My final exam was on Friday the 27th of
April and I've handed in my dissertation a few days early. So that is the end
of that. University is finally over. Three long years. I actually can't believe
it.
I find myself at a loss as what to do next.
Obviously I'm sticking around here until my tenancy is up on the house. The aim? Get drunk and celebrate. After that I'll return home and back to the daily grind at work. But what about after that?
The future looms large on the horizon, and all those distant questions of what I intended to do with the rest of my life draw ever closer, and with it the need to clarify all of the vague plans I have put together in order to justify the path I have chosen to take thus far. It is quite an overwhelming prospect, and something I will have to seriously think about over the coming months.
While all this is very practical I can't help but reflect on the time that has gone by, and how I have changed. I'll admit my personality hasn't changed drastically, nor have my views. Rhetoric and overblown comparisons aside I have always seen myself as a very liberal/socialist oriented person. Up until now I could only put this down to irrational emotions and a pragmatic approach to reality and events. However, I feel that my ideals have shifted slightly, and I have a renewed sense of justification behind them. While they are still liberal and socialist, they have more philosophical and moral weight behind them. Indeed, this is largely down to my academic experiences. The 'individualistic' approach to human rights and the Buddhist/Gandhian Hinduism principle of Ahisma, or non-violence and truth, provide the moral foundations and justification I feel I had been previously been lacking. While separate concepts, they are both similar in their approach; rights only exist in relation to other rights; one must respect the other and thus observe their rights in order for those to do the same. I admit the principle is contestable, and while universal in theory, not so in application, and yet I can't help but feel that it is an entirely justified approach. I think I'll return to this debate in the future.
On a less serious note; the lack of immediate work commitments means I am finally allowed to return to unfinished projects and open myself up to the possibility of new ones. I have been chomping at the bit in excitement over this prospect.
I can finally return to hobbying.
I have several armies that I need to finish off and/or expand on. I am especially looking forward to painting my Grey Knights and finishing the Deathwatch. I have my Necromunda gang to finish, and terrain to build for all games.
In addition to these I want to start a heresy era Thousands Sons army and Emperors Children army. This will allow me to incorporate some of the older armour marks (Check them out on Forgeworld) and some of the newer stuff too.
I can get round to Gaming again.
I will have the time to sort my Desktop computer out, and get round to completing all the games I've bought over the past three years and not finished (and in some cases not even played). I'm looking forward to playing some Minecraft and finally getting round to immersing myself in Skyrim. Obviously I'll be bashing out the staples of any gamers life; Multiplayer games. If anyone wants to challenge me to Fifa, Call of Duty and so on, drop a comment/send me a message and we'll sort something out (funnily enough my Gamertag is my blog profile name: DarKHaZZl3)
Another aspect of gaming I want to get into a lot more is board gaming. Seriously! My friends from home have started playing Civilization the board game; I had one game, and it is amazing. Tense, exciting and unpredictable. Everything you want from a good strategy game.
So far these are very average plans wouldn't you say? I would. It is not that I don't want to partake in these activities, I really do! They do lack a certain ambition, and that is where the main source of excitement is coming from for me.
While at University I have been attracted to the YouTube/podcast gaming community. If you are unfamiliar with this you should check out my recommendations (Top right of the blog)). It might not to be everyone's taste but I've really enjoyed the style of KSIOlajidebt and the Yogscast.
This got me thinking. The one constant problem that was highlighted by my experience at University was distance; it was increasingly difficult for everyone to get together and enjoy gaming and such, as we had done in the past. It hit me recently, 'why not do podcasting?' Recording games of Civ, RISK and everything else we play, so that those who can't make it can still enjoy the jokes and banter that goes on. So at some point in the future that is exactly what we're going to do! The recordings will go up on YouTube/iTunes/ a website or blog, and then we can share these experiences with each other, and anyone else who fancies joining in. Stay tuned for updates on this!
I also haven't done a 'serious' blog in a while. This isn't for lack of topics; there are plenty of things that have really agitated me in the past few years, and I have a topic lined up for my next post already.
If you want a preview it it will be about modern Feminism; the risk of female chauvinism.
The basic argument is that feminism is extremely important, but when the focus shifts from education and changing social norms, to changing rights norms it is counter productive; especially when one understands the liberal conception of the 'individual' nature of rights. It moves into an 'expansive' form, this ultimately means that women while protecting their rights (as they should), stop looking at themselves (which they shouldn't). The whole point of rights is that it protects individuals, as humans. By being expansive one runs the risk of dehumanising men, which is exactly the opposite of what equality in gender is meant to be aiming to do. In no way am I suggesting that men aren't blameless; far from it, but that feminists should be careful of being ignorant to their own activities and the idiocy of sweeping generalisation. (as should we all). I'll talk more about this next time; I might even combine it with the liberal/Ahisma post.
Anyway, that is enough for now. Feel free to comment/message me about any of the above. Peaceout!
-DH-
I find myself at a loss as what to do next.
Obviously I'm sticking around here until my tenancy is up on the house. The aim? Get drunk and celebrate. After that I'll return home and back to the daily grind at work. But what about after that?
The future looms large on the horizon, and all those distant questions of what I intended to do with the rest of my life draw ever closer, and with it the need to clarify all of the vague plans I have put together in order to justify the path I have chosen to take thus far. It is quite an overwhelming prospect, and something I will have to seriously think about over the coming months.
While all this is very practical I can't help but reflect on the time that has gone by, and how I have changed. I'll admit my personality hasn't changed drastically, nor have my views. Rhetoric and overblown comparisons aside I have always seen myself as a very liberal/socialist oriented person. Up until now I could only put this down to irrational emotions and a pragmatic approach to reality and events. However, I feel that my ideals have shifted slightly, and I have a renewed sense of justification behind them. While they are still liberal and socialist, they have more philosophical and moral weight behind them. Indeed, this is largely down to my academic experiences. The 'individualistic' approach to human rights and the Buddhist/Gandhian Hinduism principle of Ahisma, or non-violence and truth, provide the moral foundations and justification I feel I had been previously been lacking. While separate concepts, they are both similar in their approach; rights only exist in relation to other rights; one must respect the other and thus observe their rights in order for those to do the same. I admit the principle is contestable, and while universal in theory, not so in application, and yet I can't help but feel that it is an entirely justified approach. I think I'll return to this debate in the future.
On a less serious note; the lack of immediate work commitments means I am finally allowed to return to unfinished projects and open myself up to the possibility of new ones. I have been chomping at the bit in excitement over this prospect.
I can finally return to hobbying.
I have several armies that I need to finish off and/or expand on. I am especially looking forward to painting my Grey Knights and finishing the Deathwatch. I have my Necromunda gang to finish, and terrain to build for all games.
In addition to these I want to start a heresy era Thousands Sons army and Emperors Children army. This will allow me to incorporate some of the older armour marks (Check them out on Forgeworld) and some of the newer stuff too.
I can get round to Gaming again.
I will have the time to sort my Desktop computer out, and get round to completing all the games I've bought over the past three years and not finished (and in some cases not even played). I'm looking forward to playing some Minecraft and finally getting round to immersing myself in Skyrim. Obviously I'll be bashing out the staples of any gamers life; Multiplayer games. If anyone wants to challenge me to Fifa, Call of Duty and so on, drop a comment/send me a message and we'll sort something out (funnily enough my Gamertag is my blog profile name: DarKHaZZl3)
Another aspect of gaming I want to get into a lot more is board gaming. Seriously! My friends from home have started playing Civilization the board game; I had one game, and it is amazing. Tense, exciting and unpredictable. Everything you want from a good strategy game.
So far these are very average plans wouldn't you say? I would. It is not that I don't want to partake in these activities, I really do! They do lack a certain ambition, and that is where the main source of excitement is coming from for me.
While at University I have been attracted to the YouTube/podcast gaming community. If you are unfamiliar with this you should check out my recommendations (Top right of the blog)). It might not to be everyone's taste but I've really enjoyed the style of KSIOlajidebt and the Yogscast.
This got me thinking. The one constant problem that was highlighted by my experience at University was distance; it was increasingly difficult for everyone to get together and enjoy gaming and such, as we had done in the past. It hit me recently, 'why not do podcasting?' Recording games of Civ, RISK and everything else we play, so that those who can't make it can still enjoy the jokes and banter that goes on. So at some point in the future that is exactly what we're going to do! The recordings will go up on YouTube/iTunes/ a website or blog, and then we can share these experiences with each other, and anyone else who fancies joining in. Stay tuned for updates on this!
I also haven't done a 'serious' blog in a while. This isn't for lack of topics; there are plenty of things that have really agitated me in the past few years, and I have a topic lined up for my next post already.
If you want a preview it it will be about modern Feminism; the risk of female chauvinism.
The basic argument is that feminism is extremely important, but when the focus shifts from education and changing social norms, to changing rights norms it is counter productive; especially when one understands the liberal conception of the 'individual' nature of rights. It moves into an 'expansive' form, this ultimately means that women while protecting their rights (as they should), stop looking at themselves (which they shouldn't). The whole point of rights is that it protects individuals, as humans. By being expansive one runs the risk of dehumanising men, which is exactly the opposite of what equality in gender is meant to be aiming to do. In no way am I suggesting that men aren't blameless; far from it, but that feminists should be careful of being ignorant to their own activities and the idiocy of sweeping generalisation. (as should we all). I'll talk more about this next time; I might even combine it with the liberal/Ahisma post.
Anyway, that is enough for now. Feel free to comment/message me about any of the above. Peaceout!
-DH-
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