I've just added a tutorial on setting the Mail Merge Batch Size for Publisher 2002 - 2007. It can be found here.

Screenshots will follow once I get them taken.

Edit: Screenshots have now been added. Enjoy!

Well, I finally got my computer back from Novatech today, about a week after they said I should. They've replaced the hard drive, and not charged me for the shipping materials used to return it (yay), and also refitted the Alt key (or possibly fitted a new one - but they haven't replaced the keyboard, as all my crumbs are still in there. I should probably work out a way of getting rid of those.).

Much has been happening since I last blogged (I decided not to blog until I got my computer back, hence the long updateless period).

June 10th was my birthday (thanks to all who remembered), and a few of us went to G&D's in the evening to have a G&D's cake kindly purchased (mail order, the first time anyone has done so from them!) by my parents. We only managed half between four of us, so I took it back and dropped in on Bev 9/10 to offer it round. It went down rather well. Then sipped fresh elderflower cordial (mmm) and subsequently went for a random walk around North Oxford.

The cake itself was something else. It consisted of a thick layer of brownie at the bottom (the same mixture used to make G&D's regular brownies), with three thick layers of ice cream on top, one on top of the other, with random sweets on the very top. It was over a foot in diameter, and about six inches high. G&D's suggest that it serves 6 - 8, and that's a generous (unusual for a serving suggestion to be so on the generous side) estimate - like I said, half the cake stuffed four of us. I'd say a minimum of 8 adults to tackle the whole cake is a good idea. I initially tried to hack my way through the cake with a regular knife; but after one incision taking five minutes, Allan offered to go and get a bigger knife. He returned with a much more suitable knife, but that still made me look pitiful, so the dude behind the counter came out with the Uber Knife of Doom. That still wouldn't go through it, even with his beefy arms and body behind it, so he went and got a mug of steaming water to dip it in (hot metal cuts through ice cream better, if you hadn't worked that out). Even then, it took him another few minutes to get four pieces cut out. As payback, he made me stand on a chair and have Happy Birthday sung to me by the entire shop. How embarrassing!

The short option paper on Tuesday of 8th was far more pleasant than the other prelims, and now I've had the marks, it is reflected there. Surprisingly, though, I did manage a Distinction and a rather consistent set of marks (all in the 70 - 74 range apart from the short option, which was 40/50).

Wednesday of 8th was my trip to London to see Sarah and Parliament. Parliament could have been better (we were too late to see Prime Minister's Questions, and the debates on offer in both Houses were rather uninspiring and devoid of participants), but that was more than made up for by the wonderful company I had.

Thursday of 8th was Physics Punting. Everyone had a turn, no one was terrible (although Phil did manage to get us stuck on a submerged tree, I think he made up for it with his speedy sailing elsewhere), and lunch at the pub up the river was excellent. Allan unfortunately had revision to do and Emma was nowhere to be found, so it wasn't a complete gathering of the physicists.

Friday was primarily spent Not Packing. I'll update if I work out what I actually did.

And then Saturday of 8th came and I had to go home.

Since then, I've written an application for MVP Andrew Z Carpenter, which I am considering retailing to server admins. More on that in another entry. I've also backed up as much as I could of my old hard drive to my new SATA drive, sent off the computer to Novatech, waited (as I detailed above) and received it back. As brother has yet to vacate his computer, I can't boot it into Linux to restore the data yet (I had to run a Linux LiveCD to do the data recovery, and so it was easier to run Linux on my brother's computer, too, as I could use an SCP server. Also, Windows was having trouble seeing the SATA drive, whereas Knoppix saw it straight away. Both of which mean that the drive is formatted with Ext2, which Windows can't read (at least not without more work than it would be to just reboot into Knoppix)).

I've also discovered a taste for Linux. Although it's not going to completely replace Windows for the time being, I've come to appreciate some aspects of it, and so have reserved 13GB on my new (Fujitsu this time, rather than Toshiba) laptop HD for an Ubuntu installation. The rest of the space is being divided up between Windows XP (for when I need stability) and Windows Vista Beta 2 built 5456 (a newer release than the Public  Beta, for testing purposes and because it's so cool). Unfortunately I'm running Vista x86, as the x64 built refused to install, giving a boot loader error after setup copied the initial files. 15GB to XP, 12GB to Vista, and the rest of the space in a shared data partition (for program installation and documents).

I think that's all I've got to say. Oh, and to the person who arrived here Googling for 'head crash', I'd suggest using a secondary computer to create a Knoppix LiveCD, then boot onto that on the damaged machine, and then copy out all the data that's recoverable. And then either replace the drive, or if the machine's under warranty, send it back and get it replaced for free. If the machine is a desktop and you have another desktop available, then you could instead slave the damaged drive into the working machine, although I'd still recommend using a Linux LiveCD for the recovery (and at all times whilst the drive is in there), as it's less sloppy about what it does with installed drives.

OK, I'll shut up now.

P.S. Opera 9 is out! If you run Windows, I highly recommend switching or upgrading. I've noticed quite a few users, for some reason, are still running Opera 6 and 7. If you disagree, feel free to let me know why you aren't moving up.

Just a quick post to show off my 8-tier tower. I ran out of Diet Pepsi cans, so the third tier from the top is not quite symmetric, unfortunately. You can barely see that from this angle, though...

(Oh, and I've just noticed that the bottom tier is not quite perfect; some modification will be done later!)

Doctor Who in 20 minutes, followed by G&D's for ice cream cake. The weather is scorching, and apparently England won the football. (I'm grudgingly supporting them, seeing as Wales didn't manage to qualify.) Does life get any better?

Well, I tried to blog this last night, but DasBlog decided to time my session out and not let me use the Back button to take a copy of my entry.

I've finished compulsory exams - have one short option paper on Tuesday left. They didn't go as well as the past papers I was doing would have implied they would have. Damn examiners!

Now I'll attempt to answer questions Google users have been asking me by means of my referrer entries:

• Referrerspam doesn't work on this site. The only person that sees it is me, and I ignore it.
• This site does not contain the Wycliffe theme music, any MIDI files, or the Worms Armageddon theme music. Keep Googling, you'll find it eventually.
• I have no idea what happens if you drink too much Pepsi. I just know that I do.
• I have no pictures of individual Pepsi cans on here, only towers.
• "Lightning" is spelled "lightning". Lightning is an electrostatic phenomenon appearing as a forked flash of light, normally accompanied by thunder. Lightening is what happens when soemthing is lightened; when adding white paint to blue paint, you are lightening the blue paint. The two similar words can be used for amusing or poignant wordplay, as is done by Lazlo Zalezac.
• There are no tutorials on dasBlog on this site. Check the dasBlog website and fiddle with the settings files - that's what I did.
• If the same person as compained about diary-esque blogs on OxGoss is the one who found this blog by a search for OxGoss a while back, I don't care. I'm not forcing you to read my ramblings; if you don't want to read about my boring life, then don't bother visiting my website. I write for me, not for you.
• I don't think Diet Pepsi causes cancer; a recent independent study (not sponsored by soft drinks companies and acclaimed by consumer groups for its impartiality) showed no link between drinking beverages containing aspartame and cancer.
• Edit: To whomever Googled "abbreviation of someone who doesnt want something happening near there home" (should be their, not there, silly billy; and for some reason, I'm #2 in a search for that), I believe the acronym you're looking for is "NIMBY", short for "Not In My Back Yard".
• Edit2: To whomever Googled "zero wing band", email me. I might be able to help you ^_^
  

Wow, I'm #1 on a Google search for "I am Farscape" (with quotes); on the 7th page of MSN search results for 'Johnnny English' (no quotes); and bizarrely #1 for 'utc facebook registry' (no quotes - although why someone would search for that is beyond me!).

My lappy is out of action, so I have to satisfy all my computing needs in the JCR. The problem appears to be a head crash on my hard drive, although I can't affirmatively diagnose the clicking as the click of death, as I don't have a computer with sound facilities on which to listen to the sound clips. I'm leaving it well alone until I have a machine with which I can recover all the data I can to a new drive, and will then send the machine back to Novatech for the drive to be replaced under warranty. And if they don't do that, I shall be most annoyed.

Well, lots has been happening, and I've ended up not having the chance to blog it. So now I am, in roughly reverse order.

Today, I finished enough cans of Diet Pepsi to finish my 7-tier can tower, pictured below.

I am very proud, and very, very sad. But not quite as awesome and sad as the dude who is half-way through a 13-tier tower, also shown.

I got 81% on the Maths paper I got back today. I was hoping for more. Once again, lack of concentration was my downfall. That, and general ignorance. I frustrate myself immensely. I've done nowhere near as much work over the past few days as I should have, and wish I could make myself work harder.

I need to visit Krispy Kreme tomorrow, as otherwise the voucher I have for 24-for-the-price-of-12 will expire. And I don't want that to happen.

I also discovered today that my website (at the time of query) was #1 on a Google search for lectures finished. Someone has even arrived at my site from that query (which was how I discovered it). I'm so proud. I'm also getting numerous referrals per day looking for information on 'too much pepsi' and similar.

Monday, nothing much happened. I got up very late, having been up until 3:30.

Sunday night, I went out to Port Meadow to help Hannah with her art project. There was a tiny foal with its mother when we were on our way into the meadow, but I couldn't photograph it without a flash, and flash photography would have risked spooking the horses. Three wooden frames in the shapes of mounds were set on fire, in the dark. I took 220 photos; before, during, and after. Hannah videod. I got some aweesome pictures. Got back at 1 - 1:30ish; had cake in the Bev9 kitchen, came back home and posted all the photos on Facebook, and got to bed at about 3:30.

Construction of the mounds:

The mounds aren't lit:

The mounds are lit:

Playing with fire:

The third mound collapses (I missed the first two, but got lucky third time):

The fires burn down:

Embers:

Ashes:

Earlier on in the day, I got frustrated because Bev9/10 were all nagging me to get rid of my cooking equipment. Hence my being there to tag along to Port Meadow.

Saturday night I went out for Allan's and Chris's birthdays. We went to a very nice French restaurant on Little Clarendon Street; our chef was named Pascal, and the steak was cooked fantastically. We then went to see The Da Vinci Code, which was highly entertaining. Unfortunately the very emotional ending with sweeping music was a little difficult to get wrapped up in, as I was desperate for the loo. I had a large bucket of Diet Pepsi and had misjudged the length of the film. D'oh!
On getting back, it was decided that cake-eating was not going to occur. Some cream buns were had as I moved them between Bev9 kitchen and Bev1 fridge, though.

Saturday afternoon I spent 5 hours cooking. Two cakes (which ended up not being eaten in their intended fashions), and supposed Choux buns (for which the recipe failed miserably, so I ended up having to use far too much flour, and having rather unleavened cream buns. Most of the cream went on top of the chocolate, rather than in the middle.).

Friday I can't remember what happened, so it can't have been that interesting.

Thursday I went skating. Someone was having his first lesson, and went as far in about an hour as I did in 2 months on my own. I want lessons :-(. I think someone called me a woman AGAIN, too.

Wednesday I can't remember anything interesting, either.

Today's concert went well, although I split a few high notes in my solo because I was shaking so much. Free OJ afterwards was good. Didn't see Laura there, but didn't actually look at anyone in the audience whilst I was on stage, and if she was there she probably slipped away quietly at the end, so I probably wouldn't have seen her either way. Anyway, playing solo in front of an audience was certainly a learning experience, hopefully I can take something away from it to my next performance (when ARE auditions for music bursaries, anyway?

Not having lectures is weird. I actually have to get up in the morning, as I promised my scout I'd let her hoover my room. Probably means I should clear my floor, too. It's looking a bit... invisible at the moment.

Got 81% in the CP3 past paper I had back today. Not quite as good as I'd hoped; some areas I need to work on (such as not being careless - the age-old problem).

I made a cool site modification today. I'm not allowed to mention what it is or where it can be found, as that would be drawing attention to it which is against the TOS of the modification I've installed. Hopefully it will trickle me in some money.

Meant to practise for concert tomorrow today, but did not. Didn't have time. Sentence fragments again. Had a 1½-hour class with The Fonz, didn't do too badly (although not perfectly) on the tute sheet. Hopefully tomorrow's tute will be better.

SASJO concert tomorrow (Tuesday), 8pm, St John's Auditorium. Entry is free, I believe. Please come!

Having no lectures is weird. Also scary. I spent a few hours this evening reformatting Allan's laptop and XP-ising it. It is now much cooler, and more secure to boot.

Another weekend, another late night doing tute work for The Fonz.

I intended to watch Doctor Who last night. We're in the middle of a two-parter. The TV room was closed, so I went to the JCR. Two people had just started watching a DVD. Most frustrating. So after some ranting and raving, I checked the Radio Times for when tonight's repeat would be on. 7pm on BBC3. It was a date. Until I looked at my watch and saw it was 7:10. Grr. No point going then, as I'd already missed the resolution to the cliffhanger (the best and worst bit about Doctor Who two-parters).

Anyway, after more ranting and raving, I decided to search radiotimes.com for other repeats. Turns out the episode I missed a few weeks ago is being repeated on Thursday on BBC3, and the one I missed today is being shown on Friday. Perfect!

The Physicists'/Engineers' football match was due to happen today, but got called off (not before I'd gone to the uni parks looking for it, failed, and come home though!). I'd misread the email about the SASJO social, so that wasn't today either; leaving me with an empty afternoon of tute work. And procrastination.

I added donation buttons in various places over the last few days. Feel free to use them. I needs moneys!

5th week. Exams in 2 weeks today (today now being Monday). PANIC! Along with 5th week comes 5th week blues (not that I haven't had them in 3rd and 4th week, too, mind you). *sigh*

I bought four chocolate doughnuts in the Coop today. Two looked as though they had mould on, and one had raspberry jam in the middle. I was not amused. I still haven't received my new Coop card, either (after 6 weeks wait since I emailed asking for a new one). I live in hope.

Edit: If anyone can tell me why I'm getting referrerspam saying "yeast phots as fungi", feel free to let me know!

Well, yesterday (Thursday by now) I had an OK lecture, followed by ice skating (saw the most beautiful figure skater I've ever seen - not that she was the prettiest woman off the ice, but on the ice she was the most beautiful thing I've seen all year). Then as I wasn't formalling, I microwaved a ready meal, and killed time. Then on the way back from getting eggs to make a cake for Amanda's birthday today (Friday), I saw Amanda coming out of the house on her way to an obs session (talk about good timing!). Made the cake, iced it once it had cooled, and put it in the cupboard. Got into re-reading Thunder and Lightening (spelling of Lightening intentional, in case you were wondering), finally gave up about 2.

Got up this morning early intending to work for the midday class. Didn't happen. Didn't understand half of the class (knew I should have done the work for it - but will I learn?). Spent most of the afternoon reading Thunder and Lightening, then met everyone to get ready to give Amanda her cake. 19 candles (and only one splash of wax on the cake! Oops!). I think she liked it; she's certainly good at making you feel appreciated if she didn't. I'm guessing the former, I don't think Amanda could be insincere.

I had to dash off to get to Wyrd Sisters at the O'Reilly (Keble). It was damnably funny, and well done. Nothing like how it was described by the OxStu (well, if you're going to send someone who doesn't understand Pratchett humour to review a Pratchett-based play, you're asking for a crap review). Upon getting back, I got straight back into Thunder and Lightening, which I've now finished. Lazlo claimed that this was the edited version with fewer errors (he's been editing it with Drakhan). I can't say I'd noticed that many errors last time around, and there were certainly still a few left. Lazlo has a habit of saying "loose" when he means "lose"; I might let him know about that.

As soon as this MSN transfer completes (damn bandwidth throttling!), I'm going to bed. Ah, it's finished. Good night, all!