Its been a really really long time since i had updated my blog, 3 months and 17 days to be precise.Not that i was really busy, it was just the exact opposite .I had so much time time and so little to do that I didn't know what to write in my blogs except the following : "Eat,Sleep,watch TV".And posting it over and over even though it was what i had been doing might make people think i am off my rockers.
A lot of things have also happened since my last blog.India won the T20 world cup,its biggest triumph since the 1983 World Cup and that with a young side led by the awesome Dhoni and ably aided by that swashbuckler of a batsman,Yuvraj Singh.What a tournament it was!The first match washed out,the second against Pakistan going on to a bowl out,losing the next to New Zealand and making sure that all of India was going crazy not knowing whether we would reach the semis or not.Then came the innings of a lifetime by Yuvraj.Carting a bowler of Chris Broad's pace(not that he is a Lee or Akhtar, but a still pacy) for six sixes in over must be what most batsmen think of but very few achieve.And it was indeed a scintillating display from Yuvraj in that match that settled the issue in our favor.The next against SA was a clear example of choking bowling making the batsmen play their shots out of desperation. India's bowlers were progressing fast and this match clearly illustrated their level heads in a pressure match against the home team.
The semifinal against Australia was a cracker of a contrast with our batting showing its class and a total of 189 was always a winning total against any team but Australia.And why it was considered like that was shown by Andrew Symonds especially after Australia lost early wickets.Carting the bowlers around the park with disdain,he almost single handedly guided Australia to victory if not for that peach of a delivery from Irfan Pathan that crashed into Symonds stumps.Then came Bhajji,"Turbanator" as he was affectionately called by Australia to bowl the 18th over with 33 runs required and bowled the most magnificient over of his life giving only 5 runs and crashing through Clarke's guard with a magnificient yorker.That settled the match and we would take on arch rivals Pakistan in the final, a dream final which was anticipated eagerly by many but not expected to happen given the appalling inconsistency both the teams are capable of.
As for the final, there is no need to to elaborate.No Indian who watched it could forget the nail biting finish with India being crowned Champions.Back home, the series against Australia was closely fought even though we lost 4-2.
The series against Pakistan saw some exceptional batting by Jaffer, Yuvraj and the most grittiest cricketer you would ever see after Steve Waugh , our 'Dada' Ganguly.His bat conducting a symphony with the Pakistan being the box seat audience, Ganguly showed us why he was gifted enough to score a century on debut,that too on the hallowed turf of Lords.His shots through the offside were majestic to say the least and proved beyond doubt that he is indeed the 'God of Offside' as Boycott rightly termed him. With Dada entering what they term as the 'zone' and our batting looking solid, the tour of Australia promises to crackling.If our bowlers live up to our expectations, the results are going to be too good to imagine.
All my wait for my joining date has been spent in the detailed analysis of these matches and now that it has been resolved I can hardly wait to join.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Rahul Dravid "The Moron"
Can it get any worse?Having made the opposition kneel at your feet with 114 on the board and 3 wickets remaining,it was a simple matter of wrapping up the match.Instead we get to see a record 8th wicket partnership that not only clinched the match for England but may also have put the series beyond our reach.All thanks to Dravid's ineptness in bringing about bowling changes and horrible field settings in the latter half of the game.How could a person so experienced setup such a field in which the batsmen take runs at liberty when they should be poking at the ball afraid that they may not last the next ball.India's response to its low total was fantastic to start and till Bopara and Broad came together everything clicked.But the killer instinct that we had seen missing on too many occasions came to the fore and once again India lost.This is so similar to the third test against Pakistan in which Pakistan was 26/5 and instead of bundling them out Rahul Dravid's shoddy fielding setup and improper bowling changes let Kamran Akmal score a century and Pakistan drew the match.
Its really pathetic to see the Indian team's poor fielding and Dravid's uninspiring captaincy,not to mention lacklustre batting be on display just when the test series was won so convincingly.Its better to have someone else as ODI captain while Dravid remains the test captain.Not because of this performance alone but starting from the World Cup debacle.If Australia had been bundled out for 192,it would have trounced Bangladesh by bundling them out for a sub 100 total,not because they have a superior bowling attack but they possess the killer instinct so abudantly and which we as a team,especially the captain lacks so much.This was not the case when Sourav was the captain because Ganguly loved challenges and took it to the opposition.Also his skills as a leader are definitely superior,which indicates that a team is only as good as its captain.
A lion leading a bunch of rabbits will squash a pack of lions led by a rabbit.
Its really pathetic to see the Indian team's poor fielding and Dravid's uninspiring captaincy,not to mention lacklustre batting be on display just when the test series was won so convincingly.Its better to have someone else as ODI captain while Dravid remains the test captain.Not because of this performance alone but starting from the World Cup debacle.If Australia had been bundled out for 192,it would have trounced Bangladesh by bundling them out for a sub 100 total,not because they have a superior bowling attack but they possess the killer instinct so abudantly and which we as a team,especially the captain lacks so much.This was not the case when Sourav was the captain because Ganguly loved challenges and took it to the opposition.Also his skills as a leader are definitely superior,which indicates that a team is only as good as its captain.
A lion leading a bunch of rabbits will squash a pack of lions led by a rabbit.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Horrendous
The last one week was terrible with frequent power cuts and a slowing down CPU that lets you work at the speed of ENIAC.The only saving grace was my birthday when I had a realtively nice day(i.e. there were no power cuts that entire day and my CPU decided not to act up!!!).
The thing about power cuts that pisses me off so much is that sometimes there is no official announcement of a power cut due to maintenance reasons and everytime the EB office is contacted there is a permanent engaged tone(In case you are wondering whether the EB officials are very busy,let me correct you,they simply take the receive off the hook!!!).Or someone must have comeup with the brilliant idea of using the engaged tone as the ring tone so that people are fooled which is highly capricious. To add to that the officials who collect the bi-monthly bills are the most complete set of morons I have ever come across in my life.This, I say, because a new EB card is due for us for the last four months and whenever I go to get the new card I return empty handed because there is no stock!!!Yes, you heard me right,NO STOCK!!!.Guess EB cards are now hot property.How much more pathetic can you get?I can't even imagine what could be the real reason even if my life depended on it.Come on guys,a card of 8"x15" ain't that hard to make.Siiiigggggggghhhhhhhh!!
Rounding off,India's horrible batting made me lose a good night's sleep(No,I am not worrying about India,its just that I watched the entire match when I could have nicely tucked myself in for a good sleep).
The thing about power cuts that pisses me off so much is that sometimes there is no official announcement of a power cut due to maintenance reasons and everytime the EB office is contacted there is a permanent engaged tone(In case you are wondering whether the EB officials are very busy,let me correct you,they simply take the receive off the hook!!!).Or someone must have comeup with the brilliant idea of using the engaged tone as the ring tone so that people are fooled which is highly capricious. To add to that the officials who collect the bi-monthly bills are the most complete set of morons I have ever come across in my life.This, I say, because a new EB card is due for us for the last four months and whenever I go to get the new card I return empty handed because there is no stock!!!Yes, you heard me right,NO STOCK!!!.Guess EB cards are now hot property.How much more pathetic can you get?I can't even imagine what could be the real reason even if my life depended on it.Come on guys,a card of 8"x15" ain't that hard to make.Siiiigggggggghhhhhhhh!!
Rounding off,India's horrible batting made me lose a good night's sleep(No,I am not worrying about India,its just that I watched the entire match when I could have nicely tucked myself in for a good sleep).
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Mom's love
When you were 1 year old, she fed you and bathed you.
You thanked her by crying all night long.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk.
You thanked her by running away when she called.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love.
You thanked her by tossing your plate on the ground.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons.
You thanked her by colouring the dining room table.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays.
You thanked her by plopping into the nearest puddle.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 6 years old, she walked you to school.
You thanked her by screaming "I'M NOT GOING".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 7years old, she bought you a baseball.
You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbour's window.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream.
You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons.
You thanked her bynever even bothering to practice.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 10 years old, she drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastic to one birthday party after another.
You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies.
You thanked her by asking her to sit in a different row.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows.
You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 13, Vshe suggested a haircut.
You thanked her by telling she had no taste.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp.
You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 15, she came home from work,looking for a hug.
You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car.
You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 17, she was expecting an important call
You thanked her by being on the phone all night.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 18, she cried at you high school graduation.
You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to the campus, carried your bags.
You thanked her by saying goodbye outside the dorm so that you wouldn't be embarassed in front of your friends.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 20 ,she asked whether you were seeing anyone.
You thanked her by saying, "Its none of your business".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future.
You thanked her by saying, "I don't want to be like you".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation.
You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment.
You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 24, she met your fiance and asked about your plans for the future.
You thanked her by glaring and growling, "Muuhh-ther,please!".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding and cried how deeply she loved you.
You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby.
You thanked her by telling, "Things are different now".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's birthday.
You thanked her by saying you were "really busy right now".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 50, she fell ill and neede you to take care of her.
You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.
___________________________________________________________________
And then one day she quietly died.And
everything you never
did came crashing down like thunder on your
HEART.
___________________________________________________________________
You thanked her by crying all night long.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 2 years old, she taught you to walk.
You thanked her by running away when she called.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 3 years old, she made all your meals with love.
You thanked her by tossing your plate on the ground.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 4 years old, she gave you some crayons.
You thanked her by colouring the dining room table.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 5 years old, she dressed you for the holidays.
You thanked her by plopping into the nearest puddle.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 6 years old, she walked you to school.
You thanked her by screaming "I'M NOT GOING".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 7years old, she bought you a baseball.
You thanked her by throwing it through the next-door-neighbour's window.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 8 years old, she handed you an ice cream.
You thanked her by dripping it all over your lap.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 9 years old, she paid for piano lessons.
You thanked her bynever even bothering to practice.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 10 years old, she drove you all day, from soccer to gymnastic to one birthday party after another.
You thanked her by jumping out of the car and never looking back.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 11 years old, she took you and your friends to the movies.
You thanked her by asking her to sit in a different row.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 12 years old, she warned you not to watch certain TV shows.
You thanked her by waiting until she left the house.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 13, Vshe suggested a haircut.
You thanked her by telling she had no taste.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 14, she paid for a month away at summer camp.
You thanked her by forgetting to write a single letter.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 15, she came home from work,looking for a hug.
You thanked her by having your bedroom door locked.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 16, she taught you how to drive her car.
You thanked her by taking it every chance you could.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 17, she was expecting an important call
You thanked her by being on the phone all night.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 18, she cried at you high school graduation.
You thanked her by staying out partying until dawn.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 19, she paid for your college tuition, drove you to the campus, carried your bags.
You thanked her by saying goodbye outside the dorm so that you wouldn't be embarassed in front of your friends.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 20 ,she asked whether you were seeing anyone.
You thanked her by saying, "Its none of your business".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 21, she suggested certain careers for your future.
You thanked her by saying, "I don't want to be like you".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 22, she hugged you at your college graduation.
You thanked her by asking whether she could pay for a trip to Europe.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 23, she gave you furniture for your first apartment.
You thanked her by telling your friends it was ugly.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 24, she met your fiance and asked about your plans for the future.
You thanked her by glaring and growling, "Muuhh-ther,please!".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 25, she helped to pay for your wedding and cried how deeply she loved you.
You thanked her by moving halfway across the country.
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 30, she called with some advice on the baby.
You thanked her by telling, "Things are different now".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 40, she called to remind you of a relative's birthday.
You thanked her by saying you were "really busy right now".
___________________________________________________________________
When you were 50, she fell ill and neede you to take care of her.
You thanked her by reading about the burden parents become to their children.
___________________________________________________________________
And then one day she quietly died.And
everything you never
did came crashing down like thunder on your
HEART.
___________________________________________________________________
IF SHE'S STILL AROUND,NEVER FORGET TO LOVE HER
MORE THAN EVER....
AND IF SHE'S NOT,REMEMBER HER UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE AND PASS IT ON.
ALWAYS REMEBER TO LOVE THY MOTHER,
BECAUSE YOU HAVE ONLY ONE
MOTHER IN YOUR LIFETIME.!!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Glory after 21 years
The Indian team emulated its performance in the 1986 tour of England by winning this series and making sure that the Pataudi trophy remains in India.Quite a few noteworthy performances were seen in this series especially Zaheer Khan and Dinesh Karthik.Not that the others were useless,they too had contributed magnificiently,just that these two were consistent in terms of performance.
Amongst the most scintillating moments,the century by Jumbo,our dear old Kumble,stands out for its grit and effort.Who said that bowlers make lousy batsmen?Some of his cover drives were text book shots and beauties to watch.A significant achievement in his last series in England,getting a hundred,a dream for all bowlers that turns into reality for very few like Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas.Poor Warne,for all his amazing talents,the three figures eluded him all his career.His highest score was 99,something that would be excruciatingly painful in hindsight,when you sit by the fire with a cup of coffee and a newspaper.Kumble may not be as gifted as Warne but his hard work more than made up for it by helping him achieve his dream.
And,to add to that,who can forget the devastative piece of swing bowling dished out by Zaheer and RP Singh in the second test that stood out for its agression,innovation and perseverance,bamboozling the English batsmen into playing down the wrong line.A very improved and consistent bowling performance from the team which was found wanting in that department whenever we toured overseas.
Of course,how can we leave out Sachin and Sourav for their awesome batting displays,though it was in patches doesn't matter.Dravid's astute captaincy came to the fore in this series though in hindsight few decisions could have been better.All said and done,the team has picked itself after the disastrous World Cup campaign and shown that we are no longer wimps when it comes to travelling abroad.A truly cherishable moment that will remain etched forever among India's greatest triumphs.
P.S:Umpiring standards have seen a new low in this series.I have to refer my dictionary if I have to write about those moronic decisions without using unparliamentary words.
Amongst the most scintillating moments,the century by Jumbo,our dear old Kumble,stands out for its grit and effort.Who said that bowlers make lousy batsmen?Some of his cover drives were text book shots and beauties to watch.A significant achievement in his last series in England,getting a hundred,a dream for all bowlers that turns into reality for very few like Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas.Poor Warne,for all his amazing talents,the three figures eluded him all his career.His highest score was 99,something that would be excruciatingly painful in hindsight,when you sit by the fire with a cup of coffee and a newspaper.Kumble may not be as gifted as Warne but his hard work more than made up for it by helping him achieve his dream.
And,to add to that,who can forget the devastative piece of swing bowling dished out by Zaheer and RP Singh in the second test that stood out for its agression,innovation and perseverance,bamboozling the English batsmen into playing down the wrong line.A very improved and consistent bowling performance from the team which was found wanting in that department whenever we toured overseas.
Of course,how can we leave out Sachin and Sourav for their awesome batting displays,though it was in patches doesn't matter.Dravid's astute captaincy came to the fore in this series though in hindsight few decisions could have been better.All said and done,the team has picked itself after the disastrous World Cup campaign and shown that we are no longer wimps when it comes to travelling abroad.A truly cherishable moment that will remain etched forever among India's greatest triumphs.
P.S:Umpiring standards have seen a new low in this series.I have to refer my dictionary if I have to write about those moronic decisions without using unparliamentary words.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Thought provoking
01.If all the nations in the world are in debt(am not joking. Even US has got debts), where did all the money go? (weird)
02.When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it? (to be given a thought)
03.What is the speed of darkness? (absurd)
04.If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff? (very good thinking)
05.Who copyrighted the copyright symbol? (who knows)
06.Can you cry under water? (let me try)
07.Why do people say, "you've been working like a dog" when dogs just sit around all day? (I think they meant something else)
08.Why are the numbers on a calculator and a phone reversed? (God knows)
09.Do fish ever get thirsty? (let me ask and tell)
10.Can you get cornered in a round room? (by ones eyes)
11.What does OK actually mean?
12.Why do birds not fall out of trees when they sleep? (tonight I will stay and watch)
13.What came first, the fruit or the color orange? (seed)
14.What should one call a male ladybird? (No comments)
15.If a person suffered from amnesia and then was cured would they remember that they forgot? (can somebody help)
16.Can you blow a balloon up under water? (yes U can)
17.Why is it called a "building" when it is already built? (strange isn't it)
18.If you were traveling at the speed of sound and you turned on your radio would you be able to hear it? (got to think scientifically)
19.If you're traveling at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens? (I don't have a change to try)
20.Why is it called a TV set when theres only one? (very nice)
21.If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth? (this is nice?)
22.Why do most cars have speedometers that go up to at least 130 when you legally can't go that fast on any road? (stupid, break the law)
02.When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it? (to be given a thought)
03.What is the speed of darkness? (absurd)
04.If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff? (very good thinking)
05.Who copyrighted the copyright symbol? (who knows)
06.Can you cry under water? (let me try)
07.Why do people say, "you've been working like a dog" when dogs just sit around all day? (I think they meant something else)
08.Why are the numbers on a calculator and a phone reversed? (God knows)
09.Do fish ever get thirsty? (let me ask and tell)
10.Can you get cornered in a round room? (by ones eyes)
11.What does OK actually mean?
12.Why do birds not fall out of trees when they sleep? (tonight I will stay and watch)
13.What came first, the fruit or the color orange? (seed)
14.What should one call a male ladybird? (No comments)
15.If a person suffered from amnesia and then was cured would they remember that they forgot? (can somebody help)
16.Can you blow a balloon up under water? (yes U can)
17.Why is it called a "building" when it is already built? (strange isn't it)
18.If you were traveling at the speed of sound and you turned on your radio would you be able to hear it? (got to think scientifically)
19.If you're traveling at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens? (I don't have a change to try)
20.Why is it called a TV set when theres only one? (very nice)
21.If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth? (this is nice?)
22.Why do most cars have speedometers that go up to at least 130 when you legally can't go that fast on any road? (stupid, break the law)
Friday, August 10, 2007
First Taufel,now Howell!!
The umpiring horrors of the Engish summer continues.Simon Taufel kickstarted this blunder campaign and Ian Howell has followed nicely in his footsteps,proving that he too is as demented as Taufel was when it comes to judgement of LBW's.Perhaps they should be sent back to training class.
Sourav Ganguly.The guy who launched his career in the hallowed turfs of England thought he had a chance to finish his last tour of England nicely but the umpiring gods had other plans.Two tests and two bad decisions including the fact that he was well set in both cases would make for a good tragedy.The rueful smile that came when the Howell gave him out,inspite of the ball having nicked the inside edge,conveyed it all:the disappointment,the frustration and the anger. Why the hell did God give Ian Howell a pair of eyes that would put a blind man to shame?When you can't pick up an inside edge when giving LBW decisions,sorry mate,you are not fit enough to be a umpire.This probably will be the last time we will see Dada swing his bat in England and the finish expected from his bat was not intended to be.
Now we will come to the curious case of "Dinesh Karthik And The Un-Nicked Ball".Ian Howell,poor guy,what a handicap it must be,not being able to see clearly compounding his hearing problems.Damn!I thought umpires were intelligent but here we see a clear anamoly of that.The decisions were third rate,to say the least.Poor Karthik.Yet another century gone begging.He must have been so hopeful when he reached 90.We should give those deaf idiots headphones capable of delivering 2000W PMPO and see perhaps if that helps.The Snicko clearly registerd nothing and yet our dear Howell heard something.Perhaps it was already poor eardrums that popped,unable to take in the deafening silence when the ball passed the bat, making him believe that it was a nick that he had heard.
All said and done,you cannot overrule the umpires decision so it stays.But the abysmal standard of umpiring ought to make the ICC sit up and take notice of the pathetic state the umpires in the Elite panel are.Ironic,isn't it.The ICC pick the best and the picked turn out to be the worst(I don't blame the entire umpire community.But when respected people like Taufel start making awful decisions,that,guys,is the limit).
P.S:Does the ICC have a quota for the handicapped in umpire selection like they do in academics?Coz Ian Howell definitely qualifies for the "Blind and Deaf" category.
Sourav Ganguly.The guy who launched his career in the hallowed turfs of England thought he had a chance to finish his last tour of England nicely but the umpiring gods had other plans.Two tests and two bad decisions including the fact that he was well set in both cases would make for a good tragedy.The rueful smile that came when the Howell gave him out,inspite of the ball having nicked the inside edge,conveyed it all:the disappointment,the frustration and the anger. Why the hell did God give Ian Howell a pair of eyes that would put a blind man to shame?When you can't pick up an inside edge when giving LBW decisions,sorry mate,you are not fit enough to be a umpire.This probably will be the last time we will see Dada swing his bat in England and the finish expected from his bat was not intended to be.
Now we will come to the curious case of "Dinesh Karthik And The Un-Nicked Ball".Ian Howell,poor guy,what a handicap it must be,not being able to see clearly compounding his hearing problems.Damn!I thought umpires were intelligent but here we see a clear anamoly of that.The decisions were third rate,to say the least.Poor Karthik.Yet another century gone begging.He must have been so hopeful when he reached 90.We should give those deaf idiots headphones capable of delivering 2000W PMPO and see perhaps if that helps.The Snicko clearly registerd nothing and yet our dear Howell heard something.Perhaps it was already poor eardrums that popped,unable to take in the deafening silence when the ball passed the bat, making him believe that it was a nick that he had heard.
All said and done,you cannot overrule the umpires decision so it stays.But the abysmal standard of umpiring ought to make the ICC sit up and take notice of the pathetic state the umpires in the Elite panel are.Ironic,isn't it.The ICC pick the best and the picked turn out to be the worst(I don't blame the entire umpire community.But when respected people like Taufel start making awful decisions,that,guys,is the limit).
P.S:Does the ICC have a quota for the handicapped in umpire selection like they do in academics?Coz Ian Howell definitely qualifies for the "Blind and Deaf" category.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Awesome!!!
I am now fully involved in saving myself from the Vizier and make Farah believe that i am not a monster.Sounds crazy.Nah.I am playing the last part of the famous Price of Persia trilogy and the game sure rocks.You should see the Prince do moves with his sword that will put a 50 mm gap in your mouth,literally meaning your mouth will be hanging open in awe.
The predecessor to this title,The Warrior Within is even more classy.Getting chased by the Dahaka and having alternate endings that will depend on your gameplay are some of the awesome pieces of the game.I am not reviewing the POP series,just making my glee known that i too have played it.
Have been at play for the last three days in the last part of the series and the experience was just awesome.The best way to kill time is gaming and if people out there have plenty to kill,jump onto the gaming bandwagon.
The predecessor to this title,The Warrior Within is even more classy.Getting chased by the Dahaka and having alternate endings that will depend on your gameplay are some of the awesome pieces of the game.I am not reviewing the POP series,just making my glee known that i too have played it.
Have been at play for the last three days in the last part of the series and the experience was just awesome.The best way to kill time is gaming and if people out there have plenty to kill,jump onto the gaming bandwagon.
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Catching up
Went to temple after a long long time.I am not the type who goes to the temple at the drop of a hat but that doesn't mean i am an atheist.It was actually pretty good to enjoy some silence after the hustle bustle of daily life.
Also started reading a couple of books i had wanted to read for some time but didn't have the time which is curious considering the fact that i do nothing worthwhile the whole day.One book titled the "The Cobra Event" by Richard Preston makes for a good reading session with its gripping storyline.
Going to catch up with the books.Ciao!
Also started reading a couple of books i had wanted to read for some time but didn't have the time which is curious considering the fact that i do nothing worthwhile the whole day.One book titled the "The Cobra Event" by Richard Preston makes for a good reading session with its gripping storyline.
Going to catch up with the books.Ciao!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Trouble again!!!
My disastrous run with electronic components continued just like Schumacher used to make it a habit of notching up wins. This time the victim,my MONITOR.Arrrgh!
There I was,fully engaged in honing my driving skills on the computer without a care in the world when somebody UP decided to send me my package of troubles.It was the last lap and i was leading by nearly four seconds when there was a small popping noise and my monitor went blank.Just like that.But the CPU was running to my horror which meant that the race was still on.Naturally,I was inclined to send my monitor soaring like a Beckham freekick but that little piece called common sense kicked in.I called a guy who services monitors and told him my woes.
He came,found out what the problem was(a transistor had blown),fixed it and charged me a quarter thousand bucks.Talk about electronic goods getting cheaper.Finally,after making sure that everything was working fine,I resumed honing my driving skills.Think my woes are over.Nah.Continue.
Next morning,I had just switched on my comp when I heard the dreaded popping noise again.And TWICE.Oh God!Why can't I have some peace?As usual,the CPU was running fine with the fan humming nicely.Damn,that was absolutely maddening, the CPU being fine but me not able to use it.I once again phoned the service guy and told him my problem.He said he had too many deadlines that day and would be able to come only the next day.What could I do but wait.
He came as told,found out that two transitors had blown,replaced them and told me i had better come to the idea of buying a new monitor since this one had run its course.Surprisingly he didn't charge me anything.Well,thats what I call customer satisfaction .I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that my beloved PC will not cause me any more trouble.
God,if you are reading this kindly consider my request.
There I was,fully engaged in honing my driving skills on the computer without a care in the world when somebody UP decided to send me my package of troubles.It was the last lap and i was leading by nearly four seconds when there was a small popping noise and my monitor went blank.Just like that.But the CPU was running to my horror which meant that the race was still on.Naturally,I was inclined to send my monitor soaring like a Beckham freekick but that little piece called common sense kicked in.I called a guy who services monitors and told him my woes.
He came,found out what the problem was(a transistor had blown),fixed it and charged me a quarter thousand bucks.Talk about electronic goods getting cheaper.Finally,after making sure that everything was working fine,I resumed honing my driving skills.Think my woes are over.Nah.Continue.
Next morning,I had just switched on my comp when I heard the dreaded popping noise again.And TWICE.Oh God!Why can't I have some peace?As usual,the CPU was running fine with the fan humming nicely.Damn,that was absolutely maddening, the CPU being fine but me not able to use it.I once again phoned the service guy and told him my problem.He said he had too many deadlines that day and would be able to come only the next day.What could I do but wait.
He came as told,found out that two transitors had blown,replaced them and told me i had better come to the idea of buying a new monitor since this one had run its course.Surprisingly he didn't charge me anything.Well,thats what I call customer satisfaction .I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that my beloved PC will not cause me any more trouble.
God,if you are reading this kindly consider my request.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Good team effort
The Indian team for once decided to showcase both their bowling and batting talents in one match itself.I am not being sarcastic but it was one of the very few circumstances in which both the departments shone.India's prowess has always been its batting.We haven't shown ourselves to have a particularly strong bowling in the recent past which makes this effort all the more sweet.
After a very good bowling performance in the first innings,the batsmen did what was required of them,i.e.,put the match out of England's reach.Though England ran away with the first session of Day 4 plundering runs at will,the bowling after lunch was raised a few notches the LBW of Kevin Peterson being a fine example.Zaheer's impeccable line and late swing did England in and the tail was not allowed to wag,something that we have often allowed in the past .A sub 75 target was never going to be a diificult task on a pitch that had no devils in it and Karthik along with Jaffer saw to it India didn't lose early wickets while Ganguly and Dravid saw India home,fitting enough since both these great batsmen made their debut in England and this could well be their last tour of England.Overall a good effort by the whole team and a victory to savour.
A special note on Karthik: This guy has got a wonderful temparament to go along with his sound technique and is quite aggressive too.He has settled wonderfully into the role of an opener and if he continues like this,Sehwag may well be looking at a spot in the middle order when he returns.
After a very good bowling performance in the first innings,the batsmen did what was required of them,i.e.,put the match out of England's reach.Though England ran away with the first session of Day 4 plundering runs at will,the bowling after lunch was raised a few notches the LBW of Kevin Peterson being a fine example.Zaheer's impeccable line and late swing did England in and the tail was not allowed to wag,something that we have often allowed in the past .A sub 75 target was never going to be a diificult task on a pitch that had no devils in it and Karthik along with Jaffer saw to it India didn't lose early wickets while Ganguly and Dravid saw India home,fitting enough since both these great batsmen made their debut in England and this could well be their last tour of England.Overall a good effort by the whole team and a victory to savour.
A special note on Karthik: This guy has got a wonderful temparament to go along with his sound technique and is quite aggressive too.He has settled wonderfully into the role of an opener and if he continues like this,Sehwag may well be looking at a spot in the middle order when he returns.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Beautiful
Finally got my speakers replaced.There was no fuss this time as the person incharge clearly understood what my problem was.The first thing i did after switching on my new speakers was to watch "The Pursuit of Happyness".
Gosh!What a movie it was.Beautiful.Never thought i would let a film dampen my eyes but here it was,a masterpiece in movie making.How does Hollywood time and again manage to come up with such beautiful movies based on real life incidents that absolutely roots you to your seat?Amazing,to say the least.
Gosh!What a movie it was.Beautiful.Never thought i would let a film dampen my eyes but here it was,a masterpiece in movie making.How does Hollywood time and again manage to come up with such beautiful movies based on real life incidents that absolutely roots you to your seat?Amazing,to say the least.
How Dumb can Taufel be
Simon Taufel.Regarded to be one of the best umpires in cricket in the likes of Harold 'Dicky' Bird and David Shepherd because of the astonishing accuracy of his decisions has just proved himself to be as human as other ordinary umpires.Now,when you are in the Elite panel of umpires it means that the guys out there in ICC consider your judgement of the game to be pretty good.
But horrendous decisions like the ones Taufel gave yesterday makes one reconsider the quality of umpiring going on.Before all the people out there cry out loud that 'Cricket is just a game.Everybody is human.Blah Blah Blah Blah!',I would like you to consider the situation of the game yesterday.Tendulkar was batting well,finally having got his groove back(not fully,but satisfying)and looking on course for a magnificient century.What could have possibly prevented him from reaching that landmark?.Only a dumb decision.AND THAT IS WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.One of the most horrific leg before decisions i have ever seen.God!!Just because a batsmen doesn't offer a shot will not mean he is out.Come on.Have some sense.In giving a LBW decsion,the height of the ball when it strikes the batsmen has to clearly noted because it shows whether the ball will go on to hit the stumps or not.In Sachin's case the ball did miss offstump.Replays also showed that.Now,those who cry foul at my blog saying that the 'Pressure in the game is too much.The umpires have to take split second decsions while the audience have the luxury of deciding in the comfort of their homes' I would like to emphasise that it is a prerequisite to have a cool head when you want to be a umpire.If you have doubts take the help of technology.Yesterday Taufel did take his own sweet time to give the decision,a rarity,clearly showing that he was in a dilemma.Finally the fact that Sachin didn't offer a shot probably did him in but nevertheless an awful decision from what we call a 'good' umpire.
As for the Ganguly episode, the lesser said the better.What do you have the stump mike for?Probably to overhear what the players are chitchatting in between the overs.A kind of entertainment for the overworked umpires!!!When I can't hear a nick,sitting in my living room surrounded by my family talking nineteen to the dozen when the ball passed Ganguly's bat,how come did Taufel hear it.And remember the English crowd is not as noisy as their Indian conterparts.Another well deserved century missed out due to,if i may say,negligence on the part of the umpire.
You see its a paradox.If a bad decision is made,blame is put on not using the available technology to arrive at correct decisions.But if a bad decision is made even after the use of proper technology,what to say.Audience like me can only sigh.Make it a double sigh.
All said and done this leads to two possible solutions.Either the technology is dumb or Simon Taufel is dumb(with due regard to all his brilliant decisions made in other matches).And as far as i am concerned it is Simon Taufel who acted DUMB with a capital D on the third day of the second India-England test.
But horrendous decisions like the ones Taufel gave yesterday makes one reconsider the quality of umpiring going on.Before all the people out there cry out loud that 'Cricket is just a game.Everybody is human.Blah Blah Blah Blah!',I would like you to consider the situation of the game yesterday.Tendulkar was batting well,finally having got his groove back(not fully,but satisfying)and looking on course for a magnificient century.What could have possibly prevented him from reaching that landmark?.Only a dumb decision.AND THAT IS WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED.One of the most horrific leg before decisions i have ever seen.God!!Just because a batsmen doesn't offer a shot will not mean he is out.Come on.Have some sense.In giving a LBW decsion,the height of the ball when it strikes the batsmen has to clearly noted because it shows whether the ball will go on to hit the stumps or not.In Sachin's case the ball did miss offstump.Replays also showed that.Now,those who cry foul at my blog saying that the 'Pressure in the game is too much.The umpires have to take split second decsions while the audience have the luxury of deciding in the comfort of their homes' I would like to emphasise that it is a prerequisite to have a cool head when you want to be a umpire.If you have doubts take the help of technology.Yesterday Taufel did take his own sweet time to give the decision,a rarity,clearly showing that he was in a dilemma.Finally the fact that Sachin didn't offer a shot probably did him in but nevertheless an awful decision from what we call a 'good' umpire.
As for the Ganguly episode, the lesser said the better.What do you have the stump mike for?Probably to overhear what the players are chitchatting in between the overs.A kind of entertainment for the overworked umpires!!!When I can't hear a nick,sitting in my living room surrounded by my family talking nineteen to the dozen when the ball passed Ganguly's bat,how come did Taufel hear it.And remember the English crowd is not as noisy as their Indian conterparts.Another well deserved century missed out due to,if i may say,negligence on the part of the umpire.
You see its a paradox.If a bad decision is made,blame is put on not using the available technology to arrive at correct decisions.But if a bad decision is made even after the use of proper technology,what to say.Audience like me can only sigh.Make it a double sigh.
All said and done this leads to two possible solutions.Either the technology is dumb or Simon Taufel is dumb(with due regard to all his brilliant decisions made in other matches).And as far as i am concerned it is Simon Taufel who acted DUMB with a capital D on the third day of the second India-England test.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
This forward is taken from Chinmayi's blog.Sorry Chinmayi it seems like plagiarism but it was too good to resist.
So here it is:
This one was also *TADAAAA* forwarded to me on orkut.I want to thank all my friends and other unknown people who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003, 2004 &2005 and 2006.
Because of your kindness:
I stopped drinking Coca-Cola after I found out that it's good only forremoving toilet stains.
I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.
I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer.
I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill from hell with calls to Uganda,Singapore and Tokyo.
I also stopped drinking water outside for fear that I will get sick from the rat shit and urine.
When I go to parties, I don't look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.
I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times.(Poor girl! she's been 7 since 1993...)
My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland.
Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Dalai Lama, Ganesh Vandana,Tirupathi Balaji pics etc..
Now most of those "Wishes" are already married(to someone else)!
You can add your own notes based on your similar experience and send them to your friends.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
IMPORTANT NOTE:If you do not send this e-mail to at least 913760
people in the next 10 seconds,a bird will shit on your head today at 6:30 p.m.
#############################################
##
Give me a break!!"
The World Is Filled With Foolish Ppl And Some Think They Got Talent
Too !!!"
So here it is:
This one was also *TADAAAA* forwarded to me on orkut.I want to thank all my friends and other unknown people who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003, 2004 &2005 and 2006.
Because of your kindness:
I stopped drinking Coca-Cola after I found out that it's good only forremoving toilet stains.
I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.
I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer.
I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill from hell with calls to Uganda,Singapore and Tokyo.
I also stopped drinking water outside for fear that I will get sick from the rat shit and urine.
When I go to parties, I don't look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.
I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account. A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times.(Poor girl! she's been 7 since 1993...)
My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland.
Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Dalai Lama, Ganesh Vandana,Tirupathi Balaji pics etc..
Now most of those "Wishes" are already married(to someone else)!
You can add your own notes based on your similar experience and send them to your friends.
If ORKUT deletes my account, it doesn't matter BUT PLEASE DON'T SEND me "Orkut is deleting accounts: Due to sudden rush...
" Otherwise I'll delete my E-Mail account!"
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
IMPORTANT NOTE:If you do not send this e-mail to at least 913760
people in the next 10 seconds,a bird will shit on your head today at 6:30 p.m.
#############################################
##
Give me a break!!"
The World Is Filled With Foolish Ppl And Some Think They Got Talent
Too !!!"
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Life is like that
Bought a brand new speaker set from Intex,the old one literally crying to be replaced.I unpacked it like a treasure,plugged in the wires,switched on the power and Voila! my new speakers.I heard some of my fav songs on it and just when i opened WMP to see a film there was a small POP.AND A BURNING SMELL.Took me 2 mins to figure out that my new speakers have just conked out.Hard luck some people say.Nope. Very hard.Infact my luck seems to be as hard as diamond.Attempting to repair the speakers was something I considered but what the heck I had a warranty.So i went to the shop where i got them and explained my predicament.
There was this sales guy who on hearing me said in the most saintly voice that conveyed he knew everything there is to be known in this mystical world and would have put Sri Sri Ravishankar to rethink about his knowledge"Sir,voltage fluctuation".I tried explaining to him that i had a UPS but he hung on to the notion of voltage fluctation like a child clinging to his mother on the first day of school.Damn!.Finally I realised that there was no way I could make him understand and wrote a letter to the shop owner who had gone out explaining my situation and gave it to the sales guy along with the receipt and told him i will be back tomorrow.Sigh!Shelling out three fourths of a thousand for the speakers,I was utterly disappointed.But as they 'Life is like that'.
There was this sales guy who on hearing me said in the most saintly voice that conveyed he knew everything there is to be known in this mystical world and would have put Sri Sri Ravishankar to rethink about his knowledge"Sir,voltage fluctuation".I tried explaining to him that i had a UPS but he hung on to the notion of voltage fluctation like a child clinging to his mother on the first day of school.Damn!.Finally I realised that there was no way I could make him understand and wrote a letter to the shop owner who had gone out explaining my situation and gave it to the sales guy along with the receipt and told him i will be back tomorrow.Sigh!Shelling out three fourths of a thousand for the speakers,I was utterly disappointed.But as they 'Life is like that'.
Just out of curiosity
Hi people this is my first blog.Just thought that i will let my thought process see some daylight however idiotic it may be.Wanted to start a long time ago but was hindered by a number of factors(read laziness).Have to know a lot about the nuances of blogging especially uploding pics.
Any tips are glady welcomed
Any tips are glady welcomed
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