1. On May First, 1738, King Kamehameha I was born. What are your impressions of Hawaii?

Never been there but it looks mountainous from photos by friends. And Lost is filmed there. One of my inspirational profs from Temple Uni. came from there, so impressions are good.

1. On May First, 1873, Dr. David Livingstone died. When did you last presume something erroneous about someone or something?

I presumed for years that otfrom who said that he didin't like brown (the colour) didn't like the colour so I didn't wear it for years which was hard because I look good in brown. Then we talked about it and he didn't mean me - he meant he didn't think HE looked good in brown. So I went brown crazy.

1. On May First, 1876, Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro debuted. How do you feel about Disney’s animated classic Pinocchio?

Never seen it. Not seen many Disney "classics" much to the disbelief of the afore mentioned husband, who tried to name every Disney film ever made just to see if I had seen any.

1. May First is Walpurgis Night in Sweden and other parts of northern Europe. When did you last sing in front of an audience?

Last August I did a lot of Rock Band singing madness. Favourite is "Be my girl" by Jet. I don't know how I sounded - but I like the growling and the frisson of lesbianism.

1. Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a punk rock cover band. What song’s cover version do you like better than its original version?

I usually hate remakes and don't see the point but amoung favourites are Nouvelle Vauge covers, because they bring something different. Sheryl Crow's version of Rod's "First cut is the deepest" is good. Again brings something different. Absolute all time fav. is Huey from the Fun Lovin' Crims singing "Fly me to the moon" on an album called More Friends. Better by far than origional. Yes, its that good.

It will come as no surprise that I did not run the London marathon today. Instead, we took the bus just past Warren St station and walked round Regents Park this afternoon. It was warm, not too hot, and then we walked home via the supermarket, just over 5 miles. I'm going to go down to the park with my proper camera and take some photos of the ducks and geese. They're pretty frisky at the moment! One flower bed was planted out with pink and purple tulips and it was the most beautiful site.

needless to say, there was no revision done today!

I have spent all day on my wee film and have only three things on the "to do" list to do and one of those things may get dropped as unnecessary. My hold up is the need for photos 1 or 2 of an attic. I've written off to three people on Flickr and haven't heard anything back from them. Even just one pic would be workable. Then I'll finish up, make a couple of CDs and be done with it all.( Keep calm and carry on... )

1. What’s something you know how to draw?

A house, Playschool - style

1. Who’s someone you could get away with impersonating?

Frank Spencer - but can't everybody?

1. Where’s the stapler?

Right here by my right hand, ready to spring into action.

1. Why will this be a great weekend?

maetang is coming to visit.

1. When are you going to make that phone call you’ve been putting off?

Never -as I've decided not to put it off, but not to do it all together. I might email instead.

I've started to read eco stuff and am putting together a who's who, who knows who, who knows what and who is promoting what. In other words a social network of the eco environment. A quick search reveals some interesting connections between people and what they are promoting. Mostly either coal or nuclear energy.
( Keep calm and carry on ... )

Why oh why does Katie Couric call President Obama "Mr". Not every time, but I tune in to the CBS news - perhaps once every week or so since coming back to Uk and I've heard it 2-3 times since January. I have just heard yesterday's news where she managed to get to London to cover the G20 and she called him "Mr" again. My understanding is that in US terms, this is not only disrespectful, but also insulting.

( some suggestions as to why... )

Eco build was quite exciting. I picked up lots of leaflets and info and listened to the man off the telly talk about refitting homes for eco-friendliness.

And then on Monday I went off to a Transition Town Brixton food group meeting. Very interesting goings on.

Now I'm panicking about my essay as there's a book I need and can't get and have ordered it from a bookseller on Amazon and already they have posted it a day later than they should have (will incur wrath on star rating - I'm quite vicious with recommendations if rules aren't adhered to. One seller begged me to take down a bad review which I did not do as they had jerked me around AND been snippy in an email - and if there's one thing I don't like its snippyness when I know I'm right - red mist descends)  so anyhoo I'm still panicking. But it will all come right in the end. Hopefully.
The star icon is just how I feel.

The amount of work we have to do for a British MA is laughably small compared to even an American BA - and I'm still panicking!!!!!

Wot a day!!
Some things - brilliant, some things - swimming through treacle. I am having difficulty deciding what to do for essays and then I have hours of angst. Then its off to a brilliant lecture on the history of the law and housing in Britain yeah! And then more angst and then I hit pay dirt in the library. Consistency wouldn't go amiss - just for one day. Please?

Off to Eco-build tomorrow. Report to follow.

I've been not posting for nearly a month now. Bad bad.

( Here come the excuses... )

Yesterday saw otfrom and I on a bus trip to Canterbury. Pics here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cluttercup/

( Keep calm and carry on... )

The Neil Sharpe snow person has been a work in progress. Started late last night, he lost his head early on to a snowball fight. I know he was a he as he was anatomically correct - until this morning when he grew a new head but lost his wedding tackle. That must be confusing. He was constantly re-sculpted throughout the day and about 8pm this evening lost another battle against three students determined to decapitate him. They did so and ran off with his head. He's now gently melting, probably regretting his short, violent, and sexless life.

Three episodes of BSG today and now it's snowing and the youngsters are out snow-ball fighting (even though there isn't really enough snow) after midnight. Terrific.

shots here:

In action: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cluttercup/3224658087/

Resting here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cluttercup/3224656949/in/photostream/

I've been watching TV and not doing my school work. I've started reading Utopia and it's not a long book but I can't be bothered. "It's not easy being green" somehow seems more interesting at the moment.

Then there was the making of carrot cake for Chinese New Year's Eve tomorrow. With orange icing and of course I'll bring oranges too. The party starts at 6.30pm in one of the adjacent buildings and I have no idea how to get there. Never mind. If I drink enough wine tomorrow afternoon it won't matter and I won't care.

I'm contemplating buying an iron. Oh yes indeed, but it's not what you think. I can practically guarantee that. It has come to my attention that it is possible to iron plastic (see - even more distraction from schoolwork) to fuse it together and make funky place mats and coasters and bags and stuff. And since practically no one is recycling the stuff it seems like quite a reasonable plan to reuse it.

I have been thinking about the wee film I will have to make this term. Three ideas spring to mind as doable. One involves ironing plastic. One involves alternative Barbie art (see my delicious links) and one involves walking through Brixton (yes - guns of) with a local historian (if there's one to be had) talking and looking at old photos in a mish mash of Brixton history and memory. Obviously I'm hoping for the third one as it's the most interesting but Barbie art could be OK but I wouldn't have much film footage, and might just end up as a freak show without any reasonable anthropological interpretation and the ironing plastic idea would be difficult to pull off convincingly. I was going to do a wider analysis of the plastic bag but it's been done before, and better than I could do it.

So it's been a bit of a no-where day really. Except for the cake. Which is not a lie.

Well not quite. Having scoured Oxford St for a blouse (to wear for a presentation next Friday) which is the perfect combination of:

serious researcher but not too stodgy; not too girly, not to businessy, not too flippant and absolutely not sexy (this was not difficult) and certainly not the 'I make the tea and giggle in the office' blouse. I found one in M&S which might do. It suits me perfectly, but if anything it veers to the pretty side of the scale rather than anywhere else.

One thing's for sure - it will either be perfect - or not.

Now the hard work's over, all I have to do is prepare the presentation.

I've accomplished the Friday Five on Friday. All it took was for Otfrom to leave the country.

( Keep calm and carry on... )

I posted this long post and it got caught in this internet hiccup so lost the whole thing. Loosing the will to live now. Sorry.

The pub opposite has been open for half a week and the young'uns aren't half so noisy as they were before Christmas. Perhaps I have the rigors of UCL exams to thank for that. There may be a direct correlation between the amount of alcohol drunk and the lowness of grades. There are certainly many less people here than before. The boring Americans from next door left too.

Haven't been to the cinema since August. Gasp.

Only taking one elective this term in addition to my core course. I am sitting in on Methods and possibly may show up at the odd cultural memory lecture - if I remember.

So, it all seems pretty slow and quiet from some angles.
From other angles it's really busy.

I am slowly organizing my thesis and taking steps to see what I can do next. And going out. And staying in.
Tomorrow I'm off to Norwich for the day. Nervous about that and I love the nervous star. It's exactly how I feel!!!
Report to follow.

reading about the social complexities of the invention of bakelite. The article on chemistry was great. The second chemistry article seems overdoing it a bit - but it's 'historical' so maybe that's going to be OK.
I'm not in the mood though.
So maybe a little cooking now, some TV and the promise of the pub opposite the building opening tonight with an introductory "all drinks 1 pound" (keyboard is still American) No sleep for me tonight then. Oh joy!!

Yellowy Heaven in a bowl...( Read more... )