So maybe I'm not always in style. Sometimes it's worth it.

I think I may have already set a record by falling behind on my posts so quickly. But it's been a busy last few days, so please cut me some slack.

This last week I started my job search training. For those of you in Australia, I'm sure you'll understand my pain. It's mind-numbingly useless most of the time, but every now and then they do give you something good. I shouldn't be so harsh, because I'm sure there are people out there for whom this course is very beneficial. But in the current environment where most of the people doing the course are people who have been made redundant, or at least have experience in the work force, most of the things we learn are things we already know. I have to say though, the consultants where I'm doing my training are all very lovely and helpful. And once you get past the basics, they do have some very beneficial advice to give. The other people in my course are also very nice, and make the whole experience more fun than it probably should be. So that's what I've been doing with my time. I also had an interview for a retail job, so wish me luck!

I did some fun stuff this week, too. On Thursday I went to see N.E.R.D's show, with Grandmaster Flash as the support act. So good! If you ever get a chance to see either or both live, I highly recommend it. Apart from how good the show was, it got me thinking about something that seems to be out of fashion: Manners.

At the risk of sounding like a bit of a grandma, manners seem to be on the decline and it really pisses me off. Rude people are definitely my pet peeve. The reason the show made me think of manners, was that there are always people at shows who have no manners and seem to make it their purpose to be inconsiderate to others. This isn't just a case of someone who comes of as being rude, but had no intention or no idea that they were being so. This is people who not only want to benefit themselves in some way, but make it their goal to ruin the show for others at the same time.

The main culprit? People who push in front of you on the floor. I realise that yes, this is the floor at a concert, but if we've been waiting in our spot since the start of the show, what makes you think you can come at the last minute and push in front? Some common courtesy would be nice. They also do not consider whether or not they have now blocked your view or if they're talller than you. If they are, what would've been so bad about standing behind? They could easily see over you, and then you could still see as well. This makes sense to me. Apparently not to everyone else. There was one girl in particular who stood out the other night. She and her boyfriend (both very tall), literally shoved my friend out of the way and stood in front of her. There was no open space there, but they decided that they deserved to stand there more than she did. What the..? They did this repeatedly. I don't undertsand how someone could be so selfish. Though, having said that, he WAS wearing a flannelette shirt and she was clearly of the trashy moll variety, so I guess you can't expect those people to have too much common sense or manners.

Another concert manners crime I've expereinced is having seats taken by other people. I understand if someone moves to a better seat because they think no one's sitting there, but once the rightful inhabitant of the seat arrives, you should leave. Some people don't. This happened to me when I took my little sister to a show for her birthday. We got there jsut as the first support act was starting and some girls had taken our seats. So we asked them to move, and they refused. We asked nicely and explained the situation, and they refused and upped the attitude. Now again, these were teenage girls of the too much eyeliner wearing variety, so what did I expect, right? That maybe they'd be decent human beings? Ha! I'm so naive. Unfortunately for them (and my sister who just wanted to hide), I don't back down very easily when I know I'm in the right. I got security. All they had to do was say, 'Our mistake', and move. But no, they decided to argue with him too. I don't know if they thought it was funny, but everyone else around them was getting pissed off because their view was being blocked by the commotion. Eventually the guard got them to move, and I ended up not feeling bad about the surrounding people because most of them were in other people's seats as well. But it's an example of just how rude and frustrating people can be.

Is it so hard to be considerate of other people, to not take what isn't yours and say please and thankyou? I am hanging out for the days when manners come back into fashion. Until then, I'll just have to be out of fahsion, because this is one trend I'll love forever.