Logic, obviously.

Today I learned some wonderfully interesting facts about middle English language and dialect and it's bearing in today's language. Or at least, I would have, if it weren't for an intense set of races drawing my attention. Races in which I participated in, competing violently with a huge monkey and a moonlighting Italian-American plumber. For any of you out there who do not understand the reference, shame on you, I blame your parents.

After being told that we need not make notes in lectures and that everything we need is available to read online, it begs the question. What really is the point? Many people, myself amongst them, find lectures a tedious waste of time. We can just as easily teach ourselves at home, with more willingness and less early mornings. A prime example of the sheer pointlessness of some lectures was outlined with crystal clarity for me on Thursday morning at 9am, the lecturer stood at the front and genuinely said the words, "A proper noun, begins with a capital letter." Well. I wanted to run down the isle and punch him in the face, or at least join the queue to do so. All said though, I suppose I can take some consolidation in the fact I'm not having to pay £12,000 for this waste of time, unlike those wanting to go to University in 2012, you poor buggers.

Unfortunately, seen as I have delved someway into politics there, I shall continue on the subject of the spending cuts. Now before any of my left wing colleagues prepare to throw their organic tofu at me, I do have mixed views on the subject, not complete agreement. Firstly, the Conservatives are doing exactly what they said they'd do, which is cut public spending, and it is necessary, no matter what people say. So in that, I congratulate them for having the balls to be so ruthless and give them a pat on the back.

In the same swing, I take back that pat and sock Mr Cameron in the jaw. Defence cuts? Good lord! Leave us without a pot to piss in why don't you? If anyone can fathom the following, please explain it to me: We are decommissioning the HMS Ark Royal, and building not one, but two aircraft carriers to put in her place. One of which, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, will be mothballed after only a mere three years service, what's the point? It also poses the question, why bother with aircraft carriers when there's no sodding aircraft to launch from them? We originally planned to purchase 138 top of the range fighter jets. We're now buying only 40, and a sub-standard version of what everyone else has. One of the aircraft carriers will only launch American and French jets as we don't have enough. Get your own carriers. I wonder how long it will be before the army resorts to slingshot and stone?

I apologise for the more political level this post has taken, but I feel better for writing it.

Usual service will resume shortly.

Bad Habits

A first year student, not yet a month into my first term and I have already picked up some terrible habits. And I don’t believe I am the only one.

Myself and my fellow students, as far as I can discern, are all now masters of procrastination. I cannot count the amount of times that I have heard the words, “Oh I’ve got /so/ much work to do.” And in saying such, do we sit down and crack on with it like sensible people? Of course not. Don’t be silly. We put it off as long as we can and then fight under pressure to get it all done, it seems to be the way things operate.

I seem to have the most incredible talent for falling through manure and coming out smelling of roses. Relying on this, I am trying my damned hardest to coast at the moment and hope for the best. We’ll see how this holds up... (I’m guessing that I’m in for a shock). I know I’m not the only one either.

Another ‘bad habit’ I seem to have gained, is the ability to spend money I just don’t have. Before coming to Manchester, I was prudent with money, spending what I needed but always making sure I had enough. Well, that’s gone out of the window. In three weeks I wonder just how much money the local clubs and bars have taken from we first years and our new found love of spending. I’ve considered a budget, but working one out seems too much like hard work in my opinion as a chief procrastinator.

A final point, and one that I cannot omit, has to be my accent. I come from West Yorkshire. I would say I’m from Leeds, as I am prone to doing, but the truth is I am from Bradford. It’s just that no one from Bradford cares to say so, it is not a city to be proud of. Anyway, I digress. The point is, I had a relatively normal (no jokes from the southerners there, please) West Yorkshire accent. However, for some reason since arriving here, I find myself with the broadest Yorkshire accent possible. Why is this? It’s not fierce pride for my home county for sure. I suppose it could be from fear of sounding remotely southern, but it seems a little extreme for that. Either way, I think I need to spend some time back at home to level it out again. I think the point of this little tirade was to see if anyone else has experienced this, or is it just me? Answers on a postcard.

Time

“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.” - John Lennon.

This has recently become a favourite quote of mine, not the favourite, but a favourite. I completely agree with it. However, I today learned that time not enjoyed wasting is just boring as hell. Two hours, that is to say one hundred and twenty minutes, this, I believe, is the single most irritating amount of time you can have 'free'. Not long enough to warrant going home and putting your feet up. Yet too long to fill productively. Therefore in my final thirty minutes of this space of time, I write you this.

In my bored wanderings I happened across the Manchester Museum which is currently running a small, and disappointing, exhibition on treasures and artifacts from ancient China. Unfortunately for me in my rather vacant state, I walked in just behind a group of primary school children. After five minutes it dawned on me that I looked to be following them, and so, made a fairly awkward and swift exit. Thinking about it, that must have looked just as odd. Perhaps I should move from my seat in the courtyard in which I sit as it is only stones thrown from the museum? (Stones throw seems quite apt.)

My truly appalling skills with regards to I.T. or anything technology based have led to my making some brilliant cock-ups. The seminar I am about to attend did require some work and so I though I could complete it in this woeful two hour stretch? I thought wrong. I arrived at the computer terminal only to realise I didn't have the foggiest idea as to my log in details. To be fair, had I logged in, I would have spent my time fighting with BlackBoard before obliterating the computer for merely existing.

I could, instead, go to my other seminar which I was bright enough to schedule, not only on my busiest day, but at the same time as another. That said, I think I've work to complete for that also, so I shall choose the lesser of two evils.

Finally, and this is the redeeming point of today, I utilised that post office I found three posts back.

Not only now do I run out of paper, but I run out of time. So here I leave you. Judging by sod's law, I'll find the seminar started an hour ago...