*****Warning - Spoilers Ahead*****
I was just bored so I went through my DVD collection of unwatched movies and I came up with DVD Screener of ‘Hostel’. After watching the movie my first thoughts were ‘Why the fuck did they have to flash Quentin Tarantino’s name so many times in the cast ?’. Not that I hated this movie but just to ensure quality he didn’t have to be included for this was far from his stuff. I am his huge fan and I feel sorry for he must have felt like an idiot to give his name for a movie like this.
I am a kind of person who can watch 5-6 movies in a day without getting tired. but, I should say that after all the sex, blood, gore and shock value served raw this movie left me pretty much exhausted. The feel was very reminiscent of the Saw movies to me, which I think are a great concept in and of themselves but ‘Hostel’ itself had nothing of a great story line. Let me sum up the movie to make myself clear :-
Three backpackers, two Americans and one Icelander, tour europe with an intension of getting as hisgh as they can and as many chicks as they can screw. In Amsterdam they accidently come to know of a place Slovakia where sex-mad women thirst for men in general, and American men in particular. They of course decide to go there and at first it seems the rumors were true. But they soon learn that the hostel is nothing more than a front for a bizarre club called ‘Elite Hunting‘ where one can pay for torturing and killing humans.
The first part of the movie is something more of a cheesy teen sex comedy with lots of fake boob jobs and subjects clubbing in unrealistic discos with loud music where you can still talk in normal volume. The rest of the part of Hostel develops an interesting premise and is better seen in ignorance of any plot summaries/background information on the movie. In the style of Asian horror, there is plenty of over-the-top gore, and in the style of campy American horror, there’s plenty of nudity, but this doesn’t detract from the ability of the director, Eli Roth, to take us to new and ever darker places as the plot thickens, building suspense right up to the gratifying finale. The end of the movie serves sweet revenge with the escaped torture victim making one of the torturers taste his own medicine by severing the fingers and then killing him.
This movie left me with a mixed feeling. No doubt this movie kept me didn’t let me take my eyes off the screen for a split second and I thoroughly enjoyed it but it did lack in creativity ,storyline and acting with the first time average actors. The movie had a better scope and what was served raw could have been made more beautiful. If your expectations are low enough, and your tastes in gore sufficiently robust, then you are in for a good time. Otherwise, skip this and see a classic Hitchcock film. You’ll feel better about yourself. I gotta give this one a 7.5/10 for its sheer entertainment factor
10,000 Days is the title slated for Tool’s fourth full-length studio album, announced for release on 2nd May, 2006. The album was leaked on the Intenet via torrents network and I am here to write my review after almost 20 full listens to it.
In My Humble Opinion 10,000 days is my second favourite Tool album after Ænima. As per my view the first 5 songs of this album is the best first half that any Tool album has ever done. This is what I think of some of my favourite Tool songs in order of track listing:-
- Vicarious - A very catchy and deserves-to-be-leaked-first song. The guitar riffs are amazing, specially before the ‘Lie-Lie-Lie-Lie-Lie’ part. One of the best lyrics I have ever heard after stinkfist. I give it a 4/5
- Jambi - The best drumming in the entire album. I would agree with Andy King that it is Hendrix like here. A pretty addictive song and definitely deserves a 4.5/5.
- The Pot - Definitely the most bizarre and the best song in the entire album. Maynard’s voice should no longer be called monotone as he has experimented a lot in this song. The song is fun to hear and has been rightfully called ‘Hooker With a Penis’ of ‘Ænima’. The song is damn addictive and I have been listening it all night. Unobjectionably this one deserves a 5/5.
- 10,000 Days/Wings For Marie - A very different and the most personal/emotional song Maynard has ever written in my opinion. Amazing lyrics keeps you stuck to the song. 4.5/5 would be nice.
- Rosetta Stoned - A great song, stands out due to its outlandish lyrics. This one takes away the ‘Crazy Song Of the Album’ tagline. Maynard must be high while writing this one.
- Right In Two _ another great and mysterious song. The lyrics are very vague and thee song wants to remain hidden for reason. The only good song of the second half in my opinion.
So where does this album lack? It fucking doesn’t lack anywhere and is an awesome album overall. But, I will have to agree that the second half when compared to other albums like Ænima or Lateralus isn’t at par. The lyrics are comparatively weak and nothing ‘progressive’. It sounds very Toolish and has nothing new compared to the first half.
Overall, its by far Tool’s one of the greatest work and I’d recommend you to go ahead, buy it and support the band so that we keep getting the great piece of fucking music from the fucking great band. I spent a sleepless night yesterday listening to the album and have already got the album pre-ordered by a cousin in the UK.
My Ratings - 
Official Site - Toolband
Fan Site - Toolshed
As usual, I was trying to kill time on the Internet and I came across this blogpost of Kalyan Verma. As he was coming from mysore, he saw a bus with big firefox logo pasted all around it. He immediately stopped his car and the bus to take the pictures. As it is evdient from his blog entry that driver or riders had no idea where the logo came from. Seems like there is no scarcity of Firefox fanboys in rural India as well.
Though I won’t classify myself as a web-browser fanboy, Firefox is my default browser and the blogpost pretty much amused me. It is obvious that painting vehicles comes in the category of menial jobs done by the members belonging to less fortunate sections of Indian society who are said to have little or no education/tech knowledge, let alone the browser fanboyism. Amongst them it is enthralling to such a love for Firefox. Looks like passion for Opera and other browsers has a long way to go 
. I just hope this is not photoshopped. Here are the pictures :-
Click on the images to see their real size
Procrastination is a complex psychological behavior that affects everyone to some degree or another. With some it can be a minor problem; with others it is a source of considerable stress and anxiety. Procrastination is only remotely related to time management, (procrastinators often know exactly what they should be doing, even if they cannot do it), which is why very detailed schedules usually are no help.
If you know me you’d be very well aware of how big a procrastinator am I. I keep delaying my work for no reason, may it be my studies, personal problems, etc. Infact without going into details I’d like to mention that I lost a very good friend due to the very reason. As I mentioned that minor or major this problem is present in every human being and as I was digging my way throught the Internet I came accross this article which actually helped me a lot. I’d like everyone to read this article and try to follow it :-
Characteristics
The procrastinator is often remarkably optimistic about his ability to complete a task on a tight deadline; this is usually accompanied by expressions of reassurance that everything is under control. (Therefore, there is no need to start.) For example, he may estimate that a paper will take only five days to write; he has fifteen days; there is plenty of time; no need to start. Lulled by a false sense of security, time passes. At some point, he crosses over an imaginary starting time and suddenly realizes, “Oh no! - I am not in control! There isn’t enough time!”
At this point, considerable effort is directed towards completing the task, and work progresses. This sudden spurt of energy is the source of the erroneous feeling that “I only work well under pressure.” Actually, at this point you are making progress only because you haven’t any choice. Your back is against the wall and there are no alternatives. Progress is being made, but you have lost your freedom.
Barely completed in time, the paper may actually earn a fairly good grade; whereupon the student experiences mixed feelings: pride of accomplishment (sort-of), scorn for the professor who cannot recognize substandard work, and guilt for getting an undeserved grade. But the net result is reinforcement: the procrastinator is rewarded positively for his poor behavior. (”Look what a decent grade I got after all!”) As a result, the counterproductive behavior is repeated over and over again.
Positive reinforcement for delay (a good grade) is a principal contributor to continued procrastination. Continue reading ‘Procrastination’
