Sunday, March 25, 2007

'Click to view video' - #$%^&*#@!

Anyone hate clicking on 'view video' links, especially on news sites? I absolutely do. If I want to click and read, that's all I need. All that's desired. I can't stand to see video only links. They are cumbersome, have awful quality, take a long time to load, buffer, choose between players - even on broadband. Reading through a report is a lot faster and easier, but we're seeing more and more videos. For me, it's annoying to see the video camera icon after a link. Who ever thought this was a good idea? A complete turn off.

If I wanted to view videos only, I'd go to YouTube.

This is likely cos Cnn.com and many news sites are slacking on writing articles. 'Tis far easier to show a video version from TV. The same videos used to be pay-for, until a couple years ago.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Maid'en Heaven - 3/17/07

Landed in BLR Fri for the Iron Maiden show Saturday, Mar 17. Gates opened at 3p.

Magic. Ecstasy. Surreal. Madness. Euphoria. Unreal. Flying. DidItHappen.

There were hundreds like me that traveled to BLR for Maiden. 24 hrs later, my ears still ring. I can't stop rockin', nor can many others. There's nothing else to share or discuss. There's nothing else to play. Can there be now?

Can a bunch of 50 yr + rockers enthrall a 50,000+ audience thus?
Yes. Oui. Ja!

I've attended Iron Maiden shows before - headlined by Queensryche, and Halford no less. Those shows don't compare to what we experienced last night. Last night, it was everything that was likely an out of body experience for most.

Maiden fans on the airplane to to show, on the way from the show, in the streets, at the gates - an unbelievable vast camaraderie. There was nothing else to talk about.

At 5 ft from the stage, this was even better than shows in the past. Dehydration, 6 hrs of waiting and standing be damned. There was happiness, good cheer, delight, forgiveness, tolerance, acceptance all available in plenty on Saturday evening. Yes, we booed the headliner bands - did we need to endure them as we waited for Maiden? Then they were on-stage at 817p, and they blew us away.

Fans on the road. Fans in the airport. Fans in the plane. Fans in the cab. Fans ev'rywhere.
A whole black and blue army. The Maiden Army.

To hell with fixed WC'Cricket games, overhyped teams' shame, and suchlike after the show. Does anyone care about these overrated clowns? Cricket fans do not.

Nothing Else Mattered.

Maiden Magic.
Nothing Else.