Unforgettables and moi playlist

Since the last post, I am tempted to maintain continuity and keep writing on music I am listening to currently. Also, this luxury of sitting on the sofa with a Laphroaig on a Friday evening is rare and I am not going to miss this. The lady of the house is looking at me with a queer expression. I can almost read her mind "What? You don't want to go out for a Friday evening? Give me and my husband some privacy." Hehe, maybe a little later I will give her that. Also, I am changing moi font to Times New Roman. Have been thinking of doing that for quite some time. Changed it in moi Outlook. Actually, am changing a lot of things in life as you might have guessed. Or not.

Before I as usual forget the objective of this post, let me quickly jump into mainstream blogging ;) on music which is anything but. I met this English writer (very famous but then you wouldnt recognize Jeffrey Archer if he shat on your head would you but I did and was lucky enuff to be seated next to him) on one of moi flights to US and I was shameless enough to borrow his Ipod when he was dozing off. And the first song that came on was "Chicago" by Peter Hamill and Robert Fripp from Fripp's album "Exposure". I am sure any 50+ Australian is going to debate when I say this song is apt for sitting with friends and listening to this over decent Scotch. In fact I had a heavy arguement when one of moi friends termed it as bluesy and jazzy. It does have a lil overtone but what a voice. A short length song but ah!! Smoky like moi Laphroaig.

(Psst - I have a feeling moi landlords are humping already. Can't wait can you? As if I am listening to your door. Oh well.)

Another song which I was introduced to at 3 in the night in a place called Bleecker Street bar in New York. I don't know why I frequent that place everytime I am here. I guess I am a creature of habit and get attracted to the most inane of places. It's a decent sized pub-bar with dart games, pool tables AND a jukebox which is very essential for me. So there I was one of those evenings after work heating up the jukebox to the bargirl's chagrin. "Seasons in the Abyss" at 6.30 p.m. is early even by NY standards. And so the music went on in that vein with me hogging up the jukebox with moi personal playlist. Mostly the music being played there is the usual poppy stuff so moi choices are refreshing at times to the junta or exasperating which suits me fine. Pool, JD (you don't get Laphroaig there grrr) and music. Till I ended up playing pool with this particular guy from 2 to 3 who was bearing with moi music oscillating from death metal to slow rock to jazz and er..yes the occasional love song too hehe. I remember distinctly going to the loo when moi last song was played. As I came out of the loo and was walking towards the table in the small aisle, I heard the strains of "Baba O Reilly". What the...Seems moi partner played good music with pool as well. And that song stuck with me. I've been chewing and chewing on Baba and The Seeker for almost 6 months now. Cant get the taste outta moi mouth. Sips a little Laphro. Where was I? hmm...

Without much more chewurear, here are the rest in moi playlist these days...

• SpyroGyra - Catching The Sun ( I saw them live for free in Detroit. Khan you believe it? They were playing for the Chrysler employees during their 7 day Employee Motivation Week. Also saw Mark Knofler from a 10 feet distance. Unbelievable. No wonder Chrysler went into loss but hey I am not complaining too much)
• Sting - Shape of My Heart
• Roy Orbison - Love so beautiful
• Brandi Carlile - What Can I say? (From Grey's anatomy)
• Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahib - Kise da Yaar Na Vichre (I love adding that Sahib. He rocks)
• Namaste London - Main Jahan Rahoon (Ok. Stop laughing)
• Anwar - Maula mere
• Metallica - Eye of the beholder
• Slayer - Skeletons of society
• Annihilator - Maximum Satan (I find it strange that most people havent heard them. This band is quite good and some say Canada's answer to Metallica. I find them technically better.)
• Edguy - Tears of a Mandrake
• Elton John - The One
• Phil Collins - On My Way (Remember Brother Bear)
• Sam Brown - Stop (Umm...)
• Tim Cappello - I Still Believe

Phew..That took two large swigs to remember...Now all you folks who even bother to read this, you have a great weekend. I will try to liven things up on moi own here...Slainte!!

Music For The Classes

One good thing about being away from your home country is that you are not time bound by anything. I am relishing some really good music sitting here in New York of all places. And of all places becuz I am listening and discovering Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saheb.

Today I returned home early after a client meet. Just wasn't feeling like going for more meetings. So cancelled the same and came to moi PG accomodation for the next two weeks. I stay with an Indian Punjabi couple (younger by a couple of years to me) in their spare room which suits moi spartan comforts just fine. A bed, ac, TV, balcony for moi smokes and to read. Well, it was just me and the lady of the house at home. Talks turned to music and a couple of Nusrat recommendations. Limewire is on always when I am in NY. I miss the fantastic download speeds when I am back home and make up for the downloads (guiltily albeit).

So I sat down to listen to Nusrat crooning "Kise da yaar na vichre". The start just blew me away. What a voice!! I had always liked Nusrat and listened to a few songs like "Piya re", "Aankhiyan nu chain na aawe" (always in the car - this one), "Ishq da Rutba" and so on. But this just sucked me inside the vortex. To find what you love and do it with complete passion and leave a legend behind. The idea of an Indian sitting in New York idling his time listening to a Pakistani singer over a cup of hot Nescafe with a Panjabi woman from Amritsar. Well, globalization or what? Oh and this woman had to stop listening to Nusrat songs as her husband grew jealous of Nusrat. She was NUTS about Nusrat and sacrificed listening to him just because her husband didnt like it. Sigh!! I am not getting the right word but some kind of purity comes close for love, passion whatever you call it.

The day I discover that in me - I will be at home. That's the only quality I yearn for. To be crystallized and forget everything else. The rest automatically falls in line and trust me I have seen this in very few people I have met. My ex-boss - Jagdish Moorjani who started Transworks and later sold it off. He was perhaps the only guy I have met who is so crystallized in what he does. An unexhaustive supply of passion in everything he does - whether he is talking to us lowly guys, his managers, his driver and others. Whether he is teaching, ordering or generally talking about something. You have his COMPLETE attention which is such a rarity. I have seen interviewers getting lost while interviewing me. I myself think about a hundred thingies even when I am driving, having sex (well not always hehe) or in general activities which should have moi full attention. Well, I am ranting today and it is not even late night with some Laphroaig in moi gut.

Am off listening to some more of Nusrat. Anyone in New York - let's meet up. I could do with some company.

At twenty years of age the will reigns; At thirty the wit; And at forty the judgement -

Laga Chunri Mein Daag

I'm listening to this song continuously these days. It's got me captivated. Laga Chunri Mein Daag by the famous Manna Dey. And to think I used to cringe when moi ma used to play the very same artiste in the morning..This was I think one of the song of moi yesteryears when I was still in wee bit shorts waking every morning to the strains of the radio while ma worked in the kitchen..Extremely tough song to sing. Can be heard online on: http://www.musicplug.in/songs.php?movieid=5651

Another one which Isha hooked me on to is "Baavra Mann" from Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. Beautiful masterpiece. And now I need to see the movie as well. Listen to it at: http://www.dhingana.com/albums.php?value=Njgy The male version..I wonder how I missed it

Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question of the mid-term exam: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?
Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.

One student, however, wrote the following:

"First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added. This gives two possibilities: 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose. 2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my freshman year that "it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you," and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is, therefore, extinct...leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being, which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting "Oh my God."

THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY "A"

Tales of a Room Hunter in the Big Apple

The last few days have been a real test of patience bordering on the ridiculous and stretching to plain whack. In search of a room (shared/sublet or otherwise) in the Big Apple having a preference for midtown and brooklyn, I had a rather uplifting experience.

One monster called in response to my email and asked me, "Are you the guy who wrote "To love and be loved is to feel the sun on both sides"? I was stuck for a moment and then recollected it's moi email signature which I hadn't bothered to change for donks. He proceeded to ask me, "What does it mean?" I got down to a quick interpretation cooked impromptu to which he interrupts,"Are you looking for a room or for quick sex? What kind of an email signature do you send out while searching for a room? The fused moi bulb and I ranted out a quick and loud "Fcuk you. What's your problem? Are you renting rooms or pimpin?" A moments silence. And an embarrassed cough and half hearted laugh,"Shit maan. I was checking if you are straight or not. I get hundreds of emails and...yada yada"..The bugger didn't finalize the room but he sure screwed moi head..Arrgh..

Then there is this joker who says,"I will let you have moi apartment in midtown for 200 bucks a month". I ponder. Is moi ass in jeopardy? Silence. I asked,"And why do I get such a honorable price?" He says, "If you are willing to babysit moi kid for 4 hours a day, I could share the room for 200 bucks." Right. And me on a business visa. Something happens to the little one. I get overhauled faster than a speeding bullet to the nearest lockup. Tempting as it was, it was a definite no :(

And to beat everything, there is this plain whacko who advertises $ 100 for a month if the tenant will parade in an underwear when he is at home. And no - he is not interested in sex but once in a while he may feel you all over. Yeah, feel me if you can but you aint feeling anything ever in your life after that...

Then there are the desis on sulekha who ask, " Do you drink? Do you smoke? Are you from South India? Are you non-veg?" Are we talking about renting a room or am I up sitting in the marriage market?

And I still haven't found a room..Is anybody listening?

An Indian in New York!!

Though I am not an alien I sure feel like it sometimes. Sigh!! The last few days have been spent hunting for a room. In New York. I am here till mid-December and now I am ready to share rooms as well. Craigslist, roommates, sulekha..the works. Am at the end of the tether. I definitely don't want to go to Washington Heights. I work on Wall Street. Brooklyn is mucho preferred by this beggar if given a choice :)

Anyone listening?

"If your only tool is a hammer, every problem resembles a nail"

NY!! Here Ah Come!!

Ah!! Will be in NY tomorrow. Again a quickie for 10 days. Delightful to be sure. If anyone wants to meet, emaul.

It's no monkey business

Once there was a mother monkey who has a philosophic turn of mind. This would make her forgetful and often inattentive to her baby whose name was Charles. Like many modern mothers she just did not take enough care, distracted as she was by her thoughts. Nevertheless, she went through the routine as her mother had done before herm but not in the same spirit. She just hitched him on her back and absently scaled the palms. So there it was. And as she rummaged amongst the mode midding nuts, revolving matters in her mind, baby just slipped off, with all his young life before him too.

On the way down, Charles, who also tended to brood, called up, Mother, why are we here?"
"We are here," she observed, "to hang on".

The Way

“Moved by their selfish desires,
people seek after fame and glory.
But when they have acquired it,
they are stricken in years.
If you hanker after worldly fame
and practice not The Way,
Your labours are wrongly applied
and your energy is wasted.
It is like burning unto an incense stick.
However much its pleasing odour be admired,
the fire that consumes
is steadily burning up the stick.”
-The Dhammapada

Ponderous!!

"It doesn't matter how ridiculous a lie is if the lie is your only chance of escape
It doesn't matter how obvious the truth is if the truth is that you'll never escape"

A lazy Friday afternoon

Obviously the Magpie has had nothing better to do. Landed on "Cool Things To Put On Your Blog" and the results are obvious for everyone to see. From plain outlandish to quirky. Well, the evening is still young and I plan to attempt some more phunnies. While the boss is away......

Your EQ is 160

50 or less: Thanks for answering honestly. Now get yourself a shrink, quick! 51-70: When it comes to understanding human emotions, you'd have better luck understanding Chinese. 71-90: You've got more emotional intelligence than the average frat boy. Barely. 91-110: You're average. It's easy to predict how you'll react to things. But anyone could have guessed that. 111-130: You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on your butt. 131-150: You are remarkable when it comes to relating with others. Only the biggest losers get under your skin. 150+: Two possibilities - you've either out "Dr. Phil-ed" Dr. Phil... or you're a dirty liar.

What's Your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)?

Visual DNA

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NY times

Ah!! It's good to be in NY. I am here after a 5 year long break. Of course I've been here on and off but haven't stayed for quite a long time. Today's a rest day. Notorious areas somehow always lend a charm and thrill. Or maybe it is for the sedate me ;) Am wandering down Manhattan, Browery St and Queens...Anyone here?

One Night in Russia

Last evening at the local pub, the 4 of us. Noisy and boisterous. 2 guys, 1 gurl and 1 gurl. The last being demure (read quiet). Jokes and ribaldy ensued naturally. The other guy trying to pull the demure one out of her shell. Being funny, serious, thoughtful didn't impress. 4 drinks later the conversation moved from work, sex, music and books to philosophy. Naturally. The guy quotes "Happiness is the absence of pain". The vague shape of Osho's beard loomed in the cigarrette smoke.

Out of the blue came the repartee from the demure one "Happiness is the maximum agreement between reality and desire".

I choked.

Salud!! Mother Russia.

Paris - 7 outta 10

Gawd!! It's been close to 4 months since I wrote anything. A lawt has changed as I can see. Having to use google ID to login mandatorily which I don't like definitely. The last 4 months have been busy - ees an understatement. My move to Bangalore got curtailed. Infy couldn't lure me. Family ties tied me in Mumbai no matter how lucrative Bangalore and eventually US or Europe would have been. That provided an insight - moi heart still beats in the right place. I was of the thought it's frozen forever and nothing moves it from its place. And then the work. Attacking it with fresh vigour really got the adrenalin moving faster than before. And then some time doing nothing but getting all the back logs of life in place. Body, mind, close ties and life in that order. So here I am fresh from all moi travels the latest being a 4 day short trip to Paris.

The Eiffel looks good at night but is vastly overrated. St.Sulphice should ideally be one of the wonders of the world. The beauty and artwork is awesome. It's just not possible for anyone to create that kind of magnificient architecture which requires continuity over years. It took 145 years to complete the church and the South Tower aint built yet. The Louvre, Champ Elysees et al took a little more time and I am back home. Oh and the Mona Lisa is..well..I'll leave it at that. I must say basking in the sunlight and feeding the pigeons with the temperature 11 degrees has a different charm of its own.

Just let the moments take moi heart away all this time.

It's good to be back..

The Funny oops Peripatetic Bong

It slipped by me to post this..One of the phunniest ones I have come across for a long time.. Ek Khat Bhai Ke Naam by Shreemoyee..Am sure all Indians are going to roll over..

Apologies!!

I guess apologies are long due!! Ever since I have been back, I have been travelling to mucho less interesting (cuz of work I'm sure) locales i.e. Chennai and Bangalore, meeting honchos which has led me close to biting Adam's apple of moving to Bangalore on a permanent basis..Well am not 100% sure but the profile and offer seems tempting and a change would be great too...Hopefully this weeks promises to be quiet and I plan to post. In case I can't, am online continuously on google yakkety yak as whitemagpie...