A Happy (But Confused) New Year

I have always been more of a New Year person, than a Christmas person.  Don’t get me wrong; I love Christmas, with the food, the presents, even the music.  But New Years Eve is different.  New Year's Eve is when we get to set our goals, we may not achieve all of them, but we should hope and aspire to achieve.  This year I wished for good health, to improve my writing and style and chess playing – and yes I have more hope for the chess.

And here comes the awful sedge way – what might Messer’s Miliband and Cameron hope for this year? A collapsing coalition? Less protests?  I cannot say for certain of course, I can imagine.  If I were PM Cameron, I would be wishing for an economically favourable year, no one Conservative, Labour or Other would wish otherwise.  As a Labour Leader one might be hoping for a more unified cabinet along with the collapse of the coalition.  

I wonder why proper debate between these two leaders is not easier, if someone declares that he rather be a child of Thatcher than a son of Brown, why not respond with the following: I am a son of Ralph Miliband and am well versed in economic matters.? Also why not point out the hypocrisy or at the very least ideological confusion of a Conservative Leader apparently following a Labour initiative regarding Higher Education.  Since when has the Coalition loved Labour’s ideas, at last prior to May 2010?

2011 is going a good year for me personally either way, but politically, well lets just say I have more hope of perfecting my Queen’s Gambit.

Happy New Year to Everyone.

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I know you must be flying over Russia by now, this is a wish for next year. I wish to know, in this age of austerity, why we have so many holidays?

I am no Scrooge, I would not deny Cratchitt his Christmas Day off, and would even treble his salary. But if, as Saint David & George say, we are in an age of austerity, why so many holidays?

Do not mistake me, I would like more holidays, I just don't understand St's David and George's motives, can you help?

Merry Christmas!

Michael
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Snow in Hull - The Second Wave

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Hull Occupation

A few days ago, I was asked by someone at the University of Hull whether there actually was an occupation in Staff House.  We could all see the signs and placards, but I did not know for certain whether there actually was ‘an occupation’.   So I decided to find out.

Finally, I found a student who was in the know, or at least, knew more than I did.  He told me that they were occupying floor two of staff house, and apparently they chose this venue because it is the least disruptive to the students.  He said that the University Management, whilst may not entirely in agreement  with the student ‘sit in’ (does using that phrase show my age?) had made allowances for them to occupy that part of building, for example allowing 24 hour access to the building.

He asked if I wanted to visit the occupation, taking photographs if I want, and the video below is what produced.

I entered Staff House, with my pitiful gift of bottled water, walked up to the 2^nd Floor and entered the double doors.  The last time I was here I was debating phenomenology.   The first thing I noticed was just how alive the room was, and how civilised.  People were reading, talking and keen to talk to me.  They were not afraid of the cameras,  I chose to not photograph them.    And I really can over-emphasise just how alive it was, everyone rushing around talking about this or that, far me honest and true than any debate I had taken part in.

I do not know how it will all end, but I wish the students well.

Reluctantly Frank

I am a big fan of Frankie Boyle, from Mock the Week and his stand-up work.  I also have cerebral palsy and because of this I was hesitant to write about the recent spat about his Channel 4 show.  However, I do not find jokes about all disability belly-achingly funny – although I have heard some crackers in my time and told a few.  They are not in principle wrong.  There are a few points I would like to make about the latest debacle, this time between Boyle and Katie Price, mother of one of his recent targets.

Firstly, the joke was not belly-achingly funny and Boyle is capable of telling better jokes.  However, it is not up to me, and thankfully no one else, even Ofcom cannot decide what is funny, simply acceptable as broadcastable, humour is one’s own affair, no governing body can be set up to decide what is humorous.  I do however, wish there was a better way of complaining than Ofcom.  The joke was not funny, and I can only imagine Katie Price’s hurt and anger as I have no children.  However, she had to be watching the show to hear the joke (armed one presumes with remote control) and by making an official complaint many have heard the joke since that would not have heard it the first time around, including myself.  It has been tweeted, blogged and facebooked. The Internet is better than magic marker, once something has been posted on the Web it may never disappear, (ironically this includes this blogpost).   What would have died as simply something I would treat as a bad joke is now in the print and digital media - forever.

Of course, everyone should have the right to complain if they hear something they believe to be reprehensible on television, and they should exercise that right.  Is Ofcom, the best way to do that given that many of the complaints are not just made public, but the material in question becomes more well known as a result of the complaint?  Also, I do feel sometimes that Frankie Boyle is unfairly picked on, he is not the only comedian doing that sort of material, and yet he is has been made into the symbol of bad taste.  I feel incredibly uneasy about censorship, however, to those who believe that Frankie Boyle’s humour is simply bullying and therefore should be stopped should reflect on this point.  When I was bullied at school I didn’t have a red button to turn down the bully’s voice and had no right of reply.  It was incredibly hurtful, but I was not powerless -   I could walk away.

On Tuition Fees - a Tutor's perspective

Whilst my arm is in its current state, I have had some time to watch TV and read the newspapers, which have been focussing on the tuition fees debates and protests.  I have been both a student and a university tutor in philosophy, and have been wondering why the perspective from the teaching staff is absent from this debate.  Some teaching staff at universities has shown their support for students, and I hope that the UCU were consulted at some stage before the fees were raised.  But generally speaking, I have read little in the newspapers from the perspective of tutors or lecturers.

I was a tutor at a Philosophy Department from 2003 – 2006.  It is incredibly enjoyable work, not incredibly well paid, and as much as more money is always welcome, this is the kind of job you do for love not money.  However, the class size per year was about 120; each tutor would see about 25 students, lecture sizes could be 60+.  There were times when I felt that there simply was not enough time to give each student the time they deserved, unless I worked 3 times longer than I was being paid for, which I did gladly.  This was not a problem for me, but some institutions are not comfortable with people working pro bono, and rightfully so, people should be paid a little more, if as nothing other than a recognition that they did extra work.    I hope but doubt that PM Cameron’s fees hike will solve this problem; it is merely filling an already existing gap.

Cliche Alert - Snow Joke!

Day after the fall, my entire left side is aching, and I am having trouble bending my arm and leg.  I am having trouble typing and sleeping.  Of all weather, I think ice is the worst,  I can take heat, falling snow, even rainstorms, but the uncertainty your footing once icey ground is the worst for me.  I have left-sided cerebral palsy so I cannot rely on my left side to work and I have lean completely on my right side, consequently, my right leg muscles is aching.

Still, it will pass and after tonight and a good nights sleep I will be able to get back to my philosophical work.

Hull City Centre Photography by Inahara

Testing my Blackberry

Just testing my Blackberry connection with a photo of Philip Larkin
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Zen & the Art of Photocopying

Still snowing in Britain, my right side is aching, still managed to get my photocopying done for my research in Japanese philosophy, in particular, two books Nishitani Keiji.  One the home though, it was just TOO icey, fell down twice, I have to thank the security guards S & M at Hull University for getting me home.

Well, this is my first blog, and I will leave it here.