Global Metal - An Anthropologist's Perspective

Came across a very interesting documentary created by a Metal head and an professional anthropologist. What's unique about the video is its take on Metal music through people, their cultural context, their associations with the music genre and roots of their loyalty.

A must watch for loyalists and skeptics alike. It's a long movie, so you better grab a beer with it. Cheers!

One Cutting Chai

I cannot say with credibility about the origin of Cutting Chai but I believe that Mumbai is one place where this concept has originated or so has the lingo. So what is Cutting Chai? Well, Chai meaning tea, when served in small portion becomes 'cutting' tea. Literally, like cutting into smaller portions.

A Cutting Chai. 

Cutting Chai is, I believe, one of the measures of inflation for us common folks. How, you might ask. Its the least your have to spend to eat or drink something when you are out of your house. Tea, a favorite hot beverage that  is consumed by most Indians is a morning necessity and a fuel to make you stay focused through the day. As of date, a cutting chai costs between 5 to 6 rupees for a glass. There was a time when it was available for 2-2.5 rupees and the quantity was way better. Now a days there are some tea stalls that still serve a rupee 2 chai but the portions will make a tequila shot glass look like a beer mug.

Quote For Thought: Erica Jong

"If you like the quote, do share it with other. Tweet it, blog it, speak about it, do anything that would make it meaningful or at least try and be meaningful to others. Just remember not to quote it for the sake of being 'interesting'. I don't think the person who said it, meant it to be just a mundane set of coherent words.

Quotes live on because they are powerful and help us make sense of our actions, situations, decisions and sometimes our life at large." 

Animated Short Film: Le Taxidermiste

Dark humor well executed in this animated short film. It was directed at Supinfocom Arles in 2011 by Paulin Cointot. The dead calm at the end is poignant. Kudos for this brilliant visual art.

Headbanging Firestarter

There are some videos out there which baffle you so much that you are not sure how to react to it. They border entertainment and outright absurdity. Here is one that I found which I would like to share. These guys are metal heads enjoying swimming in a lake and some camp fire after that (I suppose). Nothing different aye? Have a look.


I laughed so hard and yet, I was not sure what I had just experienced. People are crazy! (In a good way) 

Quote For Thought: Dr. Seuss

"If you like the quote, do share it with other. Tweet it, blog it, speak about it, do anything that would make it meaningful or at least try and be meaningful to others. Just remember not to quote it for the sake of being 'interesting'. I don't think the person who said it, meant it to be just a mundane set of coherent words.


Quotes live on because they are powerful and help us make sense of our actions, situations, decisions and sometimes our life at large." 

A Brief History Of Rock-n-Roll

YouTube has many interesting channels and videos. Along come videos every now and then which wow us all. Here is one that I found like most of you (probably by now), which I really loved. Enjoy!



Alex Chadwick plays 100 famous guitar riffs in one take giving you a chronological history of rock n' roll. Its not exactly the history of Rock-n-roll, but then its good enough for appreciation. The video has been uploaded by Chicago Music Exchange. 

A Walk Down Mumbai Lanes

Visiting Flora Fountain area of South Mumbai is a pleasure on weekends. This place is maddening with people and traffic on week days. But by evenings or on week ends, its another story. Here are some snaps that I took recently when I visited a friend around the Fort area of South Mumbai.

A colonial past that is a major landmark in Mumbai not only for tourists but daily travelers to South Mumbai.

Flora Fountain at Fort, South Mumbai

Encrypt what you seek with Google Search

Google has recently made public their secure search feature. What that means is that, now you can search anything on the web without anyone snooping on your activity. Its psychologically assuring for some and critical for others. It may or may not mean anything to some. But the fact that Google has even considers something like this for the users is commendable. 

Secure your web presence with Google's encrypted search feature

Why would one need encrypted search?

25 Songs For Some 80's Nostalgia

When week-end arrives, its time to sit back and relax, pop a beer, set the mood with some snacks and put on some good old music to chill out with. If you were in your teens when the 80's were around (or even if you were a baby back then) you will love to revisit that era. Enjoy this collection from 8Tracks.com. Have fun!

The Very Best of 80's from bacarones on 8tracks Radio.

Four Wheel Show Stopper

On my way to town I spotted this Car. I am still not sure if its a branded car or someone fancy custom creation. But it sure is a show-stopper. If anyone know what make this car is, please do comment below.

Metallic Red Beauty on the street Mumbai.

Finally! Ubuntu arrives on mobile handsets

I am quite excited about Canonical introducing the Ubuntu OS for mobile. Ubuntu, a Linux variant, has been powering servers around the world and has been known to enterprises, developers and institutions for years. The fact that they made it available for free to individuals and institutions alike, for so many years, is commendable. Whats interesting about the opensource community is that its a community of passionate folks who have help build and improve the OS over the years one iteration at a time.

When they announced the launch of Mobile Ubuntu, it was a turning point in the history of Ubuntu which has been lagging behind most ecosystems due to the unavailability of an environment to get it portable.

Here is a video where the founder of Canonical, Mark Shuttleworth speaks about the Ubuntu OS for mobile.


So why should this OS be exciting, you might ask. Here are some of the reasons, in my opinion.
(some in agreement with Mark's answers)