not much to say tonight – its been a bit of a long day full of ups (having a great idea for my film essay) and downs (getting a relatively poor mark for a story). So tonight I’ll just post a link here , to the video of a great song by pink.

While the details of our circumstances are rather different, I think I’ll post a link to this article tonight. It’s a very well written and thought provoking article by a man with DMD and his use of a prostitute. My first reaction is ‘so what?’ the guy obviously felt the need to use a whore. As far as I’m concerned, that’s his business. But it does raise certain issues, like how ‘we’ get sexual partners. Now, I’m quite sure that if I wait long enough, I’ll eventually find a sexual partner. But I could be waiting a very long time, as right now girls don’t seem to fancy me, although most of my friends seem to be girls.

But what if I lost patience? I think I would indeed consider using a prostitute. As long as the lady in question is consenting, why should things like this be a problem, or even taboo?

I hate these dark evenings. It’s been quite a bitter day, and I haven’t done much. During breaks in the weather I managed to drive into the village and back: I seem to be able to think more clearly when on the move, as it gives my hands something to do and my eyes something to look at. I need to decide a few things about one or two forthcoming essays.

Right now, it’s probably morning back in Sydney, and Monday morning or not they’re probably having fun! while this may dishearten some, it kind of cheers me up. At least somewhere is bright and sunny. Sydney is a very cool place, and the harbour is beautiful, but I think I actually preferred Brisbane, with it’s long wide river and very cosmopolitan feel. It was also just about the only place where I got a real beer – one night we found an irish pub which sold guiness. I must admit, however, that I drank a bit too much of this. I noticed, too, that it’s university had a pretty sizable film theatre, so no prises for guessing where I want to move to

Oh well, to travel is to come back, and university is a cool place too. I better crack on with work in the morning, but whenever I get too bored, I can always look through the diary my parents kept while in Oz, or go for a drive into the village.

One final thing: I found out what ‘waltzing matilda’ means. Matilda is a name for one’s bag, and so to waltz it is to travel with a bag on your back. In short, it’s a travelling song!

I have been looking through some old blog entries today. I think I’ll use some for my exhibition-thingy in march, and deciding which to use will be hard. It does, however, astonish me to think that it’s now almost five; when I started keeping a blog I didn’t expect it to last very long, but it has, and I certainly intend to keep it up.

Admittedly, it’s been crap recently. I’ve been busy with other things, and haven’t thought much about blogging. It will get better, I promise. I need to tell you all about

Australia: About moreton island; about Uluru; about flying in helicopters and riding monorails. Need to tell you about my new friend Rozie, from the states, and Peter (who I’ve mentioned before), and about Simon and joss, my parents’ friends, who live in the coolest house in the southern hemisphere (bit like the burrow but with a kick-as basement). The question is, where to begin – how can I possibly tell you about the coolest journey over the most awesome, awe-inspiring place on earth?

Well, slowly. There’s too much for one entry; to be honest, I have enough material for several dozen. Where to begin, though? That’s the hard part.

There is, however, one part I need to put down from the off: Australia is wonderfully accessible. There are ramps everywhere, and folk are incredibly friendly. That is not to say that oz is wheelchair friendly, however: there is a difference between wheelchair friendliness and accessibility. Quite often, for example, lifts were tucked away in corners, and took ages to find. A good example of this is the lift up to the bridge over darling harbour, which took ages to locate and when you did it was being used, more often than not by people perfectly able to use stairs.

Mind you, this is my only gripe; I now have a plethora of great memories – enough to keep me blogging for another five years.

It seems its all going pear shaped for Blair. Given he’s had ten years in office, its not surprising. One of his aides has been arrested for fraud.

I don’t like the bloke. He’s lead us into a disastrous war. And now we are a country which virtually endorses execution. I do not care what the Americans might claim

– capitol punishment is barbaric. Saddam was evil, yes, but to resort to something so base, and for us brits not to object in the strongest terms possible, is utterly disgraceful.

Yet I remain stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hate Blair, but I loathe Cameron. He’s a conservative, and conservatism, rather than being a well-thought out political stance, is just a series of id impulses based on greed. Its about preserving the status quo, despite the fact that the status quo is unfair. Free market economy is wasteful. But conservatives want to preserve it out of greed. Then, there’s Cameron’s stance on special education; this, too, is poorly thought out. Special schools are disastrous in terms of education. The only way for us crips to be fully accepted is for all children to be taught together. Cameron’s plans to reintroduce segregated education is the mark of a man who blinds himself to long term repercussions while wanting to mollycoddle disabled kids. He thus doesn’t understand the issue.

Hate Blair. Hate cam-moron. I think I’ll move to Australia.

The interfaculty cup starts at two. I get the feeling all hell is going to break loose. This is the annual sports event between mmu Cheshire and mmu Manchester; it takes place here, and we compete iin many sports. I plan to go to girls hockey and girls basketball.

Thing is, the rivalry is quite fierce. Everyones quite pumped, and theres beer involved. Thus it’s a recipe for total chaos.

What fun.

I went home this weekend. After three weeks away and one week at uni, I just needed to sleep in my own bed. There’s nothing quite like going downstairs of a Sunday morning to find breakfast on the table.. the simple things, you know, like watching time team or David Attenborough with mum and dad. I love university, and I love my friends here, but home is still home.

Yesterday, as per my brothers instructions (he once famously wrote, aged about 9, that our Sunday ritual was to eat roast beef and to take grandma for a drive) we went down to Amerton farm. It has been ages since we visited my childhood joy: as a kid I used to love it. Back then it was a working farm where you could watch cattle being milked, hens being fed etc, but the thing I loved most was the tractor in the field. It was an old Massey, rusting away in the rain, but I loved it when dad took me from my pram, and later my chair, and placed me onto the old seat.

Yesterday we went down to see how much it had changed. Of course, it has changed quite a bit: parts have expanded, others shrunk. The milking parlour is gone, and there is now a petting zoo. I didn’t expect to see the tractor.

But, after a delicious ice cream in the restraint, we went walking. Dad commented on how much it had changed. We went into a barn, and there it was.

With a lick of red paint it stood there, unmistakably. The old tractor. ‘Hello, old friend.” I thought, patting it’s bonnet.

Life is good.

I’ve been humming ‘waltzing matilda’ all day today. I have been humming it all week, in fact. I have some very happy memories of that song.

It seems to be a symbol of everything Australian. Australians themselves seem to love it, and sing it regularly. While there, I had the good misfortune to go to watch two cricket matches; while we need not go over the result (I now regard English cricket as truly dead, and Rupert Murdoch the killer), I had great fun watching thee barmy army try to outsing the boony army, and vice versa. Surprisingly, we brits were more vocal than the ausies, singing our themes. However, after a rendition of ‘Jerusalem’, the Australian supporters decided to counter strike with ‘waltzing matilda’. The funny thing is, we joined in! this embodies the relationship between the two nations: the rivalry is a friendly one indeed.

But the most magical occasion when it was sung was on a bus. We were driving back from watching the sun go down at Uluru. If you ever have an opportunity to do this, you must. It is the most magical, beautiful thing ever, sipping wine while watching the awesome red rock glow. Our tour guide, Peter, one of the nicest, most knowledgeable people I’ll ever meet, had just finished talking, and the bus slowly made it’s way through the darkness. Slowly, quietly, someone started singing: ‘once there was a swag man…’ and others joined in. peter happened to have a tape of the song, so he put it in the PA system. That was quite a wonderful end to a wonderful day, and although the details may or may not be wrong, I remember it as being one of the happiest moments of my life. Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,

Under the shade of a Coolibah tree,

And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boil,

You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to write the article I intended to write tonight; I have had a lot of work given to me today, and, although it’s not due till march, its rather long and I’m eager to get it started. It is, however, a story, and for that I have plenty to write about.

Nothing provides one with more inspiration than travel. For my story I’m writing about one of the things I saw on holiday – the Endeavour. The replica of Cook’s ship is currently moored in darling harbour, Sydney; we got to that city on new year’s eve, and were planning to celebrate with dinner in our hotel, we’d flown in from Alice that afternoon, and were looking forward to a nice meal. My parent’s room looked out over the harbour, and, looking through their window I could see the National maritime museum, with three or four vessels ‘parked’ along side it.

There were two vessels clearly on the dock, and one sailing vessel to one side. I immediately expected this to be the endeavour, and asked someone if the sailing ship over the water was cook’s. he replied that it was, and I was happy.

A day or two after tat, we visited the museum. Oddly, the ship I had seen was not the endeavour; cooks ship actually lay with the rest of the ships in the museum, right by a destroyer and a sub. With my brother’s help (18th century barks are not accessible to us wobblies) I explored the ship. It was as if the crew had just left it. The captain’s uniform even hung in his quarters. Cook has been a hero of mine for quite some time, and it was amazing just to be in that ship/

However this left a mystery – what was the second sailing vessel? Secretly, I’d hoped it was called Enterprise, but it turned out much more spooky. On our second to last night in Australia, I went with Luke for a walk around the harbour; I asked him for a closer look at the mystery ship, and he obliged. At first, the ship appeared nameless, and we were about to walk past the ship when I finally saw her name, painted on her aft. I shivered. It was the most famous pirate ship ever to sail; Blackbeard’s ship.

The bounty.

This is just a quick entry saying I’m back. The lack of bloggage was due to me being in Australia over Christmas. Although they do indeed have computers down under, I was too busy to blog.

I have much to write about, but it’ll have to wait, as I’m basically shattered. I have enough material for several months of entries, and memories which will last a life time.

Esther and I are packing up my room. I go home tonight after about 6 wees away. Apart from a brief visit to give mum a form on Tuesday, it’s the longest time I’ve ever been away. I must say I’m rather pleased with myself, as a man who not very long ago couldn’t bear tto stay a night away from his parents. Why I was ever such a wimp beats me. I see university as my home now – it’s the place where I’m most forfilled. its whhere my friends are Anyway, dads waiting. I cannot believe I’m about to enter my final year. Time flies, and uni is too much fun.

I just got home, read this article, and thought up the following reworking of an old classic:

Tiger tiger burning bright

Motion sensing cameras fight

Still no hand nor electric eye

Frames thy fearful symmetry

EXTREMELY coolly, 1voice was in the guardian today. My favourite charity has won an award from my favourite newspaper. Mind you, given the work they do, if you ask me it’s about time: all joking aside, I think 1voice do an excellent job. Growing up, I felt somewhat alone, so the idea of bringing children who used vocas together with adults who used them is quite quite brilliant in my opinion. I’m not sure what the kids get from my being there – an academic rather too fond of alcohol – but my fellow role models do a truly great job. To say this award is well deserved is an abject understatement. Well done everyone!

Click here for the article, or see page 8 of the society supplement of today’s guardian.

Please can someone explain chick flicks to me! I was at the cinema last night with a couple of girls and we went to see The Holiday – I told them they could decide what we saw, since I chose last time. I rather like Jack Black anyway, so at first I had no objection.

However, this was a sugary, over-sentimental movie: apparently we brits all live in chocolate box cottages and have plumy accents; apparently everyone in LA works in the film industry and has big houses. This is a film where nothing bad happens – that is, there is no plot-retention, no twists or suspense. Its just two women swapping houses and finding love in each others countries. They all live happily ever after. No baddies, no cheating, no cool cars, no guns.

Well, charlotte and Julie loved it. They both said they cried. Explain please!

Last night was cool! Four of my friends are in a band – kind of the campus house band – and were playing last night in the limelight club, Crewe, in a charity gig for St. Luke’s Hospice. The limelight is one of those cool little places where you feel like you’re entering some underworld, although I was cursing the designer for putting in so many steps. You go up some steps to enter the place (where there’s the foyer with the bar which sells old speckled hen) then down into the room with the stage. Steps having been negotiated, I sat down with my beer.

Almost inevitably, given the purpose of the gig, I thought of school. Before the bands came on, Bryan Adams’ everything I do’ was playing on a big screen: that reminded me of a trip with school to centre parks back in 1994. we went to the one in Sherwood forest, and Miss. Tomlinson put Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves on to help prepare us. I thought of my class, hoping that they were having as much fun as I was. But then, the truth of that situation is complex, and, given that three of my old class had MD, prone to make me think bleak thoughts. Aye, I know about hospices…

That bit of thinking having been done, I sipped my pint and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Brand new day were the last of four bands to play, all quite good. One band was made up of teenagers, and – as Nicky remarked – the lead singer looked like Elijah Wood, which struck me as funny. I then saw the lead guitarist had a passing resemblance to Samwise Gamgee, and mentally branded the band Hobbits.

I spent the evening talking and dancing. I realised too that I don’t like Brand New Day simply because I know its members – I like their mix of rock, Irish folk and strong procession. Charlotte rules on the violin, and I don’t just say that because she’s a good friend. These guys have a truly great sound.

Life rules more and more these days; I am almost considering trying to slow down. I can’t believe we’re about to enter our last term.

while I’m not usually in the business of advertising, this advert for hineken quite amuses me.

The internet is an odd thing indeed. It is at one and the same time the most wonderful depository of information ever known, and the biggest pile of shit ever to grace thee planet. This is it’s greatness; its why I spend hours on it; its why I add to it.

Nothing epitomised this paradox better than fanfic, or it’s most recent incarnation, the fan film. Yes, believe it or not, people have started making films of their favourite television programmes and posting them on the net. Predictably, with the demise of Enterprise, there are groups of people now making films based in the trek universe: I’d presume that one would need a fictional universe as detailed as the star trek one to facilitate such an endeavour. Either way, I came across such a phenomenon on Thursday night, and decided to find out more.

What I uncovered is, in a way, quite fascinating, both on the sociological level, and from the perspective of a student film interested in structuralism. Why would these people need to make such films: where do they get the resources, and for that matter the time, when they get no profit? Already, ‘hidden frontier’ has 7 seasons to it’s name, each with 6 half hour live action episodes. Admittedly, the cgi and production values aren’t up to cinema, or even television standards, but it’s still impressive. I watched season 6 last night, and it’s not as abysmal as you would expect.

The creators seem to be reading trek against the grain, as it were. We have a crew on a federation star base – DS12 – fighting a war against the ‘Grey’, but they seem to doubt Starfleet; that is Starfleet is portrayed as sanctimonious in it’s ‘holier and thou’ attitudes. It can be covert, too secretive; it wants other species to help it, but it keeps information from them.

No prises for putting two and two together! This is obviously a critique of the conduct of the united states in its war on terror. Both Starfleet and the US see themselves as having the moral high ground without actually having it. In hidden frontier, it is posited that the federation planted the evidence which brought the romulans into the dominion war on it’s side. Thus, the federation is shown to be fallible and duplicitous where once it was seen as the moral guardian of galactic piece.

You see now why I am interested? As people start to question America from within, the on-screen surrogates for America start to be questioned. This is why I can forgive the terrible dialogue and often abysmal acting. What we see in such series is a response, not only to star trek but contemporary society. Hence we have an openly gay couple in this series, something avoided in the mainstream.

I can already hear my brothers moaning, but I like it, and find it interesting. I’ll certainly continue to watch. Go take a look.

I must admit the pangs of homesickness returned last night. Believe it or not, I was in a church; my friends were giving a gospel choir concert, and I went along to listen. They were really really good, actually. Sat there in the church, with a decidedly festive spirit in the air, I suddenly thought of my parents and home. I wondered what was happening back there – my parents probably sat round the TV, or talking to mark or Luke on the phone.

Given the family home is about seven miles away, for about two seconds I wondered if I could get someone to drive me home. But then I realised my friends all felt the same way, and to do so would be very selfish. Indeed, there are people here from as far afielld as the united states who do not have such an option. I looked at a friend of mine from Texas, singing on the back row, and resolved to hug her as soon as I could.

After the concert came yet more singing. It was karaoke night in the plough, to which we all went after the show. The place was heaving, but we found a table near the stage. My friends, extroverts that they all are, performed, and it made me very happy when I got three of them to sing ‘nobody does it better’ by carly Simon. If I had gone home I’d have missed so much fun!

Home is home, a place where I’m always welcome, but university is so much cooler!

link

I woke up this morning in a much better mood than I have in the last couple of days. University just seems to be dragging abit, or perhaps its just the time of year, but today I feel re-energised, ready to face the day. Ready to continue my search for filmic neuroaesthetics; ready to write stories; even ready to do paperwork (well, it needs doing). It feels like someone just put new batteries in. how long it’ll last I’m not sure (I haven’t checked my email yet, which always has the potential to herald doom). Today I have writing, my culture lecture, then a carol service, then a house party which promises to get messy. Now doesn’t that sound like fun?

Well, onwards and upwards, and forwards into a bright new day.

My plan failed at the last hurdle. Last Saturday, at Onevoice, a guy called andy made a track by mixing recordings of statements from the kids and rolemodels and putting it to a beat. If you ask me, it was a really good record, and the first time I heard it I decided I wanted to get it played at the chrisstmas disco in brandies.

I asked Andy (whose band is called the Victors) to send me a CD as soon as he could. He happily obliged, and it came yesterday. Embarrassingly, the cd was in a ballamorey case, so I spent most of yesterday carrying what looked like a kids TV programme around. Anyway, everything seemed to be going according to plan.

Last night was quite a cool night. Before the disco, there was a party In kellet with pretty much all my mates. I was, needless to say, dressed as a fairy, my costume trimmed with tinsel. We were all dressed up, with four of my mates going as each other. We played I have never, a very embarrassing game indeed.

After that, quite drunk though we all were (Steve actually carrying me down the stairs, to my great surprise) we all progressed to the bar. It was freezing! Nevertheless, upon getting to the bar, I handed Steve the cd and asked him to ask the dj to play the track.

The dj said he would do so – later. So I waited, dancing and drinking rather copious amounts. And I waited. And I waited. Having a 9am lecture, and probably looking tired, charlotte took me home at 11, the track still not having been played. I cursed the dj for his lack of taste, and fell asleep.

Well, I tried guys.

My blog may be back up, but as you know, we have had to disable comments so I don’t get spam-attacked. It’s probably the first time ever that a voice has been drowned out by canned meat, and it pissed me off. I am quite upset that I can’t get feedback on my ramblings. The whole point of this site is that I write crap and you lot tell me I’m talking crap, only to write yet more crap the next day. (its very democratic, blogging, don’t you think?)

I will nevertheless keep blogging. The hit count keeps rising so one of you must like it, at least. I like blogging anyway – writing rubbish is relaxing.

Things are getting irritating. All my work is done, but me and Esther are busy faffing about making sure everything meets the right assessment criteria. I’m sure it’s all up to standard, but this side of work just does not interest me. My mind keeps straying, and I start to potter about on the internet (youtube is my current addiction). I know I should concentrate,, but with the dark weather, and Christmas coming, I can’t.

Give me an essay title and I’m happy; give me this paperwork and I’m depressed.

woohoo. this is working again. thankyou thankyou thankyou luke. anyway, I wrote the following last night

I’m not sure when my blog will be back up, but I’m writing this now while its fresh in my memory. I just got back from Onevoice with Steve; the more I go to Onevoice and am involved with it, the more I am convinced of it’s profound greatness. Do you ever get that feeling – that kick – when you are doing something, and you know it’s good, and you know your helping people? I get a buzz every time I go to Onevoice, knowing I’m contributing, actually making difference.

Mind you, it’s also a great social event: I meet lots of good friends there. I honestly think Tamsin and Katie – it’s organisers – are two of the greatest people ever to walk the earth. They work on a voluntary basis, and produce something truly magnificent, bringing joy to kids and much needed support to their families. My only regret about this weekend was that I didn’t speak to all the kids, or interact as much as I’d have liked. I didn’t like interrupting! Nevertheless, it was great to see them having fun, and if I can in any way help them do so, then I am honoured,

Oh god. I was quite cheerful this morning until I saw the test score. Doon’t get me wrong: I knew we’d probably loose, but even after three days it looks like we’re in for a drubbing.

Nevertheless, loose or win, it’s nice to see the game being played. Cricket has a long and glorious set of traditions behind it, and it’s great to see them being preserved. If one of those traditions is that we only win the ashes every 18 years, so be it. Besides, loosing makes winning even sweeter.

who am I kidding. Will someone please break shane warne’s leg!

Its been a long day, really. Today was the day of the actors workshop, and reasoning that I’ll one day need to learn about actors if I am ever to become a director, I went along to watch. Besides. Most of my friends were there.

Actors, I have decided, are weird. They seem to play games. Their warm up exercises are decidedly odd. They seem to be possessed of a power to turn emotion on and off like a plug socket. Its also odd to watch them rehearse: trying out different ways of saying things, trying to ratchet up intensity. Their misuse of the word ‘energy’ aside, it was most fascinating.

Tired as I am, there’s not much more I can write. Ii ate fish and chips at Tony’s house with Jim and, err, Tony, then watched an Eddie Izzard DVD; I only just got in. All in all, a good day

As I was getting dressed, Yvonne mentioned the cricket score. My first reaction was an expletive of Germanic origin. At time of writing, as I chomp breakfast, Australia are 602 for 9 against our 50 for three. Oh brother. We don’t stand a chance!

I emerge from my bond craze, if just temporarily, to see the most stupid film-related news in years. Peter Jackson might not be enlisted to direct the Hobbit. WTF?

Given that his job on Lord of the Rings was so good (I think it’s still my favourite film, but don’t tell the man with the silly moustache), Jackson is the only man who can make that film. Moreover, if you got any other director for the task, there’d inevitably be a stylistic mismatch which would make the whole thing ridiculous aesthetically. I admit I’m an auteurist when it comes to film, and thus believe Jackson is the only man for the job.

link

my online friend simon just showed me this. I had heard about secondlife for a while, but had no idea it was quite so big – even major media corporations are taking note. I’m just boggled.

Is this the birth of the Matrix?

I was invited to go to an Indian meal last night with the cast of 100 years of solitude. I went, naturally, but since I had taken the opportunity to eat in the canteen earlier (one never knows for sure how an evening will pan out) I only had something light. However, since the bar seemed well stocked, I decided to try something.

One of the advantages of using a voca is you can store messages. Ordinarily, you store common phrases like ‘yes please’ or ‘Hi, I’m matt’. You can also store small recipes, and this is how I ordered something called a Martini, or a slight variation thereof: three measures gin, one vodka, and half a vermouth, served cool with a thin slice of lemon. I had wanted a vesper (”Three measures of Gordon’s, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel.”) but suspected the bar didn’t extend to kina Lillet. As it was, they didn’t’ have vermouth so I just substituted bottle martini. It was, of course, shaken, not stirred.

Nice though it was, it cost £8.50! Zarks! That’s the last time I follow James’ advice, at least for a while.

recently, for some reason I’ve been playing a lot of the bond themes (well, it makes a change from star trek and jurassic park). you can watch the new bond theme, You know my name, here. I rather like it, but its not as good as carly simoon or shirley bassey

Today as part of widening participation (the scheme run here at mmu) I went to talk to people at the Hillary centre, Crewe. Joss west-Burnham asked me to do so a while ago: it is a centre for disabled adults, some of whom have had some quite negative experiences when it comes to learning. One man in particular was focussed too much on the barriers, but I told him the benefits and joy I get from uni life far exceeded the hastle.

It is true there are barriers to learning for some. Walls exist, but so do great big sledgehammers. I think I was there to reassure them that there are certainly ways their dreams can be for filled, whatever they are. whatever your age, ability or race, all dreams are achieavable: you just need a find a way.*

It was quite a pleasant afternoon. I went for an hour, discussing university life and answering questions. Such tasks make me feel proud of myself.

*It is the route, not the goal I questioned last friday

My friend charlotte, who came with me to see casino royale on Friday, plays the violin. She may appreciate this.

Bbc news has reported on something very worrying indeed. Disabled and visibly ill children are more likely to be bullies at school. To a certain extent this is obvious: one needs only to have been a kid to know how shallow and vicious they can be. Many cant seem to tolerate any difference whatsoever.

I fear that many people would look at this article and say ‘wouldn’t they be better off in a special school?’ at first this seems the obvious solution: keep the special kids away from their bullies. But a closer inspection reveals this analysis to be as moronic as it is condescending. Keeping kids apart only feeds prejudice against the ‘other’ when taught apart, kids learn to feel and resent difference even more, so when such kids do come into contact the bullying is ten times worse.

Obviously, Professor Al Aynsley-Green’s report will be ceased upon by the maria hutchings and David CaMoron’s of this world – people with absolutely no understanding of the issues – as evidence that inclusive education does not work. We must counter them with logic, inclusion does work and it is the only sensible solution to such problems.

link

We just got back from the cinema. We went to see casino royale – well, me, charlotte and Tony. All I can say without spoiling it is that it rules. Totally. I especially like the end. I love the beginning, too. Of course the middle bit also rocks! Its just excellent.

I’ll go to bed a happy man.

I just realized something with regards to academia that I wonder why it didn’t occur to me last week. The two purposes of university are education and research. We want that research to be as accurate as possible and I see two opposite ways of ensuring this.

Universities should have tougher selections. This means that only the best people go to university, meaning a smaller amount of ‘good’ research.

To have a student body as wide ad diverse as possible. Work produced will vary hugely, some good, some not so good, but in diversity there’s a truth which transcends subjective ideas of ‘quality.

In art there is no right answer. In science we should do research into as many areas as possible and let peer review do any weeding necessary. Give these two facts, universities should open their doors.. option two is the logical solution The government wants 50% of people to go to university, this now seems low. If humanity is to progress, we should do it as a whole and as many people should be given the resources ad support to pursue their talent as possible. This is irrespective of race, religion, physical, or metal ability, or ay other superficial factor, ad is applicable for all arts and sciences. The fact that I ever said otherwise appals me.

As most of us probably know, casino royale is released in the cinemas today, and never before have I been so sorely tempted to abandon lessons to go to the cinema. I guess it’ll have to wait till Saturday – after all, films don’t disappear after a certain period – but my id demands I see the film now.

NOW NOW NOW!

I’ve not been this excited about a film since return of the king. What is it about bond? The gizmos? The girls? The locations? I love it all. In my teens, before uni, ITV had a bond season; every Wednesday I used to watch bond films in bed. I tended to fall asleep and since then I’ve associated them with comfort and warmth. Also, they put bond films on on Christmas day, so there’s an association between bond and the taste of roast turkey, the feeling one gets when surrounded by family.

I better stop writing before I get carried away and miss lessons. But something tells me I have to see this film. My mind is bent on the task. I wants it!

Campus is a very liberal environment. I was just talking to a couple of friends: academia is like a country unto itself, where creativity is encouraged and free independent thought is the norm. its quite wonderful, and my friend, the previously mentioned graham, was lamenting the prospect of ever having to leave. It’s a place where the constraints of the outside world are irrelevant, so that one is free to prosper. It’s weird, now that I think about it. I’ve already nearly finished my degree. Only about 7 or 8 months to go. The prospect of saying goodbye to my friends is absolutely gutwrenchiing.

I just realised: today my hitcount reached over 300,000. woohoo! Quite why people keep coming here frankly baffles me, but people obviously like it, so I’ll keep on blogging.

Graham must be insane. It’s the only possible solution.

Some time ago my friend graham asked for my input on his stage adaptation of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s A Hundred years of solitude. He leant me the book, which, as usual, p prevaricated about reading. However, last Thursday I went to his rehearsal, and was so impressed that I decided I wanted to get the damn book read. I was then only sixty pages in, and, given the next rehearsal was next Tuesday – today – I would have to average 100 pages a day.

I read slowly, so this meant at least five hours of solid reading a day, at least. I’m glad I did it on two counts: first, I needed to prove to myself that I could still do it; it’s been ages – years – since I seriously sat down and read something. The last time was Moby dick, and then I cheated by getting the pc to read to me. Second, I wanted to know what the hell graham was on about. Now that I know, however, I don’t think I support g’s project.

The thing is, the book is beautiful: it’s absolutely stunning in it’s scope; it matures over time; characters mature and shape in the mind. It’s a slow, introspective piece of prose, and that’s why I think it’s unsuitable, almost ludditry, for graham to want to convert it.

But that is also why I am fascinated. I want to see how he would pull this off. With any luck, he’ll let me help. What he produces could either be a masterpiece or a total mess. Either way, it’ll be fun.

I found this a couple of days ago. you know, they really should be classified as a now species.

[kidding – boy, that does sound like it has racial overtones. I didnt mean it that way. okay I’ll shut up now.]