They drew first blood...

It is Saturday afternoon and it has been a fairly relaxing day. I shall list my days accomplishments!

1. I woke up but it wasn't an easy time. My mother shook me awake to show me a present she got for my sister graduating from her years primary teaching at Strathclyde. Its a nice little picture frame with something about being a teacher on it. The picture was of my sister as a 5 year old, complete with pigtails and her school uniform. I'm so happy I got awoken to see that >.>

2. Internet addictions require that you go through your daily websites before anything else. So without fail the laptap was hauled into bed with me and I checked what was happening in the world. BBC News and Sport, Facebook, My home on the internet- the surrogate, Facebook, Hotmail and today I even had a look on Myspace to see what was going on. As it turned out NOTHING was going on, as usual.

3. It is important to eat a solid breakfast. In line with recent decisions regarding my health I have chosen to forsake the usual full cooked breakfast and take up, as my Saturday breakfast, two poached eggs and a tattie scone on a piece of toast, another slice of toast and a glass of smooth orange juice. It was delicious.

4. Kick back and relax with something good on the TV. Today that something good is First blood.

Me and my mate Fraser watched the 4th Rambo movie last night, aptly named Rambo, and it inspired me to watch the first three over this weekend. Its such a mental film. The last 5 minutes are amongst the bloodiest in cinema and if you take heed of this helpful table, you'll notice that the 4th movie is without doubt the most brutal of the series -

So now you can see how much of a bloodbath Rambo is. Rambo III comes close. Actually, here is the video from those last 5 minutes compressed into a minute and a half - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrIxIl7VIew

Me and Fraser have started running nightly for about 40 minutes or so. It is our attempt at getting healthy and losing all the beer and burger weight we're carrying. Its been good fun and even when he was away for a few days through the week I still went out myself and had the motivation to complete the circuit! So in tandem with a healthier eating plan and a marked reduction in beer consumption i hope to be a fitter and leaner in a few months.

I dont know what is different now to the last few years that has made me very motivated to do this. I'm still the immature kid of old and I know I would much prefer to stay at home eating cookies, drinking a beer and watching TV. Maybe is those pesky endorphins!

Anyway, its dinner time now. I'm going to find something to cook and then I am going to watch Rambo: First Blood part 2 before 8pm when the next stage of running begins! :D

From the chasm he returns!

Hello!

Well once again that time has come where I reignite my annual desire to keep a blog. Its been over a year since my last update and this time, THIS TIME, I was update often and with added enthusiasmso to capture your hearts and minds (though I'm sure this attempt will again end up more like the hearts and minds of the Iraqis... ¬.¬)

I'm 23 now and just about to enter third year of university so things should be interesting enough. I have many things I can blog about and this coming academic year will no doubt suprise me (and you) with many periods of hardship, stress and pain. I've heard third year can do that to people.

I'm also going to cut down on the political commentary that started to creep into this blog last year, but like my 2009 resolutions, this pledge might also be forgotten.

Actually, no plans. I'm just going to take 30 minutes every so often to write on here whatever comes to mind. Limiting yourself in a blog/journal/diary format isn't the best way of doing things.

Before this can all begin, however, I must go to bed. Its 0235, and even though I'm not tired, I feel laying down would help remedy this. In fact, I may even put on one of the Lord of the rings appendice DVDs on a low volume to help my mind continue to feed on input, but not at such a level that its engrossed (as it is now with Amorphis blaring through my speakers!).

Goodnight!

Academialcohollica

Helllooooooo!

So, it seems my dedication to ramble on to nobody faded some over the last 2 months. Enthusiasm waned exponentially. Well, I suppose now that 2 months have passed I'll have plenty to talk about, but to be honest, I don't really remember much of February. I've just been plodding through Uni with the wonderful people there. It took its time but I've finally become comfortable with the environment and the people. I tend to hang around with Louise and Tony (and Lori too, in the common room mostly) and they are excellent peeps. Perhaps next year I'll actually go to some of the CUSCA events...I owe Ceris that much ¬.¬ The cèilidh I missed, the Comedy Night and the Fair Trade Event - I'll make it up to her.

Anyway, some essays have been done and some are being done. Then its a months holiday/reading until exams. WAHEY!

Speaking of holidays, I've just returned on Monday night from a lovely weekend down in Lancaster; more commonly known as the historic city and county town of Lancaster, aye. There I met with these friends - John (from Dublin), Sara (from Finland), Jon (from Wolverhampton) and Mike (from Lancaster) whom we all stayed with. Over the course of the weekend we watched funny TV, went to pubs, walked around town, visited a butterfly house/reptile house/cuddly animals pen and when to see Watchmen at the cinema. If you haven't already seen Watchmen I have this to say to you - SAVE YOUR MONEY. Jebus Christopherson... from all the hype I expected more.

Anyway, Lancaster has some good pubs and some good beer. The one pub we got food in (The Borough) was extra special due to the absolutely amazing leather chairs and the option of Ostrich Burgers, though unfortunately there was none left; Beef it was, then. Each pub had its own special features but me and Jon may be in agreement that pink-haired-girl in this other pub was a highlight. We also saw a fight and some pissy people at Pink-haired-girls pub.

Ahhh! We crashed a dead party late on...Friday(!) night. Mikes next door neighbour was holding a house warming from 7.30pm but we rolled up after 1. The 2 girls seemed happy enough and they were very chatty. The 3 guys though, haha, they were not so happy and I think we were delaying their sexy time. Me and Jon had to leave pretty quickly though because we were eying up one of the women and we think she heard us talking about her... we ran away back to the flat.

Lots more happened but telling it all to you would bore you.

Next week is Metallica time and I'm going up to Glasgow early on the 26th to eat and get some bevvy in before doors at 7pm. I shall be meeting Fraser and I suspect he'll be blagging a lift back doon hame.

Oh, its also my birthday on the 24th so say hello :)

Rob

Yes we can.

I started the Philosophy section of my course on Friday and its been highly interesting. Fridays lecture was just an overview of the terminology of Morality. Prudence and Right. Basically doing morally right things for the right reasons. Taking prudence (Self Interest) in action may have morally right outcomes but the motives involved aren't. Or something along those lines, I haven't had a chance to review my notes yet and write them up properly. Also the language of Morals is different from the language of Prudence -

In a breach of Prudence, if you get drunk before an exam people may say that's "Daft", "Stupid" or "Senseless" and those words cannot be used in a Breach of Morals where pimping your child can be called "Evil", "wicked" or "Terrible" for example. You wouldn't call yourself evil for hampering your own chances and you would call someone daft for pimping their child. Obviously this is pretty straight forward but its always interesting to think about.

Today we were breeding Anarchy. Mondays lectures will be about Political Philosophy and whether or not we should just accept the authority and power of the state. Marvellous.

Uni feels like its going to go well and I'm looking forward to really, properly get started! Interacting with the people there would be a good start though because just sitting in the canteen reading the Independent while scoffing a roll isn't going to be fun for too long. Though the college down the road has copies of NewScientist magazine, but that would take me further away from my course mates :/ Meh.

Tonight I have to read through History Tutorial notes for tomorrow and watch the football; Liverpool vs Everton, it should be a bloody cracker of a game :D Then tomorrow I can come home from Uni and watch the Inauguration of the new President of the World, Barack Obama.

I say President of the World because that's basically what he will be. The worlds Financial sector is tied up to whats going on in America, the security of the world is in Americas hands, our own British Government is (or at least under Bush we were) on a leash being held by America with regards to Foreign policy. The UN is useless without full participation of the United States and they have Hundreds of Thousands of men and equipment in bases across the globe. Most powerful man on Earth and the Leader of the Free World - and Americans say our opinions on their leaders don't matter even though the actions of their leaders effect everyone.

I have a good feeling about Obama though. Ever since I first saw him in 2007 I've liked him. His smile, persona, the way he talks and can inspire. His victory speech was amazing. The man has the potential to change the world; Change being the key term used through his whole election campaign. I like America and If there is going to be a superpower in this world I want it to be them for now and, to use the kind of speech that American politicians love to use, be a beacon of hope and freedom to the rest of the world. "Yes we can" are the most important 3 words Obama has brought to us. It not only applies to the US but to everyone. We can all press our governments for change. We can all make the world a better place if we want to. That is why Obama is so popular around the world, unlike any other leader, he inspires hope and confidence in an increasingly dark world.

Obviously I'd like The EU to challenge US dominance in the future but that would require a unified European State and that's a long way away! I'd like Scotland to have a good generation of independence before we are all swallowed up by a new Europe.

The unsurprising adventures of Sir Robert Galaxy-Monologue!

Well, my first week of University is nearly at an end! Tomorrow morning I have to have an appointment with my Advisor of Studies to fully register and pay my fees and then I'll be safe ^_^ I also have a Philosophy lecture afterwards. It has been a quiet week because there have been enrollment classes, no tutorials and a very slow pace at the start of the new term. Next week will be different though and the cirriculum kicks in fully and it'll be a tough slog of around 14 hours a week :P which leaves penty of time for *this*

In other news I've developed cravings for Galaxy chocolate and an addiction to That Mitchell and Webb Look - Especially the Surprising Adventures of Sir Digby Chicken Caesar! *video here* I've also finished my Ancient Warfare book and picked up The Crusades. Lovely :)

So - I thought about my blog recently and thought I'd set it up in the future like my last one; My life right now/news and then rambling monologue about what I'm thinking about/my interests. I think its a good idea and I hope you lot, my army of readers, will agree... *sigh*

Although to write a rambling monologue now would be silly because it would just be forcing it. I've not been thinking about anything today anyway <.<

Until next time.

Roberts Bogus Journey!

Today was most non-triumphant! *sigh*

My grand re-entry to University was dashed by bureaucratic incompetence and a lazy Webmaster. Firstly, the Access pack that was promised last week had still not arrived by this morning. I was hoping for some detail about what I should be doing with regards to enrolling and meetings with my Advisor of Studies but alas, nothing. My pursuit of clarity was further hindered by the revelation that the woman in charge of such procedure is in Glasgow today, but she will be back tomorrow. I found the Convener for the Summer School I attended there in the summer. He told me to just start classes as normal and everything would be sorted out in time and that brings me to the second annoyance.

The Campus website has .pdf files of the Semester Timetables that they state are "Drafts and subject to change". However, you'd think that on the day before/morning of the first day of the new semester they would have posted updated timetables, especially since they had classes down for today! YAY! In at 10am to find answers, leave at 12.45pm when meeting with Philosophy lecturer reveals that the advertised 1pm class is actually a 2pm class on Tuesday!

I suppose its a good thing though, because I did get a good walk and an absolutely welcome cup of hot chocolate. I also read a few good articles in the... damn, what paper was I reader? Either the Guardian or the Daily Express. I cant be quite sure. One was about Jeff Stelling taking over at Countdown, another about "Bitch Culture" amongst British Schoolgirls and the last about one of the newspapers correspondents in Gaza, who wrote the article while under fire and amongst tens of thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israel and their disproportionate assault on Gaza. His wife is pregnant and they had to leave their home in the night because the bombing got closer and closer until it was too dangerous to stay.

I don't really know what to think about this whole Israel/Gaza conflict. I'm hardly learned about the finer points of the arguments from both sides I cant help but form what are undoubtedly opinions influenced by the press. Its easy to feel sorry for the Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank. Considering my own Scottish history, I'm inclined to support to a degree the Palestinian cause. A Small nation of people supressed by a richer, more powerful neighbour. While suicide and rocket attacks against civilians are a tactic I don't condone, I can understand that these people who take a stand feel like caged dogs and this is their only way of fighting. Gaza has been under seige by Israel for years and its energy and food supplies at at the mercy of Israel.

Even in this heightened conflict, Israel is limiting Humanitarian aid to the area. Foreign journalists aren't allowed entry, they say for their own safety, but its plainly obvious that Israel does not want the world to know of any horrors unfolding there. They release their own propaganda videos. "The Israeli military says it is operating within humanitarian law and takes all possible steps to minimise civilian casualties." But then there have been accusations of using civilians as human shields and a projected 270 children dead amongst 450 civilian Palestinians. I can't, of course, deny the allegations of Hamas fighters also using human shields. Using school and medical centres as bases of attack, and my support of their cause falls due to it. Israels use of force should be universally condemned but with the USA seemingly happy to let Israel continue, there is no end close to Military Operations. This is where the EU should flex their muscle and influence on the region and become a viable, unified force in International politics.

My understanding of the history of the greater conflict is not the best. Whether its as simple as Muslims fighting Jews, people fighting for a better life, or whether Israels acquisition of the land was legal or not, I don't know. What I see now in 2009, however, is an Industrial 1st World nation in Israel, funded by the USA and laden with all the most powerful weapons overreacting against mostly insignificant rocket attacks by a 3rd World, crippled strip of land in Gaza. Israel wants to be taken seriously in the world and be seen as a mature state. They should heed International calls to stop.

Britain should take Israel to the side and give them a good talking to about dealing with "terrorists". We fought terrorism and bombings from Irish Republicans for decades, eventually came to ceasefire and improved relations. Apart from the odd murder and beating, Religious violence in Northern Ireland is usually only found in Glasgow, Scotland at Football matches! Daft, I know. Now the old Terrorist leaders are in office in a Devolved Northern Irish Assembly, power sharing with the Loyalists. A member of the Metallica Message board I post at described what would have happened if it was Israel in charge of Britain's effort against Irish Terrorism, Embersfire - "I suspect that if the Israelis had been dealing with Northern Ireland they would have reduced Belfast to rubble, bombed Dublin, and invaded the South."

Again I'd like to point out that my opinions are based on things I've read in the newspapers and read from discussion on blogs and boards (with references provided in most cases - usually to Internet versions of newspapers!) More research is needed, indeed. But if anything I've said seems absolutely stupid and you take issue, please talk to me and explain where I'm blatantly wrong.

Melancholies

Coincidentally, as I clicked "New Post" my now playing changed to Dark Tranquility - One Thought. And its only one thought I really have at the moment; at least, one frame of mind with many individual thoughts contributing. So the coincidence isn't really relevant.

*sigh*

I feel a little depressed. And its not the well documented January Blues, I've felt like this on and off for a few months now. Its just coming back again now. Its just the lack on money and no job in sight. I hardly see anybody due to having no money to go out, everyone else already being lucky enough to have jobs during the day or go to university in another city. I've always seen myself as a solitary creature and I've enjoyed it. Watching TV/movies at home with a couple of beers or surfing the net has been great. Reading is a joy when I do it and who doesn't like the odd lazy day of doing nothing whatsoever? But I was solitary knowing that if that got boring I had somewhere to go or something else to do. Without that option I feel a little empty.

Obviously University will fill a portion of this void. I'll have plenty of study to do, writing assignments and hopefully some lovely free student union related activities (maybe I can join the football team? a good opportunity to get fit.) I'll be hoping to snag a job in between all this stuff happening, but in these uncertain times shops etc will be less likely to hire and people will be less likely to quit/do anything to get them fired. I'd love a few quid to put on the lottery! I'd grab that pound coin shotgun and chance Dirty Harry's .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun of looming bankruptcy and try my luck! *Watch that little speech here ^_^*

What I should be saying right now, instead of feeling sorry for myself, is "Get on the case Bob! so your life is relatively shit at the moment, get on with it and HARDEN THE FUCK UP!", but seeing as I'm writing a blog about being depressed that wouldn't be in my best interests right now. I'll do that later.

Oh, my woes are further, um, enwoedened <.< by the fact that Part Time students don't get bursaries and cant open Student Banks accounts. Money problems would be sorted if I had the option of the Bank of Scotland's £3000 interest free overdraft <.<