On another note, I watched Inception and decided to make this:
The next few months
I guess it's time for an earnest post to everyone reading my blog. Considering I'm entering a few strenuous months, my post frequency will drop; Possibly to the point of the blog appearing dead. It's been lingering in that area for a while but the months ahead won't be helping the case. My posts, if any, would be stories/poems out of sudden urges and articles that I write for something.
Apart from this earnest message (which is now over), I thought it would be nice to post a list of reasons contributing to my low posting frequency:
1) Lack of a muse. Ah, Calliope.
2) Lack of the physical equivalent of a muse. Ah, woe is me.
3) Twitter. I tend to type my thoughts out in sentences. Don't really wait for them to collect.
4) Blood. Sugar. Sex. Magik. And all their other albums, actually. Too much RHCP gets me all poetic. Not sure how appreciative you guys are of poetry :\
5) Gaming. RA3: Uprising has some good music, though. The 'Soviet March' is a song about bears and Vodka.
6) Academics. Well, maybe not a reason right now, but I hope it does become one :D
7) Me. Lethargy has always been a problem.
8) You. Hey, I can't take all the blame, can I?
So, here's to the glorious months ahead.
-Mod
Apart from this earnest message (which is now over), I thought it would be nice to post a list of reasons contributing to my low posting frequency:
1) Lack of a muse. Ah, Calliope.
2) Lack of the physical equivalent of a muse. Ah, woe is me.
3) Twitter. I tend to type my thoughts out in sentences. Don't really wait for them to collect.
4) Blood. Sugar. Sex. Magik. And all their other albums, actually. Too much RHCP gets me all poetic. Not sure how appreciative you guys are of poetry :\
5) Gaming. RA3: Uprising has some good music, though. The 'Soviet March' is a song about bears and Vodka.
6) Academics. Well, maybe not a reason right now, but I hope it does become one :D
7) Me. Lethargy has always been a problem.
8) You. Hey, I can't take all the blame, can I?
So, here's to the glorious months ahead.
-Mod
The YouTube Top 10 – Part 1 (6-10)
I've been doing some writing recently for a website called Techwhiz. Of my posts to date, this is the closest to my usual style of writing (and still misses it by a mile). Anyway, seeing as the blag needs fattening, I'll leave this here :D
Part 1 (No. 10 to No. 6)
Being among the top 10 videos on YouTube means a lot. The ways to get there are numerous as well - from flashy underwear to anthropomorphic puppets to 16-year-old-males with female voices (Yes, that means Justin Bieber). With the top 10 dominated by music videos, it's rather hard to give them all credit. Here's a roundup of the top 10 videos with thoughts on exactly how they got there.
10) Achmed the dead terrorist
American ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham's most famous puppet has been running around in the top 10 for over a year with a final drop to No. 10 at the time of the article's writing. Featuring Achmed, a suicide bomber with a 'flesh wound', the video satirizes the modern views on terrorism. Although a bit controversial due to its inclusion of seemingly anti-Islam sentiments, it has overcome the allegations to find a place on the list of most viewed videos and push Jeff Dunham to fame on the internet.
9) Just Dance
The first of many music videos we encounter on the list. Lady Gaga became a sensation in 2008-2009 and hasn't quite left that status. An increasing number of fans from the late-teens to post-teens age group give her enough support to push two of her videos into the Top 10.
This video, featuring Gaga at a party, is the most energetic video in the top 10. The video traces the events at a party which is brought back to life after Gaga repeatedly tells them all to -you guessed it- Just Dance. It's Dance-pop base is responsible for most of the song's popularity and fits perfectly into the party setting it gives itself. Some images are homage to some of Gaga's influences - including the electric blue lightning scar added on her face as a tribute to David Bowie. Some critics argue that the popularity is due to Gaga appearing attractive (compared to her current oh-my-god-what's-that-thing? image), 'riding' an inflated orca and not being completely dressed through the video. I don't completely disagree.
8) 7 Things
Miley Cyrus's post-breakup hate song won the hearts of teenage girls worldwide who sang along and stated the 7 things they hated about their boyfriends. The song quickly rose on the most viewed list and even managed to reach the top. This, too, was hardly a surprise as young girls girls with even the most remote love for music have loved her dual incarnations from the Hannah Montana universe; All this, before it became fashionable to fall in love with sparkly vampires.
The video is not very elaborately shot. Based in a simple set with a plain background, the song draws its angry spirit from Cyrus and the girls in the video coming together to vent their frustrations with their boyfriends. Modeled as an anthem for girlfriends who were let down, it fulfills its role of channeling their anger. The song itself isn't bad but for a video on the Top 10, it is somewhat empty.
7) Hahaha
Yes, that's what the video is called. The entire video is about a baby going hahaha at the cues by an adult, possibly its father. The sounds that the adult makes, akin to Homer Simpson's D'oh, set the baby off on a giggle spree. I know babies are cute and adorable with their cherubic laughter but a video of nearly 2 minutes with little else is not all too interesting. Some people suggesting that the baby may be a victim of substance abuse does not help its credibility.
The support for this video comes from the hordes that squeal at the slightest hint of cuteness in anything. Be it little kids who get their fix from puppies doing backflips or aged men and women who post videos of children biting other kids' fingers (more on this later), a large population allows the proliferation of these videos through chain mails with subjects along the lines of 'FWD:FWD: CUTEST BABY LOLZ. PASS TO 15 PPL TO HAVE CUTE BABBY'.
6) I know you want me
Pitbull's most (only?) succesful single has all the ingredients to success in perspective - even if not in the right quantity. A white, blue-eyed, Cuban-American rapping is not what everyone wants to hear; Especially if a majority of the rapping is a display of the person's astronomical counting skills (all the way up to 4). However, this being the YouTube countdown, the quality of the video is what we should be looking at.
To put it plainly, the video is a vehicle for the gratuitous display of the sensuality of Latin American chicks in short skirts. And we're not complaining. The video is well done, with the beats of the song being accentuated by the moves of the leading ladies. Occasional images of the Cuban flag give a throwback to Pitbull's lineage and when coupled with a carefully placed display of Brazilian colors, add to the whole South American feel of the video. Though not suitable for younger audiences, the video vindicates its position, even if only as the choice of the average male.
Coming in the next post:
The top 5 in the list along with a few other videos (that deserve views even if not in the top 10).
-Mod
Part 1 (No. 10 to No. 6)
Being among the top 10 videos on YouTube means a lot. The ways to get there are numerous as well - from flashy underwear to anthropomorphic puppets to 16-year-old-males with female voices (Yes, that means Justin Bieber). With the top 10 dominated by music videos, it's rather hard to give them all credit. Here's a roundup of the top 10 videos with thoughts on exactly how they got there.
10) Achmed the dead terrorist
American ventriloquist and comedian Jeff Dunham's most famous puppet has been running around in the top 10 for over a year with a final drop to No. 10 at the time of the article's writing. Featuring Achmed, a suicide bomber with a 'flesh wound', the video satirizes the modern views on terrorism. Although a bit controversial due to its inclusion of seemingly anti-Islam sentiments, it has overcome the allegations to find a place on the list of most viewed videos and push Jeff Dunham to fame on the internet.
9) Just Dance
The first of many music videos we encounter on the list. Lady Gaga became a sensation in 2008-2009 and hasn't quite left that status. An increasing number of fans from the late-teens to post-teens age group give her enough support to push two of her videos into the Top 10.
This video, featuring Gaga at a party, is the most energetic video in the top 10. The video traces the events at a party which is brought back to life after Gaga repeatedly tells them all to -you guessed it- Just Dance. It's Dance-pop base is responsible for most of the song's popularity and fits perfectly into the party setting it gives itself. Some images are homage to some of Gaga's influences - including the electric blue lightning scar added on her face as a tribute to David Bowie. Some critics argue that the popularity is due to Gaga appearing attractive (compared to her current oh-my-god-what's-that-thing? image), 'riding' an inflated orca and not being completely dressed through the video. I don't completely disagree.
8) 7 Things
Miley Cyrus's post-breakup hate song won the hearts of teenage girls worldwide who sang along and stated the 7 things they hated about their boyfriends. The song quickly rose on the most viewed list and even managed to reach the top. This, too, was hardly a surprise as young girls girls with even the most remote love for music have loved her dual incarnations from the Hannah Montana universe; All this, before it became fashionable to fall in love with sparkly vampires.
The video is not very elaborately shot. Based in a simple set with a plain background, the song draws its angry spirit from Cyrus and the girls in the video coming together to vent their frustrations with their boyfriends. Modeled as an anthem for girlfriends who were let down, it fulfills its role of channeling their anger. The song itself isn't bad but for a video on the Top 10, it is somewhat empty.
7) Hahaha
Yes, that's what the video is called. The entire video is about a baby going hahaha at the cues by an adult, possibly its father. The sounds that the adult makes, akin to Homer Simpson's D'oh, set the baby off on a giggle spree. I know babies are cute and adorable with their cherubic laughter but a video of nearly 2 minutes with little else is not all too interesting. Some people suggesting that the baby may be a victim of substance abuse does not help its credibility.
The support for this video comes from the hordes that squeal at the slightest hint of cuteness in anything. Be it little kids who get their fix from puppies doing backflips or aged men and women who post videos of children biting other kids' fingers (more on this later), a large population allows the proliferation of these videos through chain mails with subjects along the lines of 'FWD:FWD: CUTEST BABY LOLZ. PASS TO 15 PPL TO HAVE CUTE BABBY'.
6) I know you want me
Pitbull's most (only?) succesful single has all the ingredients to success in perspective - even if not in the right quantity. A white, blue-eyed, Cuban-American rapping is not what everyone wants to hear; Especially if a majority of the rapping is a display of the person's astronomical counting skills (all the way up to 4). However, this being the YouTube countdown, the quality of the video is what we should be looking at.
To put it plainly, the video is a vehicle for the gratuitous display of the sensuality of Latin American chicks in short skirts. And we're not complaining. The video is well done, with the beats of the song being accentuated by the moves of the leading ladies. Occasional images of the Cuban flag give a throwback to Pitbull's lineage and when coupled with a carefully placed display of Brazilian colors, add to the whole South American feel of the video. Though not suitable for younger audiences, the video vindicates its position, even if only as the choice of the average male.
Coming in the next post:
The top 5 in the list along with a few other videos (that deserve views even if not in the top 10).
-Mod
A view of the future
The gray concrete bit into my thoughts. The light from the lone, dim bulb in the middle of the room didn't brighten my mood any. I hated being alone in a block of gray. Three days without my lenses. Walking through streets with no lighting or color was depressing. Couldn't even find my damn way to the store. Again, the dullness of it all hit me like a blunt axe. Looking at four gray walls staring at you impassively wouldn't boost your morale either. I'd have to go in a while to collect the lenses. Those wretches probably put the defects in them. Like missing out a few colors. Or not seeing one of the girls in the movie. Putting the defects in them just so you go back and shell out more credits. Trust the government to suck you dry. I hope they fix the Eve linkup too. I can't get through the day without that tranquil face telling me things will be alright. That voice and face soothe me; They take me out of this lie we pass off as a world. My mood really goes to shit without her comforting me. Without those record instances, I wouldn't have got through these three days with my sanity. Last time Eve went down, there was almost a riot. They take our only voice of hope away and call it maintenance. Trust the government to mess with your head.
I hope the cab makes it in time. I'll end up breaking a door if it doesn't turn up. Wonder how that would turn up inside the world. Probably a poster for the Alliance. "Trust the government." Fat chance.
I can hear the cab pulling up outside. Late, as expected. But I should make it to the store in time. I step out of my room to have the grayness embrace me. I need to bear it. It won't be long now.
The store guy was surprisingly friendly. Then again, the hostility the gray shows must be what made me think that. Anything is better than the colorless desolation. None of it mattered anymore. I had my lenses again. It was time to go home.
I slipped in my lenses and opened my eyes again. My world was back. The pristine white covered the buildings again. The trees towering amidst the blocks were back too. A homecoming for a weary traveler. Enjoying the colors would have to wait. Mia would be waiting for me at home. And if she chose today to throw a tantrum (by random chance, the government assures us), I'd always have Eve. Time to go home.
I hope the cab makes it in time. I'll end up breaking a door if it doesn't turn up. Wonder how that would turn up inside the world. Probably a poster for the Alliance. "Trust the government." Fat chance.
I can hear the cab pulling up outside. Late, as expected. But I should make it to the store in time. I step out of my room to have the grayness embrace me. I need to bear it. It won't be long now.
The store guy was surprisingly friendly. Then again, the hostility the gray shows must be what made me think that. Anything is better than the colorless desolation. None of it mattered anymore. I had my lenses again. It was time to go home.
I slipped in my lenses and opened my eyes again. My world was back. The pristine white covered the buildings again. The trees towering amidst the blocks were back too. A homecoming for a weary traveler. Enjoying the colors would have to wait. Mia would be waiting for me at home. And if she chose today to throw a tantrum (by random chance, the government assures us), I'd always have Eve. Time to go home.
Unrelated poem
I haven't posted in a long time. That's a fact. I have a valid reason. I could go on and tell you why. But, any sort of apology just wouldn't seem sincere. It probably isn't.
So, here's an unrelated poem.
For every path, and for its every fork,
Every trail with grass that is trod,
For seas crossed and oceans seen,
Clear crimson clouds cut through,
For bird-songs heard at the tranquil dawn,
And the day spent basking in the sun,
For every sweet scent on a gentle breeze,
Every touch of a caring hand,
And every damsel saved,
Remember that there is always a twin,
A road not taken and a choice not made,
An unseen trail that leads to a rainbow,
A clear crystal lake and a river unseen,
A storm-cloud raging and spewing its fury,
The cry of a vulture piercing the wind,
And a cold, dark winter with a blanket of snow,
There is the stench of blood from a battlefield,
A wrinkled palm soon to be dust
And a succubus drawing out your blood.*
*Alternate ending available on FB.
That's it. Too profound for my usual writing?
So, here's an unrelated poem.
For every path, and for its every fork,
Every trail with grass that is trod,
For seas crossed and oceans seen,
Clear crimson clouds cut through,
For bird-songs heard at the tranquil dawn,
And the day spent basking in the sun,
For every sweet scent on a gentle breeze,
Every touch of a caring hand,
And every damsel saved,
Remember that there is always a twin,
A road not taken and a choice not made,
An unseen trail that leads to a rainbow,
A clear crystal lake and a river unseen,
A storm-cloud raging and spewing its fury,
The cry of a vulture piercing the wind,
And a cold, dark winter with a blanket of snow,
There is the stench of blood from a battlefield,
A wrinkled palm soon to be dust
And a succubus drawing out your blood.*
*Alternate ending available on FB.
That's it. Too profound for my usual writing?
Art, part 2
Its been nearly a month. I'll have you know its been a tough one at that. With a surf trip to Mangalore (which, to wide surprise, I returned alive from) and the pressure of two unfinished projects, I'm drained mentally as well as physically. I thought of making a compilation of interesting things I had seen recently but the horror that is the Festember Blog put me off all writing whatsoever. So, I decided to do what I said I would. Finish my two-part post on my artwork.
The work I'd shown in my previous post is all with and primarily by software - Photoshop/Gimp/Cinema4D. In this post, I'll cover stuff that I've drawn. With my hands. On the computer. With a tablet. Another short sentence.
My inspiration for drawing was mostly from xkcd. I must confess, I did not display much awesomeness in my drawing, but people (that understood it...) did find it humourous.
Not as much a display of art as it was of what happened during our trip to Riviera. The comment was from Vaidyanathan a.k.a Void a.k.a NoName00. Thankfully, he did not get his hands on any aphrodisiacs.
Most of these drawings are depictions of incidents. Or things people say. Like this one:
Opal is our heavily guarded, fortified, barbed-wired girls hostel, by the way. I did go on to correct him that such an endeavour, although interesting would not bear fruit.
I also attempted humor based on some ideas I'd had earlier:
I also made some others that are potentially unsafe for my blog. Visit my FB album for those.
I've also started making wallpapers of random things that come to my mind (Cinema4D though):
Here's a link to it at a 1680 by 1050. Yes, that is the Android. Identify the reference for Self Satisfaction +10.
I'm also doing a few 3D wallpapers on request or with suggestions. If you've got a good (and simple) idea, send me a message.
I'll close this post with something I made for Festember X. I'm just posting a close up of the original:
That covers most of my artwork. I'm shifting closer to 3D these days since its more fun to make. If you're interested in commissioning something, don't be afraid to ask!
All that apart, I've been rather occupied of late. Will try to increase the frequency of posting :D
Mod
The work I'd shown in my previous post is all with and primarily by software - Photoshop/Gimp/Cinema4D. In this post, I'll cover stuff that I've drawn. With my hands. On the computer. With a tablet. Another short sentence.
My inspiration for drawing was mostly from xkcd. I must confess, I did not display much awesomeness in my drawing, but people (that understood it...) did find it humourous.
Most of these drawings are depictions of incidents. Or things people say. Like this one:
I also attempted humor based on some ideas I'd had earlier:
I've also started making wallpapers of random things that come to my mind (Cinema4D though):
I'm also doing a few 3D wallpapers on request or with suggestions. If you've got a good (and simple) idea, send me a message.
I'll close this post with something I made for Festember X. I'm just posting a close up of the original:
All that apart, I've been rather occupied of late. Will try to increase the frequency of posting :D
Mod
Art
Here, I present you with all my works of art. It includes bits that people have liked (like my old Photoshop experiments) and bits that people have really liked (like the tsfu-opal-ninja thing).
Going in chronological order, I'll run through (I guess it isn't as detailed as I had hoped it would be) each of my works in PS before I move on to my latest 3D ventures and the *cough* sketches *cough*. I'll be covering my sketches in another post.
If you just want a link to individual albums of all my works, pay a visit to my photobucket page.
I began with signatures, which are little banner like things you add at the bottom of your posts in forums. This is how most internet based digital artists enter the field. Given here is one of my last few siggies.
My affair with Photoshop lasted only 2-3 months but that gave me enough time to experiment with other styles of art as well as image generation and manipulation. My personal favorite when it comes to art style is pixel art:
This style of art involves creating your piece with pixels. One at a time. A typical image takes about an hour to create but the end result can prove stunning with experience and creativity. If you want an example of how far pixel art can go, visit Nitrome.
I also dipped my toes in fractals and meta-fractals (with the latter being generated using a PS plugin). These are what people (especially girls) have liked most.
I've also done some abstracts. Just head over to my abstracts folder to check them all out. If you browse around on the homepage of my photobucket account, you'll also find the stuff I made for school and college.
My latest creations did not use Photoshop. All my work in the 3d images folders are made with Cinema4D. Being new to the software, I haven't really made any breathtaking 3d masterpieces. Yet. Here's an example:
And yes, I did make that. The background is a stock image but the rest is created in C4D.
That wraps up the basic guide through my artwork. More about art, my inspirations and my sketches in the next post!
Going in chronological order, I'll run through (I guess it isn't as detailed as I had hoped it would be) each of my works in PS before I move on to my latest 3D ventures and the *cough* sketches *cough*. I'll be covering my sketches in another post.
If you just want a link to individual albums of all my works, pay a visit to my photobucket page.
I began with signatures, which are little banner like things you add at the bottom of your posts in forums. This is how most internet based digital artists enter the field. Given here is one of my last few siggies.
My affair with Photoshop lasted only 2-3 months but that gave me enough time to experiment with other styles of art as well as image generation and manipulation. My personal favorite when it comes to art style is pixel art:
I also dipped my toes in fractals and meta-fractals (with the latter being generated using a PS plugin). These are what people (especially girls) have liked most.
I've also done some abstracts. Just head over to my abstracts folder to check them all out. If you browse around on the homepage of my photobucket account, you'll also find the stuff I made for school and college.
My latest creations did not use Photoshop. All my work in the 3d images folders are made with Cinema4D. Being new to the software, I haven't really made any breathtaking 3d masterpieces. Yet. Here's an example:
That wraps up the basic guide through my artwork. More about art, my inspirations and my sketches in the next post!
