!Random rant..

Life is a lot like playing music. You might have played hundered's of tunes in the past or a would play a thousands in the future but all that matters is the tune that you strike now, music is enjoyable only if 'this' note is hit properly.

Same goes with life, past has given you an identity, future might give you a hope but gift to be relished is the present.

- St. Phoenix

Jump in

This is a totally cool ad, for X Box...full of energy and excitement...gels well with idea of x box.

http://www.bestadsontv.com/ad_details.php?id=897
PS: Copy paste this link, for some read anchor tag doesnt work

Be the Change

Be the change is one of the most powerful phrases I have come cross; popularized by Gandhi. I think this phrase is packed with a lot of energy. This post is not about Gandhi or philosophical aspect of this phrase but is about an album by Prasanna which is titled Be The Change.

I first listened to Prasanna's music from Music India online. For those of you who dont know Prasanna, he is the key person to popularize using guitar for carnatic music; which used to be unconventional until he popularized it. Being an fan of carnatic music i was thrilled when I listened to carnatic compositions in guitar. Infact I started listening to carnatic music on guitar so much that I liked the one of my all time favourite songs 'Venkatachalanilyam' from Prasanna's acoustic guitar rather M.L. Vasanthakumari's awesome voice. (It is best compliment I could think of for Prasanna's music)

I listened to Prasanna's Be the Change album and it is one of the coolest works by him I have ever listened to. It is a fusion of Jazz, rock and Carnatic. Packed with energy and innovation it is the best music I have listened to in the last few months. Shalini's carnatic vocals in a rock base is just amazing. If you like Carnatic, Jazz, rock (or even otherwise), you should checkout the CD !!

I happened to read a review of the same album online and I am borrowing a few words said there:

The music of Prasanna is verily about possibilities — of a coming together, of emergence, of dissolution, of transformation, of a going beyond, of the very note. In that endless field of possibilities there remains the singular truth - of a transcendent experience.

The Upanishads probably talk of the same, only infinitely more beautifully so.

Tranquil, let one worship It
As that from which he came forth
As that into which he will be dissolved,
As that in which he breathes.

Things to think about !

Without inertia, will we be persistently at rest or in motion?

Without time, will everything happen at once?

Diwali

I decided to go with the junta on this festive occasion and post something about Diwali...North Indians celebrate Diwali and South Indians Deepavali..though it is the same thing both these juntas have different stories for celebrating the festival. Deepavali is celebrated because Krishna slayed Narakasura (the demon).. Northies believe it is the home coming of King Rama from exile.

I happened to read this version online of why Diwali is celebrated; the home coming story ...It is by a desi dad who describes Diwali to his ABCD son...

Son : Pop... what is the Diwlai stuff that all my friends in school talk about..

Pop : So, like this dude Rama, had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him. But, like, his step mom, or somethin', was kind of a bitch, and she forced her husband to, like, you know, send this cool dude, to some national forest or reserve or somethin'.

Since he was going, for like, somethin' like more than 10 years or so, he decided to take his wife and his bro along. You know... so that they could all chill out together. But dude, the forest was reeeeeeal scary shit, really man, they had monkeys and devils and shit like that.

But this dude, Ram, kicked their ass with darts, bows and arrows, so it was fine. But then some bad boys, some jerk called Ravan, picks up his babe (Sita) and lures her away to his hood. And boy, were our man, and his bro Lakshman, pissed! And you don't piss this son-of-a-gunz 'coz, he just kicks ass and like, all the gods were with him.

So anyways, you don't mess with gods. So, Ram and his bro get an army of monkeys. Dude, don't ask me how they trained the damn monkeys, just go along with me, OK. So, Ram, Lakhs, and their monkeys whip this gansta's ass in his own hood. Anyways, by now, their time's up in the forest and anyways, it gets kinda boring. You know no TVs or malls or shit like that. So, they decided to hitch back home. He, his bro and the wife are back home.

People thought, well, you know, at least they deserve somethin' nice and they didn't have any bars and clubs in those days. So they couldn't take them out for a drink, so the people decided to smoke. And they also had some lamps, they lit the lamps too. So it was pretty cooool... you know with all those fireworks really, they had some local band play along with the fireworks, and you know what, dude, that was the very first, no kidding, that was the very first musical-synchronized fireworks. You know, like the 4th of the July stuff, but just more cooler and stuff, you know.

And, so dude, that was how, like, this festival started. Cool!!! Diwali Rocks Maaaan! Got it...