You have such a beautiful way with words

Hows it going?

Life is bad amongst the dinosaurs today. They pointed out how much of a dick i am on the internet, and lo, the scales fell from my eyes and i saw that it was true.

That song is for angery palentologists. Which countries national antham is that, and are the national passtimes anger and palentology?

Aha! Hello there Lasur! Immortality indeed, it only buys you the respect and awe of all those around you.

Cheers for the friend add, i can reply to you now

Sorry, i meant it in a kind of "What is your goal" kind of thing.

Thats the thing, i don't want to do pics for cash, i want to do them for me

Good question, one i've never had an answer for. I've never had any aim, still don't. I came back to education with the aim to get to uni, now i'm here my aim is to work hard for a badass degree. No plans at all after that, but i would love a photo studio of sorts. Nothing too big. But thats not a goal, its just a thing i'd like to own.

Yourself? What do you want to do with the rest of your life?

Oops, sorry, i meant i'm getting to the end of my first year. Still two years left to go yet

I understand how you feel nervous, i was in the same place Remember, everyone around you is in exactly the same position as you, a new place with new people - chances are they are all just as nervous as you are.

Its likely the first time away from home and a new taste of freedom where you can litterally do what you like. I heared someone spent their entire weeks food money on icecream, just because they could... then had no room in the shared freezer to keep it in. Not a great way to impress your new flatmates!

If you are living in a shared accomodation as most people are, a good tip is take a tin of chocolate or buscuits and put it in the communal area when you move in. Don't be annoyed if everyone eats them in one go, and don't be annoyed if no one touches them. Its all new and scary and something nice to share will really help once everything is moved in. (its also a friendly non-confrontational way for people to say if they have food allergies which everyone will have to be aware of if they are serious)

While moving your stuff in, one important thing is not to shut your room door. Prop it open with some stuff, so when other people are coming in you can throw them a friendly 'hello' while you are unpacking. It breaks the ice without haveing to have a full out convosation, and if they stop to chat mores the better

Here, there was a day for registering. Go as a group with your flatmates, it takes aaaages and is a good way to chat with everyone. For the first few weeks you'll meet so many new people, some who will become great friends... and some you will try to ignore for the rest of forever, lol. With the flatmates and new friends, explore your new surroundings, find the local supermarket and the best shops. And we haven't even got to the new people on the course you'll be doing

On the course, you'll be doing something you'll actually want to be doing. In university (in the UK at least ) you get out what you put in - If you skip lectures to have long lay ins, you'll miss stuff which they won't tell you again which you will rely upon later. Plus, (here) for every taught hour, they expect you to put about 6 hours of independent study in (in my case, in first year. It gets more the further on you go). Thats you going to the library and reading further into what they have told you in lectures and workshops, checking out all the factors, arguments and theories. Fail to do this and it will reflect in your work... i got lucky this year in that i'm doing a more production based course - i wouldn't have got away with slacking on a course which required exams, for obvious reasons, and i won't get away with it next year.

Lastly - Enjoy There is absolutely nothing that can happen at university that can't be fixed, if only you ask for the help. The apartment is broken or someone there is making your life hell? Get down to the accomidation office and get it sorted. The course is confuseing or something isn't making sence? ask your tutors for a better explination, its their job. Money problems? Student services is a massive help with great advice. No matter what happens, you are not alone at university.

Other than all that, go with the flow. Its what you make it, make sure the social side doesn't effect your studies, but make sure your studies don't effect the social side too

I don't think there is any such thing as 'Natural'. I'd say more expiriance, I've been snapping since i was 12 so after 15 years i better be fairly ok at it or it'd have been a massive waste of time

Hope your schooling is going well, just wrapping up the first year of uni over here. Its been fun but frustrateing.

As with everything in life, just do what comes naturally and it mostly comes out well.

Thanks for the compliments. Two of those were taken on a £700 camera, another two on a £1,800 camera.... and the one with the staples on a 3.2mp cameraphone that was free on a cheap contract. Its all about the idea, not the kit you use

I know what you mean, and its cheaper than air travel

Heres a couple of photies, some old some new.

Woops, thats a fail and a half, that is. As a student i am trapped in the problem area of having to make studenty things at the moment, but when you see something on the box and it isn't quite right you can instantly sermise how to put it all right in a heartbeat. I prefured to do experimental stuff back when i was into moving image but my interests have moved to still photography and design. I still watch telly though, its a great indicator of where culture is at the moment.

Watching telly helps as how would you know if what you're making is better than anyone else's unlless you saw what they were putting out there. I used to hate looking at other peoples work incase it effected my own by ripping them off but i think now i look at other things and think 'Yeah, i can do so better than that'

Alex is my standard name. My user name was taken from a comics caricter i related to at the time, although everyone thinks its just a mispelt 'avatar' since the film.

Have fun at your graduation, its great to hear you're getting on well.

I've been doing my university nonsence. I have not watched television since i got here in september dispite having a set in my room, its bad as i'm doing a media course but there just isn't the time in the day to do everything between attending the course, partying and independant learning. If only they could add an extra few hours in the day, huh?

What have you been up to?

Gah, sorry. you're right i am never about. How was the Muse gig Where was it?

Hi, good to hear from you again, i've been at univercity working hard. Between the social life and the work i've had to do, i haven't really had time to hang out on the net.

How have you been, what are you getting up to now?

Thanks for the encouragement, i'm not sure i overly deserve it though. Hope you feel better very soon.

Aloha, hows it going?

I think i'm not bad at photogrophy, radio, television production, presenting, writeing (article and script), motion camera work, and not too shabby at editing either. Thats the problem really, i think i'm not too bad at everything, lol. I need someone to tell me what i'm best at.

i got the resistance when it came out, its by no means a terrible album, its pretty good but to me its not got that muse style i loved so much in Absolution and OOS. My favourite song is 'I belong to you' as its so different and jazzy. I listened to muse for their different-ness, and because i was born in the 80s a lot of the stuff coming out of the speakers i have the un nerveing feeling i've heared before.

That said, i still like it. Just not as much as the rest of their albums.

What have you been up to lately?

Well, sort of. I went back to education two years ago, i wanted a job that i liked doing, somthing creative and satisfying rather than a repetative job without any chance of promotion.

I've done Media Production at college and i'm going on to Univercity to do... Media Production lol. I chose MP as i've no idea what my strengths are going to be so i'm not sure what i want to be. I thought i'd get a good idea in college but that just gave me more options such as radio. Hope i figure it out in uni.

What are you up to now? School, work?

I feel USoE was very 'Queen' and Upriseing was a bit too close to a glam rock Dr. Who and a little to far away from prog rock for my likeing. Although that said, it has grown on me just as Black Holes had to in the beginning.

I worked in the factory i used to work in before going back to education, over the summer hols. It was so good of them to have employed me over this time as they have had to make staff cuts in the resession... can't say the other workers were very glad to see me back this year, as they lost some good friends in the cutbacks, then i turn up for two months. It was ok though, it was only odd for a day or two. Its so hard to find work these days

Ooops, sorry i got so excited about being able to talk about the Resistance i totally forgot about the other part of your post I'm fine thankyou, just finished my summer work on the way to going to univercity on the 20th now, getting nervous for that.

How are you, hows everything going?

Yeah, i'm excited but a little worried. All of my old muse loving mates have shunned them now. They say they've gone all commercial and pop. I'm waiting for the album to make my mind up, i hope the lads give me some decent ammo to use against my friends. That said, my mates have started listening to Kate Bush and Belle and Sabastian