pogoism

Ah, election time.

For the first time this year, I get to vote in a general election. The Voter Power Index let’s you put in your postcode, and by working out the possible swing in your constituency, tells you how much your vote is worth. My home constituency is Maidstone and the Weald, a big Conservative stronghold, and my vote here is worth 0.044 votes, i.e., it’s ultra safe for the Conservatives. However, I spend about 49 weeks of the year in Belfast South, and my vote here is worth 1.077 votes, giving me 4.26 times more voting power than the rest of the UK. It’s actually ranked 4th out of all 650 seats in the index. The SDLP currently hold this seat, but the area is very marginal.

So, armed with that, I decided to change my vote to Belfast South. However, I really don’t know who to vote for…

Politics in Northern Ireland, as I’m sure you’re aware is *very* different to the rest of the UK. The main political parties don’t usually contest seats here (this year being an exception, with the Conservatives and the UUP getting together to form the Conservatives and Unionist Party). The Liberal Democrats have a de facto agreement with the Alliance Party. The current SDLP MP for Belfast South takes the Labour whip, albeit under very loose terms.

My choices this year in Belfast South are:

• Conservatives and Unionists (Paula Bradshaw)
• Alliance (Anna Lo)
• Social Democrat and Labour Party (Alasdair McDonnell)
• Green (NI) (Adam McGibbon)
• Sinn Fein (Alex Maskey)
• Democratic Unionist (Jimmy Spratt)

Now, for me, this causes a dilemma. Despite being politically more inclined towards the Alliance Party or the Greens, I’m frankly reluctant to vote for them. Of the remaining parties, the most socially liberal are the SDLP and Sinn Fein, whereas the more conservative are the Conservatives and Unionist and the Democratic Unionists. However, the SDLP and Sinn Fein, are, of course, nationalist parties, and the Unionist parties are, obviously, Unionist.

I do not consider myself aligned to either the Unionists or Nationalists, indeed, I’d rather stay out of it completely, but I do have some reservations about voting for a nationalist party at the minute, especially since Ireland’s economy has suffered so badly from the global economic downturn.

Hmm… I dunno. At least I have another few weeks to make up my mind…

So, almost at the end of February. It’s been quite a month. January was full of exams, and frankly the most incredible stress I think I’ve ever been under. Had a few days off in between exams and starting the new Semester, but it was pretty much straight into it.

Exam results came out at the beginning-ish of the month. I was panicking a lot about them, mainly because I didn’t want to get any less than a 2.1, for fear that any application I submitted for PhDs or jobs would dismiss me out of hand. But, as it happens, I got two high 2.1 marks, and now I’m just annoyed I didn’t get that extra 1% to bump me up to a 1st. Ah well.

I’ve only got 5 weeks left in the lab for my final project. That’s more or less 5 sets of results, which means I have the bulk of my thesis done… which means I actually have to start writing it up. Hmm.

It’s January, which also means it’s exam time. For the last goodness knows how many years (except last year), Christmas has consisted of the impending dread of final exams. And to top it off, this year they’re probably the most important exams I’ve had to do.

I really can’t get motivated, so I’m blogging, and I’m going to have a whine.

1. The snow. The snow is really starting to piss me off. Seems like as soon as it’s gone, it comes back again. It would probably be okay if it was fairly deep, but it’s not. It covers the ground and by the time three people have walked over it turns into the invisible menace.

2. This exam next Thursday is ridiculous. The module is divided into 6 topics, and each of us given a research paper to present and discuss with the class. For the exam, we have to know at least 3 of these papers per topic and discuss them in the essays to get a decent mark. But me being the irritating complete-freak I am, I’m trying to learn all the papers and it’s taking me *forever*. It’s over 80 papers… ignoring the ones I have to go to the library, find and photocopy. Speaking of the Library! Yes, Queen’s it’s lovely, and it’s really very good. Just not in exam season. You can try all you like and convince me that there’s more reader places than in all the others combined, but I don’t buy it. And don’t get me started on the eejits who insist on blabbering…

3. Glee. Glee is fantastic, and I watched the whole (half)season over Christmas. It’s kinda like High School Musical, but EVEN BETTER. Plus Mr Schuester doing Bust A Move? And Kristen Chenowith?’Nuff said. The first show I’ve seen in ages that genuinely warms my heart. Also, True Blood. I’ve avoided watching this for ages. When I was in America, by best friend was obsessed with it. But it’s got vampires, so I ignored it. Out of sheer desperation of not wanting to watch House, I started watching True Blood, and it’s brilliant.

4. My music taste is getting awful. The other day I acquired two Taylor Swift albums and The Saturday’s albums. And the Glee soundtracks. *sigh*

Roll on February.

(via morghanmaniac on Tumblr)

Mulled Wine. Churros. The cold and the rain. It’s gotta be the Christmas Market outside City Hall, Belfast.

Here’s some photies.

Dear Blog,

I’m so for neglecting you for the last couple of weeks but I’ve been busy (read: I’m shite at organising my time).

So, what’s been happening in the life of Pogoism? Well, not a lot. Actually… a lot. Too much. It’s just really boring and I haven’t done anything blog worthy.

I’m now entering my 5th week of final year. It’s waaaay more work than I expected, but still, it’s fun. I’m working in the new(ish) Cancer Research centre at Queen’s. Other than that I’ve been doing a load of stuff for the LGBT Society, which I somehow got roped into being Treasurer for, volunteering at the Belfast Festival and just generally not being not being particularly social. I’ve managed to avoid going out at all so far this semester, mainly because I don’t really know anyone here any more. All the people I used to hang out with here have mostly all graduated and moved on to do Master’s courses or just relocated. I don’t really mind too much, ‘cos I’m probably leaving next July anyway, but it’s not still not great…

Umm, what else. Nothing much really. Just plodding along, getting on with it all.

Went to see Zombieland the other night. Not a great fan of those kind of movies, but it was actually surprisingly good. If you’re stuck for a movie to go see in the next few week, and just want to see something fun, it’s a good pick.

As for music, been listening to a lot of Death Cab for Cutie recently. I went to see them in Reno in July and they were really good, but I hadn’t ever really sat down and listened to the properly. Their songs on the surface seem fairly bland, that dull, generic indie sound. But for me, the thing that makes them stand out are their lyrics. They’re hauntingly simple, yet so beautiful. Example: Grapevine Fires. Seems like it’s just a song about the wildfires in So Cal in 2007, but… well, you listen and see what you make of it.

Ok, I’ve rambled enough. I only really blogged to put off going to Tesco, so off I go…

I’m sitting in Reno SLASH Tahoe airport, waiting for my first flight of the day to Salt Lake City.

Leaving here has been horrendous. Other than the difficult practical aspects, like leaving the apartment, packing, and figuring out places to stay for the nights I’ve been in Reno, I’ve had to say bye to some of the greatest people I’ve met. People who have changed me for the better.

Yesterday I went into work for one last time. I said bye and thanks to my boss – a man who has taught me and shown me that science is what I want to do with my life. That was, after all, the reason I came here.

Lauren, my best mate here. I’m gonna miss her loads. We randomly met at a Halloween party in October where both of us had been brought by friends and neither of us knew anyone else. And from there we became really close. I’m going miss her so frickin’ much. Melissa too. Some fantastic memories with them both, and I’ll miss them both very much.

Alonso. We dated for 7 months before breaking up, mostly because we figured it would be easier in the long run. I’ve done the whole breaking-up-with-someone-at-the-airport thing, and it ain’t pretty. When we did break up, I was annoyed, but looking back, I’m glad we did. He made this year what it was for me. And I’ll never forget him.

The people at work, who made this year what it was for us placement students. They’re awesome.

And, finally, all the people I don’t know all that well. Cory, Adagio, Joey, Vincent, AJ. All people I met near the end of my time here, and I really wish I had the time to get to know better.

Ahh. I hate leaving.

So, in the voice of the annoying guy on the Mor commercial…

BYE, RENO.

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.

– Edward “Ted” Kennedy, 1932 – 2009, United States Senator

I’m writing this while I’m stuck in a tiny, dark room full of probably really dangerous lasers and scary stuff waiting for some science magic to happen. I’m stressed to the eyeballs trying to get what feels like a hundred different sets of data together, while messing around with PowerPoint trying to make it all pretty and ready to show.

All the time, reminded of the fact I actually have to present my results, and endure questions, from some of the greatest minds in the field.

Yeh, stressed.

But y’know what? I frickin’ love it. And I wouldn’t swap it for the world.

Love you long time, science <3

You fall in love with perhaps half a dozen people in your life, and a like number of people fall in love with you. But the affections are rarely mutual and almost never contemporary. It is the most irresponsible thing that can be done to let such a coincidence pass and not act upon it.

– P.J. O’Rourke