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Ware Chris

Chris Ware: Building Stories

I read graphic novels from time to time, but the only one I’ve reviewed here before is Daniel Clowes’ sublime Wilson. The fear of failing entirely to encapsulate a book in a review – always great, usually justified – is even greater when it has images just as important as the words. So I do it only when the book is so good, so astonishing, that I want everyone to read it. Yes, even you.

Building Stories carries, in its box of 14 books, pamphlets and Möbius comic strips, a certain buffer against criticism. Forster said, “One always tends to overpraise a long book, because one has got through it,” and I’m fearful of a related effect here. Ware’s work is so impressive – the composition, the structure, the detail, the art – that it’s tempting to switch off critical faculties; or, worse, fail to notice that they’ve been switched off. (Hang on though, that doesn’t sound so bad.) At the same time, why should a publication as different as this be judged in the same terms as those anodyne, anaemic books without pictures?

But the format also troubled me a little. A collection of stories to be read in any order always risks seeming like an abdication of responsibility by the writer, though I admit that my response (“Just tell me what order to read it in!”) might be mostly to do with my own completist and obsessive impulses. On opening it, Building Stories’ appearance reminded me not so much of Johnson’s The Unfortunates as the junk mail edition of McSweeney’s (a quarterly which, as each new subscription copy arrived, I never failed to coo over before putting away unread with all the others). Yet the conceit worked for me. There seemed to be a direction built in to my random reading order: from the gold-spined hardcover which introduces the main characters, through cycles in the life of the main heroine, to a literally tear-jerking conclusion – spliced with episodes from the life of Branford, the Best Bee in the World.

Branford provides some light relief – he’s a character in a children’s book within Building Stories, but also appears at one character’s window. This being Ware, light relief is relative. There is a beautiful sequence which comes from Branford’s wondering why his luck is always so bad. It can’t be just luck, he thinks: he must be to blame.

(Click on any of these images to enlarge, though in the book this panel is just 25mm high. Ware’s drawings are impossibly intricate and detailed.)

Turn the page, and here is the outcome of Branford’s efforts. The come-hither postures of the queen as she repeatedly provokes Branford’s imagination are funnier than any comic illustration of bee mating has any right to be. I was particularly taken by the middle one. What red-blooded fellow wouldn’t be?

Branford, like any bee, is forever trying to break into the world of humans – battering at windows – and then, when he gets there, wishing he wasn’t. (“I have suffered a dreadful deliverance,” he notes, quoting Robinson Crusoe.) By anthropomorphising Branford, Ware makes the stuck-in-the-world-of-humans conceit literal: he is humanly self-aware, and would doubtless be happier if he wasn’t. The fretful face of anxiety in the final frame above comes to look like his natural state.

The other characters are no happier. They live on different floors of the same Chicago building, whose rooms are presented in bleak light, like Edward Hopper interiors. Every detail makes them look more pitiful: the specks of dirt on the floor, the single bed, the slices of apple under cling film on a plate. The first occupant is the elderly owner of the apartment, full of stories – her own and others’ (“Everyone always talks about themselves when they’re trying to rent an apartment”) – but with nobody to tell them to. Then a couple whose unhappiness must surely reach breaking point soon. And finally our aforesaid heroine who, in case it wasn’t all sad enough, has her left leg amputated below the knee.

Although the characters’ lives change in different sections of Building Stories, within each part they are usually stuck and stagnating. The heroine spends a lot of time sitting on her couch, or looking at her watch, or lying in bed, turning and turning. Ware’s frames shrink down to emphasise the slowness of time passing, and often so little happens that we are directed to consider not just the movement between frames, but the stillness between them. There is no sense of familiarity as potentially a comfort rather than a bore. This, really, is not a book to be read when you’re at a low ebb (it could push you over the ebb). One section has as the centrepiece of its first page the words, “I just want to go to sleep and never wake up.” This, again, is our heroine, and Ware lays it on thick, as she reflects on “the stasis of my life,” “the overwhelming reality of [my] loneliness” and how she was “always ready to be disliked.” So parts of the book lack emotional subtlety, but they do reflect the rut of a depressive mindset. And if the heroine is low because she is alone (and so is her landlady: “I’ve lived my whole life afraid of people”), then her neighbours in the building have the opposite problem.

Yet even as the content distresses, the style delights: here, the bubbles of thought and regret rising and settling at the top of the frame, so that something still becomes beautifully animated. Throughout the book, Ware teaches us how to read a page, how to read images rather than just looking at them. The large double-spreads, some of A1 paper size, take the reader on a circular story around a central motif. One book, each page the banknote shape of a daily newspaper comic strip, slows the reader down with its wordlessness: every image must be thought through. Another section consists of just one long strip of paper, where the story continues each time you turn it over, and each image is reflected on the other side of the page.

What it all comes down to is time: Building Stories shows us how time passes, or refuses to pass. Some of the drab, repeating panels say: every day will be like this. It shows what time does to us. The characters think about what has happened, how things have changed and what might have been. The past is not dead – it is not even past – as Facebook springs old friends on them, or unwanted memories shoulder their way to the front of their minds. The form enables Ware to integrate the static intrusion of memories into life in a way more effective than any I’ve seen in pure prose: and to note the evasions of memory too, when an editorial footnote corrects a character’s chronology. It also gives a smoother and more convincing transition between different viewpoints than is normally seen in fiction. It can tell two stories at once, and show us what the residents of the building think of one another. They are unhappy because they are alone, or unhappy because of who they’re with. (Our heroine still turns and turns in bed in almost every story she appears in; alone, with her husband, with her daughter.)

Often, the story and characters seem not just unhappy, but to refuse the possibility of happiness – even to wallow or revel in it. They are hunched, shrunken, static, with only fleeting moments of pleasure (“Something … a time-lapse tulip … bloomed in me”). The thought processes of the characters, their internal monologues, could seem banal or gauche if written in prose: but one would not argue that song lyrics do not work as poems on the page. As with Jimmy Corrigan, the initial effect of Building Stories is to make the reader determined not to be like these people, but then, as we get to know them better, not so much seems to separate us. In any event, it softens the blow of a writer taking twelve years to produce a book when its subject is, more or less, everything it means to be human. And when you’ve had enough of that, there’s always Branford. Even he gets to feel optimistic sometimes.


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Tourmaline & Sterling Tube Bracelet

Item # 49859
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Our luxurious tourmaline bracelet showcases a polychromatic panorama of natural tourmaline stones, broken only by the supple curve of sterling silver at the midpoint. Full of rich greens, browns, and purples to pale pinks, each bracelet is a work of art.

  • Tourmaline & sterling silver
  • 7.5" L (9 cm)
  • Handmade in India

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Greatest Women’s Tennis Rivalry: Chris Evert Vs. Martina Navratilova

On this day in 1987 Chris Evert won her 150th career tennis title when she defeated her long-time rival Martina Navratilova in Houston, Texas.

During her career versus selected rivals, Evert was: 40–6 against Virginia Wade, 37–43 against Martina Navratilova, 26–13 against Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 24–0 against Virginia Ruzici, 23–1 against Sue Barker, 22–0 against Betty Stöve, 22–1 against Rosemary Casals, 21–7 against Hana Mandlikova, 20–1 against Wendy Turnbull, 19–7 against Billie Jean King (winning the last 11 matches with a loss of only 2 sets), 19–3 against Pam Shriver, 18–2 against Kerry Melville Reid, 17–2 against Manuela Maleeva-Fragniere, 17–2 against Helena Suková, 17–3 against Andrea Jaeger, 16–3 against Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat, 15–0 against Olga Morozova, 13–0 against Françoise Durr, 9–4 against Margaret Court, 8–9 against Tracy Austin, 7–0 against Mary Joe Fernandez, 6–3 against Gabriela Sabatini, 6–5 against Nancy Richey Gunter (winning the last 6 matches), 6–8 against Steffi Graf (losing the last 8 matches), and 2–1 against Monica Seles.

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To Aru Majutsu no Index – Up to Episode 23

17 03 2009

Well, we only got 1 episode left of To Aru Majutsu no Index, and I can not wait for it to be released by a sub group. To Aru Majutsu no Index has been one of my all time favorite shows, not just this season, but in all the shows I have seen.  This is funny because when the show first started I read about it and went “meh.. “, but after a 6 episodes were released I decided to give it a shot. Damn, I am so glad I gave it that shot.

The show combines relegion (not praise got stuff, just… well shes a bloody sister..kinda), magic, some stuff thats say.. Occultic, and Esper ability. Its quite a unique show all together, and it all fits together quite well.

All in all, there were a few parts I didn;t quite like, or found.. Stupid.  But hey, that is like every show. I have yet to find a show that is absolutly perfect in every way.  I’m not completly impressed with the last arc for instance. In less they pull of some sweet stuff in the final episode, this story arc will fall to just a medium for the serries.

The characters themselfs are brought in great, and the personalities they are given just fit the rolls to exacts.  I never quite understood the 9 year old alchoholic high school teacher, but.. I guess others might. Even the teacher had some good rolls near the middle of the serries and continued onwords to the end.

So what does To Aru Majutsu no Index add up to? Well… A Bloody good show. Its as simple as that. In less they somehow screw up the last episode so much that my eyes bleed out my own feces… I don’t think I could hate this show.

So, for those of you who aren’t watching To Aru Majutsu no Index (Bleak, I’m looking at you!), you should get on it! Of course I would wait in till the batch file is out, no point in getting 24 seperate files.  For those of you who are watching To Aru Majutsu no Index, good for you. You have picked a awesome show!

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1863 January 7 and 10: The Small Articles for this Week

January 13, 2013

Following are the smaller articles from The Prescott Journal of January 7, 1863, and from The Polk County Press of January 10, 1863.

From The Prescott Journal:

The election returns already received indicate the election of McINDOE [Walter D. McIndoe] for both the long and short terms. We have not the full vote from this county, but the republican majority will be from 125 to 150.  We give the returns as far as received for the long term.

Pierce County, McIndoe’s majority 125
St. Croix 75
Trempeleau  “ 250
Jackson  “ 175
Clark  “ 50
Vernon  “ 300
Marathon  “ 320
Juneau  “ 175
Portage  “ 200
Wood County, Benton’s majority 19
La Crosse  “ 40
Buffalo  “ 82

It is probably that McINDOE’s majority in the 6th district will be over two thousand.

The Soldiers’ Vote.

We give the vote of the Soldiers, as canvassed last week.

ASSEMBLY.—Co A 12th, Cox 19, T Conolly 3, W B Mapes 8 ;  Co A 20th, Cox 19 ;  Co A 30th, Cox 54, McGregor 1 ;  Co K 30th, Cox 8

SHERIFF.—Co A 12th, Puelt 2, Sands 25 ;  Co A 30th, Sands 10 ;  Co K 30th, Hayerdahl 4.

REGISTER.—Co A 12, Hayerdahl 24 ;  Co A 30th, Hayerdahl 18 ;  Co K 30th, Hayerdahl 4.

TREASURER.—Co A 12th, S W Dickinson, 2, Gibson 17 ;  Co A 30th, Powell 17 ;  Co K 30, Powell 4.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY—Co A 12th, Young 23 ;  Co A 30th, Young 13, Jay 3 ;  Co K 30th, Young 1, Jay 3.

CLERK OF BOARD—Co A 12th, Winn 23 ;  Co A 30th, Winn 17 ;  Co K 30th, Winn 4.

CLERK OF COURT—Co A 12th, Winn 28 ;  Co A 30th, Winn 18 ;  Co K 30th, Winn 4.

SURVEYOR—Co A 12th, Brown 24, Short 2 ;  Co A 30th, Brown 18 ;  Co K 30th, Brown 4.

CORONER—Co A 12th, Smith 3, Barnard 14, Newell 1 ;  Co A 30th, Smith 18 ;  Co K 30th, Smith 4.

The return from Co H 6th, and Co D 30th were rejected by the State Canvassers.

Finger“File Right,” speaking of the return of the “Babes” from Green Bay, says:

“They have won imperishable laurels under Capt. Harriman [Samuel Harriman]. The jolly Capt. didn’t climb quite up “where Moses stood,” but he occupied Fort Howard and wrote his ration returns on the very table where the traitor Twiggs [David Twiggs] figured up his clothing account for Co. X. regulars sometime from the year “36 30 to “54:40 or fight.”  He (the Captain, not Twiggs, tr.,) slept in the room where Mrs. Geo B. McClellan¹ was born, an honor in which the balance of the 30th take just pride.”

FingerA. Morse has been appointed Deputy Provost Marshall for this county.  It isn’t likely there will be any business in that line.

FingerGeneral Butler [Benjamin F. Butler] has issued a proclamation in which he says he leaves New Orleans with the proud consciousness of carrying with him the blessings of the humble and loyal under the cottage roof, and in the cabin of the slave; quite contented to incur the sneers of the saloon and the curses of the rich.

He concludes by saying:

“Months of experience and observation have forced the conviction that the existence of slavery is incompatible with safety of yourselves, or of the union.”

FingerOur Kentucky men don’t like the guerrillas at all ;  but our horses are quite carried away by them—Louisville Journal.

Finger1st Lieut. Chas. E. Darling of Co. D has resigned, and 2nd Lieut, Lewis O. Marshall, of Pierce County, promoted to the vacancy.  Orderly Sergeant Robinson of Hudson is appointed 2nd Lieut.

FingerQuartermaster Starr [Sidney Starr] is at home on a visit, and will probably give you a call before returning to camp.

FingerCol. Dill [Daniel J. Dill] has been confined to this quarters for some time, in consequence of a sever injury to his foot, received at a fire which destroyed a portion of the barracks a few weeks since.

From The Polk County Press:

A GOOD IDEA.—Gov. Morton [Oliver P. Morton] of Indiana urges the Government to mount fifty regiments of infantry with muskets or rifles and bayonets,—to use the horses for marching only—discarding sabres, and to fight on foot as infantry, after the same manner with Morgan’s men [John Hunt Morgan].  He insists that this is the only way to clear the country of roving rebel bands.

— Stuarts cavalry recently made a dash into the rear of Gen. Burnside’s [Ambrose E. Burnside] army, capturing a four gun battery, and part of the 22d Pennsylvania cavalry.  They also captured several Sutler’s wagons, and thirty wagons loaded with regimental property.  They then made good their escape.

— Gen. Corcoran [Michael Corcoran] has arrived at Suffolk and assumed command in that department.  So says the correspondent of the Baltimore American.

— The Cumberland river is reported as having raised so that boats of light draft can run up to Nashville.  This will relieve ROSECRAN’s army [William S. Rosecrans] which was threatened with short rations, on account of the destruction of bridges, by the rebel Morgan, on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad.

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 3.—The President’s Emancipation Proclamation was published this evening.  Although fully expected, it nevertheless created the most profound sensation.  One hundred guns were fired in commemoration of the event.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.—The steamer State of Georgia reports that the famous iron clad Monitor foundered at sear on Tuesday night last, off Cape Hatteras.  Two officers and thirty eight men were lost.

GEN. BAYARD.—Gen. Geo D. Bayard who was killed at Fredericksburg was a New Yorker, and a graduate of West Point, in 1856.  He was a cavalry officer of high merit, and was recently made Brigadier General of Volunteers, commanding cavalry.  He was a dashing officer, and has often signalized himself notably during the war.  He was to be married on the 18th of this month to a daughter of Colonel Bowman, of West Point.

From Madison

John Miller² a man who had enlisted as a substitute in the 27th Wisconsin Regiment, was arrested recently for forging a pass and mustering papers, and attempting to draw money from a bank on the latter.  He will probably be treated as a deserter.

Brigadier General Elliot [sic: Washington Lafayette Elliott] has issue an order forbidding officers from issuing any more furloughs.  Soldiers accepting furloughs are to be treated as deserters and to forfeit pay.

BY THE BRITISH PIRATE ALABAMA.—The Ariel was captured near the east end of Cuba.  The only plunder secured by the Alabama was $8,000 in green backs, belonging to Wells, Fargo & Co.  The Alabama was last coaled at Martinique.  When leaving that port the U.S. war steamer San Jacinto aimed a gun at her, and simultaneously the Fort in the harbor trained her guns on the San Jacinto.  This is the statement of Semmes’ lieutenant.³

The Alabama claims a speed, under twenty-five pounds of steam, of sixteen knots an hour.  She was overtaking the Ariel with only eleven pounds of steam.  She fired two guns, when the latter hove to.

Semmes first intended burning the Ariel and putting the passengers ashore at a little settlement of huts on San Domingo, but Captain Jones protested, claiming that half the passengers would die in consequence.  Semmes then proposed to land them at Kingston, but after much parleying an arrangement was effected to release the steamer on bonds payable thirty days after the acknowledgement of the independence of the Southern Confederacy.

1.  Mary Ellen Marcy (1836–1915), the daughter of his former commander.
2.  John Miller, from Milwaukee, was in Company K of the 27th Wisconsin Infantry. He was still under arrest when the regiment mustered out in 1865.
3.  Raphael Semmes (1809-1877), from a naval family, was an officer in the U. S. Navy from 1826-1860 and the Confederate States Navy from 1860-1865. During the Civil War he was captain of the famous raider CSS Alabama, which took a record sixty-five prizes.

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Every Purchase Fights Famine in the Horn of Africa & Combats Hunger in the U.S.
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Color Block Silk Scarf

Item # 49387

Funds 50 cups of food.

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Beautifully handwoven raw silk is a great fall/winter weight with all the luxury silk offers. Handwoven by women at CraftBeauty, an all-women artisan organization aimed at helping rural women earn a regular monthly salary to support themselves and their families. Working with a variety of fabrics in their native Vietnam, the artisans of Craftbeauty have managed to create opportunity where before prospects looked grim. Originally rice farmers living in a small cultivated area subject to the whims of weather, their farmland began vanishing to a new threat - development of apartment housing. They have a workshop where women can come together to work, but also have opportunities for women to craft from home. Now these women earn more than three times what they made farming rice, which makes them the primary source of income in their village and allows them to provide a better future for themselves and their families.

  • 70% cotton / 30% raw silk
  • 69" L x 15" W (175.2 x 38.1)
  • Handmade in and fairly traded from Vietnam

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Artisan: Craftbeauty

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In Hanoi, Vietnam, where most people are raised to be farmers, there aren't a lot of vocational opportunities outside of agriculture. One stroke of bad luck can wipe out a year's worth of hard work -- drought or flood can destroy the year's crops, and the year's income. A lot of farmland is being purchased by developers of apartment buildings, leaving many farmers with no land, no vocational skills, and no source of income.

Craftbeauty is a fair trade craft organization that provides skills and a steady source of income to disadvantaged women who wouldn't otherwise have any options, including farming women, and women with disabilities. In Vietnam only about 15% of disabled persons receive training in vocational skills, and many end up unemployed and very poor. Craftbeauty offers these women (between the ages of 18 and 40 years old) a chance to learn about silk weaving, tailoring, embroidery, fashion, and quality control, and pays almost double the Vietnamese national livable wage. In addition to giving them a source of income, a skill set, and a safe workplace, these positions help the women retain their dignity, self worth, and confidence.

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18 and Flailing

One week ago I turned 18. Since then I’ve been dealing with bouts of depression by drugging myself on Queer as Folk. In a perfect world I would write “hey, guess what guys, I’m not a teenager anymore, so no more angst on this blog!” But this is not a perfect world, and I am not a perfect person. Adult angst exists. I just need to conquer it.

Writing "Britin" over and over to numb the pain. Britin = best couple on QAF.

Writing “Britin” over and over to numb the pain. Britin = Brian and Justin. The best couple on QAF.

The other day I wrote a chapter of a project I’m working on. It absolutely sucked.

Wordiness. Horrible character introductions. Weak voice. Tangents of unnecessary emotional intensity. I wish I was being my own worst critic here, but no: it made me want to tear my eyes out.

Now that I’m 18, I feel this enormous pressure on my shoulders. I’m past my prime as the precocious teenager; it’s time for me to step up and make good of all the crap I’ve gone through. Yet it was my writing that dragged me down. If it’s my passion, why the heck was I – am I – so bad at it? Why do I still want to throw myself off a cliff every time I can’t get what I do to be 100% perfect?

And the answer arrived like those freaking ugly cicadas in Virginia why must they exist lightning: turning 18 doesn’t change anything. In deference to my previous post, it’s a milestone, a portent of successes to strive for. But I am still that awkward person who has too much fun reading YA books and laughs at inappropriate moments in real life. I am still that one annoying guy who will cry when the character no one cares about dies. I am still that one ugly perfectionist who holds himself to a standard that is way too high – high enough to send him spiraling down when he doesn’t reach it.

I need to tell myself that it’s okay. It’s okay that my writing still isn’t as good as I want it to be. It’s okay that I’m three books behind on my Goodreads reading challenge and that I haven’t posted a review in over a week. It’s okay that I continue to fight, even as an adult, to push back unhealthy inclinations toward perfection.

No matter the age, whether it be 19, 23, or 48: a positive mind plows through any obstacle. As Lady Gaga once said – just dance, and it’ll be okay.

Your reward for enduring that melodramatic post of death: me in a dress.

Your reward for enduring that melodramatic post of death: me in a dress.

Anyone else have angst they’d like to get off their chest, related to aging or anything else in general? I wanted to title this post “New Adult Crisis” (get it, like “midlife crisis”, except, I’m a new adult… yeah) but I was scared people would mistake it for the new novel genre. I need to get back on the reading train – I thought that after AP exams I’d have so much time but family and Queer as Folk have proven me wrong. I need to post about QAF, my new obsession, and some societal issues I’ve been thinking about. Anyway, goodbye until next time and I hope you’re all well!

Filed under Personal

46 responses to “18 and Flailing

  1. Elaine

    Only commiserations to add here – feel like I haven’t written anything worth even sighs of disdain, lately. But you’re absolutely right that it’ll come back to both of us by the end, and isn’t that just worth a thousand sighs of relief :) Thanks for this post, dear. Oh, and much, much love for the dress!

    • Ah, Elaine, thank you for sharing my feels. It’ll come back to us sooner or later and perhaps we will find inspiration in the future we share at our college! Thank you for reading and commenting and empathizing, as always.

  2. I will be 36 in September, and I will give you only one piece of advice.You’re not really going to change much. By 18, your personality is pretty much set. So lean into it, even if you can’t trust it at first. Ok, two pieces of advice. The second is to remember that you’re 18, and it seems impossible to get your grown-up shit together. But it’s not like there’s one moment where TADA! You’re an adult. Those little moments happen every day. Notice. And don’t try to do it all in one day.

    • You’re right, I suppose emotional intelligence and maturity develop gradually – it wouldn’t make such sense for everyone to suddenly become an adult at the same age. As cliche as this quote is I feel like it’s applicable to this post and its comments: Rome wasn’t built in a day.

      Thank you for reading and commenting!

  3. I am dying here. I probably shouldn’t be laughing but I laughed a lot while reading this.
    My vacations just started and I have all these things I want to achieve over the holidays but I get the feeling I won’t get anything done and I’ll end up feeling like a failure. I just have this obsession with getting things done. I NEED TO GET THEM DONE. Like I am the only crazy person in my class who has gotten her whole college app essay written down. Everybody else is like… how ’bout next (school) year?
    Also that dress suits you, you look wonderful.

    • Aw I empathize with you, but remember that you should take a break during your holidays and refresh as well as accomplishing work ahead of time! Congrats on getting your college app essay done early – you’ll have plenty of time to revise it now. (: Also, thanks for the compliment, and thank you for reading and commenting as always!

  4. Oh, and one more thing. It only gets better from here. You’ll enjoy aging, because you’ll enjoy having enough life wisdom to keep from feeling like a dumbass all the time. I know I do. :)

  5. I share your age angst. Come august I’m turning the big 3-0… but I still feel like i’m 18 most of the time. Time just doesn’t stop D:

  6. Ah Thomas…angst about aging… Sure I have it. It won’t be much longer and I’ll be leaving my forties behind. And guess what? I don’t think I’m yet ready to be out of my twenties. ;) And writing? I’ve discovered something. When you’re not happy with what your writing, it isn’t about whether it’s “good” or not. It’s about whether it’s saying what you want it to say. If it’s not saying what it is you have to say, then of course it’s not ‘good’. When someone else might read it and thing…this is damn good!

    It doesn’t ring true to us, so to the writer, it is not good.

    All of these angsts and questions and hair pulling moments? Eh…it’s who we are. And we learn to roll with this stuff and use it to our advantage.

    I have to tell you, you make me happy. Because when I read this, I feel relief that someone as wonderful and brilliant as you….writes thoughts and worries that I can relate to. A different gender, different generation….

    • I agree about our writing – one of my friends the chapter I discussed in my post and she said it was great. Sometimes we can’t control the way we view ourselves and our work even if it’s through a critical lens; but we can push through and keep producing!

      You’re right. From these moments of failure and self-doubt come strength and solidarity. I’m glad that you can empathize with what I write despite our differences; kindred souls don’t have to have physical attributes in common!

  7. The angst never goes away…just saying. Also, I numb my depression by, most recently, watching an ungodly amount of Firefly. :D Don’t put too much pressure on yourself – even though there are lots of new things going on in your life, take it day by day like always before. It does work out. :) And you know that, deep down, you like the cicadas. ;)

    • I just looked up Firefly – it looks like a quality show even if it isn’t something I would watch myself. Your right that it’s better to take things day by day than stressing out too much. And, I have to disagree with you for the first time about the cicadas… -_-

  8. Wow so much true words put in a post. P.S. Love the dress. ;)

  9. Ha! You are not alone. I have fear of aging too. I want to stay forever young. I always had hard times with growing up. I’ll turn 17 soon and I am freaking out. But I guess I’ll have to deal with it.
    By the way, you look gorgeous in that dress. :D ^_^

  10. If I look back, my intellectual peak was at 17ish. Great exam results, amazing reading diary. Yet I was depressed and anxious and fairly miserable. Now I’m in my 40s, I have a successful business, a long-term partner, a house, two cats … not sure I feel “grown up” but I know my best decade so far has been my 30s and these 40s aren’t shaping up too badly. I have a lot of the opinions I had at 18 and my political inclinations are the same, but I have learned to manage depressive episodes a lot, lot better; learned to be more open with people in real life and online (well online wasn’t really there then, but you know what I mean!); and am much more comfortable in my skin. Maybe that helps a bit?

    I remember the big let-down when I got those superb exam results, got the uni place then had to get through the summer before I went. And the slight anti-climax when I got to uni. Oh, and the one when we moved into our beautiful house here and then sat down and went, “oh”. Peaks and troughs, mate: peaks and troughs.

    You WILL prevail. Keep strong.

    • Your story of success through failure inspires me Liz! It’s great that you’ve maintained some of your opinions and political inclinations but managed to keep your head up through depressive episodes to get where you are now. I’m going through that summer before uni decline now – it really does make me feel better that someone else understands. I’m sure I’ll face challenges at college but I’m looking forward to overcoming them and growing as a person! Thank you so much for your support and for your willingness to share a piece of yourself.

  11. I think the reason that you tear yourself down after you write is because you see it and you know that you are capable of so much more. At least that’s how it is for me and my music (especially since I am a fellow perfectionist as well). Just don’t give up hope, you’ll get there! Rome wasn’t built in a day!

    • You’re right, that’s one of the main reasons I’m so harsh on myself – I’m glad we empathize with each other, even if we both need to improve. I won’t give up hope especially with all of this support, thank you so much!

  12. Oh dear, I love cicadas! I love all noisy insects and love living where they dwell. Apart from that, you look great in a dress, even though we didn’t get the long shot. Remember, angst is good, it feeds your creativity. :)

    • I would gladly trade places with you, cicadas scare the heck out of me. Thank you, I wish I had gotten a better shot but I didn’t have time due to my government class. And, that’s true – angst allows us to expand our minds and sublimate what’s getting us down!

  13. I’m sorry for say this so late but Happy belated birthday, Thomas! Yeah, I don’t think eighteen changes anything much about us except probably more responsibilities and the expectations all go up a notch (no sweat right?), other than that it’s life as usual. You + that dress = awesome! If possible I like you even more, your not scared as you think of being you and I admire that. Rock on :)

    • Thank you Devina, no worries about the wish being belated! I agree about the additional responsibilities and expectations, but those don’t need to be taken on all at once – it’s a gradual process. I’m glad the dress doesn’t look like an ugly abomination; it’s not something I would wear every day but perhaps I’ll try it on again in the future. (:

  14. Andreas

    Hey there, Thomas! First of all, I just want to wish you a happy belated birthday. Congratulations for turning 18, woohoo! And the good news is I’m turning 18 soon too! :) and gosh, “It’s okay that my writing still isn’t as good as I want it to be. It’s okay that I’m three books behind on my Goodreads reading challenge and that I haven’t posted a review in over a week.” this is what I’m feeling over the past few weeks. :D I guess this is my angst. And I really want to continue watching QAF, but I just can’t. Too many movies to watch. Sigh. Turning 18 definitely has its own perks, like I can finally watch those M18 movies in Singapore where I wasn’t allowed to due to their kinda-suck rules. Freedom! I think it’s safe to say that we’re both adults now. :D And the dress looks cute on you. Anyway, I’m sure that we both can defeat our angst. :)

    • Thank you Andreas! Woo for being 18 buddies! It’s okay for us to take a break from reading as long as we come back to it – same with our writing. And ah, that makes me genuinely sad; hopefully you’ll be able to continue Queer As Folk later on, I’m midway through season 2 and my mind is more blown with each episode. I’m glad you’re relaxing with movies though. But, once again, it’s great you’re turning 18 soon and we will rise above our angst for sure!

  15. You’re being to hard on yourself but it is totally understandable. Milestones in life frequently trigger angst of one sort or another. We all find our voice and share our talents with the world, each in our own way and at our own erratic pace. Furthermore you still have 2 years of teen angst left. Heck, I haven’t been a teen in a LONG time but my inner child/teen still has it’s moments of angst.

    • Yeah, that makes sense – there must be a reason for the midlife crisis. You’re also right that some of us take longer to share our talents with the world but that’s quite alright. Perhaps we all have our inner child/teen, it’s what keeps us young! Thank you for reading and commenting.

  16. catelittlebird

    Don’t worry – I laugh at the worst moments possible. Like when someone trips and falls…

    Anyway, I totally get your whole “18 doesn’t change anything,” even though I’m only turning sixteen in a month and a half. I remember when my sister and I were little and we’d pretend to be 14-17 and dream about what we’d do when we were that old. Now that I’m actually fifteen, I wish I could be the girl I imagined myself to be.

    I’m also a diehard perfectionist and suffer from way too severe OCD. I spent half an hour putting markers in rainbow order during class one day. In group projects, I end up doing most of the work because even though everyone works and does it well, it doesn’t fit what I want.

    • Sometimes our imaginations get the better of us, but that’s what keeps us pushing us as well. And having that OCD must be difficult; while it’s good that you have high standards it must be hard for you to strive so hard to have things your way. You still have a lot of time to work on improving yourself if you wish to, though sometimes the quirky aspects of who we are are the most valuable. It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who laughs at inappropriate times. (:

  17. I havne’t hit the 18th birthday mileston yet, but I can still admit to struggling and feeling mad at myself for certain things. I remember when I first ‘became a teenager’ on my 13th birthday. I was pretty sure that I was going to feel very different and quickly gain new skills. Let’s just say that I was thoroughly disappointed by myself. But I try to grow as a person everyday, so hopefully I will get to be the person I want to be ^_^ And I am sure you will be able to become the person you want to be also!
    You actually look pretty good in a dress. You thinking about making wearing on a regular thing? :P

    • Yeah, sometimes reality doesn’t live up to our expectations but that’s okay – it’s all about getting our reality as close as we can to our dreams, right? I think through reading lots of books and writing we’re both growing every day!

      And, ha, perhaps a once a month or every couple of months type of thing. Maybe I’ll wear one on the first day of college – wouldn’t that be quite the first impression? Thanks for reading and commenting Lottie!

  18. Pingback: The Sunday Post(9) | book adoration

  19. Amy

    Hi Thomas! I just recently discovered your blog, and after reading a couple of posts, I hit the follow button. There are so many reasons why– your writing is so refreshing, your perspective on the world is intriguing, your ability to express yourself is impressive, especially for someone our age– but I think what really did it for me was the fact that I can relate to you and, in particular, to this post.

    I turned 18 just recently as well (April), and, like you, am getting ready to take a big step and begin college this fall. I’ve always loved reading stories as a child, and although I often write during my free time, I’ve almost never been satisfied with my writing. When I look at other authors’ work, I usually get pretty discouraged. But if there’s anything I’ve learned from 18 years of life, it’s that there’s always room for improvement, and that there’s always ways to get better at something. Writing is no exception.

    Everything we write is basically just an expression of ourselves. Even if, on the surface, our work seems to have nothing to do with us, if anyone looks closely enough, they’ll find a part of us in the story. I don’t think anyone is born a perfect writer, because I don’t think anyone is born with the perfect ability to express themselves. Writing, like expression, is something that takes time and practice. Sure, we might not write something Pulitzer-worthy today, or tomorrow, or the next day, but I’m sure we’ll get there eventually. :]

    I really enjoyed this post, and I can’t wait to read about your experiences in college too!

    • Amy, I’m so glad you found my blog and that you can relate to my posts! No matter how great someone’s writing is I feel like one of the most important factors is whether or not you can empathize with the emotions he or she expresses.

      You’re right that writing is a form of expression, one that must be practiced to achieve anything close to perfection. It can be hard because there’s so much you want to say and it sounds perfect in your head, but it gets overwhelming when you actually try to write it out. Like you I loved to read as a child and I still do now; comparing my writing to some of my favorite authors’ makes my words look like gibberish. But it’s important that we keep writing, because without that, we don’t express ourselves. Like Laurie Halse Anderson once wrote, “When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time.”

      Thank you for reading and for your thought-provoking comment! I can’t wait to read more of your writing as well.

  20. Ronald

    I myself turned 18 now 33 years ago. I have no advice, I can not tell anybody how to run their own life, nor will I attempt to do so. We must all learn to trust our own judgement…..that seemed to be a milestone for me which occurred well past 18. A series of experiences, both personally and professionally taught me that my judgement was actually quite good and that my first impressions seemed to pan out. I think a big part of becoming an adult is self acceptance, self love, and finally figuring out that we as individuals do actually know what is best for us. Screw the critics, the naysayers, the perpetually negative. Yes, I did make some misjudgements along the way, learned from my mistakes and carried on.

    I will offer one piece of advice, then go away, for now. As one ages, things that were of great importance in the younger years tend to become less significant as we move on. That does not mean we were necessarily wrong or made poor judgements in the past, it is simply things are different now, not better, not worse, not smarter, not more wise (although we tend to accumulate wisdom as we go along). Just different. Priorities and values do change, so if you wish to climb Everest at 18, then great, climb it, enjoy it. Do not commit to a lifetime of mountain climbing now, because you may just decided that painting Everest from afar is just as rewarding one day.

    • Ronald, thank you for your eloquent and wise comment. I feel like acquiring that confidence in your own judgement is something that takes time and is achieved by people at different stages in their lives. Your statement about how certain things seem so important to us now but will fade in the future strikes me as earnest and true; I can see that already as a few of the goals I held at the beginning of high school I disregard now. We continue to change our priorities and develop our interests and talents – like you said, not necessarily for better or for worse, or as less wise or more wise, it’s just the way it is. Essentially it is what it is, and we will continue to grow as time progresses. It’s a simple thought but one that is extremely deep simultaneously.

      Once again, thank you for your insight! I cannot adequately express how much I appreciate it whenever you leave me a comment.

  21. Pingback: The Very Inspiring Blogger Award– Hugs & Kisses! | book adoration

  22. I get weird about birthdays too. Each one is another year closer to adulthood. *laughs weakly* Me? Being an adult? With lots of responsibilities? Nooooo. When I was little I couldn’t wait to grow up. What was I thinking?

  23. Adi

    I’m 25 and I still cant get away from YA novels. I love them. at least u can write. I love reading and I’ve tried to write but even my old journal entries are crap. when I go back and read them I cant make sense of what I was feeling and why. lol but I will say this in response to being a bit angsty…not a day goes by that I don’t get called weird. NO JOKE. I used to get embarrassed when people would tell me but I got to the point where I started loving it. Who wants to be normal? what is normal? “Not I” said the goose, is the answer to both of those questions. I love laughing loud and proud and I love being happy. I’ve learned to love my faults. when I think of me the only thing I can really say is “I’m Adeline (pronounced Add-uh-leen) I’m not like everyone else. I love Disney films, I read kids books, I’m in love with Korean Dramas even though I don’t know Korean and I’m absolutely unique!” Now when people say I’m weird I tell them “Of course! Who would I be if I wasn’t me?” My boyfriend and I have been together for 8yrs and it still amazes me that he’s never called me weird and he’s always accepted me for who I am, even at my weirdest. :) BTW You are still cute…even in a dress. <3

    • I’m so glad that you know who you are and that you’re proud of it! It’s adorable that you and your boyfriend have been dating for eight years, that’s quite an accomplishment – and so many of my friends watch K-Dramas but I’m scared of getting addicted. Anyway, thank you for your compliment and thanks for sharing how you can relate to what I wrote in your own life!

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The Situationist

Archive for the ‘Pedagogy’ Category

Frontier Torts Website

Posted by The Situationist Staff on April 21, 2013

Frontier Torts Logo

Announcing the Frontier Torts Website

In the fall of 2012, the 80 first-year Harvard Law students in Section 6 researched, discussed, debated, and proposed policy solutions to several important policy problems:

  1. Football Concussions
  2. Native American Alcoholism (in Whiteclay, Nebraska)
  3. Bullying

Their work was heavily influenced by situationism and should be of particular interest to readers of this blog. You can learn more about the project, view presentations, and download white papers at the Frontier Torts website.

Posted in Pedagogy | Leave a Comment »

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Visiting a New Church April 2, 2012

Posted by thesociallyawkwardchristian in Christianity.

I visited Church of the King in Mandeville, LA yesterday. I like to occasionally visit other churches just as a change of pace and to see of God might be leading me somewhere new or saying something different. Every time I visit a new church alone I’m stared in the face at how hard it must be to be a single, even more so a single introvert, and searching for a church home. Priority is definitely given to families in southern church culture. Not that the welcome staff at Church of the King was cold to me, it was just pretty clear that they’re not used to many single people walking through the doors alone.

I explored the campus a little bit and was overwhelmed by how nice it was. It wasn’t anything so fancy that made me think they were being over extravagant, but it was a definite step up over my current church home where function is valued over aesthetics.

I seated myself in the second to last row in the back of the sanctuary, which was not as big as I expected. I guess it seated about as many as my church, which seats 1000, but it wasn’t nearly as roomy which made me feel a tad claustrophobic. Especially as it filled to near capacity.

Sitting in the back proved to be a bad decision, as the typically late arriving crowd were constantly being ushered to open seats up to 30 minutes in the service. I found myself being distracted from the worship time by the ushers incessantly communicating with each other about where to guide the late worshippers. In fact, this really started to aggravate me and I started wishing I had picked a less inconspicuous seat closer to the front so I wouldn’t notice this commotion. However, it was interesting being at a church where ushers actually, well, ushered.

This brings up another point. I found the service to be so organized and smooth that it felt almost corporate. The video announcements, for instance, two attractive young people with big smiles trading off reminders of upcoming events. Compare that to my church home’s video announcements featuring reminders that are laced with humor sometimes bordering on the sophomoric side, made me feel somewhat like a redneck seeing New York City for the first time: liking it better where I come from, but not being able to shake the feeling that this place was a higher class than me.

Church of the King was the first true multisite campus I’ve ever attended and the comparisons to lifechurch.tv, a multisite ministry that I enjoy being apart of online, were very evident. I’m willing to bet money that CotK uses lifechurch.tv’s resources and probably uses them as a model which is not a bad thing at all.

Aside from feeling slightly out of place, I enjoyed the service. I found the pastor’s sermon style very engaging and a nice change of pace from the style I usually hear. Even if the message was on the end times and I didn’t agree with everything that the pastor taught, I still feel like I learned something.

Overall, the whole visit was an interesting experience. I’m not sure if I could be comfortable calling Church of the King my home, but I do know I would like to visit again soon.

When’s the last time you visited a different church? What was your experience like? What were the positives and the negatives?

1. Jessica Jones - June 9, 2013

This so called Church is nothing more then a Cult Church that pays for a Million Dollar house for this robinson guy. Best thing for the current members to do is put there money in there bank and pray at home.

Jessica Jones - June 9, 2013

I agree with Jessica. It is nothing more then a Cult Church!

m cardinal - July 31, 2013

The bible teaches we should be very careful with accusations against His chosen.

2. halfiepint - January 21, 2015

how do you know who HE did and did not choose?

3. halfiepint - January 21, 2015

That’s exactly how CULTS perpetuate… “you don’t question my authorteeeeh or you’ll burn in hell because god totally said so!”

4. NYComposer - July 4, 2015

I attended CotK numerous times with a friend. It felt like a genuine house of worship. They never criticize other churches and really do a great job explaining how to apply the Bible in your life for a Godly purpose.

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All posts by Alice

I am currently a student at the University of Exeter going into the final year of my degree in English and Ancient History.

Beach Break Live 2012

So it’s nearly that time of year again, festival season. Well… maybe not quite but line-ups are being released and in this cold weather what better way to look forward to the summer than by looking at festivals. Beach Break Live is the UK’s Student Festival held in Pembrey Country Park, South Wales between 14th and 18th June 2012. More details can be found on the website  but here is an overview of Beach Break Live 2012…

First off, the main reason people go to a festival, the music. 2012’s headline acts are Chase and Status, Dizzee Rascal and Friendly Fires. Other artists include Nero, Maverick Sabre, Labrinth, Ben Howard, Wretch32, Delilah and Ghost Poet to name but a few. Having seen Dizzee Rascal at a festival in the past, I can safely say that he will not disappoint and is brilliant live. With their growing success in 2011 and 2012 the other artists will provide a varied and entertaining line-up.

Beach Break Live is, as indicated in the name, set on an 8 mile stretch of beautiful sandy beaches ready to party on and situated just in front of 500 acres of woodland behind the dunes. In 2012 Lonely Planet has voted the region where Pembrey Country Park is set as ‘Best Region in the World’. In terms of getting there Beach Break have made it very easy, they provide national express coaches from many universities which you can book when you book your ticket. Alternatively there is also a shuttle bus which operates from the nearest train station to the festival so if you prefer you can just get the train there.

Like most other festivals Beach Break offers lots of alternative activities other than just music. There is a Roller Disco, Zumba classes, learn to beatbox, Burlesque dancing and workshops, extreme games and even inter-mural university extreme sports. From March you can sign up teams to play football, beach volleyball, ultimate Frisbee, touch rugby and beach cricket if you can muster the energy!

So, what better way to begin the summer than chilling out on a beach, listening to some big acts, whilst having fun with thousands of other students. Beach Break only costs £109 plus booking fee for the whole weekend and camping, great value for a festival. Most universities also have reps who can offer ‘mates rates’. At the University of Exeter RAG are selling tickets for a lower price directly. Even if festivals aren’t really your thing Beach Break has lots of other things to offer, including a hot tub which overlooks the incredible coastal views. What more of an incentive could you really want…

Whats On: An Exeter Theatre Preview

Exeter students are luckier than most in that they do not have to stray too far to find good theatre. The Exeter Northcott Theatre is in fact situated on the main Streatham Campus and offers a variety of student tickets for both external productions and those produced by students themselves. So here is an overview of the best student productions at the Northcott theatre in the coming months.

First up, Exeter Footlights Society presents Thoroughly Modern Millie. A show set in 1922 New York which follows Millie Dillmount, small town girl in the Big Apple and traces her pursuit to marry a man for money. Footlights is the oldest musical theatre society at Exeter University and after their hugely successful Chorus Line last year, Thoroughly Modern Millie looks to be a very entertaining show. It runs from Wednesday 25th January- Saturday 28th January and tickets can be purchased from the Northcott Box Office or around campus.

The next student production to grace the Northcott’s stage will be Brecht’s ‘The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui”. Exeter University Theatre Company’s (EUTCO’s) annual Northcott production, this year takes the form of a reimagining of Hitler’s Nazi Regime, set in Chicago, Illinois. The talented cast will mirror the true events of European history as Arturo, a small time crime boss, takes his opportunity and seizes control of the city, rising with a violent regime.  EUTCO will be performing at the theatre between Wednesday 29th February and Saturday 3rd March.

Finally, this term the university’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society will be putting on their second performance of the year; Patience. This English operetta follows Patience, a dairy maid on her quest to find true love but as ever, this is not without its complications. If you have never been to see a Gilbert and Sullivan performance then this is definitely worth checking out for some alternative entertainment with a talented all-singing, all-dancing cast. Patience will be on at the Northcott Theatre between Tuesday 6th March and Saturday 10th March.

So, if you’re bored of what Exeter’s nightclubs have to offer then why not give one of these shows a try and support your fellow students. With subsidised student tickets these shows are really good value for the quality of performance and it’s a great way of having a different night’s entertainment. Tickets are available from the Northcott’s website:

Exeter Safer Sex Ball

The time of year has come again, the leaves are falling from the trees, permanent drizzle surrounds us and SSB fever has once again hit Exeter. So, the Safer Sex Ball is probably Exeter University’s biggest legend. In case you don’t know what it is or what all the fuss is about here are the basics:

–          8th December 2011

–          4,000 students ALL dressed in as little as possible (and I mean AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE)

–          One HUGE venue- Westpoint Arena

–          Performances from some big names (still to be announced) and the University’s Dance and Pole Dancing societies.

In my first year by the end of Freshers’ week we all knew what the SSB was and were determined to go. The queuing began OUTSIDE in freezing cold November at 2am, and we only just got tickets, people arriving at 2.30am missed out (after queuing for 7 hours)! That is how popular the Safer Sex Ball is, luckily they changed the system and as of last year you now purchase tickets online through the university website. The ball might be a little pricy (£40 a ticket this year with £1.50 booking fee) but from my experiences of the last two years it is definitely worth the money. In Exeter there aren’t many opportunities to go to balls, and especially not in your underwear so even if you go just for this reason, it will be worth it.

The SSB has been voted in FHM’s Top 100 things to do before you die.  I can assure you there is no other student event like it. Although it is a brilliant time to meet members of the opposite sex (if you know what I mean), there is also a really great cause behind it. Not only does the SSB raise awareness of HIV but proceeds go to the Eddystone Trust, a Devon-based HIV charity. You will be involved in an event which helps to raise £40,000 for charity, an incredible amount! Proceeds from the Safer Sex Ball will also go to Headway Devon, Refuge, Clic Sargent and World Child Cancer.

So the finer details… Tickets go on sale Thursday 10th November at 9am. Although if you miss out ask around as quite often people have tickets to sell nearer the time if they can’t go. The theme this year is Fantasia, the world of magic, myth and fairytale. Think Midsummer Night’s Dream, Little Red Riding Hood, or even the Three Little Pigs if you’re so inclined!

More up to date details about the event and the link to the ticket selling site can be found on the Facebook group here:

Three Alternative nights out in Exeter

If you’ve ever been to Exeter University or heard much about it then you’ll know Exeter is not the most alternative city in the country… at all. However, if you’re getting bored of the standard cheesy Arena Tuesdays then here are some different options.

Cavern, located on Queen Street holds a popular Indie Club night on a Saturday night which is great if standard club music isn’t your favourite genre! They also have gigs there and various other events which you can check out on their website here:

Mama Stones, set up by Joss Stone’s mum, (interesting fact of the day) offers a multitude of live music events. Thursday or “Turn it up Thursdays” is a particularly good night. They also have 2-4-1 cocktails which are always helpful when you’re on a tight student budget. It is a more chilled evening out if you don’t fancy a club and would prefer an interesting mix of music.

Itchy Feet events are held at universities throughout the country and the next one to hit Exeter is on Sunday 30th October. It’s a great excuse to put on your dancing shoes and get down with some classic Swing, Soul, Funk, Rhythm & Blues and Rock n Roll- basically some great old tunes. This time Itchy Feet will be held in Arena and kicks off at 9pm. Details can be found on the Facebook event:

Exeter Freshers’ Week

Night’s out:

EXPECT TO QUEUE. The queues in Exeter during Freshers’ Week are ridiculous, expect to turn up to a club at 8 and still be queuing for an hour… BUT on the positive side queues are a good way to meet fellow fresher’s and bond with flatmates.

Arena: Although it’s open every night of Freshers’ week, the best nights at Arena will probably be Monday Madness (with School Disco fancy dress), Cheesy Tuesday (great night all year long) and Thursday when there is a Fuzzy Logic Fresher’s Party – with DJ Mark Allan.

Timepiece: Wednesday at Timepiece is sports night so all the big sports clubs will be there having heavy nights with all their new members . Friday is also a good night at Timepiece, a bit more chilled out but still tonnes of students and the dance floors are open upstairs.

Mosaic: Monday Nights at Mosaic are popular throughout the year with Fresher’s and it’s likely to be one of the biggest nights of Freshers’ week.

Saturday Lemmy: The Lemon Grove is the club on campus which has just been refurbished over the summer. On the Saturday at the end of Freshers’ Week a big night is held there which can get very busy and is a great night out, always made better by the fact it’s only a short stumble home if you’re living on campus.

Sports Clubs: Taster Sessions are held every day of Freshers’ week, they tend to be free (unless you have to travel somewhere) and are a good way to meet people and make new friends. Try a new sport before having to sign up properly at the Freshers’ Fair or just go along for a bit of fun. If you don’t want to join one of the main sports clubs eg. Football, Netball, Hockey etc. there are lots of more unusual alternatives. The Student’s Guild website has a full list of societies

Societies: Other societies hold taster sessions, picnics, barbeques and other activities quite often involving free food.  There are dozens of societies which are subject/ faith/ interest related and definitely something for everyone. If you don’t manage to attend any taster sessions it’s not the end of the world, you can still sign up at Freshers’ Fair

Freshers’ Ball: On 12/10/2011 The Freshers’ Ball is once again being held in the Great Hall, HURRAH, now that building works are approaching completion upon campus. Most Freshers tend to go; they haven’t announced the line up yet but should do in the next week. Tickets are £30.

Eight Great West Country Treats

Exeter is a great city in which to be a student, however, it also attracts huge crowds over the summer as tourists flock to Devon for family holidays. I’d say there are few other universities where you have so many great accessible activities on your doorstep.

1) Go for a cream tea at Tea on the Green

Tea on the Green is a traditional cafe which overlooks the beautiful Cathedral offering amazing Devon cream teas. It’s a great place to take parents- show them how civilised your student life is, or to bond with new friends in Fresher’s Week. It provides a stunning view of the Cathedral and has a great atmosphere that transports you away from student life.

2) Go to Exmouth

Exmouth is the closest beach to the University of Exeter; it takes approximately 40mins by train or 20mins by car. It’s a huge beach and is a favourite destination for students in summer after exams are over for a traditional seaside haunt. Great for a beach bbq or game of volleyball, and although it can be a little chillier in winter it’s a lovely place to escape to for a walk along the beach.

3) Head South to Blackpool Sands

Blackpool Sands is a popular beach close to Dartmouth in South Devon, it takes a little longer to get there from Exeter, probably about 1hour 10mins but you will be rewarded when you do by a beautiful cove and fine shingle beach.

4) Explore Dartmoor

Dartmoor is an enormous national park which is brilliant to visit for the day. Although there are some buses which go up there it is fairly remote so the easiest way to go is by car. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the outskirts from Exeter and some particular highlights include: Chagford- a wonderful twee unspoilt village which has a couple of traditional pubs, Castle Drogo- a “modern” castle set upon the top of a hill with fantastic views and Widecombe in-the Moor which is, as it says, right in the middle of the moorland in a beautiful location.

5) Go for an afternoon beverage at Double Locks

If you walk along the river from the quay for about a mile and a half you come to Double Locks, a pub situated by the river. It has a huge beer garden and is a lovely place to spend a lazy afternoon. They also do a big event on bonfire night which is reportedly worth checking out.

6) Go shopping down by the Quay

Along the Quayside are a row of little shops, selling a variety of things from bicycles to beautiful furniture. This assortment of shops is great for pretty and unique gifts.

7) Go for lunch/ dinner at the Waterfront

The Waterfront is a restaurant situated by the Quayside, they do enormous pizzas and great food. You can sit outside on large benches and although a little further away, it makes a pleasant change from the restaurants in the city centre.

8) Spend a day exploring campus

Exeter University’s Streatham Campus spans 350 acres and has a whole range of beautiful outdoor spaces. The gardens of Reed Hall are particularly nice to spend a sunny afternoon as are the fields and wood behind Lafrowda Halls which provide a pleasant setting for a break from studying.

Written by Alice, University of Exeter

Top 5 Fresher’s Week Myths: TRUE OR FALSE

There are so many myths floating around telling students what Fresher’s Week will be like that it’s about time some of them were cleared up….

1)      Everyone will be single and sleeping around: FALSE

Going into Fresher’s Week one of my biggest concerns was that I had a boyfriend; I was sure no-one else would and I would be left alone on nights out whilst they all went off with guys they had found. The reality could not have been more different. Out of 10 people on my corridor all 10 of us had boyfriends or girlfriends. Those I met who were single were not out meeting new guys every night but much more interested in making friends and having a laugh. That’s not to say no-one does it, I’m sure many people do, in fact one girl in my halls was known for the year as “4 guys 5 nights” as a result of her Fresher’s Weeks antics. However, that’s not the sort of nickname most people want for three years of university. If you do have a boyfriend/ girlfriend Fresher’s Week is fine, there are many others like you, and if you don’t it’s not a big deal either.

2)      I have to be completely wasted every night: FALSE

A lot of people don’t feel very comfortable getting really drunk around people they have only just met, don’t want to make the wrong impression or are worried about who will look after them if something goes wrong. Some people will go out wasted every night of Fresher’s Week but the hectic routine of eat, get ready, go out insanely early to queue make it difficult to drink a lot before going out anyway.

3)      The people I meet on the first day will be my best friends for life: FALSE

Although you may be lucky and immediately click with the first people you meet in Fresher’s Week, remaining friends for life, this is probably not going to be the case. Someone may be your new BFF on the first night but don’t limit yourself and assume it will last, by the second week of uni you may never speak again.

4)      Fresher’s week will decide my friends/ uni experience for the whole year: FALSE

Go out and meet as many people as you can. Fresher’s Week is an amazing opportunity to meet loads of new people and probably the only time in your uni life when you can blab on about who you are, where you’re from and what you’re studying to complete strangers without seeming like a complete weirdo. Even if you don’t enjoy Fresher’s week, or don’t get on with the people you’ve met, you have a whole year to change that experience. My Fresher’s experience was defined much more by the year that followed than Fresher’s Week itself.

5)      Fresher’s week will be truly unforgettable: TRUE

Whether you love Fresher’s Week or hate it, you’re sure to remember it, for life. Or the next few years at least. Even if you don’t have an amazing week it can be seen as a learning curve in University life. It’s a great opportunity to meet tonnes of new people, try something new and party as much as you can before the essays begin.


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Jazz Sign Koufos   1 comment

In what will probably be the most exciting story for the Jazz this off-season, the Jazz have signed rookie Kosta Koufos to a contract. He was selected #23 overall in the draft, and is yet another “big” for the Jazz to leave on the bench/in the NBDL while playing guys that shouldn’t be playing. But that’s what the Jazz are good at…

Koufos should be playing the RMR, which starts next Friday.

Posted July 10, 2008 by UtesFan89 in Draft, Kosta Koufos, Transaction

One response to “Jazz Sign Koufos

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  1. Ammazing that he used to be 3 feet tall…

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Who Outfoxed Who?

The most revealing moment of Bill O’Reilly’s pre-Super Bowl interview with president Obama came when he asked a question from a viewer wanting to know why Obama wants to “transform” America when it is the country that gave him so much. Obama began by saying he didn’t want to transform America, but O’Reilly quickly interrupted and said “those are your words”. Obama continued as if he didn’t hear him, but there is no doubt that he did.

It was, perhaps, a question he was not prepared for and O’Reilly’s calling him on the pretense of having never said he wanted to transform America threw him. Obama chose to continue with his evasive answer rather than acknowledge O’Reilly, but he had just been caught and it showed in his eyes.

The liberal media is arguing that O’Reilly interrupted the president too often, but that’s what a journalist is supposed to do when questions are being evaded and precious time is being wasted. The liberal media forgot how to do this and O’Reilly embarrassed them not only by interrupting, but by posing questions they fear to ask.

Obama’s evasions and non-answers given in this interview are what the media unconditionally accepts as definitive, therefore, some are saying O’Reilly was outfoxed. However, it was clearly evident the president had no cogent answers and O’Reilly knew this going in. The evasions and non-answers were expected and O’Reilly brought them out, showing that the king wears no pants.

Obama’s blaming FOX News for what he calls non-scandals came off as petty – again. He also called O’Reilly unfair in his coverage but could not give an example of that unfairness when pressed except to say that the questions O’Reilly asked showed unfairness. Yes, a president used to tough questions from the media about his March Madness picks might think that, but a journalist wouldn’t.

O’Reilly let Obama’s pettiness and evasiveness fill the room like yesterday’s garbage for all to see. So, who outfoxed who?

David J. Hentosh

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3 Responses to “Who Outfoxed Who?”

  1. Basharr Says:

    I believe at this point Obama is seeing a shortage of true believers but a boat load of opportunists.

    Bill Oreilly Won the day and it was clear Obama only came with his standard spin, he obviously told mistruths and he could not when the time war as Bill kept on him while remaining professional. I believe the left is so upset because Obama looked weak and canned. Bill ruled the day.

  2. Mike Braun Says:

    I thought the interview was very good and O’Reilly did a very good job of not letting Obama bloviate. I thought Obama got exposed with his non answers to some simple questions. His deflections really illustrate there is a cover up going on. He is just letting the time countdown with his partner in crime in the DOJ.

  3. bruce Says:

    If the interview was shown on all TV networks, then Obama won. His true-believers believed everything he said and the truth didn’t matter. This commune of believers consists of illegal-immigrants, students, professors, blacks, Asians, latinos, and poorly educated Americans. This is the audience Obama wanted to talk to, and they are the majority of voters in present day America. Obama uses the major media to re-enforce his messages to the true-believers.

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Archive for September, 2009

Today in History

Every day in assembly at JECA, I try to cull through history for bite or two to bring to those students, faculty and parents gathered. I find it’s a great way of broadly introducing things and names that should not be forgotten. It’s a good way to stem our chronological snobbery. Here is a great link to what George Grant wrote of a meeting that Rudyard Kipling and Mark Twain had today in 1889.

Because of my recent time constraints I’ve been blogging less, but have been micro-blogging more through my FaceBook statuses. I sometimes put these tidbits on my status. Meet me on FaceBook.

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Danielle shows us the hard side of medicine and life.

Gone for Now Feels A Lot Like Gone for Good

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Claire Danielle Boomershine is here. God graced our home with a little girl, a little leveler, a great joy. Karsten, Haddon, Lincoln and Christie and ClaireKnox are beside themselves. Christie is doing well and the induced delivery went normally, well…it’s difficult to talk about normal in the same breath that you should be talking about the wildly amazing and miraculous process. God has lavished the riches of His grace on us, and we rejoice in His way. It’s totally unlike anything we could imagined or designed for ourselves.

Claire was born Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 9:29p at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. She was 8 lbs. even, has a little bit of reddish hair and has been a sweet baby for these first days.

She has a soul that will never die. May God give us good strength and wisdom to train her in the best ways, to smother her soul in Gospel truth and hope.

Also, you can read here what we think about a girl living in OUR house and, especially, why we named her Claire.

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Gospel humility frees you from the need to posture and pose and calculate what others think, so that you are free to laugh at what is really funny with the biggest belly laugh. Proud people don’t really let themselves go in laughter. They don’t get red in the face and fall off chairs and twist their faces into the contortions of real free laughter. Proud people need to keep their dignity. The humble are free to howl with laughter.

— John Piper

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Mass BitTorrent Lawsuits Set To Plague Australia

After reaching more than 3.6 million targeted individuals in Germany, in excess of 200,000 in the United States and having planted the seeds of further extortion-like activities in Canada, Australia is the next target for the file-sharing settlement lawyers. According to a report from one of the country's leading ISPs, thousands of Australians will soon be receiving pay-up-or-else letters for allegedly sharing movies using BitTorrent.

By now it’s a well-trodden path. Partner up some law firm with a film, music or game studio who aren’t bothered by negative publicity. Hash together a piece of software, throw it into a BitTorrent swarm, harvest some IP addresses and obtain the real identities of the individuals behind them from their ISPs.

From there threaten legal action, but offer to settle for less money than it would cost to defend. Profit.

And now this controversial plague has spread to Australia.

According to John Linton, chief of ISP Exetel, his company has been approached by US film distributor Lightning Entertainment who were brandishing a list of some 150 IP addresses from where their movie “Kill The Irishman” is said to have been shared. This is reportedly just part of the 9,000 Australian-based infringements the company is said to be pursuing.

As is normal for studios working in this area, Lightning have commissioned a front company to carry out the controversial business of extorting money from alleged infringers. According to Renai LeNay of Delimiter who contacted TorrentFreak this morning, that outfit is called ‘Movie Rights Group’.

In common with other so-called rights groups in this area, Movie Rights Group (MRG) aren’t forthcoming about who they are and their domain WHOIS has been anonymized. However, LeNay did manage to track down their vice president of sales and marketing Gordon Walker who appears to have been very open about the company’s motives.

“Everybody knows that the Internet is the ultimate unkillable beast,” he told LeNay.

Going on to describe Movie Rights Group as “a commercial solution” to what had previously been seen as a legislative problem, Walker adds that on a chaotic information superhighway “You’ve got to have policemen and women in cars” dealing with infringement.

MRG, it seems, will be handing out the speeding tickets via their friends at Lloyds Solicitors law firm. Question is, will Australians roll over and pay their fines, or stand strong and call their bluff? Time will tell.

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  1. #1
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    official 1/8 & 1/10 track regulations

    Hi all,

    I am trying to find official regulations for off road 1/8 and 1/10 tracks... Ie the width it must be and track length etc to confirm to offical rules.. and any other rules or ristrictions ie must haves for the track... I have designed a track and Im planning to build it if I can get some space sorted... I want to make sure its to race spec and race legal this way I could consider starting a club and race properly useing it.

    I can establish ROAR or vehicle restrictions larter but for now am just interested in track spec..

    I know it seems a lot of work but the only local track is over 70miles away nad in th UK here we dont have many so If I can do this it will be great...

    Location will be Peterborough UK.

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    Not quite sure but this sub forum is for full scale short course.
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    Go to the ROAR site. When there you can get the 2013 rules in PDF form. Search by using the little search box in the file and you will be able to find the track specs for the different types of vehicles and their rules for all kind of things. Our track uses the 8' track width for 1/10th size (Slash/Rustler size vehicles) there are specs for the turns and jumps that can give you basic ideas.

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    Here is the link to the ROAR rules page...
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Sign up to access information about new releases before anyone else. By joining you’re entered for a chance to
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Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna, the front woman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, is at long last the subject of a documentary from punk rock feminist/filmmaker Sini Anderson.

Sometimes the only way to let your voice be heard is through the art you create. Sini Anderson’s intimate documentary, The Punk Singer, explores the life of punk rock feminist and musician Kathleen Hanna who has indeed let her voice be heard.. From her early days as the frontwoman of Bikini Kill to her mysterious disappearance from the spotlight in 2005, the documentary features clips of over 20 years of archival footage and revealing interviews with stars like Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, Carrie Brownstein and Hanna herself.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with filmmaker Sini Anderson to talk about her friendship with Hanna, the double-edged sword of crowdfunding and the most important lesson she learned while making The Punk Singer.

Tribeca: The first time I ever heard of Kathleen Hanna & Bikini Kill was when I saw 10 Things I Hate About You. It was among the bands Julia Stiles’ character mentions as her favorites.

Sini Anderson: Really? [laughs] That’s hilarious. Julia Stiles actually introduced Bikini Kill to one of my exes! She actually went to summer camp with her. For their talent show, Julia Stiles made my ex go in the bathroom and learn “Feels Blind” and then perform it on stage.

Tribeca: So in a way, Julia introduced both of us to Bikini Kill!

SA: There you go. Julia Stiles is helping bring Bikini Kill into the mainstream. I wonder if she’ll see our little movie.

Tribeca: You should tweet her.

SA: Maybe right after this interview!

Tribeca:  Do you remember your own first experience with Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill?

SA: I was living in Chicago at the time. I hadn’t heard of them yet because I was a little more into the hip hop scene. I was actually a break dancer. I remember wandering the streets of Chicago one night, and I heard all this noise coming out of a club with all these chicks out front. I kind of pushed my way in and there was a Bikini Kill show going on. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My jaw just hit the floor.

These chicks were up there—just totally taking control—and they had so much energy. I had been to punk shows before, but I’d never seen a female front person like that. Shortly after that, I moved to San Francisco and really started to get into Bikini Kill from there.

Tribeca: I was really struck by the opening of The Punk Singer: “It was the middle of the night in my house. I’m your worst nightmare come to life because I’m not going to shut up. I’m going to tell everyone.” At that point, she was already starting to experiment with rhythm. Were you aware of Kathleen’s spoken word origins?

SA:  You know, I wasn’t, until we became friends. I actually used to be a part of this all-chick spoken word group called “Sister Spit” in San Francisco during the 1990s. We used to talk about spoken word, but I hadn’t seen any of her work in that genre until I started making the film. It was very clear from the footage that she should have been singing in a band.

Tribeca: When you think “Punk Rock Feminist,” there’s a certain stigma that comes with that label. You don’t expect Kathleen to be as funny, and warm, and loving, as she is. Were you pleased to be able to show that side of her to the public?

SA: Totally, but that’s the Kathleen I’ve known and loved! All my best friends are these incredible punk rock feminists, and they’re the funniest people that I know. Perhaps I’m biased! However, there’s this assumption that because you’re a powerful female with a strong message that’s all you are. You can’t be funny or sweet or even vulnerable. So it’s great to see someone like Kathleen relax out of her message for a minute and be this hilarious person.

Tribeca: In addition to showing Kathleen’s activism and musical prowess, the film also documents the dangers of undetected Lyme disease. Did you  set out to do that or did it just happen naturally?

SA: I mean, it’s her life, right? We documented her life experiences for a time, and Kathleen made the decision to be honest and public about her opinions—whatever they may be. Kathleen has this incredible willingness to share these really difficult parts of her experiences, knowing that her candor is going to help someone on the other end. Of course, a lot of the issues she’s faced over the course of her life are really serious, but she’s super smart at being able to put a twist on her difficulties that makes her story a little bit more fun too.

Her music has a message—but it’s something you can dance to. Art is the best way to push a movement. If it’s just the hardships, if it’s just the politics, it can get exhausting. She does a really great job of mixing her music and energy, her fashion, and her Valley Girl accent in with all of these brilliant topics.

We need to let women tell their stories. We tend to doubt ourselves.

Tribeca: I was really struck by the lo-fi look of The Punk Singer, especially with some of the interviews— the pink lighting and the plaid curtains were wonderful. How did you determine the look of the documentary?

SA: Originally, I wanted the documentary to happen seasonally. The interviews you’re referring to actually took place in the back of a van at a Kathleen Hanna tribute show that happened at the Knitting Factory.  The event is featured in the film. There were 21 bands that performed covers of her songs, and we interviewed them directly afterwards.

It was actually right before Christmas, which partially explains the Christmas lights and plaid. [laughs] After each band performed, they would jump into the back of the van. We had five cameras rolling and just cranked through those interviews all night. We talked to some really amazing women too—Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, Tavi Gevinson, to name a few. The whole thing felt really appropriate because it was pretty punk rockers just climbing in and out of the van, you know?

Tribeca: I also really appreciated the title design. Did you draw inspiration from the punk rock feminism Zines Kathleen used to make?

SA: Kathleen’s aesthetic is so strong and so specific that it was really important for that to come through in a film about her. Not because she’s a musician or feminist speaker, but because she has this very unique style and fashion sense.  She has a color palette, you know what I mean? [laughs]

As someone who’s really interested in design and visual art, I wanted to show this amazing creative outlet of hers. In the film, Kathleen talks about making Zines. It was always very important to her to have something tangible that she put together herself. She always cut and pasted her work, so we wanted that to show through our credits. The titles are actually in her handwriting.

I feel like her handwriting—which is sort of bubble lettered—is very specific to her. It’s a detail that not a lot of people catch. I asked her to handwrite all the titles of the people that I interviewed in post-production. It’s a detail that people who know her appreciated.  They all said, “I love that!” Lissi Erwin from Splendid Corp. did a great job incorporating Kathleen’s cards into the title sequence.

Tribeca: In addition to interviewing all these great women, you worked with an almost entirely female crew—including filmmaker Tamara Davis who produced the film.  What is the most important thing about making movies that these women taught you during this project?

SA: You know, I think my biggest lesson was to avoid being rigid in terms of my vision. I think I could have finished a lot earlier had I not been holding onto fixed concepts. Also, I don’t think I was as gracious as I should have been in getting feedback. So, I really learned a lot in the post-production process. I thought, “Oh, shit! If I’d really paid attention to what people were saying before, this whole session wouldn’t have to be dragged out for two months”. They taught me that I’m going to go further if I become more flexible, but that doesn’t mean I have to compromise my vision. It just means it would probably do me good to accept as much criticism as possible and use it in a constructive way.

Also, I learned that I’m not a businessperson, and I don’t want to be one. [laughs] Any project that I do from here out has to be produced by capable hands and it must have a lawyer attached to it—a capable lawyer. I come from a culture of queer, feminist, punk rock work; we do everything ourselves, but that doesn’t always serve you well. At 44, I just need to be able to  work  and know that I’m in capable hands with people who are going to support me effectively.

Tribeca: The Punk Singer was made possible, in large part, by your successful crowdfunding campaign. Could indie film function without crowdfunding nowadays? Do you have any tips for aspiring filmmakers?

SA: I do think indie film would be functioning, but I don’t think the films would be made by the people working today.  Before crowdfunding came to be the norm, indie film was being manufactured essentially by The Gap. People were only concerned with what sells. Crowdfunding puts some major power in the hands of artists who don’t have access to larger funds.

However, it’s a double-edged sword. You still have to have a really smart business mind when it comes to crowdfunding. I’m currently freaking out about my Kickstarter! I have postcards right here that were supposed to go out a year ago! [laughs] Every filmmaker that I’ve talked to—every single one—is like, “I don’t want to leave my house! I haven’t sent the rewards out, yet!” You’re just trying to do too much. Also, you start to feel like “Oh, I have to offer everything for a $25 backing”, and it’s just like well, everything you’re offering is worth $30, so you’re asking for a loan, essentially. It’s not as easy as it seems.

It’s this awesome tool if you heed the advice of others. However, what I’ve found is that most people who back the film really just want to see the film get done. They don’t want the damn postcard! Some people want the postcard and they’re going to write me about it every day, which is fine! The majority of the people just want to support the project.

Art is the best way to push a movement.

Tribeca: In Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, Corinne Burns says, “every girl should be given an electric guitar on her 16th birthday.” Do you think this quote could be applied to a camera?

SA: Yeah, absolutely! It’s funny that you say that. That’s one of Kathleen’s favorite movies.

Tribeca: It’s a great movie.

SA: Totally revolutionary. Can’t a girl have both? [laughs] I think every girl should be given a camera and a producer to help her with it, you know what I mean? We, as a society, have this idea that everything is possible with the internet and media. And it is…in a way. However, if you want to make something that’s good and high-quality, you can’t do it with just this fancy camera.  That’s a complete lie.  You can make it, but it’s going to sound and look like shit because you probably have no money. You need support to go along with that.

The statistics about women directors are a complete mess. You know, they’re just totally pitiful and embarrassing. It’s so embarrassing that 6% of the directors are women for episodic TV even though the majority of the viewers are women. It’s completely twisted.

Tribeca: It would be nice to have some of those girls with cameras aim a little higher.

SA: I think that we need more female executives, and more female executives who don’t feel like they have something to prove to their male counterparts all the time. We need to let women tell their stories. We tend to doubt ourselves. One of my favorite things about this film was keeping the camera rolling through minutes of silence at times. The female DP was like, “Should we cut? Should we cut?” and I was like “No, because it’s OK to sit there until Kathleen figures out what she wants to say.”

We don’t have to be so uncomfortable all the time; we can sit and ponder something. Maybe I learned that from feminism, but also from Buddhism, sitting there and having faith that the story is strong and that it’s going to come out, especially if you let somebody breathe. I feel like people are so afraid of silence. That’s where all the feelings happen.

The Punk Singer opens this Friday, November 29, in New York and Los Angeles.

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