Battery hen essay feedback...

Had a meeting with my tutor earlier to get my feedback for the first essay;

"Battery cages and furnished cages for laying hens"

They don't give you a mark as such, but he said if he did it would be high 60%.
I was a bit mneh about it but he said that good :)

He said I could have done with a greater use of peer reviewed references which aren't technically used until 3rd year but I might aswell start using them now and get used to it.
Went through a few places to find them with me aswell, so hopefully do a bit better on the next one!

Mark Watson

Been to see Mark Watson! :)

I took Nat to the train station, home to Brum + on the way out I saw him waiting for a taxi.
Said Hi ... think I scared him a bit. He was nice though, said he looked forward to seeing me in 2 + a half hours! haha

Met friend Debs + got something to eat, up to the Arts Centre, sat down at half 7 ... 'very important' apparently.

MW came on with his laptop hooked up to a projector + Word open. Didn't say anything, just typed. Was about people walking in, Aber ... stuff like that. So thats why we had to be there early!

Anyway, he was really good.
Arts Centre is a bit funny 'cos the stage is wierd - low down + completely open - so he's really close to you, but thats probably a good thing. He mentioned 2 people talking to him at the train station though *yay*

It finished + we met him outside, everyone was queueing up for his book (I'd already bought mine!) + posters (which had ran out!).
Spoke to him, he remembered me scaring him at the station ... and remembered Debs 'cos she saw him in Brizzle a few weeks ago.
Said he saw my tweet :') - didn't tweet me back though *tuts* ;)
and then signed my book. He was actually really nice! Got a photo too ...

Nat ... still here.

So, he's been here a couple of days.

Got back from lectures earlier ...
Steam everywhere from the shower which sets the fire alarms off - theres an extractor fan + a window. Use them.
Bathroom soaking wet
Carpet in my rooms was all wet
Crisps + pasta all over the kitchen floor?
He'd opened my post!!
and got 2 viruses on my laptop -_-

Then he said I was in a mood.

Told Mother she can have him back.



Retard

Saturday...

Went to bed some time after 3 so didn't get up 'till 1 today!

Nothing much goes on on campus at the weekend so we just sat in the kitchen talking. Decided to go to Morrisons at about half 2 ... sat around waiting for someone to get ready for 2 hours then finally left.

Spent about £15 which I didn't think was too bad for a weeks shopping. Nat bought some stuff for him too but he's just been stealing mine aswell! :P

Had fish fingers, chips + beans for tea :)) and we then sat in the kitchen + watched the X Factor 'cos my friend was in the audience on the front row!

Nat here

Found out this morning that I had a lab practical this afternoon - till 5. Meant to be at the station at half 3.
Loads of clashes so 3 different modules want to have practicals on the same Friday afternoons - "We'll just push them back to the end of November" ... which is when The National is!

Anyway, the practical was actually quite good. Had some human blood + had to do tests to determine the blood groups 8)
Told Nat to get the later train here, so got to the station just as he got here.
Got the bus up the hill to here, sat around + went to CK's to get drinks.

We had a couple of drinks here + then got a taxi to town. Went to Academy 'till it closed at 1ish ... off to The Castle for a bit then got bored + left! Walked along the sea front in the pouring rain, Hollywood Pizza looked far too tempting so went in there to get chips and called a taxi.

Tickets

Have booked my tickets to next go home. On the 19th November so can work the National Poultry show that weekend :)

£15 single from Aber to Brum so not too bad. Theres a stop at Shrewsbury half way so think I'm meeting my friend + then getting back on the train a couple of hours later :)


Theres also an NUS protest thing about the increasing tuition fees, so Aber are sending a coach load of people to London to that, the 2nd week in November so I've booked my ticket for that too. Should be good, even if its just a day to London!

Equine assessment...

Had to do a write up of an equine practical we did last week ... about a model horse.
We basically made a horse out of model pieces, internal organs and skeleton, then were expected to do a 2000 word assignment about it!


Finished it at about 1am this morning, due in for 9. Went to the 24 hour printer to print it ... broken.
Wondered around campus for about an hour with my friend looking for one of the other printers but they weren't where they said they should be. The library building was open, just need to swipe your Aber card to get in ... all the lights were off + it was dead in there...

Eventually went to bed at about 3, got up at half 7. Got to the library at half 8, when it opened, quickly printed it off and literally just managed to get to my 8:34 bus as the doors were closing, to get to the other campus!
Got there in time and handed it in .... sorted.

Such boring lectures this afternoon. Got in at 3 and fell asleep for an hour :)

Storms a brewin'

Went to town this afternoon to meet my chickeny friend Debs 'cos she had a meeting in Aber. Went to the beach + then to the Pier for pizza.

Weather was really wierd, wasn't very cold but was really windy + the sea was really choppy.
Looked quite nice though...


At the pier there were literally 1000's of starlings flying about the place. At one point they were all on top of the castle and all flew down to the sea. Doesn't look as good on here but you get the point...
Video: Aberystwyth Pier Starlings:

Finished my first essay!

I've finished my first essay :)
Was self titled, so of course it had to be about chickens.

Battery cages and Furnished cages for laying hens

Just went on about how bad battery cages are, welfare problems, how furnished have tried to fix a few of the problems. Stuff like that.
I got 4 books out from the library so I had stuff to reference to, but they were 50 years out of date, so got a load of stats off the DEFRA website and journals so referenced to that. They say don't use online sources 'cos they can change and anyone could have written them, but its better than being old stuff, esp as furnished cages didn't exist back then.

Its in for 9am on Tuesday but have been + printed it and will hand it in tomorrow, a day early O:)

Ministry of Sound in town

Ministry of Sound were at the Union tonight :)

We played Ring of Fire before we went, got there + it was a bit dead for the first half hour but then it picked up + was a really good night.
Came back here at about 3 and we sat in the kitchen + played SingStar on the Playstation

... of course I won most of them ;) ... just not Madness, Becky won that! and didn't even bother trying the rapping ones!

I was siik at Karma Chameleon aswell :P

Finally rolled into bed gone 6...

Bought a book...

... spent £45 :/

Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, 7th Edition.
Thats with a Student Discount!

They want us to get an Introduction to Animal Science, asked the woman at the shop how much it was ... £145.
I don't think so.

First assignment set

Only 1 equine lecture today :D
Went to the library after to get some book for my first essay assignment ... about Battery hens :D

Its basically why are battery cages so bad and what do they think is better about furnished ones.
Self titled of course ;) - my tutor asked what I wanted it to be about - chickens (silly question really) - and so suggested that.
Only trouble is all the books in the library are from the 60's and they said don't use the internet 'cos anyone can write it - but the stuff is 50+ years out of date so not the current battery conditions!
Tried to find some journals to reference but couldn't find anything.

Then to the book shop to spent £50 on one book! Anatomy + Physiology of Farm Animals. The other one about Animal Science we need is £150! then there's a few more on top of that...

They've said they're inspecting our rooms on Saturday but have lectures all day on Fri, so started to un-pack the rest of my stuff and tidy up a bit :)

Sarah Millican

Just been and bought 3 tickets for Sarah Millican!! :))

She's on at the Arts Centre, 5 min walk from my room, of that, on the 19th March.
Only £15 which I think is a bargain...

Nat + Danny are coming up (well, across) to come + see her, probably stay for the weekend or something 'cos its on a Saturday.

Excited

Khaotic weekend at home!

Have been home for the weekend! :)

Left Aber at half 3 on Friday, got the train in to New St at about half 6.
The show is on this week, "Khaotic" - the Fred Karno story, at the Old Rep, so I crossed the road and went backtage through the Stage Door. Didn't tell everyone what time I'd be back so surprised them :)
Show went fine, I just stayed side of stage and helped with props + quick changes; people hand you costumes or leave them somewhere then come running over in a panic needing to you get them on!
Went out for a curry with everyone after and drove home; got breathalised on the wayout of Brum but hadn't had a drink so was fine.

Got a couple of photos, one backstage...

...and one out front after the show.


Woke up on Sat, really confused where I was. Looked out the window. Chickens running about. Home :)
Grumps was at the Drs + needed to go to the hospital but couldn't drive, so I had to drop Mom at him so she could drive his car + then they went to the hospital. I went via the "Big sis's" house and to see some friends after, pub for lunch, then the hosp said they needed to do ECG + more tests and they were keeping him in overnight!
I was already on the way to town so carried on + met Nat there. Did the show - few people had to understudy Grumps, bit of a mad rush for everyone, then the Get-Out to take all the sets + costumes out the theatre.
Drove home ... took an hour to get from New St to Broad St (half a mile?) 'cos the tunnels were shut!!

Went to see Dad on Sunday morning, then they said he could come out so I drove us home :) Went back, packed stuff to come back here. Aunt dropped me off at Shrewsbury station to save me getting an extra 4 trains + a bus.
Only took a couple of hours to get back to Aber :)

Had to walk up the hill with my bags.
Nearly died.
Thats pretty much my weekend...

Home

I'm going home later!!! :)

Haven't really missed home too much 'cos have been soo busy doing things to really miss it, but am reeeeeeally looking forward to going back now.

I miss...

Mother, Grumps + Nat
Friends
The chickens
Being able to text everyone and just go out
Driving
Orange Wednesdays
The ice machine in the freezer

Foam Party

There was a foam party at the Union tonight!!

We had to get tickets for a fiver, saved queueing to get one at the door too!


Got soaked in the foam. Soo good though!

Snowman/Father Christmas anyone??

Start of lectures!!

Today ... we started lectures!

Up before 8, for a lecture on the other farmy campus at 9. It was Animal Science - was alright. Found out we get to do 3 practicals for that module; Reproductive tract of the sow and ewe, Digestive tract of the sheep and Digestive tract of the pig.
Should be good.

Back over to this campus when we should have had a lecture but was cancelled this week, then back over there for an Equine Anatomy and Physiology lecture.
That one we do 4 labs; Visual Horse and Skeleton, Leg and Foot, Head and Digestive Tract dissections! 8)


Don't have anything else today 'cos we'd normally have practicals.
Its tipping it down with rain but I had to go + get some bread and milk - got soaked!

Student Loan came through today aswell so thats sorted for a bit :)