Jevan
[ free music, drawings, writing and more ]

image of a bridge

Other - Suggestions for Society

The following improvements could be made:

  • An art or craft get together occasionally, where all the materials are provided and there is an instructor or leader telling us what to do step by step, and we go home with something(s) at the end, it might cost money for the session. I have been to an easter card making workshop which was great. I am aware there are "stamping up" get togethers (though I have never been to one). I envisage further such things to cover craft and art. I think some such things may be available in childcare training sessions.
  • We currently have a musicians meetup.com group in melbourne where anyone interested in playing music (doesn't have to be a professional musician) can come along to this guys house and play with other musicians and make music which is recorded and everyone can have a copy of it. This guy has his own recording equipment at home and an electronic keyboard that people can take turns in using (or bring your own). Presumably there is also a microphone for vocals so people can take turns singing. What would be good is to see something like this in canberra - including for making jazz music and pop tunes (including 80s). In school anyone could join the music class and be part of a band. We need ways that people can make music in a group, for people (the majority of people) who are no longer in school because we are adults. They did used to have some jazz performance sessions where people could join in with the band (usually after the performance) e.g. at ANU used to have them, but, they used to be a bit picky and only let you do one song unless you were really good which most people aren't and really people need more than one song to get to practice playing in a group. They need to provide you with music (photocopies) not just expect you to know it. Also it's so hard to join a regular band most people want to do paid performances which one might not be good enough to do yet, and it's not easy finding people interested in forming a band, people seem to be so picky. We need opportunities to play in a band for everyone no matter what their instrument (including voice, piano/keyboard) and irrespective of playing ability. Perhaps there could be different levels for different playing ability, if enough people are interested. I think people would be interested in paying to be part of a band (like they pay to join a choir).
  • We need to have a jazz choir in canberra, that sings jazz songs - for people of any ability level as long as you can sing reasonably in tune I guess (can't really have people completely out of tune), and expect some time to learn the tunes properly but not be too fussy about ability of each singer so many people can join. No requirement to memorize tunes (can always have music in front of you).
  • A friends website where you can search by nearby postcode (eg within 4km) or suburb, so you can find friends who you can travel in their car (and if they want some money for petrol OK) to things like live jazz concerts, theatre, contemporary dance, live comedy, or whatever you want to see. I think they already have such ability in some websites, but, I haven't yet met anyone nearby.
  • Friends need to be more willing to meet up in person (email penpals is great but in person is good too). Trusting to be nice to each other. More opportunities for one-on-one friendships (same or opposite gender depending on your preference). Friendship only (not relationship).
  • Websites where you can find phone friends (people to chat to on the phone) so you can get their number after searching based on location/ gender/ etc. This already exists, but it could be expanded (more of such websites and more people on them from near my location which is australia). Of course it's possible to talk on the phone to people from other countries (if they are interested in talking). I could call people occasionally, despite the costs involved.
  • Websites where you can find friends for either yahoo messenger chat, windows live messenger chat, yahoo messenger webcam chat, or yahoo messenger voice chat (or skype chat). There are a few websites where people can often get someones yahoo messenger id e.g. tagged but this is not specifically designed for this.
  • Free Phone Chat System - where you phone up the system's phone number (local call ideally) and then you can listen to peoples greetings and set your greeting and reply to messages and configure a live phone chat with them if you like the sound of them. They have this in australia but it's fairly expensive and not many people on it. In the US they have lots of free ones (eg see http://www.talkee.com/) as well as paid ones. We need more in Australia I think, there's only one or two at present and both paid and not many people on them, needs more people too. Choice of gender to speak with, is also important (as friends). People should always be able to find someone to talk with on the phone, and to meet new people too if they like (for variety).
  • Canberra Short Film Making Network- where you can join up with other people interested in making short videos, could be to think up an idea/script together or to make yours or someone elses script, could be to join a group as an actor. Ideally should be able to cater for as many people as possible who might be interested, so that everyone can have a go at video production and/or acting depending on their interests. At the moment there is a website that advertises local actors in canberra but this is professional actors, what about people just wanting to make short videos for fun (or for inclusion as an entry in tropfest or other short film festival).
  • Everyone should be guaranteed a job there should be lots of jobs available for people to choose from (jobs that people would be happy to do, not just any job) just like there are lots of schools you can choose from as a kid and everyone gets to go to school so why not everyone get to have a job if they want one, if they don't want to work they can be paid unemployment benefit/ payment but most people want to work just that some don't get the opportunity. People can nominate job positions they would be happy to do and be allocated into them for their desired working times/days per week. Some jobs will be able to finish at 2.30pm and start at 9.30am for working mums to pick up their kids from school at 3pm and drop them off at 9am, and some jobs will go from 1pm-6pm for people that don't like mornings. But what if they don't like afternoons either? Tough biscuits (too bad haha). Have a kitkat and forget about it. Better still have an orange, or apple or even a pear yes pear is the solution to employment problems, give out free pears. Just Joking haha. Pears don't pay the rent. And rent is going up and up, centrelinks rent assistance doesn't keep up with it, jobs to the rescue (for those that have one, which should be anyone who wants one). Centrelink rent assistance ideally should make it so people only pay up to 25% their income on rent maximum, so it brings rental payment amounts into line with that of public housing. Also people can be employed part time instead of full time, so that more people can be employed. For example one person could work in the morning, another could work in the afternoon, so there's 2 jobs instead of 1, this would increase the number of jobs available significantly and help reduce unemployment. It seems fairer to spread the work available amongst more people and work part time, than to have fewer people full time with more money and greater income differences between lower, middle and upper classes.

Other:

  • Shemales: I think it would be better if people did not change their gender, and just be happy with how they are. It's a pity that some people are gay or lesbian, when it seems more natural for partners to be of opposite sex.