Question - when you get a call saying that there is a "broken" student here to see you what would you expect to see?

Something random - the other night, whilst in bed, it occurred to me that I didn't set my alarm for the morning. Fumbling blindly in the dark I searched and searched around the bed area for my phone. I even used it to light the way through the bedsheets... d'oh.

Just for fun:

Poll #1830133
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 34

Without my mobile phone (ignoring call & text) I would...

...Jillian from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

"To be honest I think that being physically beautiful DOES get you ahead in the world. When you look at mass murderers that are on trial for killing, you know, thousands of people it's hard for a society to convict somebody who's usually attractive."

I need a WTF icon.

Today I have been most upset by the news that Game might be going into administration if they don't come up with cash by March 25th. As owners of GameStation this means that they too will disappear. Life priorities clearly shown here by Karo(!)

Whilst looking for the news on the matter I found that the new Microsoft Xbox will reportedly not have a disc drive at all and everything will have to be downloaded. I really don't like this idea - I actually like having inanimate objects messing up my flat and being able to share and gift.

Many people see technology as a solution to some problems that exist. I don't dispute technology can be used for good, but with new developments come new challenges/issues. And then there is the digital divide, where people are just not keeping up with all the new products or they are, but they just cannot afford to be part of it if they wanted to.

Have a random poll:

Poll #1826328
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 42

Do you own any of the following consoles?

Do you think we have an obsession with gaming, which is affecting our ability to function in the world?

How about owning any of the following?

Do you think we're too dependent on technology?

The plumber came and he's (allegedly) fixed the leak. The issue? They had a new bathroom put in and the drainage pipe/metal sieve thingy going from the bathtub wasn't secured to it properly so water was leaking down the sides.

My fault my arse.

The tennant came to apologise to me afterwards and told me he's not sure why the landlord took so long as usually he's pretty good. I'm still sending him my bill.

medusa_nw the bathroom fitters should meet your delivery company :)

Time for a holiday! I found a cheap deal to Amsterdam. Who wants to go?

ETA: How is this comfortable?

Those on my FB will know this already - we've finally did it! We went to a shelter and picked ourselves up a dog (well puppy as she's still under 1). She's a pure-bred Staffordshire Bull Terrier.

She was just so affectionate towards us that we both fell in love with her straight away. Lucky for us she was still there when we went to fill out the paperwork - it's odd - she's a young puppy, but for some reason she has been in the shelter for almost 6 months - I think people avoided her because they saw the neck trauma and probably thought it was due to illness.

Her backstory is that she had to be taken away from her previous owner (who wasn't well). The neck trauma has been caused by ill-fitting collars and constant yanking/pulling, which resulted in her fur disappearing from her chin to her stomach, with subsequent skin blistering.

These are just mobile photos. It's hard to take a good pic of her as she just won't stop moving (and giivng me plenty of exercise in the process).

This is our Staffie on day 1 in the house. You can see the redness around her neck, which is getting better.


On walks only the sticks that are bigger in size than her interest her.


I love it when she lies down. She looks like a little superhero :) She's already learnt sprawling on the bed from me. And no matter how much space there is on the bed she will always sit/lie down so that she is right next to us (she has her own bed to sleep in though - thank God!)



I've been reading around Staffies and in the process found that they are banned in a few countries and MANY states in the US. Actually the US dangerous dog act says any pit bull terrier, which includes American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier or any dog that looks like one. I find that quite amusing as in all the shelters in the UK, which we've been to, Staffies outnumber all other dogs for adoption 5:1; and you don't need to have owned a Staffie before to have one nor are you required to have a special permit.

I just feel that the rep these dogs have gotten is unjustified. I've always felt that. It seems that now that we are done blaming the Rottweilers, Dobermans and Alsations, it's time for the Bull Terriers.

We had a Doberman in the family - not my favourite, but she never hurt anyone.
The Rottweiler... well I was playing with him one cold day and he ate my woolly hat my grandmother had knitted for me - hardly a terror.
With our Alsation we would always have to race for the feather-shuttlecock whenever we played badminton, otherwise he would've eaten it.
It seems we somehow always end up with the dangerous breeds in the family, and they were always behaved.

It all depends on how you treat a pet. You can turn any animal aggressive if you really tried.

I won't deny that there have been pit bull related fatalaties. But firstly there are not as many as the news make out to be (and circumstances shoudl also be taken into consideration). Secondly I just wanted to add that other breeds can be just as dangerous. Labrador Retrievers and Jack Russells have also killed humans in recent years, but can you imagine the Andrex Puppy or Eddie from Fraser placed on the banned lists? They both have the wrong image.

Do you recall Gunther von Hagens? The mad scientist who developed the plastination technique for preserving bodies or body parts, and then who had his Bodyworlds exhibition tour the whole world?

Well I didn't know he had an online shop: http://www.plastination-products.com/.
Ignoring the human tissue specimens which you are only allowed to purchase if you are a 'qualified user, you can buy accessories, such as necklaces or earrings made of vegetable or animal body slices.

I admit, they intrigue me... and I even find some of these actually wearable. And they even have a bull testicle cane for John :P

A slow work day is obviously a poll day!

Poll #1819385
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 32

Bodyworlds - the travelling exhibition of preserved human bodies

The online shop -

2.5 weeks ago I've noticed the upstairs flat leaking into my own.
3 visits upstairs and 7 e-mails later (between myself, landlord and tenants) nothing has been done to resolve the problem, despite promises from the landlord to 'chase up the plumber again' suggesting he actually did something first time round.

I now have the start of black mould forming on my bathroom ceiling.
In addition to this the paint is coming off in chunks from the kitchen wall.
I am concerned the water pipe will burst completely and flood my flat when I'm at work.

I think it's time for me to get a surveyor in and then bring in a lawyer.

My takeaway messages from this experience:
Being nice doesn't solve anything.
Being ignored is the most frustrating feeling ever.
Suing will make me feel better.
From now on when dealing with upstairs never bother trying to be diplomatic - go straight for the hardline approach till they either get evicted, move out or sell-up.

My dog hates the people upstairs. She growls and barks each time they are too noisy. My mum suggested I take her upstairs, knock on the door and do a runner leaving her behind :)

The issues with the leak from upstairs are still ongoing.

It has been over a week now and the damp has now spread three feet down my kitchen wall and gained a few more inches on my bathroom ceiling. I haven't heard from the landlord (he only gave me his e-mail as a way to contact him). None of them have called me with a date that the plumber is coming. Personally I don't think any plumbers have been even contacted.

I have spoken to the company who look after my building, and to whom I pay service charge and building insurance to, and they told me as we are both leaseholders they won't get involved. The onsite handyman won't even come to have a look to tell me where he thinks the leak might be coming from.

I have a few questions:
What do I do if the neighbours/their landlord continue to ignore fixing the leak? Can I somehow force them to sort it out faster?

Can my managing company really just wash their hands of this?

And what do I do about getting the damage fixed (I mean would this come under building or content insurance, or would I make the landlord upstairs pay)?


I am tempted to everyday slide through their letterbox a number of used tampons directly proportional to the numbers of days they are now dawdling...


Anyways we have snow. We decided to go out in the snow. We got snowed on, slipped and froze. All this to go to the M&Ms store. What other possibly stupid idea can I come up with next?

The douchebags upstairs have a leak either in their bathtub or their washing machine. I can see the streaks of damp forming on both my ceiling and both sides of the bathroom/kitchen wall.

As I've only spotted it I wasn't sure whether it was a new problem, or something that happened over Christmas and was already fixed, so I marked it with a pencil to see whether it'd get bigger. They defi have a leak.

We hear their washing machine going all day. John goes up to tell them about the leak. The first time no answer. He goes again half an hour later. He bangs three times on the door and hears a girl making noises but no one opens. When he goes downstairs we hear the washing machine going again and the cunt without a contract stomping around. Try to be inconspicuous as you like you ignorant troglodyte, but your wooden flooring tells all.

I fancy standing outside their letterbox and screaming till one of them opens the door. Or blowing all my germs in till they all get sick. If they damage my flat beyond normal repair I am going to start a petition to have them evicted. They only apologised for their last behaviour because every flat in the building wrote a complaint letter.

Speaking of sick, my cough is keeping me up throughout most of the night (sadly John and I had to cancel our anniversary plans for this evening :(). I looked through health forums to find potential cures and the best one comes from the Normal Breathing Association:

You need to breathe less or self-suffocate yourself! This is also the fastest way to fall asleep naturally.

If you ever find me dead there is your answer.

Based on two real cases:
At the airport if you are caught smuggling 400g of cocaine in your shoes you are sentenced to 7 years in prison. But if you are caught smuggling out of the country 40(!) endangered species (in this case reptiles) in your suitcase (of which half of them die due to being mistreated) you get 18 months. Does that seem pretty low to anyone?

ION my students have given me their lurgy, which means I've been home the last two days watching slapstick comedies (as that was only what my brain could handle) and time to look at shelters.

John and I are getting dog (just the one... so he thinks). It's hard enough looking at websites without wanting to adopt them all. God knows what it'll be like when we're inside the shelters. I'll probably need to be on my own lead. I melt when I look at their little eyes. And some are just funny. I mean this one doesn't even look like a dog...



I can see how he could be entertaining, however, whilst quite cute we are looking for someone who perhaps is a tad more butch.

Plus I need someone who, when I'm being a decoy, I can trust to slide like a ninja into the flat upstairs and scare the bejesus out of the noisy, stomping f*ckers.

I haven't been able to keep up with my online life at the moment. My stress levels are slowly leveling out and I find myself going out that little bit more. For Halloween I spent almost the entire night playing Trivial Pursuit with madwitch, where I discovered I don't know what the guy who came 2,345th in the London marathon wore. Is that something that's common knowledge?

Last weekend, as I couldn't get the time off to gatecrash the momus/fraulein32 honeymoon in Paris, asthier took me for the weekend to a remote, old blacksmith's cottage in the Moors... it reminded me of a joke - Myra Hindley and a boy are walking through the moors. It's scary out here, says the boy. Tell me about it, says Myra, I have to walk home alone.

Lucky for me John spared killing me and hiding my corpse. Instead he took me to Alton Towers for their Guy Fawkes firework extravaganza. I couldn't physically get off one of the rides (Nemesis) as my harness got stuck and stupidly we went on the water rides where we, surprise surprise, got soaked, but it was still as fun as it was 15 years ago. The fireworks show was just spectacular. Just for comparison purposes, the small purple blob in the lower right corner of the pic is the castle.



The other reason for not keeping up-to-date with the online world is that recently I seem to have developed this knack of logging into social sites and finding that one argument I can't help getting involved in. My touchy subject at the moment is one of immigration, which I will articulate better once I have more time.

So just out of curiosity have a poll. By no means have I covered every option, hence why the 'something else' box.
Poll #1795180
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 55

The country you reside in this very moment -

I finally got round to carving my pumpkin. This year I've opted for the headless horseman as I have felt I've been losing my head recently.



I have also made the mistake of watching this (not for people with weak dispositions):
http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=350217&no=31
It's manga. Short. All you have to do is scroll down and you just know what's coming. Still didn't stop me from jumping.

Considering all the above (and the fact that I'm re-mortgaging tomorrow) I think I derserve a nice, big pint of gin :)

After having their original flights canceled my parents just missed the new set of disturbances in Tunis, Tunisia by less than 24 hours. Why is it that whenever there is political unrest they have to choose that area as their next holiday destination?!

On a different tangent I am behind on LJ. I vow to do my part in keeping it going, however, after recently working a minimum of 10-hour days (and sometimes evenings and weekends) I haven't got the energy for anything. Even RL socialising. Instead I have been addicted to the horror channel, watching one bad movie after another. And many exploitation movies had this warning:


Poll #1785403
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 25

Have you ever known a cinema to offer barf bags?

Actually... have you even ever seen a movie where you wanted to barf? If yes, what was it?

I've seen movies where I cringed and cowered behind my fingers, like behind some magic protective barrier (whilst obviously still looking through the gaps). But to be physically sick?

I have just read this article on the BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14534025

When I was growing up I watched virtually no TV. There were two influencing factors - there were loads of kids my age to play games with and when we returned to Poland behind the Iron Curtain TV shows were just... dire.

Fast forward many, MANY years and I admit since getting Sky my TV viewing has been at an all-time high. Every cheesy, crap program I will have probably watched at some point. And it's not because I am interested - usually it's just because I am too tired (or broke) to do anything, but be a zombie after work. I am far more behaved over the weekends though.

Poll #1770153
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 36

With regards to TV

Viewing hours

This morning looking online and through the papers I noticed there seems to be a petition doing the rounds demanding for anyone found to have participated in the looting to have their benefit payments cut.

The words of the petition read:
"Any persons convicted of criminal acts during the current London riots should have all financial benefits removed. No tax payer should have to contribute to those who have destroyed property, stolen from their community and shown a disregard for the country that provides for them."

When I just had a look (out of curiosity) there were 97,000 signatures already, closing Feb next year. 3,000 signatures more and the process to have MPs vote on the issue will be triggered.

I will admit that the thing that made me rage the most was the Malaysian boy with the broken jaw, who was mugged as he was being helped up. Personally I would castrate the fucker who strolled up in his loser gangsta stride and robbed a kid half his size. Oh and the woman who left her kid in its pram on the rioting street, because mummy wanted a free pair of brand new sneakers.

Poll #1768839
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 45

Do you think those who are on benefits and have participated in the looting should have them cut?

Should police be allowed to use water cannons and rubber bullets at the first outbreak of violence, despite what rules & regulations might be in place?

Hotels booked? Check.
Train? Check.
Ferry? Check.
Breakdown cover? Check

Traveller's insurance? Erm... We will be travelling around Europe. Do you think we need traveller's insurance? I mean the only thing I can think that could happen is John driving us off a cliff where once you sit on a cloud insurance won't be all that useful.

First destination - here:


Odds of reaching second destination?
Depends on whether crawling around on my hands and knees pays off. And I don't mean in the lewd sense, but looking for chips on the casino floor. If it does we're staying! It'd be a good way of starting a new decade.

My back is still caning me. Getting into work today resulted in the sad demise of my left butt-cheek. At least the lack of feeling means that the pain isn't so prominent.

asthier and I have been chatting about this for a while; we were thinking of getting bikes (non-motor) to a/ go on little trips through parks and such and b/ get some exercise in the process (as we have just both quit the gym - too expensive when you don't have the time to go). The only minor setback is, as John was/is a tricks brat, the bikes that catch his eye seem to be a couple of grand at least... what happened to getting bikes from the flea market?!

Poll #1754579
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 36

Which of these apply to you?

So about cycling in general:

barty and I have recently gone through all my movies. In the last decade 31 movies have been banned in the UK, of a small handful of these have actually been released elsehwere. For some reason I own one of these movies - a gift from my dad. I've decided I'll definitely won't be watching it on my own, but in company... just to see other people's reactions - not because I'm a wuss or anything ;)

Speaking of movies Somerset House is doing it's annual 'bring a picnic and watch open-air movies' thing. asthier and I cannot decide on which movie to see, although it looks like we'll be going for Princess Bride <--- I am still to see this movie. We're also looking for something to see at the IMAX as neither of us have been in years, perhaps the new Pirates.

Movies go-ers:

Poll #1752470
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 48

Do you go to the cinema?

What makes you decide which movie to see?

Would seeing one of the main stars doing an interview/promo on TV influence you seeing a movie?

Are you more inclined to see a movie where you recognise the director/actors rather than 'an unknown'?

Do age ratings influence your movie decisions?

I knew it was going to be one of those days today when upon entering the side gate at work I was greeted by a woman squating and pissing through her pants.

[originally mentioned on FB]

We have a cat in Poland. What started off as a completely ferral little shit who hissed and scratched at you whenever you walked past, ended up being our family pet who is just awfully sleepy all the time and lies on his back waiting for belly scrathes as soon as he sees you.

He also has great big balls.

My parents have decided that as it has gotten warmer we should spay him so that he can heal in time for the colder months (and not start spraying the furniture in the house). So my dad booked a vet appointment, got a cage and drove him. He said that literally four steps away from the vet door the cat started to freak out and somehow opened the cage with his paw and ran. My dad was even more upset that when he called his name out he ran even faster away from him.

My parents went looking for him. They went down all the small alleyways calling out the traditional Polish way of invoking cats kici kici. My mum said soon they found themselves quickly vacating the area as they succeeded in waking every single dog and cat in the neighbourhood and they didn't want to get a bollocking from some pissed off perosn. they carried on looking, but to no avail.

Fast forward two weeks. My mum was doing the gardening and, lo and behold, the cat just casually strolled towards her and plonked himself right in front of her. He managed to navigate his way home all the way from the vet! We are talking about going from a city center, through roads, backyards and a small forest.

Apparently he now won't shut up about the journey he had. It's been two days and he still hasn't finished.

I swear there's some canine in him.

Again in the gossip corner at work we were talking about a show called Made in Chelsea (I am not sure whether it's still on TV). I haven't seen an episode, but from the conversations I gathered that it's about real-life residents of Chelsea and their lifestyles. There was a guy on the programme, single, who was explaining what he looked for in a girlfriend. Immediately his first comment was "she has to shop in boutiques in Chelsea and have one-off pieces of clothing". If he were going out with someone and spotted a high-street label in her wardrobe (GAP, H&M, Topshop) he would dump her right on the spot.

They say first impressions count. And I'd say his wasn't good. He may have just gone on TV and repelled the entire female populus of the UK. Unless there is someone as douchy sounding as him.

But anyway, in a roundabout way this brings me to the next point.

Poll #1748145
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 40

Do you have a "thing" for designer clothes?

Seeing as I am a girl who owns amazing Miu Miu sunglasses, which I purchased for a whopping 4euros in Corfu last October, I wouldn't say I am label obsessed. I am, however, through and through shoe obsessed. And within that niche the late Alexander McQueen is still my God.

So when I was invited to a sample sale I had to go. And now myself and my credit card are no longer on speaking terms. In short I am a magpie. And I cannot resist the allure of black suede with purple Swarovski crystals encrusted shoes.

( I can't find an exact pic, so lets imagine )

I need to find cheaper hobbies.

...and that none of my American LJ peeps think this way too :P



I kind of hear my work colleague who asked me whether they speak Czech in the Czech Republic echoed here.

I still feel awful today. So far I have spent the morning looking for new books - mainly travel guides. There are very few good ones out there aren't there? I probably should use this time to see whether there's anything going on in Paris in a fortnight. I have, in the process, bought a copy of this:
http://www.amazon.com/Go-F-Sleep-Adam-Mansbach/dp/1617750255/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304717329&sr=8-1
It's for asthier to read to me when my insomnia kicks in :)

I also suddenly have an urge to buy and read OJ's book. I can't explain where that came from. Perhaps the comedy writings of Susan Atkins have convinced me that all murderers are equally hilarious in explaining as to why they're not guilty.

I'm supposed to be going bowling tomorrow, but unless I can find a use for my newly found dripping like a tap superpower I might bail.

...not Nadine Dorries for once, because in all honesty as long as she's in politics that woman is never going to give anyone else a chance. No this week it goes to Kylie Grimes.

Kylie is suing her non-friend's dad, Mr Hawkins, for £6 million, because it is his fault she is now paralysed.

Perhaps I ought to go back a bit....
Katie Hawkins, daughter of Mr Hawkins, decided, in her parents' absence, to have a few friends over. After a brief stint in the pub that number grew to about 20. Katie said she neither invited Kylie to her house nor did she expect people to use the swimming pool.

You may have guessed. Drunk, Kylie jumped into the pool and hit her head with such force that she is now paralysed.

She is suing Mr Hawkins as her injuries were the result of Mr Hawkin's negligence or breach of his duties under the Occupier's Liability Act. This could've been avoided if the pool house was locked or warning notices were put up.

*rolls eyes* Yes, because a/ when I go away I always worry for the safety of the gate crashers first and foremost and b/ when people are drunk a warning sign would've made all the difference!

Using that logic I half expect my upstairs neighbours to sue the local council for not warning them of the dangers of drunkenly racing down four flights of stairs at 4AM to get more booze.

On a side note I seem to have developed a chest infection in a record two days. I have quit smoking almost 3 weeks ago and I feel worse than I have before. I would like to go home now.

12 days till Paris.

I will have my rant once I get a few more minutes spare. But I will leave you with this for now.

Article on the BBC here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12970105

Feminism had made it harder for working class men to get ahead in life. Feminism trumped egalitarianism. It is not that I am against feminism, it's just that is probably the single biggest factor.

And if you think that was bad look at some of the comments...

Article found by czol on FB

Is the Great LJ Outage of 2011 over yet? I should've done a post of 'during the Great LJ Outage I...'. Well I got on with work.

This morning I have read that they will be remaking Agatha Christie's Miss Marple with Jennifer Garner as the heroine. The producers wish to make Miss Marple into a younger, more-contemporary version. What was wrong with the old one? If they are doing the same stories they can't exactly change the plot. Or can they? Next they'll be remaking Poirot with some young, skinny hipster, and lets face it NO ONE can equal David Suchet.

I've recently been making John watch Studio Ghibli films with me. We both prefer watching the original version subtitled. We did, however, make an exception with Howl's Moving Castle as the English dubbing had a good cast (Billy Crystal as Calcifer is amazing).

But generally regarding foreign films... have a poll.

Poll #1724959
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 43

Foreign films: which statements are true for you?

With foreign films I prefer to have them

How do you feel about remakes?

I'm lagging a little behind on LJ - I will remedy this tonight/tomorrow night.

You know your level of IQ is rapidly dropping when you start having lengthy conversations regarding bodily functions. Next it'll be re-enacting them in crowded places. I am possibly one step away from putting mayo into a toaster with a metal fork.

I digress. I wanted to thank you guys for the last techie help. The only issue I am still having is Firefox occasionally running slow and once a month crashing its flash plugin. My laptop seems to be suffering from PMT O_o Poor little Tachikoma.

Poll #1723687
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: None, participants: 28

Which anti-virus system do you use?

I have Windows 7 - which would you recommend?

Is there anything else I can use to keep my laptop tidy?