Seriously?

Turns out more people were still trying to kill their targets than I thought (ie, more than no-one). Assassins is over though, and I survived til the end. We have one more "mission" to complete which I think is knowing who got killed first, who had you at the end, etc (ie things you had to be invested to find out). The grand prize winner will be announced at dinner at Friday. (Hint: it won't be me.)

***

The Austen/Wharton/Lee/Scorsese essay is done and handed in.

The Miss Snark/Evil Editor/Agent Kristin one is done and will be handed in in about an hour.

Your options for the history essay are as follows:
3. Consider the history of coerced emigration from the British Isles before 1788.
8. Consider the history of mortality on board British emigration ships.
12. Consider the careers of four well-known British emigrants and say what they tell us about the process.
22. Write an account of the ideas of any political figure or economist in relation to emigration from Britain.
24. Write a short biography of EG Wakefield and explain the significance of his ideas for emigration.
29. Consider the role of charitable organisations in British emigration.
33. Write a short history of emigration of South Africa.
35. Consider the history of British emigration to some of the lesser destinations – eg Argentina, the Falklands, Tristan Da Cunha, Hong Kong, Montserrat, Kangaroo Island, St Lucia.
38. What were the implications of the ideas of Thomas Malthus for British emigration?
46. What happened to British emigration in the first half of the 20th century?

I've chosen number 12, even though I don't even know one "well-known" British emigrant. (I suppose there must be some somewhere. Right?) Anyway, this is in accordance with my new philosophy (honed during the Snark/EE/Agent Kristin essay) of writing a bunch of 500-word essays, tacking on an intro and conclusion, and calling it a major essay.

(It's due Monday, by the way, you better get writing.)

***

There were messages on FLO, my Flinders email, and my phone this morning all telling me the same thing: the computer department at Flinders is an idiot.

A power outage in the central computer room is planned for the weekend of 26/27 May. ... All central services will cease during this period - including, but not limited to, email, web site, HR, Finance and Student systems, network connectivity, FLO (Flinders Learning Online), ASMS servers, FMC backup servers, Citrix and Library on-line services. We apologise for any inconvenience this disruption may cause to staff and students but it is necessary for the growth and continuation of central computing services.

I don't quite understand all that IT-geek-speak, but it seems to me they are telling Flinders students that they will have NO INTERNET on the weekend before the second-last week of uni - basically the busiest essay-writing weekend ever. Does this seem a bit suicidal to anyone? (As in, they should shoot themselves before we all go batshit-crazy and kill them. Also as in, students may suicide if they can't do essays they need to finish in order to graduate.) Seriously guys, this is what semester breaks are for. Semesters are for writing essays, breaks are for breaking the internet. DO NOT MIX THE TWO OF THEM UP.