Three Jason Mraz Songs that will Make You Happier

"Music is a weapon in the war against unhappiness" ~ Jason Mraz

It is highly probable that you'll at least smile once you see a Jason Mraz photo or watch one of his performances. However, it is almost definite that you will feel really happy once you listen to his music, even when you are utterly devastated. Just listen to the following three singles and you will experience it yourself.

1. The Remedy (I Won't Worry)

The first song on the list happens to be Mraz's first ever single from his first ever studio album. Mraz opens the track with electro-funky sounds, then rocks his guitar, and the song clicks into gear from there. The crazy, yet great, lyrics and the highly catchy rhythm will surely shift your mood in the right direction.

"If you've gots the poison, I've gots the remedy."

2. I'm Yours

Probably Mraz's most famous song - it spent 76 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. It is not as fast and energetic as The Remedy, but the joy it provides lies within the coolness and simplicity of its tunes and lyrics. Moreover, Mraz is vocally much accomplished and versatile on this track that you can't help but sing along with him on the main verse.

"Well, open up your mind and see like me. Open up your plans and damn you're free."

3. I Won't Give Up

If you relate to this song to a certain degree, you may well and truly cry. So why is it even on this list? Just make sure you are in a quiet space, plug in your earphones, raise the volume up, close your eyes and listen; you will then feel your spirits rising uncontrollably.

"I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily. I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make."

Novel Review: Revival (Stephen King, 2014)

"That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange aeons even death may die." 

Not so long ago, I discovered that the man who wrote the screenplay of The Shawshank Redemption was the same one who wrote that of The Green Mile. Both are two of my favorite movies, and are widely considered to be among the best movies of the 90's, if not of all time. I kept the name in my mind, and I later knew that the man was actually the author of numerous worldwide-known novels. That's why when I saw Stephen King's name on the spine of a greenish-black book at Malik's, I had no choice but to pick it up from the shelf and take it home.

I finished reading Revival yesterday (I have been reading it intermittently for the past month), and I have to admit that I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact, the last three chapters of the book (around a hundred pages) were so brilliant and engaging, yet absolutely terrifying, that I had to finish them on a single reading stretch, almost breathlessly.

King deals with controversial social, religious and scientific issues in this thrilling story, and readers are forced to think and wonder about some serious possibilities that were otherwise very doubtful previously. 

For me, the novel can be divided into three parts:

The first one, in which King develops the characters and the setting, is very catchy and enjoyable. I really doubted that the story was a "thriller" while reading the opening three or four chapters.

In the second part, King follows one of the main character's life journey with too much details, most of which are irrelevant and have minimal relation to the overall tone and the subsequent events. This is the part I wanted to finish as fast as possible and I felt slightly bored while reading it.

The third and final part, the one I mentioned above, was simply incredible. I just couldn't stop reading and it really scared the hell out of me. All these creepy visions that the main characters had are now imprinted in my memory.

"This is how we bring about our own damnation, you know - by ignoring the voice that begs us to stop. To stop while there is still time."

So while the novel would have been much more accomplished with around a hundred pages less, I can safely and surely say that I enjoyed it as my first Stephen King novel. Those of you wanting to witness King's genius and exceptional storytelling can turn to Revival as a kick-off; I already have another one of his works on my shelf (to be read a few weeks from now), as well as many others on my shop list.

My Rating: 7.5/10

The Keys to Glory: 5 Factors Real Madrid must Acquire to Win their 11th Champions League Title

The final is approaching fast now. Real Madrid will play their 14th final in club football's most prestigious competition on Saturday, in a bid to win their 11th title. The opponents? Non other than city rivals and eternal foes Atletico Madrid, in what is to be a repeat of the tournament's showpiece almost two years ago in Lisbon, when Real achieved their long-awaited 10th title: La Decima.

On route to the final, Real Madrid are considered to have been somehow lucky in facing teams like Roma, Wolfsburg and Manchester City in the knockout stages, given their poor domestic form in La Liga (they trailed both Atletico and Barcelona by a considerable margin of points) and the Copa del Rey (they were eliminated from the first round after an institutional scandal). However, a derby match against Atletico in particular is without doubt their toughest test yet this season and one that would ultimately transform it from total failure to absolute glory.

In their last 10 matches against Atletico in all competitions, Real have only won once. Los Indios have definitely had the upper hand in the Madrid derby recently, with the last encounter in La Liga proving crucially decisive in the title race, as Atletico came victorious from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium to prevent Real from winning the title, only one point short from Barcelona's tally.

To add to the already difficult challenge, Real have never won a match at San Siro, the venue where the final is going to be held. As such, Los Blancos will have to make sure they hold 5 essential footballing keys to improve their recent bad record against their neighbors and eventually lift the cup.

1. Maintain the "Zizou Effect": Zidane's Winning Mentality

When the photograph below went viral following the victory over Atletico in the 2014 final, no one had a doubt that Zidane would one day lead Real Madrid from the bench as their manager. Zidane was only Ancelotti's assistant back then, but almost all squad members have publicly credited their former idol's contribution to that night's historic victory in particular. Ancelotti's face really says it all.

Zidane is by no means a better coach than his predecessor, Benitez. He simply is more accepted and respected among the players, the fans, the media and the board. Since his appointment back in January, the team has clearly improved on all levels. A better and tension-free dressing room environment has led to better football on the pitch and consequently better results. In fact, a group of such high-caliber players as Real Madrid's, require minimal intervention in terms of coaching and football tactics. What they most importantly need is cohesion, unity and belief. These traits have become part of what is now known as the "Zizou Effect", the catalyst behind Madrid's revival after their terrible start to the season.

Under the French legend, Real boast an 80.77% win percentage, emerging victorious in 21 out of 26 games in total, with only two defeats. The team literally crushed almost every opponent on home ground in La Liga, defeated Barcelona at Camp Nou to mount a once unthinkable title charge until the very last round and winning several matches along the way after conceding first. Not to mention surviving Roma's comeback in the round of 16, as well as turning the Wolfsburg tie on its head after the first leg 2-0 defeat in the quarter finals of the Champions League. This is the kind of winning mentality needed to breakdown a side as tough as Atletico in the final.

The Rage Beneath the Tranquility: Zidane's Presence Made a Difference in La Decima Victory

2. Eye for an Eye: Match Atletico's Fierce Intensity

Intensity is Atletico's major strength. It is not only tough to penetrate through their highly compact and organized defensive lines; keeping effective ball possession under the immense pressure they apply is a task that has been failed by both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the two most possession-obsessed teams in club football. Diego Simeone's instructions give his players a very wide margin as to what is permitted to breakdown the opposition attacks and retrieve the ball: anything that falls in the range of tactical fouls, rough tackles and personal provocation of the opponent players. And this is a behavior even their forward players often refer to in every single match.

How to deal with such unbearable intensity? Match it. Real should not be drawn into Atletico's negative play of fouls and brawls, but rather should apply the kind of offensive and defensive pressure that has put many teams to the sword this season, specifically at Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid have all the physical, technical and tactical requirements to do so again in San Siro.

The BBC should track back and help their teammates with their defensive duties, just as they did during the Camp Nou Clasico, which remains Real's most accomplished team performance to date this season. The team will be much more compact, and even more effective on the counter attack; Real's main offensive weapon, even after the departure of the likes of Ozil and Di Maria. 

Give them a Taste of their Own Medicine: Real Should Rise Up to Atletico's Rigidity

3. Rock-Solid Defense: Respect Atletico's World-Class Attack

Atletico have not beaten two of the best teams in the world by coincidence to reach the final. They didn't achieve this huge feat by merely sitting in the back and closing the shop. They have built attacks, created plenty of chances and scored crucial goals thanks to their highly renowned forward line. Griezmann is already on the wishlist of every major European club when the summer transfer window opens next July, while Torres's resurgence has earned him some voices to even be included in Spain's squad for this summer's European Cup in France. These two, together with the likes of Saul, Carrasco, Koke, Vietto and Correa can be very difficult to deal with.

The Real Madrid defensive line to face this tricky pack has improved significantly under Zidane. Only 18 goals have been conceded with the French in charge and Real are the only team in the competition to keep clean sheets in all home games this season. Navas has surely played a big part in this, but so did the clearly back-to-form Pepe and club captain Sergio Ramos. Also, Casemiro's introduction as a holding midfielder alongside both Kroos and Modric has solidified things even more in the center of the park and added the previously missed balance. And let's not forget the extra defensive effort put on by Ronaldo, Bale and Benzema to aid their teammates when the ball is not between their feet.

So, before Real think of how to put the ball in the net beyond Atletico's high wall, they should tighten up their own defenses  and keep the Atletico wolf pack quiet. Concede the first goal and the Rojiblancos would become even more impenetrable.

Mr. Save: Navas is a Huge Inspiration for Real's Solid Back

4. The BBC and Alternative Solutions

Real's main attacking weapon is their famous BBC trident. The three European forwards have shipped in a total of 20 goals between them in this season's Champions League campaign, with additional 5 assists to their name. 

Among them, Bale is currently the most in-form. His goals and efforts in recent weeks have kept Real's hopes alive in La Liga and he hit his peak form just in time for the most important game of the season. His left cannon of a foot, his remarkably improved heading and his race-car pace will surely put Atletico's defenders on alert for large spells of the game. 

Benzema is having his best season in the white shirt in terms of goal scoring, and despite his latest injury layoffs, he will remain an essential element in Real's offensive game on Saturday; both Bale and Ronaldo thrive on the spaces he provides, given he is fit of course. 

Ronaldo has scored 16 goals on his own and needs to score twice in the final in order to beat the record he set himself two years ago; more-than-enough motivation. He too however is not in tip-top shape following some niggling thigh injuries, but no one can imagine the final without him. If there is one man who can score from the scarce opportunities to be offered by Atletico, it is Cristiano. 

This is BBC: Real's Major Strike Force

Although the BBC trident is theoretically too much for Atletico to handle, the Rojiblancos have put even better offensive lines at bay in the previous two rounds of the tournament. And given the aforementioned injuries, the famous trident is simply not enough to hurt the Atletico fortress. Indeed, the assistance of both full-backs, Carvajal and Marcelo, in addition to that of Kroos and Modric, is quite a huge boost for the attacking fortunes, however it is those sitting on the bench that might just make the difference for Real when things get rather ugly. 

James Rodriguez's fall from grace was the last thing expected from his second season in Madrid. He has failed to convince both Benitez and Zidane for a starting place and his performances this season are worthy of his current position: the bench. The same can be said of Isco, although to a lesser degree. The talented Spaniard never fails to showcase his wonderful skills whenever he touches the ball. Tricks and dribbles rarely win you a football match these days however, and all current starting midfielders and attackers deserve their places more than Isco. 

Despite all these facts, the duo remain two very valuable cards for Zidane to call upon from the substitutes' bench and can change the course of the game with one shot or one pass. Their future in the club and the sport as a whole hugely depends on how they perform during the minutes they will be given.

Other solutions include the pacy Jese, the versatile Kovacic and most importantly, the unsung hero and this season's prodigy Lucas Vazquez. For that, Zidane has many more options to tinker with in his formation than his counterpart, and that is no small advantage at all.

One Last Dance: Isco and James's Final Chance to Shine

Lucas to the Rescue: Vazquez is Real's Undisputed 12th Man

5. The Spirit of La Decima: A Leaf out of Atletico's Book

If there is only one lesson that Atletico Madrid has taught every football team on the planet throughout the past few seasons, it is that having a fighting spirit and a strong belief can indeed compensate for the individual, technical, physical and economical disadvantages that smaller clubs suffer from. 

Atletico have won every major competition under Simeone's guidance, except for the Champions League. This time, they are much stronger than two years before. They have eliminated Barca and Bayern on their way to the final, and whether they publicly admit it or not, Atletico players and fans alike have vengeance in their sight, as they will never forget how Sergio Ramos rose in the final moments and headed the ball in to clinch a last-gasp draw and change the course of the game.

That's why Real should raise their spirits and be on optimum motivation levels to keep Atletico on the ground. The prospect of achieving La Undecima in a season that looked all but lost just a few months ago is in itself a huge challenge that every squad member should aim to take on. Also, beating Atletico after so many games of suffering against them should make their adrenaline levels soar the moment they enter the pitch. Real have more reasons to win the trophy; they are seeking their 11th while Atletico aim for their first after all.

92.48: Ramos's Miraculous Header is Eternal

Let the ball roll then, and let us see if Real really have what it takes to tame Atletico's lions.

Hala Madrid.

The President yet the Enemy: Perez's "Galacticos" Policy is Real Madrid's Problem

So finally, this will be my first official post on my blog. I have mentioned this in the football section. I actually wrote this article on the 22nd of last November after the 4-0 hammering by Barcelona in the Clasico. 

_________________________________________________________________________________

Everything went wrong yesterday. The team had no identity, no clear and structured gameplan and played without any fighting spirit. Unfortunately, Rafa deployed the wrong strategy against Barca. No high pressure attack. The team was ordered to sit back and wait for Barca with a high defensive line. This was similar to Mourinho’s first Clasico, the famous 5-0 drubbing against Guardiola’s mighty team. The result was not surprising. Complete domination from Barca and an embarrassing scoreline in the Bernabeu. Everything Rafa did since the beginning of the season came crashing down.

The first major mistake was leaving Casemiro out. Without him, Kroos and Modric and the midfield as a whole lacked a destroyer, a player capable of cutting down Barca’s attacks through the middle (all of the goals were conceded like that) and then building attacks using his great short and long passes. Without him, the defensive line lacked screening and protection, just like Ancelotti’s first days in charge, and so Ramos and Varane were forced to come out of their positions and leave space behind to the likes of Neymar and Suarez, the most in-form forwards in the game today.

Lethal Weapon: Suarez and Neymar ran riot in Santiago Bernabeu

Omitting Casemiro was not the major mistake however. Even if he was on the pitch, with the team playing that kind of football, the result would have been the same. The major mistake was not pressuring Barca. They controlled possession and built their attacks so comfortably because Madrid players were just watching and waiting in their positions. Kroos, Modric and James were running there socks off like headless chicken, chasing Barca’s frustrating short tiki-taka passes. Bale, Benzema and Cristiano were left isolated, without any sign of cohesion between them, and without even tracking back to aid the midfield defensively or putting Barca’s defenders under pressure. And with the previously mentioned chaos in the high defensive line and the shocking individual errors, the team simply was disjointed and unable to compete with Barcelona. Benitez’s gameplan is long dead and gone against Barca, since Guardiola’s days in charge. I wonder what was he doing and how was he preparing for such a crucial match throughout the past two weeks. This was completely wrong, and to some fans it is unforgivable. As I said in my previous journal, Rafa has been under immense pressure for so long and for so many right and wrong reasons. It is way pathetic that he got it so wrong in this one. The situation will be now become unbearable for him on the Bernabeu hot seat and he has to work wonders in the few coming games if he wants to regain the fans, players and board’s trust.

Heads Down: Bale and Ronaldo Completely Helpless during Clasico Defeat

Suffocating: Benitez under Immense Pressure during the Game

But again, he is not the only one responsible. I’ll not blame the players, although some of them did have an awful night individually, such as Varane, Modric and Benzema, but this catastrophe dates back to years and years. If there is anyone fully responsible for yesterday’s shameful game, it is Perez.

Perez is the one who should be held responsible by the fans. He is the one who sold Ozil and Di Maria and Alonso to accomodate space for Bale and James and Kroos in the starting XI. Remember selling Makelele and Cambiasso to bring in Beckham? He is the one who sacked Ancelotti despite the great harmony with the dressing room and the good flow of play. He just wasn’t lucky enough with all the injuries that occurred last season, which ended trophy-less. He did the same almost ten years ago when he dismissed Del Bosque, who was the European champion with the team at that time and later led the Spanish national team to unprecedented success on the continental and international stages. Perez is the one who refused to sign a world-class forward to compete with Benzema. He is the one responsible for wasting a jewel like Morata, who knocked us out of the Champions League semis last season and looks determined to never return back to Madrid. Morientes and Negredo anyone? Not to mention risking to lose some key players by refusing to extend and improve their contracts, just like what happened over the years with Ronaldo, Di Maria, Alonso and Ramos. He is the one responsible for prioritizing the economic state and the Hollywood-like image of the team over the sporting and footballing fundamentals. He is the one who banned the ultras, the real and only passionate fans to stand by the team in good and bad times, from the stadium and turned the Bernabeu into a silent ground that gets noisy only when the team is losing with boos and whistles. He is the one who turned the local press into microphones that deliver his silent messages and opinions which directly affect the team. Perez did all of this in his first reign and is doing so again in his second. No way will Real Madrid dominate football and be the football club they truly are with him at the helm. Even the fans have been spoiled by his policies and methods. Every year they demand a new 'galactico' to be signed. Every season they are so impatient with coaches to achieve good results and play mouth-watering football. Every game they boo a player who is having a bad day, even if he was the club’s all time record goalscorer. Every match they whistle at the entire squad if they trail in the scoreline and don’t find solutions to come back. And so, this all affects the players, the core of the team, who feel blamed for no reasons, despite giving their best over the years. That’s why most of the former players who have played in the last 10 years or so, like Di Maria, Ozil, Kaka, Khedira, Higuain, Sneijder, Robben and many others, have nothing but bad and forgettable memories from their time at the club. Not to mention kicking living legends, who gave their lives for the white shirt, out of the club in a way that has tarnished the club’s mythical and worldwide respected status. I’m talking here about players like Hierro, Figo, Morientes, Helguera, and most recently Raul and Casillas.

No More Excuses: Only 7 Major Titles in 13 Years of Presidency 

As I have said and wrote and thought a million times before: with Perez, the club can’t dominate and compete regularly, no matter who the coach was and no matter who the players were. Now he will probably give Benitez a couple of games to redeem himself in terms of results and performances, then he will simply cut his head off if that was not achieved. And then what ?? The same cycle all over again. A new coach, new ideas, different methodologies, new signings and subsequently fluctuating results. The entire culture of the club is damaged and a drastic change has to happen.

Prelude

I have always wanted a space where I can share my own thoughts and opinions about my various interests with others, and I have finally made the decision to embark on the journey of blogging. 

For someone who has been writing for almost 6 years now, mostly about personal and private stuff, it is surely a late beginning. It is always better late than never as they say though, so here I am.

I'm still finding my way here in this Google Blogger application, but I guess it won't take me long to figure out everything related to design and customization. I want the blog to fit its main description: variety. In the coming weeks and months, and maybe even years, I'll be posting about several different topics that represent my interests, and these are:

• Football
• Movies
• Novels
• Music
  
  

So, while I will spend some more time on modifying the blog's general appearance, I expect to have my first entry posted within the coming two or three days. Stay tuned.