(courtesy http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=1198)
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Why Figo and Henry shouldn’t be in world team: Avijit Ghosh
My next follow up, to Goal.com announcing their World XI for the decade 2000-2010, and to Sir Avjit Ghosh's blog, 'Addictions'.
Varun says: July 28, 2009 at 02:15 PM IST
Varun says: July 28, 2009 at 02:15 PM IST
No doubt the presented arguments are convincing. I agree with most of them, especially that of Kaka. Kaka has been a pillar of strength and agility combined for the AC Milan team, and his achievements and prowess also won him the World Player of the Year. His incredible speed and superior vision even got him transferred for a (then) world record transfer fee.
Since the team is for 2000-2010, probably Ronaldo, and I am talking about the Portuguese this time, doesn't deserve a place considering that his career spans the later half of the decade. However, overlooking him and even Messi is something which created a lot of debate. Both are world class players, no doubt.
I feel the site's naming of a World XI was probably a publicity stunt - obviously, it has created a furor among the pundits. But no doubt the select XI are all great players. All hail!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Bruised psyche of a faceless Indian : Ramesh Khazanchi
The following was my follow-up,posted in the Times of India to a blog by Ramesh Khazanchi called Hard Copy.It deals with the attacks aimed at Indian students in Australia, to which several people had commented pretty rashly, I felt. Is this what India is coming to? That we snap at the heels of every isolated incident with so much sting? This zeal, probably unheeded, is against our c
ultural upbringing...
Varun says: July 25, 2009 at 05:08 PM IST
Firstly, I have several friends in Australia, both Australians and Indians. In fact all of them have told me that the initial attacks on Indians were only random incidents. But the media hyped up these isolated incidents so much it led us to believe that all Indians in Australia, and for that matter, the States and even Europe, were target to racialism. I'm pretty sure there are a hellotta cases in Australia where Australians get beaten up too. Accepted, as an Indian, my prime concern goes for the Indian student beaten up. And because of the hype created by the media, the community in Australia held protests and rallies. I'm not going to blame the media for doing their job - but as mediators of information to different corners of the globe, don't they also have a moral and social responsibility? I read through all the comments and it hurt me to see that inspite of all the hue and cry raised, we ourselves revert to the terminology of 'whites' and 'blacks'.
Of course, I'm not going to deny that there are several kinds of people (obvious referral to skin colors) in the world. The education system in India is so high profile, that even an average engineer is highly valued abroad. This has nothing to do with skin color - rather, his level of expertise. Moreover, because his options might include the greener pastures of other countries, he can even settle for the Dream, be it American, Australian or otherwise. Have we all forgotten the attacks on the Sikh community in the US following 9/11? this too simply because they followed their religious regimen of not cutting their hair, and because they wore turbans.
When the question comes to bringing home the bacon, Indians have proven time and again, they are the best in the business. No doubt, I'm sure even Australia and the States can produce an outstanding workforce. But the prices demanded by Indians for their services are certainly way more competitive. (To Be Continued)
Agree (1) Disagree (0)
Varun says: July 25, 2009 at 05:16 PM IST
(Continuing)
A superb point raised in one of the comments above, was the average Indian call-center employee calling himself a Steve or a Michael, when he would actually be a Satyadev or a Makhanlal :). Why camouflage your nationality? It is known in the entire world that Indians are among the cheapest service providers (BPOs, etc) and among the most prolific workers in today's age. We should be proud of this and in fact let others know that we are not Jacob, from Australia, but in fact a Jaikish, from India, and how may I help you, thank you very much.
All this balderdash about outsourcing to other countries when they don't need it - I truly disagree. And even at home, when the purists cry foul over sending over talented individuals abroad, or Brain Drain, as it is tagged - I say, why not? In the end they end up raking in cash for our economy, don't they? In the process increasing the value of the Indian.
ultural upbringing...Varun says: July 25, 2009 at 05:08 PM IST
Firstly, I have several friends in Australia, both Australians and Indians. In fact all of them have told me that the initial attacks on Indians were only random incidents. But the media hyped up these isolated incidents so much it led us to believe that all Indians in Australia, and for that matter, the States and even Europe, were target to racialism. I'm pretty sure there are a hellotta cases in Australia where Australians get beaten up too. Accepted, as an Indian, my prime concern goes for the Indian student beaten up. And because of the hype created by the media, the community in Australia held protests and rallies. I'm not going to blame the media for doing their job - but as mediators of information to different corners of the globe, don't they also have a moral and social responsibility? I read through all the comments and it hurt me to see that inspite of all the hue and cry raised, we ourselves revert to the terminology of 'whites' and 'blacks'.
Of course, I'm not going to deny that there are several kinds of people (obvious referral to skin colors) in the world. The education system in India is so high profile, that even an average engineer is highly valued abroad. This has nothing to do with skin color - rather, his level of expertise. Moreover, because his options might include the greener pastures of other countries, he can even settle for the Dream, be it American, Australian or otherwise. Have we all forgotten the attacks on the Sikh community in the US following 9/11? this too simply because they followed their religious regimen of not cutting their hair, and because they wore turbans.
When the question comes to bringing home the bacon, Indians have proven time and again, they are the best in the business. No doubt, I'm sure even Australia and the States can produce an outstanding workforce. But the prices demanded by Indians for their services are certainly way more competitive. (To Be Continued)
Agree (1) Disagree (0)
Varun says: July 25, 2009 at 05:16 PM IST
(Continuing)
A superb point raised in one of the comments above, was the average Indian call-center employee calling himself a Steve or a Michael, when he would actually be a Satyadev or a Makhanlal :). Why camouflage your nationality? It is known in the entire world that Indians are among the cheapest service providers (BPOs, etc) and among the most prolific workers in today's age. We should be proud of this and in fact let others know that we are not Jacob, from Australia, but in fact a Jaikish, from India, and how may I help you, thank you very much.
All this balderdash about outsourcing to other countries when they don't need it - I truly disagree. And even at home, when the purists cry foul over sending over talented individuals abroad, or Brain Drain, as it is tagged - I say, why not? In the end they end up raking in cash for our economy, don't they? In the process increasing the value of the Indian.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
How to Solve the World Economic Crisis
Following is an extremely unique story(post) on a very famous blog.
“It's August. In a small town on the South Coast of France, holiday season
is in full swing, but it is the rainy season not much business is
taking place. Everyone is heavily in debt. Luckily, a rich Russian
tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a
room, puts a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, takes a key, and
goes upstairs to inspect the room.
The hotel owner takes the banknote and rushes to his meat supplier, to whom he owes E100.
The butcher takes the money and races to his wholesale supplier to pay his debt.
The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay E100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.
The farmer triumphantly gives the E100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.
The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she owed the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.
At
that moment, the rich Russian comes back down to reception, informs the
hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory, takes his E100 back, and departs.
There
was no profit or income. But now no one has any debt and the residents
of the small town look optimistically towards their future."
Sounds pretty simple :chuckles:
“It's August. In a small town on the South Coast of France, holiday season
is in full swing, but it is the rainy season not much business is
taking place. Everyone is heavily in debt. Luckily, a rich Russian
tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a
room, puts a 100 Euro note on the reception counter, takes a key, and
goes upstairs to inspect the room.
The hotel owner takes the banknote and rushes to his meat supplier, to whom he owes E100.
The butcher takes the money and races to his wholesale supplier to pay his debt.
The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay E100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.
The farmer triumphantly gives the E100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit.
The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she owed the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.
At
that moment, the rich Russian comes back down to reception, informs the
hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory, takes his E100 back, and departs.
There
was no profit or income. But now no one has any debt and the residents
of the small town look optimistically towards their future."
Sounds pretty simple :chuckles:
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The Bourne Ultimatum Spoof - Guillermo in Jimmy Kimmel Live!
CAME ACROSS THIS AWESOME SPOOF OF THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM TRAILER SPOOF. Was totally wicked.Just had to add it to my psyche series. Check it out!!\m/
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Showdown Mumbai - Kunal Avaanti feat.T-Know
Wow! I saw this song about a month ago on Vh1, but couldn't get my hands on the video till now.... What a song!! The lyrics simply rock, so does the beat. I fell in love with it right from the first time I heard it.
The song is dedicated towards the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Directed by Rahul Dias, I'm sure you'll love it too!
Here's an interview of the guy behind the music: Kunal Avaanti.
I've tried a bit for the lyrics, but the best so far's here. Enjoy!
The song is dedicated towards the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Directed by Rahul Dias, I'm sure you'll love it too!
Here's an interview of the guy behind the music: Kunal Avaanti.
I've tried a bit for the lyrics, but the best so far's here. Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Football Transfers - The Summer So Far...
It's only mid-July, and what a summer we've had already! The footballing fraternity has been left spell-bound by the massive shuffling of players' alliances. In my previous post related to football, I gave an overview about the world-record transfer of Portugese mid-fielder Christiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid. But apart from Real, even Manchester City has been turning quite a few heads with it's spending spree.
When Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea, he spent 128 million pounds in his first thre transfer windows. Manchester City, since the Abu Dhabi takeover, have spent 144 million pounds, and are willing to dig even deeper!! o.0
Here's a look at the ManCity signings since the takeover.
When Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea, he spent 128 million pounds in his first thre transfer windows. Manchester City, since the Abu Dhabi takeover, have spent 144 million pounds, and are willing to dig even deeper!! o.0
Here's a look at the ManCity signings since the takeover.
1. Pablo Zabaleta, Argentine u-20 captain, from Espanyol, in 2008 for 6.45 million pounds.
2. Robinho, Brazilian, from Real Madrid, in 2008, for 32.5 million pounds.
3. Wayne Bridge, English, from Chelsea, in January 2009, for 10 million pounds.
4. Craig Bellamy, Welsh, from West Ham United, in January 2009, for 14 million pounds.
5. Nigel de Jong, Dutch, from Hamburg, in January 2009, for 18 million pounds.
6. Shay Given, Irish, from Newcastle United, in February 2009, for 8 million pounds.
7. Gareth Barry, English, from Aston Villa, in June 2009, for 12 million pounds.
8. Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguan, from Blackburn Rovers, in June 2009, for 18 million pounds.
9. Carlos Tevez, Argentine, from Manchester United, in July 2009, for 25 million pounds.
Of these, Robinho's and now Tevez's signings have been much publicized, especially considering the Tevez moved to City From bitter city rivals United. Moreover, ManCity are now rumoured to be keeping an eye out for Xabi Alonso of Liverpool!
In the next post, I'll look at Real Madrid's signings this summer. It is even more hair raising!! They crossed 200 million this summer alone, with Ronaldo, Kaka and Benzema being the top transfers. Manager Perez has guaranteed at least two more high-profile signings as he looks to revamp the Real outlook.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Get around These Quotes (Psyche Series :P)
"Sure, there's no 'i' in team, but there is an 'm' and an 'e'. -Kevin Meyers"
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Landing In London - 3 Doors Down
This has been my favorite song of late..... 3 Doors Down\m/
Song Title: Landing In London
Artist(Band): 3 Doors Down
Lyrics by: Matt MacKenzie
I woke up today in London
As the plane was touching down
All I could think about was Monday
Maybe I’d be back around
If this keeps me away much longer
I don’t know what I will do
You've got to understand it’s a hard life,
that I’m going through
And when the night falls in around me
I don’t think I’ll make it through
Ill use your light to guide the way
Cuz all I think about is you
L.A. is getting kind of crazy
And New York's getting kind of cold
I keep my head from getting lazy
I just can’t wait to get back home
And all these days I spend away
Ill make up for this I swear
I need your love to hold me up
When it’s all too much to bear
And when the night falls in around me
I don’t think I’ll make it through
Ill use your light to guide my way
Cuz all I think about is you
And all these days I spend away
Ill make up for this I swear
I need your love to hold me up
When it’s all too much to bear
And when the night falls in around me
I don’t think I’ll make it through
Use your light to guide the way
Cuz all I think about is you...
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
CR7 to CR9 - The Saga Continues...
The last few days have been quite the roller coaster ride. Finally, I got back home after about 35-36 days in Hyderabad. And no matter what the credits to the "Cyber"city are, I couldn't find a decent internet facility to string two words together and post them up. 
So, it's been more than a month that I've finally gotten a chance to park my butt on a chair and type. And boy, has a lot been happening! Of course, I want to begin with the deal that's been the talk of the footballing fraternity - Christiano Ronaldo and his move to Real Madrid.
So, it's been more than a month that I've finally gotten a chance to park my butt on a chair and type. And boy, has a lot been happening! Of course, I want to begin with the deal that's been the talk of the footballing fraternity - Christiano Ronaldo and his move to Real Madrid.
Real, nine times European champions, needed a major boost since last year's performance, which couldn't see them add any silverware to their studded cabinet. Adding salt to their wo
ulds was the fact thagt Barcelona - bitter arch rivals - got themselves a rare treble ( Even pipping Real to the La Liga title). In a major overhaul, though as had been expected for sometime, Florentino Perez was elected club president, and he immediately jumped to his chance to bring together a glaxy of stars to the club. Perez had done the same thing last time he was around, when Real had Zidane, Raul, Figo, Beckham et cetera in their ranks.
ulds was the fact thagt Barcelona - bitter arch rivals - got themselves a rare treble ( Even pipping Real to the La Liga title). In a major overhaul, though as had been expected for sometime, Florentino Perez was elected club president, and he immediately jumped to his chance to bring together a glaxy of stars to the club. Perez had done the same thing last time he was around, when Real had Zidane, Raul, Figo, Beckham et cetera in their ranks.And so we saw a spate of deals, the biggest of which, for a few days, was the world record transfer deal of Ricardo Leite, a.k.a Kaka, from AC Milan to Real, for the then world record sum of 56 million pounds. The footballing fraternity was stunned, the pundits were spellbound. But the spree didn't stop there. 
Only three days later, Real broke their own record, by signing Ronaldo from Manchester United for 80 million pounds.
Kaka - World Player of the Year 2007, and Ronaldo - World Player of the Year 2008, were eventually joined by charismatic striker Karim Benzema from Lyon, and a host of others as Real make a bid for Spanish and European glory.
Kaka - World Player of the Year 2007, and Ronaldo - World Player of the Year 2008, were eventually joined by charismatic striker Karim Benzema from Lyon, and a host of others as Real make a bid for Spanish and European glory.
Ronaldo, having made the transition from English to Spanish football, knows he has huge expectations on his shoulders. The Real fans will demand nothing but the best from him - but he is willing to prove himself and his enormous transfer tag through his world famous cross-overs and step-overs. Picked up as a 11-year old by Sporting Lisbon, and later By Manchester United to replace David Beckham, pressure shouldn't be a new experience at all for, who is
, arguably the best player of all times. He'll now be donning the No. 9 at Real.
Another shocker pulled off by Manchester United was the signing of Michael Owen from Newcastle. Though I've always been a fan of Owen, he'd recently been nagged by a spate of injuries, and his goals were drying up, since his move from Liverpool. I hope Manchester United will provide him with a fresh start. Now even Eto'o, one the fabled trio of strikers from Barcelona, is being linked with Manchester United, though he was initially in talks with United's city rivals Manchester City.Also inte
resting to follow will be the fate of John Terry (Chelsea and England captain), for whom Manchester City are willing to go upto 35 million pounds. And, of course, Deco and Carvalho, again Chelsea, have been linked to Inter Milan, the Serie A champions. But Chelsea, under new manager Carlo Ancelloti (who led AC Milan to European and World glory), will be looking to keep their influential captain and splendid midfield intact, as they make a bid for the elusive Premier League and European titles.
, arguably the best player of all times. He'll now be donning the No. 9 at Real.Another shocker pulled off by Manchester United was the signing of Michael Owen from Newcastle. Though I've always been a fan of Owen, he'd recently been nagged by a spate of injuries, and his goals were drying up, since his move from Liverpool. I hope Manchester United will provide him with a fresh start. Now even Eto'o, one the fabled trio of strikers from Barcelona, is being linked with Manchester United, though he was initially in talks with United's city rivals Manchester City.Also inte
resting to follow will be the fate of John Terry (Chelsea and England captain), for whom Manchester City are willing to go upto 35 million pounds. And, of course, Deco and Carvalho, again Chelsea, have been linked to Inter Milan, the Serie A champions. But Chelsea, under new manager Carlo Ancelloti (who led AC Milan to European and World glory), will be looking to keep their influential captain and splendid midfield intact, as they make a bid for the elusive Premier League and European titles.
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