University

I'm sure you all know I'm at uni, and right now I have two exams looming over me. I don't have a clue what I'm doing, but I've had a few thoughts about the whole uni process.

If I could I'd do a dissertation on why most universities are plain awful and ways to improve them.

I know I'm just bitching really, but I'm sure there's a lot of you out there that think that the quality of teaching, and organization is so poor even in comparison to college.

I don't know what I want this post to achieve, and I know everyone dislikes uni, but perhaps if people realised quite how retarded it is at times then something might be done. Paying £9K for someone to tell you to read a book, or to talk about gear with your class mate seems a little steep.

Perhaps there should be a cull of universities - get rid of all the ones offering lame courses that make no sense, get rid of the ones with low entry grades. Universities should be for the kids that really want to learn, the ones that actually do what the staff tell them to. Improve the quality, increase the entry grades, really make a degree something worth having. With smarter kids, there'll be less drop-outs, and the standard of teaching can be improved.

I realise this will mean I'm out on my ass, but the fact is, universities are promising to 'teach' people when it's not really like that at all, it's just guidance. So, for all the non-redbrick unis, stop the charade, go back to being poly-technics and institutes and all that shit, stop trying to act all grown up, and stop accepting people that clearly aren't committed.

Uni is too much the easy choice for people that don't want to start work, for people that aren't worried by their huge debts, and it's not good, degree standard is low enough already! If uni was something that really had to worked at to get into, something that required real proof of dedication then those that are too lazy to make the most of it will be filtered out.

Not that there should be no-where for those people to go, the ex-universities can help there, with a more structured and college like style courses, designed to really teach these people, but courses should be reduced to one year, with follow-ups for those more advanced.

I realise that I wouldn't get into uni if this system worked, but I also feel I learnt a lot more in my a-levels than I have done at uni. It sure feels to me like I've barely learnt anything, just been introduced to a load of stuff.

Yeah, I'm ranting, but surely there's a lot of people that agree with me? Not nessesarily about the solution, but about how shitty unis can be.

Bah, I don't like exams.

Comfortable?

I wasn't last night

I guess someone who is truely confident will be comfortable in every situation. Last Night I dressed up as a pirate, and while people said it looked good, I felt pretty unhappy. I made me think - I'm a confident person, I get on well with people and I very much enjoy my life, but remove me from my comfort zone, and will I be the same? Or will I collapse into a neurotic, self hating wreck?

I don't think I would, but I'm gunna be trying it anytime soon!

IN OTHER NEWS

I'm attempting to book ATWE a tour atm, I need dates in the UK and perhaps a tour support to come with us. As well as that, I need to sort out a van and make sure everyone can make it! Check out

At The Waters Edge - Facebook
At The Waters Edge - Myspace
and VsVsVs Booking - Myspace


ALSO!

SCRUFFY MURPHYS 13th MAY



For everyone that's reading these posts on facebook, they get imported from a blog, I import it to save effort, not so everyone reads it.

I saw some ace bands last night.

much respect to

Canterbury
All Forgotten
LYU

all great bands.

On the theme of great bands - I'm putting on a show at Scruffy Murphys again in two weeks time. It's only £2 and theres some awesome bands playing, including my band At The Waters Edge and the amazing Dissolved in.

It's all being run through my new promo company VsVsVs which you should become fans of on facebook and friends with on myspace :)

www.myspace.com/versesvsversus
www.myspace.com/atthewatersedgemusic
www.myspace.com/dissolvedin

It should be a really good night, and it's always good when my mates come down, so - if you're in brum around that time and aren't too busy, come along.

It really does mean a lot to me when my friends come along :)

x0x

Nostalgia, regrets and remorse.

I've made a lot of mistakes in my life.

I keep making mistakes (when will I learn?) and I have plenty of regrets, but I'm in two minds, I've I'd have done it all differently, would I feel any happier? Would I have accomplished more? Would I be any different?

Well, here's a little list of the big decisions, it's a little of my insides for you to look at.

Birmingham - I love and hate this city. It's horrible, but I've some of the greatest people I could ever hope to meet here. I want to leave, but I don't want to leave those friends, and I definately don't want to leave the bands! It's a horrible city where everyone is horrible, there's no grass, and no comunity. Worst of all, there's fuck all music scene. But I love my house... and I love anarchy... I just don't know what to do!

University - Why did I ever go to Aston? Because it was what I was supposed to do, if only I'd listened to my brother, and just told my parents that I wasn't sure about uni. Perhaps I'd have done a gap year and how my life would've been different...

Music - You know what, I really don't know if I could've done much more here! I joined every band that wanted me, I play with anyone that asks me, and I fucking go for it. I'm scared it's now too late, the 18-21 gap is gone. I just hope thats not the end of my chances.

Girls - I want to experience (yes, I mean sleep with) all of the pretty girls that I went to school with, all of the pretty girls I've met over the years. It just seems like a wasted oppurtunity... So much fun could've been had.

Everyone - every cool person I met and never got to know. Where are you all now?

In the end, I've missed out on a lot, but I've also done my fair share. My mission in life is to make an impact, to be rememebered for something more than just being alive. To have truely existed, and not be forgotten. Or at least to experience everything I can.

There's millions of things I haven't done, people I haven't met, places I haven't been, and I want to do as much as I can before I blink out of here.

So, changing subject somewhat. If you can offer me an experience (I will consider almost anything) Whether it's going to see a new town, playing a new game, even just going to a new pub, I am up for it.

Please, just invite me along, and be friendly!

Hell, I'll do the Fight Club thing if I can!

blogs, twitter, facebook and more

Yeah,

I just watched a rather facinating video on twitter, involved Andrew Dubber and Steve Lawson (New Music Strategies Steve Lawson) about twitter and how it can be used essentially as a great marketing tool. Which in many ways supports my theory on how everything is marketing.

But, in a world of millions of people, thousands of musicians, hundreds of communities, does the impersonal twitter really make much difference. Now Steve and Andrew are both very much supporters of Twitter, and while I'm a user, I really find it rather dull (with the exception of the excellent Sockington). I don't follow anyone that twitters unnesesarily, so I don't get the really shit posts, but I still don't give enough of a shit about anyone else to really want to know what they're doing all the time!

My point is, with so many posts, no-one reads them all, and so, just like myspace the quality is drowned in a flood of crap.

Blogs are great, if you want to spend your life reading. Like newspaper columbs for people that can't get printed. Again, there's some amazing stuff out there, but again, a lot of it is shit, totall wastefull shit. I guess in many ways, mine isn't worth reading either :( but my point remains.

Sure, you'd be crazy not to be on every site in the world, it's a great way to spread your name about, but it doesn't sell records, it doesn't make you friends. It opens doors, and lets be honest, there's more than enough open doors for you already.

I've found that one of the best ways to sell tickets to my gigs is to flirt with girls on myspace. It's shameless and rather banal at times, but it comes down to basic one-on-one human interation. These people don't come to see us just on a few flirty messages, I usually have to msn them, maybe meet them at another gig.

Basically, it comes down to real face to face charm! Until you've really got some momentum, your best bet at making real fans, is by making real friends. Admittable these friends should be people that will like your band, but still. Strangers don't meet strangers much, although i expect this is less the case with older generations.

So, now I've totally lsot track of what I was saying...

Yes! Use every avaialble resource to plug you, your band, your product, but if you want true support, make new friends! Friends that love what you do, and will support that, not because they're obligated, but because they want to. These people will get you off the floor. Unfortunately, not much further, but it's a start ;)

So, use what you want, but in the end - make time for real people, you need them!

Me, in brief!

I just wrote this on facebook, but it sums me up well so I'm reposting it.

"I (if you hadn't guessed) play bass guitar, that's most of my life. I just wish I could quit uni and play bass all day. I study Music Tech at BCU. I'm straight edge so I don't drink any vodka leomonade. I live in erdington. I go to subway city, but only once a fortnight for anarchy. I love the Gosta Green, my friends are always there so I feel like someone from friends when I walk in. Some people say I'm scene as fuck, but I think scene is bullshit (as I say so lots) I do wnat to meet you, but that makes you more priviledge, not less. I don't know how tall I am, but I like my body. I love music, sex and snowboarding. I play with bands, there should be links on my profile somewhere, but I don't think facebook likes them. I'm playing Barfly on monday. I want you to come.

I want to see every pretty girl I meet naked. Does that make me a pervert, or just honest?

My three favourite things are music, sex and snowboarding - in that order.

There's a slightly worrying insight into who I am!"

What should I write about next people?

SEX

so, I thought I've done enough about music for now and it's time to cover the 2nd most important thing ever. (first is music, third is snowboarding - money doesn't count, it's just an enabler)

Inspired by the amazingling stunted article in Spaghetti Junction, BCUs uni mag (almost as bad as the Aston Times) who I just applied to write for... Hi if you're reading this!

The question:
1 Is Romance dead?
2 What constitutes as dating?
3 How does a relationship really work?

in short:
1 Yes
2 Sex with talking in between
3 Badly, with too much of the talking and not enough of the sex

but that's just from my perspective - I think that this is not the way for most people! So, in long:

1
Romance is a concept that is touched upon, a single gesture or an entire evening can be romantic, unfortunately romantic is often a synonym for cliche. If a guy takes a girl for a meal, candle lit, single rose on the table, then on to a nice bar (and I mean an actual bar, not just the nearest place that does cheap booze) for a drink and a dance, then walks her home. Well then he's probably loaded. But if you're imaginitive you can still be romantic. If you like your partner, all it takes is a little effort to say I Love You in a nice way. We're all too lazy these days, but make the effort, surprise that special someone, and you'll both be happier for it.


2
Dating is a bit of an enigma. No longer do we meet the oposite sex in pubs/bars we're all too scared to take the plunge unless we're drunk and in a club! Which ruins the dynamic completely, you can't go from full snogging to dating, and you really shouldn't go from a one night stand to dating. It sets the whole thing up in the wrong way (although this is exactly how I like to do it!)

Either that, or we're getting with our mates, no this works great, you know you get on and everything goes great till you break up. All of a sudden everything gets really fucking awkward for you, him/her and all your other mates. So my advice is, unless you're sure about it, don't fuck your mates!

So, the classic way is to get her number while your out, the go for coffee, if that's good, then a meal, then a goodnight kiss, the another meal, and 'back to mine for coffee' - these days it's a pull and a number, then 'wanna come over and watch a dvd' yeah, we all know what that means, I sure hope so, because I'm texting that to a girl sometime soon (how long do you leave it? 3 days minimum, what's the max!)

But this doesn't lead to a healthy relationship, it leads to sex and intimacy issues, so if that's what you're after then go you, but if you want a real relationship that random you pulled the other night is not the one. My advice is to MEET PEOPLE! it's all you can do, your friends will have friends you don't know, so go with them sometime, meet your mates mates, becomes mates with them, then meet their mates. This increases your circle and number of possible partners hugely, and without ever having to do it the real man way and actually talk to a stranger. So that's for the wusses, and for the guys with balls, go to a pub and introduce yourself to a table of people, most of the time they'll be lovely people and you'll have a great time talking to them, and you never know who you might meet!

Keep an open mind, have confidence in yourself and you'll find someone soon (I don't know where this went from dating dynamics to dating advice, but hell, it can't hurt can it! (oh and I don't think I'm an expert, I'm just bad at staying on topic!))



3 - Finally!
Relationships are hard, I should know, I've been in 3 in the last 8 months! So of mine start with the sex. With no intention to go further, but the sex leads to more sex which leads to a relationship, fine. Once in the relationship, we spend a fair amount of time together, maybe 3/4 nights a week. This time is spent playing games or watching films, and occasional nights out. Perhaps this is too much time together not doing much, which is why the relationships don't last more than a few months. So, my friends relationships... Living apart from each other means they only see each other one weekend in two, usually with both nights spent out, once to a club, once just the pub. And perhaps this is the way it should be, they've been together a long time and seem to have no problems. Other friends are living with their partners, but when they're both working full time, this seems like a good arangement, evenings are spent relaxing together, and weekends are for fun things.

You know what, just do whatever works! I don't know what the secret is, but there's been times when I wish I could just snap my fingers and make it work.

Right now - I'm happily single, so if that's your thing let me know ;)