#Trancefamily

The tag turns 1 tomorrow. So many of you have tried to understand what it means to me and why...and I've always struggled to put it into words. This paragraph I wrote for our retrospective today is the closest I've ever gotten....

"I wrote a tweet earlier today telling Simon Patterson that I cannot imagine my 2010 without his track "Miss You". In much the same way, the last year for me has very little meaning without #Trancefamily. What started as a way for us to share our love for this beautiful art form has become something bigger than any of us could have ever imagined. I know I've found people in the past year who will be in my life forever...and I'm pretty sure every single person reading this has too. Together, we've created a community of people who never forget to dream, who open their hearts to the power of music and, most of all, look beyond borders and distance to form the most special of connections. We've travelled far and wide to meet each other at events, we've shared so many sleepless nights together we've practically invented a #Trancefamily time zone, we've laughed, cried, and found love in each other's words. #Trancefamily to me is a glimpse of what a world could be like if we stopped looking at our differences and instead realized that the things we love and hope for are the same. Thank you to each and every person who belongs to this beautiful family of ours - I might never meet or tweet all of you, but it's a powerful thing to know that we're all dancing to the same beat. We Are One..."

[See everyone else's here.]

Confession

Being the self-assured, 21st century feminist that I am...I still can't help but get super-flattered when a handsome South African Trance DJ whose music has defined my 2010 flirts with me. For shame ;)

(not naming him, I really want a job in this industry you know :P)

Self-Indulgence

It's not wrong to buy Christmas presents for oneself, is it? Well, if it is, I'm OK with being wrong this one time.

Merry Christmas to me! Good job killing that exam :)

To learn is to live

Last hours of studying before my final in my Future of War class. It's probably been my most challenging and favourite class of the semester. My professor is not only an eminent scholar in the field of Political Science, but has also served over 30 years in the US Armed Forces, been the top military advisor to President Bush (Sr) and therefore has, quite literally, seen all there is to see in the Politics of War (ha! see what I did there - Politics of Dance, Politics of War...get it? No? You guys really need to be listening to more EDM).

I come out of this class immensely challenged, politically and academically. It has taught me so much about the complexities of International Relations - it seems fairly daft to say this, but truly until I took this class, I never really grasped now non-absolutist (yes I made up that word) the geopolitical strategic world is. I have a newfound appreciation for the complexities that are involved in the work that world leaders and military strategists do on a daily basis.

It's often hard to understand why politicians make the decisions they do. During my time at Brown, I had taken a myriad of classes where the genocide in Rwanda had been discussed. It is almost universally voiced that that it was the failing of the west (the US in particular) to not have intervened during those 90 days (every time I imagine that over 1,000,000 people were killed in the space of a summer job...a part of me really feels hollow), It is hard not to feel a visceral hatred towards international diplomacy when you read the transcripts from the UN General Assembly and Security Council meetings from that period. The tip-toeing around the G word to avoid taking any responsibility, the obvious lack of knowledge of the region (some members of the GA referring to a war between the "Tutus and Hutsis?") and basically the running-around-like-headless-chickens nature of the UN entity in general.

Bill Clinton visited Rwanda in 1998 and said to the people of Rwanda, "I am sorry. I truly am". (of course not in his 'official', government-endorsed speech...don't get me started on that one) And he meant it, they all did - how can you not? I know they each go to sleep every night knowing that they had it in their combined power to do more to stop the horror.

But if you ever have the chance to, please watch a PBS documentary called "Ambush in Mogadishu". It is basically the factual version of "Black Hawk Down". Less than a year before Rwanda, 18 American soldiers are killed in an unknown city where they are technically not even involved in a war. How does a president who can barely get a coherent explanation from his top military officials for why this occurred explain it to his country, his people, his constituents. And then to make a similar move barely 1 year later? No, it's really not as easy as it sounds.

It's not an excuse for inaction. And I don't think Bill Clinton or his government will ever use it as such, especially in light of what transpired in Rwanda. But, it explains one element of the strategic decision-making. This is really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the complexity that I have grappled with in this class (and I use it as an example just because I'm reviewing the case study right now lol).

You know something else? We call our leaders, diplomats, governments war mongers. This class shows me how that is, by and large, entirely false. It has shown me how easy it can be for countries to go to war with one another (Russia proved that against Georgia). It has given me fresh perspective on controversial wars like Iraq and Vietnam, it has shown me the complex web of international law, UN resolutions and historical precedence that goes into making and preventing wars. Our professor said that one of the goals of this class was to force us to put our political-party affiliations aside and to begin to understand that war & peace policymaking was as far from black & white as possible. I can safely say I've come to understand that.

Let this post not read like one that passively agrees with every decision authority takes or excuses the obvious mistakes it makes (ooh ooh rhyming couplet), I'm really just thinking aloud about how much I'm learning on a daily basis about the VAST grey area in international relations.

It might seem obvious to some of you realists and pragmatists out there - but, believe me, it has never been to me. I truly believe that morality should guide the decisions that we make - our responsibility to protect and prevent should guide our domestic and international policies. I have always been and hopefully will always be a person whose politics reflect my personal principles. But, putting myself in the shoes of some of the political players in the mind-numbingly difficult situations they have been put in since WW II makes me realise that I would have probably made similar decisions to theirs. As the old cliche goes, we are not all that different.

Should I be happy that I'm beginning to understand politics in a way that allows me to conceive of a future in it? Or should I be mortified that my unbridled activist spirit is slowly being numbed into the senile state of eternal compromise that global politicking requires? Like a good diplomat, I'm plum on the fence.

And now, back to it...Mass Terror as Warfare. Oh, joy.

P.S. - Wish me luck!

There is no better feeling

...than that of falling in love, again.

Just sayin.

What gives my life meaning

Trance, my Trancefamily, the words that my heart wants to say but doesn't know how. The uplifting synths, the basslines, the whispers of the most deep and beautiful corners of our world. This, right here.

From 12AM - 7AM tonight, literally nothing in the world could stop me from flying. And believe me, life, you've tried and you will continue to try, but I mean it - nothing.

How about you? What makes you feel this way?

BLURG!

OK, so the lyrical quality of my previous post (*cough* if i may say so myself *cough*) was RUINED by those nerds taking down the video; all so that they can upload an HD version of it instead (I mean who understands the difference anyway!?). Which I might add they haven't managed to do in 6 hours. So, HERE is the song if anyone would like to hear it. Everything I said earlier still stands:

End rant.

This is love.

It is a dream of mine to some day meet Eric Prydz. There are few artists in the world I love and respect more than him. He has a unique understanding of the human spirit and truly understands the purpose of music. But enough of my babbling, let the soul-soothing decadence of the song speak for itself. Some things are so beautiful they hurt...

Guilty pleasure: part 1

Say what you will about international food & produce trade and the astronomic economic and ecological costs of importing non-seasonal fresh fruit...nothing beats a bowl of sweet mangoes in the middle of a -9 degree winter day in Boston.



Sorry Mother Earth (and Her hippie protectors), I'll make it up to you some how.

:)

6PM on a Sunday: curled under my blanket with my cuddly hot water bottle, a big bowl of Lucky Charms, watching Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix. And all this, absolutely guilt-free.

This is what life is like when I stay in all weekend and power through my mountain of work for finals. I do believe this is what they call contentment...

P.S. - Just realized this would also be my 14 year old self's idea of contentment. Hi there, my name is Peter Pan - what's yours?

Edit: And now watching the Ashes. Could this night get any better?

All right stop/collaborate and listen!

Thank god I'm not a boy, I'm pretty sure I would do exactly something like this.



Speaking of which, listening to some of my guy friends talk about their girlfriends last night makes me realise how hard women can be on them sometimes. Ladies, if you've been with your fella for a while and you like like-like him, cut him some slack - he deserves it. Having said that, if you're just starting out with him - it's probably best you be extra demanding and assertive, you're definitely worth the extra effort he puts in ;)

(I can hear my mum's voice in my head as I type this post, "How can someone who is so good at giving relationship advice be so terrible at following it?" It's like she hasn't even watched a single Katherine Heigl movie. *SMH*)

And yes, I am listening to Ice Ice Baby right now. Don't judge, I know you are too.

Seriously, FML

3rd all-nighter in a row. Yupp that's right, 72hours without a minute of sleep. I would really much rather be doing this for gigs in Ibiza than for professors who are horrible sadists with blocks of concrete for hearts.

Thank god for Trance music, caffeine and sugar.

When only music will do

I want to live in that imagined space in this vast universe where this song was conceived. I think I would find peace there...

Problems of the Privileged: Part 1

I have just been sent a super-exclusive mix - 2hrs worth of subwoofer-busting, filthy new House music. I am also bed-ridden with lumbar strain and have nowhere to take all this dirty dancing energy. How cruel is life!

Also it's 6am. Should I even bother sleeping before the 10am United game? Oh man do I love having conversations with myself - madness is fun. F'realz...

Slipping sideways, silver stars collide

And fade away just like our love that died

And there is nowhere in this universe to hide

From you tonight...

Eliana.

This is one of the most painful pieces of music I own, and is also one of my all-time favourite songs (the kind that I selfishly like to keep secret). From it comes the question I ask myself on every meaningful day - "could I love like a child through this trauma"



Sharing it with you today; if it means something to even one person this post will be worth it.

N.B. - that is the short version for those of you not used to the 8min journeys of Trance/Progressive. Here is the full version; the author suggests you turn off the lights right before you fall asleep and let it play....

Happiness seems to be loneliness

...and loneliness killed my world

LAWLZ!

Best description of Avatar, ever.

"...And Avatar is shit anyway: a humourless fable about a bunch of sanctimonious, stand-offish jungle-smurfs who spend their days running around in thongs, attacking explorers, interfering with sky-horses, and obstinately halting the march of progress for the sake of a poxy tree. Watching the Na'vi (see? even their name is obnoxious) mope and moan in three dimensions simply made them more real, and therefore more objectionable. Maybe if the final half-hour had consisted of one of the human soldiers repeatedly kicking one of the Na'vi shamen in his leaf- bollocks until he spewed blue sick and his eyeballs popped out in 3D, I'd have found it easier to stomach."

- Charlie Brooker, To Watch 3D TV, you have to stand up. And wear stupid glasses...

"leaf-bollocks"...classic Brooker!

Writing bug is back!

It has been an obscene amount of time since I last updated this blog. Obscene. But like with old friends, I just want to jump right back in - like it was just yesterday that you decided to read what's new in my life while you microwaved your leftovers for dinner.

So, hi! How is your Sunday going? Mine has been quite wonderful! Clocks went back for Daylight Savings, so instead of going to bed at the ghastly hour of 4am, I went to bed at the slightly-less-ghastly hour of 3am. And I technically woke up at 9am. I've always thought 10am is the hour when one can classify a day as having a "lazy start" - ha! take that Universe, I was an early riser on the day of sloth.

I've spent most of the day reading about the abysmal sham that is the Israel-Palestine "peace process" in preparation for my 10-20 page paper on analyzing exactly that. Technically I should be able to write this paper in my sleep, right? False. This semester and this class in particular have reinforced the idea of how very little I know of anything (except, ofcourse, Trance music, and I won't even pretend to be modest about that) about this world. And my ability to write about my lack-of-knowledge is also rather shoddy. So this paper is actually a lot more challenging than I would have expected 3 months ago. And, like any nerd worth her weight in dorkiness, this challenge excites me somewhat.

Today is also day 5 of my 30 day Pledge to go Vegan. I shall admit here, rather than to my friend Rebecca who might non-violently punch me in the face, that I have been cheating a little - I have not been able to give up Greek yogurt for soy yogurt. I have 6 little tubs of the foul stuff so if anyone wants a cement alternative while building a house or something, do let me know - I won't even make you pay the shipping costs...just get it out of my fridge. And if anyone does know of a good brand of soy yogurt, please TELL ME - my conscience would appreciate it very much.

The West Wing is currently my latest obsession. I am only on episode 5 of season 1, but I hereby proclaim it as the best TV show I have ever watched. I was told that this is my "soulmate" as far as TV shows are concerned - and it's not an exaggeration. Politics, sparkly witty dialogue, mature human relationships, the greys of policy-making, Rob Lowe...it is simply perfect. I am so glad that Netflix ships me one disc of the season at a time, because I can safely say that I would do nothing else but devour episode after episode if I could. It's my recommendation of the week - so please give it a whirl on your DVD players.

I forgot how much I enjoyed these little breaks :) However, it's time I got back to shaking-my-head at the political abomination that was Ehud Barak. Happy Sunday everyone x

Arundhati Roy's latest twitter update: "Regarding my voice: it's small, I know, but it's my own. Not yours."

I am not big on marriage and kids...but if this woman asked, I'd sign the dotted line in an instant. Man, I love her so much.

"let your body groove to the music"

Just finished watching the Madonna-special episode of "Glee".

Mmmm I'm in Vogroovalicious heaven.

Go, go watch it now. Even if you've never seen an episode of Glee before (umm living under a rock, much?), even if you think it's blasphemous for anyone to try and recreate the Madge Magic, even if you have epically slow internet (here's looking at you, Zambians)...I promise it might be the most entertaining and unforgettable 40minutes of telly you'll ever watch.

Ah, Madonna. What an absolute legend.

"I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself"

Happy Birthday Madiba! 92. Some men should be immortal.

May there some day be another who has your vision, your commitment to moral truth and your love for mankind. Long after you are gone, I hope your spirit lives on forever to remind us what is possible.

Today I will begin the journey that is Long Walk To Freedom. I hope I do it justice.

Summer 2010

There are some songs. I'll hear them for the first time and I will instantly know that even 20 years from now, if life is rough and you feel like there's no way out...hearing the song will remind me of better times and lift me up. I just found one of those. Putting it on a CD so that I can give it to my grandkids some day. Beautiful...



Happy Saturday love!!!

P.S. - Go Ghana/USA!!!! Really tough to make up my mind - both are underdogs, both are fighters, both feel like my own.

'Mornin Sunshine!

Apologies for not writing/updating in AGES! I promised a few readers of the blog that I wouldn't bore you guys with my World Cup updates - it's all over my facebook and twitter, so really it would be awfully redundant to make you suffer through all of it on here too. Lots of stuff to blame for my absence - WORLD CUP, travel, leaving Zambia :(((, moving into a new apartment, not-knowing-where-to-start, and sheer laziness. Many many apologies for that...but I am back in the US, land of the interesting and high-speed internet, so I promise to jump right back where I left off.

Speaking of jumping, I've gotten back into the habit of going to bed by 11:30PM and waking up nice and early. So many benefits - so much more time to get stuff done, I can fit in yoga in the morning, I have enough time for multiple cups of coffee before work, and I can watch lots of very handsome shirtless men prep themselves for their morning run by the river ^^ Only con I've managed to discover is that I get hungry lots in the morning. If anyone has any good ideas for post-breakfast snacks, do let me know.

To really wake up though, one needs a sick song that makes it worth getting up for. This is mine. I know some people like waking up to the sounds of French accordion, or folk guitar or Joni Mitchell...me? Not so much. This is my wakey-wakey song.


Righto so what are some of your early morning tunes? Any quirks? "Mmbop" as your alarm tone? Pavarotti while the coffee brews? Spice Girls while you brush your teeth? Go on, you can tell me :)

Third-cup-of-coffee-in-as-many-hours love xx

24 Hours

This is it. Our time has come. WE ARE READY!



Shosholozaaaaaa Africa!!

"You're the only family I need Jacky D"

BAHAHAHAHA *deep breath* HAHAHAHAHAHA.

"underground or aeroplane/doesn’t matter in the end"

No matter where I am in the world, every 3-4months I have to leave. It almost becomes a physical need....I can't take a step without wishing it was on some other street, I can't drink a cup of coffee without hating the way the sugar tastes there, I can't go to sleep without wishing I were in another bed in some other corner of the world. Pretty sure I've just driven into that wall again.

I suppose it's human nature to want to get out of a rut and discover new challenges and force oneself to experience the unexplored. If I could justify it using the "rut" argument, I would be so satisfied. But it's not that. I'm not at all unhappy here - quite the contrary, actually. I have everything that I love - a great job, my parents, my wonderful & utterly psychotic childhood friends (Tina & Gullu: Guddy, Tukai and I played Humdinger the other day...and we missed you so much!!), free evenings to connect with Trancefamily, and of course all the cricket & football access I want (this is important ok?). And yet, I want to start afresh somewhere else.

Many of my friends are graduating this year, starting new jobs, ending their time off and going back to school, etc and so the process of leaving is something that is very much on their minds. I can relate...and yet the anxiety that they are all battling is truly puzzling to me. I never get nervous about moving to a new country/city, going to a new university, starting a new job. I've had so many unpredictable things happen to me over the past few years and I've never struggled with any of the necessary changes I've had to make. I know it might sound like I'm bragging, but believe me, I'm not - I actually think it's quite bizarre and maybe even a little worrying.

Why worrying? I suppose because it suggests a huge lack of attachment to places (don't worry I'm not a misanthrope, I can get attached to people!). I've never bought a vacuum cleaner, a widescreen TV or one of those beautiful 10 foot tall lava lamps because they are things I won't be able to throw in a box and transport. God knows how many sets of clothes I've lost during the past few years because they just wouldn't fit in my suitcase. I can never really answer the question "where do you see yourself living 10 years from now" - today I'd say Bombay, two nights ago I'd say St. Lucia, a week ago during ASOT450 I would've said "wherever Markus Schulz is".

I know a lot of my fellow TCK know what I'm talking about. I suppose I still get surprised because before Uni, I had only really ever lived in Lusaka, and the process of moving to Providence, RI was the scariest thing in the world. Today, I find myself feeling completely safe and OK, no matter where I go...but never committing myself enough to look back once I leave. I don't ever "make every place my Home", I subconsciously endeavour not to. Never allowing myself to get too attached to streets and shops and bars and parks. Holding on to how experiences made me feel but never where they occurred. Forgetting faces and spaces. I don't know.

People go their whole lives imagining living in their own house. I rarely do. The idea of a rented apartment is glorious to me (except when I think about having to ship trunks of books from one destination to another *shudder*). I like knowing that there is an expiry date of every experience - it makes me want to live every minute more fully. And that's how I want to live my life as a whole I suppose - in the belief that there is no afterlife, there is no heaven or hell...every minute here is all that will ever matter.

This post was supposed to be a positive one about the immense joy that is to be found in a weightless life (can "being" ever truly be "light"? Milan Kundera hollaaaa). It was supposed to make me feel delighted that the process of leaving doesn't paralyse me. And yet I find myself oddly melancholic. I wonder if people like me will ever find a place that will capture my spirit in such a way that I will be forced to cry when the time comes to say goodbye. Some people look for that in a person; I will probably spend my entire life searching for it in a tiny corner of this vast planet....

Cure to my Sunday afternoon blues

Funky fresh.



And the big game! India vs SA in the T20 WC! Jeez, who to support...bah!

Don't Rain On My T20 Parade

...is the title of my first piece which has just been accepted to be published on the cricinfoblog section :) The first step to securing a regular contributing position on the site! I'm quite ecstatic! I'm allowed to share it on here because it's going to be heavily edited (hah surprise surprise) and it's appearing on the bloggers' section. I shall share with you the cricinfo link as soon as it's up - which should be in the next few days. Btw, I need a clever alias to go by on the site - if you have any ideas, do toss them my way. (I'd love to go with MrsDhoni, but I don't think Mr. Dhoni would be too impressed by that)

Also, I have a tiny request: I know a lot of you who read LFMAC aren't huge cricket fans, but I'd really appreciate it if you could read the piece anyway and let me know what you think of the style, structure and perhaps most importantly if you understand the point I'm trying to make by the end of it. Every single one of you reading is a fantastic writer imo so I'd really like to know what you think - and please be brutal in your criticism....I can dish it out, so I should be able to take it :) I also I know it'll be slightly torturous as it is quite long, so I don't want to insist! Only if you feel like it!

For those of you who are CricketAddicts, feel free to add your reactions to the points I make. And to the Test Cricket snobs (*cough* Saumya & Dilip), I look forward to having more explosive battles with you on GTalk/Skype :P

Also, just to let you all know, please don't feel like you're missing out stupendously important details about my life because of my obsession with all this cricket-shicket biz...believe me, my life is horrendously dull right now. You'll be the first to know if something exciting does happen in my blah existence - rest assured.

Happy-glow love,

S xxx

----

Don't Rain On My T20 Parade

I love cricket -- any form of it. Be it the classy 5-day test, the deceivingly tricky 50-over One Day International, the popular newcomer who everyone loves to hate - the Twenty-20 format, even gully cricket -- every single version of the game is magical to me. I believe that each avatar of cricket needs to be respected and appreciated for its individual characteristics and demands. You probably know where I’m going with this. Using the past month of the IPL, I want to express my unwavering love for T20 cricket.

I am very wary of people who say things like “T20 is destroying the true essence of the game”…I don’t hear people saying that about 7-a-side indoor soccer. Ultimately, T20 is still about scoring runs, getting wickets and victories are dependent on making the right decisions and staying strong under pressure -- elements that are crucial to success in any form of the game. And emphatically I say no, I don’t believe T20 compromises the quality of the game either.

If we look at all the batsmen who made runs in this year’s IPL it becomes clear that good technique is not context-specific. The 3 batsmen that scored the highest runs in this year’s tournament are Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Sourav Ganguly -- three legends of the game. There is nothing left to say about Sachin Tendulkar, any superlatives that I use to describe his unparalleled class and determination could never do justice to the actual genius of his bottom-hand-heavy punch through the covers. Jacques Kallis is arguably the best all-rounder and one of the most consistent and skillful Test batsmen of our time. And Sourav? Well, Dada’s exquisite timing, shuffle down the pitch and effortless cut-shot sixes are the stuff books are written about. Never compromising class for runs, these three men are probably the most potent proof that you don’t need to be a slogger and a hard-hitter to be a successful T20 batsman.

It is interesting to note that there are no Yusuf Pathans, Robbie Uthappas or Andrew Symonds in that list of highest runs scorers -- now one could argue that all of these men bat further down the order and so have less time to build their innings and are mainly present in the side to score rapid 20s-40s at astronomical strike rates and shift the advantage to their side. I will certainly agree to that point. I also don’t want to seem like I am belittling the incredible talent and skill of batsmen like Uthappa and Pollard who are both destructively strong, creative and versatile players -- my basic point is that playing in the T20 format doesn’t suddenly require those taking guard to throw logic and their textbooks out the window. Watching this year’s IPL and noting how many boundaries were scored off of beautiful straight drives, elegant strokes through the offside and well-timed sweep shots tells me that there is no easier path to success than implementing good cricketing shots. As we’ve seen during the past month, mindless slogging is more likely to get you out than it is to win you matches (Harbhajan Singh’s quick-fire 49* notwithstanding).

Sometimes when I watch teams playing in Indian conditions, I wonder why they don’t just hire a machine to spit deliveries out at 11 batsmen. There is no other country in which the phrase “Cricket is a batsman’s game” is more decidedly proven. For those of us who hold a special place in our hearts for bowlers, this is the sad reality we have to deal with. I have to say, though, that I was pleasantly surprised by how much of a difference good bowling had on the outcome of the matches.

Whether it was an economic Dougie Bollinger who almost single-handedly changed the fortune of the Chennai Super Kings, a relentless and unreadable Lasith Malinga (the best bowler of the tournament in my opinion), or the trump card that was Pragyan Ojha who seemingly effortlessly dried up runs and took handfuls of wickets -- bowlers affected matches in a way that I never predicted. It was also interesting to see how teams with weaker bowling attacks just did not ever seem to be threatening -- Shane Bond’s directionless bullets sunk the Knight Riders, the Daredevils seemed toothless after Nannes’ injury, the lethal combination of Sreesanth & Irfan Pathan who seemed to take particular joy in watching their deliveries sail over the boundaries left the 11 Kings of Punjab virtually crying for mercy. Bowlers who stuck to the right line & length, experimented with the pace of their deliveries and bowled to their field were successful and, ultimately, lethal -- just as they would be in any other form of the game.

And then we are brought to the very tricky question of captaincy -- I still contend that it is a slightly overrated factor in a tournament such as the IPL. With teams that are so closely matched, talent wise, a lot of decisions depend on chance to be deemed successes or failures. There just isn’t enough time in a T20 match to prove that a particular field placing or bowling change is truly enterprising -- much will be said about Hayden’s unorthodox position which led to Pollard’s dismissal in the final…that field placing has been tried before without success. What you call brilliant captaincy, I call blind luck (and lord knows how much I love Mahi and how hard it is for me not to blatantly praise him). However, using the same match as our take-off point, we are able to prove that choosing the right team & batting line-up even in T20 is an inextricable part of cricketing success. It becomes obvious that aggressive, measured and consistent leadership are crucial to success in any format of the sport.

There are certain decisions, like the inexplicable one to keep Pollard in the dugout until it was literally too late, that are purely moronic and are results of terrible, defensive calls (cue “Sachin sucks as a captain” placard) and, even in T20 cricket, those decisions lead to a fantastic team losing. Now, in light of all the scandals that currently cloud the IPL, it is only natural that people are asking some very probing and uncomfortable questions about the Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup. However, I am no conspiracy theorist and I believe stupid decision-making and not match-fixing is at fault here. To be fair to Sachin, Robin Singh and the MI, I am still not convinced that team selections during the tournament were simply the product of hours of head-scratching by the captain and coach. After KKR’s resounding victory against KXIP, 6 changes were made to the winning combination, including the inclusion of a very out-of-sorts Ishant Sharma -- even the ever-so-suave talker Ganguly avoided the questions as to why those changes were made. A usually candid and verbose captain, MS Dhoni was noticeably tongue-tied when he was asked why Muttiah Muralitharan was being kept out of his CSK side. For all the glitz, glamour and moolah that corporate sponsors bring to the IPL, they also seem to be influencing teams to make some very idiotic cricketing decisions. Please, corporate gurus, go back to commercializing and corrupting the sport in the boardroom, at least leave the on-field decisions to those salaried experts who should be calling the shots (pun not intended).

Despite the bitterness expressed in that last sentence, it must be said that I was able to put aside much of the nasty off-the-field muck and enjoy the magnificent display of cricket. I caught myself, earlier today, glancing at my computer clock to check how many much time I had left to work on this piece before the start of the first IPL match of the day. And then I was painfully reminded -- the IPL is over. With the memories of Sunday’s cracking final still fresh in my mind, not to be melodramatic or anything, my life without its daily dose of T20 action feels painfully empty right now.

It was a truly special 30 days of cricket. It was a month in which we discovered fresh, exciting talent and marveled at the tenacity and renewed passion of the old guns. Undeniably, during this past month, we were treated to some very explosive and gritty batting, thoughtful and committed bowling, awe-inspiring fielding (I chose an ambiguous adjective because, as we know, for every AB De Villiers-type athletic, juggling catch in the outfied, there were 3 dropped chances and 2 run-outs that went begging) -- the tournament was truly a cricket lover’s dream. It was a month in which we celebrated the very essence of this great game. So back off haters - don't rain on my spandex-clad, Blimp-ed out T20 parade.

Oh My IPL!

Wow! What a month! No I'm not talking about the drama off the field (for now), simply the fantastic sporting event that we were lucky to be a part of.

Like I mentioned, I was supporting the Mumbai Indians tonight - partly because of the annoying Chennai fans and, more importantly, because I truly believe they were by far the best team in the league and played the most consistent, first-class cricket. Having said that, the Chennai Super Kings played like true champions in the latter half of the season - proving all the doubters wrong and winning the requisite 6/7 matches they needed to take the trophy home.

Oh, and then there's the small matter of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (who I realised could probably make me turn against my own mother [not literally Ma, chill out] if he flashed his sexy, cool-as-ice smile at me) - try as I might, I can never master the whole "not-supporting" him thing. Anyway, my teenage-girl love for him aside, all his decisions for the team appear to be working which is SUCH a huge plus. Luck's shining on our captain guys - hope we can carry forward this energy into the T20 WC. Let's go Team India!!!

I will put together a short post-match analysis for tomorrow - too tired to do that right now. Also, I have been sent 4 requests to do a "10 Hottest IPL Players 2010"...oh with pleasure! I shall get on that tomorrow as well - very excited for this particular project ;)

OK, time for my Maxx Mobile Time Out (oh how I will miss the obscenely jarring product placement....NOT) but I leave you tonight with the fantastic CSK team song which, like most things Tamil, I absolutely adore (of course it pales in comparison to our KKR chant....but still, they tried :P). Congrats MSD's CSK - your time is now :)

Lots of should-be-sleeping-but-I-can't-stop-watching-Mahi-in-this-video love,

S xxx

Sexy

Happiness in Homoness

Just got sent this link from Dan: The Girls Of Coachella, 2010. Talk about really really really super hot.

It's not been the best of days:

Deccan Chargers lost. Grr. Supporting Mumbai Indians in the final - hope Pollard can wipe those smug smirks off the faces of the Chennai Stupid Kings' fans' faces. Ugh. Yeah, yeah Mahi...I know. But the number of mean-spirited, gloating tweets/fb messages/text messages I got today...don't even get me started. Also, I make it a point to never support any team that knocks my team(s) out of a competition - so, don't try and change my mind, it won't work.

Read some of the nasty/simplistic/ill-informed/ignorant things people are calling Arundhati Roy on twitter. Seriously, some people should really not be allowed to procreate (refers to name-callers, not Roy ofc...I would have 50 of her babies if I could).

Left a light on in my bedroom the whole day. No, I was not in my bedroom. Earth Day #fail.

Lost electricity this afternoon while I was taping Gossip Girl. Karma is a bitch.

Keri Hilson's "I Like" (beautiful song, by the way) made me all pensive and sad-thoughtful, not to mention it's re-broken my mended heart a little.

Currently studying for two exams I'm taking tomorrow - terribly disheartened because I'm pretty sure that I'm going to tank both of them.

On the bright side....the slide show. Yum.

A Rather Random One

OK, sincere apologies to those of you who tried to log into LFMAC and got a very bothersome message about the blog being "Private"...wish I could explain the oddity, but I really don't know what happened! Some of my posts disappeared last night as well (I think they're back now?) and even *I* couldn't log in earlier this morning. Very bizarre-o. Anyway, I hope no one was offended by it - completely unintentional and not my fault!

Other than that, just wanted to say HAPPY EARTH DAY! Hope we all commit many, many acts of green today...and continue to do so way past April 22nd. I'd love to hear all of your Earth Day stories and I'll be sure to tell you about mine! Do something bold, I mean we've only *got* one planet right? Need ideas on how to get involved?: http://www.earthday.org/

As difficult it is, hope you guys are able to forget the dirty, sleazy politicking of the IPL and are enjoying the game that we all love so much! Semi final time eekers! Mumbai played beautifully today and they thoroughly deserve to be in the final....now tomorrow's game is a tough one for me - pits my favourite team (the eternal dark horses of the league, Gilly's Deccan Chargers) and my Mahi's team. Don't believe the movies - women can pick their team over love. Like right now. Sorry Mahi.

Also, IPL Awards on Friday. If you'd like to vote for the Viewers' Choice Awards, simply do so here. Yes, I know it's kind of silly and whatnot...but come on, it's also fun. And in keeping with the Corruption & Bribery subplot of the IPL , I'd like to request that you vote P Ojha as your Best Bowler. You shall be rewarded with hugs :P

I would really really like to stay up and write a long blog post tonight, but I have routinely been going to sleep at 5AM. An hour of sleep every night during a particularly busy and horrific week is finally beginning to take its toll, and I have given myself a bed-by-12:45 curfew. Pinky promise that I will write something worth your time later today/tomorrow.

I leave you with my song of the day (classic kitschy 80s Hindi filminess...you will love it, I promise):

Lots of ADHD love,

S xxx

!!!!!

I've been asked to start writing for Cricinfo as a freelance contributor.

O-M-F-G.

All that obsessive cricket-devouring, all those years of filling my cerebral hard drive with reams of statistics to support seemingly pointless arguments about who should bat at Number 3 and who's the best pick as an opening bowler on a bouncy Adelaide pitch, all that ear-splitting yelling at the TV - apparently some people find those opinions and stories interesting. And (even more surprisingly) they are people whose outlook on cricket matter! I'm still in a state of shock but of course SO unbelievably happy.

It's a bit of a long process to actually start getting published on the website (5 articles have to first be approved by the managing editors, I have to 'attend' an online workshop, I must pick up all the tricks of the trade in dropping technical lingo...plus I need to start writing well [the baap of all my obstacles]) but I am ready for all of it :D As most of you know, this has always been an unspoken but very real dream!

I am already fantasizing about my life as a full-time sports blogger. I imagine spending my days watching obscene amounts of International cricket, hobnobbing with the best sporting minds (and bodies *ahem*), and writing witty and informative articles which influence verbal expression and popular culture (a MP in England will be heard to say, making a direct reference to an article of mine that he had read earlier in the day: "Now, good sirs, let us not pull a Yusuf Pathan and try to swashbuckle our way through this very important budgeting process - it really requires more of a Gautam Gambhir type stay at the crease"). All the while living in a beautiful apartment overlooking Marine Drive with my (by then) hubby, Mahi Dhoni. "You may say I'm a dreamer..."

How will you be affected by all this? Well it means that the number of cricket-related blog posts (IPL and beyond) will decrease greatly as I'll probably be turning those ideas into articles, which legally cannot appear in any other published form... Oh at least try and ACT disappointed you lot :P

But for all (all = one) of you who're interested, here's a bite-sized take on the goings on in the IPL world:

- my heart bleeds for my poor KKR (although I haven't totally lost hope yet)...

- Gilly & Warney are my fave captains of this season (and before you ask: I hate Kumble & Sachin's playing with the talent equivalent and team balance of an IPL equivalent of FC Barcelona so psht)

- Lalit Modi, as I have always maintained and as is slowly being proven, is an enormously corrupt a-hole...plus he wears ugly grey suits with baby pink shirts. Jackass supreme.

- politics and cricket should not mix - but in India, this is impossible

- watching the Indian batsmen openly struggle against the short ball in today's CSK vs DD match made me shudder...we need to shape up before the T20 WC next month in the Indies, or else we should be prepared for another repetition of 2008.

- someone should really think about shooting down that goddamn MRF blimp

- I know it's gross, but I think I have a crush on Danny Morrison. Yes he's a bit of a loud-mouthed, alpha-male, unbalanced freak, but c'maaaaan we all know that's my type.

And on that note, my mind has to get back to pumping some iron and come up with ideas and arguments for the first piece that I'm sending in to the panel tomorrow. I think I'm going to write about the need for franchise owners in the IPL to change their tactics when building teams. Argument will probably be along the lines of how they must recognise that the winning formula is found in creating well-balanced teams with a heavy dose of young Indian talent (for godssake hire someone to watch more domestic matches yo!) and a splash of strong International players. Oooh I can feel the clogs a-whirring :)

And before I disappear for the night, I just want to wish all my dear Bengali readers "Shubho Naboborsho"! May the new year bring you much joy and many successes. Also, if it's not too much to ask, please don't forget to send lots of positive energy and goodwill to our Kolkata Knight Riders. Yes, I'm being 100% serious...

With lots of leather love (cricket balls are made of leather...oh, get your mind outta the gutter)

S xxx

Enter the rabbit hole...

Back from an amazing holiday in South African wine country!! Yes I had a terrible bout of malaria, yes I missed out on the festivities of ASOT450 and Trance Energy but it was truly a fantastic week of holidaying. Pictures to come SUPER soon I promise!

Busy days as it is still ASOT450 season lol. Tuned into the live broadcast from Bratislava with my beloved #Trancefamily right now. Amazing how a year ago I met some of these people through twitter and our only connection was our emotional and virtually inexplicable love for Trance...and today they are some of the most important people in my life and have been with me as I've had some of the richest experiences of my life. And we owe this connection to one man....Armin van Buuren. He's on the decks right now and the euphoric emotions that my heart is going through...I can't convey them in words. As I type, the song that singlehandedly changed my life is emanating from my speakers. I am crying and flying and feeling blessed all at once. Not even at my most eloquent can I begin to express how my spirit feels right now. I guess it's the closest a mere mortal like myself will ever get to Nirvana. Of that I am convinced.

I promise you detailed updates are coming your way very soon. I hope you are all having a truly wonderful Friday! Feeeeeeel love :)

Update: Zombie session ends at 6:30AM. Armin sent me and my friend Joana a special shoutout ("OMFG!!!" + heart stopping + feet haven't yet touched the ground = our reaction) and was treated to some truly epic Tune-age from the likes of Armin, W & W, Marcus Schossow, Ashley Wallbridge, Gareth Emery etc. Finally going to take a nap with the beautiful "Sun In The Winter" playing on my speakers. Parents tell me they think I'm crazy but secretly I know they're proud :) Good night my lovelies xxx

Speaking of stars

My must-share link of the day: A beautiful set of photographs chronicling the biggest event of the past weekend - The Big Picture: Earth Hour 2010 [Sorry to ruin the moment, but I must point out the WTF-ness in photograph 3 of Las Vegas: notice the little blob of establishments right in the centre of the frame. I'm forced to ask: did they not get the "Switch Off Your Muthaeffing Lights For An Hour" memo?]

My Earth Hour consisted of me lying outside on our lawn, gazing at the dark starlit night, with my iPod playing my favourite Hindi songs from the 60's. Yes, it was just as blissful as it sounds. I think my parents stayed indoors and did practical things like organised their travel pouches by candlelight. Boooo-ring. Anyway, I was going to take photos, but my camera (surprise surprise) was not charged. Fail. However, no worries, there is no shortage of Earth Hour-esque photo-ops for us as we are routinely plunged into impenetrable darkness by our moody nationalised electricity provider (for those of you who left Zambia many years ago...yes, some things like ZESCO's unreliability, never change). Involuntarily, we, the humble dwellers of Nambala Close, are saving our planet one hair-pulling-clenched-teeth evening after another.

Speaking of frustration and impenetrable darkness...how about them Kolkata Knight Riders huh? Ugh. I must say, I really wish the sponsors and ugly corporate men would stop butting into the game and just allow Ganguly to be the best captain he can be. I'm sure it wasn't his choice to bring in 4 changes (including Ishant Sharma) to the squad that won our last match quite convincingly against KXIP. So upsetting to see a team with so many star players (I'm talking quality and potential, not necessarily just brand-name value) under-perform like this. And then there's the miserably atrocious luck of my poor Dhoni and his CSK! It is entirely unfair that 3 of my 4 favourite IPL teams are languishing in the bottom half of the table this season. Being a Manchester United supporter for the past 14 years, it's quite difficult to swallow such a bitter pill...although I suppose now I know what it feels like to be an Arsenal supporter... oooh, burn! :P

Anyway, on a more positive note - Ellie Goulding has been filling my life with a great deal of joy. I had been given a mix CD with some of her electroacoustic songs by Cherise early last year but honestly while I enjoyed the songs as much as I do most indie music (a lot, fyi), I didn't really go ape-shit crazy or anything. And then I saw this video on VH1 (yes yes groan all you want. So I'm a sell0ut to the kitschy mass-produced MTV culture...whachu gon do bout it huh?) a couple of weeks ago and it's so utterly gorgeous that I just had to share. I know MOST of you reading this will like her and the song - so you can all thank me by buying me cupcakes and lots of M*A*C eye shadow when we next see each other. Just saying...

And I leave you tonight with some beautiful lyrics from "Starry Eyed". I hope it reminds you of the people that you have chosen to love with all your heart :) Good night my little stars xxx

So we burst into colours, colours and carousels

Fall head first like paper planes in playground games.

Next thing, we're touching

You look at me it's like you hit me with lightning

Everybody's starry eyed...

The OST of Every Day

Sort of taken a step back from the Trance scene for a bit recently. Mostly because all of my friends from around the globe are going to WMC, TE, ASOT450 and can't stop talking about it. I listen as much as I can and as patiently as I can...but I have to say, it's hard. (To those of you reading who are at/going to these events, I love you and it's not your fault...like the old break-up cliche goes, "It's not you, it's me") I'm still of course tuned in to as many radio shows as I possibly can, but for some reason I'm a little less effervescent in the whole soul-upliftment department. I know this will pass...I'm sure around April 15th ish I'll stop being such a pissy/jealous brat and revert back to my old psychotic ways. Enjoy this lull while it lasts, non-TranceAddicts...you have been warned LOL

Anyway the upside to all of this is that I've been opening my mind up to and allowing myself to enjoy other musical genres (and no, I'm not talking about bassline-driven Trance vs euphoric Trance type genres...I mean for realsies :P)! So here are the songs that are currently a part of my daily routine, in chronological order:

Good Morning!

I heard this song more than a year ago, but I've recently rediscovered my love for it thanks to the video that's getting a lot of (well deserved, if slightly belated) airplay. It's easily my go-to song for peace right now - oh god the accordion...it's divine.

First tea break

The quintessential Hindi film music hook - catchy Hinglish lyrics, a very danceable beat, and a heavy dose of natkhat (non-Hindi speakers, I have absolutely NO idea how to translate this word, sorry) attitude. Not to mention the fact that the video features some of the most stunning visuals I've seen in ages, and I'm not talking about Italy either ;)

Afternoon anti-nap pump up song

Don't judge OK. I know I wasn't really feeling this song way back in November when it first came out, but I have to admit it gets me grooving with my shot of espresso as I have to painfully edit articles with semicolons in the wrong places and writers who use "who" instead of "whom". Plus Lil Wayne + Swizz Beatz...nuff said.

Post-work drive home/drinks accompaniment

It's very difficult for me to admit to having a David Guetta song on repeat. But it is a pretty glorious little tune. And it also perfectly summarises a lot of my adult life ;) Anyway, I'm going to justify my embarrassing love for this one by saying it's Kid Cudi's very sexy presence in the song that makes it what it is. Just look at him - sigh, I could do this all day...

Wrapping up my day/introspection accompaniment

The only Trance song on this list. I have probably heard this song 280 times in the last month...and it doesn't affect me any less even today. The piano and vocals have this beautiful ethereal quality to them and it's probably this that makes my heart weep a little each time. I don't know what 2010 has done to me - this and "Never Cry Again (JvD Remix)" are two of my favourite tracks of the year...me? A Vocal Trance softie? Who woulda thought.

The song that ALWAYS seem to be playing

But I've written at length about the awesomeness of this one.

"Without music, life would be a mistake" - Nietzsche. Clever man, that Friedrich was...

India win the World Cup!!!

No, but seriously. India win Street Child World Cup in South Africa

Yes, definite WTF-ness. But looking past the absolute bizarreodom of it all, I was also forced to think about Amit Varma's post on "The Drain", as he calls it. Amazing what wonders we've done with the Indian kids who were left behind. And we continue to fail them. Le sigh...

[P.S. - see that Somji, your country sucks at football. Even when it's the street kids version :P]

McD and HCR

I just found the most HI-larious facebook page: Going to MacDonalds for a salad roll is like going to a brothel for a hug Bahahahaha! People are so random and wonderful.

In other news, 3 cheers for Health Care Reform! No, it's not perfect AT ALL by any means and people who are talking about "yay universal healthcare" are clearly A1 idiots. Nonetheless it is a long overdue and much-needed start. Also, it's also a resonant "Faaaaahq Off" to the Republicans. Kudos to the Dems and Barack-lover in particular for sticking to their guns and seeing this through.

I agree, there are HUGE flaws with it - not least of all the fact that 24million ppl will still be without insurance, health care costs will still increase by 0.1% of the US GDP in 2019 (which doesn't see a lot when written like that, but is actually something like $230mill. holy crappito) and annual premiums will barely be reduced (in some cases even going up by a few thousand bucks or so) - and boy oh boy if you read the super-left leaning blogs (ahem, guilty as charged) you'll begin to believe that the Bill is anti-immigrant, -woman, - union, -middleclass, -LGBTQ, -horseswithoneeye etc. But really, people who have been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition finally have a way to access health care, no lifetime limits, no "rescissions" after you file a claim, by 2011 insurance companies will by law have to spend 80-85% of their premiums earnings on actual health care (please don't ask why this isn't already the norm), no automatic premium rate raises, and by 2014 ban on annual limits - these are ALL good things.

Also it's important that McD and Health Care Reform both feature in this post. Because as of today I am on a 6 day liquids only (no booze jokes please, that's just cruel) detox diet. Next person to send me pictures of cupcakes and biryani will be an ex-friend. For serious...

And I have just looked at my clock and realised I have missed an hour of the Knight Rider innings. Talk about epic freaking FAIL! UGH! Ok must wobble on over to the bedroom NOW...come on KKR let's kick some Mumbai tush!! KORBO LORBO JEETBO RE!

Happy Monday errrrbody! xxx

"maane naa mera dil deewana"

Partly because of the ever-beautiful, romantic Zambian summer rain; partly because of this steaming cup of Darjeeling tea in my mom's best china (shh don't tell her); partly because I wish we still loved like they used to way back then; and partly because they just don't make 'em like they used to - this has been my playlist for this beautiful Sunday morning.

(for all you playlist snobs: err I don't know how to make this image clearer/readable...technology noob, I know! but I think if you click on the thumbnail, it gets bigger...right?)

How I wish I lived during a time when my legit film star crushes were on Shammi Kapoor and Dev Anand...*sigh*

Have a luvly-juvly Sunday, readers!

S xxx

P.S. - Don't be fooled by what the clock says on the screen shot, it's set to US EST time. I wish I had that kind of discipline

Zombie nights

6:30 AM...been up all night listening to The Gareth Emery Podcast Episode 100 live broadcast from Sankeys in Manchester with #Trancefamily...no sleep...and then Menno de Jong drops "RAMsterdam (Jorn van Deynhoven Remix)" - RAM in his set.

I FEEL SO ALIVE!!!

And then there's the little matter of Simon's 1hr30min set starting NOW! Simon, love of my life...man of my dreams...DJ who stole my heart. Yes, him. Happiness happening right here, right now.

Trance Music gets me through. My life, my love, my everything :D \o/

Genius? Sounds like it...

OMFG! What an epic rework! What a great way to lift my spirits! Eric Prydz, I LAAV you :D


And this is the original 2007 classic...train your EDM ear to spot the differences ;)

"Heart don't fail me now..."

I was supposed to be leaving for the trip of my dreams in a few days. What is it with life?

I'm trying to share everyone's joy at them being able to attend Winter Music Conference, Trance Energy & ASOT 450 over the next few weeks...but to be honest, I'm finding it hard to control the tears every time it's brought up. I'm genuinely happy that everyone's going to be at these events...but I was supposed to be there too, right? I shouldn't be bitter, I know...but really, I am a little.

I must've grossly wronged someone for this to happen to me again. I can't explain it. There doesn't seem to be any logical reason for things to turn out this way right now. I suppose the only way out is to accept it and try and find some way to turn this sad energy into something productive. If you have any ideas, please feel free to help me. Seriously.

And for god's sake please don't tell me it's not a big deal/that serious...yes, I know there are bigger problems in this world....and yes I know TE & ASOT aren't going anywhere...but if you really don't understand how much March 23rd - April 11th 2010 meant to me, I'd rather we didn't speak about it at all.

I just want this karma shit to quit now. Please stop taking my dreams away from me. Please stop punishing me. Please, life, forgive me for whatever I did :(

KLJ chant time!

Firstly, I lOVE that all you guys are so pumped about the IPL. Warms my heart! The texts during the matches...aah they make my day, I feel like I'm watching with all of you! *love* One of my favourites would have to be from Shiv, after Ganguly's amazing cut-shot six against Bangalore, he messages me with: "Oh how I wish I were a Bong right now" hahaha...I'm a sucker for that sorta stuff ;) And a special thank you for all the support for the Knight Riders...I feel like a proud missionary when I hear that an ex Punjab/Delhi fan has converted because of my constant droning :P

It's an absolute delight to watch KKR do so well in their first two games (although, wtf was up with taking the chase to the last over against RCB? Ugh!), especially after our dismal season last year...hope we can continue this massively wonderful winning streak.

And yes, I have to say, I feel like a terrible wifey for wanting my KKR to kick some CSK tush tonight. Sorry Mahi jaan, bros before hos.

KORBO LORBO JEETBO RE!!

P.S. - someone asked me when I'll be updating my blog with a 'serious' post. Sacrilege! What on earth could be more important than cricket and football? :P

wisdom before bedtime

"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before beginning to improve the world." — Anne Frank

Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo v3.0

IPL 3 starts today!!! YAY! Yes, I'm a cricket whore and therefore have no standards blah blah blah. I'm OK with that. I love the IPL like I love any other form of cricket - be it test, ODI or T20I - and I'm not ashamed of it :)


Bong Nation is out in full force today for the opening match!! Dad wanted to screen the game using a projector on our outside wall. But we talked him out of it...mostly because we'd have to do most of the work. Unfortunately I don't have a KKR jersey (ahem my birthday's coming up in August ahem) so I'm just going to get decked up in black & gold. We don't have a lot of our foreign stars (notably, my other cricketing sweetheart Brendan McCullum is away on International duty until April 1st *sadface*) - but I'm sure the desi boys can hold the fort down till they all arrive. Not making any big claims of winning the championship...right now I'm just hoping this season is not as much of a titanic disaster as last year!!

Let's go Knight Riders! Ami Kolkata...WE RULE! :D

EDIT: Just been told that KKR's colours are now purple. Last-minute wardrobe overhaul ftw!!

United through & Madrid out. Lethal.

Another beautiful Wazza double


The return of the prodigal son! Welcome home Becks

My favourite photos from a night to remember! Truly epic the way we crushed and disposed of the second best team in the Serie A. This Man U squad is playing better than ever before...and on a personal note, I am so happy to see my dear Roooooooney do so well. It's been a long time coming :)

So, on to the Quarters we go...GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED!!!

We'll be Green and Gold. Til they die or fold.

And we won't wear red. Until Glazer's dead.

Duniya bhula ke naach...

Some songs just know how to make your day :)

"Now double your money and make it stack"

I, like most people conversant with the hip-hop game, knew Jay-Z wasn't being serious when he asked the rhetorical "What More Can I Say?" on his so-called retirement album "The Black Album". We all knew he'd be back...and, before you could say "Rocnation", he was.

Worryingly, though, he wasn't quite the HOV we all remembered. "Kingdom Come" was quite weak, "American Gangster" was quite a bit worse. And his collabs with wifey Beyonce....well, to be honest, I was too busy admiring her perfection to really notice his accessorizing presence in those videos. As for his 25 second cameo in "Umbrella", no that really does not count (although Rihanna should probably build him a shrine for single-handedly saving her career).

And then came "D.O.A." I was personally blown away. If you haven't heard it yet, please do it now. The song has a gorgeous old school sound, complemented beautifully by a jazzy-rocky-bluesy guitar riff/trumpet sample, all set off by a deep rolling drumline that is sicker than a 6 year old with chicken pox. And lyrically, it glitters. I must've heard the song 30 times in a row after I first saw it on MTV Base last summer. And this coming from a hardcore Trancehead. Yeah, it's pretty baller.

Why he followed it up with "Run This Town" though I'll never know. It features a creatively toothless Kanye and an unbeatably annoying Rihanna. I could go on and on about how grossly terrible this song is but just typing out the last few lines about it gives me a mild toothache...so I'm just going to stop here.

And then came (oh boy I can see you guys sitting up straighter in your chairs) "Empire State of Mind". Confession: not my cup of chai. I promise I'm not just saying that to be 'different' (evidence: I love "TiK Tok"), I just genuinely don't like it much. Yes, Jay-Z's verses are sharp and eloquent; and sure, I've sung along to Alicia's powerful chorus at many clubs over the last few months (although for this I'd like to blame it on the a-a-a-alcohol)...but I just never managed to connect with the song. Perhaps because: a) I don't really love NY all that much, b) the harmonic and rhythmic composition of the base tracks just aren't as creative and strong as I'd like.

So I was left waiting...for a little more genuine HOV magic. And, the benevolent hip-hop god didn't leave me hangin'

And "On To The Next One" was born.

[I know a couple of people who were quite disturbed by some of the Occult/Masonic references the video makes. If you'd like an article that analyses this in more depth, just e-mail/ask me for it - I don't really want to link it up on my blog]

First, let's just talk about the song can we? Epic win. Swizz Beatz is truly a legend and I know that without the skillful production and mastering that he's done on this track, it wouldn't be half as explosive as it is. He uses an old fashioned drum machine but complements it with the very modernist deep bassline and rounds it all off with a sample from an electro-pop classic ("D.A.N.C.E." - Justice >> and yeah I spotted that by myself before confirming it from the official release, can I get a "what what!") -- tell me that's not slick! If you pay half as much attention to the production and sound engineering side of music, you'll surely appreciate why I've just spent a paragraph singing Swizz's praises. Jay-Z is in top form with his word play ("No I'm not a Jonas [pause] brother, I'm a grown up/No I'm not a virgin, I use my cojones") and you can tell he had a blast recording this one - after all it is mostly Jay-Z talking about how awesome...well, Jay-Z is.

And then there's the video. Shot in crisp black-and-white, it features a smattering of obscure images/references, some probing portraits of interesting characters and is decidedly and wonderfully eerie. Also, Jay-Z looks so freaking hot, I don't even know what to do with myself. Oh yeah and the sexy The Joker-esque guy is the icing on the bizarre-o cake. Right up my alley and I laaav it.

I've heard mixed reviews from my 'real'-hip-hop-fan friends but really my opinion of this track is pretty much set in stone. I don't know if it's coz the song is objectively great, or if it's because I've loved Jay Z since I was 12, or if it's because I'm drawn to creepy things...whatever the reason, I think it's bloody brilliant. It reminds me that even today it is still lines like

"Somebody bring me back some money please, hey

I got a million ways to get it, choose one"

that make me fistpump the hardest. You can take the girl outta Hip-Hop but you just can't take the Hip-Hop outta the girl...

Giggity

Umm yeah, this is pretty much the cast of all my R-Rated fantasies

For this moment alone...best.Oscars.ever.

A brief and less pervy round-up of the ceremony to follow tomorrow. For now I'm going to put my Crazy Heart OST on repeat, listen to the rain and stare at this photo some more. Sweet dreams they shall be...

Oscar Ballot 2010

No nonsense predictions post, this one is. FYI, my predictions are 20% educated guess and 80% hunch. And in some cases, pure teary-eyed hopefulness. So, here we go.

Writing (Original Screenplay)

- The Hurt Locker

- Inglourious Basterds*

- The Messenger

- A Serious Man

- Up

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

- District 9

- An Education

- In The Loop

- Precious

- Up In The Air* - although I think District 9 is a strong contender

Sound Mixing

- Avatar*

- The Hurt Locker

- Inglourious Basterds

- Star Trek

- Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Sound Editing (totally winging this prediction, I know nothing about sound editing)

- Avatar

- The Hurt Locker*

- Inglourious Basterds

- Star Trek

- Up

Short Film (Live Action)

- The Door

- Instead of Abracadabra

- Kavi

- Miracle Fish

- The New Tenants* - my favourite! But I think The Door or Kavi might steal it

Short Film (Animated)

- French Roast

- Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty* - but please watch all the movies on this list. each one is a gem.

- The Lady and the Reaper

- Logorama

- A Matter of Loaf and Death

Costume Design

- Bright Star

- Coco Before Chanel

- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

- Nine* - although, I really think the clothes only look that good because the people wearing them are so effing hot

- The Young Victoria

Visual Effects

- Avatar* - duh?

- District 9

- Star Trek

Music (Original Score)

- Avatar* - picking this because it's my favourite. Mostly because of all the electro influences in the compositions.

- Fantastic Mr. Fox

- The Hurt Locker

- Sherlock Holmes

- Up

Foreign Language Film

- Ajami

- The Milk of Sorrow (La Teta Asustada)

- A Prophet (Un Prophete)

- The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)

- The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band)* - admittedly, I've only seen 3 of the nominated films, but if this doesn't win, I will stop watching the Oscars forever.

Film Editing

- Avatar [wait really? you mean that was the edited version?? :P]

- District 9

- The Hurt Locker* - only because I've read and been told about how good the editing is. Based on the films I've watched, it would go to Basterds.

- Inglourious Basterds

- Precious

Documentary Short (skipping this because I've only seen one of the films)

Documentary Feature

- Burma VJ

- The Cove

- Food, Inc.* - I cheated, I've only seen this one, but I think it's brilliant!

- The Most Dangerous Man In America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers

- Which Way Home

Makeup (skipping this because I haven't seen any of the films to completion...rooting for Star Trek though!)

Music (Original Song)

- "Almost There": The Princess and the Frog

- "Down In New Orleans": The Princess and the Frog

- "Loin de Paname": Paris 36

- "Take It All Away": Nine

- "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)"*: Crazy Heart - oh please, god, PLEASE!!

Cinematography

- Avatar

- The Hurt Locker* - again, haven't seen it, but I'm pretty sure will bag it.

- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

- Inglourious Basterds

- The White Ribbon

Art Direction

- Avatar* - again, duh!

- The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

- Nine

- Sherlock Holmes

- The Young Victoria

Best Animated Feature

- Coraline

- Fantastic Mr. Fox

- The Princess and the Frog

- The Secret of Kells

- Up* - pretty easy call. And don't hate me, but I liked Coraline better...

Best Director

- James Cameron, Avatar

- Kathryn Bigelow*, The Hurt Locker - haven't seen it, so this is based on the experts' opinions and what the rest of this year's awards ceremonies have said. If it were up to me, though, I'd give it to Reitman.

- Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds

- Lee Daniels, Precious

- Jason Reitman, Up In The Air

Best Supporting Actress

- Penelope Cruz, Nine

- Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air

- Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart

- Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air [she really shouldn't be on this list]

- Mo'Nique*, Precious - seriously? No contest.

Best Supporting Actor

- Matt Damon, Invictus

- Woody Harrelson, The Messenger

- Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

- Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones

- Christopher Waltz*, Inglourious Basterds - I am more sure of this than I am of death.

Best Actress

- Sandra Bullock*, The Blind Side - I think she deserves it, but Streep will win it

- Helen Mirren, The Last Station

- Carey Mulligan, An Education

- Gabourey Sidibe, Precious

- Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia

Best Actor (The One Where I Expose Myself As A Coward)

- Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

- George Clooney, Up in the Air

- Colin Firth, A Single Man

- Morgan Freeman, Invictus

- Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker

*sigh* I cannot bring myself to predict a winner. I want to throw the award to Clooney. I have never in my life loved a character/performance as much as his in Up in the Air - measured, mature, majestic! And yet Jeff Bridges literally made me weep with his portrayal of Bad Blake. But Colin Firth is underrated, Morgan Freeman is one of my all-time favourites and um...I'm sure Renner did a great job as well. Whoever wins I'll be delighted...but I'll pop the champagne only for Clooners.

Best Picture

- Avatar* - JC vs KB. the suspense will kill us all. In all honesty, I'd give it to Up in the Air (err yeah I'm kind of a fan)

- The Blind Side

- District 9

- An Education

- The Hurt Locker

- Inglourious Basterds

- Precious

- A Serious Man

- Up

- Up In The Air

Put your hands waaaay up if you're as excited as I am for Steve Martin & Alec Baldwin!! I hope you all manage to make a party out of it - it truly is one of the best nights of the year. Oh boy oh boy oh boy....

Giddy with excitement,

S xxx