Arbit-raag

Trailers

2009-06-29T17:23:00.002+05:30

A friend asked me the other day, why are they called trailers when they come out before the movie? They're not trailing anything, are they?
Got me thinking. Did some research, and found out that they actually trailed in the starting, coming after the actual movie got over, hence the term 'trailers'.

Prologue: The Storm Within

2009-03-05T04:16:00.009+05:30

23rd January, 2007

It rained that night.

It was a blackout, and a forced one. The power of the entire city was out because of the storm. I sat there with just a candle to light up the dark; like one of the Cro-Magnons or the Neanderthals with their torches. But the darkness within, was nowhere close to being lifted. The gloom had settled in permanently, it seemed.

The rain came down fast, and it came down with a vengeance. It was like a double edged sword. On one hand, it cleansed me of all that had been bad. On the other, it was acidic, burning me right down to the soul, for all that I had erred in.

And there was a lot of it. I had splashed my way into the apartment, dripping wet, fearful of the suit I wore to work. That had been my lifestyle at that time. I worked as an insurance agent, trying to sell death to the people throughout the city. I didn’t do a very good job at it. But then, I wasn’t cut out for that job. I had had aspirations, had had expectations, and also had had dreams.

Life has its ups and downs, and the same had been true for me. But I had always had an inkling of things going on a pre-determined path. It seemed that fate was taking its own course, and anything I did was not going to change it. Whatever I could do, it would only delay the inevitable. What had gone wrong? What could I have changed? Where had I erred, and where had circumstances forced me down a dark alley without an exit? It was time to take a look at my life.

I sat down in front of my old computer, before realizing that there was no supply. My economic state definitely left a lot to be desired, hence there was no backup power. I ventured out on the roof of the building, enjoying the rain to a greater extent now that I had changed into much more comfortable and less strangulating clothes than the sham I had to wear to work every morning. That was just not me. It was a fake existence. I was living a life I did not believe in myself.

The roof was a secluded area. No one ever came up there. People were always rushing around their lives; trying to make a better place for themselves, a better tomorrow. In these times, it is rare to see people find time for themselves, let alone their friends and family. What do we make up for that with? Marketing gimmicks about ‘family and friends’ offers, holiday packages. You want one of those; bring ‘em lots of money. People end up working more in the quest for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But by the time they think they’re ready, the rain has long gone and all that stares at them is blankness.

It was a similar blankness that was staring at me. I stared out in the darkness, hazy with rain; and the darkness stared back at me. Was it the darkness outside or within my heart that was facing me? Getting no answers, I looked down. 15 stories down, an easy answer stared at me. People would probably assume I had slipped and fallen, or been drunk. A constable would note down the date and time of recovery, and I would become yet another footnote in a police file, and a reference number in a morgue. My neighbors probably didn’t even remember my name; an insurance agent being too lowlife a creature to mingle with for the middle-aged couple and their mid-twenties daughter who pretended to be Miss India. Trust me, she was nowhere close.

But this was not my answer. At least not for now. I had to look at the why and when, and come up with an answer. Life had already passed me by. It was time to catch hold of it by the tail, and try to hang on…

Starting a story

2009-03-05T04:15:00.002+05:30

Will keep posting chapter by chapter.. let's hope I complete this one. Don't have a name for the story as of now. Suggestions and comments welcome, as always :)

Polscar: Best Film

2009-02-19T17:18:00.003+05:30

After spending the holidays watching all the oscar nominees for best film, this is my order for best film. (Mind you, this is how i feel it should be. What will be, is a different matter altogether.)

1. Frost/Nixon: I like mental tussles. And Frost/Nixon has pretty good tussles in it. Taut, the right length, and honorable adversaries. Really Good.

2. Slumdog Millionaire: Love the masala dished out here. It's high on the rhetoric. But, enjoyable nonetheless. I wonder what would have happened, if an Indian director had filmed this one though. Nice watch, with the archetypal all will be good ending.

3. The Reader: Intriguing film. The relationship between the spy woman and the schoolboy is treated extremely well. The jump to the future is taken pretty well as well. A bit dreary in outlook though, it ends with redemption from the victim for the perpetrator. Good play of emotions.

4. The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button: Long name. Almost felt like copy pasting it. So was the movie. David Fincher, unfortunately, doesn't look as comfortable at the helm of non-thrillers. The story is innovative, and that is what keeps you interested at the end. The execution could have been tighter.

5. Milk: I didn't know much about Harvey Milk before this movie, and wasn't inspired enough by the movie to go and spend some time googling it. Not an interesting enough person to hold my attention in the movie.

P.S: Polscar stands for Polo's Oscar :p

Serendipity?

2009-02-19T13:10:00.002+05:30

I saw a movie called Serendipity on a recommendation, day before yesterday. It was about 2 strangers falling in love on a chance meeting and separating; in the hope that if they were destined to meet, they will. Through a lot of contrived methods, cancelled marriages, they finally do.
But it set me thinking. Is it really possible? Can two individuals, who are perfect for each other, or at least very good; meet through chance? What are the odds.. 2 people..out of 6 billion, 760 million, meeting each other. A ratio infinitesimally small, one i calculated but is too scientifically small to bore you with.
What i see though is, that a lot of things need to happen for this to occur. The right place, the right time, the right frame of mind. I don't believe in stars and horoscopes, but i also think that everything is not under our control. We ascertain the major part of our fate.. but somethings should be left to time. We need to let things flow.
In the events of the past few weeks, I am inclined to believe that serendipity does exist. And it's good. I like this serendipity. Here's to you.

Arbit

2009-02-19T03:48:00.002+05:30

At 4 in the night, there is no real flow of words. It's just a trickle. That too, not too logical, may i add. And why am i up at 4.30, which is what the time is now. Which means, half an hour has passed since i came from the first line to the second one. The reason: watching a movie, chatting with a friend, and thinking what to write.
But I am digressing. Why am i up at 4.30? Cause I'm in this mould now. There's no class tomorrow. There's nothing to be done at all. And by now, I am used to sleeping late. So, i stay up late, wake up late, watch movies..that's how i'm spending my holidays.
It's getting pretty boring on this post. And Frost/Nixon is taking a nice turn. So I'll get back to it. And hope that Syed gets his hypothesis out.

I'm back!!!!...maybe

2008-11-25T02:52:00.003+05:30

Long time, no see, eh?
Been pretty busy, you see.
Anyways, will try and be more regular here, time permitting.
Made an ad for Nestle Munch..have posted it on Youtube.
Here's the link:

The Dark Knight Review

2008-07-20T16:10:00.000+05:30

Let me begin by clearing a few misconceptions about ‘The Dark Knight’: It is not a superhero movie and it is not just a Batman movie. You could transfer the setting, and the theme of the characters to a real-life situation, and they would behave just the same way.

All right then, down to the details. First of all, this is definitely, easily, and comprehensively, the best superhero movie ever. Period. Second, Ledger is the Joker. He is the brightest star in an especially bright galaxy. Nicholson, Romero, Hamill can all fill out their retirement forms. They will never be looked upon as Joker anymore. The manic intensity, the crude yet subtle humour, the unpredictability he possesses, takes Ledger to a level higher than any villain in comic book adaptations.

TDK picks up from where Batman Begins left: Batman has established himself in the criminal circles, and is now inspiring a few of Gotham’s citizens to take up the fight for justice themselves. But rather than doing what he thinks they would have done, i.e., taking the legal route, raising their voice, standing up to the mob; a few take up the vigilante’s mantle, trying to be Batman themselves.

Enter Harvey Dent, the D.A. of Gotham, and the man who is what Batman has been waiting for so long to take over the cleaning operation of the city. Dent is the face to take Gotham out of their misery: their White Knight in shining armour. And this Knight takes the damsel with him as well: Rachel Dawes, Bruce Wayne’s long-time love and childhood friend. The emotional turmoil this puts Bruce Wayne through is immense, considering that Dent is the man he was waiting for to come in, so that he could hang up his shoes and retire to normal life with Dawes.

But this soon becomes the least of his worries, as the Joker, a criminal who is trying to establish himself in Gotham’s underworld, takes centre stage. As he himself says, he is “an agent of Chaos.” The lack of a background story only adds to the aura and mystery of the Joker. He blows up hospitals, kills people for the fun of it, and plays with Batman’s psyche: “You complete me”, he snarls.

We also play witness to the inner turmoil of Batman. Wayne even ponders whether he is really a hero, or just a fed-up guy who wants to teach the goons a lesson by using force. During critical moments in the film, he thinks of quitting his night job as the situation seems impossible. During these times, his anchors: his butler Alfred, and Lucius Fox, his technical mentor, are the men who keep him on the course, who make him endure for the greater good.

Moving to the acting department, Christian Bale as Batman puts in a great performance. He is able to transfer the turmoil of Bruce Wayne and Batman effectively onto the screen. He seems to have settled into the mould of both characters like second skin. An Oscar nomination doesn’t look too far away.

Aaron Eckhart does justice to both his roles: Harvey Dent, and Two-Face, though he doesn’t get enough time to develop the two-face character. Maggie Gyllenhaal does a better job than Katie Holmes at playing the headstrong Rachel Dawes. Though the character is not as well sketched out as the others, but it does not act as a roadblock in the story. Batman’s allies: Jim Gordon, Alfred and Lucius Fox, are extremely well played by the veteran thespians Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.

But this movie belongs to Ledger alone in the acting department. He gives the Joker a twist that will live on forever, despite Ledger’s unfortunate death. He might well become the first posthumous winner of the Best Actor Oscar. Yup, Best Actor, for this movie is his swan song; a final bow before he walked into the sunset.

The vision of Christopher Nolan about human psyche is terrifying and extremely thought provoking at the same time. He forces you to think in between the movie as to what you would do if faced with the situation as the characters in the film. Nolan has taken his vision of a superhero movie from Batman Begins and worked on it to give us a gem on the screen on a much bigger scale. He has able help from his brother and co-writer Jonathan Nolan; the music team Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard; and Wally Pfister, the cinematographer.

Chilling to the core, it leaves you wanting more. It is one of those rare movies where you think that 2 and half hours are less. The experience is emotionally overwhelming, visually grandiose, and overall, something not to be missed.

Life @ WIMWI

2008-07-13T15:11:00.002+05:30

I've made another blog: about my life at WIMWI.
Check it out:
http://swagat-in-iima.blogspot.com/

En Route

2008-06-17T20:32:00.001+05:30

Sitting in a cyber cafe in Udaipur...lovely weather..wish it could be like this all year long.
Tomorrow I shall reach Ahemdabad...Janmbhoomi and Karmbhoomi awaits..more from there!!

Adieu to Jammu!

2008-06-16T01:58:00.002+05:30

till we meet again..
in the sun or the rain...
be it in joy or be it in pain....
it will surely not be in vain..

I leave today..bidding adieu to Jammu..maybe forever.. moving towards greener pastures, it seems..
I leave with happy memories from this place.. a special place in my heart...my first interview!! :D
my first poster!! :P
Life carries on..to move full circle..so I say bye..till we meet again!

No longer in the race!!

2008-05-27T04:09:00.003+05:30

Is it just me, or is the world really a boring place nowadays? Everyday I wake up to find the same old murders, the same old rising prices, the politicians arguing our fates everyday; me looking at life and its characters morosely everyday, going through the motions of their subliminal existence called life.

But am I any different from this horde which could have been walking a plank on a boat or enjoying their wildest fantasies with the same enthusiasm? Is there anything that differentiates me from them, something that gives me an edge over them?... Oh, there I go, looking for edges over 'competition'!! Already moving fast in the rat race, are we? Why is it necessary to get into an IIM? Why should I get placed on day 'zero'? Speaking of day zero, earlier we used to fight over first place. Now we seem to have taken it a notch higher!!

I've decided. I'm gonna sit on my butt, not hurry into placements, tests or anything for that matter. I intend to carry on exactly the way I have been so far. I'll be more than happy to get placed on Day 3 or 4, if it gets me a decent package. I won't eat my food hurriedly, I'll chew and enjoy every morsel's taste. I'll try and be the anti-thesis of what we've become now. Let's see if it works or not.

My BPL Team of the season: Performers only

2008-05-19T19:34:00.003+05:30

Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting (drumroll) the Team of the Season:

Super Wealthy, Ambitious, Greedy, All-star, Triumphant Football Club. In short, S.W.A.G.A.T. F.C. (Ta-Da!!)

All right, enough fooling around. Down to business:

Formation:
My formation is an extremely flexible 4-3-3, or a 4-1-4-1. Call it whatever you like. I prefer to call it 4-1-4-1.

Now, the players:

Goalkeeper:

1. Tim Howard (Everton F.C.)

Reason: This proved a tough choice for me personally, between 2 men who did their job well this season. David James and Tim Howard. But I'm plumping for Howard because of James's erratic nature.

Right Back:

2. Bacary Sagna (Arsenal F.C.)

Reason: Two men came to my mind: Bacary Sagna, and Micah Richards. I chose Sagna as I felt he was more consistent. Plus, he's more attacking than Richards as well. Something that I required.

Left Back:

3. Gael Clichy (Arsenal F.C.)

Reason: Again, it was a fight between two men. Patrice Evra, and Gael Clichy. Both had excellent seasons. Both played as aggresive left-backs who were often seen overlapping their midfielders. But Clichy had to contend with the second-string of attack more often, as Rosicky played only 18 matches. Hence Clichy starts, and Evra goes to the bench.

Centre- Backs:

5. Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United F.C.)
6. Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea F.C.)

Reason: It would be foolish to not pick Nemanja Vidic here. He'll provide me with solidity at the back. His aerial performance will be an added benefit in set-pieces: both attacking and defensive. As his partner, I'm picking Ricardo Carvalho. He's given an assured performance at the back throughout the season, when JT has not been at his regular best.

Holding Midfielder:

4. Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal F.C.) (Captain)

Reason: I needed some one who'll sit in front of the defence and keep doing dirty work. Also, should be capable enough to feed the balls to the attackers.Mathieu Flamini, Owen Hargreaves, Mascherano sprang to my mind. Flamini's work was most impressive to my mind this season, and hence he makes the cut.

Centre Midfielders:

7. Michael Essien (Chelsea F.C.)
8. Francesc Fabregas (Arsenal F.C.)

Reason: These men will be the centre of my team. Able to attack any time, and fall back to defend whenever needed. I was keenly looking at Essien as one of them. For the other place, Fabregas was an automatic pick. Both of them have had excellent seasons. Cesc was the heart of Arsenal, while Essien excelled wherever he played: be it his regular position in mid-field, or Grant's suggested Right Back.

Attacking Midfielders/ Wingers:

10. Ashley Young (Aston Villa F.C.)
11. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United F.C.)

Reason: Speed, crossing, passing accuracy, and good shooting skills are pre-requisites for these positions. The two men I picked (or should I say boys), their records speak for themselves: Ashley Young and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Striker:

9. Fernando Torres (Liverpool F.C.)

Reason: Power, accuracy, ability to hold his own in the box as he'll be the only striker. Fernando Torres came into the league with a large price-tag and hopes of a club attached. And boy, did he perform!! 'El Nino' gets the number 9 jersey.

The bench:

12. David James (Portsmouth F.C.)

Reason: It is only his erratic nature, that stopped him from getting into the playing XI. But, his place on the bench is not at all in question. He's had an excellent season by anyone's standards.

13. Gareth Barry (Aston Villa F.C.)

Reason: He's had an excellent season. And he's multi-talented as well. He can play in defence, defensive midfield, as well as attacking midfield roles with ease. So, he can substitute for a variety of players in my team.

14. Joleon Lescott (Everton F.C.)

Reason: He beat out Martin Laursen from the bench for one reason alone: Versatility. I wanted players who could perform in varied number of positions. He's equally adept at Left Back and Centre back. He's also been scoring goals from set-pieces. Good pick.

15. Joe Cole (Chelsea F.C.)

Reason: Player of the season for Chelsea, and a bright playmaker. He can play in any position in midfield. But his prime role on my bench is as the substitute for the wingers. He can fit in with 1 striker upfront as well as 2.

16. Roque Santa Cruz (Blackburn Rovers F.C.)

Reason: He came into the Premiership with lots of raised eyebrows. But an excellent season at Rovers has propelled the Chewing-Gum shooter into the big league. He's got an excellent head as well. He fits well into the 1 striker system. Also, he's equally adept at playing as an attacking midfielder. Hence, he narrowly beats Emmanuel Adebayor onto my bench.

Team Dynamics:

In my team, the wing-backs attack while Flamini sits back to aid the centre-backs. Fabregas and Essien are free to move around. If need be, Essien can drop back to aid Flamini in situations when the team is under pretty heavy attack. Young and Ronaldo have the creative freedom to shatter defences with their pace. Torres sits in the middle to cash in on the work and convert it into goals. So, the formation remains 4-1-4-1 normally; while when defending, it turns to a 4-2-3-1.

If Torres as a lone striker is not being able to function properly, Santa Cruz will come into the equation. The formation then changes to 4-1-3-2. So, it's an extremely flexible formation, which can wreak havoc on the opponents, both in defence and in attack.

EPL Season Review: Part 4

2008-05-16T03:07:00.003+05:30

Final part of the stat attack series: The Mid-Table Tacklers under the scanner.

1. Boro:
Why they weren't in the relegation dog-fight: They were the best performers against the big 4 in their group, and performed decently against the relegation teams.

Why they weren't in the Pretenders: Their performance against fellow Tacklers left a lot to be desired.

2. Newcastle:
Why they weren't in the relegation dog-fight: They handled their fellow tacklers pretty well.

Why they weren't in the Pretenders: Simply because they couldn't handle the Pretenders and the Big 4, failing miserably against them.

3. Sunderland:
Why they weren't in the relegation dog-fight: Best home record, and good performance against their fellow Tacklers.

Why they weren't in the Pretenders: Dismal away record, worst in their group. They couldn't handle the Pretenders or the Big 4 either.

4. Tottenham:
Why they weren't in the relegation dog-fight: They excelled against the Pretenders (honestly, the place where they should have been.Jol should have gone much earlier.)

Why they weren't in the Pretenders: Their performances against their fellow Tacklers weren't good. Infact, they were the worst in their group.

5. Wigan:
Why they weren't in the relegation dog-fight: Actually, they were for quite some time. They got out because of decent performances across the boards.

Why they weren't in the Pretenders: Their performances were only decent, and till they can step up a gear, they will continue to remain in the current group.

That's the end of the stat-attack folks. It was fun. Surprisingly, some insights can actually be deciphered from the match results.

EPL Season Review: Part 3

2008-05-16T03:05:00.003+05:30

Part 3 of my stat attack for the Premiership title folks: this time, it’s the Pretenders for the Throne. (I love these names, so cheesy!!)

Everton:

Why they challenged: They played extremely well against fellow pretenders and Mid-table Tacklers. Best home and away record.

Why they failed to complete the challenge: They failed to produce their best game when it mattered: against the big 4. Worst performance among the lot.

Next season: If they can only tackle the big 4 more confidently, the monarchy might be broken at last.

Aston Villa:

Why they challenged: They perform well against the big 4 and the Relegation teams.

Why they failed to complete the challenge: They have a bad record against the Tacklers.

Next season: Do better against the tacklers. But be reminded, they are still a work in progress. This progress might be slowed by Barry’s leaving.

Blackburn:

Why they challenged: Like Villa, a work in progress. They performed well against the Tacklers and decently against the Big 4 and relegation Battlers.

Why they failed to complete the challenge: Worst performance against their fellow pretenders. If only that could have been slightly better, they would have been at least in the Intertoto Cup.

Next season: Continue building on the start of this year.

Portsmouth:

Why they challenged: The relegation battlers were mincemeat in their hands. Decent performance against fellow pretenders.

Why they failed to complete the challenge: Two words: FA cup! They took their feet off the pedal and slid down the ladder.

Next season: Do focus on the premiership as well. They have a great side and will surely be up there next season as well.

Man City

Why they challenged: Their challenge was to break into the Pretenders from the Tacklers. They performed better against the big 4 than any other Pretender.

Why they succeeded: Apart from the big 4, they performed decently against the tacklers and the fellow pretenders.

Next season: To continue their climb up the ladder, they need to do better against the Relegation Battlers. Those teams seem to have a liking for City.

West Ham

Why they challenged: A need to break from the mediocrity of the Tacklers was perhaps felt.

Why they succeeded: Their record against the big 4 and the Battlers is good.

Next season: They need to stop switching off once their survival is ensured. They need to step up to the other pretenders as well.

EPL Season Review: Part 2

2008-05-16T02:58:00.003+05:30

OK people..more number crunching time. As part 2 of my statistical analysis, I'm taking up the Relegation Battlers. Terminologies of the past post continue to be active:

1. Fulham:
How they got into the mess: Worst performers against the Mid-table Tacklers. How bad, you ask? Even worse than Derby!! Bad against the Big 4 as well.

How they got out: Capitalised against their fellow Battlers and those who were Pretenders to the Throne. The best away record (surprise, surprise) in their class.

Aim for next season: Try and take on the Tacklers better. Would ensure safety much earlier and even graduation into the higher echelons.

2. Bolton:
How they got into the mess: They seem to have a problem facing teams higher ranked than themselves. The Pretenders are a big Hoodoo for the Trotters.

How they got out: Like Fulham, did well against their fellow Battlers. Also performed well against the Mid-table Tacklers.

Aim for next season: Engage the Pretenders better. Also, try to perform better away.

3. Birmingham:
How they got into the mess: Their performances against fellow Battlers and the Pretenders left a lot to be desired and ultimately caused their downfall. Their away form was very poor as well.

Why they didn't get out: They didn't better their fellow Battlers' efforts against the Tacklers or the Big 4.

4. Reading:
How they got into the mess: They have the same case as Birmingham, and similiar fates.

Why they didn't get out: It's a carbon copy of Birmingham's season. Wonder if Coppell got a mail from Mcleish!!

5. Derby:
No comments. But yeah, their best performance came against the Tacklers: 5 points from 10 games!!

EPL Season review: Part 1

2008-05-16T02:49:00.003+05:30

After reading the 10 reasons given by Coolroy, I was inspired enough to do some research. For this, I divided the table into 4 groups:

The Big 4: United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool

Pretenders to The Throne: Teams that were in the top 10. Namely, Everton, Villa, Pompey, Rovers, City and Hammers.

Mid-Table Tacklers: Teams ranked 11-15. These are: Wigan, Spurs, Newcastle, Sunderland, and Boro.

Relegation Battlers: These are the teams that were involved in the dogfight till the end. These would be the final 5. Bolton, Fulham, Reading, Birmingham, and the best, Derby.

I came up with these results for the big 4:

1. United:
Pluses: Best home record, Best performance against big 4 and the Mid-Table tacklers.
Minuses: Not-so-good away record, worst record against the pretenders.

2. Chelsea:
Pluses: Best away record, Best performance against the tacklers and the Relegation battlers.
Minuses: Despite being undefeated, bad home record. Pretenders took away some points. Poor against Big 4 away from home.

3. Arsenal:
Pluses: Decent home record, Pretenders were in their grasp. Relegation Battlers couldn't do much either.
Minuses: Their performances against the Big 4, especially away, and the Mid-table tacklers left a lot to be desired. Their away record in general as well doesn't speak too highly of them.

4. Liverpool:
Pluses: Hard to find. Decent performances against the Pretenders and the Tacklers.
Minuses: They bring up the rear in almost all departments. The big 4, the Relegation Battlers; all were at their best against them. Their home and away records are also the worst of the big 4.

Figures might not tell the entire story, but they do tell some part of it atleast. Will do this analysis for the rest of the teams as well.

THE TOP 10 INCOMING EPL TRANSFERS:

2008-05-16T02:47:00.002+05:30

10. Sebastien Squillaci
Possible destinations: Arsenal, Liverpool
Possible price: 15 million $
Probability: Medium. Lyon won't like to let him go. But both these teams need 1 world-class centre back. Money rules.

9. Adriano
Possible destinations: Liverpool
Possible price: 8 million $
Probability: Medium. He's unhappy at Inter, and with a new regime possibly in the offing, he might be packing his bags pretty soon.

8. Diego
Possible destinations: Chelsea
Possible price: 10 million $
Probability: Medium-high. Chelsea might be looking for a replacement for Lampard. He fits the bill, and would welcome an opportunity to move up the ladder.

7. Eidur Gudjohnsen
Possible destinations: Liverpool
Possible price: 10 million $
Probability: High-medium. Remember Mr. Benitez talking about a non-english player who speaks good English.

6. Mario Gomez
Possible destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal
Possible price: 10 million $
Probability: High. Stuttgart can't hold on to him. Only thing that remains to be seen is who they lose him to.

5. David Silva
Possible destinations: Chelsea, Arsenal
Possible price: 4 million $
Probability: High. Valencia will lose stars this time around. The first price is if Valencia get relegated.

4. Lukas Podolski
Possible destinations: Chelsea, Arsenal
Possible price: 10 million $
Probability: High. He isn't getting enough first team football in Munich.

3. Samuel Eto'o
Possible destinations: Tottenham, Manchester City
Possible price: 15 million $
Probability: Medium-low. He has expressed a desire to stay at Barca. But you never know.

2. Ronaldinho
Possible destinations: Manchester City
Possible price: 20 million $
Probability: Medium. Will only happen if Milan or Inter fail to get him.

1. David Villa
Possible destinations: Chelsea, Arsenal
Possible price: 5 million $
Probability: High. The one name being bandied around for this year is David Villa. Fireworks will be coming to town.

I've left out names like Benzema, but these 10 are the ones I expect to hog the most headlines if they go through.

I'm through!!!

2008-05-02T04:30:00.003+05:30

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Admission Status : Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP 2008-2010 batch), IIMA

TR No.	9381060
Name	SWAGAT SINHA

Congratulations! You have been selected for admission to PGP (2008-2010 batch), IIMA.

Enough said.

Movie Review: U, Me Aur Hum

2008-04-29T01:06:00.002+05:30

U, Me Aur Hum:
Director: Ajay Devgan

Ajay Devgan wears three caps in this one: actor, producer, and director. And he does reasonably well. The movie is a ripoff of 'The Notebook'. For those who haven't seen it, the story is as follows:
Ajay falls in love with Kajol at first sight. After lots of wooing, she accedes; they get married. But troubles strike: Kajol is suffering from Alzheimer's. How Ajay, a psychiatrist, deals with the situations that come up and how they maintain their relationship despite her memory loss, forms the crux of the film.
There is one thing that I would like to clear at the very outset: Ajay Devgan has a lot of potential as a director. He manages a good hold of all situations. His handling of scenes demonstrated a good technical know-how and an understanding of the human psyche.
But the movie isn't as good as it's starting to look. For one, it is way too long. 2-3 songs could have been avoided.Better editing should have been used to trim down the movie to maximum of 2 hours. Initially, lots of time is given to the side-stories, and later, they're completed in less than a minute.
The songs are OK. Nothing great. Most of them hinder screenplay.
Performance wise, the Devgans rule the roost. Both perform brilliantly. Sumeet Raghavan and Divya Dutta give able support as the estranged couple. Karan Khanna is OK, while Isha Sharwani is just a pretty face. Sachin Khedekar performs ably as Ajay's superior.

My rating: 6/10.

Top 10 possible summer transfers in the BPL

2008-04-28T02:56:00.003+05:30

I was reading about top 10 possible summer transfers in the spanish league on goal.com, and decided to do the same about the premier league. Though it's not going to be as detailed as that article, but I'll try to put on my thinking cap and get 10 names out.

10. Giles Barnes
Possible locations: A mid-table team in the league. Expect to see him as this season's Ashley Young. Lots of cash will be splashed on him. Aston Villa, anyone?
Probability: High, considering Jewell needs the cash.

9. Tuncay
Possible locations: A top 6 club for sure. He's had an excellent season by Boro's standards.
Probability: Medium.

8. David Bentley
Possible locations: Liverpool
Probability: High. Unless Hughes blocks the deal.

7. Andriy Shevchenko
Possible locations: Milan
Probability: High. Berlusconi has even started talking about homes.

6. Dimitar Berbatov
Possible locations: United, Chelsea, Liverpool(low)
Probability: High. Ramos has himself stated this.

5. Frank Lampard
Possible locations: Barca, Inter.
Probability: High. Would hate to see Lamps go. But I don't think he'll stay this time.

4. Alexander Hleb
Possible locations: Inter, Milan
Probability: High.

3. Didier Drogba
Possible locations: Inter, Barca
Probability: Almost done. He's stated his desire to leave many-a-times off the record.

2. Mathieu Flamini
Possible locations: Milan.
Probability: It's almost done.

1. Gareth Barry
Possible locations: Liverpool(high), Chelsea and Arsenal (medium-low)
Probability: Very high. O'Neill is almost resigned to the fact that he'll leave.
I expect a big fight over this guy. Look out for mud-slinging.

My CAT preparation material Funda

2008-04-22T03:53:00.004+05:30

My $0.02 on the books that I used for my preparation:

Quant:
My nemesis throughout the test series. Strangely enough, my highest score was in this section in CAT!!!

What I did: Joined a test series, where i did miserably in quant. So i took 3 books. The ubiquitous Arun Sharma, a Vikas publication book by Career Launcher, and a R.K. publications book(found it in the library..). To be really honest, Arun Sharma didn't do me any good. The Vikas and RK books on the other hand, were downright useful. I f you are as confused about quant as I was at the time(which is very,very confused); it is better not to start with stuff like Arun Sharma. Take a test first, check out your comfortable-ness with the subject; and then work on it. Don't go in blindly for an Arun Sharma, or any other big name because every1 else is doing the same.

DI:
This is a section that I always felt comfortable in. And yes, I scored the least in this section on the C-Day.
There is no book out there which will give you a real practice session in DI only. The books I've mentioned above have all the 3 sections, but it's hard to find a book catering exclusively to DI.

What I did: I practiced DI from the above-mentioned books, and from CL's material. Also, i tried to solve any puzzle based on logic that came my way. For that, everyone tries Shakuntala Devi's books which give you a decent mix of maths-and-logic based puzzles. Look around for such puzzle books. The best mantra for DI that I can think of: Big tyme practice.

English:
Aah..my strongest section. This is a section in which most of my friends preparing for MBA entrances mostly found themselves out of depth in.
Two reasons:
1. Lack of good reading culture
2. Inferential questions

I know, the second reason sounds crazy. But we'll get to it in due time.

By good reading culture, i mean reading something substantial, that not only adds to your reading speed, but also enriches your vocabulary and provides you with food for thought. This food for thought will not only broaden your horizons in various subjects, but also help you when you encounter those tricky inferential questions, which are my second reason.

Gone are the days when you would get a simple RC question like "What is the name of Paul's dog?" Now, you need to apply your brains to get something which is derived from some obscure piece of info given in the passage. Herein lies the problem. You can derive more than one piece of result from any given info.

To take an analogy, consider this:
What do you get when Nitrogen and Oxygen react?
There are 5 different compounds that can be formed. Any of those 5 answers is right. But which one do they(read, the examiners) want? A million dollar question indeed. For this, the only recourse one can take is practice. The more such tricky inferential questions you practice, the better you get at reading the examiners' mind. This point is easily missed by most, as one belligerently defends one's own answer: "But we can derive it from this line. See!!" To no avail unfortunately. You might be right, but you will be marked wrong if you don't catch their drift.

This is the RC part out of the way. For the English usage part, what i suggest is, get hold of a book that gives you those seemingly stupid analogies, jumbles and stuff. I for one used to love them, and mind you, Usage is a much more high percentage return section than RC's because of the absolute-ness involved. So being in good practice for this section allows you to relax when you get to the passages which often stress people out.

What i did: Read books, some more books, and more books. I've fortunately had a good reading habit since a small age. This was the major reason in my liking this section. Another thing that I did was to utilise all the material that i could lay my hands on (My CL material, my friends' IMS and TIME material). There is another omnipresent in most MBA aspirants' rooms: R.S. Agarwal, though not in mine: I preferred to borrow from my friends. The sheer number of questions in that book helps you in your practice immensely, though the quality is circumspect.

Hope this helps.
Cheers.

Barclays Premier League Gameweek 32 Predictions

2008-03-29T01:40:00.003+05:30

Derby Vs Fulham

This is Fulham's best chance all season to get that elusive away win. The Cottagers haven't been too good on the road, but Derby haven't been good anywhere. The Rams might even get relegated tomorrow if they don't beat Fulham, and either Birmingham or Bolton win their matches.
Derby can't be discounted completely though, as the match at Craven Cottage this season finished goalless.
Fulham to win it 1-0 by a first half goal.

Birmingham Vs. Man City

Birmingham's home record and City's away record this season are almost identical. That immediately suggests a draw to me. On recent form though, City are more likely to win. Then again, Birmingham have more at stake than Sven's 11.
A close one to call, 2-2 draw.

Sunderland Vs. West Ham

A similiar scenario to the Birmingham-City match, Keane's men should come out on tops in this one in a scrappy affair. Expect a lot of flared tempers and set pieces in this one. A few cards might be shown as well.
Sunderland 1-0.

Man United Vs. Villa

United all the way. Expect Ferguson to rest a few players due to AS Roma. But still, United should have the quality to take care of O'Neill's men.
2-0 United.

Bolton Vs. Arsenal

History suggests against an Arsenal win. Their recent record suggests something similiar. with Bolton involved in a relegation dogfight, expect them to fight for every inch. Fabregas and Co. will look to their 'leader' Gallas, as Bolton look for 3 invaluable points, and further hamper Arsenal's title hopes.
Draw 1-1.

Reading Vs. Blackburn

Lots of foot-crunching tackles expected in this one. There isn't much to choose between the teams based on recent form, but Blackburn should come out on top.
3-1 Blackburn.

Portsmouth Vs. Wigan

Only one result here. Pompey will be 'two' good for Bruce's men, like their previous encounter.
2-0 Pompey.

Tottenham Vs. Newcastle

Interesting time for this match, just after The Magpies beat Fulham to give Kevin Keegan a much-needed boost. But away from home, Newcastle are just abysmal. Even Big Sam was shaking his head on Football Forecast when he talked about Newcastle's defence. Tottenham have enough quality to see them through in what should be a very interesting match.
4-2 Spurs.

Chelsea Vs. Boro

Don't know why, but I get the jitters whenever we play Boro. But The Blues shoud see off Gareth Southgate's men with ease, despite Lamps being an uncertainty.
3-1 Chelsea, with Boro scoring first.

Liverpool Vs. Everton

It's here again, the lovable Merseyside derby, in what promises to be the match of the week. Everton have been serious challengers this year, much more than ever before. But Liverpool are up to the challenge, despite the drubbing they got from United last week. Not to say that the match won't be close. It shall be extremely close. But Liverpool will edge ahead in the latter part of the game. They now have a definite edge now, with Cahil being ruled out for the rest of the season.
2-1 Liverpool, with 1 red card in the match.

My Favourite Football Player

2008-03-28T13:19:00.004+05:30

My all time favourite- that would have to be ‘The Galloping Major’, Ferenc Puskas.

He was the man who changed English football thinking forever. He helped to rouse English football from a complacency born of insularity. No non-British team had beaten England ever at Wembley.
"Look at that little fat chap. We'll murder this lot." were the comments being bandied around when Puskas, along with his Hungarian national team, reached Wembley for a friendly with the English team in 1953.

After 90 minutes, the score read 6-3 in favour of the visitors, and English football had been changed forever by this encounter. ‘That little fat chap’ had scored one of the best goals ever- For Hungary's third goal, Puskas had Billy Wright tackling thin air as he dragged the ball back from the England captain's challenge before turning to beat Gil Merrick with a shot from a left foot. For Geoffrey Green of the Times, Wright had been a fireman going to the wrong fire.

Puskas scores against England

By the time the 1954 World Cup got underway, there was no other favourite other than Hungary, with their captain Puskas, termed as the ‘Mighty Magyars’. They lost in the final to a West Germany side being captained by Fritz Walter. But Puskas, with his innovative tactics, had already made an indelible mark on world football. "Inwardly I wept at the result but my congratulations for Fritz Walter, West Germany's captain, were sincere," Puskas recalled. "The loser must have no spite."

Nicknamed The Galloping Major for his rank in the Army, Puskas had a deadly left foot. He had the power to blast open a safe with it, as well as the finesse' to open the safe by dialing the combination with it as well.

Puskas moved from his Hungarian club Honved with a 2-year period of turmoil thrown in due to the Hungarian Revolution. He tried playing in Italy, but wasn’t able to find a club willing to sign him, because the clubs were concerned about his age and weight. Finally Real Madrid signed him in 1958, at the age of 31. Thus began the next phase of his footballing career.

During his first La Liga season, Puskás scored four hat-tricks, including one in his second game, against Sporting de Gijón on 21 September 1958. In the game against UD Las Palmas on 4 January 1959, Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano scored hat-tricks in a 10-1 win. Puskás scored two hat-tricks against FC Barcelona in 1963, one at the Bernabéu and one at the Camp Nou. During eight seasons with Real, Puskás played 180 La Liga games and scored 156 goals.

He scored 20 or more goals in each of his first six seasons in the Spanish league, and won the Pichichi four times: in 1960, 1961, 1963 and 1964, scoring 26, 27, 26 and 20 goals respectively. He helped Real win La Liga five times in a row between 1961 and 1965 and the Copa Del Generalísimo in 1962. He scored both goals in the 2-1 victory over Sevilla FC in the Copa final.

Puskás also played a further 39 games for Real in the European Cup, scoring 35 goals. He helped Real reach the final of the 1959 European Cup, scoring in the first leg and in the decisive replay of the semi-final against Atlético Madrid, but missed the final due to injury. However, the following season he would make up for it. He began Real's 1960 European Cup campaign with a hat-trick against Jeunesse Esch and in the semi-final against CF Barcelona; he once again guided Real into the final with three goals over two legs. In the final itself, regarded by some as one the greatest finals ever, Puskás and Di Stéfano once again ran riot. Real beat Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 with Puskás scoring four goals and Di Stéfano scoring three. In subsequent European campaigns he would score a further three hat-tricks including one in the 1962 final against Benfica which Real lost 5-3. In 1965 he scored five goals over two games against Feyenoord as he helped a new generation of Real Madrid players win the 1966 European Cup.

After retiring as a player, Puskás became a coach and managed teams in Europe, The Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. The highlight of his coaching career came in 1971 when he guided Panathinaikos FC to the European Cup final, the only time a Greek club has reached a European final to date.

Despite his defection in 1956, Puskás remained an admired hero in Hungary. In 1993, the Hungarian government granted him a full pardon, allowing to return and take temporary charge of the national team. In 1998 he became one of the first ever FIFA/SOS Charity ambassadors. In 2002 the Népstadion in Budapest was renamed the Stadion Puskás Ferenc in his honor. He was also declared the best Hungarian player of the last 50 years by the Hungarian Football Federation in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003.

Puskás was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2000. He was admitted to a Budapest hospital in September 2006 and died on 17 November 2006 of pneumonia. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Erzsébet, and their daughter, Anikó. In a state funeral, his coffin was moved from Stadion Puskás Ferenc to Heroes' Square for a military salute. He was laid to rest under the dome of the St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest on 9 December 2006.

A TRIBUTE BY THE MADRID SIDE AFTER HIS DEATH

A COMPLIATION OF PUSKAS POWER

RECORD

CLUB
Years------------------Club-----------------------App (Gls)
1943–1956---------Honved -------------------349 (358)

1958–1966--------RealMadrid--------------180 (156)

1943-1966---------Career--------------------- 529(514)

NATIONAL TEAM
1945–56 -----------Hungary --------------------85 (84)
1961–62 ------------Spain ------------------------4 (0)

Honours

Club

Honvéd
- Hungarian League: 1949–50, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65
- Copa del Generalísimo: 1962
- European Cup: 1959, 1960, 1966
  - Runners-up: 1962
- Intercontinental Cup: 1960

Country

Hungary
- Olympic Champions: 1952
- Central European Champions: 1953
- World Cup Finalist: 1954
- Balkans Cup: 1947

Individual

European Cup Top Scorer (12 goals)(7 goals): 1960, 1964
Winner Player European of the century XX L'Equipe
Silver Ball European Footballer of the Year France Football : 1960
Named in FIFA 100
Pichichi Trophy: 1959–60, 1960–61, 1962–63, 1963–64
World Player of the Year: 1952, 1953

Manager

Panathinaikos
- Super League Greece: 1970–71, 1971–72
- European Cup
  - Runners-Up: 1971
South Melbourne Hellas
- National Soccer League: 1990–91
- NSL Cup: 1989–90
- Docherty Cup: 1989 and 1991

Rest In Peace, Ferenc.

MDI GD/PI Experience

2008-03-25T23:29:00.003+05:30

Posting my last GD/PI experience for the season for MDI.

My GD/PI was at 2 p.m. Reached there at 1:35. We were divided into groups of 10. first we had a GD. The topic was “Management education is essential for success in life.” Ok sorts of GD, tending more towards the fish market side. My own contribution was OK types, made 3-4 solid entries and contributing to the blabber twice or thrice.

We were called in a random order; I with moi great luck got called in 9^th.

Will refer to the panelists as P1 and P2.

P2 called me in and told me to proceed for the interview, and that he would join me in a minute.

Went in, wished P1, and took my seat.

P1: Asked about the 1 year gap.

Me: Explained.

P1: Asked percentile, other calls.

Me: Told.

P1: Asked about family background.

Me: Told.

P2: (Entering) Asked about gap and percentile.

P1: Already asked him.

P2: OK, which specialization would you choose?

Me: Told about my aim, and how will decide after a year as to which will help me the most.

P2: Do you have a reading habit?

Me: Had, but lessened now.

P2: Where was Shakespeare born?”

Me: Told.

P2: His theatre’s name?

Me: No idea.

P2: Some questions about football, difference between Ronaldo and Drogba’s playing styles, teams at various positions in the EPL etc. etc.

Me: Answered all except a question where he asked the result of the match in which Ronaldo didn’t play.

P2: Your marks are average and show a pattern.

Me: No excuses, but the places I stayed were not conducive to study.

P2: How much time did you prepare for CAT?

Me: Since September.

P2: Ok, thank you Swagat. It was a pleasure talking to you.

So that was the end of the GD/PI season for me. Any comments, most welcome.

Arbit-raag

Trailers

Prologue: The Storm Within

Starting a story

Polscar: Best Film

Serendipity?

Arbit

I'm back!!!!...maybe

The Dark Knight Review

Life @ WIMWI

En Route

Adieu to Jammu!

No longer in the race!!

My BPL Team of the season: Performers only

EPL Season Review: Part 4

EPL Season Review: Part 3

EPL Season Review: Part 2

EPL Season review: Part 1

THE TOP 10 INCOMING EPL TRANSFERS:

I'm through!!!

Indian Institute of Management, AhmedabadAdmission Status : Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP 2008-2010 batch), IIMA

Movie Review: U, Me Aur Hum

Top 10 possible summer transfers in the BPL

My CAT preparation material Funda

Barclays Premier League Gameweek 32 Predictions

My Favourite Football Player

MDI GD/PI Experience

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
Admission Status : Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGP 2008-2010 batch), IIMA