I’ll have to admit that this is my least favourite word of all the words in the English language.
This is primarily due to its similarity to the word ’stationary’, a word with which it seems to have no connection. I find the associations this creates completely baffling. I have nothing against words having two meanings, but for some reason this confuses me. I suspect this word annoys me most because you could easily imagine the words having a shared etymology; although in truth they are separate.
I am particularly annoyed at this word today having lost a large collection of the same in an exam. On reporting this to my senior tutor, I was told that I had not lost stationery, but an assorted bag of random crap, and that had I indeed lost what I had claimed, I would be looking for envelopes and sheets of paper. Anyway, I got it back, and my use of the word was valid, but uncommon, so I probably shouldn’t be too bitter.
Do any of you have a least favourite word?

From next year, courses in ‘Art in the 20th Century’, ‘Modern Literature and Drama’, ‘Roman Empire’ and ‘Film Studies’ will be cut as humanities options for Imperial students. Languages will only be taught at higher levels, with courses in Arabic, Italian, Japanese and Russian being cut completely from 2010.
These courses have been cut to make way for courses considered more relevant by Imperial students. Current possibilities being considered are ‘Modern Graphic Literature’, ‘Klingon’ and ‘the life and work of Richard Feynman’.
On a more serious note, I am disappointed at this. I have long desired to learn Russian and Arabic. My perfect 5 language life would involve me speaking English, German, Russian, Arabic and Spanish (listed in order of the possibility of me learning them). Unfortunately, my desire to learn languages is almost certainly an example of this.

Yes, it is illegal to smoke in the Tardis now.

In the nicest possible way, your friend was an idiot who should have stuck up for you more, you don’t have much of a personality, I don’t like you as a person, but I like your music, so I’d like to hear more of it. I mean, we’re talking the ultimate reinforcement of Asian parenting here, surely.

Note carefully the dog collar on the man smoking at the right and read the full story at the Times Online. (HT: Mockingbird)

You mean it’s essential I read at least 100 books?
I guess I’ll never be real man.

Me: I feel ill, wonder if it’s over yet. He’s been holding that note for a while, maybe this track’s almost over. *Checks* It’s half way through…

I mean, if function generators and pulse monitors playing over the brass band during their warm up are your sort of thing, then by all means listen to Stockhausen. It’s the kind of thing that sounds terribly intelligent, like listening to someone plotting the Riemann-Zeta function on a Dubreq Stylophone. Here a melody, there chaos, always hesitant.
I can’t imagine, say, drifting off in the bath to it though.

Student loans are linked to the RPI. Theoretically, when this rises, we should be charged more interest, and visa versa. Fair enough. However, next year, we’ll be charged 0% interest. That’s not all though. If the Student Loans Company followed the RPI strictly, we’d actually be given an interest rate of -0.4%, and some students are complaining that we aren’t.
Now I don’t know much about economics, but that doesn’t work somehow. I understand the appeal of free money, but imagine the dynamics of the economy if people took out loans and expected that they’d never have to pay them back, or that they’d pay for themselves.
Oh wait…

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/473.15°K/Gas Mark 6
2. Wash potato
3. Sprinkle sea salt on it
4. Put it in oven for 1 – 1½ hours
5. Prepare frankfurters (5 min in simmering water)
6. Potato should be out of the oven about now
7. Chop frankfurters, place on potato
8. Dollop mayonnaise on top
9. Grate cheese on top
10. Squirt HP sauce on top

That’s it!