Atah

Dhoom !!!!

2006-12-18T09:51:00.000-08:00


Cricket: This is Sreesanth, of India, responding to Andre (the Giant) Nel of South Africa by scoring a six and..... (more)

Vande Mataram

2006-09-06T11:19:00.000-07:00

Vande Mataram - A hundred years, a hundred tunes!!

Written by "Akshay Navami" Bankimchandra Chatterjee" in 1875, Vande Mataram is more than a Hundred years old. Around 1870, the British rulers were trying hard to force their anthem, God Save the Queen, on Indians. This made a deep impact on Bankimchandra’s sensitive mind, and he wrote Vande Mataram in one sitting, in a mood that must be called transcendental. He wrote the song as a prayer in which the nation 'Bharat' was described as 'The Mother'. The song was later included in his novel Anandmath, which was published serially in his magazine Bangdarshan during 1880-1882.

The song remained in the novel Anandmath until it was sung by Rabindranath Tagore at Beadon Square in the 1896 convention of the Indian National Congress. It soon became part of a tradition after that. In 1905, large crowd gathered at a town hall in Calcutta to protest against the partition of Bengal, and someone from the crowd shouted Vande Mataram. It became a very popular slogan overnight. It crossed the boundaries of Bengal and spread all over the country like a flame. Soon the British administration banned the songs and the very slogan Vande Mataram.

Unfortunately this great song has been bereft with controversy. Why do Muslims object to singing of Vande Mataram? What does Vande Mataram have that hurts their sentiments? Vande Mataram as we know it is not the complete song. Originally it has 5 stanzas. In the following stanzas, the song praises the motherland as godess Kali, Durga and Laxmi. It is this equation of the country with Hindu goddesses that seems to irk some of the muslims. From the early 30's itself only the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram are sung. In all the texts subsequently only this abridged version is written. I guess not many of this generation even know about the rest of the stanzas of Vande Mataram. In light of this, I don't think muslims or anyone else should consider Vande Mataram to hurt their sentiments. It is our national song; we should take pride in singing it. It has a legacy, a legacy of hundreds of people, Hindus and Muslims, who have laid their lives hand in hand shouting this slogan. It is a mantra which has given us our freedom.

The following is the English translation of Vande Mataram by Sri Aurbindo:

Mother, I bow to thee!
Rich with thy hurrying streams,
bright with orchard gleams,
Cool with thy winds of delight,
Green fields waving Mother of might,
Mother free.
Glory of moonlight dreams,
Over thy branches and lordly streams,
Clad in thy blossoming trees,
Mother, giver of ease
Laughing low and sweet!
Mother I kiss thy feet,
Speaker sweet and low!
Mother, to thee I bow.

I feel proud when I hear this song. I feel humble when I hear this song. I feel respectful when I hear this song. Vande Mataram !

Shed a Tear!!

2006-08-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Cabinet's given its nod for the reservation for the OBCs in IIMs,IITs,AIIMS etc. It is so sad to see that there is no single political party, who can stand up against the reservation bill! Shed a Tear! it is a Black day for India!

The Motorcycle Diaries

2006-08-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

What made Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Che Guevara? What made a MD student specializing in Leprosy a Revolutionary? Che Guevara denotes a popular icon symbolyzing revolution and left wing political ideals throughtout the world. Was Che born a hero, a legend, a revolutionary?

A 13,240Km journey lasting eight months from Argentina through Chile, Peru and Columbia to Venezuela on 500cc a Motorcycle (named La Poderosa - The Mighty One), hitch hiking, trekking and on a raft! Thats what made Che Guevara.

The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta in Spanish) is an autobiographical book by Che Guevara about his travels through South America with his friend Alberto Granado on a 1939 Norton 500 motorcycle. Born into an aristocratic family, this was Guevara's first expedition around Latin America. In the book, he details the role and life of the indigenous peasantry throughout Latin America, including mine workers and persecuted communists fleeing their homes.

Based on the above the movie (of the same title) has been a facinating watch. Having read about Che and his history, his role in Cuban Revolution and later exploits in Bolivia and Congo, it was a wonderful experience to get a glimpse of Ernasto "Fuser" Guevara. The movie rather being political, sticks to the journey and Guevara and Alberto's experience. It brings out the the emotions which they must have felt as the saw the rift between the rich and the poor, poverty and sickness of lower classes, exploitation of Mine Workers, the plight of leprosy patients and their segragation from society by placing them on other side of river. The tagline of the movie Let the world change you and you can change the world is so apt.

The wonderful screenplay depicting the beauty of Latin America or the excitement of a great travel or a Che fan! You can have any or all the reasons to watch this beautiful movie.

Trivia: Cuba's National newspaper Granma is named after the yatch used to transport Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries to Cuba, named Granma!

A Thin Dark Line

2006-08-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

She has discovered the brutal murder of her friend Pam Bichon. She is a Sheriff's Deputy, Annie Brussard. The accused, whom the whole town believes to be the murderer, is released by the court on a technical legality. After the trial when the victim's father Hunter Davidson loses his control and tries to take a shot at the accused Marcus Renard, Annie overpowers Davidson and prevents him from killing Renard.

He is the detective in-charge of the case, with a in-famous past who has been accused of planting evidence. Detective Nick Fourcade has one too many that night and is not able to control his rage. He believes that he is right and Renard is the murderer, stalks Renard and beats him up as Renard is leaving his office. Annie just happens to be there and stops Fourcade from killing Renard and arrests him.

A partner in an architectural firm, a man described as shy and one to keep to himself, Marcus Renard takes a fancy for Annie. She calls her his angel who has saved his life twice in a day. A brother who suffers from autism, a mother who

Having arrested one of their own, broken the unwritten, unspoken but clearly understood code of Brotherhood among the Law officials, Annie now has to face the wrath of all her colleagues including the sheriff. She is taken off from Patrol duty. She has no one to turn to!

Pam was her friend! She had discovered her body. She had promised Pam's daughter Josie that she will find her mother's murderer. Now off the case and off Patrol duty, she is despondent. An unexpected ally in Nick Fourcade, against whom she has to testify, an unwanted admirer Marcus Renard, who starts giving her presents and meeting her the way he did with Pam, Annie needs to stay focused and solve the case on her own. A series of Rapes occur within a week. Who is this Rapist and is he Pam's murderer? Donnie, Pam's husband whom Pam was going to divorce is a suspect too!

It is a A Thin Dark Line. If she crosses it, there is no turning back. A novel full of mystery and suspense, it has you gripped till the last chapter where you have an unexpected surprise. Enjoy Reading :)

Take a Walk on the Dark Side

2006-07-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

AC/DC - Does it stand for "Anti-Christ/Devil's Children" or "Anti-Christ" or "After Christ the Devil Comes!" or the more normal expansion "Alternating Current/Direct Current" ?
The Lightning bolt between the lettering in AC/DC, what does that represent ? Does it re-enforce the insignia or does it represent the Satanic S, that of the hated Nazi's SS?
A number of AC/DC's songs seemed to hint at an alliance with the dark powers. The cover of the hit song Highway to Hell has Angus Young wearing a schoolboy uniform with Devil Horns and holding a Forked Tail, staring wickedly into the Camera!
Did you know that the song "Highway to Hell" was used as a "secret weapon" by the United States Armed Forced in their invasion of Panama in January 1989. The US troops played the AC/DC anthem at full volume to help hasten the surrender of Panamanian Manuel Noriega, who was hiding at Panama's Vatican Embassy!

Are there Really hidden Messages in Rock Songs ?
In the album "The Wall" by Pink Floyd a track is found when played backwards. The track is found at the beginning of "Empty Spaced", just after fade out of "Goodbye Blue Sky". When the track is reversed, the listener can hear a voice stating "Congratulations. You have just discovered the secret message. Please send your answer to Old Pink, care of the Funny farm, Chaford.". Does Old Pink here refer to the founder member Syd Barret? Does funny farm refer to a mental asylum where Barret was for sometime?

Take a Walk on the Dark Side by Gary Patterson uncovers some of rock and rolls most celebrated unsolved murders, tragic deaths, bizarre twists of irony, and decades-long streaks of bad luck that defied rational explanation. With Chapters like Waiting at the Crossroads (where Robert Johnson made his pact with the Devil), The Buddy Holly Curse (Rock n Rolls first tragedy), "Sympathy for the Devil (the Satanic Church and its influence on Rock n Roll) and much more, this book is a hair-raising experience through the Rock n Roll Myths, Legends and Curses.

Enjoy reading :)
P.S: How do I listen to the reversed track when I have the song on a CD ?

Redline Rumble

2006-06-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

Fast Cars -- Highway Races -- Police -- Winner Gets All !!!
Redline Rumble is all about the above. Reminds me of Need for Speed.

You start off with a single car, as you win races the car you have beaten becomes yours. As the you start racing the advanced level cars, the traffic on the Highway increases and so also the Police comes into the game. You need to hide from the police by taking your car under a truck. If you fail to do so you need to escape from the police or your car will be impounded. There are 8 cars to win. The last two cars have Nitro Boosters which give a real zip to the speed. Enjoy the game!!

The Cancer Survivor

2006-06-05T01:02:00.000-07:00

I want to die at a hundred years old with an American flag on my back and the star of Texas on my helmet, after screaming down an Alpine descent on a bicycle at 75 miles per hour. I want to cross one last finish line as my stud wife and my ten children applaud, and then I want to lie down in a field of those famous French sunflowers and gracefully expire, the perfect contradiction to my once anticipated poignant early demise. - Lance Armstrong in It's Not About the Bike

Rick Price, Ph.D in Cultural Geography, begins his review of Lance Armstrong's autobiography "Its Not About the Bike: My Journey back to Life" as :
Anyone who makes the long and difficult journey to the winner's podium at the Tour de France has a story to tell. A good writer can probably make it an interesting story, too. But to win the Tour de France after traveling to the brink of death, undergoing debilitating cancer treatments, and having your physique (and your psyche) reduced to a shadow of its former self is nothing less than astounding.

Auto-biographies of celebrities, especially sportsmen are always inspiring reads. But the Lance Armstrong story is the story of a journey from inauspicious beginnings through triumph, tragedy, transformation and transcendence. Written after his first Tour de France triumph in 1999, the book inspires awe. It gives you an insight into the story of a boy born to a seventeen year old high school girl who almost single handedly raised her son. Swimming at young age and later competing in triathlons at the age of sixteen, Lance Armstrong's VO2 max(a measure of ability of heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to rest of the body) reading was taken and it was discovered that it was the highest reading that had been recorded in that lab. A spotting by a cycling coach, training with the junior US National Team and subsequent trip to Moscow for the Junior World championships saw a permanent shift from triathlon to cycling.

In 1996 when Lance Armstrong was the World No 1 Cyclist, he was diagnosed with third stage testicular cancer which had metastasized to his brain and lungs. The book goes into those trying days when the doctors had given him very slim chances of survival. The Operations, the chemo, the road to recovery, the insecurities about cycling again, the mixed comeback, the decision to race in the Tour, the practice, the Tour and the victory! The first hand account of all this is what you get in the book.

On 31st May 06, Lance Armstrong was cleared of doping allegations that he had used performance enhancing drugs in the 1999 Tour de France. After six long years the "witch hunt" as Lance called it has finally ended with his name being cleared. Having won his record seventh Tour de France this year, Lance has retired from professional cycling and is devoting his time to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. LAF's mission is to inspire and empower people affected by cancer.

Details about the Book: Its Not about the Bike
Lance Armstrong Website
Lance Armstrong Foundation Website

Ronaldinhooo

2006-05-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Fever is catching. A friend of mine who has come down from Sweden tells me that whole of Europe is going crazy. With just over two weeks left for the greatest sports carnival, it is but obvious that the beautiful game of Football grips everybody all over the world.

Players - Teams - Coaches - Venues - Fans - Hooligans - Football World Cup 2006.
Here's a nice video of Ronaldinho, definately the player to watch out for and one of the fore runner for the Golden Boots.

Enjoy

What a Shame

2006-05-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

"No doubt there has been social injustice for a majority of the people in our country. It has to be set right. We already have reservation for scheduled castes (SC) and scheduled tribes (ST). Expanding it is not the right solution. The long-term solution is to spend more money to make them (the deprived children) more competitive and market worthy. Reservation is not the solution." - Infosys Technologies chairman and chief mentor Mr. Narayana Murthy.

At a time when India has one of its greatest President, a man who has been able to achieve everything in his life through Merit, if the UPA govt's proposal to increase reservation in higher education passes, it would be very very shameful for all India. Please sign this online petition against the Reservation Policy, if you have not done so already.

The Das Munshi Code

2006-05-17T00:26:00.000-07:00

No! The title of this post is not a typo! It is "The Das Munshi Code". This is a tribute to the absolute brilliance of the man Mr Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting. Mr Dasmunshi has directed the Central Board of Film Certification not to clear the move "The Da Vinci Code". He has hinted that he was aware of a political conspiracy to destabilize the Government by creating a controversy over the film.

How could Mr Dasmunshi find out that a deep rooted conspiracy was at play behind this movie? Definitely there is a traitor around who has leaked the information. Or maybe Mr Dasmunshi is brilliance personified, that he could look through such a closely guarded secret. I guess it is okay now to let the cat out of the bag. Yes there is a conspiracy at play. Let me outline to you how the conspiracy was hatched to destabilize the UPA government, who the key players were, how it was executed.

The Conspiracy
In 2002 itself the NDA government knew that they would not come back to power in the 2004 general elections. No matter how much India Shone, no matter how well Indian Economy performed, no matter what alliances they made, they were doomed. Having accepted this as a fact, the top leaders of NDA decided that if they were going to loose power, then they should have a plan which will destabilize the Congress led govt that would come to power. The task of making and executing such a plan was given to the GenNext of BJP. At that time the most illuminating leader in BJP GenNext was Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Modi was given this highly daunting task. Being a religious zealot, Modi decided that such a plan had to involve religion. Over the next 3 months there were lot many high power candlestine meetings. Leaders of Sangh Parivar were consulted, Vishwa Hindu Parishad was roped in for support, Shiv Sena had already pledged moral and material support.

After lot of deliberations everybody agreed on the plan. To find an author who would write a book which will create ripples through the Christian world. Once the book is immensely popular, pursue a big time director and actor to make a movie out of it. As such a movie would hurt the sentiments of the Christians in India, it would create an uncomfortable situation for the UPA govt. The ensuing uproar over the release of movie would destabilize the Congress (Sonia) led government. This was the grand plan of the conspirators. This is the real story behind The Da Vinci Code. And they almost got away with it! But what they did not anticipate was the wily Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, who with is shrewd brain saw through the whole conspiracy and is now withholding the release of this movie.

Sounds absurd? Well it can't be more absurd than Mr Dasmunshi hinting that he was aware of a political conspiracy to destabilize the Government by creating a controversy over the film! Well my dear friends its all about scoring brownie points! Don't understand ? What I mean is its all about winning favors, looking good in high commands eyes, isn't it?

Mr Dasmunshi does not stop there! He lets us on another great accomplishment of his. He said a cautious approach was the best towards controversial films. He said he cleared `Rang De Basanti' after viewing it five times!!! FIVE TIMES ? Well I can infer two reasons why Mr Dasmunshi had to see the movie five times. It could be because he didn't understand it the first four times. But we have already established that he is a very shrewd and wily character with loads of brains (after all he saw through the BJP-Sangh-VHP-Shiv Sena conspiracy ;) ), so the other reason could be that he liked it so much that he saw it again and again and again ....

What do you think ?

5 Pledges for the Earth!

2006-04-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

Since 1970, April 22nd is observed as the Earth Day. On this 37th Earth Day I make five pledges. Hope you would also do the same.

I will Not leave the water running. Turn off the water when brushing teeth or washing car as Fresh water is one of the most precious natural resources.

I will Switch off the lights whenever I leave the room.Power plants burn fuels to create energy. Burning fuel makes carbon dioxide that adds to global warming. The less energy used the less needed to make.

I will Print on both sides of the page at work. Use half the paper, Save Trees!

I will Turn off the Monitor everytime I leave my computer A monitor left on overnight uses enough energy to print 5,300 pages.

I will Use Re-Cycled Paper items and Energy Conserving Appliances. Re-Cycled paper items means no more trees have been cut.

Classic Football Quotes

2006-04-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

The Football World Cup 2006 is round the corner and the excitement is surely building up. On the field the players definately entertain us, but sometimes they do the job excelently off the field too. Here's a list of quotes by some of our favourite players, just for your entertainment :)

"My parents have been there for me, ever since I was about 7."
David Beckham

"I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league." Mark Viduka

"Alex Ferguson is the best manager I've ever had at this level. Well, he's the only manager I've actually had at this level. But he's the best manager I've ever had." David Beckham

"If you don't believe you can win, there is no point in getting out of bed at the end of the day." Neville Southall

"I've had 14 bookings this season - 8 of which were my fault, but 7 of which were disputable." Paul Gascoigne

"I've never wanted to leave. I'm here for the rest of my life, and hopefully after that as well." Alan Shearer

"I'd like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona." Mark Draper

"You've got to believe that you're going to win, and I believe we'll win the World Cup until the final whistle blows and we're knocked out." Peter Shilton

"I faxed a transfer request to the club at the beginning of the week, but let me state that I don't want to leave Leicester." Stan Collymore

"I was watching the Blackburn game on TV on Sunday when it flashed on the screen that George (Ndah) had scored in the first minute at Birmingham. My first reaction was to ring him up. Then I remembered he was out there playing." Ade Akinbiyi

"Without being too harsh on David Beckham, he cost us the match." Ian Wright

"I'm as happy as I can be - but I have been happier." Ugo Ehiogu

"Leeds is a great club and it's been my home for years, even though I live in Middlesborough." Jonathan Woodgate

"I took a whack on my left ankle, but something told me it was my right." Lee Hendrie

"I definitely want Brooklyn to be christened, but I don't know into what religion yet." David Beckham

An essay to good....

2006-03-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Indian Cow HE IS THE COW. "The cow is a successful animal. Also he is 4 footed, And because he is female, he give milks, [ but will do so when he is got child.] But he has got four legs together. Two are forward and two are afterwards. His whole body can be utilised for use. More so the milk. Milk comes from 4 taps attached to his basement. [ horses dont have any such attachment] What can it do? Various ghee, butter, cream, curd, why and the Condensed milk and so forth. Also he is useful to cobbler, watermans and mankind generally. His motion is slow only because he is of lazy species, Also his other motion.. [gober] is much useful to trees, plants as well as for making flat cakes[like Pizza] , in hand and drying in the sun. Cow is the only animal that extricates his feeding after eating. Then afterwards she chew with his teeth whom are situated in the inside of the mouth. He is incessantly in the meadows in the grass. His only attacking and defending organ is the horns, specially so when he is got child. This is done by knowing his head whereby he causes the weapons to be paralleled to the ground of the earth and instantly proceed with great velocity forwards. He has got tails also, situated in the backyard, but not like similar animals. It has hairs on the other end of the other side. This is done to frighten away the flies which alight on his cohesive body hereupon he gives hit with it. The palms of his feet are soft unto the touch. So the grasses head is not crushed. At night time have poses by looking down on the ground and he shouts . His eyes and nose are like his other relatives. This is the cow.......

MARS On Desktop

2006-03-13T02:31:00.000-08:00

Have you opened GOOGLE today ? Click on the Google image on the home-page and you can see MARS !!!!! Google keeps amazing us and this is one cool tool that it has brought out. What you see is a shaded relief map color-coded by altitude. There are links for Regions, Spacecraft, Stories, Mountains, Plains, Canyons, Dunes, Ridges and Craters. The Link Spacecraft gives a list of Missions to Mars, with Spacecraft name, when it was launched, where it landed (was supposed to land) on Mars, Result etc etc... Truly Wonderful. Alas no time to explore much right now. Do let me know your experience on MARS :) ciao

Have A Laugh!!

2006-03-03T22:53:00.000-08:00

Now this is a forwarded mail that I had to post!!!!

The following are actual answers given on history tests and in Sunday school quizzes. They were collected over a period of three years by two teachers. Read carefully for grammar, misplaced modifiers, enough misinformation to satisfy anyone...and, of course, spelling!

Ancient Egypt was old. It was inhabited by gypsies and mummies who all wrote in hydraulics. They lived in the Sarah Dessert. The climate of the Sarah is such that all the inhabitants have to live elsewhere.

Moses led the Hebrew slaves to the Red Sea where they made unleavened bread, which is bread made without any ingredients. Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandos. He died before he ever reached Canada but the commandos made it.

Solomon had three hundred wives and seven hundred porcupines. He was actual hysterical figure as well as being in the bible.

The Greeks were a highly sculptured people, and without them we wouldn't have history. The Greeks also had myths. A myth is a young female moth.

Socrates was a famous old Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. He later died from an overdose of wedlock which is apparently poisonous. After his death, his career suffered a dramatic decline.

In the first Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled biscuits, and threw the java. Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the battlefields of Gaul. The Ides of March murdered him because they thought he was going to be made king. Dying, he gasped out: "Same to you, Brutus."

Joan of Arc was burnt to a steak and was canonized by Bernard Shaw for reasons I don't really understand. The English and French still have problems.

Queen Elizabeth was the "Virgin Queen," As a queen she was a success. When she exposed herself before her troops they all shouted "hurrah!" and that was the end of the fighting for a long while.

It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented removable type and the Bible. Another important invention was the circulation of blood.

Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes and started smoking. The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William Shakespeare. He was born in the year 1564, supposedly on his birthday. He never made much money and is famous only because of his plays. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and hysterectomies, all in Islamic pentameter.

Romeo and Juliet are an example of a heroic couple. They lived in Italy. Romeo's last wish was to marry Juliet but her father was having none of that I'm sure. You know how Italian fathers are.

Writing at the same time as Shakespeare was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote Donkey Hote. The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Since then no one ever found it.

Delegates from the original 13 states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, a Virgin, and Benjamin Franklin were two singers of the Declaration of Independence. Franklin discovered electricity by rubbing two cats backward and also declared, "A horse divided against itself cannot stand." Franklin died in 1790 and is still dead.

Abraham Lincoln became America's greatest Precedent. Lincoln's mother died in infancy, and he was born in a log cabin which he built with his own hands. Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves by signing the Emasculation Proclamation.

On the night of April 14, 1865, Lincoln went to the theater and got shot in his seat by one of the actors in a moving picture show. They believe the assinator was John Wilkes Booth, a supposing insane actor. This ruined Booth's career.

Johan Bach wrote a great many musical compositions and had a large number of children. In between he practiced on an old spinster which he kept up in his attic. Bach died from 1750 to the present. Bach was the most famous composer in the world and so was Handle. Handle was half German, half Italian, and half English. He was very large.

Beethoven wrote music even though he was deaf. He was so deaf that he wrote loud music and became the father of rock and roll. He took long walks in the forest even when everyone was calling for him. Beethoven expired in 1827 and later died for this.

The nineteenth century was a time of a great many thoughts and inventions. People stopped reproducing by hand and started reproducing by machine. The invention of the steamboat caused a network of rivers to spring up.

Louis Pasteur discovered a cure for rabbits but I don't know why.

Charles Darwin was a naturalist. He sort of said God's days were not just 24 hours but without watches who knew anyhow? I don't get it.

Madman Curie discovered radio. She was the first woman to do what she did. Other women have become scientists since her but they didn't get to find radios because they were already taken.

Karl Marx was one of the Marx Brothers. The other three were in the movies. Karl made speeches and started revolutions. Someone in the family had to have a job, I guess.

Which one did you like the most ???

Swear to Attract

2006-02-23T23:27:00.000-08:00

We've Poured your Beer
And we've had the camels shampooed
We've saved a spot on the beach
And we've got the sharks out of the pool
We've got the 'roos out of the green
And Bill's coming down to open the front gate
Your Taxi's waiting
And dinner's about to be served
We've turned on the lights
And we've been rehearsing for 40000 years
So Where the Bloody hell are you ?

This is the new ad campaign by Australian Tourism to attract tourists to India. You can watch the video on WhereTheBloodyHellAreYou.com. Though it may be a bit bold to use the word Bloody in a public ad campaign and that too comissioned by Government, but I guess it shows the upfront plain speaking nature of the Aussies. What do you say??

Ahem!!

2006-02-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Time : Evening 5:30
Place : MNC IT Company in the IT Hub of India

People are in mood to wind up for the day. Some having their last Tea/Coffee of the day, some sending last mails. Those who have to stay late are cursing.

Fire Alarm Starts Beeping!!
Well all of us have been trained that when the alarm goes off, we should drop everything and head towards the emergency exit.
Coffee seems to be more important, sending mail seems to be more critical. A few who started towards the emergency exit, stop midway as they see that they are just a few handful and no one else seems to be bothered.

More than a minute has passed. There are floor managers for every floor who are supposed to be organizing evacuations in times of emergencies. One is seen talking on the cell, others are not to be seen. There is nervous chatter among people. This has been the longest the Alarm has beeped falsely. Could there be a real fire in the building this time?

The Alarm has stopped now, but the indicators are still blinking. A voice on the public address system announces "There has been a small fire in the Server Room. Everybody is asked to please continue working."

There is laughter, jokes being cracked, more rush at the Pantry!!

Transatlantic Signature

2006-02-20T22:22:00.000-08:00

Now here's an interesting gizmo which is going to achieve the first Transatlantic Signature

Get Rocked with Indian Ocean

2006-02-16T21:43:00.000-08:00

Indian Ocean is a contemporary fusion music band of Northern India. Their music can be described as "Indo-rock fusion with jazz-spiced rhythms that integrates sufism, shlokas, environmentalism, mythology and revolution".

They are performing this Saturday (18th Feb) in Chennai at Wesley Grounds. Tickets are available at the usual joints like Landmark, Odessey, Aircel outlets etc. Be there to have Rocking time!!!

Link to Indian Ocean official website Click Here
Link to a write-up on Wikipedia Click Here

7 more Questions ???????

2006-01-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

If it's zero degrees outside today and it's supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

Why are they called buildings, when they're already finished? Shouldn't they be called builts?

Why are they called apartments, when they're all stuck together?

Why do scientists call it research when looking for something new?

Why is it, when a door is open it's ajar, but when a jar is open, it's not adoor?

If "con" is the opposite of "pro," then what is the opposite of progress? --> U guessed it Right ... :-)

When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right?" Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That hurt, you stupid idiot?"

7 Questions ???????

2006-01-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes? How come 'abbreviation' is such a long word? How do those dead bugs get into those enclosed light fixtures? Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak? Why do banks charge a fee on "insufficient funds" when they know there is not enough? Why doesn't glue stick to the bottle?

Since light travels faster than sound, isn't that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?

Its Evam Time Again!!!

2006-01-09T01:35:00.000-08:00

This New Year……

sit back & relive ……

the wonder and joy ……

the pain and anger…….

the fear and the excitement…

the confusion and dilemma …….

of falling in love ……..

Jan 2006 begins for evam with a bang. evam presents an enthralling, and an exhilarating season, beginning with “Chapter Two by evam” adapted from the Neil Simon classic!

The story is about 4 people – George (played by Karthik Srinivasan), Jennie (played by Andrea Jeremiah), George’s brother Leo (played by Karthik Kumar) and Jenny’s best friend Faye (played by Karuna Amarnath). evam traces the emotional ride of a novelist , George Schneider , desperately trying to overcome his grief over the lost spouse, and a recently divorced actress , Jennie Malone , who is equally apathetic towards beginning the next “chapter” in her life . With much coaxing and cajoling from Leo , George’s brother , George agrees to meet single women a.k.a. prospective partners ; each meeting proves to be a bigger fiasco than the previous ! Faye Medwick, Jennie’s best friend tries to persuade her to plunge into the dating pool, but in vain! Leo and Faye desperately try to play matchmakers for George and Jennie, both of whom play oblivious to their efforts.

An accidental phone conversation between George and Jennie sets the tone for a first date.. and lo behold… the story takes a new turn…… with more twists to follow…

What happens next is a mixed bag of emotions along with a generous coating of “joy of life” brought by Leo and Faye who play cupids for George and Jennie.. playing it for each other in the bargain.... well, almost!

A buzz with quick wit and repartee “Chapter Two by evam” asks the inevitable question … is it possible to fall in love twice , is it possible to feel it twice , is it possible to be happy twice ….and is it right to feel happy twice?

Will George be able to leave his memories behind? Will Jennie have the patience to fight the ghost of her predecessor? Will Leo and Faye succeed in bringing them together… and what will happen when they do come together? What will happen to Leo and Faye? To find out … don’t miss this valentine gift from evam …it’s a story to cherish…

Adapted by evam … it’s a small story with a big heart.. evam directs this classic with its heart on its sleeve.. . TEAM evam consisting of more than 30 youngsters from various colleges of the city led by the core team of Karuna, Balaji (Vivekananda), Rohini (MOP Vaishnav), Krishna (RMD) , Vijay Karthik(MGR), Vijay S(MGR) , Vivek(Hindustan) and Megha being some of them . Notable is the set consisting of two New York apartments created on stage by Michael Muthu and original music being scored by musical prodigy Anil Srinivasan specially for the stage production. This team will bring alive this magical story to Chennai starting Jan 21st.

A theme that runs wild within all our hearts - out on the stage for all to explore… Be sure to bring your love along …grab a seat and experience the magic of a love story…

For details about the venue, show dates, tickets etc Click Here or visit Evam's Blog or their site Evam.in

An Evening at Chennai Open

2006-01-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

The greatest sporting event that I like to visit to. This is how sports commentator puts the Chennai Open as. I couldn't agree more! Day 2 at the Chennai Open 2006 was a feast of great Tennis and lots of fun.

The crowd at Chennai (me included) can't really decide who they like more, Thai Tiger- Paradon Srichaphan or The King - Carlos Moya. I am sure everybody is routing for a Final between these two, and Day 2 saw both of them in action in their respective first round matches.

We reached a bit late to the stadium (ctsy bad traffic -- it's really got worse hasn't it?). The Srichaphan-Delago match was in the 2nd set. Srichaphan had lost the first set ! But the man was on fire in Set 2. Srichaphan's All-Action style was at its best as he easily took the set 6-1. In the 3rd set Delago found a bit of his game and soon it was tie-break! Srichaphan did not sweat in the tie-break and comfortably won the match. He is definitely a man on mission as he wants to get on the winning side of the Final this year. "I'm determined to put my disappointing 2005 behind me. I'm here on a mission. My primary aim is to get into the quarterfinals. Though Ljubicic and Moya are in good form, it's anybody's game from the last eight stage." is what he had to say in the post match interview. Yes Paradon we would love to see you lift the Chennai Open.

The next game on Centre Court saw defending champion Carlos Moya start his first round against the second tallest and one of the oldest pro's on ATP, the 6'8" Dick Norman. As the first set progressed it seemed that Moya would wrap things in no time. That's when it stuck us that our man Rohan Bopanna was to play on Court 1. It was really a good decision to go catch Rohan playing on Court 1. Having won three matches in the qualifiers, Rohan seemed to be in a fine form as he was making his opponent Cyril Saulinier of France run around the court. Cyril had no answers to Rohan's ground-strokes and after a couple of close calls not going his way, he really lost his cool. Making gestures and shouting profanities in French, which would never be shown on TV, he got the crowd even more against him. A splendid 6-3,6-3 straight set win was how Rohan wrapped up things in just 55 mins. "This is the best match I have played after the Davis cup singles tie against Holland's Martin Verkerc in 2003 although I had lost that five set match," Bopanna said. Well Rohan we want you to play better and better with each match and see you in Final!!!

Having seen two scintillating matches it was time for some fun. Leander Vece Paes or Lee as he is fondly called is a darling of Indian Tennis. I first saw Lee play in 1995 at Jaipur. It was a Davis Cup play off against South Africa and Lee had beaten Wayne Ferrera in a thriller. Since then I have seen him at other Davis Cup play-offs and ofcourse at Chennai Open. Last evening he was at the Mercedes-Benz Stall signing autographs. That's what makes Chennai Open so great. You can see the stars at close quarters, shake hands with them, pat them, praise them! After ogling Lee for sometime and grabbing a bite, it was back to Centre Court for some more great tennis.

King Moya had dropped a set and this match too had gone into the decider. Could things be better ? The first three games went on serve and it was then Moya raised his game a notch. The fourth game of third set was a thriller. Dick Norman was serving and the game had numerous Deuces, before Moya finally broke the game. It was smooth sailing for Moya after that. There were cat calls of "Come on Dick! You can do it!!", which brought a round laughter through the stadium. Alas this evening Dick couldn't do it! Moya took the final set 6-1 to win the match. In the post match interview Moya said that he was really focused to make a Hat-Trick at Chennai Open. It was around this time that I was also seen on TV as a friend of mine called up told me so!

The last match of the day : No 1 seed Ivan Ljubcic against last years semi-finalist Gullimero Garcia-Lopez. This was by far the best match of the day. Both players were giving more than 100%. There were some really beautiful groundstrokes by Garcia-Lopez, some great volleys by Ljubicic, few atrocious calls(actually no-calls when the ball was in fact out) by a baseline umpire (who I think was sleeping), gave a real feast of what ATP Tennis is really about. At no point in the match could you really predict who would win. The first set was won by Ljubicic in tie-break. Both of them traded breaks early in second set. It was only in the 11th game that Ljubcic was able to break Garcia-Lopez again. He went on to win the set 7-5. Aha I would have loved to see a third set in this match!

With Moya and Ljubcic looking in fine touch, a resurgent Srichaphan, two Indians Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna in Round 2, there is definitely a great fare of Tennis over the next four days! Who will be the winner this time is anybody's guess. I sure hope I get the time to catch few more matches in this greatest sports tournament that I like to visit to.

Cherio!!!

Movie-dome

2005-12-20T22:14:00.000-08:00

This year I have seen more movies in a Cinema Hall than what I might have seen in past five years! Let me just do a rain check on the movies that I saw:

Swades - Good movie, but would have liked it more if a smaller star was in the lead role.
Sheesha - Walked out before interval ! Somebody's idea of a All Boys Evening entertainment!!
XXX-2 - Nice one, the first part was better. Vin Diesel was better as XXX!
Bunty aur Bubly - A nice time pass. Worth seeing once
Kya Kool Hai Hum - Had a blast! Slapstick comedy to be watched with a crowd
Mr and Mrs Smith - Slept through it. Too much hype but nothing in it!
D - A big let down after Satya and Company!
No Entry -Too silly to enjoy. Had a headache.
Sarkar -Nice one! Unfortunately Godfather loomed too much in mind.
Apharan - The best among the lot. Could have been a bit fast paced.

These are the ones that come to my mind. Saw a few more but can't remember the names or what they were all about. So they definitely fall in the Headache/Slept through it category. The two Misses : BLACK. From what I have read about it, I am sure I have missed a great movie. Well whether I get to see it ever depends on someone else! The other miss being Paheli. Thank god I missed it. Some cock and bull love story of a ghost! Not my cup of tea!

I saw a lot of movies on Cable/DVD's too. I liked Terminal a lot. But the movie of the year for me has been an old World War II related classic The Great Escape. Based on a real incident which took place in German prison camp Stalag Luft III in 1944, the movie has an all-star cast including Steve McQueen , Richard Attenborough, James Coburn, James Garner, Charles Bronson, and Donald Pleasence. The captured Allied aircrew is kept at this particular prison camp. There the prisoners device a plan to escape! They dig three tunnels out of the prison camp. The plan is around 250 people will escape from the prison and then try and escape from Germany. The minute details shown as to how they go about digging the tunnel, getting rid of the mud that is dug out, making clothes, fake passes etc for the escapees is really interesting. One of the tunnel is discovered by the Germans. But the POW's go about undeterred digging the other tunnels. On the night of escape, 76 prisoners are able to escape before the tunnel is discovered. What follows is a series of bad luck and ill fortune that hits these escapees. Most of them are either captured/killed. More than 50 of the captured are later killed by the Germans. Only 3 are able to eventually escape out of Germany. Though the great escape was a failure in terms of number of prisoners succeeding in escaping to freedom but it was a great success in terms of its objective. As said by one of the characters of the movie, "The objective of every captured soldier is to try and create as much havoc as possible in enemy country", the great escape succeeded in achieving that.

I plan not to go to Movies so much in 2006, but sure would love to see some nice classics.