New Blog.

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Husbot.com

Clean, cook, fix, rest, shop, build, are pretty much all the commands one needs to operate one's husband robot. 'Tokyo Moon' is a touching music video by Windmill that was nominated for the British Animation Award. Awesome video, heart wrenching end.

Amiina

If you like Sigur Ros, this Icelandic musical quartet will not fail to impress you with their minimalistic, ambient, classical sounds.. I always liked bands from Iceland, they exude a certain free-spiritedness and natural sounds. You might also enjoy Gus Gus and Mum.
"KURR, the band's debut album, named after the sound that birds are said to make in Iceland ... amiina are the kind of band about whom it could be said, almost literally, that they employ pretty much everything but the kitchen sink... In amiina there are no specific assignments: no official bass player, drummer, guitarist or singer."

Cheers.

Blue Gold documentary

Well I should be studying for finals but certain procrastinations are pardonable.. such as watching the free screening of "Blue Gold: world water wars" at the zero film festival in Galapagos (Brooklyn). It was the most popular film at the Vancouver film festival last year. The film had so much information packed that I could hardly bat my eyelid while watching. The film takes across the world from crisis in Mexico, Cochabamba water revolt in Bolivia, Kaveri river conflict in India, Kenyan floriculture drying lake Naivasha, and several other interesting less known facts. It seems like Sam Bozzo did thorough research on the topic of water politics and wars for every scene surfaced a relevant topic.
For instance, did you know about cloud seeding in China where silver iodide is blasted into the sky to increase the density of precipitation?Or about the all out riot against water privatization in Bolivia ? Depleting fresh water level in Kenya due to roses?
Overall, the film made its mark. It is highly informative, makes your jaw drop and eyes widen at times. Yet two things though: the documentary is wholly one-sided and leaves one with exaggerated loathing for Veolia and bottled water companies. There is "private is bad" written all over the film.. It gives no practical solution other than a 5min. preaching on digging more holes in the ground for rain water harvesting. Also, the background sound/track was kind of conventional (it's same set of sounds one would hear in every 'serious' documentary film). Or maybe it's just my music OCD. In any case, this film is much recommended especially if you want to get some quick, concise, views on water politics!

Rat-a-tat-tat

They were the first band to play in Guggenheim 3yrs ago. Since their debut in 2004, guitarist Mike Stroud and synthesizer player Evan Mast produced some amazing electronic sounds. Definitely worth checking out brooklyn based Ratatat if you haven't already..

Audrey Kawasaki on Saturday

I love her work, which will be on display at Jonathan Levine gallery on 20th street from Saturday (12th) onwards.
This one is my favorite work by her.

Lost in the Trees

Intensely personal classical music that employs instruments across the gamut, quite enjoyable..
Ari Picker's voice + awesome instruments = sonically brilliant!
Their song for the painter is especially beautiful..
Click here and enjoy Lost in the Trees.

Jai Telangana

Next time I'm home, I will belong to a different state.. such an amazing news, never thought we would see this actually happen!
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-relents-agrees-to-form-Telangana-state/H1-Article1-484829.aspx
http://realityviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/india-telangana-towards-becomes-reality.html

Burra Katha

Vanaja the film.. sheds some light on Burra Katha performers. I remember watching these performers as a kid while visiting my great grandmother at our native village. Ahh..the sound of this, I miss carnatic music. I miss my Veena.

http://www.vanajathefilm.com/Images%204%20Reviews/Sangeeta%20Mall%20Paper.html
http://www.vanajathefilm.com/Images%204%20Photos%202%20BIG/Burra%20Katha%20Dancers%20MedShot.html

Scoop on Honduran Election

 Surprising that countries across the world readily accepted the flawed results of last week's Honduran election that placed Porfirio Lobo as head of the state. Here is a violation human rights & denial of freedom of speech on the forefront of international community..

"It's so cold, is the earth really warming?"

take that skeptics! 

With all eyes on the climate debate, I figured I'll compile a few good sites to follow..
http://e360.yale.edu/
http://wattsupwiththat.com/
http://www.newscientist.com/section/environment
http://greenfyre.wordpress.com/
and of course, this is kind of all you need.. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr_spm.pdf

 (psssst..unrelated yet a nice a website: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/topics/ProbabilityandStatistics.html)

                                               The World, on your centennial (2090-99)

Are you a believer?

If you do not believe in Santa Claus, this lecture on Dec 14th at Pete's might convert you.. If you are already one, you might need better arguing points

"In the Great American Slog towards material  decrepitude, old-age, and finally death, no disillusion looms greater than the discovery that Santa Claus is a fraud.  Indeed, Santa may be seen as the first domino to topple on the way towards Godhead itself.  In this interactive lecture, we will attempt to restore the idea of Santa Claus to those who have suffered it’s loss.  Using historical fact, ontological argument, and inductive reasoning, we will prove the existence of Santa Claus in a passion play for the non-believer."

ps. pete's candy store is awesome quaint place with free live music everynight. They also host spelling bee, OCD lecture series (where david byrne appeared) and other random stuff.

Meanwhile, enjoy some feather and folly

Fluxus film

This fluxes film is just awesome. pay careful attention. When I first watched it I didn't see anything other than a series of numbers repeating several times and finally ending with a "1000" that seemed like a misfit. Second viewing, I noticed that there are 10 series that repeat, but each series ends with a different number: 100, 200, 300..so on and finally 1000. Haven't watched it the third time though..



Fluxus movement is an apt transition from Yoko Ono's topic in the previous post, as she is one of the most celebrated artists of the genre. If you have the time and interest, watch "Cut Piece." It's kind of long - 8 mins.

Yoko Ono's Verses

Yoko Ono's snippets of instructions is like poetry that paints a interesting mental picture, almost witty in a way. It vaguely resembles haiku (minus the limitation of 3 lines) in that it furnishes a mental image in the readers mind.

PAINTING FOR THE SKIES (1961)

Drill a hole in the sky. Cut out a paper the same size as the hole. Burn the paper. The sky should be pure blue.

SNOW PIECE (1963)

Think that snow is falling. Think that snow is falling

everywhere all the time. When you talk with a person, think

that snow is falling between you and on the person.

Stop conversing when you think the person is covered by snow 

PAINTING TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN YOUR HEAD (1962)

Go on transforming a square canvas in your head until it becomes a circle. Pick out any shape in the process and pin up or place on the canvas an object, a smell, a sound, or a colour that came to mind in association with the shape.


http://www.a-i-u.net/instructions.html