Window. Heart. Soul. Renew. Open. Mind. Different. View

Happy 20.12

It holds two distinct possibilities of interpretation. One, it could mean – “abstain; hold back” – as in “refrain from attacking”. This comes from the Latin word, refrēnāre, which means to check with a bridle.

The other interpretation is, as in music, that of a much repeated idea (or line or verse) . Refrain is something that sticks to your mind by virtue of emphasis and repetition. This comes from Old Frenc, and ultimately from the Latin word refringere, which means “to break into pieces”.

So the next time someone tells you “Refrain”, you should say “How do you mean ?”

“For when the Great Scorer comes to write against your name, He asks not whether you lost or won but how you played.”

Today I decided to make a small donation to a movement that I have reaped a lot from.

Last month, I could not pay by the due date since I was in Calcutta and without internet access. So, I get a statement which gives me a double whammy:

Interest on credit: INR x (Fair enough)

Late Payment: INR 700 (!!!!)

The bank is charging me money to pay my own interest ! No wonder, most salaried Indians pay up their credit card bills in one go before the due date.

Taught pawn chess to Ryana and defeated her twice. She defeated me thrice. Loss never felt so sweet.

I have been listening to this video many times over the last week.

Ever since I heard Warren Haynes on the Phil Lesh and Friends’ album about 5-6 years back, I was done. Southern Soul – pure, unrestrained. The sweet sound of major pentatonics.

This video is a favourite for a couple of reasons. Not just a couple – that’s just a way of speaking.

1. The sweet sound of that Gibson Les Paul out of Marshall amps. And those fat stubby fingers that keep the strings perfectly under control, esp on the bends.
2. Two drummers. Hah ! Two drummers !! And both of them, as far as I can say(or hear) are playing the same stuff. No interlocking, no syncopations, no fancy tone differences. Straight ahead southern rocks. It feels like a “chorus” for drums.
3. Two backing vocalists – male. Geez, I think I was done upto my nose watching the crooners behind Eric Clapton and Dave Gilmour and countless others; swaying, literally to their own music. Sometimes I wonder, whether they are there for some musical purpose of pure eye candy. (I have no problem with the latter though). But it’s refreshing to see two male crooners singing falsetto.
4. Derek Trucks – you got to watch Trucks’ face at around 2:46 when the song goes into the bridge:

   “Sometimes a man, can feel this loneliness, like a woman has robbed him of his very soul/Woman too, God knows, can feel like this/When your world seems cold, you got to let your spirit take control”

   You can argue it’s sweat but I think that’s Mr. Trucks choked and crying. And why not – this is a powerful song – esp. with the guitar lead that follows.

I can keep on writing.

Like John Coltrane’s notoriously long solos. Story goes that Trane once said, “I don’t know how to stop”. To which Miles Davis, in his inimitable Miles’ manner said, “Try taking the *cking horn out of your mouth”.

This is probably my most favourite xkcd strip yet.