Ill Effects of Alcohol

A study by some white folks, I won't even bother to look up to quote, reveals that "Alcohol impairs judgement."
Oh yea, you really think so? I mean wow, you people in the fake science community put your research grants to fantastic use. I mean seriously, who in the blazes doesn't know drinking alcohol makes your tongues wag, and basically gets you into bar brawls you'd normally eschew while sober?
India is trying to do two things here 1. Bring in "Stricter" laws to combat drunk driving. I think if you kill someone while you are drunk, its called "negligence", and 2. Bring down Vijay Mallya's surrogate (if you can call it that, I call it brazen) advertising via the IPL for his hooch factory called United Breweries. The health minister should have better things to do, as in providing basic health care - or atleast aiming to get a fatter budget for his department to aid in better health care for India's poor. Instead he is worried that 500 Rs. a bottle hooch is going to affect the livers of the 50-something diabetic/hypertensive old man running 10 factories, and who'd most likely head to the US/UK/Alps to get his next heart-bypass/gastric-bypass done. Long story short, people who can't afford Mr. Mallya's booze are not his target customers. And rich educated people know the choices they make before setting off on their bacchnalian orgies. Mis-placed priorities is what has screwed India's polity so far, and this Ramadoss character is one awfully good example of this. "Shut up and make a difference, Mr. Minister!"

An Inconvenient Trith - Global Warming, Myth or Myth?

I was watching Al Gore, not as a politician, but as a man of science, walk his way through genuine scientific-data, asking his audience to connect the dots on the problem that stares and slaps the world in its collective face. The one on global warming.
An inconvenient truth is a wonderful documentary. Pithy without being preachy, insightful without being alarmist, and crisp without being an overblown science lecture. Al Gore walks us through a series of informative data slides, peppered with some minor snapshots into his life, and how he has come to champion the cause of global warming, on his way to winning the Nobel prize in 2007-08.
While I am still a little skeptical on the effects of how human civilization has the scale to completely overwhelm the planet, it is not a bad idea to go with the statistics and try to rein in our respective carbon footprints. A lot of the initiative has to come from developed countries, and developing countries need to do their bit by dutifully acting upon suggestions and alternatives suggested by them. Countries like America have the wherwithal to perform research on renewable energy sources, which India and China need to take the lead in implementing such technologies.

Empathy for the aggressor

The Sree vs Bhajji case is a classic case of one where the abuser gets away because the victim retracts his/her word at the last moment fearing that any punishment to the aggressor would ruin the victim's relations with them. This is especially typical in lower income Indian families where women rely on their husbands as sole income providers. In any which case, there is no justification for violence of this or any other kind, the worst kind of abuse is that of people who you are supposed to care for and protect. And yes the BCCI is right in saying that this is not an open and shut case, to be resolved between the parties, because it totally ends up sending the wrong signal - that it is okay to beat up your teammate as long as you apologize for it, and make the other person feel stupid for feeling like a victim.
Bhajji deserves the ban that he gets, and while a life ban is completely out of place in a situation like this, a 10 match ban would send the right message across. This is a non-contact sport, and we prefer to keep the decency in the Indian dressing room. Now its almost like we are going the lawless Pakistan way. And the obnoxious little weed needs to learn its lesson. And maybe this could be used as an excuse to tell Sreesanth to clean up his act as well. Too much of that staring, chortling at batsmen, and brushing past shoulders is not very cute. Give it only when someone else dishes it out. I can almost see the Oz media thrilles to bits with what has happened. Shame on us..

Spicy Bhajji brings tears to Sree's eyes..

Flashback : Mumbai Indians lose to Punjab by one of the largest margins in the tournament. Harbhajan falls plumb LBW to Irfan off ball number 1.
Harbhajan, as Punjabi as Saag & Makki di Roti is in the Mumbai team, has to play against his home side. And he has to lead a bunch of no-hopers in the form of the Indians into yet another match without Sachin. Leadership weight heavy on his shoulders. As they teach you in Management school, even a bad boss can be made to look good so long as the employees slog, and are paid well. Which is where the Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Sourav Ganguly is lucky so far, and Harby has had to take a hit.
Post - match...
"Hard Luck, Mate" says Sreesanth smilingly to Harby.
"What the F is this guy smiling at?" thought Harby? "My ass is on fire here, and all he can say is Hard Luck. Let me slap his smug ass!"
THWACK! goes a right hand across Sreesanth's face...
"Ayappa!" went Sreesanth wilting under the ferocious inexplicable assault.
Once Sreesanth took a few moments to realize the folly of his smugness - all thoughts came back to his mind - maybe it was because he had dropped a few catches off of him? Or that his break dancing ways in the land of the bhangda annoyed him?
But the best reaction came from the two Aussies, Symmo and Hayders, who were last seen rolling around in their respective hotel rooms, wishing they could do the same and get away with it!
Oh, and by the way, as a side note, Bhajji needs to be disciplined in more than one way - We all have problems at our respective work places but getting physical is a big NO NO. There needs to be repurcussions.

The REAL Cricket Carnival Begins..

The 50-50 world cup ain't got shit on this form of the game. Who said the 20-over format doesn't showcase skill? Can you launch a 158 run plunder in 70-odd balls in any format of the game? Yes - then why doesn't anyone do it then? Really, I don't see an excuse why not!?
The inaugural desi-T20 tournament has begun. For a country which shunned T20, and then went on to beat all but one team to lift its first World Cup, this is remarkable progress. Indians have gotten a smack of the real-deal with the WC win, and that was the shot in the arm the game needed. It was a script Lalit Modi or the ICC couldn't have written any better. We are easily the best team in the format of the game, with the sloppy game at the MCG being the only blip on the radar of the 10 odd matches India has played so far.
And to think we spoilt our appetite leading up to the IPL with that horrible test-series against South Africa. I can't even name 5 members of the Proteas' squad without a long pause. The only reason I can re-call Graeme Smith's heroics was for his super-hot model girlfriend, "Slinky" Minky (Ok that and his fantastic 90 off 55 at the Wanderers in that massive 430+ run chase against the Aussies).
Some khadi wearing leftists, those ugly toads - warts and all - touted the T20 as being about Money, and not about the game? Hello? When we grew up back in the 80's nobody even considered sport as a career, because we knew how India treated its sportsmen. No diet, no training facilities, and worst of it all, no money to show for all your efforts. Decades of socialist rot has messed up the minds of the generations past, but the current crop of youngsters in a crude way believe in the youngistan philospophy "Chaho to sab kuch hai asaan!". And so they should!
The IPL has had a teriffic start with the Royal Challengers being Royally F-ed. To have Jaffer and Dravid open the innings is a joke I haven't quite stopped laughing at. By now, Vijay Mallya (Dr.) needs to realize that Dravid is a spent force in each and every form of the game - for a man who ditched the Indian captaincy the way he did, he went a few notches down in my view. I mean the guy chews off his fingernails as a captain when opposition players built any semblance of a partnership. With Zaks, Knoffe and Cameron White being creamed at 18+ an over, the man must have had a damn hernia!! For the Royal Challengers Dale Steyn and Kumble were definitely missed. In all, the only worry with the IPL is the overdose of cricket. My feeling is that it should get a separate 3 month slot on the International calender. Preferably in winter. April, May and June are the worst times to play cricket in India - period - we can reserve these months for tours to the Southern Hemisphere or England.
Meanwhile somewhere in the ICL studios, Kapil Dev is still harping "Am I doing something wrong?" Yes, my man, you are! you bet on the wrong horse.

Colorful Emotions

Black is not a color. The absence of color is defined as black.
White is not a color but the amalgamation of all colors in the visible spectrum.
Two of the things which are visibly, and emotionally different can elicit responses which are diametrically opposite.
And yet there is a strange similarity between them.
Such is the curiosity of color. Such is the beauty that each lends to completely different situations. And yet curiously similar - is it just that the feeling of extremes should be avoided, for they are nothing but the manifestation of the one and whole same truth?
Possibly the presence of one greater truth, which when one feels very strongly either manifests itself as something very breathtakingly beautiful, or something extremely alien, hostile, dark or depressing.

Intimidation

How does one get intimidated by anyone?
a) The person in front of them is BIG
b) The person in front is menacing/threatening in demeanour
c) The person in front of them is Powerful/Omnipotent
So anyway, some folks, who shall remain un-named said "Harish" is intimidating. I do a lot of talking to possible candidates and I've rarely, if ever, I admit, have ever lost my cool. In any case if someone causes me to lose my cool, its a definite no-no. I'm a man of infinite patience with people who come to me and say "I don't know how to do this, I have an inclination to learn, but I need some hand-holding". I've not had any god-fathers, and I've learnt a lot of things the hard way, or through providence (don't ask me how!!) - and I'm eager to share it with anyone who genuinely wants to know how, and has the patience and inclination to learn.
And for all the folks I know out there, have always known me as extremely confident person. Am I cocky? I would like to think not. Cockiness is something that you can't miss - people misunderstand forthrightness and confidence for someone who comes on too strongly. I am not going to apologize for backing myself. As an engineer its a tough world out there, there is a lot of areas in which one's contribution can be measured, and I want to be there when someone decides to sit up and take notice. But I won't sacrfice my confidence, or my humility.

Great Expectations

How does it feel to be at the butt end of someone's beat-me-with-your-expectations stick?
What is the length, size, shape and color of said stick were arbitrarily different?
And what if you don't know when you would get beaten with it?