Respect Life

The genius of Trent Reznor

2007-06-30T22:03:00.000-06:00

The more I listen to my usual load of my music the more I am amazed that geniuses like Trent Reznor (of NIN fame) and James Maynard Keenan (Tool/APC) don't dominate the scene. I just cannot stop listening to them once I start.
To be totally honest, I haven't listened to everything that NIN has produced so far. I'm a big fan of their last two albums- With Teeth & Year Zero.
JMK on the other hand- I have listened (quite intensively) to both APC and Tool. Mindblowing experiences- the vocals, the abstract and kinda open lyrics, the myriad of sounds within an album. I don't remember relating to any group as much as I have with Tool. APC comes in a close second though ;-) and probably Staind a distant third.

2007-04-17T21:27:00.000-06:00

Sometimes a hiatus is a good thing and sometimes it's not. Keeping away from blogging has left me less prone to mulling over a depressing life. Life really isn't that depressing by itself, but it can be made so with a good dose of Staind and Alice in Chains followed by a long drive. Life's many facets are best reviewed under ominous moods, I think, so here I am. Not because I want to, but because I need to.

2006-06-17T11:43:00.000-06:00

No one knows what it's like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you

No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through

But my dreams
They aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free

[Behind Blue Eyes]

Welcome!

2006-05-23T14:53:00.000-06:00

Now that I know that AP/Jai are going to be reading my blog I'll post some controversial stuff soon! ;-)

Trippin'

2006-05-03T15:19:00.000-06:00

So glad to see you well
Overcome and completely silent now
With heaven's help
You cast your demons out

And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you off your cloud
But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're planning to go about
Making your amends to the dead
To the dead

Recall the deeds as if they're all
Someone else's atrocious stories
Now you stand reborn before us all
So glad to see you well

And not to pull your halo down
Around your neck and tug you to the ground
But I'm more than just a little curious
How you're planning to go about
Making your amends to the dead
To the dead

With your halo slipping down
Your halo's slipping
Your halo's slipping down
Your halo's slipping down
Your halo's slipping down

Your halo's slipping down to choke you now

:)

2006-04-25T12:38:00.000-06:00

http://www.comics.com/comics/pearls/archive/pearls-20060425.html

New Music

2006-04-20T09:56:00.000-06:00

Singles out!
RHCP. Pearl Jam. MCR. Yellowcard. Tool . The Flaming Lips. Lacuna Coil.

Coming up soon
Incubus. Godsmack. Snow Patrol. Paul Simon. Audioslave. Three Days Grace. Keane. Live. Blur. Jet. Metallica. Dashboard Confessional. Radiohead. GNR. The Who. Guster. Jethro Tull.

Yes, thank you, my 2006 will be awesome!

GetFuzzyPearlsBeforeSwine

2006-04-18T18:05:00.000-06:00

There you go! Pearls before Swine meets Get Fuzzy!
Now waiting for some fun! :)

Turn it Off!

2006-04-18T14:23:00.000-06:00

I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week. -Drew Henderson, 2nd grader, Donora, Pennsylvania

http://www.tvturnoff.org/week.htm

Rant about my writing

2006-04-12T11:53:00.000-06:00

Continuing on the same line as my post yesterday- here are the things I intensely dislike about my own writing:

- Too many smileys :-(
- Overuse of punctuation: I use -;,: etc way too often.
- Sentences are either too short or too long. Like this. Think about it. Or something super annoying, like skipping dosas for breakfast, which make you re-read the sentence a gazillion times and which will in the end annoy you too.
- Spelling errors! I have major trouble when I try to spell words with an e followed by u and vice versa.
- My list of commonly used adjectives is very limited.

The Best Best of

2006-04-11T16:16:00.000-06:00

This one had me laughing all the way through!
Best of Craigs

This one takes the cake! It does echo what I feel though- people hide behind a veil of being/looking cool when their grammar actually sucks. Just like this.... ppl hide bhind a veil of .... bein ...luking... kool whn thr gramma actually SUCKS!!!!!
Oh well, I cant seem to write really bad even if I want to! ;)

I'm ok with shortened forms, but things that really get to me are:
Excessive usage of ...
Excessive usage of !!
Plain wrong usage [Your instead of You're, for instance, as pointed out in the linked post]
Wrong spelling, of course.

Just ranting for now.

2006-04-04T12:14:00.000-06:00

Watching 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow' right now. The resemblance between Jude Law & Aamir Khan hits me harder now. I watched 'Cold mountain' a couple of weeks back and thats when I first felt it.
Here's a pic of Jude Law in Cold Mountain- just a fairer version of Aamir!

Sell some lemonade!

2006-04-03T12:18:00.000-06:00

Manu's post about the lemonade stand simulation reminded me about how much fun it was.
Here's my high score!

Goosebumps time...

2006-03-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

I heard 'Behind Blue eyes' on my drive to work this morning. Sent shivers down my spine, tis been long since I last heard it.

But my dreams
They aren’t as empty
As my conscience seems to be

I'm listening to 'Otherside' right now. another one of the goosebumpey songs for me.
The ultimate one? 'The Sound of Silence' by Paul Simon, the version he sang with Bob Dylan.

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

These are songs I really appreciate for the music and the songwriting. Famous people, famous songs, but they hold a special meaning in my life.

Take a guess!

2006-03-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

This land is (y)our land

2006-03-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

This land is your land, this land is my land

From the Redwood Forest to the New York Island

The Canadian mountain to the Gulf Stream waters

This land is made for you and me.

As I go walking this ribbon of highway

I see above me this endless skyway

And all around me the wind keeps saying:

This land is made for you and me.

I roam and I ramble and I follow my footsteps

Till I come to the sands of her mineral desert

The mist is lifting and the voice is saying:

This land is made for you and me.

Where the wind is blowing I go a strolling

The wheat field waving and the dust a rolling

The fog is lifting and the wind is saying:

This land is made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me; As I go walking my freedom highway; Nobody living can make me turn back; This land is made for you and me.

[Woody Guthrie]

Tis Spring! The time when your eager feet want to wander around, trampling along the countryside. Picking wildflowers, sitting by streams, hiking up the mountains, camping under a starlit sky. I'm excited about my summer ahead!

2006-03-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Hate me today
Hate me tomorrow
Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you

[Blue October- Hate me]

The making of an urban legend

2006-03-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

ACTUAL transcript of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland in October, 1995. This radio conversation was released by the Chief of Naval Operations on 10-10-95.
Americans: "Please divert your course 15 degrees to the North to avoid a collision."
Canadians: "Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision."
Americans: "This is the captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course."
Canadians: "No, I say again, you divert YOUR course."
Americans: "THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH. THAT'S ONE-FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP."
Canadians: "This is a lighthouse. Your call."

http://www.snopes.com/military/lighthse.htm

I had a rather similar exchange with a snow plow the other day. He finally honked at me! Oh well, atleast I'm here now, not having my remains scraped off a plow.

Music on the rocks

2006-03-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Depressing music is in, and is here to stay. From Staind's Outside, which I first heard on the late night show on RadioCity (all thanks to Vikas) to Breaking Benjamin's So Cold, which I first heard on Yahoo's Launch to Crossfade's Cold which I heard on radio, Channel 93.3. The acoustic verions, of course, always sound better. There is something in these songs that just leaps out and clings to you, the words keep running all over, falling over each other in your head and the tune just messes you up, re-tuning your life to what it wants you to be. I'm always moody and contemplative after listening to one of these. And I have never failed to crank up the volume and tune the world out.

Cold
I never really wanted you to see
The screwed up side of me that I keep
Locked inside of me so deep
It always seems to get to me

I never really wanted you to go
So many things you should have known
I guess for me there's just no hope
I never meant to be so cold

So Cold
Show me how it ends it's alright
Show me how defenseless you really are
satisfied and empty inside
That's alright, let's give this another try

Outside
All the times that I cried
All this wastin
It’s all inside
And I feel all this pain
Stuffed it down
It’s back again
And I lie here in bed
All alone
I cant mend but I feel
Tomorrow will be okay

20 things rewritten...

2006-03-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Somehow, the last post reads like a sermon when I look back at it. This is my *real* response to Sath's tagging me.

1.) Love all things bright and beautiful, all things great and small. Animals are very special to me.

2.) Love to walk, and that includes hiking. I'm esp. more game for midnight walks!

3.) It is the ride that counts, so stop and smell the flowers. I believe in living life to its fullest (exceptions are made in the morning when I'd rather not get out of bed).

4.) I love being alone. This doesn't mean the "Cabin Fever"-style situation where a flesh-eating virus kills everyone around me so I'm left alone. Walking by a stream- listening to the water, driving alone on an interstate, sitting in the woods, perusing through books in a library, strolling through museums and art galleries... you get the idea.

5.) Taste is only one of the 5 senses. Give me food, but it must look good, smell good and even feel good! I love dining out because more than often it is a treat for more than one sense of mine. Most people know me as a fussy eater anyway ;-) On a similar note, I don't like onions, garlic or ginger! I live solely on a dessert-to-dessert basis- I love sweets :-)

6.) I want to learn Kannada- mainly to read and write. I learnt only Hindi and English with some Sanskrit at school, but having lived almost all my life in Bangalore I'm ashamed to say that I cannot read Kannada. I have books, but the drive is somewhat lacking right now.

7.) I used to be very eccentric as a kid [There you go Dooka & Lucifer, this should cover your points!]. Trees were my best friends and I hated the company of people. I've torn clothes that I didn't like and wouldn't want to wear, *ever*. I've emptied my school lunchbox in every possible location near home.

8.) I'm quite opinionated and I defend myself saying most people don't even know what they really think anyway. I mean it- most of them just echo other's ideas without giving it a thought themselves.

9.) Bangalore is here to stay. Where else in India can you speak English/Hindi/Kannada/Tamil and expect to be understood? On the other hand, I wish everyone would just pack their bags and leave so it goes back to being the lazy laidback city we once were a part of.

10.) I love coffee AND tea. Both are now an integral part of my diet thanks to my parents!

11.) I prefer living inland to living next to the sea. Maybe its just because I've never lived near the sea before or maybe being inland is my security-blanket ;-)

12.) I swim, but never satisfactorily! Oh God, I wish I learnt to swim as a kid.

13.) I think I'm turning into a feminist. In a few years I'll be a saffron dupatta yielding bald woman organizing rallies in Bangalore. *sigh*

14.) I want to visit all the National Parks in the US. There is something so awe-inspiring about seeing places of natural beauty. Its a very humbling feeling for me, I feel like a small minute cog in the machine of life.

15.) I think I'm agnostic, I'm not sure yet. There is some power high above us (or around, or below, whatever.). My thoughts definitely don't blend in with any of the major religions so far.

16.) Places I want to see in the near future- Mexico City, Everglades National Park, Peru & other S.A countries. I also want to revisit a number of places I've been to in Utah, Arizona, NM and Colorado this summer.

17.) I want a dog. A bike (a license with that would be good). A huge garden so I can nourish a green thumb. A pair of birding binocs (they're on their way). A huge truck (I like the Dodge Ram quite a bit).

18.) Love playing games- TT, basketball, badminton, volleyball, etc. I used to play Half-Life but that was till Vikas started playing by himself and I got lost in the huuuge train station! My fav PC games are SpeedCar, Mario, RoadRash and *Age of Empires*. I used to run, that's another thing I'd like to pick up again. Now I find solace at the Internet Scrabble Club ;-)

19.) I can be extremely lazy at times and extremely efficient if I like what I'm doing. I drove my dad nuts with this behavior!

20.) A whole 20 points without music? Naaah! My current fav is Weezer's Perfect Situation. Lyrics follow in my next post :-D

So, tagging Sups and Vibe now. Go on guys!

20 Things about me...

2006-03-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

... alternately, things about me which you probably knew and didn't care anyway!
Sath tagged me, so here I go: (in no particular order)

1.) I'm a vegetarian by choice. It has nothing to do with my health or with Maneka Gandhi. It's just that I don't want to kill an animal for food. It's a personal choice and I understand that others needn't feel the same way. I'm considering becoming vegan, but for now I try to use only free-range dairy and egg products.

2.) I stopped buying leather. This was after a lot of thought, months and months. It has been easy to find artificial leather products though, so this has been an easy ride so far. Now- should I give up silk?

3.) I try to do things the right way. I believe that bending the rules is the same as breaking them. You won't find me rolling over stop signs or driving recklessly. The one traffic rule I haven't been able to stick to is for speeds :-(

4.) I'm neither an India-phile nor an India-phobe- and I don't like people who are extremists in this regard. I want to be a true global citizen (I'm not yet, but I'm getting there). I don't have "false pride" about India ("We invented Zero, now come on, agree that we're a super-duper country!") but I love home for the simple fact that it is home. I grew up in Bangalore, the simple old Garden City it was and I loved the place, just like anyone would love the place they're from.

5.) I want to make a difference and I know I can. I currently work with a therapeutic riding center here, and volunteer work gives me a lot of satisfaction. I love to work with animals, and people come in next.

6.) I love animals- any animal! I value their life a lot more than I value a human's. I want to have a lot of pets with me all my life. I'm currently looking to get a dog/pup and I miss the idiots Lina and Snoopy!

7.) As a kid, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist when I grew up. Of course, I'm a zippie now, but I know that I will go into the environment/conservation field soon, even if it means quitting my job altogether.

8.) I enjoy driving, esp. in the mountains. I'm known to take off for drives in the middle of the night, to places I haven't seen before (it's a different thing that I hardly get to see anything in the night!). The only thing I need for the drive is music. My thoughts always give me good company.

9.) Music is my food. I stopped pirating music a while ago- now I only buy my music and I love it! You can find me listening to a huge variety of genres ranging from classical to new age to modern rock. My current favs are Coldplay (because I was there at their concert) and Fiona Apple (she opened for Coldplay). Thanks to Sups for introducing me to Dead can Dance- it is absolutely amazing!

10.) I love my parents. The way they brought up Du n me is something I'll always appreciate. That doesn't mean I'll listen to them though :-D I think my sis is cool too! She's always been there for me. I think she embodies the Leo woman really well. Overall, I think we're a very happy family!

11.) I used to be very good at making and keeping friends but I lost that ability somewhere along the way. I'm really slack in keeping in touch with my friends now but the cool thing is that we're still together :-) [Sups, Nan, Vikas, Sath- hope this makes up for all the times I've promised to call and haven't :-D]. I cannot bring myself to use messenger any longer too, but at one time I was always hanging out there. I'm still in touch with my school friends though.

12.) I ski and I love it!

13.) I am here for the ride, so bring it on! Roller coasters, bungee jumps, scary movies- everything! I do admit that I get spooked quite easily, but I love the feeling of having to tell myself that my brain is the one telling me things, making me scared.

14.) Just like Shrek believes that ogres are like onions, I think humans are too. So far, I see 3 layers in myself- I'm an extrovert in the shell of an introvert which is in the shell of an extrovert. Most casual acquaintances think I'm an extrovert. Many of my friends don't know much about me, but the ones who really matter do know me quite well. I'm a typical female though- which means I can bottle up feelings inside till I burst!

15.) I love the basic sciences- give me Geography, History, Biology, etc over Engineering. Anyday. I never did well in school though, so I'm amazed at my newer interests in life.

16.) There are very few movies I like. I don't watch Hindi movies as a rule and I felt that Rang de was a piece of junk. Any movie that insults the intelligence of movie-goers must be shunned. I love off-beat movies- give me Shwaas, give me Kill Bill, Sin City, etc and I will be occupied for a while. I love animation though! I also enjoy watching documentaries (not the Michael Moore ones, but the Nat Geo ones) and wildlife related shows.

17.) The Idiot box is rightly named. I think watching TV is a waste of time. Please do not point out that I work for a satellite cable provider- that makes me feel even more sick.

18.) I'm currently reading 'Catcher in the Rye'. My reading has taken a big hit the past two years :-( My current fav author is Kurt Vonnegut. 'Harrison Bergeron' is one hell of a short story. I can read LOTR any number of times. I also enjoy reading comic strips- Peanuts is my fav. CnH, SpeedBump, Get Fuzzy! are some of my other favs.

Hmmmm.... what else? Will fill in the other two based on suggestions ;-)

Gagged and Tagged

2006-03-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

..or so I feel. Will post a response to Sath soon.

Tis the season to be jolly!

2005-12-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

22 hrs, 30 minutes: Project Demo.
48 hrs: Engineering Graduation Ceremony.
60 hrs: I walk, walk free.

A hidden gem

2005-11-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

I discovered the Jayhawks on a rainy day this Fall in Kesda, when I was cleaning up the lab after a whole week. Some student had left a CD titled 'Summer RA music' in one of the machines. I picked it up, making a mental note to ask some grad students about the CD. Sitting at home last weekend, I happened to see the CD again, sitting in one of my files. Fiona Apple's extraordinary machine lasted a good 4 weeks at the top of my charts anyway, so I thought I'd try the CD out. Well, that was one good decision I made, I havent yet put that one single CD down yet (though I bought myself a copy of it) :-)
And this is just one CD I love so much, I've just found a treasure trove!

'All the right reasons'

As I lay upon my bed, I begin dreaming
Of how it's gonna be the day that I am free
Once I settle like the dust upon the table
But then you came along
You helped me write this song

I don't know what day it is,
I can't recall the seasons
And I don't remember how we got this far
All I know is I'm loving you for all the right reasons
In my sky you'll always be my morning star

Like a tired bird flying high across the ocean
I was outside looking in
You made me live again
From the mountains to the prairies little babies
Figures fill their heads
Visions bathed in red

From the train in Manchester, England
Lightning fills the sky
As I watched you wave goodbye
From the mountains to the prairie little babies
Figures fill their heads
Visions bathed in red

[Dooka and Lucifer- I can send you samples of this song if you want ;-)]

better off on my own

2005-10-28T14:10:00.000-06:00

If you havent heard Sum 41's Pieces, and you are a modern rock fan, well, ummm, you arent one any longer. I wasnt one till a couple of weeks ago, I guess :-)
A beautiful ballad, great lyrics team up with a soulful voice on this one.

Rating 8/10

I tried to be perfect
but nothing was worth it.
I don't believe it makes me real.
I thought it'd be easy
but no one believes me.
I meant all the things I said.
If you'd believe it's in my soul,
I'd say all the words that I know
just to see if it would show.
Now I'm trying to let you know
that I'm better off on my own.

This place is so empty.
My thoughts are so tempting.
I don't know how it got so bad.
Sometimes it's so crazy
but nothing can save me
but it's the only thing that I have.
If you'd believe it's in my soul,
I'd say all the words that I know
just to see if it would show.
Now I'm trying to let you know
that I'm better off on my own.

[Sum 41's Pieces]

2005-10-26T02:13:00.000-06:00

There are times when you cant stop some lyrics from spinning in your head. This whole album [Extraordinary machine] is like that- intoxicating music with very down-to-earth lyrics. Which explains why I'm blogging about it at this hour instead of working on my exam, or if not anything else, sleeping.
---
I opened my eyes
While you were kissing me once more than once
And you looked as sincere as a dog
Just as sincere as a dog does,
When it's the food on your lips with which it's in love
---
[Fiona Apple's Parting Gift]

Rainy days

2005-10-20T23:15:00.000-06:00

I took this pic last morning, just after a night of rains in Boulder.

My latest
- music interest: Fiona Apple's latest offering, Extraordinary machine
- hobby/reading: Mexican history, esp. w.r.t the Spanish conquest
- food craving: Starbucks' pumpkin muffin with the pumpkin spice latte
- philosophical question: What is intelligence?
- game craze: Scrabble, on the Internet Scrabble Club
- comfort zone: Blogging :-)

Why I didnt study

2005-10-19T23:28:00.000-06:00

One word: Lucy. Our mildly overweight tabby guest at home. She just wouldnt let me pick up my file notes to read. Apparently notes are better to sleep on than to read. (Yup, nothing we didnt know before).

2005-10-18T12:49:00.000-06:00

http://www.comics.com//comics/getfuzzy/archive/getfuzzy-20051017.html

Get Fuzzy is now among my all-time favourites, sharing a prized place with Peanuts, Speedbump, and Mutts. Calvin and Hobbes too, of course, is up there. I've come to realise that I like strips with animals in them- normal everyday cats and dogs will do. Intelligent ones (Hobbes, Bucky) or the plain ol' pets (Satchel, Snoopy). See a pattern here? Cats Vs. Dogs. I'm not getting into that right now, but I think I will at some other point.
The strips I downright dont like also feature animals in them- Garfield and Heathcliff. I like the characters themselves, but I dont like the strips. The humour in them is not subtle, and there isnt a play on words, almost ever. I guess these comics are made for a wider audience and I'm not one of them.

2005-10-16T13:19:00.000-06:00

I was born to catch dragons in their dens
And pick flowers
To tell tales and laugh away the morning
To drift and dream like a lazy stream
And walk barefoot across sunshine days.

Sunshine Days and Foggy Nights- James Kavanaugh

Looking back...

2005-10-15T23:34:00.000-06:00

Almost a month ago, I took this pic of Sups and Vikas at the Alpine visitor centre in the Rocky Mountain national park. What I really like about the pic is the clouds in the sky- they look surreal to me.

Get Fuzzy!

2005-10-11T15:27:00.000-06:00

Loved this one! :-)
http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzzy/archive/getfuzzy-20051010.html

First Snow

2005-10-10T21:35:00.000-06:00

Geese at the Inverness Golf Course (pond). Our first snow for the season was a good 6 inches :-(

Cause it doesn't remind me of anything

2005-10-08T20:37:00.000-06:00

The things that I've loved the things that I've lost
The things I've held sacred that I've dropped
I won't lie no more you can bet
I don't want to learn what I'll need to forget

Audioslave

Peek into the sky

2005-08-09T22:36:00.000-06:00

Dusk at the DU Observatory, the great eye watches the sky.

Sweet Poetry

2005-08-08T22:21:00.000-06:00

For those who love poetry, Loreena McKennitt weaves magic with this rendition of Alfred Noyes's The Highwayman. The Lady of Shalott caught my attention, but the live version of this song simply beats everything I've heard so far. I've been listening to her Live in Toronto album and I rate it a full 10/10.
---

The Highwayman

Part I

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding,
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin.
They fitted with never a wrinkle. His boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilts a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.

And over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard.
And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred.
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
Where Tim the ostler listened. His face was white and peaked.
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
But he loved the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's red-lipped daughter.
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say:

"One kiss my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
If they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by the moonlight,
Watch for me be the moonlight,
I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way."

He rose upright in the stirrups. He scarce could reach her hand,
But she loosened her hair i' the casement. His face burnt like a brand
As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;
And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,
(Oh, sweet waves in the moonlight!)
He tugged at his reins in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west.

Part II

He did not come at the dawning. He did not come at noon;
And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,
When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,
A red-coat troop came marching,
Marching, marching,
King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.

They said no word to the landlord. They drank his ale instead.
But they gagged his daughter, and bound her, to the foot of her narrow bed.
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
There was death at every window;
Hell at one dark window;
For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride.

They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest.
They had bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
"Now, keep good watch!" and they kissed her. She heard the dead man say-
'Look for me by the moonlight;
Watch for me by the moonlight;
I'll come to thee by the moonlight, though hell should bar the way!'

She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!
She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years,
Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
Cold on the stroke of midnight,
The tip of one finger touched it! The trigger at least was hers!

The tip of one finger touched it. She strove no more for the rest.
Up, she stood up to attention, with the muzzle beneath her breast.
She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;
For the road lay bare in the moonlight;
Blank and bare in the moonlight;
And the blood of her veins, in the moonlight, throbbed to her love's refrain.

'Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!' Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
'Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot,' in the distance! Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding!
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still.

'Tlot-tlot,' in the frosty silence! 'Tlot-tlot,' in the echoing night!
Nearer he came and nearer. Her face was like a light.
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
Her musket shattered the moonlight,
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him with her death.

He turned; He spurred to the west; he did not know she stood
Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!
Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear
How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.

And back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high.
Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat;
When they shot him down on the highway,
Down like a dog on the highway,
And he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat.

'Still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
A highwayman comes riding,
Riding, Riding,
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old in-door.

Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard.
And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred.
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.'

Alfred Noyes

Another horoscope comes true

2005-07-25T00:02:00.000-06:00

This was what Yahoo delivered to me today-
--
Something is clicking in your brain today that is urging you to take action, dear Libra. You may feel a bit of restlessness in the air that makes you want to get up and go. The problem is, the place you need to go may not be so obvious at first. Tender emotions may be getting in the way of decisive action. Realize that the place you may need to go is straight inside your heart. We all go through moody periods and days of retreat. This could be one of them for you.
--

Alas, I did have the clicking in my brain today, and it urged me to take action this morning. Was it the pleasant weather or the fact that I'd woken up rather early for a sunday (8:30 am, jic you're curious)? I dont know, I'll never know. I fiddled around with my things, packing and stowing them away rather slowly- I was quite restless. It was then that I took the decisive action that I have since come to regret. Tender emotions didnt come in my way, they goaded me on, and I continued thinking I was looking straight into my heart.
I wish it had just remained a moody day in which I'd retreated.

2005-07-21T21:56:00.000-06:00

As clouds loomed over Denver and the temperature soared, the Torrents had a much-needed victory today. The unmistakably tense air gave way to relief when we won 2-1 at Meridian in the evening. I had trouble taking pics though, I was quite dehydrated and needed water. I also wanted to take a shower to get all the sand off me!

Ominous Signs

2005-07-20T23:19:00.000-06:00

Denver hit a record 105 F today, the last time it was so hot was in 1878. Phew! I took this pic on my way back home, clouds almost oblivious to the record being set in the metro. You can see the Rockies, I negated the pic and cropped off a bit of US-36 that was visible. I dont like the fuzzy cloud on the top left corner though :-(

2005-07-18T23:08:00.000-06:00

I don't know your face no more
Or feel your touch that I adore
I don't know your face no more
It's just a place I'm looking for

We might as well be strangers in another town
We might as well be living in a different world

I don't know your thoughts these days
We're strangers in an empty space
I don't understand your heart
It's easier to be apart

From Keane's We might as well be Strangers

My horoscope

2005-07-14T00:13:00.000-06:00

My horoscope for the day was:

Someone in your household might be suffering temporary gloom over artistic disappointments, or unrequited love. They might approach you for comfort and advice, though words might fail you. You might be feeling a bit unappreciated yourself. The problem may be more a lack of focus than a lack of inspiration or affection, dear Libra. Some open and honest communication could well clear things up for everyone involved. Take care not to see failure where none exists.

---
Well, hmmm, true but not quite. Lets see what happens tomorrow.

Satchel and Depression

2005-07-12T22:47:00.000-06:00

You find yourself listening to the same track in the CD again and again.
You realise that you havent had a single meal in the day, but you arent hungry either.
When being alone all day at your desk seems fine, and then it takes you 5 mins at the desk to feel claustrophobic.
When the World looks beautiful- every fallen leaf, every shredded tire on the road, clouds, rain, birds, mountains.
When you feel that no one understands you, the *real* you, including yourself.
When tears brim up in your eyes for no reason.

I'm depressed, yes, and I feel worse writing about it right now.

[Comic taken from http://www.comics.com/comics/getfuzzy/archive/getfuzzy-20050711.html]

Lyrics again

2005-07-09T10:51:00.000-06:00

As I travel to work every morning I channel surf radio stations frequently, checking to see if any of them are playing this song. Lifehouse's You and me might not have great lyrics, but Jason Wade's vocals on this number make up for everything it lacks.

You and Me

What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive
I can't keep up and I can't back down
I've been losing so much time

Cause it's you and me and all of the people
Nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

All of the things that I want to say
Just aren't coming out right
I'm tripping on words, you got my head spinning
I don't know where to go from here

Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to prove
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off you

Something about you now
I can't quite figure out
Everything she does is beautiful
Everything she does is right

Cause it's you and me and all of the people
With nothing to do, nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of

You and me and all of the people
With nothing to do nothin to prove and
It's you and me and all of the people and
I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you

What day is it
And in what month
This clock never seemed so alive

- Lifehouse

A memorable trip

2005-07-06T19:30:00.000-06:00

A Trip to Southwestern Colorado in the 4 Corners region
--------------------------------------------------------

Day 1: Mesa Verde National Park

Cliff Dwellings of the Anasazi Indians in the San Juan Mountains. The
Indians arrived in this region around 600 A.D and moved away to Arizona 700
years later where their descendents, the Pueblo Indians still live. Mesa Verde translates to "Green Table", a surprisingly apt name considering that the Indians had no aerial view of the region. The cave-like formations in the cliffs offered them protection from the elements, and also provided them with a water source (the sandstone). The "Basket makers" as they are now known, lived in the sandstone cliffs and farmed beans, corn and squash. They had stone implements which they used in hunting, basket making and farming. They also found the clay to be a good source to make pots. "Kivas" were pit houses used for traditional gatherings of the various tribes. At one time, there were as many as 3000 of the Anasazi Indians living in the various cliff dwellings, and the largest of them, Cliff Palace, housed more than 150 people.
When the park closed at 6:30 PM, we headed down to the 4 corners region only to find that it closed at 8:00 PM.

Day 2: A drive along the Million Dollar Highway, and the San Juan Byway

Starting at Cortez, the Southwestern tip of Colorado, we drove to Durango, Silverton and Ouray along US 550- the Million Dollar Highway. We left early on Sunday morning from Cortez and reached Durango in time for breakfast. After a nice stroll around Durango Downtown, we had a good brunch at a French restaurant there. We then headed out for Ouray, and made several
stops on the way, mostly to enjoy the scenic lookouts and to look at the wildflowers. Ouray is a quaint city, small and surrounded closely by mountains. A visit to the museum and then we took a tour down the 100-odd years old Bachelor-Syracuse mine. We then went back to our MD highway, finished the loop completely and reached in time for a Chinese dinner at Cortez.

Ah, Are You Digging On My Grave?

2005-04-13T08:49:00.000-06:00

"Ah, are you digging on my grave,
My loved one? -- planting rue?"
-- "No: yesterday he went to wed
One of the brightest wealth has bred.
'It cannot hurt her now,' he said,
'That I should not be true.'"

"Then who is digging on my grave,
My nearest dearest kin?"
-- "Ah, no: they sit and think, 'What use!
What good will planting flowers produce?
No tendance of her mound can loose
Her spirit from Death's gin.'"

"But someone digs upon my grave?
My enemy? -- prodding sly?"
-- "Nay: when she heard you had passed the Gate
That shuts on all flesh soon or late,
She thought you no more worth her hate,
And cares not where you lie.

"Then, who is digging on my grave?
Say -- since I have not guessed!"
-- "O it is I, my mistress dear,
Your little dog, who still lives near,
And much I hope my movements here
Have not disturbed your rest?"

"Ah yes! You dig upon my grave...
Why flashed it not to me
That one true heart was left behind!
What feeling do we ever find
To equal among human kind
A dog's fidelity!"

"Mistress, I dug upon your grave
To bury a bone, in case
I should be hungry near this spot
When passing on my daily trot.
I am sorry, but I quite forgot
It was your resting place."

-Thomas Hardy
-----------

I have two dogs back home- Lina (a Beagle) and Snoopy (a Pom) and both of them bear witness to what the poem credits them with. If you're gonna assume that dogs have human-like emotions, then dont forget that they might not care for you after you're dead! (Btw, I do realise that the central idea in the poem is not this, but I like this part quite a bit).

I, for one, dont feel that animals have emotions like the ones exhibited by humans. I dont think they feel anger/pain/jealousy/irritation/... like we do. Yes, I've seen angry dogs, jealous ones and even the teensy-bit irritated ones, but the emotions dont even come close to what we feel. I've never seen a dog grumpy for long, or dogs that bear grudges against people. They are just not that way! I've often argued with my friends about this- about the street dogs in Bangalore and their intelligence. Smart, yes, but shrewd? No!

I have a lot more to say about this, so it will all probably go into another blog sometime soon.

A Mail A Day

2005-04-08T11:58:00.000-06:00

I've been with Wordsmith and their Word.A.Day list for more than 3 years now. Ok, I haven't picked up 600+ words, but I never miss reading their mail every morning. I read the word, look at the meaning, making no attempt to remember it, glance through the real-world quotes, and then slow down, preparing to read what I really want to. Here is the first interesting bit- the etymology of the word and the rationale behind their theme of the week. The etymology is almost always intriguing, and I never fail to think 'Oh, so that's where it came from'. The theme brings some excitement, I'm trying to guess what words could be in my inbox every morning (with almost no success, I must add). Think 'Words borrowed from other languages', I kept my fingers crossed for a word of Indian origin (Sanskrit/Hindi), but as they circled the globe with Spanish and Turkish words I didn't feel any disappointment. And then there was 'Words derived from pet animals', and this one was a success with me since I could guess a good number of words.

I then glance through the ads (I have been thinking of subscribing to the premium version, but I want the ads :-D ), making a mental note to check out 'Thinking Putty' and the online digital stamps. And then I take a good deep breath, and read my favourite part- the quote. Having no connection to the theme (or so I think), the quotation stands by itself in the end of the mail. I read it, let it run through my mind for a while, thinking of the person who said it, or thinking about the quote itself. Its almost like a daily horoscope, I feel I have advice from people, famous ones at that, one piece of advice everyday. If it is really good, I note it down, or copy it into a mail to forward to all my friends. There is a power in that one line that I really cant fathom but I stand in awe of. People express their sentiments and opinions in different forms, but almost magically they can summarise a whole ideal, a new concept, or an abstract opinion in just one line. Take this one for instance-
We all love animals. Why do we call some "pets" and others "dinner?" -k.d. lang, singer (1961- )

I feel exactly the same way! I went about doing my work that day, happy in the knowledge that K.D.Lang thinks the same way I do about animals. And then there are lines that Mahatma Gandhi said.

Power is of two kinds. One is obtained by the fear of punishment and the other by acts of love.
Power based on love is a thousand times more effective and permanent than the one derived from fear of punishment. -Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)

I feel Anu Garg shares my sentiments for these famous lines, I oft find Gandhi's quotes appearing in the mails. Topics close to my heart- non violence, vegetarianism, peace, virtues, etc are covered extensively in this section. Here is one of my favourites, I first saw it in an AWAD mail.

The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a
green thing that stands in the way. Some see nature all ridicule and
deformity... and some scarce see nature at all. But to the eyes of the man
of imagination, nature is imagination itself. -William Blake, poet,
engraver, and painter (1757-1827)

I couldn't help but marvel at the words. Something so simple that we all take for granted can be seen so differently through the eyes of a poet. *Sigh*, I wish I was one! But my thirst for more is quenched very morning as I open my mailbox.
Thanks Anu, for the journey down history, one step a day.

Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

2005-04-06T02:39:00.000-06:00

I walk a lonely road
The only one I that have ever known
Don't know were it goes
But its home and I walk alone

I walk this empty street
On the Blvd. of broken dreams
Were the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
        
My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find
Till then I'll walk alone

I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the border line of the edge
And were I walk alone
        
Read between the lines of what's
F**ked up and every things all right
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive
And I walk alone

(From Green Day's Boulevard Of Broken Dreams)

Should movies always have happy endings?

2005-03-06T03:07:00.000-07:00

If you asked me that, I would vehemently disagree, but the truth is that I havent really ever liked a movie that ended on a depressing note. I watched 'Million Dollar Baby' today, Clint Eastwood's Oscar winning movie. (Btw, if you havent watched it yet and would like to, please dont read any further). Dont get me wrong, I loved the movie! I do believe that Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank deserve every bit of applause they received. But, I cant help thinking that I, for one, would've been happier if Maggie had lived on, and had become the daughter that Frankie so badly wanted in his life. When I left the theater today, I needed to know that things would be ok in the lives of Frankie n Maggie, Eddie and "Danger". Is it just me or are there others who'd like to change movie endings?

Here's something people always seem to disagree with me about: What went wrong in 'Dawn of the Dead'? I've always found it disconcerting that in the end nothing really matters. It feels like you can fight all the evil in the world, you can put up your bravest front to face challenges, you can remarkably rise to the occasion, but in the end, it just doesnt matter what you did. How brave you were in the face of danger, how much ingenuity you showed or even how you went down. Is that what they really wanted to tell us? [I do hope not! :-)] Did they all really have to die? :-(

Anyway, this is how I think MDB should've ended: Firstly, Maggie had to win the prize fight. Afterall, she was the good one, the underdog, and most importantly, she didnt cheat! After that comes the part where Maggie doesnt die, and they all live happily ever after. She learns to bake lemon pies, Frankie buys a cabin, Eddie learns Gaelic and Danger fights (yeah, actually fights!). Maggie gets a dog, Frankie meets his daughter, Eddie trains, and Danger wins.
What about 'Dawn of the Dead'? I'm not sure. Maybe the last 3 should've made it safely to an island not infested with the dreadful zombies. Maybe the zombies should've just died out when the group was in the Crossroads Mall (28 Days -style). Maybe the government would've managed to rescue the people and keep them safe. Anything but the ending where everyone dies, leaving behind a depressing video footage for us to watch.

First post here

2005-03-04T21:40:00.000-07:00

I've long contemplated it: to blog or not to? Is it better to post your thoughts live on the internet so everyone can read it and understand the genius behind (or make fun of you, as you'd like to think of it), or is it better to pen your thoughts on little pieces of post-it notes and save them till the day you want to write a book? Blogs win, we depend on some obscure server-thingies to keep our records for us as we continue to save the rainforests of the world. Hurray, one objective reached!

I do hope to resist from making those long sentences (like I just did, yeah), and from excessively using emoticons instead of using *real* words to convey what I want to say. A long n arduous journey ahead? I would think so! ;-)