NOSE-SENSE

Finally got that Issey Miyake perfume you always wanted? Congratulations! Now lets get on with the know how...

Did you know that like any other thing of value, perfumes also need to be treated well? Even if you buy the most exquisite perfume, without proper care it can lose it's quality and become just 'another' perfume. There are a few simple things that you can do to keep that prized bottle going on and on...

1. The first thing is to keep it in a place that's neither too cold nor too hot. A closet that's well aired from time to time would be ideal.

2. The second, and perhaps the least known fact, is that perfumes should not be exposed to sunlight. The effect of sun light on perfume is disastrous and is far worse than the effect of heat or cold. Experts suggest keeping your perfume in a dark area to avoid any loss of it's scent.

3. The correct way to wear perfume is on your pulse points, such as the neck, wrist, back of your ears. The most popular spots are perhaps the back of the ears and the neck. The reason for this is that perfumes react to body heat and your pulse points generate moderate warmth that allow your perfume to find it's base notes. This subject of top notes and base notes in perfumes is a whole new area again. But contradictory to what some people say, there is nothing like the real smell and the fake smell. Both the top notes and the base notes are as equally a part of the perfume as the other. It's just the progression from one to another that takes some time.

4. Like wine, perfumes are also known to mature and get better with time. So an investment in a good perfume makes long term sense.

5 The best time to spray on the perfume is evidently after a bath when the skin is still moist.

I think that should suffice. Ok, another thing is that the same perfume may react differently on different people; it may smell better on some people than on others. The reason is complex, but one word to explain it is pheromones. Yes, the same pheromones that are claimed to dictate the attraction quotient of people. That's a whole new science again so I wont veer into that territory. You're just plain lucky or unlucky!

Right now I am using a Roberto Cavalli perfume and a Dior 'Higher' body spray, both of which are musky and rather woody. I am getting bored and will most probably switch to Hugo Boss orRalph Lauren. I'll give you a review as soon as I get either of them. People have different takes on perumes: some say that perfumes make you more attractive while others prefer the natural smell. But as far as I am concerned I find a woman who smells good extremely desirable, and so I try to return the favor as well!LOL. Have a wonderful weekend!

SENNHEISER MX 550 AND PHILIPS HP 200 REVIEWS

Like I announced in my last post, my MX550 gave up the spirit. SO I was forced to find a replacement for it pronto since I need my music dose, like absolutely! I had narrowed down my search to the Philips SHP 5400 after reading reviews about it on the net. The reason was that I cannot afford a Shure headphone right now, which would set me back by at least 10000 bucks or 250$. Another reason was that it is supposed to deliver a huge bang for a decent price; around 1800 rs.

So me being who I am( read an impatient man who's too quick to the trigger, or wallet if you'd like) I went out to get a look at this headphone. But sadly the first store I went to had the SHP2500 and the SHP 8900, but not the model I was looking for. So I called up my good friend Ato and went headphone hunting to Connaught Place, only to find that the shops were downing their shutters, It was around 9pm already. Dejected we headed back and promptly drowned our sorrow in some good chinese food.

The next day I got up early and headed to another market place to give it another shot. Sadly here too the desired model was not to be found. On inquiring I learned that it has not been launched in the Indian market yet. Sucked totally! Finally I decided to get something with which I could make do for the moment and later, when I have money to spare, get a high end Sennheiser or Shure instead. Thus I ended up buying the Philips HP200 for a decent price, around 850rs or 20$.

I intended to introduce you to my newest purchase but after much thought I have decided to give you a short review about my last earphone and the current one. Let me start with the Sennheise MX 550.

SENNEHISER MX 550
The Sennehiser MX 550 is an in ear model. It has pretty much the regular look, though I found the buds larger than the normal ones; people with small ears would perhaps like to give it a try before buying one. It's supposed to have a bass wind technology that increases the bass response. It comes with a pair of ear cushions, which incidentally improves sound, but tends to wear out within a few months too. So getting an extra pair, if possible, would be a sound idea. It comes with a wind up case that keeps the phones dust free and safe when not in use. The wire seemed to be a bit too short for my liking. The phones also has a volume control thingy on the wire length itself, quite helpful with IPods and MP3 players that are tucked away into your pants or bags.

Coming to the sound, it punches well above it's weight! Like most other audio speakers it needs to be given some time to break in. This means that at first it may disappoint, but after about a week of usage the sound improves dramatically. The bass is pretty good for an earphone, though for the real bass and lows it cannot touch a full sized headphone. The highs are also pretty well balanced. The best thing about it though was the excellent mid reproduction- something that many fuller sized headphones cannot claim. As a result the vocal in both music and movies are very defined and well balanced. The level of detailing was also very impressive with smaller details such as small percussions that you cannot even hear in other earphones, being re produced very efficiently. Over all the word I'd use to sum the listening experience is well balanced and involving.

Now to the negatives. I discovered that after the ear pads wore out the highs became too shrill! As a result prolonged usage began to hurt my ears. The bass too is not at par with higher end phones. But then at this price range you cannot nit pick. The volume control on the wire has to be used sparingly otherwise it tends to develop faults later. As regards the durability, I used it for around a year and a half, so definitely not fragile. And believe me I am not the most gentle guy around with stuffs! If you are looking for a very decent upgrade from your Ipod supplied ones this is a hell of an investment. The sound will improve dramatically I can assure you.

PHILIPS HP 200
I have used these only for a few days and so I am not taking into account the break in factor, but I am guessing that the sound will not change radically even if it does. These are full sized headphones that are made of plastic; thankfully not very cheap looking though. The cans came with a 2 M lenth of wire that are thick and seem to be sturdy. Not many extras, but you wouldn't be expecting them anyway at this price. It came with an extra jack though for larger sized 6.3 mm using players, though I suspect that it's aimed at the amateur sound technicians and DJs. The cans swivel 180 degree, another one for the wannabe DJ I presume.

Coming to the sound, it's OKish in certain areas, very good in others and disappointing in some. The most prominent feature is the huge bass response. Like you'd expect from a full sized headphone it does a good job with the bass department, but surprisingly enough it even seems to do a good job with the lows; and here I don't mean the booms that many people associate with bass. I am instead referring to the extreme lows that you can hear in Orchestral music, provided your speakers are good. So that was a positive surprise, The highs also are pretty well delivered though there is a lack of finesse in this department. Kinda like how an Ipod and a chinese Mp3 player both do the same job, but one has more punch to it. Thats the good bit, now for the bad...

The mids are extremely disappointing, and considering that the mid range is where all the detailing usually is I am not a fan at all! As a result vocal reproduction is bland and lacks class in both music and movies. Things that are essentials where the listening experience is concerned for me. Not the headphones I'd recommend for people who are looking for a real audiophile experience, but as a filler for the time you are waiting for those high end phones I'd say it's an Ok buy. As for me I guess I'll have to lower my audio standards for some time and tolerate this can for a few months. Sigh!

Well, thats all about my headphone hunting experience. I'll keep you posted if there is any miraculous improvement in the quality of the sound. But I wouldn't bet on it if I were you!LOL. Take care Y'all and if you are into Violin listen to Paganini's 24Caprices. Lovely!

Alas! it beats no more!

Very sadly I announce that after a year and more of steady service it has finally given in to the demands of physics. My Sennheiser MX550 earphones are no more! Just an hour ago it lost it's growl and went out with a squeak...

Very faithfully it played it's part with precision and single minded dedication- now it lies in a sorry loop on my table, quite lifeless. Ah! But all things must come to an end, still as a testimony I vouch for it's unbeaten record and durability. Among many other myriad mishaps it suffered a most grievous accident when by some quirk it found itself on the floor, and had to be subjected to the humiliation of being dragged underneath the door. But after salvaging it's remaining pride it put up a brave front and continued thumping and grooving in my service. For more than a year thence it added quality to my otherwise uneventful life. Now with it's untimely departure I feel like I've lost a faithful friend and... please bear with me while I compose myself and force back these potentially embarrassing tears.

Now like all journeys in life the old must give way to the new. And thus I find myself in the most unsavory position of having to read endless reviews on the net before I finally go and lighten my wallet by a substantial degree! The MX550 were reasonable at around 1600 rs but now with it's unexpected retirement I feel pressured to upgrade to a better pair of cans; and this time I might as well go with a full sized headphone. It will give me a broader field to enjoy both my music and movies- despite my grief a not so undesirable situation really!

I had concluded that I'd need to spend at least 3000 bucks on a Sennheiser again but i read some reviews that have given my wallet some hope. The Philips SHP 5400 is reportedly a giant killer- at a bargain price. And like someone once said no other word makes an Indian as deliriously happy as the word 'bargain'! So tomorrow I'm gonna go and try to get a hold of one of these for a live review. They are said to cost around 2000 bucks but availability is going to be an issue since a lot of people seem to like them; surprisingly even audiophiles too who usually steer clear of anything outside the world of Shures and Grados.

After I've made my purchase I'll let you guys know how the relationship has taken off. I'll make sure to post some pictures too. Till then keep praying for success in my endeavor and if you have time a moment's silence please in memory of my dearly departed MX550.

" He bawled with agony- that thing of aural beauty,
yet, with it's last cry it sang- ah, surely a song consigned to posterity!"

Breathe in breathe out

While rushing through a typical day of endless 'busyness', I paused to think, and I realized that the average person hardly has time to breathe. For some reason we seem to have become so preoccupied with being always engaged that even breathing becomes secondary. You'd probably ask how in the world would we be still alive without breathing. Well, read on...

Scientists say that the human child is born with an innate ability to breathe correctly. Breathe correctly? you might ask. Yes. During the course of growing up we have become used to breathing in a shallow manner through our mouth but that's no way to breathe. The correct way to breathe is through our noses; that's where the hair in the nose comes into play and filters out dust and unwanted particles. And the focus of the breathing should not be the chest but the stomach. Vocal experts say that when a person breathes correctly one should be able to feel one's rib cage expand; this means that we are breathing with our diaphragm. And now exhale through the mouth.

Ok, but what's so important about breathing? you might ask. Think of it carefully, how long would you survive without air? They say a person can survive more than a week without food, about three days without water and- yes, barely three minutes without air, that too with practice! Air is what drives all the organs of our system, and most importantly what keeps our central nervous system working efficiently. So then do you still think that I've been making a mountain out of a mole hill?

It needs getting used to- breathing properly I mean. But what one can do is devote at least ten minutes to breathing properly before the start of the day. I assure you that you'll be feeling fresh and ready to face the day before you can say the words get go!

The simplest exercise would be to sit still, some recommend sitting cross legged but I say just be comfortable but keep your spine straight, and start breathing slowly but deliberately through your nose. Once your diaphragm feels full, hold the air and count till ten. Now slowly release it through the mouth. Do this for the next ten minutes and follow through with stretching exercises. This should be enough but in case you need other variations there are many sites on the web that will give you a quick guide; just Google for them:-) A wonderful tool, this Google! Remember though that it's not just a ten minute affair; it must become a lifestyle habit to become truly effective in our lives.

Well, I'll leave you with this this morning. I hope that y'all have a great day! Ciao'

Start an affair today!

Partick Swayze danced his way into his heroine's heart in 'Dirty Dancing', and in the process set off a dance craze. 'Grease' established John Travolta as a dance icon. Why am I going on and on about dance? Well, it's certainly not because I can dance; tell you the truth, I cannot dance to save my life! The popular expression, 'two left feet', fits me to the T...

But my inability to dance aside, I admire people who can dance. I lay a huge premium on control. I believe that life is a struggle for control- a battle that's already lost in my opinion, but still one that decides how a person lives his life. But more than control I admire instinct- that beautiful ability to react without thinking. Dancing is part control and part instinct. Unless a person is able to control his/her body and also be a being of instinct at the same time, dancing either becomes mechanical or plain silly! Which one of these traits I lack I have yet to find out.

When I look at a dancer, especially a female, I see a confidence and fluidity in their movements. An awareness of the body that transcends the normal. And cumulatively an awareness of the world too.

Now, while not everyone can become a flamenco star or rock the dance floor like Michael Jackson, it is possible for everyone to become aware of their own body. The lack of fitness that the media loves to bemoan is caused in no small measure by the lack of awareness of one's body. Just as most people live their whole lives without realizing who they really are, we can live our whole lives inside our body without understanding it. All it takes is honesty and a little hard work. However, a great body does not necessarily signal awareness. What does instead is a consistent relationship with it- a daily affair with yourself.

We may choose different methods- weight lifting, aerobics, the martial arts or pilates. The exercises themselves do not unite us with our body; it is a combination of the action and the thought. If we achieve this balance not only do we become physically aware and confident, but our whole level of interaction with the world would also change for the better. Get to know yourself; start an affair today.

THE END OF MUSIC AS WE KNOW IT?

Music has changed radically since the days of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky to the state it is in today. Some would argue that the change has been for the worse. Whatever the case it has inarguably changed, and so have it's mediums.

On careful consideration though, it seems to have come full circle. First, without the existence of audio technology, obviously the only way for people to hear music was live. Then came Vinyl records, followed by tapes and CDs and then came the low key mini discs to todays HDCDs and Mp3s. Now the way it is headed is towards live performances again.

Music as we have come to know it is about to change completely. The biggest reason is that omnipresent and almost omniscient phenomena- the internet. Because of the growth of digitalization of music and the proliferation of P2P( Peer to peer, a way of sharing files online) the perception of music has become totally re oriented. A vast majority of people with internet access prefer to download music from the internet- for free!

The corporates tried to fight this phenomena; remember apple pushing for DRM( Digital rights management)? But the overwhelming voice of the people spoke loud and clear, drowning Apple's right brigade. Now Apple has all but turned around from it's previous stance and made music from it's Itunes store compatible for any music player. A true instance of the people's trend deciding the flow of business.

In these circumstances how can the artistes be unaffected? The days when artistes could make millions through the sale of CDs and tapes is now a thing of the past. Even before the albums are officially released the music of even biggies are being leaked online for anyone with an internet connection to download absolutely free! Madonna's latest album 'Hard Candy' was leaked onto internet P2P sites almost weeks before the official release. The obvious had thus occurred; artistes are now turning to live concerts to rake in the moolah!

The latest news in the music world is Jay Z's reported 150 Mil$ deal with Live Nation, the concert promoters. This closely folows the deals with U2 and Madonna. This deal gives Live Nation the right to all of Jay Z's records and concert appearances for the next decade. While this will obviously raise Jay Z's financial health to dizzying heights, it also has very subtle, but nevertheless very obvious messages.

The first thing is that the music industry seems to have finally accepted the inevitable instead of fighting it. Jay Z was the CEO of Def Jam records, and when the CEO of a record company jumps ship to sign a deal of this nature the music industry better be listening- and well too!

Secondly it signals the trend that's gonna become the norm in the future- artistes giving away materials themselves and earning through ad revenues and live concerts. Take the example of Coldplay, the mega British band, that recently gave away music from it's new album 'Viva LA Vida' for free on their site for a week. Or Radiohead who gave away their entire album online while leaving it to the listener's to decide how much they wanted to pay... While the experiments were not total successes they are definitely a hint of what's to come.

Thirdly, and most importantly, the future of music is going to be closely linked with the growth of unconventional mediums of distribution. Myspace for example, the phenomena that created stars like Colbie Caillat and Plain White Ts. It was extremely radical and unconventional when it started, with many pooh pooing it. But today it's one of the biggest revenue generators on the net with unlimited influence on the music industry.

Where music is going to be a few years from now certainly boggles the mind given the speed with which trends are changing. Whatever the case the obvious gainers are going to be the consumers of music who seem to be getting everything their way right now! Have a great day Y'all!

SOMETHING FOR THE MUSIC LOVERS

Hey people! How's everyone's weekend been? Me, I've been developing my inner peace by staying home and lazing around, yeah, that's sure to give me peace! :-)

So I've something to share with you all. I am an ardent Youtuber and when I'm online I'm usually loitering around Youtube premises; they cant arrest me for that, can they? Ok whatever, so I was scrounging around Youtube when I came across this amazing singer. She's pretty, dresses cool, has an amazing voice, and to top it all she's just 11!

I know there are many child singers out there. Some very good, I have to admit. However, usually while I like their vocal techniques and their pitch is correct, I have nothing much to say about the voice. In this case though, I love the voice that comes out of that pretty face! There's this other singer named Charice who is also pretty amazing for a 15 year old, but somehow I find her voice a little fake... Don't sue me for saying that. Nora Foss Al Jabri, thats her name, on the other hand has such a rich voice! I prefer using the imagery of rich olive oil to describe her voice. It's fluid, warm and amazingly mature without coming across as pretentious.

I'm posting a youtube link to her rendition of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' from the musical 'The wizard of Oz' soundtrack. Diggg itttt!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MfunMfOPYOk&feature=related