LibQ, darling - Im sorry, it's not me, it's you...

It had to come to this...
I want out.

Don't get me wrong. I love university and all that jazz but,

pardon my french,

LIBERTY QUAYS SUCKS MARSUPIAL TESTICLES

Let's set aside the fact that the internet isn't reliable, that we sometimes do not have hot water, that there is no connection with the outer world in the form of proper buses, AND that I pay 400 £ a month to live in a sodding broom cupboard -my biggest problem is as follows:

I have been living on my own for a year now. I am used to having a flat belongs to me and the others who live in it - under the conditions of renting of course. My room is my room and my kitchen is definitely my kitchen (I would add that my living room is my living room - but I don't have one!). Liberty Quays clearly has another view.

They do come in to check our kitchen - fine by me to be honest, because they have let us know beforehand.

No, that's not it.
What royally pisses me off is that they see it fit to simply walk through our door as often as they like. Yesterday afternoon I found two men in my corridor. They clearly heard me walk out from my room on my way to the kitchen but still they didn't even look up or recognise the fact that one of the tenants was there and that maybe they ought to say hi.
Not only have they entered my flat without warning - they do not even respect me enough to greet me or explain WHAT THE BLOODY HELL THEY'RE DOING IN MY FLAT!

I want out. Now.

If I have to stay here til the end of summer term, I might hang myself from one of the lamps without shades.

A sad story of Holocaust treachery

This is little bit off from what normally goes on Scandilous, i know, but sometimes you just have to.
During some research about the torture and murders of journalists during the Holocaust (sadly purely for my own geeky benefit) I came across an article from the David S Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies.
In this it is revealed (sadly there is no publishing date so I do not know how recent this information is) that American journalism schools and newspapers refused to help Jewish journalists fleeing the terror of the Holocaust. A lot of other universities and university departments aided Jewish refugees but when it came to journalists there were arguments singing the same old Nazi song. 'The Jews will become a threat if we let them come here, they will take over all of our jobs bla, bla, blaha. '.
Not a single one of the circa 40 journalism schools and uni departments in the US took in a Jew. None of the major newspapers hired journalists on the run.

Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, once said that "there's a special place in hell for women who don't help other women.". I think that goes for journalists as well.

Dear Home Secretary Alan Johnson...

... "delighted" would not be my choice of word to describe the clearing of the Calais refugee camp where 278 people, of which 132 were children, were driven out of their shacks and tents by 500-600 police officers.
Yes it has been creating problems, increasing numbers of war victims, both adults and children who needs medical care to name one, but when it comes to the treatment of these human beings, people whom have already been through enough terrible ordeals, to be "delighted" is simply wrong. Mr Johnson, you have clearly not seen the pictures from the scene.
And if I am not mistaken you guys started the war that got these people there in the first place...

9/11 reflections

Today being the day that it is you cannot help but reflect upon what has happened since. I was only 11 in 2001. I turned on the TV when I came home and saw the unimaginable. I remember realising that nothing would ever be the same in the US. Quite maturely, to be honest.

Now I'm flat on my stomach reading the Independents article on young soldiers fighting in Afghanistan (read here).

They are sending out children to fight on the fields of Helmand. Age is nothing but a number and most eighteenyearolds I know aren't even fit to move out of their parents house yet. I was rather mature for 18 when I left home but for crying out loud, I moved to a country two hours away and my chances of getting blown to pieces or shot to death are a hell of a lot smaller than in a war zone.

I have grown up a lot over the past year and of course you grow up in the military too but isn't it better to do some growing up in a safer environment first before you get thrown into a war?

To me, before 21 you are still inbetween. Perhaps not a kid, but no adult. Im definitely not one and I could have been sent to battle over a year ago. Most people are not even an adult at 21 to be fair. So what is the rush?

And the US - seriously?

"You're not allowed to buy a beer but here's a loaded rifle son!"

Sigh. Full Stop.