I am here.
I am there.
I'm sick of wearing underwear.

Haha, well not really ;)
Just a bit bored.


I went to see Sunno))) and Boris on Monday night in London. It was rather minted, I enjoyed the show very much and the thudding sensations throbbed right through my little body, leaving me highly entertained my sweets.


I think I'm rambling, so I'll post again when I'm feeling a bit more on weathered ground.

No more broadcast journalism...EVER!!! You do not know how good that sounds. No more calling up and asking permission to film here and there, no more embarrassments/inadequate feelings over not being able to edit the 'right' way or letting anybody down. For today I had my final assesment- the TV newsday.

It meant getting up at 6am, watching the news for breaking stories or anything happening in Sheffield and then going in for 8.30am so as to discuss relevant stories with the group. Then present them at the 9am 'news meeting' where Katie, Matt and Julia Lockwood (a reporter/journalist from Calendar,the local Yorkshire news), came to assess our newsday and to help us out along the way of course. The briefing was part of the assessment so we had to throw loads of news stories in there, which I think some of us did just to get a few extra marks :p can't say I blame people, hehe.

So me and Jack went to film some homeless people at the EIS. (English Institute of Sport), but it turned out there was no actual sports happening at these workshops. Only discussions and as beforehand we were waiting on permission from the EIS for us to film there/get an interview, we decided to write the cue/script for a story about a guy who was killed, driving the wrong way down the M1. Later we shot some clips of traffic too.

So we went to St Anne's Hostel in Woodhouse and filmed some homeless people playing football instead. That was cool, we had an interview clip of the homeless football team all together talking about why they enjoyed it (which Julia later commented on as being quite unusual but worked well for a news bulletin) and we were like go 'ed :p get those points in there for us babeh :D hehehe.

It was stressful though trying to get all the right shots. As camerawoman I felt a little bit daunted by how many shots I had to get. But we got some decent ones I think, from different angles, including down below shots of people scoring goals, missing them, etc. Higher ones, mid-pitch angles, etc. Which were interesting.

I did kind of wonder a few times through the day, why anybody would want to be a broadcast journalist...and I later learnt the Calendar news lady who came in to assess/help out on the day, regularly says she thinks she's going to have a heart attack every day on the job. I mean, is that worth it?! I don't think so. Although you do get paid more than in print, I'm not sure I could handle the stress levels and would yearn for a 9-5 job. Journalism is very much for those who are dedicated and like to work to deadlines I think.

We were back in the newsroom (after ages stuck in traffic jams) for around 2pm'ish. Then we got stuck into editing our piece. Jack did most of the editing whilst I wrote the cue and script (because I'm good at writing and didn't want to muck anything up technically). Also because I can't remember how to edit that well it would take me a lot longer. If only I'd of been allowed a practice edit the day before, that would've been great. Nevermind though, we got on with it.

The afternoon was very stressful from this point onwards and I literally was dreading the minutes because time was going too fast, in my opinion!!

After a lot of stress, asking for help from Matt and doing the voiceover, we finally got it all polished off (as polished as we could get anyway) and sent off to be put in the finished TV news bulletin which went out at 4.30pm.

I managed to sort out/help out by doing the pictures for the recording of the sports bulletin. We put all that together and I just clicked 'play' and it seemed to work. So I did that part at least.

We went 'on air' at 4.30pm exactly and by 4.45 we were watching it all through together and analysing our performance. I personally think we got a lot of news in and covered a lot of different stories which was good and we ended on a nice piece about Christmas lights at the children's hospital, or something like that. So that was nice.

I'm really pleased with the way our package turned out and some of the filming was particularly good. Although, the whole news bulletin was not polished at all. It was very good and it had a lot of positives but it fell back in many places, perhaps because we had set ourselves very high expectations and when they fell down...it let some of the pieces down (one group struggled with the editing because they'd been really busy all day doing various filming in various places). But nevermind it's a learning curve and I'd be surprised if we got any less than a 2.1 for our efforts.

It's weird to think broadcast is over now. I'm glad it is though, means I can focus on other things like my patch stories and I can start laying them out etc, writing up my Stiletto article and also, start revising for Free Speech and Censorship. Yep.

Today was worth 60% of the module, so I better do well is all I can say :D hehe.

Right, I'm gonna go to sleep. Another busy day tomorrow (can't wait for the weekend!) :D

xx

Had a whole weekend of work. Not only have I managed to write up four of my patch stories, I also have wrote up the notes into longhand for my feature piece on 'Killer Cola', which makes me feel somewhat better knowing I have at least some work to show Foster next week. Also, I've been buying The Star pretty much every day and finding out various bits of info about Walkley which I never even knew about.

Turns out there is a methodist church that is going to be demolished to make way for several houses (could be quite a big story if we get the locals reaction, me thinks) and a councillor who stands for Walkley who has turned 70 and along with three other councillors has served over 100 years worth of public service. So there's something worth writing about right there.

But yeah, this weekend has been really boring. Only solaced by the fact that it's December now, so it's advent and therefore it's time to start opening those calendar doors and eating miniature chocolate things! :D which is awesome.

Looks like I have my story ready to be filmed for my TV newsday on Wednesday. The English Institute of Sport is putting on a sporting event for homeless people in Sheffield on December 5th, so me and Jack are gonna go down there and film some homeless people playing judo! hahaha. Thankfully we can drive down there and get it sorted, we went there the other day and they seemed really helpful and seemed to want to give us permission. Which is all gravy. Tomorrow I'm expecting a call or to hear back at some point from the events organiser to see if we can definitely have permission, etc.

I hope all goes to plan :) Then all I have to start doing is revising my editing/OOVS/Upsounds/Packages and script editing for the big day itself.


Aaaaarrrggghh!

I'm soo sick of having to show people around the house. Now don't get me wrong I understand the reasoning behind having to do so, for example, these people need a place to stay next year after all. But the thing is, the sheer volume of people coming around! It's getting a tad annoying. I've missed a few showings due to being out and having locked my door, they've then wanted to come back around just to see my room as they needed to see ALL of the rooms. But the thing is, I never got to see all of the rooms when I went looking for a house. So what's the big deal, eh? I'm not sure. Maybe they just like to know the full score. I remember when we asked if we could go around and see the house in first year, the girls said no though- as they were determined to spend the last few weeks together in the house. Which I can completely understand now. Not that I want to sound mean or anything, but you do get quite attached.

Anyway. The good news is that I have finished much of Foster's workshop exercises, so all I pretty much need to do now is start writing up my patch stories which I want to do and get out of the way this weekend (including my feature story), so I know exactly what I have to work with. &then, I'm going to start getting even more (no doubt I will need them) and amongst other things, start writing them up and laying them out. It will be quite a big task actually, now I think about it. I think the main worry I have is not being able to get enough! as there will be loads of things needed to fill up all of those pages.

First things first though, I'm going to write a list of all the stories I do have and then start writing up the notes and working out their worth in terms of whether they're going to be a big story, picture story or just worth a couple of nibs. Either way, will have to start filling those pages soon! So best get down to it. I think I might from tomorrow.

I can't tonight as I'm going to be researching for my Stiletto article I'm writing for the second (Sex) issue on 'Do girls enjoy sex more than men?' which is about how girls have recently broke taboos about how they didn't talk about sex/didn't enjoy sex and now it seems that all girls talk about is guys and how many they've slept with.

Cosmo proudly showcases this image of a girl who likes sex as being adventurous, not sleazy or slutty. Sex and the City is another thing that springs to mind. I mean, people found that show refreshing and I know it really shocked some guys because some men believe it or not, think of women as naive and fragile creatures. Which clearly isn't the case a lot of the time (or is it?) hmmm. As Sex and the City (or so I have been told), had women openly discussing sex with each other, over lunch.

Anyhow,I can't believe how fast this week has gone already. I went home last weekend for my Dad's birthday and already- it's Thursday! Doesn't seem five seconds ago I was coming home this time last week. Oh how time flies. I mean in three weeks time I will be finishing for Christmas! Aaaarrggh. How scary is that?! Answer: Very. I have to write my dissertation proposal over Christmas, as well as revise for a 3 hour exam in Free Speech and Censorship, get all my newspaper pages produced in Quark and along with that, keep up with the news/current affairs so that I can at least (try) to pass the news writing exam in January. Oh the heavens! So much work.

Trying not to stress out...admittedly, it's kinda hard. But chill, chill. Everything's going to be alright :)

Today I had a seminar about postmodernism. That was pretty err...mindnumbing. Although I think I learnt a lot, I will have to go through the lecture notes a lot during revision to feel like I've actually got anywhere with it. I guess we'll see.

I'm listening to the new Darren Hayes album at present. I can't help but hear some Kate Bush influences in parts. It's cool! &a lot of the songs are definitely growing on me if I didn't like them so much before.

Anyhoo, I best be off. I've got a sutaki pie in the oven that needs my attention ;)

xo

IT'S DONE!!!

All I did today was work, work work on my editing for my radio package. Yes, my piece on 'The Respect Scheme' is done. I hope it'll be ok. I mean, I think it's about...98% done, if I have to be figurative. The thing is, I can get it put onto cd by tomorrow so hopefully with any luck, will be able to make a copy somehow and who knows, maybe put it up on here or the like. Maybe. Failing that, it will always be backed up on here at least. The deadline is for Friday, but since I'm going home on Thursday (probably highly likely), I thought it best to get the JNL314 Radio Package out of the way, as soon as possible. As for the JNL315 essay, I made sure to submit that in today, so thankfully that;s all over and done with! Woohoo.

I know that on Wednesday, Stiletto is coming out :) which is a bit exciting. I'm hoping to take a pic of it or scan it in to show what it's like. Apparently it looks absolutely amazing according to Holly. I sure hope so, I can't wait to get my hand on it.

This weekend I'm going home as I have a birthday meal to attend to :) My Dad is turning 60, so he's having a meal out at an Indian restaurant in Widnes. I can't wait to see him again, I miss both my parents so much as I haven't seen them in about- half a month!:(

I will get to see Gary again too, yayyyy which will obviously make my life.

Today has been tiring, I've been up all day. But tomorrow is another day, in which I can experiment with my radio project and hopefully get it finished off for good.

Night night
xx

I am going to see.... MY BLOODY VALENTINE.



I've got tickets, to see them!!! It was a bit of a task and a half I must say (like the fact that thousands of people were probably trying to get tickets at the same time as I was). The fact that the first night sold out within five minutes of going on sale, is something to say the least... But I did it and I've got them, so me and Gary are going to be seeing them at the Manchester Apollo next June- which is a perfect leaving Uni present, in my opinion :)

I've had such an amazing weekend. Aside from getting MBV tickets, I spent it with Gary and we went to Corp on the Thursday night to see Jesu and we were gonna see Mono but due to tiredness/seeing them before we decided to get the vinyl version of 'Conqueror' signed by Broadrick and then we retied to the house. We seemed to indulge on a lot of cheesy chips over the weekend, which was nice. Lots of takeaway (pizza, chips, etc), Subway, Vegebangers :p (all yummy of course). We watched 'The Stand' (the TV mini-series) which by the way, is bloody ace and makes me wanna read the book now, lots and lots.

We went Corp on Friday night which was good fun. But the vodka drink/s were disgusting and the beer wasn't too much better to be honest (not entirely sure why but it just tasted really rank, in my opinion), but I started to have a good night after a while as the music played/I progressively let myself enjoy the night.

Yesterday and for much of Friday, was spent shopping around the city centre. I bought some cool stuff for people for Christmas. Lots of interesting things for my boyfriend and I'm going to be getting a lot of good stuff for my family/friends :) I got quite a few books and I know I got a lot in return (obviously not to be looked at until Christmas day).

Speaking of Christmas- it's only another 36 days?! Which isn't long now really. Oohh I'm so excited.

Shame I have to do a whole week's worth of editing for my radio package, starting from tomorrow. I need to get it done by Friday! eeep. At least my essay is done. The deadline for that is tomorrow, but yay that's done at least.

At least once that's all done, I will get to see my family again at the weekend. It's my Dad's birthday coming up too, so I need to really get back home for that. It's a very special age shall we say, coming up.

Anyhow, I need to write up/sort out some of my radio script so it makes it easier to record tomorrow...

I hate my degree. Soo much work at the moment, hardly a chance to update/enjoy life!!

I'm trying to think of anything new in my life...there isn't really anything I can think of straight off. Except that I had a busy day yesterday. I attended two inquests! Which wasn't exactly pleasant. Besides the fact I feel like I have no right to be there sometimes, it is upsetting/most horribilus. Hmm what else? I kept napping a lot yesterday afternoon when I got back, I'm not sure why, but I kept on falling asleep and then waking up again, only to fall back asleep...it was really strange. I must've been super tired.

The only thing that's keeping me going, is the thought that on Thursday I will see my love again. It hurts to be apart and it sucks with all this work :( but we're gonna have a lovely weekend I just know it. We're seeing Jesu and Mono on the Thursday night and then once more on Saturday, in Leeds! :D it should be awesome.

At least I've finished my essay so I don't have to worry about that. I finished very late Sunday night/early hours of Monday. It seems ok, but I want to double check and go over it so I know everything is alright and so forth. Tomorrow I get the whole day off, so I should be able to do it then I believe. Along with a lot of other things (really need to do some exercise v. v. soon). But I won't dwell on that. There are more important things to sort out after all (Foster's work from his workshops needs to be done, as do a lot of notes - from last week's feature piece I'm gonna write on Killer Coke, to numerous nibs I can create from what I've been given) hmmm.

I have a broadcast workshop in an hour. I have soo much stuff to do for that still. I've got most of my material and wrote most of my radio script, but it's the interview I still have to get this Friday from a police officer and the whole editing process I will have to do the week after before it's handed in and finished for the 23rd (next Friday). I reckon that'll take most of the week, in all fairness.
I also need to be thinking about sounds I can have in the background...I was thinking of maybe using The Bill theme tune, but I'm worried that's gonna look kinda cheesy...hmm, I will have to have a good think.

No stress then! :/

x

Got some great news. The Stiletto website is up and running!

Stiletto

Go check it out!

xx

I have a new poem.

'A Bitter Understanding'

Hard
Yet softly enticed by
the docile features
staring back from within

Framed
cartilage eyes
American
cauterised
I barely
feel your skin

Alone
inside
the inky waves
that fall
beneath the
shallow

I emerge
subsidised
left to
cauterise
within the
hollow

Blood
spouting
from
holes
I never
knew existed

hands tied
back reclined;
they’ll never find
you before dawn;

Wrapped in rags of yesterday
the body snakes into despair
Mouth sucking in air
like a new-born

Oceans of tar
reaching out to
suck you down
and destroy

Like satan himself
to lead you astray,
the devil’s minions
come out to play…

First light
gives a resonance
so blinding

But it’ll be too late
by murky water grey
when they realise
with some regret
they’ve missed their chance;

for a deeper understanding



11/11/07 – A.C.J

I'm feeling mellow now, after a hard day of work :( I managed to get all my vox pops recorded in the afternoon because I figured I needed to get them out of the way, so all I have to worry about now is a)interviewing the police officer next week and b) editing it all the following week.

I feel somewhat better knowing it's the weekend now and I can just chill out and not feel so bad about relaxing for a bit tonight, as I've worked so hard all week.

The main news of the week, has been that my union is closed until Monday because there was a massive power cut at the Yorkshire Electricity Distribution Limited sub-station on Victoria Street last night. So nothing can happen until they get everything sorted out and fixed for good. Which means I will be staying in the house all weekend then, just to do my essay and not get distracted by the promise of Christmas shopping in town or at Meadowhall. I know if I went to the latter especially, I would end up spending loads! I can't see myself going there for a while though, at least until early December as I have something planned every weekend now until the end of November pretty much.

Yesterday was so utterly horrible though! I got caught in a hurricane and completely soaked through, upon travelling from a lecture about my dissertation to another about headline writing. Then I had to do a presentation along with two of my coursemates. I did mine on Liberalism which I think went well, but, afterwards the lecturer said he thought what I had mentioned on Hobbes was a bit dodgy :/ which I thought is fair enough, but since the chapter was so hard to read about, it was hard to separate it out into easy to read pieces.

Then I witnessed the power cut in the IC/Arts Tower and throughout the rest of the Union. I was attending a People and Planet meeting on 'Killer Cola' which is about how Coca-Cola is exploiting the communities in India by creating bottling plants there and then taking their water and leaving it all polluted. It was really interesting, but really hit it home I guess. I thought I'd report on it for a feature story I have to write as part of JNL 301 (Foster's module)as one of my news production piece/s.

Today I managed to get my vox pops done. Whether they are of any worth or not I'm not sure, as some people just said 'Yeah I think it's safe' and that was all...:/ I had to keep looking at them in the hope they'd give me more material to work with. &some of them did, thank goodness. I managed to speak to a PCO, but the vast majority of people I tried to talk to flat out rejected me, which was a bit deflating in all honesty. For some reason it actually upset me, so I decided to call it a day. I put them all onto the computer afterwards and some didn't turn out, but the ones that did do sound good. I guess if I ever need anymore, I should just go back out and get some. But to be honest, I think it all went ok. We'll see I guess.

I've bought a butternut squash! never used one of those before, haha. I'm not entirely sure what I have to do with it either, I'm guessing just peel it and bake it? I bought some other stuff like miso soup, thai curry paste and chillis and sweet potatoes, as well as a mango. I've been really worried of late that my diet isn't good enough, as even though I'm getting loads of fruit and vegetables, it's just the fact that I've been getting really tired and my nails have been snapping where the skin begins, which is er- painful to say the least. My left pinky feels so sore! So maybe a few additional vitamins to the diet is what's needed...

Anyway it looks like I'm in for a boring weekend. All of my housemates are going home again this weekend and I really need to work on and finish my essay, as this is the only time I can really do it in before the deadline is due. I would say oh leave it until next week, but there's so much to be done on it and plus, Gary is coming up next Thursday, so I want to have the weekend free to be able to spend it all with him :]
hehe.

Right, I'm just going to have a laid back evening. Chilling/listening to music/may do a little work. Nothing too strenuous as I have a heady-ache :(

xx

I've had a nice weekend. I came home to Widnes as I didn't want to be stuck on my own in Shef all on my own :( (everyone had gone home for the weekend in the house) so thought it best for my mind and sanity that I follow suit. I did want to work on my essay, but I thought it best that I get away again as I find it difficult to focus sometimes when I feel down.

Now I have to get down to my work however, which seems to be harder said than done, all in all. I mean, I've arranged for my second radio interview next Friday (16th) which some might say is cutting it fine with the deadline being the week after, but it still will give me a whole week to edit my radio package and since I've started working on my radio cue and script today, I don't feel so bad :)

My loan is not in great condition however. Well, since £700 worth of rent came out on November 1st it has been pretty scary to think about especially with Christmas still around the corner...but I know that there's only around...six weeks before I break up I can manage ok. Although once I start buying Christmas presents, my funds will go down substantially, so might have to start transferring over which I don't want to do :( but, there you go. If it's hard times calling for desperate measures, I guess I will have no choice.

I'm just hoping that by the end of this degree, I'll be able to pay it all off/back to people I owe it to. From the sounds of it I may not fare so bad. Foster was saying of how one of the most successful graduates is now a merchant banker?! which when you think of the transferrable skills you can get from a journalism degree, is slightly...interesting :p but there you go then. Maybe things won't be so bad after all. Obviously I will have to work hard to get anywhere near a good grade (2.1,2.1,2.1) sure it's average but it's very very decent indeed. It's practically impossible to get a first anyway and looks a bit sad to potential employers who are probably thinking you had no social life to get such a good mark.

Anyway it's bonfire night and I'm doing nothing but work which is a bit sad, but I'll be ok. I have my music to listen to and I'm getting things done, so it's alright. Even though I was supposed to be going Corp tonight, it didn't happen. But I'm going there next Thursday (15th) to see Jesu and Mono and Gary is coming up too, so that's something for me to get excited about :)

xx

Oh Mill, Mill Mill...whatever shall we do with you?

I have around 90 pages of reading to do on Libertarianism for a presentation I am partaking in next week and I just haven't got a clue. That could be something to do with only just starting the reading though. I guess there is always tomorrow...

I've just come back up to Sheffield from a weekend at home. I had an AMAZING time with my lovely boyfriend Gary. We did lots of things together, like shopping and searching for presents and generally being the best. He bought me 'Tomb Raider Anniversary' for my PSP which made me feel chuffed as I wasn't expecting that at all. Which just goes to show how kind hearted and loving a boyfriend I have,he just knew :) I will have to make it up to him x1000000000000000000000000000000 trillion.

The good news is that 'Stiletto' is coming together and should be ready for publication by mid-November which is super exciting. I hope I'll be able to scan an issue in or hopefully at least show you the website. I'm sure I'll be able to take a picture of the front cover at least.

Exciting times ahead. Apart from essays/arranging interviews for radio packages,the neverending stream of stories to collect for 301...

Last night I went to see, what is in my opinion, a most brilliant film.



STARDUST is just such a beautiful film. Sure it's cheesy, it's a fantasy and heck, it might even be a little predictable in parts...but it sure is good. My favourite bit has to be where Robert De Niro (who plays Captain Shakespeare, the leader of this rough group of pirates on a flying ship) turns out to be a 'whoopsy' haha..and he lets go of his pretense and starts dancing around his quarters with a pink fan and ballroom dress! haha. It made my day. Hell, it made the movie.

Michelle Pfeiffer as Lamia, an evil witch obsessed with her looks was also brilliant, in my opinion. The chase for the star (played by Clare Danes) captures everyone's hearts. She is at once sought after by Lamia, Tristan (to give to his unrequited love to Victoria (played by Sienna Miller) and also a string of princes who wish to inherit their father's throne and be crowned King. . &yeah it's just a brilliant film. Go seee!

But today has really drained me of the will to live. My course is slowly killing me. Not only do I find the workload so much harder this year, but the people on my course are really beginning to piss me off as well. I'm not sure why, but they're all so...up themselves. Urk. They just don't know when to stop being twats.

So many ignorant, chauvinistic, bitchy people....making me wanna throw up. That and I've been really tired, has made me fed up.

Also, I found out that my NCTJ's are gonna be worth nothing at all unless we get the shorthand qualification (thank God I've got mine!) but now we have to do an NCTJ in News Writing, which comprises one part of the exam and in the other, we have to compile a portfolio of the 10 best news stories we have written over the period of our course and from work placements, to be marked by journalism staff here and later we can show it to potential employers, which I'm guessing will be looked upon highly when we come to getting a job. I hope. Heh.

Thank god for JNL301 is all I can say...I reckon some of my best stories will come from Foster's module. I can't see too many of the others being great. Maybe court reports...I can't think of much else I'd put in though. I'm sure by the end of the course there will be more examples though, that will look decent. Hmm. The only downside to all of this is that we have to pay £37 for the folder and another £37 for the actual exam. Once again - it is extortion to the highest limits and Foster said we should complain.Maybe, but it won't do us any good as we're leaving next year, but it will benefit other years I guess. *Sigh* I dunno. Work work work...

The creative juices are flowing.
As this proves.


Little the stems grow

He unsoiled the cabbages
Amongst the rows of runner beans
Placing them above
Like nature’s umbrella
To let them catch
The drops beneath

Sprouting in the soil
Like stigmas in our dreams
He nurtured the seed
To spread below

Like dimensions of hell
Shooting out to heaven
They grew
With an anguish
and a perishable greed

They scoured the sources
And took in thirst
to swallow the feed

But he never knew
he kept
Digging
Praying on tomorrow

By half-light the task was done.
Roots removed.

A flickering light
buzzed to the sound
Of laughter
As he threw the newspaper to the ground

Unsuspecting
Me, half-height
Feet on tip toe to knock
On the brown door,
Listening out for wolves
In the distance

But I never found any…
Only the screech, the tuning
Of radio frequencies
To signal another grey tomorrow
Had come

In hospital
Weakened now
Another patient, another round
Desensitized, dripping, numb
Yet needles gripping on
Like vines into veins,
Growing
Pulsating

Above
As below

Buried, scarred, deep
Planted row by row;
Passers by now sit and
Stare for a while

…as they watch the stems grow.


24/10/07

ACJ

At last! The internet is back and working at the house. Or at least- it has been for a few days now. But I thought I'd update so as to let you know I'm not dead!

The past few days have been inextricably busy. I've been all over the place trying to edit articles for Stiletto and with my degree- workshops, lectures, I even went to a UV festival yesterday to try and get a story for JNL301 (me and my friend have been assigned Walkley) and to be fair...the area's pretty dead. But we can also cover Upperthorpe and all the way up to Hillsborough, which I think is pretty decent of Foster to extend our area like that.

But it's still a cause for concern! If we fail that module we can't graduate...oh the joy. Other than that, I've arranged an interview for my radio package (I have to get a minimum of two and a vox pop), so I'm going to interview this lady from the Batemoor and Jordanthorpe Safety Forum on Wednesday. I'm doing my radio piece on crime, so that makes sense. I get to use a marantz- I've never used one of those before, so that should be fun :) haha. We'll see how it goes I guess.

I've been trying to do my essay, but I just have so many damn things to do it's hard to think. Not only have I got to do work for Foster (including showing him last week's work now), I have to sub-edit these pieces of copy we got given in the workshop on Friday...and urgh. It's a bit depressing really. *Sigh* I'll cope!!

I went out to Corp last night. I almost didn't go as I was being lead to believe the people I was going with had backed out...but then they tell me about 11pm and I had to rush to get there then! Arrrggh. So I ended up getting a taxi down there on my own and meeting up with them(completely by surprise) just outside of a cash machine. I got into Corp, just before midnight and stayed until the end. It was a good night out, I danced and got drunk and just generally listened to some ace music. They played Tool :D and whilst I mainly stayed in the metal room, I did flick between the ebm room and the 80's cock rock room briefly which is always packed out. I enjoyed a bit of each. I might start going on a Saturday more often as I think it's a pretty decent night actually. Just it's rather expensive (£5 to get in) and not many people I know would go. But, if you just drink Carling out of a bottle all night it's actually pretty cheap (£1.50 isn't bad). Hmm.

Anyway, I didn't get to sleep until 5.30am and I didn't wake up until gone 11am this morning! eeeep. So I just chilled out in bed, edited some more articles (they're all done now, apart from some 'freshers articles' I'm waiting on to come through soon), which no one seems to be sending me! grrr. I read a chapter from the reader on Stamp Duty and the press and that's about it to be honest. I wrote up some notes too and tried to write some kind of notes/script for my radio project, but only the bones of the questions I need to ask on Wednesday.

Right, I best get off now. It's late and I should be asleep. I've got to get up early tomorrow and try to call this councillor to get a phone interview. As well as that, I need to cancel/question an order I made last night, I'm worried it won't transfer or will bill me. Something stupid like that. Anyway, I best get off.

Just thought I'd give a little update.

Today has been just another average day. I've done what feels like tonnes of reading over the past couple of days, enough for my liking anyhow.

I'm having to start my essay already because I've got so much work and a lot of deadlines coming up, so I can't afford to waste my time really. But, I still find time to come online and go on facebook and so forth. Anything to procrastinate I guess :]

I went to see 'This is England' yesterday at the union's cinema. It was really good, a highly thought provoking film and I recommend watching it for anyone who hasn't seen it. It's about a young boy in the 80's who after losing his dad in the Falklands war, befriends a skinhead with racist views...and he brainwashes him into their gang basically. It was great watching, comic, sad, and overall very moving. A mandatory film if ever there was one.

So, we received a letter at the house yesterday from Tiscali, announcing that they had received our direct debit and our order for the 'net should be processed pretty soon. I hope so for all our sakes! With the postal strikes, give or take a few days, it should be here by Thursday of next week. Which I can only hope and pray for as we've been waiting long enough in my opinion...and I hate having to go to the IC every day just to use a computer, surrounded by loads of people who could be prying in on what I'm doing. Arrrgh. The thought is scary.

Hmm, what else. I've been very experimental with red lentils lately...I made a red lentil salad with philly in pittas for my lunch today, it was awesome. &I should have enough left over for tomorrow, which I'm pleased about, as my culinary skills are not going to waste :] hehehe.

But anyway, back to my essay as there's quite a lot I can say about that. Whilst I haven't started it yet, I have done most of the reading and am therefore both fascinated and appalled by my topic of choice. I've decided to write about 'Does pornography harm women?' and my research has led me down many dark tunnels...and to be honest, I'm not sure I like what I'm finding. I've read about Linda Lovelace, Angel Kelly and other girls and young women who were products of violent sexual abuse and to be honest what at first seems acceptable in some contexts, i.e- that it's their freedom of speech to allow porn to be made and distributed, when it comes down to it, you realise is nothing more than glorified violence in the form of sexual desire. It's a really awful topic actually and quite upsetting, for me, as a young woman to read.

But still I chose to do it,so I can't complain too much. *Sigh*. Again...I am writing this when it is dark and I need to get back to the house. Maybe I'll write a little more in my next update.

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Ok, so as promised here are what I think of the films I saw on Sunday.

CONTROL(15)

I saw this at FACT and was majorly impressed. I think any film that can take a biography like this and turn it into something so believable and so...real that you almost believe it is happening, is worth more than a watch in my opinion.
Control is a film about the life and music of Joy Division and its troubled singer, Ian Curtis who killed himself over 27 years ago. The film charts their beginnings, from the humble naivety of Curtis, who married his wife Deborah too young, to the bands' tours around Europe and his subsequent double life and affair with Annik Honoré. The film is captivating and ultimately very dramatic. Infact, it's so realistic, I almost believed it was happening in present tense. From reading 'Touching from a Distance', I already knew a great deal about Curtis's life and the music and story behind Joy Division, but to see it played out in front of my eyes was something else entirely. A real treat and the must-see movie of the year, in my opinion.

HALLOWEEN

No words can suffice for just how bad this film is. But I will say this...the glaring inaccuracies, the awful clichés, the fact every male character seemed to have long hair, and the blatant killing of all and sundry made this film so predictable, it was boring. This remake has ruined my image of the original Halloween and Rob Zombie (it's director) really shouldn't have touched such a classic. I left the cinema feeling let down and I'm not sure I can forgive Zombie for exploiting and bastardising it to the point, where it has now become nothing more than a mockery of itself. Very disappointing. Why Carpenter gave him permission to mess with such a classic, I will never know. But there were enough Zombie stereotypes in there to make you know it was now his. Urgh.

Anyway I needed to vent that.

Now back to my life...

I'm back at Uni now, so I should be here for a good few weeks because of my heavy workloads and the fact I want to try and get it all out of the way as soon as possible. I'm not sure if I can, but I'm gonna try. I had my first workshop of the week earlier for broadcast and I think I did ok. The tutor said that my idea (I had to write up a 600 word proposal at the last minute, yesterday evening), was fine and that I should be able to get an interview with a victim of crime somewhere in Sheffield and ask them whether the Respect scheme is actually doing it's job properly or whether it's just complicating matters further. So I'm going to try and sort that out sometime this week. Other than that, I've just come straight here (in the IC again), to use the internet because I don't think the 'net at the house is working just yet. But soon....soon...

Right, that's it for this post I'm afraid. I need to walk back to the house and it's pitch black already, so want to walk back while there is still people around, rather than later on, when I'll be more scared of my surroundings.

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Sorry I haven't updated this in a week now, but I've been pretty busy of late.

Main news: Last week was pretty shitty overall, as I was stressed and had to do a great deal of sorting out. We still have no internet at my house in Sheffield. So on Thursday I decided to take it upon myself to call Tiscali up and I ordered broadband for us, which should be here by next week I imagine. But what a nightmare! I had to keep on repeating myself because the Indian callworker couldn't seem to differentiate between 'a' and 'r'. But with any luck, the 'net will be all ours soon enough and we won't have to keep goin to the IC to check on our emails and all that bother.

Similarly, I found out on Thursday afternoon when I went to try and buy a reader for £15 (a collection of essential 'reading sources' that my lecturer/module leader for JNL315 -Free Speech and Censorship), wants us to buy so we can at least try and scrape a pass (we still will need to do other reading as well...*groan*). So I decided to try and get cash out of the machine- but to my horror, every bank wouldn't let me get any out. So in the end I had to go all the way to Alliance and Leicester in town, where I was told that my debit card is unauthorised and therefore invalid. They sent me out another one though, thankfully- so the next day once I had arrived home in Widnes, I made sure to activate it and then I could use it from there on in. Thankfully.

But the main news of my weekend is that I passed my driving test on Saturday- and I can now drive :D YAY. Which is an achievement as I've been trying for a while now. So I'm really proud that I managed it and can just go back to Uni now and relax for it IS DONE. Hehehe. So I passed second time, with 10 minors. Which to be honest, I thought I would get more, since the route is Runcorn and I'm not that great around there. But it doesn't matter, it's over with now. Woohoo.

I was going to tell you of how I went to the cinema yesterday and all about the films I saw 'Control' (amazing) and 'Halloween' (shite) but I've just found out I need to do a 600 word proposal that's in for tomorrow afternoon! Argh. So I'll tell you about them in my next update.

Gotta dash
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