My Picks from ’07
On this page, I present the posts from the year gone by that have given me the most satisfaction. Satisfaction of making a funny / sarcastic / serious / heartfelt statement, satisfaction of being read, and, above all, giving a vent to my feelings about issues that appeal to me.
The posts are month-wise, starting from July 2007, when I made a comeback to blogging. I have kept excerpts for each post. Click on the titles to view the whole post.
‘93 Bombay Blasts – It’s over, finally
July 31, 2007 · 3 Comments
It took 14 long years to come. Today is the day when all the accused in the ‘93 Bombay Blasts have been sentenced by the TADA court in Mumbai. The case has finished on a rather shocking note for Sanjay Dutt fans though. The actor got 6 years in jail…a little too harsh people might say and I suspect rallies by film personalities in support of him are not far away.
Super-hyper-(sree)Santh
July 30, 2007 · 1 Comment
…I remember reading a post on Indiauncut, which talks about Super-hyper outsourcing meditation to to his guru! The story was published on NDTV. Here’s an excerpt:
“It helps me to think positive and I can feel the difference. Even during the World Cup I was full of energy. I didn’t play a single game but I wasn’t down. I don’t have to do anything. I tell him how I’m feeling and he helps me perform consistently well at a higher level”
Surely, his guru seems to be working overtime here…too much energy can be harmful, sir! Please cool down!!
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How to Make Sourav-da Run?
August 28, 2007 · 1 Comment
…Making Dada take cheeky / quick singles, convert ones into two and so on, must be the most difficult of tasks for any coach / manager, and I sympathise with the poor souls. In way, though, I do not blame dada for this. The poor man has been run out and has ran out his partners so many times that may be he just tries to be super-careful. But we can’t let this continue, can we? Somethings gotta be done.
A Letter to the Terrorists
August 27, 2007 · 6 Comments
Dear Terrorist(s),
Hope you are doing well. Congratulations on the successful execution of the bomb blasts in Hyderabad. I hope you keep doing your job the same way in the many more years to come. And I really do not see any one getting in your way, least the government. Because, you see, our government is not intelligent enough to know where exactly you are going to execute the blast. It is not even competent enough to take warnings seriously and tighten the security at public places. See what our Home Minister had to say when he was asked about the intelligence inputs received prior to the blast:
“We had bits of information, but we didn’t know when and where it would happen,”
I am sure this makes you feel really happy.
Where was Gandhi on Independence Day?
August 23, 2007 · 3 Comments
Surprisingly, this question never occurred to me till today when I read this article. Now I know why in all those images and TV footage of August 15, 1947 at Delhi the old man was no where to be seen. He was in Calcutta reconciling the differences between the warring Hindus and Muslims of East Bengal in his own inimitable way. The article is by Horace Alexander, who happened to be with him on that day when the great man pulled-off another miracle…
Get Insured Against Kidnapping
August 16, 2007 · 5 Comments
The product development guys at general insurance companies in India seem to be working overtime on developing localised products. A result of this effort is the new Kidnap, Ransom and Extortion Insurance (Tata AIG) the company is offering now. It focusses mostly on the northern region of the country where kidnapping is a well-developed industry…
No. 60 – Yet Another Independence Day
August 15, 2007 · 4 Comments
…Crossroads are adorned by strings of the tricolour. By the evening, they’ll have fallen to the ground and will be getting dirty on the road, no one cares…the celebration (read the holiday) is all but over. We are gonna be back to our daily chores the next day…so go back home and sleep. Even as this happens, the patriotic songs, movies etc. keep playing till the midnight…and the next day they are gone…just like the yesterday has gone. Doesn’t matter what the day was meant to recognise. We had a good time…a nice holiday, that’s what matters.
Here’s wishing every Indian a very Happy Independence Day. Jai Hind.
Ind Vs Eng – A Disappointing Decision By Dravid
August 13, 2007 · 5 Comments
Yesterday, the stage was set for India. We were leading by more than 300 runs and the golden chance for India to win by 2-0 margin was waiting to be taken. All we needed to do was put the Englishmen in to bat again and get them out within the full two days that were left. Lotsa time at hand, and the momentum with us, what else could one ask for?…
Anti-Plagiarism Suits – Why Hindi Films Need Them
August 10, 2007 · 2 Comments
Sony Pictures Entertainment, which produced the Will Smith starrer Hitch, is planning to slap India’s Eros Entertainment and K Sera Sera, the Producers of the latest Salman Khan-Govinda starrer Partner, with a US$ 30 Million law suit!
To this, the reaction from the makers of Partner has been predictable. The Economic Times has quoted Sunil Lulla, the Managing Director of Eros as saying:
“We have no idea about this development and I have not seen Hitch to remake it into Partner.”
August 6, 2007 · No Comments
As promised, here’s the quote by Sri Aurobindo Ghose I said I will post in my previous post:
“If an ancient Indian of the time of the Upanishads, of the Buddha, or the later classic age were to set down in moderns India…he would see his race changing to forms and shells and rags of the past and missing nine-tenths of its nobler meaning…he would be amazed by the extent of the mental poverty, the immobility, the static repetition, the cessation of science, the long sterility of art, the comparative feebleness of the creative intuition.”
This was written many decades ago but, if anything, the condition has not got any better. I am yet to grasp the full meaning of what Sri Aurobindo said over there as I have not read any of his books. I hope I do read them.
Don’t ask questions, it’s our religion!
August 3, 2007 · 4 Comments
Why is it so difficult to question the religion one has inherited? One answer to that question is, today people who want to question are far outnumbered by those who do not. Plus, very few parents react positively or have a convincing answer to questions being raised about why one should do something just because it is said to be a part of the religion. I have grown in a family that follows contemporary Hindu religion. I use the word contemporary because what we call Hinduism today is in my knowledge a highly watered down and badly disfigured version of the original way of life.
September 27, 2007 · 4 Comments
Hockey might be the our national game but cricket rules our minds and hearts. Unfortunately, or shall we say thanks to the pathetic sports administrators, there is a lack of level playing field for the two sports to compete for the attention of viewers or sponsors. The imbalance can be guaged by the fact that there is a sports channel dedicated to cricket, whereas most of the viewers are not even aware of when or where the next Hockey tournament of which India is a part will be held…
Hatsoff to India – The Twenty20 Champs
September 24, 2007 · 1 Comment
Image Courtesy: Rediff
Hatsoff!
The feeling is something else when no one gives you a chance and you come up trumps. I myself had felt that India did not have much of a chance. Glad to have been proven wrong. Well done team India.
Ramzaan – It’s Haleem Time in Hyderabad!
September 19, 2007 · 5 Comments
It’s that time of the year again when I eagerly await the clock to strike 6 Pm so that I can rush to one of the Irani cafes and devour a plate of Haleem which is ‘goat meat mashed with wheat and spices, served with garnishing of ghee, coriander and fried onions’. I am told that the word literally means ‘patience’ in Arabic. This is very apt considering the fact that it takes one whole day of cooking to prepare the perfect Haleem for the starving Muslims of Hyderabad during the holy month of Ramzaan, also known as Ramadan. Since I am not a Muslim, I am spared the starving, but not the Haleem. What fun!…
Sethusamudram Update – DMK Strikes!
September 19, 2007 · 4 Comments
The Political Drama being played out over the Sethusamudram Project just got hotter! In my previous post I had hoped that DMK’s Karunanidhi would toe the party’s anti-Ram ideology to add a bit of excitement to the goings on. And he has done just that!
“Some say there was a person over 17 lakh years ago. His name was Ram. Do not touch the bridge (Ram Sethu) constructed by him… From which engineering college did he graduate? Is there any proof of this?” Karunanidhi asked.
“Only to prevent the good scheme, they got hold of the name of a person who was supposed to have lived 17 lakh years ago,” he said.
The Sethusamudram project has been in the pipeline for quite a few years now. The BJP-led NDA government had approved the project in 2002. It had its opposition, but everything revolved around the environmental damage the project would cause. Knowing the VHP’s and BJP’s knowledge about and inclination towards environmental issues, it’s obvious that they did not protest earlier. Therefore, the affidavit played a key role in giving them a reason to shout about. What good people, I say!
September 14, 2007 · No Comments
Talk about a bolt from the blue!
Just when he was beginning to do well, just when Team India was beginning to look consistent and seemed to have recovered from the shocker of a performance at the World Cup, Rahul Dravid has dropped the bomb.
…So, is it too early for Twenty20 in India, well, time will tell but I do feel that it’s too early for the format to have a World Cup in its name. This is because not all the teams have got used to it. Look at India, it has played only one International Twenty20 match so far. Others have played many more. And this is sure to affect India’s chances in South Africa.
September 6, 2007 · 2 Comments
The IHF has announced “a Rs 1000 bonus for every goal scored, but a fine of twice that amount for every one conceded.” Hats off! KPS Gill. If ever there was an example of the apathy of the sports authorities in India this is it.
September 3, 2007 · 7 Comments
The reactions I got ranged between very good and yuck. Almost all of my relatives resorted to calling me a Jungli. But all the while I was quite sure why I was doing it and the complaints and praises did not really matter. It reminded me of my overweight days. At that time people were asking me to go slim and when I finally went slim (due to illness) they said I looked too slim, put on some weight, you looked better back then. bah!
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What if All the Ice Melts? Oh No!
October 24, 2007 · 8 Comments
Today the Earth has 148 million sq. km of land area, of which 16 million sq. km is covered by glaciers. A sea level rise of 66 meters would flood about 13 million sq. km of land outside Antarctica. Without polar ice, Antarctica and Greenland would be ice free, although about half of Antarctica would be under water. Thus, ice-free land would be 128 million sq. km compared to 132 million sq. km today.
Sethusamudram – VHP is Going to War!
October 23, 2007 · 10 Comments
Images sourced from here and here. Hang it Out ThereOctober 15, 2007 · 7 Comments…and that is appeal!…immediately he had to depart back
…the Brad Hodge has not been in good form
…the batsman has to hang it out there!
…Pathan and Bhajji have done the damage for Australia
…that is why his average has shooted up
Yashpal Sharma again when Symonds played a late cut: …late kar dekhna hai…
- The super long kissing scene between Aamir Khan and Karishma Kapoor
- The song ‘Pardesi pardesi jaana nahi’. This song achieved cult status among beggars all over the country, especially the ones operating in Trains.
October 12, 2007 · 1 CommentFor people like me and many other bloggers this is a reminder of the freedom that we enjoy and often take for granted since we were born in a free country. Pro-democracy activists in China lead an underground life and use the Internet to air their views. The best thing about the Internet as compared to other media of course it that censoring it is very difficult. There’s always a way around.The Sreesanth Nightmares
October 10, 2007 · 14 Comments
If there’s any player after Sachin Tendulkar who could give nightmares-albeit of a different kind-to Australian Cricketers it’s Sreesanth. But Aussies are surely not his first victims.
October 6, 2007 · 3 Comments
Chess appears a sport of quiet solemnity, full of intricate patterns and testing decision-making, sly plots and mental agility, yet somewhat opaque to the general viewer. It is not a sport of cheering crowds, and it is a pity that what Anand does beautifully, and ably, and stylishly, is not apparent to most of us.
October 2, 2007 · 7 Comments
I have now tasted the Haleem at all the popular outlets in Hyderabad which I had mentioned in my earlier post, except Bawarchi of course but including Shadaab and Paradise (which I missed in the previous post). Nothing much has changed in terms of taste but the quantity at some outlets leaves a lot to be desired.
Sethusamudram – No More About the Canal
October 1, 2007 · 1 Comment
“Is it wrong to say that there is no connection between Lord Ram and Ram Sethu? Are we enemies of Ram?”
“We have lot of epics and books to oppose Lord Ram and there is no need for us to oppose Ram for the Sethusamudram project,”.-DMK Supremo, Karunanidhi
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November
Use Expletives. Get Promotion.
November 28, 2007 · 17 Comments
Want your boss to appreciate your suggestions? Then use this advice by scientists at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam.
Now I know what to say the next time I meet my boss for an appraisal. And to take our learning further, here’s a fake mail from a Microsoft HR guy containing the choicest Hindi expletives that you could use. For Telugu expletives, read this discussionat Freehyderabad discussion boards.
Now get cracking you b******s! You can thank me later.
Nandigram burns for more than a month. Hundreds die. Forget sending the army, the CPI(M) makes sure that even the Police stays away. And when a bunch of protesters pelt stones, the army is called-in! Who needs terrorists when we have commies?
November 20, 2007 · 5 Comments
Sangakkara played a delicious knock, counterattacking in the end with some breathtaking shots, before the fatal finger of fate intervened.
Fatal finger of fate? I did not know fate used fingers to make its interventions. Heck, I did not know fate had fingers in the first place! It took a cruel intervention of fate to enlighten me. And am I glad or what?
November 16, 2007 · 7 Comments
The rivalry among the two countries is political. Does a Pakistan hai hai chant become a racist comment? Does it come under the purview of the ICC’s anti-racism code? Heck, is what Indians call Pakistanis and vice-versa ICC’s business at all?
November 11, 2007 · 12 Comments
I also disagree with Navjot Singh Sidhu when he says:
“Are they not playing with the interest of the country,” Sidhu, a former India batsman and now a commentator, asked. “When you appoint Kumble as captain of the team, it is nothing but a retrograde step. He is a stop-gap arrangement.”
That’s total rubbish, but coming from Sidhu, I am not too surprised. He was OK with Saurav being given the captaincy of India when Dravid stepped down. Age did not mater then, but now all of a sudden, it does! I am sure he would not have said anything like this had Sachin accepted the offer.
Bid documents can be obtained from BCCI office at Wankhede Stadium from Thursday 1000 hrs onwards for a non-refundable and non-adjustable amount of Rs five lakh and the bid must be submitted by 1200 hrs on November 17, after which the BCCI Marketing Sub Committee will open the tender.
Eat your heart out if you are a website designer but that’s what I call making some cool money when you should actually be spending it. This deserves a Hats off!
Mr Karat may share communist sympathies with China’s rulers, but surely he can recognise that “socialism with Chinese characteristics”, when it comes to dealings with the external world, is simply another form of Chinese nationalism. Is it that Mr Karat cannot see what should be obvious, or is it that he refuses to do so? In any case, India in Mr Karat’s view is the side-show, the main contest is between China and the US. So why does he not advocate China breaking off diplomatic ties with the US before India does it?
November 4, 2007 · 14 Comments
Image sourced from here
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Dravid the Opener – Why, oh Why?!
December 27, 2007 · 5 Comments
Dravid had obviously been asked to open the innings. He had no choice because the whole country thought the Yuvraj HAD to play. The scapegoat chose himself. Few players would have the balls to take such a decision at a time when they were going through a lull. But Dravid is different. He’ll do it for the team.I don’t blame him for his rate of scoring. It’s the team’s strategy. But just consider what is at stake. A chance to beat the aussies in their own backyard.
December 18, 2007 · 9 Comments
Image courtesy: Klest at deviantart
The last few days have been very surprising for me. This blog has consistently got over a hundred hits. And yesterday it crossed the 200 mark for the first time. It did that today too and as a result the 10k mark has been crossed. I know there are readers of this blog who get 10k hits in like a week or even less. I hope to get there someday. As they say, ‘boond boond sagar bane’ (drop drop ocean becoming).
Tips to Make you a Better Writer
December 12, 2007 · 14 Comments
…last week, Daniel Scocco, the publisher of Daily Writing Tips, invited inputs from the readers asking what they thought were helpful tips in improving one’s writing. He then compiled all of them into one post which he published today. There’re a whole lot of helpful tips over there. 34 entries of them, to be precise.
December 5, 2007 · 6 Comments
I feel rather lonely today. It happens every now and then. But i decided to blog about it this time. Even as I write this, Roy Orbison chants away ‘Only the lonely’.
December 4, 2007 · 10 Comments
“A Toyota Motor Corp employee died of overwork after logging more than 106 hours of overtime in a month,…”
“(The employee) worked for extremely long hours and the relationship between his work and death is strong,”
R.I.P
Akhil Tandulwadikar's Blog 
Kaise Kiye?
Copy paste. I went through my posts month-wise. Copy pasted title and comments links and the excerpt. Had to use the ‘paste plain text’ option for the excerpts.