Mylai Manidhan

June to September 2011

2011-09-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

Domestic: Back to blogging!!! Greetings.. It was a topsy - turvy 4 months. Lots of ups and downs.. But due to God's grace and Elders Blessings went on smoothly. Mother was in hospital for 4 days - little concern. Both the daughters Sai Smriti and Sai Roshinii was also fell ill - with Sai Roshinii not going to school for about a week. But as Vidhu was at that time having Quarterly Vacations schedule was not affected. Vidhu as well as myself was also fell to Flu Virus and i didn't attended office for a day. Weather was particularly bad - rain, Sun, Damp weather in a circle it coming like that and it affected us.

Politics : The most amazing moment is the Anna Hazare campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill - Anna Hazare went for FASTING satyagraha movement for 11 days to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in Parliament. It was a daily show, drama in Television with Live coverage for 24*7, show by Kabir Bedi, Fight between Swami Agnivesh and Team Anna. Went from one pole to another pole. The best part is the Goof-up by the UPA-II in handling the crisis. First they arrested Anna on the day of Fastine and released on the same day, but anna hazare didn't come out of the Tihar Jail for 3 days. Then government capitulated and gave him permission first for 7 days, 15 days then till whatever time he wants - firs in a park then in Ramlila grounds - a classic case of mis-handling (how a crisis should not be handled). Initially PC and Kapil Sibal were handling Team Anna later both of them were replaced by Salman Khurshid, Ajay Maken, Vilasrao Deshmukh.. Then BJP jumped into the bandwagon - queered the pitch (try to gain advantage in the muddy waters)supported the movement, LK Advani announced a rath-yatra against the corruption etc., BJP CM in Karnatake - B S Yeddyurappa resigned due to corruption charges.. Last week Narendra Modi conducted Sadbhavana Mission - Fasting for 3 days for communal Harmony (ironically in Gujarat), counter fast by congress led by shankarsinh waghela.. Good Time pass by 24*7 coverages.. In the end common people couldn't recognise or understood what is Jan lokpal Bill and what is Lokpall Bill - but wanted No Corruption!!!!

Now 2G is not ending - past two days PC is under the scanner (because of a note given by the Finance Secretary with approval from Pranab Mukherjee ) stating that Raja and PC decided that 2G spectrum can be allotted for 2008 in 2001 prices when the Finance Committe and DOT recommended Auctioning or atleast in 2008 prices.. PC has to answer, he is keeping silent - maybe there willbe NEWS after PM comes back from UN..

Sikkim Great Tragedy - earthquake measuring 6.8 in Richter scale . Still not able to estimate the losses as the terrain is still unapproachable. Still some places are to be covered. Even in normal times Sikkim is in a very difficult terrain - distance between two villages or cities or towns are in Located in Hilly places with difficult terrains. And due to Earthquake landslides and also heavy rain lots of places making the rescue efforts very difficult. Some places it took more than 4 days to reach the place after the quake struck on Sunday 6.11 PM 18th September 2011. Till yesterday it was estimated about 80 deaths in sikkim itself and Sikkim CM announced that Financial Loss is about crores of rupees. The earthquake affected places or felt in WB, Delhi, Nepal, Jharkand, patna etc., As usual Army (ITBP) eventhough they suffered helped the victims and people of Sikkim tirelessly.

Cricket: India after a high of World Cup victory went to Westindies and started with One Day matches 5 in all - with top players missing and Suresh Raina leading the side beat the westindis 3-2. Then Test series started with MSD back inthe squad but God, Sehwag, Zaheer missing the action won the series 1-0 .. but it was not a clinical finish victory it was hard fought in a sense eventhough we came un-scathed. Rahul Dravid is the only batsman who socored a century.
Then India went to England for 4 match test series and 5 one-day matches - it was supposed to be a great series alas!! we were white-washed 4-0, pathetic showing by Indians in all departments of the game (fielding, bowling and batting) with only the WALL coming out with 3 centuries in the series. GOD - didnt scored a century so didn't achieved the landmark of Hundreds of Hundreds. It was a very low-key series for GOD... Injury to all the key players in the series - was a pathetic one and showed us in very poor light (Injury Management) Zaheer got injured in the first innings of first test in lords after bowling only 13 overs (he took two wickets) - this changed the complexion of the whole series and india in all the matches were with only 3 main bowlers.. It was a great miss by zak. England was much better prepared and India couldn't faced the onslaught and there was never a comeback. India also lost the 5 match one-day series - missing 8 players who played and won the world cup just 3 months back (all with injuries)...

Australia beat the SL - 1 Nil in the test series in SL.. Comeback for Aus. Turmoil in Aussie Cricket after the release of the Argus committee report after the debacle of Ashes Series..

Formula 1 - Sebastian Vettel is roaring to another F1 Crown with all others are in Catching Up Mode only. Ferrari, Mclaten, Renault all are no match to Red Bul, they are miles ahead of others. Newdelhi is hosting the first ever F1 race in India - October 2011. Going to be a huge success...No Doubt.. Good work by Jaypee Industries who are the sponsors and owners of the Race Circuit in Noida..

EPL - Started in the the same vein with ManU going strong... Arsenal dipping... Chelsea struggling lost to Manu last week. It is the start of the season - so we cannot predict. Anything can happen in future.

Domestic: Back to blogging!!! Greetings.. It was a topsy - turvy 4 months. Lots of ups and downs.. But due to God's grace and Elders Blessings went on smoothly. Mother was in hospital for 4 days - little concern. Both the daughters Sai Smriti and Sai Roshinii was also fell ill - with Sai Roshinii not going to school for about a week. But as Vidhu was at that time having Quarterly Vacations schedule was not affected. Vidhu as well as myself was also fell to Flu Virus and i didn't attended office for a day. Weather was particularly bad - rain, Sun, Damp weather in a circle it coming like that and it affected us.

Politics : The most amazing moment is the Anna Hazare campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill - Anna Hazare went for FASTING satyagraha movement for 11 days to get the Jan Lokpal Bill passed in Parliament. It was a daily show, drama in Television with Live coverage for 24*7, show by Kabir Bedi, Fight between Swami Agnivesh and Team Anna. Went from one pole to another pole. The best part is the Goof-up by the UPA-II in handling the crisis. First they arrested Anna on the day of Fastine and released on the same day, but anna hazare didn't come out of the Tihar Jail for 3 days. Then government capitulated and gave him permission first for 7 days, 15 days then till whatever time he wants - firs in a park then in Ramlila grounds - a classic case of mis-handling (how a crisis should not be handled). Initially PC and Kapil Sibal were handling Team Anna later both of them were replaced by Salman Khurshid, Ajay Maken, Vilasrao Deshmukh.. Then BJP jumped into the bandwagon - queered the pitch (try to gain advantage in the muddy waters)supported the movement, LK Advani announced a rath-yatra against the corruption etc., BJP CM in Karnatake - B S Yeddyurappa resigned due to corruption charges.. Last week Narendra Modi conducted Sadbhavana Mission - Fasting for 3 days for communal Harmony (ironically in Gujarat), counter fast by congress led by shankarsinh waghela.. Good Time pass by 24*7 coverages.. In the end common people couldn't recognise or understood what is Jan lokpal Bill and what is Lokpall Bill - but wanted No Corruption!!!!

Now 2G is not ending - past two days PC is under the scanner (because of a note given by the Finance Secretary with approval from Pranab Mukherjee ) stating that Raja and PC decided that 2G spectrum can be allotted for 2008 in 2001 prices when the Finance Committe and DOT recommended Auctioning or atleast in 2008 prices.. PC has to answer, he is keeping silent - maybe there willbe NEWS after PM comes back from UN..

Sikkim Great Tragedy - earthquake measuring 6.8 in Richter scale . Still not able to estimate the losses as the terrain is still unapproachable. Still some places are to be covered. Even in normal times Sikkim is in a very difficult terrain - distance between two villages or cities or towns are in Located in Hilly places with difficult terrains. And due to Earthquake landslides and also heavy rain lots of places making the rescue efforts very difficult. Some places it took more than 4 days to reach the place after the quake struck on Sunday 6.11 PM 18th September 2011. Till yesterday it was estimated about 80 deaths in sikkim itself and Sikkim CM announced that Financial Loss is about crores of rupees. The earthquake affected places or felt in WB, Delhi, Nepal, Jharkand, patna etc., As usual Army (ITBP) eventhough they suffered helped the victims and people of Sikkim tirelessly.

Cricket: India after a high of World Cup victory went to Westindies and started with One Day matches 5 in all - with top players missing and Suresh Raina leading the side beat the westindis 3-2. Then Test series started with MSD back inthe squad but God, Sehwag, Zaheer missing the action won the series 1-0 .. but it was not a clinical finish victory it was hard fought in a sense eventhough we came un-scathed. Rahul Dravid is the only batsman who socored a century.
Then India went to England for 4 match test series and 5 one-day matches - it was supposed to be a great series alas!! we were white-washed 4-0, pathetic showing by Indians in all departments of the game (fielding, bowling and batting) with only the WALL coming out with 3 centuries in the series. GOD - didnt scored a century so didn't achieved the landmark of Hundreds of Hundreds. It was a very low-key series for GOD... Injury to all the key players in the series - was a pathetic one and showed us in very poor light (Injury Management) Zaheer got injured in the first innings of first test in lords after bowling only 13 overs (he took two wickets) - this changed the complexion of the whole series and india in all the matches were with only 3 main bowlers.. It was a great miss by zak. England was much better prepared and India couldn't faced the onslaught and there was never a comeback. India also lost the 5 match one-day series - missing 8 players who played and won the world cup just 3 months back (all with injuries)...

Australia beat the SL - 1 Nil in the test series in SL.. Comeback for Aus. Turmoil in Aussie Cricket after the release of the Argus committee report after the debacle of Ashes Series..

Formula 1 - Sebastian Vettel is roaring to another F1 Crown with all others are in Catching Up Mode only. Ferrari, Mclaten, Renault all are no match to Red Bul, they are miles ahead of others. Newdelhi is hosting the first ever F1 race in India - October 2011. Going to be a huge success...No Doubt.. Good work by Jaypee Industries who are the sponsors and owners of the Race Circuit in Noida..

EPL - Started in the the same vein with ManU going strong... Arsenal dipping... Chelsea struggling lost to Manu last week. It is the start of the season - so we cannot predict. Anything can happen in future.

TN Politics - Amma is going strong. Implemented lots of Schemes which she announced in the Election Manifesto. Free Rice Scheme, LaptoP, Fans , mixies and Wet grinders. Scheme for Pregnant women, marriage help scheme etc., Putting all the ex - mla's and ministers (who are get caught int he Land Scam (illegally getting the land from the owners) - lots of bigwigs like Veerapandi Arumugham, Ponmudi, KN Nehru, all arein prison.. Mayoral election and Local Body election are round the corner.. Amma is in Victory march and in Victory Mood..

From SunSmart - May 2011

2011-05-14T02:37:00.000-07:00

Good Day to All!!! Back to blogging after a lengthy hiatus. Due to various reasons was not in a mood to blog between January to March 2011. Even so after Indian Cricket and 'GOD' created History by winning the World Cup!!! Somehow my mind was not 'IN' there.

January: Nothing Much happened Officially. Another month went without 'Salary'. Once again drove down to 'Fund Office' kept another set of Jewels (Pawned) and ran the month. Good thing happened was 'Message came from' near source about sabarimalai.. I took this opportunity - i thought thought there is a message for me. So i jumped into the opportunity and with blessings of Ayyappa, VRamani (Guruswamy), Mother and with the approval of Vidya put 'Malai' and was into the 'Vridham' for next one month.. It was very good experience, we can even say it was an exhilarating experience. Had bath (hair bath) for two times a day, to pray for ayyappan for two times. Limiting the diet and etc., Went to Sabarimalai on fed 12th.. What anliss experience in Sarimalai.. Oh!!!! i realised why people go to see the Lord after putting such an effort.. Climbing from Pamba to Sabarimalai - two steeps to cross - Erimeli.. it was really an effort. It was only Ayyappan guiding us to climb. From small kids to very elderly people and Seeing the LORD after that is such a wonderful experience. One more swamy helped and taught us how to have multiple dharshans of the Lord even in that such a maddening crowd. Then early morning dharshan was also very excellent. Three days of blissful dharshans and other experiences. Guruswamy scarred us while climbing the Pamba - after walking for about 15 minutes he became very weak, couldn't able to walk, he felt very dizzy (he didn't took sugar or pressure tablets for two whole days). By grace of god i had 'Tenormin 50' in my pocket and he also uses the same . he had that and due to exhaustion he also went 'Motion' and we put him on the 'Dholi' and he reached the peak safely. I helped other swami and carried his irumudi along with mine and reached the sabarimalai. It took us 3 hours to go up and took an hour or so to climb down. Climbing is much more difficult, we have to be careful.. but god is there, believe in him and we can climb up and down easily..

February: Went to sabarimalai - started from Chennai to Tenkasi by train. Had a good experience .. when we left after getting the irumudi, we started from Guruswami's house - the van driver took a wrong route and we came back to the same junction from where we started. I told the 'party' that better we go to Tambaram and catch the train rather than egmore. We reached tambaram 30 minutes before the arrival of train. From Tenkasi took a van (earlier arranged) went to Courtalam, had a bath , took breakfast near shencottah (mani's eatery) and reached pamba around 4.30 PM. In between went to Achankoil.. In Pamba had coffee and climbed pamba mountain to reach the sabarimal . Had dharshan and went to our room. Early morning had one more dharshan and started climbing down. Reached pamba around 9.00 Am and started from there and reached tenkasi around 2.30 PM. Took some rest and went to Kadayanallur Anjaneyar temple and next morning had dharshans of Achankovil, aryankavu and koluthupuzha.. and reached tirunelveli in the evening. Caught the train and reached chennai next day morning.

Final days in Maxsoft!!!! Nothing much to write about that. Good experience for about 4 years met good people like Mahesh, Anu, Balu, Archana.. Good mentors like Kanna mama, hema mami, mohan etc., It was very nice - all god's grace. When we enjoyed the Fruit we also should experience the bitterness and sourness of the fruits..

In all these turbulences - one women deserved my Kisses, Kudos, Salute everything. She is my other better half - Srividya She deserves a very big Hug.. Endured the Pain along with me, gave me joy and happiness. Also deserves my gratefulness to my Mother, Brother and 3 sisters, who all gave me moral support. Didn't troubled me or nagged me regarding the Job, salary etc., 2 Gems of my life - sai smriti and sai roshini - don't know the problems but gave me the 'Moral Support' i need...

Well. there are something we need to endure in our life. All for Good. With good mentoring and moral support spiritually from Kanna Mama and 'Swamy' with me - all for good. Now with their blessings got a new job in SunSmart Technologies..

March: World Cup started with bang - india defeating bangladesh,. Sehwag hitting a great century. GOD came good against SA and Eng Scoring two great centuries - reaching 98 and 99 centuries in International Matches. Yuvraj lived upto the expectations. He had a fantastic tournament, Man of the Tournament was awarded to him. India had a good match against australia - tendulkar leading the way scoring a magnificent Fifty and helped india beating them. World Cup Semifinal - cannot be bigger than this - meeting pakistan in Mohali. Beat them hands down... God with 4 lives scored a 83 - missed his 100 centuries.. India in Finals @ Wankhede against SL. What a match, what an occasion. Full House... India winning at the end - great captains knock by Dhoni. God carried on the shoulders and paraded around the ground by Players.. It was a great moment.. God Really deserved this. The team dedicating the World Cup to 'GOD'... Atlast one trophy missing from his cupboard has been filled.. India deserves to be the World Champions..

April: First month in SunSmart Technologies. Sundar is having great ideas.. Know him previously - worked with him in Netsavvy and SolutionNet... Got good friends like VRK, KS... Happy and relieved when i got the Month's salary - felt like a guy who has the 'FIRST' salary in his career. Really heartfelt thanks to Sundar.. Helped me and finally reduced my Worries...

Cricket: Can we really miss out cricket? World Cup ended and IPL started. GOD once again made a mark.... Hit T20 Cricket Hundred in Wankhede. Missed out in World Cup Final scored a excellent hundred - reached the coveted landmark in the last ball of the Innings.. MI is leading the pack - with 11 matches and 8 wins... Happy to know that Sai Smriti and getting actively involved in Cricket with world cup and also in IPL..

Sad News: Bhagwan Sai Baba left his body in the earth.. Great loss to Humanity.

Election: AMMA Back in the Saddle.. Landslide victory - assembly elections trouncing DMK. Winning 203 seats out of 234... Jaya Jai....

Mamta defeating the Reds in the WB. Left losing the election after 34 long years.

Keralai: UDF coming back to power with slender margin 1.68 lakhs votes is the difference. Assam - Tarun Gogoi winning 3rd time..

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Innovative agreement

2011-01-11T23:55:00.000-08:00

The Hindu : Opinion / Editorial : Innovative agreement

The Hindu : Arts : ‘Ponniyin Selvan' to come alive on celluloid

2011-01-11T23:52:00.000-08:00

The Hindu : Arts : ‘Ponniyin Selvan' to come alive on celluloid

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Sorry people, we're hanging up on you

2011-01-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : Sorry people, we're hanging up on you

The Hindu : News / National : Sibal ignored other scenarios in CAG report

2011-01-11T23:50:00.000-08:00

The Hindu : News / National : Sibal ignored other scenarios in CAG report

New Year Greetings

2010-12-30T23:09:00.001-08:00

Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. ~Bill Vaughn

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits. ~Author Unknown

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other. ~Author Unknown

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

No one ever regarded the First of January with indifference. It is that from which all date their time, and count upon what is left. It is the nativity of our common Adam. ~Charles Lamb

New Year's Day is every man's birthday. ~Charles Lamb

Never tell your resolution beforehand, or it's twice as onerous a duty. ~John Selden

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ~Hal Borland

The merry year is born
Like the bright berry from the naked thorn.
~Hartley Coleridge

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights. ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

The Old Year has gone. Let the dead past bury its own dead. The New Year has taken possession of the clock of time. All hail the duties and possibilities of the coming twelve months! ~Edward Payson Powell

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. ~Oprah Winfrey

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

The proper behavior all through the holiday season is to be drunk. This drunkenness culminates on New Year's Eve, when you get so drunk you kiss the person you're married to. ~P.J. O'Rourke

Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past. ~Henry Ward Beecher

New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual. ~Mark Twain

The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows. ~George William Curtis

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever. ~Mark Twain

People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. ~Author Unknown

And ye, who have met with Adversity's blast,
And been bow'd to the earth by its fury;
To whom the Twelve Months, that have recently pass'd
Were as harsh as a prejudiced jury -
Still, fill to the Future! and join in our chime,
The regrets of remembrance to cozen,
And having obtained a New Trial of Time,
Shout in hopes of a kindlier dozen.
~Thomas Hood

Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go. ~Brooks Atkinson

Each age has deemed the new-born year
The fittest time for festal cheer.
~Walter Scott

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account. ~Oscar Wilde

Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto man His Son hath given;
While angels sing with tender mirth,
A glad new year to all the earth.
~Martin Luther

A new oath holds pretty well; but... when it is become old, and frayed out, and damaged by a dozen annual retryings of its remains, it ceases to be serviceable; any little strain will snap it. ~Mark Twain, speech in New York City, 31 March 1885

But can one still make resolutions when one is over forty? I live according to twenty-year-old habits. ~Andre Gide

When then is lost, as time is by,
we look upon the yearly wine
to see our substance in the lees.
Did tribe and purse most pleasing leave?
To look for clear and faithful sense,
that gives a bodied stance bouquet,
then see the vat at mirror's face
and find in it, the yearly pace.
~E. Marshall, Vintner Epilogue (Happy Old Year)

Many years ago I resolved never to bother with New Year's resolutions, and I've stuck with it ever since. ~Dave Beard

I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

New Year's Eve, where auld acquaintance be forgot. Unless, of course, those tests come back positive. ~Jay Leno

We meet today
To thank Thee for the era done,
And Thee for the opening one.
~John Greenleaf Whittier

One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. ~John Burroughs

Of all sound of all bells... most solemn and touching is the peal which rings out the Old Year. ~Charles Lamb

A happy New Year! Grant that I
May bring no tear to any eye
When this New Year in time shall end
Let it be said I've played the friend,
Have lived and loved and labored here,
And made of it a happy year.
~Edgar Guest

It wouldn't be New Year's if I didn't have regrets. ~William Thomas

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives... not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions. ~Joey Adams

He who breaks a resolution is a weakling;
He who makes one is a fool.
~F.M. Knowles

The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. ~G.K. Chesterton

I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's. ~Henry Moore

Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols. ~Thomas Mann

I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. ~Anaïs Nin

Why won't they let a year die without bringing in a new one on the instant, can't they use birth control on time? I want an interregnum. The stupid years patter on with unrelenting feet, never stopping - rising to little monotonous peaks in our imaginations at festivals like New Year's and Easter and Christmas - But, goodness, why need they do it? ~John Dos Passos, 1917

New Year's is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions. ~Mark Twain

Every man regards his own life as the New Year's Eve of time. ~Jean Paul Richter

The only way to spend New Year's Eve is either quietly with friends or in a brothel. Otherwise when the evening ends and people pair off, someone is bound to be left in tears. ~W.H. Auden
The inaudible and noiseless foot of Time. - Shakespeare

We burn daylight. - Shakespeare

No hand can make the clock strike for me the hours that are passed. - Byron

All my possessions for a moment of time. - Queen Elizabeth I's last words

All the treasures of earth cannot bring back one lat moment. – French

Alfred Lord Tennyson
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true

Ellen Goodman
We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives, not looking for flaws, but for potential.

Kersti Bergroth
It is difficult not to believe that the next year will be better than the old one! And this illusion is not wrong. Future is always good, no matter what happens. It will always give us what we need and what we want in secret. It will always bless us with right gifts. Thus in a deeper sense our belief in the New Year cannot deceive us.

Albert Einstein
I feel that you are justified in looking into the future with true assurance, because you have a mode of living in which we find the joy of life and the joy of work harmoniously combined. Added to this is the spirit of ambition which pervades your very being, and seems to make the day's work like a happy child at play.
Like birds, let us,
leave behind what we don’t need to carry,
GRUDGES SADNESS PAIN FEAR and REGRETS.
Life is beautiful, Enjoy it.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011
Keep the smile,
leave the tear,
Think of joy,
forget the fear,
Hold the laugh,
leave the pain,
Be joyous ,
Coz its new year!
HAPPY NEW YEAR

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2011 - Year to Look Ahead

2010-12-25T02:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2011 (Hopefully)

1) January - Climax of Ashes Series and India Vs South Africa Series..
2) February - World Cup in India,Srilanka and Bangladesh
3) April - May - Election to Tamilnadu
4) Election to WB, Kerala...
5) Hopefully answers to 2G Scam, CWG Scam and Adarsh Housing Scam
6) Golden Globe Awards and Oscar Awards - A R Rahman
7) Hundreds of Hundreds in International Cricket
8) Laureus Awards..(Sachin nominated as the best international player)
9) Real Madrid in Spanish Le Liga and Chelsea in EPL
10) Jose Mourinho in Champions League - four different teams
11) Nadal and Federer - Match Ups in Grand Slams..

Atlast how the 'LIFE' of VGirish is going to be. A very tough year this time around. With Blessings from Swamy was able to manage.. With Blessings from Swamy praying and hoping to be an Excellent Year.

End of Year - 2010

2010-12-25T02:00:00.000-08:00

2010 - A year of very ups and downs - a tumultuous year.

Cricket - February 'GOD' made a double century in One Day International - as Ravi Shastri beamoned in the Live Television - First man in the Planet to do so.. To me only Sachin - a name which brought the whole of India Together, brings smiles to everybody, all walks of life enjoys his Batting, the nation comes to a stop when he plays - Cover Drive, Straight Driv, Flick, Squaredrive, Square Cut, Shot over the slips. End of the year - Scores his 50th Test Century - Half Century of Centuries (4 short of Hundred International Hundreds) - one more century in the tests and hopefully one hundred in the 5 one - day internationals, so that during the World Cup in India - scores the Hundredth International Hundreds... Like last year - hopefully february india lifts the world cup in Mumbai... All THe Best to the Men in Blue..

A R Rahman - ANother man in India who brings the 'Music' to the Indians, Smiles to the face of the Nation. Once again nomination for '127' hours in both the Golden Globe and Oscars... Hopefully along with India in Cricket he also brings the awards to the Nation. What a year he had - as like GOD - God of Music - varied sort of musics - with Enthiran bringing huge success and 127 hours bringing the Award Nominations. VTV, Raavanan, Enthiran, Jhootha Hai Sahi, Puli... Man what a varied music ...

Enthiran - Rajinikanth Magic to the core, Shankar has excelled where no Indian has done so far. A Film budget made of 200 INR brought more than 350 crores (official figures from Sun). What a 'Hyoe' it created and it lived up to that - trailer, music launch (trailer released with tickets to be bought on the counter)

Politics - A very bad year - full of corruptions - 2G Scam, Adarsh Housing Scam, CWG Scam, In tamilnadu - THNB scam, Bangalore - Quarry scams and the Land scam of Yeddyurappa. UAP Government is hammered from all sides. THey don't have any answer.. It looks like the days are numbered.. Parliament is stalled for one full session 14 days - because of 2G ScAm with opposition gunning for the government and wanted a JPC Proble. 2Gscam - with CAG putting the notional loss to the government as 1.76 crore. AMMA is guuning for the head of DMK and A Raja - crucial time for AMMA - how she is capturing the moods of the people and coming to the power in 2011. A Raja is being questioned for the past 2 days by the CBI. THe CBI net has come closer to the DMK Family - raided the house of Jasperraj - close friend of Kanimozhi and also Rathnam - Auditor for Rajathi Ammal. Rallies held by AMMA in Madurai, Trichy and in CBE proved to be a major success. How Amma is putting up a coalition is crucial for the elections!! which will determine who will come to power. IF A Raja is implicated in the 2G Scam then there is every chance that Kanimozhi name will come and the coalition of Congress and DMK will break-up!!!

Weather - Had a very good monsoon all over the India. varuna Bhagawan has opened his eyes and ears to the Indian Nation. But the bounty of monsoon didn't help the agricultural community - lots of crops damaged. Also it didn't help the inflation still it is in double digits.. UPA government has no answer to the inflation.

Welcome Year 2011......

November 2010

2010-11-30T02:25:00.001-08:00

SCAM MONTH - November 2010

Started from CWG Scam then to Adarsh Scam and finally with 2G Spectrum Cash - between them thrown to add spice was the 'Bank Loan' Scam (Housing Loan units given corporate loans to Real Estate Companies,with Banks involved like LICHFIL, BOB, PNB etc., - all major leading Nationalised Banks..)

CWG Scam - CWG Budgeted for 993 Crores then went to more than 3000 Crores and all the infrastructure projects combined into CWG - total budget then ran into 30,000 Crores.

Adarsh Housing Scam - Initially the project was allotted for Kargil Heroes - now Army, Bureaucrats, Politicians all are involved

2G Spectrum Allocation - Presumptive Scam worth 1,76,000 crore loss to the Exchequer. Real Scam (bribed to Politicians , Bureaucrats etc., amounting to 60,000 Crores)

Irony is at the same time vigilance department all over the country are catching the officials when they got bribe ranging from INR 50 to INR 3000.. that is the Joke..

CWG SCAM: Kingpin behind is Suresh Kalmadi - it was SCAM written all Over (made a fool of whole India) No Accountability - No Tender - all the orders were given at the last minute, eventhough the CWG games was allotted to India in 2003. Games Village was opened after the athletes were started arriving, 2 days before the games was to be opened. Foot Overbridge - walkway from the Main road to the Games venue - main venue - collapsed a week before the games was to be opened. The games village toilets in some towers was worse than the municipality run Public Toilet. For one month before the games everyday there was news regarding the way the GAMES Organising committe was running the show - QBR (Queen's Baton Relay) order was allotted to some company which was not authorised to do it. Kalmadi is happily coming everyday in the TV and announcing that everything is right. Finally, PM has to step in and the Whole Delhi Government machinery was put in place to make sure that the Games Village was made hospitable.. But the saving grace was the Opening Ceremony and the performance by the Indian Athletes. CAG report on the CWG was damining and that woke up the eyes of the Media, People and the establishment. THe case was taken over by CBI and now the culprits are being arrested and investigation is going on. The noose is tightening over Suresh Kalmadi and in all probabilities he will be arrested.. CWG Games was budgeted around 993 crores in 2003 but finally around 9000 crores was spent on the Games alone - mind boggling figure nearly 2 billion dollars....

Adarsh Housing Scam: Finally, Army also started occupying the Scam Space, the only institution people felt above all the 'SCAMS' or 'BRIBE' but now they are also appearing in the SCAMS.. That too for the KARGIL heroes - land allotted.. THe house was allotted to not the real heroes but to the 2 Army Chiefs and other High Ranking Officials.. Ashok Chavan's family members, Chief Bureaucrats son etc., IT has got the Ashok Chavan's CM chair - he resigned. More informations need to come on this.

2G Spectrum - Mother of all SCAMS - parliament is logjammed for the past 2 weeks - true to say that no session or sitting has happened in this winter session because opposition wants a JPC probe, after the CAG has put a figure of the 2G Loss to the Government worth 1,76,000 crores... It was not only the money but the way the department under RAJA worked to get the spectrum (national resource) allocatted to 'vested companies' bend the rules according to the way they wanted. Spectrum was given to companies who are working in Real Estate (even though they cannot show what they have built, that is another story)and any other domain except the Telecom.. Got the spectrum at a throw away price and then selling it (the company was sold) to Foreign Investors or other inverstors more than 5-6 times worth. governmet was just looking at that.. Raja announing in a press conference (this happened in 2007) that the last date of submission of tender has been pre-poned from October 1st to September 25 (press conference held on Sep 25)and the interested companies has to give the Bank Guarantee within 45 minutes, can you believe it, Yes, there are companies which are able to provide the Bank Guarantee and also Demand Draft within the stipulated 45 minutes - Please don't ask how this could happen... Nira Radia - you will be hearing this name for quite some more time in the coming days --- corporate lobbyist,who are close to DMK Family.. Lots more has to tumble from the 2G Spectrum Scam Basket.. Now, with RAJA resigned that too after a long battle - with Raja whining innocence. The argument for Raja is that he has done with the concurranc of PM and this was the policy that was announced in 1999. Can you imagine selling the Spectrum based on 1999 rates. 3G Spectrum was auctioned and the Government got about 1,30, 000 Crores of Rupees - guaranteed...

Cricket: Indian won the NZ Series 1-0, but GOD has not produced a century which would have taken his tally to 50 Centuries. Hope he achieves that in South Africa - test series starts on 16th December. That would be a great achievement... Ashes First Test - Dominated by England - excellent bowling in the first innings by Siddle and good batting by Hussey and Haddin rescuing Australia but the final tally by england - making 500 runs with loss of only one wicket with Cook hitting a double century and century by both Trott and Strauss...

Enjoy the New tune of Airtel by God of Musinc - ARR... New Catchy tune - man ARR is really a genius - what a variety of music.. Hats of to HIM!!!!!! Toyota Tune for Etios, Desi radio beat tune ....

Very good monsoon for Tamilnadu - north west monsoon - news is coming that Water Supply to Chennai (all the reservoirs will be filled to the capacity) around 11,000 tmcft... So no water scarcity for Chennai... But when we welcome the rain at the same time it is causing havoc in the regions of Nagapattinam, Tirunelveli, Thanjavur - destroying the crops.. Poor Farmers - rain and sun whenever it become excessive it is a problem for them...

Obama visited India and got a good Media Coverage and made a lots of Sound Bytes as usual..

Now wikileaks has put some more documents this time covering the conversations between the US Government and various embassies around the world - CABLELEAK...

CIAO......

October 2010- Desk in Chennai

2010-10-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

Sept/Oct -2010: Very Exciting Month. Verdict of Ayodhya, Champions League 2010, CWG MESS, Release of Endhiran, Music of Jhootha Hai Sahi etc.,

Ayodhya Verdict: Established beyond doubt that Ayodhya is the Birth Place of Ram and the Janmasthan is in the 'Dusputed Structure' (Where Lord Ram used to live as a Child). Also It has been clearly said that it is not a Mosque, it doesn't count as a mosque as it is not build with Islamic Tenets. It is surronded by Grayeyard. Not Established that it was built by Babar or under instructions by Babar. But it was established that there existed a Hindu Temple Ruins and on that the Masjid was Built. THe pillars inside the masjid was in accordance to the Hindu (gods and goddess structures were there). Finally, it was said that the disputed land would be divided into 3 parts one part where the Ram Lalla is there will continue to be there, 2nd part will be given Nimrohi Akhara (where sita rasoi and Ram Chabuthra is there) and the 3rd part can be used for construction of a Mosque. A Landmark judgement!!. Judges to be appreciated for giving this judgement, where the ruling gives credence to the Faith and to the Law. It was also mentioned that till 1857 both Muslims and Hindus were praying together, evnthough it was not established that Namaz was being performed regularly there. The civil suit of Sunni Waqf board was dismissed. It is not yet over, it can be appealed in the Supreme Court and Sunni Waqf board is going to appeal in the Suprement Court. At the same time, Reconciliation proceedings already started. Nimrohi Akhara holds the key for the proceedings. Already majority are talking about Muslims voluntarily giving up the land so that a grand temple can be constructed there. At the same time Mosuqe and temple can be built and co-exist there as it was till 1857. If a temple and a mosque come up then that shows the Secular India to the World. But BJP, RSS and others have already started talking about Grand Temple and the vindication of the demolition of Babri Masjid. Which is wrong, demolition is a criminal offence. But it is the People of Ayodhya has to decide, if in case a referendum to be done, let it be so!!!!. People of Ayodhya should start the reconciliation proceedings nor with the Political parties but the parties to the dispute. Buf it seems that definitely it will go the supreme court - status quo of the verdict to be maintained for next 3 months.
Mentioned below is the issues for Briefing (Taken from THe Hindu)!!

ISSUES FOR BRIEFING
1. Whether the disputed site is the birth place of Bhagwan Ram?
The disputed site is the birth place of Lord Ram. Place of
birth is a juristic person and is a deity. It is personified as the
spirit of divine worshipped as birth place of Lord Rama as a
child. Spirit of divine ever remains present every where at all
times for any one to invoke at any shape or form in accordance
with his own aspirations and it can be shapeless and formless
also.
2. Whether the disputed building was a mosque? When was it built? By whom?
The disputed building was constructed by Babar, the year is not certain but it was built against the tenets of Islam. Thus, it cannot have the character of a mosque.
3. Whether the mosque was built after demolishing a Hindu temple?
The disputed structure was constructed on the site of old structure after demolition of the same. The Archaeological Survey of India has proved that the structure was a massive Hindu religious structure.
4. Whether the idols were placed in the building on the night of December 22/23rd, 1949?
The idols were placed in the middle dome of the disputed structure in the intervening night of 22/23.12.1949.
2
5. Whether any of the claims for title is time barred? O.O.S. No. 4 of 1989, the Sunni Central Board of Waqfs U.P., Lucknow and others Vs. Gopal Singh Visharad and others and O.O.S. No.3 of 1989, Nirmohi Akhara and Another Vs. Sri Jamuna Prasad Singh and others are barred by time.
6. What will be the status of the disputed site e.g. inner and outer courtyard?
It is established that the property in suit is the site of Janm Bhumi of Ram Chandra Ji and Hindus in general had the right to worship Charan, Sita Rasoi, other idols and other object of worship existed upon the property in suit. It is also
established that Hindus have been worshipping the place in dispute as Janm Sthan i.e. a birth place as deity and visiting it as a sacred place of pilgrimage as of right since time immemorial. After the construction of the disputed structure it is proved the deities were installed inside the disputed structure on
22/23.12.1949. It is also proved that the outer courtyard was in exclusive possession of Hindus and they were worshipping throughout and in the inner courtyard (in the disputed structure) they were also worshipping. It is also established that
the disputed structure cannot be treated as a mosque as it came into existence against the tenets of Islam.
*********

CWG: After all the drama of the CWG - Construction, readiness of the Village, Foot Overbridge collapsing, Corruption etc., etc., it was a very grand opening ceremony. Really, we have Pulled it on. It was a grand opening ceremony. Mammoth in its scale, bringing out the cacophony and sound, Lights, arts and culture, folk dances etc., bring out the full majesty of What is INDIA with diversity and rich culture. Rahman was as usual brought the finale to the ceremony with the Anthem and Jai Ho. It was very great to see the people clapping and shouting whenever APJ Abdul Kalam's name was mentioned - he was truly a People's President. The Helium Balloon was a great thing, nicely done. IT proved the Critics wrong!!!! GO for it India, Yah Yaroon INdia , Bulaliliya, Jiyo baro Jito India!!!!

Champions League 2010: Great matches Enthralling out and out exciting. Champions League was superb. CSK won at the end, in a entertaining final. Eventhough Warriors was outclassed, the final was good. We can see a lot of Davey Jacobs, Fergusson, Klinger in the new IPL Season. Best match is the Super Over match between the Victoria Bushrangers and CSK,which CSK Lost. Keron Pollard - oh man what sixes - no ground is short for him. Hope he plays for MI next Season also. With new teams and new auction - it is going to be a great season. 4 Players can be retained with 3 indians and 1 Overseas Player .

Jhootha Hai Sahi: Another Music of ARR.Excellent one, What else to say. Please buy the CD/Tape and Enjoy. What a diversity and versatlity of Mozart of Chennai . Raavan/Raavanan, VTV, Emthiran - oh man ARR Rocks!!!!

Endhiran: Vaasi and Chitti both Kalakkals!!! Thalaiva - you are great. Whole WORLD is enjoying. Ash looks stunning this time. BGM of ARR is superb. put in a lotof effort. To be seen inthe theatre with the Family. It is total Famly Entertainer. Hats Off the Shankar for Pulling it Off magnificently.... Thalaiva Thalaiva kalakkareenga. Nobody other than Tendulkar has this PAN India fans. No other Actos can rule the FDFS like Thalaivar. He beats the Bollywood biggies (hindi being the language of the film it has whole india watching those crap movies)hands down. It is going to be the Biggest Grosser of all Times in India.... Hats off to Thalaivar.

September 2010

2010-09-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

August - September - A Month of 'HOT'news all over india. It was a great time for our Media and it was also a 'HAPPENING' Month. Dearth of 'GOOD' news but Abundance of 'BAD' news.

Kashmir continues to Burn - Stone Pelters, Police, Curfews, Firing etc.,
Maoists on the Rampage - Kidnapping, Encounters with Police etc.,
Politics - National Parties obstructing Parliament, Government speaking in Many -Voices, MP's shouting over the 300% increase in their pay etc.,
Sports - Cricket 'Match Fixing & Spot Fixing' Charges.
Tamilnadu - AIADMK and DMK - as usual trading charges and wasting the public time and money - conducting Rallies - Anyway winner is AIADMK for show of strength.
Death of Actor Murali at the age of 46 - A real Shocker

Good News or Page 3 News: Marriage of Soundarya Rajinikanth. IT was a very well Politically Attended and Filmi Stars in Attendance. Except 'AMMA' not there in the wedding. No reasons were given. The marriage was given a full media coverage with even headlines today giving a Live Coverage of the marriage and NDTV showing a special program. Notable Absentees : Vikram, Vadivelu, Vivek, Trisha etc.,
IMportant Political parties from all spectrums were in attendance. Even Anbumani Ramadoss, Thirumalvalavan all betenoires of Rajinikanth...

Champions League CLT20 going to get started from Tomorrow in South Africa. Supporting 'GOD' Mumbai Indians to lift the trophy. Should lift the gloom of 'Match Fixing & Spot Fixing' for some time.

There is going to be a 'EID' package it seems for the Kashmir - with the most talked about act of AFPSA - to be toned down and more in tune with the Democratic Values.

Happy EID and more important news of Babri Masjid - Ram Janmabhoomi case verdict to be announced in Sept 24th.

So, going to be another Hectic week -----!!!!*****

August Month - From Chennai

2010-08-06T04:43:00.000-07:00

Kashmir: Kashmir is Burning. Protests, Stone Throwings (Pelting), Defying the Curfew - it is not the militants who are doing it or any political parties, it is mostly by youths, common people even women are seen throwing stones. Kashmir needs a solution and it is not a military solution. It has to be a political solution. THe present administration of Omar Abdullah has faltered,it has lost a very good mandate it received in 2008 election - 61% Voter turnout. Before the situation goes out of the hand the central government should take matter in his own hands and start the political dialogue. It has to reach to the people. THings it could do is committee to enquire the killings, start dialogue with the kahsmiris - NC, PDP, Huriyat, Geelani Faction, why, they can even start the dialogue with Pakistan over Kashmir - J&L being part of, integral to India, nobody questions. Even Kashmiris know that secessionist will not be helpful to them. Give them Autonomy in the administration, whatever said and done, due to various reasons Kashmir still is a Special Place and it needs to be treated specially. Will give our some samples from various articles in THE HINDU to understand the Kashmir issues, why this form of Stone Pelting Protests!!!!

Article by Siddharth Varadarajan
If the Prime Minister does not take bold steps to address the grievances of the Kashmiris, there's no telling where the next eruption will take us.Whatever his other failings, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah deserves praise for acknowledging that the protests which have rocked the Kashmir valley these past few weeks are ‘leaderless' and not the product of manipulation by some hidden individual or group.

This admission has been difficult for the authorities to make because its implications are unpleasant, perhaps even frightening. In security terms, the absence of a central nervous system means the expanding body of protest cannot be controlled by arresting individual leaders. And in political terms, the spectre of leaderless revolt makes the offer of ‘dialogue' or the naming of a ‘special envoy' for Kashmir — proposals which might have made sense last year or even last month — seem completely and utterly pointless today.
In the face of this mass upsurge, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has two options. He can declare, like the party apparatchiks in Brecht's poem, that since the people have thrown away the confidence of the government, it is time for the government to dissolve the people and elect another. Or he can admit, without prevarication or equivocation, that his government has thrown away the confidence of the ordinary Kashmiri.

This was not the way things looked in January 2009, when Omar Abdullah became chief minister. Assembly elections had gone off well. And though turnout in Srinagar and other towns was low, there was goodwill for the young leader. Of course, those who knew the state well had warned the Centre not to treat the election as an end in itself. The ‘masla-e-Kashmir' remained on the table and the people wanted it resolved. Unfortunately, the Centre failed to recognise this.
At the heart of this missing package is the Centre's failure to craft a new security and political strategy for a situation where militancy no longer poses the threat it once did. The security forces in the valley continue to operate with an expansive mandate that is not commensurate with military necessity. Even if civilian deaths are less than before, the public's capacity to tolerate ‘collateral damage' when it is officially said that militancy has ended and normalcy has returned is also much less than before.The Prime Minister can forget about the Commonwealth Games, AfPak and other issues. Kashmir is where his leadership is urgently required. The Indian state successfully overcame the challenge posed by terrorism and militancy. But a people in ferment cannot be dealt with the same way. Manmohan Singh must take bold steps to demonstrate his willingness to address the grievances of ordinary Kashmiris. He should not insult their sentiments by talking of economic packages, roundtable conferences and all-party talks. He should unreservedly express regret for the deaths that have occurred these past few weeks. He should admit, in frankness and humility, the Indian state's failure to deliver justice all these years. And he should ask the people of Kashmir for a chance to make amends. There is still no guarantee the lava of public anger which is flowing will cool. But if he doesn't make an all-out effort to create some political space today, there is no telling where the next eruption in the valley will take us.

Enthiran: Another Musical Treat from Mozart of Madras. What a versatality this man has got. From VTV to Raavan/Raavanan/ to Komarum Puli and now Entiran. Man ech film is different and each music is Different. He is really a Genius!!! Hats off to the Man.. GOD of FILM MUSIC..

God of Cricket: Sachin Tendulkar -one more record, Maraton Man of Indian Cricket. 20years and still hungry like a debutant - last test commentators and experts opined, who is making the debut is it Sachin Tendulkar or Suresh Raina, thatis th hallmark of this God of Cricket!!!. Double century and in the 3rd test he became the most capped player of Test Cricket. 94 centuries in International Cricket - 48 in tests and 46 in One Day...

CWG: IT is not Commonwealth Games, as one newspaper reported, it is Corruption Wealth Games... Daily dose of Corruption Scandal.. Mammoth in scale.. India's reputation has been shredded to pieces... 30,000 Crore budget - 11,000 crore by the Organisig Committee and 17,000 crore to be spent by the Delhi Goverment.. Initial Budget estimates at 2003 was 965 crores now it is standing at 11,000 Crores. Imagine the SCOPE of CORRUPTION. Atleast whether everything is going smooth, that is also not.. No Stadium has been handed over to the Organising Committe - Games is lessthan 2 months.. London is ready to host Mini Olympics, london olympics is on 2012. Asian Games is on September 2010 and Guanghzhou in China is 100% Ready....

July 2010 - Once again from Doha

2010-07-14T04:24:00.000-07:00

Composed a blog and when clicked 'PUBLISH POST' error occured and the blog went kaput!!!!

World Cup Finals 2010: One month from June 11 to July 12 2010 - great spectacle put on by South Africa. Just showed how when a committed government, enthused people and full support from the FIFA organisation and in particular sepp blatter - world cup can be organised in Africa. It showed to the world that South Africa has arrived. It organised in a very short notice IPL II and Now the World Cup - massive infrastructure being built with stadiums, new metro rail etc., With Secrity a great concern but at the end with relatively no incident the game has passed off beautifully. South Africa spent nearly more than USD 3billion for this game. More than the money it brought the people together - whites and blacks under one roof, side-by-side, which is a clear winner by all counts.

SPAIN: Campeones!!! Campeones!!! - as the result shows they are the world champions and they deserved it. THey played a great game of football and a consistent game of football. But when the result of the first game shows - lost the first game to switzerland and became the first team to go on and won the final and lift the world cup even after losing the first match. The perennials underdogs has finally achieved the peak of winning the World Cup. They have a great midfield and the control they have over the game, their passing and all were excellent - Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Iniesta, Ramos on the left flank, with Pedro and not to missout David Villa -one of th few world players who really excelled in the big stage. With Ikor Casillas under the bar - leading the front (His Girl Friend is the Spain TV Reporter - Femme Fatale, wow!!). This victoy has united the nation which has been divided by ethnically (catalan, madrid etc.,)previously even the team has been rift with split. They also shown the world that the victory in the european championship of 2008 is no fluke...Odd one is that they scored only eight goals overall!!

Netherlands: Shame of a game they played in the final. Till final they played very good football but against spain they lost the plot (at the end all the teams which played against the spain lost the plot) don't know how to control or go against their passing play, control of the field in the Mid Field area etc., They decided attack is the best defence so they attacked the players not the ball and at the end they were like school kids with 7 yellow cards and 1 red card to heitinga. They played really well against Brazil and knocked out the great Champion side - first time they defeated the brazilians in the world cup finals!!!

Uruguay: Diego Forlan - Golden Ball Award; it shows the calibre of the player. He played very well. The team as such excelled in all the areas. What a game against Ghana. Louis Suarez - Hero or Villain - if you are a uruguay supporter then he is a hero if you are a african nation supporter then he is a villain - stopped the ball going into the net with his hands (he is not a goal keeper by the way!!!)- GOT EJECTED - Red carded; Resulting penaly by Gyan hit the underbar and uruguay was given an opportunity to live for next day. They went on to win the match through Penalties and lost to netherlands in the semis. First time after winning the inaugural world cup they are in the semis!!.

Germany: Young Team with Majority of the players in 20s - reached the semis. THey played two games which are the best games in this edition of the World Cup. Against England and against Argentina. Both the teams England and Argentina were like school kids out on the pitch. THey thrashed both of them. England 2-1, argentina - 4-1; Mueller, Ozil, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Podalski - all are under 20s!!!

Argentina: They came to this stage with the World Player of the Year - Lionel Messi. But went out in the Quarters itself, with messi not able to meet the Net (0 Goals from him) Utterly disappointing performance.

Brazil: Pathetic performance. It seemed they were not prepared to play. Kaka nowhere at his best!! Robinho tried his best. Most sad aspect his one player felipe milo red carded in the match against Netherlands...

Africa: With the exception of Ghana - who really missed the semis with a wisker really. No team played to the potential. Atleast south africa scored one victory and draw one - which is excellent to say!! Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast all gone in the first round itself.

RAAVAN/RAAVANAN: Great Movie or DUMB Movie - that is the question still to be answered. One thing is certain - there is only two paths to be taken - Good Movie or a Bad Movie there is no middle path as average for this movie. I saw both the versions - Looks like Tamil was better presented - not the language , vikram, prithviraj were excellent. The combination of Abhishek and Vikram didn't somehow got the same feeling. Aishwarya --- OHH MAN what a beauty - you cannot show her more beautiful than this !! Hats off to Santhosh SIvan and Manikandan!! Cinematography was excellent. The film was visualised excellent. It was a tough film for Mani - at the end something was missing -is it the emotions that we are all used to seeing a tamil film!!! May be!! But Mani has put up a great show - visual, Music, performance by actors all were excellent. Rahman as usual was brilliant - one thing is the songs were used beautifully and kattu sirukki was a complete surprise!! Somehow the song usure poguthe didn't melt the heart - somehow the positioning didn't clicked i think so!!!... Could be a great collection for DVD!!!! keep on watching Ash and hearing the songs and BGM's and the Visual - nature at its best!!

From Qatar - Doha (Al Khor)

2010-05-15T03:41:00.000-07:00

Month of May: I am at present in Doha, Qatar. Precisely i am in Al Khor (More than 45 KMs) away from Doha. I am residing in a 'Labour Camp' - which is excellent even better than my accommodation in Abu Dhabi. I have got a single room with Bath Attached, Excellent food (The cook is an excellent one, from chennai, muslim though). Biriyani is Superb, i am not a guy who is fond of Biriyani, but this man has 'great hands' - he is born for cooking (no pun intended). But i am missing 'Rasam'- only sambhar he makes. The camp is in very good condition, well maintained. TV is there, so i am watching the T20 World Cup. So overall, it is very god. Workplace is about 3 kms away from the camp - Al Khor Community Centre. IT is a township built for the Qatar Gas and RasGas Employees. Inside the Alkhor Community Centre it has Schools for Indian Streams, British Streams, Arabic School etc., A Medical Centre - it is a city by itself. Enjoying the work and the stay. Little Pressure - one more thing is opposite the camp,i can go and make 'net phone calls' so communication with Chennai is also made easy. All in All - good place to work.
Yesterday being friday, with a friend walked about 4 KMs...

Cricket: What a dismal performace from India in T20 World Cup. Tell Tale signs that, all the players barring Raina, Bhajji,Dhoni - were incapable of performing. Tired of IPL, not able to think. Worst performers are: Rohit (eventhough he scored 79 in one losing game against Aus, he was a terrible sight on the field), Yuvi (time has come to drop him), Nehra, Ravinder Jadeja, Zaheer, Gambhir - his reputation has gone to shreds - the old saying of he is good in sub continent pitches have come true once again. THe captaincy of Dhoni is much to be desired - his lady luck has vanished and he has become an ordinary captain. The IPL which gave new players have also become a bone of contention for many. This dismal performance by Indians will add fuel to the fire for the people who are against IPL. As kumble said, playing for IPL teams has become more 'PRESSURE' than for playing for India, Playing for India has become a 'Comfort' zone. This performance once again confirmed the notion that India is susceptible to the Bouncy Pitches. As Gavaskar said, the players should go to School - NCA Bangalore - for practising with the Younger players. Ask them to bowl from16 - 18 yards and practise to play Pull and Hook Shot. The mind will get cleared and they will play the 'square' shots well. Not everybody is Sachin Tendulkar, who at age 18 played in Perth and scored a century!!!!
Australia - What a team - they showed why they are the real world champions. There is always one person in the team who will raise the hand in any critical situation and take the team to a winning situation or to a safe zone. Hussey played a Champions Innings, what a game he played. 60 runs in 24 balls. Before that, Cameron White played a good innings , which created a momentum, which Hussey carried on. Pakistan was in the match for 38 overs, but last 2 overs Aussies played to their skin. In T2O - if we are in the game till the last over keep the running rate to 12 and 13 - then it is anybody's game.
Politics: Khap Panchayat - for the sake of votes, Jindal, INLD and even BJP are supporting the Jats. THe Khap panchayat orders the killing of couples who married withing the same Gotra. Sometime,they carry out the killing if the couple is from the same village also. Supreme Court in 1945 has legalised the marriage beween same gotra. This medieval thinking is supported by Jindal (who is in early 30's) one of the youth brigades of Indian politics.
Census: Enumeration is going on in India. Now, they wanted to include the caste into it. In a sense, it is needed at this point. We can know which caste have come out in 'OPEN' in the last decade. How economically the caste is grown in India etc.,

2010-04-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

March Lastweek / April 2010: Hectic Last week of March and Till today. Got stuck with GCAA - big client. Project went topsy-turvy, spending day and night for the past three weeks in the client place. Now the project has stabilized and going near the 'Finish' line. Great Comeback by the TEAM (Myself, girubashankar and Sundhar (new recruit). really a great work by the TEAM.

IPL: Very good Tournament. matches are really played very competitive. Old Guards (Can we tell like that) Sachin 'GOD', Kallis, Dada, Jumbo all are shining in this tournament - 20/20 is supposed to be the youngsters game, but all the old guards are shining like anything. At the end Experience counts!!!. Mumbai is doing great guns, hats off to Sachin, proving yet another time that he is an Ageless Wonder. What a tournament and what a season he is having, Owner of the 'ORANGE' cap - highest rungetter in this tournament. Leading from the front - 13 matches played and mumbai indians are leading with 20 points. Only one match to played, against KKR. Mumbai having reached the semis, still waiting to know with whom they will play. All the calculations have gone wrong with the yesterday's win by the KKR. Dada played an excellent innings. Curtains down for Deccan and Royals. CSK are playing King X1 today, a crucial match to chennai, if chennai loses then they are out. Chennai needs to win and they have win by a big margin, so NRR calcualtions would do them good.

Controversy and Tharoor are best mates. Another controversy - IPL Kochi fiasco. Lalit Modi tweeting about the composition of the partners in the Kochi Franchise. Name of sunandha pushkar cropping up, who is the FIANCEE of Tharoor (who is awaiting a divorce settlement from his second wife. Sunandha has got some free shares from the Kochi Franchise, which the Opposition has pounces like anything and gunning for tharoor's throat. Both the camps are throwing mud on each other and the IPl row is getting murkier and shady dealings are coming out in the open.

Volcanic eruption and ash has grounded all the 'EUROPEAN' flights for past 4 days. Not happened like that before. Only time it has happened in recent years was when 'Sept 11' incident happened. that too for only 2 days. This time nobody knows till what time all the flights will be grounded.

Maoists targetting the CRPF - dantewada massacre - about 74 CRPF Jawans - ambushed by the Maoists. Al killed on the spot. 'PC' drawn a 'black face'. This should teach all the politicians a lesson,especially Mamta Banerjee and also the CPI(M). But they are not learning the lesson - mamtha arguing that there are no Maoists and CPI(M) targeting the central government for the 'massacre', eventhough it happened in chattisgarh, the naxalite problem is abound in WB too.

March - Budget, IPL, Hocket WC & Much More!!!!

2010-03-06T01:19:00.001-08:00

Budget: February 26th and February 28th are 'SHOWTIME' for Politics,TV, Newspapers and for Common Man to whom this is for is as usual a Normal Days. Whatever is said in the Budget is for the Economists, Politicians, TV Show Hosts and TV Pundits.. For COmmon Man it is unrelated because whatever is in Budget is entirely different in the 'REAL' Life. Inflation is high - some percentage they will say but in the shop if we compare the price of a commodity last year with the present rate - it would be 75% to 100% on the higher side...

THis year as usual Mamata started with the Railway Budget - announced a slew of New rails, new projects.. IT is said that there are thousands of crores of Projects in Railways nearly 32,000 Crores of Rupees worth of Projects, every year Budget allocation is only 9000 Crores of Rupees, so at the end only a handful of projects are in stream and other projects are in Limbo!!!

General Budget: Pranad did a professor like 'Lecture', opposition walked out of the budget presentation (First time in the history of Budget Presentation) when Pranad says about the increase in Fuel Prices!!. PM and FM are adamant that the Price Hike will be in place, let us wait and watch!!!.. Income Tax exemption is increased till 1.6 Lakhs Rupees. Already, Parliament is subjected to walkouts by Opposition and agitations by opposition political parties against the decision of Fuel Price Hike.
Allies like TC and DMK voiced their opinion and after a presentation made by Pranab - why there is no alternative to price hike, they have come to an understanding. All because of Politics, TC doesn't want an election and DMK is fully in need of COngress Supports (with talks of AIADMK wooing Congress)- both of them have back-tracked on their opposition to Price Hike.

ONe More Annoucement which caused a attention is 'Symbol' for Indian Rupee. It is a great one! it is good to have a symbol for Rupee, like Dollar $, Euro E' etc.,

IPL: March 12 2010, another tamasha of Cricket 'IPL 20' 3rd edition will be on the way. Before that 7th March 2010 - there will be one more tamasha, unveiling of two more teams from the Year 2011 will be announced, the asking money for each team is 225 Millinon DOLLARS. Let's see who gets the team (Ahmedabad, Cochin are the frontrunners as per the media) Even MCC (Marleybone Cricket Club of England) is also on the radar of IPL team owners.. Let's watch the 'Tamasha'. As usual betting on Mumbai Indians to win the IPL with Kieron Pollard as the new buy, they have a great Player in T20 and Sachin in his Impeccable Form will add value to the team.

Hockey World Cup: India were on a cloud nine after beating pakistan in the first match after ther they lost 5-2 identical margins to Australia and to Spain. Now no chancd of qualifying to the Semis, even whey they beat England. Atleast, they can improve the position from the last year (12 is the position last year.

Personal: On 28th February 2010, Kanna Mama performed Masi Magam Pooja in AUH, it was very good, divinity and spirituality personified and was in abundance. Had a good experience and had an interesting conversation and did a great service!! 'Aaromale' - wish fulfilled.

APPA

2010-03-05T23:27:00.000-08:00

Songs shone with his quiet genius

He blended raga and bhava to present lilting lyrics. A tribute by GOWRI RAMNARAYAN to Kadayanallur Venkatraman, who passed away recently.

"CAN YOU imagine a Carnatic musician manning a telephone booth?'' he once asked with one of his rare smiles. It was difficult to know just what he felt at that moment. But Kadayanallur Venkatraman was like that, he spoke little and had the complexity of a thinking artiste.

For many years he assisted his disabled son who was in charge of the telephone booth in Chennai's St. Isabel Hospital. Few customers could know that the spare, silent man who took shifts beside the telephone was a master in setting lyrics to music. He passed away with the same quietness on February 6, at the same hospital.

Even fellow artistes knew little about him. Ask him about his background and he would say, "I have the good fortune to know Iyerval (Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer) and Amma (M. S. Subbulakshmi). What more can I say?" Born in 1929 to K. V. Subbier, a PWD employee whose love of music found an outlet in bhajans, Venkatraman studied at the Swati Tirunal Music College, Tiruvananthapuram, and served as a tambura artiste at the city's radio station. At different times he had a year's training with Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavatar and in Muthuswamy Dikshitar's kritis from B. Rajam Iyer. Joining AIR Madras made for closer association with Semmangudi, whom he began to accompany in concerts. His radio music classes came to be known for their clarity. Musicians who came to perform at the radio station noted how perfectly he tuned the tambura for them. But Venkatraman never made it in the city's concert circuits. He did not even try. Luckily one aspect of his talent came to be recognised, without any effort on his part.

When the Tirupati Devasthanam decided to popularise Annamacharya, the 14th century saint composer of thousands of verses, most of which existed only on copper plates, M. S. Subbulakshmi was entrusted with the task of recording them in cassettes. Their music was wholly lost. A few could be acquired from singers like Nedunuri Krishnamurti, but most had to be fitted into ragas afresh. That is how the self effacing Kadayanallur Venkatraman found himself working with the legendary M.S., recommended for the task by Semmangudi. Thus began a creative collaboration that shaped some of the unforgettable gems of the MS repertoire, including Rajaji's hymn "Kurai Onrum Illai," a universal favourite today. MS loved to recall how the young man who looked as if he could barely speak, came up with wonderful tunes to suit every need. He could set a Kedaragowlai in the grand concert mould as in "Koluvudi," a Khamas that could swing with the Lord on his ritual oonjal ceremony, or a Kapi in "Jo Achyutananda," where every sangati is steeped in the love of the mother for the child, of the devotee for the Lord. Kadayanallur stood out for internalising the lyric's bhava, and finding the raga to go with it. He was at home in the heavy classical melody as with the light. More interestingly, he could make a classical raga sound nimble, or turn a fluffy melody into a serious one.

Since the rasa of the lyric guided him, he could sometimes surprise himself. After setting "Kannula dutite" to music, he confessed that he was not sure of the raga, "Is it Hindustani Jog?" He certainly surprised others with his brilliant handling of an MS signature song "Enta Matramu." If you asked how he managed to tame something so overwhelmingly wordy into a tala-raga grid, his eyes would gleam with a shy pleasure.

Some of this music was composed in slow spells, and with conscious attempts at achieving the required effects. Others came in a burst of spontaneity. "I can't forget the day he came in and without saying a word, started playing the sruti box, and sang the first two lines of ``Bhavayami Gopalabalam," MS remembered.

The lyric describes little Krishna in the same spirit as "Krishna ni begane" does, and Kadayanallur invoked the radiance of the old song in his setting, which also testifies to his originality and imagination.

The Yamuna Kalyani begins with a gentle, tender love, and ends in exalted rapture. MS was always visibly moved when she sang it, particularly when she touched the rare suddha madhyama, used sparingly, but with a tingling effect. Years later, he was to make more vatsalya magic in Senjurutti with "Ra ra chinnana." These settings seemed simple, but demand an austere fidelity to sruti and swarasthanam - in the sangatis and straight notes - just try out the dhaivata in the phrase "Kamalanabha nee" (Sriman narayana, Bhouli).

There are those who believe that Kadayanallur's compositions are tailor made for the MS style, and only someone endowed with the lady's golden voice can do justice to them. This is true not only in the demanding sangatis he shaped, but also in certain straight notes that his placement made luminous and crucial. But his tunes have gained currency with other, particularly younger musicians, and seem ready to pass the test of time.

He excelled in ragamalikas - he could glide superbly from raga to raga, "Kandu kandu" is a fine example. His swara gnanam is evident in the chittaswaras.

The one in Kalyani appended to Annamacharya's "Sarvopayamuna" is quite simply, unique. On the rare occasions when he was coaxed to do raga alapana, longish parts would be enunciated as swara passages, with unexpected dattu prayogas and jarus.

Watching him compose was an experience. Sitting on the mat, eyes closed, with nothing but sruti in his ear and mind, he would come up with endless variations of the line, all of them beautiful. What irked him at such moments was the break in the trance when someone began to notate the sangatis before they were forgotten. He was as happy to compose a kriti for a Music Academy concert as a song for a family wedding.

An oonjal on the Srirangam deities was never sung on the dais, but remains one of the best examples of Venkatraman's mellow musicianship.

Kadayanallur was as much a perfectionist as MS herself. That is why his presence made her recording sessions produce flawless results. He would be present at rehearsals too, to edit, suggest and fine tune. For her concerts, he aligned her Lakshmi and Saraswati tamburas to tranquil resonance. Sometimes he accompanied MS on the tambura. Few realised then that the man behind the drone had so much to do with the music presented.

At a Tirupati concert Venkatraman's contribution was not only noted, but applauded by the musicians present. One of them was struck by the Madhyamavati format (Ni namame maku) and the choice of Manirangu to round off the mangalam.

His views on music, when he expressed them, were sharp, often illuminating. His grasp of the raga swarupa was uncompromising, and this was the one subject that he loved to talk about when he had just one or two auditors. He did not understand commercial goals in the arts. "We don't take up music as a profession because we want to make money. There are many other surer, easier ways of making money. We take to music because... Well, if you are the sort of person to whom I have to explain it, you will not understand it anyway."

Salutation to 'GOD' of Cricket - Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

2010-02-25T04:11:00.000-08:00

February 24th 2010 - The date etched in the History of Cricket. Oh God! 200 runs in an One Day International Cricket - First man in the Plane to achieve , wha a Man and it is deserving that Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is the Man, Superman from India, who will now hold the Record. It was an Innings of Top Calibre - not a single False Stroke , not even half-a-chance or even Quarter-of-a- chance in the 50 Overs. Not even a single edge, it was classic and Vintage batting all the way. Lasting the whole 50 overs, running himself and also running in the same way for the others - converting ones into twos and twos into threes. Suffering campls all over the body in the last 5 overs but still continued and made a history. It is great that it came against an attack like South Africa - an allround attack and a world class attack and not against minnows like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe.

IT is truly to be appreciative of the way he has been in the game - the longevity - surviving in the game of cricket for 20 years, displaying the same enthusiasm that was there at the age of 16 when he made the debut and it was to be seen in the game at Gwalior also. Not even a single scandal in the whole 20 years of International Cricket, he is a really a true Role Model for all the people of India and to the whole world. THe fame not even a hint has gone to his 'HEAD', He is humble to the core. Like when he said in the post match presentation - dedicating his '20' to the fans and people of india. THe best tribute is Sunny, his favourire cricketer, told to CNN IBN,that, he is the world's best cricketer and he won't mind touching his feet..

Accolades are pouring to him from all over the world, In Parliament - passed a resolution appreciating this feat, pavilion in Gwalior Ground and a street in Gwalior to be named as 'Tendulkar' As his wife Anjali said, he never ceases to suprise us. We'INDIANS' should feel proud that Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is INDIAN. What other records are left as kumble told World Cup and 400 in test cricket, the way he is playing - he is at his best (After 20 years of cricket) 10 international hundreds in this year - 6 One day and 4 Test match hundreds totalling 93 international hundreds, 47 test and 46 one day international hundreds..

God Bless him and we wish him to play cricket for many more years to come. Because, when he plays the whole nation breathes his name and he unites the whole nation.

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar - World's Greatest Ever Batsman in the Game of Cricket.

January '10 - RECAP

2010-01-27T04:26:00.000-08:00

January marks festivities,celebrations - celebrated with gaiety and splendour. Pongal marks the high point of celebrations (for homely type), For fun there is always New Year celebs and parties.. For unity, national sentiment there is Republic day this year it marks 60th year of celebrations. Good news is AR Rahman awarded Padma Bhushan along with Ilaiyaraja. Mark the differences in the words they have expressed when the press interviewed them, ARR dedicated the award with his characteristic humility thanking god and then telling that he is happy that along with Ilaiyara he has been awarded. Ilaiyaraja expressed that it is for Recognition of his music.. Is it Proud or Ego?? - fans, listeners, connoiseurs and the common man to decide and give a verdict.

India made a clean sweep the Test Series played against Bangladesh in Bangaladesh, good beginning for year 2010. Excellent performance 2 centuries in 2 tests by 'GOD'. It made my day. Very good performance by Wall, but bangaladesh bowlers really rattled our batsmen - viru, gauti, rahul by bowling bouncers - injuring rahul and getting them out, the other two batsmen. By scoring 2 hundreds this series tendulkar scored 45 centuries and totally 90 centuries in International matches (45 One Day internationals also. Great series - already Neo Sports is billing as 'World Championship of Cricket' India / South Africa series, starting on 6th February 2010. 2 tests with 3 one-day series, going to be a rocking one.... It seems that Indian Cricket board is planning to organise about 12 tests this season, earliet it was only 2 tests with bangladesh, now SA is there... it is good that india is playing 12 tests even though the schedule is not announced, with the money that can be 'procured' by BCCI, it is very easy to organise tests or any matches with India.

In Politics Jyoti Basu, the grand patriarch of CPI(M)breathed his last at the age of 96. He could have become PM in 1996 - CPI(M) as usual dithered, doesn't want to take responsibility at a crucial juncture - typical of Communists. India lost a pragmatic leader - cutting across political lines all leaders made a visit to Kolkatta and paid the last respects. May his soul rest in peace, another great thing is as a true marxist , donated his Body to the Hospital and there was no funeral ceremonies as such.

Great disaster struck in Haiti - most vulnerable city in the world for natural disasters. Earchquake struck Haiti with 7.1 magnitude - nearly 1.50 Lakhs people died. Reliefs are pouring in from all quarters with US and UN leading the way. Still there are great stories like after 14 days they are still able to recover or pull out survivors from the rubble...

In tamilnadu, there was a controversy when a SI was accidently murdered (mistaken identity) this happens on the road,minutes before Cabinet ministers of TN making their way, even in fact we can tell that it happened in front of their eyes. After the incident , Ministers (that too health minister) watched him for 10 minutes or so, not arranging some kind of transport to take him to nearby hospital... It took 20minutes to arrange a transport to shift him to a nearby hospital.. Pathetic....

Spiritually, had a good day - 7th/8th january 2010 specifically, Ayyappan Pooja in Abu Dhabi ISC - indian social centre, Awake the whole night - made flower arrangements etc., volunteered the work like Vegetable cutting the previous night, participated in the Ganapathi Homam at 3.15 AM - had a whale of spiritual experience
Enjoyed thouroughl (Aaromale.... had some fun too... let's hope for the best!!)

Officially, got a good order in GCAA - General Civil Aviation Authority, - looks like a good start to this year. Hope it goes well and smoothly...

Signign it Off!! Have a nice days ahead!!!!! Aaromale

Can't sign off without telling people to listen to VTV - Vinnai Thedi Varivaya - great music by Mozart of Madras.. Jokingly, it is too much for Simbhu, what to do??? Gautham deserves that.... It has to be better than Harris isn't it??????

Enjoy!! Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavanthu....

First Post in 2010

2010-01-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings!!!!!!!!! Happy New Year 2010.

First Post in 2010.

What a year 2009. Lots of Downs than UP's. But year 2009 has given to a lot of them rather Hard Lessons in the Life. Economic situation in India has done rather well when compared to 'Industrialised Countries', along with China, India is one of the few countries who shown growth in 2009. 7% growth is really great,when considering the situation all over. It is mostly spurred by the domestic growth.

America - capitalised economy, gave federal support to Banks, GM - nearly taking control. Now, the economic situation in Americal is looking northwards, hopefully Obama can deliver what he promised during the Elections.

India did exceedingly well in Cricket, reached the No.1 status in Test Rankings, truly a remarkable achievement. Indian Cricket has grown,with lots of young cricketers Gautam Gamhir, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik.. doing well in international circuits,with Gautam Gambhir establishing himself in all forms of cricket. Viru, has done great this year, eventhough when compared to test cricket, his one day performances is not that great. Silently, Sachin has ruled the game of cricket for 20 years, that too in top level. Ishant Sharma, what a fall. Hopefully, will come back strongly. Dilshan, a changed cricketer, who is really a great treat to watch. Two good series are going on now, Aus Vs, Pak and SA vs Eng. In the second test Pak has outplayed Aussies , aussies allout for 127. Let.s see hos pak is doing in Batting and aussie in bowling. India, another Series in bangladesh - non-stop cricket.

What a fall for Tiger woods, fallen from the pinnacle to the rock bottom. 10 minutes of fight with his wife, has turned the whole world (or his mask has fallen down) upside down. Golf as game, has lost really a ambassador, hopefully Tiger will roar back. Golf does needs Tiger Woods. Comparitively, we should be proud of Sachin Tendulkar, who is really a shine in the armour, with nil controversies at top flight of International Media Glare. Really we should be proud.

Cinema: Nothing to be proud of in India. More bad films rather than good films. Avatar , 2012 are refreshing. Hollywood films dubbed in Indian Languages are doing rather good business rather than our home grown Bollywood, Tollywood, Sandalwood, Kollywood films... A R Rahman is the shining armour in the Industry as a whole. Grabbing Oscar Honours and nominated for Grammy's. 2010 - Endhiran, Ravan, eagerly awaited films by Shankar and Maniratnam respectively with Rajinikanth, Abhishek Bachan with Aish on both the films.

Politics: DMK winning all the elections, where they have written a rule on how to give money to voters and win the elections. COngress is doing rather unexpectedly well. Rahul Gandhi is really doing a great job organisation wise. Amma is still sleeping , not coming out of the comfort zone. IT is going to be tough year for Amma, to beat DMK, with the money power and clout they enjoy. Amma has to hit the road, be in touch with the Cadres and People. Hope and Pray Amma realises that. Congress in Delhi, as usual bungling in Telengana row. Hyderabad is burning, let's see what is the resolution to be in 5th Jan meeting. Rathore, after 19years, the old case is coming to haunt him. We should be proud or feel ashamed, is the moot point now. Atleast, Media is keeping the issue burning, sometimes, we can feel proud of our Democracy and Free Press. IN another spectrum there is Madhu Koda and Shibu Soren also. BJP is still trying to blame other people rather than blaming themselves. Still trying to find out reasons for the humbling defeat. There is also space for MNS, Shiv Sena etc.,

Good thing that has happened is the Fall of LTTE. Now, we should see how Lankan Government is rehabilitating and giving the requested freedom for the Eelam Tamils.
Al Qaeda is still going strong, and the latest proof is the failed attempt to blow up the detroit bound plane. Pak is burning with suicide bombings, israel continuing occupation of Gaza - in all that, common man is suffering. Repeated attempts to find a solution to the crisis in J&K is being foiled by Pak and they are facing the same medicine in their homeland.

Let's hope the new year ushers in Good Fortune for all.

October - November 2009

2009-11-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

Politics: The Hot Topic was 'How the Elections (Candidates) has bought over the Media (Supposed to be Free Fourth Estate)- Newspaper, TV Organisations all included. It started in Andhra Pradesh and went full hog in Maharashtra. About hundreds of crores was given by the cadidates to the Media. The newspaper or the TV studios or centres will run special coverages on the candidate. Those who have not given that wil be shown the door. No informations to the public about the candidate will be published. Sometimes negative review will be made. This at present Election Commission has no clue about how to encounter this problem. This is becoming a new trend in the already money making Election business and in general Politics.

Cricket: The 7 match one-day series against Australia is turning out to be one of the most contested series. While all are talking about the Dying of 50 Overs - a - side matches being taken over by the T20, this series is turning out be opposite of that. Every match is well contested. The 5th Match of the series at Hyderabad,is one of the great matches of all times. What an Innings 'GOD of Cricket' has played. Afte 20 years of International Cricket he is still showing the hunger to play. This match shows that India is still dependant on him. The wheel has turned back, when he got our the match has been lost, 16 runs not being able to score by last 5 players. It reminded of the Chennai Match against pakistan. The way he batted,it doesn't look like the player of 36 years. A great innings,eventhough it was very disappointing that india lost at the end, but the cricket was fantastic. Australia scored brilliantly and all the top players scored. They relly upped the ante. India chased brillantly, sachin never allowed the run rate to creep up more that 8 runs at any point of time. Congratulations to sachin - first man to reach 17,000 runs. The match was money's worth - more than a penny to the share.

Film: Seeing a series of Low Profiled Movies - turning out to be an excellent films - SWAT, Mindhunters, Firewall, Departed (not a low profile movie in any sense)Death in Paradise, Sin City ...Full list will follow. Saw Blue - It's kind of 'OK' nto as bad as the critics has panned it. Lara Dutta was simply Sizzling in Bikini's. Good attempt. ARR is as usual brilliant. Watched Aadhavan on Diwali day - an horror of a movie. It is better to watch it in 'Downloads'.

Nostalgia: Now, back in touch with my classmates from 1985-1990 - college in PSG CAS CBE. What a nostalgic feeling. IT is really exceptional to get in touch will all the friends. Waiting for the day to meet them in Person.

Books: Read Dan Brown's THe lost Deception. Oh! turned out to be real cocker of a story. Continuosly read for 4 days. IT is very lengthy. IT is avery good read. Dan Brown is as usual mesmerizing. Amazing is the kind of 'Conversations' and the themes. Really a genius.

Catch up Soon!!!!!

After two months Break - September 2009

2009-09-27T04:47:00.000-07:00

After a very long break on two months - back to blogging. Why? not busy just poor laziness. Just couldn't put my mind into blogging. One and half-months enjoyed in Chennai with Family (Wife and Kids) and friends. It was a jolly good time. It is official and pleasurable trip. Kids were very happy and hope my wife too. There are some good plans - really ned to put through a plan for Chennai Operations and also for India as a whole. IS there really good work for Archibus in India. At the outset it seems to be. But really need to go to the market and do a great research. Is there really a pain in FM operations in India. Is India ready for a solution like this? Is India Inc ready to spend a good deal of money? These are all the questions need to be answered. There is an option of making me a Country Head - India . I really need to put my thoughts into that? Am i ready to be a COuntry Head? Can i perform to the best of my abilities and bring laurels to the company and live up to the reputation and belief on me by the others. But as an individual this has to be done, if i have to grow as a human being and also in the professional career. Let's see what is in store????

Sports: India won the Srilanka compaq cup tri-series tournament. GOD played a great innings - scoring his 45th one day hundred. Champions trophy started and india lost match against pakistan. Really a sad news!!!. Played poor cricket. Champions trophy has started well. Tomorrow is another great match - India Vs Australia. India has to beat them if they want to have any chance of going further in the tournament. India and Sachin will definitely be on the top. I am DAMN SURE about that.
EPL has started and it is going well Manu, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea are doing pretty well. MOney well spent by CIty this year is showing well. La Liga is also entertaining with Real Madrid - Kaka, Ronaldo etc.,

Music: BLUE music has been released. It is different and it is good. A short documentary of Passage by Shekar Kapur with ARR and Couples Retreat a full fledged hollywood movie - both the music has been released. Not yet heard the last two. Need to do a 'Torrent' for that. Watched movie What's your Rashee - it is different. Enjoyable , can be watched. Music - for the first film it was good. Ashuthosh,to me, missed ARR... Music was loud.

Eid celebration went on well. Dubai has opened the METRO Rail. Seems to be hit it off as a tourist destination. We need to see how it is in the long run.

Went to Qatar for 3 days last week. Good Trip. Lots of good business opportunities. Let's see.

Signing OFF - lets catch up in a week.

Summer in Abu Dhabi

2009-07-14T01:39:00.000-07:00

Weather: Very hot and Humid. It is going to be a hottest summer in recent memory. is it 'El Nini' effect , global climate change or whatever. Not able to spend time (even walk about 30 minutes in the sun between 1PM to 3 PM) it just drains your energy. Just think of people who have to work in the SUN like COnstruction workers, Delivery people (Pizza delivery etc.,). Even people who need to drive around - sit in the car (A/c), go to office for meetings (A/c in the offices), go to a grocery (A/c), go everywhere A/c is there, come out the heat and humid will hit you in the face (changes in the weather will hit you hard). This in the month of July '09 itself.Summer is in Peak form in the month of August and September. SUMMER in ABUDHABi is going to be a great month.

Cricket: India what a downfall to lots of 'TOmorrows Sachins, Dravids etc.,) likes of Rohit, Gambhir, Raina all had a great fall, say tumbled in the international arena. Rude lesson to them. India made an inglorious exit in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan astonished more for themselves rather than the world. but hats off to them. Now they are stumbling in Srilanka - that is Pakistan. Enigma to themselves and to the world. Not to be 'world champion' and stumbling like Nine pin a week after that.

Politics : International

G8 Summit just got over. Usual climate change - world leaders talked about. Nothing is going to happen. Debate will go on between developed world and developing (emerging) economies. Atleast Obama accepted that Developed economies has to take some positive decisions on the climate control, more responsibilities to be taken than asking developing emerging economies to share the climate control. Economy is still bottoming out everyday some economic pundit is giving statement; but still oil prices is stumbling, sensex is crashing, unemployment is risig; japan is floundeing. What is in store? Nobody knows. Major pffensive is happening in Afghanistan. Swat operation is going on in Pakistan. hectic week of politicking is going on. Let's see. Oil auction has taken place in Iraq, but not a single editorial has come out of that. ANy good has taken place,nothing is to be seen or heard. America has pulled out of Iraq - daily policing has given to Iraqi police, Let;s see what is going to happen? France has banned wearing of Burqa in Public - governement and public servants. Debate has splitted the France Sociery. Obama visited Egypt gave a speech. Israel and Palestine are not talking. Israel is construcing in Settlement Colony of Gaza.

Politics : National

Pranadba delivered Budget ; senses crashed 800 points down. 10% fall in that week (budget week). Budget is not a reform budget but seems to be an election thanks budget but policy decision can be taken in the course of the year. So reforms can be counted.... Kerala Vijayan and Achtanandan are fighting in the Open. Politburo is splitted. Nothing muchis happening in India. ENR - Enrichment of Nuclear fuel has been banned by G8. India has not signed the Ful Nuclear aggreeement with Russia, France and USA. Is it going to affect them, lets wait and see. Shopian Murder case trial - Jan commission has submitted the report. Violence is continuing. Who is to be blamed Media or Politicians or Police. Jan commission has blamed the Media - they just flamed the violence by giving wrong informations, Politicians whichever side they are they just sounded out, Police not knowing what they should do. Government just waited and watched the whole situation. Who suffered at the end common man. Indian central government just waited as they are in coalition government with NC.

Personal: Going to chennai today by Etihad. Going to be with Family after 3 months.

See you soon!!!!!!!!

Month of May-June 09

2009-06-06T03:59:00.000-07:00

Elections 09: What an election it was!!!!!!! India wants Congress to rule. People had given the verdict. An election which said 'BJP to change its policies' and given a good drubbing to Left. In that sense, yes, it is a good election for congress to win. Youth!!!a factor that played out truly in this election. Rahul Gandhi has really come out triumphs in this election. Relentless campaign in Hindi Hearland. UP has backed congress after 1994, first time congress has won more than 15 seats that too without any allies or support. UP has said that they want congress not SP or Mayawati.. it is good in a sense that people are realising that Caste and Muslim politics is not bringing them 'their cup of tea'!!!!!. Manmohan Singh has become the PM once again, which is good for india. He has created a record of sorts that, the first congressman to be re-elect to the august seat of PM (Leading the country) after Nehru. Eventhough he is from the Upper House, he is the best man at this time to lead the country. In Tamilnadu - surprise results for lots of people. Nobody, even DMK would not have thought they would win this time. With Karunanidhi himself not campaigning effectively, only addressing two rallies, DMK were able to pull of an Amazing win. Lots of theories and stories are floating around Money Power, Mis-use of Govenment machinery. Once again he has played 'Family' card to get the cabinet seats for his sons and daughters. But this time his 'show of defiance' didn't earned much fruit and only azhagiri and dayanidhi maran got cabinet ministers. No T.R. Balu this time - i think which is a good one. No Kanimozhi this time. But surprise that A. Raja got the IT ministry - maybe spectrum is still helping Raja. A good experienced council of minisers with new faces. Shashi Tharoor has minister of Stare in External Affairs with SM Krishna leading the minstry. Let's see how Manmohan is doing - expectations are more with No Left to stall his policies.

IPL: What an IPL it turned out to be. Last time minnows (IPLI - last placed team and the penultimate placed teams) played out the finals and Deccan won the Trophy. IT was a great turnaround for that team. Even for Bangalore Royal Challengers - kumble did this team a great turnaround. Matches played with good crowd and Lalit Modi at the end of the day has a winner. It was a good success too!!! Hats off to the people who had managed to bring a spectacular tournament in 15 days time... Fancied teams like Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils , Chennai superkings all bite the dust. Good the tournament.

International: Crisis for Gordon Brown. With Ministers resigning, Expenses scandal throwing Labour party into crisis after crisis. MP's and Ministers not able to cope up with the immense media pressures, scandals and speculations - Labor party is going deeper into - well below the ratings on par with Liberal (that 3rd) with conservatives gaining more than 30 percent. Labour party has faced a drubbing the recently held counties election. US - GM has filed chapter 11 bankrupcy - what a fall. This economic crisis has made such a mockery of the institutions in financial, automobile and other industries. But GM filinf the bakruptcy has taken the cake.. US has an industry nation has fallen from the grace. Weaker Dollar and weakening economy in the US - 12.3 percentage of Debt to the GDP running into 1.2 trillions of dollar. But expers are saying that the worst of Economic Recession has reached - it has been bottomed out. But the signs are not there, Japan, Europe all are still feeling the pinch. Toyota has reported loss in 18 years of its history. Now Oil price is increasing, gold is increasing, exchange rates are appreciating. Let;s see. UAE is going from Inflation to Deflation...

Back in Abu Dhabi

2009-05-02T03:56:00.000-07:00

Elections '09: Three Phases of the elections are over, April 16,23,30 with May 6 and May 13 the other two phases to be conducted. Till now the elections are conducted in a free and fair manner, with 'NO' violence at all except in the first phase of elections where maoists had a clash with Para Military Personne, which resulted in 16 deaths. The polling percentages - 50% - 55% moderate polling. Is it due to 'HEAT' it is boiling in north and central part of india. No issues as such - any emotive issues etc., Significant in this elections are the numer of crorepatis participating in this election (there is also a talk that fear is gripped in the minds of the candidates that if they didn't show their assets as the election commission observers has the people to verify the details, may cancel the candidature) and the Hate speeches starting from Advani to Manmohan singh etc., There is a good campaign in Delhi, Mumbai for the people to come out in large number to exercise the rights of voting. In Mumbai the voting percentage is equal to 60 % which is much better than 46% last time in 2004. The greatness if Indian Democracy is that in a polling station, which is located in GIR Wildlife sanctuary , there is a temple. The priest of the temple is the lone voter, for him to vote previous day itself the polling officials and the machinery has reached and the voter voted on the polling day at about 10.30 AM and the officials stayed there till the end of the polling time and then left the place. This is the beauty of the DEMOCRACY. What will be the outcome of the elections we need to wait till May 16th 2009. A good day of entertainment is there on May 16 2009.
IPL: Second Edition of the IPL has started. With Cheerleaders in Full Hog the competition is hotting up. The oldies of the young game are throwing the punches. Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya are the commendable performers in the tournament with Matt Hayden, Adam Gilchrist also in the frames. Deccan Charges the last placed team is the Topper till now in the Points Tables. Bangalore is playing some good competitive cricket. Mumbai Indians puuting some brilliant performance. Delhi and Punjab are doing excellent team performance. Rajasthan is not the same force as it was earlier, as the absence of Marsh and Watson are affecting their performaces. This edition will be tough one to predict. No team has scored 200 runs only one century till now. Spinners are doing an excellent job and they are back in the reckoning in the Shortest form of the Cricket game. South Africa and IPL has done an Impossible act - organising a tournament of this magnitude in two weeks time is really excellent. Whatever the wrong doings of Lalit Modi, his ego etc., he has really pulled it off. We have to appreciate him for this. Let's see who will reach the semis - my take is Mumbai Indians, Deccan Charges, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Dare Devils... Kings X1 Punjab - it will be a tough battle for them, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkatta knight riders doesn't have a chance...

See You Soon!!!!!!!!!!

From Chennai Office

2009-04-10T00:36:00.000-07:00

Elections '09: Elections '09 - for 15th Lok Sabha have started with a Bang. A bang that was loud enough that it became a 'Mother' of all elections. The way it has started it that the kind of Hate Speech that was being said is way beyound comprehensible to a normal human being. It all started with VARUN GANDHI - teling that he will cut-off the hands of the people (muslims) who touch Hindus (lotus). Mayawati scored a political brownie point by putting him under NSA. Then Lalu took over - telling that he will run road roller over varun, if he were the Home Minister. Nitish Kumar of Bihar - telling in NDTV that he will prosecute Varun if he told the same thing in Bihar. Now VAIKO, talking of Blood Bath if Prabhakaran of LTTE was killed or Harmed. What is happening? THis is too much, people has to be conscious of the Politicians, the way they speak, they behaviour etc., Now, all the politicians of some importance are taking this chance to have a pound of flesh in National Politics. Third Front, Fourth Front - Pawar having his own agenda, Lalu, Mulayam Singh, Paswan - pusuing their own agenda. THis is the election where nobody can predict what is going to happen? THis election has become a Regional election - with every state party like in Bihar - Lalu, Paswan combine, in UP - SP, BSP , (that itself talks about 120 MP's) - so BJP, Congress losing ground in the heart of Hindiland. With congress the major loser Overall. In Tamil Nadu, this time AIADMK front expeted to do well. Another point is - alliances or coalitions are formed not because of Ideology (Ideology has died a long time back from Indian Politics). PMK has joined the AIADMK front with MDMK, Communists. BJD in orissa coming out of the alliance with BJP - citing Kandhamal Violence. IN Bihar - Lalu and Paswan coming out of the UPA alliances. In Andhra - Grand Alliance of TDP, Communists, TRS joining hands to defeat COngress. Praja Rajyam of Chiranjeevi - will do better than Vijayakanth in Tamil Nadu.

First List of VVIPs to be followed:

1) Supriya Sule - Daughter of Sharad Pawar (baramati)
2) M.K. Azhagiri - Son of MK Karunanidhi (Madurai)
3) Vaiko - Virdhunagar
4) YSR's Son in AP
5) Priya Dutt in Mumbai
6) Captain Gopinath (of Deccan Air) in Bangalore as an Independent

Lot more to come.... Please Vote...

Cricket: A series win in New zealand after 41 Years. Great achievement by this Indian Team. MSD with Midas Touch has done it again. This indian team is garnering great heights - heights which no other indian team has ever done. Hats off to Gambhir, who has come a long way. Sachin - still enthusiastic, still enjoying the cricket, still enjoying like a new comer. Dravid, Sehwag, VVS - all contributing in their own way.Zaks and Bhajji - did a great job.

IPL - II - Now in South Africa. So, no issues in Cheer Leaders. We can enjoy some good 'GRAZING'. Enjoy the slam bang variety of Cricket.

March 2009 - St. Patricks Day

2009-03-18T03:32:00.000-07:00

Politics General Elections to the Lok Sabha announced in India, dubbed as a 'Mother of all Democracies' - Largest democracy in the world. Drama, Action, all started. TV (Live & Recorded) even in recession times are going to have a gala of time. Drama - already started. Congress not having a good time in Bihar - lalu giving only 3 seats. In UP - not a good sign with negotiations with SP not going smoothly. Mayawati going alone. Third Front this time has started well,with Left leading them and giving directions. I think we should give them a start, eventhough it is being led by Left but overall their strategy is good and now they are in a better position than the Congress led UPA and BJP led NDA. The third front is led by the regional satraps who all have their own individual agenda. In Tamilnadu - the politics is led by MK and JJ. Now , the alliances are getting firmed up. DMDK - is being wooed by congress to the DMK led front - i think this is the best chance for Vijayakanth to garner some seats. But if he goes alone then ADMK chances will become slim. As all the previous By-elections gave the picture - DMDK is eating into the vote share of ADMK. (As CHO tells, Vijayakanth is a DUMMY unleashed by MK to eat the votes of ADMK)This is an interesting election and already there is a greater awareness because of the campaign by lots of people, NGO's, media about the right of the people to vote. Also, this election there is a new thing that has come up - 49 'O' - a voter can press this button in the EVM stating that a voter doesn't like any candidates. Let's hope the best party wins (ADMK in TN and indirectly supporting third front in the centre, but not Mayawati as PM , let the LEFT lead a government)

SPORTS: Cricket - what a game SEHWAG is playing, thrashing the bowlers as if he is playing GULLY cricket. Now, without any doubt he is the most destructive player in the game of cricket in today's times. Sachin - the ageless wonder and genius ,once again notched up a century , what a game he played. Alas, the abdomen/stomach injury doesn't affected him he could have notched a double century. Now, the test match is on the way. India made a great start. Jesse Ryder - another left hander shining against india. In Women's cricket India had a good chance of reaching the finals but messed up. But had a great win against Australia.
Football: EPL is heating up, Liverpool beaten ManU 4-1 , after 17 years thrashing in the old trafford ground. But they have a game in hand when compared to the two other contenders Chelsea and Liverpool. But still ManU is in great shape to fulfill the 5 Trophy winners.

PERSONAL: Planning a trip to chennai by first week of April. Let's hope it materialises. Sai Shruthi is becoming very naughty it seems that's her sister is telling. Getting bit bored - it is high time to see her. Planning to get a Nikon camera - so atleast the moments can be captured and posted back to me. Got a mobile E66 - china fake make of NOKIA. Working well till now.

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

February 2009 - Indian 'OSCARS'

2009-02-28T05:51:00.000-08:00

Prelude: After a long time more than a month, updating my Blog. Lots of things as usual, happened around us. Obama Taken oath as President of USA. Slundog Millionaire bagging the awards in the Film Circuit - Golden Globe, Bafta, Oscar Nomination etc., India continuing its winning ways, Next schedule of IPL with KP, Freddie bagging the Million Dollar Rights, the financial scam hitting Cricket also with Sony coming out of TV rights and stanford bank enquiry by US Exchange commission.

OSCARS '09: What a night it was in LA!!!!!!! It was Bollywood all the way. Slumdog Millionaire bagging '8' Oscars with our own A.R. Rahman bagging '2' and Resul Pookkutty '1' for Sound Mixing. A day before 'OSCAR' night nobody knows who is 'RESUL POOKKUTTY' now 'Kerala' claiming as its own. Anyway, ARR taken the HOLLYWOOD by storm. Everybody talking about ARR. Three cheers to him and Hats off to him. What a Movie it was!!!!!! and ARR had done an excellent job - reall he deserves it. Moreover, what a speech he gave.. Man, he never ceases to amaze. Humility personified.

Sports: Another series has started. And as usual India is showing that they are poor starters to an Overseas tour. Lost the first 2 twenty twenty matches to Kiwis. Now, the real test for MSD has come, how he is rejuvenating the Indian team from the loss is to be seen. Another absorbing series is going on in South Africa with Aussies , if Aussies loses then the Test mantle No.1 goes to Proteas.. Real test of character for Proteas and Real Test of character which Aussies have never experienced.. It is a series to be watched, analysed and enjoyed. England Vs West Indies - Lots of Drama , england losing the 2nd test match by a huge margin, 3rd test match abandoned within 10 minutes of the start of Play, with the reason being poor ground conditions... What is ICC going to do? Football: with ManU having a great time - winning all matches in all competitions going for '5' trophies, worth following their matches... Chelsea - another manager change , GUUS Hidding now in charge.. Tennis : What a win for Nadal, Now life is being on a harsh note for Federer. How he is coming out is worth a wait and watch!!!!!!!

Official: Lots of things are happening. Good opportunities. Let's see what is in store? Putting all our efforts - more than double our efforts!!!!!!Dubai is struggling to cope up with the problems. Abu Dhabi is sailing in Smooth waters atleast now.

2009 - Beginning - Question Mark over Lives (Economy)

2009-01-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

January 2009 - What a start for the Year 2009. Israel Bombing Gaza Strip. Killing Innocent Men, Women and Children - Killings in the Name of destroying Hamas. Will it happen? No value for Life. Small children who doesn't know even to spell their name are dying just because they are in "GAZA" with Hamas around. WORLD (USA,Russia, EU everybody is watching)Why, even Arab World is watching. Israel is continuing the Bombardment - death toll is rising. Infrastructure - Buildings (homes) , roads everything is getting destroyed. A sewage lake - stretching to metres have been formed - if the wall is broken then it will flood the streets of GAZA. There is no medicines , foods - whom to blame Israel or Hamas. Israel has their own values and arguments. Palestines have their own. IT is like david vs goliath. Strength vs Meek. Is it for Israel Elections - which is to happen on February. For the sake of Power - Killing innocent people. Is there a solution? Yes - both sides has to offer more. First of all, Arab world has to accept that Israel is a State - recognise Israel. history may not say Israel exists - but now it is . Arab World has to recognise Israel. Share the Jerusalem as capital for both palestine and israel. Contentious issue is the Illegal Construction in west bank and the boundary walls. But all the arab world should sit and find out a solution. help the palestine live a normal life. Why Arab World should look out for Obama - first of all he is US President. He will not deviate from the known policies of USA. It is for the Arab World to find out the solution.

Satyam: What a downfall!!!!!!!! It is more than a Tsunami. Darling of the media, IT industry - ramalinga raju - confessing that Rs. 7032 crores is just a number... For a whole year he made us feel like dumb of fools. Yes we are fools, sitting ducks. It is not the end - it is just the beginning. What happened to the money? whatever he is saying it is not true. Now people are believing he might have Siphoned off the money. Else why should be surrender to the police when his lawyer is having a meeting with SEBI and SEBI told his lawyer that next day raju should come over for investigation. Later that night raju surrendered to the police. Police arrested him and now he is in judicial remand. Nobody excepts police can interrogate. Raju is hand-in-glove with CM reddy, reddy is doing all he can to help , bail out Raju. His two other companies - Maytas property and Maytas Infra have got projects worth 1.3 Billion USD in Andhra Pradesh. AP metro is being constructed by Maytas. 239 acres of prime government land is with Maytas hand. Now, 53,000 peoples lives are in question!!!!!!!!!

Cricket: What a fall for mighty, cocky aussies!!!!!! Cricket world is very happy. First India shown the way, now South Africa has understood how to defeat the aussies. It is good for the game of cricket.
Ranji Tropy final - 2008-2009 is to be played between Mumbai and UP in Hyderabad. Al eyes are in 'GOD'- who is going to play his second final - last final he scored hundred and Mumbai won the final . GOD stands between Winning and Losing for Mumbai and UP respectively.

A. R. Rahman: Mozart of Chennai, scooping the awards for his music to Slumdog Millionaire. Today is the day for Mother of all Awards - it is next to Oscars - Golden Globe Awards - Today they will annouce A R Rahman as the winner for the Original Score - Slumdog Millonaire. One more album is released - Connections but it is only in Nokia Express Music Mobiles... Now a new film Dilli 6 Music is to be released. Another treat of Music to rahmaniacs.

Going to chennai - for a week or so!!!!!!!!!!

Happy PONGAL!!!!!!!!! Pongalo-o-Pongal!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

English Translation of the Article published in Kalki dated 21/12/2008 - about Kadayanallur S. Venkataraman

One who crossed the ‘ Ocean of Music’

Dear Friend,

I enjoyed listening to the Annamacharya cassettes of M. S. Subbulakshmi. In Particular a song in raga chenchuratti titled ‘Ra Ra Chinnanna’ made me blissed. I am sending a cheque for Rs.500/- for the beautiful way you have tuned. If I had the resource I would have added two or three Zeroes and written the cheque. But how to determine your ‘composing’ ability and knowledge!!!!!!!!!!!!

The letter was written by music world’s popular Vidwan Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and the one who received is Kadayanallur S Venkataraman. The meaning of the letter may not be a word-to-word but the content of the letter is the same.

If it was somebody else, they would have framed the cheque and the letter and hanged it in the house. But Kadayanallur Venkataraman was in need of money all the time so the cheque became ‘Money’ and due to his modesty the letter has gone to his table drawer.

Cinema going people all knows the details in composing tunes for lyrics already written or for the lyrics written, to compose tunes. Later is a difficult proposition to the Former. If a tune is good for hearing, it is easy to put the words based on the Screenplay. Even if the lyric is ‘OK’ because of the tune the song would be a success. ( People like Kannadasan are a rarity for this). But, composing a tune and making it a HIT for the already written Lyrics is a tough proposition. That too, for the Carnatic music songs where the tune has to blend and has to bring out the soul – composing is very difficult. But Kadayanallur Venkataraman has done that and also brought immense success in this endeavour and he is one of the best in few people who have done the same.

We are talking about Annamacharya Kirtanas but for lots of songs there are no Raaga-thala notes even if it is available we didn’t get that. Once Tirupati Devasthanam decided that they have to make famous the songs of Annamacharya they approached MS Subbulakshmi and Sadasivam couple and sadasivam accepted their request. Sadasivam selected and entrusted the job of composing tunes and music for the annamacharya kirtanas to Kadayanallur S Venkataraman. Not only for the name venkataraman, but also had the belief that venkataraman will do the job to the utmost satisfaction. That belief did not go waste – the proof for that is the letter of appreciation from Vidwan Nedunuri Krishnamurthy and also the bliss attained by the scores of rasikas who happen to hear the songs sung my M.S.

One day, for Annamacharya’s ‘Bhavayami Gopala Balam’ song, venkataraman was trying to set the raga. Even after trying it out in many ragas the level of satisfaction was not attanined. Raaga, Thaalam, and the soul for the lyric has to be matchned isn’t it? If one is there the other one is missing – something is blocking – Kadayanallur became tired and sad. “ I will go and come back tomorrow” – off he went through the steps without waiting for MSS reply.

In those days, Kalki Office Gardens was Mammoth. From the Office doors to the Outside gate there would be lots of flowers in full blossom. Lush greenery grass will make your eyes cool. He was walking seeing these things and his mind has become thin and he got a bright tune formed in his mind. He stepped out of the gate but he did a ‘About Turn’ like a Army man , came back and went through the steps and reached MSS House and said ‘Please see whether this is good” and in Yaman Kalyan he sang the song.

The moment MSS Heard the song her eyes became moist. At that minute itself she know that ‘ This song will be a huge success’ . That’s what all the rasikas also felt and whenever they came to listen the cutchery of MSS they would pray that MSS should sang ‘Bhavami Gopala Balam’ today.

Once he composes music and his work is completed is never the case for Kadayanallur Venkataraman. Always he will be doing some tidbits extra work and make the final product in good shape. In Revathi Raaga ‘Na Naatti Badugu Natakamu’ song , all the MSS rasikas will remember it. When the recording of the song was going on and after finishing one take kadayanallur came near MS and said “After the first stepis over and before starting once again ‘Na Naatti’ just go ‘UP’ like this “ he sang and showed it to MS. Is it not enough show a bit to MSS? That moment itself MSS went to high Pitch and like a lightning spilled the ‘SANGATHIS’ and once again came back to the low pitch and continued the song, that part has become a Diamond in the Gold Necklace and shone brightly. In Second Take ‘ it became ‘OK’. In Curcheries that part would bring the rasikas sound ‘HAaaa’…

Once In Purttaparthi when MSS and Sadasivam went there, they introduced Kadayanallur S venkataraman to Sai Baba as he is the one who ‘Composed and Set the tune for Annamacharya songs’. Bhagawan , touched Kadayanallur S Venkataraman’s throat and expressed ‘ Always keep on serving MS AMMA”. That advice Kadayanallur Venkataraman carried on till he breathed his last breath.

Nobody need to think how Kadayanallur Venkataraman got this wealth of Knowledge in Music. ‘Semmangudi’s Disciple’ is enough!!!!!!!!!!! Kadayanallur has by Sitting with the Guru in the same stage and sang for many kutcheries as a supporting singer. Also has done Solo Kutcheries also.

In one instance an idea was mooted that tapes should be released wherein Semmangudi and MSS have jointly sung some songs. Under the insistence of ‘Enfield Sundaram iyer’ , both MS and Semmangudi have sung some songs in his house. This was done with only the Harmonium as the accompanist. When this gem was released in Tape and CD, everybody felt that if it accompanied with Violin and Mridangam then it would be really a GEM. Violin Sriram Kumar and Mridangam KV Prasad put on the headphones and by hearing the songs they played their instruments. Kutchery form has been achieved and was heard like that once it was attached to the sound track. When this ‘Master Tape’ was heard by Kadayanallur, he remarked that ‘AMMA and also Semmangudi has never sung a kutchery in the stage without a tampura’. Then only everybody realized and woke up from this reality. Kadayanallur expressed that he will ‘Put the Tampura’ and for two hours he put the tempura till the double cassette ran till the end and then he inserted the sound track into the tape and brought the tape into its full life. This he didn’t do as a small thing but with his full heart and dedicated the work to Semmangudi and MSS.

GOD who has given so much to kadayanallur Venkataraman also has given some negatives also. He got only an average job in All India Radio. But the works he carried out there is multifold. He was a Music Director, Sound Recordist and also he was very good in Editing also. For all the top artistes who will come and do the recording in All India Radio will feel the strength in themselves when they found out that Kadayanallur is there for the recording. But he got only the post of ‘Tampura Artist’.

GOD who has poured the music knowledge to him doesn’t granted him a great voice. Due to this he didn’t get many kutchery chances. One son, suffered from Polio and has three daughters whom he has to get them married. But, all this is known only to people who are really close to him. At the outside, he behaved to everybody as if there is no problem in his life.

Might be because of this outwardiness, he got the great chance and responsibility of composing and set the tune for ‘Kurai Onrum Illai’.

When this song was published for the first time in Kalki, it contained both the names of Rajaji and M.P. Somu. They had both consulted and took many days to conceive this song. One day that song will be set to music and will be sung by MS and will attain this height of greatness nobody even thought of. Even Sadasivam might not have realized or expected this when he asked Kadayanallur to set music for this song. But, god in the abode of Seven Hills has other ideas!!!!!!!!!!!

In that song, which has rare advices (thathuvams) put in simple words, kadayanallur venkataraman set the music and tune in the Raaga ‘Ragamalika’. MS took the essence of the song in her heart and soul and in full devotion and bhakthi sang it, all the rasikas all over the world felt the Bliss.. Even now the rasikas are enjoying the song.

From children to Big Vidwans everybody is singing the song. Flute singers, Nadaswaram artists, even saxophone players are playing and enjoying it. Wheter it is Marriage, or Function, or Anniversary functions wherever we go ‘Kurai Onrum Illai’ is being played.

This song will be played for ever…… This song will make us remember MSS, Rajaji and along with them Kadayanallur S Venkataraman will also be remembered!!!!!!!!!!’Kurai Onrum Illai’…..

End 2008 Welcome 2009

2008-12-24T23:08:00.001-08:00

Finale December 2008: End of a topsy turvy year - 2008. Ended with (Hopefully) tragic attack on India Mumbai by Terrorists. Now the same place are back in Life - Taj End, Trident and Oberoi.. Symbols of Indian Financial and Economic Might. Great answer given by the People of Jammu and Kashmir the way they came out in very good numbers to vote for 'DEMOCRACY' against the call of boycott from the separatists. To see The Government machinery in Delhi is going to discuss the Problem of Jammu and Kashmir with the elected representatives not with the separatists - which mistake they made last time. Hats off to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Yesterday's final sequence of Elections - Phase 7 of the J&K election - in Srinagar - Urban Scale of Separatist Movement - had the percentage of votes that is way way ahead of the last time. Politics of Rhetoric is coming from Pakistan. Trying to cover up the mess they have now in the International stage. It is upto or a test case for Indian diplomacy how they are going keep this issue lingering in the minds of the Foreign Governments so that they all combined put pressure to PAK government, so that they tackle the Terrorists infrastructure.

Sports: A great year for Indian Sports as a whole. Cricket - Good cricket throughout the year., IPL, India Vs Australia, AUS vs SA, IND Vs England, INDVsSL...Ended on a high note with india beating australia at home 2-0, SA drubbing Aussies in the first test at perth - chasing 418 to win with 6 wickets to spare. More than huge win for proteas huge loss for australia. Golf - Jeev Singh winning the Asian Order of the Merit for the second time and the first indian to win 1Million USD in prize money in a year. In Olympics Bindra making india proud, Boxers doing an excellent job...

Entertainment: Mozart from chennai having an excellent year - JA, JTYJN, ADA, YuvvraaJ, Ghajini with connections for Nokia capping a great musical year for Rahminiacs. Economic meltdown hitting the industry with Marmayogi shelved and endhiran changing hands from Eros (Ayngaran International) to Sun Pictures.

Economy: The tsunami of economy hitting America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. Not even spared the OIL economy of Gulf with Dubai the worst sufferers. It is like saying More Greed More Poison... Only the conservatism of Abu Dhabi investments spared. Dubai with more project which in hindsight now showing not necessary - Emaar , Nakheel , Emirates are in doldrums all are the pet companies of the Dubai Ruler Sheikh Maktoum.

Wish You all a Very HAPPY CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR - 2009

December - SAD & ANGER 2008

2008-12-06T09:33:00.000-08:00

Mumbai (Taj/Trident/Oberoi/Nariman House/CST/Leopold Cafe/Metro Cinema)
Terrorists had a field day on November 28th 2008. Came by Boat, went in Taxi to places mentioned, sprayed bullets and just had 'KILLING' day. India Watched in Horror. Our Brave Police fought them in Pitched Battle, can you believe with .303 rifles (Pre-Independence Rifles so to say) when you compare the Kalashnikovs, AK-47 which the terrorists were having and also without Bullet Proof Jackets. Brave Officers and very good officers got killed. India watched in silence and in horror. 3 days (60 hours) terrorists held India Ransom. Innocent Men and Women - without nationalities, caste, religion were killed. What a planned operation - now in India Terrorism is not about against Hindus, not about Kashmir - it is about 'GLOBAL' terrorism that is done against Americans, Israelis, Europeans (british in particular). Nariman House - even Mumbaites are not aware of that - where the Jews mostly backpackers come and stay - terrorists systematically occupied the building and killed the Jews there. Now, India is in GLOBAL Terrorist map - Al Qaeda , LeT, ISI, JeM, Huji - everybody combined and did what they wanted successfully. Our NSG commandos fought bravely and mostly the INDIA should congratulate the brave Staff of TATA and OBEROI - who put their own lifes in risk and saved all the guests. Hats off to Them. Our Great Politicians - did what they do - exposed themselves.
Dy CM R R Patil - In a big city like Mumbai one or two things like that will happen, No Need to take it Seriously. Terrorists wants to kill 5000 people , they killed only 200.. Ex CM - vilasrao deshmukh - did a 'Terror Tourism' went to TAJ with his son and a Director - Ram Gopal Verma - no sensitivity. It is a Shame that these people are governing us. Kerala CM - telling that DOG will not visit Unnikrishnan's house, if it were not a NSG Commando - what happened to us?
Is there a solution to this menace, yes, if our politicians raise above themselves, raise and think about our Country INDIA. Waiting for Pakistan to do - will not happen - because ISI is not with Army , it is not with Government - it is an independent organisation. The solution is - it should be a combined one - with Israel, US, British, UN, Russia everybody should unite and kill the menace in Pakistan. India should organise that, whole world is waiting for an opportunity , INDIA should take this opportunity and raid the Camps and kill them. It should be a UNITED Attack. Will India raise to the Occasion - i doubt. Because there is no leader worth a salt to do that.
Finally, Hats off to NSG Commando, Our Police, Army, Staffs of Taj, Oberoi and Trident, Fire Service Personnel and MUMBAIites who are putting up this Horror. Media - they did their job. Nothing to add more than this.
A.R. Rahman - Ghajini Audio released. Great Music as usual from Mozart of Chennai.
Personal: Enjoying a short stint in Chennai. Enjoying with Two Lovely dolls - Smriti and Roshini. Having a whale of Time.
Official: Tough times are ahead. With Economic slowdown but one thing is being in AUH/DUB - better place to be than in US/Europe. At the same opportunity to talk about solution which will give immense benefit , cost control, cost saving. Every tough period or time is an opportunity to Shine.
See you soon!!!!!!!!!

3rd November 2008

2008-11-05T03:32:00.001-08:00

Musaffah: Writing my first blog from the 'BED SPACE' in Musaffah. Enjoying Full the 'BACHELOR' life, sharing a room with '4' guys – all colleagues, working in the same office. There are 3 rooms – we are staying in supposed to be a HALL, 3 guys are in another room (one more colleague is sharing the room with other 2 people) and 2 guys are there in 3^rd room. All are very good – from the first day everybody has become friends. What a great food – I am having. Our Chief Chef Nitin S Pandit – is really a great chef – what a HAND he is having? Hats off to him – really a great time having in the kitchen. Vidya has advised me that – I have to reduce my BMI –well I am trying to do the same, but the food is the Killer. Anyway, doing a good 'Johny Walker' pun unintended, every evening, once again thanks to Nitin – who is also my walking partner. He is from GOA. Nice chap indeed. Hopefully, there is a place to stay in GOA, if at all a chance to visit the 'LOVELY' beaches. Ronald, another good friend in the flat – Tamilian. It has been destined that we have to come and settle in this place – after being 'THROWN' out from the CITY of Abu Dhabi – really we need to shift to a place within 24hours – that is the situation we had been put into. But, it is a great thing, that we had left the city. Literally we need to thank Mr. Biju, our office transport man – who was able to get us this place.

Cricket: What a month we had 'OCTOBER' with 'GOD' reaching the milestone 12,000 Runs. Hats off to him – who made the cricketing world sit up and notice at the age of 16 , now doing the same at the age of 35 – even after putting 19 years of great service to the NATION. Has the same enthusiasm to the game, as all players past and present – paying tributes to him – mostly his Humility – even after achieving ALL in the game of cricket. Now , another great man has retired 'JUMBO' – who did an untiring service to the Nation. 132 tests and 619 wickets. All cricket lovers should stand up and salute the man. Another 'DADA' to retire at the end of the Nagpur test – a great fighter (to the core) and very very special laxman to play his 100^th test. Hopefully the new GUN in cricket MSD lifts the allan border trophy by defeating the Aussies in the final test at Nagpur.

A.R.Rahman: What a man!!!!!!!! And what a Musical Treat he has given this year JTYJN, ADA, YUVVRAAJ, SAKKARAKATTI, – all are super hits and now another hit is on the way – GHAJINI. All are different genres of music. And in Yuvvraaj – he has taken the music to another level – fusion of Western Classical with Indian Classical. What a melody he has given. We should be proud that we are able to listen and enjoy ARR music. Not only to true rahmaniacs but to all the connoisseurs of music. Really a genius that too a Humble Genius.

Politics: A great tamasha of politics is happening in Tamilnadu. DMK government threatening that all the DMK MPS will resign and he even got everybody to submit the resignation papers to him. What for? – for srilanka tamils it seems. When every tom dick and harry knows that Indian Government led by Manmohan Singh cannot halt the WAR srilanka has started against LTTE. Now, in the guise of Srilanka Tamils, everybody in tamilnadu want the war to stop so that LTTE can escape – as the srilankan army is within KMs of Killinochi – the capital of LTTE. The Joke is the film world in Tamilnadu is also in the agitation. Only Cho and Jayalalitha in Tamilnadu are dead against the LTTE and they are OPEN in opposing LTTE.

Another tamasha is happening in Maharashtra. Raj Thackeray – playing divisive politics with NCP and Congress tacitly supporting so that MNS led by Raj can overthrown elderly Bal Thackeray and decimate Shiv Sena in the coming Election. But this tamasha is going too far , Strike and agitation in Mumbai, Firing – killing two people and a North Indian being killed in shootout as he had threatened to kill people in a bus. MNS attacking the north Indians who are writing the railway board exams. And tit for tat - in Bihar agitators torching a railway wagon – stopping trains going to Mumbai. What is happening and as usual the central government is doing nothing. Another Bomb Blast in Guwahathi and shivraj patil – after changing his dress – made a routine visit to Assam and gave a routine statement against terrorism.

And finally, Bond is Coming – Shaken and Stirred Martinis , driving a Austin Martin and making 'LOVE' to gorgeous woman with a license to kill – Quantum of Solace releasing in India and other parts of the world – before releasing in UK and US. Look at the way India is being treated by the WORLD - it is a hot property for BOND films – highest grosser of bond films all over the world.

Back to Forced Bachelorhood in Abudhabi

2008-10-07T00:49:00.000-07:00

Back in Abudhabi: After 4 weeks sojourn in Chennai with Family and Friends back to 'Forced Bachelorhood' in Abudhabi. By God's grace all are fine and keeping good health - 'TouchWood'. Lot's of things are happening around our life - Look around, crisis everywhere. As they say in the Battlefield - Bombs are falling everywhere. Financial Crisis - Wall Street going bankrupt , USA becoming United States of Socialist America - American , Bush Administration, coming to the rescue of the mistakes done by the so called 'Financial Witzkriegs' of the wall street. A socialist bailout plan - ala of 'Nationalisation' of the assests like nationalisation of the Banks done in India. $700b dollar bailout package - buying the 'Toxic' assets - all foreclosed housing mortgages and other credit instruments. Very Very big banks are all going bankkrupt - Liquidity crunch - banks are not able find funds to buy the assets. Assets worth Trillion dollars are going as 'Toxic' wastes. To the extent that - people are clolsing the homes and going, no money to pay back the instalments. You can get a home in (1BHK) in US for $1500. Yesterday i read an email article stating that - China has $2 Trillion dollars worth of US Treasury Bonds as Foreign Reserves - if they wants to offload all of them - There is no money in US to pay back. Imagine the crisis in US. All because of the flawed policies of the Bush Administration. Going to Unnecessary wars, failure in Iraq, Failure in Afghanistan - even now talking 'TOUGH' on Iran. Because of the US meltdown - crisis is brewing all over the world, Europe, Asia etc., even India is not spared, Sensex has dipped below 11,000 levels. Market Capitalisation of companies are nosediving. No country can be insulated from this crisis. Now the world has come around: America did through the star wars program , collapsed the USSR and now China holds the upper hand in all these 'US' crisis, and if they decide they can collapse the US. But at the same time China needs US because, lots of trade is happening between US and China. US is dependant on China for goods also, every item that is being used in US is coming from China.

Cricket: Now the another cricket fever has been Started in India. Ind Vs Aus - 4 test series and 5 ODI's. It is going to be a cracket of Series. Now, the topic going on the media - both in Print and in Visual Media, regarding the 'FAB FIVE'. Hopefully , 'FAB FIVE' will answer all the questions that have been raised till now. We can review this once the series is over.

Films: Last month was supposed to be the good month for Tamil Films. Sa.Ro.Ja, Poi Solla Porom, Dham Dhoom all had a good run. How a small film with advertisements and 'Controversy created' can make waves - good example is 'Kadhalil Vizhundhen'. Even a film with great music - if without a script can be a disaster - aptly seen is 'Sakkarakatti'.

From Chennai in September 08

2008-09-17T05:51:00.001-07:00

General: After a short stint in AUH, exactly for 28days back in chennai, back in sweet home and back in Office. New Little one is cute and growing up. As elders say, 'Seeing a child smile, all the worries are just gone'; It's true. Elder one is enjoying the company of the Little One, little jealousy is there, that is understandable. Reason to come back after a short stint is due to elder one's quarterly exams and my job is to Baby Sit for both of them. My little help to vidya in whatever way it is possible. Office is getting livelier - as the techies residing in AUH has returned to Chennai. New recruits, New Sounds etc., Mylapore is the same - Opposite TASMAC - same sort of crowds, Roads are the same (like a field), Same Traffic Chaos - Complete Opposite to the sedentiary life in AUH , back to lively life in Chennai. Home Food, Mother, Brother, Sisters, Vidya, Sai Smriti and Sai Roshini, relatives, friends and not to forget 'Calls for Cards, Loans in the Mobile' - the moment i switch on the Mobile after reaching Chennai.
Nuclear Deal - 123 Agreement: Great Diplomacy from India. Had it passed without conditions in NSG (Nuclear Supplier Group) meet in Vienna. Eventhough in the Initial meeting US didn't help us , but this time , in the second meeting - like they say, in the final overs they did and showed their might , how the superpower backroom diplomacy will work. Made all the 'Hawkish' countries like, Austria, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland - all known anti-nuclear stand countries, China - as usual india fall prey to their comments, they tried to delay the agreement, but at the last minute gave Yes to the agreement. The same US diplomacy can work in other sense also - when they want to cancel the agreement, at that time also we have to accept that.
Now when the final sign from Congress is needed on that Agreement - Bush and US is making some statements, answering to Congress - all that is drawing to a conclusion that India will NOT ACCEPT the agreement at all. There are two points which are being downplayed by US, which are very critical to the agreement - one is legal binding to the Fuel Supply, which the agreement is vouching but now Bush Administration is telling that the agreement is not a legal binding one and it is only a Framework Agreement. Two, regarding the fuel reuse - spent fuel reuse, the technology to be supplied by US - this US is stating that they will not do that. If both of the points are not clarified by US to India very quickly , then India need not sign the agreement, even if it signs - the agreement is of no use because if there is no guarantee for fuel supply, what has happened to Tarapur, the same will happen (Tarapur happened after being in operation for 45 Years). All the hue and cry that has happened for the past 3 years - from June 25, 2005 till now has become a waste , because of the Bush Administration.
Delhi Blasts: No Words to express the shock, sorrow - for the innocent lives lost. As usual Police, Intelligence and important politicians - all played their part. Police - investigation after the bomb blasts, Intelligence - as usual no information and Politicians - Shivraj Patil, PM, President, Sonia - all expressed their condolences, shock, disbelief, Opposition - Shouted at the government, wanted Shivraj patils resignation. But the truth is - India has to live with this Bomb Blasts, it will be there today, tomorrow and for the future also. I think we have started taking as part of our routine. Because previously whenever a bomb blast has happened , the shock will be there for days, after a decade of violence -the shock has been reduced to hours, now it has been reduced to minutes. Most tragic part is - this could have been avoided. Pravin Swami from The Hindu has profiled the Mastermind behind the blast one Tauqeeb alias Qasim - not a normal Muslim guy (previous terrorists are profiled as one who has come from a Lower strata of society, no education etc., or sufferers or victims from the Babri Masjid violence. or from Godhra) , his is a MIG family background, all his family members had good education, he worked in Wipro and datamatics. So, now local cells also being engaged - so tracking or tracing is getting more complicated. The point is - he could have been arrested about a month ago in Azamgarh, UP authorities didn't give permission, because they feared communal clashes, as he is a prominent community leader in that area. Before that, from the same place they arrested three people, who had a role in the Jaipur and Ahmedabad blasts, that time there was a clash with the police. So, UP authorities feared violence and didn't give permission. After that delhi happened. Could it have been averted? Who is to be blamed Politicians, Intelligence or Police...... But whatever has happened, no state government has devised a plan where they have given funds to the Police, Revamped the Intelligence Organisation, whatever needed to control the terrorists and violence nothing? TN govt annouced 1Re a KG rice - 400 Crores extra expenditure from the State Government. Centre is sleeping, Shivraj patil on the bomb blast day - changed dress 3 times - before he came and annouced a statement in the TV. We have to live with this. Did any terrorists attacked or any sort of incident happened in US - after the 2001 inciden. No? They revamped the internal security and formed a HomeLand security department and they can tap any phones, maill whenever they wanted. In London - they have arrested the people who are behind the Bus and train bombing .. Here nothing of that sort has happened and Afzal Guru hanging is still pending.

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

For the Month of August 2008

2008-08-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

Olympics: Oh!!!! Great Opening Ceremony. Very good Pyrotechnics, Fireworks display was very excellent eventhough some where stage managed, in the sense, for the television viewers, old fireworks display which was tested at the time of rehersals were shown. When we talk of China, it will not be without controversies!!!!!!! Like they told that nearly 58 ethnic groups of china were represented - but in reality ethnic minorities like Tibets and other were not represented by the ethnic people!!!!!!!!! But it was a great show put up by the chinese, they didn't left any stone unturned to make sure that this was one of the great olympics opening ceremony and wanted to show to the world that they have arrived onto the big stage. Because of communist regime and human rights violations, china was loathed upon by the so called western democratic countries and that too with the problem in the Tibet Region and all the confusions surrounding the Torch Lit run for the olympics. Hats off to Chinese for pulling out a real good show. In every Olympics opening ceremony - that too in recent memories.. Every time every country want to upstage the previous country in lighting the olympic torch in the Opening Ceremony - China did it in a very novel way.

What an Olympics for Phelphs!!!!!!!! Eight Golds in single olympics. Truly a Great Olympian. A versatile olympian who did the country USA proud and also to the olympic movement itself. With his torso built for the swimming - nearly reaching 17/18 inches at full arm stretch - a great physical beauty. A great achievement by Phelps is all the Medals are won in Record time - 7 in WR and 1 in OR. Winning the gold in 100M breast stroke by one hundredth of a second - just because of his reach and lunge he touched the touch pad. Another greatness is - the amount of strokes he does which is very much lesser than a normal swimmerand the amount of time he covers underwater - after he dives into the pool. All that has not come easily - he spends nearly 7-8 hours training and does 17 kms running and swimming daily. He does training on all days even on christmas day. His head works like a computer - if he says he wants to do a race in this time - he does it. All in all in early childhood he has been told that he is having an attention deficiency syndrome - so hyperactive that teachers told his mother that he is 'useless'. His present coach put him in water - now the whole world is amazed at this achievement.

Usain Bolt: Thunder Bolt in 100 M and 200 M - Both winning in World Record. USofA is nowhere to seen in this races. In Olympics, 100M is widely watched event, and always America used to hog the limelight. This time a small country has overshown every other country. REALLY AN ASTOUNDING RUN.

Basketball: Another event dominated by USofA. Greatly anticipated event in this olympics. Team USA till now has shown the world that last olympics was a non-issue. Great show put by millionaire sportsmen like Kobe, Lebron etc., Great match and great play by the dream team.

Football: Another enigma - Brazil lost to argentina in the semis - but as a saving grace won the bronze. Olympics Football is one of the sports where Brazil has not won the top honours. 5 Time world champions.....

Gymnastics: Another grand show by the Chinese. But controversy looms large with the two of chinese gymnasts are under age - less than the stipulated age of 16. This was revealed by the Chinese Paper. IOC is investigating the Matter.

All in all a grand show of Sports. Chinese are coming out top of the list of gold medal winners. USA is the leader in total medals tally. GB is doing a great show over its arch-rival in sports - Aussies.

India has atlast won a Individual Gold Medal. Abhinav Bindra , a great show. A self-made winner not by the System. He has the money and full family support - his father can afford it. He did the nation and his family very proud. Hats OFF to Abhinav Bindra. At the same not to overlook the effort vijender kumar and sashikumar for winning the bronze medals in Boxing and Wrestiling respectively. Truly an outstanding achievement. Hats off to them also.

Now to the favourite sport of India: Cricket.
India lost the series to Srilanka. Disappointing show by the 'FAB Four'. Question Marks are being asked against them. People are becoming very finicky when coming to sports and have forgotten the Past deeds - we don't need to go a year back or so, just 3 monts ago the same fab four shown how to fight agains Aussies. Now the same fab four is questioned. Yes, they played very badly, it is because of lack of preparation. It is a lesson learnt by them. One day series, started very badly but Dhoni and his team has shown character and class by destroying the lankans in the same way.

Tennis: This olympics blog would not be completed if no word is told regarding Tennis event. IT has been billed as the top class competition equalling Grand Slam Tournament sans the million dollar prize money. Pride was at his wanton peak. Federer Vs Nadal - Ohh what a competition all played in Great Olympic Spirit. In the end won by new super start of Tennis - Rafael Nadal. Federer - FedEx - lost in the quarterfinals. Questions are asked - whether Fedex in Decline. Seems to be so, but he is only 27 !!!!!. But the fear has gone to the opposing players. Now federer as a name doesn't give butterflies to the opponents. He is not feared anymore. He redeemed himself by winning the Bronze Medal.

Politics: J&K is burning. What is Delhi doing it - one thing is sure, it is not putting out the fire. Jammu people under the Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti are playing to the Separatists hands. And Separatists in Kashmir are putting oil to the fire and enjoying their day. Delhi is watching silently. Hurriyat is gaining lost ground and ISI, now with pakistan politics under some trouble , are doing whatever they can so that the situation can remain in this dangerous situation. Who is to blame for this : Amarnath Sangharsh Samiti, or Delhi (for all its negligence - congress has to take much blame), Kashmir Separatists or Pakistan ISI.. Elections - that too two - J&K state elections and National elections are round the corner and all the political parties are playing around that. PDP the main culprit in this drama. NC looking and remaining silent.

End: Now back in Abu Dhabi for next sojourn. Will be here for a month. It is still very hot in this part of the world. Good News, shifted to a new office, much spacier, more grandeur. But Journey to the office is longer - shifted to Musaffah. It is about 30 kms away from the Abu Dhabi Centre. But because of the roads are in great condition - 6 lanes , we are reaching office in 25 minutes. Imagine the same in chennai - ohhhhh it would be a pathetic.

From Chennai - 23rd July 2008

2008-07-23T05:28:00.000-07:00

On Personal Front: Srividya, delivered a baby girl on Wednesday 16th July 2008 around 3.30 PM at Isabelle Hospital.Normal Delivery. We have named her as Sai Roshini, Meaning - 'Light'. Mother and Daughter are fine. Need all my friends, Well-wisher's blessings to the Kid.
Politics: What a 'Drama' - all the blockbuster movie's Screenplay, Climax, Story - nothing will come near this. 3 MP's from MP - whom people had voted with high hopes - showing Wads of Notes - 1000 Rs - shown live - there was a article in one paper saying that nearly million people watched Live the telecast. Shown All over the world - in the highest seat of democracy - inside the parliament - telling that Middlemen or contacts from SP and Congress gave this money - to abstain from voting. An another Sting operation from the TV Channel - CNNIBN - the channel not telecasting the tape, handed over the tape to the Speaker. The sting operation showing the 3 MPs going inside Mr. Amar Singh's house and showing the mobile conversation between the MP and the Ahmed Patel. The channel people placed some hidden cameras in the room of the MP and recorded the footages. The big question is 'whether any truth will come out of this'? Investigation has been announced, but i don't know how the truth will come out? There is no visual footages of MP's talking to Amar Singh and only one sided conversation with Ahmed Pater - -over the telephone. Maybe the footages showing Reoti singh another MP - contacts from Amar Singh meeting the MP's - that would be the only proof. At the end - a creditable victory for UPA. We may witness the best period for the next 3-6 months of Governance by the UPA with left not looking over the shoulder of UPA (Dr. Singh). Uncharacteristically - attack from Dr. Singh over Advani and the Left - speech interrupted by the Members of the Parliament - reply by Dr. Singh for the Confidence Motion. Dr. Singh emerging as a Politician !!!!!!!
As usual Lalu made a good comical speech, Omar did a great job, Rahul surprised by speaking extempore. All in All a rivetting two days of drama.
Cricket: England lost the Second test against South Africa. Proteas deserved the victory - they batted, bowled and fielded excellent. England top order batsmen failed in both the innings. Bowlers tried hard - but destiny - South Africa is the winner. From today onwards IndiaVsSrilankan - series starts. First test, first days play was washed out only about 20 overs were bowled. In this part of the world - this month is rainy season. Everybody is talking about the Mystery bowler - Ajantha Mendis - Carrom ball bowler. It would be good or delight to watch Sachin Vs Mendis showdown.
Tamilnadu: Normally when electricity is not there - we used to tell 'Power Cut' but a new term has been used by the Tamilnadu government, called as 'Power Holiday'. Even Scheduled Power cuts are now referred as 'Power Holiday'.
World: A powerful bomb blast in Afghanistan in front of the Indian Embassy in kabul, killing two diplomats, a security guard and an Afghan working for our embassy and injuring scores of people who have come to get visa to go to india for treatment. Intel is pointing towards 'Elements' in pakistan. It is a war between India and pakistan - being fought in the turf of Afghanistan. India is doing a very good job in afghanistan - which pakistan is not in favour of. Pakistan doesn't want india to get closer to the Afghan establishment. India is concentrating on infrastructure facilities and projects, building Afghanistan - like Road Construction, Hospitals, School buildings, telecom infrastructurals etc..,

Back in Abudhabi - 09/07/08

2008-07-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

Musings: Lots of things have happened and happening in all parts of Life: Personal, Official, Politics, Cricket, Films and in General. A hectic course of things, fast paced. If we look at one thing, then there is another thing that has happened and we are forced to look at the other thing. "Motion on Wheels"..
Personal: Keeping fingers crossed as at any time expecting a second 'Flower' to bloom. Waiting for the second child - as the 'D' date is approaching. Both myself and Sri Vidya (Naturally) and others are waiting anxiously to see - who is going to 'Come' to see the world...
Official: Got the User Sign-off on a project, which has gone into every cycle for a whole year. Which earlier 'Great' people has termed 'Not Possible' to get a sign-off, the present team with me as the lead - has done it. Hats-off to 'Giruba' for accomplishing. Work is not over - still a lot of work to be done. New member has joined. Good thing lots of work is coming up. New Proposals, New Customers, Meetings.. hopefully few will materialise. Lots of scope for New Projects. A great 'deal' of work is expected in next few months.
Cricket: India 'Young Guns' succumbed to 'Final' pressure - two finals consecutively' One to Pakistan and another to Sri Lanka. India's bowling resources has been 'put to shreds' by the batsmen friendly pitches. No bowler to put india on top in the docile pitches in sub continent. Yousuf pathan - exposed to the '50' overs limited cricket along with his brother 'Irfan pathan' - with no pace and no real swing - easy meat in sub-continent pitches - Shredded to pieces.. Ishant bowled well in the final - IN patches bowled well. Consistency has gone. Our bowlers are seems like good in Foreign conditions, not able to show the variety in the Sub-Continent Pitches.
Batsmen did their assigned job well, great consistency shown by Gambhir. Viru back to form. But final lost is lost - nobody remembers the 'Runner-up' only winners are remembered. India has exposed that 'young guns' don't know how to play real spinners and real 'pacers' even in Sub-Continent pitches. Ajantha Mendis - new name on the Block.. really tormented the indians in the finals. Test team for Srilanka Series - announced. Seniors have come back. MSD is taking rest. Great deal of cricket has been played by MSD, a good move. Atlast indian board is maturing.
Politics: A good news. Left has withdrawn support for the Congress led UPA government. Atlast, congress has shown the 'Bravado'.. Now atleast we can expect some good governance for one year - till the elections. Left is the stumbling block for anything. It is good that they have withdrawn support.,
Films: Kuselan is getting released. Great deal of expectations. dasavatharam is going good. New film 'Aamir's cousin - JTJY - released and gettting good reviews. Sakkarakatti music is being eagerly awaited - ARR's music - getting released on 11th July 2008.
Sports: Euro 2008. New winner. Spain - worthy winner.

Review on 'DASAVATHARAM'

2008-06-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

Review: Went to Dasavatharam on First Day First Show in Kuwait. Good rush for the movie. At first glance - the movie was OK. It was not a Great Movie - so to say in the first glance. it has all the ingredients of a KSR Movie. Music was not enchanting - really Kamal and KSR missed ARR. In the middle portion of the movie after the Intermission - it was a bit lengthy. I thought nearly 3 characters are not needed: 1) 'Avatar' Singh, 2) 'Dalit' character, 3), Bush.. even khalifullah khan. In a movie those will be characters enacted by different people - here it was kamal. Balram Naidu was very good. Patti character was also good. Why she came till the last scene was only kamal can answer? maybe to have a dialogue like 'ava enna jadhiyo, enaavo' avanai poi thottuttu',perumale'... Lots of Kamal's atheist was on display--like asin telling 'perumal kappathittar ellariyum' after the tsunami helped the vial to be neutralised by 'salt water'. For that kamal will tell - what about the loss of human lives - adhaiyum perumal kappatra vendiyathu thane' but at the same time when Nagesh says - allah namma ellaraiyum kappathittar' . All through the film - they played with the 'utsavar moorthi' perumal - thrown them in the sand etc., they could have used 'Quran' book, Christ's Cross for the same, but the 'Brahmin bashai' fun will not be there....
So for Kamal's efforts we can see it on theatre, for KSR we can see it on theatre, for technical brilliance we can see it on theatre.. Nothing to 'Crow' about...
One review i read it on Sathyam - it was a good piece of writing : Please read it on:
FAQs on Dasavatharam Some guys have claimed they haven't understood chaos theory which plays such an important part in the film. As a physics student, I've decided to explain it a bit so that people can appreciate the brilliance of the film.
What is Chaos? Basically a chaotic system is one wherein long term predictions are impossible. Like for example, if I push a car, I know that it is going to move and it will continue to do so if I go on pushing it on and on. However, in a chaotic system, this situation cannot be predicted over a long period of time. Weather, for example, is a chaotic system. No matter how good your instruments are, you simply cannot predict the weather with 100 per cent accuracy over a long term basis and forecast it.
What is the Butterfly Effect? It is the most important component of a chaotic system. Basically, small perturbations results in amplifications which completely destroys the original nature of the system and makes prediction impossible. If a butterfly flaps its wings in Africa, it could result in a cyclone in USA.(Mark the word COULD.) A highly dumbed down explanation of the butterfly effect is in the film Anniyan, where Vikram's sister dies because a liquor shop owner sells liquor on a dry day.
OK, how does Dasa incorporate it?
In essence, Dasa talks about eight characters who are inconsequential as such, but are integrated in a larger picture. Without Bush, the plane would have been called back. Without Shinghen, Govind would be dead. Without the tsunami, the world would have been destroyed. Even Krishnaveni (the old woman) plays a very important role. If she had not put the vial in the idol, maybe Govind would have recovered it then and there and a powerful weapon would have been unleashed. The very fact that it went into the idol meant that it was being accelerated to its destiny. Without Kaifulllah Khan, Govind would have never escaped... the list simply goes on.
OK, so does the film talk about theism or atheism? Neither. It talks about how humans drive the destiny of the world.
The idol that is drowned in the sea along with Rangarajan in 12th century by Chozha king results in a fault being developed at the bottom of the ocean and creates tremors more than 800 years later. These tremors result in the Tsunami. This again is a classic case of Butterfly Effect wherein a seemingly inconsequential event (the drowning of the idol) saves Tamil Nadu from being wiped off the face of the earth.
Now tell me, does THIS movie lack a story? This movie has the most beautiful story ever attempted in Indian cinema. Unfortunately, Indian viewers and critics are obsessed with the "boy meets girl" and "revenge" themes, so they fail to see the story in this master piece. -- Chaos Theory
Not a masala movie Hats Off! Mr Kamal, this is a splendid effort in brining an out-of-the-box concept and complex story telling style to Indian Cinema.
The initial part of the movie should be watched very carefully, you'd understand that the audience will start experiencing "Chaos Theory" and how Mother Nature involves lives of various people in delaying the delivery of biological WMDs to a social criminal.
Kamal has been highly successful in executing his concept and in-coherency in storyline is a deliberate act to explain "Chaos Theory".
This is a very intelligent movie - not a masala movie. If you want to enjoy an intellectual work, this is the movie to watch.
Not sure if this will create commercial landmarks, but sure to bring in new concepts, new story telling styles, new technologies to Indian Cinema.
KUDOS to the entire team!
Every technician involved in this movie should really feel proud to be associated with Dasavatharam. -- Vinodh Kumar

June 2008 - Blog from KUWAIT

2008-06-10T01:08:00.000-07:00

For the Month of June 2008
Cricket: So, after 44 days of 59 matches - non stop cricket, IPL tamasha got over. Good Cricket, really lot of new faces has come out in the open. Aussies really they have showed us that they are the real professionals. Shaun Marsh, Shane watson, david hussey - all proved their worth. Retired stars - Mcgrath, Shane warne etc.., Shane warne really did his name proud.. made the under-rated team the champions. So at the end , only the talent did proved not the Money - deccan chargers, dare devils, mumbai indians, kings X1, KKR all bite the dust.. Hats off to shane warne and Rajasthan Royals.. lets see Yusuf Pathan, Gony .. all perform in the International cricket.
Politics: Oil Price increase and Food shortages has taken over the World Politics and economy. In India, government has increased the Petrol, Diesel and LPG prices. The common man like you and me has to bear all the price increases. Big hole in the purse. No salary increment, heavy inflation .. Food Budget , Conveyance budger all have doubled , but salary not even a slight increase. Don't know what is in store for future also.. How to manage things. Big question mark.. Today one barrel of oil is 134 USD.. financial strategists are releasing paper that Oil price will increase to 200 USD. So,who wanted the oil price increase, financial strategists or oil producing countries? For what reason oil price is increasing...Normally market definition is More demand more supply price will reduce. Oil - More demand, supply is les, price is increasing. Why? because Oil Producting countries are getting more profit on OIL, so they don't want the production to increase, they are maintaining the same level as 4 years back , demand is getting doubled/tribled but supply is less, Price is increasing.. If america says or israel says, we are going to bomb iran, Oil price will increase by 2 dollars a barrel. If A financial strategist say that by 2009 oil price will be 200 USD per barrel, oil price will increase by 2 USD... it is all Speculation. Oil refineries are enjoying the wealth, oil producting countries are enjoying the wealth, common man is suffering all over the world. Who is to blame? Capitalists or Communists? Politicians or Terrorists? Common man (rich or poor)? Government is saying 8 % inflation, but the price rise of a food is 50% increase? so what is the inflation rate.... In tamilnadu, government requested Hoteliers not to increase the prices and moreover give a 10% discount. All hoteliers accepted, TN government says it is birthday gift from Kalignar. So what did the hotels did - they reduced the quantity, quality - Dosa has become smaller, cup of poriyal, sambhar all become lesser, No second fill of rice .. only limited meals no unlimited meals... No different varieties of vegetables - only cabbage and carrot.. Who is to suffer? Common Man...
Kuwait: Now working in Kuwait for a project - m.h. alshaya... It is very very hot.. Full of dust (Sand storms),it seems it will be there for another 41 days, the whole of summer will be like this only. Staying in a service apartment - nice accommodation.
Cinema: Dasavatharam is getting released on Friday the 13th.. Is it a good omen or bad omen.. Next update will be the complete review of dasavatharam. Booked tickets for the first show.. Let's see how the final product is going to be.
Football: European championship 2008 - started, yesterday's match was very good, netherlands vs italy. Match - portugal match was also good. Lets. see hw ronaldo helps portugal to move further in the championship. acid test for him - very big club player or a big national team player - this tournament will determine.
Tennis: Rafa winning the french open at rolan garros. Humbling the swede express federer. great win. Also hats off to ana ivanovic for winning her maiden grand slam. wimbledon is the next stop.
Golf: Jeev Milkha singh winning the austra open - european golf championship. after a string of top ten and top three finishes, jeev winning a championship. great news for golf in india.

That's IT...

May Month First Week

2008-05-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

This week is going to be a tragic week - Jaipur Bomb Blast, China Quake and Myanmar 'Nargis' ...

Jaipur Blasts: Once again bomb blasts in an Indian city. That too in a city where it is supposed to be a non-blast city under the eyes of the Intelligence Bureaus and Police. As usual after the bomb blasts - intelligence officials and central government officials talk about the 'warnings' issued to all the governments including th Rajasthan Government. Asusual india blaming the 'Neighbouring' countries for this. HUJI - a bangladesh outfit, the same outfit which triggered the blasts in UP, Hyderabad, Bombay ,... Still the UPA government not having any coherent policy towards the 'Security, Terrorists' etc., As usual BJP blaming the UPA government for the Bomb Blasts. The next target could be 'Tamilnadu' - as of now no LET/HUJI/SIMI based outfits has targetted tamilnadu. They have come till Bangalore and they have supporters in Kerala. But till now Tamilnadu is not in their Radar.

China Earthquake: A strong earthquake in central province of China has taken more than 15,000 lives including more than 1000 school children (School got damaged, while the children was asleep, taking rest after taking lunch). Still large amount of people were yet to be removed from the debris.China hasn't asked for the International Aid both in terms of Money/Food or Rescue Effort. Till today they are managing. Being an 'Iron Curtain' city - not much of information is coming from China.

Nargis @Myanmar: The major tragedy for the Military Junta ruled State. More than a million people got affected by the Cyclone. More than 20,000 People dead. Still except India and China - no international country were allowed or accepted the aids / relief material by the Junta. They even conducted a referendum in the country. At te end common people were the sufferers in all the tragedies. Innocent people - young, old, children .... RIP - God save the Humanity

IPL: IPL this week, great matches, Atlast 'God' has entered the field. Great innings from Saurav, Sanath. Good Bowling by Balaji - Hat-trick. Great comeback after two years lay-off due to injury. CSK is having a tough time. Royals are having a 'Royal' time. KKR - is playing well, asusual SRK is having a Gala time in Eden, dancing etc., IPL is hotting up, this competition will go till the wire to identify the four teams for the semifinal line-up. MI are doing great after starting badly. DC and BRC are already in the dumps. Nothing to say against mallya / charu sharma episode.

Personal: A trip to Delhi for attending my nephew's 'Poonal'. Function went off Beautifully. Weather was very hot and humid. Had a good break.

See you Soon..............

The Week That Was - Ended 27/04/08

2008-04-30T04:26:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-14T23:01:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-05T23:26:00.000-07:00

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..

Chepauk Days Out

2008-03-31T02:54:00.000-07:00

Review of First Test at Chepauk: Dull Test - Greatest Innings in Test Cricket from Sehwag - Prince of Najafgarh. Alas, at the end - it didn't bring a result. Pathetic state of our cricket pitches. Not expected like this from Chepauk. Also, it shows our capability and the present state of our Bowlers - fast Bowlers - very good bowlers in bowling friendly conditions - swing and seamy conditions. Forget to bowl at home conditions - dead pitches and No reverse swing. Spinners - Bhajji has forget his bowling - too much of one-day matches - he has lost his loop and bounce. In the same pitch - bhajji of 3 years back - would have troubled the south africans. He is becoming like Saqlain mushtaq. But money, money (IPL..) is luring and he is suffering. And too much cricket is spoiling the momentum and rhythm of our players. Kumble - is becoming old and there is no replacement who can dominate. In another 2 or 3 years down the line - india cannot win test series at home , based on spin tracks. It is better India also start preparing Bouncy Tracks - else it would become like West Indies tracks..
Southafricans really played well , the pitch is such that we could have another 3 days still there could be no result. But Hats-Off to south africans. A small change of ball - till the previous over there is no reverse swing for Dale Steyn, after the change of ball - the ball really reverse swinged. Old tricks of Aussies and South africans, when they know that the ball is not doing anything , trick the umpires and change the ball.
Let's hope the ball has the upper hand in Ahmedabad test..
Sehwag - what an innings!!!!!!Gem of an Innings!!!!!!!! Wherever they bowled only result is Boundary or sixes - excellent batsmanship. But no result that is the pathetic story. Let's see how he carries on the Batting for India. He is becoming like Slats - very good test player but failure in One dayers, but when we closely see - the batting style really suits the One Dayers.. Enigma of cricket, individuals..
Great day in office for Rahul 'wall' India., great worker for India. hats off to him. Now, today NDTV has started an opininon Poll - Is rahul greater than lara or sachin. Good fodder for Arguments.
ICL is chugging along, but the crowd is great and cricket also is OK. But the surprise is the Crowd - hats off to ICL organisers. Need to check whether the Gates are free or Charged..
Now, because of IPL - New Zealand, West Indies cricket boards are in Turmoil. Now ECB is pondering what to do with IPL, English Players want to rake in the Moolah.. Till yesterday 'Dinosaurs of Cricket, Aussies and English are the rulers of the Cricket, now India is dictating the Terms..
Lets, see in Ahmedabad...

Musings - Mylapore, KK Nagar

2008-03-28T02:26:00.000-07:00

Homage to Sujatha: A versatile Writer, Par excellence - no adjectives to define a class writer. Any subject he can write be it - scientific, tamil literature (ilakkiyam), Haiku Kavithaigal, Janranjakam - Ganesh / Vasanth, Dhinam oru Pasuram, Kelvi Padhil & Film Dialogues cum Story etc., So many unknown writers were given sahithya akadmy awards - a deserved writer not given. Not wanted to get into politics of award recognition. But People's choice award is there for Sujatha, who has taken the science to the Common Man, able to explain the nuances of the science like Robots, Nano, Universe Theory etc., to the common man also the EVM... May his soul rest in Peace.
On Politics for last two weeks: As usual the threat to UPA Government has come and gone without a whimper from the Left. It has become a Joke even to the Electronic Media. Now, left has started once again about - third front for elections, in meetings - leaders like Bengal CM - talking that this government is not functioning well - election time mood has set in. Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has gone to USA - to talk to the Bush government and as usual said 'nuclear deal' is on and will take a political consensus on the deal. Rahul Gandhi is on 'Discovery India' tour - Orissa Tribal district to Karnataka - Road show for the Electronic Media. In our Land - Budget sans taxes - i am not getting what is the benefit the 'Common Man' going to get. A news that a minister has lost 20 crores - in hard cash , looted by his own guards (With whom the minister has asked them to deposit the money) - India is a Poor Country and the Politicians are working for the Poor.
Cricket: Cricket carnival has started in India. Match Announced in Chennai and brought rains. Good that it stopped a day before the match starts. Great batting display by South Africa. Excellent Display of Batting, Hitting by Viru - what an innings.. Great start provided by Jaffer and Viru. Greatest innings witnessed in Indian Soil - Virendar Sehwag - those who are watching are 'privileged' people, moreso on Chepauk... As usual 'Wall' - this time it has become a concrete wall... Will continue later in detail...
In West Indies Srilanka has won for the First time - usual contributions from vaas and Murali in bowling department - murali bowling 45 overs in the second innings, bowling almost unchanged from one end...
England winning in New Zealand - supposed to be in a Dead Pitch.. england batted excellent in first innings and bowled beautifully - Ryan Sidebottom enjoying a very good season..
Have a happy reading !!!!!!!!!!

123 Civil Nuclear Agreement

2008-03-22T01:41:00.000-07:00

123 - Numbers that are defining the Political Spectrum in India - Right or Left or Centre. Right (BJP) - Eventhough agreeing or in a way started the Negotiation with the US for the agreement - will have chest thumped, it was in 'Power', now talking of Re-Negotiating the agreement - because of the Vote and 'Media' Politics and of 'Hyde Act'. Left - whatever that is 'America' - left will oppose, whether it is good for the country or not. They are talking of Not supporting the government on the agreement , statement like 'Government on Line' etc., they were talking like this for more than one year, and the government knows they will not withdraw the support. For the 'media' it is news for two days - if we read and see in 'TV' all the Left statement that have come , Press Statements from 'Guardians of Indian Politics and Guardians of Secularism and Gurardians of Left Politics ' Prakash Karat, Yechury, Bardhan etc., Centre is the Congress - Not able to convince both the Public, Media and the Politicians - the advantage of going for the Agreement - The usual 'Cat in the Wall' approach from Congress.

It is upto the Proponents of the Agreements - Scientists and Civil Servants and other friends in the Media to support the Agreement. One point everybody misses is eventhough this agreement in a way makes / confirms India, indirectly a 'Nuclear State', grudgingly by United States - eventhough without signing the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty - signed by nearly 50 Countries headed by known Nuclear Powered or Armed Countries like 'US, Russia, China, France etc.,

The words that come up everytime politicians, scientists, Intellectuals in the media talk on the Agreement is the 'Hyde Act' - a local act enacted by the US, which will debar the country with the sanctions if they tested a Nuclear bomb. The act also stipulates that the Country has to give back the Equipments and other assets and technologies supplied - unilaterally US can enact the Law. India responds by saying that - negotiations needs to be done before US can do anything and People knows international negotiations meaning 'more bureaucratic' and US has to pay the damages that would be caused because of the 'recall'.

Yes, the agreement will greatly beneficial to India in terms of power generation, but at the same time India has to think whether it needs 'nuclear power'. The cost is enormous and the Project will invariably delay - so cost overruns. yes, it will support the US , France and Russian Manufacturers of Nuclear Power equipment companies. safety is not a concern because after the Chernobyl incident 'Safety' is paramount on Nuclear Power sites. Look at Koodankulam - already 2 years running behind the schedule completion.

Scientists talk of the technology - Heavy water Pressuries reactor or Light water Reactor - India is leading in one technology 'Light water reactor' where the used 'nuclear reactors' uranium after a particular process becomes thorium - which is abundance in India can continue to run the reactor, for which the US is not supporting in Final Mile of Critical equipments needed to make india a leading figure in the PROCESS of that technology.

End result should be take all the available Options, Nuclear and at the same look at the Alternate .Energy Sources - Wind, Solar Energy , even the conventional thermal, hyro electric projects.

Mainly, politicians should start thinking of the 'People' rather than the 'Seat'. If any ruling government brings out a scheme, First is the 'Opposition' parties opposing it or in the co-aolition era of politics - use the clout in the Ruling alliances and not giving clearances.

At the end, the Common Man is not interested in the '123 civil nuclear agreement' is not interested in knowing that - ne needs power - which is not available. That is the truth and our great politicians are knowingly ignoring it for 'personal considerations'.

IPL - Indian Premier League

2008-03-19T01:14:00.000-07:00

Oru dharam, Rendu Dharam, Moonru dharam - Final Price for MSD - 6 Crores. Sold for 6 crores. Cricketers selling like 'Cows' - as Gilly felt in a market. Enna oru vidhyasam - in village markets, two people will hold their hands, a piece of cloth will be used to cover and they will arrive at a price for the 'Cow'. Here 'BIG' people, with tie and suits -holds a placard - which is equivalent to 50,000 USD and do the bidding.

Now, the question is will it 'Sell' to the Crowd? In all probability 'yes' it will. Because the people who are all engaged in the owning a Franchisee are 'MARKET' people, who knows how to create a Market, what to sell in the Market and what the users will 'See' in the Market - that is cricket field. From now onwards, it is the owners game not the 'Spectators' Game. Passion as we see in the 'India/Pakistan' rivalry will be missing, but the 'Professional' rivalry will always be there. 'Tendulkar' will not like to lose his wicket to 'Lee' or 'Ishant'. Indians always will love to see 'Cricket' - ICL is a prime example - without any backing - but some good players are ther. Crowds are there and they are enjoying the Game or Tamasha of Cricket.

Now all the Franchisees owners are roping in Cinema starts to be their Brand Ambassadors - Chennai Superstars - Vijay and Nayantara, Bangalore - Has Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone, anyway kolkata has 'BIG Showman' Sharrukh himself, Mohali has Preity Zinta ....

Now be ready to watch '3' Hours of Entertainment, Tamasha, Dance (i don't know how the 'Cultural Saviors of India' are going to view the Dances') not 'CRICKET' .

All in All - Indian are in Great Time - People who are interested in 'CRICKET'. Money for TV etc., Fights in households - wife arguing with Husband for remote ...

With the money it is going to generate - the question is will it improve our Ground Infrastructure ? Will the access to the ground for the 'Handicapped' people will improve? will the 'Toilet' be usable -- i think 'NO' is the answer. But like all Indians - Hope for the Best'

Happy viewing and Happy hitting...