All entries for September 2008

First Mad Hatter's Tea Party for the Warwick English Literature Society

Writing about web page http://www.warwickenglitsoc.tk/

This is just a brief post in case anyone new to Warwick happens to swing by. The official Warwick English Society introductory social is happening next Thursday, 3.30pm - 6pm in H503. It's a "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" and this basically means the social secs will be giving you food.

This, in itself, seems reason enough to go, let alone the fact you can meet loads of other people (you're welcome if you do a degree other than English) and pretend that you are now a deeply intellectual, sophisticated literary type.

Madeleine Beresford : 30 Sep 2008 15:07 |  Tags: Alice Books Cakes English First In Socials Society Tea Warwick Wonderland Years |  Comments (8) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Warwick EngLitSoc

Writing about web page http://www.warwickenglitsoc.tk/

In no way am I shamelessly using this blog to promote the English Society. I would never do such a thing. However, they do have a brand new shiny website. Just saying.

Madeleine Beresford : 30 Sep 2008 14:57 |  Tags: English Literature Poetry Theatre Trips Warwick |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Finally, a real reason to dislike those smug green types

Writing about web page http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/24/ethicalliving.recycling

I hate those people who sit around telling you that you are an evil human being because you don't like to wear hemp clothes.

Madeleine Beresford : 26 Sep 2008 14:18 |  Tags: Green Idealist Living News Pragmatist |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

There is no internet

There is no internet in my house until October 2nd. I cannot obsessively read the news; this traumatises me.

Madeleine Beresford : 26 Sep 2008 13:49 |  Tags: Distressing Internet News No Trauma |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

McCain says nothing on the economy, hopes no one will notice

Writing about web page http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/mccains_economic_speech_in_tam.html

Go McCain! I can tell you're completely on top of your economic policy. That speech you did told me exactly what your policies are and now I can fully support them...NOT.

His words "This foundation of our economy, the American worker, is strong but it has been put at risk by the greed and mismanagement of Wall Street and Washington" mean something completely different from "the foundations of the American economy are strong". The American economy is not strong. The world economy is not strong. We're all sitting on a bubble and it's just burst.

On the bright side, I personally have nothing to lose. This is because I have nothing. Damn, those Buddhists were way ahead on this one.

Buddhism draws me closer every day. Until I'm rich, that is, when I'll abandon it for debauched agnosticism and charity donations.

Madeleine Beresford : 19 Sep 2008 09:08 |  Tags: American Crash Economy Election Mccain News Palin Street Wall |  Comments (2) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

I want a hobbit house

Writing about web page http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4769799.ece

This is completely unrelated, but I really do want a house like this. I'm not sure smoking a pipe is eco-friendly though, so I'll give that a pass.

Madeleine Beresford : 17 Sep 2008 12:45 |  Tags: Hobbit House Permaculture |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Left wing press outrage won't stop Sarah Palin – it'll help her

Writing about web page http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/palin_and_the_partisan_press.html

I'm bored of people telling me that Sarah Palin is a terrible, rape-encouraging, crazy religious nut-job with no experience, a terrible family life and more. Objective reportage isn't something you expect, but the way the press (especially in Europe) have reacted to Palin is beginning to make her more, not less likely, to win.

Sure, she's an out-of-the-box contender who has pulled the Republicans back into the race. But that doesn't mean the left-wing shouldn't try and report (fairly) objectively. She's put a lot of people's noses out of joint - those trying to endow Obama with sainthood, faux-liberal feminists who pretend to stand for "the women of America", and most Guardian readers.

All this doesn't mean that bashing her will help Obama win. Supporters of Obama should do so with eyes open. He isn't a saint, he isn't Jesus. He's an ambitious, intelligent man with little high-level government experience. He came out of one of the most corrupt electoral areas in America. That doesn't mean he isn't the answer for America, but it means people must know what they are choosing.

Obama does offer change, new hope and a refreshing stance on foreign affairs. It is inspiring to see a black man (although his mother is, of course, white) running for one of the most powerful positions in the world. The advantage of an Obama presidency on the international stage is that he can be seen to negotiate with the Middle East with greater validity, having a Muslim background and mixed-race parentage.

But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be considered objectively as a candidate. His record should be interrogated as thoroughly as Palin's and McCain's. So should the record of Joe Biden, the largely untalked about, unseen Democrat VP.

Luckily for me, I'm not an American. I don't have a vote. I live in a much more left-wing country. But it's fun - and important - to watch how this campaign plays out.

These are my best of the press on Palin, for a slightly less partisan argument:

On the media:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/palin_and_the_partisan_press.html

For feminists, Camille Paglia's piece, which I notice the Sunday Times bought in this week:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/paglia/2008/09/10/palin/index.html

To calm down those afraid of her "religious fundamentalism":

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/09/17/do1705.xml

Madeleine Beresford : 17 Sep 2008 10:58 |  Tags: American Articles Best Campaign Election Liberal News Outrage Palin Sarah |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

String 'em up

Writing about web page http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122145492097035549.html

My "sensible" angel is telling me that the collapse of Lehmann Brothers is a really bad thing for the world economy, for the UK economy and even me individually. It's saying 5,000 people alone have lost their jobs. It's saying I'm going to have to get even better acquainted with my patented £10 a week pasta, cheese and sardines diet.

My bad angel is thinking, very quietly: well, that's 5,000 people in the UK alone who've learnt a really good lesson about the downside of materialism and greed. I feel bad for the cleaners, security men and receptionists, but that's about it.

Madeleine Beresford : 16 Sep 2008 09:36 |  Tags: Collapse Economy Job Lehmann Losses |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem