Summer 2010

Completed my first year at college as a 'mature student' at City Lit. Quite a humbling experience. Some seriously smart kids out there, contrary to my expectations. A good thing.

I'm raring to go with the journalism, trying to keep my head engaged with the study: reading papers, books, writing as much nonsense as possible, and just off to library to get some language tuition stuff.

Days seem to be moving too quickly. Over before they begin, very odd.

Went to Hackney Wicked Festival last Sunday. Amazing place, it's like the London underworld. Huge industrial warehouses, dissected into live in work spaces. Apparently it's the highest concentration of artists in the world. Hundreds of theses mainly art studios were open to the public, it was a chance to see some real up and coming art talent. However, I just got drunk and listened to an African / Reggae band for a few hours and spoke with some interesting folk about the weather.

I recently went to the Skin Exhibition at the Wellcome Trust in Euston, London. Some disturbing stuff, but, also some very beautiful art. A live tattooing took place in the entrance area, wasn't for me. There were many strange artifacts: like the tattooed skin of some french 19th Century convicts, paintings of people with skin problems, and books bound in human skin. This made me feel quite ill, and at the same time marvel at the wonder of life. However, there were some stunning photographic works and upstairs was the Medicine Man Exhibiton, Henry Wellcome's collection of anything to do with medicine. My favorite was Charles Darwin's walking stick, he had style.

Finding My Way

Have been exploring the different avenues of journalism, reading the papers looking on-line. I've discovered that I have an interest in economic journalism, which is something of a shock. Have been looking at the different attitudes to resolving the economic crises, formulating some ideas, there's so much to learn. The world of environmental journalism is also fascinating, again a mountain of study lies ahead before I can write about these issues effectively, hopefully world peace and the climate will have settled by then. Wishful thinking. Just read an article on the 'Acidifaction of the sea' by Frank Pope, he says:

Although warm waters will be the last to suffer, for coral reefs, acidification will be the nail in their coffin. By the time carbon dioxide reaches 560 parts per million — projected to happen around 2050 — corals will be unable to grow their skeletons in 80 per cent of the ocean. As they start to dissolve, all the life they support will disappear with them. It would be the Earth’s sixth mass extinction, according to Charlie Veron.

I'd like to help in some way, so it's off to university.

Dominic Virgo

28/01/10