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I Believe...
5 hours ago
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Blogging troubles!
This blogger is having blogging trouble since the past 3 weeks.
You know how there is an option to get follow-up comments when one posts a comment on other blogs? Well, for the past 3 weeks, I have been unable to get 90% of follow-up comments on comments I have posted!
Whats worse? I have been unable to get comment alerts on comments on my own posts! And the woes have not subsided! And it seems to be affecting only blogger! Wordpress alerts are fine! Its so frustrating I've even considered migrating the blog to wordpress!
Is any one else facing or has faced similar problems?
You know how there is an option to get follow-up comments when one posts a comment on other blogs? Well, for the past 3 weeks, I have been unable to get 90% of follow-up comments on comments I have posted!
Whats worse? I have been unable to get comment alerts on comments on my own posts! And the woes have not subsided! And it seems to be affecting only blogger! Wordpress alerts are fine! Its so frustrating I've even considered migrating the blog to wordpress!
Is any one else facing or has faced similar problems?
Friday, August 7, 2009
Michael Schumacher's Comeback 2009
There is no doubt that Michael's comeback to Formula 1 is the biggest event of the 2009 F1 season. No sooner than the announcement was made, the papers next day were abuzz with pictures and stories about the King of F1. Times of India even had the same title (the king is back or something to that effect) that I had used in my blog a day before. Oh well!
The difference between champions and others is the amount of commitment the former gives to the sport. Within a week of the announcement, Schumi lost 3 kilos of body weight. If you think 3 kilos do not make a difference, think again!
A) In a sport where the time is measured in one thousandth of a second, 3 kilos can make you faster than your competitor.
B) 3 kilos can give you an extra lap worth of fuel, allowing you to pit later than your competitor (and your teammate).
C) 3 kilos less weight can allow your car designers to balance the car better - it can give them the flexibility to re-distribute the weight of the car, allowing it to handle much better!
The last advantage comes with its own little challenge - As the (almost) bankrupt BMW Williams team disallowed Michael Schumacher to test the F-60 (the 2009 Ferrari F1 car) , the car designers will have to entirely rely on calculations and models to "gauge" the cars performance with the new weight distribution and with Schumi in the cockpit. The other part of the challenge is - Schumacher has not driven the F-60 even once! While the competition is close to being half way thru the season, Schumacher will drive the F-60 in Friday practice for the 1st time on a track that he has never driven before (the track was newly made after Schumi retired). While other drivers in F1 (Read Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso) crib and complaint about the lack of their car's performance openly, Michael has quietly adjusted to the circumstances and started testing in an old 2007 Ferrari with slick tires instead of grooved ones! That's a champion for you! Perhaps Alonso and Kimi can watch and learn as Schumi shows everyone that "A good craftsman never blames his tools!".
Not only that, Schumacher has already completed an entire day testing the car and training his injured neck muscles. That's a champion for you. At the age of 40, Schumacher will be more than twice the age of the youngest F1 competitor (19 yrs 4 months)! It takes sheer guts and Iron-like-will-power to make such a comeback.
Even before he retired in 2006, during the retirement, and post retirement - there were (are) no silly news about Schumacher in the media. The only news you get to see are about Schumi testing! No silly night-club games, no drinking binges, no playing the fool! No sir! Not Schumacher!
Perhaps that's why he could easily be amongst the fittest F1 drivers, even post retirement!
The comeback could not have been at a better time for Formula 1. A sport that runs on big money, such a comeback means, sold out tickets at the racing venues and big time TV eye-balls! I would not be surprised if there is at least a 30% increase in television viewership for the Valencia race on 23rd August 2009 as the F1 fans, Tifosi and Schumi fans are all eager to watch the king make a comeback! Honestly, for them (and for me), it does not matter if Schumacher performs or not. Just watching him get behind the wheel of the red car will be joy enough for the die-hard F1 fan! There are many F1 fans who stopped watching the sport after Schumi retired. More people did not follow the sport with as much gusto now than when he was racing - Schumi's comeback will bring these fans back to the sport - Then there will be others who will be watching just to be part of the buzz, while there will be those who will watch the race on Valencia, just to see him fail!
Whatever be the race viewer's category - the weekend of 21, 22, 23 August, Valencia Spain will see F1 fanatics have eyes only for one car and one driver. That car will be a red Ferrari and the driver will be Michael Schumacher! Period!
The difference between champions and others is the amount of commitment the former gives to the sport. Within a week of the announcement, Schumi lost 3 kilos of body weight. If you think 3 kilos do not make a difference, think again!
A) In a sport where the time is measured in one thousandth of a second, 3 kilos can make you faster than your competitor.
B) 3 kilos can give you an extra lap worth of fuel, allowing you to pit later than your competitor (and your teammate).
C) 3 kilos less weight can allow your car designers to balance the car better - it can give them the flexibility to re-distribute the weight of the car, allowing it to handle much better!
The last advantage comes with its own little challenge - As the (almost) bankrupt BMW Williams team disallowed Michael Schumacher to test the F-60 (the 2009 Ferrari F1 car) , the car designers will have to entirely rely on calculations and models to "gauge" the cars performance with the new weight distribution and with Schumi in the cockpit. The other part of the challenge is - Schumacher has not driven the F-60 even once! While the competition is close to being half way thru the season, Schumacher will drive the F-60 in Friday practice for the 1st time on a track that he has never driven before (the track was newly made after Schumi retired). While other drivers in F1 (Read Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso) crib and complaint about the lack of their car's performance openly, Michael has quietly adjusted to the circumstances and started testing in an old 2007 Ferrari with slick tires instead of grooved ones! That's a champion for you! Perhaps Alonso and Kimi can watch and learn as Schumi shows everyone that "A good craftsman never blames his tools!".
Not only that, Schumacher has already completed an entire day testing the car and training his injured neck muscles. That's a champion for you. At the age of 40, Schumacher will be more than twice the age of the youngest F1 competitor (19 yrs 4 months)! It takes sheer guts and Iron-like-will-power to make such a comeback.
Even before he retired in 2006, during the retirement, and post retirement - there were (are) no silly news about Schumacher in the media. The only news you get to see are about Schumi testing! No silly night-club games, no drinking binges, no playing the fool! No sir! Not Schumacher!Perhaps that's why he could easily be amongst the fittest F1 drivers, even post retirement!
The comeback could not have been at a better time for Formula 1. A sport that runs on big money, such a comeback means, sold out tickets at the racing venues and big time TV eye-balls! I would not be surprised if there is at least a 30% increase in television viewership for the Valencia race on 23rd August 2009 as the F1 fans, Tifosi and Schumi fans are all eager to watch the king make a comeback! Honestly, for them (and for me), it does not matter if Schumacher performs or not. Just watching him get behind the wheel of the red car will be joy enough for the die-hard F1 fan! There are many F1 fans who stopped watching the sport after Schumi retired. More people did not follow the sport with as much gusto now than when he was racing - Schumi's comeback will bring these fans back to the sport - Then there will be others who will be watching just to be part of the buzz, while there will be those who will watch the race on Valencia, just to see him fail!
Whatever be the race viewer's category - the weekend of 21, 22, 23 August, Valencia Spain will see F1 fanatics have eyes only for one car and one driver. That car will be a red Ferrari and the driver will be Michael Schumacher! Period!
123456789 - useless timepass
On August 7 , 2009
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
At 12hr 34 minutes and 56 seconds on the 7th of August
this year, the time and date will be
12:34:56 07/08/09
This will perhaps never happen in your life again!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Movie review: Love Aaj Kal (2009)
First Day Last Show - Love Aaj Kal!
Sis was determined to watch this movie. I find Saif Ali Khan bearable and Deepika Padukone has grown on me since Bachna Ae Haseeno. She even reminds me of an old crush! So there was no point in arguing! Tickets were booked and we were off to watch the FDLS of Love Aaj Kal.
Directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by Saif Ali Khan, I found Love Aaj Kal to be a
refreshing movie. The story moves along very nicely and holds the audience's interest for 95% of the movie. There is a part where the lead character is shown brooding in loneliness during which Indian audiences, especially those who had not travelled and stayed abroad, felt bored. The NRI audience will relate to this with ease. Barring this small glitch, everything else held the audience's attention.
Thankfully, with Saif's role infused with witty n funny lines, there was no need of a stupid comic relief in the movie! This single point has enhances the movie's bearable quotient by leaps and bounds! It also means you wont come out with a headache from this movie!
Acting - Saif and Deepika both are refreshing to watch! They have a superb chemistry on screen that
makes the audience relate to their characters with ease.
Rishi Kapoor's character does a lot of talking, yet doesn't pakao the audience.
Other notable characters are Raj Zutshi as Harleen's father. Rahul Khanna also plays a
character, but don't wanna ruin the movie by revealing his character.
Babe factor - What I like about Deepika's character is - she looks nice and commands attention without resorting to cheap tricks. You wont find unnecessary cleavage or skin just for titillation. She does wear skimpy clothes, but like a Zeenat, she wears them with elan and carried them confidently. One can watch her with family without squirming in the seat!
The other gal in the movie, Giselle Monteiro (Harleen) had a few lines, but she had enough screen time to do a memorable role (atleast till they watch the next movie). She plays her character with grace!
The direction by Imtiaz Ali is great. The editing is crisp (could be crisper, but no points cut for that). Music is by Pritam and it sounds contemporary. Songs are nicely paced and they gel well with the story. Not too many, nor too few. Its nice that the story progresses thru the songs and the characters don't have to go to a ocean or a desert to sing them! Makes the story more believable and does not distract the audience! The switch between the past and present story feels seamless and does not leave the audience confused at any time. Take a bow Imtiaz!
The visuals in the movie are not stunning, but they feel bright and open as a lot of the movie has been shot in foreign locales. It gives the movie a fresh feel. The shots in current and old India have been done nicely. Its important to note the move does not show any thing bad about India while successfully portraying an authentic image of the country.
There was a stupid controversy (perhaps a cheap publicity stunt) about the movie where much was written about how Kareena was not in the movie... Deepika was very good in the movie and the movie would not be as nice had Kareena been in it!
Similarities - There is a train station sequence that will remind you of DDLJ, but the similarity ends there with DDLJ.
I found traces of Aamir Khan's character from DCH in Saif, but then I am known to look too much into things :D
Quick comparisions - This movie is better than Singh is King and Luck! Saif plays a better Sardar than Akshay. Thankfully there is no turban sporting Snoop Dogg or any other imported singer in a ridiculous looking outfit!
Warning - The movie's a little mushy in some parts, but then the title is LOVE Aaj Kal!
Verdict - A refreshing love story that deals with practical situations in current times of globalization (perhaps this statement itself is too factual!). Go Watch It!
My rating - 3.75/5
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Movie Review: Luck (2009)
Quick n dirty review of Luck (2009).
Shruti Hassan, Sanjay Dutt - uninspiring
Danny, Mithun - Good in the roles given to them
Imran Khan - ok
Chitrashi Rawat - Super!
Story - A mish mash of plots taken from "Fear Factor" that is fried in a "SAW"-like tadka!
Thanks to FE's scathing review, I went with zero expectations from this movie. The result was - I was entertained as I left my brains at home!
The side-actress babe was hotter than Shruti Hassan. The latter looked young n naive n confused... but she had something in her eye... no it was not talent, just some eye-spot near the iris. The side actress babe was definitely hotter.
This movie ain't a "Musafir", but Sanju baba still delivers dialogues in the same manner. The only good part is - if u like that style, ur ok! If u don't, too bad for you, coz he wont stop till the end credits roll.
Most of the dialogues are downright pathetic! Don't know why there is a need to put pun in every other line in the movie?
The stunts are unrefined and feel unrealistic. Anyone can tell that. The actors do a free-fall from a chopper, yet their hair is unruffled! Come on yaar... Couldn't they just rent those 'almonard' fans you see at weddings and make the hair ruffle a bit? Just make sure u tie up Shruti first, else she may fly off!
The movie is worth a dekko for Chitrashi Rawat! The 2 by 2 gal is awesome! She lights up the screen with her presence and stylish dialogue delivery!
Sanjay Dutt and Imraan Khan need to work out at the Gym! Former for being flabby, latter for not yet having a 6-pack! The chocolate boy look is so yesterday! Muscles are in! Especially if u have to jump from planes onto a running train and fight Martial Artists trained in Sword fighting!
Danny was Danny! Guys like him and Mithunda cannot go wrong as long as they realise they have aged and pick appropriate roles. Mithunda pushed the envelope but he pulled it off somehow in the stunts! Perhaps it was the presence of other irritating characters on the screen? (Ravi Kishan)
I give the movie somewhere between 2 and 2.5 stars out of 5!
Michael makes a comeback! ... and an overdue award!
Its a done deal! The king of F1 is scheduled to make a comeback to replace an injured Filipe Massa. I cannot wait for Aug 23 to see the racing legend's comeback in the European GP!
A lot of Questions will be answered there.... A few on my mind are - Will he be the same Schumi after the break? How good will he be in the new car? Will he be fit @ 40? By how much margin will he beat Raikkonen? Suddenly August 23 is so far away when all these questions will be answered...
The circumstances are sad as Massa is badly injured, but I'm glad Ferrari roped in the king to fill the void! Anything to see the legend behind a Ferrari yet again!
Welcome back Michael Schumacher! You were missed!
----------x------------x-----------
The PROXIMITY award was given to me by Vee and Smita in Dec 2008. I did not pass it on to anyone because at that time, I did not know 8 people who didn't have this award! :D
Off I go to find 8 blogs worthy of this awards.
This award is given to a blog that invests and believes in PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award. (Note added by Eye-in-sty-in: At their own time and convenience)
I pass it on to - Sujata - http://sujatasengupta.blogspot.com/
Ripples - http://verbalfiend.wordpress.com//
Aparna - http://aparnadasgupta.blogspot.com/
Andaa Curry - http://grey-orgasms.blogspot.com/
ForeignDesi - http://foreigndesi.wordpress.com/
Wits n Nuts - http://witsnnuts.wordpress.com/
Americanising Desi - http://2short2sweet.blogspot.com/
Shayari - http://bukkichowta.blogspot.com/
Purpleheart - http://marshmallow--cream.blogspot.com/
Anamika - http://theselfspace.blogspot.com/
The award has been given based on the comments left by these bloggers on my blog. If u want such awards, the trick is to visit my blog more often and also leave intelligent comments.
PS: Their writing ability n wit may also have played a little part in the selection.
For those who have not yet received this award, it does not make you less worthy by any means. So please dont go about slashing ur wrists yet! Your time will come soon :-)
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