Life as it presents itself to a me, with it's many twists and turns, and lessons to be learnt, lessons that can keep me parked in a chair long enough to be typed! :D
After a series of light and humorous posts, I finally decided to buckle up for a serious effort - something that's deep, dark and thought provoking. Something that has set my mind ticking for the last few hours. Some lessons that life has thrown at my door, trying to pry it open, but some which I probably didn't learn, because I was busy pushing the door close and trying to lock it.
My twentieth birthday has left me asking a lot of questions about life - what it has taught me so far, how far it has pushed me to show my potential, how many times I decided to polish my outlook and who are the people who are in it with me for the long run. Although a lot of people might say that they've seen similar posts from a lot of bloggers - that too from all age groups, so mine isn't something that provides ground-breaking truths and never-before-known facts of life. Of course, I'll admit to their point of opinion, as they are certainly entitled to it, but I feel that everybody goes through a phase like mine at least once in his/her life, and this probably becomes the defining moment for the next few months to come.
My realization hit me like a brick a few hours ago. The warning had always been there for the taking, but I was blind and mistrustful. Considering the humongous nature of this Great Comprehension, and the privacy required, it might be unfortunate that I can only write about the outcome, and not about the events that actually led to the awakening of the Self to this great Truth.
Ah yes, probably a lot of words already sounding spiritual ( read: to a lot of people, "spiritual" is synonymous to "dull" and "boring"). But then, it is what it is: a simple brat stumbling onto an understanding, having to make a fealty with his inbred morals and principles, with Fate and Life contriving several hurdles in his path to test his will power and commitment to his passion.
I just realized that life is never what it seems - on the exterior, all might be nice and rosy, but you gotta take it by the horns to find out if it is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. A good friend of mine told me that life takes down paths which later diverge... The classic case of picking a road and going down that one no matter how much the heart wavers, is what matters. Once you pick a path, you can never revert back to the fork again in life and try the other path as well. She also compared life's crossroads to a crossing - the signal at the crossroads is instrumental in defining your determination to reach out for the unknown. Many people come to the signal at the crossroads - and get stranded there, unable to decide whether to cross the signal and move ahead, where life in it's infinite mystery and wisdom has planned something for them, or just sit at the crossing, within their comfort zones, waving at others who dare to cross the signal.
My greatest lesson today, apart from the 'life is never as it seems' maxim stated in the above paragraph, is one about trust. Trust is a very delicate matter. When trusting a soul, the heart is firm abut it's needs. It is justified in it's demands. Trust is what keeps one going in life, because without trust, a person becomes shallow and unpredictably on the edge. When this trust is not reflected by the other soul, or God forbid, if this trust is betrayed, it leads to one of the deadliest states that either the mindor the heart can ever achieve. While some find it amusing to indulge in power games, I personally find it petty and draining. Though it doesn't mean I wouldn't like to be aware of the balance of power, just so that future decisions can be taken without a hitch. You cannot go to war with a colleague who doesn't trust you. Even a slight error in judgement, or faltering and indecisiveness can lead to the ultimate downfall. The worst case of this scene is when he means well but is incompetent. This is because he might accidentally shoot you in the back - and no matter what purists say - friendly fire...isn't.
Well, it's nearly 4a.m., my life's lessons learnt the hard way today...I've got a wake up call at 4:30, so might as well hit the sack to the give the old limbs a decent rest before the road trip tomorrow. It's gonna take around 11 to 12 hours behind the wheel - and sleeping for a half hour is a baaaad idea. Don't know what made me write this post....just goes to show that sleep deprivation and long conversations on phone make one's judgement at 4 in the morning prettty weak. :)
Does anything have an answer...? I m sure it possibly does.. but I don't find it...! and now it has started annoying me...! Errr... I didnt want to post this but REALLY cant help...!
Why..? Why...? Why..?
This is the beginning of the latest post of one of the blogs I follow... "Far Far Away....!" authored by one of my friends. I decided to a spoof of the very same post ( And the Question is Why...? ) :P Sorry Sowmie!! The following questions have picked up from here and there, and ask a good deal out of all those who pretend they know enough about life :P, no offense!!
Why..?Why..Why..?
Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are almost dead...?
Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars; but have to check when you say the paint is still wet...?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard...?
Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him...?
Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets...?
If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes...?
Why is there never a day that mattresses are not on sale...?
Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized...?
How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures...?
Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over...?
Why do I never hear father-in-law jokes...?
There are many more questions, once I find answers to these, I’ll think about the remaining...!
(Note: All statements in italics have been copied verbatim from the aforementioned post....except this one, of course!! >:P)
Well, I haven't had the time to post anything the last couple of days, having been busy in the renovation of the blog. Following several requests, I tried to combine all three of my blogs... and have come out partially successful \m/. Integrating the posts from the other blogs into this one, I know handle only one - though I've left another one , just for the heck of it.
The first issue I was facing was that the previous template being a 2-column one, and my laptop screen being wide inch, I felt like there was enough space being wasted on the sides, enough to accommodate two football fields (okay, two miniature collectible football field figurines). Anyways, I tried to rewrite the html code to convert my template into a 3-column one, with drastic results - the title became off-center, the gadgets on the right were dragged all the way down due to space constraints, and what not. Finally worked around this slight problem, and finally arrived at this new look! Suggestions welcome :).
Apart from that, I've just finished packing, coz' I'm leaving tomorrow for Mumbai!! Yipeee!! \m/\m/ Effectively, I am the last student to leave campus for summer vacations. However, I'll be in Mumbai only for a couple of days, and then travelling to Hyderabad where I'll be perched for a couple of months, till college starts again.
Tomorrow's trip is gonna be a road trip of approximately 690 kms, so I've kept a camera handy. Will put them up soon! Hopefully I get to drive the Prado as well for a little bit... :)
(in pic: Toyota Prado 8-seater. This ain't a pic of our car, though... It's the same model and color, and it's too dark outsdie right now to take a pic :P)
This ain't a song for the broken-hearted No silent prayer for the faith-departed I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd You're gonna hear my voice When I shout it out loud
[Chorus:] It's my life It's now or never I ain't gonna live forever I just want to live while I'm alive (It's my life) My heart is like an open highway Like Frankie said I did it my way I just wanna live while I'm alive It's my life
This is for the ones who stood their ground For Tommy and Gina who never backed down Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake Luck ain't even lucky Got to make your own breaks
[Chorus:] It's my life And it's now or never I ain't gonna live forever I just want to live while I'm alive (It's my life) My heart is like an open highway Like Frankie said I did it my way I just want to live while I'm alive 'Cause it's my life
Better stand tall when they're calling you out Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down
[Chorus:] It's my life And it's now or never 'Cause I ain't gonna live forever I just want to live while I'm alive (It's my life) My heart is like an open highway Like Frankie said I did it my way I just want to live while I'm alive
[Chorus:] It's my life And it's now or never 'Cause I ain't gonna live forever I just want to live while I'm alive (It's my life) My heart is like an open highway Like Frankie said I did it my way I just want to live while I'm alive 'Cause it's my life!
Gettin' born in the state of Mississippi Poppa was a copper and her momma was a hippie In Alabama she was swinging hammer Price you gotta pay when you break the panorama She never knew that there was anything more than poor What in the world does your company take me for?
Black bandana, sweet Louisiana Robbin' on a bank in the state of Indiana She's a runner, rebel and a stunner On her merry way saying baby what you gonna Lookin' down the barrel of a hot metal .45 Just another way to survive
California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess, I'm your priest Yeah, yeah
She's a lover, baby and a fighter Should've seen her coming when it got a little brighter With a name like Dani California Day was gonna come when I was gonna mourn ya A little loaded she was stealing another breath I love my baby to death
California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess, I'm your priest Yeah, yeah
Who knew the other side of you? Who knew what others died to prove? Too true to say goodbye to you Too true, too sad sad sad
Push the fader, gifted animator One for the now and eleven for the later Never made it up to Minnesota North Dakota man was a gunnin' for the quota Down in the badlands she was saving the best for last It only hurts when I laugh Gone too fast
California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess, I'm your priest Yeah, yeah
California rest in peace Simultaneous release California show your teeth She's my priestess, I'm your priest Yeah, yeah
This post is based on the applicability of Thomas Friedman's famous "The World is Flat", in a different sense. This book is a classic piece of work, which deals with the various influences that shape today's economies, markets and competition. It narrates a splendid presentation of the world as it was when America was discovered, to the modern call-centre and Indian BPOs. It deals with the Great Depression, and also the fast evolving world economic scenario, which most of us struggle to keep pace with.
I would like to think about the concept of the world being flat from a different point of view. So far we've had two World Wars. Then there was also the Cold War. I think the Cold War was the first of it's kind - it brought into existence the concept of Space Wars. Not a shot was fired - it was like two guys with ten foot rakes stuck in a telephone booth, jostling for space and trying every means to get a better space and hence a better shot. What with nanotechnology taking such great strides, the concept of space travel and space trade is becoming clearer.
Trade as we know it today, takes place over land, sea and air. Not but a hundred years ago, the first aeroplane was taking it's flight for a record 12 seconds... and today air travel has far superseded sea travel, at least when people are to be transported. Cargo, however is better shipped along the water routes.
It is fair to say that the American Navy controls most of the water lanes in the world, just as the British Navy did not so long ago, ultimately ushering forth a century of peace, unlike the years before it. When nanotechnology takes over, however, it'll be the power that controls the space, not water, that'll have major say in the trade and economic goings-on in the world. For example, countries like Australia, which are islands, depend heavily on the sea routes for imports. When space travel becomes a reality, when we can contemplate flying trucks and containers, sea trade will reduce dramatically owing to the time constraints. This will become the great leveler, and the country that makes the most use of this technology now will essentially become a major superpower.
The following are a few ....ahem...ARGUABLE quotes taken from a few well known individuals... plus MY tidbits of wisdom forced onto them :P. This might well be the first of several installments of such a post!!
(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as Miss America 1995.) Question: If you could live forever, would you and why? Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever," --Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.
- I see. Very interesting. Stereotype blonde, or a gift of gab combined with the wild hope that most of the judges are deaf?!?
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." --Mariah Carey
- Aah. The blonde component again. Poor girl, she should be transported to the locales she's watched on TV and left alone to contemplate her dietary issues.
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life," -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign
- Oh really? I wouldn't have noticed. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!!
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body," --Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.
- Neither have I. Hey! We have something in common!!
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country," --Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, DC.
- Wow. America must be barbaric. All hail!
"Half this game is ninety percent mental." --Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark
- And forty percent mathematical.
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." --Al Gore, Vice President
- Wonder what was polluting HIM when he said that.Something gastric, surely.
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." -- Dan Quayle
- Wow. 300 miles. He's discovered the time-space continuum theory!
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need ?" --Lee Iacocca
- He was one of the greatest managers ever that Ford had, he's the mind behind the all-time great Ford Mustang, and is even more famous for his effort in dragging Chrysler out from the brink of bankruptcy, and one of my idols. I don't know about you, Mr.Lido - but I could use all the clean air I can.
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." --Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst.
- Well, guess what. He's right.
"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instrutor.
- I would have simply excluded this line from MY article.
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." --Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
- NOooooo! Just when I wanted them the most!!
"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." --Keppel Enderbery
- Good to know. Maybe next time they can export HIM.
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record." --Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman
I don't remember where I came across this one.... might have been DC as usual, but I certainly saved it.... a pretty cool piece I can read twice without thinking.
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus , 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'
JUDGE NOT.
Remember....Just going to church doesn't make you a Christian Any more than standing in your garage makes you a car ..
Every saint has a PAST.... Every sinner has a FUTURE.
Boy do I miss Mumbai!! What with me in Goa doing my engg., and spending summers wit internships elsewhere ( this time around, Hyderabad ), I really miss the huzz and buzz of the world's second most populous city, fourth most expensive market and seventh largest billionaire city ( not that I'm one of them - just wanted to mention it as a part of useless trivia :P ).
I don't actually hail from Mumbai.. the later years of my life there were in Navi Mumbai ( another trivia fact, Navi Mumbai was the only Indian city to be featured in National Geographic's Super Cities of the World). Anyways, my heart still twinges with nostalgia... the pav-bhaji, vada pav and bhel puri stalls on the roadsides, the generalement hanging out of the trains.... :( Oh Mumbai, when will our next meeting be?
(in pic: Mumbai's Marine Drive)
(in pic: The Gateway of India) (in pic: The Haji Ali Mosque)
(in pic: Downtown Mumbai at night) (in pic: extreme rush hour)
(in pic: One of R.K.Laxman's masterpieces. Oh! The memories!! :') )
I was bruised and battered and I couldn't tell What I felt I was unrecognizable to myself I saw my reflection in a window I didn't know My own face Oh brother are you gonna leave me Wastin' away On the streets of Philadelphia
I walked the avenue 'till my legs felt like stone I heard the voices of friends vanished and gone At night I could hear the blood in my veins Black and whispering as the rain On the streets of Philadelphia
Ain't no angel gonna greet me It's just you and I my friend My clothes don't fit me no more I walked a thousand miles Just to slip this skin
The night has fallen, I'm lyin' awake I can feel myself fading away So receive me brother with your faithless kiss Or will we leave each other alone like this On the streets of Philadelphia
The following is a post that's been making the rounds in our regular DC spam... certainly caught my eye, it's an excellent rendition of the mindset of the outgoing batch of our college, aka our seniors. This has been taken verbatim, I certainly claim no credit whatsoever in it's conception. Read and enjoy.
"There are stories written with vibrant characters that say intelligent things and have distinctive characters and have brilliant chemistry between them. I was once a part of such a story. The problem with such stories, especially when you’re a part of them is that they must always come to an end. And so did this one. It inched and crawled to a slow inevitable end that gave us all the time to prepare and then at the end of it, took us by surprise anyway.
You spend your adolescent life with little or no knowledge of what you’re working for truly means. In my case, I discovered, all my expectations were but a tiny fraction of the sum of my experiences. It was an experience that built slowly like a rising tide into a lovely frenzy of time to waste. The time on my hands which was mine to waste turned into one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. An experience that was comprised of little routines and smiles and waves and puffs. An experience that will be cherished forever.
For it was in those little routines of waking up at 1 in the afternoon and foraging for food, of crushing ganja and rolling it in joints for my wingmates, of settling down on the corridor or the breezy roof and laughing at seemingly witty jokes with the tiny sounds of mobile phone music that I truly discovered the meaning of brotherhood.
I have always held on to the fact that there was no way you could stand in your boxer shorts next to a bunch of post-adolescent engineering students much like yourself and brush your teeth and not become close. But “close” doesn’t quite cover it. We knew every little detail about each other daily lives not unlike the way a lifetime of marriage teaches you about your wife or husband for that matter.
We knew the way the other person always forgot to switch off the lights before heading to bed, the way another groaned when we got a little too intimate (playfully so) for his comfort levels (levels that had been shattered long ago), the way some of us focused selflessly on the task at hand smiling occasionally with a witty retort, slaving under a stationary fan using expert fingers to produce joints for the rest of us who were relaxing in the breeze as we spoke and laughed. We knew when we were hit, when we should stop and what about us gave us class and placed us apart.
We were family. And then the time to go came and went. Slowly one by one, we left the home that we had made over the last couple of years. In the days that led up to our departure, our doors were rarely closed and we were always the gracious hosts to hesitant and almost coy guests and outsiders. They always came and were never disappointed. The last few days passed all too quickly in a friendly soporific and calm lull filled with laughter, friends and music. The most exquisite detail about those days was that no matter how close we came to separation; we were never in any hurry. It was almost as if the sheer comfort of being in each others company didn’t allow us to think unpleasant thoughts.
But soon we left, one by one. And still we hung on to our merriment as thought the others had merely stepped out for a short stroll. I think we were too afraid to think of how it truly would be without each others company. Before I knew it, I was the last one left and thought it was for just one night, I could barely take it. I sang to myself and cried. And in a desperate attempt to leave a little bit of myself behind, left my posters on the wall. As I left, I noticed little details that I’d ignored from familiarity, the view from my room, the pattern of oil spots on my wall, the roof, the leaves, everything. And as I walked from locked door to locked door, I was filled with a sense of loss more profound than I’ve known for a long time; a sense of loss that was heightened by my awareness of its magnitude. I’d lost a big piece of my life and my family; and I knew it.
So, though I would love to recount details of my delicious and nostalgic story to you, dear reader, I can’t. Because as one of my seniors put it when he spoke about a very similar predicament, “Some stories are like colourful butterflies, pinning them down to a page only takes the life out of them.” I can only tell you that I was part of one such story. A story that will stay with all of us, it’s vibrant, independent, distinctive and entertaining characters, for the rest of our lives."
At a time when pop was dominated by dance music and pop metal, Guns N' Roses brought raw, ugly rock & roll crashing back into the charts. They were not nice boys; nice boys don't play rock & roll. They were ugly, misogynist, violent; they were also funny, vulnerable, and occasionally sensitive, as their breakthrough hit "Sweet Child O' Mine" showed. While Slash and Izzy Stradlin ferociously spit out dueling guitar riffs worthy of Aerosmith or the Stones, Axl Rose screeched out his tales of sex, drugs, and apathy in the big city; bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Steven Adler were a limber rhythm section that kept the music loose and powerful. Guns N' Roses' music was basic and gritty, with a solid hard, bluesy base; they were dark, sleazy, dirty, and honest -- everything that good hard rock and heavy metal should be.
Guns N' Roses released their first EP in in 1986, which led to a contract with Geffen; the following year, the band released their debut album, Appetite for Destruction. They started to build a following with their numerous live shows, but the album didn't start selling until almost a year later, when MTV started playing "Sweet Child o' Mine." Soon, the album shot to number one and Guns N' Roses became one of the biggest bands in the world. By the end of 1988, they released G N' R Lies, which paired four new, acoustic-based songs with their first EP.
Guns N' Roses began to work on the follow-up to Appetite at the end of 1990. In October of that year, the band fired Adler, claiming that his drug dependency caused him to play poorly; he was replaced by Matt Sorum from the Cult. During recording, the band added Dizzy Reed on keyboards. By the time the sessions were finished, the new album had become two new albums. After being delayed for nearly a year, the albums, Use Your Illusion I and II, were released in the fall of 1991. The Illusions showcased a more ambitious band; while there were still a fair number of full-throttle guitar rockers, there were stabs at Elton John-style balladry, acoustic blues, horn sections, female backup singers, ten-minute songs with several different sections, and a good number of introspective, soul-searching lyrics. In short, they were now making art; amazingly, they were successful at it. While the albums sold very well initially, the band soon fell out of favor. Stradlin left the band by the end of 1991 and with his departure the band lost their best songwriter. Once Nirvana's Nevermind hit the top of the charts in early 1992, there was a distinct division between what was cool in hard rock and what wasn't; Guns N' Roses -- with all of their pretensions, impressionistic videos, models, and rock star excesses -- were very uncool. The band didn't fully grasp the change until 1993, when they released their album of punk songs, The Spaghetti Incident?; it received some good reviews, but the band failed to capture the reckless spirit of not only the original versions, but their own Appetite for Destruction. By the middle of 1994, there were rumors flying that the band was about to break up, since Rose wanted to pursue a new, more industrial direction and Slash wanted to stick with their blues-inflected hard rock.
<> exams over, FINALLY!!! Two weeks of sleepless nights has left me overweight and exhausted!! :P ( Read: the overweight tag partly due to my leg surgery as well :) ) Now droopy eyes, and yellow skin, just waiting for the forty winks to come calling upon me.... heheh.
The luck of the draw was that.... my birthday coincided with my last exam!! So essentially, I was leaving my teenage behind me as I mugged up formulae and complex equations from the Transmission Line Theory and Waveguides, and doing a Microwave Circuit Analysis. As usual, I think of the futility of trying to decide upon resolutions for my first year into 'young adulthood'. I basically had my three wishes as I blew out the candle from my cake... one of them's already come true, so I guess it's not a bad start to a new life. :) Since my bday falls in the summer vacations, I generally celebrate them by spending some quiet time with my family... and am not used to throwing parties for friends... But this time was different. Omg the creativity of my friends in picking out presents, that too in their reduced financial state ( most of them are leaving in a couple of days ) has to be lauded.
Unfortunately, some of my best buddies are leaving for Practice School next semester... life just won't be the same without them. My Practice School is in the even semester...so when these guys come back to campus, I'll be gone. So yesterday, after we dragged through the last three hours of answering theory, we felt totally elated - except with the nagging feeling that we wouldn't be seeing half of the people of our batch, probably for a loooong time, if ever again....
Immediately it was decided that we'd head out for dinner in the nearby town, Vasco. I had a stack of Sodexo Meal Passes begging to be spent, but nowhere in Vasco is there a decent restaurant that accepts the little brats. So we just had to Dutch it, as in each man for himself! Except I paid for Snehal Pal... After all, we went through college with very similar attitudes towards all the features of a college that are most important to a hosteler - the drab meals at the mess, the over priced stationary shop, the title-clash between ManU (him) and Chelsea(me), our similar views on the life of a fellow BITSian, and the world in general. Now only after you've been through three years in such a scenario, do you realize you are bros for life. I could probably write about each of my friends here.....but that would look like I was handing out free testimonials...!! So I probably will deal with that a little later... but honorary mention must go to my neighbor and fellow Counter-Strike freak, Sasanka aka ICEMAN :) . Honestly, if you are playing a magging map (sniper)against this dude, it's like he's the Grim Reaper.... the very moment you see him on your screen you might as well leave the mouse and sit back, because you already know the outcome. Football freak, sleepy, that's ICEMAN for you.
Well, anywez we headed to Rangoli restaurant, where the prices were outdated in the menu ( but still damn high !!). Rangoli's one of those places where you have to make sure you don't go alone, or with an incredibly dull fellow citizen ( but then, you wouldn't want to be stuck ANYWHERE in the world with the dull dude ). This is because of the service there.... you might as well order your food, go out, finish all your business in Vasco ,write out your wills and plan out your entire next year's budget by the time you get the food. :P Well, we had a blast all right... Out with me were Venu (Porcupine), Pavan (SINBAD), Snehal ( Gremlin), Akhil (TylerDurden) and PavanKasi (Invader).
My forty winks are catching up to me, so am off.....to finish the story, we caught up with our prez outside the restaurant, booked a bus back to campus....
<Yawn> newez , sayonara till the next post!
( in pics: 1. Porky, Sinbad, myself, Tillu, Gremlin and Invader 2. Myself and Gremlin disturbing sleepy ICEMAN;s forty winks ;P 3. Akhil, Snehal, Pavan and Venu @ Rangoli's
I've been asked several times about my favourite music artists, bands and genres. And even in networking sites, when my favourite bands are asked to be listed, I draw a blank.... How can I answer such a question? My musical interests range over a wiiiiiide array of genres. And when I answer "Fav band? None in particular. I like several." , generally I draw looks reserved for the slugs. It's like being asked my favourite football club. I like several clubs, in fact, any club that plays beautiful and efficient football. My peers generally stick and support some quality teams - ManU, Chelsea FC, FC Barca , etc. And these guys scoff at me when I don't name any one particular club as my favourite. Any one club I apparently am "not proud to wear the colours of, and stand behind through thick and thin." Well, frankly, mates, I can understand your sentiments if you were actually LIVING in Chelsea or Barcelona :P. I mean, I'm INDIAN for chrissakes. And I'm a decent footballer myself. What's wrong with me wanting to enjoy the beautiful game of all the good teams out there? Anyways - I've digressed too much. Let the topic of football be reserved for a later post. Now let me stick to music. :) What makes a song strike a chord with you? Is it just the tune, or the lyrics, or the beat, the rhythm or the pure idea? I mean, it might be a combination of all these factors - but how exactly do you define your 'favourite' band, if you are like me, who loves a few songs from hundreds of differnet bands? I cannot, honestly place a finger on any one particular artist and say, " Yea. Tha's the one."
And it's not only the music. I mean, I wasn't a big fan of rock music till, what? Maybe two years ago. Then I got introduced to hard rock, or metal... Aerosmith and Iron Maiden were the first couple of bands that I fell in love with. And while I was grooving to Linkin Park and Porcupine Tree, everyone around me, my buddies in hostel and even my bro to some extent, were going ga-ga over Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. I honestly didn't think much of them ( oops! sorry guys, no offence ) , though now I am familiar with their music as well, and my heart just stands still when I listen to "Stairway to Heaven" and "Welcome to the Machine".
A funny story about how I got into metal.... In 8th grade, I was in one of the three teams representing my high school in the YMCA General Quiz. In one of the qualifying stages, me and my teammate Amit got a question related to music... We guessed Pink Floyd ( Music was a weak area for both of us, and I only knew of Pink Floyd because my dad had a cassette of The Wall among his favourites, along with Cheb Khaled, Michael Jackson and ABBA ). Unfortunately, the answer was Aerosmith, of whom, I had never even heard of, till that point. Guess what - we made it through three qualifying stages and finally into the last round, yet we still didn't know of any metal band except Aerosmith, and whenever a question related to music turned up, we had "Aerosmith!" at the tips of our tongues. :P ( in pic:Aerosmith )
Well, to cut a long story short, ( oops, too late :P) I went home after the finals, and just out of curiosity downloaded the album "Pandora's Toys", if nothing but only to check out the music of the band that we had named no less than thirteen times out of fourteen questions! ( None of them turned out to be correct, of course :( ) And here I am.
Most of the exposure I've had in music has been after I joined college... and it wasn't until I heard Metallica, Apocalyptica, Poets of the Fall, Breaking Benjamin, Foo Fighters, Guns n' Roses, and oh, the list is endless, did I truly appreciate the depth of music and the wide spectrum of genres to choose from. My mind still swirls, I still don't have a 'favourite' bad or artist as such, but I enjoy my music as much as the next guy, so who gives a damn. Anywez, till the next post, am off, now listening to "Over Now" by Alice in Chains. Toodle-oo!!
( in pic: Linkin Park ) Check out my other blog http://daveyroncult.blogspot.com as well... A collection of some great music, and band histories. Comments welcome, as usual! :) \m/
And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life What do you think you'd expect you would see? Just like a mirror reflecting the moves of your life And in the river reflections of me
Just for a second a glimpse of my father I see And in a movement he beckons to me And in a moment the memories are all that remain And all the wounds are reopening again
And as you look all around at the world in dismay What do you see, do you think we have learned Not if you're taking a look at the war-torn affray Out in the streets where the babies are burned
There are time when I feel I'm afraid for the world There are times I'm ashamed of us all When you're floating on all the emotion you feel And reflecting the good and the bad
Will we ever know what the answer to life really is? Can you really tell me what life is? Maybe all the things that you know that are precious to you Could be swept away by fate's own hand
When you think that we've used all our chances And the chance to make everything right Keep on making the same old mistakes Makes untipping the balance so easy When we're living our lives on the edge Say a prayer on the book of the dead
Aerosmith, one of the most original hard rock bands of the century has officially become a rock legend in their own right. On March 19, 2001, Aerosmith was inducted into the 'Rock and Roll Music Hall of Fame' for their contribution to hard rock music. Their musical achievements are nothing less than impressive with 4 Grammy Awards, 9 MTV Music Awards, 2 American Music Awards, 13 multi-platinum albums, 5 platinum albums, and 4 gold albums. The band's success has insured that Aerosmith will be a band the world will never forget.
Aerosmith was formed in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1970. The original band members were StevenTallarico (drummer and lead vocals), JoePerry (lead guitar), TomHamilton (bass), and RayTabano (guitar). StevenTallarico later changed his last name to Tyler because it was easier to pronounce. A year after the band formed RayTabano left Aerosmith and was replaced by BradWhitford. Also, the band took on JoeyKramer to play drums so that Tyler could focus on
the his role as lead singer/front man. The band's first big break came in 1972 when they signed a record deal with Columbia Records for $125,000. The contract offer was the result of CliveDavis catching one of their extraordinary shows.
In February of 1973, the band released its debut LP, Aerosmith. The LP sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. and later went platinum twice as the result of later LP's success. "Dream On" the first single for the Aerosmith LP did not do so well. However, it was re-released in 1976 and became the first Top 10 hit for the group. Next, Get Your Wings was released in the summer of 1974. Wings stayed on the charts for a year and a half and since its release it has gone platinum three times.
Aerosmith knew they had hit the big time as they headlined with bands such as Kiss and ZZ Top. In the early spring of 1975, Toys in the Attic was released. "Sweet Emotion," became the band's first Top 40 hit. Aerosmith release "Walk This Way" as a single and its remake later was greatly received by the 80's pop culture music audience. Success was sweet for Aerosmith and became even sweeter when the boys were asked to be on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine in 1976.
In the years that followed Aerosmith released one hit album after another such as Rocks (1976) platinum four times, Draw The Line (1977) platinum twice, Live Bootleg (1978) platinum, Night In The Ruts (1979) platinum, and Aerosmith's Greatest Hits (1980) platinum ten times. After the release of Night In the Ruts, JoePerry, the band's lead guitar player, decided to move on with his musical career and he began to pursue his own solo career by recording 'The Joe Perry Project'. A contributor to Perry's decision was the fact that the band's personal relationships were being torn apart by substance abuse, which in turn affected the band's music. Eleven months later BradWhitford, back up guitarist, left the band even though their greatest hits LP was a complete success selling over 9 million copies in the U. S. alone.
The band's issues with substance abuse and the fact that they were no longer creating platinum records caused Columbia Records support to fade. Substance abuse had a tight grip over the group and soon their troubles went public. In 1983 during the era of "Just Say No To Drugs," Tyler was arrested for possession of cocaine and narcotics paraphernalia. Tyler was facing, not only a fine, but possible jail time too. Eventually, the charges were dropped because Tyler pleaded guilty. He was placed on three years probation and fined $5,000 which, to a huge superstar likeTyler, was not much more than a slap on the wrist.
Much to the band's benefit, in 1984, Perry and Whitford re-joined Aerosmith and they set out on a reunion tour called "Bank In The Saddle" tour. However, substance abuse apparently had not loosened its grip on lead vocalist Tyler since he collapsed on stage one night during the tour. Soon after the tour, Geffen Records picked the band up and signed them to a contract. They released Done With Mirrors in 1985 under their new label. However, Mirrors would never reach the platinum status of their other LPs. During the record's release, Tyler and Perry agreed to get help for they drug addictions and began substance abuse programs.
Run-D. M.C., famous for their rapping and B-boxing style in the 80's, decided to remake Aerosmith's single, "Walk This Way." Tyler and Perry made cameo appearances in the music video. As a result of this video, the band received the exposure they needed to make an amazing comeback. Aerosmith releases two live LPs, Classics Live and Classics Live 2, featuring live performances of concerts between ‘77 and ‘86. Classics Live would eventually go platinum over the years and Classics Live 2 would only remain gold.
Soon Aerosmith was back on the charts with the release of their five time platinum album, Permanent Vacation. Power house hard rock songs like "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)," "Ragdoll," and heartfelt ballads like "Angel," would soon return the band to their status as platinum LP producers. All of 1988 was a big year for Aerosmith as they release the hit compilation Gem and watched the success of Vacation sky rocket. MTV began to stand up and recognize them for their talented videos and stage performances. In September 1988, Aerosmith was nominated for MTV's Best Group Video and also Best Stage Performance in a Video for "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)." Aerosmith was giving the world what they were asking for in hard rock music and declaring that there was more where that came from.
Due to the success of Permanent Vacation, the fans were on pins and needles waiting for the groups next album to be released. The late 80's audience was sick of the feel good techno dance sound and desired music that was either rebellious and fun or told stories of their lives. Audiences wanted hard rock songs that they could either head bang to (a form of keeping time with the music or ballads that expressed every raw emotion they had inside). Aerosmith did just that with "Love In An Elevator," "Janie's Got A Gun," "The Other Side," and "What It Takes." All of these songs became smash hits for their 1989 release of Pump and the group was back in the Top 10 once again. Another of the contributing factors in these songs success was the insight on the band's part to take advantage of the popularity of music videos. In doing so, they created outstanding music video's for each single and their audience ate it up.
Pump went on to platinum success, seven times over. Aerosmith received 2 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video and the Viewer's Choice Award for "Janie's Got A Gun."
Aerosmith finally felt accepted by their fans, however, how did the music industry perceive their comeback success? On February 1991, Aerosmith received their first Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. It was a major triumph for the group to know that not only the world had accepted them but also that their fellow colleagues accepted them as a legitimate music group that was dedicated to their profession. This achievement gave the band the inspiration to continue writing, recording, and releasing more successful albums.
While touring for Pump, Aerosmith signed a lucrative contract with Sony Records. However, they still owed 2 more LPs to Geffen Records, so Aerosmith later released Get A Grip and Big Ones. Later that year while on tour for their Pump LP, the band released a collection of their past hits in a box set entitled Pandora's Box that went platinum.
In order to fulfill their contractual commitment to Geffen Records the group released the first of two owed LPs titled Get A Grip. The album caused quiet a stir with its astonishing cover of a cow with one of its teats pierced. Although, the cover was a bit controversial, it became a huge success. Songs like "Livin' On The Edge," "Cryin'," "Crazy," and "Amazing" really showed America just what the band was made of and also earned the bad boys of Boston another Grammy.
The last LP for Geffen Records was recorded and released in 1994, Big Ones, also a greatest hit's compilation. Award after award poured in and Aerosmith was the band they always dreamed they would be. However, inevitable change was in the air for the band as conflicts with their manager cause the two to part ways. However that didn't stop the release of Nine Lives (1997) which earned the band 2 more Grammy Awards, one for the album and the other for the single "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)". Once again, Aerosmith was on top of the world with or without a manager.
Throughout the band's success they still had yet to record their all time biggest selling single. In 1998, the boys recorded "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing," a song written by DianeWarren. This single was added to the Armageddon soundtrack (a movie Tyler's daughter, Liv stared in) which went number one. Because of that single, the soundtrack has gone platinum four times, and is still going.
Again, Aerosmith released a live LP, A Little South of Sanity. However, the tour was cut short due to a knee injury Tyler (now 50 years old) sustained in1998 during a performance. Tyler had to have surgery on his injury and go through physical therapy. However, he was eager to return to the music life he so loved and would not let an injury stop him. After months of rehabilitation, Tyler was back doing the one thing he knew best how to do, being the lead singer/front man for Aerosmith.
Most recently Aerosmith has released Just Push Play with Columbia Records once again backing them. The first single they released was titled "Jaded". This song quickly climbed up the charts added another notch to their collection of hits.
Aerosmith was, is, and will be one of the most remembered and accomplished hard rock bands of their time. They continue giving the world music that they love and they in turn reward them publicly for it. It takes a lot of work, dedication, and desire to keep a band going for three decades and remain outrageously successful at it. Aerosmith has given us songs to make us laugh at the world, let us cry when we are hurting, allows us to hope when all is hopeless, causes awareness of politics and families, and shows us that when we pop in one of their cd's they will entertain us beyond our wildest imaginations.
So yes! Aerosmith has rightfully earned their place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their legacy will shape the face of tomorrow's music in ways only rock legends can.
Never stop the car on a drive in the dark Never look for the truth in your mother's eyes Never trust the sound of rain upon a river rushing through your ears
Arriving somewhere but not here
Did you imagine the final sound as a gun? Or the smashing windscreen of a car? Did you ever imagine the last thing you'd hear as you're fading out was a song?
All my designs simplified And all of my plans compromised All of my dreams sacrificed
Ever had the feeling you've been here before? Drinking down the poison the way you were taught Every thought from here on in your life begins and all you knew was wrong?
Did you see the red mist block your path? Did the scissors cut a way to your heart? Did you feel the envy for the sons of mothers tearing you apart?
Open Your Eyes lyrics Looking back I clearly see, What it is that's killing me.
Through the eyes of one I know, I see a vision once let go, I had it all.
Constantly it burdens me, Hard to trust and can't believe.
Lost the faith and lost the love, When the day is done.
Will they open their eyes And realize we are one On and on we stand alone Until our day has come When they open their eyes And realize we are one
I love the way I feel today, But how I know the sun will fade. Darker days seem to be, What will always live in me, But still I run.
It's hard to walk this path alone, Hard to know which way to go, Will I ever save this day, Will it ever change.
Will they open their eyes, And realize we are one. On and on we stand alone, Until our day has come, Will they open their eyes, And realize we are one.
Still today we carry on, I know our day will come,
When they open their eyes, And realize we are one. Will they open their eyes, And realize we are one.
Back Up Vocals: its hard to walk this path alone hard to know which way to go
Will they open their eyes and realize we are one.
Back Up Vocals: lost the faith and lost the love when the day is done
