The Society for Threats to Western (American) Thinking

Posted in the St Antony's college (Oxford) JCR (Junior Common Room) newsletter:

Society for Threats to Western (American) Thinking – Monday April 24

The Society for Threats to Western (American) Thinking is proud to announce a special screening of “The Rock” (1996). Monday 24 April 20:00 in the CCR.

Dear friends,

As Trinity Term opens for business and we all get down to the serious regime of examinations, theses, jobs, or procrastination it is - above all - a time for reflection. We have come a long way since SARS and, in the spirit of reflection, it is time we redefine the paradigm surrounding terrorism. Once upon a time we actually UNDERSTOOD this debate, however, as global events conspired against us, academics had to ruin it for everyone with lecture series, books, articles, journals and laborious debates. Through the infinite glory of Hollywood we will engage and defeat this tangental thinking.

The Rock delves into the disgruntled mind of the military machine, threats from deadly biological agents, and a man's search for justice in the face of statist domination. Set in San Fransico and Alcatraz the subtle comparison between liberal freedom and state oppression.

Starring: Connery S., Cage N. and Harris E.
Director: Bay M.
Producer: Bruckheimer J.I

t is time to reclaim the knowledge we have lost. Join us. Threats to Western (American) Thinking is a strategic think-tank, operating from Oxford, dedicated to simplifying debates into soundbite analysis. We aim to destroy subtle discussions with crass generalisations, simplisticanalysis, and overblown PR.

Royal Stats

In honour of Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday on 21 April (though officially celebrated in June), the Royal Court has published 80 more or less essential facts about the British Head of State. A selection of her "accomplishments":

• Has modelled for 139 official portraits (even a hologram one)
• Inaugurated 25 ships and 15 bridges
• Sent her first e-mail from an army base in 1976
• Treated her staff to 78,000 Christmas puddings
• Has sent 280,000 telegrams to couples celebrating diamond their anniversary
• Travelled on the London tube for the first time in 1939 (perhaps the only time?)

Perhaps telling of her age and her early succession to the throne; there have been ten British PMs and ten American presidents as well as six Archbishops of Canterbury during her reign.

Kid Fun

You can learn a lot from spending the day with a six-year-old:

• Kids get pretty cranky when they haven't eaten for a while (don't let the kid at the table next to yours stare too much at your kid before he or she has a stabilised blood sugar level)
• Kids talk (and laugh) all through the film while at the cinema (at least when seeing Ice Age 2)
• Kids can eat a huge box of popcorn and drink a supersize soda just after having had lunch (okay, I helped but still)
• Not all kids like spaghetti and meat sauce - at least one Swedish girl wanted black pudding (or pancakes - more normal) for dinner on a Saturday
• McDonald's face paint itches a lot and needs to come off five minutes from home, not a minute later
• Six-year-olds can be surprisingly good at sudoku
• Three bedtime stories and two sudokus later the kid is still not tired ("I'm not tired at all") - as soon as she's allowed to sleep on the sofa in the living room, she's out in three seconds
• It's good to have a few household chores to do as an excuse to get out of playing a fifth boardgame in an hour
• Six-year-olds are already familiar with the local slang