Blog-e-Verse

I'm Back, so is WrestleMania

2008-03-28T17:26:00.003+05:30

It's been about three months since I last wrote. Just when I wrote that the Australian Cricket Team is an inspiration, The Sydney test had to happen and my post did not seem to make much sense. So now I am back with one more post. About a year back, after my board exams, I came up with a post on my predictions for WrestleMania. This can be considered the second installment of that post. Maybe if this blog lasts another year, the topic may become an annual feature.

Of course, a lot has changed, I do not follow WWE so much now-a-days and I have lost touch.
But my respect for some wrestlers has grown and while for some others, its reached an all time low(Case in point, John Cena). This is the first time in 24 years that WrestleMania is being staged in an open arena, but sadly I doubt this one will be memorable one.

The Matches this year are:

Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. John Cena
World Heavyweight Championship: Edge vs. The Undertaker
Money in the Bank ladder match: Mr. Kennedy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison
Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs. The Big Show
Umaga vs. Batista
Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels
Belfast Brawl: Finlay vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield

Most of these matches have had boring build-ups. Money in the Bank too is not that good this year due to lack of hype. There are only 2 matches I am looking forward to:

Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair

Many people have been looking forward to this match. Shawn is my all time favourite but I won't be too sad if he loses only because of the legendary status of the Nature Boy Ric Flair. This one is really hard to call. I would say Ric Flair because no one would want Ric's career to end at WrestleMania. But yes, I am expecting one hell of a match.

Edge vs Undertaker

This match is interesting not because it has any title on the line but just because it pits my 2nd and 3rd favourite wrestlers against each other. I have always liked Edge even when I used to watch wrestling as a kid. Today, Edge is in the prime of his career. Undertaker has a legacy of his own at WrestleMania, 15-0 Unbeaten, But so does Edge. 4-0 might look small but one must remember the age gap between the Phenom and the Rated R superstar.

Here's Ric Flair's take on the match:

"Edge is a phenomenal performer in his own right, but Undertaker has a lot of momentum come WrestleMania time. Edge has to be on top of his game, and I’m sure he will be. He’s come back from a couple of major injuries, and right now I feel like Edge is one of the better wrestlers I’ve seen in a long time. It’s hard to say who's going to win, because their styles complement each other. It should be a phenomenal match."

For me, this is the match to watch. Undertaker has evolved over the years coming up with counter after counter, move after move, fight after fight to earn the respect of one and all. Edge too has come a long way from his Brood ways and is one of the most exciting competitors. So this is the best match.

This video shows the intensity of this match between two titans who have given their lives to wrestling.

Well this is really hard to predict, So I leave it that way.

The Aussie way

2007-12-23T12:03:00.000+05:30

Boxing Day Test is coming closer and the Indians are going to face the biggest challenge they have faced in recent times. I doubt if there is going to be an encore of 2003-04 but I do expect a decent performance. And no, I am not writing about whether Dravid should open or not.

One thing that strikes everyone about the Australian team is their winning ways. Their straight victories just makes us look in awe and wonder how they do it. Lets take the example of the recent Chappell Hadlee series. New Zealand came in to Australia the defending champions. They left with nothing but loads of embarrassment. The Kiwis were whitewashed and the Mighty Oz were victorious again. So what is it that makes them so special? What is it that makes sure they triumph over the world's best teams and make them look like minnows.

One main reason is the way these guys have been brought up. We all know that Australia was a dumping land for Britain's hardcore thieves. These were the guys who had a very rough lifestyle. Exactly the guys you do not want to mess with. All this shows in their aggression and toughness.

I think its pretty common for a little child to complain to his parents that a classmate has been bullying him. Usually in our country, we talk to the people at school and set things right. It is very rare for someone to ask his child to "Give the guy a good one so that he stays away from you". And of course after the recent Gurgaon school shootout, no parent will ever tell this. Aggression is really important. It is aggression that takes you a long way.

But in no way will I support what guys like Sreesanth are doing. Thats not aggro, thats animal like behavior. True aggression was showed by Andrew Symonds who literally won the series for the Aussies. Aggression is whats inside, not what is shown. Dhoni And Yuvraj gave a brilliant display of what aggression truly is in the T-20 World cup. Not just cricket, without aggression it would be impossible to achieve anything.

Its a rare sight to see Ricky Ponting tensed in a match. He maintains his composure even if the opponent needs a run an over to win the match. That makes the difference. Everyone works really hard but one's ability to take pressure leads to success. We shout out that there is too much pressure on students every other day forgetting that this is what makes them ready for the tough world when they grow up.

Kumble recently said that Bradd Hogg was the weak link in the Aussie bowling. It was heartening to see the entire team jumping up in his defence. Probably that is what is missing in all of us. Poor coordination skills and lack of respect for each other has led to our downfall many-a-times.

Our outlook must change. We must realize that the killer instinct as well patience must complement hard work. Thats the Aussie way for you.

The Clash of the Titans

2007-11-22T12:59:00.000+05:30

Its finally here. The clash of the two of the greatest players the tennis world has ever seen. Two legends who dominated their respective eras. Pete Sampras vs Roger Federer has been the most awaited set of matches the whole year for several tennis fans. WIth one match already over, the excitement has multiplied.

Federer won the first match with ease as expected but even that could not take away that million dollar smile of Pete. The number of Grand Slams these two share between themselves itself is just amazing.

Pete Sampras will always be remembered as the greatest striker the game has ever seen while Federer will never be forgotten for his dominance in the sport. Keeping all this in mind, it is sad that these matches will not be telecasted on television.

It is well known that Federer fans can't stand Sampras fans and the reverse is true too. So please let me know where your loyalty lies in your comments. As for me, I am a Pete Sampras fan. That man's aggression on field coupled up with his perpetually composed mind was what made me watch tennis in the first place. I remember those days before I watched tennis where every single day, Sampras would hog space in newspapers with some championship or the other. That was what made me watch tennis in the first place. So I support Sampras in this David vs Goliath clash. I know that as of now, Federer is the better man. But he will not be proving anything beating a man ten years older than him, someone who hasn't played competitive tennis for five years now. But there is no doubt that, Federer is the best this generation of Tennis starts have to offer.

And yes, please let me know where your loyalties lie.

Rock on Mukesh

2007-10-29T20:25:00.001+05:30

Mukesh Ambani today became the richest man in the world. Thanks to the bulls running amok in the stock market, he is now the richest man surpassing the wealth of the likes of Carlos Slim, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.

I spent most of my childhood with my uncle and grandfather both deeply involved in business. I have overheard them talking about how hard it is to topple Bill Gates from the top several years back. I was shocked when Carlos Slim toppled Gates. It was almost like "an atheist meeting god"(Quote courtesy Digital Fortress.) Today, the impossible has been reachieved once again. I never even thought in my dreams that this man would be so rich. He has come out of his father's shadow and made a name for himself. Tomorrow, the markets might crash and the place lost but it will forever be written that an Indian was once the richest in the world. This is a fitting example to show that nothing is impossible. I was also surprised to see him so calm and also modest about his achievements. He said that he found it funny that other people calculated his wealth for him. Rich or poor, Reliance or no Reliance, this man is somebody who will be remembered for a long time.

The five richest people in the world with their net worth

1. Mukesh Ambani ($63.2 billion)

2. Carlos Slim Helu ($62.2993 billion)

3. William (Bill) Gates ($62.29 billion)

4. Warren Buffett ($55.9 billion)

5. Lakshmi Mittal ($50.9 billion)

We Indians Part 2: Keval Se Santhusht Hai

2007-10-28T19:32:00.000+05:30

Long time since my last post. Actually I started out on a couple of topics but never got the spark to finish them. I have called the post We Indians Part 2 not because it is a continuation of my previous racism post. This is just a title which I will be using when I find something that I just don't like in my fellow countrymen. So here it goes.

There's this new DishTV advertisement in which our very own King Khan does a Hrithik Roshan campaigning for a DTH connection. The ad is pretty cliched but one thing in the ad really caught me. Hum Log Keval Se Santhusht Hai. It is very true. All of us feel satisfied too soon. I personally feel that satisfaction is the end of the journey. Of course, I have also fallen prey to my satisfaction and wished I had not been so happy with the way things are going. I have noticed that complacency sets in when one is satisfied with what is done. People tend to take things lying down when such a thing happens. Without pushing ourselves to the limit, we will probably never know how good we are. We must settle for nothing less than the best. new superpower-in-the-making has produced many people who have just proven this fact. Appreciation for the person in the next post.

The New Idol

2007-09-23T18:07:00.001+05:30

Sorry, Amit and Prashanth, I basically think reality TV is crap. So this post is not about you guys. Its about one more guy who recently became my role model. Some guy who was born on the same month as me(or is it the other way round?). At 76, He is one of the most active business-man in the world. Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, Let me introduce to you the man, the icon, the legend(no I am not talking about myself,:) Sorry Cyrus no royalty for you), Keith Rupert Murdoch.

He might be an unknown name to many of us but then he owns the STAR group(TV Channels). He is considered the greatest deal-maker the world has ever seen. Ever since I found out that Keith Townsend's character in the book The Fourth Estate is based on his life, I have read a lot about him. His style has got me and made me an instant fan. His indomitable spirit even though he is a cancer patient must be an inspiration for youngsters who keep complaining that the pressure of being a teenager is too much. I really love this quote: "Can we change the world? No, but hell, we can all try."

I basically love people who live life on the fast lane. To quote the man himself, "The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow." His company News Corp. owns a whopping 42 newspapers, 35 magazines, 6 radio stations(hell, he owns Radio City), 3 Sports teams, 30 Cable Channels and another 30 websites(This is just a part of the list. For Full list:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corporation#Holdings). Just Look at his face and you will see confidence oozing out.

It is believed that the man never sleeps(Although his family categorically denies that). He is said to have told his driver not to stop at the chapel where his wedding was scheduled to happen. He thought that an early wedding would hinder his growth in business. Reading books and articles about him have made me double check this is no fantasy novel I am reading. He is also considered the ultimate gambler and one who does not fear failure. Never scared to try new things, he once got News Corp. out of a 6 billion debt in the 1980's.

This man is has been an inspiration for me during the past two weeks. He is also the latest entrant to the list of people whom I idolize. Truly a self made man. It is one of my desires that I meet this man personally once at least. I want to just admire this man, face-to-face.

On this Day!!!

2007-08-26T21:11:00.000+05:30

This is one cracker of a song I am glad I heard. This song is used by Adam Copeland(Edge) of WWE as his entrance theme. I could not get the Edge Video. So Please adjust with this. Superb lyrics, nice arrangement, and a very believable voice.

edge theme Lyrics

edge theme Lyrics

The NTSE Interview - Official

2007-08-25T16:53:00.000+05:30

27th July, D-Day. I woke up at 4.30 in the morning wanting to get a glimpse of the History Text Book. I was hoping it would be Physics and Chemistry all the way. We left for Mysore at 4.30 AM. It was too dark at that hour. So I got an excuse to avoid reading in the car. But I must say that the road till Nelamangala was nothing short of amazing and kept me interested for quite some time. I drowsed off in my seat and an hour or so later was woken up by my father who was scolding me for sleeping instead of studying.

We reached Mysore at about 8.30. We had a light breakfast soon after. Then we went to the place were the interview was going to be held. There were many people who had their interviews the following day but had just ditched school to find out the questions going to be asked. I also noticed that among the ones taking the interview, I was the only one without a tie. I thought I was formal enough but the people around me forced me to rethink the ideas I had about the word "formal". I sat down. My father said that he would come back after 1.5 hours to pick me up. I obliged.

My Marks card was scrutinized. Some parents there saw my marks and asked me how I managed to score so much in ICSE. There is one thing common about an Amitabh Bachchan movie and ICSE students- a lot of hype but absolutely no substance. I decided not to tell those people about that and will enjoy my fifteen minutes of fame. Some people asked me how I had studied for the interview. I was tempted to tell the truth but said something like 'a bit of this... a bit of that... and you know there is always a ....."

Finally the first person was called in. He did not look too happy when he came out. Students crowded around him. I guess I was the only one who did not even talk to him. Instead when the crowd cleared, I asked one of the guys what the questions were. After about half an hour of waiting, my name was called. I entered to find four sober men sitting inside.

All my seniors had told me that they would ask me on my interests and there I had to take the cue and go on and on. I stepped in. They confirmed my name and asked me my combination. I was waiting for the standard question to come, but sadly the Physics guy thought there was no need for that and started off. He asked me to write a fission reaction which I did without any difficulty. Surprisingly, the guy did not ask anything else and passed on the baton to the civics guy.

Civics was a total shock for me. The man, wearing all white, asked me, "When you are old enough and you marry, will you beat your wife?"(!!). This question nearly knocked me off my chair. After a second of complete stillness, I said, "Sir, No. That would be wrong legally, morally and ethically and also...", The biology guy cut me in between saying ethically and morally is the same. I offered an explanation but the Civics proff said there would be no need for that. He asked me about Women in Politics and equality for Women. He then asked me if the constitution is biased towards women. I lifted my head high and answered in the affirmative but also added that "It is only so because women in out country have been treated unfairly and this is very important for their empowerment". He did not seem convinced with the cover up.

Biology was next and it was pretty sad that he decided to ask only about Endocrine glands. That thing cost me a lot in the boards and the situation was no different here. I could only answer two questions in Biology. The geography proff first asked me whether I "Like geography or not". I said, I like Civics and Geography the most in Social Studies. He was slightly disgusted by the answer for reasons probably the Lord Himself does not know. He asked me, "But not so much, right?". I just smiled. He asked me questions on Rivers and Glaciers which I knew nothing off. I tried deviating the topic but he always asked a tougher concept each time.

When the proffs said that the interview was over, I was pretty shocked that it was over so soon. I was hoping It would have been longer but then the fact was it was over. I just silently walked back.

Have we lost our sensitivity?

2007-08-04T09:26:00.001+05:30

For a blogger like me who keeps in mind the past week's news articles while blogging, this past week has been pretty eventful. Sania Mirza is on a winning streak and the papers are projecting as if she is going to defeat Maria Sharapova later today. Dr. Mohammad Haneef is back in India. And how can I not mention the high profile arrest of Sanjay Dutt? I have one key topic in mind. But I will go through many topics which are off the mark and finally land on the main topic.

Haneef is one lucky guy. He got all the support he wanted. He just knew the right people. But something which makes me just blink in admiration is Haneef's cousin-in-law, Imran Siddique. When he decided to go to Oz, The newspapers all said that he was a very influential person who had contacts in the right places. I was wondering what help it would be in a foreign country, but then I was wrong. It was like a swish of a magic wand and Haneef was cleared!! I really want to meet this guy and take a tip or two!! The Wall Street Journal has been bought by Rupert Murdoch but will not elaborate due to fear of losing readers before I begin my actual blog post.

So, now let the games begin! Earlier this week, Sanjay Dutt was arrested and sentenced to six years RI. The newspapers were flooded with photos of Dutt crying and hugging his sisters. Today, in the front page, there is a picture of Kafeel Ahmed's charred body. The news channels went to the extent of showing videos of Kafeel's parents crying and begging every one to leave them alone. Sanjay Dutt was mobbed by photographers even when he was getting on to the vehicle which would later take him to prison. These two may not be personifications of all good in the world but one must know where to draw the line. These snaps are not pretty ones which we would collect and keep for refreshing our memories twenty years later. They are pretty disturbing. Why should someone derive pleasure by seeing somebody else crying?

The media today has crossed all previously set barriers and are emerging to a new level where there is no respect for privacy, sentiments and ethics. This is certainly a bad sign for the country and its people. And Imran Siddique, if you are reading this, please give me your email ID and also a date for an appointment!

Absolute waste of time

2007-07-14T17:49:00.000+05:30

The title of this post refers to the changing of name of Bangalore and 12 other cities. What is the government thinking? Changing the name will erase the image people have about Bangalore. Bangalored has been declared a slang in the US of A. Making Bangalore Bengaluru is a very bad idea. There is also a lot of costs involved in this process.

The Government is not realizing its folly. They say that they don't want a English flavour and want to revert to the "traditional" names. They intend to give every city its old name. Hey, wait a minute, here's a hitch: Mangalore is going to be renamed Mangaluru. Mangaloreans will know very well that this lovely place was once called Kudla but never Mangaluru! So CM and co., Any explanation?

There are several problems which are plaguing the state at the moment and the nomenclature issue is certainly one of it. So, don't you people think that this baseless stupid activity should be stopped.

Some amazing songs I heard this year

2007-07-14T17:12:00.000+05:30

I am pretty desperate to post two posts this week. I think the other one must be the real crowd-puller(remember 2 is company, 3 is crowd?). This one is just for time pass. It is a list of some amazing songs I have heard this year in three languages.

The songs are listed here in random order. My suggestion is that everyone who reads this must listen to each of this song. I have also given the videos of songs which I feel have been neglected.

Jaane Kaise(Raqeeb).

How I love this song. This song has gripped me for a long time now. I'll give credit to Pritam for this impeccable number and also to Sameer for the sublime lyrics. Once you are done with this song, the lines, "Tera Chehra Sanam ik Rubaayi si hai, mere dil jism-o-jaan pe tu chayi si hai" keeps reverberating in your head. Great work!!

Main Jahaan Rahoon (Namastey London)

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan - just the name of the singer takes the song forward. Superb work by my favourite Himesh Reshammiya. "Shut up and let the legend make the song a winner" - This is exactly what Himesh has done. The minimal background orchestration further heightens the quality. This might as well be the last Himesh classic sung by somebody else.

Tere Bina(Aap Kaa Surroor)

This is the kind of song that made me a Himesh fan in the first place. Heavenly tune, superb singing(Yes, good job, Himesh) and an even superb video.

Ek Din(Naqaab)

A nice Latino styled song with some thoughtful lyrics. Good job by Pritam once again.

Onde Ondu Saari(Mungaru Male)

Its been a long time since I have liked a Kannada song so much. Mano Murthy, being an NRI, does not seem to care about Kannada music conventions and gives a track to remember.

Ping Pong Song(Insomniac)

Enrique Iglesias sings this song fervently and takes it a mile further. I must admire his seasoned voice which, over the years, he has learnt to control it so well.

Thats all for now, Tell me if I missed anything.

Following Dreams

2007-07-09T15:47:00.000+05:30

Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth are the last years of formal learning in one's life before one enters a professional course. This is the time when there is a lot of pressure from teachers, parents and peers to make the right decisions. We are expected to choose a career of our interest and look to pursue that. Most of the times, we pick something we are interested in. But how far is this the right thing to do?

Before you re-read that line, let me assure you that you read what you read and I am in my full senses. We all have something called goal which we want to pursue. Usually we chase this thing.Authors like Paul Coelho say that it is this goal that leads us to our destiny. Destiny is something which I believe in. But what if the dreams we are chasing and our destiny is far apart?

Let me give you an example. There was a kid who wanted to be a doctor just like his uncle. That was his dream for quite a number of years. But circumstances forced him to take over his father's brewery. Today, this man is known to all of us as Vijay Mallya. Another example: This boy wanted to do his MBA and was ready to even break the stars. His dreams were almost fulfilled when he got a seat in Stanford University. But destiny had something else in store for him. His father was sick. He had to protect his younger brother's education. So he left the course mid-way and came back to India. As per latest figures, he is the richest man in the country and India's first trillionaire- Mukesh Ambani.

So what do all these stories tell indicate? Forget about your dreams? Dreams are nice to pursue but isn't it nicer to be the country's richest man? Currently I am confused. So, for now I leave it to the few readers of this blog to decide.

Ship Ahoy!

2007-07-09T15:46:00.000+05:30

This thing has reserved its place in the news channels just like Himesh Reshammiya has on the music charts. This thing has fascinated me more than the Indian Government trying to get some 50 year old letter from England. Just look at this picture.

No, this is not the French F1 Circuit. This is a picture of the USS Nimitz. It is a supercarrier which is one of the largest warships in the world. Its run into a controversy lately regarding nuclear weapons, but I am not taking a stand on that. Lets just admire the beauty of this gorgeous piece of engineering marvel.

From now on, it is more of pictures and less of text. So, go on and drool over this. Currently, it has docked in Chennai. I wish I was there just to watch this thing rule over the seas.

This ship was launched way back in 1972. It is still mind boggling to even think how advanced technology was even three decades back. Just dig into this: Fully loaded, this ship displaces 95000 tons of water!! Now, thats cool, not Carlito. I think it would take days to cover one length of the ship(1092 ft).

Now for some facts. I have collected them from multiple websites. They are pretty good ones. Do read them.

Nimitz reaches over 18 stories high from the keel to the top of the mast.
Nimitz' Food Services Department provides 18,000-20,000 meals a day.
Four distilling units enable Nimitz engineers to make over 400,000 gallons of fresh water a day, for use by the propulsion plants, catapults and crew.
Nimitz can stock at least 70 days of refrigerated and dry storage goods.
The Medical Department is manned by six doctors, including a general surgeon, who provide everything from surgery to hydro-therapy.
The ship also features a 53-bed hospital ward, a three bed ICU, and acts as the hospital ship for the entire Nimitz battle group.
Nuclear power allows the ship to store 50 percent more ammunition and almost twice as much aviation fuel as the largest conventional carrier.

We Indians!!

2007-06-17T17:48:00.000+05:30

Racism has always been a hot topic in the news. Cricketers like Gibbs have been caught on tape(audio) making racist comments. Racism is nothing new in football either. And how can we forget the recent Shilpa Shetty - Jade Goody Big Brother controversy? We Indians cry foul at the slightest slip of the tongue. Just today, I read that NRIs in USA are upset over president hopeful Barrack Obama insulting rival Hillary Clinton due to her connection with Indians.

One more thing currently in the news is Atlantis and Sunita Williams. I do hope that history does not repeat and Atlantis returns safely. But I do have one problem with the whole thing. All the news channels in India are projecting Sunita Williams as some kind of demi-god just because she is said to be of "Indian" origin. Come on!! If Sunita Williams has to be idolized like this, then why are we forgetting people like Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Nasser Hussain and Mark Ramprakash? They too are as Indian as Williams. And why only Sunita Williams? Why do we forget that there are six other people on board with her whose lives are in as much of danger as our very own "Indian" Sunita?

When Columbia crashed, the world was terribly shocked. Condolences were offered to Kalpana Chawla's family. She deserved every bit of it. I am sure that each reader of this post was very disturbed. I am also very sure that not many people even tried to find out the names of the other six people who lost their lives. How is this fair? Isn't this a form of racism? We try to crusade against racism but we fail to realize that it is not something that dropped down from the skies below. Till we change our individual style of thinking, a racism free world will remain a dream.

PS: Don't even bother to ask me the names of the seven Columbia astronauts. I know them already along with their nationalities. And why did I write about such a serious topic? Lets put it like this, desperate people take desperate measures.

The PM's Lost It

2007-05-28T16:03:00.000+05:30

I read recently in the newspapers that the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh has appealed to the various MNCs in India to reduce salaries for their employees to bridge wealth in-equity in our country.

This comes as a shock as the PM, once, was the finance minister of the nation. With due respect, this is one of his most nonsensical statements. This one must have come as a result of extreme pressure from the left parties. Increasing wealth is one thing and this is totally another thing. How can one develop the nation while he is trying to push once class of the country backwards. He is forgetting that most of the income tax comes from the same set of people whom he feels should be paid less.

The amount of work that these guys with fat pay -checks do is nothing compared to what anybody in the PM's office is doing. So, one can never justify this.

Spiderman 3 - Movie Review

2007-05-08T08:58:00.000+05:30

Hollywood makes so many movies every year that it is hard to keep track of them.

"The skies are painted with unnumbered sparks;
They are all fire, and every one doth shine;
But there’s but one in all doth" impress.

The Spiderman series have shown the world again and again that a superhero movie has more to it than action and cool visual effects. Director Sam Raimi scores full points. He makes a movie that beats zillion other movies and also matches upto the excellence and he brilliance of the other two movies in the trilogy. Also, there are rumours making rounds that Toby Maguire and Sam Raimi will not be involved in the next movies. Surely, they have given us something worth remembering.

Guys, only if you have seen this movie, continue reading. For the rest, I suggest you log off and book you tickets for the most fantabulous movie ever. I am not going to talk much about the storyline. It is just going to be my opinion about the movie.

The movie starts of on a good note. Spiderman is loved by everyone. Mary-Jane Watson loves Peter Parker. But then things take a bad turn. Peter has to deal with several problems. He has a major tiff with his best friend, Harry Osborn(James Franko) resulting in the latter getting hurt and losing his memory temparorily. Each scene from this point on is handled with utmost sensitivity. Harry forgets that he has to avenge his father's death. Franko starts looking cute again. Mary-Jane and Peter have several problems. Jealousy creeps into their relationship thanks to Gwen Stacy, Peter's lab partner. Peter then has a problem as a symbionte takes control of him.

Each and every frame of the movie has a touch of genius in it. Sam Raimi, who has given the screenplay, does an amazing job of directing this movie. He shows that even Superheroes are normal people with problems. He shows that even superheroes can cry.

Through the course of the film, I forgot I was over 16 years old and got quite disturbed watching certain scenes in the movie. Well, thats Spiderman for you. He can make you forget who you are. After all he taught all of us to hold on a second longer.

Some where in between, we start to hate some of the actions of the same Spiderman whom we cheered in the beginning. His vengeful attitude scares everyone. The way he attacks his best friend Harry is one of the second best scenes in the movie(I said one of the.. as the best is yet to come).

The reason I like Spiderman so much is that he is so real. He's no guy who's come from another planet nor is he the richest guy in the town with some cool gadgets to boast of. He has a family unlike Superman and Batman. You hit him, he bleeds. He is just a regular nerd. He becomes a super heo not due to his powers but due to his good actions(Although most of you people will have a different opinion on that). When Peter realizes that his black suit has done him more harm than good, we feel that "Ya, things like this happen to everyone. Why does only Spidey have to pay?" . Throughout the movie, the viewers cry when Peter does.

Soon, the symbionte leaves Peter and captures his work-place rival Eddie Brock played by Topher Grace. And also, there is the Sandman who is responsible for the death of Ben Parker. I actually felt sad for the man, since he has more than he can handle.

Spiderman loses everything. His girl has ditched him. He has become a monster thanks to the symbionte. His best friend Harry does not trust him. He has lost everything.

The last fifteen minutes leaves you in tears even though there are a few lighter moments. Spiderman has to fight both Sandman and Venom to save the love of his life, Mary Jane Watson. He cannot fo it alone and he knows that. The people of NY cheer him on. The numbers game beats Spidey. He gets trapped. Venom ties him up using his web and Sandman starts beating Spidey up. Then you see something flying into Sandman's ear. He puts his finger into his ear to find a goblin bomb. Wo!! This is one of the, if not the, best scenes. Harry is there and he saves his friend, Pete. Together they fight the bad guys and show them who is boss!!

Venom kills Harry which is really sad. Even after all this Pete tries to save Eddie Brock but fails. Another emotional scene is Peter forgiving Sandman. The movie ends leaving the audience asking for more. This is certainly the best movie in the trilogy. So leave a comment quickly and book your ticket for another show of the movie. Certainly, a many-times watch.

And if you think I am just an obsessed fan misleading the good people of the world, Spiderman has broken all previous box office records over the weekend.

And what did I learn from the movie,
"No Matter What is The battle raging withing, you always have a choice."

Some famous Spidey Quotes

2007-05-02T09:53:00.000+05:30

If you Hate the amazing Spiderman, This blog is not the place you should be visiting. At least for the next 7 days. Today, I have a list of Spiderman quotes with me. These are some realy good ones taken from the movie.

"Not everyone is meant to make a difference. But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option. " - Peter Parker, First Movie.

"Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale... if somebody told you I was just your average ordinary guy, not a care in the world... somebody lied" - Peter Parker, First Movie

"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility." This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spiderman."

" Here's the real truth. There are eight million people in this city. And those teeming masses exist for the sole purpose of lifting the few exceptional people onto their shoulders. You and me… We're exceptional. " - The Green Goblin to Spiderman.

"You cant live with revenge in your heart.It is like a poison.It can take u over before u know it and turn you into something ugly." Aunt May to Peter Parker.

"
Henry Jackson: Hi, Peter!
Peter Parker: Hey, Henry! You've grown tall.
May Parker: You'll never guess who he wants to be... Spider-Man!
Peter Parker: Why?
May Parker: He knows a hero when he sees one. Too few characters out there, flying around like that, saving old girls like me. And Lord knows, kids like Henry need a hero. Courageous, self-sacrificing people. Setting examples for all of us. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams. " - Spiderman 2.

Spidey is back

2007-04-21T20:33:00.001+05:30

Hmm, Spiderman 3 is going to release on May 4th. The movie is directed by Sam Raimi, who has also directed the first two films. Tobey Maguire will once again don the role of the protagonist. In this movie, Spiderman has three villians to fight namely, Green Goblin, Venom and Sandman.

Although Norman Osbourne was killed in the first movie, The Green Goblin survives and talks Harry in to being the Goblin. Venom is a symbionte from outer space which possesses Eddie Brock and Sandman is a thug who gains powers by accident. This movie is also tipped to be an emotional one as Peter Parker plans to propose to Mary-Jane Watson.

"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility" - This was a phrase that caught the fancy of a twelve year old boy way back in 2002 and it still captivates the boy. So what is the boy doing? He is not wasting time typing long posts on his blog but trying to consolidate funds to watch the first show of the movie.

If I Give a title you won't read the post!!

2007-04-17T10:25:00.000+05:30

Well, Why on earth did I post this song? Abhay Deol and Soha Ali Khan. They might not be SRK-Kajol type but the video's good. Better than the video is the song Ishq ne Tere. Please even if you do not read the post, at least listen to the song. You might regret not doing so.

So what is a sufi song beautifully delivered by the ever dependable KK doing in my blog? Well this post is about the man who composed this song, the man with the most succesful nasal twang, Himesh Reshammiya. So before you say, "Oh my god this guy is nuts" and close the window, let me assure you I am censuring Himesh and not blindly praising him. So Himesh haters read on!

Well, it is no exxageration if I tell you that Himesh has broken several records over the past few years. This man was a genius!! He gave 37 odd hits last year. he was the media's favourite scapegoat but he went on. But I feel now he has lost track. Before I start the part of this post where I blast HR, I would just like to say that I am relieved that he released Ahista Ahista before he went to his bad phase. Ishq ne tere is among my Favourite five songs. And let me tell you Himesh, thats an elite list to be a part of!!

Some of the recent Himesh sings have been like someone's pouring boiling water into your ears or something. Except Main Jahaan Rahoon and Aanan Faanan(which i have heard is not being used in the movie), the other songs have been low quality. These songs were impressive on first hearing but on repeated hearing one finds that these songs are quite hollow. And now Himesh has so many movies lined up for release.

Himesh is very talented as a composer but fails miserably as a singer. The pain factor which was there in his songs earlier is now missing. Now he is also trying his hand at acting. Prashanth Chadda's direction is stunning. As Himesh said, he will one day be among the top film-makers in the country. But there was no need for HR to try acting. He is distracted. he should stop singing and also acting. If he can, he must try and stop the release of Aap Kaa Surroor.

Last year, he had only two quality albums, Aksar and Ahista Ahista. The year before that, only Kyon Ki was up to the mark. So Himesh is slowly losing it. He is slowly converting his strengths to weaknesses. Wikipedia says that Himesh is the only person to have a hate club 3 times larger than fan club on Orkut!! Well Himesh never stops breaking records!!!

So what should Himesh do? Simple, throw the cap and mike. Give chance to KK, Shaan, Udit and Alka who have given him so many hits. I don't understand why Himesh does not use KK and Shaan frequently now-a-days. They can be considered HR's proteges as whithout HR, there would not have been a Shaan and a KK. HR took a good step by using Shaan in Shakalaka Boom Boom but the songs were just above average. Rukhsat, Thare Vaaste and Issi Umeed Pe are good songs, but Mr. Reshammiya, when you are composing, good is not good enough. His average compositions are better than some good compositions of other composers. So do what you do best, compose. Himesh needs a Salman Khan movie to get his career back on track as HR reserves his best for SK.

A good indication is that Himesh is using Kunal and Sonu for his forthcoming movies. After a long time, a movie is being promoted with a track not sung by Himesh but composed by Himesh.

So Himesh All the Best!!

Should HBK retire?

2007-04-05T16:50:00.000+05:30

Wrestlemania is over. The Heart Break Kid did not win. The Showstoppa has not had a very good year even in 2006. His constant feuds with Vince McMahon cost him many matches. He did very well in the royal rumble but the undertaker was able to outdo him. So the question as always, should Mr. Wrestlemania retire?

Professional wrestling is not a game like cricket where if one retires, youngsters get a chance. Shawn Michaels is my favourite wrestler ever. Whether he wins matches or not, he will always be my favourite. I do want him to win but what I like the most is that he never loses without giving a fight. That resilience he has showed in the past 20 years is something that can only eb watched and not described. He is the very first winner of the Ladder Match, Elimination Chamber Match, Hell In a Cell and many other types of matches. It is surprising that he is only a four time champion unlike Ric Flair(16) and HHH(10).

Even today, HBK is one of the most decorated and celebrated stars in the WWE. He has overcome all odds. Right from his first stint as one half of the Rockers to his current run with DX, he has never failed to impress. He has an impeccable style of wrestling. He is the only wrestler to have won a royal rumble on 2 consecutive occasions and also the first one to win it coming in at no.1 .

Now I strongly believe that he should not retire. He has survived a serious back injury which kept him out of wrestling for about 4 years. Mike Tyson and Stone Cold Steve Austin can be responsible for cutting HBK's career in half. After that HBK was out for 6 months after a brutal hammer shot to the limbs by real life best friend HHH. HBK, I still feel, has a lot to offer to his fans. It really hurt to notice that even his fan clubs were kind of not happy with his performance. So, we just have to patiently wait. HBK's sure to bounce back.

The World Cup

2007-03-30T14:15:00.001+05:30

The Cricket World Cup has so far been great. I will never forget Gibbs scoring six sixes or India scoring 413. There were a few surprises too namely, India's and Pakistan's early exit and Bob Woolmer's untimely death.

Back to business. The Super eight's are here. I don't care. I have decided that I am going to watch the worldcup till the semis. But here are some of my predictions for the semis.

I feel that the four teams making it will be Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the order of points. So according to the rules, the first semis going to be between Australia and Srilanka

This should not be a difficult one. Even in 203, in the semis, the Aussies beat the Lankans. The Aussies are bad players of spin and Lankans have Murali. So that might be the only thing interesting

Shake's Take(For starters, This is what I call my predictions): Australia but by a narrow margin. Man of the match: Adam Gilchrist.

The next semi will be between South Africa and New Zealand. This will be the match to watch. Two evenly matched sides. Luck will play a big role here.

Shake's Take: Proteas score over the black caps. South Africa win by one wicket with three balls to spare. Man of the match : Graeme Smith.

So, here comes the finals: Australia vs. South Africa. Smith vs. McGrath. Ntini vs. Hayden. Goodness this is the ultimate match. Every Aussie-Protea match has been worth remembering. I am sure this one will be too.

Shake's Take: South Africa win by 12 runs. Man of the Match: H. Gibbs(I can't spell his first name)

So, how many of you agree with me?

How to tweak your Windows XP to look like a Mac

2007-03-26T19:39:00.000+05:30

Well, The boards are done, and I felt like posting a new topic. Did not have any idea on what but soon got inspiration at a friend's place. So I am writing this topic which I have generously borrowed from a website.

This part is original. Well we all love Windows Vista, don't we? The screenshots look gorgeous. But for two reasons, i can't have it as I dont have 15 grands neither do I have a high end PC. All I have is some old piece of junk with Windows XP on it. To make my PC cool, I was looking for articles on the net and stumbled upon this. I was impressed. And mind you, Do not underestimate a Mac as Vista is a blatant lift of the Mac OS. So, here we go.

The Mac OS
Windows Vista

f you use the default Windows desktop, chances are that you could use a "look and feel" overhaul. Apple's OSX desktop is widely considered to be cleaner, more intuitive, and more customizable. The following instructions will show you how to get that Mac look for your PC by installing some cool, free applications. Some of the instructions may be a tad advanced for some users, but give it a try.

Steps

Remove all unused shortcuts and icons from your desktop. Chances are you don't need half of those junky shortcuts on your desktop. Move the ones you don't need to the Recycle Bin. Or, if you have descoerasuaphobia (fear of erasing desktop shortcuts) then let Windows decide for you with the Desktop Cleanup Wizard. Right-click on the desktop, select Arrange Icons By > Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard. This will get rid of shortcuts you haven't used in a while. Or you can just right-click on your desktop and select arange icons by and unclick show icons.
You should now have a completely clean desktop. Don't be afraid. You can still access the My Computer, My Documents, and Recycle Bin standbys from Windows Explorer.
Two words: RKLauncher. (OK, one really.) RKLauncher (also called RKDock) is a free, Windows copycat of the animated Mac taskbar, or "dock." You can download it here. RKDock comes with a pretty cool theme. If you want to make your dock look exactly like a Mac though, try RealDock for RKLaucher, a great clone of the Mac Dock appearance.
Hide the taskbar. It doesn't make sense to have ObjectDock and the Windows taskbar. Right click a blank space in ObjectDock, go to the "Dock Contents" tab, select "Hide the Windows Taskbar", and hit OK. This makes the taskbar disappear. You can also just move the taskbar to the front of the screen.
Add Widgets.Widgets are desktop toys to entertain and to inform. Think of them like things you'd put on a real desk: a picture frame, a newspaper...a dancing hula girl. But they're on your PC desktop, not your real desk. (You'll get it once you see it.) They may be the most fun thing to happen to boring computers in a long time. Download free widgets from the Yahoo Widgets page. You'll download a widget machine called Konfabulator, which comes with widgets like a picture frame, analog clock, calendar, and weather display. You can get more widgets like RSS news feeds and a dancing hula girl from the widgets gallery.
Firefox Safari Skin Change the skin of your Firefox browser to look like Safari: SaFire. Tutorial on how to set up Firefox to look 1:1 with Safari. You can also get the iFox skin that is posted in the Firefox themes section.
Wallpaper Change your wallpaper to look like Mac OS X Tiger: here.
FlyakiteOSX One convenient item that can be used to enhance your Windows to Mac experience is if you have all the elements of Mac Emulation bundled in a package. FlyakiteOSX does just that.
WindowBlinds If you would like to make your Windows have buttons on the left side instead of the right, you can buy WindowBlinds. It comes with ObjectDesktop.
ShellWM A titlebar-only shell replacement. It lets you have the buttons on the left for free. You'll want to download this theme.
ObjectBar This isn't free, but if you have ObjectDesktop, it's included. ObjectBar You can also can get some nice Tiger themes by searching WinCustomize.
Mouse Pointers. For the full effect, download a new set of mouse pointers. Save these to your computer (preferably in C:\WINDOWS\Cursors. It may be a good idea to make a folder within this for easier setup.) To setup these cursors, choose Mouse from the Control Panel, click the Pointers tab, and set your new pointers appropriately.
Keep tweaking and playing. Fine tune these programs. It's all about customizing. Have fun!

Tips

Rocket Dock is an alternative dock for slower computer since it runs much faster and uses less resources
If you have a Mac OS X Install DVD, you can emulate PowerPC's architecture using PearPC. PearPC is a tool which will allow you to run Mac OS X in an x86 environment, without putting in any effort. Do not resort to using OSX86 unless you are aware of the legal action Apple can take if they know you are using that software.
You might want to check out http://osx.portraitofakite.com/. This site contains a full-blown total windows to mac desktop conversion. Most of the steps mentioned above are taken care of automatically, and the package already contains all the themes, sounds, wallpapers, cursors and applications mentioned in this article. It's an All-in-1 package for Mac Emulation.
For the super simple way, instal this patch. It lets you access Windows XPs built in skinner. Then go to customize.org and download all the window's themes you want. This is a great Mac OS X style theme.
If you have enough money, an easier way would always be just to buy your own Mac, of course.

Well, India on a losing start!!

2007-03-18T13:01:00.000+05:30

Well, the Cricket World Cup has started and records have started tumbling like Gibbs scoring six sixes in an over or South Africa making a score of 350+ in 40 overs. There has also been a tie in the match between Ireland and Zimbabwe. Pakistan has already been knocked out.

I think amidst all these records Dravid & Co. felt that they too should break a few records. If their loss to Bangladesh is any indication, India are on the right track!! Before the WC, Bangla Captain, Habibul Bashar issued a warning to India. I laughed it off. Little did I know that the team was so bent upon humiliating me!!'

There was absolutely no effort from our side. We played Sehwag even though he failed in the warm-up match against West Indies and we dropped Irfan Pathan even though he picked up three wickets, one of them being Brian Lara. And can Chappel and Dravid justify exclusion of Karthik, Kumble and Sreeshanth?

We lost 5 wickets in 2 overs for just 3 runs!! This is humiliating. If India cannot make it to the Super 8's, we should stop playing cricket! We still have a very tough match against Sri Lanka. To beat them, we need to play a billion times better than we did. My suggestion is to drop Sehwag, Uthappa. We have to with 6 batsmen and 5 bowlers. Sachin and Saurav should open.

Now we must give due credit to Bangladesh for defeating India. They bowled and fielded superbly. Their batting was OK, but India failed to take advantage. Lets just hope that India buries the defeat and defeats Sril Lanka by atleast 300 runs!!!

So what do you say? Can India lift the trophy?

Wrestle Mania 23

2007-03-14T14:15:00.000+05:30

WrestleMania is Here!!

Well the biggest evnt in wrestling history is here! Here are the matches, my opinions and my prediction( what i call Shake's Take)

1. The ECW originals(Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Sandman, RVD) vs. The New Breed.

This should be exciting as it is Hardcore rules. Otherwise, I would give this match a miss.

Shake's Take: The originals will win is my take. I havent even heard of anyone from the new breed.

2. Bobby Lashley (w/ Donald Trump) vs. Umaga( w/ Vince McMahon) in a hair to hair match.

The loser gets his head shaved. Stone Cold Steve Austin will make an appearance
as special guest ref.

Shake's Take: Bobby Lashley. With Austin as ref, Vince's got no chance.

3. Kane vs. The Great Khali

This match isnt commisioned yet but im sure it will be soon. This should be an amazing one. Kane is angry that Khali ruined Kane's chance of Money in the bank. Two giants. One Ring. One Winner.

Shake's Take: Khali. There is no doubt. Kane can't chokeslam Khali. That should be enough

4. Money-In-The Bank : Edge vs. Finlay vs. King Booker vs. Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton

Wo! A ladder match. Edge and the Hardys are the only old timers here. This should be a long match with a lot of carnage. The winner gets a shot at any champion within 12 months at a time he wishes.

Shake's Take: Edge is a good one but he's already won it once. Hardy's dont have what it takes to be heavyweight champions. So Randy Orton is my choice.

5. Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena (WWE Chamionship)

For me, this is the main event!! My favourite HBK will ake this a match to remember. Its surprising John Cena is really good but unfortunately not good enough.

Shake's Take: No doubt at all!! HBK!!!

6. Undertaker vs Batista (World Heavyweight championship)

The main event. Batista looks to end Taker's 13 match winning streak at wrestlemania. Will it be possible is the question

Shake's Take: Undertaker. Nobody can beat the phenom in his yard!

So people, what say?
Your take? Please comment.

Which should be the first topic in this blog?

2007-01-21T15:22:00.000+05:30

People,

I have just started my blog and dont know what topic to start. Some suggestions would surely help.