It's new years eve, Some people look view it as the time when people look back on the year that has passed and look forward to the coming year. Some people try to use this day as changing, making new year resolutions. While some people just use it as an excuse to party and get wasted. I at this moment am doing the first. I don't believe in the second. And the last, there's still a few hours to go before that :)
2008 was quite eventful. It was a year when I lost really good friends, made some even better ones; Lost track of who mattered, and found it again; Did not know what I was going to do with life post college, then realised and finally decided; Did not know where my priorities lied, but found out a way to find out where they did; when there was a someone, and suddenly there wasn't; and Went from a neither here nor there to finally knowing to choose somewhere.
Now that the year is coming to a close, looking back at whatever happened, it was a great year. It has changed me, definitely for the better. Now for 2009, a year of extreme importance. Happy new year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Revenge : B'ball Game Review
In an attempt to not get bored in the holidays, along with the idea of establishing the fact that we can indeed play without our ex captain in Bangalore level tournaments, we decided to enroll ourselves in the PESIT tournament which was to happen in the middle of the holidays. That would mean 2 things. Firstly we would not go with our first choice team, with a couple of our International models missing out. Secondly, since everyone in Bangalore is in a different corner of the city, we would not have much of team practise. That said, when the fixtures were out, almost as if destiny had it in store for us, we were drawn against Ramaiah. Ramaiah for starters, is one of the best teams in the city, boasting of 3 VTU players, and excellent tournament records, and regarded in most tourneys as potential winners. To add to this, there is a certain feeling of desperate revenge, because of a loss to Ramaiah in a game last year, which was a scar on our team that we wanted to erase. We were praying to get a chance to play them at Inci last year, but we had got that chance only now, and we were in no mood to let it slip.
The final day had arrived. Ramaiah, as confident as they always are, brought along their second jersey for the evening game, expecting it to be a breeze against us. Little did they know how much this game meant to us. Since one of our first 5 players were not available we had to do with a makeshift lineup. Ramaiah too in all fairness was a makeshift lineup, but that shouldn't have made any difference. Camel, Alok, Nitin, Sharan and Ewin lined up for us. Ramaiah, known for their high intensity game were up to it from the first minute. Full court press, physical rebounds, Clutch shooting, all in an attempt to psych the opponents out like they always do. But this wasn't going to be another 'always'. Simple screens and some intensity from our own end, and there we were leading 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. Team huddle's message was to keep up the intensity and not let this chance slip. Second quarter did not go as expected. We slacked, they picked up intensity and it was slowly beginning to slip away. 21-12 at the end of the half. Disastrous second period, but it was pointed out that we were going wrong in basics. Simple screens could break that defence. Fundamental basketball would do the trick. Third quarter and Bloke went beserk. Three three pointers and there we were back in the hunt again. Good defence coupled with the fact that they were getting tired too, meant that we took complete advantage and lead was back with us at the end of the third. Final quarter, we were ten minutes away from what we wanted so badly last year. Bloke continued his streak, with a few more sweet three's. With about 3 minutes left we were leading by 6. It was not done, we had lost the Inci semis in the exact same scenario. But it was not going to happen this time. Raphael shocked us with a couple of clutch three's and there it was. It was looking like the dream would slip away. Just a couple of seconds later, Bloke puts up a shot, misses, and almost as if it is meant to be, the ball lands right into Sharan's arms under the board for an easy finish. 2 Points, and there we were, 11 seconds away from what we wanted so badly. The referees came to us and said just 11 seconds. Surana coach told us the same thing. 11 seconds later, it was over. We had finally beaten Ramaiah, in the process handing them probably their first ever first round exit, and probably their first ever loss to an Engineering team. Ironic we did it without our martyr, Singh, but we achieved what we wanted badly. Revenge, does taste sweet.
Although we went on to lose the semis to a really bad team, in an equally close affair, which shouldn't have been the case, the first victory was something special for all of us. Something we dedicated to Singh. Something that showed to the people that we can play outside our own tournament. With the required effort, surely, a sign of things to come.
The final day had arrived. Ramaiah, as confident as they always are, brought along their second jersey for the evening game, expecting it to be a breeze against us. Little did they know how much this game meant to us. Since one of our first 5 players were not available we had to do with a makeshift lineup. Ramaiah too in all fairness was a makeshift lineup, but that shouldn't have made any difference. Camel, Alok, Nitin, Sharan and Ewin lined up for us. Ramaiah, known for their high intensity game were up to it from the first minute. Full court press, physical rebounds, Clutch shooting, all in an attempt to psych the opponents out like they always do. But this wasn't going to be another 'always'. Simple screens and some intensity from our own end, and there we were leading 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. Team huddle's message was to keep up the intensity and not let this chance slip. Second quarter did not go as expected. We slacked, they picked up intensity and it was slowly beginning to slip away. 21-12 at the end of the half. Disastrous second period, but it was pointed out that we were going wrong in basics. Simple screens could break that defence. Fundamental basketball would do the trick. Third quarter and Bloke went beserk. Three three pointers and there we were back in the hunt again. Good defence coupled with the fact that they were getting tired too, meant that we took complete advantage and lead was back with us at the end of the third. Final quarter, we were ten minutes away from what we wanted so badly last year. Bloke continued his streak, with a few more sweet three's. With about 3 minutes left we were leading by 6. It was not done, we had lost the Inci semis in the exact same scenario. But it was not going to happen this time. Raphael shocked us with a couple of clutch three's and there it was. It was looking like the dream would slip away. Just a couple of seconds later, Bloke puts up a shot, misses, and almost as if it is meant to be, the ball lands right into Sharan's arms under the board for an easy finish. 2 Points, and there we were, 11 seconds away from what we wanted so badly. The referees came to us and said just 11 seconds. Surana coach told us the same thing. 11 seconds later, it was over. We had finally beaten Ramaiah, in the process handing them probably their first ever first round exit, and probably their first ever loss to an Engineering team. Ironic we did it without our martyr, Singh, but we achieved what we wanted badly. Revenge, does taste sweet.
Although we went on to lose the semis to a really bad team, in an equally close affair, which shouldn't have been the case, the first victory was something special for all of us. Something we dedicated to Singh. Something that showed to the people that we can play outside our own tournament. With the required effort, surely, a sign of things to come.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Top 5 Movie Endings
Here's my pick of what I feel are the best movie endings/ twists at the climax.
No descriptions of course, for people who haven't watched any of these.
5) Fight Club
4) Shawshank Redemption
3) Saw
2) Memento
1) The Usual Suspects
You may have your own order, or perhaps even other movies on this list. If so let me know, I would love to watch them if I haven't.
No descriptions of course, for people who haven't watched any of these.
5) Fight Club
4) Shawshank Redemption
3) Saw
2) Memento
1) The Usual Suspects
You may have your own order, or perhaps even other movies on this list. If so let me know, I would love to watch them if I haven't.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Real-ly Ranting
When I started writing this blog, I told myself that I will never make a rant entry. And even if I did, I never once thought it would be about something I love so much, Real Madrid. And now that it is about Real, it must speak volumes about how bad the current scenario at the Spanish capital is.
With 11 games gone in the season, sitting at 4th place on the table, 3 points behind the leaders, and most probably getting into the next stages of the Champions League, would not mean that a team is in crisis. But this is Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. A club where, two continuous losses would mean that the manager's neck is on the line. A club where, a title-less season would be catastrophic to even imagine. A club where just winning is not enough, it has to be done with a certain amount of style and conviction. And that is exactly why this season looks like a bad one for Real.
A wise man named Murphy once said that, everything that can possibly go wrong happens all at once at the worst possible time. He couldn't have been more apt with the current situation in Madrid. 2 back to back Champions League losses to Juventus is completely inexcusable. A friend of mine wrote on his blog in the preview to this game as the game against the Old lady with a broken hip, referring to the number of injuries they had. Away loss was okay, home loss, an embarrassing one at that is completely inexcusable. Losing to Real Union in the Copa, a Segunda B team, which means they play two divisions below us. How on earth does that happen? Only god knows how. Barely scraping a win against Malaga, and then going on to losing against Valladolid, a team that Barca beat 6-0 the previous weekend, surely meant there was a crisis at the Bernebeu.
Now, the blame game begins. Spanish press is dying to get things to sell their papers, And Real have given them a cakewalk for achieving what they want. So who is really at fault. Naturally fingers point to the manager, Schuster. I really do not think the fault lies with him. It is more at the top level of the hierarchy. Calderon cannot be expressed in non swear words at this moment by most Real fans. Mijatovic, the supposed technical director, is equally to blame. Their over ambitious chase for Ronaldo in the summer meant the rest of the buying would be hit, and hit it was. No naturally right sided winger yet in the team. An aging Cannavaro, a full of himself Pepe, and the truly horrendous Man Utd reject Hienze in charge of the centre of defence? Surely that is not the material of champions. Garay's loan has to be terminated. Ramos has to be moved back to centre and Torres has to play on the right. Midfield is a mayhem. There are far too many central midfielders, far too many players who stray forward never to bother about defending once they lose the ball. And to top all that, Van Nistelrooy is injured for the remainder of the season. Raul is looking like a mere shadow of the great man he was. Thankfully Higuain has found his scoring boots. And then there is Saviola? Who? That's right that Argentine, the Saviola we all know about. Yup, he is rotting the benches at Real.
With possibly the toughest part of the season coming up where Getafe, Sevilla, Villareal, Barcelona and Valencia the next five opponents and two crucial Champions League games thrown in to the mix, it will take quite a run to bounce back from the situation they have put themselves in. This is Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. A club where a title-less season would be catastrophic to even imagine. A club where winning is not enough, it has to be done with a certain amount of style and conviction. And that is what this team has to prove. Hala Madrid.
With 11 games gone in the season, sitting at 4th place on the table, 3 points behind the leaders, and most probably getting into the next stages of the Champions League, would not mean that a team is in crisis. But this is Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. A club where, two continuous losses would mean that the manager's neck is on the line. A club where, a title-less season would be catastrophic to even imagine. A club where just winning is not enough, it has to be done with a certain amount of style and conviction. And that is exactly why this season looks like a bad one for Real.
A wise man named Murphy once said that, everything that can possibly go wrong happens all at once at the worst possible time. He couldn't have been more apt with the current situation in Madrid. 2 back to back Champions League losses to Juventus is completely inexcusable. A friend of mine wrote on his blog in the preview to this game as the game against the Old lady with a broken hip, referring to the number of injuries they had. Away loss was okay, home loss, an embarrassing one at that is completely inexcusable. Losing to Real Union in the Copa, a Segunda B team, which means they play two divisions below us. How on earth does that happen? Only god knows how. Barely scraping a win against Malaga, and then going on to losing against Valladolid, a team that Barca beat 6-0 the previous weekend, surely meant there was a crisis at the Bernebeu.
Now, the blame game begins. Spanish press is dying to get things to sell their papers, And Real have given them a cakewalk for achieving what they want. So who is really at fault. Naturally fingers point to the manager, Schuster. I really do not think the fault lies with him. It is more at the top level of the hierarchy. Calderon cannot be expressed in non swear words at this moment by most Real fans. Mijatovic, the supposed technical director, is equally to blame. Their over ambitious chase for Ronaldo in the summer meant the rest of the buying would be hit, and hit it was. No naturally right sided winger yet in the team. An aging Cannavaro, a full of himself Pepe, and the truly horrendous Man Utd reject Hienze in charge of the centre of defence? Surely that is not the material of champions. Garay's loan has to be terminated. Ramos has to be moved back to centre and Torres has to play on the right. Midfield is a mayhem. There are far too many central midfielders, far too many players who stray forward never to bother about defending once they lose the ball. And to top all that, Van Nistelrooy is injured for the remainder of the season. Raul is looking like a mere shadow of the great man he was. Thankfully Higuain has found his scoring boots. And then there is Saviola? Who? That's right that Argentine, the Saviola we all know about. Yup, he is rotting the benches at Real.
With possibly the toughest part of the season coming up where Getafe, Sevilla, Villareal, Barcelona and Valencia the next five opponents and two crucial Champions League games thrown in to the mix, it will take quite a run to bounce back from the situation they have put themselves in. This is Real Madrid, the biggest club in the world. A club where a title-less season would be catastrophic to even imagine. A club where winning is not enough, it has to be done with a certain amount of style and conviction. And that is what this team has to prove. Hala Madrid.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
King James
I've been watching a lot of NBA Highlights lately, and sort of got my inspiration for this post. It's been a while since the league has seen a god-like figure. Bird, Magic, Jordan, are all of a by-gone era. It's high time there was some one of that calibre, someone that the kids of the present generation can look up to. There have been critics who say that the face of the game is changing, there isn't much you can do individually, showboating with the dunks etc. Agreed, but games do evolve and let's face it, this is the new phase of basketball. I'm not sure you can have the Stockton kind of players anymore in today's game. Coming down to what I really wanted to write about, is that idol that I mentioned earlier. Le Bron James, often referred to, aptly I might add, as King James, is that guy. Before you jump at me saying what has he done yet, I want to say that even the great Jordan won his titles only after 6-7 years of playing. There is a transition a player has to make from college to NBA, and James directly jumped from High School to the NBA. At 6 foot 9 inches, with his swiftness, he's a monster. Time and time again, he has 40 point games, where he single handedly carries his team to victories. His effectiveness has increased, he makes his teammates play, he's blossoming into the player that will take him to the Bird, Jordan league. He's supposedly pretty down to earth also, according to what I've read, and if so, has that class that the greats of every game do. This year he has got a decent team to back him up with the addition of Wallace, and his teammates are improving their effectiveness too. At this rate, I'd back them for a good run this season. May he start winning championships, and truly show everyone in the basketball world that he does belong amongst the greatest of the greats.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
MinRel
Wednesday 12:00 -
C: We got screwed man, That AL was taking our thing and HOD suddenly walked in because he was terribly pissed off with some other group. He checks all code, everything and be careful.
Wednesday 16:30 -
K: Maga, how was project submission?
S: Don't ask maga, HOD came. We got raped.
Wednesday 20:00 -
Call from M : Let's meet and discuss about the project. I'll explain the code and stuff so that we can confidently tell HOD about everything.
Wednesday 21:00 onwards -
A: Any idea how the others did?
K: Most did okay, but whoever got HOD, better not talk about it.
Sources: You are group 25, so you will get HOD only
M: Maga, full tension if HOD comes, I don't know what to say only.
A and K : If you only don't know what will we say man!
All : Okay how do we divide functions? You do destroy, I do Load, He'll do select. No man, I can't do this.
A: Okay I'll do Select Insert and Join, He'll do Create,Load and Project and you do Describe Drop and Print
M: What about delete!? Delete is bevarsi maga. lol
All : Hey Let's make a PPT and go show him, might be impressed and all. Ohh nice idea!
Thursday 8:30 -
A: I've started making the PPT. You'll present it to him?
K: Yeah okay.
M: Don't take tension maga. Whatever happens will happen.
A: Yeah, let's just distract him and be confident so that he doesn't get the feeling we haven't split it.
M: After today, whatever happens let's go put Golconda in Garuda!
K: Sure!
Thursday 10:30 -
M: Cha, I wish this help file would work, that way we he'll be more impressed.
K:Okay, arbit idea, lets open the ppt when you click on help file. But is it easy to do?
M: Shit, yeah man, let's do that! AJ How do you open PowerPoint in DOS Prompt?
A: powerpnt
M: This isn't working man.
K: Ayyo, chuck it da, big deal.
M: No da it will be sexy if this works!
A: Idea! Create batch file and call that.
M: Fak! Sexy maga, yeah we'll do that only.
M: Works!
K: Shit, this is the first thing that all 3 of us have done together!
A: Haha, that's why you need three people.
Thursday 11:00 - Enter HOD
HOD: You all look very happy. Why is it so? Completed the project?
All three: Yes sir
HOD: Let's see. Okay why do you need a PPT?
After some explanation and some time
HOD: Good work. But tell me just for argument's sake why are you using this load?
M: Sir, you can't access physical memory, so we load it into the RAM
HOD: But you have to go to a lower level for that.
M: Sir, that is a typical C approach. The purpose of using Java is defeated if we go to low level.
HOD: Who asked you to use Java?
*Shock*
HOD: Just joking, I wanted to just listen to what you have to say.
All Three: Sir, these are the join, project and delete functions.
HOD: It's okay, I don't think I need to see it. Proceed.
All Three: Sir, some extra features are there that we couldn't implement because we didn't know if it was apt.
HOD: No you have done everything. You want me to cut marks?
*Silly Smile*
A: Sir, what about the implementation of the other part?
HOD *Smiles* : No need. I'm sure you would have done that. Just copy your project in a CD and give it to me.
Thursday 12:00
All : Yess!! *High 5's all around*
M: Maga today GB for sure! Once again, for the second year in a row, DM's project gets stored in the dept.
M:That's enough maga. Now balls to end sems.
A and K : Haha haha.
Thus ended our dramatic project story. So much for all plans we had in case HOD was in belting form. With all the imbalanced fun we had and even more imbalanced code of the Java Guru this is something I thought I'd pen down to read sometime and feel nostalgic.
C: We got screwed man, That AL was taking our thing and HOD suddenly walked in because he was terribly pissed off with some other group. He checks all code, everything and be careful.
Wednesday 16:30 -
K: Maga, how was project submission?
S: Don't ask maga, HOD came. We got raped.
Wednesday 20:00 -
Call from M : Let's meet and discuss about the project. I'll explain the code and stuff so that we can confidently tell HOD about everything.
Wednesday 21:00 onwards -
A: Any idea how the others did?
K: Most did okay, but whoever got HOD, better not talk about it.
Sources: You are group 25, so you will get HOD only
M: Maga, full tension if HOD comes, I don't know what to say only.
A and K : If you only don't know what will we say man!
All : Okay how do we divide functions? You do destroy, I do Load, He'll do select. No man, I can't do this.
A: Okay I'll do Select Insert and Join, He'll do Create,Load and Project and you do Describe Drop and Print
M: What about delete!? Delete is bevarsi maga. lol
All : Hey Let's make a PPT and go show him, might be impressed and all. Ohh nice idea!
Thursday 8:30 -
A: I've started making the PPT. You'll present it to him?
K: Yeah okay.
M: Don't take tension maga. Whatever happens will happen.
A: Yeah, let's just distract him and be confident so that he doesn't get the feeling we haven't split it.
M: After today, whatever happens let's go put Golconda in Garuda!
K: Sure!
Thursday 10:30 -
M: Cha, I wish this help file would work, that way we he'll be more impressed.
K:Okay, arbit idea, lets open the ppt when you click on help file. But is it easy to do?
M: Shit, yeah man, let's do that! AJ How do you open PowerPoint in DOS Prompt?
A: powerpnt
M: This isn't working man.
K: Ayyo, chuck it da, big deal.
M: No da it will be sexy if this works!
A: Idea! Create batch file and call that.
M: Fak! Sexy maga, yeah we'll do that only.
M: Works!
K: Shit, this is the first thing that all 3 of us have done together!
A: Haha, that's why you need three people.
Thursday 11:00 - Enter HOD
HOD: You all look very happy. Why is it so? Completed the project?
All three: Yes sir
HOD: Let's see. Okay why do you need a PPT?
After some explanation and some time
HOD: Good work. But tell me just for argument's sake why are you using this load?
M: Sir, you can't access physical memory, so we load it into the RAM
HOD: But you have to go to a lower level for that.
M: Sir, that is a typical C approach. The purpose of using Java is defeated if we go to low level.
HOD: Who asked you to use Java?
*Shock*
HOD: Just joking, I wanted to just listen to what you have to say.
All Three: Sir, these are the join, project and delete functions.
HOD: It's okay, I don't think I need to see it. Proceed.
All Three: Sir, some extra features are there that we couldn't implement because we didn't know if it was apt.
HOD: No you have done everything. You want me to cut marks?
*Silly Smile*
A: Sir, what about the implementation of the other part?
HOD *Smiles* : No need. I'm sure you would have done that. Just copy your project in a CD and give it to me.
Thursday 12:00
All : Yess!! *High 5's all around*
M: Maga today GB for sure! Once again, for the second year in a row, DM's project gets stored in the dept.
M:That's enough maga. Now balls to end sems.
A and K : Haha haha.
Thus ended our dramatic project story. So much for all plans we had in case HOD was in belting form. With all the imbalanced fun we had and even more imbalanced code of the Java Guru this is something I thought I'd pen down to read sometime and feel nostalgic.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Fw: They asked and now I answer
Rolu Polu Dolu aka Dholax aka Engi Publicity Co-ordinator had this on his blog and asked for me to answer them too. And hence.
Last movie seen in a theater:
The Dark Knight *bows*
What book are you reading?
For a while it has been Ptolemy's Gate, but I'm a noob, speed can be excused
Favorite board game:
Monopoly
Favorite magazine:
Autocar, Sportstar
Favorite smells:
Petrol and new shoes
Favorite sounds:
Piano
Worst feeling in the world:
People you trust, go against you
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Argh! Class!
Favorite fast food place:
KFC
Future child’s name:
Not given it a thought
Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
spend it like a man who has a lot of money
Do you drive fast?
Yeah, in a while.
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Yappa! No!
Storms - Cool or Scary?
Scary !
Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Don't mind them.
If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
None, I like it Black (Call me racist! Heh)
Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:
Hyderabad ( 0-0.5 )
Palakkad ( 0.5-3 )
Bangalore ( 3-17 )
Surathkal ( 18- )
Favorite sports to watch:
Football, Basketball
What’s under your bed?
A couple of bags and lots of dirt
Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Of course
Morning person or night owl?
Night Owl.
Favorite place to relax:
I don't know really, depends on the situation, can vary from bed to B'ball court to beach and what not.
Favorite ice cream flavor:
Chocolate. Chocolate. More Chocolate!
Forwarding this to whoever is jobless and wants to answer this. :)
Last movie seen in a theater:
The Dark Knight *bows*
What book are you reading?
For a while it has been Ptolemy's Gate, but I'm a noob, speed can be excused
Favorite board game:
Monopoly
Favorite magazine:
Autocar, Sportstar
Favorite smells:
Petrol and new shoes
Favorite sounds:
Piano
Worst feeling in the world:
People you trust, go against you
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Argh! Class!
Favorite fast food place:
KFC
Future child’s name:
Not given it a thought
Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
spend it like a man who has a lot of money
Do you drive fast?
Yeah, in a while.
Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Yappa! No!
Storms - Cool or Scary?
Scary !
Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
Don't mind them.
If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
None, I like it Black (Call me racist! Heh)
Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:
Hyderabad ( 0-0.5 )
Palakkad ( 0.5-3 )
Bangalore ( 3-17 )
Surathkal ( 18- )
Favorite sports to watch:
Football, Basketball
What’s under your bed?
A couple of bags and lots of dirt
Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Of course
Morning person or night owl?
Night Owl.
Favorite place to relax:
I don't know really, depends on the situation, can vary from bed to B'ball court to beach and what not.
Favorite ice cream flavor:
Chocolate. Chocolate. More Chocolate!
Forwarding this to whoever is jobless and wants to answer this. :)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Colour v Color
I just logged in to my facebook account today, and there was this new translator tool that popped up to choose my language. Just like I always do, I chose English (UK), which led me its page where there were forum topics, one of which was Americans cannot speak English. That made for quite an interesting reading. I personally prefer the Brit version. It's what we grow up learning and it's what we should talk. American English has its own merits as well, considering they spell how they hear which makes things simple. But the reality is that basically an average American is not very smart and that's why they very conveniently made spellings simpler. Brit English on the other hand is complicated, yet a beautiful language. I may not exactly be the best person, or anywhere close to good in proper English, but I'd try to sound(not with the accent of course) and write as much British as possible. Frankly calling trousers pants, or boots trunks does not make a difference, or neither is the usage of color for colour and zee for zed too much of a crime, but it's just the portrayal of may be this new dialect 'American' as the correct form of English through different forms of media that tends to put people like me off. I once had a friend in school say, India should follow American English since it is a whole lot easier, easier it might be, but is it right? Perhaps eventually one day 'American' might take over English, but I hope that day is far away, for English English is how the language is supposed to be spoken, written and used. God save the queen, and her language.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Anything Barça can do, Madrid can do better
Warning: I've flicked the article from elsewhere, I liked it, I thought you might too.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They're the cocky kids arguing whose dad's bigger, neighbours preening over their pebble-dashing, tuning types upping the stakes with another pointless appendage to their Seat Ibizas — egging each other on, winding each other up. "If Barcelona didn't exist, we'd have to invent them," remarked former Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, and he was right. Barcelona go Dutch, Madrid go Dutcher; Madrid go galactic, Barcelona go cosmic. They're the US and the USSR racing into space, with missions to the moon and monkeys at the controls. Anything Barça can do, Madrid can do better. No, they can't. Yes, they can. No, they can't. Yes, they can. No, they can't. Yes. They. Caaaan!
And, let's face it, mostly they can. Barça buy a posy new team bus, Madrid buy a plane. A rickety airfix plane soon quietly ditched but, still, a plane! Barça have two Catalan comics fawning over them, Madrid have two national ones. Barça celebrate their centenary by playing Brazil, Madrid celebrate theirs by playing the whole wide world. Barça visit the Pope, Madrid visit the King, the UN and the Pope. Barça nearly buy David Beckham, Madrid really buy David Beckham. Barça beat Madrid 5-0, Madrid take Michael Laudrup and beat them 5-0 back. Barça get Alfredo di Stéfano for three games, Madrid get him for 11 years, eight league titles and five European Cups.
And now it's getting really silly, with a little helping hand from a fixture list that groups together all the likely title contenders (except Atlético), meaning the champions may not be the best team over the course of the season but the best team over the course of two six-game stretches in which Sevilla, Barcelona, Valencia, Villarreal and Madrid face each other. More importantly, a fixture list in which twice a season every team plays Sevilla, Barça, Madrid and Villarreal consecutively, giving Madrid the perfect opportunity to succeed and supersede Barça. Which is exactly what they've done. Barça lose 1-0 to Numancia on the opening day, in the very next match Madrid beat Numancia 4-3. Barça draw 0-0 with Racing Santander, the following week Madrid beat them 2-0.
So far, so standard, but even raising the bar impossibly high makes no difference: On Sunday night, Barcelona smash Sporting Gijon 6-1 (six bleeding one!), prompting the Catalan press to declare, "it doesn't get any better"; one Madridista pundit to declare, "Bah! We're better than Barça, 6-1 is nothing!"; and Sporting's marvellously moustachioed manager Manuel Preciado to declare, "Madrid suit us better, although I might be eating my words soon." Only it does, he's right, and Preciado is busy wolfing down a plate of Alphabetti Spaghetti when Real Madrid do it better. Barcelona smash Sporting 6-1; three little days later, Madrid smash Sporting 7-1. Anything you can do better, I can do better.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They're the cocky kids arguing whose dad's bigger, neighbours preening over their pebble-dashing, tuning types upping the stakes with another pointless appendage to their Seat Ibizas — egging each other on, winding each other up. "If Barcelona didn't exist, we'd have to invent them," remarked former Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, and he was right. Barcelona go Dutch, Madrid go Dutcher; Madrid go galactic, Barcelona go cosmic. They're the US and the USSR racing into space, with missions to the moon and monkeys at the controls. Anything Barça can do, Madrid can do better. No, they can't. Yes, they can. No, they can't. Yes, they can. No, they can't. Yes. They. Caaaan!
And, let's face it, mostly they can. Barça buy a posy new team bus, Madrid buy a plane. A rickety airfix plane soon quietly ditched but, still, a plane! Barça have two Catalan comics fawning over them, Madrid have two national ones. Barça celebrate their centenary by playing Brazil, Madrid celebrate theirs by playing the whole wide world. Barça visit the Pope, Madrid visit the King, the UN and the Pope. Barça nearly buy David Beckham, Madrid really buy David Beckham. Barça beat Madrid 5-0, Madrid take Michael Laudrup and beat them 5-0 back. Barça get Alfredo di Stéfano for three games, Madrid get him for 11 years, eight league titles and five European Cups.
And now it's getting really silly, with a little helping hand from a fixture list that groups together all the likely title contenders (except Atlético), meaning the champions may not be the best team over the course of the season but the best team over the course of two six-game stretches in which Sevilla, Barcelona, Valencia, Villarreal and Madrid face each other. More importantly, a fixture list in which twice a season every team plays Sevilla, Barça, Madrid and Villarreal consecutively, giving Madrid the perfect opportunity to succeed and supersede Barça. Which is exactly what they've done. Barça lose 1-0 to Numancia on the opening day, in the very next match Madrid beat Numancia 4-3. Barça draw 0-0 with Racing Santander, the following week Madrid beat them 2-0.
So far, so standard, but even raising the bar impossibly high makes no difference: On Sunday night, Barcelona smash Sporting Gijon 6-1 (six bleeding one!), prompting the Catalan press to declare, "it doesn't get any better"; one Madridista pundit to declare, "Bah! We're better than Barça, 6-1 is nothing!"; and Sporting's marvellously moustachioed manager Manuel Preciado to declare, "Madrid suit us better, although I might be eating my words soon." Only it does, he's right, and Preciado is busy wolfing down a plate of Alphabetti Spaghetti when Real Madrid do it better. Barcelona smash Sporting 6-1; three little days later, Madrid smash Sporting 7-1. Anything you can do better, I can do better.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Be Brave. Be Dave.
Last evening something really shocking, fearfully shocking happened. When a friend called asked me if had heard about what happened to Dave, I panicked. After a series of phone calls I found out what exactly had happened. As dramatic as it may sound, this was the story. Dave went outside college to a nearby store to get a recharge and he heard a lady scream. He went to see what it was and saw to his disbelief that there were three guys on the verge of sinning. Instinctly he picked up whatever was next to him and tried to hit them. Meanwhile the lady runs away, and the gang in disgust sways their knives in random directions causing random cuts on Dave's body. He somehow escapes the scene and his truly wonderful friends take him to hospital to get the necessary treatment. What I would like to stress upon here is that, any of us would have normally just run from the situation, but this guy, potentially put his life on stake to perform the rescue act for a lady who he has never seen. Some of his wing mates called it foolishness, I would like to interpret it otherwise. It's courageous. It's manly. It's what someone who goes by heart and not his mind does. And that is the perfect description of Dave. I don't know if I would have done the same. I would have probably run away, and I'm sure many others I know would have done the same. But thank God for people like him. As some sort of consolations, the wounds are barely serious. But what matters is that he did what he thought was right. Be Brave. Be Dave. Get well soon mate.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
New Role
It's been a mixed past week. And it ended in a very mixed way too. After the bizarre cancellation of club event, to firing from team, due to lack of balance of two equal passions, as a blessing in disguise I felt how it is to be something like a coach to a basketball team. The experience was enthralling. Although it didn't finish in the best possible manner, the whole feeling associated with the job was good. When it came to calling the plays, I was not very much involved, thanks to a certain national player on the team and a few others who are sound with the game and have practised more together. The important job was to call the necessary timeouts and make substitutions if need be. Keeping the guys updated about the scores and time situation was also an important part of the job. The feel this gave was simply amazing. I believing in giving back to whatever makes you a better person, and this just increased the want that I already had to get to Basketball coaching at some later point of my life. Today, after the players I had almost as big a responsibility, for one I had to choose the replacement for the injured national player, apart from the above mentioned jobs, but nevertheless this was a challenge, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The sad part is that we lost, but it's just our first tournament and we obviously will improve by a huge margin. Huge trophy, team photo session and Akshaya dinner was nicely rounded up by a truly amazing truck ride back to college, thus ending this very bittersweet week.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Real Season Preview
After a long and rather uneventful transfer season by their regular standards, Real Madrid get ready to kick off their proper season. With a string of preseason victories, which has never happened before, and just one signing, which hasn't happened in a long while either, this is a tricky season to predict. A team was bought last year to last for a few years. And thankfully the management is sticking to a long term plan. Although I would have welcomed maybe one or two more entrants to the squad, I am rather happy with the team for the upcoming season. No worries on goal. Defence doesn't look very concerning either with enough depth with lots of players flexible between centre halves and wing backs. Midfield is a concern, not because of the lack in talent, but the overflow. There are too many left sided players, and too many central midfielders and absolutely nobody on the right. Gago/Diarra/De La Red for the anchor position. Gago would be my automatic choice, but you will need Diarra for some games and De La Red needs to get a game once every few games else he will be off too. Guti/Van Der Waart/Sneijder for attacking midfield. Guti is a genius but unpredictable, Sneijder is the natural choice. Van der Waart is flexible so may be he can be played elsewhere. And to top it all off Robben/Robinho(if he stays) on one wing. That's a selection headache, it's better headache but it's still one. Although I'd kill to be in Schuster's position, this makes me thank god I'm not in it. Forwards is a slight concern. Van Nistelrooy will fetch you the goals, but he isn't getting any younger and Raul is not getting any faster either. Although I love the latter, so much so to an extent I would rate him as one of the top five footballers during my short football watching career, I would say we need fresher blood than him. Higuain is doing well and I just get the feeling Villa will arrive next year at least, if not for a shock transfer with two hours left for the window to close or some such. Bench strength is good, Team is motivated to win the Champions League. I hope this is a good season. We should win the league, and at least proceed to the quarters this time around in Europe. Hala Madrid.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Ole Ole Ole
It's football season once again. And once again it is the time for predictions, taunts to opposition clubs, and lots of anxiety as to what entertainment and action this season will bring. Some clubs have been very active in the transfer market and some not so much. Here's my take on the so called top 8 clubs at the cream of European Football. All these clubs aspire to win every tournament they enter. But of course not all of them can. Here's what I personally feel about them.
Barcelona: Very active in the transfer market. Alves is a brilliant signing albeit a little overpriced, but hey aren't all signings overpriced these days. Kieta is decent signing, much better overall player than their last year's Yaya Toure signing who was pretty much rubbish. Ronaldinho is gone, which is the best thing to have probably happened to them. Guardiola is in charge, for people who don't know what that means, it's almost like a Keane managing ManUtd or something to that effect. I don't expect them to do much this year but they are building a team. As the Spanish cycle goes, they should be very strong by next season.
Real Madrid: After many days of the failed pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, they have had an unusually quiet summer. Usually big players in the transfer market, it is their first summer in many a year, when they have made less than 5 transfers. Baptista sold to Roma, was a good deal at 15 million euro. And Van der Waart was a steal from Hamburg. With quite a decent squad, they should take the league pretty easily, but I don't know if they are good enough to be European Champions just yet.
Arsenal: Hleb, Flamini gone. Nasri In. Quiet summer by their standards as well. Arsenal this year are younger than ever before. Only God knows what Wenger is thinking. This squad needs a bit of experience to actually win trophies and not just play beautiful football. I don't see them doing too much this year.
Liverpool: Keane was a brilliant signing. Probably the best striker combination in the premier league, with Torres and Keane, they should be scoring a lot more goals and winning a lot more games. Alonso might leave anytime soon, but they have enough depth in the squad to challenge for the title be it in England or in Europe. I hope they play more on the ground and live up to how they look on paper. Top 3 finish in the league and final 8 in the champions league for sure.
Chelsea: What a squad! Great manager! and a drive to win especially since they were so close last year. Deco and Bosingwa are pretty decent signings and they have only lost the old horse Makelele. With probably Robinho joining their ranks, they are my bet for English champions this season, and to have quite a strong Champions League run as well.
Manchester United: Double Champions, it looks like they will have a tough time defending both those crowns. Extremely quiet in the transfer market, with zero sales or buys (although Berbatov might join soon), they are depleted by injuries in the starting part of the season, will hope for their talisman Ronaldo to be back and take them to the heights they achieved last season. I'd say they will fight it hard with Chelsea for the league, and will have a strong European campaign as well.
AC Milan: I hope Ancelotti knows what he is doing with such a glorious club. Random signings like Ronaldinho and nothing to improve their ageing defence. I predict a disaster season for them, be it in the league or in the UEFA Cup.
Inter Milan: As usual, they make many signings in the summer, and seem to have a squad the size of 2 average sized ones. That precisely is their mistake, they have lots of half-stars and they are just not good enough to make it big in the European stage. They might still end up dominating their league and win it just because there is not enough competition.
Worthy Mentions: Juve have a decent team, but it will take time to get back to the heights they are known for. Roma are very unpredictable and can hope for a strong league finish at most. Munich might enter the European fray if they manage to play some decent football with the nice looking squad that they posses. Atletico and Villareal are very nice teams, but I don't think they will proceed very far in the Champions League but will almost surely finish in the top 4 of La Liga again.
Now, it's time to sit back and enjoy one more season of Topsy turvy, unpredictable and the ever so awesome game called football.
Barcelona: Very active in the transfer market. Alves is a brilliant signing albeit a little overpriced, but hey aren't all signings overpriced these days. Kieta is decent signing, much better overall player than their last year's Yaya Toure signing who was pretty much rubbish. Ronaldinho is gone, which is the best thing to have probably happened to them. Guardiola is in charge, for people who don't know what that means, it's almost like a Keane managing ManUtd or something to that effect. I don't expect them to do much this year but they are building a team. As the Spanish cycle goes, they should be very strong by next season.
Real Madrid: After many days of the failed pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo, they have had an unusually quiet summer. Usually big players in the transfer market, it is their first summer in many a year, when they have made less than 5 transfers. Baptista sold to Roma, was a good deal at 15 million euro. And Van der Waart was a steal from Hamburg. With quite a decent squad, they should take the league pretty easily, but I don't know if they are good enough to be European Champions just yet.
Arsenal: Hleb, Flamini gone. Nasri In. Quiet summer by their standards as well. Arsenal this year are younger than ever before. Only God knows what Wenger is thinking. This squad needs a bit of experience to actually win trophies and not just play beautiful football. I don't see them doing too much this year.
Liverpool: Keane was a brilliant signing. Probably the best striker combination in the premier league, with Torres and Keane, they should be scoring a lot more goals and winning a lot more games. Alonso might leave anytime soon, but they have enough depth in the squad to challenge for the title be it in England or in Europe. I hope they play more on the ground and live up to how they look on paper. Top 3 finish in the league and final 8 in the champions league for sure.
Chelsea: What a squad! Great manager! and a drive to win especially since they were so close last year. Deco and Bosingwa are pretty decent signings and they have only lost the old horse Makelele. With probably Robinho joining their ranks, they are my bet for English champions this season, and to have quite a strong Champions League run as well.
Manchester United: Double Champions, it looks like they will have a tough time defending both those crowns. Extremely quiet in the transfer market, with zero sales or buys (although Berbatov might join soon), they are depleted by injuries in the starting part of the season, will hope for their talisman Ronaldo to be back and take them to the heights they achieved last season. I'd say they will fight it hard with Chelsea for the league, and will have a strong European campaign as well.
AC Milan: I hope Ancelotti knows what he is doing with such a glorious club. Random signings like Ronaldinho and nothing to improve their ageing defence. I predict a disaster season for them, be it in the league or in the UEFA Cup.
Inter Milan: As usual, they make many signings in the summer, and seem to have a squad the size of 2 average sized ones. That precisely is their mistake, they have lots of half-stars and they are just not good enough to make it big in the European stage. They might still end up dominating their league and win it just because there is not enough competition.
Worthy Mentions: Juve have a decent team, but it will take time to get back to the heights they are known for. Roma are very unpredictable and can hope for a strong league finish at most. Munich might enter the European fray if they manage to play some decent football with the nice looking squad that they posses. Atletico and Villareal are very nice teams, but I don't think they will proceed very far in the Champions League but will almost surely finish in the top 4 of La Liga again.
Now, it's time to sit back and enjoy one more season of Topsy turvy, unpredictable and the ever so awesome game called football.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Social Networking
Everybody is addicted to these sites nowadays. Actually the peak might have been this time last year. I have known people who used to access Orkut, Facebook and the likes at every given opportunity. These things have become so popular that they are used in the verb form these days. It pains me to hear something like "Dude, I haven't been orkutting at all these days man!" or something to that effect. And when things like this become so popular, the critics start opening their mouths and say a certain aspect sucks about Orkut, and something else about Facebook, and so on. Then there are the people who can't have a life without these things, people who think their love lives can become better through these websites, Shocking? there have actually been success cases! I personally feel these sites are not the worst things to have happened. To be frank, it actually helps you keep in touch with people you normally wouldn't or couldn't have. Funny thing is that these sites are never happy with the way they are. For example, Orkut was a big hit when it started, but slowly Facebook started catching up and Orkut tried to become like Facebook with all sorts of nonsense applications. Now it's Facebook's turn to become simple like Orkut was. This is some sort of a cycle. People will never be pleased with these sites, yet they provide what people need, which is why these sites are the million dollar companies that they are.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Rafa!
Spain now has another Rafa, except he is not Spanish. Although this name is used mainly for Nadal and Benitez in the world of sport, we might soon see it being used for Real Madrid's most recent signing- Rafael Van Der Waart. Rafa was signed from Hamburg for a measly 9 million Euro. For Hamburg this is not too bad a deal, considering if they kept him for one more year, he would have left for a cheap 1.5 million Euro due to a contract clause. Real were constantly in the foray for signing a midfielder this year, but I'm glad it is not Ronaldo. The whole Ronaldo saga has put me off, and thank goodness he will remain remain a Red Devil for at least one more year. Coming back to Rafa, his signing couldn't have been made at a better time for us. Sneijder was the victim of a not so nice tackle from Diaby in a 'friendly' against Arsenal. He remains injured for much lesser than what was expected but three months is still a lot of time. And serious injuries have been known to unsettle players. Now Rafa, at the moment is most likely to take Sneijder's place in the starting lineup, although he is looked at as a long term replacement for Guti. The dutch connection in Real adds one more member. With a midfield that boasts of him,Sneijder when he returns, and the glass-man Robben and Ruud up front, that's pretty scary for oppositions when they click. Rafa can play anywhere in the midfield, be it centre, or on either wings, or even behind the strikers in the 'hole'. Problem arises when Sneijder returns, how will the midfield look? Will Robinho be on the team? We will only have to wait and find out. Apart from his work ethic, accurate long ranged shots, free kicks and great runs from midfield, Van Der Waart also brings another thing to please us Real fans. His bride Sylvie is smoking hot, and will be present at every home game. Yay! (Google her to see what I'm talking about).
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
War
The war is over and it was stressing physically and mentally. Lots of things could have been different if the approach was a little different. Standards were dropping. The gap was getting closer and closer and finally has been turned upside down. But what's done is done. Have to pick up and grow around this now. Good thing is that how to rectify is known. The master, we are sure has a plan. It needs to be known to the troops for being more effective. Time to nurture troops and plan on new and better strategies and aim to win next time we go to war.
Monday, July 28, 2008
The Cat and Mouse Race
A couple of nights ago, to celebrate the weekend, 7 of us sat together and played Poker. The game was interesting and went on till about 3:30 in the morning. We were all hungry and wanted to wait till Thadambail opened. While waiting for time to pass somebody remarked on the fact that how an MBA can change your life. One thing led to another and we ended up at the topic of CAT going online when my batch writes it. That's what 'the race' is about and I wanted you all to think about the difference this will create. In the last few years the CAT has been referred to as the most competitive exam in the world. With percentages of people getting in with respect to the number of people attempting very low, its supposed to be harder to get in to an IIM than to any of the Ivy Business Schools. So since, the CAT is going online next year, we were discussing what all the pros and cons of this would be. For one it is easier for the organisers to hold it because it will cut out the labourious and expensive tasks of transportation and correction. One of the more important aspects is that there will be no more of paper leaking and other unscrupulous things figuring in the scheme of things. The test is to follow the adaptive pattern that GRE and GMAT follows, except that a score will not be given immediately after the end of the test. It remains to be seen whether the percentile system will still be used, because technically percentile talks about the number of people you did better than in a particular test. Since everybody does not take the same test, percentile may not be apt. The adaptive pattern has its own advantages and disadvantages. It's better than the written paper in a sense that its more accurate in testing a person's intelligence. But, it also depends on the first few questions, so if someone screws up there, it might not be the best test for him. CAT has always been about speed and time management. Nobody knows how this will work. With the adaptive system you cannot comeback to or skip a particular question, so it might not be about speed anymore. Besides this, there is the psychological feeling about being more comfortable with a pen in hand and solving a paper than clicking answers on a mouse. I want to know what's your take on this, do you think the online system is better? or its better to have the good old pen and paper test. Will the 'cat race' be any different once you have to use the mouse to catch the CAT? Only time will tell.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Whats up?
It has been a bit more than a week since I got back to college. Lots of changes. For one, it is a bit of mixed emotion when you think upon the fact that you are a third year. The upper half of college, you have 2 batches below you, all that is fine. But it also happens to be potentially the most difficult year academically, not just because we might have more classes or anything, but just because people tend to take things a lot more seriously and by that they really step up and I might have to actually put in some effort to get through the semester. On other fronts there is a lot of anxiety. Club recruits, Basketball team, a new La Liga season, amongst many other things. There are some changes in college. Placements are going haywire. Bad combo of recession + Shastri in charge. Scares me what will happen this time next year, but then again that's a whole year away. Elections are approaching and the politics and all other nonsense that goes along with it have already begun. It is shocking what people can do to obtain fame, power and some underhand money. Basketball practice has started way before it has in previous years. Of course we miss Singh, but i think the team will go far this year as well, we're a closer unit than ever before. Coming down from home food to mess food is a hard task semester after semester. Usually what helps that process are the other eating options in and around college. That's been a disaster this year. NFC has some weird self service system, 3rd block canteen hasn't started yet, Kalash has gone under project renovation, and Amul samosas have lost their charm owing to them being duped of 18 grand last year from account debts. But such stabs are always expected, and that is what makes this place as lovely as it is. It feels great to be 'home'. Second year was full of events, some insignificant, some life changing. Third year only promises more, and hopefully ends up just as good.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Summer, Sports, Spain, Stomach aches.....
Its been quite an eventful last couple of months. And as i prepare to head back 'home' in the next couple of days, I was beginning to think of how great this summer has been. I have done things that I never have or would have before. In the world of sport a lot of things new have come, seen and conquered. Here is the story of the summer of sports,Spain,stomach aches,and some other things.
Summer is supposed to be that time of the year when we get back from college for two months absolute bliss away from college. This was the case for the first few days. Mom's food, Dad returning back to India for good, brother finishing his first hurdle of Class 10, makes for the perfect family time. After a while the repetition to life kicks in. This is where I started getting into some good habits like reading,blogging and gymming. Yes, these were the above mentioned things that i would have never normally done. But I'm happy that I finally have started. A formality project was done, although Poston was a great person to listen to. He has got infinite knowledge about anything under the sun and he speaks with a lovely smooth Brit accent, which makes it a heavenly combination to be audience to. And the crowd there was actually fun, contrary to what I imagined it would be.
In the world of sport, there are some major changes. What must be noted here is that we had something to keep us going all the time. IPL to start off with made sure no night was boring. And then the Euros and eventually Wimbledon. Spain deserves a mention here as the country that takes all the limelight in the world of sport this summer. Deserving champions of the Euro, they were a sight to watch for one and all. And if that wasn't enough, Rafa goes on to do the unimaginable - beat Fedex on Centre Court in the finals. What a great match that was. To call it the greatest match we have seen in a long time would be apt for a match of that standard. After 2 awe-inspiring sets from Nadal, only a man of Federer's calibre could have taken in to the final set. But it was seen that Nadal was the hungrier of the two and definitely deserves the trophy.
For some strange reason, I have suffered with stomach aches once too often these holidays. The latest of which occurred at the end of my trip to Pune and Mumbai. I spent just one day in Mumbai, and that was enough for me to realise that, that is not a place for someone like me. the city is just too big. Just the fact that one day was filled with horrible weather, getting ripped off by taxiwala, travelling in local train to one of the satellite towns which was in the news that day for a website promised free money to everyone who came there (Angry mob, Stones thrown, Policemen, Lathi Charge and what not), God level Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji, made me realise that this city is just too busy for me. Pune was a lot better. It reminded me of what Bangalore was 5 years or so back. Pity that they don't seem to realise and are headed the same way to see the city grow to a mess. Sincere thanks to Ranga,Krum,Ani,Shambavi,Mugdha,Sameer and Shaky for making our trip so memorable.
As a interesting third year of college awaits me, with possibly the most screwy semester with reference to academics, the first time the basketball team plays without Hardeep, an interesting football season ahead with all the transfer rumours about Ronaldo and Real, I cannot wait for what is to come after what has been a summer to remember.
Summer is supposed to be that time of the year when we get back from college for two months absolute bliss away from college. This was the case for the first few days. Mom's food, Dad returning back to India for good, brother finishing his first hurdle of Class 10, makes for the perfect family time. After a while the repetition to life kicks in. This is where I started getting into some good habits like reading,blogging and gymming. Yes, these were the above mentioned things that i would have never normally done. But I'm happy that I finally have started. A formality project was done, although Poston was a great person to listen to. He has got infinite knowledge about anything under the sun and he speaks with a lovely smooth Brit accent, which makes it a heavenly combination to be audience to. And the crowd there was actually fun, contrary to what I imagined it would be.
In the world of sport, there are some major changes. What must be noted here is that we had something to keep us going all the time. IPL to start off with made sure no night was boring. And then the Euros and eventually Wimbledon. Spain deserves a mention here as the country that takes all the limelight in the world of sport this summer. Deserving champions of the Euro, they were a sight to watch for one and all. And if that wasn't enough, Rafa goes on to do the unimaginable - beat Fedex on Centre Court in the finals. What a great match that was. To call it the greatest match we have seen in a long time would be apt for a match of that standard. After 2 awe-inspiring sets from Nadal, only a man of Federer's calibre could have taken in to the final set. But it was seen that Nadal was the hungrier of the two and definitely deserves the trophy.
For some strange reason, I have suffered with stomach aches once too often these holidays. The latest of which occurred at the end of my trip to Pune and Mumbai. I spent just one day in Mumbai, and that was enough for me to realise that, that is not a place for someone like me. the city is just too big. Just the fact that one day was filled with horrible weather, getting ripped off by taxiwala, travelling in local train to one of the satellite towns which was in the news that day for a website promised free money to everyone who came there (Angry mob, Stones thrown, Policemen, Lathi Charge and what not), God level Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji, made me realise that this city is just too busy for me. Pune was a lot better. It reminded me of what Bangalore was 5 years or so back. Pity that they don't seem to realise and are headed the same way to see the city grow to a mess. Sincere thanks to Ranga,Krum,Ani,Shambavi,Mugdha,Sameer and Shaky for making our trip so memorable.
As a interesting third year of college awaits me, with possibly the most screwy semester with reference to academics, the first time the basketball team plays without Hardeep, an interesting football season ahead with all the transfer rumours about Ronaldo and Real, I cannot wait for what is to come after what has been a summer to remember.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Euro Review : Team of the tournament
Now that the Euro 2008 tournament is over, and Spain have deservedly won it, I will reserve writing about that for another entry. For now, I thought of putting down a team of the tournament. There were very many impressive players and finding a 11 is a pretty hard job. However this is the best that I thought that one could put together.
Goal Keeper - GIANLUIGI BUFFON : This was a difficult tournament when it came to picking a goalkeeper. You might be shocked I haven't picked Casillas being the Madridista that I am, but although he did not concede many goals, he barely had any saves to make, the defence was solid enough and Saint Iker did not have to show why he is god. The other keepers in the semis are not even worth a mention. The Russian, forgive me for forgetting his name, conceded way too many goals. Lehmann is a joke, and Rüştü is a bigger joke. Buffon gets the nod here because he made some fantastic saves, including Mutu's penalty and kept the Azzuri in the game with some incredible saves, until he came up against Casillas of course in the shootout.
Right Back - SERGIO RAMOS : Okay, here the Madridista in me comes out, but if you think about it seriously, he has been the best at this position. Defensively a little questionable early in the tournament, but slowly attained back the levels that he is so famous for as the tournament progressed. Constantly menacing down the right flank, he's a night mare for oppositions and to add to that he's almost the target man for any setpiece and almost came close to scoring in the final. Even defensively he had a brilliant last couple of games. Deservedly on this team.
Centre Back - CARLES PUYOL : Catalan by birth, you would not expect him to give his all while playing for La Furia, but he was the linchpin of the defence. Crucial tackles and interventions giving the Spanish defence the necessary experience and calmness, he was the defender of the tournament for me.
Centre Back - GIORGIO CHIELLINI : The Juventus wing back was employed in a make shift role for his country and he stepped up to the occasion. He was sure of all tackles, and was so solid and it is primarily due to him that when they played Spain they did not concede any goals. To stop such a creative force from scoring goals for 120 minutes, that is surely an achievement to put him on this team.
Left Back - YURI ZHIRKOV : The Russians took everyone by storm this year, and storm is the right word to describe this player. The pace with which he goes forward is unbelievable and defensively solid too, was a regular in Russia's now famous open approach to the game. Lahm had a fairly decent outing as well, but Zhirkov is my pick.
Defensive Midfield - MARCOS SENNA : If ever Spain has missed something all these years, it is someone like him. The Brazilian born holding midfielder is the most composed player in the centre of the pitch for the Spanish team. Sitting in front of the defensive and launching off attacks, the perfect blend for a holding midfielder, he gives room for the creative forces of the likes of Iniesta,Silva and others to carry the attack forward. My pick for player of the tournament, surely walks in to the top 11.
Left Midfield - DAVID SILVA : One of the unsung heroes of the Spanish team, and probably unheard of to non La Liga watchers, this Valencia starlet is a beautiful left footed player. All of 23, he has a big future in store for him. Constantly switching flanks, he is elegant with the ball and is a threat to any team with his attacking instincts. He gets the nod ahead of other competitors like Van der waart,Podolski.
Right Midfield - WESLEY SNEIJDER : The centre of all attack for the Oranje, he has been a revelation in this tournament. With powerful long range shots, and quick counter attack movements, this flexible winger/central midfielder is an asset to any team. Schwienstieger although deservant of a pick, misses out because of his silly red card and poor showing in the finals. Altintop also is a name worth mentioning but Sneijder is a bigger and better player.
Centre Midfield - MICHAEL BALLACK : The German captain is the centre of focus in the German team, with a largely young team, he is the father figure of sorts who brings the much needed experience and a player of his stature is surely an asset to any team. With his deft touches and powerful strikes, he is the best central midfielder in the tournament. Xavi deserves a mention here, but Ballack almost single handedly carries the German team and hence gets the nod.
Attacking Midfield/ 'The Hole' - ANDREI ARSHAVIN : Not many had heard of this Zenit St. Petersburg star before the tournament. He missed out on the first two games Russia played due to a suspension. But when he came back, he came back with a bang. Setting the tournament alight with his quick counter attack, classy touches and brilliant passing, he has been the revelation of the tournament. He surely is not a 2 game wonder and we will see much more of him in Europe's big stage, possibly with Barcelona.
Striker - FERNANDO TORRES : You could argue Villa deserves this position. With no disrespect to Villa, he is not in the league of Torres. True he might not have scored that many, but he is a sensation. His pace and strength is unmatched and there is barely anyone better than him when he does what he does best, which is torment the defence. Unselfish, Precise, Classy you almost tend to run out of adjectives to describe this Spanish kid turned hard scouser. El Niño is my forward to round off this team.
Manager - LUIS ARAGONES : This was tough, Hiddink gave me second thoughts when i thought of Aragones, but the wise old man has to get it. I have to admit I didn't want him in charge when he made his spat with Raul public, but he seems to have everything right to give Spain what they truly deserve, a big title. Hats off to the 'grandfather'.
Substitutes - Fabregas,Villa,Schwienstieger,Xavi,Anyukov,Altintop,Casillas : Most of these are justified, with Fabregas deserving a special mention for the tag of super-sub, he has been extremely effective once he has been introduced in the game. The rest of them make up the bench only because they cannot fit into the starting eleven.
This is my pick for the team of the tournament. Everything ranging from comments to slippers are welcome to be thrown.
It has been a great Euro, and we have deserved champions. Viva España.
Goal Keeper - GIANLUIGI BUFFON : This was a difficult tournament when it came to picking a goalkeeper. You might be shocked I haven't picked Casillas being the Madridista that I am, but although he did not concede many goals, he barely had any saves to make, the defence was solid enough and Saint Iker did not have to show why he is god. The other keepers in the semis are not even worth a mention. The Russian, forgive me for forgetting his name, conceded way too many goals. Lehmann is a joke, and Rüştü is a bigger joke. Buffon gets the nod here because he made some fantastic saves, including Mutu's penalty and kept the Azzuri in the game with some incredible saves, until he came up against Casillas of course in the shootout.
Right Back - SERGIO RAMOS : Okay, here the Madridista in me comes out, but if you think about it seriously, he has been the best at this position. Defensively a little questionable early in the tournament, but slowly attained back the levels that he is so famous for as the tournament progressed. Constantly menacing down the right flank, he's a night mare for oppositions and to add to that he's almost the target man for any setpiece and almost came close to scoring in the final. Even defensively he had a brilliant last couple of games. Deservedly on this team.
Centre Back - CARLES PUYOL : Catalan by birth, you would not expect him to give his all while playing for La Furia, but he was the linchpin of the defence. Crucial tackles and interventions giving the Spanish defence the necessary experience and calmness, he was the defender of the tournament for me.
Centre Back - GIORGIO CHIELLINI : The Juventus wing back was employed in a make shift role for his country and he stepped up to the occasion. He was sure of all tackles, and was so solid and it is primarily due to him that when they played Spain they did not concede any goals. To stop such a creative force from scoring goals for 120 minutes, that is surely an achievement to put him on this team.
Left Back - YURI ZHIRKOV : The Russians took everyone by storm this year, and storm is the right word to describe this player. The pace with which he goes forward is unbelievable and defensively solid too, was a regular in Russia's now famous open approach to the game. Lahm had a fairly decent outing as well, but Zhirkov is my pick.
Defensive Midfield - MARCOS SENNA : If ever Spain has missed something all these years, it is someone like him. The Brazilian born holding midfielder is the most composed player in the centre of the pitch for the Spanish team. Sitting in front of the defensive and launching off attacks, the perfect blend for a holding midfielder, he gives room for the creative forces of the likes of Iniesta,Silva and others to carry the attack forward. My pick for player of the tournament, surely walks in to the top 11.
Left Midfield - DAVID SILVA : One of the unsung heroes of the Spanish team, and probably unheard of to non La Liga watchers, this Valencia starlet is a beautiful left footed player. All of 23, he has a big future in store for him. Constantly switching flanks, he is elegant with the ball and is a threat to any team with his attacking instincts. He gets the nod ahead of other competitors like Van der waart,Podolski.
Right Midfield - WESLEY SNEIJDER : The centre of all attack for the Oranje, he has been a revelation in this tournament. With powerful long range shots, and quick counter attack movements, this flexible winger/central midfielder is an asset to any team. Schwienstieger although deservant of a pick, misses out because of his silly red card and poor showing in the finals. Altintop also is a name worth mentioning but Sneijder is a bigger and better player.
Centre Midfield - MICHAEL BALLACK : The German captain is the centre of focus in the German team, with a largely young team, he is the father figure of sorts who brings the much needed experience and a player of his stature is surely an asset to any team. With his deft touches and powerful strikes, he is the best central midfielder in the tournament. Xavi deserves a mention here, but Ballack almost single handedly carries the German team and hence gets the nod.
Attacking Midfield/ 'The Hole' - ANDREI ARSHAVIN : Not many had heard of this Zenit St. Petersburg star before the tournament. He missed out on the first two games Russia played due to a suspension. But when he came back, he came back with a bang. Setting the tournament alight with his quick counter attack, classy touches and brilliant passing, he has been the revelation of the tournament. He surely is not a 2 game wonder and we will see much more of him in Europe's big stage, possibly with Barcelona.
Striker - FERNANDO TORRES : You could argue Villa deserves this position. With no disrespect to Villa, he is not in the league of Torres. True he might not have scored that many, but he is a sensation. His pace and strength is unmatched and there is barely anyone better than him when he does what he does best, which is torment the defence. Unselfish, Precise, Classy you almost tend to run out of adjectives to describe this Spanish kid turned hard scouser. El Niño is my forward to round off this team.
Manager - LUIS ARAGONES : This was tough, Hiddink gave me second thoughts when i thought of Aragones, but the wise old man has to get it. I have to admit I didn't want him in charge when he made his spat with Raul public, but he seems to have everything right to give Spain what they truly deserve, a big title. Hats off to the 'grandfather'.
Substitutes - Fabregas,Villa,Schwienstieger,Xavi,Anyukov,Altintop,Casillas : Most of these are justified, with Fabregas deserving a special mention for the tag of super-sub, he has been extremely effective once he has been introduced in the game. The rest of them make up the bench only because they cannot fit into the starting eleven.
This is my pick for the team of the tournament. Everything ranging from comments to slippers are welcome to be thrown.
It has been a great Euro, and we have deserved champions. Viva España.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Best of Mangalore
Two years into engineering, and staying away from home, one would have learnt to appreciate home food. Thanks to the rather bad quality food that is offered at our hostels, and even our canteens, it is not surprising why people flock to Mangalore at every given opportunity. I have often been a victim of this, and even though its hard on the pocket at times, food at Mangalore is the only sort of compensation one has when home food is not available. So I decided to make a list of the 5 best things I have eaten in this wonderful city, that has done justice to my lack of good food. It has seen me evolve from a staunch veggie to one that almost eats anything now. But the fact is that I have never been disappointed at the quality of food this place has to offer at any time of these two years. I will most certainly miss these once I am out of college. Here's to Mangalore, my second most favourite city.
5. Chicken Dum Hyderabadi Biryani at Palkhi
During my first trip to Mangalore as an NITKian with some seniors, Palkhi was often mentioned as the most expensive restaurant in the city and it is not often that people can afford to go eat there. I have been to Palkhi a few times after that, few times enough to know that this dish is brilliant. The closest you can get to authentic Biryani, priced at 100, is quite a steal for the quantity and quality it has to offer.
4. Dal Makhni at Rinku Punjabi Dhaba
There's a good chance you have not heard of this place. But one hungry day, I found this place and I thought to myself I struck gold once done. Roti's are probably a rip off at this place, but the Dal Makhni is simply superb. It even tastes better than the one at Palkhi and its costs just 40 bucks. Now that's a deal for a hungry person who carries a light wallet, which of course describes most NITK guys. The Dhaba is a little hard to find, it is located near KMC Hostels at Attavar, in case you want to give this dish a go.
3. Murg Kali Mirch at Palkhi
This is a regular for me, I probably have had this almost every time I have eaten at Palkhi. Its a little expensive at 120 bucks, but is the best non-vegetarian side dish one can find in Mangalore to eat with Rotis. Oh by the way Palkhi offers a 10% discount on all bills if you flash your NITK Id card. Now that surely is an incentive to at least try this dish once.
2. Paneer Shazlisk at Liquid Lounge
People either do not understand me or brand me an idiot when I say I like LL for the food more than anything else. But trust me, the food there is simply out of the world. There are many dishes that could fit this list but this one beats them all, by a big mile that too. Its a little expensive at 120 bucks, but it is very filling. This dish is a combination of what looks like Ghee Rice in the dark setting of LL along with the most wonderful gravy which has almost innumerable paneer pieces. And they do indeed make a great combination. People who do not drink, who have things against places like LL, have come here to eat this, that should speak volumes.
1. Kori Rotti and Curry at Kori Rotti
Your probably shocked at this. and you probably ought to be if you haven't eaten this. But that's where I tell you to go eat it. This dish is a Mangalore speciality, it basically comprises of what is known as Kori Rotti, which looks something like fried rottis. These rotti's are placed on a plate and hot spicy Chicken Curry is poured over it which makes the Kori Rotti soggy and my god, it is a match made in heaven. It costs 45 bucks and you are full at the end of one plate. The place is located opposite Empire mall and is on the main road, so it is easy to find as well. I have eaten this dish at a Mangalorean home as well, and this place makes it as good as the home version.You just have to try this.
Honourable Mentions: Twister at Cherry Square, Auflauf at Diesel Cafe, Chilly Chicken Lasagna at Froth on Top, Cheese Burst Pizzas at Domino's, Foot longs at Chef's
If you have not eaten any of the above mentioned, please go ahead and do so, you have less than two years left! And please if there's anything I have missed out do let me know :)
5. Chicken Dum Hyderabadi Biryani at Palkhi
During my first trip to Mangalore as an NITKian with some seniors, Palkhi was often mentioned as the most expensive restaurant in the city and it is not often that people can afford to go eat there. I have been to Palkhi a few times after that, few times enough to know that this dish is brilliant. The closest you can get to authentic Biryani, priced at 100, is quite a steal for the quantity and quality it has to offer.
4. Dal Makhni at Rinku Punjabi Dhaba
There's a good chance you have not heard of this place. But one hungry day, I found this place and I thought to myself I struck gold once done. Roti's are probably a rip off at this place, but the Dal Makhni is simply superb. It even tastes better than the one at Palkhi and its costs just 40 bucks. Now that's a deal for a hungry person who carries a light wallet, which of course describes most NITK guys. The Dhaba is a little hard to find, it is located near KMC Hostels at Attavar, in case you want to give this dish a go.
3. Murg Kali Mirch at Palkhi
This is a regular for me, I probably have had this almost every time I have eaten at Palkhi. Its a little expensive at 120 bucks, but is the best non-vegetarian side dish one can find in Mangalore to eat with Rotis. Oh by the way Palkhi offers a 10% discount on all bills if you flash your NITK Id card. Now that surely is an incentive to at least try this dish once.
2. Paneer Shazlisk at Liquid Lounge
People either do not understand me or brand me an idiot when I say I like LL for the food more than anything else. But trust me, the food there is simply out of the world. There are many dishes that could fit this list but this one beats them all, by a big mile that too. Its a little expensive at 120 bucks, but it is very filling. This dish is a combination of what looks like Ghee Rice in the dark setting of LL along with the most wonderful gravy which has almost innumerable paneer pieces. And they do indeed make a great combination. People who do not drink, who have things against places like LL, have come here to eat this, that should speak volumes.
1. Kori Rotti and Curry at Kori Rotti
Your probably shocked at this. and you probably ought to be if you haven't eaten this. But that's where I tell you to go eat it. This dish is a Mangalore speciality, it basically comprises of what is known as Kori Rotti, which looks something like fried rottis. These rotti's are placed on a plate and hot spicy Chicken Curry is poured over it which makes the Kori Rotti soggy and my god, it is a match made in heaven. It costs 45 bucks and you are full at the end of one plate. The place is located opposite Empire mall and is on the main road, so it is easy to find as well. I have eaten this dish at a Mangalorean home as well, and this place makes it as good as the home version.You just have to try this.
Honourable Mentions: Twister at Cherry Square, Auflauf at Diesel Cafe, Chilly Chicken Lasagna at Froth on Top, Cheese Burst Pizzas at Domino's, Foot longs at Chef's
If you have not eaten any of the above mentioned, please go ahead and do so, you have less than two years left! And please if there's anything I have missed out do let me know :)
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Double Standards of English Football
What's grabbing the world football headlines these days? Euro ? Nope. Sadly so, it is the Cristiano Ronaldo saga, which has been blown out of proportion. For many weeks we have seen every newspaper, every website and every TV channel that is connected to football talk about the supposed interest from Real Madrid in Manchester United's star midfielder.
First and foremost, there has been NO official approach from Real Madrid at all. A certain Spanish newspaper called Marca which is obsessed with stories that sell and create unnecessary hype is the devil behind this scheme. They have been doing this from when I can remember. Every year they pick one superstar that is apparently bound to arrive at Real Madrid and most often that does not happen. For example, last year the best player was Kaka, and Marca expectedly linked him to Real and all summer long there were stories. What is so different this year then? The mere fact that it is an English team, and more importantly the mother of all such stories, Manchester United. You could alter Shakespeare's saying to suit this context and say "Hype, thy middle name be English football", and perhaps first name Manchester United. Marca sells news like this year after year and they strategically chose England and haven't they been successful.
Another part of this story that not many know the details of is the fact that Manchester United lodged a complaint to FIFA that Real are illegally trying to tap up their player who is currently contracted to them. FIFA of course as expected branded this as rubbish stating that there is no proof that Real have done anything to create this spur. You could argue that FIFA is pro Real, but the truth of the matter is that there has been nothing official and hence Manchester have nothing to work against. Manchester famously declared to the world that they are not the greatest fans of Real's transfer policy, but this where they are at fault. Hypocrisy is one thing that puts off most people. They publicise their ever so famous youth development policy, but the truth is after the so called golden generation of the 99 Champions league winning team, there is nobody that can be called their own. Their moves for Hargreaves,Rooney,Ferdinand etc are all very similar to what they criticize Real for except it was not blown out of proportion like this one. “Do as I say but not as I do” should certainly not be what a club like Manchester United practice if they are going to attack other clubs for being interested in their players. So while Manchester United fans and staff complain about Real’s alleged efforts to sign Ronaldo, Manchester United goes right ahead and does similar types move to what Real is being accused of, and in some cases even worse because they get players with great potential for peanuts. Although the scale is much different between a 15 year old prospect and a 23 year super star (although he is unproven to most of the world as of yet), the principle is still the same.
Similar is the case with other English teams too, Arsenal too buy players at a ridiculously young age, Liverpool raid Spain at every given chance and Chelsea make the most random buys one can. The face of football is changing, loyalty is a thing of the past. Perhaps Spanish teams can be accused of not doing the same but what can be done if English clubs tap up youth prospects at a young age of 15 only because the contract rules are different in Spain,Italy etc than England. They should develop their own players, and maybe some Englishmen, because these days the national team finds it hard even to qualify for big competitions.
First and foremost, there has been NO official approach from Real Madrid at all. A certain Spanish newspaper called Marca which is obsessed with stories that sell and create unnecessary hype is the devil behind this scheme. They have been doing this from when I can remember. Every year they pick one superstar that is apparently bound to arrive at Real Madrid and most often that does not happen. For example, last year the best player was Kaka, and Marca expectedly linked him to Real and all summer long there were stories. What is so different this year then? The mere fact that it is an English team, and more importantly the mother of all such stories, Manchester United. You could alter Shakespeare's saying to suit this context and say "Hype, thy middle name be English football", and perhaps first name Manchester United. Marca sells news like this year after year and they strategically chose England and haven't they been successful.
Another part of this story that not many know the details of is the fact that Manchester United lodged a complaint to FIFA that Real are illegally trying to tap up their player who is currently contracted to them. FIFA of course as expected branded this as rubbish stating that there is no proof that Real have done anything to create this spur. You could argue that FIFA is pro Real, but the truth of the matter is that there has been nothing official and hence Manchester have nothing to work against. Manchester famously declared to the world that they are not the greatest fans of Real's transfer policy, but this where they are at fault. Hypocrisy is one thing that puts off most people. They publicise their ever so famous youth development policy, but the truth is after the so called golden generation of the 99 Champions league winning team, there is nobody that can be called their own. Their moves for Hargreaves,Rooney,Ferdinand etc are all very similar to what they criticize Real for except it was not blown out of proportion like this one. “Do as I say but not as I do” should certainly not be what a club like Manchester United practice if they are going to attack other clubs for being interested in their players. So while Manchester United fans and staff complain about Real’s alleged efforts to sign Ronaldo, Manchester United goes right ahead and does similar types move to what Real is being accused of, and in some cases even worse because they get players with great potential for peanuts. Although the scale is much different between a 15 year old prospect and a 23 year super star (although he is unproven to most of the world as of yet), the principle is still the same.
Similar is the case with other English teams too, Arsenal too buy players at a ridiculously young age, Liverpool raid Spain at every given chance and Chelsea make the most random buys one can. The face of football is changing, loyalty is a thing of the past. Perhaps Spanish teams can be accused of not doing the same but what can be done if English clubs tap up youth prospects at a young age of 15 only because the contract rules are different in Spain,Italy etc than England. They should develop their own players, and maybe some Englishmen, because these days the national team finds it hard even to qualify for big competitions.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
New Admission Process to the NITs
A few days ago, I heard that there will be a change of admission pattern for the NITs from this year. If you are not aware yet, the change is that unlike before, the non-home state seats of any NIT will not have any state reservation and will purely be decided based on a students AIR. Now some people might say how the hell does this affect us. Directly no, but there are bound to be a lot of changes.
Let us first see what this means to different people. People in states like Rajasthan and Andhra will rejoice at this. Clearly these two states produce are the ones that produce the highest AIRs. But due to the limited no. of seats reserved for these states, people with high ranks are bound to lose out. But now, this rule comes as a blessing from the heavens and we will surely see many more people from these states. On the other hand, the states where competition is not that much like Karnataka or Tamil Nadu are luckily blessed with the best NITs, so i doubt it affecting them that much apart from the competition for spots in home NITs gets tougher slightly because of people's subject preferences. Apart from that there are states like Goa,and the North Eastern states which stand absolutely no chance to getting in to the good NITs because they seldom produce high AIR's and have thus far been helped by the state reservation. But i think the most hit will be the intermediate states like say a Kerala, or a Bengal. These states are often caught in the fix between choosing their home state NITs which could be classified as second tier, and choosing the higher rated NITs and that will now be difficult because of this new rule. Some may argue that this rule is fair, because everyone should be given an equal opportunity, but there again is where the other side of the equation is highlighted too. Since the methods of training/coaching/schooling are not that advanced in some states, and are not upto the mark of Hyderabad/Kota, is it fair to deny them admission to some of the best institutes of the country. You could argue that, this will create the study environment of a Kota in other states also because of the competition but its not very realistic.
Coming to how this would affect us NITKians, you can almost say goodbye to the party system, which would mean a first step in getting rid of dirty politics, but it also means there will almost be no diversity in the crowd of people. The college would have probably seen the last of North East people (God bless the football team). And there will be an overflow of gults and the likes.
What does all this mean to you? Do you think this is the best thing to happen or not? I personally am against this because it defeats the purpose of creating NITs to give people from all states the right to a good college after the IITs. Also there will not be as much diversity anymore and the balance of things would be lost. Only time will tell what difference this change will bring about.
Let us first see what this means to different people. People in states like Rajasthan and Andhra will rejoice at this. Clearly these two states produce are the ones that produce the highest AIRs. But due to the limited no. of seats reserved for these states, people with high ranks are bound to lose out. But now, this rule comes as a blessing from the heavens and we will surely see many more people from these states. On the other hand, the states where competition is not that much like Karnataka or Tamil Nadu are luckily blessed with the best NITs, so i doubt it affecting them that much apart from the competition for spots in home NITs gets tougher slightly because of people's subject preferences. Apart from that there are states like Goa,and the North Eastern states which stand absolutely no chance to getting in to the good NITs because they seldom produce high AIR's and have thus far been helped by the state reservation. But i think the most hit will be the intermediate states like say a Kerala, or a Bengal. These states are often caught in the fix between choosing their home state NITs which could be classified as second tier, and choosing the higher rated NITs and that will now be difficult because of this new rule. Some may argue that this rule is fair, because everyone should be given an equal opportunity, but there again is where the other side of the equation is highlighted too. Since the methods of training/coaching/schooling are not that advanced in some states, and are not upto the mark of Hyderabad/Kota, is it fair to deny them admission to some of the best institutes of the country. You could argue that, this will create the study environment of a Kota in other states also because of the competition but its not very realistic.
Coming to how this would affect us NITKians, you can almost say goodbye to the party system, which would mean a first step in getting rid of dirty politics, but it also means there will almost be no diversity in the crowd of people. The college would have probably seen the last of North East people (God bless the football team). And there will be an overflow of gults and the likes.
What does all this mean to you? Do you think this is the best thing to happen or not? I personally am against this because it defeats the purpose of creating NITs to give people from all states the right to a good college after the IITs. Also there will not be as much diversity anymore and the balance of things would be lost. Only time will tell what difference this change will bring about.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Fairy Tale : Shipping up to Boston
If ever you thought fairy tales were not possible, stop right there and think about the recently concluded NBA Finals. Boston Celtics, were the team with the worst record in the Eastern Conference last season. That's worst out of 15 teams and they finished in the bottom three in the entire league that consists of 30 teams. After such a season, a fairytale tag can be associated with this team only if they won the championships next year. And guess what they did? This year they were the best team in the regular season with a stunning home record of under 10 losses. And in the playoffs although they lost almost all road games, they had the best home record. How did such a remarkable comeback happen? What are the changes that this franchise made? What did this team do in order to justify their name as the greatest franchise ever and lift their 17th title. Here's 3 reasons why I think all this was possible.
3) Doc Rivers and his philosophy : The head coach of the Celtics, is a practitioner of the defence is the best form of offence philosophy. He has revitalised this team to the strongest defensive units. They have come across one of the best offences in the form of Bryant's Lakers and James' Cavaliers. With the ranks of KG and hardworking talents like Powe and Perkins, this is a hard defense to score over.
2) Trades and players : Strategic trades involving their draft picks,and existing players strengthened the team with the arrival of the big presence of Kevin Garnett and the clutch shooting of Ray Allen, along with the presence of their charismatic captain Paul Pierce. This is quite an exceptional team on paper and boy, did they not live up to it on court.
1) Desire : Pierce has been with the Celtics throughout his 10 year long career and he could have easily transferred to a stronger team, but he chose to stick with them because he wanted the championship ever so badly. Garnett is a player of high value. He has been the league MVP, the best defensive player of the year on numerous occasions, and until last year probably the best player ever not to win a championship and one can only imagine how much he would have wanted one. If there is just one second left on the clock, and you trail by one, who is the one person you want to have on the ball ? Nope i would not choose Jordan, Allen is my man. He has one of the most smooth shooting actions and is your go to guy in clutch moments. Apart from this you have the young Rondo, who has got a touch of class about his game and other noteworthy mentions like Perkins,Powe,Brown and Casell. You knew on day 1 that this team wanted to go all the way and restore the pride associated with this franchise.
These are the three reasons as to why the Celtics are once again back on top, and worthily enough their court was resounding to Queen singing We are the Champions.
3) Doc Rivers and his philosophy : The head coach of the Celtics, is a practitioner of the defence is the best form of offence philosophy. He has revitalised this team to the strongest defensive units. They have come across one of the best offences in the form of Bryant's Lakers and James' Cavaliers. With the ranks of KG and hardworking talents like Powe and Perkins, this is a hard defense to score over.
2) Trades and players : Strategic trades involving their draft picks,and existing players strengthened the team with the arrival of the big presence of Kevin Garnett and the clutch shooting of Ray Allen, along with the presence of their charismatic captain Paul Pierce. This is quite an exceptional team on paper and boy, did they not live up to it on court.
1) Desire : Pierce has been with the Celtics throughout his 10 year long career and he could have easily transferred to a stronger team, but he chose to stick with them because he wanted the championship ever so badly. Garnett is a player of high value. He has been the league MVP, the best defensive player of the year on numerous occasions, and until last year probably the best player ever not to win a championship and one can only imagine how much he would have wanted one. If there is just one second left on the clock, and you trail by one, who is the one person you want to have on the ball ? Nope i would not choose Jordan, Allen is my man. He has one of the most smooth shooting actions and is your go to guy in clutch moments. Apart from this you have the young Rondo, who has got a touch of class about his game and other noteworthy mentions like Perkins,Powe,Brown and Casell. You knew on day 1 that this team wanted to go all the way and restore the pride associated with this franchise.
These are the three reasons as to why the Celtics are once again back on top, and worthily enough their court was resounding to Queen singing We are the Champions.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
A Few Good Men
When an assortment of 400 odd people collect at a college after an elaborate procedure, these are the kind of characters that so peacefully co-exist for the most part of 4 years
One guy who does nothing but play FIFA and WoW
One guy who can be used a substitute for a loudspeaker
One imba writer who spreads the afro-american message of peace and respect.
One guy whose nick name translates to a penis in his native language.
One athletically challenged supposed tech God who breaks up with his girlfriend once a month.
One semi-dasa who blasts techno music so that people in the other wing can "groove to it baby"
One guy who does the same on the other wing only with technical death metal instead.
One old aged guy who thinks he should play only in DoTA games where pros play
One self proclaimed stud who in answer to the above mentioned person's cocky statement of "I didn't get any 6's this sem" said with a smile "Neither did I"
One guy when drunk asked the Chief Warden , "Who the fuck are you?"
One gossip king who is not so accidentally in love with a certain Barack Obama and the US Elections
One supposed circuits God who tells his mother everything including facts like his roommate is going upstairs to watch porn.
One guy who is always in the reading room or on the phone with his girlfriend in Madras.
One guy who has man-boobies and cannot get through more than fifteen minutes if there is no electricity
One of his partners in crime who spends most of his nights at Gamedrome under the pretext of a KC Project, who also by the way has atrocious spellings to cancel his legendary mathematical skills.
One guy who is part of the most diverse groups in college, the GCG,the basketball group,and his wing.
One guy who has a million cousins and just will not go to a movie or eat out with the above mentioned guy.
One god level percussionist who quit drinking for his girlfriend.
One god level guitarist who told his girlfriend he quit drinking.
One guy who repeats whatever people around say, and now anyone else doing so calls for the usage of a verb that derives its name from this guy.
One ardent Manchester united fan who's daily activities consist only of sleeping,playing dota, and saying Shata Thu
One supposed con to be who blames the above mentioned guy for his gpa for dropping from 8.5 to 7.5
One guy who started stalking a girl who in the first place started stalking him, so much so to an extent the girl's brother threatened to launch a police complaint.
One guy who owns most of Kulai, and has Tavera's at his disposal at the call of a few Tulu words.
One guy who did not deserve to pass second standard and has a name that co-incidentally rhymes with 'Gay one'
One guy who's music taste range from Carnatic to Led Zeppelin and who gives 'points' when he appreciates acts of people.
One guy who is fat,gay and always messages
One guy who can never be seen.
One sardar who thinks he is the greatest singer ever born.
One guy who has a godly aura about him and defines the word Imba in any respect, who even has a cult following under his name.
Now, with such a collection of people, its not hard to see why people generally tend to prefer college to home.
PS: Amul Treat to anyone who puts the correct names to each of these descriptions :D
One guy who does nothing but play FIFA and WoW
One guy who can be used a substitute for a loudspeaker
One imba writer who spreads the afro-american message of peace and respect.
One guy whose nick name translates to a penis in his native language.
One athletically challenged supposed tech God who breaks up with his girlfriend once a month.
One semi-dasa who blasts techno music so that people in the other wing can "groove to it baby"
One guy who does the same on the other wing only with technical death metal instead.
One old aged guy who thinks he should play only in DoTA games where pros play
One self proclaimed stud who in answer to the above mentioned person's cocky statement of "I didn't get any 6's this sem" said with a smile "Neither did I"
One guy when drunk asked the Chief Warden , "Who the fuck are you?"
One gossip king who is not so accidentally in love with a certain Barack Obama and the US Elections
One supposed circuits God who tells his mother everything including facts like his roommate is going upstairs to watch porn.
One guy who is always in the reading room or on the phone with his girlfriend in Madras.
One guy who has man-boobies and cannot get through more than fifteen minutes if there is no electricity
One of his partners in crime who spends most of his nights at Gamedrome under the pretext of a KC Project, who also by the way has atrocious spellings to cancel his legendary mathematical skills.
One guy who is part of the most diverse groups in college, the GCG,the basketball group,and his wing.
One guy who has a million cousins and just will not go to a movie or eat out with the above mentioned guy.
One god level percussionist who quit drinking for his girlfriend.
One god level guitarist who told his girlfriend he quit drinking.
One guy who repeats whatever people around say, and now anyone else doing so calls for the usage of a verb that derives its name from this guy.
One ardent Manchester united fan who's daily activities consist only of sleeping,playing dota, and saying Shata Thu
One supposed con to be who blames the above mentioned guy for his gpa for dropping from 8.5 to 7.5
One guy who started stalking a girl who in the first place started stalking him, so much so to an extent the girl's brother threatened to launch a police complaint.
One guy who owns most of Kulai, and has Tavera's at his disposal at the call of a few Tulu words.
One guy who did not deserve to pass second standard and has a name that co-incidentally rhymes with 'Gay one'
One guy who's music taste range from Carnatic to Led Zeppelin and who gives 'points' when he appreciates acts of people.
One guy who is fat,gay and always messages
One guy who can never be seen.
One sardar who thinks he is the greatest singer ever born.
One guy who has a godly aura about him and defines the word Imba in any respect, who even has a cult following under his name.
Now, with such a collection of people, its not hard to see why people generally tend to prefer college to home.
PS: Amul Treat to anyone who puts the correct names to each of these descriptions :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)