It's kind of fun to do the impossible !!

A colourless berry

2010-08-12T15:38:00.001+05:30

Blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, gooseberry, cranberry (not the zombie), cloudberry, boysenberry, huckleberry (no mark twain here..) … enough of the list. But the one which is making rounds across the globe is the Blackberry - not the berry of Waterloo, England but the berry of Waterloo, Canada. RIM (Research in Motion) the makers of the berry started, I should say in the golden year of the 20th century (some will appreciate this...) as a two way paging system for quickly sending and receiving mails over the corporate network. Initially, not many accepted so that's why it was even nick named 'crackberry', may be only cracks used then..no offense here.

So in 1999, the smart phone for the smart people evolved and now BB holds 21% share in the worldwide smart phone market. Thanks to their USP, engineering, technology, creativity what not...they became the most sort phone among business men throwing away the likes of Nokia, Ericsson, Motorola and so on. BB eventually became the market leader for its robust encryption, compatibility with all bands, push mail service across the globe, remote erasing of data and a clear demarcation between corporate and private mail boxes.

Come 26/7 the world witnessed one of the most gruesome battle in par with Fahrenheit 9/11. The Mumbai attack brought about a series of wake up calls to the Indian government, who found the majority of the communication has happened using satellite phones and BB. So, what do we do..we pressurize RIM to give access to the mails sent using BES and BIS and in readable format. The simple question to RIM, when access is given to KGB (Russia) and MSS (China) why not for us. So, the list is on, countries like Lebanon, Algeria, UAE have asked RIM for the same.

BB works on their own privately held encryption mechanism where in any data which passes from your mailbox to RIM servers (only in Canada.. that's the main issue) and from there to your hand held device is completely encrypted and which is fool proof. They use the best hashing mechanism in the market. The catch here, BB claim that end user gets to decide and define their private key and BB does not have any control nor does it have a master key which can decrypt it. Its a well known fact that in the world of security nothing is impossible, time is the only constraint. CIA uses the same to espionage on any traffic between the servers and devices.

Whether RIM comes up with Storm, Torch or Light or for that matter anything they have to address this pressing problem which will eventually manifold. The list of countries who threaten to stop the service is small now but the list can grow unless RIM comes with a well defined solution.
I have my doubts though, say if BB is banned in India, is it the only way terrorist communicate.. How about using a common mail id where I save the mail in drafts for the other person to read.. only when I send a mail, encryption, stealth, man in the middle, government, everything comes...

Anyways we have to wait to see if the berry is going to lose its colour or not....

Should the cricketers vote or play IPL?

2009-04-02T14:09:00.001+05:30

This is one question which has been lingering my mind ever since this tug of war started. Though the dates of IPL have been finalized well in hand before the Election Commission came out with their dates, moving the league out of the country may have some serious repercussions. Mr. Lalit Modi, one man for whom its money which he cares about than (don’t want to use abusive language in my blog..!!!). Thanks to the March incident in Pakistan, where the Sri Lankan team was attacked, any Government will try to add additional security for cricket being played in the sub – continent. And the Indian Government was no exception, but since elections are a top priority they had to compromise.

Now coming back to the topic, moving the IPL out of the country is decent enough and I don’t care a dam whether it’s played in India or outside. As Bernard Shaw says, “11 Fools are playing and 11000 Fools are watching”, except for the 11000 changing to 11Trillion, nothing else has. Voting to elect a Government if not a fundamental duty at least comes in the purview of a common man’s duty. And I seriously don’t think the cricketers are no exception to this. Mr. Modi backed largely by BCCI has come up with a bold decision of moving the IPL out of the country, or else he would make a huge personal loss, we all know how much he gained during the first season.

On one side, we have Mr. Amir Khan campaigning and asking for people to come out and vote and here we have our Mr. Modi playing a different game all together. My point here is, let the IPL be moved to a different country but what happens to the voters. To my knowledge there is no rule stating that cricketers are exempted from voting.

All things said and done, India is a democratic country and anyone can do anything they want.

My friend...

2009-03-07T22:03:00.002+05:30

This is a short poetry on a school friend of mine, though we came to know about it later. Its for you vinita............

My Friend “Vinita”

If silence is a religion, she is the God
If moon is a star, she is the sun
If beauty is skin deep, she is a fairy
If life is sweet, she has to be a part of it
That’s in short about my friend ‘Vinita’

If forgetting is a habit, she is at the top
If forgiving is divine, she is sure to bestow it
If laziness is a biggest enemy, she is your best companion
If talking is a sin, she has nothing to do with it
That’s in short about my friend ‘Vinita’

If darling is a word, she is a delicate darling
If friendship is trust, she is trustworthy
If eating is a problem, she is the greatest chef
If attitude is everything, she has everything
That’s in short about my friend ‘Vinita’

And finally, If words are short to express, she is a thesaurus
If yesterday is history, she is the future.

“ALL THE VERY BEST FOR A WONDERFUL FUTURE”

This in short about my friend ‘Vinita’

Thank you Felipe..!!

2008-11-03T11:38:00.000+05:30

Interlagos, the final race of the 2008 Formula 1 calendar saw one of the most dramatic finishes in recent times. Seriously, all die hard fans of Ferrari (me no exception...!) had a bit of tear to tickle during the closing stages. Thanks greatly to one man, Timo Glock of Toyota.

The weekend started perfectly for Ferrari and Felipe, was fastest in both the practice sessions and made a stunning perfect lap to clinch pole for the grand finale. Lewis, on the other hand was fourth fastest with Trulli and Kimi in between. Felipe had to finish at the top to win the title and Lewis had to finish anywhere between first and fifth place. The race started with a bit of drama when the formation lap was delayed by 10minutes due to sudden downpour. This resulted in drama as to which tyres the teams will choose, but thankfully the rain stopped. The first corner, as usual had some action with Nelson and David (who was on his last season.), he eventually had to end his final race without even completing a lap.

The race was just perfect for Felipe; he got the pole and lead the race from start to finish. Because of the rain, Trulli had to lose places which eventually got Fernando in second, Renault doing a sheer brilliance in the second half of the calendar. It was just perfect, till lap 67 when the rain gods showed up again and the pits became active, Kimi went into the pits ahead of his teammate a gamble which surely favored Felipe, and he came in subsequently in his next lap and managed to come out still leading the race.

Now, the action begins, the order is Felipe, followed by Fernando, Kimi, Glock, Lewis and Vittel. So technically, if in this order they finish, Lewis will win the championship by 1 point. But the drama started in the penultimate lap, Vittel overtook Lewis, thanks to Kubica the black marker and the crowd erupted because if Vittel finished ahead of Lewis then both Massa and Lewis will be tied at 97 points but since Felipe had won more races this year he will win the championship. And it seemed this will how it will finish, but this is where Formula 1 becomes highly unpredictable, the Toyota driver Timo Glock ran out of fuel and who was running fourth started cruising and by mere 100m to the finish line Lewis overtook him to take him to fifth and thereby winning the championship. The race couldn’t have got more spectacular than this.

Felipe was is all tears, but the McLaren camp was overjoyed, after Mika Hakkinen this is their first Formula 1 drivers championship and thereby Lewis Hamilton becomes the youngest racer in the Formula 1 history to win the drivers title. The constructor title went to Ferrari, no gifts for guessing that.

Come 2009, Albert Park will be roaring and the rivalry between Felipe and Lewis will reach to higher levels. So, another 4 months before the rivalry begins once again.

On the whole a dramatic season with an even dramatic finish. Congrats to Lewis, sorry for Felipe.

IPL vs. EPL

2008-03-23T10:42:00.001+05:30

EPL or English Premiere League is arguably one of the most watched league, much more than a world cup match. The reason it is star studded, when Manchester United play either Chelsea or Arsenal the viewership is more compared to a match between England and Spain. The reason for bringing Spain in the picture would be La Liga league which is equally matched to the EPL with the likes of Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi and so on…. and where huge money is involved.

After both EPL & La Liga gained much popularity neither of them have won a world cup. The last time England one a World Cup was way back in 1966 and Spain has never won the FIFA cup. But all the hyped players play in either one of the leagues.

So where is IPL – the Indian version of the famous English County heading to? All these years it has been soccer where players are purchased (underline) by the league teams and now this has gripped the BCCI – without doubt the richest board, much richer than ICC. Ever heard, "Mahendra Singh Dhoni was purchased in the auction by Chennai Kings", so is the Football fever catching cricket..??

One thing which I seriously cannot understand, how can a human be auctioned..??
So is this their value…?? Sounds weird… One of the main reason for forming IPL – actually I don't know the exact reason but it revolves around money.

Come April when the IPL kicks off….lot of fanfare is expected in this cricket frenzy country when all the top international players battle it out.

Australia (Perth vs Melbourne)

2008-01-21T11:36:00.000+05:30

Cricket, Tennis, Rugby.... name it and Aussies are in it. First let’s talk about cricket and the recently concluded 3rd test between India and Australia. Good thing India won the test in 4days and thereby has a chance of drawing the series which Aus. lead 2 - 1 thanks largely to the Sydney test. I would like to appreciate the Indian team for the success, truly a great victory. Not many teams have been able to win in Perth but India managed it and it was not by any means luck; they fought the game fairly and dominated each session on all 4 days. On the whole a great victory for the Indians.

On Saturday I also watched one of the greatest tennis matches in recent times. It’s the Australian open 3rd round between world no.1 Roger Fedrer and world no.49 Janko Tipsarevic. From the start Fedrer was not in good shape both his volleys and movement on the baseline, in simple terms he struggled. A few days back Marat Safin after his loss, told the press that Fedrer was in good shape and in sure contention for his 13th Grand Slam title and I started to wonder whether this match is going to be the greatest upset of the first grand slam of the year. Tipsarevic aged 23 put up a real great fight and Fedrer was clueless of his serve and made the world no.1 struggle for most of the points. Tipsarevic had a better percentage record when compared to Fedrer in 5 setters but the world no.1 proved why he is the best by winning crucial points at the right moment to clinch a place in the 4th round. Truly, this has to be one of the greatest matches of Australian Open 2008. In the post press conference Fedrer acknowledged Tipsarevic by saying it would be nice if some matches ended in draw but in tennis you don’t have it.

Take a bow Janko Tipsarevic.

Down Under Blues...

2008-01-07T14:27:00.000+05:30

When Anil Kumble took over as the new captain of the Indian team he would have never expected these kind of problems would crop up but this is not something new for the Indian team. The controversy over the umpiring decision in the recently concluded 2nd test between India and Australia has raised many eye brows.

Steve Bucknor and Indian team are very good pals and especially Sachin Tendulkar, who has been declared out in the most bizarre ways. If my memory is right, McGrath was bowling to Tendulkar who tried ducking a short ball and fortunately or unfortunately the ball did not bounce and hit him on the helmet, as always the whole of the Australian team went up and Mr.Bucknor declared him out and it went into the record books as LBW (Leg Before Wicket). Can you imagine, the ball hitting the helmet and you are declared LBW. And Mr.Bucknor is regarded as the ICC panel's elite umpire, I wonder how they came to this sort of conclusion.

During Australia's previous tour of India, former captain Rahul Dravid hit a ball and it was caught brilliantly by Michael Slater but after the ball bounced off the ground and he was declared not out. No one could imagine what happened next, Slater came and bombarded Dravid saying you should leave if you are out and not wait for umpire decision and it’s the same Australians who talk this nonsense when Symonds should have walked out. In fact he gave a statement after the match saying he gives credit to the bowler. What sort of sportsmanship is this?

Sourav Ganguly caught by Clarke when replays clearly show that the ball bounced of the ground, umpiring at its best. Dravid caught behind when the ball clearly flips the pad. Mark Benson (England) another officiating umpire can hear all this but not when Ponting nicked one to Dhoni and neither did he hear the Symonds issue.

The true spirit of the game, where the hell has it gone maybe when you play Australia in Australia you should leave all the spirits and all the sportsmanship. There were previous instances of ball tampering, does any of you know 'Cricket Australia' is known for changing balls in the course of the game... hey... come on that's not ball tampering... they are just changing balls... but aren’t the umpires only supposed to do this.

This is Australia at its best, playing and winning at regular intervals. If they think they cannot play against a particular bowler then don’t worry they will accuse the bowler for chucking, racial discrimination (we all know what sort of person is Andrew Symonds..!!)

The ICC is always mum when some issue crops up with the Indian team, may be all the big heads can answer this. And the BCCI for their part, "we have made a strong protest with the ICC", hell with it... why can't you cancel the series and ask the team to return. This is not something new for the Indian team, every time the team tours Australia something or the other keeps cropping up. And Mr.Ponting gives a press meet saying, "Don’t question my integrity" - all I have to say is none of you people play with the right spirit of the game.

Till 1992 world cup South Africa was banned from playing International Cricket, maybe Australia too needs a treatment like this.

Till then Happy Cricketing - Cricket Australia

Indian Railway System

2007-11-30T13:01:00.000+05:30

History states that it was the British who brought about the railway system in India. I still feel that they have done good things to our country may be a margin less. If at all my granddad was alive and reading this post he will give me 1001 reasons as to why we should be an independent nation. Unfortunately he died on January 1, 2005 we miss u thatha… He was a freedom fighter and he ran away from home at the age of 16 years. That’s how much was the impact of freedom movement during those period.

Coming back to the topic, the railway system in India is tremendous keeping in mind the landscape and population size of the country. To cater to a population of this size is not an easy task and people move from one corner to another corner of the country.

Recently I had the privilege of making a long journey in train from Howrah to Bangalore. It took me close to 34 hours to complete the journey and I should say it was an experience of a kind. The trains in India run at an average speed of 90 km to 100 km per hour and that’s far far slow compared to other countries of the world. And every year there is competition between TGV and Bullet train and if my memory is right I think its TGV who are ahead at around 500 km ph. The tracks in India need to be modified so as to take the speed. Maybe this is the area which the department needs to have a serious thought on there by reducing the travelling time. With absolutely no entertainment and no plug point to charge my laptop I was left gazing at the scenic beauty outside.

Coming to the aspect of food in trains, I would say its far better than how it used to be 10 years ago but still a lot of improvement needs to be done especially with regards to hygiene factors.

I was literally killing my time during my entire journey thanks firstly to the aviation department which is another big story. So I sat down to write this post as I was left with no other option and my blog also desperately needs posts.

Give away of the day...!!

2007-11-24T11:37:00.000+05:30

I was actually searching for an encryption software on the internet and accidently got hold of this site, this is probably one of its kind atleast till now. The name of the web site is http://www.giveawayoftheday.com as the name describes they give one licensed software free everyday which otherwise you have to pay. I wonder how they actually manage to do this but as long as it serves the purpose am not going to ask the question.

They also give one licensed game software also everyday. Should sounds great for all those game freaks out there.

But seriously speaking I just loved the site for what its offering. So people just log onto the site everyday, you never know the software or the game which you desperately needed might be on the stands and that too free of cost.

Jab we met

2007-11-23T16:12:00.000+05:30

This was the movie which i co incidentally happened to see last night. I was so bored and didn't know what to do so watched the movie. One of my friend said the movie is good, so Jab it happened.. I should say the movie was worth a watch for 3 reasons first i could spend my time, next it made me laugh and finally it had an happy ending. I don't want to explain in detail about the story but its a typical bollywood movie and the centre theme is obviously Love. Kareena Kapoor has put on a good show and her non stop blabbering reminds me of a friend by name vinita who is exactly like her. Songs are good especially the music, i dunno who scored it but its peppy. If u are looking for something on the story line, please don't watch the movie as the story is not that very great.

On the whole a good movie and i would rate it 5.5 on 10 as its a good time pass.

September till November

2007-11-21T12:35:00.000+05:30

I haven’t actually posted anything on my blog but have been visiting the page regularly to write something and after adding bits and pieces every other day my final post is ready. Travelling is the reason y I haven’t been able to write. The second half of the year has been really great for me and traveling to different parts. F

First on the list was Chandigargh (Northern Part of India) where my stay was for close to 2 weeks.
Chandigargh – India’s first planned city and to say its actually well planned be it the roads or the buildings. Its neatly cut out. Lots of greenery and good people. And food – Punjabi food I don’t have to tell anything. During the course of my stay I had the opportunity to visit Jalander and Amritsar. My stop was at first in Amritsar – Golden Temple early morning at 4 am. And it’s a paradise on earth.. wat a mind boggling structure made out of 500 kg of Gold, I didn’t know much about the custom and tradition but really enjoyed the way things are done. Later the evening went to the famous Wagha border (now known as Atari) and witnessed one of the most beautiful sights. Indian and Pakistani soldiers showed their true class and power.

On the whole a memorable experience.

October saw my first trip to China – where the east meets the west. I stayed in the capital Beijing for nearly 3 weeks and witnessed one of the best be it food, people or infrastructure. China is easily 30 times developed than India and at the rate they are going I dunno who can stop them may be its language which will stop them. I also happened to visit Chengdu another beautiful place – voted as the best tourist spot. During my stay in Beijing got a chance to visit one of the 7 wonders of the world The Great Wall and am thrilled, happy name the word and I am really over joyed. I also visited the Summer Palace, Tianmen Square (The fmous studen revolution took place there) and Temple of Heaven. All beautiful places and well maintained. Love Beijing and didnt feel like leaving the place. I miss Beijing.

So this is the reason why I haven't been writing. Let me work out on a good post soon.

India win Twenty20 World Cup

2007-09-25T17:17:00.000+05:30

India are ICC Twenty-20 World Cup Cricket Champions!!!

India have beaten Pakistan by just five runs to lift the first Twenty20 cricket World Cup - their first major trophy since 1983!
India won the toss to bat first and Gautam Gambhir soon knocked up 75 runs to help his side reach 157-5.
Pakistan started well in response, but Irfan Pathan and Rudra Pratap Singh took three wickets each to see them end on 152 all out in the final over.
India had only played one Twenty20 game before the start of the tournament.
Shahid Afridi has declared "Player of the Tournament" and Irfan Pathan as "Man of the Match"

Well, truely a memorable day for all Indians.

Chak de India!!

Amazing Truth

2007-09-21T12:59:00.000+05:30

The Most Selfish " 1 " letter word
" I " ---> Avoid It

The Most Satisfying " 2 " letter word
" We " ---> Use It

The Most Poisonous " 3 " letter word
" Ego" ---> Kill It

The Most Used " 4 " letter word
" LOVE " --> Value It

The Pleasing " 5 " letter word
" SMILE " --> Keep It

The Fastest Spreading " 6 " letter word
" RUMOUR " --> Ignore It

The Hardest working " 7 " Letter word
"SUCCESS " --> Achieve It

The Most enviable " 8 " letter word
" JEALOUSY " --> Distance It

The Most Powerful " 9 " word letter word
" KNOWLEDGE " --> Acquire It

The Most essential " 10 " letter word
" CONFIDENCE " -- > Trust It

English - Driving me crazy at times

2007-09-06T15:00:00.000+05:30

Some reasons to be grateful if you grew up speaking English:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound .
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) There is no time like the present, he said it was time to present the present .
8) At the Army base, a bass was painted on the head of a bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of Novocain injections, my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear .
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
22) I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt .

The Parking at T.Nagar

2007-07-16T11:11:00.000+05:30

On Sunday, I had the great privilege of driving pun intended in the crowded streets of T.Nagar at around 11AM. I was approaching Saravana Stores, the one opposite Panagal Park. The problem started then, where should I park my car, the security personnel outside the shop told me take the first left and you would find the place. I did follow suit and to my surprise I couldn't find a single parking spot so I drove ahead and ahead and ahead till I reached the end of the road. Thank God, there I could find a place between two houses and I parked, now the trouble started I had to walk back and it was gruel some long walk approximately 1km.

From now on, learned a lesson never take private vehicles to T.Nagar instead use public transportation which will have its own drawbacks but its better than walking 1 km.

I wish the authorities do something productive about the parking problems and the shop keepers also have a role to play.

What is marketing....??

2007-07-12T09:49:00.000+05:30

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me! " - That's Direct Marketing"

2. You're at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: " He's very rich. "Marry him." -That's Advertising"

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: " Hi, I'm very rich. "Marry me - That's Telemarketing"

4. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car)for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say:"By the way, I'm rich. Will you "Marry Me?" - That's Public Relations"

5. You're at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says:"You are very rich! "Can you marry ! Me?" - That's Brand Recognition"

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. - " That's Customer Feedback"

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: "I am very rich. Marry me!" And she introduces you to her husband. - "That's demand and supply gap"

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: "I'm rich. Will you marry me?" and she goes with him - "That's competition eating into your market share"

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: "I'm rich, Marry me!" your wife arrives. - "That's restriction for entering new markets "

They are...

2007-07-09T11:26:00.001+05:30

1. CHRIST THE REDEEMER STATUE, BRAZIL
The 125-foot-tall statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms overlooks Rio de Janeiro from atop Mt. Corcovado. The statue, which weighs more than 1,000 tons, was built by Polish-French sculptor Paul Landowski in pieces in France starting in 1926, then shipped to Brazil. The pieces were carried by cogwheel railway up the mountain for assembly. The statue was inaugurated in 1931.

2. PYRAMID AT CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO
This step-pyramid surmounted by a temple survives from a sacred site that was part of one of the greatest Mayan centers of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. Built according to the solar calendar, it is placed so that shadows cast at the fall and spring equinoxes are said to look like a snake crawling down the steps, similar to the carved serpent at the top.

3. GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The 4,160-mile barricade running from east to west in northern China is the longest man-made structure in the world. The fortification, which largely dates from the 7th through the 4th century B.C., was built to protect the dynasties from invasion by the Huns, Mongols, Turks and other nomadic tribes.

4. MACHU PICCHU, PERU
Built by the Incan Empire in the 15th century, the giant walls, palaces, temples and dwellings of the Machu Picchu sanctuary are perched in the clouds at 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes mountains. It remains a mystery how the huge stones were moved into place for the construction of the remote city.

5. COLOSSEUM, ITALY
The giant amphitheater in Rome was inaugurated in A.D. 80 by the Emperor Titus in a ceremony of games lasting 100 days. The 50,000-seat Colosseum, which has influenced the design of modern sports stadiums, was an arena where thousands of gladiators dueled to the death and Christians were fed to the lions.

6. PETRA, JORDAN
The ancient city of Petra in southwestern Jordan, built on a terrace around the Wadi Musa or Valley of Moses, was the capital of the Arab kingdom of the Nabateans. It also flourished under Roman rule after the Nabateans were defeated in A.D. 106. The city is famous for its water tunnels and numerous stone structures carved in rock, the most impressive of which is probably Ad-Dayr, an uncompleted tomb facade that served as a church during Byzantine times.

7. TAJ MAHAL, INDIA
The white marble-domed mausoleum in Agra was built by Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan between 1632 and 1654 for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. The complex - an example of Mughal architecture combining Indian, Persian, and Islamic styles - houses the graves of the emperor and his wife, as well as those of lesser royalty.

Source: Forbes.com

And the Seven Wonders are...

2007-07-09T11:11:00.000+05:30

Two moons on 27 August, 2007

2007-07-05T12:12:00.000+05:30

**Two moons on 27 August* 11 pm CST (12 pm EST) in USA.

You may be interested. Show two moons to children. Mark the date on your calendar. Let us hope the sky is not cloudy. This time translates to 11 pm CST (12 pm EST) in USA. Let’s not miss this spectacle!!**Two moon on 27 August

**27th August the Whole World is waiting for.............* Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am IST. It will look like the earth has 2 moons.The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again.

The iPhone: Ten Things Apple Did Right, and Ten Things That Need Work

2007-07-02T11:34:00.000+05:30

The latest gizmo to hit the market is definitely the iPHONE from Apple. I was seeing the video the other day and was seriously awe struck by its features and things it can do. Seriously its an eye catchy phone priced at around $600. But for people in India the wait is still on as the iPHONE will not be available till 2008.

I was glancing at PC WORLD magazine and came up with the pros and cons of this latest gadget, which i have pasted below. Thanks to them.

Ten Things Apple Did Right in the iPhone

1. The display, the display, the display: Everything looks good on it.

2. The menu design is simple and clean, and the home-screen icons look like so much eye candy.

3. Fingertip navigation, zooming, and scrolling are intuitive, effective, and fast.

4. Video playback is so good that you can tell when you've done a subpar job of ripping your movies.

5. Visual voice mail lets you get to the calls you care about faster.

6. The integrated applications--including Google Maps, YouTube, and a world clock that packs a timer, a stopwatch, and multiple alarms--are great.

7. CoverFlow, which lets you choose your music by visually flipping through album art, is incredibly fun.

8. The exterior is tough: Our initial stress tests suggest that the iPhone is more durable than you might expect for such a sleek handset.

9. It's the first Apple music player with a built-in speaker--and the speaker isn't half bad for a phone component.

10. You don't get a disconcerting "do not disconnect" message when syncing the iPhone with a PC.

Ten Things Apple (and AT&T) Did Wrong

1. There is NO AOL Instant Messaging--and Yahoo and MSN IM clients, too. What about MMS support for sending picture mail?

2. There's no voice recording and, more importantly, no voice dialing support. How are you supposed to use an iPhone with a hands-free car kit?

3. It's the most locked-down phone we've ever seen. You can't swap out the AT&T SIM card for one from another network; in fact, you can't even swap it out for another AT&T SIM card.

4. AT&T is building out its mobile broadband network, but iPhone users are stuck with the company's older EDGE technology--or with battery-consuming Wi-Fi.

5. You know those great headphones you already own? They won't fit the iPhones headset jack, so your first iPhone accessory will have to be a bulky, ugly $10 adapter.

6. The software keyboard invites typos--and when you're entering passwords, there's no way of telling whether you've got them right until tyou get an "access denied" prompt.

7. It's great that the iPhone can reorient pages in Safari, CoverFlow, and the photo album, but why not extend that capability to other apps such as e-mail? Some messages would benefit from a wide-screen display. And even when the device does reorient, it doesn't always follow through with all the attendant features: CoverFlow loses access to the volume slider, for example.

8.There's no support for custom ringtones--surprising in a music phone.

9. The camera is rudimentary, with no audio/video or even a zoom capability.

10. You don't get to-do list support, a basic in most calendar applications.

Cortesy: PC WORLD Saturday, June 30, 2007

Here comes the monsoon.....!!!

2007-06-19T09:46:00.000+05:30

The south west monsoon which had set much earlier than usual is bringing rain. Though Kerala and southern parts of Tamil Nadu experienced rain, yesterday was the first day Chennai received good rain bringing delight to many including me.

Normally its the north east monsoon which brings much rain to the city and it normally sets during the month of august i guess...

So what happens next, is the corporation of madras geared up to take up the rainy season ahead.

And my car is still in the operation theatre only.

My first car accident

2007-06-18T08:20:00.000+05:30

I have been driving for over 8 months now and managed to drive so far without any scratches in my car. Anyone driving in the city of Chennai would know how tough it is really to drive without any hits. But finally the jinx was broken, thanks to our good old MTC (Metropolitan Transport Corporation) bus driver.

The incident, rather accident or what should I say..... happened near Dashprakash bus stop. It was 7 PM and as always the traffic was at its peak and I was not driving rash or fast also (how can I drive fast...!!!) just driving in second gear. I had halted to the right of the bus waiting for the traffic to clear ahead of me. Then suddenly it all happened, the bus was standing in the stop and the driver seeing only to his left started the vehicle and rammed to the left of my car, left rear door went inside and luckily petrol tank was not much damaged apart from the paint of the bus and scratches. Luckily the door could open.

As expected the driver just left the place, damage only to my vehicle.. Sob.. :(

Now I have given the vehicle for repairs and God knows how much the damage would cost me..

Where is the helmet..??

2007-05-31T07:14:00.000+05:30

Come June 1, '07 all motor cycle riders in the city have an extra load to carry in their armoury and i.e. a HELMET and the pillion rider will not be spared either, he / she also has to wear one.

Thanks to the new law...!!!

Though this rule existed from long back, only now it will be implemented (hopefully..!!!). From tommorrow the new law will come into effect and slowly it will be implemented in other cities of the state.

Rules:

All two - wheel riders are to complsourily wear helmets.

All pillion riders should also wear helmets compulsorily.

No kid will be allowed to travel sitting in the petrol tank.

Kids are exempted from wearing the helmets provided they are below 6 and sit behind.

So, this is how the order of the day will be from tomorrow. Already there has been a last minute rush to purchase the same and I hope everyone sees the ISI symbol (Indian Standards Institute now renamed as Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS)) on the helmet before purchasing.

And I was told from July - wearing seat belts in car will also be made compulsory. Seeing all this, its really good sign for the city which has been recently voted as the cleanest metro in the country. Another feather in the cap.

Krd Rys (a.k.a Curd Rice)

2007-05-30T08:07:00.000+05:30

For about a week now, at several strategic locations, there is a huge hoarding with a smiling Prakash Raj announcing Krd Rys, at an introductory offer of Rs.10 (against the intended price of Rs.16). In the picture, the Krd Rys is all white with touches of green and orange, and its container echoes the same colour scheme.

According to Business Line:
Hatsun Agro Product Ltd has come out with `Krd Rys'-- possibly the world's first branded curd rice offering. The company owns brands such as `Arokya' milk, `Komatha' milk, `Santosa' milk (targeted towards hotels and caterers) and `Arun Ice cream' and launched `Krd Rys' recently in some parts of Tamil Nadu.

`Krd Rys' will be prepared entirely by machines in the company's ISO and HACCP certified dairies. Hatsun operates four dairies at present in Salem, Kancheepuram, Nallur (Chennai) and Belgaum, Karnataka.

At an introductory price of Rs 10 for 275 gms, the curd rice is garnished with mustard, cashew nuts, raisin, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and carrot.

The product will be available throughout the State in a few days, according to company officials. Details of the investment have not been disclosed but the thinking behind the launch of the product is evident.

So what do you guys think about this new product??

A dozen stupid facts..!!!

2007-05-22T07:57:00.000+05:30

1. It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland!

2. The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

3. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

4. Women blink nearly twice as much as men!

5. You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206!

6. Earth is the only planet not named after a god!

7. Sharks can live up to 100 years!

8. Former president Bill Clinton only sent 2 emails in his entire 8 year presidency!

9. Octopus have three hearts!

10. Tiger shark embroyos fight each other in their mother's womb. The survivor is born!

11. A Blue whale's tongue weighs more than an elephant!

12. Bill Gates' house was designed using a Macintosh computer!

Tips for searching in Google

2007-05-18T08:01:00.000+05:30

Modifiers

1. allintitle: If you start a query with [allintitle:], Google will restrict the results to those with all of the query words in the title.

2. allinurl: If you start a query with [allinurl:], Google will restrict the results to those with all of the query words in the URL.

3. date: Search only a range of months.

4. intitle: If you include [intitle:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to documents containing that word in the title.

5. inurl: If you include [inurl:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to documents containing that word in the URL.

6. site: If you include [site:] in your query, Google will restrict the results to those websites in the given domain.

7. Punctuation - Several of the more common operators use punctuation instead of words, or do not require a colon. Among these operators are OR, "" (the quote operator), ~ (tilde, the synonym operator), #...# (the numerical range operator), * (asterisk, any word identifier), - (the minus operator), and + (the plus operator).

Operators

1. cache: If you include other words in the query, Google will highlight those words within the cached document.

2. define: The query [define:] will provide a definition of the words you enter after it, gathered from various online sources. The definition will be for the entire phrase entered.

3. filetype: Use to restrict the results to a specific file type such as [filetype:pdf] or [filetype:ppt].

4. info: The query [info:] will present some information that Google has about that web page.

5. link: Use to see who is linking to you. The query [link:] will list web pages that have links to the specified web page.

6. movie: Use the [movie:] operator to search for films related to a specific actor, director or plot detail.

7. related: The query [related:] will list web pages that are "similar" to a specified web page.

8. safesearch: Exclude adult-content.

8. stocks: If you begin a query with the [stocks:] operator, Google will treat the rest of the query terms as stock ticker symbols, and will link to a page showing stock information for those symbols.

Special Searches / Features

1. showtimes – Use [showtimes] or the name of a current film into the Google search box. If you've already saved your location by using Google Local, the top search result will display show times for nearby theaters for the movie you've chosen.

2. patent - Search for a specific patent number. "patent 12345678 "

3. Fcc - Search for a specific FCC equipment ID. "Fcc B4Z-34009-PIR "

4. Weather - See weather conditions and a four-day forecast for a particular U.S. location.

5. Calculator - The Google search box becomes a calculator.

6. FAA registrations - Get info based on an airplane's tail number.

7. Stock quotes - Use the ticker symbol(s).

8. Airport conditions - "mco airport"

9. UPS tracking numbers - "1Z9999W99999999999"

10. FedEx tracking numbers - "999999999999"

11. Telephone area codes - "650"

INDIAN CRICKET BOARD REFUSES RICHARD BRANSON'S VIRGIN AIRLINE SPONSORSHIP

2007-05-17T11:07:00.000+05:30

Billionaire Virgin business group boss Richard Branson has offered to
sponsor the Indian cricket team currently reeling after a string of
tournament defeats.
However, the embattled Board of Control for Cricket of India (BCCI) has
politely refused the generous multi-million-pound offer by the cricket-mad
magnate.

As one harassed Board official snapped: "We can't have VIRGIN written on
our shirts, when we're getting screwed in every match"

"courtesy of : Selvan. L (You know who)"

Worst day of the summer !!

2007-05-12T20:49:00.000+05:30

Today probably the worst day for me to feel the scorching heat. Normally, thanks to the AC's the office atmosphere is really a heaven. Today, my mother wanted to go sri perambathur and we started by 9 AM. Morning, it was fine as the heat was gradually increasing, once we reached the temple there it was pretty cool. I seriously admire the construction of these old temples, though the heat is more, its pretty chill inside.. how in the world did they manage to make such a construction or the God's doing the trick ;)

The problem started only when we were coming back, we started by 11.30 and at noon we were literally burnt in the weather, the car AC was at its maximum but still the heat could be felt inside and once we reached the city limits it got worse as we couldn't move freely and the heat was taking its toll. Eventually we couldn't travel anymore and had to settle in my aunt's house for the afternoon.

This truely is hot really hot, I wonder how people travel in this weather especially the two - wheelers..

What do you think about the weather chennaities..??

2007-05-10T11:22:00.000+05:30

Job Offer availabe in a leading MNC. Who have 3 years experience in Sales and 1 year experience as Team Leader in Sales.

Requierement: Any Graduation
Age: 25 years to 32 years
Current CTC : Should be 1.5 lakh
Position: Agency Manager
Should be residing within city limits

For further information mail me

The Best Things in Life

2007-05-09T10:04:00.001+05:30

1. Falling in love.

2. Laughing so hard your face hurts.

3. Getting mail.

4. Taking a drive on a pretty road.

5. Hearing your favorite song on the radio.

6. Lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

7. Finding the jean you want is on sale for half price.

8. Giggling.

9. A good conversation.

10. The beach.

11. Laughing at yourself.

12. Running in rain.

13. Laughing for absolutely no reason at all.

14. Having someone tell you that you're beautiful.

15. Laughing at an inside joke.

16. Friends.

17. Falling in love for the first time.

18. Accidentally overhearing someone say something nice about you.

19. Waking up and realizing you still have a few hours left to sleep.

20. Your first kiss.

21. Having someone play with your hair.

22. Sweet dreams.

23. Chocolate.

24. Swinging on swings.

25. Watching a good movie cuddled up on a couch with someone you love.

26. Going to a really good concert.

27. Getting butterflies in your stomach every time you see that one person.

28. Making eye contact with a cute stranger.

29. Winning a really competitive game.

30. Holding hands with someone you care about.

31. Discovering that love is unconditional and stronger than time.

32. Hugging the person you love.

33. Watching the expression someone's face as they open a much-desired present from you.

34. Watching the sunrise.

35. Getting out of bed every morning and thanking God for another beautiful day.

If you think there is anything else best, let me know.. :)

WC 2007 - Also The Aussie way

2007-04-30T11:14:00.000+05:30

The best team won the world cup. Clearly, any person seeing Australia bat, bowl and field can say they were the best team of the tournament. Though they had a miserable tournament against the Black Caps, a clean white wash and losing the Hadlee - Chapell trophy, they provided some outstanding cricket all through this tournament. As a result they strech their world cup winning record to 29 matches on the row. Yes 29 matches, so they were last defeated in a world cup match only in 1999. Spectacular and brilliant, the way they have been consistent for the past 11 to 12 years shows their calibre, mind you they lost to Sri Lanka in 1996 world cup final and the revenge has been taken now. So, for the last 4 editions of the world cup they have been into the finals.

1996 - India, Srilanka & Pakistan

I personally feel that the reason why Srilanka won the 1996 world cup is because of 2 personalities. One their former coach, Dav Whatmore and second Aravinda De Silva. Whatmore bought about this strategy of lofting the ball beyond the 30 yards circle, where in only 2 players are allowed beyond for the first 15 overs and Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwartana capitalised to the fullest possible extent. Aravinda is technically the most prolific batsman of the time and its thanks to his innings in the final, that they were able to chase Australia's score.

1999 - England

For the first time after the World Cup started in 1975 - the world cup was held within the span of 3 years, normally its held every 4 years like any other major tournaments of the world. People say different views about it, but I think England wanted to hold the World Cup before the 21st centuary. They hosted in 1975, 1979 and before the end of the centuary they wanted to hold and so perhaps the world cup was preponed by a year and so in 1999 world cup was held. Another exception is 1992 world cup, held after a gap of 5 years.

During the world cup, Sachin Tendulkar's father expired and he flew back and came back to hit a massive hundred against Kenya.. Truely.. a superb knock. Another major highlight was the semi - final between Australia and South Africa. The match ended in draw and Australia scrape through to the finals because of a better run rate. The final ball when Allan Donald ran out by Lance Klusener still is fresh in my mind, I seriously think they shouldn't have ran that single instead Zulu could have hit the ball over the park as he did the over before. So, Australia went to the final and literally tore apart Pakistan for the loss of a single wicket.

2003 - South Africa

The Indian team were a total under dogs (I seriously find this term stupid !!!) before they went to the tournament. No one expected them to be in the finals, they however still managed to reach the finals and got pulverised in the hands of Australia again. The major highlight would be India reaching the finals, because after 1983 's win they never managed to reach the finals in any other edition of the cup. So, exactly after 20 years they reached but only difference and major difference, they lost in the finals.

2007 - West Indies

This was the recently ended one which clearly stands out for all the unlikely events. First India lost to Bangladesh, second Pakistan lost to Ireland who were playing for the first time and the following day Bob Woolmer expired (Pakistan coach) first reports suicide and later confirmed as murdered. Still after the world cup, no clear picture as to who murdered him or how he was murdered. Next, Ireland got one day status because they defeated 2 Test playing nation, namely Pakistan and Bangladesh. By this, both South Asian giants were out of the tournament namely Pakistan and India who didn't manage to go to the Super 8. And once again Australia won the world cup for the third time on the row making it a hat trick of world cup wins.

With this we can see that during the last four editions of the world cup its been Australia vs some Asian country, leaving the first its been Australia all the way. Another way this WC would be memorable is that almost all the coaches are retiring after this WC.

John Buchanen of Australia is giving way to Tim Nielsen.

Duncan Fletcher of England gives way to Steve McClaren

Bennett King of West Indies, Tom Moody of Sri Lanka, Dav Whatmore of Bangladesh, Greg Chapell of India all have retired. Pakistan have lost their coach in the sad way. Mickey Arthur coach of South Africa is under the scanner. Its more likely that John Bracewell will continue as New Zealand's coach. Zimbabwe's coach Kevin Curran, I seriously dont have any clue whether he will continue as coach or ..... And South African Adrian Birrell will most likely be taking over as coach of Ireland who got one day status recently. I think I have covered all the ODI playing countries. Next, coming to the players retirement list...

From the Indian Cricket Team, the first player to retire from the ODI was Anil Kumble.
Brian Lara, Inzamum-ul-Haq, Russell Arnold, Ian Bradshaw and Glenn McGrath have already announced their retirement. Stephen Fleming, Sanath Jayasuriya announced their retirement from ODI's for the time being.
I definitely believe Marvan Attapattu, Michael Vaughan, Jacques Kallis will and many more will call it a day soon. In a few weeks time we could see many players following suit.

Whats your say? Am I missing out somebody?

On the whoe, though the tournament was very long, it was a treat especially to all the Aussie fans atleast. The sponsors of the tournament made a huge loss, thanks mainly to India's and Pakistan's early exit, it was a tournament well fought and the best team eventually won it.

HATS OFF TO AUSTRALIA... !!!

They truely deserve the cup.. (though it contradicts my earlier post, happy because the best team won).

Lara calls it a day

2007-04-25T11:43:00.000+05:30

The on going world cup has seen many upsets, starting from India's loss to Bangladesh and Pakistan's loss to debutant's Ireland. The recent addition to the list would definitely be the retiring of the great West Indies captain and batting maestro Brian Charles Lara who announced his retirement from International cricket to bring to an end a enthralling career. Lara, 37, holds the record for the top test score (400 not out) and highest in the first-class game (501 not out). He amassed 11,953 runs in 131 Tests and 10,387 runs in 298 one-day internationals.

Lara's relaxed, superb technique, flourishing drives and broad smile meant he was always destined to stand out. He will be remembered as one of the most natural timers of a ball, but his legacy will also be tarnished somewhat by his failings as a captain in a rapidly declining West Indies team that could not challenge as World Cup hosts.

Come Tuesday, the semi finals begin starting with Sri Lanka facing New Zealand, though personally I want NZ to win.. I would keep my fingers crossed. What is more important would be the Australia vs South Africa semi final which I definitely want SA to win. Don't ask whether am against Aus and if you still ask I would say a big YES... for the simple reason they have won it 3 times. Why not have a change...??? From 1996 they have been in all the finals, so want a change.

GOD turn your eyes to a place which is to the right of Australia... Let the Black Caps hold the Silverware..

Are the God's to be blamed...!!!

2007-03-29T13:59:00.000+05:30

Lord Krishna, Lord Jesus, Lord Allah.... who are we going to blame now or the God's are going to point fingers at one another. This can happen only in India, because the importance which we give to cricket is huge, no other sport comes even near. Can you imagine, people from different walks of life be a hindu, muslim or christian all praying for "TEAM INDIA" (as they call these days). Are we giving undue importance to cricket?? Definitely yes...

The recent exit of Team India from the world cup have brought about lot of things under the scanner. Axing of players, coach and what not...!! Is this fair on our part, going a year back it was under the leadership of Greg Chapell that we won 17 matches chasing, which is a world record by itself. So, its like if the team plays well we worship them as God else burn their images and send rubbish messages. The most interesting one which caught me was, Indira Gandi is to be blamed for the loss against Bangladesh, because its she who split Bangladesh from Pakisthan in 1956. What nonsense is this...??

Media - Goodness me, what can I say about them. According to me they are the serious cause for all the problems. They give unnecessary hype and make money and when the team fails they create a bad image.
So, what next...?? The BCCI meets on April 6th and some serious decisions should be taken on the future of cricket in India.

2006-10-28T22:24:00.000+05:30

Its been raining heavily in Madras for the past few days and yesterday and today have been worse. Walking in this weather, roads inumdated with water sickens me alot, for the basic reason its yuck..!!!!

Apart from that 2 good things happened, first my cousin's wedding. It took place yesterday (27th) in Moscow, Deepak and Marina. Its a sad thing that we couldn't go, but was told the wedding took place really well. Very happy to hear the news. And i wish both of them a very happy married life.

Secondly, today my aunt got award namely "Best Teacher", from the Rotaract Club of Madras Southwest. She is by the way head mistress of a school for the past 5 years and has been teaching for the past 14 years. Nice to type itself.
Hats off!!!

Rest apart, as I am typing this out its pouring like hell outside, dont ask me what hell is.. but literally all roads are flooded with water.

2006-10-02T22:49:00.000+05:30

Its been a real long time, since i actually wrote something or for that matter visited my blog.
The simple answer for this would be 'BUSY'. Now that i work, life has become a real monotony that i hardly get time to do things. 6 days a week and 9 hours a day which comes to more time i spend in office than at home.
Life during my college was a real pleasure, no tension. I used to get back home at 1 or 2 pm...then had the whole evening and now that has become history.Life now is different altogether.
Speaking of my job, i work with the worlds local bank - HSBC.
Life at HSBC is completely different and the place i work too. The work culture, environment, people working all are fabulous, but on the downside i work on saturdays....... which i completely hate. I would like to have weekends all for myself. But that isn't the case.

Now also i feel very tired and want to hit the bed soon.. but made up mind to write something.
I have decided on one more thing, that what ever be my situation, I will definitely keep writing something or the other on a regular basis.

So...lets see how far i keep up my promise on this issue..

2006-07-02T12:26:00.000+05:30

So both the South American giants have exited from the tournament. And its a all European affair..
and the team which i supported after making, so many judgements, lost and lost to Germany.. if and only if Klose hadn't scored the equalising goal.. Argentina would have won. Italy thro' - expected result. Ukraine was jus a one man army.

England, as usual lost in the penalties. It was Becks last time and this time, Lampard, Gerrald both screwd. Well, when the next coach takes charge, Penalties should be his first criteria according to me... Rooney.. sheer madness, rehabitation for so long and a minutes madness takes him out..
Next, the biggest upset of the world cup, Brazil losing to France... Ronaldo's world cup has come to an end. This is the first time in the past 4 editions of the World cup that Brazil has not entered the finals. 1994 - Brazil won against Italy (penalties). 1998 - Lost to France ( Zidane's magic) 2002 - beat Germany (Ronaldooo..) 2006 - lost to France in the Quarter Finals (Henry).

Italy vs Germany

France vs Portugal

Am not going to bet on any, my bet proved to be wrong last time.. so keeping my fingers crossed..

2006-06-29T22:28:00.000+05:30

The reason i have not been writing for quiet some time is, firstly i was feeling very bored to write and secondly also the same reason.. Some thing good also happened, which kept me busy and its none other than the telecast of ESPN STAR... major boost apart from the Soccer World Cup would be Formula 1.

its been nearly , well 3 years since i watched a full fledged F1 race.. and atlast it happened. i watched both the British as well as the Canidian Grand Prix. though i would have liked Schumy to be on th podium, it was Alonso dominting all the way. This guy, is just driving amazing and the car is jus fantastic, Ferrari have just been out runned. Hope some miracle happens for Ferrari and Schumy. Damit..!! its only till July 9th tat i would get these 2 channels... (That's when world cup ends).

Coming to the World Cup, i was in a fix as to which team i should support to, definitely not France - bcos Henry plays for Arsenal and i dont like Arsenal beating Manchester United... so ruled out.. Brazil- they have already won 5 time, why not give a chance for others.. Germany, Italy - ok.. no comments..
i think i will go for Ukraine or Portugal- - Svechenko, C.Ronaldo.. but not sure
Argentina - though they have won earlier i think i will support them.. Saviola plays well.. he plays for Barca and they do defeat Real Madrid... so ok.. i have decided am supporting Argentina... will join Maradona's army..

well, tomor.. the quarter fianals start.. and Argentina play Germany.. score line 2 - 0 (hopefully...!!!)
ok.. so when the quarter finals are over, i will be back to say a few words..

and soccer fans... i hope u saw the 25 passes made by Argentina against S&M - best goal i have seen in a long time.. much better than Beck's free kick... wat u say...???

2006-06-07T12:06:00.000+05:30

Now you know why India lost the ODI series against West Indies....

SICK OF ELECTION CAMPAIGNING

2006-05-04T22:20:00.000+05:30

Come Monday, 234 constituencies of the state will go to polls. And be sure this time its going to be really close, the ruling AIADMK or DMK. Eventually it is clear that only either of these 2 parties can come to power.

Speaking of campaigning, it’s really bugging, switch on to any regional channel, go out on the streets…you can hear voices. Each one saying what they did and what they will do when they come to power.

And probably I think the reason for such nonsense, the Election Commission of India announcing the dates for elections much earlier. Well, I would say 2 weeks prior is more than sufficient. In older times when the media was not playing this much of an active role, the election dates were announced much earlier. But now we are in a different spectrum altogether…anything and everything can be communicated at unimaginable speeds.

At least they stop the nonsense by 10 PM because the EC is very strict in this aspect…thanks mainly to the former EC of the 90’s Mr. T.N. Seshan who had brought about all these rules and regulations…rather put these rules and regulations into practice.

Well, this is not what I alone feel, when I spoke with my aunt today morning, she also said the same, open the paper, switch on the television or go out on the streets…you can hear election campaigning. She said she is really sick of this and thereby no proper coverage of other things happening around the globe.

So, if the concerned people in the EC are reading this, please think about the suggestions… 2 weeks is definitely a good time to announce the dates, so that the general public does not have to bear this nonsense for too long.

Atleast the campaigning will stop by Saturday 10 PM…but on Sunday, you cannot be peaceful lying on your sofa’s…coz door to door campaigning is allowed and I don’t have to say more…you will have crowd coming and knocking your door step…please vote for us.. smile, close the door and wait for the next knock…!!!

bloody hot...

2006-04-27T21:01:00.000+05:30

Today was one of the worst days probably..of the year.. No..i did my exam well, its to do with the SUN... my god..wat heat.. today after a fruitful day at college, when i was on my way back home...it started may be earlier than tat... i take the train and then catch a bus... and shit i was jus not able to hold..the rods...burning as if they wer taken from a furnace...

And goodness me when i saw the temperature...it said 107 degree F.. (42.6 C)... madras has never had such a bad temp to my knowledege..then later came to know that in the last 30 years this is the first time the temp has crossed 42 C..

I wonder wat will happen during next month...
cant imagine...

Done...

2006-04-27T20:55:00.000+05:30

Alas...technically i have completed my Masters in Commerce. Today marked the end of my last exam...

so..completed..wat now...???

Search for job....to my liking preferably...!!!

Wish me good luck guys....

Go..........Ferrari.....

2006-04-24T22:17:00.000+05:30

Schumy.... is back...
So watch out......

1 gone, 2 remaining

2006-04-20T22:35:00.000+05:30

Alas...! the first of my 3 papers got over today. well, am talking about my semesters. Today i had my paper on Financial Management, pretty easy though. comparing the amount of work i put in studying this subject, the paper was not tat very tough. but as usual made a few silly mistakes...hey..!! if i dont do mistakes, then i cannot be karthik... ;)

And my viva date has been fixed for 28th of this month. the very next day after my last paper...as if i am going to study for the stupid viva. and to top it all my guide...goodness me i just dont have words to say about him. i dont know how i managed to finish it under him..he is a real pest.

well, i will definitely miss my college life at the end of the three papers... but life has to go on.
my next exam is scheduled for 25th..its on Income Tax

Life at times is boring..............

10 ways to Beat the HEAT

2006-04-15T19:58:00.000+05:30

> Drink plenty of water.
> Wear sunscreen lotion before going out.
> Stay cool, wear light colored clothes preferably white.
> Wear sunglasses.
> Protect your head with cap or other material.
> Maintain energy level, so take less fat and sugar.
> Fruits are natures gift.
> Avoid spicy food.
> Take rest and don’t travel out during the hottest part of the day.
> Splash cool water on your eyes every evening.

Karthik’s 10 ways for HAPPINESS

2006-04-13T22:45:00.000+05:30

1. Do regular exercise.
2. Have regular sleep.
3. Listen to good music
4. Get close to nature
5. Maintain cleanliness
6. Dispose off rubbish
7. Anger, sign of weakness
8. Don’t advertise your problems
9. Enjoy each moment of life
10. Learn to appreciate others.

Election Mani (festo) folded!

2006-04-10T19:42:00.000+05:30

Come May, 234 constituencies of the Tamil Nadu state will go to polls. As a result each political party has come up with manifestos which are in no way beneficial for the state. They talk about, gas stoves, colour TV’s, rice at door step and what not, but no one is concerned about the growth and development of the state.

To say something, I am not sure of the roads in other parts of the state, but roads in Chennai are pathetic and needs to be mended immediately. Electricity is another big crunch, summer has already started and imagine power cuts in this hot weather… I leave it to your imagination, where temperatures easily touch 40 degree Celsius. How many villages in the state have electricity for 24 hours, first of all the metropolitan itself doesn’t have power round the clock leave alone villages.

Another biggest problem would be water, we all know how we suffered two years ago because of water shortage, and we still depend on rainfall. And rainfall…me…me… last year the city of Chennai drained out water enough for 14 months into the sea. This speaks of the storage capacity.

These are some of the problems facing the city of Chennai alone and there are many more in the state and none of the political parties want to even consider this.

When there are mounting problems in the state, why don’t parties consider these and leave other things secondary. These things have to change for the betterment of the stat. And politics of the land need to grow into different heights into a more structured one. If politicians stop fighting among themselves, and consider the welfare of the people, then good and better things can be achieved.

Is Schumy too old for the Game…?

2006-04-04T20:50:00.000+05:30

Has the reign of Schumacher and Ferrari come to an end? This is a question making quiet a wavelength. Albert Park proved so when both the Ferrari’s failed to make it to the Chequered Flag. Or! Has team Ferrari lost its lady luck. They have been dominating this game for the past 5 years 1999 to 2004 and in the year 2005, history was made in the name of Alonso, who became the youngest driver to be crowned the F1 champion.

This year too Renault has proved their mantle with wins in all the 3 races viz. Bahrain, Malaysia and Australia. Alonso has made 28 points out of a possible 30 and Renault lead the Constructors too.

BAR Honda too has emerged as a competitive team and Jenson Button is proving himself with every race. As of now after 3 races, Alonso leads the drivers standing, followed by his teammate Fisichella and Schumy stands in 4th place. In constructors too Renault clearly outrun with 42 points followed by Mclaren and Ferrari.

So what’s happening with Ferrari…? Why isn’t the famous trio of Ross Brown, Jean Toldt and Schumacher clicking? What has happened to winning? These are some of ht questions which I am sure Luca Di Montezemolo (Ferrari boss) would like to have answers.

At this rate, one wouldn’t be surprised if Renault wins this year too, but it is too early to comment. Come April 21, the San Marino grand prix will tell a lot about team Ferrari and Schumy in particular.

1 - 0

2006-02-07T19:10:00.000+05:30

Monday 6th February, 2006 will be known well among cricket historians and fans at large for 2 reasons. First, Pakistan won the first of the 5 match series against India, thanks mainly to bad light and the Duckworth Lewis rule and next Sachin Tendulkar became the 1st player in the shorter version of the game to score 14000 runs. The game will also be remembered for the most bizarre way the Pakistan captain got out.
First things first, Pakistan won the toss on a beautiful cloudy morning in Peshawar and opted to field first. Their option to field first was soon rewarded in the form of Shewag, when the score was on 5. Irfan Pathan – newly crowned all rounder of the team took the No.3 spot and silenced all his critics with a well made half-centuary. He was eventually out for 65 from 65 balls. However, India was in a definite attacking mood right from the word go, which made the Indian version of Adam Gilchrist to enter the crease. Dhoni played a gem of an innings with yet another half centuary.
While the drama was going on, the other side was occupied by the little master who was progressing at a steady pace. He too had his initial share of luck, he was bowled by Naved when he had just 20 runs on the board – but fortunately for him it was of a No Ball and this piece of cake was enough for him to make his 39th one day international centuary and at the same time crossing 14000 runs.
India eventually made 328, but personally I think they could have definitely made more if only they had held onto their wickets. Indians lost their last 6 wickets for a meager 20 runs.
Though only a few teams in the past have successfully chased a score beyond 300, Pakistani batsmen where upto it from ball one. Though they started a bit shaky, they soon steadied the ship and with wickets in hand they hit the ball all round the park. When they crossed the 250 mark, Inzamam-ul-Haq was out in a bizarre fashion. He was out for ‘obstructing the fielders throw’- the rules are clear and he was asked to leave the field. But this in no way hindered the Pakistani’s who were slowly inching towards their target. When they reached 311 for the loss of 7 wickets, bad light took control of the game. They needed 18 runs from 18 balls and when the umpires offered the light to the batsman, they gladly accepted it. As per the D/L rule, they were ahead by 7 runs and hence Pakistan won the match by 7 runs.
So, the 1st ODI ended in the most out of the ordinary way as one could expect. But immaterial of what ever has happened, the match will be recorded as a Pak victory.

CAS plays spoil sport again

2006-01-14T22:42:00.000+05:30

Yet again, people of Chennai are being denied the live telecast of the ongoing cricket test series between India and Pakistan. Die hard fans of cricket regret for the CAS (Conditional Access System) and complain about the fact that while the rest of the country will cheer the Indians, Chennaiites are denied a pleasure which is close to their heart – watching live cricket.

This system of CAS plays its role only in the city of Chennai, though it was supposed to be put into effect in all the 4 metros only the Tamil Nadu government has implemented the same, while the other governments have simply refused to do so.

Previously, for other cricket matches played by India outside India, the state owned Prasar Bharathi (Doordarshan) gets the signal from other operators so that live telecast can be broadcasted. But however this time around they have failed to enter into an agreement with Ten Sports, a Dubai based channel which has got exclusive rights for the Indo – Pak series. Doordarshan was willing to pay Rs.20 crore for the signal and use their own advertisement but Ten Sports didn’t agree to this. Ultimately, what has been agreed upon is that Doordarshan will be permitted to broadcast 90 minute video clip age of the day’s action. This for a city like Chennai is by any means less, which is supposed to have the best cricketing crowds in the world.

It’s been more than 3 years since CAS was implemented and the takers to it are very less. Most of the people are satisfied with FTH (Free to AIR) channels for which they have to pay Rs.75 per month compared to Rs.200 – Rs.400 p.m in the pre CAS era. To this date there are innumerable numbers of PIL’s (Public Interest Litigation) in the Madras High Court but judgments are still pending.

DTH (Direct to Home) service has also come to the city but the takers are even less compared. To put in simple terms, what the people of Chennai really want is some regulatory body fixed by the government who will regulate the prices for the channels. There should be one common rate for the whole of city plus all the channels.

Rest apart, people of Chennai are denied to watch their favorite sport. They have to look on for glimpses of scores on news channels or look onto the internet or the best way is to travel to the outskirts of the city where CAS is all rubbish.

One thing is clear, seeing the number of takers for set top box, people of Chennai are not for it.

Tigers to have photo identity cards

2006-01-10T22:20:00.000+05:30

Well, while accidentally glancing through the paper the other day; I came across this piece of information about tigers to have identity cards. At first glance I was curious to know what this is all about, actually I thought it to be the LTTE’s also known as the Tamil Tigers. But that isn’t something radical because the population of LTTE’s in Sri Lanka is very much compared to the actual population of the country. So, then they definitely need identity cards.

But when I ran through the first few lines I understood that it isn’t something to do with any extremist group rather it’s about wildlife. India is the place where one can find the Royal Bengal Tigers which are very famous all over the world. Tiger being the national animal of the country the Government would have thought that it’s high time they maintained a count of the number of Tigers that live in the country.

Earlier, forest and wildlife officials have been using physical count and pugmark verification to find out the number of Tigers in the wild. However, this technique was not considered reliable.

So, the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) thought that it is better to rely on scientific survey, to determine the number of Tigers in the country. And hence, they would soon be issuing identity cards to all the Tigers and Tigresses of the country. So, what is this scientific method, the WII has proposed three new scientific techniques to have a more accurate count of the Tigers living in the wild. The three techniques are: computerized pugmarks, camera traps and finally DNA tests. The WII has planned to implement this methodology starting Jan 15th this year. Camera traps to shoot the Tigers would be set up at national parks and Tigers would be photographed throughout the year using laser technology. Scientists believe that such efforts would help in more accurate survey and would be an indicator for dead or missing Tigers. I am however skeptical about the whole issue, is it technically viable…? Is a question which time alone can answer...

2006 is the year of the DOG

2006-01-06T19:57:00.000+05:30

Every person is born under an animal symbol, as per Chinese Zodiac. Legend has it, and 2006 is the year of the dog, that the Chinese Astrology has it and the order of twelve animals that determine it. It was however determined by Lord Buddha himself, thousands of years ago. The age old tale goes this way, Lord Buddha once called upon the entire animal kingdom for a meeting on the occasion of Chinese New Year. Only twelve species showed up for this meeting. As a reward, the divine wise man offered to name a year after each of the animals.

The Rat was the first to arrive, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and finally the pig. From then on any person born in a year associated with the animal would share that animal’s qualities and traits.

So, this is how it goes,

RAT (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008)
Persons born in the year of the rat are usually charming, hard working, detail – oriented, ambitious, honest, generous and are able to maintain self control, but often find it difficult to maintain lasting friendships. They also tend to be thrifty and like to save money. They often make good advisors, but on the downside, they can be manipulative and petty.

OX (1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009)
Persons born in the year of the OX are usually tenacious, bright, patient and good listeners. They are also highly sensitive, stubborn, honest, outspoken, expressive, disciplined and clean – hearted. They are enthusiastic but dominating, hence although they have leadership qualities they do not always think rationally. On the downside, they are rigid in thought, stubborn in behaviour and disdainful of failure.

TIGER (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010)
Persons born in the year of TIGER are usually magnetic, romantic, independent, courageous, strong, quick, bold and smart. But they are also aggressive, short – tempered and can often intimidate others by entering into conflicts. Being strong – willed and stubborn, they do not like to take orders and are sometimes reserved. They make for powerful leaders and powerful enemies too!

RABBIT (1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011)
Persons born in the year of RABBIT are talented and very affectionate. They are family oriented, sensitive, ambitious, intuitive, creative and smart. They work well with others and avoid conflicts. However, on the down side they are insecure; and have secret ambitions. They tend to be melancholy and sometimes lazy.

DRAGON (1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012)
Persons born in the year of dragon are usually passionate, energetic, soft hearted, colorful, ambitious and optimistic in nature. They are very goal – oriented and being under the all powerful dragon symbol, they are blessed with the luck to get things easily in life. On the downside they are highly stubborn, sometimes immature and thoughtless in action and often short tempered too.

SNAKE (1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013)
Persons born in the year of the SNAKE are very wise, they think a lot, are strong – willed and often fast learners. They are action oriented, highly intelligent, generous, calm and often philosophical. They are understanding by nature. On the downside, they have a tendency to have a split personality and can be revengeful if rubbed the wrong way, and can split venom and be selfish too. Snake people are born charming and popular. They are spotlight magnets and will never get ignored. They usually have excellent manners.

HORSE (1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014)
Persons born in the year of the HORSE are usually reliable, attractive, industrious, friendly, cheerful, dynamic, workaholic, quick learners, honest, playful and talkative. However, on the down side they are very short tempered, strong willed, tactless and impatient. They have a tendency to be obstinate too. They are popular, cheerful and love to compliment others.

SHEEP (1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015)
Persons born in the year of the SHEEP are usually very elegant, wise, gentle, compassionate and often very religious. They are passionate about their beliefs. They know how to make money and are multi – talented with very impressive personalities. However, they are also greedy for material gains, highly secretive, sometimes revengeful and tend to be pessimistic. They are endowed with artistic talents and fare well in business. Their charm wins them many friends.

MONKEY (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016)
Persons born in the year of the MONKEY are clever, practical, cheerful, energetic, very positive, ingenious, man of many experiments, tactful and change activities as per opportunities. They have a wide range of experiences, are good listeners and good counselors. However, their down side is that they have a low opinion of others, are freedom oriented and hence not committed to anything and are not serious in life. Monkey people are skillful, talented and flexible. They are witty and skillfully solve problems. Wherever you are, whoever you are, if you have a problem, dial-a-monkey! Often, however they are too clever for their own good.

ROOSTER (1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017)
Persons born in the year of ROOSTER are always seeking knowledge, love to travel, are candid, good with finances, are jovial, clever, harmless, quiet, business minded, very friendly and great planners. They can create a business from scratch. They are bold and capable of making loyal friends. On the downside, they are selfish, loners, pretentious, highly boastful, opinionated and take risks to undertake tasks beyond their capabilities.

PIG (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019)
Persons born in the year of PIG are usually polite, brave, good listeners, make few but lasting friends and are patient and innocent. They are very organized, honest, intelligent and sensitive. They work hard and in business they are lucky and are very good organizers. They have tremendous inner strength and are usually very kind and affectionate. They never retreat once the goal is set. On the downside, they are stubborn, moody and believe in perfection. A pig person is born to give and will constantly make sacrifices to make others comfortable. Pigs are models of sincerity, purity and tolerance.

DOG (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018)
Persons born in the year of DOG are usually very loyal, honest, generous, work well with others, dutiful, trustworthy, faithful and warm hearted. They have high moral principles, are hard working, well dressed, motivated to reach high levels in all fields, hyper sensitive souls and are very helpful in nature. They are very righteous and will speak out against injustice. You can count on them, they will never let you down. On the downside, they are moody, impatient, restless and barkers. They can be judgmental, picky and defensive if you rub them on the wrong way. Dogs are born old and get younger as they age! They take everything very seriously and tend to be in the habit of complaining about trivial matters.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle.
Disclaimer: All people born under the animal symbol are not necessarily similar and do differ.

HOW SAFE IS INDIA’S SILICON VALLEY…?

2005-12-29T23:04:00.000+05:30

How safe is India’s Silicon Valley…? Is a very vital question to be answered at this juncture? Within the span of few weeks, two major incidents have taken place which has gained a good deed of national significance. First, how the Bangalore based girl was raped and murdered. I have already discussed that. Second, even more significant because this has put the state’s security in jeopardy.

Normally all the major institutions like Indian Institute of technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has a good number of security personnel’s to guard. On 27th December, 2005 there was a function held at the premises of IISc in which nearly 30 foreign delegates were to participate and you have a gun fire. What did gun fire have to do in a place where education is the key? On the sad side, a Delhi IIT professor falls a prey to the gun shots.

So far none of the so called ‘militant groups’ have taken responsibility, which I find totally rubbish and idiotic. These militant groups do the nonsense and after which claim responsibility so that confusion does not arise among them. Funny…though…!!

I would blame the ruling congress party for this security lapse. How can they allow an Ambassador car to enter the premises without being checked? The car could not have barged through some opening; it should have passed through one of the gates. Where were all the security guards? To add to the security lapse, the Karnataka Government had received RAW information that some attack would take place in their state, have they been a bit careful they could have saved a precious life. As a result of this, all the southern states have been put on high alert. What’s the point…?? Do they expect one more..?

This has by far put a lot of headache to the Government of the state, security problems. Already Bangalore has been facing the music for lack of or rather poor infrastructure. This has added to their misery. Companies like Infosys, Wipro and other major IT companies have beefed up their security, thanks to the Wednesday attack.

So, end results…will the state wake up to overcome all these challenges, if not I think another election may be round the corner coz Bangalorians as they liked to be called will not tolerate this for too long.

1st ANNIVERSARY OF KILLER TSUNAMI

2005-12-24T22:17:00.000+05:30

On December 26, 2004, Tsunami struck the Indian coastline in the east and caused wide spread damage not only to lives and property but also to the psyche of the people, who were in its path.

Now that 1 year has gone, how far has the re-habitation work been carried out? The sorry state is that ht Government cannot point out any village where every boat has been repaired, where every net has been replaced, where a single house has been completed. Most of the work however has been done by NGO’s.

The killer waves caused widespread damage not only to India but also to many parts of South – East Asia. Indonesia was very much affected and the tourist spot Phuket was badly damaged. I recently saw in news that Indonesia has indeed set up a Tsunami warning system and a mock test has already been carried out. This has been done by a country that in many ways poor than India and we are yet to fix the system…INDIA – The land of difference.

So come again December 26 – many people would have horrid memories of last year. I was told there are going to be special prayers for the deaths as a mark of remembrance. The greatest tragedy to hit the subcontinent. Tsunami has become a common household name – some say it will never happen again for another 100 years and some say if the earthquake is on the ocean bed it can trigger one. Personally I am for the second one; if an earthquake of that velocity occurs again on the sea bed it can trigger a Tsunami again.

So, on December 26, 2005 – India is standing on the same platform where it stood on December 26, 2004, off guard to the killer waves which till day remains as a Black Sunday.

WAKE UP CALL

2005-12-18T14:00:00.000+05:30

In the recent years India has become the most sought destination for outsourcing – thanks to the English speaking crowd. This has contributed to the growth of the national income of the country. This being one side of the coin, the other as many people debate is whether ‘The country’s culture – lost’. The employment opportunity in the country has risen, as the only major qualification to join a BPO would be to speak good fluent English, which many Indians do with ease, thanks to the British. As a result, there is more money in the hands of youth who care a little about saving. They are willing to spend on anything they fancy, which unlike the parents would abstain from doing.

In BPOs people work according to the timings of their client and since they work for a major companies in the US, they are forced to work at erratic times. As you may be aware, safety for a female citizen of the country is to barest minimum. The father of the nation Gandhi once said that India will attain freedom only when a woman is able to walk all alone in a night.

So, we have still not attained freedom. Those who have read the paper would know about what I am talking, for the unknown it’s about how a Bangalore based girl was raped and murdered. This has called for wide spread protest all over the state.

The girl worked for Hewlett Packard, its off shore outsourcing unit in Bangalore. She was in night shift which means the employer sends a cab to pick her up at 1 am. As usual the cab did come but the driver was not the one she was familiar with, a stranger who kidnapped her, raped her and ultimately murdered her. The driver was to pick 2 more girls but they declined from boarding the cab, had this girl too been wise enough to decline she could have saved her life.

So, whose fault is this – the employer or employee? I would say both are to be blamed, but a bit more on the part of the girl. At first, there should be some mechanism where by if the driver is changed the staffs should be intimated. Secondly, why can’t a staff of the company come along with the cab driver, atleast during night shifts?
But…is it technically feasible…??? When cabs come to pick one up in the middle of night, I strongly feel a senior staff of the company comes along preferably a male (the risk is less or nil… should I say?). By this, one can prevent cases of this kind.

We talk about globalization, economy boom, a market rise beyond the 9000 mark…but is the country actually developed or developing. I would be against it, what is the need for all these developments when we are not able to provide the basic security for a woman. All these developments go down the drain. This has been a wake up call for all the state governments as well as the employers. I would like to be optimistic, so I hope all the necessary decisions are taken to safeguard woman of the society and wish people learn a lesson from this and be careful enough to stop it from happening again.

INDIA – MAN POWER (or) MONEY POWER

2005-12-14T22:10:00.000+05:30

hi all,
actually this is the article which i wrote for a competetion to Sulekha.com. i have just copied the same..its for 200 words..so less

INDIA – MAN POWER (or) MONEY POWER

Well, this is a question which has been kindling my mind for a very long time now. Are we known for Man or Money power? After pondering over this for quiet some time, I have come to this conclusion, of which I am quite sure of – India is definitely known for man power, be it in the past or present or future. India will be known for this.

There used to be a popular joke, “Indians only source of entertainment – giving birth”, but now it’s the greatest advantage for our country. India has got more number of people between the age group 25 – 40 years…youth who will definitely contribute to the growth of country in some way. So, the joke is of the past…it can’t be used anymore.

India may be known for its money power, as nowadays we are not wholly dependant on foreign aids whenever natural calamities strike as has been shown in the case of Tsunami relief. The Prime Minister politely declined the U.S aid and at the same time we helped Sri Lanka in their hour of crisis. We really helped the ‘Super Power’ with our money power recently as in the case of hurricane Katrina.

Even though all these things suggest that India has more money power, the fact is it has got more and more man power which is mighty too. The country’s man power includes both labour and knowledge. For instance, even the unskilled labourers are able to migrate to other countries and contribute to the foreign exchange reserve. In the case of skilled labourers, all the countries of the third world vie with each other to have the best brain in their organizations.

For the past few years there has been a reverse trend in the case of brain drain. The MNC’s form all corners of the world have set up their back offices in India and appoint our men. So, there seems to be no worthwhile match for Indian labour!

Another Word in Dictionary

2005-12-03T22:35:00.000+05:30

Last year people of south India had a new name attached to their dictionary. It had its origin from Japan – and its none other than ‘Tsunami’. Tsunami created havoc to the whole of South Asia which resulted in the loss of innumerable lives. This has been the hallmark of destruction for the year 2004 by Mother Nature.

This year again, though confined to parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, another name is being added. This is however a cyclone by name ‘Baaz’. This time it had its origin from Iran. The year 2005 saw as many as 25 Hurricanes hitting North America and similarly number of Typhoons hitting Japan.

So, what’s this…? All this refer to the same natural phenomenon. If the event happens in the Indian Ocean, it’s called Cyclone. If the same event happens over Atlantic Ocean, it’s called Hurricanes and when it happens over Pacific Ocean we call them Typhoons. So all ultimately refer to the same natural event, their names vary as well as their velocity.

Cyclones are circulating storms formed in the ocean between 5 and 30 degrees north and south of equator. They are very unpredictable in the sense, they may slow, accelerate, curve or move linearly on their paths. They may be active for a few hours to even few weeks.

In the history of India, so far 7 cyclones have been recorded to have caused maximum damage, the last being this one. The 1st cyclone was way back in 1864 in Calcutta which claimed nearly 70,000 lives, which so far is the only cyclone to have caused maximum damage. There have been events recorded in 1942 (Bengal), 1971 (Orissa), 1977 (Andhra Pradesh), 1996 (Andhra Pradesh), 1999 (Orissa) and 2003 (Andhra Pradesh). These have caused damages but their scale of destruction is comparatively less. Incidentally all the cyclones have hit only the eastern side of the country – states which share one of its borders with the Bay of Bengal.

Cyclones, Hurricanes, Typhoons – whatever name we give, are created by Mother Nature which have brought destruction & claimed colossal number of lives. Though, scientifically we can say that these require a lot of preconditions to evolve, we can just be a spectator when it lashes. Man has not reached such a stage from where he can predict the quantum of destruction from these natural calamities. By science, we can find its course, nothing else can be done.

Mr. Kalam too spoke on the same lines at the conference held in IIT Madras. He wanted scientist of the world to not only predict, but also provide with additional information like amount of water level carried by the clouds as well as the amount of destruction it can cause. He also wanted the entire scientists of the world to start a virtual grid of information about natural calamities like cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, earthquakes… which will help in knowledge sharing. Since India was not a member of the Tsunami warning system we were not forewarned about it. So we should see to it that anything of this sort never happens again.

Tsunami did cause wide spread damage & destruction – and people have named their kids ‘Tsunami’ as a mark of remembrance. So, I hope this doesn’t happen with this cyclone Baaz.

Genuine Genius

2005-11-27T23:31:00.000+05:30

On Saturday (26.11.2005), the long standing record of the former Aussie captain Allan Border came to an end, in the most emphatic fashion. He held the record for the maximum number of runs scored by an individual in test matches (11,174). But on Saturday, the Trinidad born Brian Lara broke this record when he scored 226 against Australia on the 2nd day of the second test – in an already lost series. His score of 226 came from 298 balls which included 22 boundaries.

The West Indies had a miserable tour when they lost the first test by a huge margin. However in the second test Brian Lara was the lone fighter, contributing 60% of the total score of the Windies, so as to salvage some pride.

Brian Lara was born on May 2nd, 1969 in Santa Cruz, Trinidad, the youngest of the 7 brothers. He made his test debut against Pakistan in 1990 and made 44 and 6. At that time no one would have thought that one day this young lad would become a prolific batsman. His first test centuary came against Australia in Sydney, where he made 277.

The year 1994, definitely should be a year to remember for all cricketing fans as well as cricketing statisticians. This year saw the tumble of many records. Firstly, his innings of 375 against England saw him break Sir Gary Sobers’ world record score of 365 not out. In the same year, he made another mammoth total of 501 not out for his county Warwickshire against Durham. The record still holds good, for the highest score in First Class cricket.

Nine years later in 2003, Matthew Hayden broke Lara’s record of highest individual score and surpassed it by scoring 380. But Lara was not a man to depend on luck. He wanted only his name against the highest individual score. So in 2004, exactly 10 years later, Brian Lara broke Matthew Hayden’s record of 380, by scoring 400. Incidentally, he reached his highest previous score also in the same venue (St.John’s, Antigua) and also against the same opponent (England).

WHAT A BATSMAN…?

Earlier in 2005, he surpassed Steve Waugh, to move into second place. And on November 26th, 2005, he made history by marching ahead of another Aussie great Allan Border to become the worlds’ leading run scorer in tests. Incidentally by this another feather is added to his cap. He became the first player since Sir Garfield Sobers to simultaneously hold the record for most test runs and highest test score. He also has 8 double centuries to his credit and I think only the legendary Sir Don Bradman has more double centuries than him.

So what now, he has conquered all the frontiers in the test arena, he has only his records to break.

LARA HAS INDEED COME A LONG WAY…

Hats off to one of the legends of the game…!

WAR OF THE CHANNELS

2005-11-27T22:51:00.000+05:30

Two political parties, two channels therefore two news and what we get – truth from neither of them. I think people in Chennai would accept my view and can understand me better. For the unknown, it’s the battle between Sun TV held by DMK (political party) and Jaya TV (political & ruling party).

This is indeed what is happening. Each one tries to project a different picture, but the truth is left far behind. What Sun TV does do is, they project and bring into light only things which are against the ruling Government, in which they have succeeded to a huge extent. They never highlight things which the Government has been doing. They are always finding fault and accusing the other. I do accept the fact, that they are rival parties, but my question is Why Play with the Truth.

The Sun TV has got a huge audience appeal and they think they can do whatever they want, but my friends I tell you this, its tough climbing the pinnacle of the mountain but once you reach, you got to maintain, otherwise the fall is going to be sharp and fast.

With the ignorance of the people they are able to play a very tactful game. But all I can see is truly one motive, to bring bad name to the ruling Government. But I am not saying this wrong, it’s acceptable but why do they have to misrepresent facts. This is all one can expect when political parties hold channels. Speaking of this I wonder, how Dayanithi Maran can hold the post of Union Minister for Information and Technology when his family hold a TV channel… no wonder you get Sun TV in almost all parts of the world. I know it’s a debatable question all by itself.

According to the law, only those channels in which 3/4th of the equity is held by Indians, then alone can the television channel broadcast news. This leaves us with only these 2 channels, as Star Vijay and Raj TV are out of question.

What the Tamil audience at large lack is a proper Tamil / English news channel which covers all happenings in the state and also be able to provide the truth. At this rate, I definitely feel those days are not too far away.

3 on the trot

2005-11-22T23:10:00.000+05:30

Chennai would have made history if only today’s match between India and South Africa had taken place. For one reason that Sachin Tendulkar would have played the most number of one day internationals than any other in the history of the game, 357. The record earlier was in the hands of the legendary fast bowler from Pakistan, Wasim Akram. Unfortunately a different history was made three games continuously have so far been abandoned in this very same M.A. Chidambaram stadium.

First it was the match between India and Australia in October, 2003.
Next was the test match between India and New Zealand in November last year.
And finally today’s match between India and South Africa.
Incidentally, all the three had one common thing, apart from being played in Chennai, all the matches were abandoned for the same reason. Which is a bad weather condition…precisely heavy downpour.

The south Indian belt is known to receive most of its rainfall from the North – Eastern monsoon which sets during the time of late October and early November and continues till the mid week of December. So, was the BCCI not aware of this when preparing the itinerary or did they underestimate Mother Nature...? A mistake is a mistake only when it is done once…3 on the trot is utter foolishness.

The TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) for its part has made a clear print in the ticket itself, “Under no circumstance shall any refund be given”, adding to the misery of the already disappointed cricketing fans. The reason, last year when a similar abandoning took place one die hard cricket fan filed a case that money should be refunded. To prevent all this, the TNCA this time printed clearly “no refund at any cost”. First of all is it right on part of it, when not even one ball is being bowled? Certainly I don’t think so, if the match is abandoned half way through then I can understand but in a situation like this I vehemently feel that refund should be given if not 100%, say atleast 50%. I wish some rule of this sort comes into effect, definitely the Indian board would care a little about keeping matches during this time of the year leave alone refund to the spectators. This sounds as the Height of Optimism.

So, the end result is the series is in a balance, whoever wins the next 2 matches alone can clinch the series. And Eden Gardens is the place where Sachin will make his landmark of playing the most number of caps for India.

THE THREE TASKS

2005-11-19T23:31:00.000+05:30

Mr. Mike Newell has indeed done a good job. Well, first of all a big Hi..!! to all Potter fans out there. Today I managed to see the latest of the Harry Potter sequel, namely “HARRY POTTER and THE GOBLET OF FIRE”. Well wow..!! may be too small of a word to describe the movie. But by far this is one of the best of the Harry Potter movies to come out.

A great job indeed by the director, at the same time I have to accept the fact that a lot of things are missing when compared to the book. The starting of the movie itself is something really different. Actually I wanted to see the Quiddich world cup. For those of you who don’t have any clue about Quiddich…all I can say it’s similar to soccer but you fly in brooms rather than run with your legs. The whole first part of the movie has really been rushed through. But the sets are just magnificent and spectacular display of technology.

At the same time this movie didn’t disappoint in many ways, the three tasks which are the prime events of the book have been picturised in the most spectacular way as one can imagine. The man playing the role of Mr. Albus Dumbledore however disappointed in many ways, actually the original man who played this role unfortunately died and he was replaced with a real joker who just over played his part.

Though the hype with regard to the movie is not that high compared to the release of the sixth book…it does satisfy one in many ways.

On the whole it’s a must watch for all Potter fans…!!

CULTURAL POLICING

2005-11-18T23:20:00.000+05:30

Well most of India would know this by now, ‘most’ never includes states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and many more can be added. These states are a class apart and can never be included in anything except for scams. We hear people from different walks of life commenting about this – Sania Mirza, Narain Karthikeyan and even the recently crowned Miss Universe talks about this. Even Mrs. Suhasini Manirathnam commented about this and ultimately landed in trouble. I pray that the others don’t land in trouble.

By now most of you would have guessed what I have been trying to say. It’s what one can say as the most stupid thing to crop up – apparently it is the “Kushboo comment on pre - marital sex”. For those who don’t know there is a temple built in the name of the actress…sounds funny but my dear friends this is indeed true, an ardent fan of her built a temple for her when she was in her peak of career. So what has happened to the temple…as of now I don’t have any clue as to what happened to it.

The cause for all this hue and cry regarding Mrs. Kushboo is her statement to a magazine regarding pre – marital sex. Actually what she said was and is her opinion. For heaven sake we are living in a democratic country…remember the fundamental rights of a citizen of the country – “RIGHT TO SPEAK”. What has happened to this, have we forgotten it? It’s her voice of opinion, so why do we take it so seriously. To tell you something, there have so far been 9 cases against her and she is in conditional bail. The worst part is Mrs. Suhasini Manirathnam who supported her did have the piece of cake, 7 cases against her.

The media in the country is taking a different spectrum be it print or electronic. The electronic media makes even the smallest of the issues a big one and manifolds it to a much greater extent, there by increasing the misery of the people. Next the judicial system, isn’t our judicial system pro – active, or should I say over active. Why do they encourage cases of this sort? Can’t it just ignore cases of this kind when there are so many cases pending which require action and it wastes its time on petty issues like this? The result of all this, the print media has been able to increase its circulation by over utilizing the subject and the local media gives top priority to this in their prime time news. (I don’t have to tell you which one…?)

Why can’t we put a full stop to the whole issue and carry on with other works…? Definitely one is prone to irritation when he persistently gets to hear news of this sort. Are we not targeting women in this country – firstly it was Sania Mirza regarding her dress code, next is this. Let’s have a break, why don’t we just carry on with our work and stop poking our noses into issues which don’t concern us in any way.

Well I wonder what if a woman files a case saying that Mrs. Kushboo has in no way offended us – then what would the judicial system have in reply for it…

BRIGHT DAYS AHEAD...

2005-11-17T16:35:00.000+05:30

At last my exams got over after a well fought battle with nature. Thanks to the persistent rains my exams which was supposed to get over on Nov 3rd, ultimately got over today. For a change we had our holidays before our exams.
Well the most challenging part in a student’s career would definitely be examinations. They slog too much, definitely not the slog overs of cricket. This is a much tougher one... Speaking of cricket, brings me to the topic, the recently concluded Ind – SL ODI series, was a real treat to watch. The Men in Blue under the watchful eyes of Mr. Chappell and under the leadership of our newly crowned captain have indeed become a new and energized team to watch out for. Though hockey is the national game of the country, cricket has overshadowed it to a greater extent. People have become real fanatics of the game. And when the team makes a thumping victory like this, the joy in all cricket lovers is unimaginable (me included). I don’t think India has won a series in this fashion 6 -1, more so like a set won in the game of tennis. Though we got screwed in the hands of Zimbabwe, this team looks really rejuvenated. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Men in Blue lift the world cup for the second time… (Actually could have been for the third time... if not for that erratic first over by Zaheer...) But what has happened has happened. So beware cricketing nations of the world!!

red...Orange...GREEN!!

2005-11-17T16:30:00.000+05:30

Hi people.Well I've decided to start my own blog..finally!..after an inspiration from my uncle Mr.Nagarajan. He wanted me to write something so that I keep myself occupied.. so thought about this. Thanks to him.Next will be my friend Kanishkaa, he too desrves the credit.
With regards to the title, I have been trying various options but all in vain and accidently this one clicked. I hope this is easy for you to remember.As of now I have decided to pen down things which happen around me and things which fancy me a lot. Hope you enjoy my work...and keep dropping in your comments. It would be even more better if you could add this to your favorites...