Ramble 'On

Your Best Friends Are Those Who Bring Out The Best In You

2011-01-13T11:42:00.016+08:00

Throughout the course of life, one comes to realize the importance of the company you keep. Who are best friends? Best friends are those who bring out the best in you. They are the ones you trust, confide in, respect, admire, teach and learn from, encourage and be encouraged by. You may have one, you may have many. One person may hold all those qualities, or they may be spread amongst various members in the group.

Trust may seem insignificant in hindsight. Only when broken does one realize its importance, like a fortress destroyed from within. They are the ones who see the gifts within you, that you yourself may be oblivious to. They are the ones who correct you in a constructive, loving way, that even parents find hard to accomplish.

Some best friends are your role models. I myself, as a shy and quiet high school student, used to admire those who are socially active, able to take control of a conversation. One whose presence is instantly noticeable. My best friend was one of them and he was my role model. Slowly, I began to change who I was. I became noticeable. I liked it. Noticeable is not enough though so I kept learning. Soon enough I mastered the art so much that others began to view us as equals. Human nature in the form of self preservation may kick in for some ,as compromise of the image as alpha male is unacceptable. Human nature in some, but not my best friend. In fact he was proud to have me alongside him and continued to nurture me to be a better person, a leader. Leadership skills that I have come to treasure later on in life.

Some best friends just want you to be happy. Self sacrifice such that your happiness supersedes their own. Often people talk more than they hear, hear but do not listen. Everybody needs somebody to confide in during tough times. My best friend however goes one further. He conceals his own heartache, be it more severe than mine, just so he can be at my aid. One who may not share my spiritual beliefs, yet his life reflects values of those beliefs. A lesson on self sacrifice that has made me the Christian I am today.

A best friend is someone who teaches you his mistakes, so that you become a better person than he is. Someone who wants to see you succeed and to celebrate your success. He is one who can see himself in you, thus enabling him to nurture you, like a padawan. My best friend trained me at the most crucial time of my life. Lessons that helped prevent me from making the wrong decisions later on in life. If life is an uphill battle, my best friend put on me the armor that helped me get through while taking the least amount of damage.

Likewise, a best friend is also one you nurture. One whom you see tremendous potential as a person. It is not enough to have best friends but one should also be a best friend in return. Of course we should not take for granted the more simpler aspects of friendship being the joy gained from just living life together. Best friends may be miles apart yet true friendship is eternal, unbreakable. If the company you keep is an indication of your direction in life, then I am certain I am heading down the right road.

"A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses"

- Proverbs 13:20

John Yohanand

2009-11-12T09:04:00.012+08:00

Ever since I changed my name on Facebook from Yohanand Kumaran to John Yohanand, I have been met with criticism by some. People seem to think I've made that name up or that I don't wanna show the Kumaran side of me but this is not true. Let me now educate you on the meaning of name 'Yohanand'.

My dad chose this name for me and I have proudly carried it for the past 21 years of my life. The name was actually meant to be spelt 'Yohanan' but with an added 'd' (possibly to represent the Indian side ie. Yoh-Anand). The name John has made it a lot easier for me to introduce myself to the Aussie's thus leading me to change my name on Facebook as well.

The name Yohanan means 'God is Gracious' and stems from the Hebrew Bible (source: click here). Yohanan may also be spelt as 'Johanan' and the name can be spotted in many parts of the bible, one of them being Johanan, the eldest son of king Josiah.

"And the sons of Josiah were, the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum."
- 1 Chronicles 3, 15

The English name John is the transliteration of the Greek name Johannes, and the Greek name Johannes is the transliteration of the Hebrew name Johanan.

The Hebrew name Johanan occurs eight times in the Old Testament: A captain of the forces of Judah (2 Ki 25:22); Two descendants of Solomon (1 Chr 3:15 and 24); A high priest (1 Chr 6:10); One of David's mighty men (1 Chr 12:4); A Gaddite officer of David (1 Chr 12:12); A leader of Ephraim (2 Chr 28:12); A returned exile (Ezr 8:12);

The Greek name Johannes occurs five or six times in the New Testament: John the Baptist (Mat 3:1); John the Apostle (Matt 4:21) who may or may not be the same as John the Revelator (Rev 1:4); The father of Simon Peter (John 1:42); A Levite of high-priestly descent (Acts 4:6); A man a.k.a. Mark. Paul averts to his mothers house house after the angel walks him out of prison (Acts 12:12).

The name Johanan consists of two elements. The first part is 'Jo', a commonly accepted abbreviated form of , which is YHWH (Yahweh), the Name of the Lord. This would be the part of the name that represents God.

The second part of the name, 'Hanan' comes from the verb (hanan 694) meaning be gracious, pity, beseech, implore. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament states that this verb 'depicts a heartfelt response by someone who has something to give to one who has a need.'

Derivatives are (hen 694a), favor, grace; (hinnam 694b), freely (for nothing); (hannun 694d), gracious; (hanina 694e), favor; (tehinna 694f), supplication. (Source: Abarim Publications). This part represents the gracious part of the name.

Thefore my brethren, as you can see, John, Johanan, Johannes, and Yohanand are all one and the same. I hope this would clear any misconceptions you may have had and show you that John really is My name.

Now let looks at some of my favorite John's in the world.

1. John Petrucci

Yes! I AM very happy that we share the same name. John Petrucci has been my inspiration and role model as a guitarist. He is the lead guitarist of Dream Theater and is a highly technical and skillful guitarist. In 2009 he appeared in the No. 2 position (behind Mustaine) in Joel Mciver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.I will be meeting him soon enough but I'm going to delay that encounter until the day I can afford a Ernie Ball Musicman John Petrucci 7-String guitar so that he will be able to sign it as well.
I watched Dream Theater live in Singapore and was in the front row of the mosh pit, right in front of him. Buying a backstage pass is definitely worth the money once I get the 7-string guitar.

2. John Theodore

John Theodore is relatively unknown to many but is an extremely good drummer. John is probably my favorite drummer alongside Dream Theater's Mike Portnoy. Unfortunately the latter's name is Mike and therefore does not qualify for a mention here. :p

John is the ex-drummer of The Mars Volta (a Grammy award winning band). His style was definitely what made The Mars Volta and his beats on De-Laused in the Comatorium is out of this world. He has become best known for his bombastic, multi-textural and dynamic playing style.

3. John The Baptist

John has been my favorite disciple in the Bible and is described in Luke as 'the greatest of the prophets'. He played a unique role in what, and Who, was to come. He was considered very highly by Jesus Christ, Who said about him, "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist." (Matthew 11:11). One certainly couldn't get a more rock-solid personal reference than that.

John the baptist was a Nazarite, and as a Nazarite (as with Samson), they commonly grow their hair as a sign of holiness (anti-Monk). So if John had flowing locks of hair, he was obviously a rocker even before the conception of rock. Lol, jokes aside, this is one cool guy.

4. Yoda

Let's be fair, if Yohanand could also be know as John, then should'nt it be fair to assume that Yoda also means John according to the Star Wars Universe.

"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is."

―Yoda, to Luke Skywalker

Yoda is considered as the strongest Jedi of all time, training many others as his apprentice, namely Count Dooku, Cin Drallig, and Luke Skywalker. Strong Jedi Yoda is, also known as John, Yoda is.

Two Sides of The Coin: Michael Jackson

2009-07-28T10:45:00.019+08:00

Michael Jackson has impacted countless lives. All of us know him as the greatest entertainer of the decade yet few explore the other side, the human side, of Michael Jackson.

"I'm just like anyone. I cut and I bleed. And I embarass easily." - Michael Jackson

The Entertainer

This is the Michael Jackson we hear on Thriller, the Michael Jackson we watch on Moonwalker. This Michael is confident, bold, and knows no boundaries. He amalgamates with his music and becomes One.
This is the Michael that was formed by his father, Jo Jackson, since he was 6 years old. This young performer, often dubbed the "40 year old midget", was taken away from the environment of a child and thrust on stage for all the world to admire. He absorbed the energy of fans and gave it back to them at full force. Michael has said that his dance moves were not constructed by him, but by the music. He was merely a vessel, a tool, used by the music to demonstrate itself.
He was most comfortable on stage as this was where he grew up. This was his turf, his Home.

Michael Jackson was someone else the moment he was on stage or in the recording studio. Gravity did not apply on stage.

This Michael, the media admired.

This Michael, the whole world loved.

This Michael was a man.

The 40 year old midget.

The Person

Michael Joseph Jackson loved to sing. He loved to make new friends. He loved being just a normal kid. He was a shy. He was afraid.

"And I remember going to the record studio and there was a park across the street and I'd see all the children playing and I would cry because it would make me sad that I would have to work instead." - Michael Jackson

He wanted to play.

He was only 6.

"Yes, and I had pimples so badly it used to make me so shy. I used not to look at myself. I'd hide my face in the dark, I wouldn't want to look in the mirror and my father teased me and I just hated it and I cried everyday." - Michael Jackson

Michael was called "Big Nose" and ugly, by his own father. He has forgiven his father. However his facial looks are not a result of this abuse. Michael suffered of vitiligo, a skin disorder that leaves victims with white patches. Michael tried to use make up and depigmentation to cover these patches yet they would not go away. He then changed the pigment of his own skin to balance it out and make it seem less obvious. Michael had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin. Maybe the remarks of his father had scarred him within. Either way, who are we to judge him on his choices. Who are we to say what's wrong or right? All Michael was asking the world was, "Why is this an issue?". The color of your skin is just that, a color. It does not reflect the human beneath it.

Michael loved children. He made that very clear. He constructed a Neverland, and would invite terminally ill children to spend a day there.

"But I will never stop helping and loving people the way Jesus said to." - Michael jackson

Michael loved children.

"Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone. This simple goodness shines straight from their hearts and only asks to be lived." - Michael Jackson

Michael loved children.

"Why can't you share your bed? The most loving thing to do is to share your bed with someone. It's very charming. It's very sweet. It's what the whole world should do." - Michael Jackson

Yet the media perverted these pure intentions. They could not understand Michael Jackson. They could not understand this kind of love.

What the media called a child molester, was really the best father you could ever imagine.

This was the real side of Michael Jackson.

This Michael, the media attacked.

This Michael, the world found disgusting.

This Michael, was only a child.

The 6 year old man.

The Jimmy Page Wiring

2009-02-14T20:47:00.002+08:00

I recently purchased a Seymour Duncan SH-1n and decided to go all out and make it my end year project. So i decided to spend my money and get a SH-4 for the bridge and do the Jimmy Page wiring for the sake of learning something new. Lets begin shall we.

The Jimmy Page Wiring

This is a complex wiring designed by Jimmy Page for his #1 guitar. It allows you to make a double humbucker guitar pickups phase each other, be in series, or only use one coil of the humbucker thus making it a single pickup. I downloaded the wiring diagram from the Seymour Duncan website. You can view this diagram here.

1. Get The Equipment

So first of all, your gonna need the equipment. Obviously i hope you have purchased the two pickups you need. You will also need a soldering iron, solder, shielded wire, a multimeter, 4 DPDT push/pull pots, a pair of scissors/ blade/ wire stripper, and sum tape.

2. Remove All Existing Parts

Next, your gonna have to remove all your parts. This would be your two pickups, the four pots, bridge, saddle, three-way selector,input jack. Basically all electronics.

3. Sketch The Position of Your Pots.

Now your going to develop a model of your pickup holes by drawin it on a piece of paper. I did this by placing the paper above the top of the guitar and marking the four pot positions. Place this sketch on a piece of cardboard and cut out the 4 holes. This provides a more solid model as compared to paper.

4. Insert Your New Pots And Make A Model

Now the circuitry begins, begin by placing the 4 pots on the cardboard and begin wiring them up. The diagrams are fairly simple. I only wired up the wires between pots and did not connect the pickups to it.

You can get a Wiring Diagram from the SeymourDuncan website according to amount of pots and pickups you have. This would probably be the trickiest part. Go through the circuit as many times as possible and be sure to check each connection with a multitester to make sure that nothing is touching parts its not supposed to.

5. Pickup Selector

Next I did the wires to the pickup selector. I connected them separately in the picture as I did not have a three core wire however either way will do. I also used a separate wire to connect the earth. I then taped this 4 wires together with some black tape and soldered the outside metal shielding to the earth. Place the pickup selector in place and let the wire run through the body cavity.

6. Installing the Pickups and Earthing

Next you would want to do the earthing. Remove the output jack and solder the earth as explained on the diagram. One wire goes all the way to the pickup selector body and the other to the tailpiece.

Once you have completed the wiring. Place the cardboard on the guitar and connect the pickups to them.

7. Installing the pots

Once you have done this and have checked everything again, remove the cardboard piece and insert the 4 pots into the body of the guitar.

8. Doc Oc Ring

Next i had to figure out how to earth each pot. I found it really hard to solder the pickups on with the earth connected so I decided to do it last. I created and earth ring which i called a "Doc Oc Ring". I did this by applying solder onto a washer and soldering four wires of appropriate length to it. Then i soldered these four wires to the pots and connected whatever metal shielding that could reach. I also connected the earth from the pickup selector and tailpiece. Remember to have only one point of earth. This would help prevent 'ground loops'.

9. The Finished Product

And THAT'S IT! Your done. Enjoy your new guitar!

If you have any questions whatsoever, just let me know at yohanand@gmail.com. Hope this helps and Good luck!

LAWATAN KE AIR TERJUN MERU

2009-01-08T20:58:00.002+08:00

Pada 29 Disember 2008, Kelab Pencita Alam Sekitar dan Ibu Panas (Nature & MILF society) telah menganjurkan satu lawatan ke kolam air terjun di Kampung Meru. Ahli yang menyertai pengembaraan ini terdiri daripada Yohanand, Clarence Choong, Kumara, Bernard dan Adrian Goh.

Kami tiba di Hutan Meru pada pukul 10 pagi dan telah menerokai hutan paya bakau meru yang tebal dan kaya dengan flora dan fauna. Kami menempuhi banyak rintangan seperti lumpur, serangga binasa dan orang asli. Hutan Meru merupakan habitat bagi babi hutan, porcupine, kerbau, dan beruang koala. Clarence juga telah menemui musuhnya yang lama, lintah darat(a.k.a irudo medicinalis, a.k.a Leech). Jika kita ingat kembali pada Disember 2007, Clarence dan "leech king" ini telah berlawan sehingga larut malam dan Leech King tersebut telah menewaskan Clarence 1-0. Kali ini, Clarence tidak membawa sebarang senjata seperti garam, kasut, atau stoking tinggi. Beliau begitu yakin akan kebolehannya sehingga memakai selipar Jepun. Semua ahli telah meletakkan duit pada Leech King untuk menang tetapi Clarence berjaya menewaskannya membawa markah keseluruhan kepada 1-1.

Setelah tibanya di air terjun, kami pun menjunam masuk satu per satu. Ahli terakhir yang tidak tahu berenang, Kumara, memerlukan masa yang lama untuk berfikir posisi terbaik untuk lompat. Kami berenang di sana selama sejam lebih dan setiap ahli dikehendaki melompat ke dalam air setelah menghayun dari tali yang diikat pada pokok. Namun tidak semua ahli yang berani melaksanakan tugasnya. Encik Clarence dan Encik Kumara telah meng'ayam'kan diri mereka dari aktiviti tersebut. En. Bernard pula hampir mati apabila kepala beliau lepas beberapa mikrometer sahaja dari batu-batu besar.

Setelah berenang ria di kolam tersebut kami pun menukar pakaian dan bersiap sedia untuk meninggalkan tempat tersebut. En. Adrian disyaki mengintai proses penukaran pakaian Clarence yang begitu rumit sekali.

Kami meminta maaf kerana tidak dapat menaikkan gambar-gambar memerangsangkan kami kerana telah dikejar babi hutan dalam perjalanan pulang. Kamera tersebut digunakan sebagai umpan semasa pelarian.

En. Yohanand terus membawa ahli kelab ke sauna Meru Valley. Dalam perjalanan ke sauna, En. Adrian mengambil kesempatan melaksanakan tugasnya, sebagai Pengerusi Cawangan Ibu Panas, dengan mengistiharkan seorang ibu tua (mungkin 60-an) sebagai MILF. Dengan segera, beliau memaklumkan semua ahli persatuan. Beliau memang seorang pemburu yang handal!

Kawasan sauna tersebut memang berbahaya kerana lelaki tua bogel yang merayau-rayau mencari mangsa yang muda. Kami terus ke sauna dan mula bermandi peluh. Kumara berjaya menghilangkan 6 kilo pada hari itu, ya, true story. Penjaga sauna yang merupakan seorang wanita yang tidak menarik, telah masuk sauna dan ternampak badan Clarence atau Kumara (saya masih memandi pada masa tu dan tidak diberitahu dengan terperinci). Selepas melihat badan orang tersebut, beliau memaksa kami membayar 5 ringgit seorang untuk melupakan visual tersebut yang telah menyebabkan gangguan mental beliau.

Akhirnya kami ke cyber di Sungai Siput. En. Yohanand telah menguasai permainan tersebut dengan Crystal Maiden beliau dan sentiasa sanggup mengorbankan diri untuk menyelamatkan ahli pasukan yang lain.

Hari itu merupakan hari yang tidak dapat dilupakan. Semoga ahli lain yang tidak dapat menyertai kita kali ini akan dapat hadir untuk Lawatan Meru 2009.

Yang Benar,

YOHANAND
Setiausaha Kelab Pencinta Alam Sekitar dan Ibu Panas

Phone call from a drunk friend

2008-12-22T03:19:00.004+08:00

Check dis shit out man.. I swear its original because I uploaded it and its a pure drunkard at his finest.

Guitar Hero III (Mac)

2008-12-11T14:47:00.004+08:00

I recently got this game for my Macbook and was worried at first about compatibility and the graphics card. Its been posted on most forums that Macbooks are not able to play the game well and major lags ruin it. Ive finished this game on my PS2 but decided to download it to my laptop as well. I decided to try it out on my Mac anyway. You get to play all these awesome songs and whoop the likes of Slash, Tom Morello, and the devil himself.

To my surprise, my Macbook could run the game without any lag however it was operating on low graphics at 800x600. Many said the game did not work at all on Macs. However i noticed my exhaust speed had increased dramatically. So I looked around and found this great tutorial that works. It removes the background which we dont notice because our eye's are on the fretboard. I thought it was a worthy sacrifice, removing some excessive grahics for the lifespan of my Macbook. Here it is:

1. go to your GHIII folder (Applications\Guitar Hero III)
2. go to the GH3\DATA\ZONES\ directory
3. BACKUP z_soundcheck.pak.xen to somewhere safe (CUT)
4. copy z_viewer.pak.xen to somewhere else
5. rename the copied z_viewer.pak.xen to z_soundcheck.pak.xen
6. move the NEW z_soundcheck.pak.xen to the DATA\ZONES\ folder
7. Your Done!

This is before

And This is after

Hope that this helps someone out there who was desperate for a solution as I was.

Death Magnetic

2008-11-14T15:10:00.004+08:00

Track Listing:

#	Title	Length
1.	"That Was Just Your Life"	7:08
2.	"The End of the Line"	7:52
3.	"Broken, Beat & Scarred"	6:25
4.	"The Day That Never Comes"	7:56
5.	"All Nightmare Long"	7:58
6.	"Cyanide"	6:40
7.	"The Unforgiven III"	7:47
8.	"The Judas Kiss"	8:01
9.	"Suicide & Redemption"	9:58
10.	"My Apocalypse"	5:01

My Review:

This was a highly anticipated album by new rock listeners and radio stations however the older generation of trash metal listeners were already preparing to criticize how their new material would never match their 80's stuff. Nonetheless i approached this album from a new point of view without comparing them to older material but to the music currently being released. Now think about it, compare this album to the excessive amount of indie rock or even the new trash metal being released by new bands, and you would be blown away. If this were a new band, you would go nuts over them and hail them as the new Metallica, however knowing it was done by Metallica, we would then say it is not as good.

It all has to do with the expectation-performance theory. Unfortunately for Metallica, they set the bar so high up in the 80's that their finding it difficult to produce what they once did. St. Anger however was so bad that anything new would be better.

In my opinion, Death Magnetic is a good album (with a really cheesy title). I did enjoy tracks such as The Day That Never Comes and Unforgiven III. I am a classic rock fan and have been listening to all sorts of rock for the past 6 years so I'm talking out of experience. Though 80% of my 'rocker' dudes disagree, I still stand by my judgment and give them the same reply every time, " Say what you want man, but your never getting the 'old' Metallica back. Either take this album or shove it", and we end it with a laugh.

ARTICLE 63

2008-10-28T22:57:00.001+08:00

A Bro must provide his Bro with a ticket to an event if said event involves the second Bro's favorite sports team in a playoff scenario.

ARTICLE 56

2008-09-23T17:49:00.001+08:00

A Bro shall never reveal the score of a sporting event to another Bro until that Bro has thrice confirmed "it's cool".

ARTICLE 57

2008-09-23T17:48:00.001+08:00

A Bro may not speculate on the expected Bro/ chick ratio of a party or venue without first disclosing the present-time observed ratio.

ARTICLE 58

2008-09-23T17:46:00.002+08:00

If a Bro, for whatever reason, becomes aware of another Bro's girlfriends birthday and/or anniversary date, he shall endeavor to make that information available to his Bro, regardless of whether he thinks his Bro already knows.

ARTICLE 60

2008-09-23T17:45:00.000+08:00

Should a Bro be near to closing with a girl, his Bro shall do anything within his means to ensure the desired outcome, up to and including the seduction of said girl’s wildly unattractive cousin / friend / mother.

ARTICLE 65

2008-09-23T17:42:00.001+08:00

A Bro must always reciprocate a round of drink(s) among Bros with the proviso that no existing wager supersedes this purchase and exchange of spirits.

ARTICLE 61

2008-09-23T17:41:00.001+08:00

A Bro shall honor thy father and mother.

LOST: Escaping The Island

2008-08-21T00:23:00.002+08:00

Warning: This is based on a personal theory.

First and foremost, let me say that LOST is indeed very closely connected to the Wizard of Oz. There was no way of escaping Oz, just as if it was in a snowglobe. Also, Dorothy's uncle's name was Henry Gale, just like Ben's false name.

Ok, first of all one things for sure, the island is surrounded by an electromagnetic force, a magnetic anomaly. As shown in Season 4, there are magnetic forces in the Orchid. Basically there is no way in or out of the Island. This magnetic force around the island allows light in but not out of the sphere. Therefore, people on the island can see things going on the outside but people on the outside cant see in.

However in the year 1800, The Black Rock, a slave boat was crossing the Pacific. The boat was transporting a large assortment of metallic minerals, which were highly reactive to other forces of magnetism. These minerals reacted with the Islands snowglobe and created a hole in the globe. More specifically at bearing 305. This means that the only way in/out the Island from then on would be through this bearing.

Now you may ask, what would happen if you try to escape the island without goin through that specific bearing. Well you would experience turbulence as have all transport vehicles in this show, then you would be messed up through time. For example, Daniel has his friend on the freighter launch a payload in order to “test” the special coordinate that allows passage from the island. If the payload had been launched very far away from the special coordinate, it may have arrived as much as 8 years later in time! The fact that the payload arrived 31 minutes suggested to Daniel that they had almost found the exact coordinate. When the doctor was thrown off the boat and killed, he didn’t drift as close to the coordinate, thus he arrived at a different time as well. The doctor it seemed was thrown back in time therefore his body drifted on shore even before he was murdered on the freighter. However it seemed that the "escape hole" had now moved from bearing '305' to '325'. Either way it is pretty close and using either bearings could possibly cause a difference of a few mere minutes, thus negligible.

This magnetic anomaly is also used by Ben to travel through time however this section will be illustrated in detail in a separate post. As to explaining why the Island disappeared in the Season 4 Finale, my initial theory was that when Ben turned the crank in the Orchid Station, he was actually moving the bearing (the escape hole). Therefore he moved it from '325' to whatever bearing he desired. This would have explained why he would later know a way back to the Island. However a separate theory that I have read suggested that he transported the whole Island back in time to the 1960's. This next part will be summarized for now, Locke lead 'The Others' in the 1960's, failed to protect the Island from the DHARMA initiates, who later destroyed the Island thus it no longer existed in the year 2004 (the finale in Season 4), causing it to disappear. I found this theory much more logical and trashed my theory as it explained a lot more things.

ARTICLE 63 - The Bro Code

2008-08-21T00:03:00.006+08:00

"A bro will not physically or mentally intrude another Bro during mature entertainment"

In a scenario in which two or more Bros are engaged in entertainment of the adult variety, one Bro is forbidden from intentionally or unintentionally touching another Bro in ANY capacity, including but not limited to: the high-five, the fist bump, or the congratulatory gluteal pat. Winking is also kind of a no-no.
Mental thoughts on what a Bro might be thinking or the scenario being played out in another Bro's head is allowed though being part of that Bro's scenario, (though in persons mind), is dangerous and not recommended under all situations. Comments made that may reduce stimulation of a bro eg. 'What are we having for lunch' is highly prohibited during viewing and is in violation of Article 36 which states that a Bro will never interrupt/prevent the activity of a Bro that is of a self-induced satisfactory nature.

American Gangster (2007)

2008-08-20T23:46:00.002+08:00

American Gangster is a 2007 crime film written by Steven Zaillian and directed by Ridley Scott. The movie stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Washington portrays Frank Lucas, a real-life kingpin from Harlem who smuggled heroin into the US on American service planes returning from the Vietnam War. Crowe portrays Richie Roberts, a detective attempting to bring down Lucas' drug empire.[2] Filming was done on location in New York City. American Gangster was released in the United States and Canada on November 2, 2007.
Sources: Wikipedia link

I never expected this to be a mob movie. I thought it would be something about gangs on the street harassing people and what not. Why? because he's black.

Anyway there are some issues in this movie that I thought were worth highlighting. Firstly when Frank Lucas confronts Dominic Cattano and he is asked what he thinks about monopoly. He quoted precisely what we learn in the Economics text books. Monopolies distorts market outcomes and causes it to produce at an inefficient level. This is because when the market is controlled by a monopoly, there is no longer healthy competition. In this case, Frank Lucas is a monopolist because he has control over the resource, drugs, through his cousin in the US army. With this power, he was capable of selling drugs that were twice as good for half the price. This new price would be unrealistic for the current drug sellers as they do not have the resource. Frank did not bother to think about the other sellers in the market, or as Dominic said, the other 'dairy farmers'. Therefore Cattano was right when he said, "I understand, Its America. We just cant do it at the unreasonable expense of others, because then it becomes un-American".

Secondly I would like to highlight the difference between the organization Frank Lucas formed and the Italian mob. We see that Frank Lucas is not a very forgiving man. One screw up and thats it (in most cases), smashed by a piano, smashed to a car window, etc. However he himself made the biggest mistake of all, wearing that fur coat his wife got him making him a prime target by the police. The Italians however, think Godfather, were much more realistic. Everybody screws up at one time or another. The main thing that made the Italians so successful is their code of silence, Omerta. They also get themselves involved in politics, i.e. it is rumored that they rallied the Italian and Polish voters to vote for Kennedy thus allowing him to beat Nixon in the 1960's poll. Kennedy's father was later said to be involved in organized crime.

All in all, it was a good movie that got me thinking and gave me one conclusion, 'No matter how successful you are, always maintain a low profile'. With that said, i still prefer the Italians a whole lot more. Ca'pisce?

ARTICLE 89 - The Bro Code

2008-08-20T23:36:00.001+08:00

"A Bro may never pursue the mom of another Bro."

Be it here resolved that at no point is it permissible for one Bro to engage in carnal delicacies with another Bro's mother. It is, however, allowed and encouraged for one Bro to graphically suggest to a Bro the athletic feats, animalia, and/or machinery utilized during a fictional encounter with his mom. [[NOTA BENE: It is customary for a Bro to avoid such Brocularity if his Bro's mom is a 9 or better, for fear of Oedipal inducement.]] Should a Bro discover his Bro is in fact adopted, he is free to pursue his Bro's adoptive mother, but only after first corroborating non-biological parentage through notarized birth certificates, hospital records, or comparative dioxyribonucleic acid gel electrophoresis, whichever is easiest. Since the adopted Bro cannot legitimately claim to have shared a canal with his Bro, ARTICLE 89 expressly prohibits the adopted Bro from invoking the Sloppy Second clause in any related filings with the International Court of Bros. Though the mom of a Bro is always off limits, the step-mom of a Bro is allowed if she initiates it and/or is wearing at least one article of leopard print clothing. If she looks good in it.

ARTICLE 53 - The Bro Code

2008-08-20T23:34:00.003+08:00

"A Bro will, whenever possible, provide his Bro with protection."

In the event that one Bro finds himself lacking the necessary prophylactic accoutrements needed to complete the act of coitus in a safe and effective manner, he is in the right to expect his Bro will use all measures within or without his means to provide the aforementioned prophylactic in a timely yet discreet fashion. When a Bro signals his need using previously agreed upon code words and/or body signage, it is understood that his Bro will discontinue all present activity [excepting the act of coitus itself [whereby which Bro vows to finish as quickly as possible]], in order to respond with a panoply of options at Bro-in-need's location.
A Bro must patronize the most rapid method of transportation available while endeavoring to assist his Bro. In no instance may a two-wheeled bicycle be used* as this is not only humiliating, but also potentially harmful to the perineum - a zone of tissue perilously adjacent to noted sexual organs.
In the event that a state, federal, international, or galactic law is breached due to recklessness, unacceptable levels of speed, and/or the hijacking of an airborne vehicle(s), it is understood that the primary Bro will shoulder any associated legal fees or fines. However, any costs or damages incurred from the use of public transportation are the responsibility of the secondary Bro alone as this is an instance of Quid Pro Bro.
Upon arrival at the primary Bro's location, the secondary Bro must exercise complete discretion so as not to disrupt the primary Bro's "flow." It is understood that a Bro will engage in all training necessary to achieve this objective, including, at minimum, a five month Ninjitsu curriculum mastering the twin arts of stealth and secrecy.** Once the primary Bro has been supplied with the necessary prophylactic(s), the Brocedure is deemed complete upon exchange of the traditional, though in this case silent, "high five." Tacit in this unspoken ritual is the understanding that said episode will never be spoken of again, unless it's part of an awesome story. * Unless a bicycle is the ONLY form of transportation, as in some Cambodian villages.

** SEE APPENDIX E: "List of approved ninja training facilities and dojos."

ARTICLE 26 - The Bro Code

2008-08-20T23:32:00.002+08:00

"A bro will, in a timely manner, alert his bro to the existence of a girl fight."

A Bro must never hesitate before communicating the possibility of fisticuffs between two humans of the female variety [[HENCEFORTH "GIRL FIGHT"]], in an effort to make possible and probable that another Bro or Bros can partake in observation. A timely manner is open to interpretation based on the initial Bro's viewing and processing of the potential feminine conflagration. Said Bro must use any and all methods of media distribution at his disposal, including but not limited to: telecommunications, elbow nudging, fiber optics, the Broney express, and postcards. If an informed Bro is unable to witness the girl fight firsthand, the spotter Bro is responsible for documenting and relating details of the girl fight via pictures, video*, or barring any other reasonable method, interpretive dance and/or pantomime. Tabling Bro obligations to witness a XX chromosomal scuffle is not only condoned, but encouraged, and in some cases, required.

Please refer to the Brobligation rubric as elucidated in AMENDMENT 83: "The REALLY hot sister and other hump trumps." * SEE ZaBroder film

The Bro Code

2008-08-20T19:53:00.004+08:00

Have you ever had a best friend?

No? Thats sad, please click on my ad's before leaving ..

YES??? and has that bro ever done something that hurt you? Something you thought was an unspoken rule between bro's? Ever wished these 'Rules' could be compiled so that no newbie bro would ever break the 'Rule'? Well I have accepted that task of collecting all bro codes, that a standard set of Bro law may be developed, that may be tried at the Bro Courts.

Years ago, I set forth to compile and articulate the unspoken mores that exist between and among Bros the world over. While not intending to write a "Guide To Being a Bro," if men should treat it as such and choose to pass this compendium of knowledge from generation to
generation, I have little doubt it would bring a tear to my eye… but not out of it - that would be a violation of ARTICLE 77: "A Bro never cries."

Me being a bro to many bro's, eg. Clarence, Chee Hoe, Kumara, Raehan, Fareez, Jason, bro's of all races, widths and lengths, have gained much knowledge through my travels. When was the bro code developed you ask? Let me take you back... way back... no even before that... yes that one, nono u missed it... yeap there you are.

It was the year 1776, Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington were having a drink. Benjamin was pissed when Washington slept with one of his babe's. Washington then replied that there were no rules which apply to his conduct.This led Franklin to remark that there should be a rule. "A set of rules that govern the way bro's comport themselves among other bro's". Thats when the man, the legend, Barnabas Stinson vowed to write these set of rules, and inscribe it on the back of the constitution (to save paper).

As such, The Bro Code was created. Oftenly regarded as the Bible of Broism, it is a sacred book that governs all bro's and must never... NEVER.. be broken. All hail, The Bro Code.

The Odyssey (2002)

2008-08-17T12:26:00.002+08:00

Ah, neo-classical metal, somehow it just gets my pumped. I heard about Symphony-X through Dream Theater tours as they were the supporting act. Kick ass, in your face riffs, just the way i like it. The Odyssey is the sixth studio album by this band. The grand finale for this album would be the 24-minute long track 'The Odyssey' which is a metal version of Homer's, 'The Odyssey', a story about the journey home of Greek hero Odysseus. However i did not really enjoy the final track as i did not find it progressing through-out that large amount of time. No progressive drum beat, and the guitar riffs did not evolve. I preferred their heavy short songs a lot more.

Lyrics:
Its neo-classical metal, so dont expect much. Its gonna be high pitched singing with a melodic riff in the back, think Malmsteen. Dont really care bout what he's singing about but he got the vocal melody to flow with the riffing.
7/10

Guitar:
Amazing. Love it. Riffs and more riffs. Check out 'Into the Fire' and 'Wicked'. Repetitive heavy riffs with odd timing. Love it.
9/10

Drums:
Good beats. Thats the reason i love progressive bands, they always have the best drummers. Cmon think about it, Neil Peart, Mike Portnoy, thats the top two drummers in the world right there man.
6/10

Which song would I wanna jam with my band?
Wicked, Inferno,

Best song on the album:
Wicked

Empire (1990)

2008-08-14T21:38:00.006+08:00

Album : Empire
Band : Queensrÿche
Rating : 6 /10

Queensrÿche (pronounced /ˈkwiːnzraɪk/) is an American heavy metal / progressive metal band formed in 1981 in Bellevue, Washington. The band has released ten studio albums and an EP and continues to tour and record.

Queensrÿche is a relatively new band to me. The first track 'Best I Can' is really good. I loved the opera themed Rush'ish intro. It went on to a more 80's groove for the verse. And of course the amazing 'Silent Lucidity'. The album as a whole was pretty damn good and pumping out 14 good tracks on a single album aint easy. However the vocals did not really venture out, as in the vocal stlye throughout was pretty similar.

Lyrics:
Lyrics were well scripted but not really thought provoking. General ideas were used as the basis like relationship problems, loneliness, emotional stuff.
7/10

Guitar:
Being a guitarist, i place a key importance on guitar work. I would regard this album as having good rhythm work, lead work however was not special
7/10

Drums:
Average drums.
6/10

Which song would I wanna jam with my band?
None really

Best song on the album:
Silent Lucidity

Metropolis pt.2: Scenes From A Memory

2008-08-11T21:50:00.003+08:00

Album : Metropolis pt.2: Scenes From A Memory
Band : Dream Theater
Rating: 9 /10

Review:

The greatest progressive metal band has done it once again. Dream Theater gives life to the unimaginable. Each sound Petrucci produces gives a whole new meaning to each song. To me, this is their strongest album that establishes them as the greatest. Not one of the greats, but the greatest. The album consists of a tragic tale. The death of a young girl because of bad blood between the husband and his brother. And I dare say it is indeed the best progressive album ever because of the way the plot progresses and influences your mind and thoughts. It starts off with Character A, Mr. Nicholas, visiting a hypnotherapist. Slowly Nicholas enters this unknown realm and explores the sad tale behind Character 2, Victoria. Let me not ruin the plot for you, instead browse over to Wikipedia and search for this album. There you will find the plot in its entirety. The link will be provided at the end of this review. My favorite song on this album would have to be ‘The Dance of Eternity’ and ‘Home’. The poetic James La Brie fails not in providing a hidden meaning behind each stanza.

__________________________________________________________________

Track Listing:

1. "Scene One: Regression" – 2:06 (music and lyrics by Petrucci)
2. "Scene Two: I. Overture 1928" – 3:37 (Dream Theater, instrumental)
3. "Scene Two: II. Strange Deja Vu" – 5:12 (Dream Theater, Portnoy)
4. "Scene Three: I. Through My Words" – 1:02 (Petrucci)
5. "Scene Three: II. Fatal Tragedy" – 6:49 (Dream Theater, Myung)
6. "Scene Four: Beyond This Life" – 11:22 (Dream Theater, Petrucci)
7. "Scene Five: Through Her Eyes" – 5:29 (Dream Theater, Petrucci)
8. "Scene Six: Home" – 12:53 (Dream Theater, Portnoy)
9. "Scene Seven: I. The Dance of Eternity" – 6:13 (instrumental)
10. "Scene Seven: II. One Last Time" – 3:46 (Dream Theater, LaBrie)
11. "Scene Eight: The Spirit Carries On" – 6:38 (Dream Theater, Petrucci)
12. "Scene Nine: Finally Free" – 11:59 (Dream Theater, Portnoy)

Redemption Song

2008-07-10T20:30:00.004+08:00

Old pirates, yes, they rob i;
Sold I to the merchant ships,
Minutes after they took i
From the bottomless pit.
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty.
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly.
Wont you help to sing
These songs of freedom? -
cause all I ever have:
Redemption songs;
Redemption songs.

Agents of Fortune (1976)

2008-07-03T16:59:00.001+08:00

" Agents of Fortune is the 1976 release by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in a gatefold sleeve. The platinum selling album peaked at #29 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart, while the single "
Sources: Wikipedia link

The first time I heard Blue Öyster Cult was while I was playing Guitar Hero III trying to beat the track "Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll". So I did what I usually do whenever I wanna check out a new band, I wiki them and download their most succesful album. I decided to try Agents of Fortune, the following is the track list:

Side one

"This Ain't the Summer of Love" (Albert Bouchard, M. Krugman, D. Waller) – 2:20
"True Confessions" (Allen Lanier)– 2:57
"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" (Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser) – 5:09
"E.T.I. (Extra Terrestrial Intelligence)" (Sandy Pearlman, Roeser) – 3:42
"The Revenge of Vera Gemini" (A. Bouchard, Patti Smith) – 3:53

Side two

"Sinful Love" (A. Bouchard, H. Robbins) – 3:29
"Tattoo Vampire" (A. Bouchard, Robbins) – 2:41
"Morning Final" (Joe Bouchard) – 4:30
"Tenderloin" (Lanier) – 3:40
"Debbie Denise" (A. Bouchard, P. Smith) – 4:23

I found the first two tracks were ok, but Dont Fear The Reaper got me up to really give this album a listen. My favourite track would be Sinful Love because of the addictive chorus. Overall, I would say, lyrics were good, guitar parts were not that complicated, cool, but not over the top, drumwork was average as well. This album was enjoyable to listen to but not very memorable. More relaxing and soothing than blow you away brilliant.

Wanted (2008)

2008-07-03T16:36:00.000+08:00

" Wanted is a 2008 action film loosely based on the comic book miniseries, Wanted, by Mark Miller. The film is directed by Timur Bekmambetov. Production began in April 2007. Wanted was released on June 27, 2008 in the US. "Sources: Wikipedia link

I watched this movie on the opening day and knew days before that I was gonna love it. It starts by introducing the character which is important, as it gives the movie a more meaningful approach. My friends however found this part a waste of time. Indeed we all know when we study physics that bullets just like light, move in a straight line. The director showed us that he he doesn't give a rats ass about physics early in the movie so that those looking for realism in this movie would leave. The guy next to me however did not. He kept going on and on about how this movie is a fake. ? .

Now, knowing that this movie is done in an alternate reality where we can bend bullets, why not see it as what the director wants us to see. I found the artistic elements in this movie more than intriguing. How in the end all of them should die as they themselves are killers. Not realizing that by trying to restore the balance in the world, they are distorting it. The best part for me was how the director ended the movie. I have been a long time fan of movies that quote specific lines the main character says in the beginning of the movie, again at the end. The twist at the end was so cleverly guised that only a handful would have been able to guess it. Artistic, Action packed.