Cricket World Cup 2011

A few questions that are always on a cricket fan’s mind during world cups:
Will India win the World Cup?
Guess what!!?? INDIA WON the World Cup!!
If India doesn’t win the World Cup, will Sachin play the next World Cup?
Seems like Sachin is ready for another World Cup!
Will South Africa choke in a major encounter?
Looks like it did
Will Australia take the World Cup AGAIN!!!??
No, not this time.
What kind of a blog should I write during World Cup?
Did not write a blog.
Will a major team get busted before the quarterfinals?
Don't remember, but all major teams were there.
Will a minnow enter the knockout stage?
Nope, did not happen this time.
What will be my standing in the fantasy league?
I scored pretty well.
Will we Indians be spared of a re-re-re-re-run of the 1983 WC win / Kapil’s Devils videos before the next World Cup?
Hopefully, this next time, we will see the great WC 2011 WIN!!
Will the live streaming be fast enough from the office?
Office had a TV set up on each floor, no worries there.
Will my cable operator telecast all matches?
Yes, all matches.
Will my friends appreciate my HDTV / HD Telecast?
They did, but India lost one match I hosted, thanks to Ashish Nehra vs. South Africa
Will some team’s coach die mysteriously?!
Nopes!
Will Sreesanth make it big on international stage (crying on international TV)
Well, he was there in two matches including the Final!!
Will India vs. Pakistan happen this World Cup?
Yes it did and in the SEMI FINAL!! INDIAN WON!! Yayy
and so on…
What questions does your cricketing heart float during the World Cup?

Why you should get on Facebook and Twitter right now!!

You know how there is always a big debate around whether something is good for society or bad for society? Generally, the topic ends with a wise proclamation of “This thing is beneficial if used properly, but can be a great danger otherwise.”

It is the same for any number of technological advances. Televisions, Mobile Phones, Social Networks. I personally have been against social networks. I have been, what you can call, a dormant user of Facebook, Twitter and to some extent LinkedIn. I’ve never got around to indulging myself in the activities related to them, which are very time consuming.

I used to hate getting messages about friends of friends of a friend who liked something on their friend’s friend’s wall about a stupid video made by an unknown person. In the end, it was very frustrating for me and made me recheck my friend settings and change them to suit my appetite for such useless content.

But today, everything changed. I’ve realized how Facebook and Twitter can bring down governments. How YouTube can become your news channel. How governments that shutdown internet can get shutdown themselves. (@jerusalemfilms)

It is happening in Egypt right now, and it happened in Tunisia a few weeks ago. It can happen in your own country next. There is no guarantee. And when it happens you better be there, updated with what is going to happen next, or be left behind.

It has become an essential requirement for revolutions. Who could have thought that companies made in car garages can wield the power to topple 30 year old governments. Yes, in the end it boils down to the people who run these companies and people who actually provide the content from the ground.

So I believe, if you can take a little irritation on the side, joining Facebook or twitter is a good thing now. So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, be part of the global revolution!!!

The Reality of Driving

In the movie Inception (2010), Mr. Cobb is taken by Yusuf to his “Dream Clinic” where people go to dream. What happens is, they are so addicted to artificial inducement of sleep and the dream within this artificial sleep that they have forgotten how to dream within natural sleep. It is quite an unnerving thought.

Driving is also another sort of artificial reality. When you are in the driver’s seat a few of the following things happen.

You become the machine – this is the best possible state of driving. You take feedback from the machine and make the appropriate moves to keep the machine in the best state of running. This is a very delicate process that requires tons and tons of concentration. A boon that is a given for most Formula 1 and Rally drivers. Not all ordinary humans possess this, and thus they attain the following state.

You want to be the machine, but get tired – this is the state many driving enthusiasts find themselves in, they love their vehicle but through the lack of driving skill and required concentration and sometimes ignorance, they are unable to maintain the consistent connection with their machine. So they tend to switch off from time to time. (Even Formula 1 drivers switch off during the race, but that is a totally different level of ‘switch-off.’) And when the ordinary person gets out of the car there is a certain fatigue that has to be shaken off before he can progress to do other things in life like work, play, sleep, etc..

You don’t bother – this type of drivers are steadily on the rise, they are driving not because they want to drive, but they drive to go from Place A to Place B. These people are most likely to cause interruptions in traffic. Ever saw a guy talking on his mobile while driving? Well, he belongs to this category. They create a lot of frustration to others who are there to drive.

So, I consider myself to belong to the second state when driving. It becomes the reality for the duration you are driving. And it takes time to switch realities once you are finished driving. It especially becomes difficult to switch into another reality in places like Hyderabad, where the traffic and potholes and other unforeseen circumstances keep you on the edge all the time.

And driving is the reality I escape to everyday. There is definitely a lot of thrill in it. A powerful engine at your command. Sometimes, it can become your only reality, but for the other drivers who will break your reverie at the drop of a hat.

My Tryst with the Google Nexus One

It was a chilly winter day, I was rocking my Sony Ericsson K660i phone. It was an awesome phone. It had Google maps!! (..in 2009, well that was a great feature.) I had done loads of research on what I wanted and it had it ALL and was OUT of production!! So I shopped around and found only one piece in my search. I bought it without hesitation. And then this chilly winter day, the phone died, it did not respond to anything I did. I was heart broken, I felt betrayed. How can this sweet phone do this to me??!! Then I decided that I needed a new phone.

And lo and behold, this happened just the day Google announced the Nexus One. The first phone Google was going to sell, all by itself (turned out to be a crappy decision that) at www.google.com/phone. How awesome is that!!!

It could not be bought from anywhere in the world except US, UK, Hong Kong and Singapore. I have lots of relatives in US so I called my brother-in-law and made him buy the phone for me. Date of Purchase: Jan 7, 2010. And then the wait started, not many people my BiL knew, were coming to India. I waited so much!!

Thankfully I got it pretty early, maybe a week or two later. And thus started my tryst with the Google Nexus One. And through the N1, my love for all things Android started.

The Sony Ericsson K660i is still functional, my wife uses it daily. She was praising it just today of how awesome a purchase it was by me. Actually that chilly winter day, the phone had run out of battery because I forgot to charge it. Well, that was one mistake I am not going to regret.

I am back.. or am I?

The irony!!

Apparently my wife started blogging after she saw me blog.

Then I went off the radar for a long long time. Then I saw my wife blog, using new tools that made blogging easier and efficient.

Now I am using the same tools (Windows Live Writer to be precise). I find quite the Irony in it.

Major events have passed since I’ve last seriously blogged. I really was and continue to be fascinated by Wikileaks and its founder Mr. Julian Assange. Doing some ground breaking work in the field of journalism. I am sure he has breathed fire into a rather misguided media of the day.

I’ve not mentioned in my previous posts, but I had bought the Google Nexus One phone on 7th July, 2 days after it was available for purchase. This added another fascinating member to my family. Android as an operating system is growing leaps and bounds, and so is the modding arena for Android. I have made the switch to Custom ROMs and the journey has been ever uplifting.

Work has been very decent and the traveling and other activities keep me occupied.

I have also found a renewed enthusiasm in PC gaming, with my cousins finding time from their busy schedule to come and play with me online. Red Alert 2, without doubt, has been the only RTS game that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. Console gaming has become a possible event for me with the launch of Gran Turismo 5. I’d really love to play this game on my own PS3 console. So that is set for the future, Inshallah.

Also, I’ve become a die hard evangelist for the following:

• Android
• Logitech Products and
• My Wife’s blog

So, yes, I think I am back to blogging now. Will make every effort to keep a steady flow of them.

Waiting for Motivation

My blog has stood still since the day I wrote that three part story.

 

Been travelling a lot leading to this delay in posting.

 

Couple of ideas in my mind so taking their own time.

 

So please hang on tight. J

Three Stories (Compiled version)

Part I - Sid.

Sid woke up with a sudden jolt as the slap rang hard in his dream. Getting locked out of his hostel for coming late was, in his view, the stupidest rules he had encountered. The fact that he was also drunk did not seem to matter to him. The night was chilly and the sleep restless. His sleep shattering dream was a direct result of his actions yesterday. Sid knew he should not have done what he did. This would be his worst Sunday ever. Priya, his new girl friend was really pissed of at him. All his tireless calling in the night after the event bore the exact same result. "The customer you are trying to reach is currently unavailable, please try again, later." He wanted to apologize and make her understand that whatever happened was a mistake. He did not want to lose her. He felt like he had found true love at last.

With a heavy head, throbbing from his hangover, Sid decided to go to Priya's house. She will surely forgive him provided her memories of last night had dulled from her sleep. Only one flower shop would be open at this time of the day. He would pick some flowers from the florist outside the temple close to her house. He kicked his bike into life and zoomed away. The florist had just arrived and was setting up shop. Sid paid an extra twenty bucks for fast tracking his request for a dozen white lilies (signifying peace). He shoved them into his jacket and was nearing the turn into Priya's lane. He decided to try her mobile once again to try to avoid surprising her so early in the morning. The call went through, meaning her phone was switched on! Priya was awake!

"Hello?" Priya said groggily.

"Hello Priya, don't cut the call. I am sorry for last night. I really am! I want to make it up to you. Can I meet you right now? I will be at your house in some time. I want to talk with you."

"I am not interested in what you have to say, Please don't come."

"Priya, I love you and I am so sorry about yesterday. Please listen to me. I know I...."

CRASH!!!

Part II - Kumar.
Kumar snuck out slowly through the gate, pushing his bike away from the house. After reaching a far enough distance, he started his bike and rode away. Twenty minutes ago, he had gotten a call from his boss.

"Oh no!" Kumar thought, "This is going to be my worst Sunday!"

With the yearly job appraisal drawing close, he did not dare to turn down his boss' request (order) to meet at the office. The Boss was flying out to the States to meet a key client and wanted Kumar to urgently complete a crucial deck of presentation. New financial data had come in late yesterday, Kumar now had to redo all the numbers.

Kumar took pride in the fact that he was the only guy at the company who could crunch those numbers, the way the boss wanted, not today.

He was sacrificing a rare Sunday outing with Sumitha and Sunny. He had it all planned a week in advance. Sunny was so excited when he went to bed yesterday. The Circus was in town and all of Sunny's friends had been to the Circus. Kumar did not want to lose this chance of bonding with Sunny.

Kumar did not want to waste time. If he could make good time to his office, finish the job and start back as quickly as he can, he could still make it home in time before Sunny woke up. He turned into a one-way lane which cut his journey by 10 minutes. There wouldn't be much oncoming traffic at this hour of the morning. His phone rang and the auto-answer kicked in after two rings.

"Hello?" Kumar spoke into his Bluetooth headset.

"Kumar? Where are you?!!" It was his wife!

"Sumi, I got a call from office. Some urgent work came up. I will come back soon." said Kumar

"You promised Sunny that you would take him to the Circus and now you are going to office??" asked Sumitha, shocked.

"I promise I will be back before Sunny wakes up, he won't know I went to work today." said Kumar, trying to satisfy her.

"You'd better be back in time."

The call ended as a turn came up.

SCREEECHHH!! BANG!!!

Part III - Rt. Colonel Ranbir Singh.

Rt. Colonel Ranbir Singh was on a high. Happy, proud and excited as Sukbir was passing out of the National Defense Academy today. Ranbir had woken early for a quick jog before getting ready and setting out for the graduation ceremony. On his way back from his jog, Ranbir had on his mind the double egg omelet, toast and orange juice breakfast waiting for him at his house. The thought, sharpened his hunger pangs, invigorating his appetite. He smacked his lips and hurried towards his house with more vigor in his step.

"This will be my best Sunday ever" thought Ranbir, putting a smile on his face.

Crossing the road and into his lane, Ranbir saw a young kid, with a crooked neck on a bike. Ranbir realized the kid was talking on his phone. He seemed to be on a very important call. So important that the chap did not even bother to stop driving and take it. "Kids these days!! No sense of manners or common sense." thought Ranbir. Just as Ranbir shook his head disapprovingly at the kid, he saw another guy, coming the wrong direction, ram into the young kid's bike.

It was a forceful collision and made a loud BANG followed by several metal clanking and screeching noises. Ranbir could not take his eyes off from the incident. The guy who rammed into the kid flew 10 feet high and hit the road on his head. He wasn't wearing a helmet.

The young kid was crushed by the oncoming bike and his phone flew from his neck, hitting the footpath and scattering into pieces. Everything happened so fast. Both the guys lay slumped on the road. Blood slowly trickling out from under them, forming large pools.

Ranbir took out his mobile and dialed the 108 emergency number. Reporting the accident and location. There was hardly anything he could do to help them. Both seemed to be dead. Ranbir just lost his appetite.

Mobile phones are a good thing when used responsibly. Drive Safe, Drive Responsibly. Do not use mobile phones while driving.