Isn't it good? (a conjecture)

Many years ago, while filming the movie 'Help', in the Indian restaurant scene, George Harrison sees one of the Indian band members noodling on a sitar during a break in the scene. It was a cool-looking gitbox and it made these funny squeaky sounds. Intrigued, George buys one for himself. Albeit, a cheap, tourist trap version from one of the Indian bazaars around London. George, famous for being the industrious Beatle learns to play the instrument on his own, picking out lines and melodies and even tries to play blues licks on it. He was more or less, finding his way around it. Around this time, they had started recording Rubber Soul in the studio as well. John wanted George to play the song riff in between breaks. The song was "Norwegian Wood". It was about some tryst someone (presumably John) had and it was existentialist and full of cynicism, very Lennonesque, so to speak. It is in fact one of my favorite songs of all time. During the takes, George was still struggling with the sitar that it took him way too many tries to get the riff just right. Not the most patient man and since the song has pretty much been recorded except for the sitar fills, John storms out. George, later overdubs the fills alone in the studio after learning the riff and spots studiously. After that experience, George takes on to the sitar wholeheartedly. He meets a virtuoso by the name of Ravi Shankar and studies under him. George spends so much time with Ravi that he even accompanies Ravi on these long trips to India. While there, he immerses himself in the culture, religion and music of India. During these long trips abroad, he often left his wife Patti Boyd in London. Maybe he'd asked to Eric Clapton to baby sit her, we don't know. But that's another story. With meditation and the Maharahishi and all that, George gets even more inward as a person. His songs become more meditative and mystical and starts to have a more Indian feel to them. In the meantime, Ravi starts becoming this huge international celebrity. He's asked to perform in rock concerts, music festivals and command performances for the bigwigs. His face is all over the music mags and various publications. He becomes a 'rock star', with his own deck of fans, followers and of course, groupies. And one of them was beautiful Sue Jones.

Picasso and death in the afternoon.

I dreamt I was in the middle of a fierce one on one basketball game with Pablo Picasso. Actually, I'm not sure it was him but he sure looked like Pablo. He was about 60, bald on top with gray hair on the sides. He was wearing a white wifebeater (sando) and striped boxers. I don't remember if he was wearing shoes or not. The bball game was in someone's garage and the basketball hoop was just a cheap ceramic punch bowl or some kind of flower pot on a ledge or a high shelf. We had to be careful with our shots which were mostly layups. We didn't want our hoop to come crashing down. Anyway, it was a tight game. The old man was ahead by a point. Whoever got to 5 points first, won. It suddenly occurred to me that I had to win this game somehow. That there was more to this game than just winning or losing... I had to try real hard to beat this old man who was just so quick in his defense and shot making. I had to win because I was playing against Death himself. Shades of Ingmar! It was a long struggle in a long afternoon. We were dead even at 4 all. Somehow, I made a reverse layup into the 'basket' and the ball stayed in. I won!!!