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.

2013 is coming to an end unless the world beats it first.

If you have some unfinished tasks have to be done before 2014, you only get a few days left and time is really running out and soon. Tick tock.

A song from a decade ago, Time Is Running OUt (2003) by Muse, and I’m still not sure what message of this music video is trying to convey. Anti-war? According to Wikipedia:

It is partially based on Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

After read the page, it started to make a little sense, not in reality, but in that film’s plot. Still, I don’t think the song has much to do with the film because of the timing of release. It’s been more than a decade after Cold War and it’s the time when US and UK began involving new wars.

One thing it’s definitely right, time is running out for whatever the thing you care about.

A cover song of Nine Inch Nails song (1995), released in 2002, just before Johnny Cash passed away in 2003.

I sometimes heard this song from commercials, I couldn’t remember what the ads were, but you could guess they were not something happy products.

Once again, another song played by GSL, like Roar or Wasting All These Tears, Any Other Way by We the Kings is as good as them.

I had listened to this song plenty of times in July since Any Other Way released in June. GSL had been playing probably at least once every broadcasting. However, it hasn’t been played recently.

Performed by We the Kings, same story, never heard of them before. Nice band name, by the way. Pretty sure you would agree with me, the most memorable part of lyrics is

Gasoline pumping through my veins

Dancing on top of the flames

I will never go down any other way

Any other way

This part has painted a vivid and dramatic picture in my mind whenever I read it, which probably not the real story behind this song. I searched for backstory of this song, wanted to find out how the lyrics were written, but I couldn’t find any.

Twist a bit, interpret differently, I can hear me singing this song to myself, well, the life. Life is a strange thing, and harsh in a way. Sometimes, you get nothing to do like living in paradise; but all of sudden, a ton load of things come altogether at once, suffocating you like horrible nightmares.

Would I Find You There?

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.

I first heard Roar (live) from Coup De Grace (2010) during interim in GSL. Never heard of any songs of Treat before, a Swedish melodic heavy metal band in 80s.

I tried to find out if this song Roar is a new song or not, it seems to be only released from Coup De Grace album in 2010. I guess it’s written after their reunion of 2006.

Anyway, it’s time to pump up the volume.

Ready to roar, ready or not (ready to rock)! Ready to give it all I’ve got!

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.