Brace yourself Australia. 

   This is when 'brutal' gets a whole new meaning

 

On my very long 'list of things I want'. And I don't just mean boys who can cook. 

Construct

Dark Tranquility. Construct. I had multiple coronaries listening to this album. It's everything and more that you could expect from the Gothenburg metallers. Masters of the Gothenburg melodeath metal sound, Dark Tranquility from Gothenburg, Sweden, released their tenth studio album, 'Construct', via Century Media on the 27th of May. 'Construct' brings out the more dramatic side of the band on a uch larger scale than is normal of Dark Tranquility, a welcome change from their usual riffy, thrashy, aggressiveness. 

Stanne and Co. have always been considered as one of the pioneers of the melodeath scene, specifically, Gothenburg, and they certainly stand out! I've been waiting for this album with much anticipation and it beat my expectations to a large extent. Before the release, the band did say that this album was more experimental, and indeed, you may not instantaneously identify that it is DT given the fact that there is a less aggressive element, not as fast paced as is the signature of the Swedes, and 'melodic' is the key factor throughout this album, which, in my opinion, is a nice change when listening to this band. Every song sort of sinks into you, and doesn't just melt your face off and blow past your head. That said, there is a lot more emotion that is emanating in 'Construct' and I absolutely love it! But despite this, they still manage to maintain their usual sound, edgy, thrashy and just downright metal. I will say this before going into anything else, that it's all fine to compare the various albums and make a well-informed analysis, but then when doing that, you fail to appreciate what's right in front of you. Much criticism, as I've seen, has been for the more restrained and comparatively subtle approach that DT have put into their music of 'Construct'. But that's the beauty of change.

Kicking off with 'For Broken Words', this is a typical Dark Tranquility song , starting with gushy whispers, featuring the haunting keyboard tunes we all know and love and some fancy bass segments by Henriksson. This was the first song off the album that the band debuted and said that it was "one of the heaviest and most brooding tracks from 'Construct'...". A little mellow compared to what you'd expect from a DT track but this song sets of a dark and emotional mood of sorts for the rest of the album. 'The Science Of Noise', with it's fancy guitar solos is bloody powerful and one of my favourites.

"Bending to out will.
Dreaming into our form.
Shaping into our image.
The Science Of Noise.

You cannot go wrong with lyrics like that. I assure you. A proper death metal track if I've ever heard one.

Mikael Stanne's clean vocal talents are portrayed strongly in, 'Uniformity', 'What Only You Know', and 'State Of Trust' and these tracks are definitely 'Construct's strong points. The transition in 'Uniformity', with what starts out as a slow-paced beautiful symphonic piece, turns into an absolute brutalizer. 'What only you know', is another personal favourite, goosebump-inducing, groovy riffs, gothic and really catchy yet melodic. The constant switch from clean vocals to signature Stanne gruff death growls with the melodies in the background is such a treat to your aural senses. 'What Only You Know' is one of the stronger tracks, with a sudden peaceful pause, beautiful piano that persists in the middle. Stanne's vocals just linger and take you into a whole other world, far far away from reality before bringing you back down with some slamming drum beats and the heaviness of the guitars. 'The Silence In Between' is also a brilliant track starting off on a very soft, mellow note and building up gradually into again, what I'd label a typical DT song, with the strong, edgy vocals and melodic hooks, 'Apathetic' is mad, and everytime I listen to it, I get goosebumps when Stanne half whispers half growls "sometimes I feel".

'Endtime Hearts'. Mother of all DT songs. This monster of a track definitely stands out among all the others in the album, with it's typical Dark Tranquility sounds, this song is definitely my first pick, 'bouncy and direct' as the band described it, with a good, fun pace and although giving off a dark feeling, it's an absolute eargasm for new listeners and us DT fanatics.

'Weight Of The End' proves that Dark Tranquility aren't not as predictable as they're made out to be. As the song started, it ended up being something I didn't expect it to be, not some thing I can explain very well but I' sure you'll know what I mean when you listen to it. The chorus although simple, is catchy and meaningful. Two lines in particular that really got me, was, 'We must be the shield and not the sword". Simple? Definitely. But it's all the simple things in life that we take for granted and eventually end up regretting. In other words, or what I've understood from those two beautiful lines, (and with regard to the rest of the song) is that despite the sheer brutality of the outside world, the pressure and the fear that we face, we must never attack, but instead defend and protect. Bad things do happen, but handling them in the subtlest way possible is the answer to the troubles we face.

The final track on 'Construct', 'None Becoming', honestly got me in a trance and made me feel like I was the lead in a horror flick. Right from the very beginning, where the song opens with long-drawn pace, symphonic piano ( or keyboard? ), slow paced drums and a haunting melody, this track, which I found very similar to 'Iridium' off DT's 'We Are The Void', does confirm that 'Construct' has many things in similar with the former, although more atmospheric than the usual punchiness you'd hear. 'Immemorial', the bonus track is heavy but again, lacks that usual aggression. A good track nonetheless!

'Construct' is definitely, by far, one of Dark tranquility's most melodic albums and is experimental in the sense that the focus has been placed on more the 'melodic' than the 'death'. But this does give the death element even more significance. This album is certainly what you could call a continuation to the previous album, 'We Are The Void', with a very similar sound, it seems to be an extension. As mentioned, 'None Becoming' sounding akin to the track 'Iridium', and 'State Of Trust' to that of 'Her Silent Language' is proof of this extension from 'We Are The Void'. This album does come close to touching the peak of awesomeness but falls back a little as some tracks do seem like they're missing something, such as 'Apathetic'. There are points during the album where you expect to hear something else, although I'm not quite sure I can point out what that 'something' is. 'Construct' kind of floats between mellow and brutal, not actually going into the extremities of either and I guess that's what I was looking for. Something more extreme, be it a softer Dark Tranquility or just sheer brutality. Or it's probably just the obvious difference of this album from their older work. Like I said, comparing this one to the likes of 'Projector', 'Damage Done' and 'Fiction', will definitely make you feel like this isn't the best of DT's abilities. But again, in all honesty, it's easy to sit and criticize, especially change, and I love the new approach to 'Construct', it is definitely something any melodic death metal fan should listen to, without any bias, with it's beautiful melody, simple yet powerful lyrics, and the well structured transitions in pace and tempos in songs. 

I'd definitely recommend buying this album. Give it a listen, you will not be bored!=) 

8.5/10

ON THE MORNING OF MY LAST EXAM:



AFTER TEN MINUTES OF WRITING:




HALFWAY THROUGH:



ON THE LAST TWO WORDS:




AND THEN I REALIZE I'M FREE FROM EXAM BONDAGE:




HOW I LEAVE THE EXAM HALL:

HI-HO

Just checking in to let you homos





SAPIENS. I'm a nice person guys. Plus I like talking geek. Don't judge.
Anyhoo, just checking in to let you all know that I'm successfully surviving the heat of Chennai, the sheer ruthlessness of London School of Economics and have not yet lost my ouncling of sanity.

Currently tripping like MAD on the latest TesseracT and Dark Tranquility albums. For those of you who have Spotify because there is still a certain amount of racism against India ( SPOTIFY YOU HEAR ME DAWG? ) it's out there, cheggit! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE IN FOR.

I'm done by Wednesday. free. alive. I will run out of British Council like a bunny on crack with Tourettes. And Wednesday the bombardment shall begin again. I've got some pretty neat stuff to share with you lot, can't wait!=)

So till then,


I bid you farwell fair maidens and kind Djentlemen. Don't forget to us loo roll! Ladies, your face isn't a couloring book, keep it au naturelle and watch 'em fellas be flockin'.

Love,

The Geeky White Gnome.

WHEN I'M ASKED TO DO WORK:



WHEN I TRY TO ESCAPE:



WHEN I'M FORCED:

Alive!

This is just a head's up to all my readers, I've been a little caught up with monitoring a bunch of anklebiters at work which I am now officially done with, atleast for the time being. And now I have an exam on Monday wherein I have to analyse and discuss a bunch of political theories that men from the 16th century came up with because they didn't have trampolines, coke, or gummy bears at that time. Oh the Depression. But I have  got a lot of stuff coming up so I can assure you a bombardment of posts the whole of next week. But do check out this new Kylesa album. Brilliant stuff! Peaceful, psychedelic and ambient, but maintaining that prime metal element! CHEGGITS!

Love, Snickers and Sniggers,

Prat

Ultraviolet tracklist:

01. Exhale
02. Unspoken
03. Grounded
04. We're Taking This
05. Long Gone
06. What Does It Take
07. Steady Breakdown
08. Low Tide
09. Vulture's Landing
10. Quicksand
11. Drifting

LISTEN HERE! =)

Dylan Moran And Ed Byrne

This has got to be one of my absolute favourite Dylan Moran bits. He talks about the music of today, specifically rap music. I'm not a rap person AT ALL. But I do listen to some occasionally, especially  the classics from ages ago. Funk Soul Brother is one of them. I always found that song pointless but catchy. Moran shares the same sentiments. Cheggit =P ( disclaimer: Again, keep nothing next to you, I can assure you of a good 20 minutes of continuous laughter )

Oh, for those of you who haven't heard the song, listen to it and then watch the Dylan Moran video.

NOW WATCH THIS!!! =D

Hahahahahahaha. Oh how I love this man.

This one is another favourite of mine. The man talks about break ups. And. Oh just watch it. It's friggin hilarious!!!!!!

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA THAT WAS ME CHEWING THE BED!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHA=D

Oh my lord. He's just too much. 

And then there's my Irish gorgeousness Ed Byrne. Do you ladies agree with me when I say he is one of the hottest nerdy looking humans EVER? Hee. Also an observational comedian, his fun loving, boisterous style is a refreshing change from the likes of a more funny yet cynical Dylan Moran or an aggressively loud and humorous Rhod Gilbert. He's got a certain agenda to his gigs and he doesn't just rant about any odd thing that pops up in his head. Also, he's name is an anagram for "Be Nerdy" and that's exactly what his humour is all about! ^_^ Also, he's hot. Just saying.

I wore fluorescent green ballet flats today, blasted Meshuggah and played NationStates while supposedly on duty. To most people, I come under the category of 'downright weird'. But hey! I was governing and running my own country and attempting to make a reduction in the 30% income tax I supposedly impose on my population. What can I say, I'm a political nerd of sorts. I guess international relations kind of grew on me.  But then again, I've never been what society and my peers would call 'normal'. Ever since I was messing around with water cans and using them as shoes, flicking people's stuff ( hey, I see a shiny thing, I want it ), eating butter and bars of chocolate like I have no idea what the words "excessive calories" meant, I've never been part of what you would call the 'in crowd'. In fact, I've never been a part of any darned crowd. As with most things, I started doubting the extent of my humanity when I was a midget of a teenager, wondering why most of the girls in my class thought I was a stuck up snob or whether it was okai that I always walked around in black band tees and football jerseys and not brightly coloured outfits. I never really watched what I ate because I love my food, and if I know something tastes good, I go all out. People would call me 'fatty' even if I had the ability to hide perfectly behind a slender tree trunk. Or I'd get a " oh my god you eat SO much", to which I'd reply, "yes I like to pamper my tummy" or " sod off morsel". If you eat too much, you're a hog, if you eat too little you're showing off because you're trying to be the new Tyra Banks or Heidi Klum.
You know what? Normalcy doesn't exist. And you know why? Because everyone is different. I'd say there are normal situations yes. People? No. I'm DEFINITELY not what you would refer to as 'normal'.

I've always been different, the outcast, but in a nice way. I get along with pretty much anyone if I decide to, but it takes me a long long time to connect with someone, especially when it comes to trusting people. I like strong, black coffee without sugar and I can eat 95% Dark Chocolate. I practised Kalari Payattu ( wiki it ) for almost two years, being one of the top students and the only girl in class. I played football for two years with an all guys club. I've never been to college, I dropped out of school, I just turned vegan and I'm a hardcore metalhead that believes not only in the power of music but in the sheer awesomeness of Metal. I don't like when people lie, attention seek or just act like a bunch of crazed, high-on-Ihavenocommonsense, Idontcareaboutanythingbutmyselfbecausethatsjusthowitis, hooligans that walk around like they own every inch of Earth and like they have chopsticks shoved up somewhere unpleasant. I can be perverted which many people see as awkward and improper for a girl.

But that's just how I am. I live my life with no regrets, I live it one hour at a time, learning something new from each hour. Remember my post on stereotypes? I've been stereotyped my whole life. And it amazes me the conclusions people come to from seeing you just for a couple of hours/days, making them sound like expert psychologists. Which is quite hilarious for me sometimes, considering I'm the one who studied psychology. My life is weirdly awesome. Sometimes I stun myself at just how weird and abnormal I can be. And I absolutely love it. I have no fear of standing out, have people point out at "that girl with the million button badges on her bag, the abundant number of piercings, long hair and oversized tee shirts". In fact, I love it! I think it's important to stand out. To make yourself known to everyone. And by that I don't mean you strut around in minimalistic amounts of clothes or grow an excessive amount of facial hair, but know who you are. Know what makes you who you are, because a lot of the time, we tend to forget those little details. I've learnt so much over the years, and if it's one thing, it's that most people, and by most I mean 99.999999982678963 % of the mass population are always trying to be someone else or like someone they're not even remotely like. We're always trying to look like our favourite celebrity, change our names to something famous and fancy, wear outfits that end up in sexual atrocities instead of  the actual end result of attraction, we do inappropriate things just to be a part of the 'in-crowd'. Smoking, drinking, going absolutel;y bonkers at a party and then waking up the next day saying, " I was so smashed I have no idea what happened last night". Seriously? Is that what it's all come down to? We try so hard to have fun that we're forced to 'forget because of fun'.

This may sound like I'm boasting but hey! My blog. I've never followed a crowd. Ever. I've always done my own thing, said things just the way I felt it in my head, and never let anyone else's opinion run my life. At times, I have felt a little down in the dumps ( or sometimes the bottom of a garbage can on the sea bed ) because of what people have said to me or about me. My judgement of other people would always be beyond precise but how I judged myself, would just be unfair and crude. And that's where I started growing up. I started realizing that if I want to even remotely survive in what we call "civilization" I'm going to have to start giving importance to something that was actually really important in my life: ME. After a point, I got tired of the comments, accommodating people, the constant concerns for my eccentricity. And thus began my " I don't give the butt of a baboon's uncle what you think" attitude. It's worked for me so far! I just go after what I want. I don't listen unless my instinct tells me to sit my arse down and pay attention.

It's always important to acknowledge how different you are from the rest of the world. We live in a pretty damn big world. Comparison doesn't help. EVER. There's always going to be someone better than you, prettier, higher IQ, more popular, swimming-in-gold richer than you, and maybe just nicer and close to perfect than you. But the thing that we don't see more often than not is that all those people? Are not you. And they never will be. They don't have what you have, they don't think what you think and they don't know you like you know yourself. And as long as we all come to terms with that, we're good.


Now if you excuse me, I must remove Coco from under my sleeve because now I look like I've just been at war with all the scratch marks. Speaking of the squirrel, keep checking because we'll be introducing a new part to my blog very soon =)  Hint: A bunch of moving photos.


Yes, a Video you bubbleheads.

Hee. Prat Lowve. Stay heavy ;)

Anthrax - I'm Alive.

WHEN SOMEONE BRINGS UP AN EX, THEIR OPINION ON HOW I LOOK,  OR INDULGE IN SELF-OBSESSION:

At first: 



And then:



And the grand finale:

Portal Of I

Ne Obliviscaris are playing in Sydney on July 20th. That's the best news I've heard all week. AND I AM SO BLOODY EXCITED. I love them. Absolutely love their music and I love them. Did I mention I love them? Because I really really do. Them being Aussie is an added bonus.

I heard one of their songs from their demo quite some time ago considering I'm 20 and three months and ancient. And my instant reaction was:

First:


After which:



And then:




But finally:



Hailing from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ( eeeeee ), Ne Obliviscaris are a 6 piece progressive metal band that can literally leave your eyes popping out of their sockets. And their variety of instrumentation is what got me hooked. You won't know what I'm talking about until you actually give their album Portal Of I, a good 6 to 7 listens. Best part is their music doesn't just stop at proggy. In a matter of ten minutes, and I kid you not, you will hear a plethora of sounds ranging from pure melodic death metal, to jazzy, symphonic to black-ish, sheer heaviness to melodic. It is beyond mind fooking I can assure you. Even after listening to them a bazillion times, I'm still left in this weird trance, so much so that even if someone waved garlic and a smelly foot under my nose, I wouldn't even notice.

Portal Of I is by far one of the best metal albums of 2012, and in general. What catches a listener's instant attention is the significant sounds of the violin throughout the length of the album. At certain points during the tracks you tend to be taken into this whole other world before you come back to reality and realize that it's a metal album you're actually listening to. And violins are more heard of or rather are more common in the folk metal genre of music, so that's the first very unique element to Ne Obliviscaris' music. It gives a feeling of diversity as well as diversion, incorporating a completely different sound into the typical progressive metal music. Put very simply, NeO go against the norm with their music and that is very very visible in Portal Of I.
The second very noticeable trait of this album is the Opethy influence that lingers in every track, the only difference being the use of the violin. Tim Charles, the genius behind the violins also contributes to the album with clean vocals that blend perfectly with Xenoyr's ridiculously enchanting growls, literally making your eyes water for a few seconds in sheer awe. Just like Eluveitie, despite there being six members in the band, each one stands out and isn't overshadowed in any way at all. But to notice this, one needs to have absolute patience to listen to the entire album because each track hits an average of a ten minute length except 'Of The Leper Butterflies'.

The album opens with the astonishing track, "Tapestry of The Starless Abstract" which is off their 2007 EP "The Aurora Veil". Of course the quality is much better and certain sounds can be heard a lot clearer than in the EP. The track's name itself gives you visuals beyond normal imagination. This track perfectly sets the pace for the rest of the album, proving that they are not just any progressive metal band. The melodic element is unbelievable. The growls and clean vocals with completely different lyrics keep your ears alert. But like I said, what stands out most significantly is the violin. I love you Charles. Consistent, maddening riffs and blast beats would be the key features of this gorgeous track.

"Xenoflux", track number deux, is also equally mindfooking with amazing transitions throughout. What starts off as a purely heavy, definitely metal track, with the expectation of it to continue that way for a while suddenly drops into this really soft, ambient, acoustic passage, with the violin adding an abundance of emotion in the background. And just when you think you'll get comfy with the soothing sounds of NeO, the momentum builds up and BOOM. Face melter right at the end of the song. I swear the first time I heard it I could feel the hair on my head standing upright. And I have really really long hair. This would be one of my favourites off Portal Of I.

"Of The Leper Butterflies", the shortest song of the album, is beautifully crisp and sweet, with the band conveying a more groovy side to their music, heavy sounds infused with yummy jazzy elements. ( I'm a huge jazz fan - more soon on Thelonius Monk ). It provides a nice lead-in to the next track.

"Forget Not", honestly just made me all teary eyed. I don't know what it is about that violin but it's so peaceful yet haunting simultaneously. NeO are definitely one of the bands that I reckon put in a lot of emotion and feeling into their music style and it's primarily because of that sexy violin. Despite the heaviness of the riffs, the melody is just too bloody good to notice.

"And Plague Flowers The Kaleidoscope", this would be my absolute favourite from the album. This is what would make any noob an instant Ne Obliviscaris fan, I can write that in blood and hand it to you. Although I'd prefer if I had to write it in chocolate or maple syrup. Just saying. The intro to this song literally calls out to you. It starts off with this very traditionally European opera kind of tune to it, flamenco if you will. And then gradually picks up pace into something beyond brilliant. The drums come in and it really does sound like a Spanish folk song. What gets me every single time is how well the growls and clean vocals blend together without causing too much of a ruckus. You'd think that simultaneous vocals like that would be too much, but yet again, NeO prove you wrong. Strong and powerful is an understatement for this track. Again, I can't tell you how much the violin makes everything so perfect. Not to mention some crazyass breakdowns and blast beats to go with it. Transitions are what make this song. I can go on and on about it. *hearts*

Track 6, " As Icicles Fall", starts off with some nice rolls, very peacefully and of course, Charles' clean singing. I want him. Birthday gift. This man can REALLY sing. The lyrics are much more comprehensible, keeps you alert( which can be said about the whole album in fact ). The cleans really convey a lot of emotion, and along with the beautiful guitars and rough growls, this song is amazing to say the least. Melodic metal. And oh my god, the violins in between literally sound like they're weeping! It's friggin awesome! Haunts the living daylights out of you, but it can leave you speechless. Another trippy piece.

Last on Portal Of I, is, " Of Petrichor Weaves Black Noise", this track along with "Tapestry", gave me some beautiful mental images of this never ending magical land where you know nothing but peace. It tops off the album so perfectly, and yet again, growls and clean vocals along with the amazing collaboration of instruments, you can not, I assure you find anything wrong with this track or the album. The guitar in this track in a few segments sound folky and the violin AGAIN. The deep, opera-like vocals towards the end is just sheer brilliance. My ears, my mind, I'm just at so much peace.
I don't know what else to say, except that if you're a frequent listener of these guys, or a newbie to their music, you will always be left astounded at the end. They're musical style, structuring, the accuracy of the drums and well placed guitars, that violin *heart beats*, the dramatic but gorgeous vocals merged with the death growls. In no way can it get any better and more unique than this.

I'm almost in tears that I actually have the chance to watch these guys live. It really is a dream come true. They're fan following is increasing by the day and they really do deserve all the support in the world. They are amazing. Talented. Australian. They are Ne Obliviscaris.

And they are coming.

Check them out, kick back, forget about everything and let them take you on an emotional, spiritual and purely melodic death metal journey.  =)

Giggle giggle Hardy har

Good morning all you mortal beings!

Thought I'd start the day off with a few laughs which is kinda what's been keeping me up all night. I hardly slept for want of breath and constant gulps of water and subsequent dunny trips.

Danny Bhoy. I love him. He's absolutely and by far one of the funniest people I've ever heard/seen. Hee. Here he is... On the Fruit Police. Bahahahahahhaha. This one gets me everytime =P

And then there's one of my all time favourites Ed Byrne. Also Irish *heart eyes* His take on weddings. Bahahahahahhaa. Arseholery. =D

AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF. *snorts and stuffs hanky in mouth* CHRIS ADDISON ON UGG BOOTS. THIS IS BEYOND HILARIOUS =D  PENCILS IN PENCILHOLDERS BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Is it just me or is he very hot on a major scale in a really cool, nerdy, suit-up kinda way? Hmmm.

This one I couldn't resist. I laugh like a hyena on a high dosage of  helium every single time. Mock the week commenting on Dara's unusually large head. *dies laughing*

"I don't model for big heads". HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH

Naaaaw. Good laughs ^_^ 

20 Thing You Should Know About Love

1. However mushy it sounds, however much you try to deny it, love does make the world go around. Love is what we thrive on. Love is the best gift you can give. Give unconditionally because there's always so much to give. Even to dark chocolate. Especially to dark chocolate.

2. Everyone wants to be loved. Sometimes you may say you don't care, you don't really think about it, you don't have time. But that's the inevitable truth. We all want to be loved, to be cared about, to be pampered by someone special, to be beyond spazzed out with someone who will get it.

3. Love is the cause of mistakes. Love is the cause of hurt. Love is the cause of hope. Let the people you love blame you, make their own mistakes. Let them be. That's what love is all about. Forgiving. and of course loving. How very profound of me.

4. Don't try and force yourself to love someone. It doesn't work that way. Hence my lack of belief in arranged marriages. Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, something you feel instantly is what you truly feel. Something you feel later is what you're trying to feel. It's like me with white pumpkins stilettos. I just can't force the love there.

5. Don't force your love on someone either. You'll just end up fat and alone. No offence.

6. You will always remember your first real love. Puppy love doesn't really count. Don't freak out. It's bound to stick in your head like a sticky, gooey ball of sticky stuff. That's how special it was.

7. Unconsciously we all want to find love just so we know that we mean something to someone. That's fine, but just don't forget the other people around you who love you and who you mean the world to.

8.  There will be times when you love someone but they don't love you back. Or they don't show it. Again, that's like loving a beautiful brick wall. You shall never receive  But sometimes it's best not to.

9. Love can make you do the stupidest, most insane things. Like eat cucumbers to look pretty. Heck even wear cucumbers for that matter. And listen to mushy love songs about hearts and bumblebees.

10.  Funniest thing about love. Loving someone so much, it can lead to feelings of hate. Familiarity breeds contempt. Just make sure you don't use tongs (you know why ) or kill someone with an encyclopedia or a really heavy cloth bag.

11. You will fall in love. But don't go looking for it. It'll come to you. It'll happen. If it doesn't, pray that a leprechaun turns up on your wash basin or the nearest rainbow.

12. It's important to realize that you're just not Satan's spawn and that you're actually worth loving. You're worth all the love of a gazillion baby seals and elephants.

13. Someone you love, will make you feel like shit. It's bound to happen so when it does, don't fuss over it and just feel like shit and eat pizza.

14. When you have someone that you love around you, make sure that they know that you do. Taking someone for granted is the easiest thing for a human being to do.

15. Love can feel like being sat on and like you're on a high of petrol smelling and rum filled truffle chocolates all at the same time. It's so satisfying sometimes, it's like that feeling you get after itching your butt when you couldn't do it in public. But it's also like the feeling you get when you can't pee for ages. Learn to balance the two. And you'll be fine.

16. Being in love, will DEFINITELY bring out the best and worst in you. Fortunately and unfortunately for that one special person. They will see it all.

17. Know that love doesn't just mean boyfriends and heart pieces of candy. It means your parents, your siblings, you're pet chinchillas and canines. There's love everywhere. "Being in love" is just one special kind meant for one special person. Don't mix that up with other things.

18. Once you love someone, it'll never go away. It'll always be there lingering in your head and heart like an annoying little aussie fruitfly. It'll be there in some form. Sometimes you're aware of it, sometimes you're not.

19. Love at it's best can feel like squishing a baby polar bear and sleeping with your guitar. But at it's worst, it can feel like little drops of cold water trickling down just your nose, like stubbing your toe into a really annoying wall that wasn't even supposed to be there and that you want to break down with Thor's hammer.

20. But most of all? Love begins only when you start loving yourself. Only if you do, can you give love and take it in return.

=) Prat.

May The Fourth Be With You

To all us Star War junkies, today is a very very important day. As oft it is quoted by members of Jedism, " May the Force be with you" is just our way of praying for world peace and chocolate mousse. This is more than just an expression but to most lesser mortals, it's just that. Today was chosen by Star Wars across the globe to be Intergalactic Star Wars Day and is said by us fans with the fun intended, "May the Fourth be with you". It does sound rather funny because it's as if we're lisping or like we just forgot how to speak. Nonetheless, it is of great importance that everyone acknowledges the significance of today.

I've been a Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember. I've watched all six movies atleast a few times each and now I'm even attempting to buy my very own light saber. Honestly it's an amazing series that everyone must watch atleast once in their lifetime but be warned Star Wars noobs, you may not get it all on the first watch. Took me three watches the first movie to actually get what's happening. And to clear the common confusion of which one to watch first, well it's a choice really.

The first way you can watch it is of course, in episodic order so you start with:

1. The Phantom Menace ( 1999 )
2. Attack Of The Clones ( 2002 )
3. Revenge Of The Sith ( 2005 )
4. A New Hope ( 1977 )
5. The Empire Strikes Back (1980 )
6. Return Of The Jedi ( 1983 )
So you watch the prequel trilogy first and then get on to the trilogy that was made sixteen years before.

I find this a good way for the rookie fans to watch the series because it's a good way to understand the ways of Darth Vader chronologically from when he was a kid to when he dies. The storyline watching it this way does seem more interesting because I've found a lot of people telling me that after watching the first Star Wars movie ( A New Hope ) just gets them a tad bit lost and bored. And I don't completely agree but it can get confusing attempting to follow what exactly is happening. There's also a good balance between all the 6 with some being really dark and eerie and some being a good sci-fi comedy that can lift your spirits like Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. This has always been my personal favourite mainly because of Jar Jar Binks hee. Gotta love him and his ears ^_^

The only drawback watching this way is that the original trilogy was taken close to 16 years before the Prequel trilogy came out and it is very very noticeable the sudden change in the visual effects, the sets and backdrops and the quality of the special effects. It all just seems rather weird and ancient-y.  Also some of the important bits and plots in the original saga lose their effect because of the prequels. You'll find out when you watch, I don't want to ruin all the good stuff for you.

It's not all bad though and in terms of understanding the Star Wars series, this would be a good way to start, unless you have all the time in the world to watch each movie atleast seven times each before you get what's happening to who.

The second way of course is to watch them in Chronological order, wherein you watch the Original saga first ( Episodes IV, V and VI ) and then you watch the Prequel Trilogy next ( Episodes I, II and III ). Watching Star Wars this way does instantly eliminate all the issues that prop up watching them in episodic order. You don't suddenly jump from all these brilliant Jedi battles on Spacey backdrops to something that looks like it came out of the 60's Hollywood set up. Literally. It's much more natural to watch it this way and the transition is smooth, although the episodes are not in order. Also, all the good parts, the important plots and unseen-till-it-hits-you plots remain intact. As you'll see, the only problem with this viewing method is that it kinda leaves you wanting more, also it ends on, what you could say a bit of a disappointing note, you'll see why.

Despite that, I'd still recommend this to long time Star Wars fans, because that's how I've been watching it for years. I grew up on Star Wars and I'd suggest this over the previous way any time, even for the noobs.

I did come across a fans suggestion of watching Episodes IV and V first, then watching the Prequel Trilogy followed by Episode VI : Return Of The Jedi to seal the awesomeness of Star Wars. I did watch it once this way and It worked for me pretty well!  The plots and the climax don't get ruined because you watch Return Of The Jedi last. Basically, it leaves you wanting to know what's going to happen next which I think is important when watching any Sci-Fi, thriller/horror/mystery movie, suspense is key. That's what's get us audiences and movie buffs. Also, the transition issue is limited here because you fit in the prequels before you get to watching Episode VI so you end your Star Wars marathon on a high note.
Downside? Can be very confusing to first timers, but it is a fun way nonetheless.

I then came across another viewing method which is watching both trilogies in alternating order so you would be watching I, IV, II, V, III, VI. I'm yet to try out this method but it is possibly the most unorthodox and confusing method to watch the Star Wars saga.

But whatever way you watch it, it's Star Wars. It's like the Mecca and Varanasi of movies. You need to watch it atleast once in your lifetime. The actors are top notch, especially in the Prequel trilogy, you're taken to a galaxy far, far away, away from planet Earth and into a world of Jedi knights, Master Yoda and Chewbacca  ^_^

Ideally I would've posted this yesterday but I sort of forgot. =P My bad. But as I always say, " May the Force be with you." or in this case, "May The Fourth Be with you."

Some of my favourite Star Wars quotes!


- " The Force is strong with this one." - Darth Vader
- " Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? " - Master Yoda
- " All who gain power are afraid to lose it." - Darth Sidious
- " Do or do not, there is no try."
-  "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, Anger leads to hate, Hate leads to Suffering."

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU YOUNG PADAWANS!

Earthlings

"The question is not, "Can they reason?", nor, "Can they talk? but "Can they suffer?" " - Jeremy Bentham

I am sad. Shocked. Amazed. Disgusted. Ashamed. Ashamed that I am a part of the human race. Ashamed that I am part of a community that can only think of itself and not co exist with the other beings on Earth. I never use the word 'hate'. It's strong. But what I'm feeling now? Is pure hate. I hate the fact that we think we own everything on this planet, that everything is at our disposal and that nothing but our desires matter. THIS WORLD IS BLOODY MESSED UP.  

My name is Prarthana and from this day on, I am vegan. No more planning to be one, no more I can't give up something just because I'm addicted. Animals do not deserve what they get from us. They just don't. And up until now, I thought I was a hardcore animal lover. I'm hardly there. As for all the people who wear leather jackets, have silk coats and eat whale meat? I dare you. I dare you all to watch this video. I don't even care how I sound right now. But if it's come down to this? Daring? Then so be it.

To anyone who reads my blog, watch this. If you have the gutts. If you want to know the truth and face it, watch. We're humans. We're supposed to be the most evolved beings. WATCH IT. And I swear that if you continue eating non vegetarian food after what you watch if you do? You will amaze me. If you eat meat, I will not judge you but I will feel nothing for you. People may be nice, they may be good, but they are in denial. Every single one of you that eats meat is in  denial.

My purpose in life has always been to work with animals, create an awareness for their protection and conservation. But now, in addition to that, it's become a mission. Never before have I felt such a strong love, and connection. Animals need us, and if any of you out there know exactly what I'm talking about, you'll feel your life's purpose is the same. They don't deserve this. Not even a fraction of it. They've done nothing but exist.

Remember my post on vegetarianism? Read it again. And then watch this. If you don't cry watching this? I'm sorry, you don't have any feelings or emotions. We're part of a selfish, self-obsessed race. This has been the toughest 1.5 hours in my entire 20 years. I thought I knew distress, I thought I knew depression and madness, I thought I knew what it felt like to be hurt physically and emotionally, and I thought I knew what pain was. I was nowhere close. But now I do. I've felt so much pain in a matter of an hour and it's made me feel sick. But now that I know how cruel human beings really are? How while I'm sitting here plonk in front of a computer screen with no worries, out there somewhere, baby animals are being stripped away from their mothers, animals of all kinds are being tortured to death just so humans can satisfy their taste buds, I know now. I know what my life's purpose is.

This is by far the best film I've ever watched. Well taken, well directed and well narrated. I've never felt so much all at the same time. Joaquin Phoenix has done an amazing job at making me cry like a baby. Not to mention the courage that Shaun Monson had to endure actually going through all of what's in the movie and facing it. It's beautiful, shocking, and will definitely blow your mind and change your eating habits.

If anyone ever comes to me and argues about eating meat again, I swear to all the Gods that I will beat the crap out of you. I'm done being diplomatic and peaceful about it. I don't care how I'm judged or what people think of me. If you can eat another living being, you have no respect for anyone but what your mouth wants.

We need to change. Animals have every right to survive. They have the right to live out their lives. They DO have feelings. But they have to live in constant fear of us. They shouldn't have to.

Again, I DARE YOU TO WATCH THIS. If you have the balls. Stop living in denial. Meat doesn't just come from packets and from plates. It comes from LIVING CREATURES. Your leather coat wasn't made by Gucci. It was made by a poor cow somewhere the lost it's right to live just for your stupid pleasure.
Remember slaughterhouses don't have glass walls for a reason. 

Animal Kingdom, I'm coming.

"The hope for the animals of tomorrow is to be found in a human culture which learns to feel beyond itself." - Joaquin Phoenix 

HOW I TRY TO ACT WHEN A HOT GUY I LIKE IS STARING AT ME:




HOW I REALLY LOOK:

HOME + SCHOOL?

One down. Three more suckers to go. Before you jump to conclusions, I'm referring to the summer exams that I have to endure. Oh that feeling of joy when you run out of the examination room with the stupidest grin on your face and that little voice in your head going " YIPEEEEEEE WHO DA BAAWS". I seem to have voices going on and on in my head all the bloody time. No I'm not crazy, I'm just a simple, eccentric Aquarian. Or a Psychology student.

It's rather entertaining every time I have to explain my life's achievements and timeline to Earthlings. I get looks of WTDOUBLEF?, question after question about how exactly studying from the confines of four walls that I call home works, whether I'm REALLY a graduate because I studied from home. It's endless! But I don't blame anyone really for all the doubts, when you tell people, " I dropped out of school, finished year 11 and 12 in one year and decided that I want to save animals, headbang and work for the united nations for the rest of my life, and my parents are down with that", people do tend to wonder what planet you've come from.

For those of you ignorances who don't know too much about home-schooling. It's simple really. You study from home.

And that's what I've been doing for the past, wow. Six years! I dropped out of school in ninth grade! Blimey I'm old! :O Anyhoo, after seeing my sister study via distance education and shizz, I really wanted to do that too. It just seemed so fancy and effortless. You don't have to wear a uniform everyday. You don't have to get up at ungodly hours. Heck you don't have to polish your shoes with chalk just because you're a vice captain. Don't judge me, I loved my shoes just the way they were. But with great power comes great responsibility. And a lot of chalk.

I never really thought about it, but it's been six years. And I'm really happy that I made that decision. Despite all the naysayers, the critics, the people who think my family and I have absolutely lost our minds, I got through it. School was so mainstream. Literally. I didn't learn jacksquat. Some teachers were nice, but some just did not know how to teach goddamit. And I'd get sent out of class because I didn't "do my homework". Can you blame a person for not getting the right guidance? This pretty much sums up my school life so here goes - Ponytail, baby frogs, pranks on weird girls, football, lunch, football, stand outside class, more food, stand outside class, throw squeaky toys around Hindi class, punishment under the Badam Tree ( X3), ( our class got sent to sit under the hugeass tree on the side of school three times because we were just that notorious, and I'm proud to say, two of those three times were because of yours truly), check out seniors ( there really weren't that many hot ones but you make the best of what you get yeah? ), football, football, poison ( basketball game ), get yelled at, stand outside class, forge signatures, spiders, weird dances for school day ( I don't dance!!!!! bah ) Robin Hood, weird quizzes, free noodles and hot chocolate, football, cops and robbers, the slide game ( get those dirty thoughts out of your head, it's a game we play on the slide ), food, and yeah that's about it.

That was my life in school. And then it began. I left. I needed to. And I wanted to. I wanted to live my own life. Not by the rules of a system. However rebelliously weird that sounds, that's the truth. I had all these big things that I wanted to do and I wasn't getting anywhere leaving for school at 7.30 am and getting home by 4.30 and then doing homework for god knows what reason. And that's how the journey began.

I've met so many different people, had experiences I can never forget, and it's all made me the person I am today. Some people are surprised I'm not this vampire that cowers at the crack of dawn and when exposed to sunlight and that I actually am a very social person. Jeez yo, I just studied from home I'm not a juvenile delinquent. At every point, even at the difficult bits, I've always made sure that I don't completely lose my sanity although I have come close.

Lots of people have asked me the extent to which my life is boring. And question the exposure I have to this big big world, or the lack thereof. And my answer every time is exactly the same. I tell them I've learnt more than I would have going to a college here. I just couldn't bring myself to go. It didn't feel right. Even my principal said I'd be a misfit. And that was in fact, quite a compliment! I've learnt and done so much over the past few years and I never thought it would turn out so well for me. Come to think of it, it's turned out kickassedly. It's given me six years of time to figure out where I really really want to be, what it is I want to do with this life. I've spent crazy amounts of time with the even crazier family that I love so much. Honest to all gods, I couldn't have gotten this far without them. So trust me when I say, don't ever try and push your family away or brush them off because they just 'don't get you'. You'll regret it. Dead serious. But most of all. Mom. She's been my everything. My professor, my best friend, my worst nightmare, my movie buddy, my chef, and my mother. She's seen me through everything and all I can say is, I'm just darned lucky that I have her.

You know? Home schooling isn't what it sounds like. There's a much bigger picture to it. It's just that the bigger picture isn't seen because most people don't open their eyes enough to see it. And now I'm all set for University. It's even more exciting for me because I've never been to college and it's a whole new life to look forward to. Everything that happened before this, that's in the past. I get excited thinking that it can only get better and better and there's no space for things to blow up. At this point my squirrel is sitting on my head and chewing my ear. Couldn't have that happening if I wasn't at home now could I?

And here I am today, writing my third year finals from L.S.E and I've gotta say, it feels good. Home school? Best decision I ever made.

Sydney I'm on my way.