I'm never around anymore.
I should probably explain why I'm like, never around.
I no longer have much interest in art communities. Sucks, but that's life :/
My best explanation is that I've buried myself in programming and such so much that my creativity's decided that design is secondary, thus all my creative pursuits go into programming.
Then there's the fact that I've grown distant from the dA community, and I kinda dislike the direction that dA itself is going in.


What's been going on with my life.
A quick summary of the events between August of 2009 and right now is in order.
August '09: My senior year at Harris Academy started. I took Advanced Higher Computing, Higher Information Systems and Higher Technological Studies.
Sept. '09: I dropped Tech. Studies and took Higher Psychology at a local college as part of the school-link programme we have with Dundee College. My birthday happened. I bought an iPod Touch.
December '09: I applied to the University of Abertay Dundee and Dundee University. We have the Christmas Panto at my school. It's a huge success. I donate blood.
January '10: Dundee Uni gives me a conditional offer to study Computing.
Feb. '10: Abertay Uni asks me over for an interview, and gives me a conditional offer for Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures, and Computing. I decline Dundee Uni's offer, and take Abertay's. My computing course goes into overdrive, we start the end-of-year project.
March '10: I start learning C# for my end-of-year project.
May '10: I get a bank account(!) and make my application for SAAS (Student Awards Agency Scotland)
June '10: SAAS awards me tuition fees for university. (This means I don't have to pay for university.)
July '10: I sit my exams. I get a new phone (HTC Hero). We have the Senior's Dance, I have fun. Here is a picture from that night.
4th Aug. '10: I get my exam results. Computing - B, Information Systems - B.
5th Aug. '10: I'm informed that Abertay Uni has received my results, and given me an Unconditional to study Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures.
6th Aug. '10: SAAS award me my Young Student Bursary money - I'll never have to pay this money back.


Up until about July of this year, I pretty much buried myself in my studies. You can find a very interesting post regarding the project I submitted for my advanced higher Computing project here. For those who cry "Bad Maff! tl;dr!", I offer a summary:
"School wanted me to write a program which would count for 40% of my final mark in computing. I made a game. I called it 'Secret of the Saltmine', and it's a bejewelled clone. I got 73 out of 80 for it, which is the highest mark in my entire class."

So now I'm finished high school. I'll be attending the University of Abertay Dundee in September, to study Ethical Hacking and Countermeasures.

So my life has been pretty great lately.
To those with Steam: I now own Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 and you should add maff130 to your contacts.

I recently read and fell in love with the Scott Pilgrim books, can't wait to see that on the 27th.

And that's about everything interesting that's happened between my last journal and now.

Edit
Oh hi. It's now December '10. I'm making a christmas list, which I am well aware will serve no purpose.

• Zune HD 32GB
  _{This is a biggie. I hate my iPod.}


• Kindle 3G
  _{Not really big but it'd still be nice to have.}


• Anything on my Steam wishlist.


• Money.


• Snuggles.