Am I really the youngest person here?

[Ben...]

I was lookin' at the birthday calendar and I noticed that I was the youngest regular poster on there.

If this is true... Does it seem like I'm the average 16 year-old? I've been told many times that I act, think, and speak like someone much older than I am. Do any of you find this weird?

Anyway, I was just pondering a thought and wonder what you guys think...

[emperor_black]

you are only as old as you think you are... that's an old guy speaking...

[straycat]

Its not odd at all. My guess is you have some brains and reasoning which your peers will not get for many years.
You seem pretty cool in my book and I'm a 56 year old geezer metal head.
OH BTW don't use the word random it will make you sound like a dumbass.Have a nice day
I have a neice that is 14 and lives in DC (liberal mecca of the USA) and she came to visit well she is into EMO music which I don't care for but I listened to her reasons why she did.
She was suprised that her dads brother was so much different and not such a stick in the mud.
She came into my music room and about passed out. A half stack against every wall an array of stompboxes and guitars every where.She said you have to be the coolest uncle in the world.
I sent her home with a guitar a POD2.0 and with the orders play and rock your ass off. Her dad I'm sure ain't happy.

[Ben...]

I HATE it when people use the word random incorrectly! People at my school say "That's so random!"... Gah! What's random? How can someone "be random". It drives me nuts! Just like when people use the word that's popular to use that particular month. This month it happens to be "Beast".

Ex: "That was so beast!"... What is beast? Can't they just use "beastly"? It' still annoying but at least it's correct. Using "beast" as an adjective for everything is driving me up the wall.

Don't even get me started on current fashion! It's either that skin tight "emo" crap or wanna-be-wrapper-wear. I didn't even get any new clothes for this school year. I had the funds and everything but everything was so ugly I just didn't bother. Every bunnyhug is covered in ugly stitching or shiny gold patterns. All the T-shirts have fake "bling" on them or covered in huge logos.

What happened to a nice pair of jeans? Now they're all skin tight, circulation removing near-spandex pants or so baggy you could fit a backpack under them. Plus they all have this stupid pre-faded-looking crap on them that looks dumb. I'll just get them worn out how i want, thank you!

Shoes...What the Hell! It took me 2 weeks to find a decent pair of shoes because they're all either neon green or covered in "bling" or patterns.

My biggest beef with kids nowadays (yes, I realize the irony) is the fact they want everything NOW. They don't have the patience to work towards something or study. They just order (and I quote from my math teacher who I talked to on this subject) "Mommy and Daddy to buy it so they can be cool". I can only think of about 12 people who don't have a cell phone at my school (I have one for emergencies only). I only can think of 4 or 5 other people who actually have played guitar for more than a year. Most people buy those starter packs, play for a week, realize they aren't a rock god, then quit because it's "too hard". They don't put any effort towards getting good because that takes time, which they don't have because they're too busy texting people. *Off topic* I know of people who have failed because they didn't pay attention because they were too busy text-messaging(I told one of my friends I wouldn't let her get into that crap if she got one).*Back on topic* I picked up guitar quite quickly(partly due to having previous musical experience) and learned probably 3 times what most of them learned in about a week and a half. The thing most of them don't realize about guitar, as with most things, is that you learn new things about it all the time. I've had the same guitar teacher for four years and he still teaches me a new technique or concept every week.

The thing I think what's wrong with kids, and society in general, is this "NOW" mentality. People don't want to wait, they want immediate results, that's why people are getting screwed over. For example: There are people taking out 40-50 year mortgages here in Saskatoon. The reason; there was an economic boom so everyone moved here to make quick cash. This caused housing prices to triple yet people were still willing to fork out $400,000 for a house that's worth $125,000 when the markets cool off(which they are). The people taking out these monster mortgages are screwed because house prices are already falling so they're going to be paying money for a house that's not even worth all that much money and end up having to sell their souls to the bank because they wanted to make some quick cash.

I think the reason I like the JCF so much is because you people aren't these kinds of people. There's certain forums I can't go to anymore because people are so naive and so into trying to be cool that they lose all personality. You ask for advice and they just give you the popular answer of the week. Most don't even have any experience with what they're talking about. I feel if I ask a question here that any answers I get actually have thought put into them and if you don't know, you'll admit it but also give me resources to help me.

Another reason is age. Most guitar forums you go on are young (13-14) players who either have been playing for a bit or just started. You guys are older (I mean that as a compliment) and have much more experience but you're also not afraid to admit flaws. That's another thing I find with people my age, they can't admit it when they can't do something. It may partly be because we are taught to always focus on positives but in my book, focusing on good things only gets you so far.


Well, I just wrote a rant the required length of an average history essay(this is 827 words long)... Enjoy!

Edit: A bunnyhug is a hooded sweater with a pouch. That's just local terminology that I didn't think of changing while I was writing that 800 word monster.

[thetroy]

I like tight-ish jeans.

I don't like the "relic'ed" jeans though.

Unfortunately everything I've bought in the last couple years fades and rips so easily that they look "relic'ed" after a few months anyway.

None of the stuff you're complaining about is unique to kids, unfortunately. That's just the way of most people in this country (I don't know about other countries...).

[GodOfRhythm]

I would not have expected you to be 16! I thought you were 55 like all the other geezers here!

[SEEGERMANY]

"Age and treachery will overcome youth and skill any day"

[Jayster]

I would not have expected you to be 16! I thought you were 55 like all the other geezers here!

cool - I'm younger then I thought only 36

[Ben...]

I like tight-ish jeans.

I don't like the "relic'ed" jeans though.

Unfortunately everything I've bought in the last couple years fades and rips so easily that they look "relic'ed" after a few months anyway.

None of the stuff you're complaining about is unique to kids, unfortunately. That's just the way of most people in this country (I don't know about other countries...).

Oh I have nothing against tight-ish jeans. I'm talking the skin-tight ones that make people's junk protrude. Some of them actually have spandex in them now. And yes, it's not just kids (Kinda why I put "society in general" in that one part). I find it sad how people never want to try anything anymore. Most student's at my school just want to pass. They don't want to get higher marks that could actually help them in the future. They just want to do the bare minimum so they have free time to go and party. All anyone seems to care about anymore is getting inebriated in one way or another. It's just sad because some of these people are genuinly smart but they would rather do the "cool" thing.

I would not have expected you to be 16! I thought you were 55 like all the other geezers here!

This is exactly my point! Anyone who's never met me in person, but talked to me on the phone or via email/forums seem to think I'm older. People get confused because I have a larger vocabulary than normal. I also am known for using correct grammar when I speak. I think it's funny that I have to dumb down how I speak to people for school (Except for 2 friends because they're both kinda like me). Otherwise people get confused with what I'm saying and give me a dumb look (Though, admittedly, that can be quite funny).

[Inearthed]

Who cares how old you are? You have the "Awakening the World" album cover as your avatar...

[Ben...]

Who cares how old you are? You have the "Awakening the World" album cover as your avatar...

Genius! Pure Genius!

Awakening the World is my favourite album of all time. I like it so much that I have it in my "recommended listening" section I made on Facebook twice because it's that good.

[metal_reaper]

Hey Ben I'm too 16 (are you Ben from kramer forum?) and I agree with you, kids of our age want to be trendy at all cost, even if green shoes are in fashion. Me? I just want to get together a good band of metal

[MartinBarre]

I don't know maybe it's just how things are these days. When I was 16 I just wanted to look for girls and have some fun with my real world friends. The internet hadn't been invented yet. I can't help thinking things were better back then. We had REAL friends, and talked to REAL girls.
I also enjoyed reading a LOT of books (still do) and playing computer games. But I didn't spend hours on end on a computer, I spent those free hours outside with friends playing soccer and stuff.

I'm 31 BTW. I spend too much time on the internet now, but I feel like I have no need to be out looking for girls or making real friends since I'm married and stuff.
I wonder what kind of society we're fostering here.
Anyone read Isaac Asimov? Solaria was it. where they never met any other real people? I can see it going that way now.

[Gartron]

you speak the truth Martin, if I had the unlimited access to porn in my teen years that I have now I would have fore arms like popeye by now!

[Endrik]

I like tight jeans. Also I like to have a lot of free time. I want things to happen now... I can't stand waiting for something. I don't like putting effort into something. I like to take the least amount of responsibility. Also I don't give a fuck about grammar. I'd like to be 11. I've tried real work, I'm educating myself, getting degrees and whatnot. It's a headache to be honest. I'd like to win 200 mil. right now and wasted it on all kinds of worthless junk and show it off so I could stick my johnson into every pussy in town. But your way is cool too... I'm just a lazy son of a bitch with no ambitions whatsoever.