Harrowing!

Confession time

2007-06-25T21:12:00.001-07:00

I have a dirty little secret to share with you. Oh, the clever clogs among you already know what it is; some of you have suspected it for a while; and the rest of you might be really pissed at me when I tell you. But I had my reasons.First, I must pause and take a moment to acknowledge myself for completing my MA thesis. It was handed in today. That's it, done. Over. The last year of my

Nearly over

2007-06-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

The countdown has begun, which means I really ought to be typing up my thesis introduction rather than another blog entry, but there you go -- as I began, so I apparently intend to continue. But I've made some phenomenal progress in the time since my last entry. Seriously. I've written a few hundred -- yes, hundred -- pages worth of manuscript. Mostly first draft, of course, but there's some

Hooray! Draft one finished, plus...

2007-05-15T13:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.thestar.com/News/article/214109Panel pushes vote overhaulA government-appointed panel of citizens officially recommended today that Ontario overhaul the way it elects politicians and usher in a new system that would better distribute power in the legislature.The panel of 104 members voted to endorse the mixed member proportional voting system, which would have citizens vote twice –

To crash, perchance to get up and at it again in 6 hours

2007-05-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Been a while, wot? Just submitted the (very rough, even more incomplete) first draft of my thesis slash dissertation slash final project, or whatever the crap they call it here. It weighed in at 44,700 words (approximately) and 167 pages, although as indicated I'm really only about 35-40% done so I'm confident it will top the 300 page mark, before appendices etc.All of which means it's not

The real work begins

2007-04-20T09:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've had a bit of a break, I got out of town for a while (even got to visit the old ancestral home), recovered from a bit of a breakdown, but now it's nose-to-the-grindstone time. My thesis is due in just a little under one month from now.And it's a big one.Not content with simply writing and submitting the usual 10,000 word paper, I've decided to write an entire textbook for the course

Things I will miss

2007-04-06T03:12:00.000-07:00

'Mind the gap'.The constant but reassuring sound of trains.Magpies. (Yes, I know most people despise them, but I think they're actually rather beautiful creatures.)This is a much shorter list, isn't it?The miniature United Nations that is the MA-MBM cohort 2006-07.The miniature United Nations that is Flat 88, with representatives from Palestine, India, England, the U.S.A., Ireland and Canada (

Three more sleeps

2007-04-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted, and frankly it's been a while since I've felt remotely normal enough to post. So here goes nothing.I've spent most of the last couple of weeks recovering. Not that I'm back up to 100%, of course, but close enough that I feel up to blogging (briefly) and I can go out and about playing tourist for the last few days of my stay in London.I still feel lightheaded on

On the plus side, I'm down to 1 cup of coffee per day

2007-03-23T03:46:00.000-07:00

One of the happier consequences of, ah, the episode as we shall now call it ("pardon me while I have a strange interlude"), is that I can barely drink more than my first cup of coffee in the morning. By strange coincidence I had decided earlier in the week to start limiting my caffeine intake to two cups (down from my usual three), so this is kind of an unexpected bonus. See, I can be

Panic in the streets of London

2007-03-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you will recognize the title of this post as a line from a Smiths song. But for me it was a real-life event, although it felt much more like a hallucination. A very nasty one at that.Saturday night as I was on my way to Sainsbury's to get some groceries I had a panic attack. Not just any old garden variety panic attack: it was a whopper. Not that I have a lot to compare it to; I've

Just when you think things can't get any weirder...

2007-03-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

...someone turns up the 'melodrama' button.Due to circumstances beyond my control I will be away from the blog for a few days. Not that I think anyone out there is holding their breath or anything, but for the one or two people that actually read this and care (hey baby!)... a little heads-up.

Lord, give me strength

2007-03-13T04:10:00.000-07:00

Rude awakenings: 11:30 pm, 12:00 AM, and then roughly every 5 minutes or so thereafter until about 4:15 AM.Internet connectivity: SOD ALL, mostly.Days to departure: 17.The tease is the worst part: you get one or, if you're really lucky, two nights of 6-7 hours' sleep. But then it starts all over again. Worse than ever. Like last night.Of course there is a pattern to this, and it correlates

Si si je suis un rock star

2007-03-10T03:32:00.000-08:00

Rude awakenings: N/A. (Might've had to do with the entire bottle of Aussie cabernet-shiraz I downed last night. Yes, booze IS the answer.)Days to departure: 21. Three (count 'em, 3!) weeks.I am a fucking rock star.Or at least that's how I should feel after yesterday's relatively fawning treatment by the Powers That Be in the Harrow halls. After filing two more complaints earlier in the day

This time it's personal

2007-03-09T08:34:00.000-08:00

I submitted two more written complaints about noise and smoking in halls today. One was from back in February, the one I was about to file when asked to meet with halls management. I hadn't forgotten about that one; I merely let it lie, foolishly thinking my meeting would result in affirmative action. The other was from last night, when Stumpy across the hall -- who, I now have reason to

Update re: "Victor: the Victor Davis Story"

2007-03-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Just got this from Mark Lutz, the writer/star of the film:"Hello All,Due to the recently announced provincial election in Quebec the airdate of "VICTOR - The Victor Davis Story" has been postponed.Obviously, the election date conflicted with our premiere, and because the CBC has a mandate to cover all elections, we got the bump.Rest assured, once we have a new airdate, you'll be among the first

Why they are called 'universities'

2007-03-08T02:49:00.000-08:00

Rude awakenings: Too many to list the various hours.Fire alarms: 1 (false, yesterday).Days to departure: 23.Angry Alien Phone-Shouter was at it again early this morning. I took my life into my hands and tiptoed around the hallway to find out which room that horrible, freakish noise was emanating from. And I was right: it's that tiny little creature across the hall and down one door! My god,

Things I will not miss

2007-03-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Sonny, the unnecessarily loud piss-tank across the hall.Pig-Squealer.Doors that slam instead of click gently closed.Kitchens and hallways that reverberate like echo chambers.Weeks-old crust and slime coating various cooking and dining surfaces.Industrial strength, chemical-based toxic cleaning solvents.Kidiots revving their engines, doing doughnuts and/or cranking their pointlessly loud

Of vital importance

2007-03-06T04:40:00.000-08:00

Rx is still in effect:My e-mails may not be getting through to you. Some bastard(s) is/are spoofing my e-mail address and I have been blocked by some, though fortunately not all, ISPs and their spam filters. If you have been expecting to hear from me but haven't, please ask your ISP whether my domain -- and in particular my e-mail address -- is being blocked. Fortunately my domain host has put

Harper's Tories: the second-best government money can buy

2007-03-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 7:00 AM. (Thanks, Angry Phone-Shouter.)*Internet connectivity: Acceptable.Days to departure: 28.Don't know if you followed the news about Bev Oda, Canada's Minister of Culture, who racked up some serious eyebrow-raising expenditures at the Juno Awards in Halifax last month. Then she had the gonads to say she repaid $2,000 of it, as if a $3,500 limo bill -- in a city you can

Introductions

2007-03-02T02:40:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to two characters who will be featured shortly in upcoming posts regarding things I will and will not miss when I move out of halls at the end of this month.Actually, one of them you have already met -- sort of. Or at least I have mentioned her on one or two prior occasions. I call her Pig-Squealer. As you might guess, her moniker derives from the fact that she can

Forward... March!

2007-03-01T16:43:00.000-08:00

March 1! The end is in sight – literally. I look on my Western Canada Wilderness Committee calendar and can see the departure date, March 31, clear as day. That alone feels good.The fact that I managed a full night’s sleep (!!!) and woke up quite naturally at 8:00AM also makes me feel good, as does the beautiful sunshine. Today I am filled with a hope and optimism that I have not felt for

Light at the end of the tunnel (unless that's a train coming)

2007-02-28T02:49:00.000-08:00

Got a lovely and very supportive e-mail from Lynne today (thanks, much appreciated!), very insightful too. Few can know and understand the quirks of the Clean-Air System clan like another Clean-Air System.We discussed the virtues of assorted drugs (of the legal variety -- stop that), and I told Lynne that despite the fact that many sympathetic friends and colleagues here in London have kindly

Laugh? I'm dying

2007-02-27T01:34:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 3:15 AM.Internet connectivity: Minimal.Days to departure: 33.I remember not so long ago images on television of a disheveled Manuel Noriega emerging from his villa after several consecutive days of unrelenting bombardment by light and noise. Confused and disoriented, he finally succumbed to the psychological warfare waged by U.S. troops and gave himself up -- the former

And another thing

2007-02-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

Help me to understand this. Please. Clearly there is something I must be missing.Why, when otherwise well-meaning people hear my (true) tales of woe, do they say things like the following:"Have you tried sleeping with earplugs?""Couldn't you ask to be moved to another flat?""Have you tried Valium?"(ad nauseum)...hmmm? Any takers? Because I'm stumped. I mean, WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO DO ANYTHING?

Change the channel, I don't like this movie

2007-02-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 3:30 AM, until 5:00 AM or thereaboutsFire alarms (false): Two, while I'm in the shower (naturally)Days to departure: Far too fucking manyThe good news is that I went to see the school nurse today who told me that my increasing anxiety attacks are probably "just" the result of severe sleep deprivation, and that the numbness in my hands, the pains in my arms and the sore neck are

The countdown begins in earnest

2007-02-20T10:32:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 2:30 AM. (Miserable dicktards.)Internet connectivity: Dial-up slow.Days to departure: 41.Booked my return flight today for Saturday, April 7. It's at a sensible hour, too, so I don't have to get up too early, nor do I get into YVR too late. I am genuinely excited, particularly since our seminar group (Group 5) has made good progress on our two assignments and we had our one and

Kyoto Protocol? That's a sushi joint, isn't it?

2007-02-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

Better yet, let's just burn Gordon Campbell:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DXOTYKy_gUPDATE: On second thought, Campbell's hot air contributes far too much to global warming and greenhouse gas emissions anyway...

Happy birthday Danika!

2007-02-17T07:36:00.000-08:00

Rude awakenings: N/A*Internet connectivity: Yesterday: None whatsoever. Today: slow.Days to departure: 43.* This doesn't mean sleep was not lost. Au contraire, it simply meant that I stayed up long enough so that the noisemaking died down enough to allow me to sleep. Thursday night wasn't too bad (it mellowed out around 1:15 or so) but last night was much later, around 2:00. It was a

Classic literature: read it. Live it.

2007-02-15T03:14:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 2:40 AM.Internet connectivity: Minimal.Days to departure: 45.Woke up (the second or third and final time this morning) to the atonal, nails-on-a-chalkboard sounds of Ms. Pig-Squealer down the hall. As per usual she was squawking about nothing in particular to no one in particular. Like the fire alarm, one day something evil will befall her and no one will come running to save

My bloody Valentine

2007-02-14T15:31:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 3:40 AM.Internet connectivity: S... l... o... w... and my mail server's been down most of the day.Days to departure: 46.Managed to get some work done today, which is little short of miraculous given how tired I am. Ian took me to see another show tonight in Hammersmith, which I'll write up tomorrow -- assuming I manage a night's sleep. If not, look for me in the morning

Nil illegitimi carborundum

2007-02-13T07:20:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 2:35 AM.Internet connectivity status: Nonexistent.Days to departure: 47.There can be no doubt about it: instead of feeling younger for being constantly surrounded by all this youth, I have aged disproportionately to the time I have spent here. There is no shortage of people who are keen to tell me how terrible I look on a daily basis. When I dare glance into the mirror, even I

Bullshit level: excessive

2007-02-12T15:28:00.000-08:00

Rude awakening: 1:30 AM.Internet connectivity status: None.Connectivity in library to essential resources: Nil.Nerves: Frayed.Days to departure: 48.

If I had a hammer, there'd be no more undergrads

2007-02-11T04:42:00.000-08:00

Today's rude awakening: 3:45 AM (The French undergrads.)Internet connectivity status: Dodgy.Days to departure: 49.

Beam me up Scotty, there's no intelligent life here

2007-02-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today’s fire alarm (false): 5:25 AM.Internet connectivity status: Unavailable.Countdown to departure: 50 days.

Eerie

2007-02-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

Fromage de la semaine: Shropshire Blue.It's quiet around here. Too quiet. It's very spooky, unnerving. (If you've followed this blog at all in the last little while, you'll know it's anything but quiet around here at the best of times.)It could have something to do with the weather; it's cold (though still above zero) and grey here. Maybe everyone's just hibernating. Or given that we're a

Gratitude

2007-02-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

It's been an eventful week, what with fire alarms -- yesterday's two false ones, and the real one from the day before -- and the continued disruptions to my precious sleep cycles. But today, as tired as I am, I have a lot to be grateful for.Having just met with the course leader I have been given the green light to:Come home once the course works is over, i.e., at the end of March, and work on

Darwin's waiting room

2007-02-06T07:25:00.000-08:00

Not to put too fine a point on it, the intellectually challenged See-You-Next-Tuesday across the hall -- Sonny, or Sammy, or whatever his name is -- partied like it was 1999 last night. Or should I say this morning. Ho hum.The real story of the day (because being awoken 2:30 - 4:30 AM on a nightly basis is no longer news) is that the fire alarm went off just now. Twice. In a row. And of

Semi-improved

2007-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

To follow up yesterday's post regarding the demolition on the grounds of the neighbouring St. Marks and Northwick Park hospitals: I stand corrected. Only one of the smokestacks is now gone. Completely and utterly gone. The other one was still standing as of today, and in fact earlier this morning was observed emitting smoke.Oh well. One smokestack is better than two, I suppose. The view --

Home improvements

2007-02-03T16:06:00.000-08:00

I was quite surprised the other day to find that workmen had sealed off Proyer's Path and the shortcut to the Northwick Park and St. Mark's Hospitals the other day -- in order dismantle the two unsightly smokestacks next to the Harrow campus. Hooray!I strongly suspect they were, at one time, used for burning biohazardous waste or some such, so all the more reason to be happy to see them go,

A dish best served cold*

2007-02-02T04:20:00.000-08:00

* (To be bellowed aggressively and drunkenly in the hallways after 4:00 AM, through a rented bullhorn, during the week of undergrad final exams, to the tune of "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart):Wake up maggots, you know I've got shomething to shay to youIt's 4:15 and before long you'll be back in schoolI know you're probably tired, but I'm just getting wiredOh maggots you don't know the pain you've

How did it get to be February?

2007-02-01T03:26:00.000-08:00

Currently grooving to: Mazarin, Watch It Happen. (Thanks, Vinita!). I know Baby will like it; imagine a sound somewhere between Magnetic Fields and Modest Mouse, only nowhere near as annoying as the latter. With admirers like me issuing crap comparisons like that, it's no wonder they've called it a day. (I love it that Gracenote returns "folk" as the genre when I fire up iTunes.)Can't

Must-see television: "Victor: The Victor Davis Story"

2007-01-29T16:51:00.000-08:00

I am ecstatic to be able to tell you that an airdate has now been set for VICTOR: The Victor Davis Story, written by and starring my friend, fellow Montreal native and former housemate Mark Lutz.Mark also happened to be a friend of Victor's, why is why he was incredibly driven to make this project happen. (The story of the making of the film is almost as inspiring as the Victor Davis story

How far down the rabbit hole do you wanna go?

2007-01-29T16:04:00.000-08:00

For me, a card-carrying ENFP, the inherent challenge of academia is always: how far down the rabbit hole do you wanna go?I mean, I get sidetracked easily at the best of times. Most of you have, at one time or other, received some dumbass email containing a link to a goofy animation somewhere on the interweb and know this already; the internet is a dangerously distracting place. Throw some

Thunderbird migration

2007-01-29T10:49:00.000-08:00

After weeks of nagging by Eudora, I finally made the switch. Apparently the version I currently use will no longer be functional after March 31st for reasons I'll explain in a moment, so I figured I might as well deal with it now and avoid the last-minute panic. Oh, I took the usual precautions; I dumped all my Eudora mailbox files and folders onto a backup CD, just in case. And although I've

Essential link

2007-01-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

A long-overdue shout-out to Will MacCallum at Climb Your Ladder. I can honestly say that without Will's expert coaching, chances are very good that I wouldn't be here today (at Westminster, I mean, doing my MA) or be this close to running my first full marathon, among other things. Check out his site here. If you're in need of a helping hand to get clarity on your goals, or you need to get

Broadcasters in political censorship scandal

2007-01-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here in London, the environment & climate change are constant front-page headlines. I guess that's what you'd call a classic "good news/bad news scenario." The media in Canada may finally be waking up to reality too, from what I'm reading; I just found a very interesting story in the Grope & Flail which I'll get to in a moment. Basically it says Canadians now rate the environment as their #1

Reason to live (at least two more weeks):

2007-01-27T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hot Fuzz, the new Simon Pegg film.

Enter the sandman

2007-01-27T06:20:00.000-08:00

He came, he saw, he left me sawing wood: Good news in the form of a few hours' kip last night. Of course I was awoken several times by the kidiots -- especially the shrill pig-squealer two doors down who feels that every last thing she has to say is of dire consequence to everyone in the western hemisphere (doubly so after 2:00 AM), and therefore broadcasts her every thought to the world.

To sleep, perchance to dream

2007-01-25T22:17:00.000-08:00

Day Four of no sleep.I tried melatonin last night; it didn't help at all. So I'm going to try the heavy artillery next and see if that has any effect. I'm going to have to make an appointment to see a doctor. This is simply getting out of hand.

Wated days, wasted nights

2007-01-25T05:16:00.000-08:00

Today's cheese report is brought to you by Lancashire. (Crumbly... but creamy.)I have not slept in three days now.The worst part of this is that I'm not getting any work done. I mean, it would be one thing if I wasn't sleeping but was able to use the time productively, to work on my papers and my thesis. But as it is I can barely string a sentence together. Yesterday I spent 1/2 hour reading one

Q&A with Ken Clean-Air System

2007-01-24T04:07:00.000-08:00

Q: How much sleep have you had in the last 72 hours?A: Grrrrrrrrrrr.Q: How late did the party down the hall last on Monday night/Tuesday morning?A: Not sure. I finally left for the library at 4:00 AM to get away from the noise and cigarette smoke, and by the time I got back around 7 AM it had finally started to fade.Q: Was the library actually open at 4:00 AM?A: Oh yes. Now ask me if

If you can't say anything nice...

2007-01-23T03:29:00.001-08:00

Party time in Portugal

2007-01-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling out of sorts again today, unmotivated. I think a lot of it has to do with not only the reasons mentioned yesterday -- coming back from a long vacation, missing D., etc. -- but also the current turmoil over my thesis. I really can't get my head around a topic. It seems that everything I'm interested in writing about has already been covered, or really involves areas in which I have

Landscape pr0n

2007-01-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another installment of What We Did On Our Xmas Vacation. (Did I tell you that it's really hard to get back into the academic swing of things after nearly a month off, much of which was spent completely goofing off?)Before I begin I should alert you to the fact that Blogger has been acting buggy lately, doing odd things to the way the photos are displayed in the last few posts.

Eye candy for the travel-impaired

2007-01-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here are a few more photos to keep the gawkers vaguely amused... First up is a shot of me in front of a statue of el pacificador in Madrid near the Crystal Palace, a shot of which is posted elsewhere (if I can find the link I'll re-edit this post later and insert it). Quite who el pacificador is I'm afraid I can't remember, unfortunately, and I guess I really should do my homework

January: half over, or half still to come? You decide.

2007-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

Cheese update: Last week, amid all the sadness of Mrs. Clean-Air System's departure, I failed spectacularly to report a double whammy of special guest cheeses: Red Leicester and Double Gloucester. This week is another two-hander, as my fridge and stomach play host to Caerphilly & Cheshire. Oh, the tangy, crumbly goodness.This past week I have read no fewer than 9 books. That's more than one

Digital Village Idiot turns up the "suck" button again

2007-01-12T14:51:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to warn you that things may get drastically slower from here on in as I once again begin to wrestle with the Internet Lack of Service Provider known as Digital Village Idiot, a Catalyst (mis)Management Product (or so they are foolish enough to proclaim -- but if I were them I'd run a mile and never, ever admit to being in any way related to such a shoddy, lame-ass, sub-par

Here we go again

2007-01-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

The title of today's post is a clever allusion (I hope) to the fact that our travelogue continues, as well as the fact that the hall kidiots were (are?) at it last night with a vengeance: it's 6:24 AM GMT as I write, and the partying noises have only just abated. I've been staring at the ceiling for the last couple of hours, trying to sleep through it. Good thing they're several floors below

Photographic evidence

2007-01-11T15:45:00.000-08:00

I was going to title this post A Villa in Portugal after the song by The Pursuit of Happiness (which eerily came up on the infamously non-random iTunes just moments ago), but then that would set a dangerous precedent -- for me, anyway. Postmodern Sass has it down to an art, pardon the pun, and that's why I don't want to get caught up in that game. For one thing, it's not original. For another

Trains, planes and automobiles

2007-01-03T16:08:00.000-08:00

Feliz ano novo, as they say in Portugal -- a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year. Just a quick update to let you know that we arrived safe & sound earlier this evening from the Algarve, under a full moon and a very grey, overcast and windy sky -- a far cry (far in general actually) from everything we had left mere hours before. [Sigh.] On the way home we walked, took a taxi, took a train,

Greetings from sunny Spain

2006-12-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Hola everyone -- and feliz fiestas y feliz navidad! Today´s entry will be brief as it is being written from an internet cafe in sunny (but cold) Madrid, where the people know how to party. D. and I are about to embark on the next leg of our journey, to Lisbon on the overnight train. We have to boogie to the station momentarily, stopping at our hotel to collect our bags along the way. We have

Christmas in continent

2006-12-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

Just to remind D. that I don't make up any of the stuff that I write here the fire alarm went off at 4:00 AM again this morning, marking the second time that's happened since her arrival. And then apparently it went off twice more today while I was out shopping and jogging, not necessarily in that order.Spent the day packing for our trip to the Continent. Tomorrow it's Paris; we've got a hotel

A tourist in my own town

2006-12-17T14:05:00.000-08:00

Mrs. Clean-Air System arrived safely at 7:30 AM on Thursday, although didn't clear customs until nearly an hour later. By that point I'd already been at Heathrow, waiting, for at least 45 minutes. That wouldn't have been so bad except I'd been up late-ish the night before -- the usual trip to the Apollo after the last class of the term -- and of course the day before I'd been up until about 4:

We're not in Kensal Rise any more, Toto

2006-12-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

Some catching up:Not to worry anyone of course (hi, Mom), but here's a story that I missed posting on account of the final term week frenzy:Six hurt as tornado hits LondonKensal Rise, as it happens, is not far from here. It was pretty bloody windy that day as I recall. Nothing much happened in Harrow except a few trees lost their branches.In a not unrelated story, I hear that Stockwell "Doris"

'tis the season

2006-12-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

Never, ever thought I'd be grateful for a Starbucks, but today I was. I finally started feeling seasonal with my first eggnog latte, which apparently are rarities round these parts. Starbucks is the only place that makes 'em. Go figure.Meanwhile the Xmas parties have started with a vengeance; the only reason I wasn't at the pub for our usual Wednesday evening-after-class tipple is that I'm

Happy fun joy land!

2006-12-04T16:21:00.000-08:00

Cheese of the day: brie -- with cranberry sauce and pine nuts, of course. (And yes, I know brie is French.)Had a terrible nightmare last night. I think it must be the stress. Odd thing is, I've had this one before. Very nasty. I wrote it down in case it happens again.Otherwise I'm feeling marginally better today, thank you.In retrospect I realize that perhaps I have tempted fate by calling

About the weather

2006-12-03T05:40:00.000-08:00

Cheese of the week: Stilton.I think we can safely rule out the weather as the cause of whatever's got me down. Today is sunny, albeit considerably cooler and windier than it has been in the last few days, and I still feel like shite. I slept in again this morning and didn't really want to get out of bed at all. In fact I just want to crawl back into bed right now. I'm tired and listless.

Recession

2006-12-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

I now call it a recession because apparently it's not a full-blown depression. Not that I'm well out of it now; I'm still feeling quite low. If I have the strength I might outline the reasons for the depression/recession later. If.The fact that I'm feeling somewhat better today I attribute to (in no particular order):an improvement in the weather; spending last night reading Pema Chodron's

Depression II

2006-12-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

This entry's title is 'Depression II' because the first draft was too depressing to publish. So here's a shorter excerpt:There can be no doubt that I am depressed. I mean a seriously feel like buying a 26-ouncer of tequila and drinking the whole fucking thing before lunch kind of depressed. Fuck it, I can't even finish the short version.

Food, glorious food

2006-11-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

All these years of Coronation Street later and I still don't know the difference between baps, butties, buns, barmcakes, sarnies and sandwiches (although I suspect the latter two are the same). I think there are a few more colloquialisms for these things but I can't think of them off the top of my head right now, probably because all this talk of food has made me hungry and I can't think

And... exhale.

2006-11-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

Being at university, and more particularly living in residence halls, is a lot like real life. Okay, you're right. I take that back. It's nothing like real life.But at least it provides a useful microcosm to help explain the way the world really works. On some days -- like today, when the weather is unspeakably delicious -- all is right with the world, your flatmates and colleagues from

I think I've used up all my best words

2006-11-27T00:15:00.001-08:00

Hello again.That, woefully inadequate as it might be, is about all I can manage despite over two or more weeks' bloglessness. But that's what you get from me at 8:16 AM GMT on a Monday after burning the candle at both ends for a few consecutive days. I proudly point out that at no time did I pull an all-nighter, which is a sure sign of maturity, or better planning and organisation, or

Now I know why they're called "pounds"

2006-11-11T02:38:00.000-08:00

Welcome to today's installment of Postponing Another Paper. Actually I'm not procrastinating, just warming up my writing muscles. (See? I really can justify anything.)OK, it's been a long week so let's get on with a completely random assortment of issues and observations. I've divided them up into sections for you, so they're more easily digestible and it should give you ample time to get

In which your narrator belatedly discovers the value of having a camera embedded in a mobile phone

2006-11-03T03:14:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! Happy November! It’s another unbelievably gorgeous morning here. It will be hard to focus on writing papers when the sunshine and blue skies beckon, but focus I must... in a moment. First, I need to flex my writing muscles and get my best thinking brain on. So I thought I’d warm up with a long-overdue blog entry. Not that I could

Momentum

2006-10-27T03:52:00.000-07:00

Currently playing: Fairport Convention, "Who Knows Where the Time Goes."How appropriate. Who, indeed, knows where it all goes? I certainly don't, although I have a good idea of how it's spent -- mostly on term papers and the like. Speaking of which, I had my first mid-term exam Wednesday. Wahoo! One down, three to go, plus seven papers (for this term, anyway)... Hard to believe we're nearly into

In today's e-mail

2006-10-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Mental health: Dandy.Dental health: Still flossing regularly.Fiscal health: Lovely day, isn't it?I don't know about you but every time I open my e-mail it gives me the warm and fuzzies, reminding me that there's an awful lot of friendly people Out There, many of whom I've never even met: kindly folks like Pertinents F. Emulating, who wrote to me today about an exciting Investment Strategy! [

Today's post brought to you by Generic brand

2006-10-22T14:35:00.000-07:00

On my major-name computer jukebox application right now: Lou Reed, "Legendary Hearts." Don't know about emotions bleeding, but my eyes sure are. Or so it feels. I've been reading and writing and writing and reading for the last 14 hours or so without a break. And it's only just beginning... so that's why I'm taking a breather. (For just a few minutes, honest.) I'm relaxing by... um... er...

Blogs: the world's foremost procrastination tool

2006-10-21T03:07:00.000-07:00

The weather isn't cooperating. I woke up this morning pleased as punch to see that it was grey, blustery, rainy and generally perfect for staying indoors to get more work done (and there's plenty of it to do, too). But noooooooo, the sky cleared and although it's still a bit windy there's a lot of blue sky and sunshine up there. Damn. Well, it ought to be good for running anyway, if not for the

Brown sauce?

2006-10-18T16:29:00.000-07:00

Today's post is brought to you by... brown sauce.I've been sitting here staring at a packet of the stuff, contemplating it, virtually from the moment I came home tonight.This unknown substance intrigues me because I've more or less been a lifelong anglophile, and I've never even heard of brown sauce. But apparently it's "a great British tradition," or so it says on the label. (The label also says

Would you believe a truck AND a generator?

2006-10-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, it was both. So I was right on both counts. Although it's more than that: it's a travelling fun fair, the kind that have those miniature versions of the tilt-a-whirl and the teacups that make you vomit.What it's doing here (other than the obvious, I mean) is beyond me. But at least it explains the screams I've been hearing, too.

EMI has infringed my (private copy) rights

2006-10-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we had yet another special guest lecturer in, this time from EMI. He's Richard O'Brien, head of Media. (For a while I debated naming the poor guy, after all, he did presumably volunteer his free time to come talk to us, but... nahhhh.)Now it must be said that I feel for Richard and people like him. They are in a rather untenable position, having to defend an industry that, largely

Friday the 13th and other irregularities

2006-10-14T13:34:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling much better these days, thanks for asking. Not that I was too worried; I knew it was only a passing thing. "Self-limiting" is the term the medical types use to describe most seasonal viruses and such, I think, and I'm pretty sure that's what I had. Most of the kids in my class have been coming down with assorted bugs for the last few weeks, and I think it may be a measure of my

Read this or die. Literally.

2006-10-11T15:49:00.000-07:00

The threat is from those who accept climate change, not those who deny itIf the biosphere is ruined it will be done by people who know that emissions must be cut - but refuse to alter the way they liveGeorge MonbiotThursday September 21, 2006The Guardianhttp://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,1877284,00.html

Check-up check-in

2006-10-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Apparently it was (Canadian) Thanksgiving on Monday. I had no idea, even though it's sufficiently well documented on my Western Canada Wilderness Committee calendar. That's how out of touch I am about stuff at home. I am culturally adrift. (Not that Thanksgiving was ever such a big deal, but... you know.)Had to take a couple of days off blogging because I was feeling unwell most of Sunday and

Guest blog: Jasmine (with help from Ali & Sue)

2006-10-06T12:24:00.000-07:00

Because the dogs of cyberspace ate today's entry, I bring you a very special guest blog courtesy of Jasmine with, I suspect, more than a little parental assistance from Ali & Sue. (Whom I didn't actually get to see when they were here last week, not that I'm bitter...)It is the heartwarming -- sometimes frightening, and alternatingly sad and funny -- tale of how my very good and wonderful friends

What I'm missing

2006-10-03T15:37:00.000-07:00

In no particular order: Danika My cats (Albert & Victor) Recycling & composting My bike Our bed My own kitchen Cilantro less than 1 pound 39p (about $3.00!) per bunch Men's team Basketball Applause Video Mountains The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Cedar and hemlock trees Quality sleep Canadian accents Maple syrup (seriously) DaVinci's Inquest re-runs Teaching

Jim's blog

2006-09-30T09:48:00.001-07:00

If there's one surefire way to spoil a perfectly good bad mood, it's with good news. So allow me to blow a little sunshine up your nether regions for a change, since (a) I temporarily have internet connectivity back (though for how long, I don't know) and (b) I am temporarily able to access my e-mail (ditto).The main positive development of which I write is Jim Harris's blog, which I gather made

Next: carrier pigeons, or messages in bottles

2006-09-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

Please be advised of the following:MY E-MAIL IS DOWN. THE NETWORK IN THE HALLS OF RESIDENCE IS DOWN. MOST EVERYTHING IN ALL OF BRITAIN, THIS GODFORSAKEN HELLHOLE OF A PRIMITIVE BACKWATER, IS DOWN. NOTHING WORKS AS IT SHOULD, AND EVERYTHING THAT SHOULD BE WORKING IS PROBABLY CLOSED ANYWAY.It is only by a stroke of the purest good fortune that I was able to log on to the University's network today

Day of reckoning (literally)

2006-09-28T03:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our second full day of classes for the term, led off with Finance & Economics. It's bad enough I have this completely irrational fear of F&E (read: effin' E) at the best of times, but the hall's Junior Olympic Morons were at it again the previous night, slamming doors and shouting and generally being their usual odious selves rather late into the night/early into the morning. Right now

Why are you reading this when you should be working?

2006-09-26T02:17:00.000-07:00

The undergrads were at it again last night. Only this time they were in my hallway. I'm dreaming of a delicious, devious revenge; your suggestions are more than welcome. Part of the problem here is that the doors of our residence halls are not equipped with spyholes which means I can't actually visually identify the guilty. Oh, I suppose if I were sufficiently alert at that ungodly hour of the

Visit London to see your friends from home

2006-09-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Slept OK again today. In fact I overslept. By several hours. Guess I must have needed it. Today Kate from down the hall asked me if I was kept awake by last night's racket, but I was blissfully ignorant as I hewed a large tract of arboreal forest. (I hope she wasn't referring to my snoring.)Just got back from dinner at my new friend Stephanie's place. Like most of the western hemisphere,

Happy, happy, joy, joy

2006-09-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

Awoke to find Harrow blanketed in a good old-fashioned London fog. Just thought I'd mention that because up until yesterday, the weather has been consistently fine: only partly cloudy most days, quite sunny the rest of the time, and hardly any rain. When it did rain once or twice, as it did yesterday while we were ensconced in our windowless lecture room, it ended by the time I had to emerge to

I'll have an MA-MBM with a side PhD for the TfL

2006-09-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

I fucking hate students. (Even though I is one.)Screaming drunken bastards woke me up again at 3:00 AM, and because that clearly wasn't enough, did it again at 4:00 AM. Strangely, no one else on my floor seems to have noticed. Lucky buggers all slept through it. Maybe I'm just a little more sensitive these days, what with being in strange new surroundings and all. I mean, normally I've been

Catching Up XVII: The Smackdown (Sunday, September 17, 2006)

2006-09-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

Woke up early after a good, long, deep and comfortable sleep in my new bedding. It ain't exactly 400-thread count Egyptian cotton, in fact it's pretty raw and scratchy in the absence of a good pre-washing, and I have no idea what colour the sheets are. It's probably something horribly mismatched to the rest of the decor, but I don't care. They worked a treat, and that's what matters.Outside it’s

I Still Know What You Did Catching Up: Saturday, September 16, 2006

2006-09-18T04:25:00.000-07:00

Damn! I wake up to find that I’ve lost my last 2 genuine Montreal bagels, my cherished organic instant coffee, butter, etc., all of which I had bought while staying at Wigram House. The reason they're gone is that yesterday (Friday) was officially the last day for the outgoing residents, and the cleaning crew (who don’t speak a word of English) are apparently under orders to be merciless with

Son of catching up: Friday, September 15, 2006

2006-09-18T04:08:00.000-07:00

5:00 AM: Am awoken by extremely loud noises, like someone dragging a steamer trunk complete with dead body down several flights of stairs while drunk. What the FUCK!?!? I hope it’s not going to be like that for the rest of the year. Fucking students.OK, back to sleep for another 1 ¾ hours… until the alarms go off, one fifteen merciful minutes after the other…It’s a rainy morning. How fitting.

Catching up II: Thursday, 14 September, 2006

2006-09-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

In his Handbook to Higher Consciousness, Ken Keyes Jr. writes that one of the twelve recommended pathways to higher consciousness is to always remember the following:I act freely when I am tuned in, centered, and loving. If possible I avoid acting when I am emotionally upset and depriving myself of the wisdom that flows from love and expanded consciousness.I wonder if by “acting” he includes “

Catching up: Wednesday, 13 September, 2006

2006-09-18T02:06:00.000-07:00

Didn't sleep too well last night due to the heat & humidity – did I mention it’s hot as hell here? And humid, to boot? To add insult to injury there was some strange, persistent beeping noise emanating from somewhere outside my window, which I kept open on account of the aforementioned climate issues. This, in turn, made it rather easy to hear the jets overhead that never really seemed to stop

The learning begins

2006-09-12T12:45:00.000-07:00

Classes haven't even officially begun yet and already I can feel my head expanding to accommodate all this new learning. For example: I learned that no matter where I go in the world, I have an appalling sense of direction and am total crap at reading maps. Especially if there are no constant visual reminders of directionality like, say, mountains, oceans, or a CN Tower. Oh, sure, London has a

Touchdown: London

2006-09-11T07:39:00.000-07:00

I'm still not really finished with yesterday's post because among the other Big(ish) Stuff that needs to be enthused about is the news that broke out of Hudson, regarding Kerry and her dad Bill and our mutual friend Mark, among other things. But I'll have to come back to that later, if I can. Because I'm here. I made it. I'm now in London.Warning: Due to extenuating circumstances and for reasons

My hometown

2006-09-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

The drive from Ottawa was surpringly fast; it didn't take long to thread our way through the outbound traffic and the time was passed by my relentless picking of J-P's tireless brain. Thank goodness for good company and good conversation. Merci infiniement et a bientot, J-P. I also keep forgetting that Ottawa is closer to Montreal than, say, Quebec City, which I've visited far more frequently.