I'm Doing Church PA On April Fool's Day

What pranks can I play?
Anyone?

For One Night Only

You may have been aware of the extra band pratices I've been going to every few Thursdays? Or not. Anyway, I agreed to play guitar for Christian singer/songwriter Simon Harper at his album launch. Said album launch is today. It's gonna be great fun, so I anticipate - Simon and the rest of the band are really friendly, warm guys; the music is good (and with plenty of electric guitar space); more to the point, there's a free buffet.
The event is a mixture of promoting Simon's album and also giving it back to God, so it's part-gig part-worship event. Did I mention the buffet? Lovely.

My Amazing Antarctic Adventure

I had this crazy dream that I was in the Antarctic. Although it started off in this massive hall, with stairs going up into another massive hall, and from the top massive hall were these high windows through which you could see the sea. And then I was the moon, and these stars all bowed down to me. Okay, I actually stole that last bit from the Bible.
So I'm in this hall, and then I'm in this submarine outside in the sea and it's really stormy, and then I crash on this island. And then I get rescued after spending the night in a cave... it was a really, really weird dream.
The Antarctic was warmer than I imagined.

Stop Taking Pete Tong's Name In Vain

I'd never heard the phrase "all gone a bit Pete Tong" until a couple of weeks ago, and now I can't seem to get away from it.
Allow me to point out a few things about this saying which are, to me at least, fairly obvious:
1. It makes you sound like a retard
2. It's annoying
3. It makes you sound like a retard
I apologise to anyone who suffers from mental or temporal retardation - this is not meant to cause offence to you. Put simply though, naive, everyday Radio 1 listeners who have never used cockney rhyming slang in their pathetic little lives suddenly start spouting drivel about random House DJs because it's "hip" and "cool." Whatever.

My Brother Is Weird

Every morning, he gets up and has a shower. Then he towels himself dry. To most people, the logical Next Step would be to exit the bathroom, get dressed, eat breakfast, go crab-fishing/whatever. Ben, he just sits against the radiator. Fair play, radiators are nice and warm, but there is always a queue for the shower in our house and Ben has a lovely big radiator in his room.
But for some reason, it always seems appropriate to him to just sit against the radiator, blissfully unaware of the six billion other people waiting to use the shower.
Bless him.

Robin Mitchell Makes Peace With The Fray

Not because they've answered my challenge, but because Vienna is a damn beautiful song. They've got it right there - they're not trying to use the piano as a guitar, they're not doing the typical I IV V chord changes and the vocal tune absolutely lush.

So I need someone else to declare War on. But it can't be one of these little wannabe bands, because hey - that's just cruel. I was thinking about Avril Lavigne, or Amy Whinehouse, or Natasha Beddingfield, or any of those singer-songwriter girls who can't write lyrics. I mean, do what Britney did and get someone else to write your songs, or go to writing school, or something. Please!

The End, Part II

As my good friend Jack has announced The End of his blog, I've decided to come out myself. On April 28th, 2007, I intend to cease posting entries to this weblog.

As I enter a new season of life I feel that this blog is no longer an appropriate commitment, and fun though it is to write senselessly I'd rather consolidate some more consistent work. My 18th Birthday is one good opportunity to cut ties - another is the start of September, when a new academic year unfolds. This would give me a summer of blogging, and you a summer of reading.

I have, over the years, developed a comparatively wide readership base, so I put it to you, my readers: April or September?

Not that I'll necessarily take your advice, because it will probably an impulse decision. And not that your advice will be any good, because I know some funny little chappies will write "delete it now lol." But you all keep coming back here because you love it. Opinionated trash, mindless ramblings, obscure humour... this blog is the reason you spend every waking hour on the internet. So what will it be?

A Bit Of Grammar Never Hurt Anyone

I totally appreciate how much communication is going on via the net. I think that apart from the fact that it turns people into reclusive nerds, it is brilliant. However, I wish people would write proper-like. I don't care about texts or instant messengers, those are informal communication channels and you can write however you wish. Same with forums and chat-boxes and things, because I don't use them. Similarly, I don't mind the odd typo. But it would be nice for the pedants among us if people writing publicly would use grammar correctly. Plz.

[this was gonna be an amusing rant about cleaners but I can't remember for the life of me what it was I had in mind ten minutes ago]

Sick

It really makes me sick when governments use ordinary people as part of their games. Like with the recent sailor incident: clearly Iran are making some sort of political move and Britain are too scared to actually do anything, and these 15 sailors are caught up in it through no fault of their own (apart from that they joined the navy, which I guess serves them right).
And with the Guantanamo Bay detainees. Half of those guys are just political prisoners being manipulated and screwed over by the U.S., and probably by their countries of origin too.

Read
I think one of the things that angers me most is when governments think they have the right to kill or maim people. Damn them!

dude

in exactly a month i'll be 18

these things are significant to me

Robin Mitchell's Caffeine Withdrawl Diary

Day 1: Had a cup of tea. Damn
Day 2: No notable effect
Day 3: Headaches, immense tiredness, shaking and violent tendancies

What will Day 4 hold?

Listening

A great man once told me "No-one will listen to your songs more than you." This is true. It also encourages you to make sure they're as good as possible.
Nevertheless, it doesn't take away from the embarassment when someone walks in on you doing it.

The Truth

I think it's quite a lot of pressure to put on journalists to expect them to tell the truth the whole time. I mean, recalling events accurately, I think that's important, but doesn't everyone have their own personal truth? And how on earth is a journalist meant to determine which truths are true? It's impossible! Exactly.

Thing is, though, when journalists aren't "recalling events accurately" or "recounting personal truths," they're lying. Simple. Why beat about the bush? But if they know they're lying, and if we know they're lying, and if they know that we know that they're lying...
why not just write something a bit more interesting?

Seriously, they could publish some brilliant stuff. Imagine if the cover of The Guardian read "Man Finds Last Living Dinosaur." Jimmy, T-Rex, aged 100358, told us "I miss all my dinosaur friends." When asked about how all the others had died, he refused to comment.

I think you all know what I'm talking about here. They might as well make their lies a little bit more exciting.

Robin Mitchell VS The Fray

To prove that I stand by my words, and to finish this issue with The Fray once and for all, I've decided to set a challenge right here in the Public Eye.

Message to The Fray from Robin Mitchell:
If you provide me with funding, a studio, equipment, engineers, a major record label and some airtime I will make an album that stays at #1 for at least one day longer than "How To Save A Life."

And if they don't answer this challenge, it proves that I'm right.

Weird

Do you ever get it when you're acting weird, and you don't like yourself?

"Don't think, be."

In other news, I got told that my blog is "funnier than Terry Pratchett."
His actual words were "Have you read that new Terry Pratchett book?" but I knew what he meant.

It's Gonna Be / Another Beautiful Day

If anyone gets that reference I will perhaps love them forever.

Seriously, though, it is. 16 degrees centigrade, according to BBC, and the sun is already peeping through the haze. It feels good to be alive. Or as Warren said, "I thought everyone was supposed to be nicer when the sun came out." Haha, as if.

But it's amazing what an effect this sort of weather has on people, inside and out. If it makes people happier for a little while, then bring on global warming!

The Knack

I've spent a lot of time today trying to work out how to sing this pretty high part gently without going falsetto. After more than 20 takes, I took a break. I now have the perfect forumla:

No compression, no reverb; just a pint of your finest Stella, served chilled (and at an extortionate price! but I'm still underage so I can't complain).

[edit - on that note, ignore the other post about "Get Some Peace" - a newer version is now online with slightly better vocals/drums, and a lovely "ooh" bit at the end]

This Song Is Called "You Talk Way Too Much"

It's actually a damn good song, by The Strokes, but my point is this: Philosophy does horrible things to me.
Especially triple Philosophy.

There's this girl in our class, who reminds me a bit of a sewage works. It's not because of how she smells, but because of what she spews. 'nuff said. Thing is, I actually get like that: by the afternoon I can tell I've been talking too much cuz my voice actually hurts. And I'm not the only one, but I do Talk Way Too Much and it hurts my head. Or maybe that's the coffee I should be giving up.
Er...

long day

Gap Year

I know a lot of Gap Year students attest to having a "wealth of experience." There are Facebook groups dedicated to this claim (yeah, my life is currently governed by Facebook), and there seems to be a certain aura of smugness surrounding Gap Year students.

As far as I can tell, however, Gap Year students only have a wealth of experience in two areas:

-Working behind a checkout at Tescos (in which case, erm, hooray for you!)
-Getting pissed in enough different countries that you leave your passport in Burma and are exported in humiliation, two months before you were due to come home

Either way, doesn't sound so very useful to me.
But what do I know? I hate students.

Let this be a warning to all ye Gap Yearers to be...

I Hereby Declare

That I too got screwed over by the clocks changing.

Didn't see it coming!
I know you're with me on this one...

As Posted On MySpace

GET SOME PEACE
new song (an acoustic version of The Hardest Part, for those that new it) is online. i stress that this is a ROUGH MIX, which means that it is uncomfortable to hold amongst other things. the vocals, specifically, are a little bit hit-and-miss, and the djembe playing isn't perfect.
BUT
it's nice. i think. at the moment
:D

or rather, :(

I Promise Never To Say Anything That Will Make Me Appear A Hypocrite

Here's a rant I wrote a while ago. In response to a couple of my friends who basically want to be DRAGONFORCE and spend all their time learning shredding riffs etc... and yet they're not actually very good musicians. Okay, so that's a little harsh. But generally, people who keep obsessing over the same old stuff. Look, it's just a rant, don't take it personally.

GET OVER YOUR GUITAR SOLOS

Hey there kids, I'm Robin, a GUITARIST.
Remember what happened in the 50s? Elvis started playing "Rock and Roll." Then there was The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and GUITAR SOLOS. And that was the 60s. Then, guess what, along came the 70s when people realised NEW WAYS to do GUITAR SOLOS. So they did them LOTS. And then... yep, the 80s. The 80s was all about bad dress sense. And, er, GUITAR SOLOS. Eddie Van Halen! Slash! YES! EIGHTIES! So now we move into the 90s, and people begin to drift away into new and exciting genres, as music evolution process demands. But wait, some kids realised they don't have thumbs yet and start drifting back, back, back... EIGHTIES! EIGHTIES! OH DEAR GOD, EIGHTIES.

WE DO NOT WANT TO END UP BACK AT THE STONE AGE OF MUSIC. SO PLEASE, PUT DOWN THE PENTATONICS, OR PICK UP A BASS.

I'm thinking about a couple of Facebook Groups here:

SAVE THE WORLD FROM INDIE MUSIC (a group to stop Indie Music becoming the only genre ever)
GUITARISTS AGAINST GUITAR SOLO (speaks for itself. Guitar instrumentals on the other hand...)
Er... yes. I have exhausted myself, mentally and physically, and cannot be held responsible for anything written above.

Double Standards

When Sky do it, it's unecessary ruthlessness. When Microsoft do it it's hilarious.

At least it's in a friendly, teasing sort of way rather than a blunt but predictably pathetic sort of way.
Good old M$, my heart is yours forever. Yes Timmy, you may take credit for the link.

Bottlers and Spewers

Bottlers are less annoying than Spewers.
Or, put another way, it's easier to give sympathy to someone who isn't constantly demanding it of you.

Thing is, generally the "right" thing to do is the hardest thing. So who should we be more caring towards? Bottlers or Spewers?

To hell with them both, I say!

We Are Morally Obliged To Download Lost

Just to show those crafty Sky fellas what we think of their not-so-subtle Put-down Plan.
Damn them! Damn them all!

Revenge of the Post-It

Despite the fact that I posted my best Post-It yet ("Luther Posted It" - on the door of my church, no less!), today I felt the wrath of many anti Post-it-ers. It began when, after feeling a strange sensation on my back, I turned to find that Colse had stuck a "Got Robin?" post-it on me! As if this disgrace wasn't enough, upon leaving church this evening my car was mobbed by a group of ten or so post-it enemies, trying to stick post-it notes on the windscreen, and hitting my windows with baseball bats. I only escaped by squirting Suzie with the windscreen washer.

So, for some reason people have taken it into their hearts to hate me for this harmless, peaceful and even productive hobby. But the post-its will prevail!

Music Tech Tricked Me!

The worst part of Music Tech is writing the scores. Because it's boring, repetitive, and if you make a notation equivalent of a typo, you're screwed. More to the point, a score is the difference between an A and an E in coursework. That's big going. So guess what? Our teacher told us today that the new course - starting next year - doesn't require any score writing.
!

me not happy

Philosophy Tricked Me

Coming to the end of my A-Levels, and realising the enormity of the exams I have to take, I am reminded once again of that fateful day that I was fooled into taking "Philosophy."

Philosophy: Come and study the works of many wonderful Philosophers. Ponder the existence of life, the Universe, and everything. Talk about God. Kick back, chill out, have a good time.
Robin: Sounds fantastic. I'm in, and I'm bringing my little sidekick Tim to argue with people.
Philosophy: Brilliant! Just sign the dotted line...
Robin: Easy. (As time passes) Wait a second...
Philosophy: HAHA! YOU HAVE BEEN TRICKED! You just signed up for two long years of... RELIGIOUS EDUCATION. And as a bonus, the first year comes with incompetent teaching staff!
Robin: Noooooooooooooo
[3 formal examinations later, Robin was found dead at the bottom of a stairwell. But the ghost of Religious Education lives on]

I actually still enjoy this subject, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not exactly getting As

UBER-POST DAY

Today has been UBER-POST DAY, because not only have I posted LOADS, I've posted MASSIVE POSTS. So to top it off, here is a MASSIVE SURVEY what I found on MySpace.
If you're bored (which I know you are, otherwise you wouldn't be here), send me the results! I find it all very amusing. I should add that this is exactly as it came, uncensored, so there are some odd questions. I find that silly answers are best to put there, to avoid any awkwardness, eg. "YES Robin, of COURSE I want to SLEEP WITH YOU."


Prelude:
The esteemed Chaplain of MySpace sent out one of these, and it seemed like such fun that I've done the same! It gets a bit desperate towards the end, don't worry about telling me you want to share a bed with me - I understand

YOU fill in the blanks about ME...

My name:
Summarize me in three words:
Where did we meet?
Take a stab at my middle name:
How long have you known me?
When is the last time that we saw each other?
Do I drink?
Do I smoke?
Am I happy?
Am I a good person?
What was your first impression of upon meeting me/seeing me?
What's one of my favourite things to do?
Am I funny?
How do you make me smile?
What's my favourite type of music?
Have you ever seen me cry?
Can I sing?
What is the best feature about me?
Am I shy or outgoing?
Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
Do I have any special talents?
Would you call me preppy, average, sporty, punk, hippie, glam, nerdy, snobby, or something else (what)?
If we both had 24hrs to live how would we spend them?
I'm hot? Am I not? Go ahead, you can say...:
Have you ever hugged me?
Kissed me?
Would you kiss me if not?
What is my favourite food?
Would you trust me to share a bed with you?
Have you ever had a crush on me?
Am I dating anyone?
If there was one good nickname for me, what would it be?
What's your favourite memory of me?
Who do I like right now?
What is my worst habit?
If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing I would bring?
Are we friends:
Do I believe in God?
Am I family oriented?
Who is my best friend?

And A Bit More...

Okay, "Better to light a candle than curse the darkness." I have brought you a replacement to The Fray, because I know you all know How To Save A Life and, the amount of times that song's been played, won't forget it in a hurry. In a very similar, piano/guitar-lead soft-rock style, are "Thirteen Senses" - a British four-piece with catchy pop-songs in a similar style to The Fray, with the following exceptions:
1) They are interesting

I fell in love with these guys (not literally, I'm not gay) last April when I heard the single "Do No Wrong." It's simple but it's brilliant and powerful in a way that The Fray could never be. Probably because Thirteen Sense are Cornish. Anyway, now I just heard that they have a new album out this April called "Contact" and the reviews all say it's a stunner. Despite belonging to the pinao-rock genre, these guys aren't just Coldplay II or Keane II - they've got something real good, at times a bit darker and heavier, at other times simpler and softer, but they're definitely worth a listen.

More On The Fray

A guy on Amazon's take on things:
...a little bit of sick came up
Reviewer: Graham Simons "grahams246"

I'm really not sure why this album has garnered such rave reviews. This is reminiscent of Keane's Hope and Fears but only in its tone. You see Keane's debut felt like a collection of hits, every track could have been released and some of the singles contained B sides that actually bettered the tracks on the album. This album by the Fray actually made me feel a bit sick and by the end of listening to it I could only remember the first track and the eponymous title track, the rest of the album just didn't register. This album is bland beyond belief. It lacks soul. I think it may be an attempt at being another White Ladder, but while that album will always make someone feel better as they relate to the lyrics and the world that David Gray paints, this album will just make you forget about your troubles because it's just so damn boring!! The musical equivalent of Jimmy Hill - oh dear!

I am really, really hesitant to call any musician boring. Maybe my feelings are exaggerated as part of a backlash against the immense popularity of this band. I mean, they must be doing something right if so many people like them. Still, my review echoes the sentiments of that guy:

Save A Life, Stop Playing That Song
Reviewer: another_dissatisfied_customer

...Because we all know that it was a hit. Catchy tunes, tight recording, interesting new band. Right?
Except that The Fray are lacking something. Musical ability? No, they appear to have that. Original content? Well, who *doesn't* sound like someone else these days? Decent lyrics? On the contrary, our young frontman seems quite capable in the literary field.
So what is it that's missing from The Fray? They have lively melodies and fairly well developed song-structures, but there is something about them that is just a bit... well, boring.
Now that this horrible word is out in the open, I'll go onto sing their praises for a while. "Vienna" is a beautiful, focusing on piano and vocal without dropping back to the cliched pop-rock sound. A couple of other songs, such as "She Is," have powerful and creative guitar riffs. They have definitely got something right. But on the otherhand, they write like a bunch of schoolkids on a very good day. Their sound redefines the word "cliche," and doesn't merely borrow from the work of others (U2, Coldplay etc.) - rather, it steals and then corrupts.

If you haven't heard The Fray before, there are some catchy, happy tunes on here. But despite the big fuss, this album is nothing to brag about. Still, you can guarantee a good night's sleep if you're listening to it - even in the day time.

Robin's Guide To Minor Keys

I noticed something Crossman posted on the Woodies Worship Blog, which reminded me of a similar post I'd had in mind to write. So I'll write it now, shall I?

Some people have criticised me for loving minor keys, and indeed there was a stage where I tried not to write in minor keys at all. But I've decided that the music will always take the appropriate form for the song, and for me that quite often happens to be in minor keys. Thing is, vocal range etc. aside, certain keys have certain moods about them. You will notice I haven't included all of the keys. That is because I can't be bothered. Nonetheless, here is my interpretation:

A minor
A dull melancholy: soft and mournful or muffled and rhythmic, A minor is a subtle minor that doesn't immediately stand out as being minor at all. It is neither sad nor happy, but more often thoughtful or provocative. Downtempo songs are pure and soft, uptempo songs have a bit of bite and funk. One of my songs in A minor? Good Enough!

B flat minor
No-one uses this key except Placebo. Awkwardly placed between the soft A minor and the powerful B minor, B flat minor is awkward and disjointed. Avoid it at all costs. (To date I haven't written any songs in B flat minor, but I have covered Placebo's "Without You I'm Nothing" in said key).

B minor
Dramatic and powerful, songs in B minor are either driven by Piano ostinatos or by guitar power-chords. B minor wil always over-react - there are no simple lovesongs, only passionate tradgedies and undying declarations. If the song is for some reason of happy lyrical content, there will almost certainly be shouting. The Hardest Part was written in B minor.

D minor
"Spinal Tap" describes this as "The saddest of the keys," but I disagree. D minor is bitter and twisted, perhaps hopeless or perhaps vengeful, with a twist of depression and a sprinkling of malice. The exception to this rule is when a Classical Spanish guitar comes into play, wherein the key briefly transcends into something pure and beautiful (see the many works of Gustavo Santaolalla, etc). However, this fact should be ignord. D minor is at times subtle and at times full-pelt in your face, but there is always something uneasy about it. Trust not this key! A song of mine in this bitter key is PIL.

E minor
This is a stunner of a key. My personal "saddest of the keys," especially on a piano; this key speaks of slow and powerful beauty, or pounding, anethemic choruses. I have written many, many songs in E minor including Tears (the one with the whistling), and (Another) Beautiful Day.

F sharp minor
Similar to E minor, but more subtle. Coldplay used it to great effect on "Parachutes" - you get the powerful beauty of E minor mixed with a soft, bluesy feel. We don't know why it works, Jim, but it does. I don't think I've written any songs in F sharp minor, but speaking of Coldplay, "We Never Change" was written in that key. Oh, what a lovely guitar sound!

G minor
If F sharp is like E, G is like D. G minor is a toned-down version of D minor's bitter feel, but with a good rhythm you can add something to G minor to give it a bit of punch. This is a reliable key, you can trust it more than D minor but it doesn't quite have the edge...

Now you know about minor keys, you can learn your ABC! Play nicely, children...

Bow-Tie

For those who attend Lunch Club, this will make sense. To the rest of you, it is irrelevant.

In the interests of making Lunch Club more exclusive (we've been getting all sorts of riff-raff along recently), and to promote stylish dress and good-natured fun, next week will be "Bow-Tie Week" in Lunch Club. Entry will only be granted to those in a bow-tie, and anyone on the premises not wearing a bow-tie will be snubbed by Lunch Club members.

That is all

And So It Begins

BBC weather tells me that the temperature is going to increase by about 4 degrees centigrade a day from here on out (which means that by summer we'll all be dead). That and the re-appearance of rain can only mean one thing: Spring is coming.
Spring! Spring! Sprriiiing! Lambs, bunnies, eggs, robins, grass, logs. Toast. Spring!

I like spring.

RE: Les Esmeraldas

A new song has gone up (which I'm really pleased with... some of you might recognise it), and I've remixed "Soulmates" (aka "Sleeping With Ghosts") so it's now properly in time, and has some cool keyboard work going on. New vocals too, because the other ones were a bit weedy.

[and now "Out Of Sight" is back up, slower and prettier and messier in a good way]

In Praise of Brown Sauce

Brown Sauce is definitely northern. There's something down-to-earth and honest - blunt, even - about it. You know Brown Sauce doesn't have an ingredients list? It's just:
Contains - Brown Sauce
Colouring - Brown
Flavouring - Brown

Because seriously, that's all there is to Brown Sauce. Does exactly what it says on the tin. It's brilliant; no messing about, no nonsense. Just Brown Sauce, which is Brown and gives a sort of Brown flavour to everything. I love it.

Critical Error!

Marmalade = lovely
Apricot jam = disgusting

unfortunately, they look the same* :(


*racial!

One To Watch

Check out Las Esmeraldas!

Yeah, it's just another excuse for me to indulge my musical cravings. I'm gonna do a lot more of the loop/sample stuff. Problemo though, I appear to have lost Fruity Loops 5 so my drum sounds are a little drab.

Songs coming up are:

"Wires" by Athlete
"Tomorrow Never Dies" by Sheryl Crow
"Tell Me" by The New Root

...and many, many more!

For Everyone Who's Never Heard...

I just spent the last fifteen minutes deleting old bulletins and blog entries on my MySpace page. There's nothing too incriminating now...
I also went through my hard-drive and deleted some old recordings of some since revamped songs (including the entire original "Good Enough?" EP!). It's sad because there were some original ideas there, but also necessasry because they were rubbish.

One more thing (for the fanz): I've put "Good Enough?" back up on MySpace in place of "The Hardest Part." If you haven't heard my one-hit-wonder song, go listen.

Elegance and Grace

I always percieve myself to be elegant and graceful. I am slim, light-footed, I weave my way around the football pitch and the guitar neck. But for some reason, I always spill my coffee.

On average I'd say I consume about 85% of a cup of coffee. 2% is poured away, and the remaining 13% is spilled - some on me, some on the floor, some on unfortunate bystanders. On occasion I get away with a gentle splash on the fingers, whereas at other times I empty the whole thing on some poor child's head. But whatever the quantity and whatever the situation, I can't seem to drink a cup of coffee without spilling it.

It's probably the excitement.

Find Me Something To Love About The Fray, And I'll Withdraw The Contents Of This Post

Because seriously, what's the big deal? I hear they've gone multi-platinum in the US, and that "How To Save A Life" was the most-played song of the summer. And I just don't get it.

I'm not one to discriminate against pop bands. I'm a big fan of Coldplay and Keane, to whom The Fray have been compared. I've got everything inbetween Britney and Justin (which wasn't a lot at one stage!), and I'm always willing to give something new a listen. Which is what I did with The Fray, no lie, and I'm not impressed. Maybe in a couple of weeks I'll realise that I've been overlooking something brilliant, but for now this is what I've got to say:

I acquired their album and their new EP and my initial response was "Yeah, this is okay." Which is good going because even the best bands don't normally click straight away. But they haven't improved even after several listens. There is one song, one out of fifteen or so, that I like and it's not even on their multi-platinum album. It's a short, snappy, guitar-driven song called "Some Trust." To be honest, the tacky, predictable piano riffs don't do anything except slow the songs down and as far as I'm concerned the songs are boring enough already. The singer has the sad drone of Chris Martin but not in a sexy/interesting way but in a boring/boring way; the drummer and bassist appear to lack any form of originality and when the guitar is audible it's playing the same little U2 cliches. Or just fingerpicking the triads i.e. playing the same thing as the piano. Did I mention that the piano playing is boring? If this was a band of school kids I'd be impressed, but multi-platinum? And everyone's going on about "How To Save A Life." Here's how: stop playing that stupid song!

The Problem With Lost...

The problem with Lost is that they don't seem to have a plan, that the writers seem to be bumping characters in and out on a whim, that inconsistencies are beginning to arise, that the same difficult situations arise...

...that it is so darn addictive nonetheless. I mean seriously, you could have the worst writers in the world and they'd still make something watchable out of the situation. Mystery, guns, and a bunch of sexy castaways. But the writers of Lost are very good, and they've got me like a fish on a line.

Weekend Away Photos

Can be found here.
Remember, they ain't all perfect - some of them are "Great photo +/- x seconds." Still, if you were there you'll be pleased to see them :)

Devotion Weekend Away 2007

Your Author Has Returned

Isn't it funny how this summer I spent a week on four hours' sleep a night and was fine, but that this weekend I had two nights of about six hours and I feel rubbish?

So I took lots of People-photos this weekend, but was mostly disappointed thanks to a slow camera. I mean, cameras are made to capture moments, but if the darn thing takes two hours to process properly you can't really get the effect you're after. A couple of good ones came out from when people were sitting still though, and I'll be sure to upload...

I also Posted It, everywhere I went. On Friday I left a "Got Dust?" post-it in my dad's room, and although there have been some variations (including the classic "Congratulations, you have found the secret message"), since then most of the post-its have been "Got ...?" e.gs include "Got Djembe?" "Got queue?" "Got Woodcroft?" etc, and my favourite:

Out On The Weekend

This afternoon I'll be departing on a coach with a bunch of random Christian youth to go and stay in some chalets outside Chepstow. Except that myself, Ben Johnson and perhaps another will be sleeping in Arthur the Campervan, my dreaded nemesis and arch-enemy.

I won't be posting (except post-its) for a while, but you can sure as hell find something decent to read if you scroll the archives.
Just kidding.
No I'm not.

It's early, leave me alone : |

Flippin' Musicians

Why is it that one guy with an acoustic guitar and his voice can be immensely boring and repetitive, but another guy with the same guitar and his voice can be captivating and moving?

My Amazing Plan

It goes like this. I have post-it notes, and I have a pen. I will write a little message on each and every post-it note, and post one wherever I go.

If you see yellow paper squares, Robin Mitchell's been there.

Girly Moments

Take I:

Robin: [walks into kitchen, wearing slightly open shirt and little neck-scarf, carrying a bag] i'm broke but [falsetto] i have shoes! and a ticket to the ball
Colse: Allow me to repeat to you what just happened...

Take II:

Robin: [deep, gruff voice] Er... Damn, I'm broke

Can You See The Tiger?

WWF

Soon they will be saying that Tigers aren't real. And we know where that leads...
look at the dinosaurs

Singing

Do you remember a while back I was bitching about having to sing Bono? (I'm actually quite pleased of the job I did, but ignore that). I've agreed to do the only thing more difficult - singing Freddie. I love a challenge, don't get me wrong, but this guy has a voice that puts all other voices to shame. And then some!

Iron & Wine

He may have a weird beard, but Sam Beam sure can sing.

Coffee Is My Drug

I like having a drug :)
If I was rich enough I'd smoke, but thankfully I'm not. If I was carefree enough I'd drink too much, but again - it is not so.
I get the hot stuff.

There's something about having a substance that you genuinely like, that is your unique flavour, and that has an effect on other people where they go "Hmm." I mean, 80% of people in the world wouldn't take their coffee like I do. They would tremble at the thought. But I know how I like it, it's like my special fuel. My secret sauce. Marvellous medicine. Yeah, I'll stop there.

I take my coffee black, strong, no sugar, and I write this while sipping on the richest cup of black coffee you ever did see. And It Was Good.

The Internet Is Dangerous

Does it ever strike you that your understanding of the written word - that it is a transient expression of emotion subject to the laws of time and change as with any other expression and thus should not be interpreted outside of its original context - may not accepted by others? i.e. Something written seven years ago after a drunken night of despair, that should be left to its place in history, may be taken by some to retain its meaning even today.
Dangerous stuff.

69 Questions

I hadn't done one of those "x number of questions about you" surveys for ages... and then I saw Fintan's on MySpace so I was like "Right: I'm doing it" and I did it and it is done.

You should be able to see it here but maybe you can't. The summary of it is, I find myself too funny for my own good and should probably be locked away

Rubbish Car Wanted!

If I choose to go to Falmouth - which, let's face it, I will - I will most likely need some form of motorised transportation i.e. a rubbish car. Cornish university is like no other in that you can't walk between important locations because they are all seperated by miles of windy country lanes. Also, I'll need to be able to hit the beach and surf as often as possible. So I need a rubbish car.
It must be rubbish so that is a) free and b) cheap to insure.

I am adamantly against getting a job before going to uni. However, if I can get hold of a free car then I guarantee y'all that I will get a job to earn the money to pay the insurance etc. And I know that free cars exist, because I was offered one four months ago and I was like "No, I have this nice Fiat Punto." And then my parents were like "You are NOT taking that to uni" and I was like ": ("

So if you hear of/see a free (or very cheap) car, let me know.

It is not, Completely necessary, To ruin lyrics, With punctuation!

Is it really only me who gets annoyed by people who use too much punctuation in lyrics? I mean, the occasional comma or question-mark is necessary, of course, but aside from that lyrics aren't your typical piece of prose. It's not like you need full stops, exclamations, commas etc. at every new line. I've noticed this particularly in church, and on lyrics websites. There was one song - I can't remember the line offhand but it went something like "You are amazing," - and if you were to sing it normally you'd go:
"You are amazing"
but with the addition of the exclamation mark (at least in my mind) it becomes
"YOU ARE AMAZING!"
And this can be at some really intimate, quiet point in a song. The same goes with full stops - people put them in all over the place, and okay, in a sentence it would be appropriate but this is a song! It's like. Putting in pauses. Every few. Words. ie. Really. Rather. Annoying.

Okay, I'm very fussy about these things but I feel that it is a very important issue that is having an increasingly negative effect on society and is probably the sole reason why our bloody kids are so bloody in the first place.
Another thing that really bugs me is with choruses, writing a line that is obviously repeated many times - take this example of a Damien Rice song.

How I'd write it:

I can't take my eyes off you

How the lyrics website puts it (note use of annoying full stops):

I can't take my eyes off you.
I can't take my eyes off you.
I can't take my eyes off you.
I can't take my eyes off you.
I can't take my eyes off you.
I can't take my eyes off you.
I can't take my eyes off you.

The King Is Dead, Long Live The King!

Or rather, "get rid of one psychotic dictator and another will spring back up."
Let's look at what Mugabe's regime are doing to the opposition.

The thing about psychotic dictators is that their "excuses" or comebacks are totally pathetic. Like when the Kremlin was accused of poisoning Litvinenko, they said "That's a ridiculous claim, therefore we didn't do it." I mean, great argument there. The official Zimbabwe response was "These guys were beating up police, therefore it's okay to beat them up."
Seriously? A bunch of opposition leaders - mostly middle-aged politicians - go around beating up policemen? In Zimbabwe?

Allow me to respond with my somewhat typical but nonetheless effective "Hahaha ahaha aha ahahahahah ahahahahahahahahahahaha. Ha."

A Bit Of Hate Never Hurt Anybody...

You know how some people "hate" people? I don't do that. I can honestly say that there is not one single person on the planet, nor is there anyone that I can ever conceive myself hating in the future. But is this because my feelings are different to those of one who "hates," or is it because my interpretations of my feelings are different?
There are some people that I find it difficult to get on with at certain times, or some people that I frankly find very annoying a lot of the time. But I don't hate these people, indeed there is also a degree of affection for them somewhere within my crooked soul. So do people who "hate" people genuinely feel a different emotion to me, a stronger, angrier, more malicious passion? Or do they just have different words for the same feelings?

Tasty

Would you eat your Dad?

So we're in Greece in B.C. 400 or something, and King Darius finds out that there are two Greek traditions: in one tradition, the sons cremate their father when he dies. In the other, they cook and eat their father when dies. So Darius is like "Hmm, is one of these right and one wrong, or are they both right in their own special way?" and so he says to the father-eater guys, "Er, if I pay you some money will you stop eating your dads?" and they're like "NO WAI! lol."
So in conclusion, morality is relative to culture and "personal truths." Or something. That's what this little story is meant to imply, but in fact it achieved much more: it caused a discussion as to who would eat their father, and a surprising amount of people would (for a small fee).

Weird Conversation

Some random reader of my blog added me on MSN (damn all instant messenger programs forever). But it turns out she's from Indonesia and doesn't speak very good English. Nevertheless, she persisted in making small talk - friendly, yes, but not exactly how I planned on spending the last twenty minutes.
Here is most of our conversation, featuring my subtle but effective means of ending it:

Reader says:
yeah..
so,what r u up to?
Robin says:
work
writing
how about yourself?
Reader says:
same as u..
writing
what time is it in there?
Robin says:
4.30 pm
Reader says:
ohh..ok
Robin says:
yes, it's quite disturbing really
anyway i have to go now
Reader says:
okay
Robin says:
but i'm sure we will engage in similarly fascinating discourses over time
have a pleasant afternoon
Reader says:
sure.
u too
o yeah..
11.34 pm in here,by the way

Story Time

While on Arvon I wrote a story. Today I went through an "editing" process, and cut it down a lot, and typed it up good and proper, and it now has its very own page.

It's definitely psychological/philisophical rather than adventure/excitement, but that doesn't make it very good. In a way I'm worried that it's trying to be clever than it actually is, because it isn't actually very clever. But there are some good things about it, no doubt, and I've never really finished a story before in my life so it's a start.

Dostoevsky

This morning I determined to push on and finish reading "The Brothers Karamazov." For those of you who haven't heard of the book, it was written by a Russian author called Fyodor Dostoevsky in the late 1800s, and it is both a drama, and a philosophical/psychological study. Moreover, it is a brilliant novel; written always with a slightly humorous tone, yet covering issues that are grave, shocking and desperate.

The story revolves around three characters, the three brothers, and their relationship with each other and their father. Perhaps one of the most moving things about this book is how real each of the characters is - even the angelic Aloysha, we all know people who seem too perfect to be true; even the intellectual genuis Ivan, we all meet people who seem too clever for their own good; and especially the troubled Dmitri with his passions and fears and hopes and dreams. And although the art of a novel is to exaggerate just to the edge of believability, to give three-dimensional character to the contents, this novel does not feel exaggerated, but rather, exactly on the mark. Perhaps this is because of the psychological element, and perhaps because many elements of the novel are drawn from the life of the author. Whatever the case, the realness of this book adds to the profoundly moving effect it has, and I was indeed on the brink of tears as it concluded.

As I finished the novel I felt that there was so much left to happen, and to discover. I was almost disappointed. But then I realised why this story is so brilliant - it is a snapshot. It is not telling a tale from end to end, it is taking a section of the lives of several ordinary people (as far as anyone is ordinary) and then leaving them to carry on with their lives. Because to tell the whole story would take forever. This makes it all the more convincing as a truth, and of course, everything about it is true, even if the exact events did not happen exactly as told. People like the Karamazovs and their friends and neighbours exist all over the world, and the events that happened in this story happen all the time.

Well, enough of my rabbiting (though I would love to discuss the book with anyone who has read it, or is interested) - I would recommend this tiresome, shocking, exhausting, and finally-so-rewarding read to everyone, as it has so much to say about life and human nature. There were times when I actually felt I was going mad reading it (such as "The Grand Inquisitor" chapter) but it was so, so worth it and there will never be another story like it.

Me, Today, Now.com

This is how I feel today.












Note that I'm staring downwards: that means I'm exhausted. Note that my eyes are half shut and that I'm sitting doing absolutely nothing: that means I'm really exhausted. Yep, more excercise - which is great, because in the last two weeks I'm averaging two sessions of intense excercise a week! You've just got to choose the right perspective - and "excerise" exhaustion is about "double lack of sleep" exhaustion. Note that I'm not smiling. This is totally typical and in fact it is one scientific theory that I never ever smile. This is because life is rubbish, and also very sad.
Most importantly, however, you will note that I am wearing my "sofa shirt." This shirt is made from the skin of a dead sofa, or so it seems. It is frilly, white (tinged a little bit pink by a washing accident), and it makes me feel like I'm in Rivendel. It brings me perfect peace, and I thoroughly suggest that you get one. If you have to kill for it, so be it. Please be aware that no sofas died during the making of this movie, and that anything you read may be used in evidence against you. Good night, and Goodluck.

summer's comin'

Look at that: (not to be racist, but) not a yellow in sight.
It's getting global, it's getting warm.

RE: sky

it's funny, because just two days ago i wrote a song for this project and one of the verses goes:

one thing i still thank God for
is that i never watched television
but i find myself stuck in the mould

yeahuh

I Hate Sky!

Well, some of you will know that I don't watch T.V. at all, but after hearing about the Sky VS Virgin conflict I was like "Hmm" and now, having seen the banner ads, I'm like "NO WAI!"
Because seriously, the Mac ads are bad enough but these just take it to a new level. It's like rubbing it in Virgin's face - "Worried you've lost LOST? Switch to Sky!" How about this one: "Worried you've lost all sense of morality? Switch to Sky!" Any advert that directly puts down another product or company is technically breaking the law (ICT GCSE taught me that much), but more than that - it's just plain rude. Sure, promote your product/TV station 'til the cows come home, but don't go slagging other people off. It's Not Nice and it's Not Called For.

Gradual Sickness

After watching "The Pianist," I was reminded of a discussion I had with a South African housemate who said that the Apartheid had been a gradual thing, beginning with laws put in place to catch illegal immigrants and building up to this shocking segregation. I guess the Holocaust was like that too - if Hitler had said "Hey, I'm gonna kill all the Jews. Vote for me!" people would've been like "woaah" and ran away, whereas all he did was to spread a bit of nationalism, to play in favour of the poor workers, and to gradually shift the balance of things.

I don't really have a point to make, it's just interesting to think: on the one hand it's great that we as humans won't instantly just go "Woooh! Holocaust," but on the flipside it's quite scary that if things develop subtly enough, we can be convinced into an idea that, if contrasted directly with our ideals, is absolutely sick.

Israel Should Chill Out

Know what I'm saying?

Everyone loves Canadians, right? Because (apart from the mental ones, and people from Quebec) they're all chilled out. And because they have a stunningly gorgeous country.
Israel could be the new Canada. They've just got to stop oppressing the Palestinians, build them some nice new homes, hide their armed forces in little bunkers, and just chill! Israel is the perfect holiday location - by the sea, beautiful summer weather, stylish new cities plus ancient architecture and culture, multi-religious holy places... and it's got places with names like Tel Aviv. I mean, don't you just want to go on holiday to somewhere called Tel Aviv? Yes you do.

If Israel was all chilled out, did a big "Sorry, Palestinian buddies, here are some nice houses we built for you on your land," and then opened a bunch of ice-cream parlours and night-clubs, they would rocket in popularity. Everyone would want to go there! Everyone would love the Israelis. People would be so pissed off if Israel got attacked that the whole world would be on Israel's side. They wouldn't even need an army. I mean, imagine the international uproar if Canada got invaded? The whole world would go ape, even the little ex-Soviet states in Eurasia. Israel could be just the same.

It's just a couple of steps away...

After

Okay, I now have no fingernails.

I'm with the reviewers on this one: stunningly shot with a beautiful soundtrack, but it was the acting that really got to me. The relationships between each of the characters, from the everyday to the awkwardness to the hatred to the fear, is incredibly convincing. What's more, despite the fact that the Poles are all British, the different cultures are portrayed very well (it's good to see the Germans are all German).
Still, I was robbed of my happy ending! I was expecting one but it never came.

The Pianist

About to watch The Pianist.

Wish me luck...

I'm Not Mean Enough To Be Mean

Turns out this potential third victim is in fact someone I know. Jeffery! (If you know Jeffery you'll know what I mean).
So I was thinking, even if it hadn't been someone I knew, would I be able to be continuously bluntly rude to a stranger? As soon as I post some sort of biting comment I feel guiltly about it and practically feel compelled to write an apology. Oh! What a paradox.

movin' too fast

if i write on this thing quicker than you have time to read it, don't comment below

Flamed! #3

Random attack on careless web user #3 - this time on Facebook!
I had my first unknown friend request. As in, I have no idea who this kid is. So as I figure Facebook is a bit friendlier than MySpace, and I'm not just using it to plug my music, I'd like to make sure I "know" all my "friends" ('scuse excess use of speech marks, they look "nice" though, "innit").

Anyway, I sent this guy a polite little message dripping with sarcasm. Let's hope that if he is one of my friends he doesn't get it...

Subject: friend request
Message: do i actually know you, or is this a gesture of future friendship/many free pints and happy evenings by the fire?
apologies if we are in fact best buddies and i wasn't aware...

I await the development with eager interest, as I may soon be able to utterly humiliate another poor innocent.

God and Urine

After a lesson on Religious Language in Philosophy, a couple of people were asked to briefly summarise Aquinas's stance for the class.
Aquinas made a bit of a contradiction, firstly saying we can tell that God is good through something like a seeing a sunrise that resonates with our souls, but then saying that we cannot use physical language to describe a metaphysical God. He concluded by saying that when talking in metaphysics, words are neither univocal or equivocal, but somewhere inbetween. His example is that we can tell an animal is well by looking at its urine - if the urine is healthy we know the animal is healthy, even though the animal and the urine are different things.

It's not too complicated, but try explaining it to a half-asleep 6th-form Philosophy class. The discussion that ensued went something like this: "So, if animals are well it's because of God?" "So, God is like urine?" "No, we are urine." "So God made the world by taking a piss?" "How can you tell if an animal is healthy because of it's urine?"

Strange Coincidence

If you read my detailed Falmouth post (below) you'll remember that I mentioned a French philosopher whose name I'd forgotten who questioned our "reality" as portrayed by the media etc.?

Well, this fella was called Jean Baudrillard and he just died. Which is sad, obviously. But now I know who he was. He had some interesting views, rather post-modernist but I won't let that put me off because I do actualy agree with quite a few things he says.

Classic!

I've just spent the last 20 minutes listening to songs that Esther, Josh Kingston and I recorded in our cellar over three years ago. Three years isn't such a long time, but it is hilarious looking back then - listening, in fact - What's changed, what hasn't...
The recordings make The "Good Enough?" EP look like a Motown production; they are covered with a layer of muffled, unhealthy buzz. The timing is preposterous, the guitar solos are embarassing, the singing is actually marginally in tune (which is impressive)... but remembering the fun we had making it and how proud we were almost brings tears to my eyes. Josh's over-cheesy acoustic melodies and my psychotic, Floyd-esque anthems are almost made good by Esther's subtle but excellent contributions. The random jams, The Beatles cover, the brilliant "Blue Mist" (based on LOTR music)... it all came flooding back in a twenty-minute mess of noise. But beautiful, captivating noise. Because there really is something appealing about this shocker of a CD. Underneath all of the mess, the inherited cliches, the naive and immature musicianship and the feeble lyrics there is a nuclear reactor of potential, stewing softly. There are beautiful melodies, funky beats, crazily creative arrangements and three undeveloped but damn fine singing voices...

Wow. Esther and Josh are two of the finest musicians I know, and it's both amusing and honouring to look back at that week in the cellar. It's also encouraging to hear my current recordings and go "Oh. I am making progress then."

Allow Me To Reiterate...

i recorded an ep and all i got was this stupid bulletin
so. "proceed alone." anyone remember that name? it's an ep i recorded last christmas, that i decided to hold back for a while.

i've been toying around with it - "mastering," if you will - and i now have something i deem vaguely distribution-worthy. so, DIG LO-FI LOUNGE/ACOUSTIC POP MUSIC? you will probably like this ep. you can have a copy free, anyway, but only if you come and get one from me. those are the terms.

i'm not gonna push it, it's not gonna be a big deal, but it is a nice piece of work and if you need something to chill to late at night then the chances are you'll enjoy it. especially if you're depressed.
:)

The Worst Drinks Ever

There is no argument here, so do not argue. I am Right.

1) Squash
If you have never had Squash, continue to never have squash. If you do occasionally indulge in a glass of the ol' good-stuff, then stop. Now. Scientists have just discovered that 90% of squash-drinkers go on to become mentally retarded in later life. This stuff has enough chemicals in it to kill crocodiles; you should be using it to power your car, not your body. It's bad for your eyes, your skin, your teeth and youl soul and to top it all, it tastes foul.
2) Apple Juice
It looks like beer... but it is not beer!
I approve of apples, and of juice, but I had a bad experience as a child. So maybe you can argue against me on this one. But even if it smells of juicy-fresh apples, can you ever fully convince yourself that you're not drinking urine?
3) Tesco Cola
Coca-Cola is horrible, but in that rich, dangerous, Coca-Cola sort of way. But Tesco Cola is just horrible. It looks cheap, it tastes cheap, it even *feels* cheap as it works its slow way down your throat and into your bowels. It's like supplementing fine chicken meat with polluted pigeon.
4) Red Bull
You drank it when you were a kid and thought it was cooler than alcohol. It doesn't give you wings, it gives you cancer. Stay off the hot stuff...
5) Decaf Coffee
Of course that was gonna be my number one (er... five actually), don't say you didn't see it coming. "Why?" you ask. Well, it is polluted with caffeine-removing chemicals. It is the ultimate opposite and nemesis to a rich cup of caffeinated coffee. But the real reason is this, my child: it smells of fish.
Never drink anything that smells of fish, not even if it calls itself "Fish juice."

Macs!

Those of you who know my stance on the Mac VS PC thing - and who won't be offended by some incredibly base language and a few anti-Mac jokes - should check out the latest Maddox update. Or just this video

More On Falmouth...

So, enough of me picking on poor innocents. Allow me to elaborate on the events of the day for you, my captive audience ("captive" as in, "fascinated" rather than "tied up in my basement").

The "interview" began with a lengthy introduction by head of dept., Nigel Kingcome, who is a little un-professory if that is a word (yes, it is now). Meaning, he is young and well dressed with spiky hair and a leather jacket. But he was also both warm and impressive. He told us that Falmouth is, along with Oxford, Cambridge and UCL, at the cutting edge of English - they are looking at it from a 21st Century perspective rather than 19th Century perspective (in the tactful words of Old Man Dave, "it's like the top English places but without the stuffiness"). Which is good, and I dig that. He also told us that Falmouth has the highest job prospects for an English degree in the country, that 70% of students pass with a 2:1 and that no-one has failed. Yet. This is a very new, very small but also very impressive University.*

After the introduction we do a group activity, talking about a text written in the second tense wherein a man lies about reading the Bible, and is consequently eaten by squids (but not really). It's complicated, but essentially he was testing our discussive, critical and analytical abilities as well as demonstrating just how "cutting edge" his approach was (one thing he pointed out was the fact that 'though this text was 2nd person with an unnamed protagonist ("you") we all assumed it was a male: part of his focus is on interpreting texts from a 21st century context, looking at audience, situation, etc. etc. etc. - you know the score). After the discussion he talked a few things through with us, about the text and so on. He also quoted a French philosopher (can't remember his name) who said "The Gulf War wasn't real" (meaning "what we read in the media all came from a certain perspective and we sure as hell don't know what really happened), to demonstrate the approach he has towards reading 21st century texts. This is the kind of approach we too will take, I suppose. So now we're talking Philosophy/History too. Mental.

After the discussion we had a tour, taking in the small but attractive campus (with awesome accomodation - get this: large room, double bed and en suite bathroom for below-average rates), and then came the interview. It lasted about five minutes, no lie. He asked a bit about school, about why I chose the University, and told me straight that because I seemed like the "right kind of person" (my words, not his, but that is what he meant) they would give me an offer of 3 Cs instead of 3 As. Honestly! Now is that a good deal, or what? And my parents were like "Oh no, he's never gonna do any work now." And it's true! Ahahahahahahahahahaha!
Just kidding...

*note: what I didn't tell him in the interview was that I picked Falmouth by chance, totally unaware of anything about it apart from that it's across the bay from the lovely seaside village of St Mawes where they bake lovely pasties!

Owned

I posted that, and within seconds they deleted my comment, their comment... and removed me from their friend-list. Point taken!
I wrote an apology:

hey mr mellow, i was just playin'
i'm sure you weren't offended, but just to make sure i'd like to offer my sincerest apologies, and to say that it's great that you leave nice messages with your spam rather than just brutally deploying it everywhere as some tend to. i'd also like to congratulate you on your speedy response to my comment (that is, its deletion, and my subsequent removal from your "friends") - that is truly impressive work. i hope your music continues to blossom and grow, and that you find the fortune and favour that all of us seek
farewell
robin

[update] aww, they already sent me a message and everything!

sorry you feel that way. We removed you from our friends. Good luck with your music and hopefully you wont "proceed alone"
peace
Rex

Isn't the world nice? Do you see what he did with the pun there? That's attention to detail...

MySpace Attack! #2

In response to a poster from "Mellow the Band" that was left on my comment slot, titled "just stopping by to say hello and to hopefully put a smile on your face" - it was a link to their website. Yeah, I had a go.

"just stopping by to say hello and to hopefully put a smile on your face."

are those your genuine intentions? or are you "just dropping by" to spam my valuable - nay, precious! - comment space with links to your website which i am, in fact, capable of locating for myself, you know, with my God-given gift of hands and brain and other useful elements of the anatomy such as nerves and nerve-endings, and which my friends and the friends of my friends and the friends of *their* friends are also capable of locating should they find within themselves the most minute element of interest in your so called "mellow" band, which judging by the amount of times you have "just dropped by" on various unsuspecting myspacers in the last 24 hours, might not be so "mellow" after all...
so in conclusion then, if you are going to spam me don't do it under the pretence of "making me smile," because spam does not make me smile. it makes me cry.
have a nice day :)

Mental

Woah...
I've just been in the car for the last three and a half hours. My head is buzzing from eating sugar products, my muscles are aching from a weekend of intense excercise followed by complete lack of movement, my hearing is now shot away from the hum of the car plus the loud music, and (perhaps as a direct result) my balance has totally gone.

But who cares? I got an offer from Falmouth!

Newsflash

Clickys

I've been rethinking and remastering Proceed Alone...
and since it's been almost six months (six months!)...
I might be pushing a copy your way soon.

It's consistent, it's loungey and chilled out, you will like it or your money back
Not that I'm going to charge anything...

scary thoughts

you know, tomorrow i have my one interview. portsmouth haven't got back to me, and i don't really want to go there anyway. then there's the three straight "no's." and i still haven't heard from warwick.
so basically, if i crash this interview then i guess i won't be going to uni after all. which is a bit of a weird thought. in a way it's a nice idea, it will force me to break away from this stupid highschool - uni - officejob - retirement - dead cycle and do something. i'd probably try and do some aid work in another country, or write freelance... i dunno. but if i don't get into uni this time around i'll never go, i'm pretty sure.

that said, i'd quite like to go. i've heard billions of great things about university, plus i get to be a "bloody student" and bitch about how much i hate students. and the course does look very nice. and after uni i'll probably end up going abroad or writing freelance anyway, so it's not like i miss out...

let's hope i interview well, then.

Government and Religion

There's a Facebook group called "Government + Religion = Disaster." Now, I'm not saying that all (or indeed any of today's) religious governments are good, but that's not to say that secular governments would be any better. At all. Because they wouldn't. I mean, if people actually lived out their religions rather than using certain religious statements and values to support political manoeuvres, then "Government + Religion would = Success."

Seriously, here's something from the description. I'll underline the bit that really stands out.

Think of where society would be if religion and government had never met, how people would have gotten along through the centuries without bias, without hate because of misunderstanding, and without having to live in pain or unfortunate circumstance because of what a few people THOUGHT was "right."

Allow me to comment: Ha ha. Ahahaha. Ahaha ahhahah hahahaha ahahahah ahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah hahahahahahahah.

The scary thing is that this group has 68, 917 members (and counting!)

Wooooooaaaah

Excercised for the first time in about 6 months (minus that time I played badminton) today. So knackered. Good to know I still have the skills (yes, I scored a nutmeg goal to top my afternoon) but bad to know that my muscles have disintegrated.

Also, I did about 3 takes on a reverse park, with four guys in my car... it was a bit embarassing. But believe me, it was the perfect park when finished. Puts that game "Parking Perfection" to shame (except that I exceeded the time limit by about 500%). Erm.

Clowns and Rappers Dress The Same

Fig. A - clown
Fig B. - rapper

Bold colours; large hats; bright, shiny ornaments and accessories; massive shoes: clowns and rappers dress the same. And everyone knows that they are the two most dangerous types of people in the world. The question is, why? Why do they dress in such a way?

Perhaps we'll never know. (n.b. the photos below are actually quite bad examples. Points to whoever links some better clown/rapper pics)

being a perfectionist is a waste of time

but some of us can't help it

Idiot

Isn't it funny how, writing on blogger, I don't care if I sound like an idiot or say stupid stuff. But now all my posts are getting imported to Facebook, I'm like "oh no, I sound a like a pretentious prat!" or "Oh no, I just wrote some total bull" or, "Oh no, I just insulted the whole of the Islamic world, and then some."

Ah well...

Crime Gene!

We had the funniest encounter in Philosophy today. One of my classmates suggested that it had been scientifically proven that there was a gene that controlled whether you were a criminal or not. Seriously, she pretty much used those exact words. I protested, suggesting that people certainly have genetically inherited tendancies such as calmness or laziness or bad tempers or whatever, but she adamantly insisted that there is actually this gene that criminals (and firefighters - long story) have that essentially makes them commit crimes. Or makes them more likely to commit crimes.
Now I can accept that their personality and behaviour will be effected to an extent by their lineage, and the personality and behaviour of their parents. But surely their actions and outlook and the majority of who they are will in fact be influenced by the environment they are brought up in? And if their parents happen to be criminals it seems more likely that they will do so not because of genetics, but because of the values that are pushed into their young, impressionable little hearts? "Crime gene?" I'm not convinced. You know, I read once that there's a "God gene" that determines who believes in God. Classic stuff...

Actually, this argument was the result of a discussion we'd been having about morality being objective or subjective. One opinion, from a muslim girl, was that religion "provides" objective morality but I was saying how in my opinion Christianity doesn't at all. There are so many different stances on "right" and "wrong" and "good" and "evil" in the bible, and it certainly doesn't categorically say, for example, "abortion is wrong." I went on to say that the bible - and my faith - was pretty much a paradox as far as I was concerned, and this same girl muttered, as if for everyone to hear, "Yep, pretty much." It was so dismissive. Admittedly I had been equally dismissive of the "Crime gene" minutes earlier, but I was still outraged. I wanted to say "Well at least my religion doesn't make people blow themselves up," but as that is over the line in so many different ways I restrained myself. And also, there are some wacko "Christians" out there who probably would blow themselves up.

Anyway, my point is that any religion that can categorically say "This is good" and "this is evil" doesn't deal with real life as far as I'm concerned. Particularly with Islam, it puts a totally unrealistic pressure on people: teaching that if they don't do more "good" than "bad," they go to hell. I mean, whether you believe it or not it's still a weighty judgement to have hanging over your head.
For me, life is full of paradoxes and "hypocrisy" if you like - compromising your principles, changing your ideas etc. etc. And it seems to me that none of that matters in Christianity. And there is a difference between "right and wrong" and "good and evil." I believe that abortion is categorically wrong, but then, I'd probably have an abortion if I was a pregnant teenage girl. I believe that murder is categorically wrong, but I'd kill someone to save myself or my friends. And maybe these things are wrong, but life isn't so simple that you can pin "goods" and "evils" onto everything. At least, I don't think it's that easy.

Close-Up and Personal

I was playing with the aperture/exposure/shutter settings on my camera, basically working them all out proper-like (I've always wanted to know more about photography than I actually do). So I took a few really close photos (we're talking mm's here) of my face. Just for kicks. So, here's to break up the immense amount of text I've thrown at you these last few days...

Catch 2

I have to write this here because I'm arrogant and I find myself funny

"Catch 2," a Christian Rap/Hip-Hop band, added me as a friend on MySpace. Like the gent I am, I accepted.
We then had this interesting exchange of comments:

Catch 2
What it do Fam? Thaks for the add. Yo when you get some time stop by and check out some of our tracks; album #2 will be drop'in soon. Much luv. E-miracle of Catch2.

Robin Mitchell
well thank you for adding me, and i hope that we are able to gain equal satisfaction and pleasure from listening to each other's music in a non-judgemental and open-minded way. and i also hope that having me as your friend will bring you prosperity and luck, and many more myspace friends so that together, we may take over the galaxy. or something.
have a nice day :)


[edit] They replied to my reply!
Catch 2
Let's do it!!!. God bless.

Guess they have a sense of humour at any rate :)

My Box

I just got a box.
Not just any box, a "pedal board" i.e. a MASSIVE flight case that you could literally fit a child in. A dismembered child, perhaps, but a child nonetheless.

Seriously, this box is a monster and it will eat all other flight-cases, gig-bags, pedal-boards etc. etc.
Funny thing is, though I'm very much a "pedal kind of guy," I recently discarded about 4 so I don't have that many. So I'll have like one square metre of this box with my pedals in, and the rest could have a private bar, pool, airstrip etc.
Awesome! Gigs are gonna be twice as fun...

Woah....

Studying the music from "Blade Runner" is part of our Music Tech course, and they recommend we watch it. So I did, just now.

I was expecting trashy '80s Sci-fi, which to an extent it was. But it also touched on something much deeper and darker, about human nature. And while some of its perceptions of the future are a bit fantastical, some are a little too close to the bone. It's also very evident to me that this film was written in the Cold War, and elements of both East and West come out very clearly in retrospect, highlighting some stuff that is yet to change.

The script has its highs and lows and a couple of the characters are very badly cast, but Harrison Ford is fantastic, as is Rutger Hauer. One thing that confused me is that the two actresses are called "Sean" and "Daryl." Erm. Well, it was the '80s...