This Isn't A Long Post

I'm having my exams now, so I won't be saying much in this post. As a matter of fact, I'm here to promote my good friend Kevin Chan's latest series - "What Do Women Really Want". Sounds promising eh :)? you can check it out on his blog: hamletshero.blogspot.com. Here's the promotional poster:

Now that the advertising bit's done with, allow me to share my latest findings off the ocean of Youtube videos. You wouldn't believe what gems I discovered.

1st Video: All These Things That I've Done



This was their sleeper hit taken off their debut album "Hot Fuss". Yes, this song came to be known as the song with the line "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier" (As a matter of fact, I dedicated an entire blog post to deciphering this particular line, if you could remember...). It was th is sensational tune along with "Mr Brightside" and "Somebody Told Me" that catapulted the Killers into international fame.

2nd Video: When You Were Young



"When You Were Young" was released as their first single in 2006, when their sophomore effort "Sam's Town" was released. One of my favourite tracks in the "Sam's Town" collection. The single was performed almost entirely unplugged during their appearance on "Live on Abbey Road". "Sam's Town" turned out to be phenomenally successful, and garnered the Killers the Best International Band and Best International Album Awards in the 2007 Brit Awards.

Note that both the videos I included here are the Killers' acoustic performances. I love their studio works, but I must admit these acoustic tracks are unbelievably good. Now, many of you would say that it isn't an accurate comment on my part, considering the fact that I'm obsessed with The Killers and their music. Take a listen before dismissing my praises though. You won't regret it.

It's amazing how these tracks sound so different, yet so very good when performed unplugged. The tenderness in how the band treated the music, the purity of melody and sound came through, and the intensity of emotion behind the music was made so tangible. I am convinced they deserved the "Best Band" and "Best Track" (for 'Tranquilize' from their compilation album 'Sawdust') Awards in the recent USA NME Awards.

"All These Things That I've Done" makes me wonder what I have done to deserve the satisfaction of listening to such a haunting tune. "When you Were Young" reminds me that it's feels so good to be young. I wonder if being young SOUNDS as good?

So I Lied When I Said it was "Genesis Once More"...

I have not been updating the blog. I have neglected it. It isn't just dead. It's decomposing, the maggots made it their home. It's gnawing through the pages of my life, and I can smell the decay in the next room.

It stinks. Does life stink? Maybe it does. Or maybe it's just so sterile you can't smell anything anymore. Are emotions really that important in our lives? Does the logic we apply in decision-making stem from logic? Is the heart more powerful than the brain?

I think not. The brain controls everything. The heart wouldn't be beating. The cardiac muscles would cease to work. The atrial and ventricular systoles just won't occur without the brain making sure they do. Logic triumphs over everything. Make your decisions based on pure, cold logic. You'll be fine.

I need control. Control over everything. Just like my brain has control over me. I want control because it probably would pull things together in an instant, make things work in 3 seconds flat. Control.

I'd like to think I'm an unfeeling individual who doesn't have to care about what goes on around me. But I'm not. So take a listen to this. If you concentrate and focus on the message behind the music, perhaps you might understand why. Perhaps you will feel again.



Song: Farewell
Artist: Apocalyptica*

*Apocalyptica is a Finnish cello metal band, composed of classically trained cellists and, since 2005, a drummer. Three of the cellists are graduates of the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland. Their music features elements from cello metal, neo-classical metal, thrash metal, progressive metal and symphonic metal.

Genesis Once More

I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say that its been a long time since the last post.

I left the blog quite unattended for months. I'd like to say the reason for me leaving the blog behind was that I was just too busy. Somehow that sounds like an excuse. I don't like making excuses.

Plenty has happened since the last time I actually posted something new here. I'm still in college, at least that's the same. Went through a round of examinations (again), met more people in my life, and things are pretty ordinary. Won't kid myself. I'm not the same person as I was months ago. Exactly what the changes were? I can't really tell.

What I can tell though, is that I've been growing more cynical by the day. You might scoff and say 'then again, when have I ever stopped being cynical?', but the fact is, if there was and still is a remote possibility that I could ever grow increasingly cynical, I actually am.

I've grown cynical about the things around me. Things we're supposed to count on, things we should be able to take granted for. People talk more nowadays, but if there's an issue that really needs to be discussed, if there's a something that really matters, we just won't talk about it. we will pretend that nothing is happening, and we would make public announcements advising everyone NOT to talk about the issue at hand, because talk is cheap.

Maybe its because we just don't care about what happens in the world anymore. But don't we? Don't we know what's really going on in this world? Where we say something but mean nothing in the end? Are we really that ignorant? Or are we just indifferent?

Maybe I should really ask people I meet if they do care, if my cynicism isn't justified. Then again, I doubt people would care to give me an answer.

True Friend Test

Try It!

Create your own Friend Test here

The Walls of Sorrow

The Walls of Sorrow

by John Lee

There was some sorrow lurking round the corner the other day,

It was the colour of mould - rich, but dull;

It fed on the bright colours the walls had,

It grew and eventually clung to the very walls that it fed on.

The colours on the wall melted, sprouting into beads of moisture,

They dripped and flowed - like tears that had no end;

The mould thrived and spread like fire across a golden field,

The dull colour, no longer rich, but ugly now clung tighter, reached further.

Things all fall apart, as the bright-coloured walls began to,

They fall, and crash unto the floor;

Leaving the resounding roar of silence,

ricocheting off the walls, smashing into grief, breaking it apart.

Sadness is a season that will pass, they say,

Nothing is further from the truth;

Sadness will remain inside eating from within, clinging, spreading,

It will never stop, until you fall apart.

A Review

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS to a good friend of mine named Soraya Sunitra Kee on having your review on the latest Harry Potter book published in the Sunday Star. It was a lovely piece, and I certainly enjoyed it. To read her excellent review, click here.


Well, it was her superb review that caught my attention, and gave me a little inspiration. Seeing how many waves 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' has created, I decided to do a little review of my own. However, let me do it in a different way. I'll list three reasons why I love it, and three reasons why I don't. Readers BEWARE: Harry Potter 7th book spoilers ahead!

I have to be honest, I didn't LOVE the book. I didn't go gaga over it. And I certainly wasn't one of those standing in a mile-long line at TESCO and Carrefour at 5 in the morning to get my grubby hands on a copy. It's not that I'm not a fan, it's just complicated. Let's just get on with it, shall we?

I shall begin with the good things.
3 reasons why I loved 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'


1. The fast-paced storyline - I must say, I'm impressed. While Rowling did have a weird habit of being over-descriptive at the first few chapters of her last 3 or 4 books (thus making the book a tad too draggy) she didn't overdo it this time. I was given a pleasant surprise as she jumped into an exciting incident within the first 50 pages of Book VII. The idea of identical Potters zooming around on magical modes of transportation did provide an adequate kickstart to the story. *Nods head in approval*

2. The deaths - No, I'm not being sadistic here. I don't enjoy death, (don't take it too literally) but the swift elimination of characters such as Mad-Eye Moody, Dobby and even Hedwig did give the book a realistic feel to it. This was what I did not like about the previous books. It was as if Rowling was stretching the fabric of her story to keep as many of her main characters alive. I see that in book VII, her tight clench on whether the key characters live or die loosened somewhat. This is a good thing, people. I don't think we should spare characters just because we like them. To only kill them one by one, so that we don't suffer too much grief reading the book doesn't work either. Her practice of killing off characters sparingly created plenty of speculation that Harry Potter himself will die prior to the book's release. Well ironically, the occurence of 'death' involving the main character is one of the reasons I hate the book. Read on to find out more reasons to dislike the book.

3. The revelation of Snape's past - This one was the bombshell for me. Seriously. Who would have thought? I did expect some sob story that would redeem Snape from the passionate hate everyone had for him since the first book of the saga, but I did not expect the story of his past to be this juicy. Think about it, Snape being capable of love, and his unrequited love for Harry's late mother, resulting in a love triangle between Severus Snape, Lily Potter and James Potter? Twisted, but sweet. It was ingenious of Rowling to have thought of it.

3 reasons to hate the book

1. The relevance of the title - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That was the title. Ever wondered when the mysterious 'deathly hallows' appeared in the book? really late. Really, REALLY late. If it was so insignificant to the storyline that you could postpone the introduction of the deathly hallows to the very-extremely-far-from-the-first-chapters, why make it the name of your book, Rowling? Perplexing and confusing. I finished the first chapter, and the second, and the third, and the........ and a nagging feeling at the back of my head reminded me 'deathly hallows? what the heck is that? did I miss the introduction of such an integral part of the book? It is the title of the book, after all, isn't it? Thought the title didn't tie in well with the story. Relevance, please, Relevance.

2. The love stories - Harry and Ginny. Ok. I didn't think it was a very interesting couple to begin with, but I digressed. Book VII proved my suspicions - the love story just wasn't good enough. It was irritating even. (No, Soraya, I did not hope fervently that Draco and Ginny would one day fall for each other ;P) The sad, brooding longing Harry had for Ginny from the beginning of the book was corny, bordering on ridiculous/ludicrous, the conversation between them made me wish I was watching paint dry instead, and the snogging on Harry's birthday created the nauseous sensation to perfection. 'She kissed him like she never did before.' To quote the book. Sigh. Rowling, Rowling. Please refrain from using cliched, overused phrases from the passionate, lusty romance novels in the Harry Potter series. It just wouldn't do. I don't need to reminded that you could have gotten the same description from a book entitled 'Desire: Mr Seduction' that laid in the shelf of a thrift store for the past 50 years because nobody wanted to know in the remotest instance what the book contained. (the marriage between Ron and Hermione came across as desperate as well. The falling in love, courting, flirting was not developed in the previous books. I think Rowling was just trying to appease the readers by throwing them together under the names Mr and Mrs Weasly. *shakes head in disappointment*)

3. The epilogue - Oh puh-lease! Oh My Gosh. The epilogue STANK. I can still shudder thinking of it. The epilogue didn't cut it. I really think the book would have been much better without it. Let me tell you why. It had loopholes the size of a sumo wrestling rings. Read closely, people. While waiting at platform 9 and three quarters, the Hogwarts alumni, (at least the key characters, anyway) all end up MARRIED. Come on... what about bachelors and spinsters for life? Marriage isn't just so easily arranged you know. The era where mothers employed matchmakers to execute pre-arranged marriages is long over. Why would all of them end up married? Why would they have reason to, anyway? What about the rampant occurence of divorce? Why are they all happily married?all of these very same key characters end up married TO EACH OTHER. Come on... (second time) What are the odds that high school sweethearts end up hitched? Must they be tied down with the same person they dated in Hogwarts? After NINETEEN years, they remained faithful to that very same person they sat next to in the classroom. Believable? For one or two occasional cases, maybe. But for ALL the key characters? Very unlikely. ALL of these key characters appear at King's Cross because they decide to send their children off. Come on.... (third time) All of them had children? ALL?Have they heard of sterility, or difficulty to conceive? What about family planning? Be realistic, people. Many couples remain childless, you know. Some choose to, and others cannot due to natural reasons. there's never such an idealistic situation as painted by Rowling in the epilogue. What about the fact all of their children are about to begin their first year at Hogwarts? This tops the list of ridiculous situations. ALL of them had children, and HAD THEM AT THE SAME TIME? I am too lazy to repeat the two words 'Come on...(fourth time)'. What are they? Beings who have reproductive systems that functioned like clockwork? Potter, Weasly and even Malfoy having children in the same year? Coincidence or what?

Ok. So did I love or hate the book? This book is not my favourite, but it wasn't all bad. I give it a 6.5 out of 10, maybe a 7 on a good day. After all, it IS the last book of the installment. I think some 'close one eye' to the gaping flaws of the book is in order here.

I apologise if I offended any Potter fans. I would welcome some of your views. This blog post of mine is just my opinion. Don't let me spoil the Potter experience for you.

For your information, I was a hardcore Potter fan 4 to 5 years ago. I memorised all I could about the series. I knew the spells, the characters, what happened, mounds of speculation, the whole I'm-such-a-fan attitude. The end of my potter obsession came when I got sick of the series. I bought some of the books and read them over and over and over and over. And over. And over. And I just couldn't have taken it anymore. Sad, isn't it?

There you go. An objective review of the last book in the Harry Potter series. I took in the two sides of a coin, the two sides of the story, the reasons to love, and the reasons to hate Harry Potter.

The 'When You Were Young' Phenomenon

I cannot believe it, I simply can't! How could I ever have let such an important detail pass without noticing it? Well, no point dwelling upon my mistakes. Let me make things right from this moment. What happened was this: I was surfing through Youtube, and I noticed that under the search for 'When You Were Young', the videos listed included 'When You Were Young Alternate Version'. I started thinking. As far as I knew, The Killers only had one single named 'When You Were Young' taken off their sophomore album 'Sam's Town' (Which I now have two copies of, big thanks to my sister and Mark & Kevin!), and I have only watched one and only one video, so where does this alternate version fit in?

Out of curiosity, (Come On! when have I ever said no to THE KILLERS??) Anyway, I clicked on it, and watched it, and noticed a very, very important thing: there WERE two versions of the music video for this very same song! And BOY, what a difference this was!

I have the evidence to demonstrate the stark difference between the two videos. This is the version I watched umpteen times over. Note: this is also the only version Malaysia airs. They censored the love scene in this version as well. Exhibit A:



This is the alternate version I was fussing about. I can't believe it took me this long to realise there was a difference! I've included the lyrics for your reference ;) Exhibit B:


When You Were Young
You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy
to save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now ... here he comes!
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young
Can we climb this mountain I don't know
Higher now than ever before I
know we can make it if we take it slow
Let's take it easy Easy now, watch it go
We're burning up the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane that started turning When you were young
When you were young
And sometimes you close your eyes and see the place where you used to live
When you were young
They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet
You don't have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while
You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now here he comes
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young
(He talks like a gentlemen, like you imagined when)
When you were young
I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus
But more than you'll ever know

Well, now that you've watched it, what about it? (Yes, the song's great, the video original and entertaining) Let's cut to the chase. Both videos featured a young couple. I have no idea how accurate this story is, but I plucked it off Songmeanings.net. The video, according to these people is supposed to tell the story of this young couple. The man is a pimp or a cheat of some sorts, and the young woman was charmed by him and married him. After marrying him, she didn't give up hope on rehabilitating him, and prayed hard for his change in behaviour in church (hence, the rosary and the church scene). She returns to her home, finding her husband cheating on her, was devastated, and went all the way up to the hills where the huge white cross was, to contemplate suicide.

Now, the difference here is that in the version I have watched umpteen times, the husband goes frantic and searches for her, finds her at the hill, and comforts her there while she sobbed. In the alternate version, at the beginning of the video, the husband was just about the reach her at the ledge of the cliff, but she jumps off first. The alternate video ends with the husband lamenting his loss.

There you go, a very interesting detail there, eh?

By the way, the frontman of the Killers, Brandon Flowers and his wife, Tana Munblowski had a baby very recently (16 July, if I'm not mistaken), and if I'm not mistaken, the baby boy is named Ammon. Congratulations, Brandon!