Blunders and shortcomings

I've got a feeling twelve...

2011-12-31T14:08:00.003+02:00

... is gonna be a good year.
Especially if you and me
See it in together.

Você.

Roger Daltrey - 1921 (2011)

Yes, this was the same idea recycled from last year's entry, but at least the version of the song is different, so why not.

Have an excellent new year's everyone and let's all collectively prove the Mayas wrong while hoping the next year beats the last in every way!

Christmas

2011-12-24T11:20:00.000+02:00

With these tunes, very Merry Christmas, everyone!

Karma Chameleon

2011-12-19T05:43:00.000+02:00

Wow, didn't see this one coming, although the Dear Leader's health had apparently been on decline.

North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il, 69, Has Died - ABC News

It makes sense from the perspective of karma though: the day before world lost Vaclav Havel. A great mind, a statesman, freedom fighter, author, playwright, instrumental to the Czech Velvet Revolution and uniting the nation after the communist regime.

Then the next day the world's only remaining stalinist country's leader died, who represented all of the opposing values.

The blance of the universe is secured again.

When The Thames Froze

2011-12-10T00:02:00.006+02:00

Smith & Burrows - When The Thames Froze

Best Christmas release in quite awhile. It's beautiful, it's strong, it's meaningful.

A new song doesn't spur such an emotional response from me too often.

God damn this snow, will I ever get where I wanna go?
And so I skate across the Thames, hand in hand with all my friends
And all the things that we planned, my son's eyes and the outline of his hand
And even thought I hate the cold, a constant reminder that I'm getting old

Another year draws to its close
And tired London slows
But when I dream tonight I'll dream of you and when the Thames froze

God damn this Government, will they ever tell me where the money went?
Protestors march out on the street, as young men sleep amongst the feet

Another year draws to its close
And tired London slows
But when I dream tonight I'll dream of you and when the Thames froze

So tell everyone that there's hope in your heart
Tell everyone or it'll tear you apart
At the end of Christmas day when there's nothing left to say
The years go by so fast, let’s hope the next beats the last

Finlandia

2011-12-06T23:44:00.004+02:00

Happy 94th, the maiden of Finland!

Feliz Aniversario, minha gatinha!

2011-12-01T15:29:00.001+02:00

This one's for you, dearest. *tight hugs*

Melrose - Loverboy

One Vision

2011-11-24T17:53:00.003+02:00

20 years have passed since the death of Freddie Mercury. Where does the time go?

Queen was the first band that I really got into. Ironically it happened around the time of release of Greatest Hits II-album and the passing away of Mercury.

Even though the band isn't as important to me as it once was, I still listen to them every once in a while (I have to boast a bit that I don't really have any musical skeletons in my closet, in other words bands that I used to love but can't stand anymore).

If you can look past of Mercury's flamboyant mannerism, there's no question he was an ultimate showman, bar none, making the audience, no matter how big or small eat out of his hand, giving them their moneys worth and then some. Indie wankers who just settle to putting their heads down play and try to seem cool can eat their hearts out.

A recent documentary about the band I can wholeheatedly recommend to any rock music fans is the 2 hour Queen: Days Of Our Lives produced by the BBC.

Kuka oli tuo mies?

2011-11-19T11:50:00.003+02:00

As weird as it may sound, this song hasn't left my mind alone since I saw this show few weeks back.

It's from a program called YleLeaks with Finnish comedians taking a satirical look on the current topics of each week. This time the host concluded they had made too much fun of Päivi Räsänen, the Minister of the Interior, known for being a hardline defender of Christian values, so they wanted to make up by this gospel song.

In other news, my Quadrophenia: The Director's Cut arrived yesterday. I was planning to document its unboxing (in the manner of LAL Super-Deluxe Collectors' Edition Boxset last year) and enjoy it thoroughly with the undivided attention like the best album ever recorded deserves, but my overslept naps caused rescheduling.

So watch this space!

It's In The Way That You Use It

2011-11-18T02:53:00.004+02:00

Big brother Mikael Granlund, May 13th, 2011.

Little brother Markus Granlund, November 17th, 2011.

Are we human, or are we dancer?

2011-11-09T01:52:00.004+02:00

FOMO. Fear of missing out, to be exact.

I heard this term for the first time awhile ago. It's the symptom of the web of social media in which most of are entangled, at least to some degree. I am at least.

I'm on Facebook, Twitter, Formspring, Multiply, Google+, you name it. Yes, I check these sites many times a day. For crucial information? Most often no. For entertainment? Yes. Sharing links, funny pictures, writing witty comments, liking, smiling, feeling slight sense of satisfaction when I've gotten some reactions back.

But from time to time the managing for this mish-mash of social networks feels overwhelming. Especially cause I seem to have developed FOMO. I routinely check the sites when I arrive to the computer. If you'd ask why, I couldn't answer.

Would the quality of my life change drastically if I removed myself from social networking sites? No, I don't think so. Am I capable of doing that? No, I don't think so.

So I continue to routinely check my sites from my PC and my Nokia (not-so-)smartphone while wondering in the back of my head at what point I evolved from a skeptic into such typically conditioned being in web 2.0.

More on FOMO in The Observer's article.

Word Up

2011-11-07T23:13:00.001+02:00

Don't let your victories go to your head, or your failures go to your heart

OK Computer

2011-10-11T16:10:00.003+03:00

Ah computers, can't live with them, can't live without them.

Last night I thought to inspect possibilities to hooking up my computer to AV amplifier in order to listen music from Spotify and mp3-files from decent loudspeakers and watch video clips from big screen.

After more than an hour of straining my neck to the backside of my PC and researching online, I figured out my K9AGM3-F-mainboard is simply obsolete (bought this computer in late 2007 that it also well documented on this blog) for this kind of operation, especially for the video. No HDMI, no DVI, just VGA that goes to my monitor.

Sounds I probably could relatively easy connect through line level, but for video. Only possibility I can think of is VGA splitter and then an extension to my tv.
No doubt either the image quality would be poor or it'd cost a load.

Or should I buy myself an up to date graphics card? God damn it, I thought I was already past the changing the PC components like Lego-blocks.

Hmmm.

Why usually the more sophisticated the technology becomes, it has to bring even more complicated problems?

Strong Enough

2011-10-10T02:28:00.000+03:00

In this life, be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle. Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third.

57 Channels

2011-09-14T15:30:00.003+03:00

Someone's very harsh critic of this children's show:

Actually if the horsie is available, we could use such bold and frank statements with the quality of the Finnish TV as well!

Let's Roll

2011-09-11T22:21:00.007+03:00

I'm going back to that seemingly ordinary Tuesday afternoon ten years ago, along with countless of people around the globe.

I was home, just had my meal, reading the newspaper. I had a text message from a friend:"Put the tv on, a plane had hit the World Trade Center-building in New York". I fumbled for the remote, putting YLE TV1 on. They were showing the scheduled live broadcast from a parliament session, usually as exciting as following how paint dries or grass grows. Only difference was that there was a news ticker at the top of the screen, giving early information of the first hit. At that point it was reported to be a small plane.

Of course my initial reaction was that it must be a horrible accident. Maybe the weather was cloudy or foggy, I thought since there was no images available at that point. I checked the teletext service and BBC World. No new information on either one.

Not much after that the impact of the second plane was reported. At this point TV1 cut away from the parliament to an on-going news coverage.

The staff of TV1's newsroom remembering the day:

MTV3's news report at 7 PM Finnish time:

Nelonen's news report at 5:56 PM Finnish time:

It also dawned to me it was no accident. Two planes don't hit major buildings moments apart by accident.

The footage of the hit on the South Tower left me speechless. It all seemed surreal. The image of people in panic, fleeing from the huge buildings on fire with a plane shaped holes in them. Then the news of another plane hitting Pentagon. Another one being hijacked. These kinds of things don't happen.

At this point I really didn't know what would happen next, Bad news just kept flowing. I also remember the Internet was pretty much useless. All the major news sites were unaccessible because of overload of visitors. Later proven to be false reports circulate about even more planes being hijacked. No one seems to know for sure.

I remember being on a phone with a friend watching the same news broadcast as the first tower fell. I think it was of Finnish MTV3, who were showing live images but from far, so we ended up asking each others "Did it fall down? It fell down!". There was just all the cloud of smoke and dust on the screen so you couldn't tell for sure.

As the second tower fell, the who magnitude of the attack was starting to come clear to me. Those shots of smoking Manhattan were really haunting. They still are. How is this possible, I asked myself.

The rest of the evening, well into the night I spend watching the news on different channels. I remember late in the night BBC reported of explosions being heard in Afghanistan. Even though unrelated to WTC, even it added to the confusion.

Next day the world woke up to post-9/11-world. World much more in fear, in anger, bitter and vengeful. Still today when we hear reports of an accident, usually the second sentence is "there are no terrorism involved". A western world that had to rebuild its sense of security.

But it also brought people together, bonded by the shock, the loss, the disbelief but offering their support to each other. Indeed, when you strip off all the political and religious ambitions of it, you're only left with unmeasurable amounts of grief and losses for an incomprehensible reasons.

Although being thousand of miles away, a day that I'll never forget.

A Lack of Color

2011-09-09T02:14:00.001+03:00

With the hockey fever rising as the start of the Finnish Elite League season is just a week away, it all was suddenly stopped by a tragic news from Russia. The plane carrying the hockey team of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl headed to Minsk for the season opener of their KHL-campaign had crashed while taking off.

Soon the details followed that everyone feared, only two passengers, a player Alexander Galimov (in a critical condition with 80% - 90% of his skin burned) and crew member had survived. It was - and still is - very hard to realize 25 players and 11 staff members were no more. It put all the emotions within hockey in perspective, made them seem insignificant.

As Lokomotiv was one of Russia's top clubs, many of the players were very familiar names from international games. Like the Swedish Olympic goalkeeper Stefan Liv along Belorussian Ruslan Salei, Slovak Pavol Demitra, Czechs Karel Rachunek and Josef Vasicek whom all had very respectable careers in North America. The Canadian coach Brad McCrimmon I remember from his playing days in NHL, especially with Calgary and Detroit. Lokomotiv also had a Finnish goaltender coach Jorma Valtonen but he was left behind to train the goalies of Jaroslav's reserve team.

Among those who were lost was also a Latvian national team captain Karlis Skrastins who played three seasons in Finland for TPS Turku in mid-90s before signing to North America where he became to be known as an iron man for missing very few games.

There's also a very touching blog entry by a chauffeur who picked up Skrastins family in Dallas, where they were apparently still residing cause he played there last season, headed to Europe after the shocking news. I don't know if it is real or fake, but in either way it is just heartbreaking. For anyone with a soul I reckon it'll be very hard to read especially the last chapter without getting emotional - it happened to me too.

Yesterday the opening game between Salavat Yulaev Ufa and Atlant Mytishchi was suspended after 13 minutes as the news broke and the league president Alexander Medvedev made the announcement to the shocked audience in the arena.

Despite of these awful events, life has to go on - it is the best kind of tribute for the victims of the accident. The KHL-games have been called off until next Monday. The league officials announced today plans each of the teams of the league would loan few players to the club in order to form a new team.The squad wouldn't be about league success but a symbol of the club living on despite this tragedy and a homage to the deceased players.

But right now, it is still time to mourn, in all corners of the hockey world. Dinamo Minsk, the team Lokomotiv was supposed to play tonight, arranged a very touching ceremony in the honor of the team:

Sometimes there just aren't the words.

Success Story

2011-08-28T04:52:00.000+03:00

I have to say I couldn't see this coming, but I have to say I'm very happy and excited about it albeit it hasn't been official confirmed yet. Come to thing of it, it makes perfect sense:"A nice little band from Shepherds Bush...The Oo'"

British rock legends The Who to headline Olympic closing gig - mirror.co.uk

Long Live Rock!

2011-08-23T16:12:00.004+03:00

"Not even Pete Townshend does Pete Townshends anymore", heheh.
For your further study hour reference:

The Who - Amazing journey / Sparks by IvorTheEngineDriver

Que nojinho!

2011-08-06T18:52:00.002+03:00

This Nissan commercial in Brazil is one of the most outrageous I've seen in awile.
Be sure that your car runs on horsepower rather than ponypower.

Pôneis Malditos!

Dig

2011-08-02T15:34:00.004+03:00

IFK's preseason ad campaign across the bus stops in the capital are (ignore the scratched FLOW-text that shouldn't be there):

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

It has raised some controversy among the fans. I agree that it is naive and soft for the team's image. However without a single word it relays the commitment many feel for IFK, so I think it was a good idea.

Ja, vi elsker

2011-07-27T00:34:00.004+03:00

My mind is still continuously processing the Oslo-attacks, so I have write about them, even though I guess everything that is said about it has been said many, many times. My form of self-therapy, like all of this blog really.

No question this has impacted me deeply, definitely in a different way than the Finnish tragedies of past ten years, the Myyrmanni mall bombing, and the school shooting incidents of Jokela and Kauhajoki.

They were huge tragedies, caused by senseless acts. The nature of Oslo attacks were different. Totally cold, calculative, against one political party, not an ethnic or religious group. It's really almost ironic that he seemed to be on jihad against Islam.

The execution of the attack, the huge bomb blast that effectively was just a decoy to cause chaos and focus police so that he could get to Utöya-island (according to some reports his main target there was former prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland that had just left).

Like the perpetrator Anders Behring Breivik has stated he understand how terrible these acts were, but he needed to do them. He sees himself as a warrior in a war against Islam and giving a signal to the people of the damage the governing Labour party had done to Norway (as a strange sidenote the defensive attorney he asked for, Geir Lippestad, is a member of the party).

How cold has a person have to be in order to think this way?

Every single detail, giving his reasons, his preparation (even up to point of reserving money in his "operation budget" for a high class escort girl a week before his "mission", so be completely focused, as well as taking steroids and drugs before it to keep alert) in his manifesto (that I won't link here, but I'm sure anyone who wants to get it, will easily find it). It's simply chilling.

The testimonies of his former classmates don't paint a picture of an outcast, target of bullies or someone who had troubles with girls. Yet someone with quite normal social circles but who also liked to be alone. That's hardly a rare quality in the nordic countries. In his manifesto, he talks about his closest friends, their nights out, almost being sorry he had to live a double life from them.

It seems very difficult to place him in any kind of the usual boxes. He isn't a neo-nazi, he supports Israel and its actions in his manifesto. He claims to have contacts with various extreme right wing-groups in Norway and in Europe, eventually commenting they were too softcore for him (or he was kicked out for his radical views).

He has made comments about meeting with other Europeans with similar views in London. This claim and his possible ties with English Defence League is being investigated. The League obviously has denied any official contacts with him.

In his first court hear, he indicated there are "two more terrorist cells" in Norway and more across Europe. Is there truth to this or is it his sick fantasy or attempt to manipulate people in fear, is being investigated as well.

What is most heartwarming in these soul shattering time is the people's response. Everyone in Norway have offered their support to each other, coming together (as a somekind of symbol even fierce rival biker gangs drove together to honour the victims) despite the background, making their sorrow and mending common to whole nation. These kinds of images like these from Oslo on Monday with estimates 200 000 people taking the street in the Rose March (third of the city's population). It gives me some hope in humanity that people fight utter violence with overwhelming love. It really feels like the sorrow and the shock knows no boundaries.

Here's some of my thoughts of the tragedy that has left me sad and confused, but still believing in better tomorrow. My most sincere and deepest sympathies to everyone whom it has affected!

Hold together – Hold Hands

2011-07-25T17:09:00.001+03:00

Campaign by Norwegian newspaper VG: Click here to strengthen the chain (link to English version to right side of the page)

I dag er vi alle norske

2011-07-25T03:05:00.006+03:00

The more the details come available, browsing the killers manifesto and hearing the stories of the survivors (like the blog of Prableen Kaur), my heart just feels heavier. This was not a desperate act that happened when anxiety grew too strong, like the recent school shootings.

Instead a massacre planned for years, down to tiniest details, under a chaos of the blast, targeting young people with particular political view to promote his agenda and views. That is simply chilling.

I dag er vi alle norske - Today, we’re all Norwegian - Tänään olemme kaikki norjalaisia.

Fade to Black

2011-07-23T19:53:00.001+03:00

Sucha waste of great talent but sadly not too surprising piece of news.

Daily Mail: Amy Winehouse, 27, found dead at her London flat

My Sweet Lord

2011-07-23T17:37:00.005+03:00

Sunny summer evening was cut down yesterday by unbelievable news from Norway. First the bomb attack in central Oslo, near prime minister's office. Followed by even more shocking news of a massacre on an island by a labour party's youth camp.

The initial thought in many people's mind was that it must've been an extremist Islamist again, especially as Norway is active engaging in peacekeeping operations in Afghanistan.

But on the contrary, it was reported that the man apparently responsible of both acts is a 32-year old native Norwegian, considered as fundmentalist Christian with strong anti-Islamic views.

What personally shocked me the most is how carefully planned and executed these senseless acts were, to cause maximum damage. First the car bomb, then only hour or so later arriving to the island as a fake police officer, gathering the youth to brief them about the situation in Oslo and then starting firing, hunting people in a ice cold manner, not in a frenzy, killing at 85 people according to current reports.

Here's a picture of the shooter on the island taken from a helicopter. It is disturbing, so I won't place it on my blog but only link.

The situation was on going for at least 30 minutes, some estimations say up to 90 minutes. A living hell for the about 600 camp participants on the island.

Another surprise for me was that the shooter was captured by police and is reported co-operating. Usually these situations end with the perpetrator turning the gun on himself.

One comment I heard on BBC News from Norway is that it was a relief, if this word can be used as such times, that the gunman was a Norwegian cause had it been an Islamic group, it would've been even more devastating to the open Norwegian society, sparking much more of hate, when now there's mainly just questions of why.

Me I'm very shaken by these tragic events and I can't imagine how the Norwegian people are feeling at the moment. My deepest condolences and sympathies for our nordic neighbors.

Links:

BBC: Norway mourns twin attack victims
CNN: Officials examine political motive for Oslo attacks

On sunny, sunny side of the street

2011-07-22T15:21:00.003+03:00

Sunny lakeside afternoon. Shove it with your iPods, smartphones, social networks, blogs, cultivations and stresses. This is my moment of Zen. Makes me wish again I was a cottage owner.

Coming Back To Life

2011-07-14T23:58:00.001+03:00

Coming Back To Life has been one of my favourite tracks ever since I bought David Gilmour's Remember That Night-live Blu-Ray.

Originally from Pink Floyd's last album in 1994, it's anything but Floyd's classic sound.
However for me there's something really beautiful and comforting with Gilmour's soulful deliverance of the lines and the steady power chords.

Apparently it is written about his current wife Polly Samson. For me it's a song of getting past of any problems and burden you may have. Even though you might feel miserable at the time, things are bound to get better sooner or later.

Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
Where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless
Because the things you say and the things you do surround me
While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun

Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted

Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but
Irresistible pastime
I took a heavenly ride through one silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life

I took a heavenly ride trough our silence
I knew the waiting had begin
And headed straight... into the shining sun

You've really made the grade

2011-07-12T18:31:00.004+03:00

Ok, I've gone and done it, something I said I never would: I've joined Twitter!

I know, shame on me. For so long I remain resilient. But the same thing happened with blogs. When they first emerged, I was dead against them, thinking it's just a ticket to ego trip for an average Joe. Now it'd be hard for me to imagine being without my blog, the platform for my writing, well, ego tripping.

So why Twitter? I still think it doesn't hold a candle to a proper blog for publishing your thoughts, but I noticed I was keeping up daily with Tweets from Brian Cady and Simon Townshend. So I thought it would be easier if I could subscribe to their accounts directly.

I don't know how much input I'll put there myself. Maybe share funny/weird videos and articles, the main thing I use Facebook for as well.

Now with opening my very own Twitter-account, I feel like my omnipresence over the Internet is becoming almost ridiculous: I'm on Blogspot obviously, Facebook, Orkut, Multiply, Formspring, Bublaa (cause there was an article mentioning it's a Finnish social networking service challenging Facebook, I got curious - and after registering wondering how exactly it plans to challenge) and for only few days ago on Google+. Oh well, this is Marko, going web 2.0 - to the max!

And all the study in the world, doesn't make it science

2011-07-04T17:03:00.000+03:00

Good news of the day, as it looks like my ring finger is notably longer than my index finger.

Finger length may have link to penis length: Study

Chasing Cars

2011-07-01T03:05:00.002+03:00

The Song of The Day:

(concept copied from a person much smarter and lovelier than me over at another virtual arena, wink)

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars by SnowPatrolofficiel

We'll do it all, everything, on our own.
We don't need anything, or anyone.

If I lay here, if I just lay here
Would you lie with me, and just forget the world.

I don't quite know how to say how I feel
Those three words, are said too much, they're not enough.

If I lay here, if I just lay here
Would you lie with me, and just forget the world.
Forget what we're told, before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life.

Let's waste time, chasing cars, around our heads.
I need your grace to remind me, to find my own.

If I lay here, if I just lay here
Would you lie with me, and just forget the world.
Forget what we're told, before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life.

All that I am, all that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see

I don't know where, confused about how as well
just know that these things will never change for us at all.

If I lay here, if I just lay here
Would you lie with me, and just forget the world.

Call me mr. Fahrenheit

2011-06-21T19:29:00.002+03:00

I had a small piece of Finnish heaven today - as I had a chance to go to sauna. There's nothing quite like the experience. If I had a sauna of my own, I'd most likely sit there every evening.

By a coincidence, BBC / Lonely Planet published an article on Finnish saunas and the etiquette relating to it on their website:

The Finnish sauna experience

To deepen your knowledge, I'll recommend trying to catch a documentary called "The Truth About Sauna - The Truth About Finns" that is absolutely fantastic view to the sauna culture and the significance of it up here in the north.

The you are ready to step into the sacred wooden chamber of the Finns.

Sun Is Out, The Feeling's right

2011-06-20T15:01:00.003+03:00

BBC's / Lonely Planet's take on Finnish midsummer fest, that is not entirely wrong:

Finland’s midsummer madness

Still my favourite time of year.

No Time For Losers

2011-06-19T01:23:00.002+03:00

13 years later:

Congratulations Timmy, you definitely deserve the cup!

For my perspective, this proved to be quite good hockey season for me: IFK won the Finnish championship, Team Finland won the world championship and the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup - not too shabby for a fan hattrick!

Eternal Flame

2011-06-06T03:08:00.000+03:00

Just have to give this story more visibility still since there has been barely any reports of the it in the global media. Complete absurdity leading into a tragedy is not "sexy" subject enough, I guess...

Rachel's Rantings in Rio de Janeiro: Governor of Rio Drinks Champagne and Firefighters ...: "You've got to love some of America's news coverage of happenings in Brazil. I think they google translate some articles, get a couple of n..."

I'm the firestarter

2011-06-05T03:41:00.012+03:00

Scenes of post-apocalyptic warzone after a collapse of society?

Think again. The firefighters of Rio De Janeiro being attacked by the police and the special troops, expelling them from their headquarters, after demanding raise for their ridiculous 400 euro monthly salary. Governor has apparently called them bandits.

Even though I don't usually wish for malicious things, I really hope instant karma works on him.

These kinds of this shouldn't be happening anywhere in 2011.

Since shamefully the interntional media hasn't yet picked up this story, you can read more over the Blogosphere about the appalling dealing with the firefighters' protests:

Rio de Janeiro Firemen and Families Attacked During Protest

EDIT: More videos from the scene by a local TV station R7

CNN iReport: Save Our Souls

What a Feeling

2011-06-04T00:45:00.006+03:00

A bedtime riddle: what happens when Finland (5,3 million inhabitants, 113.000 registered footballers) plays San Marino (31,716 inhabitants) over at Stadio Olimpico in Serravalle?

Despite being heavy favourites, Finland managed to pull off a 1-0-win (nevermind the hosts being denied a clear penalty in the second half by seemingly blind Latvian referee), yippee!

The most important performance of the game was the Finnish fans singing the *whole* Finnish national anthem even though the melody was brutally cropped.

Time to go

2011-06-01T16:28:00.003+03:00

So the final stretch of the hockey season, Stanley Cup Finals are starting tonight, the crown jewels. Vancouver Canucks will be lacing them up against the Boston Bruins.

Vancouver makes the first appearance in the finals since 1994 when they were beaten my Iron-Mike Keenan's New York Rangers. On the other hand Bruins haven't been to the finals since 1990 when they were beaten by then dynasty team of Edmonton Oilers.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
NHL, especially the Stanley Cup games has always been the holy grail of hockey for me in the respect of the intensity and the style of play. That's why it is quite ironic that now that by modern information technology more games than ever would be available for me but I have been watching only couple a year. I've also noticed that plenty of NHL-players-seem just weird for me, as my core knowledge is from the my 90s to early 2000s.

Well, these finals I'm gonna make a comeback in the sense of keeping in track of them, even though the games start at not quite the primetime of 3 AM for a Finnish hockey fan. I have a chance of making a somekind of fan hattrick with HIFK winning the Finnish championship, Suomi winning the world championship and my NHL-favourites Boston having a chance for the Stanley Cup, starting tonight. Go Bruins, after all they have Tim Thomas in the net who played in the IFK's championship tem of 1998!

Still alive

2011-05-23T02:10:00.003+03:00

Still alive, after a very difficult week. However the world eventually showed a smile to me. Thankfully.

Thus this blog will also return to normal, since I have now also other feelings than sorrow and hurt to pour out and I don't need it just for the therapeutic purposes. As a selfish author, the usual characteristic for a blogistic, I don't even offer an explanation what exactly was going on, sorry.

But life's good once again, ebaaa!

Need You Now

2011-05-20T18:32:00.001+03:00

When there aren't no right words, there's at least the music. The pain remains but at least there's something to interpret and relay it with.

I'm Your Captain - Shea Stadium 1971

2011-05-20T03:46:00.000+03:00

Eu estarei pensando em você, meu anjo, daqui até a eternidade.

Fear of the dark

2011-05-19T03:05:00.004+03:00

Night time. Once my favourite, now the worse one. I'll just feel the dark embrace of it that has nothing to offer for me.

During the day I can keep myself busy, talk to people and smile - just to hide what I feel inside. I don't want to bring them down, I don't want to pats on the back, hearing "It wasn't meant to be, it'll be ok, that's life".

I'm not a fatalist in that sense, I don't believe that things are meant or not meant to be when it comes to people. There's just human will and the amount of it.

Things will be ok? Sure, they'll be ok, but how come I should settle for just ok again as I had the taste of how I always wanted my life to be and things were finally falling in right places for me. Got remarks for being happier for people around me. Now I have to bluff just to seem normal.

That's life? I don't want this kind of rotten life, I'm useless in it.

It's impossible to believe in good things for me, but one thing I've always believed in came to my mind: there is only limited amount of happiness in the world. On Monday someone somewhere in the universe claimed my share. I'm back to the shell that was around me for almost the 29 years of my life. I was sometimes happy in it, but never fulfilled. Now I'm neither.

If the tormenting feeling inside me was anger, I could let it out, I could process it.
If it was regret, I could process it. But there's nothing I would've done differently.

It just the feeling of emptiness, the hollowness. Like we were taught in math classes, you can't divide a zero. Thus I can't process the feelings.

Paul Weller sung No Tears To Cry. Well Modfather, I have plenty. With any impulse that my brain connects to some sweet memory I'm in million of tiny pieces.

Crash.

The Last Few Bricks

2011-05-18T19:13:00.001+03:00

You are born alone and you will die alone - everything in between is just temporary

2011-05-17T19:03:00.001+03:00

It takes a fool to remain sane.

2011-05-17T04:21:00.000+03:00

There's the familar gut punch of Pain and Loneliness. Hello, old friend.

The winner takes it all

2011-05-16T18:26:00.003+03:00

A Swedish sportspaper Sportbladet...

... before

... after:

1-6

2011-05-16T01:42:00.003+03:00

No words needed, just numbers 16 years and 1-6 victory says it all.

Even though this is absolutely secondary for me compared to IFK's champsionship, I can't say it doesn't feel damn good deep inside. Especially as we won Sweden in the final... not only won but destroyed.

Life's good.

Vi ska ta guld igen

2011-05-15T18:56:00.004+03:00

Running Scared

2011-05-15T02:22:00.002+03:00

Just after watching the ESC grand final I noticed Belgium didn't made it there, even though somehow I had imagined so, ufff. So my six points of this year are disqualified.

Azerbaijan won for reasons beyond my understanding with a quite mediocre song. Not a bad one, but very few people will remember it as years go by.
None of my favourites did too well, the best rank for a song I enjoyed was Germany - Lena's Taken By a Stranger really grew on me with time - with the tenth place.
Finland was despite the expectations way down on the 21st place.

But at least the heavy favourite Eric Saade of Sweden didn't win. Fingers crossed there won't be glory for the Swedes tomorrow either at the World Championship rink in Slovakia...

Čaroban

2011-05-14T19:39:00.005+03:00

Before I start to hand out the points of the jury inside my brain, I'd like to give high fives to good people over in Bulgaria. Somehow the commentary I made about their Eurovision entry in my review of the semifinal 2 got quoted on a local Eurovision board by which I feel extremely humbled.

I just have to repeat my opinion that leaving Poli Genova's Na Inat without a place in the grand final was the greatest injustice of this year's competition. It would've been within my top 3 of the final rankings.

Speaking of which, here we go, complete with YouTube-links for the songs.

PS: Feel free to agree or disagree and comment.
--

1 point

* Lithuania

Evelina Sašenko - C'est Ma Vie

2 points

* Estonia

Getter Jaani - Rockefeller Street

3 points

* Switzerland

Anna Rossinelli - In Love for a While

4 points

* Germany

Lena Meyer-Landrut - Taken By a Stranger

5 points

* Moldova

Zdob si Zdub - So Lucky

6 points

* Belgium

Witloof Bay - With Love Baby

7 points

* Iceland

Sjonni's Friends - Coming Home

8 points

* Spain

Lucia Perez - Que Me Quiten Lo Bailao

10 points

* Finland

Paradise Oscar - Da Da Dam

12 points

* Serbia

Nina - Čaroban

It's the good old hockey game

2011-05-14T03:02:00.005+03:00

I'm doing a Columbo with "Uhm, one more thing", complete with a dramatic turn and all.

Against all odds Finland beat Russia 3-0 tonight in the semifinal at the Ice Hockey World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia. It means that this country will go bananas on Sunday starting at 21:30 at the dream final against the Swedes starts.

In the victory over the Russians IFK's 19-year old wonderkid Mikael Granlund with a trick shot, leaving the defense of the reds along with the goalie Konstantin Barulin totally dumbfounded.

Along with the animation above, here's the goal as a YouTube-clip along with the commentary and reactions by Antero Mertaranta.

So Lucky

2011-05-14T00:50:00.002+03:00

Now it's high time for this blog to take on the second Eurovision Song Contest seminal in the year 2011. In many commetns I heard the second semifinal better than the first one, but personally I don't know. At least for me it was easier to sort out the favourites from the first one, and my top ones are there too. And this batch provided definitely few of the worst acts for this year.

The Good

* Belgium

Witloof Bay - With Love Baby

The title didn't promise much, but the performance. No gimmicks, no fancy lightshow, no back-up tape! All the sounds heard were produced by people on the stage. Finally something different and amazing!

* Moldova

Zdob si Zdub - So Lucky

The song represents the thin line of Eurovision, it could easily fall in the bad and the ugly ones as well. But it's their attitude and the Balkan brass that gets to me.
Mind you, this group also represented Moldova in 2005, had a grandma in a rocking chair banging a drum on the stage and finished on the sixth position - with a better song though. In the words of Terry Wogan:"This is Eurovision!".

* Bulgaria

Poli Genova - Na Inat

Surprisingly fresh, energetic and powerful sounding rocker coming for Bulgaria with a good drive. Not surprisingly didn't earn a spot in the sun - shame on you, Europe.

The Bad

* Macedonia

Vlatko Ilievski - Rusinka

If the previous one was a pleasant surprise for a Eurovision rocker, this one is the cliche one. The hoarse voice, odd stage show, the traditional bridge in the song - ufff!

* Romania

Hotel FM - Change

The Romanian entry front by an Englishman is simply too plastic and calculated for Eurovision. so sweet it makes my teeth ache.

* Slovenia

Maja Keuc - No One

Get a load of annoying mannerisms and pronunciation. Watching the performance it becomes pretty clear of what assets she was relying on.

The Ugly

* Cyprus

Christos Mylordos - San Aggelos S'Agapisa

The song isn't the bad, just bit lost, but the stage show: awful!

* Ireland

Jedward - Lipstick

Apparently heavy favourties and all I can ask is why? Generic song, terrible song and their stage performance screams ADHD.

* Belarus

Anastasiya Vinnikova - I Love Belarus

Really the (sour) cream of the crop, a song you might expect to be written by Alexander Lukashenko himself. Pretty much the only true dictator in extended Europe could've come up with the concept of overly patriotic pop sung by a hottie, with plenty of fire and effects with weird costumes for the act. Definitely the worst entry for 2011, congratulations!

Unsorted miscellaneous notes:

Among some other entries worth mentioning were:

* Ukraine with a dull song, but the work of really talented (a YouTube-fad previously) sandartist being projected on the screen was fascinating.

* Denmark with their Backsteet Boys meet Coldplay-combo.

* Estonia with a boring but still catch dance entry.

* Israel with the not so glorious return of the 1998 winner, transsexual Dana International.

So the entries for the grand final are chosen, and from these songs in the semifinals, if I deem myself partial for Finland, is Serbia's Nina with Čaroban.
Should not a win come to Suomi, I'll gladly hand it over the the Balkans this time.

I'll be back tomorrow with my personal rank of the songs before the final, if I managed to squeeze time for the rank.

Relax, I need some information first

2011-05-13T23:50:00.000+03:00

David Gilmour kept his word and guest starred on Comfortably Numb at one of the Roger Water's gig at London's O2 Arena. Having witnessed The Wall-show's overwhelming specularity, I can only imagine how the atmosphere has been at this very special gig. Thankfully the DVD/Blu-ray is apparently in the works.

Boom Boom

2011-05-11T00:38:00.010+03:00

The May is underway, the sun is out and even though the Ice Hockey World Championships are underway, this entry won't be about them.

No, this is about my perversion called the Eurovision Song Contest. I've already tried to justify that in the entries of the previous years, so I'll just go to the almost legendary annual segment of this blog - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly of the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, Semifinal 1:

The Good

* Serbia

Nina - Čaroban

What there is not to like this? Very happy, easy going song song that makes you hum along and think of sunny days. The stage presence is nicely done in retro style from the 60s. Really like a breath of fresh air!

* Finland

Paradise Oscar - Da Da Dam

Maybe not that memorable song, but a simple tune with a sympathetic performance with the video screen used brilliantly to create the blue, calm mood really stood out in the middle of disco acts with hotties. Deservedly returned Suomi to the final!

* San Marino

Senit - Stand By

A rock ballad which guitar and bass work I really dig. She has a very nice voice as well. Should've gone to the final in my papers.

The Bad

* Norway

Stella Mwangi - Haba Haba

Come on, you should have enough self-criticism not to rip-off a hit this directly. Waka Waka along with Born This Way, anyone?
It was considered as one of the heavy favourites in the whole contest, but didn't make it to the final. Thank you, instant karma.

* Georgia

Eldrine - One More Day

Heavy rock combined with rap didn't work particularly well in its glory days of early 90s and it works even less 20 years later.
The vocalist has a good voice but everything else in this song is so so bad - the clothes, the overly done stereotypical heavy metal poses and the weird yells by the guitarist, ufff....

* Croatia

Daria - Celebrate

It would be very difficult to include more of the cliches of modern Eurovision entry than we have here: the title, the generic europop, the (giant) blonde, the dance move, especially the DJ's in the tophat and then the gimmicks - in this case the change of her outfit twice. Not impressed, especially as I saw the trick done much better in last year Carnival of Rio De Janeiro.

The Ugly

* Armenia

Emmy - Boom Boom

Oriental flavored popsong about love - and the theme of the stage show is boxing! Nevermind the poor girl's voice...

* Malta

Glen Vella - One Life

The gay magnet of this batch. Not even in outrageously funny way.

* Portugal

Homens da Luta - Luta e Alegria

A classic example of a humorous act that is no doubt popular back in Portugal, but when brought on to an European-wide audience causes just WTF?!?-effect (much like Uuno-films in a foreigner, heheh). Apparently it is somekind of political commentary concerning the country's financial crisis. They didn't gain any sympathy from me by the entry.

Unsorted miscellaneous notes:

Few songs that are not mentioned here but that I really liked were Iceland's skiffle-song but it lacks of something that I can't put my finger on.
Same thing with the Swiss song: I really like the melody but the vocalist ruins it for me, sorry to say. Mind you, both songs made it to the final.

From this first semifinal Serbia's Čaroban is my clear favourite heading into the final. It'd take something special to surpass it.

I have to close up by saying that I also expect to see something outrageously totally bad on Thurday's semifinal. There were few ones with the potential here but not quite hitting the bullseye of recent years, like Krassimir Avramov.

Reader Meet Author

2011-05-08T01:29:00.004+03:00

Ah, Saturday-evening. Few beers in my belly. The hour when even a Finnish man can say he is feeling a bit creative. My blog, my space, tabula rasa, no interaction, no smiles, no likes, no vaguebooking nor attention to be seeked - just me, my mind, my words, for better, for worse.

Writing is a very peculiar thing that has always been with me. As a little child I used to do my own newspapers with crayons, then I wrote short stories with a very old typewriter. At early grades in school I remember getting good marks from our writing classes - but also being told off that I should write about other subjects sometimes than sports, heheh.

In the grades from 7th to 9th. I didn't get along particularly well with our Finnish teacher (few did!) and thus the grades on my report card were pretty mediocre grades. Part of the reason is that I was an angry teenager.

Same trend continued in high school. I didn't fall out with the teachers but my grades stayed mediocre. Later on I feel that's a shame, I could've really developed my writing skills back then. Nevertheless those days were simply golden otherwise, so get some, lose some.

The popularization of the almighty Internet revolutionized my writing as well. With my IFK-homepage I used to write extensive game reports, reviews, news and such.

I can't comment about their quality. I've always felt really uncomfortable reading back what I've written myself. The point for me has been the writing itself.

That's how this blog got started. As my energy to ran the IFK-homepage winded down over the years, I started to feel like I needed another output to write to. Some people use message boards, but for me it needed to be something more private.

I used to despise the blogs cause they most often offer little information aside from author's egotripping. My view of that hasn't changed, I just hopped onto the egotripping tour bus back in 2006. I accepted that I don't have to have anything relevant to say. Am I talented? Am I rubbish? Sod that, this is my space (Not MySpace, God forbid!)

To be honest I don't give a jack if no one or 1000 people read these likes (the less the better really). The point is that I can write about what I wish and the feeling I get from it. I'm not trying to impress anyone, to cause sensations, to get reactions, no no no. I'm such an egoistical bastard that it's all about the feeling I get inside when an entry is finished.

A sense or slight relaxation, a sense of accomplishing something, a sense of my mind feeling lighter.

A feeling that I won't ever get from making a status update on Facebook.

Day 17 - 22

2011-05-06T03:13:00.002+03:00

Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio

Finnish Eurovision entry has been getting some airplay lately, for aboviously reasons. And why not, it's a very nice ditty. Alas that is also its major shortcoming, it misses the edge and isn't too memorable.

Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio

Actually I heard this song for the first time on the radio, but it should get much more exposure. Sadly it's not gonna happen cause it requires you to be introspective that's too much to demand these days.

Day 19 – A song from your favorite album

The favourite album is Quadrophenia which has no weak tracks to my ears, but the finger of fate chooses Sea & Sand this time:
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry

When I'm angry, the music has to be angry as well. Sex Pistols' Pretty Vacant or The Clash's White Riot or English Civil War will do nicely, for example.

Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy

Many songs, this time the spotlight goes to:

Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad

When I'm sad, I try to make myself feel even sadder, so it kinda goes around the meter. The Smiths are a good choice or Morrissey solo. Cause of the Pink Floyd-phase I'm going through I'm going to bring up The Final Cut:

And if I show you my dark side
Will you still hold me tonight?
And if I open my heart to you
And show you my weak side
What would you do?

Amazing.

Day 14, Day 15, Day 16

2011-04-30T02:54:00.006+03:00

Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love

Well, this was pretty much covered also in Day 13, so instead I go with this:

Day 15 – A song that describes you

Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate

This is a tricky one. There would've been plenty of songs http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifthe other way around, which have taken some time to grow on me.

I can't think of a song that would've gone to love to hate for me, however this one is the first that came to my mind when thinking of songs that don't have the impact on me anymore they once did.

Beautiful melody, great solo, nonsense lyrics, going overboard with trying to reach a status of a masterpiece. Still, the biggest problem is Stairway is simply being grossly overplayed and lifted to a status of almost The Holy Grail of classic rock. That's why so many people simply decide this is the most beautiful song ever recorded and http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifstop their seeking here.

Honorable mention in this section goes also to: Europe - The Final Countdown
--

Tomorrow, should I have time with the Ice Hockey World Championships on and all, I'm trying to write down few thoughts of my Roger Waters-experience. Still over 24 hours later I'm still absorbing, trying to to comprehend everything I saw and heard. It was simply overwhelming!

All I can say now is that if you have a chance to catch him live on this The Wall-tour, do yourself a favour, despite the hefty ticket prices you won't regret it! (if not live, then at least with the inevitable DVD/Blu-Ray-release)

In the flesh

2011-04-28T01:38:00.002+03:00

Giving a listen through to Pink Floyd's The Wall at the same time as I'm reading the stoking reviews of Roger Waters first show in Helsinki. It really promises to be worth the robustly priced ticket of 73 euro.

It's promises to be an evening of musical and visual experiences, borderline theatrical, in the style of Pink Floyd's shows. Such presentation suits a concept album like The Wall perfectly, with a story that strong and personal. Close your eyes while listening to it and you start visualizing the scenes. Well, I do at least.

Also on a personal note I find The Wall fascinating in the sense that there really aren't standout tracks except Comfortably Numb, but still the record as a whole is nothing short of massive.

So another night to look forward to!

Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure

2011-04-26T01:57:00.002+03:00

I apologize but for some weird reason I like this song. I know I shouldn't. It must be catchy rhythm.

Long train running

2011-04-25T01:07:00.002+03:00

IFK's championship and parting to go with that made me fall behind with the The 30 Day Song Challenge, but now it's high time to catch up:

Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event

Bet you thought I'd use a song connected to IFK's championship. Naah, it'd be too easy. Instead this song makes me always think the closing ceremonies of Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Neil Young performed the song as the Olympic flame went out. Really beautiful and touching moment.

Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to

Oh, plenty of songs but I'll go with this one:

Day 09 – A song that you can dance to

Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep

I wonder if this is meant as a good thing or a bad thing. I'll go with a good, soothing song. There's a classic for this situation:

Day 11 – A song from your favorite band

Day 12 – A song from a band you hate

Pienissä häissä

2011-04-20T20:55:00.004+03:00

It is still difficult to understand that HIFK is the Finnish Champion. It really hit me yesterday at the championship party in the parking lot of ice arena, along with 10 000 fellow IFK-fans. The atmosphere was amazing. You can get a taste of it through this gallery.

Even though I've made clear my distaste for rap/hiphop-music, power forward #72 Siim Liivik put on a show that even made me love this particular song. The video features along Siim IFK-players Eetu Pöysti, Max Wärn and team captain Ville Peltonen signing a not too shabby-deal, heheh.

Aah, my head's still a mess - but in a good way. I'm speechless, just trying to enjoy these moments to the max.

It's coming home

2011-04-19T16:10:00.004+03:00

We did it. 13 years of hurt over. No need to listen to jokes and sneers any more. IFK did it we did it!

Kiitos IFK.

Day 05 & Day 06

2011-04-18T03:30:00.002+03:00

Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone

This one is a piece of cake, aiai.

Day 06 – A song that reminds you of somewhere

Not really a particular place, but this song reminds me of the long drives in summertime to countryside of central-Finland. Lovely childhood memories really, so this song deserves a second mentioning on my blog.

Day 04 – A song that makes you sad

2011-04-16T13:57:00.002+03:00

I can't think of a song that make me downright sad, cause come on.. who likes to be sad? But songs that get me emotional each time I hear them there are. Maybe the following choice is a cliche in this department, but this is a proof of the immense power of music. This is what I call heavy. Not Metallica, Manowar or Iron Maiden and such could ever get this heavy. All it takes is an acoustic guitar, a piano and the voice.

Johnny Cash - Hurt (Video) by gatorcountryboy1
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Honorable mentions:

* Pete Townshend - Sea Refuses No River

A personal account of overcoming a very difficult period in his life, marriage hardships, heroin addiction, The Who's going into hiatus/break-up. So packed emotionally that he's felt really uncomfortable performing it live since.

* Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Redemption Song

As is the case with Hurt, Joe Strummer here takes the song to new dimensions compared to the original one. Brilliant touch on the video is the introduction speech that has been mixed in from the radio show he hosted.

Day 03 – A song that makes you happy

2011-04-15T20:40:00.004+03:00

James Hunter - People Gonna Talk

The key for a song to make me happy is the melody. It has to be catchy, even childish. Few other that first came to my mind were Happy Jack and Going Mobile by The Who but I gave the spotlight to mr. Hunter in order to be versatile.

And loads and loads of other songs, naturally. Oh, the life of a music junkie.

Day 02 – Your least favorite song

2011-04-14T14:51:00.003+03:00

This is as hard choice as the favourite one. Human brain tries to focus only on good things, forgetting the bad ones.

In fact, I had already decided on my mind yesterday that it has to be something by Björk. But then The Baseballs came to my mind. What first seemed like a cute idea, making rockabilly versions of contemporary hits quickly lost its charm and became just outrageously annoying. Of course this German band in world famous - in Finland. So as a sign of gratitude they recorded a cover version of a Finnish bubble gum pop song.

A bad one just got worse.

Time to go

2011-04-13T16:49:00.001+03:00

Enough of this and that, it's hockey time!

The last DJ

2011-04-13T12:33:00.002+03:00

Yeah yeah, I know very well the SM-liiga-finals will begin tonight but in order to keep my head together I try not to think about it too much yet and keep myself busy with other things.

For once I noticed something really interesting over at the Facebook: The 30 Day Song Challenge. The basic idea is to post a song by designated theme for each day over a month. If you have a blog or whatnot, join in the fun! (especialmente você, gatinha)

The 30 Day Song Challenge - My songs

Day 01 – Your favorite song

Day 02 – Your least favorite song

Day 03 – A song that makes you happy

Day 04 – A song that makes you sad

Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone

Day 06 – A song that reminds you of somewhere

Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event

Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to

Day 09 – A song that you can dance to

Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep

Day 11 – A song from your favorite band

Day 12 – A song from a band you hate

Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure

Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love

Day 15 – A song that describes you

Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate

Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio

Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio

Day 19 – A song from your favorite album

Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry

Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy

Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad

Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding

Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral

Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh

Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument

Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play

Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty

Day 29 – A song from your childhood

Day 30 – Your favorite song at this time last year

So here we go: Day 01 – my favorite song... Always a difficult one. Ask me tomorrow at it will be a different tune. However I'm trying to think through a bigger picture and yeah, it has to be this one, especially this particular performance as well:

Nothing is over

2011-04-03T03:09:00.003+03:00

One of the best things IFK has introduced to the games during these playoffs is a minute's motivational clip during the so called powerbreak in the third period.

I have to take my virtual hat off and bow deeply for the folks how are responsible for the video. The collage of IFK-clips, bits of movies and inspirational slogans gets to me each time. Sending shivers down my spine, making me bit emotional and absolutely proud of the team.

It also fires up the crowd, with players sensing that. Like in tonight's game, Lennart Petrell scored IFK's fifth goal right in the next shift after the video.

Shame the video probably won't ever get a "proper" release due to to copyright issues, even though Al Pacino would seem like an ideal IFK-fan, heheh.

"We're not gonna let them fuck with us in our house" - Al Pacino, Any Given Sunday (1999)

Love. History. Fight. Tradition. Belief.

Hey Hey, My My

2011-03-30T03:03:00.003+03:00

HIFK. Jokerit. Quarterfinals. Game Seven. Classic. Unforgettable.

Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!

2011-03-29T03:50:00.003+03:00

Thank you IFK, fans and world! We put Jokerit out in style with scoreline of 5-1. It was much harder battel than the numbers show, so hats off to Jokerit for that.

Personally I can say I haven't felt anything like the past week and a half with HIFK, if not ever at least during this millennium so far. And the best is yet to come!

On to Wednesday and the semifinals-series, for the first time in five long years!

I Wanna Be Sedated

2011-03-28T16:15:00.006+03:00

A little more than two agonizing hours to go to the game and I'm flipping. To quote the poetry of The Ramones:"I wanna be sedated".

At least I can take some solace to the fact that according to a picture on IFK's Facebook-stream an appeal has been left to the highest possible authority all the way in Cidade Maravilhosa for a good night to our team, heheh.

And at least I managed to accomplish something sensible today: after a couple of hours of sleep I managed to buy a ticket online to Flogging Molly-gig in August.
I've been looking forward for years to see this band mixing the Irish folk music with punk live, but the venues they've played before in Finland before haven't been compatible with me.

Oh goodie, I've managed to kill of some 15 minutes with this entry.

My apologies to everyone close to me, I'll be normal again one of these days.

Let's Play Hockey!

A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours

2011-03-27T23:22:00.003+03:00

How can a playoff-series create such a rollercoaster of emotions in a human being? From darkest of despairs to over confidence and back again. Or when you feel the range of those emotions within a one game. Overjoy, then gates of hell, ending in raptures.

As I watched Jukka Hentunen closing in IFK's net on breakaway (at 2:33 in the video), second felt like an hour, with no doubt in my mind that puck was soon going to be in the bag and curtains would close for IFK.

And only few minutes later I nearly fell in love with another man (only briefly thankfully, it has faded already, heheheh!) as J-P Haataja scored in overtime, sending the series to clinching game 7 on Monday.

IFK's arena was sold out in three minutes on Sunday so I'm not the only one counting down hours and minutes for the puck to be dropped.

How will I survive till then? Do I go cuckoo's? Crawl up the walls?

Funnily enough watching the game isn't nearly as tormenting as waiting for it.

I feel utmost pity for anyone saying "Oh, it's just a game/sports", looking down on the excitement. Everyone needs some way that makes you feel alive. Once again I'm give further proof that this is the one for me.

Roll on Monday!

Die Another Day

2011-03-26T15:34:00.002+02:00

So this is the judgement day. No, there isn't a T-1000 after me. It's just that a loss today will put IFK into early summer holidays - once again.

This quarterfinal-series have been absolutely nerve-wrecking from a IFK-fan's perspective: starting off with favourites but with a scare in the back of your head cause in local rivalry games anything can happen. Losses in first two games, only thought that came to mind at that point "Oh screw it, we'll make a very early exit once again". Then two very important victories, first in game three with only 20-something seconds remaining as team captain Ville Peltonen netted the game winner.
In game four also, some 20 seconds remaining on the clock as IFK equalized and scored the winning goal in sudden death-overtime.

At this point I was absolutely sure that we will go through as we have the momentum and Jokerit have suffered two very bitter defeats. Then what happens? On a Friday-night, in from of packed arena, IFK loses a home game 1-3.

So now possibly the last game of IFK's season of 2010-11 starts in couple of hours. In my mind hell is much closer noe than heaven, referring to my earlier entry. But we're not dead just yet.

Kom igen IFK.

Why Not Nothing

2011-03-23T23:42:00.001+02:00

Everybody, summertime love

2011-03-21T03:31:00.004+02:00

Who ever said europop was no good plastic trash?

Let's take a song that originally held no content whatsoever, lyrics complete nonsense, becoming a hit cause of Sabrina's admittedly very nice breasts (I'm sure the boys of my generation remember the video as very inspirational, heheh).

However a totally different approach and arrangement gives it a whole new depth and meaning. The lyrics are same to the word, but totally different, if you get what I mean.

SANSA - Boys (Summertime Love) by Texicalli Records

The transformation of the song is in one word simply amazing. Kudos to Sansa!

Let It Snow

2011-03-19T17:33:00.002+02:00

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh." - Voltaire

The thought crossed my mind once again as some 24 hours after the ode of spring on my blog, it has been snowing all day long.

The Who - Summertime Blues / Shaking All Over 1977 by IvorTheEngineDriver

After the winter sleep

2011-03-18T14:16:00.002+02:00

Even though there is plenty of awfulness going on in the world at the moment, thus BBC World News has been my most watched channel for the past week, I can't help but to smile. So many good things have happened on a personal level, the past week with two of IFK's away games courtesy of a good friend, topping off with a day cruise. Mundane things to some but big deal for me.

Today the much anticipated SM-liiga playoffs start for IFK and with what a way: the quarterfinal series against the cross-town rivals Jokerit. Four wins and one team advances to the semifinals while other one starts to make holiday plans, 60 games of the regular season doesn't mean a thing anymore - so it is a thin line between heaven and hell, once again.

Even though I'm getting very excited and nervous about the game, the main thing of today for me has been the sun. Can't believe it's out again, shining from up high, rays caressing, warming and re-energizing you after the cold, dark, long months. Finally you can see some tarmac or ground with the snow and ice melting slowly away.

George Harrison - Here Comes The Sun (Live) by goldrausch

Breaking the law

2011-02-25T18:03:00.003+02:00

The turmoil in Libya made me think of a discussion from The Peep Show, between the flatmates Mark Corrigan ja Jeremy Usborne, both total social screw ups in their own ways.

Jeremy Usborne: Look, Mark, I'm a musician, in case you've forgotten. I answer to a higher law, the law of "If it feels good, do it."
Mark Corrigan: Oh, that's a great law, isn't it? What's that, Gaddafi's law?
Jeremy Usborne: It's the musician's law. Colonel Gaddafi could not lay down a bass hook, Mark. That should be clear even to you.

Starting at 8:48 in this clip, unfortunately the embedding feature is disabled.

Priceless scene from an outstanding show.

Why should I care?

2011-02-15T16:33:00.002+02:00

Look right, act right, speak right, listen to right music, read the right papers, watch the right tv shows, remember to comb your hair the right way, have the right opinions, remember to attract attention, remember to voice your opinions online, remember to outsmart all the others, remember to create outrageous online personality, remember to insult other people masking it as humor, remember not to care about anything or anyone, remember to chew up and spit out, remember not to be sorry, remember to praise the urban lifestyle and look down on any other, look down on people who disagree with you, lie if you can and only feel bad if you get caught.

The question is "What's in it for me?", I hope it'd still be "How can I help?".

Sometimes I'm just so sickened by this era.

Paper Sun

2011-02-15T00:42:00.005+02:00

As the value of Nokia's stocks are sinking like a rock, The Telegraph's columnist is on the spot with the article named "Nokia's sauna culture is feeling the heat" saying that us Finns should forget about the challenges of the mobile industry and just stick to going to sauna. And we cant even do that too great, as we managed to cause the death of a Russian fellow in Sauna World Championships last summer.

Woe are us.

Remember that night

2011-02-06T02:33:00.005+02:00








 Jokerit - HIFK        3 - 4 (1-2,1-1,1-1)
                                        
 00.23 0-1 Mikael Granlund (Ville Peltonen, Juha-Pekka Haataja)
 00.43 0-2 Kimmo Kuhta (Jeff Hamilton, Petteri Wirtanen)    
 19.51 1-2 Teemu Pulkkinen (Janne Kerälä, Tommi Kivistö)   
 23.13 1-3 Ville Peltonen (Juha-Pekka Haataja)           
 33.36 2-3 Jukka Hentunen (Teemu Eronen, Jan Lasak) PP   
 41.23 3-3 Teemu Pulkkinen (Janne Lahti, Justin Forrest) PP
 42.50 3-4 Mikael Granlund (Ville Peltonen, Juha-Pekka Haataja)

 Goalkeepers/Saves     Attendance: 36644        
 Jan Lasak             11+9+10=30           
                      (pulled 59:00-60:00)   
 Juuso Riksman         11+6+6=23

Drop the puck, it's time to go

2011-02-05T14:35:00.004+02:00

Only hours to go for the Finnish Winter Classic and I must admit I'm getting very stoked. Helsinki-rivals Jokerit and HIFK lace them up in front of packed stadium of 37 000 spectators. First time ice hockey is played at the Olympic Stadium since February of 1941 and first time top division hockey is played outdoors in Helsinki since 1966.

I watched the NHL's Winter Classics on TV and based on that I don't expect the game to be great quality hockey, but the atmosphere must be totally something else. Especially as the teams will be wearing special sponsor-free retro jerseys.

The weather seems pretty ideal, around 0 C with a chance of only light snowing. So everything seems set for an evening to remember. In words of coaching legend Bob Johnson:

"It's a great day for hockey!"

Follow You, Follow Me

2011-01-30T22:04:00.001+02:00

Tune of the moment:

Stay with me
My love, I hope you'll always be
Right here by my side, if ever I needed you
Oh, my love

In your arms
I feel so safe and so secure
Everyday is such a perfect day to spend
Alone with you

I will follow you, will you follow me
All the days and nights that we know will be
I will stay with you, will you stay with me
Just one single tear in each passing year

With the dark
Oh, I see so very clearly now
All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now
Fading away

I can say
The night is long, but you are here
Close at hand, oh, I'm better for the smile you give
And while I live

I will follow you, will you follow me
All the days and nights that we know will be
I will stay with you, will you stay with me
Just one single tear in each passing year there will be

Eyes Without A Face

2011-01-29T14:20:00.003+02:00

Yesterday HIFK lost 0-5 to the cross-town rivals in an aways game. Today it's time for the second of the back-to-back-games at IFK's arena. Couch makes virtually no changes, only bringing two players back to line-up who had been out with injuries. That's all even though last night was the most uninspired performance of IFK all season!

Certain sign spring is coming closer, going to IFK's games is starting to piss me off more and more.

Well, I ought to leave, but the rain it never stops

2011-01-05T22:52:00.003+02:00

Not the best of starts for the musical year as it was reported today that ex-Japan bassist Mick Karn who had been severely ill with cancer had passed away today at the age of 52.

I can't say that I was a major fan of Japan, but Mandy introduced me to their music last year. The sound that he had with David Sylvian in Japan was instantly recognizable and signature-like that's always very respectable. Songs like Ghosts and I Second That Emotion (not Japan-original though) are simply masterpeces.

I'll finish with my first touch of Mick Karn. He was a member with Pete Townshend of the house band of Prince's Trust Rock Gala in 1982. When I first saw these clips, I mainly just took notice of his outrageous appearance. With more plays, I started to pay attention to his unique bass sound and style of playing.

Pete Townshend - Slit Skirts 1982
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - Explore more music videos.

Pete Townshend - Let My Love Open The Door 1982
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

I've got a feeling twenty one...

2010-12-31T19:40:00.002+02:00

... Is gonna be a good year.
Especially if you and me
See it in together.

Have a good one in 2011!

The Who - 1921 (1989)
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - See the latest featured music videos.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T19:32:00.001+02:00

Have a very merry Christmastime everyone who wander to my Blunders & Shortcomings!

The Who - Christmas 1989
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - See the latest featured music videos.

Christmas Don't Be Late

2010-12-16T23:57:00.009+02:00

This Christmas Everyone Will Believe In Santa Claus

On Tuesday I went to the cinema to catch a new Finnish Christmas flick called Rare Exports. As the title and poster suggests, it is a different kind of Christmas tale. Not focusing on the expectation of the jolly, chubby, red Coca Cola Santa, but on the fear of evil Santa's, described in Finnish folklores and traditions to roam from door to door demanding gifts and meals while scaring and punishing the children, unwelcomed return.

The film is the debut feature film of the director Jalmari Helander, loosely based on short films Rare Exports, Inc and Rare Exports: The Official Safety Instructions he had done in 2003 and 2005.

Center character and the young hero Pietari is an ordinary boy, living with his single-parent father in Northern Finland. He gets mocked by his older friend about his believe in Santa. Because of this, he starts to read old books about the subject in order to find out the truth. The truth about Santa is totally different what he had believed in before. The anxious waiting for Christmas Eve turns to dreading it.

Secretive mining operations by a multinational company on the nearby mountain and herd of dead reindeer raises only more questions and also tempers among the reindeer farmers. That's how the story starts to unravel.

Despite the very dark backdrop and suspense, Rare Exports is also made up from childlike fantasy and humour, played especially on the stereotype of introverted Finns who can't speak English.

There no need to feel worried that the movie would ruin your Christmas spirit. As the climax progresses, I'm quite sure it will melt your heart. As a proof of this I over heard a teenager while exiting the theater as the film ended saying something along the lines "It sucked cause I hate children!".

I enjoyed it greatly, but then again I don't hate children. My major criticism is that the set up and the backbone story is so tasty and juicy that the climax could've been drawn out a bit longer, now it passes almost too quickly and too easily so to speak. 15 minutes more length to the movie would've made it even better.

Already while watching the film I noticed few references to The Raiders of The Lost Ark, but I wasn't sure if they was just shameless rip-offs. Later on while enjoying some mulled wine at a bar, I read an interview of the director saying that his idol as a filmmaker is Steven Spielberg, so those were definitely nods to his direction.

All in all, I have to say I enjoyed Rare Exports very much and I didn't feel let down by the buzz over here about it, as usually is the case. In my very subjective, not a film expert view I'll give it four stars. I don't remember seeing a Finnish film this with a screenplay this original before. And yes, I'm well aware I do have a twisted sense of humour so this kind of approach to Christmas (that I love, mind you) just sinks into me. Among else, the movie offered most plausible explanation why Santa is able to visit the children all around the globe in 24 hours.

So if you want to widen your perspective towards Christmas with another angle, go see it or get the DVD in your hands when it is released, you won't regret it!

Your day has come, O land of birth

2010-12-11T15:57:00.003+02:00

Last Monday was the independence day here in Finland. It's unlike an ordinary day for me. Going through little traditions like burning candles, watching Tuntematon Sotilas (it never grows old! Even a friend of mine watched it with his nine and seven year old sons, that's how it is passed on from generation to another), listening to Finlandia and of course being a member of the saps that cover half of the population gazing at the presidential ball on TV.

I caught an interview with the US ambassador Bruce Oreck. He was asked to compare the differences between the Finnish and the American independence day celebrations.

He encapsulated it very well by saying that the fourth of July in US is more like vappu, the May Day here in Finland. Joyous party day, with everyone having good time and enjoying themselves The Finnish independence day is more of a serious affair, with people burning candles and spending time on their own or with their families, paying the respects for the war veterans close to them.

I think these differences come from basic differences of Finnish and American. They are outgoing, easy to approach, while Finns are introverted and quiet. It doesn't help that our indepence was declared almost at the darkest time of the year. If our independence day would be in July, even Finns would be bit more outgoing - unless still too weary and hungover from Juhannus!

As I'm finishing up this entry very late and the independence day is almost long gone, I think it's appropriate to end it with Conan O'Brien's, a definite cult hero over here, pleas/threats to get his new show on Finnish television:

Come and join the party

2010-12-07T15:21:00.002+02:00

Eminence Front hasn't ever sounded this great.

Listening To You

2010-12-04T15:12:00.012+02:00

If my blog entry few weeks ago was a bit depressed and blue, the cure for it came also out of the blue. A friend that i don't see that often phoned me up on Thursday evening and less than 48 hours later three guys were on a cruise to Tallinn.

It's funny how such a simple thing - in this case mostly drinking with good guys for 22 hours - can make all the difference. It's all about getting out from the routines at least for a moment.

One thing that also has to be remembered is that being Finnish and depressed are almost synonyms sometimes and even difficult for doctors to tell apart, as this blog entry very well exhibits.

Christmas time is drawing near and like a good boy I've started to buy presents. I've bought some for my mom and friends, it's more than justified that I get something for myself as well.

Yesterday I received a huge parcel. To be honest much larger than I had expected, reminding me of childhood Christmases. It was the Live At Leeds: 40th Anniversary Super-Deluxe Collectors' Edition Boxset featuring the legendary gig on two CDs, a replicas of the original vinyl record and Summertime Blues/Heaven & Hell-single. The impressive box also included very interesting looking sixty-four page book of the gig and a classic poster of Pete Townshend.

On a side note, I have to comment on the pricing of the box. I ordered it through the American Amazon, paying $69.49 (around 55€) including an expedited shipping.
Now guess how much the retail price over here in Finland is? No less than 108 to 120 euro! I simply don't get it how come it can be over half cheaper when I get the product from the other side of the world rather than from a record store near me.

Well, I'm not complaining though.

The most important piece of the box for me (as is for the most Who-fans I guess) the gig from Hull on two CDs that was recorded on the following day to the Leeds. It was a candidate for an official release, but a technical glitch caused John Entwistle's bass signal to be not recorded on few tracks, so Leeds got released even though the band members though Hull was a better show. Well, LAL turned out to be considered one of the best live records of all times.

By the digital magic, Entwistle's bass tracks from Leeds have been inserted into the songs it is missing from in Hull to get it in shape for this anniversary release.

I've only listened the first disc of it couple times so far. It's clear that the band is in a great form and sounding very tight (like in Leeds). From the first impressions I can't make that big difference to Leeds, they all sound simply very powerful and inspired. I'll get back to the subject when I've given it more thorough listening to.

1970 was the year The Who started to reach the band's pinnacle, this of the gigs at Leeds, Isle of Wight and Tanglewood, that lasted up until around 1975 when Keith Moon's lifestyle started to slowly catch up with him.

Thankfully records like Leeds and Hull will continue to preserve the band at their best and the raw, soul-shaking strenght of rock'n roll continuously to new generations.

Amanda

2010-12-01T11:30:00.001+02:00

Theme for today.

Besame Mucho

2010-11-29T12:51:00.004+02:00

"I am serious... and don't call me Shirley!"

Not the best opening for the week. While still in bed, I heard on the radio that Leslie Nielsen had passed away at the age of 84. He was one of the comedy actors that practically brought up my sense of humor. Most famous over here from the Naked Gun-trilogy, but personally I remember him first from the Airplane!-disaster movie parody as the stone faced Dr. Rumack.

Rumack: You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.
Elaine Dickinson: A hospital? What is it?
Rumack: It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.
--
Rumack: What was it we had for dinner tonight?
Elaine Dickinson: Well, we had a choice of steak or fish.
Rumack: Yes, yes, I remember, I had lasagna.

Incidentally it was shown here on TV just last Friday and I found myself still laughing with water in my eyes with the physical and verbal gags of it, even though I almost worn out the VHS-tape as a kid from watching it so many times. High brow it is not, but piss yourself funny! As are (especially the first two) Naked Gun-films.

Ed: That's no way for a man to die.
Frank: No... you're right, Ed. A parachute not opening... that's a way to die. Getting caught in the gears of a combine... having your nuts bit off by a Laplander, that's the way I wanna go!

RIP Leslie.

In a Finnish commercial done in ZAZ-fashion:

Monkey To Man

2010-11-28T17:18:00.003+02:00

Kwyjibo

* a big, dumb, balding North American ape

Not to be confused with this blogger who is obviously north European.

Suedehead

2010-11-18T09:07:00.004+02:00

My week of sleeping problems continue. Although with a different form: last night I climbed to bed at midnight, feeling absolutely knackered, fell in sleep almost instantly. So far so good.

But - cause there's always buts in a entry like this - I woke up just past five in the morning. With sleep I've missed earlier this week, I should have slept about the double. My body just decided otherwise. It's very annoying. Especially cause I know there's a day ahead that I have to run with minimal energy. I'll be uptight, edgy, uninspired, lacking of focus. At the moment I still feel quite fine, thanks to the coffee fix.

I have to admit this is probably a mild case of winter blues, depressio hiemalis, pretty much a nordic speciality.
Funny thing is that when I was younger, the seasonal changes, the amount of daylight didn't seem to matter. Maybe it was also cause I didn't have as much time to ponder about things, I really don't know.

But nowadays,this last quarter of the year is quite demanding mentally. I just feel I'm reduced to amoeba. Christmas is always a good break and after the New Year, this slowly start to get easier as the days getting longer and you can start to wait for the first spring day to come around.

Overnight Vantaa along with the rest of the capital area has gotten a thick, white snow coating. It is still snowing. The downside is that it'll probably means trouble for me to get to my physiotherapy session.

Win some, lose some.

Chasing Cars

2010-11-15T15:07:00.004+02:00

Uff, the diminishing daylight has screwed up my sleeping patterns. Even though I went to bed late (so late that it was almost early). So I tossed and turned, even read few chapters of a book until I finally fell asleep. Slept couple of hours till it was time to get up for the daily errands. Now I'm very sleepy, but afraid to hit the bed for a nap cause I think I'd probably overslept it. Oh, the every day dilemmas.

Anyway, here's a song that is considerably more beautiful than this grey, slowly darkening, rainy afternoon in Finland.

Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
Uploaded by SnowPatrolofficiel. - Explore more music videos.

I Hate The World They Gave Me

2010-11-08T17:36:00.003+02:00

Recently a friend of mine wrote that he is ashamed of our time in which the seven deadly sins are celebrated each day. Overly dramatic touch there, but I have to say sometimes the hedonism and demandingness of this era bothers me.

Think of it for a bit. You are expected to be reached by mobile phone or email pretty much 24/7. If you've turned your mobile off or take a day or two to reply an e-mail, you are asked why.

In the news stories, there's comment boxes waiting for sharp and witty views as if to say:"Come on, you have to have an opinion about this, man!". The same trend continues on web boards: often an interesting discussion is ruined by people just trying to nitpick the errors in other one's arguments or simply wanting to show they can outsmart or be funnier than anyone else.

There's also IRC, the living multiplayer notepad. The bottom of the barrel in many ways. Yes, I've spend years and countless of hours chatting there and met some of the most wonderful and most important people in my life.

But still, I think it is mainly a nest for rude idiots. People saying things to each other they would never say to someone face. Hedonistic, horny, smutty. It's so easy to hide behind the digital mask.

It seems people there can be roughly in two categories: a) the ones who take the advantage of being able to say thing they can't or don't dare in real life b) people who enjoy the attention they might not get in real life.

I was one of column a). When being very insecure deep down, it felt relieving to create an online persona, being whom you claim to be. Not totally different from the real me, but expelling all the features in me that I thought would be disgusting.

After building up some confidence and trust, I started to notice that maybe these features wouldn't be so disgusting. After all, they are a part of me. Those important people that I mentioned earlier never judged me for them nor even made a big deal out of them.

At that point I felt IRC didn't have much to offer to me anymore. I guess I had grew out of it. Nowadays popping there once a year is enough, until the first "Hiii, asl?" makes me want to vomit while clicking the X-icon.

But still, in the middle of this multimedia filled global village, my dream is to sometimes be able to retreat to a lakeside cottage without Internet or mobile phone, with my favourite records and simply offload and recharge my mind and soul there with the nature for some days.

Maybe then I could accept the challenges of being 21st century digital boy again.

--

PS: The headline for this entry is lifted from Justin Currie's song A Fight To Be Human. The first new tune in quite some time that totally hit me. Please check it out if you haven't!

The note is eternal

2010-11-04T03:05:00.001+02:00

Pete Townshend - Pure And Easy 2000
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - See the latest featured music videos.

There once was a note
Pure and easy
Playin' so free, like a breath rippling by

The note is eternal
I hear it, it sees me
Forever we blended
Forever we die

I listened and I heard
Music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise that I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star

As people assemble
Civilization
Is trying to find a new way to die
But killing is really
Merely scene changer
All men are bored
With other men's lies

I listened and I heard
Music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star

Gas on the hillside
Oil in the teacup
Watch all the chords of life lose their joy
Distortion becomes somehow
Pure in its wildness
The note that began all
Can also destroy

We all know success
When we all find our own dreams
And our love is enough
To knock down any walls
And the future's been seen
As men try to realize
The simple secret of the note in us all

I listened and I heard
Music in a word
And words when you played your guitar
The noise I was hearing was a million people cheering
And a child flew past me riding in a star

There once was a note
Pure and easy
Playing so free, like a breath rippling by

There once was a note
Listen

Creepy, creepy, crawly, crawly!

2010-10-31T19:12:00.001+02:00

With Boris, happy Halloween to anyone who comes across with my blog from US and A (or other countries where it is celebrated)!

The Who - Boris The Spider 1989
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Like the sweat of lovers

2010-10-26T01:54:00.001+03:00

The Who - Love Reign O'er Me 1996
Uploaded by IvorTheEngineDriver. - Watch the latest news videos.

Blunders and shortcomings

I've got a feeling twelve...

Christmas

Karma Chameleon

When The Thames Froze

Finlandia

Feliz Aniversario, minha gatinha!

One Vision

Kuka oli tuo mies?

It's In The Way That You Use It

Are we human, or are we dancer?

Word Up

OK Computer

Strong Enough

57 Channels

Let's Roll

A Lack of Color

Success Story

Long Live Rock!

Que nojinho!﻿

Dig

Ja, vi elsker

Hold together – Hold Hands

I dag er vi alle norske

Fade to Black

My Sweet Lord

On sunny, sunny side of the street

Coming Back To Life

You've really made the grade

And all the study in the world, doesn't make it science

Chasing Cars

Call me mr. Fahrenheit

Sun Is Out, The Feeling's right

No Time For Losers

Eternal Flame

I'm the firestarter

What a Feeling

Time to go

Still alive

Need You Now

I'm Your Captain - Shea Stadium 1971

Fear of the dark

The Last Few Bricks

You are born alone and you will die alone - everything in between is just temporary

The winner takes it all

1-6

Vi ska ta guld igen

Running Scared

Čaroban

It's the good old hockey game

So Lucky

Relax, I need some information first

Boom Boom

Reader Meet Author

Day 17 - 22

Day 14, Day 15, Day 16

In the flesh

Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure

Long train running

Pienissä häissä

It's coming home

Day 05 & Day 06

Day 04 – A song that makes you sad

Day 03 – A song that makes you happy

Day 02 – Your least favorite song

Time to go

The last DJ

Nothing is over

Hey Hey, My My

Make this boy shout, make this boy scream!

I Wanna Be Sedated

A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours

Die Another Day

Why Not Nothing

Everybody, summertime love

Let It Snow

After the winter sleep

Breaking the law

Why should I care?

Paper Sun

Que nojinho!