Ever thought someone was so pretty, it hurts?

She looks like a dream, doesn't she? Wow.

beReaving in Bhairav

One of the most intense raags in Hindustani Classical, Bhairav, is immortalized by the classic song, "Babul Mora Naihar Chuuto hi Jaaye". This song has been sung by several legends throughout history - K.L. Saigal, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, Jagjit Singh, Girija Devi, Ghulam Ali - each and every one of them paying homage to a raag whose intensity is boundless.

babul mora naihar chuuto hi jaaye
chaar kahaar mil, mori Doliiyaa uthaaye
more apanaa begana chhuTo hi jaaye, anganaa to parbat bhaye,
dehlii bhayi bides je baabul ghar aapano, mai chali piya ke des

This is a tragic Thumri by Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh, who wrote this when he was exiled for rebellion against the British, from Lucknow to Calcutta. Thanks to "Quizman" for this translation, which has conveyed, rather accurately, the propensity of what many believe to be one of the greatest songs ever written.

O father, I depart forcibly from my home
Four men gathered to lift my palanquin {see the wedding/funeral analogy here?}
my loved ones will become strangers
the innermost portals of my home will be unreachable
as I leave my father's home and go to my husband's country.

If you have 18 minutes, are interested in the intensity of Hindustani Classical music and would like to experience the magic of Raag Bhairavi, I truly recommend listening to the live Thumri version of this song by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, here. This rendition is exceptional.

"Don't you wish all tops came off this easy"

First of all, the title statement was made with reference to the convertible. Phew.

Second of all, I've discovered that the little black brushy-sidebar next to your feet on the subway escalators, is an awesome shoe-polisher! This morning, at 51st and Lex, I stood close to it such that my shoes were rubbing against the bristles, and noticed this phenomenon. Sometimes I don't have the time to do that whole sit-down-on-the-high-chair-and-read-a-paper thingie that New York is famous for, and this is a great alternative. In other news, I need coffee.

Moreover, thank you all for your praise and appreciation for Lonely Sunsets (the blended song). I would love to thank all of you, but I'm tired of this whole first initial crap that you people want. Are you on the Witness Protection Program that you don't want me to use your name, or what?

But Thanks anyway! Much love. And I have a version which adds some vocal percussion (a.k.a. beatboxing) to the midsection, here. Over and out.

Sippin' on old Saranac ale,
With plenty of memories for sale,
Driving down roads that cut through mountainside
Basking in old histories
In 80 degrees and a gentle breeze
What you get for swimming against the tide

All I see is green. In more ways than one.
So placid, so serene, a battle lost before its won,

Me and my lonely sunsets,
raise a toast to reality.
Me and my lonely sunsets,
make a tryst with our destinies,
Me and my lonely sunsets,
share a love-hate relationship,
Me and my lonely sunsets,
are trying so hard too forget...
.. a tale too terrified to tell.

- Vishal

Target Attained!

Someone really wanted me to fall over. She kept saying "A little further, little more". That's Lakes Placid and Mirror at the back.

Target: Whiteface Lodge at the top of the summit. One of the tallest peaks in the Adirondacks.

Clearer view of the Range.

That's Placid and Mirror - clearer view.

The view from my room. Now do you know why I didn't wanna come back?

Keep going till you hit the water. If you're wet, you're there.

Serenity. Peacefulness. Oneness with the Universe. All summed up in one word. Placid. Lake Placid. With the weather on my side (80 degrees all through) and a chockful of enthusiasm, I set off with my buds on a nice long drive up I-87, almost three-quarters of the way to Canada (which some members of the Immig. still believe to be my country of origin. Go figure, eh?). Was a wonderful warm weekend- complete with exquisite and high-end wine tasting, jet skiing, boating, spit barbecues and landscape photography. Not to mention, a LOT of R&R and cruising a convertible through the Adirondacks. Check out 'em pics.

Our hacienda. The Marriott Resort and Golf Course

My mode of transportation and chick magnet (attempted).

The lake itself. Isn't it gorgeous?

The Adirondack Mountain Range

Silly Sugar Sucking Ants

Its astoundingly rare that one sees such a glorious demonstration of the balance of bordering-on-stupidity-type mediocrity and brilliant execution. That demo is Fanaa.


{Warning: May contain Fanaa spoilers - a.k.a. how much more can you spoil something?}

With pieces of screenplay taken generously from Ken Follett's Eye of the Needle, Fanaa is one of those movies which makes you go "WTF Mate?". But to play Dubya's advocate, a film that can create certain sequences that move you because of their sheer intensity is worthy of credit. Fanaa has several such moments - the moment Aamir sees Kajol for the second time and she yells Rehan (a thoughtful moment repeated a little too often in the movie - we get it, Kunal. The kid and the dad have the same name. Nice touch. Now let it go, already), the moment she realizes who Rehan really is, after the off-key but cute antakshari sequence, the usage of the evergreen Madan Mohan-Lata Mangeshkar classic, "Lag Jaa Gale" (Woh Kaun Thi, 1964). These moments were deftly executed and left a startling and lasting impact. But beyond that, Fanaa borders on lunacy.

Lets start with the good stuff. One word. Kajol.



As an absolutely die-hard Kajol fan, this is my absolutely unbiased opinion. If all of divinity could be combined into one paramount force, that stares you in the face and makes itself evident, satisfies your life-long yearnings and makes you feel so real yet so weak at the same time, it would lie in Kajol's eyes. She looks absolutely divine in Fanaa.

Kajol's childlike playfulness contrasts the mature look that she's been given in Fanaa. And I think that her performance and on-screen appeal carried the movie.

The rockstar in Fanaa is the background score by Salim-Suleiman. The "Ya Maula" interludes are absolutely electric, and are placed generously, but aptly throughout the movie.

I can't begin to tell you how bad the rest of Fanaa is. Its bad because you expect so much from the God-given casting coup of Aamir and Kajol.

First of all, being Kashmiri-Muslim parents, Rishi and Kirron make you believe that any over-50 love-marriage, still-in-love parents will get gloriously excited if their blind daughter decides to marry an eve-teasing, overtly ill-mannered random poetic Delhi tourguide, purely because she is in love with him over 4-days of sightseeing and one-night of wet sex. Sadly, kids, this is not true, and please do not be fooled.

Secondly, Zooni seems to have the hide of a rhinoceros as she deals with the toughest and most moving of moments in her life with a couple of tears, quickly followed by acceptance. Got my eyesight back, and am seeing the world for the first time. Yay! Done, what's next. 5 minutes later. Oh, boyfriend-soon-to-be-husband died. Well, got my eyesight, lost a husband. win some-lose some. 7 years repentance time, girl. Oh he's back. Cool! Wait, Dad's dead and is floating under an icy river. Oops, not good, yaar! At least now he'll stop drinking. Oh oh. Looks like my ricocheting husband killed him. Damn! Men! Wait, my husband's a terrorist and is about to blow up the country. Doh! No wonder he was so wild in bed! You know how these militants are? Ok wait, he killed my dad and his best friend too? Yikes, that's like a total bummer! So now Im holding a gun to him and planning to shoot him?

Now, I don't know about you. But that shit is whack.

Aamir's character sketch deserves praise. Very grey. Torn between his mission and his love.

The moments that have been resolved to sheer perfection, are held against the moments that are resolved so quickly, that the audience is unable to fathom or digest them. Makes you think that forcefully fitting together pieces of a jigsaw just to complement the intelligence of our audience, does not make a movie.

All I have to say is,

Is film ko dekhne ke baad, mujhe kisi pub mein panaah mil jaaye,
Jee chahta hai ke is film ki har print ki har reel kahin fanaa ho jaaye.

Round the Blend

That's where the challenge lies. In the blend. Fusion is an oft-misinterpreted word. When you bring two diverse styles together, you don't just toss them in a dish and mix 'em like a salad ... you introduce, you create a relationship, find out their commonalities. its almost like creating a relationship. Its a feeling of godliness.

To prove once again that music transcends all elements of borders or distances or time, I took a song by a modern-day band called Fort Minor (2006) and an age-old classic Salil Chaudhry number (1970), and created this very blend. Its not seamless, but hearing it makes me only wonder one thing ... maybe music was that one universal language that was intended to unite one and all - a power not to be underestimated. Otherwise, two distinct songs, with two completely disparate composers and singers .. from two different time zones ... from two different times, eras, nearly 4 decades apart .... but yet ... so similar.

As I said, its all in the blend.

I give you .... Lonely Sunsets.

Guinness Envy

Big shout out to J, who being a working Manhattan-ite, is by far the only chick I know who can down 11 Guinnesses, and still talk logically about Index ETFs at 3 AM. Daym!

Aight peepo, I'm out. I'll catch you all on Toozday.

Till then have a memorable Memorial Weekend.

And remember. Don't drink and drive. Drink first. and then drive.

"Always". "Forever". Yeah right!!

Talk about wild cards turning legends. My latest fascination is Fort Minor's "Where'd you go". Not only is the song, extremely simple with its two-consecutive and repeating major-to-minor chords - actually its even more basic, with just two keys and some choral parts in the background, and a very unique breakbeat percussion style - but lyrically, the song captures both sides of an estranged couple, rather effectively, with each one thinking that they've been wronged, outlined by the striking contrast in the breathy female vocals and the rapper. Good stuff.

Also, do listen to the unplugged, symphonic version of Rhianna's Unfaithful. The pulsed string set at the back - mindblowing!

Hope all of you have phenomenal M-Day plans, because I sure as heck do! :-)

BTW, I am now officially licensed (to drive) by the state of New Jersey, a process that I not-so-proudly refer to as "The Never-Ending Story", after some harrowing experiences with the Dastardly Mean Vermins (Abbreviate this, sucka!). Not to mention, my newly purchased "I Cracked the NJ-DMV Written and Road Tests! And Lived to Speak About It" T-Shirt, and matching bumper sticker (kidding, people!). And to celebrate the same (and a lot else), have rented meself a smoke-silver Chrysler Sebring convertible for the week. Must admit, driving around Manhattan in one of those, is quite a high!

Faded and Jaded with Time....

Some values and thought-processes have diminished with time. Dissolved into nothingness. Fanaa.

I remember a story my dad used to relate about his grandfather, who belonged to a generation to whom we can not even mildly relate. True sons of the soil, born into the pre-partition era of the freedom struggle. With a heart that beat every beat with love, passion and pride in the nation. My great-grandfather would keep a collection of stamps under his pillow. And if ever there were a situation where him or members of his family are in any kind of a monetary benefit because of error or personal greed (overpayment, undercharging), he would tear the equivalent amount in stamps, so that the government doesn't lose anything over this little gain of his, regardless of how miniscule. Back then, stamps used to be in the currency of "annas" (1/16th of a Rupee, which, in turn, is nearly 1/45th of a dollar). But, can you even fathom the resolve of the man, who truly had that undying pride and blind belief in the glory of his nation, and the priceless favor of citizenship that it had bestowed on him, that he wanted to balance his debt with India at every step.

Compare that thought with the modern thinking of today's hustlers, and you see the moral canyon that the passage of time has cut away to create, over the years. This approach wouldn't work in today's world, because it has become somewhat difficult to tell the difference between the oppressor and the oppressed. With street-smartness becoming the order of the day, it has become impossible to figure out who is trying to fleece whom? That approach is something that will always remain a historical fairy tale that becomes more and more unbelievable (and unrelatable), as generations transcend generations.

Some values and thought-processes have diminished with time. Dissolved into nothingness. Fanaa.

Hard Coding.... (a title especially for my IT peeps)

So, the code was cracked. The hype has subsided. Dan Brown's epic, finally, has a counterpart on the big screen. And Ron Howard delivered it with finesse.

To give him his due, Howard left no stone unturned on detail, especially when it came to visuals, locations, cast selection and smooth conveyance of literature into film. But as eye-caressing as its visual appeal may be, a lot needs to be said about the adaptation. Howard masalafied the Code, to the extent that emotions that need have been stark, were made intensely evident.

In my honest opinion, Howard spoke Brown's Code, as if he was undermining the individual intelligences of the worldwide audience. Maybe he feared that the conundrums that the Code is resplete with, were not indeed as universal when placed on celluloid. That's perhaps why he eliminated so many of them. That's perhaps why he oversimplified so many of the intricate complexities that make the Code so special.

But at the end of the day, I feel that the mystic nature that Howard thoughtfully overlooked, by giving tonnes of resolution and painstaking explanation to every minute element of the movie (exemplified by Ian "Magneto" McKellen's or Teabing's explanation of the Last Supper and more), was what would have made this visual interpretation a classic.

After all, what gave the Da Vinci Code oodles of sex appeal, was its mystic allure. Its "fiction based on theory" approach. Its vamp-like hold on your psyche, as you imagined and mentally visualized the truth that may have been, the lies that may have been told and the "greatest cover-up in human history". But, on the other side, lay the unknown possibility that the Code itself could have been a mockery of the Church, which the 'pagans' created in order to cause tremors in the new world faith of the times, that had tsunamied across the planet.

And therein lies the magic that made the Code, a phenomenon. The inability, nay, disability to decipher reality from fiction. History has been a witness to the fact that unresolved mysteries have always been more successful than autobiographies or even solved mysteries. JFK, Area 51, Monroe, Titanic. The world loves conspiracy, more than success. And the Code highlights, perhaps, the most explosive conspiracy there ever was. Or was it?

"I'm at First and First. How can I street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe!".

Genius!

Magnum Opus Dei

(For non-New Yorkers to better understand this post, the upper midtown area around 9th avenue is called Clinton and the lower midtown area around 9th avenue is called Chelsea).

While taking the cab to work, and in such a maddening rush that she obviously couldn't gauge the sardonically humorous repercussions of her upcoming statement, J says to me:

"Yeah, so I'm going down Clinton, into Chelsea"

I'm juvenile. So sue me.

IndiaFM gave me this valuable information today.

" If today is your Birthday, celebrate it with:-
- Pankaj Udhas
- Preeti Ganguly
- Shyam Ramsay "

Match the following: The beauty, the beast and blechhhhh

This indispensible information doesn't scare me. The fact that people are actually paid to maintain such databases scares me.

This and this.

Two of the scariest things I've ever seen. The video clips from the security cameras of the Pentagon, on AA77 crashing into the left side of the building. You know.

How much scarier is it to see stark reality, than to see glorified and even horrifying depictions of reality? whatever you say, the truth is terrifying. very terrifying.

god bless.

Insane Nutjob Services. That's what it should stand for. Jeez. The last time I got my viza (purposeful) documentation, they made me a Canadian citizen. This time around, they've made me a Bahraini citizen. like WTF, mate? What is this, Around the World in Red Tape?

Overheard on the radio, during a cab ride:

"Lobbyists are pushing their case to ban the usage of the words "penis" and "vagina" during sex education classes in schools. When asked by the press as to alternative terminology, they did not have comments".

Retarded how people are?

Best bit of feedback I've received on Kaise so far, comes from mah homegirl, Shivani, who says that the song borrows a lot of subliminal influence from Darren Hayes' Strange Relationship - which btw was such an underappreciated underdog of a brilliant track - and that influence works even in the lyrical sense, considering that both songs are nearly about the same thing.

Curious, considering that I haven't heard that track in decades. But I guess somethings linger on.

You know the part I love in Strange Relationship, is when he goes "Well, maybe if that's a fact, may I suggest, a brand new plan of attack". I thought the word meter and the rhythmicity (Webster's prolly going 'WTF mate?') of those lyrics are sheer brilliance.

"Imagine. Somewhere in the world there is a man who is actually allowed to kiss her"

A line from Notting Hill in reference to Julia Roberts who plays the movie star, Anna Scott. Rather touching. Although I do feel that the movie should've ended when Hugh Grant overhears her telling her co-star that he was, in fact, just a minor aspect of her past.

But the "Ain't No Sunshine" sequence-montage that goes across various seasons was the moment that made the movie for me.

In other news, I love the way the British use adjectives. Its simply marvelous.

Al Jarreau's performance at the Naming Ceremony for the Freedom of the Seas blew me away. He's nearly 70, and the energy and smoothness with which he accentuates his jazz is awe-inspiring.

Made me think a lot of the complexities in the intricate chord structures of jazz, and whether there is a bridge where Indian elements can fit in. I'm not talking about Shakti and Louis Banks, where they have two disparate elements coming together in the oft-cliched "Fusion" style of music. I'm talking about delicate flurries which give the song an Indian feel.

Well, I know its difficult to visualize what I'm talking about, so I developed an instrumental slow jazz piece with a keyboard-saxophone lead to give you an idea. You'll catch the delicate Indian flavor in the lower registers of the song, but thematically, the overall feel is smooth jazz. What began with a little bit of research into jazz chords, has turned into a fairly decent instrumental theme. So for all you cool cats, here's Bittersweet Bliss (BEST Experienced on Koss, or any other headphones) and you'll see the bittersweetness in the snappy alterations from major to minor throughout the song. Very curious chord structure, which was challenging to develop, but fun nevertheless, and don't miss the minor chord at the end which completely diverts the listener's attention. It was an essential (and impromptu) last minute decision, because I didn't want a honeysweet ending to this track. and hence the title.

Never make that person your priority, to whom you are just an option. Ominous, yet true.

On that sombre note, here's Kaise Kaise. Its less of a song, and more of a thought process. So, I thought I'd share. Its one of the many tracks that I keep private and locked up in a folder somewhere. This one reminds you of how often, and how definitively, things change.

And just how pretty is the acoustic version of She Will Be Loved(Maroon5)?

The piano track in the background of Mary J. Blige's "No More Drama", is the theme track to the "Young and the Restless". Although originally written for a very lame movie that never made it anywhere, the song was selected as a theme track for Y&R but gained its crucial five minutes of fame, where Nadia Comaneci performed her routine with this track as the backround. Since then, this tune has come to be known as "Nadia's theme".

Just tripping to No More Drama, which I think is a really succinct track.

Ok ... serious question. PFlirt and I were hanging around Oak Tree Road, Edison, people-watching, one day, when we spotted this ad for Hakoba Sarees, which I think in itself, is a devastatingly attractive name. I mean, just by hearing the word HAKOBA (sizzle!), it makes you want to go out and get bedecked in a couple of yards.

Now, that brings me to the question. Isn't the model a guy? I mean ... YES! ... its a GUY in a pink saree! WHAT?

How scary is that? Why would you use a guy to promote a saree shop?

Talking of gay guys in sarees, Paresh - your commenting on every blog entry of mine makes it seem like you're the only one who reads my blog. As undeniably fascinating as that is, a little discretion on infallibly resorting to topics of a gay nature everytime. I know you're proud of your basic orientation, but ....

In case you're wondering, THIS is where I'll be this weekend :-)

Man, I really wanna see Brick

Phenomenal reviews, and a very, very curious previewline. And to add to that, accolades at Sundance for a first-time director. Shyte.

A must-check-out!

An inherent difference...

...between Indian youngsters here and those in India... something I discovered recently, in more clarity.

In India, you see a disparate and startling difference between attitudes when dealing with their friends, and when dealing with their elders. They are absolute goofballs when they're with their friends, but when it comes to somber things like prayers, traditions, respect to elders - they are totally different people. Take the scene in RDB when Aamir's grandad walks in, and Aamir looks at Siddharth and goes, "Karan. Bujhale" (asks Karan to extinguish his cigarette). Its a minor gesture, but it shows where these kids come from.

That's missing here. Although I find it cool that kids here take their parents and elders to be equals, and treat them on par with their friends, I only see a handful - a miniscule pinch, really - of them actually displaying a degree of due respect. Maybe its because the generations here have a more lackadaisical approach when bringing up their kids, and are so wrapped up with sorting their own lives, their status, their taxes and their paychecks, that they don't get around to (don't have the time to) substantially convey those meaningful values from the des, on to their kids. In the bargain, these kids are brought up more dominantly by others (daycare/school), and that results in their complete Americanization. The balance is lost, and when they hit their teens, they earn the much-hated sobriquet-acronym title of an 'ABCD'. And then you have the parents, who somewhere between filing their tax extension and switching insurance companies, stare at their heavily-pierced, spiky-highlight-haired, cuss-mouthed disrespectful offspring and think, "where did we go wrong?".

The year is 2006. Do you know who your kids are?

Just Jew It


#1049 - Film Seminar on Iranian TV: Tom and Jerry - A Jewish Conspiracy to Improve the Image of Mice, because Jews Were Termed "Dirty Mice" in Europe

Un-freaking-believable.

What's next? Elmer Fudd is a skinhead closet Neo-Nazi? Bugs Bunny is a advocate for oppressed and disciminated homosexuals? Are those really carrots?

Thanks for the link, Xinu.

I wrote Humsafar for my parents on their 25th wedding anniversary on May 7th, 2004. This year they celebrate their 27th! Wow! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.

In serious attempts to draw Simpson's characters, using the keyboard:

Marge

@@@@@:>)

Homer

(_8^()

Hyuk hyuk. So this is what I do at work ;-)

T'was the Shaqster who introduced me to the concept of khalkhalash without rice. Its just lamb and chicken with the trademark sauces (or as the men say it best why soss, hoth soss?). No salad, no rice, no pita, no need. Just some serious meat. Like a straightforward conversation without the b.s. and topical innuendos. Of course, its a clogmaster, so not everyday. But just when you feel like being proud to be non-vegetarian :-) NV-ious?

Aight, so here goes my take on Brokeback Mountain.

Its more than a gay movie. Its a muffled diatribe on how depressing life can be, how unfair things can get. But for me, after much thought and comprehension, I reckon that the signature of Ang Lee on this film, is the fact that there is no clear 'resolution'. I love that. I love the fact that he leaves things bittersweet, unexplained and mysteriously disdainful, even down to the fact that Jake is shown to have been contemplating 'cheating' (?) on Heath, prior to his death (murder).

Its unanswered whether Jake's dad has anything to do with his death - being a hardcore homophobic redneck (also Heath mentions a similar feeling about the incident when he was 9).

But truly, Heath Ledger's character was crafted with the utmost care. During the first sexual encounter, although Heath fights Jake tremendously, he does exhibit some kind of homosexual promiscuity. Basically, he doesn't seem like a novice. An incessant rebel without a cause, Heath seems to be 'angry' with the fact that he is attracted to Jake, and feels this love for him. That's a very curious emotion to portray effectively on screen, and Heath scores (yeah he does).

But more than a gay cowboy movie, BM explores the sinusoidal vagaries of human destiny. It asks some deep moral questions. Sometimes the things that bring you the most happiness, may not be the ones that may be right for you. Does that mean you don't pursue them? Just because the world around you has set these precedents because of prevailing and over-powering stigma, does it mean that you forgo your right to be happy? The best part is, BM doesn't preach gay pride, nor empower gay emotions. Its just a sad on-screen depiction of an unfortunate and bittersweet story, with an ending that, quite like real life, doesn't 'come out of the closet' to explain itself.

In other news, Bush is a jerk.

Interlud-icrous

I'm all about the interludes today. Some instrumental solos from tracks that stand out and exclaim their presence and definition. Here are my top picks:

(1) Slash's Guitar Soliloquy (much more than a solo), in GNR's November Rain
(2) The Flute Solo in Tanhai (OST - Dil Chahta Hai, Music - Amar/Akbar/Anthony)
(3) The Weeping Violin Solo in Karunesh's Punjab

Also, did you notice the delicate rhythm and piano-based mood change in Khuda-Haafiz (OST-Yuva, Music: ARR). Verse 3 goes completely into jazzy Swing with touching piano flurries, and then blend back flawlessly, when Lucky Ali goes "Anjaana".

Ah, its official. Sun lo. Music is my raison d'etre.

And yes, big up to mah homegirl, Dubai's very own Mistress of Spices, for a fun long convo, ranging from (yes, i'll say it) gay sex to GlaxoSmith. Piece!

Oh wow. There's crazy. There's insane ... and then there's David Blaine.

This is just plain WILD. I'm gonna go check this out tomorrow, will come back with pictures! :-)

Not so 'blunt' after all...

Its difficult to administer a pre-judgement of James Blunt's vocal range and comfort level at higher octaves, if you listen to "You're Beautiful" for the first time. When he starts with "My life is brilliant", you assume that he's a low-rider, but then he launches into the main (keyword:non-falsetto) chorus, without any kind of warning, even though the quality of voice may seem kind of scratchy and unclean to a first-time listener, but Blunt grows on you with sharp turns and delicate notes. I also love the way he falsettoes "f***in' high" (or for those who heard the radio edit, "flyin' high") even though he doesn't need to.

I bray for your souls....

In the words of our eternal School Supervisor, Mr. K.L.P.D. Joseph, "Awride Chil-wren, com to the yassumblee hole for the brayer".

Wat a dumbass. No, I mean it. Dum-Bass. As in, the fish (No, Curious Mallu Person, not the guitar) Its my word of the day (thanks to my 'acquired taste'). Dum-Bass. Dum-Bass. I have been pissing off people all day with it - fellow employees, subway workers and random Middle Eastern food cart vendors (who are rather pissed off as it is, and threatened to douse me with Hot Soss). Learn it Children. Dum-Bass. emphasis on the B. Dumb-Bass. As Joseph would spell it . "Dee, You, Yem, Bee, Yay, Yes, and yet another Yes".

And for those who are more of the visual kind, here's an example of an under-rated dum-bass.

Magnum "Opus"

Opus Dei's response to the Da Vinci code is quite intriguing. Hard to tell if they're being defensive, or just plain honest. Ah, don't we all love conspiracy theories?

Desperately Seeking Sa Trincha

Does anyone know where I can get my hands on a Single CD (Import will do) of Jon Sa Trincha's self-titled track? Its an amazing Ibiza-trance track, one of those melodious-ambient-psychadelics - (goes well with chronic).

Meanwhile .. sample Churate.