Happy New Year!

Gudi Padwa Ki Haardik Shubhakaamnayein!

There He Is!

Paulie Gualtieri was a handful tonight!!! He actually got Tony so badly aggravated in his coma, his blood pressure jumped from 140 to 213!!!! We thought Tony was almost gone.... This was a killer episode... Eventually Tony snapped out of his coma.. Paulie's brilliant!!!

Quest for Mr.GoodWrench

Tell me something. Why is it so hard to find a good mechanic? You buy a used car and it runs fine for a few weeks. Then you hear that unfamiliar sound as if the dealer had sneaked a banana into your transmission box to quieten it. Now that banana's quit, without the two weeks notice. Health reasons, I believe. And I have severe heartburn. A few simple problems. My transmission mount broke, my tires haven't been aligned since quilted toilet paper was invented, my front brakes pulsate since the discs are warped as though the previous owner used the car on the Mars exploration trip. My brain's screaming red. It's a used car, a few problems will definitely manifest, that's a given. But I can't seem to find Mr.Goodwrench. Most mechanics these days are good at calling you and letting you know that the car needs to be in the shop for the night while you squirm at the other end of the phone as though a small gerbil was attempting to explore your most possessed body cavity. Once the moon rises, the mechanic's fangs come out and he hunts for transmission fluid.

And dealers! They're another breed, more prized than the Kohinoor . You have to display special polka skills and a hundred thousand dollar pinky ring before you open your mouth in front of one. Or expect no response, just a blank stare and a "humph" to ward you off as though you were a dung beetle. If you happen to let a few wrong words slip regarding a delay in your decision for the purchase, God be with you. He'll walk away from you like you're carrying the antichrist in your proverbial womb. And did I mention the long queue stretching a few blocks to look at the car by popular demand. People are out to hack each other to death over this four wheeled leviathan. They make it sound like there's the equivalent of the 'Spanish Inquisition' waiting to happen for this particular baby. "Are you going to buy it? Yes? God be with you! No? Toss this non-believer into boiling oil! Behold, non-believers!! The human tempura!!!" If you don't hurry up, you'll be left licking the dust off your boots. So beware my little friend, when you deal with these two kinds, exercise extreme caution like you would if you were reaching into a rabbit hole searching for your golf ball. The bunny might just lob a wrench at ya!

Thirty Seven Days To Go.

Vicarious
Jambi
Wings For Marie (Pt 1)
10,000 Days (Wings Pt 2)
The Pot
Lipan Conjuring
Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)
Rosetta Stoned
Intension
Right In Two
Viginti Tres

Thank you Prasanna.

Here Comes The Reckoning Day

Time and again, they're back to prove you're wrong. These guys have stood by us, the fans for over twenty two years. And they still kick ass. Dave, thank you for the music. Thank you!

I'm doing you a favor
As I'm taking all your money
I guess I should feel sorry
But I don't even trust me
There's bad news creeping up
And you feel a sudden chill
How do you do? My name is Trouble
I'm coming in for the kill...
And you know I will

Set the ball a-rollin
I'll be clicking off the miles
On the train of consequences
My boxcar life o' style
My thinking is derailed
I'm tied up to the tracks
The train of consequences
There ain't no turning back

No horse ever ran as fast
As the money that you bet
I'm blowing on my cards
And play them to my chest
Life's fabric is corrupt
Shot through with corroded thread
As for me I hocked my brains
Packed my bags and headed west

"Train Of Consequences"
MegaDeth
Youthanasia

Main Jaanta Hoon Joh, Woh Likhenge Jawaab Mein..

"Dair nahin haram nahin dar nahin aastaan nahin
baithe hain rehaguzar pe ham gair hamen uthaaye kyuun

Qaid-e-hayaat-o-band-e-Gham asl men donon ek hain
Maut se pahale aadamii Gham se najaat paaye kyuun

Ghalib chuuthi sharaab, par ab bhi kabhi kabhi
Peeta hoon roz-e-abro-shab-e-mahtaab mein...."

Asadullah Khan Mirza Ghalib

Say Hello To A Wiseguy.

Giacomo 'Fat Jack' DiNorscio. Just another mafia associate. Bearing deep links to the Jersey faction of the Luccheses', one of the five families in New York. A mobster who said he'd rather spend a thousand years in jail than rat his friends out. Jackie served seventeen years from a sentence of thirty for posession of heroin with intent to distribute. When he got out, he had only two years to live. But before serving his time, he made history as the first mafia associate to defend himself and turn the tables on the entire proceedings of a courtcase that lasted a little over twenty three months.

FMG has a lot of the old timers from Hollywood making a comeback. There's Nico Calabrese played by Alex Rocco, our good old Moe Green and there's Jerry Adler, Hesh Rabkin from the Sopranos... I did notice a few anachronisms though; a Yellow tail wine bottle, a woman dressed up like she's from the 90s... But overall the movie was a very intriguing dramatisation of what happened in the courtroom. The performances are good. Peter Dinklage was very good as Klandis, the attorney who represents the boss, Calabrese.

This was DOJ's most ambitious case with over ten defendants and more than 76 indictment charges. The movie starts with a clip of Rudolph Giuliani in a press conference explaining the details of RICO. Good. Towards the end, the audience was actually clapping when the jury had reached the verdict on all counts, for all defendants. Not guilty.

Bambai Se Aaya Mera Dost!

Meethi hai mosambi toh
Kadwa hai karela
Mashook teri andar tu..
Tu..tu..
Tu bahar khadela...

Ja ja jawani kabse..
Kabse.. kabse..
Kabse bulaa rahi hai..

Buddhi ke chakkar mein tu
Kaayku... kaayku...
Kaayku padhela...

Quicker Strength Training

These are some quick tips which I've found very effective for strength training. No, it's not about showing off, it's about doing it right. I have a weak back and the pain can be excruciating. Reuben's the boss, but sometimes Men's Health has amazing articles that help in perfecting the session. These tips are written by Scott Quill from the September edition. For more tips go here.

THE BENCH PRESS
The typical cheat: Bouncing a heavy barbell off your chest to help lift it back to the starting position.

Why it's dumb: It could kill you. "This may be the riskiest thing men do in the gym," says Craig Ballantyne, C.S.C.S., owner of Workout manuals.com. Bouncing the bar can lead to a loss of control, putting you at risk of a crushed neck and asphyxiation.

How to perfect your form: Before you bench, put a rolled-up towel down the middle of your upper body so that one end is at the center of your chest. Aim for the end of the towel on each repetition. Concentrating on accuracy ensures that you'll have control of the weight, says Ballantyne.

How to cheat smart: Try this touch-and-go "towel press." Use 50 percent of the weight that you usually use for six to eight repetitions. Do eight sets of three repetitions with 30 seconds' rest after each set. Place the towel on your chest and lower the bar as quickly as you can; as soon as the bar touches the towel, push it up as fast as possible. Imagine that if the bar touches the towel for too long, it'll burn your chest. The benefit: You'll learn to lift fast under control, which will translate into greater strength when you do a normal bench-press workout, Ballantyne says.

THE BICEPS CURL
The typical cheat: Leaning back to curl a heavy weight.

Why it's dumb: It transfers the load unevenly from the front of your body to the back, and that can damage the muscles, ligaments, and joints of your back.

How to perfect your form: Stand against a wall when you curl, or hold a Swiss ball against the wall with your back, says Cosgrove. To practice even stricter form, keep your elbows in contact with the wall or ball for the entire lift.

How to cheat smart: Try this version of the "cheat curl." Hold a pair of heavy dumbbells at arm's length at your sides, palms facing each other. Keeping your back naturally arched, lean forward at your hips and bend your legs until the dumbbells are next to your knees. Curl the dumbbells, push your hips forward, and straighten your legs all at the same time, until you're standing upright and the dumbbells are almost resting on your shoulders. The benefit: You'll curl heavy weights without hurting your back. For an even greater muscle-building effect, lower the dumbbells as slowly as you can.

Who Will You Stand With? Cingular?

05.26.2006

The fabled day when the third helping of Mutants Vs. Humans will spill into theaters worldwide. The day my two year cell phone contract expires... Mere irony? Or a well schemed masterminded plan to take all my money and extend my contract? You decide....

There's a large out-of-focus monster roaming the countryside

• My friend asked me if I wanted a frozen banana, I said "No, but I want a regular banana later, so, Yeah....
  
• I want to get a job as someone who names kitchen appliances. Toaster, refridgerator, blender....all you do is say what the shiit does, and add "er". I wanna work for the Kitchen Appliance Naming Institute. Hey, what does that do? It keeps shiit fresh. Well that's a fresher....I'm going on break....
• It's hard to dance if you just your lost wallet. "Whoa! Where's my wallet? But, hey this song is funky...

Ishwar Allah Tero Naam...

(courtesy: TimesOfIndia.com, AFP Photos)

Holy Guacamole!

On January 10, 2006, Autodesk completed the acquisition of Alias for $197 million USD. Alias is a leading developer of 3D graphics technology. This acquisition extends Autodesk’s 3D software leadership in the manufacturing and media and entertainment industries.

A key area of focus will be on linking Autodesk’s and Alias’ existing applications to provide customers with increased interoperability, seamless workflows and improved data management. By offering a more complete set of technologies for the manufacturing and media and entertainment industries, Autodesk customers will be able to obtain solutions from a single company, simplifying everything from training to upgrades. This means greater efficiencies, faster time to market and project completion, and less overall time from the conception of an idea to its realization.

NEWS

The Varanasi Tragedy...

Hare Ram!

It is yet another sad day for us Indians. Another terrorist attack, more deaths... I don't understand this destructive nature of humans, what good does it do? More news here...

(Image from http://khotta.rediffblogs.com)

Dusre Ki Kayko Waat Lagatai!?!

But My Lips Hurt Real Baaaaad!!

"Napoleon, don’t be jealous that I’ve been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I’m training to be a cage fighter."