Mixed Bag Week

I managed to escape from Aberystwyth again this weekend, though only for a short sojourn down to Cardiff to visit the Centre for Life Long Learning's "History, Archaeology, Politics and Identity" Conference. It was a day of lectures punctuated by a rather snazzy buffet lunch and numerous cups of tea, though when did wraps become part of caterer's set buffet lexicon? My, how times have changed. Best of all considering these wallet mouldering days- the whole thing was free. As you'd expect of a catered academic knees up on a sunny Saturday, the audience consisted only of lecturers, archaeologists, student bums and pensioners - the natural predators of a proffered biscuit, but all of whom have a tendency to fall asleep if provoked.

The vast majority of the conference was excellent. The program was incredibly varied, taking subjects diverse as India, bog bodies, music, architecture and deconstruction of folk lore all within its stride. It is totally without irony that I say who knew that Glasgow tenements could be so interesting? I know, I'm a geek, I really don't care as the knowledge is worth it. Overall the event was tinged with a little sadness as the Centre is cutting all of its courses in humanities and Welsh; the HAPI Conference may be their swan song.

It's worth noting to skeptics that the humanities are important (no, really), and not just for coasting students who want to get in and out of university with as little fuss as possible. Their value is somewhat intangible in real life, lying as it does within the curiosity these subjects can satisfy, rather than their ability to provide you with a job. Nevertheless they do contribute to the development of a well rounded, well balanced, enquiring character. The Centre for Life Long Learning is part of Cardiff University's charter to make higher learning accessible to those not scuttling around within its flypostered walls, and though obviously the budget can only stretch so far, to loose all the humanities is a very sad step.

Overall the day was a good one. Much better in fact than the Save the Children concert in Aber last Thursday, where the best thing was the ultra violet hand-stamp. I'm afraid I simply don't have the vitriol to rail against the shoe gazing student bands I saw there, though I did leave early, so I should charitably note that one of the remaining acts may have been good. Just maybe.

For the two I did see, particularly 'Bell the Cats', well as far as I'm concerned, their mates really should have considered it part of the onerous duties of friendship to have told them that they can neither play or sing a note. The singing may be due to the weak neck muscles, which in turn contributed, not so much to chic indie shoe-gazing but rather eyeballs stuck to their Converse clad toes. Maybe they were embarrassed at their awfulness too; after all they couldn't compose either now I come to think of it.... at least, my god, I hope they were original compositions. I'd hate to think that covers were so wailingly unidentifiable.

Here's something decent to spread joy on a sunny Sunday, two tracks from Swedish ex-music journalist, now singer 'Hello Saferide'.

• Always On My Mind
• I Was Definitely Made for These Times, which I especially like due to the line praising the tragic ability to quote all of High Fidelity.