Portrait Club - It's worth a look!

As most of you know, I am a rep this year at my university. On my halls only campus, they removed the 24hr security at the start of this year. I did not like this.

This year there has been an attack on a student, thefts, threats against students, strangers on site, several of the girls have been followed through the local area, and last night a girl got beaten up by her ex.

Where was security last night? Fuck knows! One of the other reps saw it and waded in to get him off her. Miles (the rep) was a lot more restrained than I would have been.

I am no kicking up a fuss with the university, and I will not be ignored. I have written a very angry e-mail to the administration, and I started a petition this afternoon to get security back to being 24hr.

I have had enough of this, and I have been more than patient.

Now, don't think I live in a rough area, I live in London, and it's brilliant. But, whenever you get a large number of people living in a small space there will be conflict.


Other than that, I am feeling much better. My infection has died down, some irritation occasionally, but nothing to be concerned about.

How are you all?

Portrait Club - It's worth a look!

Hey all,

Some of you may have noticed that I have not been about much of late. I have developed an ear infection, which I ignored... that didn't go down well. It spread into my jaw, and gave me lots of pain...

I finally relented and went to the doctors, and I am not taking antibiotics... which make me want to go hide in a corner and never come out again. Nausea and dizziness from the antibiotics, pain and pain from the infection.

And I have still been going to lectures, meetings and generally working my butt off. Just yesterday I had to work with maintenance to get locks fixed, security to ID and placate one of the girls who had been spooked by a stranger on site, liase between two different students and the uni, have a new freezer ordered for one of the blocks, chased up maintenance regarding heating issues, discussed IT problems with the techs... then in the evening I had a meeting, then I had to go and talk to the police, then check up on how the new girl was doing, and then still went and was social in the evening watching a film in the common room. Oh, I also went to a lecture yesterday...

This morning I was running late, but walked into main campus with the head of maintenance, grounds and general accomodation stuff so that I could keep myself updated and on good terms with him (makes it easier when I want emergancy work done)... so life is busy! I can't wait until I am feeling well again!

There is a devmeet on Saturday. Will I see any of you there? How are you all doing?

Mike

Portrait Club - It's worth a look!

Hello all,

I wish to start by apologising to a select few of my 205 watchers. The select few are those who watch me for my photography, and not just my occasional rants, my amazing conversation and my regular grizzling.

What am I apologising for? Well, that's kind of obvious... I have not uploaded any work in quite a long time. I have been so busy, and so demotivated with dA stuff, I have not really been bothered. I still have a lot of photos from Carnival I want to share... it's just getting round to it.

Nothing new though... as I said, just been feeling demotivated to take anything new. It's probably because I've been too busy to actually get around to it.

Anyway... let's move on.

I applied for a photography module at my university... I didn't get on the course. After looking at my portfolio they said I was 'too advanced' for the course. It's quite a compliment, but I did really want to be on the course! It looked quite interesting. Oh well...

The last couple of days I have been feeling rather unwell. I was feeling better this afternoon, so decided to get some fresh air... and asked Mimi along with me. She and I went off into Central London... through London Victoria, Southbank, Westminster, Picadilly Circus, and then along the Thames. We had some fun in the shops next to the Ritz, and had a very nice dinner off Trafalgar Square. We then went to an art gallery auction, where we were the two most under-dressed people there. I saw it as we were going past, and decided to buy tickets and join in with the studying of the pieces, and drinking the very nice wine. On the way home we ended up climbing over a fence into one of the City Parks... we went and sat by a beautiful fountain.

Some of the crap they have in that gallery though! Asking a lot of money (and getting it), for things I really did not like. Mimi and I spent most of our time there slagging it all off! What I found very interesting was the quality level of the photography... it wasn't very good. This is a serious gallery, working with a major charity to raise money through selling art works. There was a lot of 'money' in that gallery... I was walking around thinking to myself 'I can do better than that'.

I don't mean that in an arrogant way... some of the photography there was bloody awful. For example, one that particularly irritated me was a photo of an overgrown five bar gate. No real depth to the shot, the lighting wasn't great, the tones dull and the subject pointless. Didn't do it for me.

So, Mimi and I were talking, and we discussed the idea of submitting some of my work better to a gallery. I do like that idea, if for nothing else to get interesting feedback.

But, as soon as I think that doubts creep straight back in of 'I'm not really good enough to do something like that'. Mimi thinks I am... we have spent a long time critically discussing my work... she really likes my style

So, what do you think? Good idea, bad idea?

Hope you are all well!

Portrait Club - It's worth a look!

So, I can smell burning in my room. It came about all of a sudden, which led me to pull the plug on everything, and find a fire extinguisher.

Opened my PC, checked everything, found nothing wrong. Went and got security, they are happy there is nothing on fire...

Yet I can still smell it (so could others, so don't get sarky!)

So now I sit and wait... windows open, bloody cold and with a horrid smell. Whatever is going on better start smoking, 'cause if the fire alarms go off at least it is serious enough to be dealt with.

It smells electrical... like a cable burning... But nothing has tripped, and I can't find the source...

I have a lecture in under 6 hours...

Portrait Club - It's worth a look!

Good evening all,

This last week and a half has been a very mixed bag of sweets. Some horrid, nasty ones... and some wonderful, soft and yummy ones.

This year I am living in my block with ten girls. They are a lovely bunch, if not a little mad! That isn't to say we don't have guys around the block... Dan (Mimi's boyfriend) is often about... and he is just as silly as I am We got caught working out the best way of climbing out of an upstairs window the other night... Mimi gave us quite a stern talking to

The other day whilst out walking in Richmond Park with Amy we were walking through the wooded area together, when two dogs spooked the herd of deer. We had an entire herd come right up to us, then stop and just watch us. They were there for several minutes before leaving. It was quite a sight.

I love it how some people's company is simply enjoyable. I really enjoy Amy's company... (not in any sexual way you dirty gits... you know who you are). Just a pleasent person to be with.

Then we move on to the more annoying/less pleasent. I have been fielding complaints, problems, maintenance issues, unhappy students, useless Royal Mail, angry people on e-bay and that's before I even leave my halls!

When I leave halls I have to go to lectures (most of which were cancelled or horrendously pointless), an emotionally vulnerable mentee (I HATE that term... but it fits) and the other stuff that goes with existance.

The other night I was happily cooking my dinner... I was being lazy and was only making a sausage sandwhich with home made chips. The sausages were in the pan, and I had just switched on the deep fat pan on for the chips when I was called away. Thinking I'd only be a minute I left one of the girls in the kitchen with the pans, and went down to talk to security. A girl had locked herself in her room, and needed checking on.

I wandered down there, and had to speak to several people. By this point it dawned on me that the deep fat pan would be getting dangerously hot. I have never run across campus like that before... The girl I'd left with the pans didn't realise the deep fat was on, and couldn't hear it bubbling... Wasn't a fun moment. Lucky it was all OK.

And now I am rambling. We don't want that...

Either way, I am feeling really good about this year. Socially, academically, in every way really. Let's see how it goes!

Love you all (apart the horrid, annoying, overly irish ones among you...)