Thursday, April 29, 2010

XXXV - raw ideas = twitter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiJyHKYGYaQ dire straits, brothers in arms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lN57h_XtiI hendrix, isle of wight, red house
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhVLiHPUOIM rolling stones, wild horses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGYbkJ4HdsM the who, the kids are alright
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3UhkAkon2Y joe bonamassa, mountain time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVbd9wd9rrg dire straits, romeo and juliet

hope she gets a bf

no running away

drifting

life is not so much measured by achievements and aims and goals, but by the depth of experience, the journey, the realisation of self and of an emotional dynamic equilibrium with one's environment at a high, fulfilling level

the who; hurting body parts

maybe God is only letting the girls that i will never like get close to me (and conversely, the girls that i might someday like never get close to me) so that 1) he ensures that i get the one he wants (and don't get the wrong one in the meantime) and 2) i learn about girls without screwing it up for me or for them; i.e. this (process) is all for the best

i don't question God as to what i'm going, or why i'm here; he has the answer; i've questioned him before; i agree with where i am

that's where you're wrong (, jason)! anyone with good training can tell you the old answer; it takes a very good knowledge of the law (from the abstract to the specific) and a questioning brain to think of an original answer (that remains coherent with fundamental common law principles

realises that life without msn is good

realised that all my life i've been hitting stuff without understanding; why sax players are generally much better than guitar players

of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine

will grow long hair. roughly... jimmy page long hair. or richie blackmore long hair.

a big part of finding the right person is finding the person whose needs i fulfill; therefore the needs must be known, and the fulfillingness must be known; then it's fair to say things would be better (for both) if i were with that girl

wow good defence is better than good offence. i thought it was the other way for soccer.

the godfather: i command this family, right or wrong!

charlie chaplin: i don't believe that the public knows what it wants; this is the conclusion that i have drawn from my career.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

XXXIV - on chasing girls, and ors.

song of the week: albert king, the sky is crying
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcMNB36_SuM

honourable mention:
1. sam brown, stop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muDZD3wgoHI
boy what a terrific voice

2. joe bonamassa, stop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMXXnLSRdBE

i actually do think about stuff that i want to remember about this blog and i write them down so that when i get some time i can properly record them. it kinda gives me something to look forward to as well. so that's alright.

but there usually takes a triggering event before i blog. today it's somewhat in the shape of studying alone in school. but i've been thinking about the people i hang with the past few days.

Part 1.
sometimes, i think, life is kinda like a channel 8 serial. the love triangles and what have you. attendant to which, the relevant and differing degrees of knowledge, actual and constructive.

but i think the hinting-ness and the slight suggestiveness and the changes in attitude (from friends to interests) are the funnier stuff. not funny per se, but certainly interesting, certainly intriguing.

and i sit and watch and i observe and i make mental notes, as i always do. but i do so impartially, i do so without judgment, and i do so with a chuckle and a nod. i try even to keep the last of those concealed. and i like to root for people. conversely, i get quite sad when i think there's two boys who like one girl, or a girl who likes another boy.

and sometimes i do so with a sigh. there's very little i can do, there's even less i should do, if at all, and there's almost nothing i want to do when i'm involved in some way. sometimes i worry about being involved, i worry about being liked, i worry about messy. oh, what a reveal. but it's true, i don't deny it.

and i really, i really think, love, between a boy and a girl, wonderful as it is, fantastic, extraordinary, God-given (or not), and ineffable, is neither necessary, nor sufficient.

it's not that everyone's wrong about this and that i'm right, it's that in all our instinctive and passion-driven striving for romantic love, i think people, i think we, over-esteem romantic love.

maybe it's the flipside... being alone and sad, that fearfully drives us. may God keep this fear far from me.

but the least i can say is that... boys become so strange when they're chasing a girl. i can't say i like them when they're like that. maybe it's just me, but i find it really annoying when boys act differently when they chase girls, as opposed to how they usually act. i'm only going to say one thing - casual possessiveness. it seems like an objectively permissible thing for another boy to do, but it's a pet peeve of mine. i'm allowed to have pet peeves. like, people shaking their head at me. i intensely dislike that.

i suppose as opposed to casual possessiveness, the boy should offer his interest, and the girl should choose. that way, everybody's happy. then all suitors get a chance, the girl gets to decide, and all's fair. it shouldn't be about time and space, i.e. who happens to get more time with the girl in general social company. if it does, i suppose, too bad, and history will record the winner's story. the loser will be sad, i suppose, but really, if it came down to time and space constraints, well, we look forward to a higher love, a 'meant to be' kinda love, even a romantic one. besides, time and space works both ways. heh, that's relatively consoling.

but i acknowledge that girls don't like to be offered to by boys unless they're good friends, i.e. have had time and space with a positive tending result. which makes for interesting and head-scratching dynamics.

but like i've said. finding the right one is the least important thing to worry about. however, if you want to know what i mean, well, it's not that it's not important. on the contrary, the more important something is, the less i want to worry about it. but that's because i've got someone watching over me, and his name is Jesus.

and for the record, i'm not talking about myself. this is what i think in general when one boy likes one girl who spends more time in another boy's company.

Part 2.
whatever people say about Thio Li-ann (i've got the name right), i really like listening to her lecture. funny, smart, cheeky, but not arrogant. i thought, what a talent (and force) she is. i realised that i started to wish her longevity in her field, like, so more would appreciate her. and i thought of jimi hendrix, and stevie ray vaughan. and i realised that people really cherish outstanding flameouts. that people who blazed, even for only a while, were very much more cherished because their time was so short-lived. and i wondered about the uncountable invisible numbers forgotten after their passing, outstanding or not, forgotten nonetheless, due to ill luck or whatever, and i thought it was good that we do cherish (outstanding) people who die (young). we celebrate them for being fantastic, because a glimpse of something wonderful can leave such a remarkable impression. and we tell the stories to others, and to the next generation, and the stories carry so much.

Part 3.
i must have been rather inspired listening to Thio Li-Ann. anyway i thought of how there are parallels between writing and playing music. it's so hard to write a good essay unless you know what your thesis is. mere descriptiveness, rhetoricism, making bald statements, all the bad habits they point out, ultimately stem from lack of the 'eureka'. it's the same when playing a guitar, both technically and thematically. basically, a solo part should have a story to tell, that explains the song. everything else are just bad habits covering up for the lack of a musical thesis. as in, you can play something that fills up the gap between words, or you can augment the song, interpret the song, counterpoint the song.

Part 4.
i've been counting the number of times i think of sex in a day. and it roughly works to about two (if we consider a long period as basically singular). so it's actually true, men do think about sex in the course of a day. and these thoughts are sneaky thoughts. as in they sneak up on me.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

XXXIII - thoughts about barcelona

can anyone hate this team? it is most possibly the most dominant team i have ever seen in any sport.

the barca blueprint. wonderful.

okay so having watched last night's el classico, let's have a bit of break down.

Individually

  • they have lionel messi.
    • who is inhuman. he has absolutely no flaws, technically or mentally (magically). i haven't seen the old greats, but he is perfect. 
    • if rooney wins wpoy, i'll say it: it ain't even close. don't get me wrong, rooney is wazza, and united definitely need him more (in mvp conversations, this is a key factor), but i think messi is head and shoulders better than rooney.
    • for the love of God, may messi never be injured.
    • messi has a peter pan look on his face when he scores.
  • they have xavi hernandez.
    • who is john the friggin' baptist.
    • passes like zidane and cantona in their day.
  • they have a solid bunch of centre backs.
  • they have a pretty good keeper (always underrated in my book; he looks like shane battier).
  • i really like andres iniesta. i really like him. he is a terror. i'm not sure he's far off from kaka.
    • (where the hell does barca find these ridiculously talented shorties!).
  • they have speed on the flanks.
  • water carriers in midfield.
  • oh i actually forgot they have on the bench,
    • ibracadabra.
    • henry (sad as he is).
    • bojan krkic (they fucking have a clone machine or something, COME ON!).
  • they have a manager who inspired cesc fabregas.
    • (does this count).
    • he looks damn style, btw.
As a Team
  • they (individually) have excellent touch and shielding.
  • they have an excellent passing game.
  • they have speed.
  • they close really really well.
    • i think this has to do with how well they keep and play the ball. winning the ball back becomes intuitive - they read plays before they happen.
    • watching ron-ron run through them with the ball, barca's trapping defense manages to both swamp him (preventing him from shooting) and prevent him from slipping a pass to an overlapping runner on a crisp route, at the same time. and ron-ron is arguably the best at doing that. but i suppose that when you train with messi and iniesta (not to forget ibra et al.) this is what results.
  • their defensive line is solid.
  • their flanks are a little weak.
  • they excel in tight areas.
  • they hold the ball really well.
  • they run a lot of crisp overlapping routes.
  • i don't think they switch play (as in swing the ball) as much as united does. but this is partly cos of all the above reasons, i.e. they don't need to. scholesy usually pings the ball inch perfect the width of the pitch for nani or valencia to go 1v1, with perhaps an overlap from evra (or god forbid, nev). but this is inherently high risk, even christiano crybaby ronaldo can't pull it off all day. and like i said, barca doesn't need to.
    • a cross into the box is often their last option.
  • even when the other team fouls them like mad,
    • the ref usually protects them (he would otherwise have to be blind).
    • they manage to play.
    • they manage to play well.
  • they have 'dirty' players who break up the opposing team's run of play.
  • they are absolutely unselfish. absolutely.
  • they play at a top level consistently.
  • they've kept free from injury (this takes luck) for nearly the entire season.
Comments
  • putting this team next to the gooners' invincibles squad. i'm pretty sure it's a good fight.
    • i honestly can't decide; the fact is that messi can unlock any defence in the world, whereas i'm not sure contrari-wise.
    • are they better than the united squads i've ever seen?
    • what depressing thoughts; how the hell are english teams supposed to catch up.
  • how to play them?
    • high defensive line - i don't think this works unless the midfield dominates.
      • a risk that must be taken. sitting deep and giving space to barca, no chance. a butts to the wall liverpool rubbish in their day couldn't stop this. heck, 15 men on a dead man's chest couldn't stop them from scoring.
      • and the risk is great. barca on the counter, i think only man u with ron-ron and rooney could match.
      • barca strikers are too good at breaking the offside trap.
      • have you seen xavi and iniesta pass lately?
      • did you know that messi can pass too?
      • i haven't even mentioned ibracadabra - 1st leg nemesis of arsenal's 'high line'
    • lock up messi.
    • lock up xavi.
    • play down the flanks.
      • but note that barca is strong in the air defensively. damn that pique.
    • hassle all day. foul hard and hope to stay on the field. but look out for puyol, marquez, busquets and keita when your back is turned.
    • stay compact.
    • boss the midfield - something the great trio of van der vaart, xabi alonso and fernando gago couldn't do.
good luck, mr mourinho. i've always been a fan of yours.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

XXXII - the least important thing to worry about

song of the week: mark knopfler, sultans of swing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ-JyAGUsys
i <3 the part at 7:41
absolutely <3 it

honourable mention: joe louis walker, billy boy arnold, matt guitar murphy, rebecca
my woman she's a jockey, she's teaching me how to ride
my woman she's a jockey, she's teaching poor joe how to ride
stick the thing in the middle, move from side to side

noteworty no. 32s in basketball

karl malone, utah jazz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv_hxB8MWgA
i always hated the mailman (and his pesky sidekick, stockton) because they were the bulls' main competitors, and cos the mailman wasn't a kickass shooting guard. but boy, things change when you really start to pay attention to the game of basketball.

kevin mchale, boston celtics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlSZC4TAYVc
wow is it really that easy!?

julius erving, philadelphia 76ers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpTfb9SkKaQ
ridiculous
rock the baby at no. 1 - shannon brown just copy that move for chrissakes

magic johnson, la lakers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxBM3dTPc_k
showtime!

shaquille o'neal, la lakers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlQ19XoF-fQ
is that all you got?

the funny thing is, after listening to all the old man blues, and feeling older and older every chance i get, a movie like ponyo can get to me. i'm quite possibly young at heart or something. possibly why i love little un's.

anyway the point is that you lose your child eyes and child heart sometime along the way, just plain forget them, but they're always there somewhere. don't grow old, people.

the party's all over, but baby i see your silhouette
we're about to head home, but i know it's your shape
and i run baby cos it's all i can take

Thursday, April 8, 2010

XXXI - lone-wolf

song of the week: gary moore, still got the blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O_YMLDvvnw

honourable mention: joe bonamassa, the thrill is gone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiyVWyPH7Ls

i've not so much made up my mind, as come to a realisation.

maybe it's the blues i've been listening to. the blues... it sorta makes being sad damn cool. but it's more than sadness. it transcends sadness, i think. it's better than sadness. being able to write a beautiful blues song about a sad situation, is, i think, celebrating it, not joyously, but affirming it, revelling in it, maybe indulging in it. yes, this is the blues. it's a soul connection with how a man feels about women, from all of time, from the time when blues began. the blues is soft, and the blues is melodic, and the blues is loud, and the blues is wild, and the blues weeps, and the blues roars, and the blues feels all the things a man feels. and my caveat is that i'm not sad, just bluesy 'sad'. and i'm very blues, oh, very blues right now.

a man sings the blues to no one, i think. he sings it to himself. i think the woman the blues song is written for was never meant to hear the song. and that sits just fine with me.

and my realisation is this. i'm fine. i'm absolutely fine. and i haven't said this for awhile, but shoot, things couldn't be better.

also, that chemistry and character-matching is important.

sooooo longggggg... it was sooooo longgg agoo...
but i've still got the blues for youuu

oh listen to that gibson... god!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

XXX - it's close

song of the week: allman brothers, in memory of elizabeth reed

honourable mention: joe bonamassa, if heartaches were nickels

hmm, xXx.

a quick tribute to my action stars when growing up, then.

Arnold - True Lies, Last Action Hero, Terminator 1, Terminator 2, Eraser, PREDATOR, Conan
Sylvester - Ram-fucking-bo, ROCKY, Judge-fucking-Dredd, the Specialist, Demolition Man
Steven - Under Siege, Hard to Kill, the Glimmer Man, Fire Down Below, the Patriot
Richard - Macguyver, anyone?
Tom - Top Gun, Mission Impossible,
Nicolas - FIREBIRDS, Con Air, Face/Off,
John - Face/Off, PULP FICTION
Al - THE GODFATHER
Samuel - Unbreakable, Die Hard, PULP FICTION
Jackie - DRUKEN MASTER, Police Story, all those old chinese fight shows
Michael - Batman Returns
Bruce - Enter the Dragon, Fists of Fury, Way of the Dragon
Jet - Fong Sai Yuk, WONG FEI HUNG, all those old shaolin shows
Mel - the Patriot, Lethal Weapon, Braveheart,
Bruce - Die Hard

yup, long way to go, vinny. but you're looking good.

it's close
i wonder if i'll miss this
whether or not it happens
i'm pretty sure i'll be alright
i think that's fair