Finally some sense

comes to life among cricketing fraternity

Bhogle expresses himself

on the sledging issue

Can't agree more with

Peter on this one

An interesting article on

how populist budgets never work.
The irony is the finance ministers never seem to learn

Seriously?

"The players are annoyed that Cricket Australia
continues to kowtow to a constantly threatening and whining Board of
Control for Cricket in India despite India maintaining its reputation
as the worst behaved team in the world."

Indian team the worst behaved? dude give me a break!!

Well, if you choose to ignore that every cricket team behaves badly only against Australia. There is a pattern there which clearly shows who are the bad boys of cricket. If you can't see that then I agree Indian team is the worst behaved.

I am in a fix

with regards to my career options. I have to decide soon !!

The background

makes it appealing to like this guy

Hmm

May be Martin Williamson is right in suggesting that Ryder should have changed by now!!

A nice article

on how Munaf totally lost it and the need to address it

Sidney Poitier

An amazing speech on receiving an honorary Oscar to Sidney Poitier

Quote!!

"Hillary’s like an old aunty trying to wiggle her hips as the DJ wonders how she got into this club. Poor thing." -- Amit Varma

This is true to some extent

The argument that this money would be better spent on other sports is
bogus. If you feel Indian football should get more attention than
Indian cricket, then here’s what you should do about it: Go out there
and watch some local football games. Put your money where your mouth
is. If you contribute your eyeballs, advertisers will open their
chequebooks. If other sports don’t have a following in India, it is not
because people don’t put money into them - it is the other way around."

from Amit Varma

A cool article

looking at Australian's in the IPL.

A stirring

article on the IPL and the money involved

It surely is a sorry state of affairs

the article highlights the critical fund shortage for Olympic contingents while IPL has tonnes of it.

Democrats

Well, the democratic party really looks more like a socialist party than anything else. The way they talk about increasing taxes for companies that outsource is really ridiculous!!

Anyway, lets see how it goes!!

Interesting piece

on BJP

An interesting take

on smoking in movies.

Its a well written article and there is some truth to it !!

Vir Sanghvi's take

on Woody Allen.
Man! people get paid to write such stuff. I wish I could make some money this way.

Geoffrey has good things

to say about Garfield Sobers

A good article identifying

what is lacking in our educational system

This guy is something

Greatbong takes a dig at Akbar and guess what it is hilarious

Pulp Fiction

I finally watched the very famous "Pulp Fiction". Was surely a different movie! I am surprised at the way the movie trivializes life in some aspects and looks into the very philosophical angles simultaneously.

Looks like even UK is becoming concerned

about the immigrants

A very nice

self auto-biography and also inspirational

Sacrifice

I have a weird funda in life. During my life at IITM, it took me time to realize all is not settled once you are in IIT. I was told for 2 years that once you get through JEE life is set. I honestly believed it. In fact, I believed it so sincerely that I did not do anything in my first year and received many jolts. But slowly but surely i found my footing and started realizing what it is needed to be done. Then I think it was in my 4th sem when I was starting to study relatively decently. Also, things in my hostel were looking good. I had a shot at playing volley too (if I put in the time). Then I decided to leave that and concentrate on my acads. I have always thought about that decision. I still feel it was right. Because without that decision life would have been different after IIT. I would not have liked that. I agree IITM is the most happy 4 years in my life. However, to squeeze in more happiness and drain it out of my remainder of the life would not be right!!

Anyway... now I made up for the lost time in sports with my marathon and boy am I happy

IPL

Amazing amounts of money involved in the league. The thought of such money is somehow scary. Lets see some hot picks.
Dhoni 1.5 million,
Symonds 1.3 million,
Jayasurya 0.975 million,
Ishant 0.95 million (yes, he is the 19 year old guy!!)

I have to admit there is sometimes very little logic in the way things have panned out. Especially with some other players receiving very little. Indian players as expected were expensive. So were the Aussie blokes. Among other notable players that were expensive include Kallis for 900k. However Ntini went for 200k surprisingly!!

Lets see how the games pan out!!

This is scary

My horoscope
"You are skilled at making everything look good on the surface, but something isn't quite right behind the scenes. It feels as if the truth
keeps slipping away from you just as you get closer to it. Don't think that your approach is the only possible way. Only time will tell which
path makes the most sense for you"

This is surely something

Viv, the gum chewing, Richards
"Richards was also reputed to be the perpetrator of one of the more
visual sledges in the game's history. "It's red, round and weighs about
five ounces," said Glamorgan's Greg Thomas after beating him outside
off stump a couple of times. "You know what it looks like. Now go and
fetch it," retorted Sir Viv, as the very next ball sailed into
Somerset's River Tone."
Simply stunning to say the least.

Full article, a must read here

Its so true

"It's a little sad, but I can't go to the supermarket and say that my name is Tino Best, I bowl at 90 miles an hour, I want $400 in groceries."

So that's why Tino Best joined the Indian Cricket League."

Ain't it?

This surely is

ridiculous.
I simply cannot see how players like Uthappa, Sharma can be picked ahead of Sehwag!!

Interesting

"If a man tonight falsely assures a woman of his undying love only to
score with her, we rightly regard him as a sleazeball. But when
politicians do essentially the same thing, save on a much larger scale,
we call them “public servants” and treat them as our saviors. Very
strange."

Don Boudreaux in reference to politics

Link via Amit Varma

Some food for thought

here for the next general election in India

Good to see this

progress

A really interesting name

from one of the members of the U19 India squad
Napoleon Einstein

My achievement

I finally achieved something, apart from my academics (though they are not much). Today I successfully completed the austin marathon. Yes, 26.2 miles and all. It was an amazing feeling. The run itself was lots of fun. The people were awesome. The jokes, their encouragement makes you feel its easier to run. Of course, the young kids offering water and words of encouragement were highlights. There was even more special thing. A old lady of 75 years was out cheering each runner with names. It made me real happy.
The last 4-5 miles was pretty cool with my friends coming out to run/walk with me. I should thank them for making my last part pretty easy!!
The feeling is yet to sink in. But hopefully pretty soon it will.

How ridiculous can this get?

Stamps with all these people

I think i got

my answer. It does relieve some pressure!!

Another small town boy makes it big

on the Indian cricket scene in the form of RP. Good for India and cricket

The question keeps

popping up. Ok, today I decided I will give it time. If the question continues to pop up beyond June may be I will do something about it.

Can't people realize

that free availability of guns is a reason for this shooting incident

A good point is raised

by Vir Sanghvi on the racism issue.

This should make me (a pure middle class person) feel angry

at the way Sobha Narayan flaunts but there is something in the way she writes that makes it very readable and enjoyable

Typical Srinath

"Right now, he is probably the best bowler in the world."
Former Indian fast bowler Javagal Srinath rates Ishant Sharma, the rookie pacer

There would be hundreds of thousands people

like this coming to Mumbai to make a living only to terrorized by some dumbf***

Hmmmm

an interesting one

Why can't people respect

the feelings of others or in this case their fundamental rights. I just don't understand why the guys who encourage such stuff are not legally dealt with!!

I mean many people might not like Valentine's day. So they all don't go out burning cards and knocking down people. To see that this happens in a democratic country is utter bull****

The Indian Captian

talks to Sambit Bal.

My admiration for Kumble only increases daily.

The only day

where I feel good that I am single. Because I don't have to follow the meaningless things that are associated with the day (V day).
Well, I know you are saying "Sour Grapes".

The best captain?

In the last 10 years, I would agree that Fleming was the most astute captain (especially with the team he had!!)
A tribute

A very good captain retires

Stephen Fleming bids adieu to cricket

No comments

My horoscope for the day
"A picture may be worth a thousand words, but an action is even more expressive. Don't restrain yourself today, for this Valentine's Day is
about putting on a show that someone special will remember for a long time. But grandiose gestures won't make up for disingenuousness. Speak from your heart in all that you do."

Halla Bol

A very good subject. I would not say it was very well directed or made but the story is good enough for me to appreciate it. I liked it a lot. The internal conflict between an individual's life and his role as a member of the society were well displayed. As usual, I liked Ajay Devagan's performance. There might be issue with exact details of how the movie was handled but overall its a very good one!

It makes you angry

to see such things 1, 2, 3 happen

Amit varma at his

hilarious best

A nice comment on the

system in place for the democrats in the candidate race

Very good to see this

change in the Indian financial scale.

What wouldn't I give to get hands on that data set and do a more detailed analysis of the data. I think I should start looking at how I cna get hold of that data.

A fat bloke on the cricketing scene

These guys are written off even before they start. So it would have taken a lot of courage and determination to make it to an International side. I appreciate the effort. There is a new kid on the block - Jesse Ryder. Today he announced his coming by destroying England. Well played!!

My first cup

Well, there is always a time for it. I got it today in my driving test.
Hope to fare better in the future!!

A nice article on

political situation in India

I drove on the highway

Finally I did drive on a highway in the US. It was great.

The training sessions are going good. So, hopefully sometime soon I will get my license!!

Who does he think he is

Dumb*** !!
This kind of regionist fervor is atrocious and ridiculous.

Jim Laker

He must have been something

cricinfo yesteryear tribute
"Birth of one of England's greatest spinners. Jim Laker's signature moment was those 19 wickets against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956
- the greatest innings and match figures in Test history (the latter is a first-class record too). Australia can't say they weren't warned:
Laker took all ten against them for Surrey in a tour match earlier that summer. A modest and revered character, he took 46 wickets at 9.60 each in the five Ashes Tests of 1956. And in a Test trial at Bradford in 1950, Laker returned the staggering figures of 14-12-2-8 - and one of
those runs was a gentle one off the mark for his Surrey team-mate Eric Bedser. The Rest of England were bowled out for 27. Laker later became a BBC commentator before dying in Putney in 1986."

This is something

Feelings that were tying your nerves in knots may be released dramatically today. It's time for you to breathe a deep sigh of relief as you are set free from an impossible situation. Taking responsibility for your life is surely a step in the right direction, but it doesn't mean that you can avoid serious long-term issues. Graciously accept what's on your plate while you work to improve your position.

The Aviator

Was a very very different movie. I was stunned by the way it was directed. Martin Scorcesse does a great job of giving life to a very eccentric guy on screen. And coming to the character Howard Hughes, Boy is he something! Very good performance by DiCaprio too!!

Listen to the words

of Richi benaud at the end.

An article on one of

my favorite cricket player

It was a pity it had to end that way

Am I really doing this?

I just can't believe it !!

Dude wake up !!

A more appropriate reason for

Andrew Symonds getting what he gets

I don't know much about racism and stuff like that because being in India where everybody is of the same color (race or whatever) we do not generally experience racism. I don't know a lot about racism and the associated slurs for the same reason. So, when there were monkey chants going on in India to mock (or humiliate) Symonds I had a good laugh until I heard the supposed racial implications. I never knew that the chants were racially motivated. I consider myself a well educated cricket fan. So, if I did not know about it there is a very good chance most Indians (not all) who participated in the chanting did not know the first time it was done. However, when it was so publicized people got to doing it intentionally because it got Symonds angry. Thats all they wanted. I don't condone it. But I still feel things have been blown way out of proportion.

Anyway.. the article clearly points out why symonds got what he got

Also, if you go ahead and mouth off to a brown man and are afraid of getting abused racially you better shut your bloody mouth in the first place. As far as my logic goes, as long as you don't give me shit I will be silent but when I am provocated for no reason I don't see anything wrong in whatever I say. If you are so easily offended by my words you shouldn't come and give me shit is all I ask for! I have listened to many Australians saying there is no place for racist comments. First and foremost there is no place for expletives to batsman unnecessarily. So talk to Symonds and cool him before talking about others behavior.

I don't support racist comments. But if you go and start mouthing off to people without any reason you sure are likely to get back something that will make you sad. So use your brain and shut your mouth please!

Two India trips in 3-4 months

Hmm... That will be something financially!!

Lets see!!

Am I really considering this?

Or is it that stage where everything you do just makes you feel that it might be the way to go!!

If the funda is really correct

French surely know how to get the most out of their politicians

A weird peice on

love

Six hitters

interesting stories of six hitters

Well

When I was doing my literature search I typed this in Google "activity location choice analysis". Nothing weird in that I believe. However the fourth link on my search results is "A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS OF SERIAL MURDERERS' DISPOSAL SITE.." and the subsequent link take you here

I was shocked is all i can say

Siddhartha

A very nice read. It is a wonderful book.
There is something about the book that is very appealing. I have always thought every individual faces life alone and fights with it also alone. You can learn from others but beyond a point it is for you to live life. The book clearly highlights this. The fact that it strengthens my belief, it appealed to me.

I am happy I read this one!

What a ridiculous guide

to scoring a date on Vday!!

Amazing article

highlighting aussie hypocrisy and what not!!

Is this what I want

Off late this is a question that is coming to me very often. There are times when I am not sure what I want to do in life. I am currently writing my dissertation proposal. As of now it is lot of hard work. It involves writing which I am not all that comfortable with. I hope that experience will make me better at that. However, looking into the future if I got to spend more time writing than working on problems, I am not very sure if that is what I want to do. Another question that comes up is what use is the publication of all these papers that you work on. I mean I want to see something used in practice. But that is something I am not so sure.

May be it is because I am not good enough that I am searching for reasons for not raising to that level. But still I feel I am genuinely concerned about what I will feel like if after 20 years of similar work I realize that its not a very good way of leading my life. I don't know what I need to do.

Anyway life shall move on!!

God of Small Things

In some sections the book was very good. But in most sections I felt the description was too elaborate and gross even. But overall the book is readable because of the way story shuffles in time. The connection of various episodes in time was very well handled. However, I have a complaint against Indian booker winning authors. Take a common prejudice from the past. Set it in rural India with a educated family in the center and show the surroundings in very very poor light (people filled with prejudices and out there to get liberal minded people). You have a book that the westerners will lap up!!

Anyway, I don't appreciate that stuff so much! may be because I think we have moved on from there and such writing is giving a very poor representation of the new India. May be!

All those journalists complaining about

India flexing its muscle to reduce Harbhajan's ban should answer this first.
Jagdish makes a very nice case of referees letting Australians go off easily!!

T20

What a match it was!!

The moment Sehwag got run out it was over. It was foolish to rest Tendulkar when Yuvraj was not playing. So what did we have in the batting line-up. A bunch of new comers who have played less than 25 one-days. Thats not how you choose a team. You could see there was not even one guy who used his brain. May be they didn't have one!

Anyway, I wasted 3 hours on a stupid match.

I will go on record and say "I do not like Dhoni's captaincy". The Australian series might lead to some changes there.

I have also rated Sehwag as very good captaincy material (not that my rating makes an iota of difference!!). Now that Kumble has been made the Test captain, I will wait for the day when Viru will become one!!