jmothecat

I was the opposite I think, being around apathetic people radicalised me. Being around left-wing people, as I am now in Glasgow, has made me despise left-wing politics. I'd still consider myself left-wing but God lefties are fucking annoying.

I noticed that in my time there, far less of the far-left anti-cuts groups in Stirling than at Glasgow or Edinburgh. I was actually surprised by how many far left groups there are at Glasgow, I think I counted five different ones at Freshers Fair alone. About a month into my course I was chatting to this girl I met in a bar who was a member of one of these groups (can't remember which one, think it was the GU Socialist and Workers or something), and although I disagreed with her she was hot so I was acting far more interested and sympathetic to her views than I actually felt. What amused me most though was when I saw a poster for a similarly named political group (something like the GU Communist and Socialist society) she said 'No, I hate them, they are so Leninist in their views, we are Trotskyists.' It reminded me of the seen in Life of Brian with the People's Front of Judea hating the other similarly named groups. Stirling I noticed seemed to have very few of these groups, tended to be more party political, Labour, SNP and the Tories being the most active I found when I was there. I wonder if it's a class thing. Glasgow and Edinburgh seem to have more upper class posh people and for some reason I've noticed these far left student groups seem to be full of privately educated posh sounding people for some reason. I'm unsure why really, but that could be the reason the far-left political thing hasn't happened at Stirling Uni.

Just noticed that Labour MP Ian Murray has sent a tweet to McAsh to congratulate him for winning the EUSA election.

Don't know Crema. It's sort of annoying me that the far-left seem to be dominating university elections at the moment. It seems that the extreme leftist groups are the most politically mobile and get their followers to vote in a way that other political viewpoints seem unable to do. The SRC election at Glasgow was the same.

I got an Email asking me to vote for the following: James McAsh VP Services: Max Crema VP Societies & Activities: Kate Harris VP Academic Affairs: Innes MacLeod As I'm not an Edinburgh student I couldn't vote anyway, but something annoyed me about them. I was told to vote for them simply because they have an 'Anti-Cut Agenda', which to me sounds like an awful reason to vote for someone. If they are so convinced that there should be no cuts, what will they possibly do when there inevitably are cuts? I've met James McAsh once and all he talked about was extreme left-wing politics, the type I think most folk grow out of at about 15. I'm assuming/hoping they didn't win?

There are also a nice set of toilets in Cotrell if you take a left after crossing the bridge and going through two sets of double doors then taking a right.

Walk to the right as if you were coming from the bridge. Keep going that way until you get near the main reception and there are a set of toilets which are a joy to behold. Took me years to find them but they are beauties, Molton Brown and everything. I mourn the years I spent at Stirling University using other toilets, typical I only discovered those ones near the end of fourth year.

You look them in the eye whilst walking towards them. You keep walking, they may wave. They say something to you, you keep walking whilst maintaining eye contact, they say something again, you turn your head towards them to maintain eye contact as you walk past them. You move your head forwards and break eye contact as they walk past. At no point do you say anything. It's more satisfying that way.

The Human Stein by Philip Roth. It was alright, interesting idea behind it and fairly well written, nothing special though.

Talking of elections the SRC one at Glasgow seemed a bit strange. I don't know the people who were running for presidency but meeting them on the campaign trail two of them seemed like extremist lefties, to the extent that I'm left-wing but I thought these two were loonies and being unrealistic, one didn't really seem to want to do anything and the other was a joke candidate. One of the loony lefties seemed to have won. I wonder if that was due to the votes of all those far-left groups at Glasgow University (I think I counted six different ones in Freshers week and that's not even including the Labour party) galvanising support for them. Anyway, guy who won seemed nice enough but he campaigned to keep something I didn't care about and interrupted me whilst playing FIFA so I wanted him to finish last.

My sister got her exam dates yesterday. She turns 21 on the 8th of May and has exams on the 7th, 8th and 9th of May. Feel slightly sorry for her!

I just find the QMU to be a bit more relaxed, whilst the GUU seems more about this 'lad' culture. The rugby team themselves might be banned but last couple of times I've been in most the folk there seem to be rugby types, plus the QM has a picture of the Aberdeen CWC win.

Also, might be wrong on this but the GUU has always struck me as being more pretentious than the QMU. Seem to be more into rugby culture and old boys club tradition sort of things. Then again I'm biased based on my first week here. First night here some 'Freshers Helpers' came to our halls associated with the GUU. They brought out bottles of Vodka and were encouraging us to drink (because drinking a lot is a sign of a 'lad' apparently). We quite happily had a few drinks whilst they explained the events then got us to play beer pong. We duly joined them for a game and two of the three GUU helpers, the ones who had come and been really forceful about binge drinking, spewed up in our kitchen. Felt like some cheek a couple of Jack Wills jogger clad young boys (can't have been older than 19) coming into our kitchen acting like they were fantastically important human beings based on their ability to consume alcohol ended up spewing in our kitchen. Didn't even clean it up. The QMU people didn't really do anything but chat to us, but they were more relaxed and didn't seem to try to measure someone's worth based on how much they like to drink. Think it formed a bias in my mind.

No one actually talks like that do they? That must be put on. I've heard a few folk with private school accents but nothing like that. Also, go to the QM every now and then for their pub quiz but can't say I've noticed a particular accent associated with the place. Generally people there seem to have middle class Scottish or English accents as far as I can tell. Nothing like the girl in that video.

I've been studying at Glasgow for about a semester and a half now and have heard a few folk on here going on about a 'Glasgow Uni accent' but I've yet to hear it. Everyone I've met have accents that sound like where they are from.

Not ideal exam timetable for me. Two exams just after the weekend of the 21st/22nd which ideally I'd get off work, but due to Aberdeen getting through to the Scottish cup I'm taking the preceding weekend off. Unsure how my work would view me taking two weekends off in a row, particularly as I'm only just going back to work after having last weekend off. Hmm.

Outlaws Inc. by Matt Potter. It's about former Red Army soldiers who transport cargo (from Aid to Weapons and everything in between) on massive Soviet Warplanes to war zones and places that are often considered inaccessible. Not really the kind of thing I'm normally interested in, but quite enjoyed the book.

Had an online test yesterday through Moodle. After meticulously thinking about, working out and considering each answer, after about two hours I finally finished the test. I then went over and re-checked every answer. Once I was satisfied I clicked on submit, which then said that Moodle had timed out (didn't even know that happened) and I had to log in again. I did so and it took me back to the exam page, but with all of my answers wiped! Had to go back and re-do them. Couldn't remember what I'd put down for most of them so I rushed a few guesses. Passed anyway, but a bit annoyed about that. Online exams are silly, as far as I can tell it's testing one's ability to find the answer in the book/lecture notes rather than how well someone has actually learned something.

Sunset Song for Uni. Quite good, better than the other books we've had to read (e.g. Waverley)

Got cornered by one of those LoveFilm people again this week. I was walking along with my headphones in, looked up and made the mistake of allowing him to establish eye-contact. I deliberately walked to the other side of the road to avoid him but he followed me with his hand out to shake. For the first few weeks that they came up to me I just muttered 'no thanks' or something similar when they came up to me, but this time I couldn't even be bothered doing that so I ignored him and walked past his handshake. I had my headphones in, so I may have misheard, but I'm pretty sure he called me a 'motherfucker' once I walked past him.

1. I was once attacked by a reindeer. 2. When I was a child I used to be convinced that pears (as in the fruit) would turn into giant maggots which would seep green blood that would kill me on contact. Although I now know that is silly and wont actually happen, I still eye them with suspicion and don't like touching them if I can help it. I think I like them though, can't really remember, haven't eaten one since I was eight. 3. I consider myself left wing, but hate almost all left wing people I've actually met. I find them whiny, insufferable and often naive of the real world. 4. I get obsessed with things for a couple of months, then lose all interest in them, often for years. 5. I spend hours on end on wikipedia, reading things which I would find utterly dull if I read them in a book.

I noticed them the other day. He popped up just as I was congratulating myself for avoiding the charity workers. I turned round the corner towards the Uni and some skinny bloke in a pinstripe suit accosted me and asked what kind of films I liked. As I had my 'I already donate to *enter charity here*' line prepared in my head I sputtered out 'I already donate to LoveFilm' and walked off awkwardly.

Quite enjoying Glasgow Uni so far, though this MyCampus thing is a nightmare.

I noticed that the other day. Was speaking to a few girls at Glasgow Uni who where Feminist Stalinists who where criticising the Anti-Cuts coalition for being Trotskyist. Sectarianism amongst the left wing politically interested at Glasgow seems somewhat extreme. According to them I was positively right-wing for admitting to being a liberal. The Freshers Fair seemed to be full of them as well, The Anti-War coalition, then the Socialist Workers Party, then the Communists, then the Scottish Socialist Party, then the Morning Star newspaper sellers. It was almost a relief to see the Labour Party stall. Never had this problem as an Undergrad in Stirling.

How do you go about getting an enrolment key? I thought I'd enrolled as I've paid my tuition fees and registered for classes but I've not been sent an enrolment key.