where the light is
Always been a fan of John Mayer (though not during the 'Your Body is a Wonderland' craze)... but I've never heard this live album before. Just got it yesterday.. and it's bloody awesome. Beats the studio albums a few times over.
+ Songs for the Special Days II
Just remembered that I've a particular soft spot for anyone playing Pachelbel's Canon (from Jeon Ji Hyun's piano version in My Sassy Girl, to Funtwo's electric guitar rendition, and most recently, the famous Pantene thai commercial). And so, I shall put this song into BOTH the wedding & the funeral list.
+ Songs for the Special Days
And so, we had a random conversation about the songs to play during two of the most significant events in one's life - the wedding and the funeral. Let's start with the lighter side of things first? The funeral.
Nah, let's just go with the wedding first. From the start, I've to make this clear... even though I mentioned the word 'wedding', its not to be confused with the corny marching anthem that is currently in your mind right now. Not that conventional dum dum dum dumb, dum dum dum dumb. I'm just lacking the effort to think of a better word to use. In this case now, the 'wedding' song can be the sweet proposal song; it can be the soundtrack to your eternal misery and the signal that your life is over song... whichever tickles your fancy. Without further rubbish rambling, here's a few that tickled mine.
1. Death Cab for A Cutie - I Will Follow You Into The Dark
"Love of mine, someday you'll die. But I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark..." With the first line of the lyrics like that, you know its definitely going to be through thick and thin, poverty and sickness.
2. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child of Mine
2. Guns N Roses - Sweet Child of Mine
I was tempted to choose 'November Rain', because the mtv had an actual wedding in it, but its just too bad that the lyrics are a little too sad. So my next choice is 'Sweet Child of Mine'. Imagine playing this like Slash in his power stance and belting out the chorus "ohh ohh, sweet child of mine! ohh ohh ohhh sweet love of mine!"
3. Pleasing & Sweet Acoustic Numbers
3. Pleasing & Sweet Acoustic Numbers
Like Jack Johnson's 'Do You Remember', John Legend's 'Stay With You', Elton John's 'Your Song'. But honestly.. not enough drive. Songs for such occasions require more... boomz.
4. Beyond - 喜欢你
There's just something about canto songs...
5. Queen - I was Born to Love You
4. Beyond - 喜欢你
There's just something about canto songs...
5. Queen - I was Born to Love You
As chosen by my friend, not too bad a song actually.
6. Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything (But I Won't Do That)
6. Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything (But I Won't Do That)
Finally, here we go. A no nonsense love song complete with motorbike sfx from the start, guitar solos and mushy yet intriguing lyrics. And the mtv (directed by Michael Bay no less) is wicked. The only downside? Everyone will come to you and ask, "so what is 'that'?"
7. Bon Jovi - Thank You For Loving Me
7. Bon Jovi - Thank You For Loving Me
If you don't wish to mess around and piss off your in-laws and relatives, maybe this song is the safest bet.
For the funeral song category, there are a few strong contenders as well. The common factor among all of the songs though, is that they are not awfully sad and weepy. I rather depart from this world bringing smiles and good memories than people wailing away. Sorry Clapton & Axl, I like 'Tears in Heaven' & 'Don't Cry' but they're just way too sad.
1. Beatles - Let it Be
Obvious choice really.
2. X Japan - Tears
"Dry your tears with love, dry your tears with love!"
3. Frank Sinatra - My Way
At the end of the road, I'll like to say that I've did it my way
4. Beyond - 光辉岁月 / 无悔这一生 / 海阔天空 /
The power-medley of 3 Beyond classics. Can never go wrong with Beyond.
5. Dream Theater - Spirit Carries On
A bit mellow, but this is the ultimate funeral song.
6. Bob Marley - Three Little Birds / Redemption Song / No Woman No Cry
Another three song medley, but this one is a lot lighter.
For the funeral song category, there are a few strong contenders as well. The common factor among all of the songs though, is that they are not awfully sad and weepy. I rather depart from this world bringing smiles and good memories than people wailing away. Sorry Clapton & Axl, I like 'Tears in Heaven' & 'Don't Cry' but they're just way too sad.
1. Beatles - Let it Be
Obvious choice really.
2. X Japan - Tears
"Dry your tears with love, dry your tears with love!"
3. Frank Sinatra - My Way
At the end of the road, I'll like to say that I've did it my way
4. Beyond - 光辉岁月 / 无悔这一生 / 海阔天空 /
The power-medley of 3 Beyond classics. Can never go wrong with Beyond.
5. Dream Theater - Spirit Carries On
A bit mellow, but this is the ultimate funeral song.
6. Bob Marley - Three Little Birds / Redemption Song / No Woman No Cry
Another three song medley, but this one is a lot lighter.
+ Ouch
A new report confirms what everyone working in media could probably guess already: Journalism job losses are accelerating at a faster rate than job losses in the overall U.S. economy. Since the financial crisis started (September 15, 2008 to September 15, 2009), 35,885 jobs in the journalism industry have been cut in the U.S.
And this is just in the States...
+ Come on, Gunners!
I'm falling sick and there's work tomorrow. I slept at 10pm just to wake up 5 hours later to watch Arsenal play Standard de Leige. First game of Champs League. Had to endure the shit quality and ever disconnecting streaming football because Singtel bought the rights and Starhub didn't even lower their rates for their football channel.
2nd minute, Arsenal conceded a corner. I got dropped out of the stream, came back on and its 1-0. I got dropped off again, penalty and its 2-0. What the fuck. And I'm still watching the match, hoping we get something out of it. Try as I might to convince myself that a supporter sticks to his team through thick and thin... but honestly, this is just heartbreaking stuff.
.... Come on, Gunners!
2nd minute, Arsenal conceded a corner. I got dropped out of the stream, came back on and its 1-0. I got dropped off again, penalty and its 2-0. What the fuck. And I'm still watching the match, hoping we get something out of it. Try as I might to convince myself that a supporter sticks to his team through thick and thin... but honestly, this is just heartbreaking stuff.
.... Come on, Gunners!
+ Cashback
You know how it goes. You have insomnia, can't fall asleep and hence get yourself a night shift to fill the time. You give them your extra eight hours, and they give you money. Cashback.
We all had this grand idea before - if we sleep less, we can actually gain more time to do other stuff (be it work or play). Yes, just like the protagonist in 'Cashback'. But the show really fails to mention the consequences of not sleeping at night, screwing your biological clock and not getting the proper rest that a normal human being requires.
Today, I gained an extra 5 hours from the night, slept at 7am and I woke up at 2pm. Ate lunch, took a nap at 3pm and woke up later for dinner at 7pm. After dinner, I slept (again) till 10pm to get supper. It seems like for every hour I gained at night, I had to spend 2 hours resting in the day. It's definitely more Payback than Cashback.
We all had this grand idea before - if we sleep less, we can actually gain more time to do other stuff (be it work or play). Yes, just like the protagonist in 'Cashback'. But the show really fails to mention the consequences of not sleeping at night, screwing your biological clock and not getting the proper rest that a normal human being requires.
Today, I gained an extra 5 hours from the night, slept at 7am and I woke up at 2pm. Ate lunch, took a nap at 3pm and woke up later for dinner at 7pm. After dinner, I slept (again) till 10pm to get supper. It seems like for every hour I gained at night, I had to spend 2 hours resting in the day. It's definitely more Payback than Cashback.
+ The Secret
Over breakfast, a friend casually mentioned about this book titled 'The Secret'. This wasn't exactly how the conversation went, but if I could have scripted it, it would have gone something like this.
"Do you know about the Secret?"
What secret?
"The Secret."
What exactly is this secret you're talking about?
"It's a secret."
Nonsensical, but I'll defend myself with the excuses of sleeping too little, having too much coffee and staring at my monitor for too many hours. Anyways, like I said, this 'Secret' is a self-help book that talks about these laws of attraction. After a little wikipedia, here's what I found.
'Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on the law of attraction as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one's positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness... and did we mention wealth? Detractors will be appalled by this as well as when the book argues that fleeting negative thoughts are powerful enough to create terminal illness, poverty and even widespread disasters.'
Sounds like a bunch of spirituality hogwash to me. And I thought it was about finding positivity and channeling that into real effort, real work - and of course with that, comes real success. Oh, wait a minute, that's how people succeed right?
"Do you know about the Secret?"
What secret?
"The Secret."
What exactly is this secret you're talking about?
"It's a secret."
Nonsensical, but I'll defend myself with the excuses of sleeping too little, having too much coffee and staring at my monitor for too many hours. Anyways, like I said, this 'Secret' is a self-help book that talks about these laws of attraction. After a little wikipedia, here's what I found.
'Supporters will hail this New Age self-help book on the law of attraction as a groundbreaking and life-changing work, finding validation in its thesis that one's positive thoughts are powerful magnets that attract wealth, health, happiness... and did we mention wealth? Detractors will be appalled by this as well as when the book argues that fleeting negative thoughts are powerful enough to create terminal illness, poverty and even widespread disasters.'
Sounds like a bunch of spirituality hogwash to me. And I thought it was about finding positivity and channeling that into real effort, real work - and of course with that, comes real success. Oh, wait a minute, that's how people succeed right?
+ Avedon
If a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it's as though I've neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. - Richard Avedon
Trying to instill this thought into my mind right now. It helps that I've a project deadline for this workshop that I'm taking, and really need to shoot daily to meet it.
Trying to instill this thought into my mind right now. It helps that I've a project deadline for this workshop that I'm taking, and really need to shoot daily to meet it.
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