Anthropax's Old Blog

Yep, it's my 200th post. Bloody. Hell. How did that happen? In recognition of Sam starting the 100 post review, I'm going to highlight some high points over the last 200 posts. One place to start was the coverage of my 18th Birthday here, way back in 2004, my blogging was a bit lax back in the day, but it improved in '05 with my first photo added. The next major event was the trip to Greece in February. There was a visit to London and talk about the EU and Patriotism. I posted my personal statement, and celebrated my half birthday, as well as deciding to go to Hong Kong instead of Italy. The Daily Mail attracted my cutting gaze, much to the ire of one of its readers. The Make Poverty History Campain was represented here, and tales from the orient were told here, here, here and here. I've discovered which level of Hell I'm going to, as well as my brand spanking new car. We've also dealt with a racist right-winger here and here. Feel free to add comments to any of these things. I'm off to cook a Dhal now - bye.

I've pruned off a couple of blogs from my blogroll - it's nothing personnel, I just don't really read you anymore. If you're upset, then just say, and you may be put back on. But until then, goodbye Chris, you came back from Russia, but didn't write about it. Rob Lowe can you go? turned downhill after he finished his tasks, and lastly, Steve goes Travelling, although facinating, no longer holds the same excitement that it did in my post HK world. So goodbye to them. There are a couple of links that may be removed/replaced over the next few weeks, as I see fit, but for now, I'm concentrating on my 200th blog post that's coming up.

I've just got my exam timetable for the end of term examinations. Unlike many other Unis, Lampeter has exams at the end of the winter term, as opposed to ones at the start of next year. This is only the TRS (Theology and Religious Studies department) exams - I've got one in Anthropology as well, but I haven't been told when that is. Christian Doctrine 10.00 Monday 12th Dec Old Hall Islamic Doctrine 12.00 Tuesday 13th Dec Old Hall Study of Religion 9.00 (the killer time!) Thursday 15 dec Arts Hall

... or not. Even the Daily Wail says that it got it wrong, as the BBC reports here.

But it's great fun.

It's just started snowing here. Rather heavily in fact. I may not be able to drive home for this weekend after all. hmmm. The BBC cover it here - I've got a good number of DVD's to get through anyway, and a nice warm kitchen, so it's not too bad. Amanda covers the snow here, and I'm borrowing a photo from her, as my camera's unwell at the moment. I was shocked to see this as well, I can't imagine Elton doing anything in a simple and humble way, look at his birthday, let alone his wedding. I like what his partner, mypartnerdavidfurnish says; "It is one of the defining issues of our times, And I applaud Britain for embracing the diversity of our society". As a matter of fact, the legislation comes through on December 5th - my Birthday! There'll be a big celebration here I would imagine. Ciao!

You're Canada!
People make fun of you a lot, but they're stupid because you've got a much better life than they do.  In fact, they're probably just jealous.  You believe in crazy things like human rights and health care and not dying in the streets, and you end up securing these rights for yourself and others.  If it weren't for your weird affection for ice hockey, you'd be the perfect person.
Take the Country Quiz at the Blue Pyramid

Notwendigkeit I Sagen mehr? Gutes Glück Deutschland

Although I first found out on Jo's Journal, I haven't got around to blogging about it (although I did help update the wikipedia article - Go team me!), I'm pleased to report that racist 'historian' and denier of the Shoah David Irving has been arrested in Austria, and could face 20 years in prison. Hurrah!

The far-right, rather racist Enoch Powell fan featured here, has decided to reply to my points after a few weeks thinking time. Here we go; Relating to your comment however, firstly, you are correct in saying that there is no such thing (grammatically) as an "illegal asylum seeker", but there is such a thing as a "fake asylum seeker", where people claim asylum on the grounds of persecution in their home country, but really are in no danger whatsoever, and as government statistics show, this is the case with 3 in every 4 asylum seekers. Also, you claim that it is my moral duty as a Christian to accept refugees fleeing persecution. My answer to that is simply "no". Under European asylum laws, people fleeing from persecution in their home lands are to attain asylum in the nearest safe country from the nation they are fleeing, and you can not tell me that Britain is the nearest place of refuge for these people. Secondly, your figures from census (with ethnic breakdown statistics) do date from 2001, and hence are now out of date. May i also include that those figures relate to people known by the immigration authorities. They do not include those unknown, such as illegal immigrants. Your third point just goes to show how "slack" our asylum and immigration laws have become under New Labour, and your final point (relating to "hospital bibles", e.t.c) shows how politically correct this nation has become. This government has become so obsessed with political correctness that it feels justified in banning bibles from hospital bed side tables, as they may "offend ethnic minorities"! How unbelievebly ridiculous can a few politicians in government be?! 1. I talked about morality, not legal duties. 2. 2001 was when the last nation-wide census was, has the population changed so much in the last 4 years? 3. What? I would imagine that very few of the 30% (ish) of Leicester's population that are from and ethnic minority came to the UK since 1997. Most are long-established families who came in the 50's and 60's, and to claim that 3rd generation immigrants aren't British is racist. 4. Political correctness gets a lot of stick, but the Sapir-Worf hypothesis shows how valuable it is in preventing hate crimes. You still haven't answered my question as to why ethnic minorities would be offended by a bible. There are loads of people who are Christian and from ethnic minorities, and the Bible is held up as having some of the divine in it by Muslims. Why would ethnic minorities be offended, rather than religious ones? Oh, and the Red Cross is a private charity, and can choose not to promote Christmas if it wants. Remember, this is the person who claims that Africa is a Nation, and tells me to stop being politically correct' when I correct him. Hmmm. Bye

I haven't blogged over the weekend due to a great big essay on structural-functionalism, and yes dear reader, it's as fun a subject as it sounds! I think I made a few good points, about how it's rather conservative and undynamic, and how it's idea of the nuclear family is the building block of society fails to take into account non-nuclear families, not to mention it's almost inherent promotion of heteronormativity. I managed to put in some rather nice quotes, but couldn't find Bridget's great one from a rather ethnocentric evolutionist! By far, however, my most pretentious line was that (due to it's mechanistic nature), "structural-functionalism takes the anthropoi (άνθρωποι) out of anthropology" . That essay took up almost all of the weekend and Monday, but it got finished in the end. I treated myself to a veggie curry as a reward for getting it done, and the peshwari naan tasted even better than normal - nice. I'm going to a debate on religion in Iraq at 5, and picking Louise up before-hand, then it's alternative music night at the SU! I'm rather excited, as the poster has Sigur Ros on, and therefore greatness is assured. TEEEE-AAAA-WOOOOOOO (a sigur ros fan will understand this - I hope).

It seems that, in the rush to ban homosexual marriage in Texas, the Neo-Cons have passed an amendment banning all marriage. And I quote: "Article 1, Texas Constitution, (The Bill of Rights) is amended by adding section 32 to read as follows: Sec. 32. (a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman. (b) The State or a political subdevision of this state may not create or recognise any legal status identical or similar to marriage." Serve them right!

Bridget's had a mercy package from America, so I have just tried American 'candy' for the first time. They put thing in it to make it taste good (corn syrup/nicotine/heroin), and it would sort of be worth only living till your late 20's if you get to sit down all day and consume such wonderous sugary/peanuty snacks such as 'Butterfingers' (crunchy, dried peanut butter bars) and 'Baby Ruth' bars (fudgy nougat with peanuts). You can't seem to get them in Europe because of all the GM stuff they put in them, and I find it interesting that in order to get nutritional information, the enquiror has to phone up the producers. Almost as if they wanted people not to know haw bad these things are.

It seems that work is required at this whole university thing. It has come of something of a shock to me, that I've got several essays to write over the next few weeks, currently one on Structural Functionalism, a delectible prospect I'm sure you'll agree. At the moment it's a reading week, so I'm doing just that; reading, notably this, this (only 30p!), and, erm, this. A guilty pleasure is reviewed here by Kieron. In other news, blogebrity and former Lampeter student Jo Salmon (look at the pretty, well organised site - just look at it!) writes about a subject from here. I may have done a little dance when I saw that. Maybe.

It deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdgnieg. Amzanig huh? The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce the lovely Amanda who I share several anthropology modules with here in sunny Lampeter. I'm listening to the Tennant/Lowe soundtrack for 'The Battleship Potemkin' - I have grand plans to rent the DVD and watch it at the same time some time. I'm shivering just thinking about it. In other news, we had a look at a lovely subculture here in Britain (although it's spiritual home is America), that of Feeders (not for the easily shocked). The idea is that this form of ideal body image comes from the same roots as the subcultures of models and bodybuilders. There was an interesting discussion about the ethics of it, and wether the women are victims, or the dominant partner in the relationship. I'd welcome any ideas. Oh yes, Eid mubarak to all my lovely Muslim readers!

Well, Blunkett is gone again. I don't mean to be cynical, but how many times is that now?