Another lazy boring sunday goes by. The only thing that i love about Sundays is that it has Sunday Newspapers. I just cannot imagine spending my sunday without my dose of STOI and HT. This time though my neice too had come at our place and spending time irritating the hell outta her is time well spent. Yeah i know, pretty mean. But shes such a sweetheart! But to know the reason for the title of the post read on.

The Rafa Vs Fedex match seems like its never gonna end. This is the first time, after many years, that i have followed a Wimbledon Final like a discerning Tennis enthusiast. I cant recall the last time that happened. I am supporting Nadal and he did indeed play like he was on fire. He bagged the initial 2 sets back to back. Then it rained, providing a much needed interval to Fedex, who looked out of his character, reacting quite frequently, something so unlikely of him. Anyways, Fedex like a true champ clinched the next 2 sets. The tie breaker of the 4th set was awesome, with the final tally going upto 10-8 in Fedex’s favour. It was interesting in a way, on one edge you had a Set Point and on another you had a Championship Point.  5th set was again neck to neck, till rain stopped it again on a deuce.

I am bored now, i dont have the patience to wait for the game to resume once again. All the best to both the guys. I will wait for 10 more minutes.

Take Care

Ciao

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0208 hrs : RAFA WINS!!!!

What a match! Just fabulous. One of the best Tennis finals i have ever seen. I was supporting Rafa throughout and he did win. Finally, he silenced the God of Grass Courts!! I just loved the way he climbed the whole roof to meet up with his family. Nadal was fabulous. Having said that, my respect for Fedex has just increased after this match. The way he pulled the match, the cool head he kept throughout to get the match to the last set, Fantastic!!

Take Care

Ciao

I came across a newspiece yesterday regarding a guy who couldnt feature on the first list of the College. FYJC admission time is round the corner and everyone is making a rush to all the colleges. Anyways, this guy had opted for Ruparel Science, but couldnt get through. Now its a different thing if your percentage is less and you opt for such top class colleges. But this guys had scored 93%. Now if 93% dosent get on the first list how much more is needed?!!? I was flabbergasted at the situation.

This year the govt has decided to follow a percentile scheme to as to put the SSC students at par with the ICSE and CBSE boards as these boards generally have a higher percentage of passouts. Well, the system of ICSE and CBSE is such that apart from the marks scored at the final written exam, a student has to perform throughout the year to get those 20 internal marks. SSC pattern laid all the stress on the final written exam. But this year they incorporated the 20 marks for internal assessment pattern. Results were quite good. But now on top of that, the givt has decided to use a perscentile system, where a students marks when considered for college admissions will be out of 600 or 650 as opposed to out of 750 as is their normal pattern. Naturally the percentages are bound to jump.

This jump in percentage has a cascading effect. Students initially scoring in the 70s have now got into the 80s, but at the same time the 80s junta has not increased that dramatically. Overall this will raise the overall cutoffs for the colleges, as this time its not only ICSE n CBSE but also SSC students with higher percentage. The results are for all to see.

If students with 90% plus donot get into a college of their choice, what is he/she supposed to do. During my 10th ICSE, i had scored 87% so i was pretty safe off, as my situations would have been really bad had i got into the 80-84% bracket. Now that safe slot has increased by atleast 4-5% more. So now student have to cross the 90% mark to be in the running, and if you want to crack the first list of colleges like Ruia, Ruparel, Jai Hind, you better score in excess of 93-94%.

This is crazy! Feel very sad for the students. Puts undue pressure on them and even more on the parents. Its a cut throat world really. I mean i cant even imagine the plight of those who have scored in the 80-85% bracket. Ofcourse they will get admissions but it definitely wont be in the college of their liking.

Take Care

Ciao

I started Gym today. Yeah finally! After a gap of nearly 8 months i am back at the place. I finally got over my laziness and decided to pay up the gym fees and get started with gymming. The place is the same, but one of the instructors who really helped me a lot during my July to November stint last year had left the job. Too Bad. But still i had to start it, as the other Gym in my locality was prohibitively expensive and was half the size in terms of space as compared to The BODY FUEL! Yeah some name that:d Checked on the weight. 56.5Kg. Have to really increase that:d Will keep a tab on it on this blog every week.

I am reading 5-6 books simultaneously and it has been getting very ridiculous, as i am unable to follow that regime religiously so i decided to stick to the one book at a time scenario. I switched back to reading INDIA by V.S. Naipaul. Now i hate this man for his political and anti-Indian views, but boss, he does write damn well. I just finished a chapter on Mumbai, and i realised that Naipaul is really good at Non Fiction as well. So far i had only heard praises of his Fiction work. I have to say that i have started to enjoy the novel. So much so that i managed to cover about 80 pages today. An achievement for me since the last one month where i havent been able to stick to one book.

After INDIA by VS Naipaul, i am gonna finish off either Fountainhead by Ayn Rand or The Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra. Both are equally verbose. Followed by a non fiction book. I have got a couple of e books as well. So lots to be done on the reading front.

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na will be releasing tomorrow. Cant wait to catch this flick.

Take Care

Ciao

Had seen this movie ‘Yasmin’ yesterday. I had borrowed it from the British Library cus the cover of the DVD showed the face of someone familiar, with the tagline, One Woman Two lives. A good cinema, this one. Nothing great in any way. But i liked the way a British director has potrayed the emotions undergone by a Muslim Girl post 9/11. The actress was the fiesty Archie Panjabi whom i had previously seen in “Bend It Like Beckham”. The plot basically revolves around this second generation Brit lady who is a Muslim, on how she handles the dual lives she’s leading. Then 9/11 happens and racism goes to an altogether new level. No Yasmin dosent become a terrorist or anything, but the movie depicts how international terrorism in general and 9/11 in particular affects normal Muslims who donot even know who Osama Bin Laden is. Just because Muslims belong to the same faith as the terrorist should they be sorry for the acts commited by those monsters in the name of Islam? That is the question the fim poses. The events change Yasmin’s attitude, her brother Nasir is brainwashed by one of those mullahs and finally goes off to Pakistan. The film ends with an emotional scene between the father and his daughter Yasmin.

Take Care

Ciao

“…Sare Mumbaikaro ka jan jeevan ast vyast kar diya hai baarish ne”, streamed out RJ Divya, trying to imitate the hundred and one news channels. It was one of those days when it really rained in Mumbai and fo some hours stopped the operations of the train services. Today being my last day at office i had to go to Andheri to get the clearances, so i couldnt bunk. BUT travelling by the harbour was a big mistake cos it took a good 35 minutes to get from Sewri to Wadala. For the uninformed, Wadala is the next station after Sewri. It was bad.

I had Radio, more specifically Fever 104FM for company. RJ Divya’s “Good Hai Morning” did keep me in good spirits. She is seriously a boon to hear to in the mornings, so lively, so humourous and her laughter is very contagious. Ok ill stop on her lest anyone thinks I am stalking her. But she is one RJ i just love to listen to every morning. Radio and the fact that i got a seat to sit did keep my nerves under control. I am very impatient by nature, but today i knew i had to let Nature take over as i had no control over the climate. I watched the flooded tracks at Wadala, but luckily the water was only upto the level of the railing.

Its become a regular featue in Mumbai now. Heavy rains render the rail sevices worthless. Barring the Western Railway line, the other two viz. Central and Harbour are in a complete mess, with trains arriving late by 30 to 40 minutes. Its crazy. I dont think many people went to office today either, cos of the rains. The Andheri office was quite empty, and when i called up one of my friend whose office is in Seepz, he too said that he had decided to bunk today.

People bunking offices cos of rains is a fairly recent phenomenon. Who am i kidding, even i would have bunked had it not been my last day here. Yeah officially last day! No one wants a repeat of 26/7 in their lives so people dont mind letting go of a leave. Plus the danger of diseases like Leptospirosis is always there. Its scary to hear that already 3 people have died due to Lepto. Its bout time i read in the disease. Will put up the relevant info here.

While listening to the radio came to know the numbers of the Disaster Management Cell. They are 1916 and 108. But i dont know if in case of heavy rains, the citizens will really be able to get through. Still its a significant piece of information.

Take Care

Ciao

I am bursting with topics to write on now. I mean i had started this blogathon as an idea to condition me to writing more regularly. Its just 3 days since i have been at it continuously, so i cant really boast much. Still have a long way to go. I had read in Robin Sharmas book, “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrarri”, that for any habit to completely become your nature you have to go at it for a minimum of 21 days continuously. I dont know how he arrived at the number but, its still a great piece of statistical information for me. I like to strech my limits and challenge myself. My Taurean nature helps here in the sense that i am stubborn and if i really want to do something then i make my mind determined to do the task at hand if its do-able. Of the many ideas that zoomed past my mind today to write for the blogathon, i will obviously have to select only one idea.

Germany didnt make it yesterday. It was saddening to see Micheal Ballack after Spain clinched the Euo 2008 Championship. Well all points to them, they were clearly above Germany in terms of the game strategy. Germans hardly attacked in the 2nd half. Torres was good, real good with his solo goal in the match.

Left has come up with another drama. They say that they will withdraw support if the Congress goes ahead with the Indo - US Nuclear deal. Its really silly and i dont really understand why such as educated man as Prakash Karat, is behaving so childishly. The only reason the Left is anti Deal is because it involves the US. I dont really get Karats ideology so to say. Its all bullshit according to me, the reasons given by the Left and Karat in particular why it is against the Deal. I mean with a party like Left as your coalition, i dont think the Govt at the centre needs BJP in the opposition.

The Congress on the other hand is properly cornered man. I really pity the position Dr. Manmohan Singh has put himself into. On the one hand there are petty politics going on within his party. The time frame for the finalization of the Indo-US Nuclear deal is ticking fast. India goes to the IAEA by August, till then there has to be a definite decision taken, else Dr. Manmohan Singh will be remembered as the man who lost India this deal just because he wanted to save his Govt. for a period of three more months. Very rude i know, but that is how atleast i will remember him. Dr. Manmohan Singh is a talented fellow and the economic condition of the country today is all thanks to his liberating policy in the 1991 Budget. Also, the rising inflation and the Govt’s feeble attempt to contain it, is hammering the nails in the coffin of the present Govt. Rising prices have really angered the nation, and if there are early elections chances of Congress making it with a majority are very very slim. On second thoughts i dont really think the Congress have any chance, early election or no early election, to come into power next time, till it has some solid coalition. But i really feel that Singh should go ahead and finalise the Nuclear Deal once and for all. He will be revered for that for generations to come. At $143 per barrel of crude oil price, India cant really depend on oil anymore to sustain its voracious growth. We HAVE to start using Nuclear Power for civilian purposes. Its high time the Left and other anti- Deal idiots just shut the F up!

Take Care

Ciao

Back from a double whammy pf family get togethers. Double whammy cus i had a get together with my family from Dad’s side for lunch and a mini get together with my maternal family for dinner. All in all a Sunday well spent in many weeks. Generally I dont like Sundays much except for my morning addictions on Sundays. Sunday Times of India and Hindustan Times, but today was one of those sundays where reading takes a backseat.

Had been to the Shri Krishna Saloon for a shave. Sundays there are crowded, so had to wait for around 25 minutes before my turn came. After ages i heard those typical Saloon Shop Sunday Songs. You know the ones the shop owner used to play much before the advent of mp3s and 3D suround sound decks. I mean if you wanted to hear Hindi songs you have never heard before, then a visit to the Saloon on Sunday would definitely fulfill that want. I was treated to this today. Song were from a different era, with majority of them being sung by that old world singer Mohd. Aziz. This singer can be bugging man, i mean the way he pronounces some sounds like the “R” sound, is downright irritating. Was good reminiscing those days.

Vir Sanghvi is a DUDE!! I mean i am addicted to his writings you can say. His Rude Food article today consisted of a feature on Banoffes. Its basically a pudding containing condensed milk and bananas and some chocolate. The food wasnt anything great to prepare, but Vir’s banter on the origins of that dish, to his analysis of how the dish is made at various places, makes for great reading. I was never much of Food Writing fan, till i started reading Vir Sanghvi’s Rude Food. It was just out of pure boredom, and a determination to finish of all the articles in BRUNCH that i started reading Rude Food, and before i knew it, was instantly hooked onto Food Writing. i have also written my own pieces on food. But nowhere in the league of the great Vir himself. He is one person who has really impressed me and one of the reasons why i want to get into the field of Media.

Ok enough of 2minute blogathon for now. I have to get back to the telly. Germany Vs Spain - The Euro Cup 2008 finals is about to start in 20 mins. I am supporting Germany, i have a weak spot for Germany Ich bein Deustche. Thats one of the sentence that i can remember from my German Class from ILP. I am really hoping that Germany defeat Espaniol. Spain is not to be taken lightly. Devila they say isnt playing, but theyve gt good players in Fabrigas, Torres etc. But German Schweinsteiger is playing all guns blazing. Klose is always a player to look out for. Too bad Ballack isnt playing today, or so i heard from one of my cousin today. Anyways, I’m off for the day.
Go GERMANY!!!

Take Care

Ciao

Today is 28th of June and my last post on this blog was on 9th June. with 20 days’ gap in between i have no right to call myself an ebullient blogger, cos if i was indeed as ebullient as i claim to be, the i would have had a far better frequency of posting on the blog. I dont have anything to say in my defense though, as all excuses according to me are pretty lame excuses. The fact is that i have been very lazy with my postings on this blog. I cant say that i dont get any time to write. I have lotsa time at hand at times. But i dont want to wite because i am quite moody. This aspect will have to change now that i am going to go into a profession where my writing has to be up to the mark and i cant really rely on my mood to finish off articles.

I have grand ideas floating in my head, but they are just that, Ideas. Unless and until i put them into words, there will be no harm in calling them mere hallucinations. I mean how difficult is it to keep aside say 10-15 minutes of the 24 hours for writing something decent?? This is it. From now on, ill try to the 2-minute blogathon atleast twice or thrice a week. The idea is simple. To write something, on any topic, but with some definite inputs from my side. That is how i used to end up composing most of my blog posts back in my engineering days. Just sit blank in front of the PC and strat writing crap, and then ideas used to flow and there was a definite direction to the post. It started randomly but it definitely had a structure and a logical flow.

That dosent mean i will let my mind go into a hibernation mode regarding writing full blown blog posts.  But the 2-minute Blogathon is just a start in a positive direction. I mean theres lots happening around me to atleast spend 2 minutes bantering on it. I am sure 2 minutes is quite small a time, but if i am able to increase that time, then it will surely work to my advantage alone. So the 2 minutes can strech to 20 mins, who knows, like it has now The point is to keep myself in touch with writing constantly. I see the no.of hits on this page being 204, and i havent even told about it to anyone, neither have i used this link on any blogs that i comment. So if i start using this link, that no.of hits figure would surely increase. But before i do that, i want to have some definite dough on this webpage. As it is, i am handling my photoblog on Blogger and another blog on Sulekha. I made this blog to be a kind of a dumping ground where i could post my thought and my ideas which i couldnt on the other 2 blogs, as i follow a definite theme in one - Photography, and have no plan to deter from that theme, whereas, on the othe blog i just post once in a while to improve my writing skills, as most of the bloggers there are really good. Some of them are even published authors. So i only post stuff that i feel is really good, by my standards there.

So with that determination to become the compulsive blogger that i claim to be, i will end this post. Next post will be up tomorrow for sure! Till then,

Take care

Ciao

He is back on TV. Not doing any game show like the other Khans. He’s doing what he does best on the small screen. Advertising. This time he’s advertising Monaco biscuits and Samsung Mobile phones. What a fresh look in both the ads. Vintage Aamir, always adding value to the product with his unique persona. I dont think he has the same look any of the ads he has done since the Thanda Matlab Coca Cola campaign. This helps. Brand recall is instant.

I just caught a glipmse of the Samsung ad  and that too towards the end, so i wont comment on it, till i see the full thing. But the Monaco ads will definitely leave one Laughing Out Loud. The first ad is the “Coach” ad where Aamir Khan and his gang play a prank on their strict coach, thus making him laugh, followed by the tag line. “Life Namkeen Banaiye”. Heres the video.

Next ad is the “Glass” ad. This one is very witty. Group of friends, getting late for the movie and an election rally going on between them and the movie theatre. How they overcome this difficulty. Watch the ad, and its a given that a smile will erupt on your faces

Enjoy!

Take Care

Ciao

I have decided to put down my thoughts on the articles i read in the papers on Sunday. The papers will mostly be Sunday Times of India and Sunday HT. My thoughts may not necessarily be in sync with the articles as such. They will just be thoughts that have some relation to the article. I may switch onto other related issues in the same thread. But all in all its my way of documenting the Sundays Papers.

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Punks and Publicity - Vir Sanghvi (Sundat HT)

Some thugs had attacked Kumar Ketkar’s (Editor of the Marathi daily Loksatta) house to protest against what they thought was a derogatory article on Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Well the premise of the attack was definately faulty and the guys behind the attack just wanted publicity. Its irritating but such events do get coverage and ultimately the nobodies become somebody. If that attacker gives one interview then multiply it by the number of news channels around and its surprising to note how much publicity, irrespective if its negative, the person has gathered. Media is helpless in such matters.

I personally feel that the Media should practise some restraint and not glorify the work of the attacker in such cases. In a country like India, freedom of press is a given, and anyone trying to curb that should be dealt with strictly. The attackers were no representatives of the Marathi culture as they posed to be. Ketkar on the other hand had written a very sensible article regarding the construction of the Rs. 300cr statur os Shivaji in the Arabian sea. that amount of money can be put to such a lot of good and relevant use!

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Why Names Matter - Karan Thapar (Sunday HT)

Changing names of cities has been going on since the last decade. I wont get into the morality of the issue as i feel it is very subjective a matter. I dont have anything against the new name, but i would definitely not like it if someone forces me to use the new name. The way the Shiv Sena have been going around asking institutions to change their names from Bombay to Mumbai, really boils my blood. I mean who the hell are they to impose their thinking on the rest of the city? Shiv Sena which i once respected, has lost all of the respect and I am quite sure many fellow Maharashtrians feel the same way. Its irritating to see them make issues out of nothing. They just want to be in the media limelight. So they come up with gimmicks like renaming institutions from Bombay to Mumbai, Shiv vada pav, i mean we all love vada pav, but just let it be vada pav for gods sake. Please keep politics out of vada pav!

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Messenger in a Bottle - Indrajit Hazra (Sunday HT)

Inflation and rising crude oil prices have finally made the GoI to raise the prices of fuels. Goes without saying that it didnt go down too well with the “aam - junta”. I personally feel that price rise was an inevitable truth. It had to happen someday or the other, in this Govt’s tenure or the next. Denying price tise would be like behaving like the cat who drinks milk with its eyes closed, thinking that no one is seeing her drink the milk. As it is the Oil and Petoleum companies are suffering a loss per litre of petrol/diesel sold. In the long run price rise was a necessity, its may sound too blunt but we have no other option but to bear this price rise scenario. Strikes in cities on this issue really make no sense as the GoI is not going to retract the hiked prices. Strikes just cause the ill feelings to multiply.

Congress UPA govt has caused a lot of irritation to the nation offlate, be it rise in food prices or the delaying in finalising the Indo-Nuclear Deal due to the Left’s petty ideological issues. Civil Nuclear source of power is the need of the hour and i dont see any reason why anyone should be opposing it. It can solve so many power related issues in our country which is growing at an exponential rate. Its gonna need all the raw source of power, and Oil becoming the new gold, its important for India to start looking for other sources of energy to sustain its massive growth.