Tuesday, May 27, 2008

MESSY FALL OUTS FROM LOVE

Ok, so today I got my daily fix of celeb news. Seriously, I don't know why I do read these tabloids- on serious thought they are quite the waste of time. Anyway, Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards are having a very public fall out, and what a drama is being played out! The things that they tell the press is extremely shocking. Ah! maybe it is because of this desire to be shocked by the lives of others that I read these tabloids... shame on me!

These two were married and later underwent a messy divorce. They have two kids together I believe. So now they are unmarried to each other, if such a word even exists! And very irritated at each other. The object of my blog today, if you are wondering, is not to tell you about these two highly respected people. My intent is actually to ask a question- why do people who have been in love once later go on to hate each other equally well?!!!LOL

My guess is that living and spending time together brings out the worst in people. And unless one is ready to be unconditionally accepting, chances are that resentments will soon crop up. So the most reasonable question to ask now is, what are they doing together in the first place if they dislike each other so much? The reason is plain simple- they deceived each other. But before you start raising your eyebrow in condemnation, don't we all do it? Remember the ' first impression is the biggest impression' line that we so love to quote. Well, isn't that presenting the best side of ourselves to get into people's good books?

We will have to find a way to bridge the gap between impressions and honesty if we are to find lasting relationships. Of course one cannot go showing people one's worst traits for the sake of honesty! I hope that you have a great day and be blessed. oh, and always remember smoking kills!

Sunday, May 25, 2008

CARTOON STRIPS, KIDS, FLOWERS AND LAUGHTER



This morning's paper had a very delectable cartoon strip that made me laugh out loud. "Made my day!" is what I said out aloud. Then I realized that without giving much thought to it I had actually said something very true.

Life is quite a bundle of surprises. A lot of it unpleasant. However, sometimes all it takes is a simple laugh over small things to make life seem less unfair. I think that without things like cartoon strips, kids and flowers, the suicide rates would go up because there would be nothing good to offset the bad in life. What I mean to say is that we should not be ungrateful for the little things in life. These are after all what make life worth living. At the same time let us also give some thought to people who have been deprived of even these small life savers. Good morning and have a great day!

REGINA SPEKTOR



Meet Regina Spektor- singer and song writer par excellence. Unless you have been hibernating under a boulder in a remote part of the Amazon, you must have seen one of her videos on TV. Or have you?Let me not embarrass you any further by persisting with that question.

I wont waste time going on about her and how talented and inspiring she is. Suffice to say that currently she rocks my world! Just when I had been getting extremely disgusted with the current state of music, especially western, Regina came like a refreshing breeze on a God forsaken Saharan summer's day. How may I best describe her music... hmmm, lets just say that she is part musician and part enchantress.

The amount of stupidity one sees in today's musical scene is just puke inducing. Everyone is a rip off of someone else! Now, inspiration is one thing but plain imitation is very unacceptable in the world of art. Into this extremely bland and depressing situation, once in a while someone like Regina waltzes in and re-assures me that everything is not lost, not yet and not now. The words she chooses to give flesh to her music are so exquisite and simple that you can't help but nod in silent agreement. Sample this- " You are my sweetest downfall" from her song 'Samson'. If that's not poetry of life then what is? As one goes on living we realize that most things in life are ambiguous and, needless to say, inexplicable. This ambiguity and mystery is what Regina excels at presenting.

Being a Russian- American Jew, her songs have allusions to the Jewish culture and one can almost picture Bar Mitzvahs and passover feasts as one listens to her songs! The past and history are also things that characterize her song writing, lending to her an almost prophetic role. For isn't the future a repetition of the past, and isn't one who understands the past a seer of the future?

Too much description may ruin the fun of listening to someone as instinctive as Regina Spektor, so I suggest that you follow the link below and listen to my favorite song of hers 'Samson'. Immerse yourself in the music of life!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=p62rfWxs6a8

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

THE BEAST WITHIN THE BEAUTY!


Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to the classiest car you can ever own- The Porsche 911 Carrera S. Now I'm not one to start a debate but in case anyone disagrees, I say bring it on!

Why the Porsche 911 GT, you might ask. Well, I suggest you first take a look at the picture of the car at the top... That alone should make you a convert if you are not a believer already, but just in case, allow me to indoctrinate you. Sheer poetry in metal is what I call it. Admittedly there are some other awesome cars out there, still none of them quite fits the word 'classy' for me.

Take the Lamborghini Gallardo for instance. It's definitely eye candy and the specs are amazing with 520 HP, doing 0-100 in flat 3.7 seconds with a top speed of about 325Km/hr. A very good looking and powerful car, no doubt. But somehow it seems more suited to the rich bachelor with too much money and time on his hands- not very refined or matured if I may say so. Showy and brutish is what I feel it is, though it has it's own cult following.

The Porsce 911S on the other hand... A complete man's car. Take a look at the neat lines and the sleek curves- they speak refinement and class with every inch of the metal skin. Follow the contour as it slopes gently to meet the stylish head lights forming a wicked, yet composed, visage. The vents, oh the vents at the back! Makes a man feel like he is witnessing the birth of a masterpiece, and of course to me it is not unlike a Monalisa or a Van Gogh. The understated elegance of the car lends itself to so many roles; hard and fast in an instant turns into feline and graceful. Just take a look at the car. It neither screams decadence and delinquency, nor does it announce old wealth that is, well, old. A perfect blend of power with class and style!

The specifications are also awe inducing. Try this 0-100 in 4.8 seconds! A top speed of 293 Km/h, and running with 355 horses! Those specs would make any motor enthusiast salivate with lust! If you are one of those people who can see nothing but specs just follow the link http://www.porsche.com/middle-east/models/911/911-carrera-s/featuresandspecs/

Granted it's not as fast as the Bugatti Veyron. But remember we are talking about the classiest and not the fastest. Anyway, who'd want to drive around in a car that'd literally kill you with it's speed and burns fuel like it was on anabolic steroids! Lets face it the Veyrons and it's ilk are for the race course or the quiet countryside with miles of lonely tarmac to devour; not everyday cars in any sense.

The wooing would not be complete without seeing a 911S in motion! It's one thing seeing the car in standstill, breathtaking though it still is. It's an entirely different thing seeing it in motion! Man, I feel like owning one would almost equate nirvana for any normal hormonally charged male! The interiors are no mean feat either with leather upholstery and top quality fitments with the latest sat nav and all the goodies you might want in your dream car. The other variants like the 911GT are faster but something about the S appeals to the gentleman and rogue inside of me. You get what I mean...

At 83,800$ in the US it is definitely not cheap, but you can't expect a Michelangelo worthy masterpiece for peanuts. If a person has to have the classiest car ever I suggest that you beg or steal but make it a point to own one of these beauties before you croak. If not the car at least try to get a hold of the Porsche logo, it's still got more class than a Tata ever will!Happy motoring!

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

WISE NONSENSE!

"If only children knew that grown ups were mostly pretending to be grown up, they'd not be in such a hurry to grow up!"

WAGYU-THE JAPANESE ANSWER TO CAVIAR



Caviar, the eggs of the beluga sturgeon fish from the Caspian sea, is considered as one of the most expensive food along with truffles. At around 1400$, or 56,000 rs, per kilogram it is a food that very few people can afford. Commanding such astronomical prices puts it in the category of novelty or luxury foods. The Japanese can also lay claim to having an entrant in this high price and high demand class of food. Their answer to the caviar- Wagyu or Kobe beef.

The Wagyu cattle were first reared in special farms in Japan but due to their popularity they are now reared in specific places all over the world. One might be led to think that if it's such an expensive meat why not rear it everywhere. However, matters are not so simple or clearcut. For one the wagyu cattle need a very large area to pasture on. Secondly the climate and weather conditions also affect the quality of the beef. Thirdly the process involved in raising the cattle is both grueling and intensive. Picture this- the cattle are fed with beer and sake and given a massage with sake or japanese beer every single day! Each one of those cattle gets a massage everyday, that's one too many than I get! :-) Makes a person feel quite devalued LOL.The methods that are used to breed these cattle are also knowledge intensive and accumulated through generations of experience, so needless to say it's not everyone's fare. Despite being reared all over the world the Japanese Kobe is most prized.

Now for the price! A single Wagyu cattle was sold for a record 250,000 $! That's around 1 crore rupees! enough to buy a Lamborghini Gallardo or build a nice home! And remember these are not meant for racing; they are simply food... Not every cattle is sold for so much though, but still the average price of a Wagyu cattle is around 10 to 20 thousand dollars which still works out to around 6 lac rupees. To give you a better idea they are selling burgers with Wagyu beef in the US that cost 40$ or 1600 rupees, enough to feed a person for a month in Asia!

Now even though I like my beef quite a bit, I can neither afford to buy Wagyu nor am I so inclined. I'd rather get myself a porsche 911 instead if I had the money to spend 250,000$ on an animal! However if I have a chance to try some I'll let you know how it went, but needless to say it must be quite the gastronomic experience!

Monday, May 19, 2008

SOLO DUET?!!

The title I chose for today's entry is self-contradictory to say the least. Musically, the word duet means a vocal presentation performed by two voices, while solo refers to one person's act. But no, I have not lost my grammatical bearings, neither am I in rebellion against music. I am referring to an amazing person named Nick Pitera, an aspiring singer. The dude can sing in two voices! And what's even more amazing is his ability to switch between voices effortlessly. This description alone is not enough to present his talent. Though there are a good number of his videos on Youtube, I suggest that you watch him singing ' A whole new world', from Diseny's Alladin, in a duet with himself! Just follow the link below.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-CS2v8wcc