Watch. Listen. Adore.

Obligatory listening

Today's top 10.

1. Queen Of You - Monster Magnet
2. Change (In The House Of Flies) - Deftones
3. Loverman - Metallica
4. King Kill 33' - Marilyn Manson
5. Anything But This - Static X
6. Make Me Bad - Korn
7. 1stp Klosr - Linkin Park
8. Mann Gegen Mann - Rammstein
9. Heaven's A Lie - Lacuna Coil
10. Cry For You - A Perfect Circle

Return to the light

As you can see, my blog has turned a paler shade of white than a goth's skin in winter. Apart from the long-overdue change in layout, I feel this is a little easier on the eyes.

Talking about easy on the eyes, feast your sight on this.

Errr... what was I talking about?

Nevermind.

Beautiful

How can I show you

that you are beautiful

when you always look the other way

Finding imperfections

with every living breath

feeding yourself deceit

every night as you lie in bed

How can I show you

that you are beautiful

when you see only flaws in the diamond

and not the sparkle that it holds

You judge yourself with consequence

tearing down what nature built

and turning it into darkness cold

How can I show you

that you are beautiful

when you don’t look into the mirror

save with tear-streaked eyes

How can you see yourself as I do

when you’re peering through a looking glass

warped by doubt and loathing

brewed within your mind

How can I show you

that you are beautiful

when your beauty is just too much

and leaves me lost for words

choking on every thought

while trying to explain something so clear

that it is written all over your face

How can I show you

that you’re beautiful

when the world is not enough

and a million voices

fail to change your song

unable to silence

the doubt that beats away

No I can’t show you

that you’re beautiful

No matter how hard I try

But I’ll whisper it to you every night

as you drift off to sleep

and hope that one morning

you’ll wake up with eyes wide open

and see yourself as I do

A perfect diamond

A stunning reflection

and a ray of sun

piercing my own darkness

taking the clouds away

-- From: Raven's Rants (link).

Power of you

Last night, I watched a movie called Ghost Dog.

In this decade-old film, a lone hitman tries to keep to the way of the old Japanese samurai. Great film, no great acting, amazing atmosphere.

In this movie, like so many others, an individual goes against the mainstream in both philosophy and action. In real life, however, most of us merely follow the crowd.

It is a funny thing; we all want to be part of something, yet we all want to be unique and different. We are part of the group, and yet not part of the group. A constant struggle of identity.

To completely and utterly break free of the crowd is hard and rare. Most often, people choose to belong to another, often obscure group. Common examples are the goth subculture, various religious groups, and, in a way, artists. To really break free and become your own group of one, is something not often seen.

And yet, it is so much easier than it appears. Just stop trying to be someone other that who you are.

All of us are unique. All of us are alike. It is that blend of characteristics that make us who we are. So just stop trying to be someone you're not, and be yourself.

Then you'll be unique. And yes, part of a group. A group of individuals.

Royo

Yup, Luis Royo. That's some amazing art he makes.

Did you know...

...that elephants are plotting to conquer the world? They're just not very succesful at it, because their numbers are decreasing rapidly.

...that during the second-to-last Ice Age, hell froze over? The devil's heart is still cold and bitter.

...that that's no moon? It's a crumble of cheese in your eye. Really, get rid of it. It's disgusting.

...that the Second World War, unlike the first one, did not involve the entire world getting into a fight? Antartica didn't fight in the war, for example. It has been the theory of experts that the specialised penguin bomb squad was unavailable due to a mass fishing trip.

...that black is the new black? Gothics worldwide are changing their wardrobe to bright colors.

Goth the life -- revisited

Somehow I've managed to not talk about one of my other fascinations. That is shocking to me, since it's possibly an even bigger obsession than Star Wars and blogging together. I know, it's that bad.

I've always been a fan of fantasy and the line between reality and makebelieve is one I find very interesting indeed. And as macabre as it may sound, the role death plays in that.

Sounds creepy? I bet. But I've always been fascinated by so-called "gothic novels" and the gothic subculture.

And vampires.

Vampires and the goth lifestyle are often associated, for obvious reasons. Goth wear black clothes, often oldfashioned style, dye their hair black and pale their faces. The resemblance to an undead corpse isn't that farfetched.

However, both vampires and goths are often misinterpreted. When talking about vampires, people quickly start to talk about stakes, garlic and full moons. Full moons? That's werewolves for you. Their ancient enemy. But vampires are fascinating. I once did an essay on them, and discovered that although cultures around the world have their own sort of vampires - just like dragons - they are all just a bit different.

So what defines a vampire?

Is it being a walking corpse? Nah, some cultures believe in vampires that have nonhuman origins, or no origin in life at all. Is it the human appearance? Nah, some believe in vampires made of flames. Is it the seducing aspect? Nah, some vampires are just plain gross. Kind of like zombies.

Is it the blooddrinking? There are some creatures that do not drink blood, yet they are most definately vampires.

So what defines a vampire?

And what defines a goth?

Goth, in my opinion, is misinterpreted by many people, even goths. Does that sound ridiculous? I'm sure. But please realize just how many people just try to fit in, even in such small and remarkable groups. However, misunderstanding is more common amongst those who are not gothics.

I once had a conversation with a religious woman who had read about goths, yet she never had encountered any. She was appalled, yet fascinated. Of course the article, in a christian magazine, was not too objective, and often reminded readers that some goths deny god, or are satanists. And I explained, that the essence of goth is not that.

Goth, in essence, is a philosophical view of life, in which death is acknowledged as the ultimate certainty. Every being is subject to death, human and animal alike, and also angels, demons and gods. Goths are not religious by that view, since they do not see any god or devil as mightier than death. Satanists are not gothics.

However, the misunderstanding stems from that view of death. Many people think gothics are fascinated by death, yet the opposite is true. In accepting the finality of death, gothics take more pleasure in life.

Gothics enjoy life on a more conscious level than most of us.

I know there are people that call themselves goths and disagree with this. But in essence, this is what gothic is all about. Misunderstanding comes from too few explanations from the gothic subculture, but also because people don't bother to look under the eerie surface.

I would call myself gothic if it wasn't for the fact that I don't wear makeup. I do like dark medieval-looking clothes, and I love the silvery jewelry with pentacles and such. I am not fascinated by death, yet I am fascinated by vampires. The nightstalking undead, caught between their previous lives and the death they cannot reach. The ultimate exception to the ultimate truth.

Please don't look down on goths ever again.