3. Literature and the Mahabharata

(see introduction) THEMES STUDIED The War of Kurukshetra marked (literally) the end of the previous era and the beginning of the current one (see Context: Chronology & Geography). As can be expected from an age-old epic like the Mahabharata, there is a huge body of debates and analyses found both in the scholarly and non-academic realms. Without going into much of that, here are two themes that I think dominate Mahabharata discussions, at least when it comes to people who love controversy: Mythification: Krishna Oral transmission causes history to become legend, and legend to become myth. When speaking academically, "myth" does not refer to something false, but rather a distorted and exaggerated version of the truth. More importantly, this truth is believed to be true by the general public in which it is told and appreciated. However, it is not always oral transmission that causes mythification (loosely defined in mythology as the process in which heroes and villains of a legend become supernatural beings like gods and demons). Sometimes a scholar sees that a myth may have been tempered on purpose, and can usually guess the stimulant to be a religious movement. Something similar seems to happen with the Mahabharata: the Bhagvad Gita and the Harivamsa Parva in the epic are both possibly appended to the text, given differences in structure and style. Both of these also explicitly reveal Krishna as an avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is very possible that a Vaishnavite movement took place, in which classical (Vedic) Hinduism became more strictly a religion rather than the philosophy that it was, and a focus on Vishnu as a Godhead began to appear in sacred texts. What makes this more interesting is that when Krishna's magical poweress, or at times even Krishna himself, is taken out of the picture, the resulting scene becomes a prime candidate for censoring. For example, when Dushasana drags Draupadi into the court and starts to pull off her clothing, Draupadi prays to Krishna who responds by making the cloth of her sari never-ending. Suppose Krishna had not intervened, we would have an even more unjustified and socially unacceptable situation than before. Some scholars argue that the Krishna in Mahabharata, is not Krishna the Vishnu-avatar at all, but is made to appear so by "editing". But these debates go on, as there is not much evidence to argue with on either Side. Polyandry & Polygamy: Draupadi & Kunti Another amazing theme persistent in the epic is sexuality, especially such that would be considered taboo in society: a woman's sexuality. There is usually an apparent contradiction in the author's view or somewhat of a justification presented when it comes to occurrances of a taboo. For example, while Draupadi is married to five men and this does not seem extraordinary in the story, when it comes to the court scene Karna defines a prostitute so that it would encompass Draupadi and justifies that she be treated like one. In another instance, while Kunti has a boon to conceive from gods and it is again not frowned upon (being a boon, and gods), she is hesitant when Pandu asks her to do this and defines again what a woman like that is called. Kunti also gives up her firstborn for this particular reason. Not a very strong woman, she. The boons in Kunti's case, like Karna's comments in Draupadi's case, seem like cover-ups and cause some rage in relevant debates.

EXCERPTS FROM MY ESSAYS Shankhaa - The Feminine Conch, On Symbolism: This essay talks about the repressed femininity of the warriors in the Mahabharata (Krishna and the Pandavas in particular) expressed via symbolism of the conch. Here is an excerpt: "All these parallels are just more metaphors concerning the conch shell. To decipher the symbolism, one must combine the two lines of thought. One is that the personality of the conch shell is indicative of its owner's character, and the other is that the conch shell is uniformly feminine. It is not too farfetched then to understand the conch shell to symbolize the warrior's repressed femininity. A warrior is placed at the extreme male end when it comes to the gender spectrum, especially the time and culture in which Sage Vyasa and contributing authors were shaping the Mahabharata to bring it to its completion. An exception occurs in the Virata Parva that proves the rule. In this liminal case, the social stereotypes are broken to allow Arjuna, the ultimate warrior, to abandon his manhood and become a dance teacher of neuter sex (Mahabharata, 72). Furthermore, Arjuna's feminine role in these chapters seems to be accepted as the best disguise for him because in reality, a warrior could (and should) be nothing but masculine. This epic successfully brings to life the dichotomy of not just a warrior, but of any man." - Juhi Shukla, 2008. Power by Myth, On Power Structures: This essay talks about how myths dictate the power structures that we see in the society in which these myths proliferate. I especially talk about the structure of power, and the difference of power, between the men and women in Indian mythology. Here is the conclusion: "In the varnas we see how the Rigveda outlines laws of religious power while it neatly categorizes the society and assigns appropriations to each order. The exclusion of outlaws from the varnas implies a power structure imposed on even those who are not included in the system. At the same time, the idealization of Indra in vedic literature hints at what is expected of a political leader in early South Asian society, in contrast to whom the female characters of the Veda insinuate certain expectations for women in the same culture. A people that base their religion on the Vedic teachings are bound to follow these principles and shape their power structures like those depicted. It is difficult for the Veda then, to not dictate the powertoni in early South Asian society." - Juhi Shukla, 2007. From Best to Perfect: Sita's Journey from Valmiki to Us, On Gender Issues: This essay talks about the difference between how Sita, the heroine of the epic Ramayana, is portrayed originally by Valmiki and how she is depicted now in popular culture. This contrasts the way in which the women of the Mahabharata are still seen today. Perhaps the Mahabharata has not been as wounded by religious distortion as the Ramayana. Here is the conclusion: "Untruthfulness, rashness, guile, stupidity, avarice, unseemliness and cruelty are a woman's seven natural flaws. - Chanakya. As can be expected, Valmiki's opinion of women is not that of a fellow person. In the time that the Ramayana was probably composed, men must not have had to worry about feminists when they described women. Since it was men who wrote the literature, it is through a men's perspective that scholars of today see their world. What one can make from Sita's character sketch in Valmiki's Ramayana is that in her, Valmiki describes a woman's full potential, as he sees it. Despite being the best of women, Sita is still prone to incurable feminine woes like being emotional and unreasonable in addition to being the cause of most of men's troubles. What makes Sita an ideal is her faithfulness to her husband and family, and her beauty. While the ideal characteristics on Valmiki's Sita remain, the Sita perceived today has managed to lose her womanly imperfections and become subdued. Even though Valmiki would not please a feminist, he allowed his Sita to argue, discuss and even become angry at times, unlike the popular Sita we see today. That both Sitas are presented as an ideal is clear; however, somewhere down the road of time the required ideal must have changed, as did Sita. Today's Sita seems to me an airbrushed portrait of the original woman. Perhaps it was the transformation of an epic poem into a religious text that converted the "best of women" into a "perfect" one." - Juhi Shukla, 2009.

2. The Epic Mahabharata

(see introduction) The English translation of the word "Mahabharata" is "Great Bharata"; "Bharata" can mean many things (see the disambiguation), although relevant to the epic it refers to the kingdom of emperor Bharata, or "Bharatvarsha"; "Bharat" is now the Hindi term for the "Republic of India". Within the Bharata Dynasty falls the Kuru clan, who fight among themselves (the Pandava and the Kaurava factions) leading to the famous Battle of Kurukshetra, which becomes the subject of the epic Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is the oldest and longest epic poem found to date, containing about 90,000 slokas (verses). The poem begins when the credited author Vyasa (who is also a character in the narrative) asks Ganesha to write down the narration that he has just composed. Later the poem would be recited to Janamejaya (a Kuru descendant), as a cautionary tale about the war of his ancestors that almost entirely annihilated the Kuru race. These beginnings are noted in the first book of the Mahabharata, along with a brief summary of the epic. The next 17 books provide, in excruciating detail, the story of Mahabharata. One additional book, the Harivamsa Parva (the book of Hari's genealogy), talks about the life of Krishna (Hari), who is considered Vishnu's eighth avatar in Vaishnav Hinduism (see Context: Mythology). The fact that this book is more or less appended to the end of the epic has caused some debate among scholars (see Literature: Themes). Other than good old Wikipedia, which is appropriate for a general overview of the Mahabharata, MahabharataOnline.com is a pretty good online resource for informal reading of the epic.

MAIN CHARACTERS Mahabharantaonline.com has individual stories of the epic's characters; however those listed here are linked to Wikipedia pages. The Kuru Family The central characters in the family are: Kauravas - "descendants of the Kurus"; the 101 sons of the blind king Dhritirashtra. Pandavas - "sons of the Pandu"; the five sons of Pandu, Dhritirashtra's younger brother; they stand in opposition to the Kauravas in the war; they share a common wife, Draupadi. Bhishma - aka Devdatta (gift from the Gods); son of king Shantanu and goddess Ganga (river Ganges); great-uncle to the Pandavas/Kauravas; known for his terrible ("bhishan") vow of life-long celebacy and service to the throne of Hastinapur. Duryodhana - eldest Kaurava; entitled to the throne of Hastinapur prior to the war; most vocal opponent of the Pandavas; often depicted as villainous and jealous. Kunti - mother of the three eldest Pandavas and Karna; first wife of Pandu; has a boon to invoke a god and obtain a child from him, which comes in handy as Pandu cannot have children (see Literature: Themes). Karna - warrior and ally to the Kauravas; eldest son of Kunti (obtained via a boon by invoking Surya, the Sun god); born out of wed-lock and abandoned by Kunti; raised by a Charioteer. Yudhishthira - aka "Dharmaraj" (king of Dharma); first son of Kunti and Pandu (obtained via a boon by invoking Yama, the god of Judgement);looses his inheritance, brothers, and wife (Draupadi) to the Kauravas in a game of dice that is the turning point of the epic. Draupadi - wife to the Pandavs; originally sought for Yudhishthira but due to a triviality "shared" among the brothers; she is dragged into court and publically humiliated after being gambled away, causing oaths to be taken that would eventually play out during the war (see Literature: Themes). Bhima - second son of Kunti and Pandu (obtained via a boon by invoking Vayu, the god of the Winds); known for his strength and anger; after Draupadi's humiliation, he vows to drink Dushasana's blood and wash Draupadi's hair with it (which he does during the war) before she will tie it again; also marries and has a son with a rakshasa (giant) woman. Arjuna - third son of Kunti and Pandu (obtained via a boon by invoking Indra, god of War); perhaps the greatest of warriors in the epic, with various weapons obtained from his visit to the heavens; recieves the Bhagvad Gita from Krishna, who is his charioteer during the war, upon breaking down and refusing to fight his family at the start of the battle; his unborn grandson is the only Pandava successor to survive the war to continue the Kuru lineage. Divine Intervention Krishna is approached by both Arjuna and Duryodhana for alliance in the war; while Duryodhana chooses to take Krishna's military help, Arjuna chooses Krishna himself, who then becomes his charioteer. Prior to the battle, Krishna delivers to the Kauravas a peace message from the Pandavas, which is unreciprocated; ironically he is also the one who convinces Arjuna to fight the battle by delivering the Bhagvad Gita (song of God). At both these scenes, Krishna reveals himself to be Vishnu but only Arjuna is able to see the divine vision (read about darshan in Hinduism). See Context: Mythology, Literature: Themes.

SYNOPSIS Mahabharata is full of side-stories that make the text of the epic so lengthy; however, the "meat" of the poem is made up of the conflict between the Kauravas and Pandavas and the war that ensues between them. Let's begin with the romantic-at-heart king Shantanu of Hastinapur, who woos Ganga and suffers the deaths of seven of their sons at her hands, before he breaks his vow and stops her in order to keep the eighth son, Devdatta (read the story of Shantanu). Devdatta would have to take a vow of celibacy and service to the throne of Hastinapur before a fisherman would agree to marry his daughter, Satyavati, to Shantanu, who had once again fallen in love, alas. Since then Devdatta would be known as Bhishma for his terible vow (read the story of Bhishma). Satyavati's son Vichitravirya dies before he is able conceive an heir so the terrible sage Vyasa (Satyavati's first son, born out of wedlock; read the story of Satyavati) is asked to lie with the two wives of Vichitravirya: Ambika, who had shut her eyes for fear of Vyasa, conceives the blind Dhritirashtra, and Ambalika who had trembled with fear of him, conceives the weak Pandu. Fearing this, Satyavati asks Vyasa to grant the family another son and so a fearless maid-servant conceives the wise Vidhur, who would become the voice of reason and foresight to the throne of Hastinapur (read one version of this story). Dhritirashtra marries Gandhari, the princess of Gandhar, who spends the rest of her life blindfolded for the sake of her husband's blindness. Her brother Shakuni out of spite for this, vows to destroy the Kuru clan. Shakuni becomes one of the key players for causing of the conflict between the cousins as he sows the seeds of jealousy in the minds of his nephews (the Kauravas), especially Duryodhana (read the stories of Gandhari and Shakuni). Dhritirashtra fathers 101 sons and one daughter, forming the Kaurava faction of the family. Because Dhritirashtra is blind, the kingdom passes to Pandu. Pandu marries Kunti (an aunt of Krishna), who has been granted a boon so that she may invoke a god and conceive a child by him. Kunti has already tried out this boon, and abandoned her firstborn (Karna, of Surya, the Sun god) for fear of society. Pandu obtains a curse that he will die at the moment of orgasm, so he asks Kunti to use her boon in order to obtain children. Yudhishthira (of Yama, the god of Judgement), Bhima (of Vayu, the god of the Winds), and Arjuna (of Indra, god of War) are conceived this way. Because of Kunti's teachings, Pandu's second wife Madri also obtains two twin sons this way:Nakula and Sahadeva (of the Ashvin Twins, the Vedic gods of the Sunset and Sunrise). Eventually, Pandu has intercourse with Madri and dies. Dhritirashtra then takes over the kingdom until the princes finish their education and training that they were then taking under their teacher Drona. Rifts have already built between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, as the Pandavas (especially Arjuna) excel at everything earning the love of Drona Acharya and the jealousy of Duryodhana and the rest of the Kauravas (read the story of Drona Acharya). At the return of the princes, Karna is introduced to the Kauravas (and Pandavas) in a tournament and becomes friends with Duryodhana, who makes him king of Anga. Yudhishthira is older than Duryodhana by a bit, and so he inherits the kingdom from Dhritirashtra and prospers. Yudhishtira bases his capital in Indraprastha, where he commissions a Palace of Wonders worthy of envy. Duryodhana, on the other hand, wants the kingdom back. With Shakuni, the Kauravas plan to gamble with the Pandavas with the kingdom at stake. Shakuni, who has never been defeated at dice, plays for the Kauravas and Yudhishthira, who has a weakness for gambling, plays for the Kauravas. When Yudhishthira loses his wealth, he stakes the kingdom, then his brothers, and then Draupadi, their wife, and loses all. In what is probably one of the most emotionally-charged chapters in the epic, now that Draupadi is no longer queen, Duryodhana orders younger brother Dushasana to drag her into court. When she questions the ethics and judgement of the court, Dushasana begins to disrobe her. Draupadi prays to Krishna, who saves her honour by creating an illusion of a never-ending sari. After Dushasana has tired, Draupadi once again questions the morality of the elders and people present in the court to witness this, including her husbands. See the scene from BR Chopra's Mahabharat, episode 47 on Youtube (seek to 14:00). At Draupadi's appeal, Dhritirashtra agrees to return what they won to the Pandavas on the condition that the Pandavas be banned for the next 12 years, and spend the 13th year incognito. Here ends the second book, the Sabha Parva. Their twelve years are described in the third book (the Vana Parva), and their thirteenth year in the fourth book (the Virata Parva). When the Pandavas return a conflict about their condition having been met arises leading to no compromise but war, hence take place the remaining books, in war. Bhishma is the first Kaurava commander, as he must service the throne of Hastinapur (currently under Duryodhana) according to his vow. Eventually these warriors (Bhishma, Karna, Drona) fall at the hands of the Pandavas. The Pandavas lose all their sons by Draupadi in a fire set by an enemy warrior. In the end, apart from the Pandavas themselves, only Arjuna's unborn grandson survives as an heir. Arjuna's son Abhimanyu had already impregnated his wife Uttara, before he makes a heroic sacrifice (read the story of Abhimanyu). Uttara would give birth to Parikshit, who would be killed by a serpent and his son Janamejaya would then vow to annihilate the naga (serpent) race (read the stories of Parikshit and Janamejaya). Janamejaya would be stopped by Vyasa, Satyavati's first son and the author of the epic, who would tell him the story of Mahabharata and caution him about the consequences of emotional vows and wars.

TEXT & TRANSLATIONS The full Sanskrit text of the Mahabharata is available online, along with English alliterations of the verses. Kisari Mohan Ganguli published the first complete English translation of the epic Mahabharata between the years 1883 and 1896. It is currently the only complete translation available in the public domain. A brief summary by Professor James L. Fitzgerald of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is also available online.

ONLINE CHAPTER SUMMARIES MahabharataOnline.com has a summary by C. Rajagopalachari who tells the Mahabharata in a story-like format. About.com has a summary by Romesh C. Dutt, who follows the structure of the epic and translates the Mahabharata according to selected verses from the chapters of the books. About.com also has a detailed timeline of events occurring in the story of the Mahabharata compiled by Dr. K.N.S. Patnaik. see part 3: Literature and the Mahabharata

1. Context of the Mahabharata

(see introduction) INDIAN MYTHOLOGY Wikipedia provides a compact and organized overview of Indian (Hindu) texts. The Mahabharata, along with the epic Ramayana, falls into the category Itihasa, meaning "History", and may also be known as a "Maha Kavya" or Great Poem". Before being able to fully appreciate the Mahabharata, one must know about Vishnu and his ten avatars including Krishna, who shows up in the instance of the context of the Mahabharata. Krishna's most important contribution to the Mahabharata is the delivering of the Bhagvad Gita, the God's song, to Arjuna. Arjuna, a warrior of unparalleled ability, in the midst of a nervous breakdown refuses to battle with his family members, who stand ready and waiting on both sides for him to start the war. At this point, Krishna reveals himself to be Vishnu and explains to Arjuna that he is merely a player in the big game, as are his family members, and he must fulfill his duty without thinking of consequences. In Chapter 4, Verse 7 of the Bhagvad Gita, Krishna says: yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata abhyuttanam adharmasya tada'tmanam srjamy aham "O Bharata (Arjuna), whenever there is a decline of righteousness and a rise of unrighteousness, then I manifest Myself." This quote encompasses Vishnu's role in the epic: He has come as Krishna to end this era of unrighteousness. Indeed, not many men remain to be unrighteous after the war.

CHRONOLOGICAL & GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT There is yet to be a unanimous belief of the time-frame in which the Mahabharata was set, although given speculations about the war, 1200 - 800 BCE has been a safe guess (see further discussion). The epic talks about the war between factions of the Kuru clan, who are speculated to span the 1200 - 900 BCE time frame, which resides within the Indian Iron Age, or Vedic Period. All three of the major cities mentioned in the epic can be recognized today. The story begins with the throne at Hastinapur, a city which still bears the same name and is located in present-day north-eastern state in India, Uttar Pradesh. Yudhishthir, a successor, bases his capital at Indraprastha, which is included in present-day Delhi. The ruins of the palace that he commissioned can be found still. The war of Mahabharata takes place in the city Kurukshetra, named after Kuru, the ancestor of the players in the epic. The city still bears the same name and is located in the present-day central Indian state of Haryana. see part 2: The Epic Mahabharata

Mahabharata post series - Introduction

Until I can set up another HTML/PHP server to host my awesome Mahabharata website (with all the cool effects), I thought I'd blog the three info pages that I put together for it. I hate how they're just sitting there. The pages are structured like this:
1. Context: Indian Mythology and Chronological & Geographical Context
-	this page places the epic in context; background info for those who don't know what the heck I'm talking about
2. The Epic: Intro, Main Characters, Synopsis, Text and Chapters
-	this page is about the epic itself; it provides links towards the end for those looking for the full text or chapter summaries. The synopsis is pretty awesome, I had fun writing it.
3. Literature: Themes Studied and Excerpts from my Essays
-	this is the page for people who already know the basics. I mention two themes that interest me the most, namely, the "mythification" process (involving Krishna) and polyandry & polygamy in the epic (involving Draupadi and Kunti). Then I go on to provide some excepts from my essays. If anyone is crazy enough to want to read an essay in their free time, let me know. :)

Edward Redressing: Step 2 - JailBreak

Specifics: iPhone 3G 16Gb IOS 3.1.3 on Windows 7 (x64) using RedSn0w IClarified is an all-round good resource for tweaking with your Apple devices; there are excellent tutorials to jailbreaking your particular device on the site. I used the tutorial on RedSn0w for 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 on Windows. The steps are pretty straight-forward; the only tricky part is selecting your firmware version on RedSn0w, and getting your device into DFU mode. Also note, your restore might not work just because of the RecBoot interference I mentioned earlier, just restart your computer and see if that helps. Things to keep in mind: >> Firmware 3.1.3
	If that's your version, you will need to download the 3.1.2 version as well and have it on hand. RedSn0w will need to identify if it is compatible with the .ipsw that you used. It currently does not recognize 3.1.3 but works just fine if you select your newly downloaded 3.1.2 version, even if it's not the one you restored to. Just follow the steps and you'll get to this part.
>> Boot and Recovery Mode Icons
	RedSn0w lets you pick .png's to use for the boot and recovery screens. The boot screen is where the Apple shows up, and the recovery mode screen is the one with the USB going into iTunes. I've changed my boot screen to my personalized logo -- it's pretty sweet every time it boots. Just another way to feel that my device is no longer in Apple's clutches. Read the instructions carefully as to the type and size restrictions for these images. Also, make sure you check "Install Cydia".
>> DFU Mode
	You'll get to a screen which will tell you to go to the next step only if your phone is turned off and connected. The next screen gives you instructions to get your phone into DFU mode. DFU and Recovery mode are not the same, DFU mode usually doesn't have a screen/logo -- it's blank. Eventually you'll see the jailbreaking image of the hard drive... looks scary the first time. Getting to DFU mode can sound difficult, but if you follow the instructions RedSn0w gives you exactly, until it starts jailbreaking, it will work. There are other ways to get your phone into DFU mode as well, but I'd say just stick with the timed ones RedSn0w provides.
After this, you will have successfully jailbroken you iPhone. Notice the new application Cydia installed on you iPhone. This is the popular "AppStore" for JailBroken iPhones. Next Post: Step 3 - Customize... coming soon =P

Edward Redressing: Step 1 - Downgrade

I have been quite happy with my iPhone3G, despise its limitations due to apple's restrictive OS. I've had friends who jailbroke their iPhone, but I never felt the need to. Until recently that is. When Apple decided to bring out the 3GS, the 3G processor might have suffered just a bit to keep up with the new OS, but when IOS 4.0 came, with the brand new 4G with all its bells and whistles, it was the end of 3G life as 3Gers knew it. Even though most of the 4.0 features were not turned on on the 3G, the processor still couldn't handle the load. Or that's what I thought then -- the lagging and the crashing had to be a result of too much demand on the processor. It turns out that 4.0 just a crappy OS all and all. I now have almost all of the software features on my iPhone that I once coveted the 4G, and more. The only thing that I feel like I still lack, and I'm being honest, is the HD video-recorder and camera with the Flash. I like my reception just the way it is, thank you very much. Anyway here is my log, for those of you who might go the same way, or for in case I have to restore again: Step 1 - Downgrade. Specifics: iPhone 3G 16Gb from IOS 4.0.1 to 3.1.3 on Windows 7 (x64) using iTunes 9.2.1.4 and RecBoot 1.1 I decided to give up some new features of the 4.0, like the enhanced spotlight search and folders, to get rid of all the aforementioned problems. New to making any kind of software change on my iPhone, I was hesitant to download a previous firmware off the internet. But there is none officially available, even though there is a way to pick your software version to restore from... beats me. >> Download Previous Firmware
	Here is a good place to get any previous iPhone firmware; I went down to the previous one, 3.1.3 for the 3G.
>> Manual Backup
	Restoring your iPhone to an older firmware means potentially losing your profile and therefore your settings and data. This is because the backup Apple keeps will most likely not be backwards-compatible. Maybe it is, but Apple doesn't want to make your life easier, who knows. So I'd suggest manually backing up your info if you don't usually sync with a third-party software (like MS Outlook). Keeping your calendar and contacts on your Google account is pretty handy now that you can sync your iPhone calendar and contacts with Google OTA, just like Mail.
>> Restore via iTunes
	Once you're comfortable with/without your data backed-up, launch iTunes and plug in your Jesus Phones. On Windows, press Shift on your keyboard and click the iTunes Restore button. This lets you select a firmware file (.ipsw). Navigate to the location where you downloaded your firmware and select it. iTunes will continue with the restore process until the end when it moves on to verify the software (or something). Here, after downloading an entire firmware on your iPhone, iTunes will realize that you have rejected Apple's latest release, and because it cannot fathom as to why you would commit such an error in judgement, it will get confused and give you an error -- most likely the infamous error 1015. There is a whole family of restore errors that iTunes can throw at you, and you will find their definitions on Apple Support. Error 1015 is encountered when you downgrade your firmware. Why? Because doing so is not "supported".
>> Boot your Device outside iTunes
	iTunes will then prompt you to restore your iPhone again. Just ignore it, and close iTunes. Your iPhone is now locked in the recovery mode: this is where you see the picture telling you to connect to iTunes. You need a software to boot your device out of this mode: RecBoot did the trick for me. There were some issues with the previous version of RecBoot for Windows Vista and 7 users, so make sure to get the latest version that does NOT need libusb.dll installed. On the other hand, if you do end up needing to install this .dll, install RecBoot on an XP if you have one; you can use RecBoot separately from the rest of the downgrading/jailbreaking process. The instructions to RecBoot can be found on the site, and it's pretty straight forward. You launch the .exe and press "Exit Recovery Mode". Once this is done, you're iPhone will startup in the firmware you downloaded, and it will be activated. At this point, you would have successfully downgraded your iPhone.
Note: The new version of RecBoot might interfere with restore and jailbreak, even after it is closed. I found restarting my computer after using RecBoot removed any remaining processes that might conflict with other software accessing your iPhone.

Movie Review - The Indian (2007)

directed by James R. Gorrie featuring Matt Dallas, Sal Landi, Jane Higginson, Alison Haislip

The Indian is a story about a rebellious teenager Danny (Matt Dallas), who is raised by his aunt after the death of his mother, and the abandonment of his father Skip (Sal Landi). When Skip learns that he needs a partial-liver transplant, he returns to make amends with his only hope of a donor, his grown son Danny. The title is of an old motorcycle (the 17 Indian) that Skip's father had hoped to rebuild with his son, but Skip never had the time of day. Skip finds the pieces and hopes to win Danny over, seeing Danny's interest in bikes. The movie is worth a watch, I definitely enjoyed it -- and not just because of Matt Dallas. The comments that follow might contain spoilers, so if you haven't yet and would rather watch the movie first, you can find some good links here. The movie bagged a couple of awards, including Best Newcomer for Matt Dallas at Monaco Film Festival (2007); see more as listed on the movie's webpage. The Indian has a very real feel and isn't overdone with artificial drama. Yet, it is captivating right from the start where the audience begins to feel for Danny. He is lost, angry, and most of all has no faith in himself. Matt Dallas did a great job in this movie, his face shows all kinds of frustration and anger that Danny is feeling. The very first scene where he is humiliated and thrown out of a party wins me over. When his father suddenly returns, Danny understandably rejects him outright, shouting at him to leave. Slowly as Danny lets Skip in, I start to dread the moment when Danny would find out why Skip has returned. Predictably, he does. The movie's climax is unsurprising, but yet so touching as Danny breaks down and asks the real questions of his father: "Why did you leave me? What was wrong with me?" The ending is sad yet satisfying, and the last thing Skip leaves for Danny to find is a nice little surprise.

Movie Review - As Good As Dead (2009)

directed by Jonathan Mossek featuring Andie MacDowell, Matt Dallas, Cary Elwes, Frank Whaley
The movie starts off with a regular day in the life of your average, 40-something, separated-and-shares-'custody'-of-daughter, white male. Loves his dog. Loves his daughter. Flirts with his separated wife, and is cordial to the much younger girl-next-door. He is the last man standing in the way of his building being converted to some sort of a complex. The land-lord really wants him gone, and is drawing close to do anything to make that happen. Then, in the middle of one night, a man in dress-clothes along with an angry boy in a baseball cap pay him a visit and try to break down the door with a fire-extinguisher. He finds them in his apartment the next day, wanting him to fess-up to something that nobody but the two of them seem to know about. Until a call comes from someone on the outside. The next thing we know, our protagonist is locked in his fridge, which is chained from the outside. Creepy. I know. Overall, I'd say the movie was worth a watch, and maybe a second just for Matt Dallas fans. The comments that follow might contain spoilers, so if you haven't already and would rather watch the movie first, here it is:
It doesn't get much creepier than the chained fridge, maybe a little gross, but not creepy. The movie was featured in the 2010 International Beverly Hills Film Festival but didn't bag any awards. The direction was not that greatest, and I found the acting a little dull. Frank Whaley was pretty much the only actor that was able to intrigue me, even if just a bit. I am not counting Matt Dallas because I can't honestly give an unbiased opinion of him, he intrigues me just by being Matt Dallas. He got some real exposure in this film, but I'm not sure that was such a good thing for him. He didn't manage to escape his innocent, lost-boy look (which I love, but that has nothing to do with the movie). Maybe he was supposed to be the character that came through. The fact that I can't make up my mind about that is probably not the greatest sign. The characters in the movie swayed between being good and bad, but not in a nice, rounded-character fashion, just a can't-decide-what-to-do fashion. For someone who has gone as far as she did, the mother (Andie Macdowell) is too emotional, and for a boy who has so ruthlessly beat a man and not to mention shot a dog, the son (Matt Dallas) is too feeble and indecisive in the time of action. The victim (Cary Elwes) is too cocky in the end, although he is convincing otherwise. The psycho/ex-con (Frank Whaley) is the only character that stayed true throughout. By the end, I wasn't sure how to feel about the turn of the story, although I wasn't surprised by it. I couldn't side with either of the parties, and that's not because I was crazy about both of them. The director was definitely trying to put some confusion in the good vs. bad theme, but it just turned out to be an unappealing mess in the end, rather than an enraged indecision to stick to a particular side. I think the problem was the direction; there wasn't enough attention given to human emotion and how any individual was feeling even though the movie revolved around very emotionally-charged actions and events. I still can't be sure what the title is all about. Criticism aside however, the story itself was pretty decent, and the eye-candy was sufficient.

Tico the Shell

As I head out for my last exam of the year with Computer Information Systems, I thought I'd leave with a video that I've been meaning to post. I was extremely excited for the class called Animation with Blender, because I thought it would force me to finally learn Blender. But I started hating it because in the face of Object Oriented Programing, Networking, and PHP, Animation seemed like a complete waste of time. Begrudgingly however, I started to work on my final project. After I was done, I had fallen absolutely in love with Blender and my faith in the class was reestablished. This is what I came up with:

The music (Pink Panther theme by Henri Mancini) was edited via Audacity and compiled with the video using Avidemux. Everything, other than the music and some textures, was made by me in Blender.

Matt Dallas Love

It's almost summer and perfect for my current obsessession with Matt Dallas, who is oh-so-goddamn-gorgeous. It's awesome because I feel like a twelve-year-old. Who doesn't want to feel like a twelve-year-old? Dallas is a new and upcoming American actor recently known for his lead role in the show that ABC so cruelly cancelled, Kyle XY. I won't go over it, because I want you to watch it. If you love pretty boys that is: it's not so much about the show as it is about the boy. ;) Here are the trailers for the three seasons. Things started off slow in the show:

Then it got interesting:

Then it got really good: =D

And then it was cancelled. Why the show was cancelled, I cannot fathom; I think something about the funding being cancelled. Seriously, who would be stupid enough to move THAT boy out of the screen? That has got to be the worst investor move ever. Well, that's not true. If I stop thinking about Kyle (Matt Dallas, if you haven't been keeping up), I see the show was headed is the wrong direction. Most of the mysteries were solved, and there isn't much craze for another super-hero show, I mean we all see what happened to Smallville. But the show did end abruptly, like a season finale just before a very exciting and long-awaited season premiere, except there was no premiere. That was kind of mean. I also, especially, miss the super-cheesy and cutesomeness of Kyle XY. Le sigh. It should be enough in itself that I have considered watching the show again; I don't usually ever re-watch or re-read anything, even if it's important (like textbooks?). I couldn't find another show to fill Kyle XY's place in my procrastination-land. I have a habit of picking TV shows from the pilot and watching them all the way to the end. I usually lose interest once I reach the current episode and have to wait a week or sometimes more for new episodes. But strangely lucky for me, Kyle XY was cancelled before I could reach that point. It was a good thing too, because the show started in 2006 and ran through to 2009; there was no way the hours that Kyle XY filled would be enough to spread over THREE years.

Anyway, in 2009, Dallas guest-starred in a few episodes of Eastwick and was killed off by episode 7, which sucked. Honestly, if you look at the ratings, they went down after his character died, and the show has not yet been approved for a second season. I am not surprised, I didn't go back to see episodes 8 through 13. I think I am going to piece together his scenes (like this one) from this show just for the heck of it; I really can't be bothered to watch the entire episodes again for his small appearances. And yes, I thought of doing that: I said I am obsessed didn't I? On the other hand, watching Kyle XY again would be worth it, since that was his show, no cropping required there. The Kyle XY Season 2 Episode 17 called "Grounded" has got to be the cutest (yes, and cheesiest) of all; especially form about 1:02 - 6:45. The rest of it is pretty funny too.

Beauty and the Briefcase was Matt's next project, starring with Hilary Duff and Michael McMillian. The movie was okay, nothing spectacular but I wouldn't mind a Matt-Dallas-only video from it. But for now, I have pictures. :D

For some reason I got the feeling that the promos for the movie gave Matt Dallas more attention than was deserved for the character that he played. It wasn't super important, but I think his face must've gotten more publicity. He was also in many scenes unnecessarily like someone made a deal to give him more exposure in the movie. I'm not really complaining though.

The next project of Dallas that I'll watch will probably be The Indian (2007), although the trailer doesn't look that great. Looking forward to his role in As Good As Dead (2010) (watch the trailer). Can't find a trailer for In Between Days (2010), but hoping that will turn up soon. Dallas appeared for like 40 seconds in the episode of Entourage called Chinatown back in 2005. Now, I don't know WHY, but I have seen the first 20 seconds of this clip a LOT of times. Repetition is becoming a new thing for me.

It cracks me up every time. :D I do have a life, I promise. Going back to which, I'll leave you with this:

Now I'm off. Moooo~!

Task App Wanted

This is out to the iPhone lovers and know-alls. I switched over from a Treo 650 to the iPhone about two years ago, and as sad as it makes me to say this, it wasn't all gain for me. I had to make a few compromises with this move.

I have obviously gotten from the iPhone more than I did from the Treo (wi-fi capabilities, more storage space, and better interface all around - internet browsing, e-mail, music, sms, camera...). However, even though I have managed to reintegrate almost every thing I used my Treo for, I was never able to use the iPhone as an organizer as I did my Treo. There is just something that is missing; actually there is a very particular something that is missing: a native task application.

It never fails to boggle my mind why Apple would leave that out. This one simple app could bring the iPhone over from the cool, electronic "toy" to something those busy, important people would take seriously. I know that there are excellent 3rd-party apps out there that more than cover the capabilities of a simple Treo 650 Palm Task List. But there is one major issue with them: they don't have access to the iPhone outside the app (when the app is closed). This means they require some sort of internet connection to send any message (like an alert) to your phone when they are not open.

Apple did come up with the Apple Push Notification Service, which I had thought would be a way for 3rd-party apps to communicate with the iPhone even when they are closed. And it is, only that it needs an internet connection. Point of this new service? You can now get alerts for your tasks, if you have access to the internet and are willing to drain your battery life by leaving notifications on. APNS checks every 30 seconds with the server to see if you have a notification waiting, or so I've heard. My iPhone did go in a comma once or twice when I had notifications on. So not only does this help nothing (there are already ways to get alerts via SMS - see later), it actually makes it worse.

If you can settle for SMS alerts instead of the built-in iPhone alerts like the ones you get from the Calendar app, you still need an internet connection. The task app needs to save your tasks on a server somewhere, which will send you the text (or e-mail) when you need it to (and, as far as I know you need a subscription for this kind of service). This means that say if I wrote a task and needed an alert for it before I could find an internet connection, say I went camping for a few days, there is no way to do this other than make a calendar event or set an alarm with a note.

What I currently have on my iPhone is Appigo's Todo iPhone app. I can add tasks on the go and set a due-date and due-time; I can make check-lists and projects, as well as specific tasks like call a contact, visit a website, e-mail a contact, right from the task list. The only problem is, no alerts. It can't remind me to do what I need to do, unless I turn on push notifications - power-drain and internet required. I currently sync my tasks with Toodledo.com (which also has its own iPhone app that I haven't tried yet) which in turns keeps in sync with my task list at MS Outlook.

Here is a peculiar problem: Toodledo has an sms-notification service, but in order to get this alert, a "remind-me" check-box must be individually checked for each task. The Todo app I currently use does not have this option, there is no way to check this option on the iPhone. I was wondering if the Toodledo iPhone app has this ability, I wasn't able to tell by the pictures on the App Store. Anyone use this app?

I am just now downloading Appigo sync, which will sync my Todo list on the iPhone to my Task list on MS Outlook, via wi-fi of course. This would prevent needing Toodledo to sync my tasks, but the alert problem still isn't solved. MS Outlook apparently has an sms-notification service, but as luck might will it, it doesn't support Fido. Even if it did, I'd still need wi-fi to synch my tasks first, before I could get an alert.

I have actually reverted to using my school agenda for tasks (homeworks, projects, due-dates), and haven't used an electronic task-list for about a year. If I need a reminder for something, I just make an event in the iPhone Calendar app. All these problems, and all Apple needs to do is make a native iPhone Task app, which wouldn't need to leave the iPhone via an internet connection just to come back and initiate a message when needed.

I have come to think that finally jail-breaking the iPhone might be a solution, but I am yet to find an app that does what I need. Any ideas?

edit: when I say "native" I mean "default" - those apps by Apple itself that you can't delete. These have access to the iPhone even when they're closed it seems ex. the Calendar, Alarm, Mail apps. I just realized that "native" technically refers to what I've called "3rd-party" apps here. Sorry for the confusion. I want a default task app; or any way that I can get alerts for my tasks without an internet connection.

Music Videos to Cherish - 3

Various themes in this post: let's start with drama, gotta love drama.

Remember Pardes? Even if you don't this song will remind you; it's you regular pre-climax dramatic recap that brings you up to speed with the movie just in case you've been dozing off. Although, with Pardes you probably weren't, at least not for the songs. The music in this movie was probably one of Nadeem Shravan's best work, in my humble opinion. Parts of the movie were shot right here in Vancouver, but portrayed as LA (like, whatever.) and this song itself along with the subsequent climax was shot in Fatehpur Sikri, built under Akbar (yes, the Great) and nearby in Agra is the Shah Jahan's Taj Mahal alongside the Agra Fort, I think. Don't believe me, click on the links to trusty Wikipedia. :) I have a fascination with these places and practically jumped out of my seat when I saw Hrithik, in the movie Jodhaa Akbar (linked later on), sitting on what I recognized as Shah Jahan's jharoka in Agra Fort. Had I taken Indian Art History back when I saw Pardes, I'd be pretty excited to see this song too.

Anyway, I especially love the dialogs in this one (seek to 2:40ish for them):

Arjun: vahin par ruk jao Ganga, aur apne ghar vaapas laut jao (stop right there Ganga, and go back home)
Ganga: chali jaungi, sirf ek baar kehdo ke tum... *shies away* ke tum mujhse pyar nahi karte (I will, just say it once that you don't... *shies away* you don't love me)
Arjun: nahin. main tumse pyaar nahi kerta. (no, I don't love you)
Ganga: tum kerte ho! (yes you DO!)

-- love this! :D replays:
Ganga: chali jaungi, sirf ek baar kehdo ke tum... *shies away* ke tum mujhse pyar nahi karte
Arjun: nahin. main tumse pyaar nahi kerta.
Ganga: tum kerte ho!
-- ahem, okay back to sequence.

Arjun: *frustrated* Ganga yeh theek nahi hai! (this is not right Ganga!)
Ganga: haan to phir yeh kaho na ke theek nahi hai, yeh kyun kehte ho ke tumhe mujhse pyar nahi hai... (then say its not right! why do you say that you don't love me?)
Arjun: *taken aback**recovers* nahin main tumse pyar nahi kerta. bilkul nahi kerta. (no I don't love you. I don't love you at all.)
Ganga: *recoils*
Arjun: samjhin! tum apne ghar vaapis laut jao. (do you understand! go back home now.)
Ganga: *hurt*
Arjun: *scolds*jao! (go!)

aw.

I enjoy this stuff way too much. You have to understand that I am only procrastinating. I feel too guilty to read past the prologue of The Gathering Storm, but somehow blogging feels okay. Anyway, here is the video:

nahi hona tha, Pardes (1997)
singers: Alka Yagnik, Sabri Brothers, Udit Narayan, Hema Surdesai
music director: Nadeem Shravan
lyricists: Anand Bakshi
actors: Shahrukh Khan, Mahima Chaudhary, Apoorva Agnihotri, Alok Nath, Amrish Puri
movie director: Subhash Ghai


Oh, Subhash Ghai does know how to entertain people for sure. I am very tempted to watch the movie again, just for the scenes that follow this song. I still remember them, they were pretty entertaining. :D Here is a link if you want to see SRK fighting to the track in the next few scenes, and then some acting by Amrish Puri (and overacting by SRK). Seek to 6:00 to the end of the song; the next videos on the playlist are on the right.

Doesn't Mita Vasisht just blow your mind sometimes? (She's the woman in yellow insisting "nahi hona tha!"). Speaking of Mita Vasisht, I remembered the following music video of Shubha Mugdal's man ke manjeere; it is just a-mazing to watch and Shubha Mugdal's voice rocks my world with inspiration. The album was released by Breakthrough, a non-profit organization aimed at human rights and awareness. The song is the voice of a woman who breaks out of an abusive marriage and builds her own life:

man ke majeere, Man Ke Manjeere (2000)
singers: Shubha Mudgal
music director: Shantanu Moitra
lyricists: Prasoon Joshi
actress: Mita Vasisht
movie director: Subhash Ghai


Shantanu Moitra made a good track, Prasoon Joshi deserves appreciation for the lyrics, there were definitely inspirational and hats off to the rest of the crew. Especially though, the song would not be what it is without Shubha Mudgal and Mita Vasisht, who were impeccable choices for this song, methinks.

I'll lighten the mood a bit, moving on to comedy and cuteness, otherwise known as Ranbir Kapoor. :)

prem ki naiya, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (2009)
singers: Neeraj Shridhar and Suzanne D Mello
music director: Pritam
lyricists: Irshad Kamil
actors: Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif
movie director: Rajkumar Santoshi
choreographer: Ahmed Khan


This one follows, and is just as cute:

agar main kahoon, Lakshya (2004)
singers: Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik
music director: Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy
lyricists: Javed Akhtar
actors: Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta
movie director: Farhan Akhtar
choreographer: Bosco, Prabhu Deva and Vaibhavi Merchant (don't know which one in particular)


I love the "agarrrrr main kahoon..." right after she asks him to "ghuma phira" whatever he is saying so plainly. :D oh Hrithik, where art thou? Just give us Kites already!

Lakshya, despite the long, drawn-out war scenes, was a pretty good movie. Of all Hrithik movies, this is the third one I have watched the most (the first being Kaho Naa Pyar Hai, the second being Mujhse Dosti Karoge, and the next on the list would be Dhoom 2, but only for Hrithik) (I've also repeatedly watched parts of Jodhaa Akbar and most people can guess which ones =P). Points to note, Lakshya was also directed by Farhan Akhtar! He is not really the kid that he seems to be eh? I was so wrong about him. And choreography by Prabhu Deva! I bet he is responsible for me esa kyun hoon. One can just tell:

me esa kyun hoon, Lakshya (2004)
singer: Shaan
music director: Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy
lyricists: Javed Akhtar
actors: Hrithik Roshan
movie director: Farhan Akhtar
choreographer: Bosco, Prabhu Deva and Vaibhavi Merchant (pretty sure Prabhu Deva for this one)


On second thought, maybe not so much Prabhu Deva. Hmm... Yes folks, this is how our heart-throb behaves :D

Dream sequences are just amazing aren't they? Another Farhan Akhtar-Hrithik Roshan dream sequence is baawre from Luck By Chance (2009). Another Hrithik-Carnival theme pair is dil na diya from Krrish (2006) (yes, Priyanka ca be unbelievable annoying but I could not find a better quality, so seek to 1:34 to skip her unbelievable annoying-ness).

Dream sequences (if only for a lack of better term for it) bring me to this next video, performed fantastically by Vineeth and Vidya Balan and sang phenomenally well by MG Sreekumar and Shreya Ghoshal. I'll end with this, it is definitely one worthy to end a Cherish post with:

mere dholna sun, Bhool Bhulaiya (2007)
singers: MG Sreekumar and Shreya Ghoshal
music director: Pritam
lyricists: Saeed Qadri
actors: Akshay Kumar (the doctor), Vidya Balan (the wife/dancer), Shiney Ahuja (the husband/king), Vineeth (the neighbor/dancer) and more...
movie director: Priyadarsan
choreographer: Pony Verma (uncertain)


This song never fails to give me the goosebumps, even if I am just listening to it. It becomes so trance-like towards the end. Sreekumar and Ghoshal make it worth a while, and you gotta give it to Pritam, who just seems to output one melodious track after another (albeit who knows where they cam from). The movie Bhool Bhulaiya is a remake of a very popular Malyali movie Manichitrathazhu, which has been remade more than just this once. To be honest, I wasn't entirely happy with Bhool Bhulaiya, especially Akshay Kumar's acting, but this song and Vidya Balan won me over. Although I've been told the original performance is much better and I intend to check it out soon.

That's all for now,
Juhi must study :(

The Storm and The Body Thief

I got the email from the library today telling me that The Gathering Storm is ready to be picked up (finally!). For those of you who don't know, it is the long-awaited twelfth book in late Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. It is the first of two books that are to be completed by Brandon Sanderson in place of the late author.

Before I can start the book, I have to get the prequel under my belt. It is sitting on my desk and I haven't been able to start it for the fear that I would not do anything else until I'm done the book. But now that I've got this library notification, I am pretty much screwed. Since there is a wait-list for it, I can't renew the Gathering Storm so I have to read it - that's my excuse anyway. I could technically skip the prequel, which is probably what I'll end up doing, but that won't help much - the Storm is at least a week's worth of reading, and that is if I am still as fast a reader as I was last summer.

All complaining aside, I am totally excited and I would be squealing if I wasn't in class (yes, I am blogging from class the really good student that I am). I can't WAIT to read about... whatever that will happen next. I actually don't really remember the details, so I have been reading the summaries of the eleven books I read last year, just to be up to speed. Oh but I am SUCH a sucker for drama and fantasy and magic that I know I'm going to be in an awesome, separate, little world of Jordan/Sanderson for the next week or so. :D

Only if the book was available during spring break... le sigh.

The other book that I'm going to pick up today is Anne Rice's The Tale of the Body Thief. I wasn't able to get through it the last time but hopefully I will feel more tolerant of Rice's digressions after I've read the Storm and am in want of more reading. I want to get through the Body Thief so I can move through Rice's Vampire Chronicles and get to The Blackwood Farm, which connects to her Lives of the Mayfair Witches - what I am really after. To prove how much I love the Mayfair Witches, here is a family tree that I made, and want to update after reading Blackwood Farm. In my defense, one really does need a family tree to keep track Rice's story lines.

Music Videos to make you Cringe - 2

This one deserved a post all to itself:

sun re, from Sun Re (2005)
singers: Abbas Ali Khan


I was looking for the video of this song to add to a Music Videos to Cherish post, but I thought this one might have been a fan-made video. But after some confusion as to why this video was appearing on most of the entries, I saw the whole thing and the singer's lips, to my surprise and eventual almost-devastation, were matching the lyrics.

"Bling!!?" was my reaction after I had stared at the screen for a while. "Epic Fail" is what my brother would say, and I would not hesitate to agree. I spent about half a second to consider that maybe this was a new, artsy way of contrasting different styles of video but I gave up that idea in the other half of that open-minded second.

This is just outright injustice. I can't even point and laugh at the video because I love this song. This song was in my feel-good playlist. I listened to when it rained softly and I was feeling emotional. When I missed someone, when I felt lonely. Now I have bling and smoke and jokers burnt into my memory. :(

Amplifier for Everyone

I was looking for ways to procrastinate and came upon Imran Khan's song Amplifier from album Unforgettable (2009), and I thought I'd translate it so everyone can appreciate the humor of the baby Amplifier remix. Don't worry, I'll include all the related videos, you won't miss out on anything. :)

So here is the song:


LOL right? Yes I know. Moving on, here are the lyrics and translation:

"
kaaliyan baariyan we gaddiyaan nu mein lawaan - I buy cars with black-tinted windows
speed mein 220 di chalaan - I drive at a speed of 220
police de samne mein nai rukhda - I don't stop for the Police
i am a knight rider - I am a Knight Rider

breakaan maar maar tardi mein chiekh kad da - I hit the breaks and the tires screech
sari loki takde we ki hogeya - Everyone looks my way to see what happened
lagda we injh mera dil rukda - It seems as though my heart stopped
unu mein puchda - I ask her:

ni gaddi sadi beja ni jattiye - Get in my car O Jattiye (Punjabi (Jatt) girl)
ni door tenu lehja we arriye - I'll take you far stubborn girl
ni woofer tu meri meri - You're my woofer
mein tera amplifier-fier - I'm your amplifier
(x2)

gaddi meri tenu wi awaaz mardi - My car calls out to you
black leather seetaan uttey aah bendhi - Come and sit on the black-leather seats
tenu weh main ser karawanga ni - I'll take you out on a ride
puri dunya di - of the whole world

kendi garmi we lagdi weh seene ni - She says she's hot around the chest
pijh gai weh kurti paseene di - and that her top is drenched in sweat (Ew?)
challi digrees di tooph pendi - and that its a 40-degree sun
on kar AC - and to turn on the AC

ni gaddi sadi beja ni jattiye... - Sit in my car O Jattiye...
(x2)

jaandi eh club das tere ki erade - Come to the club, what do you say?
DJ nu puch ki lewa main tere gaane - I'll ask the DJ to play your songs
lehja mein lehja tenu jithe we tu chaawain - I'll take you wherever you want
ekh waari aawe moodh banawe - Just get in the mood to come with me
(x2)

ni gaddi sadi beja ni jattiye... - Sit in my car O Jattiye...
(x4)

meh tera amplifier-fier - I'm your amplifier
(fade)
"

The video is making more and more sense isn't it? =P

Here is "the baby Amplifier remix":


ROFL right? I know! =D

I stole this video from Saquieb Khan, who probably stole it from someone else, but I thank S. Zaman for giving me this opportunity to procrastinate. I also thank Salman Rizvi (and let this be noted) for translating most of the song.

Thanks to the reader for staying with me through the post. :)
I am now getting my bum back to work.

Music Videos to Cherish - 2

I felt like I owed it to my blog to finish at least ONE of the drafts that have been sitting around waiting for me. Well, now that I have an assignment to do, here I am! This is a classic (although not a very efficient) example of "Structured Procrastination," but maybe more of that in another post. Out of the three drafts, I had most videos lined up for this one, the theme being heart-felt tragedy, or at least sorrow if not tragedy.

Tragic songs must be tricky to film. On one hand there is the simplicity of stage: one doesn't need a fancy backdrop, choreography, or wardrobe, although they can be used to contrast the solemn mood. But on the other, the video has the danger of being plain boring. So the director has to set the mood in the plot, and has to facilitate the viewer to feel emotion with not much happening on the screen.

Not all tragic songs are low toned, simple, and sorrowful however. There are some that are more intense, more angry and maybe even able to inspire a stronger emotional response from the audience. If you think about it in terms of Rasas, while the former inspires only Soka, the other arouses a combination of Soka and Krodha. Hmm, did I just get a bit carried away? I might have, and I blame my Asian Studies professors and the general awesomeness of that subject.

I'll start with a perfect example of a song where not much happens but is, given the right mood, hypnotizing to watch. I feel the need to point out that as good as Herman Baweja did in the movie as a whole, this video owes the magic to Priyanka Chopra, the object of the singer's attention. She is so simple here, straight hair, soft colors, big teary eyes, so still. This movie made me think more than once: how can he walk away? But I guess a man looking for a wife will choose against complications if he had the option, and who can blame him? Still, it's just so heart-breaking to watch.

bikhri bikhri, What's Your Raashee? (2009)
singer: Sohail Sen and Marianne D'Cruz, music director: Sohail Sen, lyricist: Javed Akhtar
actors: Harman Baweja and Priyanka Chopra, movie director: Ashutosh Gowariker


~

Sonu Nigam knows how to sing all kinds of songs, but he does so great in this mood. Add Aamir Khan to the mix and it's not so unnatural that you'd get a video that I'd post on a blog like this. We hear at times of being alone in a crowd, but do we really imagine it? Or the disappointment and despair, perhaps helplessness, that characterizes the period where a person realizes that life must go on. On the brink of accepting the end of something that had the potential to bring to one's life happiness. Or maybe the stubborn dedication to move on with life, but only to be hindered by the acute feeling of loneliness that was never there before.

tanhayee, from Dil Chaha Hai (2001)
singer: Sonu Nigam, music director: Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy, lyricist: Javed Akhtar
actors: Aamir Khan and Preity Zinta, movie director: Farhan Akhtar



I just realized that Farhan Akhtar directed this movie, and I am surprised. He actually did a pretty good job. I always thought his debut was Luck By Chance, but I guess he is an older player that I had thought. That reminds me, sapno se bhare naina from Luck By Chance (2009) is another great composition by Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy worth listening to many times over. The lyrics are worth a thought too: eyes full of dreams, no sleep, no peace (by Javed Akhtar, surprise?).
~

Let me introduce MM Kreem as he was introduced to me: Jism (2003) and Dhoka (2007) both great albums, turns out composed by the same man, Kreem. Other popular albums by Kreem include Paheli (2005), Rog (2004), Sur (2002), Zakhm (1998) and Criminal (1994). Are you seeing what I saw? MM Kreem is a tortured soul it seems, and his music is just so perfect for this post. I wonder what he is up to now, I can't wait for his next composition.

If John Abraham ever did a good job, it was in Jism. Amit Saxena, the director of the movie, must therefore be really talented; hats off to Amit Saxena. The movie starts off with this song, and so it doesn't really need an introduction but if curious, watch the movie. It is worth it: the music, the story, the direction, the acting, everything was good.

awaarapan, Jism (2003)
singer: MM Kreem, music director: MM Kreem, lyricists: Neelesh Misra and Sayeed Quadri
actors: John Abraham, movie director: Amit Saxena



Some songs of Kreem that are worth a mention in particular are roya re from Dhoka (2007), khoobsoorat hai vo itna from Rog (2004) and aa bhi jaa from Sur (2002), among others.
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Anyway, I seem to only remember the sad songs at the moment. But I promise to come up with angsty songs with great videos as well, sometime in the future. Maybe it is just harder to make amazing angsty videos; they do seem to tread a finer line. Pritam's bheegi bheegi from the movie Gangster (2006) is a good, heart-wrenching, tear-provoking, sad yet intense, perfect example of my kind of song. But while James did an outstanding job as a singer, and the music composition was absolutely fabulous, somehow the video wasn't able to compete.

Some other great songs unfortunately paired with not such great videos include saathi mere (horrible, horrible, horrible video) from Kumar Sanu's Kehna To Hai, kaho na kaho from Murder (2004) while not a complete disaster could have been better (although gotta love the ending), and venturing into old times, ab tere bin from Ashiqui (1990).

On a side note, here is the original, Arabic version of kaho na kaho. And a link to Ashiqui's songs, that's a great album right there.

That's all for now folks.
Still thinking of a pen-name, this is Juhi, moving on to her asignment.