It’s been a bit quiet over the past few days – partly due to El Barto suffering some downtime and Natasha, Alex Trafford and the others going off to Barcelona for a week. I’ve been sleeping late, and so yes, it’s been quiet.
But elsewhere in the world things have been continuing as normal! Or not, as Live 8 proved today. Bob Geldof’s message I think is important here – when he says “This is not Live Aid 2.” It’s not about a burst of charity centred around a pop concert that won’t do anything for Africa in the long term – it’s about what “eight rich white guys” decide to do on Wednesday. So whether you like Bob Geldof or not (he has his moments) for god’s sake at least sign the list. Aid is important – but so is dropping the debt and most of all, fair trade. Which all ties in with the EU’s budget dilemmas, as I’ve said before.
I’m also unusually excited about Saturn. Not because it’s rings have their own atmosphere – although they do, and that’s cool – but because it appears to be slowing down.
“Saturn is rotating seven minutes more slowly than when probes measured its spin in the 70s and 80s – an observation experts cannot yet explain.”
Slowing down!? That’s not good! Today Saturn, Tomorrow Earth. And if that happens, we might have to go to school and\or for even longer each day. Think about it.
And finally – advance warning – I’ll be on the Brent\Eton Summer School from Monday till Saturday (which I’ve got mixed feelings about, but more of that in DomSez.) So if you try to comment on this blog during that time, it’ll be held in a moderation queue. If you email me, don’t assume it’ll be read until the weekend. If Saturn explodes, send me a text.
A bit late, because I was busy today seeing the orthodontist (no more braces at night – woo!) and then going to see War of the Worlds (it’s good, but not great, mainly because the plot makes no sense at all) and eating out. But now, they’re here! Prom Photos. It’ll be of no interest at all to most of my readers of course 
I should point out that although we call it a Prom, it’s really nowhere near the infamous American event (lovingly described here) familiar to us from all those teen movies that Alex is probably talking about. (Of course I don’t know – stereotypes and all that.) There are no prom dates, far less glitz and glamour, and it’s really not a ‘big deal’ besides a party that a portion of people choose to attend. I think we just call it a Prom to imitate the real thing.
Anyway, it was a good night. And it followed the ‘Sixth Form Open Day’ thing, filled with those dubious team-building activities such as learning that (a) you can see through most blindfolds if you try hard enough and (b) GCSE grades are important, getting through an imaginary maze is not. We did make paper aeroplanes though.
Going to Prom. In a limo. In formal dress. With a digital camera. If you’re up late, you’ll probably get some photos posted. If not, have a good evening. Tirrah!
You may have noticed I’ve had a few days off blogging. This is due to my new found desire to sleep and play Spider Solitaire – although not at the same time. Today, though, I actually had something timetabled and structured to do – the presentation of our Progress Files!
I like my Progress File. This is because I spent time putting stuff in it before handing it in, and this is exactly what was just handed back to me, along with an extra sticker on the front. The high-achieving Progress Files also got called up separately, so everyone could see you receive yet more book tokens. Ah, school is fun when there’s no work.
Tomorrow I go back into school at the horrendously early time of 9.30am for Sixth Form day, and then there’s the Prom in the evening to look forward to. On a boat. On the Thames.
Elsewhere, the Year 8s have been doing exams, and Natasha probably regrets asking for my help to revise Science. (We established that sound can travel through a box full of air even if it’s marked ‘vacuum’ on the outside.) And Nic has finally won an award for Rubery Village. Hooray!
Seriously – sleeping late, then enjoying the summer sun and paddling pool in the garden – with no work, deadlines or stress. It rocks! I don’t know why I didn’t leave school much earlier… 
Talking of school, I just got good news on my Sixth Form choices (they can do most of it) but I’ll wait until it’s actually official before ‘announcing’ my A level choices on here.
Part of my free time has been spent enjoying some nice DVDs, two of which I want to write about right now. Brass Eye may be 8 years old but it’s still a brilliant satire – countless laugh out loud scenes – and the Daily Mail hated it, which always endears a programme to me. Chris Morris is so very Paxman like at times, with the over the top absurdity of tabloid television. “If this were real, how would you feel about it?”
And not to mention the utter brilliance of duping idiot celebrities into recording sincere warnings about the dangers of “heavy electricity… caused by sodomised electrons” or mouthing “and THAT is scientific fact. There’s no real ‘evidence’ for it, but it scientific fact.”
The second DVD was Star Trek Nemesis, which we got lent the other day. As a long-time Trek fan it’s surprising I went this long without seeing it – and had always imagined it has flopped at the box office because it was this dark, mature film. I was wrong. It flopped at the box office because it had no plot to speak of. Seriously – I’m usually very good at missing gaping plot holes – but even I knew that Nemesis made not a shred of sense. This site sums it up nicely. Nice to see Patrick Stewart again though.
Tomorrow, I’m (probably) going to Brighton. Unfortunately there will be no young children with me to disguise the geekiness of going to see the Doctor Who Exhibition.
Helen on It’s (waiting) time.: “Fabulous news, congratulations to you both! X” Jun 8, 21:51
