read today in the paper
...
"And there are naughty jokes, such as the one about the woman who flies into Boston eager to enjoy a plate of the fish for which that city is famous. 'Where can I get scrod?' she asks the driver as she gets into the cab. 'Gee,' he replies, 'I've never heard it put in the pluperfect subjective before.'"
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Friday, 10 October 2008
The Definite Article
It's because you want to know
It's because you need to know
It's because you can
It's because you question
It's because you are not a sheep
even though sometimes you want to be
but not really
It's because it's more interesting
It's because the music is better
and dancing is more fun
when you just don't care
and you make funky faces
without even realising
It's because it's there
and the soft option is not an option
that you are interested in
It's because light is fascinating
and clouds
It's because of the solace in trees
It's because the ideas
the language
the people
are all alive - and so are you
And it might be a coincidence
Or it might not be
It's because you need to know
It's because you can
It's because you question
It's because you are not a sheep
even though sometimes you want to be
but not really
It's because it's more interesting
It's because the music is better
and dancing is more fun
when you just don't care
and you make funky faces
without even realising
It's because it's there
and the soft option is not an option
that you are interested in
It's because light is fascinating
and clouds
It's because of the solace in trees
It's because the ideas
the language
the people
are all alive - and so are you
And it might be a coincidence
Or it might not be
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Three Week Stupid Period
Aha!
It's a three week stupid period. That explains a lot about life at the moment.
We used to share a house with a guy who was into his astrology, at least on a birth chart, planetary level, not horoscopes that you would read in papers. Although he would read those for fun sometimes, scoffing as he went: "Ha - Sagittarius lucky today? With that moon aspect? You're having a laugh!" Anyways, he called Mercury retrograde three-week stupid periods, and it stuck. We lived with him for several years, and it seemed pretty consistent. Mercury retrograde more often than not seemed to mean communication snarl ups, computers crashing, schedules missing, etc. It's supposed to be a great time for finishing projects (what? You're supposed to finish projects?), but also a good time to back up your hard drive.
Starting your Masters degree in a three week stupid period is probably not ideal, but - what can you do? Perhaps, it could be viewed as a continuation, and therefore not a start. I may phone and check that my enrollment papers were received though.
It's a three week stupid period. That explains a lot about life at the moment.
We used to share a house with a guy who was into his astrology, at least on a birth chart, planetary level, not horoscopes that you would read in papers. Although he would read those for fun sometimes, scoffing as he went: "Ha - Sagittarius lucky today? With that moon aspect? You're having a laugh!" Anyways, he called Mercury retrograde three-week stupid periods, and it stuck. We lived with him for several years, and it seemed pretty consistent. Mercury retrograde more often than not seemed to mean communication snarl ups, computers crashing, schedules missing, etc. It's supposed to be a great time for finishing projects (what? You're supposed to finish projects?), but also a good time to back up your hard drive.
Starting your Masters degree in a three week stupid period is probably not ideal, but - what can you do? Perhaps, it could be viewed as a continuation, and therefore not a start. I may phone and check that my enrollment papers were received though.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
What I WOULD have said
My friend Geo wrote this amazing post which I loved, and I was all fired up and headed straight to the comments section. I was sizzling. I was typing away. I was drawing unique parallels. I "saved my comment". It may be saved somewhere, but not anywhere near Geo's blog, that's for sure.
So I started again (after some wailing and gnashing of teeth). The second time I was brilliant. Even better than before. My asides were charming, my prose witty. I tabbed over to see Geo's orig post, noticed there was another comment, thought "oh maybe my comment saved after all", clicked it, and was taken to comments, BUT MINE WAS GONE!!!! The new window replaced my superlative musings! The window simply regenerated with no thought to what may have been in the works! So, top tip, DON'T DO THIS.
Well, in all good conscious, I couldn't start again. I mean, really, to lose one husband might be careless, but to lose two looks suspicious. Or something.
It has rather been that sort of day.
So I started again (after some wailing and gnashing of teeth). The second time I was brilliant. Even better than before. My asides were charming, my prose witty. I tabbed over to see Geo's orig post, noticed there was another comment, thought "oh maybe my comment saved after all", clicked it, and was taken to comments, BUT MINE WAS GONE!!!! The new window replaced my superlative musings! The window simply regenerated with no thought to what may have been in the works! So, top tip, DON'T DO THIS.
Well, in all good conscious, I couldn't start again. I mean, really, to lose one husband might be careless, but to lose two looks suspicious. Or something.
It has rather been that sort of day.
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Ooooh Books!
From the wonderful Miss Prism - books you are supposed to like but (gasp) don't. I can't agree entirely with Miss Prism's list, (I love Catch 22, and I quite liked The Bone People as well - implausibility is not really an issue with me), but I'll have a stab at it.
1. Jane Eyre
I read this in my I-may-not-have-a-classical-education-but-god-damn-it-I-can-be- erudite-too phase. What is with that ending? Crazy-woman-in-burning-attic a metaphor for what? Really?? Clearly the classical education part must add some missing touch that is unavailable to us mere mortals.
2. Wuthering Heights.
Yup - I'm right with Miss Prism on this one. Are we actually supposed to like these people?
3. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
WWI with muzak treatment
4. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
Maybe if I'd read this one first, it would have been different. But I read Satantic Verses first, then The Moor's Last Sigh, and The Ground Beneath her Feet. By the time I got to this one I just felt, in the words of Elton John, like I'd seen that movie too. I have started this book twice, but never managed past the half-way mark.
5.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Go on, hit me on the head over and over again with those clumsy similes, go on - you know I love it - wait - actually I don't. Don't patronise me.
I'm sure there's more. Oh yes.
1. Jane Eyre
I read this in my I-may-not-have-a-classical-education-but-god-damn-it-I-can-be- erudite-too phase. What is with that ending? Crazy-woman-in-burning-attic a metaphor for what? Really?? Clearly the classical education part must add some missing touch that is unavailable to us mere mortals.
2. Wuthering Heights.
Yup - I'm right with Miss Prism on this one. Are we actually supposed to like these people?
3. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
WWI with muzak treatment
4. Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
Maybe if I'd read this one first, it would have been different. But I read Satantic Verses first, then The Moor's Last Sigh, and The Ground Beneath her Feet. By the time I got to this one I just felt, in the words of Elton John, like I'd seen that movie too. I have started this book twice, but never managed past the half-way mark.
5.The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Go on, hit me on the head over and over again with those clumsy similes, go on - you know I love it - wait - actually I don't. Don't patronise me.
I'm sure there's more. Oh yes.
Friday, 19 September 2008
A most remarkable turn of events
more animals
I was a late arrival to the world of higher education - I started my undergraduate degree at 29. I loved it. I have been plotting my return ever since, but being perennially skint has made this a complex undertaking. I have this attachment to, you know - eating and stuff. And housing -yup - I'm big on paying the rent.
Birkbeck College is one of the schools of University College London, and they offer part-time post graduate courses that are taught in evenings and on weekends. I applied last year, and was accepted for the LLM in Law and Political Justice, but all hell broke loose this time last year (death, pestilence, disease etc), funding fell through, and I deferred entry.
This year, being still skint (*sigh*), I applied for their scholarship programme, but was rejected. I wasn't really surprised - I was neck deep and sinking in a project from hell at work and barely managed to get a coherent application in. I figured, well, obviously the timing's not right. You can't push these things too hard - and it would be hard - juggling 60 hour work weeks with a part-time Masters is insane, right?
Yesterday I got an email from Birkbeck. They have additional funds, my scholarship application was shortlisted in the last round, and I've been awarded a full fees bursary for my degree.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I start in two weeks.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Processing this has been made more difficult by the fact that I was celebrating last night (ahem) and I was dreadfully, horrifically hung over this morning. I had to chair two meetings and attend two more and I am not sure how I even got through today. I am so so glad to be home and no longer trying to look enthused about how our new accounting procedures are going to affect the coding on my project lines.
I'm ecstatic.
I am not sure how I am going to get through the next 6 weeks or so.
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