The world through the eyes of a brown man.
Monday, August 4th, 2008
Hours, consumed by stress
Causing undue duress
It’s the hand we’re dealt
Not ideal, just ostensibly felt.
Look into the mirror… you will survive.
This rollercoaster makes you feel alive.
Steeping down you go… keep plugging away.
Until comes that long-awaited brighter day.
It’s hard to imagine… hard to imagine.
Things were different then, all is different now
I’ll try to explain… somehow.
~Pranay Khurana
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
Bought me a Washburn D46SCE to add to the guitar collection.
More to come when the feelings for it have actually sunk in. I still have yet to name it….
Thursday, February 7th, 2008
This courtesy of the esteemed Mr. Clapton:
Once I lived the life of a millionaire,
Spent all my money, I just did not care.
Took all my friends out for a good time,
Bought bootleg whisky, champagne and wine.
Then I began to fall so low,
Lost all my good friends, I did not have nowhere to go.
I get my hands on a dollar again,
I’m gonna hang on to it till that eagle grins.
‘Cause no, no, nobody knows you
When you’re down and out.
In your pocket, not one penny,
And as for friends, you don’t have any.
When you finally get back up on your feet again,
Everybody wants to be your old long-lost friend.
Said it’s mighty strange, without a doubt,
Nobody knows you when you’re down and out.
When you finally get back upon your feet again,
Everybody wants to be your good old long-lost friend.
Said it’s mighty strange,
Nobody knows you,
Nobody knows you,
Nobody knows you when you’re down and out.
Friday, January 11th, 2008
Every time I listen to my Beatles compilation, I come across more songs that define what life is about.
Lennon/McCartney, where would the world be without you guys?
This particular song has stuck with me throughout the day, so I thought I’d share.
Song: Tomorrow Never Knows
Album: Revolver
+++++
Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream,
It is not dying, it is not dying
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void,
It is shining, it is shining.
That you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being
Love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing
That ignorance and hate may mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the colour of your dreams
It is not living, it is not living
Or play the game “Existence” to the end
Of the beginning, of the beginning
+++++
Dare I say, Tomorrow Never Knows is arguably the best damn song ever produced in the 60’s.
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
Nami & I went click-happy at the Chihuly exhibit at the Fairchild Gardens (Miami, FL).
It’s good we had tripods, else these would have been a disaster.
Link:
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
I finally got a chance to record a couple of guitar riffs.
Setup: Epiphone Les Paul Studio -> Line 6 Spider II 15 Amp -> Cowon A2
Recording these tunes and playing them back helps me assess how far I’ve progressed (not as far as I want). Particularly, I notice that I need to play a little “cleaner,” since some of these transitions don’t sound as smooth as I want them to be.
Also, I’m not very impressed with the quality of the recording. I felt as though the tone was damaged coming through the Cowon. Might have to do something like recording directly through my Sound Blaster Audigy card next time.
For now, though, these will suffice. Give them a listen.
Links:
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007
Some thoughts regarding a discussion with co-workers about arranged vs. love marriages… thoughts basically stemming from my argument that I would never consider a fully arranged marriage. I’d be ok with my parents or an uncle/aunt hooking me up with someone, and proceeding from there, but no way will I look a set of pictures of a random girl and say: “How does 11am sound, next Saturday, for the wedding?”
So, having thought about it, is arranged marriage really as bad as my generation makes it out to be? I mean, come on, all the 20-something-year-olds I know (myself included) are concerned with making a connection, similar hobbies/interests, someone who looks good, and stupid $hit we find in a facebook profile (ok, maybe that’s excessive). Our parents, meanwhile, weren’t given a plethora of options, and met each other a limited number of times prior to marriage. Some elders I know didn’t even see each other’s face until the wedding night! Yet, it’s 25+ years later, and they’re still together. Meanwhile, most kids can’t hold a fucking dating relationship together for more than a year. Are all these things that we weigh so heavily today… worth it? I think my aunt said it well when she referred to arranged marriages: “Ofcourse there is love, it just develops after the marriage.” It sounds outrageous, and it’s something most of us today would NEVER consider, but it’s a hard fact to ignore that the philosophy works.
We assume today that the whole arranged marriage concept is outlandish. You want to talk about outrageous? True story: My father’s best friend in India (a very very cool sardar ji, I’ll refer to him as Manny uncle) was arranged to be wedded to a beautiful young lady when he was in his 20’s. (I saw her pics from 30 years ago, and I have to admit, she was a handsome young lass). On the wedding night, everything went fine, until Manny uncle arrived in his wedding room to meet the bride. As it turned out, the father of the bride had swapped his attractive young daughter for his older one, whom he was having trouble marrying off. As the story goes, Manny uncle yelped, and told his parents. Interestingly enough, Manny uncle’s father decided, instead of wreaking havoc and crying foul, that Manny would keep his bride, since she’s the one he circled the fire and exchanged vows with. No arguments.
You know what? They’ve got 3 kids now, and they’re happily living out their days in New Delhi. I dare say that ANY couple that’s put through such a scenario today would ever survive even 30 days, let alone years.
So, wherein lies the difference? Today, we grow up with the western ideals of dating. The one-night fling is considered acceptable by most. The idea of not-knowing-what’s-going-to-happen after the first date is perceived a cause for suspense, and is thus something we crave. Having the freedom to hand-pick the qualities of our significant other, most guys stack up the list of qualifying criteria. I.e. She has to be tall, but not too tall. Sophisticated enough to know to order a mojito at your company party, but not so sophisticated as to order six drinks and dance lasciviously with other guys. Vegetarian, but she has to eat garlic and onions. Smart, but not so smart that she’ll own you…. Much as I dislike most hip-hop lyrics, I think Usher sums up the typical Indian male’s expectations best when he said “We want a lady in the streets but a freak in the bed.”
I think the absurdity and unfairness of that statement is sadly the norm expectation. Every guy wants that jewel-of-the-eye type of girl with a Madhuri Dixit personality, but he needs know that she transforms into Jenna Jameson in their private life. This unfair expectation, whether spurred on by western culture, EmpTV (haha), or the chauvinistic upbringing of most Indian males, leads one to fantasize about this unfathomable figurine who will satisfy his desires, while maintaining the role of subservient ‘bahoo’ which his family envisions. Bullshit.
Ofcourse, this isn’t to say that Indian girls are exculpated. Not by the least…. not only must the ideal male Indian partner maintain the physique of Shah Rukh Khan, be as linguistically talented as James Bond, and possess the salary of an Investment Banker…. he has to be hip, but down-to-earth. He has to grind with you in the club, but still should be cognizant enough to touch your parents’ feet every time he sees them. And God forbid, he can’t be a normal guy… he has to be a badass whom you know will mistreat and abuse you, but ofcourse, that’s a personality trait you’ll love to try and change, right? Uncertainty and dangerous personalities are sexy. Sadly, the average young Indian lady is stuck between Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Sex in the City. Ah dichotomy, where would one be without you?
Beyond that, both sexes are consumed by their egos. A natural and well-balanced relationship is an ostracized possibility due to our expectations and arrogance.
So, what then is the result of this endless search on the part of both sexes? Simple… let’s look at it this way: You know those same guys and girls who are at age 24, and hanging out at all the bars in New Brunswick, clubs in NYC, singles events, and yes, those infamous shaadi.com profiles, looking for that perfect partner? Yeah, they’ll be the same people who will run into each other at very same venues, repeatedly, at age 34. You know why? Because the guys are too insensitive to perceive any of these girls as the woman to whom they can be committed. On par, the ladies can’t fathom any of these guys as being the husband who’ll spend his life with you. But don’t worry, Jenna Jameson and Shah Rukh Khan might still be available, so hold out hope, because sooner or later, Jenna will come home to your parents in a saari, and Shah Rukh will publicly propose to you on-screen! Sad, but true, the mid-30’s will also be the point when all of us, as a collectively single, aging generation, will realize that our parents were right. We are obdurate, self-righteous, and hopeless.
This is also when we realize, that, as Indians, we may be the pillars of the medical community, the brightest pharmacists that the USA can produce, the prominent forces behind advances in Information Technology, and the most uncanny business owners out there, but inside, we’re a supercilious, sore, lonesome bunch, with noone to blame but ourselves.
I guess the arranged path doesn’t sound so bad compared to all that- does it?
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007
Thinking back to a discussion I had with Moiron, I came to the realization that my fastidiousness regarding moderating my writing was a major reason behind my infrequent posts. I often surmise a string of thoughts that I *consider* posting about, but never get around to publishing for one of two reasons. First, I feel as though I don’t have the time to diligently organize and explicate my thoughts. Second, even if I feel like I have the time, I feel burdened by the repetitive cycles I must spend on editing, re-editing, and analyzing my words.
I favor qualitative posts over quantity, a major reason behind the concerns above-mentioned. However, I’ve come to realize that I’m not getting much bang for the buck out of my blog, and I’m not using it as the type of online memorandum that I partially meant for it to be. To actively address these concerns, I’m creating a new category called “processed.” If I tag a post under the processed category, the nomination entails the fact that I’ve conducted due diligence in re-organizing the post to reflect what my selective mind wants to convey. If the tag isn’t present, basically, it’s verbal diarrhea. This would be useful, I would think, in case one is interested in reading only the properly digested material, as opposed to not. For me, it would allow for an avenue to express varying thoughts, as well as one through which to preserve my self-important identity as a literary aficionado.
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
“In the days of my youth I was told what it means to be a man.
Now I’ve reached that age, I’ve tried to do all those things the best I can.”
What a fitting set of lyrics to start the show. Judging from the youtube videos alone, the two hour set that Led Zeppelin performed was worth all the anticipation.
I’ve heard people claim that it’s insane to pay thousands of dollars to watch a band whose collective age is almost 225. I’ve heard people call them overrated. These people obviously don’t know $hit about rock n roll. Granted the fact that I play guitar and listen primarily to the Zepp brand of rock, I’m biased towards this reunion gig and everything it means. But whether you’re a fan or not, you can’t possibly negate the impact they’ve had on thousands of musicians. If that’s not enough, just watch the videos… Jimmy Page, at age 63, delivered cleaner and more amazing riffs on this night than most of today’s musicians can dream. You can pay $60 on a normal night and watch a subpar performance from washouts like Creed, or a popwhore like Justin Timberlake. But this show…. man.
Here’s the setlist:
‘Good Times Bad Times’
‘Ramble On’
‘Black Dog’
‘In My Time Of Dying’
‘For Your Life’
‘Trampled Under Foot’
‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine’
‘No Quarter’
‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’
‘Dazed And Confused’
‘Stairway To Heaven’
‘The Song Remains The Same’
‘Misty Mountain Hop’
‘Kashmir’
‘Whole Lotta Love’
‘Rock And Roll’
As I write this post, I still don’t know how to explicate how I feel about this event. I know “it’s just music” to most people. It shouldn’t be something to get so hyped about, in the grand scheme of things. But, this is Zeppelin. I’ve dreamed of watching these guys play. There are times that I’ve felt that I was born 20 years too late. Let’s put it this way: if most people had access to a time machine, they’d probably go back to an important historical event. Lincoln’s assassination? Go back and meet Beethoven? Da Vinci, perhaps? I wouldn’t care for any of that. I’d go back to see Zeppelin at Knebworth. I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words. Maybe the right explanation to myself will come to me later.
If there is a US tour, I don’t know to what degree I would go to purchase tickets. It’ll probably be very high, and I’m certainly going to try. A few hundred? A few thousand? I don’t know. But my God, it’ll be a dream come true.
But right now, I just bask in the glory of these youtube videos. I’m getting chills down my spine just hearing the opening drum beats. Man, those attendees were lucky sons of bitches.
Links to videos:
EDIT: Don’t be surprised if the links suddenly stop working. The diligent folks at Warner Brothers are doing a great job of forcing youtube to take down fan-made videos due to copyright infringements. I hate record companies.
EDIT 2: The bootleg is available here: Link
Enjoy the grooves!
Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
Alas, my love affair with Typo is over. While it was nifty to get rails installed, and to work with ruby in getting the blog running initially, I’ve been bogged down by slow rendering pages, SPAM, viagra, cialis, nexium, and ads for whatever other drug one can possibly think of… not to mention the ever-so-popular “increase your penis size by 11 inches” spam. UGH!
But now, spam no more. I’ve moved the blog to wordpress, with Akismet as my ally. Little did I know, this $hit is pretty darn nifty in itself. Installation took a surprisingly short time, the plugins are abundant, and good lord, I love this theme. Furthermore, in the weeks I’ve lazily spent migrating my posts from the old blog to here, Akismet has successfully done away with over 500 spam comments. *ucking brilliant.
As mentioned regarding the migration, all the posts from Typo have been imported. I’m considering moving the legitimate comments here too, but haven’t done so yet.
The focus now will consist of posting about all the important stuff I’ve missed out on writing about in the past year, no thanks to my spam epidemic. Here’s hoping you the layout, and what’s to come. So far, I certainly do.
