The election first - UK is, as we speak, in a state of suspension. There was no overall winner in the elections so we have a 'hung' parliament. Actually the phrase 'hung' Parliament is a misnomer. We actually have the perfectly acceptable situation in which the election has not revealed one clear winner. In most European countries, the obvious solution is that the will of the people seems to be towards a coalition Government. In the UK we are told (mostly by the Conservatives) that this will never work. In a sense I can see what they mean - you only have to look at the terrible mess that Germany, the Dutch, the Swiss and the Scandanavian countries get into by coalition governments. I'm actually not going into this in any detail because there's plenty of blogs out there that deal with matters Political, but in short, a hint at my opinion might be gleaned if I inform you that the previous sentence contained a degree of irony.
THe second itemn on tonights agenda is both an apology and a boast. An apology because, as the end of term exams are approaching, posting here will again be intermittent at best. ANd a boast because I recieved the earliest of my end of year results today, and unlike the eletion, there was actually a result. Which is where the boasting starts. Happily, I have improved my scores from the first year and am now averaging somewhere in the low 80's. I am tremendously impressed, although dont tell anyone in case they think I have a big head about this. Which I do.
I resolved fairly early on to follow the advice and heed the experience of those that knew better. So, following Grasshopper, I have studiously conducted independent study after each lecture rather than head off to the student bar. I have shown my work to my worst critic - RHB - and in some cases returned right to the drawing board as a result of her "input" (ref: potentially disastrous. See: Nickson and Large, 1995. Husband or wife teaching the other to drive, but it seems to have worked so far, The Journal of Accidentally Remaining Married for About Fifteen Years, vol 1, issue 3, pp 101-234). I have ignored the ploy of one I have been told of, who steadfastly refused to play the game and consistently handed in brilliant - but completely irrelevant - work and hence achieved nothing. In short, I want to keep doing very well. So between now and JUne 6th, contact will be minimal. The rate of revision will increase as I try to push my marks from the lowish 80's into the high 80's. Wikipedia wil not be used. What recreational time I do have will be spent teaching the cats new tricks.
I should also mention one final thing. The excellent Christmas of 2009 featured heavily the complaints of one "Sal", a spinster of the parish of Mansfield, against the unfinished nature of a wonky, unlevel mock up of a fireplace we were making. The thing was, in short, a great big eyesore, and we teased Sal mercilessy by placing her at the dinner table in very close proximity to the thing. It drove her quite quite madder, to the point where she threatened to faint one night. I should inform those who do not know that SAl is a remarkable artisan/artist/craftsperson and it was quite insensitive of us to expose one of her fine sensibilities to aesthetic torture in this way. I can now announce that we have thoroughly made amends to Sal for this indelicacy. The decision to act was as a result of a sentimental discussion on friends and family still missed in this urban backwater. The least we could do was make the place more welcoming so that when next we do receive visitors, comforts commensurate with their sensibilities will be in place. The discussion went something like this:
"This will not stand!" I declared to RHB. "The centre will not hold!" shouted herself back. "We will right the wrongs of the past!" I screamed. "The workers of the world have nothing to loose but their chains" shrieked the boffin. "Are you with me?" I bellowed. "Down with dismal visuals!" chanted my belle. "Let Sal never again have to look upon that ...that...that...THING!" I whispered, my throat having gone hoarse with all the shouting.
And so it came to pass, that in order that no-one, especially SAL will EVER have to look at the crappy fireplace again, we built a pond. Now if the fireplace displeases, we can direct anyone of sensitive visual prediliction to both the front AND the back garden where they can gaze upon the surface of the water, serene and reflective. We have called the rear pond "Baile Aughiscoic"
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