Music Hour

Assorted list of good music.

Black - Pearl Jam

"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,
I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky,
But why, why, why can't it be, can't it be mine?"

Rammstein - Ohne Dich
For the video. Very powerful power ballad!

GnR Trilogy: November Rain, Estranged, Dont Cry - each one of these are powerful in their own way and all three together is an absolute delight. I personally love Sweet Child of Mine too.

Metallica - Fade to Black, Master of Puppets, Hero of the Day, Nothing else matters, Unforgiven [II too], King Nothing... so many

I used to dig Scorpions a lot - I sadly have lost the collections across many machines that I used. Used to love them. Rock you like a Hurricane [hurricane 2000 is up THERE!] , Winds of change, Hes a woman, shes a man; cant recollect many names but still can hum the tune.

Many songs off and on in creed, nirvana, pink floyd, dire straits, eagles,  phil collins [coming back to life has a special effect for me], steve winwood, dream threatre [have to love mustaine and petrucci] , iron maiden... the list goes on.

Update: How can I ever forget Dire Straits? Mark Knopfler is fantastic. Money for Nothing. Brothers in Arms, Sultans of Swing, 5:15AM, Shangri-La, Romeo and Juliet. God, Knopfler is great. [I realise now, late, that I have added dire straits even earlier. Good!]

Bliss. 

Relevance of people and human connections

I heard about John Butler Trio, a few years ago, by a freak accident. An accident which actually happened because of several other accidental happenings in my life before the SL trip... those which happened by happenstance. Serendipity, if you like. 

I was in Sri Lanka on my way to Ella from Kandy on their picturesque train journey [supposedly one of the most scenic routes in SL. Its good too, feels like the long meandering routes of Munnar, Nilgiris rolled into one]. I happened to meet a French guy on the train and we ended up speaking for a while and speak, we did... we became quite friendly, travelled together a bit and also got to share our music - thats how I learnt about John Butler Trio.

The SL trip by itself was on a whim as I wanted to do a quickie considering the constraint of limited time and booking at the last minute so I can get to use my discount coupons. Interesting how the Supreme Power links up things in ways unimaginable... but in hindsight, it seems as it was just meant to be that way. 

As the protagonist says in 127 hours "This rock has been waiting for me my entire life..." 
Verbatim: "[talking into his camera]
Aron Ralston: You know, I've been thinking, everything is...just comes together. It's me. I chose this. I chose all of this. This rock...this rock has been waiting for me my entire life. It's entire life. Ever since it was a bit of meteorite a million, billion years ago. There, in space. It's been waiting, to come here. Right...right here. I've been moving towards it my whole life. The minute I was born, every breath I've taken, every action has been leading me to this crack on the out surface." Link here

Powerful. Such is life. Such is music too. I am glad to have met someone who led me to John Butler Trio. It was waiting for me all the while. Patiently... till I got hold of it and got addicted to the music. 

Youtube link of JBT: JBT - Ocean start

Its a pity that the trio didnt get more popular. 

Oh speaking of coincidences, its No surprise that even 127 hours happened because I was at a friends place and got to watch the movie out of force than choice. Else, movies and me maintain our respective distances. And I am happier for having seen a movie like that. [Its incidentally a true life story!... My friend asked me to guess the ending after I saw the scene and I guessed it right too. He was shell shocked. And No, I didnt know about the movie or the real life story. Perhaps a bit of reading about mountaineering helped me conclude it? Possible]

Life trundles on... ever so gently. 

India Pakistan Relations: Perspectives

Brilliant read on the Indo-Pak relations.

Brookings essay by William Dalrymple

More stuff on what transpired in 2002 and why we recalled the Indian Ambassador can be read here

Aah... the advantages of doing read ups, thanks to being part of the Good Judgment Project... Strenuous... but lovely to do all this.

Addictive

Hit the top charts in that year. Good 'un, Gothye.

Youtube link

There is something ephemeral long-lasting about music that isnt true with many other things... success may come and go, life may lead us astray or ahead, trials and tribulations will continue to exist in everyday life... but if one understands and appreciates music, life becomes a whole lot better.

If only we had more tamil music producers [atleast one in the current contemporary era] who can make good music.

Lyrics:

"
"Somebody That I Used To Know"
(feat. Kimbra)

[Gotye:]
Now and then I think of when we were together
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
Told myself that you were right for me
But felt so lonely in your company
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember

You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness
Like resignation to the end, always the end
So when we found that we could not make sense
Well you said that we would still be friends
But I'll admit that I was glad it was over

But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

[Kimbra:]
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
But I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know

[Gotye:]
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough
No you didn't have to stoop so low
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number
I guess that I don't need that though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know

[x2]
Somebody
(I used to know)
Somebody
(Now you're just somebody that I used to know)

(I used to know)
(That I used to know)
(I used to know)
Somebody

"

Courtesy az lyrics

IBM Reported by SEC for violations in cloud reporting

Interesting times get even more interesting.
Now IBM has been reported by SEC for violations in its cloud reporting in its earnings.

Mmh... but hey, wait a minute. Didnt IBM say there is an aggressive push by the company towards the cloud, its adoption and making it more seamless. Havent they been showing approx 25-30% growth in it Q-o-Q.

Sadly, no link yet. Its still hot news though.