Merry Christmas

To all my dear friends,

Wish you a wonderful Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Goodbye my friend...Rest in Peace

Just a small note to give due respect to Jade, a good friend and band mate....

So sorry not to be seeing you around anymore but you'll remain close to the heart.

Till we meet again...
RIP

Credit Crunch...

Will not go into the merits of control engineering but everything in the universe tries to reach the most stable position by releasing any extra accumulated energy …

We generally assume that by putting in more effort in what we do we will always improve, get a better salary, become more intelligent and have better quality of life. Whilst it might be true to a certain extent, as I see it, the world is like a pendulum...swinging from one side to another. Sometimes it’s just good as well leaving things to happen by themselves and just monitor and analyze the situation to know when best to take action.

This time the pendulum started swinging back losing some of its energy to eventually reach a stable position…however due to its nature it will overshoot again and acquire some ‘extra’ energy. Eventually the process will reverse. Frictional losses eliminated this is an infinite ongoing process… a struggle for balance between progress, lifestyle and the environment...

Thanks for the support

Dear Friends,

Have to say that I had a really good time playing live again with Stillborn at Rookies Bar Bugibba.

Hereunder are the comments from our stillborn official Blog.

http://stillborninfo.blogspot.com/2008/09/rookies-rock.html

I would also suggest visiting the official Site:
http://www.stillbornmalta.com

Thanks again for the support and moreover for all the fun we shared together.

Rock On! \m/

Finally some rain...

Last night we got our first thunderstorm after a scorching dry summer…It was wonderful to wake up this morning and enjoy the smell of fresh clean air. The kind of smell one enjoys when going into a forest or in a big park when the weather is a bit chilly; something which Maltese never manage to enjoy as apart from the fact that trees and green are still considerably lacking on our tiny island, our respect for the environment has been lacking for the last thirty years at least. It is only lately people started considering the environment as a way to measure our good standard of living. In Malta there is a general trend to convert every tiny part of soil into a concrete block.

We Maltese have to accept the fact that Malta is practically one big city on a tiny rock in the middle of the Mediterranean. Eurostat statistics show that Malta’s population will keep increasing up till 2025 and then starts falling again. This would mean that apart from other problems which might arise, we need to take care of our environment more seriously. We have to adapt to the fact that we don’t have all the luxury of other big nations. But yet again, politics and money always take a pivoting role. The building industry is one of the strongest industries in Malta which leaves good income to a person who invested wisely in his/her property. Everyone is greedy for a piece of land here! ... Owning land in Malta automatically makes you rich! So it might be hard to convince a person to move out of his house or sell a piece of land so that a large building accommodating more people is erected in the same area unless a fair compensation (which is only fair) is given.

Engineers and Architects managed to achieve incredible feats in designing dwellings which are bigger, safer, more environmentally friendly and more comfortable. I am totally pro high rise buildings. As I see it, if people manage to fit in one big block there will be ample free space to enjoy…but no! the Maltese don’t see it that way. Everyone wants to leave his/her footprint, build their own house, with no garden (to gain that extra useless room). Moreover, the nice houses that were built in the 70s and which had a garden are now being demolished to build a crippled block of apartments, thin and tall with miniscule rooms, no aesthetics at all and at exorbitant prices. And maybe that’s why Maltese people hate high rise buildings…as that’s the impression they get of one such building…an eyesore on a much larger scale! It shouldn’t be so though! A good piece of architecture should be pleasing to the eye and esteemed as a good piece of art.

I just hope that things improve rather soon…Till then…I will enjoy the cool breeze till the summer heat dries everything up again back.

Wish you all a wonderful day.

Having a break...in London

Hi All,
Just thought of wishing you all wonderful summer holidays. As for me I decided to leave Malta for a couple of days and go to… well… London (for a change). Whilst all Europe is heading south for some sea and sun, I’m doing otherwise by heading north… For me Malta is too hot to bear in summer.

Well the weather here is rather dull and grey…apart from wet, but yeah it’s a relief for me. I just love rain. Guess it reflects my mood sometimes. Anyway, maybe I love rain, as I know that in a week’s time I’ll be back to our sunny island…hehe. You know! The grass is always greener on the other side.

Off for now… Too much time on PC already… better get out and enjoy myself a bit…and you should do the same.
Enjoy

Finally getting back on stage

....and

Dear Friends,

Finally stillborn should be back on stage...Come and join us. Pretty sure you'll have great fun. Expect a couple of sing along cover songs too :)

Raphael

Longing for Rain

Hot and Humid….this is how the Mediterranean climate is classified, with long hours of scorching sun and a sticky skin feeling. A grey cloud is nowhere to be seen…and moreover a drop of rain is only something to long for!

I wonder how people managed to live on our island some 100 years ago without Air Conditioners, Fans etc. Ah well, maybe they had a cooler summer!...Is all this heat a result of Global Warming? … yeah that’s the buzz word at the moment… blame it on Global Warming…

People have been warned on the effects of air pollution for ages now. It is only lately that countries are putting in some real effort to take care of being more energy efficient… and for sure it’s not because of care for the environment but only because energy is coming at a really high price.

We got so addicted to “free” energy that we find it hard to live without now! It’s taken so for granted that we can control climate and lighting and travel to desired destinations whenever we please that it’s getting harder now that energy is no longer “free”.

Just look at the skies and try to see a star…Ok you’ll manage to see more than a dozen for sure but will surely miss a couple of other thousands… So much light pollution that I wonder how efficient we really are after all. We’re reflecting so much wasted energy back to space! Light is only a tiny bit compared to heat losses. Don’t want to go into the merits of engineering. There is so much that can be done…but yes… that costs money. And no one would like to spend more money than necessary to live a comfy life. Technically it’s not cost effective! There is a saying which says that “Nature is capable of taking care of itself”… I fear the worst… Extinction of the present human being… hehe might be a joke but worth giving it a couple of minutes thought!… and for our poor world… that would be a cost effective solution ;)

Anyway, back to our micro scale. Wish you all a productive week.

Summer heat plays its tricks

The effects of scorching summer can be felt by everyone in our tiny island. Blinding light, unbearable heat and dryness and highly irritating flies and mosquitoes make living conditions far from ideal…but well, on the whole summer is nice and people like it for the sea and holidays. So, you can easily see bunches of people gathering their whole family and friends and packing themselves on the beaches, to cool off a bit. There is nothing nicer than a BBQ with friends….unless your neighboring BBQ people are hindering you… as what was supposed to be the most pleasant evening might easily turn into hell...

Technology is meant to make our lives more comfortable but yet… I still find it hard to go for a BBQ and enjoy a calm night with cool sea breeze when there are half a dozen generators revving to generate electricity for artificial lighting and loud music…
Respect is something which does not exist in certain people’s dictionaries. Egoism is one trait which people can easily live without. “I’m fine….so others should be fine too… if they’re not…bad luck for them!”

And what can be said about hot headed people? Some people just can’t control their temper and moreover less capable of holding a decent argument. Again the summer heat does not help in this and a couple of extra beers just make the perfect combination for a time bomb. Just notice the way some people drive, handle unexpected situations and talk to others. Don’t want to be judgmental but it is hard not to notice these scenarios. They happen far too frequently and could easily get you in trouble. One could be going his own way just to find some “stupid” (sorry for the word…but no better decent word comes to mind) person who will turn your day into a nightmare.

Again, will not go into the merit of what is right or wrong, there is the law for that. Common sense is a rare commodity to a certain sector of society, but the following quote gives enough food for thought!

“When you are in the right you can afford to keep your temper, and when you are in the wrong, you cannot afford to lose it.” M K Gandhi

Sleep...

Summer is with us again….a time to fit all the nice things one can enjoy in life…at the compromise of sleep.

A friend of mine told me “there is enough time to sleep in afterlife”…hehe… Good one… A good excuse to fit as many activities in our schedule as possible… however a good sleep is always welcome and that’s what I’m dreaming of at the moment…
However, it will just have to fit between all activities … don’t want to miss on anything… Life’s rather short not to be enjoyed to the full!

Wish you all another great weekend...

So much to do…. so little time

Life provides considerable challenges, and these challenges are what keep us going… be it from big decisions down to small problems… Challenge is the spice in life.

Challenges generally come along with a steep learning curve. Especially when a decision has to be taken fast, time is the limiting factor. This would require that all correct information is collected as fast as possible so that the necessary decisions are taken with enough time for thinking…
Good decision taking is an acquired skill which ripens and matures throughout life. I can easily compare it with a fruit (currently a fig fruit is coming to mind)... If you ever tried to pick a fig from the tree too early the taste is terribly sour…so picking the fruit in the wrong moment will give a bad outcome. However as it ripens and knowing when to pick gives a heavenly taste. That’s the same as taking a good decision.
Moreover, deciding not to take a decision is a decision in itself. (You have decided not to decide! quite paradoxical!) … Postponing a decision (not procrastinating!) is different though … That’s a skill too… It’s realising that the time is not right yet …Though in that case one has to keep an open eye for all events and just grasp the right moment…

And then, with all these decisions to take, comes another hurdle…getting tired… A good sleep is crucial…Too much thinking makes you tired…yet hyper at the same time!... I found out that a good long speed walk in the countryside or besides the sea helps a lot…Well any good physical exercise is good especially in good company...hehe ;-). Ideally mind and body should work in tandem… If mind is tired then body should be to be tired too…if body is fresh…mind should also be. Nothing works out well otherwise!

Anyway, I decided to stop here for today.

Wish you all another great weekend.

Best things come for free…

Image: a memorable sunset at Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, Malta

Malta, being a small island, though strategically placed in the Mediterranean Sea, might not be much of a fulfilling place to live in for certain people. To a certain extent it’s harder than living in mainland Europe for example. More opportunities exist there to live a better lifestyle. Moreover in Malta, being a densely populated island, it’s really hard to find a place where you just don’t meet any acquaintance and just be you and yourself…looking for Nirvana. Well, one of the few places where I manage to be at peace with myself especially in the summer seasons is Ghajn Tuffieha Bay watching sunset. It’s just priceless…and it’s free.

For me this little bay is heaven on earth. It’s the place where I manage to calm down and forget all life troubles for a moment. It’s a place where time stands still. It’s the perfect setting to organise thoughts, and plan ahead….My happiest and saddest moments are passed there. Watching the sun approaching the horizon giving the impression that after all, problems big as they may seem will come to an end….and that after all a new bright day will be available for us the following morning to make our dreams come true; dreams which form themselves during the night looking humbly at the moonlit sky just after sunset, gazing at stars as they magically appear one by one in the sky as it grows darker.

And what can be said about the waves hitting the shore? The sound generated and periodic rhythm is just hypnotic; with their constant hush like sound, giving the impression of a cuddling mother speechlessly asking her toddler to sleep quietly and enjoy the moment. Again…priceless

And yet… we wake up from the dream the following morning, get back to our normal routine… hustling and bustling… like crazy, always running against the clock trying to catch up with our modern lifestyle….trying to make our dreams and ambitions come true.

Luckily another sunset is awaiting us tonight… to think once again of today’s failures and tomorrow’s aspirations; although, being in the same place watching and the same sun the view will never be similar to the previous. Always a new experience… So enjoy your present day as there will never be an exact repeat of what’s lost today!

Wish a good week to everyone :)

“Can you practice what you preach?”

It’s just a simple question which deserves some deep thoughts… This follows another saying…“Judge me by my actions not by my words”… at least for me… it makes me think twice before saying / doing something!

Don’t want to go into the controversy of Politics, Religion, Management, Public Relations etc… everyone knows how the story goes…

This time I will just stay quiet and be open for criticism…Will let others judge.
The chain is as strong as its weakest link. Just hope it’s not me… :)

TGIF...

Finally Friday….and let the weekend begin….Hurray… There are days when job satisfaction reaches rock bottom and we’re only working for the weekend. Not that I have anything to grumble about life in general. I’m quite a positive guy, and generally life is relatively good to me…but sometimes things get hard to handle by yourself!

As I see it, most people tend not to be happy with what they currently have and always expect the future to be better. The present situation might not be ideal but, as I see it, it will be hard to have a brighter future unless we make an effort to improve our current situation!

Generally people always want to improve and achieve more. Nothing bad in that… I’m an ambitious guy myself … and one should always strive for the better. The problem occurs when we start spinning wheels in mud. Sometimes, the harder we try the deeper we go and the only way to get out is to release the gas pedal….and let someone else who is stronger and on more solid ground to pull us out. Failing to do so will only make us sink deeper, leading to frustration! ...

A very good friend of mine forward me this thought….
“If you always do what you've always done; you'll always get what you've always got.”
So yeah…myself…it might be prime time for a change… the thing is in what direction? Where? When? With whom? Guess this time I will just switch off the engine, wave a white flag and wait for someone to pull me out of the mud….In the meantime I will enjoy my present…which isn’t that bad after all…

Wish you all a great weekend :)

A perplexed mind

Today have so many thoughts passing through my mind that have been contemplating on what to write for quite some time, jotting down something, deleting it again, changing subject…etc. etc….however the theme remained the same….a perplexed mind trying to sort out his thoughts!

We’re born in a family of which members we have no control over at all. Country laws bind us to them for reciprocate well being….or not? As long as we’re living in an ‘ideal’ family it’s just a blessing but as soon as something contorts we end up in Hell.

On the other hand there are friends (not acquaintances) whom we choose. It might look like a simple thing, but having good friends is a feat in itself. I will not go into the merit of peer pressure etc. Usually it’s associated with teenagers but I have to say that it affects all sectors of society…. And the aim is always that of being accepted by fellows.

And here comes the crux…accepted by whom? Society? …. Ah well you just have to integrate….do as the others do … do as politicians say… and ...“Shut your mouth”.

Again…no one was remembered for being a follower. Only leaders in their respective fields are remembered in history be them either good or bad. Like Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Hitler and Einstein just to mention a few.
And yes Jesus was a great man….repeat man and no more; blasphemy for the Catholic Church. His teachings are iconic….but the church managed to screw it all up...as usual. Well same goes for the other religions. Far too many wars in the name of God!...What God? The fearful god or the loving one?....sorry always getting mixed up on that.
Even stranger…Jews, Muslims and Catholics (together with all their variations) all have the same God. This only leaves me thinking that Religions are just another barrier to safeguard territory…
Jews are seen as the martyrs in the hands of Hitler…. It was a really sad moment in history. Not to be forgotten…but surely not to be repeated…ever. So It hurts when I hear that Israel invests heavily in armaments and weapons. Well, they managed to do build a country out of Gaza Strip, taken from the Palestinians by the Allies….Same happened in Africa…raped by Europeans who managed to use the divide and conquer technique to grab minerals from such a fertile continent….
And what about what Japan did to China in World War 2 …. And now presumably China is going to do onto other continents….
And don’t forget America…..
And Iran….

Oh boy… From a global perspective we’re really living in a shitty world!
Luckily, in the micro scale, family and friends keep us going and make our life a bit more bearable.

….and so… will we ever be completely accepted anywhere? … I don’t think so!

P.S. I love you

Yesterday I happened to watch a movie which sincerely I would have missed were I to choose a movie myself for that eve. Better still, I’m glad I happened to watch it.

Well, the movie is “p.s. I love you”. Quite a romantic movie compared to the genre of movies I tend to enjoy. Usually I opt for movies containing either intricate plots (such as organised crime, war politics etc) or else fantasy (witchcraft, magic, dragons etc.) … but well … this one was different … but admittedly have to say that it touched my heart.

Here’s the link:
http://psiloveyoumovie.warnerbros.com/

Actually thinking of it, the movie had a good intricate plot as planning in advance 10 letters together with all that went with them for one to follow the other is actually quite amazing. It might be true that this story is just a ‘fairy tale’ but I’m pretty sure there are lucky people out there who managed to find that peace which only true love can give….

The movie focused on the mourning of Holly after the loss of her husband Gerry and how Gerry, despite his cruel illness which led to his death, managed to plan ahead for Holly an ‘easy’ recovery for her to get on with life without him.

I would rather like to focus on what might have happened before Gerry’s death. The movie starts with the ‘usual’ quarrel between the couple. I might be biased here but as I see it women never know what they want, never manage to understand themselves but at the same time they want a man who understands them! Ah well as from my side I try to understand…but from experience men never get it right!... it’s always our fault. Hehe…

Ok Ok…joking apart. People tend to be so focused on career advancement, better salaries, bigger homes etc. that sometimes we tend to forget that the ones who are really dear to us might not be here tomorrow!...and then we spend the rest of our lives missing them when they’re gone!.... Funny eh?

What’s the point of striving hard for the future if we’re missing the present?

"The past is history; The future is a mystery; This moment is a gift; That is why this moment is called the present; Enjoy it."
~ Allan Johnson

Ah well, for sure I am not the one to dictate what’s right or wrong…. Just wanted to jot down some of my thoughts … and maybe … when I look back on my life I see the past as a happy moment, lucky to have been in it ; As life with all its odds…is still beautiful ;)

Having a bad day? ...

There are days when one just feels that s/he can't take it anymore.
In that case there's nothing better than letting it be ... Having a good break helps... Eventually, things always tend to fall in place by themselves.

I once was given this quote which changed my perspective on the way of looking into problems:
"Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder." [Henry David Thoreau]

An in case the above does not hold I would suggest the hereunder pill, taken twice a day one in the morning and one before sleeping ideally after meals...hehe

Champions League Final - An eve to treasure

Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea on penalties after a breathless all-English final had finished 1-1 after extra time on Wednesday.

Well, if you expect a technical analysis of the game then you’re checking in the wrong place. I'm not much of a football fan myself but the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester Utd. was just a wonderful match to watch. Apart from being breathtaking from start to end, offensive from both sides, with missed goals and a 1-1 draw up to after the extra time leading to penalties and eventually Manchester coming out as victorious, I happened to watch the game with some of my dearest friends and great company.

Ah well, beer, flavoured popcorn and other spicy munchies weren’t missing either which made the eve surely one to remember and treasure. A day which makes you keep in mind that life is worth living and that good friends are the ones who keep the wheel turning.

My online Diary

My dear ones say I'm a busy guy always going from one thing to another.... well...it might sound strange but I decided to start my own blog and comment on what's happening around my little world of myself.

Any comments and suggestions are more than welcome as always... I'm quite an open minded guy ...

This is just a short message to get things up and running.... heating up the engine for future posts to come...