accomodation in oxford

[bendover]

could anyone in oxford offer me floor space for a couple of nights, either next week or the week after?

probably a tuesday/wednesday or wednesday/thursday...

cheers

ben

[Becks]

You're welcome to mine though one of OUOC has a spare bed lying around - I'll try and ask him too.

[bendover]

cheers becks. its not definite yet but i'm hoping to be in town to shoot a documentary on the protestors/supporters of the university's planned vivisection laboratory. could be interesting...

i'll be in touch by pm once i can confirm.

ben

[LukeM]

the university's planned vivisection laboratory

I don't know your opinions on the laboratory (or even if you have any), but calling it that might bias other opinions. Hopefully you'll stick to the impartial view. As you say it could indeed be interesting.

Apologies for the lack of Banter.

Cheers.

[bendover]

i'll let my images speak for themselves.

as for my professional approach, i'll handle that, thanks.


what's wrong with the word 'vivisection'?

[LukeM]

Fine by me. I'll be interested to see the documentary.
I can see both sides of the argument very clearly, but certain opponents of the lab. (not all by any means; I went past the old lady on hunger strike every day for a week) seem to have a way with personal intimidation that I really can't agree with. Plus the university have handled it really badly.

[Becks]

I have mixed feelings about the lab. But I don't appreciate a bloke in his mid twenties pointing at me when I'm showing people round on an Open Day and going "Do you want to go to university with an animal killer?" What foundation he had for that I'm not sure, because if he means that I take antibiotics, paracetamol, and am fully immunised, then yes, most of us are "animal killers." I always feel like trying to rationalise with these people but I just know I'd pick the one Stephen Wright (some of you guys must remember Stephen the Vegan?) character on their little protest team. And then I'd be shafted. And their leaflet advertising it solely as a vivisection lab is a bit over dramatic and has some very suspect facts about HRT on it. But anyways...nobody wants to hear my opinion on the whole thing!

But yes, if you decide to come up then you're more than welcome to have a floor to stay on! It'll have to be in the next two weeks though to get us before the end of term.

[harry]

I'm not sure if this is even the start of a debate but I would say that a person's opinion is inevitably going to be based upon her/his personal experiences. If you have a close relative suffering or dying of a disease that could potentially be helped by research using animals you would probably be more sympathetic to the practice than Stephen the Vegan and co (btw Stephen and his family are very nice people & I respect their views).

If anyone is thinking about this issue here are some comments from leading scientists;
http://www.fbresearch.org/education/scientists.htm

this one in particular highlights an arguement most people overlook;
Albert Sabin
developer of the polio vaccine
"Without the use of animals and human beings, it would have been impossible to acquire the important knowledge needed to prevent much suffering and premature death not only among humans, but also among animals."

And here is a statement from the Home Office;

"Animals in Scientific Procedures
The moral objection to the use of animals in scientific procedures is a view held with conviction by some people and is one that the Government respects. However, Parliament has built in considerable safeguards to allow experimentation in limited circumstances and to ensure both proper regulation and monitoring. Although the situation may change in the future, the development of a number of new drugs, and medical and veterinary technologies which help to reduce suffering and prevent large-scale infections among humans and animals continues to depend on this carefully regulated use of animals for testing and research."

[bendover]

i'm going there completely impartially. thats the whole point of a documentary - i can honestly say that at this moment i don't have a fixed opinion on the two sides of the argument - i'm going out of curiosity and to pursue a story that satisfies my current brief.

as it happens, perhaps unsurprisingly its proving to be a lot easier to get in touch with protestors as opposed to those who are backing the lab in oxford. so thats where i'm hopefully going to be starting my 'image gathering'. i've stressed in my correspondence with them that my intentions are born out of curiosity as opposed to a political standpoint.

however.... luke and becks, you've obviously got some opinions on the proposals that i would be interested in hearing. luke i guess your inital bluntness kind of pissed me off. It would be good to maybe interview both of you as 'local residents' (well informed students anyway) in oxford to garner some opinion. however the most important thing is the images as this is what my work will be ultimately judged upon. if either of you can suggest ways in which i could contact those involved on the university side of things then that would be useful too.

cheers

ben

[Becks]

Eek...don't call him a student! He's Dr M doncha know! (Well obviously you don't know as he's a completely random username on a screen. But there's some info for you!)

[Dids co]

Bring back fox-hunting

[badger]

It'll be back after the election...

[HOCOLITE]

I work next to a lab and we get the protesters chanting and blowing whistles, they also disrupt the traffic at times as they insist on stepping into the road to stick their placards in front of passing drivers. I'd like to have them charged with noise pollution as it is hard to concentrate with 'puppy killer'and whistle blowing coming every 3/4 minutes. Incidentally these women only come when the weather is nice, and come in on the train. I gather there are 'part time employment opportunities' advertised on some uni web sites, offering money for students to travel somewhere and cause disruption.

[brooner]

I gather there are 'part time employment opportunities' advertised on some uni web sites, offering money for students to travel somewhere and cause disruption.

dammnit, i've missed those ones, let me know if anyone sees them! sounds like a cushy number!

[King Tim]

Ben, all you asked for was a room for a couple of nights!

By the way, happy birthday for last month, I didn't realise, sorry. I'll be joining you in the 'late twenties' in 3 weeks. Gulp. - Tim