Listening: Evanescence Fallen
Reading: Nadda

I've just signed up for my own domain! I can't believe I've actually done it. I've been thinking about it for a few years now, so actually doing it is somewhat of a shock. It should be ready in a few days, but unfortunately I'm having a complete webdesign block. Lots of my current layouts need to be updated, especially The Chalet School Journal and Perpetual Metamorph, and I just can't think of anything. Everything I try looks crap... *sigh*

New website, by the way - Lignum Vitae, an LJS Blog Crew. Maybe I should make an EBD Blog Crew *ponders*

Listening: Guns n' Roses The Best of Guns n' Roses - Live
Reading: Gareth Nix Lirael

Being a model student, as I had an essay due on Wednesday, I skipped my Wednesday lectures and failed to write the essay. To make myself feel better I went out. The next day, with a slight hang-over, I skipped my lectures and failed to write the essay. Today, I have mastered the essay. Does it actually count though if it's two days late? Ah, well...

Listening: The Goo Goo Dolls Gutterflower
Reading: Carole Kismaric & Marvin Heiferman The Mysterious Case of Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys

British politicians are idiots. I am really annoyed at the moment, all because of Sky News and their stupid live coverage of the debate on tuition fees. The Labour party are being complete and utter wankers. In a way, I see what they're trying to do, but all they'll actually succeed in doing is making it more difficult for people to go to University in the UK. I personally received my undergraduate education there, which is why I've retained an interest in the tuition fees debate. If I was starting Uni in a few years I know that I would never be able to afford to go to the UK. I'm very lucky in that my parents bear the cost of my education, which they could not do if tuition fees went up to at least £3000 a year. The Labour party are stressing that there will be financial aid made available to poor students and that this financial aid should exceed the cost of tuition fees (they're making no mention of living costs though, I noticed). They also said that students from an upper class background will be able to afford the increases regardless. I'm already not agreeing with them 100% but where they fuck things up entirely is where it comes to so-called 'ordinary' students - students who aren't poor, but who aren't well-off either. One of the Tories addressed this point and was shot down by Labour who told him scathing that that was the first time they'd heard him speak up for the 'ordinary' person. That's not an answer! In most plans like this, it's the middle bracket people who suffer. If your parents make too much for you to qualify for financial aid, this new plan seems to fuck you over right royally. Your family might have some money, but once they start sending you to Uni, the money is gone. I know my own parents have had to put off several things to pay for me to go to Uni. And don't even get me started on this deferred payment bollocks...

*takes a deep breath and changes subject*

Did you know that there are no such people as Carolyn Keene and Franklin W. Dixon? Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys were penned by syndicates. Gutted!

Listening: Moby Play
Reading: Gareth Nix Sabriel

My parents came down to Galway today so that my Dad could take a look at my computer. Basically, my room ended up strewn with parts of three different computers and we could't figure out where anything had come from. He did manage to get a working computer in the end though - huzzah! Unfortunately, it's not the one that I had, so I lost all the info on that hard disk (I was already pretty sure that I had anyway). The computer that now adorns my desk is only a Pentium II so I'm a bit disappointed, but damnit it works! I've loaded most of the programmes I use on to it and they seem to run just fine. Apart from the Discworld game that I bought in Cardiff. That can't seem to read itself, never mind install itself on to the computer. How annoying.

Listening: The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Reading: Gareth Nix Sabriel

Being an archaeologist is a very un-Chaletian thing to be doing. I'm not really sure how Mary-Lou reconciled her school teaching to the actualities of archaeology. Take my field-trips for example. We basically spend large amounts of time standing around, usually in rain and wind of some degree, listening to people blather on about whatever pile of rocks we happen to be looking at. So in these very inhospitable atmospheres we just stand stock still. No movement. No jumping-jacks to keep us warm. Sometimes we even sit on cold, wet rocks. Miss Annersley & Co. would not approve!

On the other hand, we quite often find ourselves climbing random hills and mountains, trying to follow the pace being set by those more experienced than us. This seems to me to be a very Chaletian-ish activity. It's certainly made me feel sorry for all those new girls who are forced to march up the side of a mountain without breaks. On these hikes, we inevitable remove some article of clothing and are not yelled at - another un-Chaletian experience. So just how did Mary-Lou cope?

Sabriel is turning out to be a great read, on another topic entirely. I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, but Nix is a fantastic author. I'm looking forward to making a start on Lirael.

Listening: My classmates gossip
Reading: Colette Gigi

I've moved my last December post back to the December archive. So if anyone's still interested they can see it there. My head hurts and it's only midday. I've only been awake for 55 minutes. My course is starting to get actually quite intense. Something I vaguely wished for last semester, but now that it's happened I take the wish back!! We've been having a bundle of lectures from outside lecturers from the Geography and Botany departments and it requires more attention that my ususal classes. I really do have to listen that little bit harder to try and understand Palaeoenvironmental studies - which seem to me like the most boring studies in the entire University.

We've started our GIS classes which I was really looking forward to, but I was cruelly disappointed when it turned out to be 'computers for stupid people'. We're not actually going to be doing any of the nifty stuff I thought we would be. But, looking on the bright side, I'll still be learning something I haven't done before and advancing myself *solemn nod*

On non-learning topics - I joined the Ladies Rugby society *g* I'm gonna play rugby! This is something I've never done before so I'm really looking forward to it. Apparantly they cater to all levels, so I won't get the shit kicked out of me. Fingers crossed anyway! A friend of mine from secondary school, Elaine, has been doing it since last semester and she really enjoys it, so I'm going to go with her and hide behind her if I need to =)

Claire - Good Luck with the name change. I take it you're going to pick something highly original? How about 'Geomorphise'? *L* I've searched for pages with my name in before, but I find other Lorraine's are complete idiots. I'm obviously the only intelligent one out there *innocent look*

Listening: The Cooper Temple Clause Kick up the fire, and let the flames break loose
Reading: Discovery Programme Reports 6

Welcome to the new home of Ruminations. Some explanations are due, I feel for the complete lack of blogging and the move. Basically, I am not as clever as I think I am. I was replacing the A drive in my computer with one that actually worked, congratulating myself on a job brilliantly done only to discover that the computer no longer recognised my hard disc. Bravo Lorraine. I have since learned that the hard disc is dead beyond repair and I still don't know quite how I managed to break it. So no computer, meant no internet access, hence the lack of answering e-mails etc. etc. Now that I'm back at Uni, I have internet access, but unfortunately can't access my eircom.net webspace unless I'm on their stupid dial-up connection. Which all leads me neatly to here. All of my eircom.net pages can now be found here. Hurrah. Unfortunately, I lost a whole load of stuff from my old computer and everything's a bit messed up at the minute. I am in the middle of a revamp of The Chalet School Journal which will hopefully be up soon. After that I promise some updates! I also have plans for my others sites, but things are moving quite slowly due to the lack of a home computer.

Anyway, for your viewing pleasure, you can read my Christmas post which I never managed to upload. It's just below this one, so don't be confused by the change of date!