I'm just back from seeing Happy Feet with ex-colleague AA in Reading's Vue cinema. If I'm counting correctly it's the fourth film I've seen this year.
The cinema was nice but there were far too many crying munchkins and the film was not the sort of thing I'd have taken my 2 or three year old to see: far too many scary bits.
I had a very nice Xmas at CM's with her son and her son's fiancee. We exchanged a few gifts and had turkey with trimmings and watched two banal episodes of Deal or No Deal which I will never watch again. We'd had our Christmas quiz at work the Wednesday before at work which was a laugh, so I had my fill of Xmas spirit.
I took the day off Wednesday to train up to Banbury to see the Gran. Unfortunately Virgin only saw fit to put on a 4 carriage train (one reserved for 1st class) for the 832 passengers and their assorted suitcases, christmas gifts, children and other unimportant items, so it was a tight fit. Gran was in good form though and we had a nice chat.
I took of Thursday as well and did nothing. Work is slow with the lady boss away in Greece for 3 weeks. I still have my final exam coming up next Tuesday so that's this week's plan.
This story has ruined my week, if not my entire Christmas:
An 11-year-old boy hanged himself from his bunk bed after being subjected to months of bullying at school.
Ben Vodden was found unconscious with a noose around his neck after he came home from school on Tuesday.
His parents and paramedics desperately tried to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at Worthing Hospital later the same day.
The talented baseball player was bullied by a gang of children his own age who regularly kicked, punched and taunted him after he joined Tanbridge House School in Horsham in September.
Staff at the Diamond Cuisine takeaway beside the stop where Ben would get off the school bus said today that they often saw the boy being violently abused. His tormentors even 'whipped him' with a shoelace two weeks ago, said one member of staff.
He said: "He would get punched, kicked and whipped. It was non-stop for him. I saw him get off the bus with lots of other kids around his own age and they just laid into him.
"They tied a shoelace into knots and whipped him. They were calling him all sorts of names and punching him."
Another worker said: "He had just started at the secondary school earlier this year so was coming up against children he didn't know.
"They obviously picked on him and he has ended up dead because of it. It's unbelievable how cruel children can be. They just don't know the effects on other children.
"The look on Ben's face when he was being bullied was terrible to see. I just hope he's in a better place now."
Ben's parents, Paul and Caroline Vodden, and his 17-year-old sister Alice, paid tribute to him in a family statement: "From the moment he was born, Ben was brimful of character and always fun to be with. He had a wonderful way with words and his lively personality and clever quips were a constant source of amusement to everyone who knew him. Ben was friendly and caring towards everyone he met, whether adults or children of any age, and he had a deep sense of loyalty towards his friends and family.
"He enjoyed playing out with his friends, whether cycling, building dens or playing sport. His most prized possessions were his baseball bat, glove and ball, trophies from last season's Junior Baseball League.
"Ben was a wonderful, caring, happy and loyal person with a great sense of individuality.
"We loved him from the moment he was born and we will miss him desperately every day for the rest of our lives."
Robert Burnie, chairman of Ben's baseball club, described his death as an 'absolutely horrific and a terrible tragedy'. He said: "We know there was an element of bullying involved and the club is now launching a zero tolerance anti-bullying campaign and is hoping to name the field where we play Ben Field in his memory."
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children described Ben's death as 'appalling' and called for greater action to eradicate bullying in schools.
Labels: blogging
12/17/2006 11:28:00 PM
Thursday, December 07, 2006
That's my Senator!
At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall. But it wasn't long before Bush found him.
"How's your boy?" Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq.
"I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme.
"That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?"
"That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly, ending the conversation on the State Floor of the East Wing of the White House.
Labels: politics
12/07/2006 11:11:00 PM
A Big, Fat, Red "D"
I found out yesterday that I wasn't short-listed for the £5000 bursaries that are being given away by my school this year. I wasn't too disappointed, but it just seemed odd that it took so long and that none of the other students whom I thought would have made the list did so either. I guess I'll just have to stick with my original plan to pay for this particular degree.
Speaking of, my prof emailed a preliminary evaluation of my second and third projects, which I'd turned in a fortnight ago. It seems to ensure fair grading it's marked by the prof and then by another university prof and then by an independent scorer. I wasn't looking forward to reading the evaluation as I didn't want it to throw me into a funk, and I knew I could have done a better job.
I got a D. There are only three grades: Fail, Pass, and Distinction.
Labels: uni
12/07/2006 10:53:00 PM
