Bioware update...

...no, apparently. They said I was shit and to stop bugging them.

Actually, (actually it's still no but..), the test was reeeaaalllyyy hard.

Eight questions all provided in a simple text file. You have three hours to complete it and email back the text file. Use whatever resources you can find. So about 25 minutes per question.

1. Database questions. SQL, Entity diagrams, blah blah. No probs at all.
2. Linked Lists and strings in C++. No probs
3. Spot the bugs in Pointers-with-C++ program. Fine (if you know c++, lucky I read that book)
4. Improve a Prime Number program. Mmm, sure Maksym would have laughed but it was 4x as quick as original (they asked for 10x quicker).
5. Discuss B-trees. Lots of flam but I think it read well. Lots of flam.
6. Provided with a Matrix containing graphic. Write prog to rotate it in C++ (lossless).
7. Finish provided assembler program. No description of what it's supposed to do. 
8. Some other bollocks I didn't even understand the question. But here is a SMALL snippet:

You know that your hardware takes advantage of depth buffer information, andis able to occlusion-cull geometry that fails the z-test.   Write code to order the objects so that when they are rendered in that order:
1. Transparent objects do not occlude other objects and cause those objects    to fail the z-test
2. The hardware can take as much advantage of occlusion culling as possible.

Which seems somewhat challenging, but they do provide a hint which clears everything up:

You can assume that a significant number of these objects are opaque. Cheers mate, that really helps!

I understand the question (only just) but seriously, who even knows where to begin.

Look, if you want me to hash something just say so. Or convert everything in a string to uppercase. Or say "hello world" 1000 times. I'm your man.

I don't think my answers to the last three questions can have helped my application

6. What?
7. Uh?
8. Sausage?

However, much like Paul (pablosbarlow.blogspot.com) I have decided (maybe) to pick a book or two on the art of games programming. This is for fun only and to prove a point. I'll let you know.

Maybe I'm too old.

 

Progress...

None.

Bought this book "Learn C++ in 10 minutes" which sounded promising. Actually it's quite a good book and at only 300 pages I figured I could read it in the 5 days available.

Unfortunatley, when I get home from work I'm tired and just wanna watch TV and go to sleep. They start reeeeeel early over here, I get up at 7:30! Who knows what that's all about.

So I'm up to page 174 and not feeling too hopeful (exam is tomorrow). So for those expecting free Bioware games for life....I think not.

Good thing I've already got a job really.

Ady: I did think about cheating (by sending the exam to Maksym) but unfortunately he'll be asleep and they want the exam back 3 hours later. So unless we can find another C++ expert available at 2-5am GMT I'll have to rely on my own brain.

Bioware II

It appears that I passed my interview. A two-hour long blinder in which I may have suggested I knew how to program and hadn't been convicted of grand theft auto (well, they didn't specifically ask).
 
Next up is a three hour exam. On thursday. In C++.
 
I had a look at my CV and, luckily enough, I never claimed any knowledge of C++ (which is odd, as I usually slip it in somewhere near the bottom). So I guess as a long as I get more than zero, I will have impressed them. Hell, if I get over 10% I'll make them beg.
 
Fingers crossed.

Once more into the breach...

I've avoided it as much as possible, but I feel I must devote an entire blog to the weather here in Canada.
 
British (and by British I mean people living in Great Britain, or head-office as I refer to it to the natives) people by-and-large like to talk about the weather.
 
And after having spent some time in a place that actually has weather, I find it odd that the British (and by British I mean decent god-fearing folk, non of your French nonsense). Sorry where was I?
 
Oh yes, weather. Yes we have it, and, cor-blimey, there's plenty 'ere mate.
 
Now that that is cleared up...
 
Suffice to say it is very hot (or tres chaud as the French peasants would say) here in France. I mean Canada. Around +35C. When talking Canadia weather it's best to be explicit about the sign (the plus or minus bit at the front for any girls reading). If you just say 35C you really have no idea which side of toast is buttered.
 
Despite this +35C nonsense, last night, during another thunderstorm, there were plenty of reports of golf ball size hail (just marrowfat peas in our district). And the thunder, it's not like Baldrine you know. Waiting around for 2-3 minutes for the next strike, the strikes are every few seconds, big buggers to.
 
We've also had tornados. Two to be precise. Not little whirlwinds (of which I've seen two, up close) but full Tornados. Just to the west of where I work. I didn't see them, one of the joys of air-conditioning and tailor made trousers.
 
And flash floods. During the storm (on the night I crashed my bike) the Whitemud Freeway (a big 8 laner) totally flooded, the waters covering the abandoned cars.
 
It's all rather bizarre, especially for one brought up in old jolly old Britannia. And to top it all, the Canadianas don't even talk about it, "which storm?" they say, and "No, I was asleep, who are you anyway and what are you doing with my trousers on".
 
Off to bed now, next demonstration of God's Power should start in about 45 minutes judging by the clouds.
 
Poo and wee.

Things looking up

Starting to get into the work thing, it's quite enjoyable actually. They all think I'm mad of course. Got permission to listen to music so it's almost like InvisiSpew.

And then, just when work is going well, Bioware ring up. Really, really keen to speak to me. Interview tomorrow. If they offer it, I'll probably (75%) take it, but I am enjoying myself at HM, it'll be a hard choice.

Me knee still sucks.

Tour de France is going well (I'm still supporting Jan Ullrich, pointing that out while he's in 20th place).

Only other news is my visit into the city. I went forward and thought "no way, this can't be" but I went on aanyway. The other fella said he'd take care of it but I knew nothing of that. From the way he's been talking over the last few hot days, you'd swear his muscles had totally cramped up. He'd dropped me off just near to the forest, but I didn't know where I was or where I was going. I thought about speaking to Betini (the younger one). That left me following the autobus, but he wasn't worried, apparently he'd taken the opportunity to bury it, at least the bill was lower this month.

....er....

Sorry, you'll have to ignore that last paragraph, it doesn't seem to make any sense, I think there's a fault with my keyboard, the J is stucjk. See?

Dater Lays

Bad week

Well, don't expect anything too humourous in this entry as I've had a crap week.

Been getting fitter and fitter on the bike (what with Canada being great for cycling in) and had started cycling to/from work (about 10 miles each way).

Anyhoo, Tuesday night, it's a little drizzly when I left, nothing outrageous and as someone who lived in the IOM who cares about a bit of rain.

Two miles later, it's getting close to a downpour. I had to stop at a shop and ask for a plastic bag to put my MP3 player in. Another mile later I decide to get off the main roads as they're starting to flood and the cars are starting to look scary. The rain at this stage is well beyond anything the IOM can produce.

One more mile and the thunder starts. One more mile and the lightning and the thunder are happening simultaneously (you know what that means).

The lightning starts taking the piss out of me, jumping from cloud to cloud directly overhead. Teasing me and my petty life.

The rain has now moved beyond power-shower strength. The roads are now rivers of water, the level up to the height of the pavement at each side. The lightning is angry with me.

At this stage I am sprinting(as much as one can sprint when the water is 6 inches deep) from one streetlamp to the next, assuming the lightning will hit the lampposts before me. I'm also thinking "lightning won't strike a cyclist as the tyres are rubber". Then I'm thinking "my metal wheel rims are below the water level" and "anything that can leap from the clouds to the ground through thin air is gonna have no problem vapourizing my tyres".

The final 4 miles I am shitting myself. Haven't been as scared since I was a child.

There is lightning everywhere, the rain is soooo heavy it's slowing me down.

I finally get to my street and I think "it would be typical to get hit outside my house" and I speed up, swing into my drive (which is running like a river), aquaplane, fall off, slide UP my drive and under our car (parked in the garage).

Now a cyclist, still attached to his pedals, lying (sliding) on his side will not actually fit under a car. Something has to give......in this case my ligaments. For those who know me, this is not a new thing.

So now (5 days later) I'm sat on the couch, ice on leg, feeling sorry for myself.

Life sucks

Lots of love

p.s. the Power-Shower comparison is NOT an exaggeration. The rain here is f**kin ridiculous when it finally falls.