MacDara@TypePad

QotD: Making the Band

If you could to create your own music band, whom would you put in it?
Submitted by Jack Yan.

I'd have Watt on the bass and George Hurley on drums. Rhythm sections don't get any better than that.

QotD: Long Distance Love Affair

Do you think real love can last throughout any distance, or will long distance end most relationships? 
Submitted by Miss Joy.

There are no absolutes when it comes to matters of the heart, as what works for one couple could be a deal-breaker for the next. But when it comes to long distance relationships, I would say it helps if the relationship starts as a long distance situation.

That's how it was for me and Benitha; because talking was (mostly) all we could do, being so far apart, we got to know each other well fairly quickly (even though we would both say that this is a process that never really stops) and we kinda cut out all the usual relationship bullshit from the start.

It definitely makes a difference; if we had started off as a more 'conventional' couple, I don't know if either of us could have handled being 5,000 miles apart for most of the last four-and-a-half years.

But looking back over that time now, just a few days ahead of Benitha and I moving into our first place together, it really doesn't feel like the almost half-a-decade it has been. I think that's a good thing.

QotD: NYE 2008

Who is ringing in the New Year with you?  Who do you wish could be with you, but isn't there?

I'll be on me tod, watching something on telly. I wish Benitha was here; the last time we spent New Year's Eve together, we fell asleep watching Jerry Springer: The Musical and missed all the fireworks at midnight. Well we were tired.

QotD: Education, Occupation

What was your major or field of study in college? Did you wind up working in that field or using that degree? If not, what field have you wound up in? 
Submitted by sneuf. 

I was an Arts undergrad at UCD, where at the time we didn't have majors or minors (the UCD Horizons project has since introduced the concept, with mixed results). What that means is, essentially, I did a double major in Information Studies and Philosophy (I also read History in my fresher year, as you have to pick three subjects at the outset, but since you must drop one going into second year, I said bye-bye to History).

Arts wasn't my first choice. It was actually fourth in the list on my CAO application form, behind Journalism and Communications degrees at DCU and DIT. I really wanted to do Journalism, you see. But I didn't get enough points in the Leaving for those (I scored 440 points, due to my difficulties with higher-level maths and any-level Irish, which proved detrimental to my other subjects) and so Arts it was. I was a little disappointed at first, but mostly resigned to my fate, and I resolved to make the best of it -- I could always apply to do a Master's in Journalism later on, I told myself.

And that's exactly what I did, eventually (I graduated from UCD in 2002, and started at J-School two years later). And in retrospect, I'm more than happy with the way things turned out. You see, I had a great time at UCD! For the first time in my life, I was studying things that (with the odd exception) I actually wanted to study, and wasn't being forced into because of a set curriculum. My mind was definitely broadended by the experience, and I feel that I'm far better off from doing an Arts degree before progressing on what is in essence a vocational path, rather than jumping right in without the kind of grounding that a broader education can give you.

Admittedly, a lot of the cliches about Arts students do ring true. (Boy, do they ever.) But some of us had/have bigger goals in mind. I went on to achieve mine, so I have no regrets. In fact, if I could do it all over again, I'd choose exactly the same path. And I'd recommend an Arts degree to anyone, even to those who feel absolutely certain about what they want to do -- because in reality, you only think you know. Take a few years to read and think more broadly, and then you'll really know.

QotD: A Life-Changing Work of Art

What work of art (film, book, record, whatever) changed your life?
Submitted by bodhibound.

I'm sure I've answered something like this before. When I first saw/heard Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun', it was a pivotal moment for me and paved the way for so many future experiences, musical and otherwise.

I should be clear, it wasn't just the song itself -- it was my delving into the social history of and behind the music that made me want to hear more, and learn more.

Without it I might have still become the person I am now, with the same interests and world view, but I'll never really know.

QotD: My Alma Mater

What's your alma mater?
Submitted by Lies.

University College Dublin, from where I graduated with a BA (Hons) in Information Studies and Philosophy. Don't you know.

(I subsequently graduated with an MA (Hons) in Journalism from the Dublin Institute of Technology, but I was only there for a year so it doesn't really count, does it?)

QotD: Guest vs. Host

For a full sit-down dinner with several guests, would you rather be the one cooking or do you prefer to just show up and eat?

Who wants to do all the work when you can have it done for you? Just give me a seat at the table and tell me when to show up!

QotD: On Genres

Do you tend to like music in particular genres, or are your tastes all over the place?  What are your most and least favorite musical genres?

I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to music now (working at a record store for four years -- on and off -- helped with broadening my horizons, for sure) but I do tend to gravitate towards the guitar-bass-drums end of the spectrum. I'm a sucker for a great bassline, in particular, which is why I love the Minutemen so.

I should also note that when it comes to music, I'm much more into labels than genres -- whether those labels comprise a bit of everything (like the glory days of SST) or are mostly genre-specific (metal labels like Relapse and Hydra Head, for instance). Independent record companies are far more curatorial than their major-label counterparts, so the quality quotient is that much higher.

QotD: My First Single

Music-wise, what was the first 45, single or download you bought? 
Submitted by Paddy Melt Wagon.

'Animal' by Def Leppard. It's still not a bad song, so I don't feel very guilty about it.

QotD: Take Two of These...

What's your cure for the common cold?

There is no cure, of course -- only things you can do to minimise that icky bunged-up/dried-out and stale feeling. Besides drinking plenty of fluids, I find ibuprofen works exceedingly well in reducing not only the discomfort (especially if throat soreness is present) but also the rhinitis swelling. I also use a nasal spray (Otrivine/Otravine) which does a similar but more immediate job. And Halls Extra Strong Mentholyptus are always good for a pick-me-up.

Other than that, there's nothing one can do.