Pulling it right back up

A Difference, indeed.

I woke up with a heavy heart today. Mainly due to the fact that the pass two days of my life were spent entirely devoted to developing into "a more effective leader" through the means of a school camp or it might be due to the fact that during my long and thorough sleep, I saw things that, lets just say, I wouldn't want to see happening.

The weather didn't help much either.

This feeling is interesting for I haven't felt it in a long time. A thought so strong and prospective that it actually made me think about things in a more analytical, and practical fashion.

The past two days spent at the school camp weren't exactly ideal or that much enjoyable, well to me at least; I found multiple aspects of the camp to be largely redundant and freedom was kept to a minimum (as with most other camps).

We're at that age where our minds reign and crave freedom, where rules stand for nothing and where we like to express ourselves and our thoughts to the world.

I acknowledge that fact as I feel that transition as well, essentially, we hate to be controlled.

But the lack of control often breeds the lack of order, which in turn leads to being reckless and doing things that one would regret ultimately.

Just like Light streaks, the mind is often limitless and unexpected.

That fine line has to be drawn between crossing and staying within the boundary.

Well, that's that I presume.

As seen evidently on metallic-stains, I've been on hiatus for the past couple of weeks, largely due to the various R&R activities planned.

Interestingly, these few weeks of hiatus has somehow or another, changed me in a way quite very unexplainable. It made me see things in a new light, as well as feel differently about things and occurrences around me.

Many things in life change as that is the the focal point of improvement but these few weeks have made me realized that some things are and should be kept constant not matter what radical changes take place. Think about it.

You might have also noted that though I've been on hiatus posting here on metallic-stains, Audrey has been hard at work taking interesting shots of things over the weeks.

Click on the link to your right to excess to the flickr page if you're interested to see her work.

Also, this is a good time to post a shout out to those of you out there who use Twitter. Be sure to "follow me" and my tweets via the link by the right.

Alright, that's all for this short update here on metallic-stains. Be sure to check back soon. The hiatus is over. More stuff soon to come.

Be back, soon.

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Now playing: Oasis - Champagne Supernova
via FoxyTunes

Walking in a (Winter) Wonderland

Beauty of the night.

With Christmas lurking just around the corner, days away, the past couple of days were spent in crowded frequents, comfortable coffee houses (Starbucks) as well as scenic backdrops.

Indeed, the people around are getting into the Christmas mood evidently but it must be said that as compared to the previous year, moods ain't as high up.

Seeing that it was Christmas, I decided to give myself a little treat as well. Took a walk around town and looked around the music store, as usual.

A music CD would make a really good present for myself and amongst the myriad up for grabs, Paramore's CD/DVD, The Final Riot! caught my attention.

The Final Riot!

I must say, the cover of the album is certainly appealing on multiple levels, I'm sure you might agree as well. Kudos to the designer.

At $20.95, the DVD/CD is a steal of a buy. Aside from 15 Live tracks (featuring songs from both the first and second Paramore albums), this 2 CD set also features a live concert DVD.

Think, over one hour of hard hitting tracks from a budding alternative rock group with a dash of energy and stage presence. Certainly something to make you head bang to with addictive tempos and high octave vocals.

Okay don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to push the product here on metallic-stains but for those of you out there interested in the genre or the band, all I'm saying is that its worth the money and time.

Leaving that for now.

The annual season of Christmas is significant for various reasons, to each his own. But it also signals the coming end of the calender year.

And though it may seem a little early, I've decided to talk about a couple of resolutions for metallic-stains.blogspot.com upon the arrival of the year 2009.

This site was founded (or created, rather) a couple of months ago and has thus moved and evolved from its original purpose, look as well as feel, which is a good thing as change often spurs for improvement.

However what better way to mark the start of a new year then to implement further changes and improvements?

That being said, I thought about a change of fundamental posting frequency and classification for the posts you readers see here on the site. Here's the current breakdown;

- Periodic updates
- Periodic narratives
- Occasional articles

As seen, the flow and frequency of posts are rather irregular and unorganized. I plan to revolutionize and implement a change as seen here;

- Updates (Once per week)
- Subject Posts (Unrestricted per week)
- Narratives (Situational)
- Articles (At least 2 published monthly)

To me, the readers are my target audience and thus I feel that you guys have the right to know about the site's composition as well as organization.

And with this new implementation (with effect from 2009), I hope that readers will be able to orientate and adhere to a mode of consistency amongst the posts and publishes of metallic-stains.

So be sure to stick around. Feedback is of course, deeply valued amongst the management team so keep those coming in!

And moving on to the subject for today's post.

Eluding Silence.

The past couple of hours were fruitfully spent, well to me at least.

A little walk around town certainly helps one to think about things not usually considered as well as problems, of course.

Of course there was a reason for the walk but at this point in time, I would leave it undisclosed (but will reveal why in coming posts so be sure to check back).

What if one had everything to loose but, against all odds, chooses to stake everything on the line?

Many a time in the course of life, we find ourselves trapped in such situations which is often thought provoking; if we know we might (and most probably will) lose something, why are we doing it?

I guess situation varies. It largely pivots on the importance of that "something" to the person in question, which will determine how much the person is willing to stake and put on the line.

It must be said that it is human nature to deter from the things we feel less confident in achieving success. Quite understandably so at that for I'm pretty sure that most if not all of us, hate to fail or lose something significant.

We often hear of phrases like "I would give my (something significant) up, if I could have (something even more significant)" and I guess this is why humans engage in this curious behavior of putting all that we have on the line, simply put, we are always looking for something more.

It would be injustice to say that this behavior is due to greed but it does however, work along the logic of that.

We as humans, are always looking for something better, seeking improvement though we rarely identify this need but what if we lose it all? What if everything falls through and all is lost? That is another behavior to consider.

Moving forward, looking ahead.

It is an interesting process when failure exhumes one's period of life. Some individuals are able to get over it quickly while others linger on, in hopes of making amendments for things in the past.

For me personally, I daresay that I once lived in the past but ironically, I'm living in the future now.

Its good to anticipate failure but sometimes you go ahead with making mistakes though know perfectly what you're doing and the repercussions it may cause.

It takes a hurt to learn, sometimes.

So that's that, a little food for thought I guess. Be sure to check back for updates and lots of (Christmas) goodies to come. Watch this space.

Cya'll later

"Your Little Decoy"

*The owner and management team of metallic-stains holds no right, share or commission in the sales of Paramore's Final Riot! DVD/CD. All related references made belongs to its rightful owner. Usage of pictures (excluding the Final Riot! cover) without referencing or permission might result in undesirable consequences*

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Song of the Post


Now playing: Paramore - Decoy (Live)
via FoxyTunes

Use The Force; Harnessing Change

This really just makes us sit back, and wonder if we're truly alone out here.

Sometimes Life grabs you by the feet and what happens? You trip over.

You look back to see what you've tripped upon, you see nothing and thus you move on with your life.

Or is it really how this works?

I guess the situation in our current context would differ vastly from that of mentioned above wouldn't it?

When Life grabs you by the feet and catches you off guard, causing you to trip and fall, will you, will anyone, "move on" just like that?

We cannot hide the fact that in Life, there are bumps, setbacks, problems and dilemmas around every corner, every phase. But let us take a step back and think, is there a greater reason elaborating on the reason for these "inconveniences" in the course of Life?

My last couple of weeks were spent, a huge delegation, to the priority of school work and worldly commitments. My only source of relaxation came from limited sources; music, friends and more importantly, family.

However, I've recently dug into the archives of my rather inadequate movie collection and revisited the epic saga also known as Star Wars.

Being one of my all time favorite production series as well as storyline (not forgetting the mouth watering technological marvels), a hint of nostalgia fitted knowingly into my mind, as I watched the entire series, over the course of weeks of course.

For some, Star Wars may just be another science fiction action series will an awesome (and elaborated) storyline with addictive content and indeed, I can be considered amongst "some". But personally, there is a deep underlying aspect behind this mammoth of a concept that George Lucas had put together.

Amidst a conversation a couple of hours back with my folks (who are, by the way, fans of the series too), this topic of Star Wars' content was brought up. It was mentioned that the storyline and themes of the series were based off those in the real world.

At first, I was skeptical about that claim; how can a movie with flying spaceships, alienated characters and men wielding laser swords replicate the real society? But thinking about it in retrospect, I found truth in that statement.

We cannot hide the fact that there is political tensions in the world we live in and that's the first replication to that of the series. There is an underlying message in the series as it revolves around the accent of politics in the background as a side plot to the main storyline. Manipulation is also evident as a fringe to the story line's themes.

"May the Force be with You"

I'm sure many have heard of this term at some point of their lives, whether its during a geeky online chat or even during your daily trip to the dentist, we cannot hide the influence this phrase has on society, though on a very subtle level.

The Force, however, does exist in real time context; let us view this with a little literal intent encrypted.

As mentioned at the start of this post; if Life grabs you by the legs and causes you to fall, what do you do?

Interestingly, I feel that this "Force" has its truths in this context.

There is no doubt that at some point in our lives, we have always felt like giving up, felt like not making the effort to recover from the fall caused by the bumpy road and as a result, we blame instead of rectify.

Is there a difference?

For sure, in my opinion. When we fall, what do we usually do on first reaction? We think and figure out how we fell. Next, we think about why we fell which will often encompass the negative, but natural, reaction of human beings; to blame.

Individualistically speaking, we react differently from different "falls". This is also dictated via the subject matter in question; "falling" out of love, for instance, will grant a different reaction from "failing" to close a business deal, so to speak.

I now question this intention; what is the purpose of blaming?

Till this day, I cannot safely accredit an answer for that lest the fact of venting frustrations. Naturally, human beings are highly emotive creatures and when we're at a loss, or in a situation of desperation, we automatically seek alternative forms of finding out the "right" solution.

Take this for example;

You enter this wonderful relationship with another individual and the both of you are happy, most of the time. Suddenly, there is a change in things and your partner has to move away, out of the country, thus signaling the end of the union.

You're at a lost, you will thus turn to blaming. Blaming the reality of distance and the fact that he or she has to leave because of that. But have you even thought that there might be another reason, aside from distance (for example), for the "fall"?

Certainly we don't see the un-obvious, for as the term suggests, is not obvious thus often overlooked, but what if there's a reason for everything that happens?

For many, a change in Life is often considered a good example of a "fall".

Like moving to another country for work purposes or as mentioned, getting hurt in a relationship; we often classify these as "falls" thus giving truth that little or no human is comfortable to change.

Fusing both blame and change, we then get this elaborated vicious cycle that limits and weakens the progress of humans individually as well as collectively.

I brought the issue of Star Wars up because I found that aside from the factors mentioned about the emulation of real life aspects, the issue of change and blame is very evident, and in fact, the root of all evil.

Allow me to elaborate.

Remember this little character called Anakin Skywalker? Oh, maybe the name "Darth Vader" would clear off some confused faces (if you don't know the plot, you might want to consider watching the series and/or reading up for a tint of the plot).

In a way, this entire storyline focuses on him; his founding, his development, his manifestation as well as ultimately, his end. A particular quote from the film that I found really insightful;

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering..."

Indeed, for the root of all evils starts from a change, which induces fear into him. This then paves the way for blame to step in as Anakin along the plot, starts blaming for the things around him and his situation, instead of his own wrong doings which is evident in the final climatic scene in Episode III, Revenge of the Sith, where an exasperated Obi-Wan says:

"You (Anakin) were the Chosen One! It was said that you would, destroy the Sith, not join them. It was you who would bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness"

All of this with ultimately led to Anakin's suffering, as he ventures towards the dark side of the Force.

Which brings me to the next point of this topic.

I would largely like to believe that the "Force" does exist in Life, though not in the dramatic form you see in the movie. Everyone has this Force from within themselves, just that few can understand and truly master its potential.

The Force to me, is simply a way of thinking. It can be considered, to a certain extent, the very thing that drives you, the very thing that you live by and the very thing that you believe in.

Very so often during the various movies of Star Wars, we see the Jedi Knights in terrible situations, in need of their lightsaber. Which is when they call upon the Force to psychically summon the lightsaber.

Though this makes a good effect in the movie and fantasy world, I believe that there are real connotations to that subject matter.

Think of your lightsaber as something you need very badly. Something that, in the given situation, you require urgently and the Force as your mind.

Say for example, you really need a car for that Saturday night date you've been planning since first grade. That becomes your "lightsaber".

What do you do?

By using the Force to reach for the "lightsaber", which may result you in getting a part time job to raise the funds, or any action taken to obtain that "lightsaber".

Indeed we can classify the Force as a way of thinking but then again, I feel that subjectivity plays a part in this argument as everyone has different interpretations of the Force.

The constant fear of change, viewed in another perspective is just a way of moving another step up the stairway of life.

With the problem (fear of change) as well as the solution (using the Force) presented, it is now down to the matter of applying the solution to the problem.

Many a time, we are faced with the prospect of change and as mention, are naturally not acceptable to them. So what do we do?

Its all in the mind, I usually assure myself. Even if my "lightsaber" is something deemed too radical or hard to achieve, I'd still use the Force.

In a way, I feel that Life is, blatantly put, Change. Which makes perfect sense as Life encompasses a myriad of problems, big and small. Thus we must be susceptible to change and this can be achieved via the harnessing of the Force, in doing so bridging the gap between problem and solution.

An old quote from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho states (and I'm sure I've mentioned it previously);

"If you want something bad enough, the entire universe will conspire for you to get it"

That, I feel, relates strongly to this "Force", when viewed from a certain aspect. Harness the change, eradicate fears and use the Force to achieve the seemingly impossible.

So the next time Life grabs you by the feet and you fall, learn from that experience and move on with the Force and your "lightsaber" set in your mind. Only then, will you propel up the endless steps of improvement set along the stairway of Life.


*The owner of this blog and author of this does NOT own any of the images you see in this particular post. Any related references made to "Star Wars" is purely nonprofitable and credit is reserved for the creator of the content as mentioned. The author and owner for this post, along with its management team, does not have any affiliations to the company behind "Star Wars".

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Now playing: Cute Is What We Aim For - Lyrical Lies
via FoxyTunes

Bread, Circuses and a whole lot more.

Okay, time for a little update on metallic-stains.

The past couple of days were really awesome and full of activity. thus explaining the lack of updates or activity here.

First off, there was this wacky and fun birthday party/stayover (one of my friend's birthday) that lasted over the weekends. Really awesome stuff. It was a good opportunity to meet up with old friend as week as to have (a heck load of) fun.

From the weird soil cake to the alcohol games (just for the kicks), the party was a blast. Getting to sleep was a terrible problem as no one wanted, nor felt like sleeping, despite the drinks and the time of the day (we were probably awake till around 5 to 6-ish?).

Didn't get to sleep much, but then again, I didn't even sleep. We literally had drinks the entire night (and morning for that matter) and we entertained ourselves with the Xbox, largely from GTA4, where we thought of the best way to die, or kill Niko Bellic (the main character, the person players control ingame).

Really awesome stuff, but the hangover bits were kinda, well, horrible.

The next couple of days however, were spent at a class chalet that was organized to foster class bonding as well as to have fun in general.

The first night was decent and as in typical chalet fashion, we had instant cup noodles, went out at 3 to 4 am and slept only when the sun rose.

The second day was filled with class bonding activities of which revolved around the barbeque that happened in the evening. Though we were dampered by rainy weather, it was all good in the end, even our lecturer came to join in the fun.

I guess the chalet was an excellent platform for class bonding and I'm really sure that we've learnt new things about one another in a way or so. Great stuff and the new semester will see new challenges for sure as well as friendships being stronger fostered and cultivated.

The saying of "Bread and Circuses" (with reference from paulocoelhoblog.com), kinda got me interested. Basically it circles and questions the fact that people require food and fun and not necessarily freedom to survive.

Well, there is a certain degree of truth to that, but lets view it in a different light. I'm sure nobody would give up his or her freedom for food and fun, though is can be considered a basic need. Hmm... a little food for thought here perhaps?

Alright, best get some rest; body's feeling under the weather due to the lack of sleep, "heaty" food as well as the weather (oh the irony).

Remember to check back for updates and the final instalment of "Hysteria's Call" and also articles which I'll post in abit.

Cya'll later.

Random Thought, Vol. 7

Alright, time for a quick update.

Been spending the weekends on movies mainly (but from an undisclosed source) and its been somewhat interesting and fruitful.

And that's probably the reason why I haven't been blogging for the past couple of days.

From the highly humorous, like "Borat" and "Good Luck Chuck", to the action packed "Jumper", each and every single piece of production yields a substantial amount of educational value from within (which I'll be touching on in my upcoming article).

Life has been really hectic recently, but its slowing down for abit as the semester draws to a close.

While others take time off to replenish lost hours of sleep, or even catch up with their friends, I'd prefer to do the the unorthodox of pondering about certain topics and aspects of life.

I did an analysis of my current lifestyle and my current environment just to keep myself in check.

I then reflected on my current mindset and train of thought. Indeed, I have not been feeling too well, emotionally these pass few weeks (mainly due to the workload, changes in lifestyle and certain aspects) but I've dealt with them reasonably week in a sense; I'm still standing tall.

I feel that fighting for what one desires in life is absolutely necessary as things will not drop from the sky just like that, thus I cultivate my drive for achieving greater things.

Its interesting what a certain event or watching a certain show, or experiencing a certain change, can do to both you and the mind.

I would like to share a short narrative with you, my reader, so here goes.


"The man tilted his face towards the wind and sighed. It has been 3 months since he last saw the oasis. He wasn't intent on leaving the oasis but he knew that the time has come for him to leave as he recalled that day.

The winds blew at his back and the sun blazed at his back, as if urging the poor man off and away from the oasis.

I'll come back soon, he whispered to himself as he heed the signs and walked off into the harsh winds of the desert.

Day and night he wondered around the desert and although he wants to leave the desert for good, he always fostered this desire and motivation to find the oasis once again.

Call it a addiction but in the man's mind, one thing repeated again and again; you'll again stumble upon the oasis one day, keep moving.

Indeed the oasis has left an impact on the man, a deep one at that, for the man lost all hope and dream of leaving the desert alive but replaced that, reaching the oasis stands rooted in his mind.

The source and his feeling tells him to search for the oasis, and in doing so, he will remain stuck in the desert as he chooses not to leave but to search for the oasis.

But should he leave? Afterall, the oasis has given him life and hope when he was in the middle of his darkest, most desperate moments as well as console him.

And if not for that moment of spur and release I would still be in the oasis now, he thought to himself quietly, with a distinct hint of regret in his mind.

The man slowed his steps, unsure of his move while his mind deliberates. He feels every grain of sand around him and the wind picking up again and on the horizon, the sun slowly creeps, hinting that sunset looms near.

He stops and slows his steps. With the sun against his eye, he knows that he's facing the direction to the oasis.

Darkness and danger crept around him, urging his natural instinct towards the oasis, but then again, his environment should not dictate his actions, should it?

The man stands there, alone, in the desert with the heat fast draining away. He must make a decision; to continue venturing or to return to the oasis. He knows that he might not even find the oasis, but his heart yearns for it nevertheless.

The man stands very still now, not knowing exactly what to do..."


Hmm... Indeed, the man, the oasis and the desert forms a big chain, but with reference to the narrative, what should the man do?

In a metaphorical sense, all of us will be, at some point in our lives, the man lost in the desert and we will meet an oasis.

Some food for thought then. And as usual, I would love to hear from you guys, my readers.

Now time for a couple of random thoughts

1) It is windy
2) My hair is gone
3) Playing soccer in the rain, not very smart
3) I might have to sleep early tonight
4) There's work to be done (sparsely)
5) I need food
6) The term's drawing to an end
7) Best to get started on (insert)
8) My fan isn't even on, nor is my air conditioning unit
9) I'm looking forward to my lesson on Wednesday
10) My musical senses are calling out to me

That's that, now its time for work. Be sure to check back for articles and relevant updates.

Cya'll later.