Now Or Never

"Seasons come and go
Nothing lasts forever
We're all on borrowed time
And love's not set in stone
But life is now or never"

Life is filled with crossroads; times where we have to stop, and take a moment to think. Those decisions often require a leap of faith. We've all been in situations, where we knew what we wanted to do, but weren't too sure of the outcome. 

Most of the time, we're inhibited by the fear of negative consequences. The problem is every time we have an opportunity to do anything, we always hold back. We think that'll we'll solve it later, but before you know it, it's gone. Thats the point behind todays post: Now or never. If you don't take action when you have the chance to, then you've lost it for good. 

And bear in mind: The regret of knowing you lost an opportunity, is far worse than the possible consequences. So next time you have a chance to do something, and you've decided what you want to do, don't hold back, don't hesitate, just do it, and remember, "whatever happens, happens for a reason"

MiG U1

No, it's not a fighter plane, similar though. The real clash of the (automotive) Titans. When the Germans meet the Italians. Italian cars are known to be beautiful, and elegant, and occasionally very fast. German cars are known to be precise, not so flashy, technical, serious. The result? A car that knows no limits. A car that cannot be driven by anyone. A car so dangerous only 1 has been made.

The MiG U1.

First off, the name. Reminiscence of the classic Soviet fighter planes. You're thinking some propeller 1 seater, with all the controls in Russian. I'm afraid you're very mistaken. 

MiG pilots were among the most feared people on this planet during the war. The technical superiority, Speed, everything about their aircrafts was terrifying. Only the most frightening of vehicles could be worthy of succeeding such a menacing aircraft. This Enzo-based, Aircraft-styled wonder from Gemballa is more than worthy.

With all the usual Gemballa-ness all over the car. 

Widebody kit (essential), GTR racing wheels (which according to it's website save 16KG all-round. Geeky...) The massive spoiler providing 85KG of downforce (Epic-looking spoiler may I add).

That front end is visual interpretation of an orgasm. An orgasm that provides 35KG of downforce. It's just an awe-inspiring sight to look at. It's one of the few things that had me in shock upon seeing them. If one of these drove by (highly unlikely, they're only making 25, doubt any of them will be randomly cruise by my house..), I wouldn't know whether to run, or take a picture.. either way, wow..

The rear diffuser looks damn big, not to mention those big-ass Jet-thusters they're calling exhaust ports. Bigger wow. The side looks even scarier. That air outlet behind the front wheel, the intake right under the door. How exactly is this rocket-car street legal?

When you want to scare away nosy bystanders when you have this Street legal rocket parked, don't hesitate to expose the thing in the back. It's too goddamn big to be called a normal V12.

This is what happens when you lend those crazy German engineers your Enzo. Those Genius crazy Germans. The original Enzo was scary enough. You handed them a scary enough German Shepherd, they returned an even scarier fire breathing dragon. 700HP Fire breathing dragon, thanks to some ECU wizardry and some exhaust upgrades (Guaranteed to make your drive to the store much louder and more exciting. Much more exciting). Curious pedestrians will see this nuclear plant in the back of your U1 and keep away.

How German tuners prove that they have a sense of humor. A baggage compartment on a MiG U1? What use could an owner of a U1 make of a baggage compartment that big? Shopping? seriously? Would someone with a car like this even go shopping?

Black Leather and quilted Red Alcantra i can understand. Seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with an iPod jack however, i cannot. What kind of man buys a car like this, to listen to music through a 950 Watt stereo system? I admit it's probably pretty loud, but who the hell needs a stereo knowing they've got such a monstrous engine?

Probably the only luxury in the entire car, leather racing seats. There is 1 problem however. They look too flat, nowhere near enough to hold you in place while cornering at 250KM/H. I doubt that 4 point harness is any better either. This car needs F-18 seats, enough to hold 9G's of cornering. But hey, it'll have to do.

Talking of lacks, they're only making 25, and each one probably costs 3 legs & an arm, not enough in my opinion. but IF you do see one of these street legal demons, I can guarantee you, this is the only sight you'll see before it disappears into hyperspace. 

I wonder how much scarier it would look in black?

Thats one car you wouldn't want to race at the traffic lights. If you care for your life.

Good morning Switzerland

I've been in Switzerland for 4 days now, and i love it.

First stop was Geneve, it was amazing! the airs cold and clean, lake's beautiful, everything's just amazing. Then i took a 2 hour bus to Mont Blanc, and that was the highlight of the holiday so far:

The most gorgeous mountain range/view I have ever seen. I would've stayed much much longer, but it was -7 Celsius, and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.. 

I'm in Lucerne now, and I love it. For some odd reason, with no explanation, I prefer it over Geneve, it's cleaner, less crowded, more awesome, pretty cool overall. I just had to post that picture, so managed to get some time to blog. Bose headphones have actually been rather amazing 'till now, i'll post everything properly once i'm back in Kuwait.

Goodnight (sort-of, it's 8:30PM and the suns still up..) and peace out Kuwait!

Bose® around-ear headphones Review

I've spent the last 3 months on researching (yes i'm that lifeless..) the ultimate (budget) headphones. I was on the hunt for the best, and I had narrowed it down to 3 pairs.

1) Bose® around-ear headphones (KD 39)

2) Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones (KD 99)

3) Skullcandy T.I. Black/Green (KD 23)

The Skullcandy

I haven't personally tried these, but I've tried the on ear ones, and they were pretty cool. At first, I was convinced this was the pair for me, it looked good, sounded good (i assumed?) and wasn't too expensive. Why I didn't buy them? They seemed a bit too plasticy, and i didn't think they had the best build quality, so they weren't so high on my list any longer.

The Beats By Dr.Dre

These though, I HAVE tried, and to be honest, now that I've bought the Bose, i regret not spending (or begging to spend) more money on the Beats. They sounded amazing, felt really solid, and were definatly the best looking ones. Professional, glossy, just pure awesome. Their only letdown? the price. A tiny bit overpriced, but as far as value is concerned? better value for money than the Bose (i guess?) But since I've bought the Bose ones, the Beats are next on my headphones list!

Thats them with my favourite toy, Numark NS7

The Bose

I've had them for just over 24 hours, and my first impression is, overpriced. I was majorly excited to go buy them, but they didn't turn out to be as good as i expected. Oh well. They sound alright, just slightly lacking in the bass department, and not as crisp as expected. 39KD, money better spent on the Beats. My full on review will be in a month or so, when they've broken in.

First obvious thing, is the comfortable fit. It fits right around your ears, but even then, it doesn't isolate sound as well as other headphones. I'm not being super-critical, but the 2.150KD  A4Tech in ear headphones do a better job isolating outside noise, and have better and clearer bass for gods sake, 20 times the price for a fancy box? 

No actually, you get a bit more for that. The only brilliant feature on the Bose headphones, is something I've only seen once before. As you crank up the volume, it gets louder and louder. Your natural reaction is to listen carefully to find its volume limit (so you don't overwork the unit). You get to about 75%, but you can't hear the classic distortion. Strange? very. I turn it up to 11, and put them on. All I hear is a concert/orgasm in my ear. The only thing lacking? Deep lovely bass. I miss it. BUT Since these are 'TriPort' headphones, and they have three ports (duh..), there's one last option: 

The middle picture, is the lower port. This is the only one that doesn't feed directly the speaker assembly. If you block the other two, your bass completely disappears, symptoms of a speaker operating without air. But what about this third port? it's practically the only port that allows sound/air to escape from the cup. Block it with your fingers? Tremendous bass. Glorious Bass. This is the only work-around i've found, and it's so effective i'm actually thinking of taping that port, but i'll wait for it to break in, before making my move. 

The leather ear cup cushions are pretty damn comfortable. Feeling them with your fingers, they feel incredibly soft, and they rest comfortably around your ears. I'm still to have the duration test, see how long I can wear them before they get uncomfortable. 6 hour Frankfurt flight tomorrow sounds like a good duration test, don't you think?

Pretty lightweight headphones, the cups swivel about 10° in either direction, limited, but enough to fit comfortably on anyones head, and they swivel on the Y connector nicely, for a perfect fit. I've actually changed my opinion while writing this review, and they didn't turn out to be too bad. I say a 3.5/5 for now?

I'm leaving for Switzerland tomorrow evening, so I may blog if I have internet access there, and I may not, either way, I'll see you in 12 days!

Goodnight and peace out K-Town

Deeper meanings: I

This world is turning me 

Sun and moon 

They keep on trading 

A different glow and shade

In dark or light

No song of certainty 

Brings the love we should be giving 

We are all in dark or light 

- Cathy Burton

Simple lyrics from an astonishing vocalist. The last stanza is the my main focus today, certainty. What's our generation being accused of? Being either too emotional, or not emotional enough (emphasis on the latter). Why? Why aren't we (sometimes) emotionless? Is it because we don't care? No, it's because we don't want to go through the pain of giving our love, and not receiving anything in return. How that relates to the lyrics, is that there's no certainty behind loving someone, it's just risks, There's no security, assuring us that the love we give, will be appreciated and returned. That's why we're (our generation) so closed up. We're too afraid to show our love, because no one can assure it'll be returned. 

The last line is perfect of describing our situation. We're either showing our love, and getting it back, or we're keeping it in, afraid of expressing it. It's up to you to be in the dark, or in the light.

and remember:

'Living life is a risk, taking it is your option'

:O

20 minutes ago, I was kinda sleepy, and I was about to get up and sleep, right after the episode of A State of Trance was over, then Armin Van Buuren announces something rather interesting. His exact words 'My next track is from the Egyptian duo, Aly & Fila'. Keyword being 'Egyptian'. I was even more shocked when I found out that indeed they were fully Egyptian, and had very Egyptian names indeed. I'm not always so patriotic, but I felt really proud. What makes them different to any up-and-coming artists? They've performed all over the world  Cairo to Cyprus, Netherlands to New York. They've played live with Armin Van Buuren, the #1. Name in the Trance scene, and remixed countless tracks, and collaborated with some of the biggest names ever (John O' Callaghan to name one). They're just as known as any other trance producer. I was incredibly impressed, and by the time the song was over, i'd done my research, and realized that they were indeed amazing enough to be hosted on such a prestigious show. I was proud because:
1) They're Egyptian
2) They can make PROPER trance music.

Their music's pretty damn awesome too, i just downloaded their new album 'Rising Sun', and already 1 track has attracted my attention to be in the SkyOne mixtape, so it's delayed for a few days!

Dilemma

Sometimes days I sit, staring out the window, watching this world pass me by - Eminem.

There's always a time, where you're in a situation. When everyone starts to get on together, and sociality increases, but you're not sure, whether to start going back to social life and drama, or stay out of it for longer. You see, the longer you stay away, the less they'll talk, and the more they forget. When they're all indulged in this new found social life, they'll forget about the people that used to be in their life, and you'll be forgotten, unless you do something about it. But the thing is, you don't to be involved, but you have to stay involved, or else you lose all social status. I, for one wouldn't care much about social status, I've been to both ends of the scale, but what to do, when everyone's getting along, but forgot about you? do you jump back in (with the risk of being called desperate), or just lay low?

It's not cool

Don't you hate the feeling when you really want to do something for someone, because you're certain it'll make them happier, and because they deserve it, but you simply aren't able to? It's one of the worst feelings, having someone do so many things for you, helping you, yet you can't pay them back? What made me think of this is a few days ago, We were all in the car. Me my brother and my parents. Let me give you some background info though, My brothers college funds are A LOT (and i mean a lot) and my mum doesn't work, so theres a lot of pressure (financially on  my dad). I pitty him, because he busts his ass 10 hours a day, to make money, and yet most of it goes to our education, which is crap, because he hasn't got that much money left for himself. If I had the heart, i'd leave school, just so he can enjoy himself for a bit, but he wouldn't want that, he wants all this education to pay off, and i'm determined to make him proud (though at this pace i'm not sure its happening). So we were driving along, and my dad saw a BMW 7-Series, the most expensive (I think) and most luxurious car BMW make, and he said 'I really like that car' and he went on for a bit about it, how it looks, etc... That man has been working endlessly, to live a decent life, but he hasn't got the money or time to enjoy himself. I feel spoilt, and unjust, since I living life, and messing around, and he's working his ass off. But I know one thing for sure, I owe everything to him, and i'm determined to get him that car, in a few years time, once i'm in college, and I get a job, i'm saving money to get him that BMW, before I get a car, because really, who deserves it more, the boy who's had fun on his fathers expense? or the man that's given his life to his children's education?

He's getting that BMW 735Li, end of.

Faith

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

The most emotional words I've heard for a while now. Invictus was a short poem written by the English poet, William Ernest Henley. You probably wouldn'tve heard of him, but he wrote the most influential poem (in my opinion) ever.This here is the first prose, the rest of the poem is here.

Onto to today's post. Ask yourself a question. What is the reason behind every quarrel? What is the reason behind every broken relationship? What is the reason behind every single breakdown? People giving too much of a fuck. I thank God for giving me the gift, of not caring what others say, and not letting it affect me. I believe God gave everyone this gift, they just have to find it. If my all my friends came up to me and told me they hated me, and i had no social life, i'd nod, and get back to whatever I was doing. You can tell me that everyone talked behind my back, and i wouldn't give any more of a fuck. I simply don't need any of this, because it doesn't need me, gettin' me? The whole idea is not letting anyone demise you, or bring you down, by being unconquerable. Why do people cry about the slightest oscillation in their social lives? Because they're too attached to it, they think it's an essential part of their life, and i'll agree, it's essential. But when it all falls apart, you can survive without it, you can live a better life, and start a new page, just keep fighting 'till it's over. Music is my only companion if it all goes down, along with running. 

To stray off-topic for a bit, when people ask what I do in my free time, I say i run, then they all go 'but you're not fat blah blah blah'. Their minds immediately think of running as a fat-burning activity. I know it may look like it is, but i jog for anything BUT to lose weight, jogging is my way of releasing stress, and expressing myself. I jog to prove myself wrong, to prove the ultimate saying, 'never judge a book by it's cover'. You know those show-off-I-can-whoop-your-ass-with-my-abs kind of guys? They wouldn't think that I, the 107KG 6'2" person I am, can probably outrun them, and run further than all of them put together. I'm not bragging, I'm just saying. Never judge.

Back to the post, The way I see it, is not getting too attached too anything (or anyone), because if it all collapses, what are you going to do? besides let it affect everything else that hasn't collapsed, causing IT to go wrong. If any of that makes sense, Thats the point i'm trying to get accross. Don't let anyone/anything get you, because the only harm done is to you, not anyone else, and if you let them get to you, it'll make them happy getting you down. Keep the faith, and you'll see that you might be better off without it.

Tramontana R

Name says it all, just another Spanish Supercar firm-wannabe. Or is it?

The Tramontana R is the brainchild of an Indy car racer (I forgot his name) and I must say, He's got one hell of a brain.

Firstly, that gorgeous racer body. Am I the only one that things that this is one of the most beautiful cars ever to roam these streets. The only MINOR issue I have with the looks is that front end, it doesn't go with the sleek F1 body, or am I blind?

Nonetheless, this is still a dangerous machine, it DEFINED dangerous. Behind you're terrified passenger, hidden under a lattice of carbon fiber, Is a Benz sourced 5.5L Twin turbo V12. The thing with the output, is that theres a knob in the cockpit (I know that sounds extremely perverted). There are 2 modes. DEFCON 5: Setting the engine output to 550HP, modest if I may say. This mode is for trips to the store (If you had this car though, you wouldn't go to the store, the store'll come to you, it costs €500,000). If you want to be a badboy behind the wheel, notch it up a bit, but hold on. Theres no 'bit'. Its straight to DEFCON 1: 770 Español-i Horses. 203MPH, 0-60MPH in 3.6 seconds, and 1268KG. Need i say more than:

'Tonight. We dine in hell. Or the state car impound.' (And R.I.P. Tramontana R's rear tires)

It just looks like an F1 racer, those massive side intakes are just not enough for words, just amazing. The line across it, continuing over the the back. It's just gorgeous sometimes. The only thing that would make it prettier is a roof-less version. Oh look, they made one!

I have to say i'd rather be in that picture than to be in an F1 racer. (Not really, i'm just stating that i'd LOVE to drive that.) But look at it take that corner. How much more controlled does it get? For gods sake Hamilton's MP4-25 has more body roll in a corner! To sum it up, it's just a gorgeous piece of automotive perfection. Sorry i keep going on and on about how it looks in that picture, I just keep glancing up, and every time i see it taking that corner, i'm tempted to re-emphasize how pretty is. F1 style intakes, F1 style angular body, it's just lovely. 

I think you'll have to conceit, that is the best-looking paint job. ever. Artic Camo in the Alps. Brill-fucking-tastic (excuse the language, it's to help get the point across).

It IS the best paint job ever. It's a Tramontana R in military jet liveries. In the immortal words of Terry crew:

' i want somma datt'

Get used to seeing this view, because if i'm driving, that'll be the only view you'll see. (Hint hint, wink wink)

What time is it?

It's summer time! (i hate high school musical). Summer can be broken down into many things. The main ones being:

• Party
• Sleep
• More partying
• More sleep
• RUNNING
• Even more sleep
• Going out
• Even more partying
• All the above

Great summer eh?

Summer is also an uncertainty when it comes to blogging though. It's either i'll blog very well, or forget Between the lines even exists... The probabilities are on the latter... But hey, probabilities said Holland wouldn't exist, and guess what? It still does. But I think i'll be blogging a fair amount this summer, balancing it out with PARTY and a few other things. 

Till next time Kuwait

Coming soon...

Coming to a club near you soon... 

-22/06/10

I want - now

Straight to the point - the top five cars I want. Oh and, if you don't know cars, just skip this post, because all you'll say is 'oh thats old/ugly', theres more to a car than the age or speed. Enjoy!

5. Koenigsegg Agera - It's a brilliant car, goes like a bat out of hell, and looks gorgeous, even the price tag at +$1 Million is semi-justifiable, because of the engineering and passion put into this car. But I just wouldn't pay that much on a single item (unless I was rich enough). And also, its a bit hard to live with. You'll be lucky to carry a passenger, your insurance papers, and a pack of M&M's. For those reasons, its at the bottom of my list.

4. Pagani Zonda Cinque - It's just a petrolhead's wetdream. It is bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful. It will go into the history books, as one of the most stunning masterpieces ever engineered. It's a hardcore stripped out racer, coupled with an ear-piercing Mercedes - Benz sourced V12, producing (though the correct terminology is holding back) 678 ferocious Italian horses. It's just the perfect car, but then has the same problem as the Agera. 1 Million English Pounds - KD500,000 give or take. I know its fast and gorgeous, but really, it's a bit ridiculous... (but i still adore it)

3. Audi RS6 - One Mean Machine. Why? Because it looks like a normal family sedan... But oh my lord it's a beast. Don't let that discrete sculpture fool you, this beast is packing 572 Horsepower, and a top speed of +200MPH. Bi-Turbo 5.0 Litre V10. Ever wondered where the monster in your closet moved to? Under the 2010 RS6's Hood. - It's not a bad price either, it's just a bit expensive for me, which is why its number 2.

Seriously, a family sedan with Recaro racing seats? (I'm not complaining.)

2. Competitions heating up now, this is my favourite, and current (realistically) 'planning-on-buying-in-the-future' car. The Nissan GT-R. Why? People say it's ugly, and doesn't live up to its father's name, the R34. I agree and disagree. It's not AS customizable as the R34, I agree its not as pretty, but it still is, non the less of a brilliant machine. Grip? Check. Speed? Check. Power? Check. Everything to make a perfect sports car? Check. It's techy, It's fast, It's geeky. I love it. Oh, and it's KD25,000.
A price worth paying in my mind...

Front wheel to the back, i think it's gorgeous. It's the front that let it all down.

Any where, any time, any speed, any weather, it will take a corner - supercar style.

Geeky Mutli-touch display screen. 

I like.     Alot.

Simplistic in design. Brilliant.

With the white seats, I find that simply one of the best budget supercars interior ever made. Just look at it.

1. 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 'Eleanor'. Ask anyone above the age of 17, what the best muscle car is and he'll/she'll reply  'Eleanor'. I prefer the 2001 remake of the film, and sorry, as old as it may seem, this beast shall not be quiet. It may be 43 years old, but god all-mighty will it put up one hell of a fight before it CONSIDERS giving in. The special one used in the movie is the ultimate Ford. Sorry, I just love it...

It's just 'Beautiful Dangerous' in the words of Slash. (Song goes brilliantly with the cars image)

It's just gorgeous, just one thing, Eleanor's packing a little extra juice than the stock 1967 Shelby. A stock 1967 Shelby, with the biggest offered engine, produced 300HP, a lot of ponies back in the day.

So tempted to press it...

The most infamous button on this planet.. Go baby go..

Classic 5 speed stick shift, no time to mess around with some paddle shifter. This is the real deal.

300HP In 1967 was a big deal. THIS 1967 Shelby Mustang Eleanor produces 770HP. And no, that wasn't a typo. Seven-Hundred And Seventy Horsepower. Coupled with a manual tranny, and Bye-Bye rear tires

Speedin' down a California freeway at sundown, wind blowing through your hair, radio on full blast, and you glance down to see how fast you're going, and you're immediately reminded that you're in an Eleanor. The perfect end to my day...

Peace