This morning, bag got left on train.
Bag contained laptop. Laptop contained dissertation.
Bag also contained other trivial items such as phone, wallet, keys.
Laptop also contained other trivial items such as photos.
I noticed when I was on the tube platform. It was a terrible 5 (maybe 10) minutes while I sprinted up, looked, found lovely friendly train man who helped me find it.
Moral of story: back-up back-up back-up.
Is 10am too early for a whisky?
Thursday 26 June 2008
Wednesday 25 June 2008
Left, Right, Left, Right
Over the past few months, it has been impossible to ignore the run up to the November 4th, 2008, United States presidential election. The pre-primary campaigns, the primaries and caucuses, the excitement of there being both a black and a women candidate, and the thrilling final stages of the race for the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party. Being in the UK over the last 6 weeks has also been an interesting time, with Gordon Brown’s popularity rapidly falling – a first anniversary opinion poll out today. With this simultaneous focus on the policies of different politicians and parties, it has been impossible not to compare the goings on across the pond. And I must admit it has left me somewhat confused.
Malawihazel attempting a political commentary? A scary thought, I know, but I must put these thoughts down. These thoughts are about the Democrats and the Republicans, the Tories and Labour. Can they be compared? Is there such thing as the Left and the Right?
In the last couple of weeks, Obama praised the Supreme’s Court’s decision to grant Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects a right to challenge their detention in civilian courts, while McCain expressed concern. Meanwhile, Gordon Brown won a House of Commons vote on extending the maximum time that police can hold terror suspects without charge, to 42 days (that’s 6 weeks!). All but one Tory MP voted against the proposal, and the affair ended in a dramatic resignation by the Shadow Home Secretary, defending “British liberties”.
Talking of time limits, it is the conservatives in Britain who have proposed a reduction to the 24-week limit for abortions, with Gordon and many other MPs opposing it. Pro-choice and anti-abortion in the US seems to be one of the major divisions between the Republicans and Democrats.
In the States, the Democrats are known for being the progressive party with regards to the environment – evidence is Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize (and Oscar), and George W denying human-induced climate change and refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol. On this side of the Atlantic the green card is strongly played by the conservatives (David Cameron even put a web cam in his home to show how good he is at recycling). Although, admittedly, the environment is taken seriously by the Labour government, and it is still “right-wing” newspapers such as the Daily Mail that try to claim climate change as a conspiracy.
One of Tony Blair’s legacies is the city academy. This Labour PM thought that the answer to education was to turn schools into businesses; prevent teachers from joining unions and blame them for the school’s failings rather than address the social problems in the school’s surrounding area.
Although there is no precise definition as to what “left-wing” politics are, and (as always) there are often contradictory views, I think there is a general consensus that they promote a more equal distribution of wealth and privilege and attempt to build a society with equal opportunity. “Left-wing” politics have been associated with trade unions, combating oppression, the welfare state and central planning. “Right-wing” politics are associated with the preservation of personal wealth and private ownership, self-reliance, and the free market.
So where do Labour and Conservatives lie? And Republicans and Democrats?
Could globalisation have something to do with this confusion? Pro- and anti-globalisation advocates suddenly find themselves agreeing on subjects such as the CAP and NAFTA. One set are singing praises about the power of the free market while the other set are questioning why OECD countries’ total agricultural subsidies amount to more that the GDP of (all of) Africa, and suggesting that this puts farmers in developing countries at a disadvantage.
Does the “left-wing” ideal of a more equal distribution of wealth and privilege include everyone? Or is it just the voters? They believe in a level playing field (unless you are a suspected terrorist).
Blair and Bush’s special relationship seems to have pushed America more towards the “left” and Britain more towards the “right”. Or is it the other way round? Britain’s left towards the right? Britain’s right towards the left.
Let’s just say, I am confused.
I will end with a quote from George Orwell’s 1984:
"From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."
Malawihazel attempting a political commentary? A scary thought, I know, but I must put these thoughts down. These thoughts are about the Democrats and the Republicans, the Tories and Labour. Can they be compared? Is there such thing as the Left and the Right?
In the last couple of weeks, Obama praised the Supreme’s Court’s decision to grant Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects a right to challenge their detention in civilian courts, while McCain expressed concern. Meanwhile, Gordon Brown won a House of Commons vote on extending the maximum time that police can hold terror suspects without charge, to 42 days (that’s 6 weeks!). All but one Tory MP voted against the proposal, and the affair ended in a dramatic resignation by the Shadow Home Secretary, defending “British liberties”.
Talking of time limits, it is the conservatives in Britain who have proposed a reduction to the 24-week limit for abortions, with Gordon and many other MPs opposing it. Pro-choice and anti-abortion in the US seems to be one of the major divisions between the Republicans and Democrats.
In the States, the Democrats are known for being the progressive party with regards to the environment – evidence is Al Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize (and Oscar), and George W denying human-induced climate change and refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol. On this side of the Atlantic the green card is strongly played by the conservatives (David Cameron even put a web cam in his home to show how good he is at recycling). Although, admittedly, the environment is taken seriously by the Labour government, and it is still “right-wing” newspapers such as the Daily Mail that try to claim climate change as a conspiracy.
One of Tony Blair’s legacies is the city academy. This Labour PM thought that the answer to education was to turn schools into businesses; prevent teachers from joining unions and blame them for the school’s failings rather than address the social problems in the school’s surrounding area.
Although there is no precise definition as to what “left-wing” politics are, and (as always) there are often contradictory views, I think there is a general consensus that they promote a more equal distribution of wealth and privilege and attempt to build a society with equal opportunity. “Left-wing” politics have been associated with trade unions, combating oppression, the welfare state and central planning. “Right-wing” politics are associated with the preservation of personal wealth and private ownership, self-reliance, and the free market.
So where do Labour and Conservatives lie? And Republicans and Democrats?
Could globalisation have something to do with this confusion? Pro- and anti-globalisation advocates suddenly find themselves agreeing on subjects such as the CAP and NAFTA. One set are singing praises about the power of the free market while the other set are questioning why OECD countries’ total agricultural subsidies amount to more that the GDP of (all of) Africa, and suggesting that this puts farmers in developing countries at a disadvantage.
Does the “left-wing” ideal of a more equal distribution of wealth and privilege include everyone? Or is it just the voters? They believe in a level playing field (unless you are a suspected terrorist).
Blair and Bush’s special relationship seems to have pushed America more towards the “left” and Britain more towards the “right”. Or is it the other way round? Britain’s left towards the right? Britain’s right towards the left.
Let’s just say, I am confused.
I will end with a quote from George Orwell’s 1984:
"From where Winston stood it was just possible to read, picked out on its white face in elegant lettering, the three slogans of the Party:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."
Tuesday 24 June 2008
Less is more
‘Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that can be counted counts’.
Albert Einstein
My methodology chapter should be about 3000 words. I am wondering whether I can just use the above quote....
Albert Einstein
My methodology chapter should be about 3000 words. I am wondering whether I can just use the above quote....
Friday 6 June 2008
Heather and Pete's Wedding
On the 22nd March 2008, my sister Heather got married to Pete on the shores of Lake Malawi.
Waiting for the bride
Getting ready
The choir
Bridesmaids
More Bridesmaids
Family
Where the party happened
Thursday 5 June 2008
The dawning of a new age of....
...blogging.
It's all happening. My "friends with blogs" have started up again. Magnus was inspired by a Pakistani taxi driver and Celine Dion, and is now ranting about Hillary, Tova is waxing lyrical about Jordan and Dave... well, Dave is stuck on snow apparently (one post a year is not a blog Dave, it's a Christmas card).
And me.
Well, I am back in the LITERAL ivory tower (NOT, i repeat NOT the proverbial). I am back in London, back at Kings, back in the library, writing. Writing. Writing.
And you know what this means?
Yes. You will be seeing a lot more of me.
It's all happening. My "friends with blogs" have started up again. Magnus was inspired by a Pakistani taxi driver and Celine Dion, and is now ranting about Hillary, Tova is waxing lyrical about Jordan and Dave... well, Dave is stuck on snow apparently (one post a year is not a blog Dave, it's a Christmas card).
And me.
Well, I am back in the LITERAL ivory tower (NOT, i repeat NOT the proverbial). I am back in London, back at Kings, back in the library, writing. Writing. Writing.
And you know what this means?
Yes. You will be seeing a lot more of me.
Wednesday 4 June 2008
Frustration
Setting: Geography Masters Computer Lab, Kings College, The Strand, London.
Immediately in front of the author: Desktop Computer
Slightly to the author's left: Laptop
Eleven O'Clock: Printer
The draft introduction, literature review and methodology are saved on the laptop.
The author wants to print the draft introduction, literature review and methodology.
The desktop's connected to the printer.
The laptop is 15cm away from the desktop.
The laptop is 2.5m away from the printer.
The flashdisc is sitting on the desk at the flat in Finsbury Park.
The wireless has stopped working (it worked upstairs in the cafe half an hour ago, but now is producing small yellow triangles with exclamation marks, and speaks of limited or no connectivity and IP addresses) so the DI,LR and M cannot be emailed.
The author wants to cry.
The library is closed due to a power cut.
Something is wrong with this network.
Immediately in front of the author: Desktop Computer
Slightly to the author's left: Laptop
Eleven O'Clock: Printer
The draft introduction, literature review and methodology are saved on the laptop.
The author wants to print the draft introduction, literature review and methodology.
The desktop's connected to the printer.
The laptop is 15cm away from the desktop.
The laptop is 2.5m away from the printer.
The flashdisc is sitting on the desk at the flat in Finsbury Park.
The wireless has stopped working (it worked upstairs in the cafe half an hour ago, but now is producing small yellow triangles with exclamation marks, and speaks of limited or no connectivity and IP addresses) so the DI,LR and M cannot be emailed.
The author wants to cry.
The library is closed due to a power cut.
Something is wrong with this network.
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