Mee Ashutosh Boltoy

The shocking facts - Mumbai Terrorist attacks July 2011

2011-07-20T01:58:00.005+05:30

Its been a while since I read/watched any Indian news. But I watched this talk show today - India Today by Karan Thapar in "Mumbai Blasts, experts discuss terror tackling strategies". Then as a follow up, tried to read in as much about the attacks on the internet as possible. While doing that, I came across a number of shocking incidents that I feel the need to protest against. And hence this blog

Lack of leadership and intent from the government. No angry speech by the ministers, Just a lame duck release by the man in charge.
And a stupid comment from the home minister saying "After 31 months, Mumbai was attacked" What? Excuse me Sir - What then do you expect - one per quarter? Please...
From the Home Minister: "The blasts is not a failure of intelligence agencies". Oh really, this is not a time to make false baseless boasting claims, it was time to nip it in the bud and say Yes we failed.
Despite places like the Zaveri Bazaar being on the radar repeatedly, the CCTV cameras did not function and stopped working!
There were hardy any ambulances to take the injured and they were carried in trucks! Where is the preparedness to respond to situations?
A big leader of the ruling party accusing the opposition party's partner organization to be probably behind making the bombs. How long can he be allowed to continue with this nonsense?
So many months after 26/11 the ATS is only half of its approved size! Why are enough security guards not recruited?
The police reforms that were so much talked about after 26/11 have still not been implemented!
The Community police partnership of the Mumbai police has been abandoned
I was in airport at Mumbai 48 hours after the blasts and NOBODY yes nobody checked my bag at least till it went over the belt after check in! Don't know why they have removed the mandatory X-Ray scan which used to be there around 5 years ago!
Death in custody of a man detained for questioning.
No police cordoning off the areas and constant TV/media coverage of the fires, the bodies and the cries!

Going by the over exuberance of the Maharashtra police in cases like the Pune Bakery Blast, they might soon announce this case as Solved. But it won't be possible for them to prove it in courts. I am completely astonished and outraged at the issues mentioned above - on top of feeling for those who have lost their dear ones.

French Open Semi Final review Federer Vs. Djokovic

2011-06-05T16:28:00.005+05:30

This one was not for the light hearted. Those who thought that the best tennis games of our times can only be played between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were proved wrong. It was a tense game of high class tennis, rich with creative strategies and shot making. The Swiss champion remained calm throughout the game but it was the Serbian who lost his temper frequently. As it happens so often, that reflected in the score line.

For me there were many interesting little plays in the four setter. The first was when the duo broke each other at the start of the match, thereby giving a good indication of how closely they would match each other in this semi final. They both came out of this even. Then came the tie breaker where the experienced Roger sneaked ahead by a thin margin and looked like the better player to win it and so he did. Afterwards came the shocker of a set when Novak lost his cool, his father from the support team and his complete rhythm. It looked like this is one more of those straight sets-walk in the park games for the Swiss maestro. But the match started taking another turn for the better at the end of that second set, when Djoko fought back valiantly and Roger almost gave away the advantage.

The Nole onslaught then continued through the 3rd set and brought him right back into this match. Fed-ex started tiring a bit as expected. It became evident that a fifth set would no doubt favor the younger legs of Novak. And thus began the best set of the match. Both players brought out every trick in the bag including the drop shots. Novak made Roger run hard to fetch his powerful forehands and Roger in turn trying to slow the pace down. In the end, a player with better nerves prevailed but it was a very closely contested game.

Of special interest was Federer's improved service - a weapon that would come so handy against the mighty Rafael Nadal come the finals. The dream run of Novak had to come to an end some day and though the end was disappointing, he can be proud in his achievements on the tour this year. For Roger, it was a very important match, since a loss would have meant that the talks of him aging would have gained more weight.

Fast forward to Sunday to the final of Roland Garros 2011 and the mouth watering contest of another grand slam final between the best players of this decade awaits us. Given that it is on clay and looking at Roger in that 4th set in the semis, my money would be on Rafael. But Roger Federer continues to be my all time favorite player and I will continue to cheer for him :-)

Selection of Indian Cricket Team for West Indies Tour - ODIs

2011-05-12T23:45:00.000+05:30

Its been more than a month since the Day Of Joy. When the Indians held their nerves just a bit more than the Lankans and lifted the World Cup trophy for the second time. It was an unforgettable match and tournament for all of us alive in India. To me it was an experience of the purest forms of joy.

With that victory in mind, it will be very interesting to see what comes out of tomorrow's selection committee meeting. The Indian team will travel to the West Indies later this month to play an ODI series and then a Test Series. I think the following two factors should be most important when considering the team

Rest to Key players. Dhoni, Zaheer, Sachin have been playing without rest for months together now. They definitely deserve rest. Almost everyone deserves rest. But the best ones will get it. Seniors will definitely get it and the juniors will have to take up their tasks. E.g. Gautam Gabhir might replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a captain. I think it will be a very good move to do something like that.

Phase out the seniors and bring in more youth. I think this is the key if India is to keep up the good form of the last decade into the next one or two. E.g. Harbhajan Singh should slowly be phased out and a new spinner or two should be groomed. Pacers who were tried and tested should be asked to work hard. And new ones should be given a longer run in the national team. E.g. the Sresssanths, Nehras, Irfans & Ishants should be phased out with young talent, who need exposure E.g. Vinay Kumar & S. Aravind. This is a perfect opportunity to groom the next pool of cricketers since India has won a big series and is going on for a relatively easy assignment.

And hence it will be interesting to see if the selectors take these risks for long term rewards. Hope that the new coach Duncan Fletcher also gets a say.

3 Cheers to the World Champs and Bring it On in the Caribbeans

SpotOn Software Pvt. Ltd. Brochure / Flier / Data Sheet

2010-06-08T19:41:00.001+05:30

SpotOn Software Pvt. Ltd. Brochure / Flier / Data Sheet

Indian Premier League Year 3 - My wish-list

2010-03-09T22:25:00.005+05:30

It is that time of the year you know :-D The brainchild of Subhash Chandra of Essel Group / Zee, the 20-20 cricket in India has sky-rocketed in the last 5 years. It all started when he launched the India Cricket League (ICL) - challenging the BCCI. That he forced BCCI to think differently - was in itself a victory according to me. Hats off to those who have taken the initiative to change the market scenario. Welcome to the new millennium!

Here's what - as a die-hard cricket lover, I would like to see from this year's IPL

A few medium pace bowlers. Who can vary the pace. Bowl the yorkers. The slower ones. The leg cutters. The length balls. And the bouncers. Like Chris Harris and Gavin Larsen.

Some spinners succeeding - like Pragya Ojha did in the last version of the IPL. Bowling early on in the field restrictions. Stopping the runs and then picking up wickets. Choking the big hitters in the slog overs - the way Harbhajan Singh did in the Version 1.

Some fast bowlers consistently blocking the flow of runs in the last few overs. Like Umar Gul did in 2009 in South Africa.

Batsmen getting more innovative - like the Tilakaratne Dilshan scoop. Or the Kevin Pieterson switch hit.

A Jonty Rhodes - like live wire, picking up an extra wicket or two every game by virtue of brilliant anticipation, reflexes, movements, pick-ups and throw-downs.

A lot of new stars born - like Yousuf Pathan, Shuan Marsh, Dirk Nannes, Shane Watson, Manish Pandey

Bring it on folks, let the fun begin...

Cheers!

Cricket: South Africa India One Day Series

2010-03-03T23:40:00.003+05:30

What a stunning fight back by the lower order SA batsmen in the 1st game! Truly remarkable... Never stop believing till the end. Always playing for a win. Never give up...

Double century for Sachin Tendulkar. Over hyped? I am not a fan of centuries and doubles. Buts hats off to the old man's fitness. 3 cheers!

Dhoni's batting in the 2nd ODI was really deadly. Hit flat sixes off the bottom hand. What strength, what eyes, what hands, WHAT A PLAYER!

It was nice to see Yousuf Pathan back in the thick of things. I really look forward to see him perform well. After all, he is Shane Warne's find!

In the 3rd match, nobody was interested. Even more proof of the fact that none of these 2 teams belong to the champions league like the Australians do. All were wanting to relax before the IPL

Why do all ODIs end up in more than 600 runs per day nowadays? Or more than 300 in an innings? I hate to say this.. But if this continues, I will loose interest in watching cricket. This is Bowlers' Mass Murder. Pull back the short boundaries. Resolve the due. Bring the back foot no ball rule back. ICC - are you listening?

Why is S. Sreesanth given an extended stay in the India Team? Does he have a god-father in the selection committee? Is Dhoni over-doing the risk? For the last so many matches, he has turned out to be the most expensive bowler in the team! Just sack him.

Why was a potential all-rounder like Abhishek Nayar dropped from the squad without giving him any chance to perform? Is that fair? Something evil cooking up in the selection process?

India South Africa 2010 Test Series: Match 2 Day 3

2010-02-19T22:52:00.002+05:30

What a day for India!

Once again, a marriage across generations. On one side, you had the fluent Laxman and on the other side, a brutal Dhoni. Let's compare their style a bit

VVS Laxman is for a purist. Elegant, beauty to watch him bat, correct technique, minimum efforts for the maximum results, superb timing, accurate placement. Great efficiency while batting. Very patient. E.g. he played 6-7 overs without a run on this day. Hardly ever plays a shot in anger.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Backhand specialist. Hits every shot - even a single with a lot of power. Belongs to the Symonds, KP, Polard, Gilchrist generation. Great personality and charm. Outgoing, outspoken and successful

South African agony was increased after they put down the catches. Catches Win Matches. & Drops Loose Matches. What a good prrof of that in the whole series.

India South Africa Test series Match 2 Day 2

2010-02-15T23:05:00.003+05:30

Why on the earth did Mahendra Singh Dhoni - the India captain, send a night watchman? I am never a fan of those. Its a sign of fear and flawed logic. If Dhoni can't stay for long at the crease, how can some worse batter do it?

The South African bowling attack was really shattered today. Sehwag toyed with them. And Sachin dismantled them slowly. What a pair!

Wayne Parnell does not deserve a place in this team. Maybe the old war-horse Mkhaya Ntini will replace him in future series

What a waste of opportunity by M. Vijay and Subramaniam Badrinath! Suddenly, the future Indian batting generation looks weak again

Should India not win this match from this point, they would deserve a fast dropdown from rankings. The match is now perfectly setup for a clinical finish for them. Will they have the killer punch? The knock-out strength?

Or will the coming-back-from-behind champion attitude be demonstrated by the champion Test cricket team - The Proteas?

Sehwag and Gambhir took some really awesome singles in the morning. That's the key to their success, I think. What an anti climax that their stand had to be broken by a run-out!

Great crowd at the Eden Gardens, Kolkatta. Way to go...

Cricket: India Vs. South Africa 2nd Test Match - Day 1 @ Eden Gardens, Kolkatta

2010-02-15T09:35:00.005+05:30

My quotes:

Why did Pieterson come in as an opener when Aswell Prince was in the line up? It proves that Prince is the non-preferred opener. Not good for the team balance.

One of the most famous turnarounds. 8 wickets in 50 runs! No wonder that they call this team Chockers :-)

Talking about Bunnies of opener captains, Graeme Smith is the biggest bunny that I can remember. More than Darryl Cullinan of Shane Warne. Hats of to ZAKS.

Zaheer Khan, match after match, looks like a better and better bowler. OLD WINE :-) Much like Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, Javagal Srinath. Very un-like Anil Kumble :-)

Harbhajan Singh also keeps making comebacks. Another great bowler in the team

India still miss an all-rounder. Even he is a national level and not international class, he must be given a chance in Tests. Candidates? Ravindra Jadeja, Irfan Pathan, Yousuf Pathan, Abhishek Nayar. Anyone else? I always believe in Long Term Vs. Short and Higher Risks for Higher Returns. Got to make the difficult choice sometimes. I am hugely disappointed that Dhoni has not tried it yet.

Hats off to Ishant Sharma for being the rawdy fast bowler that every good team so desperately needs

Is Amit Mishra good enough to deserve so many chances in Tests? Or are there no other good enough spinners in India anymore? Why not Ramesh Powar?

India South Africa Test 1 Day 4

2010-02-11T15:18:00.002+05:30

Comments:
- Only one team played like Champions and deserved to be one.
- The all rounder question has come back to haunt India again.
- Dhoni has lost a game. And has fortunately not given any excuses.
- Selectors have admitted a mistake and have now moved on.
- If Dinesh Karthick has been selected now, in the 2nd Test, then why was he not selected in the First?
- Sreesanth is back in the Indian cricket team - despite doing nothing of note in the last 2 months! Inexplicable!
- Why is Yousuf Pathan not in the team?
- Only two players from India had the fire in the belly to reach 3 figures. Sehwag & Sachin. But they both got out after reaching 100. Whereas the 2 centurions from South Africa made it big - and that was the difference in the two teams.
- What type of pitch will it be? Minefield? Dead rubber? Even? Or a fast one!
- If this does not motivate the India Cricket Test team, then nothing else can. 0-1 down. Test championship up for grabs. Home record on the brink of collapsing. It is NOW or NEVER.

Cheers!

India Vs. South Africa 1st Test Day 3

2010-02-08T22:47:00.005+05:30

Interesting bullets:

Sehwag deserves to be a strong contender for the player of the last decade. More on that later, in some other blog post.

Dale Steyn is the best bowler in the world at the moment. Hands Down.

Golden Words: Getting out caught behind the stumps is always less embarrassing than getting bowled - leaving the ball.

The worst way to end the day for the ever so successful Sehwag is to send him to the face the press when all others in the team are too ashamed to face them.

What is the worst quote of the year (already!)? "I was trying to smell the ball - that's why I bit it". Second worst: "The new ball was very helpful. It started to suddenly move around. The seam came off and then it swung like hell" from Dayle Steyn. Why on the earth would you say such thing when you have taken 8 wickets in a day? Can someone coach them Media Management? Not to reveal all the secrets?

Not that the NEW-BALL episode is a controversy yet, but where are all the rules? And the rule makers? And the Ball Makers? Why do you need to change the ball every so often? Why is a replacement ball so different than the routine ball, that it can change the course of the match/series?

Can India save this yet? Yes they can. Will they save this one? They might.

Can India win this yet? They have, in the past. They still can. But they may not... Based on first 3 days, they don't deserve to!

What do champion teams do when they are down and out? They gather all their reserve energies, dig deep and bounce back. Is India a Champion team? Will their 9 batsmen play out then (minimum) 9 to 10 hours? . . .

India South Africa 1st Test @ Nagpur Day 2

2010-02-08T10:15:00.004+05:30

My comments:

Who selects the playing 11 for India? Selection panel / team management (including captain Dhoni, Coach Kirsten and Vice captain Sehwag)?

The bowlers did not bowl good enough to get 10 wickets. But did they disappoint? Were they BAD? Even on the 2nd day, at least 2 chances were dropped, one plumb LBW missed. Its all so pathetic. India's fielding has plummeted in the recent past. They deserve a kick from the board (and by they, I also mean the coaches)

Has Sachin stopped bowling? Why?

Kallis was too slow. Looks like he was shooting for a draw instead of going for the kill. 3 runs or so per over is so 1990's! I feel that it is this difference between South Africa and other good teams (sometimes India and Australia) that becomes a hurdle in their way of becoming champions. Lack of Knockout Punch

Where has the Active Sports option in DTH gone? Tata Sky, are you listening?

AB Devilliers looks like the next star for South Africa. After JP Duminy has failed after achieving the stardom. ABD showed great attitude today, I think he can become a future captain.

India South Africa 1st Test Match @ Nagpur - Day 1

2010-02-07T07:27:00.003+05:30

A few observations

Rohit Sharma likes football more than Cricket

Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra can turn the ball, but cannot get wickets even on a turning pitch @ Home

South Africa 2 down for 6 in 6 overs. And then no wicket the whole day! What a classic...

India drop 1.5 half chances. Add these 2 wickets, pressure, good fielding and count in one more. 300 for 5 would have been a 50-50% score

Don't worry about who is playing and who is not. If India are to save this match, they must score (At least) 500 in the first innings

Why don't India play/groom an All Rounder like Abhishek Nayar? Would have been so useful to have a fifth (legitimate) bowler on such a hard day in the field
Kallis is THE BEST

Hashim Amla has turned out to be an under-rated out-performer

All Indian bowlers lacked teeth except Zaks-Zaheer-Khan who was good at the start of the day.

Empty stands on a weekend in a much-anticipated Test match? Disappointing...

India - South Africa Test Series

2010-02-05T22:20:00.002+05:30

- World No 1 Vs. World No 2
- Best opening new ball pair vs. Best openers in the last few years
- Two very good, smart, successful and young captains against each other

What a mouth watering contest!

My prediction:
I think with Dravid out and with a struggling bowling unit (except Zaks) India will find it tough to beat South Africa. They will concentrate all energies against India after England, Arthur Gate and Board craziness. Their team looks fit and raring to go - with a good mix of youth and experience.

If India do manage to beat them, though, they will deserve the tag of Champions!

3 cheers to Cricket...

Cricket: What will happen to One Day Internationals

2009-09-27T22:15:00.003+05:30

ICC World 20-20
Indian Premier League
Champions League
Domestic 20-20 competitions
County 40-40 championships
The iconic Ashes Test series between England and Australia

The media has already proclaimed itself as the jury and announced its verdict. That this format has almost expired. Obituaries have been written in columns in papers and on web pages. One of the best in the game - Sachin Tendulkar - has led a group that proposes radical changes to the format. The question is very interesting:

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE ODIs?

Let's consider why this debate has come in. Here are some reasons in my opinion:

1. A completely mis-managed World Cup in 2007 in the West Indies. High ticket prices, long format, too many teams, went on for too long.
2. Players not too enthusiastic about the ODIs. They either want to milk the cash cow (T20) or take up the biggest challenge of Test cricket.
3. Long drawn bilateral one day series. e.g. Australia in England - 7 matches in September 2009. Australia in India - 7 matches in October - November 2009. Its just too much of the same thing between 2 teams.
4. Complete lack of innovation and initiatives by ICC.

Here are my comments on the issue. And a few ideas on what ICC and boards should do to take the ODIs forward:

1. ODIs will not be wiped out so easily. Reason - It gives TV advertisers 7 hours of duration during which they can catch the eyeballs during every over-break.
2. Twenty-20 cricket will actually make Fifty-over cricket more interesting. Batsmen will be more aggressive in intent. All rounders and good fielders will make hay. All these will attract more crowds and viewership.
3. At the same time, ICC and boards should take the following measures to make sure that the interest is alive and kicking in all 3 formats of the game.
4. Abandon the Future Tours Programme so that it will free up more productive time for other formats and competitions.
5. Introduce stricter rules to make captains improve the over rates.
6. Innovate a bit here, a bit there. E.g. the two 5-over power plays in the ODIs are almost fixed. Bowlers take it during 11-15 overs & batsmen after 40.
7. Use a revolving 12th person in some way.
8. Balance the BAT vs. BALL by allowing more bouncers per over. Or going back to the back foot line no-ball rule.
9. If it is required, reduce it to 40 overs a side. And experiment with it. Measure the response. Float a few new ideas. Be open to the fact that Change is the only thing Permanent.

I don't think that things have come to such a stage where something radical needs to be done. But if the ICC sits back and does nothing (which it has been doing for so many decades), then the things might come to that stage sometime soon.

Till that time, enjoy 50-50.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

India Tonight by Karan Thapar on CNBC TV-18

2009-09-25T21:27:00.003+05:30

Hi All. I am back to watching this TV show from Monday through Thursday 10.30 pm. It continues to be my favourite TV show amongst all news channels currently on air. In my opinion, most of the other programming on them, including News and other Talk shows are a waste. They are either showing only Breaking news. Or have too many people talking, which dilutes the discussion.

In this show, Karan interviews 1 to (at the most) 4 people. And hence the intensity is there throughout. Sometimes, the host tries to overpower the invitees. But not as frequently and forcefully like on the other channels/shows.

This week, the show focused on the following topics:

1. Monday - One on one with India's present National Security Adviser M K Narayanan - regarding the controversy about the results of India's Pokhran Nuclear tests in 1999.

2. Tuesday - Regarding how and why is Pakistan handling the Mumbai terror attacks case - the way it is. And is it correct as far as India and relations are concerned? The show also had a fairly strong invitee from Pakistan who was able to defend some points.

3. Wednesday - How the Wakf Boards in many states in India are deliberately misusing the land allocated for development purposes.

4. Thursday - A panel discussion on (again the same topic as #1 above) - how to handle the controversy regarding the questions being raised about the results of India's Nuclear tests, carried out the by the Atal Behari Vajpayee government at Pokhran in 1999.

It feels so good to be back watching the show daily. Kudos to the host, the prgramming team and the channel for keeping up the good work.

Cheers.

"And if you have been, then thanks for watching. Good Bye & Good Night"

India Vs. Sri Lanka Final one day international

2009-02-08T08:20:00.004+05:30

IMO, India should test all their bench strength in this match. Which means each of the following players must be given a chance:

- Laxmipathi Balaji
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Rohit Sharma
- Irfan Pathan.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

Revisiting the horror of Kosi river floods in Bihar - August 2008

2008-12-07T12:20:00.005+05:30

What happened?

- 18th August: Breach in the Kosi embarkment near India - Nepal border.
- The extent of flooding can be visualized by considering that the record 25,000 m3/sec. flow could cover 2,160 square kilometers a meter deep in 24 hours, or that it would sustain a flow of water moving one meter per second (86 km in 24 hours), one meter deep and twenty-five kilometers wide.
- The Indian army and non-government organizations operated the biggest flood rescue operation in India in more than 50 years

Who was / How may were affected?
- More than 1,000 (One Thousand) people believed to be dead. Official number is one hundred in Bihar. Many bodies seen floating in water.
- Around 3.5 million people affected (Houses were washed away)
- The floods destroy more than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of farmlands.
- People were unable to change clothes for 20-25 days.
- Many relief camps are over flooded. Children are born in camps, many women were pregnant.
- Acute shortage of food, clothing and medicines at the camps.
- Hungry me ran for kilometers together to chase the helicopters that were dropping food packets.

Administrative Lapse

SOS fax messages were sent by the engineers at Kosi dam but they were not attended to by the relevant official as he was on leave. No other officer was deputed to act on the fax messages and they had piled upon the bureaucrat's desk. Nitish Mishra, Bihar's disaster management minister acknowledged this and said action would be taken once all this is over.

A good blog on the rescue and relief operations by an NGO.

Fashion Movie review - The coming of age of Madhur Bhandarkar - Director

2008-11-09T23:46:00.004+05:30

More about my opinion on Madhur Bhandarkar's earlier films here. But in come Fashion, and all that has changed.

Fashion is a story of a few models in the tinsel town of Mumbai. It is about a young and aspiring model who becomes a super star. And while becoming so successful, allows the success to go to her head. She stops respecting others, valuing relationships and starts engaging in smoking, drugs, affairs and arrogance. Once these poisons start creeping in her head, she falls down from the riches to the rags in a matter of a few days.

Its a drug episode that makes her realize that she is blowing her life away. She goes back to her grass roots, wins back some of her old & lost relations and values. And then starts another journey to rise in the Fashion world. Here she is helped and supported by the very same friends who she had be-friended once she was on the top. But now, she regrets her acts in front of all of them, and they all accept her sincere apologies. While doing so, she helps an ex-competitor revive her own wavering life and that's how - she gains a whole lot of the forgotten confidence.

Overall, I loved the acting of Mugdha Godse, Kangana Ranaut, Samir Soni, Ashwin Mushran, Arjan Baweja, Priyanka Chopra. The characters are mapped excellently to the actors. The story is the other strength of the movie - even though, it has been stretched a bit at the end. I thought the background scores were average but could have been better. And the music is almost forgettable. The screenplay, editing and cinematography are quite amazing. The Fashion Shows - which account for almost 5-10% of the movie timing, are very well shot and a treat to watch. Kangana Ranaut is simply perfect in the supermodel role - her steps on the ramp being quite remarkable. And Mugdha Godse is the surprise package - she has acted wonderfully well on debut.

Most importantly, the movie is not an over the top like other Madhur Bhandarkar films. It has a believable story. And very important messages - that you cannot let success go to your head. And that if you have the will power, you can come back from the pits to rise to your older heights. And the values of friends and relatives.

I guess the movie will be a bigger hit than all the previous films of this director. And I hope that he makes more such movies in the future. Suddenly, there is one more director to watch out for - a welcome addition to my favourites-list :-) Way to go Madhur, your talent has acquired a newer dimension.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

My opinion of Madhur Bhandarkar's films before Fashion

2008-11-09T23:05:00.004+05:30

Chandni Bar, Page 3, Corporate and Traffic Signal. These are some of the most talked movies of the last decades. And for a reason. They are all directed by Madhur Bhandarkar. In all his films, the director has been taking up relatively new, bold and un-comfortable issues in our society. There is no doubt that this guy had creativity and talent. And the courage to speak on such rare topics. And he must be appreciated for that.

However, I (and many others) thought that there was a same-ness to all his movies so far. That some of the things that he portrayed were blown out of proportion. And sometimes, they were too sadist. Those movies somehow made an impression in my mind that this fellow is trying to project a wrong story by showing too many characters doing far too many wrongs. For example - after Page 3, one got a feeling that almost everybody involved in journalism/bollywood had some or the other dark side to him/her. And in Traffic Signal, it was portrayed as if every homeless at the signal was harrassed and every signal was manipulated by the system, At times, I would call him guilty of trying to showcase too many issues - homesexuality, polygamy, pedophiles, drugs and so on.

However the effect that this had on youth was immense. A lot of people that I used to speak to, had comments like: "Dude, you have got to see the movie Traffic Signal, he has shown the REAL story of the poor!". Somehow, this guy made almost the entire youth believe his stories although they were mostly over-exaggerated. It was almost as if he used all the odd topics only to create cheap publicity and add spice to the story. So that it could sell more. And so did he succeed in doing. This was the main reason why I did not like any of his movies so far.

But in come Fashion, and all that has changed. More in the next write-up.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

News from the India versus Australia test series 2008 - Border Gavaskar Trophey

2008-10-26T16:19:00.006+05:30

Australia are in India to play the 4 match test series. The first test match was a draw. Although, in my opinion, had there been no rain, and had the teams achieved higher over rates, then Australia could have had a chance for victory. As it happened, both the teams were defensive. Just trying to read each others' games at the start of a very high-stake series. The slow pitch at Bangalore also played its part in the tame draw.

Come the second test match. Australia were outplayed from the first to the last session. In batting, bowling, fielding, sledging, offense and captaincy. This was one of their worst defeats in the last couple of decades. All their weaknesses were exposed as they fielded one of their weakest teams to visit India. Indian spinners were good, fast bowlers were superior and their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was always one step ahead of the game. After the match, the Kangaroos mad a lot of noise about the reverse swing that the Indian duo of Zaheer Khan and Ishant Sharma were able to generate. However, I think that Australia had lost the battle in their minds. They were too defensive, both while batting and bowling. And were one bowler short.

There is now a long break before the next test match starts in Delhi on the 29th of October. I feel this break is turning out to be in India's interest. As the Australians try to over analyze the reasons of their failure. Too much focus is on Brett Lee, who has been below par. The controversy around why he didn't bowl early on 4th day of 2nd match must be distracting him. The captain Ricky Ponting and the coach Tim Neilson gave two different versions of the reason. There have been calls for Andrew Symonds' return, but they have been silenced by the coach. Their real problem has been the top order. It will be very interesting to see how they face up to this intense pressure. In my opinion, if Australia manage to win/draw this series, they will undoubtedly retain and remain the best team on the planet by and far. But if they loose the series, then their invincibility will reduce.

India need to decide on whether or not to play Anil Kumble. I think it would be a wise decision not to change the winning combination. Even if he plays, I think he should hand over the captaincy to the champion Dhoni.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

The tennis tournament - ATP Masters Series in Madrid

2008-10-16T18:23:00.004+05:30

This is about the Mutua Madrileña ATP Masters Series, currently in progress at Madrid, Spain. This is a very interesting tournament. Mainly because, all the top ranked 12 ATP players (men) play here. This is a really rare event and not like the Grand Slams, where they have their own seeding which can be different than the world rankings.

Surprisingly though, I noticed that the official website of the tournament mentioned above is not good at all. Some of the links don't work. They don't maintain good news or columns. They do not provide good player rankings and schedules. And in comparison, I observed that the official ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) tour website gives a much better analysis of the Masters Series.

I will be personally looking for the Roger Federer vs. Rafel Nadal rivalry. I just hope that they both reach the finals and produce another one of those stunning, awesome display of contrasting tennis styles, that has made them a unique pair. Throughout the last 15 years, I have not observed any rivalry in professional sport that can be compared to Federer vs. Nadal in terms of their skills, Quality of their games, Difference in style and dominance over everyone else in their sport. What do you think?

Long live the champions.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

World Chess Championship 2008 in Germany - Anand Vs. Kramnik

2008-10-15T18:56:00.004+05:30

This is an interesting event to track and watch out for. The World Chess Championship is currently in progress in Germany from October 14 to November 2, 2008. Vladimir Kramnik from Russia will take on the world champion Vishwanathan Anand from India. It is being claimed that this is the most anticipated tournament in the history of world chess.

The official website of FIDE is here. This is the official website of the championship. It shows either live or recorded version of the last game played in this 12-game championship. The chessboard shown on this website is nice, it allows us to browse through the whole game from start to finish - any number of times. Its a good learning point for chess lovers.

I am looking for a good website that analyzes these games along with the positions of the game. That will be absolutely awesome.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

Should Anil Kumble resign from the Indian Cricket Team?

2008-10-14T16:49:00.002+05:30

In the 1st test match of the India Vs. Australia Border Gavaskar series, Kumble went wicket-less. Its the first time that this has happened in India. There is a clear cut case of Anil being in the playing 11 only because he is the captain and not because he belongs to the best 11 in the country right now.

On top of that - he carried an injury in this test match. Did not bowl when he was needed the most. And when he returned back to the field, he reversed Mahendra Singh Dhoni's aggressive field placements. All and all, a poor performance form the veteran. I think Saurav Ganguly has made a right decision in calling it quits. And Anil Kumble needs to take a clue. In the last test series for India Vs. Sri Lanka, Anil Kumble took 8 wickets in 3 matches at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 100! Prior to that, in the home series against South Africa, he took 4 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 60 and a strike rate of 150!!

At the start of this series, Anil announced that this would be his last test at Bangalore. However, at the end of the match, he made a shocking statement "One bad game doesn't make you a bad player". Maybe, his manager or someone else needs to remind him of the above statistics so that he can find out how many bad games he has had in the last year or so.

I am a firm believer of performance dictating selection, and on basis of both - current form, and captaincy skills - I would choose Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the skipper and Piyush Chawla as the leg spinner to play against the Australian team in the remainder of the series. It will be interesting to see what the Indian selectors say. Incidentally, the team for the last 2 test matches against Australia should be selected soon, so we will come to know what their opinion is.

Of course it goes without saying, that Anil Kumble has been India's only match-winning bowler on all wickets for the last decade or more. However, I think the age is taking its toll and he is near the end of his career.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

Kayaking @ Panshet near Pune (continued)

2008-10-09T07:51:00.003+05:30

My first kayaking experience was more of - leaning, adventure and then enjoyment. But I was not satisfied and wanted to take one more chance at the kayak. I asked them to bring it back in water. I was trying to decide what next? Having learnt the art, how should I make the most of the next trip? I finally set a goal for myself for that 15 minute kayaking trip. We were on one side of the riverbed. I looked at the other side, spotted a tree and made it my target for the next few minutes. I decided to take a shot at the following: Drive the kayak at the best speed possible, take it to the other of the river, touch the soil on that side, and then come back on this shore. All this in 15 minutes. I had to be on my toes always in order to make sure that I kept the time.

My Timex digital watch came to the rescue. I set the timer on and started kayaking with all strength possible. I realized that it was easy to attain fairly high speeds. And now that I knew what my target was, it was much easier to maintain the direction.

But maintaining the direction was still a fairly non-trivial activity. I assumed that since I was applying equal force on the right and the left hand sides, the kayak will always go ahead in a straight line. But when I started staring at the tere, I noticed that all the time, I was either moving too much to the left or too much to the right. And then, I had to make appropriate adjustments to ensure that I was chasing the target tree. I realized at that point, how difficult it must be to paddle the kayak in the sea when there are no visible targets in any specific direction. You would require a magnetic compass and that would be your life line.

I first checked my wrist watch timer at around 2.5 minutes into the drive. I was stunned to see that I was almost half the way into the breadth of the river. I decided to keep going full steam and paddled hard for the next minute or so. Once I stopped momentarily after 3.5 minutes, and estimate that I was 2/3 of the way into the breadth. I was sure that I would be able to make it - touch the other side and come back. At this time, I just tried to soak in the moment a bit. I observed that the constant chatting of the people on the original side of the river had now stopped. I was surprised because there were many people on the shore. And so far, I could always here many of the talking simultaneously. Then I realized that I had come far enough from them to be able to hear their voices. That pleased me a bit :-) But then, I concentrated a bit and found out that I could now hear so many other natural voices. Birds were really singing wonderfully. I could hear some voices from the other side of the river bed. I was absolutely delighted.

I decided to stop at this place for the next few minutes or so. And dropped the plan of touching the other side of the river. Just wanted to relax more. I looked at the river and saw that it was really huge. I could see the river leading into the dam and its gates about 500 meters or a kilometer away from where I was. Which meant - that the only time we could go kayaking here was when the water was calm. I just though we were lucky enough that there were no rains or strong winds that day. And it also gave me an indication that I can come here in the future only when the weather is as calm as it was on today. Otherwise, kayaking would become very risky.

Most of the river had beautiful, blue water. But somehow there was a patch where the water was green, had some weeds and leaves and that looked odd. I tried to wonder about this patch. I would have understood if it was near the shore, but near the shore, the water was very clean. Once that bad patch ended, it was again clean and beautiful. I could now see some speed boats making rounds one after another at some distance from me.

Whenever a boat went from anywhere nearby, it would send a series of waves in the water. The waves would spread and hit my kayak. This was a scary moment. The people had told me that I would have to balance it when the waves are hitting. Once such speed boat sent very strong waves. My kayak started shaking up and down, and for the first time, I was nervous but still not scared, though. The only problem I saw with a kayak is that - it can flip and turn turtle easily - with a few strong ripples/waves. But once that happens, it would be difficult to turn it around while swimming. And then even more difficult to climb on it from within the water.

Once the waves started hitting, I decided to move. I thought - while moving, the kayak might be able to handle the waves better, and I was right. After around 8-9 minutes since I had begun, I started on my way back. This time, I really stepped up the force and attained tremendous speed. I was now able to observe how to voices of the people on the shore had started to reach me again. I was kind of sad that my kayaking trip was about to end. I again tried to soak in each and every part of my vision and the sounds. I looked at all the surrounding mountains again and allowed myself to be stunned by the awesome beauty of nature once more. Finally, I decided to park. My speed was so high, that I had to reverse peddle in order to slow down so that I could hit the shore. This time, I could park perfectly and single handed, without any help.

I knew that I had stumbled upon a new passion. I vowed to come back here once every month or two. I started to share my experiences with everyone on the shore and explained to them the mind blowing experience. My shoulders had started aching a bit and I was really hungry now. It had turned out to be a really nice exercise. I wished I could have a house near a river so that I could go kayaking every day :-)

If anyone of you know of other good places to go kayaking, then please let me know. And if you can swim, then try out kayaking. It will refresh you!

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

Kayak Boat experience at Panshet near Pune

2008-10-09T00:35:00.005+05:30

This was a nice Sunday morning. We started from our house in Pune around 8 am in the morning. Reached Panshet at around 9.30 am. Panshet is around 45 Kms away from the heart of Pune. It is off the Sinhgad Road. Panshet is the name of a dam and supplies drinking water to the Pune city.

We were 5 persons + 3 kids. So the plan was to enjoy the natural surroundings, play with the kids, have a heavy breakfast and come back home after noon. As usual, as soon as we reached Panshet everyone was hungry.

A little bit about how to locate the best boating location in Panshet. There are quite a few locations here from where one can do boating. The best one is the biggest one. It has a covered parking lot, a small restaurant. When you reach Panshet, you will find many different boards pointing towards boating locations. At the main junction, there are 2 roads - and each one of them leads to a different boat club. The turn to the left takes us to this good place with parking etc.

Once there, we ordered tea and breakfast. The food at the place is not that great. So its better if you take some home made bread/butter or any other breakfast. Whatever food is available is very costly and probably extremely un-hygienic.

There are some small horse, camel, elephant shaped games for kids. All 3 of them loved those :-) But everyone was now looking forward to the real stuff: Boating.

We first tried the simplest option. A large ride for all 8 of us in a medium paced motor-boat. It was for around 15 minutes. Very nice, clam, relaxing and enjoyable. The kids loved it, too. We were able to dip our hands in the river bed and sprinkle some of that water in the boat. The water was blueish and clean at most of the places in the river bed.

Next, we tried a speed boat with all of us in there along with the kids. This was a wonderful experience for us, but a scary one for the kids. I personally didn't find it worth the cost (of 60 Rs per person). But it was good fun.

I next asked them what other options are available for boating. He said - speed boat for a couple. A scooter boat - which is a very high speed boat with their driver and a passenger. I had seen a friend riding this earlier, and he had lots of fun. The guys then mentioned about a boat known as Kayak. They said, it takes you alone in the river bed. And that's what spurred me on. On asking further details, they said that it does not run on any fuel. And needs a paddle which is used to move the boat in the water.

I knew instantly that I was excited. I asked them to put it in the water. Since there was no fuel involved, the cost for 15 minutes was very less - 30 Rs. This was even better. I sat in the kayak - this was not easy though. It had a very small weight. And there were holes in the kayak for the water to flow in/out. It was somehow able to maintain its buoyancy. Being a very good swimmer and having the life jacket on - gave me enough confidence. For people who don't know how to swim, it can be a dangerous option.

I started with the paddle. 4 years ago, at the same spot, I had tried a rowing boat with 3 other people on board. We had erred at that point - in the sense that we did not try to understand the technique. There were also synchronization problems. And hence, this time round, I knew what should not be done :-) First, I tried to control the kayak by randomly moving the paddle in the water once to my left and then right. I realized that if not controlled, I would keep round and round in circles. Hence I tried to focus on how to crack the technique. I realized the following two tacts:

1. I stuck my legs to the grooves. This gave me some more force to use on the paddle. I pushed my legs while paddling and it was very helpful.

2. I made sure that while paddling on the right hand side, the paddle touched the outer border of the boat on that side. And then the same on the left. This was crucial because now, there was no randomness and I knew I was onto something special.

Very soon, I was traveling at quite a good speed, and in almost a straight line. For the first time, I looked around me. I was amazed by the beauty of the nature. Away from the busy roads, traffic and noise, away from the tensions of day to day routines, here I was - surrounded by a beautiful blue river bed. In the middle of lush green mountains. Birds singing sweet sounds. Clean air, no pollution, pure bliss. To top all that, I was out there on my own, without any fuel and having learned and mastered something new and adventurous, it gave me a phenomenal kick. I promised myself that this was only the first of many many times that I would go kayaking.

I knew that the time was limited and hence tried to turn reverse. Just paddled on the left hand side. After rotating by 180 degrees, I started on my way back. In the middle, I just used to stop, drop the paddle and just relax. Enjoyed the moment, the surroundings, the quiet and the nature. Finally, there was another boat passing by and the driver shouted at me saying my time was already over. On coming back, I was surprised that I could even park the kayak without many hassles. I told everyone that this was one of my most enjoyable moments ever and I had already started thinking about when should I go kayaking next?

The next time was only 10 minutes away :-) And even more enjoyable. Details to follow in the next post.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

New free mobile product in India - MeraMobi

2008-09-25T09:33:00.005+05:30

This was launched during the seminar Mobile Conversations at Mumbai on 19th September 2008.

Its a free mobile application. It requires GPRS enabled and activated on the handset for it to be used. The revenue model is Advertising. Although, I think, it is possible to monetize in another way. They can tie up with the the restaurants and generate some revenue from such channels every month. The menus might be dynamic, I am not sure. The current category of menus is:

- News (Finance, India, World, Sport)
- Cricket Field (Lice, Schedule, News)
- Cinema (News, Reviews and Previews)
- Money Matters (Index, Get Quote, Analysis, News, Favorites)
- My City (Mumbai) *Food and Drinks, Events, Movies)
- StarGaze

They are currently serving only one ad - for 94.3 - My FM. The other ads are of the promoter group - Dainik Bhaskar.

Let's keep a watch on how they market the product, how their user base grows and how many advertisers are they able to sign with.

In my opinion, they are direct competitors to Mobikon's Konekt

Cheers,
- Tosh

Australia vs. India Cricket Test Series

2008-09-18T16:29:00.004+05:30

Hi There!

Its been a long gap, and soon cricket will be back to business. The Champions Trophy was postponed due to the security concerns in Pakistan. The Champions League was postponed earlier because it came dangerously close to the Champions Trophy. And hence the Indian cricketers got a very well deserved break from the high intensity international games.

What I liked was that - most of them played for their national (Ranji) teams. And many of them will play the Irani Trophy - The winner of last year's Ranji Trophy (Delhi) vs. the Rest of India team. That will be one hell of an interesting match to follow. It will pitch e.g. Ishant vs. Sachin and that would be awesome to watch.

I have been a big fan of young blood in the India cricket teams. And hence I believe, Sachin Tenulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and VVS Laxman should all be asked to go away. Especially because most of them have been in terrible batting form of late. Sachin has been good in ODIs but poor in tests. He has been extremely unfit and sometimes he has hidden that fact (e.g. South Africa series at home). Rahul Dravid has been the lowest in confidence ever. Saurav has been mediocre. And Laxman - although doesn't get out, he has not been able to force the run-rate issue. Even though he plays with the tail. Which makes him look like a selfish individual rather than a team-mate who is willing to risk his wicket for the country.

And hence I like the idea of leaving Saurav out of the team for Irani Trophy. I would also have loved to hear the notices sent out to Sachin - to stay fitter. To VVS - to score briskly and to Rahul - to hang up his boots or face the axe. I really hope that the new selection committee of BCCI is as good as the previous two. And have a vision for the future.

About the test series - Ahh, I just cannot wait for it to begin. Because of intolerable foreign conditions - both on and off the field - India has been a tough place for visitors to win test series. Australia failed to do it twice under Steve Waugh - who dubbed it as his Final Frontier. But finally, they were able achieve the feat under Ricky Ponting when they were here the last time. Hence I think the mental barrier has been broken for the visiting teams. And I predict that the result might be in favour of the visitors, this time too. And although my head says Australia, my heart still goes for India :-)

On paper, Australia look weak - Few of their pacers have experience of Test matches in India. None of their middle order and spinners have played here earlier. Still, the extended break has meant, they get more time to acclimatize. And they will do so very well. They have an aura of confidence nowadays, which makes them a candidate to bounce back from any situation - a belief that comes handy in test matches more as compared to one dayers or 20-20. In terms of individual players, I think Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee and Shane Watson will be the ones to watch out.

Indians will have a very strong opening pair followed by a weak and out-of-confidence middle order. The two spinners are too old and have no new weapons. In my opinion, they will be able to force wickets only on a draconian pitch. The fast bowling looks stronger and their wicket keeper is their main weapon. In my two decades of cricket following, I have not been impressed by anyone as much as by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He has an aura about himself - his youth, confidence and risk apetite makes him a very dangerous player for the opposition. He has yet to establish himself big time as a Test batsman, but I think the time is not far when he will shine there as well. And this could be that series. Overall, India's fragile middle order along with their old spinners are their weak links.

Let's enjoy the series and hope that it is remembered more for cricket than for extraneous issues. Unlike the last time these two sides met.

Cheers,
- Tosh

My India XI cricket team for the One day game/s against Pakistan

2008-06-10T13:26:00.004+05:30

1. Virendra Sehwag
2. Gautam Gambhir
3. Yousuf Pathan
4. Rohit Sharma
5. Yuvraj Singh
6. Mahendrea Singh Dhoni
7. Piyush Chawla
8. Praveen Kumar
9. P P Ojha
10. Ishant Sharma
11. Manpreet Goni

On a faster track, they can choose Irfan instead of Yousuf or Ojha.

This looks like a young, athletic, team studded with many all rounders. Which makes me believe that it will a strong team and a difficult one to beat - going ahead.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Review of a resort Shantivan on Pune Panshet road

2008-06-05T09:39:00.005+05:30

Posted here on mouthshut.com

Pros: Close to the nature, Near from the city, Economical, Open spaces
Cons: Lots of mosquitos, not enough fun options, not good for night stay

Shantivan is a nice place on the banks of the Mutha river. The location is at the most one hour drive away from the city. Once you are there you can choose to relax, trek, go boating, meditate, play with
your kids, organize camps/group activities. Shantivan is located on the Pune Panshet road. While traveling towards Sinhagad on the Pune-Sinhagad road, you will find a bifurcation just before the base of the Sinhagad fort.

The road on the right hand side goes to Panshet. On this road, travel for 4-5 Kms. and you will find Shantivan on the right hand side of the road. There is a lot of parking space available. An entry fee of Rs. 50/- per head and you are inside the place. Near the entrance, we found a lots of rabbits stuffed in two small cages. Walk further down the pathway and there are lots of knowledge rooms. One is the Jungle room where you can find photographs and descriptions of a number of wild animals and birds. Another is a Science room where you can see some photographs, static models and write-ups on science.

There is a photograph of a telescope, but I would have loved to see a real telescope there. There are a number of activity grounds/halls. These are used for group activities like Yoga/meditation camps, corporate trainings, etc. That seems to be USP of this place. Even while we were visiting, there was a group of around 200 college students who had been camping there through the day. Another attraction is the Lake View which is the road that leads to the Mutha river. Since it was late in the evening, we did not go there. However, I had heard that the boating facilities are nice. In and around the place, there are lots of plantations of different fruit/flower plants. The place is lush green and fairly well maintained.

The lawns were not mowed, though. There are a couple of grounds for small kids. They will love jumping, hanging on the bars and sliding down the various items there. We did not stay there during the night but that would not have been comfortable. The place had lots of mosquitoes and insects. Especially if you are with a family and kids, think twice before planning a night stay. There was a food counter but it served only Pav Bhaji. The entire place was quite clean though. This includes the rest rooms, etc. The room charges were very reasonable - around 400 per room. We could not see the rooms from inside since we were there only for a few hours. We could also see a number of tents which were available for camping in the night. One advantage is the beauty of the scenic location despite being close enough from the city. You can enjoy the hills, the trees, the river, the dam, the lake (Khadakwasala), etc.

Overall, I would rate the place very highly for going on a one day picnic. I will not advice the place for a night stay, though I have not stayed there. It is definitely not a place you would want to visit if you only have a few hours in hand (which is the mistake that I did). There are not many activities that you can do - as against the other cultural villages. Overall, a good place for either a complete rest or for a group picnic where you plan and execute your activities.

Price Range: Down to earth
Ideal for: Large groups

Cheers,
- Tosh

I support Jaipur's Rajasthan Royals

2008-05-13T17:18:00.004+05:30

This has been my most favourite team in the Indian Premier League ever since the begining. Rajasthan Royals from Jaipur. Shane Warne leads it from the front. Shane Watson is their star performer. When Younis Khan joins in, that will make them even stronger.

They are the most inexpensive team and are sitting pretty on top of the table currently.

Shane Warne has complete control being the captain and the coach, which really helps.

RR..RR!

Cheers,
- Tosh

Current Favourite pastime - Indian Cricket League

2008-03-12T15:38:00.002+05:30

Indian Cricket League

Come home every evening, and a game is on from 7 pm to 10 pm. Great commentators. 3 hour game. No strings attached - since its club cricket.

The only downside - It is mostly an oldies' league. It still rocks because I would rate them 100% on innovation.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Will India Play Five Bowlers @ Adelaide?

2008-01-23T08:01:00.000+05:30

It will be a very interesting, bold and positive move. I will be very much looking forward to this. If India do play 5 bowlers, it will send a message to Australia that they want to win the match and are willing to take a calculated risk for that. I think its a gamble worth taking. Especially when you have Dhoni and Pathan at No. 6 & 7.

My Indian team for the third and final test to be played on Thursday 24th January, 2008 in Adelaide would be:

1. Virendra Sehwag
2. Dinesh Karthik
3. Rahul Dravid
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. V.V.S. Laxman
6. Mahendra Singh Dhoni
7. Irfan Pathan
8. Anil Kumble
9. R. P. Singh
10. Harbhajan Singh
11. Ishant Sharma.

Cheers and All The Best
- Tosh

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly side of Indian Cricket

2007-11-28T10:46:00.000+05:30

The Good:

1. Ishant Sharma was called up as a reserve fast bowler in case the only two available seamers got injured at the 11th hour of the first Test match against Pakistan in Ferozshah Kotla, Delhi. When he was not selected, he was released and sent back to play for his Ranji state team. I have never seen such a dynamic move from the Indian Cricket Board and if any, it is just another welcome sign that the things are moving forward. Note - the same plan is already in place for the second Test match against Pakistan to be played on the Eden Gardens in Kolkatta.

2. Anil Kumble was named as the captain for the Indian Test team. Positives - He has a relentless attitude while bowling, which will rub off very well on the other team members. Secondly, he has a great work ethic - unlike the Prince Of Kolkatta, who was a good leader but not the best example for the youngsters when it came down to discipline. Thirdly, its a long awaited recognition of the pivotal role Anil Kumble has played in most of the Test match wins for India. He is undoubtedly one of the world's most under-rated cricketers. His actions speak more than his words.

3. Saurav Ganguly was not underutilized as a seamer. Its very well known that under his own captaincy, he was reluctant to play the role of the third seamer. Now that he has been pressurized for a place in the team, he has responded brilliantly. It adds the much needed all-rounder angle which has been missing in the Indian Test team ever since players like Kapil Dev, Ravi Shastri and Manoj Prabhakar retired.

The Bad:

1. No coach since the past so many months.
2. No media manager.
3. No grooming at the Test level for a young and promising all-rounder. Examples - Pravin Kumar, Sanjay Bangar, etc. Lack of vision.

The Ugly:

All 4 middle order batsmen are old. The selection panel is looking only at the short term while completely ignoring the long term - this is very dangerous. The least they can do is - Make it a rule that in any Test match, only the 3 of these four should be in the playing eleven - Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, VVS Laxman. The lack of such creative strategies means that after a few years, Indian middle order will be inexperienced, and very vulnerable especially outside the sub-continent. Poor planning.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Solar electricity generators from Ammini

2007-10-12T10:25:00.000+05:30

http://ammini.com/prod_solar_power_system.php

I have one installed at my home - Generates AC current from solar energy. Powers most simple home appliances like lights, fans, TV, DTH set top boxes (e.g. Tata Sky), etc. Generates around 200 to 400 Watt hours per day - although they claim to generate output of 600Wh. Total cost including taxes - Rs. 85,000/-

Should you buy it? Yes - only if you are a big solar/clean-environment fan. No - if you are looking at reducing the cost of power that you buy from electricity boards. The reduction in costs - if any - might not be visible in the initial 15-20 years after installation. For me, the satisfaction of being able to independently power up my house (at least for sometime every day) is simply amazing.

Cheers,
- Tosh

4 investing gems from Warren Buffett

2007-07-13T17:16:00.000+05:30

Taken from Rediff (By Chandnee Sinha)

July 12, 2007 14:14 IST

Warren Buffett, probably the greatest investor of his generation, rarely communicates his investment ideas in writing to the general public.

And why should he? If someone has that extra edge when it comes to making money from the stock markets, he would rather use it for himself rather than go around sharing it. But once a year, he makes an exception to the rule and does give out his way of thinking through the annual letter he writes to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway.

Other than this he has given many speeches over the years, which have given the general public some idea of the way he thinks. Here are a few of these gems which he has shared with his shareholders over the years through his letters and speeches.

1. Buy the business and not the stock

The speech titled, 'The Superinvestors of Graham and Doddsville,' delivered to the students of Columbia Business School in 1984, remains the most famous speech that Buffett ever made.

This speech was delivered at a seminar held to celebrate the 50 years of the publication of Benjamin Graham and David Dodd's book Security Analysis. Benjamin Graham was Warren Buffett's Guru at Columbia School and all the years that Graham taught there Buffett was his only student to have got an A+ grade.

And Buffett, as we all know, has surely lived up to that grade. This speech elucidated his firm belief in the principle of value investing. Value investors, he said, "search for discrepancies between the value of a business and the price of small pieces of that business in the market." Hence, the only thing they are bothered about is "how much is the business worth?"

As Buffet said in the speech, "He's not looking at quarterly earnings projections, he's not looking at next year's earnings, he's not thinking about what day of the week it is, he doesn't care what investment research from any place says, he's not interested in price momentum, volume or anything. He's simply asking: What is the business worth?"

And hence, as Buffett points out in the speech about value investors. "While they differ greatly in style, these investors are, mentally, always buying the business, not buying the stock."

As we all know, the question 'how much is a business worth?' is not easy to answer and depends on how closely the investor follows the business of the company he is investing in and the understanding he has of that particular line of business.

Buffett himself follows this and does not invest in businesses he does not understand. Information technology is one sector he has consciously stayed away from even at the height of the technology boom.

2. Buy when the stock prices are low

One of the peculiar things about stock markets is the fact that investors like to buy when the markets are doing well and the stock prices are on their way up. This is not the best way to invest given the fact that in everyday life we like to buy more of something only when the prices are low.

Buffett explains this point in his letter to the shareholders for the year 1997. "A short quiz: If you plan to eat hamburgers throughout your life and are not a cattle producer, should you wish for higher or lower prices for beef? Likewise, if you are going to buy a car from time to time but are not an auto manufacturer, should you prefer higher or lower car prices?"

"These questions," he goes on, "of course, answer themselves. But now for the final exam: If you expect to be a net saver during the next five years, should you hope for a higher or lower stock market during that period? Many investors get this one wrong. Even though they are going to be net buyers of stocks for many years to come, they are elated when stock prices rise and depressed when they fall. In effect, they rejoice because prices have risen for the 'hamburgers' they will soon be buying. This reaction makes no sense. Only those who will be sellers of equities in the near future should be happy at seeing stocks rise. Prospective purchasers should much prefer sinking prices."

3. For investors as a whole, returns decrease as motion increases

Getting into stock because everyone around you is and hoping to make money from it money successfully is not everyone's cup of tea. As more and more investors get into the same stock, and price rises, the chances of making money from the stock go down.

In his 2005 letter Buffett wrote, "Long ago, Sir Isaac Newton gave us three laws of motion, which were the work of genius. But Sir Isaac's talents didn't extend to investing: he lost a bundle in the South Sea Bubble, explaining later, 'I can calculate the movement of the stars, but not the madness of men.' If he had not been traumatized by this loss, Sir Isaac might well have gone on to discover the Fourth Law of Motion: 'For investors as a whole, returns decrease as motion increases.'"

4. There is a thin line separating investment and speculation

Buffett explains this beautifully in his letter to the shareholders in the year 2000. "The line separating investment and speculation, which is never bright and clear, becomes blurred still further when most market participants have recently enjoyed triumphs. Nothing sedates rationality like large doses of effortless money."

"After a heady experience of that kind, normally sensible people drift into behavior akin to that of Cinderella at the ball. They know that overstaying the festivities -- that is, continuing to speculate in companies that have gigantic valuations relative to the cash they are likely to generate in the future -- will eventually bring on pumpkins and mice. But they nevertheless hate to miss a single minute of what is one helluva party. Therefore, the giddy participants all plan to leave just seconds before midnight. There's a problem, though: They are dancing in a room in which the clocks have no hands."

In the new India, the old problem with electricity

2007-05-18T18:20:00.000+05:30

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/05/17/news/india.php

GURGAON, India: This suburb south of New Delhi is where the fruits of India's economic advance are on full display: sprawling malls, gleaming skyscrapers housing India's acclaimed software sector, condominiums with names as fanciful as Nirvana Country.

But this posh address of the new India is also a portrait of Indian ambitions bumping up against Indian realities.

Look up at the top of these towers and on any given day, you are likely to find three, four, six smokestacks poking out from each rooftop, blowing gray-black plumes into the clouds. If the smokestacks are on, it means the power is off and that the building - whether bright new mall, condominium or office - is probably being powered by diesel-fed generators.

This being India, a country of more than one billion people, the scale is staggering.

In just one case, Tata Consultancy Services, a technology company, maintains five giant generators, along with a nearly 20,000-liter, or 5,300-gallon, tank of diesel underground, as if it were a gasoline station.

The reserve fuel can power the lights, computers and air conditioners for up to 15 days to keep Tata's six-story building humming during the hot, dry summer months, when temperatures routinely soar above 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) and power cuts can average eight hours a day.

The Gurgaon skyline is studded with hundreds of buildings like this. In Gurgaon alone, the state power authority estimates that the gap between demand and supply hovers around 20 percent, and that is probably a conservative estimate.

For all those who suffer from crippling power cuts in cities like this, there are others who have no electricity connection at all. According to the Planning Commission of India, 600 million people - roughly half the population - are off the electricity grid. For this reason, it is impossible to estimate accurately the total national shortfall.

The electricity crisis has become all the more acute for the roaring pace of India's economic growth and the new material aspirations it has generated.

Rachna Tandon, a prosperous housewife, is a good example. She moved here to a quiet street of row houses 14 years ago, settling in what was one of the first residential sites built by DLF Universal, Gurgaon's and India's largest builder.

Back then, electricity was in short supply, but she was fully confident things would improve. The advertisements at the time described Gurgaon as the best address south of Delhi. It was pitched as a millennium city.

Today Tandon says she prefers to think of it as a medieval city. The day before, the power went out for roughly 11 hours. Her inverter, which is basically a series of rechargeable batteries - a household necessity here - collapsed after four hours.

For respite, some of her neighbors drove around in their air-conditioned cars. Her own children lingered outside and finally, when they nodded off to sleep, they lay on the living room floor, the coolest spot in the house.

Each appliance in her well-stocked home - an air conditioner in each room, a flat-screen television, a microwave and an electric stove - speaks to the gap between India's dreams and its realities.

The power cuts had thawed the chicken sausage in her freezer and she would have to throw it away in case it had spoiled. She did not dare use her electric oven, for fear that the power would go out in the middle of baking.

With no television, her 10-year-old son has been so bored that he took out his old cricket bat and ended up putting a ball through the kitchen window. Her daughter, 13, has had to study by flashlight. This summer, Tandon said, the family will have to choose between buying a generator and going on vacation. "We're living in the dark ages," she said.

For all her suffering, a reminder of the other India came earlier in the week, when her mother called from her hometown in rural north India and said she had had electricity for just one hour during the day.

In part because of these limitations, Indians are, for now, relatively conservative consumers of energy: about 600 units per capita per year, or one-fifth that of a typical American. But that will certainly increase as Indian desires reach those of the wealthy Western countries.

A recent report by McKinsey Global Institute frothily predicted a fourfold increase in consumer spending by 2025, vaulting India, as it said, "into the premier league among the world's consumer markets." McKinsey forecast that India would surpass Germany as the fifth-largest market in the world.

Driven by the needs of plenty, India has stepped up power generation in recent years at the pace of about 6 percent a year. It is a pittance compared to what neighboring China adds on each year and in any case insufficient to keep up with India's galloping demand.

The government has promised electricity connections for all - which means access to the grid, not round-the-clock power - by 2009. That is a target that does not seem plausible at current rates of power generation.

The development of power plants, meanwhile, is constrained by a lack of access to land, fuel and water, all of which a power plant needs in large quantities. The power grid remains weak.

In Gurgaon, for instance, transformers routinely blow out because of heavy loads. Voltage fluctuations damage electrical appliances of all sorts.

What the state cannot provide efficiently, many take for themselves. The World Bank estimates that at least $4 billion in electricity is unaccounted for each year - that is to say, stolen. Transparency International estimated in 2005 that Indians paid $480 million in bribes to put in new connections or correct bills.

The country's energy needs are one of the government's main arguments for a nuclear deal with the United States, which would allow India to buy reactors and fuel from the world market.

But even if the deal goes through, it would lift nuclear power, now at 3 percent, to no more than 9 percent of India's energy supply, said Leena Srivastava, executive director of the Energy and Resources Institute, a nongovernmental research group.

Similarly, in the coming years, alternative sources of energy, like wind, are expected to double, but to no more than about 8 percent of supply.

Coal will continue to dominate power generation and already more than a third of India's coal plants do not meet national emissions standards.

For Indian business, coping with chronic power shortages is a part of the cost of business.

At Tata, company managers took pains to say that power shortages do not hinder their ability to meet deadlines for their clients.

"The work as such does not suffer," said Gurinder Virk, assistant general manager. "We have sufficient stocks of diesel at all times." Behind the building, three generators purred as a sweltering evening descended. A 2004 World Bank survey found that 60 percent of companies in India have such facilities.

Still, construction here surges ahead. With few exceptions, there are little to no efforts to reduce power consumption, beyond the use of low-energy light bulbs. Gurgaon is dotted with buildings that are effectively curtains of glass, soaking up the searing summer heat.

"It's good for New York, not Gurgaon," was the verdict of Niranjan Khatri, a general manager with ITC, an Indian conglomerate whose office tower here is one of the few to comply with green building codes.

Across the highway, the nearly completed Ambi Mall promises one kilometer of shopping on each floor. Next to it, a billboard for the Mall of India promises an even bigger shopping center, one that will put India on the "global retail map."

Never mind that Gurgaon does not have a sewage treatment plant of its own or that the already existent Metropolitan Mall burns an average of 6,000 liters of diesel a day to run its generators during power cuts.

Farther south, in Nirvana Country, there are only generators. The 800-unit complex of row houses and apartment blocks, still under construction, is not even connected to the public electricity grid. It swallows 6,000 gallons of diesel each week to meet its needs - and that with only a fifth of its units occupied.

It was unclear how the power needs will be met once it reached full occupancy, said M.K. Pant, a retired army colonel who is now Nirvana's estate manager. "There's nothing in the files," he said. "There's nothing in the thinking also."

No matter. Newspaper advertisements for Nirvana Country promise "air conditioning in all rooms."

Book Review - The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

2007-05-09T20:17:00.000+05:30

Author - Robin Sharma.

To begin with, I liked the book - though not the entire part. In general I liked the concept but at some places it becomes boring and impracticable. Overall, I would recommend it especially for those who live a fast paced life.

To go into the details, its a story of a highly successful lawyer. In the middle of his glorious career, he faces a heart attack. Its a result of a hectic routine and complete lack of caring for health. He uses this event as a blessing in disguise and goes to the East looking for Peace of Mind - This is the part that does not make sense. I think that its only because the author is Indian that the lawyer comes to India - another reason might be to woo the Indian readers :-)

But once on a visit to Nirvana, this lawyer learns some techniques of quality living. He then comes back and passes on the knowledge to an ex-colleague. The part that I liked the most was the list of 10 rules for radiant living -

1. Ritual of Solitude.

2. Live nourishment - Eat healthy food. Though I don't quite agree with the concept of eating veg because I love Chicken and Mutton :-)

3. Physical nourishment - Daily exercise

4. The Ritual of a Congruent Character - To build a morale and conscience and to envision a mission for life

5. Abundance of Knowledge - In short the habit of reading (good!) books. "He who doesn't read good books has no advantage over those who cannot read them"

6. Self introspection / reflection

7. The Ritual of Music

8. The Ritual of the spoken word - e.g. Some mantras or some Pledge etc.

9. The Ritual Of Early Awakening

10. The Ritual of Simplicity

If taken seriously, the book has the potential to make a real impact on your life.

The thing that I loved the most about the book was its name. Its a great idea to name something like that. When you hear the words "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari", You immediately start thinking about - How did a Monk own a Ferrari? Or How did a Ferrari owner become a Monk, and Why the hell did he sell it? But its a very good way of capturing a reader.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Cricket World Cup

2007-03-12T17:04:00.000+05:30

Who will win?

I don't care. All I want is Australia to loose. Because no matter how fascinating it might be to watch them play well and win, it is even more satisfying when someone else gets on top of them. Its a question of whether or not their arrogance will dominate their skills.

Over to the islands...

Cheers,
- Tosh

India Not Shining?

2007-02-20T17:06:00.000+05:30

There have been a lot of dissapointing news for the nation in the past month or so:

1. Farmer suicides -> Despite government interventions, farmers in Vidarbha and elsewhere continue to kill themselves. Reasons? Governments not doing enough to solve their problems. Aam admi's party no longer cares for the poor. Solutions? Eliminate private money lending. Do away with BT Cotton and similar sinister schemes. Waive farmer loans in a manner similar to that of waiving industrial loans.

2. Inflation -> Spiralling costs of essential commodities. Reasons? Might be out of the control of the government. Solutions? No short term remedy in sight. Medium and long term controls already in place. Effects? The poor keeps getting poorer. Who is responsible? Of course the government, they must have a vision to foresee such damaging scenarios and mitigation plans for quick fixes.

3. Energy Shortage -> Power cuts and load shedding hours increase to alarming levels - more so - in the rural areas. Effects? Unemployment, Lack of infrastructure leading to slowdown in the fast growing economy. Reasons? Lack of long term planning by past governments. Solutions? Continuous long term planning and immediate shift to re-usable energy resources wherever possible.

4. Terror attack on the most sensitive train the country. If this is the condition for the train which is supposed to be the most secure, then what is the status of all other trains? India continues to be the softest terror target in the world. Reasons? No control on infiltration. No effective anti terror central law. Minority appeasement policies of central and UP government with an eye towards cheap electoral gains in the coming elections.

Tough times...

Favourite TV show on air - India Tonight with Karan Thapar on CNBC TV 18

2007-02-13T20:17:00.000+05:30

India Tonight is an intense and thought provoking show that runs on CNBC TV 18. The anchor Karan Thapar talks to 2-3 guests on a topic every night Monday to Thursday at 10.30 pm India Time. http://www.tv18online.com/cnbcTV18_shows.html

Its a must watch for them who have any interest in politics of the nation. For me, it is the best program on show currently on TV. An added attraction - It has only one break!

Watch it and it will keep you thinking about the topic at least 5 minutes after the show ends.

Karan's famous ending line every night is - "And if you have been, then Thanks for watching. Good bye and Good night".

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

Current Reading - The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari

2007-02-06T20:00:00.000+05:30

by Robin Sharma.

http://www.amazon.com/Monk-Who-Sold-His-Ferrari/dp/0062515675

Cheers,
- Tosh

Yahoo Online Games - Bridge

2006-12-16T12:22:00.000+05:30

Latest hobby -
http://games.yahoo.com/br

Enjoy!

Cheers,
- Tosh

Nice article about fiscal deficit, inflation, economy etc.

2006-12-12T13:14:00.000+05:30

Picked up straight from www.equitymaster.com

Fiscal deficit: Grim consequences...

While India's GDP has been growing at a strong 8% per annum rate, there are several factors that can derail this growth process in the long run. Bad governance, poor physical and social infrastructure, fiscal deficit, you name it! Out of these, while a lot has been discussed and debated on poor governance and sorry state of infrastructure, the consequences with respect to the high fiscal deficit of central and state governments and the burden that these impose on the overall financial and monetary system, can be really grim.

While it is not necessary that fiscal deficit should always be a matter of concern especially for developing economies like India, if unchecked, the same can lead to grim consequences. In this write-up, we shall examine the problems associated with a high level of fiscal deficit and the likely impact of the same on the economy.

What is fiscal deficit?
In simple terms, fiscal deficit is defined as the difference between government's expenditure and its total receipts. In other words, because the government fails to match its expenses with what it earns, it has to resort to 'deficit financing' by borrowing in various ways.

One important argument against fiscal deficit is that it results in the crowding out effect i.e., the government 'crowds out' private investment leading to a possible hike in interest rates. To put things in perspective, if the government garners a higher share of the borrowings from the market, the private sector will consequently have a lesser share. This will lead to a rise in interest rates and a higher cost of capital for private investors. On the inflation front, a high fiscal deficit enhances the inflation of an economy. The reason is that government's borrowings to meet its expenditure lead to a rise in the money stock in the economy without a consequent growth in capital productivity. This is said to have an inflationary effect as few goods are chased by more money. This is especially so, if the borrowings of the government are utilised for the financing of the deficit rather than for accelerating the output.

Therefore, the crux of the matter really is the composition of the government expenditure. Are the government borrowings utilised more for productive purposes? The answer is 'no'. As can be evinced from the table below, a larger chunk of the government expenditure is being diverted towards non-plan expenditure such as interest payments and subsidies. This means that the government is effectively borrowing to pay off debts and the interest on the existing debt, further compounding the fiscal deficit problem.

Expenditure: Is it productive?
FY01 FY02 FY03 FY04 FY05 FY06
Total expenditure (Rs bn) 3,256 3,623 4,132 4,712 4,977 5,087
(% of GDP) 15.4% 15.9% 16.9% 17.1% 15.9% 14.4%
Plan expenditure (% of GDP) 3.9% 4.4% 4.6% 4.4% 4.2% 4.1%
Non-plan exp (% of GDP) 11.5% 11.4% 12.3% 12.6% 11.7% 10.3%

Source: CMIE
To conclude...
As mentioned earlier, a fiscal deficit is not a bad sign, if the government is utilizing the borrowings for productive purposes. Given the fact that India faces huge constraints on the infrastructure side, the focus has to be on development of roads, airports, highways, and curbing power shortages. This is more so if the current level of GDP growth has to be sustained. While the strong forex reserves position and GDP growth rate has ensured that India does not re-visit the 1991 crisis again, the government needs to understand that prudent utilisation of resources will go a long way in charting and sustaining India's economic health in the future.

My favourite quote for the month

2006-11-10T06:58:00.000+05:30

"There can be no greater calling than public service" by (FDR) Franklin D. Roosevelt - President, United States of America.

Picked up from - [My current reading] - The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer. I am loving it. Highly recommended - especially for those with interest in politics.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Review - Punjabi Dhaba in Cambridge, Massachusetts - USA

2006-11-05T04:55:00.000+05:30

Today I had been to the Punjabi Dhaba located at 225, Hampshire Street, Cambridge. Here's a review of the restaurant based on my experience.

Positives:

1. Variety of Punjabi dishes.
2. Good location - Easily accessible even by the public transport. It is located at the intersection of the Cambridge street and the Hampshire street. It is just besides the "Inman square" stop of the Bus Route # 69 which runs from the Harvard Square to the Lechmere station.
3. Prices are comparatively low. There are many other Indian places to eat around here but this one is really cheap as compared to the others I have seen.

Negatives:

1. The place is just too small. There are just a couple of tables on the ground floor and even these are not spacious at all. There are a few more tables on the 1st floor but to take your plates and climb upstairs is not a good option.
2. The taste was not that good. I had Alu Gobi and Parathas. The curry had too many hot spices, though it was not spicy. I could not finish the curry because I got bored with it after a few bites. It had too much masala in it. The parathas were hard to chew and the curd had some additive which made it impossible to eat for me.
3. There is no buffet.
4. The food is not ready. They prepare it after you give the orders. So be ready to stand in a crowd waiting for your food to be cooked for at least 15 minutes.

Overall, I think it is a nice place for some college students to go and eat at a relatively cheaper rate but if you are looking for a peaceful place with good food and are willing to pay a little extra, then please avoid. The other similar but good places around are: Kathmandu, Diva and Tanjore.

Cheers,
- Ashutosh

Geoffrey Boycott is Back!

2006-10-11T22:23:00.000+05:30

Today I was waiting at some place. There I could see that a TV was showing the cricket match between West Indies and Bangladesh. I had no interest in the one sided affair so I ignored it. However, sometime in between, the words of the legendary commentator fell on my ears, and I now wanted to see the match. That's what Geoffrey does. He makes you glued to the TV set not only for the match but also for is commentary. And that's why he is my favourite. He is honest, frank, and mostly correct.

I was dissapointed after finding that he had a throat cancer. But glad to know that he is back. And with a bang!

Cheers,
- Tosh

Russian Space Shuttle Soyuz returns safely

2006-10-04T16:28:00.000+05:30

After NASA's Atlantis, the Russian Space Agency's space shuttle Soyuz returned back safely to earth last week. The space shuttle visited the International Space Station and ferried the world's first lady space tourist - Anousheh Ansari. Here's a link to her blog that she wrote from up there in the space.

Cheers,
- Tosh

The most honest interview

2006-10-01T22:51:00.000+05:30

Of my most favourite hero, taken by the one and only - Karan Thapar. I watched it tonight on CNN-IBN. Take a look.

Cheers,
- Tosh

NASA's Space Shuttle Atlantis comes back safely to earth

2006-09-22T16:12:00.000+05:30

On Thursday morning at Florida, the space shuttle Atlantis landed safely. The NASA's Landing Blog gave nice updates about the re-entry and the landing of the shuttle.

Some interesting facts:
1. The shuttle covered the distance from the Indian Ocean to Florida in one hour flat.
2. It was flying at the speed of around 13,000 miles per hour.
3. This was the (approximately) 6th flight of the Shuttle Atlantis.

Till the next time, Bye Bye Atlantis.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Farmer Suicides - A good article from The New York Times

2006-09-20T10:18:00.000+05:30

While browsing for some other news on the New York Times, I came across an advertisement for this article. Its a very good report on the ever-increasing and disappointing story of the farmer suicides mainly in Vidarbha and also in other regions of rural India. It covers many aspects of the issue including the BT cotton, the moneylenders and so on.

Take a look at On IndiaÂs Farms, a Plague of Suicide if you are interested.

Whenever I read about these stories it makes me feel really sad. On one hand, India is seeing a lot of GDP growth. The standard of living of the urban society has gone up by leaps and bounds since the past two generations. However, the conditions of living in the rural areas have gone from bad to worse. Isn't it pathetic?

The blame undoubtedly lies with the government who is sitting blindly, not making good policies to ban something like BT Cotton, not doing enough to crack down on the illegal money lending business and not caring enough about the nearly two-thirds of the population.

The gap between the rich and the poor - sadly - gets bigger by the day.

Ex-Intelligence Bureau Director's Interesting views on Indo-Pak peace process

2006-09-19T10:15:00.000+05:30

Picked up straight from Indian Express. The author has critisized the latest Indian stragey in the peace dialogue. Here's the complete article:

A strategic setback for India
Ajit Doval

Pakistan’s military leadership may consider Havana statement a dividend for the terror attacks in India

India has suffered its first strategic setback in the fight against terrorism by certifying that Pakistan is not an aggressor but a state aggressed upon. On the terrorism front it brings both countries at par. For a quarter of a century, we felt Pakistan was the aggressor — first in Punjab, then in Kashmir and now in rest of the country — leaving more than 60,000 dead. Perhaps India was right in the past to blame Pakistan but no longer, apparently. Pakistan might have done so much in the recent past that there is justification not to carry the baggage of history and grapple with the new positive realities.

Let’s examine the contemporary realities which overnight transformed our perception of Pakistan from a terrorist-sponsoring state into that of a counter-terrorist partnership state. In the past 12 months, Pakistan-sponsored terrorists struck across the country, killing nearly 400 persons (the heaviest casualties suffered in a year by independent India outside the terrorist-hit states).

In Kashmir, it has increased infiltration and upped the ante of violence. In fact, Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said as much on NDTV 24x7’s Walk The Talk programme (published in The Indian Express on September 18). ISI-sponsored militants, he said, “have been let loose”, adding, “I don’t think this could be possible without the knowledge of Musharraf Sahab”.

Under the pretext of helping earthquake victims it handed over relief work and the funds that poured in to Lashkar-e-Toiba to enable it to entrench itself there. It still harbours Salahuddins and Dawoods, provides them Pakistani passports and identity cards and facilitates their anti-India activities. A decade and a half since the demise of Punjab militancy, the ISI still harbours more than a dozen top commanders of various Sikh outfits.

National Security Advisor MK Narayanan revealed that Pakistan supported the Taliban in the kidnapping and killing of Maniappan, an Indian worker in Afghanistan. In a post-Mumbai blasts interview he warned that Pakistan-linked terrorists could strike our nuclear facilities, scientific establishments and defence forces. The ISI has substantially upgraded its presence in Bangladesh and is increasingly leveraging fundamentalist groups for anti-India action. The CBI believes that fake Indian currency notes are being “supplied by the Pakistan government press at Quetta to Dubai-based counterfeiters who smuggle it into India”. It pegs the volume of such notes at Rs.1,69,000 crores.

By conviction and experience, Pakistan feels that once the dust settles and the ritual of brave statements is over, India eventually bends to coercive power. When asked, in June 2003, whether Kargil was a mistake, Musharraf told Gulf News: “We don’t trust India. Before Kargil, Kashmir was a dead issue. Bilateral talks started only because of Kargil. Another Kargil taking place would depend on how the peace talks proceed.” Pakistan’s army leadership may be considering the Havana statement as a dividend for heightened terrorism in the mainland.

Just a month ago the Prime Minister asserted that “We are certain that the terror modules responsible for the Mumbai blasts are instigated, inspired and supported by the elements across the border”. How do we reconcile this with India’s statement in Havana: “The fact is, terror is a threat to Pakistan. And it has been a threat to India. We need to have a collective mechanism to deal with it.” For Pakistan, using terror to achieve its strategic and political objectives is part of its state policy and that is what India is opposed to. If for reasons political, religious or otherwise Pakistan society becomes violence ridden it does not bring Pakistan at par with states it has continuously targeted and bled.

That Musharraf, who during the SAARC summit in Nepal in January 2002, said that the Kashmir issue “was linked to Indian terrorism and cannot be separated”, is now going to be our comrade-in-arms in our war against terrorism betrays both a lack of history and strategic vision. Pakistani commentator Ahmad Rashid told German newspaper Der Spiegel that “Pakistan remains the global centre for terrorism. The fact is that, after 9/11, despite the May crackdown by the Musharraf regime, we haven’t shut down Pakistani militant groups. The reason is that these groups are very closely tied with the military’s foreign policy, especially with respect to Kashmir and Afghanistan.” This holds good today — every indication points in that direction.

Musharraf is currently under heavy pressure from all sides. Domestically he has lost much of his credibility and legitimacy; democratic forces are ranged against him. The least that democratic forces in Pakistan expect is that India will not do anything that will strengthen the forces of totalitarianism. Baluchistan was in flames after the killing of Nawab Akbar Bugti. Despite the recent accord, the Waziristan agency is still unstable. Was it for Indiato have given this breather to Musharraf?

If Pakistan was sincere and we were really strong and farsighted we should have demanded Pakistan rolling back its terrorist infrastructure lock, stock and barrel, hand over the people harboured to bleed India and stop arms, financial and logistical support to terror-linked collaborative networks. Giving a clean chit to Pakistan without any basis and at the most inopportune time is baffling.

Most likely, repeating history, Musharraf would have promised to bundle up the Salahuddins and Dawoods, close the camps, choke the financial channels or even stop ISI run printing of Indian currency. He may even deliver on some to give his Indian counterparts some mileage before the next Assembly elections. For a few months there might be a fall in acts of terrorism, which would only prove Pakistan’s tight control over the issue. However, Pakistan agencies will simultaneously redouble their efforts to establish new sleeper cells and strengthen the old ones, move and dump weapons and explosives in targeted parts of the country. There is no paradigm shift for Pakistan.

General Aziz Khan, Musharraf’s former Chairman Joint Chief of Staff, addressing an army function in Rawalkot on June 24, 2003, had said: “Pakistan not only knows how to tackle India but has leaders with the guts.” I wish we could say the same.

The writer is a former director, Intelligence Bureau

Why did India enforce the Power Plays?

2006-09-15T14:40:00.000+05:30

India were defeated by West Indies in the second game of the DLF cup in Kuala Lumpur. The match was abandoned after 20 overs of West Indies innings and they were 141/2. With the 50-over target of 309, the 20-over target using the Duckworth Lewis system was 113. And hence the match was awarded to the West Indies.

After the match Lara in the interview said that they knew that there was always a chance of rain and hence they made sure that they were always ahead of the asking run rate. My question is :- Why did India not make more efforts to make sure that the West Indies' run-rate was kept down? Was it this ignorance that cost them the match? Had they not enforced the two powerplays, the West Indies would not have scored so heavily and India would have had a great chance of winning the rain-truncated game!

What surprises me the most is not just the fact that India did not consider delaying the PowerPlays. But the fact that this lapse went un-noticed. I have not come across a single comment on television or news or internet which would suggest that the loss could have been avoided by this simple tact! The whole world is so busy praising Sachin Tendulkar that they seem to have forgotten the fact that India lost the match. In doing so India have rewarded West Indies with a bonus point and I now see it almost impossible for India to reach the finals. In order to do that, India will have to beat the West Indies with one bonus point and end up with higher run-rate. This is so because, on current bowling/fielding form, I do not see India beating the Australians.

If only I knew the email address of Rahul Dravid, I will request him to consider the option of delaying the PowerPlays in future such secnarios. And if only there was an alias like all@CricketCrazyIndia, I will tell them to stop over-praising Sachin and also think about the team.

Please let me know your comments.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Horse Riding @ Table Top Mahabaleshwar

2006-09-13T14:25:00.000+05:30

Cheers,
- Tosh

The economics after 9-11 & Indian Stock Markets

2006-09-12T17:52:00.000+05:30

Below is a fantastic write-up from EquityMaster that talks about the effects of September 11 attacks on the US, world economy and its relation to the Indian Stock Markets. Take a look...

Today is a day that will mark the fifth anniversary of the deadly attack that brought down the world trade center, the symbol of the American economic might and the one that forever left an indelible mark on the American psyche. The repercussions, however, were not just political. The attacks completely knocked the winds out of the sails of US economy, which was already reeling in the aftermath of the tech bubble burst. Something had to be done to prop the consumption levels, which had hit quite a low since people opted to save rather than spend, as uncertainty loomed large before them. US central bank, more popularly known around the world as the Federal Reserve, then took the all-important step of slashing interest rates and bringing them to virtually zero, thus egging the US consumers to not just spend but splurge. And splurge they did! Armed with one of the lowest interest rates in decades, they went about buying anything and everything that came their way and in the process gave a much needed boost to the US economy. Elsewhere in the Far East, an event not as visible as the travails of the US economy, but equally important, was fast unfolding. With robust economic growth in the region of 9% to 10% behind it, China was finally coming into its own and was asserting its newfound economic importance on the world stage. With cheap labor force in abundance and ruthless utilization of economies of scale, the country was fast acquiring a reputation of being a factory to the world. However, maintaining the growth momentum required massive amount of investments in its infrastructure and the country soon turned into the world's largest consumer of a lot of industrial goods and services. In fact, more than half of world's total output of a lot of commodities was gobbled up by China in order to feed its ravenous appetite for manufacturing driven growth. Thus, the world economy fast turned into a two-horse chariot, with both the US and the Chinese economy perfectly complementing each other. Buoyed by rock bottom interest rates, the US consumer bought cheap Chinese goods by the truckloads and the Chinese manufacturer in turn utilized the money by investing in capacity expansion and sprucing up the country's infrastructure. However, neither was China going to be able to meet all its demand for commodities internally and nor was it the only market the US consumers relied upon. This bought other nations and their respective companies into focus and the economic revival, which was kicked off by the US consumer, and the Chinese manufacturer soon spread its tentacles far and wide. As the bottomlines of companies across the globe improved on account of this economic revival and their value became apparent, cheap money that was locked somewhere in the US bank account soon found its way into the equity markets. Infact, prices of all the assets started moving northwards. This period soon turned into one of those extremely rare cases in history where prices of almost all the commodities witnessed a simultaneous rise.

Although India's contribution to this revival was not that significant, this period coincided with one of the best ever as far as acceleration of the economy was concerned. This obviously whetted the appetite of fund managers across the globe and the same cheap money that found its way into other emerging market asset classes also found its way into India. Soon, the extremely well regulated and technologically savvy Indian equity markets witnessed an unprecedented buying interest. Notwithstanding a few bumps in the interim, the Indian benchmark indices have witnessed a more than three fold jump in their market capitalization over the last 3 to 4 years and turned quite a few people in millionaires and billionaires. Another important factor that contributed to this global economic boom was the re-emergence of Japan, the land of rising sun. After spending almost a decade in economic wilderness, the world's second largest economy finally shed the garb of its ultra-conservatism and is currently heading for its longest expansion in the post war period, one that has already lasted more than four years. Here again, exports to the US and China, like elsewhere, played a crucial role. Of late though, the Japanese consumer has also started spending liberally, thus leading to internal consumption also contributing towards its GDP growth.

Thus, while the rate cut by the Federal Reserve did help boost the world economy, the role of China in taking it to the next level cannot be understated. However, the step that was taken to boost the US economy started to backfire. Infact, a worry of exactly the opposite kind started haunting the US Federal Reserve. The consumption binge that Fed itself kicked off has risen to quite an alarming level and has left a gaping hole in their deficit. Before situation threatened to spiral out of control, it stepped in and did a U-turn by resorting to 17 consecutive quarters of interest rate hikes to stem reckless spending by the US consumer. The impact has been positive so far, as due to demand slowdown, prices of some commodities have indeed fallen. However, not wanting this to have a hard landing effect on the economy, the Fed is currently adopting a wait and watch approach. As far as the impact of this on India is concerned, we believe that unlike China or its South East Asian counterparts, growth in India is pre-dominantly internal driven and as such, it stands lesser exposed to the risk of a global slowdown.

However, the capital market perspective does not go in lock step with the economic perspective. While there is no denying the potential of the country as an attractive investment destination, the role of FIIs in the recent bull run cannot be overlooked. Thus, as seen on a couple of occasions in the past, any pull out of funds by them is likely to spark a much broader sell off in the Indian equity markets. Moreover, at the current valuation levels, the relative attractiveness of the Indian equity markets vis-à-vis the US interest rate is considerably lesser than in the recent past. Hence, we would advise investors to exercise caution at the current juncture with regards to their equity investments. Although the India growth story is still intact, most of the sectors currently seem to be overbought and hence vulnerable to FII outflows. A proper study of risk-reward ratio is of the essence!

Atlantis Space Mission launched successfully

2006-09-11T11:46:00.000+05:30

NASA launched the Atlantis Space shuttle finally after a couple of initial setbacks. The mission is aimed to complete the construction of the half-built International Space Station(ISS). The ISS will serve as a launchpad for future spaces missions by astronauts from the earth - a truely fascinating idea.

Track the latest about Atlantis here. Also, worth looking is the Flash feature at the NASA homepage which mentions the daily mission schedule for the crew on board.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Azhar's son - Ayaz - Another cricketer in the making?

2006-09-08T15:28:00.000+05:30

Mohammad Azharuddin was my most favourite cricketer. An ex-Indian captain, a wristy batsman and a sharp fielder. He said very few words but was a treat to watch when on song. Along with Mark Waugh and Aravinda De-Silva, he gave me great joy while watching him play.

Then the match fixing scandal broke. I still find it hard to believe that he could be involved in something as criminal.

Now his son is 14 years old and plays school, club cricket. Hope to see a similar player (with less controversies)!

More on Mohammad Ayazuddin at Like Father, like son.

Cheers,
- Tosh

European Space Agency concludes its Moon Mission

2006-09-05T16:07:00.000+05:30

Impact landing ends SMART-1 mission to the Moon

3 September 2006
ESA PR 31-2006. Early this morning, a small flash illuminated the surface of the Moon as the European Space Agency’s SMART-1 spacecraft impacted onto the lunar soil, in the ‘Lake of Excellence’ region. The planned impact concluded a successful mission that, in addition to testing innovative space technology, had been conducting a thorough scientific exploration of the Moon for about a year and a half.

Taken from http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM7A76LARE_index_0.html

Cheers,
- Tosh

US Open Tennis 2006

2006-09-01T14:53:00.000+05:30

* Can the great showman-cum-gentleman Andre Agassi do a Goran Ivanisevic and script a fairytale finish?
* Can the promising young talent Rafel Nadal get past the unbeatable champion Roger Federer?
* Can Maria Sharapova / Serena Williams win a Grand Slam again?

Enjoy the Action.
Cheers,
- Tosh

Shameless Media Allegedly egged on a man to set himself on fire

2006-08-18T13:44:00.000+05:30

In these days of ridiculous media coverage by TRP-crazy TV news channels, anything can happen. It seems the media persons encouraged a transport contractor to set himself on fire. The man would get a voice for his complaints and the sick TV channels would get audience watching live flesh burning.

These channels and journalists will go at any levels nowadays to improve their ratings. Its a criminal act and the most chilling part is that, when the things got out of control and the man in danger of his life, still not a single of those greedy cameramen cared to douse the flames.

More details here.

Whatever is going on here is really atrocious. The guilty must be booked, charged, punished and we must stop viewing such insane news channels.

Astronomy: New Planets Possible in our Solar System

2006-08-18T11:39:00.000+05:30

Recently, International Union of Astronomers proposed to change the definition of a Planet. Details at Solar System Could Gain New Planets Under Definition Change. This news led me to a few questions and answers. Some of them are:

Q1. What is the difference between star and planet: Observational Difference And Physical Difference.

Q2. Why is a planet/star always spherical? Answer - present on the above pages - The gravitational pull is so big that everything is pulled towards the center. Due to this, a sphere is created in the 3 dimensional space.

Oh, Astronomy is so damn Exciting!!!

Cheers,
- Tosh

Back to using the Linux Operating System

2006-08-13T16:09:00.000+05:30

This is the history of my Operating System usage:

- Started with windows in VNIT/VRCE labs
- Used linux in VNIT labs for some assignments in COmpilers/other courses in VNIT
- Used Solaris for BE Project
- Used linux in IIT Bombay
- Used Windows in my office - Persistent Systems Pvt Ltd (For the past 4 1/2 years)

Now I have successfully installed and configured SuSe Linux 10 on my home PC. Its good to be back on Linux again. The latest versions of Linux are much better that the older one. Guess what, it detected my Canon digital camera, all my other hardware and also my ethernet card/VSNL (Tata Indiicom) broadband internet connection without any additional installations/driver configurations.

So back to Tetris and Mozilla :-)

Cheers,
- Tosh

Funny Place - Hilarious video advertisements

2006-08-11T15:45:00.000+05:30

Take a look at Funny Videos of TV commercials

I find the ads absolutely amazing!

Cheers,
- Tosh

Test Cricket: The resurgence of England and Sri Lanka

2006-08-09T09:52:00.000+05:30

What a spectacular week for test cricket! Two fantastic matches, which on the last day, could have gone towards any team. But the better teams kept their nerves and won the series along with the match.

Sri Lanka deserve a special mention. They have held England in England 1-1. Then beaten them 5-0 in the ODI series and now, at home, they have comprehensively beaten South Africa 2-0. They are the most promising team of the year and we should be looking forward to their future series. The change in captain was a welcome move for them as Mahela Jayawardena just keeps on getting better and better. His knock in the last innings of the last match against the SAFs was one of the most memorable innings played under pressure that I remember watching. Murali as usual spun a web and continues to be the genius that he has been for so many years. Other bowlers have also supported him very well, the most interesting being Malinga. Sangakkara and Jayasuria are also hitting good runs and helping Mahela along. Kudos to the Lions. Sri Lanka was my favourite team at the time of 1996 world cup and they seem to be getting close to that sort of form once more.

England's easy series win has been a bit of a surprise. How often do you see a team making > 525 in the first innings and go on to loose a test match easily? That's what Pakistan did yesterday and they must be utterly disappointed that they could not hang on for one day. As I had written earlier, The two Ys and the I have been good but there has been absolutely no support from other batsmen and that has proved to be critical. England turned all the screws on them with brilliant batting, bowling and Fielding. I am reallly happy for England with their two wins. This now means that they will be ready, charged and raring to go at the Champs in the Ashes. They have many things working for them - the outstanding forms of Bell, Cook, Pieterson, Strauss and Trescothick. Peiterson and Strauss's efforts were kind of expected but both Cook and Bell have been sensational. Of all of them, my favourite continues to be Kevin and he is already moving up places in my all time favourite cricketrs' list. He said at the start of the match that he sees a century coming his way soon and he hit one in the first innings! Isn't that brave? He has that ruthless arrogance and confidence in him which makes him extremely dangerous. He has no fear of failure. In my opinion, he will be on of the best batsmen of this decade. As expected, Harmison has bowled beautifully but the real surprise weapon was Monty Panesar. He has improved his game by leaps and bounds to compete now with the top spinners in the world. His will have be a pivotal role if England are to match Australia.

According to the form of the day, I cannot put my money on Australians for winning the Ashes. I badly want England to win the Ashes and I think they look good to do so on paper but then the Champions are always hard to beat. It all makes up for an even more exciting Ashes tourney. Can't wait for it to start...

Cheers,
- Tosh

Loss of precious lives due to rain...

2006-08-08T15:14:00.000+05:30

Over the past few days, one thing worries me. Why don't we shout and scream against the loss of lives of the poor due to the rains? In my opinion, this is one of the most important responsibility of a nation (or state) and its government. To save the citizens from periodic/yearly disasters such as floods and rains. There seems to be a chaos and lack of planning in handling such situations. So far, this year, rains and flooding have cost around 60 lives each in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

My concern is that not enough is being done to reduce this damage over a period of time. Not many people seem to be so serious about it. The schools in Mumbai being shut for a day or two make bigger headlines in papers/TV that the number of deaths due to floods! The funniest thing I saw on TV news was that on yesterday, they were showing a filthy-rich young kid playing video game at his house and the reporter reporting that this is what the rains and the floods have done to Mumbai! Is that it? I AM SORRY NO... The rains and floods have washed away lives. Taken away sons, fathers, husbands. Taken away the homes, bread and butter of millions. But not enough people that I see are taking this seriously.

And about the government efforts? They are all in rescue mode now. The relief operations are a knee-jerk reaction. But this should not happen time and again. There must be better planning to avoid the life-loss in the first place.

What are the solutions?
- More government plans and their execution.
- Rain water harvesting in cities [I have heard that there is a law in Ahmedabad where every new construction is not allowed a clearance unless they make sure that none of the rain water falling on its surface will go beyond its boundaries. It has to be harvested below its soil. Its an excellent initiative. Why is it not seen in all the cities?]
- A mega river plan wherein floods can be avoided or reduced.
- Early weather monitoring systems to warn - Heard that the Doppler radars which are coming in before the 2007 monsoon will help this cause.
- Any other thoughts?

I urge the governments to give serious thoughts to all these issues and start putting together short and long terms plans to avoid such calamities.

-Ashutosh

Registered for the IIT Bombay Distance Education Program

2006-07-28T18:37:00.000+05:30

Today I registered for the IIT Bombay Distance Education Program. I plan to credit the course Solar Photovoltaic Technologies by Prof. Chetan Solanki. The course will run through the semester July end - November 2006 and will be offered through video conferencing at Persistent Systems Pvt Ltd. The classes start tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Mumbai Blasts - Horrible TV coverage

2006-07-27T13:29:00.000+05:30

Let me begin by expressing deep sympathy and solidarity to those who suffered because of the deadly terrorist attacks on Mumbai local trains on 11th July 2006.

This article is to criticize the electronic (TV) media coverage of the news related to this terrorist attack by the Indian news channels. As is also pointed out in many other blogs at Indian Blogs Slam TV Coverage of Mumbai Blasts , the TV news coverage was horrible, crass, dangerous, and highly deplorable.

The scenes of dead bodies and blood and flesh and body organs lying around on streets is not something that anyone wants to see while tuning on to the news of a terrorist attack. Given that the children and kids watch the channels regularly, such coverage is absolutely ridiculous.

There is one more angle to such coverage. Such pictures only intensify the anger and can incite a feeling of revenge in the minds of the entire generations which is very disturbing for the security of the country. The last thing we want is internal riots and thankfully we didn't have them this time round. But these images can stay put in minds for years and might lead the youth to some disturbing paths.

I wholeheartedly condemn the ghastly coverage. If you are interested more, you can click on the link provided above to learn about other blogs and bloggers who are raising their voices to protest the shameless show run by the news channels.

In the meanwhile, I noticed that on the said day, the news coverage of BBC and CNN was the most professional and clean. Both the channels had restrained from showing such sick pictures but at the same time their reporting and journalism was brilliant.

- Tosh

Current Reading...

2006-07-26T18:22:00.000+05:30

"AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY OR The story of my experiments with truth" by Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi - Father of The Nation.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0486245934/sr=1-1/qid=1153918326/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-0512997-9399339?ie=UTF8&s=books

Cheers,
- Tosh

Bombay Brasserie @ Pune

2006-07-24T16:55:00.000+05:30

This is about a restaurant in Pune on the Dhole Patil Road. The name is Bombay Brasserie. It is my most favourite restaurant in the city. Its a little on the costlier side. However, the service, the food and the ambiance is just terrific.

On a typical weekend nowadays in Pune, all such hotels are over crowded. Even if you get a table to sit after a long queue, the service is often pathetic with long waits for the orders. However, not so at Bombay Brasserie. This being one of the costlier places, it is not so much crowded as the rest, which is why, the service is excellent. The ambiance is also different from most of the other places I have been to. I have not experienced their open-air or the Kabab Factory buffet but I have heard that they are very good as well.

So, the next time you think about eating dinner outside in Pune, this is the place to be.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Site Meter : A Classic !

2006-07-13T16:06:00.000+05:30

While browing through some other blogs today, I found out this cool website analytics tool (Free).

http://www.sitemeter.com/?a=home

What is does is:
- You need to register on the site along with the URL for your website homepage that you want to analyze.
- SiteMeter generates an HTML/Javascript for you that you need to embed in your web page.
- Everytime someone visits your web page, the Site Meter analyzes the visit. It records a number of different parameters for that visit e.g. Domain, IP, ISP, Location, OS browser, length of visit, page views in visit, referrer, entry, exit page and so on.
- You can always log on the Site Meter site and get different reports based on these straffics of the traffic on your web site.

Quite amazing, even more so when it comes absolutely free. Check it out!

Cheers,
- Tosh

Test Cricket: England Vs. Pakistan

2006-07-13T10:42:00.000+05:30

From today, this new test series starts with both teams having a handful of injuries. England have been shaken up by a resurgent Sri Lankan team and will be hoping that they can forget that disastrous series. Pakistan, on the other hand are fresh from a break and are coming from a 2-0 drubbing of England in their home series. Looking at current form, injuries and recent past, Pakistan start as clear favourites.

However, they have their own problems as well. Their main fast bowlers are out with injuries. The opening pair has not performed yet on fast tracks. Their main strength is the middle order batting, which on current form is the best in the world. It will be interesting to find out how much weight Inzy, Younis and Yousuf can carry on their shoulders. I guess that England will make fast bouncy tracks now that many Pak quicks are out.

Given that, and given the home advantage, I think England won't be as easy to beat as they were against Sri Lanka. The other players to watch out for will be Asif, Kevin Pieterson, and Steve Harmison. Asif, I think is one of the best fast bowlers around today. Harmison is coming back from a long layoff and will be eager to do well without his partners. Pieterson is the man to look out for, he has been amazingly consitent and equally ruthless on all kinds of bowlers in the world.

My prediction: 1-1 or if not, then 1-0 Pakistan.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Sports Bonanza...

2006-07-11T13:22:00.000+05:30

It was a month to remember. A lot of sports events were lined up live every evening. The England-Sri Lanka cricket series, the India-West Indies cricket Test series, the Soccer World Cup and the Wimbledon.

England were easily outplayed by SriLanka in the one dayers. Sri Lanka looked like a transformed unit under the new high-performing captain Mahela Jayawardena. He along with Sanath Jayasuria tore apart the England bowling. England missed half their full strength team - or even more. Despite that, the SL players really played out of their skin and the result said it. The return of Sanath is an ominous sign for the bowlers around the globe as the Cricket World Cup comes closer (6-7 months away).

Next the Ind-WI series. After edging India in the close and tight one day matches, WI just could not raise the level of their games in the tests. India lost out on fielding in the ODIs but they were back to their best during the tests. India looked like winning all the four matches which is a tribute to their game, really. India never had - and even doesn't have - a killer bowler who can run through lower orders - which is why, as expected, India could not finish off WI on a couple of occassions. But for the rainy day, India would have gone home 2-0 which was what they deserved. Kumble and Dravid stood out with talisman efforts but it was a team performance with most of the players chipping in at important moments.

World Cup Football. ITALY the champs. Brazil the villains. Zizou the double role - Hero + Villain! It was a great great show really. For the whole month viewers across the globe were a party to the superb entertainment that the players provided. For me, Zinedine Zidane was the best player, even after his shocking head butting incident. That incident will be discussed more that his missed header and the genius penalty. Really, the penalty that he hit was a magical masterpiece. It took a lot of courage to do that in a World Cup Final. And that too against the goalkeeper Buffon! It was the moment to remember for me out of all the matches in this cup. I watched most of the matches of the last few rounds and had a great time throughout the month.

The most exciting times came during the men's final of the Wimbledon. Roger Federer vs. Rafal Nadal. What a match! Roger was the favourite and he proved why he is the king on grass. It was a pure classic. The way Roger kept hitting the backhand slice and reducing the speed on the ball - The way Nadal kept blasting away but could not chase the winners that seemed to come from nowhere. Federer, as usual, tired him down and in a few flashes of brilliance, won the important points. Thats his speciality. He is, for me, the best tennis player I have seen play. And he deserved all the Four Wimbledons.

So all and all, an unforgettable month of Sports!

Cheers,
- Tosh

The Oil Scam in India?

2006-06-12T15:31:00.000+05:30

The Global crude oil prices are soaring. Which means the Indian petrol/diesel prices will also increase substantially over a period of time. Petrol is already very costly here - around or more than 50 Rs. a litre. If these fuels' price increase, so does the inflation. And then it leads to an increase in the gap between the rich and the poor.

I was really surprised on reading one article in the newspaper Sakal. It said that if we remove all the central tax, state tax and excise duty from the Petrol prices, the rate per litre will come down to half! Isn't it amazing? It leads to the obvious question - Is it justified to tax the most sensitive commodity so heavily? That too in a predominantly poor/developing country?

I am not an expert economist. But I still think that taxing almost 100% of the petrol price is just way too much considering the spiralling effect it has on the overall prices/inflation. Agreed that the government needs money and taxes to run the nation. But should it come at the cost of every citizen including the poorest of poor?

And now, some state governments are claiming fame by not taxing the increased amount of 4Rs per liter of Petrol. But what about the 25 Rs or so that they are already taxing? Add to that the chaoitc handling of the issue by all state governments! Some states want the citizens to bear this additional burden. Why is there no central control of the state taxes especially for such an important item like oil?

I really think that the government should look at other ways to earn money rather than taxing the common man in such a rampant manner. If the inflation goes out of hand, the poor will become poorer. The rich keep getting richer anyways.

Let me know your thoughts.
- Ashutosh

Ind - WI One day series

2006-06-09T17:44:00.000+05:30

It was a very closely fought contest. At the start, India had the edge. But the West Indies came back well and had the nerve to win all the close games. Fielding was the a key area that made the difference, but as always on the foreigh tours - Indian batting IMO was the main reason of the loss. The batsmen went from being over confident in the first few matches to being frightened in the last two. It was nerves, nothing else. Especially in the two games, when India had a number of wickets in hand at 40th over or 35th, but they just couldn't up the tempo. They were so low on the confidence at that time, they couldn't put away even the bad balls. Part time bowlers likge Gayle and Sarwan and Samuels were giving just 3 runs an over. No doubt India carried a lot of weight of expectations and burden on their shoulders and crumbled under it. Not that they did not have the opportunities, not that they did not have good players.

It has been a real problem with the Indian team. They are chokers outside the sub-continent. They have improved in the past few years before which they were plain losers on the away soils. Take the Australian test match - the farewell match of Steve Waugh - or the world cup or these one dayers. they have consistently created situations of strength and then just as they had promised a lot, failed to deliever the knock-out punch.

In this series, they were so close to puling off miracles - Yuvraj in the 2nd match and Sreesanth in the third - but they gave it away. Yuvi got bowled on a slower ball and Dravid misfielded when 4 were needed of 3. Its a perfect example of choking.

The blame should not be taken away from the top order batsmen and the big problem was that of No.3. India does not have a good enough No.3. Pathan was tried there but with no luck. If Dravid batted in that position then the middle order became weak. Raina was tried too, but not good enough technique. Which takes you back to two oldies - Laxman and Sachin. Honestly, either of them have to play if India is to perform well on foregn soil in ODIs. But Dravid and Chappell are not willing to compromise on age and fielding.

Another factor was the five-bowler theory. It worked wonders on Asian pitches but failed to impress in West Indies. As said earlier, it is still a good ploy, we just need an even better all rounder to take its advantage. I think the time is right to give another chance to Reetinder Singh Sodhi. Or Piyush Chawla.

All and all, I was sad with the Indian performance but not completely disappointed. Powar bowled well, Yuvraj batted beautifully and Sehwag came back to form. But one thing is clear, unless India sort out their top order selection and the all rounder problems, it will not be such a big force to reckon with when the great show starts next March in the Caribbean.

Cheers,
- Tosh

R e s e r v a t i o n s

2006-06-09T16:33:00.000+05:30

It's been long since I have not posted anything. Have been pretty pre-occupied with work (for a change!) in the office, so didn't get much time for all such time-pass.

I have thought long and hard about the issue of reservations to OBCs in institutes of higher education. I have changed my stands a couple of times (or more) after taking a look at different angles, talking to different people etc. And finally I arrived at a conclusion. I oppose the move initiated by Arjun Singh. And here are my reasons:

1. I am not against the idea of reservations, and not even against the idea of reservations based on caste. However, which castes to reserve for, how much to reserve for them and so on is, according to me, a very important topic which is being missed in this debate. There are extremely conflicting numbers coming from many government agencies regarding OBC contribution in the total Indian population. Firstly, there has to be a consensus on this number. And then only should we finalize the quota. Its a topic which has not been given enough research in the controversy, which is sad.

2. If we apply the rule x% of the population then give x% reservations, then this rule must be strict. I mean, if x% is reserved for caste Y, then no institute should admit more than x% from caste Y. Even if those additional students can get admission in the general quota by virtue of merit. This is a point very few people are discussing but it is a very vital one. If you want to give someone x% representation then restrict it to x%. Otherwise you are doing grave social injustice to other sections.

3. There must be a limit to the whole issue. There should be a limit to max % of reserved seats per college. There should be limit to which places reservation applies. e.g. Why is their not enough debate on restricting reservations to graduation level? There should be limit to which fields - e.g. reservation in Defense, higher medical education, and other such hyper sensitive fields must be less than the other fields. There should not be a blanket rules saying x% reservation everywhere. There should be a limit on the number of generations for which the benefit is applicable. There should be a limit on the number of times the same individual gets the benefit. e.g. If a benefit (+ scholarship) is given at graduation level to a student, it should not be given at post graduation level to the same student. Why is the government not considering these alternatives?

4. The decision to increase the number of seats is impracticable. If institutes are forced to do so, their quality will degrade. The goverment should focus on why there are not enough teaching staff available to handle the increased load? Why does India have only 6 IITs and IIMs? Why is their number not increasing?

5. There must be a comprehensive study of reserved category students' performance and its trend over the past few years. This is the only measure of effectiveness of this policy. Why is the government not taking any step to measure that?

6. If the poiticians are so damn serious, why noone dares to speak about reservations in parliament?

If we try to find answers to these and many more such questions, we will agree on one thing. Social justice is not the only objective the government is trying to achieve. It is clearly playing a dirty game of populist vote bank politics. A game which has the potential to divide the nation. Recently, some reserved class scientists have made protests to increase reservations in Scientific domains. The fire once started is very hard to extinguish.

So much so about the problem. Now - how can it be solved? One solution - All higher caste citizens MUST vote. There is not much else that can be done. As one of my friends wrote to me - This is one disadvantage of democracy.

- Ashutosh

Stock Markets: Is the SEBI doing enough?

2006-04-25T17:20:00.000+05:30

http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/apr/25bull.htm makes an interesting (and scary) reading. Especially the sections about PNs and FIIs are important. In my opinion, it may not be safe to invest in the secondary market. Mutual funds might be a good option as they keep booking profits.

Meanwhile, I got 50 shares of Emkay Shares and Stock Brokers. It will get listed on Friday. Looking at the latest IPO Listings, it might list on a premium. I am expecting a close of at least 150 (for Shares issued at 120). Lets see.

I am also planning to invest in DS Kulkarni's FPO.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Applied For an IPO...

2006-04-06T17:52:00.000+05:30

Yesterday I applied in the IPO of Emkay Shares & Stock Brokers. I applied for 250 shares, each for Rs. 120. Hoping that I get some allotment and then some profits :-)

Cheers,
- Tosh

The Five Bowler Theory

2006-04-03T19:02:00.000+05:30

This Saturday, NDTV showed an interview with Rahul Dravid, the Indian Cricket captain. The interview was very interesting. It started with a question to Dravid - whether he wanted to be remembered as the captain who won India the Rare Test Series outside the sub-continent. That question pretty much sums up the mission that captain Dravid and coach Chappell have been running for the past few months. Dravid's answer was the diplomatic No as usual but it is quite clear that this has been one of him main objectives.

The most controversial issue doing rounds right now is the five bowlers theory that Dravid and Chappell have introduced. The obvious de-merit is that if the top order collapses, there is a good chance that we might end up scoring a very small total. That happened in Mumbai and we lost the Test. But I am personally for this 5-bowler-theory. The reason is this. If you play only four bowlers, you are essentially being defensive even before the match starts. If we want to WIN test matches -abroad or at home- we have to play five bowlers. Sure, that will weaken the batting a bit. But then, there is no free lunch! You have to loose some to win some. Dravid's argument was that the current team has many mini-all-rounders in it. Dhoni, Pathan, etc etc. They have been given opportunities and they have flourished. With these players building a very strong lower middle order, India can take the risk of playing only 5 specialist batters. Dravid also spoke about the Ashes and how England won it because they had five regular bowlers. And about why Australia was playing Symonds &/or Watson.

The determination on his face looks amazing. One thing is pretty clear. The Dravid of the past has changed. Somewhere, the positive mind has woken up inside him. The monster who hit Allan Donald for a six over long on has now risen with full passion. He has gone through many ups and downs. At some times, he could not pinch singles. Then he could not hit boundaries in one-dayers. Sometimes he was made to keep wickets in order to retain his place in the team. He never complained. He took everything in his stride and kept performing exceptionally well. And he is now leading the Indian team with a vision to succeed. With the Ganguly saga over, and with Chappell extending full support, there is no reason why the dreams can't be realized. In the young team of today, India has the makings of a world-beating setup.

In the meanwhile, the golden run in One-dayers continues. India now lead the series 3-0 and I won't be surprised at all if they win it 7-0. They are on a roll. They cannot believe that they can loose, and when that happens, a team becomes dangerous. They have many top order problems to sort out, but even with that, they are coming out on top convincingly in each game they play. Its a dream dream run and one that we hope will continue as long as possible.

Meanwhile, my favorite-Raina has come back with a bang and Ajit has also made a surprising comeback. Harbhajan's return to form is heartening and it is important to note that Dravid supported him Fully during his poor run. One thing is sad though. Virendra Sehwag, I think, is taking his place for granted. I watched him live today. He was laughing after every ball. Playing careless shots, many of which he missed. And when he finally got out bowled, it was downright embarrassing. He must be sacked - at least temporarily, just to show to him that he needs to be a bit more serious. And remind him, that there is always someone who would be more happy and hungry to grab his place. Watch out for Gautam.

In the interview Dravid also spoke with great respect for Sachin Tendulkar. He said that Sachin is much more valuable to the team that just scoring runs and bowling a few overs. The way he prepares for a game, the way he carries himself, inspires and teaches others was very essential. That makes him an invaluable asset of the team. This was a clear indication that Sachin will not go the Ganguly way and will retain his place in the team, even if his poor form continues for some more time.

Cheers,
- Tosh

A small but adventurous trip around Pune

2006-03-27T16:20:00.000+05:30

On this Sunday, we had some guests in our house. They had come to Pune from Roha via Tamhini ghat in the morning. They wanted to visit a place in Chinchwad along with me and my wife. After that they planned to start back for Roha via Lonavla by the 5 pm bus - and reach Roha by 10 pm.

To give some background, there are two routes to Roha from Pune. One is through the beatiful Tamhini Ghat. This is a short-cut. The longer route is through Pimpri-Chinchwad-Lonavla, which is a longer one. The only bus on this long route from Pune in the noon is at 5 pm which reaches Roha at 10 pm.

So we all started from my house in Kothrud at 12.30 pm and surprisingly reached Chinchwad in just 25 minutes. The roads were near empty in the hot noon and so it was a very easy and pleasant drive via the highway. Luckily, our meeting at Chinchwad ended in an hour and a half, so we had plenty of time in our hands before the visitors could catch their 5 pm bus. It was then that we all decided to change the visitor's plans.

According to the new plan, all four of us (The two visitors, me and my wife) would start immediately (@ 2.30 pm) from Chinchwad towards Hinjewadi. From Hinjewadi, we would take a road towards Pirangut. Pirangut is located on the Pune-Roha road about 30 KMs away from Pune. But the big advantage is, there are many buses from Pune that go towards Roha from this route at that time of the day, as compared to the only 5 pm bus on the Lonavla route.

So off we went from Chinchwad - back towards Pune on the Bombay Banglore bypass. We left the bypass at Hinjewadi, showed our guests a number of cool IT buildings in Hinjewadi. And then crossed Hinjewadi to travel towards Pirangut. It was around 2.45 pm. We knew that a bus from Pune would start towards Roha via the Tamhini route at 3 pm. This bus was expected to reach Pirangut at around 3.30 pm - 3.45 pm. So our target was to reach Pirangut before 3.30 pm at any cost so that the visitors could catch this bus at Pirangut. With so much of time on hand, we were more than confident that we would make it in time.

Then the shocker. With 5 KMs. still to go, we stopped at a place known to the visitors. They had an acquaintance working in a plant on this road. When we met that person, he told that the road ahead had a bridge before Pirangut which had recently fallen off! So according to him, the only way out for us was to go back to Hinjewadi, take the bypass, come to Chandni Chawk and catch the bus. But that would have taken us more that half an hour at least, and we would have surely missed the bus at Chandni Chawk. Disappointed that all our optimizations had fallen apart, we began our drive back. On the way back, about 5 kms still away from Hinjewadi, we saw a (kind-of-kaccha) road to Pirangut. We stopped a vehicle on that road coming from the other side and confirmed that the road was accessible right through to Pirangut and had no broken bridges :-) However, this road was severely damaged and kind of risky. We still decided to take the risk as the distance was only 10 Kilometers.

As we moved ahead, we realised that the ride was very bumpy but equally beatiful. This road goes through hills and rivers with lush green fields on both the sides. It was really enjoyable but scary. We had almost no other human being visible in the near vicinity. The road condition meant the car could break down or catch a puncture anywhere and we would have no help at hand! After a long wait, we reached Pirangut at sharp 3.30pm. The bus reached there at 3.45 pm and the visitors were only too happy! They reached Roha at 7 pm whereas via Lonavla they could not have reached before 10 pm.

It was a bit tiring, but the beauty of the nature generally over-rides such exhaustion. And so we had a wonderful drive. The sudden and un-expected changes in plans right throughout the journey made our day really memorable. Looking forward to many more such trips in the future.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Current Reading...

2006-03-23T19:48:00.000+05:30

Autobiography named Samidha by Mrs. Sadhana Amte, the wife of Baba Amte. Baba Amte is a legendary social worker. SadhanaTai, his wife has supported Baba's work throughout her life. It is said that behind every successful man, there is a woman. And SadhanaTai has played a critical role in the service rendered to the society by Baba Amte.

More on Baba Amte here: http://www.rediff.com/freedom/amte1.htm

SadhanaTai married Baba Amte when he was in very initial stages of his service to the nation. His main project of Leprosy patients was launched a few years after the marriage. The book has two main parts. One, their initial days, when they faced many problems related to health and budgets. Once they started getting the finance from the government and others, they really created big projects of social service in which thousands of poor and affected people were nurtured, cured and developed.

One cannot help but get a strong urge of doing some or the other service for the society after reading such books. The other obvious realisation is that the comfort which we enjoy everyday is in complete contrast with the difficulties faced by the poor living in villages. This gap between the rich and the poor must come down if India has to become a Developed nation.

The book makes excellent and though-provoking reading. Highly recommended for all those who can read Marathi.

- Ashutosh

Related Links:
http://www.spcollegepune.com/DEPART/deptenglish1a.htm
http://www.dkpdindia.com/Samidha.htm

Catches Win Matches

2006-03-22T17:52:00.000+05:30

What a match! Come the morning of the fifth day, and all the three results seemed possible. Curator's dream come true.

All the Indian dreams were shattered by an impressive England performance. After dominating the first two days of the match and holding on ever so slightly in the next two days, England produced a killer performance on the last day. Something that they missed so much in the earlier two games. Well played Colts.

I would say that India lost the match (And could not win the series) more because of their poor top order batting & catching than because of England's good bowling. In my opinion, the decision to go in with 5 bowlers was correct. Howeer, the decision to bowl first was not. If you are gonna play five bowlers then you must believe that the 5 batsmen will be good enough. If you don't believe that, they you pick 6 batsmen. Its as simple as that.

Anyway, it was a good cricketing series I feel, with almost all matches getting decided on the last day and that speaks tons about the quality of pitches. Andrew Flintoff was the star performer and he really relished the captaincy. India found two exceptionally good talents in Munaf Patel and S. Sreesant, both of whom bowled brilliantly. The Indian (mis)fielders dropped more than ten chances in a match, and no team should expect to win after that. There should be no excuse for missed chances. Add to that, the top order failures meant that we were expecting just too much out of our bowlers and so the end was inevitable.

Another impossible thing happened in Mumbai. Sachin Tendulkar was booed. The man tipped by many as the best to play the game was hooted on his home ground. What a surprise! It just goes on to show that Cricket is a game of consistent performances and not just past track records. [Feel free to think about Saurav Ganguly if you wish to :-) ] Tendulkar is probably at one of his worst patches in his career and he has only two options. Score or Go. It will be interesting to see how the champion reacts to the pressure.

In the meanwhile, kudos to the Indian sportsmen who are winning so many medals in the Commonwealth Games.

Cheers,
- Tosh

Current Music...

2006-03-17T16:49:00.001+05:30

1. Rang De Basanti -> Rehman rocks as usual!
2. Taxi No. 9211 -> My Ishtyle. Ajama Le is my favourite!

Cheers,

- Tosh

Ind 1 - Eng 0

2006-03-14T15:39:00.000+05:30

India beat England convincingly in the end in the second test match. Even after playing with only 5 batsmen. England scored 300 in the first innings and then India were reeling at 150 for 5. That was when the game changed. Indian lower order scored more runs than the higher order and got the invaluable lead of 30-40 runs.

These tailenders are so frustrating, aren't they? I have a theory about lower and tail end batting. It goes as follows: The team which performs better in lower order batting than the opponent, has generally a higher chance of winning a game. Sounds weird, ain't it? Look at the India Pakistan test series. Look at this test match between India and England. Look at the thrilling one day match between Australia and South Africa. Look at the previous test match between West Indies and New Zealand. The team that batted better in their lower order went on to win the games. Which undelines the fact that cricketers must have a high utility nowadays. Bowlers and keepers have to be good batsmen.

The most promising thing from India in this match was their positive attitude. They went in with 5 bowlers, which I think was a splendid decision. Hats off to the people made this decision.

About the new comer Munaf Patel. When I first saw his bowling, I had the impression that he uses his shoulder a bit too much. Which is how he generates the high pace. This is not very good in the long term because he might suffer shoulder injuries which can be career threatening for the fast bowlers. He should instead work on quickening his run-up just a bit to get the rhythm. All said and done, he moved the ball considerably. Especially the reverse swing in the second innings.

Reverse swing is a miraculous act. It depends a lot on the conditions and the ball. You will find so many times that one ball reverses, and as soon as its changed, it stops reversing. Something similar happened in the just concluded test between West Indies and New Zealand. Shane Bond himself admitted that there was something in the ball which made it reverse more than the one used earlier. If Munaf keeps reverse swinging all balls the way he did yesterday, then it will be awesome. But that consistency will be hard to achieve and we need to wish him best for that.

Dravid in the meanwhile has been the under-rated champion of this match. He was instrumental in India putting up a decent total so he should get the due credit. He is one of those captains whose performance has improved with the captaincy. Well done Rahul, you have led by example.

Off to Mumbai...

The Best Cricket Match Ever?

2006-03-13T16:29:00.000+05:30

Wake up in the morning, check out any news channel, any newspaper, any news site. The top news is the match report of a cricket encounter. Surprisingly, India did not play that game. Still its the top news story. How'z that?

The game had a hot build-up to it. Two teams playing for pride. The grand finale of an evenly matched series hanging imperiously at 2-2. Conditions were perfect on the most beautiful ground in the world - The Wanderers. The bloody cocktail produced an extra-ordinary game of cricket, in which a near-impossible task was made possible - not once, but Twice! Australia scored 434/4 in 50 Overs. The first time any team crossed 400. In reply, South Africa, back to their walls, chased and chased successfully! Can you believe it? NO. No one believed that this was possible. The only men who believed it were the 11 members of the SA team. And it is because of this belief that they were able to pull up a miracle. It was something that could happen only a few times in a century. It was a match to remember. A celebration of a sport. Two thoughts come to my mind here:
"Whether you believe you can do it or not, you are correct". And
"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going".

One performance stands up and away from the rest. On a belter where batsmen murdered all bowlers, Nathen Bracken produced a magical display of bowling. With 5-60 odd, he almost took the game away from the hosts. Ponting, Katich, Hussey, Smith, Gibbs, Boucher played well. They are big names - champions, really. But the guy, who in my opinion turned the game decisively in SA's favour was Van Der Wath. An unlikely hero who came in when the high hopes seemed dashed. And played a gem of an innings, a cameo that took SA so much close, that even a flurry of wickets in the end could not deter them from reaching there.

The margin of victory was the smallest possible: One wicket, One Ball. What a match! Cheers to the (Ex :-) ) chokers. And Cheers to the game of cricket. And while we congratulate South Africa, we must not forget the entertainment provided by the Aussies.

Cricket rocks. Bigtime.
- Tosh

A Cool Dilbert

2006-03-09T14:39:00.000+05:30

Quite a good one.
Source = http://www.dilbert.com

Cheers,
- Tosh

Blog Rolling...

2006-03-02T17:43:00.000+05:30

Came to know about this cool tool from Mahesh's Blog.

Currently, I am using it to store a list of Links. The tool then powers the 'Other Blogs I Read' section on the Right Hand Side of this page.

Check it out, it's too good => http://www.blogrolling.com/

Cheers,
- Tosh

India Rising -> An American View...

2006-02-27T18:44:00.000+05:30

Long but interesting, thought provoking and makes you feel proud :-)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11571348/site/newsweek/

Cheers,
- Tosh

Bharat Uday Mission

2006-02-27T16:22:00.000+05:30

Take a look.

http://bharatudaymission.org/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bharatudaymission/

"Society doesn't go down by the activities of the bad people, but the inactivities of good people" - Swami Vivekanand
"You have to be the change you want to see in the world" - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

We have only one mission. The rise of a great nation.

Team Selection...

2006-02-24T11:29:00.000+05:30

Surprisingly, after a long time, I am really happy with the team that the selectors have chosen. The overall Indian team setup seems to be very promising today with some seniors at the peak of their careers and at the same time some juniors being developed alongside the legends.

First and foremost, the most controversial decision. Saurav Ganguly, The Prince of Kolkatta. The man who brought steel into the fading Indian team of the late nineties. The captain who galvanised the unit into a winning combination during the time of 2003 world cup. The man who made Yuvraj, Irfan (probably Dhoni) and Harbhajan. The batsman who stood near the top of one day &/or test batting charts for consecutive years in 2002 and 2003. All his achievements are kind of getting forgotten with his recent outbursts against the coach. However, all said and done, I think his omission is justified, although it should not be used to erase all the good things that he has done in the past. All good things come to an end and end might be near for Saurav Da. In Pakistan, he played not spectacularly, but good enough in the only chance that he was given. His exclusion is based on his previous performances and the theory of developing some youngsters to replace the ageing middle order. I think this was a good decision.

Gambhir Agarkar and Zaheer were dropped. Ajith and Gautam were given a lot of chances and they couldn't grab many. Hence that decision is also justified. Kiran More said that he wants a backup of 8-9 fast bowlers in the country ready to play at the highest level and this vision is commendable. It will also create a healthy competition, as is visible from the present of VRVSingh and SreeSanth. I will really look forward to VRV. Sreesanth is an exciting prospect since he is not a left arm swing bowler and hence adds a vital veriety to the pace attack. I would love to see him bowl the second over at Nagpur.

Kaif and Raina were also automatic selections. Raina seems to me to be the most promising of the lot in this team. He must be nurtured and developed. But the most stunningly good decision was to get in Piyush Chawla. India is in dire need of more good spinners once Anil Kumble hangs his boots. Chawla could be an answer. Added advantage with him is his batting, something he has proven in the U19 World Cup.

Now comes the difficult part. Which 11 to play? Given that Dhoni + Pathan make up more than one batsman, should India go on the attack and play five bowlers? I suggest Yes. There is nothing better that being positive especially in the first game of the series and I would love to see the following team in the playing 11: Veeru, Jaffer, Dravid, Sachin, Laxman, Dhoni, Pathan, Chawla, Bhajji, Kumble & Sreesanth.

Till then, Cheers and All The Best in the City Of Oranges :-)

C r i c k e t

2006-02-23T11:05:00.000+05:30

India-4, Pakistan-1. That was completely unexpected. Expecially after the consecutive losses in the last Test and first ODI. However, Pakistan went in Over Confidence, just the same day as India did on the opening day of the last test. For four consecutive matches, India chased successfully and now have done so more than 13 times at a stretch now. That's a great achievement given that their record earlier was very very poor while chasing.

A couple of interesting things came out during the series. Pakistan writers wrote off Sachin with comic columns alleging that he feared Shoiab and all... Sachin answered them with two superlative knocks that setup the successful chases. Yuvraj and Dhoni finished off two hard chases easily and that looks very promosing for the future. It will be very interesting though, to see how they perform on pitches outside the subcontinent, now that these two have ruled on all the flat tracks.

One matter of concern. Because Dhoni was promoted, Raina and Kaif did not get enough match practice and this is little risky. If they come in early after a collapse some day, then they will be short of experience, something that the team should think about pretty soon enough.

Agarkar (My Favourite) was promising but not very effective while Zaheer looked out of sorts. Most likely, both of them are on their way out of this team based on their current form. Pathan RP and Sreesanth will make up a good trio, though we do need another FAST bowler. Romesh Powar bowled very well and should be in contention for selection against England, along with Kumble and Piyush Chawla.

The team against England will be chosen today and I am very keen to see Raina in there. Ganguly is still the center of attraction and controversies and it remains to be seen what the selectors do to him now.

More after the selection meeting...

The Uprising of Rahul Gandhi

2006-01-23T17:28:00.000+05:30

Do we have a future star in the making?

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article about him in Outlook. From that, I gathered, Rahul has started on the correct note. He has worked at grassroot levels in his constituency-Amethi. Around himself, he has a ring of both junior and senior knowledgable party workers willing to train him and support him at the same time. He is known to have a craze for techno-gizmos: a natural for any youth.

The big positive that I see in him is his age and his willingness to build up a team. If projected as the next PM candidate in the general elections, I think he has a big chance to win Congress party more than 50% of the Lok Sabha seats. While that will take some doing to happen, if it does take place, it will be a great positive. For the first time in about more than 15 years, India will have a government that will not be bound by coalition jokers. They will be able to take, approve and implement decisions without hinderance. And wouldn't that be a further bonus to the economy?

Plus, looking at the professionalism in which Rahul is going about his task, it will not surprise me if he becomes the most effective PM till date. The question is Will He? And for the first time, if that be the question, I will support the Congress party for that to happen. For the simple reason that he seems to be the only person capable to lead a stable government to make hard decisions for five continuous years.

At the same time, India have, once again replied spendidly to the huge Pakistani total and IMO are in with a small chance to win the test match - with not one but two Pak batsmen likely to miss out in the second innings. If India can convert this opening into an opportunity, I will call that team Champs.

Cricket & Tennis

2006-01-23T10:19:00.000+05:30

Its a dream time for sports enthusiasts. The Australian Open http://australianopen.com/en_AU/index.html and the VB Series is rocking on! While the India Pakistan Test Series is also underway, it is of least interest because of the nature of defensive pitches prepared by Pakistan. It seems Pak is worried about the good show put up last time by India seamers and hence they have purposefully prepared placid pitches hoping that the sheer pace of their bowlers will be enough to take 20 wickets in a match. Meanwhile, India displayed great attitude by dropping a batsman and picking five bowlers while Pakistan took a step back by doing the revers. The presence of Geoffrey Boycott has really added value to the broadcast. He was, is and will be The Best.

About the VB Series, its very precariously poised with almost every team standing at the same level in the points table with half the prelim matches being over. I hope that SL and SA kick out Aus in these stages. Both the teams look good enough to do it but its just a matter of having the killer instinct for long enough. Australia are in the middle of a selection crisis due to rotation and this I feel is the biggest chance for world cricket to pounce on them. All the best to SA and SL.

Not much to write on the Australian except the exits of Sania, Rodick and Wlliams sisters. The second week now promises to be thrilling with many top seeds making their way into the final sixteen. That Martina Hingis is back is a great news for many tennis lovers :-)

Meanwhile, I found a pretty interesting group from the article in Sakal. http://www.esakal.com/static/raviwar11.html The group is located at http://bharatudaymission.org/ In my opinion, it is a very promising concept.

The Rise & Fall of my Favourite Political Party

2006-01-03T18:38:00.000+05:30

Welcome 2006.

Top story at the start of the new year. BJP chief L K Advani steps down. Vajpayee calls Advani as Ram and Mahajan as Lakshman. It was really disheartening to see my favourite Bharatiya Janta Party crumble on its own weight.

BJP started from Jan Sangh on the ideology of the Sangh Parivar. Within a period of around 10-15 years, they rose from 2 to 200 members in the Lok Sabha and ruled the government for more than five years. That was a phenomenal performance. However, with power comes Responsibility. And that's where BJP failed. As is clear from the latest revelations of bribery and corruption in the party, it has lost its Different image. This is its biggest blow.

For me, the Vajpayee government did quite well when in the office. Except one blunder. Gujarat riots. More than the inability of the government to control the situation, it was the involvement of everyone in the system from the police to the CM to the Home Minister in the riots that was shocking. It was I think a prime factor behind BJP loosing the next general election although they were able to win the Gujarat assembly. However, it must be noted that BJP handled their coalition partners much better than what the UPA govt. is doing now (Please refer LEFT) :-)

More important than loosing the elections, it was the later events that did the party in. Uma Bharati sulked. And again, And yet again! Advani's Jinnah remarks were used by Sangh to re-establish their stronghold on the party organisation. Though NDA won a few assembly elections, their public image kept going down.

The biggest problem was they were not accepting their mistakes. Advani did not agree with the expulsion of the corrupt parliamentarians but instead took their side. Instead of doing some introspection, the party kept critisizing the UPA govt. during its national executive in Mumbai. They were unable to break the RSS shackles and could not install a dynamic president like Jetley or Mahajan. The party did numerous unnecessary and exaggerated dharnas in the Parliament and blocked its workingfor too long in the sessions. That is an unforgivable sin.

Overall I think the popularity of the party has suffered a big blow and Cong would win all hands down if a general elections were to happen right now. However, time makes people forget things and it will be interesting to see what happens in the Rajnath Singh-era. I am sure L K Advani is not finished. He will come back, and so will Pramod Mahajan who I think will become a good leader of the party and the nation.

Talking about Cricket, the Ind-Pak series is setup perfectly well. The excitement has reached a peak. In Australia, SA have hit hard on the 2nd day of the 3rd test. Aus will need to fight very hard to save the match from now on. It makes for a thrilling three days of attack and defense. If SA is able to beat Aus, then they will become the 2nd team after India last year to hold Aus in their home ground. And that will be some achievement. Earlier I was sure that Aus will run over SA. But now the recent form from SA makes me believe that they have it in them to come out better from this match. Lets see what result is in store.

Till then, wish you all a very happy new year.

Latest Updates

2005-12-28T13:40:00.000+05:30

Baught a (used) Maruti 800 this Saturday. Medison Blue in colour, 1999 model, 76K Km running. Will post the snaps soon.

Also travelled to my city of origin Nagpur to attend a friend's marriage. Travelled to Amravati on the way to attend a family function.

Back to cricket! Missed a lot of cricket due to these trips :-) The Aus-SA series is generating good interest. SA put up a good fighting show in the first match but are looking down the barrel (As Expected) in the second match. The Australians are consistently scoring many more runs in their second innings as compared to the first - A sign of true champions. In Brad Hodge and Mike Hussey, they have found the next generation middle order. They along with Michael Clarke, I think, will tore the bowling attacks of the world apart in the decade to come. Talking about their current matches, the SA is putting up a real good fight but I am sure the Australians are going to edge them over. SA have a major problem in the sense that they do not have a match winning spinner while Aus have two. This will make a huge impact on the second innings.

In the meanwhile, India as expected, comfortably won the third test match with Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka also missed the killer instinct when they allowed scores of 97/5 and 102/5 to go past 300 every innings. That spoke a lot about the strength of the Indian lower and lower-middle order and is a major reaosn why I think India will remain a force to reckon with in the coming months. With away series to go against Pakistan West Indies, South Africa & New Zealand and a home series against England, this seems to be a fascinating season for Indian cricket fans.

It has not doubt begun on a wrong note with the whole Ganguly affair. The latest move to select him for the Pak series might have two justifications. One - give him a nice farewell (I would be glad if this is the one). Second - Politics. West Bengal assembly elections are coming up in the next 3-4 months and Left is a supporter of the central government in which Pawar is a minister. No doubt the Left who are desparately looking for a continuation of (mis)governance in Bengal, want to score a few brownie points and win a crazy crowd support. Sucks, ain't it?

The Pakistan series is gonna be one heck of a tour. I think on current form both teams are equal. I would say the test series will be a 1-1 draw and one day series is too close for me to predict. Lets see what happens.

The BJP in the meanwhile is at its lowest with charges of corruption, sex abuse etc etc hitting them hard at their 25 year celebrations. With Advani making way for another leader, there is no consensus on the man to follow him. I would blame the current situation on lack of vision and inability to keep Sangh in control. I would love to see either Pramod Mahajan or Arun Jaitley named as the President as soon as possible.

Till next,
Good Bye.

Politics, Corruption, Media & Stocks

2005-12-19T18:02:00.000+05:30

A few days ago, 11 Indian parliamentarians were caught red handed on camera while taking bribes to ask specific questions in Lok Sabha & Rajya Sabha. Shocking, as the news came, there were many reactions and responses to the "Breaking" news. Most of them cried foul about the way all the politicians and parliamentarians work and earn. Many to the ridiculous extent like the one below : I heard this from one friend: "Yaar, I wish the bomb hoax would have been a real bomb. It would have killed all the corrupts". Quite a shameless comment, I think. While thinking about the whole catch-bribery-on-the-cam operation, I came across a really nice article in the Sakal newspaper. It talked about the 11 corrupt parliamentarians and how the media was using them to create a wrong impression of the entire political establishment. The argument was that it is not correct to generalise such things. Agreed that those 11 people were corrupt and their acts must be denounced. However, the parliament has 8-900 members. And just because a few were caught on camera, it does not mean that all of them are equally corrupt and the whole system is rotten. It will be very unfair to many of them.

In the meanwhile, we really need to understand the role of media in a society. Such sting operations are used to increase the channel ratings. Of course they expose a corrupt angle of India's political system. But then, do those same channels spend some time showing the positive side of the coin? The Indian governance system is one of the best democratic and respected establishment in the world. Should not these things too be imprinted on the minds of the youth? What pride is the young generation going to have in the country, if the only thing they see on TV is such targeted yellow journalism? I think this is quite a serious allegation and the TV media must take steps to ensure that they behave in a responsible manner in the society and not just increase their own viewership. As compared, the print media, in my opinion is really good and I have begun to prefer newspapers like Indian Express and Sakal, a lot more than any news channel.

Talking about corruption, I think it starts at the base, with every citizen. Let's take a common example. You don't carry a driving licenense one day. A cop catches you. Fine is 400/-. He offers you a short cut: A bribe of 100 and you are let off. How many people would take the pains of paying 400, going home, producing the license, and so on? Is the person giving the bribe not as guilty as the one accepting it? This will be seen in so many places like passport verification, customs check after foreign visits, & so on. Unless the corruption is driven out of the mind of the common citizen, it cannot be driven out of the whole system.

In the meanwhile, I got 50 shares allocated from the ICICI bank FPO. Its the first time I got shares in an IPO and so I am hapy. However, the immediate returns are not as high as the other issues, so it will be interesting to see if it makes sense to sell these shares right now. In general, the stock market is on a huge roll. It has set aside all speculations for the last few months and set newer records every month. Let's see how it behaves from now on up until the Year End. That will be a big test for the emerging Indian Markets. Happy Trading :-)

Cheers,
- Tosh

C r i c k e t

2005-12-16T09:40:00.000+05:30

Its that time of the year, you know. December. The season of cricket. So many international teams are busy at this time of the year.

Let's start with the India Sri Lanka series at home. With the 1st test drawn and second easily in India's pocket, it will be interesting to see the approach of Indian batsmen in the third. Will they attack or defend? Will they try to squueze in 2-0 or try to defend 1-0. Looking at the current form, it seems unlikely that SL will be able to beat India. Now about the second test.

It all started with the century by Tendulkar. There is no doubt that this country has been hit with the Tendulkar mania since that day on. Every TV channel and newspapers carried big stories on him on the day he became the first person to score 35 test centuries. In my opinion, focussing too much on such individual records is not correct. And especially when it is done with a bias, it sucks. Take for example, the time when we won the test series in Zimbabwe a month or two ago. It was India's first win outside the subcontinent in about 15 years. Did the media glorify this fact as much? Or, the time when Kumble took his 30th 5-wicket haul in the 2nd test - The only Indian to have done it so many times (By far & Long). Did the media sensationalise this personal achievement? No. Why? Because Sachin sells more than Kumble or sometimes even more than Team India. These facts certainly gives a sad impression of the India media.

Media apart, it was a good overall show by the Indian team. Sachin, Kumble, Pathan, Bhajji, Gnguly, Yuvraj, Dravid and in the end Dhoni all played well sometime or the other. Kumble was no doubt the star performer. It is just impossible to imagine an India test win without him contributing. He will leave a big hole when he stops playing. Other Indian bowlers need to pick up wickets more frequently before that happens.

Gambhir and Agarkar were disappointing to say the least. I will put my money on these two playing very well in the third match as that will be a very important match for their careers. Gambhir is just not getting decent starts and Agarkar not getting the consistency that he found so well in the one dayers. Agarkar is my favourite fast bowlers nowadays. His confidence after returning to the one day team was amazing. His ability to bowl the yorker and to reverse the old ball is spectacular. However his consistency in tests remains a big question mark. He will have to do much more if he wants to retain his place in the team where he will soon face fierce competition from guys like Zaheer, RPSingh etc.

On the dropping of Ganguly. Let's say that he played very well in this match before saying that he does not deserve a place in this team right now. The time is ripe for him to hang up his boots with pride. His career had finished the moment he took the press conference after the century in Zimbabwe. However, I do feel that it was wrong to drop him for the 3rd test. He should have been told that this series would be his last. Or else, he should not have been picked in the squad for the series. India have a tradition of looking down at their past captains starting with Azharuddin and now at Ganguly. Even Steve Waugh was dropped from the Aussie team, but that was with pride. He was not cornered the way Azhar and Ganguly were. It will be interesting to see how well Saurav plays in domestic cricket to plan a comeback now, which seems near to impossible.

Another gripping series is on in Aus with SA. SA looked a handsome ODI team but tests are different. And very difficult in Aus. I predict that Aus will crush SA without much trouble. But SA have some new and exciting players to watch out for and their fight will be interesting to follow.

In another series, Pakistan defeated England very easily in ODIs as well as tests. It shows that the game is a great leveller. Now so long ago, England was branded as next best only to Aus, only to be mauled in Pakistan. Yousuf Youhana (I will always call him by this name) and Inzamam Ul Haq, in the meanwhile, continue to impress with their every knock. Inzy by far is my most favourite cricketer on the planet right now. The command, ease & elegance with which he plays is quite beautiful and at the same time his consistency is amazing. He is on a huge high right now and I hope he stays there for long. When he came on to the international scene, he was branded by Pak as the answer to India's Sachin. I think with his recent consistency and captaincy, he has definitely outclassed both Lara and Sachin.

That's all for now. More after the 3rd test.
Cheers,
- Tosh

The Other Side of the Coin

2005-09-19T06:35:00.000+05:30

Mother nature. It can be beatiful, breathtaking, wonderful, and enjoyable. However, it can be fatal. The past few months have seen some really horrible natural disasters in this world. And I am speaking only for India and America. There must be many more of them, which I have not even heard about.

First came the Tsunami. Then the rains and the floods. And the latest killer is the Hurricane Kartina on the Gulf Coast of the USA. It will be very interesting to find out if the Green House effect or the pollution is in any way linked to any of these. Even if there is a small possibility of that being true, then we, as responsible citizes of this planet, must take drastic measures to control pollution. It is for the good of our and our future generations. It will always be a raging debate as to how much pollution should we (and can we) avoid. Less pollution means more efforts and less comforts. While I agree that it is not possible to eliminate pollution completely, at the same time I also want to make the point that we need to devise smart and simple ways to avoid whatever little pollution we can. An example is to use a bicycle instead of a bike whenever commuting, wherever possible.

That having said, I want to show you an email that I got as a forward from someone regarding the comparison of Hurrican Katrina with the Mumbai rans. The email is pasted below. Below that is my response to that email. The email really made me go crazy. As I have said, this email was a classic example of how readers can be fooled by using skillful words, stats and an unfair conclusion. As we keep reading such things in the future, we must reserve the conclusion of the topic till we have seen both the sides of the coin. Thats the point I wanted to make.

The original Email :
Subject: Mumbai Rain Vs. Katrina Hurricane in New orleans
18 inches of rain in new Orleans due to hurricane katrina...
37.1 inches of rain in Mumbai (July 27th)

population of new Orleans... 484,674
population of Mumbai.... 12,622,500

deaths in new Orleans within 48 hours of katrina...1000s
deaths in Mumbai within 48hours of rain.. 370

number of people to be evacuated in new Orleans...
entire city.
number of people evacuated in mumbai...10,000

Cases of shooting and violence in new orleans...Countless
Cases of shooting and violence in mumbai.. NONE

Time taken for US army to reach new orleans... 48hours
Time taken for Indian army and navy to reach mumbai...12hours

status 48hours later...new orleans is still waiting for relief, army and electricity
status 48hours later..mumbai is back on its feet and is business is as usual

USA...world's most developed nation
India...third world country..

JAI HIND.

My reply :

Its easy to forward emails like this. You should do some more
research before sending this thing out.

Lets see what happened in Mumbai and then in NO. Mumbai got
rains. The record before July 27th was 300* mms per day. On
July 27th it was 900* mms. Thats a lot of rain-water. All
drainage systems choked and water level raised on the streets.
It was unplanned, unknown and shocking. Thats why lives were
lost on the streets.

On the GUlf Coast in the US there was a STORM. It was a
hurricane. Not just rains. What that means is very high wind
speeds. Winds that uproot houses. Winds that break glasses of
most of the buildings. Winds that carry with them (to a height
of a few meters) cars, trees, whatever they find. And worst of
all, winds that drive the sea water into the coastal cities.
It was known, planned and hence many people evacuated the
city. Those who were rich and had cars left the city before
the hurricane hit. The poor ones stayed and were drowned.

New Orleans has these Levis (I don't know the correct spelilng
but basically they are some very powerful and force-resistant
walls which protect the city from the sea water). These are
needed because NO is located BELOW sea level. Probably whether
or not - and how much if at all- Mumbai is below the sea level
and how much is NO below the sea level would have been an
interesting stat but not surprisingly, it is missing from the
email! So the Hurricane broke these Levis and the water from
the Sea entered the city - a city which is below sea level.
Note, this is not just the rain water, it is water from the
sea, driven by storm winds moving at a speed of hundreds of
KMs an hour. In Mumbai, there were only rain waters.

This email is a classic example of how to fool readers using
irrelevant stats. The stats are correct but they are not
enough and have been interpreted in a wrong way.

Please tell me the address of the authour and the source of
this email. And do not draw conclusions unless you see both
sides of the coin.

Apologies for marking a reply-all but I just couldn't resist it.

- Ashutosh

My Ongoing US Visit

2005-09-19T06:33:00.000+05:30

Hi There. Long time no posting!
Yeah I actually forgot about blogging :-)
Since the last few weeks I have been on a client visit to the USA. I am staying at Pacific Inn which is a nice little apartment. It does not have the feeling of being in an overly crowded huge hotel but has all the needed facilities. I had stayed at the same place for a few weeks last year too.

I am a member of an offshore team for a client based in Bellevue. They have a couple of products in the market. So far, my company Persistent was involved in working on the old product. Since this month, we have also started working on the second product, which is why I am here. Another colleague will join in a couple of days.

The climate here is changing fast. It was the last few days of summer when I arrived. The rains have now started. The fall will be showing its beauty in a few weeks. And I am hoping badly that I can see some beautiful colours of trees before I head off back to India. The weather in Seattle is generally cloudy for the next 7-8 months. It rarely sees sunshine during this period. Due to this gloomy and sad weather, Seattle has the highest suicide rate in the country! (I don't know if this is actually true!)

That apart, its a very nice place to stay in, as I have learned from a few of my friends here. Its a beautiful place with the snow covered Mount Rainier standing nearby. It is also not as expensive as the other happening cities in the US are. It houses many software comanies including Microsoft and Amazon and hence there are many Indian faces to be seen everywhere. An Indian store named Mayuri is very famous. Its the place from where we get the Rotis that are such an essntial part of the diet. This part of the country also has an awesome bus service which makes it very easy for non residents like me to travel.

Since there is not much else to do here, I will be blogging with much higher frequency than before. I already have a couple of subjects lined up on which I plan to start writing. My next few blogs will be on sports and books.

Till Then,
Cheers,

- Tosh

2005-07-22T19:10:00.000+05:30

Hi There!

Weekly Update

2005-07-22T18:51:00.000+05:30

Here’s a log of what all happened in the current week.

STOCKS : Since I started investing in May 2005, this was the best week for my stocks. A lot of profit and an IPO subscription. My Allahabad Stock has been doing pretty well consistently. However, it shot up this week after it was ranked as the second best PSU bank. The good result also helped the boost. The most special was the leap of Radhe Developers. Just when I had started doubting my decision of buying this one, they declared results. A profitability of more than 70 % ! No wonder the stock rose almost 100% this week. I also subscribed to IDFC IPO. I am hoping that I get allocated.

Good news on the work front too. We had been working to optimize an OLAP query since the past few weeks. This week we got a small breakthrough.

The weekdays are over and the weekend now starts. A movie (most likely) Sarkar and a trip outside Pune is planned. Equally interesting is the cricket match going on : The first test between England and Australia. Though England did well in the first two sessions yesterday, Aus are well on top of the match right now. Kevin Pieterson played magnificently yesterday. Australia beat England easily in the last two one days to win the series and now look really confident to easily defend the Ashes.

I have been reading a book called “Vyakti Ani Valli” by P. L. Deshpande. An excellent book written by a great man! Highly recommended for those who haven’t yet read it. I actually hated the chapter “Ek chaukoni Ghar”, though. But overall, the book is a classic.