Our Voice

Dio

We're An Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune

"Listen! Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony. Well, but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you! I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!"

the THE Dude

Met the real dude today! He was buying a salad at Mrs.Winston's! Jeff Dowd's the dude. Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski's character was loosely based on this guy by the Coen Brothers. I'd say, "The Dude Abides."

Scared Shitless!

This is a must see fim / documentary for every single teenager, irrespective of country, race, rich or poor who thinks he/she is invincible. It's a simple fact of life, you cross the line, you're going down. Crime does not pay. This documentary is a hard look at what happens in prisons; the systematic decline of the human mind subjected to extreme conditions. Loss of freedom and the ability to live without looking over your shoulder are just a premonition at what follows on the inside of a 30 foot wall enclosed supermax facility.

A group of convicts in NJ got together in the late 1970s, decided to reach out and help control juvenile crime. They called themselves 'the Lifers.' These convicts were either serving life sentences or a minimum of 25 years for crimes varying from armed robbery, battery to murder in the first degree. The amazing fact and motive for these felons was to show juveniles the uglier side of prison life by inducing fear which would change the otherwise glorified image of prison time. Hosted by Danny Glover and Peter Falk this film contains a recording of one such session in 1978 where convicts came face to face with juvenile delinquents and gave them hard talk. Anybody who watches or has watched this documentary will know what I mean by hard talk.

The film then goes on to show snippets of interviews that took place in 1988, ten years later and a second set of interviews after an additional 10 years. These interviews feature the same convicts as well as the kids who were present in the first recording. It's amazing to see how 80% of the juveniles decided to turn their lives around; get jobs or go to school and stop commiting crime. The downside are the few who were unflinched by the experience and went on to become full time criminals. All in all Scared Straight is an amazing piece of docurama which endorses an extreme yet effective way to correct the wrongful notions of crime glorification.

58 Years Of Independence. Jai Hind!

|| Vande Mataram ||
sujalaaM suphalaaM malayaja shiitalaaM
SasyashyaamalaaM maataram ||
Shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM
pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM
suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM
sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM ||
Koti koti kantha kalakalaninaada karaale
koti koti bhujai.rdhR^itakharakaravaale
abalaa keno maa eto bale
bahubaladhaariNiiM namaami taariNiiM
ripudalavaariNiiM maataraM ||
Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma
tumi hR^idi tumi marma
tvaM hi praaNaaH shariire
Baahute tumi maa shakti
hR^idaye tumi maa bhakti
tomaara i pratimaa gaDi
mandire mandire ||
TvaM hi durgaa dashapraharaNadhaariNii
kamalaa kamaladala vihaariNii
vaaNii vidyaadaayinii namaami tvaaM
Namaami kamalaaM amalaaM atulaaM
SujalaaM suphalaaM maataraM ||
ShyaamalaaM saralaaM susmitaaM bhuushhitaaM
DharaNiiM bharaNiiM maataraM |

Documents reveal British plan to kill Netaji

In one of the most startling revelations since independence, a historian from Trinity College has presented documentary evidence that the British Foreign Office had ordered the assassination of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in 1941. Netaji's family in Kolkata briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the revelations before making the documents public on the eve of Independence Day.

The assassination was ordered on March 7, 1941 when Netaji was in hiding in Kabul after escaping virtual house arrest in Kolkata. The order was reconfirmed in June. The assassination was to be attempted in Turkey, a country Bose was expected to pass through on his way to Germany.

Evidence found
Professor Eunan O'Halpin of Trinity College, Dublin, found evidence of the assassination orders at the Public Records Office in London. "As far as I know, he was the only significant political leader in any colony fighting British colonization, who was explicitly targeted for assassination," said O'Halpin.

"Now the reason he was targeted is because of his intentions to not simply lead India out of the empire, but to do it by force and in conjunction with the Axis," the professor added. The professor disclosed his findings publicly for the first time at a lecture at Netaji Research Bureau in Kolkata on Sunday.

Rare find
Netaji's grand-nephew and Harvard historian Sugata Bose said that the papers are a rare find because most documents about Netaji are still classified and references to him are largely blanked out in the few papers that have been made public. "Part of the reason why we have found this dramatic revelation is that the assassination decision is actually listed under Turkey, because that was where the assassination was going to take place," said Sugata.

"Clearly whoever was reading through the Turkish papers did not see the enormity of what was being suggested in relation to an Indian political leader," he added. Netaji never went to Turkey. He reached Berlin via Moscow.

Not only do the documents reveal the Netaji assassination plot, they also suggest assassination was official British policy to quell rebellion in the colonies and that Netaji may not have been their only target.

Monideepa Banerjie
(source: NDTV.Com)

Mr.Reznor, Lost In Translation

Photo from NIN.com, tag from NinHotline.net

The Old Days. Better Days

"So here it is finally - (after much laziness on my part) the most pirated album in the history of India Rock is now out on CD.

I can still remember meeting Samir Chadha (then A&R manager at CBS) at Rang Bhavan, in 1988, where he offered us a recording contract for our first album. The budget for the entire recording was the staggeringly enormous figure of Rs. 30,000.

One month of recording (and hagging after which Samir grudgingly agreed that CBS would pay for our lunch during the sessions), we released Rock 'n' Roll Renegade and for the first time audiences in India started accepting an Indian band playing it's own material.

"Top of the Rock" & the title song "Rock 'n' Roll Renegade" became anthems of rebellious rockers all over India. By the time we finished, we would spend 16 YEARS together - recording (drinking), performing (more drinking) and more drinking (still more drinking) 40 cities in India and concerts in the USSR, UK, USA and the Middle East.

In the making of this CD, I had to transfer the old masters from analog 1/4" to DAT and then to computer. At first I thought I would remaster it but when I heard it, the recording sounded so fresh and yet so nostalgic that I decided to leave it exactly as it was. Actually, designing and printing the packaging at home took almost as long as getting the audio part together. It's been a fun project and a labour of love. I hope it's worth the wait!"

Zubin Balaporia (Keyboards - Rock Machine/Indus Creed)

Thank you!

The Engineering Twins

Alas! The stage is set. The seed has been sown. Two aspiring engineers will try to reclaim what is their birth right as they climb the rungs of this office's ladder. In my last days here, as an unsuccessful high profile architect, viz consultant, graphic design assistant, network supporter and nonplussed pig, I will let my shorts drop. As of August 19th, the demons would have been exorcised. No after tastes or hearburns.

You have previously made aquaintance with Alex, the komodo dragon from Rancho Cucamonga, the fear factory from Fontana, who bleeds liquid tortilla and shits Coca Cola crown caps. Now it is time for me to introduce two more additions to the Santa Monica mob, the Nowhere family after I was pinched last week. It will be a graceful exit as I take my final bow and leave the stage comforting my buttcheek that's been hurting. To the left is K Gandhi, the bovine from Buffalo, NY and to the right is Pete, the canine from Berkeley, CA. The Engineering twins. That doesn't mean that they listen to triphop or have stubby buttonholes that look alike. They are engineers with a deep dish caliber interest in type V framing. Atleast, thats what they do here at work, when not developing a sign language for squirrels seeking citizenship.

Pete's a engg student at UC Berkeley who'd taken up studies after several attempts at being a superhero. His alter-ego was supposed to be Plumber-Boy. The weapon of choice was a self-adjusting wrench with which he intended to perform amazing super human tasks like eating hotdogs and running blue lines. Or pigging out at Mongolian barbeques. Unfortunately, the attempts were unsuccessful because his idea of saving the world was suggesting lunch at Mongolian barbeques, time and time again, every friggin' day. He joined the team last November, worked during the hoilday season and then returned to school. He's now back with a vengeance and this time around he's promised to successfully convince Alex at changing his sexual orientation and switching from Diet Coke to Cherry Coke. Good luck PETE! Godspeed, my good friend!!

Kavin on the other hand is a guy from my city, Mumbai. The last name's Gandhi, full name's Kavin Gandhi. Violence is his middle initial and 'coolman' is his vibe. Gandhi was freezing his nuts off in Buffalo while working towards a Engg masters after a failed attempt at writing lyrics and being R Kelly's other partner. He'd messed up the lyrics for 'I believe I can fly' by calling it 'I believe I can unzip my fly.' Gandhi has since joined our office and spends time learning framing from Pete and the boss when he's not bargaining market values of fresh produce over his flipflop-fone.

And so, those are the engineering twins, say 'hello' people! They're inseperable at the moment, taking smoke breaks together and even deciding the fate of 2x4's in the blink of an eye. When that's not going on, they're busy harassing the heck outta Alex by emptying his sparkling water bottles and filling it with water. Just last week they decided to bug Eddie, but decided otherwise in the nick of time after realizing he had a third nipple. I'm leaving the office in their caring hands.. I hope they do justice to this circus!

Just A Recurring Thought

"Fucking Quintana! That creep can roll, man..."

" I see you rolled your way into the semis. Dios mio, man. Liam and me, we're gonna fuck you up."

"Yeah well, you know that's just, like uh, your opinion, man."

"Let me tell you something, pendejo. You pull any your crazy shit with us, you flash a piece out on the lanes, I'll take it away from you and stick it up your ass and pull the fuckin' trigger till it goes 'click'."

"You said it, man. Nobody fucks with the Jesus!"

" What's this day of rest shit? What's this bullshit? I don't fuckin' care! It don't matter to Jesus. But you're not foolin' me, man. You might fool the fucks in the league office, but you don't fool Jesus. This bush league psyche-out stuff. Laughable, man -- ha ha! I was gonna fuck you in the ass Saturday. I fuck you in the ass next Wednesday instead. Wooo! You got a date Wednesday, baby!"

"It's like what Lenin said... you look for the person who will benefit and ...uh, uh... you know, uh... I am the walrus."

No More Hiding Or Disguising Truths I've Sold

It's been eleven years, since I bought a cassette; an EP by Alice In Chains. It's called Jar of Flies. The album was released in Spring of 1995. Those were troubled times for me. My first year at school was a disaster, following my effort to stay afloat with my courses and have fun at the same time. Does that sound logical? I know it doesn't! It was a different world, back then. I didn't have the sense of responsibility as I slackened away in my second semester and I had to pay a heavy price. I don't regret it. Although I've missed the starting gun, I'm catching up.

Right now I am listening to 'I stay away' and I can recall how many times I'd rewind and play this song while riding the bus back home from my tutoring sessions. Other than having lost a crucial amount of time in my life, I had also failed math. Heh. The chapter on advanced statistics never really drove home. And so, the tutoring for understanding the finer points of math coupled by the frustration of my peers moving on and me getting left behind were the only thoughts of those days. 'Don't follow' was another track that I'd play repeatedly.

My dearest uncle, God bless his soul, helped me get back on track. He is not with us anymore. I still mourn his untimely demise. He didn't deserve to die that way. I can never forget those gloomy afternoons and evenings, staying home to study while the rains poured and inundated Mulki. He'd sit next to me reading a newspaper and sometimes advice me on how to work more efficiently and prioritize one's decisions. Can't believe its been so many years since. So much has happened, so many things have changed. I don't know if it would be right to say that I've come out stronger. I am still sensitive to abrupt changes and it still feels uncertain when I think about what's in for me in the next few years.

Just yesterday I made a very important decision for my career as well as a personal level. Unfortunately, the choice I had to make has affected my personal life drastically. The dilemma is that if I'd chosen otherwise, my career would've been taking a beating for all time to come. And yet I'm sad. My folks have stood by me in this decision. As far as what'll transpire from all this? We'll have to wait and watch out for this space, now, won't we?

The Punishment Due..

A huge development. I had to make a decision. I did. My plans have just been dashed. It's time for me to repent. A huge price to pay for a small change that was very much deserved. I'm fucked, now. It is too hard to face the facts anymore. I am feeling helpless. The choices that I have to make will end up in disaster one way or other.

I've been away from home for almost three years now. My eyes are hurting to see them. I don't ask for much, I haven't. I was given a choice. I made one. And yet, the choice I have made has changed the course of my decisions. It's going to be a while before I can set things right. I don't know if my mind will be able to stay focused until then. All I have is a little hope. Just a little.

Fat Man. 60 years.

.....

Little Boy. The Aftermath. 60 Years.

......

Please read this.
and this.

And This Afternoon...

I met Jeordie White while walking through Farmer's Market on Fairfax and 3rd. Jeordie used to play bass for Marilyn Manson as Twiggy Ramirez. Then he teamed up with Maynard James Keenan, Billy Howerdel, Josh Freese and James Iha on A Perfect Circle project. Now he is a part of Nine Inch Nails. Good guy. Was awesome to talk to him.

The Man.

Alex. Wrapped in Toilet Paper. Fantastic. Cosmic. Futuristic.

How Low I Stoop!

I'd been contemplating suicide on Friday afternoon, since the day was dragging slower than a gut wagon. Instead I went to Starbucks. Dropped a black eye and a triple shot mocha frappuccino. Five shots, is not a small price to pay. Whatever bullshit. It's not the brand name dropping. It's the low I had to stoop to stay awake at work. I'm slowly advancing towards being an accomplished, well education loser. And the coffee's helping. Eh, fuckit.

.....

Der Wahnsinn!

More Vatos

Circa 1998

WAAH! I was a proud owner of a 1989 Royal Enfield Bullet, the 346 cc displacement version. I miss that motorcycle! Enfield owners are proud of their motorcycles. Royal Enfields are the equivalent of cruisers and are most suited for long, gruelling but adventurous rides. These motorcycles have more than 50 years of tales to tell including affiliations to the Indian Army and recognition in international motorcycle communities.

Our Very Own Cliqa

Circa 1998

Bare Butt Wrestling & Toilet Paper. Re-Invented.

(Gautam's Note: No offenses to anyone fellas! Alex San loves Japanese food. This humble campaign is an attempt to critique his point of view that he can't Sumo wrestle. We're in the process of designing a Man-thong for Alex San using egg-white and steel belted rubber.)

Absolute, All-Consuming Madness

If one were to turn back the clock and set things right, I know that the first wrong that needs to be corrected would be the onslaught of the terror forged by the NSDAP. The Holocaust. The lives of more than 60 million soldiers and civilians. If the last few days of madness could be summarized and retold to the New World, Downfall would be the answer. The Wolf's Lair is recreated with compelling acumen and the series of events leave one in absolute disbelief. Did this really happen? How could someone be so blind?

Downfall is not for the weak of heart. Downfall is not a tale that'll give you a careful description of the Allied triumph in April of 1945. The movie begins in the heart of the Wolf's lair; his search for a new secretary, the brief introduction to a 'human' side of the Fuhrer and the events that followed six months after. I strongly believe that his demeanor in the presence of his generals completely refutes his otherwise warm and gentle mannerisms. That is the true nature and face of the demon. Deceit.

Each member of the Wehrmacht truly believed that the end was near. As the Red Army tightened its grip on Berlin, the bombing continued and the city burned. The civilians who tried to flee for their lives were rounded up by the SS and shot by being labelled as deserters. If a commander decided to retreat or relocate his command post to save his battalion, he was shot for treason. Anyone who even mentioned 'surrender' was considered an enemy of the Reich.

The 9th Army, Felix Steiner and Karl Donitz were the only hope for Berlin. According to Hitler. Which was not the case since the Red Army had blocked off all routes to and from Berlin. The Fuhrer refused to believe that his Reich wouldn't last. In his early dialogue with War Minister and Architect Albert Speer, he explains how the particular opportunity at hand has given the 'Aryans' a chance to redeem the world and rid it off all other races and most of all, Jews. This was one chance they had to save Europe before Eastern discipline would rise and take over. The Holocaust is a witness to this twisted sense of cleansing.

Even in such perilous times, the Nazis try to celebrate in their bunker as Eva Braun proclaims that she wants to dance. News of surrender enrages the Fuhrer and his solutions to this disbelief are perilous! Hermann Goering turns on him (in acutality, it is a surrender which Hitler claims as the worst form of betrayal), so does Heinrich Himmler, his most loyal and wily accomplice. The final scenes of the feature are harder to watch as the SA brings in more news of Berlin's frontline and the fall of the Wehrmacht. The generals commit suicide and so does the Fuhrer and Eva. The political testimonies recorded by Traudl Jung, dictated by Hitler and Goebbels are something to hear. Thats why I call it, absolute all-cosuming madness.

Only. Only. Only.

It's Finally Here. On DVD.

I'm really looking forward to watching this movie tonight. The reviews have been amazing. I missed it on the big screen, there were very few showtimes.

This will be another epic to witness after watching 'Judgement At Nuremberg' last week. I will try and post my thoughts. I can't wait to watch it! I'd recommend watching 'Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary' before watching Downfall.

AMAZON REVIEW: The riveting subject of Downfall is nothing less than the disintegration of Adolph Hitler in mind, body, and soul. A 2005 Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film, this German historical drama stars Bruno Ganz (Wings of Desire) as Hitler, whose psychic meltdown is depicted in sobering detail, suggesting a fallen, pathetic dictator on the verge on insanity, resorting to suicide (along with Eva Braun and Joseph and Magda Goebbels) as his Nazi empire burns amidst chaos in mid-1945. While staging most of the film in the claustrophobic bunker where Hitler spent his final days, director Oliver Hirschbiegel (Das Experiment) dares to show the gentler human side of der Fuehrer, as opposed to the pure embodiment of evil so familiar from many other Nazi-era dramas. This balanced portrayal does not inspire sympathy, however: We simply see the complexity of Hitler's character in the greater context of his inevitable downfall, and a more realistic (and therefore more horrifying) biographical portrait of madness on both epic and intimate scales. By ending with a chilling clip from the 2002 documentary Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, this unforgettable film gains another dimension of sobering authenticity.

- Jeff Shannon
(This text refers to the Theatrical Release edition.)

Lord LeClaire Eclair

A Tuesday Morning Incident.
Starring: Karim Drissi, An Eclair.

The unsuspecting Eclair is briefly introduced. Just for a moment, to the offices of B N Architects, AIA.

The Eclair is thus, consumed. The observer who recorded this development was left salivating, while the protagonist sunk his slimy teeth into the condiment. Loser.