Paying for an education

I had a lecture today. Being a student, that's not particularly surprising. But it was a lecture on internet research. Again, with a dissertation to do next year that's hardly surprising either. But what is absolutely shocking though is the lecture, that was supposed to be an hour long, lasted a mere half an hour and the lecturer only talked about how to search on Google.

Now, I'm 24. I've had the internet my whole life, I do remember it in it's infancy but again, I've been using it the whole time I've been in education. Thats a long time. And I know how to use Google. I could have understood if the lecture was on useful ways to narrow searches in databases such as online journals or bibliography databases. But no. This lecture really was on how to use Google.

There's not much else to say on it really. I got up at 9am for a lecture and was back in my room slightly stunned at what juat happened a mere 35 minutes later! I've ranted to everyone around me at my astonishment and now I'm telling you. I'm paying about £7,000 a year and getting myself into an unimaginable amount of debt to be taught about how to search on Google. It's not even the best way to search! I'd fail if I cited it in an essay so what was the point? Your guess is as good as mine.

I might write a stronly worded letter. Then again, being a student. Neighbours is on soon, so I probably won't.

Night and Day Sucks!

Well there's a phrase I never thought I'd type! Night n Day officially made me a little upset tonight. The brilliantly poppy but not trashy Voxtrot played tonight and spent about 20 minutes standing on stage not doing much before the lead singer said: "Ok, we're ready" into a silent mic (I know because I was poised next to the piano waiting for them to start) only to find the sound engineer still standing next to the stage chatting to his pal.

Then they started with all their usual vigour and zest (I love that word) but the singer couldn't be heard, something was waaaaay to loud and everything else was a bit muffled and confusing. I knew the words but couldn't make them out and was truly hoping that they would sort them out and play like I know they can. After calling for more vocals about three more times and stopping to tune up twice the band looked uncomfortable with the silence in the not so packed Night and Day.

After the first song they got on form and played a stonking few songs but as the lead singer took the keyboards the mic stand broke and ended up with a random in a dogtooth hoodie of all things holding it up for him! I sadly had to leave just before the end but Voxtrot grabbed every opportunity to pull the gig back in their favour and worked it to their advantage but as I left sadly during the last song I thought this will be the last time we see Voxtrot in the Night n Day. I just hope they've got it all sorted out before Tilly and the Wall next week!

Yes, Tilly and the Wall in the Night n Day next week. I blue myself in anticipation. I cannot wait. They stomped all over Indian Summer and will do the same in Manc. Bad sound or no bad sound. I'm just hoping my cars fixed in time so I don't have to leave before the set's even halfway through!

Nude No More

I love t-shirts. I love design. I love art. I love being creative and other creative people. I also love threadless.com. Trawling through the thousands of submitted designs by ordinary Joes like you and me you often come across some piece of genius. You also come across an extraordinary amount of crap but it's worth it all for the gold. I've only managed to buy myself one tshirt and one hoodie so far but I have converted many others to dedicated followers of Threadless. Many days have passed where I bump into someone and they say "Oh, have you seen the new Threadless shirts? They went up tonight" or on submitting your own text slogans a conversation interrupted with "Brilliant, thats a Threadless slogan right there!" Your design submissions, if you are so creatively inspired, can win you up to $2000 in cash and a host of other Threadless goodies including a years membership to the exclusive "12 club" where every month you receive a surprise design from Threadless' select designers. Your slogan submissions really only need an Americanised form of wit to win $100 cash and $100 Threadless credit! Not bad for a bit of sarcasm to proudly emblazon your chest.

The Decemberists

After arriving during the first song to a surprisingly sold out and very crowded gig we managed to get a good spot with a couple of cans of Red Stripe and where tiny little me couldn't see as usual (You get used to judging a gig on sounds rather than what they look like on stage). The most surprising thing of all though was the silence. The crowd were either shocked stunned or possibly just in admiration. The Decemberists gave it their all on stage and even got some audience participation going during a brilliant rendition of "16 Military Wives" but the audience remained respectful and quiet in what felt like awe during most of the set.

Laughing politely at the Americans jokes the audience only sang loudly when prompted and even more shockingly I even heard a loud "Sssshhhhhhhh!" from behind when someone dropped a bottle. Although this was the case, the band picked up on it and continued to play a blinding though subdued set and came back quickly to play an encore.

They didn't play "Shiny" though and I know I wasn't the only one who missed it.

2 Weeks of nothing.

This part of the Uni calender is always quiet. Exams are finished, we've all spent our student loans and there's still a week before we have to start the next semester. Lots of time to reflect on the negatives of student life. Like no money when your car breaks down, can't go home when it's your friends birthday or you have to start eating plain pasta again until your dead end job finally pays you after the Christmas hole in your student bank account.

On the other hand though, I still have that wonderful work placement to look forward to and I'm a little more optimistic about that than I was last time! There is also time now to do such time wasting things as watch two whole series of "House" or "CSI" or to watch an entire series of 24 in 24 hours (thats scheduled to start on Thursday night).

And time to make big plans like: "Now my exams are over I'm going to... go back to the gym, eat less sweets, drink less (after re-freshers of course), and get all my coursework done early so that I'm not doing it all at the last minute. All brilliant when you've got nothing better to do with your time, but by next week when everything is back to normal will go straight out the window with last weeks pasta and a bent frying pan.