Snowy the Sphinx

Taken just after her bath a few days ago. She ran and sat on top of Shaun's car, posing for the camera...

Tricknology

Recently, I had the chance of seeing TRON: Legacy. I missed it's theatrical run in December, and kicked myself for not seeing it in 3D. I saw the original TRON when I was about 7 or 8, and having seen all three Star Wars by then, was drawn into the world of Sci-Fi. TRON was a breakthrough in terms of film-making. There was no CGI in the early 80's - SFX were rotoscoped and optically done "in-camera"... Until TRON came along. Just watch the LightCycle scenes and you'll know what I'm talking about. Now, almost 30 years later, the sequel is out and... Wow. I grew up on Star Wars, Knight Rider and TRON. TRON: Legacy is a sequel worthy of it's predecessor. The writing wasn't it's strongest link, but hey, this isn't Eat, Pray, Love. It's Fight, Ride and Win. I finished watching it with a smile on my face, knowing that I had seen a true Legacy in the making. Jeff Bridges is the man, man! It cannot be easy playing both the antagonist and the protagonist. He reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, as well as the new CLU. The facial CGI to make him look young as CLU looked pretty damn fake, but I was willing to forgive that. All the other actors are credible, and it's great to see Alan again. The world of TRON looks stunning. Sound - top notch. But what stood out for me was the music by Daft Punk. Disney did well hiring the two French boys to create a true fusion of electronica and orchestra, especially considering it's their debut film soundtrack. I've been listening to the soundtrack since December (Buy music - piracy is illegal) and love it. In years to come, there'll be many more copycats released, but this will be known as the Genesis in the genre of OrchesTronica.

I'm kind of glad that I only got to see the movie now and not in December. There was a lot happening then and I wouldn't have appreciated it as much as I do now. It's re-fueled my desire to create music that empowers you, and hopefully one day, tell a story through the medium of film where good doesn't just triumph over evil, they both cancel each other out.

Embodiment of Love

9 years ago, I came across 'Embodiment of Love' in Prashanthi Nilayam, India. It was during Guru Poornima (July) that I first heard a remixed version of Swami singing the 'Gayatri Mantra' and was mesmerized. To think that someone could even actually do this, blew my mind. The music in this album (and volume 2, more on that later) has to be heard, and frankly I'm surprised that its not "out there". The album contains 9 tracks, mostly consisting of poems recited in Telugu, one Bhajan ('Murali Gana Lola') and the Mother of all Mantras, the Gayatri Mantra - all sung by Swami Himself! How did they manage that? Read on my friend... A couple of days ago I was searching for the english translations to the songs, and eventually, found the website created by the composers, "Premasound", founded in Rome, Italy. In a nutshell, I experienced some download errors after purchasing two of their other albums late Monday evening, so after sending them an email, I left it, thinking 'that's it. leave it'. Today, I got a reply from Gianluca Ducros, one of the gentlemen who produced the album! I was stunned. Not only did he fix the download errors, he sent me two complimentary links to both Volume 1 and 2 of 'Embodiment of Love'. Generosity.com. He and his brother Gabriele came up with this concept of using old recordings of Swami's poems, Bhajans and fusing it with Indian/Modern Contemporary music. The result is breathtaking. Close your eyes, and prepare to lose yourselves. I would define it as "soul-stirring music". You have to hear it to believe it. It all began in the mid 90's when Gianluca was entrusted with the task of digitizing and cleaning up all the old recordings of Swami giving Discourses and chanting Mantras. While working on it in Rome, the brothers mixed fusion and ethereal sounds to the old Gayatri Mantra recording. They took the final mix to Parthi where it was played to Swami. Bhagavan was happy. He gave them permission to use His old recordings for their albums. The rest, is history. I've been listening to this album for 9 years but today, it feels like I'm listening to it for the first time.

Edit: Now that I think about it, if those download errors didn't occur, I would never have gotten in touch with Gianluca and heard how it all happened....

Diwali 2010

Every year, we do a special Pooja during Diwali, in honor of my paternal Grandparents. Towards the end of Tata's life, Dad was managing the family business, looking after his parents and siblings. They both passed away in their 40's. Very young. They never got to see Dad and Mum's marriage. Well, not from the physical plane of existence anyway... My Tata was a farmer and a boxer, and with Paati, proud parents of 8 (yes, eight) kids - 6 boys and 2 girls. (there was no Facebook in those days...). The legacy they left behind, is still being carried on, from one generation to another. I know Tata is watching over me - I see him now and then in my dreams. He's a man of integrity, of wisdom. He believed that one must always work hard and with 100% effort, irrespective of the outcome. "Keep your chin up." He said.

To Paati and Tata, thank you for all that you did, and all that you continue to do...

Name the flower

Seriously, I have no idea what it is. Ask my Dad. There's Don Burke, then there's Dad. He knows his stuff. He planted these in the front yard close to the front fence. The dedication with which he tends to the garden is inspiring, especially for me - someone who knows squat about gardening! But there's a tranquility about the whole thing. No electronics or EMP's to be found. Just creation.

Good afternoon

My first shot taken from the iPhone 4 in October 2010 - our front garden. The built-in HDR feature adds another layer of depth, creating some stunning shots. I really need to get me a DSLR.

The time is Now

These series of paintings of Lord Krishna are truly works of art. This picture has been on my iPad for over a year now, bringing the background to life. To me, it's a reminder that the time to act is now. To make a difference. To make a change. Now! The Battle has already begun.... There's no turning back. Follow The Master. Face the Devil. Fight to the End. Finish the Game.

...and we're back!

Is random really random?! Who knows. But time to sweep away the e-dust that's been gathering on my blog. Yes, there's Facebook, woop-dee-do. But this is, a bit of me. And the pic above... Also a bit of me. Created using the 'Line Art' App on the iPhone. Yes, an iPhone. My last post (way back in 2009) was made on a Sony Ericsson W890i. Damn good phone with a tiny screen. Since jumping on the Apple bandwagon, I'm hooked on to iGear. They're amazing. More to come...