PUNDITATION: EPL GAMEWEEK 11 LINEUP IN FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE

FIXTURE FOR GAMEWEEK 11

Arsenal	V	Tottenham	31 Oct 12:45
Bolton	V	Chelsea	31 Oct 15:00
Burnley	V	Hull City	31 Oct 15:00
Everton	V	Aston Villa	31 Oct 15:00
Fulham	V	Liverpool	31 Oct 15:00
Portsmouth	V	Wigan	31 Oct 15:00
Stoke City	V	Wolves	31 Oct 15:00
Sunderland	V	West Ham	31 Oct 15:00
Man Utd	V	Blackburn	31 Oct 17:30
Birmingham	V	Man City	1 Nov 16:00
West Ham	V	Aston Villa	4 Nov 19:45

Image courtesy:MorgueFile

MY TEAM FOR GAMEWEEK 11

SasoniansBACK! has the following lineup:-

Given, Faye Ab, Collins, Shawcross, Lampard, Essien, Lucas, Fabregas, Lennon, Drogba(Captain), Davies K

Substitutes:

Sorensen, Assou-Ekotto, Zayatte, Zamora

FIRST REVIEW OF HTC TOUCH 3G(JADE) PHONE

THE PAST

Right from the onset, for me, cellphone brands always had to begin with a "N" and end with an "A"- NOKIA to be precise! Yes, the very fact that this huge company solely depended on "cellphones" for its survival was AWESOME, unlike Samsung or LG! Yet, ironically, I had the strong inclination to check and buy cellphone products of other companies instead.In early 2004, it began with Samsung's C100(the then sleekest phone of the world). Then Sony Ericcson K500i- the phone that left me with a painful thumb everytime I did a scroll using the awkwardly place joystick(renamed "Painstick"). "It lost all its marbles" was what my cousin Anand told me later. Instead of options "Accept" or "Reject" call, the firmware had upgraded itself to "OK" and "YES". The crazy bits with K500i is long and pretty amusing.

Leaving the Sony experience behind, I followed up with Nokia 1100(The torchlight phone- Good for the price), Nokia 5300 MusicXpress(I got this one from the States in 2006. Great phone but "fat" for my liking), Samsung C160( I don't know why I got this one!!) and Nokia E50(another painful thumb experience). Do not ask me where these phones are now- I do not have an answer. The last phone that I used was a Windows Mobile 5 smartphone with QWERTY keyboard- Samsung SGH i320 [Gifted by my NRI brother:)]. This phone is still usable but it has a cracked screen(a major turn-off) and has some "annoying" issues.

First, the battery life is pathetic, even though the company has provided a spare and a external battery case for charging your battery "offline". But, it still doesn't beat the fact that the battery life is amazingly shortlived.

Secondly, the software is not so robust as there is hardly any firmware update. And after some months of use, you will not be able to disconnect an ongoing call unless you keep pressing the disconnect button. This can sometimes lead to a "switch-off" situation. And for my contacts who have complained about not attending to their calls, here is an update :-
The network goes "off" suddenly and I am not aware of this.

THE NEED

So, tired and dejected, after contemplation, I was back to buying days and what better occasion to look forward than Diwali!


I was looking at a fully loaded phone in the range 10 k to 15 k INR. And after weeks of extensive research, I zeroed-in on three phones:-
NOKIA 5800 XpressMusic("The Batman" phone), Nokia E71 and HTC Touch(Series).

If you check Nokia's website and select all features that you would like in a QWERTY phone(like WiFi, 3G etc), then 5800 XpressMusic(XPM) and Nokia E71 will be the ones displayed. Since I already had a QWERTY smartphone experience with Samsung, I rejected Nokia E71 and the only phones on my list was the XPM and HTC Touch series. Now, the next step was to check out issues with the selected phones. Believe me or Not- the XPM issues thread at the Nokia Support website has been closed because it has run into tens of pages. Of course, they weren't only about issues but answers as well but the thread length left me scared and hesitant. Further, one of my colleague who had the phone agreed to give me a "test" run and I wasn't impressed with the screen surface and the "Touch-Flow" experience. The only great feeling was the screen size.

To add to this, my teammate was pretty vocal about his HTC experience and had even changed his Sony Xperia Touch phone to use HTC's firmware because of the little "extra" it had. Thus, I convinced myself on buying a HTC phone for the first time.

The next step was an extensive research on the prices in Bangalore. There are a couple of good sites where you get a fair idea about the prices. I think the MobileStore website is pretty good in this. Apart from the internet, it is always better to walk into some stores and enquire about the prices. So, after checking prices at Sangeetha and Univercell in IndiraNagar, I finally landed up buying the HTC TOUCH 3G also called JADE(that was within my budget) from the mobilestore at around 17 K with a 5% cash-back offer.


THE TOUCH EXPERIENCE

Image courtesy:Nasa4ppc

The touch experience has been amazingly awesome. I would rate this as the best phone I ever used. The specifics are easily found in the internet. But, I would like to share the end-user experience. HTC Touch 3G also called Jade is based on Windows Mobile 6.1 and has every "techie" thing that I require - from WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Weather updates to 3G. It doesn't have an accelerometer but the camera always starts in the landscape mode for that digital camera LCD feeling. And unlike my previous conception about smartphones draining out battery, this phone lives miserly giving you ample standby and talk time, provided the WiFi is not always on. It lacks a radio but the storage support(have a 4Gb card) and inbuilt music player compensates your musical needs. Try the "Audio Booster" for that extra BASS effect and you will love this phone even more.

As for the negatives, the greatest drawback of the phone is the camera. I would call this 3.2 Mp camera a "day-only but use outdoors" camera. It is literally useless in the dark as it has no external flash. The contact list is pretty cramped and you must practice to perfect this else use the sleek stylus provided to you. The other complaint might be that the device has only one port(used for charging as well as for the headphones). But, for me this is perfect. I don't like to carry too many wires.

In true sense, from my perspective, an iPhone killer from HTC at an affordable price.

Is this all? Even my phone has it...!!

THE EXTRA TOUCH EXPERIENCE

For the unaware, if you get bored with the "default" operating system Windows Mobile 6.1 then there is something to cheer about. There are many custom ROM's available in the internet. The best place to search is the XDA Developers forum. You will first need to HardSPL the bootloader and then load the custom ROM. Check out for the ROM's available and read the reviews before trying this out. If you need assistance, try querying the forum members.

A statutory warning though :-

"CUSTOM ROM'S SHOULD BE LOADED AT YOUR OWN RISK!"

In my view, PDAVIET's v23 with Windows Mobile 6.5 is great to start off with.


END LOG

I have used this phone for about a month now and am glad I bought this one! For those bored with Nokia's Symbian approach and Samsung's battery woes, try HTC and I bet you will fall in love with it.


Everything written in this article is true except the second last line. Thanks, Mama Puntey for this lovely gift!!Love you...!!

Quotation invite for Interior designers and decorators: Required for Woodwork, Kitchen and Lighting of a new Bangalore 2 BHK appartment.

This is a formal invite of quotation for all professional interior designers or decorators based in Bangalore ONLY.

We would like someone to guide us with the woodwork and interiors of our apartment(including kitchen).  Our apartment is of 1055 sq. feet super built-up area with dimensions as shown in the snapshot below.

 

As you can see, it is obvious where the woodwork is required. However, we would like professionals to share and impress us with their creative ideas to maximize the space available and to design the framework. This should also include suggestions for the type of wash-basins, chimney, lightings, woodwork in utility, corners of the living room, TV panel and balconies.

Yes, of course, this will be a paid project based on our final agreement.  I am expecting that the designer will take care of everything once the project is allotted(including purchase of materials to finishing).

If you are interested to know more about this project, my budget and would like to bid for the same, please drop me an e-mail at “mailforsachin[at]gmail.com” along with your phone number.

I will contact  you and we can proceed further from there. Thanks- Sachin!!

PREVIEW OF ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, GAME WEEK 7- VIS-A-VIS FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE. SEASON 2009-2010 (Part 1)

 

After a much needed break, I am back to “punditation” of FPL- Gameweek 7. I recall that it was in the same game-week last year when I joined FPL. This went on and changed my life forever. Soccer has become an integral part of my evenings during weekend.

This season, my team has been doing pretty well but has yet to live up to my personal expectation. I may not EVER manage a soccer team but this league gives me ample opportunity to fulfill this un-cherished dream. For the unaware, my team is named after my alma-mater “St Augustine’s School, Kalimpong”. We address ourselves as the SASONIANS. It was Sasonians last year and so this year it is “SasoniansBACK”.      

This is how “SasoniansBACK” has been faring:

 

Pretty decent I suppose, eh?

As for team selection, I always stick to a simple rule :

“The Chosen Ones”, “The Cheap custodian” and “The Regulars”.

The Chosen Ones (Penalty kickers and freekick-takers): Lampard, Gerard.

The Cheap Custodian(Goalkeeper): Mark Schwarzer, Given, Sorensen

The Regulars(Plays full 90 minutes): Drogba, Lennon, Rooney

Other than these, there are some basic rules.

a) Arsenal is very unpredictable in team selection. AVOID !!

b) For defenders, choose those who are indispensible and are cheap.

c) Concentrate more on having a strong midfield.

This was my team last game-week:-

 

 

(To be continued ….)

Songs by American Nepalese…

 

 

Nothing lasts forever…..and we both know Hearts can change…!

View Full Album

I couldn't take care of this dog and therefore returned it to the pet guy.

It is tough living in the city, isn't it Rahul?

Invitation to Gorkha Saanjh 2009 by Bharatiya Gorkha Welfare Association(BGWA).

What: Gorkha Saanjh 2009 BGWA cordially invites you all to the 2nd edition of "Gorkha Saanjh". For details, please visit http://bgwa.webs.com for more details. Ayo Gorkhali! BGWA, Bangalore When: Saturday, September 12, 2009 3:00 PM Where: Ambedkar Bhavan Millers Road, Vasanth Nagar Bangalore, Karnataka India Description: 14th September 2008 - Gorkha Saanjh 2008 @ Bangalore

A day we all Gorkhalis scripted history with our first ever Gorkha Saanjh in Bangalore.

The event witnessed the largest gathering of all Gorkhalis residing in the city and all coming together to show their Solidarity and Support for our community and belief in the Vision of “A Unified and Progressive Gorkhali Community” .

Gorkha Saanjh was conceptualized with the objective of providing a platform for promoting and showcasing local Gorkhali Talent and the proceeds of the event being utilized for Social Welfare activities for Gorkhalis residing in Bangalore.

Gorkha Saanjh 2008 was a great start to this journey and with all the support and encouragement we have seen memorable events like Chaitey Knockout Football Tournament and Gorkha Mela in Bangalore. Equally important has been the birth and growth of a support system to help Gorkhalis in the city during times of emergency.

The fledgling support system has been tested during the past one year and has risen to the occasion and helped many from our community at times of need. We take this opportunity to thank all those who have helped and contributed in these endeavours.

For the year 2009, BGWA has embarked on this journey with more ambitious plans some of which are as below:

1. Providing Free Health Insurance to a wider pool of BGWA members

2. Scholarships for Primary Schooling for the deserving and the financially needy

3. Strengthening the Student Network and Mentoring Programme

4. Creation of a Fund Pool to provide financial assistance for the needy during emergencies

Now, the second milestone Gorkha Saanjh 2009 @ Bangalore is around the corner. BGWA invites all to this event to reaffirm our Unity and Solidarity.

Please visit http://bgwa.webs.com for more details.

PREVIEW OF ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, GAME WEEK 1- VIS-A-VIS FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE. SEASON 2009-2010

 

So, we are back again! And am I not missing the biggest star of English Football already? Yes, the inevitable happened. CR9 has left Old Trafford to follow his long cherished dream. All the best! - We miss you Ronaldo and thank you for entertaining us with your immaculate play all these years. But, having said that, the EPL is too strong a league to have a void because of “great” transfers. It has seen heroes come and go and it still lives on…getting better every year. It reminds me of the lines from a poem I read a long time back:-

"For men may come and men may go, But I go on forever!"

Yes, without arguments, English Soccer is by far the best league in the world and for online gamers, my favorite FPL stands out from the rest of the online soccer leagues.

 

Without much ado, here is my lineup for the season. It is always a difficult decision to choose the first set of players. My combination is based on the following factors:-a) Indispensible players.

b) Cost effective goalkeepers.

c)3-4-3 combination.

d)Cheap substitute defenders.

THE INDISPENSIBLE’S: Lampard, Gerrard, Bendtner, Lennon and Torres

COST EFFECTIVE GOALIES: Given, Sorenson & Schwarzer

WHY 3-4-3 COMBINATION?  Three effective forwards and four midfielders who have a high rate of playing.

CHEAP SUBSTITUTE DEFENDERS: My concentration is on midfield and strikers for maximum points.

Watch out this space for pre-game week predictions!!

Upcoming: Blood Donation Camp by BGWA in Bangalore to commemorate “Gorkha Shaheed Diwas”: Please participate

 

Dear all,

Bharatiya Gorkhali Welfare Association, Bangalore will organize a Blood Donation Camp to commemorate Shaheed Diwas on 2 August 2009.

Venue: Rotary House of Friendship, Lavelle Road, Bangalore (Next to Hotel Regalis)
Time: 9.30 am onwards

Shaheed Diwas is observed to commemorate the incident of July 27, 1986 in Kalimpong, Dist. Darjeeling in which 14 innocent lives were lost in police firing on a peaceful rally supporting the formation of the state of Gorkhaland.

Since this day Gorkhalis all over the world have observed July 27 as Shaheed Diwas as a mark of respect for all those who laid down their lives.

All those who would like to participate and donate may contact Rewat (9844827500).
Also, please SMS your friends and contacts to let them know of this event and ask them to participate.

Regards,
BGWA

----------------------------------
Visit www.bgwa.webs.com.

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Roger Federer wins Wimbledon 2009 vs IIFA Awards, Macau: Switch On!!

Everyone is asleep and I dare not disturb them. There are guests at home and I am sleeping in the hall with my family. I had taken a long break from blogging for reasons I cannot elaborate at the moment. It was a well deserved break- just to wake up at about midnight to write an article, because my heart is filled with overflowing thoughts coming from the fathoms of my heart.

Sunday evening and I was beaten by what I call a summer rain on my way back from Koramangala. After a good meal, I switched on the television.

Star Plus is re-running the IIFA Awards show that was held at Macau earlier this year. As usual, they have the "funny" skits - like the ones that infuriated Ashutosh Gowarikar in a recent award show. And Star Sports has the Wimbledon's finals going on. And like most, I believed this was a cakewalk for the revived and revitalized, arguably the greatest tennis player of all times: Roger Federer.

So, between choices of individuals, I was doing what my newly purchased remote does best- Swapping between Star Sports and IIFA Awards.

Fedex was one set down and I didn't want to watch so flipped to IIFA, much to the delight of many at home. Sonam Kapoor looked outstandingly "ewww" in her dance outfit. I always thought she was a better dancer. Switch...

Nice!! Federer is set level with Roddick. Roddick is sending fireballs. Will Fedex survive this onslaught? Switch...

Advertisement...Switch...

Now, this is great! Federer up 2 sets to 1. One more set and he beats all records. I feel good...
Switch...

Abhishek Bachhan, the heir apparent to the throne of Bollyhood is dancing like his father. There aren't many as lucky as him. The best thing about a Bollyhood award function is that my set of celebrities always get one- One from the Bachhan family, one from the Khan family, one from the Akhtar family, one from the Roshan family or one from the Yash family and yes, one deservingly for AR Rahman... Switch...

Oh my God! Federer loves five setters, doesn't he?
Roddick has steamrolled over him in the fourth set. Is he going to do a Nadal? The stalwarts of the game like Sampras and Bjorg and even Sir. Alex Ferguson are watching from the box. History beckons both Fedex and Roddick...Switch!


IIFA awards has Hrithik singing. Believe me, he is best at dancing..Switch...

This is turning out to be a cracker- the Wimbledon 2009 Mens single final. Powerful serves, immaculate baseline shots, terrific backhand, lofted forehand- name it and you have it. Fedex looks composed and so does Roddick. I felt pity for Mirka- Fedex's wife. She must have had her heart in her mouth and mind you, she is seven months pregnant. Poor lady!!


Read it tomorrow in the papers and see it over and over again, this Wimbledon's final was one of the most pulsating and intense one ever. If you were to ask me, I would rate this the best tennis final ever along with last years epic. From 6-7 to 7-7, 8-7..... till 14-16, each moment was heart stopping and breathtaking. Roddick was accurate with his serves and Federer was unleashing his trademark backhand. You never knew what would happen next. And yes, in the end, the inevitable happened- Federer won it. To be honest, things might have been different if Nadal was around but this is mere speculation. Fedex was calm and composed throughout the intense tie breaker. I imagined myself in that situation and saw myself sweating nervously. I felt sorry for Roddick- he is a great champion and a great human being, on and off the court. I believe his day will come. He didnt deserve to lose today. But...there had to be a winner and who else but Roger!!

Roger there Sir.... This is an ode to you!!

Switch off....zzZ!!

Stopping by the woods! – From the Oeuvre- Dated:- 12.4.1999- 13.4.1999

Pictures taken during my “walkathon” from Gyalshing to Pelling/Pemayangtse to Sangatsholing.

The picture below is in the vicinity of the old palace. The old palace is the inspiration behind this poem.

A day comes.. which comes in life,

Once or more but not so often,

When the thirst of a man..

A man yearning for peace and solace,

Finds resort in the mystique…

Where the wings of freedom and joy leaps unbound,

Perspiring thoughts of Pride and Prejudice…

And chimney soots…

So did I feel when I trod past Pelling Woods!

“The land of hidden paradise”..they did say,

And unbelievably so,

So much explored yet so much to be!!

The trees of the deep have much to relate,

These silent spectators to the great happenings,

Of great kings, people and dynasties,

Of War and Peace…

And above all – Of love and lovers of late!

The once saddled roads- witnesses of the forgotten past,

Are still but an open book…

Shifting our thoughts down memory lane,

Now of unknown fame!!

The beats of beatles and the singing birds,

In the wrath of Autumn, with free falling leaves…

Echoing in tones unknown,

Add melodies exquisite for atmosphere requisite!

The ruins of the palace standing atop in free spirit,

Looks upon the hill…

The woods and the settlement below!

Now all alone against tides of fury and ice,

Whispers in pure delight…

Encroached upon are weeds, grasses, ferns and thorns,

Alone- Moaning calm and quiet…

A saga retold!!

Once gone through the phase,

A bliss of solitude is encarved,

Deep- Very Deep in the heart and soul,

Beckoning once and more,

And one can’t help but visit again….

THE GREAT PELLING WOODS!!!

I thought I had lost this poem and sadly, I knew only one stanza by heart. So, I used that verse in my short story “The Bet”.

In the story, for a realistic flavor, I have quoted that the stanza is from the poem “Impeccable” by a Nobel Laureate Peter Scotch.

Technorati Tags: Poems,Pelling,Sikkim

Appeal from Darjeeling: In Support of the people displaced by Darjeeling Landslides(Darjeeling Press Guild)

Dear Friends,

Cyclone Aila left a death trail as it whizzed past through Bengal, early this week. Our Hills, too, have also been battered and maimed and is today housing hundreds of inconsolable souls who have lost their near and dear ones.

Darjeeling recorded 240 mm of rainfall within 24 hours. Given our poor planning and lack of proper expertise in disaster management our infrastructure has crumbled so have the dreams of many families.

500 houses have been destroyed and more than 1400 people are currently staying in 41 government relief camps. Many families are still searching for their dear ones hoping to find their bodies even after four days. Till date 26 bodies have been recovered, mainly from Darjeeling and Kurseong while two more are missing at Haridashatta and the villagers have not yet given up on the search.
Nature’s fury has spared none. Six people who were trying to save the family of Pooja Gurung, at Haridashatta, have been buried alive. None could save the saviors who saved 14 lives. These people had come from as far as Soom tea garden to help the victims in Darjeeling.

Three year old Tashi Doma Sherpa, died on her way to the hospital. Forty one year old Mohan Kumar Rai and his eight year old son Manish Rai from Bara Pattabung were found underneath the debris clutching each other for one last moment.. Siksha Tamang and Yogesh Subba, from Cutlary, Kurseong, had just been married but the slides snubbed their lives in a blink of an eye. Almost every village, every locality has a similar story.

We can only pray for the departed souls but for those who are homeless we can and we will make a difference.

The Darjeeling Press Guild has been moved by the devastation it has witnessed. Following request from the residents of Darjeeling we have decided to undertake a project to rebuild many a dreams.
We cannot construct 500 houses but we want to make a difference in the lives of the underprivileged residing in far flung areas of the district by constructing at least 20 houses- maybe more if can generate more funds.

We have already started our groundwork. The administration has promised us to provide land for reconstruction and we have already formed a team comprising of journalists from all newspapers to identify the beneficiaries. We have made provisions to print every penny that we collect and spend in leading dailies for we want to justify the faith reposed on us.

Given your love for the place, we would also like to appeal for help from your end by mobilizing support among our community members out there. We have also started a thread in Facebook titled: In Support of People Displaced by Darjeeling Landslides. Please browse the thread as well.
Thank You,

Vivek Chhetri.
President,
Darjeeling Press Guild
Principal Correspondent,
The Telegraph
+91 94341 41985
vivek.chhetri@gmail.com

Technorati Tags: Darjeeling,Landslides,Donations,Relief

The gamble called World Cup T20 2009!

Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore- the bottom two teams of the last IPL were in the finals of IPL 2 held in South Africa this year. In 2008, it was Rajasthan Royals minus Shilpa Shetty routing the formidable CSK in the finals. So, what message does this version of the game send? T20 is the newest form of unpredictable gambling, glorified by renowned multinationals, celebrities and the richest cricketing board.

T20 has nothing to do with skills nor with class. Unknown batsman like Manish Pandey can be a hero for two games and proven masters like Jayasuriya or Tendulkar face the question regarding their age or adaptation to the version of the game yet again.This game has destroyed the existence of cricket altogether. If the T20's were to replace the way cricket is played, there will be no benchmark of identifying greats and the average. There won’t be a Sachin or a Bradman or a Lara again. One day, you will have Manish Pandey, the next day you will have a Tyagi. With so many games coming in and too many heroes for youngsters and teenagers to follow, cricket will lose the battle of popularity amongst games.

With the T20 World Cup right round the corner, I am all set to write previews on each "gamble". And definitely, it is not for my love of T20 cricket. It is because I have nothing to write on soccer before August this year, when the EPL Season 09-10 commences.

From “The Oeuvre”: Ink and Pennings- OCTAVE: “TO ATHENA OF NOW!!”: A poem I composed on 27th April 1999"

 

Meaning of an Octave:- octave n. 1 Mus. a interval between (and including) two notes, one having twice or half the frequency of vibration of the other. b eight notes occupying this interval. c each of the two notes at the extremes of this interval. 2 eight-line stanza. [Latin octavus eighth]

 

TO ATHENA OF NOW!!

There she stands,

So invincible-so colossal,

Fist clenched and will abyssmal,

Grandeur and Glamour,

Off and On the court,

Message of Youth and Vigour she totes!!

Thus does Miss. Hingis,

Bring Americans to Nemesis!!

This poem was dedicated to Martina Hingis, the lawn tennis player from Switzerland. She stood there alone and tall during the period when Americans dominated World Tennis.

The Oeuvre: Ink and Pennings: LIMERICK AND QUATRAIN: Poems composed on 27th April 1999"

 

limerick n. humorous five-line verse with a rhyme-scheme aabba. [origin uncertain]

quatrain n. four-line stanza. [French quatre four]

LIMERICK-“THE DU-ROSE”!

Dancing to the melody of the whispering zephyr,

In the vacuity of May Air,

With tears of heaven, rolling like pearls,

in sepals mackintosh,

Stands vacuously Red- THE SUMMER ROSE!

LIMERICK-“BLOOD-CUT”!

The knife brushed through the white skin,

The cut was deep,

The cut was mean.

And seconds later did it flood,

The dark crimson blood!

QUATRAIN-THE OFFICE MAN!

After a hard tough day at job(To aggrandize his boss),

He pulled his tie,

And gave a heavy sigh,

Crouched and slept off!!

The Oeuvre: Ink and Pennings: ON(E) YOUR WEDDING: Poem composed on 6th May 1999

 

I composed this poem on the auspicious occasion of my youngest aunt’s wedding. Then, I copied the same on a card and gave it to her.

This is your wedding ceremony,

A happy day- a great event for many.

Bonded by the nuptial knot,

That will hold ya’ll together throughout…

Yours is a great pair…Ganga and Junga!!

Made for each other indeed,

I am adamant of it!!

Surveying your amicable personality and lovable subtlety,

Here is me offering you love and prayers,

For the life you are to get,

And proudly say…

“Your marriage was life’s best step!!”

From the auricles and ventricles of my heart,

Sash

The Oeuvre: Ink and Pennings: PRIMA FACIE: Poem composed on 14th April 1999

 

I WONDER WHY....

I search for words,

To express myself,

And relieve my thoughts...

And encarve my leaping emotions in the form of verses,

Etched permanently in lifeless paper!

I WONDER WHY...

I fancy myself as a poet,

Whose pen speaks more than just Ink,

But speaks of rivers and woods,

Of valleys and dale,

Of dainty peaks and damsels,

And mere topographical features!

I WONDER WHY...

I search for the past,

Dig out the present,

And imagine the future,

Through the words I create...

For years to come…

Until someone tells me:-

"Farewell to thee, my fren…O poet so known, yet so unknown!!"

One of the happiest days in my life- The OEUVRE is back...!

œuvre  n. works of a creative artist regarded collectively. [French, = work, from Latin opera]

Yes!!! It is true…

I have been finally re-united with my poem book- THE OEUVRE that was supposedly “lost”! And it was like that old Bollyhood line “Kumbh Mela main Beechray Bhai” becoming a reality for me. I wrote the first poem for my Oeuvre on 31st November 1997 and today is May 25th, 2009. So, I am going 11+ years back into my late teen and early adulthood again today.

At this moment, I would like to thank these people(not necessarily in the order):-

Ruchi: For keeping the book at Garima’s place and informing me about it.

Garima: I owe you so much. Thanks for being so patient with my impatience, understanding how I felt about the poem book, informing your sister, reminding her and answering my calls.

Nidhi: Thanks for bringing the poem book from Gangtok to Bangalore.

Aunty: Thanks for keeping the book safely. Most importantly, thanks for letting me have my memories back.

Now, what next??

Those who have been following this blog know the reason why I started this blog. The headline for “Of Ink, Pennings and Pittoresco’s!” since 2004 was as below:

This blog would have never come out, given the fact that I LOST my entire collection of 26 poems composed during the period 1997-2000.

However, I managed to bury my sorrows and with the left-overs of my literary aspirations, I am waking up to a fresh dawn of cognition, sentience, consciousness, idea, and imagination.

I removed the above header recently after hearing that the book was still intact at Garima’s place.

I have now decided that in the days to come, I will publish one poem a day in this blog of mine for 28 days. :)

Last but not the least, for the curious, here are the first pictures from the poem book:-

The first poem: “Tale of a luvlorn” The date when the poem was composed: 31-11-1997

FINAL REVIEW OF ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, GAME WEEK 38- PREVIEW VIS-A-VIS FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE.

 

It is sad, isn’t it? 38 weeks of action packed extravaganza coming to an end…

Manchester United have been already crowned as Champions , Benitez is still refusing to acknowledge this fact and Tevez will not be back in Manchester United colors next year. In addition, West Brom Albion have been relegated and Newcastle United, Hull City and Middleborough will play the game of their lifetime this week. As for promotions, Wolverhamton Wanderers, Birmingham City and either Sheffield United or Burnley will join the elite league next season. But, there is the still some more action left and something to play for, both for players and for us, the FPL managers.

In my last article, I had mentioned why we need to keep maximum players from Chelsea and Arsenal for the final game week, subject to United drawing or winning their game against Arsenal. Certainly, United will field a second string side against Hull City, ignoring “fair-play” pleas from Newcastle United and Middlesborough. And we can't blame United either because for United, Rome will be bastion of their phenomenal form and performance this year. So, is Ronaldo playing for the full 90 minutes this game-week?

Well, that is a tough question! The Golden Boot award beckons and he knows Anelka is right there rubbing shoulders with him for the coveted prize. Ferguson always sees “the bigger picture” and might want to rest him for the Hull City tie. But, he might also be wary of how Ronaldo will react.

As for the other players from Manchester United, O’Shea was the first player to be selected by Ferguson to play in Rome. Ferdinand is still nursing his injury and is doubtful for the May 24th tie. Though he has admitted his willingness to play in order to prove his fitness for the CL final, yet, Ferguson is cynical about his presence in the starting line-up. So, if you were to ask me, I would “rest” or substitute most players from Manchester United this game week.

As for Chelsea and Arsenal, they have nothing more to lose. Trust me when I tell you to retain Frank Lampard as your “Captain”. And even if he doesn’t repay you well this game-week, forget what I have said and offer it as a tribute to the contribution of this wonderful midfielder. Arshavin is back and boy, what a find he has been for Arsenal this season!! I am pretty sure he will end his first season in EPL with some fireworks.

Liverpool should have an easy last match as well and will imperatively sport their best side.

The other "Do or Die” matches in EPL will be interesting to watch but in terms of FPL, it will hardly be of significance. You simply don’t know whom to trust!

As an end-note, I made three changes to my squad in a last-ditch effort to climb into the top 15 of HSL. I am happy at the way am ending this online game, considering the fact that I joined in Game Week 7.

Last but not the least, here is my pick for the week:-

Schwarzer, Evans, Arbeloa, Cole A, Nasri, Lampard©, Gerrard, Benayoun, Fletcher, Bendtner, Anelka

Substitutes: Tristan, Figueroa and Taylor R

Adios, friend, till we "read" again!!

Technorati Tags: EPL,Soccer,FPL,EPL Review

IPL 2 champions…Chennai Super Kings or Delhi Daredevils?

Chennai Super Kings Logo(Courtesy:CSK website)

Long before the tourney had started, I had vouched for Delhi Daredevils to win IPL Season 2. Sehwag and Gambhir in the same team surely sends shivers down the spines of opponents, bowlers in particular. And if this wasn’t enough, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, Dilshan and Karthik were to follow. The bowling lineup also looked menacing. I thought Mc Grath would play a crucial role backed by Nannes, Nehra and a quality spinner in the form of Amit Mishra. Mc Grath isn’t playing but the Daredevils have no regrets- they are pretty perched at the top of the IPL table and look fine to run away with the IPL trophy.

However, having said that, as the tournament has progressed, I am slowly changing my mind. And my bet is on Chennai Super Kings. Runners-up last year and doing exceedingly well, CSK might just turn the tables on the Daredevils. These two teams have met twice and have shared the honors. But, if you look at runs, you will see that DD, irrespective of their batting prowess have failed to chase a decent score like 145 whereas Chennai, batting second have scored 180 in a lost cause.

My instinct tells me that we are going to see another “Kings11 versus CSK” match whenever DD and CSK clash again. And remember, let us not to discount the MSD factor. He might just revive his T20 World Cup winning memories in South Africa again!!

Technorati Tags: IPL2,Chennai Super Kings,Delhi DareDevils,DD,CSK

Before and after 18 years, 2 days …

This is only an observation. And there couldn’t be any sensible connection at all…

18 years ago and two days before Rajiv Gandhi's birthday, two of his alleged plotters were found dead. Now, after 18 years, on May 18th, Prabhakaran, the prime accused for the late Prime Minister's assassination was killed in a battle with the SLA.

This happened two days after “Sonia-Rahul” led Congress won a decisive mandate in the Lok Sabha elections.

Pre-closure thoughts and review on English Premier League[EPL] vis-à-vis Fantasy Premier League[FPL]

 

 

And so it ends...!

This was my first year with the FPL and I blissfully admit that it had changed the way I perceive soccer. The most important thing that this online game taught me was to see beyond Manchester United. I used to be an ardent Manchester United supporter before but selecting three “expensive” players from Man Utd did not help my team and in due course of time, I resorted to employing players from my bête noire Chelsea, Frank Lampard in particular.

It was a difficult and heart-breaking decision but as time progressed, Frank Lampard stood for me and ensured that my team climbed up in the league. And so did Anelka.

Thereafter, Gerrard and Schwarzer showed me why Christiano Ronaldo and Van Der Sar aren’t worth their money.

Indeed, FPL turned my liking of soccer into addiction. Every Friday, I used to spend hours looking at the fixtures, reading news about players, injuries, return from injuries, the forecast from Pundits and replying to the taunts of other team managers in the league’s forum. Later, I assumed the role of a "pundit" and provided predictions for the upcoming game-week through my blog. Great managers like Guus Hiddink and Jose Mourinho have proved that it takes more than personal skill to be good managers-it needs that extra tinge of luck! And, I acknowledge that I did have some luck predicting the outcomes and players that could make a difference in FPL.

Soccer indeed has changed lives of people and their thought process. I have now realized why Wayne Rooney and English fans forgave Ronaldo even after his World Cup antics. I am a live example- an online fantasy game has taught me that soccer is way beyond personal vendetta and choices.

NOTE:I have taken a part of this article from my earlier article which was posted on my site www.gorkhas.com. The site is hosted on a free webhost, so if you don’t get to the page at the first time, try again! Sorry for the inconvenience.

Technorati Tags: Soccer,EPL

Election India 2009 predictions, results and the challenge to Astrologers.

Image:Courtesy-MorgueFile

As Election’09 results started pouring in, it became obvious that Dr. Manmohan Singh led UPA government would be re-elected at the centre. I had thought that the NDA would come into power on the basis of anti-incumbency wave. And like me, thousands of us were having our own predictions and thoughts on the outcome. So, can our astrologers be far behind? They have always been active during all major happenings or events- whether its elections, Priyanka Gandhi taking over the reins of the Congress party or predicting the winner of the Cricket World Cup.

In an open challenge to astrologers and predictors, Narendra Nayak of “The Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations”, in the website Nirmukta.com had announced an interesting contest.

Presenting an award of one million rupees to predict election results.

Of course, the “winner” had to answer 4 questions[25 parts] from guessable ones like “Who will be the next Prime Minister of India?” to tough ones like “How many seats will each of the parties win? The answers should be in units- Ranges are not acceptable- correct to the nearest unit in case of single digit and ±10% if the number is more than single digit”.

There were however a lot of T&C’s for contestants. The contest was posted on the website on 2nd May 2009 and the answers had to be sent by snail mail or courier only. All questions had to be answered and there could be multiple winners.

I am looking forward for the results and am curious to know if renowned astrologers of India took part in the competition.

Technorati Tags: Elections India

Green Room Boxes-Rock Band from Bangalore, Karnataka, India

 

 

 

Green Room Boxes is the name of a family, but the world normally calls such families "rock bands". Well, GRB as we're called for short, is a rock band based out of Bangalore - classical/alternative/punk rock group, with a very strong bias towards our original compositions...that's us.

 

The Boxes

 

Anant:

Bass guitar. Co-founder of GRB when it was a two piece band, Anant used to do the leads and vocal but exchanged spots (rather gleefully, if I may add!) and took up bass duties once GRB took off.

 

Nishant:

Lead guitars. "Brilliant" would be an understatement for this guy. Anything related to guitars and he can do it (good for us!) The new soul of GRB.

 

Sovit:

Rhythm guitars. A clean guitaring wizzo...Sovit's the one who fills the riffs in between the song. And melodious is just one of his attributes.

 

Pranai:

Clean guitaring champ, in the band handling the vox department. Clapton's Layla is his trademark song. The heart of GRB, right from vocals to the gyaan.

 

Rahul:

Drums. Co-founder of GRB with Anant. Once named the band "The Resoulutes" but chucked it after coming to know about the existence of a band with the same name. Since then, GRB is what we've been called.

 

Ex-Men: Lead guitars plus vocals. Formally with "String Sick", Zoe joined GRB in March 2008. Parted ways with us owing to his personal commitments. Vinnie: Keyboard. A magician with the keys - also the guy with the jam pad and experience in the commercial music industry. Owing to his commitments to his other projects, couldn't really commit to the band. Our loss.

 

This post is dedicated to Rahul Pradhan

Pal, remember always, GRB is your brainchild!

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE, GAME WEEK 37- PREVIEW VIS-A-VIS FANTASY PREMIER LEAGUE.

Image:Courtesy-MorgueFile.

Those who read my post on EPL game week 36 would have realized that choosing three players from Manchester United was indeed fruitful. As for my team, I had to make random substitutions in the 11th hour because two of my players(Arshavin and Lennon) were out that game week. I finally decided to have Ronaldo back as my captain. However, Sir. Alex had other ideas. He broke my heart by not playing Ronaldo the full 90 minutes against Manchester City. Ronaldo was in a great run that day and could have scored more. The other player who failed us all was Frank Lampard. He doesn’t fail us often, does he?

So, with two days to go, what is in store for us this game week?

Rather than looking at this game week alone, I feel it will be wise to look at the last game week as well. On analysis, it is evident that the team that will fetch you the maximum points is Chelsea. Chelsea has one match against Blackburn and one against Sunderland. So, you can expect a lot of goals and can bet on at least one clean sheet for the goal keeper and defenders. If you haven’t already, try to have maximum players from Chelsea now.

Liverpool play West Bromwich Albion this game week and against Tottenham in the final one. I believe WBA can’t do a Wigan to Liverpool. So, you can still bet on three players from Liverpool this game week.

Choosing players from Manchester United will require lot of contemplation. I am very cynical about having players from top teams in my squad when they play against each other. Manchester United play Arsenal on 16th May and I am secretly wishing for a Bendtner magic. And what if Hull City beat United in the last game?

With respect to FPL, the point to ponder is that if United beat or draw with Arsenal, then Sir. Alex might rest his important players in the game against Hull City(24th May 2009). Remember, United are heading Rome for the Champions League final(27th May 2009) against Barca. So, I believe Sir. Alex will play all his fine men this game week against Arsenal to seal the premiership.

Arsenal on the other hand will play with their full strength for the remaining two game weeks. So, even if they lose to Manchester United, retain their best players in your squad. Their last game against Stoke City should get you a lot of points.

Also, investing on Aston Villa might yield great results.

Finally, this is my FPL squad for Game week 37:-

Schwarzer, Vidic, Arbeloa, Cole A, Dempsey, Lampard(Captain), Ronaldo, Benayoun, Fletcher[His CL “Red Card” appeal was rejected], Bendtner, Tristan, Walcott, Figueroa, Taylor R.

Technorati Tags: Soccer,EPL

The Montauk Monster returns to Earth again

Image:Courtesy:MorgueFile. This picture has no resemblance or relation to the Montauk monster.

As news of the new "Montauk Monster" poured in, I quickly "Googled" the internet to check out the pictures of the “new monster". However, it disappointed me.This looks like the carcass of a dead pig to me. The photograph of the first Montauk Monster was interesting. The internet was abuzz with discussion on whether it was the decayed corpse of a "raccoon", "turtle", "boxer" dog or a "capybara".

Honestly, I don't believe that these are monsters but rather are animals that drowned at sea or dead animals that were disposed to the sea. But, it sure brings in curiosity and fame to the “Montauk Monster”. Apart from getting featured in “Monster Quest” on History Channel and talks shows on TV, there is already an official website dedicated to the monster.

For the unaware, the "Montauk Monster" gets it name from Montauk, a town in Suffolk County, New York, where the "monster" was first found.

How to reach the Pinnacle of Sorrow?

Image Source:MorgueFile

They said that things would change,

I argued, why would it? We will still be the same,

Unchanged in the very feelings that bonded us,

Blest with wishes and thoughts….

Oft I remember things of the glory past,

Giving the best shot to impress,

Some fallacy, some true and some simply best….

Did I lose the battle there? Did you?

Do you feel like leaving me then? Do you feel like leaving me now?

Life is a tweak, my friend, it is…Remember….

I can’t tell you my sorrow now, I can only show you my pride,

Some things of the past, haunts and thus remains,

I longed to do away with poems coz they say it makes you sad,

And sad in life is what I am,

With or without my poems!

Locked as a prisoner in a hermit shell,

I can barely breathe now,

Its choking the life out of me,

Be with me now……

[ I must stop right away….this poem has reach the pinnacle of sorrow!]

Reaching to your audience through your blog and the limitations.

There are millions of blogs on the internet and most of us spend at least an hour on our blog-site enhancing it to reach a wider audience. In the process, we join some communities labeled "Bad communities" by Google. Ours may be a simple act of blog publicity but unknowingly, we might have violated the Google Webmaster guidelines.

If you check the webmaster's guidelines, you can see a number of Do's and Dont's. But, none specifically mentions what "bad communities" are. So, before posting to any neighbourhoods or network sites, be careful. Your site might just "disappear" from the google searches.

The guidelines specifically mentions about avoiding "cloaking"(true to it's relevant meaning) and irrelevant re-directs.

The other important point here is to avoid enhancing your blog with the help of a "SEO" companies. There are many companies on the internet promising "x" number of visitors to your blog using various SEO techniques. However, they work mostly on "link-sharing/link-buying" concept and are possibly already in the Google watchlist for violation.

Lastly, if you think you have been "banned" by Google, check the webmaster's guidelines, post to forum and after a thorough analysis, request for re-consideration.

Google’s Doodle 4 Google competition

 

Doodle- For the unaware, that is the name of the usually “cute” message oriented “Google” text image that comes on Google search page. On Christmas day, usually it is a “Google” with a red Santa hat. On 10th May, 2009-Mothers Day, it was a bright color bouquet.

Currently, in the US, there is a competition by Google called “Doodle 4 Google”, with the theme “What I wish for the world”. According to Google, “Doodle 4 Google” is a competition where they invite K-12(Grade K to Grade 12) students to play around with their homepage logo and see what new designs they come up with.

I happened to stumble on the competition page this morning by curiosity. The competition is in its last phase where netizens can help choose the National finalists from the 40 regional winners.

One can do so by visiting this LINK.

The competition offers lots of prizes to the eventual winners. But most importantly, I believe that the theme is based on a great thought!

Technorati Tags: Doodle,Google

Samsung Customer Care, Bangalore – Feedback!

I am very impressed with Samsung’s customer care here in Bangalore. Yesterday, there was an issue with my front loading washing machine. The water wasn’t getting pumped in. Though I tried everything I could by checking the manual, yet, the problem wasn’t fixed. So, I called up the washing machine dealer who directed me to the customer care at 080-30308282.

The customer care took my details and politely transferred the line to the technical support. Immediately, I got an SMS on my mobile phone with the reference number. The technical support tried to solve it over the phone but were unable to do so. Therefore, they fixed an appointment for a service visit to my residence today. At around 10 AM this morning, someone gave me a call and asked for the landmark. And by 2 PM, the issue was resolved. Now, that was excellent customer service!

I believe it is important for us, as consumers to appreciate great service and write elaborately on pathetic experiences. Down the line, this will result in greater CSAT experience for everyone.

Technorati Tags: Customer Service,Samsung

EPL Game week 36 VIS-A-VIS FPL, LIVE Manchester United vs Manchester City(Manchester Derby)-2nd half report.

The players are out on the field. At half-time, the ESPN studio pundits were totally unanimous in ruling out a Manchester City comeback. So, are we about to see a flurry of goals from Manchester United in the 2nd half or is Robinho going to create some magic? Only time will tell…

And into the first few minutes of the second half, we have a yellow card. Darren Fletcher, again! On a side note, he is in my FPL team and his FPL manager is fuming.

Into the 50 minutes and Robinho misses one for Manchester City. Considering the top player that he is, he should have scored. I am enjoying this.

And in the meanwhile, Rooney is warming up on the sidelines. Is it for Berbatov?

Whats wrong with Sir. Alex? It’s a double substitution. Ronaldo is OUT and Scholes is IN. And Park has been replaced by Rooney. Ronaldo appears to be disappointed over this move and so am I. I am not too sure what Big-A is thinking. The match isn’t sealed already and Liverpool is on ManUtd’s tail. Ronaldo is still shaking his head.

Into the 65’th minute and the camera shows good ole’ Bobbie Charlton watching from the stands. He is not sporting a smile. Is he displeased over Ronaldo’s substitution as well?..Ahmm!

There is another Manchester United substitution now with O’Shea replacing Evans. And is it the end of road for Ronaldo-Alex’s fairytale? Ronaldo looks pretty hurt and he is not hiding this fact!

72nd minute and Manchester City make a substitution, M Petrov comes in for De Jong. During this change, I could see a couple of Sardars in the red. But, at the back of my head, I am still thinking about Sir. Alex’s move.

Into the 78th minute and Manchester United supporters are already rejoicing.

Now with four minutes of normal time remaining, Petrov narrowly scores for City through a long range shot. Manchester City makes another substitution with Robinho getting replaced by Evans. Just then, Fletcher and Tevez nearly combine to score for Man Utd through a corner.

We are now into the extra time and Ronaldo is still gloomy and has his hands crossed.

Thus, the match ends with Manchester United back on top of the EPL standings. They require only four points out of the remaining three games to win the premiership. That apart, now what happens next between Ronaldo and Sir. Alex?

Technorati Tags: Soccer,EPL,Manchester United