QuadraphoniC SunshinE

this one's for you, d.c.

2006-11-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

i just found out today that my friend d has cancer. it started out in his liver and has spread to his lungs and pancreas. he went into the doctor's last week because he thought he had the flu. turns out this is the kind of 'flu' that gives you 6 weeks to live. that's right, he has until christmas, according to the doctor.

the funny thing is, d didn't tell me about it. another close friend of ours did. "he doesn't want anyone to know", my friend says. but i just want d to know that i care for him, and that his friendship means a lot to me. d and i used to work together; and i've always hoped we'd be able to work together again. i do not know if that will be possible any more.

still, there's hope. there's that crazy kind of hope i have that he will pull through...somehow. there will be prayers to st. jude, the saint of lost causes, maybe someone upstairs will listen, and give d a few more years. i feel really bad for the other friend. d and he have been friends for ever, and he's taking it hard.

in the end though, i hope d doesn't suffer too much. any kind of cancer is painful, cancer of the liver especially. god bless d.

2 minutes to midnight!

2006-10-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

i was lucky enough to catch iron maiden in concert last night (well, after spending mucho dinero in pursuit of a ticket). and the tickets were good, vip seats for a concert is always good idea if you want seats with a solid view. 3 inches of blood opened for maiden...but i didn't catch their set as i was held up driving to irvine to get to the venue (in the process also winning 2 tickets to go to dave navarro's halloween party at the highlands).

so was it worth it? dickinson and co. started off with songs from their new album, "a matter of life and death". starting with "different world", they proceeded to sing every single song from this album. in their 31st year, they should really know that while their new shit is good, it's the oldies that made maiden. songs like "seventh son of a seventh son", "aces high" and "666" were conspicuous by their absence.

dickinson was in fine fettle...roaring, screeching and banshee-ing like we all know he can. so was the rest of the crew, the guitar work was solid and the drum work, tight. maiden is one of those rare acts that has been lucky (and talented) enough to have a solid second run in their careers. their latest album is in the billboard top 10, and how many other metal acts can boast that? the verizon amphitheatre was completely sold out, and it was great to see the number of young people out there.

and for me personally, a wait of 16 years is over. i've finally seen maiden (eddie did make his token appearance), who along with priest were an important part of my days growing up. would i have loved to hear some of those old songs? hell yeah, but did i come out satisfied after the concert, that would be a "hell, yeah" too.

picture courtesy: http://www.sfondideldesktop.com/

canada eh?

2006-09-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

aah canada...what a lovely place. the beaches, the palm trees and the sounds of calypso. wait, wrong country (sorry turk and caicos islands). i was in canada last month (or .ca as the interweb likes to call it), i know i am lazy and should've gotten to this post sooner, but what can you do? i have people to do and things to see.

anyways, canada was a revelation. vancouver's 3 hours from LA (so's dallas), but it's such a sea change from LA or dallas. it's cleaner, the people are nicer, the beer is better and the women...well, they look like men, but 3 out of 4 isn't bad.

and like any good tourist, i saw a lot of vancouver...the capilano suspension bridge, the salmon hatchery, granville island and of course downtown vancouver. i was also lucky enough to be invited by some friends (yes, i do have one or two), to edmonton. now, if you haven't seen the rockies yet, well, that sucks. if you do get an opportunity though, don't miss out. they are beautiful. also, please do check out the columbia icefields.

picture courtesy: http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h79/sinjinob1994/

this music moves me 2

2006-09-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

the much awaited sequel to "this music moves me" has just arrived. i am publishing this post due to the overwhelming pressure from the 3 people who read my blog. so check this out, you poor, stupid, ignorant idiots that listen to anything that's on kiss fm.

goldfrapp - ooh, send shivers down my spine, luscious luscious alison goldfrapp. she deserves to be a star on the basis of just her name. but by golly, she's talented too. if you haven't checked out "supernatural" yet, chinese water torture would be the way to go. hold the presses though, "she" is actually a "them" because there's also this other dude who noone really cares about.

editors - on constantly on ipod2 (this post for later) and the car. "munich" and "blood" are highly recommended. if you liked echo and the bunnymen, you will like this english band (let's not hold that against them).
"people are fragile things, you should know by now.
be careful what you put them through."

does it really mean anything...i really don't know, but damn it's catchy. you can debate the meaning here if you like.

celldweller - believe me, i listen to them before going to bed. no, they don't put you to sleep. far from it, they rock my boxers off. don't tell me you've never danced in the horizontal position before (can this also be a weird sexual metaphor?). this detroit-based band plays nothing but aggressive-industrial-techno. "switchback" and "stay with me" especially gets the adrenalin pumping. they just came out with a cover of, of all things, the beegees' "tragedy"! and it's good!

oh btw, this boy has tickets to dj shadow at the avalon on 9/25. awesomo.

picture courtesy: http://isleofwightfestival.com

differential diagnosis

2006-09-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

it's an advanced case of vasculitis...or it could be lupus. no, thankfully, i haven't been afflicted by either disease. but if i were, i would want to be under dr. gregory house, m.d.'s care. easily the best show on regular tv (i don't watch anything else on regular tv, so i must be right), house earned hugh laurie a well-deserved golden globe this year.

one of britain's best actors, laurie is probably best known to discerning american audiences (about 1/398ths of the general population) for his roles in the hilarous blackadder series, the equally hilarious "a bit of fry and laurie", or the also equally hilarious "jeeves and wooster" (noticed how i used "hilarious 3 times because i couldn't think of anything else?).

house, produced by paul attanasio, david shore and bryan singer (yes, of "superman returns" fame), is an ill-tempered, but brilliant cripple (trust me, i wouldn't normally use the word, and i don't think house will complain), who specializes in medical cases that stump other doctors. and boy is he ever good. it is easy to see how house is similar to that other famous fictional detective, s. holmes.

and there are a number of running jokes...vasculitis and lupus find mention in pretty much every episode. there's a fair amount of sexual tension too, between pretty much every member of the cast, just to keep things interesting. in the end though, the laurie owns the show, he makes house human, eccentric and imminently watchable. season 3 starts 9/5, and seasons 1 and 2 are available on dvd.

picture courtesy: http://www.hollywoodjesus.com

hoopleheads unite

2006-08-31T01:10:00.000-07:00

alas and alack, deadwood is over. the final season of deadwood just rolled out last sunday. was it all that? nah, it seemed a little loose and disjointed for me. that possibly could be attributed to hbo's decision to pull the show, when a fourth and final season seemed an eventuality.

the show, based on all the colorful characters that populated the town of deadwood, south dakota during the gold prospecting days of the 1870s was based on the times and trials of actual characters...well, embellishments are present, but this is fucking tv.

i was a bit late on the deadwood bandwagon, but i devoured the first 2 seasons in 2 days (must buy dvds). and i am only sorry i didn't catch on to it quicker. the show though, belonged to one person, the vile, cunning and despicable al swearengen, played by the awesome ian mcshane. ultimately, he was a man of his times, and mcshane nailed the role.

now all you "san francisco cocksuckers" needn't feel too bad, because deadwood will be back for one final hurrah next year with 2 2-hour movies on hbo. all i have left is a heartfelt thank you to milch and co for making this show.

picture courtesy: http://www.evolver.at/

venting...

2006-08-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

FUCK!!! imagine me screaming the expletive extremely loudly multiple times. that's the kind of day it's turned out to be. the day started innocuously enough...until the speeding ticket! now, that's cool with me, i'll pay the fucking fine and move on.

but then the day started getting really interesting. like someone said, when it rains, it fucking pours. i know there's a few of my friends reading this thing, so i am not going into the specifics of what happened. suffice to say, i would love to break something right about now. i try to remind myself that my personal shit wouldn't creep into my blog, unlike most people's blogs.

this was going to be me trying to be me putting a new song in someone's head; or a new movie on someone's greencine queue; or a new book in someone's hands. and i swore i wouldn't put personal shit on here. but that doesn't mean i can't vent, rave or rant! does it now? i feel like i need to go to a fucking bar and get a couple of bottles of JD, and get shit faced. why do people have to fucking bring up things that were fucking dead and fucking buried...especially people who you've liked for a long time?

FUCK!!!

sax rohmer

2006-08-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

if you had a turn of mind towards this kind of thing, you would know who arthur henry ward was. (big fucking clue? look at the subject line!) i got a chance to browse through some of the books at the LA public library (segue...if you are ever in the area, check out the jewelry district and the moca); and i came across "the drums of fu manchu". nayland smith and kerrigan, hot on the heels of "the insiduous chinaman" yet again. took me back a few years it did, back to when i first read, "the bride of fu manchu".

so what if his books were sinophobic, pulpy, and repetitive? they were entertaining as hell. the portrayal of chinese as a scheming and cruel race was widely accepted during the late 19th century...those were the days of "the yellow peril." why, even the movie adaptations had fu manchu being portrayed by the legendary boris karloff, the frightening christopher lee and the hugely talented peter sellers (check some of the awesome posters here)...let me draw you a picture, none of them were asian.

it's easy to see the parallels drawn by rohmer's flawed perception of asians versus today's society's perception of arabs and muslims. would rohmer's books be welcomed today? perhaps not, but during the '20s and the '30s, rohmer was one of the world's most successful magazine writers. there's also another curious parallel that can be drawn between fu manchu and another mastermind of terror, osama bin laden.

and just for curiosity's sake, check out this california-based stoner rock band.

picture courtesy: http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton

lee marvin

2006-08-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

the basic premise of this post is that you don't fuck with lee marvin. he's dead now, but he could still kick your silly ass with his rotten lower jaw falling off. anyone who's seen "the dirty dozen" will vouch for this (and sadly, i found out recently that they are making a remake).

now, i haven't seen a lot of marvin movies (cult classic "the delta force" and "the professionals" aside), but all you have to do is see him as major reisman in d12, to know what kind of kickassery he's capable of. it seemed like every movie i've seen him in, he's kicking somebody's ass.

the funny thing is, i am pretty sure that he was all that, because he received the purple cross during the battle of saipan in wwII. what's even more funnier, is the existence of a secret society based on lee marvin. it's called "the sons of lee marvin". there's only one category to be a member of this society...that you have to have atleast a passing resemblance to marvin. jim jarmusch (love "ghost dog"), nick cave and john lurie are all apparently, members.

i wish i had an...

2006-08-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

entourage like the boys in "entourage." hbo's multiple emmy nominated show has been knocking my socks off, for the last 2 seasons. and this season looks like the shit. will somebody give jeremy piven his own movie, please? piven's character ari gold's immortal line "let's hug it out bitch!" pretty much made the show. plus, he's got the hottest wife this side of brangelina, perrey reeves.

they say it's pretty much "sex and the city for guys." beg to disagree, but if i were to see kim catrall's saggy ass one more time, i would pretty much saw my leg off with the rusty blade from "saw" (btw, saw III releases in october). i agree that it is a guy show, but i think men are sick of seeing idiots like the guy from "king of queens" and jim belushi in "according to jim (come on man, you are fucking john belushi's brother!), and it's about time we had a decent show we could watch.

and of course there's cameos galore...james woods, james fucking cameron, and executive producer, mark wahlberg. the internet rumor mill's churning out some interesting possibilities for vince and the crew, but i suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

picture courtesy: http://houseofirony.com

2006-08-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

i think i need to get this bitch going again.

truth or science fiction?

2006-02-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

if you haven't realised this by now, i am a bit of a geek. growing up, like most kids, i loved comic books. one of the first comics i picked up was this little 50 page black and white comic called "abandon earth," a title no 8 year old (yes, my parents let me fill my mind with junk, and thank andromeda for that!) could resist. i also noticed the name of the anthology, "starblazer", in this wicked space agey font.

imagine the wonder of a little kid, going through those 50 pages feverishly hoping and praying that england wouldn't fall into the hands of the evil aliens. when said 50 pages were devoured, the quest began for more of these titles, and boy were there more. titles like "algol the terrible" (a darth vader kind of character), "vassal's revenge" and "the exterminator" were read, re-read and read some more. it was escapism at its best, and i was thanking d c thomson for bringing these cheap, flimsy titles to my door.

d c thomson was more famous for their beano and dandyseries of monthly children's comics, and starblazer was their attempt to keep their older readers. so it was no wonder the bastards stopped it's run around issue 250. it's also kid of neat to note that this is where people like alan moore and grant morrison learned their craft. and finally, the absolute best part about starblazer was the fact that each issue was self contained, and you didn't have to wait till next month to figure out what happened to glave questor after he was captured by the space pirates of uranus (ha ha, i said uranus!).

picture courtesy: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/

chomp! chomp! chomp!

2006-02-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

no, it's not me eating a fatburger, it's everyone's favorite carnivore, the shark from jaws...eating everything from license plates to little kids. c'mon, haven't you ever wanted one of those pesky kids bawling at the movies to be eaten alive by a shark.

i was watching jaws (again) the other day, never ceases to give me a good time. spielberg's adaptation of benchley's bestseller (spielberg wrote a lot of the screenplay because benchley's book was, well, trashy), remains one of the classics of our time.

superb camera work (remember the closeup on chief brody's face right after the kid gets it?) and some very special editing make jaws an incredible movie experience. and the music? who ever thought 2 notes, E and F, could make such magic? and to top it all off, we get some of the best lines in movie history (mostly delivered by one of the most memorable characters in movie history, cap'n quint).

i will never for the life of me understand why they made those frigging sequels (Jaws 3d anyone? "the third dimension is terror!"). well, that should be easy, idiot child...it's called money. jaws remains one of the best movies of its genre populated by baaad (but sometimes fun) movies like "piranha", "crocodile", "killer fish", "open water" etc.

btw, check this out for jaws re-enacted by bunnies.

picture courtesy: http://www.jawsmovie.com

random things

2006-02-02T20:57:00.000-08:00

1. i need to hang with jim jang - none of you know this guy, but his office is right across my cubicle, and i sometimes stare at his name tag...jim jang. it's like the funnest name i've heard in a while. "what are you doing today? me, i am hanging with my boy, jim jang." just makes me want to repeat that name over and over again.

2. they finally posted the lineup for coachella the other day. looks really fun, looks like i was right on everything except for the smashing pumpkins. that was kind of a downer. but fucking tool is playing! i can't believe that shit. i've been meaning to check these guys out for years. also, the audio bullys. now the trick is to figure out what day i should hit. right now, day 1 seems to be the safe bet, but day 2 has oakenfold, so i might just bite the bullet and go for both days.

3. how hard is it to find an apartment in LA? pretty damn hard, especially since i am trying to find something in the long beach-manhattan beach areas. i found the high end places easily enough ($8000 a month!). so if any of you kind readers know of such a place close to the water, please let me know

worst band names. ever.

2006-01-31T01:05:00.000-08:00

i've never been a fan of emo or screamo bands...and i never will be, for one reason...the names. the music might be good (i somehow doubt this), but still, what were you thinking when you named your band:

the khayembii communique - ok, someone's been reading way too many bad thrillers by robert ludlum. is your lead singer's last name khayembii? was there an important message that the khayembii clan wanted to impart to the rest of the world? we want answers, dammit!

oh, you skeleton - i kid you not. this is an actual band. was one of you suffering from an extreme eating disorder? should we be concerned? should we rush over emergency food supplies to your loft in greenwich village?

she notes the chariots - apparently that's her job. she notes chariots...you know, make, year, color. was it 4 horses or 6. i don't want to make fun of anyone's career choices but still!

she spits macabre - i wonder if this is a sister band. maybe noting chariots is her day job, and spitting macabre, her passion. i tried spitting macabre sometime ago, all i got was some weird green stuff (maybe that's macabre).

union of uranus -at least someone has a sense of humor.

violence takes refuge in virtue - i don't even know what to say to this one.

yossarian is drowning - if i was passing by, i would just let you die, yossarian.

financial panther - not only are they good with a guitar, but also with a calculator.

i would set myself on fire for you - i would set myself on fire if i ever had to listen to you.

there's lots more, but i am frigging tired...last gasp efforts: clikitat ikatowi, beneath low flying planes, bright lights always turn off, adonis battlefield, dead diary i seem to be dead, and the absolute worst of them all...noisysinsoftheinsect. yes, one word.

this music moves me

2006-01-30T20:43:00.000-08:00

there's this playlist i've compiled over the last 3 weeks. i find myself drifting to sleep every night listening to the same songs...and i am not sick of it yet. it's about time more people started to listen to artists like dj shadow, anjali and the audio bullys. if you've never listened to dj shadow, you should go to one of those places that offer free, illegal downloads and get "6 days" and "midnight in a perfect world." there really isn't anything like it.

dj shadow aka josh davis is someone who i hope plays at coachella this year. his album "endtroducing" is the closest thing to a perfect cd i've listened to in a long, long time. i actually know people who've cried after listening to him play "midnight" live (and not in that weird, "oh my god, i can't believe justin timberlake just pissed on my face" kind of way). the whole album is this compilation of old vinyl samples that you know you've heard somewhere, but can't quite place. the musicians who made them are part of that breed of forgotten people from decades past. and yet their music lingers on through dj shadow.

and anjali? her music's just sexy. you know the type...easy on the eyes, voice that could make priests give up celibacy, and more talent in her little finger than titney spears, j-blo and n'fink put together. "stinging sitars" makes you think of 60's spy movies...that's the best description i could come up with. definite must buy for people who like (or know) the supreme beings of leisure.

and now for an object lesson in how not to make music, check out mr britney spears, kevin federline, in the studio here, and the hilarious james lipton version of the song here. popozao?!?! why don't you just feed us monkey sperm and elephant turds, disco d?

what a game!

2006-01-29T16:57:00.000-08:00

i was just watching the finals of the 2006 snooker masters played at the wembley (coincidentally the last tournament before the wembley's torn down). it was ronnie o'sullivan playing against john higgins in what turned out to be a cracker. any game in which ronnie has 3 centuries is an absolute treat. even better was the fact that john pretty much matched him pot for pot.

the game took me back to when i used to play at a club back home. the long hours spent breaking your back trying to just perfect the stance...studying under a 70 year old teacher who was half blind but still could run rings around people with 20/20 vision. i still remember the dark and gloomy atmosphere at the club where the center of attention was the 2 enormous, beautifully carved snooker tables (around 50 years old).

there was a couple of us kids studying the game hoping to be half as good as steve "the nugget" davis, or "the rocket" o'sullivan. it's too bad there isn't more interest in the game...i guess it's forever relegated to playing poor cousin to pool. this really isn't the case because first there was billiards, then snooker, then pool. the american fascination for quick time passes led to the death of the game in america...to a point where you would be hard pressed to find a decent table in the states.

i was always a slow learner at whatever...and the only way i could get good at something was to do it over and over again. well, i didn't know this until i took up the game. any semblance of discipline i have, i attribute to what i learned at that club. these days, the only contact i have with the game is when i can download a few hours worth of the game from british websites.

ah, to pick up a cue again...to hear the sound of the cue ball hitting the object ball...to listen to the sound of the ball dropping into the pocket...to recover from the disappointment of a kick...to smell the baize again...to build a big break again. it's always been a gentleman's game where sportsmanship isn't just expected, but a code to live and play by.

oh, john higgins won beating ronnie 9-8. what better ending could you ask for?

picture courtesy: http://www.jesterssnooker.co.uk/Ronnie.htm

why old school is awesome

2006-01-26T23:18:00.000-08:00

i guess its about time i got around to this. "old school" is not a poor man's "animal house." it's a great movie on its own. it introduced everyone to the frat pack (look out for this entry coming up) in a big way. it was also a great coming out party (not like that!) for will ferrell. i just hope he doesn't turn out to be like chevy chase.

anyways, old school's about (if you've been living in sharon stone's vagina for the last 5 years) 3 30-some year olds who decide to form their own fraternity. the requisite hilarity ensues...and what hilarity! it was so successful because it managed to grab that most valuable of demographics - the 18 - 34 year old males.

i also think it resonated with us (i am one of them) because beyond all the fun and jokes, we kind of realised the futility of our crappy jobs and shitty marriages. we wanted the old days back when we could still drink ourselves silly, and say "fuck you" to the consequences. or maybe i've stunted emotional growth.

btw, get your speaker city tshirts here.

picture courtesy: http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper226/stills/k0t299h8.jpg

bad boys, bad boys. watchoo gonna do...?

2006-01-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

who doesn't like a great cop movie? for that matter, who doesn't like cops? ok, don't answer that. today, i am pussying out, and just putting up my top 10 list of favorite cop movies:

10. this spot is taken by every great cop movie i am forgetting on this list (this doesn't mean you, police academy: mission to moscow) .

9. super troopers - one of the funnies cop movies out there. who can forget ramathorn, farva and the rest of the guys. just thinking about the liter-o-cola scene makes me laugh out loud. get your team ramrod tshirts here.

8. serpico - my favorite pacino role (i am sorry, scarface means nothing to me). based on a true story, pacino plays the role of undercover cop, frank "paco" serpico, to perfection. his integrity costs him his career, and very nearly, his life. lumet at his best.

7. training day - too bad antoine fuqua forgot how to make movies...maybe he should rent his own "training day" as a refresher. i think david ayer deserves more than his share of credit for a tight screenplay; there's also denzel washington, in an oscar winning role.

6. the untouchables - most people will kill me for putting elliott ness and his crew down at number 6, but hey, this is my list! the train station shootout itself was worth the ticket price. de palma, mamet and an ensemble cast put together an movie experience (now this is how you make a remake!).

5. cop land - so why is cop land above the untouchables? simple, sylvester stallone in his best role since rocky. stallone, as the friendly sheriff of a small county where a large percentage of the residents are cops, and the rest of this stellar cast can't be beat!

4. french connection - the movie has one of the best car chases ever! oh, and the dialog's pretty good too:
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: You dumb guinea.
Buddy "Cloudy" Russo: How the hell was I supposed to know he had a knife.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Never trust a nigger.
Buddy "Cloudy" Russo: He could have been white.
Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle: Never trust anyone!

3. dirty harry - my man clint! clint's portrayal of harry, spectacular dialog and tight direction make this one of the best cop movies ever made. harry's a cop (well, more like a vigilante) who throws away the rule book, tracks down the printer, .44s his ass, and feeds him to the author on this one.

2. infernal affairs - the only asian movie on the list and by god, is it ever good! tony leung and andy lau own this movie! leung's an undercover cop with the triads, and lau, a cop who's an undercover mole for the triad. need we say more? watch out for the hollywood remake "the departed" with m damon, l dicaprio, j nicholson, m wahlberg et al! oh, its also directed by m scorsese.

1. narc - my number one pick for 3 reasons. (a) liotta blew me away as oak. (b) jason "i wish i hadn't acted in speed 2" patric proves he's one of the best actors of his generation. (c) joe carnahan's screenplay and direction. i just hope smokin aces is at least half as good as this.

honorable mention - dark blue

show me some more show

2006-01-24T21:56:00.001-08:00

i beg and plead with the fine folks over at hbo to bring back that awesome awesome show, mr show. bob odenkirk and david cross are gods, and what i would give for a new season. sketches like the "murdering pope" and the "expert truck" remain classics (at least in my mind) to this day...actually the last season aired in 1998, so maybe i shouldnt be so dramatic.

anyways, the show was a cynic's wet dream ad is still considered one of the best american sketch shows. taking its cues from monty python's flying circus, the skits were unpredictable, absurd and sometimes even surreal (though not as surreal as kids in the hall). it also had the then unknown jack black (i guess people in the know knew him and KG from tenacious d) and sarah silverman as semi-regular cast members, and some great cameos from ben stiller (friends from the ben stiller show), vince vaughn and frigging jon stewart.

these days, cross seems to be happy touring (and writing open letters to larry the cable guy), and bob is busy selling "derek and simon." but wouldn't it be great to see the guys back with a few sketches? and on the subject of good comedy, check out one of the best upcoming comedians in america, aziz ansari, here.

lucy in the sky with diamonds

2006-01-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

that song has been repeating itself over and over again in my head for the last 2 weeks. i love the song, but when the chorus keeps repeating itself a quadrillion (ha ha) times in your head, you start wondering about it. i mean i've always known about the lsd reference (Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, you ignorant sod!)...i mean come on, when the song's from an album called "sgt pepper's lonely hearts club band," alarm bells should ring in your head.

and its a wonderful wonderful song, even if it has lyrics like:

"a girl with kaleidoscope eyes
cellophane flowers of yellow and green
towering over your head."

i mean, c'mon people, something's definitely off here. lennon's always claimed that the name was taken from his then four year old son julian's drawing of his classmate, lucy o'donnell. this may be true, but the obvious references and imagery are too telling to be false. on the other hand, lennon's never denied that the song wasnt about acid trips.

when it is all said and done, ive always believed that a song could be about whatever you wanted it to be. i like to think of it as a nostalgic reminder to an era that was. lucy o'donnell, later lucy richardson, died last year of cancer. whether it was about her the song was sung, or whether it was about lsd, it remains still an untouchable classic...one that will keep repeating itself over and over again in my head. what better homage to a great band.

picture courtesy: http://www.leadpipeposters.com/detail.cfm?stockno=106

coachella watch '06 updates

2006-01-22T15:31:00.000-08:00

depeche mode confirmed.
lady sovereign confirmed.
smashing pumpkins definitely looking like a possibility.
the duke spirit confirmed. (1/24)
imogen heap confirmed. (1/24)
giant drag confirmed. (1/24)
paul fuckin oakenfold. (1/24)

grist for the rumor mill:
ladytron | david frigging bowie | massive attack | portishead | the strokes | gorrilaz | paul oakenfold | maximo park | underworld

there's so many fake lineups going around, its not even funny. but i have hopes yet for massive attack. i also think the real lineup might be announced tomorrow. watch this space.

awesome! awesome! awesome!

2006-01-22T13:18:00.000-08:00

i so want to give michael chiklis' bald head a pat of approval. coz the new season of 'the shield' got underway too weeks ago, and it rocks. its a home run all the way. it should've been, what with new cast member forest "bird" whitaker in the mix and all. the grapevine also has it, that there might be 22 episodes this season.

that was the good news. the bad news is, the internet is rife with rumors that this might be the last season of the multiple emmy winning tv series. "The payment for certain sins can be delayed,'' series creator Shawn Ryan said ominously. "But they can't be avoided." mackey might have to finally pay for some of his deeds from the first and second seasons.

from what we've seen so far, it is also evident that the other members of the strike team will have greater screen presence. it also leads me to believe that one of them might have to pay the ultimate price...and i wouldnt be surprised if it is indeed vic.

let's also not forget some of the other cast members. dutch is one of my favorite characters on the show. it remains to be seen how he will handle his partner's personal crisis. how is aceveda (i think he is as bad as mackey himself), going to end up after leaving the strike team out to dry? whatever happens, we can be sure of a rollicking season. i pray this wont be the final season, but, if the creators want to ride out on a high, we cant blame them.

picture courtesy: http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/movie/shield/06.jpg

death: the high cost of living

2006-01-21T22:42:00.000-08:00

morbid, arent we? i will leave you, faithful reader, to figure out where the title comes from. needless to say, it is so beautifully put. death would be the price we pay for getting our chance to live. i also wonder where this post is coming from? i am not necessarily prone to morbid thoughts. i do think, from time to time, about when i will be moving to that great cinema in the sky, or that multiplex down below. coming from the catholic school of thought, there's this whole its either heaven or hell thing that you tend to worry about.

the death clock gives me till july 15, 2053 to live. kinda gets you thinking, doesnt it? what if that is the day i will die? you know, kind of like the ring...and you have x number of days to live...and you are paranoid about everything.

and as that band once sang, "time keeps on ticking ticking, into the future." but i do suspect they were singing more about getting high. and there's so many more songs that remind me of that great eventuality. too many cliches and too many songwriters. and completely off topic, check this band out, especially that first song "where shadows lie."

so, how long do you have?

r.i.p.

2006-01-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

c i paul (dec 15)
thank you for some great character roles. i will always remember you as "k.t. nair" from my favorite mal movie,"mazha peyunnu maddalam kottunnu."

philomena (jan 2)
another legend gone. loved you in "godfather" and "in harihar nagar."

tom cruise blows!

2006-01-21T00:09:00.000-08:00

so how fucked up is tom cruise? as you probably guessed, this one's going to be a rant about this asshole. i said nothing when you jumped up and down on a couch like a monkey in heat (i am surprised you didnt throw your faeces at oprah). i said nothing about your comments on psychiatry. i watched silently when you slammed brooke shields.

but now you stop an episode of south park from being aired? what gives you the fucking right? granted, i am a gynormous fan of south park, but still? anyone with any common sense will know that you are doing nothing more than alienating the very people who spend $ 10 to watch your shitty movies.

the now classic episode is essentially an extended sketch questioning cruise's sexual orientation. truth be told, tom pretty much played into trey and matt's hands by overreacting like this. apparently, a sense of humor isnt one of his strong points. but what else can you expect from an idiot who practices scientology?

so what happens now if you make fun of a celebrity? is m jackson going to sue conan o brien for making fun of him? are you going to take away one of my kidneys if you ever (doubtful) come across this blog?

and to everyone in britain, the world, mars...whatever, here's where you can find every episode of south park including the tom cruise one. also, check out dane cook's tom cruise going nuts act. and finally, fuck you tom!

picture courtesy: http://wheezersociety.blogs.com/wheezer/comics_cartoons/

more quality work

2006-01-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

yeah, i know, the title's a little weak, but its been a hard day at the office. on to the subject at hand...here's someone who needs more quality work...jason statham. most of you probably know him best as turkish from "snatch", or bacon from "lock, stock and 2 smoking barrels" (or for those of you who like trashy entertainment, "the transporter").

but the one thing though you have to admit about the guy is that you always remember him as the guy who could carry his weight in a movie.
so, its disappointing that his stathamness has to get work in movies like "cellular", "ghosts of mars" (the great john carpenter continuing his downward spiral) and the upcoming shitfest, "in the name of the king" (uwe boll should be hung and quartered btw! more on him later!). now out of all his upcoming projects, i have great expectations for "crank." its a great premise, and i hope and pray it doesnt go straight to dvd.

i remember just a few years ago when everyone was saying j. statham and j. li (heh) would be the tits. there's still a lot more he has to offer, i think...maybe a drama or a comedy?

btw, one movie you should absolutely check out is "revolver." its one of those movies you either love or you despise, but will keep you guessing through out. one other thing we know for sure about his stathamness (i promise, this is the last time), he can kick all (yes, there's 2 other people reading my stuff) our collective asses. wonder what other bald guy from a previous post can do that, hmmm?
and finally, check out his totally hot girlfriend!

picture courtesy: http://www.members.optushome.com.au/sam999/favs.htm

rajamanikyam!

2006-01-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

it isnt always that you come across a movie that you absolutely enjoy (insert brokeback mountain joke here), and which comes from an actor you've always respected (maybe even felt he hasent received his dues?). the movie is "rajamanikyam" (loosely translated into 'the king of diamonds'), and i had an absolute ball watching it.

a lot of you (3 now) arent ever going to see this movie because:

1. it's in a foreign language.
2. it's, well, in a foreign language.

this is my way of showing respect to a great actor; and maybe also, for advertising this great little movie (this also happens to be the biggest grossing movie of the year in my home state of kerala). as you probably know from reading my stuff, i'll only write about things i love (or hate)...but only in absolutes.

the movie's about a gay cowboy...actually no, it's about a cattle dealer (knew there had to be some connection to brokeback mountain), who's trying to bring warring factions of a family together. and hilarity ensues. as you probably gathered, i am a long way from home, and it's nuggets like these that make life away from home a little bit more bearable. and finally, a really bad joke:

what did one gay cowboy tell the other?
you nearly broke my back mountin me (drumroll and applause).

coachella watch '06

2006-01-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

well, for the sake of everyone who's been stuck under a rock for the last 7 years, the coachella music festival at indio, CA, is one of the most critically acclaimed music festivals of the calendar year. it's featured some of the best bands around including the chemical brothers, the prodigy, NIN, the foo fighters and on and on. it is also the showcase for the best indie talent out there featuring acts like ambulance ltd, dj z trip, autolux, the secret machines et al.

one of the the things i like best about coachella is the fact that every year, a band from the past gets to get up there and strut their stuff. last year, it was bauhaus (come on, who doesnt want to see a creepy german dude hang upside down?), gang of four...the cocteau twins almost made an appearance. this year, it could be roxy music!!

this year (apr 29 & 30) seems to be no different; with depeche mode confirmed and headlining. the rumor mill also has it that the color turning, sigur ros, roxy music w brian eno (can you believe that shit!) and underworld will be performing. if last year was anything to go by, we can expect at least a 100 acts! tickets go on sale on feb, and look out for the upcoming coachella documentary.

picture courtesy: http://www.thecolorturning.com/images_coachella/coachella_03.jpg

so is moby a pussy or what?

2006-01-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

well, i've nothing against the guy. in fact, i've enjoyed some of his early stuff (why does my heart feel so bad, porcelain etc.). then he got into the whole wierd fight with eminem...apparently the mobster (heh) doesn't take too kindly to eminem's "homophobic and misogynistic lyrics."

ok, the guy's entitled to his opinion, and the subject is indeed debatable. then, last month, the dude decides to make an entry on his blog re the prodigy and eminem. again the subject is misogyny. personally, there's nothing funny or condonable about beating women up. but in this case, i think the prodigy's singing about people like moby when they sing "smack my bitch up."

also, how about saying something new, i mean for god's sake, the song itself is about 11 years old...and the whole eminem thing started in 2001. talk about not being able to let go.

also how letting your music do the talking? when was the last time we heard some decent moby music? i guess he's too busy preparing for his space flight. and finally, one last thought, if i looked like the dude in the picture above, i wouldn't be picking fights with eminem or the prodigy. but that's just me.

picture courtesy: http://twentyonwards.blogs.com/photos/meeting_moby/moby.html

whatever happened to larry wachowski?

2006-01-14T13:15:00.000-08:00

so what's the deal with the guys who made the matrix? when it was released in 1999, it was heralded as one of the best movies of the year, and became an instant classic. the brothers wachowski though(larry and andy, larry in the picture), disappeared from the public's view after the much derided sequels.

there is a school of thought that says that the brothers lost their way after larry got involved with dominatrix ilsa strix...at least as far as the matrix trilogy goes. the story gets even more bizarre following larry's almost effeminate appearance at cannes. recently, cinematical had an entry where all of this was brought to my attention. there also follows, a rolling stone article, which suggests that larry might be a transsexual.

whatever the case, all of this peaked my interest because of the soon to arrive "v for vendetta," a fantastic alan moore creation which is being adapted to the silver screen by the wachowki camp. interestingly, the movie is being directed by james mcteigue, an assistant director on the matrix movies, and not by the wachowskis themsleves.

i have complete faith in mcteigue as he's been involved in some awesome movies, and i hope the movie remains faithful to the graphic novel. from all early reviews (here, and here's conservative thoughts on the movie), the movie seems to be kickass (come on, it has the excellent hugo weaving and the extremely talented natalie portman).

picture courtesy: http://www.nndb.com/people/585/000045450/

wierd case of writer's cramp?

2006-01-12T23:30:00.000-08:00

i know i havent been adding anything to the site over the last couple of days...wonder if i mght be suffering from that dread affliction... writer's cramp (it seems it's more physical than mental)! could it be that this lowly contributor to your mundane lives (the two of you who have read my stuff), wont be able to come up with interesting and thought provoking insights into whatever crosses his mind?

allright, i'll stop being a drama queen. what do you do when you think you have writer's cramp? write about writer's cramp, i guess.

anyhoo, as per my previous post, LA is treating me well. i am enjoying my responsibilities at the new client...but i do have a feeling it's going to be fairly challenging. and i did get to see that one movie that i have been waiting to see for a while...H O S T E L. the movie also seems to be making a shitload of money, as it should for the amount of blood that was shed onscreen.

it was extremely refreshing to see an american horror movie with balls...after shit like house of (blah!)x, jeepers weepers, the horror that was amityville, (dont have to touch this title as creators themselves seem to have given up), the smog (seems fitting) etcetera etcetera.
that's all i can type for today, i am off.

picture courtesy: http://www.bartcop.com/1464.htm

california knows how to party [2 time]

2006-01-09T17:01:00.000-08:00

in the citaay of L.A.
n the citaaay of good ol' Watts
In the citaaay, the city of Compton
We keep it rockin! We keep it rockin!
-- tupac shakur

this boy is headed back to LA, after 7 long months! on the downside, work begins again at the new site. i think it should be fun. yes, faithful reader, i've been sitting on my ass for the last 2 weeks (why the hell do you think you saw all those posts in one day?). but it's going to be in L fucking A again. methinks its time to party.

but first things first, i have to go pee in a cup for the new company (thank god i got over my mescaline and valium binge days!). i guess urine tastes differently in LA. who knows, maybe it's the new in drink in LA...you know those crazy hollywood types. i can't wait for the weekends though:

hang out at the standard?
rock out at the wiltern?
catch an act at the whisky?

anyways, i think it's going to be a lot of unbridled, balls out, alcohol-induced fun. these are the moments when i thank god i am not married.

picture courtesy: http://www.travelersdigest.com/pictures/california/la15.jpg

what is QuadraphoniC SunshinE?

2006-01-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

people have asked me this question many a time. actually, noone's asked me this question, since noone appears to be reading my blog. still, it's only been 4 days, and i have hope yet, for the future.
the thing is, i started thinking about this. why the hell did i name my blog, "QuadraphoniC SunshinE?"
dictionary.com defines quadraphony as:
quad·ra·phon·ic also quad·ri·phon·ic ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kwdr-fnk)adj.
Of or for a four-channel sound system in which speakers are positioned at all four corners of the listening space, reproducing signals that are independent of each other.

we should also all know what sunshine is. atleast, i hope so. i wonder if it is an homage to the who? i would be a liar if i said i listened to the who a lot (i love tommy and baba o'riley though). so that isn't it either.

in the end, i think it's just a whim. QuadraphoniC is just such a cool fucking word, isn't it? and there we have it.

QuadraphoniC SunshinE

quis custodiet ipsos custodes

2006-01-09T02:53:00.000-08:00

who watches the watchmen? for those whose latin is scratchy. "watchmen" (1986) is the title of a great little graphic novel by alan moore and dave gibbons. if you haven't picked this up yet, you should. the story is as relevant today as it was 20 years ago. these days, when we talk about vanishing civil liberties, the first thing that pops into my head, is this little gem.

it follows the death of a superhero called "the comedian," and the subsequent investigation by a former associate, rorschach. the book talks about nuclear arms, paranoia, politics, pop culture and social issues.

a script for a watchmen movie has been in circulation since 1989, when terry gilliam was supposed to direct. in 2003, the highly talented darren aronofsky (pi, requiem for a dream, and the upcoming "fountain") was set to direct with a new script by david hayter (x-men, x2). this fell through (how stupid is paramount?). warner, finally purchased the property in dec 2005, though director greengrass (i guess my earlier post was wrong) has since bowed out. imdb still reports greengrass to be attached to the project, but i wouldn't believe that. hopefully, we finaly get to see watchmen sometime next year.

sunday bloody sunday

2006-01-09T00:44:00.000-08:00

as the bloody song goes. wonder how many times i can use bloody in this post and get away with it? nah, too bored to type bloody over and over again. as is evident from the lyrics, the song is about the bloody sunday massacre. this would be jan 30, 1972. from what i know of it, the brits (1st parachute regiment) got away with it scott free. this still remains a painful and bloody chapter in the history of eyre.

though i havent seen it, there's also a (by all accounts) great movie out there called "bloody sunday", directed by paul greengrass. greengrass is also in charge of directing the long awaited "watchmen" (more on this tomorrow). his other credits include "the bourne supremacy", and the upcoming 9/11 movie, "flight 93". that's the history lesson for today.

by the way, today is "national clean off your desk day." all greetings of the same to you.

picture courtesy: http://larkspirit.com/bloodysunday/

we'll try this again

2006-01-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

this is my third attempt at creating a blog. i am going to try and stick with this one...see how it goes...see if i have anything half intelligent to add to the already dumbed down interweb.