Friday, April 29, 2005

Anniyan



Vikram, Shankar and Harris Jayaraj are here to set the stage on fire!!

Just listened to the songs from Anniyan.. and MAN.. Shankar has brought out the best from Harris Jayaraj. In my opinion, Harris Jayaraj's music has been on the decline in the last year. After his superhit Kaakha Kaakha, he hasn't given us anything to write about. But, he's back with a bang with Anniyan.

Kannum Kannum Nokia and Kumaari are my favourites. I'm starting to love songs that have a mix of Carnatic music with cine-style/western music. Kumaari and Iyengar Veetu Azhage are songs on those lines. Good use of the mridangam. This is the first time Harris Jayaraj has used them so extensively in his compositions AFAIK. Harris also uses the Mandolin to good effect in Kumaari. The Stranger in Black theme is also pretty well done. Andangaka is a peppy number on a Ghana beat. Pretty well done too.. My least favourite in the whole album is Kaadhal Yaanai.. It has a different style to it, but it gets pretty monotonous after a while.

Here are some interesting pics from the movie..
Anniyan Picture Gallery @ behindwoods.com

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Kung Fu Hustle!


Photo © Copyright Yahoo Movies

I'd been waiting to see this movie for about 2-3 weeks. The promos and previews on TV were really funny.. and the movie didn't let me down. It was HILARIOUS.. Good action.. and surprisingly it had quite a few scenes which were spoofs of other famous movies. A must watch!!

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Want to Jive?

I was going through the online version of The Hindu this week and surprise surprise.. Saw this article on the Metro Plus section of the paper. Jive is apparantly catching on in Singara Chennai!! The article talks about a number of dance schools and gyms offering classes on Jive. So, looks like there's a lot of high speed turning and twisting going on..

As an avid enthusiast of all forms of dance, including the classic Latin and Ball-Room styles, I have always wished for western classical dancing styles to catch up in Chennai. It would be amazing if someone opened a Salsa/Meringue Dance club or a Jive/Swing Dance club.

Related link ..
Want to Jive?

Way to go Chennai!! Keep the kicks, clicks and fancy dips coming!!

Thiruda Thirudi

A very interesting depiction. Wonder who came up with this image!! Posted by Hello

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Diarios De Motocicleta [Motorcycle Diaries]


Photo © Copyright Focus Features & Yahoo Movies

Today, I got a chance to watch this brilliant Spanish movie called Diarios De Motocicleta. And only one line can do justice to this movie.."OH MY GOD!"
The movie is based on a motorcycle road trip Che Guevera went on, in his youth. This trip changed the way he saw the world. The movie immerses us in the adventures of Ernesto Che Guevara and his friend Alberto Granado. The cinematographer has done such an awesome job that I didn't even realise that I was watching a movie entirely in Spanish with only subtitles to guide me. The music composition throughout the movie is enticing.
This is the first time I have watched a movie which gave me an insight into South America and its people, land and social struggles. I am inspired to know more about the Incan and Mayan civilizations. Some of the portions of the movie shot at the Andes were breathtaking. I have added "Visiting the Incan settlements/ruins" to my TBD list. Lets see when I get around to doing that.

Trivia on Che Guevera : Che Guevara was a Marxist Revolutionary who played a major part in the Cuban Revolution. He was Fidel Castro's second in command. Che was finally murdered by the Bolivian Government with the support of the CIA. The famous photograph of Che in black beret taken by Korda is an icon all over the world. His image is used by everyone from politically subversive rock bands to advertisers seeking credibility. In Cuba and many parts of Latin America, he is spoken of in an almost Christ-like reverence.

Saturday, April 16, 2005

Power of Craig's Housing List & Google Maps together!!

It was only a matter of time before someone came up with this. This really makes it an awesome way to look for houses/appartments. Maybe Craig's List will get bought over by Google soon enough? Hats off to paulrademacher (whoever that is) for making it look seamless.

Link : http://paulrademacher.com/housing/

ISB sets new benchmark for placements in India!

I just went through the 2005 placement statistics from Indian School of Business. Pretty interesting statistics they were!

Here are some of those numbers...

Highest International Placement : $181,000 (IIM-A's highest was $156,000 I think)
Average International Placement : $100,000

Highest Indian Salary : Rs.20,00,000
Average Indian Salary : Rs.10,01,539

For the uninitiated.. ISB was started in association with Kelloggs and Wharton. Professors (mostly Indian) from both those univs come to ISB as visiting faculty. They offer interesting courses to the students at ISB every term. (I think in ISB lingo, 1 term = 2.5 months). ISB offers one year high intensity MBA programs US school style. (Infact, I think almost every MBA school other than those in the US.. and probably the IIMs, offer only one year high intensity MBA programs).

Looks like India is doing well even in education now. Those international salary figures are probably what one would find in the second-tier MBA schools (rank 7 to 15) here in the US.

And those figures on Indian salaries?? Wow.. I'd love to be making 20 lakhs a year and living in Singara Chennai!!

Related Links :

2005 ISB Placement Statistics
International School of Business

Friday, April 15, 2005

Ganguly's seesaw chances sawed off!!

My my my.. the last couple of days definitely have been a seesaw for Ganguly.

Everyone knows that he hasn't contributed anything in this entire series (and probably for a bit even before that). But the seesaw of events started with him having to take the brunt of the blame for the 4th ODI loss (both as a batsman and as a captain for overly defensive field settings). My guess is that the selectors would have had a tough time justifying his position in the team for the 5th ODI. But the selectors were spared the trouble, and Ganguly the blushes. A rather harsh 6 ODI match ban was imposed on Ganguly for slow over-rates. Then came the episode of Ganguly appealing against the ban. The ICC cleared Ganguly to play the 5th ODI while looking into the appeal.

And then, the BCCI totally cripples his chances to play the next game by pointing out that he is not in the squad for the next match. Let us note that the BCCI definitely has the power to just drop Sriram from the squad and include Ganguly back into it. But, like the following Rediff article points out, it would raise an interesting question..

Given Ganguly's recent form, given that both his batting and captaincy have slipped, does he reserve to be reinstated?

More importantly, does Dravid deserve to be named skipper and then replaced, within 24 hours?

Here is a link to the related article on Rediff..
"How can Ganguly play, asks BCCI chief"


In my opinion, leaving Ganguly out of the match has FINALLY enabled the Indian team to play with 11 whole players. Apparantly, I'm not the only one who thinks so. Imran Khan in his article for the Indian Express also drives the same point home.. Ironically, the absense of Ganguly helps India restore the balance of the side. It enables them to bring in the 5th bowler who can tip the scales of a match in a game where almost all our top order batsmen are in form and can get us a defendable total.

Here is a link to the related article on Indian Express..
"Dravid ideal No.3 in ODIs too"

I'm thrilled at the new vistas opened out to India because of the unfortunate event of Ganguly having to sit out. Dravid, Yuvraj and Kaif can now come up in the batting order. All of them have been amidst runs, and bringing them in early will only keep the runs flowing. Ofcourse, we all have Dhoni to thank for his excellent support with the bat. Even though he has been in only two games so far, his presence at no. 3 is somewhat reassuring.. something that was lacking when Ganguly came in at no. 3. I was always in fear of another quick wicket falling.

So, what happens to Ganguly now? Only the man himself can answer that question. Adaptability hasn't been Ganguly's strong point ever. His strength has always been his bull-headedness and arrogance. Hopefully he will realise that every team has sorted him out.. both spinners and pacemen. It is entirely upto the man himself to adapt to the changed times. If Dravid does well in the next 6 ODIs as a captain, then there is a chance that Ganguly might not make it back into the team at the end of the ban.

Will Ganguly's 10,000 run quest remain unattained? Will his quest for 10,000 ODI runs become like Mohammad Azharuddin's 100th Test? (for those who are unaware.. he's still on 99 tests and he hasn't retired officially). Hopefully not. As it stands right now.. it is a really sad scene to see a stadium full of people boo their home captain when he walks in. And this is not just at one venue. This happened all across the country. Infact, the only two times the crowd at Ahmedabad cheered for Ganguly. The first time was when he won the toss, and the other time was when he got out.
Ganguly was a good batsman and a great captain. Hopefully he'll find his form. Its entirely upto the man himself.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Google Satellite Maps



Check out Google's new Satellite pictures of US addresses. Most people have used the http://maps.google.com link to find directions and links.. But not many have noticed the new "Satellite" link on the top right corner when the address search puts out the results..

I think its pretty darn cool to get an aerial view of my house with my car in the parking lot. (I do think however, that the satellite images must be atleast a few hours delayed.. or probably even static).

Try it out..

Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Sourav's effort to regain form costs India the 4th ODI.

Here's an article from The Indian Express written by Ajith Wadekar
Contrasting Captains
- Ajith Wadekar

I am no mind reader nor do I claim authority over reading body language. But for me the difference between India and Pakistan shows up in the attitudes of the two captains.

Inzamam is in great form while Sourav is only thinking about his ways and means to get back into the hitting zone.

The result is now for everyone to see as Pakistan now have all the momentum in the series. And this more than anything else is eating up India’s chances. Because this means vital thoughts on bowling changes and fielding placements gets mired in an already messy mind.


That also brings up irrelevant matters like toss and weather, two variables which are never in anybody’s control, into so much prominence. This is exactly why the Aussies are better in that they never allow such matters to occupy their mind and always think about the matter on hand.

That exactly happened with Inzy today as he never let the asking rate rise above seven runs an over. A feat which should be commended considering the steep chase of 316 on hand.

He played a real cool innings under extreme pressure and never lost his nerve even when the match climaxed as a real cliff-hanger.

For me he was the best choice for Man of the Match.

At the other end, Sourav did the only thing right by winning the toss, but he should have promoted Yuvraj or Rahul to No 4 spot. I believe it is here we lost those crucial 20 to 30 runs because Sourav was trying to get his form back.

In the end that proved to be crucial because we never were in the game as the spinners bowled too negative. Just make me wonder what Anil Kumble is doing, sitting in Bangalore when he should be bowling.

And the general demeanour on the field did not suggest any urgency from the fielders. Sad to say but only in the last 45 minutes did we realise that the match was slipping away and this after we had scored 315.

All in all, I feel sad that the man who set it up, Sachin, could not get his due. He bowled well, batted like old and thankfully without showing a sign of any burden that seemed to bother him in the past

Anyone who watched / followed the match yesterday (the 4th ODI) would have been as frustrated as I was. Ganguly just isn't fit to be in the team at this point. His 33 ball innings out there in the middle cost us the match. Did anyone watch those ridiculous "dancing down the pitch" misses? I think there were 3-4 of those.. without the willow making any contact with leather. He was a joke out there. And the missed stumping by Kamran Akmal?? What was that all about? Almost looked to me like the Paki's wanted Ganguly to stay in.. and keep Dravid, Yuvi and Kaif out. Heck, Dada was a good 8 feet down the pitch when he swung and didn't make contact. Its a pity that such a great batsman of the past was being treated as a handicap by the Pakis. But lets admit it, he's the weakest link in the entire Indian team.

Keeps bringing me back to the same question after every match.. If Dada can't bat, bowl, or field.. does he deserve a place on the team? I know that he has been the most succesful captain for India.. but, in his current form, where his contribution to the team in the form of cricket is zero, should he be dropped? Heck, if someone has to captain the side without contributing, then I'm sure we can get a tonne of analysts to do the job. I'd pick Prem Panicker as another option for the Captain's post if the only thing the captain needed to do in the team was to make decisions.

Well, this argument is thankfully a moot point now. The ICC has saved Ganguly the blushes by forcing a 6 ODI match ban. Having said all that, I do feel bad for Ganguly on this count. Inzy's boys went over the allocated time by about 20 min (and this was a 48 over match mind it). I don't see him being pulled up by the match referree? All I saw was a short lunch.. now even that works to Inzy's advantage.. he probably lost a few pounds.

The crowd reaction to the Paki win was nothing to write home about. All they did was shout "Aloo Aloo" when they Paki batsmen were walking out of the field victoriously. I thought they deserved more than that... a standing ovation if not anything else for their stellar performance.

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Stopping by the FlatIrons on a snowy morning..


FlatIrons on March 30th 2005 morning at about 9.00 am. Posted by Hello

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To be.. or not to be.. What the heck should it be?

7.26pm, Wednesday, 6th April, 2005..

Mid week crisis.

Okay, now that I"ve decided to experiment with blogging.. what should it be? A photo blog, or a normal text blog. Hmm.. a photo blog requires so less time, while a text blog probably requires more frequent updating and spending a lot more time on it.

Questions.. choices.. life shouldn't be so difficult.

Guess I'll start with photo blogging.. and take it from there.