Alternate Vision

Chapman and I were convinced that if we lived in the same city, the likelihood of us forming either an afrobeat or ska/calypso/ roots-rock reggae band is unquestionably high. There's always something spectacular to stumble upon on a middling Sunday night, I believe. Kings High at the Matt Murphy's Irish Pub (Brooklyn Village, Boston) were downright an awesome calypso-reggae band. Unfortunate that Simran couldn't join us. Bill the dreded nyabinghi drummer insisted that between jazz, ska, urban underground and house his preffered music to drum to is simple earth bound music. The dainty Irish waitress left rather early we thought. The Ipswich Ale didn't let us down though, with its mild bitterness and deep gold brown texture. Tis been yet another memorable visit to B-town. Some souls are to be cherished for life I have ascertained. Return to Austin tomorrow, with energy, fervor and anticipation like neverbefore. I wonder why?

Mustafa Kemal was given the name Ataturk (Father of the Turks) by Parliament in 1934 after the surname law was adopted. Reading his biography. Outside the military victories and cultural and social reforms that gave Turkey a new life, his vision for the post Ottoman emergence of the nation was to "elevate national life to the highest level of civilization and prosperity."
European hats replaced the fez, citizens took surnames and women stopped donning veils. This radical, neoteric outlook included a transformation from the Islamic calendar to the Western calendar. Viewed as a catalyst for western anti-Islamic attitudes, Ataturk's actions were often controversial; his methods brutal and cruel. It seems to me that his steady manipulation of people's mindsets and attitudes had an indelible impact on Turkey's socio-cultural fabric.

"What comes to the American mind when hearing the name Ataturk? Nothing? Or perhaps a stream of consciousness that might flow in this way: Ataturk- Turkey- exotic- fez- funny little hat- Shriners- silly old men wearing this hat and driving tiny cars like madmen in every parade in small-town America…. Or, as a tourist in Istanbul, a fascination develops of "the other", and an attempt is made to make sense out of the exoticism of the East evident in a culture that also mirrors the West
- Beverly Blythe (NYU)

Burning desire to visit Turkey. The likes of Kemal, Che and Fela inspire me to prudently challenge conventional wisdom. Oh and happy belated thanksgiving.

Can't study for my pshychrometrics exam anymore. Instead am holding the button. Blah. Skipping dinner last night was probably not the best idea. Stress combined with an empty stomach caused me to barf at 4 in the morning. There's nothing more cleansing than disgorging the contents of your intestines when half asleep.
Milk and Sugar - house
Antibalas - afrobeat orchestra
you can stream mixes off theses sites. Maybe tonight I will sit out on her porch, smoke the sheeshah and blow smoke rings while listening to Mariza, yet again. Yes tripple apple, yes. Id best get back to reading about adiabatic mixing of two moist air streams. What a turn on!

I don get visa finish. Jesus da Silva e eu precisamos pagar $74 para uma "yellow fever shot." Foder. Eu commecei applicar para sete universidades neste pais para meu mestrada. Bastante trabalho mas eu tenho a vontade e energia.
I found the closest thing to Indian chinese a qui em Austin. Its addictive and is drawing my bank balance into the negative. But I continue to order the green pepper steak and lo mein.
Lewis me mandou um email. Cara, saudade de voce e a galera da BH. Que pena que eu nao poderia ir para o chiclete com banana. Falou!!
Damn Bangladeshis beat us to first place.
wtf ??? What next?

"Fela was sweet; perhaps not an adjective that would normally be used to describe this tornado of a man, but Fela was sweet to me. The sweetness that I perceived in him emanated from his love for humanity; particularly for those who had drawn life's short straw. Hundreds of people depended upon Fela for a living. Many more than he needed to run his Lagos club, The Shrine, or to play in his band.

I saw him as a social engineer, concerned with issues of injustice, corruption, the abuses of power. He was ready to lay his life on the line in defense of such causes, which he did on countless occasions. For his trouble he was beaten with rifle butts, endlessly harassed, imprisoned, vilified by the authorities, despised by bourgeois society (whose sons and daughters were captivated by him) His house was once burned to the ground by a thousand soldiers after they had raped and beaten his followers, thrown his mother and brother from a window, both of whom suffered fractures (his mother was ultimately to die from her injuries) Each time they were to beat him, though, he always bounced back with a vengeance, stronger than ever. It is my view that the only thing that kept him alive and the ultimate source of his strength, was the love the people had for him.

And his music - the rumble of thunder and the crack of lightning - layer upon layer of sublimely interwoven rhythm and melody, tangled in a delicious knot of divine inspiration. Deliberate conspiracies of hot brass woven around the intricately hypnotic consistency of bass and guitar lines, all driven by the dual forces of lavish percussion and Fela's own passion for the precision of his musical vision. Heaven help any musician who might stray from his given task. Fury would descend upon him until, in mortal terror, he would struggle his way back into the groove.

The icing on the cake of a Fela performance were his singers and dancers; fabulous glittering unreal creatures from another world who would exude waves of sensuality and downright sexiness that you could cut with a knife. All in all, thirty something people on stage, each playing their part in what Fela called "the underground spiritual game". "

-Riki Stein (manager and friend)

I discovered last night that UT has an Afro-pop ensemble. From Miriam Makeba to Oga fela they played it all. The lead singer (texan) even sings in Swahili, Afrikans and Pidgin. They were generous enough to allow me to accompany them on the cowbells. I hope to join their band as their djembe player this spring. Either that or UT's Afrobrazilian orchestra. For those of you wondering, Fela Anikulapo Kuti was the father of Afrobeat and a legendary figure in Africa, uniting people through his music and his own political party "Movement of the People." Having grown up in Lagos I was fortunate to have witnessed Femi Kuti (his son) perform live. My Nigerian visa should arrive on Monday. Nao posso esperar para voltar para casa.

We just learnt today that Stefan our former CEED from Germany passed away two weeks ago here in the US. He was to visit us this week. The news definitely dampened the mood at the Global Village this evening.
My fondest memory of him was the night before he left Austin last Spring. We were at the house. It was maybe 3 am. Right before he left for Dallas by bus, I think it was me who insisted that he sing the German national anthem for all of us. Seconds later in Karan's room, with palm on chest, head held high and full throated, he sang 'Das Lied Der Deutschen'. He was without a doubt one of the nicest, most genuine individuals to come through this organization. Vulter my good friend, you shall be missed dearly. Rest in peace.
Definitely a moment to reflect. My throat is soar and my head hurts. Am gonna sip on the Czech herbal tea that I stole from Dana and then its off to lalaland.

Confie em meus amigos para desenvolver uma razao unica para fazer uma festa. Nossa senhora! Initialization string com Dj Fred,que legal!
O commeco da extremidade esta aqui.
On the seventh day Shiva created?

Iraqi girl blogger.

"The enemy has a face. It is Satan's. He is in Fallujah, and we are going to destroy him." - Colonel Gary Brandl, US Marines

The next three weeks are going to be straight out of hell. Got three resesarch papers to write, two semester long projects to finish, a full blown selective laser sintering (sls) prototype to complete, and 3 crucial exams excluding my finals to study for. My only saving grace is the upcoming trip to Boston next week. I want to be sitting on the Emirates plane to Dubai already. My Nigerian visa should be here by now. Those wayo people..don carry am finish !

harish - just attended an all night bhajan, from 6 pm Saturday to 6 am this morning
surya- wow
harish- i played about 4 to 5 hrs of rigorous percussion and then again for an hour this evening and all my fingers are inflamed and i am in pain - but should get better soon

My dad has definitely moved on from the achievement phase in life to the evolutionary stage. I shall attempt to convince him to master the Yoruba language with Jesse and I. I definitely take after him. If only I could be half the man that he is.

o que eu posso fazer. A luz sobre a horizonte me chamando. Insh'allah o mesmo luz vai conduzir-me-a meu trajeto destino. E' duro mas eu devo conduzir uma vida sem dreno emocional. Ate hoje, meu pae brasileiro gosta de falar comigo que quando eu vou estar pronto (tahvez na proxima vida), ele vai me procurar uma menina brasileira para casar. Brincadeira, mas eu sei que ele nao estava brincando. Tenho bastante para fazer e apprender antes vou estar pronto. Mas ele vai esperar, gente boa.
Mais frio a qui, vou alugar um saco dormindo para o desengate acampando hoje de noite. Depois vou fazer uma pesquisa sobre as universidades onde eu quer fazer meu post-graduacao. Que pena que eu nao tenho tempo. Agente precisa procurar os cogumelos magicas !!

Sitting in a hot tub in 50F weather is like ....sex on toast. Its perfect. I need an electric blanket. That and a dumbek are on my next wish list. I feel like breaking every rule there is in the book. Maybe I should. No, I will. Anderson tells me that "phatakas" are available for purchase at retail outlets, but we need to prove to them that we're not Texas residents. Somehow I doubt that even if we furnish this evidence, they are going to sell firecrackers to a bunch of desis. Remind me never to drink lone star again.

Experience is intangible,
So much of what we percieve cannot be expressed as speakable,
Now, when we communicate with one another and we feel that we've connected and think that we're understood,
I think we have a feeling of almost spiritual communion
- Melicia

As a kid, on Diwali day amma (mom) would have Meghna and I rise at the crack of dawn to perform our ablutions,wear a new set of clothes, say our prayers and go out and play with firecrackers.South Indians traditionally perform puja(prayer)at sunrise, while in the north its performed at sunset. During this time homes are cleaned, windows are opened to welcome Lakshmi(goddess of wealth), gifts and sweets exchanged and festive meals served at most houseolds. Some treat it as a New Years, but for others it signifies a "new beginning".
Craving besan ka ladoo, halwa, kaju barfi and stinger bombs (firecrackers). This is the time of the year when I am most home sick.Last year Karan and I cooked some food, did puja at home and then keeping with tradition we submitted ourselves to a game of theen pathi over good ol red label.Good times.

I know I am beating this to death.
http://www.68k.org/~jrc/blog/archives/000476BushKerry.jpg

With Bush back in office, watching the news on TV is a drab and blatant reminder of what is to come. As much of an optimist as I am, I fail to see much positive light (politically and economically) in the next four years. Yes, there is the school of thought from the left that says "deal with it, move on and hope for the best." In his victory speech, Bush vowed to work hard to earn the trust and respect of the Democrats. Yet, as the economist desribes, having won the popular vote his mandate does promise to bring drastic tax reform and social security changes. With almost an 'omnipotent' control over the congress, there is no stopping him. This victory has if anything, strengthened the resolve of the Republicans to continue pursuing their current global agenda. Also, as Jim Lobe describes , with Colin Powell almost certainly out of office the one "neutralizing" force that was present will soon be gone. Bush's unilateral, socially conservative, pro-gun, aggressive policies will be followed with a much greater zeal. Spengler's take on the election is a must read. With 40% of the american population being evangelists, is it much of a surprise that we are facing what I believe is the 'Rise of the Fourth Reich' ?

Wizbang's is a conservative blog that I like to read. He has shattered my belief that the average american lacks the basic intelligence and global perspective to understand the profound implications of "Bush doctrine". He is a fervent supporter of the right, and a strong critic of the left; yet I must admit he has a unique perspective to offer.

To escape the harsh realities of this dismal administration, I seem to find solace in the most trivial things: taking long naps in mayfield park, gracing drum circles, plenty of southern comfort, south asian cooking, cloves, befriending drag rats, incenses, salsa and merengue dancing and much more. Watched the motorcycle diaries. Shall dedicate a seperate post to talk about the movie and how it has impacted me. Here's a fun recipe I tried this weekend. Best eaten with rice.

Fijian-Indian coconut chicken curry

Ingredients:

500 g chicken thigh meat
1 large boiled potato cut in pieces
2 cup mixed vegetables
1 large onion chopped
2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
1 tin coconut cream
1 large ripe banana chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch of sugar
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with water
2 chicken stock cubes
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tbsp good quality curry powder
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp chopped coriander

Instructions:

Cut chicken into bite size pieces and saute with onion and curry
powder in oil until lightly brown. Add coconut cream, lemon juice,
cornflour, stock cubes. Bring to boil and cook gently for 10 mins.
Blanch raw vegetables in boiling water for a few mins: drain and add
to the curry together with potato, cumin, ginger and banana. Season
with salt and pepper and serve garnished with coriander.

Cada vez, quando eu faço as caipirinhas, normalmente uma garrafa ( 1 litre) dá mais ou menos dez ou onze vidros. Eu aperfeiçoei a arte de fazer isso. Agente vai pra na casa do Jesse para o festa que se chama VIP potluck. Cozinhei " fried eggplant with curry powder and mustard seeds, and mughlai dhal". Estou bebendo. Preciso fumar alguma coiza. Eu estou desesperado.
Meu grage da participação da minha aula de empreendimento aumentou. Encontrei uma brasileira hoje. O nome dela é Renata. Ela é uma estudante intercambio.

surya says:
nigerian embassy wont pick up
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
fuckers
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
what are you gonna ask them?
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
dude i'm at the point of murdering my landlords
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
they tricked me into paying some fees i had been disputing for a while
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
gonna talk to the lawyer tomorrow
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
and put rotten shrimp in their couch
surya says:
rotten shrimp and eggs
surya says:
need to confirm my visa fees since I am indian
surya says:
and not indosian haha
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
i need you to help me with one of the plans
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
you and agnes are going to go into the office posing as a young couple looking for apartments
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
one of you will sit on the couch while the other talks
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
and lodge a small bag of frozen shrimp deep into the sofa
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
after a week there will be a powerful odor
surya says:
plausible. yet tricky
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
it will be very easy
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
i am counting on you
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
i'll pay for the shrimp
surya says:
when will this go down
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
let's say this saturday
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
around noon
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
or friday afternoon
surya says:
bring the booze and I will be there
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
k
Jesse. dirty work in landlord town says:
we'll get drunk before hand
surya says:
perfect

Industrial goth music, black n white, medieval costumes, rasbatinis, cloves,gothic insense, sword fights, dementors.
It truly did feel like the last dance as the walls crumbled around us!

Names I was called : Death, Zorak (dark lork of iniquity), Messenger of the dark lord, Alien Rastafarian, Daniel, James, Scary guy, Kali.

Slate's explanation as to the reality of the situation; why so many out there still believe in Bush.

This is what so many people like about Bush's approach to terrorism. They forgive his marginal and not-so-marginal screw-ups, because they can see that fundamentally, he "gets it." They forgive his mismanagement of Iraq, because they see that his heart and will are in the right place. And while they may be unhappy about their economic circumstances, they don't hold that against him. What you and I see as unreflectiveness, they see as transparency. They trust him.

Now look at your candidate, John Kerry. What quality has he most lacked? Not courage—he proved that in Vietnam. Not will—he proved that in Iowa. Not brains—he proved that in the debates. What Kerry lacked was simplicity. Bush had one message; Kerry had dozens. Bush had one issue; Kerry had scores. Bush ended his sentences when you expected him to say more; Kerry went on and on, adding one prepositional phrase after another, until nobody could remember what he was talking about. Now Bush has two big states that mean everything, and Kerry has a bunch of little ones that add up to nothing.

Definitely insentive to want to leave this country. Keep reminding myself that I do have a choice; I ain't no citizen yet. Do I really want to settle down here? Europe, the far east or America do Sul seem attractive enough. Its like 50F here and my heater doesnt work. Shivers. Reality is that u ?

The last couple of days have been unusually free. Seem to have gotten all my work done in advance. Was actually able to spend a good 2 hours cooking a Nepalese Pulaf last night, and then savor it with divine company. Halloween was somthing else. I shall let the pictures (on their way) speak for themselves. The dark lord shall return.