Blog: Treading on a foot trail

I am happy to say, a Happy Blog day to you all.

To all those who blogged even a post and all those who commented here.

31 August, if written simply can be written as 3108 … read out to be a blog, hence the word spreads arounf the world of Blogs, or blogosphere, blogworld, blogville or blogpur … what ever you may call it. Happy Blog day going out to amateurs, Professional, people who do it for money or just for fun … to all of them, in equal measure.

Also congratulations going out to the team, fans and follower of Force India, the Formula One team for winning their first podium. Fisichella stood second giving the team their first podium finish, I m sure Dr. Mallaya would be thrilled. It was an exciting race with Fisichella finish less than one second behind Kimi. Never the less the team and Dr Mallaya deserve to cherish their moment of accomplishment.

Blog Day

After contemplating writing a blog since Sunday afternoon,its Monday night as I scamper thru to complete a few more lines of blog ... to dress the blog as something which I have been writing with full concentarion and everything else behind this post, like some of the other post. The wrds seem to be lost and make me feel a bit weird and irritated. It the same kind of feeling you get when you forget why are you doing a thing after starting a thing, often happens when you are taking sometime from work or office and you have like 5 minutes and you have to reply 15 mails. A wrong nut and a brong bolt result in a major screw up. Happens.

A few more lines for my own contemplation then to provoke gray cells in the mind of exclusive (read very few and far) readers of the blogs.

You might have read those line from Shakespeare, All the world is a stage ...
1. I was contemplating if thats the case (not debating the quote) I would like to add that if we all are playing to a gallery?

2. Is Humour the silver lining in the dark cloud?

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Cricket: And how the Ashes were won

It struck a chord with me when Ponting said all credit to the English team. Obviously the winner gets the loudest toast, the biggest cheer and most accolades. I won’t mince words for Ponting, I like him rather grudgingly as a player for the tones of runs, and he has scored. But I don’t think he has been the best captain Australia ever produced. Most avid Indian cricket fan remember him from the Sydney fiasco. It is easier to say bygones be bygones. I don’t know how many would savour an English win but many of us are in absolutely ecstatic when we realize that Aussies have lost. It is a similar high to when Indian team wins. The worry for Ponting the captain is that he seems to be out manoeuvred rather easily, Dhoni did it, Smith did it, Strauss has now done it.

I don’t think Ponting will enjoy tomorrow, especially if it were to rain all day at the Oval.

The Game, the review.

The do or die match. The pace and bounce of the Oval was to be grounded to a dust bowl, I would love to see that kind of a pitch when Indians or Pakis or Lankans visit England. Well it is just a wish. The Poms, huffed and puffed, to 325 + a respectable total, not considering what was to come. At 70 odd for none, the Aussies wouldn’t have imagined what was to come. They beat the English record of sorts for the series, earlier in the series; last 10 Pom wickets fell for 102 runs. The Aussies returned the favour when their last 10 wickets that fell for less than 90 runs. Poms with a lead of more than 170 runs, with 3 more days of cricket left, the result was written on the wall.

Broad just widened the gap with a stellar performance, Trott just added some more sugar on the cake, the cherry on the top moment was still to come. All though, Pom were struggling 57 for 3, Strauss the man in charge and Trott on debut resurrected the Poms ship and kept on pilling the agony for Aussies, Strauss out on a crucial moment, before the English, tail wagged and almost sung a fairy tale of sorts, Swann and Trott stealing 70 runs in 9 overs at one stage. Trott completed a magnificent century on debut. By the end of the Pom innings, the writing on the wall became firmly fixed in the minds of both the teams. It was the matter of time.

Aussies started again solidly, Katich and Watson looking good, but as in the case of most test matches, the first hour is crucial, two early wickets, made the task that bit jittery and all that Ponting and Hussey could do were to put their hands down and test the English patience.

The moment - “The red cherry on the top.”

It is amazing how little moments in everyday life lay claim to be turning points of history. This run out was one of those moments which would be remembered for the Ashes 2009. It occurred when the result of the game was a fore gone conclusion; it was just the matter of how and not when. The moment came, when Hussey played down to Mid on, and Ponting was caught on his heels, big man Flintoff scooped down and whipped it back to claim a direct hit, Ponting, was short by a foot or more. It was hara-kiri. The moment symbolized how Ponting gave it all that he could, but still fell short of the mark and how Flintoff could inspire the Poms even with shear presence. There have been many a glorious exits of the game, Flintoff wasn’t to have one. He laboured all along the series made sure Poms won the Ashes back only to bow out of tests.

All the numbers and times of victory.

Aussies bowlers took more wickets, their batsmen score more, centuries, looked more daunting. The Pommies hold fort, looked conventional, bore the Aussies out of the skin. While Poms looked to be doing all the catching up to done, Aussies will look back long and hard at lot of things including how and why the Ashes were lost. One of the reasons I think is Aussie rate of scoring runs. While not all bowlers looked threatening for an appreciable time, the Aussies didn’t exactly run away at the usual 3.5 to 4 an over run rate, the deciding factor of the series. Yes the Aussies did score runs, but perhaps a touch too leisurely I guess. The Poms managed to score 4 an over 5 times (not including a 3.9) in the series, the Aussies managed it just once. Well we can analyse or dig deep into what was done, but the fact remains, that poor team selection that the Aussies did make their task that bit harder. It would also be easier to say that’s high fliers like Clarke, North, Ponting and Haddin, files in just couple of times in the series, and the Ashes was won. Hussey didn’t give much to cheer except helping himself with a century in a losing cause that helped me take his head off, from the chopping board. One can dig as deep into the numbers the deeper you go into the number the more you would realize that the result was fair. I for once wish to say that Poms won the Ashes, instead of Aussies losing it.

Strauss, the man of the season.

He led the series for the Poms and looked the best player by far. Strauss may not have the charisma and may not stand out as a natural leader. He chose to stamp his authority not by his demeanour and presence but through his performance. The master stroke in the whole series was to rest Flintoff. He might have said to the team, that the challenge is to beat Aussies without Flintoff and Ashes is ours for the taking, if we lose, then we would have one more chance to beat the Aussies. Yes it was gamble to be taken, but Aussies took the bait. Strauss lost the battle to win the war and reduces the Aussies chances retaining the Ashes on a dusty oval pitch. He made a few daring calls, he managed to pull them off and reaped rewards.

The Challenge for Poms is now beat Australia in Australia and retain the Ashes.

About: Ganesh Chaturthi

Singer: Shankar Mahadevan

Blog: Thing from Blog Things

You Are Mint

You are a honest person with a strong personality. Your frank point of view is refreshing. You've been quite lucky in your life, though you have made more of your own luck than you realize. You are engaging and disarming. You definitely have the "gift of gab!" You live an edgy, dynamic life. Sometimes you get a little burned, but you always bounce back.

What Herb Are You?

You Paint the World with Bright Colors

You are a true artist. You are very creative. Your friends can count on you to be playful. You always know how to have fun! You are a truly friendly person ... though sometimes you can be a bit jealous. You are laid back and relaxed. Nothing really gets to you.

How Do You Paint the World?

The Part of You That No One Sees is Lonely

You are unique, witty, and even a little snobby. You're quite proud of who you are, and nothing is going to change that. You've paved your own way in life, and you've ended up where you want to be. Underneath it all, you feel very isolated from the rest of the world. It's hard to find people to relate to you on every level. The mundane interests of your friends and family often bore or depress you.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

You are the Sense of Sight

You are a very observant, detail oriented person. You are able to take in a lot of information at once. You often see things that other people never notice. You have a good eye for design and aesthetics. You love to be surrounded by beauty - natural or not. When you imagine how something should look, you see it clearly in your mind.

Which of the Five Senses Are You?

The Part of You That No One Sees is Lonely

You are unique, witty, and even a little snobby. You're quite proud of who you are, and nothing is going to change that. You've paved your own way in life, and you've ended up where you want to be. Underneath it all, you feel very isolated from the rest of the world. It's hard to find people to relate to you on every level. The mundane interests of your friends and family often bore or depress you.

What's the Part of You That No One Sees?

Well I need to think over it. I go to blog things when I am kind blog blocked. I also realize that I will surely be blog blocked if I dont blog. SO why not blog about teh out comes of blog things.

Cricket: Ashes still in balance

There are clichés in cricket none more apt for good or bad as Aussies are favourites to win. It is pretty much obvious, more so against England. But you must know that the Ashes is still is still in the balance and it might take some thing heroic, from Flintoff and a few others to guide it for England while the whole Aussie team, would be striving hard to win the Ashes, Ponting, George Bush of cricket would be trying is hardest.

Why English cricket is in dismay?

I know there is lot of pride the English have over traditions, everyone should, but ideals/principles have to be worked upon and then accepted, they can’t just be dreamt, you need grit to fight it out. I mean thinking of recalling Ramprakash was a horror, why not dig WG Graces, grave and ask him to bat again, there are a few ex-cricketers, Gower, Botham, Lloyd, Willis doing commentary who know how to do it, why not ask them? I have nothing against Ian Bell, but to simply say this he is the most incomplete batsman the history of cricket has ever seen. I don’t think any Aussie bowlers, even the ones playing county cricket, would love to bowl to a batsman who precedes Bell, its bowl one out get one for free. He scored runs today, yes he was the highest scorer for them today, but that not convincing, that score of 72 would take the team anywhere. The other equally unconvincing is Collingwood batting down the order. The last position he can bat is one down. It would give immense impetus to everyone in the team. He has done his job till know, otherwise for all to know, first test at Cardiff could have easily gone to the Aussies, and the Ashes would be pocketed by now.

I don’t think Cook is in the best of form, Strauss has done well with the bat, the only centurion for Poms. But considering is last 12-15 years the best batsmen have occupied the one down or the number three slot, Dravid, Ponting, Kallis, Mohammed Yousuf, being the point in case. I don’t think Bell is in the same class. Bell at 4 or 5 down may be just slightly ever so better than Bell at one down that all the concession that he would is I may. If Bell is worthy to be in that eleven then the Aussies deserve to win the Ashes. It is my firmly believe that if anyone wants to win against Aussies, you need to field your best eleven on the basis on class, form and fitness. I will place class first.

They might not is the Tsunami called Andrew Flintoff crashes the Aussie boat. He is standing tall between Aussies and the Ashes. Cricket is a team game and all that will go one. It is right that no one individual can dictate the game, but there will always be times when an individual influences and control the moment. It’s precisely that moment which defines the person. Flintoff has done it once can do it again. Flintoff is just 31; his worthiness is much more than three thousand odd runs and two hundred odd wickets. His brute pace and variety and control almost made him unplayable even today. On current form, not many top batsmen (including Bell) would queue to bat Flintoff. He did spend a lot of time on the injury list, but I won’t be surprised if he is recalled for the next Ashes, if Ramprakash’s name can pop up then, Flintoff too deserves a rethink.

Ponting wants to win

Ponting put the English attack to sword and thwarted any moves possible which would have allowed England to come back. The Poms surrendered with in three days ands the Ashes went back in the balance, locked at 1-1. On the first day England did make 307 for 8 at the end. It is tempting to say that Aussies are firm favourites. But there are a few againsts, standing in front of Ponting and Aussies. One of them being they have never come from a game down to win the series, then there is Flintoff. All it needs is one simple batting collapse and the English take a decent lead of say 50 to 60 runs. But it won’t be still enough, Poms would need t bat well again, something they haven’t done enough.

I still feel that if Ponting wins it he would thoroughly deserves the Ashes. But history counts for nothing. Ponting knows it. Aussies lost to Poms, first time in 75 years. My sense is, Poms would cave in this time, and I am expecting a classic, Test match in the making. The pitch is very interesting and Flintoff would not want any excuse. It is building to be Flintoff Ashes because of the precedent and the presence of the man.

Men other than Flintoff.

I don’t know what Warne thinks of only pace attack. England has Swann, who spins and seems to be a good traditional off spin bowler. Off spinners have traditionally done well against Aussies. But key members from this point of time seem to be the back up bowlers. Anderson has already delivered the goods, Harmison the hero of Poms last Ashes victory seem to be just there. He has to put his hand up. Collingwood should say to everyone I want to bat the Aussies out the second innings. If there is some positive out of the series, then it has to be the fact that English tailed has wagged and wagged more at least more effectively then the top order. Broad too doesn’t look all that sharp on form. Swann holds the key.

Blog: If wishes came true

I often wonder, what lies beyond the horizons. Errm emm hmm … should I have corrected myself for horizons and replace it by a much more apt word; horizon. The difference is just ever so slight. In most things, and matter we deal in life, the difference is just a slight and you can get a completely different scenarios. I am not talking about what if Adam would have met Madonna before Eve and what if Madonna had given him singing and dancing lessons or adopted him or for that matter, if Adam had eaten the serpent instead of the apple, would then, the apple still fallen in front of Newton? The debate is pretty much endless, something time is not. It is definitely anything to do with ifs and what ifs and the what if nots. I mean there is no end to it.

After all everything that has a beginning has a have end, perhaps the never stated part is you have neither there is a will or control over the beginning or the end. I first heard that on the television while matching Mahabharata when I was a kid, then heard it once again a few days back when I was watching the movie, the Matrix. The double references were made so that there would be no chance of me double crossing.

It will never ever make sense, I mean this world, if you don’t think about it, be patient with yourself and you put genuine effort to change the necessary condition. I wonder if the best sleep is when you are busy on something, something as alluring as first rays of the sun, the enigmatic black trouser, that cool cool ice tea, a Coke, or smile or make someone smile and then you you get up and just now what is the right thing to do and how best you can do it. Yes seeing someone smile in present scenario is growing to become one of the most alluring things in this present age, especially when a smile is reduce to a, : and a, ).

For me, it in not what or how much I know, it is what I realize that is more important for me, I hardly talk about me in my blogs, I never wanted to try it. I think putting across my opinions is simple, but conveying emotions is particular tough for me, I guess that true for all. I have respect for people who emote very well, and actually (read in fact) convey what they feel, unfortunately I have known many people who do that or either appreciates that, I don’t, I know. I don’t know if I blog behind a veil or imagination or mask of indemnity of a fear or I actually put on something I don’t have to justify the words I write, the sentence I write the opinions I express. I am still not clear with the reason I blog. I guess there is no reason because there is no aim why I blog. I have contemplated over this quiet frequently is last couple of fortnights if not more. I do contemplate if the need arises.

Swine flu.

Well the scare is on, I don’t know what causes what are the symptoms of it. All I know is the fear psychosis of it will cause more damage then the actual thing might. There is this big weekend coming up, Janamashtmi, Independence Day and Sunday, so may be if people wanna, stay at home for just tomorrow it wont be a worry. I mean staying away from offices and public areas. I wonder if that’s the best thing to do.

From the classic movie,Sholay, its been reported that many people vied desperately to play Gabbar,Amitabh did play Babban after all those years in a rather forgetful movie.But yeah lot of people did want to play that role. A couple of all time, great dialogues are here in this scene. Take time to watch it. Its fun, for more off course there is the whole movie,anyone who has followed Hindi movie, ought to have scenes this. Sholay will always remains el classico of all Hindia movies. I could simply say Sholay has always been hot. :D



So many things to say … next update soon …

Blog: In and Out

I wrote a blog posts about In and out, so some of things which are In and Out for this season,

In - Out

Trousers - Denims
Spectacles - Shades
Tests - T20
Cold - Sun stroke
Old Documentaries - Reality TV
You tube - iPod
Blogging - Comments Only
Wine - Rum
Looking at sunrise - Watching the sunset
Blog sites - TV "News" Channel
Accept/Reflect - Grump
Umbrella - Caps
Shirts - T-Shirts
Blue - Red