tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92085112024-03-07T14:42:23.135+05:30A Certain Shade Of GreenMy personal blog... nothing special, really. I review music, art, fiction and film though, so you might just find something that interests you. STATUTORY WARNING: May induce nausea, enlightenment, nirvana, or all of the above.Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-23365098563189516752007-04-16T21:07:00.000+05:302007-04-16T21:09:29.244+05:30Moving my blogI've shifted to <a href="http://abhimayughoshal.wordpress.com">Wordpress</a> for want of a better blog/template management system. More posts coming there soon! Also, I must make a mention of WP for their great 'Move your Blog' service, which worked like magic. Posts, formatting and comments all trooped to their new home in an orderly fashion. Great job, WP team!Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-10415055482849056872007-03-20T18:19:00.000+05:302007-03-20T18:57:26.931+05:30Vista-schmista<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: lucida grande;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Windows Vista is supposed to be the greatest thing to happen to the PC since, well, Windows xp. For most people who choose to upgrade, they're not going to see much of a difference from xp, save for some cosmetic changes. Thats fine, especially since we had Windows Me, which didn't really have anything new to offer. So I guess Vista could be written off as another embodiment of the trend over at Redmond. But what really gets me is that the company is also boasting better performance, faster-running applications and so on.<br /> Well, of course you'll have better performance! Vista needs a machine with lots of processing power, RAM and hard disk space (did someone say 14GB?) to run smoothly. With that kind of rig, xp would do quite well, too. So Vista is no miracle from the sky, even with all their new managed code and API. If Vista would run on my current PC, and started up Photoshop in 5 seconds, burned a DVD in 1 minute, and took up less space than xp, then I'd upgrade. Right now, I don't think its even worth taking the time to pirate.<br /></span></span></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-41899371573963580552007-02-02T21:00:00.000+05:302007-02-02T23:09:57.946+05:30Its amazing what you can do...<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">... with Google Reader.</span><br /> <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">That's right, minions, I'm a Google fanboy, and I'm damn proud of it. <a href="http://reader.google.com">Google Reader</a> is the company's in-beta RSS (Really Simple Syndication) aggregator, that's chock-full of features and very easy to use. And it's addictive as hell.<br /> For those who came in late, RSS is a way of staying in the loop with your favourite websites and blogs. Most pages have an RSS feed symbol with a link. Once you've logged in, you'll be greeted by the home page, which has a summary of all your RSS feeds. To add a new feed, simply click 'Add a subscription' on the left and enter the feed link. If you've got the Google Toolbar installed on your browser you can simply click 'Subscribe' and it'll be added to Reader.<br /> Reader also has a list of neat feeds categorised by topics that you might enjoy. I've got several feeds on my Reader, including <a href="http://www.neatorama.com">Neatorama</a>, <a href="http://www.haha.nu">Haha.nu</a>, several technology blogs, web comics, friends' blogs and some photography sites. Other notables include The <a href="http://browse.deviantart.com/customization/skins/">Deviantart Skins & Themes</a> gallery feed, which keeps me updated on the latest skins that are out, seeing as how I manage the gallery. Plus, the Giveaway of The Day feed lets me know if there's any good free software available that day.<br /> Are you still here? Start using Reader asap. Chop chop!<br /></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-61352237521979316442007-02-01T20:43:00.000+05:302007-02-01T21:01:22.611+05:30SNW<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f3/Deftones_sat_night_wrist.jpg/200px-Deftones_sat_night_wrist.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/f3/Deftones_sat_night_wrist.jpg/200px-Deftones_sat_night_wrist.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" ><br />Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">If there's one thing that comes through on the first listen to their latest offering, it's that Deftones makes music on their own terms. Saturday Night Wrist (SNW) is at once quirky, edgy, and in-your-face, while still showcasing the band's signature sound. Swirling keyboard samples, a powerful drum-and-bass backing, rushing guitars and Chino Moreno's idiosyncratic vocals make for a simply wonderful listen. The lyrics are very surreal, and keep shifting in temperament, just as the the rhythms and chord progressions do.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> The first single, 'Hole In The Earth' does justice in an effort to showcase the essence of the album. Guitarist Stephen Carpenter isn't afraid to play lush arpeggios to back the chorus, while also belting out grinding riffs all over the place. While the whole album is a delight, other tracks that deserve a mention include the haunting 'Beware', 'Mein' (featuring Serj Tankian), 'Kimdracula', and the lovely instrumental 'U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, A, B, Select, Start'. All in all, a great package that stands testimony to the evolution of Deftones' sound. <span style="font-size:130%;">4 stars</span>.</span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1161627343265397222006-10-23T23:00:00.000+05:302006-10-23T23:45:43.343+05:30Random, left-of-field, call it what you will...<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >but here's my question: is it wrong to enjoy music without really paying attention to the lyrics? Well, with the internet being what it is these days, I have no excuse. Most media players allow you to read the lyrics of the song currently playing (I use <a aiotitle="Winamp" href="http://www.winamp.com">Winamp</a>, so <a aiotitle="Lyrics Plugin" href="http://www.winamp.com/plugins/details.php?id=148097">Lyrics Plugin</a> works best for me). I'm a musician first and foremost, so to me, the music is key. But I'm proud to announce that I've begun listening to lyrics. And I've gotta say, music is a lot more fun! Its almost as cool as the time when I became able to listen to bass, keyboards and guitars separately on tracks!<br /> As it turns out, everyone's got something to say. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pearl Jam</span>'s Eddie Vedder creates all these images and stories that simply unfurl of their own volition in my head (See <span style="font-style: italic;">Severed Hand</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jeremy</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ocean</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Garden</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rearview Mirror</span>). In hip-hop, <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Roots</span> get real tongue-in-cheek kinky on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Seed</span>, as do <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gym Class Heroes</span> on <span style="font-style: italic;">The Queen & I</span>. Maynard James Keenan of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tool/A Perfect Circle</span> really gets me (or do I get him?) - <span style="font-style: italic;">The Outsider</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Schism</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Right in Two</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Noose</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Blue, The Pot, The Grudge</span> are all simply perfect pieces of work. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Steely Dan</span> lyrics are always a joy to read, though sometimes I have to refer to <a href="http://www.steelydandictionary.com/">The Steely Dan Dictionary</a> to understand what Becker and Fagen are smiling about.<br /> I wish I could write like some of these folks. The ability to plan an idea in someone's head, and then direct its course, is something I've always wanted. So far, I've only tried writing about things that scare or amuse me, but I haven't been able to go much further than pulling a bit of wordplay here and there. Its kind of like how your bodily movements are inhibited by some mysterious force (try walking a like a crazy for a bit a la <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jack Black</span> in <span style="font-style: italic;">Nacho Libre</span> (5 stars!), or twist your arms while you jump - the fact that you're not leaving your seat bears testimony to my theory). I wonder how listeners will react to my contrived imagination, all of it. Because thats what I would like to be able to put down on paper. All of it. Samples coming soon.<br /></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1161106086257725632006-10-17T22:50:00.000+05:302006-10-17T22:58:06.550+05:30Digging Deeper<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: arial;">So I've got my semester finals on right now, and what better time to get important things done, like cleaning up rooms, moving furniture, taking long walks, and reading news on things I enjoy? Well, digg.com helps you get the last part done, and how! Most of you might already be familiar with the Web 2.0-styled news giant, but for those of you who haven't stumbled upon it yet, be prepared for a treat! The site gets news articles from all over, with little blurbs from users. If you found the article enjoyable or useful, 'digg' it, so that it gets a higher ranking. You can pick from topics like Technology, Science, World & Business, Videos, Entertainment, and Gaming. You can even personalize your news preferences, view all news at once, and search for articles as well. Check it out!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.digg.com"><br /><img src="http://digg.com/img/badges/32x32-digg-guy.png" width="32" height="32" alt="Digg!" /><br /></a></span></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1159774666580024682006-10-02T12:47:00.000+05:302006-10-02T13:07:46.596+05:30I'm Back!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I'm not very sure how one goes about making a comeback on one's blog, especially when your reader base is, well, small. Still, I've always enjoyed writing for anyone who'll read, so here goes nothing.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.x-libris.dk/images/family%20matters%2085.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 156px;" src="http://www.x-libris.dk/images/family%20matters%2085.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Fiction</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> / <span style="font-style: italic;">Family Matters</span> by Rohinton Mistry</span></span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A poignant, personal and touching story about the trials and tribulations of the aging Nariman Vakeel and the various people whose lives he has touch</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">ed. The tale makes its way through avenues of grief, bylanes of mirth, and side-streets of intense drama. All the while, Mistry ensures that each character</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> creeps into your psyche, yanks out every ounce of feeling you've ever had and hands it to you wrapped in gilt-edged paper. Mistry</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">'s attention to detail is impeccable, and his understanding of the human mind and heart belies his age. His sensitivity draws you in, and his imagery alienates you, both deliciously so. The story ends with a touching epilogue which makes for a fitting finish to a masterpiece like this. A great read!<br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.qkns.com/Steely_Dan_aja.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 175px;" src="http://www.qkns.com/Steely_Dan_aja.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Music</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> / <span style="font-size:130%;">Steely Dan - <span style="font-style: italic;">Aja</span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I can't get over just how amazing Steely Dan is. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are some of the cleverest musicians to ever walk this earth. Aja, their 1977 alb</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">um, </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">features a bunch of 7 great tracks that showcase witty lyrics and fine songwriting, especially Josie and Black Cow. Steely Dan specializes in smooth jazz-pop; this album doesn't feature their now-signature horn section in all its glory, but the sound is full and warm, with great keys and guitars. Aja also sounds like the perfect forerunner to their more recent work, such as 2000's Two Against Nature.<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/62/63/30/10m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 100px; height: 126px;" src="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/62/63/30/10m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Film</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> / <span style="font-size:130%;">16 Blocks</span> / Directed by <span style="font-style: italic;">Richard Donner</span>, Starring <span style="font-style: italic;">Bruce Willis, Mos Def<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Easily one of my favourite suspense movies of all time, this 2006 flick follows retiring cop Jack Mosley's (Willis) last assignment: to transport a witness from a police station to the court where he will testify. However, there are lots of folks who don't want this witness to reach the court... ever. And they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Its up to Mosley to keep the nervous, edgy Bunker alive. I loved this!</span></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1147507524841479812006-05-13T13:27:00.000+05:302006-05-13T13:35:24.853+05:30More Web GoodiesSince my PC is on the blink, I've had to resort, of late, to using any damn system I can get my hands on. However, most of these don't have an IM or any music to listen to. For those of you who use MSN/ICQ/AIM/Yahoo! Messengers, there's hope yet: go to <a href="http://www.meebo.com">www.meebo.com</a> and sign in on your service(s) of choice, and chat easily. I love how my contact list is intact, complete with user groups too!<br /> As for music, last.fm offers the perfect solution. Just register (a very brief process), and download thier radio player. Then, you can search for music by tags or similar artists. The quality is pretty good, and works even on 64-kbps connections, skip-free. Give it a spin!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.last.fm"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://static.last.fm/media/lastfm_badge.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1145962924473000252006-04-25T16:17:00.000+05:302006-04-25T16:32:04.490+05:30Quick Firefox Tip<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As you might know (c'mon, you're one of 5 people who read my blog), I work for </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.deviantart.com">Deviantart Inc.</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, and there's a lot of PR work involved. This means that I have to frequently visit user pages, which have URLs like username.deviantart.com. Its a pain to type this over and over again, especially since I'm used to hitting </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Ctrl+Enter</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> for http://www.sitename.com (type sitename, hit </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Ctrl+Enter</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, and Firefox/IE will add the rest for you). Here's a trick you can use for deviantart pages, blogger blogs, and anything else with a similar URL type:</span><br /><br /><ul style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;"><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Click <span style="font-style: italic;">Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks > New Bookmark</span>.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">In the 'location' field, type '<span style="font-style: italic;">http://%s.deviantart.com</span>' or '<span style="font-style: italic;">http://%s.blogger.com</span>', without the quotes.</span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;">Add a keyword thats short and easy to type/remember. For deviantart pages, I use 'da'. So, to go to my page, i simply type 'da abe-x' (without quotes) and hit Enter. Similarly, for blogspot pages, I use 'bs'.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> </span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1144332923979291092006-04-06T19:20:00.000+05:302006-04-06T19:45:24.716+05:30PC Nightmare!<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.litestep.net">Litestep</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> is an excellent shell replacement for Windows, with a lot of nifty features and much room for customization. A shell (for those of you...) is something like a large program that runs many sub-programs within itself. Windows runs its own shell, explorer.exe, and Explorer runs all the sub-programs, like your browser, media player, etc.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> Now, I work for Deviantart.com as their Gallery Director for Skins & Themes, meaning I handle artist relations among those who create skins on this massive digital art community. This means checking out tons of skins, themes, dishing out advice, help, doughnuts, and what-have-you. Now, we accept submissions of Litestep themes, and one of them looked so good, I just had to try it. I also claim to be pretty adept with PCs, seeing as how I've been using them since I was this high. So I headed to the website, downloaded the installer, got my theme, and got down to work. Now, once you've got Litestep installed, you'll notice a different taskbar, your windows will look different, the way you access programs will change, and so on. The beauty of this is that you can configure it to work the way you want. It requires a lot of coding, but I just wanted to see what my PC would look like with that neat theme. I allowed Litestep to replace Explorer as my default shell.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> Once I applied the theme, however, the computer froze.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> So I rebooted it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> Then it said I needed to download some additional software in order to get Litestep working properly. But I couldn't do that, since my cable internet had to be logged into before I could be online. And this login box would show up only after I got past this download box, which only had the options 'Download' and 'Cancel'. So I hit 'Cancel'.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> Once I cancelled, I realized that if I didn't download that stuff, I wouldn't see any icons, taskbars, or anything that would allow me to use this computer. I would simply have to stare at a Litestep wallpaper. And cry.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> On my friend Sudhanva's advice, I tried starting up in Safe Mode, and Last Known Good Configuration, only to find that I would still have to deal with that download issue. I resembled a mime actor depicting loss, tragedy, betrayal and dumbfoundedness all at once. A low-rank mime actor at that.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> Finally, I decided to boot up normally one last time, and planned to just hit keys wildly till something worked out in my favour. I cancelled the download process that wouldn't happen, and hit Ctrl+Alt+Del, just like I had done so many times before. Then, I had a brainwave: Task Manager > File > Run > explorer.exe. </span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> This action opened up a folder view of 'My Documents'. I hastily redirected it to 'Desktop', which had a shortcut labelled 'Explorer as Shell'. I double-clicked, and regained my freedom, sanity, and my wonderful PC.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"> Moral of story: Don't try this at home. Not for n00bs! I wish Litestep had some kind of rescue button somewhere. Would have saved me a lot of pain. Ah, well...</span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1144157756362091112006-04-04T18:48:00.000+05:302006-04-04T19:05:56.413+05:30Chillout is the new Electronica<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I've discovered a lot of great new music over the past couple of months, that can loosely be generalized as 'Chillout'. I'm talking about downtempo world music, jazz-influenced pop, indie-rock-tinged electronica, latino-glazed-hip-hop and such. Its mostly very freestyle stuff, and I'm sure a lot of it falls under other genres too, and many movements. Still, you get the idea. Here are some artists I highly recommend (albums in parentheses):</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Nitin Sawhney (Philtre, Human, Prophesy)<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Zero 7 (Simple Things, The Garden)<br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">K-OS</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Air</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Bill Laswell</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Royksopp</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Cornershop</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Massive Attack</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Fiona Apple (Extraordinary Machine)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-weight: bold;">Talvin Singh (Ha)<br /></span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >I was introduced to many of these bands by a friend from college, who is half-Nepali, half-Indian, somewhat US-bred</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">, and well-versed in underground/dance/trance/house/groove/hip-hop and other such genres of music. Its amazing how much great music is out there, that is solely for the purpose of serving as the background score for your engaging in doing nothing. Don't get me wrong, these artists know exactly what they're doing; some of those I've mentioned above are very into fusing regional sounds with drum & bass, blips and bleeps, traditional beats and myriad strains of violin, organ, and samples. Hit up your Torrent client for some of this stuff, and I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised. Look up isohunt.com for 'Pure Chillout', a 40-track album that should give you a good idea of what I'm so excited about.</span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1143047805776737202006-03-22T21:44:00.000+05:302006-03-22T22:46:45.876+05:30movies.metal.mornings<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >movies<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/48/97/78m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 140px;" src="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/48/97/78m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a aiotarget="false" aiotitle="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/70/23/10/10m.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 113px;" src="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/70/23/10/10m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a aiotarget="false" aiotitle="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/83/32/84m.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 140px;" src="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/83/32/84m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a aiotitle="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/83/32/84m.jpg"> </a><a aiotarget="false" aiotitle="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/53/42/49m.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 95px; height: 140px;" src="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/53/42/49m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a aiotarget="false" aiotitle="" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ia.imdb.com/media/imdb/01/I/53/42/49m.jpg"> </a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Pink Panther</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> - Steve Martin / Directed by Shawn Levy <span style="font-style: italic;">(avoidable)</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Good Night, and Good Luck</span> - David Straithairn / Directed by George Clooney <span style="font-style: italic;">(fabulous)</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" >Se7en</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> - Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey / Directed by David Fincher <span style="font-style: italic;">(must-see)<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Memoirs of a Geisha</span> - Ziyi Zhang, Michelle Yeoh / Directed by Rob Marshall <span style="font-style: italic;">(good)<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">music</span><br /></span>I've been listening to a lot of alternative metal, which is actually very straight-forward 4/4 nu-metal with a tinge of noir. Still, its good music. Also some other stuff, here's a list:<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Dark New Day - Twelve Year Silence <span style="font-style: italic;">(good alt metal)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">10 Years - The Autumn Effect <span style="font-style: italic;">(very boring)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Lacuna Coil - Karmacode <span style="font-style: italic;">(almost as boring)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Joe Satriani - Super Collosal <span style="font-style: italic;">(similarly boring)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Eric Johnson - Bloom <span style="font-style: italic;">(smooooooth)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine <span style="font-style: italic;">(simply brilliant)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl <span style="font-style: italic;">(excellent indie-style Brit rock)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Mattias Eklundh - The Road Less Travelled <span style="font-style: italic;">(solo guitar wizardry)</span><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">36 Crazyfists - A Snow-Capped Romance <span style="font-style: italic;">(inventive hardcore)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Dave Navarro - Trust No One <span style="font-style: italic;">(alternative rock, not bad)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Helmet - Meantime <span style="font-style: italic;">(good, angry hard rock)</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">N.E.R.D. - Fly or Die <span style="font-style: italic;">(Hip-hop done right)</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As you can see, a lot of therefore are therfore justified when they say, 'I liked their old stuff better.'</span><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:130%;" >mornings<br /><span style="font-size:100%;">I need more sleep. Waking up is over-rated. I'd rather just close my eyes, and pretend to be surfing <a href="http://www.savagechickens.com">Savage Chickens</a>, a neat comic strip made on post-it notes. <a href="http://www.savagechickens.com/blog/2006/03/makeover.html">Here</a>'s one of my favourites from there. Good night, and good luck.</span></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1141920657339853752006-03-09T21:18:00.000+05:302006-03-09T21:40:57.410+05:30Worship her, she's French!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/7517/28m3zg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/7517/28m3zg.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /> ::Film:<br /><br />Alias Betty <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">(</span><strong><strong class="title">Betty Fisher et autres histoires)<br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span></strong></strong></span><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><strong><strong class="title"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Directed by Claude Miller, Starring Sandrine Kiberlaine, Nicole Garcia<br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: normal;font-size:100%;" >This is a fine French film, a wonderful story told in as bleak a manner as possible. It tells of the novelist Betty Fisher, who loses her son while her mother is in town to visit. Now what kind of mother would this woman be if she didn't replace the lost child with another one straight off the street? Betty's mum thinks so too, and in less than a day, Betty finds herself caring for another child. The kidnapping makes the local news, which causes a lot of trouible for the actual mother's boyfriend. Several other stories also surface, and each one is tied together with another, culminating in a grand, mind-boggling finish, one that satisfies, and also leaves one quite tongue-in-cheek indeed. Edouard Baer plays the bungling Alex Basato, a con-man living off his mistress. His character undergoes trials and tribulations of all sorts, and is sure to have you in splits.<br /> A very well-made film, with excellent camera work and a lot of great acting. The French sure know how to tell a story!<br /></span></span></span></strong></strong></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:arial;font-size:85%;" ><strong><strong class="title"></strong></strong></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1140543220799688222006-02-21T22:17:00.000+05:302006-02-21T23:03:40.860+05:30Paper StreetI just had my midterms last week, so I decided to de-stress by catching a few flicks:<br /><br /><br /><ul><li>Ira Mediyama (August Sun) - <i>Written and Directed by Prasanna Vithanage</i></li></ul><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The first Sinhalese movie I've ever seen, this film captures 3 stories that show the impact of war on the daily life of ordinary people in Sri Lanka. It did that quite well, but it failed to tie the 3 stories together, something the director kept stressing on. Other than that, this film was well shot, but the pace could have been quicker and more consistent. I guess you have to be Sri Lankan to truly appreciate it.<br /></span><br /><ul><li>Fargo / Directed by Joel Coen, Starring William H Macy</li></ul><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2904/661/1600/fargo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2904/661/400/fargo.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Absolutely wonderful! A really well-made noir film, about a man who hires criminals to kidnap his wife, so that his father-in-law can fork over a million dollars in ransom money, which he would take his own cut from. Unfortunately, things go wrong. Horribly wrong.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> Macy and Steve Buscemi put in very strong performances that make this film very special indeed. The dark humour wasn't lost on me, and I had a blast watching this. 5 stars!</span><br /><br /><ul><li>Fight Club / Written by Chuck Palahniuk, Directed by David Fincher, Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter</li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2904/661/1600/fightclub.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2904/661/400/fightclub.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Only the best film I've ever seen. I've seen it a few times before, but this time it really hit me: this is a masterpiece, one that should be preserved, shown at high schools all over the world, translated into as many languages as the Bible, and should be thrown in with your paycheck from work (just so you don't miss it). The book by Chuck Palahniuk is fantastic as well; I can't say which one is more impactful.</span><br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> This movie has a lot to offer to those who are looking for entertainment, flim-making ideas and inspiration, or even a purpose in life. The story is extremely well told, with scenes and dialogue that will stick to you like badly-made toffee. The tagline says it all: </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;">Mischief. Mayhem. Soap.</span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> Come get some!</span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1139162922326086272006-02-05T22:26:00.000+05:302006-02-06T13:12:59.800+05:30Living In The Past<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Jethro Tull was nothing short of perfect on the 3rd of February, as Ian Anderson and Co. belted out classics from the past 3 decades that made the group a force to reckon with. The premier progressive-folk-rock outfit played hits including 'Living In The Past', 'Aqualung', 'Thick As A Brick' and also renditions of pieces by Bach and Mozart in their own magical style. Anderson was in top form, displaying his mastery on the flute and on vocals. A true auditory treat for the 3000-strong (or so I believe) crowd present.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.thermalandaquarter.com">Thermal and a Quarter</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> opened the show, with a short and sweet set, beginning with Queen's 'Radio Ga-ga', and moving on their originals, including 'How Can I Get Your Groove', 'Bend The World', 'Paper Puli' and more. A great set, but I've seen TAAQ do better. All in all, a great experience.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Bangalorean Deviants met up today at the second B'lore devMEET, at the Garuda Mall Cafe Coffee Day, for a cuppa and conversation, and later on, lunch at Casa Picola. Pictures can be seen </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://flickr.com/photos/abhimanyu">here</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">. We had a good time, and I hope we'll meet up again soon. Feb 26th, whatsay? </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.deviantart.com">Deviantart.com</a>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1138814488676473342006-02-01T22:36:00.000+05:302006-02-01T23:57:07.103+05:30Whew!<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Well, the Forum Three Playfest 2006 is finally over. It was a great learning experience for me, scoring the music for 2 plays, plus playing a bit part in one of them. There are so many things an actor needs to keep in mind; not quite the cakewalk I imagined it to be. Anyhow, I'm sure I'm richer from the whole month-long exercise, and maybe I'll sign on to their upcoming projects as well. Three cheers! By the way, there are a few pictures <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abhimanyu/sets/72057594057554678/">here</a>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Music: </span>I've been listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">Charlie Parker</span>'s Jam Sessions, as well as <span style="font-style: italic;">Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Mars Volta, Galactic, Sonic Youth</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Primus</span>. All good, all very good.<br /> DevMEET coming up this Sunday, the 5th, at Garuda Mall's Cafe Coffee Day. Be there, or be elsewhere! Aditya Pandya aka <a href="http://iamlame.deviantart.com">iamlame</a> is expected (visiting our fair city to attend Unmaad 2006, the IIM-B fest). There's also the <span style="font-style: italic;">TAAQ + Jethro Tull</span> concert on the 3rd. Good times ahead!<br /></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1137574678574280812006-01-18T14:09:00.001+05:302006-01-18T14:27:58.586+05:30News<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Its been a while since I blogged, hasn't it? I've been really busy with two plays that Forum Three will be performing this month (see the <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://forumthree.blogspot.com">Forum Three Bulletin Board</a> for more information). I've been playing around with my digital camera and Photoshop CS some, too. Results will be up soon. For some plain-vanilla photos of the Ghoshals from this year, click the Flickr button to the right (or just go <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abhimanyu">here</a>, same difference).<br /> I've been listening to a lot of great music, including Thelonious Monk, Derek Trucks Band, John Mayer Trio, Gov't Mule, some Indian bands (Zero, Acquired Funk Syndrome, Pin Drop VIolence, Moksha, Motherjane), and the like. I'm hoping to get hold of the recently-recorded Caesar's Palace EP. They're a great new band that specializes in jazz-funk-rock</span>.<br /><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"> I don't know if I've mentioned this, but these days, I work. I write for the Sri Lankan magazine IT Times (see the December issue in PDF format <a href="http://indi.ca/wp-content/files/it-5-12.pdf"><span style="font-weight: bold;">here</span></a>), and I'm the Gallery Director (Skins & Themes) over at <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.deviantart.com">Deviantart.com</a>. Hectic, I tell you. Haven't watched any good movies in a while, but that will change as soon as this play-fest is over. Lots of stuff to do, come back next week for more. Cheers!</span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1136395754413861032006-01-04T22:51:00.000+05:302006-01-04T22:59:14.426+05:30MariaWell, Clara has been replaced, by a new Sony DSC S-60. Her name's Maria, and she's got similar features, save for a more petite LCD screen, and her buttons are a bit more dusky. Other than that, I love her very much. I'm going to make sure no one loses her, by taking several drastic precautionary steps, including making the current user wear a suit of velcro so as to be able to attach Maria to his/her body and not be able to misplace her.<br /> What have I been up to? Oh, not much. Sleeping, eating, taking in a few movies (that I don't think are worth mentioning, except for Green Street Hooligans - easily the worst I've ever seen). I'll gather up my thoughts soon and write something more coherent. Till then, y'all be nice to each other.Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1135184050080559542005-12-21T22:16:00.000+05:302005-12-21T22:24:10.096+05:30I'm hurting too much from my recent loss to write a bunch of concert reviews. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gangamma, Where Is My Pleasure?</span> placed 3rd at InBloom 2005, the annual inter-collegiate fest at Christ College. I'm absolutely stoked!<br /> Bands I saw over the past week: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Soulmate, Orange Street, Thermal and a Quarter, Zero, Pin Drop Violence, Junkyard Groove (winners of Strawberry Fields 2005), Panatella, Demonic Resurrection, Inviktus, Morrison Avenue</span>. Good stuff!Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1134472327551580962005-12-13T16:36:00.000+05:302005-12-13T16:42:07.563+05:30Gone...Our brand new digital camera is lost. Her name is Clara. If you see her (she's a Sony DSC-S90), please return her to her family. Thanks so much.<br /><br />Clara, I miss you already.Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1133882233492452952005-12-06T20:29:00.000+05:302005-12-06T20:47:13.646+05:30Flick Fanatic<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I attended the annual COMMITS Seminar, named Flickers, today. This year's focus <span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >was </span></span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >new trends in Indian Cinema, and featured Ashutosh Gowariker, Nagesh Kukunoor, Khalid Mohammed, Mahesh Dattani, and Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar as speakers. The first three filmmakers mentioned spoke at length about how they entered the world of cinema, what kind of films they make and want to make, and of course, their views on what Indian cinema will and should look like in the near future. All three were very impressive, during their individual addresses, question-and-answer sessions, and the joint discussion. They answered several key questions, including Nupur Basu's "Why don't you make films with strong political messages, seeing as how you have the power?" She should have thought things through before asking that one, in my opinion. Why should every filmmaker have a bloody message? Can't one simply tell a good story? Its going to be bloody difficult to make a movie in this country if its got to have a message. To each his own, ma'am. If these directors don't feel like making political films, they damn well won't.<br /> Mahesh Dattani explained the process of his shift from theatre to film, and how strange it felt. He also answered questions about his various works, adaptations and the like. I didn't stick around for </span><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;" >Nagathihalli, since he failed to hold my attention beyond a few minutes into his speech.<br /> All in all, it was an interesting seminar, but I felt that a few more topics on the subject of new Indian films could have been touched upon. For instance, whether multi-language films will be seen more frequently, the broadcasting of documentaries made in the country, and so on. Well, maybe next time. I had fun. Lots of folks had quirky accents, asked nonsensical questions, and one mate, after hearing Gowariker's speech, screamed out, "Mr. Ashutosh, before you leave, I just want to tell I LOVE YOU!" Fanatics will be fanatics...<br /></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1133707144023136492005-12-04T19:54:00.000+05:302005-12-04T20:15:42.363+05:30:: Update ::<ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now watching: Tim Burton's <span style="font-weight: bold;">Corpse Bride</span></span></span></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Now listening to: <span style="font-weight: bold;">Weather Report</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">The Jaco Years</span> (Jazz), <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mastodon</span> - <span style="font-style: italic;">Leviathan</span> (Metal)</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">Whats new? Hmmm... a lot, really. Firstly, its December, which is a good thing, especially this time of year. Secondly, I've been appointed Gallery Director - Skins & Themes over at <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/">Deviantart</a>. I'm really enjoying my new responsibilities. Plus I hope to buy some prints once I get paid (the 10th of every month, I hear)...<br /> Also, I'm now using xp, which runs a lot faster and smoother than win2k. I've also installed Photoshop CS, which is a joy to use. My friend Sudhanva was a godsend, patiently installing, reinstalling, formatting, and doing whatever else was required. So sweet!<br /> In real life, </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Gangamma, Where Is My Pleasure?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> competed at Campus Rock Idols, Bangalore. We didn't make it, but it was still fun taking to the stage again. We played Purple Haze, Alive, and Poundcake. We hope to have Matthews around to play bass once Strawberry Fields and InBloom are upon us (16-17 December, I think).<br /> Also, my dad and I picked up a couple of very neat gadgets, namely a PalmOne Zire31, and a Sony S90 Digital Camera. I love 'em both! I'm planning to take up photography classes next month or so, at college. On Tuesday, I'm off to <span style="font-style: italic;">Flickers</span>, a seminar on Indian Cinema. Speakers include Mahesh Dattani, Ashutosh Gowariker and others. I can't wait!<br /> Whats next for Abe? Only time will tell...</span><br /></span><br /></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1132746856158272772005-11-23T17:15:00.000+05:302005-11-23T17:24:16.160+05:30Working Man<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I've been working a couple of part-time jobs lately, including being a roadie (see related post below), and running a campaign for Lee Jeans Co. Proceeds go towards the POD XT Live, which I hope to pay off within the next 30 years. Its taking a while, but I'm sure I'll manage. Any work you guys got for me?<br /></span></span> <pre style="font-style: italic; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">I get home at five o'clock<br />And I take myself out a nice, cold beer<br />Always seem to be wonderin'<br />Why there's nothin' goin' down here<br /><br />Well, they call me the working man<br />I guess that's what I am</span></pre>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1132323339866122892005-11-18T19:39:00.000+05:302005-11-18T19:45:39.866+05:30Buttons, buttons, more buttons... and then some!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Well, this is primarily for my oh-so-techie family, who keep pestering me to let them know as and when I update my blog ("Beta, if you're going to spend time in front of that screen, we want to know what it is you're up to... and turn down that evil music!"). So there it is, a <span style="font-style: italic;">blogarithm</span> so you can be updated by email when this page has some new graffiti on it (anti-RIAA or otherwise). There you go, folks. And its not evil music, its just your everyday Scandinavian <span style="font-size:85%;">Death-Doom-Goth-Black-Symphonic-Power-Progressive-Speed-Thrash-Sludge-Stoner-Gore-Grind-Hardcore-Nu metal...</span><br /></span></span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9208511.post-1132147908853066052005-11-16T18:48:00.000+05:302005-11-16T19:01:48.876+05:30<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">A very rudimentary first recording featuring my Ibanez GAX30 and Line6 POD XT Live can be heard </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.uploading.com/?get=9ZN6RMJX">here</a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-weight: bold;">. Please let me know what you think. Cheers!</span>Abhimanyu Ghoshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313351393954146266noreply@blogger.com0