BARCELONA THRASH MAN-U

Manchester United were outplayed in all departments as Messi sealed a win for Barca. A good match and a day where Man-U will rue their missed chances.

Now Barca are the UEFA champs.

Let us see what Chelsea can do at Wembley stadium when they take on Everton in the FA Cup final.

Gilchrist has the Last Laugh!

It ended in an anti-climax as the whipping boys of IPL-1 made it to the finals of IPL-2. Dhoni and his team lost the plot against RCB in the second semi-final while Gilchrist's power-packed 85 kicked Sehwag's Devils out of contention.

The final started with a surprise as Kumble bowled the first over to Gilchrist and the gamble worked as he was bowled by Kumble in the first over. The Deccan Chargers aided by Gibbs and Symonds reached 143. RCB faltered and lost by six runs.

In my opinion the turning point of the match was Dravid dropping Symo's catch at slip. Robin Uthappa and Dravid's failure with the bat is an added negative.

So folks applaud the Hyderabad team who won the coveted but ugly trophy.

Wish they made more beautiful trophies. All that gold and diamonds and rubies in an uninspiring trophy.

An Eventful Day

E-mail 1

There is a bomb scare at XXXX.The bomb squad has been summoned to carry out necessary precautionary checkup.

YYY is coordinating with them and they have informed us that there is no need for panic. They are in constant touch with us. We request all of you to maintain your calm and carry on with your work.

E-mail 2

Dear All,

With reference to our previous mail on the subject, the bomb squad has declared that the building is safe and informed that it was a hoax call.

We thank all the associates for the spirit displayed and the co-operation extended.

Well folks to cut a long story short, some chap who needed a break from his monotonous job called the building administration office and said that a bomb has been planted. All mayhem broke out and the building was quickly evacuated and the bomb squad, dog squad and the police were called in. Our company decided to remain silent as the smokers gang spotted the sudden rush of people trooping out from other floors. A while later the first e-mail confirmed our worst fears. But even then no signs of evacuation and the blokes joked about "End of Days" and "The Apocalypse." Some of the women staff were really worried and began to panic.

Two hours later some of the brave guys went out and found out there was no danger. Another two hours later we received the second e-mail.

Now just imagine if the hoax had been real. Well I cannot imagine anything. Any way the folks at the company are a sporting lot and continue to work without too much complaints. A great company and its brave employees.

I traded on the stock exchange today. Spent close to Rs 2000 and already I am running a loss of Rs 300. Hope things turn for the better tomorrow.

Folks Chennai are thru' to the semis with a win over Kings XI Punjab in yesterday's low-scoring spinners'-thriller.

This was my post no. 400.

Thanks to the encouragement of my beloved readers and friends.

Thanks Ashwin (Common Man Dreamer), Priya (cool dudette), Kavitha (The Book-Lover), Sowmitha (Editorial Trainer and dog-lover), Siva(handsome rocker), Sudha(wish you posted an actual comment), Sevi(Great News Soon).

Thanks again everybody!

The race for the IPL semi-finals heats up as Rajasthan Royals play the Kolkata Knightriders and Kings XI Punjab play the Chennai Super Kings. CSK had a rude wake up call when Mc Cullum and Hodge blasted the CSK bowlers to snatch an awesome victory by overhauling the improbabale 189-run target.

The Royals are on to a horrible start and are at 46/4 in the seventh over now. If Chennai win today then they will not have to worry about run rates. The way Kumble-led Bangalore Royal Challengers are playing I think net run-rates will play a big part in deciding the final 4. Let us see what happens.

In other cricket news-England defeated West Indies to retain the Wisden Trophy. Chris Gayle has a lot of introspection to do now after his T:20 v/s Test cricket comments. Symmonds has been left out of the Australian squad for the Ashes. India will play Pakistan in an invitational T:20 at the Oval before the ICC T:20 World Cup.

Is Prabhakaran Dead?

The struggle in Sri Lanka has ended! Or is it the beginning of another struggle? The bloody war against terrorism and the Tamil cause has cost close to 80000 lives on both sides. In addition to several high-profile assassinations and the first suicide bomb killing of India's former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. What started as a fight for a real cause, lost its initial impetus as the LTTE slowly morphed into a demon led by a leader who lost sight of his original mission.

News came in yesterday that Prabhakaran had been killed but no photos were released. This morning photos were circulated with Prabhakaran's dead body. He had been shot in the head above the eyes, very similar to Veerappan's end. The real struggle will start now and the government led by Rajapakse has to ensure that the Tamil people are not abused.

Let us see how things go about in the island nation. Supporters continue to claim that Prabhakaran is alive and the dead body is of a decoy/dummy. Only the Lord knows the truth and perhaps Prabhakaran too.

We can only wish that the country stabilises itself. The Sri Lankan army inspite of all the claims by agencies of harming civilians has done a thorough job. Why can't India with more resources and a powerful well-equipeed army put a stop to the cross-border terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir?

Maruti Suzuki Ritz Goof-Up

The Maruti Suzuki Ritz is one of the most eagerly awaited hatchbacks of the year. They spend millions on R&D and marketing but make an error in spelling. Look at the image. "Compliant" is spelled as "Complaint." Click on the image to see it in full-size.
The website is http://www.marutisuzuki.com/.

Measuring Productivity

The sorry state of affairs of "Under Maintenance" continues. Just imagine you have important work to be completed an internal deadline. You visit the loo to answer the Second Call of Nature and to your consternation both stalls are occupied and the third stall mocks you with the "Under Maintenance" poster. Well that is life. If all loos function properly that means reduced waiting time in the restroom. So more time to sit in front of the computer and complete the official work! That translates into increased employee productivity and more profitability for the company.

Well who bothers to listen to the rants of a disgruntled blogger. When I get to run my own company I will ensure that all loos are fully functional. Damn! I am beginning to sound like a phony politician begging for votes:)

SMS

Read this SMS:

10 Terrorists came by Boat.
539 Terrorists will be coming by VOTE.
Vote Responsibly.

Great SMS!

Mother

In celebration of the "Living Divine" dedicated to all Mothers and of course my Mother.


MOTHER

You sheltered me,
In your womb.
So that I could see,
The light of this world.

You nourished me,
With your love and care.
Ever present to help me.
Guide me when I was confused.
Comfort me when I was frightened.

You were there to comfort me,
In my failures,
Be it in exams or in love.
A story to put me to sleep,
When I was a little boy.

In my troubled teens,
When I was confused!
And on the verge of entering the troubled vortex,
Of a life of crime.
You reiterated the importance of "Good Company."
I brushed away your advice and paid the price for it.

Even then-you stood by me.
And guided me to recovery.
Nursing my wounds both physical and mental.
I am what I am!
Because of your love and care.

If there were an after-life!
My only plea to God!
Would be to make me a woman!
So that I can undergo the pain and suffering that you felt!
And be a loving mother to my child!

England the Lords at Lords

West Indies were thrashed by England in the first test. Onions the rookie England bowler and Swann the spinner shared the honours as the West Indian batting order crumbled under the Ebglish bowling attack. Chanderpaul had his lowest test aggregate score of 4 runs. Ravi Bopara's wonderful century should England's No.3 batting woes to rest. Graeme Swann was named the man-of-the-match for his excellent all-round performance.

Brief scores:
England-377 and 32/0.
West Indies-152 and 256.

Another Resignation!

"I am sending my resignation through this e-mail. It has been a great pleasure to work under your guidance and leadership, but I guess it is time for me to move on to a more challenging assignment. Please send this e-mail to HR so that the relieving procedures can be put into action and I am relieved at the end of my notice period."

Well folks that was my resignation e-mail. Is it a moment of madness in this recession? I do not know. I guess it will be forwarded to HR and I might be relieved in the first week of June. It has been fun working here and I have met a wide range of people and have had the best boss so far in my stint with various companies.

I am moving back to my core area of expertise Instructional Design. The field has changed in this gap of 2 years and there have been lots of improvements and changes in the various associated models and theories of learning. Lots of new tools and technologies have come in to vogue too.

So like the Prodigal Son returning to his father's house I have chosen to return to Instructional Design. Will keep you posted on all updates!

Wish me luck folks!

DVD Reviews

Well I guess more reviews are headed your way! You folks must be wondering how does this guy get time to see so many movies! Well I just manage my time-the same 24 hours that God has provided to everyone is what I get too. No more philosophy. The reviews follow:

THE ODESSA FILE

Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth this is a fast-paced thriller with the tension building slowly. A Nazi plot to regain power, a secret society called the Odessa, a group trying to infiltrate the Odessa, a journalist who discovers the truth based on the suicide of an old Jew. Lot of plots and sub-plots ending in a shootout. Starring Jon Voight as the journalist Peter this is a definite must-watch. Shot on location in Europe good cinematography and simple but interesting action sequences keep up the tempo of the movie.

FELON

Star Cast-Stephen Dorff, Val Kilmer and Harold Perinneau.
Director-Ric Roman Waugh.

This is the saga of a man who ends up in jail after accidentally killing a burglar. The ramifications of his action on his family and his personal life are brought out well. In prison a sadistic warden creates a mini=arena of sorts where the prisoners indulge in fighting with each other to remain alive. The movie shows the bitter truth about life and racist divisions American prisons. Val Kilmer gets a solid role as Stephen's protector and old-timer in prison. A grim looking movie with excellent performances by all.

DVD Reviews

It has been a while since I posted movie reviews here So folks get ready for a bunch of reviews.

FRENZY

Star Cast-Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey, Alec McCowen.

This Alfred Hitchcock classic is about a serial murderer who rapes women and strangles them with a silk tie. The movie has a scene in which the killer puts the corpse of a woman in a sack and loads the sack on to a van carrying potato sacks. Then he realizes that his tie-pin is missing and returns to the van and hunts for the sack with the corpse. The van starts moving an he panics and struggles in trying to retrieve the pin. A well-made thriller.

INKHEART

This Brendan Fraser movie is a nice fantasy tale. Based on the best-selling Inkheart series of novels. It describes the adventures of a book-doctor(Fraser) who has the power to bring characters to life when he reads aloud. A well-made movie thorough family-fare for the long summer.

BEDTIME STORIES

Starring Adam Sandler this Walt Disney production has a similar premise like Inkheart. Sandler works as a handyman in a massive luxury hotel which was built on the site of his father's old motel. Sandler gets to baby-sit his nephew and niece and when he tells them stories the next day it happens to him. A good family-movie.

THE DARK CITY

Star Cast-Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, Richard O'Brien

Directed by Alex Proyas this 1998 movie went surprisingly unnoticed. Imagine you wake up in a hotel having no memory of what you are and what you do. You find the corpse of a young woman in your room and you are on the run. The police wants you a young woman claims to be your wife and a sinister group of bald-headed men are out to kill you. To add to the confusion a strange psychiatrist also follows you. What is the mystery? Watch this movie to find the answers. The suspense quotient is high and the dark locales are complimented by the stunning cinematography and massive sets.

IPL News

So some good news for the Chennai Super Kings after three consecutive wins we are at the top of the table with 9 points from 8 matches. Most other teams have just played 7. So in all probability we will slide to place 2 or 3 by the end of today's matches. Dhoni and Raina played well, with a mature knock by M. Vijay. Jakati the spinner is doing a good job and has been instrumental in CSK winning the last two matches.

Hope that Kolkata Knight-Riders win today I feel terribly sorry for them and Mc Cullum who has tried every possible thing but he has been weighed down by the burden of captaincy. Let us see if he can recreate the fiery 150 of IPL-1 today.

Good Morning!

This happened to me to this morning.

I was waiting for the elevator, when I noticed one of the top bosses of the company also waiting for the elevator. As a matter of courtesy I went up to him and said-"Good Morning." To my consternation I did not even get a blank stare. A minute later one of the beauties of our office walked in flashing her pearly smile and you know what happened? The top boss walked up to her and said-"Good Morning. How are you?"

Damn! I never knew being born as a woman had such advantages.

Any way life goes on.....