One Month and Counting

In one month my good friend, Megan Ogulnick, and I will be attending the Baseball Winter Meetings. I cannot wait to interview for either hours a day over three days. It’s going to be incredible. I will get to reconnect with the guys I worked with during my internship with the Cincinnati Reds, and the people who I met throughout the course of the 2008 season. It will be a networking and interviewing field day!

I’ve already gotten my suits dry cleaned, and gotten a million (slight exaggeration I suppose) copies of my resume made. Next step, business cards that everyone will remember. From what I know I’ll be having a bunch of mini interviews, so I’m doing what I can to make an instant and lasting impression. I’ve got my confidence cranked all the way up, and I can’t wait to show everyone that I’m made of. I miss working in baseball, and I can’t wait to get back.

If you’re at the Winter Meetings I look forward to connecting with you!

The Paris Review Interviews, IV

The Paris Review Interviews, IV, new this week from Picador, continues a great tradition of writers discussing their motivations, inspirations, methods, and, inevitably, other writers. Volume IV collects sixteen author interviews and is perhaps a bit heavier on contemporary writers than past volumes have been, showcasing current luminaries like Haruki Murakami, Orhan Pamuk, Paul Aster, and Marilynne Robinson. Although most of the interviews take place after the 1970s (with half in the past two decades), elder statespeople like William Styron, Marianne Moore, and the venerable Ezra Pound are also present.

Pound’s interview from 1962 is paradoxically revealing in its guardedness: one senses that the aged poet is trying to edit as he speaks, to achieve some sort of perfection. It’s a bit sad too, as Pound, holed up in a sort of self-imposed exile in an Italian castle, admits, “I suffer from the cumulative isolation of not having had enough contact–fifteen years of living more with ideas than with persons.” (On a less-serious note, however, he also praises Disney’s 1957 film “Perri, that squirrel film, where you have the values of courage and tenderness asserted in a way that everybody can understand. You have got absolute genius there.”)

As one might expect, Jack Kerouac comes off as the complete opposite, talking about his troubles with editor Malcolm Cowley, problems with poetry and prose, and Neal Cassady. There’s a free-flowing verbosity to Kerouac’s speech, but also an intimacy. It’s really quite beautiful. At one point, he gets one of the two poets interviewing him, Aram Saroyan, to repeat each line of Poem 230 from Mexico City Blues as he reads it aloud (Kerouac claims he wrote the poem “purely on morphine.”) As they recite the poem over several pages, Kerouac steps outside of it every now and then to compliment Saroyan’s reading or to critique a particular line, or simply to explain what he was trying to do with his words. We’re not huge fans of Kerouac’s writing, but after this interview, we wanted to be. (Later in the book, a surprised P.G. Wodehouse on Kerouac: “Jack Kerouac died! Did he?” Interviewer: “Yes.” Wodehouse: “Oh . . . Gosh, they do die off, don’t they?” Yes, they do).

One of the stranger interviews in the books is between James Lipton, of all people, and composer Stephen Sondheim. Although we don’t doubt the literary merit of Sondheim, the interview does seem a little out of place (although we will attest that the interview with Maya Angelou convinced us to give her a little more cred. A little). Elsewhere, E.B. White asserts that “You have to write up, not down” to children, and Haruki Murakami sheds insight into his own methods and passions (he often conceives his protagonist as a twin brother, lost at birth; his favorite director is Aki Kaurismäki; he’s thrilled to be mentioned in the liner notes of Radiohead’s Kid A). Murakami also talks about the writers he loves, admires, and feels insecure around (he’s shy to meet Toni Morrison at a special luncheon).

Of course, Murakami’s not alone–there’s plenty of writers dishing on writers here. When we reviewed Volume III of The Paris Review Interviews last year, we noted that both Evelyn Waugh and Raymond Chandler take the time to dis William Faulkner in their interviews. Volume IV kicks off with William Styron, who kinda sorta disses Faulkner as well, saying that “The Sound and the Fury . . . succeeds in spite of itself. Faulkner often simply stays too damn intense for too long a time.” Or Marianne Moore, on fellow poet Hart Crane: “Hart Crane complains of me? Well, I complain of him.” Ah, writers . . . great to know they can be as petty and self-absorbed as the rest of us. And it’s that humanity that shines through in these interviews. The series’s greatest accomplishment is its ability to reveal the frailties and insecurities of its subjects, but also their true personalities and tastes. Many writers work hard to control how they are perceived; cultivating a persona, one often aloof, academic, or roguish, is perhaps key to a successful writer’s identity. The interviews here are never fawning, nor do they aspire to sensationalism in revealing their subjects. Instead, each works as a neat, detailed, and very engrossing little portrait of a fascinating personality. Highly recommended.

Gilbert Arenas' new nickname: "Mr. Personality"

Gilbert Arenas was the most entertaining person in the NBA, with exceptions to Shaquille O’Neal and Ron Artest. As part of his comeback and focus on playing the game, he’s changed his approach with the media.

Sooner or later Arenas is going to let it all out, but for now, I love his mentality going into this season. He’s looking as good as ever on the court and the Wizards are 2-1 without Antawn Jamison early on, let’s hope they stay healthy so we can finally see the potential of this squad.

The Wizards play in Cleveland Tuesday night, Arenas will definitely be looking forward to that, contrary to what he says in the interview.

(via TIA and Slam)

Robert Pattinson Interview with OK! Magazine Mexico

Mexico’s OK! Magazine just came out with a ‘New Moon’ special. And it includes an interview with Rob. No word on when it was conducted, (sometime after ‘New Moon’ it seems). While some of the quotes are familiar, there are some new ones in there. So I’m translating this part for you, which is the only one that has new information.

“I’ve been kicked in the butt many times”

Is that frustrating?

It’s weird. It’s like when I live my hotel after months, just to go get dinner or do something not that interesting. And it’s still talked about. I have a couple of friends from school that live in Vancouver, and when I went to their house, really something without importance, all of a sudden it was everywhere. It’s like the more boring you are, the more you catch people’s attention. It’s funny.

Do you think it will be hard for you to fall in love, now that you’re so famous?

No, I don’t think it’s an obstacle. It’s easy to deal with those types of things (the fame), except when it affects your career. There’s people that have no luck, and the media makes sure to make them look like idiots. If this happens, you’re never gonna have work, because everyone looks at you like an idiot! You can get angry, but there’s nothing you can do.

Can you tell if girls are really interested in you, or your fame?

If they’re attractive, I don’t care if they’re only interested in Robert the actor! (laughs), although I would rather they like me for who I am.

Do you see yourself as an idol?

No, not at all. I know people have said that, but I’ve never thought about myself that way. The fact that I’ve never before been cast in roles as the “good looking guy” says something no?

How does it feel to be the fantasy of millions of girls?
It’s funny, because I’m sure that if the people outside (the fans), came and sat with me for five minutes, the illusion would be erased.
So you think your fans would be disappointed if they met you?

Of course! they probably would. There’s no way to be what people want you to be, because everyone has their own point of view about me. Eventhough people don’t really know what they want, they still expect some kind of illusion. The real me is not a fantasy.. I think.

You’ve said before that during ‘Twilight’, it took you two weeks to get into character. What about this time around?

I went to Canada about a month before filming started, and I was surprised as how relaxed I was, and how easy it was to get to that place again. Maybe because I connected more with the second book than with the first. I understood the story and the motivations better, because all those emotions I can relate to, in my own life. Like when Edward thinks he’s making the wrong decision by leaving Bella, but he still does it. I think every guy would do the same in their relationships. It’s like you’re obligated to mess it all up!, and I can understand that, because I always mess things up! It’s how it happens!

Translation Source: RobPattzNews.com
Photo Source: TwilightPoison.com via ROBsessed.com

Robin Thicke: "Working with Jay-Z was one of the Best days in my Life".

Beanie, that’s for you! lol

MTV: In December, Robin Thicke will be giving fans Sex Therapy on his new album, and he’ll have a few guests sitting in on those sessions.

In addition to Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg and British chanteuse Estelle, Thicke will be joined by Jay-Z. Thicke said he still can’t believe he got our Hottest MC in the Game to join him on a track.

“Working with Jay-Z [came about because] he came by the studio, and he heard the album. He was very excited,” Thicke explained to MTV News on the set of his “Sex Therapy” music video. “He jumped on a track called ‘Me I Play.’ “

Thicke said the track hearkens back to the soulful hip-hop from the early ’90s. “[It's] kind of like a De La Soul kind of song, but he was really excited about it,” Thicke said, adding that the collaboration was incredible. “To work with him was a dream come true. It was one of the best days of my life.”

Interview with White MacLean of Pagan Flame

Français: (ENGLISH BELOW)

VoV:  Hailsa White! Un gros merci pour votre temps. Pour commencer, pouvez vous nous faire un résumer de l’histoire de votre groupe?

W: Nous avons formé le groupe en 2005. La formation était la même qu’aujourd’hui mis à part 2 membres qui n’y sont plus. L’éveil Païen s’est fait autour de l’automne 2007 et depuis ce temps, notre musique n’est qu’un hymne à notre culture et à nos ancêtres.

VoV:  Vous avez récemment sortis un split nommé ‘’Vinland Alliance’’ avec le groupe Frost sur le label ‘’No Values Records’’. Comment en êtes-vous venus à travailler avec ce groupe et ce label? Êtes-vous satisfais de la réaction du publique face à ce split jusqu’à maintenant?

W: La rencontre avec Frost s’est faite suite à la sortie de son split avec Pagan Hammer qui se nommait ‘’Winter Death’’ la musique de Lord S. m’a à ce moment attiré et nous avons fraternisé un petit peu. Lord S. est un mec à split alors l’idée de faire un split venait de lui et nous avons tout de suite accepté puisque le groupe nous intéressait et que nous avions du matériel prêt à enregistrer. De plus, nous voulions faire entendre aux gens ce que nous faisions puisque le demo enregistré en 2006 et sorti en 2007 ne nous représentait plus vraiment. Et pour ce qui est de No Values Records et bien nous voulions sortir ce split de façon indépendante mais Lord S. et moi voulions fonder un label et le moment était rêvé puisque nous avions un split à sortir et Pagan Flame faisait 2 concerts le même mois. Les réactions furent assez intéressantes mais nous n’en avons pas eu à ce point vu la quantité limitée. Mais plusieurs artistes d’autres groupes que nous respectons beaucoup nous ont soumis de très bons commentaires et attendent notre premier pleine-longueur avec beaucoup d’excitation.

VoV: PF semble être un des rares bons groupes Païens Québécois à être actif niveau concert. Comment se déroule un concert de PF et quelle réaction le publique a eu dès votre première apparition sur scène?

W: Quand nous nous produisons sur scène, nous faisons ça de façon efficace. C’est-à-dire pas trop de discours inutiles entre chaque chansons. Quelques mots ici et là pour souligner les chansons qui nous tiennent à cœur et quelques mots bien choisis vers la fin pour éveiller la conscience et le courage et quelques fois la rage de certains. À notre premier concert que nous avons fait aux côtés des excellents Csejthe et Monarque, je m’attendais à avoir un public mou en tant que groupe de première partie mais après 2 chansons, la glace était brisée et le contact avec la foule était très intéressant. Lors du deuxième concert avec Catuvolcus (excellent groupe avec des bons gars en guise de musicien) et les Bâtards du Nord, notre partie du spectacle fut hallucinante. La foule était essentiellement composée de bons païens et lorsque nous avons fait le cover surprise de ‘’Watch the Falcons Fly’’ (Temnozor), la foule a explosé et on se serait cru en plein combat. Alors je dirais que jusqu’à maintenant, nos concerts se passent assez bien.

VoV: Vous avez participé à la compilation du Vinland Front, ‘’Strength Through Unity’’. Pourquoi avoir décidé de participer à leur compil? Que pensez-vous de ce mouvement, de son combat et de ces groupes?

W: Le mouvement est jeune et assez intéressant. Je ne suis pas la personne la plus au courant de ce qu’ils font concrètement à part la musique mais je sais qu’ils ont d’ambitieux projets et c’est ce que je trouve bien. Il existe peu de mouvement identitaire au Québec encore moins qui fonctionne. Mais le Vinland Front est un mouvement qui je crois peut aller loin. Qui sait s’il ne deviendra pas un Pagan Front Québécois. Pour ce qui est des groupes qui y sont affiliés, je trouve que la plupart sont intéressants et quelques-uns comme Mother Thule ou Nordawn retiennent vraiment mon attention. Ce sont deux groupes qui ont un talent de composition extrêmement grand et qui passe un message des plus dignes de respect.

VoV: Comme il a été dit plus tôt, PF est un groupe Païen Québécois. Ce mouvement grandi de plus en plus, qu’en pensez-vous? Croyez-vous que c’est une bonne chose de voir tous ses nouveaux groupes surgir de nul part?

W: Je pense que c’est une bonne chose que quelques groupes de black metal d’ici choisisse la bannière du paganisme. Ce sont des vertus très nobles et qui pousse l’homme et la femme vers un niveau supérieur. De plus, ce qui est intéressant ici, c’est qu’il existe peu de groupe à thème païen qui ne sont pas digne de ‘’porter le Mjollnir’’ si je puis m’exprimer ainsi. La plupart des groupes païens d’ici sont composés de gens sincères qui croient en ce qu’ils disent et ne sortent pas les clichés de merde de la tendance néo-païenne sans intérêt et sans fierté qui est la base même de notre mouvement.

VoV: Au Québec, il y a aussi les groupes très nationaliste voir même indépendantiste. Il y a une tendance très patriotique chez nous, je pense notamment à des groupes comme ‘’Forteresse’’, ‘’Octobre’’, ‘’Brume D’Automne’’ et même ‘’Markland Folks’’. Que pensez vous de cette tendance et de la présence de patriotisme, même de la politique à certain degré, dans la scène?

W: J’ai toujours pensé que la musique était un des meilleurs médias pour faire passer un message. De plus, le black metal est une musique très spirituelle qui vient chercher les émotions des gens qui sont vraiment à l’écoute de cette musique. Alors, une fois mélangé à un discours rassembleur comme un manifeste patriotique changé en chanson ou un retour sur des évènements aussi graves que ceux de 1837-38 ou, dans le cas d’Octobre, la Crise d’Octobre. Je suis moi-même un fervent patriote fier d’une patrie francophone qui résiste encore et toujours à l’envahisseur anglophone. Bien que minée par les médias ou certains partis politique, notre identité reste très forte et nous nous devons de la conserver.

VoV: Est-ce que Pagan Flame soutien, personnellement ou ouvertement, l’idée de l’Indépendance du Québec?

W: Et bien je dirais que Pagan Flame se dissocie non-volontairement de cette idée puisque nous ne traitons pas de ce sujet et encore moins de politique. Mais nos membres sont presque tous indépendantiste puisqu’ils croient en la force de notre identité québécoise et que notre avenir serait meilleur si notre nation était souveraine et indépendante d’un pays et d’une reine (bien que son rôle reste symbolique sur notre peuple) qui le maintienne dans le regret et la honte.

VoV: Que nous réserve Pagan Flame dans un avenir rapproché? Avez-vous des projet dont vous aimeriez nous faire part?

W: Nous avons du matériel à 98% terminé pour notre premier album pleine-longueur que nous espérons enregistrer vers novembre et pouvoir sortir le tout vers février. Nous avons déjà quelques idées sur les étiquettes qui pourraient nous aider à sortir cet album. Nous pensons aussi faire un concert cette année  et quelques-uns suite à la sortie de l’album l’année prochaine. Sinon on pense peut-être à un split ou une compil pour l’année prochaine mais il n’y a encore rien de sûr.

VoV: Merci de votre temps camarades, la fin vous appartiens!

W: Merci à Voice of Vinland de nous avoir offert cette entrevue et merci au Vinland Front de nous avoir permis de participer à une compilation aux côtés de bon artistes. Que la Flamme guerrière qui brûlait en le cœur de nos ancêtres puisse animer la ferveur et le courage de nos camarades et puisse le destin nous accordé la Victoire.

WMU !

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English:

VoV:  Hailsa White! Many thanks for your time. To begin with, can you introduce Pagan Flame?

W: We started the band in 2005. We were the same as today exept for 2 members that left. The Pagan awakening was made around autumn 2007 and since then, our music is a hymn to our culture and our ancestors.

VoV:  You recently released a split called ‘’Vinland Alliance’’ with the band Frost on ‘’No Values Records’’. How did you came across this band and label and worked with them? Are you satisfied of the response from the public towards that split?

W: The meeting with Frost was done after the releasing of our split with Pagan Hammer called ‘’Winter Death’’. Lord S.‘s music got to my ear and we started to fraternise a little. He’s a ‘’split guy’’ and the idea for this split came from him, we immediately accepted si9nce we were interested in his band and we had some material already recorded. Furthermore, we wanted people to hear what we were doing since our demo recorded in 2006 (released in 2007) didn’t represented us anymore. And as far as No Values Records is in concern, we wanted to release this split in an independent way and Lord S and I wanted to start a label and that was the best time since we had a split to release and Pagan Flame had to gigs the same month. The reactions were really interesting but we didn’t get that much due to the limited amount of copies. But many artists from bands we really respect gave us some really good comments and are waiting for our first full length with a lot of excitement.

VoV: PF seems to be one of the rare good Pagan band from Québec to play live. How are Pf’s gigs going and what are the general reaction from the people ever since your first live appearance?

W: When we play live, we do it in a really efficient way. Not many useless speeches between song, few words here and there to highlight the songs we really like and a few words near the end to awaken the conscience and courage and sometimes rage in some. Our first gig was with the great Csejthe and Monarque, I was waiting to get a stuck up audience since we were the opening act but after two songs the ice was broken and the contact with the crowd was really interesting. During our second gig, with Catuvolcus (an excellent band with really good guys) and Les Bâtard du Nord, our part was amazing. The crowd was mostly good Pagans and when we covered ‘’Watch the Falcons Fly’’ (Temonozor), they just went crazy and we would have thought we were in the middle of a fight. So I would say that till now, our gigs go really well.

VoV: You guys participated to the Vinland Front’s compilation, ‘’Strength Through Unity’’. Why did you chose to participate? What do you think of that movement, its fight and its bands?

W: The movement is quite young and interesting. I’m not the person who’s the most aware of what they are doing besides music but I know they have ambitious projects and that’s what I like. There’s not much Identity movements in Quebec and even less that actually works, but I think that VF will go really far. Who knows if they’re not going to become a Quebecois version of the Pagan Front. As far as its bands is in concern, I think that most are really interesting and some like Nordawn and Mother Thule really got my attention. Those two bands have a lot of talent and they deliver a message that is worthy of all respect.

VoV: As it was said earlier, PF is a Pagan band from Qhébec. This scene is growing more and more, what do you think of it? Do you think it’s a good thing to see all those bands that literally come from nowhere?

W: I think it’s good that some Black Metal bands from here decide to go under the Heathen banner. Those are noble virtues that pushes men and women to a superior level. Furthermore, what’s interesting here is that there are very few Pagan bands that are not worthy of wearing Mjollnir if I can express myself that way. Most Pagan bands here are composed of sincere people who really believe in what they say and doesn’t bare all the shitty clichés of the neo-pagan trend that has no pride and no interest and that is at the fondation of our movement

VoV: Here in Québec, we also have those really nationalist, even Independentist bands. There are real patriotic tendencies here, I think of bands like Forteresse, Octobre, Brume D’Automne and even Markland Folks. What do you think of this patriotic presence, and even political (at some point), in our scene?

W: I always thought that music was one of the best way to spread a message. And black metal is a really spiritual music that really get to the emotions of people who really listens to it. So once mixed with a powerfull message like a patriotic manifest changed into music or a return to events as important as those of 1837-1838, or, in Octobre’s case, the October Crisis. I’m a patriot myself, proud of my French-speaking land that still resists the anglo invasion. Even if it is discredited by the medias and certain political partys, our Identity stays strong and we must keep it.

VoV: Does PF openly or personally support Québec Independence?

W: Well, I’d say that PF is involuntarily not associated with this idea since we do not speak about it, even less of politics. But our members are almost all Independentists because they believe in our Québécois Identity and that we would have a better future if we would have an Independent nation (independent from another country and a queen that keep us in regret and shame).

VoV: What does Pagan Flame have in store for the near future? Any projects you want to talk about?

W: We have some material that is 98% complete for our first full length album and we hope to record near November and release it near February (2010). We already know some label that could release this album. We think about making a gig this year and some after the release of the album next year. Besides that we think about a compilation or a split next year but nothing sure.

VoV: Thanks a lot for your time! The end is all yours?

W: Thank you VoV for offering us an interview and thanks to the Vinland Front for allowing us to participate to a compilation with great artists. May the warrior flame that was burning in the hearts of our ancestors animate the strength and courage of our comrades and may fate allow victory,

WMU!

Eamcet topper Pratik Agarwal says Systematic approach makes a difference

He comes from a conservative family where business is in the blood and education comes only second. But Pratik Agarwal chose to tread a different path and quite stylishly he entered the track with a bang by taking the first rank in the highly competitive EAMCET. The topper in the engineering stream this year says it was a pleasant surprise for him though he was expecting a rank in the first 10.

A student of Narayana Junior College at Mehdipatnam, Partik owes his success to the systematic approach to the tough examination apart from hard work. Hard work alone will not help since there are thousands of guys putting in the same effort. The difference between being the topper and other equally good students is just one or two marks. And he feels it is here that assistance from teachers and tips help. “The help comes from systematically designed teaching methods,” he feels.

The 14 to 15 hours of preparation every day was not taxing but there was pleasure in studying. But the topper does not prefer to study in the State engineering colleges and prefers admission in either Birla Institute of Technological Sciences (BITS) or the National Institutes of Technology (NITs). “I want to pursue Aeronautical Engineering and then go to NASA to explore the sky and the unlimited scope for research it offers,” says this son of an accountant in a private firm.
His dream is to be a scientist in NASA..,