Weird

If you didn't know, I am a big Rajni fan. Infact, I go crazy whenever I watch his movie in the theatres. This has been the case since Mappilai which was the first movie I watched without my parents and on the first day of release. I tried to sport the Rajadhi Raja hairstyle in the 9th grade. My friend and I put the tick mark on school uniform after Pandian; the vibudhi after Annamalai. I watched Mannan nine times in Santhi and three times in Liberty and several times in video. We bought T-Shirts with Rajni face and wore it for a couple of movies. I have watched Thalapati sitting on the floor with blood all around me.Yet my favourite movies are:
Vazhvey Maayam
Michael Madana Kama Rajan
Avvai Shanmugi
Nayagan
Devar Magan
Panchatantram
and only then Rajni films.

Bitch

1. Kannadasan wrote:
Alone he longed for her to return,
Come she did but only with company (her husband?),
Soon he became responsible to save the guy's life,
"Bitch, get lost", was what he really meant.

--------------------------------------------------

2. Happy Birthday Thalaiva.

Back a star. The star is back

There have been very few occassions in life when you support someone with full conviction inspite of all odds and that pays off more than you expected. I am not talking about Oprah's support for Obama here. That, we will have to wait to know.
The way Saurav has forced himself back in to the team really gives joy and a rare sense of victory. Imagine! every get-together that I attended during his exile, was a huge battlefield for me; to defend my support for Dada with almost everyone else lining up with GC. I am grateful for this innings albeit against a depleted bowling attack. Considering the situation when he walked in, 61-4, his chanceless innings that possessed immense concentration and sheer determination was a treat to watch. Yuvraj was the spearhead in his partnership with Ganguly, however Ganguly's contribution in Yuvi's comeback innings needs mention. The support and encouragement that Dada provided during partnership proved why he was the most loved captain during his prime.

Now it becomes difficult for Kumble, Vengsarkar and co. to feature the best playing eleven for tests. They can't afford to leave out Dhoni, Laxman, Jaffer, Dravid, Saurav, Sachin or Yuvraj. This means either Sachin or Laxman have to make a sacrifice and move to the top of the order. The pedestrial series for Karthik has dooms written all over his future with Parthiv Patel knocking hard.

I don't see an alternative unless the seniors want to play on rotation. Yuvi is indispensable.

For he has nothing more to prove, Ganguly can retire on a high, resting assured that his legacy is intact in the annuls of Indian Cricket

Missing Vaisha

Durga Suktam

Siva

Everyone knows that Bramha has four faces. That Lord Siva has five, is not well known. Well here they are
1. Sadyojaatam
Sadyojaatam prapadyami Sadyojaataya vai namo namah. Bave Bave naathi bave bavothbavaaya namah
2. Vaamadevam
Vamadevaaya namoh: jeshtaya namah sreshtaya namO rudhraya namah kaalaaya namah kalavikaranaaya namoh balavikaranaaya namo balaaya namoh balapramathanaaya namas-sarvaboothadhamanaaya namO manonmanaaya namaH
3. Aghoram
Aghorebhyothaghorebhyo GhoraGora thareybyah. Sarveybyas-sarvasarvebyo namasthe asthu rudra-roopebyah
4. Tatpurusham
Tatpurushaaya vidmahe vamadeyvaya deemahi tanno rudra: prachodayaat
5. Iishaanam.
Iishaanas-sarva vidyaanaam Iiswaras-sarvaboothaanaam bhramaadhipathi bhramanodhipathi bhrama sivome asthu sadaasivom

Panchaksharam: Na ma si va ya

Chennai Superstars

The ICL T20 League has kicked off in style. Chennai Superstars rock; living up to the Team Ad which is by far the best among all the teams. I enjoy watching them perform as much as I enjoy their advertisement. Go Superstars!

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Two blogs ago, I had posted a snippet from Rama Bhujangam. The very next day I was sharing it with my friend and kind of asking him to read and post a comment on the blog While discussing, he mentioned the name of Muralidhara Swamigal to me. Immediately I got a ring from another friend who informed me about the disciple of Muralidhara Swamigal giving a discourse in another friend's place.
The eloquent Ms Poornima Kumaraswami, who had dropped out from software industry to pursue GOD, spoke about the Mahima of "name chanting". She effortlessly quoted from Gita, Vishnu Sahasranamam and narrated from Bhagavatam to highlight the Nama Mahatvam. I was thoroughly impressed with her vast knowledge and her ability quote from Adhi Shankara', Tulsidas andChaitanya Maha Prabhu to Ramana Maharishi and everyone in between. during the discourse that she gave for the three days. Today she initiated me to the

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

mantra.
Now it is my responsibilty to chant it atleast eleven times in the morning and eleven times in the evening. There are absolutely no conditions to reciting. Although it is prefered that it be recited in the puja room or in front of GOD, it is not required. Although it is prefered that it be recited in a clean physical and mental, it is not a condition.

Kali Santarana Upanishad confirms her claim that no niyama is required to chant the Hare Rama mantra.

Narada asked: ‘O Lord, what are the rules to be observed with reference
to it ?" To which Brahma replied that there were no rules for it. Whoever in a
pure or an impure state, utters these always, attains the same world of, or
proximity with, or the same form of, or absorption into Brahma.

I will try my best to recite this for the rest of my life -> atleast the rest of this year -> atleast the rest of the month -> atleast tomorrow morning.
Please refer to http://www.godivinity.org/ if you are interested in attending the discourses or knowing more about the organization.

Home Alone

The vast sand of the Thar
Riding a camel-back
Like a man in the desert looking for water
Waiting for my daughter.
Her smiling face
her curious look
her practice walk
with elegant grace
When she lands
I will hug and kiss
her tender hands
Let that bring me eternal bliss.

RAMA RAMA RAMA RAMA RAMA RAMA

Bajeham Bajeham Sada Ramachandram
Twadanyam na manye na manye na manye.

Spring of temples

Shri Ganesha Temple and Marakattai Hanuman Temple will come up within 10 miles of each other. Ten acres of land have been bought in Plano and Frisco respectively costing over a million each. It beats my mind as to why the administrators of both these temples could not consolidate the effort to save on cost and provide a single high quality place of worship for the residents of the metroplex given the proximity of the two sites.
Even in the matters of God, man cannot set aside his ego! While it is heartening to see the sudden spring of temples, the inability of the community to come together is glaring to go unnoticed. With the limited supply of Indians (Hindus), I can only pray that the God(s) take it upon Himself to see these mega-projects complete successfully with abundant funding from generous Hindus.

Not so happy 25 hr Birthday

Thanks to the DST change this year , for the first time I had a 25 hr birthday. I was awake to greet myself at 12:00 midnight as there was no one around. What a sick feeling! I also stayed up to roll the clock back at 1:59 to ensure that I didn't miss the extra hour in sleep. Imagine! Having spent 32 full years in God's green earth, not once intently harming anybody on my way, there is no one around for my birthday. What a sick feeling! Of course there was a call from the mother and then the wife, well before midnight. And a few emotionless orkut messages like WYHBD, which I appreciate in anycase.

Hence I vowed not to come in contact with any human being on that day. A phone call from Vishy modified that resolution from "contact" to "direct contact". I stayed put in my house and turned to the TV for company till I started feeling hungry. It didn't take long for me to realize that the utensils were not washed. I was in no mood to wash them on my birthday. So I googled my refrigerator to find some stale cut-leaf spinach that was left there before my trip to India in September. Nothing else in there for my hunger. Yeah! there was a ketchup bottle squeezed to its limit and a oorgai bottle which was also not looking good.

To up the spirit, I decided to send myself a Birthday greeting. You wouldn't believe; my laptop quit working. (It is functioning properly today)

My mind was hell bent on cutting short the resolution and fleeing to the nearest Indian restaurant. However my will power got the better of my weakness and I denied myself the luxury of a good meal. After searching the kitchen a bit more, I sank into my recliner and resigned to the TV. At around 4:30 I get a call from a NJ cousin. I chatted with them for 20 mins. I must confess that I enjoyed the call for the entire period. After that I went back to the TV to watch the Villain climax scene and all the programs after that. This way my birthday came to a conclusion as Pakistan put up a defensible 239 at Gwalior.

Well I would have traded this fall-back birthday for a spring-forward birthday any day.

Life really sucks when love is absent. After 32 years it dawns on me. I fear the years ahead.

First meeting

For the first time in three months, Babu standing at Pillar bus stop, takes notice of this girl. She has been travelling in the same bus, sitting on the same seat everyday. Dressed in neat school uniform, her distinct, calm and elegant presence in the crowded bus cannot be missed. And Babu's eyes are no exception. She too looks at him talking to his friends for a quick 2 seconds. For the first time their eyes cross each other's. Quickly they shy away as if to suggest that it was an accident. Babu turns towards his friends to continue his conversation as the bus leaves. But his mind has already boarded the bus to Churchpark. However, in a few minutes, Babu recovers from the brief impact and goes about his day as usual without any further thought about the morning meeting.

Babu - Initial days

For the first time in his life, Babu takes a PTC bus to go to school, having studied in a nearby facility for all these years. The first few days are a learning experience. He catches the early bus and reaches school ahead of the bell and strictly adheres to the route he knows. He stands inside the bus and even misses the crowded buses on his return home. This way he spends a couple of months making a few friends and familiarising the alternative routes and buses on his way to the school. By now he gets his Bus Pass issued at the school and he adds a break at Panagal Park to increase his options to reach Royapetta. Gradually he socializes with his co-travellers. Before the mid-term exams he masters the "travel by bus" and forms a gang of friends who take the same bus to reach their respective destinations. He begins to step on to crowded buses and also travels on foot-board. He gets on and off of buses at will, travelling ticketless with no guilt.


Later...

School and God

The very first establishment of learning must have been orgnised to preach the glory of God in the form of religion. The churches in the west and temples in the east served as centres of learning. Philosophy was the subject around which sciences, and mathematics were taught and learnt. Scholars were saints and godmen.
Today the irony is, both in Communist China and democratic USA, God is forbidden from school. A perfect example of union in two extreme positions. Slowly, over decades, both countries will move towards the other and swap positions, causing the earth to be an eternal bipolar planet.

Sashtiabdaboorthi

With a well-defined boundary and a stable federal government, she was reborn to the sacrifices of a million patriots. Her beauty, her vastness in culture, are all matchless.

Many of us born post-independence do not know the essence of freedom. We tend to debate the unfolding of events and the choices of our leaders during the formative years. Today, I put all that aside to say "Thank You Freedom Fighters".


The abundance of the land which was plundered to poverty and sickness is slowly returning after 60 years. Even history was unfair to reset her counter when it is only evident that civilization was sown in her soil. Nevertheless,today we march forward spreading her glory inch by inch in all directions.

Mother! I salute you. Jai Hind.

Fans not statisticians

Dravid's this statement

"Cricket is special in India, I'm sure they'll be celebrating back home in India as well,"

certainly does not reflect my sentiments. First of all, Dravid's decision not to enforce the follow-on was not in the best interest of cricket. Alright, Zaheer pulled an hamstring and his other bowlers were tired on a new day. But to allow England off the hook inspite of a three hundred run lead is inexplicable. Yet Dravid went on to say that he wants to win the series and not particularly the game to defend his strategy at the end of the third day. To my mind India lost there. Let us go back to the first test where India were given a relatively modest total of three hundred and eighty. Given the conditions, India faultered to humility only to be saved by Varuna Bhagavan.

Okay, even if we accept Rahul's "defensive strategy", it is hard to explain the defensive batting that he displayed when the need of the hour was a rapid thirty from all the batsmen. But for Saurav's brilliance India was on the verge of a collapse that would have embarassed a billion fans in front of the monarchy. Imagine a score of 115 all out in the second innings that would have reduced the target to a gettable 435 with an hour for England. How on the world was it a defensive move to bat third when you had the chance of getting England out with an innings to spare or if necessary, score the remainder going in last? I am disappointed, to say the least

Dilemma

Silly as it may sound, I stopped using the alarm clock after reading a Deepak Chopra book. Ever since, my wife has been donning the role of Vishwamitra Munivar, singing Uthishto Uthishta Govinda Uthishta...(I still don't know why he should use Govinda Uthishta albeit the same God in a different Yugam) to wake me up. Nothing is under my control, certainly not the time I rise in the mornings. Tomorrow I want to get up at 4:30ish to watch Tendulkar score a big hundred at Trent-Bridge. The signs are ominous. Yet I may miss out unless I go back to the alarm. What if he misses out? I don't want to watch the master go like how Karthik did today - first ball after tea.

In the evening, Ayaz called to ask if I was available to play for the Tornados, tomorrow. I replied in the negative sighting my allergies. He asked me if I knew anyone and followed up with "I just need a body". Now I realize how insulting it must be for Saurav and Sachin. "No nerves in the Tongue" doesn't mean you can't control it.

Ekta - not Kapoor but Unity

Suraj ek,
Chanda ek ,
Tarey anek.
...
Hind desh ki nivasi sarey ek hai.


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Yin Yang

A layer of black,
a layer of blackish-grey,
a layer of grey,
a layer of greyish-white,
and a layer of white
conceal the beautiful blue sky
from the naked eye.

The black gets grey;
the grey gets white;
it 's all finally blue
when you reach that height.

See outside,
seek inside
the prevading Blue;
reveals none but thy self.

CM - in Style

Sun, is he?
Moon, is he?
Who is he?
Respond quickly.

The recent developments in the Indian politics at the federal levels has pushed me to the edge of the seat.
1. The bon-hommie between Amma and Thalaivar.
2. Amma's elevaion to the Convenor of the Third Front.
3. The split between DM and K.
4. Karunanidhi turning 84.
5. The recent interview of CB Naidu and Superstar Rajnikanth duing the Hyderabad screening of Sivaji.

For a long time Amma has been struggling to find a trustworthy partner within her party. Initially she tried to work with Thirunavukarasu. Then she roped in Sarath Kumar. But nothing worked for her. She was forced to install O. Paneerselvam, a virtually unknown first-time MLA, to protect her party from being hijacked during her Supreme Court enforced sabbatical. While he was loyal enough , his charisma didn't help the party. For the next election, she resorted to ally with long-time enemy Vaiko, which proved costly in the rural areas.

Today, her time off the power has given her time to think and I believe she has come out with a better strategy. I suspect an unofficial MoU between Amma and superstar Rajnikanth that would see Amma focussing more on the National politics taking on her other arch-rival from the Pizza Corner, leaving the state to a trustworthy neighbour from the Poes Garden.
Rajnikanth's interest in politics is know. However his inability to decide on

"when to enter, how to enter, nobody knows"

as he says, has been the problem for his fans. But with Sivaji's success looming large, is it the "right time to enter". Can Amma use Rajni to rope in Dayanidi Maran to consolidate her position and take an aim at the bigger chair.

The presidential race is the first test for her at the national level. She sprang a surprise on DMK and Congress by nominating the incumbent for another term inspite of the NDA nominating Shekawat as their choice. Now DMK, whose superemo, played a big hand in nominating the lacklustre Prathiba Patil, is put in a fix. He cannot afford to not support a Tamil Muslim, being the saviour of the minorities and Tamil that he claims to be. Infact he is obligated to convince the Congress to reconsider their stance on Abdul Kalam, who in all fairness deserves a unanimous second-term notwithstanding his lack of spine to contest in an election. This is a master move by JJ. When Naidu proposed Kalam, the first time around, he was hailed as the King maker. Now, Amma has gone further by doing damage to the opponent territory. If all unfolds as planned in the next two years - Naidu will be Andhra CM and Superstart will be his Tamilnadu counterpart. The UNPA with its strong southern victory can launch Amma as the Prime Minister with a few horse-tradings taken care of.

Rajni who

"never goes back on his words or reclaims the materials he donates"

will be loyal to her, she knows. This will allow her to fight the bigger fight without fear of losing her position in the state. MK Stalin will be watching all this with his brother from behind the jail. I hope Rajni considers me for a MLA seat. I am willing to play the role of the NRI pilanthrophist that he so wanted to be in Sivaji - The Boss.

Anbey Sivam - Late night wisdom

Every living being is Sivam,
As HE leaves remains the Savam.

Next Indian Coach ?

As the quest for the next Indian Idol gains momentum in Sony TV, an even bigger quest is on for the Indian cricket fans. Who will be the next Indian coach. It all began with the great Sir IVA. Richards offering unsolicited advice to the Indian team soon after their shameless exit from the World Cup. Then Chappell was rumoured to continue as coach or atleast head the NCA for a new term. Chappell managed to run away with his life.

Ravi Shastri was convinced to shoulder the mantle temporarily for the Bangladesh tour. The funny thing was that a bowling and fielding coach were announced for this all important tour. India crossed the eastern border with three coaches for three departments. One would only expect that Venatesh Prasad or Robin would be named the coach at the end of the tour. That was not to happen. BCCI is like Rajastan State Bumper lottery. The odds of luck overweighs any logic.

A casual talk by the BCCI raised Dave Whatmore's hopes to Himalayan heights only to ruin his current stint with the Bongs. Afterall India had to avenge for their WC defeat. They took it on him, poor Aussie.

Kapil Dev, a patriot that he is, intervened to question the selection of a foreign coach. "Whatmore? Who is he?", he exclaimed. Even Sunil Gavaskar was quoted to prefer a Desi coach albeit Arjuna Ranatunga from the island nation. One day or the other India has to invade that country for the atrocities they commit against our Tamil brethren.

Suddenly, a new name popped up. Graham Ford quickly topped Google search list for no one in India knew about him. He happened to be the Coaching Director at Kent. Remember, that is where they picked up John Wright. Thanks to Dravid's recommendation.

Finally Graham Ford was selected over John Emburey after a one-hour presentation at Park Sheraton. It seems Sharad Pawar and team were gobbling up their dinner during Emburey's presentation. They just didn't pay attention to whatever he said.

Graham Ford like any IT guy attended the interview for fun. He decided not to risk his life for limelight. He probably remembered his successor, Bob Woolmer.

The search is still on. The voice of Swadesi's louder than ever. Who will BCCI name as the next Indian Coach? Will it be the Chinese guy who is likely to become the Indian Idol.


If I were them, I would choose a respected Desi with proven track record. Sandeep Patil comes to mind immediately. If he is not available, my next choice is Bharath Reddy. Although he has played only a handful of matches for India, Barath Reddy enjoys a good relationship with several youngsters in the current Indian team. Bharath Reddy was the Sports Director for Chemplast's Jolly Rovers team which had big names playing in the local divisions. Current national players including Dinesh Kartick, Harbajan Singh and Dinesh Mongia regard him as a great coach. Hemang Badani, L. Balaji and Harvinder Singh have spoken highly of him. Sanmar Group chairman N. Sankar praises him for finding new talent for his club. Several Tamilnadu players including Jesuraj Rajamani (my favourite for this season) and S. Badrinath (who was almost there) attribute a lot of their success to him. More than that Bharat Reddy and Abdul Jabber successfully ran cricket camps in Madras following Brijesh Patel. He is also a close friend of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. Rahul Dravid,having played a lot of cricket himself in Chennai for India Cements, will surely have a lot of respect for Bharath reddy. He has also served the BCCI as the South Zone talent resources development officer in 2002-03. He will be able to identify new talent that Vengsarkar claims not to exist.

The most important reason is he is Shriya Reddy's father and also my relative of sorts.

Be thy friend

The only person who has been with you this whole life, is You. Be thy friend. Talk to yourself. Even more, listen to yourself. You will find new ways to solve your problem for no one knows your problems better than you do.

You are ready to advice others on their issues. You will be ready to advice yourself too. Just that you are not listening to yourself. Your advices to yourself go unheard because you are not listened to. Nobody is paying attention to you. Not even you. Its 1:47 AM. Go...sleep. Listen to yourself.


Heard you! 40 winks.

Astrology for the day

Usippi vittu Usippi vitae odamba rana galam aakaraangapaa.

You have been stressed by choices between responsibilities at home and in your career. Now, however, your philosophical outlook on life can suggest answers that have been hard to find. No matter what you want, don't resist the current changes that can lift you out of the shadows and into the bright Sun. Consciously flow with the astrological tides, for they can carry you to a wonderful place.

Root

com is the root of internet
Om is the root of universe.

To those Converts - my religion

Socialism and secularism in India have done enough damage for the people to loose their spine. I learnt about the mass conversion to Buddhism. It really pains me. One of the converts was on record saying "Jainism was another option, but its rigidity is hard to practise". Dah!

Then, we have guys like Sriram, who wants to be called Thiru Ram for he feels Sri is a North Indian word. One of my friends suggested "Thiru Dan" because Ram is also a North Indian name. Therefore ThiruRam isn't appropriate. I couldn't stop laughing.

Self-respect cannot be obtained externally. It is how you value yourself. You become a Buddhist, Jain, Christian, Muslim or remain a Hindu, nothing will change for you. Buddha's teaching is surely one way to reach the Ultimate Truth. But to enter into religious escapade to escape social discrimination is a grave mistake. So is to sell religion as a commodity.

Ekam sat vipraha bahudha vadanti

Truth is unique. Learned people call it different names.

Hinduism is not the name of our religion. It was a name given by foreigners to the people who lived around the Indus - whose religious and philosophical derivations came from the Vedas. According to the Kanchi Paramacharya, His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekara Saraswati Swamigal, our religion has no name. His point was that only if there existed an alternative, you require a name to differentiate. However, the different derivations of the age-old Vedas, encompass all the philosophies known to the world. Just like many stream leading to a river, many paths can lead to God.

To think of God as a human-being is imagination. Tell that to the king of the forest, he will roar in rage. Tell that to a bird, and it will immediately point out that "no way God can't fly". It is required to imagine God. However, it is foolish to cling to the imagination like most Hindus do. To dismiss the image worship, like Buddha and Prophet Mohammad did, shows their spiritual status. But to preach it to ordinary people is highly irresponsible. It is like skipping a few steps in the spiritual ladder. The chances of you tripping and falling down is more than being able to directly climb to the top of the ladder. Foundation is important and image worship serves as a strong basis for the spiritual journey that every man undertakes.

Sivaji - Mudhalvan

Dayanidhi Maran has been made the scapegoat of the Stalin-Alagiri showdown that brought to light the extent of power-struggle going on behid the scenes. With Karunanidhi's kidneys losing the motor by the day, the tussle for power reminds me of this old Tamil saying;

Appan eppo saavan, thinnai eppo gaali aagum.

Until now Maran has been very polished and careful not to react emotionally. The next few days, he will be spending weighing his political aspirations against his brother's media moghul status which he shares to a great extent; before coming out with his next move. This may take as long as June 3rd before we get to know what is really going on.

Will he join Amma to form a DMJ or will he join Captain to form a DMVJ all in the interest of keeping his business including the Sumangali Cable network afloat?

This will be interesting to see, because both Karunanidhi and his wife have significant stakes in SUN TV. It also shares office space in the DMK office, which should be no big deal for Maran as the uplink happens from VSNL to Manila (based on my old information).

If he joins Amma, SUNTV will take over Jaya TV only for the duo to split when they part ways after a couple of years. If the nexus happens, that will spell death knell for Kalaignar's Dravidian politics that has been an hobson choice ever since the Indian Independence except for a few years here from Rajaji and a few years there from Bakthavatchalam and Kamarajar. Even MGR and Amma had to allign themselves to Dravidian theology to garner public support. As Karunanidhi fades, will go with him -the hardline Periyar philosophy - springing several options open in the air. DMK will split into hundred small parties like how Duryodana's head split into 100 Kaurava's in MahaBharatha. It is all gain for Amma unless a determined Vijaykanth makes a few smart moves. Or spare a thought for the Rajinikanth factor...

Naan eppo varuven, eppadi varuvennu yaarukkum theriyadhu;
Aana vara vendiya nerathila kandippa varuven

Sivaji - the boss, who missed out his oppurtunity, the last time around, when Shankar offered him the lead in Mudhalvan, will also be watching like an eagle for the right time to jump in. If Sivaji comes anywhere close to Chandramuki in box office, Rajini will launch in style. Overnight, entire TN will reallign itself behind SUPERSTAR barring a few fanatics belonging to PMK and Dalit Panthers.

Finally,I am running for office under his banner. Afterall I am the first to speculate thalaivar's Chief Ministership for the next 20 years in Tamilnadu. I deserve atleast a MLA ticket if not a minister post. I am buying two Premier Veshti's for Diwali.

GB Humor

TV Guy: Mr. President, thank you for joining us for this interview.
GB: Hey TV Guy, pleasure to be here.
TV Guy: Sir, have you put any thoughts on where you want to have the GWB Presidential Library.
GB: Library? TV Guy, did u get the wrong person. I am not Bose, the scientist guy, I am Bush, the president.
TV Guy (chuckles): No sir, I don't mean a laboratory. I want to know about your library after your term ends.
GB: Oh! I gotya. In the White House we have 3 full and one powder. The staff and visitors get there own. I am very particular about hygiene, you see.
TV Guy: But sir...
GB: Hold on.. After my term, I will move back to the ranch and it will be in th e open air like the good old days.
TV Guys: Sir, with all due respects, I am not concerned about the lavatries.
GB: Then what?
TV Guy: Library, where we get books...
GB: O yeah, the bookshelf... You got to be clear, TV Guy. Laura has a degree in keeping bookshelves. She is into all that, not me . My dad's got one of those too in Texas.

Bruce Lee - The Lost Interview

Listen to the spiritual wisdom and watch the confidence oozing out of Bruce Lee.

Nash for Nowitzki, Fred Thompson for President.

John McCain - He said " I know how to reach across the aisle and they know how to reach across the aisle to me.". I say, "That cost you the Republican nomination which is a prerequisite to being the President of UNited States"

Rudy Guillianni - Popular, maybe effective but came out very dishonest. He was afterall just a Mayor before he jumped into the big league.

Sam Brownback - Indifferent yet impressive.

Tom Tancredo - Will not get immigrant votes.

Romney - Eloquent. However, you have better odds of winning the race for President of India where people are always on the lookout for secular leaders and the timing is ripe. You are like the Sanjaya of American Idol. They will keep you in the race for ratings.

Others - I heard the job market is good. Post your resume on monster.

Fred Thompson - Please file for nomination.

And what's up with the teams that I support. They go down to underdogs without a fight, irrespective of the sport. Nash for Nowitzki. Warriors smoking Cuban cigars!

The Master and the Master Blaster.

India will approach John Wright to come back. Tom Moody will be in great demand from world over. With Pawar & Vengsarkar at the helm and Sachin in the midst of controversy, I will not be surprised if a Mumbaikar like Chandrakanth Pandit or even Sunny (if he has the time) take over.

As Kiran More rightly asked, where is the performance?.
After putting in 17 years, if you need a coach to get the scoreboard moving, what can we say?.
If you had problems with the coach, what were you doing so long?.
If you want people to spare a thought for your emotions now, where were your thoughts when you expected the government to pay for the excise duty to import your Ferrari? You were elevated to a special status in India, deservedly. But there is an amount of responsibility that comes along, which you have failed to fulfill. If you had stayed silent, we would have liked you for your humility and modesty, inspite of the failure. You spoke and the timing, here too, is bad.

Finally a few words of wisdom - It is easy to be graceful in success, people elevate you to higher levels praising your modesty. But it is hard to be graceful during failure and that seperates you from the greatness that you are equated with.

Sa(chin), Ra(hul) and Greg

I think Greg's tenure has already been extended secretly - Sorry Sir Viv.The announcement will be public pending the tamasha of World Cup post-mortem report/meeting. On several occasions Greg has stopped short of asking Tendulkar to quit, fearing the public rage - Remember his comment "Sachin's best days are over"?. Sacking Ganguly was one thing but Greg was quick to realize that Sachin is at a different level in India. He quietly "moota kattified" his idea of dropping Sachin and started asking him to be a mentor for the youngsters. Now he has sought his brother's help to achieve what he couldn't dare attempt. Ian has advised Sacin to retire. It is strange that he chose to advise Sachin through cricinfo or whoever, instead of talking to Sachin as a wellwisher. I smell something fishy. If Rahul is not dropped as captain or if Greg's contract is renewed, India will be pushed to a level that would require them to qualify for the next World Cup competition.

Having said that, I request you Mr. Tendulkar to resign gracefully. Have Kumble share his retirement letter, if you need a template. Also pass it on to Ganguly, if he needs help. This is the best time. I would have called you and requested this personally. But unlike Ian, I don't have your cell number.

I also think that we need a foreign coach. I don't think any former Indian cricketer can command respect from the current generation of cricketers. Imagine Nayan Mongia or Venkatesh Prasad trying to dictate to Sehwag or Yuvraj or Harbajan. Only a guy who can intimidate them with his English can control them .

My new Indian team XX comprises:
--------------------------------
Gaurav Dhiman
Cheteshwar Pujara
Robin Uthappa
Shikar Dhawan (three out of first four must play)
Virendra Sehwag
Yuvraj Singh
Dinesh Karthik (wk)
Mohammed Kaif (c)
Rahul Dravid (should leave way in 2 yrs)
Suresh Raina
Mahendra Dhoni (Wk)
Irfan Pathan
Munaf Patel
Zaheer Khan
Piyush Chawla
Murali Karthick (may be long shot)
Sreesanth
Romesh Powar
Jesuraj Rajamani
Harbajan Singh


PS: Vengsarkar - I can take over, if you need some rest. Afterall you have tried to do it all by yourself in the last one year.

Wearing Bermudas for the next two days.

Cricket has joined hockey as another sport that Indians used to be good at.
I could have spent all my energy wooing Viswanathan Anand or a Koneru Humpy who seem to be real champions. I remember this chess stud, K. Sasikaran, who was sponsored by my previous employer, DSQ Software for appearing in competitions around India.
If only cricket was a "low key" sport like chess, India would have advanced to the next stage. There is no motivation for them to win. The money comes from elsewhere. They just have to keep their spots in the team, money flows in from all over.

Rahul, go home, ask your mom to hold your cheek and comb your hair.

Sachin , what can I say!

JMM is already demanding Dhoni to give back the land that the Jarkhand govt. gifted to him

Why limit with the coach. Start getting foreign players to play for India. Afterall BCCI is registered in Bermuda (I think).

I still pray for Bermuda to beat Bangladesh and help India reach the second round albeit two points less. Last ditch effort to salvage some pride - I still don't want our zeroes to be killed.

Ravana killed Rama

I was right and I was wrong.

Good luck India

Srilanka showed no signs of hangover after their loss to NZ (thanks Ajay) in the warm-up game.
They came back well to dominate their first two games. Whereas India were buoyed by the warm-up victory and suffered a concentration lapse just enough for the Bongs to capitalize on. Whatever happened has happened. Now it is time for Indians to get their act together and prove that their are real heroes and not just reel heroes.

India should consider Harbajan in the place of Kumble but must replace Agarkar with Sreesanth or even Irfan or play two spinners at his expense. Leaving out Agarkar can make the difference between victory and defeat. I also think India must put Srilanka into bat, if toss favours Rahul. Getting Jayasurya and Sangakara early is key. I am not too concerned about Mahela but Silva can be a little dangerous too. Also in the chase, India should look to attack Vaas from the go. Victory is must and in the horizon. If India bat first Muralidharan will be the major threat after the initial spell of Malinga. India sould look for 240-270 minimum considering that there has been a lot of rain. Arial shots will help. Dhoni should be given a chance to come up. Whether Rahul will experiment has to be seen. Uthappa, Sachin, Sehwag, Dhoni and Yuvi can win it for us by clearing the stadium and rotating strikes. Ganguly will be a liability for this game considering the law of averages. Maybe he will get to bowl.

In the match against Bermuda, the banner read "Go to Barbados or stay back in Trinidad". I say every player should bear that in mind.

Finally like Pakistan did, pull one for Bob and our own Greg, who have gone through a lot these two years in the sub-continent. With Pakistan out of the tournament, I hope they will be rooting for us. On a Friday their prayers get answered, right guys!
For my part, I will recite Bhagya Suktam in the morning.

Out of context - Brings fame - Spoils humor

Omar has given a link to my blog that will result in adding a few extra eyeballs to the million patrons that already follow my writing. Alright!

However, to be quoted out of context is sadenning or rather frightening in this case. The extract does not portray the subtle humor (also attempted in the post scriptum - that few fellow Tamil patrons alone can get). This has resulted in me claiming that the Prez had ordered an assasination of some sort. Come on, a guy who took over an entire country in a bloodless coup would never do that. Atleast, a sane me would not seriously claim that.

It will be the biggest international cover up - next only to the assasination of Rajiv Gandhi, when not even a single prominent partyworker died - if this goes without investigation in the name of the World Cup.

Also the above statement has been partially taken somewhat making my claim serious.

Omar, thanks for the two-minute fame that you brought me. I, only, wish that you had taken the time to understand my fallible English and not gotten me into (this Presidential) trouble. I pray that not as many read your articles too :-) (atleast in this case).

Ajay, thanks for letting me know about this article. I will be scared to death for the rest of my life.

Announcement: I am not the suicide type. Nor am I suffering from any ailments. So, unlike Woolmer's case, you will be left only with two options for me.

Woolmer killed?

I am not being insensitive or anything. I am just not willing to wait for people to finish mourning before this doubt surfaces.

Who killed Woolmer?
1. A Paki cricket fan
2. A Paki cricketer
3. A Paki president order
4. The Paki coach himself

I think Woolmer, with all his experience would not have commited suicide. He is also known to be cool and sensible. So it cannot be a cardiac arrest. I have not known anyone to vomit during a cardiac arrest.

He was a pioneer. He introduced technology to cricket coaching. His innovative practise sessions were well received by players and his analyses were next to none. Inspite of all this, he made a big mistake, choosing to coach Pakistan. That proved costly and his family paid dear. These words will be echoing in the minds of his immediate family. It will be the biggest international cover up - next only to the assasination of Rajiv Gandhi, when not even a single prominent partyworker died - if this goes without investigation in the name of the World Cup. My heart goes out to his close family and friends. God give them the courage through this ordeal.

To me, his biggest achievement is sticking to his religion, despite coaching (in)Pakistan - where Yo Yo failed.

PS: Indian cricketing fans are no different. I prescribe two Tamilnadu constables(next only to Scotland Yard per Captain Vijayakanth) and sorbitol for Greg Chappell.

What's the point!

Anand Vasu has totally ignored the chances of the Bongs beating SL. Given their back to back wins over NZ and India, the possibility is equally high. That will not eliminate the need for India to win both her matches. However it will ease the need to up the NRR to qualify to the Super Eights even if it means that India will go with two points less. If SL manages to beat the Bongs, yes NRR will apply and if India manages to pull it through, it will carry two points to the Super 8 - ideal for India

Let us analyse the Super 8 with that assumption that India qualifies with the Bongs without the two pioints.
Assuming Aussies and SA will win all their games and qualify to the semis as the top two teams. Then India has to win all the remaining games beating NZ, WI, Eng, Ireland. This will give us a chance to qualify as the third or fourth team. If Bangladesh manages to surprise one of the above teams, it is even better for us. From the semis, it is anyone's game

But if we continue to lose, then what is the point? We don't want an India losing its way to the final, do we?

I also propose to replace Rahul with Sachin or Saurav as the captain from the very next game. There is nothing wrong in being proactive to win the WC. Otherwise it will be another four-year wait. And this proposal has nothing to do with the ongoing Cauvery row.
The reasons are
. Chosing to bat after winning the toss against the bongs
. Not being creative on the field.
. Not using the power plays to good effect.
. Bringing Sehwag late.

Day of Bengal?

With Pakistan out of focus, let us zoom in to how we can get India qualified for a berth to the second round.
India must beat both Bermuda and Srilanka.

With that given, there are two ways India can qualify.
External factor:
All Indians should take a day off and pray for Bangladesh to continue their impressive run and beat Srilanka and Bermuda also.

Bermuda upsetting Bangladesh or SL is a factor that I don't wan't to consider at this point

In India's control:
India should look to beat both Srilanka and Bermuda and in the process up their net run-rate. That will decide who qualifies for the next round in the event of a three way tie.

India should also try not to disqualify SL because we do not want B'desh in the second round. That will result in India carrying 0 points with them. Ideally still a SL, India qualification is possible with India carrying 2 points to the second round. If it fails to happen, Rahul should resign and die a natural death from cricket, for choosing to bat after winning the toss.

Elsewhere Ireland is almost sure of its second round berth unless Pak loses to Zimbabwe and and creates confusion during exit.

Patriotic (read disappointed) Indians will blame the tournament format, but I insist this format is the best possible that ICC can ever come up with.

England too should be wary of Kenya. In all I see the Aussies and the SAns enjoying every bit of this drama.

I think only Group A is certain of both the MAXO's qualifying.Group B and C still might see both Maxo's scraping through. One minnow has re

Sunrise will see Rahul's effigy being burnt alongside Sachin's allover India. Kaif and Laxman are happy men inside. Saurav, despite his slow fifty, saved his face on this day of Bengals!

Cinema or Cricket

If both India and Pakistan qualify for the second round and if the current schedule is to be believed, I may have to choose between Sivaji and Cricket. I cannot stay out for a full day in the theatre, considering Ishanvi's needs.
This is what will be running in my mind for the next 4 weeks:
Rajini or Rahul?
Sivaji or Sachin?
Cinema or Cricket?

I think I will settle for the WC game and watch Sivaji in thiruttu DVD.
Even better, if Pak does not qualify for the second round.

Verdict Update: It looks like I was half-correct. Seems like both teams won't make it to Super Eight. I will be whistling thru my ears cheering Super Star.

Puzzle for a change

Three couples say A-A', B-B' and C-C' are stranded in an island. Luckily for them, there is a boat that can carry them to the other side of the shore. But only two people may travel in the boat at any point of time. All the husbands are "sandhega praanis". They don't trust their wife staying or riding with other men in their absence. How do everyone reach the other side without having to compromise on integrity.

PS: no one knows swimming and there is no long rope to tie to the boat and pull it from the other side. Also no one can think or act like Vijayakanth. The only means of transportation is the boat.

Here is another one that is in Japanese. Figure it out for yourself.

Legends of South India - T. Krishnamacharya

Yoga has become very popular in recent years with new centres opening in every street corner like Jamba Juice. Each centre also subscribe to a branch of Yoga from the school of Iyengar Yoga, Pattabhi Jois, Indra Devi or Desikachar .

What is amazing is all these masters learnt and practiced under the same Guru, Shri Thirumalai Krishnamacharya. Born on Nov 18th 1888, he lived exactly to a hundred.
Wiki has captured his life history. His disciples are spreading the Yoga - revealed to him partly by Nathamuni (in his dream) and partly by a guru in the Himalayas -Krishnamacharya remains unknown to most outside the Yoga world. He moved to Chennai and taught Yoga till his last years before dying of coma.

School books grow up, finally

"Make your own conclusions", say the latest NCERT textbooks on politics after Indian Independence. I wish I had that choice of drawing my own conclusion. How many times, Mrs Santhi Chandrasekhar had asked me to get out of the class because I didn't agree with the book.


1.I was forced to believe that Gandhi and his policies were the lone cause for India's freedom struggle. Infact I knew no one other than Gandhi, Nehru and Bose. Bose was called an extremist; in the contrary he was a pure nationalist. Borrowing words from the British to describe our freedom struggle was the most foolish thing to do.

2. I was persuaded to praise the glory of the Mughal Empire. Akbar was probably worth a mention, not the ones that came before and after.

3. Dravidian history was restricted to Tamil text books and stateboard schools

4. Post-independence India was all about Nehru and his Panchsheel.

5. Ambedkar was glorified in the civics textbooks for the sole reason that he was a Harijan. No mention about the giants that preceeded or even Alladi Krishnaswami who contributed a great deal.

6. Who wanted to know about Alsace and Lorraine when there was little mention about the battle of Panipat and Raja Raja Chola's conquest beyond the Ganges.

What a waste!

Aurobindo's Gandhi Bashing

I don't want to be that guy who posted a clip on You-tube imitating Gandhi.

But here is a quote that was as refreshing as a cuppa Madras filter coffee.

When Gandhi's movement was started, I said that this movement would lead either to a fiasco or to a great confusion. And I see no reason to change my opinion. Only I would like to add that it has led to both.

-Aurobindo June 23, 1926

However a few may argue that it led to India's independence. I see it as something that was given than earned. Your thoughts?

Sachin - The difference.

I recently came across this magnum opus on Sachin. Must see for all Indian Cricket fans. Please watch all three parts.

Soothsayer from UTOPIA

My prediction for the first round. I think South Africa will top Group A. The second round will see a resurgent India beat Australia in a totally one-sided game in their first game. India will continue its run beating West Indies, New Zealand and England before being checked by South Africa. India will start afresh beating Pakistan in their last game. finishing second behind South Africa in the overall table.

Group A

South Africa
Australia

Group B

India
Srilanka

Group C

England
New Zealand

Group D

Pakistan
West Indies

Second Round

South Africa
India
Srilanka
Australia

Semi Final

India vs Srilanka -------------> India
SA vs Australia -------------> Australia

Final

India vs Australia

Rahul Dravid lifts the cup.

India will beat Srilanka in a bitterly fought semifinal. Australia will trounce SA in the other semi setting up a 2003 encore - but this time only to go down to the Men In Blue.

Sehwag will prove vital with both bat and ball throughout the tourney. Yuvraj will give way to Dinesh Karthik as his lack of preparation will show in the early games. India must use Sreesanth only to rest Zaheer or Munaf for the initial games.

Keep off Azhar now

Looks like Nagpur police were fearing layoffs. The city was so crime-free that they found a prey in the young West Indian, Marlon Samuels. "South Indian nahin, North Indian nahin, East Indian nahin, West Indian hai woh. Harey yaar woh toh Mumbaikar hi hai."

Now every other cricket writer will suddenly remember Hansie Cronje or Azhar. Let me tell them something. Keep off Azhar. He might not have been the best to play for India - coming after Sunny and followed soon by Sachin, Saurav and Rahul, but he certainly was vital during the gap. His exploits in domestic cricket and his three consecutive test tons on debut for India, are testimony enough. He was the first Indian to dive for stopping a cricket ball, in an era where the rest of our heroes were happy to escort it to the ropes. Fitness and agility were his trademark. He led India through some bad times and emerged as the most successful Indian captain before Saurav surpassed him. For him to be denied his well deserved ten thousand one day runs and hundredth test cap is severe punishment.

Whether match-fixing is real or not, whether he was involved or not, there can be no debate that he was a great cricketer. And if he had let out some information regarding the playing eleven or the toss and his batting or bowling line-up , that I don't consider match-fixing. Match-fixing is an allegation which would fit only someone who influences the result of a game by making obvious choices to turn the game. You and I would be equally gullible, if we were to get the kind of offers from the Sheikhs of Dubai for tipping on who will start or not.

Now leave him alone. And dear police officers, please try to solve the Noida killing case that has put the entire nation in shock, rather than chasing budding cricketers in the hotel rooms from city to city.

Let Ajju and Bijju live happily hereafter.

Strong Resolve

Deepak Chopra, whether he is a realised soul or not, he writes well and I stay motivated for one full week every book I read, every time I read. The positive words of encouragement oozes out of every page. It helps a pessimist like me.

This year is very unique. I have kept resolutions throughout January. I just declared holiday for resolutions today. A well deserved rest to well kept resolutions. May be the key was not sharing the resolution with anyone. Not letting others keep watch on me, not making a joke of them and constantly reminders from within were key, I think. Now I am in control. I can flirt around without fear.

Lets see..,

My World Cup Team

Saurav Ganguly
Robin Uthappa
Virendra Sehwag
Sachin Tendulkar (vc)
Rahul Dravid (c)
Yuvraj Singh
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Ajit Agarkar
Irfan Pathan
Harbajan
Zaheer Khan
Dinesh Karthik (12th man)
Munaf Patel
Anil Kumble
Mohammed Kaif.

I would have given more chances to Joginder Sharma which could have given us a viable alternative to Irfan Pathan's indifference with the ball.

Mohammed Kaif's place can go to anyone from Suresh Raina to VVS Laxman to Romesh Pawar depending on who Vengsarkar, Chappell and Dravid want. I think Mohammed Kaif will be the best option considering his three half centuries during the Carribean tour. He might never pad up if Yuvraj finds his touch.