The stupid month again

The moment I thought of this month, I quickly remembered the Septumber post I once posted and hence the stupid title instead of a repetition.

Anytime you sleep at odd time, rather even time, from 8 to 9 pm will generally make you stay atleast till 12 in the night and will make you do useless things like posting a blog. Bet it would have been a productive utilization of time in your school days if you had taken naps at that precise time I've mentioned.

Blogs which were once a revolution in the latter part of the last decade suddenly are appearing obsolete or they already are? The ones who do not have time to post blogs anyhow will not post but the ones who used to post regularly like me are also not posting means..what it means..? Effects of English getting screwed up by joining hardcore service based companies. You really have to work in one of these cheap top IT labour companies to understand a thing or two on how people think great about themselves in working there doing the sort of routine work they are doing and yet claiming to the outside world that they are doing some cutting-edge research work.


The Man, The Machine, The Match-Streak

I had to read what my last post was and when. What's happening to you freaks in this world? If I send you a hola it will go to the infinite spaces into the universe but can never hit a person or an object to traverse the path back. So I am not sending a hola message. Anytime felt what is it like barking like a mad man at your own space just because someone is providing it for free? But I am always not seven-up but one up above you because you are reading what I am barking.

There are moments when I experience sudden bursts of buying a DSLR and do a price search on the web, especially the cheapest and the latest Nikon D3100. During one such intermittent bursts season I happened to see a Nikon showroom in a mall and I dropped in there. Knowing surely that I am not going to buy one for Rs 32,900 I mustered enough courage to ask the sales person to show me D3100 locked in the glassdoor. He opened the key and gave me a D3000 saying that they dont have a 3100 for demo. With not much difference between the two models, I took a picture with the D3000. My first picture from a DSLR in the showroom. My first reaction? Isn't the picture dark? I get better clarity and contrast from my point and shoot. Asked the salesperson the same and he said, it will be like this sir. Thanks, but no thanks, I gave it back and went out thinking how are such beautiful pictures produced from these cameras. ISO, fps, settings, aperture, depature? I did the last. A lay man like me should first understand why Bjorn Borg was ungainly when he made the transition from French Open to Wimbledon, before commenting on the DSLR's and their experience. But when I held it with the 18-55 mm lens, it was light. I know now for sure that those intermittent outbursts to buy a DSLR will now not be frequent anymore.

Sharapova's weight you know? Just 59 kgs with that height. But her movement is always like cow-on-ice and she never impresses me, least her high decibel level. I wonder how she won her first Wimbledon title at such a young age. Where was Serena then? Serena strangely still has a good chance to win this year's USO despite her long absence from the game.

Thought I could write lot more, but I wrote lesser than what I thought I could write.

Unforced Errors:

1. Roger Federer fans are not seen voicing their opinions anymore. Have they shifted loyalties? Or have they stopped watching tennis totally? Even the die-hardest are doubting if their man can get past the semifinal round in a slam. Where are his ladies who-needs-a-life-and-are-getting-one-now and gets heartbroken for his every loss? Are they still crying? he..he..he..
2. Novak Djokovic, take a bow.
3. Where is Andy Roddick? Supporting Anna Hazare?
4. Btw, that nationwide movement against corruption which every educated freak has supported will only eventually go down the drain. That is the reason why I never got charged up with all the hoopla and hypla. Nobody can arrest the Parliament or the ruling party.
5. The Dhoni fan has finally gone to shed and the countdown will begin for his head shortly. You need the ODI result still? This could well be the series that people will not forget in the days of excessive cricket where people are having amnesia over the series that India is playing oflate.
6. Then there is a little matter of one hundred for the one man, which his team had dedicated the ICC world cup 2011. That will not happen too.
7. One finds lot of time if his wife goes to her native. So much time that he can come out and blog.

6 - 0 pasting

It took a while to get out of this pasting and this is surely one way I felt to get the steam out. And that is why you can see the bark here on the dilapidated blog which is filled with 0.1mm thickness of dust and crawling insects at a speed of 5 mts/min.

This humiliation is after I started playing the game for 2 months. Last time I held racket before this short stint was in Aug 2008. I always feel that I've got some shots which I can pull off that others cannot. Reason why this loss is tearing is I lost to a guy who is a rookie. It was 8 am and everyone was watching my game with half an eye while practising on the other courts. Thought I had a reputation in the place like a guy who can be good if fine tuned, and that is swept completely.


To add insult to injury, the owner of the club, who is a decent player, just arrived while I was trailing 5 - 0. He shouted at the ball boys saying, " Is there a game going on center court?". Don't know if it was deliberate or was it to check if the court was free, but that jibe really rubbed salt into the wounds.

One more guy whom I met recently, is a coach for 6 years,told me at 0 - 2 that I was playing very conservatively. He said, "Play as if you are playing a practice match. Lose the set, it doesn't matter." I recevied on court coaching but I did not receive any warning from the chair umpire because there was neither a chair nor an umipre. Eventually I lost 6-0. He consoled, saying "It's ok, takes 2 to 3 months time". It has been two months and my level dropped miserably today morning.

My thoughts quickly ran out to the FO final in 2008, when Nadal thrashed Federer by dropping
just 4 games and delivered a bagel enroute to victory. When a guy of Federer's stature experienced in front of the small world, I surely can absorb from what I had to experience today.

I am losing my sleep, getting up at 6 am, reach the court by 6:30 and what I do get in turn? A bagel for breakfast. And what do I tomorrow? Get up even early at 5.30 reach by 6 and receive another breakfast so that I first get insulated from these loses, build a platform and then take off from there to give back what I've received.

Positives:
Cannot get any worse than this.

Negatives:
Everyone is using digital cameras no?

Unforced Errors:
6 double faults.

Peace mate.

Where is the Intensity?

The mother, grandmother, great grandmother and great great great.....yeah, of all finals has come and gone. India edged Pakistan in their semi final encounter of 2011 world cup at Mohali in a spirited fight. Pakistan maintains their losing record against the Indians in the World Cup history by 5-0 just like NewZealanders who cannot advance to the finals after reaching semi finals six times in all their world cup appearances.

The current Pakistani team is by far the weakest when facing India in the World Cup. Look at any team combination of Pakistan in WC's and it had a good blend of experience, youth and a terrific bowling combination. Contrary to that, India is not the strongest, but definitely has a stronger team on the paper with a power packed batting line up.

Pakistan can make a match of the current bowling combination as well. They cannot defeat Australia for nothing. But what baffles me was a clear lack of intensity even when they were fielding and while batting as well. As a fan, it did not really excite me when someone hits a four or a six. Only point where I was eager to watch was when Umar Akmal was batting. He has definitely showed aggression. And who hasn't? Misbah ul-Haq. He may not be your 'in your face' kind of player but try and decipher his innings and please let me know if you get a hang of it.

I missed watching Sehwag's blitzkrieg and once the storm has passed the pitch turned out to be a slow turning track which defied the expectations of commentators, players and captains. The match was decided in India's favour and did you notice Harbhajan's extra ordinary intensity when Shahid Afridi got holed out? That is over action for you folks in his home ground which his pathetic bowling display so far in this world cup is forcing him to do.

After the match, my younger brother was saying that the NZ - SL semifinal clash was better than Ind - Pak. And he is right on the money there. SL had a mid match wobble after losing their top order, NZ had more than a sniff. You can see the remorse of NZ's Daniel Vettori, the loyal servant of his country.

Players were relaxed, Afridi is having a word or two with Sachin, Gul was wayward and the mother of all expressions is by Afridi, during the post match conference which anyone could hardly believe. He sounded as if it was another league match and gave full credit to India. He was smiling and enjoying coz he lost to India? As much as I love Afridi and the way he has led this rookie Pakistan team to semis, I am at loss of words to fathom his expressions.

My dear Shahid bhai, I had so much belief in you that you would lead your team from the front in this historic encounter. May be you must have done it. May be you must have hidden your tears when you closed your eyes with your hands on it when you sensed Pakistan was losing or was it an itch? I'd like to think the former. Misbah's batting was a mystery. And why was he not sent a message to go for an onslaught a little earlier? Did you not realise it it was too little too late? Why was the power play not taken a little earlier to ease the pressure on the other Pakistani batsmen? The 4 four drop catches that your team has given to Sachin Tendulkar is way beyond being courteous to the opposition. And the joy at the presentation is inexplicable. All this and more, begs one to ask the dreaded question, Is this match fixed?

I was just watching the match. But most of the fans who haven't seen previous WC encounters may not understand what I am barking here. After the fall of Pakistani's 6th wicket crackers have been going on near my house. High school kids were shouting on the streets and I noticed one guy was coming out and whistling on the road as India was inching closer to victory. The sky was lit and it made me wonder are we having a early Diwali this year.

The intensity was there in the people in the stadium, in the Indian fans and in my Pakistani brothers. Was it really there in the Pakistani team? It may have been masqueraded.

Want to see some intensity? Watch Kumar Sangakarra's Sri Lanka in the finals against India.

India vs Australia Pre-View

So India meets Australia in the World Cup Quarterfinals at the Motera. Is this a bane or a boon? Bane to the cricket fans who are rooting for India. David Boon for the Aussies who wants to prove their point and go one up over the cricket crazy nation and redeem their loss to Pakistan. But can Australia really do it if the pitch is doctored to Indian needs while predominantly supporting spin? I doubt. The chances of an Indian win are high if India is batting first, as said bymany commentators in the post match discussion, which is true.

What will be the par score for the pitch batting first?I believe it should be nothing less than 270 to have a semblance of a chance against the mighty Aussies even without the likes of 'The Invincibles' team. After scoring 270+, India should defend the score, probably sticking to the same bowling line up which worked against the Windies. Zaheer Khan and Ashwin should open the bowling. I again expect our medium pacers to get tonked barring an exceptional reverse swinging spell from the pace spearhead Khan in the later overs.


Australia is definitely not as scary as it once was to the opposition. It has lost it's invincibility tag but somehow somewhere you still do not want to bet against them. It is primarily because India's bowling surely is not effective to pick 10 wickets or contain the opposition to less than 280 even if the track is assisting the home team. Pakistan sent Australians into submission. But can it's neighbour with a strong batting line up,do it with some fine all round performance is anyone's guess.

Team India is not effective with its bowling line up and not so commanding
in the slog overs when it comes to death batting. Punter has got his work cut facing India. Unless a magnificient performance from the Little Master without a century or a four for by Ashwin, it is difficult to see India crossing the finish line. And if they do, the semi finals should be a blockbuster match with Pakistan in Mohali. (The writer boldly assumes that Pakistan defeats WI in their Quarter final match up)

A match (Ind vs Aus) that is highly anticipated can just prove to be a one-sided affair with just 10 overs of fiery bowling by Lee and Tait. So do not pin your hopes nor get overly excited if Indians commit blunders on the field. Try to enjoy the aggressive bowling and the audacious batting by both the teams.

Kohli is good, Yuvraj is back in form, Tendulkar may not be accounted for big matches, Ashwin can spin the ball and Dhoni and Raina can anchor the innings. The batting line up as always look so sound on paper. Infact it supported that theory till the 40th over in this World Cup.
The bat swinging momentum has to go beyond 40 overs and survive till the 50th to put an end to Aussie dominance in International cricket. India famously stopped Australia twice when they were on a 16 Test match winning streak, Once in India in 2001 and once in Australia in 2004.
Can they do it again and claim the title dragon slayers once for all?

No team wants to given an inch in the much billed match of the tournament, but one person holds the key to provide a rousing start to this match as he did so far in this tournament by hitting a boundary off the first ball he faced in each of the matches. It is not Sachin Tendulkar, but his once clone, Virender Sehwag.

Mid World Cup wrap up

Post only for the mad cricket freaks which India always finds even after the launch of IPL and the excessive cricket syndrome faced by players, fans and commentators alike.


Kenya's Odhiambo - Going uphill or downhill ?

First things first. So the break up for the World Cup leading to the Quarter finals. India has every chance to be there in the Quarters as projected otherwise by some media and news channes just to increase their website hits or TRP ratings. But this site needs none and hence putting news first.

Kevin O' Brien (Everyone loves the Irish)

India may not qualify for the Quarter finals if Bangaldesh defeats South Africa, which is highly improbable. And if India defeats West Indies they are through like a yacht in troubled water. For suppoze, just, suppoze, WI defeats India, India still has 7 points. They only have to see that the NRR to be a maintained a tad above England, i.e, assuming Eng defeats WI. England has to defeat West Indies to stay in contention for the Quarters and to stand at 7 points after the victory. Currently they have 5 points from 5 matches. So if they do not defeat WI, they are out of the tournament because other teams are standing at 6 or 7 points. And as projected by expert analysts in the studios, one need not have to wait till the last league to finalize the group combination.


Imran Tahir (Interesting to find a good leg spinner in SA)

Wondering why I am taking so much pain to educate you challenged freaks, I just had an early dinner before 9 p.m and hence the energy. On to other side of the group, i.e, Group A in all possibility Pak & SL can occupy the 3rd and the 4th slots, which means India - Pakistan Quarterfinal clash is on, assuming India defeats WI and goes to 2 place in their respective group and Pak takes 3rd position in their group. Go through the points table and the matches left for each team and logically (which is a challenge in itself) predict the possible outcomes to validate my Pak & SL taking the third and fourth slots or vice versa.


Shahid Afridi - He is called 'Boom boom' for a reason

Folks who've said that this World Cup 2011 is boring even before the first ball is bowled eat their words, hats and socks. This has been a format so tailor made for the subcontinent teams especially to see that they atleast make it to the Quarter finals so that people will be coming to the stadiums or glued to their TV sets.

Highhlights:

1) Sachin scored century twice in this series so far and once India came close to losing but avoided it with a belt (read tie) and lost the second match where he registered a Nelson number.
Bottomline: You can safely bet India losing the match whenever the master blaster scores a ton.
2) Sachin gives his wicket to a Irish bowler who is bowling to the maestro for the first time in his career. Nothing new but for the 18 yr old Dockrell only has to tell this story to his grandfather.
3) Dhoni forced his fan to work beyond his capabilities in SA match sticking to Ashish Nehra in the last over. There is only so much limit with which a fan can operate. Bring in Ashwin and Raina in place of Chawla and Yousuf.
4) Ross Taylor's knock against Pakistan should be the knock of the tournament.
5) Kevin 'O Brien's ton stands second in their meticulous yet audacious run chase against England.
6) Kenya's cricket is at a dismal stage and you would hardly believe that they were once pitching for test status.
7) Bangla Tigers did their part in holding wins against the minnows to keep their hopes afloat and possibly expecting a miracle like they had it in 2007.
8) Look at the games that the famous Eden Gardens has got to host this WC. SA vs Ire, Ire vs Ned, Zim vs Ken.
9) Sourav Ganguly is making his debut as a commentator and he is ok. He is trying not to make many mistakes but clearly lacking a cricketing acumen like Sanjay Manjrekar.
10) Shahid Afridi had a dream start to this WC campaign as a captain and boy did he lead from the front. He only has to click in his batting to take his team to the semis.
11) No club dancers cheer leaders in this WC.
12) Lot of tickets were given to the club members that is virtually impossible for an outsider to get a ticket for the finals. Some were sold in black, white and blue.
13) Watch out for the celebrities that grace the finals even if India is not playing it.
14) Some replays were deliberately cut short after a players dismissial if incase he was found using expletives.
15) Commentary exclusively in Hindi, in Star Sports? Imagine the revenues broadcasters wants to cash in airing these matches.
16) Australia are still continuing their unbeaten run despite not having the likes of McGrath, Warne, Waugh, Gilchrist etc.
17) We desis are all sadistic enough to see Aussies getting knocked before the finals. It is there in our blood to see them going home before the finals and it is there in Aussies blood to reach and win the finals.
18) Why does Bill Lawry and Richie Benaud not do commentary in the sub continent?
19) Why Navjot Singh Sidhu is still surviving with his commentary? Why don't the English rip his clothes for his English and the infamous quotes. Sidhu, taking a line out of your book, "It is better to prevent and prepare than repent and repair". I had indigestion that day after listening to it.
20) Plain old simple theory for the retards who are madly behind India for the WC glory - Countries hosting the World cup hasn't won the cup. Yet, for a friend of mine who is an eternal optimist like John Wright, Jai ho !


India's world cup squad for 2011

MSD has finally given a thrashing to his batsmen saying, play for the country but not for the gallery. Hopefully that will set things straight heading into the knock stages of the tournament.

Drought break

The place where thoughts has to rain has stopped due to excessive heat in the winter. Just as rains arrive at unexpected times defying our meterological predictions so too will be the posts at this stupid site. Just like the one now which was started half an hour short of midnight while doing fighting (with the sleep) and typing simultaneously.


There are many differences between service based and product based companies. Namely,

1) Service based companies also lauch products while doing a delivery to the client. It is not a product in physical shape like a board in a Tv or a player, but some deliverable as a package which is termed as product.
2)There will be more processes to get the work started in SBC than PBC.
3) In SBC if you are worth enough, you can have an interaction with the client. Oh client interaction? That is good yar, you can learn lot (on how to screw up the existing business).
4) Job security and salary as perceived by the public is more in PBC as compared to SBC.
5) You find more junk (people) in service based companies. Junk as in iron which is corroded, so are the experienced people trying to manage a team who knows how to just communicate things while having air in their heads.
6) With your drainage leg that does not have a reputation of producing good things upon touching the ground, the figures that you will encounter in your team or around your cubicle either in SBC or PBC is always of one quality - which is pathetic.

You will be at peace if you are working in a city that you love working. I am at peace.

There will be separate training session for you on stocks sometime from me preferably on how not to make losses. Leave those Daruwala's and Jhunjhunwala's and come to me. Night is convenient time.

It depends on the person to make contacts with your previous colleagues or friends in your previous companies. Obviously.

Unforced Errors:

1. Lost my habit so the words are not flowing as they used to.
2. Novak Djokovic has defeated Andy Murray in straight sets to claim his second Australian Open title. The thing that you did not observe in this match apart from a superb display of rallies is chest thumping. You did not observe it because he did not do it.
3. One lady RJ laughs unnecessarily while doing her RJ'ing to make the listeners glued to that channel. She might be paid for that childish laugh.
4. I don't know why am I downloading a 3Gb .iso image from torrents when I cannot burn it into a disc in my laptop.
5. Tension in Egypt is mounting to bring down a 30 year rule under Mubarak.
6. You can make it big in stocks. Either the profits or the losses. I want the former.
7.Freaks of my age have all bought houses and paying the loans and I find hard to invest in some stupid insurance companies to obtain tax exmeption.
8. You keep paying like a dumb jerk for your mutual funds even though the sum accrued so far is lesser than the sum total of all your premiums, because you have got no other choice.
9. For once Federer has truly agreed that Novak was the better player in the semi final of his AO defeat.
10. World Cup starts from Feb 19th and there will probably be a fight in my house if not a war, with my wife for the Tv.