Cyber Scrap

Backlash over FDI Indian retail is politicized just to attract vote banks

2011-11-28T15:54:00.002+05:30

For those who might be too young to remember, the same arguments were posed when the likes of Food World/Big Bazaar/Spencers supermarkets were being established. The neighborhood kirana store owners were all destined to be wiped out according to doomsday predictions.

But 10-12 years later, whats the scenario? We have both the Multi Brand supermarket chains and the local store owners co-existing side by side. Roles might change, the kinda goods you would prefer to buy from the local corner side shop might change, but chances are you would not be running to a Walmart every time you need a packet of milk or a pack of biscuits.

Just because a Walmart or Costco opened in Bangalore, we are not going to suddenly start a diet of Oreos and Pancakes. The stuff that will actually sell would have to be sourced from India and importing that will not make business sense to them.

This entire argument against FDI in the retail sector is politicized to attract vote banks (Hilarious to note the CMs of a particular party welcoming the move, while party itself opposes it!!). In the long run India as a country, and we as both producers and consumers stand to benefit from this competition.

Parliamentary Standing Committee's report on FDI in Retail

2011-11-26T19:20:00.004+05:30

The Hon’ble Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, in its 90th Report, on ‘Foreign and Domestic Investment in Retail Sector’, laid in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on 8 June, 2009, had made an in-depth study on the subject and identified a number of issues related to FDI in the retail sector.

These included:

It would lead to unfair competition and ultimately result in large-scale exit of domestic retailers, especially the small family managed outlets, leading to large scale displacement of persons employed in the retail sector. Further, as the manufacturing sector has not been growing fast enough, the persons displaced from the retail sector would not be absorbed there.

Another concern is that the Indian retail sector, particularly organized retail, is still under-developed and in a nascent stage and that, therefore, it is important that the domestic retail sector is allowed to grow and consolidate first, before opening this sector to foreign investors.

Antagonists of FDI in retail sector oppose the same on various grounds, like, that the entry of large global retailers such as Wal-Mart would kill local shops and millions of jobs, since the unorganized retail sector employs an enormous percentage of Indian population after the agriculture sector; secondly that the global retailers would conspire and exercise monopolistic power to raise prices and monopolistic (big buying) power to reduce the prices received by the suppliers; thirdly, it would lead to asymmetrical growth in cities, causing discontent and social tension elsewhere. Hence, both the consumers and the suppliers would lose, while the profit margins of such retail chains would go up.

Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri Di MARKETING?

2011-11-25T17:52:00.006+05:30

Tease it.. Hate it.. Rip it.. Do anything.. But it has fulfilled 'Why this Kolaveri Kolaveri Di's purpose - MARKETING !!

The BIG People shell out quite a fortune for marketing a movie by making video games, pencil boxes, even writing pads.. what not..

And this guy 'Dhanush' does it with a simple, crappy, rough cut , behind-the-scenes video ???

Next will be merchandising.. some or the other apparel fellows will launch Kolaveri line of T shirts and shorts/tracks and accessories, need not mention the duplicate products also. Kolaveri gift line can also be thought of..

Then some ad campaigner will secure the rights and will launch with their advt with the Kolaveri word or tune.

Then comes special interview of Kolaveri Dhanush at prime time and the associated ad-rates for that program and the TRP Ratings.

Stage shows can also be expected.. Dhanush’s Kolaveri tour in America, Europe.. etc.. he can take an entire troupe with him .

Kolaveri clubs are definitely an option.. They can propagate themselves as harbingers of change who are in a hurry.

Analyst will be analyzing for atleast 6 months the impact of the song on Dhanus as an actor, the additional revenue generated by his new movies Mayakkam and 3, impact of social networking on movies ..

Some will chek if it was a FAD, FASHION or a TREND. And probably it will start a new trend that all makings of song recordings will be launched in youtube first. Then the official music launch function.

Then comes the political angle. (Sensitive area so not going there ) . Then the critics would comment on his voice, lack of music knowledge, use of English and corrupting tamil language…etc etc Critics are funny lot they can even comment that salt was not enough in the tea.

Entire print media would have ensured atleast 2 weeks job by writing articles starting from Dhanush story, his evolution, evolution of songs, connecting to rajnikanth and some may even try to bring is astrology and stars effect and predict future of Dhanush, his movies , his kids… there is no limit.

Finally it will become a case study in some top b school and Dhanush will lecture them on what he thinks made it successful and the role of socially connected world.

What a crappp? Bullshit!!!!!

Side Effects of continuous working…

2011-11-25T17:35:00.004+05:30

I once left home to go to the market wearing my ID card
and did not realize till my friend asked me why I was
wearing it !!!!

Once I was flashing my ID card instead of unlocking the
house door with
keys.

Me and my friends went out for dinner in one of the best
restaurants. .
And as I finished.. I started walking towards the wash basin
with Plates in
my hand..

Once I was on call with my father and mom was not around.
I went on to ask, "Why is she not attending the status
call?"

I don't login to orkut, yahoo, gmail, youtube, etc..
at my personal internet connection at home...
thinking it will be blocked any way.
Till I realize - I am at home.

Yeah sometimes it does happens with me also.
keeping hands in front of tap waiting for
water to drop by itself is very frequent with me.
I just forget that we have to turn on and off the tap....

Once after talking to one of my friends
I ended the conversation saying,
" Ok bye...in case of any issues will call u back"

Sometimes when I mistakenly delete a message
from my mobile, I hope for a second, maybe it's in the
recycle bin

Once I went to a pharmacy n asked for a tab....
pharmacist asked whether I want 250mg or 500mg.....
I replied 256mb....thank god he didn't notice.

And I - after a hectic week, went to a movie. In the middle
of the movie,
when I wanted to check the time,
I kept repeatedly glancing at the bottom right corner of the
theatre

My openion on the controversial Ramanujan's Essay – ‘Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations’

2011-11-25T11:53:00.006+05:30

The are two main reasons for the ban on Ramanujan's Essay – ‘Three Hundred Ramayanas: Five Examples and Three Thoughts on Translations’.

One, because it details the several “tellings” of the Ramayana across and beyond the Indian subcontinent and questions the assumption that Valmiki’s Ramayana is the original or authentic one.

Two, the essay also speaks of versions of the Ramayana in which Ram and Sita are siblings and in certain others where Sita was Ravana’s daughter.

I can never call it Indian to put the terrorists’ definition of Jihad even in the name of an essay named as ‘Many meanings of Jihad: few examples and thoughts’ and start an agitation to put it into the curriculum of the ‘mature’ Kashmiri students! Although we know that we can find more than many uncomfortable meanings of ‘Jihad’ and ‘Kafir’ in different ‘tellings’ (Ramanujam has tried to distinguish between ‘tellings’ and ‘versions’ to put forward his view that nothing is original in Ramayana) those can be found in several avoidable contexts that we can never promote.

Don't ban it, but don't force innocent students to read it.

Here is an excelling article, by a professor from the very own Delhi university, trashing the propaganda of pseudos who oppose the ban of this un-Indian essay in DU. Its a must read: http://www.governancenow.com/views/columns/why-ramanujans-essay-un-indian

Obama's socialism

2011-11-25T09:57:00.002+05:30

An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That class had insisted that Obama's socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on Obama's plan".. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A.... (substituting grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by all).

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the second test rolled around, the students who studied littl! e had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.
When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

As the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

To their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.
Could! not be any simpler than that.
These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable to this experiment:

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.

2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.

3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.

4. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!

5. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.

Why this kolaveri kolavari di TORTURE?

2011-11-24T17:58:00.004+05:30

After seeing hundreds of FB updates and even a report in the front page of a TOI paper, I finally managed to watch this Kolaveri song. I’m sorely disappointed. After all that hype maybe I was expecting a catchy tune, some good choreography or something good.

Unfortunately I felt it was a very mediocre song, so i was wondering what the hype was all about.

It seems that it all started by the makers posting some paid news in NDTV and TOI news paper. This created some hype and then everybody checked to find what it was all about…. That took the number of hits up.

Then they started spreading the news that this song has so far got lakhs of hits and daily it is increasing in lakhs.

This created curiosity among people to find what that song is all about and why it has got so many hits and so other people also visiting that page… again it in turn increased the hits. And then again based on the hits they over hyped it and published continuous paid news in the so called news channels and papers.

Frankly speaking…. it is just an over hyped dumb song. Like telling a lie 10 times will not make a lie a true, similarly over hyping a dumb song based on hit count will not make it a master peace.

There are definitely much better songs, but one wonders why the hype over this particular mediocre dumb song? Is it all created just because it’s produced by Rajni’s daughter and has his son-in-law?

Panjaa title song lyrics

2011-11-22T16:29:00.003+05:30

neeeeeeeeeeeee

chura chura choopule panjaaa

sala sala sala oopire panjaaa

nara naramuna nethure panjaaa

anuvanuvuna sathhuve panjaaa

aduperugani vegame panjaaa

adharani penu dhairyame panjaaa

pedavanchuna mouname panjaaa

phadunagu aalochane panjaaa

Debt business

2011-09-13T14:03:00.002+05:30

It is the month of August, on the shores of the Black Sea... It is raining, and the little town looks totally deserted. It is tough times, everybody is in debt, and everybody lives on credit.

Suddenly, a rich tourist comes to town. He enters the only hotel, lays a
100 Euro note on the reception counter, and goes to inspect the rooms upstairs in order to choose one.

The hotel proprietor takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the butcher.

The butcher takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the pig grower.

The pig grower takes the 100 Euro note, and runs to pay his debt to the supplier of his feed and fuel.

The supplier of feed and fuel takes the 100 Euro note and runs to pay his debt to the town's prostitute that in these hard times, gave her "services" on credit.

The hooker runs to the hotel, and pays off her debt with the 100 Euro note to the hotel proprietor to pay for the rooms that she rented when she brought her clients there.

The hotel proprietor then lays the 100 Euro note back on the counter so that the rich tourist will not suspect anything.

At that moment, the tourist comes down after inspecting the rooms, and takes his 100 Euro note, after saying that he did not like any of the rooms, and leaves town.

No one earned anything. However, the whole town is now without debt, and looks to the future with a lot of optimism.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the United States is doing business today.

About CBI Joint Director VV Lakshminarayana

2011-08-22T19:54:00.002+05:30

As a young IPS officer working in Maharashtra, VV Lakshminarayana used to be so guarded about his movements that he would often leave behind his official car and take a bus. The purpose: be invisible to the enemy and retain the surprise element.

The CBI joint director, who is now investigating the Jagan wealth case, believes in the credo 'don't let the left hand know what the right is up to.' He is thorough when it comes to legal documentation for his cases. Those who know Lakshminarayana say he is a low-key man who just happens to be at the helm of high profile probes.

Born and brought up in Srisailam in Kurnool district, Lakshminarayana is the son of a retired government engineer. After his schooling, he moved to Regional Engineering College in Warangal to complete his BE in mechanical engineering. He opted for IPS and was allotted the Maharashtra cadre.

He is remembered for his stint as SP of Nanded. He then worked in the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad. Keen to work for the CBI, he opted to be deputed to the agency.

He was posted as DIG in Hyderabad on June 12, 2006. 'He is a low-key man who is pleasant and friendly. But when it comes to his work, he reveals no information except to his bosses in Delhi,'' said an a fellow officer who knows Lakshminarayana.

Sources say that though Lakshminarayana was posted to head the local CBI unit for a period of five years, his bosses in Delhi extended his tenure by another two years. He received his Indian Police Medal in 2006.

"He feels strongly about corruption. His plus point is his handling of legal issues, especially documentation (since in all the cases he has investigated, the documents seized ran into thousands of pages). He does not get bogged down by work pressure.''

Lakshminarayana is very attached to his school and college. In fact, a day after the High Court directed the CBI to probe the Jagan and Emaar cases, the 1990 batch IPS officer was away in Warangal to attend a reunion of his batch at REC.

Difference Between Lokpal and Jan Lokpal

2011-08-17T16:58:00.004+05:30

The biggest debate that has been raging between the two sides pertains to inclusion of Prime Minister, President, and the judges of the Supreme Court within the ambit of Lokpal, which is unacceptable to the government.

While Jan Lokpal will have powers to take suo motu action against corrupt officials, MP’s or ministers, Lokpal as proposed by the government has no such powers, and it can take action only if, the speaker of the Lok Sabha forwards a complaint (or chairman of Rajya Sabha).
Jan Lokpal has powers to act on complaints received from general public, while Lokpal cannot initiate action on such complaints.
Lokpal cannot register FIR, whereas Jan Lokpal has the power to initiate cases by registering FIR.
Lokpal as proposed by government is at best an advisory body, whereas Jan Lokpal is competent enough to take up and pursue cases of corruption on its own.
Lokpal will not have powers to prosecute judges, bureaucrats, members of parliament, and PM, while there is no such bar on the powers of Jan Lokpal.
Lokpal can only prosecute and get the corrupt official sentenced to prison, but there is no provision to wrest back the wealth amassed through corrupt means. On the other hand, Jan Lokpal has the power to get the property of the culprit confiscated and handed over to the government.
In the bill proposed by the government, corrupt people can take benefit of the present judicial system and can go on to enjoy their illegal wealth for years, but Jan Lokpal bill proposes maximum trial period of 1 year so as to send the culprit behind bars as soon as possible.

Some facts on calculating the Expected Date of Delivery (EDD)

2010-02-08T20:45:00.004+05:30

EDD calculation errors are associated with pregnancy dating by LMP alone. If the gestational age is underestimated, prematurity may be misdiagnosed, and unnecessary obstetric interventions performed. However, overestimation of gestational age is more likely, increasing the risks of unnecessary induction of labour.

Dating gestational age with LMP alone assumes both accurate recall of the LMP and ovulation on the 14th day of the menstrual cycle. Error in estimating LMP is due to inaccurate patient recall, maternal preference of date of LMP, and random error. The duration of the follicular phase is variable, ranging from 7 to 21 days. Sixty-eight percent of women originally dated at greater than 42+0 weeks by LMP were actually less advanced in gestational age when basal body temperature was used to determine the ovulation date.

Delayed ovulation is an important cause of perceived prolonged pregnancy. Most pregnancies induced after 41+0 weeks are found not to be > 41+0 when ultrasound rather than LMP is used to date the pregnancy.

Recommendations

1. First trimester ultrasound should be offered, ideally between 11 and 14 weeks, to all women, as it is a more accurate assessment of gestational age than last menstrual period with fewer pregnancies prolonged past 41+0 weeks.

2. If there is a difference of greater than 5 days between gestational age dated using the last menstrual period and first trimester ultrasound, the estimated date of delivery should be adjusted as per the first trimester ultrasound.

3. If there is a difference of greater than 10 days between gestational age dated using the last menstrual period and second trimester ultrasound, the estimated date of delivery should be adjusted as per the second trimester ultrasound.

4. When there has been both a first and second trimester ultrasound, gestational age should be determined by the earliest ultrasound.

About Section 144 of Indian Criminal Procedure Code

2010-01-29T08:58:00.003+05:30

The Britishers prohibited assembly of more than five persons on Indian streets under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The aim, when the CrPC was first devised in 1861, was to curb any Indian uprising against the British sovereignty.

The British government feared that a group of five or more Indians would create trouble for it. The colonial rulers might have introduced the proviso as they were not well-versed with the local languages and thus, unaware of what was transpiring among Indians when they gather in streets in groups.

Almost 150 years have passed since the legislation was promulgated and yet the government in democratic sub continent feels comfortable with it. Section 144 of CrPC continues to be the most widely used provision of law, of course during emergent situations, across the country.

Introduction:
Under the Criminal Procedure Code (hereinafter the Code) wide powers have been conferred on an Executive Magistrate to deal with emergent situations. One such provision deals with the Magistrates powers to impose restrictions on the personal liberties of individuals, whether in a specific locality or in a town itself, where the situation has the potential to cause unrest or danger to peace and tranquility in such an area, due to certain disputes. In brief, Section 144 confers powers to issue an order absolute at once in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger. Specified classes of magistrates may make such orders when in their opinion there is sufficient ground for proceeding under the section and immediate prevention or speedy remedy is desirable.

Scope:
Action under this section is anticipatory, that is, it is utilized to restrict certain actions even before they actually occur. Anticipatory restrictions are imposed generally in cases of emergency, where there is an apprehended danger of some event that has the potential to cause major public nuisance or damage to public tranquility. The gist of action under S.144 is the urgency of the situation; its efficacy is the likelihood of being able to prevent some harmful occurrences. Preservation of the public peace and tranquility is the primary function of the Government and the aforesaid power is conferred on the Executive Magistracy enabling it to perform that function effectively during the emergent situations.

The principles that must be borne in mind before the application of this section are:

1. Urgency of the situation and the power is to be used for maintaining public peace and tranquility
2. Private rights may be temporarily overridden when there is a conflict between public interest and private rights
3. Questions of title to properties or entitlements to rights or disputes of civil nature are not open for adjudication in a proceeding under section 144.
4. Where those questions have already been decided by the civil courts or by judicial pronouncements, the Magistrate should exercise their power under section 144 in aid of those rights and against those who interfere with the lawful exercise thereof.
5. The consideration should not be that restriction would affect only a minor section of the community rather that a large section more vociferous and militant.

Rationale for the application of Section 144:
Orders under this section are justifiable only when it is likely to prevent any of the following events from happening

1. Annoyance
2. Injury to Human life
3. Disturbance of public tranquility
4. Order cannot be made to give advantage to one party

Constitutional Validity of this section:
1) Although the Magistrate has a power under this section to pass orders ex-parte¸ however generally the procedure that is followed is to serve a notice to the person against whom the order is being passed. Only in cases of extreme critical situations that the Magistrate has to resort to passing an ex-parte order.

2) Additionally, the persons aggrieved by the order have a right to challenge the order on the grounds they find appropriate. This supports the view that the power granted under this section is not arbitrary.

3) To substantiate the above, an opportunity for hearing and to show cause is also provided to the person challenging the order of the Magistrate. Therefore, the principles of natural justice are also complied with under this section.

4) Next the court also stated that the fact that the aggrieved party has the right to challenge the propriety of the order, makes the action of the Magistrate more reasonable and based on cogent reason.

5) Finally the High Court's power of revision under section 435 of the Code read with section 439 of the code also makes up for the condition that the order under section 144 is non-appeal able. The High Court can either quash the order or ask the Magistrate for the material facts, therefore ensuring accountability of the Magistrate.

Simple solution for capital city problems in any state

2010-01-04T20:07:00.008+05:30

I have a very simple solution for capital city problems in A.P state and it can be applied to any state. Right now there are two kinds of problems related to demands for separate states with respect to capital city problems.

The first problem is that the regions which are far from the state capital claim backwardness and want to have a separate state with their own capital.

The second problem is that regions which have state capital within their region, out of selfishness and jealous, lay false claims to backwardness, culture etc and want to get separated so that they can enjoy (loot) the developed capital city and throw the rest of the regions out.

They don't bother about the contributions made by other regions in developing the city and also the emotional bonding the people of all regions might have made with the city.

Though the first problem could be genuine in some cases the second one is purely false, selfish and should never be accepted. What's happening right now in A.P falls under the second category.

My solution to this problem is that when ever a new state is formed or even for current states take all regions into consideration and construct the capital in the border area such that the city grows on all directions and in all regions. If that means the city has to be built from scratch so be it. Better to work hard at the initial stages and create a capital city which has the togetherness of all regions rather than have it in some remote area belonging to one particular region such that it can become a major problem in future.

Chidambaram making serious efforts to bifurcate A.P but wants to nip in the bud similar idea in Tamil Nadu

2010-01-03T11:38:00.009+05:30

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is adding fuel to fire over the contentious Telangana issue.

He is against the bifurcation of his native state Tamil Nadu and wants to nip in the bud such an idea. But he is ready to bifurcate AP and making serious efforts for it.

Why these double standards?

It only exposes the vengeful attitude of Chidambaram against the fast-developing Andhra Pradesh.

He is speaking one thing in New Delhi and another in Chennai. Week after week he keeps giving controversial statements in the name of Government of India which adds more fuel to fire and polarizes the people of Andhra Pradesh.

This kind of attitude could even hamper the peace and harmony among Telugus and Tamils as well.

Except vested political interests, there is absolutely no basis for division of AP.

If backwardness is a basis for bifurcation, then there are many backward areas even in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.

If backwardness is the reason for the proposed bifurcation of AP, then the country should also be divided into a thousand pieces

2009 has been the worst year in the history of Andhra Pradesh

2010-01-01T20:32:00.004+05:30

Andhra Pradesh was plagued by worst news one after the other in 2009. The year has seen the state go through some of the worst turmoil in recent times.

There has been rarely a more disastrous, sad and heartrending year for Andhra Pradesh than 2009. The year began with one scandal and ended with another disgrace and was punctuated by several calamities in between.

It started in the second week of the year with Satyam Computers, an iconic symbol of Telegu pride, crumbled as its founder chairman B Ramalinga Raju stunned the entire country by admitting to perpetrating one of the biggest financial scams worth 8000 crores.

September proved to be the beginning of a tragic phase in the state's history. It was on the stormy morning of September 2 that chopper carrying Reddy, went missing while flying from Hyderabad to Chittoor. It had crashed in the dense Nallamalla forest in Kurnool district and heavy rains and inclement weather made search operations impossible.

77-year-old veteran Ken Rosaiah took over as the chief minister as the Congress suddenly became a rudderless ship. Group rivalries resurfaced as a majority demanded the anointment of YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy as CM. Both the party and the state suffered collateral damage due to the political uncertainty. However, the high command chose to ignore the campaign in favour of Jaganmohan and Rosaiah continued as CM.

The second disaster struck exactly in a month's time as the unprecedented rains and floods wrought misery and pain, never seen before. Millions were rendered homeless, throwing life out of gear in several districts as the state suffered huge losses.

The districts of Mahbubnagar, Kurnool, Krishna and Guntur are yet to recover from the shock, trauma and losses and many displaced families are still languishing in temporary huts and tents, months after the flood waters receeded.

As KCR's fast unto death starting from November 29 fueled the anger among the youth, the Separate Telangana movement in to a people's uprising of sorts. For the first time in the five decade long history of struggle for Telangana, the central government gave a clean and categorical assurance.

The announcement of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram that the Centre was going to initiate the process for the formation of Telangana state, the anger turned in to joy and celebrations and the Telangana youth hailed it as "second freedom".

But as Telangana returned to peace, fires of protest and anger erupted in the other two regions of Andhra and Rayala Seema in opposition to Telangana and continued till the second statement of Chidambaram saying the Centre will hold wide range discussions with all the parties on Telangana.

It was again the turn for Telangana to rise in protest.

The Congress, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam Party, who had committed themselves to Telangana state, now stand divided on the issue.

Politics in Andhra hit a new low, when a television channel went to town with photos and claims of a sex scandal in the state Raj Bhavan.

As ABN channel claimed that the man with three women in the photos was the Andhra Pradesh Governor ND Tiwari, the Centre forced 86-year-old politician to pack up and leave.

After a year, which has seen the state go through one its worst phases, the people are praying that 2010 should not be a repeat of 2009.

A joke called indefinite hunger strike or fast unto death

2009-12-16T17:53:00.012+05:30

Whats going on in A.P currently is literal abuse of the power of hunger strike. Greats like Mahatma Gandhi and Potti Sriramulu used Hunger strike as a powerful non-violence method for the cause of Indian Independence.

Now goons like KCR are literally abusing it by using it for divisive and selfish politics. On one side they say that it's a peaceful program and on the other side they create violence and chaos.

They divide people, raise tempers, hamper communal harmony and in the process many people specially young students commit suicides and loose their precious lives. But the fact is not one of these politician dies due to these false fasts.

The sooner they start the fast they are moved to jails and even faster they are moved to intensive care units of top hospitals. They are taken care by top specialist doctors and moved to a/c deluxe suits in hospitals with 5 star facilities. Mean while students bare the brunt of police lathis, burn themselves up and commit suicides. Can anyone bring back those precious lives?

These immoral politicians have biryani and idli sambhar in hospitals in hiding and proclaim themselves to be continuing a pure hunger strike. In the process they complete days and days in fast. They attain their selfish goals holding the nation for ransom and finally break a false fast and emerge as heroes attaining martyrdom.

What a pity and what an abuse of such a pure non violence method. What a shame on our democracy? I believe in karma siddhanta and I'm sure these criminals will some day pay the price for their cruel deeds.

Italian Sonia divides Andhra Pradesh

2009-12-10T10:13:00.009+05:30

An Italian dividing Telugu's was never in my imagination. Let her divide India into 540 states later even more if this is what she thinks is the solution. Probably she being a gore believes in divide and rule.

Late NTR used to lament about Teluguvari Athma Gouravam (Self Respect of Telugu's).

The comedy is that, the fate of Telugu's was decided by an Italian decision maker (Sonia), under a Bengali's Committee (Pranab) with inputs from a Kannadiga Observer (Moily) and the declaration was given by a Tamil Home minister (Chidambaram)

I see the below immediate divisions.

Let us start from south

Kerala-Kerala, Malabar.

Tamil nadu - Tamil nadu, Tirunelveli, Vanniyar Nadu

Karnataka - Coorg, Canara& Karnataka.

Maharashtra - Vidharbha, Kokan, Khandesh & Marathwada.

Uttar Pradesh - U.P, Harith Pradesh, Purvanchal

Gujarat-Bardoda, Sourashtra & Baroda.

Rajasthan - N number

Kashmir - Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir

MP - Madhy pradesh, Gwalior, Holkar, Bundelkhand.

Bengal - Bengal & Gorkhaland.

Assam - Assam & Bodoland.

Any more?

ICC Test Rankings process explained

2009-12-07T13:24:00.003+05:30

We are all happy that India is World Number 1 now according to ICC Test Championship Rankings. But very few of us, including myself, actually understand how the rankings are derived. We do not know how the points system works.

India, who were ranked lower than Sri Lanka got more points beating the guest team than what they would have got if they had beaten us. But it was still too vague. So, I decided to check out the points system and the calculations as the ICC explains.

The calculations are performed as follows:

Each team scores points based on the results of their matches.
Each team's rating is equal to its total points scored divided by the total matches and series played. (A series must include at least two Tests).
A series only counts if played in the last three years.
Series played in the first two years of the three-year limit count half; essentially, recent matches are given more weight.
To determine a team's rating after a particular series:
- Find the series result
  - Award 1 point to a team for each win
  - Award 1/2 point to a team for each draw
  - Award 1 bonus point to the team winning the series
  - Award 1/2 bonus point to each team if the series is drawn
- Convert the series result to actual ratings points
  - If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is less than 40 points, then the ratings points for each team equals:
    - (The team's own series result) multiplied by (50 points MORE than the opponent's rating) PLUS
    - (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (50 points LESS than the opponent's rating)
  - If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40 points, then the ratings points for the stronger team equals:
    - (The team's own series result) multiplied by (10 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
    - (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (90 points LESS than the team's own rating)
  - If the gap between the ratings of the two teams at the commencement of the series is more than or equal to 40 points, then the ratings points for the weaker team equals:
    - (The team's own series result) multiplied by (90 points MORE than the team's own rating) PLUS
    - (The opponent's series result) multiplied by (10 points LESS than the team's own rating)
- Add the ratings points scored by the team to the total ratings points already scored (in previous matches, as reflected by the Table)
- Update the number of matches played by the team through adding one more than the number of games in the series (a two test match series will result in the match count getting incremented by three)
- Divide the new rating points with the updated number of matches to get the final rating.

India tour of Bangladesh - ODI Tri Series and Test Match Series - 2010 schedule

2009-12-04T13:44:00.004+05:30

Indian cricket team after finishing the home series against Sri Lanka will fly to Bangladesh to play a tri-angular series involving Sri Lanka and Bangladesh followed by a two matches test series.

The triangular series will start from January 4th 2010. Each team will face each others twice before the final on January 13 to be played at Dhaka.

The two Tests against Bangladesh will be held in Chittagong and Mirpur (Dhaka) from Jan. 17-21 and January 24-28, respectively.

India v Bangladesh 2010 :

*Timing*	Teams	Venue
Mon 4 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	1^st Game – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Tue 5 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	2^nd Game – India v Sri Lanka	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Thu 7 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	3^rd Game – India v Bangladesh	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Fri 8 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	4^th Game – Bangladesh v Sri Lanka	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sun 10 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	5^th Game – India v Sri Lanka	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Mon 11 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	6^th Game – India v Bangladesh	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Wed 13 Jan (D/N) 14:00 PM	Triangular Series Final	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Sun 17 - Thu 21 Jan 09:00 AM	1^st Test Match – India v Bangladesh	Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong
*Sun 24 - Thu 28 Jan* *09:00 AM*	1^st Test Match – India v Bangladesh	Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

KCRs Fast unto Death for separate Telangana becomes a big farce

2009-12-01T10:55:00.002+05:30

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhara Rao has once again proved that he is a hoax and all that he does in the name of Telangana is nothing but a farcical drama.

For the last one month, the TRS president has created a lot of hype in the media and the public that he is going to shake the government with his fast-unto-death. He even compared himself to Potti Sriramulu and Mahatma Gandhi and gave such an impression that he was definitely going to give up his life this time for the sake of Telangana. Several electronic channels conducted live chat shows with him and despite repeated appeals by the people, KCR declared that he would not touch even a drop of water.

But, all that proved a big drama now. KCR knew that he was going to be arrested and it happened exactly. He knew that the police would shift him to hospital and the same thing happened. He was aware that the doctors would administer him saline and it also happened without any protest.

In fact, people of Telangana also knew that the government would forcibly break his fast as no government would allow a leader to die just like that. But they were expecting that KCR would put up a strong resistance to the attempts of the police and the doctors. They thought he would declare that even if he was given saline forcibly, he would resume his fast after being discharged.

But nothing of that sort happened. The TRS president happily accepted the fruit juice given by the doctors and took a sip. He wiped out his mouth with the towel and posed for photographs and videographs taken by the police. And he declared that he was giving up the fast!

If that was his whole plan, why did he fool the people? Why did he cheat the innocent students who lost their precious examination time and went on to streets in solidarity with him? Why did he become responsible for the injury of so many students? Will he take the responsibility for the life of a young lawyer who immolated himself in Hyderabad?

Well, the incident has further bring down his credibility. Now, KCR has no moral right to speak on the Telangana issue. It has now become a dead issue.

Stop separatism and spread unity among Telugus

2009-11-30T15:33:00.012+05:30

Separatists like KCR should be dealt very seriously and separatism should be nipped in the bud. KCR is doing all this just for petty politics. If he is so sincere about Telangana he should do something constructive, do social service rather than spreading violence. Do a pada yatra, spread awareness among the people and win their confidence. Participate in elections and win.

When there was a chance to show his power in the GHMC elections he did not participate. It surely shows that only TRS in the name of separate Telangana is looting public money, inciting violence, creating divisions among Telugus. It is just for himself and his family, he is doing all this. He is such a drunkard, uses abusive language.

Though I don't see any difference between these idiots and other party idiots with respect to corruption, the difference is that these fellows are spreading violence and they are a threat to law and order and destroying the unity amongst Telugus.

All those who are creating this ruckus is just TRS leaders, their party men and rowdies paid by them. The common man is not at all involved in it. They already have lot of day to day problems to deal with. These stupids have not even spared innocent students. They are playing with their careers. One student already burnt himself by watching Harish Rao mock. I would have been happy if some one lit Harish while he was doing that act. The student was a young lawyer and is now in a critical condition. KCR will pay for all this. God is there and he will account him for all his misdeeds. Students be aware of these crooks and stay away from politics.

The formation of A.P as one of the linguistic state is one of the single most important events in the history of South Indian languages, as it provided an identity, an opportunity for these languages to develop independently, each of them having a state to support.

The constitution, laws and every aspect of democracy is so great that it treats all regions same. Some regions might be backward due to lot of cultural, historical and natural reason. Separation is not the solution for backwardness. Unity and brotherhood is the solution. Regions should compete constructively and progress.

Also there is a strong need to change the name of our state. Current name does not bring united feeling. Something like "Telugu Nadu, Telugu Rashtram or Telugu Pradesh" would be great great unifying step.

I'm proud to be a Telugu and I request Telanganites to reject these separatists and spread unity.

is Y.S Jagan responsible for poor show of Congress in A.P GHMC elections?

2009-11-27T17:07:00.007+05:30

Y.S Jagan's proximity with Mining mafia man Gali Janardhan Reddy and the alleged thousands of crores of investments by industrialists in Sakshi news paper have been in headlines recently.

None from Congress party invited Y.S Jagan to campaign for GHMC elections. But he pleaded the party senior leaders and campaigned for the last two days. The result is a poor show by Congress though they emerged as the single largest party.

It is clearly evident from the results of the divisions where Jagan campaigned. YS Jagan campaigned extensively in some of the divisions for his loyalists in GHMC polls and avoided assembly constituencies represented by his father's detractors.

Many of them opined that Congress will fare well in the division campaigned by YS Jagan. But, the results were something different. Congress candidates were defeated in those divisions.

Notable among the losses were the defeat of both Congress nominees in Maheshwaram constituency represented by Home Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy are now bagged by TDP with a huge margin of 3,500 votes. It was worse in L. B. Nagar represented by Mr. Jagan’s close follower D. Sudhir Reddy as the party lost seven out the eight divisions to the TDP. Let us see what is in store for him in the coming days.

Acharya Shambhavi, an 8-year-old saint ( friend of Dalai Lama in her past life )

2009-11-26T13:46:00.004+05:30

Shambhavi, 8 year old girl from AP, India, says that her aim is to fight for the Tibet people’s freedom; Dalia lama and she were friends in past life, were disciples of Buddha. She said that Lama will meet her in this December.

There are several arguments over the Shambhavi's episode but devotes do not seem much cared about the negative talk on Shambhavi. Thousands of people visiting Suryanandhi temple in Kurnool district where Shambhavi is lodged and meeting temple visitors.

Businessman Anil Ambani is giving Rs.1 crore to the Suryanandhi temple for development activities. This brought lot of attention and may motivate others also to donate in similar way. Let us wait and see whether Dalai lama meets or not.

CEC report to Supreme Court on OMC Mining mafia lead by Gali Janardhan Reddy and the involvement of shameless YSR and YS Jagan

2009-11-24T13:30:00.011+05:30

Read the following and you know the involvement YSR, YS Jagan in giving illegal permits and helping themselves and helping Gali Janardhan Reddy in order to build an empire of money.

The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommended to the Supreme Court that all mining activity in the region be suspended immediately till the boundaries of the mining leases are determined and fixed by an independent agency.

In a scathing criticism of the previous Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy government, the CEC noted that "the objectivity, fairness and impartiality which is expected from a state government is shockingly lacking here and does not inspire confidence".

CEC brought the facts and let us wait and see whether the current government lead by Rosaiah will take any action at least now?

Highlights of CEC report on OMC:

Tendulkar the real match winner

2009-11-12T18:26:00.003+05:30

Q 1) When ever tendulkar scores a ton india losses ?
FACT:india has won 32 matches out of 45 when tendulkar has scored a ton which is a whopping 71%

Q 2) oh is it ? but this useless player should have scored all his 32 match winning centuries against weaker teams like bangla/kenya/zim?
FACT: His tons have helped india win 9 times against australia.list is as follows -
australia--9, new zealand --5, srilanks -5, kenya -4, zimbabwe-4, west indies-3, south africa-2, pakistan-1 & namibia -1

Q 3) All most all of his match winning centuries were scored batting first this choker cant score a run while chasing under pressure ?

Fact: Tendulkar has scored 17 tons while chasing a huge score & india has won 15 times ( unbelievable 88 %).some of his most popular innings while chasing , the one against aus in WB series downunder & the one in sharjah , the innings against pakistan in wc,

Q 4) May be this was long time back ,BUt in recent times whenever he has scored a ton we have lost ?
FACT:India has won last 4 matches out of 5 when he has scored a century ( 80%)

Tendulkar has won 60 MOM's out of which in india has won 54 times (90%), & 8 times he got MOM award in the finals ( Hold ur breath 100 % success rate , all were won ) . All other so called indian greats combined have played close to 1000 matches & n have not won 60 mom & won so many matches for india . APart from this he has be named man of the series 16 times.

Cricket Schedule 2010 : India, Australia, England, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, New Zealand & Bangladesh

2009-11-10T17:47:00.003+05:30

In Year 2010, cricket calender is packed with a Twenty20 world cup in month of April in West Indies, Asia cup which is an ODI tournament played between all asian country, several bilateral tours like South Africa, New Zealand & Australia tour of India which includes test series and T20 games and one or two triseries as well. and on top of all, Australia and England resume their battle for urn, the Ashes 2010, to be played in Australia this time from the month of November.

Australia also tour England for a series of one day internationals while England play host to Pakistan vs Australia test series after a long gap. Bangladeshi team will have their busiest cricketing season while Indian cricket team will indulge into Indian Premier League (IPL), Champions League T20 along with their International commitments.

England Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

Months	Versus	Matches	Fixtures & Result
January	England in South Africa	4 tests + 5 ODI + T20	Eng in SA 2010
February-March	England in Bangladesh	2 tests + 3 ODIs	Eng in Bdesh 2010
April	T20 WC in West Indies	Twenty20 World cup	World T20 2010
May	Bangladesh in England	2 Test + 3 ODI	Bdesh in Eng 2010
June	Australia in England	5 ODI Series	Aus in Eng 2010
Aug-Sept	Pakistan in England	4 test & 5 ODI	Pak in Eng 2010
Nov-Dec	England in Australia	Ashes 2011	Ashes 2010

India Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

January	India in Bangladesh	2 Test + Triseries	India in Bdesh 2010
February-March	South Africa in India	3 Test + 5 ODI	SA in Ind 2010
April	Asia Cup	ODI Tournament	Asia Cup 2010
April	T20 WC in West Indies	Twenty20 World Cup	World T20 2010
May	India in Zimbabwe	3 ODI Series	Ind in Zim 2010
July	India in Sri Lanka	Triseries	Ind v NZ v SL
October	Australia in India	7 ODI Series	Aus in Ind 2010
November	New Zealand in India	3 Test + 5 ODI	NZ in Ind 2010

Australia Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

January	Pakistan in Australia	3 Test + 5 ODI + T20	Pak in Aus 2010
February	West Indies in Australia	5 ODI + T20	WI in Aus 2010
March-April	Australia in New Zealand	3 Test + 5 ODI + 2 T20s	Aus in NZ 2010
April	T20 World Cup in WI	Twenty20 World Cup	World T20 2010
June	Australia in England	5 ODI Series	Aus in Eng 2010
July	Pak v Aus in Eng	2 Test & 3 ODI	Pak v Aus 2010
August	Bangladesh in Australia	2 Test & 3 ODI	Bdesh in Aus 2010
October	Australia in India	7 ODI series	Aus in Ind 2010
November	England in Australia	5 Test Series	Ashes 2010-11

Pakistan Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

January	Pakistan in Australia	3 Test + 5 ODI + T20	Pak in Aus 2010
April	Asia Cup	ODI Tournament	Asia Cup 2010
April	T20 World cup in West Indies	Twenty20 World Cup	World T20 2010
July	Pak v Aus in Eng	2 Test & 3 ODI	Pak v Aus 2010
Aug-Sept	Pakistan v England	4 test & 5 ODI	Pak in Eng 2010
October	Bangladesh in Pakistan	2 Test + 3 ODI	Bdesh in Pak 2010
November	South Africa in Pakistan	3 Test + 5 ODI	SA in Pak 2010

New Zealand Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

February	Bangladesh in New Zealand	1 Test, 3 ODI, 2 T20	Bdesh in NZ 2010
March-April	Australia in New Zealand	Test + ODI + T20	Aus in NZ 2010
April	T20 World cup in West Indies	Twenty20 World Cup	WC T20 2010
July	New Zealand in Sri Lanka	Triseries	Ind v NZ v SL
October	New Zealand in Bangladesh	2 Test + 3 ODI	NZ in Bdesh 2010
November	New Zealand in India	3 Test + 5 ODI	NZ in Ind 2010

Sri Lanka Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

January	Srilanka in Bangladesh	Triseries	Ind v SL v Bdesh
April	Asia Cup	ODI Tournament	Asia Cup 2010
April	T20 World cup in West Indies	Twenty20 World Cup	WC T20 2010
July	India & New Zealand in Sri Lanka	Tri Series	Ind v NZ v SL
Nov-Dec	West Indies in Sri Lanka	3 Test + 5 ODI	WI in SL 2010

South Africa Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

January	England in South Africa	4 Test + 5 ODI	Eng in SA 2010
February-March	South Africa in India	3 Test + 5 ODI	SA in Ind 2010
April	T20 World cup in WI	Twenty20 World Cup	WC T20 2010
May-June	South Africa in West Indies	4 Test + 5 ODI	SA in WI 2010
September	Zimbabwe in South Africa	ODI Series	Zim in SA 2010
Oct-Nov	South Africa in Pakistan	3 Test + 5 ODI	SA in Pak 2010

West Indies Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

February	West Indies in Australia	5 ODI + T20	WI in Aus 2010
March	Zimbabwe in West Indies	ODI Series	Zim in WI 2010
April	T20 World cup in West Indies	Twenty20 World Cup	WC T20 2010
May-June	South Africa in West Indies	4 Test + 5 ODI	SA in WI 2010
July - August	West Indies tour of England	4 Test + 5 ODI	WI in Eng 2010
Nov-Dec	West Indies in Sri Lanka	3 Test + 5 ODI	WI in SL 2010

Bangladesh Cricket Schedule : Year 2010

January	SL & Ind in Bdesh	ODI Triseries	Ind v SL v Bdesh
January	India in Bangladesh	2 Tests	Ind in Bdesh 2010
February	Bangladesh tour of New Zealand	Test + ODI + T20	Bdesh in NZ 2010
March	England in Bdesh	Test + ODI	Eng in Bdesh 2010
April	Asia Cup	ODI Tournament	Asia cup 2010
April	T20 World cup in West Indies	Twenty20 World cup	World T20 2010
May	Bangladesh in England	2 Test + 3 ODI	Bdesh in Eng 2010
July	Bangladesh in Australia	2 Tests	Bdesh in Aus 2010
August	Bangladesh in Pakistan	2 Test + 3 ODI	Bdesh in Pak 2010
October	New Zealand in Bangladesh	2 Test + 3 ODI	NZ in Bdesh 2010

India's Tibet or China's Tibet?

2009-11-10T12:19:00.002+05:30

There is a Chinese propaganda magazine called ‘China’s Tibet’. This is a clear example of how insecure China feels - not only about its hold over Tibet but more fundamentally even about its claims over Tibet. Fifty years after the invasion, forty years after the flight of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government; with an estimated half-a-million troops in Tibet and not a single foreign government openly questioning China’s military and colonial occupation of Tibet - it is indeed instructive that China still feels the need to call Tibet - ‘China’s Tibet’. No doubt, in addition to trying to reassure themselves, this is primarily an effort to convince the world that Tibet ‘belongs’ to China. In my view it has precisely the opposite effect.

People have often wondered why India doesn’t stake its claim on Tibet. Between China - which seeks to exterminate the Tibetan people and to wipe out Tibetan religion and culture; and India - which gave Tibet the Buddha Dharma and has helped to save Tibetan religion and culture - there is no doubt; India has the greater claim. It is like the story of young Prince Siddhartha who saves the swan his cousin Prince Devadatta has shot. The claim of the latter rests on the grounds of having shot the swan. On the other hand, Prince Siddhartha - the future Buddha - stakes his claim on the grounds of having saved the life of the wounded swan. The King rightly awards the swan to Prince Siddhartha. In today’s world of realpolitik and spineless world leaders, we could hardly hope for such a decisive verdict. Nevertheless; even if only as a diplomatic exercise, why doesn’t India file a case in the International Court of Justice and also raise the issue in the United Nations to stake its claims over Tibet ? In the first place India gave Buddhism to Tibet - the life-force of Tibetan life and culture. Today India has rendered crucial assistance and helped to save Tibetan religion and culture. If Tibet must belong to either of its giant neighbors, then surely, it should be to India - which has helped to save Tibet.

Myths related to predicting the gender of an unborn baby

2009-10-25T13:57:00.001+05:30

Wondering about the gender of a child is something every expectant parent does, with some clearly more curious than others.

And while it may seem that everyone -- from your mother-in-law, to your next-door-neighbor, to the clerk in the convenience store -- has a way of predicting whether you will have a boy or a girl, experts say most if not all of these predictions spring from myth and not fact.

Most are based on lore and legend that began when somebody guessed the gender of a baby correctly -- and then passed along how they did it.

Fifty percent of the time it's going to be a boy, and fifty percent of the time it's going to be a girl -- so there is a good chance that no matter what method you apply, you'll be right at least half the time.

Myth: A heartbeat above 140 beats per minute means a boy; hearts that beat slower, under 140 beats per minute, belong to girls.
Reality: A study of some 200 pregnant women published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 1996 found no truth at all to the theory -- and other research has echoed this finding.
Myth: Carrying your baby "high" means you will have a boy; carrying "low" means you will have a girl.
Reality: Lots of factors go into how you look when you are pregnant, including the age of the fetus as well as their position, size, and the mother's overall body shape. If she is short waisted, for example, her pregnancy may look different from a woman who is long waisted. But nothing about the shape has to do with the baby's sex, says Leipzig.
Myth: Suspending a gold ring from a string over a pregnant woman's belly can predict the sex depending on the way it swings -- back and forth for a boy, in a circular motion for a girl.
Reality: "There is nothing about the gender of a baby that will influence the pull of gravity. But some folks believe that, much like a Ouija board, the direction the ring swings may be influenced by the thoughts of the person holding the string -- and they will always be right 50% of the time," says Bartholomew.
Myth: If the hair on your legs grows faster during pregnancy it's a boy; if it grows slower, it's a girl.
Reality: The logic here is that because testosterone may influence hair growth, carrying a boy -- who would ostensibly have more testosterone than a girl -- will do the same. Masch says it's untrue. "There isn't enough hormone present in a fetus to have any significant hormonal impact on the mother's body, let alone cause the hair on her legs to grow," she says.
Myth: If you crave sour or salty foods, it's a boy; sweets, it's a girl.
Reality: Although doctors aren't totally sure what causes a woman to crave certain foods during pregnancy, most universally agree the baby's sex isn't one of them. "There is nothing about carrying a boy or a girl that would influence a woman's taste buds," says Masch.
Myth: If a pregnant woman's urine is a dull color, it's a girl; if it's a bright color, it's a boy.
Reality: "The only thing that influences the color of a pregnant woman's urine is how much fluid she consumes -- if she's a little dehydrated, it will be a darker color; if she's drinking a lot of water, it will be lighter," says Bartholomew.

Rosaiah is here to stay as AP CM

2009-09-25T20:09:00.009+05:30

The man who was content playing second fiddle to his "younger friend" Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is now the new Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister in his place. The senior most Congress leader in the state, part of successive party governments since 1979, Andhra Finance Minister Konijeti Rosaiah, 77, will hold charge till the party has decided on a successor for YSR.

The Finance Minister in YSR's first term too, Rosaiah holds the record for presenting 15 budgets in Congress regimes and is like the Andhra unit's Pranab Mukherjee Â— a constant, stable and able presence who has kept a low profile and stayed away from controversies in a political career spanning more than 50 years.

He refused to contest the 2009 Assembly elections and was nominated to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council instead. When YSR again allotted the Finance portfolio to him after the May 2009 victory, Rosaiah joked he was happy with Finance and with letting YSR handle the headaches of the top post. With YSR he presented three budgets, including one vote-on-account budget six months before the elections.

Belonging to Vemuru in Guntur district, Rosaiah belongs to the trader community and began as a student leader. In 1979, he first became a minister, and was given the Roads and Buildings portfolio by Marri Channa Reddy. Rosaiah went on to hold various portfolios in the Cabinets of Tanguturi Anjaiah, K Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy and N Janardhana Reddy. From 1995 to 1997, he was the president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee. In 1998, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Narsaraopeta.

He is known for his administrative skills and deep knowledge about party matters. During his vote-on-account speech, he quoted Paul Krugman, saying that it is because of his prescription in times of the slowdown that the government had allocated much more to irrigation and housing for the poor.

In his budget speech, he noted that from the time Andhra was formed (in 1956) till now, it had gone from being the worst state as far as economic indices go, to become the country's fastest growing.

The senior congress leader is not only a seasoned politician but a man of few words. He does not like to remain in the limelight. And never plays cheap tricks to hog the limelight.

Rosaiah is one of the rare bred of politicians, who commands respect not only in his party but cutting across party lines. But the TDP seems to have gone a bit too far this time. The TDP said that Rosaiah is all the time seen singing peens in praise of YSR and Sonia and Rosaiah says why not.

Rosaiah is considered as a weak canddiae by party men as he does not lead any groups in the party. His age and experience are what led to the party high command to induct him in the first place.

Rosaiah’s caste is also now proving to be blessing in disguise. Rosaiah belongs to the Vysya community. The congress party in the state has all along seen a bitter fight among Reddy and Kamma people for supremacy and the top job.

The MLAs may once again form groups among caste lines and this will only delay the decision over the next chief minister. Till a consensus is arrived at, Rosaiah will continue to be the Rosaiah’s weakness is turning out to be his strength for him.

The Chief Minister K Rosaiah is now slowly but surely taking full control over the administration. Rosaiah was seen as just a stop gap CM who would be around for about a week or 10 days.

The high command has now decided to retain Rosaiah for some more time. The party has given enough hints that Rosaiah is here to say. The party spokesman in Delhi said that Rosaiah was not an acting CM but a full fledged CM.

Rosaiah has now decided to move to the ‘C’ Block in the Secretariat that houses the chief minister’s office. Rosaiah has also announced that from today he will work for 14 hours every day – from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

It means that the CM aspirant YS Jagan will have to cool his heels for some more time keeping his supporters on tenterhooks.

Chief Minister K Rosaiah is moving his pawns carefully and cautiously in retaining his seat, at least for another year.

Several industrialists have started lobbying with the Congress high command to see that he is continued in the CM’s post. Prominent among them is said to be Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao, chairman of GMR group, which has now made New Delhi as his headquarters. GMR group owner of IPL Delhi Daredevils team is engaged in several Central and state government works, including modernisation of New Delhi airport and therefore, has high level connections in the Congress. He is strongly backing Rosaiah’s candidature. Among others who are lobbying for Rosaiah are: Sanghi group, having the backing of former Speaker Balram Jakhar and Rayalaseema Paper Mills promoted by MLA T G Venkatesh.

It is for the first time that a person belonging to Vysya community has got a chance to become the CM, and hence, the community leaders do not want to lose the opportunity. Secondly, the Andhra lobby is also strongly supporting him, because after a long long time, a leader from coastal Andhra could get into the top seat, breaking the Rayalaseema dominance!

Despite the clamour by his own Cabinet colleagues and majority of MLAs for making Jaganmohan YSR's successor, Rosaiah is cool as cucumber, for he knows that he has all blessings of the high command.

"I am not a stop-gap chief minister. I have been appointed as full-fledged chief minister by the Congress high command. In fact, there is no such thing as interim CM or caretaker CM in the Constitution. I am here to stay in this post as long as the high command wants me," Rosaiah said.

The 77-year-old veteran with more than half a decade of experience in politics, is unperturbed by Jagan's attempts to show his strength. He dismissed a 1,00,000-strong public meeting Jagan held near Pavuralagutta in the Nallamalla forests on Friday. "Jagan's show of strength is obviously an attempt to lobby with the high command for the chief minister's post. In a democracy, there is nothing wrong in having high ambitions... (but) I am not worried about it," he said.

Though Rosaiah has been discharging his duties for the last three weeks, many of his ministers and MLAs are still running around Jaganmohan. A few of them are still in Idupulapaya estate in Kadapa district, where Jaganmohan is camping right now.

Rosaiah is watching these developments closely.

"Many ministers and MLAs feel that Jaganmohan should take over as the next chief minister. He was elected by the people of Kadapa for the Lok Sabha. Their mandate is that he should be an MP. He is still young and has a long way to go," he said.

Rosaiah has now decided to move to the ‘C’ Block in the Secretariat that houses the chief minister’s office. Rosaiah has also announced that from today he will work for 14 hours every day – from 6.00 a.m. to 8.00 p.m.

It means that the CM aspirant YS Jagan will have to cool his heels for some more time keeping his supporters on tenterhooks.

He, however, expressed the view that the sooner the high command ends the uncertainty, the better for the Congress.

Legacy of YSR

2009-09-18T16:04:00.004+05:30

India has lost one of its most powerful Chief Ministers in the country in form of YS Rajashekhara Reddy. It is not often in the current political scenario that Chief Ministers are re-elected, but Reddy was one of them. His untimely death has naturally attracted heart felt condolences from all quarters.

In a state like Andhra Pradesh which has a record in throwing out of power, the most powerful of the leaders, Reddy was able to return to power and that too with a stunning victory.

In 2004, Reddy brought the Congress 29 seats and in 2009 he brought 33 seats. So the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is what it is due to YSR's contribution. One of the crucial takeaways from his legacy is that regional leadership should never be crushed. The Congress high command had tremendous faith in him. More than faith it was freedom and a freehand that Reddy enjoyed, which is something not many regional satraps have. If you don't consider politics a morality play then he was a consummate politician. He had everything that a politician ought to have. The ability to get power, preserve and perpetuate it.

He was greatly admired because he provided a mirror to contemporary politicians on how to handle factions within one's own party. His greatest contribution was to minimise the impact of the power of factions during his chief ministership. He enjoyed a certain freedom from 10 Janpath. And that led to a firmness in his decisions on issues like Telangana. He said no to it, come what may.

He was arguably the tallest of the regional Satraps in Congress. The party has unfortunately lost many of its tallest leaders in their peak in accidents. Reddy lost the battle of life just 100 days after he brought laurels for his party. It will not be out of place to mention here that he had succeeded another ‘charismatic’ leader in form of Chandrababu Naidu who had been hailed as the best ‘CEO’ in politics by the Corporate India. Yet he not only succeeded but also managed to bring laurels for his party but also emerge as its face across the nation. He had his shares of controversies, like Naidu but he was a mass leader, a dynamic leader and a very experienced organizational man.

As they say, he was a doctor with his finger on the public pulse. Unlike most other political satraps in India, he had a strong personal following cutting beyond caste, religious, regional or social groups. This was a major reason, why he managed to outwit old rival Naidu as well the new entrant Chiranjivi in the elections.

He was among few such faces in Congress party that could stand on their own and without needing the magic of Sonia or Rahul Gandhi to come to power.

Reddy too had his shares of controversy, some forced upon him by his industrialist son Jagan and others having generated as a result of his dominating of what some will call a feudal attitude. He was also known to dabble in money and muscle power but above all, he was a charmer who managed to weave magic among the masses, a rare quality among the present generation leaders and particularly in Congress. Congress is not going to find it easy to find an equally ‘able’ successor in Andhra Pradesh.

He was also a victim of grave and crass political culture. There was a time when TDP was offering all kinds of freebies. People outside the state may not realise but TDP was giving Rs 2000 per month to every family practically in the state. But Reddy despite being a populist said that he could not give anything. He had said that he had done everything that is possible. He only made some marginal offers like 2 more kg of rice per capita and two more hours of power which was already free in the state. So he had the courage to stand by these things and prove that credibility could win. He did not surrender to the downslide of competitive populism.

Now Andhra and Karnataka are two of the states where everybody knows that electioneering is probably the costliest. And to raise money in these two states one has to do all kinds of things. So let us not fool ourselves by believing that Reddy was not aware of the culture that was prevalent there. He was no saint but he was quite clearly a Robinhood short of being a bandit.

He is one of the tallest leaders of the state, a man who developed a mass base on his own and unite the party at the same time. Secondly, he has taken care of his cadres as opposed to say NTR who was a darling of the masses but not particularly liked by his cadres. And that is why NTR was twice overthrown in his political career. Whereas Reddy would never run that risk, he was deeply loved by his cadres along with being a mass leader. He was the quintessential faction leader and that was his saving grace.

He was one of the most accessible CMs India has ever seen. People were welcome to his house at all sorts of odd hours. Corruption charges are a part of every political life. Until they are proved they should be treated as an occupational hazard.

YSR illustrates the fact that perfect men don't make good politicians. But every politician has to get his hands dirty. Even when he died he was leaving for a place to get his hands dirty and work really. And that is how we should admire him.

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2009-09-02T17:54:00.008+05:30

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KG Basin gas is neither Ambanis' dad's property nor their mother has any role to play in sorting it out

2009-08-19T10:43:00.008+05:30

Its really disgusting to see two brothers fight bitterly not for their property but for national resources. Who the hell are they stake their claim on a national asset worth lakhs of crores of rupees. Thank God that they are fighting else it would have gone to them long ago.

“The two brothers have gone and distributed among themselves in their agreement a property which doesn’t belong to any of them,”

Anil is staking claim to it as per their agreement made during the now famous division of Reliance empire between the two brothers. This division proved that by splitting the empire gets doubled or is it trebled in wealth..a smart move.

Now Mukesh does not want to give concession, but Bombay high court as given such ruling. Mukesh has taken the case to Supreme court.

A new twist has been added by Government of India by claiming that it is a natural resource and Ambanis within themselves can not decide about the national wealth. It is the government which is actually the real owner and Reliance has acted as a contractor to carry out the job of gas extraction and distribution or something on that line.

The ruling on this case is going to have a long term implication on private investment in the areas of OIL and GAS. Carin India another private party will start producing OIL from its Oil field in Rajasthan and similar question will be raised there too.

I get this feeling that the GOI never had the idea that once a hot selling commodity like OIL or GAS if really gets discovered then what could be the real value of that hidden treasure? For the GOI it was easy to displace poor people in the name of progress but here they are up against Industrial giant for eviction....all those high profile corporate lawyers will argue and counter argue.

The Ashes story

2009-07-07T11:40:00.002+05:30

The story of the Ashes begins with the famous Test match between Australia and England at The Oval in London during the northern summer of 1882. After a day and a half of tense play the match reached a dramatic conclusion in the final innings. With England needing only 85 runs their win seemed assured, but the Australians were determined to pull off an unlikely victory after an unsporting incident in the previous innings. The famous English champion Dr W G Grace had controversially run out Australian batsman Sam Jones when he was clearly not trying to complete a run.

This run out infuriated the Australian players, especially their bowling spearhead, Fred ‘The Demon’ Spofforth. Before they took the field for the final innings Spofforth assured his teammates that ‘this thing can be done’. An hour into the innings England still seemed certain to win – the total was reduced to 34 with seven wickets still in hand and Grace still at the crease. However, the course of the match changed dramatically when Grace’s wicket fell, triggering one of the most famous collapses in cricketing history. Remarkably the Australian team won by seven runs, registering its first victory over England on English soil.

The defeat shocked English cricket fans. Reports of the match told of tense spectators gnawing through umbrella handles and dropping dead from heart attacks. The result also inspired the satirical side of the British sporting press – in the days after the match two mock obituaries were published lamenting the death of English cricket. The most well known of the two, printed in the London Sporting Times of 2 September 1882, read:

Mock obituary by Reginald Brooks, Sporting times, 2 September 1882

The match at The Oval had created such an interest that the English team organised to tour Australia in the summer of 1882–83 was given the responsibility of ‘regaining those ashes’. The English and Australian players, as well as the local media, continued the ‘ashes’ banter throughout the tour of the colonies. Before the return series Billy Murdoch, the Australian captain, stated, ‘Our boys fairly won the ashes and we confidently rely on them to retain possession’.

Regardless of Murdoch’s boast, the English side won the return series 2–1. It was long thought that the Ashes urn was presented to the English captain, The Hon Ivo Bligh, at the conclusion of the third and deciding Test in Sydney. However, recent research suggests the urn was given to Bligh before the series had even begun. After a social match involving some of the English team during a stay at Sir William Clarke’s Rupertswood estate in Sunbury, Victoria, Lady Clarke – no doubt aware of the banter in the press – presented Bligh with a small vase containing ashes. Despite inconsistent reports about what was burned to create the ashes – a cricket bail, a stump, the cover of a ball, or even a lady’s veil – this modest gift to Bligh has become a cricketing icon.

It is likely that for Bligh the personal significance of the urn extended beyond memories of cricket matches: he fell in love with one of the ladies involved in the presentation – Florence Morphy, the Clarke children’s music teacher. The Englishman visited Rupertswood several times during the 1882–83 tour and despite their differing social status – Bligh was the second son of the sixth Earl of Darnley and Morphy a colonial governess who had grown up in a state of ‘genteel poverty’ – romance blossomed. They married in February 1884 at St Mary’s Church in Sunbury. After the death of his brother in 1900, Bligh became the eighth Earl of Darnley and Florence, the Countess of Darnley. The Ashes urn remained with Bligh until his death in 1927 when Florence, no doubt aware of the increasing significance of the urn, gifted it to Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

Although initially a joke created by the media and indulged by opposing players, the Ashes legend endured. While the urn itself it has never officially been considered a trophy, in the eyes of cricket fans it became the physical representation of the mythical ‘ashes’. The Ashes urn is now one of sport’s most celebrated artefacts and attracts 50,000 visitors a year to the MCC museum.

Federer the Great eclipses Sampras as the greatest of all time, wins record 15th grand slam title

2009-07-06T17:46:00.006+05:30

WIMBLEDON, England — Andy Roddick failed to restore his co-countryman’s record, Federer won by 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-1.

On and on they dueled, Federer trying for a record-breaking 15th major championship, Roddick striving for his second, in a Wimbledon final that required more games than any Grand Slam title match in the considerable annals of a sport dating to the 1800s.

Federer’s 15 major titles eclipses the mark he shared with Pete Sampras, who won his 14th Grand Slam trophy in his last match at the 2002 U.S. Open.

“Ten games all, final set,” intoned the chair umpire. Then, “Twelve games all, final set.” And, still later, “Fourteen games all, final set.”

They were each other’s equal for four full sets and nearly the entire 30-game fifth set. Until Federer, far more experienced in such matters, finally edged ahead, breaking Roddick’s serve for the only time in the 77th and last game to close out a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 16-14 victory Sunday.

The epic match — the fifth set alone lasted more than 1½ hours — gave Federer his sixth Wimbledon title. Add that to five from the U.S. Open, three from the Australian Open and one from the French Open, and Federer’s Grand Slam total rises to 15, one more than Pete Sampras, who flew in from California on Sunday morning to be on hand.

“He’s a legend,” Sampras said. “Now he’s an icon.”

Indeed, Sampras already was among those labeling Federer the greatest tennis player ever, and there’s no doubt the 27-year-old from Switzerland keeps bolstering his case.

“It’s not really one of those goals you set as a little boy,” Federer told the Centre Court crowd during the trophy ceremony, “but, man, it’s been quite a career. And quite a month.”

Federer won the French Open four Sundays earlier to complete a career Grand Slam and tie Sampras with 14 major titles (Margaret Smith Court owns the women’s record of 24).

“Sorry, Pete,” Roddick said. “I tried to hold him off.”

He weathered Federer’s career-high 50 aces and his 107 total winners in the longest match and longest fifth set in major final history, topping marks set in 1927.

The tennis gods — as well as Sampras, Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg, all in front-row seats — must have enjoyed every moment of the 4-hour, 16-minute tussle. Federer, who can make it all look so easy, was forced to work darned hard to eclipse Sampras’ mark, and Roddick was left heartbreakingly close to finally winning Wimbledon.

Roddick dropped to 0-3 in finals at the All England Club, also beaten by Federer in 2004 and 2005. After the match ended on a shanked forehand by the sixth-seeded American, the two men hugged at the net. A mere handshake wouldn’t do.

The winner donned a specially tailored white jacket with a gold “15″ stitched on the back, while the loser — a word that hardly seems fair in this case — slumped in his chair, head bowed, until rising to acknowledge the spectators’ chorus of “Rodd-ick! Rodd-ick!”

“Sports, or tennis, is cruel sometimes. We know it,” Federer said. “I went through some five-setters in Grand Slam finals, too, and ended up losing. It’s hard.”

A year ago, on the same lawn, Federer’s five-year reign as Wimbledon champion ended in a 9-7 fifth set defeat against his nemesis, Rafael Nadal. Six weeks later, Federer relinquished to Nadal the No. 1 ranking after a record 237 consecutive weeks at the top.

But Nadal did not defend his Wimbledon title, citing sore knees, and Federer not only regained his championship at the All England Club — the Grand Slam he says means the most to him — but returns to No. 1 Monday.

“It’s staggering that I’ve been able to play so well for so many years now and stay injury-free,” Federer said. “I knew what it took to win the big ones. … It’s crazy that I’ve been able to win so many in such a short period of time.”

Sampras — whose 14th major title came in his last match, at age 31, at the 2002 U.S. Open — and his wife appeared in the Royal Box during the changeover after Sunday’s third game. Walking to the baseline directly below, Federer acknowledged Sampras with a nod of the head and a little wave.

“I thought, ‘I don’t want to be rude,’ you know?” Federer said.

He wept with joy after his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003. And he bawled in the locker room after his 40-match winning streak here ended against Nadal in 2008. This time, Federer kept it together, perhaps because he was too exhausted after a match chock-full of contradictions:

— Federer’s ace count was one shy of the Wimbledon record and, most remarkably, 23 more than Roddick, who is better-known for his knee-buckling serves.

— Roddick broke serve twice in the first four sets; Federer, considered a superior returner, couldn’t come through until the match’s concluding game.

— Federer won both tiebreakers; Roddick is the one who began the day 26-4 in those set-capping races to seven points.

Then there was the most counterintuitive piece of all: that Roddick would even stay close, much less be on the verge of victory, given that he came in 2-18 against Federer, including 0-7 at major tournaments.

Roddick made quite clear, quite quickly, that he is a new-and-improved version, delivering four passing winners by the time the match was 13 minutes old — three with his backhand, long his weaker side.

And he broke Federer to close the first set. It happened suddenly: Federer won 21 of the first 24 points on his serve, but Roddick took three out of four in a blink, earning the last point of that set with a backhand down the line that drew a wide forehand from Federer.

The crowd roared, sensing an upset. There were more rumblings when Roddick, the 2003 U.S. Open champion, went up 6-2 in the second-set tiebreaker. Here, then, were four chances to take a 2-0 lead in sets.

Roddick might have been forgiven for thinking, “Wow, I’m one point away from leading Roger Federer two sets to none in the Wimbledon final.” He certainly played as though burdened by looking ahead, letting all four set points slip from his grasp. Most discouraging was the last, when he wildly misplayed a backhand volley. It was part of a six-point, set-ending run for Federer.

How does someone recover from that? Somehow, Roddick did.

“At that point, like everything else, there’s two options: You lay down or you keep going,” he said. “The second option sounded better to me.”

Roddick lost the third set, too, but rallied to take the fourth, and then came the fifth. Wimbledon doesn’t use tiebreakers in fifth sets, and there were times it seemed Federer and Roddick would play into the night.

Federer faced a serious test at 8-8, though, when Roddick earned two break points with a backhand winner down the line. Federer saved the first with a 118 mph service winner, and the second with a volley winner. There was not another break point for either man until Roddick served while trailing 15-14.

At deuce, Roddick sailed a forehand long, giving Federer his seventh break point of the match. Until then, he was 0 for 6. But this was also a championship point, and Federer converted.

“Frustrating, at times, because I couldn’t break Andy ’til the very, very end,” Federer said. “So satisfaction is maybe bigger this time around to come through, because I couldn’t control the match at all.”

As he enjoyed the first post-victory moments in the locker room — a more muted celebration than usual, owing to Roddick’s presence — members of the grounds crew entered and presented him with the Centre Court net. Another keepsake for Federer’s ever-more-crowded trophy room.

This was the first Wimbledon with a retractable roof on Centre Court, a modern touch for a stadium that opened in 1922.

But this edition of the tournament wound up being almost entirely dry, with only two matches contested with the roof shut. This final was played with the blue sky above. The tennis gods must have wanted a good view.

Feelings for Micheal Jackson

2009-06-30T17:52:00.004+05:30

Michael Jackson died last week and he was only 50 years old. It really took me by surprise, but it wasn't as if I didn't expect it sometime fairly soon. There have been rumors flying around for some time now about his health problems. As a matter of fact, when Michael was on trial, one day he was late because of health problems. Obviously, the judge didn't feel that Michael's health was all that important because he threatened to have Michael Jackson jailed unless he made an appearance in the courtroom. Michael showed up in his pajamas. Does anyone else remember that?

People made it out to seem as if he was faking. Some people even made it seem like he was crazy and would do ANYTHING as he was suddenly "extremely unpredictable" and all. I guess he wasn't kidding or faking about having health problems, huh?

I'm going to miss Michael Jackson. He was a man who set out to hurt no one, but the world seemed hell-bent upon hurting him. Michael Jackson was seriously the King of Pop in so many ways. Maybe he's better off wherever he is since we trashed his good name without even giving him a chance to speak. I choose to believe that he is now seated up in Heaven, seeing God for the first time.

It took 2 days for me to really absorb that MJ has become history. MJ also can die like us, human beings?!!!!! But his death is in the process of making him more popular, more talked about and the most cherished and honoured entertainer the world has ever witnessed. yesterday, i walked to the nearest music store and got a pack of his DVDs. While watching i smiled to myself and thought "Who said that there is a death for THIS entertainer as long as the earth is alive and kicking?"

Does anyone feel like me about Michael Jackson or am I alone in this? When I was growing up Michael Jackson was such a big role model. Sure, he was a little weird but he seemed to care and love. I'm really hurt that Michael Jackson is dead.

Michael Jackson: From flawed genius to legend

2009-06-26T19:13:00.004+05:30

Michael Jackson the maverick musician who 'Thrilled' generations with his 'Moonwalk' has found a place amongst the fallen legends of pop with his shocking death just weeks before his comeback tour.

With comparisons being made to rock and roll legend Elvis Presley's sudden death in 1977, Jackson fondly called 'King of Pop' by fans and often derided as 'Wacko Jacko' by the media has been resurrected in death.

Jackson who died at the age of 50 on Thursday, had begun his showbiz career at the age of five with the band 'Jackson 5' and led a life which peaked to stupendous highs and fell to crushing lows.

He was born in 1958, the seventh of nine children, he started performing at the age of five as a member of 'The Jackson 5' and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group.

The singer made a transformation from child star to pop icon with his successful 1979 album, 'Off the Wall' which began a musical career that would span three decades and end abruptly with a cardiac arrest.

The album established Jackson as one of the premier talents in music and positioned him as the sexiest entertainer after Elvis Presley.

Three years later came 'Thriller' the legendary 1982 collection which continues to stand as Jackson's finest work and is one of the highest selling records of all times with 41 million sales till date.

'Thriller' established Jackson as the 'King of Pop' and he ruled the music world throughout the 1980s, selling millions of records and concert tickets while his Grammy count rose to 13.

Jackson became one of the most recognised faces across the globe, igniting fan frenzy with his flamboyant on stage persona which was in strong contrast to his real life shy self.

In public, he was perhaps the most exciting artiste of his generation, known for his crotch-grabbing dance moves and his high-pitched voice. His single sequined glove, military-style jackets and aviator sunglasses were trademarks second only to his ever-changing, surgically altered appearances.

Jackson's career was at its peak during the 1980s and he is one of the few artistes to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.

It is ironic that the singer, who became one of the richest entertainers at his career's peak, died in debt just weeks before his comeback shows.

His fall from grace began in 1993, when he was first accused of child molestation. However, the charges could not be proved. In 2005, Jackson was tried and acquitted of further sexual molestation charges.

Despite his acquittal, Jackson could never get his career back on track and his comeback show 'This Is It' was HIS promise to the fans to bring back the 'Jackson magic', a wish which will remain unfulfilled.

Dhoni's batting & captaincy reason for India's exit from Twenty20 World cup

2009-06-15T15:13:00.002+05:30

Flashback to September 26, 2007. Lakhs of cricket fanatics poured into the streets of Mumbai to welcome MS Dhoni and his team because they had conquered everything before them to lift the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.

Cricket crazy India sat up till middle of the night on Sunday in the hope that the cricketing gods will deliver again. That was not to be because 'Mahi' and his boys committed harakiri against England at the 'Mecca' of cricket, Lords.

Matches are won and lost in sports. But what hurt the fans most was the manner in which India surrendered in the games against West Indies and England. Batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina, who had electrified crowds during the Indian Premier League only days earlier, were exposed because rivals exploited their weakness against the short, rising balls.

I watched the entire match hoping that some miracle will happen and India will win the game, but that was not to be. It is indeed disappointing that such a star-studded team could not make it to the semifinals. I think India were done in by poor batting and captaincy. Some of the decisions Dhoni took were indeed baffling and it really cost us the match.

India's Twenty20 World Cup campaign came to screeching halt last night after they suffered a heart-breaking three-run loss at the hands of England. They had earlier lost to West Indies in their first Super Eight clash last week. Of late Dhoni has become over confident.

He is no more the calm and composed captain. He has lost it and it was visible from his conduct with the media on Virender Sehwag's injury. Over confidence was clearly visible on his face. He has made a number of captaincy errors during the tournament. I don't see any reason to push back your in-form batsman (Yuvraj Singh) in the batting order in such a crucial match. He should have gone at number three position in place of Suresh Raina.

Even dropping Pragyan Ojha was a wrong decision. Instead of him Ishant Sharma should have been dropped, he did very little in this tournament as well as in the IPL. I feel that the Indian captain should introspect his own performance in the Twenty20 World Cup.

As captain, Dhoni failed to set examples, he was terribly out of touch. In yesterday's match also, it was Yousuf Pathan who brought the match close and not Dhoni.

Roger Federer is the Greatest of All Time

2009-06-10T17:05:00.004+05:30

There were so many questions going into the French Open this year, like “will Rafa lose a set?” and “which half will Djokovic be in?” and “Roger’s win in Madrid was a fluke, wasn’t it?”

Only the bravest Fed Fanatics were willing to raise their hands and ask, in embarrassed tones usually reserved for asking teacher for a potty break:

“So why can’t Roger win Roland Garros this year?”

Turns out he could. And now that this question is answered, another one is, too:

Roger Federer IS the Greatest Of All Time.

And it’s not just John McEnroe who’s saying it.

Pete Sampras: “Now that he’s won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game.”

Andy Roddick via Twitter: “That’s an unreal accomplishment and puts and end to the GOAT question in my humble opinion.”

Legend Roy Emerson (another career Slammer): “I believe he is [the greatest]. Now that he’s won a major on all surfaces, you can’t really argue with it.”

Roger Federer: “I don’t know if we’ll ever know who is the greatest of all-time, but I’m very proud to be up there. How well did I do? Good, great, very great or medium, I don’t know. It’s for others to decide.”

Roger answered some other big questions at Monday’s post-tournament press conference in Paris.

Can he win another RG title?:

“I’m sure I’m going to enjoy Paris even more in the future. Because the pressure is off, and everything that comes now here is going to be much more fun.”

Can he keep this up?

“I can’t answer the question if I’ll be able to continue playing well, but I don’t see a reason why not. I’m in great shape. I’m motivated. I’m hungry to play, and I’m excited to be becoming a dad and seeing Mirka happy and the baby happy. I’m sure it’s only going to help me play good tennis.”

What will keep him motivated, given all his success?

“Pleasure and desire before everything. Now I can play freely. What am I still missing in my list of achievements? More Grand Slams, of course. But also a gold medal in singles at the Olympics. The Davis Cup is also in the future. It will become more clear after Wimbledon, The U.S. Open and the birth of my child. I have nothing to prove.”

And who does Roger think is the favorite for the Wimbledon title?

“I do think I’m the favorite actually with the success I’ve had and how close I came again last year.”

So there you have it, Roger Federer is the man who has everything - including all the answers.

1 Cabinet berth for 33 MPs. Shame on AP Congress

2009-05-28T16:58:00.005+05:30

Once again, the Congress high command has ditched Andhra Pradesh which has sent maximum number of MPs to the Centre.

What an injustice. The state which helps Congress form the government always gets raw deal. Whenever congress got less seats in AP it could not form the government. Such an important state gets ditched. The reason stated is that Congress wants to strengthen their party in weak states. So it gives 3 cabinet berths and 1 mos for winning 6 MPs in Karnataka. What an injustice. AP Congress MPs should hang their heads in shame. Time and again the same thing happens.

That's why its better to vote for regional parties. Had Chandra Babu Naidu won the same 33 MPs instead of Congress, Sonia Gandhi would have fell over his feet to give atleast 10 ministries. When will the people of AP wake up.

While Jaipal Reddy was the only Cabinet minister who was sworn in on last week, only four others from AP could make to the Cabinet in the second phase, which saw a jumbo cabinet. Of the four, three are old faces – Puranadareshwari, Panabaka Lakshmi and M M Pallam Raju. The only new candidate is A Saipratap, who could make it only because of his friend, philosopher and guide Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. Now, the only hope is whether Y Kishore Chandra Deo would become the Speaker.

It is unfortunate that the Congress high command gives least importance to Andhra Pradesh every time. And YSR keeps silent; just because his own interests are protected!

Hyderabad Deccan Chargers win DLF IPL 2009 trophy

2009-05-25T12:53:00.012+05:30

Deccan Chargers completed an extraordinary journey from being at the bottom of the table last year to win the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in a pulsating final at the New Wanderers here Sunday.There was no lack of excitement and heartbreak in the title clash as the 37-day, 59 match tournament ended with a fitting finale between last year's bottom two sides.

Brief scores: Deccan Chargers 143/6 in 20 overs (Herschelle Gibbs 53 not out, Andrew Symonds 33; Anil Kumble 4-16, Vinay Kumar 2-30). Royal Challengers Bangalore 137/9 in 20 overs (Roelof van der Merwe 32, Ross Taylor 27; Pragyan Ojha 3-28, Andrew Symonds 2-18).

The heart pounded the chest relentlessly – from the time Anil Kumble bowled Adam Gilchrist to long after the entire Deccan Chargers dug out raced to the middle to celebrate a fairytale victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in DLF Indian Premier League final on Sunday. It was a night when the Deccan Chargers refused to be tamed the Bull Ring. Gilchrist was immensely involved. He made frequent changes to the bowling attack and the field, called for team huddles every now and then, pulled off a sharp stumping to remove Virat Kohli and turn the game, and constantly applied pressure. And crucially, he backed his youngsters, even those who appeared to be his weakest link.

The heart sought to gloss over Herschelle Gibbs's effort – painstaking and scratchy for the most past – when Deccan Chargers batted first. He finished with 53 not out off 48 balls. But the mind reminded the heart that it was perhaps the single most significant batting effort on a sluggish track in the grand final. Deccan Chargers ended up with 143 for six in 20 overs.

Gibbs' played an uncharacteristic innings. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't fluent, but it got the job done. Gibbs' story is, in several ways, Deccan's story: an attitude problem, failure, a return to basics, and, finally, redemption. Tonight, he saw his captain Adam Gilchrist fall in the first over and lost Andrew Symonds and Rohit Sharma as well. He was the last of Deccan's main batsmen. On a pitch that had something for the bowlers, Gibbs opted to push the ball around for singles and not for extravagance. It wasn't until his 33rd delivery that he played a shot reminiscent of the old Gibbs - a swat over midwicket for six. It's not often that you remember only one shot in a Gibbs half-century but, through this tournament, Gibbs has been working on his new version. Just like Deccan.

The heart cringed a bit when the vastly experienced Andrew Symonds chatted up Royal Challengers Bangalore young opener Manish Pandey but it also knew that the teenager will have grown up considerably. Pandey, of course, heard more of Symonds and faced the attack less as had got to play but seven deliveries before being dismissed by Pragyan Ojha. Symonds, who was left out of Australia's Ashes plans, was everywhere. He played like a man possessed, using intimidation as a favourite tactic, especially against Manish Pandey - who, to his credit, remained calm and unfazed. But it showed Symond's desire to win. Like Gibbs, he too has a point to prove, to the Australian selectors if not to the world at large. Through the chase, he raised energy levels several notches and was a leader on the field.

Ojha took a leaf out of Kumble's book, put his hand up for his team and finished with three for 28 to play the lead role in Deccan Chargers' spectacular defence of the low score. Of course there were others who made it work for the team that drew on the twin fuels of hunger and self-belief as they pursued their goal with single-mindedness. Right through the tournament, Gilchrist invested in Harmeet Singh and today the medium-pacer vindicated his captain's faith in him. He kept his bowling extremely simple and never tried anything special, perhaps because he doesn't possess anything special. However, self-awareness and the discipline to bowl to a plan are not easy qualities to achieve.

Pragyan Ojha has been one of the pillar's of Deccan's bowling attack and he stood firm tonight. Ojha dismissed Pandey first ball but it was his dismissal of Roelof van der Merwe that showcased his skill and temperament. Despite being attacked, Ojha stuck to his strengths and continued to flight the ball. Eventually van der Merwe was beaten by the flight and spin and was comfortably stumped, giving Ojha his moment of self-expression. He ran to nowhere in particular, dodging his team-mates, and he too showed Van der Merwe the path to the dressing room.

Harmeet's moment came when he bowled Rahul Dravid who tried to play a paddle sweep. Harmeet immediately pressed his forefinger to his lips to silence the Bangalore fans in the crowd and showed Dravid the way to the dressing room. There was no malice, only a young man relishing his success. He had more reason to celebrate later when he took an outstanding catch in the deep to get rid of Vinay Kumar. It reminded one off the catch Ajay Jadeja took to dismiss Allan Border in the 1992 World Cup. Richard Harris starting the proceedings with a maiden over to Jacques Kallis; little-known Punjab fast medium bowler Harmeet Singh showing character under pressure and claiming two for 23; Andrew Symonds returning to scalp the dangerous Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli; RP Singh conjuring Kallis' dismissal and finishing with 4-0-16-1.

There was more. A spectacular catch by Harmeet Singh, who sprinted from long leg and lunged forward to get his hands under the skyer to dismiss a defiant Vinay Kumar in the 19th over. Gilchrist himself contributed with two wonderful stumping dismissals to curtain the innings of Roelof van der Merwe and Kohli.

What really caught the eye in Deccan's triumph at the Wanderers was how desperate their senior players were to win. They soaked up the pressure and allowed the youngsters to play in a relaxed frame of mind.

In the end there wasn't much to separate the two teams. The team that won the tight moments won the game - and the tournament. It was as simple, and as tough, as that. Twenty20 is primarily a batsman's game but today, the bowlers from both teams held their own and, with only one fifty in the match, the difference was probably Herschelle Gibbs restrained innings.

It was a stunning turnaround from last year for both teams and the one that faced the most humiliation in 2008 won the day. It felt right.

Is Prabhakaran still alive?

2009-05-22T12:51:00.000+05:30

The below photograph is circulating in websites in big way. Sources say that this picture was released by LTTE troupes those are still alive. But many also say that this picture is a morphed one.

How can Prabhakaran see his own death news on television? There are many those say that the dead body identified by Sri Lankan soldiers is not of LTTE Prabhakarn but only his look alike and hence the real tiger is enjoying the news.

Looking in close, many get that doubt as well. Adding to this, if the photograph is assumed to be a morphed one, then the News Paper ‘Dinamani’ that is in the hand of Prabhakaran has the title ‘Prabhakaran Veera Maranam’ in Tamil. So, is Prabharan’s death still a fiction? That has to be unleashed with convincing facts yet.

About Y S Rajasekhara Reddy

2009-05-21T13:02:00.002+05:30

Hyderabad, May 21: A trained doctor, Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy or YSR as he is popularly known, has learnt to feel the public pulse as he takes over today as Andhra Pradesh chief minister for the second successive term and sets new records.

He came up the hard way in his public life spanning three decades and emerged as one of the strongest leaders the Congress has produced in the state.

The 60-year-old broke the jinx by becoming the first Congress chief minister to retain power - a feat achieved before only by legendary N.T. Rama Rao of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the 1980s.

Last week, he had become the first chief minister in the state's history to complete a full five-year term.

He has always been a winner. Elected to the state assembly for the fifth time, YSR is also a four-time Lok Sabha member and holds the record of never losing an election.

Without promises of free TV sets and cash doles and without banking on filmstars' glamour, he proved why he is more popular among masses.

Popular as 'people's leader' among his followers, YSR tasted success despite facing a hostile poll campaign from both the TDP-led four party Grand Alliance and Praja Rajyam party of actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi.

YSR also emerged as one of the few leaders in the country to retain power beating the anti-incumbency factor. What has made his performance more creditable is the fact that he made no big promises and instead highlighted his performance versus the "poor credibility record" of his main rival N. Chandrababu Naidu of TDP.

Banking on his performance and the numerous welfare schemes his government launched during the last five years, YSR retained power despite a three-cornered contest.

The man who ran the Congress campaign on his shoulders emerged victorious in the face of hectic electioneering by top stars of the tinsel world in favour of TDP and Praja Rajyam.

When he took over as chief minister for the first time on May 14, 2004, it was a dream came true for YSR. The leader from the bad lands of Rayalaseema had come up the hard way, after narrowly missing power in 1999.

Born in a middle-class family at Pulivendula, a small town in Kadapa district, on July 8, 1949, YSR made a modest beginning. Eldest of the five sons of Y.S. Raja Reddy, a dynamic local leader in his heydays, he evinced interests in politics while studying at M.R. Medical College, Gulbarga in Karnataka.

After completing his MBBS, YSR served as medical officer at the Jammalamadugu Mission Hospital for a brief period. In 1973, he established a 70-bed charitable hospital.

He entered active politics in 1978 and was elected to the state assembly from Pulivendula. He served as state minister from 1980 to 1983 and retained the assembly seat in 1983 even when NTR swept to power with a historic victory.

Sensing a potential leader in him, then prime minister Indira Gandhi appointed YSR president of the state unit of Congress when he was only 34. In 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Kadapa and held the seat till 1999, when he shifted again to state politics. From 1998 to 2000, he again served as president of the state Congress.

Though the party lost the 1999 state elections, YSR emerged as the strongest leader of the party and became the leader of opposition.

The year 2003 was a turning point in his political career, as he undertook a 64-day padyatra, or walkathon, across the state. Covering 1,500 km under the scorching sun, he received petitions from people about their problems, mainly relating to agriculture and unemployment.

It was this campaign and a strong anti-incumbency wave against Chandrababu Naidu's government which catapulted YSR to power.

His experiences during the padyatra helped him shape his policies after assuming office as he gave free electricity to farmers, waived their loans, introduced several welfare schemes like pension for the aged, widows and handicapped, housing for poor, Rs.2-a-kg rice, Rajiv Arogyasri or community health insurance scheme and a massive programme to build irrigation projects.

Thanks to these initiatives, the Congress has won 156 of Andhra Pradesh's 294 seats and bagged 33 of its 42 Lok Sabha seats this time

Success of Sri Lanka's military against LTTE

2009-05-20T11:47:00.002+05:30

The success of Sri Lanka's military in liberating the entire territory of LTTE has been a slow and long process. The late Lakshman Kadirgamar, as foreign minister, had worked to get the LTTE declared a terrorist organisation by the international community. This led to the freezing of its accounts and an end to its operations from foreign soils. The building of a national consensus by President Rajapakse on full-scale military operations had led to 90 per cent public support in the country. The creation of the Eastern Province under a Tamil leader by masterminding a split in the LTTE top leadership had reduced Prabhakaran's capacities by half. The multi-pronged military offensive to seize back territory from the LTTE was a long and costly strategy but forced Prabhakaran into conventional defence. The LTTE's strong card of terror attacks began to lose momentum and impact.

Colombo's strategy of regaining territory and denying the LTTE the population bases forced Prabhakaran to use his artillery and his pitiful "air force" of a couple of small aircraft in symbolic acts of defiance. The much vaunted Tiger Navy comprising speed boats had been confined to shallow water

lagoons and coastal water. The LTTE could never have matched the Sri Lankan military backed by the state's entire capacity to continue the war to the end. The Sri Lankan military's extensive use of modern electronic and surveillance resources could not be matched by the hopelessly out-of- date technology of the LTTE. Prabhakaran sought to negotiate and re-start peace talks. He had burnt those bridges a long time ago by walking out of the internationally assisted peace process. The Tamil diaspora abroad, dispirited by Prabhakaran's intransigence and inability to turn the peace process to gain a significant political dividend, could do no more than demonstrate in Western capitals before an uncaring global opinion.

As the military pincers closed in on him, Prabhakaran could have accepted the offer to lay down arms, then negotiate an outcome, stretch out the talks, work the global Tamil opinion and exploit the Indian Tamil sympathy to his advantage. He was, simply put, incapable of such thinking. This led to holding the Tamil population as hostage for his safety, with untold suffering to hundreds of thousands of people for whose well-being he had waged the three-decade-long campaign. The inflexible man a consummate guerrilla tactician, and an inspiring leader to his cadres showed till the end his limited grasp of strategic purpose. In the process, he assassinated not just foes, but friends and well wishers, loyal colleagues, moderate Tamils and innumerable innocents. That the good of the Tamil people can be obtained within the Sri Lankan state remained beyond his mindset.

Coding Vs Managing

2009-05-13T12:47:00.000+05:30

While coding is considered trivial in India, in Western countries, people at 40 are also coding. The difference is they are really good at what they do, their code is guaranteed to be good quality, they understand technology and even being coders - they are 10 times more knowledgeable than the average Indian architect. Most of the young professionals who hardly have the merit to become good programmers get promoted easily and quickly to a management post. They will inevitably be bad managers. Quality is bound to suffer in such an environment. All of it is to be blamed on Indian IT companies narrow minded outlook at maximizing profit by cutting costs by bringing too many rookie programmers who do not have the requisite experience in most cases. PM is really a glorified post for doing nothing in Indian IT and they project a really bad image of the company in front of foreign clients. There are exceptions, but sadly there are far too many that are not.

In India, we look down upon coders and laugh if someone with 4 yrs experience is still coding. In software field, are you supposed to code or are you supposed to maintain spreadsheets of which employee is being billed for how much and how long?

Indian Company managers are nothing but half-baked professionals. They neither possess designing skills nor managing skills. I had seen a few on-site IT outsourcing managers who will have no clue if some design discussion goes on. Project management is a profession which cuts across industries. And it is not everybody's cup of tea.

In US/Europe, people want to master the technology and always have upper hand in both technical and architectural skills.

But its a case of Demand & supply. IT had been in force in India around Y2K(2000), and many people now in IT industry joined around 2004., so they don't find any people with 8 to 10 years of people for PM posts. I think in 2 years the position may change, many people may get experienced and qualified people might be available.

Buchanan milking Kolkata Knight Riders

2009-05-13T12:27:00.006+05:30

No wonder John Buchanan the former Australian coach is busy doing everything else except coach the team. John Buchanan is mostly busy milking the money. His son Micheal Buchanan has benefited immensely from his father's position as the Director of Cricket Ops. Coach for batting . Coach for bowling. Coach for wicket keeping. All foreigners. Promoted himself to DIRECTOR OF CRICKET OPERATIONS. ( Well , he is unofficially the Money Making Chief). Wants more foreign players , so that the money can be siphoned off more efficiently.

KKR's Support Staff:

1. John Buchanan - Director, Cricket Opetations.
2. Joy Bhattacharya - Team Director
3. Andrew Leipus - Physio
4. Adrian Le Roux - Team Trainer
5. Matthew Mott - Assistant Head Coach
6. Andy Bichel - Bowling Coach
7. Wade Seccombe - Wicket-keeping Coach
8. John Deeble - Fielding Coach
9. Brad Murphy - Assistant Coach
10. Micheal Buchanan - Strength Trainer (John Buchanan's son)

KKR management Shahrukh and Jay Mehta should be concerned, the people who spend so much money on teams, hope they know how to manage their affairs. I would suggest all sponsors to hook with RR as they r going to win again. Even if they dont, no one can take away the first win from them and they will always keep showing at No. 1 position on IPL trophy.

What hogwash!Brand value for a team does not make any sense when the team is just not performing.The word KKR in India nowadays is associated with losers and SRK being the face of team KKR is having to bear the brunt of the attack.

The simple question is do the franchisees realize that they are actually being swindled by glib-talking foreigners?

Why is it so that when you rope in a foreigner as a coach, you need to find engagement for his pals as well? For a five-week romp, do you really need that many people around? And that too when you are dealing mostly with international stars and young aspirants for whom gym is the temple and fitness a way of living?

Buchanan had already added one of his five sons in the KKR camp and the remaining four need not lose hopes.

Make no mistake, coach's is the most exaggerated role in world cricket. In a lowly side, he probably does have a role to play. But as Shane Warne would tell you, the only coach a quality team needs is the one that takes the players from hotel to the ground and back.

He has also ruffled a few feathers with his multipls captaincy theory and his strange selection philosophies. It was tolerable for the first three games but after the Kolkata Knight Riders ignored Mashrafe Bin Mortaza for the tenth consecutive time. The Knight Riders turned a million heads when they insisted on landing Mashrafe in their books for an astonishing 600,000 dollars back in February.Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge were automatic selections while the last spot would naturally go to Ajantha Mendis or Mashrafe since David Hussey was unavailable for much of the campaign.

But Buchanan gave that spot to Moises Henriques, a little known Australian all-rounder. Obviously the talent has not come through for the Australian: just 35 runs and two wickets from the four matches he's played.

Dwayne Smith playing vital role in Deccan Chargers' resurgence

2009-05-12T14:33:00.003+05:30

Tall, aggressive, and powerful, Dwayne Smith initially joined the IPL franchise of the Mumbai Indians in the absence of fellow West Indian Dwayne Bravo in 2008. He was latter bought by IPL franchise Deccan Chargers for the Season II of the League.

Smith, with 214 runs at 30.57 and a strike rate of 164.61 this IPL, has shown the world and the WICB selectors what he can do. Actually, everyone knows what he can do; it's what he does in the middle - or not - that has thrilled and infuriated Caribbean fans. After a immensely promising debut, where he smashed a Test hundred against South Africa in South Africa, he has slowly let himself go the way of Ricardo Powell.

Smith had been given a surprise opportunity - ahead of his Grenadian namesake Devon - when Marlon Samuels flew home with a knee injury. It was rumoured that Viv Richards had recognised something of himself in the stance of the young Barbadian and, sure enough, his 93 ball 100 was the fastest ever by a debuant in Test cricket. It was the 3rd time that a batsman from Barbados has made a debut century, after Conrad Hunte and Gordon Greenidge. It was enough to stem West Indies' run of seven consecutive defeats in South Africa.

He however failed to make a half-century in his 9 Tests since, with his second-highest Test score of 42 coming against the bottom-ranked Bangladesh.His batting reflects both his temperament and his youth, as he is still inclined to lose his wicket under the influence of careless strokeplay, and he made starts, but no more, in the next few Tests. His flamboyant hitting is matched by his athletic fielding, while his useful medium-pacers.

His script was simple: Flashy big hits, a thrilling six and an adrenalin-fuelled dismissal. Far too often he would get cleaned up by the full delivery or hole out to mid-on or mid-off, trying to force the length ball over the infield; no wonder he was nicknamed "Tarzan" in the Caribbean. Worse, he seemed to repeat his mistakes, unable to check the bat swing that starts slightly too early. But he started playing himself in, playing with soft hands and, importantly, showing immense wisdom in shot selection.

He started unfurling his trademark swings over midwicket and long-on. He speaks about his commitment and desire to get a call back to the West Indies team and has, importantly, admitted his mistakes in the past. If the first step towards solving a problem is admitting you have one, Smith has taken some giant stride. He has become a vital member in Deccan Chargers' resurgence. Keep going Dwayne.

160,000 Telugu singers set new Guinness world record at Annammayya Laksha Gala Sankeertana

2009-05-11T10:23:00.005+05:30

Hyderabad, May 10 : A whopping 160,000 people sang in chorus seven keerthanas, or hymns in praise of god, of Telugu saint-poet Thallapaka Annamacharya here Sunday evening, and broke a 70-year-old world record.

The programme, ‘Annamayya Laksha Gala Sankirthanarchana’, was organized by "Tirumala Tirupati Devastanam (TTD)", the organization that administers the World's most popular Hindu Abode, Tirumala, in conjunction with Siliconandhra, a social welfare organization on the eve of 601th Birthday of "Annamacharya", also called "Annammayya", most popular Devotee of Lord Venkateswara.

The title explains it all.

Annammayya - Devotee of Lord Venkateswara on whose name, the eve has been organized

Laksha - 1 Lakh

Gala - "Throat" is often termed as "Galam". Here it is used to mention the number of people that took part in the eve.

Sankeertana - Prayer offered to the God in the form of songs.

A representative of the Guinness Book of World Records announced that the previous record is broken at the grand spiritual musical event, organised to mark the 601st birth anniversary of Annamacharya.

“I have great pleasure in announcing that more than 70 years later the record has been broken,” said Guinness Book representative Raymond Marshal amid thunderous applause at the sprawling Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, Hyderabad’s twin city.

He also presented the certificate from Guinness Book of World Records to state Minister for Finance K. Rosaiah. As the Minister received the certificate, the audience chanted the slogans of “Govinda Govinda”.

It was on Aug 2, 1937, that 60,000 people sang the national anthem in Germany to set the world record.

The organisers said 160,000 people sang the keerthanas in one voice.

Renowned Carnatic musician M. Balamurali Krishna, singer Kavitha Krishnamurthy and her husband L. Subramanyam and Garimella Balakrishna Prasad led 160,000 singers, both professionals and amateurs. Telugu actor Nagarjuna, who acted in film “Annamayya”, was also present.

Addressing the gathering, SiliconAndhra president Kuchibotla Anand, congratulated all the participants and said the programme would help in propagation of Telugu culture across the world.

Annammayya is the earliest Known musician of South India. He is a song writer and composer (Devotional). He who was born in 1408, composed 32,000 Sankeerthans eulogising Lord Venkateswara.

The TTD, which manages the affairs of the Lord Venkateshwara temple at Tirumala, is organising Annamacharya’s 601st birth anniversary celebrations on a grand scale.

TTD chairman D.K. Audikesavulu Naidu announced that Tallapaka, the birthplace of Annamacharya in Kadapa district, will be developed as a major spiritual centre.

The TTD is also making efforts to propagate Keerthanas of the first Telugu lyric poet worldwide by organising spiritual programmes, including group rendering of Sankeerthans and lectures on his literary works.

Ram Gopal Verma tampers with the National Anthem in Rann

2009-05-07T15:31:00.003+05:30

Ram Gopal Verma's upcoming film 'Rann', which means 'war' in Sanskrit language, is said to have tampered with the national anthem 'Jan gana mana' and is likely to face trouble getting passed from the Censor Board. Sources from the director Ram Gopal Varma's camp say that few additions to the lines of the national anthem has been made in a song of the film to suit the theme of war. For instance, the first line after the addition goes like this "Jana gana mana Rann hai...is Rann mein zakhmi hua hai.Bharat Bhagya Vidhaata..". Knowledgeable sources from the Censor Board of Film Certification say that this particular song from Ram Gopal Varma's 'Rann' may face the axe, when it comes before the Board for approval.

Sheetal Talwar, co-producer of the film, said, "We believe the song reflects the current state of the country. Also, according to our constitution, one has the right to freedom of expression and speech. We are not violating any law or dishonoring the national anthem at all. There is no violation of copyright either."

Talwar is not worried that the song will be banned by the Censor Board. "We believe that it is appropriate for the film and we don't expect the promos to get banned. If there is a problem, we will take the necessary recourse," he said.

Director Ram Gopal Varma said, "I have not tinkered with the anthem or treated it in a disrespectful manner. The song has been used to express the angst of some characters of the film against the current situation in the country. It does not say anything that is not true. I think by the words and the visuals, everyone can see the dignity with which it has been treated."

LYRICS of the tampered song OF RANN…….
Jana Gana Mana Rann Hai
Is Rann MeinZakhmi Hua Hai
Bharat Ka Bhaagya Vidhaata

Punjab Sindh Gujarat Maratha

Ek Doosre Se Ladd Ke Mar Rehein Hain
Is Desh Ne Humjko Ek Kiya
Hum Desh Ke Tukdey Kar Rahein Hain

Khoon Bahaa Ker
Ek Rang Kar Diya Humne Tiranga

Sarhadon Pe Jung Aur
Galiyon Mein Fasaad Danga

Vindh Himachal Yamuna Ganga Men Tezaab Ubal Raha Hain

Mar Gaya Sab Ka Zameer
Jan Kab Zinda Ho Aagey

Phot Bhi Tava Shubha Name Jaage
Tav Shubh Aashish Maange

Aag Mein Jal Kar Cheekh Raha Hai Phir Bhi Koi Sach Ko Nahi Bachaata

Gahe Tava Jaya Gaatha

Desh Ka Aisa Haal Hain Lekin
Aapas Mein Ladd Rahein Neta

Jana Gana Mangal Daayak Jaya Hai
Bharat Ko Bachale Vidhaata

Jay Hai Yeh Marann Hai
Jana Gana Mana Rann Hai

Fake IPL Player nick names

2009-04-30T14:49:00.005+05:30

Fake IPL Player nick names.

1) Kishen Kanaiyya refers to Ravi Shastri.

2) Appam Chuthiya refers to Sreeshanth he comes from kerala where appam is the famous delicacy and fakeiplplayer is calling him bcoz of his attitude.

3) Pedophile Priest refers to Adam Gilchrist.

4) Kaan Moolo referes to Ajith Agarkar coz i think all of you would know,it’s for his enormous ears.

5) Big Sister refers to Shilpa Shetty coz she rose to fame using the big brother reality show.

6) Prince Charles of Patiala refers to Yuvraj Singh coz i think its anyone’s guess well he is from punjab and worshipped like a king there,probably one more reason the author likes him.

7) Lord Almighty refers to Sourav Ganguly , once again here the writer has shown his liking for ganguly so has raised him from the status of prince to lord himself.

8. Babli refers to Preity Zinta as she is ever refreshing and encouraging her team.

9) Calypso King refers to Chris Gayle as he is considered the king of Caribbean in the world of cricket.

10) Vinnie Dildo refers to Sharukh Khan coz as far as my research says it is due to his interefering or poking behaviour and also the atmost hate of this writer towards Shahrukh.

11) Havaii Chappal refers to Greg Chapel coz of his surname ‘Chapel’ —> ‘Chappal’ and havai as prefix to show how ‘local’ he is.

12) Junta Tormentor refers to Ajantha Mendis coz of his abnormal bowling action which has tormented batsmen around the world.

13) The Baja of Baroda refers to Anshuman Gaekwad coz he is from baroda is the simple guess i suppose.

14) Sandy Baddy babe refers to Mandira Bedi coz she is a female who has nothing like a babe but still is acting like one.

15) Little John refers to Ishant Sharma ,its just a paradox to refer.

16) John Wrong refers to John Wright, ,its just a paradox to refer.

17) Bangla Tiger refers Mashrafe Mortaza coz he is from Bangaldesh and ‘tiger’ coz the author likes him.

18)Sheikh of Tweak refers to Shane Warne.

19) Meera Bhai refers to Harbhajan Singh.

20) RDB refers to Randeep Bose.

21) Ram refers to VVS Laxman.

22) Chatterjee Kaaku refers to The Old Guy from the Ad posted by the KKR(Kolkata Knight Riders) Team where he says ‘Tum Bhi Jeetoge’.

23) Mr.Batlivala refers to liqour baron Mr Vijay Mallya

24) Phoren Babas refers to Brendon Mc Cullum and the coach John Buchanan

25) Shakespeare - Akash Chopra

26) Ganji Hanger - Sanjay Bangar

27) Big Mac — Mathew Hayden

28) Chintu Singh - Anureet Singh

29) Joker - The Nepali guy(Chang) who was Indian Idol host

30) Sheeghra Patan refers to Yousuf Pathan

31) Candy Nickle refers to Andy biche

32) Bookha naan is Buchanan

33) Springbok = Charl Langeveldt

34) Ghati Baba = Rohit Sharma

35) Buddhiman Baba= Wriddhiman Saha

36) Sticky Something= Ricky Ponting

37) Dewar=Rahul Dravid

38) Chhota Chetan= Cheteshwar Pujara

39) Panty Curry= Robin Uthapa

40) Chinnu Popli= Bharat Chipli/Sreevats Goswami

41) Chikna Pussy= David Hussey

42) Chirkut Teli= Viraat Kohli

43) Bubban= Arindam Ghosh

44) Darwaan of Patiala= Tom Moody

45) Vakil Saab= Kumar Sangakkara

46) Saala Slimeball = Lalit Modi

47) Cool Dude= Mahendra Singh Dhoni

48) Kameez Pajama= Rameez Raja

49) Hanky Panky= ?

Teams referred in the story :

Bevdaa Team refers Bangalore Royal Challengers coz its owned by the liquor giant vijay mallya.

Big Sister’s Team refers to Rajasthan Royals coz owned by shilpa shetty.

Bubblie’s Team refers to Punjab Kings XI coz owned by preity zinta.

What is swine flu?

2009-04-28T14:00:00.001+05:30

What is swine flu?

It is a general term for influenza viruses adapted to pigs, causing a respiratory disease in the animals. There are many different strains. The disease is caused by a type A influenza virus, and the new strain belongs to the most common subtype, known as H1N1. Swine flu can infect humans. In such cases, it is most often transmitted from a pig to someone handling the animal. Swine flu can pass from human to human through coughing, sneezing or touching infected people or surfaces and then touching your mouth or nose. It is not contracted by eating thoroughly cooked pork.

What are the symptoms?

They are similar to symptoms for regular types of flu seen every winter: fever, fatigue, sore throat, cough, poor appetite, body aches and chills. Some people also have nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

Is it contagious?

Swine flu is contagious, but health officials cannot yet say how easily this strain spreads from person to person. People are usually contagious for as long as they are symptomatic, typically four to five days for adults and longer for children.

How dangerous?

In Mexico, more than 100 deaths are suspected from swine flu, but all known cases in the US and elsewhere have been mild. Experts do not know how deadly the flu is, because they do not know how many people have been infected overall.

The new strain seems to be more lethal to those aged 25 to 45 — an ominous sign, as this was a hallmark of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic that killed tens of millions worldwide.

What is the incubation period?

Only a day or two.

How can you stop the spread?

Standard methods of prevention include covering your mouth when you cough and sneeze. Use tissues and throw them in a bin immediately. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitisers. Avoid sick people. If you become sick, stay home from work or school.

Is there a vaccine?

No. Development of such a vaccine would take at least four months.

What is the treatment?

Two antiviral drugs — Tamiflu and Relenza — are thought to work.

Rohit Sharma's Telugu roots

2009-04-27T15:40:00.005+05:30

Rohit Sharma oozes batting talent: maleable wrists, knack to find the gaps, and the extra half a second when he plays his shots. He first came to limelight when he exuded class at No. 3 in the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2006. He took that class with him when he played for India in their triumphant World Twenty20 campaign and the CB Series in Australia in early 2008, scoring two fifties, including a vital 66 in the first final in Sydney. However that class didn't translate into long innings in his first two first-class seasons for Mumbai. He kept making strides in the big league, though.

He was bought for US$750,000 by the Deccan Chargers in the IPL due to his Telugu roots, and made 404 runs at 36.73 including four fifties. He made his place in the Indian limited-overs side more or less permanent, and is also being looked at as one of the replacements with retirements just round the corner in the Test middle order.

He pressed a claim for higher things through two centuries in the 2008-09 Ranji final, a feat last achieved by Sachin Tendulkar and only four others before him.

He is performing even better in IPL second season as Gilchrish lauds him for his leadership skills. Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist says that the talented Rohit Sharma is not only a class player but also a captain in the making. “He has done pretty well for India in Twenty20 and One-day cricket. He is a class act. He has taken the role of vice captaincy very seriously and wants to be a leader,” Gilchrist said.

His roots are in Visakhapatnam of coastal Andhra Pradesh as his mother Purnima Sharma hails from there. He speaks Telugu pretty comfortably and fluently. For her part, Rohit’s mother is busy now a days giving interviews mostly in Telugu after the success story of not just her son and also the team, even calling up her grandmother Visalakshi in Visakhapatnam to share her moments of joy.

People of Andhra Pradesh distraught over not having a representation in the current Indian Twenty20 cricket team need not despair anymore.

Job Hoppers

2009-04-25T16:47:00.000+05:30

Some, rather most organizations reject his CV today because he has changed jobs frequently (10 in 14 years). My friend, the ‘job hopper’ (referred here as Mr. JH), does not mind it…. well he does not need to mind it at all. Having worked full-time with 10 employer companies in just 14 years gives Mr. JH the relaxing edge that most of the ‘company loyal’ employees are struggling for today. Today, Mr. JH too is laid off like some other 14-15 year experienced guys – the difference being the latter have just worked in 2-3 organizations in the same number of years. Here are the excerpts of an interview with Mr. JH:

Q: Why have you changed 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: To get financially sound and stable before getting laid off the second time.

Q: So you knew you would be laid off in the year 2009?
A: Well I was laid off first in the year 2002 due to the first global economic slowdown. I had not got a full-time job before January 2003 when the economy started looking up; so I had struggled for almost a year without job and with compromises.

Q: Which number of job was that?
A: That was my third job.

Q: So from Jan 2003 to Jan 2009, in 6 years, you have changed 8 jobs to make the count as 10 jobs in 14 years?
A: I had no other option. In my first 8 years of professional life, I had worked only for 2 organizations thinking that jobs are deserved after lot of hard work and one should stay with an employer company to justify the saying ‘employer loyalty’. But I was an idiot.

Q: Why do you say so?
A: My salary in the first 8 years went up only marginally. I could not save enough and also, I had thought that I had a ‘permanent’ job, so I need not worry about ‘what will I do if I lose my job’. I could never imagine losing a job because of economic slowdown and not because of my performance. That was January 2002.

Q: Can you brief on what happened between January 2003 and 2009.
A: Well, I had learnt my lessons of being ‘company loyal’ and not ‘money earning and saving loyal’. But then you can save enough only when you earn enough. So I shifted my loyalty towards money making and saving – I changed 8 jobs in 6 years assuring all my interviewers about my stability.
Q: So you lied to your interviewers; you had already planned to change the job for which you were being interviewed on a particular day?
A: Yes, you can change jobs only when the market is up and companies are hiring. You tell me – can I get a job now because of the slowdown? No. So one should change jobs for higher salaries only when the market is up because that is the only time when companies hire and can afford the expected salaries.

Q: What have you gained by doing such things?
A: That’s the question I was waiting for. In Jan 2003, I had a fixed salary (without variables) of say Rs. X p.a. In January 2009, my salary was 8X. So assuming my salary was Rs.3 lakh p.a. in Jan 2003, my last drawn salary in Jan 2009 was Rs.24 lakh p.a. (without variable). I never bothered about variable as I had no intention to stay for 1 year and go through the appraisal process to wait for the company to give me a hike.

Q: So you decided on your own hike?
A: Yes, in 2003, I could see the slowdown coming again in future like it had happened in 2001-02. Though I was not sure by when the next slowdown would come, I was pretty sure I wanted a ‘debt-free’ life before being laid off again. So I planned my hike targets on a yearly basis without waiting for the year to complete.

Q: So are you debt-free now?
A: Yes, I earned so much by virtue of job changes for money and spent so little that today I have a loan free 2 BR flat (1200 sq. feet) plus a loan free big car without bothering about any EMIs. I am laid off too but I do not complain at all. If I have laid off companies for money, it is OK if a company lays me off because of lack of money.
Q: Who is complaining?
A: All those guys who are not getting a job to pay their EMIs off are complaining. They had made fun of me saying I am a job hopper and do not have any company loyalty. Now I ask them what they gained by their company loyalty; they too are laid off like me and pass comments to me – why will you bother about us, you are already debt-free. They were still in the bracket of 12-14 lakh p.a. when they were laid off.

Q: What is your advice to professionals?
A: Like Narayan Murthy had said – love your job and not your company because you never know when your company will stop loving you. In the same lines, love yourself and your family needs more than the company’s needs. Companies can keep coming and going; family will always remain the same. Make money for yourself first and simultaneously make money for the company, not the other way around.

Q: What is your biggest pain point with companies?
A: When a company does well, its CEO etc will address the entire company saying, ‘well done guys, it is YOUR company, keep up the hard work, I am with you.” But when the slowdown happens and the company does not do so well, the same CEO Etc will say, “It is MY company and to save the company, I have to take tough decisions including asking people to go.” So think about your financial stability first; when you get laid off, your kids will complain to you and not your boss.

Controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi accepting the 'Order of Leopold' from Belgium government

2009-04-22T14:45:00.004+05:30

Sonia Gandhi accepts 'Order of Leopold' from Belgium government

In a unique honour, Belgium on November 11, 2006 conferred the Order of Leopold, the country's second highest civilian award, on Sonia Gandhi, Congress president and United Progressive Alliance chairperson, for her "constructive nationalism" and her efforts to foster a multicultural, tolerant society in India.

Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt presented the decoration 'Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold' on Sonia in the presence of a galaxy of leaders. Previous recipients of the Order of Leopold include Yugoslav Communist leader Josip Broz Tito and former US president Dwight Eisenhower.

EC slaps notic to Congress President Sonia Gandhi

After a split opinion, the Election Commission on 15 February 2008 served a notice on Congress President Sonia Gandhi on a disqualification complaint against her for receiving a Belgian honour, triggering a political row.

The three-member Commission, headed by Chief Election Commission N Gopalaswamy, asked her to respond within three weeks.

The Commission also asked the External Affairs Ministry to furnish details within three weeks about Gandhi receiving the 'Order of Leopold' from the Belgium government in November 2006.

This followed a complaint from an advocate from Kerala seeking her disqualification from the Lok Sabha alleging it amounted to owing allegiance to the Constitution of that country.

Beyond the legalities

Beyond the legalities and technicalities of accepting an award demanding allegiance and loyalty to a foreign sovereign, there is a moral dimension to it. King Leopold of Belgium was one of the worst mass murderers in history. His rule was the inspiration for Joseph conrad's Heart of Darkness and the movie Apocalypse Now.

The stark immorality of Sonia's acceptance of this monstrous order— synonymous with slavery and genocide—should be highlighted, and not just the technical and legal aspects.

Sonia Gandhi's acceptance of an award instituted in his name brings dishonor not only to India but also the illustrious name that she uses. Can you imagine a greater contrast between Mahatma Gandhi and King Leopold? It defiles a great name.

This should give an idea of Sonia's level of culture and education. what next? A Hitler order?

Shame on the UPA

The Constitution is being treated like a scrap of paper with transgressions of the Constitutional provisions day in and day out. The very fact that Antonia was chosen and not the Prime Minister shows who is the extra-constitutional authority running the nation like a colonial running a colony? Shame on the UPA who have led the nation to such a pass. Was this the nation for which many sacrificed their lives for a mythya of swarajyam?

The Minister for External Affairs has already been honoured with the Padma Vibhushan birudu. So, his devotion to the empress for bestowing this honour on him will be duly acknowledged. What type of response can one expect from MEA? Can MEA reinterpret the rules of the Order of Leopold?

If Pranab has bhakti for the empress and if the empress has bhakti for the King of Belgium, what allegiance is needed for being an MP? Aha, in this globalised world, is it a signal honour to be honoured by a European monarch of a colonial, imperialist regime? It is a pity that Sonia was not born into monarchy, is only a naturalised monarch like her naturalized citizenship of Bharat, that is India.

Notice overruled by the Election Commission

The Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami, who demitted the office on 20 April 2009), is reported to have taken the view that there was need for further enquiry to go into a complaint against Sonia Gandhi. This reasonable stand taken by an upright civil servant with unquestioned and unimpeachable integrity like N Gopalaswami, has been overruled by the Election Commission (EC) by a majority opinion. By a 2-1 vote, Election Commissioners Navin Chawla and SY Quraishi have overturned Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami’s view that an enquiry is necessary to go into the complaint against Sonia.

These two Election Commissioners–known and planted political representatives of Sonia Gandhi and her Congress Party in the Election Commission--are understood to have recommended that the enquiry against Sonia Gandhi was complete and no further action was called for. Thus a divided Election Commission has sent to the President its politically loaded opinion rooted in the carcass of law (devoid of the spirit of law) on whether Congress President Sonia Gandhi should be disqualified as a Member of Parliament for receiving a foreign award, The EC’s view has been sent to President Pratibha Patil for her final decision.

N Gopalaswami has refused to divulge the stand taken by him or the two Commissioners but confirmed the issue was before the President. He has stated: ‘I do not want to say anything on this because this is a case on which the decision will be taken by the President. So until the decision is taken, there can be no discussion on this.’ Asked as to at what stage the case was now, Gopalaswami said, ’The point is that the President has not taken a decision yet. The matter will be finally decided at the appropriate time.’

Opinion polls: Predictions for AP Elections 2009

2009-04-22T11:12:00.004+05:30

Now let’s get in to predictions for AP Election 2009. These are purely based on my observation, talking to different people in AP and of course reading news papers and their surveys. I call it Bhavishyavani and you can call it an observation! Please be reminded that I do not believe in any of our newspapers and their ability to be objective in writing news and stories. I read them but I take them with a grain of salt.

Assembly

Phase 1 (154 Seats):
Congress: 35-40, TDP Kootami: 90-95, PRP: 10-15, MIM: 7, Others 5-8

Phase 2 (140 Seats):
Congress: 40-45, TDP Kootami: 60-65, PRP: 30-35, Others 5-8

Total (294 Seats):

Congress: 75-85, TDP Kootami: 150-160, PRP: 40-45, MIM: 7, Others 10-16

Loksabha

Phase 1 (22 Seats):
Congress: 6-8, TDP Kootami: 12-14, PRP: 1-2, MIM: 1, Others 0-1

Phase 2 (20 Seats):
Congress: 5-6, TDP Kootami: 10-12, PRP: 4-5, Others 0

Total (42 Seats):

Congress: 11-14, TDP Kootami: 23-26, PRP: 5-7, MIM: 1, Others 0-1

Stop pampering Kasab, end trial in a month: Bal Thackeray

2009-04-21T16:20:00.004+05:30

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray on Tuesday criticized the "special treatment" accorded to Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone Pakistani terrorist captured during the Mumbai attacks, and demanded that his trial be wrapped up within a month.

In a scathing editorial in Saamna, the party mouthpiece, Thackeray said a huge amount of tax-payers' money has been wasted in providing security to "Kasab Saheb" (Kasab Sir).

"So much security is not even provided to the country's prime minister. All this because we want to prove to the world that we are such a strong democracy and that we will give an opportunity of defence to even those who attack us and destroy our country," the editorial noted.

After a bomb-proof tunnel worth Rs 2 crore, Ajmal Amir Kasab will get to travel around in special hi-tech secured vehicle. The Maharashtra government has reportedly imported a van costing a whopping Rs 6 crore. The van is fitted with a scanner that will detect any explosive in the periphery of 200 metres. Meanwhile, as the government spends crores to ensure Kasab's safety, the lawyer defending him will be entitled to receive meagre Rs 900 (as per the provisions of legal aid) at the end of trial.

Thackeray alleged that with the Indian government taking care of all his needs, Kasab - who appeared in court wearing jeans, T-shirt and perfume - must have started loving life in an Indian prison as compared to impoverished Pakistan.

Hence, "Kasab Saheb" has suddenly remembered that he is below 18 years of age, and that the motive was to capture Jammu and Kashmir after the government appointed lawyer S.G. Abbas Kazmi to defend him.

"At this rate, the trial will go from lower courts to higher courts and then for a presidential pardon, as in the case of Afzal Guru," the signed piece pointed out. It urged that the trial be completed within a fortnight to a month; Kasab should be given punishment against which he cannot appeal in any higher court and the matter be disposed of.

IPL's commercial exploitation

2009-04-20T15:11:00.002+05:30

IPL chief Lalit Modi expressed his happiness with the way the tournament has kicked off. "We are delighted that we were able to squeeze in the tactical breaks, even in a rain-shortened match," he grinned with a trademark wink.

He also said that, in the future, even the tactical breaks will have a title sponsor of their own. "Just like 'Citi Moment of Success', and 'DLF Maximum Sixes', we plan to introduce sponsored events such as 'TVS Tactical Break', 'Reebok Run-Chase', and 'Dominos Dot-Ball'", said Mr Modi to a stunned audience.

When a reporter asked if this didn't amount to rampant commercial exploitation, Mr Modi shot back "You mean 'Coca-cola commercial exploitation'. If you fail to mention the sponsor's name, I will hit you with a 'Lays Lawsuit'".

This makes the IPL the first event in the world to commercially exploit the entity of "commercial exploitation" itself. Sources have revealed that for the next season even the sponsors themselves may be sponsored - opening up the possibility of sponsored brands such as "Pepsi Coca-Cola", and "Blackberry Nokia".

Chandrababu Naidu's son Lokesh, architect of Cash Transfer Scheme

2009-04-20T13:39:00.004+05:30

Guess who is the brain behind the much-talked about Cash Transfer Scheme, highlighted in Telugu Desam manifesto. It is neither Chandrababu Naidu nor his former finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu. It is Naidu’s son Lokesh. According to party sources, it was Lokesh who made an indepth study of such cash transfer scheme prevailing in 30 countries including Latin American countries like Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile, which was also appreciated by International Labour Organisation.

Nara Lokesh, the US-educated son of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu has drafted a novel scheme in the party’s manifesto as part of his training to join politics. Lokesh, who worked briefly with the World Bank before coming home to work in his mother’s company, Heritage Foods, designed the ‘cash transfer’ scheme, which is part of the TDP manifesto released here on Thursday.

According to the scheme, if the TDP is voted back to power in Andhra Pradesh, it will transfer cash every month to the bank accounts of all poor and middle class families. The monthly payment will made in three slabs - Rs 2,000 for families considered very poor, Rs 1,500 for the poor and Rs 1,000 for the middle class. The amount would be credited to the bank account of the lady of the household every month.

TDP sources said Lokesh studied such schemes currently in implementation in several Latin American countries during his stint with the World Bank. He advocated the scheme to his father, arguing that it was better than routing money through government schemes, which rarely reach the intended beneficiaries.

Impressed, Naidu sold the scheme to his partymen, saying it would bring down economic inequalities in society. The TDP manifesto also promises colour TVs for all families below the poverty line, free power to farmers for 12 hours a day and cooking gas cylinders at Rs 150 each.

The other promises include a five-day week, interest-free loans up to Rs 25,000 for women, allocation of Rs 500 crore for the welfare of the farmers, a 50 per cent subsidy on power looms for weavers, own houses for employees three months before their retirement, house sites for journalists, protection of properties belonging to the minorities and categorising Dalit Christians as Scheduled Castes.

Lokesh is also said to be playing behind the screen role to help his father in campaign strategies and tour programmes. However, he may not immediately come into focus, but might do so, if TD comes into power.

Cash Transfer Scheme helped Mahakootami virtually sweep the first phase elections and its 100% sure the results are going to be similar in phase 2 as well. Kudos to junior Naidu. Another Jagan in the making!

Chandrababu Naidu sting CD content

2009-04-16T10:49:00.003+05:30

An Indian Justice Party (IJP) candidate has accused TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu of telling his colleagues to ‘spend maximum money to ensure that the party comes to power at any cost’ in Andhra Pradesh. Accusing Naidu of ‘unethical practices’, Manne Leo Augustine distributed a CD containing conversations of a man, alleged to be the TDP chief, with TDP leaders.

It appears to be a recording of conversation between Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu and his party colleagues including Kadiam Srihari, Yerrabelli Dayakar Rao etc., which took place during a teleconference. In the teleconference, Naidu reportedly directed the party leaders to spend money lavishly in the elections and distribute money up to the booth level to manage voters and to ensure that the party comes to power at any cost. Not only that, he even made some derogatory comments against Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhara Rao and his party candidates in Telangana; and his arguments with Kadiam Srihari over alliance with the TRS.

"First time, I am insisting. Because we need to win. To win, you must get together all your resources and spend money, mobilise money. Then systematically organise the spending. Money should reach upto the booth committee. In the next 16 days, in 2-3 instalments or 3-4 instalments, money should reach every booth."

“Let me know the details of money being spent by each candidate. Send me this information through your confidential couriers,” the man says.

The man instructs the others to tap telephones of Congress leaders to know their strategies. Disgruntled Congress leaders should be attracted to the TDP. About Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, he is heard saying, “I never bow my head before anybody, but had to yield to KCR due to certain circumstances... The TRS doesn’t have any ideology or objective. It has fielded waste candidates, but we can’t do anything.” The remarks put TDP's commitment to Telangana state under shadows of doubt. He also referred Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhara Rao as "unreliable".

Augustine, IJP candidate in Patancheru Assembly constituency in Medak district, claimed the conversation was recorded by tapping telephones in Naidu’s residence and the TDP office. He claimed to have procured the CD through friends.

Naidu described the operation as a cheap election gimmick and said that by doing it the Congress had bared its shamelss chracter. "Rajasekhara Reddy is desperate to win the election and is, therefore, carrying out a campaign of calumny against me,’’ he said.Naidu claimed that the Grand Alliance would bag 110 of the 154 Assembly seats and 17 of the 22 LS seats for which polling will be held in the first phase in April 16. Terming Rajasekhara Reddy’s claim that the Congress would win 230 Assembly and 36 Lok Sabha seats as "statistics reminiscent of Satyam figures’’ Naidu said the chief minister was only day-dreaming.

The audio CD was handed over Andhra's Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao on Tuesday. Says Rao: "Chandrababu Naidu is said to have spoken about spending and distributing money. We have got two complaints. We will examine them and send our report to the EC for further action.''

That political parties spend large amounts of money on elections is an open secret. The ceiling for spending for a parliamentary constituency is 25 lakh rupees and for an assembly it is 15 lakh rupees. There are no amounts mentioned in Naidu's so called teleconference. So how much he is referring to and whether it will invite EC action is anyone's guess?

Prajarajyam's Rail Engine can't be overtaken by any of the Congress Hand, TDP Cycle or TRS Car. Better go away else get crushed.

2009-04-10T19:32:00.007+05:30

Prajarajyam's Rail Engine is coming. The quote "Rail Engine can't be overtaken by any of the , or . Better go away else get crushed." aptly suits thier election symbol. The picture depicts the same.

Prajarajyam party is planning an innovative idea to take their 'Rail Engine' symbol to the public. The Party is coming up with Rail Yatra from tomorrow. A special train will start from Secunderabad enroute it will touch stations like - Khajipet, Warangal, Khammam,Madhira, Vijayawada, Nuziveedu, Eluru, Tadepalligudem, Nidadhavolu, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam. Then the Train will start from Cheepuripally in Srikakulam Dist. and will pass through Vijayawada and it's final destination Tirupati.

Chiru, Pawan, Ramcharan and Allu Arjun will be traveling in the train. As it is the special train of PRP, it would stop in every railway station, Chiru would address the gathering in the Railway stations.

The EC has already given permission to conduct this Rail Yatra.It will last for 3 days.

Indian General Elections 2009 dates

2009-04-02T16:50:00.003+05:30

The dates for the five-phase elections are April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13. U.P and Jammu and Kashmir will vote in 5 phases, Bihar will have 4 phases while there will be 3 phases in Maharashtra and West Bengal. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pra-desh, Manipur, Orissa and Punjab will vote in 2 phases. While other 15 states and 7 Union Territories will have single-day poll.

This time, around 714 million people are eligible to participate in the election process. The main contest will expected to be between the ruling Congress Party (UPA) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (NDA). The counting of ballots would begin on May 16 and after a few hours we will have the complete result. Also, elections to assemblies in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Orissa will be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls.

Breakup of Constituencies date-wise::

April 16 — 124 constituencies
April 23 — 141 constituencies
April 30 — 107 constituencies
May 7 — 85 constituencies
May 13 — 86 constituencies

Schedule State-wise ::

Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh — on all five dates.
Bihar — April 16, 23, 30 and May 7
Maharashtra — April 16, 23, and 30th April
West Bengal — April 30, May 7 and 13th May
Andhra Pradesh and Assam– April 16 and 23
Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh– April 23 and 30
Manipur and Orissa — April 16 and 23
Punjab — May 7 and 13
Jharkhand — April 16 and 23
Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Chhattisgarh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep — April 16
Goa and Tripura — April 23
Gujarat, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu — April 30
Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan — May 7.
Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Puducherry — May 13.

IPL 2009 Fixtures & Schedule

2009-03-29T22:05:00.004+05:30

Finally IPL is confirmed. Though moving the tournament out of India has trigered lot of debate and some organization have filed case against this because it has raised questions over the Security of the Nation. Earlier India Government conveyed their concerns over the overlapping schedule of India Elections and IPL Tournament as a result of which IPL was planned to move either to England or South Africa. Finally South Africa emerged to be the favorites considering the weather factor. IPL starts from 18th April 2009 and goes on till 24th May 2009. To view the schedule online click here.

Venues where IPL matches will be played

1. Newlands, Cape Town – 8 Matches

2. St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth – 7 Matches

3. Kingsmead, Durban – 16 Matches

4. SuperSport Park, Centurion – 12 Matches out of which 1 Semi-Final(1st)

5. Buffalo Park, East London – 3 Matches

6. New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg – 8 Matches out of which 1 Semi-Final(2nd) and 1 final.

7. De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley – 3 Matches

8. OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein – 2 Matches

• Total 56 league matches, 2 Semi-Finals, 1 Final. No Reserve Days.

• 37 Match are scheduled Day/Night which starts at 4:30 P.M for Indian Viewers

• Semi-Finals and Finals are scheduled Day/Night

• Remaining 19 matches will start at 12:30 P.M

The matches will be held at 12.30 pm and 4.30 pm local time (4.00pm and 8.00pm IST; 10.30am and 2.30pm GMT).

Teams in the order of the which teams plays first

1. Chennai Super Kings

2. Mumbai Indians

3. Bangalore Royal Challengers

8. Kolkata Knight Riders

Fixtures

April 2009
Sat 18 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	1st match - Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians Newlands, Cape Town
Sat 18 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	2nd match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 19 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	3rd match - Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 19 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	4th match - Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders Newlands, Cape Town
Mon 20 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	5th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Tue 21 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	6th match - Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders Kingsmead, Durban
Tue 21 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	7th match - Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 22 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	8th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers Newlands, Cape Town
Thu 23 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	9th match - Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 23 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	10th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Newlands, Cape Town
Fri 24 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	11th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab Kingsmead, Durban
Sat 25 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	12th match - Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians Kingsmead, Durban
Sat 25 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	13th match - Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 26 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	14th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sun 26 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	15th match - Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals Newlands, Cape Town
Mon 27 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	16th match - Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings Kingsmead, Durban
Mon 27 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	17th match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Tue 28 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	18th match - Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals SuperSport Park, Centurion
Wed 29 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	19th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Riders Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 29 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	20th match - Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 30 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	21st match - Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 30 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	22nd match - Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals SuperSport Park, Centurion
May 2009
Fri 1 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	23rd match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians Buffalo Park, East London
Fri 1 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	24th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab Kingsmead, Durban
Sat 2 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	25th match - Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sat 2 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	26th match - Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 3 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	27th match - Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sun 3 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	28th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Mon 4 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	29th match - Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers Buffalo Park, East London
Tue 5 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	30th match - Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals Kingsmead, Durban
Tue 5 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	31st match - Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 6 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	32nd match - Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 7 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	33rd match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 7 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	34th match - Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 8 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	35th match - Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians Buffalo Park, East London
Sat 9 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	36th match - Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sat 9 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	37th match - Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 10 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	38th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sun 10 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	39th match - Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Mon 11 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	40th match - Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Tue 12 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	41st match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Riders SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tue 12 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	42nd match - Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians SuperSport Park, Centurion
Wed 13 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	43rd match - Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 14 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	44th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 14 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	45th match - Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals Kingsmead, Durban
Fri 15 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	46th match - Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein
Sat 16 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	47th match - Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sat 16 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	48th match - Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 17 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	49th match - Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 17 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	50th match - Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein
Mon 18 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	51st match - Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tue 19 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	52nd match - Delhi Daredevils v Bangalore Royal Challengers New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Wed 20 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	53rd match - Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 20 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	54th match - Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 21 12:30 local, 10:30 GMT	55th match - Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 21 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	56th match - Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 22 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sat 23 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 24 16:30 local, 14:30 GMT	Final - TBC v TBC New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Varun Gandhi's hate speech content

2009-03-23T14:28:00.003+05:30

New Delhi: The following are excerpts from speeches that Varun Gandhi is shown as delivering in at least two locations earlier this month in Pilibhit, from where he is contesting as the BJP candidate.

Yeh panja nahi hai, yeh kamal ka haath hai. Yeh kat** ke galey ko kaat dega chunaav ke baad. Jai Shri Ram! Ram ji ki jai! Varun Gandhi kaat daalega! Kaat denge us haath ko, kaat denge, kaat daalega!

[This is not the (Congress symbol) ‘hand’, this is the hand of the ‘lotus’. It will cut the throat of the (derogatory reference to a Muslim) after the elections... Varun Gandhi will cut... Cut that hand, cut it, cut it.]

"If someone thinks Hindus are weak or leaderless, if anyone raises a finger towards Hindus, then I swear on Gita that I will cut that hand," he threatened in the video-recorded speech.

Apne jao, apne gaon mein jao aur halla karo ki saara Hindu ek tarfa ho jao, chhetra ko Pakistan hone se bachao, aur saara Hindu ek tarfa ho jao!

[Go to your villages and give the call that all Hindus must unite to save this area from becoming Pakistan…]

Kya yeh sach nahin hai… ki usko bola gaya ki mataji aapka naam kya hai... agar usne bola ki Bimla Devi, to usko kahaa ki dekhenge, sochenge... pehle paanch hazaar rupaye do... aur agar uska naam hai Saira Bano ya jo bhi Begum Hukum Begum... hum to jaante nahin hain... badey daraawne naam hotey hain inke... Karimullah... Mazharullah.... agar raat ko kabhi dikh jaayen... to darr rahen hain...

[Is it not true... that if (a woman) is asked her name and she says Bimla Devi, she is told we’ll see, we’ll think (about giving Government aid), give us Rs 5,000 first... But if her name is Saira Bano or whatever begum Hukum Begum... I don’t even know... These people have such scary-sounding names... Karimullah, Mazharullah... If you ever encountered them at night, you’d be scared...]

Varun also reportedly compared a Muslim politician to Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda.

Meri ek behan hai... to ek pamphlet chhapa tha jisme saare pratiyashiyon ka picture likha hua hai... toh meri behan... us bitiya ne kaha... Bhaiya mujhe nahi pata tha ki aapke chhetra mein Osama bin Laden chunaav lad rahein hain... Maine kaha beta Osama bin Laden ko to America pakad nahi liya lekin Varun Gandhi ke to pakad mein bahut aane waale hain chunaav ke baad!

[I have a sister… there was a pamphlet with pictures of all the candidates… so this child told me, ‘I didn’t know that Osama bin Laden is contesting from your area.’ I told her, ‘America couldn’t get Osama, but Varun Gandhi is going to get a lot of people after the elections.’]

An unrepentant Varun Gandhi asserted he was a "Gandhi, a Hindu and an Indian" in equal measure and said the CD showing him making an inflammatory speech was doctored.

"I am proud of my faith, and am not apologising for it," Varun Gandhi told reporters while reading out a written statement, a day after being slapped with a criminal case for his alleged hate-Muslim campaign speeches.

"I am a Gandhi, a Hindu and an Indian in equal measure and my attempt was not to spread ill-feeling against any community and I stand by all religion and all faiths," said the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate from Pilibhit constituency in Uttar Pradesh whose provocative speeches stunned everybody, including his own party.

"I am a victim of a political conspiracy... Those are not my words, that is not my voice. I want to ask the nation to stand by me," Varun Gandhi said.

Calling himself a proud Hindu, the 29-year-old said since the announcement of parliamentary elections, his constituency, vacated by his mother Maneka Gandhi, had been witness to communally provocative incidents.

"No action has been taken against thousands and thousands arrested under the National Security Act. Three temples have been vandalised in Pilibit and several village pradhans (heads) have been threatened.

"Slaughtered remains of cows have been found in several houses in the area and arms have been smuggled to be used against India."

He said his attempt was to restore confidence among the community in Pilibhit "which is under siege in its own country".

Grandson Junior NTR recreates NTR's charisma for TDP

2009-03-21T13:39:00.001+05:30

HYDERABAD: Junior NTR, a popular Telugu film actor and grandson of Telugu matinee idol and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N T Rama Rao, revived memories of his grandfather as he launched the campaign of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in the state.

Junior NTR held road shows in Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra, drawing huge crowds. The late NTR had launched the party 26 years ago.

Standing atop a specially designed campaign vehicle, Junior NTR began his 'yatra' from Itchapuram and appealed to the Telugu people to throw out the "corrupt" Congress government.

"I have not come here to ask for your votes but only to remind you the past," he said while recalling that it was at Itchapuram that NTR had launched his 'Chaitanya yatra' in 1994 and travelled thousands of km across the state to seek the support of the people.

"The Telugu people are the symbol of political awareness," said the Junior NTR, as he is called in the film circles for his resemblance to his illustrious grandfather.

Clad in a khaki dress, similar to the one that NTR had donned during his legendary road shows, the Junior NTR tried to recreate the magic of his grandfather through theatrical punch in his speeches.

NTR, who had attained the status of a demi-god, had created record of sorts by coming to power within nine months after launching the TDP in 1982.

"We the family members are not the heir to the legacy of NTR. We are only his family members. The real heirs are the party workers," the actor said amid loud cheers by his fans and TDP workers.

He urged the people to support and strengthen the hands of Chandrababu Naidu as he was also following in the footsteps of NTR to serve the poor and the weaker sections.

The 25 year-old-actor will cover all three regions of the state during his 40-day non-stop tour.

His tour is expected to give a big boost to the TDP in the run-up to next month's simultaneous polls to the Lok Sabha and the state assembly. Naidu is going all out to use the NTR legacy to come back to power.

NTR's son and another popular actor, N. Balakrishna, who joined the TDP last year, is already on a campaign trail.

NTR's another son, Harikrishna, who is the father of Junior NTR, and two other grandsons Kalyan Ram and Taraka Ratna have also been roped in by Naidu to campaign for the party.

The TDP hopes that the stars would counter the impact of superstar Chiranjeevi, whose Praja Rajyam party has emerged as the third major contender for power.

Ash, Rajni Shoot Song For ‘Enthiram’ At World Heritage Site

2009-02-12T18:58:00.002+05:30

The world’s hottest woman Aishwarya Rai, and the Kollywood superstar Rajnikanth, Ash, Rajni Shoot Song For ‘Enthiram’ At World Heritage Sitecreated waves by shooting an amazing song sequence for their upcoming flick ‘Enthiram’, in Peru.

Ash and Rajni shot the song at the UNESCO world famous heritage place, Machu Picchu, becoming the first to shoot there.

Robot as Enthiram was known earlier was in news constantly for various reasons. Earlier Shah Rukh Khan was approached to play the lead but he refused due to creative differences with director Shankar. But then Shankar managed to convince the biggest of superstars, Rajnikanth. After some creative hustle and tussle, Robot was renamed as Enthiram.

The film is to be produced by Ayngaran and Eros International. AR Rahman has been roped in for scoring the music. This will be the second film for Aishwarya Rai under Shankar’s direction after ‘Jeans’.

Earlier, in an interview to a news daily, Aishwarya Rai talked in glowing details about the Tamil superstar, “Rajini Sir is such a wonderful human being. He has been so close to the family, too. I am glad and honoured to be working with him.”

When asked about heroines getting sidelined in a Rajini film, Aishwarya refuted the claim, “I don’t think it’s a fair statement. You can’t but be fascinated by this phenomenon called Rajini sir. He is so super-fascinating and intriguing to his audience. I don’t think it’s a deliberate attempt by any director to sideline any actor/character working along with him.”

It will be interesting to watch the good vibes between this fascinating pair on screen when Enthiram hits the theatres.

Obama's pic in 1987 in grandma's place in Kenya

2009-02-11T17:33:00.003+05:30

Mortaza sold to Kolkata at $600,000 in IPL second season auction

2009-02-06T14:31:00.003+05:30

Mashrafe Mortaza, the Bangladesh allrounder, is the first player up for sale from Pool F. There were no bids for him initially but just before the hammer went down, Kolkata made a bid at the base price of $50,000. It was the start of the most dramatic sale at the auction.

Kings XI Punjab entered the race, competing against Kolkata, for Mortaza. The bids spiralled slowly towards $400,000 and the auctioneer asked Punjab if they want to go $410,000, Priety Zinta nodded. The raises were slow and the bidding went on and on and on. Kolkata touched the $500,00 mark. Punjab went further at $550,000. The atmosphere in the room grew quieter as the bids rose and the auctioneer attempted to speed up the process. Kolkata was the first to bid $600,000 for Mortaza at which point Punjab bowed out of the race. It was the longest lot in the auction, almost as long as a short chess game.

Kolkata's purchase of Mortaza was a bit similar to Ishant Sharma's surprise $950,000 tag at end of the auction last year. It is a 1100% appreciation from base price for Mortaza, beating the 575% for Ishant Sharma last year.

Bet there are celebrations in Narail, Mortaza's hometown. What a moment for Mortaza, he's the first Bangladesh player to be bought at the IPL auction this year.

Wonder what Shakib is thinking? He's had such a fabulous year with bat and ball and yet there were no bidders for him. The franchises didn't probably consult the ICC rankings before coming to the auction. Or, if they did, didn't take them too seriously. The ICC recently ranked Shakib Al Hasan - developing left-arm spinner, versatile batsman, and swift fielder - at No 1 on its ODI allrounders list, yet he had no bidders even at his base price of $75,000.

Arundhati movie review

2009-02-03T15:06:00.004+05:30

Shyam Prasad Reddy who produced blockbusters like Talambralu, Ahuti, Ankusam, Agraham, Ammoru has produced Arundhati with Anushka doing the title role.

There is a saying that the spirit of a deceased person who succumbed to untimely demise would not leave this earth. The spirit would stay on the earth to complete the unfulfilled task. Arundhati is a thriller made on the tussle between such a spirit (Anushka) and a villain (Sonu Sood). This film is not a horror film, but a thriller.

Arundhati is a heroine-oriented film with Anushka in a double role dealing with a princess from the Nawabi era and a girl from the present century. Kodi Rama Krishna is the director of the film. Arundhati is born in Gadwal lineage. She takes up the mantle of crown because there are no male siblings to her. She is a powerful lady. While dying she tells the people around to name the next girl born in that lineage with her name Arundhati. After four generations, the present Arundhati is born. The story of the film is about how the present Arundhati took revenge on Sonu Sood.

Arundhati can be branded as new kind of thriller as we have not seen such high-end graphical and special effects rich movie so far. This is perhaps the first movie in Telugu that has convergence of technique and content well. The graphics and special effects are on high standards. Special effects are mind-boggling. And screenplay is perfect. It never slackens. The best part of the screenplay is it doesn't deviate from the main storyline - not even in a single scene. And thankfully, there are no comedy tracks too. It sticks to its genre and storyline through out.

It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have loopholes. Yes, it has some logical problems and the theme doesn’t hold water on scientific grounds, yet on cinematic liberties, it can be excused.

Anushka has given knockout performance in the role of Jejamma. She is backbone of the movie and she succeeds in delivering what she is asked to. All her efforts have really paid off. For the first time, she has done performance oriented role and also dual role and her tall figure is best suited for the role of bravery Jejamma.

Sonu Sood as evil force and womanizer king is exceptional. He brings venom on to the screen with his deadly looks as Satan and the dubbing given by P Ravi Shankar is another strength. Sayaji Shinde in the role of fakir has given wonderful performance. After Anushka and Sonu Sood, his character plays the major role in the movie and he has delivered it with finesse. Other cast is okay.

Obama Look-Alike Becomes Indonesia TV Star

2009-02-02T14:18:00.002+05:30

That's not Barack Obama selling heartburn medication.

It's Ilham Anas, an Indonesian magazine photographer who bears a striking resemblance to the president-elect. The 34-year-old is now collecting paychecks as an Obama look-alike.

"At first my nose and eyes made me self-conscious, but now I think they are God's blessing," Ilham Anas told the Associated Press.

Like Obama, Anas is of American and Kenyan descent. His new life as an Obama double started after the November 2008 election. He, who was born and raised in Bandung, West Java, said he feels lucky to resemble Obama.

"My colleagues played a practical joke on me -- they made me wear a suit, a tie, and took pictures of me posing as Obama," Anas told.

From there, his notoriety soared.

"The pictures spread very quickly on the Internet, he told Reuters. "It was phenomenal. Then TV stations and an advertising agency got in touch with me."

Now, Anas is making public appearances around Asia, and even appeared in a heartburn medication commercial in the Philippines.

"I never thought I would be a star in a commercial, then this happened. It's very fortunate," Anas said.

"I was in the airport in Malaysia in transit and a man approached me and asked: 'Are you Obama?'. I was very surprised when he asked to take a picture together and bought me a meal," said Anas, flashing a broad smile.

If he ever gets the chance to meet Obama, Anas said he would ask the US president to take a firm stance in dealing with the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Octuplets mum 'already has 6 kids'

2009-01-30T16:53:00.002+05:30

The woman, who became mother to octuplets on January 26, already has six kids - including twins.

All her previous children are living with their grandparents while she is recovering in hospital after delivering six boys and two girls.

While the octuplets are doing well, the identity of the mum, believed to be Hispanic, is being kept secret.

A spokeswoman at the Kaiser Permanente Bellflower Medical Center, California, said that the mum of 14 is recovering well.

The revelation that the mother already has six children will intensify speculation that she has had fertility treatment.

Also, the news will spark questions about why a mother of six would receive help to conceive again.

"If a medical practitioner had anything to do with it there's some degree of inappropriate medical therapy there," The Sun quoted Michael Tucker, a leading US researcher in infertility treatment, as saying.

The babies were born nine weeks early and are believed to be only the second set of live octuplets born in America.

Pavan Kalyan's second marriage

2009-01-29T14:13:00.001+05:30

Prajarajyam president Chiranjeevi’s younger brother Pavan Kalyan married his live-in companion of eight years, former actress Renu Desai on Wednesday. Pavan Kalyan and Renu Desai have a 5 year old son Akira Nandan.

After a protracted legal wrangle last year, Pavan Kalyan had got a divorce from his first wife Nandini of Visakhapatnam whom he had married in May 1996.

In August 2008, the divorce was formalized in a family court in Visakhapatnam with Kalyan agreeing to pay an alimony of Rs 5 crore as a one-time settlement. On Wednesday morning, the wedding ceremony of Pavan Kalyan and Renu Desai, was performed as per Arya Samaj rites at Pavan Kalyan’s residence at Jubilee Hills in the city. Renu Desai had paired with Pavan Kalyan in two Telugu films `Badri’ and `Johnny’.

Among his other family members, Prajarajyam president Chiranjeevi and his brother-in-law Allu Aravind also attended the wedding ceremony.

After the wedding ceremony, a beaming Renu Desai and Pavan Kalyan came out of their house in their wedding attire for a couple of minutes to pose for the media.

Pavan Kalyan recently came under the attack of leaders of some political parties who suggested that he should first get married to his companion
Renu Desai before talking about women’s rights and their welfare as part of his political campaign.

When Pavan Kalyan’s first wife Nandini had charged that Kalyan had got married a second time without divorcing her, Kalyan went on record saying that he had not married Renu Desai.

Though none objected to their live-in relationship earlier, it became an issue following the launch of Praja Rajyam Party by Chiranjeevi.

With Kalyan heading the party’s youth wing Yuva Rajyam, other parties, particularly Congress and TDP, have been hitting out at him for continuing an illegal live-in relationship with a woman by doing “injustice” to another.

Kalyan, however, maintained a stoic silence over the issue and never reacted to criticism over his personal life.

“The marriage with Renu Desai was on cards for sometime now after the legal hurdles were cleared. But they waited this long only for the completion of his father’s first death anniversary,” a friend of Kalyan said.

Renu Desai is currently supporting Kalyan as a costume designer for his films.

Barring the family members and a few close friends, none were invited for Kalyan’s marriage.

Slumdog Millionaire Review

2009-01-27T20:12:00.003+05:30

There is a difference between clever film-making and great film-making. Make no mistake, Danny Boyle is immensely clever. “Slumdog Millionaire” is made as an out-and-out “crowd-pleaser” through proper audience-targetting which is done in the same careful way the Chopras target the lovey-dovey high school/college crowd and the Anil Sharmas target the uber-patriots.

This crowd-pleasing is done through punching together as many stereotypes that Westerners have about India as is humanly possible. People live in garbage heaps. A character jumps into a huge heap of human excreta and without batting an eyelid comes running out covered in brown slime, as if its the most natural thing in India, to get an autograph of a star. The hero, a Muslim, sees his family slaughtered by Hindu rioters and sees along with it a rioting kid (presumably) dressed as Lord Rama, in blue paint and with a bow and arrow in hand, standing as a sentinel of doom, an image whose indelibility in the character’s mind becomes a principal plot point.

A character is booked on the flimsiest of charges and then he is beaten black and blue in a police station and given volts of electricity.

What else? Let’s see.

Child prostitution. Check.

Forced begging. Check.

Blindings of innocent children. Check.

Rape. Check.

Human filth. Bahoot hain sahab.

Call centers. Oh yes most certainly.

Destiny. Of course.

But wait. Do Hindu saffron-clothed Ram Senas not run havoc through Muslim slums? Do street kids not get taken in by beggar gangs and maimed? Doesnt rape happen in India? Are those slums specially constructed sets? Why do you, third world denizen, get so defensive about your own country? Chill.

Well yes these things do happen in India. However the problem is when you show every hellish thing possible all happening to the same person. Then it stretches reason and believability and just looks like you are packing in every negative thing that Westerners perceive about India for the sake of “crowd pleasing”. Because audiences and jury members “feel good” when their pre-conceived notions are confirmed. On the flip side, nothing disquiets a viewer as much as when his/her prejudices are challenged. So Boyle does the safe thing.

Let’s say I made a movie about the US where an African-American boy born in the hood, has his mother sell him to a pedophile pop icon, after which he gets molested by a priest from his church, following which he gets tied up to the back of a truck and dragged on the road by KKK clansmen. Then he is arrested and sodomized by a policeman with a rod, after which he is attacked by a gang of illegal immigrants, and then uses these life experiences to win “Beauty and Geek”.

Even though each of these incidents have actually happened in the United States of America, I would be accused of spinning a fantastic yarn that has no grounding in reality, that has no connection to the “American experience” and my motivations would be questioned, no matter how cinematically spectacular I made my movie. At the very least, I wouldn’t be on 94% on Tomatometer and a strong Oscar favorite.

But then you say—Boyle is constructing a fairytale, a dash of Indian exotica, a love story. Surely he can take liberties. Make the darkness darker in order to brighten the halo around the hero and heroine.

Ok I get it. That’s why the first shot of Taj Mahal is through filth, when any other shot would have done. That’s why the host of Millionaire is shown heartlessly mocking the fact that the contestant is a humble “chaiwala” as the audience laughs with him in a way that reminded me of Amrish Puri, rolling his eyes and saying “Tu to gandhi naali ka keeddaaaa hainnnn”. Even though this kind of class-based running down will never ever happen on “Millionaire” if for nothing else than political correctness , lets accept it happens just to heighten the drama.

In this respect, Slumdog is never greater than the sum of its parts. The production quality is top notch but then again even Ramgopal Verma’s turkeys are technically very accomplished. There is not much scope for acting. However Anil Kapoor, who is slowly coming close to legally becoming a werewolf with his ear ornament makes his mark everytime he unleashes his fake American accent, though you keep expecting him to say “jhakaaassss”.

If there is anything unique about Slumdog is its use of the millionaire game show device to further its plot (even though the links between the plot and the questions are tenuous and sometimes extremely artificial), which I believe is one of the primary reason why people get caught up in the movie. The same reason they get caught up in reality shows like “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” and get up and cheer when a total stranger gets a million bucks. However once one goes beyond that device, there really is nothing exceptionally unique to Slumdog, nothing that warrants all the hype and hoopla.

A big disappointment.

Ashutosh Gowarikar Sajid Khan public spat

2009-01-27T11:54:00.002+05:30

It was amusing to see Ashutosh Gowarikar and Sajid Khan have a very public fight. Sajid Khan is the last person about whom I would want to write in my blog. That he is disgusting and his jokes are cheap would be an understatement. I somehow never enjoyed his school of comedy. It is not that he doesn't know when to stop and where to draw the line. When it comes to his friends like Shahrukh Khan, Farah Khan, Karan Johar and other chamchas he sure knows when to stop.

Making fun when people come to get their awards was disrespectful and then coming up with an excuse that they do the same in Hollywood is just awful. As a TV host he has made fun of many a people saying that they copied music and movies.

He then goes onto make a movie which is heavily inspired by "Three men and a baby". Somehow the movie does a decent business and we have him shouting from rooftops that his movie is the biggest hit of the year and among the all time best grosser. I remember that during one of award ceremonies he goes on and compares "Oh humdum suniyo re" with "Backstreet's back" and says that AR Rahman has copied the song. This man sure is shameless.

I hope this incident stops these lousy award organisers to employ such crappy people as hosts and get someone who has some quality and knows what he or she is talking about.

Some unknown facts about Barack Obama

2009-01-21T13:07:00.004+05:30

• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics

• He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball

• His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili

• His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini

• He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father

• He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed

• He has read every Harry Potter book

• He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali

• He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream

• His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars

• He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia

• He can speak Spanish

• While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead

• His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea

• He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't

• He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia

• He can bench press an impressive 200lbs

• He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his full name

• His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

• He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's fiancé, but left when a stripper arrived

• His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy

• He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming from sales of his books

• His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

• He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck

• He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee.

• His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees

• He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first date

• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker

• He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol

• He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician

• As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine

• His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia, 10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)

• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside

• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal

• His house in Chicago has four fire places

• Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita

• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry

• He uses an Apple Mac laptop

• He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300

• He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits

• He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes

• He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21 (£13)

• His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire

• He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers

• He was nicknamed "Bar" by his late grandmother

• He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds

• His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso

• His speciality as a cook is chilli

• He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins"

• He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life

• His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government

Ramalinga Raju a feared man; Earlier in US now in India

2009-01-07T18:19:00.001+05:30

Years after the foreign media wondered if Americans should be afraid of Ramalinga Raju more than Osama bin Laden due to jobs they lost to IndIa, experts today said the fear seems to have come true, although for a different reason.

"Raju has certainly inflicted a huge blow to the India story on the global business arena and the companies across the world would be much more vigilant before engaging any Indian company for their business purposes," said an analyst.

Way back in 2004, American media had reported that it was not only dreaded terrorist Osama whom the Americans were afraid of, but Ramalinga Raju was a feared man too as millions of jobs were being outsourced to Indian companies like Satyam.

Talking to Canadian newspaper financial post at that time, Raju downplayed the fear generated by Satyam and others regarding the impact on the North American economy.
"In my opinion, the fear is misplaced," Raju had said during a visit to Canada in October 2004. Noting that Americans were only seeing one side of the picture, he had said, adding that the outsourcing trend had helped create lakhs of jobs in India and jobs were also being created in the US and Canada with firms like Satyam setting up shop there.

While the context has changed completely, the level of financial wrongdoing revealed today by Raju at Satyam makes him a feared man in the corporate world, another analyst said.
"Tables have turned upside-down now. The threat that Raju was to the US earlier is now a threat to the entire India inc," brokerage firm SMC Global’s vice president Rajesh Jain said.
"Having been a job-creator for corporate India for years, Raju has now turned into a money-grabber through financial bungling and corporate governance malpractices," Jain added.

WebSphere Portal 6.0 Developer Certification material

2008-11-18T16:11:00.002+05:30

Exam 829: IBM WebSphere Portal 6 Application Development
Exam Type: Multiple Choice

Description:
Covers Portal 6 material as it relates to these competency areas:
• Architecting a Portal Solution
• Install, Set up and Configure the Development Environment
• Write a portlet
• Backend Portlet Services
• Testing and Debugging a Portal Solution
• Additional Portlet Concepts

Competencies Measured:

Architecting a Portal Solution
• Develop themes, skins and screens
• Identify portal dependencies on existing software
• Search the IBM Workplace Solutions catalog
• Size the custom portlets that have to be written
• Use out-of-the-box portlets

Install, Set up and Configure the Development Environment
• Debug a portlet on a local server
• Diagnose problems with development environment installation
• Identify Software Requirements
• Optimize development environment
• Understand software prerequisites (including compatibility questions)

Write a portlet
• Ajax basics
• Compile and package a WAR file
• Describe the portlet life cycle
• Develop Portlet applications utilizing Portlet JSR 168 API core objects
• Effectively use JSPs to supply portlet rendering markup
• Effectively utilize portlet configuration and state objects to control portlet behavior
• Effectively utilize portlet modes and states
• Embed references to resources within a portlet
• Implement action processing
• Make effective use of portlet application wizards
• Support multiple locales, clients and devices within a portlet application
• Support multiple markup
• Use APIs to forward and redirect URLs
• Wiring cooperative portlets
• Work with portlet deployment descriptors (caching)

Backend Portlet Services
• Configure and access application-specific data sources
• Create a portlet service
• Implement cooperative portlets
• Use a portlet service
• Use Service Data Objects (SDO) tooling to enable access to remote systems
• Use the credential vault service

Testing and Debugging a Portal Solution
• Debug a portlet on a local server
• Debug a portlet using WebSphere Portal remote
• Set up portlet parameters
• Troubleshoot portlet applications

Additional Portlet Concepts
• Implement personalization within portlet application
• Use struts concepts within the portal framework and JavaServer Faces
• Use the business process engine (bpe) API
• Using Content Manager APIs
• Work with composite applications/templates

Convert string array to string by separating with a separator in java

2008-11-12T12:40:00.003+05:30

This method converts a string array to a string by separating each string with the separator

Bindra claims India's first gold

2008-08-12T12:22:00.002+05:30

Abhinav Bindra became India's first individual Olympic gold medallist when he claimed the men's 10m air rifle shooting title on Monday.

Athens Games champion Zhu Qinan of China won the silver and Henri Hakkinen of Finland took the bronze medal.

Bindra finished with 700.5 points, to edge out Zhu who had 699.7 points for the silver. Hakkinen got the bronze with 699.4.

Britain's Jonathan Hammond could only manage a lowly finish of 29th.

"It can't get better than this, can it?" said Bindra.

"I know India was waiting for this for a long time and so was I.

"I narrowly missed a medal at Athens so I knew I would be in with a chance if I focused on the job."

India, winners of eight field hockey gold medals, had never won an individual Olympic title before Bindra's feat.

The previous best was trap shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore's silver at Athens, while there were bronze medals for wrestler Khasaba Jadhav (1952), tennis star Leander Paes (1996) and woman weightlifter Karnam Malleswari (2000).

Indian Sports Minister Manohar Singh Gill said Bindra's performance would inspire the nation to more glory.

"This is going to give a huge incentive in going up further and becoming a dominant (sporting) power," he told Indian TV.

"We've won hockey golds in the past but the individual gold is going to give a huge fillip to all our sports. The boys and girls will run that much faster and jump that much longer."

Rotten Indian Politics. UPA Government wins trust vote. Politicians make a mockery of Indian Democracy

2008-07-23T13:57:00.006+05:30

After hectic parleys, behind-the-scene deals, saber rattling, chest thumping, horse trading and a very public though unparliamentary disclosure of bribery attempt the ruling UPA won the trust vote with a simple majority.

Everybody knew about the dirty politics of India but after yesterday's trust vote it has proved with all necessary evidences, the state of Indian politics and horrifying exposure of bloody politicians.

Though we know morals don't exist in Indian politics, these politicians are not even afraid of law (may be we expecting too much).

The so called representatives of people are not bothered about people of India, instead of thinking what is good/bad for India, they are more interested in their existence (in power) and think a damn for benefit of the country (don't know whether at least few are in a position to think what is good or bad for India).

Really don't know what is to be done to clean India Politics and save Democracy.

Probably God should do something...Oh god save India.

Note: God, be careful while tackling these politicians, they can even bribe you...

Shah Rukh - Salman Spat At Katrina’s Birth day party

2008-07-20T14:35:00.000+05:30

Katrina Kaif’s birthday at Olive Bar and Kitchen, Bandra on Wednesday brought out hidden hostilities between Salman Khan and ShahRukh Khan out in the open.

An eyewitness at the party reveals, “Salman was already high when SRK and Gauri walked in. After downing a few more drinks, Sallu started picking on SRK.” Apparently the host was upset with SRK because he turned down Sallu’s request to do a guest appearance in Main Aur Mrs Khanna, which is being produced by Salman and Sohail.

Salman felt snubbed as he has always gone out of his way for SRK, whether it was appearing on KBC with girlfriend Katrina, or dancing for SRK’s home production Om Shanti Om. The resentment was bubbling under the surface, and under the influence, Salman dropped the faÃ§ade and began lashing out at SRK.

Name-calling

The Khans were sitting across each other, surrounded by a few close friends, who quickly moved away when things started getting heated. Shah Rukh, who is famous for his hot temper, didn’t react to Salman’s outburst initially but when the abuse continued, he began trading insult for insult. The source continues, “Sallu told SRK, ‘Your show Paanchvi Paas is a big flop and now you are trying to sabotage my show. You are a matlabi insaan. You only call people when you need them, and then don’t keep in touch.’

SRK not one to take name-calling lightly, told Salman, ‘No one wants to watch your show, or be friends with you’. At this point, Salman told SRK to keep quiet or he would beat him up.” The final blow came when Shah Rukh made a comment on Salman's ex-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai, inviting a furious retaliation from Salman.

Shah Rukh, who often describes himself as ‘Delhi Ka Goonda’ laughed and told Salman, ‘Tu kya marega? Tu haath toh utha, main maroonga tujhe. Woh bhi teri party main, aur tere doston ke saamne.’ The two men stared at each other and would’ve come to blows within minutes had Gauri not intervened and told SRK that she wanted to leave. SRK allowed his wife to take his arm and the duo left the party. Salman didn’t try to stop them.

First Fight

Salman and Shah Rukh’s first panga goes back a long way when they fought during the shooting of Chalte Chalte (2003) which was being produced by SRK. At that time, Salman was dating Aishwarya Rai who was acting in the film. A high Salman had barged on to Shah Rukh’s sets to meet his girl and disrupted the shooting. An upset Shah Rukh replaced Aishwarya with Rani Mukerji. The two Khans stopped speaking to each other.

They patched up at Farah Khan’s sangeet on Dec 8, 2004. Salman went up to SRK and hugged him emotionally and a truce was called.

Courtesy of Mid-Day

What happens when two of the most powerful Khans in Bollywood have a public fight?

Well, before it gets ugly, and reaches the paparazzi, the third Khan steps in to play peacemaker.

At Katrina Kaif’s birthday bash at Olive on Wednesday, the who’s who of Bollywood was present as also a phalanx of the media. Somewhere in the wee hours, Aamir Khan, ShahRukh Khan and Salman Khan got into a huddle.

The three men have, over the last couple of years, forged an unlikely friendship and often visit each other’s homes after work. Sources say that Shah Rukh, never known for his diplomatic skills, started ribbing Salman, and his off-colour joke about Ash and Salman got Sallu’s hackles up. And from there on, matters escalated into an ugly spat, resulting in SRK and his wife Gauri leaving the party midway in a huff and Sallu dangerously bad-tempered.

That’s when Mr Tactful, Aamir Khan, stepped in to take charge.

He sat Sallu down, talked to him and got him to calm down. Once Salman’s temper had cooled off, Aamir took him along with him to SRK’s house. There, he played mediator between the other two Khans and got them to at least hear out each other’s points of view and shake hands and promise to put the ugly incident behind them.

After which Sallu still had the job of returning to the party and making it up to birthday girl Kat.

Download Income Tax Return forms for Individuals having Income from Salary/ Pension/ family pension & Interest (ITR 1) in PDF and EXCEL formats

2008-07-18T11:07:00.007+05:30

1) ITR 1 form for Individuals having Income from Salary/ Pension/ family pension & Interest :

Download ITR 1 Form in PDF format

Download ITR 1 Form in EXCEL format

2) Download Instructions in PDF format

3) Acknowledgement form :

Download Acknowledgement Form in PDF format

Download Acknowledgement Form in EXCEL format