Professional sport is one of those (last few) things left, which is like a guy thing . Watching a good game with the right company, critiquing the commentary and game strategy, debating hazaar statistics and of course, consuming beer, adds up to make it that kind of an event.
What the IPL has done (though good for its coffers) is to make cricket a complete entertainment package with no respect for any of the nuances . So, you have people who have never seen cricket before decide to support the Rajasthan Royals- Why? Coz Shilpa Shetty owns the team and a smoking tubby Shane Warne is charismatic. All the right reasons, as you can see. Plus of course, Mandira Bedi for commentary. This year, the ads suggest there is something special being planned for kids during the coverage. Oh my God!!
I am not v sure, but I think the EPL isnt some kind of a family mela. That may be because soccer is a contact sport..who knows ! Also, it hasnt been marketed in this kind of a manner with movie stars & the type being team owners etc etc. Tragedy is that every year, the IPL only gets more and more away from the clutches and understanding of a hardcore cricket or sports geek.
All the above are part of the reason why you wouldnt know who has been the top scorer in the 2 IPL editions, which batter has been the game changer, which bowler has best eco rates, whats the key strategy element in a T20 and so on.....
I may still watch it coz it is telecast at a time when I may otherwise be watching some meaningless news program on CNN or CNBC..But surely not enjoying it too much ...
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Facebook cant survive for too long, can it?
Facebook has evolved a fair bit
It initially started off as a photo sharing/commenting tool started by Zuckerberg (another Harvad Univ grad). Story goes he was dumped by some girl & created this coz he wanted to get her off his mind. It became like an online student directory for Harvard with photos etc. It gradually spread and went on to add more colleges , schools and then went on to become the soc networking tool that it is today.
In India, orkut had a headstart-it largely helped people get in touch with long lost friends, school mates etc. But as orkut stagnated, facebook became all of this plus an exciting front-end allowing various things like status updates & several custom apps. The viral nature of social netowrking caught on much more with facebook and it kept adding users. Today, I guess college kids types use it for the apps etc whilst the older bunch use it to keep others informed on what they r upto (a bit of a show-off site from time to time !!"Awesome view frm the top of the Himalayas types!":))
What next? I get the feeling that they are looking to:
1. Charge for membership and/or
2. Create a forum where transactions happen on facebook (friends getting togethter and doing stuff etc etc)
Am not sure either of the above will ever become very huge or popular. Creating a network and then milking it for transactions seems intiutive. The issue is that most people in this kind of a network are in the 3rd or 4th degree!! Your 1st or 2nd degree network are the ones with whom you will make plans, transactions etc and for that you wont need facebook.com.
My take is:
1. It will remain an average networking site
2. People will get fed up of putting up global, glowing status updates & pics and move on or reduce their usage
3. Transactions etc will not really take off
4. The site will stagnate by 2015
Lets see...Could be proven wrong but unlikely !:)
It initially started off as a photo sharing/commenting tool started by Zuckerberg (another Harvad Univ grad). Story goes he was dumped by some girl & created this coz he wanted to get her off his mind. It became like an online student directory for Harvard with photos etc. It gradually spread and went on to add more colleges , schools and then went on to become the soc networking tool that it is today.
In India, orkut had a headstart-it largely helped people get in touch with long lost friends, school mates etc. But as orkut stagnated, facebook became all of this plus an exciting front-end allowing various things like status updates & several custom apps. The viral nature of social netowrking caught on much more with facebook and it kept adding users. Today, I guess college kids types use it for the apps etc whilst the older bunch use it to keep others informed on what they r upto (a bit of a show-off site from time to time !!"Awesome view frm the top of the Himalayas types!":))
What next? I get the feeling that they are looking to:
1. Charge for membership and/or
2. Create a forum where transactions happen on facebook (friends getting togethter and doing stuff etc etc)
Am not sure either of the above will ever become very huge or popular. Creating a network and then milking it for transactions seems intiutive. The issue is that most people in this kind of a network are in the 3rd or 4th degree!! Your 1st or 2nd degree network are the ones with whom you will make plans, transactions etc and for that you wont need facebook.com.
My take is:
1. It will remain an average networking site
2. People will get fed up of putting up global, glowing status updates & pics and move on or reduce their usage
3. Transactions etc will not really take off
4. The site will stagnate by 2015
Lets see...Could be proven wrong but unlikely !:)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The insignificant No.11 or wat?
10 players of the Indian test squad more or less pick themselves . These 10 players are the Top 5 batsmen+Yuvraj (:) ) + MSD+ Zak+ Ishant + Bhajji. (just for the moment, leave the fact that Ishant was dropped for Sreesanth in the home series v SL)
That leaves us with 1 slot. This goes to a seamer in overseas games and typically a 2nd spinner in sub-continental conditions. And this is the slot we ping-pong with. Sreesanth's ok-ok form off late means he is probably the 3rd seamer (to be used overseas). But in the subcontinent games, its (as of now) between Mishra & Ojha (&how). Check the below trail of our last few series:
Ind v Aus (in India in Oct08)- Mishra made debut & was awesome
Ind v Eng (in India in late08)- Mishra continued & was good , if not spectacular
Ind v NZ (in NZ in early 09)- No spinner needed
Ind v SL (in Ind in late 09)- Suddenly, Mishra is dropped after an ordinary 1st test on a batting beauty & Ojha is in. Ojha does a good job
Ind v Bangla (in Bangla in 2010)-
1st test- Mishra is in & Ojha is out. Mishra doesnt bowl too well, but takes a 7-for in the match & we win the match (apparently, captain Sehwag's call)
2nd test- Ojha is in & Mishra is out !!! (back to captain MSD & his call)
I cant fathom why we play around with that marginal 4th bowler instead of giving 1 person a good run and loads of confidence. It usually shows also when we struggle to pick up the last 3-4 wickets.
That leaves us with 1 slot. This goes to a seamer in overseas games and typically a 2nd spinner in sub-continental conditions. And this is the slot we ping-pong with. Sreesanth's ok-ok form off late means he is probably the 3rd seamer (to be used overseas). But in the subcontinent games, its (as of now) between Mishra & Ojha (&how). Check the below trail of our last few series:
Ind v Aus (in India in Oct08)- Mishra made debut & was awesome
Ind v Eng (in India in late08)- Mishra continued & was good , if not spectacular
Ind v NZ (in NZ in early 09)- No spinner needed
Ind v SL (in Ind in late 09)- Suddenly, Mishra is dropped after an ordinary 1st test on a batting beauty & Ojha is in. Ojha does a good job
Ind v Bangla (in Bangla in 2010)-
1st test- Mishra is in & Ojha is out. Mishra doesnt bowl too well, but takes a 7-for in the match & we win the match (apparently, captain Sehwag's call)
2nd test- Ojha is in & Mishra is out !!! (back to captain MSD & his call)
I cant fathom why we play around with that marginal 4th bowler instead of giving 1 person a good run and loads of confidence. It usually shows also when we struggle to pick up the last 3-4 wickets.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Wierdos in the gym
All of us who go to these gyms (regularly or irregularly) wouldnt have missed several strange categories of people in there:
1. The struggling amateur- This is the guy who has just joined the gym but is clearly not cut out for it. He spends more time drinking water and walking around the gym than working out. When he works out , he typically gets the angles and body postures wrong.
2. The irritating floor trainer/s- The personal trainers are typically good but the floor trainers are a massive pain. The funniest thing I find about them is that Trainer No.1 may come and say that "Adjust your seat to position.4" . You would do so and continue exercising and then suddenly, Trainer No.2 will come & say "Too high- reduce to positon.3" . Damn bugging , especially for the struggling amateur.
3. The noisy muscleman- These are those Salman Khan varieties. Every gym needs them to be authentic. But , the loud grunt while lifting some 150 kilos is just unbearable and not done.
4. The treadmill hunters- 70% of the people come to the gym to just run up and down on the treadmill (i have never understood why). Typically, in a city like Mumbai, the treadmillls are always occupied. So- you have these guys who come up to you and ask you - "Aur kitna time??"
5. The pushy Mumbai local train types- These are two types of these:
i. Chappies who do an exercise and then leave their towel on the equipment. The towel indicates that they are gonna come back soon and that the equipment is "reserved" for them
ii. Folks who wanna finish off their routines first and so, will literally stand on your head whilst you are exercising to ensure that they can go next.
6. The sleeper abs- These guys get onto the abs trainer at the end of their routine. They are typically very tired, but to reduce that fat paunch, tend to (try &) do a lot of crunches. And invariably they lie down on the equipment and take "v long" breaks with their eyes closed between their sets.
Are they more? Maybe, the dainty lady , the elderly gentleman and so on...But the above were the top 6 that came to my mind. Happy gymming.
1. The struggling amateur- This is the guy who has just joined the gym but is clearly not cut out for it. He spends more time drinking water and walking around the gym than working out. When he works out , he typically gets the angles and body postures wrong.
2. The irritating floor trainer/s- The personal trainers are typically good but the floor trainers are a massive pain. The funniest thing I find about them is that Trainer No.1 may come and say that "Adjust your seat to position.4" . You would do so and continue exercising and then suddenly, Trainer No.2 will come & say "Too high- reduce to positon.3" . Damn bugging , especially for the struggling amateur.
3. The noisy muscleman- These are those Salman Khan varieties. Every gym needs them to be authentic. But , the loud grunt while lifting some 150 kilos is just unbearable and not done.
4. The treadmill hunters- 70% of the people come to the gym to just run up and down on the treadmill (i have never understood why). Typically, in a city like Mumbai, the treadmillls are always occupied. So- you have these guys who come up to you and ask you - "Aur kitna time??"
5. The pushy Mumbai local train types- These are two types of these:
i. Chappies who do an exercise and then leave their towel on the equipment. The towel indicates that they are gonna come back soon and that the equipment is "reserved" for them
ii. Folks who wanna finish off their routines first and so, will literally stand on your head whilst you are exercising to ensure that they can go next.
6. The sleeper abs- These guys get onto the abs trainer at the end of their routine. They are typically very tired, but to reduce that fat paunch, tend to (try &) do a lot of crunches. And invariably they lie down on the equipment and take "v long" breaks with their eyes closed between their sets.
Are they more? Maybe, the dainty lady , the elderly gentleman and so on...But the above were the top 6 that came to my mind. Happy gymming.
Sunny Gavaskar
Taking off from one of the comments on the blog on Sunny Gavaskar, thought i will put down my thoughts on the man.
Lemme start off by saying that he is an absolute icon- be it the 774 runs in a debut series vs. WI or staging a walkout on a wrong umpiring decision in Australia- he has in many ways been a pioneer. Awesome batting technique against spin and pace, I dont think concerns around his selfishness, conservative captaincy, blah blah are too much to bother about.
On his commentary though, there are 2 standard features, which are well, worth laughing about as well as things he should maybe avoid:
1. Tendulkar Worship - He can say no wrong about Sachin. Forget wrong, he can only praise him. In one of the recent ODIs vs. Sri Lanka , Sachin took a dolly of a catch in the final overs of a close chase. Gavaskar went on & on praising Sachin whereas the position of the game at the time may have merited a tad more mention ! :) Again- this is not blame but just an observation. I am no one to criticize Sachin worshippers- being the biggest one myself.
2. Aussie/Eng/SA bashing- We all love a bit of bashing of the firang cricketers and administrators. But Sunny does it almost blindly each and every time. I think I agree with the points he makes , but putting it more mildly and discreetly may drive home the point better. e.g. the Ponting fracas ! But then he is Sunny Gavaskar & probably is right :)
As Lord Relator said in the great calypso:
"It was Gavaskar
The real master
Just like a wall
We couldn't out Gavaskar at all
Not at all
You know the West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all."
Lemme start off by saying that he is an absolute icon- be it the 774 runs in a debut series vs. WI or staging a walkout on a wrong umpiring decision in Australia- he has in many ways been a pioneer. Awesome batting technique against spin and pace, I dont think concerns around his selfishness, conservative captaincy, blah blah are too much to bother about.
On his commentary though, there are 2 standard features, which are well, worth laughing about as well as things he should maybe avoid:
1. Tendulkar Worship - He can say no wrong about Sachin. Forget wrong, he can only praise him. In one of the recent ODIs vs. Sri Lanka , Sachin took a dolly of a catch in the final overs of a close chase. Gavaskar went on & on praising Sachin whereas the position of the game at the time may have merited a tad more mention ! :) Again- this is not blame but just an observation. I am no one to criticize Sachin worshippers- being the biggest one myself.
2. Aussie/Eng/SA bashing- We all love a bit of bashing of the firang cricketers and administrators. But Sunny does it almost blindly each and every time. I think I agree with the points he makes , but putting it more mildly and discreetly may drive home the point better. e.g. the Ponting fracas ! But then he is Sunny Gavaskar & probably is right :)
As Lord Relator said in the great calypso:
"It was Gavaskar
The real master
Just like a wall
We couldn't out Gavaskar at all
Not at all
You know the West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all."
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Kam aur galat Insurance lene ki bimaari !
I aint no expert on personal investing. But I have always been amazed at the manner in which insurance policies are sold (& more importantly, bought!!) in India.
Quick step back to basics- Objective of insurance is to provide dependants with savings in the event of any untoward happening. THAT's IT.
This is achieved by the classic Term insurance policy- In such a policy, you pay a premium which covers you for anything untoward. If nothing like that happens, you dont get money back.
Then, there is the range of policies from endowment to money back to spurious unit-linked stuff in which you get various sums of money back in case the untoward event doesnt hapen.
Let me look at some premiums for these various kind of policies.
Assumptions: Age: 30
Sum insured: 1 cr
Tenor: 15 years
Premiums p.a.
Term - 30k
Endowment - 6.5 lac
Money Back- 10 lac
Unit Linked- Something devilish like 20 lac
I hope the numbers speak for themselves. In the effort of getting money back, you end up paying disproportionately large sums of money for the same sum insured.
Net-net, you end up under-insuring substantially. For a premium like 6.5 lac you could get much much much more sum insured cover in a term policy . This is a big worry in case something untoward happens (which is why you buy insurance). To achieve investment gains, there are many other products from equities to MFs to real estate to what not- get investing gains from those, not from insurance.
Of course, the agent will sell the costlier ones since his / her commission is linked to the premiums. Please do not wrongly under-insure. If insurance, then go for the simple term insurance.
Quick step back to basics- Objective of insurance is to provide dependants with savings in the event of any untoward happening. THAT's IT.
This is achieved by the classic Term insurance policy- In such a policy, you pay a premium which covers you for anything untoward. If nothing like that happens, you dont get money back.
Then, there is the range of policies from endowment to money back to spurious unit-linked stuff in which you get various sums of money back in case the untoward event doesnt hapen.
Let me look at some premiums for these various kind of policies.
Assumptions: Age: 30
Sum insured: 1 cr
Tenor: 15 years
Premiums p.a.
Term - 30k
Endowment - 6.5 lac
Money Back- 10 lac
Unit Linked- Something devilish like 20 lac
I hope the numbers speak for themselves. In the effort of getting money back, you end up paying disproportionately large sums of money for the same sum insured.
Net-net, you end up under-insuring substantially. For a premium like 6.5 lac you could get much much much more sum insured cover in a term policy . This is a big worry in case something untoward happens (which is why you buy insurance). To achieve investment gains, there are many other products from equities to MFs to real estate to what not- get investing gains from those, not from insurance.
Of course, the agent will sell the costlier ones since his / her commission is linked to the premiums. Please do not wrongly under-insure. If insurance, then go for the simple term insurance.
Aromas, Powai- review
Decided to check out a restaurant at Powai.
Got into this coffee shop-Aromas (no need for a map, its bang in the middle of the Hiranandani area)..Its the first outlet in India of an Aussie chain.
Great ambience (by which I mean, nice & lazy). The ACs werent working. The crowd included the normal Powai type mix of expats.
The menu is much more than a normal coffee shop - includes a range of pizzas & pastas besides various coffees, sandwiches & desserts.
I tried a pizza & some pasta- they were good without being spectatcular or v authentic. Service was prompt & good, prices generally in the 120-125 buck range per dish. Tried out a "pepper" cheesecake which again was nice.
All-in-all, good place to catch up with friends on an afternoon !Food alone is not worth going for but the ambience & service makes up for that !
Got into this coffee shop-Aromas (no need for a map, its bang in the middle of the Hiranandani area)..Its the first outlet in India of an Aussie chain.
Great ambience (by which I mean, nice & lazy). The ACs werent working. The crowd included the normal Powai type mix of expats.
The menu is much more than a normal coffee shop - includes a range of pizzas & pastas besides various coffees, sandwiches & desserts.
I tried a pizza & some pasta- they were good without being spectatcular or v authentic. Service was prompt & good, prices generally in the 120-125 buck range per dish. Tried out a "pepper" cheesecake which again was nice.
All-in-all, good place to catch up with friends on an afternoon !Food alone is not worth going for but the ambience & service makes up for that !
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Tam / Udipi Food @ Matunga
I am a big fan of nice veg tam food (& also the peppery non-veg chettinad too, though thats reserved for another post). This is on the veg food.
Matunga has this line of veg restaurants which are traditional (are they still?) and d
am popular- Cafe Mysore, Cafe Madras , Rama Nayak-old & new, Mani's and so on..
I have always ended up eating at the Cafe Mysore though.
-Cafe Mysore is more udipi food in taste than tam
- The normal suspects- idlis, vadaa, dosa are of course there. I always start off with the rasam vadaa (a bowl containing rasam and vadaas)
- If breakfast, I tend to follow up with mysore masala butter dosa. (Do go for the butter version, for sure). The Udipi sambhars arent great, but its ok with the mysore masala dosa combi
- Lunch typically is a taali - like a plated meal with puris, subzi, rice, dal, rasam and a sweet
- I always end with pineapple sheera
- And a filter coffee for sure !!!! followed by the dry pan with cocount fillings (Wow)
My guess is the other restaurants in that are kinda similar - maybe more Tam in taste than Udipi. (will try them sometime soon)
Cost is never gonna be an issue with these places. Waiting time maybe there and finding parking if you are driving the car, is a pain.
All-in-all, great option for a nice breakfast or lunch ended by a great coffee.
One point of caution- these places have huge demand from the large Gujarati population in and around Matunga. This , in my view, has resulted in a gradual change in the menu and tastes & definitely takes away from the authentic South Indian taste..Point to worry, but nothing can be done about it. Every business, I guess, adapts to the tastes of the modal and most-paying customers ! :)
Matunga has this line of veg restaurants which are traditional (are they still?) and d
am popular- Cafe Mysore, Cafe Madras , Rama Nayak-old & new, Mani's and so on..I have always ended up eating at the Cafe Mysore though.
-Cafe Mysore is more udipi food in taste than tam
- The normal suspects- idlis, vadaa, dosa are of course there. I always start off with the rasam vadaa (a bowl containing rasam and vadaas)
- If breakfast, I tend to follow up with mysore masala butter dosa. (Do go for the butter version, for sure). The Udipi sambhars arent great, but its ok with the mysore masala dosa combi
- Lunch typically is a taali - like a plated meal with puris, subzi, rice, dal, rasam and a sweet
- I always end with pineapple sheera
- And a filter coffee for sure !!!! followed by the dry pan with cocount fillings (Wow)
My guess is the other restaurants in that are kinda similar - maybe more Tam in taste than Udipi. (will try them sometime soon)
Cost is never gonna be an issue with these places. Waiting time maybe there and finding parking if you are driving the car, is a pain.
All-in-all, great option for a nice breakfast or lunch ended by a great coffee.
One point of caution- these places have huge demand from the large Gujarati population in and around Matunga. This , in my view, has resulted in a gradual change in the menu and tastes & definitely takes away from the authentic South Indian taste..Point to worry, but nothing can be done about it. Every business, I guess, adapts to the tastes of the modal and most-paying customers ! :)
Someday , somewhere..
I have never been a fan of a restaurant biz model..of course, margins are typically huge. But, it takes money and time to build a brand, real estate is costly and most importantly, restaurant businesses are typically "fads" and thats the biggest risk.
But...
Someday, somewhere, I would wanna open a cafe (not a restaurant, but a cafe).
Where: City-center or a tourist area
Emphasis: On ambience and great food, but no fixed cusine type
Ambience: Cool, casual, nice music, glass facade, open feel, bright colors, loads of newspapers, a small micro-brewery
Cusine:Keep varying from week to week..some standard all-day items to always be around
Kabhi na kabhi...kahin na kahin...
But...
Someday, somewhere, I would wanna open a cafe (not a restaurant, but a cafe).
Where: City-center or a tourist area
Emphasis: On ambience and great food, but no fixed cusine type
Ambience: Cool, casual, nice music, glass facade, open feel, bright colors, loads of newspapers, a small micro-brewery
Cusine:Keep varying from week to week..some standard all-day items to always be around
Kabhi na kabhi...kahin na kahin...
The decline & demise of the Times..
I have been perpetually cribbing about the decline in quality of reporting in the Times of India..however, inertia means that I still get the ToI and ET every day ..
But weird campaigs like the latest launched Aman-Asha thingie leave me with no choice but to change.
Am waiting for the paperwala to come today so that I can shift to the HT + Mint combine..
But weird campaigs like the latest launched Aman-Asha thingie leave me with no choice but to change.
Am waiting for the paperwala to come today so that I can shift to the HT + Mint combine..
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Pakistan ..oh oh !
Nothing much to say on their batting collapse, is there? I just hope people in Pakistan dont come up with some match fixing theory which will hide the inadequacies of their team.
Just 2 points:
1. Winning in professional sport is so much about the confidence & knowing "how to win" as opposed to skills. This Aussie team proves that.
2. I wanna also pay tribute to the heavweights in the Indian Test Team who have enabled us to learn "how to win". In this, I include Sachin, Saurav, VVS & Dravid- Dravid being the best example, methinks. Remember the Adelaide test we won in 2004- we had around 225 to chase in the 4th innings and Dravid anchored that chase like a champion (just like Sachin did in the Chennai test vs. England, though Dravid's was earlier & hence, maybe better). If Dravid hadnt batted in that manner that day, we may also well have collapsed & stuggled to figure out "how to win"! Salute the WALL !
Just 2 points:
1. Winning in professional sport is so much about the confidence & knowing "how to win" as opposed to skills. This Aussie team proves that.
2. I wanna also pay tribute to the heavweights in the Indian Test Team who have enabled us to learn "how to win". In this, I include Sachin, Saurav, VVS & Dravid- Dravid being the best example, methinks. Remember the Adelaide test we won in 2004- we had around 225 to chase in the 4th innings and Dravid anchored that chase like a champion (just like Sachin did in the Chennai test vs. England, though Dravid's was earlier & hence, maybe better). If Dravid hadnt batted in that manner that day, we may also well have collapsed & stuggled to figure out "how to win"! Salute the WALL !
Abhimanyu Mithun..watch out for this name
As a typical cricket freak, i luv picking up players from the Ranji scene who I think may one day break into the next level. One of my earliest picks was a person named MS Dhoni, but no blogging then to prove that.
In keeping with that, Abhimanyu Mithun, 20-yr old pacer from Karnataka is my latest pick.
He made his Ranji debut this season and in 8 matches, has taken 38 wickets at an average of 25-odd. By newspaper accounts, he bowls in the region of 140 km/hr. These numbers have been achieved by him bowling mainly on what is an unhelpful Chinnaswamy Stadium track (where he also picked up a 4-for in the recent semi finals against a decent UP line-up). He also played in the IPL for the Royal Challengers and in the 3 games he played, Kumble gave him decent spells and put faith in him- which also gives me confidence.
Watch out for this name. I will track him & most importantly his pace (so that he doesnt go the normal way of our speedsters- quick only for the 1st season a la Munaf)
Source for data / pix- http://www.cricinfo.com/
In keeping with that, Abhimanyu Mithun, 20-yr old pacer from Karnataka is my latest pick.
He made his Ranji debut this season and in 8 matches, has taken 38 wickets at an average of 25-odd. By newspaper accounts, he bowls in the region of 140 km/hr. These numbers have been achieved by him bowling mainly on what is an unhelpful Chinnaswamy Stadium track (where he also picked up a 4-for in the recent semi finals against a decent UP line-up). He also played in the IPL for the Royal Challengers and in the 3 games he played, Kumble gave him decent spells and put faith in him- which also gives me confidence.
Watch out for this name. I will track him & most importantly his pace (so that he doesnt go the normal way of our speedsters- quick only for the 1st season a la Munaf)
Source for data / pix- http://www.cricinfo.com/
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Entrepreneurship & Risk Aversion
Very nice piece from Sanjeev Bikhchandani (founder: www.naukri.com) from his blog:
http://bikhchandani.blogspot.com/2009/05/entrepreneurs-are-risk-averse.html
Nicely detailed out..couldnt agree more !!!
http://bikhchandani.blogspot.com/2009/05/entrepreneurs-are-risk-averse.html
Nicely detailed out..couldnt agree more !!!
Pakistan's day at the SCG & Ponting's weakness against the short ball :)
Pakistan had a field day at the SCG. You can check out the scores at http://www.cricinfo.com/ - I thought the day's play showed why Pakistan is a dangerously weird side:
1. Mohammed Asif bowled an awesome spell to take a 6-for. He has now taken 79 wickets in 15.5 tests at an average below 23. He never ever bowls about 132 km/h , yet is consistent and menacing. And of course, he has come back from a drug possession ban !!!!
2. Mohammed Sami, on the other hand, is an enigma. He is quick, can swing it and is very fit. Yet, in a career spanning 33 tests, his bowling average is above 50. He played in last test against India in 2007 and was surprisingly called back for this Aussie series. He even flirted with the ICL in the interim. As he showed today, he can be a handful with pace, bounce and movement. He is a decent No.8/9 bat too.
3. Their catching was awful in the Boxing Day test- prompting the commentators to even say that their catching in this test could be the difference ultimately. Today, be it Misbah or Faisal Iqbal in the slips or even Kamran behind the stumps, the catching was really good.
And Mr. Ricky Ponting got out for a duck..first ball to a bouncer. The second or third time this summer. Kenmar Roach from the Windies had given him a harrowing time with short balls. And now Sami gave him a first-baller. None of the esteemed Channel-9 team were talking about this. Had it been Sachin or VVS or Saurav, they would have all been up saying weakness against short ball etc etc. Ricky getting out to the short ball only proves what Sunny Gavaskar has been saying all the while- that all batsmen are vulnerable against good short-pitched bowling !
Pakistan find themselves in great position to force the game at the end of Day 1 at the SCG. Its damn tough to decide who to support (or not support) in a Pak-Aus series. That in itself is saying a lot about the Aussies !:)
All data source: www.cricinfo.com
1. Mohammed Asif bowled an awesome spell to take a 6-for. He has now taken 79 wickets in 15.5 tests at an average below 23. He never ever bowls about 132 km/h , yet is consistent and menacing. And of course, he has come back from a drug possession ban !!!!
2. Mohammed Sami, on the other hand, is an enigma. He is quick, can swing it and is very fit. Yet, in a career spanning 33 tests, his bowling average is above 50. He played in last test against India in 2007 and was surprisingly called back for this Aussie series. He even flirted with the ICL in the interim. As he showed today, he can be a handful with pace, bounce and movement. He is a decent No.8/9 bat too.
3. Their catching was awful in the Boxing Day test- prompting the commentators to even say that their catching in this test could be the difference ultimately. Today, be it Misbah or Faisal Iqbal in the slips or even Kamran behind the stumps, the catching was really good.
And Mr. Ricky Ponting got out for a duck..first ball to a bouncer. The second or third time this summer. Kenmar Roach from the Windies had given him a harrowing time with short balls. And now Sami gave him a first-baller. None of the esteemed Channel-9 team were talking about this. Had it been Sachin or VVS or Saurav, they would have all been up saying weakness against short ball etc etc. Ricky getting out to the short ball only proves what Sunny Gavaskar has been saying all the while- that all batsmen are vulnerable against good short-pitched bowling !
Pakistan find themselves in great position to force the game at the end of Day 1 at the SCG. Its damn tough to decide who to support (or not support) in a Pak-Aus series. That in itself is saying a lot about the Aussies !:)
All data source: www.cricinfo.com
Chetan Bhagat- ha ha..stop being funny!
Too cute by Chetan Bhagat on this entire 3-idiots issue. I cant even understand what the fuss is all about. Read on..
Lemme just quickly summarise the issue.
1. The closing credits of the movie says - "Based on the novel 5 point someone by Chetan Bhagat"..Yes, it does, I saw it !
2. Chetan Bhagat signed an agreement with the movie team for the above and also accepted consideration (money) for the adaptation of his book
3. Now, he claims that he should have been given more credit (read:opening credits) for his movie. Further, he claims his mother was in tears coz he wasnt in the opening credits when she saw the movie (advice: he should have told her b4 she saw the movie, methinks)
4. The media of course blew up the issue with no one bothering about legalities etc (as usual). Chetan cutely landed up on national TV making various "emotional" pleas, where there isnt any case at all. He is also saying that the movie is 70% adapted from his book etc etc- trust an ex I-banker to come up with a spurious number. These metrics are tough to come up with and surely should have been thought of before signing the agreement.
To come up with all this after he had signed agreements, accepted consideration, seen premieres etc etc, I can only think that he was taken aback by the scale of the movie's success and hence, wanted more mention (ahead of Abhijat Joshi, who has done a fabulous job).
Not only is Chetan wrong, he is also just using the media to create an unnecessary issue, trying to take away (& not succeeding :)) from the sheen of the movie's success!
Vir Sanghvi has written on this issue in the Sunday HT. The article will appear today evening on his blog (http://www.virsanghvi.com/). Vir has made points similar to the above and even mentions that HT has had unsavory experiences when Mr. Bhagat was writing for them. Vir though is critical of the movie team for their lack of grace in response. Fair point, but I am not sure I agree. I dont think the kind of rhetoric that Chetan indulged in, deserves any grace !!!!
Lemme just quickly summarise the issue.
1. The closing credits of the movie says - "Based on the novel 5 point someone by Chetan Bhagat"..Yes, it does, I saw it !
2. Chetan Bhagat signed an agreement with the movie team for the above and also accepted consideration (money) for the adaptation of his book
3. Now, he claims that he should have been given more credit (read:opening credits) for his movie. Further, he claims his mother was in tears coz he wasnt in the opening credits when she saw the movie (advice: he should have told her b4 she saw the movie, methinks)
4. The media of course blew up the issue with no one bothering about legalities etc (as usual). Chetan cutely landed up on national TV making various "emotional" pleas, where there isnt any case at all. He is also saying that the movie is 70% adapted from his book etc etc- trust an ex I-banker to come up with a spurious number. These metrics are tough to come up with and surely should have been thought of before signing the agreement.
To come up with all this after he had signed agreements, accepted consideration, seen premieres etc etc, I can only think that he was taken aback by the scale of the movie's success and hence, wanted more mention (ahead of Abhijat Joshi, who has done a fabulous job).
Not only is Chetan wrong, he is also just using the media to create an unnecessary issue, trying to take away (& not succeeding :)) from the sheen of the movie's success!
Vir Sanghvi has written on this issue in the Sunday HT. The article will appear today evening on his blog (http://www.virsanghvi.com/). Vir has made points similar to the above and even mentions that HT has had unsavory experiences when Mr. Bhagat was writing for them. Vir though is critical of the movie team for their lack of grace in response. Fair point, but I am not sure I agree. I dont think the kind of rhetoric that Chetan indulged in, deserves any grace !!!!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Restaurant reviews: Tote & Salt Water Bandra
Tote:
Interesting concept once again from the Akerkar stable located at the race course (Yeah- no parking woes). Fusion menu with some neat options and good seating space outdoors too (especially for
the 15-16 degree Mumbai winter)...I had some grilled meat & it was a tasty fusion with a north indian tandoori feel to it !! Had an awesome banana cake dessert...Very large menu..worth going but be sure to reserve a table..They have got these 8 pm & 10.30 pm sittings in the evenings, so, timings need to match !
Feel for prices: Normal premium pricing on drinks, each appetizer / entree / dessert costs in the region of Rs.350-450, the exquisite ones like tiger prawns in the range of Rs. 750-1,000...So, decide how much you wanna eat / drink & do your own math..
Verdict: Must Go
Salt Water Cafe (SWC):
Located at Bandra Reclamation (opposite the Barista), SWC offers a continental menu. I have always ended up trying the fish options especially the rawas prawn (yes) combi ! The pastas too are not
bad and the menu contains a good list of sandwiches / burgers..Good place to chill out for a Saturday lunch ..Seating capacity isnt too high-again calls for reservations on the weekends ...The menu also isnt too large , so, thats a note of caution !
Feel for prices: Beer in the 250 buck range, cocktails between Rs.280-400, main course in the 300-400 buck range
Verdict: Must try once, the ambience will probably take you there more times !
Interesting concept once again from the Akerkar stable located at the race course (Yeah- no parking woes). Fusion menu with some neat options and good seating space outdoors too (especially for
the 15-16 degree Mumbai winter)...I had some grilled meat & it was a tasty fusion with a north indian tandoori feel to it !! Had an awesome banana cake dessert...Very large menu..worth going but be sure to reserve a table..They have got these 8 pm & 10.30 pm sittings in the evenings, so, timings need to match !Feel for prices: Normal premium pricing on drinks, each appetizer / entree / dessert costs in the region of Rs.350-450, the exquisite ones like tiger prawns in the range of Rs. 750-1,000...So, decide how much you wanna eat / drink & do your own math..
Verdict: Must Go
Salt Water Cafe (SWC):
Located at Bandra Reclamation (opposite the Barista), SWC offers a continental menu. I have always ended up trying the fish options especially the rawas prawn (yes) combi ! The pastas too are not
bad and the menu contains a good list of sandwiches / burgers..Good place to chill out for a Saturday lunch ..Seating capacity isnt too high-again calls for reservations on the weekends ...The menu also isnt too large , so, thats a note of caution !Feel for prices: Beer in the 250 buck range, cocktails between Rs.280-400, main course in the 300-400 buck range
Verdict: Must try once, the ambience will probably take you there more times !
Multiple Choice test for Internet Startups !!
Was shuffling through some VC blogs , when I caught this one ! Very interesting ..
http://nothingventurednothinggained.blogspot.com/2007/03/my-simple-multiple-choice-test-for.html
http://nothingventurednothinggained.blogspot.com/2007/03/my-simple-multiple-choice-test-for.html
Travis Birt & the Aussie game !
Am sure most Indians hate the aussie cricket team !! Remember sledging them from the crowd at a T20 game at the CCI few years back !
But you have got to admire the quality of their game ! They have been doing ok in all versions of the game for the last 2 years with pretty much an average team (by their own standards). An answer may lie in their compact and competitive domestic structure (besides of course, their general love for sport).
Have been following the KFC (eeeks- wat a sponsor) T20 bash this year and the quality of cricket is quite staggering ...Saw Adam Voges take a spectacular catch for Western Australia (WA) vs Tasmania..and a chappie named Travis Birt play an aggressive knock for Tasmania. Watch out for these names..Voges has been in and around the Aussie team but Birt is my pick for a place sooner than later especially in T20.
Will still sledge & chase the Aussies out of India but for sure, there is a lesson for us to enhance our domestic structure..
But you have got to admire the quality of their game ! They have been doing ok in all versions of the game for the last 2 years with pretty much an average team (by their own standards). An answer may lie in their compact and competitive domestic structure (besides of course, their general love for sport).
Have been following the KFC (eeeks- wat a sponsor) T20 bash this year and the quality of cricket is quite staggering ...Saw Adam Voges take a spectacular catch for Western Australia (WA) vs Tasmania..and a chappie named Travis Birt play an aggressive knock for Tasmania. Watch out for these names..Voges has been in and around the Aussie team but Birt is my pick for a place sooner than later especially in T20.
Will still sledge & chase the Aussies out of India but for sure, there is a lesson for us to enhance our domestic structure..
Test Cricket...hmm...
I had an awesome end to 2009 ! I was on leave, yet didnt travel ! Spent time eating and watching some awesome test cricket...Every thing has its place in the world and I think those predicting the end of Test Cricket, seem to be doing so, in a year which has produced some of the best Test Cricket ever !!
You dont think so?? Sample this for the year !
1. The year started off with Australia thrashing South Africa in SA - in a kind of a revenge for their defeat in Aussie land! Before that we saw Graeme Smith being uinable to stave off defeat at the SCG despite batting with a broken hand
2. We saw an awesome Ashes series with most matches being very closely fought and we ended the year with great games between SA-Eng , Aus-Pak & before that NZ-Pak
3. As for India, we beat NZ in style in the beginning of the year ! Tragically, we didnt play too much test cricket this year !! And ended the year packing off SL at home.. The catching, fielding and bowling all comes good in the slower, less frenetic test matches !! And the batting has a rock star look to it !
Methinks test cricket will survive and thrive ! 20-20 style batting ensures results and excitement ! A few changes here and there like lights, weekend scheduling etc and test cricket will rock !
You dont think so?? Sample this for the year !
1. The year started off with Australia thrashing South Africa in SA - in a kind of a revenge for their defeat in Aussie land! Before that we saw Graeme Smith being uinable to stave off defeat at the SCG despite batting with a broken hand
2. We saw an awesome Ashes series with most matches being very closely fought and we ended the year with great games between SA-Eng , Aus-Pak & before that NZ-Pak
3. As for India, we beat NZ in style in the beginning of the year ! Tragically, we didnt play too much test cricket this year !! And ended the year packing off SL at home.. The catching, fielding and bowling all comes good in the slower, less frenetic test matches !! And the batting has a rock star look to it !
Methinks test cricket will survive and thrive ! 20-20 style batting ensures results and excitement ! A few changes here and there like lights, weekend scheduling etc and test cricket will rock !
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