At the pool
At Marina Barrage
I like that line. What a pretty visual, a lonely puff of floaty white cloud going ecstatic over a field of golden flowers... sweet with a twist of lemon, just how I like it :)
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud - William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: -
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company:
I gazed -and gazed -but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills
And dances with the daffodils.
Some time back I was curious about this Evony game with such a strong online marketing presence. That very day (or the next) I registered and started playing. And it has kept me there day and night, keeping me up at nights and getting a monitor tan, keeping me away from blogging (and Adam). At least for the first two weeks ;p Things are back to normal now :) My game is stable and I don't have to check in that often.
Evony is an mmporpg (as Evony calls themselves) but I think it's more of an mmportsg, massive multi-player online real-time strategy game. Yeah who can remember what these long acronymns stand for huh. Despite the ads, there is no Queen to be saved. You are Lord/Lady of your city and you can consider yourself the Queen (or King) if you want to.
Build your city, your troops, expand, get out there and attack other players. That's the gist of it. I have a slight problem though. I feel bad attacking real players... real major issue actually.
Patience is required, don't say I didn't warn you o.0 This game is browser-based and completely free. You can choose to spend if you want to, my advice is don't. I have not spent a single cent of real money and am doing well. I might stop playing once I max my cities out... almost there....
While I did want to post about my Evony experience previously, what inspired this post at this time is they have this new ievony thing set up where you can earn credits/cents if people you refer register for the game.
I'm not Evony-spamming email contacts as I don't think that's nice, but those who happen on this post and do have an interest in trying the game out, please register through clicking the link below:
http://www.flyingchair99-vanillabean.evony.com/
Hey free Evony cents, why not. Thank you very much!
And I will say one more time, if you do play Evony, DO NOT SPEND ANY REAL MONEY ON THIS GAME CUZ IT'S A BOTTOMLESS WELL AND A TOTAL WASTE TO DO SO. The game developers are making loads and loads and laughing all the way to the bank already.
Here's a screencap of one of my cities :D
- I am addicted to amazon (and they're really good at taking my $$$ away from me.)
- I am addicted to IAMX and Chris Corner (more on that next time.)
- My addiction to Adam Lambert has faded a bit, but the Rolling Stone photos are hot! Click the photo, then click it again on the second page, to view the full-sized ones.
- My youtube account says I've watched 486 videos. Which I bet is chicken feet compared to all the net-savvy oh so trendy peeps. Yet I've never watched youtube videos much till this year, so I'm still like, really?? :O
- What is this Evony game?? I'm making a wild guess that there's a blonde blue-eyed queen who needs to be saved... anyone tried it? The ad has been everywhere on the internet!
- Haters spew poison and don't seem to realise they themselves suffer the most from it.
- Why bother to label and peg everyone and everything? Let it be and let's just be.
- Taken outside my home. I was too slow getting the camera. The happily beaming pinks and fearlessly spirited reds had sprinted down the horizon, leaving their softly luminous steps fading on the twilight canvas. Things like that make life pretty nice :)
- Trying to figure out the guitar tabs for Spit It Out by IAMX. Those available online just don't seem too right. It's not too hard to play, might one day be able to actually master it, hopefully!
- Why is it that more men than women can play guitar? At least I see more men than women playing. I can't really play much, by the way. Attempting to master it for the third time.
- I cheated on my almost vegan diet and had two eggs recently. Eeeps. I miss egg :o I was also fantasising about ordering Kentucky Fried Chicken. Let' see... my imaginary order was a Zinger without cheese and a two-piece, original flavour, wings and ribs please. Ackkk!! Hungry now.
- I set up accounts on twitter and myspace.
I can see how Twitter can be useful for celebrities, but for normal folks, my friends are not into Twitter (I think), and I don't really fancy 'tweeting' (silly word) not very meaningful bits of my thoughts and life for the world to see. However, it can be a little interesting to see up-to-the-minute news flashes, the daily trending topics, what celebs or their ghost tweeters tweet, and even tweet the celebs back.
Myspace... I am on there because some artists I like are there. Yeah like Adam Lambert haha. And IAMX. Last week I was surprised to receive myspace messages from guys wanting to chat. Myspace is the only site where I have my face on there. Perhaps my first avatar looked pretty hot?? Hwahahaha. I've changed it and this new one's only managed to attract one message ha. I don't even know how these guys find strangers to hit on. I know nothing about myspace except that many artists/unsigned musicians are there.
I can't keep track of my various blogs, accounts, nicks and passwords! Help!!!
- Chio Babe and Black Beauty at the little Botanic Gardens nearby.
She and her 'lovers' were executed despite a lack of concrete evidence. Scholars still debate the whys and wherefores. Whether it was Henry VIII who planned it as Anne was difficult and failed to produce a male heir or something else, who knows what the real story was.
Before Anne's beheading, they showed Henry VIII admiring a white swan on a lake, flapping its majestic wings. And after her execution, they served him a dish at his table, lifted the cover, and ewwwwww it was the poor swan, still beautiful with all its pristine feathers, dead and on a platter! He tore off its wing and filled his mouth with the cooked meat below it. Yuck!
When we first got the channel this month, I was so thrilled to hear the X-Files theme and see the familiar title sequence again.
I've only watched a few of the nightly Season 7 episodes (which strangely I don't remember watching before, which cannot be as I thought I watched every Season) so far, well yeah not every night cos other things distract me =/
Anyway. Excited that I got to watch the first episodes! Scully is looking young and fresh, and her voice is high and girly, though it settles in some by Episode 3. The Cigarette Smoking Man is there in the pilot! I don't remember that. Of course nobody knows anything about him in the pilot.
One of the things on my amazon wish list is The X-Files Collector's Edition. Waiting for them to include the second movie on it. Or if they do a third movie, I will wait for that as well lol. Price is prohibitive but has fallen a bit recently.
- Last random item: a little video clip featuring Kris Allen (and Adam Lambert). I can't go cold turkey. It's funny, watch it!
Not Adam Lambert?? Whaaaa??
This has been American Idol Season of Adam Lambert, and he didn't win??
It surely is a Mad World.
I thought I'd be okay with a Kris Allen win, and as a typical detached Aquarian, on the outside, I am. Nor was I even surprised. I thought it could go either way. But since this is my personal ranting/raving ground I gotta say that inside, I am soooo disappointed.
The highways and byways of Cyberland are buzzing with indignant cries.
An interesting piece of tidbit is that sources have quoted AT&T as first confirming that 38 million out of the nearly 100 million votes received were from the state of Arkansas, where Kris hails from, then denying, then saying they "can't confirm how many votes were cast in Arkansas." This particular Fox article was edited twice to reflect the changing statements within 24 hours.
We don't know which statement is true, but if the American small town phenomenon means they down South power texted Kris to the win, it doesn't make his victory any less of one.
So... did America prefer the small town underdog makes good story instead of the glam born-to-sing experienced performer?
Maybe. People love a metamorphosis that happens right before their eyes, and Adam's confident turns week after week on AI showed he was no caterpillar. Everyone - AI, the judges, the contestants, the audience, the netizens, could see that he was an electrifying singer, a smouldering dare to be different star ready to happen. Did he even need votes??? Let's vote for that nice boy who keeps getting slammed by Simon instead.
But Adam Lambert did not pop out of the womb ready to rock. He worked hard for what he aspired to be, and for all his current singing skills, was probably just one among thousands of struggling talented artists in LA, trying to make enough for rent. And he was someone who did not blend into the crowd. He was... weird. Well according to him, at least in school he was. It's not easy being different. Was that back story not apparent, boys and girls??
Perhaps the silent majority is too busy trying to be normal, trying to fit in, trying to forget what's locked up in a dust-covered chest hidden in the attic of their souls. They're secretly drawn yet afraid to show support for someone ambiguous, someone who defies convention and threatens to make them remember what makes them uncomfortable. So Kris is their safer choice. That's just a wild guess, for I can't relate to "normal." I relate more with the vocal Adam fan groups who go squeeee at the guyliner, black polish, Kradam, the hot sexy Ring of Fire type performances lol.
I might go on debating why Kris won when Adam out-sang everyone all the way in this singing competition, rail at America for being stupid, wonder what all those lame Adam Lambert googlers were doing instead of voting (googling of course), but I'm not that interested in all that. The fact is, Kris won, doesn't matter how. Let's not take that away from him.
And I did love some of Kris' performances. He's no powerhouse but a singer doesn't always need to be one. Kris has a smooth mellow voice and his own very appealing style, and is cute and nice. You feel really comfy with his songs and how he comes across.
So congratulations Kris Allen on becoming the American Idol. Thank you for saying Adam deserves it as much as you do. I think you're the only contestant I can accept winning over Adam.
Watch the clip below. I just love the Kradam friendship :)
Scripted and manipulative as American Idol is, as well as denying me the results I wanted, it did provide me with much fun and excitement, and gave me the sweetest bold and beautiful flashy dark angel to foolishly obsess over. I am thankful to AI for being there as a vehicle for Adam, picking him out of thousands as one of their favoured few chosen to advance, giving him exposure so the whole world could know him, and letting him know we like how he's "different."
Adam's very gracious, happy and full of praises for his bff Kris, not dwelling on it and moving on to what comes next - making original Adam music, rock, dance, pop, slow, whatever it is, I can't wait, and becoming a recording artist.
For his fans worldwide, for you, for me, Adam Lambert is THE IDOL, despite all that umm nice-looking but unkind leather he wears (sorry Adam, I'm pro animal-rights). Adam Lambert, released from his AI bubble, will shoot through the stratosphere straight into superstardom. And maybe some of us weird folks will be inspired to dream again.
I look forward to brilliant albums from both him and Kris. Really!! Kris is my No.2.
This is good therapy. I've worked it all out now and am no longer disappointed. That was fast hwaha.
A snippet from "Chat with Adam" today where he thanked his supporters:
Adam:
I just want to thank everyone for embracing something different. I am
not your average contestant and it took a lot of courage for people to
believe in me. And the courage from the fans fed my courage. I hope
everyone is ready for the next stage in which I will become an original
artist. Also, I hope people can continue to realize the joy that can be
found by being unique and different.
Some moments I liked from the results show below. Steve Martin (never knew he was musical), Cyndi Lauper (whom I haven't seen for ages and who has become such a fabulously cool, stylish woman), KISS (they looked exactly the same as they did years ago), and Queen.
Oh yeah, in the middle of the show I took a smoke break and saw a tiny worm being attacked by a few black ants. The poor worm was desperately trying to squirm away as fast as it could but those ants were faster than it could crawl. I scared off the ants, scooped the worm up and put it far far away from the ants onto the grass where it hopefully survived. It looked exhausted, hardly moved, and I have no idea if it was injured much by the ant bites :(
Okay, I can finally resume my normal life now.
http://www.astrology-online.com/persn.htm
Check it out! This site is really accurate, at least for my sign.
I'm the shy, patient type instead of the more commonly described exuberant, social Aquarian :p
I share the same birthday with Charles Dickens and Garth Brooks!
And turquoise is my colour! No wonder I love turquoise and aqua!
Excerpt from http://www.astrology-online.com/aquarius.htm
The Water Carrier
January 21 to February 19
Traditional
Aquarian Traits
Friendly and humanitarian
Honest and loyal
Original and inventive
Independent and intellectual
On the dark side....
Intractable and contraryPerverse and unpredictable
Unemotional and detached
Aquarius About Your Sign...
Aquarians basically possess strong and attractive personalities. They fall into two principle types: one shy, sensitive, gentle and patient; the other exuberant, lively and exhibitionist, sometimes hiding the considerable depths of their character under a cloak of frivolity. Both types are strong willed and forceful in their different ways and have strong convictions, though as they seek truth above all things, they are usually honest enough to change their opinions, however firmly held, if evidence comes to light which persuades them that they have been mistaken. They have a breadth of vision that brings diverse factors into a whole, and can see both sides of an argument without shilly-shallying as to which side to take. Consequently they are unprejudiced and tolerant of other points of view. This is because they can see the validity of the argument, even if they do not accept it themselves. They obey the Quaker exhortation to "Be open to truth, from whatever source it comes," and are prepared to learn from everyone.
Both types are humane, frank, serious minded, genial, refined, sometimes ethereal, and idealistic, though this last quality is tempered with a sensible practicality. They are quick, active and persevering without being self-assertive, and express themselves with reason, moderation and sometimes, a dry humor.
They are nearly always intelligent, concise, clear and logical. Many are strongly imaginative and psychically intuitive, so that the Age of Aquarius, which is about to begin, is much anticipated by psychic circles as an age in which mankind will experience a great spiritual awakening. The Aquarian philosophical and spiritual bent may be dangerous in that it can drive the subjects into an ivory-tower existence where they meditate on abstractions that bear little relevance to life. On the other hand it can help the many who have scientific leanings to combine these with the Aquarian yearning for the universal recognition of the brotherhood of man, and to embark on scientific research to fulfill their philanthropic ideals of benefiting mankind. When some cause or work of this nature inspires them, they are capable of such devotion to it that they may drive themselves to the point of exhaustion and even risk injuring their health.
Both types need to retire from the world at times and to become temporary loners. They appreciate opportunities for meditation or, if they are religious, of retreats. Even in company they are fiercely independent, refusing to follow the crowd. They dislike interference by others, however helpfully intended, and will accept it only on their own terms. Normally they have good taste in drama, music and art, and are also gifted in the arts, especially drama.
In spite of the often intensely magnetic, forthcoming and open personality of the more extrovert kind of Aquarian, and of their desire to help humanity, neither type makes friends easily. They sometimes appear to condescend to others and take too little trouble to cultivate the acquaintance of people who do not particularly appeal to them.
They do not give themselves easily - perhaps their judgment of human nature is too good for that - and are sometimes accounted cold. But once they decide that someone is worthy of their friendship or love, they can exert an almost hypnotic and irresistible mental attraction on them and will themselves become tenacious friends or lovers, ready to sacrifice everything for their partners and be faithful to them for life. However, they are sometimes disappointed emotionally because their own high personal ideals cause them to demand more of others than is reasonable. And if they are deceived their anger is terrible. If disillusioned, they do not forgive.
Aquarians work best in group projects, provided that they are recognized as having a leading part in them. They have a feeling of unity with nature and a desire for knowledge and truth that makes them admirable scientists, especially astronomers and natural historians. They may excel in photography, radiography, electronics - anything connected with the electrical and radio industries - aviation and everything technical. On the arts and humanities side their progressive tendencies can be expressed in writing, especially poetry, and broadcasting, or as welfare workers and teachers. Some have gifts as entertainers and make good character actors (having an ability to mimic) and musicians. The more psychic among them possess healing gifts, especially in curing the mentally sick.
Among the faults to which they are liable are fanatical eccentricity, wayward egotism, excessive detachment and an inclination to retreat from life and society, and a tendency to be extremely dogmatic in their opinions. Aquarians can be a threat to all they survey or a great boon for humanity in general. Circumstances - for example, continuous opposition to a cause they hold dear - may cause the atrophy of the openness of mind that is one of the Aquarian's most attractive traits. They may express a lack of integrity in broken promises, secretiveness or cunning. Simmering anger and resentment, rudeness or, worse, a tense, threatening silence which may suddenly burst out in eruptions of extreme temper, these are all part of the negative side of the Aquarian. This can also reveal itself in a sustained hatred for enemies that is capable of enlarging itself into a misanthropy toward the whole of mankind.
ETA: Kute Klip - Kris is Kissed!
Was all excited waiting for this, but turned out pretty anti-climatic.
I liked the video clips, both sets of parents are so doting and cute, and proud, as they should be.
The Idol song we had to hear twice yayyyy was rumoured to be un-cheesy, but it was just a rearrangement of the same old vapid lyrics we liked once upon a time long long ago but are sick of now, set to a 'sounds like a thousand other forgettable songs' melody. I've never written a proper song though so I imagine it's very hard to write a good one ;p Maybe the studio recording will sound better.
Adam's Mad World trenchcoat look and feel - Simon calls it "The Phantom of the Opera" while Randy thinks it was "Twilight" lol.
Girl judges were soft and mushy while boy judges tried to say what they thought real men would say.
The boys sang well. I'm not gonna comment as I like them both, and I already picked my winner weeks ago.
Best part of the night was seeing Adam and Kris with big smiles and their arms around each other when it was over. They're coming off that adrenaline high and I bet they're so glad that the long, gruelling, life-changing marathon is finally over!
Performance clips below.
A brave Shepherd mix protects his injured mom in the video clip from CNN below. Dogs are the best, they stand by their loved ones no matter what :)
Please refer here for the performance show review.
I stayed off the internet all day so I could be on tenterhooks during the local broadcast of the results show. Ben Stiller and gang opened with the American Idol Desk. Don't ask. Yakety yak and ads galore... Alicia Keys (that is a beautiful first name, love it) was Stun-Ning wow but why's she not singing... Katy Perry was Un-Beh-Liev-Ably Hawt though I liked the top of her gem-studded swimsuit more than the bottom, which even she was not entirely comfortable with (caught her pulling it down after her song). She had "Adam Lambert" emblazoned across the back of her little white cape lol. Jordin Sparks? She looked better than during AI (which season was that?), but I was taking a break during her appearance. I think that was... Kevin Bacon??
The homecoming clips were heart-warming, it was so nice to see all that love people have for all three of them! And I was touched to see Danny tear. I can imagine it was bittersweet for him.
So... I'm sure most people who care already know the results. Danny is out, and You Are So Beautiful was so right for the bye bye sing-out. I feel... quite sad for him. It's been rough and tough. Not easy to come to terms with the passing of a loved one. To have the strength to do this when his grief for his wife must be still so fresh and cutting... it's admirable. I'm beginning to see why my sis is drawn to him. Heart hands represents his wife's heart ohhhhh.
Alright, cheer up folks. Yay it's a Kradam finale!!!! My dream come true! Adam and Kris, who recently reaffirmed their bond with their laquered nails as the best of bffs do, make it through together!
But oh, it's like Batman against Robin! Robin the nice young sunny boy who shines through with all-American apple-pie goodness even when AI buried him again and again, actually has a shot against the dark, glam, very 'weird' smokey-eyed crusader, whose gothic exterior is hardly able to conceal his soft candy heart. I want Batman to win, but I do not want Robin to lose! What a quandary :( Excited though :D
According to Ryan, only one million votes out of 88 million separated the top two this week, so get ready for Simon's big ding dong! That is, dinging here and donging there, to and fro, get it? Tight race?
Votefortheworst is at a loss who to support now that Danny's gone. Neither Kris nor Adam is bad enough for them. I think it'll be Kris, cos AI and Simon are salivating all over Adam and VFTW hates The Powers That Be.
So here are 5 outta 6 of the studio recordings of the songs by the Top 3. Sorry, I wasn't interested in Danny's Dance Little Sis.
You Are So Beautiful - Danny Gokey
Woohoo Danny is finally represented in my mp3 collection! I downloaded this mostly to give to my sis, hope she's not too sad that Danny's out. I like the live version better. The studio one seems so long. And I don't like how he did the first two lines. He went: You- stop -are- stop -so- stop -beautifooool.... Wasn't like that on the show.
Apologize - Kris Allen
Perfect vocals, much better than the live performance. I like it!
Heartless - Kris Allen
I knew it! AI would not be so nice (or smart/stupid enough) as to let the studio recording be a simple acoustic guitar version :< It's still nice, slower, great singing, but not as fantastic as the live performance.
One- Adam Lambert
Now this one... this ONE... is goood!!! I likey!! Aww so much better than the live version! Now I know the main problem. It was the arrangement, the missing guitar riff and the abrupt switch from slow to revved up was what made it weird last night. Adam still veers somewhat away from the tune in the studio recording, but it's okay, it's cool, I like the original melody but I can take the changes, since the guitar riff keeps it all grounded and sounding right. I can like it now yay! If they'd had the arrangement like this during the show, he would've hooked more people in and beaten Kris' Heartless.
Cryin' - Adam Lambert
This is much better than the live performance.
