The Big 4.....

Will be attending the Big 4 concert in California........the 4 greatest names in thrast metal, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.......a metal heads wet dream to witness all the progenitors of modern heavy metal on one stage.....purveyors of that visceral aggression and musical fire power that has taken a million myriad forms. Yes, the luckiest fucking chap on Earth. It was something that I really dreamt about and it has come true. Still wearing a ear to ear grin and probably will till the concert, come bad weather, exams or sneezing cunts. For those who have not yet been initiated into what is heavy metal, here is a little taste of what I am going to experience.....

After watching the video, I don't think i need say anything more. Gimme fuel and the fire to be Caught in the Mosh and drench in the Raining Blood when is performed the Symphony of Destruction. \m/

Insomnia

The angel of Nightmist
runs its fingers through my hair
sows the seed of insomnia
In my physical through a cold scar

Eyelids struggle to stay in embrace
Slide apart everso slowly
I catch dark wisps of escape
Disappearance of something not lowly

I struggle to my feet, to glance
at the moon, smiling, in my window
its messengers have done their task
made me a part of its sorrow

For i can hear, the voices cry out
slow, clear and cold under the winter silver
Curiosity, oh you be damned
Nightmist beckons to foray into uncharted there.

Clear as the sky that was
my eyes stare out into the effusive glow
I can only befriend and embrace
this insomnia that I let grow.

Ace of Spades!

Very bloody spur of the moment!.......we all want to live our lives as described in the lyrics below. But there is only one Lemmy in this world......all the rest are losers!.......myself included!

If you like to gamble, I tell you I'm your man
You win some, lose some, it's - all - the same to me
The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say
I don't share your greed, the only card I need is
The Ace Of Spades
The Ace Of Spades

Playing for the high one, dancing with the devil,
Going with the flow, it's all a game to me,
Seven or Eleven, snake eyes watching you,
Double up or quit, double stakes or split,
The Ace Of Spades
The Ace Of Spades

You know I'm born to lose, and gambling's for fools,
But that's the way I like it baby,
I don't wanna live forever,
And don't forget the joker!

Pushing up the ante, I know you've got to see me,
Read 'em and weep, the dead man's hand again,
I see it in your eyes, take one look and die,
The only thing you see, you know it's gonna be,
The Ace Of Spades
The Ace Of Spades

Maybe this will interest the working lot of you. Not a bad song by any means, but, yeah, the polar opposite of "Ace Of Spades".

I get up at seven, yeah,
And I go to work at nine.
I got no time for livin',
Yes, I'm workin' all the time.

Chorus:
It seems to me
I could live my life
A lot better than I think I am.
I guess that's why they call me,
They call me the working man.

They call me the working man.
I guess that's what I am.

I get home at five o'clock,
And I take myself out a nice, cold beer.
Always seem to be wonderin'
Why there's nothin' goin' down here.

Well they call me the working man.
I guess that's what I am.

Truth be told....

My personal eulogy to Darrell "Dimebag" Lance Abbott. And what his life stands for. As it says on his gravestone,

"He came to rock ....and he rocked like no other. With the heart twice the size of Texas, our beloved brother, companion, mentor, idol and friend....We love you Dime......Until we meet again. "

Streaks down a tear
from the pain I did not feel
A sigh of anguish
Under no tragedy did I reel.

I feel the blood gush away
but fail to locate the wound
losing my conscious being
with clarity in sight and sound

Physically disconnected I am, i know
From you, from him and from multitude
The result and reaction
this knowledge of separation does not preclude

In me,I stare into
A fire built up
by the light shone by all of you
And in me you see yourselves
like a mirror reflection
Shining back, true

Hide from this, I won't
Not without shrouding myself
In perennial darkness
Ignore this truth, I can't
Not without dismantling
Structure where my belief rests

Embrace this essence
of being one unto many
and Masses unto one
For only this may
stand true in test
and make me human.

What we're all about....

Now, do read into the title literally, you dimwits. It is a song, one which i like. But well, that is not the point. I think the ongoing insomnia and academia have resulted in an epiphany. Of course, it is about heavy metal.

1. Rebellion

Period. It is about revolting against the establishment. Sometimes just for the fun of it. But it applies everywhere. For example, metal-heads are often labeled as satanists. Flip side, if everybody was a satanist, metal heads would be priests and prophets and seers.

photo : .....And Justice For All (Metallica)......go listen.

2. Realm of the Untouchable

We fear what we don't understand. And that is heavy metal territory. Metal gives you the right and the channel to fantasize about something that "normal" people would never think of. Think death metal, black metal. Its gory, macabre. As is some aspect of every art form. So nothing is ever off limits for metal. In short, the true unlimited wings of imagination.

image : Wretched Spawn (Cannibal Corpse).........go beserk.

3. Honest

What do you want to do when you are pissed and disturbed? You want to scream, curse and shout. What do you do in heavy metal? You scream, curse and shout. And lot of people can identify with it. Restraint and self control is good, but healthy release of such pent up angst is even better. And not just getting in everybody's face, but also be true to what you feel. Popular is not always good. As I said above, nothing is off limits with metal.

image : Live in UK (Rage Against the Machine).... go scream!

4. Excellence

And yes, its about excellence. Heavy metal demands excellence. A sloppy guitarist or a poor singer can never cut it in heavy metal. They go pop!....very literally. Metal music demands you put your energies into it. And teaches you that it's the same with everything you do. Then it can be playing blazing guitar solos or cranking up good grades in school. Dedication to what you do, is of utmost importance. (On the subject of good grades.......i know we metal heads are not famous for that......but still, there is always hope.....:D)

image : Systematic Chaos (Dream Theater).....go work hard and be as good!

5. Identity and Integrity

Above all, it is being what you are, as yourself, than becoming a moronic copy of the hordes. To preserve what is the quintessence of you and being true to it. If you believe something is right and true, then stick to your guns and never back down. Your own lyrics, your riff and your song. Now, thats very very metal!

image : Piece of Mind (Iron Maiden)....go fucking be yourself!

These are true life qualities and attributes that are deified/diabolized by metal. People can embody these principles and still not be metal heads. And you know what, metal heads are the only people who can understand that feeling. That is why heavy metal rules!

To those about to rock, we salute you....

We all know and have seen "Black Hawk Down". Here is what really happened as told by Brian Johnson, the lead singer of AC/DC.

Johnson told Q magazine how this song played a part in rescuing imprisoned Black Hawk Down pilot Michael Durant following the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993. He recalled: "That was the best one. He was shoved in prison, his back was broken. They were kicking him, shooting bullets into him and he was terrified. His pals knew that AC/DC was his favorite band, so they hooked up a speaker to the skid of one of the Black Hawk helicopter and they were playing "Hells Bells" over the rooftops. When he in his prison heard that music, he took his shirt off and- cos his legs were broken- he crawled up to the windows and waved his shirt. That's how they got him out. Ain't that amazing!"

The power of heavy metal.......\m/

Aesthetics of Death

This was the introductory plaque to the "Death" exhibit which is currently on at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Cold, to the point and re-assuring is what it is. Enjoy!

Death has a lot on his calendar.Of course, there is the work of ministering to and menacing his endless stream of more-or-less-willing clients. But he also has parties to attend, concerts to perform and places to go. He is an athlete, adept at riding horses, driving chariots and manoeuvring other contraptions that most of us know little about. His musical skills include playing string instruments, percussion and brass. It comes as now surprise that he is also a gifted dancer. Death also has a practical side, as demonstrated by his mastery of agricultural implements and timepieces. He is unimpeachably democratic in his associations. In fact, it is difficult to think of anyone he would avoid. Many have claimed the title of "The Great Equalizer", but ever busy Death rightfully retains the crown.

So compelling is Death, that he has been the subject of fascination of artists since the Middle Ages.Some artists take delight in the dark humor achieved in the netherworld, some shock us with its fearsome aggression and other find poignancy in its comfort. Some remind us that Death is an impromptu visitor for whom we must always be prepared; other see Death approaching quickly, attracted by our actions.

Despite his hectic schedule, Death beckons you. Great artists urge you to accept his invitation - in your imagination for the present - for, eventually, Death is sure to find you.

The wham bam slam song!

Ok, this is another metal song coming your way. Imagine riffs the size of Australia, 230 bpm drums and basslines you can hang your blankets dry on. Sing it with all the zest, energy and evil of death metal, but with a smile on your face and joy in your heart.

slam, bam, slams the door
Shudder shudder, goes the floor
Is the tormentor back again?
Back again with vengeance and pain?

Piss him off, piss it down
Love to wear that frown
Unable to do a thing
So my knob he will wringgggggggggggggg!

sneezing weasel, coughing cunt
Dripping nose always on the hunt
Usually it is the floor,
but this time, why me, the knob on the door?!?!?

Fucking metaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!.......\m/

Review : Fuji FinePix S1800

I think it's been enough time for me to give a fair evaluation of the Fuji. Go elsewhere for the tech specs and bullshit. Simple pros and cons sounds good to me.

Pros

1. Excellent colour reproduction.
2. Well balanced. Not too heavy, great ergonomics.
3. Runs on AA batteries, but will give Li-ion batteries a run for their money any day. (Clicked 280 images at full load and there was juice enough to click more.)
4. Manual controls work well.
5. 18x zoom is really usable and works well with the Image Stabilisation

Cons:

1. The software is really fucked up. Maybe Fuji should hire some good people to write the software. Hangs up when some settings are changed. Contact Infosys....:P. They might do better.

2. Full manual control is a lie. You have to find the best possible setting amongst the given modes.

3. The sensor does not work well when shooting at 12 Megapixels. Downgrading the resolution to 9 megapixels solved this problem. But i think that's the problem with most cameras nowadays. Crammed with so many pixels, the sensors are just not up to the mark.

4. Sometimes does not respond to routine button presses. Again, i guess something to do with the software. Infosys, please....you hear me?.....:P.

For sample images, let me know. All in all, I think, fantastic value for money. I got it for $151 from Amazon. A good megazoom for people who aspire to graduate onto DSLR's.

A good, reliable review can be found at:
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews/fujifilm_finepix_s1800_review/

The mad way..

An absolute rant coming up......please switch off immediately if you desire this year of your life to be sane.....

Duality, is an inherent quality that pervades through everything. Early civilizations realised this, revered this and preached this. Well, not that I have the brains to teach anything like that. But I want to help twist this "Duality" to another thing. The quality and appreciation of "Genius".

People frown at the fact that I appreciate "firangi" works more than what was done in India. While this is rubbish and holds piss in its pouch, I have always had a nagging pinprick each time I talk about excellence in India.

One of the defining quality of excellence works of art and architecture in India, is the unflinching dependence of the established and the general expansion on scale on existing works. So, better works, yes. But pushing the envelope and inventing, hardly. This restraint, alignment with established values is an obstacle to greater glory. And this despite, civilizations in the sub continent reaching their peak when the Europeans and Americans were just murdering barbarians.

On the other hand, I look at art and architecture from Italy, France. What these countries did, was allow their artists to run mad. Genius took centerstage. Producing fantastical pieces. But also continuously inventing. Going beyond what was thought as possible. To this day, Italians are considered eccentric and whimsical and have an undenied aesthetic ability. The French still produce some of the best architectural wonders. Refer to : Ferrari, the Millau bridge.

What I am getting at, what i want to point to is, allowing genius its freedom. Of course, unbridled freedom comes at a price. What happens if a lunatic is allowed free reign? Hitler, Napoleon, Nero etc etc. The list could go on. A two edged sword. But look at what comes out. The buildings of Renaissance period Europe. The Impressionist era. Not just Europe. The Mayan culture. The Byzantines.

This is the ancient. The past. The history books. Look at the world even today. Places where talent is allowed its freedom, produces great things. Higher you go , harder the fall. Yes. And that is why the restraint and control we practise in India, has a higher probability of success. But how much of this success is immortal? It's an honest question.

So what comes out at the end of the funnel. The distillation, the conclusion, the lesson that I want to throw out there is, be mad. Physical limitations do not matter. They just do not. Cause more often than not, out of this madness, comes out the work of genius.

For me, Filipo Brunelleschi epitomises this art of going crazy to produce immortal genius.

Ride the madness in 2011. Have an insane time.