My Top 10 Songs

Well, its been a really long time between posts…again! But the simple fact is that I just didn’t have anything to write about. But I think I have an idea now. We all have our favorite stuff. So I thought I’d write about some of my favorite stuff. And I’d start with my 10 most favorite songs of all time. As well as why I like those songs. So let me start the countdown!

Note: I haven’t included any songs by Led Zeppelin. Only because if I did, all 10 songs I’m listing here would be Led Zep songs!

10. Born to Run, by Bruce Springsteen (Born to Run - 1975)

I’ve always been a huge fan of ‘The Boss’ and his music. But its this song from his 1975 album of the same name which to me embodies the spirit of Rock & Roll. The story of young love, rebellion & the open road seems to appeal to almost everyone I guess. But to me, I really love this song coz it just flat out ROCKS!

9. Strange & Beautiful (I’ll Put a Spell On You), by Aqualung (Strange & Beautiful - 2005)

This song means a lot to me on so many levels. I’m sure if someone has been in a position where they like someone, but they hardly even notice you…this is your song. The lyrics, the haunting melody…are just absolutley amazing. And its still relavant to me, even now..

8. You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, By Judas Priest (Screaming for Vengeance - 1982)

Judas Priest is one awesome band. I have several songs of theirs that I really like, but this one is by far and away my favorite. The song is about how a person will never let things get them down and just keeps fighting back. Very, very cool!

7. My Way, By Frank Sinatra (Greatest Hits - 1960)

Ladies, Gentlemen…the King of Cool. Nobody in his music seems to make life seem as cool as Frank Sinatra (although Dean Martin fans would probably disagree). This song is probably Sinatra’s most well known, and its easy to see why. To me, its the concept of ‘I did it MY WAY’ that makes this one of my favorites.

6. Hurt, by Johnny Cash (American IV: The Man Comes Around - 2002)

Yes, this isn’t a song that Johnny Cash wrote (The Nine Inch Nails did) but the last album that was released while he was alive made sure Johnny Cash’s legacy would be remembered forever. The raw emotion of the song is evident even if you don’t watch the music video. But it helps. Very powerful…

5. One, by U2 (Achtung Baby - 1991)

Another song in the style of ‘Hurt’. The song can be interpreted in different ways by different people, but to me its about love that seems to have no bounds. But unfortunately, someone has set limits to it. From start to finish its a brilliant piece of work, and probably marked the entry of U2 in to Rock legends.

4. Boulevard of Broken Dreams, by Green Day (American Idiot - 2004)

Once this song gets in to your head, it seems to stay there. A little bit similar in melody to ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis, but takes that melody to a whole new level. As with all my favorites, the lyrics are a major reason for me liking the song. Probably one of the best songs of the 21st century.

3. Don’t Stop Believin’, by Journey (Escape - 1981)

A song that you can just sing along to without any worry. Especially if your feeling a bit tipsy! A song which keeps you holding on, even when things aren’t going so well. The soaring vocals of Steve Perry makes this an almost operatic experience.

2. More Than a Feeling, by Boston (Boston - 1976)

A timeless classic. Boston has so many great hits on this album, but none of them are as brilliant as this soaring rock anthem. The guitar solos are just out of this world, and when this song ends…you wish it didn’t.

1. Iris, by The Goo Goo Dolls (Dizzy Up the Girl - 1998)

I’ll never get tired of this song. The lyrics, the melody, the vocals are just perfect. Especially the lyrics which talk about how people are misunderstood…and underestimated. I could never describe well how awesome this song is…you just have to listen to it.

And here we…go: The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight (2008)

It’s been so long since I last blogged that I’m not even sure if I’m doing this right…but, personal things aside I really want to say a few words about ‘The Dark Knight’, the latest installment of the ‘new’ Batman series.

I was very fortunate to watch the movie today. I had heard quite often since (especially since his untimely passing in January) that Heath Ledger had put in an enormous performance in this movie as ‘The Joker’. But, contrary to what I had read, I think Ledger’s performance was even better than I thought. Christopher Nolan has created a ‘Super-hero’ movie that for all that I have seen is probably the best so far, but Heath Ledger steals this movie with his portrayal of The Joker as a psychotic, twisted yet insanely brilliant criminal. It was quite simply one of the most breath-taking performances by an actor I can remember. I always thought Jack Nicholson gave a scary performance as The Joker in the 1989 film Batman, but Ledger has brought the character of The Joker to a whole new level. One that’s bordering on insanity, a total disregard for reason and zero empathy for human life. One can only wonder, if it was not for his tragic and unfortunate death earlier this year, what the future could have held for Ledger…

"Why so serious?" Heath Ledger as 'The Joker'

Apart from Ledger, the other stand-out performer was Aaron Eckhart, as the unfortunate District Attorney Harvey Dent.

I Believe in Harvey Dent

Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of Dent is slightly different from the previous Batman movies (or even the comics), in that he is portrayed as a man who even as ‘Two-Face’ still wanted to provide justice and fought for what he believed was right. Dent is seen by Bruce Wayne as a cleaner, and brighter hope for Gotham City. But as the movie goes on you can see the cracks beginning to appear in a man who is untiringly fighting against crime and corruption in the city, especially among the Gotham Police.

Christian Bale also gives a convincing performance as Batman, but I still seem to find him a bit wooden in his acting. But I guess for a complex and deeply torn character such as Bruce Wayne, that sort of portrayal is probably accurate.

The supporting cast of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and especially Gary Oldman also provide a solidity to the movie. The whole theme of the movie was pretty dark, and portrayed the flaws and the positives of human beings…Life can get very difficult when you have such responsibility, and one has to wonder how far a good person would be willing to for what they believe in..

I can’t recall me feeling bored at any point during the movie, which is not something even my beloved ‘Star Wars’ can say! (I do feel blasphemous saying it though…please forgive me Obi-Wan!)

Even though this song is not really in keeping with the theme of ‘The Dark Knight’, it IS from a previous Batman movie, and is one of my favorites. Kiss From A Rose, by Seal.

Mendis Special: Sri Lanka wins the Asia Cup…again!

Well, its been a while since I’ve blogged but I can’t think of a better occasion than SRI LANKA winning the ASIA CUP! Its like Spain winning Euro 2008 I guess, except Sri Lanka wont become the number one ranked team in the world. But considering the Sri Lankan team’s record since becoming the runners-up at the 2007 World Cup has been…poor (for a team that was the 2nd best in the world) this is very much like a new beginning. I’m just hoping its not a false dawn.

Just like how Spain had the experience of Iker Casillas and the brilliance of Fernando Torres, Sri Lanka has a dynamic duo in Ajantha Mendis and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Firstly, Sanath. This is a man who is 39 years and six days old, but incredibly keeps delivering on and on again. And he keeps going on and on! And maybe if he keeps going like this he could still end his career in the 2011 World Cup. That’s a long shot considering he’d be 42 years old, but stranger things can happen. The most incredible thing about Sanath Jayasuriya is time and time again, people write him off but he keeps coming back stronger and stronger. But it also raises a question of how Sri Lanka can cope without his presence at the top of the order when he eventually does retire from One-day Internationals as well. But, until a few months ago Sri Lanka also had a problem of replacing Muttiah Muralitharan as well. And while Murali IS irreplacable, Ajantha Mendis has come along all of a sudden.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Keeps going on and on and on and on and on... © AFP

Almost out of nowhere (well, we know he’s from Sri Lanka!) Ajantha Mendis has suddenly got the whole world talking about him…okay, people who follow Cricket then at least! And it seemed to me like the Indian batsmen found Murali easier to play! And the umpires could not pick him either! One thing is for sure, Ajantha Mendis will not have it so easy in the future. All the teams that come up against him will study study him from every possible angle to try to read his variations. Especially when he comes up against Australia and India. Which makes the upcoming Test series against the Indians that much fun to watch!

Ajantha Mendis

Mendis Special © AFP

The thing that makes me happiest with the Asia Cup win is the fact that Sri Lanka didn’t have two of their main strike bowlers in the side either. So I can only imagine how good this side would be when Lasith Malinga and Fraveez Maharoof are back. A bowling attack of Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis…makes me giddy just to think about it!

Although they failed in the final, Chamara Silva and Chamara Kapugedara have also seemed to have matured. Combine that with Mahela and Kumar…Sri Lanka have a strong batting line-up too. (Yay!) When all the pieces come together, I don’t think any team will find Sri Lanka easy…in fact, a Seven Nation Army couldn’t hold them back!

Spanish Delight: Spain are the new Champions of Europe

QUE VIVA ESPANA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spain finally ended their 44 year wait for a major trophy with a 1-0 win over Germany. And whats more, it was Fernando Torres who scored the goal that won the game for Spain. I got the score wrong, but at least I got the goal scorer right!

I’ve seen three World cup finals (1998, 2002 & 2006) and two Euro finals (2000 and 2004) but this was by far and away the best final I have ever seen in a major tournament (mind you, I’m not counting the Champions league here). Spain were fully deserving to win although Germany did put up an enormous fight especially in the second half. At times Spain were completely stretched by a valiant German side but they simply had no answer to the Spaniards quick one-touch passing game. They were undoubtedly the best team in the tournament, winning all their games and playing some delightful football. With most of the Spanish squad still being in their 20s, I feel Spain will be a heavy favorite for the 2010 World Cup…provided they qualify…which I’m sure they will.

Well, I’m very happy that Spain won…and I’m so happy for Fernando Torres as well. But…I’m very sad that this brilliant tournament is over. I never saw a major tournament that was as exciting as this one…

The Final Countdown: Spain vs Germany

So the big final that comes around every four years is tomorrow. Before this tournament started I was backing Spain for the win, but as always considering their record in recent major tournaments I was skeptical. But Spain have surpassed my expectations! Such is Spain’s quality, they can afford to leave someone like Xabi Alonso on the bench. I have to really say that Spain have the better chance of being crowned European Champions tomorrow in Vienna. Even with the absence of David Villa, Spain still have so much quality to call upon. Cesc Fabregas must surely start and his partnership with Fernando Torres will be a key factor for Spain tomorrow. I think tomorrow will possibly be the perfect stage for Fernando Torres. I really hope he will score at least once. Daivd Silva and Andres Iniesta will also be looking to get forward as much as possible to support Torres. At the back, Sergio Ramos seems to have hit form and with the ever reliable Joan Capdevila will provide excellent cover on the flanks. And with Carles Puyol and Carlos Marchena, Spain finally seems to have found a solid and reliable centre-back pairing this tournament as well. Marchena especially has impressed me this tournament.

As for Germany, just a little while ago I read that their captain Michael Ballack might miss the final. If so, Germany will almost certainly start as heavy outsiders. The Germans always seem to turn up when the going gets tough - as they did against Portugal and Turkey - but I really think Spain will be too tough for them tomorrow. Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose will be a threat to the Spaniards but I just think everything points to a win for Spain tomorrow.

So there you have it. I’m going for a 2-0 win for Spain.

Signing off today with THE FINAL COUNTDOWN…

Woo-hoo! Que viva Espana!

Well, I didn’t get three predictions wrong in a row. although I got score wrong…only by two goals though. Okay okay…so it went to penalties. But one thing’s for sure…Spain deserved to win today. Italy just sat back and defended as if their lives depended on it. Italy did defend well no question about it. But they were very unadventurous going forward and Luca Toni’s dismal form in front of goal also didn’t help them. Italy of course also missed Andrea Pirlo. He is one player who could have created some chances for the Azzuri tonight.

As for Spain, Fernando Torres and David Villa were largely contained by the excellent Italian defence. Especially Giorgio Chiellini who came out on top against Torres today. One can see why he was linked WITH Liverpool some time back. Chiellini had the pace to cope with Torres and was strong against him as well. Only when Torres came up against the 35-year old Christian Panucci, did he look lethal. But, despite this I can see Torres coming up with a much stronger performance against the Russians only because Russia aren’t as defense-minded as Italy.

I’ll write again about my predictions for the semi-finals later. Right now I’m off for my dinner! But I’m ending this post with…the GIPSY KINGS!!!!

Orange Crushed…and my Fantasy team too!

Well my fantasy team is just totally ruined now! First it was Croatia who went out against Turkey. And now…The Netherlands. I had four players from the Dutch in my fantasy team (Van Bronckhorst, Sneijder, Kuyt & Van Nistlerooy) and the 1-3 scoreline didn’t help either! But anyway…kudos to the Russians. They just outplayed the Netherlands in all areas of the pitch. The full-backs were almost playing like wingers, the midfielders were always helping out in attacks and when they weren’t doing that, they were helping out with the defending. In short, it was the Russians who were playing total football today. A major reason for that probably is Guus Hiddink, the Dutch coach of the Russian team. And now after being thumped 4-1 by Spain in their opening game, Russia look a completely different side and whoever wins tomorrow in the Spain-Italy game the semi-final should be a cracker!

Another reason for Russia’s rise is Andrei Arshavin. He looks absolutely dynamite and I’m sure the big Premier League clubs are drooling over him now. He has pace, vision and a rasping shot to boot, so to speak. Personally, I think he will make an excellent partner for Fernando Torres up front, playing just behind Torres and just in front of Steven Gerrard. Well…one can dream!

As for Torres, I have a huge feeling he will score tomorrow against the Italians…(and against Russia in the semi-final as well!) Italy will be without both Gattuso and Andrea Pirlo tomorrow, and while the loss of Gattuso’s place can be taken up by Massimo Ambrosini, I don’t see the Italians having someone to replace Pirlo. Daniele De Rossi is the one player I can maybe see taking his place, but I don’t see De Rossi having the vision and passing skills of Pirlo. So, Spain 3-1…I knew that Germany will win, so right now I’m at 1-2 with my predictions. I can’t get three wrong in a row…can I?

The video is for Russia. Who are fast becoming a force in European Football…

An Observation of the Female Human Species…

I seem to be getting a lot of ideas on life from TV these days. Since I moved into my new place in late April, I’ve had access to Television. Which has probably played a large part for the above situation. I try not to miss some of my favorite shows which I’ve loved ever since I was back home. My favorite of course now, and always will be ‘The Simpsons’ But besides that ‘The Daily Show’ and ‘The Colbert Report’ are also ones I never miss. But of course I love the sit-coms as well. ‘Married with Children’ has to be my favorite…Al Bundy is one of my biggest heroes! Anyway, I also love ‘Friends’, ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Frasier’ as well. This little observation came from last night’s episode of ‘Frasier’…that was a long way to go for this wasn’t it??? :p

Anyway, in the episode Frasier’s radio show producer Roz (played by Peri Gilpin) that he does not think the girl she is trying to set him up with is his type. Frasier (played by the brilliant Kelsey Grammer) then tells how back in his college days that he didn’t have a girlfriend. But he then tells that he was interested in some girls, but they only saw him as the ‘nice guy’…someone who was a shoulder for them to cry on. Someone who was a nice interlude between going out with one moron jock and another. I must say that I am paraphrasing the conversation, but that was about the gist of it.

It was then that I realized this was so much like what always seems to happen to me! I always end up being the guy thats there for some girl who goes through some crap, before they move on and end up in more crap. They seem to need me when things are going bad, but when things are good I’m like dirt! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I won’t be there for someone when they’re going through a rough time (regardless of gender) but I’m not sure if people who want me to be there for them actually want me to be there for them during good times as well…because they sure aren’t around when I go through crap. But even so, I still end up being there for them even after they weren’t for me…

Maybe I’m stupid, or maybe I’ve just been really oblivious…but I think Women are manipulative! (D’uh!) Sure there are some who aren’t like that and maybe some of them might even be reading this blog-post right now but I can’t believe some people who I consider so close to me are using me like this. *sigh*

My first blog post on the U.S. Elections

Well its been a while. When I first started my blog I knew I wouldn’t have so much time to write regularly, but it still feels like I’ve been ignoring the blogosphere for a little too long. So here I am writing about something that will effect the whole world. The outcome of the U.S. Presidential Election later this year. I was inspired to write about it from my very good friend M and her post on it. Thanks M

I’m an Obama supporter. Lets get that out of the way. But more than that, I support the Democrats. So even if it was Hillary Clinton who had gotten the nomination, I would have supported her as well. The Republicans have just messed up so much since 2000 I don’t think the United States could survive four more years with them!

When he ran for the Republican nomination for President in 2000, John McCain was a very popular candidate among the more moderate and centre-leaning Republicans. But back then, the Republicans decided to with the less intellectual, and more conservative George W. Bush. If McCain had been the Republican nominee back then, he might have actually beaten Al Gore for real! As it was happened, the Republican-dominated Supreme Court won Florida for Bush and so the nightmare began. But now in 2008 McCain has sacrificed his more moderate policies for ones that are “popular” with the Evangelical wing of the Republican party. These are the people who believe that AIDS is God’s way of punishing homosexuals, that every country in the middle-east is a threat to the United States AND they also believe that the earth was created 4000 years ago. Frankly, I can’t think of any reason to think a bunch of people who believe these things should be trusted with the realms of any government, let alone the U.S. government. This is why I don’t support John McCain.

As for Obama, he is a well educated, articulate and brings something new to U.S. politics. Of course, his middle name and the color of his skin are sure to raise questions. Just recently FOX news (or Faux news) reported that Obama and his wife Michelle’s fist pump after a rally may be a possible “terrorist jab” (Don’t believe me? See here). If FOX news was right, all our cricketers must be terroists as well because every time they score a boundary they do this same fist pump too! But of course, FOX news is owned by the megalomaniacal Rupert Murdoch so one shouldn’t be surprised at these things.  But this plus the unending speculation as to whether he is a closet Muslim or not is just plain ridiculous. While these things could hurt him being elected in November, the people who might play a bigger part in Obama not winning are Democrats themselves.

For the past few months the Democratic party was energized by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. But the passion and energy these two candidates brought seemed split the party into two factions. Many supporters of Hillary Clinton have voiced that they would not vote for Obama as they felt Clinton should be the nominee. This silly mentality may end up costing the Democrats the White House again, unless these people wise up and think whether four more years of Republicans is what they want…

Well, thats about it for now. I’m finishing with this brilliant song by the great Bruce Springsteen. Guess what it is…

Dutch Treat: The Netherlands sets the bar for the rest

WOW! That just about summed up how the Dutch played today against a World Champion Italian side in Berne. When the Dutch went forward in counter-attack it was just simply breath taking! Two of those attacks ended up as goals as well. Italy may not have deserved to lose that game 3-0 but they certainly were outplayed for long periods by the Dutch side who despite having a less experienced midfield (especially with De Jong & Engelaar) kept the more experienced trio of Pirlo, Gattuso and Ambrosini from creating too much for the Italian forwards.

But I guess the place where the game was decided was with the Dutch forwards. Wesley Sneijder & Rafael Van Der Vaart were just outstanding with their passing and work rate. Dirk Kuyt seemed to slot in really well on the right of midfield just like how he’s done this season with Liverpool. He gave Gianluca Zambrotta a lot of work to do and kept him from getting forward to join in attacks. A lot of people have derided Kuyt this season but you can see from his performance today why Marco Van Basten picked him in the squad. And to think, he wouldn’t have played of Ryan Babel & Arjen Robben weren’t injured! Granted, Van Nistlerooy’s goal was clearly offside, but the way Holland played I would think Italy would have lost anyway.

As for Italy, they really have to pick themselves up and looking at how the other game between France and Romania went, Italy still can go through. But they need Daniele De Rossi in their side. Keeping the AC Milan trio in midfield might create familiarity between the players, but today they hardly created anything of note. And next time, Alessandro Del Piero has to start. But I guess the biggest problem for Italy is not having Fabio Cannavaro. He’s leadership and experience was really missed at the back today.

Euro 2008 really started today. And if the Dutch play anywhere near as how they played today, Marco Van Basten could end up being the first person to win the trophy as both a player AND a coach.

Now, the song for the day is from AC/DC (YEAH!). Coming in to the tournament as the World Champions, and then after the display by the Dutch, they probably felt…THUNDERSTRUCK!!!