Sorry for a lack of updates but due to being back at uni and not really being sure what to write has meant it's been over a month since my last update.
This is a bit of a mix of a blog post, the theme being returns. I'll start off talking about my return to university and the start of my final year. Unfortunately it has not been that great and I have to say I enjoyed last year a lot more than I am enjoying this year so far. I think it's a combination of factors the main one being that I'm not seeing my friends anywhere near as much as I did the two previous years, this is due to us all doing different combinations of modules (although most of us do parasitology, but that is only 3 lectures a week) and we have far less lectures than we did before with only two modules per semester compared to three the previous two years. The other main factor for my discontent is the large jump in work load, I have two essays one for each of the modules plus a bunch of quite large assignments for my honours project (the honours project counts as two modules and takes place over both semesters, we chose topic titles over the summer and we have to complete individual projects including practical work, written assignments and a presentation). This means that breaks between classes are usually spent in the computer rooms working on these assignments compared to last year where it was not uncommon for us to just sit and chillax as a group over two hour breaks. Also I've now started the practical work for my honours project which means I'm in the lab from 9.30 to sometime in the late afternoon usually on both Thursday and Friday. It is a good experience and I'm sure I will learn a lot of useful techniques but so far it hasn't been the most enjoyable and I kinda feel like I've lost some of the confidence I gained from my work over the summer (different lab, easier work). It's not all doom and gloom thankfully one of my friends has many of the same breaks as me so their company has kept me from completely cracking up even if we are sitting working away. I'm also now off for a "reading week" so hopefully I can get most of the work on these assignments done.
Well that's the stuff about my life out of the way so if you wanted you could probably stop reading now but I'm going to continue rambling anyway.
As I've said before I'm a massive fan of Doctor Who and season 7 started over the summer and the mid-season finale aired a few weeks ago. The first episode aired whilst I was away on holiday, I had originally planned to wait until I got home to catch up but after the paper spoiled something in an article headline I ended up watching it on a poor quality internet stream, thank goodness I didn't read the full article before I watched it as it ruined a major plot point. I'm not going to post any spoilers of any kind but I will say that season 7 has been pretty great so far, and pretty consistent as well which is good. The asylum of the daleks episode was a fantastic opener and whilst not focusing on the daleks themselves as much as the hype suggested it did make them scary again after the ridiculousness of Dalek episodes (for example Journey's end). Dinosaurs on a spaceship was a fun episode introducing a great new character but also had some suprisingly dark moments as well. A town called mercy has split opinion some say it was the best episode of the season so far and others thought it was below par, I thought it was decent but could've been better. The power of three could've probably been a two parter, it's ending was rushed and some things were not explained but as an episode exploring Amy, Rory and the Doctor's relationship it was great. The angels take Manhattan was a great episode and a great mid-season finale and featured the return of the weeping angels which are always good for a scare, I'm looking foward to the christmas special and hopefully it will be better than the last two, I'm also curious to see how some of the internet theories about recurring themes from the episodes play out, some of them definitely seem like they will mean something and others seem a bit too subtle.
Turning now to music after quite a long break Muse (as I've said before they are one of my favourite bands) have returned with their new album the 2nd law. I have to say I wasn't impressed with the first two released songs-survival and the 2nd law-unsustainable but madness redeemed my hope in it. For those looking for a return to old school Muse you will probably be disappointed but as an album it's a lot better than most of the trash out there and is probably better than the resistance (though I think it gets too much criticism especially with the fantastic exogenisis symphony on it). It is quite a diverse record as well, Supremacy is clearly attempting to combine aspects of classic Muse with a bond theme, Madness is very stripped down and builds up slowly (though I prefer the live version with the guitar prominent in the mix), Panic station is probably the most surprising track on the album as it is Muse doing funk and Matt ooohs and aaahs throughout, it has an another one bites the dust esque bassline, a supersition like brass section and an very catchy solo, prelude is filler orchestral stuff, survival is pure cheese, follow me is much better, a very synth heavy song (but again I prefer the live version), Animals is a lovely surprise that really shows off Matt's guitar skill, Big freeze sounds like they tried to write a U2 song but it's by no means a bad song, Chris (the bassist) suprisingly sings not one but two songs on the album apparently about his alcoholism but I think I prefer the liquid state to save me, the first of the 2nd law songs-unsustainable has flashes of a great song but I just found it a bit silly with the woman news reader talking, the 2nd law-isolated system is a decent instrumental but just doesn't compare to the exogenisis three parter on the previous album. Overall it's great to have Muse back and it's nice to see them doing their own thing but this album could be better.
Well that's it from me for now, thanks for reading.
