Ideas, Virgin and gas

3July 2012

It's happened again.  Just as I was settling last night I had a thought about something that would suite being posted on here.  I didn't make a note of it did I?  And guess what?  I've forgotten what it was now.  One day I shall learn the lesson and make the damned notes!!!  One day, some day there will come a day.

Mr Virgin came here to the flat last Monday, two days before the move and installed our comms package here.  He also updated the V Box for us.  We've had one of these things for some years now but other than using the pause and catch-up functions we've not really done a lot with it.  Well, Mr Virgin showed Jan how to record programmes using the V Box.  Last night we tried it for the first time with the new drama series Blackout.  It's so easy to do I'm kicking myself for not doing it earlier.  There's been so many shows that I fancied but later found that they were not on Catch-up.  Ah well, we live and learn don't we.

Yesterday I had my copy of Writing Magazine arrive here.  I sat and had quick scan through to see what was in it but was brought sharp by a story of an OU tutor being investigated for plagiarism.  I can confirm that the OU jumps down very heavily on anyone who is found out doing this despicable act.  The only other times this has come out into the open concerned students not tutors.  This is the first time I have heard of one being investigated for it.  My studies began in 1996 and I graduated in 2005 but still continued to study with them.   I have always been proud of my Honours Degree in History and I still do.  Now I also feel let down and shamed at just the thought of what this tutor may have done. And what about the students in her tutorial group?  How must they be feeling now?

Didn't she know or even guess that someone would find out about it?  Why do these people do these things?  Just what has she gained from it?  Nothing has been proved about this yet but if it is proved, I can see her being dropped as a tutor pretty quickly.  There can be no excuses for such practices and if any criminal charges can be brought over it, she should be made to face them!

Today's picture then is OU related ... 

I am seated on the right with the camera, Adrian Davis on the left, Yvonne Price between us but I'm not sure who the guy standing up is though.  This was taken at one of the OU Open Days at Walton Hall in Milton Keynes.  As I remember it at that time the three of us seated were discussing the new Disabled Students Group as part of the Open University Students Association.  We were in the OUSA display area at that time. 

Today's funny is an oldie but goody ...

Ol' Fred had been a religious man who was in the hospital, near death. The family called their preacher to stand with them. As the preacher stood next to the bed, Ol' Fred's condition appeared to deteriorate and he motioned frantically for something to write on.
The pastor lovingly handed him a pen and a piece of paper, and Ol' Fred used his last bit of energy to scribble a note, then he died. The preacher thought it best not to look at the note at that time, so he placed it in his jacket pocket.
At the funeral, as he was finishing the message, he realised that he was wearing the same jacket that he was wearing when Ol' Fred died.
He said, "You know, Ol' Fred handed me a note just before he died. I haven't looked at it, but knowing Fred, I'm sure there's a word of inspiration there for us all."
He opened the note, and read out loud, "Hey, you're standing on my oxygen tube!"