Soo Che, Mukeshbhai?

At $63.2 billion, Ambani Sr. has reportedly elbowed out Slim and Gates, just hours ago, to make him the "richest man in the world". Sounds ominous, as the market cap of the Mukesh Ambani Group crossed Rs. 5 trillion.

*UPDATED* Guess not, as Reliance came back with this quicky update to negate all such talk. Mr. Ambani is reportedly still pauperish in the region of ... (cough) ... $50 billion. Bah! Peasants. And I was thinking of flying him up to to my retreat at the Hamptons for a soiree, as my way of saying "welcome to the club".

But, with the Sensex kissing the 20K landmark, and the economy rise steady as a rock - its still worth asking, folks - What can brown do for you?

Hot Damn!

Waiting...

as if, in abeyance.

for a sign.
for a moment of repentance.
for salvation.
for the markets to prop back up.
for crisis to be a memory.
for the perfect bass-riff.
for the soothing strains of a violin.
for a vacation.
for a President with morals.
for fat-free Toblerone that tastes like Toblerone.
for an effortless book
for a meaningful film.
for Godot.
for ever.

Kailasa

Teri Deewani - Kailash Kher
Beyond those powerhouse vocals, the other element that really makes this a monumental song, are the octave harmonies on the "Tune kya kar daala, mar gayee main" and "Teri Deewani" lines.

Its time for a "sexy party"...




And Starbucks will call them "large" and "small"
Instead of pretentious crap like "grande" and "tall"

Ooh, classic!

WTG Bobby Jindal!
Many cheers for the first desi Governor in US history, and the youngest current Governor of a US state. That's awesome, even though he's a republican! And his success CANNOT be owed to the South Asian vote, as Louisiana barely has any Indians. Creditable.

The only significant political stance that this blog will take, ever!



In other news, if you are creative and slick in your channel surfing abilities, you can watch Family Guy, every half-hour, for the rest .. of .. your .. life!

Aaja Nachle

Ooh cool! Houston, we have a graphic (made it out to look like an old Hindi movie poster). Ah, the pressing demands on bloggers, as the blogosphere becomes more and more competitive. We need to commercialize our act, you see. But we all have our limits. Loyal Evolutionists, you will not see RevEv going to vicious lows to stay afloat. Never!!

Btw, this post is brought to you in part by Neneh Cherry's comeback brigade.

Talking of comebacks, Ms Dixit and her F'american accent are back with Aaja Nachle. The most interesting part about this movie, at least to me, is that the music is by devilish-duo Salim-Suleiman, barring the fact that the two have been extremely 'hit and miss' over the last few years. The magical formula that they mixed in Dor and Kaal, was balanced off by the lackluster trash that was "Neal 'n' Nikki".

But right from the "Jaago Zara" (remember Viva? My Gaad, the yindian Spicy Gerrils!) days, these dudes have been capable of coming out with an alternative spin on traditional tunes. And that claim to fame trickles over, slightly, into Aaja Nachle.

Emphasis: slightly

While most of the album comes across as a little contorted at first listen, one may be tempted to give it the "situational" verdict (i.e. you may start to like the soundtrack after you watch the movie). In the case of Aaja Nachle, the likelihood of such an occurrence is extremely feeble.

Two songs that do stand out are the ever-so-deeply-titled romantic ballads, "Ishq Hua" and "Is Pal". Although the latter does come across to be too heavy on electronica-based gimmickery, with a little too many and unnecessary instruments pitching in with interludes, both songs are rather solid in terms of overall composition and singing (Sonu and Shreya). Prefer the former. Koi paththar se naa maare is plain, very reminiscent-by-raag of B. Sagoo's Tum Bin Jiya. Lesser said about the rest of the tracks, the better (especially when they have titles like 'Show me your Jalwa').

One interesting thing that stands out noticeably in the album is the solid vocal performances across the album. One of the few times that one notices that the singing is better than the composition, pretty uniformly across the album. However, there is one stark exception.

Coup De Grace: Without doubt, and as I continue to build towering respect for the phenomenal Rahat Fateh Ali Khan who has yet to prove me wrong with a less-than-brilliant song in his entire Bollywood stint, the musical star of this soundtrack for me is (not the peppy dance tracks - as those are short-lived for the club-night-highs) O Re Piya.

Clocking in at 6 minutes 19 seconds, the song is patiently long, but it has one of the most unique flows I have ever heard. That of a light-Qawwali love-ballad, like never before.

This musical piece blatantly eliminates the earlier proposed excuse. It is a completely situational track, but yet, one can still appreciate every single aspect of it. In terms of composition, the highlights are: (1) Rahat's vocal movements - an inspiration to every singer out there (2) The pure Qawwali tangent that the song digresses on (with vocals, percussion and sarangi) (3) The string ensemble that kicks in at 5:37. Wow!

To truly, truly appreciate this song, and its consummate composition and each intricate element - recommend you listen to it, first thing in the morning, on a pair of bass-enhanced Koss or B&O headphones, over a cup of strong coffee. Ah, bliss.

Final Verdict

Buy the Album (or) Selectively Download: Selectively Download

Umm, the pay-to-download variety, of course .. (nervous laughter a la Peter Griffin)

Cans or Cannes?

The NYT Review says: "This retarded chick-flick making it past opening week would be nothing short of a miracle".

The movie preview says: "The New York Times calls it, 'nothing short of a miracle'"

Ah, marketing. The viciously creative truthiness of it all!

In other news, props to me for recalling and executing quick comeback on subway ride home from work:

Sudden subway motion causes cute girl to bump into me.
Cute girl: Oh, I'm so sorry about that!
Me: It's quite ok, considering that's all the sex I'm going to have, this weekend.
(Laughs all around)

Ah, pat on the back for that. Wag of the finger for not getting her number. Blast!

Thanks to StatCounter..

.. second to "deepika padukone picture", the search keywords that lead to hits on my blog the most are .. "manish malhotra gay".

this is disturbing.

it is also saddening to note how much people dwell on the obvious.

"Simple. We want to be number 1"

Sheikh Mohd's ultra-simple response to 60 Minutes when asked "All this fast-paced development in Dubai. What do you really want?".

60M did a really neat segment on the shape of things to come in Dubai, but more of a mini-biopic on the Man himself.

Soundcheck

It makes you wonder as to where a generation is going, musically, when the sounds of distortion become a norm, i.e. when a studio producer tells me that a certain element of a song will sound good if I add a "hiss", or some "background noise", or "distorted radio static", or some "guitar feedback, or "slickety-slip CD skipping/scratching sounds". Damn, when did all this become musical? Wasn't this, till recently, the kind of stuff that used to make us dispose of our music players/instruments. Strange things be happening now.

Prime supporters of my morning commute:

Athiradee & Sahara (OST - Sivaji)

Aight, I have to admit that I am obsessing over these two Tamil tracks. Rahman has spun pure magic with "Athiradee". Once you get rid of the mental Rajnikant visual, (or keep it around. heck. whatever makes you happy), this song is catchy to the core. Sung by Rahman himself, and a goodbye girl, aptly named Sayonara. The other track, Sahara, is a love ballad, residing in a realm that Rahman has proven his command over. It has an amazing chord progression, especially in the return from verse to chorus.

I Sogni (Jidka) by Saba

Heard this at a lounge in New York, loved the sound, and hunted down the DJ, afterwards, to ask him what it was. Saba is a Mogadishu-born, half-Somalian, half-Italian singer. The album's title "Jidka" means line, and its supposed to define the line between her Somalian and Italian roots, especially I Sogni. Brilliant track - a little reminiscent of Khaled's Ya Rayi, but has an adamant and persistent identity of its own.

Standing testament that fusion rocks! The limitlessness of global musical collaboration never ceases to baffle me.

Sample it in the world section of ITunes. This track blew me away, particularly because of its composition and percussion. Not brutally blown away by the singer, she kinda sounds like the high-pitched third leg of TLC, who comes in during verse 3 of Waterfalls, when you're left gasping for the chorus to return, 'cuz her voice is pin-piercing your eardrums. Well .. Saba isn't that bad, but takes a little while to get used to.

Feel (Thievery Corporation Remix) - Bombay Dub Orchestra

Ah, the Gods of Groove, and the music providers of many of my home-lounge-parties - Thievery Corporation - return for this delectable remix of a "khayaal"-format Bombay Dub Orchestra track. Phenomenal stuff! Funk, touches of Electronica and Hindustani classical come together to create a beautiful sound. You can literally fantasize a music video to this, in your head. Don't miss the delicate piano riffs.

Discuss-a-mundo:

Aaoge Jab Tum (OST - Jab We Met)

Ok now. You know that kind of song which is on the brink of perfection, and you feel that if people would have worked on it .. just a little more ... if could've been ridiculous! Well, this track is one of those.

Overall, the song has a really noble "return to roots" concept and feel. Has the feel of an old times Gulzar/R D Burman number. They have Ustad Rashid Khan, starting off brilliantly. A touching piano and strings initiation, with him doing an alaap. It has the making of a legendary track, at this point. Starts in a minor key, goes major. The flute interlude is sweet, almost Rahman/Illayaraja-ish. Goes into an uncomplicated, romantic ballad, with a really, nice composition. Amazing chorus.

Again, it takes a little while to get used to. Because you have Khan singing a geet, when you are more used to him doing ghazals and classical pieces (btw, he's the guy who sang the "Tore Bina Mohe Chain" piece from Kisna). Kinda like when Kailash Kher sang in a lower key for "Ya Rabba" (OST - Salaam-E-Ishq).

Now the verse is where this song destroys itself. Its badly placed, Rashid Khan goes guttural and off-key, and worst of all, it ends abruptly, sinking back into the chorus without establishing itself in any way. An extremely half-baked and disappointing verse. The keen listener will lose interest and zone out at this point. The rest of the song doesn't even have the ability to gain momentum back to the hopes that the opening had established.

This is most unfortunate; Music, as an art form, essentially cannot be appreciated with a "rewind/fast-forward to the good parts" approach. Music is based on the format of "flow". Many songs have a sinusoidal flow, while other pieces peak at the end with a crescendo. Therefore, composers have to keep in mind that the verse is KEY to, at the very least, keeping the listener's attention through the song. Sometimes the composer gets so enrapt by an awesome hook or a killer chorus, that you half-ass your way through the verse and interludes to wrap up the song. And unfortunately, you kill it, in the process.

In other news, when did words like "ridiculous", "sick" and "ill" become positive? When did being "the sh**" turn out not to be an insult, but rather an elevation of status? And since when does everyone want to be a "pimp"? Spare me, I didn't wake up and start questioning vocabulary, this morning. I'm just shocked that all of this slipped into our world like an oil slick, and I find it difficult to identify the point in time when this crusade began.

Oops, I said crusade. Will they nuke my pad?

RevEv turns Two! + Eid Mubarak

Do Saal! Feels longer though. Celebrated with a home screening of stoner-flick "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" (haunting visuals of a mescaline, etc.-induced psychojourney of a couple of freaks, one of whom is Johnny Depp, in a complex, but awesome performance).

History Lesson: The first "return to blogging" post to kick-off Revolution Evolution (or to evolute the revolute, if you will) hit netizens on October 13th, 2005.

The Audiation of Melancholy

The musical backdrop of a mellow Saturday twilight-hour (mostly instrumental) -

Cancion Triste - Jesse Cook (Vertigo)
part of "New Age Flamenco", an emerging musical style which I'm just about getting used to.

Lovers and Friends - Chris Spheeris

Weather Storm - Massive Attack's version of Craig Armstrong's Piano Works

Iridian - Dhol Foundation (Big Drum Small World)

Sweet Pain - Michael Brook and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (Night Song)

Home - Michael Buble (It's Time)

Imma Rock-It-Man

Stewie Griffin's version of William Shatner's most embarrassing rendition of Elton John's classic.

Whoever conceptualized a matricidal, intellectual baby with a deep British accent is an absolute genius.

" and the fifteen fifty.."

(sharpening my axe)

That Verizon FiOS kid. What an annoying little pain-in-the-a$$! And Verizon's ridiculously invasive marketing strategy isn't helping. Can someone please eliminate him now!

WTF Mate?


Early Political education for children. Also, look for "Why My Mommy is a Democrat". Ah what brilliant marketing, America. Start the brainwashing early.

This is ridiculous! At least leave the children alone. Is that Ted Kennedy? Blast!

khulte hi tere gesu, udne hai lagi khushboo,
yeh raaz hawaaon ko, phoolon se chhupaana hai
yeh ishq nahin aasaan, humne to yeh jaana hai,
kaajal ki laqeeron ko, aankhon se churaana hai

Only in New York

That's what I love most about this city. You never know what you might come across. Like this bike decked up with Metrocards (for the rest of the world, New York Subway access cards). Super cool!

Also, must admit that Thiru Kumar's vendy at Washington Square Park, which has earned him the sobriquet, "New York's Dosa Man", has gotten unbelievably popular (and unbelievably better!). If you do check out his Pondicherry Dosa, do make sure you get him to "crank up the spice, da"!

In other news, of the dozens of divas whom sizzler, Deepika Padukone, resembles, I conclude that she is an extremely hottified version of Richa Pallod. Now before you DP-fans throw projectiles at me, think about it a little! I'm working on an edition of "Switched at Birth" to visually exemplify this, but I'm trying to identify that one expression that merges them.

Btw, a "Switched at Birth" special automobile edition ... a "Switched at Ignition", if you will (silence!) ... the new Hyundai Sonata and the Jaguar X-series (the frontal and rear views). Vroom!

Sequences like this....

... make me miss the infinite creativity and bold power of the world of advertising.

Do watch it all the way through. Beyond campaign messaging, its also symbolic of our myopic perspectives, sometimes.

Dard-E-Disco

This track from Om Shanti Om is absurdly hilarious! Not to be taken seriously, its more satirical of the Dard-E-Dil, Dard-E-Jigar-type '70s era, blended well with a Middle Eastern hook. Sukhwinder is loud, powerful and awesome!

I would've loved to have seen the creative process to this track. How blitzed must've people got while coming up with this shyte?

Now especially since you have a hook that ends with the words, "Dard-E-Disco", you need to find words that rhyme with it, right? Well .. Kisko ... that was simple .... So we'll go ...

Main bechaara hoon, awaara hoon, samjhaoon main yeh ab kis kisko
Dil mein mere hai dard-e-disco.

Now what do you do about the verse?

Hmm.

Observe the actual lyrical endings of both verses:

Ab phirta hoon mein London, Paris, New York, L.A., San Francisco...
Dil mein mere hai dard-e-disco....

(shudder)

Dil tod gaya, mujhe chod gaya, woh pichchle maheeney ke chhabbis ko,
Dil mein mere hai dard-e-disco...

I haven't LOL-ed this much in a while!!

Gaana Bajaana

Saathiya (OST - Darling)

You want a song which you can listen to, on constant repeat, for a long countryside drive. A song that will make you recall every intense, romantic moment of your life. Pritam has really cracked a great feel with this loungey number, and Adnan Sami's vocals are phenomenal (especially the way he comes back into the song at the end of the first verse, with his inimitable vocal twinge). However, a bone to pick in terms of composition - the "Beqaraari se mar hi naa jaoon" line in the chorus is a straight port from Punjabi MC's Mirza.

Also, check out Hasaaye Bhi Rulaaye Bhi from the same soundtrack. Nice!

Main Agar Kahoon (OST - Om Shanti Om)

Sonu Nigam spins a magical web of sensuality with his voice, once again. Its been ages since good melody and a simple waltz came together (the last two in recent times which were noteworthy were Ek Din Aap Yun from PBDHH and the legendary, Kuchh Naa Kaho from 1942). This song is brilliant and addictive.

Special Mention: "Daras Bina Nahin Chain" from Saawariya. That one unpredictable-format theme track in every SLB soundtrack (Theme of Devdas, Love theme from Hum Dil....). This one is really haunting.

Look out for this shuttlecock!


Please act well! Please be a brilliant actress, with a knock-your-socks-off performance in Om Shanti Om!

The industry needs more like this. We neither want more airhead item girls nor nerdy butterfaces. We need the evolution of the blazing hot chick who can A.C.T.

But seriously! Wow! God is an artist.

Apne jazbaat mein naghmaat rachaane ke liye,
Maine dhadkan ki tarah, dil mein basaaya hai tujhe,
Main tasavvur bhi judaai ka bhala kaise karoon?
Maine qismat ki laqeeron se churaaya hai tujhe

Pyaar ka banke nigehbaan tujhe chaahunga,
Main to mar kar bhi, meri jaan, tujhe chaahunga.

- Qateel Shifai (lyrics brought to life and immortality by Mehdi Hassan)

Sin City, it is....

Don't ask, won't tell.

CHAK DE, INDIA!

The boys kicked some serious a$$! What a finale!

Haven't seen a climatic match like that, for a while!

TM@NYC

If Muhammed can't get to Agra, they bring Agra to Muhammed. As part of the ongoing India@60 celebrations, which is successfully bringing desi culture, music, art and celebrities to the street of the big, bad City.

One of the many displays, which includes performances by Sivamani and Remo Fernandes in Bryant Park, and keynotes by Ambani, Kamal Nath, Azim Premji and many, many others, there was this sand statue, a replica of the Taj Mahal, in the middle of Port Authority, one of New York City's mass transit hubs. Painstakingly recreated by famous sand artist, Sudharshan Patnaik. Now I wanna go to a beach party with this guy. Sudy Pat would be a veritable chick magnet, is it not?

In other news, to experience the "Shakira-ization of Bollywood" (complete with Middle Eastern 'string' rolls and percussion loops), please listen to Pritam's "Yeh Ishq Haaye", from the OST of (shudder) Jab We Met, rendered by Shreya Ghoshal. Its Dil Dooba meets Slave for You (with an O Rama, thrown in there for good measure).

"First, I must solicit your strictest confidence in this ....."

The Nigerian e-mail fraud is something that almost all of us would've come across, but through the power of mass communication, are mostly aware of it being a hoax. To a large number of us, it seems so automated, that we forget that there are actually people out there who conceptualize, and actively position and target people using a carefully devised and time-improved strategy.

There are a substantial number of people who have fallen prey to this e-demon, with sometimes devastating and fatal results.

This has got to be one of the most chilling pieces I've read. Its scarier 'cause its true.

Feel Good Factor

Those who know me, know that I'm not one for 'positive thinking' non-fiction crap. I'm more the kind who would secretly stalk the Dianetics "Stress Test" philosophers into the dead of the night, before running them over in a rental Hummer.

But Rhonda Byrne's The Secret is, for lack of a better word, nice! Not preachy, not faking it, not unnecessarily endorphins-induced.

A very lucid 2/3-day read, which speaks of a very simple, scientific approach to better your thought process.

Highly recommended to pathological pessimists, like myself! If you DO read it without the typical cynicism associated with this kind of literature, rest assured that this book will neither make you a debt-free millionaire nor help you get terrifyingly well-endowed.

But, it could definitely improve your approach to life. A lot to ask for.

To quote Stephen Colbert....

... "This new Louis Vuitton bag is eco-friendly, as it is made from recycled material. Yes it is made of patchwork featuring earlier-designs of Louis Vuitton bags. It costs $45,000, but it comes with a complete theft protection mechanism...

... it looks like a piece of crap"

Beneath the asphalt

Readers in Dubai - these links will probably not work because of the archaic and near-Nazi policies of the dominatrix internet provider. My apologies.

Grapeshisha directed me to this link that blew the cover off of Dubai-based nightclub, Cyclone, as the "United Nations of Prostitution". The video expose is a shocker as to what probably began as a clandestine occurrence in various parts of the city, but today has resulted in a full-blown epidemic, because the government chooses to let the virus spread, without any controls. Probably because anything that even minutely negatively impacts the booming tourism of the emirate, isn't worth the trouble, is it?

The flip side? Watch this Frontline World video-documentary called Dubai: Night Secrets. I stared into blankness for over a minute after watching this. What has it all come to?

In other news, can't wait to watch The Kingdom.

Don't you find...

.. those trailer messages at the end of e-mails sent by WAP phones, which indicate the type of device that the e-mail was sent from, annoying? I mean, I understand the pseudo-coolness associated with being able to wirelessly mail, but that's a thing of the past, my friend. I saw a counter guy at the 7/11 with a blackberry. Kids have IPhones (especially with the price drop. Gah, Jobs!)

The wonder years are over, minions. Eliminate the trailer message!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted wirelessly from my new, obscenely-expensive, ultra-chic, futuristic toy

Switched at Birth?


America Ferrera and Jordin Sparks.

Gotta admit, that this is a really good one.

Songs to check out

Jag Soona Soona Lage - OST Om Shanti Om (Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Richa Sharma) - this song really grows on you after the 2nd/3rd listen.

Woh Bheege Pal - OST Manorama Six Feet Under (the Zubeen Garg version) - brilliant composition, and really well sung!

O Yaara Dhol Bajake - OST Dhol (the Soham Chakraborty version) - heard it at a party, last weekend, hummed it at work all of last week.

Now, The Johnny Gaddaar soundtrack.

This is some seriously, new stuff. Well, a new take on retro-Bollywood, rather. The title track and its infectious opening Pulp-Fiction-ish guitar sequence, which loops through the track, really made me sit up and listen. You can tell that Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy have really worked on this one. Its not an auto-pilot soundtrack like the last few they have been churning out. May take a few rounds of listening, but I think they've got something going here.

Mad respect for Nationwide's simple, yet cool, ad campaign

Watch the entire series. Its brilliant. So much more effective than the NYLife/Metlife range.

Don't Frustrate. Abbreviate.

Why do people abbreviate as soon as you mention something that may or may not have a universal abbreviation.

"I'm in Investment Banking"
"Wow. I've heard people in IB make a lot of money"

"I've moved to Credit Suisse"
"Nice! The big CSFB"

"I'm a firm believer in Christ"
"Well, I'm Jewish"
"Neat! So was J.C."

What are you trying to prove, smart ass? That you can take the first alphabets of various words and put them together, and this somehow makes you intellectually superior? Do you think it makes you COOL?

Abbreviations were initially invented to shorten multi-syllablic words. Like Intelligence Quotient. Or Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

But people will abbreviate ANYTHING today.

"I'm done with the Street, bro. I've packed up and moved to HK"

That's Hong Kong. HONG KONG. Its not hard to say, mo fo. Its barely two syllables. Urghhhh!

In other news, if New York has NYPD, will Kuala Lumpur have KLPD?

GN!

And remember...

Life serves great entrees, so don't fill up on bread.

Ground Zero Today

To quote Time Magazine's article today, called "How to remember 9/11":

"If actions speak louder than elegy, it tells you where we are that the team coverage on the eve of the sixth anniversary of 9/11 alternated between General Petraeus' performance on Capitol Hill and Britney Spears' performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. Osama returned to prime time, only to be mocked for his "impotence" and apparent need for Grecian Formula. A New Jersey community that lost 100 people that day has had to delay expansion of its memorial because fundraising fell short. September 11 falls once again on a Tuesday, we are six years away from the fire, and wondering what that means"

Revisitation

More than half a decade has gone by since September 11th, 2001. For most of us, this is an eternity. Many of our careers have changed paths. Many of our lives have changed tracks. Many of us have achieved the next 'big thing' in life, and many of us have stopped waiting for it. After all, change is the only constant thing in life.

But, solemnly falling on a Tuesday, like that fateful day, 9/11/07 will make us all revisit the irreversible devastation that changed Lower Manhattan, America, and the world, forever.

Working in the District, I walk by Ground Zero to our offices at Two World Financial Center (the building with the green dome, on the left in this picture) everyday. A day hasn't gone by, that I haven't seen visitors stare ominously at the site. A day hasn't gone by, that I haven't seen fresh flowers placed on the border nets, or praying folk shedding silent tears .. be it in memory, or in shock as to how inhuman humanity can get.

What hurts more than the fact that one of our worst nightmares is now a reality, which sadly exists and stares us in the face everyday, is the sheer futility of nearly 3000 deaths. We call them heroes - martyrs, even - but that is merely to extol them. They were ordinary people, with the same attributes, the same drive to succeed, the same dreams, the same bad habits as any one of us. Let's be realistic and call them what they really were - victims of dastardly circumstance.

We mourn their loss, with a heavier heart, knowing very well that the unethical Republican Government hasn't spared even this sad occurrence as a piece of political propaganda, to fuel its profit-centric war machine. Needless to say, America sympathizes with them, else they wouldn't have re-elected Bush, would they?

Last year, today, I blogged about "spinning the wheel", and how our world is in dire need of a return to innocence. This year, I am reminded that our foundations, our basic morals, and nearly every Holy Book in existence, all teach us to learn from our mistakes. What happened that day should have been a global wake-up call to end devastation, or at least, reduce its impact on innocents.

Tomorrow, while millions pray in silence, thousands gather in memoriam, and a few people stand up and lash out at the inadequacies of governments, courts, commissions and senates, much will be said about how it is not too late, and how we can still learn from 9/11, and put an end to all the issues that led to it in the first place - oil politics, religious terrorism, territorial extremism.

Sadly, somewhere deep down, we will all collectively, heave a sigh of resilience, and the way we have been for over half a decade, sum up all that verbosity into two simple words.

Wishful thinking.

Which Springfield Resident Are You?
	You are part Duffman. You take life by the horns and the bottle by its neck. Your confidence and sense of fun, however, can occasionally get in the way of sensitivity for others.
	You are part Apu. On the outside you are kind and a hard worker, but you lead a deceptively simple life. Though your cleverness might be underappreciated, you never miss an opportunity to sneak ahead in life.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Faster than a speeding bullet...

Hollywoodland scores a home run in terms of both sentiment and the recreation of the 1940s entertainment industry. It even sows the seeds for the irreverent change that would sweep the business on the edge of time that this movie closes on.

Almost a rhetoric on Los Angeles living in its time, it masquerades as a murder mystery, but remains unresolved till the end. The multiplicity of scenarios that could have happened are played, and eventually left to the imagination of the viewer.

And the best part is that its a true story. The story of George Reeves (brilliantly portrayed by Ben Affleck), the first-ever Superman, his rise to fame, and his battle to stay afloat in a business that only seemed to drown him towards inevitable anonymity.

One of the few films that tell a true story ever so effortlessly, without seeming too factual and profound. Some scenes cannot help but be embedded in your psyche, and there's no doubt that they'll be there till the end of time. Especially the one where Affleck tries to create footage of him being physically fit enough to wrestle. The embarrassment and the projected shame of the situation make this sequence, heart-wrenching.

I highly recommend Hollywoodland to people who appreciate the movies.

Sure hope he had GEICO



Carrie Underwood on SNL. Totally loved this performance, and boy, does she look blazing! Look out for the violin work! Legit!

Love the creative rhythmicity of the lyrics! Carrie deserves an accolade at the VMAs tomorrow! The Female category is so crowded, this year. Beyonce, Fergie, Carrie, Winehouse, Rihanna. Course Rihanna's gonna sweep a bunch (New Female, Video for Umbrella).

Rooting for Timbaland, TI, 'Roon 5 and Kanye!! Bring it home, boys!

"Careful what you wish for, cuz you just might get it all!!!"

The Letter W

No, its not a misplaced episode of Sesame Street. I hereby launch the Super Secret Consortium to Give The Letter W its Respect back!!!

(Ahem... And no, its not the chronic. Its only Friday ;-))

The question is ... why DOUBLE-YOU? Why not DOUBLE-VEE? Its only a double-U in cursive. Not in Times New Roman! Its a Double-VEE!!

In other news, i'm sick of people calling it Dabblu. Its Double-You. Not Dabblu.

Jeez. Dabblu. Sounds like a porky, ghee-induced momma's boy.

And its worse when they're spelling out URLs. Then its a triple threat. "Ok .. go to .. dabblu dabblu dabblu ..... ". AAAARGH!

Jankovic v. Williams

What a match!

Now THIS, my friends ....

is what I call .... a Hook.

Hot Damn!

Jab We Met??

New movie starring Kareena and Shahid.

That's the blasted limit for strange Hinglish titles. I mean, what's depressing is that the East/West connect has reached such a comfortable (for most..) cross-over in regular social life in both continents, but yet, the usage of seemingly "cool" angrezi terms in Bollywood films still seems sooo forced, and so affected.

I'm getting sick of "Its rocking". The first time I heard that, I nearly threw up - (Saif Ali Khan in Kal Ho Naa Ho - "Mera weekend rocking tha" ... I mean .... really ... who speaks like that??).

Now see. Some stars can carry it off. Some stars can't. When I hear Akshay "Jat Yamla" Kumar say "dude", it sounds like he wants milk.

Could they BE more accurate?

Which Friends Character Are You?
	You are Chandler. You're funny and that's why people like to have you around. You're also a great friend, and when someone you care about is in trouble, they know to come to you for some level-headed advice followed by some sharp sarcasm.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Signal to Noise

Finally! Found a video on YouTube of the rare performance of Peter Gabriel and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan on VH1, doing "In Your Eyes". This is the performance, where Nusrat Saab did the "Teri Aankhon Mein" solo (around 2:12 of the video), which I used in Penn Masala's rendition of the song. Its funny that I was recreating what I "thought" the interlude sounded like. Now that I hear it (nearly 8 years later), it sounds very, very different. Love the ending confluence.

Trademark "Sanjay Leela Bhansali"

The Saawariya promo screams "Devdas", doesn't it? Eye-caressing visuals though. The man is phenomenal at creating an image; an aura. Would love to get into his head and see if he really visualizes it the same way, prior to construction of the set and the shot. Film-making is that one rare experience where you get to bring your visions to visual reality. True dream-makers, no?

Touted to be the first Bollywood movie produced by a Hollywood house (Sony). Major reservations about Ranbir Kapoor, though, but time will tell. Sonam Kapoor should hopefully do wonders for the AK clan, considering the last scion to come out of that household was Mr. "Aati Nahin" Sanjay. Blegh! Scary.

Also, the movie is based on Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story, White Nights - a really sweet piece which I read back in college. Check it out here. You'll see the potential desification.

The photographer returns....

Taken earlier this month. The first one is a view of downtown Manhattan from Liberty State Park, and the second is at Wave Hill.

Click to enlarge.

Lounge Fanatics

Used to see Putumayo CDs in random global knick-knack stores, but they are soon turning into a force to reckon with. Proudly own two of their compilations - Turkish Groove and Latin Lounge, and they are highly addictive selections. They seem to have picked the best of global lounge music over the last few years. Check out their Euro and Sahara Lounge samples - especially the Thievery Corporation track that opens up the Euro Lounge album.

In other news, if you're planning a getaway from Manhattan, I highly recommend Wave Hill up in Riverdale. A 25-minute ride from the hustling-bustling city through a scenic train route parallel to the Hudson, this place is a garden-conservatory picnic spot, in the hilly city of Riverdale, which almost makes you feel like you're deep in the country.
Plus its known for its hush-hush art exhibitions (like the one I saw, Thoreau Reconsidered), and Tai Chi classes. Great for a picnic, but its GYOG (get your own grub).

Also, the water lounge at the Great Jones Spa - complimentary with any of their treatments. Ahhh relaxation!

Sufferin' Succotash!

They're back!

Suck on this, Sub-prime!

My marketplace watch screen on Aug 16th...



and then came, Aug 17th, 9 AM.




Welcome back, bulls. The street missed you! :-) Smiles all around.

Go green!

Hale Heineken!

I knew it! I knew it! I KNEW it! A centuries-old myth rebutted! Disproved! Now if only they will leave us ale-lovers to our ale-ments, and find something else to attributed the pounds to for the next 100 years.


In other news, why the h*** are television production companies names so wierd? (you know, the ones that show up at the end of sitcoms). "Where's Lunch", "Worldwide Pants", "Busboy". Somebody, get those creative namers off their prescriptions.

Raah pe kaante bikhre agar,
In pe to phir bhi chalna hi hai,
Laakh manaa le suraj magar,
Raat ko ik din dhalna hi hai

Some lines come back and hit you like a ton of bricks.

Epic.

This can either be incredibly amazing.......

.... or incredibly awful.

Psyched, nevertheless.

August 31st

*Update* Title of the flick was changed to "Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag" because of copyright infringement lawsuit by Sasha Sippy.

Burn baby burn!

Switched at birth

Roger Federer and Arbaaz Khan.

Double fault?

The people one meets...

So I'm sitting home listening to some classic Indian soundtracks (Taal and Aashiqui - they never get old), waiting for Dominos to deliver. The doorbell rings, and the guy in the blue-and-red shirt is desi, early 50s. While I'm paying him, he comments on the song playing (Nahin Saamne), and starts to hum. I compliment him on his attention to detail. He tells me that he used to play keyboards for R. D. Burman. He played the piano for one of RD's greatest songs, "Chingaari Koi Bhadke". The passion with which he spoke about it, made me invite him in to throw a few notes on my Yamaha. Couldn't help but notice that he did the whole prayer and respectful touch to the musical instrument, before he started playing - something so simple, yet so rare in today's world. He played with finesse and comfort, really well.

Thanking me for the short, but sweet opportunity, he drove on back to deliver the rest of his cloggers.

Oblivion is a painful thing, is it not?

Can "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge"...

.. run out of its grab bag of ways to delay the decision making process? Earlier they had judges raising a red flag .. now they have traffic signals which blink around while the ominous, Hitchcockian supports the many constipated faces of the audience members and nervous participants?

Of course, some of them are given solace by Bappi da's "Daun't worry! Iam there with you".

Something tells me that this is precisely their source of worry.

If there ever was a postcard to define the Snazzy Seventies.....

Subtle...

Tum the, ya khushboo hawaaon mein thi
Tum the, ya rang saari dishaaon mein the
Tum the, ya roshni raahon mein thi
Tum the, ya geet goonje fizaaon mein the
Tum the mile, ya mili thi manzilein
Tum the, ke tha jaadoo bhara koi sama

Do pal ruka, khwaabon ka kaarvaan
Aur phir chal diye, tum kahaan, ham kahaan......

Moving to Springfield!

I'm Simpsonized! :-) That's what I would look like in the jaundiced world of Moe and Mr. Burns. Try your own picture out at www.simpsonizeme.com. Its a Burger King web plug - nicely done. Would recommend you try close up pictures with as little background noise as possible.

I would probably be the Town Drunk. In Simpsons land, one would probably be the witty, wine-smelling, womanizer with a know-it-all air that pushes Reverend Lovejoy to elope with Ned Flander's wife to a world outside Springfield.

I see yellow people...

Caught Matt Groening on the Daily Show, who claimed that the Simpsons Movie took 3-and-a-half years to make. 2 of those years were, of course, spent on coming up with the title.

But as much as one would feel that your laugh-ability for anything that features the Simpsons clan would not be able to exceed 30 minutes, one was wrong. The Simpsons Movie was a revelation. Exceedingly funny at times, it has people rolling in the aisles with laughter. Of course, it had the capability of showing a lot of things that they couldn't show on television - such as Homer 'flipping a bird'.

On your way home, you can't help but hum "Spiderpig, Spiderpig. Does whatever a Spiderpig does. Can he swing from a web? No he can't. He's a pig".

This paves the way for "Family Guy: The Movie". Please, oh, please! As Stewie would say, "How wonderful! Can you imagine?"

Bullish ... and loving it!

Pearls of Wisdom...

.. from Last Comic Standing:

"America is a small town-country. Its all about the small towns. Why do you think its red, white and blue? Redneck, White Trash and Blue Collar...."

High-larious

Live Earth - Crowd Shot!

80,000 people! Wow, this was one helluva day! That's John Mayer doing the now-ridiculously-popular "Waiting on the World to Change"!

Keep that shirt on!!!

Salman Khan's new venture, Marigold, has its music out for listening, on Smashits. The song that really stands out is "Yeh Pyaar Kya Hai" by Shaan - the opening notes bear a striking resemblance to Bryan Adam's Summer of '69 - the format of the song, too. Catch it if you can.

In other news, was watching the CNN-You Tube Democratic Debates - with Anderson Cooper doing a fine job of moderating. You know what's interesting about these debates? Now, these are a group of finely educated, well-groomed, finished adults, who are supposed to be idolized by millions around the country, as future leaders of this glorious nation. Then, why, pray tell, can they NOT answer a single question straight? Masters of spin, they. They convert any question into a campaign plug. I mean, it wentsomething like this.

Anderson: Are the troops not coming back from Iraq, a part of the Republican's spin machine?
A: When I am President, Anderson, it will be my opening initiative to ensure that the troops come back to the US safely and as soon as possible.

Anderson (wishing he did a shot of Cuervo before the debate): Senator, I believe the question was whether the troops.....
A: I believe the question should be whether any of my worthy opponents would be capable of executing a successful exit strategy by March 2008.

Anderson: *sigh*

Hilarious.

And for the last time....

To my Faux Angrez peeps... its "I will appreciate IT!" ... NOT "I will appreciate"....

"I will appreciate if you will call me back", it seems. I will appreciate??? What are you?? A structured note going up in value in a bullish market? Where'd the IT go? Grrr!

Yes, and I spell it "wierd". So we're even, world.

Peace out.

RW Hit list so far

21 Club, Megu, Lupa, Le Cirque, Jojo and Nougatine. All recommended!

And counting :-)

Take that skirt off, so we can smoke it!

Many a time, we end up saying certain things in post 2 AM, wierd, almost acidtrip-like conversations, which makes us think in sheer amazement as to whether there has been, is, or will be anyone who has uttered this very sequence of words. Will wonders ever cease?

In other news, just started with Kiran Desai's Inheritance of Loss today. I know I'm a bit late to get on to this boat, but I'm so glad I got a seat. Visual artistry in her words.

Yes! Finally!

Its not Christmas! Its not Kwanzaa! Its ... ITS .. RESTAURANT WEEK!

10 days that let you experience the best, classiest and most "usually-out-of-reach" restaurants, at affordable prix-fixes. The past few years, this has been some of the best ways to experience the best that the city has to offer, in terms of food, ambiance, decor and views.

And after much research, reviews and planning, here are my top picks for Restaurant Week 2007:
Le Cirque
Megu
Del Posto
21 Club
Lupa
Mercer Kitchen
One if by Land Two if by Sea
Gramercy Tavern
Eleven Madison Park

Also, the three classics - Vong, Spice Market and Nobu.

Detailed reviews at the end of the week!

Beastly Beelzebubs, Batman!

Wow! This would have done wonders for HIV-AIDS and safe sex campaigns back in the '80s, if only just marketed well. :-)

Can cut the corniness with a knife!! "Don't be shame, be game"??????? That's just wrong!

When its over, its over

True that!

Sigh....

Monday'n (pronounced: mundane)

Hate that Monday morning work feeling.

But, memories of an incredible Saturday does let the medicine go down easier.

Ah, Live Earth. 07/07/07. 7 hours of heat, music and energy. If there ever was singeing testimony of the existence of Global Warming, it would have to be the near-100 degree weather, that day. And, probably the only down-side to having *cough* dead-center floor seats (notice how I slipped that in there? subtle, no?).

Gotta admit it. Al Gore certainly knows how to throw a rockin' party.

Highlights of the evening (and do catch these on YouTube, if you can):

(1) KT Tunstall's loop-machine usage on "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree" - amazing to see this live.
(2) John Mayer's extended and passionate guitar solo on his new song, Gravity - this was really sick!
(3) Alicia Keys and Keith Urban doing Rolling Stones', "Gimme Shelter", together!
(4) Two words: Petra Nemcova.
(5) Kanye West's violin crew!
(6) Akon getting carried around through the crowd, while singing an upbeat Save Senegal-type track.
(7) Zach Braff finally giving Giants Stadium the recognition of being in the 'lovely state of New Jersey', much to the crowd's appreciation.
(8) "Elegant in black" Petra Nemcova forgetting her lines, and then saying "Sorry, I'm a model, I have just one brain cell" - classic! kudos to her publicist, who has clearly trained her well.
(9) Alicia Keys rendition of Marvin Gaye's Mercy, Mercy Me and best of all, her unplugged piano solo - "If I Ain't Got You" - the way she excitedly jumps on the piano chair, as the song reaches its crescendo - god, how adorable; she's still a child, but with the voice of heaven.
(10) Bon Jovi - kicking it up a notch and raising the bar of the night, with Living on a Prayer, Dead or Alive, Who Say's You Can't Go Home (with an additional reprise and a spirited new ending) and Its My Life! - What a set!!!

In other news, angry-dyke Melissa Etheridge needed a tranquilizer shot (Jane "Gorillas in the Mist" Goodall was one of the announcers, and should have done the honors!) as she ranted, raved and spewed much venom at our world and how we live it, in the middle of her Oscar-Winning song, for nearly 45-minutes, as her weary band-members plotted to kill her. And funnily, as Al Gore spoke on about his cause, a small airplane hovered over the stadium, dragging a sign saying "Don't Believe Gore! DemandDebate.com". Freedom of speech at its loftiest elevation, is it not?

Although the undercurrent (or rather, overcurrent) of Global Warming and its impacts were lectured and dinned into the audience, in an almost madrasa-like fashion, it did become apparent that a lot of Kevin Wall's Alliance's future depended on the messaging of these events. Although, the theme was more about the solutions, one feels that Live Earth was more about the awareness.

What I mean is, you can't expect people to exchange their Hummers for Hybrids, the day after the concert. But the messaging that the planet is in peril, and its future significantly endangered, was successfully conveyed to the people who witnessed these concerts live, and on television, and brought the issues slightly closer to the foreground of their perception. Not quite as close to the front as blazing concerns like taxes and Petra Nemcova (who sizzled), but prominent enough in their psyche, for them to act when the time is right, when the opportunity does arise for them to make a difference to their lives, and the lives of others. Of course, this is to be done by repeat visibility and even more solution/awareness-building, which is beyond events and parties, and goes right to the homes, backyards, automobile engines and offices of the people.

Clearly, its not a simple task. But if there ever was a commencement bash for a mammoth movement like this, Live Earth fits the bill to a T.

But as Bob Geldof's perception of several superconcerts like this in the past, which came, impacted and went, goes - "Its just a crazy, huge rock concert, that's what it is".

And that's exactly what it was.

One heck of a party.

Eat this, Mastercard!

For the visually impaired, that's :
Homemade T-shirts - $30
Car Tolls + Parking - $90
Live Earth Tix - $360
Bon Jovi and Kelly Clarkson in 1 Night - Priceless!

Snippets

Summer in Manipal

Began as a student amateur video, and developed into an advertisement reel for the Manipal Medical College. Its done really well - and I love the way they've desi-fied Summer of '69.

Really makes you miss/reminisce college life in India.

Unreal

Live music!
Live performance!
Live energy!
Live Earth

Pictures and a detailed review coming soon, but the experience was far too phenomenal for words.

LIVE EARTH!

Yes! Yes! I'm going for it! Looking forward to it like crazy!

What is wrong with this statement?

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- In the place where Dreams Come True, more than 1,000 immigrants from dozens of countries will realize their dream of becoming United States citizens during a Naturalization ceremony on the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World Resort. The ceremony will be presided over by Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Emilio Gonzalez.

Emilio ..... Gonzales???? Head of the ... (gulp) ... USCIS??? Boy, can you imagine the pressure on this muchacho?

In other news ... people, saw Angelina Jolie on The Daily Show. It is illegal to be this unbearably beautiful, phenomenally talented and piercingly brilliant! Talk about a coup. She IS beauty and brains .. she absolutely defines it. I quote Jon Stewart - "Can the burqah contain your hotness?"

Song of the Moment: Bol Na Halke Halke (OST - Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan & Mahalaxmi Iyer, Music: Shankar/Ehsaan/Loy) - Rahat's songs in Hindi films just get better and better - especially 'cause he adds so much of his own element to the song, musically and vocally. Each one of his songs, right from Paap and Kalyug, to Omkara and Namastey London, has been a brilliant balance of catchiness through a hook melody, and some great singing.

Tracked a killer mix of the Bacardi Mojito song, the song from that ad that just makes you wanna grind some mint, and sip a cold one. (No, its not a song. The loop was produced specifically for the commercial, and is referred to as 'The Muddle'). Check out the original, here, and the remix, here.

Spring'er up!

Someone please explain to me what exactly it is that Jerry Springer DOES on America's Got Talent???

Purposefully Obfuscatory

... in an effort to not just boggle the mind, but simulate a dream-like fantasy, and in the process, tell a story. There was S. Dali for the world of art. There's D. Lynch for the world of motion pictures. Just watched "Lost Highway", and am rediscovering the world of disconnected film-making, and starting to appreciate it a lot more than when I discovered Mulholland.

These films are so much more raw, and before this realm was commercialized and prettily packaged by films like Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Nay, I wouldn't really refer to it as the same realm even.

BTW, I've discovered that watching Mulholland, Doors and Lost Highway back-to-back over three days is very crystal-meth. I see colors. And there are ninjas on the lawn trying to kill us all. And I'm using words like "Nay!". What am I? a horse? Jeez.

In other news, I'm hitting up the Accomplice adventure, this weekend. I even got my anonymous phone call, giving me the location of the secret rendezvous point. Ooh! International mystery and intrigue, here I come.