I, foolishly had gone through a long period of having cautious faith (to a point) in the human race. Suffice to say these ridiculous thoughts have subsided due to numerous wake up calls. I can’t believe that I was so silly for so long again. If nothing else it serves to reinforce the belief in the superiority of animals in terms of trustworthiness and loyalty.
Many things, one of which being our neighbours in Egypt who persist in killing dogs. Since April last they are on their third. The first was Alsation-esque and left out in the mid day sun. If it wasn’t left outside it was left in front of the house with no water. A couple of months later it was left outside in a hole dead. The next was left outside with a gaping wound on it’s side. I saw it myself stood their in a comatose state dripping blood on the floor. It killed me that I wasn’t in a position to do something. Luckily some English neighbours took it to the vets and are now looking after him/her. The dog apparantly had been hit by a car and the “owners” just left it.
I wish we were in England so I could just call the police, but no. After a literally a few days passing since the rescue by the English family of the dog who had been hit by a car they have another dog. I made a point of yelling over the balcony is that the next one they’re going to kill?!
These have been incidents recurring over almost the past (or is it passed? Discuss.) year but there have been others to really bring it home.
Also I want anyone that can give me some info/answers/thoughts/whatever on the following. In terms of body modification, define it as you will but I’m talking about tattoos, piercing, stretching of ears, lip plates things like that, why is it accepted in cultures that are looked down upon (wrongly) but create total up roar when they are seen in a Western culture? Surely this is pure orientalism?
As if people can accept things like this when exhibited by an African tribe for example as they are far enough removed from the West that people do not feel threatened that such things will reach their back yard. However once these such things can be seen in Western culture the same peoples accepted boundaries of perception are challenged to the point that they recoil.
These are only really rudimentary thoughts put together on the subject and probably may not make that much sense/ have that much coherence but I really want to hear more of other people thoughts on this or if there are any essays already existing on anything even relatively similar.
Such seriousness. I think I should have five times the dose of happy pills and see what happens. Lolz.
Oh and here’s something you still won’t be seeing in America anytime soon, despite there being a vast phenomenon of “change you can believe in.”
Some things are just a change too far.
In devastating news Zavvi on Oxford Street our beloved flag ship store and Tottenham Court road to Oxford street short cut may be closing. The shelves are half empty, most things have 30% discount attached to them and the staff have no idea if they have a job from one day to the next. All they know is what everyone esle knows; that the company is in administration. Zavvi on Picadilly Circus is already boarded up. Literally.
Other casulaties: some poncy store on TCR, Oxford street/ TCR o2 store and the Waterstones opposite Zavvi. It’s like a war zone out there.
Other points of the day include:
1. Not all pictures taken by camera phones are shit:
4. I’m on the super model diet of CIGARRETTES, COCAINE & DIET COKE. I.E. C.C.D.C. However I’m missing out the first two. My addiction to diet coke of late is so bad it makes crack dependency look like a walk in the park.
Oh well look at the time. It’s Diet Coke o’ clock.
Please Mr. Obama don’t screw up. Pleeeeeaaaassseeeeeeee. I bought your book and everything. I might even read it. That’s an honor in itself.
I really can’t be bothered to do an essay, all be it a small one before I toddle off at the end of the week. One, I don’t feel like it and two, just the thought of my tutor makes my blood boil. The arrogant, self righteous (list goes on) little…. Tutor in question always gives everyone hideously low marks, even people (me included) that always get good ones. The word UNDERGRADUATE doesn’t seem to feature in their thinking. Ugh my blood is boiling even now. I always do the reading for the tutorial after it out of sheer spite.
And fina-bloody-lly the tickets have been issued. I need sun.
FROM : LONDON
TO : DOHA
DEPT DATE : 00-Feb-2009
ARRV DATE : 00-Feb-2009
CLASS : W
CARRIER : QATAR AIRWAYS
DEPT TIME : 0915
ARRV TIME : 1900
FROM : DOHA
TO : DUBAI
DEPT DATE : 00-Feb-2009
ARRV DATE : 00-Feb-2009
CLASS : W
CARRIER : QATAR AIRWAYS
DEPT TIME : 2100
ARRV TIME : 2305
I love to sleep on the train to Euston, it’s always so cosy and warm. What I don’t like however is when you have an Everest-esque pile of stuff and people push passed you while your very quickly and frantically trying to sort it all out and sit down and get out of the way. This is such a perpetuating theme in its various guises. The worst has to be slow walking people you can’t get passed and the people that refuse to cross the road until the green man and block it for everyone with a slight adventurous spirit. To all of you people I say: twats.
It’s strange how my tolerance levels have evolved to put up with noise. I just don’t take that much notice of it anymore. I think it’s because I had to endure so much screaming, shouting, loud music, crashing around in the middle of the night and intrusions into my sphere last year that I’m numb to it all. Compared to all of that this year is positively silent. I do miss climbing out of my window so I didn’t have to accidentally see someone I despised though. The beauty of basement rooms and sash windows. I miss laying in bed and just looking up and seeing the street and the sky.
I think that I like this picture, but I’m not sure. I’m not a train spotter but I do love the design on the Virgin Pendalino “high speed” trains. They’re not really that high speed I guess compared to ones out in Asia but when you consider that the folks at Northern Rail are still using an equivalent of Stephensons rocket then it does seem quite sprightly.
I like how the white line painted on the platform curves in a way that almost mirrors the lights above it.
Oh and I finally got a picture in Explore blog on flickr in 2009. 8th to appear there so far!
March/April 2009 is my 1 year anniversary of taking photography slightly seriously.
I love Santogold and I love this song and the unofficial video.
I love the series Oceans (BBC UK) and how it highlights environmental is an easily accessible yet un-patronising way. How it has documented things such as shark finning and people ripping pieces from sunken boats without preaching etc.
However.
What is the point of Philippe Cousteau?! I really admire the whole team and envy them a little teenie tiny bit. They are among the best divers/scientists/explorers out there and undoubetedly deserve the opportunites that the filming of the series has brought them. But Philippe “grandson of Jacques” Cousteau… what is the point of this guy?
So he is a “conservationsist.” Right. It’s not like he knows nothing but come on, there is no way he is anywhere near the best in the conservationist sphere. All he does is name drop who he is and probably was involved in the funding so he got to go on the expedition.
…then a second hand memory card and rescue pro are worth a million.
Especially when instead of scanning the members list of a Rotary club (names, adresses, professions, year joined) you take a photograph of it…. All of it…..
Oh and I must say that a separapte collumn for the name of the unimportant partners of the great Rotary men is a really nice touch….. yeah.
Of course it’s bigger but I don’t want to go too far…..
Also the photographic dexterity of the previous owner (complete with censer dirt that I’ve cleaned now.)
Just when no one thought it was possible for the crazies to get any crazier they manage it! They are not satisfied with making every UGM a joke or jumping on every populist band wagon. In the name of Gaza crazy ringleader and the crazy followers have taken over the Brunei gallery at the School of Oriental and African studies in the name of Gaza. What they fail to mention is that this whole ridiculous affair has nothing to do with Gaza or anything else of that vein.
There is currently an exhibition about how soldiers from the British Empire played an important part in both World Wars. I thoroughly agree, indeed they did and it is a good thing that especially teenagers are going around this exhibition and seeing this. Well, no, apparently it’s not a good thing according to the crazies as the exhibition doesn’t highlight the fact that these people were conscripted. Sorry kids wake up. EVERYONE WAS bar a very few already serving. They were conscripted be they English, Indian whatever. It’s a given.
This is not a point that warrants the crazies not only making themselves look like c*nts but the entire university.
But no, this is all in aid of Gaza. Yet as is obvious to anyone with a relatively stable mind, it has NOTHING TO DO WITH GAZA. This is merely a ploy by the crazies using a populist buzz word cause to get people on board unwittingly. I hope you sleep well at night knowing that you are using and abusing the people of Gaza. Well done you, I’m sure Mummy and Daddy are ever so proud.
It is exactly the same tactics used by crazy ringleader and co. at UGMs. Anyone who dare speak against their motions is branded a racist, a sexist, homophobic and the list just goes on and on. They litter the wording of motions with these terms so anyone who disagrees with their hideously stupid motions can be sent a barrage of hate.
They screech endlessly about rights and freedom of speech yet anyone who disagrees with them especially anyone who disagrees with crazy ringleader is shouted down to the point they no longer bother and the crazies proceed on making the student union look like a laughing stock as they go.
Dear Colleagues and Students
Some students have occupied part of a SOAS building, the Brunei Suite.
The School is working with the SOAS Students' Union to resolve the
situation as quickly and peacefully as possible. The School will take
all measures to ensure the health and safety of staff and students
during this time period. We will be in touch with staff and students
by email and via the SOAS website with updated information as it
becomes available.
Professor Paul Webley
Director & Principal
Monday I sat in my lesson, bored, (this particular class is like watching paint dry.) Actually, I’m doodling in my diary. Anyway. So this guy is doing a presentation and then all of a sudden my radar picks up that he is saying the following points: (verbatim)
. Religion should be encouraged because it provides answers (!)
. No one wants to die (!)
. The world is in a mess because secularism has taken over (!)
. Philosophy asks questions and theology answers them (!)
. Killing yourself is an act of cowardice (!)
. Freedom is abused by suicide (!)
. Killing yourself is never justified (!)
. Life is meaningless without religion because you can’t associate your suffering with that of of Jesus (Jeebus) (!)
. You don’t choose to be alive so you have no right to end your life (!)
To say my opinions differ is understatement of the year. I personally think that the decision to commit suicide or allow oneself to die by refusing treatment etc etc is one of the bravest decisions possible. No one can even pretend to know what happens when we die be it a leafy bunny rabbit filled heaven or nothing at all. For someone to bring about that end prematurely and all the uncertainty that it brings I think is an amazing decision. At least they are not like all the relgious and pious folk that spend there whole lives fearing this hence their need for increasingly insane stories.
I’ve finally found out a way to discover exactly how many shots my D60 has taken which pleases me soooo much. srsly.
I know this ship left more than a couple of years ago but I finally got around to listening in full to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs second album and it is awesome. Especially “Honeybear.”
