C'est what?

Change of title?

2007-08-15T16:12:00.000-05:00

I went to this bar/restaurant on a recent trip to Toronto. Now what? Do I change my blog title? And I thought it was such an innovative title. Sigh!

Another One Bites The Dust

2007-07-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

... Zodiacal dust, that is.
Brian May (he of 'lead guitarist of Queen' fame) is completing his PhD in astrophysics.

"I didn't want an honorary PhD. I wanted the real thing that I worked for," he told the BBC. Got to respect that.

I've maintained that musicians, actors, even sports people are often very smart. That they choose to do what they do does not mean that they are any less smart than any of us. Far from it. They are doing what they have an absolute advantage in.

Never say never again...

2006-09-19T11:11:00.000-05:00

For so long now, I have been discussing trivial issues in this space. I don’t feel the urge to do it anymore. I will not say this blog is closed, and I will not post on it. Instead, I intend to use it as web space where I can post something of interest if I think it is important, and send everyone a link in an email. That way, I will neither be spamming their inboxes, nor will I have to hope that all the people I interact with read my blog (I am quite sure they do not).

In fact, I am neither important enough to sustain your collective interest nor motivated enough in this way, to ensure that the content will pique your curiosity. I have numerous other interests and I’d be better served spending my energy in them. Also, I’d rather not feel guilty and upset about my neglected blog – every time I visit someone else’s. I enjoy reading blogs and participating in discussions a lot more than I do writing and moderating them. So, you will continue to see my presence anyway. I also enjoy collective writing, so I will continue to write in forums and blogs maintained by other people. I think the random posts with reminders of updates to those who I believe will be interested in the subject – is a perfect compromise.

For further justification, I point you to this wiki (thanks to Anita) that reflects some of my thinking with fair accuracy.

Blogger for Word Test

2006-09-07T09:19:00.000-05:00

I am now testing Blogger for Word. I wonder if this will be posted alright.

My Footie Blog

2006-08-22T08:16:00.000-05:00

My views on everything football (soccer) related - in my alternate blog.
My Footie Blog.

On Airport Security

2006-08-11T09:48:00.000-05:00

I was a skeptic of airport security methods. Why are they reacting so naively to bomb threats, foiled terrorist plans and the 9/11 tragedy? The argument is as follows. If we (and by that I mean airport security) need to respond to these threats, we need to be prepared for what hasn't yet happened, not what has recently been carried out. Why would any smart bomber-to-be carry out the same procedure that the world has seen - the one that people are guarded against? And why are we banning (first) all sharp metal objects and (now) all liquids and gels?

The counterargument may be as follows. Wouldn't it be remarkably stupid if we got caught out once again to the very same methods that were tried a few days earlier? Wouldn't we feel terrible if we got burgled by the same people in the same way - twice in succession - simply because we discounted predictability? And in an uncertain environment, don't you solve problems by looking at both obvious solutions and previously encountered obstacles/solutions first? In the absence of accurate and correctly disseminated information regarding what the exact nature and cause of the recent attacks were - we're probably better off throwing a larger blanket over the space of potential problem areas. If we are wrong about the cause we isolated initially, then it would be disastrous if we implemented a focused plan to address one issue - and then, had to change plans due to this error. We are probably better off working our way from tackling the problem coarsely (all liquids, sharp objects) before we drill down to specifics, confirm these hypotheses - and then properly distribute this information, and relax security measures in certain areas.

In this situation, the false negative is a lot worse than the false positive; even if the cost of this exercise is our convenience.

I am still a skeptic of airport security methods. For various reasons. Just not this one.

Mohun Bagan vs. Manchester United

2006-08-05T07:35:00.000-05:00

Mohun Bagan juniors (U-15) are going to play in the ManU invitaional tournament for junior footballers - the Manchester United Premier Cup. Regardless of the relative merits of the clubs playing, it's a good opportunity for the young lads to make a name for themselves - and positively impact the progress of football in the country. We need a spark, some spark. And their fearlessness and impetuousness just might do it!

More power to them.

(Also posted on http://greatsports.blogspot.com)

Point Tracker!

2006-06-09T07:49:00.000-05:00

(Thanks to http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/pointtracker/index.html)

The point tracker at the Roland Garros (French Open) website is brilliant. It's an awesome feast if you can't actually watch the game on TV!! It's real time, it's got ball trajectory, description of who won the point, what happened, and various camera views! I've been using it this entire tournament, and it's been great.

The screenshot above is what it looks like - and as the camera tracks the trajctory of the ball, the Point tracker draws lines on the screen to show to show how the point progressed.

Barcelona 2 - 1 Arsenal

2006-05-17T15:49:00.000-05:00

Image courtesy http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport

Let the songs begin
Dejalo nacer
Let the music play
Ahhhhhhhh...
Make the voices sing
Nace un gran amor
Start the celebration
Ven a mi
And cry
Grita
Come alive
Vive
And shake the foundations from the skies
Ah, Ah, Shaking all our lives

Barcelona - Such a beautiful horizon
Barcelona - Like a jewel in the sun
Por ti sere gaviota de tu bella mar
Barcelona - Suenan las campanas
Barcelona - Abre tus puertas al mundo
If God is willing
If God is willing
If God is willing
Friends until the end
Viva - Barcelona

- Freddie Mercury

Nacho Libre!

2006-05-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

Jack Black is a cook in a Mexican orphanage and a lucha libre wrestler by night, in the movie Nacho Libre releasing June 16th. A story that promises so much! Can't wait to watch it!

Never Grow Up

2006-05-09T04:24:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite TV commercial right now.

Are you impressed?

2006-05-02T18:05:00.000-05:00

I certainly am!
This is a remarkable story. Budhia Singh (5 years old!!) ran over 65kms in 7 hours. What a marathon.
Reminds me of Saint Ralph... only even more remarkable in real life - especially given his age.

Plagiarism or Collaboration

2006-05-02T13:30:00.000-05:00

Here's an interesting article on Kaavya's plagiarism controversy.

Great Sports Pics

2006-04-28T06:09:00.000-05:00

More like these can be found here.

Tagged

2006-04-25T14:15:00.000-05:00

Jim tagged me, so here goes.

Five people on my shit list:
1. Bigot #1
2. Bigot #2
3. Dick Cheney
4. Criminals against children
5. Bigot # 3

Close brushes with death/danger:
Hard to say if I was close... at different times, I've been hit by a car and a bus. I've has one spectacular crash on my motorbike (which I live to tell). And I almost fell through a deep crevice hidden by seemingly sure snow on the surface - in the Himalayas.

Five preferable modes of suicide:
1. On a manned long-term mission to space. I'd die over a looong time, but it would be such an awesome experience.
2, 3, 4 and 5: I'd like to say I do not condone suicide in any fashion. But I am still unclear about my stand on assisted suicide. It's hard to be judgemental when you hear them make their case. Yet, there is so much to experience. Have to think more on this.

Five guilty pleasures:
1. Sports
2. Goofing off in the face of deadlines.
3. Dessert
4. Good Pinot Noir
5. Fried, crispy snacks

Five things you never want to forget:
1. That there are people out there better than me.
2.That there are people out there who are worse off than me.
3. Pride is good.
4. Too much pride is bad.
5. My happy memories - the ones that keep me going.

Five things you wish to forget:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5: I have been fortunate in that I don't have any memories that I wish to forget. Unpleasant? Sure... but those are part of what made me who I am.

Five exotic dishes you've tried:
1. Crocodile Fritters in Mauritius: They were fried. Tasted like chicken.
2. Daube Ourite (Octopus stew) in Mauritius.
3. Yellowtail sashimi with Jalapeno - at Next Door Nobu (NYC).
4. The Sirloin at Austin Land & Cattle Co.
5. Lobster Roll at Scales in Portland, ME

Five loves of your life (not in order):
Freedom, Sports, Food, Books and my wife.

Strangest Dream:
(off the top of my head)
Being eaten alive.

Five most valued posessions:
Freedom, clarity of thought, memories, health, my sporting experiences. Everything else can be replaced.

Five favorite superheroes:
1. Diego Maradona
2. Batman
3. Obelix (does he count?)
4. Spaceman Spiff
5. Superman

Ok. Done.
Now...
Supps, Shom, PK, Sundar, Naveen - s'il vous plait.

Lok Paritran

2006-04-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

Admirable work. I will put up more on this new political party soon. Until then, please visit this website, and I urge you to give it a good read before you come to a conclusion on your views regarding them and their work.

Players to watch in Germany '06 - Part 1

2006-04-20T10:23:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of the players (mostly young and rising - the obvious stars are .. well.... obvious). I hope to add to this list periodically - till the World Cup.
Cheers!

Lionel Messi (Argentina, Barcelona)

All pictures courtesy fifaworldcup.com

It is a fair argument to say that Messi probably deserves to be in the 'stars' list and not in the 'to be watched' list (I absolutely love this guy!). But he is still a fantastic talent who has proven himself for Barcelona and Argentina Jrs. but not yet had an opportunity in the national team - to really show us that he is a class apart. Until we see magic fom him - in the Argentine national colors, he remains on this list of mine.

Cesc Fabregas (Spain, Arsenal)

Arsenal's been doing great in Europe of late. They may be languishing in the upper-mid table at EPL... but this kid's form of late has been great. Peaking at just the right time, maybe? He was considered an outside shot for the squad at best - but his recent showing might improve his chances.

Pablo Zabaleta (Argentina, Espanyol)

The powerful right-winger could be the perfect foil to Messi's magic up front. If he makes the team, he'll probably be rotated in for Javier Zanetti. He is (IMO) quick, powerful and very mature in midfield.

Bootstrapping at its best

2006-04-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

Here's this really interesting real estate scheme from Kyle MacDonald.

My name is Kyle MacDonald and I am trying to trade one red paperclip for a house. I started with one red paperclip on July 12th, 2005 and I am making a series of trades for bigger or better things. My current item up for trade is one year in Phoenix. Do you want one year of FREE rent in Phoenix? Pop your offer over to me at (oneredpaperclip@gmail.com)... You can see the current offers here. I live in Montreal Canada but will go anywhere in the world for the right offer.

None of his claims are verified, but seem credible enough. Questions I have concern the valuation of his trades. His claim of bootstrapping 'bigger and better' things from a trivial red clip doesn't account for other claims.
(1) He travels to these places to make the trades and pays for the items. Also, he blogs or talks about these trades and includes traders' pictures in his website.
(2) There is value in a "good story" that people get out of this. This value might exceed the residual value of the goods the average person is trading out.
(3) He tosses in extras (for the truck, he was willing to drive it and deliver it in person and toss in a tank of gas too), that he pays for. This is not accounted for.

In any case, a very interesting read and a fascinating story.

Cheers, Kyle.

Trading books, DVDs, CDs...

2006-04-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

Here's this good site that's popped up. Zunafish is a trading site where you can trade in your CDs, DVDs, VHS, books, etc. for others that people want to get rid of. Got an old copy of 'Jurassic Park' that you don't care to watch again? Maybe you can trade it for a copy of the 'Da Vinci code' that someone's read but doesn't want anymore!
It borrows the concept of ebay, and extends it to a craigslist-like community board - formalizing it into clearly defined OTC trades.
It'll be interesting to see how it works out.

Mouthwatering clash

2006-04-13T21:16:00.000-05:00

April 18, 2006

Hope it's good.

Sad

2006-04-13T13:24:00.000-05:00

It's really sad that 5 people died "grieving" the death of one (really old) film actor. Where's our sense of perspective?

shock?

2006-04-12T20:25:00.000-05:00

This is what the Prime Minister had to say about Dr. Raj's death.
Shock?
Grief, I can understand.
But, he was 77 years old. Various health problems. Died of a cardiac arrest.
Shock?
Morons riot in Bangalore and stone cars, buses and buildings - even Microsoft Research's office in M.G. Road. What did they do? Kill him? Or cause him a cardiac arrest?
I am baffled! Angered. And deeply disappointed that Darwinism hasn't eradicated these undesirable and dangerous pieces of trash from society.

Flippin' out

2006-04-11T11:05:00.000-05:00

Where would you like your next fast food order to be taken? Interesting read.

Americans moving to India for work

2006-04-11T10:37:00.000-05:00

How much of this is genuine interest in the Indian economy as a sustained growth opportunity, and how much of it is a quest for the average college grad to do something 'different'? Get 'international experience for the coming globalization of the world economy'? If this were indeed the start of a pattern, then what are the implications of this to minimizing start-up costs for entrepreneurs?

Ad this.

2006-04-07T13:56:00.000-05:00

In her post, Usha questions the validity of claims in advertisements/commercials. I think that ads/commercials are now more brand placement media. It brings to our attention the existence of a product that claims to do certain things. In an ideal world, we would be able to trust them. As it stands, the consumer has no excuse for not researching/reviewing a product before purchase. Of course, there are the early-adopters who suffer... but they also have the potential upside of having bragging rights to a potentially great product.

Ugly!

2006-04-07T08:03:00.000-05:00

picture from news.bbc.co.uk

The new AIG sponsored ManU strip. Ugly.

Go Bangalore!

2006-04-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

Robin Uthappa is in the team. :)

Street Cricket

2006-04-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Pitch-catch, Baby Over, Bet match, Automatic Wicketkeeper, and tons of other 'street cricket' terms - all cataloged here.
A must-read. Great fun.

Intriguing clashes

2006-03-29T17:07:00.000-05:00

Interestingly, the highest profile clash int he UEFA Champions' league quarterfinals seems least on edge with Arsenal looking great against Juve.
Milan were held to a fighting nil draw, and so were Barcelona. Inter had to fight back to keep Villareal at bay, but the Spaniards do have a valuable away goal.
April 4th and 5th should be good.

A Note on Hand Sanitizers

2006-03-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

Apparently, hand sanitizers (gels, foams, etc.) need to have between 60-95% alcohol for them to be effective. If it is lower, then "washing your hands with this only serves to mobilize the bacteria by moving them around".
Read this article.

Ludicrous!

2006-03-22T10:16:00.000-05:00

Read this story.

insane!

2006-03-12T11:11:00.000-05:00

Just got off cricinfo's commentary feed. Australia scored 434 in a one day game? The first 400+ score ever. Better than the previous best by over 50 runs. And against quality opposition like South Africe. And what was that? Is it possible? No, you cannot be serious! South Africa also posted a 400+ score? And won the game? 870+ runs in 100 overs? Lewis conceded 113 runs in 10 overs?
CRAZEEEE!

Predictability and Oscar

2006-03-06T10:07:00.000-05:00

Here's an excerpt from Time magazine's guide to betting on the Oscars:

"Foreign language film. Paradise Now, an acclaimed study of a Gaza suicide bomber, and the first film to be nominated from Palestine, was an early favorite — before Hamas won the election. That reduces the chance you’ll be hearing this: "And the winner is… from the Terrorist—I mean Palestinian Authority…" So now the race is wide open. Las Vegas bettors favor Tsotsi, a South African fable (by Nobel laureate Athol Fugard) about a vicious thug who adopts an adorable infant."

... and guess who won the best foreign film!!

Tsotsi had three things going for it: It was relevant (in the broader social sense), it wasn't threatening to the western media and it was written by a nobel laureate. Talk about a closed community!

Crunch

2006-02-18T12:51:00.000-05:00

Rebecca Webb Carranza died recently, aged 98. In the 1940's, she invented one of my favorite snacks - the tortilla chip. The story goes - in the mid 1940's, automated machines would chop up flattened tortillas using a disc-cutter, to pruduce the desired shapes. The scraps from these tortillas were wasted, and apart from their misshapen look, were perfectly edible. So, Rebecca decided to bring some of it home - and for a party of friends, she chopped them into aesthetically pleasing triangular strips, and fried them. These chips were a huge hit, and the tortilla chip was born. This helped set up a large tort chips business, and she was given an awrd in the mid-1990s for innovation in the industry. The award was the Golden Tortilla.

Bang, Bang!

2006-02-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

(Source: www.crooksandliars.com)

News Flash: Aerosmith come out with a new adaptation of their song dedicated to the Vice President.
Titled: Cheney's got a gun.

Kobe loves the 80's

2006-01-24T09:52:00.000-05:00

Kobe Bryant (Photo courtesy www.nba.com/lakers)

Kobe Bryant scored 81 (yes, 81!!!) points for the Lakers against the Raptors on Sunday. That's the second highest individual score ever... and the greatest individual basketball scoring performance I've seen in my life - albeit the next day.

Over 60% shooting, 7 three-pointers and 18-20 from the free throw line. Remarkable.

Yes, Wilt got a 100 without the 3-point line... but these performances are so rare, I think it doesn't take anything away from Elgin Baylor or Wilt to call Kobe's exploits on this night the best performance ever.

Like him or hate him, it's hard not to respect his basketball and his drive on a night like this.

inVINCEible

2006-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Vince Young wins it for Texas (photo courtesy cnnsi.com)

Vince Young was a star in Texas' thrilling 41-38 win over USC and its multitude of superstar college players. USC's 34 game record is snapped. Texas has proven itself at last. What a great game. Hook 'em horns!

The Bluffers' guide

2005-12-18T08:56:00.000-05:00

Calling all footballing neophytes... seasonal supporters, and women (or men) who just have to tolerate the beautiful game every now and then to stay in their mens' (I might be generalizing here... no disrespect meant for various other inter or intra gender affairs) hearts, here's a great article. This will allow you to bluff your way through any asocial gathering of neanderthal football (soccer) buffs.

The CL knockout stage draw

2005-12-16T07:39:00.000-05:00

Chelsea v Barcelona
Real Madrid v Arsenal
Werder Bremen v Juventus
Bayern München v AC Milan
PSV Eindhoven v Olympique Lyonnais
Ajax v FC Inter
Benfica v Liverpool
Rangers v Villarreal

Chelsea - Barcelona. Bayern - Milan. Real -Arsenal.
Ooooooh boy!

The Draw

2005-12-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

Heidi Klum with the new World Cup ball
picture taken from fifaworldcup.com

With the qualifiers done and the draw completed in Leipzig, we can look forward to a cracker of a world cup in Germany next summer. Germany and Costa Rica kick off to start the cup finals in exactly 6 months.

The Group of Death this time around is likely to be Group C with Argentina, Netherlands, Ivory Coast (who topped the African table) and Serbia & Montenegro. Italy have it tough too... with Ghana (lots of pace), Czech Republic (always a challenge) and the US (who missed out on a seeding only because Germany, ranked below them, are the hosts). I would love to see the US go far - I love this team they have... and it would do wonders for the game here. Also, in the absence of India in the finals, it is the closest I have to a home team.

Brazil, France, Germany, Mexico and Portugal should have it easy. England, Paraguay and Sweden in the same group can make it a scrappy affair. I would like to think Spain have it easy - with Tunisia and Ukraine providing some competition (what'd they think? It's the finals!), but not enough to knock them out. However, having seen their dismal performances in earlier campaigns, nothing would surprise me.

There it is. 6 months to go. Barring extenuating circumstances, I plan to be there to watch a game or two in person. Let the games begin!

Indian Writing n English

2005-12-08T14:48:00.000-05:00

Here is a good article about recent english writing in India. I agree with his overall argument (maybe not so much with some of the details), and was recently telling someone why I don't like reading these books.

WikiNews

2005-12-08T13:38:00.000-05:00

For a great sandbox - where you can try out investigative or report journalism... and not have to pay or stick to a schedule - is WikiNews. It is a community effort to present the news. Anything at all... no censorship. Of course, since they do expect it to be the news and not opinion, they ask for a neutral viewpoint. This is what differentiates it from blogs.

The downside to some(a positive thing for others) is the anonymity. No article is credited to you. So, you get no publicity or increased traffic to your blog because of this. Also, articles are deleted periodically so there are no archives (as far as I know). However, it is a great place to try out various writing styles, hone your skills and develop this writing ability.

For all budding newspaper journalists, it's fantastic. And people actually read it. So, it is helping the community. Also, it's a good way to get the word out on anything that you think is important but isn't getting any coverage.

Wikipedia's collective conscience

2005-12-05T09:40:00.000-05:00

An interesting issue to be considered with "collective brain" efforts like Wikipedia is the veracity of the information.The assumption that errors and lies will be caught by later editors of these articles may be true. It does not account for (1) articles where the subject matter is not common knowledge, and (2) where the effort is to deliberately defame someone or something. Also, will public perception of something always override the "truth"? In that case, is it a reliable, encyclopedic source? Will it reach a steady state where it becomes a consistently reliable source of information?

In the meantime, go to Wikipedia for what I think is the best compilation of general information out there.

Comebacks and New Beginnings

2005-12-02T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is a particularly exciting time in tennis. And it's not just the emergence of depth in women's tennis. I'm excited about two comebacks. John McEnroe is planning on playing doubles again and Martina Hingis has announced a full comeback in 2006. I'm also glad to see Croatia and Slovakia play the final of the Davis Cup. This edition will see five different winners in five years - and this is great for tennis.

I hope all of them live up to the promise.

Goodbye, Mr. Miyagi.

2005-12-02T13:36:00.000-05:00

Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) died recently. Fond memories of Karate Kid(s) come back. Goodbye Miyagi-san.

Pothead Philospohy

2005-11-02T15:43:00.000-05:00

This is a gem from Overheard In New York.

Guy: The thing is, when you're a pothead all of your friends are going to be potheads because when you're out of pot, that's who you're going to call.
--The Magician, Rivington Street

Deep!

Google Boy

2005-10-27T13:14:00.000-05:00

Walid Elias Kai, a Ph.D. in search engine marketing, who is Lebanese, and his Swedish wife Carol live in Kalmar, Sweden, where their son was born on September 12. They named him Oliver Google Kai. Boy... his classmates are going to have fun.

10 stories the world should hear more about

2005-10-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

Awareness of all things outside our realm of immediate dependency is really low. In the event, I think the UN has come up with a really good initiative with listing out 10 stories that are not in the international media spotlight - but which matter.... which should be studied not only for the sake of knowledge and awareness... but also so we don't come back a few years later on watching a movie like Hotel Rwanda and wonder how such a thing could happen. It succintly describes some of the important issues of today. Makes an interesting read (in my opinion).

le football en îles Maurice

2005-10-10T16:26:00.000-05:00

le football en îles Maurice, originally uploaded by heshoots_andscores.

Take cover.

glimpses of world history

2005-10-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

I just started reading 'Glimpses of World History' by Jawaharlal Nehru. In conjunction with 'Discovery of India' - these books are an essential component (IMO) of any Indian's library. What I am constantly amazed by, are the depth and breadth of knowledge that he had in his arsenal. He wrote the whole book as a series of letters to his daughter... from prison - with the aid of nothing but his pen and his mind... no library, no catalogs. In the event, it is a remarkable testament to the scholar... something I admire and aspire to emulate - regardless of what I think of his views on public policy.

conflict

2005-10-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

Of late, my mind has wandered off and gathered interest in conflicts in the world. 'Human capital' is an oft overused term in the business lexicon. However, the word seems to be in its essence when talking about the trading of absolute power and lives lost as a result of conflict. It is quite a hard tradeoff... an impossible line to draw.

In the meantime, the corners of the world seem somehow closer and more distant at the same time. It feels like all of the world thinks largely in the same way in terms of power, conflict and means of conflict resolution... maybe the numbers change... the number of deaths that keeps the cause worthwhile. Qualitatively, however, there seems to be no difference.

Joyeux Anniversaire!

2005-09-30T14:01:00.000-05:00

Western wind, when wilt thou blow
That the small rain down can rain?
Heaven, that my love were in my arms
And I in my being again.

Happy Birthday, Princess!

On Blogging...

2005-09-30T08:52:00.000-05:00

I thought this was a great take on the blogging lifecycle. Quite witty, too.

Terminal

2005-09-28T09:49:00.000-05:00

Terminal, originally uploaded by heshoots_andscores.

Rather quaint, in the heart of Illinois.

Bliss

2005-09-26T17:43:00.000-05:00

NYCandStadium, originally uploaded by heshoots_andscores.

Good tennis in a packed stadium. The NYC skyline on the horizon.

Listless

2005-09-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

I have added to the stockpile of blogs out there... check out the lists blog.

God Pardons Robberies - The Hand of God

2005-08-24T15:54:00.000-05:00

After nearly two decades, Diego Maradona admitted that he scored the winning goal against England in the Quarter Final of the 1986 World Cup with his hand. On his talk-show, The Night of the Ten, the former striker admitted that he had planned the goal with the knowledge that with his height, he would never get past [English keeper Peter Shilton] with a header.

"When I saw the linesman was halfway down the pitch, I called on my team-mates to embrace me and make a big show of acclaiming the goal, to make sure it was confirmed. They were hanging back a bit timidly. They embraced me, but as if to say, 'we're robbing them'. But I told them, 'who robs a robber (referring to the Falklands war), is pardoned for a hundred years. I never regretted scoring that goal with my hand and what's more, I scored another one like it playing for Napoli against Udinese."

Oh well...it still was the 'hand of god'.

Guaranteed jobs in rural households

2005-08-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

A bill guaranteeing at least 100 days' employment per year to every rural household was on Tuesday approved by the Lok Sabha. Although it is perched precariously on the peak of a slippery slope, further inviting the possibility of reservation-based allocation, and slippage away from the original need-based criteria... in principle, and if carfully orchestrated, it is a good concept. Somewhat like the social welfare concept in other countries.

Hey Ref...

2005-08-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

gattuso, originally uploaded by heshoots_andscores.

"Are you blind?"
From AC Milan vs Chelsea at the Giants stadium in NJ. Went there with Bond.

Goooooaaaaaal !

2005-08-22T10:55:00.000-05:00

Gol !, originally uploaded by Nadar.

I loved this picture. It was apparently taken by surprise... but it captures the element of frantic action while a goal is scored.
See the left corner of the goalpost. The ball can be seen going in.

out on a limb

2005-08-20T12:43:00.000-05:00

My random predictions for the year:
Tottenham Hotspurs will do well this year... perhaps even finish in the top four.
West Brom will avoid the drop again.
Inter will do well.
Hertha Berlin will do well again (only a couple of people know why I'm interested in them).
Lyon will top the table again.

Dumb is as Dumb says

2005-08-17T11:26:00.000-05:00

A man from Tucson Arizona was visiting Windy Point, a cliff overlook on Mt Lemmon. Because so many tourists flock to the site, a steel safety fence had been installed to prevent hapless folk from slipping off the cliff. The weather was terrible, and nobody was there except the man. Believing himself to be alone, he decided to urinate through the bars of the fence over the cliff face below.
As he urinated, lightning from a powerful desert thunderstorm struck the fence, which made a perfect lightning rod due to its size and location. The charge traveled through the fence to the ground, but also up the mans urine stream causing his penis to explode...
THE FACTS: Windy Point does in fact exist. There is indeed a large metal wrought-iron fence in place at the edge of the cliff. Thunderstorms are common in late summer, and lightning strikes are very common throughout the area at that time. That fence would be a prime target.

from: http://www.darwinawards.com/personal/index_personal1998.html submitted by Joseph Astier

Ask H - Issue 1 (A Sampler)

2005-08-06T09:11:00.000-05:00

[Thanks to Ashanka for the following transcript. It is lifted from the conversation I had with her. This is meant to be a sampler to explain the format of the 'Ask H' section I intend to write. Not as comprehensive as (hopefully) I can be. FYI]

Q: I need someone to explain tour de france to me, how come Lance Armstrong wins it despite winning just a stage?
A: Well because it's about time. If you were to keep coming in 10th but only 10 seconds behind the leader each time, but there's a different winner each time, overall you'd gain time. This is owing to the fact that he's strong everywhere. The other thing is - people in a bunch get the same time. So if a bunch of people finish together - first to 20th, they all get the same time. The winner gets more points though. This helps in the points classification (for which they have the green jersey)... but it's all kinda academic. The time is the real McCoy. So, the yellow jersey is for the guy with the fastest time. The green jersey is points leader, the polka dotted jersey is the climbing stages leader and the white jersey is the rookie leader.

Q: So how does a team help or what role does a team play?
A: Well, a team can do many things. One is set the pace. The other is tire out breakaways...if someone threatens to breakaway and build a big lead, they send someone from the team to chase him down and keep the points away from that guy....but mostly to tire him out (in the battle) so they can reel him in collectively. All the while, they are shielding the leader (Lance Armstrong for Postal and then Discovery) from crashes... so nobody deliberately or otherwise, crashes into him and takes him out. They also keep him from the vagaries of nature, so if there's strong headwind, he'll draft behind a teammate who will take all that wind head on.

Change!

2005-08-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

I constantly crave change! I am always discontent with status quo. Hence, a change in format of my blog is necessary. In reality, an addition. I may continue to do it the current way - but in addition, I now solicit questions, issues or discussion points from people out there.

ASK H !

In keeping with the "agony aunt" model... I will gladly (in keeping with time and schedule constraints of course), answer, clarify, dig up or present findings of research in response to any qustions you may have regarding sports, a country's sporting habits, the sociology or economics of sports or simply a clarification of the rules.

I intend for this to be a good breeding ground for discussion. I also intend for this to be some way to clarify some of the doubts you may have about a certain sport, or sport in general. And if this facilitates a kindling of passion for sports among you, all the better.

In short... ask and you shall (in all likelihood) recieve.

Comments following a post will enable you to query further. So, the comments section will act as a discussion boards as well as a question submission forum for now - until I come up with a better model.

Comments on this format, its feasibility and your thoughts on it - are all welcome.

Cheers.

offline!

2005-08-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

Saturday morning - 9am EST. The first time in months I've seen my ENTIRE Yahoo messenger list offline!!

Argentina

2005-08-05T11:08:00.000-05:00

Lionel Messi, after his impressive performance in winning the junior world cup, is going to be capped for Argentina - his first one. It's a pity he had to sit it out all the time in Barcelona so far.

Zabaleta, the 20-year old, is also in the squad for Argentina.

Reason to smile. :-)

inter and international...

2005-08-04T10:45:00.000-05:00

Zidane is coming out of international retirement. So is Makelele. Hey.. .who knows? Thuram might do it too. While I am glad to see Makelele and Zidane back for the french, it will be an OLD team!

Figo leaves for Inter... following Solari and Walter Samuel ! Hey, we might just have a "Real of old" reunion at Inter! Maybe I will start rooting for Inter this year!

Owen's probably next on the exit list from Real. The good news? The players I like are leaving the company of the jackass Beckham. The bad news? He might leave too, and desecrate another club. The good news? He might go back to ManU. The really bad news: Owen might go to ManU!!!

Oh well... let's see what this shake-up brings. As of now, it's still Barcelona for me.

Office Space

2005-08-01T13:53:00.000-05:00

If I were to briefly describe what I feel like in terms of my professional life, I'd say I feel like the character Peter Gibbons in Office Space.
If you've watched it, you probably know exactly what I mean!

Lost and Found

2005-07-29T09:22:00.000-05:00

Why do people say, "I found it in the last place I looked for it"?
I sure would hope they'd stop looking after they found it!!

And when you tell someone you lost something, why do they ask you "where"?

Kickers

2005-07-24T17:11:00.000-05:00

I always wondered why the great kickers in Aussie Rules Football and Rugby didn't try and find a job in the more lucrative NFL, given how transferrable their skills are to punting and place kicking. Well, apparently they do now.

Dad

2005-07-23T22:28:00.000-05:00

It's hard to say when you stop blindly loving someone and questioning them, their ideals and their choices. It's harder still, when all this questioning leads you to respect them not necessarily for their choices, but because they are cognizant of their shortcomings, and those of their ideaologies; and work despite them.
I don't know when exactly I made these transitions, but make them I did - at some point in my adoloscent life. I was always somewhat close to my dad. In my house, relationships with parents were decidedly old-school. We were always at home, and a very tightknit family. Yet, my dad couldn't have told you a single thing about me that was particularly accurate in detail. He'd forget what class I was in, he never did know who my friends were, and by no means would he even dream of escorting me or watching over me when I hung out with friends. Hands-off was more like it. A good provider, quite interested in my education and as for the rest - as long as I wasn't getting into trouble, I was on my own.
I quite liked that, to be honest. My vacations and weekends weren't spent in organized "play dates". They usually culminated in threats of "If you don't come home this very instant..." at the end of a complete day when my parents had no clue where I was.

In choices of religion, philosophy and (as I dicovered later) even politics, we thought differently. Most of it was his own doing... all my days as a kid - I was encouraged to question *everything* (something I still do). And this led me to my rather strong convictions in these areas. Not always right, but always open to debate.

It's a grat pity he didn't live to see most of my (rather minor) successes and accomplishments. In all the days that he walked this earth, I was a run-of-the-mill runt who didn't do much of note. I like to believe that this was the preparation for the rest of my life... sports, academics, career, personal choices... all alike.

Since he passed on, I went on to college, graduate school, played for numerous teams with varying levels of distinction, recently began work at a new job, and most recently got married. It's a pity he sowed the seeds and didn't get the satisfaction of watching the tree grow.

THE secret...

2005-07-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

... is in feeling just as capable as the next person. Not less, and certainly not more.

At Last...

2005-06-14T06:22:00.000-05:00

married!
Originally uploaded by misstekz.

...we will be together.

I am now married. More on this later.

Hiatus

2005-05-16T18:03:00.000-05:00

Big things are afoot... and so I may not have the time or the accesibility to update the blog. I will see you in the not too distant future. I do keep reading your blogs though.
Cheers!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

2005-05-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

Hilarious!
I loved this movie. I've heard/read the argument that it's not as good as the book... but I find it very unfair and pointless to compare such vastly different media. The movie itself, IMO, is very funny, especially if you've read the book. I thought that Zaphod took the cake!
Thoroughly enjoyable.

Rating: 42

A note about me

2005-04-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

People I have low respect/tolerance for:
- religious heads
- vestigial monarchy
- pretentious first ladies
- self-absorbed celebrity couples (pardon the redundancy)

Good Stuff

2005-04-07T23:07:00.000-05:00

- AC Milan beat Inter pretty comprehensively in the first leg.
- Chelsea bt Bayern big time too.
- Sania Mirza is ranked 75 in the WTA rankings.
- From Dust to Glory, a docu-movie about the Baja 1000 offroad race... is out in selected theaters. Can't wait to watch it!

Sin City

2005-04-04T12:32:00.000-05:00

Based on Frank Miler's graphic novels - and shot in the style of the Marvel action comics that I love so much (think Batman black and white - gloomy futuristic sleazy cities - with shots of bright color introduced to draw one's eyes there). Specatcular. I loved the movie. Large, famous cast. Very innovative filmmaking. Lots of gore and some super slick wit. Certainly not for the squeamish. Must watch.
Totally Kickass.

A limerick - for them monday morning blues...

2005-04-04T10:36:00.000-05:00

There was a man part-Tam
Who could not help but cram
Couldn't do what he aimed
And so he proclaimed
"I drink therefore I am!"

Copyright HeShootsAndScores 2005

Land of the free...

2005-03-30T17:12:00.000-05:00

Hmm... the 'Indian states visited' site seems to have a problem - right after I was reflecting on the fact that I had actually visited quite a big chunk of India! Oh well...
What it did get me to doing was to see how much of the US I had visited. Here it is:
(One major observation is that by visiting, say CHicago for a day, you cover Illinois as a state!! Seems like a highly inaccurate metric for evaluating how much of the country one's been to. Oh well...)

create your own personalized map of the USA
or check out ourFlorida travel guide

Milan Derby

2005-03-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

AC Milan v Inter Milan
Champions' League Quarter Finals. Should be a cracker!

Visit India!

2005-03-29T08:54:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Anita, I got to this site which maps all the states in India one's visited. Mine looks something like this:
(Prominent targets that remain: Khardungla pass on a Bullet, Goa and the entire Northeast!!)

Brought to you by pratibha75, quizling and teemus.

Which states in India have you been to?

... and all that.

2005-03-25T19:26:00.000-05:00

" ... good luck and all that jazz."
" ... Happy New Year and all that."

This bugs me. Is it some sort of weird bug that's flying around the metros in India (esp Bangalore!). What is that? An expression of aloofness? A new kind of cool? I think not.

Nobody wants an insincere wish/greeting. If you really mean it - say it. "Good luck. I hope you do well in your exams" or "Happy New Year. I hope you have a great year" or "Get Well Soon" or "I miss you". If you don't... then shut up!

Statistics and Damned Useless Information

2005-03-25T19:10:00.000-05:00

Some of the "key" statistics that I noticed in some very reputed cricket coverage (even Sportstar is guilty of this. And to think I would wait for these tidbits with bated breath when I was much younger... What was I thinking?!!):

On Inzamam reaching his 21st Test century.
" The 35-year-old became only the fifth player in history to score a century in his 100th Test. He joined an elite club comprising England's Colin Cowdrey, Gordon Greenidge of West Indies, Pakistan's Javed Miandad and England's Alec Stewart."

"...was the highest score by a batsman in his centennial Test, surpassing Greenidge's 149."

"... the highest Test score ever in Bangalore, ahead of Tendulkar's 177 against Australia in 1998."

There are some sporting statistics that are useful metrics of judging performance. And some very unique ones that are not so useful but are amusing. But give me a break... how is a century *on* the 100th test of any distinction? Or scoring the highest in a centennial test?!!

Overdosing on statistics is just pathetic, IMHO.

Go for it

2005-03-14T09:45:00.000-05:00

I regret not doing something a lot more than doing it and failing.
At least there is no "What if?"

Tremors, tsunamis, hurricanes, fires, building collapses, plane crashes... everyday we see people dying, suffering - after carefully constructing their lives. I can bet the one regret they have is not doing/saying/trying something.

I think we put our lives on hold too much. True, moderation is called for. But there is great merit in "going for it". And the downside risk is highly overestimated in most cases. There is usually (for most of us) quite a strong safety net.

Be Cool

2005-03-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

The sequel to Get Shorty.
Funny, quite slick, Travolta is smooth, the Rock is funny, Uma Thurman is hot, Aerosmith are live, Cedric the Entertainer, Harvey Keitel and Vince Vaughn (especially) round it off. Good music. Well shot. Good fun.
Critics didn't like it. Don't care. I loved it!

Rating: 4/5

Interesting

2005-03-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?
I don't know and I don't care.

Ljubicic and Davis Cup

2005-03-07T08:49:00.000-05:00

Ivan Ljubicic had a spectacular weekend - dispatched Agassi in straight sets, teamed with Mario Ancic in the doubles to beat the American top-duo (the Bryan twins), and after 12 long sets and 3 matches in as many days, he still found enough to slam an ace - to dump the US out of this year's Davis cup. It was a truly inspirational performance... and a coming of age.

Having said that, it makes me question the commitment of the top players to Davis cup. I agree that Agassi and Roddick have always been available and ready to play - but do they really give it their all? If Ljubici were to face Agassi and then Roddick ina grand slam (even without the doubles), would he be able to replicate this performance? Or do we see such performances (remember Leander Paes' heroics?) only in the Davis cup - because it means SO much more to the lower ranked players and those fighting for their country's eminence in the sport? Roddick hardly needs to win a davis cup match to prove America's prowess in tennis! In fact, the cup barely earns a scrolling ticker mention in the media here. So, it's only natural to expect the prominence of this event to slip in the minds of the top players - who, after going through the tightening of their guts and the tingling of their spines while stepping onto the Wimbledon center court, can hardly expect to get the same response in front of 5000 lazy fans in a languid Florida keys setting. Who's to blame? Nobody. Everybody. The media, the tennis body, the players, the coaches and the parents. OR maybe it's just the way things are - and somehting we must all accept.

Stand By Me

2005-02-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

I’ve always loved this movie. It’s definitely one of my favorites all time. It’s not a stunning movie – just something that appeals to me a lot. A simple story of four boys – when they’re twelve – in small town America – who go out to look for a dead kid’s body and get in the papers. Actually, it’s more about their adventures on the way – and how they bonded... as they grew up over those two days.

“We had been gone only two days. But somehow the town seemed different. Smaller.”

“Friends seem to come in and out of our lives like busboys in a hotel. But they all leave an impression.”

“Although I hadn’t seen him in ten years, I knew I’d miss him forever. I’ve never had friends later like the ones I had when I was twelve. Does anyone?”

Here’s to all the friends who’ve helped define me and my life. Here’s to not ever growing up.

An Ode to the Toe Poke

2005-02-23T16:56:00.000-05:00

Barcelona came back to beat Chelsea and Milan was thoroughly professional in getting an away goal and keeping ManU at bay. A good day.

While sitting and watching the Milan game at Jack Demsey's, an innocuous little play in the 68th minute set me thinking. Wayne Rooney had the ball. He was charging down the touchline on the left. He got past Kaladze. Threatened to cross it into the box, and was all set to let it rip - no one in the frame on the TV set. What followed is: A flash of white appeared on the bottom right of the screen. An AC Milan sock and boot - that effortlessly (or so it seemed) poked the ball away from 'the Wayne'.... away from danger... crisis thwarted - even before it germinated.

How many times have we been told and taught and shown that we kick, pass and shoot from the side of the foot, or the ball of the foot for power?! The exception is the toe poke. A potentially disastrous move to your foot if done in any situation other than that which warrants it. There are many toe pokes (or shots from the front of the foot - but the toe poke with no real power in it - that's a thing of beauty!).

The defenders' lunge: This outstretched piece of poetry - best displayed by Maldini and Nesta... is a result of sheer timing. A fraction early, and the ball is dragged away. A fraction late, and the ball has left. It is the one play that could make the difference between 0-0 and 4-0. It is performed about 5-10 times a game... depending on how often the ball is brought to a stop in the "danger zone". No one has mastered it quite like the Italians. A thing of beauty - especially for the defenders. If there's one reason I've listed it first... it's because defenders always get the short stick - and I figured I (being primarily a defender myself) should pay homage to the oft-overlooked move.

The scorer's poke: Also called the Kluivert poke.... no one does it better or more often. This is opportunism at its best. It is done as effectively the minute you come on as following 89 mins of play. Probably why it's the most common method of scoring - by the super-substitutes. It could be the result of a great cross, a spill by the keeper and/or a run across the face of the goalmouth. Almost always a goal - almost always credited to the one person who barely got his foot to the ball.

The Nip-in-the-Bud: This is usually the most effective play by a defender or defensive midfielder. The attacking playmaker is looking to let the ball fly - presumably to a waiting striker. The defender (or midfielder) ignores the many shimmies and focusses steadfastly on the ball. At the point of the ball's ascent, a well judged poke causes the ball to fly harmlessly away - into touch or into open play. Another one of those plays that rarely makes the highlight reels... but a technique few have mastered.

The sliding boomerang: Boomerang for two reasons - it is usually followed by a surge from defending side...a swift counterattack.... and because the slider's foot has to be retracted just as quickly as it is put forward. In the modern game, the ball-handler is only too happy to take a dive at the slightest of touches. A steady, dependable sliding toe poke can cause a dramatic shift in momentum.

The Goalkeeper's save: Usually outside the box or at the edge of it - where the use of hands may be dubious or off-limits. Needless to say, this can often save games!!

There are numerous other instances where it may be employed... and it is always a thing to watch. I really do think it should be taught a lot more at the grassroots level.

stand-up for fun

2005-02-21T21:47:00.000-05:00

Having previously talked about my favorite comedians, the natural progression seems to be to list some of the better haunts (among the ones I've been to) for stand-up. I rate them on line-up, atmosphere, cost, drink and food quality (in that order).

New York City:
- Gotham Comedy Club: Very good. Waning: Very chic and very expensive. 4/5
- Comedy Cellar: Most intimate experience. Very good. 5/5
- Caroline's on Broadway: Good, but a tad expensive. 4/5
- New York Comedy Club: Diverse. Very good amateur nights. 3.5/5
- Laugh factory: Had some ho-hum nights here. Lacks energy. 3/5

Austin, TX:
- Capital City Comedy Club: My very first haunt. Plenty good. Some great attractions. 4/5
- Velveeta Room: On sixth street. More of a sandbox for amateurs and regulars alike. Very collegial atmosphere. Like a jam session. Very cheap though... so that's good. 2.5/5

New Orleans:
- Belli Baci: A little upscale. Good. 3/5

San Francisco:
- San Francisco Comedy College Improv nights: Very funny in patches. Easily the best improv I've seen. 3.5/5

That's funny

2005-02-21T21:34:00.000-05:00

I really like stand up comedy. It's a guaranteed mood-improvement technique for me. I absolutely love and admire these people who can just walk up (with or without preparation) and have you cracking up. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest skills one can have!!
So, I decided I'd make a list of my favorite comedians (Well, the famous ones anyway. There are tons of people I see on shows whose name I never catch or forget... but who keep it funny - and make it all worthwhile.).. and for the sake of brevity - I forced myself to keep the list down to ten. One thing you will notice is that the list is mostly comedians who are relatively new. I just haven't heard too many of the really old guys.

1. Robin Williams: Probably the best improvizer. Period.
2. Billy Crystal: Classic whiny New Yorker. Did it much better than Woody Allen in my opinion.
3. Jerry Seinfeld: The show did it for me. A show about nothing. A routine about nothing. Yet, very funny.
4. Richard Pryor: The original funny brotha.
5. George Carlin: Funniest while observing things about everyday life.
6. Jay Leno: Hardworking funny.
7. Rodney Dangerfield: All I can say is "I get no respect.."
8. Dave Attell: The insomniac has some crazy stuff up his sleeve.
9. Woody Allen: I appreciate his humor SO much more since I have been in NY.
10. Chris Rock: His high pitched "big ass..." jokes.

Honorable mentions: Denis Leary, Janine Garofalo, Tina Fey, Drew Carey

The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan

2005-02-19T08:09:00.000-05:00

In Afghanistan in March 2001, the Taliban destroyed 1600 years of history and caused international outrage when they dynamited the Buddhas of Bamiyan. Even more tragic has been the human cost of 20 years of war "in which two million have been killed and millions more turned into refugees".

This film is an account of a year in the life of one of them, an eight-year-old boy named Mir who lives with his family in the caves alongside the rubble of the Buddhas. A documentart where everybody speaks for themselves (although I suspect with much pro-west filtering and prodding). The landscape is beautiful and the camerawork serene and nice. The movie captures the poverty and the conditions quite well. Not quite matter-of-fact but not overly pathetic. The poverty, the Russians, the wreckage, the Taliban - Mir and the people there have seen it all. Yet, Mir maintains his cheery disposition. Although one can clearly see moments of angst, confusion and desperation in him. The human element was very well shot.

It did however, have a strong sense of propaganda. A "west saves the unfortunate" quality to it. What I did not like was that if it was meant to capture the plight of the folks, then the filmmakers should not have infused it with such a strong element of pro-west jingoism. 'Things get better after the allies came by!' Not a message to be mixed with 'The Taliban destroyed their poor lives.' We have the mainstream media for that.

Rating: 3.5/5

Party On!

2005-02-17T16:42:00.000-05:00

Staying the course, originally uploaded by heshoots_andscores.

In a previous post, I had mentioned that I had snowskated my way through the 'blizzard weekend' in January. Jonathan took this nice pic of me - on the second day! On the first day, we went out boarding in the night (11pm!) and it was awesome - we had the roads all to ourselves! This picture was at a hill near Kew Gardens in Queens.

The Gates

2005-02-16T21:06:00.000-05:00

I hated it. Art or not... it's really an eyesore - at Central Park too! What is otherwise a beautiful sanctuary from the hustle of the city. For me, nature is plenty beautiful - and I don't need a sea of orange drapes spectacularly destroying what little of nature is preserved in the city.
I found it positively hideous!

Failure

2005-02-16T12:08:00.000-05:00

How important is it to fail?
A friend was pointing out this phrase "fail to succeed". Does it mean failure in succeeding or failing now to succeed later. I thought it was an interesting interpretation... corny - but interesting.

That brings me to the importance of failing itself. Is it possible to succeed and sustain it without having faced failure, frustration and disappointment? Let's leave the philosophical discussion about character-building and stepping stones aside. That can be a different discussion in itself.

What I am pondering is the utility of failure as a training method - a training sample for the pattern classifier that allows us to identify the right choice to be made each step of the way. We don't know pain unless we feel it first. And then it serves as a benchmark for all subsequent pain. In a similar fashion, how are we to know what failure is and what leads to failure - without ever failing? Consequently, how are we to know what the right choices are - the ones that lead to success; without failing? Are vicarious learning methods enough? We can learn from others, but is it enough? Considering personal preferences and aptitude vary, and there is a large uncertainty factor in that we don't know the other person's background and history (we are only looking at a snapshot of his/her current status and their discernible, distinct steps).

From more personal experience, as long as things seemed to come easy (relatively at least), I took the first option that seemed appealing - and sometimes (quite often) it led me to dead ends and destinations I didn't want to go to. On the other hand, the more failure and frustration I face, the more clear my preferences for the various options seem to be.

Is failure clarifying? And therefore essential? Were the marines right? Will all that won't kill you make you stronger? Hmm...

the point

2005-02-13T23:46:00.000-05:00

What you read below is adapted directly froma conversation i was having on messenger with a friend...

You know what I think? things like sports blogs have a really small and niche reader base as opposed to more personal "reflection" or "things from my life" type blogs. when i write abt sports, only a select few of my sports crazy friends read it or comment on it, but blogs where i write abt random stuff... or reflective things... people respond. and also.. blogs like [a friend's]... which are more general - and "my life" based.... gets much more interest. so there are more ppl who want to find out personal things abt others than those who want to read your opinion on somthing? hmm...

So in a way.. i think the "self-supporting" blog community... will, like the old "chat" community, seperate into personal based blogs and professional, topical or 'article' type blogs. Personally, to write though... it's infinitely more challenging to try to write a topical blog coz u have to write a coherent opinion abt something specific regularly. Not only that... it has to be 'article' like too....

Actually just this monolog of mine can be a blog entry in itself :-)

So how much are my blogs really woth? Is it worth writing every single thing i feel down.... into a blog? It will certainly have a wider reader base. Then again...

Indian Sport... Picking it up.

2005-02-12T20:41:00.000-05:00

- Sania is first Indian woman to win a WTA event... a few weeks after a promising showing at the Aussie open.
- Karthikeyan is the first Indian in F-1.
- India is developing a full fledged hockey league... and many international players are playing - including the likes of Sohail Abbas.
Indian sport is looking ahead... and for a change - It's not cricket!

Doctor's Orders

2005-02-11T21:59:00.000-05:00

From Time magazine:

" It has been long established by studies that feeling loved and having a warm, cuddly support group helps women ward off depression but doesn't do much for men. Paradoxically, men may suffer more than women do from the adverse effects of isolation - such as a weakened immune system."

The Merchant of Venice

2005-02-05T21:59:00.000-05:00

Great movie. Michael Radford has created an impressive narrative - a seemingly seamless integration of painting-like portrayals of old Venice; and transports the viewer to the period. He does a good job of not hiding the anti-semitism inherent to the play and the sensibility of the time, and at the same time, hiding that behind the portrayal of characters - the core of any of Shakepere's plays.

Al Pacino gives a remarkable restrained performance - displaying the vulnerability and hatred that characterize Shylock. Portia and Antonio's performances could have been stronger.

All in all, a great movie. I loved it.

Rating: 4.5/5