

Also, my heart breaks to say that I cannot make it to Turkey this Summer . I was to be travelling with a friend but he's now unable to get away and I'm unhappy about travelling on my own for my first time outside England... plus I'd have no one to be with in Turkey. So it'll have to be next year.

Back home :)

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 16:10:00 +0000

Yay

Summer Work

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 10:03:00 +0000

I wrote to two architectural firms with my CV saying that as I'd be home in Devon for about three months, I'm free to do some part time work. Well this morning I had a call from one saying they're very interested and asking me to call back when I get home. Yet to hear back from the other firm, who just happen to be my past employer of five years.

Accommodation for Second Year

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Mon, 22 May 2006 22:44:00 +0000

I can't tell you how tense this past couple of weeks has been for me. I'll leave the full story for another day - the important thing is I now have somewhere to live during my second year of studies. I signed the dotted line this afternoon on a reasonable house right in the middle between the two campuses. I'll be sharing with five other students who all seem very pleasent.

David, Sophie, Steve, Nicola and Zoe... I look forward to getting to know you better over the course of the next year (hopefully the next two years in fact).

It stopped snowing

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 21 May 2006 17:40:00 +0000

Mum looks at this blog now and again and says "It's still snowing up there then?"

A lot has happened recently but for now it's suffice that I report back, letting you all know I'm still alive. The people who really need to know what's what know anyway. I'm half wandering what the point of a blog is these days.

Oh, and it stopped snowing...

Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:41:00 +0000

Must have been snowing all night because this morning I opened the curtains to be blinded by the whiteness of everything!

Update: Been out and about - sadly the snow has started to melt so it's a little slushy in parts. It was fun earlier this morning walking out in the snow where no one else had been. Crunch crunch crunch...

A few snowmen have cropped up over the course of the morning.

Authenticity

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 09:00:00 +0000

In order to maintain a sense of the authentic student experience (or to prove people living on this floor really don't care) a memo circulated yesterday asking for folks to keep the place clean and tidy for the open day was completely ignored. In fact, what the prospective students are going to see when toured around later today is worse than usual. I'm amazed housekeeping hasn’t been around hammering on the doors demanding people get up and clean the place.

Vote for... just who are they?!

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:00:00 +0000

It's hard to walk around either Caerleon or Allt-yr-yn campus without seeing various "vote for me" posters for the pending student union elections. This means people you've never seen before and never will see again are running around asking for your vote. Yesterday a few of us where canvassed in the refectory by one of the girls standing for President. We told her we're not voting for people we never see. Opening her mouth to try convincing us otherwise showed she didn't have a clue about what was happening in the university, beyond her idea that students needed more licensed bars on campus. Whatever...

Oh and for some reason the Student Union supports the strike and industrial action that the lecturers are taking. They're a joke!

Good News

noreply@blogger.com (Matthew E Cornish) — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 15:33:00 +0000

I don't talk much about my family here, however it's been very good to learn that my sister's boyfriend has found some decent work. In good time too - the pitter patter of tiny feet is on it's way... and I'll become an Uncle. What a thought.