free extract from new book "Escape from Oppression"

The United Kingdom is headed for an in-out referendum on membership of the European Union, but there are questions that need to be answered before we can make an informed choice.

At what point did politicians know the organization that would eventually become the European Union was intended to be supranational?

Was there a dry-run for introduction of the Euro?

Is it time to revisit the result of the 2005 General Election?

I have posted a section of a key chapter of my forthcoming book, Escape from Oppression, at academia.edu, where you can access it for free. Just go to:

https://www.academia.edu/15224779/Escape_from_Oppression_The_Federalist_Derivation

You can now read the section without taking any further action. If you'd prefer to download it, you can log in with your Facebook or Twitter address or else sign up for an account using your email address.

Alternatively, if you wish me to send you a .pdf of the paper, just email me at kriss_day@gmx.co.uk.

Happy reading!

Somebody's stealing my milk and food!

Theft of milk and food probably ranks as the top students' complaint. In my ebook about social life in university, "Going Up: a Social Troubleshooter", I outline various strategies to deal with this. The main point is - DO NOT tamper with your edibles in order to catch the thief out, you could find yourself liable for any injuries, allergic reactions or ill-health caused. Here's a short exerpt:

"Go to your tutor and present them with a diary of thefts, which you should by this stage have started keeping. Tell your tutor this is important because of the financial situation students have to face, and explain the effect the stress is having on the quality of your studies and assignments.

"NB: on the web you will find a range of solutions to this conundrum that range from the surreal to the obscene. If you feel sufficiently stressed-out by the situation to choose one of them, ask yourself: how far are you willing to go? If you make your stuff appear unpalatable with an additive (eg food dye in milk), are you sure your kitchenmates don’t have a serious allergy to the contents? What would your personal and indeed legal position be if an allergic reaction were to require medical attention?"

Going Up - Starting university in England: a social troubleshooter by Kriss Day - currently only 99p on Kindle! ($0.99 equivalent plus VAT) A comprehensive troubleshooter for the social side at university in England. Also for sale at Smashwords, $1 equivalent plus VAT.

students and snoring

I was contacted recently by a student who was having problems with one of her housemates. She gets on well with them – when they’re awake! But when one in particular is asleep, by all accounts he snores for England!

Snoring is not the snorer’s fault: they’re asleep when they do it. so my first reaction was to advise the person kept awake to alter the level of noise that will wake them up.

In other words, get ear-plugs.

There are various types: I would choose earplugs specifically made for sleeping. You can access a list of earplugs at:

Earplugs for snoring at Amazon.co.uk

(All together now: other retailers are available.)

If the earphones don’t work – if we’re talking about aircraft-engine snoring – investigate why it’s so loud. Is the snorer leaving their door ajar to let the air circulate? Could you ask them to shut the door when they go to bed?

You might also suggest they go to the doctor’s to investigate whether the extra-loud snoring is indicative of a respiratory or other health problem. There are also devices you can get at your pharmacist to stop snoring.

It’s also possible that the snoring is caused by alcohol use. If this is happening regularly and it’s due to alcohol use, very possibly the snoring is not your biggest problem, not theirs. That applies in spades if the snoring is due to abuse of depressant drugs, or the exhausted sleep at the end of a cocaine binge.

If we’re looking at the eventualities in the above paragraph, you may want to go to your tutor and say how much the snoring is affecting you, possibly as a way into talking about how other behaviours connected to substance use are affecting you.

More often than not, though, we are looking at nothing more than the Great British Snore. Is it possible that you’re working yourself so hard that when you eventually fall asleep your waking mechanism is on a hair trigger? Or even that it’s you using alcohol or other substances, so that when you aren’t using you find it hard to get to sleep and this is why noises keep you awake?

The last sentence is probably somewhat insulting, but if you take something to your tutor then they have to cover all the bases.

But for a quick answer to the problem of the snoring, try the earplugs.

Kriss Day

See also: British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

Going Up - Starting university in England: a social troubleshooter by Kriss Day - only 77p on Kindle! A comprehensive troubleshooter for the social side at university in England.

Scams on new students - don't fall victim!

The Daily Mail reports today that conmen are effectively turning students into money launderers by hiring them as "Money Transfer Agents" and getting them to send dirty money abroad, making them accomplices in terrible crimes.

There are also flats that don't exist, identity theft and mobile phone scams. Don't be tricked into thinking everybody's as honest as you!

Click to read the full article

Kriss Day

Going Up - Starting university in England: a social troubleshooter by Kriss Day - only 77p on Kindle! A comprehensive troubleshooter for the social side at university in England, including worst-case scenarios.

Going Up: sexist lads' culture at university

There's a disturbing report in the Guardian detailing a sexist "lads' culture" at British universities.

An ebook is not going to cure this culture by itself, but it helps if you know your rights, and what to do if the worst comes to the worst and something goes wrong. There's also a section on what to do if you suspect your or somebody else's drink has been spiked, which obviously impacts on your personal safety.

Going Up is a troubleshooter for social life at university in England, and is 99 cents - currently 77p - on Kindle.

Kriss Day