Letters
November 1 2003
Page 9
grletters@cf.ac.uk
The gair rhydd letters page
Yours respectfully, Mark, 2nd year History.
Letters is supported by UGC Cinemas, Cardiff All apologies: Dear gair rhydd, Nearly 2 years ago, in a mischievous mood, I decided to wind someone up. Being of Welsh descent, and knowing sufficient Welsh people to be aware of how easily provoked they are on the issue of their nationality, I picked this soft target. Now, for my part, I admit that this was cowardice. However, as a stalwart anti-nationalist (for example, I condemn the UK failing to enter Europe for reasons of national pride), the whole England/Wales thing has always been foremost in my mind. Especially when I felt so rejected here in what I had thought of as my second nation. So, I suppose, I add ‘retaliatory’ and ‘patronising’ to my list of crimes. I was, however, as many of you may recall, slated for these crimes in this paper at the time. I issued an apology then, which, while not entirely humble, was freely given. I was therefore quite offended to find, in this week's issue that the letter editor had decided to dredge my letter up again. Despite it saying at the bottom that letters may be omitted for reasons of space! Clearly someone thought of a better reply, but you were 2 full years too late. So I hope we can now let this lie. PS. In another letter, I was asked what is wrong with Britain today. The answer is simple: we've become too informed to believe in the farce that we call the "mother of democracies". At least, however, most of us are above the meaningless nostalgia for unenlightened times. PPS. I’m not racist, although one leading member of Plaid Cymru seems to be: "the English are buying holiday homes in Wales to escape from the Black and Asian communities in their cities". Yours, James Landon (the "wish I was Welsh" Alien) Bugger. Well and truly busted. The original letter went into a letters page in the first week of the semester, when my letterssack was lying decidedly flaccid and impotent. Nobody was writing in, because the term had just started - so I recycled a controversial past letter in the hope that: a) it would stimulate debate (which it did) and b) the original perpertrator had finished their course. When I took over at the start of this year, I made sure
civilization not seen since we rebuilt Germany and Japan from the ashes of a far greater war.
There’s so much wrong with this, I don’t know where to start. So I won’t. Instead, I invite one of the basket-weaving hippies from people and planet or some other better informed soul to respond.
that all letters are now via email, and are deleted as soon as they go in. I give you my solemn oath that this will not happen again. Heh heh.
WMDs: Weapons of Mass Deceit Dear gair rhydd, Apologies in advance, but I'm in rant mode. After a glorious summer, and excellent TV seeing Saddam overthrown, uni seems somewhat different, and it suddenly hit me why. There's no idiot student socialists running around handing out leaflets and organising how they would firstly prevent us going to war, and then end the war. Well the war was over pretty damn quick but I doubt they were all that pleased with the outcome. But, alas, they have not given up hope, now there’s "end the occupation" flyers plastered all over the place. I still find it hard to comprehend why some people still resent the fact that we went to war (300,000 deaths the Red Cross estimated Saddam had caused, wasn't it?). So we haven't found any WMDs. Who the hell cares now? So what if Iraqi oil was a big part of this equation? We still managed to defeat a dictator. I've heard students saying the UN should be involved. I agree - so does George W. Bush; it was the UN that told him to take a run and jump and that we're on our own in Iraq. Will it turn out alright in the end? No one knows, it may yet go tits up, but would that justify not taking out Saddam in the first place and giving the Iraqis hope? I think not. Whatever system of governance Iraq ends up with, I don't think anyone can realistically say that it’s going to be any worse for the Iraqis than the Ba'athist regime it has replaced, and the chances are it’s going to be much, much better. I've given up on the socialists. They fail to accept that socialism has gone the way of Ba'athism, and neither are coming back. However there are an awful lot of people that obviously didn't want war, and that's fair enough, but the war is over now. We have a chance to build a new, democratic, capitalist Iraq, prosperous and free, and I for one hope we succeed. Let’s ignore the idiotic ramblings of the far left; instead let’s hope that Coalition forces in Iraq manage a victory for democratic
Students: best before end... Dear gair rhydd, You see, in America it makes sense because the first year is called your "freshman" year. They have silly names like that there, along with sophomore, junior and all that guff, so it doesn't seem that stupid. The point is, our first year here at Cardiff is not called our freshman year, so why do we call these nonfreshman folk "freshers"? Is it because they are a refreshing change to the last year's stale student population, or because they are somehow getting more showers than the rest of us and thus smelling fresher? Perhaps these people wake up earlier in the morning, or are scientifically proven to get tired a lot less than your leading brand student? Or is it just because, being new, they are deemed fresh by default? If so, then the question must be asked: fresher than what? I mean, a second or third year student could be, depending on the quality of their vacation, just as fresh if not more so than a first year. Imagine a first year student who spent all summer desperately studying and reading up on the subject they are about to take a degree in, surely they are a lot less fresh than a third year who spent the summer again like a tabula rasa. Obviously the conclusion here is that before enrolment there should be some sort of formal testing to determine who is freshest and who is not so fresh, the outcome of which will give the true legal right to be called "fresher" to those who are legitimately fresher than the others instead of just taking such things for granted. Or maybe a card game, with high monetary stakes. Come to think of it, wouldn't a casino session be much more fun than the whole tired enrolment process? Such things trouble me greatly. But I guess it is best to be troubled greatly then to be merely troubled poorly and slightly half-heartedly, as if that which troubles couldn't really give a motherfuck about the troubling it is doing and might as well have stayed at home in bed. Still, it would be nice to know what's going on. Just generally.
Sticky rubber (duck) Dear gair rhydd, I went to Rubber Duck this week, had a good time, shook my arse like the funky mofo that I am, and left at closing time. When leaving, I had the usual affliction of all who choose to dance in Solus - sticky & spiky feet. This is due to the number of bottles just thrown on the floor, which break; spreading sticky shite and, more alarmingly, glass all over the floor. When I lifted my foot to assess the situation, I cut my finger quite badly. Obviously not the best end to a midweek sesh! I do not blame the bottle droppers, because we have NOWHERE to dispose of bottles! There’s not even any flat surfaces to dump them on, cos you can’t get near tables, and you don’t wanna stop jiving that long! A system which I've seen work in other clubs is to install big 'bottle banks'. Then you can simply dump the offending items into the banks, and the floor remains clean! Cheers, 'Injured & Sticky' Technically, you’re not allowed glass on the dancefloor anyway (sounds like a Michael Jackson song). And, the very reason you’re
not supposed to is because, as you found out, people cut themselves. Don’t take bottles with you when you’re out throwing shapes.
Politicians are your friends Dear gair rhydd, I was not so delighted to read the 'letter of the week' in the last edition of gair rhydd (25/10/03) and I would like to point out that Jon Owen Jones works tirelessly in order to get the best solution for everyone. I do not believe that Jon Owen Jones denied that he voted for tuition fees, and those meetings he has had with students (at which I have been present at least), he has always made his case for tuition fees. Out of all the politicians I have been involved with, Jon Owen Jones is perhaps the most sincere, and it’s the unaffordable and erratic policies of the Liberal Democrats that need to be questioned! Tom Neilson (Astrophysics, Labour Student) HAAAAhahahahahaaahaaha! Politicians! Sincere! Ha! This guy’s hilarious. But seriously, go and talk to those girls about appearing at the comedy club in Seren Las. You’ll have them in stiches.
07791 165 837 Leave rolls royce alone, they pay my dad’s wages- a wedge of which i piss away at the taf
Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy, and good with ketchup
Thumbs up to the english soc. footie team for actually scoring 2 goals this wk! only a 46 goal deficit now guys.
Dep-Ed: if u havnt SEEN the matrix, how do you know wot ‘overrated pretentious manque shite’ it is?
Stealage of the year! we stole an old lady from ponty who claimed to have killed people! ladies cricket rock! good girls. x
Piss off you smug bastard! If you won’t leave our girls alone at least learn to lie in and not wake us up! you greasy git luv44+96
Can somebody sack Bobber Hoddlienchenkiev! He’s crap.
I took your shoes, but u stole my heart. Where are u shoe boy? X
Yours fruitfully, Ernie Fullstop, Third year. “Ain’t nobody dope as me/I’m just so fresh so clean” (Outkast). It’s a fascinating conundrum. I say ‘fascinating’; I mean ‘vacuous’.
Email your letters to: grletters@cf.ac.uk - Planet of the Apes the original was a quality film. The quote comes from the end where Heston finally realises that he’s on earth. Tim Burton’s version was a pile of old toss, which is a shame, cos he’s a good director. “Re-imagining” my ass.