Just a copy n paste...
Thursday, 31 March 2005
Tuesday, 15 March 2005
Good things about English national identity
It seems to be time to talk about this. I say English not British. I am not sure how to differentiate the English and British national identities, as in some ways they were conflated until rather recently - and the reality of these things consists wholly in how they are thought about.
I don't know if any of these things are world-historical contributions to the human species, but I do think they are good things, and add to the gaiety of nations. And perhaps some of these things are close to being lost - politeness would be a case in point - but that is all the more reason to praise them, loud and clear.
Eccentricity
Tolerance for eccentricity
Love of animals
Love of the countryside
Support for the underdog
Politeness
Pragmatism
Belief in fair play
Friday, 11 March 2005
More genius
Another piece of brilliance. This is a step above the average academic parody and is wonderfully even-handed between the various kinds of disciplinary lunatics. (I'm a lark-simplifier, which is just as it should be because I'm also a rational choice theorist.)
Thursday, 10 March 2005
Tuesday, 8 March 2005
This is wonderful
It's on an open mailing list, so I am going to repost it without compunction. The whole conversation has a delightful air of Stretchford Polytechnic about it. Now read on. - latest comments at the top.
(Edit 10.10.2005 - one set of comments removed at the request of the original poster.)
Free stuff in the bar
13 messages
Ali, Tamoor
To: smallads-staff - subscription list
International Women�s Day
Hi Guys,
The Studentsââ?¬â?¢ Union is celebrating International Womenââ?¬â?¢s day by ââ?¬Å?looking after the women in the Universityââ?¬Â? We have several different organisations on to campus in the bar waiting for youââ?¬Â¦
Pool room
Lush
Nails
Hair
Anne summers
Bar
Thorntons
Free condoms!
And much much more�.with free chocolates and other free goodies.
Tamoor Ali
V.P. Academic & Welfare
Students' Union
University
of
Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
C04 3SQ
t: 01206 863211
f: 01206 870915
Curtin, Mary E
To: "Ali, Tamoor"
My my my, it is a sad day indeed when INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY--at ESSEX UNIVERSITY, with its RADICAL past,--is commemorated only with chocolate and condoms and overpriced soap! Is historical amnesia and consumer overload SO complete, so REPLETE, in our politically impoverished land that we have forgotten that this day was first organized in 1911 by women socialists and has ever since been a day for strikes and marches for peace as well as women's rights?
In today's INDEPENDENT, there is an article that tells us that most girls, by the age of SIX, are unhappy with their weight; there is another article detailing how riot police in Turkey used tear gas and truncheons on female protesters.
We all love chocolate, but it is also worthwhile to use this day to reflect on a world that still values women for how they look and beats them for what they believe.
Mary Ellen Curtin
Department of History
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk]On Behalf Of Ali, Tamoor
Sent: 08 March 2005 10:49
To: smallads-staff - subscription list; smallads-student - subscription
list
Subject: Free stuff in the bar
International Women's Day
Hi Guys,
The Students' Union is celebrating International Women's day by "looking
after the women in the University" We have several different
organisations on to campus in the bar waiting for you...
Pool room
Lush
Nails
Hair
Anne summers
Bar
Thorntons
Free condoms!
And much much more....with free chocolates and other free goodies.
Tamoor Ali
V.P. Academic & Welfare
Students' Union
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
C04 3SQ
t: 01206 863211
f: 01206 870915
--
To change your membership of smallads-student, use the form on the webpage
https://www2.essex.ac.uk/secure/cs/mailinglists/
(10.10.2005 - snip.)
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk]On Behalf Of Curtin, Mary E
Sent: 08 March 2005 11:31
To: Ali, Tamoor; smallads-staff - subscription list; smallads-student -
subscription list
[Quoted text hidden]
To change your membership of smallads-staff, use the form on the webpage
[Quoted text hidden]
Good, Julian R P
To: "Ali, Tamoor"
Celebrating International Women's Day with a nail and hair bar?
Perhaps I am wrong in thinking that there is more to people than nails
and hair?
Somebody put his misguided person right, then, please.
Julian Good.
[Quoted text hidden]
[Quoted text hidden]
Vigors, Anthony D
To: smallads-staff - subscription list
I'll wager there's a lot more on offer than getting your nails and hair
done. I know that one of the girls was up until past 3 o'clock this
morning organising things for this event.
Perhaps rather than mocking the hard work that these girls have put into
this event people would like to go see what they are trying to achieve
and show them some support.
Tony Vigors
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Good, Julian R P
Sent: 08 March 2005 11:50
To: Ali, Tamoor; smallads-staff - subscription list; smallads-student -
subscription list
[Quoted text hidden]
To change your membership of smallads-staff, use the form on the webpage
https://www2.essex.ac.uk/secure/cs/mailinglists/
--
To change your membership of smallads-staff, use the form on the webpage
[Quoted text hidden]
Leena Ghosh
To: "Ali, Tamoor"
I have to say that I agree with the remarks of the 2 below and add that it
is precisely this type of trivialisation of women that perpetuates the
disconnection between man and woman and the struggle of equality and
women's' rights.
Let's us celebrate the entirety of women as opposed to just how to make her
look better (for men perhaps?)
Leena
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[Quoted text hidden]
Oughton, Gareth J
To: smallads-staff - subscription list
Dear All,
Some may say it is an even sadder day, when a group of democratically
elected students who have spent a considerable amount of time organising
today's events get chastised by university staff members.
For your information, there are stands in the Bar and in the Pool Room
(where today's 'objectifying' events are taking place) with details of
the history behind International Women's Day, petitions for women's
democratic rights in Kuwait, comparisons of how International Women's
Day is being celebrated across the world, Sexual Health information and
there is also promotion for tonight's talk on 'Women and Islam.'
The students on the Women's Committee decided that after several years
of a solely political approach (with very little student engagement),
people might be more receptive to a less 'in-your-face' approach. They
decided to get the message across in a more subtle way and do something
a bit more fun.
The Students' Union Executive Committee will support active students in
any way we can and therefore completely support the members of Women's
Committee who have put so much work into making today a success. It is
worth noting that because of this 'objectifying' approach, we have got
more student interest in International Women's Day than ever before.
I hope that clears up some of your concerns,
Gareth
Gareth Oughton
President
University of Essex Students' Union
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
Essex
CO4 3SQ
Tel: 01206 863211
E: president@essex.ac.uk
http://www.essexstudent.com
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Landman, Todd
[Quoted text hidden]
To change your membership of smallads-student, use the form on the webpage
[Quoted text hidden]
Landman, Todd
To: "Vigors, Anthony D"
Sorry, I though they were women!
Todd
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk]On Behalf Of Vigors, Anthony D
Sent: 08 March 2005 12:11
To: smallads-staff - subscription list
Subject: RE: Free stuff in the bar
I'll wager there's a lot more on offer than getting your nails and hair
done. I know that one of the girls was up until past 3 o'clock this
morning organising things for this event.
Perhaps rather than mocking the hard work that these girls have put into
this event people would like to go see what they are trying to achieve
and show them some support.
Tony Vigors
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
[mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk] On Behalf Of Good, Julian R P
Sent: 08 March 2005 11:50
To: Ali, Tamoor; smallads-staff - subscription list; smallads-student -
subscription list
Subject: RE: Free stuff in the bar
Celebrating International Women's Day with a nail and hair bar?
Perhaps I am wrong in thinking that there is more to people than nails
and hair?
Somebody put his misguided person right, then, please.
Julian Good.
[Quoted text hidden]
Robinson, Owen
To: "Vigors, Anthony D"
Perhaps if 'free stuff at the bar' wasn't prioritised over
'International Women's Day' in the original email it would be easier to
take seriously...And how is raising serious political objection to the
way something is presented 'mockery'?! This is a university, is it not?
Owen
Dr Owen Robinson
Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester CO4 3SQ
U.K.
Tel: 01206 872617
Email: orobin@essex.ac.uk
[Quoted text hidden]
To change your membership of smallads-student, use the form on the webpage
[Quoted text hidden]
Clary, Joanne L
To: "Vigors, Anthony D"
Well, I'm not sure about calling them 'girls' Tony, but I'm very grateful for their hard work ;-)
I'd like to be able to call myself a feminist AND get free stuff. See you all there!
Jo
[Quoted text hidden]
Ben Clements
To: "Robinson, Owen"
Perhaps all we're really celebrating are the gender-neutral commercial and
consumer achievements of some unknown people??
[Quoted text hidden]
Patrick, Peter L
To: smallads-staff - subscription list
why didn't any of this other fine stuff get advertised
to what I take to be a primarily-staff list?
I see nothing wrong with vigorous political discussion
taking place between staff and students, personally
(and whether they are democratically elected or not
is perfectly irrelevant). I know this is not a discussion
list, but if someone posts to it, they are entitled to
expect list-members to react. Students, and their representatives, who
are engaged in political profile- raising can't afford to be too
thin-skinned - anyone who has done it knows that won't get you very far.
on the other hand, THIS list is about consumer products,
at one level, so we shouldn't get too upset if that is highlighted.
perhaps the students are so radicalized, and have so little faith in
staff's political commitment, that they think the only way to get us to
show up is superficial goodies... or perhaps it was just a careless
moment...
what is apparent is that the goodies on offer are not
designed to attract male interest, only female (fair enough), so this
attempt at increasing accessibility isn't going to work for most of the
people who have reacted critically today!
-plp-
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
> [mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk] On Behalf Of
> Oughton, Gareth J
> Sent: 08 March 2005 12:23
> To: smallads-staff - subscription list; smallads-student -
> subscription list
> Subject: RE: Free stuff in the bar
>
>
[Quoted text hidden]
(10.10.2005 - snip.)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk
> [mailto:owner-smallads-staff@essex.ac.uk]On Behalf Of Curtin, Mary E
> Sent: 08 March 2005 11:31
> To: Ali, Tamoor; smallads-staff - subscription list;
> smallads-student - subscription list
> Subject: RE: Free stuff in the bar
>
>
> My my my, it is a sad day indeed when INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S
> DAY--at ESSEX UNIVERSITY, with its RADICAL past,--is
> commemorated only with chocolate and condoms and overpriced
> soap! Is historical amnesia and consumer overload SO
> complete, so REPLETE, in our politically impoverished land
> that we have forgotten that this day was first organized in
> 1911 by women socialists and has ever since been a day for
> strikes and marches for peace as well as women's rights?
>
> In today's INDEPENDENT, there is an article that tells us
> that most girls, by the age of SIX, are unhappy with their
> weight; there is another article detailing how riot police in
> Turkey used tear gas and truncheons on female protesters.
>
> We all love chocolate, but it is also worthwhile to use this
> day to reflect on a world that still values women for how
> they look and beats them for what they believe.
>
> Mary Ellen Curtin
> Department of History
>
[Quoted text hidden]
Monday, 7 March 2005
Friday, 4 March 2005
Thursday, 3 March 2005
got a nice email...
... from a guy in Brazil who wants to use Blogfish as a teaching tool for his Distributed Objects class.
I have been neglecting the fish for a while so this could kickstart me. The main thing that is taking my time is creating RPM/debian packages, a process that seems fraught with difficulty and obscurity.
Anyway, hopefully this blog entry will get picked up on a fish and swim over to him!
Wednesday, 2 March 2005
Orange texts around the university
Not Orange texts as in the phone company, but orange writing on the wall. It's an art project to celebrate the University by recording people's feelings about the place.
In the Sociology department: "We were so idealistic, and so questioning about everything". Bless.
What would I put? "Stop dropping bloody litter".
Gnome memory consumption
A list of people trying to reduce Gnome memory consumption. Anything that can be done to slim down and speed up software is good. On the other hand, what gets forgotten (because it can't be measured) is the waste of the user's brain cycles when things are slowed down.
For example, I would much rather my computer preloaded a bit of stuff when I am not doing anything, than have to wait for e.g. GStreamer initiatilization when I edit the volume.
I am too brainfried today to do any serious work... I'm just going to write TODO lists, consider ideas for essays, think about the big picture and maybe tweak little bits and pieces of my life. At some point I need to get a new release of blogfish out. Maybe today would be good to fix some of that.
Tuesday, 1 March 2005
On the other hand...
I think the word sheeple is a hideously naff expression. It makes the user sound like some Herbert writing from his parents' basement, with a copy of A Confederacy of Dunces lying on the desk. Reminds me of Louis Theroux's gentle reprimand when confronted with somebody who divided people up into wild exciting wolves and timid sheep: "...but the wolves eat the sheep, don't they?"
You are hotter than 32% of the men on this site!
In other news, I presented last night. Then I drank half a bottle of wine, went to bed, and woke up at 12.30 to read Burke until 4am. Now I have presented and taught my class. I am going to do as little as possible until the end of the week - there is just the minor matter of restarting Students Who Teach, a university-wide body representing Graduate Teaching Assistants.
It's ironic: I loathe and mistrust public sector unions, and here I am trying to start one.
In other news, I see I have been linked to by Conservative Commentary. This guy is a politics undergraduate at Essex and it must be said that his blog is greatly superior to my own in both form and content. Bloody kids.
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