The Week That Was - Ended 27/04/08

Personal: Was Travelling quite a lot in the last two weeks. Flew from Chennai to Kuwait to attend Meeting - usual meeting with Customer, explaining the reasons for not delivering the Project on time. Blame it on Scope, Changes in Requirements and cost overruns. Meeting went successfully. Customer was convinced that there was change in scope, requirements and definitely cost overruns. From Kuwait flown to TVM - from there had a very bumpy and injury ride to Nellai to attend my BIL's marriage. Had a fun filled 3 days - good time spent with family. Had great fun filled moments. From Nellai caught an Air_Arabia flight to Sharjah. Came to second home Abudhabi - in the past year spent more days in the Abudhabi accommodation rather than in chennai home.

Cricket: As the Tamasha Bandwagon is rolling on - Great Success both in terms of Cricket and Entertainment. Also on the wrong side - Incident of 'Slapping' from Bhajji on Sreesanth. This an unexpected, avoidable bonus for 'IPL'. Aussies would be laughing and at the same would be Jeering. Cricket was just great : huge sixes, great balls, good innovative strokes. Reputations - Both enhanced and at the same caved also. Ponting is the first name to come into picture - not performed at all. Matt - Great innings for CSK. Aussies have proved themselves that they are 'PROFESSIONALS' to the core. Warnie - having a big influence in the team. Winning remarkably - against the Kings XI. CSK - Chennai Super Kings - establishing that they are a great team winning all the matches. We need to see how they will fare when Mike Hussey, Matt Hayden, Jacob Oram all leaves. We can hear another 'Srikkanth' - Aniruddha name. Tidbit news: Nayanthara removed as a brand ambassador from CSK. CEO of CSK expressing great happiness over 'Vijay's brand ambassador work. Vijay is also getting good marketing visibility before the 'Kuruvi' release. Mumbai Indians atlast has won one match. Still all indians are waiting for 'Sachin' to bat. Still in injury list. Bangalore Royal Challengers - what is vijay mallya , charu sharma and Martin crowe along with the 'Wall' are going to do? Kolkatta team has fizzled out in the last two matches. Daredevils are blazing away - viru played a blitzkrieg innings last time. All in all great entertainment and great cricket.

Politics: Baalu row in Parliament. Great thing is ' Kalaignar' keeping Mum over all the fracas. 3 days parliament especially Rajya Sabha was forced to adjourn - still no response from PM. Great Silence. Inflation - Experts and Politicians are giving a figure of 7.4% increase. Is that the reality? If i ask my wife she is saying that the Oil rate has doubled, Dal rate has doubled, this in terms of my 'Purse' double the expenses. Elections at Karnataka. A candidate in Bangalore - his assets is estimated at 300 Crores of Rupees. ANother politician has estimated his wealth has - Daily wage earner for 50 Rs - JD(S) candidate. Cheerleaders at IPL - Our cultural policeman 'Politicians' have started speaking against that.

Films: Dasavatharam Audio released. Not a great music - as per the reviews in Internet. But the Launch Publicity was great - jackie Chan, AB etc. , Lets hope the Hype that has been created on the film holds. Kuruvi - Vijays film to be released on may 3rd 2208. Music is not good at all. Hopefully dharani's direction should carry it over. Kuselan has sold for 64Crore. ARR - music of Sakkarakkatti to be released next week. Two hindi film music - great expectations, one is Aamir khans production.

See you Soon!!!!!!!!!!!

OPINIONS - Ended on 14/04/2008

Cricket: As usual starting on Cricket. A Creditable win for India. India Played to their strengths on an Under prepared wicket. More than the wicket the 'mindset' of proteas made their downfall. The same 'mindset' which befelled the Indians in the Ahmedabad test. When the cricketers start reading and seeing the pitch rather than play each ball on merit - LOSS is the result. Dada played a great innings - shown the character, temperament to play in this type of pitch. It is always an enigma no indian cricketer (Top Cricketer) plays well like a Steve Waugh - with the tailender. Saurav slogged out when on 87.. Missed a deserved century. The man who everybody expects to play well - Rahul disappointed, eventhough he got out to a very good delivery. But the time he spent on the middle, he didn't looked comfortable. The tailenders - shressanth and ishanth played verywell and their partnership ended whatever little fighting sprit of the proteas and it was inevitable that they lost all the wickets and india easily hit the required runs and earned a creditable win. Bowlers - everybody bowled according to the plan and MSD has a midas touch. But his keeping and batting is not upto the mark. Bhajji had a good series after a long time but his bowling is not 'GREAT' - all the makings of becoming a Saqlain.
A news item - that MSD has given Rs. 10,000 to the curator of the Pitch in Kanpur, is it not amounting to Bribe? An organisation or an individual can give the amount, why MSD that too being captain of the indian side, can give the amount? When he is directly involved in the whole thick of things.
IPL: Billion Tamasha: Great Tamasha, Great Entertainment value - will it give Great Cricket. Only time will tell. Let's see how the crowds welcome it. Being a new brand of cricket - when Indians are used to support 'Country' now they need to support 'Local' teams - state players opposing members etc., Sachin when he hit a four in Chepauk - will the crowds will jeer or clap ..
ICL: Success at last. Good Crowds. Happy that Pakistan lost bot the World series and Edelweiss Challenge. Good that Indians reached the final. Looks the Winner. Lets see tonight.
Politics: Inflation and 27% Reservation of Seats in Premier Institutions like IIT's, IIM's for OBC castes. SC has upheld the decision of the Central Government but excluded the 'Creamy layer'. It has opened maby a pandora's boxes: lot of questions need to be answered:, What would be cut-off marks for the OBC Students?? What is the fee structure for those students - that too when all the IIM's have increased the Fees, Also all the Institutions have doubled the seats also.. Now all the foreign universities will be happy - lot of students will join now. Now it is the time for Private Colloborated Universites (where reputed Private companies like Tata,s , Reliance etc., get into the Colleges structure ala Harvard, Stanford universites) where merit will be the only criteria. Now caste is being the Criterion merit is second only. Now the same is going to be extended to the Private Enterprises also. This being the Election Year - this may be legislated also. Now, even in private enterprises caste is going to be the criterion. India is to become the Superpower in 2020 - Vision 2020...

To be continued....

The Week That Was - 06/04/2008

Indian Cricket: What to tell? Capitulated to the Hostile and Purposeful bowling. 'FAB THREE' didn't played at all, but atleast Ganguly saved himself for some pride in the second innings. South Africans came out with a plan and it worked perfectly on all 3 days. Indians it seems, when we see on TV, were very lacklustre. Nothing worked for them, and they didn't make anything 'Work' or 'Make it Happen'. Waiting for the ordeal to get over. Is it lack of preparations or Over Confident or too much of Cricket???? Only the individuals can tell.. Nothing to be taken away from south africans - they played excellent cricket and the deserve it to win. The same pitch looked menaciing to Indians - steyn , ntini, morkel bend their backs and bowled with hearts out. The indians sreesanth and RP singh - better not tell , they didn't bowl at all. Great innings from De Velliers and Kallis.. Out and Out a professional performance from South Africans. Hats off to them!!!!!!!1 Let's see how the indians are bounce back in Green Park.
Politics of Water and Elections: Great drama enacted by Kalaignar!!!!! True color of Politicians came to the forefront. It is all about Power and Money (Elections), A recap - Tn govt inaugrating a Water Scheme on TN side, BJP leader yediyurappa staging a demo on TN side and telling that Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri (Hogenakal) is part of TN. BJP central and TN leadership is quiet on that. Then the Karnataka 'Veriyars' taking that from then on - attacking tamil nadu buses, theatres screening tamil films etc., TN politicians retaliated. Film stars join the campaign / agitations on both sides. media had a whale of time... Congress SMK took the issue on his own hand and started playing his cards well, Gowda all the leaders have their own agenda and constitutions to play. SMK requested that due to elections this issue to be put on backburner. Sonia and Kalaignar enacted a drama and kalaignar postponed the scheme. What is the price for that: cabinet minister post for Kanimozhi? Cabinet minister post for his family and friends? only 'GOD' knows!!!!!!! Rajini - embarassment - had to shout , he came, he shouted , everybody is happy....
Only GOD can save 'INDIA'.... To be continued..