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My trip to Cambridge

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Reply 20
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[q1]> There´s also the Alternative Prospectus that has entries about all the colleges and courses that[/q1]
[q1]> might help Rich to decide.[/q1]

[q1]> M.[/q1]

Well, as I said, I'd made a shortlist of colleges which seemed in theory to be suitable (based on
what I'd read online and in the various prospectuses, taking into account figures of popularity,
number of state school students - don't want to go anywhere where there's a lot of them! -
male/female ratio, etc.) which I pretty much abandoned once I'd actually been around Cambridge. So I
drew up a new shortlist and used the old Freudian coin toss* to whittle them down to Kings and
Trinity Hall. Choosing between them is my big decision now, as they're both so very different but so
very attractive. I'm leaning towards the latter though.

Actually, that reminds me that I haven't looked up Kings in the alt. prospectus yet. Thanks.

Rich
Reply 21
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[q1]>[/q1]
[q2]> > There´s also the Alternative Prospectus that has entries about all the colleges and courses[/q2]
[q2]> > that might help Rich to decide.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q2]> > M.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Well, as I said, I'd made a shortlist of colleges which seemed in theory to be suitable (based on[/q1]
[q1]> what I'd read online and in the various prospectuses, taking into account figures of popularity,[/q1]
[q1]> number of state school students - don't want to go anywhere where there's a lot of them! -[/q1]
[q1]> male/female ratio, etc.) which I pretty much abandoned once I'd actually been around Cambridge. So[/q1]
[q1]> I drew up a new shortlist and used the old Freudian coin toss* to whittle them down to Kings and[/q1]
[q1]> Trinity Hall. Choosing between them is my big decision now, as they're both so very different but[/q1]
[q1]> so very attractive. I'm leaning towards the latter though.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Actually, that reminds me that I haven't looked up Kings in the alt. prospectus yet. Thanks.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Rich[/q1]

Trinity Hall's library is an excellent space to lurk in. My EO used to sneak in there from her own
college sometimes, just becasue it was so nice...

Ginnie
Reply 22
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[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>BTW, if you're put in the pool, can you gurantee ending up (if you're not a girl) at either[/q1]
[q1]>Fitzwilliam or Robinson?[/q1]

No. It's very subject-dependent and changes from year to year. Almost every College (I would say
every but someone would come along with an exception) fishes in the Pool from time to time and in
certain subjects. Almost every College puts people into the Pool every year from their own
oversubscribed subjects.

Katy
Reply 23
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[q2]> > BUT it is important to look beyond the (admittedly very daunting)[/q2]
admissions
[q2]> > procedure and consider the actual going to the university and where[/q2]
would be
[q2]> > suitable for three years, not just interview day![/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Rest assured, I have done a lot (a ludicrous amount really) of research - reading the alternative[/q1]
[q1]> prospectus online, getting college-specific prospectuses, meticulously examining the little map of[/q1]
[q1]> Cambridge in the back of the uni prospectus, checking out figures, etc. My copy of the Cam[/q1]
[q1]> prospectus is covered in notes I've made.[/q1]

And I bet you still haven't heard of Selwyn <sob> :-). Seriously though it might a quick look - you
can very nearly spit on the English department from certain rooms in Selwyn, which is very useful.

[q1]> BTW, if you're put in the pool, can you gurantee ending up (if you're not a girl) at either[/q1]
[q1]> Fitzwilliam or Robinson?[/q1]

It's less clear-cut than that. About one-sixth of all entrants come through the Winter pool,
more-or-less a shift of bodies from the over-subscribed to the under-subscribed but I think almost
all colleges dip in the pool now and then. As you can see from
http://www.cam.ac.uk/cambuniv/ugprospectus/applying/applying02e.html Magadalene, Caius', Christ's,
Sidney Sussex had less applicants per place than Binson and Fitz between 99-01. Don't be led to
believe that new => crap&under-subscribed!

[q1]> In my experience there is[/q1]
[q2]> > always a big disparity between what the college open day people (e.g. students/tutors) want to[/q2]
[q2]> > talk about (e.g. how close college is[/q2]
Sainsbury's /
[q2]> > late night drinking arrangements / late night library arrangements) and[/q2]
what
[q2]> > the open day attendees want to hear (e.g. /exactly/ what should I wear[/q2]
on
[q2]> > interview day?? )[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Yes, that does actually sound quite like my open day. :-)[/q1]

I've taken applicants to the pub the night before their interview and they've been absolutely
convinced that that was part of the interview. And I didn't even make them play on the quiz machine.
Reply 24
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<wishaway>

[q1]>Yes, Rich, Tit Hall is the only place worse than Oxf*rd.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>M.[/q1]

Quick question: are you actually at cambridge (or accepted) or is above stylised disdain based on
you possibly-maybe being there in the future? You may not be my MOONPIG, although you say you are...
Reply 25
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[q1]>They weigh 6.78 kg to the first approximation. However, given Heisenberg´s principle of[/q1]
[q1]>uncertainty...[/q1]

Call yourself a natsci? <thwap> Weight is a force, thus in newtons or similar. kg measure mass.
Foooooool.

[q1]>Well, just be prepared to answer whatever they throw at you. Don´t let them discombobulate[/q1]
[q1]>(HA!) you.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>M.[/q1]

And (big one this) don't panic. Don't worry, they're not inhuman monstrosities that want to eat your
brains, as long as you avoid Trinity :smile:

chris
Reply 26
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.
[q3]> > > Ah, but I've already visited Trinity and remained unimpressed. Gotten[/q3]
[q2]> > my photos back today as well, though only the colour ones (I usually shoot in black and white to[/q2]
[q2]> > disguise my lack of talent as a photographer). Yes, for two days I was one of those annoying[/q2]
[q2]> > tourists who were wandering around making too much noise, taking pictures of the most[/q2]
[q2]> > uninteresting things, and shouting "wow, Mum, Dad, look at *this* building, it has spires"![/q2]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> LOL. As I said you can visit other places if you wish. Btw a minor linguistic point: Is it right[/q1]
[q1]> to use ´gotten´ in British English? I thought it was an Americanism (I´m not criticising you. I´m[/q1]
[q1]> not a native speaker of English, so I´m just interested).[/q1]

Actually that was a conscious grammatical error designed to provoke one of the regular contributors
to this newsgroup...

[q1]>[/q1]
[q2]> > Oh, and to see whether or not MMH has read this post I've included a special grammatical error[/q2]
[q2]> > in it somewhere. Find it and win a prize![/q2]
[q2]> > :-)[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> What will we get?[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> M.[/q1]

You will get a copy of 'Quench' by The Beautiful South. Lord knows I don't want it anymore.

Rich
Reply 27
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[q2]>> Why would I be envious of my own college?[/q2]
[q2]>>[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>Ok, it was very late at night when you wrote this, so I´ll forgive you your lack of insight.[/q1]

1am is not late. 8.45am is late :-p Either that or ridiculously early, so I'll forgive your
continued ignorance.

[q2]>> >Don´t let Chris indoctrinate you, Rich. My friend visited Trinity and she immediately said that[/q2]
[q2]>> >that´s where she´ll apply to do her Masters. Her difficult-to-please mum was also very[/q2]
[q2]>> >impressed. :smile:[/q2]
[q2]>>[/q2]
[q2]>> No, you're being brainwashed... how else does Cthulhu get fresh victims? :smile:[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>Eh? You ok?[/q1]

Oh it's quite simple - Trinity is the source of all evil, and the Master is Cthulhu, high priest of
the Old Ones - see http://www.cthulhu.org/cthulhu/index.html for more info. Cthulhu apparently
considers people as yummy food, so needs more victims :smile: See?

[q1]>Which one´s Jesus Green? The one near the Grafton Centre?[/q1]

It's along the river, not far from Jesus and Magdalene, where the fireworks are.

[q1]>Oh, All Bar One? (do you know the place? a pub/bar near the Arts Picturehouse).[/q1]

Never been in there, but walk past it all the time.

[q1]>Yes, Rich, Tit Hall is the only place worse than Oxf*rd.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>M.[/q1]

Told you you were brainwashed :-p

chris
Reply 28
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Rich,

[q1]> Well, as I said, I'd made a shortlist of colleges which seemed in theory to be suitable (based on[/q1]
[q1]> what I'd read online and in the various prospectuses, taking into account figures of popularity,[/q1]
[q1]> number of state school students - don't want to go anywhere where there's a lot of them! -[/q1]
[q1]> male/female ratio, etc.)[/q1]

And the last factor made you shortlist New Hall and Newnham, didn´t it? :redface:) LOL you seem to be
agonising over the choice more than I did. I think I shortlisted Trinity, St. John´s and Christ´s.

which I pretty much
[q1]> abandoned once I'd actually been around Cambridge. So I drew up a new shortlist and used the old[/q1]
[q1]> Freudian coin toss* to whittle them down to Kings and Trinity Hall.[/q1]

Was Freud famous for tossing coins? I thought he was fascinated with couches.

Choosing between them is my big decision now,
[q1]> as they're both so very different but so very attractive. I'm leaning towards the latter though.[/q1]

Oh well, it looks like you´ve embarked on a path of depravity, and nothing can sway you. You´ve got
my blessing though. :redface:)

M. about to spend the day at airports
Reply 29
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[q1]>Rich,[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q2]>> Well, as I said, I'd made a shortlist of colleges which seemed in theory to be suitable (based on[/q2]
[q2]>> what I'd read online and in the various prospectuses, taking into account figures of popularity,[/q2]
[q2]>> number of state school students - don't want to go anywhere where there's a lot of them! -[/q2]
[q2]>> male/female ratio, etc.)[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>And the last factor made you shortlist New Hall and Newnham, didn´t it? :redface:) LOL you seem to be[/q1]
[q1]>agonising over the choice more than I did. I think I shortlisted Trinity, St. John´s and Christ´s.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>which I pretty much[/q1]
[q2]>> abandoned once I'd actually been around Cambridge. So I drew up a new shortlist and used the old[/q2]
[q2]>> Freudian coin toss* to whittle them down to Kings and Trinity Hall.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>Was Freud famous for tossing coins? I thought he was fascinated with couches.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]

Tossing in general perhaps? Sort of thing he might assume analytical jurisdiction over.

paul

if you don't come back you know i'll have to starve to death 'cos i ain't had a kiss all day
Reply 30
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[q1]>No, but I did have a system of noting which colleges were closest to New Hall and Newnham... :-)[/q1]
[q1]>Did you know that Homerton has a 9:1 ration of women to men?[/q1]

Yes, but Homerton's weird. And miles away :smile:

[q1]>So Cthulhu lives beneath Trinity College? That's disturbingly unsurprising...[/q1]

Well all Trinity Colleges are in fact merely aspects of the uber- Trinity in R'lyeh (sp?) of which
the Cambridge aspect is most like the original.

[q2]>> > Yup, most evil place in the world bar one :smile:[/q2]
[q2]>>[/q2]
[q2]>>[/q2]
[q2]>> Oh, All Bar One? (do you know the place? a pub/bar near the Arts Picturehouse).[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>I'd put my money on it being Wigan.[/q1]

Actually, I meant Oxfart :smile:

chris
Reply 31
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[q1]> Rich,[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q2]> > Well, as I said, I'd made a shortlist of colleges which seemed in theory to be suitable (based[/q2]
[q2]> > on what I'd read online and in the various prospectuses, taking into account figures of[/q2]
[q2]> > popularity, number of state school students - don't want to go anywhere where there's a lot of[/q2]
[q2]> > them! - male/female ratio, etc.)[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> And the last factor made you shortlist New Hall and Newnham, didn´t it? :redface:)[/q1]

No, but I did have a system of noting which colleges were closest to New Hall and Newnham... :-) Did
you know that Homerton has a 9:1 ration of women to men?

[q1]> LOL you seem to be agonising over the choice more than I did. I think I shortlisted Trinity, St.[/q1]
[q1]> John´s and Christ´s.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> which I pretty much[/q1]
[q2]> > abandoned once I'd actually been around Cambridge. So I drew up a new shortlist and used the old[/q2]
[q2]> > Freudian coin toss* to whittle them down to Kings and Trinity Hall.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Was Freud famous for tossing coins? I thought he was fascinated with couches.[/q1]

Damn, I forgot to put in an explanatory note (hence the asterix). The Freudian Coin Toss (not that I
think Freud actually invented it, it just sounds nice) for those of you who don't watch Frasier, is
where you assign something to heads and tails, in my case it would be two colleges, toss the coin,
catch it unseen, and then note which outcome you're hoping for and put that down rather than what
the coin actually lands on. The idea is that you could sit and consider the relative merits of two
colleges all day, but this method forces you to make a decision.

[q1]>[/q1]
[q3]> > >Don´t let Chris indoctrinate you, Rich. My friend visited Trinity and she immediately said that[/q3]
[q3]> > >that´s where she´ll apply to do her Masters. Her difficult-to-please mum was also very[/q3]
[q3]> > >impressed. :smile:[/q3]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> > No, you're being brainwashed... how else does Cthulhu get fresh victims? :smile:[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Eh? You ok?[/q1]

So Cthulhu lives beneath Trinity College? That's disturbingly unsurprising...

[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q3]> > >Well, if you are seized with an irresistible urge to walk on grass,[/q3]
[q1]> Parker´s[/q1]
[q3]> > >piece is nearby.[/q3]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> > Parkers piece? That'd miles away, down by the chem dept. Jesus green is a bit closer though.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Which one´s Jesus Green? The one near the Grafton Centre?[/q1]

Between the river and Jesus College, from what I can recall. I passed by it a few times driving in
and out of Cam.

[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q3]> > >Definitely. Only evil people go to Oxford. As a punishment for their[/q3]
[q1]> sins.[/q1]
[q2]> > Yup, most evil place in the world bar one :smile:[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Oh, All Bar One? (do you know the place? a pub/bar near the Arts Picturehouse).[/q1]

I'd put my money on it being Wigan.

[q1]> Yes, Rich, Tit Hall is the only place worse than Oxf*rd.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> M.[/q1]

Rich
Reply 32
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[q2]> >Yes, Rich, Tit Hall is the only place worse than Oxf*rd.[/q2]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> >M.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Quick question: are you actually at cambridge (or accepted) or is above stylised disdain based on[/q1]
[q1]> you possibly-maybe being there in the future?[/q1]

I've got an offer (an A in A-level Maths required) from Cambridge. So I will
possibly/maybe/hopefully be there in the not so distant future.

[q1]> You may not be my MOONPIG, although you say you are...[/q1]

I might be a moonpig but definitely not yours. Anyway, I don't know what moonpigs are.

M.
Reply 33
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[q2]> >They weigh 6.78 kg to the first approximation. However, given[/q2]
Heisenberg´s
[q2]> >principle of uncertainty...[/q2]

[q1]> Call yourself a natsci? <thwap> Weight is a force, thus in newtons or similar. kg measure mass.[/q1]
[q1]> Foooooool.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]

LOL. It's all your fault, because you've been spreading such defamatory rumours about Trinity that,
in my justified wrath, I became temporarily incapable of sublime thought as befits anyone connected
with the best college in the world. :-P

M.
Reply 34
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[q2]> > LOL. As I said you can visit other places if you wish. Btw a minor linguistic point: Is it[/q2]
[q2]> > right to use ´gotten´ in British English? I thought it was an Americanism (I´m not criticising[/q2]
[q2]> > you. I´m[/q2]
not a
[q2]> > native speaker of English, so I´m just interested).[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Actually that was a conscious grammatical error designed to provoke one of the regular[/q1]
[q1]> contributors to this newsgroup...[/q1]

Ah, ok, sorry to spoil the game.

M
Reply 35
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[q1]>LOL. It's all your fault, because you've been spreading such defamatory rumours about Trinity that,[/q1]

They aint defamatory rumours if they're true... and they are true, so <thwwppp>

[q1]>in my justified wrath, I became temporarily incapable of sublime thought as befits anyone connected[/q1]
[q1]>with the best college in the world. :-P[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>M.[/q1]

Well I spose your college being next to the best one is someway connected... :smile:

chris
Reply 36
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[q2]>> >They weigh 6.78 kg to the first approximation. However, given[/q2]
[q1]>Heisenberg´s[/q1]
[q2]>> >principle of uncertainty...[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q2]>> Call yourself a natsci? <thwap> Weight is a force, thus in newtons or similar. kg measure mass.[/q2]
[q2]>> Foooooool.[/q2]
[q2]>>[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>LOL. It's all your fault, because you've been spreading such defamatory rumours about Trinity that,[/q1]

They aint defamatory rumours if they're true... and they are true, so <thwwppp>

[q1]>in my justified wrath, I became temporarily incapable of sublime thought as befits anyone connected[/q1]
[q1]>with the best college in the world. :-P[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>M.[/q1]

Well I spose your college being next to the best one is someway connected... :smile:

chris
Reply 37
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<rah>
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]>Damn, I forgot to put in an explanatory note (hence the asterix). The Freudian Coin Toss (not that[/q1]
[q1]>I think Freud actually invented it, it just sounds nice) for those of you who don't watch Frasier,[/q1]
[q1]>is where you assign something to heads and tails, in my case it would be two colleges, toss the[/q1]
[q1]>coin, catch it unseen, and then note which outcome you're hoping for and put that down rather than[/q1]
[q1]>what the coin actually lands on. The idea is that you could sit and consider the relative merits of[/q1]
[q1]>two colleges all day, but this method forces you to make a decision.[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]

I do that all the time, without realising it came from somewhere. I prefer to toss the coin, examine
(a cursory glance normally does TBF) the outcome and ignore if dissapointed. Distinction without
difference maybe, but there it is.

You may not be my MOONPIG, although you say you are...
Reply 38
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Rich,

[q3]> > > Well, as I said, I'd made a shortlist of colleges which seemed in theory to be suitable (based[/q3]
[q3]> > > on what I'd read online and in the various prospectuses, taking into account figures of[/q3]
[q3]> > > popularity, number of state school students - don't want to go anywhere where there's a lot of[/q3]
[q3]> > > them! - male/female ratio, etc.)[/q3]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> > And the last factor made you shortlist New Hall and Newnham, didn´t it?[/q2]
[q1]:redface:)[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> No, but I did have a system of noting which colleges were closest to New Hall and Newnham... :-)[/q1]
[q1]> Did you know that Homerton has a 9:1 ratio of women to men?[/q1]

Isn't Homerton just for Education Studies?

[q2]> > LOL you seem to be agonising over the choice more than I did. I think I shortlisted Trinity, St.[/q2]
[q2]> > John´s and Christ´s.[/q2]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> > which I pretty much[/q2]
[q3]> > > abandoned once I'd actually been around Cambridge. So I drew up a new shortlist and used the[/q3]
[q3]> > > old Freudian coin toss* to whittle them down to Kings and Trinity Hall.[/q3]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> > Was Freud famous for tossing coins? I thought he was fascinated with couches.[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> Damn, I forgot to put in an explanatory note (hence the asterix). The Freudian Coin Toss (not that[/q1]
[q1]> I think Freud actually invented it, it just sounds nice) for those of you who don't watch Frasier,[/q1]
[q1]> is where you assign something to heads and tails, in my case it would be two colleges, toss the[/q1]
[q1]> coin, catch it unseen, and then note which outcome you're hoping for and put that down rather than[/q1]
[q1]> what the coin actually lands on. The idea is that you could sit and consider the relative merits[/q1]
[q1]> of two colleges all day, but this method forces you to make a decision.[/q1]

When I can't decide what to do I use my calculator. It has a generator of random numbers. You can
say 'If the number's even, I'll apply to Trinity, and if the number is odd, I'll apply to Trinity'.
[q1]:redface:) I was once really suprised when I talked to a mathematician from my school (I had never talked[/q1]
to him before) and we had to decide about a yes/no type of question (actually, it was something to
do with who'll go to have lunch first - we were supervising an exhibition and at least one of us had
to be present). I said 'Hang on', and took out the calculator. He went 'Oh no!', so I proceeded to
explain what I was going to do. He said 'yes, yes, I know'. It's funny how we both independently
arrived at the same solution (I wasn't told about this method of deciding by anyone). Hehe maybe
it's some kind of evolutionary adaptation to studying at a very maths-oriented school :redface:) (yes, I've
just finished reading another evolution-related book).

[q3]> > > >Don´t let Chris indoctrinate you, Rich. My friend visited Trinity and[/q3]
she
[q3]> > > >immediately said that that´s where she´ll apply to do her Masters.[/q3]
Her
[q3]> > > >difficult-to-please mum was also very impressed. :smile:[/q3]
[q3]> > >[/q3]
[q3]> > > No, you're being brainwashed... how else does Cthulhu get fresh victims? :smile:[/q3]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> >[/q2]
[q2]> > Eh? You ok?[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> So Cthulhu lives beneath Trinity College? That's disturbingly unsurprising...[/q1]

Lunatics, you two.

M.
Reply 39
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[q2]> >LOL. It's all your fault, because you've been spreading such defamatory rumours about[/q2]
[q2]> >Trinity that,[/q2]
[q1]>[/q1]
[q1]> They aint defamatory rumours if they're true... and they are true, so <thwwppp>[/q1]
[q1]>[/q1]

Oh, dear me, you needn't harm yourself with your self-inflicted blows just because you can't come to
terms with the truth. <concerned look>.

M.

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