As if I could ever understand…

Hello there, Avid Readers. I need an opinion. Or, failing that, a silent void in which to vent my bewilderment.

I’ve been reading the i newspaper pretty much since it came out (on and off, I’m not made of 20p pieces!). I think it’s a pleasantly concise read, with fairly broad subjects, without the majority of ‘celeb’ driven ‘news’ that adorns the pages of the red tops. Not that I don’t dip into the tabloids now and then for a patronising chuckle. I’m digressing. Something I’ve never understood about the i, a paper which, in my opinion, is attractive to younger professionals and their ilk ,as it’s not full of as much waffle as stories from most other broadsheets etc. is what on earth is with the cartoon strip?

First of all, I think a cartoon strip is out of place in the i to begin with, but… que cera. As if… by Sally Ann Lasson has not only failed to make me laugh, or even smile. But it has started to make me doubt in our society’s sense of humour. Maybe it isn’t supposed to be funny? As far as I can tell it’s aimed at middle-aged women, which completely goes against my world view of the i. if it was the Daily Mail I’d understand, but… maybe I’m over thinking it.

Here’s a link to the artists page: https://secure.mrsite.co.uk/usersitesv18/sallyannlasson.com/wwwroot/index.htm

Maybe someone else can find something about it that I’m missing, and explain it to my hurty brain.

Peace out. And much love.

The Final A-level: I'm Sorry, Your Princess is in Another University.

Or, more likely, she's quite possibly not in any of them.

That's right folks, the time of year arrived in which, here in the UK, our young gather in their droves at schools all across the country to open the dreaded brown envelope and find out their A-level results. This was, of course, a couple of days ago, but you see where I'm going.

As a matter of fact, this year has been even better than the last 29 years worth of improving results (pause for right-wingers to whine about how standards have been slipping. Maybe with an "In my day..." thrown in for good measure). But, behind the newspaper's pictures of, as the i puts it, "girls with long glossy hair embracing each other on a lawn with mellow stone buildings in the background," (see link below for an attempt to prove this statement) is the rather large problem facing a huge majority of would-be applicants, that there are about thirty thousand vacancies left, for nearly two hundred thousand applicants going through clearing. Those kinds of figures make me very glad to have gotten in when I did. If I had dilly-dallied I might have had to actually get a job!

Some have put this crushing number of students down to a (rather fervent) wish to get in before fees rise in 2012. Whether or not this is the case, it remains to be seen if universities are going to just say 'bugger it' and start taking bribes. Or, perhaps more likely perhaps not, decide between the types of student will benefit them the most: The rich privileged kiddywinkles who rock up in 'Daddy's lotus,' or the students from minority groups and underprivileged backgrounds which help to keep up appearances for the equal opportunities parade (ooh controversy!).

I do wonder what will happen for the students that have the grades, or near enough, but don't have their places. Will they simply wait and try again next year? And if so, will that create an almost permanent queue to which future students will have to join the back of? I'd say something cheerful about the world always needing bin men, but I'm not sure that's what they want to hear right now.

Hey, there's always Big Brother!
For some reason...

But until then, here's some sexy A-level pictures:  http://sexyalevels.tumblr.com/