Monday, August 21, 2006
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
REALIZATION – A Short Story
REALIZATION
– A Short Story in first person by Shriram B R (Thats me incase you havent figured it out yet).
4:27 Hrs Today
I woke up with a nauseating feeling. My throat was dry and it felt very sore. I dragged myself to the wash basin and looked in the mirror… “Damn! I look terrible”. I opened the tap and tasted the water. Surprisingly it was sweet. The water has never tasted this sweet in my apartment. Nectar! Nectar, it was like nectar, the drink of the gods. I took a swig and felt relieved.
I staggered out of the bathroom, wiping my eyes and the stark reality hit me like ten ton brick going at 100 kilometers an hour. There she lay in a pool of her own blood. I clutched against the wall. “What had I done? There she was, the love of my life, or was she?”
23:00 Hrs Yesterday
I always held her responsible for my father’s death. I don’t know why but I knew she was responsible. I wanted her to suffer for the pain that I was undergoing. She was a pretty little girl; I loved her more than anything else. We were set to be married soon and all was well.
She began to go out more with her friends. Why did she have to do that I couldn’t understand? My father passed away last month and I was distraught. She was around comforting me. During this period, I wanted her to stay beside me all the time and why not? I was under a terrible loss and it was my right to expect her to be beside me and she had to. That was her duty… to serve me and stay by my side. But things have been getting out of hand off late. She shouts at me all the time and why does she do that? I end up losing my temper and abusing her too and sure as hell, she deserved it…. Things got to a real boiling point today.
I was in a foul mood because she had been out all day and not beside me. She came home at 10 in the night and asked how I was. I asked her to go to hell. Then began the bad argument. I couldn’t stand it. How could she speak to me like this? I deserved all the patience and understanding and here she was yelling at me about me being a sadist, an immature possessive person, one who didn’t let her do what she wanted. But why should she? She should do what I wanted her to!!! What the hell?!!!
Things got out of hand and I hit her….hard. She reeled around and fell with a low thud. I got a strange satisfaction from letting her have it. She deserved it alright and I felt good about giving it to her. Man! All that adrenaline sure felt alright. I looked at her and smiled.
Then I noticed something. A thick reddish liquid flowed from her head staining the marble floor. What have I done? I rush to her and turn her over. Blood runs down her nose and ears. She isn’t breathing any more. All the adrenaline has disappeared and a shocking numbness fills me. I can’t believe I did this. The room begins to spin as I stagger away from her and drift into the unconsciousness that envelops me like a warm blanket on a cold wintry day.
5:30 Hrs Today
Well, whatever she had done, did she deserve this? Of course she deserved something bad, but death. I do not know!!!! I try to figure out what can be done with the body now. Sure a lot of people may have seen her coming into my apartment as usual but if they find out that this has happened! Gosh! What would happen to me and my prestige!
Something has to be done. It will be just like the movies. I will take her body to the cliff and drop it off, or better yet, I will put her in that car of hers and push it off the cliff. Everyone will think it’s an accident and I will be safe. Good Riddance anyways.
And so I cleaned the blood off her face and carried her in my arms. Stealthily I made my way to the parking with and got into her car with her on the passenger side. All was quiet. I started the engine. “Everything is gonna be alright”. We moved out and I started driving steadily towards the cliff.
Dawn was beginning to break and people were out on their morning strolls. As we approached the cliff, my mind became a movie as my life flashed before my eyes. As I approached the cliff, the scenes were getting more frantic. And then suddenly I realized that it had been my fault all this while and not hers. Her frantic pleas and suggestions were only to get me back on track. Realization dawned at 90 kmph near the cliff.
How could I not realize this earlier? How could this happen to me? What have I done?
I thought long and hard while looking at the still beautiful face beside me. “I am sorry” and then after a few moments thought which seemed like eternity, I knew what I had to do. “I know what must be done; I will do this to set everything right.” Determined, I was to do it.
I drove the car into the railing and off the cliff, into the scintillating darkness. “I hope hell would forgive me now” were the words I heard from my mouth as I sat behind the steering wheel of her car.
– A Short Story in first person by Shriram B R (Thats me incase you havent figured it out yet).
4:27 Hrs Today
I woke up with a nauseating feeling. My throat was dry and it felt very sore. I dragged myself to the wash basin and looked in the mirror… “Damn! I look terrible”. I opened the tap and tasted the water. Surprisingly it was sweet. The water has never tasted this sweet in my apartment. Nectar! Nectar, it was like nectar, the drink of the gods. I took a swig and felt relieved.
I staggered out of the bathroom, wiping my eyes and the stark reality hit me like ten ton brick going at 100 kilometers an hour. There she lay in a pool of her own blood. I clutched against the wall. “What had I done? There she was, the love of my life, or was she?”
23:00 Hrs Yesterday
I always held her responsible for my father’s death. I don’t know why but I knew she was responsible. I wanted her to suffer for the pain that I was undergoing. She was a pretty little girl; I loved her more than anything else. We were set to be married soon and all was well.
She began to go out more with her friends. Why did she have to do that I couldn’t understand? My father passed away last month and I was distraught. She was around comforting me. During this period, I wanted her to stay beside me all the time and why not? I was under a terrible loss and it was my right to expect her to be beside me and she had to. That was her duty… to serve me and stay by my side. But things have been getting out of hand off late. She shouts at me all the time and why does she do that? I end up losing my temper and abusing her too and sure as hell, she deserved it…. Things got to a real boiling point today.
I was in a foul mood because she had been out all day and not beside me. She came home at 10 in the night and asked how I was. I asked her to go to hell. Then began the bad argument. I couldn’t stand it. How could she speak to me like this? I deserved all the patience and understanding and here she was yelling at me about me being a sadist, an immature possessive person, one who didn’t let her do what she wanted. But why should she? She should do what I wanted her to!!! What the hell?!!!
Things got out of hand and I hit her….hard. She reeled around and fell with a low thud. I got a strange satisfaction from letting her have it. She deserved it alright and I felt good about giving it to her. Man! All that adrenaline sure felt alright. I looked at her and smiled.
Then I noticed something. A thick reddish liquid flowed from her head staining the marble floor. What have I done? I rush to her and turn her over. Blood runs down her nose and ears. She isn’t breathing any more. All the adrenaline has disappeared and a shocking numbness fills me. I can’t believe I did this. The room begins to spin as I stagger away from her and drift into the unconsciousness that envelops me like a warm blanket on a cold wintry day.
5:30 Hrs Today
Well, whatever she had done, did she deserve this? Of course she deserved something bad, but death. I do not know!!!! I try to figure out what can be done with the body now. Sure a lot of people may have seen her coming into my apartment as usual but if they find out that this has happened! Gosh! What would happen to me and my prestige!
Something has to be done. It will be just like the movies. I will take her body to the cliff and drop it off, or better yet, I will put her in that car of hers and push it off the cliff. Everyone will think it’s an accident and I will be safe. Good Riddance anyways.
And so I cleaned the blood off her face and carried her in my arms. Stealthily I made my way to the parking with and got into her car with her on the passenger side. All was quiet. I started the engine. “Everything is gonna be alright”. We moved out and I started driving steadily towards the cliff.
Dawn was beginning to break and people were out on their morning strolls. As we approached the cliff, my mind became a movie as my life flashed before my eyes. As I approached the cliff, the scenes were getting more frantic. And then suddenly I realized that it had been my fault all this while and not hers. Her frantic pleas and suggestions were only to get me back on track. Realization dawned at 90 kmph near the cliff.
How could I not realize this earlier? How could this happen to me? What have I done?
I thought long and hard while looking at the still beautiful face beside me. “I am sorry” and then after a few moments thought which seemed like eternity, I knew what I had to do. “I know what must be done; I will do this to set everything right.” Determined, I was to do it.
I drove the car into the railing and off the cliff, into the scintillating darkness. “I hope hell would forgive me now” were the words I heard from my mouth as I sat behind the steering wheel of her car.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Restaurant Reviews#2: BOMBAY POST
Today's Restaurant: Bombay Post
Location: Airport Road, Bangalore, India
Style: Indian
The restaurant is located in the heart of Bangalore on Airport Road... You cant help but notice and return the smile of the jolly doorman with the huge moustache who is very courteous.
The restaurant is a themed restaurant... You feel as though you have been transported to the past. One wall is completely painted in Black & White with actors and actresses of Bollywood yesteryears. The fans and lighting are of olden times and give the place the retro look and feel. Chairs are comfortable enough.
The Menu card is like an invite to an opera of yesteryears with opening pages talking about opening nights and opening acts. The Menu does whet your appetite with the variety of dishes available for both veggies and non vegetarians.
Food is lovely, tangy and fills your tastebuds with an assortement of tastes. Food Quantity is good and filling. Desserts are yummy too. Paneer and Extra Spicy dishes are very good.
Service is quite good and people are very hospitable. The whole restaurant exudes a vibrance of old hindi movies which is refreshing and enjoyable.
Avg. Cost for 2: 700/- INR
Rating:
Locale: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Food Quantity: 7.5/10
Vegetarian Variety: 7/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8.5/10
Menu Card: 7.5/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Recall value: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Location: Airport Road, Bangalore, India
Style: Indian
The restaurant is located in the heart of Bangalore on Airport Road... You cant help but notice and return the smile of the jolly doorman with the huge moustache who is very courteous.
The restaurant is a themed restaurant... You feel as though you have been transported to the past. One wall is completely painted in Black & White with actors and actresses of Bollywood yesteryears. The fans and lighting are of olden times and give the place the retro look and feel. Chairs are comfortable enough.
The Menu card is like an invite to an opera of yesteryears with opening pages talking about opening nights and opening acts. The Menu does whet your appetite with the variety of dishes available for both veggies and non vegetarians.
Food is lovely, tangy and fills your tastebuds with an assortement of tastes. Food Quantity is good and filling. Desserts are yummy too. Paneer and Extra Spicy dishes are very good.
Service is quite good and people are very hospitable. The whole restaurant exudes a vibrance of old hindi movies which is refreshing and enjoyable.
Avg. Cost for 2: 700/- INR
Rating:
Locale: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Food Quantity: 7.5/10
Vegetarian Variety: 7/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8.5/10
Menu Card: 7.5/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Recall value: 8.5/10
Overall Rating: 8/10
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Question of the Day# 1!!!
If a tanker carrying fuel runs out of fuel enroute to the delivery area, can it be refueled from the fuel that it is carrying???
Restaurant Reviews#1: SUNNY'S
A Big hey to everyone after a long hiatus...
Starting today i will be reviewing restaurants and eatouts...
Why??? Coz i just felt like!!!Thats all... :)
Major Foodies here i come
Today's Restaurant: Sunny's
Location: Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore, India
Style: Continental/International
The restaurant is located in the heart of Bangalore just off St. Marks Road... The first thing that strikes you when you enter is the fact that the place is well lit with natural and artificial lighting... Floor to ceiling Windows enhace the feel of the place. The seating looks spacious and comfortable and kudos to the guy who managed to arrange so well in a limited area. Chairs are confortable enough.
The Menu card is just a little above normal with a writing is a running Italicized font. Simple and nice. Variety is limited for the complete veggie (including yours truly) though there is abundant choice for the others. The waiters do not write your order down in front of you, but do it aside after you have told them all the items you would like to have. This is something different and refreshing.
Food is tasty, cooked well and less spicy. if you need it to be more spicy, do mention it in advance. Food Quantity is good and filling.
Desserts are yummy and come in a variety of crockery depending on the dessert... People who are bored with round as a shape will find that to be refreshing.
Another interesting thing that i noticed here was that the staff were ready in an instant...
A table had just been vacated by the guests and in 60-90 seconds, three people had gotten around to cleaning it up and preparing it for the next set of people...Complete change... Imagine in less than two minutes. thats awesome service.
Avg. Cost for 2: 1000/- INR (For the uninitiated, thats Indian Rupees)
Rating:
Locale: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Food Quantity: 8/10
Vegetarian Variety: 4/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8/10
Menu Card: 6/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Recall value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Starting today i will be reviewing restaurants and eatouts...
Why??? Coz i just felt like!!!Thats all... :)
Major Foodies here i come
Today's Restaurant: Sunny's
Location: Vittal Mallya Road, Bangalore, India
Style: Continental/International
The restaurant is located in the heart of Bangalore just off St. Marks Road... The first thing that strikes you when you enter is the fact that the place is well lit with natural and artificial lighting... Floor to ceiling Windows enhace the feel of the place. The seating looks spacious and comfortable and kudos to the guy who managed to arrange so well in a limited area. Chairs are confortable enough.
The Menu card is just a little above normal with a writing is a running Italicized font. Simple and nice. Variety is limited for the complete veggie (including yours truly) though there is abundant choice for the others. The waiters do not write your order down in front of you, but do it aside after you have told them all the items you would like to have. This is something different and refreshing.
Food is tasty, cooked well and less spicy. if you need it to be more spicy, do mention it in advance. Food Quantity is good and filling.
Desserts are yummy and come in a variety of crockery depending on the dessert... People who are bored with round as a shape will find that to be refreshing.
Another interesting thing that i noticed here was that the staff were ready in an instant...
A table had just been vacated by the guests and in 60-90 seconds, three people had gotten around to cleaning it up and preparing it for the next set of people...Complete change... Imagine in less than two minutes. thats awesome service.
Avg. Cost for 2: 1000/- INR (For the uninitiated, thats Indian Rupees)
Rating:
Locale: 8/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Food Quantity: 8/10
Vegetarian Variety: 4/10
Non-Vegetarian Variety: 8/10
Menu Card: 6/10
Value for Money: 7/10
Recall value: 8/10
Overall Rating: 7.5/10
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
FIFA WORLD CUP 2006: GERMANY... A RECAP.
Well what a world cup it was… For one, the team that I was supporting won the coveted trophy…and for another Germany united as a nation to spur everyone on…
Well lets get on with the rewind::::
Group Stages:
Well, did the group stages see enough surprises? Of course they did… Here they are the main features of the first round,
Ecuador beat both Poland and Costa Rica to reach the second round in group A
Voracious home support puts Germany on top of Group A beating all the others and scoring 8 goals in 3 matches.
England huff and puff to qualify on top of Group B inspite of Sweden playing quite well…
Trinidad and Tobago get their first ever world cup point in Group B with a draw off Sweden.
Both Argentina and the Dutch are pushed to the limit by the Elephants from Ivory Coast who end up losing very marginally in both matches in Group C.
Argentina slam 6 past hapless Serbia & Montenegro to top the group with the Dutch in second from Group C.
Portugal topped Group D comfortably with Mexico scraping in second over Angola and Iran.
Now onto Group E, this group provided the most excitement of them all. Italy and Ghana qualified to the next round inspite of the Czech Rep. (World Ranking:2) and the USA (World Ranking: 5).
Ghana was one of the surprise packages of the tournament. They lost to Italy in the first game but rallied back to beat both the Czech (2-0) and the Americans (2-1). The passion and commitment shown in their own innocence bought smiles to everyone who watched them play…
Group F saw Brazil advance as expected but also saw Australia make it to the next round, thanks mainly to their come-from-behind win over Japan in their opening game… Croatia and Japan were a shadow of their former selves…
Group G was another surprising group with the Swiss qualifying at the expense of Korea… while France managed to just scrape through to the next round with unimpressive performances.
Group H saw Spain and Ukraine qualify as expected with Spain thoroughly dominating the group with a young side…
A plethora of goals were scored in the first round…117 in all…
On to the second round:
Germany beat Sweden comfortably with early strikes within the first ten minutes… Argentina had to wait till extra time and a brilliant Maxi Rodriguez goal to put it past Mexico who actually played better.
A 10 man Italy had to wait till the 94th minute to score the winner… The winner was controversial. Grosso takes the ball into the Aussie penalty area… Defender slides in and misses the ball… Grosso opportunistically trips over the fallen defender and gets the penalty… Totti scores and Italy are thru…
Switzerland lost to Ukraine on penalties after the score was 0-0 after extra time and created a history of sorts… They were the first team to be eliminated from a world cup without conceding a single goal. They were also the first team to miss all the penalties of a shoot out… Lucky Ukraine…
England managed to beat Ecuador thru a David Beckham free kick. Then came the war… Portugal v Netherlands… Portugal won 1-0 but with 15+ yellow cards and 4 red cards, it ended up being one of the most carded games in history… It was just plain nasty…
Brazil beat Ghana due to lack of Ghana’s finishing capabilities while the resurgent French beat the young Spaniards quite comfortably to notch up another one of the upsets.
Quarter Finale:
Argentina and Germany played a brilliant match which saw Argentina take the lead in the second half and Germany equalizing 15 minutes later… Argentina were unwise to substitute their star players when they took the lead and that affected them… When they extra time, they were ultra defensive and 2 brilliant saves by Jens Lehmann ensured Germany’s progress via the shoot out…
Italy, who had the easiest Q/F on paper, duly dispatched Ukraine home with a comfortable 3-0 win.
England managed to hold off Portugal and take the game into penalties after Wayne Rooney was sent off… But then 2 saves by Ricardo ensured Portugal’s progress.
Then came the big shocker as France capitalized on a defensive lapse by Brazil to beat them 1-0 and go on to the semis…
The Semi-Finals
France beat Portugal as the Portuguese could not capitalize on the defensive lapses while Italy beat Germany in the dying minutes of extra time to get to the final…
3rd / 4th Playoff:
Germany totally dominated the Portuguese as Bastian Schweinsteiger’s brace was enough to see Germany clinch 3rd place in front of a vociferous home crowd.
THE GRAND FINALE: Salient features.
Very nice matchup… Italy dominating the first half…after Zidane scored an early goal… Italy equalizing soon…
French domination of the second half but nothing to deter the Azzuri defense…
Zidane’s crazy headbutt and sending off in extra time
And finally Italy winning on penalties… Something which they have never done before…
A fitting World cup and a fitting tribute to the Italian defense….
The event ends with Miroslav Klose (Ger) winning his second Golden Boot in a row, Gigi Buffon (ITA) winning the Lev Yashin Best Goalkeeper award, Lukas Podolski (Ger) with the best young player and Zinedine Zidane (Fra) with the Golden Ball...
Hopefully the next cup will be quite as intriguing as this one...
See you guys in 2010 @ South Africa…
Good night… and Good luck
May the Force be with you…
Well lets get on with the rewind::::
Group Stages:
Well, did the group stages see enough surprises? Of course they did… Here they are the main features of the first round,
Ecuador beat both Poland and Costa Rica to reach the second round in group A
Voracious home support puts Germany on top of Group A beating all the others and scoring 8 goals in 3 matches.
England huff and puff to qualify on top of Group B inspite of Sweden playing quite well…
Trinidad and Tobago get their first ever world cup point in Group B with a draw off Sweden.
Both Argentina and the Dutch are pushed to the limit by the Elephants from Ivory Coast who end up losing very marginally in both matches in Group C.
Argentina slam 6 past hapless Serbia & Montenegro to top the group with the Dutch in second from Group C.
Portugal topped Group D comfortably with Mexico scraping in second over Angola and Iran.
Now onto Group E, this group provided the most excitement of them all. Italy and Ghana qualified to the next round inspite of the Czech Rep. (World Ranking:2) and the USA (World Ranking: 5).
Ghana was one of the surprise packages of the tournament. They lost to Italy in the first game but rallied back to beat both the Czech (2-0) and the Americans (2-1). The passion and commitment shown in their own innocence bought smiles to everyone who watched them play…
Group F saw Brazil advance as expected but also saw Australia make it to the next round, thanks mainly to their come-from-behind win over Japan in their opening game… Croatia and Japan were a shadow of their former selves…
Group G was another surprising group with the Swiss qualifying at the expense of Korea… while France managed to just scrape through to the next round with unimpressive performances.
Group H saw Spain and Ukraine qualify as expected with Spain thoroughly dominating the group with a young side…
A plethora of goals were scored in the first round…117 in all…
On to the second round:
Germany beat Sweden comfortably with early strikes within the first ten minutes… Argentina had to wait till extra time and a brilliant Maxi Rodriguez goal to put it past Mexico who actually played better.
A 10 man Italy had to wait till the 94th minute to score the winner… The winner was controversial. Grosso takes the ball into the Aussie penalty area… Defender slides in and misses the ball… Grosso opportunistically trips over the fallen defender and gets the penalty… Totti scores and Italy are thru…
Switzerland lost to Ukraine on penalties after the score was 0-0 after extra time and created a history of sorts… They were the first team to be eliminated from a world cup without conceding a single goal. They were also the first team to miss all the penalties of a shoot out… Lucky Ukraine…
England managed to beat Ecuador thru a David Beckham free kick. Then came the war… Portugal v Netherlands… Portugal won 1-0 but with 15+ yellow cards and 4 red cards, it ended up being one of the most carded games in history… It was just plain nasty…
Brazil beat Ghana due to lack of Ghana’s finishing capabilities while the resurgent French beat the young Spaniards quite comfortably to notch up another one of the upsets.
Quarter Finale:
Argentina and Germany played a brilliant match which saw Argentina take the lead in the second half and Germany equalizing 15 minutes later… Argentina were unwise to substitute their star players when they took the lead and that affected them… When they extra time, they were ultra defensive and 2 brilliant saves by Jens Lehmann ensured Germany’s progress via the shoot out…
Italy, who had the easiest Q/F on paper, duly dispatched Ukraine home with a comfortable 3-0 win.
England managed to hold off Portugal and take the game into penalties after Wayne Rooney was sent off… But then 2 saves by Ricardo ensured Portugal’s progress.
Then came the big shocker as France capitalized on a defensive lapse by Brazil to beat them 1-0 and go on to the semis…
The Semi-Finals
France beat Portugal as the Portuguese could not capitalize on the defensive lapses while Italy beat Germany in the dying minutes of extra time to get to the final…
3rd / 4th Playoff:
Germany totally dominated the Portuguese as Bastian Schweinsteiger’s brace was enough to see Germany clinch 3rd place in front of a vociferous home crowd.
THE GRAND FINALE: Salient features.
Very nice matchup… Italy dominating the first half…after Zidane scored an early goal… Italy equalizing soon…
French domination of the second half but nothing to deter the Azzuri defense…
Zidane’s crazy headbutt and sending off in extra time
And finally Italy winning on penalties… Something which they have never done before…
A fitting World cup and a fitting tribute to the Italian defense….
The event ends with Miroslav Klose (Ger) winning his second Golden Boot in a row, Gigi Buffon (ITA) winning the Lev Yashin Best Goalkeeper award, Lukas Podolski (Ger) with the best young player and Zinedine Zidane (Fra) with the Golden Ball...
Hopefully the next cup will be quite as intriguing as this one...
See you guys in 2010 @ South Africa…
Good night… and Good luck
May the Force be with you…
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Italy v Germany: FIFA World cup 2006 Semi-final…04th July 2006
Wow what a match!!! First of all, I managed to watch the match at the multiplex in office (BIG SCREEN) and that was awesome… Second of all, it was a rockin good match…
The Prelude: Italy had a relatively easier run to the semis and hadn’t been tested by anyone except Australia (who unfortunately lost due to a bad refereeing decision)… They had also beaten Germany in a friendly recently 4-1… So history was on Italy’s side you may think…
Wrong… think again…
Germany were playing in Dortmund where they hadn’t lost ever…that’s 35 years without a loss in Dortmund… on their way Germany had managed to eliminate powerhouses like Sweden and Argentina… Germany beat Argentina in a shootout which proved to everyone that Germany can never be beaten on the penalties… Germany hadn’t lost a shootout in the World cup ever… and the only time they ever lost one was in an EURO championships in the 70s.
So get set for a rocker…
The Game: Italy started attacking right away… With the lion share of possession you might have expected them to take the lead, but they just couldn’t beat Jens Lehmann (the German Goalie) and the German defense… So now Germany get a few chances but they are thwarted brilliantly by the Italian defense and captain Cannavaro… He had one brilliant match…
So it goes back and forth… Italy generating chances through Pirlo and Totti, while Germany attacked through Ballack, Lahm and Schneider.
Half Time: Score 0-0
2nd half sees a rejuvenated German team who attack like crazy… Italy is pushed to the back foot… The solid Azzuri defense does not give way, suppressing wave after wave of German attack… Odonkor and Schweinsteiger arrive to take it up a notch for Germany.
Italy respond by getting in Gillardino and Iaquinta…
Full Time: Scores are still 0-0….
The extra time begins with a flurry of chances at the German goal by Gillardino and Iaquinta… Two shots by Italy hitting the post… Italy take control and continue attacking… Soon Del Piero and Neuville arrive for Italy and Germany respectively…
Lehmann continues to save everything thrown at him…
Podolski has his shot saved by Buffon… And soon everyone is expecting penalties…
Italy must avoid penalties coz they have never won a shootout…
118’ of the match…Pirlo passes the ball to Grosso within the box, Grosso turns and lets one go to the far post…. GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL…
Italy have taken the lead… The minority crowd erupts. The Germans are shell shocked… Only 2 minutes to go and Germany goes on the attack and they almost get another shot in when the ball is cleared by the Italian defense, only to lead into a counter attack… Gillardino passes to Del Piero who beats Lehmann one on one as Italy and their supporters erupt in a frenzy… the home side are distraught… 2 goals in 2 minutes sends
the hosts packing and Italy to the final…
The Germans are distraught but have to reassure themselves that their young squad will have more chances. The Italians, meanwhile, head to Berlin…
What a night!!! What an experience!!!
The Prelude: Italy had a relatively easier run to the semis and hadn’t been tested by anyone except Australia (who unfortunately lost due to a bad refereeing decision)… They had also beaten Germany in a friendly recently 4-1… So history was on Italy’s side you may think…
Wrong… think again…
Germany were playing in Dortmund where they hadn’t lost ever…that’s 35 years without a loss in Dortmund… on their way Germany had managed to eliminate powerhouses like Sweden and Argentina… Germany beat Argentina in a shootout which proved to everyone that Germany can never be beaten on the penalties… Germany hadn’t lost a shootout in the World cup ever… and the only time they ever lost one was in an EURO championships in the 70s.
So get set for a rocker…
The Game: Italy started attacking right away… With the lion share of possession you might have expected them to take the lead, but they just couldn’t beat Jens Lehmann (the German Goalie) and the German defense… So now Germany get a few chances but they are thwarted brilliantly by the Italian defense and captain Cannavaro… He had one brilliant match…
So it goes back and forth… Italy generating chances through Pirlo and Totti, while Germany attacked through Ballack, Lahm and Schneider.
Half Time: Score 0-0
2nd half sees a rejuvenated German team who attack like crazy… Italy is pushed to the back foot… The solid Azzuri defense does not give way, suppressing wave after wave of German attack… Odonkor and Schweinsteiger arrive to take it up a notch for Germany.
Italy respond by getting in Gillardino and Iaquinta…
Full Time: Scores are still 0-0….
The extra time begins with a flurry of chances at the German goal by Gillardino and Iaquinta… Two shots by Italy hitting the post… Italy take control and continue attacking… Soon Del Piero and Neuville arrive for Italy and Germany respectively…
Lehmann continues to save everything thrown at him…
Podolski has his shot saved by Buffon… And soon everyone is expecting penalties…
Italy must avoid penalties coz they have never won a shootout…
118’ of the match…Pirlo passes the ball to Grosso within the box, Grosso turns and lets one go to the far post…. GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL…
Italy have taken the lead… The minority crowd erupts. The Germans are shell shocked… Only 2 minutes to go and Germany goes on the attack and they almost get another shot in when the ball is cleared by the Italian defense, only to lead into a counter attack… Gillardino passes to Del Piero who beats Lehmann one on one as Italy and their supporters erupt in a frenzy… the home side are distraught… 2 goals in 2 minutes sends
the hosts packing and Italy to the final…
The Germans are distraught but have to reassure themselves that their young squad will have more chances. The Italians, meanwhile, head to Berlin…
What a night!!! What an experience!!!
Monday, June 26, 2006
The Hulk: Movie Review
Saw the movie "The Hulk" on TV last week. Heres the review.
Well, so what do you want? The good news about this movie or the bad news?
Okay since most people ask for the bad news first, here it goes. For people who wanna read the good news about the movie, scroll down below....
BAD NEWS:
As the heading suggests, this movie was crap, a big load of it...i mean so big that it would be bigger than Mt. Everest. Why am i so pissed off with this movie?
Well for one, the director tried to make a comic book of a movie and his idea of the same was to panel every shot.
EVERY SHOT! Imagine!
In comes a truck and suddenly panels start moving and now you can see the same truck in 3-5 camera angles, all at the same time (a la PiP). Wow!!!
The whole sequence was so disctracting that it took me a little less than a blink of an eye to lose interest. If only he had shot it normally, maybe it could have been good.
Most of the actors are emotionless in the movie save THE HULK himself. (Eric Bana)
Most of the locations were ill-timed as well...
The plot was sketchy and brief. Nothing much to grab my attention.
My suggestion: Avoid the movie at all costs!
C'mon it cant be that bad!!!
Ok Ok...
So here's the GOOD NEWS:
The Hulk transformations are pretty neat.
Thats it... :) For more good news, please follow my suggestion.
Good night...and Godd luck
May the Force be with you.
Well, so what do you want? The good news about this movie or the bad news?
Okay since most people ask for the bad news first, here it goes. For people who wanna read the good news about the movie, scroll down below....
BAD NEWS:
As the heading suggests, this movie was crap, a big load of it...i mean so big that it would be bigger than Mt. Everest. Why am i so pissed off with this movie?
Well for one, the director tried to make a comic book of a movie and his idea of the same was to panel every shot.
EVERY SHOT! Imagine!
In comes a truck and suddenly panels start moving and now you can see the same truck in 3-5 camera angles, all at the same time (a la PiP). Wow!!!
The whole sequence was so disctracting that it took me a little less than a blink of an eye to lose interest. If only he had shot it normally, maybe it could have been good.
Most of the actors are emotionless in the movie save THE HULK himself. (Eric Bana)
Most of the locations were ill-timed as well...
The plot was sketchy and brief. Nothing much to grab my attention.
My suggestion: Avoid the movie at all costs!
C'mon it cant be that bad!!!
Ok Ok...
So here's the GOOD NEWS:
The Hulk transformations are pretty neat.
Thats it... :) For more good news, please follow my suggestion.
Good night...and Godd luck
May the Force be with you.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Traffic in Bangalore…Part 2
Recent developments in the situation in Bangalore have prompted me to write this blog.
Don’t worry traffic is still the same, people still flaunt the rules…
One major change that I have noticed is that Roads are being laid afresh and they have survived a rain….A big kudos to Mr. Kumaraswamy (CM) and his team…
The roads that have been laid so far are of good quality and have helped in increasing the life of the vehicles :)
Most of the roads that were in the East of Bangalore are all laid… I was mighty surprised when I saw this happen a month ago… So far so good… Lets just hope that the telephone companies DON’T take note of this…Otherwise they would be back to start digging again…
Another thing that I have noticed quite prominently is the appearance of Traffic signals in almost all areas…. These signals running on Solar Power have helped immensely in regulating the traffic…
Could this be the beginning for a new beginning??? Lets wait, watch and pray.
Good night … and good luck
Don’t worry traffic is still the same, people still flaunt the rules…
One major change that I have noticed is that Roads are being laid afresh and they have survived a rain….A big kudos to Mr. Kumaraswamy (CM) and his team…
The roads that have been laid so far are of good quality and have helped in increasing the life of the vehicles :)
Most of the roads that were in the East of Bangalore are all laid… I was mighty surprised when I saw this happen a month ago… So far so good… Lets just hope that the telephone companies DON’T take note of this…Otherwise they would be back to start digging again…
Another thing that I have noticed quite prominently is the appearance of Traffic signals in almost all areas…. These signals running on Solar Power have helped immensely in regulating the traffic…
Could this be the beginning for a new beginning??? Lets wait, watch and pray.
Good night … and good luck
Thursday, May 18, 2006
UEFA Champions League Final
Well yesterday night was the UEFA CL Final between Arsena and Barcelona.
The build up to the annual extravaganza was good this year as two of the strongest teams made it to the final... Arsenal, in the final for the very first time, had eliminated Real Madrid and Juventus en route to the final, while Barca had eliminated Milan and Chelsea.
Arsenal were further buoyed by the fact that they hadnt let in a goal for over 700 game minutes...
Arsenal Had Henry and Barca had Ronaldinho... Two of the best at the moment...
The match began steadily with Arsenal attacking twice in the first ten minutes. Barca were getting the runs to the goal but werent finishing them. Then around the 18th minute, disaster struck for arsenal... Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann gets a Red Card for a foul... Barca score in the confusion but the goal is later disallowed (quite rightly so). Arsenal down to 10 men. They substitute Pires for the reserve goalie Almunia...
Then the pressure mounts... Barca attack in waves... but are thwarted by the Arsenal defence.
Ronaldinho and Eto'o combine for a brilliant strike which is saved by Almunia...
Then just after the hour mark, Eboue of Arsenal is brought down outside the Barca goal area.
There was hardly any contact and the dive worked. Henry kicks in and a towering Sol Campbell header puts 10 man Arsenal up 1-0. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Bad decision by the referee... Barca are shocked...
Arsenal celebrate... Barca respond in a way known only to them...
They attack like crazy, but somehow the defense holds up for Arsenal...
HALF TIME...Now the 2nd Half...
Barca continue attacking and the referee's decisions keep getting worse. A couple of Barca defenders dive and the Arsenal players are yellow carded. Ljunberg creates some magic for Arsenal with Fabregas but it aint enough...
Then in the 76th Minute, a brilliant play sees Eto'o strike from the near post. Goalkeeper mistake and GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL to Barca...
Five minutes later, substitute Juliano Belleti makes a good run and another goalkeeping error sees a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...
Barca 2-1 up... Barca then just waste the remaining time to win the champions league...
Well Summary.... Not a great match... Relly bad refereeing standards... Lots of Dives and a lil bit of magic...
Thats all for now... Hope the World cup would be better...
Good night...and Good luck
May the Force be with you....
The build up to the annual extravaganza was good this year as two of the strongest teams made it to the final... Arsenal, in the final for the very first time, had eliminated Real Madrid and Juventus en route to the final, while Barca had eliminated Milan and Chelsea.
Arsenal were further buoyed by the fact that they hadnt let in a goal for over 700 game minutes...
Arsenal Had Henry and Barca had Ronaldinho... Two of the best at the moment...
The match began steadily with Arsenal attacking twice in the first ten minutes. Barca were getting the runs to the goal but werent finishing them. Then around the 18th minute, disaster struck for arsenal... Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann gets a Red Card for a foul... Barca score in the confusion but the goal is later disallowed (quite rightly so). Arsenal down to 10 men. They substitute Pires for the reserve goalie Almunia...
Then the pressure mounts... Barca attack in waves... but are thwarted by the Arsenal defence.
Ronaldinho and Eto'o combine for a brilliant strike which is saved by Almunia...
Then just after the hour mark, Eboue of Arsenal is brought down outside the Barca goal area.
There was hardly any contact and the dive worked. Henry kicks in and a towering Sol Campbell header puts 10 man Arsenal up 1-0. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Bad decision by the referee... Barca are shocked...
Arsenal celebrate... Barca respond in a way known only to them...
They attack like crazy, but somehow the defense holds up for Arsenal...
HALF TIME...Now the 2nd Half...
Barca continue attacking and the referee's decisions keep getting worse. A couple of Barca defenders dive and the Arsenal players are yellow carded. Ljunberg creates some magic for Arsenal with Fabregas but it aint enough...
Then in the 76th Minute, a brilliant play sees Eto'o strike from the near post. Goalkeeper mistake and GOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL to Barca...
Five minutes later, substitute Juliano Belleti makes a good run and another goalkeeping error sees a GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...
Barca 2-1 up... Barca then just waste the remaining time to win the champions league...
Well Summary.... Not a great match... Relly bad refereeing standards... Lots of Dives and a lil bit of magic...
Thats all for now... Hope the World cup would be better...
Good night...and Good luck
May the Force be with you....
Monday, May 15, 2006
RESERVATION>>>RESERVATION>>>RESERVATION>>>
Now why is the present central Indian government so hell bent upon reservation?
Is it so that they can now garner votes from these people for the next elections? Or is it that they truly wanna push this country to the dogs?
I don’t know whatever it is, its not good for the people of the country…
When Dr. Ambedkar vouched for reservation for the lower classes in some areas, it was so that they could gain their foothold to compete with the rest of us…He himself told that the reservation was to be abolished as soon as possible…Now what has happened? They want to include a wide variety of careers under reservation…Great!
People …listen…Improve the condition of the downtrodden. That is the first priority, instead of hand feeding them forever… Someone once said “Give a starving man a fish and he will be satisfied for a day, Teach the starving man to fish and he will be satisfied for life”.
This is what must be done…
NOOOOO! The politicians I guess are more interested in ruining the country…
They want reservation for Doctors, Lawyers, Private sector companies etc….Where will this lead us? Only to the path of destruction…
What is going to happen to the widespread protests against reservation? Nothing!!!
Another reason why I am against all this is that there is a lot of corruption in the government.
When I was in college, the students belonging to backward classes were supposed to pay a lower fees if their families’ annual income fell below a certain barrier…Most of them I knew were affluent enough to own cars of their own and still paid only the minimum fees. Why? Because they could afford the hefty bribes to the government officials who would certify that they did not have enough money to reach the income ceiling…
Why is all this happening? What would happen to our wonderful nation due to this reservation, I shudder to think…
Well, since the government has a vested interest in Reservation, why don’t we have reservations in prisons? Ensure that a percentage of backward classes have to be in prison to meet the quota… Set the regular criminals free because their quota is full…
WOW…
Is it so that they can now garner votes from these people for the next elections? Or is it that they truly wanna push this country to the dogs?
I don’t know whatever it is, its not good for the people of the country…
When Dr. Ambedkar vouched for reservation for the lower classes in some areas, it was so that they could gain their foothold to compete with the rest of us…He himself told that the reservation was to be abolished as soon as possible…Now what has happened? They want to include a wide variety of careers under reservation…Great!
People …listen…Improve the condition of the downtrodden. That is the first priority, instead of hand feeding them forever… Someone once said “Give a starving man a fish and he will be satisfied for a day, Teach the starving man to fish and he will be satisfied for life”.
This is what must be done…
NOOOOO! The politicians I guess are more interested in ruining the country…
They want reservation for Doctors, Lawyers, Private sector companies etc….Where will this lead us? Only to the path of destruction…
What is going to happen to the widespread protests against reservation? Nothing!!!
Another reason why I am against all this is that there is a lot of corruption in the government.
When I was in college, the students belonging to backward classes were supposed to pay a lower fees if their families’ annual income fell below a certain barrier…Most of them I knew were affluent enough to own cars of their own and still paid only the minimum fees. Why? Because they could afford the hefty bribes to the government officials who would certify that they did not have enough money to reach the income ceiling…
Why is all this happening? What would happen to our wonderful nation due to this reservation, I shudder to think…
Well, since the government has a vested interest in Reservation, why don’t we have reservations in prisons? Ensure that a percentage of backward classes have to be in prison to meet the quota… Set the regular criminals free because their quota is full…
WOW…
Thursday, May 11, 2006
MONSTER BLACKOUT on TUESDAY 09MAY2006
Well it rained like crazy on Tuesday here in mysore... for about 2 hours...and then came the granddaddy of them all... A power cut...(A blackout).
Well i guess this wasnt an ordinary power cut... Lost power at home at 7:30 in the night...
9 PM:
I decide to have a candle light dinner :) No electricity remember!!!
10PM:
Still no power... My roommates are getting a little restless.
11PM:
Still no power... We are now down to our last candle.
Two others valiantly fought with the darkness till 10:30until they could fight no more...
The last one remained.
We decide to retire, hoping for a miracle. The candle is saved for another day.
2AM: Still no current. Am getting a little restless.
5AM: No current means no water... Oh My god! How do i take a bath???
My apartment has a water problem, so you know!!!
6:15 AM:
The nightmare is increasingly disturbing. I got up and rushed to the bathroom.... you know, for obvious reasons...Thank god the water is still coming...
7:00 AM: Am quickly done with my bath as well. My roomates get in, hoping that the water doesnt stop yet...
7:45AM:
Lucky everyone is in and out...SQUEAKY CLEAN...
Apparently the power came only by 3:00PM or so...The other areas got them back by 3:00AM itself. Lucky!!!
And Weird! One small drop of rain and one giant power cut...
Expect more though!!! Thats all for now...
Good night... and good luck
May the Force be with you!!!
Well i guess this wasnt an ordinary power cut... Lost power at home at 7:30 in the night...
9 PM:
I decide to have a candle light dinner :) No electricity remember!!!
10PM:
Still no power... My roommates are getting a little restless.
11PM:
Still no power... We are now down to our last candle.
Two others valiantly fought with the darkness till 10:30until they could fight no more...
The last one remained.
We decide to retire, hoping for a miracle. The candle is saved for another day.
2AM: Still no current. Am getting a little restless.
5AM: No current means no water... Oh My god! How do i take a bath???
My apartment has a water problem, so you know!!!
6:15 AM:
The nightmare is increasingly disturbing. I got up and rushed to the bathroom.... you know, for obvious reasons...Thank god the water is still coming...
7:00 AM: Am quickly done with my bath as well. My roomates get in, hoping that the water doesnt stop yet...
7:45AM:
Lucky everyone is in and out...SQUEAKY CLEAN...
Apparently the power came only by 3:00PM or so...The other areas got them back by 3:00AM itself. Lucky!!!
And Weird! One small drop of rain and one giant power cut...
Expect more though!!! Thats all for now...
Good night... and good luck
May the Force be with you!!!
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
DEMOCRACY: WHAT I SAW AND FELT...
Democracy… that which is seen in almost all the countries in the world… Is it good or bad??
Well my personal opinion is that democracy is not for development… I don’t like democracy because you end up choosing between two or more incompetent (couldn’t find any other decent words) people.
Why is it called the power of the people when the only power that people have to is to elect other people???? Shouldn’t development be the key for any government? Why is power, money, greed and corruption the key now-a-days?
I just wish that elected representatives do what they are supposed to do for the benefit of the people. Believe me one complete development oriented 5-year term is all that will take to turn this country around…
But in the current state, I just wish that no one votes for a candidate who does not focus on development. I feel that a dictator or a communist style would do better for the same…
But people still have faith in this wretched system… My neighbor is constructing a new house. There is lady who works in that construction… You can imagine my surprise when I heard that the lady took a 2 day leave from work just so that she can go to her native town in Tamil Nadu to vote in the assembly elections there. Whoa….
So why don’t the elected idiots realize that this is how much each vote they get is worth?
Imagine… a normal laborer forfeits 2 days work to vote…!
Just hope that the elected reps worry about something other than their own pockets…
Me? Well I do intend to vote when elections come around in my state… As said earlier it wouldn’t be for one who hasn’t done anything for the place…
When will this nation see a bright future? Hope the later generations are more honest than their predecessors…
Good night and… Good Luck
May the Force be with you!!!
Well my personal opinion is that democracy is not for development… I don’t like democracy because you end up choosing between two or more incompetent (couldn’t find any other decent words) people.
Why is it called the power of the people when the only power that people have to is to elect other people???? Shouldn’t development be the key for any government? Why is power, money, greed and corruption the key now-a-days?
I just wish that elected representatives do what they are supposed to do for the benefit of the people. Believe me one complete development oriented 5-year term is all that will take to turn this country around…
But in the current state, I just wish that no one votes for a candidate who does not focus on development. I feel that a dictator or a communist style would do better for the same…
But people still have faith in this wretched system… My neighbor is constructing a new house. There is lady who works in that construction… You can imagine my surprise when I heard that the lady took a 2 day leave from work just so that she can go to her native town in Tamil Nadu to vote in the assembly elections there. Whoa….
So why don’t the elected idiots realize that this is how much each vote they get is worth?
Imagine… a normal laborer forfeits 2 days work to vote…!
Just hope that the elected reps worry about something other than their own pockets…
Me? Well I do intend to vote when elections come around in my state… As said earlier it wouldn’t be for one who hasn’t done anything for the place…
When will this nation see a bright future? Hope the later generations are more honest than their predecessors…
Good night and… Good Luck
May the Force be with you!!!
Monday, May 08, 2006
ICE AGE 2: MOVIE REVIEW
Saw ICE AGE 2: The Meltdown over the weekend. Cool movie!!! (Get it, ice…cool…J)
The movie was well made and had a nice plot. Sid (The sloth) is hilarious as usual. Scrat and the acorn bit is also very nice. Diego (The tiger) is relegated a bit to the background this time as the focus shifts on Manny (The mammoth).
Main plot goes like this.
The Ice is melting and the inhabitants are warned against the great flood. The only hope is to cross the valley in three days and board a boat which will save everyone… Manny realises thathe is the last of the Mammoths until he discovers another one… Only this one thinks that she is a possum…:)...Cool... The rest of the movie finds manny bonding with Ellie (the lady mammoth) in a way that we would relate to... How everyone puts off their differences, fights the baddies and manage to survive the flood forms the rest of the story...
Of course... Look out for Scrat...:)
Though the first movie was better, this one definitely provides much more laughs...
So what are you waiting for??? Go watch ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN….
The movie was well made and had a nice plot. Sid (The sloth) is hilarious as usual. Scrat and the acorn bit is also very nice. Diego (The tiger) is relegated a bit to the background this time as the focus shifts on Manny (The mammoth).
Main plot goes like this.
The Ice is melting and the inhabitants are warned against the great flood. The only hope is to cross the valley in three days and board a boat which will save everyone… Manny realises thathe is the last of the Mammoths until he discovers another one… Only this one thinks that she is a possum…:)...Cool... The rest of the movie finds manny bonding with Ellie (the lady mammoth) in a way that we would relate to... How everyone puts off their differences, fights the baddies and manage to survive the flood forms the rest of the story...
Of course... Look out for Scrat...:)
Though the first movie was better, this one definitely provides much more laughs...
So what are you waiting for??? Go watch ICE AGE 2: THE MELTDOWN….
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
Today’s Topic: Australia v South Africa the series 2006: A recap
People will remember this series for a very long time. This cricket series was more exhilarating than the Poms’ defeat of the Aussies in the Ashes series of 2005.
SA had just been crushed by the series in Australia where they had failed to make it to the VB series final (Sri Lanka got to the final only to lose to the Aussies). They were distraught. The fans had bullied and booed the South Africans. The Aussies expected a big backlash. The South African fans wanted to give the Aussies a piece of their own action, and so began one of the greatest series’ ever.
The One Day Series:
This one day series was indeed one of the greatest ever. Australia did receive the backlash. Before they knew what was happening, they were 2-0 down in the 5 match series. I guess the turning point here was Ntini’s five fer which led to the aussies being bowled out for under a 100.
The Aussies decided enough was enough but they were still not completely up to the challenge. They beat SA in the third oneday somehow and then convincingly in the fourth. The series was now all square with the final one at Johannesburg.
The Big One: 5th ODI: Series leveled at 2-2
Australia starts with a bang. 97 for the first wicket between Gilchrist and Katich in 15 overs. Ponting comes in at the fall of Gilly and blasts a 154 ball 164. A sparkling innings studded with 13 hits to the fence and 9 hits over it. The second wicket (Katich) falls in the 31st over with the score reading 216. Hussey walks in and the aussies continue the onslaught. Hussey falls with the score on 374 from 46 overs. The world record 396 (by Sri lanka v Kenya 1996 WC) is at stake. Ponting continues to blaze and finally falls with the score at 407 in the 48th over. Late hitting by Symonds ensure that the Men from Oz finish with 434 in the allotted 50 overs.
What a scintillating batting performance.
The south Africans are dejected. 435 to win in 50 overs. The mood is somber. Kallis breaks the mood in the dressing room by saying “ Guys, it’s a 450 wicket. They were fifteen runs short.”
I guess that changed everything. South Africa came out in a way that was well awesome..
Dippenaar fell in the second over to take aussies to the moon. The came the big one. Smith and gibbs batted with gay abandon, flaying the Aussie bowlers to all parts of the ground. Smith finally fell for 90 in the 23rd over with South Africa already on their way with 190. Gibbs then took over and blasted the Aussie bowlers everywhere. 94 run partnership with AB de Villiers with de Villiers scoring just 14. Gibbs finally fell with the score on 299 in the 32nd over for a brilliant 142 ball 175. The essay contained 21 beautiful boundaries and 7 towering sixes. South Africa looked to have the match under their grasp until Gibbs fell. Kallis and Kemp followed soon to raise the hopes of an Aussie Victory. C’mon no one has ever scored past 400 before. But could the South Africans do it???
Score 355/6. In walks this un-assuming bloke called JJ van der Wath and starts smashing the ball about. JJ van der Wath and Mark Boucher put 44 quick runs with Mr. van der Wath hitting 3 huge sixes. van der Wath fell on 399. 36 more required from 21.
Boucher keeps his cool as the Proteas reach 423. Telemachus falls and it is now 8 down. Hall gets in and gets the score till 433 and gets out. Nine down 3 balls 2 runs to win.
Either team could win.
Ntini edges the ball to third man for the tie. Mark Boucher hits it towards long on for four for the win. An epic victory.
Mike Lewis of Australia becomes the only bowler in ODI history to concede 100 runs in a match. He conceded 113 runs off 10 overs. Why ponting continued to bowl him was beyond my grasp, especially when Lee still had 2 overs and Michael Clarke was quite economical of the lot giving only 7 an over. Bracken was the pick with a 5/64 haul in 10 overs.
MOTM: Herschelle Gibbs
End Result: RSA bt Aus 3-2
Test Series:
South Africans were Jubilant. Aussies had a point to prove.
The emergence of Stuart Clark with 9 wickets in his debut test ensured that the Aussies won the first test comfortably by 7 wickets.
A century in each innings by Ponting buoyed the aussies as Lee took 5 in the first and warnie took 6 wickets in the second to beat the Proteas by 112 runs.
The third test…Johannesburg… The aussies wanted to get back and get even at the same ground.
Ntini picked up 6 in the first innings to give South Africa a 33 run lead. But Warne, Lee and Clark did not let the Proteas get away and set themselves a target of 292.
A hundred by the comeback Martyn and a polished 89 buy hussey put Australia on the road to victory before Ntini took a flurry of wickets to reduce the men from OZ to 275 for 8. Brave hitting by Lee made sure the Proteas suffered their first ever whitewash at home.
Result: Aus bt. SA: 3-0
A fitting reply from Australia after losing the one dayers.
Wish we get to see more matches and series like this in the near future.
Don’t hope for another exciting ashes series as the Poms aren’t at very good strength right now…
Maybe we will have a similar series if the current Indian team lead by the WALL takes on the Men from Oz.
SA had just been crushed by the series in Australia where they had failed to make it to the VB series final (Sri Lanka got to the final only to lose to the Aussies). They were distraught. The fans had bullied and booed the South Africans. The Aussies expected a big backlash. The South African fans wanted to give the Aussies a piece of their own action, and so began one of the greatest series’ ever.
The One Day Series:
This one day series was indeed one of the greatest ever. Australia did receive the backlash. Before they knew what was happening, they were 2-0 down in the 5 match series. I guess the turning point here was Ntini’s five fer which led to the aussies being bowled out for under a 100.
The Aussies decided enough was enough but they were still not completely up to the challenge. They beat SA in the third oneday somehow and then convincingly in the fourth. The series was now all square with the final one at Johannesburg.
The Big One: 5th ODI: Series leveled at 2-2
Australia starts with a bang. 97 for the first wicket between Gilchrist and Katich in 15 overs. Ponting comes in at the fall of Gilly and blasts a 154 ball 164. A sparkling innings studded with 13 hits to the fence and 9 hits over it. The second wicket (Katich) falls in the 31st over with the score reading 216. Hussey walks in and the aussies continue the onslaught. Hussey falls with the score on 374 from 46 overs. The world record 396 (by Sri lanka v Kenya 1996 WC) is at stake. Ponting continues to blaze and finally falls with the score at 407 in the 48th over. Late hitting by Symonds ensure that the Men from Oz finish with 434 in the allotted 50 overs.
What a scintillating batting performance.
The south Africans are dejected. 435 to win in 50 overs. The mood is somber. Kallis breaks the mood in the dressing room by saying “ Guys, it’s a 450 wicket. They were fifteen runs short.”
I guess that changed everything. South Africa came out in a way that was well awesome..
Dippenaar fell in the second over to take aussies to the moon. The came the big one. Smith and gibbs batted with gay abandon, flaying the Aussie bowlers to all parts of the ground. Smith finally fell for 90 in the 23rd over with South Africa already on their way with 190. Gibbs then took over and blasted the Aussie bowlers everywhere. 94 run partnership with AB de Villiers with de Villiers scoring just 14. Gibbs finally fell with the score on 299 in the 32nd over for a brilliant 142 ball 175. The essay contained 21 beautiful boundaries and 7 towering sixes. South Africa looked to have the match under their grasp until Gibbs fell. Kallis and Kemp followed soon to raise the hopes of an Aussie Victory. C’mon no one has ever scored past 400 before. But could the South Africans do it???
Score 355/6. In walks this un-assuming bloke called JJ van der Wath and starts smashing the ball about. JJ van der Wath and Mark Boucher put 44 quick runs with Mr. van der Wath hitting 3 huge sixes. van der Wath fell on 399. 36 more required from 21.
Boucher keeps his cool as the Proteas reach 423. Telemachus falls and it is now 8 down. Hall gets in and gets the score till 433 and gets out. Nine down 3 balls 2 runs to win.
Either team could win.
Ntini edges the ball to third man for the tie. Mark Boucher hits it towards long on for four for the win. An epic victory.
Mike Lewis of Australia becomes the only bowler in ODI history to concede 100 runs in a match. He conceded 113 runs off 10 overs. Why ponting continued to bowl him was beyond my grasp, especially when Lee still had 2 overs and Michael Clarke was quite economical of the lot giving only 7 an over. Bracken was the pick with a 5/64 haul in 10 overs.
MOTM: Herschelle Gibbs
End Result: RSA bt Aus 3-2
Test Series:
South Africans were Jubilant. Aussies had a point to prove.
The emergence of Stuart Clark with 9 wickets in his debut test ensured that the Aussies won the first test comfortably by 7 wickets.
A century in each innings by Ponting buoyed the aussies as Lee took 5 in the first and warnie took 6 wickets in the second to beat the Proteas by 112 runs.
The third test…Johannesburg… The aussies wanted to get back and get even at the same ground.
Ntini picked up 6 in the first innings to give South Africa a 33 run lead. But Warne, Lee and Clark did not let the Proteas get away and set themselves a target of 292.
A hundred by the comeback Martyn and a polished 89 buy hussey put Australia on the road to victory before Ntini took a flurry of wickets to reduce the men from OZ to 275 for 8. Brave hitting by Lee made sure the Proteas suffered their first ever whitewash at home.
Result: Aus bt. SA: 3-0
A fitting reply from Australia after losing the one dayers.
Wish we get to see more matches and series like this in the near future.
Don’t hope for another exciting ashes series as the Poms aren’t at very good strength right now…
Maybe we will have a similar series if the current Indian team lead by the WALL takes on the Men from Oz.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Short Story
Hi,
The following is my entry in a recent short story competition. Commentz welcome.
POINT BLANK
"Firing a gun is a binary choice: you either pull the trigger or you don't. As surely as the bullet rips through the victim's flesh, organ and bone, it shatters the image of the man who presses the trigger". – Max Payne
The bullet is one of the most destructive pieces of machinery ever invented by man. A single small piece of lead and gunpowder can shatter, virtually, anything living.
It could bring down a person from dizzying heights to become a lowly cripple or worse face death. A bullet is one of the most commonly used methods of exacting revenge. Yes, Revenge. A harmless little seven letter word designated to bring doom based on the seven deadly sins. All revenge originates from one of the seven deadly sins, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Pride and Wrath.
So why am I talking about all this revenge? Who am I?
Listen to me, mortal, while I unravel the sands of time and take you back into my past.
I am a bullet. Yes, one of those vessels of doom. I am talking about all this because this is the reason why I was created. This was my purpose in this hateful life. I was born in an armament factory in the USA as a .45 steel magnum bullet. I thought that this was great. I had a shiny look and the land of freedom and liberty was perfect for me. I was soon packed into a box containing other bullets. Chip was my friend there. (He was called chip because his body was chipped off while manufacturing.) Chip was a regular old shotgun bullet. Slow and wise. One shot was all it took. I guess one shot in the right place was all it took no matter what the bullet.
I was shipped into a small town called Happyville. Happyville, I am so happy. Little did I know that this would be the hit. I was taken to a small gun store and placed on the shelf. A few days later, I was bought by a soft looking person who said he was looking for a gun for self defense. This was good because, at least, I will save someone’s life.
But something did not seem right. Why was a soft looking person buying a .45 magnum? Wouldn’t a normal .3 suffice for self defense or a shotgun which was so that the adversary would be scared away? But I kept my thoughts to myself. The next day found me in the gunslinger of my owner. A nice leather gunslinger, which increased my doubts of this person even more. He cleaned me and kept me shiny. I was happy to get such a nice owner who made sure that the machinery was maintained well. But why? This constant thought kept nagging my head.
The D-day had arrived. My owner (I overheard people calling him SAM) took the gun and placed it in the gunslinger. I was surprised and a little scared here because I was the only bullet in the gun. He sat in his 98 Chevy Corvette. Vrooom!!! and off we went. The destination: Sam’s fiancée Sheila’s home.
We reach there in twenty minutes amid the bustling traffic. Sam knocked on the door; Sheila opened it and let Sam inside. They wasted no time in getting into an argument. Apparently Sam suspected Sheila of having an affair with his friend Joe. The argument got a little out of hand.
BANG! Everything happened too fast. I was released from point blank range straight into her head. I guess she moved a little, but not too much, because I went right through her face taking an eyeball with me and crashing into the brick wall behind. It was over. I could hear her body slump into the floor. Blood was flowing down that beautiful face, which I had just scarred to death, staining the new carpet.
So what happened? Why am I feeling so bad? My purpose was fulfilled, albeit the killing of a lady. But what is that which makes me feel so remorseful? A day later, I was taken by some forensic experts in a plastic bag. The eyeball had since been removed from me. I came to know as I overheard the cops talking. My worst fears were realized. This was a classic case of wrongful revenge.
Sam had indeed misunderstood the relationship between Joe and Sheila. Those long meetings between them were only a plot to surprise Sam on his wedding day with a huge gift, the gift that he would now never receive.
As Sam now sits behind bars regretting his rash decision, I realize that the seven sins were the keys for doom. Yes, those seven deadly sins which fuel that seven-letter word REVENGE.
The following is my entry in a recent short story competition. Commentz welcome.
POINT BLANK
"Firing a gun is a binary choice: you either pull the trigger or you don't. As surely as the bullet rips through the victim's flesh, organ and bone, it shatters the image of the man who presses the trigger". – Max Payne
The bullet is one of the most destructive pieces of machinery ever invented by man. A single small piece of lead and gunpowder can shatter, virtually, anything living.
It could bring down a person from dizzying heights to become a lowly cripple or worse face death. A bullet is one of the most commonly used methods of exacting revenge. Yes, Revenge. A harmless little seven letter word designated to bring doom based on the seven deadly sins. All revenge originates from one of the seven deadly sins, Lust, Greed, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Pride and Wrath.
So why am I talking about all this revenge? Who am I?
Listen to me, mortal, while I unravel the sands of time and take you back into my past.
I am a bullet. Yes, one of those vessels of doom. I am talking about all this because this is the reason why I was created. This was my purpose in this hateful life. I was born in an armament factory in the USA as a .45 steel magnum bullet. I thought that this was great. I had a shiny look and the land of freedom and liberty was perfect for me. I was soon packed into a box containing other bullets. Chip was my friend there. (He was called chip because his body was chipped off while manufacturing.) Chip was a regular old shotgun bullet. Slow and wise. One shot was all it took. I guess one shot in the right place was all it took no matter what the bullet.
I was shipped into a small town called Happyville. Happyville, I am so happy. Little did I know that this would be the hit. I was taken to a small gun store and placed on the shelf. A few days later, I was bought by a soft looking person who said he was looking for a gun for self defense. This was good because, at least, I will save someone’s life.
But something did not seem right. Why was a soft looking person buying a .45 magnum? Wouldn’t a normal .3 suffice for self defense or a shotgun which was so that the adversary would be scared away? But I kept my thoughts to myself. The next day found me in the gunslinger of my owner. A nice leather gunslinger, which increased my doubts of this person even more. He cleaned me and kept me shiny. I was happy to get such a nice owner who made sure that the machinery was maintained well. But why? This constant thought kept nagging my head.
The D-day had arrived. My owner (I overheard people calling him SAM) took the gun and placed it in the gunslinger. I was surprised and a little scared here because I was the only bullet in the gun. He sat in his 98 Chevy Corvette. Vrooom!!! and off we went. The destination: Sam’s fiancée Sheila’s home.
We reach there in twenty minutes amid the bustling traffic. Sam knocked on the door; Sheila opened it and let Sam inside. They wasted no time in getting into an argument. Apparently Sam suspected Sheila of having an affair with his friend Joe. The argument got a little out of hand.
BANG! Everything happened too fast. I was released from point blank range straight into her head. I guess she moved a little, but not too much, because I went right through her face taking an eyeball with me and crashing into the brick wall behind. It was over. I could hear her body slump into the floor. Blood was flowing down that beautiful face, which I had just scarred to death, staining the new carpet.
So what happened? Why am I feeling so bad? My purpose was fulfilled, albeit the killing of a lady. But what is that which makes me feel so remorseful? A day later, I was taken by some forensic experts in a plastic bag. The eyeball had since been removed from me. I came to know as I overheard the cops talking. My worst fears were realized. This was a classic case of wrongful revenge.
Sam had indeed misunderstood the relationship between Joe and Sheila. Those long meetings between them were only a plot to surprise Sam on his wedding day with a huge gift, the gift that he would now never receive.
As Sam now sits behind bars regretting his rash decision, I realize that the seven sins were the keys for doom. Yes, those seven deadly sins which fuel that seven-letter word REVENGE.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Today’s Topic: Traffic Woes in Bangalore…The beginning
How many times have we all wondered, is there anything at all that can be done to the traffic situation in Bangalore?
Well after a lot of deliberation, I feel that the answer is NO… there is no solution.
After spending most of my life in the city of Bangalore, (am currently put up in Mysore… THANK GOD FOR THAT),I have felt that it is just not possible. Let us look at a few of the reasons for the traffic woes.
Scene 1: Saturday: 11:00 AM… MG Road.
Traffic jam stretching from Brigade Road junction to Trinity Circle. Why?
One reason: Useless people. (By this I mean, that people has no decency or knowledge of traffic rules or are extremely contemptuous about both.)
Who are these people? These are the same people you see around you (including you). They are the people who decide to cut into MG Road from near the Public Utility building whenever there is a gap of 5 mm, the people decide to take U-turns haphazardly in front of the Public Utility Building, the people who jump lanes to squeeze into miniscule gaps, the people who jump the traffic signals….
Yes, the very same people who would not give a second thought before cursing the government and the corporation for their woes…(I am not supporting the authorities here. Their bashing will come later.) Don’t they realize that half the problem is solved just by obeying the traffic rules? No, they don’t. Why? Because everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. Leaving early not only helps the traffic but also your personal stress levels.
No everything has to be on the button and everyone already has the headweight that they would not be caught no matter what. You can escape today and you can escape tomorrow, but when you are involved in an accident caused by your negligence, you blame the authorities. Why dude? Can’t you change yourself first? Complain when you have imbibed the correctness and the right attitudes in your life.
Another reason for the same is population explosion. There is a lot of migration to Bangalore from other places in search for a brighter future. So what do the authorities do about this?
Scene 2: Road laying process near XYZ road (Name omitted as it occurs everywhere):
Contractor and crew block the road and lay the road. Demand commission from residents if the road is in a residential area. Complete process, pocket money and leave. Road is not of good quality as the first rain which falls after a month washes the road away with. Complaints to the authorities only results in flak. Blame is placed on the contractor who is currently absconding. Enterprising residents file PIL which runs in the courts for 15 years. END RESULT: Bad roads… Traffic jams…
Scene 3: Telephone cable digging, half constructed flyovers and proposed Metro Rail…
All the roads are dug up on the pretext of the same reasons above. They are not filled back properly or they are filled up very late, a few broken arms and legs later. Authorities are only interested if this comes up in a Minister’s or a MLA’s locality.
Why this negligence, minister saar? What is happening? Is no one concerned about the common man anymore? What is the need for earning that much illegal money? You are not going to carry it to your grave, neither are your children. All the talk is not going to result in any action. Just Do it. Make this city a better city. Don’t you ever feel frustrated about the traffic? Don’t you ever feel like doing something about it?
I want everyone to give a thought about this. Would you rather that your grandchild spends hours in a traffic jam because he decides to drive like you in an irresponsible manner? Would you rather that your future generations can never leave their homes in a vehicle due to traffic?
It’s up to each and every one of us to solve this problem. Do your part first and then make sure the government does theirs…
Good night … and good luck
May the Force be with you.
Well after a lot of deliberation, I feel that the answer is NO… there is no solution.
After spending most of my life in the city of Bangalore, (am currently put up in Mysore… THANK GOD FOR THAT),I have felt that it is just not possible. Let us look at a few of the reasons for the traffic woes.
Scene 1: Saturday: 11:00 AM… MG Road.
Traffic jam stretching from Brigade Road junction to Trinity Circle. Why?
One reason: Useless people. (By this I mean, that people has no decency or knowledge of traffic rules or are extremely contemptuous about both.)
Who are these people? These are the same people you see around you (including you). They are the people who decide to cut into MG Road from near the Public Utility building whenever there is a gap of 5 mm, the people decide to take U-turns haphazardly in front of the Public Utility Building, the people who jump lanes to squeeze into miniscule gaps, the people who jump the traffic signals….
Yes, the very same people who would not give a second thought before cursing the government and the corporation for their woes…(I am not supporting the authorities here. Their bashing will come later.) Don’t they realize that half the problem is solved just by obeying the traffic rules? No, they don’t. Why? Because everyone is in a hurry to get somewhere. Leaving early not only helps the traffic but also your personal stress levels.
No everything has to be on the button and everyone already has the headweight that they would not be caught no matter what. You can escape today and you can escape tomorrow, but when you are involved in an accident caused by your negligence, you blame the authorities. Why dude? Can’t you change yourself first? Complain when you have imbibed the correctness and the right attitudes in your life.
Another reason for the same is population explosion. There is a lot of migration to Bangalore from other places in search for a brighter future. So what do the authorities do about this?
Scene 2: Road laying process near XYZ road (Name omitted as it occurs everywhere):
Contractor and crew block the road and lay the road. Demand commission from residents if the road is in a residential area. Complete process, pocket money and leave. Road is not of good quality as the first rain which falls after a month washes the road away with. Complaints to the authorities only results in flak. Blame is placed on the contractor who is currently absconding. Enterprising residents file PIL which runs in the courts for 15 years. END RESULT: Bad roads… Traffic jams…
Scene 3: Telephone cable digging, half constructed flyovers and proposed Metro Rail…
All the roads are dug up on the pretext of the same reasons above. They are not filled back properly or they are filled up very late, a few broken arms and legs later. Authorities are only interested if this comes up in a Minister’s or a MLA’s locality.
Why this negligence, minister saar? What is happening? Is no one concerned about the common man anymore? What is the need for earning that much illegal money? You are not going to carry it to your grave, neither are your children. All the talk is not going to result in any action. Just Do it. Make this city a better city. Don’t you ever feel frustrated about the traffic? Don’t you ever feel like doing something about it?
I want everyone to give a thought about this. Would you rather that your grandchild spends hours in a traffic jam because he decides to drive like you in an irresponsible manner? Would you rather that your future generations can never leave their homes in a vehicle due to traffic?
It’s up to each and every one of us to solve this problem. Do your part first and then make sure the government does theirs…
Good night … and good luck
May the Force be with you.
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Today’s Topic: Facial Hair in Movies
After successfully and unsuccessfully watching a lot of good, bad and ugly movies, one point on the same has kept coming back to me. What is the significance of facial hair among male actors in movies?
Let us dwell first on the various types of facial hair encountered in movies.
1. None at all. (No comments coz I have a handlebar moustache. General category.)
2. A thin moustache, (though this breed is almost dead now. Was very popular in the era of B&W cinema and early colour movies)
3. A thick moustache, (initially created to signify the bad guy later caught on for the negative hero character and finally for the hero as well. This category was widely prevalent in South Indian movies)
4. A beard. (signifies people who have been in a lot of trouble, jailbirds, people who have had love failures. Though initially created for the rough vagabond type, the above is now prevailing extensively.)
5. A stubble. (initially created to signify a natural feel in the movie, for example, a guy who has been traveling for 3 days in the wilderness obviously cannot shave. But now it is more of the norm in Indian cinema. Apparently having a thick stubble is considered heroic these days, why, is totally beyond my comprehension).
6. Miscellaneous. (Includes Handlebars, Side locks, soul patches etc etc, entirely based on the character of the story)
Having analyzed the different types of facial hair in movies and their significance has made me realize that there is no significance in today’s movies on the relevance of facial hair. Gone are the days when they were used to communicate to the audience about the character himself. (For example a thin moustache signified a distinguished gentleman or a charming Casanova).
Now it is just whatever the makeup artist or the director feels like. No significance one bit.
It grieves me here because there is no more silent/hidden meaning to the moustache or facial hair, no more is the subtlety and the charm.
Good night…and Good luck.
May the Force be with you.
Let us dwell first on the various types of facial hair encountered in movies.
1. None at all. (No comments coz I have a handlebar moustache. General category.)
2. A thin moustache, (though this breed is almost dead now. Was very popular in the era of B&W cinema and early colour movies)
3. A thick moustache, (initially created to signify the bad guy later caught on for the negative hero character and finally for the hero as well. This category was widely prevalent in South Indian movies)
4. A beard. (signifies people who have been in a lot of trouble, jailbirds, people who have had love failures. Though initially created for the rough vagabond type, the above is now prevailing extensively.)
5. A stubble. (initially created to signify a natural feel in the movie, for example, a guy who has been traveling for 3 days in the wilderness obviously cannot shave. But now it is more of the norm in Indian cinema. Apparently having a thick stubble is considered heroic these days, why, is totally beyond my comprehension).
6. Miscellaneous. (Includes Handlebars, Side locks, soul patches etc etc, entirely based on the character of the story)
Having analyzed the different types of facial hair in movies and their significance has made me realize that there is no significance in today’s movies on the relevance of facial hair. Gone are the days when they were used to communicate to the audience about the character himself. (For example a thin moustache signified a distinguished gentleman or a charming Casanova).
Now it is just whatever the makeup artist or the director feels like. No significance one bit.
It grieves me here because there is no more silent/hidden meaning to the moustache or facial hair, no more is the subtlety and the charm.
Good night…and Good luck.
May the Force be with you.
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