The day-after my sis leaves for Delhi. Delhi reminds me of monkeys, rapists & obnoxious ppl. Obnoxious ppl- every city has its share & HECK! I might be one myself. But what abt Monkeys & Rapists? How do we get rid of these menaces?
I strongly believe that all is fair in love & war (no matter how shit one might feel). Think of human rights as a powerful underwear stitched in heaven, countries/ppl wear it to suit their own needs. Some Sharia laws r rather useful in enforcing laws. If one is caught stealing - OFF! w/ his/her hands. Now when this is publicized like say after Friday prayer, u can enforce laws easily. Singapore caning, works on similar lines.
Monkeys trouble ppl, govt. shoots down a few of them. The more severe the method of killing the more they'll fear humans. This removes the problem of poisoning, neutering them etc. If PETA cries, ask them 'If they enjoy having their babies faces lovingly scratched or chewed?'
For the rapists we could still use Aversion Therapy. Just as w/ monkeys the harsher the punishment, the better it is for society. Televised hangings of rapists is the ultimate in aversion therapy. Administering lethal injection is like giving the offender the easy way out & it has the least of visual impact. I can think of many other ways to off these guys but all of them r too dramatic. Eg- Put a guy in a room w/ bullet-proofed, see-through walls - Next give him a weapon (handgun or knife) & shut the door. Now it'd be inhuman to let him suffer in isolation. What would the human rights ppl think. We'll play a little radio for him - tape plays screaming & howling of women. Open after he has killed himself or dies of starvation.
Barbaric acts deserve equally barbaric reactions.
April 30, 2004
April 25, 2004
An Evening with Skinny Alley
Yesterday I had a Great evening at shitty Zero-G (decor sucks). If u r into 60’s pop, 70’s rock (& R&B) & yet don’t have a favorite genre- if u love Steely Dan- if u like virtuoso guitaring a la Santana, jam bands & live music; Then Skinny Alley is a home-grown band for u. Calcutta based musicians have been doing the scene way before I was born. They had released an album ‘Escape the Roar’ last year. A video of the song ‘Fence’ can be still be sighted, from time to time, on the Zee MGM channel.
They kicked off w/ a song called ‘Hey, Hey’. Describing the show & how the band played is well, pointless as it is one of those should’ve-been-there affairs. Highlights:
They did 3 Steely Dan numbers- Cousin Dupree, Green Earrings & Reelin’ in the Years. The latter was rendered much more up-tempo than usual with an unheard of guitar solo. The Drummer who looked like Sylvester Stallone in the ‘70s flick ‘Serpico’ sang a few songs too. The vocalist sang w/ gusto & engaged the crowd w/ good humor. The band also did a version of Hendrix’s Voodoo Child & a Flora Purim song. They also covered Audioslave's 'Light My Way" & a song by John Mayall. At the end of the evening they had gone through a gamut – Indigo Blues, Delta Blues, Jazz, Funk and so on. The guitar solos where MUCHO AWESOME!
Mostly they stuck to their stuff which was like a mixed bag. Their songs had some really wicked riffs & had that I'm-a-stud-in-a-muscle-car feel. They had a few a songs abt social issues like relegious strife & children giving birth. But those songs r the last thing u ought to perform at a night club & they smoothly (yet sadly) glided over most aerodynamically shapped heads, including mine. YAWWWNNN. Also there was a very pyschadelic pop number which they said is going into their second album. The singer sang w/ feeling & the band was one cohesive unit - all very seasoned & professional. The guy in charge of the sound system & mixer did a great job too. Overall it was 3 hrs of sound entertainment. Music was mature & devoid of punk-rock droppings. BUY THE ALBUM!
If u guys missed it & still want to see them in B'lore- They r playing at Landmark, The Forum (Koramangala) today (26th April) at 6:30pm.
They kicked off w/ a song called ‘Hey, Hey’. Describing the show & how the band played is well, pointless as it is one of those should’ve-been-there affairs. Highlights:
They did 3 Steely Dan numbers- Cousin Dupree, Green Earrings & Reelin’ in the Years. The latter was rendered much more up-tempo than usual with an unheard of guitar solo. The Drummer who looked like Sylvester Stallone in the ‘70s flick ‘Serpico’ sang a few songs too. The vocalist sang w/ gusto & engaged the crowd w/ good humor. The band also did a version of Hendrix’s Voodoo Child & a Flora Purim song. They also covered Audioslave's 'Light My Way" & a song by John Mayall. At the end of the evening they had gone through a gamut – Indigo Blues, Delta Blues, Jazz, Funk and so on. The guitar solos where MUCHO AWESOME!
Mostly they stuck to their stuff which was like a mixed bag. Their songs had some really wicked riffs & had that I'm-a-stud-in-a-muscle-car feel. They had a few a songs abt social issues like relegious strife & children giving birth. But those songs r the last thing u ought to perform at a night club & they smoothly (yet sadly) glided over most aerodynamically shapped heads, including mine. YAWWWNNN. Also there was a very pyschadelic pop number which they said is going into their second album. The singer sang w/ feeling & the band was one cohesive unit - all very seasoned & professional. The guy in charge of the sound system & mixer did a great job too. Overall it was 3 hrs of sound entertainment. Music was mature & devoid of punk-rock droppings. BUY THE ALBUM!
If u guys missed it & still want to see them in B'lore- They r playing at Landmark, The Forum (Koramangala) today (26th April) at 6:30pm.
April 24, 2004
Antharagni
Anjalie got us a few tickets for a concert at some God-forsaken college called PESIT, Located at Banshankari. Unfortunately she couldn’t make it. The band – Antharagni, genre – fusion (or so they claim).
When we (Srikanth, Susk, Roshan & me) arrived PESIT’s band- Phenome was opening. They did a few gimmick-laden numbers including a Dream Theatre cover. Overall not bad, but could be better. Antharagni takes over. The band consists of a violin, bass, acoustic & electric guitar and of course percussion. The percussionist – Gopinath looks like I.M. Vijayan (FC Cochin fame) dressed up like a vellichappadu. They played quite well. U had the usual folksy songs getting the fusion treatment. The transition from the violin bits to the electric guitar bits wasn’t smooth, which left me w/ a conclusion that the band needed one more violinist to smoothen transition. Apart from the many numbers they did, they played 2 great instrumental pieces. The latter one was the highlight. After that piece, there were 4 more songs all upbeat & top-notch. The band was good & the line-up reminded me of an Acoustic Alchemy album – Arcanum. The violin did give the band a unique sound. It was an evening well spent.
When we (Srikanth, Susk, Roshan & me) arrived PESIT’s band- Phenome was opening. They did a few gimmick-laden numbers including a Dream Theatre cover. Overall not bad, but could be better. Antharagni takes over. The band consists of a violin, bass, acoustic & electric guitar and of course percussion. The percussionist – Gopinath looks like I.M. Vijayan (FC Cochin fame) dressed up like a vellichappadu. They played quite well. U had the usual folksy songs getting the fusion treatment. The transition from the violin bits to the electric guitar bits wasn’t smooth, which left me w/ a conclusion that the band needed one more violinist to smoothen transition. Apart from the many numbers they did, they played 2 great instrumental pieces. The latter one was the highlight. After that piece, there were 4 more songs all upbeat & top-notch. The band was good & the line-up reminded me of an Acoustic Alchemy album – Arcanum. The violin did give the band a unique sound. It was an evening well spent.
A Novel Approach
Ever come across some interesting movie while channel surfing? U stop to watch, then it gets a bit boring & u get back to surfing. Then after a few weeks u r back at it (surfing) again & u come across another program. But this time u figure out that this was another scene from that movie u saw the other week. This continues over 2 months or so & HEY PRESTO! u r able to put 2 & 2 together. Its like the movie ' Pulp Fiction'. U take a movie, beat it to pulp, slice & dice it & then watch the bits after calling the random function.
Most Hallmark channel movies r best viewed in this manner. Hallmark movies r usually long & drawn out dramas. I usually get put of by their length & I also noticed that most movies I saw the 'novel' way were Hallmark movies. Even movies that u have watched the normal way come off totally different.
Most Hallmark channel movies r best viewed in this manner. Hallmark movies r usually long & drawn out dramas. I usually get put of by their length & I also noticed that most movies I saw the 'novel' way were Hallmark movies. Even movies that u have watched the normal way come off totally different.
April 23, 2004
April 22, 2004
Kinder Eggs & Röyksopp
Been listening to a couple of songs by Röyksopp & Lunatic Calm. Lunatic calm has some hard hitting dance numbers leaning on the Acid House genre. Röyksopp has been spurning hit singles from their album Melody A.M.. I'm sure most of u must've picked up their catchy electronic music from the air waves. Videos of some of the singles r also great to watch. It consists of a series of animated schematic diagrams. It reminded me of these chocolate eggs we used to get when I was a kid, back in Q8. These eggs were called Kinder Surprise Eggs. It consist of a brown chocolate egg that tasted of hazel nuts (besides the chocolate). Below this brown layer was a shell white chocolate. If u shook the egg u'd hear something rattling in there. The rattling bit is a yellow plastic capsule, which housed plastic parts of a toy. Also in the plastic egg u'd find a schematic for building ur toy. I have had many awesome toys, but these eggs always came w/ the best! Most of my lunch money was surreptitiously on this addiction.
Last April I came across these Kinder Eggs in the last place u'd expect to find them - IN REMOTE SIKKIM!! And I bought 4 of them for old times sake. The chocolate bit was Deee-liciouso....mmmmm......mmmmmmmmmmm... The toys & the process of building them were as fun as ever & time stood still (or did I go back in time?). I still wish I could meet the chap who thought of the Kinder Egg idea. Infact I'd kiss him to death.
Some of the coolest egg toys I have found & built:
-A '30s Grand Prix racing car. Complete with a gear driven mechanism.
-A Jigsaw crocodile. The crocodile consists of plastic jigsaw pieces. U could also rotate certain pieces, to make the crocodile stand in a particular pose.
-A small viewer with a crank that u wound to watch an animated clip through an eye-piece
-A Magnifying glass, w/ a series of lenses to look at bugs
-A small bird that flew. It ran on a twisted rubberband. U should've seen the bugger go, when all wound up.
Every batch of kids has its craze. For us '79ers (back in Q8) it was kinder eggs, kites, water pistols & rubber toys that grew ( more on that in another post). And its true, they don't make them like they u used to.
Moonjungle recommends these songs
Röyksopp - Remind Me
Lunatic Calm - Leave You Far Behind
Lunatic Calm - Metropol
Momus - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
Last April I came across these Kinder Eggs in the last place u'd expect to find them - IN REMOTE SIKKIM!! And I bought 4 of them for old times sake. The chocolate bit was Deee-liciouso....mmmmm......mmmmmmmmmmm... The toys & the process of building them were as fun as ever & time stood still (or did I go back in time?). I still wish I could meet the chap who thought of the Kinder Egg idea. Infact I'd kiss him to death.
Some of the coolest egg toys I have found & built:
-A '30s Grand Prix racing car. Complete with a gear driven mechanism.
-A Jigsaw crocodile. The crocodile consists of plastic jigsaw pieces. U could also rotate certain pieces, to make the crocodile stand in a particular pose.
-A small viewer with a crank that u wound to watch an animated clip through an eye-piece
-A Magnifying glass, w/ a series of lenses to look at bugs
-A small bird that flew. It ran on a twisted rubberband. U should've seen the bugger go, when all wound up.
Every batch of kids has its craze. For us '79ers (back in Q8) it was kinder eggs, kites, water pistols & rubber toys that grew ( more on that in another post). And its true, they don't make them like they u used to.
Moonjungle recommends these songs
Röyksopp - Remind Me
Lunatic Calm - Leave You Far Behind
Lunatic Calm - Metropol
Momus - Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous
April 19, 2004
Geronimo! Harpy
I was preparing a study for a painting. The idea was to prepare a flat barren landscape. One thing led to another & I got this thing I call ' Stormy Seas'.
Stormy Seas
How to get this affect:
1>Click the brush tool & set it to ' Loaded Cover' & Draw.
2>Click the effects tool & then choose 'Smear Tool'; Then choose 'Thick Smear'. Let loose the fury over painted area.
3>After smearing around for sometime u'll get funny ideas. Carry on from there.
Whats shit abt this picture is that it doesn't have any balance. If u rotate it once, clockwise - the middle black region is suggestive of a Harpy hurtling downwards. Maybe I should title this one ' Geronimo! Harpy'
Stormy Seas
How to get this affect:
1>Click the brush tool & set it to ' Loaded Cover' & Draw.
2>Click the effects tool & then choose 'Smear Tool'; Then choose 'Thick Smear'. Let loose the fury over painted area.
3>After smearing around for sometime u'll get funny ideas. Carry on from there.
Whats shit abt this picture is that it doesn't have any balance. If u rotate it once, clockwise - the middle black region is suggestive of a Harpy hurtling downwards. Maybe I should title this one ' Geronimo! Harpy'
April 18, 2004
Mean Machine
Were u lucky enough to watch Maradonna's HAND OF GOD in the World Cup, Mexico 1986? Were u lucky enough to witness the fine goal he scored after the ruckus the 'Hand of God' caused? Well if u didn't thats sad. Atleast u can look forward to the next Halley's Comet sortie (Incidentally that too was last sighted in 1986).
Well I'm getting all nostalgic abt the great footie games I saw way back. I just finished watching a movie - Mean Machine. Its abt a footballer (played by Vinnie Jones) who is sent to jail & is forced to play a match against the guards. Its a very clichéd prison movie. But the match is shot really well. Infact u'd wish that every football match was aired in such a fashion. Unfortunately it isn't so, heck play ur FIFA 2003 for a similar 'with the player' effect. The the manager of the prisoner's team is a black guy called ' Massive'( Vas Blackwood) who is pretty funny. According to him 'Massive' is Ironic. But he isn't given enough time or oppurtunity to be funny as much of the match dominated the movie. This guy & Vinnie Jones also appear in the movie - Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels ( & also in Snatch!). In it, Vas Blackwood plays a very deteremined drug lord, with an afro & a big, fast mouth. One of his famous lines:
" If the milk turns out to be sour, I ain't the kinda pussy to drink it."
Movie recomendations:
1> Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
2> Snatch
Watch Mean Machine if u've got nothing to do/ like watching football/ want to learn to foul.
Well I'm getting all nostalgic abt the great footie games I saw way back. I just finished watching a movie - Mean Machine. Its abt a footballer (played by Vinnie Jones) who is sent to jail & is forced to play a match against the guards. Its a very clichéd prison movie. But the match is shot really well. Infact u'd wish that every football match was aired in such a fashion. Unfortunately it isn't so, heck play ur FIFA 2003 for a similar 'with the player' effect. The the manager of the prisoner's team is a black guy called ' Massive'( Vas Blackwood) who is pretty funny. According to him 'Massive' is Ironic. But he isn't given enough time or oppurtunity to be funny as much of the match dominated the movie. This guy & Vinnie Jones also appear in the movie - Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels ( & also in Snatch!). In it, Vas Blackwood plays a very deteremined drug lord, with an afro & a big, fast mouth. One of his famous lines:
" If the milk turns out to be sour, I ain't the kinda pussy to drink it."
Movie recomendations:
1> Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels
2> Snatch
Watch Mean Machine if u've got nothing to do/ like watching football/ want to learn to foul.
April 17, 2004
No News & Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Just up after a few odd winks. Turn on the TV for a daily fix of news. I just missed headline news- that some other guy from the Hamas outfit was exterminated by the Israelis. Crap, so over to NDTV to hopefully catch more details on this interesting event. NDTV had a reporter outside a hotel waiting to talk to elusive Indian Cricketers, as if those fucks were involved in the Israel-Hamas thing. It seems the cricketers were going back to their homes w/ spouse & kids in tow & were being secretive. Somebody ought to shoot the NDTV crew in cold blood. Nah better still batter the crew w/ cricket bats & pour the pepsi over them. WE NEED NEWS, don't tell us that no news means stalking cricketers. Hats off to Aljazeera , they seem to be doing some serious reporting for the rest of Asia.
I've been reading Kurt Vonnegut Jr. for quite some time now. U could say I am a fan, although his sarcasm (in certain novels) made u want to through the book away from fear of turning ur brain into tofu. He has written an award winning novel called 'Slaughterhouse 5', its abt the fire-bombing of Dresden during WW2. Its partly ( How much?, I don't know) based on his life as a P.O.W. But in my opinion his greatest book (I hope not) is 'Bluebeard'. Its abt an artist. No more- read the book its worht it! I came across this American Magazine w/ glaringly un-American views - In These Times. In it I found a few articles & interviews by Vonnegut Jr.. Ta Da....
Kurt Vonnegut vs. the !�*!@
Dear Mr. Vonnegut
Strange Weather Lately
Knowing What’s Nice
State of the Asylum
False Advertising
His official site vonnegut.com
Still chanson de jour - She's a Bad Mama Jama (by Carl Carlton)
I've been reading Kurt Vonnegut Jr. for quite some time now. U could say I am a fan, although his sarcasm (in certain novels) made u want to through the book away from fear of turning ur brain into tofu. He has written an award winning novel called 'Slaughterhouse 5', its abt the fire-bombing of Dresden during WW2. Its partly ( How much?, I don't know) based on his life as a P.O.W. But in my opinion his greatest book (I hope not) is 'Bluebeard'. Its abt an artist. No more- read the book its worht it! I came across this American Magazine w/ glaringly un-American views - In These Times. In it I found a few articles & interviews by Vonnegut Jr.. Ta Da....
Kurt Vonnegut vs. the !�*!@
Dear Mr. Vonnegut
Strange Weather Lately
Knowing What’s Nice
State of the Asylum
False Advertising
His official site vonnegut.com
Still chanson de jour - She's a Bad Mama Jama (by Carl Carlton)
For those hard days
Somedays its very hard to get by. Thoughts of it come flooding in. If ur lucky enough to forget it; be warned it'll come back to haunt u. To borrow a clichéd line - u can run, but u can't hide. U might be in the midst of something important like writing a test or giving a presentation & there it is once again! Its THAT song u heard in THAT movie! U've no clue what it is. The credits roll by too fast or they r not at all clear. IMDB gives u the middle finger or leaves u only w/ the OST producer's name.
Here is a little site that should help u to kill ur curious cat:
Music from the Movies
Saving souls from nameless songs, Adios.
Song of the moment: She's a Bad Mama Jama (by Carl Carlton)
Here is a little site that should help u to kill ur curious cat:
Music from the Movies
Saving souls from nameless songs, Adios.
Song of the moment: She's a Bad Mama Jama (by Carl Carlton)
April 16, 2004
What is Good RnB music?
Its pretty simple. Take any word (for example - ' Baby' or ' No'). Repeat it 4 times like, ' baby,baby,baby,baby' or ' no,no,no,no'. Now if the uttered line makes sense like a sentence, then the song is sung by a good artist. Depending on the artist :
' baby,baby,baby,baby' => Baby, I miss u
' baby,baby,baby,baby' => Baby, fucking get out of my sight
' baby,baby,baby,baby' => I'm a dog in heat
etc, etc, etc.
Now the music depends on the guy who is cutting the mix. Rule of thumb- if its mixed in a studio in the U.K., u've a potential hit on ur hands. Some how the mixers & audio engineers there pocess a certain amount of (much needed) pop sensibility. Also if any off the following ppl r involved in production - Todd Terry, Dust Brothers & Nellee Hooper; U've got to listen to it.
Anything else is too substandard for Crap.
' baby,baby,baby,baby' => Baby, I miss u
' baby,baby,baby,baby' => Baby, fucking get out of my sight
' baby,baby,baby,baby' => I'm a dog in heat
etc, etc, etc.
Now the music depends on the guy who is cutting the mix. Rule of thumb- if its mixed in a studio in the U.K., u've a potential hit on ur hands. Some how the mixers & audio engineers there pocess a certain amount of (much needed) pop sensibility. Also if any off the following ppl r involved in production - Todd Terry, Dust Brothers & Nellee Hooper; U've got to listen to it.
Anything else is too substandard for Crap.
April 14, 2004
Nicotine & Gravy
Q: Hey whats catchy & once caught, is hard to get rid of?
A: Any Beck song
Lyrics to Nicotine & Gravy
A: Any Beck song
Lyrics to Nicotine & Gravy
April 13, 2004
Approved by the Dental Association
I needed it & while shopping for Visu, I picked it up. But before the choice was made I had this two & half metre tall rack towering over me. I'm talking abt toothbrushes here. Gone r the days of good old Rs11.50 toothbrush. Nowadays toothbrushes have stopped looking like the classic ones instead they remind me of Reebok sportshoes - cool design, sleek & yet chunky. And just like u've got running, walking..... shoes, the range of toothbrushes is just as varied. They come w/ joints at strategic locations, they can flex- microbristled- funkily angled handles- zig-zagged bristles -gay coloured like aqua & pink. Brushes that fight plaque & other diabolical stuff - mechanized brushes - whitening agents etc. I wonder if they test them out in wind-tunnels. Some of them looked so weird that I wondered if they were intended for the mouth!
The next best thing in space-age toothbrush technology according to me:
1> Brushes w/ little brush weilding Munchkins, tied to the bristles like Joan of Arc. Just put it in ur mouth & see the little buggers go!
2> Brush-Breakfast combo. It allows u to brush u r teeth & doubles up as breakfast after. Todays menu - toast, coffee, dosa, upma & cornflakes.
3> The sonic brush. Put it in ur mouth & get a dose of teeth rattling death metal. All songs approved & performed by Dental Association Quartet.
Finally I picked up a Prudent something & a few hours later I regreted it. Its a capitalist scam. Give me the good old ummikeri*.
Happy Visu everybody.
* Ummikeri is charred rice husks. It cleans great & as u use ur fingers to brush, ur gums get that much needed massage.
The next best thing in space-age toothbrush technology according to me:
1> Brushes w/ little brush weilding Munchkins, tied to the bristles like Joan of Arc. Just put it in ur mouth & see the little buggers go!
2> Brush-Breakfast combo. It allows u to brush u r teeth & doubles up as breakfast after. Todays menu - toast, coffee, dosa, upma & cornflakes.
3> The sonic brush. Put it in ur mouth & get a dose of teeth rattling death metal. All songs approved & performed by Dental Association Quartet.
Finally I picked up a Prudent something & a few hours later I regreted it. Its a capitalist scam. Give me the good old ummikeri*.
Happy Visu everybody.
* Ummikeri is charred rice husks. It cleans great & as u use ur fingers to brush, ur gums get that much needed massage.
April 12, 2004
Tanked-up weekends
My weekdays: Studio 3-4 hours of animating & my brain is shot. After a lot of sponging I return home for lunch & then its back to the grindstone again. Past 2 weeks were busy & it was only on friday that I realized, I was working way too much. Haven't played a single game.Haven't read anything new other than manuals & how tos for various softwares. I must take a break as us slackers must never take it too hard. Heck! everyone I know has flown the coop for Easter. What to do? What to do? Headed to G$s on Friday & got wind that Sood may(/not) make it to B'lore. Got introduced to a new watering-hole for the hardcore types called Dewars. Great atmosphere & it got me all nostalgic abt Bombay Hotel, Calicut. Old world charm, mesh, spiders & communist posters. Scary menu though.
Dewar's started a 3-day long binge. Sood did come down. Spent a nice evening w/ Sood, G$ & a couple of his friends. More drinking. Tasted a great whisky. Got a few crazy ideas while I was there. Now back in that old, familiar, comfortable, lethargic mode albeit a little dehydrated.
Note to self- must do a qualitative analysis of chikkis- buy photopaints- nail that storyboard- get back to Srikanth's page- get cigarette paper
Horoscope-Travel on the cards.
Fuck me!
Dewar's started a 3-day long binge. Sood did come down. Spent a nice evening w/ Sood, G$ & a couple of his friends. More drinking. Tasted a great whisky. Got a few crazy ideas while I was there. Now back in that old, familiar, comfortable, lethargic mode albeit a little dehydrated.
Note to self- must do a qualitative analysis of chikkis- buy photopaints- nail that storyboard- get back to Srikanth's page- get cigarette paper
Horoscope-Travel on the cards.
Fuck me!
April 07, 2004
WHY DO I DO THESE THINGS?
Last Friday I molested myself. I got a haircut after 2 yrs, 1 month & 9 days. A record for me. I used to pop in at the barber's for a beard trim now & then when things got a little out of hand. The lecherous bastard use to eye my hair everytime & then he'd smile and ask if I needed a haircut or modest snip at the ends. I bet he got his kicks when he hacked off a sizable portion.
To guage the damage:
Before (Thats a Green Glass Bottle)
After (Thats a home-made Candle*)
* To purchase home-made candles contact me. For scented candles I suggest this DIY technique- Burn candle & smoke incense sticks simultaneously:)
To guage the damage:
Before (Thats a Green Glass Bottle)
After (Thats a home-made Candle*)
* To purchase home-made candles contact me. For scented candles I suggest this DIY technique- Burn candle & smoke incense sticks simultaneously:)
April 01, 2004
Grim Fandango
From time to time we hear of ppl talking prophetically abt the future of games. They talk abt virtual environs in which one can feel textures & smell burnt flesh etc. Unfortunately, today, we r far away frm those wet dreams. But ever so often comes a game that gives u a total sense of immersion & is awesomely entertaining to boot. It leaves u wanting for more in the end & in a mournful state, when u realize that there aren't any sequels in the offing. One such game is 'Grim Fandango'.
The game borrows a lot from South American folklore. Especially the part abt journey of the soul after death, in the land of the dead. When a person dies he has to pass thruough the land of the dead to reach heaven (or something like it). The land of the dead is comprised of regions through which the soul must pass through (this includes the infamous Petrified Forest).
The games tagline reads: "An EPIC tale of CRIME & CORRUPTION in the LAND OF THE DEAD". U control a character called Manny Calavera, an agent for the Dept. of Dead (DOD) in the Land of the Dead. Ur job is to dress up as the Grim Reaper & harvest souls. Then u sell them a travel package depending on the sins they've commited. If u r a saint-type u get a golden ticket on the No.9, a fantastic train. Its the easiest & coolest way to heaven. U don't have to go through the torture of walking through many regions of the land of the dead that r akin to hell. Now for the Crime & Corruption part- some devious chap is selling these golden tickets to nefarious types while the deserving souls go through hell! Its upto Manny to get to the bottom of things.
The game uses Lucas Arts's SCUMM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion) system. Which basically is a interface system for
point-and-click adventures. CABAL::SCUMM
U use ur character to go around the land of the dead (rendered in 3D) collecting clues & stuff to solve them. U get to interact w/ a rich variety of characters. All the characters look like paper skeleton dolls (that r known as Calaveras in Mexican). Then there r demons that do menial jobs like sweeping, cleaning, repairing etc. The game has lot of references to that noir classic - Cassablanca. The buildings, streets, objects have this Art Nouveau touch abt them. Everything reminded me of Victor Horta. Victor Horta: Nouveau Monster
The game has also won numerous awards for its art.
The voice acting is impressive as in most Lucas Arts games. the soundtrack is mainly awesome swing & bebop tunes frm the Big Band era. Infact if ur upto it u can download the soundtrack here: Grim Fandango OST: Big Bands, Bebop, and Bones
I recommend the track "Hector Steps Out".
The humour in this game is great. Some of the dialogues r profound. One of my Favs:
Membrillo (a coroner in the Land of the Dead): I'm up to my ass in azaleas.
Manny: Do you ever worry that your job is getting to you, Membrillo?
Membrillo: Well, forensic botany is a trying job, Manny, but have you ever spent much time here with a florist?
Membrillo: In life, they became florists because they loved flowers, but here.......a flower is a symbol of pain, of death within death.
Membrillo: Their conflicted feelings build and build, and eventually they become quite mad.
Manny: Thanks for the tip.
Manny: I guess I'll send balloon bouquets from now on.
{Note: The villains in the Land of the Dead use a gun that shoots bullets that sprout plants on impact. These plants bore their roots into the bones. and that folks spells death for the Calaveras}
For screenshots & more stuff check out Grim Fandango Network
The game borrows a lot from South American folklore. Especially the part abt journey of the soul after death, in the land of the dead. When a person dies he has to pass thruough the land of the dead to reach heaven (or something like it). The land of the dead is comprised of regions through which the soul must pass through (this includes the infamous Petrified Forest).
The games tagline reads: "An EPIC tale of CRIME & CORRUPTION in the LAND OF THE DEAD". U control a character called Manny Calavera, an agent for the Dept. of Dead (DOD) in the Land of the Dead. Ur job is to dress up as the Grim Reaper & harvest souls. Then u sell them a travel package depending on the sins they've commited. If u r a saint-type u get a golden ticket on the No.9, a fantastic train. Its the easiest & coolest way to heaven. U don't have to go through the torture of walking through many regions of the land of the dead that r akin to hell. Now for the Crime & Corruption part- some devious chap is selling these golden tickets to nefarious types while the deserving souls go through hell! Its upto Manny to get to the bottom of things.
The game uses Lucas Arts's SCUMM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion) system. Which basically is a interface system for
point-and-click adventures. CABAL::SCUMM
U use ur character to go around the land of the dead (rendered in 3D) collecting clues & stuff to solve them. U get to interact w/ a rich variety of characters. All the characters look like paper skeleton dolls (that r known as Calaveras in Mexican). Then there r demons that do menial jobs like sweeping, cleaning, repairing etc. The game has lot of references to that noir classic - Cassablanca. The buildings, streets, objects have this Art Nouveau touch abt them. Everything reminded me of Victor Horta. Victor Horta: Nouveau Monster
The game has also won numerous awards for its art.
The voice acting is impressive as in most Lucas Arts games. the soundtrack is mainly awesome swing & bebop tunes frm the Big Band era. Infact if ur upto it u can download the soundtrack here: Grim Fandango OST: Big Bands, Bebop, and Bones
I recommend the track "Hector Steps Out".
The humour in this game is great. Some of the dialogues r profound. One of my Favs:
Membrillo (a coroner in the Land of the Dead): I'm up to my ass in azaleas.
Manny: Do you ever worry that your job is getting to you, Membrillo?
Membrillo: Well, forensic botany is a trying job, Manny, but have you ever spent much time here with a florist?
Membrillo: In life, they became florists because they loved flowers, but here.......a flower is a symbol of pain, of death within death.
Membrillo: Their conflicted feelings build and build, and eventually they become quite mad.
Manny: Thanks for the tip.
Manny: I guess I'll send balloon bouquets from now on.
{Note: The villains in the Land of the Dead use a gun that shoots bullets that sprout plants on impact. These plants bore their roots into the bones. and that folks spells death for the Calaveras}
For screenshots & more stuff check out Grim Fandango Network
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