Rant

Why the last few months haven’t been exactly great for me…

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  1. The piston of my bike siezed owing to the a jammed oil filter and I had to get a new one.
  2. I had a terrible accident on my friend’s bike and nearly got my head smashed. I still have the scars from that accident.
  3. One of my friends killed himself by hanging and I saw the dreadful sight. That sight lingered in front of my eyes during my exams. My spirits were in the dumps the whole time.
  4. Expecting my spirits to lift at new year, I had to see a terrible accident scene in front of PP’s garage pub.
  5. I travelled back home to Kolkata by sleeper class. Caught fever on the way and shivered the whole way with the chilly wind blowing across me. One of the worst and longest nights ever.
  6. I had to stay in bed for many days till I recovered from the fever/cold.
  7. The joystick of my mobile popped off and I couldn’t find a new one.
  8. The barber cut my hair too short, making me look like a damn cactus.
  9. I was on my way to Nagpur on 25th when the train tracks were blown up by naxalite rebels and I had to run away and come back home by a series of different local trains full of stinky people.

Hope my luck changes by the time my birthday arrives and I enjoy at the concert.I am now going directly to mumbai on 1st.

Movies

I forgot a movie!!!!

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I forgot one movie for my Top-10 list. It’s Con Air. As of now, the list is Top 11 list. As I don’t get to write my blog at my leisure(I write from a cyber cafe), I often forget a few things. Anyways, this movie should definitely have been on the list.
It’s one of the few action movies that I can watch again and again without getting bored. Cameron Poe(Nicholas Cage) is an ex marine who kills someone in a drunken brawl while defending his wife and gets jailed. One thing I really adored in this movie was Cameron Poe’s accent. Coupled with great dialogues, the movie is really killin. The dialogue “Put the bunny back in the box” and “There’s only two men I trust… One is me and the other is not you” were really cool and I use them in real life even if they seem out of place. The characters, Cyrus the virus, Johny 23, Pinball, Garland Green were really great.
I am leaving for Nagpur tomorrow. Will reach on 26th. Will leave for Mumbai on 27th for the Bryan Adams concert. WIll stay there till 5th and then come back to Nagpur on 6th.
Will post the details of the concert next!!!

Movies

My List Of Favorite Movies

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Well, since everyone is doing it, I have also decided to compile a list of my favorite movies. These are the movies which I can watch again and again and again….. They are arranged in no particular order. Please don’t mind if you find the list a little biased towards sly.
1. Rocky:- Undoubtedly, the Rocky movies are my favorite movies of all time, Rocky(1976) being my most beloved movie of all. This movie combined just the right mix of emotions, action and sentiments. However, I liked the rest of the movie much more than the fight sequence at the end. Slowly, the emotional content rapidly diminishes from Rocky II onwards till Rocky V where John G. Avildsen returns to the director’s chair. Even though the movie(V) didn’t do particularly well, I liked it a lot. I think Sylvester “Sly” Stallone looked his best in Rocky III while the lean look in Rocky IV was excellent. Dolph Lundgren was the perfect choice for Ivan Drago’s character in Rocky IV. All the characters – Adrian, Mickey, Pauli, Gazzo, Butkus are perfectly casted. It was after seeing this movie that I went on an exercising spree 😉 The greatest movie series of all time excellent soundtrack by Bill Conti, Vince Di Cola, Survivor etc.!!
2. Godfather:- I have nothing much to say about the Godfather movies. I think Grooveguru will be a much better judge than me. Excellent acting by Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, although I found the 3rd part a bit disappointing(I slept through it.. Yawn!!) One of the best dialogues of movie history “I’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse…”
3. First blood/ Rambo II/Rambo III:- My favorite action movie. I saw first blood around 12 years ago. You can’t but feel sorry for Rambo John J. as he is picked on by the town sherrif and his deputies. Soon, you feel sorry for the sherrif as Rambo goes on a killing spree through town. Actually, I felt so much hatred for actor Brian Dennehy(who played the sherrif) that I won’t watch any of his movies any more. No doubt Sylvester Stallone looked his career best in this movie. The sequels Rambo II and Rambo III were also excellent though not as good as First Blood. Excellent acting by Sly and also great song “It’s a long road” by Dan Hill.
4. School of Rock:- I agree that this wasn’t such a great movie. But it inspired me to start playing guitar so I thought it deserved a spot in my list. If those twerps can play guitar, so can I. Jack Black is a great actor and a great guitarist. Great soundtrack by The Who, No Vacancy, The doors, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones and many other artists. The kids played “It’s a long way to the top” perfectly.
5. Back to the Future I,II,III:- Steven Spielberg churns out a masterpiece again!! I am a science fiction fan and this movie is my favorite sci-fi flick.. All the three movies of this trilogy are excellent. Michael J. Fox(Playing Marty Mc Fly) travels into the past and future with the help of the whacky scientist (Christopher Lloyd). These movies are quite hilarious and fast paced. The expressions used by Fox are excellent and makes the viewer break up into peals of laughter.
6. October Sky:- I am surprised to know that not many people have watched this wonderful movie. It’s based in 1957,Coalwood, West Virginia. Homer Hickam(Jake Gyllenhaal) strives to break away from mining(which is the profession of his dad and the whole town) and become a rocket scientist. Slow paced, this movie touches an emotional chord. Excellent cinematography and great acting makes this movie worth watching many times.
7. Enter the Dragon:- This is the best martial arts movie of all time. Bruce Lee is just electrifying as he goes to Hahn’s island to avenge the death of his sister and expose his drug racket. Great fight scenes, especially the one with the mirrors. Bruce Lee’s last movie and probably his best too. Great fight performances by Bruce Lee and John Saxon. I am sorry but no one including Jet Li, Jackie Chan(Duh!!), can match the acting or fighting performances of Bruce Lee.
8. Alien/Aliens:- My favorite horror/sci-fi movies. My favorite of this series is Aliens(second part of the sequel). Sighourney Weaver proves her capability as an action star. The first movie is very primitive while the second part is much modern filled with non-stop action. Even after I have watched the movies several times now, the sudden appearances of the Aliens sends a chill down my spine. Great acting by Lance Henriksen(Bishop), Michael Biehn accompanied by great cinematography, the constant tension in the air makes this a horror movie worth watching.
9. Star Wars:- A great movie series. The series is so long and has so many actors that describing all of them will be a bore. However, George Harrison’s acting is commendable. Soundtrack is also great. R2D2, C3PO and Chewie have become immortal characters even though they weren’t even human. Also commendable is the decision to make the movie starting from the 4th episode and the ultimate twist in the 6th Episode.
10.Forrest Gump:- A truly emotional as well as funny movie showing the exceptional life led by a dim guy called Forrest Gump(Iq of only 75). From school-to football star-to the army-to ping pong star-to fishing tycoon, life leads him from one adventure to another.The scenes where he meets great celebrities like John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and John Lennon(Surprisingly, they all die). Anyways, the greatest point of the movie may be the dialogue “I’m not a smart man. But I *know* what love is…”

Hate, Music

I hate you Black Eyed Piss!!

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When a year or so ago, I heard the song “Where is the love” by the Black Eyed Peas, I immediately fell in love with it. “Here’s a hip hop band with good songs”, I said, even though I didn’t fancy the other songs. Recently, I was sitting in front of the TV, surfing channels frantically. As I passed through VH1, I saw the Black Eyed Peas on stage about to perform for some awards(I don’t remember which). So the girl announces, “Now we are gonna play our latest songs – My Humps”. What??????? Did I hear right?? My HUMPS???? Open mouthed, I watched them perform this song. Was something wrong with my hearing or were they really singing these lyrics???
What you gon’ do with all that junk?All that junk inside your trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get, you drunk,Get you love drunk off my hump.
My hump, my hump, my hump, my hump, my hump,
My hump, my hump, my hump, my lovely little lumps. (Check it out)
Some other examples of the explicit lyrics sung by the girl with a provocative swaying of her hips are:-
They say I’m really sexy, The boys they wanna sex me.
They always standing next to me, Always dancing next to me,
Tryin’ a feel my hump, hump.
Lookin’ at my lump, lump.U can look but you can’t touch it,
If you touch it I’ma start some drama,You don’t want no drama,
No, no drama, no, no, no, no drama
So don’t pull on my hand boy,You ain’t my man, boy,
I’m just tryn’a dance boy,And move my hump.
As the song finished, I sat dejected on how the quality of what they call “MUSIC” has degraded severely. They call this darned thing music???? Lyrics seem to be written by a frustrated 12 year old girl. There’s no music to speak of and they call this music. And they even have the nerve to perform these songs on stage. This got me thinking about the trend international music is going these days. Almost any music channel you switch to, you just find hip-hop songs, all promoting the use of drugs, guns and public sex. Even the rock bands are turning hip-hop(Linkin Park-I hate Jay-Z). Same with Indian music.
I am seriously disappointed by the music of today because of which I have to wait for months for a good album to come out. (See Rolling Stones-Rain Fall down)

Movies

King Kong

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Well, a week ago, I had the great privelege to see this great movie at INOX. Carl Denham(Jack Black) is a movie director who sets off for skull island with Ann Darrow(Naomi Watts) and law at his heels. There he finds a vicious natives who kidnap Ann to sacrifice her to the beast Kong. But instead of devouring her, kong gets horny and takes her with him to his lair. From here on, we find that the island is full of nothing except sexually frustrated creatures. There are brontosaurs, the T-rex, Godzilla and many more. But Kong is trained in martial arts. He uses his skills to the max and saves poor Ann from the creatures. Personally, I would have liked it if there were more creatures like the Alien and the Predator. And maybe the terminator too. Carl and his crew rescue Ann and meanwhile also manage to trap Kong by beating him with chloroform bottles and brings him back to America. Maybe he hasn’t seen movies like Aliens. YOU NEVER BRING THE BEAST BACK WITH YOU!!! But anyways, he showcases Kong on broadway to the delight of his audiences. Meanwhile his libido combined with his sexual frustration and his amazing strength enables him to tear apart the chains that are holding him and escape in search for Ann and go off on a rampage. Meanwhile we realise that Ann has changed her sexual preferences from man to beast and also goes off in search for him. They meet(not mate) and Kong carries her to the tallest skyscraper in New York. Here he is shot down by World War 1 planes much to the disappointment of Ann. Hey Ann, I heard walruses are pretty big. Anyways, the movie was fairly good with great cinematography giving it the sepia old world feel. I would definitely recommend this movie.

Motorcycle

Long Term Review of Royal Enfield Thunderbird

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Hey!! I seem to be enjoying writing reviews. January 2006 will mark the 2nd anniversary of my bike. So I thought a review would do nicely. This bike(Zapeedo) has been my constant companion for almost 2 years now and enjoys a special place in my life. It never fails to start at the first(or maybe second or maybe third) kick in the morning. I simply love the thumping and smooth ride. Anyways I would now list the pros and cons of the bike which have come to light during these 2 years and 21000 kms..
Pros:-

  1. Great Pickup:- It’s faster than most indian “sports” bikes available inspite of the heavy weight(180kgs). Incredible pulling power even at speeds above 80.
  2. Great Top-Speed:- I have personally touched a little over 120 kmph on the Nagpur-Kamptee road but could feel that the bike had a little more power left to go even faster.
  3. Extremely smooth:- At speeds of 50, this bike feels very smooth and stable. Even at speeds above 100, the bike feels well balanced. No gust of wind can shake this bike.
  4. Great looks.
  5. Extremely cheap spare parts:-The clutch plate of the Thunderbird costs around 400 and that of the CBZ costs around 1300.
  6. Extremely simple engine design.
  7. Good handling:- Though not like the standard 350, the thunderbird corners great on even the most slippery roads.
  8. Great feel:- No other bike can replace the thumping feeling of the enfield.

Cons:-

  1. Below Average service:- The service centers refused to repeatedly acknowledge noise in my cam and tappets which led to my cam problem. Instead they keep pestering me to buy accessories like a windshield etc.
  2. Handling:- After a certain degree of cornering, the low footpegs touch the road though I think this can be corrected. Please remember that I am talking very low cornering.
  3. Pushrods based Engine:- Though, the thunderbird is never expected to reach rpms above 4500 rpm(At a speed of 100 kmph, the rpm in 5th gear is 4000 rpm), the pushroad system provides certain difficulties in the form of tappet noise and subsequent adjustments.
  4. Design drawbacks:- I think these are design problems that the decompressor cable breaks at a certain point every time where the cable bends sharply. Today was the 5th time in 2 years and starting without the decompressor is a pain in the arse.
Gadgets, Mobile

One month review of O2 XPhone II

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It’s more than a month I have been using my new phone. So I thought it’s time I wrote a fair review about it. Following are the pros and cons of this smartphone.

Pros.:-

  1. Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 Second Edition
  2. 64 Mb integrated storage
  3. 32 Mb Ram
  4. Mini-SD card support upto 4 gb
  5. Fast processor
  6. Large and very clear display with exceptional clarity
  7. Speakerphone
  8. Sleek and suave
  9. Keypad Light Sensor
  10. Long battery life
  11. Above average camera quality
  12. Runs .exe files and installs software directly out of .cab files
  13. Bluetooth/Infrared Connectivity
  14. Great Multimedia Album with zoom in videos
  15. Great mp3 quality in Windows Media Player 9 and other applications.
  16. Mirror on back for self-portrait
  17. Great t9 dictionary with intuitive suggestions while typing.
  18. Good volume
  19. Wma/wav ringtones

Cons.:-

  1. File explorer software has to be downloaded from official website.
  2. Maybe hard to use for newbies.
  3. Lack of mp3 ringtones(Can be rectified by 3rd party software)
  4. Sub megapixel camera
  5. Office apps not bundled
  6. Windows Media Player 10 not present
  7. Memory Card not hot swappable
Music

My favorite Songs

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Well, This is my list of favorite songs as of 27/12/2005. Please remember that this list is volatile and the songs are arranged in no particular order and I have avoided multiple songs of the same artist so that the list doesnt get too long
1. I can’t tell you why – Eagles
2. One – Metallica
3. You shook me all night long – AC/DC
4. It must have been love – Roxette
5. How deep is your love – The Bee Gees
6. Every breath you take – Police
7. Blind – Korn
8. Something in the way – Nirvana
9. Back to you – Bryan Adams
10.Always – Bon Jovi

Rant

Studies Block!!

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I am suffering from a severe case of studies block!!! I cannot study anymore.. Cannot sit at the table for more than 10 minutes without my thoughts being distracted somewhere else. I have got 7 exams in 10 days and I am gonna get screwed real hard…. I am going down big time…

Rant

Bye Bye GPRS!!

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I am getting my GPRS deactivated tonight. Firstly it’s too much of a distraction making me flunk my study time and sit on the internet doing nothing. Secondly, my balance is now just 20 bucks and if I don’t stop now, I will be left without incoming calls. Anyways, this is a nice pic I got of my and my roommate’s bike together. The silver one is mine, the black one is my roommates. Both are Royal Enfield 350 cc bikes. Anyways, trying to download all I can today to cope for my lack of internet conenctivity for the next month. Posted by Picasa

Earth bound misfit, I