Moving On...NYC Trip

After a long time I dared to leave Florida.This labor day weekend, I went to NYC for almost 5 days.It was an amazing trip with Ankur Agarwal & Geet Bhanawat, my wing-seniors from IITB.I am uploading the pics here :

New York Pics



I love NY !

Moving In...

After, living here & there(Thanx :Karthik & Amrish),for like 13 days .I have finally moved in to 'my' new apartment on 10th of August.Now, it feels like home again.I have to buy every piece of furniture in my home except a couch since while moving out I threw everything away.

My new room-mate is Rahul Kekre .My very good friend from IITB.After he has come here I have been thinking ,what are the odds of getting your 'old' friends back in this way.I guess,it's pretty slim.

Lately, I have also completed watching the three original 'Starwars' movie,i.e., IV,V & VI.I also watched the three Lord of the rings.I know both are different kind of movies,but since both are similar in creating a perfectly gripping alternate reality (high fantasy) and both series have been hugely successful both economically & critically, I was wondering which series is better.If I have to pick it would be 'Lord of the rings'.Since, it's more than a movie.It's an experience.While watching LOTR you sometimes forget that you are watching a movie.It's all going in your mind. Starwars though very gripping always has a feel of movie.Like the sometimes overdone comedy of C-3PO.

Moving Out ...

It's 6:28 in the morning. I have cleaned & wrapped up my hall & kitchen. The only thing left is my room.Hope to do that in the next 2 hours.Finally, I would leave apt # 98, in which I have lived for almost a year.Moving out is always a little sad for me .As you are cleaning your closet ,you find things that you bought months back.It reminds me of the 'zest' that you had before buying it & how easily after a few weeks you put that thing in the closet, to rot till eternity.

I am doing everything, all by myself,because both my roomies are not here.Ashu is doing his Internship in Intel ,Arizona(I guess so...else somewhere in US) & Ritesh is back in India.
I have officially no place to stay in gainesville for the next 10 days ,as my new lease will begin August 7th.But, I guess I will survive somehow.


Ok ,now, I should get back to work.

DTS 5.1 surround Sound.

Lately, I have been involved in converting my Audio cds ,which are mostly in 'stereo' mode to 'DTS 5.1 Surround Sound'.It is possible to do that by intricate manipulation of the original 'stereo' file using two softwares: Adobe Audition & Surcode DTS Encoder.

It takes 30 mins of work to convert a single audio cd file into 6 wav files & then coding them into a single file with DTS encoding.For playing this file ,ofcourse, you need a dvd player with DTS decoder/ PC with appropriate sound card.

But, once you have the result of this process ,it's very worth the effort. You can give life back to even old recording from 1960's or something.The sound quality increases by a very significant amount.You will never want to put your stereo audio cd into your player again .And before i forget lemme mention that : MP3 sucks!

You 've got to hear this !!

Epitaph-King Crimson



I am so overwhelmed by this album called "In the court of Crimson King"from 1969 by king crimson.It is musically so 'dense'.It was released much earlier than the more famous works of both Pink Floyd & Led Zep.The song here is called "EPITAPH".In my opinion this band is the most underrated band in the history of rock n roll.

My favorite lines from this song are :

Confusion will be my epitaph.
As I crawl a cracked and broken path
If we make it, we can all sit back
and laugh.
But I fear tomorrow I'll be crying,
Yes, I fear tomorrow I'll be crying.

Nostalgia.

Exactly two years ago this time I was in Mainz,Germany doing my internship.I made this video out of the pictures I took during my stay there. The time spent there would always be special for me.

I am so SAD for Germany .

I still can't believe the way germany got massacred in the last few minutes of the semi-final game.It's just so Sad. I know many would say that Italy had the edge for the entire game.But, still it's just heart-breking to loose in the final extra minutes of the game. I actually didn't get germany's planning. They were neither playing offence nor defence.Any way,it's over!& it just leaves me sad.

I got a PC/TV/Game Console !

Well,I got a new PC with the following configuration.Intel 4 - 3.4 Ghz, 1 GB RAM,256 Mb video card,Dual DVD drives,250 GB hard-disk.And, Most importantly, I got this 20 Inch Widescreen Digital Flat Panel.I have hooked this up with my Bose home entertainment system.Lately, all I am doing is playing games on it . I have already finished Hitman: Contracts & have moved on to Hitman: Blood Money, the 2006 release.I have watched a few movies on the system, it's awesome. Bose Delivers.


Funny thing is that I am still waiting for my 'Laptop' to come back from the repair,it's really getting frustrating.But,right now I don't care for it as I am gonna go now & enter the world of Agent 47 again.

Imagine

This is the cover of the famous John lennon song by A perfect circle.One of the best covers that I have heard.

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Ho-Hum !

It's been like a month since I have blogged. I just wanted to say to everybody that I am still here.It's just that my stupid "Averatec" Laptop has got this power problem & I have sent it for repair for like 10 days now. So,I haven't been blogging due to that reason. The other reason being, all the things currently happening in my life are just too boring.Lately,I have been watching Hindi Movies with one of my friends Karthik,who is a big fan of Hindi movies.He is basically a person,who likes to whistle & give inane comments while watching the movie. A perfect front stall customer.

Weird & Funny on the internet.

While my regular surfing the internet,yesterday, i came across three weird things.I would like you to check out these:

Weird # 3

(Indians who have seen this movie ,would know what I am talking about.)

Weird # 2

(I want the bin laden one ! )

Weirdest # 1

(Everybody must check out this. Especially Apple & DreamWorks ones !)

The Man in the box.

Yes,this is the title of the very old 'Alice in Chain' Song.Just, heard it again,this time from the re-united surviving members of the band.Layne staley has been dead now for almost 4 years now.This song was played again in 2005 Tsunami Benefit Show.The only 'surprise' change being the dead lead singer Layne replaced by my current favorite "Maynard James Keenan" from Tool. Can you believe my luck ! I have always believed that nobody can say "Jeeeeeesus" like the way Layne said in the original.Keenan gets as close to this as anybody else can. Awesome performance ! Still playing it in repeat mode.

I'm the man in the box
Buried in my shit
Won't you come and save me, save me

Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
'Jeeeeeeeesus' Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut

I'm the dog who gets beat
Shove my nose in shit
Won't you come and save me, save me

Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
'Jeeeeeeeesus' Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut

Visio

I have decided to work very seriously in the summer.I have made much progress in my research already. Today,I drew this picture using 'Microsoft Visio 2003'. It's a pretty cool 'Microsoft office 2003' add on , I guess.

In btw, do read the 'anonymous' comment on my review post of tool's new album 10,000 days "The epitome of Progressive rock".

" Haunted "by Chuck Palahniuk

One of the main reasons I spent 13 dollars on this book was because it said,it has a front cover that glows in the dark. Now ,that's amusing.Also, the author had written 'Fight Club"(Brad Pitt/Ed Norton fame). So I thought it would be worth it.I had no clue what I was getting into.

I got to say that as I read the first 20 pages I was "pleasantly shocked".Yes, really shocked. With the amount of horror & creepy things that I read & see in form of Movies,Novels, TOOL videos,believe me,It is very difficult to shock me. I have kind of lost the feeling of 'Disgust' for a long time now. As in, nothing disgusts me easy. But, this did. Actually ,I have only read the first 100 pages or so of the book.I just could not wait.I had to get it off my head !

Eerie, scary, and cynical; if I had to use three words to describe this book, that would be it.This book is a collection of short stories, written by characters who are on a writer’s retreat. They all responded to an ad to "give up three months of your life and create the masterpiece you have always said you would". Each of the 18 respondents had an idea of where they would be going - to a large country estate, a camp in the woods; yet the reality is they get locked into an old ornate theatre house. They have food, shelter, and facilities, yet all doors are locked, all windows bricked over and no way out.This book till now has turned my stomach at many instants, but has also given me an understanding of the darkest side of human nature.


HAIL PALAHNUIK ! A MUST READ !

The epitome of progressive rock .

Well ,After listening to THE album for about 17 days at a stretch ( I think almost 150+ times ),I think I am ready to write a review for the Best Album released in 2006.

This year by May, I had the following albums :

1)Godsmack IV
2)Rom Zombie-Educated Horses,
3)Pearl Jam
4)On an Island -David Gilmour
5)TOOL -10,000 days .

With Audioslave still to release it's new album ,you can very much say this was an year of Rock.You can easily think of the trouble grammy jury are going to have this year in the 'Hard Rock category'.(though On an Island would be categorized as Rock only)

But for me there is a 'standout'.A clear winner.


TOOL - 10,000 Days !


Why ?


Not just because I am a Fan .....


1) Vicarious (7:06):

The very first single from the album to be released till now which entered the US Modern Rock Charts at # 2.This song features some of Maynard's most straightforward lyrics since Ænema's "Hooker with a Penis." Essentially a biting commentary on reality television, information stimulus overload, and living through others' experiences.

Hightlights : 'Start' ,Danny's Drums @ 3:31 and 'Lyrics'.

2)"Jambi" (7:28):

The second song of the album with all the 'Tool' elements in it.Drums,bass,Guitars,lyrics,Vocals....you name it, this song has everything 'Brilliant' & 'Toolish'.

Highlights : Adam's & Justin's Guitars @ 4.12 & 'Shine on forever' part.

3) "Wings for Marie, Pt. 1" (6:11) & "10,000 Days (Wings, Pt. 2)" (11:13)

Marie" is the middle name of James Maynard Keenan's deceased mother, Judith Marie Garrison.The 17-minute epic "Wings for Marie/10,000 Days" is an ode to his mother, who passed away during the band's hiatus after dealing with paralysis for 27 years.27 years == 10,000 days.Unbelievable song .Sitar,tabla with the usual rock stuff.

Highlights : 'Vocals' all through the song,'Give me my' part @ 5.40 in 10,000 days(Awesome),the length of the song ...:)...17 mins is just great !..I like long 'Tool' songs.

4)"The Pot" (6:21)

Amazing song !

Highlights : 'Weird Intro' ,'you must be high' vocals & ' Weeping shades of indigo' @ 4.12 ..the overall feel.

5)"Lipan Conjuring"(1:11)

Filler Track : eerie as always !

6)"Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)" ( 3:46)

Less than a song ,it's a conversation b/w a doctor & nurse,with symphonic feel.More than anything else it's a build up for it's sequel 'Rosetta Stoned'.Which ,by the way, is the BEST song of the album.

7)"Rosetta Stoned" (11:11)

This is definitely the Best,hardest,longest & most complex track of the album.Being similar in structure to the 'Third Eye ' of Aenima,in that it has no clear structure.There are 33 different Rhythm,key & beat changes in this song(Yes! I have counted it).This song shows the complexity 'Tool' can bring about in their songs. The song starts of hard ,with vocals like a commanding whisper,but within 2-3 minutes songs settles &'normal' vocals come into the front.Danny carey once again is brilliant.Near the end ,the guitars of Adam & Justin shows what they can do !The best song for people who are used to the complex changes in 'Tool' songs & like the songs to evolve .

Highlights: Too many ! This whole song has so many moments I cannot describe. But, one of the best maybe , adam jones joining danny carey @ 7.20

8)"Intension" (7:21)

The softest song from this album (just following the Hardest).One of the best.Gives the same eerie feeling as previos tool songs like reflection & disposition from lateralus.Very similar o them ,yet different.The only problem is that this song is too short. It has a very strong build-up,but ,just when you think this song is going places it ends .I think that is why 'Tool' songs should NOT be short.

Highlights: Tabla @3:40 & Overall Feel.

9)"Right in Two" ( 8:55)

Another meaningful song bordering spirituality.The best part of the song is the 'Tabla + Bass Guitar ' combo @4.03.The tabla & bass play, with bass fading into the background.There is a near tabla solo for 55 seconds. Then ,you can feel the bass guitars rushing from the background. And the speed is crushing.The song reaches it's crescendo at that point & never looks back . Amazing moment !

Highlights :'Lyrics' and 'Tabla + Guitar' @ 4.03

11)"Viginti Tres" (5:02)

Another Filler track ...eerie as always ! Feels like ,a dinosaur is breathing near you.

Because of all these WoW ! tracks this album is the best album released this year !

10,000 days leaked !

Tool's album 10,000 days has leaked .Click here to know more.

The BEST ( my favorite ) Albums of all time.(In 'No' particular order)

10,000 Days (Tool)

All That You Can't Leave Behind(U2)

Led Zeppelin IV

Nirvana Unplugged

The Wall (Pink Floyd)

Aenima (Tool)

Thirteenth Step (A Perfect Circle)

Above(Mad Season)

Appetite for Destruction(Guns n Roses)

Alice in Chains Unplugged

The Black Album(Metallica)

Dirt (Alice in Chains)

Audioslave

Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd)

Division Bell (Pink Floyd)

Images & Words (Dream Theater)

Lateralus (Tool)

From the Muddy banks of the wishkah (Nirvana )

Nevermind (Nirvana)

Jar of Flies (Alice in Chains)

Superunknown (Soundgarden)

The Doors

Ten (Pearl Jam)

Undertow (Tool)

I have this feeling that I have missed something.!? Anyways,if you are even slightly interested in rock & have missed out on any one of them , check them out.You will not be disappointed.

One of the greatest day in the history of Rock !

20 days are still left.May 2.Tool & Pearl Jam are releasing their albums on the same day .After a hiatus of 5 & 4 years respectively.Have pre-ordered both, but ,still Can't wait !

Night camping at 'Ginnie Springs'.

It was a wonderful day/night. With loads of games & Fun. Volley ball,cards,tubing down the river,Chess(for the nerdy ones),swimming(not for me ,but for others),fishing,cutting woods for campfire,playing pranks on others by bringing their tent down in the night while they were asleep and not to forget the incessant boozing.

We had got one of the best campsites in ginnie springs by sheer luck.Check out the pics here:


Ginnie Springs Pics

The PhD Blues

I have nothing to say ...:)

Quiet Desperation ?

I have been fascinated by this phrase.Have you tried to figure out the level of quiet desperation running through your cold blood ? How Loud is it ? Is getting rid of this feeling the buddhist "Nirvana".Is it the route to happiness ?

Dogs of war .

I had read these lines almost 3 years ago.But,I still think that this is one of the most genuinely wonderful conversation in a fiction that I have ever read .Spoken by the protagonist Cat Shannon in "Dogs of war " by Frederick Forsyth.Cat shannon is a shrude mercenary,who secretively knowing that the war in a west african country, he is going to fight, is funded by a british capitalist for platinum recently discovered there, nonchalantly dives into his death.It's a bit long ,so take your time while reading it.It would be worth it.

-----------

"Tell me something," she said.

"What?"

"Why do you live the way you do? Why be a mercenary and go around making wars on people?"

"I don't make wars. The world we live in makes wars, led and governed by men who pretend they are creatures of morality and integrity, whereas most of them are self-seeking bastards. They make the wars, for increased profits or increased power. I just fight the wars because it's the way I like to live."

"Buy why for money? Mercenaries fight for money, don't they?"

"Not only the money. The bums do, but when it comes to a crunch the bums who style themselves mercenaries usually don't fight. They run away. Most of the best ones fight for the same reason I do; they enjoy the life, the hard living, the combat."

"But why do there have to be wars? Why can't they all live in peace?"

He stirred and in the darkness scowled at the ceiling. "Because there are only two kinds of people in this world: the predators and the grazers. And the predators always get to the top, because they're prepared to fight to get there and consume people and things that get in their way. The others haven't the nerve, or the courage, or the hunger or the ruthlessness. So the world is governed by the predators, who become the potentates. And the potentates are never satisfied. They must go on and on seeking more of the currency they worship. "In the Communist world—and don't ever kid yourself into thinking the Communist leaders are peace-loving—the currency is power. Power, power, and more power, no matter how many people have to die so they can get it. In the capitalist world the currency is money. More and more money. Oil, gold, stocks and shares, more and more, are the goals, even if they have to lie, steal, bribe, and cheat to get it. These make the money, and the money buys the power. So really it all comes back to the lust for power. If they think there's enough of it to be taken, and it needs a war to grab it, you get a war. The rest, the so-called idealism, is a load of cock."

"Some people fight for idealism. The Vietcong do. I've read it in the papers."

"Yeah, some people fight for idealism, and ninety-nine out of a hundred of them are being conned. So are the ones back home who cheer for war. We're always right, and they're always wrong. In Washington and Peking, London and Moscow. And you know what? They're being conned. Those GIs in Vietnam, do you think they die for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? They die for the Dow Jones Index in Wall Street, and always have. And the British soldiers who died in Kenya, Cyprus, Aden. You really think they rushed into battle shouting for God, king, and country? They were in those lands because their colonel ordered them there, and he was ordered by the War Office, and that was ordered by the Cabinet, to keep British control over the economies. So what? They went back to the people who owned them in the first place, and who cared about the bodies the British army left behind? It's a big con, Julie Manson, a big con. The difference with me is that no one tells me to go and fight, or where to fight, or which side to fight on. That's why the politicians, the Establishments, hate mercenaries. It's not that we are more lethal than they are; in fact we're a damn sight less so. It's because they can't control us; we don't take their orders. We don't shoot the ones they tell us to shoot, and we don't start when they say, 'Start,' or stop when they say, 'Stop.' That's why we're outlaws; we fight on contract and we pick our own contracts."

Julie sat up and ran her hands over the hard, scarred muscles of his chest and shoulders. She was a conventionally raised girl and, like so many of her generation, could not understand even a tiny fraction of the world she saw about her."What about the wars when people fight for what they know is right?" she asked. "I mean, what about fighting against Hitler? That was right, wasn't it?"

Shannon sighed and nodded. "Yes, that was right. He was a bastard all right. Except that they, the big shots in the Western world, sold him steel up to the outbreak of war and then made more fortunes making more steel to crush Hitler's steel. And the Communists were no better. Stalin signed a pact with him and waited for capitalism and Nazism to destroy each other so he could take over the rubble. Only when Hitler struck Russia did the world's so idealistic Communists decide Nazism was naughty. Besides, it cost thirty million lives to kill Hitler. A mercenary could have done it with one bullet costing less than a shilling."

"But we won, didn't we? It was the right thing to do, and we won."

"We won, my little darling, because the Russians, British, and Americans had more guns, tanks, planes, and ships than Adolf. That's why, and that's the only reason why. If he had had more, he'd have won, and you know what? History would have written that he was right and we were wrong. Victors are always right. There's a nice little adage I heard once: 'God is on the side of the big battalions.' It's the gospel of the rich and powerful, the cynical and the gullible. Politicians believe in it, the so-called quality newspapers preach it. The truth is, the Establishment is on the side of the big battalions, because it created and armed them in the first place. It never seems to occur to the millions of readers of that garbage that maybe God, if there is one, has something to do with truth, justice, and compassion rather than sheer brute force, and that truth and justice might possibly be on the side of the little platoons. Not that it matters. The big battalions always win, and the 'serious' press always approves, and the grazers always believe it."

"You're a rebel, Cat," she murmured.

"Sure. Always have been. No, not always. Since I buried six of my mates in Cyprus. That was when I began to question the wisdom and integrity of all our leaders."

"But, apart from killing people, you could die yourself. You could get killed in one of these futile
wars."

"Yes, and I could live on, like a battery hen, in one of these futile cities. Filling in futile forms, paying futile taxes to enable futile politicians and state managers to fritter it away on electorally useful white elephants. I could earn a futile salary in a futile office and commute futilely on a train, morning and evening, until a futile retirement. I prefer to do it my way, live my way and die my way."

"Do you ever think of death?" she asked him.

"Of course. Often. Don't you?"

"Yes. But I don't want to die. I don't want to die."

"Death's not so bad. You get used to the idea when it has come very close and passed by many times. Let me tell you something. The other day I was clearing out the drawers in this place. There was some newspaper, a year old, at the bottom of one. I saw a piece of news and began to read it. It dated from the winter before last. There was this old man, see? He lived alone in a basement. They found him dead one day, a week or so after he died. The coroner was told no one never came to see him and he couldn't get out much. The pathologist said he had been undernourished for at least a year. You know what they found in his throat? Bits of cardboard. He had been nibbling bits of cardboard from a cereal package to try and get nourishment. Well, not me, baby. When I go, I'll go my way. I'd prefer to go with a bullet in my chest and blood in my mouth and a gun in my hand; with defiance in my heart and shouting, 'Sod the lot of you,' than to flicker out in a damp basement with a mouth full of cardboard.

"Now go to sleep, love, it's dawn already."

Spring Break !

It has started.Though,Officially there is none for graduate students. Nevertheless, we don't have any lectures for the next week.This weekend ,me ,Amrish,Ashutosh,Vimal & Ravi went to cedar key.Check out the pics here :

Cedar Key Pics


Looking forward to an exciting week.

On an Island.

This is the year of music.2006. This year four of my favorite bands are releasing their albums .What more can I ask ? Pearl Jam,TOOL,Audioslave & David Gilmour.Of which ,On an Island ,has already been released on my birthday ,7th of March .I had pre-ordered the album a month back & am waiting for it to be delivered today.

My birthday

It was that dreadful day again when people were gonna kick my ass & sure they did.The midterms for a course was also scheduled the same day which kind of eclipsed some of the fun.The photographs have acquired this pinkish tinge which our master photographer Andhare baba cannot explain.I believe it has something to do with the moment.Now,that I look at it ...the cake was really big & good.If you missed it ...you can watch the video of my ass being kicked.

Dhoni is the Man.(continued)..

I can't believe this piece of news that I read on yahoo cricket .

"Last week yoga guru Ramdev handed the paper bequeathing the land to Dhoni on behalf of the state government for his outstanding performance in cricket. The Jharkhand State Housing Board (JSHB) has given the land in the Harmu Housing colony, which commands a market price of Rs.4 million."

This is awesome ...I can't believe this.This is my fuckin colony in Ranchi ...Great !!! Build a house there Dhoni ...we will then be neighbours :))

Dhoni is the Man .

It was 1999.World Cup.Lance Klusener was the man.When He hit a boundary the fielders just stood there & watched.It's 2006.Dhoni is the Man.

He Hails from Ranchi.He is from my school.D.A.V. Jawahar Vidya Mandir. I have seen him play when he was 17 years old.He doesn't have the text-book technique of Rahul Dravid or the grace of Sachin Tendulkar. But when he gets a hold of the ball you can be sure it'll soar over the boundary line.I bet that he will end up being the Man of the series in the Next World Cup. He has everything that is needed.So,WATCH OUT !

Shure Bose !

Will I buy it again ? Recently I have bought the " Bose " home entertainment system and the "Shure" earphones.And I tell you it is money well spent.

The spaciousness & clarity of sound from " bose " is just inconcievable.You have to hear it to believe it.You wonder how such small gemstones speakers can give such a loud output.

The Shure earphones have tremendous bass.Certainly the best among the available earphones in the market.The noise cancelling is excellent.

So will I buy these products again ...definitely ! I recommend that you also check them out before buying any other earphone/home entertainment system.

Tool : "The Band "

After a long time ,infact ,only after "Alice in Chains" in the year 2004(It took me some time to realise the full breadth of AIC) ,has any band impressed me to such an extent as "TOOL".Tool stands out as a completely different rock band admist stupid bands with a fixed formula of soft verses & loud choruses.Their song are generally longer than the 3-5 minute format of MTV.So, they don't get much airplay there.Considering these & the fact that TOOL is basically a 'dark' band,the success TOOL has earned is noteworthy.

Like any other good band,you take your time to get adjusted to their different sound.First time listeners may not find any fucking rhyme in the long TOOL songs.They may even find it too "HARD" for their taste.But,like a polished stone each & every song of tool is precise & accurate.Every stroke of drum is in place,where it needs to be.The Songs like the ones from AIC grow on you.And,boy do they grow!!With every listening of the song, the song becomes better,better and better.The greatest thing about this band is that once you get used to the abrupt pace of the songs,they just blow yur mind away.Some categorize TOOL as a "Psychedelic Mathematical Rock",though it is very tough to put this band in one genre,because of the wide spectrum of their music.Mathematical because of the complex rhythm changes, haunting vocals, and an onslaught of changes in dynamics.

The key to liking the music of TOOL are three things :

a)The "primal" voice of lead singer J maynard keenan.
b)The unusual spiritual kind of lyrics.
c)And most importantly the precise & incessant drums by Danny Carey.

For eg, the song "Ticks & Leeches".This is one of the "Hardest" song from the Band.It starts of slow with a brilliant Drumming by carey ,then is joined by wonderful guitars.By the time Keenan makes his presence felt,the song already would be categorized as "Hard".If you just keep your attention to only the drums in this song, you will feel the awesome rhythm in the song.The two minute slow piece which comes in abruptly in between ,with guitars only gives a very good idea of the rhytm of the song.But,Drums ,Drums & Drums are the key to this and many other tool songs.

Talking about Lyrics,they are never simple.With praying for a complete disaster to fall on L.A. in the song "Aenema",to the mystically spiritual "Parabol & Parabola".

So,in the end,they are an awesome band.And Guess what ? They are releasing their new album in May 2006 ,after a long period of 5 years ,after their last multi-platinum grammy winning album "Lateralus".So,it's hi-time to become a FAN.

Some of my favourite lines from Tool songs are :

(These are not complete songs but only the parts that I like )

AEnema

Fret for your figure and
Fret for your latte and
Fret for your hairpiece and
Fret for your lawsuit and
Fret for your prozac and
Fret for your pilot and
Fret for your contract and
Fret for your car.

It's a
Bullshit three ring circus sideshow of
Freaks

Here in this hopeless fucking hole we call LA
The only way to fix it is to flush it all away.
Any fucking time. Any fucking day.
Learn to swim, I'll see you down in Arizona bay.


Fuck L Ron Hubbard and
Fuck all his clones.
Fuck all those gun-toting
Hip gangster wannabes.

Fuck retro anything.
Fuck your tattoos.
Fuck all you junkies and
Fuck your short memory.

Fuck smiley glad-hands
With hidden agendas.
Fuck these dysfunctional,
Insecure actresses.

EULOGY

Will you? Will you now?
Would you die for me?
Don't you fuckin lie.

Don't you step out of line.
Don't you fuckin lie.

You've claimed all this time that you would die for me.
Why then are you so surprised to hear your own eulogy?

You had alot to say.
You had alot of nothing to say.

Come down.
Get off your fuckin cross.
We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

To ascend you must die.
You must be crucified
For your sins and your lies.
Goodbye...

HOOKER WITH A PENIS

All you read and
Wear or see and
Hear on TV
Is a product
Begging for your
Fatass dirty
Dollar

So...Shut up and

Buy my new record
Send more money
Fuck you, buddy.

PARABOL & PARABOLA

We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,
We are choosing to be here right now. Hold on, stay inside
This holy reality, this holy experience.
Choosing to be here in

This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in
This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal
All this pain is an illusion.

Alive, I

In this holy reality, in this holy experience. Choosing to be here in

This body. This body holding me. Be my reminder here that I am not alone in
This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal
All this pain is an illusion.

Twirling round with this familiar parable.
Spinning, weaving round each new experience.
Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this chance to be alive and breathing.

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
Embrace this moment. Remember. We are eternal.
All this pain is an illusion.

I have cleaned my room !

After a long time ,I believe two months ,I have rearraged my room.My room had reached the maximum entropy possible.It had attained an equilibrium ,in the sense,the randomness was such that even if you moved one stuff from one position to the other ,you would have been unable to notice the difference.But, now that I have arranged everything in place ,it feels great.

DSPS !

I am still awake ! It's 5.33 a.m.(E.S.T).I thought when I moved from India to US,atleast the one thing that I will be cured of, would be my stupid sleep pattern(sleeping in the day & staying awake in the night,like some kind of disgusting nocturnal animal) but,awww shit ! Here I am blogging.All the jetlag & other crap has not cured me of my delayed sleep phase syndrome(DSPS).I am so frustrated !

My Project

Though I don't exactly remember the title of my PhD Project right now,I believe it has something to do with Segregation of granular flows in an hopper geometry. Oh yes, I have to analyze it using DEM.
The thing that bothers me (could turn out to be good/bad) is that there is more than one person interested in this project. First of all ,is my advisor Prof Jennifer Sinclair Curtis.Then,there is Prof Carl Wassgren from Purdue. Then ,there is Dr. Bruno Hancock from Pfizer.Then ,there is Bill ,my labmate.Last & not the least is me,myself.So,instead of reporting my progress to one person ,which in most cases is the advisor ,I have to report my progress to all these people. That too,every week.Now ,It's easier to "goof around" if there is only one person to judge your work. With four other people keeping a close watch on you ,it feels that you are in a vulnerable place all the time. So ,you try hard to keep your "goofing around" in check.

And, did I mention the weekly report.I don't have to show my weekly progress with just words ,with which you can play around.No,sir. I have to present a written document "every" wednesday(Atleast 4-5 pages).To make the situation even more comic , I have to get to the thursday morning telephonic conference with all these people at 9.00 a.m. Now, I am a guy who enjoys his sleep.I wake up early, I mean 8.00 a.m., & man the morning sun just hurts me ! And all this every week.But ,I have to bear up with all this for the sake of my PhD . ohh god !!

I can only remember these lines from the Pearl jam song "Release".


I see the world
Feel the chill
Which way to go
Windowsill
I see the words
On a rocking horse of time
I see the birds in the rain

Oh dear dad
Can you see me now
I am myself
Like you somehow
I'll ride the wave
Where it takes me
I'll hold the pain
Release me

Oh dear dad
Can you see me now
I am myself
Like you somehow
I'll wait up in the dark
For you to speak to me
I'll open up
Release me
Release me