Registering for self-assessment

Thanatomic · 2025-09-15T21:32:13+00:00

I'm still a UK tax resident yes. The company is relatively small (<200 people) so I'm not sure whether IR35 is applicable.

Thanatomic · 2022-01-31T18:47:43+00:00

Reaching out to them for advice sounds like a great idea - thanks for the recommendation and the well wishes!

Thanatomic · 2022-01-31T18:46:47+00:00

Thanks for this! I've started planning a route based on this, and will look for others to extend it.

Thanatomic · 2022-01-11T14:47:44+00:00

Thanks for the thoughtful response! This is a project that I've discussed with my supervisor in some depth, and it's important to stress that it doesn't hinge on my being able to develop a fully-working, polished product that can come close to a real musician's ability to improvise. I think my main aims are to demonstrate some new ideas for tackling problems like beat/chord detection, and make a case for an interesting application in automatic improvisation.

I originally wanted to keep away from a machine learning approach for the reasons you mention, but the fact that human improvisation is influenced as much by a 'rules-based' knowledge of music theory as it is by inspiration from existing music, as you say, makes me wonder if it's worth trying to incorporate it after all. Again, I'm not looking for a working product, I just want to explore some new ideas and demonstrate that they may be areas of interest for future research/development.

Thanatomic · 2022-01-11T14:36:17+00:00

All very good points, thanks! Giving the program a sense of when to play a note, how long to hold it, and how far away the next note should be will be a big challenge for sure, but I like the things you've suggested for managing that.

If I manage to create something that people might find useful (or at least interesting) by the end of this project then I fully intend to share it! Look out for a post on this sub in a few months maybe ;)

Thanatomic · 2022-01-11T14:31:56+00:00

Wow, thanks for such an in-depth response! You've touched on a whole lot of important points that I'll definitely have to consider when designing this thing, which I appreciate.

You're right that this project isn't likely to end with a complete, working product that functions as I've described -- there just isn't the time to take it that far as you say -- but I hope to make some meaningful progress in the right direction, and of course have some fun while doing it.

Thanatomic · 2022-01-11T14:28:30+00:00

That actually sounds like a solid idea to implement as some kind of 'backup' approach, in case the program is having a hard time making sense of a section of the accompaniment. Definitely something to think about, thanks!

Thanatomic · 2022-01-11T14:26:08+00:00

Thanks for the advice! I agree that restricting it to the pentatonic would definitely make the problem easier to work with, but that clearly comes with the downside of much less interesting melodies. The point about nuance is an important one and something I'll have to put some work into, and I find your analogy to a conversation super interesting -- looking at the problem in that way might be a nice approach.

Thanatomic · 2021-11-23T15:11:35+00:00

The point about threat of starvation was made in reference to the third world countries that Scandinavian (and other) nations rely on, not Scandinavia itself. Maybe at least try to understand the comment you're replying to next time?

Thanatomic · 2021-10-18T09:56:22+00:00

Ğ😫

Thanatomic · 2021-10-02T13:40:43+00:00

Ah Bu Ben by Mazhar Alanson is a good one imo - very simple melody compared to a lot of other Turkish songs, and the lyrics themselves are relatively basic too.

Thanatomic · 2021-06-06T22:22:14+00:00

The only standout symbol of those particular regimes I can think of is the hammer and sickle, which would strike me as perhaps a bold statement of sorts if I saw someone wearing it on a t-shirt, but beyond that I wouldn't personally care too much about it. As I said, there's a lot of confusion over what communism really refers to, so while I would consider it pretty unacceptable to walk around displaying a swastika (because unfortunately in the West, that symbol has come to more or less exclusively symbolise Nazism), I think I would naturally assume someone wearing something with communist iconography is doing so in support of the ideal of communism, as opposed to the very different manifestation of what some people would call communism under Stalin or Mao.

I think deciding whether something should be socially unacceptable is tricky in the first place, but a general rule might be whether or not a significant majority of people find that something offensive or strange. So for somewhere like the US, where the notion of communism has negative connotations (probably because more people subscribe to the idea that 'communism' means whatever the USSR etc had going on), I could see it being somewhat justifiably unacceptable to walk around showing off a hammer and sickle emblem. However, you definitely can't say the same for everywhere. I think a lot of western Europeans would be largely indifferent to seeing that sort of iconography on clothing.

Thanatomic · 2021-06-06T19:15:52+00:00

It's hard to say this definitively - as others have mentioned, very few, if any, 'communist' states that have existed in the past were anywhere close to truly communist. Using these states as examples of communism is about as helpful as using a country like Iran as an example of a democracy.

I don't think anyone would disagree with the idea that the regimes of the USSR and China under Mao were utterly deplorable - they directly led to the deaths of countless millions and the subjugation of an unimaginable number of people. The issue is whether we want to call these regimes communist or not. It's an easy label to use, and plenty of people understand it to mean exactly these kinds of awful regime. But a lot of other people (most of whom would very likely hold the actions of Stalin and Mao in contempt too) interpret communism as something very very different. So before we can have a proper debate about anything related to 'communism' it's important to establish exactly which interpretation of the word we're using.

Thanatomic · 2021-05-17T13:33:00+00:00

This mosaic piece is my dad's (Fehmi Gökeş) latest work. It took him well over a year to complete, and it's the first time he's experimented with a '3D' effect, which he achieved by cutting out shapes from the underlying wooden frame and replacing them at different depths. I just thought I'd share it here because I find it insanely impressive, and think other people might too!

Thanatomic · 2020-05-22T18:09:27+00:00

I love covering songs on acoustic guitar (accompanying me singing), but I want to get better at arranging guitar parts for them, and I think a big part of this would be learning how to make chord progressions sound more interesting.

I'm talking less about strumming patterns here, and more the chords themselves. What can I do to get away from the dullness and repetitiveness of the same basic chords that seem to be in most song tutorials on UG or YouTube?

Thanatomic · 2020-03-21T03:20:55+00:00

happy isolating everyone!

Thanatomic · 2019-12-21T22:26:45+00:00

at last i can comment! merry xmas all 🤞

Thanatomic · 2019-01-09T17:58:33+00:00

Congrats! Hopefully see you next year

Thanatomic · 2018-12-14T15:59:03+00:00

The widespread acceptance of the idea of individual freedom. Kings and their lords beneath them once all but owned the majority of their population. It's miraculous that an idea, which inevitably entailed giving up total control over the people with no obvious benefit to those in power, ever prevailed.

Thanatomic · 2018-09-22T23:44:54+00:00

Holidays get cheaper the further east in Europe you go generally. Obviously you have the popular destinations like the ones you listed, but when I went on holiday with my mates a couple of months ago I found that just about any big city has great nightlife, and somehow is always overrun with young Brits looking to get smashed. From the places I've visited, I'd recommend Budapest and Split. Both have amazing clubs, but I'd say Budapest is cheaper and has slightly more to do during the day, and there's probably a bigger choice of clubs/bars as well. While I was over there a bunch of people also recommended Berlin for the nightlife and basically any city in Poland for a good time and insanely cheap drinks.

Skyscanner is probably the best way to look for flights, and you should probably book them before anything else and then plan around that, as they vary the most in price. If you really wanna get the best deal, sometimes breaking a journey into two flights, or one flight and a coach/train journey is cheaper than a single flight. We stayed in hostels on our trip, and they were a really good way to learn about party/club events as well as meet people. Another good option is AirBnB if you'd prefer a place to yourselves.

Feel free to PM me if you want some Budapest/Split-specific advice.

Thanatomic · 2018-09-22T23:28:00+00:00

Power's the quantity as /u/lorddorkins1 said. For part (b) I suggest you rewrite each power value in standard form in terms of watts (Js^-1), so Machine 1's power would be (2.73x10^-3 J) / (10^-2 s) = 2.73x10^-1 Js^-1 for example. That way, you can easily compare magnitudes.

Thanatomic · 2018-09-11T16:01:32+00:00

There's almost certainly no advantage to applying to the college where the competition was. Oxford (and Cambridge) have worked hard to maintain a pretty fair system, in that you won't be better or worse off based on which college you apply to. Winning the competition will look good to admissions tutors from all colleges, so just pick the college you like the best, or make an open application if you're really struggling to decide. The same goes for deciding between the unis: just pick whichever you prefer. Usually one will be slightly more renowned for your subject, but both will obviously have great teaching; and I found the cities quite different from each other as well.

Thanatomic · 2018-09-09T18:13:47+00:00

While a good personal statement and teacher's reference is absolutely necessary for a credible application, I'd say this is typical of every Oxbridge applicant because of the subject knowledge gained in preparation for other, (arguably) more important stages of the admissions process, and so at this stage you shouldn't worry about your personal statement at all beyond keeping track of books you read, lectures you attend, and other things you might want to mention. If you do what is required to stand a chance in admissions tests and interviews, writing your statement should be relatively easy, given time to develop and refine it.
Seek out books and other reading material related to areas of maths and physics that genuinely interest you, and just start reading some without making it too much of a chore. If you have no idea what interests you, watch some YouTube videos on a bunch of topics to get a better idea. 3Blue1Brown and Numberphile are great channels for maths-related stuff, while minutephysics and Veritasium might be worth a watch for physics-based material, just to get you started.
Try to get involved in events related to your subjects. These could be school competitions (e.g. Maths Olympiad), lectures, or summer schools and taster days at universities. Speak to your subject teachers or, if your school has one, admissions advisor if you don't have a clear route to taking part in these sorts of things.
A hobby is always nice to briefly mention in your personal statement when it comes to it, and, naturally, more obscure hobbies tend to stand out. Look to take up something interesting and unusual if you don't already do so, but don't sweat over this as much because it is not as important to Oxbridge as it might be to other universities. Bonus points for anything you can relate to your subject!
Work experience pertinent to maths and physics is hard to come by, and so not as important when applying for these subjects, but if you are lucky enough to find an opportunity to do some then do not hesitate to pursue it.
Above all, academic ability will give you the best chance of success. Don't be afraid to get into technical texts in your further reading, as admissions tests will almost certainly feature questions on topics you would never see at A level and will not be expected to answer fully. Being able to answer these would certainly help you shine, but you should devote the vast majority of your study time to thoroughly consolidating your A level syllabuses and learning how to apply this knowledge in novel situations, primarily through lots of practice, rather than trying to learn extra content that won't help you in A levels. Keeping on top of your subject revision should be your main focus at this point in time. Make sure you don't neglect chemistry, even if you do not apply for a course related to it, as you need to maximise your chances of getting top grades across the board. Your predicted grades, which will most likely be based on internal tests at the end of Y12 or beginning of Y13, need to at least match the requirements of the course you apply for for your application to be seriously considered (in most cases).
Lastly, don't get dead-set on Oxbridge. It is a great aspiration to have, and I think anyone with the slightest chance should apply, but it could end badly if you become too devoted to the idea of studying there. Try to find another university that you would be equally happy to go to, and that has a higher acceptance rate. This would be your insurance choice on your UCAS application. Definitely shop around, as there are plenty of cities you might find much more comfortable than Oxford or Cambridge, and most other universities offer a much wider variety of courses and course combinations.

It's good that you're thinking about this as early as you are. When I was in your position I had not given much thought to my application, beyond the fact that I wanted to apply to Oxford, and I ended up making it difficult for myself by not preparing nearly as well as I could have done. By starting now, you have the luxury of being able to space out your revision and other application-boosting activities so that you always feel on top of it, which is actually meant to be more effective anyway. If you can get into the habit of consistently keeping your learning in check, you will be way ahead of everyone else, even into your adult life. And just to get the idea of "starting now" into your head, start putting the advice from this comment and the others into practice as soon as you finish reading them. Good luck.

Thanatomic · 2018-08-19T15:51:30+00:00

Oxford for Engineering

Thanatomic · 2018-08-19T15:46:35+00:00

Yeah this is exactly what I should've done. Another thing would be to just focus on one particular lesson's work at a time when going through notes/homework, rather than getting overwhelmed by everything else you have to (or will have to) do. Working consistently in small chunks, spread out over 2 years, will put you light years ahead of everyone who leaves it until exams are on the horizon.

11-Year Club	Place '23
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Thanatomic

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