Thursday, July 31, 2008

Bangalore blast Effect

Better security in offices.

As I said in previous post, Cisco laid down some extra security guidelines. Now no vehicle is allowed to enter the premises without a identity card and Cisco sticker. You know, that was an easy way to target an office. (I never had problem taking my vehicle and park in the office -- even I accidently parked it in other office parking place and leave the vehicle without anyone stopping) -- also four wheelers are scanned before allowed to enter the parking. I hope this will stay and not just for some time.

Good that voice was heard.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

kabhi kabhi

कभी रस्ते मैं मिल जाओ तो कतरा कर गुज़र जाना |
हमें इस तरह तकना जैसे पहचाना नही तुमनें ||
हमारा ज़िक्र जब आए तो यूँ अंजान बन जाना |
कि जैसे नाम सुन कर भी हमें जाना नहीं तुमने ||

-- Sahir Ludhianvi in Kabhi Kabhi

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

What is so facinating about ...?

Or “Tips and Tricks to be a good watch player than annoying player?


Though you may not be a great player in your zone and in your limited game plan, you can still be a enjoyable player to watch and play against. Federer said once – “May be my style of game doesn’t match with him and cause he is left hand player add another edge to it – but I enjoy playing against him”


Ok, here is the answer to the question you might be thinking ---


Why am I writing this?


Well, After few double matches and some single matches that I played yesterday in the office and the way my partner and opponent ware skewed from his original talent to fiction forgetting his own strength area and went on to try some fictitious amazing shots which were not written in the books – not even yet. So here I share some point which I learned from many players I played with/against and find missing in many talented players.


Now you answer these questions yourself --


1. What is so fascinating about hitting the ball hard or closer to line when point is already setup for you and all you need to do is confuse your opponent and place the ball on the right side of table/ground?

2. Is that gonna give you more than one point – or make it a more than a winner? I mean what’s the point of hitting a top spin on a lob?

3. If you are not in position to hit a winner and you go for it; even you make it or not; can you trust for that shot again? Can you repeat that again?

4. Do you plan to win the match or to win on the number of winner you hit?

5. Are you planning to influence someone? Will a wrong shot do it ?


I guess you knows the answer of them – Use them when you play. Here are few tips and tricks that you can use when you play –


1. Believe in you

Don’t feel that your opponent is better that you and how will you do it. That would be the first place to loose the match. Have faith in you that you can do it. “


Don’t fear anyone, but respect every one”


2. Believe and your opponent

Confused? Well believe in your opponent that he can return the ball – remember point is not over until umpire calls the ball dead.


“Only way to get into head of your opponent is to make him believe that you know and you are ready”


3. Be a good player

Doesn’t matter how rude or annoying your opponent is -- be calm, think about the match, don’t put on his face and play a fair game. That will hurt a rude player even more


“In the end of the day, players remember and admire good players”


4. Be a energetic player

Being calm is different than energetic. Boost yourself whenever you need it, but be with you all the time in the match. Think as if you playing a robot designed to play in certain way. Even now you don’t have a idea what I am talking about – watch few matches of Roger Federer (after he became world #1)


“You may be down, but walk as if you haven’t felt the game yet”


5. Be a entertainer

Don’t be a dead link in the chain, entertain the crowd – and entertain yourself.


“In the end of the day, crowd remembers and admires a entertainer”


6. Be consistent and cleaver than orthodox, inconsistent and stupid

Play your natural game than your opponent’s game. Be consistent – remember main objective of your game is to put the ball in the other court. Consistency can be as frustrated as it can take the best of the breed. Again watch few matches of Nadal and you would know what it can do.


“You consistency can kill your opponent sooner than your winners”


7. Create a setup first

Don’t ever try to hit winner from first point onwards. Better make a setup and when it’s in; nail it.


“Have a plan than random thoughts”


8. Don’t be obvious in your approach

Didn’t I tell you this before? Take this time --- “Obvious is boring” and it’s a failure. Try to do more than obvious but within your options.


“Obvious is boring, so will you”


9. Never give up

Be it on one single point or on the match. Remember point is not over unless ball is dead match is not over until last point is over. That last point can go in either way.


“Don’t loose the match before you loose the match”


10. Mix your game

Mix your game, play some shots, some chops, some lob, some top spin, some drop. Play different shot on same return (if you can do). That will confuse your opponent for sure. That will also force #8 in your game.


“Options give the opportunity to be decisive”


And last but not the least


11. Don’t be annoyed or amazed by your opponent’s winner nor show that on your face

It’s better to realize how he does it than be amazed to show you have no idea or be annoyed to loose your focus. And in case you are a talkative or expressive player, have some thing to confuse which is just for air and not for your own mind.


“Its in the mind, don’t let it out. Sometimes that’s the best place”


If you sum up all these, you would realize a game is played in mind first that on court. You got to think more than play more. Hope this will help …


Monday, July 28, 2008

One step closer

After close to four and half year on the top with distance as large as first digit difference of two or more, thanks to some uncharacteristic performance to his nature and reversely unbelievable show by his closest challenger, Roger Federer now faces the closest threat to lose his world #1 position in open tennis arena to his closest and far more better player of the season – Rafeal Nadal.

In last week – Sunday -- Rogers Masters in Toronto Rafeal Nadal defeated Nicolas Keifer comfortably to lift the trophy and came 275 point closer to take world #1 position after Federer fell in the second round to Gilles Simon.

And this changeover could be sooner than later. Mathematics goes this way – If Nadal continues his form and reaches final in Cincinnati starting next week and Federer too continues his form and looses in early round in Cincinnati. This could be as soon as in two weeks.

Though I congratulate Nadal for his recent form and great display of tennis which earned his lot of fans including few twisted from Federer block, I hope world No #1 – The Tennis Musician -- will come up with something special this time – some taste of his own – which mesmerized all the world for close to 7 years.

You can read more on this here.

Update: 31st July

Federer got a narrow escape and was able to save the ball in his court in second round match against Robby Ginepri. Score lines reads as 6-7(2), 7-6 (5), 6-0 which means he was as close as two point away from defeat. So he is still battling with his "own" luck.


Sunday, July 27, 2008

Tip of the day

A classic one -- deserve to be WTF of the day!


Ohh ya hell you bet ........... I know!

Saturday, July 26, 2008

What's Next ?

Yesterday Bangalore was targeted for so called "Jehad" -- aka Terrorist --- activity. Though reports says they were minor blast -- though one women lost her life -- it gives enough reason to think and question the city security. But before I come to that point, I was quite confused with the reason for such low intesity blast. I mean they are not fool to do a blast without any reason. Yeah those reason(s) are on the wrong pole, but they felt otherwise. There could be multiple reasons for such blasts like :-

1. Prove the point that you can do it.
I guess, point would be more stronger with strong forces.

2. Create panic
On the same like, more impact, more the panic would be.

3. Misguide
Misguide the city people and most importantly security team to do something else easily.

4. Target someone
Draw a hole in security, some community, a political reason or something.

5. Sanity test
What? No -- can't be.

6. Accidental - It just went off
Guess an accident can't happen 7 times within an hour. That's much of accident for accidents.
I strongly feel it is either of 1-3.

Just In

While I am writing this, I just turned on the TV and there are news of 15 serial blast in Ahemdabad -- Another BJP ruled state.

God knows what's the reason for this blast -- but I guess tomorrow (and some days to come) are very sensitive for other BJP ruled states.

Now come to other part, questioning security of city and working places. Last Monday when I went to other building of the company (I worked for), I accidently went in IBM building. Surprising to me that I got in easily, parked my bike and was about to get in the lift when I noticed that I am in IBM. If that looks strange, try yourself in your company. May be putup a beard, get a different garment style, hide your sticker and access card and drive confidently. I can bet that there are more changed to get in that otherwise. Unfortunately security in the companies I worked for was really poor -- and such things can be done easily :-(

Well may be you can't do much on there -- but surely you can help your city by doing something like this and

1. Talk to security team and bring the point to them. (one said above)
2. Create a security aware team -- discuss and get employee concerns about security.
3. Pass along to security team and follow up.

May be few steps where you can extend your helping hand to your security team. Above all, take a strong step toward getting a system in place which allow every one to authorize himself before entering to premise. You know its something strage -- A software company whose software never allow anyone to get in without authentication and authorization -- but comany does.

Lastly thinking about those who plants such explosives and who derives such activity, all I could say -- May be better God not gave the mind to every one -- at least I won't blame them then on the ground that why can't they realize what's right or wrong.

Its confirmed now -- 15 blast in Ahmedabad killing 15. First Bangalore and now Ahmedabad. Jaipur and Banaras few months before. Remind me what I read somewhere --- "I live in a neighbor where you can get shot while getting shot." (Written by a black guy) . What's happening to this place ??

Sorry Bangalore, Sorry Ahemdabad. It wasn't written, someone had stolen the pages, created that magic ink out of it and rewrote the destiny.



Monday, July 21, 2008

An old quote

Almost forgot this one, until someone remind me of this.

"Never work so hard that your miss the sunset" - SA
Hint: It has more than one meaning.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Poem - Believe

यह मत सुन की वो क्या कहता है |
उसके कदमो की तरफ़ देख, वो किधर जाता है ||

मत सोच कि यह सफर कितना कठिन है |
दो कदम चल कर तो देख, यह रास्ता किधर जाता है ||

कोशिश करने वाले ही सफल होते है |
ऐसे बन्दों से मिलने खुदा चल कर आता है ||

सामने बैठा को ग़ालिब तो यह मत सोचना |
इसके सामने मुझे क्या आता है ||

शाम ढली हो उम्र की, और रास्ता अनजान हो |
बढ़ा कदम आगे, कोशिश करने मैं क्या जाता है ||

कुछ ऐसा कर की नाम रह जाए जहाँ मैं |
कुछ ही होते हैं, जिन्हें यहाँ याद किया जाता है ||

खुदा अपने सभी बन्दों को |
एक नगीना दे कर यहाँ लता है ||

चलो चल कर देखे उस रस्ते पर भी |
जहाँ जाने से हर आदमी घबराता है ||

यह कौन सा नूर है तेरे चेहरे पर 'सुमित' |
जो हर गम को खुशी मैं बदल जाता है ||


Monday, July 14, 2008

Ameritrade hack settlement

A proposal for Ameritrade hack settlements asked $2 per victim and $1.8 million for lawyers, i.e. $1,360 per hour -- And if you are trying to convert to INR, let me make it easy for you ---- its 54,400 Rs per hour!!

You know that -- Anytime its good to be a lawyer -- you will earn form victims throughout the case and when you leave them --- they would still be victims !!

you can read the full news here.


Monday, July 7, 2008

God was busy .... watching

Earlier I thought of putting the title as "Oh My God" but then I thought of weirdest way of saying that -- one you heard from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. -- and words on such talented gentleman doesn't deserve that kind of stuff even to their rarest imagination. Hope this one can do justice to their show.

If yesterday your were paying your evening visit to temple and wondered that the great gentleman is buffering your pray -- that may be because he was busy watching his two finest sports invention creating those unbelievable points which would require every writer to update his dictionary in order to to justice with their talent. On the contrary few others might have got some extra time of their life !

This article and the writer may not be able to do the justice what he watched for nearly 5 hours of live and 7 hours of continuous excitement that lasted till 2 AM in India. - A play that amazing and destructive that can kill any sleeping nerve in your imagination and body. But on the other side they earn few words from each of us -- that's the debt we should pay.

A match so amazing and beyond one's imagination which can rewrite the tennis manual erasing some of the warning or don't - A match so unbelievable still so real that might have won more game fan than player supporter - A match so legendary in itself that every one who is part if it in direct or indirect way; should feel proud and privileged.

It was the fight of champions - the fight of Class v/s Power -- cleverness v/s accuracy -- archery v/s commitment -- inventor v/s creator. In the last the better man won but not without tested on each nerve and on every corner -- ending the matching on the note which will make every one feel happy disregard of the fact which side there were on.

If you believed the popular myth, the cheapest flight fuel in sports is hunger; many a fabled take-off might been energized by nothing more than an athlete’s burning desire. But its not -- not that simple. Its that rarest fuel in sports which when injected to the right engine works as the nitrogen cylinder.

As the game progress their fearless play reminded those quotes from history his they made live on few points in the match. Like Federer attack on 3rd & 4th Set reminded me "When going gets tough, tough gets going" or that Federer backhand cross court return on 4th set tie breaker while he was facing a championship point -- which felled beautifully inside the court catching Nadal on the wrong foot -- reminded "Fortune favours the brave", and the countless time prove -- by there fearless play -- of the fact that "Champion takes chances. Pressure is privilage"

Finally after 5 hours of magic, 122nd Wimbledon final on an open center court with huge windy situation and two rain interruption - a true test of nerve & talent -- is won by World No #2 "Rafeal Nadal" (Score reads as 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 ) making his bid for World No# 1 even stronger this year. First defeat of Federer on grass in 6 years. A monopoly is broken!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Kabhi Kabhi Aditi ...

This is the song from "Jaane Tu and ya Jaane Na" and the moment guitar strings strike the start of the song - you would feel like Ohh This is good one - and by the time it ends one has to say "Wow what a song!!"

Not to mention its a Rehman number & equally well sung by Rashid Ali. You can hear it online.

For the moment I am thinking there may be so many beautiful songs of Rehman which I might have missed because I don't understand those lyrics. May be he should release the album in both language for each of movie he works on. I am sure his album can still be a hit in other languages!