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quinaraI'm back at home in preparation for Things happening, and must must must reply to emails ASAP, but I thought I'd reappear vaguely pointedly, if only because going without the internet feels like dropping off the face of the earth.
On the riots - nothing much has been happening round my way, though my mum's work sent everyone home early yesterday (which was amusingly enough her first day in a new position - so much for settling in!). I hope everybody (and everybody everyone knows) and their possessions are safe! It's all quite appalling. (And yet I cannot help but be disgruntled by Nick Robinson on the news saying that Cazza will be keen to say that these aren't political actions against the government but apolitical attacks against the people. As far as I'm concerned, the business of government is managing the population so that society doesn't break down into violence and fear. How can this not be an attack against the government if our government is truly constituted by the people? And don't get me started on the petition to axe rioters' benefits. Of course what we need right now are violently disaffected people out in the streets with nowhere to live...)
Otherwise - my tinnitus is acting up and my glasses are still wonky from where I fell over a couple of weeks ago (not that I expect them to fix themselves, but one can dream). Add to that a letter from the Student Loans Company saying that I haven't told them anything about my situation (when I have, I bloody have) and they're going to fine me 150 quid if I don't declare what I'm doing and how I'm supporting myself within twenty-eight days, I'm a bit grumpy. Not to mention my laptop coming back from Dell with a new hard drive (yay? Only time will tell if it doesn't freeze anymore), but of course with all my settings undone, and me not realising how many accummulative tweaks I'd made. Like to the effing touchpad mouse, which is teeth-gratingly sensitive (and I can't find the bloody settings to change it).
However - college has decided to award me a prize (of money) for my MPhil thesis, strangely enough. This is nice. Reassuring, in fact, since it seems as though academia may still be the one area in which I'm not actually incompetent. And people say I should get out and find a real job...
On the riots - nothing much has been happening round my way, though my mum's work sent everyone home early yesterday (which was amusingly enough her first day in a new position - so much for settling in!). I hope everybody (and everybody everyone knows) and their possessions are safe! It's all quite appalling. (And yet I cannot help but be disgruntled by Nick Robinson on the news saying that Cazza will be keen to say that these aren't political actions against the government but apolitical attacks against the people. As far as I'm concerned, the business of government is managing the population so that society doesn't break down into violence and fear. How can this not be an attack against the government if our government is truly constituted by the people? And don't get me started on the petition to axe rioters' benefits. Of course what we need right now are violently disaffected people out in the streets with nowhere to live...)
Otherwise - my tinnitus is acting up and my glasses are still wonky from where I fell over a couple of weeks ago (not that I expect them to fix themselves, but one can dream). Add to that a letter from the Student Loans Company saying that I haven't told them anything about my situation (when I have, I bloody have) and they're going to fine me 150 quid if I don't declare what I'm doing and how I'm supporting myself within twenty-eight days, I'm a bit grumpy. Not to mention my laptop coming back from Dell with a new hard drive (yay? Only time will tell if it doesn't freeze anymore), but of course with all my settings undone, and me not realising how many accummulative tweaks I'd made. Like to the effing touchpad mouse, which is teeth-gratingly sensitive (and I can't find the bloody settings to change it).
However - college has decided to award me a prize (of money) for my MPhil thesis, strangely enough. This is nice. Reassuring, in fact, since it seems as though academia may still be the one area in which I'm not actually incompetent. And people say I should get out and find a real job...
(no subject)
Date: 11/08/2011 01:00 (UTC)Wonky glasses for a couple of weeks? I would be getting massive, nausea-inducing headaches. Hope you can get them fixed cheap. (Perhaps they are under warranty? Years ago, when I put a huge scratch in my 9 month old lens by cleaning them with something I shouldn't have used to clean them, I was delighted to find that they were still under warranty and would cost me nothing to fix. Even though it was completely my fault that the cloth I thought would be fine to use to wipe the lenses was basically the equivalent of steel wool for the coating on my lenses.)
(no subject)
Date: 11/08/2011 10:03 (UTC)Luckily, or unluckily, they arent' wonky in terms of actual vision, just in the construction. I bent one of the hinges out of shape, so now the lefthand ear stick thing technically wants to point away from my head (or rest on top of my ear rather than behind it), so they keep falling off my face when I look down for too long. OK for my head, but irritating in general (and the bloke in the shop where I bought them was singularly useless - having messed around with them I think I know more about their construction than he does). They're about eighteen (if not thirty) months old now, so apparently the warranty will have expired. :(
(no subject)
Date: 11/08/2011 15:53 (UTC)Sorry to hear about he tinnitus/glassess issues. I didn't notice the glasses were wonky at writercon....! I am clearly unobservant! Good luck with the student loan people!
(no subject)
Date: 11/08/2011 16:40 (UTC)I think when my glasses are on my face the only noticeable thing is that my left hinge is not open properly, so you'd have to be Sherlock to notice, really! As for the tinnitus... I think I need to have the hearing test I've been putting off for nearly two years. :(
(no subject)
Date: 11/08/2011 16:55 (UTC)Also I can't spell glassesssssss..... *face/palm*
I bought this a while back because I'm hopeless with glasses (I always lose the little screws that hold on the hinges and as I need them to drive it's a pain!) - it's worth getting for running repairs.
(no subject)
Date: 11/08/2011 17:17 (UTC)I actually got a mini screwdriver set out of a cracker a couple of years ago and it's been wonderful - best cracker present ever! I don't understand why they don't issue mini screwdrivers with every pair of glasses, along with the case and random clothy things...