The quality of discourse on Have Your Say, hosted by the BBC, has hit a new low. In a discussion entitled ‘Should reparations for slavery be paid?’, one poster actually wrote that because the British were the first nation to denounce slavery then -
“No, we should not apologise. In fact, a “thank you” from a large part of Africa would be in order. “
What is even more ridiculous is that as at the time of writing, it was top of the ‘Readers Recommend’ list, with 623 votes supporting it.
One of the recent changes in my life concerns my attempts to study (part time) at home, using distance learning, for a university degree. It’s been going on for two or three years, and whilst I’ve enjoyed the studying/reading part very much, I have not cared for the essay writing/exam parts at all.
Partly because I find that with a full time job, part time studying and other commitments, I just don’t have time to read or write, I decided to not study, but just work, read and write. However, I am working on a plan where I can get all the pleasures of part time study (reading, research, finding out stuff), without the pain (exams, essays). It mainly involves buying textbooks and reading them – not much of a plan but enough I hope.
Is this enough? After all, the actual qualification doesn’t matter to me (it was only ever a pride thing), so surely I can just self educate myself anyway?
It’s probably so obvious to most people reading this, but when you have spent the last three years studying hard (I have at least another four years to go – it’s part time remember) and 10 years before that being obsessed with obtaining a degree, sometimes it’s difficult to see the obvious.
Where was I?
Not much has happened.
I have just been busy and not writing and being distracted too much. Yet I continue to return to writing. I have made some changes in my life, of which more, perhaps, later – I am simplifying things, returning to basics if you will.
Always waiting for something to happen.
