Castle Shima

It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.
-- Buddha

::: Tower View :::
When Angels Deserve To Die
The original video was good, but I couldnt find one that looked clean enough. Thats when I found this great fan made vid.

Chop Suey! by System Of A Down

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

The pain of the mind is worse than the pain of the body.
-- Publilius Syrus

::: Tower View :::
Ow Ow Ow!


**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

But you can't run away from home without destroying somone's world.
-- Anti-Helena from MirrorMask

::: Tower View :::
Et Maintenant Nous Sommes Tout Seuls

Protege Moi by Placebo

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

A dead man begs you to remember: a warrior's ultimate act is to lay down his sword.
-- Nameless from Hero

::: Tower View :::
How Swift The Sword
I always liked this song when I first heard it in Blade II, but combined with this video, the song is so much better.

I Against I by Mos Def

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

If confusion is the first step to knowledge, I must be a genius.
-- Larry Leissner

::: Tower View :::
Lassitude

Exhaustion (among other things)
by Joy Marsh
Today, nothing will be accomplished by me with
determined speech or concise fluid movements.

In others words and to say it simply,
I am tired, tired of the constant icy grip in my neck,
of expectations, of politics, words that instill fear and
confront.

I’ll listen to reason tomorrow. Today I’ll pray for everything I am not.

As I reconcile, fear and doubt mix with the baneful on the
news. It spews a warning shot, so close, so close.
I didn’t move. This is my holy ground.

The death chants that you hear over and over again finally evaporate
as the clear water comes to a boil on the stove.
Free of demands and apocalypse, I sip my tea, then wait for sleep..

Suspended over the room,
a whispered Amen.
**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

How long a minute is depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Its Not The Smell That Gets You
This is abit long, but funny as hell. Just makes you think about the shit people have to put up with.


**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

Home is not where you live, but where they understand you.
-- Christian Morganstern

::: Tower View :::
Nothing to Lose, Nothing to Gain

Somewhere I Belong by Linkin Park

**********

People say life is like a stream. They're right. Just a while ago I wanted to spit into the wind and I hit my own face.
-- Johan Cruijff

::: Tower View :::
Getting Kicked Around
This is why I play the sport.


**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

The trouble with most people is that they think with their hopes or fears or wishes rather than with their minds.
-- Will Durant

::: Tower View :::
California Dreaming
The Tour of California started today. I had almost forgotten about it and was fortunate to catch a reminder last night. The TV coverage isnt as prestigeous as the Tour de France, but just as exhilarating.

This is going to be an exciting week. Well, at least for me.
**********

And Now For Something Completely Different

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

Why hate someone for the color of their skin when there are much better reasons to hate them.
-- Denis Leary

::: Tower View :::
I Have A Really Big Deck
I used to be an avid fan of the card game Magic The Gathering. I still have my collection and am debating about playing again. There are so many new cards and sets, even for Asian mythology, that it would almost like starting over again.

Damn. No wonder we used to call it Magic The Addiction and Paper Crack


Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

Hm. I always thought I was abit more brown.
**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

When angry, count four. When very angry, swear.
-- Mark Twain

::: Tower View :::
Scars Of Love
I should have used this yesterday, but I had forgotten all about it. What was I thinking? How could I forget Happy Tree Friends?!

Thats it. I'm getting old.

Carpal Tunnel of Love by Fall Out Boy

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

Seduce my mind and you can have my body. Find my soul and I'm yours forever.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Poetry
I had so many quotes I wanted to use for today, I couldnt make up my mind. Then I realized, for all the quotes I had, they could make the entry itself. Especially when I found one that actually surprised me. Not because the quote was unique, but rather by who it was.

So here is a little poetry. Enjoy.

You don't love a woman because she's beautiful.
She is beautiful because you love her.
-- Anonymous

I'd like to run away from you,
But if you didn't come
And find me,
I would die.
-- Shirley Bassey

The greatest tragedy of life is not that men perish,
but that they cease to love.
-- by W. Somerset Maugham

To love a person is to learn the song
That is in their heart,
And to sing it to them
When they have forgotten.
-- Anonymous

To be in love is merely to be
In a state of perpetual anesthesia:
To mistake an ordinary young man for a Greek god
Or an ordinary young woman for a goddess.
-- H.L. Mencken

Love is like a friendship caught on fire.
In the beginning a flame, very pretty,
Often hot and fierce,
But still only light and flickering.
As love grows older,
Our hearts mature
And our love becomes as coals,
Deep-burning and unquenchable.
-- Bruce Lee


Hope you had a happy Valentine's Day.
**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

The sudden disappointment of a hope leaves a scar which the ultimate fulfillment of that hope never entirely removes.
-- Thomas Hardy

::: Tower View :::
No, Yes, Maybe.


**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

When a man has no reason to trust himself, he trusts in luck.
-- Ed Howe

::: Tower View :::
Mistrust Clever People


moar funny pictures
**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

As is the generation of leaves, so is that of humanity. The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the live timber burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning. So one generation of men will grow while another dies.
-- from The Iliad by Homer

::: Tower View :::
I Wont Be Coming Home Tonight
This video was too awesome to pass up. Created and directed by Todd McFarlene of Spawn fame, it definately has his artistic touch to it.

Land Of Confusion by Disturbed

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

Where are my feelings? I feel nothing for anyone.
-- Muad'Dib from Dune

::: Tower View :::
When The Heart Is Cold

Stricken by Disturbed

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

But when we came out of camp, thats when I first realized that being in camp, that being Japanese-American, was something shameful.
-- George Takei

::: Tower View :::
Happy New Year
Its the Year of the Rat following the Chinese calendar. The Rat is linked to wealth, charm, and order, but also to death, war, and atrocities.

How ironic.

Kenji by Fort Minor

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

In a real dark night of the soul, it is always three o'clock in the morning, day after day.
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald

::: Tower View :::
I Have Hours

Behind Blue Eyes by Limp Bizkit

**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

Football is like life. It requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority.
-- Vince Lombardi

::: Tower View :::
Game Over, Man! Game Over!
Super Bowl XLII: New York Giants beats the Patriots 17 - 14.

Sorry Tigress...


Ok, not really. LOL...

Guess those guys that published the book about the perfect season wont be making that many sales now.
**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

I sing because I have nothing better to do with my breath
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Every Car You Chase
Here is another remix by DJ PartyBen. Smile and sing with me.


**********

************************************************
If I die before I learn to speak
Can money pay for all the days
I lived awake
But half asleep?
************************************************

Dream the impossible dream. Fight the unbeatable foe. Strive with your last ounce of courage to reach the unreachable star.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
I Walk Alone
Here is a remix by DJ PartyBen. I've had the song for awhile and always thought it was a damn good mashup.


**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

I think all the boys that write the screaming stuff would write the best love songs because they have the most to hide. The guys that are in the most pain are usually the ones with the biggest hearts.
-- Tori Amos

::: Tower View :::
Please God, Tell Me That I'm Still Asleep
I havent sang in awhile. I mean really sing. For fun; for the pure hell of it.

I normally sing in the car, but thats been a rarity as of late. I guess that really doesnt matter. It pretty much tortures anyone else that happens to be in the car.

So when I saw that the Barenaked Ladies had this accoustic series of videos, I liked that they had to rely on their singing. Especially since they were doing this in the bathroom.

Ignore the flushing sounds and sing along with me.

Pinch Me by Barenaked Ladies

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

I quit. I give up. Nothing's good enough for anybody else it seems. When I'm all alone its the best way to be. When I'm by myself nobody else can say goodbye. Everything is temporary anyway.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Tergiversate

Bye Bye Beautiful by Nightwish

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have.
-- Edgar Watson Howe

::: Tower View :::
Morendo
I found this poem by accident and it sort of fit. I cant say how exactly, but it seemed to strike a chord with me. So on that note...

The Music by Kathryn Thompson
I hear the music
The music is playing
The music is soft
The music is now fading
The music is gone
Which means so is my life

No music means no life
The music is gone

Come back to me music
The music is beginning
I have a life
The music is pretty
The music is wonderful

Oh no
The music is fading again
I love the music
The music is gone

Good bye Music
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Anyone who believes you can't change history has never tried to write his memoirs.
-- David Ben Gurion

::: Tower View :::
Aim For The Humpback
There is a story goes with this. Its a long story and a lifetime ago.

Umm.. nevermind. Just laugh at this.


moar funny pictures
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Been... better... off with the... lighter fluid... Head clears for just a minute. Don't want that. Can't help it. How'd I get to this...? Every time I get... lucid... I ask that... Every time the answer gets further away. But I know... I did my usual trick... Took something good and made it rotten...
-- John Constantine from Hellblazer

::: Tower View :::
Its Not Hard To Fail

Wasted Years by Cold

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

William: I'm dreaming.
Murron: Yes, you are. And you must wake, William.
William: I don't want to wake. I want to stay here with you.
-- from Braveheart

::: Tower View :::
Black Roses And Hail Marys

Gone Away by The Offspring

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

The world needs anger. The world often continues to allow evil because it isn't angry enough.
-- Bede Jarrett

::: Tower View :::
I Am Just An Imbecile

Sober by Tool

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.
-- Martin Luthor King Jr

::: Background Noise :::
Pride (In The Name Of Love) by U2

One man come in the name of love.
One man come and go.
One man come,
He to justify.
One man to overthrow.

In the name of love,
What more in the name of love...

One man caught on a barbed wire fence,
One man he resist,
One man washed on an empty beach.
One man betrayed with a kiss.

In the name of love,
What more in the name of love...

Nobody like you...

Early morning.
April 4.
Shot rings out in the Memphis sky.
Free at last.
They took your life,
They could not take your pride.

In the name of love
What more in the name of love...
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

I don't dance any more.
-- from PostSecret

::: Tower View :::
Come On And Step Up

Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Smile, even if it's a sad smile, because sadder than a sad smile is the sadness of not knowing how to smile.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Cute Wee Bastard

moar funny pictures
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Maybe I didn't really know you. Maybe you were just a mirage. Maybe the world is full of food and sex and spectacle and we're all just hurling towards an apocalypse. In which case it's not your fault. I've been thinking about all these things and... You're probably standing there monitoring. And one more thing: about the letter. Nuke it. Flame it. Destroy it. It hurts me to know it's out there. Later.
-- Lloyd from Say Anything

::: Tower View :::
Of All The Fruitless Searches
A lifetime ago I sang this song in a karoke bar. I've always loved the movie and tend to use it here in the blog alot. So when I saw this vid I had to show it. Fairly well done, but the ending could have been a little better. Still, an excellent job done.



I am Lloyd Dobler.
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Joel: I can't remember anything without you.
Clementine: That's sweet, but try.
-- from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

::: Tower View :::
Downpour On My Soul

Flood by Jars of Clay

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

D'you know the best way to kill a man? To make it hurt the most? To twist the knife in his heart and soul, and laugh when he screams and dies? You put the blade in his best friend's hand and you kill the poor bugger with love.
-- from Hellblazer by Garth Ennis

::: Tower View :::
I Feel The Dream In Me Expire
Inspiration comes to artists at the strangest times. Why should we average folk be any different?

I always remembered how this video struck a chord with me. Bob Dylan and INXS did videos that used the wordplay and signs, but they didnt impact me as much as this did.

Fine Again by Seether


It was probably the song combined with the video that sticks with me. Who am I to argue? I know nothing.


**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Time is the cruelest teacher; first she gives the test, then teaches the lesson.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
In The End


**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you.
-- Friedrich Nietzsche

::: Background Noise :::
Given Up by Linkin Park

Wake in a sweat again
Another day's been laid to waste
In my disgrace
Stuck in my head again
Feels like I'll never leave this place
There's no escape

I'm my own worst enemy

I've given up
I'm sick of living
Is there nothing you can say?

Take this all away
I'm suffocating
Tell me what the fuck is wrong
With me

I don't know what to take
Thought I was focused but I'm scared
I'm not prepared
I hyperventilate
Looking for help somehow somewhere
And no one cares

I'm my own worst enemy

I've given up
I'm sick of living
Is there nothing you can say

Take this all away
I'm suffocating
Tell me what the fuck is wrong
With me

God!

Put me out of my misery
Put me out of my misery
Put me out of my
Put me out of my fucking misery

I've given up
I'm sick of living
Is there nothing you can say

Take this all away
I'm suffocating
Tell me what the fuck is wrong
With me

Its the original version printed in the Minutes to Midnight booklet.
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Dreams have but one owner at a time. That is why dreamers are lonely.
-- Erma Bombeck

::: Background Noise :::
I Can See It In Your Eyes by Men At Work

By your leave
I think that I'll be going now.
I think I've stayed a little long.
I looked up all my mother's recipes.
I can't think what I did wrong.

We go to a restaurant,
But you don't like wine
You say it's love you want,
But there is no time.
I realize,
I can see it in your eyes.
You keep staring at the floor.

I used to look at your school photographs,
But I don't have them anymore.
I wonder who's in my old college rooms
Or stuck on my old locker door.

I dream of the ships at sea,
On a stormy night
I wish that it was me,
But I wake in fright.
I realize,
I can see it in your eyes.
I've only got myself to blame.

Winter kisses when your lips were blue,
Like chasing wild geese in the snow.
Pressing faces
On the window panes,
But that's a long long time ago.

We go to a restaurant.
You say its love you want.
I realize,
I can see it in your eyes.
You're moving on to something more.
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Paradise. I see flowers from the cottage where I lie.
-- Death Poem by Yaitsu

::: Tower View :::
The Endless Fields
I had a real hard time with this entry. Part of it is because of the sensative subject, but also because its about someone I only know by a name. I only knew Ashley as a fellow blogger and a mother. Matter of fact, she and her husband had their second child just last month.

So when I was shown this article about her death, I was at a loss of words. Other than giving your sympathy to the family and friends, what else can you say?

You remember the things that made them special. In this case, Ashley would joke about her little sproglets as well as trade barbs with the UF fans since she was a LSU fan. Last night, she was simply estatic as her precious Tigers won the national championship.

And today she's simply gone. Just a void that was just filled yesterday.

I'm not sure there is more that can be said so I toiled to find something that a better wordsmith could say.

From the Declaration Of The Free by Robert G. Ingersoll
Is there beyond the silent night
An endless day?
Is death a door that leads to light?
We cannot say.

God speed, AshPeaMama.
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

There are moments in your life when you really miss someone that you want to pick them from your dreams and hug them for real.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
We All Need One
Someone once told me that these were important. That was a lifetime ago and you dont realize how much you miss them when they arent there any more.


moar funny pictures
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

We're going back to the docks. Someone is in for a fucking smack.
-- Morty from Layer Cake

::: Tower View :::
Game On
I had got into the Yoshida Brothers music inadvertantly when I first heard them on the Majic Monkey song Change. I even posted the video the other day. And every time I heard it, I kept thinking how their string instruments sounded so damn familiar.

Then it hit me. They are the ones playing the music on the Nintendo Wii commericals.

Sure enough, the main theme is a remix of one of their songs, Kodo (Inside The Sun remix). The downside is that Nintendo shortened the song by 2 minutes so to fit on their first commercial.



There really isnt a good video available for the full version right now. The original song is available, but is missing the dance beat that the remix gives.
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Oh, what memories I'm taking with me.
-- Diane from Torchwood

::: Tower View :::
Tossed Like A Stone
I've tried to listen to more Lacuna Coil after their cover of Enjoy The Silence. Here is a very haunting song along with a very fitting fan based video. I'm liking the lyrics more and more.

And now the beat inside me
Is a sort of a cold breeze
And I've never had any feeling inside
Ruining me
Bring my body
Carry it into another world
I know I live
But like a stone
I'm falling down

Falling Again by Lacuna Coil

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.
-- Carl W. Buechner

::: Tower View :::
I Can't Change This
I've been trying forever to see if there was a good video for this song. Then a small production company made one and it was absolutely brilliant! They had a decent actor, a good location, and a fantastic ending. The black and white film helped make the mood.

So when I thought I could put it here, they bloody well removed the video!

I was so disappointed because it was so damn good. Worse part is that I have forgotten the name of the production company so I'm pretty much SOL.

Since I started this post, I might as well finish it. This particular video has been around for awhile and is pretty good too.

Congratulations by Blue October


One of these days, I'll actually have some content other than music streams.
**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

Tristan: You sort of, glitter now. Is that normal?
Yvaine: Lets see if you can work it out for youself. What do stars do?
Tristan: Hmm... Attract trouble?
-- from Stardust

::: Tower View :::
Catch A Falling Star
If you ever get a chance to watch the movie Stardust, I highly recommend it.

The movie is based off of the book from Neil Gaiman and directed by Matthew Vaughn, who also directed Layer Cake and produced Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.

Not only is the movie really good, but despite the low amount of advertising, there were alot of talent in it.

Some of the more well known names in the US are Claire Danes, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Pfiffer, Peter O'Toole, and Ian McKellen.

But there were a ton of notable British actors:
* Sienna Miller (Layer Cake, Keen Eddie)
* Rupert Everett (Shrek 2 & 3)
* Julian Rhind-Tutt (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Keen Eddie)
* Adam Fogerty (Snatch)
* Jason Flemyng (Layer Cake, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels)
* Sarah Alexander (Coupling)
* Ricky Gervais (The Office, Extras)
* Struan Rodger (Doctor Who)
* David Kelly (Charlie and The Chocolate Factory)
* Dexter Fletcher (Band of Brothers, Layer Cake, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels)

Hmm.. Noticing a theme here. Then again, the fact I recognized so many of these people only proves that I have no life whatsoever.

Here is the most excellent song played during the credits.

Rule The World by Take That

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

When the music changes, so does the dance.
-- African proverb

::: Tower View :::
I Need A Change
I was going to use this for the quote, but its abit too big to fit. Considering the thoughts for today, I just felt that it had to be said.

Besides, I couldnt think of anything else and this one is too cool to pass up.

Change is the end result of all true learning. Change involves three things:
First, a dissatisfaction with self - a felt void or need.

Second, a decision to change - to fill the void or need;

And third, a conscious dedication to the process of growth and change - the willful act of making the change; Doing Something!
-- Anonymous

Change by Monkey Majik w the Yoshida Brothers

**********

************************************************
You'll never know why
Your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of
My inner defenses
************************************************

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
-- Pericles

::: Tower View :::
Flip The Page
Every story has a beginning, middle, and an end.

I'm not quite sure where this story is, but today brings the end of a chapter for alot of people. Its New year's Eve and tomorrow brings in a new year, new hopes, and above all, a new calendar. So lets bring this small piece to an end.

From PostSecret


Happy New Year's everyone. Stay frosty. Stay safe.
**********

::: Background Noise :::
Closing Time by Semisonic
Closing time
Open all the doors
And let you out into the world

Closing time
Turn all of the lights on
Over every boy and every girl

Closing time
One last call for alcohol
So finish your whiskey or beer

Closing time
You don't have to go home
But you can't stay here

I know who I want to take me home
I know who I want to take me home

Closing time
Time for you to go out
To the places you will be from

Closing time
This room won't be open
Till your brothers or your sisters come

So gather up your jackets,
Move it to the exits
I hope you have found a friend

Closing time
Every new beginning comes from
Some other beginning's end

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.
-- Douglas Adams

::: Tower View :::
You've Woken The Demon
Result! Here is another great combination of music with the movie Akira. Its another family oriented song too.

Down With The Sickness by Disturbed

**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

Be excellent to each other.
-- Bill from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

::: Tower View :::
I Got A Lump Of Coal

moar funny pictures
**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

Memories are meant to fade. They're designed that way for a reason.
-- Mace from Strange Days

::: Tower View :::
Poverty And Power
I've always loved anime, specifically Akira. You could say I was born from Akira. Enjoy!

O Fortuna Remixed

**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy. For what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves. We must die to one life before we can enter another.
-- Anatole France

::: Tower View :::
Should Have Changed My Fucking Lock
I always loved this cover version and never realized there was a video for it. Time to jam.

I Will Survive by Cake

**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.
-- Chuck Palahniuk

::: Tower View :::
Memorial
For Clan Mp...

She Is Gone by David Harkins
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived.

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,
Or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,
Or you can be full of the love you shared.

You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.

You can remember her only that she is gone,
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.

You can cry and close your mind,
Be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what she'd want:
Smile, open your eyes,
Love and go on.
**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

If you are not too long, I will wait here for you all my life.
-- Oscar Wilde

::: Tower View :::
Beat Those Little Bastards!
27

Thanks to Starfury for this one.
**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

You have broken what could not be broken! Now, hope is broken.
-- Merlin from Excalibur

::: Tower View :::
My World Is Half Asleep
Here is a decent video with Christopher Ecceleston as The Doctor. He played the Ninth Doctor, prior to David Tennant.

The song is abit mushy, but what the heck. We all need a bit of mush every so often. Heh.


**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.
-- Norman Cousins

::: Tower View :::
After My Picture Fades

Time After Time by QuietDrive

**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

There was no reason for me to stay in the real world any longer. In the real world, it didn't matter if I was there or not. When I realized that, I was no longer afraid of losing my body.
-- Chisa from Serial Experiments: Lain

::: Tower View :::
Without Further Adieu
First and foremost, I need to say Happy Belated Birthday to the brodyman, Starfury. Many more, sir!

I Exist
Serial Experiments: Lain is an anime series that touches on life, existance, and the Wired. What is life? Is it the one we live here or perhaps its the one in a virtual world? And if we were within that virtual world, would we know the difference?

Mad World by Gary Jules

**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

We could have both gone away. We could have died together. Then at least I would have known I had a place in your heart.
-- Kei from Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade

::: Tower View :::
Just Kill Me, Bill!
I've always liked this song even before it was part of the Halo2 soundtrack. This video seemed so more fitting since its also from Jin-Roh.

Blow Me Away by Breaking Benjamins

**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

One thing is sure. We have to do something. We have to do the best we know how at the moment. If it doesn't turn out right, we can modify it as we go along.
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt

::: Tower View :::
Never Forget
Today is the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. We honour those who lost their lives this day.
**********

Change of Pace
While I was working on National Novel Month (aka Nanowrimo), I found quotes and poets I never even considered. Granted, I failed Nanowrimo again, but thats another story.

I've always known Henry Rollins as the musician and the actor. He's even got his own television show on the Independant Film Channel. But as a poet, I definately am gaining a new respect for him.

Here was one of my favorites:
My feelings for you shame me into silence. The truth of this and your name will never be revealed.

It is you who has made me realize the failure of my life.

The thought of you fills me with longing and at the same time, a burning humiliation that produces scar tissue and dead brain cells. Your existence mocks me and I am unable to confront this.

You have no idea of any of this. None of this is your fault. It is completely with me.

It is you who makes me see what I really am.

I am weak and out of touch with myself.
**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.
-- Lance Armstrong

::: Tower View :::
We Didnt Start The Bubble
I tried to have at least one entry that didnt have a video attached, but this one is just to funny to pass up.



Thanks Pixelfish!
**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

You can't be scared of death. When that time comes, it comes.
-- Shawn Taylor, ironically from his last known interview.

::: Tower View :::
My December
Yet another music video, but a very impressive one.


**********

************************************************
Noose around a choking heart
Eternity torn apart
Slow toll now the funeral bells
I need to die to feel alive
************************************************

When dreaming, I'm guided through another world, time and time again. At sunrise I fight to stay asleep, because I dont want to leave the comfort of this place, because there's a hunger, a longing to escape, from the life I live when I'm awake.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Spinning Turning Watching Burning
Here is a song I've been singing alot lately. Granted its been in the car so no one could get hurt. That is unless you happened to be in the car as well. Then we are wiping the blood from your ears.

Spin by Lifehouse

**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

All our lives we search for someone who makes us complete. We choose partners and change partners. We dance the song of heartbreak and hope all the while, wondering if somewhere, somehow there is someone searching for us.
-- Anonymous

::: Tower View :::
Dance Damn It!
I absolutely refuse to watch that dancing show, but I will admit that I love to dance. It must be because of my love of music.

Some dancing is just too mushy, even for me. This video is a prime example.



Thanks Mermaid. I blame you for this. Hehehe...
**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

As for me, to love you alone, to make you happy, to do nothing which would contradict your wishes, this is my destiny and the meaning of my life
-- Napoleon Bonapart

::: Tower View :::
I'll Be Around

**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

When you remember me, do not recall the king or the hero. Remember me as a man; frail and fragile.
-- Beowulf

::: Tower View :::
The Word According to Gaiman
I finally got to watch Beowulf. It was definately worth it, especially in full 3d.


I didnt realize that my favorite author, Neil Gaiman, helped produce and write this version of the epic poem. He has always been able to write something that intrigued me as well as touched my senses. American Gods is one of my favorite books for so many reasons.

Here is one of my favorite quotes from Gaiman:

Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it?

It makes you so vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.

You build up all these defenses, you build up a whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life.

You give them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day, like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore.

Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like "maybe we should be just friends" turns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart.

It hurts. Not just in the imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain.

I hate love.
**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

The great essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
-- Joseph Addison

::: Tower View :::
For The Halo Fans
From I Can Has Cheezburger site:


moar funny pictures
**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

I treasure my remark to a grandson who asked, "Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?" "No", I answered, "But I served in a company of heroes".
-- Richard Winters, 101st Airborne Division

::: Tower View :::
Over The Hills and Far Away
I have never been in full combat nor had to fight for my freedom. Veterans from past, present and future have done that.

For that, this day, we give thanks.

I think I've posted this in the past, but it seems appropriate.

Although this is a traditional British song, its been used recently in the tv series Sharpe's Rifles. I've always liked the way it described a soldier's life. And if thought carefully, it still applies today as it did back then.

Over The Hills And Far Away by John Tams
There's forty shillings on the drum
For those who volunteer to come,
To 'list and fight the foe today
Over the Hills and far away

O'er the hills and o'er the main
Through Flanders, Portugal and Spain
King George commands and we obey
O'er the hills and far away

When duty calls me I must go
To stand and face another foe
But part of me will always stray
Over the hills and far away

Through smoke and fire and shot and shell,
And to the very walls of hell,
But we shall stand and we shall stay
Over the hills and far away

If I should fall to rise no more
As many comrades did before
Then ask the fifes and drums to play
Over the hills and far away

Then fall in lads behind the drum
With colours blazing like the sun
Along the road to come what may
Over the hills and far away

Though kings and tyrants come and go
A soldier's life is all I know
I'll live to fight another day
Over the hills and far away.
**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

Women are like cars: we all want a Ferrari, sometimes want a pickup truck, and end up with a station wagon.
-- Tim Allen

::: Tower View :::
Chasing Cars
I've always been a fan of Doctor Who, now more than ever.

**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.
-- Sarah from The Crow

::: Tower View :::
Sunset
A friend of mine recently had her mother pass away. It reminded me of when Adnil lost her grandmother, who was the one who raised her. I handled that moment badly as well.

Just as it was back then, there were no words that I could say that would make things any easier. The best I could do was to give a prayer and condolensces. If I remember correctly, I even screwed that up on both occasions.

The words are best left to those more eloquent than I could ever be.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

In the end, life goes on and so must we. Light a candle for those remembered.
**********

************************************************
Its not the tree that forsakes the flower
But the flower that forsakes the tree
Someday I'll learn to love these scars
Still fresh from the red hot
Blade of your words
************************************************

You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar.
-- George Carlin

::: Tower View :::
Scary Movies
Its Halloween today. Candy. Ghosts. Goblins. The whole shebang.

Since I am such a lazy bastard, I've grabbed a few trailers from a couple of films. Two really scary films and two feel good types.

Here is the scary stuff:




Here are the feel good movies:




Make sure to bring the popcorn.
**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world.
-- Giuseppe Mazzini

::: Tower View :::
Nothing Is Real
Living Colour has always been a favourite band of mine. When I heard that their song Cult of Personality is going to be on Guitar Hero 3, I went into overdrive and started looking up their videos.

Here is another great song from them called Type
.
**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Duty is the great business of a sea officer; all private considerations must give way to it, however painful it may be.
-- Lord Horatio Nelson

::: Tower View :::
Surviving The Day
During the war against Napoleon, when Admiral Nelson wanted to know how many people were dead, he would ask, "What's the butcher's bill for today?"

I felt the same way recently.

Recently, my company has gone through some layoffs. Out of the 80 people released from the Information Technology (IT) division, my dept contained 30 of those people. There were 3 out of my own area; one whom reported to me.

It felt strange because I had forgotten that it was going to happen. We had be warned that it was coming, but it been nearly a decade since something like this even occurred.

One by one, people were getting phone calls to walk over to a conference room in the main building so that they would be given the news that they had just lost their job.

A few of us even had the idea of walking over to the building, go to a conference room on a different floor, then call someone we knew. If they were brave enough to answer, we would just ask them to look up our calendar.

Funny? Yes. Mean? Absolutely. Cruel? Perhaps.

What would have been really cruel would be to lose your job, then realize, you cant afford to lose it. That you live from check to check and barely surviving.

I would hate for anyone to lose their job, but would hate even more for them to be put in that situation.

Lord knows that I am already in that predicament.
**********

Shadow of the Day

**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Some motherfuckers are always trying to ice skate uphill.
-- Blade

::: Tower View :::
I'm No Hero

**********

****************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain whats lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
****************************************

Hazel: Lord Frith, I know you've looked after us well, and its wrong to ask even more of you. But my people are in terrible danger, and so I would like to make a bargain with you. My life in return for theirs.
Frith: There is not a day or night that a doe offers her life for her kittens. Or some honest captain of Owsla, his life for his chief. But there is no bargain. What is, is what must be.
-- from Watership Down

::: Tower View :::
For Fuck's Sake
There are just some days that you just need to say "fuck it." That no matter what happens, you can do no right and only damage and hurt follow in your wake.



If you've never seen the movie Snatch, I highly recommend it. Not only is there alot of swearing, which I'm really good at, but the story is funny as hell.
**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Like most things, I am nothing.
-- Li Mu Bai from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

::: Tower View :::
This World Is Only Going To Break Your Heart
Wicked Game by H.I.M


**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Once you have accepted your destiny, nothing can alter it unless time flows backwards, snow falls in the spring, and the dead come back to life.
-- Goddess Manshen from The Promise

::: Tower View :::
I'm Waiting For My Real Life To Begin
The song is originally from Colin Hay of Men at Work fame. This version from the tv show Scrubs was really well done.


**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Keep the sand out of your weapons. Keep those actions clear. I'll see you on the beach.
-- Capt. Miller from Saving Private Ryan

::: Tower View :::
Son of a Beach
Every year I participate in the MS150, which is the main fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Bicyclists from around the area will ride either 150 miles or 150 km (120 miles) during the course of two days in order raise money to fight MS.

Since the route goes along the ocean following the beach line, the view is actually quite good. It makes up for the series of bridges that have to be climbed in order to get to the finish line on both days.

The downside is that for our region, its not 150 miles, but rather 164 miles. Bastards.

Granted, this year's MS150 would be exceptional since its the first time that Team Blue (formerly the KBT team) would be corporately sponsored and we would have money to spend on things such as a support vehicle, a corporate recovery tent, and of all things, food.


So with apologies to Peter King...

The Ten Things I Think I Know About The MS150, 2007 edition
1) Whose idea was it to have us ride during a damn monsoon? Day 1 consisted of 20mph winds and that was the easy day. Day 2 had 30mph winds and we had to finish the last 25 miles going straight into it.

2) Ever been to the beach during high winds? Its like being sandblasted; the damn stuff cuts into everything, including you. Paint has actually been taken off my bicycle. On the good side, it works great for removing that extra skin.

3) There was no shortage of fluids this year. It would have been preferred to drink the water as opposed to wearing it as the rain continously poured down on us. Add the wind and the rain actually hurt.

4) Another Team Blue rider decided he wanted a challenge so he wrecked his bike on a wet bridge grate. This was just so he could convert his very expensive bike to a single speed and suffer thru the last 15 miles of Day 1.

5) All season, after putting in almost 1,500 miles and not a single major injury, what happens? My knee begins to ache after the first 40 miles on Day 1. After 50 miles, I had a limp. After 60, every pedal stroke actually hurt. I ended up dropping from an average of 20mph to 15mph and consuming nearly a bottle of Advil. Day 2 was more annoying when my average speed dropped to 10mph because of the damn winds.

6) I wasnt the only victim to injury. In separate incident, a fellow Team Blue rider was injured when his razor jumped up out of his shaving kit bag and bit him on the finger.

7) The biggest battle on day 1: Watching a Team Blue rider attempt to circumvent the fence that blocked his way to lunch. Unfortunately the Fence won the match 2 - 0 and Big G was forced to walk the long way around to get his turkey wrap.

8) At the end of Day 1, we had real burgers for the second lunch. At the end of Day 2, we had more burgers. Guess what I had for lunch yesterday and today?

9) For dinner, a few of us skipped the typical sponsored spaghetti dinner and went to the local Japanese steak house. We had a Spainaird chef cook our Japanese dinner over the teppanyaki grill while salsa music played in the background. All this while another chef, Japanese in heritage, screeched thru a very bad Engrish version of Happy Birthday to another patron. Diversity indeed.

10) Mental note to self: Next year, at the end of the day 2, even after battling high winds, be sure to pick up my finish line medal before flopping down on the ground, grabbing the knee in pain, and whimpering like a little girl. There is nothing like having to limp over to the elderly woman in a wheelchair who is stricken with MS as she hands you your medal. You come to the realization that what you went thru is nothing compared to what she has gone thru.

With that being said, its time to start winter training.
**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Sometimes the people whom we've know for only a short amount of time have a bigger impact on us than those we've known forever.
-- Anonymous quote

::: Tower View :::
Pure Elegence
There are days that smiles are few and far between. We rely on others to bring that simple joy to us. Hope this brings you one.


**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

HOPELESS ROMANTIC seeks filthy whore.
-- seen on a t-shirt

::: Tower View :::
The Best Of You

**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************

Death: So. Are you coming?
Hazel: I dont suppose I have any choice.
Death: No. I'm afraid you really don't.
-- from Death: The Time Of Your Life by Neil Gaiman

::: Tower View :::
What Would You Say?
This is absolutely brilliant. If we could only live our own lives int this way.
Hat tip to Alphabunny for this.



**********

************************************************
When did I lose my sense of purpose?
Can I regain what's lost inside?
Why do I feel like I deserve this?
Why does my pain look like my pride?
************************************************