Caribbean Calypso is just 2 months away..yeah!.. I am talking about the world cup in West Indies.
India as usual starts as one of the favourites.Lets check out who r all going to fly to West Indies..
Opening slot:
The contenders include Gautham gambhir,Robin Uthappa,Virendar Sehwag and Saurav Ganguly.
Ganguly is sure to hold one end up.Then i would prefer sehwag as he has the xperience and he is a proven match winner and would have Uthappa as back up.sorry Gambhir.
Middle Order
Sachin Tendulkar,Rahul Dravid,Yuvraj Singh pick themselves.So the contenders for the lone spot would b Suresh Raina,Mohammed Kaif,Dinesh Mongia.Going by their performances in the past and their ability to handle pressure,I would prefer Mongia or Kaif.Both can fit the spot well.As for Raina nowadays his performance doesn't merit a place int the team for world cup.
Spinners
As of now the toss up is between Harbhajan and Ramesh Powar.It is the very difficult decision to make.Harbhajan,nowadays enjoys being a miser not giving away too many runs.On the other hand,Powar is always looking like he is going to take a wicket,but in short form of the game a bowler who bowls 10 overs and costing not more than 40 runs is considered better than a bowler bowls 10 overs give away 60 runs and pick up 2 wickets.
On that aspect ,I would prefer to fly with Harbhajan Singh.
The first choice is who else - Anil Kumble
Wicket Keepers
The first choice will b M.S.Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik will also board the flight.Karthik can fill in the middle order if there is a void.
Fast Bowlers
Zaheer Khan,Sreesanth will b the automatic choices.Even if he gives 100 runs in 10 overs these idiotic selectors would definitely not miss Ajit Agarkar .
The rest two places will b taken care by Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan
So the final 16 will b
Saurav Ganguly
Virendar Sehwag
Robin Uthappa
Sachin Tendulkar
Rahul Dravid
Yuvraj Singh
Mohammed Kaif/Dinesh Mongia
M.S.Dhoni
Dinesh Karthik
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Zaheer Khan
S Sreesanth
Irfan Pathan
Ajit Agarkar
Munaf Patel
Saturday, January 27
Friday, January 26
Sunday, January 21
Pachaikili Muthucharam Audio - Review
This is not pathbreaking. This is mesmerizing. This is not agitated. This is calm and cool. This is not a "Bubblegum" album. This is a calm acheiver.
Let me get submerged in the mood of the album,
1. Unakkul Naan (Bombay Jayasree)
HJ-Jayasree combination is turning out to be a prospective ARR-Hariharan. This song gets right into the base-voiced mood that Jayasree creates like in her every other piece. It proceeds calmly until the fantastic interlude starts at 2:37 with a refreshing humming followed by a beautiful violin. Those soft beats in sync with the Violin bit hooked me into this song. A mature track from HJ with the combinational glory of Jayasree.
Tailor-made for Jayasree - 8/10.
2. Un Siripinil (Sowmya Rao, Raphi)
What an amazing song? The beats can be hailed 'beautiful' instead of 'rocking' and I have to make a special mention of the singer Sowmya Rao. She creates just about everything this song needs - sweetness, harmony, slowness and 'the search' . Raphi has done an equally good job but somehow I get the feeling of hearing Harish Ragavendra, the 'lost Harish' in fact. The sax and violin are used at the right spots to dissolve us in full swing.
The song's tempo is neat and brilliant and leaves us wanting more and more as it ends. Keep your eyes closed, your sensations will do the rest!! Best song of the album!!!
Flooded my heart, instantly - 9.5/10
3. Kadhal Konjam (Naresh)
This is one of those songs that you can hear while travelling or throwing a light party at home. A fast and light hearted track. This is a typical HJ song just like "Ore Paarvai Paar" from 12B. A peppy number that will get you going with a nice old guitar in the middle.
This is certainly not as jubilant as the "Sorgam Madhuvilay" classic but surely a lively track from such a beautiful, moody album.
Nice and lighter - 7/10
4. Karu Karu (Karthik, Krish, Naresh)
A rapid paced song that gives the equal and opposite feeling of "Un siripinil" song. Just superb! As this song starts, one might wonder where is HJ's shade but when the chorus starts as "Oru Mallicharame, ilai sindhum marame" we say "Ye, there it comes"!!
I love the tune "Thamarai ilai neer needhana..." that drools at various points of the song. The feeble rock used is terrific and blended perfectly with the tempo of the song. There is a considerable usage of Keyboard but it doesn't repress the words and emotions.
Frisky and zippy - 8.5/10
5. Unakkul Naan (Madhusree)
Remove Bombay Jayasree's voice and place Madhusree's voice. You get this cloned song. I liked the previous one better because I don't really connect with Madhusree's voice (more like Sadhana Sargam). She has a "keech-keech" voice but that's my opinion only.
An album filler - 6/10
Well, while this album is no Kaakha Kaakha, it certainly equipped me for more HJ albums. He is right in the groove and has certainly improved in some areas. His uncanny knack of adding sweetness to the songs is still intact. His instrumentation, though not entirely original, is surely mesmerizing. He keeps the songs neat and presentable as always. Kudos HJ!! Hope the picturizations turn out well.
PachaiKili MuthuCharam rocks, but softly!!!
Thursday, January 18
Younger days -King Khan
KBC is back with Shah Rukh this time
Before the box office, King Khan ruled his school ratings.
He was always a superstar. Like the hero who twirls his women while he fights off the baddies, Shah Rukh played an all-rounder at St Columba. But unlike Raj of Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, SRK didn't quite fail his finals
Bend it like Shah Rukh
King Khan's soccer team was also the semi-finalist in the Youth Review International Soccer tournament of that year. Shah Rukh was vice-captain, but the goal of the tournament was a "brilliant solo effort" by Gene Morris.
The first tremors
At an inter-school competition titled Youthquake '84, Shah Rukh was named best actor in the dramatics section. Rahul Dev has said, earlier, that SRK always had the central role in school plays and was the wizard in the school's production of Wizard of Oz.
Superhit!
80.5 %
Shah Rukh's ISC (he was in 12C) overall result
92 %
The score with which he topped Electronics
Cricket buddies
Guess who fielded beside Shah Rukh for the senior cricket team of 1984? Rahul Dev Kaushal, who later played Senapati in SRK's home production Asoka. In an online interview, Rahul had said that Shah Rukh was his senior and kept wickets for his team.
Before Pepsi...
Shah Rukh played for the 'Thums Up Team'. His school participated in a national-level cricket championship called The Thums Up All India Tournament. Shah Rukh's team was the Thums Up Semi-Finalists.
The Big Brother issue
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has spoken for the first time of her fears that she is the victim of racism in the Celebrity Big Brother house.
Unaware that the race row has developed into an international incident, the housemates had an argument about Oxo cubes.
Following the row, Cleo Rocos told Shilpa: "I don't think there's anything racist in it."
Shilpa replied: "It is, I'm telling you."
Complaints about the show have flooded in since housemate Jade Goody, her mother Jackiey Budden and boyfriend Jack Tweed; model Danielle Lloyd and former S Club singer Jo O'Meara allegedly began bullying the 31-year-old Indian star.
Following the Oxo cub spat, Jade told the actress: "Go back to the slums".
A show source has revealed that Shilpa and Jade will face each other in the next eviction vote.
The number of complaints to regulator Ofcom has approached 20,000 and the Indian government has indicated that it plans to raise the issue with Britain.
Protesters in India burned effigies of the show's organisers and Gordon Brown, on a trip to the country, said the alleged racist remarks were "offensive".
Tony Blair and David Cameron also found themselves commenting on the show and condemning all forms of racism.
Shetty's mother Sunanda told Sky News that it was painful watching her daughter cry on TV.
Speaking at her home in Mumbai, Mrs Shetty said: "As a mother I find it very painful and alarming to watch my daughter cry.
"To see her cry on TV while a bunch of people abuse her is a very painful thing for a parent."
Channel 4 has seen a large jump in viewing figures this week, with Tuesday's highlights programme being watched by a million more people than on Monday night.
It said there had been "no overt racial abuse or racist behaviour" directed against Shilpa, and said the star had not voiced any concerns of racial abuse directly to Big Brother.
However, it admitted there had "undoubtedly been a cultural and class clash between her and three of the British females in the house.
"Unambiguous racist behaviour and language is not tolerated under any circumstances in the Big Brother house. Housemates are constantly monitored and Channel 4 would intervene if a clear instance of this arose," it added.
India takes up Shilpa issue with UK
New Delhi, Jan 17: As alleged racist comments against Shilpa Shetty turned into a controversy, Government today said the Indian High Commission in Britain would look into the matter and sought the Bollywood actress' cooperation in the inquiry.
"The Indian Government is committed against racism. I consulted the External Affairs Minister and requested that the matter be verified and examined by the Indian mission in the UK," Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters here.
The alleged racial comments on Shetty, during a reality show 'Celebrity Big Brother' on Britain Channel 4, have led to reactions and protests from various political parties as well as people of Asian origin in Britain.
Dasmunsi "appealed" to the actress to "give factual position" to the Indian government representatives in London so that appropriate response to the issue can be firmed up.
However, he pointed out that the actress was in the show as part of a private programme and not as a representative of the Government or industry.
Dasmunsi, however, had a word of advice to such artistes that "before you go to participate in such programmes abroad, keep the Government informed."
Earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said he was seized of the matter and would take appropriate action, as needed. "We are looking into all the aspects. We will take appropriate action as required," Sharma said.
The issue came in for condemnation by Left parties and the opposition BJP as also the ruling Congress.
Britain condemned the alleged racist attack, saying it wished to be seen as a "country of tolerance". Noting that there had been nearly 10,000 complaints from viewers about the remarks against Shilpa, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown said "I want Britain to be seen round the world as a country of fairness and a country of tolerance." Brown, who is on a three-day visit to India, said in Bangalore that he condemned "any behaviour that would detract from the view of Britain...That we want to be a nation of fairness and tolerance".
In New Delhi, the spokesman of the British High Commission said in a statement that the UK deplores racism of any kind but left it to independent broadcasting regulator Ofcom to look into the matter.
Noting that Ofcom has received 10,000 complaints - the highest ever - over the incident, the spokesman said the British government expects the country's broadcasters to be responsible. If they fail in this, Ofcom can take action.
"We value greatly the role played by the British Indian community in the UK. It goes without saying that the British government deplores racism of any kind," he said.
He, however, said this was "rightly a matter for Ofcom" which will "look into the matter and publish their decision in due course".
The spokesman said the receipt of 10,000 complaints indicated "how appalling the British public finds this behaviour".
Meanwhile, CPI(M) criticised the alleged racist attack on the actress, saying it was "unacceptable" and said appropriate action was needed to put an end to it.
"This is a matter which is completely unacceptable. It is a completely disrespectful thing if it has actually happened," party Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
He said if the reports are correct, they definitely need to be inquired into.
"We believe the British authorities are also seized of the matter and we think immediately something needs to be done," he added. (Agencies)
Shilpa Shetty racism row escalates
LONDON: The controversy over alleged racism towards Shilpa Shetty by fellow-contestants of a British reality TV show escalated on Wednesday with Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Indian government weighing in, albeit with cautious platitudes and a further 10,000 complaints flooding into the television regulatory authority and Channel 4.
The total number of complaints now stands at 16,400, making Shetty's ordeal the most complained-about television show in history.
Angry members of the 1.3-million strong British Indian community told this paper they were mobilizing furiously to keep up the pressure on the authorities to take action over the "degrading and demeaning" behaviour towards Shetty just because "she's Indian, young, beautiful, successful and well-educated".
While a passionate internet campaign to "save Shilpa" gathered pace, cynical TV pundits said the Bollywood star's unexpected first-name recognition in Britain may actually pay her huge celebrity dividends once her ordeal ends.
Though C4 largely remained mum about the issue, it backed away from its previous belittling description of Shetty's bullying at the hands of three other women contestants as "girlie rivalry".
The channel continues to insist Shetty was not called a "Paki" by one of the male contestants.
Police in the English county of Hertfordshire, locale of the Big Brother house, confirmed they are to investigate e mails sent to Channel 4 containing threats against Celebrity Big Brother housemates. Police also confirmed receipt of a complaint about racist behaviour in the house.
Pressure was mounting on C4 to "do something" about the programme, which has two weeks still to run, with the show's sponsor Carphone Warehouse reconsidering its three-million- pound largesse on issues of taste and decency.
In an unprecedented development for a show that is consistently seen to be as successful as it is shallow and sexually-degraded, bookmakers said on Wednesday that they had cut the odds of Celebrity Big Brother not lasting its scheduled run from 20/1 to 5/2.
British television channels added an interview with Sunanda, Shetty's mother, in their wall-to-wall coverage of the story. Sunanda, who said Shetty had agreed not to do "any lip-to-lip kissing with male or females on the show...to cook or eat beef", added that her daughter was "secure inside".
Unaware that the race row has developed into an international incident, the housemates had an argument about Oxo cubes.
Following the row, Cleo Rocos told Shilpa: "I don't think there's anything racist in it."
Shilpa replied: "It is, I'm telling you."
Complaints about the show have flooded in since housemate Jade Goody, her mother Jackiey Budden and boyfriend Jack Tweed; model Danielle Lloyd and former S Club singer Jo O'Meara allegedly began bullying the 31-year-old Indian star.
Following the Oxo cub spat, Jade told the actress: "Go back to the slums".
A show source has revealed that Shilpa and Jade will face each other in the next eviction vote.
The number of complaints to regulator Ofcom has approached 20,000 and the Indian government has indicated that it plans to raise the issue with Britain.
Protesters in India burned effigies of the show's organisers and Gordon Brown, on a trip to the country, said the alleged racist remarks were "offensive".
Tony Blair and David Cameron also found themselves commenting on the show and condemning all forms of racism.
Shetty's mother Sunanda told Sky News that it was painful watching her daughter cry on TV.
Speaking at her home in Mumbai, Mrs Shetty said: "As a mother I find it very painful and alarming to watch my daughter cry.
"To see her cry on TV while a bunch of people abuse her is a very painful thing for a parent."
Channel 4 has seen a large jump in viewing figures this week, with Tuesday's highlights programme being watched by a million more people than on Monday night.
It said there had been "no overt racial abuse or racist behaviour" directed against Shilpa, and said the star had not voiced any concerns of racial abuse directly to Big Brother.
However, it admitted there had "undoubtedly been a cultural and class clash between her and three of the British females in the house.
"Unambiguous racist behaviour and language is not tolerated under any circumstances in the Big Brother house. Housemates are constantly monitored and Channel 4 would intervene if a clear instance of this arose," it added.
India takes up Shilpa issue with UK
New Delhi, Jan 17: As alleged racist comments against Shilpa Shetty turned into a controversy, Government today said the Indian High Commission in Britain would look into the matter and sought the Bollywood actress' cooperation in the inquiry.
"The Indian Government is committed against racism. I consulted the External Affairs Minister and requested that the matter be verified and examined by the Indian mission in the UK," Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi told reporters here.
The alleged racial comments on Shetty, during a reality show 'Celebrity Big Brother' on Britain Channel 4, have led to reactions and protests from various political parties as well as people of Asian origin in Britain.
Dasmunsi "appealed" to the actress to "give factual position" to the Indian government representatives in London so that appropriate response to the issue can be firmed up.
However, he pointed out that the actress was in the show as part of a private programme and not as a representative of the Government or industry.
Dasmunsi, however, had a word of advice to such artistes that "before you go to participate in such programmes abroad, keep the Government informed."
Earlier in the day, Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said he was seized of the matter and would take appropriate action, as needed. "We are looking into all the aspects. We will take appropriate action as required," Sharma said.
The issue came in for condemnation by Left parties and the opposition BJP as also the ruling Congress.
Britain condemned the alleged racist attack, saying it wished to be seen as a "country of tolerance". Noting that there had been nearly 10,000 complaints from viewers about the remarks against Shilpa, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown said "I want Britain to be seen round the world as a country of fairness and a country of tolerance." Brown, who is on a three-day visit to India, said in Bangalore that he condemned "any behaviour that would detract from the view of Britain...That we want to be a nation of fairness and tolerance".
In New Delhi, the spokesman of the British High Commission said in a statement that the UK deplores racism of any kind but left it to independent broadcasting regulator Ofcom to look into the matter.
Noting that Ofcom has received 10,000 complaints - the highest ever - over the incident, the spokesman said the British government expects the country's broadcasters to be responsible. If they fail in this, Ofcom can take action.
"We value greatly the role played by the British Indian community in the UK. It goes without saying that the British government deplores racism of any kind," he said.
He, however, said this was "rightly a matter for Ofcom" which will "look into the matter and publish their decision in due course".
The spokesman said the receipt of 10,000 complaints indicated "how appalling the British public finds this behaviour".
Meanwhile, CPI(M) criticised the alleged racist attack on the actress, saying it was "unacceptable" and said appropriate action was needed to put an end to it.
"This is a matter which is completely unacceptable. It is a completely disrespectful thing if it has actually happened," party Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury told reporters here.
He said if the reports are correct, they definitely need to be inquired into.
"We believe the British authorities are also seized of the matter and we think immediately something needs to be done," he added. (Agencies)
Shilpa Shetty racism row escalates
LONDON: The controversy over alleged racism towards Shilpa Shetty by fellow-contestants of a British reality TV show escalated on Wednesday with Prime Minister Tony Blair and the Indian government weighing in, albeit with cautious platitudes and a further 10,000 complaints flooding into the television regulatory authority and Channel 4.
The total number of complaints now stands at 16,400, making Shetty's ordeal the most complained-about television show in history.
Angry members of the 1.3-million strong British Indian community told this paper they were mobilizing furiously to keep up the pressure on the authorities to take action over the "degrading and demeaning" behaviour towards Shetty just because "she's Indian, young, beautiful, successful and well-educated".
While a passionate internet campaign to "save Shilpa" gathered pace, cynical TV pundits said the Bollywood star's unexpected first-name recognition in Britain may actually pay her huge celebrity dividends once her ordeal ends.
Though C4 largely remained mum about the issue, it backed away from its previous belittling description of Shetty's bullying at the hands of three other women contestants as "girlie rivalry".
The channel continues to insist Shetty was not called a "Paki" by one of the male contestants.
Police in the English county of Hertfordshire, locale of the Big Brother house, confirmed they are to investigate e mails sent to Channel 4 containing threats against Celebrity Big Brother housemates. Police also confirmed receipt of a complaint about racist behaviour in the house.
Pressure was mounting on C4 to "do something" about the programme, which has two weeks still to run, with the show's sponsor Carphone Warehouse reconsidering its three-million- pound largesse on issues of taste and decency.
In an unprecedented development for a show that is consistently seen to be as successful as it is shallow and sexually-degraded, bookmakers said on Wednesday that they had cut the odds of Celebrity Big Brother not lasting its scheduled run from 20/1 to 5/2.
British television channels added an interview with Sunanda, Shetty's mother, in their wall-to-wall coverage of the story. Sunanda, who said Shetty had agreed not to do "any lip-to-lip kissing with male or females on the show...to cook or eat beef", added that her daughter was "secure inside".
Tuesday, January 16
Wonderful Logos and Logic behind them
I am not sure how many of you have noticed a hidden symbol in the Federal Express logo:
Yeah, I am talking about the 'arrow' that you can see between the E and the x in this logo. The arrow was introduced to underscore speed and precision, which are part of the positioning of the company.
The SUN Microsystems logo is a wonderful example of symmetry and order. It was a brilliant observation that the letters u and n while arranged adjacent to each other look a lot like the letter S in a perpendicular direction. Spectacular.
The above logo is for an editing studio. I like the way the logo attempts to convey what they do.
I liked this logo of a hair stylist for the cheeky humour it brings to the (dressing) table.
This was a logo created for a puzzle game called Cluenatic. This game involves unravelling four clues. The logo has the letters C, L, U and E arranged as a maze. and from a distance, the logo looks like a key.
This logo is too good. For the name Eight, they have used a font in which each letter is a minor adaptation of the number 8.
This was a logo designed in-house for some internal event at IBM. I like that they are quite relaxed about the logo, unlike certain other companies who do not like the logo to be tampered with in any way even for internal promotions.
Eighty-20 is a small consulting company which does sophisticated financial modeling, as well as some solid database work. All their work is highly quantitative and relies on some serious computational power, and the logo is meant to convey it.
People first guess that 20% of the squares are darkened, but that turns out to be false after counting them. The trick is to view the dark squares as 1's and the light squares as 0's. Then the top line reads 1010000 and the bottom line reads 0010100, which represent 80 and 20 in binary.
Kinda like the surreal green screen of The Matrix, they want us to read stuff in binary.
You might think the arrow does nothing here. But it says that amazon.com has everything from a to z and it also represents the smile brought to the customer's face. Wow, that is quite deep.
Yeah, I am talking about the 'arrow' that you can see between the E and the x in this logo. The arrow was introduced to underscore speed and precision, which are part of the positioning of the company.
The SUN Microsystems logo is a wonderful example of symmetry and order. It was a brilliant observation that the letters u and n while arranged adjacent to each other look a lot like the letter S in a perpendicular direction. Spectacular.
The above logo is for an editing studio. I like the way the logo attempts to convey what they do.
I liked this logo of a hair stylist for the cheeky humour it brings to the (dressing) table.
This was a logo created for a puzzle game called Cluenatic. This game involves unravelling four clues. The logo has the letters C, L, U and E arranged as a maze. and from a distance, the logo looks like a key.
This logo is too good. For the name Eight, they have used a font in which each letter is a minor adaptation of the number 8.
This was a logo designed in-house for some internal event at IBM. I like that they are quite relaxed about the logo, unlike certain other companies who do not like the logo to be tampered with in any way even for internal promotions.
Eighty-20 is a small consulting company which does sophisticated financial modeling, as well as some solid database work. All their work is highly quantitative and relies on some serious computational power, and the logo is meant to convey it.
People first guess that 20% of the squares are darkened, but that turns out to be false after counting them. The trick is to view the dark squares as 1's and the light squares as 0's. Then the top line reads 1010000 and the bottom line reads 0010100, which represent 80 and 20 in binary.
Kinda like the surreal green screen of The Matrix, they want us to read stuff in binary.
You might think the arrow does nothing here. But it says that amazon.com has everything from a to z and it also represents the smile brought to the customer's face. Wow, that is quite deep.
Saturday, January 13
Guru Rockz..so does Abhishek Bachchan
There are films that entertain. And make you happy. Then once-in-a-while you get to watch a film that makes you say – hey what the heck…Let’s give life another shot. In other words, you are injected with an unparalleled energy that bolsters your confidence and belief in the possibilities that one can create for one’s own self. In spite of boulders of odds in your way. There’s a multitude of emotions that Mani Rathnam’s ‘Guru’ generates as you walk out of the theatre with goose pimples and a stammer in the walk. And yes, the buzz surrounding Bachchan Junior is absolutely true. Abhishek’s priceless performance shall be reckoned as one of the all time finest acts in Indian cinema. The rumours surrounding the film being a biopic of Dhirubhai Ambani is true as well.
It takes courage to agree for such physical transformation as Abhi has undertaken totally in contrast to a conventional Bollywood hero image. He plays Gurukant Desai, the young-n-lean foreign returned villager with a funny moustache who gradually grows in years-n-stature as he treads on the road less traveled. He develops flab all over body unconditionally. Walks-n-talks in an awkwardly funny manner as he successfully climbs the ambitious stairs of his ‘bijness’. Just can’t take a No for an answer. And if a door doesn’t open by greasing then he doesn’t mind opening it forcefully.
Master story teller Mani Rathnam is in supreme command as he tells a gripping story in his trademark unusual style. He has used the Art Direction of Samir Chanda to perfection as he recreates the Mumbai Best trams of 1960s, coal engine powered trains and the old model cars on the marine drive promenade are also parked oh-so-casually. The area where Rathnam triumphs the most is his objective viewpoint while handling the context of Gurukant Desai’s success. He doesn’t justify or romanticizes the wrong means employed by Guru in moving up. And the final picture that emanates is that of a man who rose to the top to fall and then rise again. But he is not all black. Or all white. He has shades of grey with warts of blemishes. Yet his basic intentions are honest. The loyalty of the ordinary share holders of Gurkant Desai’s Shakti Industries germinates from transparency. And that’s Guru’s biggest victory.
In the final analysis, Guru’s audacity appeals and repels at the same time. You call him right and wrong in the same breath. But you still feel like favouring him as even if he is doing a wrong, mostly it is meant to oppose the unjust system that listens to nothing except ‘force’ or money power. And Abhishek Bachchan’s body language successfully enacts all these varies shades impeccably.
The irreverent talking style, impish simplicity, earthy warmth, constant focused approach and an ability to connect with people. Junior B is not a junior any more. He is a champion in his own right. For, he surrenders completely to his director’s vision. Check him out in his paralytic state or while interacting with Dasgupta’s granddaughter Meenu (Vidya Balan). And this is by far his best outing with Aishwarya Rai who although doesn’t have much to do, yet she impresses with her sincerity. Wish she had the guts to undergo somewhat similar physical transformation as Abhishek. A few wrinkles would have surely added to her beauty-n-believability.
A R Rahman’s music and background score is magical. ‘Tere Bin’, ‘Barso Re’ and ‘Ae Hairathe Zindagi’ are fantastic while the inspirational quotient is so high in ‘Jaage Hain’ that it can effortlessly make you cry (tears of catharsis and forward thinking). ‘Ek lo ek muft’ is a bit of a letdown, though Abhishek’s spirited dancing does a good job of making up.
‘Guru’ is a film beyond Box Office. It’s a film which comes your way once in a life time. Not everybody shall like it. For it’s not traditional entertainment. But if cinema is more than mere fun for you, then you shall surely treasure ‘Guru’. For a long time to come
Thursday, January 11
I Think I Can
I Think I Can
If you think you are beaten you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you want to win but think you can't;
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose you're lost;
For out of the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in a state of mind
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger and faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
I Know I Can
If you think you are beaten you are;
If you think you dare not, you don't;
If you want to win but think you can't;
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose you're lost;
For out of the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in a state of mind
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger and faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.
I Know I Can
Wednesday, January 10
Juggy -- My Favorite character---similar to me in many ways
Jughead very rarely uses his full name, and is better known by his nickname, Jughead Jones, or simply as Jughead or Juggie to his friends. He is also called Needle Nose, courtesy of his friend Reggie Mantle, because of his long nose.
Archie Andrews radio series began on the NBC Blue Network on May 31, 1943, switched to Mutual in 1944, and then continued on NBC from 1945 until September 05, 1953. Archie was first played by Charles Mullen, Jack Grimes and Burt Boyar, with Bob Hastings as the title character during the NBC years. Hal Stone, then known as Harlan Stone, portrayed Archie's pal, Jughead, known for the catchphrase, "Aw... relax, Archie, re-laxxx!" Jughead was also played by Cameron Andrews. Alice Yourman and Arthur Kohl, among others, played Fred and Mary Andrews.
In live-action Archies television program, Archie and Reggie attempt to find out Jughead's real first name. They go to the school office, and a woman there tells them that Jughead's real first name is Steve. After Archie and Reggie leave the office, the audience learns that the woman is actually Jughead's aunt and that she has just lied to Archie and Reggie as a favor to Jughead to help him cover up the fact that his first name is Forsythe.
Jughead, who is almost always seen wearing his trademark crown-shaped gray felt beanie, is Archie's best friend and the "weird one" of Archie's social circle. Though he's rarely pursued by any girls other than Big Ethel, Jughead usually does his best to avoid girls — unless a free meal is involved. Because of this he is often called a "woman hater" but he doesn't seem to mind.
Appetite
Other than sleeping, eating is Jughead's number one hobby. Though he sports a pot belly after particularly large meals, Jughead remains as skinny as a twig. As a consequence of his eating habits, Jughead is also a preferred customer of most of Riverdale's food establishments, especially Pop Tate's Chocklit Shoppe, except when he is unable to pay his very large tabs. In one story, he is given a "Restaurant Club Card," and eats only fine foods. However, when he finds out how much interest the card charges, Pop Tate pays him the money on the condition that he eats only at the Chocklit Shop. He is a respected food critic who is said to have perfect taste, in that he can taste a dish and tell you exactly what's wrong with it. In one issue, in which a gym hired him to show people how to stay as fit as he was, it was revealed that Jughead has a very rare and amazing metabolism, which accounts for his ability to eat so much and not gain weight (similar to Peter Fox in FoxTrot).
He once claimed that he weighed 300 pounds after a meal. In another story, Betty asked Jughead to give the owner of the ice cream shop where she worked at some pointers on how to improve the shop's products.
In one story, students from an adjacent town's high school challenge the students of Riverdale to an eating contest, pitting their chubby undefeated champion against Jughead. Jughead handily beats the other guy, but won't stick around to celebrate: he wants to stock up on munchies for watching TV that evening. In another, he is part of a citywide eating contest, having to eat a "Colossal Burger" made up of 16 different burgers.
In another story, Jughead set two world records for eating pizza; one for speed-eating a pizza, and one for eating the most pizzas in one sitting - 12. He tied the second record, set by himself earlier that day at another restaurant, where he ate 12 pizzas just to be sure that he could do it.
In addition to his metabolism, another reason for Jughead's incredible appetite is his ability to "train" while eating. The high school whose champion was pitted against Jughead in an eating contest also sent a girl to 'date' Jughead and stuff him so full of food on their dates that he would be too full to beat their champion. Amazingly, after eating enough food for a small army on his dates, Jughead still manages to win the contest with the rival champion. Jughead explains to his stunned rivals that top athletes need to constantly train in order to stay in shape, and when the girl from the rival school had dated him and taken him to every restaurant in town, she was actually helping him "train" for the eating contest.
Love interests and relationships
Jughead usually avoids girls, largely due to the observation (gleaned from watching Archie's romantic entanglements) that dating complicates a guy's life and deprives him of cash that could be used to buy burgers.
Jughead making a comment about women
Although Jughead usually has no interest in girls, there have been several strips where he semi-enjoys himself with Ethel, and one strip where he professes an interest in Betty.
One of the common misconceptions about Jughead is that he is a misogynist. This has been disproved many times; throughout most of his history, Jughead has been depicted as disliking romance and the ways it leads young men to make fools of themselves, but not women per se. In one story, when he saw how upset Miss Grundy was on her birthday, Jughead rallied his fellow students to cheer Miss Grundy up and help her enjoy her birthday.
In several stories in some of the Jughead digest magazines, several girls are after Jughead (not just Big Ethel), probably attracted by his uninterested attitude toward them. Big Ethel has been chasing Jughead for decades in the comic; but recent storylines have shown a decrease in her obsession with him, and even show her dating other guys. This makes Jughead surprisingly jealous. In current issues of the comics, a brown-haired girl named Trula Twyst appears to drive Jughead crazy with her ability to predict his next moves. In the early 1990s, Jughead had three girlfriends: Debbie, Joani, and January McAndrews (The latter is Archie's descendant in the future, who starred with Jughead in Jughead's Time Police, a short-lived spinoff comic about their adventures travelling through time).
In another story, he describes that the reason why he does not chase after girls is because of a childhood heartbreak, sustained before he moved to Riverdale. Before he moved to Riverdale, little Jughead befriended a girl named Joani Jumpp. Both of them had a puppy love. Jughead's family moved to Riverdale, and he had to leave Joani behind. Determined not to go through any heartbreak again, he swore off girls. He keeps little Joani's picture in his wallet to reminds him about his heartbreak, and vows never to fall in love. That changes when Joani suddenly appears on his door step. Joani is a young woman now, and she tells Jughead that she never forgot him and still has a crush on him. The two shared their first kiss together. Before Jughead decides whether he wants to pursue a relationship with Joani, she leaves him -- but with a promise that they will be together again.
Fan reactions are divided with this storyline (Jughead Jones Digest Magazine #81). It was a fresh look for the Jughead character, showing that he is a "normal" boy who has crushes and love stories too. Others think that making Jughead having crushes on girls makes him no different with Archie and the rest of the characters. One thing that makes Jughead unique is his reluctance to get involved in a relationship. The comic strip even had Jughead say, "After all, there are so many things more interesting than food and music."
Besides being best friends with Archie, Jughead also has a soft spot for Betty Cooper. Betty is a great cook, which is one of the reasons that he loves to hang out with her. There are many fan-fictions written about Betty and Jughead, because fans see that Jughead seems more comfortable around Betty, and always confides in her. Jughead also provides a shoulder to cry on whenever Betty has trouble with Archie or Veronica. Even writers of Archie comics sometimes make comments on how they want Jughead to hook up with Betty, but that would ruin the formula of the love triangle between Archie, Betty, and Veronica that has been going on for decades.
Jughead seems to have constant arguments or banter with Veronica Lodge. Veronica cannot stand his laidback attitude and witticisms, and Jughead seems to enjoy teasing Veronica with pranks and clever comebacks. These two were cast in a school play, in which Veronica had to kiss Jughead. The two shared a kiss, and Jughead is depicted as a "good kisser." Veronica was caught in the moment and fell in love with Jughead for a while. But she managed to get over her crush. After the initial storyline, there have been many fanfics written about a relationship between these two characters.
Musical interests
Jughead is the drummer for The Archies. He has also professed a love for jazz music, once detailed in an issue of Jughead Magazine where he develops an obsession with an obscure jazz drummer named "Crazy" Willie Jim. After collecting all his records, Jughead finally meets Jim (who is at least 80 years old), playing on a street corner with a jazz trio. Jughead convinces Jim that he is trustworthy and they become fast friends. Jughead convinces Jim to play with The Archies at one of their gigs, and he is a hit. Later, Jughead discovers that Jim has died. Jughead takes his place at Jim's drum kit on the corner to play one last, mournful version of "St. James Infirmary Blues".
Special abilities
Jughead possesses a better sense of smell than most normal humans, and can run faster than anyone else when necessary to get food or avoid girls. He also enjoys skateboarding. He is an excellent cook, basketball player, martial artist, swimmer, dancer, thinker, and gymnast.
Most of the time he is depicted as lazy. In one issue, Mr. Weatherbee tries to cut down on Jughead's food consumption, only to realize that Jughead's brain stops functioning without massive amounts of food. Professor Flutesnoot implies that although Jughead eats an enormous amount, the calories are all burned by his brain activity and that's how he remains thin.
In several issues, Jughead has demonstrated that his IQ is well above average. In one particular Little Archie story, it was revealed that Jughead was the second-best student in the school, Dilton Doiley being the first. His intelligence is displayed by his sharp wit, the occasional deep insight, and the odd chance he gets to upstage or outsmart Reggie Mantle. He also appears to be possessed with unparalleled good luck.
In the "Super Teens" stories (where several of the main Archie characters are secretly superheroes), Jughead can become Captain Hero by reciting a magic incantation, gaining a caped costume and more muscular physique (varying from story to story; in some depictions, Captain Hero has a stereotypically "buff" superhero build, while in others, he appears to be little more than Jughead with more muscle tone). Captain Hero was arguably the most powerful of the Super Teens, if only because he always seems to possess just the right powers for the problem at hand. Captain Hero's overall powers were never completely defined, but he maintained certain "stock" superhuman powers, such as enhanced strength and resistance to conventional injury. In the earliest Captain Hero stories, Jughead's alter ego was often presented as the most serious and competent of the Super Teens, and the others would defer to Captain Hero's leadership when he was present, in contrast to Jughead's perceived status as Archie's sidekick and a generally lazy individual.
Career
In the TV movie and subsequent comic book To Riverdale and Back Again, which portrayed all the characters 15 years after their graduation from high school, Jughead has become a psychiatrist. He has a successful private practice outside of Riverdale, but is divorced and is raising his young son Jordan, who Archie jokingly refers to as Jughead Junior.
Trivia
• In an interview with original Archie artist and creator Bob Montana, he said the S on Jughead's shirt stood for his old school, Squirrel Hill Institute of Technology and he could only use the first letter.[citation needed]
• Jughead's crownlike beanie is made from a man's felt hat with the brim trimmed in a zig-zag and turned up. In the 1920s and 1930s, such caps traditionally indicated the wearer was a mechanic.[citation needed]
• Jughead is the star of a popular Archie magazine spin-off, Jughead Magazine, and another spin-off, Jughead's Diner, where he runs a diner with an eclectic cast of patrons.
• In the Spanish versions of the comic book, Jughead's name is Torombolo.
• Jughead is known in French as Doudingue although "Jughead" is used in the comics.
• Jughead rarely opens his eyes fully and is often drawn with his eyes shut or lowered. It was revealed that his eyes are blue. Once Sabrina, the Teenage Witch cast a love spell on Jughead, and then realized it had failed because he'd never actually opened his eyes to see the girl. When she caused him to open his eyes, he was struck blind by the sight of daylight. Also, in one story, convinced by one of his friends to walk with his eyes open, Jughead finds that he cannot avoid obstacles (manholes, poles, etc.) that give him no trouble when his eyes are closed.
• In early comics, Jughead is mostly seen wearing a blue turtleneck with a large white "S" on the front. But it has never been explained what, if anything, the "S" stands for. However, historians of January McAndrews' time (see above) have found out Jughead's secret and, she said, "...they were very shocked when they found out", to which Jughead replied, "...but that's my biggest secret." In one story, finally questioned on the issue by Archie and Betty (after complaining that moths have damaged his shirt and eaten through the letter), Jughead reveals that there he simply likes the letter "S" and is "compatible" with it because, in keeping with his obsession with food, "S" stands for soup, sandwich, steak, all kinds of goodies!" A bemused Archie chimes it that it "Also [stands for] silly, simple..." Betty concludes the conversation with "S" stands for "Sorry I asked"!"
• In 2005, it was revealed that Jughead's mother, Gladys, and Bingo Wilkin's mother, Wilma, are sisters, thus making Jughead and Bingo first cousins. Bingo, however, acts more like Jughead's best friend Archie, by virtue of his being girl-crazy and somewhat clumsy. However, unlike Archie, Bingo has eyes for only one girl, his next-door neighbor Samantha Smythe. This doesn't sit well with Samantha's muscle-bound father, Samson, but her more understanding mother, Sheila, is delighted since she is best friends with Bingo's mother.
• Jughead is supposedly Merlin's great great grandson.
• Jughead's baby sister's given name is "Forsythia." Both Jughead and Jellybean are named after their father.
• Since October 1966, Jughead has had a heroic alter ego, Captain Hero.
• The now-defunct American punk rock band Jughead's Revenge named themselves after Jughead. Their 1990 independent release Unstuck in Time features a cover of him stuck in an hourglass. [1]
• In the Tom Clancy novel Without Remorse, John Kelly assigns the names "Archie" and "Jughead" to two drug pushers he kidnaps at gunpoint off the street. Kelly assassinates "Jughead" while interrogating the two pushers because "Jughead wasn't much of a conversationalist, anyway."
• On the radio program Bubba the Love Sponge, the show's videographer is named Jughead
Sunday, January 7
The Nithari Disaster
The police turned a blind eye to the case of the missing children of Nithari for over a period of two years. Why?
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh does not have the time to go to Nithari village and console the families. He takes time off his busy schedule to attend a marriage in New Delhi. Nithari village is only 20 kilometres away from New Delhi. Why?
The socialist and secular leaders were busy organizing protests against the hanging of Saddam Hussein in faraway Iraq. They were critical of George Bush and the current Prime Minister of Iraq. Why?
A couple of months ago the son of Adobe India CEO Naresh Guptas son was kidnapped. Then Amar Singh was reportedly interested in solving the case and the police swung into action. But Singh has nothing to say or do in the whole episode of Nithari. Why?
The media has come into the picture only after the skeletons and remains of the missing were discovered. All the while the media could not divert its attention from the fight for justice campaigns relating to Priyadarshini Mattoo and Jessica Lal. Why?
There are sound reasons for all these whys.
The people of Nithari village are mostly migrants who have come from different parts of India in search of livelihood. They are not rich. They have no voice that can be heard.
As migrants they dont have votes. But that doesnt prevent illegal immigrants from Bangladesh given all kinds of documents like ration cards and photo identity cards. The illegal immigrants are Muslims who need to be protected and pampered. The children who were murdered in Nithari are not Muslims.
Elections are round the corner in Uttar Pradesh and every political party wants the votes of the Muslim community. Samajwadi party is the champion of secular ideals and wants to come to power in Lucknow.
The media is now featuring stories and exclusives on the whole episode. Even as people were running from pillar to post, the media was found wanting. Perhaps, these children were truly of a lesser god.
We are talking about poor families not belonging to a minority community. So they are dispensable in this land. These people should have no access to even the most basic of the facilities.
The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh does not have the time to go to Nithari village and console the families. He takes time off his busy schedule to attend a marriage in New Delhi. Nithari village is only 20 kilometres away from New Delhi. Why?
The socialist and secular leaders were busy organizing protests against the hanging of Saddam Hussein in faraway Iraq. They were critical of George Bush and the current Prime Minister of Iraq. Why?
A couple of months ago the son of Adobe India CEO Naresh Guptas son was kidnapped. Then Amar Singh was reportedly interested in solving the case and the police swung into action. But Singh has nothing to say or do in the whole episode of Nithari. Why?
The media has come into the picture only after the skeletons and remains of the missing were discovered. All the while the media could not divert its attention from the fight for justice campaigns relating to Priyadarshini Mattoo and Jessica Lal. Why?
There are sound reasons for all these whys.
The people of Nithari village are mostly migrants who have come from different parts of India in search of livelihood. They are not rich. They have no voice that can be heard.
As migrants they dont have votes. But that doesnt prevent illegal immigrants from Bangladesh given all kinds of documents like ration cards and photo identity cards. The illegal immigrants are Muslims who need to be protected and pampered. The children who were murdered in Nithari are not Muslims.
Elections are round the corner in Uttar Pradesh and every political party wants the votes of the Muslim community. Samajwadi party is the champion of secular ideals and wants to come to power in Lucknow.
The media is now featuring stories and exclusives on the whole episode. Even as people were running from pillar to post, the media was found wanting. Perhaps, these children were truly of a lesser god.
We are talking about poor families not belonging to a minority community. So they are dispensable in this land. These people should have no access to even the most basic of the facilities.
Friday, January 5
Google and your privacy
If people fear one thing about Google, it's that Google might invade their privacy in some way. That's a natural fear. As Google creates more and more services, it can gather an increasing amount of information about you. And there are also worries that Google tracks all of your searches, and it could then easily create a personal profile of you and sell the results to the highest bidder.
If you want the whole story of Google's privacy policy, head to the Google Privacy Center at www.google.com/privacy.html. It spells out in a good deal of detail what information Google finds out about you and what it does with that information.
But here, in a nutshell, is the scoop: When you create a Google account, you need to enter basic informationyour email address and password. Google doesn't share that information with any other website.
When someone visits a Google site or does a search using Google, Google servers record information about that visit, including the IP address of the visitor, the URLs, and the date and time of the request.
Google doesn't use that information to build a profile of you or track the searches you do; this information stays on Google's servers. By itself, that information doesn't identify you because Google, by itself, can't match an IP address to an individual. Law enforcement officials, however, can subpoena that information, and they can use it to identify you and the searches you do. They can subpoena your ISP and find out the subscriber name of the person with the IP address at a given time. So based on Google logs and information provided by your ISP, law enforcement officials can identify you and what you do on Google. Google complies with subpoenas.
Google also uses cookies, which are small bits of data placed on your computer that Google uses to recognize you when you log in. Cookies can store your personal preferences and other information. For example, Google uses a cookie to recognize that you have a Google account, so you don't have to log in every time to use some Google services.
In addition, Google shares what it calls "aggregated non-personal information" with other companies. This aggregated information is information that Google records but that isn't tied to an individual. So, for example, it might collect information about what pages are most popular among Google visitors. It aggregates information from many people's Web-surfing activities to get this information. But it doesn't track any single individual's use.
If you want the whole story of Google's privacy policy, head to the Google Privacy Center at www.google.com/privacy.html. It spells out in a good deal of detail what information Google finds out about you and what it does with that information.
But here, in a nutshell, is the scoop: When you create a Google account, you need to enter basic informationyour email address and password. Google doesn't share that information with any other website.
When someone visits a Google site or does a search using Google, Google servers record information about that visit, including the IP address of the visitor, the URLs, and the date and time of the request.
Google doesn't use that information to build a profile of you or track the searches you do; this information stays on Google's servers. By itself, that information doesn't identify you because Google, by itself, can't match an IP address to an individual. Law enforcement officials, however, can subpoena that information, and they can use it to identify you and the searches you do. They can subpoena your ISP and find out the subscriber name of the person with the IP address at a given time. So based on Google logs and information provided by your ISP, law enforcement officials can identify you and what you do on Google. Google complies with subpoenas.
Google also uses cookies, which are small bits of data placed on your computer that Google uses to recognize you when you log in. Cookies can store your personal preferences and other information. For example, Google uses a cookie to recognize that you have a Google account, so you don't have to log in every time to use some Google services.
In addition, Google shares what it calls "aggregated non-personal information" with other companies. This aggregated information is information that Google records but that isn't tied to an individual. So, for example, it might collect information about what pages are most popular among Google visitors. It aggregates information from many people's Web-surfing activities to get this information. But it doesn't track any single individual's use.
Poor people in rich neighbourhoods have high death rates
Are people living in a high socioeconomic status neighborhood all well off? It turned out that when poor people living in a rich neighborhood, their risk of death increase. According to a study spanning 17 years, 1.9% of low socioeconomic status women who lived in wealthier neighborhoods had died of heart disease, compared with 1.1% of women from poorer neighborhoods. (the trend was the same in men, but less dramatic).
The reason? 1) cost of living in an rich neighborhood could leave poor people with little income to spend on health care and healthy food; 2) poor people get reminded every day that they're at the bottom of the social ladder. This psychological and social discrepancy have an negative effect on a person's health.
The reason? 1) cost of living in an rich neighborhood could leave poor people with little income to spend on health care and healthy food; 2) poor people get reminded every day that they're at the bottom of the social ladder. This psychological and social discrepancy have an negative effect on a person's health.
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