Wednesday 28 October 2009

In a moment of madness...

Things can awry, very explosively and extremely quickly without thought for the consequences. Which was the case last night on the Halloween night out, I made a terrible mis-judgement and allowed lust to over-rule my head thus my pretty friend and I kissed. Which when you are taken isn't the ideal thing to do especially when warned previously about such flirtation. I should have heeded the advice yet there is an attraction to this lady (who incidentally has a talented flickr profile that I've been meaning to mention) since she has been through similar experiences and very ambitious. I was honest and told the lady everything and only time will tell if the situation can be resolved.

When it comes to domestic fall-outs, I'm a seasoned pro and I've got the scars to prove it. It's almost like the farcical dispute between the Royal Mail and CWU of which I hope can be sorted and both parties begin to act in a civilized manner instead of acting like the other is responsible for Doomsday when all bags of undelivered letters stupendously explode and we all perish.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/oct/28/royal-mail-cwu-postal-talks-collapse

Or perhaps the running debate about lady priests, I cannot see any reason to why they can't as most of them look like men anyway. And the ones who don't, they aren't young enough to be deemed attractive so what's the issue? Plashing Vole has equal views on this outrageous sexism and perhaps one day the Catholic Church and Anglican will join together in harmony... in the depths of Hell.

http://plashingvole.blogspot.com/2009/10/that-would-be-ecclesiastical-matter.html

The world is full of lunacy, dementia (The Pope) in some parts and psychosis (homo-bashing louts) in others. Without it, where would be? With less doctors required, gynaecologists would run amok and everyone would be dressed the same perhaps following Scientology whilst listening to pop. Yet no wars, stabbings and less murder would be the only positive outcome to the death of sin and corruption born of Eve's terrible deception to eat the Forbidden Apple. See, it's all her fault therefore blame womankind in general and offer no olive branch for reconciliation in this life.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Let's bail out of here...

Ideal job in an ideal place, the beautiful Rhode Island on the East Coast to be exact: with the only issue being it'll take 4 years in order to be qualified with M.A in Deaf Education (to be taken at Leeds University, preferably) in addendum to a P.G.C.E or the American equivalent. Amusing considering I've never entertained the idea of living in America until lately, it is the birthplace for deaf education with far more deaf students than the UK and Down Under put together with only pitfall being their largely conceited and supercilious residents. Close to Connecticut however and could be a far more forgiving place than I imagine it to be anyway, it'll be given to someone else who will perform admirably for the next decade or so I wouldn't be required. But a boy can dream, right?

What are your dreams, I wonder... your ideal job, home and holiday destinations? Put it this way, if could go somewhere for 6 months right now, fully paid for then where would it be? We may as well talk about such imagination in an quite depressing, less than idyll circumstances this nation faces as the economy isn't recovering despite what Gordon Brown says and the shuddering darkness of inclement winter months soon to arrive.

One news story over the last few days that shocked me: the murder in County Durham and as soon as I heard I remarked to my lady that County Durham is the most quiet, secluded and heavenly place when in the sunshine. It is not use to such crimes, I have family in close proximity and even my hallsmate lives there not to mention various celebrities such as Duncan Bannatyne. The exact location is similar to the Yorkshire Dales nearby to my home which of course has many dead bodies buried, it's cut off and extremely remote yet it is even more astounding that the victim met the murderer across the Internet.

Thus it will provoke the usual outcry of Internet safety particularly amongst naive young children and an ex of mine is undergoing a degree that specialises in catching these despicable criminals online. Surely more can be done to protect those online, special measures allowing more reorganization and closer look of each user especially those not deemed sane. However a homeless man has been arrested and shown them the body? The key word being 'homeless', how on earth would he accessed broadband if he can barely afford a decent coffee.

The violence, extreme boozing and intimidation of nights out have to be stopped in equal measure with various horrific stories circulating the news right now yet even a woman being attacked by two drunken men in revenge isn't going to cause much shock because we see this every Saturday night. Take tonight for example, I'm expected a local clubbing establishment for a weekly drink till you drop dead session to celebrate Halloween, a worthless jaunt created by... you guessed it, Americans. At least I have my new Calvin Klein aftershave, may stop by a KFC or indeed any other American junk food outlet so isn't difficult to imagine I'm in Rhode Island already.

Monday 19 October 2009

'He that can have patience can have what he will'...

A quote by Benjamin Franklin. This blog will prove how deadly right he was. You know, when you read something or meet someone of true connection and similar virtues, ethos and creed? I felt that today after a dramatic lecture whereby the highly erratic tutor stormed out only to return 40 minutes later only to be sadly still nowhere near as authoritative as she should be.

It was then I began to realise my teaching must be retain the importance of how to keep morale at a high and not lose the respect of students with a less than maladroit display I stepped out and away from the idle chatter to find a journal of which I found highly compelling. It was Deaf Perspectives on Psychology, Language and Communication by Mairian Corker ironically published by the very charity I've started working for Skill in 1990. Now she is still a highly regarded scholar who felt strongly about deaf education and additionally I learnt the deceased had a severe hearing loss as well and here is what she had to say about it:

'My experience of deafness may be best described as a knot of tension deep within me... it lurks in the depths and darkness of the cage... others who are asking me to deny my experience, the explosive tension moves nearer to the surface... labelling the tension with such words as anger, frustration does not relieve it'. Identical to how I feel and primarily the reasoning behind many deaf person's need for nurturing, education and to launch a student's capacity for learning in the broader sense.

Now, as previously stated 24 is the minimum age to be a teacher of the Deaf in the UK (makes me wish I lived in American and trained at this fantastic establishment http://www.rit.edu/). So I have four years to complete an English degree, P.G.C.E and possibly an M.A then I'd be there but not without it's complexities. As well as the self-progression I must also take the standard level of my articulation of British Sign Language to be directly observable and manipulable. I must research further perhaps through the acquisition of spatially organized syntax and cognitive underpinnings of the language in my own time as the tutor I have for linguistics isn't coherent nor understanding of my in-ability to lip read him and I feel he finds my writing a touch too extravagant and dis-attached from the question originally asked.

So there is a balance between a writer and teacher of the Deaf, I must master the spatial inflection for verb agreement rather than likes of Pope, Shakespeare and Milton as I very much wish to. But also I must be patient and not burden too much expectation and most certainly... never storm out of your class over a minor dispute!

Friday 16 October 2009

The Union Newspaper...

is looking like a heaving challenge already. The meeting I arranged early this morning despite a late night of mindless chatter amongst the housemates whilst attempting to work upon the first of many Paradise Lost assignments lead to much debate over the complexities of the situation the institution finds itself in. With heavy debts to the Government over supposed failure to notify them of numbers passing coupled with the sackings of 250 staff members and as Plashing Vole continues to describe the utter chaos: ‘The latest on the redundancy front is that the Uni has threatened to advance the compulsory redundancy phase if we keep saying nasty things about the Vice-Chancellor (such as calling on her to resign)...’ they still sustain hideous arrogance and the stance went further at the meeting. Our observational writers cannot comment on the situation, the debt or the failures of management as liable to prosecution on grounds of ‘slander’ and inevitably kicked out. With that unbridled threat looming I now have to produce much of the paper itself in a commerical brainless sense with only the marketing assistance.

So where is the right to voice an opinion? Especially on such important matters which has seen many classes populated up to 60, shortened time spent in lecture, unavailability to talk with tutors due to their lack of time and many commitments mean I cannot wait around with the half a dozen students after lectures.
Thankfully, I have completed my first feature for WWIT with the various coursework looking near conquerable so eagerly awaiting papers to sign for the new job whilst reading alot more.

My favourite book of all in Paradise Lost, Book IV. It's a wonderful contradiction regarding Satan who abhorred the phallocentric order concentrated on God however within Book IV, shows a softer and more appreciative side which more or less address a tragedy that according to Milton’s nephew Edward Phillips, he was writing with Adam Unparadised in mind rather that an epic hence the connection with Aeschylus’s Prometheus Bound and Eurpides’ Phoenissae. The passage itself showed the vulgarity and disdain of Satan’s character but also his vulnerability, ‘O had His pow’rful destiny ordained me some inferior angel!’ (58-59) reflects this, questioning if God had made him a lower ranking angel then would he had rebelled especially so outrageously? But Satan isn't to be trusted, of course... much like the Vice Chancellor!

Another vile human being: The Daily Mail's Jan Moir as this blog perfectly describes http://enemiesofreason.blogspot.com/

Hope you all have an excellent weekend, take care.

Monday 12 October 2009

An Empire masquerading as a country...

China, the newly arrived superpower and destination to a dear friend of mine upon her travels to study the language before her final year at Cambridge. From what she has told me (which is alot) Beijing appears to be wonderful, I wish to visit one day also Qingdao sounds like a dream. The 'Empire' itself consists of Tibet, Xinjiang, Macau, Taiwan, Inner Mongolia, and in the south they speak Cantonese which sounds very different from Mandarin even though it's written with the same characters. Then she asks of what I've been up to... how can one compare? So I say.... Well I've started my Shakespeare and Milton modules along with syntax of BSL, it's quite interesting. But my main interest at the moment is in writing for this hip men's fashion magazine called WWIT and since I've become one of editors of the University newspaper, started working in schools to help those with little confidence as they do their G.C.S.Es and various other things.

Nowhere near as fabulous especially considering she is doing dissertation on PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and hopefully she'll gain the valuable research she needs. Now I must do research of my own on the 'vampire culture' which is certainly 'in' at the moment juxtaposed by the 80’s revival of the neo-gothic New Romantic look of various lines. I'm hardly ideal to write about such a topic considering the fact I dress marginally contrast worthy yet once completed and featured in the next issue, I can then write about the winter months and my love of winter coats.

The problem lies within the editor's declaration that 'I know you have a specific style of writing, but some of the readers might not relate to it, but of course with the same sophistication... just diluted a little bit'. How can you change the way you write? I've never been able to and for the Hearing Times I tried my very best but they still wanted simplistic, brainless pieces. But WWIT is a very highly regarded up-coming magazine so less exuberant and more... personality?

The bright crisp weekend however was marred by the death of Steven Gately due to a binge session when he hardly ever drank and was relatively healthy. It speaks volumes about the dangers of drinking heavily and someone irreplaceable to many has succumbed to it's evils. R.I.P

Tuesday 6 October 2009

John Milton vs Hilary Mantel...

Once again I find myself stunned by Paradise Lost, an elegant, atmospheric tale and a nuanced portrait full of ironies. It's still as deeply chilling, exciting and endlessly inventive as the first time I ever read it. Milton had done something extraordinary, set in the ethereal halfway between heaven and hell with Satan, Eve and as far distanced from the conformity at the time to confirm it's position as Britain's finest epic.

By the way, you must listen to this: a sketch by Will Franken where Milton turns up to do PL at a poetry slam ...hilarious. http://www.willfranken.com/soundclips/poetryslam2.mp3

The next book on my list of purchases, Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall which of course won the Booker Prize and if I'm honest, it was a brutal realisation as if she had plunged a knife to my chest that continues to burn as it is remotely similar to the third short story of mine which I've almost completed. Of course, in itself it wouldn't be as richly written nor diligent in research however as this blog has previously noted whereby I too tried to convey the courts that I have read/imagined so much about. I even said last month: 'now I realise that this is what I wish to portray from the perspective of the main character and the disillusionment he felt not the increasing resentment towards the Monarchy for it's failings. Political and love and fierce rivalry seemed to be the very essence of the Tudor Courts, anxiety and intrigue beset the tone'.

Yet, this strange wild-looking woman whom spoke with a peculiar eloquence on the BBC earlier today about her win focused on Thomas Cromwell whereas mine on a self created knight, Sir Thomas Cobham set immediately after the death of Henry VIII's beloved wife Jane Seymour midst the rife criminality on the streets. So I may as well ditch that, much like my attempts of a iconic image into the insight of the disability plight within schools, Universities for my campaigning of more rights for the charity 'Skill' with the idea displayed at the Edinburgh Festival weeks after I thought of it:

http://dementedtales.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-have-dream.html

The chairman of the Booker prize judges, James Naughtie, said the decision to give Wolf Hall the award was "based on the sheer bigness of the book. The boldness of its narrative, its scene setting ... The extraordinary way that Hilary Mantel has created what one of the judges has said was a contemporary novel, a modern novel, which happens to be set in the 16th century." Bollocks!

However my misery/anger ceased with a) pretty looking if not dim-witted Stacey Dooley on BBC Three, travelling around Nepal dressed stylishly for child labour victims to patronise and then b) the discovery of an online magazine linked from it's creator's blog: http://wereworthittoo.blogspot.com/.

It has not only given me ideas of layout designs coupled with outstanding photographic imagery for the Union newspaper (should I become editor) and for Strangeways writing pieces' (edited by a friend for the region's Arts Council) but it is the huge stylish collection of menswear for the autumn as I find myself back to the drawing board of a fresh idea to write/campaign about. Wish me luck, I'll need it....

Saturday 3 October 2009

100th Post in the 9th Month of Tales of Isolation...

I trust you are all well, it's been a marvellous 9 months of which it is the same anniversary of the lady and I tomorrow. So much has happened within that time, I've learnt a terrible amount from wondrous literature, arts and to my own characteristics whilst dealing with the considerable workload of University life. I’ve been notified I'm the main candidate to become Crywolf’s new editor of which I feel would be of excellent benefit to my BA Hons English & Deaf Studies degree. As many of you know, I’ve had experience of writing for the British Deaf Magazine and the Hearing Times however my focus turned to my studies, mentoring of the Deaf and newly acquired position as ‘Academic Coach’ for the Black County. I hope to still find time to continue charity work for ‘Skill’ and leading a campaign for more disabled student rights hence this editing position would allow me to spread awareness of the cause as well as providing a high quality, versatile and attractive publication.

In the process I will attempt to encourage others to send in their writings for print as well as any musical, dancing, filming, sporting e.t.c interests of theirs. As the University faces turbulent times with re-payments to the Government totalling millions, many have lost their job and classes have become more claustrophobic with all the increasing numbers of students cramped within it'll be an ideal time to make a difference.

An amusing tale, my mother visited a ghost whisperer last week (they are all over in Yorkshire, the hippy weed addicts) and surprisingly the woman was deadly accurate about the death of a family friend, close relative and about my siblings. Yet when the matter came to I, the son who nearly died at birth and contracted so many illnesses, I assumed she'd say I had a matter of years to live. Instead, I'm to father twin daughters of blondish hair and work within a policing capacity rather than using my degree to be a teacher of the deaf as I plan to. We shall have to see on that matter but I'm less than ill-inhabited by the daughters, I'd love for this to be of occurrence so I joked with my hallsmate that it shall be hers, as she is has the exact the same hair the woman described also she adores twins (I had to put up with a BBC documentary on them interfering with my football viewing with the associates).

Now, upon reading Henry V, King Lear, Much Ado and the once again Paradise Lost I've also acquired more Philip Pullman books, Jane Eyre and many other pieces about John Milton and William Shakespeare but in particular a keen read at the moment: a play by Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known as Molière which can be seen in my link below which has provided some great primary inspiration for my own writing.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bCsp7NrK83kC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false

An interest in French plays seized from the French connection within Shakespeare's work that I have learnt to be of high importance. It cannot be understated of the inspiration of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso (1516, translated into English by Sir John Harington in 1591) and Matteo Bandello's Novelle (1544) into Shakespeare's own variation on an age-old theme of infidelity as in Much Ado (another play of interest for my current module.)

However another connection in my eyes stems from the rivalry of France and Britain that appears rivetingly in Henry V as Shakespeare attempted to move on from 'civil broils' of Richard II and it mirrors the intensity of the Irish campaign invoked at the time of writing so a true composition of patriotic sentiment. So for the second time of reading, I realised it is not just about the usurper Henry Bolingbroke handing power that he brutally snatched from Richard II to his son, Henry V whom soon came to the assumption that his father had intervened in divine right also that the prologue created a sense of naturalistic charm and imagery rather than overbearing typicality (like the play I watched on Friday evening).

Anthony Holden writes of another rivalry; that of Ben Jonson and Shakespeare himself, friends at one time who quickly became foes working against one another. Also he wrote the finest line I have ever read in a book on Shakespeare when referring to As You Like It.

'Shakespeare openly acknowledges his relish in this new, more complex vein of humour by having Jacques describe Touchstone as 'a material fool'- a fool as full of wise saws and modern instances as the melancholy misanthrope himself, whose very name was a pun on the Jonsonian humour he embodied: Ajax, a curmudgeon infused with too much black bile'.

Brilliance. On that note goodnight, hopefully you have enjoyed my blog over the past months and if so, comment if you will.