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Law Bolog

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All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms;
And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

I mentioned a poem by Will in my last blog, as usual my referencing is pretty unclear and haphazard. Speech. Poem. Passage. Shades of grey really. This is what I was trying to refer to. I'm somewhere in the seeking bubble reputation stage, I think. I'd love to wax lyrical about the piece itself but I have lots to get through. Firstly, I decided this being a blog about Law I need to put more law into it. Again. Unfortunately I bought myself a copy of Beowulf and have been reading that instead of my legal warm-up books. Meaning I have nothing to talk about in a legal sense, just that I am waiting for my course materials. That I will then read. Read read read. Yup.

So anyway.

Nyeeooo 

I went back to my home town this week and spent some time with the family. We went out and walked the dog on what was a drizzly Tuesday morning. I was struck by the outstanding natural beauty of what I saw. Trees. Giant, huge, English trees. Majestic is a good personification of my view on them. You ever do that? Let your mind wander whilst watching trees sway in the wind, kind of look doing a magic eye without trying to give yourself an enema. I do when I have time to spare lying in the park. Perception is weird, I end up thinking that not only are trees every bit alive but that they can affect us (moods, emotions, feelings) equally as much as say music or cake. What I got to thinking was that now children play video games with these hi-res graphics and you compare the resolution of this game on that TV with this PC and its so beautiful and so detailed. Does that mean that as they grow up they'll appreciate natural beauty less because in some ways the 'definition' is actually lower than what can appear on a screen. As to say, if I look at a great oak tree from one hundred metres away with 20/20 vision the tree itself, the leaves, branches are in a certain definition. A computer game re-creating that could increase the resolution so you can see the individual leaves more clearly or contrast the bark more to make dramatic looking patterns. I just wonder in time if simple things like walks in the park or going to the beach will become functional, you walk your dog in the park, you go to the beach to party. I find a lot of peace in just watching the world and contemplating my place in it. I sound like a hippie. Moving on.

hmmmWomen. Oh my days. Now that being asexual is an acceptable sexual preference I am sorely tempted to jack the whole thing in. I've basically been on the verge of being an otaku for god knows how long now anyway, I could just cross the line, go to japanese class and stop thinking about how I'm going to get a girlfriend altogether. I literally understand Women less than 1%. If I know nothing is ever going to happen, which is usually the case, I'm alright but as soon as theres even the potentiality of something other than polite conversation and a hug I am completely lost. Whatever pseudo quasi-sexual mind games people play with each other these days through the vast universe of social media and online dating I cannot begin to comprehend it. I want a freaking cup of coffee, some nice conversation, best case scenario a kiss and a cuddle. Somehow that makes me a weirdo and I literally feel like a social pariah whilst texting/whatsapping/skyping any member of the opposite sex I am interested in dating. Which is such a blast. Ultimately most of the time I have feelings for the opposite sex I end up poorer and damaging my limited self-confidence, most of the time is an understatement, I'm not trying to get into specifics on a public blog. I disappoint myself.

Small world syndrome continues to whirl around me in a whirling maelstrom of impossible chaos so obscenely random that it must have a pre-destined form. Even though it can't possibly. Everyone I meet knows this person who knows that person. Easy to rationalise, as I get older I know more people and my 'generation' know more people so it becomes more likely to know someone who knows someone you know. The fact I have to go through this rationalisation probably one of out every three times I meet someone recently means I'm getting a little freaked out. There have been times when there have been way too many coincidences and I just can't get a hold of reality. At least now I am still here just with a very confused look on my face. I guess as long as I'm not sleeping with my 2nd cousin or something whats the worst that could happen.

Real life stuff, work is good, I don't want to see any words like festive or holiday for at least another month. Spooky and eerie first. I'm going to try and get back to board-game nights. I'll get into why when I eventually get around to going. Music wise, there have been little developments, baby steps. Steps in the direction I would dearly love to go though. Played Warhammer with Dave the Christian yesterday. He may take offence. If you're called Dave I think you have to expect a suffix to your nickname. He could be Dave, Slave to Papa Nurgle. Thats probably wrong too. Anyway was good game. I forgot you can't shoot into units in combat, even monstrous creatures so at the end of turn 2 start of turn 3 I was all set to put in some heavy fire and I could do exactly jack all. Start of turn 5 and it was all over. I didn't manage to kill a single whole unit. Nonetheless, much like with Netrunner, I am encouraged not disheartened. I've been ill. That was fun. All kinds of cold and flu maladies which result in me being poor as this week because I missed days at work. At least I can re-learn my cooking skills and stop smoking. Running. Defo getting back on that soon.

In closing, had a little dip of my toe in the events world again and I have learned my lessons. Theres not a lot of times I'll say, you know what, not for me. Promotion and events, as it stands, are that. I can envisage situations where I could feel like I want to dive in again but equally, there is this law degree. On the other small business hand, I have some ideas for little projects and stuff I want to develop. I just need to be organised. For the first time in my life.

I also realised I can do all my assignments, right now, before November. Which could be fun.

If I do decide to go Otaku I think I kind of have a crush on this girl from Fade to Black.

 OTAKKKUUUUUU

Anywomble, bonne chance to you all and may the dice be kind,

Joe.

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Joseph Jensen, Thursday, 16 Oct 2014, 15:34)
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40 marks is a pass right?

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I got my second TMA back (like I'm sure everyone has) and I'm a little disappointed. I think, mostly, with myself. Fortunately I passed. Barely. I made some bad mistakes, I didn't go through the marking of the previous assignment carefully enough, I made almost all the same mistakes again. Somehow I managed to do more of those mistakes the second time. The other bad mistake is a problem I have with the whole format of answering the questions. I've never written an essay where you don't write from a perspective, I always say that 'I will answer the question-" and so on. I'm trying to get my head around the idea that you are literally just writing facts down, I think that is my new approach. Identify points I need to make to get marks. Write them down as simply as I possibly can then worry about stringing it together into prose later.

The whole prose thing is what I mean by the format being tough for me, I really enjoy writing, generally. Anyone who does knows it can be a pig sometimes. As I'm sure your fascinated, I find it easy to write poetry and am currently trying to force myself to write decent prose. So in answering the question for the assignment (last time) I tried to make sure my answers had a nice narrative feel and made some interesting points. I actually thought I had written a couple of really good answers, somehow I had this feeling I might not even pass though. As I say, that stuff ends now, much simpler approach needed. I'm going to throw out working through the unit. That did me no good. I just found that I had all the information in my head and was comfortable with the material, all that let me do was make worse mistakes as I happily chatted on about what I thought the answer was. The answer isn't something to be worked out, it is written down plainly for you in the material. All that needs doing is transferring it into your assignment. That coupled with using citations and references for each and every single point I make will hopefully transfer into a better mark.

As for the prose, well, I'm fairly confident that it will be at least equally as difficult as learning how to answer the assignments. More fun though. Again, its desparately fascinating, I'm trying to get used to spacing out my language and create a good narrative. I find that basically, my problem, is writing in a simple way that describes the environment and characters to the reader. Like all books do. I'm just ploughing through my idea for a story, making small changes, then I plan to go back and try to make it more readable. I'm only slightly less lazy about that than I am about my OU studies.

Saying that, now that I have no plans to incorporate the reading and activities into an overall scheme, I can just attack the question head on. I'm working out phases for answering the question, identifying points I want to make, gathering references, checking the wording and detail of the question carefully, then putting together an answer. So my other time is free to spend on the other things in my life.

First of those is fitness and sport. I quit the gym. High five. Other gyms are more than twenty quid a month and I can't justify paying that nor can I justify walking forty minutes to the gym to work out for an hour so to then walk forty mintues home, even though I am now essentially out of work again. Thats next other thing. So I have taken to jogging to start off my new fitness plan the same way as I started at the gym. Simple exercise that I am comfortable with. The rowing machine was my bag to begin with and I had dramatically improved my speed and distance in the two months I was going to the gym. Ironically I couldn't take much of the running machine, I don't know why, it was too bouncy and stuff. I definitely did not try skipping or hopping really fast late at night when there was hardly anyone there. Sport wise, tennis is long gone, which is kinda lame. Have to wait until whenever this whole giant storm thing passes us to be able to get back to it. Thats ok though, because football is on the up and up! My wrist, which I nearly broke, I don't know if I wrote that here. Some guy kicked a shot so hard (I play in goal mostly) it damaged the muscles in my hand and wrist so badly that I could even close a fist. I went back to play next week with a wrist brace and strong painkillers. As any reasonable man would. So I have, to put it plainly, been pretty shoddy since the start of December because trying to keep goal with one hand is a little tricky. People have this crazy idea to shoot to that side, positives, I have got a lot better as an outfielder. The good thing is I am getting better and can almost do a press up now. We have our first match next week, very excite, I will let you know how it goes.

And so work, BLAHHHHHHHHHHH. What a jip. I called to see if there was any news on the January shifts, oh yeah they say, this week they say. Nothing at all. No call. No, thanks for Christmas, blah. I missed those shifts because of the train, thats sealed my fate, I'm saying no more. The football stadium however, sweet deal, I now get to work with the players. Well, very near the players, running my own bar. Oh yeah. High five. I obviously don't get paid more but I get to work harder and longer. Yay! Went into the players lounge with an order and I was like, oh thats cool, not sure who half these guys are. Brighton have a famous international goalkeeper, I saw him and I was like, damn. Its a pretty sweet deal, after the game they hang around with friends and family at the stadium and come to our bars. Its better than like, I don't know, the Status Quo fans for instance. Nice as they are.

Lastly I am trying to have some kind of love life. I have been told that if you look for love it doesn't come. I should really explain this a bit, I don't disagree with that. So New Years is New Years, right, it turns out that some lady told me that I was (quelle surprise) a good dancer. I'm like, yeah, sure shes a friend of the DJ and wants us to stay here. She'll say anything. The be-boys were there and I felt like any other raver. So we go out for a friend from works (EVILL WORK) birthday, I get plenty drunk, enough that I am totally convinced I can dance, enough so I don't care if I can't. As all guys know when you go out, there are at least ten thousand amazingly hot/beautiful girls that are way too good for you. Long story short I ended dancing with some of those girls and for a short drunken time I had some self confidence. Go me. I forget how the night ended, oh no, I remember .. yeah, listening to your headphones on really quiet streets does not for a cool situation make.

Thats about it, my comic book collecting is going well, I will sort out some pictures because I know it is so interesting, for next time. I am in the process of going through all the stuff I have in storage (mostly clothes and DVDs) and throwing it out/giving it to charity. Clothes are almost done, the DVDs are a lot harder. I don't know what to do with them. Like, at all. Sell them? But I love them, its worse than with music, if I got rid of a movie that I later couldn't find. I might not of even think of it. Anyway, I don't know, I'm gonna get them all together and go through my collection. I might throw all the cases away and put them in a folder or something.

Heres pulling for all your New Years resolutions to come good, don't forget to join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/316262468519466/ for light-hearted Facebooking, currently talking Duggan and Burkhas, Birkas, Burkas? I have no idea what that word is. Be cool!

werewolf

Joe

 >> http://watch32.com/movies-online/underworld-awakening-1000 << New Underworld movie, well 2012, as far as quadrilogies go. Its better than Tremors. 

Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Patricia Stammers, Thursday, 16 Jan 2014, 09:11)
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Assignment finished; game over

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This is where and what I have moved into. Is very nice. I have my own bathroom and stuff! Much improve from the bedsit situation, although inside a year I will most likely have to go back to it unless I can get a job that pays better than minimum wage. Which is not impossible. It would be nice if you could become a barrister in the space of eighteen months or something. To that end I do at least have some study space now, although my study habits are still yet to become .. well .. good, good is the word I am searching for.

I didn't really do the last unit, because I ran out of time and because the question on the assignment was only an essay plan. Plus we did the whole actus reus mens rea thing at A-level. Although again, the fact that I did my A-level ten years ago, proved to be something of a stumbling block. To be totally honest doing an essay plan as part of the assignment was a little strange to me, I had to work to get towards the right word count and when I finished I kinda wish I had done that before cutting down my other answers. I had to miss out this whole cool thing I had to do with criminal intent about 3D printers and gun parts, such is OU life I guess. Stick to the material.

win

And you will succeed!

So now I don't have to do my assignments during the day I am kind of at loose end, then I remember that I have Christmas to 'do'. Today I have cards to write and send, all of the wrapping gubbinz to buy as well as working the bar at the unmissable Union J concert tonight. Oh yeah and I have to bake a cake somewhere in there. Which is just, blah, I was going to go over to someones place where they have all the cake stuff already. Cake tins, flour, an electric whisk. That kind of stuff. But noooooooooooooo, instead I have to go and acquire all this stuff for myself. But wait, I hear you cry, thats great because then you can make cakes all the time. You know whats sad about cake baking. There is only one sad thing. When you don't have people to share cake with. I will get the stuff and bake cakes anyway, then just see what happens. I'll figure something out, my baking isn't British Bake off good but its not too bad. The sad thing is that you bake a cake and eat it all to yourself. Which is bad for the physique (which as I rattle on towards thirty, I notice doesn't take so well to cake, fizzy drinks and take-out) and that whole 'you will get diabetes if you don't stop with the sugar' thing. Working my way through two litres of 7-up as I type. 

So all that is fine, I have two days of work left then a weekend of frolicking, work again and then I am doing something for Christmas day! Still not sure how I feel about it, if I can get my TV into this new place and play Chrono Trigger on the big screen then I probably won't go. Sitting on my own playing it on my laptop seems a little bit sad. If I get the TV I could also end up 'renting' an XBOX360 over the holiday period. Buy it second hand then say I gave it as a present that wasn't wanted, that kind of thing. Which would mean I could play a few choice games I really want. I'd do it with a Nintendo product but I know I would never end up giving it back. Or I could go do the family thing. I have no idea what I'm gonna do. Maybe I'll go out and do a survey. Ask the audience. Something.

Finally I had a terrible accident in a comic book shop. I went in to buy a keyring for my new keys, they had a very limited selection of little vinyl ones. I was hoping to get some boss silver green lantern thing or something. I settled on a green goblin one because my postcode has GG in it. Booyah. There are these comic books that I read online when they came out about two years ago, I won't get too into what they are now as I have yet to .. I need to finish the story. Anyway, I like them a lot and the shop happened to have the collected volumes of the whole series in stock. I had seen them before and decided, when I have enough money I'll start to collect them. I had a look at one that day and the cover art was so .. uh .. win, that I had to put it back for fear of buying it. On the keychain day, I looked at all the posters, checked out the new 52, tried to get the rest of Ultimate X-men to finish my collection (I am like four comics short, it is very frustrating as I want to read it all at once) and so on before going down to the manga section to drool over these books. I had a look at some other titles I am considering collecting, read a bit of this hardback about Gundam which is really good .. then I picked up all 9 volumes and decided to buy them all at once. Along with the keychain. I can't justify or explain why but for some reason I felt I couldn't live without them. I have this other set called Zombie Powder;

wolfina

Which I got for super cheap and I was amazed to be able to get it, its the only other published work by a very famous artist called Tite Kubo who writes the mega famous Bleach. So when I was able to get the whole series of Zombie Powder on the cheap, in mint condition, I was very happy. Almost as happy as I am reading them all again, now in paperback as opposed to online. So I am taking my time before I get onto reading this over series, which is a lot longer. I will let you in on what it is when I get it to reading it. Try not to get too excited.

Anywhosits, thats me, have a lovely wonderful Christmas time and hopefully I won't get too drunk, then come over to the dark side and pour out my cynical soul to you unsuspecting lovelies that dain (its a real word ;) to read my scribblings.

Merry Christmas!

Joe

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