Year: 2007

Starting this monday, the History channel has been airing a series of supposedly old rock concerts under the banner of “History Rocks” at 10 pm. This series will be there next week also I think.

Two of these concerts have been a let-down for me, and for contrasting reasons. On Tuesday, the program featured The Who, with their 1970 concert at the Isle of Wight. Was a good concert, but the thing is a large number of their songs that I like were made after this. Stuff like Behind Blue Eyes, or Baba O’Riley and rather the whole of their Face Dances album – all came after this concert. And they didnt’ even play a few of my early favorites such as A Quick One…

Yesterday was a bigger disappointment. Deep Purple at Montreux during their world tour last year (which also featured a concert in Bangalore, which I had attended). For a start, it was the Mark 7 line up. Then, they played more or less the same songs they had played in Bangalore when they came here last december. Another major issue, however, was the choice of songs.

Deep Purple is one band that has gone through various avatars, which are numbered from “Mark 1” to “Mark 7”. During the course of these several avatars, they have had five vocalists – Rod Evans, Ian Gillan, Tommy Bolin, Joe Lynn Turner and David Coverdale. Now, Gillan (the current vocalist) has this policy that he won’t sing others’? songs. This means that a lot of the really good songs get left out. And for someone whose favorite Purple albums are the early ones (Book of Taliesyn etc.) with Evans as singer, and whose favorite Purple song (Soldier of Fortune) has been sung by Coverdale, it is a major let-down.

I used to keep a winamp playlist of 30 or so songs of Deep Purple. When i matched that with the songs they played at Bangalore, there were THREE in common – and all of them from Machinehead. The situation at the televised concert yesterday was no different. Also, old age means Gillan can’t sing Child in Time anymore.

Anyways, given these “conditions” and given that most of the popular Deep Purple songs are from their earlier years,? History Channel would have done well to present one of the earlier albums.

Next week should be better. Three of the four bands being featured next week – The Doors, The Beatles and Led Zep – have at least one member who died long ago, so hopefully it will be some nice decent old concert recorded when teh guys were still young.

Mint has done a feature on this year’s JEE topper (free registration required). Some guy from some small town in Punjab, who went to the Bansal Factory in Kota during vacations for his JEE coaching.

Two things stand out from the article. The way some people mug for the JEE is nicely described

A number of young aspirants, age 15 and above, leave home to live in boot camp-like atmospheres in places such as Kota in Rajasthan, where coaching institutes help them prepare for the exam.

I don’t know why but I’ve always thought of Portsmouth as a black team. I once happened to mention that to Baada, and he pointed out that it maybe because all of the defence and attack is black.

For example, in the recently concluded season, their first choice defence was Glen Johnson – Sol Campbell – Linvoy Primus – Djimi Traore – all black. And the first-choice attack was Kanu and Benjani (whose last name suggests he migrated from Eastern Rajasthan to Zimbabwe), with Lua Lua as cover. Again all black. It doesn’t help matters that the keeper David James doesn’t look 100% white!

Now, Harry Redknapp’s recent signings have given further credence ot Portsmouth as a black club. His most high-profile signings so far (Bramble, Distin and now Muntari) are all black.

I’m wondering what it is with Portsmouth and blacks. Why is it that they have a significantly higher number of blacks than most Premiership teams? Is it because Portsmouth is a black area (i don’t know this) and hence the club has a significant black fan following? Rather, does it have a large African immigrant population, and hence people like Kanu will be a big draw?

On a larger scale, what is it that causes us to associate teams with races? For example, about half the Liverpool team speaks spanish, but that’s understandable since Rafa is spanish (I tried to construct an all-spanish speaking liverpool squad, and got in 9 players – all except the forwards and one central defender. Reina; Arbeloa, Pelletta,_____, Insua; Luis Garcia, Mascherano, Alonso, Gonzales; ____? , ____ ) . The same can be used to explain the number of Portuguese in the Chelsea squad, or the number of French guys who used to play for Arsenal.

But Redknapp is a WASP, so that doesn’t solve matters regarding Portsmouth. Anyone has any explanation?

I have started a photoblog. Will mostly contain pics from my Nokia 6670.

You can check it out here.

Main reason for putting that on blogger is that it allows me to upload photos directly, unlike LJ where I have to upload photos elsewhere and then link to them.

Also, having two accounts on? the same server means logging in and out repeatedly, something I’m too lazy to do. ??

As you might have figured out by now (if you are not reading this through a feed browser), this journal now has a new theme. I kinda got bored of that notepad theme, and wanted somethign more cluttered!

Tell me if you like it.?

Amit Varma has linked to this piece by Vir Sanghvi in the Hindustan Times. It’s about the recent incident in Baroda where the artist was arrested, dean chucked out and a lot of protests happened.

Now, HT, in an attempt to make some money from this online edition, features some ads by Google. Now, I don’t know what ads you will see when you go to the site, but I saw these.

Too much. And to actually think that these islamic sites actually advertise through google! even more amazing!

Update

I just read through the piece. An extremely strong piece of writing. Completely endorse it. Too bad the HT is not available in Bangalore.

Now, in the context of the article, the choice of ads by Google looks much more unmitigated!

I’m writing this as I eat an apple – a “Washington apple” to be precise. A few years back, I don’t think I would’ve had the luxury of eating an apple in may! The profusion of these “foreign apples” now makes this possible.

I have been brought up with the belief that apple is a seasonal fruit, and you get it only during July – September, immediately after the mango season. That is still the case with the “Delhi apple”. However, apples from Australia, New Zealand and the US seem to be available all over the year.

Is it a phenomenon of the monsoon? (you may notice that the Delhi apple season coincides with the monsoons) Is it that apple trees need lots of rain to bear fruit, and hence bear fruit throughout hte year in the US and New Zealand where, unlike in North India, rains are not seasonal?

Or is it that trees are seasonal – something like each tree bears fruit on its birthday (ok i’m exaggerating here, but using it to clarify my point)? And that the american nad NZ farmers have taken care to plant trees around the year? And this might not be possible in india due to the rain situation?

Or, it it the case of better preservation and storage? Is it that the trees in US and NZ are also seasonal, but just that the fruits are preserved better, and hence available throughout hte year? If that is the case, there is both a worry and an opprotunity for Indian apple farmers. If it is possible to store apples in good condition thorughout the year, then such facilities must be brought in to India. If we can cut wastage, and if we increase area under apple cultivation (ok the latter is a really long term thing), couldn’t the apple growing industry in India do so much better?

All said and done, the Delhi apple is far superior to all other varieties when it comes to taste. Or maybe it is that since I’ve grown up eating the Delhi apple, the taste of “apple” i have grown up with is that of the Delhi apple and hence don’t really accept other varieties. Waiting for the Delhi apple season to begin. Till then, I guess I should better stick to mangoes.

Got this mail in my official inbox today.

Hi All,

?

We have XYZ ABC celebrating his birthday on Sunday i.e. on 20^th May.

?

Please join me in wishing him many many happy birthday in advance!!!!

?
Regards,

*Name blanked out to protect identity*

Human Resource

I’ve retained the fonts and colors from the mail that i had received. A couple of things you might want to notice, if you haven’t already – “many many happy birthday”, the underlining and highlighting, etc.

The best of all however is “Human Resource”!