Devi

Continuing on with women-centric posts, here's Devi, a virtual child superhero goddess born out of the partnership between Shekhar Kapur and Deepak Chopra and Virgin Comics (and therefore by default - Richard Branson - since he's owns Virgin).

"She's Devi. A fierce feminine warrior, stronger than the Gods themselves, she is reincarnated into the body of a human woman each time a great threat faces the Pantheon. She is the champion of the heavens and the protector of man."

Now that's impressive introduction. The artwork's very impressive too, at least that's my impression from the sample pages provided. It's about time we had some good Manga with India-centric themes!

Another interesting title in the works by Virgin Comics is Ramayan Reborn. The art work is once again interesting - in a very, very good way. I'll be looking out for copies at local bookstores soon.

However, my only grudge is the language used in the comics. At least within the sample pages, the dialogues somehow seemed a trifle out-of-sync with the artwork. Even the snippet from Devi's introduction that I reproduced here uses terminology of the like "human woman". Hmmm. And here I thought all women were human!

Seriously though, there might be other explanations for gaffes like that. Perhaps, the text on the web-site was hurriedly written by overworked and underpaid writers. Or it could mean the mythologies behind the characters themselves permit the differentiation between a human woman and, for instance, a devil woman or Asura woman, or ... well... we'll have to wait and see. That minor niggle aside, I sense good things for this comic. Even if the language seems stunted somehow, hey, atleast we'll have cool wallpapers of Indian superheroes and such.

Now if only I can get my hands on a copy of one of those comic books, I could sit and read by my window, sipping my hot coffee in my cool NCState mug, watching the snow fall as nuclear winter descends.


(pics courtesy Virgin Comics.)

Storm Large - Bad Ass Beauty!

I guess its the easier alternative out - put up a post with minimal effort by embedding a YouTube video link. But really, what I am more concerned about is whether the material I "work so hard at" putting up in some way contributes to making your day interesting, if even in the smallest manner possible.

Ok. Thats mostly bull. I am lazy. No getting around it. I have a whole lot of work that I am very stressed about, and that allows me the liberty of continuing to being an ass about all the things I should be doing, people whose calls I should be returning, people who I should be calling, just a whole lot of stuff that's been on the backburner for a while now.

"No. Not now. A terrible purpose awaits me impatiently. All else pales before it. I just cannot be bothered with the trivialities of our social existences while my destiny calls. Not now. No."

But back to the subject of the post.

This is of course my third post connected with "Rockstar: Supernova" on CBS. I apologize to those out there who really don't give a damn about all this Rockstar business. But, if you've read my earlier two posts (1. and 2.), I linked videos of 4 contestants that kinda impressed me on post 1 after week 1 of their performances. Since then, Josh Logan has sorta alienated himself and seems more of a misfit in a setup that isn't be willing to be dragged into so much soul. Heavy metal is definitely a stretch for him. In short, he's a musician - but he doesn't belong here.

I still back Lukas Rossi and Dilana to be the front runners for this gig tho. Even if they don't make it as "Rockstar" i.e. a chance to front the band "Supernova" - and sometimes I think they probably deserve a better deal than this one entails for them as winners - I'd follow their individual music careers with a whole lotta interest. Possibly even more than I'd care about Supernova really!

While it's difficult to find other performances for Dilana on, say YouTube, the search term "Lukas Rossi" does return other performances of Lukas not connected to the show. And yes, he's good. Very good. And I'll try and put up links if possible for Lukas a little later, for those lazy or uninclined to do any searching.

But before we glimpse more into Lukas, there is one other person who deserves attention. I have to reiterate - that Storm Large is one helluva package. Searching for her on YouTube, returned this live performance of hers (location: I-Dunno), with her erstwhile band "Storm, Inc."




This beauty is one Bad Ass, isn't she! And not that I thought any comparisons to Jimmy Morrison were valid here, but her diatribe did sorta rake up the memory of the "Lizard King". But even outside of that comparison, there's a lot more to her than she's revealed on Rockstar. If all her live shows are like this little piece, i.e. she can let herself go each time she performs, then add her to the list of people whose musical career I'd follow. With a personality as intriguing as hers, that's not going to be much of a bother. Not at all.

Two of the ladies on "Rockstar: Supernova"

I mentioned to some of y'all the show Rockstar: Supernova on CBS in an earlier post. Here're couple more snippets of two of the ladies on the ongoing show; these are from Tuesday's airing (July25th, 2006).

First one's Dilana performing the classic 80's hit "Time after time" by Cyndi Lauper. Bear in mind that she's auditioning for a heavy metal band. Of course, if you saw the earlier snippet of her in the earlier post, you'd know she fits right in to heavy metal. But this reworking of a classic pop hit shows lots of talent, and guts to pull it off so well.



I almost like this version as much as the original. Well performed.


The second one's Storm Large performing "Anything, Anything" by Dramarama. I'd have to say she's one great package. Enjoy her performance, including that dive into the crowd of some real lucky men (and women).

Hah! v/s Duh! (Hi-tek v/s Lo-Tek)

Venky initiated this discussion on "Would our kids label us as technology illiterate?" Sorta like how we label our parents and their "unsavviness" with regards to modern technology and its use.

Venky's point of view (in his own words) is: "I strongly believe that we (our generation) would bridge the gap between generations as far as using technology is concerned. I’m sure we will NEVER be as up-to-date as our teenage kids (whenever that happens) but we will at least be in the same ballpark – and that is to say that we will be a few steps ahead of our parents’ generation.".

You can read more about his views and his justifications/ reasoning on that earlier link. And as per Brij's request to help further the discussion, I am "copy-pasting" the comment I made earlier to that discussion as a regular post here:

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(July 17, 2006):


Nice discussion there Venky. And although you made some good arguments there, I'd have to say as far as tech-savviness is concerned - the NextGen will be superior.

However, I guess it's important that you separete medium from content in your argument. My firm feeling is (just as Pranav and Soumya) that the average person only picks up so much tech kno-how (essentially knowledge) as much as is of use to that person. Anything more is purely incidental.

In other words, soon you may be using the latest phones and gadgets (as you are so inclined ;) ) but there will be menu items, tabs and mechanisms for which you will have no use for - but the next gen might. For instance rating bars, hangouts, bands, even popular classmates, etc. instantly, or as some of my PhD friends suggested, obtaining a GPS location of the nearest cool joint where the highest number of hip and popular are currently hanging out. Or consider next generation VR games for which there will be better tactile tools for social interaction in virtual communities. How much of use would we have for it once we sink further into our settled mode of social interaction? But would that prevent the next gen from adapting to it? I don't think so. We'd never know how to use next gen virtual interaction equipment by and large, simply because we'd have no use for it.

Not compelling examples those, but just to demonstrate that there'll be tons of stuff around for which we when we grow older - will have no use for. But these things will be developed keeping the NextGen in mind.

Again, as I said medium and content need separation in any discussion on future tech. The reason is that as long as the media which is available to us is supplying us with all the content that we need, there will be very little impetus to move on to something else. Unless and until, we are convinced that the an alternative exists thats atleast as good if not better than our current options, and/or else is being used widely by others.

Those who stay ahead of the curve will have a better chance of adapting to the new tech world. And being tech-savvy could be a powerful tool for the coming future. But, those persons would be more of the few exceptions than the significant majority obeying the rule.

To sum up the sentiment, here's a quote from more than 100 years ago:

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

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Stuff

For Mumbai lovers only, Mid-Day's anniversary issue is a must browse (if not read). There are great accompanying pictures, vignettes into the everyday life of a Mumbaikar. ( Clicking on the article will open the article in a readable form on a separate window. )


I have also been watching a webcast of the daily India news on CNN-IBN. Click on the link on the top right of the web-page that allows you to view the webcast. This, for those who want to keep track of the current status of the blasts probe.

"Inanities, Bagatelles"

...is the title of Raoul's blog.

From dictionary.com:
"Bagatelle:
1. An unimportant or insignificant thing; a trifle.
2. A short, light piece of verse or music.
3. A game played on an oblong table with a cue and balls."

Now that the meaning of "bagatelles" is out of the way, I have to say that it pains me that there are so many good writers out there and yet there's so little material that they churn out. Not that you have to be a writer to write (or blog). If you've made some meaningful contribution on any scale you can think of (while being mostly honest to yourself), you could pat yourself on the back for that. And you'll probably get better at it the more you do it - which is true for a lot of things in life. ;)

However, there are some folks out there who have the ability that most of us don't - to contribute a real lot even when they're not really saying too much. And one hopes that they say a lot more than they let on.

Which brings us back to Raoul.

Rockstar: Supernova

CBS's second season of their Rockstar show. Sorta like American Idol - except that all the finalists here are rockers or rocker wannabes with a chance for the winner (after all contenders have been systematically eliminated) to be the lead singer of (or to front as they'd say it) a rock band.

Last season, it was the Australian band INXS. This season, it's a newly formed band called "Supernova" with Tommy Lee (ex-Motley Crue and Pam Anderson's ex-husband), Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica) and Gilby Clarke (ex-GNR ). All three of 'em plus Dave Navarro (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) will judge the 15 finalists.

I happened to catch some episodes of Rockstar last season. Before the first show Of last season kicked off, I was very skeptical about the whole deal and didn't really expect anything unique out of it - given the surfeit of singing talent shows like American Idol. However, what won me over at the end of that first show was the talent on display - among the constestants were some really good rockers.

This season's first show aired Wednesday evening - and once again the season start was far from disappointing. In fact, I was more impressed with the finalists this year around than last year. Considering that they're auditioning for a screaming, heavy metal band that's yet to record a single song - it seems like a great chance for one of them to finally bag that one great deal. And what's really cool about the whole thing is the fact that Metal is actually primetime TV (8.00 p.m.)!!

I'll try to post some of the vids from youtube of the finalists I think seem to be early candidates to win this thing. Although you never really know what this new band is looking for and whether they'll actually record something one day.


Rockstar Supernova: Josh Logan

Here's Josh Logan - the rocker with a bit of soul.

Dilana on Rockstar: Supernova

Scary, yet mesmerizing Dilana. While that was a great performance, her act could quickly get stale if that's all she can do.

Storm Large on Rockstar Supernova

Rock could be pretty if we had more singers like her (and few like Steven Tyler!).

Lukas Rossi on Rockstar Supernova

And finally, the frontrunner I believe after week 1 - Lukas Rossi from Canada. This guy is so crazily talented (I watched some more of his clips on youtube, search words: "Lukas Rossi"), he deserves a full band and a great record deal.