2007 in review

Disclaimer: This post is an attempt to remind myself of the highs and lows of the year 2007. This presents me a means of reflecting for myself the year that has gone by.


January
Personal
I was working on getting a survey website up and running. We had our TRB conference. I went early to DC, met friends there and attended the conference. Completed my unexpected presentation reasonably well, freaked out with friends in DC and left to Boston. Visited MIT campus in the freezing weather. Caught up with some of my nice friends from IITM and UT. It is always nice to spend time with old buddies. The weather was amazing for a person living in Texas. Incidentally there was snow in Austin too!!

Sports
January started off with India's famous win in South Africa. We lost the series, however the year's most poignant comeback was on cards. Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, whose cricket obituary has been written almost all cricket writers came back and started his dream run! Also at the same time, sehwag started loosing it on th international scene!
Federer won Australian with relative ease. I was all worried abd looking forward to French

February
Personal
My first journal publication was something to really cheer about!!

March
We released the online survey that we developed
The spring break trip to Arkansas was fun with junta from austin and california
Cricket world cup begins. Unfortunately our campaign ended very early

April
Lara retires after a glorious cricket career

May
My travel begins
I visit the Atlantic in Daytona beach followed by a trip to California and Pacific. The California trip was amazing. The drive on US 1, the saravan bhavan food, the hosts..
June
The California trip ended :P
Wimbledon starts. One of the tensest periods of my life begin :P

July
Federer win the "tournament"
loved some great matches.... apart from the final.. soderling Vs Nadal was nice..and many more

August
Nice party and dinner for my b'day
Completed the submissions for TRB and started planning for my trip back home

September
Went to India, had a great time there
Started running long distances abt 6 miles or so
India win T20 competition

October
running improved... registered for a half marathon

November
Completed my race successfully

December
interesting month with lot of fun interspersed with work. One of my closest friends has found the partner. I am so happy for the friend.
Tomorrow I intend to celebrate with lots of drinks :P

Interspersed with all this was some visits by friends from other cities, many interesting conversations on the phone and new friends in austin. All this and my work has made 2007 a significant year in my life.

An important thing thats bothersome

as clearly outline by Raja Mohan

Well a very nice

article by Mukul Kesavan.

I don't know if I feel Yuvraj is that bad a batsman, but Sehwag needs be drafted in for sure!!

Down Under 4

Well, the inevitable has occurred. Australia won the first test comfortably. Their batting, bowling, and fielding were way above the Indian teams performances. The importance of fielding was celarly illustrated in this test match. On a number of occasions the Indian batsmen could not get runs of a good shot and lost their wicket the next ball. In the first innings, Ganguly turned down a two and settled for a single resulting in Yuvraj batting against Clark. Yuvraj was out next ball and Dhoni 2 balls later. In the second innings, Laxman hit a splendid cover drive that was wonderfully fielded by Clarke and the next ball he lobbed a catch to Clarke himself. It is very difficult to field like that. If you add that fielding to such a disciplined bowling attack and splendid batting line-up it next to impossible to beat them.
I will still rei-iterate, India has the team to beat Australia. However, the batting line up needs to be at its best. the only way I see this Australian team defeated is by putting them under pressure. You can do that if you play aggressive cricket and score runs/ or take wickets.

I will wait for Sydney. India needs to find a place for sehwag. He might not click but if he does he can do something no other Indian batsman can do - give Australian bowlers a run for their money. I would love to see a brave decision from Kumble.

Money and Marriage

Disclaimer: These are the personal views of a single desi guy. So, please give it some thought before taking offense

Today an interesting topic of discussion was started regarding money in marriages. I initially didn't even understand why that is an issue. Then I started hearing arguments like "I want to spend my money the way I want to". Well, thats right and you should have that freedom. But what I don't understand was why a couple cannot possess money together and yet maintain their financial freedom. May be I come form an old school, but for me a married couple should always have their money together. Its not his or her money. It is their money. You will spend it when you need to. I believe the individuals would be mature enough to spend responsibly. But, people think it will work only in a perfect marriage. This beats me!! If people can't even manage their money responsibly (and maturely) in a marriage, I can't see them raising a family (with kids I mean)!!

Thats how I am.

PS: I want to make sure here that the couple spend money together (I am not saying the guy should control it !!)

Tare Zameen Par

An amazing movie. Aamir Khan the director has really arrived.
A very well made movie, on a topic that is very relevant to current situation. The emotions were very well captured. The movie with its colors and sceneries is very pleasing and likable to the eye.

Some scenes of the movie were directed towards people who have no information on Dyslexia. The way the movie was directed enhances my respect for aamir khan!!

A nice article by

Arun Shourie

Regarding how many so called secular parties employ vote bank politics to minorities. Applying the same vote bank politics to majority becomes non-secular.

I like the way Shourie thinks. I agree with some of his views in the long article

Down Under 3

India's trip down under is not going according to plan. But i believe the great Indian batting order has a chance for redemption tomorrow. Ponting set India a target o 499 in a little over 2 days. I agree its a fourth innings and it might not be possible to achieve but with the talent in the Indian batting ranks nothing is impossible. As an eternal optimist I will hope for India to play well and win it. If India has to win they will have to bat well into the 5th day. So if I am writing a blog update for the 5th day it mostly will be Indian victory!!

A forthright answer

Geoffrey Boycott was asked on his question show
"Do West Indies have a chance to become the force once they were?"
His answer:
"Its more easier for pigs to fly than West Indies become the force they were"

Forthright isn't it ?

A nice article

lambasting the congress way

Amit Varma

does what he does best - bashing socialist moves of Indira Gandhi
And I think he is right!

Killing Benazir Bhutto

This does not augur well for Pakistan. May be not even for India !!

India Down Under 2

Well, the familiar negative attitude of Indians has resulted in a collapse. The openers played for 30 overs scoring next to nothing. Consider the fact that Hayden and Jacques scored 111 in the first 30 overs it is very clear where we lost the plot. Now it is very difficult for the bowlers, who did such a good job earlier, to put the ball in the right areas. However, the only chance India has in this match is to bowl out Australia and produce a batting display of monumental proportions.

The eternal optimist that I am will wait for tomorrow to unfold to see how it goes!!

India Down Under

India heads to Australia this year with more optimistic chances of achieving something that no Indian cricket team has been able to achieve - a series win. This year could be the last tour for 5 Indian stalwarts - Dravid, Tendulkar, Laxman, Ganguly and Kumble. The Indian team chose to drop Sehwag and decided to let Dravid open with Jaffer. The no 3 position of Dravid is taken by Laxman. The best chance for India would be to win the toss and bat well. With their bowling line up and the pressure of runs they would try to choke Aussie batsman. However, things did not go to plan at toss. Ponting won the toss elected to bat and there was India facing a daunting task. The openers started nervously with Zaheer bowling very well hitting the right line and length. Well, luck was not on our side. The edges did not go to the slips and the batsman were beaten a number of time. The Australian batsmen went to lunch at 111 for no loss. The the match changed on its head. India started the fight back when Kumble picked Jacques. From then on it was kumble show. He bowled very well to get the wickets and was ably supported by Zaheer. Harbhajan was a big disappointment.

Now day 2 has begun and Indian approach is a cautious one. I am not a big fan of wearing down strategy. But, the Indian team manages to get stuck with that strategy a number of times. I hope they will try to do away with that attitude.

But, there is one nice thing about watching Test cricket. It is enthralling and captures my attention so much that I find it difficult to do anything else. I am so tense to watch the Indian batsmen bat its disturbing. But thats what makes the game watchable and enjoyable. Well, now I will get back to cricket.

December

December has flew away very quickly. My professor has asked me to target for my proposal last week of January or first week of February. I worked hard for a good number of days before the weekends started becoming very involving. Lots of Friday discussions extending till dawn.
The discussions always are fun and very enjoyable. What can be better than getting know your friends better. surely I am loving it. I know the time I spent on work has reduced but I hope the time away has provided me with enhanced focus.

We went on a one day trip on monday to Garner State Park. The group was small and the trip was very enjoyable. Watching people you like happy is one of the important ingredients of a trip. The natural beauty and the hills were very pleasant and enjoyable. All the trip party were very sporting and made it through some tough patches of hiking. That made the job of trekking easier and fun. The drives were good. The discussions even more pleasant. The trip what with the pre-night out session and the impulsive trekking of a gorge has left a very pleasant impression.

Today, we went to visit the temple for no reason in particular. May be the trip to God has resulted in the conversation that followed. We started discussing life, its purpose and our perspectives towards conquering it. The different opinions I heard today were so surprising. Everybody in their own way attempt to solve the problem. Some choose company to solve, some think and analyze, some do not allow any time for thought process to start. I am not here to judge and suggest ways to conquering the questions. It is necessary for every individual to ask questions that matter to him/her and answer them on their own. However, talking to friends present you with alternate hypothesis and more importantly it is comforting to learn that people around you thing in similar lines (though varying degrees of extremities).

The important goal seems to be striving for excellence. As long as, the goals are reasonably set based on your abilities there is potential for happiness and contentment. At the end, all that matters is to do things that make you feel contended. I hope the thing I choose to do will lead towards that path!!

I am still planning my year end blog. Lets see how that pans out!!

A nice article

by Mukul

That's what you call a life

A person who lead his life the way he wanted

Time Person of the Year 2007

The Time's person of the year is the Russian President Vladimir Putin. I have always been fascinated by this man. Born into a poor family of no prominent lineage, he has risen through to become the President of a nation in trouble and if the views of people around the world are to be believed has done well. Russia was in tatters when he started off as acting president from Boris Yeltsin. He has been in power now for 8 years and has decided to step down as president sometime next year. He will appoint his loyal chief of staff as the next president ensuring power still stays with him.

Russia under Putin has made progress. From the time when the Soviet bloc collapsed he has taken control of Russia and provided stability. The people of Russia respect him for that as indicated by popularity ratings of 70% or so. His methods might not always be transparent. He does not run a government similar to a an open democracy. His style of functioning is of a clever monarch with contemporary views of the world. He prefers to worry only about Russia and expects the same from super powers. Interference is not something he will tolerate. Unfortunately, this also extends to journalists attempting to find out stories involving corruption. It is widely believed that he has sanctioned the killings of some journalists. Also, freedom of democrats in Russia is very limited. In fact, all opposition to him and his policies are clinically dismantled. Yet people of Russia respect him for what he has done for them. No doubt the rich are getting richer in
Russia and there is widespread corruption, but the life of common has also improved. This has allowed Putin to continue his stronghold. Sure, he is helped by rising oil prices and a fluctuation in oil prices might affect Russian economy.

Youth in Russia love Putin. He is a cult figure for the youth groups. Another interesting aspect is that these youth groups hate USA for meddling or trying to undermine Putin's rule in Russia. Clearly, Putin has managed to capture the hearts of Russians through his verve, energy and pride for Russia. He undertakes anything (i mean it) possible to ensure he is on top of things. How well is he succeeding!!

A Mighty Heart

Just watched the movie "A Mighty Heart"
The movie is about an American journalist kidnapped in Karachi. The scenes of the movie highlight a very important but concerning issue for Pakistan (or any Islamic country) in general. It is clear that there is clearly a huge support (surreptitious or otherwise) for Islamic Jihad related groups. What is surprising is to see how this support runs across people irrespective of the education levels. You would have expected the less educated to be involved. But to see well educated (most of them in the West) individuals so whole-heartedly support these extremist organizations is a growing concern. The issue is no longer only relevant to the United States of America. There are enough instances of violence sparked of by Islamic organizations all over the world. America is not helping matters by their cold attitude towards jihadis or Islam in general.

Lets see what the future holds!!

Somehow I agree with

Sambit Pal

Another nite out conversation

Typical random discussion for 6-7 hours. nothing important, and at the same time nothing relevant to life, state, language, religion, country were left out. It was fun for sure !

It is interesting to see 4 people with such different perspectives argue vehemently and everybody thinks why the others can't see his/her point. Thats life I guess.

The discussion veered towards personal relationships and I realized all I want is a person who is exactly similar to _____. I have changed as a person in the last 2-3 years and that has affected my choice too. So, at this point I am not really sure what I want. May be time will come to my rescue again as it has done so many times before!!

anyway, now its time to move on to work

A very interesting

perspective by Amit Varma

Very nice video

Hilarious one there

by Shoba

Catch me if you can

Good movie !!

Very good point

Amit Varma describes why subsidizing art is not the way to go

Unbelievable suggestion

An excerpt from a blog on the potential gift for the first marriage anniversary

So yesterday evening I am sitting hunched over the laptop wondering what to get the wife on the soon-to-be-here first wedding anniversary.

While I may be tall, dark, handsome, have immaculate chest hair and nearly odourless sweat, gifting has never been a strength of mine. I
suck at it. And when it comes to gifting women I take that sucking to plunging depths. So, in a moment of weakness, I asked Arty Lady for a anniversary surprise idea.

The mystery is this. She doesn’t even pause to think. It’s as if her brains has ideas for any possible scenario just cached in somewhere.

Without as much as a pause to suck in air she launches into the description of a plan unlike any I have heard before:

“Sidin what you do is this. First I will give you the number of a friend. He is a broker for elephants and other trained animals. You

book a nice big elephant for your anniversary day. You then rent a good Indian prince type Sherwani. You dress up, take the elephant, go to her office and wait with the animal till she comes outside after work. Then you pick her up and begin a slow yet extremely regal elephant ride to South Mumbai. On the way you can stop at a cafe or something and share a coffee of some kind. Leave the elephant prominently outside. You must have booked a table at the TAJ for dinner obviously. Then you take the animal right upto the entrance of the TAJ. The valet’s face! The idea is to give the woman an experience she will never ever forget for the rest of her life. Awesome no?”

I paused for a second in order to retract chin and a lion’s share of tongue from the floor.

“Yes. Yes. Awesome. Awesome. Elephant. Awesome. Very good. Give me that bottle of water please…”

“What were you planning Sid?”

“Handbag…”

Marriage

Seems like marriage is the buzz word among people around me. The spirit has rubbed some enthusiasm on me too. So, what do I do? Start thinking about things that might take place about 4 (or may be 3) years from now. Well, I have to admit thinking about such stuff is very pleasant and makes you feel good. Slowly but surely I am getting ready to move on in life. Hopefully another person is also feeling the same way.

Another year comes to an end

I think this will be the 4th new year after I started blogging. I have started writing an year end summary for the first time last year. I intend to continue doing that this year. This way I can recollect my year and the highs and lows!!
It shall take some time. I will need lots of small breaks from work. So each break I can cover a week :P

A very good post

on individuals freedom by Shruthi

A very nice post

on sportsmen (including viru) !!

You have to agee with Sambit Bal

about Ganguly

I can't agree more

with Ian Chappel

The Mist

Please do not watch "The Mist" by Stephen King. It was pathetic to put it mildly

Ganguly

Well, for a man dropped at the age of 35 he is comeback and showed how good he is. Today he finally scored a Double hundred, considered an important mark for a good batsman. Its good to see the smile back and he deserves a lot of credit for the fight and hard work that went into his comeback. I always liked Ganguly as a captain. Now i seem to enjoy his fightback too!!

My Phd

I met my prof today. I was describing the "progress" I made in my dissertation. He looks at me for a second and tells me you should proposes by January last week or latest by February first week. The nice obedient student that I am I agree. Yes, so its decided, the second test of my PhD will be in January/February next year. Well I hope I can do a decent work towards that day!

Why free speech needs to be free

a nice article by Amit Varma

Interesting quote

"In India there are two things you don't do - argue with your wife or the media "

Well, I guess its true

Running

Looks like I screwed my knee temporarily.
I have the Runners Knee (Inflammation of the Illiotibial band -ITB)
started so as to run 15 miles and once I did close to 10 miles my knee just locked itself :(
So will have to rest my knee and should be more careful warming up!!

Very nice article

by raja baradwaj