Friday 27 April 2012
My blog has a new look!
Yes, I'm making use of Bloggers new design system, and giving my blog a new coat of paint. Like or not? Let me know what you think.
Thursday 26 April 2012
Ramblings: Collecting instruments
So the other day, my friend told me she was buying a cheap violin she found on eBay. (How cheap, or worth it, it is, is as yet unknown to me. You never know with eBay auctions. It could be an undiscovered gem, or totally useless) Upon a whim the decision was made that she would learn to play on this instrument, having never picked one up in her life before. Each to their own...
One of my other friends (who rather has a perfectly good excuse, being at university to study music) has found herself gaining more and more instruments in her little room at the halls. From what I gather, she currently has all her percussion stuff, a stand-up electric piano (her 18th birthday present), a bugle, an oboe, and various other bits and bobs.
Mind you, I can't talk either. I currently have a clarinet, a violin, a bugle, tenor sticks, and bass sticks in my little room. I can only be glad that singing requires no instrument, and that other people look after the drums. I have four that I play spread across the country, mostly staying with other band members/in a store where we practice. Dad also gave me a bagpipe chanter. It seems to be a common trait among musicians to constantly attempt to play, and own, more and more instruments. You would think I would know by now, especially as it is hard enough to keep a regular practice schedule with my main 3. Yeesh. I guess inside I just hope to one day be able to pick up pretty much anything and play something, anything, at a decent standard. Ah well, I'll never understand it myself, so I don't know how to explain. For now, my friends and I will plod on and share our musical silliness with each other.
Maybe someday I will share some musicians silliness, but it might take a bit of editing to make it publishable ;) certainly most of our songs are far from tame, and even some of the most well taught comrades can never quite out-sing the band. To quote a friend of mine with similar roots and band-times: Many's a time I have sat on a train or bus listening to a bunch of men singing football songs, with a wry smile on my face, knowing that, if I could be @r$ed, I could totally out-coorse them with some of the songs I know.
And really, that is the truth of the matter. We're slowly encapsulating our comrades in arms on nights out too, so things are just getting more-so like that. With more people singing drunkenly in the bar, it can get interesting very quickly, especially with some of the made-up verses.
Anyway, I'm totally off topic now. Doesnt matter. See you soon.
PS. For those who don't know, "coorse" is a Scottish word, generally taken to mean, rude or bad. Hence out-coorse, in this sense, means to be worse than they are in terms of singing rude songs. Yeah, things might need heavily edited if I ever get around to giving you the band-banter.
Again, see you soon :)
One of my other friends (who rather has a perfectly good excuse, being at university to study music) has found herself gaining more and more instruments in her little room at the halls. From what I gather, she currently has all her percussion stuff, a stand-up electric piano (her 18th birthday present), a bugle, an oboe, and various other bits and bobs.
Mind you, I can't talk either. I currently have a clarinet, a violin, a bugle, tenor sticks, and bass sticks in my little room. I can only be glad that singing requires no instrument, and that other people look after the drums. I have four that I play spread across the country, mostly staying with other band members/in a store where we practice. Dad also gave me a bagpipe chanter. It seems to be a common trait among musicians to constantly attempt to play, and own, more and more instruments. You would think I would know by now, especially as it is hard enough to keep a regular practice schedule with my main 3. Yeesh. I guess inside I just hope to one day be able to pick up pretty much anything and play something, anything, at a decent standard. Ah well, I'll never understand it myself, so I don't know how to explain. For now, my friends and I will plod on and share our musical silliness with each other.
Maybe someday I will share some musicians silliness, but it might take a bit of editing to make it publishable ;) certainly most of our songs are far from tame, and even some of the most well taught comrades can never quite out-sing the band. To quote a friend of mine with similar roots and band-times: Many's a time I have sat on a train or bus listening to a bunch of men singing football songs, with a wry smile on my face, knowing that, if I could be @r$ed, I could totally out-coorse them with some of the songs I know.
And really, that is the truth of the matter. We're slowly encapsulating our comrades in arms on nights out too, so things are just getting more-so like that. With more people singing drunkenly in the bar, it can get interesting very quickly, especially with some of the made-up verses.
Anyway, I'm totally off topic now. Doesnt matter. See you soon.
PS. For those who don't know, "coorse" is a Scottish word, generally taken to mean, rude or bad. Hence out-coorse, in this sense, means to be worse than they are in terms of singing rude songs. Yeah, things might need heavily edited if I ever get around to giving you the band-banter.
Again, see you soon :)
Location:Meston Walk,,United Kingdom
Tuesday 17 April 2012
Ramblings: Lies and Secrets
So here's a little thing to ponder on. We are always led to believe that to tell a lie is bad. And truly, from my childhood, even to now, I feel uncomfortable telling a lie. Sometimes, rather often actually, to the point that I hesitate, deciding whether the lie would really be worth it, then go and tell the truth, by which time the gap in my sentence makes anything I say look like a lie anyway. I don't like lying, and I think many others would likely be in the same position. Lying is inherently seen as bad.
On the other hand, we have good things. Secrets between two people. Generally seen as a bond between two close people, and, more often than not, a good thing.
But the question is; what is the difference between lying and keeping a secret?
Indeed, keeping a secret can often involve lying to someone else. If lying is inherently bad, and keeping secrets inherently good, then where does that moral line stand? And what about white lies and secrets which cause more harm than good. I'm talking blackmailing and such. How do we decide what is good and what is bad, and how can we ever agree? Because everyone from a different standpoint has a different view. If a person keeps a secret, it may seem good to the two people who share that secret, but bad to the one who discovers they're being left out, and might breed distrust - why? Because they likely feel they're being lied to. So we're back to the bad again.
But what about white lies? Telling little lies to make people feel better. But, then, they are still lies. The other person is still likely to be annoyed to find out it was a lie, and it could backfire as easily as any other lie.
Ugh. I should really stay away from philosophical questions. I don't like not getting anywhere.
- Posted using BlogPress
On the other hand, we have good things. Secrets between two people. Generally seen as a bond between two close people, and, more often than not, a good thing.
But the question is; what is the difference between lying and keeping a secret?
Indeed, keeping a secret can often involve lying to someone else. If lying is inherently bad, and keeping secrets inherently good, then where does that moral line stand? And what about white lies and secrets which cause more harm than good. I'm talking blackmailing and such. How do we decide what is good and what is bad, and how can we ever agree? Because everyone from a different standpoint has a different view. If a person keeps a secret, it may seem good to the two people who share that secret, but bad to the one who discovers they're being left out, and might breed distrust - why? Because they likely feel they're being lied to. So we're back to the bad again.
But what about white lies? Telling little lies to make people feel better. But, then, they are still lies. The other person is still likely to be annoyed to find out it was a lie, and it could backfire as easily as any other lie.
Ugh. I should really stay away from philosophical questions. I don't like not getting anywhere.
- Posted using BlogPress
Location:High St,Aberdeen,United Kingdom
Sunday 15 April 2012
Update post-spring-camp
So I'm back, recovering from a very intense time at the OTC spring camp. The Friday consisted of organising bags, rifles and such at RSB, and spending the remainder of the 3hours twiddling our thumbs and searching for stuff to do and food to eat. We stopped at McDonalds in Perth for dinner around 9pm. (random fact: the OTC trips are the only time I ever seem to end up in McDonalds) then it was a long road trip in a roundabout manner until we reached camp at around 11pm. Only to discover the pantec with all our gear hadn't arrived yet. Someone complained about being cold, and we all had to do push-ups in a line to "warm us up". At least I can do some now..
Anyway the pantec arrived around midnight and it probably took about an hour to unload everything. Luckily the girls billets was nearby, so once that was all finished, we just laid out our stuff for morning, stuck polish on our boots, set the alarms, and jumped in bed. We were up again at 6.30 am.
Breakfast throughout the week was a pain in the @$$, because we were sharing with both cadets and air cadets, and the queue was so long it was difficult to get breakfast early enough to be ready for morning parade. Somehow we managed, partly because most days we would arrive early to get to the front of the queue.
On Saturday, we learned basic rifle training and green skills. On Sunday it was more of the same, and everyone passed their weapons handling test.
Monday came and we were out in the field, securing the harbour area and learning to do platoon attacks. My section was the assaulting section at the first attack, and indeed most of the attacks over the course of the ex.
We finished around 5pm and struggled to light the hexi-burners to warm up our food, so I ate lukewarm rations and got myself onto Stag duty for the hour. I got back in time to listen to a talk by our SUO, and set up our sleeping area, before going out on patrol, during which we picked up more rations. We finished at around 11pm and I slept until I went on stag again. Now that was interesting. I had barely arrived on stag when we spotted the "enemy" about to attack. Sure enough they fired shots and we shot back. There was another call to stand-to at around 6am, after which everyone just stayed up. It was snowing.
That next day we practiced more platoon attacks, and eventually ran out of ammo. Even the guys bombing up mags ran out of rounds to fill them with. On Wednesday we restocked with ammo, and went out on a platoon attack, in lovely weather, to attack nine enemy. Annoyingly, I twisted my ankle, and was sent out. I met with the defeated "enemy" as they made their way back to the meet-up point. We ate and cleaned our rifles out. That night we had a barbecue at the mess.
On Thursday we spent the day cleaning rifles, on Friday we had a day on the range, and Saturday was the march and shoot race. We left on Sunday. I got off at the Perth stop and went to my parents house for the week, then this weekend went to band in Glasgow. I go home to Aberdeen tonight. :)
It's been busy, but good. Now time to get back to uni work.
- Posted using BlogPress
Anyway the pantec arrived around midnight and it probably took about an hour to unload everything. Luckily the girls billets was nearby, so once that was all finished, we just laid out our stuff for morning, stuck polish on our boots, set the alarms, and jumped in bed. We were up again at 6.30 am.
Breakfast throughout the week was a pain in the @$$, because we were sharing with both cadets and air cadets, and the queue was so long it was difficult to get breakfast early enough to be ready for morning parade. Somehow we managed, partly because most days we would arrive early to get to the front of the queue.
On Saturday, we learned basic rifle training and green skills. On Sunday it was more of the same, and everyone passed their weapons handling test.
Monday came and we were out in the field, securing the harbour area and learning to do platoon attacks. My section was the assaulting section at the first attack, and indeed most of the attacks over the course of the ex.
We finished around 5pm and struggled to light the hexi-burners to warm up our food, so I ate lukewarm rations and got myself onto Stag duty for the hour. I got back in time to listen to a talk by our SUO, and set up our sleeping area, before going out on patrol, during which we picked up more rations. We finished at around 11pm and I slept until I went on stag again. Now that was interesting. I had barely arrived on stag when we spotted the "enemy" about to attack. Sure enough they fired shots and we shot back. There was another call to stand-to at around 6am, after which everyone just stayed up. It was snowing.
That next day we practiced more platoon attacks, and eventually ran out of ammo. Even the guys bombing up mags ran out of rounds to fill them with. On Wednesday we restocked with ammo, and went out on a platoon attack, in lovely weather, to attack nine enemy. Annoyingly, I twisted my ankle, and was sent out. I met with the defeated "enemy" as they made their way back to the meet-up point. We ate and cleaned our rifles out. That night we had a barbecue at the mess.
On Thursday we spent the day cleaning rifles, on Friday we had a day on the range, and Saturday was the march and shoot race. We left on Sunday. I got off at the Perth stop and went to my parents house for the week, then this weekend went to band in Glasgow. I go home to Aberdeen tonight. :)
It's been busy, but good. Now time to get back to uni work.
- Posted using BlogPress
Location:Montrose St,Glasgow,United Kingdom
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