Hey, people are actually reading this.

I hadn't gone to Ritz in a while. When I went last night I had numerous people telling me that they read and enjoy my blog. Well that was unexpected, for once I actually feel like this thing is serving a greater purpose than just killing time.

I highly appreciate the fact that you guys take the time out of your busy schedules (you know, between taking a crap and chatting on MSN) to read what I have to write (although you're probably preferring to take a crap right now rather than reading this gay post).

I'd like to encourage those who read this blog to leave comments every now and then. Feedback is important to me and it would be nice to know what you guys think about what I say. You don't need your own blogger account to comment, you can just comment under "Anonymous" and leave your name at the end. Hell, if there's some topic you'd like me to talk about, I'm open to suggestions as well. Keep the following growing. Then one day we can kick Perez Hilton's ass.

A sneak peek.

It's been a week since the birth of my new baby sister. They say that the baby's body rapidly changes over the first few days, like the head becoming less bulbish and the bone structure getting stronger. So you know, I sort of expected to see a bigger, badder, Tehminahtor type baby when I returned to Gozo this weekend. Okay, not really. She's still the tiniest human being I've ever seen, and this time I didn't forget to bring my camera from Malta.

Be there or be square. I'm a circle.

Just who the hell does he think he is anyway.

He has a blog. That's fine.

He updates it with news. Good.

The news is actually full of updates on other people's personal lives. Hmm.

He's gay. Fair enough.

He outs closeted gay celebrities. Okay now that's not fair.

He writes false news, saying stuff like Fidel Castro died (last year). Are you serious?

Perez Hilton is a douchebag and, just like Paris Hilton from whom he got his pseudonym (hence making the whole situation very fitting), he's an extremely overrated "celebrity" with no real talent to give him credit for. Really, how can someone live with himself after writing some gossip about someone, therefore killing that someone a little more inside. We're talking about celebrities who can lose everything when caught in one unfortunate situation on film.

And he's a two-faced cheapshot. Okay so he's gay and he feels that homosexuality should not be a taboo, and that homosexuals should be respected. Nothing wrong with that. But then he goes outing everyone like there's no tomorrow, as if it's his duty to do so. What the fuck dude, let them do whatever the hell they want. Also, he criticises others for homophobic remarks, yet when his "friends" like Paris Hilton shout racist and homophobic slurs he says nothing.

One more thing. The doodles on the pictures he posts on his blog. White writing made from MS Paint. Ooookay, suit yourself. But what's with the white "drool" coming from the corner of celebrities' mouths? Is that supposed to be- Oh God, nevermind.

Superstar wannabe.

P.S. The hate he receives in the comments after his blog entries are hilarious. Adjectives like "fat", "ugly", "dick", "douche" and "hater" are apparent favourites.

The Word of God.

Funny how it's always humans doing the talking.

It's getting worse.

Gears of War 2 is still prevailing in our flat. The amount of cursing has increased significantly, as well as the physical abuse. Jo rammed me into the wall last time, smashed my shoulder pretty hard. And they've become so absorbed in the game. Observe:

That's pretty close to the telly...

Right after Jo threatened me to stop taking pictures. I think he was more interested in someone blowing up though.

Just look at that concentration!

Jo, the chainsaw will be ringing in your ears throughout the night...

Flattered? No, I'm freaked out.

Gozo is a small island, we all know that. Gossiping and knowing what time your neighbour took a crap is inevitable. I do it sometimes too, rarely but it happens without me wanting it to. I'm corrupted I tells ya.


I don't really expect myself to be the centre of attention during gossip hour. I normally keep to myself and there really isn't that much to say about me, or so I suppose. Yet my poor girlfriend keeps hearing about me from her classmates. I honestly don't see how there could possibly be so much to say about me. The funny thing about it is that they go tell her something about me as if she doesn't already know. Of course she knows, why anyone would expect to know something about me before anyone else does is beyond me.

The time I shaved practically made headlines. Yes I blogged about it but no that's not what sparked such a reaction. Hell, no one reads my blog. If people did read my blog then I'd direct this entry specifically to those who keep "updating" the girls' secondary school with events of my life. Perez Hiltons, the lot of you. I've been planning to write an entry about that fat fuck for a while now by the way, stay tuned for that.

Anyway, then came my mom's pregnancy. No shit my girlfriend knew. And yes she knew the baby was born hours, even days before the people who told her found out. Oh and, get this. They told her that she became an aunt now. Because my MOM gave birth. Hmm, you might want to rethink that.

Oh did you hear? No, neither did I. Go gossip with someone else.

Rock a Bye Baby.

The introduction of Xbox's Gears of War 2 in our flat is starting to induce a certain degree of, well, violence. Tonight, after hearing numerous chainsaw killings, mortar explosions and Maltese gamers curse everything that's holy, Jo couldn't take it anymore and practically told Luke to shut the fuck up so that he can go sleep.

How did he do this? Well he threatened Luke that if he hears him talk through the headset or he hears a chainsaw killing one more time, he'd destroy the Xbox. Feisty indeed. I remember my dad used to say that a lot with the computer, the PlayStation, and anything else capable of keeping a kid from boredom.

After a couple of minutes of ranting, Luke bluntly asked Jo if he would like to play. Funnily enough, Jo said that since he was awake, he'd love to play. Err okay. But then he changed his mind, and eventually went back to bed.

But it couldn't just end like that. Luke felt truly apologetic and decided that he should make it up to good old Jo le Ho. So he grabbed my guitar, went by Jo's room, and together we started singing Rock a Bye Baby. To our dismay, however, the only reply we received was "Shut the fuck up and go to sleep!".

I think Luke still managed to get Jo to admit that he still loved him though. And that's the important thing, really. The love here is undeniable.

Help a brotha out.

I really want to expand my tattoo collection but, being the typical lazy ass university student that I am, I do not have sufficient funds. If anyone would like to donate a small amount of money to contribute to my next ink job, please feel free to do so. Come on, this is your chance to show me that you love me. Any amount will do, come on. All I'd need is around 80-1oo euros. Cash is fine, cheque is too. Lint and used chewing gum isn't, sorry.

Ideas for tattoos:

- 2 more guitar designs similar to my first one

- a star

- a pool (billiards) 8-ball, e.g. :

- The bat on the fretboard of this guitar (one of mine):

- Something that has to do with the World Trade Centre

- Something that has to do with hockey

Mmmm so many ideas, so little bare skin! Actually I have a lot of remaining untouched skin, but I doubt I'd do all of these. One or 2 within the next few years. Anyway, my ideas are for my own personal pleasure, so if you don't like them, any of them, well I couldn't care less. Feel free to say which one you prefer though, suggestions are welcome.

Our latest addition to the family.

She's finally here - yes it's a she - Anabel Farrugia was born this morning at exactly 10am. I just returned from hospital, my new baby sister seems to be perfectly healthy and well, weighing in at 3.5kg.

She and I already have a few things in common. We're the only two siblings out of four who were born here in Gozo, and on a 22nd. Then there's the quite obvious fact which I don't even have to point out that we're the most adorable. Duh.

I thank God for the well-being of both my mother and her new baby. Time to dish out the cigars and the champagne.

That's one way to put it.

On a thread in a forum related to whether premarital sex is good or not, one fellow guitarist on Ultimate-Guitar gave the first response, which practically made everyone's day.

"Would you buy a guitar before trying it?"

Needless to say, I lol'd.

An interesting thought.

I'm sure many people have thought about this before. Let's say you're minding your own business somewhere by a road. Then, out of nowhere, a speeding ambulance runs you over and causes you severe injury.

Jokes and irony aside, as funny as it may seem, what do the paramedics do? Do they stop, take you in, and take you back to hospital? Do they keep going to assist to the emergency they were called for and let another ambulance come for you? Do they take you in, then keep going to assist to the other emergency? Maybe they just say "Fuck, not again" and park the ambulance somewhere and smoke a cigarette.

Anyone willing to volunteer so that we see what they do, please do not hesitate to contact me so we can conduct this experiment. Please, by all means, don't be shy.

A message of hope.

I was locked all day in the summer heat,

In a small brown house in Suburban Street,

With a skateboard and my shit guitar,

I'd dream all day that they would get me far,

My dad would ask me about my grades,

The asshole sports that I never played.

And then I'd ask about the girls he'd date,

Behind our backs when mom would stay up late.

It was near when I turned sixteen,

Got kicked out of school, and so it seemed

that things were closing in and ready to blow,

My dad moved out about that year or so,

It took an hour to start a punk rock band

To offset my fucked up family land

And as I held my mom would start to cry

I swore ourselves a better life

If I had a chance for another try,

I wouldn’t change a thing

It's made me all of who I am inside

And if I could thank God

That I am here, and that I am alive

And everyday I wake

I tell myself a little harmless lie

The whole wide world is mine

The summer's gone,

the years have passed,

My friends have changed,

a few did last,

The smallest dreams got pushed aside,

The largest ones that changed my life,

And all I wish for was come to pass

From rock and roll,

to love and cash

It’s all success if it’s what you need

Do what you like and do it honestly

If I had a chance for another try,

I wouldn’t change a thing

It's made me all of who I am inside

And if I could thank God

That I am here, and that I am alive

And everyday I wake

I tell myself a little harmless lie

The whole wide world is mine

Angels and Airwaves - Rite of Spring

I won't cry wolf.

Sitting on my bed at the flat. No one else is here right now, and I'm just passing the time until my next lecture at 1pm. It's raining and I feel quite relaxed. This song I'm listening to by Adema with the thunder in the distance is very soothing.

Juno's a pretty good movie, Ellen Page is a great actor. Got a bit freaked out at the awkward tension between Juno and Mark, I was almost sure he was gonna try to make out with her. It's funny how Paulie wears short shorts throughout the whole movie.

Meh.

Lights, camera, rock out.

Sometimes when I really get into a song, I start directing a video for it in my head. The more I listen to it, the more ideas I get and the more detailed the scenes I invent become. It's a really fun idea which I wish I could put into practice but that's impossible. I do not have the essential resources or expertise for that matter, so I'm just going to continue playing these videos in my head.

The bands whose songs I really get into the most are Funeral fo a Friend and Angels & Airwaves. Everything about their songs contributes to my ideas of what my videos would be like. The lyrics, the song structure, the overall feel, the heaviness or mellowness of the guitars, they all play a role. I dig even deeper into the song when the visuals run through my head, because the message of the song is amplified with the sense of sight along with that of sound.

Hey who knows, maybe someday I'll do something like this as a side project for fun.

A small tribute.

Before getting into music, my childhood was basically all about hockey. I found this video with shots of some of my greatest idols when I was young, including the likes of Gordie Howe, Mike Modano, Mario Lemieux, Mark Messier, Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy and Wayne "The Great One" Gretzky.

Backing this video is the song they play everytime a goal is scored at a hockey game. Originally by Gary Glitter, "Rock n' Roll Part 2" is now more commonly known as "The Hey Song" by sports fans and athletes alike. It's a great song to chant along to when you're celebrating a goal at the ice rink, or in the living room in front of the television with your hockey buddies and bottles of beer.

A stroke of genius.

Rough weather lately. The ferry ride back to Gozo wasn't that pleasant, with all the swaying and rocking back and forth. Having just eaten, I really wasn't in the mood to throw up. So I closed my eyes and covered my face and just concentrated for a couple of minutes.

Then it hit me.

A lot of people suffer from seasickness. There have been many methods which were tried to help stop it or at least minimize it. But have they tried suspended seats? Yes, seats chained from the ceiling, making them look like giant swings. How would this work? Well, as the ship sways from side to side, the seat remains stationary and the person wouldn't be feeling the same motion the ship is going through.

It's kind of like the principle of having buildings' bases allowed to roll during earthquakes, but instead of moving ground, there's moving water. Swivel chairs, or other seats on wheels wouldn't work because the ship itself is moving against the current, but when something is suspended it isn't affected.

Mass production will start immediately. I will be the guy dragging chains behind me, using them to dangle your seat from the ceiling. No need to thank me. Actually, yes there is. Cash would do.


P.S. There wasn't really any strong thinking behind all this, so chances are that I'm really way off and the whole idea is in fact downright stupid. Therefore I strongly advise that you do not try this on any ship. Seriously, don't go strapping the Gozo Channel chairs onto the ceiling.

Why you should never share a Rapidshare account with Jo.

If you do, your passwords will be retrieved and used later on.

To hack your hi5 profile....

(the grande hi5 finale)

...to hack your Facebook profile...

and to do many other soulless pranks, like subscribing to endless groups on internet communities which take forever to unsubscribe from. Oh well, for once the tables had turned against Luke.

A huge kudos to Jo for finding the passwords and to Rochelle for helping him give Luke's hi5 a "superrrr makeoverrrrr!!"

I'm moving to Norway.

The country, in my opinion, is highly overlooked. It's got a lot of great things going for it.

• It's one of the wealthiest countries in the world (2nd highest GDP per-capita in the world).
• It's full of natural resources (4th largest exporter of oil, 2nd largest of seafood).
• It ranked the highest of all countries in human development for the past seven years.
• It was rated the most peaceful country in the world last year.
• It ranked second in the Environmental Performance Index.
• It's so self sufficient that it's better off not being in the European Union (they've rejected the treaties to accession twice).
• There's a high standard of living.
• There's the Government Pension Fund - Global (the largest pension fund in Europe, second largest in the world).
• The investment choices of the Norwegian fund are directed by ethical guidelines.
• Public education is free.
• The majority of the population is fluent in English.
• Norway is the best place to live, according to the UN’s Human Development Report, which ranks countries based on such indicators as income per person and life expectancy.
• There is a strong drive for more individualist values. Notably there is a very strong support for tolerance towards same-sex relationships compared to most European countries.
• Along with environmentalism, animal protection is an important value.

So, where to spend the rest of my life? Norway it is, then. They play hockey there, after all.

For the love of God, know what the hell you're doing on stage.

I wasn't going to bother blogging today, until I was "inspired" to do so.

Many of us have seen this:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QAMyQdBWhUw

I thought that nothing could possibly ever be as bad as that.

Well I was wrong. Very wrong.

...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MjWKAnrsUe4

...

Sorry for making you want to rip out your ears like that.

Don't give me that "They're just kids!" bullshit. If I'm 13 and I sound like that, I know not to get my ass on stage anytime soon.

So, what have we learned today kids? Practise, practise, practise. And tune your damn guitar before a live performance.

Am I the only one...

...who thinks toasted bread with cream cheese topped with sliced olives is absolutely delicious?

It's almost as good as a scrambled egg and mayonnaise sandwich.

The ongoing debate that never seems to be solved.

Recent years in our country have been riddled with story after story of illegal immigrants reaching our shores. Eventually this has built up to much protesting from the Maltese citizens.

We've brought up many accusations against these people, however the problem is that not all of them are just. Some of the good points mentioned, and let me emphasize on the fact that I agree with them and they are not related to racism in any way, are:

• Malta cannot physically handle the situation on its own, as it is already one of the most densely populate countries in Europe and the figures related to illegal immigration are overwhelming. It is receiving very minimal international help and therefore has to carry most of the burden on its own.
• A portion of these illegal immigrants are abusing the Refugee treaties and conventions which have been signed by our country.

Now, alongside these fair protests are some unfair judgements which I think should be pointed out. First of all, many of us think that EVERY illegal immigrant should get their ass kicked out of here and sent back to their homeland. After discussing it out with Jo we both agreed that, while a certain amount of these people are indeed abusing the Refugee treaties and conventions, some aren't and they have a truly valid reason for fleeing their country. For example, the country may be going through a civil war. These people really did not have any other option and truly deserve to be helped and to live a better and safe life elsewhere rather than in their own country.

Jo then explained that the proper procedures should be carried out in Malta with the arrival of illegal immigrants. These include verifying the reason for their escape from the country so that the proper action can be taken. That way, those who really need help can be treated while those who abused from the situation can be dealt with properly.

What I hope is that everyone else understands that there are those who really do need help, and we should reach out to these people. Also, I hope that we do not protest out of racism, believing that every African should be shunned out due to their different cultural background and skin colour. It's time to take action for our country's safety, but let us not do it with the wrong mentality.

Idiosyncratic.

The Imagery have just officially launched their first EP, "Idiosyncratic", through a gig at Rookies Sports Bar, Bugibba, Malta.

First off, a little about Rookies. It's a sports bar that pays homage to North American sports along with the typical European soccer and whatnot. Posters and jerseys of hockey and baseball players alongside various pieces of sports equipment stuck to the walls including hockey sticks and pucks. The bar has a very modest stage; the walls riddled with band posters and guitars signed by local talent. In other words, I don't think I'd find a better place for me personally to hang out at frequently if I were to live in Malta. Where else would I be able to find posters of Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, Green Day and System of a Down in the same building?

I've been following The Imagery ever since they first started. Over the past couple of years they've grown more accustomed to live performances and have been able to define their own sound without falling into a specific genre. Confidence and stage presence has greatly increased since their first gigs with 3-song setlists, and they are definitely nothing short of entertaining. Last night's setlist included the likes of Wolfmother's "Love Train", Against Me's "Stop!", Muse's "Feeling Good", The Wombats' "Let's Dance to Joy Division", The Raconteurs' "Consolers of the Lonely" and Franz Ferdinand's "Do You Want To". From such songs you can get the general idea of what kind of sound the band has been able to familiarize with the most. Songs you can dance to, jump around to, headbang to and smash your buddy's head on a table to.

Alongside these songs were the four tracks of their EP:

1. Margie Bloom
2. Vegetarian Bacon Salad
3. Out There
4. Shakespeare's Break

Being a band who I personally think have a sound and stage performance unique to the island of Gozo, they are very well capable of standing out among other acts in the whole country. If you really want to support the band, I suggest you buy the EP, and don't make copies of it or send the songs around.

To conclude, you know you will never be cool or smart enough to name something "Vegetarian Bacon Salad". Leave it to them.

Oh my God we actually did it.

This guy on a forum on http://www.ultimate-gutar.com/ came up with the ingenious idea to Rick Roll the MTV Europe Video Music awards 2008 in Liverpool:

The idea became vastly popular on Ultimate Guitar, and other forum sites such as 4chan, as millions of people cast in their vote, including myself.

Progress was made....




...and finally, the results were in. Needless to say...

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QdfdZqHqh0Y


http://tinyurl.com/ynupj4


...we Rick Rolled MTV and its millions of viewers. Booya!

The funny thing is Rick Astley declined to accept the award, he didn't even appear at the ceremony. Come on Rick,



YOU WERE NEVER GONNA GIVE US UP OR LET US DOWN!

And please don't tell me you were too stupid to click the second link. Otherwise, you got Rick Rolled, baby.

Please, respect the classics.

I was at Valletta today. There was some activity going on, when I heard "Sweet Child o' Mine" play. At first I thought it was a live band covering the song, but then I realised that the intro riff kept playing over and over, backed by a processed beat. A remix. Oh God. They remixed that song too. Not surprisingly, it was followed by the Seven Nation Army remix, the one with the lame chanting of the main riff.

Why must such songs be butchered by DJs who can't be assed to produce something original? They make my ears cringe, and I'm sure the original artists just sigh at what has become of their music. Remember the 2006 World Cup? Yeah, a remix of Queen's "We Are the Champions" with that Godawful crazy frog wanker. I remember screaming in frustration in public after hearing it.

Please, stop this crap, such remixes often destroy the true message and meaning of these wonderful songs, let them be. What's really annoying is that people become accustomed to them without ever knowing about the original, hence giving no credit whatsoever to the original artists. Never heard of the White Stripes? Guns n' Roses? Ugh.

On a side note, whoever does a Linkin Park remix will have their throats personally slashed by me. No one can successfully remix a Linkin Park song except Linkin Park themselves. Just listen to their Reanimation CD.

Caught red handed.

I was doing some homework in my room when Jo passed by. We were having a casual conversation when I noticed him looking at a poster I have on my wall. He seemed particulary interested in it, so interested that I had to take a picture of him staring in awe...

...at Simon Neil (of Biffy Clyro)'s crotch. Here's a close up.

Okay, to be fair, the truth is that he was reading what his tattoo said. But everyone is free to interpret.

I feel naked.

You might have noticed a change in my blog name. It's true, I am now beardless. I shaved tonight in the hope of either letting it grow again in a more presentable form, or remaining clean shaven. I'll decide, eventually.

Good book. Confused though.

I finished Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon", known as the novel that launched Hannibal Lecter's legacy of evil. Extraordinary book, I can't wait to read the others that follow, but I'm confused about one thing.

Warning *Spoilers start here.*

Francis Dolarhyde was being controlled by something, the Dragon to be exact. The Dragon spoke to him and told him what to do. He was psychologically abused by the Dragon. What I don't understand is, this Dragon was something that really did physically talk to Francis. I mean, at first I thought it was a figment of his imagination which was born from his childhood experiences. But other people actually heard this thing talk. For example Reba, the blind woman, heard the Dragon talk to Francis when she was on the phone with him.

So, who was this Dragon? Was it really a... umm, dragon? His grandmother haunting him? I wasn't able to figure this out, but it had to be something or someone real and tangible.

*Spoilers end here.*

If someone could shed some light onto this for me I would really appreciate it. General comments about the book are welcome as well.