Since late September, I've barely posted any photographs here - 23, to be exact. Back in the day, photgraphic posts were common on Air Nice-to-Livelands but now they're as rare as hen's teeth. There are three main causes for this:
1. Starting university is the obvious one. I have less time to sort through photographs.
2. I photograph less than I used to. In both Northamptonshire and here in Nottinghamshire I'd photographed so much that my pictures were becoming repetitive.
3. The WiFi in my accommodation can be slow and thus, uploading pictures can take a while.
This doesn't mean pictures posts won't be seen here again (I still have a big blog party post to unveil) - it just means they're nowhere near as common as they used to be. For now, frequent picture posts are not a priority.
Sunday, 15 January 2017
Saturday, 14 January 2017
"Return to Innocence" - Enigma
Here's a worthy song to discuss:
It's "Return to Innocence" by Enigma, a German New Age band, and is from their album The Cross of Changes (1993). Enigma have been known to me for well over a decade, possibly longer, because they are a part of my parents' music collection; however, I'd never seen the video for this track until the past hour, which is as beautiful as the song, with all its scenery.
Unlike the album version, the music video track does not fade into "The Eyes of Truth". I also watched "The Eyes of Truth"'s music video for the first time ever this hour.
It's "Return to Innocence" by Enigma, a German New Age band, and is from their album The Cross of Changes (1993). Enigma have been known to me for well over a decade, possibly longer, because they are a part of my parents' music collection; however, I'd never seen the video for this track until the past hour, which is as beautiful as the song, with all its scenery.
Unlike the album version, the music video track does not fade into "The Eyes of Truth". I also watched "The Eyes of Truth"'s music video for the first time ever this hour.
Friday, 13 January 2017
"...but Hillary!" (2)
I wasn't quite expecting to write about this so soon but this happened:
The president-elect is, once again, attacking Hillary Clinton. How his voters can still support him is simply...mind numbing. Even if one were to discount all the awful things he said and did during the election, and to discount his appalling cabinet choices, this behavior alone should be disqualifying.
If this were a movie or television, it might be funny but in less than a week this individual will be President of the United States.
The president-elect is, once again, attacking Hillary Clinton. How his voters can still support him is simply...mind numbing. Even if one were to discount all the awful things he said and did during the election, and to discount his appalling cabinet choices, this behavior alone should be disqualifying.
If this were a movie or television, it might be funny but in less than a week this individual will be President of the United States.
Thursday, 12 January 2017
Groceries in Clifton (2)
To expand upon my "Groceries in Clifton" post from a few days ago, I neglected to mention three other grocery stores. Down two of the roads close to my university, there is a general store located on each; one of them is situated next to a major nearby pub. I've never been to either so I can't comment on what they are like.
The other is a second Co-op, which is located near to the end (or the beginning) of the bus route for the 48. Usually I'm travelling back at night and haven't noticed it and when I've travelled in the day I haven't been looking in the direction of the Co-op. Again, I haven't been inside but I suspect it will feature a similar layout to every other Co-op I've been to.
The other is a second Co-op, which is located near to the end (or the beginning) of the bus route for the 48. Usually I'm travelling back at night and haven't noticed it and when I've travelled in the day I haven't been looking in the direction of the Co-op. Again, I haven't been inside but I suspect it will feature a similar layout to every other Co-op I've been to.
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
"...but Hillary!"
The United States presidential election has been finished for over two months. Since her defeat, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has effectively disappeared from the news, save from the occasional mention. This is consistent with previous major-party losing candidates.
Despite this, her former opponent's supporters - and even her opponent himself - frequently bring up her name, almost always to deflect criticism from the president-elect. In nearly every online discussion I've seen that involves criticising the president-elect, the only defense of his actions by his supporters is to mention Clinton's faults, or the "...but Hillary!" defense.
To me, this is the opposite of when these people constantly brought up President Obama's "57 states" comment. Whereas in that case, they kept bringing it up because they didn't have anything significant to criticize Obama for, here they keep resorting to "...but Hillary!" because they don't have any good reason to defend the president-elect and have no choice but to deflect. They know their candidate is terrible but aren't at the point yet to abandon him.
As recently as the past 24-48 hours, the president-elect briefly attacked Clinton in his disastrous press conference. Could you imagine if President Obama spent eight and four years, respectively, making snide comments about Senator John McCain and former Governor Mitt Romney? At the very least, he would have been slammed for unprofessionalism.
Despite this, her former opponent's supporters - and even her opponent himself - frequently bring up her name, almost always to deflect criticism from the president-elect. In nearly every online discussion I've seen that involves criticising the president-elect, the only defense of his actions by his supporters is to mention Clinton's faults, or the "...but Hillary!" defense.
To me, this is the opposite of when these people constantly brought up President Obama's "57 states" comment. Whereas in that case, they kept bringing it up because they didn't have anything significant to criticize Obama for, here they keep resorting to "...but Hillary!" because they don't have any good reason to defend the president-elect and have no choice but to deflect. They know their candidate is terrible but aren't at the point yet to abandon him.
As recently as the past 24-48 hours, the president-elect briefly attacked Clinton in his disastrous press conference. Could you imagine if President Obama spent eight and four years, respectively, making snide comments about Senator John McCain and former Governor Mitt Romney? At the very least, he would have been slammed for unprofessionalism.
Tuesday, 10 January 2017
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
A former president of Iran, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, has died:
While he was involved with the 1979 revolution, Rafsanjani frequently railed against the hardliners in his country and was president from 1989 to 1997. Prior to his presidency, he helped bring an end to the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War by encouraging his country to accept the US resolution that ended the war; Rafsanjani had, in that war, been appointed by the Ayatollah to be the commander-in-chief of the military. He ran for a third term as president in 2005 but Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defeated him. Rafsanjani backed Hassan Rouhani in 2013 and was a strong ally of his.
As president, he was known for being a moderate and strongly pursued moderate causes, hence his support for the aforementioned Rouhani. Let's hope his death emboldens rather than demotivates Iran's moderates and progressives; Iran doesn't need to return to the old ways of the hardliners.
While he was involved with the 1979 revolution, Rafsanjani frequently railed against the hardliners in his country and was president from 1989 to 1997. Prior to his presidency, he helped bring an end to the eight-year-long Iran-Iraq War by encouraging his country to accept the US resolution that ended the war; Rafsanjani had, in that war, been appointed by the Ayatollah to be the commander-in-chief of the military. He ran for a third term as president in 2005 but Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defeated him. Rafsanjani backed Hassan Rouhani in 2013 and was a strong ally of his.
As president, he was known for being a moderate and strongly pursued moderate causes, hence his support for the aforementioned Rouhani. Let's hope his death emboldens rather than demotivates Iran's moderates and progressives; Iran doesn't need to return to the old ways of the hardliners.
Monday, 9 January 2017
New term, new changes
The second term began today and while it picked up from where the last term ended, there was a difference in the scheduled classes: In the place of the usual Media seminar I have on Monday mornings it was a short tutorial to have a chat with the lecturer about the "class test" we have to do next week. Two others from my seminar group and I were there early and were finished before the official time began, which gave us a full hour to do something else.
This particular Media subject will be changing in the coming weeks, as people taking it will either be able to choose a research project, as was revealed today, or continue the module in another manner, which will be revealed next Monday after the test. Obviously, I don't have enough information to choose at this time.
All my other sessions progressed as usual. It's good to be back but, as I told friends, I haven't really been away, as I've been living on the campus without leaving.
This particular Media subject will be changing in the coming weeks, as people taking it will either be able to choose a research project, as was revealed today, or continue the module in another manner, which will be revealed next Monday after the test. Obviously, I don't have enough information to choose at this time.
All my other sessions progressed as usual. It's good to be back but, as I told friends, I haven't really been away, as I've been living on the campus without leaving.
Sunday, 8 January 2017
Onto the next university term
It can safely be declared that the winter break is now over. Tomorrow, classes will resume at their usual times. I have an assignment to hand in for the 19th while on the 16th, there is a "class test" for one of my media modules. Out of the two, I'm currently more optimistic about the test than the assignment but all that might change after tomorrow's tutorial and subsequent lecture with regards to the test!
Saturday, 7 January 2017
The two course choices
In the days before Dad's death two years ago, my mother and I had been communicating by email about which Access course I would be taking at Central for my then-next academic year. I had made up my mind between two but was heavily leaning towards the one I ultimately chose; a few hours before Dad died, Mum emailed me links to these two courses, not knowing that they were the two I was considering.
This is a mostly-forgotten occurrence from that day, as it was obviously overshadowed by Dad's death. I only remembered because I read my emails from that time and saw that Mum and I had been talking about my next course.
And the choices? Social sciences with humanities or a law course. Mum reckoned I be interested in both of them because of the writing involved. She was correct and I ended up going with Social Science and Humanities, as featured History and Sociology. Law didn't interest me anywhere near as much; I later found out that the Law class was less than half the size of Social Science and Humanities. Having a bigger class was preferable, in this circumstance.
This is a mostly-forgotten occurrence from that day, as it was obviously overshadowed by Dad's death. I only remembered because I read my emails from that time and saw that Mum and I had been talking about my next course.
And the choices? Social sciences with humanities or a law course. Mum reckoned I be interested in both of them because of the writing involved. She was correct and I ended up going with Social Science and Humanities, as featured History and Sociology. Law didn't interest me anywhere near as much; I later found out that the Law class was less than half the size of Social Science and Humanities. Having a bigger class was preferable, in this circumstance.
Friday, 6 January 2017
Gone for two years
Dad has been dead for two years, as of today. I went over to visit Mum and James yesterday rather than today, whereas this afternoon I worked a little on my upcoming projects for the next university term. This is what I said about Dad elsewhere:
"Exactly
two years have now passed since Dad's sudden death. While there's so
much to tell him if it were possible, many a times it's small things
that I want to talk about. The other day, I was watching a cartoon that
he, my brother and I have all seen loads of times (ReBoot); in it, I
observed a tiny detail that I hadn't noticed before. If he'd still been
here, I would have told him about it, he'd likely have been fascinated
and we'd have watched a relevant clip so that he'd spot it, too.
Alas, the days of these particular tiny pleasures are no longer. Still,
new ones can be formed while the old ones with Dad can be remembered
fondly.
Thursday, 5 January 2017
Groceries in Clifton
Clifton has five grocery stores (at least five that I've seen, anyway): A Tesco, a Co-op, a Morrisons, an Iceland and an independent outlet called Mace. While I have shopped at all three of these stores, I primarily purchase my groceries from the Morrisons, followed by a Tesco in the Victoria Centre in the city centre, which in turn is followed by the Tesco here. The Tesco here is a small one at a fuel station whereas the one in the Victoria Centre is the size of a usual large supermarket.
While the Co-op was the first store I went to when I first visited Clifton in September 2015, I rarely go there, as the Co-op tends to have higher prices than the others (although not quite so high as Sainsbury's). I've been to Iceland twice and the Mace store once; Iceland's prices vary whereas the Mace store is located on a side street that I rarely walk down.
By contrast, in the town in Northamptonshire that we used to live in, it had three Co-ops: A large one, a medium-sized and a small. I tended to use all three on a mostly equal basis. There was a general store of sorts but I never went there.
As for my mother, she doesn't shop at any of these outlets: She receives weekly home deliveries from Tesco, which is practical for her and my brother.
While the Co-op was the first store I went to when I first visited Clifton in September 2015, I rarely go there, as the Co-op tends to have higher prices than the others (although not quite so high as Sainsbury's). I've been to Iceland twice and the Mace store once; Iceland's prices vary whereas the Mace store is located on a side street that I rarely walk down.
By contrast, in the town in Northamptonshire that we used to live in, it had three Co-ops: A large one, a medium-sized and a small. I tended to use all three on a mostly equal basis. There was a general store of sorts but I never went there.
As for my mother, she doesn't shop at any of these outlets: She receives weekly home deliveries from Tesco, which is practical for her and my brother.
Wednesday, 4 January 2017
Liveland History: 4th January 2013
Wow...it's been three years since this:
While I wasn't overweight, I was concerned about my weight back then and my propensity to rapidly consume foods such as chocolate. Nowadays, I still am concerned about my doing such a thing: During Access, thanks to eating too many sweet items and not exercising enough, I ended up reversing all of the weight losses I'd made from 2013 to late-2015. Since the summer of 2016, however, I've been reversing that trend, as I have been walking regularly again.
While I wasn't overweight, I was concerned about my weight back then and my propensity to rapidly consume foods such as chocolate. Nowadays, I still am concerned about my doing such a thing: During Access, thanks to eating too many sweet items and not exercising enough, I ended up reversing all of the weight losses I'd made from 2013 to late-2015. Since the summer of 2016, however, I've been reversing that trend, as I have been walking regularly again.
Tuesday, 3 January 2017
Post-break university re-opening 2017
Nottingham Trent University officially re-open today, after being closed since mid/late-December. This means that services such as the library are open again and the tutors have returned to the campus. Security, on the other hand, maintained an active presence, as there are students still on campus, such as myself.
One of my friends and classmates informed me of another book we have to read before the holidays finish and so I will find that book in the library once I've finished the current book I'm reading, which is The French Lieutenant's Woman, for my main English module.
One of my friends and classmates informed me of another book we have to read before the holidays finish and so I will find that book in the library once I've finished the current book I'm reading, which is The French Lieutenant's Woman, for my main English module.
Monday, 2 January 2017
"Tired of Being Sorry" - Enrique Iglesias and "Wish I Didn't Miss You" - Angie Stone
This is an unusual music post in that I am highlighting a different song each by two completely separate artists. Now, these two songs are:
"Tired of Being Sorry" by Enrique Iglesias (2007) and...
..."Wish I Didn't Miss You" by Angie Stone (2002). For the most part, neither of these songs has anything in common; however, I recently heard both while in a store. I typed up some of the lyrics on my phone to then research when I returned to my accommodation. These tracks are certainly a couple of gems!
Unlike Julian Velard and Aly & AJ, however, the existence of Iglesias and Stone was already known to me long before I heard their respective songs in stores.
"Tired of Being Sorry" by Enrique Iglesias (2007) and...
..."Wish I Didn't Miss You" by Angie Stone (2002). For the most part, neither of these songs has anything in common; however, I recently heard both while in a store. I typed up some of the lyrics on my phone to then research when I returned to my accommodation. These tracks are certainly a couple of gems!
Unlike Julian Velard and Aly & AJ, however, the existence of Iglesias and Stone was already known to me long before I heard their respective songs in stores.
Sunday, 1 January 2017
New Year's Day 2017
I've just come back from my mother's and brother's house, as I spent the day down at theirs to celebrate the new year. I hope you had fun NYE celebrations and I wish you all a happy new year. Good luck for 2017 and beyond.
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