Consejo es de sabios perdonar injurias y olvidar agra.

Which essay to choose?

Essay Topics

1. Daniela Flesler argues that in our contemporary period, ‘if Spaniards have difficulty in welcoming Moroccan immigrants [. . .] it is not because of the immigrants’ cultural differences, as many argue, but because, like the Moriscos [and the Mudéjares before them] they are not different enough. Like Freud’s uncanny, or Derrida’s spectres, Moroccans become for Spaniards the return of the repressed.’ (Flesler 2008: 9). How far might your study EITHER of ‘Spain of the three cultures’ OR of state and society in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries bear out Flesler’s claim? What was repressed? Why?

2. Anne Cruz argues that in Lazarillo de Tormes, ‘Lazarillo’s story remarks on the beginnings of an alienated social force that will not be contained’. John Beverley argues that the text can be read ‘either as the satire of a proletariat in formation and its desire to climb the economic ladder, or as a criticism of the church and a hierarchical society.’ Which of these arguments do you find most convincing? Why?

3. The stability of a political system and of the power and authority of rulers, in Pierre Bourdieu’s words, ‘is best sustained when it is perceived not as arbitrary, i.e. as one possible order among others, but as a self-evident and natural order’. To what extent do Velázquez’s and El Greco’s images of power in sixteenth and seventeenth century Spain fit this description?

4. Goya’s late-eighteenth/early-nineteenth century art has been described by Gwynn Williams as the representation of a ‘necessary but impossible revolution’. To what extent might the Goya images you have studied fit this description? And to what extent might the representation of later nineteenth-century life in Alas’s ‘Adiós, Cordera’ also fit this description?







In other news, I have officially done some work, which for me is very impressive, and my life is more easily followed on Facebook these days. I heart Facebook.

I don't know how to feel about this whole Mark situation though. Well, I think I should still be upset, but I'm only sort of upset because I still like him, but I don't love him. And I think I was just in love with what we had before. I don't think we got that back when we got back together in October.

Such is.

Anyhoooooo I should think about getting up and going to Management, but if people get bored then drop me a text :)

Love love!!

So I've worked at McDonalds for an amazing month now.
I have a disturbing amount of burns, but I'm settling in.
I should blog more.
I wish I had the time.
Night xxxx

Welcome, one and all to the first of my Annual Christmas Blog Posts.
*sighs*
Wow, it's been quite eventful, this year, eh? I know I'm not supposed to be all nostalgic and/or reflective upon this year until New Year's but they get you thinking about whether you've been 'naughty' or 'nice' when you've been writing to Santa (when, not if), so I figure I'll do it now. Anyway, on New Year's I hope to be off my head, so that's that one solved.

This time last year, I'd just joined KYS, been really happy to be there, even if I was freezing my ass off (*shakes a fist*, damn you Bedgebusy School!) and I was meeting lots of new people.
This year, I was so ready to come home, it was unbelievable. I know I want to escape from all of this crap, but I suppose I just got used tothis crap. It's something I can deal with.

I've learnt a lot about myself, this year, too. I still can't deal with people too well. I still take thing too far. I still need a fair bit of time alone. I still have no motivation.
However, I do have a purple scarf and lots more friends, so that makes it all okay
I wish I was more extrovert and that I was a larger part within my groups of friends, so that's a new year's resolution - become more like I used to be before.. well, everything kicked off.

I'm still a miserable cow, I'm still just as depressing, I've just gotten better at the humour that so many of us use to cover it up.

My wit has gotten a little faster, and I've learnt about people and how they work more.

I've learnt a lot about medecine this year, due to various people being rather ill, and a lot, too, about the legal system because of the situation my family is in (but that's a whole other story).

I began MOO-ing this year, and it's been an interesting experience! I've met lots of different people and made some really good friends (you know who you are )

I went to France for work experience this year, and learnt a lot about French culture and some more of their language. I've learnt that some things are the same in any language...

I did my GCSEs this year, of course, and learned that I can pull off doing something vaguely well if I get my ass into gear and actually work. I've been jealous of all you people with straight As and A*s, and then I've realised that I'm happy with my B mean grade.

This year, I went to Holland with KYS and lots of things happened there!! I learnt a little bit of Dutch, too

This year saw me in a fair bit of boy-trouble, however, of various forms.
*I was banned from talking to one.
*I've (apparently) threatened someone's relationship
*I've had a few bodged ones of my own
*I've met a whole lot og guys
*I've got people liking me who I don't like back
*I've somehow managed to make some of them like me a little more than is normal (STALKER!syndrome)
And some other things in-between.

I've taken my role of Agony Aunt to the extreme this year, with my phones starting to go everywhere with me (yes, even when I go to have something to eat) just in case I'm needed by someone - and you'd be surprised how often it happens.
I'm not complaining, of course... no, not at all... I'm happy to help anyone... anyone at all.

I've discovered a lot about the world this year, but it's made me realise just how much I don't know.
I've realised, however, I don't want to know everything.

That's just be boring.


Season's Greetings to you all I hope that this period brings you all the joy and happiness you deserve.
Best wishes for the New Year and beyond.

Much love to all,
Laz x

An alternative PC Christmas Greeting (Happy Christmas)


Please accept with no obligation, implicit or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within
the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice, with total respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, and their choice not to practice religious or secular
traditions at all... and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2006, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Britain great (not to imply the Britain is necessarily greater than any other country nor is it the only "BRITAIN" in the northern hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith, sexual orientation and choice of computer platform of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wishee actually to implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.

This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.


Courtesy of Classic FM (I think)

I have nicked Clare's idea of posting some of what I've written. I know it's not really a novel, but this works better for me, and DON'T DIS. ( Please? ) I've been wanting to write this for a long time and it just seemed like the perfect excuse. I probably won't make NaNo, but it's worth a try, and I'll probably carry on with it afterwards.
It's not a whole scene, just the first part of it. Enjoy.

( Does anyone have any ideas of what to call this? )

... Whoops.