YJL

Few days ago, when I was in bed, can’t remember whether I just lied down or woke up in middle of night. Either way, somehow 君が好きだと叫びたい (Kimi ga Suki da to Sakebitai) (1993) by BAAD (1992-1999), a Japanese rock band, SLAM DUNKing into my mind out of nowhere with a nostalgic smell just like going back 20 years in school gym.

Don’t ask me what the song title or lyrics mean, I don’t speak Japanese, but Wikipedia has the translation for it, I Want to Shout ‘I Like You’, and the video also has translations in it. It’s the first opening theme song for Slam Dunk (1993-1995/1996).

It was two decades ago, where was I? Junior high? Anyway, there was quite some Japanese animes on our television channels, and Slam Dunk was one of them. I can’t say I watched all but quite a lot. You know how Japanese animes go, the comical dramatic scene and the sudden seriously stern talking, both can go with shouting, just emphasizing in different aspects.

I wasn’t good at any sports, in fact, pretty bad, but that didn’t stop me watching this anime and I was not the only one. I don’t know if this anime was popular in other places in the world, but it was quite big here at the time. If my memory is correct, some years later, when I was in dorm, some students still watched it.

Don’t you feel somewhat strange, not just Japanese music or drama, it seems many shows either has English title or one or two lines in English in the lyrics, but virtually nothing else is in English. I wonder way.

Something in the Water by Brooke Fraser, released on 2010-08-02, that was nearly four years ago and I only first listened to this song @ 2014-04-22T14:09:31Z.

Almost three month late, after binned this entry, now I dug it out and dusted it off while enjoying it in the background as I writing this blog post. Here is the quote-unquote “originally raw note” (doing the air quotes):

• there is something in the water - 2014-04-22T14:09:31Z
   ◦ basetrade tv Starship Trooper Ultimate Edition
     - 2014-04-22T14:10:22Z
   ◦ no Protoss - 2014-04-22T14:10:27Z
   ◦ http://youtu.be/u5C-YHSy3Fw - 2014-04-22T15:25:45Z
   ◦ http://youtu.be/f0pMgzYUEwA - 2014-04-22T15:28:25Z

As I reading my original notes—if you could honestly call it that—I was wondering the “no Protoss,” then I recalled Starship Troopers Ultimate Edition, a show match perhaps, was one ain’t allowed Protoss race to play. I believe it’s just for fun.

I recently also watched another, the players have to play opponent’s race, Kappa StarLeague (Match 9), happened to tune in for the last map, after 10 minutes of in-game time, finally realized Bomber and Crank were playing off-races. Didn’t actually listen to the casting, but I felt strange when the names and situations didn’t match.

Many songs I got to listen to and enjoy were from watching tournaments. Recently, I started to watch “Counter Strike: Global Offensive” streams. I used to think how on Earth they could cast games for FPS games like CS:GO, but it turned out, they could and I wasn’t confused.

If you ain’t in water and in Oklahoma, from a YouTube channel I was subscribed to: Remember, “there’s always SOMETHING to DISCOVER IN OKLAHOMA!”; and I hope you don’t find that something is a big shark with scarily sharp teeth!

As for me, there is Something in the Bin.

It’s almost five months since last SotD. Friends Like You by Meaghan Smith, from latest Have A Heart album, which was released on April 22, 2014.

Once again, I never heard of her name or songs before. The song was played during the break of 2014 GSL Season 2 Code S Ro16 Group A after the Loser’s Match between Classic v. soO. She is a Canadian singer-songwriter. This song seems to be recorded in late 2012 according to the Facebook post, but only released just a month ago. She said in another post:

I’m gonna start giving you sneak peeks into my songs… One new song is about someone who pretended to be my friend, but really wasn’t. “…”

I like the lyrics, they are quite funny to listen. But when I tried to find out the song’s name, I kept finding unrelated results until I finally used the right keywords “it’s an art form #BFF forgery,” which is the funniest part in my mind:

Never know which face I’m gonna see

You got at least two maybe three

It’s an art form

#BFF Forgery

You’re genuinely great at being fake

And I’m a hopeless optimist

You know there are libraries for face detection, I wonder if they have a feature to detect faking faces and give warning like “Warning: #FAKEBFF” in automatic tweets.

And I learned a new word: “frenemy.” This song also teaches us in frienemy relationship, there are a few things you don’t do:

1. Hold it back,
2. Think about peace and love, and
3. All that other crap.

Like Roar, I heard Wasting All These Tears (2013) during interim in (WCS) GSL, which seems to play songs that fit to my tastes. The singer, Cassadee Pope, is the winner of The Voice, a reality singing competition show. “Reality” and “competition” are two worst words can be in a television show in my opinion, but people love the combination , so I’ve never watched that kind of show and never heard of her before.

It’s a song I like, but this post is going to have a detour. There is a fan clips video on her YouTube account, go watch it and see if you have same thought as I while watching it.

One keyword: V.V.S.

What I noticed was there are 8 clips were shot in vertical mode, out of total 14 clips. Yes, I watched twice, just to count how many were. For some unknown and bizarre reason, the difference between vertical clips and horizontal clips caught my eyes instead of those fans were saying.

It reminded me of Vertical Video Syndrome, a PSA video from little more than a year ago, as the syndrome was finally being identified. If YouTube showed 4 vertical videos at once, 8 / 4 = 2, time and bandwidth saved! Frankly, I don’t care how people shoot their videos, H or V is fine with me.

Back to the song, this is kind of sad:

I try to find you at the bottom of the bottle

Lying down on the bathroom floor

At least it’s not “lying down in a dark street at middle of night like a dead corpse, and smell like someone just peed on themselves.” Bathroom floor is much better, you can crawl into shower stall and turn on the water to clean up yourself without much effort required, not like I have ever experienced of that. Really, I swear on my dog’s life.

My favorite lyrics:

‘Cause you didn’t give a damn about me.

Don’t know many songs use explicit words, not like it is rare, just that kind of songs usually get no attentions from me.

Cups (Pitch Perfect’s When I’m Gone) (2011) by Anna Kendrick, is a cover of the original song Cups (You’re Gonna Miss Me) (2009) by Lulu and the Lampshades, which is a rendition of Miss Me When I’m Gone (1937) by J. E. Mainer’s Mountaineers and You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone (1938) by (Charlie) Monroe’s Boys, according to Wikipedia.

Confused? Well, just enjoy Anna Kendrick’s music video version.

Never had watched Pitch Perfect or any of her television shows or films, but I did know she is also a singer after I stumbled across her Wikipedia page, though never heard of any singing of hers until Cups.

Once again, a YouTube recommendation popped up, but I wasn’t sure this was a good one when the video just started, although I like baking part at the beginning. When she started playing the cup I thought this wouldn’t be like that world record freaking awesome cup stacking video, would it? That would be so weird for a music video.

The music video turned out quite interesting when I realized that’s some beats from playing the cup and clapping. That chef can drum, and that guy at 3‘12” is hilarious when he couldn’t get the cup out at the first try.

Because of this music video, though it has nothing to do with the story of Pitch Perfect, I watched the film and I like it. It’s not like the usual films that you would hate the antagonists to the bones, in fact, I don’t really feel the film has one. Of course, it has, just very weak. I’d describe it’s a film of positivity. Certainly, it has the element of romance, you know the boy meets the girls, and they get together in the end after some silly arguments. Which I really don’t like films or television shows have that. Like antagonist in this film, that part isn’t the focus, or should I say that I simply ignored and concentrated on the music.

Did she really sing “You’re gonna miss my taco?”

Haven’t done Song of the Day for months, just got a recommended video, Thank You Very Much (2013) by Margaret Ashton, because I watched a prank video. I was wondering why a prank video triggered a music video, but it did make sense after I watched it.

The recommended video was actually a duplicate of the official upload, because the official video has age restriction and YouTube account required, and that’s why I put up the warning in the beginning of this this post, but I really think it’s more like 15+.

I decided to put this song on SotD solely because of the music video. It’s too hilarious and has twists. The first ten seconds, you may think that daughter’s clothes are fine. Yes, it’s exposing, her nails are painted black. But we all have seen worse. At least her hair wasn’t dyed in rainbow colors. Then, suddenly, it totally blew out of my mind when the camera turned to the parents and I burst into laughters.

“Just don’t embarrass us”

Although it’s funny, but the scene of her dad wrestling with someone by the pool was sort of gross. Because someone’s willy knocks off her cup and I didn’t think that’s a fake penis. Eee…yuck. Also, the Wee playing scene, couch, I meant Wii playing scene, which was gross and totally bogus. No man can have a penis that big! ;-)

But I love the family photo scene, because that bare pussy are so cute and it’s not mosaic’d, did you see the wrinkles? It’s so adorable, so is the baby! Who doesn’t like the alien-like Sphynx kittens, right?

The ending is epic. The only other person was clothed in the party was a guy. That reminds me of the ending of CollegeHumor’s Jeggings series.

“Oh, c’mon!”

Bonus: Wedding Interrupts Lecture (A Cappella Group) University of Michigan by the same prank video uploader.

It can’t be a better timing to share this 33-year-old song, Happy New Year (1980) by ABBA (1972-1982).

During this time of year, people used to talk about the good, the bad, listing what had been done in the previous year, doing reviews, making resolutions or none, and these sorts of things. It’s quite interesting to read blogs doing those, and I can see everyone has its own way to write about it.

An end is also a beginning, a start of something new, trying things you have never dared to do before. For me, as a blogger, not crazy enough like those people, I am only trying blogging with KISS principle and that’s why I don’t embed YouTube video but with only links.

I saw some bloggers were trying to figure out from whether they should continue to blog or not to complicated life situations, while others happily making plans and setting goals for this brand new 2013. Some bloggers have realized that making resolutions are just crossing-the-previous-year-number-and-writing-down-the-new-year-number-on-the-same-list kind of thing, and stopped it. But if you still make some, consider to add some to your resolutions list. Whatever they do, one thing they all love is making a post with a long list of posts.

For some reason, I don’t feel this song was trying to bring happy feeling. Three decades later, we definitely still need to say Happy New Year as you follow what’s going on in our world.

“May we all have our hopes, our will to try.”

I own a copy of promo CD of Cyndi Lauper, who originally sings Time After Time in 1984, that’s why I felt so familiar when I heard this song from Holly of True Love. Eva Cassidy‘s cover (Live) is quite different than original, the lyrics are the same, but different in a way when you listen.

One time, I’ve said:

Why some things can touch your heart are always discovered after a death?

My words were spoken in my head while I was reading the Wikipedia about Eva Cassidy (1963-1996), she passed away in 1996. Jonathan Larson (1960-1996), the creators of Rent and Tick, Tick… Boom!, died in the same year. I only got to know his music a few years ago, and that’s why I had such feeling. It seems that we only have the chances to appreciate wonderful things after we lose the people.

And another great song, True Colors.

Seems like a perfect timing for Graduation by Vitamin C, it’s probably the only song I remember about graduation. This song’s been around for 12 years, old but not that old. I think I first listened to it on YouTube, so it’s about five years ago, I guess.

When I was a still a student, always told that time is the easiest period in the life from elementary school to college and one of the most memorable moments, it’s somewhat correct. Student life or anything is nowhere to be said the easiest, they say so because they lose it and were used to the life. It’s like any life transition, you reminisce even you have a hard time.

My last one, I can’t even remember how it went, I believe I was around but didn’t attend the ceremony or just completely skipped. Not really sure, it’s been many years. But I did tell myself: ‘that’s about it.’

Graduation is the beginning of a realization.

I was watching the Hairy Bikers’ Bakeation Italy while eating my freshly-baked-and-still-warm bread with a cup of black coffee. You got to watch a show with proper food, don’t you think so?

The show was concluding with Volare in background, I believed the performer is Gipsy Kings not Luciano Pavarotti as listed on BBC website, really no way that could be Pavarotti. I have listened to this song before and I am now sure it’s Gipsy Kings’ cover version, never tried to find out who sings it. You know your body want to move with the music when you hear the beats.

Don’t know if it was because of Italian, the cameraman in the episode also focused on females, candid shots, so to speak. Zooming in, focus transitioning from the cake, which Bikers were still making, to a female sitting on chair reading, quite funny.

By the way, I don’t speak Italian, don’t even know what the song title means.

I don’t know when I listened to this longtime hit song, Your Song by Elton John, for the first time, it’s been more than four decades since it was released in 1970. A song was even ten years older than I, well, eleven to be precise.

If you look into the median ages in countries, although no data for entire world population, I would say more than a half of world population were born after this song was sung. Sadly, I didn’t expect to know a fact that Uganda’s median age is 15.0 years. (It means a half of its people are 15 years old or younger)

There is also a cover by Ellie Goulding if you like her or female vocal. The cover had a blast after released. She seems a popular singer in UK, well everywhere, seemingly.

I thought Elton John is a British (probably still be), because I knew he was knighted by the Queen. In this video, he said he became American before this song was released. But this doesn’t matter, great music has no nationality.

It is an old song, but I think this song is liked by many young people, it could even be their song.

I first listened to this song a few months back on WBCL. I can’t find an official music video, but this live performance recording is very nice.

Britt Nicole has other great songs, such as Headphones, Safe, World That Breaks, Don’t Worry Now, Glow, Set The World On Fire (I love this one because of the name), and more. Just search on YouTube.

WBCL is a nice (Internet) radio station. I added it into my iradio script, iradio 18. And yes, I do listen to Christian/gospel music and I am not a religious person.

I heard WBCL via FFRC, which is a feline rescue center, they have cute kitties and kindhearted volunteers! I even created an unofficial page for it.

I want to play Minecraft after I watched this video:

I have known this game Minecraft for some time, but never wanted to play it. I thought it might use too much of my brain.

But now, I want to shoot some arrows in the air and to make tons of TNT and to blow stuff up with those TNT. Not sure how this game plays, but I am sure I can do some damage. :)

(Hmm… I don’t like this “Also, please make sure you’re running the Sun JVM…”)

I love this cover:

I think it’s even better than the original by Reamonn:

This MaximNoise (male vocal) is great and I think that’s why it’s better. The original has sound effects applied on. And I specially like the accent that he sing the word “supergirl” with.

Before I watched this cover song video, Last.fm said I have already listened twice since May, 2009. But I don’t remember I have listened to this song. Now I definitely remember.

By the way, do you feel the original singer is sort of like vampire in the music video?

Do supergirls not cry? I don’t know, but I know they can punch a hole in the roof your house like nothing.

I want to share some music videos I have been listening to for a while or other old ones with you. But some may not make sense because I don’t know German and I haven’t tried to read the translation, I just feel the song is cheerful one, so I count it as encouraging song.

1   F**kin’ Perfect by P!nk

Warning

This music video contains explicit materials.

The most recent one I listen to. I only watched the video (images) for once or twice, then I just listened to the song. Watching that is too much for me. If you haven’t watch it and you just start, you would disagree that this is an encouraging song, but you will see. There is a sweet twist.

2   Wir leben den Moment by Christina Stürmer

I think she is my favorite German music singer and this one is my favorite song. Her music often help your heart pump faster.

3   Firework by Katy Perry

I like this song, but maybe it’s more about the stories in this music video.

4   Sag Es Wie Es Ist by Luxuslärm

I don’t really know about what’s being played in this music video but it’s really fun to watch. The guy tries to impress his date (I think) by showing off his knowledge of wine, then the girl couldn’t stand anymore, so she tells him just be himself, the old one. And the kissing scene is so hilarious, when you see the other girl’s expression.

5   It’s My Life by Bon Jovi

Jump! Jump! Jump! Jump off the bridge! You can make it!

6   Spinner by Revolverheld

I think this music video is about the story about a group of different kinds of people living in a same building. Their life interlaces and something blah blah blah happens.