Day 1

I missed the action! And I feel violated. The Bangladeshis could not match an imposing total of three hundred and seventy runs. They had done their homework well and planned for the master but forgot to do so for his apprentice destroyer.

I pity myself that I could not resist the urge to sleep on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. No more afternoon naps during this world cup. Especially not on match days!

The Canadians play the Lankans and the New Zealanders take on the Kenyans tomorrow on day two. Could I be more interested?

Daffodils

Another poem that has been doing the rounds of my mind these days is Daffodils by William Wordsworth. Poetry appreciation is not really my forte but whenever I come across such beautiful poems I feel that I should have studied the English language with a lot more interest.

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

Abraham Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher

Some pieces of literature, no matter how old they are never become obsolete. One such example is Abraham Lincoln's letter to his son's teacher.

Reading it again and again gives me great pleasure and I cannot help but marvel at Lincoln's astute observational skills and strong belief in morality.

He will have to learn, I know,
that all men are not just,
all men are not true.
But teach him also that
for every scoundrel there is a hero;
that for every selfish Politician,
there is a dedicated leader…
Teach him for every enemy there is a friend,

Steer him away from envy,
if you can,
teach him the secret of
quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that
the bullies are the easiest to lick…
Teach him, if you can,
the wonder of books…
But also give him quiet time
to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,
bees in the sun,
and the flowers on a green hillside.

In the school teach him
it is far honourable to fail
than to cheat…
Teach him to have faith
in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him
they are wrong…
Teach him to be gentle
with gentle people,
and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son
the strength not to follow the crowd
when everyone is getting on the band wagon…
Teach him to listen to all men…
but teach him also to filter
all he hears on a screen of truth,
and take only the good
that comes through.

Teach him if you can,
how to laugh when he is sad…
Teach him there is no shame in tears,
Teach him to scoff at cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness…
Teach him to sell his brawn
and brain to the highest bidders
but never to put a price-tag
on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears
to a howling mob
and to stand and fight
if he thinks he’s right.
Treat him gently,
but do not cuddle him,
because only the test
of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have the courage
to be impatient…
let him have the patience to be brave.
Teach him always
to have sublime faith in himself,
because then he will have
sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order,
but see what you can do…
He is such a fine little fellow,
my son!

Greed!

Greed, for lack of a better word is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cut's through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed in all of it's forms. greed for life, money love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, mark my words will not only save Teldar paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called The USA

- Gordon Gekko

World Cup fever begins!

There is a possible Anglo Irish rivalry brewing up in the subcontinent and this is a small evidence.

I expect to see the Irish in the quarters and soon in white colours playing their maiden test against India just like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

On other hand, Yuvraj Singh did not get to sharpen his weapons in the run slaughtering fest called 'warm up match' prior to the Cup. Is this a sign of the future things to come?

We have all descended from monkeys... And we are still descending!

- Navjot Singh Sidhu

The wait always seems unending!

Ezekiel 25:17

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and goodwill shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost jewellery and I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers and you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.

Leadership is a two way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one's superiors and care for one's crew.

- Grace Murray Hopper

It is not the will to win that makes a winner, it is the will to prepare

- Anonymous

Quotes

In America, innovation doesn't just change our lives. It's how we make a living.

- Barack Obama

Read Here

Chuck Lorre

I have a recurring dream that I have been drafted to play on an NBA team. This is very upsetting because I cannot really play basketball. I mean, I play pretty much how you would expect a middle aged Jewish comedy writer to play. The words clumsy, hesitant, clueless short and frightened come to my mind. During the dream I am well aware of my grotesque lack of talent. I run up and down the court hoping the ball does not come my way, all the while wondering why the coach does not take me out. Even me executing an uncontested lay-up or free throw seems like an impossible or an unlikely event. Assuming dreams work like a metaphor and I am not really subconsciously afraid of having to go mano a mano with Kobe or LeBron, the question I find myself asking is what in my life do i feel fully engaged in yet completely unqualified for? The answer is simple; intimate relationships. Once again the words clumsy, clueless, short and frightened come to my mind. Well, not short... average.

If you want success as bad as air to breathe, then no one can stop you from getting it - Socrates

Cato the Elder

When I die, I would rather have people say why there is no monument to me that why there is.

Wiki - Leaky

Inspite of all the uproar against investigative journalism and the fear of compromising any nations security, all wiki leaks does is open your eyes to this very simple fact - Diplomacy, Secrecy and Politics should be used to serve the cause of humanity and not otherwise

To My Countrymen

who gave unto themselves the Constitution, but not the ability to keep it,

who inherited a resplendent heritage, but not the wisdom to cherish it,

who suffer and endure in patience, without the perception of their potential.

This is foreword to the book We, The People, by Nani Palkhivala

A man's face is his autobiography. A woman's face is her work of fiction.

Very well said by Oscar Wilde.

Adidas Tribute to Sachin

'Impossible' is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they have been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact, it is an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration, it is a dare. Impossible is potential, Impossible is temporary.

Impossible is nothing!

Dedicated to the man who makes a burgeoning country stop in it's tracks everytime he walks out to take the crease.

Sachin Tendulkar.

Ayodhya Verdict

It was very very unique and absolutely unprecedented situation that in side the boundary wall and compound of the mosque Hindu religious places were there which were actually being worshipped along with offerings of Namaz by Muslims in the mosque[1].

And suddenly someone felt the need to create discontentment out of nothing and the temple movement was started. Hot headed extremists and cold blooded Machiavellians, one seeking redemption and the other political mileage rallied under the saffron flag and destroyed the very emblem of symbiotic unity in which fathers of modern India had placed their belief.

Today once again, we had to resort to partition to buy peace[2].

We seem to have mastered the art of creating a divide out of nothing. Partition is seen as a sure road to peace. Today India confused the deliverance of Justice with the appeasement of the masses.

A very saddening day in my life.

On a lighter note, it can be seen that it was us who first used 'Zero' and fractions, that too irrational fractions. [3]

References

[1] http://rjbm.nic.in/suk.pdf

[2] http://www.allahabadhighcourt.in/ayodhyabench.html

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irrational_number#History

And I forgot

And I forgot about this famous one "Poker Face"

People playing poker have to rely on the other person's facial micro-expressions so that they can call his bluff.

So the other person tries his best to keep his face expressionless, a term which led to the origin of the word "Poker Face" a term using which I would like to describe myself !!!

Phrases related to cards

"If you do not have a good partner, you should have a good hand"

This is related to Bridge and we all know in which context do we use it.

"Up the ante"

This one is from blind man's bluff (poker) or our very own teen-patti. The person who sees his cards is required to play the double of a blind man. So the stakes depend upon the blind mans money. So to to increase the stakes, the blind man is expected to raise his money in the game, which is known as upping the ante.

btw 'stakes' is also a betting related term :D

Mine

The first step to finding the solution to a problem is to make everyone at the table accept that the problem exists. Any attempt to force a solution without taking this all important first step would result in the conference room turn into a boxing ring.

And in a bout, someone’s bound to get a bloody nose.

Gandhi, Bihar and Mumbai

Rahul Gandhi suddenly realized the injustice in Mumbai. Isn't it such a wonderful coincidence that this epiphany came just before the Bihar elections?

This proves just one thing, that sending poor people to Mumbai has always been and will be the agenda of winning governments in that sorry state. Instead of giving impetus to industrialization which will create jobs for poor illiterate labourers, Congress feels it right to make people think that immigration to Mumbai is the solution to the hapless land's problem.

Lets face it, Mumbai is a city which reeling under the weight of its huge population. Add to this the inefficient infrastructure (world record passenger/hr/km density of the Churchgate Virar local, largest slum in Asia, 2 hours traffic jam between to signals placed a kilometre apart etc etc are not the things which we should be proud of, even if we rattle them off to others proudly). It is a city which cannot tolerate more. It is better if we do not discuss the security against terrorist threats. Under such circumstances putting a man in the city with no money, no place to sleep, no fixed job (the man is not a tax payer) is not a good idea after all.

The city which gives India more than 70% of the tax money certainly deserves more. The central government owes good shelter, good security and better overall standard of living to the people of this city which is probably the face of India in the outside world. If it cannot provide that to people coming to Mumbai, it should ask them to wait until these facilities are provided.

Beating up poor, helpless men is not and will never be the solution. The problem in Mumbai is grave and unique one faced by our country which is relatively young. The solution cannot be found by rattling lines from the constitution. Such unique problems demand a unique, 'never thought of before' solution. I have realized this problem after I started studying in Surat. Life in other cities is much more easy and it reflects in the fact that average age of Mumbaikar's is one of the lowest in the country. The stress caused by poor facilities ultimately kills people living in Mumbai. What we need is the urgent improvement in facilities or otherwise a moratorium or a strict protocol on migrating to Mumbai. If you cannot give them a good life here, do not bring them here to create chaos (and also a vote bank in the hapless state).

I am deeply saddened by this attitude of the ruling party towards my city. When it comes to eating the political pie, everyone recognizes the injustice the Thackeray's (little brother, cousin brother and uncle) do to migrants. But no one ever realizes the injustice done to Mumbai by the centre.

Interesting blog

All of you guys who like technology should take a look at my eccentric friend Khushraj's new blog Mathematics behind Technology (pardon the huge name). It is an interesting blog which gives you opportunity to brainstorm over seemingly simple things we have studied.

I always wanted to start a technology blog of my own. But I never had the will nor the concrete idea of what I would be discussing in that blog. This blog comes pretty much close to the kind of forum I would have liked to create.

So guys, check it out regularly.

Peak Year

This has been my peak blogging year so far. More number of posts than my firts two years put together.

I am loving it

Statuses

People keep all kinds of stuff as their status update in google talk. Some is to the point update on whether they would like to be disturbed or not, eg 'dnd', 'at work' or the simple 'away'.

However people also like to keep so many other things like lyrics of their favourite songs. (I honestly feel they would like if an option of streaming the video song was made available as the status). Some people put random quotes as their statuses. It is this which sometimes amazes me.

Some excerpts from statuses which my friends have put right now!

1. Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.
2. I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
3. "Right and wrong do exist. Just because you don't know what the right answer is — maybe there's even no way you could know what the right answer is — doesn't make your answer right or even okay. It's much simpler than that. It's just plain wrong.

Like it!!!!!

Baroda

I went to Vadodara a couple of days ago. Actually I had to go to Anand for some stuff. After that I decided to spend time in Baroda to meet my folks there whom I wanted to meet ever since I started staying in Surat.

I am not yet used to my mobile-phone camera and it did not occur to me that I could take shots of stuff while I walked past it. Yet somehow the beauty of this made me remember about the gadget I had and I snapped a pic of it.

Also my Anand job was nice and I realised at its end that I do not have any visual memento of my outing. So these photos were clicked at Anand station. Do not mind the quality of photo which have me in it as poor Manik was more interested in the chick standing next to us than clicking my pic.

Avatar

Avatar is a great movie. Must see for every regular movie-goer and also for the average guy like me who judiciously chooses which movie to watch and which to chuck. James Cameron might be the most brilliant man in the history of film making and his written scripts may blow the mind of one and all.

I am seeing posts after posts, blogs after blogs going on how Cameron has commented on the oil war in the middle east by drawing parallels with unobtainium and how 'green' a movie Avatar is. People have somehow conferred upon this movie the title of the 'most awesomest movie' ever. And someone or the other is constantly digging into the storyline and trying to point out how this movie is actually a comment on the current international political scenario.

Chill guys. This is just a great great piece of entertainment. Nothing else.

TED Mysore

This thing is AWESOME. Must watch it. For every guy who is into technology.

TED Mysore - Pranav Mistry.

The guy Pranav Mistry is an IIT alumnus and currently a PhD student at the Mecca of engineering (MIT).

He was speaking at TED conference in Mysore, India, 2009.

Really good ones

I have come across quotes which strike the mind after a long long time.

Only the mediocre are always at their best.
- Jean Giraudoux

This is so true. Everyone wants to be above average but do not understand that for the term "average" to exist there should be equal number of people below it. No one is at their best all the time.



Let is take things as we find them; let us not distort them into what they are not. We cannot make facts. All our wishing cannot change them. We must use them.
- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Now I liked this one. I have been listening to people say shit about what should be ideal and that the ideal solution is only the ideal solution without accounting for reality. This quote just reflects and emphasizes what I want to say.


And this one is just too cool:-

The governments view of the economy can be summed up in few short phrases; If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, regulate it.
- Ronald Reagan

Pamuk

I want to read Orhan Pamuk

Gen. A. S. Vaidya

Fonseca, in a letter to the Lankan president, mentioned about an Indian army general we might have never ever heard the name of. General Arun Sridhar Vaidya. He was the one who planned operation bluestar and got us rid of militancy in one part of the country forever. The price he paid for this was his life. Terrorists pumped 8-9 bullets in his head and neck after he retired. Fonseka feared that he might have the same fate and might be killed by the remnants of LTTE.

What is similar and should be noted that these men, inspite of knowing the perils to their life, put the country at the highest priority.
And also that people like Vaidya are forever remembered by people who know the value of his contribution, by acknowledging him 23 years down the line in some country other than his own.

The True Ultra Nationalist

"I strongly believe that Sri Lanka belongs to the Sinhalese, but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people. They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things."
- General Sarath Fonseka (CDS of Sri-Lankan defence forces and a beloved war hero for the Lankans)

General Fonseka , in my opinion truly resembles the ultra nationalist who is one of the rare few who have a vision for their country. Even if this statement clearly displays his racial bias against the Tamils, he looks like the person who knows what should be done and has the power to do whatever should be done to lead his country into being a successful one; one with equality and justuce for people of all races.
Fonseka wants to quit the army and serve the nation in some other capacity, that of the president. May he become that and may we have everlasting peace in atleast one of our neighbouring country

3 years to live

What would you do if you had only 3 years to live your life to its fullest???

Rediff posed this question to people and I decided to dig deep into the answers 3 men came up with.

Man 1 says(name withheld to protect privacy although you can google this article up and find who the fuck he is)

1. I shall travel all the world by plane.

2. I shall date as many girls as I can.

3. I want to kiss Aishwarya Rai.

4. I want to taste non-vegetarian food to see how it feels, because I am vegetarian.

5. I shall leave my job and go home to live with my family in my village.

6. I shall stop doing everything else and give all my time to my wife and daughter.

7. I shall go to gambling bars and play upto such a time that I have either nothing left to lose or win so much that I go to sleep right there.

8. I shall attend the marriages of all my relatives, which I used to miss when I had my job.

9. I shall buy a car and drive it for as long as I can.

10. I shall play cartoon games so as to remain happy upto the end of life.

See the order of the highlighted answers.

Also see Man 2:

1. Keep reducing my extra weight and get slim before I die.

2. Have sex for 1-2 weeks.

3. Resign from my job and spend time with my parents.

4. Spend time with disabled children.

5. Fly a fighter jet (getting permission to do so somehow).

6. Roam extensively around India to all religious places.

7. Visit the most haunted place in India.

8. Tell the girl I love how I feel and ask for a date.

9. Eat the most exotic vegetarian delicacies in India.

Again he got the order wrong.

Man 3 is a little less pervert

1. Spend most of the time with my wife and kids.

2. Visit America's Las Vegas.

3. Liquidate all my investments.

4. Slap all my foes.

5. Fall in love.

6. Throw a party and invite everybody in town.

7. Fly a fighter plane.

8. Stop going to work.

9. Dance will all good-looking girls.

10. Die near water, holding my kids' hands.

You can clearly see that men love sex more than anything else!!!!!

Harlots

I remembered this while posting the last post... has anyone heard Charlot the Harlot? or 22 Acacia Avenue?

For the guys who haven't, I strongly recommend it

:-D

Quote

If you would not step into the Harlot's house, do not go by the Harlot's door.

- Thomas Secker

I do not know why I liked this one. But somehow this makes sense.

Now what?

After this clarification by Mr. Santhanam, I think the issue is pretty much clear. I wonder what the defence ministry has to say. It should be accepted that we do not have a H-Bomb. And that we wasted 11 years when we could have acted upon the failure and set things right. We have become a laughing stock for our adversaries. Our scam has been exposed. The Pakistanis will be stupid if they let us strong arm them and the Chinese will be stupid if they do not strong arm us.

A political failure which threatens to build insecurity in people's mind will only lead to instability and a weak government which will result in more patronizing of us by our not so friendly and also friendly neighbours.

A 'no first-strike policy does not have any meaning if you do not have the weapons, forget the capability for a second strike. When we developed nuclear subs and water-to-land misiles and displayed them with pride to showcase our second strike capability, we somehow chose to ignore the fact that we do not have enough and effective warheads to be mounted on them.

India won't be allowed to get away with this hollow exposure of national security. Isnt it is a strange co-incidence that the number of incursions by China from across the border and mischief from the Pakistanis at the western border increased manifold since the day Mr. Santhanam brought the nuclear program out of the closet?

The NDA which prided itself on being the government which carried out the Pokhran tests should hang their heads in shame. The Congress more so because it did not correct the failure of the past when they could and for dismissing things so obivously visible instead of accepting them and making future plans to achieve nuclear capability.

For the first time in my life of 20 years, I feel insecure about India's integrity in the future. Hope someone is listening and has balls to do the right thing.

Curiousity

Seize the moment of excited curiosity on any subject to solve your doubts; for if you let it pass, the desire may never return, and you may remain in ignorance.

- William Wirt

I have come to believe in this statement in my pre-final year of engineering. And I enjoy doing this. I wish I had known this earlier.

good one

Think twice before you speak, and then you may be able to say something more insulting than if you spoke right out at once.
- Evan Esar

Muzumdar leaving home

Muzumdar is leaving 38 times Ranji holders Mumbai this season for minnows Assam. See here.
I do not to agree with his decision to leave Mumbai. His argument that playing for Assam will help reinvent himself as a batsman and captain seems inadequate. In Ranji Trophy cricket, earning a Mumbai call up is equivalent to earning the baggy green in Australia. I believe any player if given the option would like to be the 12th man wearing the baggy green than be the captain of minnow side. There is surely more to this than meets the eye.
As an ardent Mumbai cricket fan, I am deeply saddened by the prospect of not seeing Mazumdar in the starting line up this next time when Mumbai step out on Wankhede to defend their title and to earn their record 39th title. Although batsmen like Jaffer, Rahane and Sharma will ensure that batting department is looked after well, the abscence of Mazumdar is bound to be felt. He was the Prodigal son of Mumbai cricket and we fans have always looked upon him to deliver the goods when the time had come.
Although his role in the lineup was similar to Dravid's role in the Indian team, I will not call him as 'The Wall' or 'Dravid'of Mumbai. It was due to sheer luck that out of Dravid and Muzumdar, both batsmen of immensely great talent, Dravid got the call ahead of Muzumdar. Dravid capitalised on his goods and Muzumdar never got a look in later. God knows had Muzumdar got a call before Dravid, he would have ended up being the Wall. He is probably the best example of the abundance of talent in Mumbai cricket. He was the batsman who sat padded up for 3 days continuously in the dressing room because Tendulkar and Kambli were out there scoring a record 350 partnership in the school league (they all were schoolmates and played for the team). He is probably one of the few players in the world who could have warranted a place in any international side in the world. Ironically he is also one of the rare few of them who did not get to represent any.
He is 31 runs away from being the all times highest run scorer in Ranji Trophy history. I pray that he achieves this record at the earliest and hopefully sometime in the future retrns to play one last time for his home - Mumbai

Good one

During periods of relaxation after concentrated intellectual activity, the intuitive mind seems to take over and can produce the sudden clarifying insights which give so much joy and delight.

- Fritjof Capra, physicist

Dhammapada

Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone.

- The Dhammapada

Obama

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years — block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

- Barack Obama (President United States of America 2009 - )

Such inspiring words. Have never come across similar stuff from any Indian politician

Quotes and Quotes

I do not do much writing on the blog these days. Say I do not have time or say I do not come across any topic which invokes the blogger within me. So to keep up I just post some good quotes I come across while surfing, which has become a habit for me now. Keeping up with the habit, here comes one more.

All charming people have someting to conceal, usually their total dependence on the appreciation of others.

- Cyril Connolly.

These are fun to read. Each one of them comes with an epiphany of being so true and we marvel at the insight of the person who quoted it as we relate it to our own experiences.

Real Live Preacher

You can't know everything you'd like to know. You can't do everything you'd like to do. You can't read everything you'd like to read. You must hold onto some things and let go of others. Learning to make that choice is one of the big lessons of this life.

Nice one

God runs electromagnetics by wave theory on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and the Devil runs them by quantum theory on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

- Sir William Bragg (British Phsycist)

So who runs it on Sunday? Whoever runs probably uses GUT!!

New definition of pleasure

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.

- Aristotle

Maybe thats why people always stress on hot r eceptionist or secretary.

Great Quotes

In the end, we decide if we're remembered for what happened to us or for what we did with it.

- Randy K. Milholland

The sweat of hard work is not to be displayed. It is much more graceful to appear favored by the gods.

- Maxine Hong Kingston

Rains...!!!

My post welcoming rains for the fourth year in succession. There is atlast signs of the rains hitting Mumbai. I always prefer to be drenched in water than in sweat. The first smell of wet earth carried by the wind always seems flirty.

Check this out! Amazing

Going through a rather famous blog which comments on almost everything around us here in India.

Came across this post which talks about old beliefs. IMO funny.

The Aryan Toilet code

Chuck Palahniuk

All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring!

This is so true

"If you can solve your problem, then what is the need of worrying? If you cannot solve it, then what is the use of worrying?"

 - Shantideva

Some amazing words spoken...!!!

I must study politics and war so that my sons have the liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architechture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architechture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.

 - John Adams

There are few nudities so objectionable as the naked truth.

 - Agnes Repplier

The internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes easier to connect.

 - Esther Dyson 

Another fav quote

Nothing is more conducive to peace of mind than not having any opinions at all!!!

 - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. 

V-Day

I exercised my franchise to vote today. These days they put the ink mark on your middle finger. I guess they put it there so that we can show our finger to the assholes who do not vote!!!

Great Quote!!!!!

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.

Time for red dust

Excerpt from www.rogerfederer.com :-

Dear Fans

I have decided to accept a wildcard into the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters tournament that begins on Monday. I will head there this weekend to start the clay court season.

Thanks to all of you for your continued support.

All the best,

Roger

So what does this mean?

As a fan, I think this can only be good news. It shows that after that miserable loss to Novak Djokovic in the semis in Miami, Roger has not given up and retreated into hiding. No, no, no, no, no....instead he has decided to step it up and get in some more clay court practice. Now that's the mark of a true champ....and hopefully a sign that he is in a positive frame of mind.

1. Looks like he's serious about trying to complete his impressive CV with the missing Slam!
2. The good news also means I get to watch Roger in action again sooner than I expected—YAY!

Education

Education... has produced a vast population able to read but unable to distinguish what is worth reading.

 - G. M. Trevelyan

The essence of Blogging

It is not a bad idea to get in the habit of writing down one's thoughts. It saves one having to bother anyone else with them.

And that's why I blog once in a while!!!!!!

The Wrestler

I just saw the movie "The Wrestler". Liked it very much. It is about the life of a professional wrestler. Just like the ones we see on WWF and WWE. Some part of the movie reminded me of the time I spent watching the moves of my beloved 'Rock' and Stone-Cold. Mickey Rourke is just awesome. It is a must see

Putt's Law

Technology is dominated by two types of people: 

1. Those who understand what they do not manage, and 

2. Those who manage what they do not understand.

This is known as Putt's Law and it really makes me chuckle.

We budding engineers are supposed to dominate the technology tomorrow. Now I am just figuring out, what kinda person will I be?

Einstein Quotes

It would be possible to describe everything scientifically, but it would make no sense; it would be without meaning, as if you described a Beethoven symphony as a variation of wave pressure.

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.

This is a more famous one - 

If A equals success, then the formula is A = X + Y + Z.  X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.

Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.

And this is the last one for which I endeavoured to find all this. 

If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor.

Was watching a documentary where the narrator quoted Einstein. I liked this one pretty much. To get the exact context in which this was used by the narrator, see this. 

Thank you you two!!!!!

Although we feel terrible as a loyal Federer fans after what happened yesterday, we must console ourselves that as fans of tennis, that what we are witnessing is not just great, but a legendary rivalry of which tales can be told. Hats off to the two great magicians who have given us this amazing opprtunity to witness history being created, over and over again.

Another brick in the wall

Its like the big wall that is eluding Federer his must deserved legendary status. Today another brick was added to it. Although full credits to Nadal for playing so well, I honestly feel that this title was Federer's for the taking. After playing so well, he did not deserve to lose the 5th set the way he did. His own nerves overcame his epitomic accuracy to plot his downfall in the decisive 5th set. 

This article saves me the agony of discussing the event by describing those emotional set of events.

I deliberately did not put any pictures of that heart-wrenching sight because it is so fuckin difficult for me to see him cry...

Is this Tit for Tat?

Pakistan is asking for India to hand over Samjhauta blasts suspects. Read here. This seems to be Pakistan's tactics of tit for tat. Pakistan should duly note that Col S. K. Purohit, the main accused is being tried upon in India for his wrongdoings and is in judicial custody unlike Pakistan where LeT honcho is being held under 'house arrest' and gets privilleges like talking to media. Indian citizens were also killed in the Samjhauta blasts and so it is perfectly allright for him to be tried in India. Pakistan should think before making such statements and be sincere in their efforts (if at all they have made any) against cross-border terrorism.
This is very demeaning to the nation of India, and also can be considered as a diplomatic failure that a rogue state like Pakistan makes such hostile statements, harbours hostile attitude, plans the disintegration of this great country (albeit with a lot of failure) and is allowed to go scot-free everytime.

More quotes!!!!

I was walking down fifth avenue today and I found a wallet, and I was gonna keep it, rather than return it, but I thought: well, if I lost a hundred and fifty dollars, how would I feel? And I realized I would want to be taught a lesson. (ROFL)

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.

- Emo Phillips

The second one is real funny and and also demands thought from the reader. Isn't this quite an explanation to why most criminals come from poor and illiterate families???


And also:-

Don't stay in bed, unless you can make money in bed.

First you forget names, then you forget faces. Next you forget to pull your zipper up and finally, you forget to pull it down.

- George Burns

Here also the second quote is rather a very true and a canny description of things which should treated with great sensitivity.

More of favourite quotes

Dreams are postcards from our subconscious, inner self to outer self; right brain trying to cross that moat to the left. Too often they come back unread: "return to sender, addressee unknown." That's a shame because it's a whole world out there-- or in here depending on your point of view.

 - Dennis Koenig and Jordan Budde

In pre-historic times, mankind often had only two choices in crisis situations: fight or flee. In modern times, humor offers a third alternative; fight, flee - or laugh. (Very True)

To err is human - and to blame it on computer is even more so. (LOL)

 - Robert Orben

My favourites of Swaminomics

This article appeared in the TOI nearly 16 years ago. It talks about economics and environment. A must read, I say.

Haydos Retires

Matthew hayden or lovingly called Haydos retired from international cricket in a much awaited but a heart rendering move. I hated it when he used to walk calmly down the wicket to hit out poor bowlers out of the park. I truly miss his battles with Harbhajan Singh. As an arduous cricket fan, I will always remember the joyful occaisions when he belted opposition bowlers out of the park with alarming ease.

Swaminathan S. Anklesaria Aiyar

I am a huge fan of this guy. I always make it a point to follow his articles whenever he writes in the Times of India or the Economic Times in the all famous collumn Swaminomics.

Inspiring words

These are the lines of an old prayer. Aren't they inspiring?

Lord, give me the courage to change what I can, the fortitude to bear what I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Tennis 2009

Tennis - a sport I am madly in love with is back again. India's premier ATP Tour event, the Chennai Open is starting from tomorrow and needless to say, I will be following it. Although all the big boys, the Federers, Nadals and Murrays are in the middle east the Chennai Open has always been an event to cherish. This has been India's own event with the people cheering madly for Paes and Bhupathi. Although tournament regular Rafael Nadal has decided to give this year's edition a miss, iron-man Nikolay Davydenko and swiss Stanislas Wawrinka are the star attractions this year. Also in the fray is India's very own Somdev Devvarman. I hope that we get to see some exhilerating tennis and have more of memorable moments like 2008's Moya-Nadal SF.

Savar Re

Today I had the wonderful experience of attending a talk show of Mr. Pravin Davne. I credit my college public who decided to extend our vacation for this experience. This is after a long time that I have attended a live marathi show and I throughly enjoyed it.  For those who do not know, Mr. Pravin Davne is a famous marathi lyricist and author. He, who is an eloquent orator himself, never fails at mesmerising audiences. Pity that as the marathi literature-world is still internet shy, there isn't much stuff about him available on the cyberspace. 

Favourite quotes

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity!!! 

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me - they're cramming for their final exam. 

Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that. (ROFL)

And the best one:-

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live. 

 - George Carlin

A few more, 

What's the use of happiness? It can't buy you money. 

 - Henry Youngman

'Peak blogging year'

And just as I posted the previous entry, I realised that this year has been the peak blogging year of my very young blogging career and this month with 15 posts has been peak blogging month. However I wish to clarify that the use of the word 'peak' in no way suggests that my blogging will go into a terminal decline. I will keep blogging from wherever I am, whatever the circumstances might be!!!

Analysis of the attacks

This interview of Mr. Bernard Haykel appeared on Rediff on December 26, 2008. Mr. Haykel is professor of Near Eastern Studies at the Princeton University.

This is his blog which I find to be interesting.

This is another site - MiddleEastDesk where you can find articles by him.

The Legend that is K. Subrahmanyam

This post appeared on rediff in honour of this brilliant strategist and bureaucrat.

These are two of his interviews which I believe were very enlightening to me

1. Dated, February 28, 2000 - "It's the cabinet and succesive PMs who are responsible"
2. Dated, August 7, 2000 - "Our ruling elite is totally indifferent to national security"
   

How India avoided the crisis

Although India is still feeling the heat of the economic slowdown, it hasnt been as badly affected as the US and other western countries have - points out American business journalist and author Mr. Joseph Nocera or Joe Nocera as he is popularly known in his collumn 'Talking Business' in The New York Times dated December 19, 2008.

This is his blog.

Myths from Mumbai

This article by Mr. Arvind Panagariya appeared in The Indian Express on December 16, 2008. I totally agree with what he has argued in the article and recommend it as a must read.

News, Views and Analysis

Lead by Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai, IBN is one of the rare responsible news agencies in India. Mr Sardesai's blog is an interesting read too.

Barkha Dutt at her best

I am a huge fan of this lady Barkha Dutt. This program was aired on December 15, 2008 on NDTV India.

Anatomy of Anger

Movies

Saw 2 movies today.

1. The Kingdom - Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner. Awesome movie. About how innocent American ARAMCO employees living in Saudi Arabia are killed in a terrorist attack and how a team of FBI agents led by Jamie Foxx goes about the investigations in Saudi along with help from a local Saudi cop. They face everything; political red-tape, anti-Americanism, combat and kidnapping and an attempt to beheading of a colleague. In the end, they bring the old wily mastermind of the attacks to justice. Foxx is awesome as always. 
2. Blood Diamond - The touching story of how war is fuelled in the interior parts of Africa so that Diamonds can be made cheaply. Story of a father Djimon Hounsou who attempts to rescue his son who is being used as a rebel soldier. Story of a journalist Jennifer Connelly who wants to show the world the bloody trail of the diamond that sits crowned on their fingers. And the story of a diamond smuggler Di Capriowho has to save his life admist all the civil war.

Made my day!!!!

Covert

I am a huge fan of Mr. M J Akbar ever since I had started reading the Asian Age, which was in the year 2003. This one's headed by him. Hope to have a great time reading it.

Rediff

8 things India Inc, govt must do against Pakistan

Bombay

Bombay is beautiful, not for its buildings for most of them hide squalor, poverty and dirt; not for its wealth for most of it is derived from the blood of the masses; but for its world-renowned generosity. Bombay’s charity has covered a multitude of her sins. She has enabled India to keep her promises. —Mahatma Gandhi

In honour of Late Mr. Tukaram Ombale

This one's on rediff by Mr. TVR Shenoy. Very good article.

Salute to the brave constables of DB Marg police station.

The New York Times Opinion of the Mumbai Attacks

The Editorial - dated November 30, 2008.

The Op-Ed page - William Kristol - dated December 1, 2008.

Cats in the Cradle

Was watching How I met your mother. Me a big fan of the series. Came across this song by Harry Chapin which I liked.

Cats in the Cradle

A child arrived just the other day,
He came to the world in the usual way.
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay.
He learned to walk while I was away. 
And he was talking 'fore I knew it, and as he grew,
He'd say, "I'm gonna be like you, dad.
You know I'm gonna be like you."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

My son turned ten just the other day.
He said, "Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play.
Can you teach me to throw?" I said, "Not today,
I got a lot to do." He said, "That's ok."
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed,
Said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah.
You know I'm gonna be like him."

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon. 
"When you coming home, dad?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Well, he came from college just the other day,
So much like a man I just had to say,
"Son, I'm proud of you. Can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head, and he said with a smile,
"What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys.
See you later. Can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

I've long since retired and my son's moved away.
I called him up just the other day.
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind."
He said, "I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time.
You see, my new job's a hassle, and the kid's got the flu,
But it's sure nice talking to you, dad.
It's been sure nice talking to you."
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me,
He'd grown up just like me.
My boy was just like me.

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue and the man in the moon.
"When you coming home, son?" "I don't know when,
But we'll get together then, dad.
You know we'll have a good time then."

Vid-Lecs

Video Lectures - Bro suggested

Lucky 13 for Fed-Ex

Federer beat Murray for a 5th consecutive US Open and 13th career major.

This man is not finished. Nor has he supposedly 'risen from the ashes'. He is just where he was all these days. Right where he is supposed to be - admists legends. I was just dying to see him like this. He made me spend the entire night awake even when I had to take an early morning train next day. Due to that hangover I was exhausted throughout the journey and the entire day. But the effort was worth it, no?

Strong-Arm Lance

Lance Armstrong has decided to return back to professional cycling. This may not be a big thing for cricket crazy public but if someone knows even a little about professional cycling or Lance Armstrong, he is going to get a surprise for sure. For the rest, let me tell you about them. Cycling is one of the most difficult of endurance sports and the Tour de France is considered widely as the pinnacle of it. The Tour de France or more famously 'The Tour' is a cycling competetion that takes place in France in the months of July and covers up to 3500-4000 kms of road through mountainous territory, flat highways and all sorts of difficult terrain. The tour goes on for 23 days in which the rider is expected to cycle for 21 days on a trot for about 150-180 kms a day. The schedule and the season make sure that no one is spared the rigorousness of riding the icy Alps through hailstorms, heavy rain and what not. You might have got an idea what the Tour de France supposed to be - The Holy Grail of professional cycling. 

Lance Armstrong is widely regarded as a legend in the cycling world. Any person who wins the Tour de France 7 times on the trot is surely nothing short of a legend but when the person has recovered from the terminal stage of cancer, I do not know if there is any word that can describe him. Yes. Armstrong had been diagonised with terminal stage cancer at the prime age of 24. The news that 'you have cancer' is enough to break down even the strongest of minds but not this one. Armstrong fought cancer and defeated it just like he defeated some of the world's best riders 7 years on the trot. I suggest everyone to read his autobiography 'Its not about the bike'. It is truly inspirational stuff. There are moments when you mutter to yourself that 'is this fiction?' or 'this is a real good script for a movie' or even 'this guy has cooked up a great story' when you are reading the book. After all it is impossible to believe how can a terminal cancer patient recover so nicely in the first place let alone sit on a bicycle? Even if he manages to sit on one, how can he ever go professional and compete in 'The Tour'? But you pinch yourself for the fact is that this man has done that all. He recovered, rode a bicycle, returned to pro-cycling, took part in The Tour and went on to win it for 7 years on the trot. Hard to believe but true.

So when this 37 year old says that he wants to return to professional cycling after a gap of 4 years and wants to take part in 'The greatest cycle race on the earth', I have no doubts that he will do so and even in fact go on to win it. For this man nothong seems impossible!!

Grand Slam fever

The year's last Grand Slam began a few days ago and I caught the tennis fever immediately. The US Open is a difficult tournament as there is a long hard court series before it and all the players are well into their groove and on top of their game, and there is nothing more exciting than watching these players slam forehands across the court. The late night matches (in India it is early morning :-D) are so fun to watch. You wake up in the morning, check the internet for latest up-coming matches, wash yourself and are off to the TV room to catch some gripping tennis. The rest of the day is spent in discussing about the next day's play.
Apart from Roger Federer whom I adore so much there are few other players whose game I enjoy very much. They are Nadal, Blake and Nalbandian. Although the latter 2 have been removed from the race to the elusive title, the presence of Nadal still gives me goosebumps as I expect another Fed-Rafa final. Also players like Del Potro, Gulbis and Cillic have risen on the horizon and it would be in a year or little more that they will officially herald their arrival on the secne. These are the signs on exciting times to come for tennis fans as the game will get even more interesting. Federer is just refusing to lessen his tempo. He and Rafa are hot on each other's heals. Guys like Djokovic and Murray are running close behind. Blake, Nalbandian, Ferrer are world class players in their own right and they always add some world class spice to the draw. With all this stuff happening the entry of these newbies, Potro, Gulbis and Cillic will just make the game................ ~!@#$%^&*()_
Forget it!!!!!! I am at loss of words to describe my excitement as a Tennis fan ;-D

PS : Just check the Nishikori vs Del Potro match tomorrow. It is going to be fun

Final Draft

Today I had the pleasure of seeing one of the very few and very good plays in Marathi theatre. An aunt and my Mom came up with the plan of going and I was all for it. As it is I consider theatre artists to be far more talented than film artists. Attribute it to the overdose of senseless stuff in the Marathi film line.
Watching a play in a theatre is a grand experience in all by itself. The glowing lights, the excitement of seeing the set in the first scene when the curtains open, the make up of the artists and the first dialogue, all make your breath stop and get you excited in anticipation. It was even more exciting for me as I was seeing it after a very long long time.
As for the play is concerned, it is named 'Final Draft'. I found it pretty interesting and refreshingly new. Again attribute it to the endless list of slapstick comedies at theatres near you. There are some funny moments though but they are very well in the flow of the story and do not look conjured up. The actors are nevertheless superb. Most important was that the play struck a chord somewhere deep within. I spent a lot of time after the show introspecting. As the show ended, there werent the usual comments of 'sahi hai', 'mast hai' or 'theek tha'. People were all praise for it but deep down they were thinking about it. This play left me a little bit perturbed and made an attempt at starting a thought process. Summing it up, I found this one to be a must see. You can get the synopsis here. The producers have wittily made a blog for fans like me to post comments. So read the synopsis and make up your mind to see this one quickly.

Tennis in the Olympics

Federer has won the gold in Olympic Tennis in the Men's doubles event. Good to see that. A player of his calibre did not deserve to go empty handed at the Olympics. As it is I do not see Olympic Tennis to be as competetive as the ATP Tour events. Most of the players come with a laid back attitude. There are occaisional flashes of brilliance like we saw in the Blake vs Fedex match or the Rafa vs Djoker. But in all the event in which a 'well past his prime' Fernando Gonzalez is a silver medallist, cannot be regarded as the epitome of ultimate sporting achievement.
In this case, I see the Grand Slams in a better light. (I was never a fan of Olympic Tennis and do not bother to check it unless dear old Fedro or the warring Indian Express are playing!) Everyone comes well prepared. The matches are 5 setters with a rule that the fifth set will not end till a clear 2 game lead is established. This makes the sport more competetive as the player has to break the opponents serve atleast once in the match. And some of the matches continue for well more that 3-31/2 hours. This tests the stamina of the players as nothing can. Thus I consider the Grand Slams to be the pinnacle of success in tennis world. Far more than the Olympics.
And lastly as a fan of fedex I hope, he reaches this pinnacle many more times in the years to follow! :-D lol

My Dear old Fedro!!

"Will we see this Federer again?"

Last few months have been very tough for me as an avid tennis fan. Beloved Fedex is not winning as I want him to win. Ever since his loss to Rafa in the historic five-setter at Wimby-2008, Fed is not looking the same anymore. It is very disheartening to read about dear old Fedex loosing to yet unheralded players. Today also Federer lost to James Blake in the Olympics Q/F. Though Blake deserves the credit for coming up with a very good performance, Federer was clearly not in his elements today. Looks like his dream of winning the elusive medal will remain a dream for ever. I just hope that he comes back hard at his opponents and does true fans like us proud. Infact I am more desperate for him to win this year's last Grand Slam than even he is. Now we have the US Open, Paris and Madrid Masters and the year ending Masters Cup. Lets hope he wraps this not so inspiring year with style, playing the kind of tennis we all know only our Beloved Fedro can!!!

The Rains

Ever since I started blogging, I have always welcomed rain through my posts. This year isnt going to be any different. This is the first time I am experiencing monsoon freely in some city other than Mumbai. Every city has a special character which is revealed only during the monsoons. Surat is no different. Surtis welcome rain with much caution. There is always the danger of the Tapi unleashing its horror on the diamond city everytime a downpour occurs. Instead as a boon, the Surtis view the rain as a spoiler. Naturally so as the Surtis are fond of moving out of their houses and enjoying some delicious food. Everytime it rains in a sunday, the newspapers cast a sorry headline.
Opposite is the case in Mumbai. I think a Mumbaikar is the only Indian after the poor farmer who is overjoyed on the prospect of rain. Even after the heavy floods of 2005, famously known as 26/7, which killed nearly thousand and affected even more, Mumbaikars still welcome rain with the same zeal. This year when the rains got delayed, whole of Mumbai went into some sort of mourning as if a disaster was impending. And when it finally rained, that also so furiously that it threatened to fill the streets with water, Mumbai still enjoyed every bit of it. And thats what makes me love Mumbai all the way more even though I am hundreds of kilometres away from it!!!!

Some interesting blogs!

Here are they

• Seth Godin - He always mesmerises me with his marvellous speaking skills.
• The Steve Jobs Secret Blog - Steve Jobs is a big name in itself. Probably the only man in the world who can stand upto Bill Gates and maybe come out better!

And last but not the least, here is India's very own Bridget Jones - Meenakshi Reddy Madhavan aka eM aka The Compulsive Confessor. This isnt a business or marketing blog but a fun/freak out kind of. I came across this when I read about a recently released book, 'you are here' by the blogger. See here. The headline is catchy as it is always the case with desi portals but going by the article, I feel that the substance is actually way more than what we think it to me.
I think that I may get hooked to the blog. Which male isnt interested in knowing what a young woman thinks??? lol ;-)

Promise to be back

Have been keeping busy these days. Kinda neglected my blog. New post coming up soon.

New Lignite Gasification project in Surat

This is an old article but it gives an idea of the fast happening industrial development in Gujarat. I found this on The Financial Express :

Public Sector oil exploration behemoth Oil and Natural Gas Corp Ltd (ONGC) is expected to start its pilot project for underground gasification of lignite near Vasthan area 20 kms away from Surat in Gujarat within a year. Not only that, the company has also identified three other sites in Bhavnagar district of Saurashtra for similar projects.
ONGC had entered into a MoU with the Gujarat government owned Gujarat Mineral Development Corp (GMDC) for underground gasification of lignite near Surat. ONGC has also identified three sites in Bhavnagar for studying the possibility for undertaking similar projects. Bhavnagar has a sizeable amount of lignite reserves and after the pilot project, the company will look at the three sites in Bhavnagar district for undertaking commercial production of natural gas through the gasification of lignite.
Lignite is a type of coal, and ONGC has identified around 20 odd coal mines for underground gasification of coal.
The project is expected to start by April 2008.

To know more about recent Coal Gasification projects around the world, I suggest this :
Underground Coal Gasification