Rick Rubin

Do you know this man? Maybe you have heard of Def Jam Records, The Beastie Boys, Walk This Way, or Under the Bridge? Well these are all synonymous with Rick Rubin. Most recently you might recognize him from the Jay-Z music video 99 Problems.

Rick Rubin is in my opinion, one of the best music producers alive. In 1985, partnering with Russell Simmons, they founded the Hip-Hop record label Def Jam that has until today remained a label to be reckoned with. From the East Coast, they brought to the main stage artists like The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, and even Public Enemy. Arguably the most ingenious pairing was that of RUN DMC with Aerosmith for ‘Walk This Way’, which was the primary tie up between Rock and Hip-Hop. His vision paved the way for bands like Blink 182 and Linkin Park amongst numerous others.

By 1988, Def Jam had grown substantially and due to lack of creative control Rubin separated and founded Def American records on the West Coast. There he started working with Slayer, Danzig, and other heavy metal bands while still attending to Public Enemy and LL Cool J. I consider the most notable album released in this period to be ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magic’ by Red Hot Chilli Peppers. It was written and recorded at an old mansion in LA. The mansion had some creepy history and the drummer Chad even refused to stay there because he believed his room was haunted. In the end they released one of the most notable albums of their careers that shot the band to superstardom and guaranteed them a place as rock legends.

As most other producers, Rick Rubin has a passion for music and is not only in touch with what other people want to hear, but more importantly, what he wants to listen to. He is obviously not fixated on his outward appearance as he dons a bushy beard that obscures half his face and then hides his eyes behind thick black sunglasses, giving him the appearance of a terrifying Hells Angel. He dresses in old jeans and sometimes tattered t-shirts and in most interviews is noted as being barefoot. His home is not filled with numerous material possessions but rather a kick ass sound system and a few Asian relics.

Rubin also had a close connection with Johnny Cash and played an integral role in reviving his career. In the early 90’s, I do not remember exactly when, but Johnny Cash had been out of the scene for quite a while and decided to revive his confidence for playing in front of an audience by getting on stage at the Viper Room (Johnny Depp’s Bar) in Hollywood. Rubin happened to be in the audience that night and immediately approached Johnny and offered to produce an album with him. Together they released American Recordings in 1994 and won a Grammy for it in 1995.

Rubin’s recipe for success seemed to be mixing up unlikely covers with original songs. He had Cash do covers from Danzig, U2, and Sound Garden. I wrote about one such cover of Nine Inch Nails that Cash did. Rubin also played a central role in re-igniting the careers of Neil Diamond giving him his highest chart ranking in 25 years, Tom Petty, and most recently Paul Anka. In the album ‘Rock Swings’, Anka covers a variety of rock and grunge tunes in Swing. It sounds weird but the other night I was having dinner at a lounge here and I thought I heard Black Hole Sun by Sound Garden. I did and it was in Swing. On that album he also covers Smells Like Teen Spirit, Wonderwall, and Everybody Hurts… All in Swing!

Rick Rubin has worked with and continues to work with some of the biggest and most impressive names in music. Not only was he responsible for creating Audioslave by joining members from Rage Against the Machine with Sound Garden, but he will also be releasing albums this year by Metallica, Linkin Park, RHCP, and Justin Timberlake. Most existing labels do not give an artist the opportunity to create what they want. Rubin on the other hand guides and furnishes artists with the tools and mind frame they require to create expressive works. Take a closer look at the music you listen to and you would surly be surprised to find how much of it has been touched by this man.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel - Book Review

I had recently run out of good options for books to read and I came across ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel’ by Susanna Clarke. I had just read a few serious books and was more in the mood for some fantasy and it had been ages since I have read anything good in this genre. I thoroughly enjoy the Harry Potter books but they are extremely light and I am usually done with them within a week. I saw this novel on the book shelf at Aksara and it looked interesting enough, not to mention very long.

Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me…

“Centuries ago, when magic still existed in England, the greatest magician of them all was the Raven King. A human child brought up by fairies, the Raven King blended fairy wisdom and human reason to create English magic. Now, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, he is barely more than a legend, and England, with its mad King and its dashing poets, no longer believes in practical magic.

Then the reclusive Mr Norrell of Hurtfew Abbey appears and causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. News spreads of the return of magic to England and, persuaded that he must help the government in the war against Napoleon, Mr Norrell goes to London. There he meets a brilliant young magician and takes him as a pupil. Jonathan Strange is charming, rich and arrogant. Together, they dazzle the country with their feats.

But the partnership soon turns to rivalry. Mr Norrell has never conquered his lifelong habits of secrecy, while Strange will always be attracted to the wildest, most perilous magic. He becomes fascinated by the shadowy figure of the Raven King, and his heedless pursuit of long-forgotten magic threatens, not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything that he holds dear.

Elegant, witty and utterly compelling, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell creates a past world of great mystery and beauty that will hold the reader in thrall until the last page.”

The story is set in the early 1800’s. The author has taken the time and paid attention to numerous details in order to weave her tale into factual history surrounding that era. Clarke displays awesome usage of the English language pertaining to the grammar of that age which in turn sprinkles hints or realism to this fantasy. Her descriptions of the behavior and appearance of her characters are all validated and even references to settings and architecture have been well examined.

The first few chapters were a task to get through. Her pages are filled with footnotes and references to ancient magical fairytales and literary references to books that only exist in her imagination. This somehow made me feel like I was reading a text book. However, once drawn into her fantasy I found those footnotes not only to be essential but very interesting and entertaining. They clearly assisted in adding that to that aura of realism.

It may seem strange to associate realism to what is clearly a fantasy novel, but no matter how out of the ordinary a tale might be, I believe that it still has to be believable in order for it to achieve any cult status. Both “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia”, which are arguably the 2 most famous fantasy novels at the moment, have in my opinion have managed to bridge fantasy with reality. By this I mean that they both represent characters that have strengths and weaknesses, similar if not the same, as ours. In ‘Jonathan Starage and Mr. Norrel’, I would dare to say that Susanna Clarke has turned it up a notch.

The story gets off to a slow start with the author clearly taking her time to lay the foundation for the world in which her characters exist. It apparently took 10 years to write this book so while reading it one must stop and admire the work that has gone into it. There is so much attention to detail in this creation of a parallel dimension that at certain times the reader is forced to wonder if these situations could really have occurred. At other times the reader feels as if they are studying a history of magic.

With more than 1000 pages filled, Clarke has introduced some unforgettable characters to literature that I hope will survive to feature in a sequel. They portray both the lighter and the darker side of human nature. Some people have referred to ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel’ as the ‘Harry Potter’ for adults. I would have to disagree. Although this novel contains elements of mystery and magic it is not as teeming with it as ‘Harry Potter’ is. The magic here is more subtle and not as glamorous. This gives it a darker edge that appeals to me.

Authors like Clarke have an imagination that is beyond my comprehension. It is as if they live in worlds apart from the common one where we live in. How else could they describe in such detail places and events that don’t even seem to exist? Tolkien invented his own language and maps of countries for his fantasies and in turn Clarke makes numerous references to volumes of books about magic and magicians that wrote them just to give strength to her story. In my opinion this novel is a masterpiece and a MUST READ for anyone who enjoys this genre. ‘Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel’ is one of the best escapes I have had in ages.

Just For Kicks

Seeing as it is Monday I am assuming that I am not the only one in the mood to goof off. I am still keeping my drinking in check and therefore I can’t scurry off to the nearest bar and get shit faced so I have found a few ways to pass time online again.

Spank The Booty
You soooo can not go wrong with this game. Not only is it entertaining and challenging, but it also a great motivator. It must be some subconscious connection. Spank away and watch that ass jiggle. Smalls, I know are lovin this. EDEM!!!

Tennis Challenge
This one is fun too. You got to keep tagging this tennis ball to keep it up in the air. I took a look at the high scores and I must say that there are some seriously obsessive people out there.

Goal Poker
This is great! Score penalties and the female fan you select will remove articles of clothing. The down side is every time you miss she puts them back on. Great for people who love football and naked women. However, a fast internet connection is required if you want to ‘enjoy the show’.

Warbears
This game takes a bit of time to download and also some time to play as it requires some thinking. And I know Shan will love it because you get to control a covert ops team of polar bears. The commentary is really funny. I can’t directly link to the game so follow the link above and look for the game. I have gotten as far as freeing 4 hostages, so if you get stuck just holla.

3 Tricks - Solved

No one even wondered about the solution to the 3 Bar Tricks? Were they that easy or does no one give a shit. Well, fortunately I am an extremely fickle human being. I am one of those people who ‘well if you don’t care to listen then I wont tell you’. And then 5 minutes later I still tell them. I particularly like the last one because it is an awesome ice breaker.

For this one, you place out 10 matches like the picture below, creating 4 equal sized squares. You then give your companion the option to move and place (not remove) ONLY 3 sticks to a different spot creating a formation of only 3 equal sized squares. And just so you know, the new squares will be the same size as the present squares so no overlapping the sticks.

Solution: I made an awesome diagram below with my outdated MS PAINT program just to show you how easy it is. I do not have any other photo style programs so my prehistoric graphics must suffice. Did anyone solve this? I didn’t think so.

Here we have 27 matches placed in a pattern of 3x3. If you add the total number of sticks in each row you will get a grand total of 9 sticks. That is horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. You must alter the number of sticks in each spot and recreate the pattern staying with the 3x3 format and still retain the sum of 9 sticks per row. Get it? This one is pretty easy to figure out.

Solution: I found this one pretty easy. Total of nine was derived with the sum of 3+3+3, so I just thought of an alternate equation, 5+3+1, and fumbled around with the placement for a few minutes till it all lined up. I am sure Ro got this one pretty fast.

Lastly, and this is my favorite, we have the Man Hole. You need to lay out your matches as per the pattern below. The 2 squares represent 2 manholes. You know the holes on the street that lead into the sewer. The 3 sticks laid out after that represent 3 speed bumps, or what we refer to here in Indonesia as ‘Polisi Tidur’ (sleeping police). 2 manholes and 3 speed bumps. Now you have to move (not remove) only 2 sticks to change this pattern in to ONE Man Hole. The bar tender in India who showed me this trick gave me one hint, “Sir, this is a non-veg one”. Basically that means it is a bit dirty.

Solution: Unlike the other tricks, this one is not based on logic. In fact it is the perfect trick to play after you have done the other 2 because your conquest will be too busy thinking of a logical answer to solve this. When you finally reveal the illusive ‘Man Hole’, you are bound to lighten up the mood around you and ease into some sultry conversation.

And in case you don’t get it, the ‘Man Hole’ is a CUNT. That is another word for pussy or vagina. Get it? Well you better make sure the person you are playing this trick on knows what a cunt is because there is nothing more embarrassing than having a group of people look up at you after you perform this trick with a lost look in their eyes. And then you have to explain to some young innocent Indonesian woman what a cunt is only ½ an hour after you met her. No, this never happened to me!!!

Rang De Basanti - Film Review

The latest Hindi film released here in Jakarta is ‘Rang De Basanti’, by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The dedicated website is very funky with cool graphics and music from the film but every time you want to open a new link you have to wait for the information to load again, which is a bit tedious. As for the film, in my opinion this is another hit for Aamir Khan.



Once again Khan has involved himself in a patriotic production that is provocative, wonderfully filmed, and inspires national pride. The last film he made was ‘The Rising’ which was about the revolutionary Mangal Pandey and set in the 1800s. Khan usually carries his film projects on his own shoulders as most Hindi film stars do, but in this film it was refreshing to see that the script did not center on one character but rather 4 young friends played by Aamir Khan (DJ), Siddharth (Karan), Kunal Kapoor (Aslam), and Sharman Joshi Sukhi.



The story is centered on Sue, a British documentary maker played by Alice Patten. Motivated by a journal/dairy that belonged to her Great Grandfather who was a prison warden in India during the British occupation, she is prepared to go into production of a documentary on the subject of Indian revolutionaries. However, at the final moment her funding is pulled and the project cancelled by her company. None the less, feeling so much passion for this venture she decides to carry on to Delhi on her own and complete the documentary.



She is welcomed in India by Sonia (Soha Ali Khan, who Inny is madly in love with) and together they venture forth to find a cast. Scouring the colleges looking for 4 young men to fill the powerful roles of Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Sukhdev, and Rajguru, proves to be quite challenging. They only end up meeting VJ wannabees and some sketchy characters. These make for some pretty funny scenes and give the movie a colorful edge in contrast with its heavy material.


Finally she meets Sonia’s friends (the above mentioned fellows) and envisions them as her heroes. The only problem is that these guys are stereotypical party animals with zero personal commitment and interest. However through the course of the film Sue convinces them to get involved in her project and eventually they find that they have a lot more to believe in and fight for than they expected. But to find out about that you will have to watch the movie because I really do not want to give it away and it is worth watching. Here in Jakarta it runs at the MPX cinema in Pasaraya Blok M, and the film has Indonesian and English subtitles.



I was never educated in Indian history and when I watch a movie or read an interesting article about characters such as Bhagat Singh I am excited to do some research and find out more. In this case I was not able to find too much about his compatriots but there is ample information online about Bhagat Singh (1907-1931). He was executed at the age of 23 for acts against the British occupation. I guess what one could refer to today as terrorism. Singh was also an Atheist and a Marxist which deeply contrasted to the beliefs of India’s most famous freedom fighter at present and of that time, Mohandas Gandhi. However by facing his execution without fear and using the court as a pedestal from which to be heard by his fellow Indians he was equally responsible for liberating India.


‘Rang De Basanti’ does not focus on the beliefs of Naujawan Bharat Sabha (Singh’s movement) or even his entire life but rather it shifts between footage of the documentary Sue is filming in parallel with the current tribulations of the 4 young men at hand. The gap is artistically bridged and is finally tied together in the heart wrenching climax of the film. The dialogue is intelligent and refers to the current state of corruption and uncertainty of the Indian government and ultimately challenges the Indian youth to take a stand and make a difference. The film also addresses delicate issues such as the tension between Hindus and Muslims living on Indian soil.

Worth mentioning also are the actors performances. Khan is one of the best actors in India today with true dedication to his art. Although he is a lot older than his character and fellow actors in this film, he steps up to the plate and plays his heart out. There are scenes in this movie that make it very clear he is truly in a league of his own. Alice Patten also has the opportunity to shine in this film but I felt she really lacked the passion. However I will say that she did an awesome job speaking Hindi. I think she speaks it even better than I do.

One might find this movie to be a bit too long and the story drawn out but that is a necessity in Indian cinema. It is their own style and if you want to enjoy Indian films it is something you would have to accept. Ultimately this movie attempts to make a very strong point and I believe they hit this one out of the park. If you have the opportunity to catch this on screen then take it. It would be an evening well spent.

2nd Annual Toys & Comics Fair 2006 – Jakarta

On the 11th of this month, I literally stumbled upon the 2nd Annual Toys & Comics Fair here in Jakarta. There was a solid cricket match on between India and Pakistan. We usually congregate for such events at Aphrodite Bar which is located in Club Rasuna on Kunningan. They have ALL the channels and they show most major sporting events. I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived there to see the common lobby area completely occupied by the exhibitionists. I did not have my camera so I had to use a phone so the quality is not too impressive.

I have never actually been to one of these things and I am not a hardcore fan of comic books, however there are a few that I have really gotten into, like Sandman. Neil Gaiman is awesome. Unfortunately there was nothing relating to that at this convention. In fact, as far as comic books go I did not see too much, but they had loads of collectibles. There were numerous retailers of action figures and even collects who were displaying their stuff, open to barter and buy. I had never noticed any of these retailers at the malls before.

I must say that I was surprised to see the turn out. Considering that Jakarta is such a populous city one would not really consider a turn out of a couple hundred people something to write home about, but I am a relatively naïve person and when I see people congregating to celebrate shared passions I get just a little bit excited. There were some real characters there from the stereo typical nerdy types with thick glasses to the Final Fantasy idolizing kids (some older than me) with platinum tinted hair and painted faces. At one point I even saw a group come in dressed like Darth Vader and the foot soldiers.

Apart from the common Superman and Batman figures, there were much more detailed and attractive characters that really attracted a lot of attention. Some of them were priced as high as a couple of hundred dollars.

Of course what blew my mind were the figurines of rock stars. Most of this stuff belonged to private collectors though. I am pretty sure many of them are not even in production anymore. I wanted very badly to buy this Jim Morrison doll but it was not for sale. This guy also had Slash, Kiss, Elvis, and Ozzy.

This other guy who I met had a full collection of everything KISS. He had dozens of action figures plus belt buckles, masks, Frisbees, cups, caps, you name it, and he had it. The only thing I did not see was the totally 70’s classic KISS metal lunch box. You could see that this guy was a serious collector.

One section of the exhibition featured old games and toys. They had these classic Star Wars Lego sets that seem to be worth quite a bit. Some people were also selling used Star Wars action figures for about Rp.100,000 a piece but I did not see any of the main characters in there. It was mostly foot soldiers and Ewok’s.

Some of the participants were card collectors. I was surprised to see some old basketball and wrestling cards I used to trade as a kid. They brought back that nostalgic feeling. There was this card that brought on a totally different feeling. If I only knew they were out there this is what I would have been collecting.

It was a pretty successful convention from what I heard. It only cost Rp.5,000 to get in so it was not really about the money but more about sharing your hobby. I met some cool people and learned about some other events that take place in this city and I had no idea about. I will make sure that I am armed with a decent camera the next time.

T-Shirts

It’s really hard to get any cool t-shirts here in Jakarta. If you go for the inexpensive ones, you usually never get a big enough size and they are plastered with cheesy logos. On the other hand, you could go to one of Jakarta’s numerous malls and pay out of your ass for US branded, made in China, t-shirt that does not even look so good.

This company makes custom shirts and I dig their prints. They express how I feel almost all of the time.

Mid-Week

It’s Wednesday and we once again have the opportunity to redeem ourselves after 2 losses. We lost the first game to the Itchy Crams of Crossroads Bar in Fatmawati 4-8, and then last week to Aphrodite also 4-8. In case you are unaware, I am referring to the Jakarta Pool League. The website has been updated and you can even follow the scores on line here. We (Fezilicious) are in conference 3 and at the moment ranked 5 out of 6. Well we are going to have to administer some serious ass whooping if we plan to make a come back. Tonights game kicks off at the Fez Lounge (Kinara) in Kemang.

I came across an AWESOME blog last week. It seems so simple but yet it is so prolific. I really do not want to give it away but this is one to add to your favorites. I am currently working on my submission. You might think I am kidding but something about what they are doing there really appeals to me.

I also came across this 7-Up game that figures out what number you are thinking off. I suck at math and I can’t figure out how Fido Dido does it. He got me twice with 2 different answers and on top of it he left me with some great advice. ‘Be yourself. How else will you remember your name?”

3 Tricks

Having spent the majority of my adult life sitting on a bar stool, I have managed to pick up a few tricks to entertain myself and the unfortunate bastard who happens to be pouring drinks for me. Here are a few puzzles that have been known to break the proverbial ice between some hot waitress or patron and I. All you really need are some smooth lines and a box of matches or toothpicks.

For this one, you place out 10 matches like the picture below, creating 4 equal sized squares. You then give your companion the option to move and place (not remove) ONLY 3 sticks to a different spot creating a formation of only 3 equal sized squares. And just so you know, the new squares will be the same size as the present squares so no overlapping the sticks.

Here we have 27 matches placed in a pattern of 3x3. If you add the total number of sticks in each row you will get a grand total of 9 sticks. That is horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. You must alter the number of sticks in each spot and recreate the pattern staying with the 3x3 format and still retain the sum of 9 sticks per row. Get it? This one is pretty easy to figure out.

Lastly, and this is my favorite, we have the Man Hole. You need to lay out your matches as per the pattern below. The 2 squares represent 2 manholes. You know the holes on the street that lead into the sewer. The 3 sticks laid out after that represent 3 speed bumps, or what we refer to here in Indonesia as ‘Polisi Tidur’ (sleeping police). 2 manholes and 3 speed bumps. Now you have to move (not remove) only 2 sticks to change this pattern in to ONE Man Hole. The bar tender in India who showed me this trick gave me one hint, “Sir, this is a non-veg one”. Basically that means it is a bit dirty.

I have the pictures of the answers safely stored on my HDD and I will post them if there is some demand. What fun is it if no one actually tries this shit? If you do have it figured out then go ahead and post a picture on your blog. Please spare me the long drawn out verbal explanation in my comment box. If the answers escape you and you are going mad trying to figure this out then please let me know so I can enjoy the fact that I have frustrated and caused the suffering of another human being. Please…

Quay

*Pronounced KEY (for all the dumb asses like me).

My buddy just rented an office in Singapore. As I have stated over and over again, I really do not care for the city but this view from his office is awesome. This is looking out to where the river meets the ocean. The buildings are really cool and I particularly like the one on the far left. It is like a slim slab with a tapered ridge on its back.

Looking out in the same direction, on the banks of the river is Boat Quay. This is a popular location in the city. I ventured down there after work, at about 4pm, and the walkway was alive with people stopping in to the quaint restaurants for fresh seafood, or kicking back at one of the numerous pubs with a cold one. I favored The Penny Black Victorian London Pub that is located at the far end of the stretch. They have a wide variety of beers on tap and the serves were very friendly.

Looking inland, on the other bank of the river is Clarke Quay. This is also a popular location for bars and restaurants. Although I did not venture there, I understand that both Clarke and Boat Quay are very popular stops for tourists looking to try some local flavors. I noticed traditional Singaporean restaurants, as well as numerous Thai, Indian, and Malay joints. Some of the bars there are pretty seedy but I am sure they would be cheaper than Panny Black which charges S$11 for a pint of Killkenny’s. And that is happy hour pricing too!!!

These old school boats were going back and forth across the river and they were taking passengers from one end to the other as well. The water did not have any visible pollutants in it, like plastic or Styrofoam, which was very pleasant, but I am quite positive it is not clean enough to take a dip it. However it was a really nice day out and had I been on a romantic vacation I would surly have convinced my ‘belle de jour’ to accompany on a skiff up the river. After all it was Valentines Day.

If you do not fancy boat rides, the span of the river is also joined by numerous bridges and underground walkways. I must give the Singaporeans credit for managing such a well planned city. And even when walking past seafood restaurants with live crabs and fresh fish on display, I did not see even one fly!!! I find that mind blowing. I have even visited food courts in the city where fresh fruits, chicken rice, and wild varieties of Indian food are all being served and eaten side by side in open areas and there is not an insect in sight.

BUT… Even though Singapore is so clean and the women so beautiful, I still would never want to live there. I enjoy a good stroll down the main streets. The women there very well so sitting at a café on Orchard Road watching the birds go buy is like being at a fashion show. Who can complain about that? But I like the 3rd world chaos and uncertainty. I need some madness around me when I want to feel sane. As far as material desires go, I can usually source whatever need, where ever I am… Except this.


Cheers… And Happy Birthday.