Sunday, 27 May 2012

Shadows

Shadows. Yes, we have always feared shadows. They are a representation of a dark someone threatening to stalk us. Maybe even swallow us. However, the fact they never ever do so - yet keep lurking around - makes the fright continual.

As a little kid, I feared shadows - be it while walking in a dark alley, or climbing up the staircase during a power cut. The chatter about ghost stories among the friends didn't help the cause. 

The thought about the unknown ghoul waiting to strike his little victim - me - made me feel helpless. For all practical purposes, I would end up running down those dark alleys or up the stairs. It simply reduced the time my mind bothered about such thoughts, and it was a bit comforting.

An empty home, a new place, and similar such instances saw such shadows grow by epic proportions. No, The shadows were the same, the circumstances multiplied the effects. 

My only solace was to hit the bed, curled up under the blanket, hidden from the world, oblivious to what ever would happen in the world outside my blanket.

Then came an awakening thoughts - Don't fear shadows, they simply mean that light is shining somewhere nearby. It was a "but obvious" thought. Needless to say, it had missed my "shadowed" mind. The comfort of a light - however small - shining nearby is indeed heartening, like the early morning rays of sun after a dark night.

Then came Harry Potter and Dementors. Dementors were as dark as shadows. Harry was scared by the Dementors - known for sucking the happiness out of any living man - with their darkness. But not for long. Yes, under the guidance Professor Snape and Dumbledore, he conquered his fear and overpowered the Dementors.

And yes, all shadows are not bad. Like being under the shadows of God's blessings, or under the shadow of good friends and teachers. Being under the shadow of love is a blessing in itself. 

Don't you love to stand in the shadow of a tall structure or a tea in the sweltering heat? And the number of such "good" shadows are outnumber the "dark" shadows.

Love thy shadows.

Shadows
Shadows


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IPL 2012 Finals

IPL 2012 Finals
IPL 2012 Finals
It is a super Sunday for sports today. And few exciting weeks for sports buff ahead. 

The Monaco Grand Prix will flag off today at 5.30 PM Indian time. And just as it is about to conclude a hour and a half later, the finals of the IPL 2012 will be underway in Chennai, India. The action will be back to Paris, France tomorrow - for the start of the French Open. 

And a week or so down the line, the best teams in Europe will be pitted against each other in the biggest football tournament in Europe - Euro 2012. And a month from today will see the likes of Federer and Nadal square off against each other on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

Back to IPL 2012 Finals. The two best teams of IPL 2012 Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will be playing against each other at Chepauk, Chennai, India.

KKR will be lead by Gautam Gambhir, India's man Friday. CSK will be playing under the uber-cool captain, MSD.

Dhoni Gambhir with IPL 2012 Cup
Dhoni Gambhir with IPL 2012 Cup
CSK have been riding on a stroke of good luck and awesome power play. They were on the verge off being knocked out of the tournament in the group stages. However, three losses for the three competitors for the last slot of the playoffs meant that they were back in the reckoning.

And MSD is a man who loves to grab his chances with both hands. In the first eliminator, CSK overran a pedestrian Mumbai Indian side. Bhajji, Sachin, Powell couldn't fire and CSK was one step away from the finals. In the second eliminator, they took on Delhi Daredevils and overpowered them by a huge margin.

People are once again talking about Dhoni's luck. But as they say - Work hard, and you will be lucky. Probably, this is the key behind his success. Nevertheless, they are in the finals - for the 4th time in the 5 editions of the IPL - and start as the favorite to win the cup.

Chennai have a superb team - consisting of Albie Morkel, Dwayne Bravo, Ben Hilfenhaus, and Michael Hussey. And if the likes of Raina, Ashwin, Murali Vijay, and Jadeja join the party, it would be a carnival atmosphere on the streets of Chennai tonight. Dhoni's fan following would reach the levels of Rajnikant for all practical purposes.

However, his task is not as easy as it seems to be be. CSK would be playing against KKR - led by Gautam Gambhir. Gautam was stripped of his role of the vice captain of India recently. However, with this show, he has shown that he has the mettle to be India's future captain.

On a personal note, he has scored a plethora of runs. His team mates too have excelled. Sunil Narine has flummoxed the best of the players, and can win the Purple Cap if he takes 2 more wickets today. It would give him 26 wickets in the entire tournament, a great feat in itself.

You have Lee who could fire his missiles at the Chennai batsmen. McCullum would look to repeat his century knock, as he did in the first match of IPL1. Kallis, Balaji, Shakib and Yusuf Pathan also add strength to the team and would play a vital role. Kallis, with all his experience, can take the team past the finish line.

All in all, it promises to be an exciting game. With Chennai in the finals, the stands at Chepauk promise to be full (except for the 3 which couldn't get an environmental clearance). Folks across Kolkata and Chennai would have their hearts on the line as their team takes on each other in a battle royale.

MSD and GG would be cheered on by their respective ladies, and would be more than eager to do their best. Dhoni would rally his team with his calm demeanor, while Gambhir would lead with his recently seen aggressive style (much acknowledged by MSD).

SRK would be making the trip to Chennai with his camp to cheer for his team. KKR were never in the reckoning in the first 4 IPLs. However, SRKs persistence with the team has paid off and the team promises to reward him suitably.

On the paper, both teams are equally strong. It would be difficult to separate the two. The bowling for Chennai looks stronger. The batting also looks stronger for Chennai. However, KKR have played like champions all along in the tournament. They entered the playoffs in style, and looked like a composed unit making a move towards the pedestal.

With these considerations, in my view, it will be KKR who would triumph tonight at Chennai. Chennai would run them close, and a finish in the last over would be an icing on the IPL 5 cake.

Sit back and enjoy the IPL5 2012 finals today. Don't miss any action. It promises to be the best match cricket has seen in recent times. May the best team win.

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Sunday, 20 May 2012

IPL 2012 Playoffs and Finals

It is the final week of the DLF IPL 2012 season. After a marathon run of 72 matches played across the length and breadth of India(9 teams playing each other twice), the playoff line up is decided. The last match is under progress as I write this piece.

It promises to be an exciting play off week, especially after lots of off-field action. Nonetheless, it has been a super tournament, loaded with cliff hangers and heart breakers.

Let us look at the teams who are in fray in the final week (and who couldn't make it to the last week).

The Also Rans
Pune Warriors finished last in the table. Under the leadership of Ganguly, and in the absence of Yuvraj, the team could not do much - winning just 4 matches. 

Deccan Chargers also finished with 4 wins, and 9 points. The stand out point for DC in this year's tournament was Dayle Styen. He bowled like a champion and affirmed his place as the best fast bowler in the world today.

Dale Steyn Dalai Lama
Rajasthan Royals, under Rahul Dravid and Kings XI Punjab, under Adam Gilchrist did a respectable job by finishing in the middle of the table. They were in the fray to go into the playoffs but couldn't give the final push. RR didn't miss Shane Warne this year, and did well under Rahul.

RCB, whose fortunes were guided by Vettori and Virat Kohli fell at the final hurdle. They couldn't score 130 odd runs against DC in their last group match and failed to progress into the playoffs. It would be a huge disappointment for Chris Gayle, who played like a champion all season.

The Potential Champions
4 teams across India hold the key to be the champions of IPL 2012. They are - Delhi Daredevils (DD), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

It has been an extremely sucessful tournament for DD and KKR. Under the leadership of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, both of them have excelled from the moment go. 

They do not have any star player akin Chris Gayle of RCB. Yet, they have gelled well as a team and come out with flying colors. If there were any teams who were sure to be in the playoffs based on the results of the initial matches, it was DD and KKR.

Virender Sehwag Gautam Gambhir
Mumbai Indian has also made its way into the playoffs at the number 3 spot. Led by Harbhajan Singh, backed by Sachin Tendulkar, and with the likes of Keiron Pollard and Dwayne Smith in their team, they have chugged into the final 4.

One thing that unites RCB, KKR and MI is that they are led by players who were not considered worthwhile for the post of vice-captain of the Indian cricket team. 

Virat Kohli was chosen over Sehwag and Gambhir, and both these players have proved a point with this IPL. Harbhajan was even dropped from the team, and here he is leading a million $ team in the playoffs.

Last but not the least is Chennai Super King. Under the leadership of the Indian captain, Mahender Singh Dhoni, CSK got a back door entry into the playoffs when RCB lost to DC in the penultimate match of the group stage today.

The Playoff Schedule
The first qualifier is scheduled in Pune between DD and KKR on 22nd May 2012. The winner of this match goes directly into the finals.

MI and CSK play the eliminator on 23rd May 2012 in Bangalore. The winner of this match plays the loser of the first qualifier, on 25th May 2012, in Chennai, for a shot in the finals.

The final is scheduled in Chennai on 27th May 2012. Let the best team win. 

The Off Field Antics
The IPL 2012 was loaded with lots of off-field antics. 

It started with Pune Warriors pulling out of the IPL, only to join the party later. Disappointingly, they finished last.

A week or so earlier, 5 players were caught on camera willing to accept a bribe for spot fixing. The players were not known names. However, spot fixing had cast its shadow and threatened to open a Pandora's box.

Just a few days later, Shahrukh Khan (SRK), owner of KKR, had a fracas with the security after the match against MI. This story became a national headline, and almost become a battle against a super star, who claimed just to be a proud parent preventing his kids from being man handled.

SRK Scuffle at MCA
SRK Off Field Antics
If this was not enough, a RCB player - Aussie Luke Pomersbach - was accused by a lady of molesting her and hitting her boyfriend. This incident snowballed when Siddarth Mallya was served a legal notice for questioning the lady's character with some loose comments on Twitter. 

Summary
All in all, it has been an exciting IPL. I couldn't follow much it. However, it has been an intense topic of discussions during tea and lunch breaks. The off-field antics notwithstanding, it is cricket that promises to come up as a winner in the next week.

It has been a heady mix of Politics, Religion, Entertainment, Business and Sports. 

Going by the form book, I think KKR would win the DLF IPL 2012.

Who is your choice for the IPL 2012 Champions Tag??


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Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Heartbreak Moments

A few heart break moments shattered my fragile soul.

~~ I knew she was priceless. Someone told her before me.

~~ I prepared hard for the first moment. I wasn't smart and was horribly clumsy and lost. I failed miserably.

~~ Dreams are like balloons. Don't fill them up with needless air, it would only burst them.


Heartbreak Moments
P.S. Is it incidental that such fictional heartbreak moments crossed my mind?


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Saturday, 5 May 2012

Super Moon 5th May 2012

Today is Super Moon day.

It's the closest the moon will get to the earth in year 2012. It would be shining bright at a distance of 221802 miles (356955 KMs) from the earth, which is approximately 15300 miles (24623 KMs) closer than the average distance.

Super Moon 5th May 2012
This would make the moon look 14% larger - although the naked eye would find it difficult to spot the difference.

~~~~
The super moon shines,
Our thoughts align.
To your company divine,
My future I consign.

Like the moon large,
My life you enlarge.
Stay alike every single day,
And make my life gay.
~~~~


Look out of the window and cherish the moment.

Super Moon

Catch some beautiful super moon pictures here.

Super Moon 5 May 2012 California

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Wednesday, 2 May 2012

It's All In The Mind

~~~~
In the dark night, 
On an empty bed, 
My words take flight, 
Taking me nowhere. 

Tears in my eyes, 
Make them bloody red. 
The soul pains and cries, 
Sadness fails to fade. 

An empty life that I lead,  
Heavy is my hollow soul. 
Poison it does breed, 
Making my psyche dour. 

Critical of myself, 
I create a demon. 
Demeaning thoughts make me an elf, 
Causing needless sunburn. 

As the world jets ahead, 
I crawl like a snail.  
Of what I am made, 
I am yet to tell.

I yearn for a promising future, 
Wish to see it shining bright, 
And so will be the picture, 
If my mind feels it right.  
~~~~

It's All In The Mind

P.S. These were some thoughts which troubled my mind as I struggled to sleep a few weeks back. Finally I managed to sleep when the positive closing thoughts crossed my mind. 

To conclude, it's all in the mind. If the mind can dream up the picture, it can as well be well endowed to paint it.

An apprehensive mind is like a flower which prevents itself from blooming. If the mind can conquer the apprehensions, it can conquer the world.



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Tuesday, 1 May 2012

Satyamev Jayate Aamir Khan

A few days back, as I was walking with my thoughts wandering aimlessly, an advertisement said - "Dil pe lagegi tohi baat banegi."

It was Aamir Khan promoting his new television serial - Satyamev Jayate. His words were bang on target and apt for almost all circumstances which we face in our daily life.

Aamir Khan Satyamev Jayate
And if these words were classical, the theme song or title song of Satyamev Jayate is simply fantastic. Inspired by the Emblem of India, the song captures the pulse of the nation. 

The video stars Aamir Khan and you can catch it right below. The song is written by Prasoon Joshi and is composed by Ram Sampath (Yes, Ram of the D.K. Bose fame)



Satyamev Jayate means Truth Stands Invincible. And this song says just one theme - The nation of India is invincible.

Aamir Khan has done justice to the song by travelling across India, capturing people's emotions, their travails, their aspirations, their happiness, their simplicity et al.

Satyamev Jayate Aamir Khan
You can download the MP3 song right here.

You can catch the beautiful lyrics right below.

~~~~
Tere rang aisa chadh gaya
Koi aur rang na chadh sake
Tera naam seeney pe likha
Har koi aake padh sakey

Hai junoon hai junoon hai
Tere ishq ka ye junoon hai
Rag rag mein ishq tera daudta
Yeh bawra sa khoon hai

Tune hi sikhaya sachai oo ka matlab
Tere paas aake jaana maine zindagi ka maksad
Satyamev, satyamev, satyamev jayate
Sacha hai pyaar tera, satyamev jayate

Tere noor ke dastoor mein
Na ho salwatein na shikan rahe
Meri koshishein toh hai bas yaheen
Rahein khushbooein gulshan rahe

Teri zulf suljhaney chala
Terey aur paas aaney chala
Jahan koi sur na ho besura
Woh geet main ganey chala

Tere rang aisa chadh gaya
Tha nasha jo aur bhi badh gaya
Teri barishon ka karam hai ye
Main nikhar Gaya main sanwar gaya

Jaisa bhi hoon apna mujhey
Mujhey ye nahin hain bolna
Kabil tere main ban sakoo
Mujhey dwaar aisa kholna

Sanson ki iss raftaar ko
Dhadkan ke iss tyohaar ko
Har jeet ko har haar ko
Khud apney iss sansaar ko
Badloonga main tere liye

Mujhey khud ko bhi hai tatolna
Kahin hai kami to hai bolna
Khahin dag hain toh chupayein kyon
Hum sach se nazrein hatayein kyon

khud ko badalna hai agar
Badloonga main tere liye
Sholon pe chalna hai agar
Chal doonga main tere liye

Mere khoon kee har boond main
Sankalp ho tere pyaar ka
Kato mujhey to too bahe
Ho surkh rang har dharrrr ka 
~~~~

Satyamev Jayate Emblem of India

The official website of the show is right here. You can catch up on various aspects of the show and contribute towards bringing up the change, thereby realizing the dream of the show.


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