Purple Mocs: Yay or Nay?

Apologies for the massive picture, but I am completely unequivocally infatuated with these purple moccasins. 

They're from Tod's. So unfortunately for me, they will come with a cost. Oh well, a few weeks of stealing food and relying on pity will follow. Not really, but yes, as I wrote on my mate; Hamzah's wall, in the words of Family Guy's Stewie; "Victory is MINE!" huhu. My sources are on the job as we speak and I shall find out how much these beauties will put me back. So the question is; Purple Moccasins: Yay or Nay?

In my book, a definite Yay, watch out people, I feel a new trend coming on.

Until next time,

RockPaperScissors

un petit problème...

Yes, I have a small problem. Actually, more of a weakness than anything else. Fashion, namely shirts, jackets and shoes. Pants, not so much. The latest victim of my of my weakness happens to be that lovely lace-up above. The instantly recognizable crocodile pretty much gives away the brand, Lacoste of course. These beauties are officially called Lacoste Palais. 100% leather other than the insole, laces and rubberized soles. I have to say, that it was rather suprising to find that these at a Lacoste retailer, were cheaper than at a well known (and well loved) shoe retailer; Hype. It was infact 50% cheaper at the Lacoste store. So rather than pay $300 for them, I was obliged to get them for $150. It was practically a steal! Also the fact that my current Renoma lace-ups are in need of repair, worn down soles, it was a perfect excuse to get these. One of my mates has been raving about some purple moccasins, I have to say that despite their eye catching colour, they're growing on me, and shamefully, if I had the chance to buy some, I would just to make my friend cry. Haha. Not really but serious gloating will be on the cards. As for now, back to The Satorialist to scour for some new trends and inspiration.

Thought of the day: "Put some new shoes on and suddenly everything feels right"

Song of the day: "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" - The Script

Guitar Tab of the day: "Free Fallin'" - John Mayer 

min favoritt årstid er.... vinter

Yes winter is upon us. Well it technically started sometime last week but thats neither here or there. Unfortunately the start of winter has turned out to be a very wet one. I could delve into the metrological and aeronautical consequences but I shall spare you that torture. Its been raining since last Saturday. Its kind of depressing. And no, hail and ice do not make the situation better. We got our first taste of snow today. Albeit lasting for only a matter of seconds; it instantaneously melted upon contact with the ground. Now all this winter talk, you must have realised that my title is about winter. Its in Norwegian and it means 'My favorite season is winter'. Or at least thats what I hope it says. Wasn't too long ago I tried to impress one of my friends by trying to speak her native language, only to discover moments later, to my horror, that I said something completely different to what I was originally trying to say. If I remember correctly, I think I was trying to say "Hello, how are you?" to her sister, her brother in-law and her. I can't really remember what I ended up saying but I can safely say I think twice when trying to look sophisticated in front of friends.

I actually really like winter. I like the whole experience of it when you're outside. The cold air brushing against your cheeks, the fresh and crisp winter air, the trudging sound your feet make when walking across the frozen grass. Call me a hopeless romantic, but winter is a perfect excuse to cuddle up to someone you care about. You can always use the "share body warmth to survive" line as an excuse as well. Also, I love winter jackets. Yes, I'm quickly losing masculinity by talking about fashion, but its not something I can deny. I mean, if you see come to my house, you'll see my 'walk-in closet'. Its mainly filled with dress-shirts and ties, but there is a spot reserved for jackets. Dinner, formal, casual, winter or otherwise. I'm more into smart-casual dressing, therefore I do enjoy my trench coats. All three of them. They sort of go through a rotation plan, but mainly it depends what matches with what I'm wearing. I've probably used my FCUK one the most, but the Y.D. and Burberry ones are not neglected. Okay... time to regain some of my masculinity. I drink beer and love steaks. yarr. Speaking of which, there's this ad for Campbell's soup on the telly lately that I quite enjoy. Its an ad for "Campbell's Fully Loaded". Its just so over the top at trying to be manly, I think one of the best lines is "Fully loaded man's got balls of meat!". And I always seem to laugh at the end when I see the guy crush the tin screaming. Never fails to make me laugh.

Here's the link: Campbell's Fully Loaded

If you're like me, and you enjoy hearing about people getting screwed over, check out www.fmylife.com

Its actually pretty funny, in a sadistic kind of way. Take for example this one:

"Today, my girlfriend dumped me proclaiming she wanted someone more like her "Edward". Naturally I asked her who Edward was. She held up her copy of "Twilight". She was talking about a fictional vampire."

or

"Today, my husband dropped me off at work, ten minutes later I got a text saying "I just dropped the bitch off, I'll be there in a few baby, miss you". I asked him about it, he said "I don't know what you're talking about Megan.". My name isn't Megan. Not even close."

I have a feeling that some/most of them are made up but they do make me chuckle. Anyway, I'd best be off to bed, enough late night blogging while simultaneously watching "TimeLife's 80's Explosion". Embarrassingly, I do know most of the songs. Yes. So to finish of as I started, God Natt(If you haven't figured out, it's 'Good Night" in Norwegian)

Song of the day: "Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats (All thanks to Family Guy)

Thought of the day: "I wish I wore my docs. My feet are wet and freezing."

Guitar tab of the day: "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" - Death Cab For Cutie

Break Even

Yes, it has been a while. So, if there are actually readers out there, my apologies. Its just that I need to be in the right mood and have the time to blog, which of late has not really happened. Too much stuff happening, information overload. Speaking of which, someone totally unexpected has a blog! In my late night search for new music, I stumbled upon her blog. She is a good friend of mine, one who I always say I'll call one day to catch up but always forget but yet still call her once in a blue moon. Also another friend of mine; with the alias of "Iamsparticus" has put up a new post! Which is a suprise following his last post, but good to see him back on again. So, of late, I've been doing alright, time seems to be moving excruciatingly slow and blindingly fast all at the same time. Its hard to explain. Kind of like being in a time warp. Mon Frere has got a new girlfriend thing, if you want to call it that. Thanks for making me wait outside in the cold while you both strolled back as fast as you could. We'll leave that rant for another time. Anyway I've really been into this song by The Script. Its called 'Breakeven'. Not sure if anyone has heard them outside of Australia, blame my lack of constant contact with back home. They were the guys who made "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" or for you FIFA 09 fans; "The End Where I Begin". So anyway, in the style of my good friend, I present to you, the lyrics for "Break Even", and I'll post the URL for the video as well, apologies for not posting a direct link.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi7kHvM-ivI

Tab for you aspiring guitarists out there:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/t/the_script/breakeven_tab.htm

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing,

Just prayed to a God that i don't believe in.

Cos I got time while she got freedom,

Cos when a heart break, no it don't breakeven.

Her best days will be some of my worst,

She finally met a man who's gonna put her first,

While I'm wide awake she's no trouble sleeping,

Cos when a heart break, no it don't breakeven, even no...

What am I supposed do when the best part of me was always you?

What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're okay?

I'm falling to pieces,

I'm falling to pieces.

They say bad things happen for a reason,

But no wise words gonna stop the bleeding,

Cos she's moved on while I'm still grieving,

Cos when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven, even no...

What am I supposed do when the best part of me was always you?

What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're okay?

I'm falling to pieces,

I'm falling to pieces.

I'm falling to pieces, (I'm still alive but the other one's leaving,)

I'm falling to pieces. (Cos when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven)

Oh you've got his heart and my heart and none of the pain,

You took your suitcase, I took the blame.

Now I'm trying to make sense of what little remains,

Cos you left me with no love, and no love to my name.

I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing,

Just prayed to a God that I don't believe in.

Cos I got time while she got freedom,

Cos when a heart break, no it don't breakeven.

What am I supposed do when the best part of me was always you?

What am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up that you're okay?

I'm falling to pieces,

I'm falling to pieces.

I'm falling to pieces, (I'm still alive but the other one's leaving,)

I'm falling to pieces. (Cos when a heart breaks, no it don't breakeven)

It don't breakeven no,

It don't breakeven no,

It don't breakeven no.

Song of the day: "The Man Who Can't Be Moved" - The Script

Thought of the day: "Being true to my guitarist roots, posting a guitar tab with new every post"

.rockpaperscissors.

.everybody loves ikea.

I hate to admit it, but yes. I do love ikea. Just something about the place. Its hard to explain. Maybe its the smell of pine throughout the store. Or maybe its the idea of cheap and affordable(sometimes, not always) yet stylish furniture. If you look around, I wouldn't be suprised if you found a piece of furniture from ikea. In an office, school, restaurant, homes etc etc. That piece of furniture could be big or small, ranging from blankets and pillow covers to whole kitchen and living room sets. Yes, the furniture with the funny names and 'build it yourself' construction have become an integrated part of day to day lives. Not to mention the food at the store is incredibly tasty and cheap. I have a soft spot for D'aim cake. Blame the sweet-tooth of my youth. I'm also someone who likes to delve into the world of art. Don't get me wrong, I'm not art connoisseur, but I do believe I can tell the difference between what looks good on a wall and what doesn't. I found this picture, at all places; ikea. it instantly caught my eye. I'd assume it to be a genre of pop art. It basically was a picture of busy intersection, most likely in Japan due to the abundance of zebra-crossings. There wasn't anything particularly special about this picture, just a neon like effect reminiscent of a filter in photoshop, the name escapes me for now. There's no obvious reason why it caught my attention, maybe it was just my imagination agreeing with the fact that it would look great on the wall of my house, along with all my other furniture that happened to come from ikea, located in the very selective suburb of my imagination. Another picture that caught my eye was this portrait of the Eiffel Tower. It was like a sepia-tone blast from the past, very much so reminding me of my time in Paris. It just reminded me of the first time I stood under the tower and gazed up in awe. 

In other brief news, just returned from my first trip back to Sydney. It was nice to see the lads again, but I can safely say it wasn't the same place it was just a few weeks ago, some familiar faces were missing and everything had pretty much quieted down since then. It took sometime to get used to, but as the say, life goes on. There was this aviation model exhibition in Bankstown Airport, which did come as a suprise. However it was a little disappointing to see that the vast majority of models were not for sale. I did get a few though. I don't know, maybe it was being back in Sydney, but a feeling of nostalgia swept over me last weekend. From the models I bought all of them would be what you'd consider 'classic planes'. All no longer in use by the major airlines and some forgotten all together. In all I bought four models and a book with pictures on could find on a website like jetphotos.com or airliners.net. The first two purchases being two Boeing 747s, one Singapore Airlines 747-200 and a Malaysian Airline System(MAS, before they changed their name to Malaysia Airlines, talk about a blast from the past!) 747-300. The latter having a special 'Kuala Lumpur to Los Angeles '86' livery. The other two models were both Cathay Pacific, one 747-200 and the other a Lockheed L1011 Tristar. They came in nice collectable boxes too. 

Well, looks like my 'in-school' update has to come to an end, so until next time.

Thought the day: "tired of staying away."

Song of the day: "Your New Twin Sized Bed" - Death Cab For Cutie

.batukertasgunting.

Talk about hard luck.

A great game, but just not our night. If you haven't already guessed it, I'm talking about the Champions League Semi-Final clash between Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona. It was an absolute feeling of elation just 9 minutes in, when Essien smashed the ball in the back of the net, albeit with the aid of the crossbar. Probably the best volley this season. It was a feeling of 'suspended' elation as the match was in the balance, one goal could turn the game on its head. A goal for Chelsea would seal it, and a goal for Barca would win it and the fact that Barca defender Abidal was sent off in the 66th minute. Thus it was heartbreaking to watch on in horror, shock and awe, just a minute from time, when Iniesta rocketed a shot past Cech's top left corner. Unfortunately there's nothing we can do about it, thats what is great about football, not result is guaranteed, and that proved itself to it's fullest extent tonight.

However, call me biased as a Chelsea fan, but there were a number of dubious refereeing decisions that were made. The biggest in my book was Pìque's handball. You may say that it was unintentional, but it was a clear handball. A perfect example of an unintentional handball, much to Michael Ballack's disagreement, was Eto'o's alleged handball. Malouda's first half incident could have been a penalty, but a free kick was rightly given. Now in the short time after the game, a number of conspiracy theories have popped up. The most interesting being UEFA not wanting another repeat of last year's all-english final. Personally, this conspiracy is rather out there, there's no way anyone could prove it. The other theory is that Chelsea are cursed in the Champions League, this namely originates from the number of years that we have been competitive in the competition but always failing become the holders. I don't think we're cursed, we just have hard luck. Not suprising for the team everyone loves to hate. We may not play the most beautiful football, but we are full of heart.

So thats enough of my ranting on this topic, it was a great match and I congratulate Barcelona reaching the finals, albeit dubiously. Until next time.

Song of the day: "Chelsea, Chelsea" - Fans

Thought of the day: "Talk about hard luck."

.rockpaperscissors.

Its just a jump to the left, and then a step to the right...

The other night I watched a movie that I haven't seen for almost ten years. As you have all guessed by the picture above, yes it was The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Honest to god, this is has to be the best musical I have ever seen. Seriously. Just the whole wacky way it was put together. Not to mention the plot of the story was ahead of its time when it was released back in 1975. The songs namely; Time Warp(The movie's signature song), Sweet Transvestite(Tim Curry's performance in this song was amazing) and Science Fiction/Double Feature, i thought were a great listen, maybe its just me and my love of nostalgia. I was too young to fully appreciate and understand the whole story back then, but now I sort of understand why it is known as a cult classic and why it is culturally, historically and aesthetically significant. So if you have the chance, give it a watch. Remember to be open minded, or else you probably won't understand it. 

Thought of the day: "I'll remove the cause but not the symptom!"

Song of the day: "Sweet Transvestite" - Tim Curry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show)

rochepapierciseaux

Update Number One

Wow, has it been a while. I've been meaning to update lately, but something always impedes me from doing so. So what has been happening lately? Well firstly; a new town. Yes I've moved to the very windy and cold Melbourne. So far its been good, starting to get settled down here. The new school is good as well, a big change from my previous school in terms of number of students, the quality of planes and so forth. Other than that, nothing much has been happening. Still internetless, but that should change in the next week or so. Kinda miss the life in Sydney, but its probably the people more than anything, even those who are no longer in Sydney. Well thats about it I guess, so until next time, au revoir.

Thought of the day: "Turning the thermostat to 32 degrees is not alright!"

Song of the day: "Your New Twin Sized Bed" - Death Cab For Cutie

batukertasgunting/rochpapierciseaux/rockpaperscissors

C'est Pas Mort

Just a quick one. Blog is not dead. Just haven't had a chance to update recently, the move and everything and not having any internet at home doesn't help. To be continued...

time flies when you're having fun...

Time flies when you're having fun. Well, not really. It moves really really slowly when you have nothing to do. Ever since I passed my flight test; my final flight is good old YSBK, time has pulled a disappearing act on me. With nothing to do; no flights to plan and prepare for, no need to go to school etc etc. Kind of ironic how nowadays I can wake up at around 7am-8am with no problems, when just a few weeks ago, it was a challenge to pull myself up for an early morning flight in place of my warm, comfy bed. The timing of everything has been quite good, alot of my mates are also leaving Sydney for good, feels like a end of a era in regards to life here. I doubt our weekly football matches will continue once we're all gone, since the majority of the key players are leaving. Things have changed around here since I first arrived. People have become less outgoing. Back then everyone knew everybody and we all used to have parties every week or so. Nowadays everyone pretty much sticks to their clicks and few venture out of them, guess its because less and less of the seniors are here and the new guys a not so outgoing.

My flight test didn't go as I thought it would, I thought I'd be nervous and everything, but when it finally came, I wasn't scared at all, everything went smoothly and overall it was a very pleasant flight. So pleasant, I even had time to wish the tower happy easter and a final goodbye. As for now its time to pack up my things and head south to Melbourne. So on that note, I shall bid you good night.

Thought of the day: "Happy Days"

Song of the day: "Lay Lady Lay" - Magnet

rockpaperscissors

no comment... none at all...

probably the funniest thing i've seen this whole week haha. Other than Hamzah and his 'lady impression' the other night haha

"Hey buddy, I got mad shizzle hawts for that hoe you was bang-bangin' two yizzles ago"

god I love the pit haha. for those who don't know what I'm talking about, its the forum on ultimate-guitar.com

my advice; stay away. far away. some of the topics there will corrupt your mind. similar to what 4chan does.

Thought of the day: "I got mad shizzle hawts for that hoe you was bang-bangin' two yizzles ago"

Song of the day: "Bittersweet Symphony" - The Verve

BatuKertasGunting

A much needed change of scenery...

A much needed change in scenery is in order. Hopefully. A few recent events has brought up this need. Namely my school. Which was once quite a nice place but has gradually changed into 'the twilight zone'. A black-hole of a place, where progress has either come to a complete halt or has become painfully slow. In my situation it has become unbearably slow, having been here for just over a year, I can hardly say I've accomplished much in my time here. 

At the beginning, the promise of finishing my course in 14 months seemed possible, but over time that goal has moved further and further away, to a point with just over a month left on my visa, it is impossible to finish. The school, being fully focused on profits rather than their students have left the 'seniors' for dead. Their new students are progressing, just like we did at the beginning, quite well, but they haven't been here long enough to experience what happens when a new batch of students arrive. The old students are forgotten, like a once loved toy being replaced by a new one. Which is really quite a shame. As much as I like to avoid my conclusion on this, I have to honestly say that in terms of the school and progress, I've pretty much wasted a year of my life. I have no regrets though, because the people I've met along the way and the friends I have earned and lost has made me who I am today. I'll always remember all those time we had parties, hung out, went flying together and so forth. But I have to do what's best for my future, so I have to move on from this place and continue elsewhere. I had to put an end to the school wasting my time and money.

So hopefully, if all goes to plan, in the coming days and next few weeks, I shall wrap up my affairs here and move off to Melbourne to continue and finish there. As I said earlier, its a real shame, as I did enjoy my time here in Sydney. The people here are great, the school, not so much.

Wrapping up, I've got quite a bit of work before I head down to Melbourne, so its time to get serious and start on a clean slate. I'll update in the next few days. Until then, over and out.

Thought of the day: "I'll get you Wayfarers when you pass your CPL"

Song of the day: "Said I'm Sorry" - British India

rockpaperscissors

A Little Under The Weather...

Hardly a nice prognosis. Skin irritation, nausea, hot and cold flushes and the all too common runny nose. Frankly I have no idea why it all decided to jump up on me today. Granted, I've been fighting off a slight cold for the past few days, nothing an antihistamine couldn't handle, but today, after eating a packet of 'Grain Waves' chips, commence feelings of nausea followed by the appearance of skin irritation, and sudden hot and cold flushes. The most likely cause is an allergic reaction to the chips. It couldn't have been anything else as I've have eaten all the other foods for months with no problems. After vigorously following the medical drama 'House' for several weeks, differential diagnosis came quite naturally. And its safe to say I've come to the conclusion of food allergy and the flu. So looks like my plans for the next few days have to be put on hold until this all blows over. 

Other than that, nothing that interesting has happened. Had a pretty quiet St. Patrick's Day, just a few drinks with some mates, nothing too crazy there. Had a scintilla of respite recently, someone who I thought would evanesce from my life entirely, dropped me a line the other day. Haven't replied as of yet, the words are escaping me for the moment. I sense that something is awry, statuses that question one's worth are always a good indicator, but don't take my word for it. Being 4,000 miles away doesn't help one elucidate the situation.

Well, as my health is slowly deteriorating, its best I shoot this off into the vast expanse of cyberspace. 

So until next time, over and out.

Song of the day: "Come Back To Bed" - John Mayer

Thought of the day: "Differential Diagnosis"

rochepapierciseaux

Cows, Cows and more Cows...

This post originates from a friend of mine, at the time she didn't know what to blog about. Coincidently one of her friends suggested that she blog about cows. She hasn't done so yet, so I've taken the liberty to do so myself. Yes. 'Moo' to you too. Cows are actually pretty cool. You can get all kinds of stuff from cows. Milk, butter, cheese and not to forget; delicious steaks. In fashion whore style, the leather from your new Prada lace-ups could also come from the awesome looking cows above. 

Cattle, or more colloquially known as 'cows' are a member of the subfamily 'Bovinae' of the family 'Bovidae'. Their most common purpose is for livestock, producing as stated above; meats, dairy products and leather. They are also used as draft animals for the purpose of pulling carts, ploughs and the like. Their hooves can also be made into glue. I distinctly remember a line from The Simpsons, where Lisa decides to become and vegetarian and hallucinates; "You don't eat our meat, but you glue with our feet." if I am not mistaken. In some countries, such as India, they are honoured in religious ceremonies and are revered. Its estimated that there are 1.3 Billion cows in the world. That averages out to around 995, 838, 000 cows per person. Now thats alot of cow. Recent studies have also shown that cows are the number one contributor of green house gases, namely methane, which in a literal sense, is derived from their flatulence. For those who don't have a dictionary or thesaurus near by, it means to fart. The English language is much taken for granted nowadays. Everybody likes a short cut, no time for bombastic words. I on the other hand, prefer to abstain from the short cuts and use the English language to its full extent. Lampoon me if you choose, but someone has to stop the language from more deterioration from today's youth.

Thought of the day: "Thats a pretty awesome haircut for a cow."

Song of the day: "Pain In My Heart" - Otis Redding

rockpaperscissors (or more commonly known in french as 'rochepapierciseaux')

So its been a while...

So its been a while. Not a lot has happened, pretty much the same old everyday stuff, but I have a feeling a lot is going to change in the next few days if all goes accordingly. A well needed change of scenery, not in the literal sense but in a figurative sense. Somethings just need to disappear for you to really and truly gain closure. As the old saying goes; "out of sight, out of mind.", but I'm pretty sure it won't be totally erased from my thoughts. The thing, or more specifically; person, has been a big part of my day to day life for the past few months. And sure, one could say that a few months is not a lot of time at all, but in this sense, those few months felt like a lifetime. Or at least a couple of years if you don't want to sound overly dramatic. Its one of the great tragedies of life, something always changes, for better or worse, they always do. We just need to take the changes in stride and keep living our lives. A friend once asked me, in regarding relationships, what does forever mean? In a literal definition it means "for all future time", but in this case I believe its more appropriate to define 'forever' as "something that can adapt to the changes and challenges that it faces.". Another much overused cliche of a phrase; "every end is a new beginning" seems quite fitting. As much as I'd like to believe my wishful thinking will become a reality in the near future, I've pretty much conceded to the fact that it is out of my hands and that its all up to fate from this point on. If anything happens then so be it, if nothing happens, again, so be it. As for now, I have a job to do and now its time for me to return to the path, out of the foliage of the path not taken. 

Thought of the day: "C'est la vie."

Song of the day: "Delicate" - Damien Rice

rockpaperscissors

Consternation...

Just a quick one here. Today was a rather interesting one. Some positives and some negatives but overall mostly positives. Firstly, a couple of mates and I went to Taronga Zoo today. Even though it was a zoo, and at times the smell was unholy, good times were had. Pictures to come in a later post. Now, I'm usually a punctual guy, so as planned the previous night, I awoke at around 5:30am, showered and got ready and headed to our rendezvous point, Chris' house at around 6:15am-ish. Only to find that my two mates who planned this excursion didn't come until 7am. Twas not so bad, gave me a chance to grab a quick bite to eat. So we ventured to the city and then to Taronga Zoo. About halfway through the day, my housemate happens to call me. I figured he ran out of cigs and wanted to take some from me, but then came that question; "Where are you?". Now I saw no reason not to be honest so I told him I was in the city with some mates. At that point, which was a big over-reaction from his part, he started to scold & curse me for not inviting him. Well firstly, I was not the person organizing our little excursion. And I for one, thinks it is quite rude to invite someone to join you without consulting with the planner. Its like going clubbing and bring someone along without telling the others involved. And it would be an inconvenience for me as I would end up paying for all of his stuff, food, drink, admission and everything else. At that point it's too late to do anything about it, so we just went along with our day out. Unfortunately, things took a more sour note when we arrived back home. Now a little backstory. Last Friday, a couple of us decided to go clubbing in the city. Again, I was not the one to plan this. But upon receiving our invitation, we were told not to let said housemate know. Firstly, again, he will be an inconvenience because other people would end up paying for his good time. Secondly, he is a mean drunk. All brain function ceases after a few drinks. He will end up doing stupid and irrational things. Back to the story, he somehow found out about our little clubbing excursion and is holding grudges against several of my mates and myself included. Frankly, I'm just going to give him a few days to cool off, since he's pointing needless blame at my mates and I. So yes, I've now come to the end of my rant. Taronga Zoo post should be next, we'll see how things go.

Thought of the day: "Exhausted."

Song of the day: "Talk Like That" - The Presets

rockpaperscissors

Feeling Interminable...

Feeling interminable. Calendar word meaning seeming to have no end. And unfortunately, thats what this past week has felt like. Maybe its the constant dull and gray weather which has become rather monotonous lately. Awaking to the same sun-less, wet and cold. Granted it was a welcome change from the scorching heat-wave we had the previous week, but I have to admit that being idle has gotten me slightly disenchanted. At the moment, I'm really miss flying. Seems like a lifetime since I was last up in the freedom of the air, by freedom, I mean figuratively speaking, as my fellow pilots would know. For those who don't, it may seem like freedom up there, but it isn't. There is a plethora of rules and procedures which must be followed, and which I respectfully and without hesitation, follow to the word as we all know that they are in place to make flying safe. And I assume we all know that bad things happen when procedure is not followed. 

Valentine's Day was a rather uneventful one for yours truly. Frankly the whole situation between myself and my acquaintance has taken a rather sour turn. We've talked things through and promised each other that it wouldn't be any different from before. Unfortunately, thats easier said than done, and is proving so in the past days. I was invited to a night on the town with a group of mates which also included her, and the whole time I felt like I was a ghost amongst the crowd. Sure I socialized with the others, and I tried my best to socialize with her as well, but for some reason it just felt awkward and wrong. It came to a point where I needed to go aside to clear my head. After a quick smoke, I pretty much lost track of time thinking things through, so badly that a couple of my mates went looking for me. One of them knew what was going on, so we had a quick chat about it and then went back to the group. Once all was said and done, we heading back home. Some of us in a more drunken state than usual. One of those was the girl in question. She was really struggling with it and to be brutally honest, as much as I wanted to, I didn't help her. I couldn't help her. After taking my moment of solitude earlier, I pretty much concluded that it was not the brightest idea that I tagged along that night. So as the rain poured down, and the others scurried for shelter, there I was, lighting a cigarette, sitting on the bench with my beloved trench coat. Some would call me crazy for sitting in the pouring rain, but it felt rather appropriate at the time and I admit it was quite relaxing in the circumstances. So that brings us here, to the present. Hardly a weekend to remember if you were to ask me.

On another note, a mate of mine's brother has just come for a visit. He's a pretty cool guy, so at least that will shake things up a bit. Until next time.

Thought of the day: "Feeling interminable..."

Song of the day: "Hearts On Fire" - Cut Copy

rockpaperscissors

"Mike Uniform Sierra India Charlie"

Salut mes amis! or for those of the non-french speaking profile, "Hello friends!". Rather Short one today I suppose, just a quick word about my musical tastes and some publicity to some songs that I think deserve it. Well the former of this discussion, my musical tastes are wide and varied. Admittedly, I fall into the "rock" category if one was to take a quick glance at my playlist. But one needs to really look a bit closer to see the wide array of music in there. Tossed in are some old classics such as "Sitting On The Dock Of A Bay" and Percy Sledge's original of "When A Man Loves A Woman". There are of course some cherished pop memories of the 90s. Anyone remember "Chumbawamba"?. The  80s makes a slight comeback, albeit with some rather peculiar songs. Take for example Falco's 1982 hits; 'Der Kommissar' and 'Rock Me Amadeus'. I'm particularly a big fan of "Indie" music but more recently I've delved into the realms of 'House" music. Stuff with catchy beats that make your feet tap and move. Now normally I'd leave the suggesting songs to the "Song of the day" section at the end, but its been a while so here are a bunch of songs I'm very much enjoying for the time being.

"Walking On A Dream" - Empire Of The Sun

"Hold My Hand" - Unkle

"Time To Pretend" - MGMT

"I'm A Man" - Black Strobe

"We Are The People" - Empire Of The Sun

"Sister Self Doubt" - Get Shakes

and this is quite an old song but great nonetheless; "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)" - Modjo.

Thought of the day: "Can't do well when I think you're gonna leave me."

Song(s) of the day: All stated above, but mostly "Walking On A Dream" - Empire Of The Sun

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Part Two: Ties, Shirts & Tees

Its been said that clothes speak an international language. And I have to admit, I'm a bit of a 'fashion whore'. I'd like to think my sense of style is structured along the lines of "smart/casual". None of this tanktops and shorts business for me. Some may think of my dress sense as ostentatious(Calender word meaing: The attempt to attract attention to one's self.), but as I said before in a previous discussion, "dress to impress no one, but to make yourself feel good.". Don't get me wrong by assuming I over dress. You should dress according to the situation at hand. Dressing a full suit in 43 Degree weather is hardly logical. As it happens, a welcome change of weather has arrived. Never before have I been so pleased to look out my window in the morning and see nothing but the grey of Stratus cloud. And the rain it has brought along is also a welcome change. So, in light of the much appreciated change of weather, I thought it'd be fitting to continue our discussion on men's fashion and delve into the realm of ties, shirts and tees. We'll start off with shirts since the selection of the appropriate ties is highly dependent on the choice of shirt.

Shirts are fairly popular choice of attire. They have a wide variety of uses from being cooly casual to upmost formal. However, I feel that properly choosing a shirt can be somewhat of a challenge. I filter it down to two things; cut or fit and style. Now, unfortunately for us chaps, we don't specifically head out to shops to buy clothes. We usually pick up one or two pieces at a time and add them to the wardrobe. Its alright lads, there's no need to be ashamed if you're caught out shopping for clothes. Now the things to look for when buying a shirt is the cut or fit; how the shirt will fit on you, and the style; the pattern or design, fabric and overall look of the shirt. The gist of it is, that the shirt should fit you well, none of this 'over-sized rapper-esque" shirts. Because in all honesty, who really ever looks good wearing a shirt thats two sizes too big for them? As for style or design, I usually prefer simple stripes or a plain clean fabric. Paisley, ala Panic At Disco, only works in certain situations, so if you have more than one Paisley shirt in your wardrobe, I suggest you pick your favorite and burn the rest. Quickly. In the colour department, its mainly up to the user and their own personal tastes. I'd stay away from odd colour shirts though, take for example, bright orange. In the end, they usually just end up looking tacky and cheap. I'd like to think that the purpose of a nice shirt is to look sophisticated, so buying a shirt that makes the wearer look cheap and tacky totally defeats the purpose. On a last note, Pink to not a colour to be afraid of lads. If you lose masculinity like some of us do, you have no reason to fear pink. Pink is a great colour to spice things up.

Ties are highly dependent on the shirt that they're going to be accessorizing. Patterns are everything when it comes to ties. The fabric that they're made of also comes into play, but its not such a determining factor. The simple rule is "Plain Shirt, Busy Tie" & "Busy Shirt, Plain Tie". Busy in this context meaning patterned. There are some exceptions to this rule, some plain shirts look good with plain ties and some busy shirts look good with patterned ties. It all depends on the users sense of personal style. I usually find that a plain black tie, be it normal or skinny, accompanied with a plain white shirt works in almost every situation. I do admit that the favorite of my lot is my Topman Diagonal Black Pink/Fuchsia Striped. It works on pretty much every shirt I own and was a steal for $20 quid. 

Tees on the other hand are something more individual. Tees can go with pretty much everything. Jeans, pants, shorts, you name it. Nowadays, we've seen the emergence of 'vintage tees". Don't get me wrong, I love vintage tees as much as the next bloke, but recently I find that they're just become a tad too common. Call me ostentatious, but you're more likely to stand out wearing a plain tee rather than a vintage one nowadays. Tees are pretty much self explanatory, the only thing I'd like to add is, again lads, stay away from the over-sized. It does not flatter one's appearance one bit. Not at all. 

Now we'll briefly delve into cologne while wrapping up this section of our multiple post discussion. When in comes to the cologne department, most men over do it. Americans(For example) practically spray it on with a crop duster. My rule, nothing above the neck. Three sprays is maximum. Period. 

Just to break from our topic, and being the proud Welshmen that I am, my colour of the day is Scarlet Red in honor of the brilliant performance that Wales showed against Scotland last night. If you're a little lost, its the Six Nations tournament, the sport is rugby, and the final score was 26-13 to the defending Grand Slam champions.

Thought of the day: "Singing in the rain."

Song of the day: "Scarecrow Adams" - Disagree

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Decisions, Decisions...

Hola lads and lasses. Well is that time of year again. The few days leading up to Valentines Day(V-Day). The days I see boyfriends scrambling to the shops to buy the much over-rated bouquet of roses or the slightly expensive, off the shelf chocolates. Now don't think I'm against all things Valentines Day based on my denigrative(Calendar word meaning; to criticize unfairly or disparage.) attack of it. I just think that these days, us chaps face an uphill battle. Unfortunately for us, its getting harder and harder to prove our true feelings of affection without giving in to the commercialization of V-Day. In my mind, popping out to the shops and buying a bouquet of roses, a card maybe, some chocolates or a teddy bear is too easy. Blame my 'hopeless romanticism', but I hardly find that a way to show your true feelings or your true appreciation of your significant other. I'm not saying, don't go out and buy gifts for your loved one, all I'm saying is that its been ingrained into our minds that when V-Day comes around, its time to take out the wallet and purchase those typical Valentines Day gifts. 

I'd much prefer to do something more meaningful than popping to the shops to buy a gift. Its much too easy in my mind. I'd much prefer to make a nice dinner, pop open a bottle of wine and enjoy the company. It doesn't even have to be with someone that you're romantically involved with. Just someone who you can sit down with and have a good conversation. Which brings me to the title of this discussion. Decisions, Decisions. Now to protect the privacy of certain people, I shall use code for the following. Apologies to all for this. I'll refer to myself as the number 'one' and the other person as number 'thirteen'. Alright, lets begin.

So a bit of backstory, 'one' and 'thirteen' were, the best way to say it, lovers in the not too distant past. Unfortunately, things went a bit pear-shaped which has resulted in "one" and "thirteen" being in a rather precarious position. Both of them have feelings for each other, unfortunately timing has proven itself an enemy with 'thirteen' very recently getting out of a long term relationship. In the time being, other situations have also arisen that make things even more complicated. 'One' and 'thirteen' haven't spoken for a period of time now, which is a real shame as before all of this, 'one' and 'thirteen' were very, very close. Now as V-Day' approaches, 'one' is contemplating whether or not to do something. It doesn't have to be fancy, as stated above, dinner and conversation would be more than satisfactory. Ah, decisions, decisions. I guess we shall see over the course of the following days. "Happy Days" as one of my acquaintances would say. 

Thought of the day: "Is there life on Mars?"

Song(s) of the day: "Life on Mars" - David Bowie & "Sparks" - Coldplay

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Have A Drink On Me

If there is one drink that can bring the world together, it'd be a safe bet to say beer is the drink. In fact, beer is the third most popular drink only beaten by the likes of water and tea. Yes, there's nothing like having a few 'brewskies' with the lads and having a laugh. Take for example a friend of mine, she was sharing a bottle with me, and while I took a break from my beloved brew, she read the bottle and asked me "What's 'legger'?". "Its lager dear" was my instantaneous response, only for her to correct me with "Thats what I said, 'layger'. I must admit, one would have had to be present at the table to really appreciate our small conversation but a good laugh was shared by everyone. If you know me personally, you'd think of me, as one of my good friends says, a 'logical' person. Logical in this context, not as in logical thinking, but as being in possession of a wide array of useless general knowledge. So in my true 'logical' manner, lets discuss my beloved brew. 

As I mentioned before, beer is the third most popular drink in the world. Now, there are many different varieties of beer. The most popular being 'Lager' or 'Pale lager'. Good examples of 'Pale Lager' are "Heineken" from The Netherlands and 'Bitburger" from Germany. For those more accustomed to American beers, 'Budweiser' is another good example. I myself subscribe to the more European philosophy of life, with my priorities leading toward wine and women. The latter being, unfortunately, less successful than the former due to what I like to think as "hopeless-romanticism". Anyway, back to the point, and a very short point it was, I prefer European beers compared to their American counterparts. 

I'm not too much a liquor man, even 'liqueurs', which I must state, is totally different from liquor. Liqueurs, being alcoholic drinks flavored with or by fruit, herbs, nuts, spices, flowers, or cream, and bottled with added sugar. An perfect example of a liqueur is "Baileys". Liquor on the other hand, is a drinkable liquid containing ethanol, which is produced during the fermentation process. Examples of liquor are Vodka and Whiskey. 

Lately, I've had more time to enjoy life's luxuries. Take for example, lunchtime meals. If a little effort and time is put into this much overlooked daily activity, it can actually be very enjoyable, alone in a street-side cafe or at home with friends or family. As yours truly is living a bachelors life at this current time, a typical enjoyable lunch would consist of a gourmet sandwich; mostly salmon or roast beef topped off with fresh italian bread, a fresh green salad and either a beer or a glass of 'Reisling'; a German variety of white wine most commonly produced in the Rhine valley, although it is produced in many other regions of the world. Yes, I do love my food, food in fact, is a very important part of my life. I prefer white wines during the day, namely because I find red wine to be too 'heavy' for that time of day, its much more suited to dinner meals and other more 'romantic' situations.

On another note, I'd just like to mention a game that one of my friends and fellow bloggers recommended. I haven't had a chance to play it but if you are fans of the documentary "Supersize Me" or the book "Fast Food Nation"(A brilliant read if I must say so myself, you'll never see fast food in the same light after giving this a read.), if you just need something to pass the time give the 'McDonald's Videogame" a spin. Do excuse my lack of knowledge in the field of HTML, the game can be found at: www.mcvideogame.com 

Apologies again for not being able to post a direct link. And on that note, I say "Until next time.".

Thought of the day: "whats 'legger'?"

Song of the day: "Have A Drink On Me" - AC/DC

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The Dreamer Evasive

I admittedly have a passion for fashion. Apologies to all for the highly overused cliche of a idiom. But yes, I do like to believe I have a flair for fashion. I drew inspiration for this topic of conversation from a good friend of mine's blog regarding "personal trademarks". It delves into the area of 'personal style' , by which a person is distinguished by the clothes on their backs. Now there are plethoras; calendar word meaning an abundance of, or an excess of, of different and contrasting opinions regarding said subject. Now I'd like to believe my area of expertise are shoes, shirts, ties, coats or jackets, and of course, sunglasses. On the topic of sunglasses, a good pair of sunglasses should always accentuate the facial features of the wearer. Take for example a person with sharp features. This person will be more suited to bold sunglasses, big frames, with a curved design for example. While say, someone else with a more rounder face with more subtle features would be more suited to a smaller sized lens with straight frames. Take the above as an example. A classic design which has withstood the test of time. Wayfarers have a advantage of being able to fit with almost any facial type. While say, The Aviator, has more difficulty fitting a wide range of faces due to its curved frame and lens design. 

Now due to my satorialist nature, talking about subjects like this comes as second nature. Infact, thinking about it now, this post will most likely result in 'sub-posts', each dealing with different aspects of fashion and 'personal style' or 'personal trademarks'. So now that sunglasses are all said and done, we'll break from the topic of being a regular 'fashionista' as they say and delve into something else. Just a quick mention about one of my design or fashion influences, it comes from a blog called "The Satorialist". Its not filled with many words, mostly pictures of people who the photographer sees has a really cool sense of style. On another note, have a think about one of my favorite sayings; "Dress not to impress, but to make yourself feel good.". Granted, one should obviously dress accordingly to the situation at hand. You'd have to be crazy if you go a job interview wearing flip-flops, board shorts and a tee. My point being, is dress in attire that makes you feel good, feel confident and of course, true to yourself. 

Moving in a completely different direction, fate has not been kind to my beloved technology. It all started with the Windows partition of my laptop deciding to heel over and die. Not too much of a bother as I much prefer to work on my Mac eitherway. Then came the demise of my loyal iPod Touch. Word of advice, Playful little cousins and iPods do not mix. Some fairly innocent horsing around resulted in the destruction of my dear iPod's screen. Instantaneously my flights became a lot more boring. The final, and tragic victim of fate happens to be my camera. Sure it was only a 'point and shoot', but photography is one of my newfound guilty pleasures. Oh, how hard times have befallen me. 

An acquaintance of mine was recently talking to me about the sudden besiegement of snow that has befallen London and other surrounding areas of the United Kingdom. Yours truly, being true to my European roots, had a rather satirical reaction upon hearing the news. I am used to the fact that November to February is the typical winter season. Unfortunately, being located on the otherside of the hemisphere has resulted in Winter being replaced by a rather harsh and hot Summer. Though I have some comfort in the hours of the evening. Now as this has turned out to be a very long post, I shall conclude 'Part One' of the discussion. 

Until next time.

Thought of the day: "Pushing towards cooler pastures."

Song of the day: "Fall Into Place" - Apartment

RockPaperScissors

Gloomy Sundays & Melancholy Mondays

First, welcome to RockPaperScissors, the satirical day to day views of a guitar touting pilot. In line with true satirical fashion, and also due to some recent events regarding yours truly, let me begin with the irony and beguile; calender word meaning to charm or enchant in deceptive ways, of cigarettes. Now don't get me wrong, smoking IS bad for one's health, and I admittedly am a hypocrite when it comes to this subject. 

You see that pack of virginia killing sticks at the edge of the table? All you need to know about life is retained within those four walls. You will notice that one of your personalities is seduced by the illusions of grander, the shimmering blue packet, of king sized, with a regal insignia. An attractive implication towards glamour and wealth. A subtle suggestion that cigarettes are indeed your royal and loyal friends. Now that is a lie. Your other personality is trying to draw your attention to the flip-side of the discussion, written in boring, bold, black and white, is a statement that these neat little soldiers of death are in fact trained to kill you. And that my friends is the truth. Oh, beauty is a beguiling call to death and I'm addicted to the sweet pitch of its siren. That which starts sweet ends bitter, and that which starts bitter ends sweet. That my friends is why, in life it is so hard to give something up, even though its not what you originally bargained for.

I apologize for this not being the most uplifting of posts, but a feeling of evanescence; another calendar word meaning 'the event of fading and gradually vanishing from sight', lately has prompted me to start off in such unfashionable fashion. Things will lighten up, you have my word on that.

thought of the day: 'everything but peace of mind'

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[edit] Have a listen to Gloomy Sunday. More popularly known as 'The Hungarian Suicide Song' due to its unsubstantiated urban legends about inspiring countless suicides. A little history about the song, it was written in 1933 by hungarian pianist and composer Rezso Seress. Its about mourning the untimely death of a lover and contemplating suicide. I personally recommend giving Sarah Mclachlan's version a listen. Relax, it will not kill you. 

over and out.

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