Corporate conscience

TURTLE TALK EZONE’s effort to spread awareness about turtle conservation among the corporates.

EZONE, as part of the Turtle Walk, conducted sensitisation campaigns at Williams Lea and Whirlpool offices.

Williams Lea India is a global Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company that specialises in corporate information solutions. They plan to go for voluntary walks looking out for turtle eggs and hatchlings. HR Director, Pradeepa Ravindran feels that it is a welcome change and a concept that has kindled staff curiosity. “The main idea is to spread awareness and not to gain publicity.”

Whirlpool India kick-started their campaign with a beach clean-up from Thiruvanmiyur to Neelangarai on National Cleanliness Day last month. About 400 volunteers collected three truck loads of garbage, both organic and inorganic waste. Bobby of the HR dept said that the volunteers expressed a great sense of fulfilment and satisfaction at being part of this campaign.

Arun from The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSCN) said the main focus is the daily walk for about 14 km in search of turtle eggs and hatchlings. So far they have found about 4500 – 4600 turtle eggs and about 30 nests in a span of six weeks. He recalled the walk during a lunar eclipse. The walk went on till 4:00 a.m. the next morning and to his amazement, a turtle came out of the water to lay its eggs on the shore. That he said was an unforgettable experience.Saravanan, one of the local fisherfolk, has been fighting to save this endangered species from the time he was in Std. X. Even now he continues to spread awareness about the “Save a Turtle” Initiative.

In ancient myths and legends, the turtle was always seen as a symbol of strength, stability, benevolence, and wisdom. Here are a few turtle myths and tales, most that do not favour the existence of the endangered species:

• Beware of being bitten by a turtle; it will hold on till sunset.If a turtle bites you, it will not let go until there is thunder.

• Turtles when killed will live until the sun goes down.

• It is unlucky to kill a turtle which you do not intend to eat.

• Always catch a turtle after sundown, for it will bring you good luck.

• Good luck comes from keeping a turtle in your garden.

• Keep a turtle bone in your pocket for good luck.

The strength of a full-grown alligator turtle is revealed by its ability to break an oar into small bits by crunching it in its jaws.

Arun from The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSCN) said the main focus is the daily walk for about 14 km in search of turtle eggs and hatchlings. So far they have found about 4500 – 4600 turtle eggs and about 30 nests in a span of six weeks. He recalled the walk during a lunar eclipse. The walk went on till 4:00 a.m. the next morning and to his amazement, a turtle came out of the water to lay its eggs on the shore. That he said was an unforgettable experience.Saravanan (28), a local fisherman, has been fighting to save this endangered species from the time he was in Std. X. Even now he continues to spread awareness about the “Save a Turtle” Initiative.

EZONE is giving away an all-new and informative e-book free of cost. Download it from http://www.ezoneindia.co.in/. Be the one to make a change and here’s an opportunity to make the difference.

Welcome the Olive Ridley Turtle Trail ! To leave a footprint on the sands of time, call: Hafiz 99401 42349.

Walk them home to safety

CAMPAIGN It’s that time of the year again when organisations and individuals join forces for the Turtle Walk, to help our endangered friends from the sea. Why don’t you join them?

It’s been a month since the Chennai seacoast has turned into a breeding ground for the endangered sea turtles. The sea turtles still remain one of the most mysterious and time-honoured creatures on Earth. And the species of turtles that nests on the Eastern coast of India during December-April are the Olive Ridleys. And to those interested in the scientific specifics, it is called Lepidochelys Olivacea!

As we all know, huge campaigns are now on to ensure the safety of the eggs and hatchlings in the Chennai seacoast and people are conducting awareness programmes and getting involved in beach clean-ups in an effort to save the Olive Ridleys. If at all you are new to this, it’s called ‘The Turtle Walk’!

The Turtle Walk involves various groups of environment-conscious people who take a walk on a beach in the middle of the night stopping every now and then in search of eggs and hatchlings of the Olive Ridleys. The teams who patrol the beach initially look for tracks of a turtle caused by its feet and back flippers while it drags itself across the sand. Once the tracks are found, they search for the nest that the turtle digs to lay its eggs. These eggs are then transferred to a hatchery, where they will be kept safely for hatching. Once hatched, the hatchlings are released into the sea.

Now, the obvious question is: why go through all this trouble? The beaches are visited by thousands of people every day and there is always a fear of the turtles being disturbed. Also crows and dogs dig up the nests and eat the eggs. Another bigger threat is the effect of urbanisation and night time lighting. The bright night lights distract the Ridleys and the hatchlings. Instead of going towards the sea, they begin to move towards the brighter horizon and ultimately stray towards human habitation. While the hatchlings are prone to attacks by crows and dogs, the bigger turtles face the danger of getting caught in coastal vegetation or being run over by vehicles.

Activists and those concerned about wildlife conservation point out that it is vital to provide shade from the bright lights facing the beach. They have taken up this issue with the Government of India. The result? An assurance has been given that all the mast lights will be put out until April 10 and this will follow in the years to come as well.
Joint effort

A number of organisations has come up with the Turtle Saving Campaign and one such is The EZONE. EZONE has now launched the “Save A Turtle” campaign. They interact with local people to create an awareness about the plight of endangered species and the state of coastal environment.

Hafiz Khan, its experiential learning facilitator, revealed that they search for crawls and look for turtle nests and eggs in the company of naturalist Dr. Supraja Dharani from the TREE Foundation who guides them. He speaks of the wonder of watching the turtles lay eggs and the hatchlings emerge 45 days later, from the ‘belly of Mother Earth’. He says, even if one doesn’t get to see a host of turtles, people will enjoy the excitement of combing the beach either in pitch darkness or under a bright moon light.

Turtle talk

• Speaking to some of my friends who take part in the Turtle Walk, I got to know some interesting facts about sea turtles. For instance, the hatchlings will turn out to be male if the eggs have a cooler temperature surrounding them and female when the nest stays warm. They also pointed out that the main reason that helps the turtles prevent dehydration is their ability to cry out the salt that they consume. Amazing, isn’t it!

  One of them even took it further, illustrating that thousands of female turtles emerge from the sea and nest simultaneously for two to three days after their mating period at some of very restricted and important breeding sites. These arribadas (’mass arrivals’ in Spanish) is an important reason why the turtles are still here with us!While plastic bottles and bags do not belong to the beaches, the turtles are desperately trying hard to belong! Let’s do our bit to help ensure that these creatures remain a part of the ocean environment forever. Be the one to make a change and help us save one of the oldest living vertebrates on Earth from going into extinction.

  Here’s an opportunity to make a difference to the environment around you. Welcome the Olive Ridley Turtle Trail!To leave a footprint on the sands of time, call Hafiz @ 99401 42349.

Politics As A Career - A Survey !

How would you react if I come up to you and throw a question as of, whether you would be interested in taking up active politics as a career ?... Well.. an interesting question though which attracted mixed reactions. But, one main thing which I found out is that, the young student community is all geared up to face the challenge !! .. Good move pals !.. Lets build it.. make it strong.. lets lead it.. lets make a difference, atleast from now on !! .. Go for the Change !!..

Here are some of the views put forth by my friends when I stumped them with this very question..

Palaniappan Alagappan

Completed Internship(CA)

Yes, I would like to get into politics which is usually shunned by today’s youth simply to make a difference. We’ve cribbed and fretted over the system enough and to see some change I think its now time to act! India has resources in abundance; however they are not rightfully distributed because of the weak administration with its laws full of loopholes. I have been exposed to the field of Chartered Accountancy for the last four years and resource administration in a massive country like India is something that has always kindled my interest. In a country like ours where there is plenty for all, the one with Money and Power takes over and makes a puppet out of the administration exploiting the needy by plundering their rightful share leaving them hopeless. Better administration makes lawstringent and less prone to exploitation of resource management .Corruption at the lowest level is difficult to abolish however corruption in no case should hinder progress of a nation.

Vidyuth Kadiresan

Final year, Mechanical Engineering

Age – 21 years

Taking up politics as a career does not appeal in the first place. Politics now is not a very popular career among the present generation due to the extent of corruption which comes along with it. On the other hand, though being a leader sounds very fascinating and appealing no one in their right mind would want to be associated with a tag of being corrupt. Also the cut-throat competition in politics does not offer a fair chance to even the most zealous person. Politics has lost its competitiveness completely and the chances of a starter making it big look dull. I would find it very difficult to smile to the cameras and promise the people to satisfy their every need. What one person feels right is wrong for the other. This would lead to a certain section of the public to loathe you and your ideas. The feeling that I am not satisfying the public will not let me sleep in peace. I sincerely feel its high time experienced politicians retire to see to see the young blood taking politics to a greater height seeing it only as a a means to serve the public!

Amitha.M

Third Year, Electronics and Communications Engineering

Age - 20 Years

I would like to start off with a note of Abraham Lincoln’s famous words “Democracy is the government of the people, by the people and for the people”. This definition contains within it all the provisions of the Democratic form of Government. Active part in Politics in near future, I find is a crude consideration, as the game of politics in our country has its own rough and tumble. As an individual I would emphasize the ethical and moral values. I would bring the change in manipulative motives of personality in citizens that still remains a grabbing power.

I would also insist in bringing student power in Active Politics; giving young to play their active role. Thereby I conclude that active participation in politics will help one learn the lessons of discipline, devotion and dedication with unison of purpose.

The Rajdhani - A Review !!

Express Avenue’s food court has filled up so very quickly with names of big restaurants lining up and the much famous Rajdhani chain have opened a joint in here. The brand Rajdhani has been in existence for over five decades and it is renowned for its commitment to its authentic and hygienic food serving delicious Rajasthani and Gujarati thali. Well, if you have been in Mumbai, a thali is not something that will get you on a high. But, for those people who have been munching enough rice and who feel it’s getting monotonous, here is the good news. We now have a buzzing place in Chennai that serves only thali. Welcome to Rajdhani!!

The Rajdhani is powered to cook-work with fifteen cooks and a Maharaj (they don’t call themselves ‘Main Chefs’) heads the kitchen team. And to top it, a board at the entrance proudly beamed that Rajdhani serves about 72 rotating menus round the year. This warrants that no menu is served or repeats for a second time in the year. Tells a tale.. aint it ?.

Once I stepped in with a friend of mine, the much familiar smell of Gujarati Dahi Kadi and Kichidi greeted me. And according to me, they outsmart any other food joint with their brisk and quick service. You have to give them full marks for their hospitality and their unique service techniques. How about experiencing a rajasthani traditional hand wash right at your table for an instance?.. And indeed, their décor is exceedingly classical and blends perfectly with the theme.

The moment I took a seat in one corner of the restaurant, my bowl was filled at an amazing speed with dokla, Gujarati tindoli, Moong masala, phulkas, rotis, kadi, dhal, chawal, papad and what not! It was all done in a split second and this quick was not that very quick to digest! Almost many of us do have some qualms or the other about a haphazard or a lack of quick service. But here is a place in complete contrast, waiting to serve its customers with young friendly waiters right from the word go. Since thali is the main attraction here, it rightly deserves its place of pride in the menu. And in keeping with the spirit of their young and not so obese customers, the food is made with a generous dose of ghee and spice to gorge on.

The Restaurant has absolutely stumped me with their choice of rasgulla, kheer and pineapple halwa while a full thali gets over with a glass of buttermilk to wash it all down.

I really should say, The Rajdhani knocked me out with some excellent North-Indian food and courtesy! But, I also should mention that The Rajdhani has certainly borrowed Pizza Hut’s tradition of ringing the bell on your way out for which the eager waiters scream aa jao(come again) in unison.

Though the restaurant peps you up with a variety of Guju-Raju thali dishes its Main Chef, Mr. M.G.Maharaj recommends Gujarati Parampudi, Dahi Vada and the typical rajasthani Dhal Bhatia churma as the restaurant’s hot favourites! So, want to gorge on authenticated unlimited thali ?.. Steer your vehicle towards The Rajdhani, No 49 & 50 L, 3rd Floor, Express Avenue Food Court, Royapettah, Chennai. Give them a ring @ 28464422, 28464433, 9176787707!

Who Picked Whom At The 2011 IPL Player Auctions !!

The biggest run of the cricketing season, the Indian Premier League kick-started with the IPL player auctions 2011 that included 2 new teams - Team Kochi and Pune Warriors. The 2011 player auctions have been a real talking point as the fresh season encountered small amendments in policies and rules apart from the policy set for the first three years of the IPL. As ex-IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi hinted, we have a retention policy to follow wherein a team can retain 4 players of which they can hold back a maximum of 3 Indian players. Also the ceiling of the price budget has been raised higher to $8 million where retaining expensive players will decrease the spending cap of the franchise to a mere $ 4.5 million!

Here is a brief team wise analysis about the teams who saw a blue grabbing a good deal and others who looked in complete disarray at the auctions.

The Mumbai Indians come first under their skipper, the iconic Tendulkar. They retained Tendulkar, Harbhajan, Pollard and slinger Malinga ahead of the player auctions this year. Though I felt Rohit Sharma at $ 2 million, was an expensive buy, they had a good deal picking medium-pacer Munaf Patel at $0.7 million and the South-African Davy Jacobs at $0.19 million for his outstanding fielding skills and his very aggressive batting style. I do feel, they have missed out on Zak (Zaheer) who along with Malinga made a dream combination last year. And with Symonds in, Tendulkar will have a tough time with the symo-Bhajji duo.

Delhi Daredevils come up next. Their team just looks pretty ordinary without Gauti, Vettori and Dinesh Kaarthik, who have added a star value to the side last year. However they have retained the much valuable and explosive T20 willow-wielder Virender Sehwag. They have roped in Naman Ojha, James Hopes and Warner as batsmen and in final stages of the auction they have also managed to get in Colin Ingram in an effort to strengthen their batting line-up. And Irfan Pathan at $ 1.9 million is a very expensive deal especially since he now will be a fresh player after being discarded from the national team for a lack of swing and pace.. Good bowlers? Well.. Agarkar, Morne Morkel, and Travis Birt could be of some help!

Deccan Chargers have had a good day at the auctions with Pietersen (KP), White, Sangakkara, and also with Duminy joining them, they sport a decent batting line-up. And I admire their balance for batsmen and bowlers. Their pace bowling is helmed by Steyn, Ishant and Theron while they have Pragyan and Mishra to satisfy their spinning desires. And has anybody ever heard of this Daniel Christian ever before he was thrown a deal at the auctions?. No? Not a problem.. he had just played 3 International T20 games and I feel a million USD is not a good deal for the Chargers. Nevertheless, Deccan still holds $2.1 million to buy uncapped players unlike other team owners have a very small purse left.

Preity’s Kings XI Punjab gave a lacklustre performance at the 2011 player auctions at Bangalore. They remained to be in utter confusion throughout the auctions that they never bothered to go behind top grade players except for Adam Gilchrist. Of the players contracted, Gilchrist and David Hussey make a good bat while Dinesh Kaarthik and Abhishek Nayar will play the second fiddle. The bowling department would have looked pathetic with a lone seamer, but Preity has decided to go with Rimmington and Mascarenhas for cheaper rates to partner Praveen Kumar. While the spin department looks weak and lacks experience with Piyush Chawla and Ryan Harris.

Shilpa’s Rajasthan Royals have decided to retain the most experienced spin wizard Shane Warne and his Australian counterpart Watson will be retained as well. While Ross Taylor and Johan Botha were picked for $ 1 million and $ 0.95 million, Rahul Dravid and Collingwood were bought cheaply at $ 0.5 million and $ 0.25 million. Warne would look to repeat his magic all over with many uncapped players in the team and he along with Dravid would certainly look to share the odd wisecrack with the boys. For now, the bowling department will hold the names of Warne, Tait and Watson.

The Kolkata Knight Riders after initial setbacks in the previous editions of the IPL have decided to get into the tournament with an all-new squad. The KKR were in the news for roping in Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan at expensive deals for $ 2.4 million and $ 2.1 million respectively on the first day of the auctions. They have also contracted the much experienced ex-RCB strike batsman Jacques Kallis. Their bowling department looks decent but while specialist batsmen and bowlers were the order of the day, they decided to go with the Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hassan, who comes with immense unexplored talent. However the injury prone Brett Lee’s $ 0.4 million offer surprises me. Well.. reasons for not going with Sourav?.. It is business and while the team stays solid, their fan bases look disturbed!

Here come the champions of the IPL, The Chennai Super Kings. The team with the simplest strategy – “Retain the winning combination”. They used their player retention clause so very wise retaining M S Dhoni, Raina, Vijay and Albie. Other players who were picked at the auction were Doughy Bollinger, Mike Hussey and the spin prospect Ashwin. One of the biggest good deals was getting Bravo cheaply for $0.2 million. For sure, there has been a lot of work doing rounds with the think-tank ahead of the auctions and this is such a dream combination. Dhoni will also have Randiv as a spinning option now, after missing out on the wily Murali at the auctions. CSK still remain a solid team with good batting and bowling options.

Team Kochi comes up next. Their batsmen - Jayawardena, Mccullum and Owais shah will be pressed with availability concerns. While Sreeshanth does bring in the Kerala flavour and fan base, one cannot expect a great performance from him. Their bowling looks comparatively better. RP Singh, Vinay Kumar and Murali will make a lethal bowling attack. They for sure will have to bring in a real good bunch of uncapped players. And How good is Ravindra Jadeja’s deal??..Too much for a rookie I would say.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers never went for the big names under the hammer. But some of the striking deals made were that of Zaheer, Vettori and Nannes. They have a good batting line-up that relies on Dilshan, De Villiers, and Pujara. Sourabh Tiwary will also come handy at pressure situations. Their pace merchants will be Zaheer, Nannes and Langeveldt while Vettori will probably ally with Dilshan. And Kaif comes in as an add-on packet and his best days are clearly over. So RCB’s chances looks bright too.

Though the Pune Warriors will be a fresh team into the IPL they have had a reasonably good day at the auctions. Their expensive player was Robin Uthappa for $ 2.1 million. They were very clear in what they want. And they went on to get them at lower prices as well. This side has got a good all-rounder combination of Yuvraj and Mathews. And they went on to make a great deal getting in Graeme Smith for $ 0.5 million while their best buy will be Murali Karthik for $ 0.4 million.

It indeed was a black Sunday when big boys to the likes of Chris Gayle, legendries Brian Lara and Jayasuriya and our very own Sourav Ganguly found it hard to convince the franchise owners. There certainly was a chill down my spine when one of India’s finest skippers was shown the gate and even when his name failed to make it to the re-auction list as well, it was a complete shocker!

Anyways.. Ultimately it’s for a cricketing reason we all are here for!! .. So let’s get down there to catch up with lots of live action, entertainment, surprise and a bit of gossip and controversy here and there as well!

Batman Forever

19^th December 2010 will ever be in the minds of many cricket fanatics, who have had an opportunity to see one of cricket’s prolific batsmen shining bright. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar also now becomes the first man to make 50 centuries in the history of Test cricket. Tendulkar has gone into a different zone and into the century mode. His 170-run partnership with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came handy in a pressure cooker situation and Tendulkar now holds almost every conceivable batting record in the game, and never forget he also has 47 one-day international centuries to his name, which is soon waiting to reach a 50 mark too. It was certainly an exciting and a happening moment at the Centurion when the little master waged a lone battle and when that very single off a drive fetched his ton; emotions did take over from there.

As the crowd erupted with unbridled joy, Tendulkar, tired but composed, took off his helmet, looked skyward, and closed his eyes to offer a silent prayer. Hundreds of times have we seen this man raising his bat, but this one is very very special and close to ours hearts. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as the entire stadium erupted in euphoria while his teammates were simply ecstatic as they clapped and hugged each other, basking in the glory of their senior teammates. The Little Master said that the century of him has come in a right time when India needed it badly, and it was his father’s birthday yesterday. He dedicated this century to his father.

Tendulkar has always stood tall when it comes to performance and his batting speaks volumes and it’s perfectly apt to say actions speak louder than words. Indeed they do… for this man from Bombay, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar!

Maybe this ton ever doesn’t make any difference to the Brand Sachin, but it certainly and predominantly showcases one thing that Tendulkar now has reached a stage or a level where there is no comparison. Nobody can ever be compared with this very modest batting genius. Sachin and his records are on their way to immortality. This season has been a very productive year from the start and people, never forget the way he toyed with the clueless south-african bowlers to reach his double hundred off just 147 balls. Tendulkar never is yet another cricketer; he always is the best of the best! His 22-year long career has won him adulation to the point of worship from his millions of fans not just in India, but across the globe. Sachin Tendulkar is now a brand which gives hundred per cent quality every time and it is running faster than ever and harder as ever!

The news of the 50-ton feat spread as fast as a forest fire and the television channels beamed Sachin’s name a hundred times while the newspapers had the views of the present and former cricketers on this very milestone. Everybody seems to be excited but one man who did it all never lost his cool, temperament and modesty out there. It certainly comes with passion, it comes with experience, it comes with skill, performance and longevity. Who knows, even Don Bradman who had a test average of 99.94 would have lost his cool when the whole world shower praises and love upon him. But if at all there is one man who can handle it all, it’s the master himself.

Take a bow.. Sachincredible..Sach is class.. Sach is life!

To the Most Wonderful Grandfather,

As a child I have always loved him,

He is the person, who spent a lot of time with me,

To teach what I need to learn and gain;

The lessons in life he shared with me remain numerous,

And when they are spiced up with lot of love and care- I always was curious!

He was always one of the few strong willed people I have ever met,

Innumerable problems did he meet and many crisis he dealt with

Never was a sorrow-faced man nor of the gruelling nature;

Love, Care, Concern, God-fearing -define this man who manages to wear a smile every time you see him!

He is the person who brought my mother to earth;

Millions of times will I bow to him, who is mighty worth!

And the old-man goes there – who’s now all white- haired;

But still unchanged are his rapid steps and merry smile;

Countless thoughts, endless care, and sincerity in plenty – for which he ever had been known;

Endless special and heart whelming wishes from my heart, just for you to own!

Here comes my love and care wishing you on your birthday;

To such a gem of a person, who is at his best any day!!

An Ode To The Cassettes !!

Before the MP3 and iPod revolution; before file-sharing programmes on the Internet; before the rise of music fanatics and enthusiasts who went on to try their hand at the drums and guitar, there was a wildly successful wave that spread quickly : the cassette tape. Whether it was British rock or punk or the Top 40, music from cassette tapes and records will remain a cherished moment. In these post-modern days, when sleek mobile tech is in, the fact that cassettes still have a faithful fan following speaks volumes of its impact before it was dumped by the Gen-Xers.Today, with shorter childhoods and faster lifestyles, even the young are feeling the urge to turn back the clock to appreciate the days when the cassette was a huge hit. Let us take a U-turn back to those old days… when “iPods” had not been invented; when one electronic gadget ruled the roost.When I asked some of my friends about how things have changed, one of my seniors recalled, “I was a music freak back in the early 1990s. I used to buy Chinese Laundry, Howiee T, Dr Hyde, Rythme Nation, E.T.C tapes as they came out. I can never forget the classic cassette wars of Juice Crew vs Teddy Mohommed or Rythme Nation vs First Priority.”

With the introduction of the Walkman, being able to take my music with me and put on my headphones to create a private space, helped me cope with trying moments. Who can forget that black shaded version of the Sony Walkman!

Walk to the tune

The first generation of the Walkman was released way back in 1979 in Japan. Sony managed to sell 200 million iterations of the cassette Walkman during the product line’s 30-year period. After retiring the floppy disk, Sony has halted the manufacture and distribution of another now-obsolete technology: the cassette Walkman, the first low-cost, portable music player. The official announcement was delivered just one day ahead of the iPod’s ninth anniversary, and read, “although the decline of the cassette Walkman is attributed primarily to the explosive popularity of CD players in the 1990s, not the iPod”.

It took a little less than a decade after the decline of vinyl for a nostalgia movement to arise. In the mid-1990s, some bands would even have the top of their CD design take the form of an album or a 45. But I think we are slowly starting to experience a bit of CD nostalgia as well. Even though CDs are still present and available, people have started to stubbornly cling to them just like albums.

Though cassettes were a part of the music scene in the 1970s, they took off in the 1980s, finally outselling albums in 1983 at the height of the Michael Jackson mania. But while the album enjoyed a four decade-plus run as being the preferred medium for popular music, cassettes only enjoyed a eight-year run before CDs overtook them in 1991. If there is a movement for nostalgia for cassettes, it’s not the medium, but for the concept of freedom it offered to its listeners. For those who thought junior and high school were exercises in purgatory, a Walkman finally offered a little refuge. The medium also offered an exercise in freedom with the ability to create your own playlist from blank tapes.

I do feel the cassettes don’t need a nostalgia trip. They are still a practical medium. They are very durable; the tapes last for decades. I heard that some most recently released albums in the U.S. have been “TAPE-ONLY” releases. As essential as they were while we were growing up, it seems like cassettes were just the training wheels for what was to come. And people cannot attribute this tape-dump on the Gen-X. Of course no one would complain when they have the most advanced techie going into the iPods and when the iPods or music players also come with a video screen… that’s certainly something to cheer about.

Commonwealth Games 2010 - An Overview !

Commonwealth Games 2010 It may have been just a week back but the Indian contingent made sure India had something to cheer about..

The Commonwealth Games 2010 is so far the largest multi-sport event to be conducted in India after the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982. Being the host nation, there was much pressure and several concerns were raised over the preparations: infrastructural compromise, poor living conditions of the Games Village, rains…

After the grand opening ceremony, the focus moved to sports. Athletes and sportspersons from 71 nations and territories were pitted against each other and in the final medals tally, the strong Australian contingent proved to be way ahead of everyone else. India created history finishing second with more than 100 medals. India had been a constant at fourth place in earlier editions of the games, be it at Melbourne in 2006 or at Manchester in 2002.

The overall statistics show that the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh have clinched more than 50 per cent of the gold medals, with Haryana bagging the lion’s share. The silver and bronze are also the highest for that region, with four silvers and two bronzes under its belt.

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This time the athletic contingent particularly Krishna Poonia of India made history winning a gold medal in women’s discus throw event while Harwant Kaur and Seema Antil settled for a silver and bronze respectively making it a proud moment for the nation. The women relay team also made history winning gold in the 440 yard track event. The gold by the relay team is only the second gold for India till date in the track events after Milkha Singh grabbed the yellow metal in the 440-yard event in 1958 at Cardiff games.

The last day saw three extremely self-assured sportswomen — seasoned shuttle sharks Saina Nehwal and Jwala Gutta and the young Ashwini Ponappa — bring glory to the country. When India was just two gold medals short to gain the second spot, the trio guided the country it. Saina won a nerve-wracking battle after facing a match point in the second game to give India its 38th gold medal. Never before has the country been so united by a badminton game nor has India come so close to finding a really loved sporting icon after Sachin Tendulkar.

Ace Indian shooter Gagan Narang scripted history by winning four gold medals at the Commonwealth Games 2010. Narang had been performing exceptionally well from the start and he kept the momentum going throughout. However, other shooters like Omkar Singh and Vijay Kumar won three gold medals each, scripting a win in their respective categories.

The talented Indian tennis team, which went into the event with great expectations, managed a decent performance scoring one gold, one silver and two bronze medals. The sole gold came from Somdev Devvarman who had a win in the men’s singles event while Sania Mirza won silver in the women’s singles. India, however, lost out in the mixed doubles and the men’s doubles.

Boxing fans in India suffered a major setback when Akhil Kumar lost in his quarterfinal game to a Malaysian wrestler. Indeed Akhil faltered when it mattered the most. Also the world number one, Vijender Singh was knocked out in the semifinals. But, world wrestling champion Sushil Kumar brought India a gold in the freestyle wrestling category dominating his South African counterpart in the final. Winning 6 big points against his opponent without giving away a single point, this prolific wrestler registered a clinical performance.

Achanta Sharath Kamal and former National champion Subhajit Saha ensured that table tennis contributed gold to India’s medal haul by overcoming Singapore’s Gao Ning and Yang Zi 3-2 in the men’s doubles.

The closing ceremony started with a celebration of the traditional Indian sports and later the stadium was lit up by dazzling laser lights that stole the show. There was a huge crowd of about 60,000 people watching from the stands and 7500 security personnel guarding the entire area.

But Tamil Nadu is far from New Delhi where residents are now either lamenting or heaving a sigh of relief that normal life can resume after the biggest and most chaotic party the city has ever thrown! But despite its handicaps, India is still willing and ready to host another big multi-sport event. Hopefully the administration will refine their process and take care in getting their equations right next time. They certainly will come back with a lot of vigour and experience the next time!

The million Dollar Tendulkar Does it yet again!!

The run machine, the little champion and the master blaster are some of the countless titles that have been bestowed upon cricket’s favorite son- Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. Without a doubt he is the best batsman of the modern era. He is the man who shoulders the expectations of billions of fans when he walks into a cricketing arena. And as Matthew Hayden once said, everybody now have seen god. He plays for India and bats at number 4, he is the much celebrated, Sachin Tendulkar.

The Cricket genius Sachin Tendulkar has yet again set a benchmark by being the first man on the phase of the earth to score 14000 runs in the longest version of the game, the test rubber. The little champion already holds a record for most number of runs in ODI’s and Test. After the first test against Australia in which India scored a thrilling victory, Tendulkar scored 13,973 runs and he was instrumental in scoring his 27 runs on the second day of the test game between India and Australia at Bengaluru. Sachin scored 13,000 runs this January and was quick enough to get himself 14000 just 9 months after it. Tendulkar got to his 14000-run mark when he slapped a boundary off Hauritz through the covers. Outstanding is the word to be used for the amount of hard work that has gone into this achievement, the amount of effort he has put in, in spite owning several of those records.

Tendulkar does not go for records, but records are always fond of this man, who forever will stay the pride and face of Indian Cricket. Every time Sachin walks in to bat, its prayers and prayers all over, just to see this little master score tons and tons of runs. The more you see him play, the more you will want to see him. Sachin also has more than 17500 runs in One Day Cricket and holds an impressive aggregate of 56 in Test matches and 45 in One Day Cricket. Tendulkar also holds a precious record for being the first and the only man to have scored a double century in ODI cricket. He also holds a unique record being the first player to score 10000, 11000, 12000, 13000, 14000, 15000, 16000, and 17000 runs in One Day cricket!! He is a complete batsman one could ever see- the best in the business among the fabulous band of batsmen.

I completely agree to Shane Warne’s words – “Technically you never can fault Sachin. Seam, fast bowling, off-spin, leg-spin, leg-break, off-break – nothing is a problem”. When he is out to bat even the best of the bowlers panic and fail to deliver their goods. You should always be mindful of the length and the spot when you bowl to a master blaster like Sachin Tendulkar because he is a man who puts away even the best of your delivery to the boundary and incase you bowl him bad balls? They are hit outside the park!! I truly salute the most impeccable and incredible Cricketing champion, Sachin Tendulkar on his 14,000 runs in Test Cricket!

Chennai Super Kings ku Whistle Podu !!

Cricket once again reached its pinnacle to grab the centre stage with the Champions League 2010 and this event was held in South Africa. The competition was launched in 2008 as a response to the overwhelming success of national Twenty20 domestic cricket leagues, most notably the Indian Premier League. And to top it all, this time Mega Star Amitabh Bachchan has been roped in by ESPN for endorsing this tournament. This tournament was held across venues like Durban, Port Elizabeth, Centurion and Johannesburg. Let’s not forget South Africa in the past, has been exceptional in hosting both the IPL in 2009 and FIFA World Cup in 2010. The winners of the Champions League 2010, the men in yellow.. the Chennai Super Kings.

Chennai Super Kings from the start were a team with a good batting line-up. They gain their strength from their faultless opening pair, Murali Vijay and the big Haydos. While Hayden accompanied Vijay for the first three games, it was the much more temperamental Hussy who came out to bat with Vijay, who was always amongst the runs. Both Hussy and Vijay complimented each other so well with a great understanding and when one of them call their shots, the man on the other end plays a second fiddle which is very much necessary in a 20-over game which demands good partnerships. And the man who stayed low for the first 2 or 3 games bounced back with a 48-ball 94, which was an impressive knock on a rain-hit day in Durban against the Royal Challengers in the semifinals. Indeed I’m talking about Suresh Raina. And for final game against the Warriors, Hussey and Vijay yet again pulled off a spectacular show getting the much needed runs on the board, clinching the trophy!!

Their bowling clearly was power-steered by the Chennai man Ravichandran Ashwin, who now takes the privilege of being the highest wicket-taker in the champions’ league 2010. While Chennai’s bowling attack was spearheaded by Doughy Bollinger and Albie Morkel, its wily spinner Muralidharan made a good climb up the ladder constantly staying amongst the wickets. And the bowling was just exceptional by its own. Dhoni was just wise enough to use his best bowlers at the right time to get a breakthrough.

The Chennai Super Kings from Group A had won three on four while they lost one in the super over against Victoria at Port Elizabeth. In their first game of the tournament, they had a win against the Central Districts by a 57-run margin. In the second game, the Chennai Super Kings won by 97 runs against Wayamba and in their last crucial league game that indeed was a do-or-die match for them, the team won by 10 runs against the all South African team, Warriors at Port Elizabeth clearly clinching a semi-final berth. They beat Royal Challengers in the semifinal and again beat Warriors comfortably in the finals to become the Airtel Champions 2010.

Their first game against the Central Districts saw a clinical performance from Subramaniam Badrinath and Anirudha Srikkanth scoring 52 and 42 respectively. It was a day on which the opening pair collapsed and Raina coming in at number 2 too got out cheaply. And from then on there was no looking back and Chennai finished with 151 in their quota of 20 overs. Their bowling still looked bright with Morkel, Balaji and Ashwin taking a strike each within the first 5 overs. It indeed was a good day for the lanky TamilNadu pace man Balaji who scalped 3 wickets giving away just 20 runs from his 4 overs while Ashwin, Murali and Bollinger went home with 2 wickets each. Chennai stole the limelight from the Central Districts and dumb folded them by 57 runs.

The second game for the Chennai Super Kings saw a splendid 68 from Murali Vijay and an entertaining 87 from his senior partner Suresh Raina. It was a day for Murali Vijay where everything seemed to fall in place and he was in total control of the ball. Though Wayamba lost 2 wickets in quick succession, the Super Kings pressed on for the prized wicket of Jayawardene and it was Bollinger who gave the sense of relief. Ashwin walked with his head held high with 4 wickets under his kitty and Morkel went home with 3. While Chennai set a target as high as 200 from 20 overs, the Wayamba managed just 103 from 17.1 overs. It was Chennai’s consecutive win and this time by a bigger margin of 97 runs.

Game three for the Chennai Super Kings against Bushrangers looked competitive. Though the toss favored them, the match failed to. Batting first Chennai scored 162 from 20 overs. Murali Vijay yet again steered a vital 73 from just 53 balls while Hussey got a nod for his first game instead of Haydos. Raina was the pick of the bowlers claiming 4 wickets while Murali and Bollinger had 2 each. The Bushrangers too upped the run rate at constant intervals managing the same score thus calling the super over or the one-over eliminator into play. While the Bushrangers gave away 12 runs in the super over, the Chennai super Kings had 23 to offer, thus losing a well fought game.

Winning 2 games and losing a game, the Chennai Super Kings had their do-or-die game against the fiery

Warriors. The crucial game saw a fighting spirit from both teams and a 50 from the Australian Hussey

and 35 from the willow of the regular customer, Murali Vijay helped Super Kings to a great extent and from there on captain cool Dhoni chipped in with his valuable contribution of 31 runs. Ashwin yet again was the pick of the bowlers getting 3 wickets under his belt while Murali walked away with 2 wickets. Though at one stage, it was as if the Warriors recovered from their initial setback, Ashwin sealed things going through the Warrior’s line-up in the style of his own.

The big semifinal against the Royal Challengers at Durban was disappointing as the game was delayed and a tensed affair. It was an unusual match in an unusual circumstance. While the Royal Challengers boasted of their good bowling line-up and their list of foreign imports, Raina proved them wrong and it went worse as the night progressed. The Royal challengers were pushed to their backseat with injuries from Steyn and Kohli bothering Kumble. Raina, who was almost silent in the tournament used this opportunity to stamp his authority with the bat. Vijay scored 41 runs while Raina was busy putting every ball one notch over the boundary line as Chennai touched 174 from just 17 overs. The RCB had a huge let down from their eminent batsmen as Manish Pandey was the lone batsman waging a battle. The RCB woes became very prominent while the miscued shots landed safely in one of the finest CSK fielders. Chennai had a big win by a 51-run margin registered its place in the finals.

The finale between the Warriors and Chennai Super Kings was very fitting as Chennai took a win over the Warriors by 8 wickets. Batting first the Warriors managed a total of 128 runs from their 20 overs. Ashwin yet again remained amongst the wickets scalping 2 wickets, while the wily off spinner Muralidharan managed to grab 3 of them. The Warriors, which for most part of the tournament relied on their skipper Jacobs for a good start were forced to score most of the runs without his help as the skipper succumbed to an Ashwin delivery. The Chennai Super Kings rode on the blistering start from their opening pair of Murali Vijay and Hussey. Vijay once again proved his mettle as a perfectionist making sure the ‘Golden Bat’ winks at him. At a tense stage where Chennai has to score 12 runs from eleven balls for a victory, Dhoni’s six got the dug out on its feet and it just seemed that the win was just a top shot away. Hussey who came at the expense of Haydos played a brilliant innings of 51* and steered Chennai to a victory alongside Dhoni. And it just seemed that they saved their best for the last outplaying the teams in the semifinal and final.

It really is sad that this combination would encounter a change for the next season of the Indian Premier League but still the Airtel Champions have done it all. And now the champions of the IPL 2010 will stay the champions of the champions. Warriors, Bushrangers, Wayambas .. here we come .. the Chennai Chennai super kings. All you Chennai people wherever you are... This is a moment for all of us to cherish and preserve. The men in yellow now are the champions of the Champions League 2010. Point Registered.

Is this the End of Cricket??

Cricket seems to be going out of track for sometime now and match-fixing issues do top them all.

From the earlier match-fixing scandals that benighted the careers of many top captains to the beyond tolerable commercialization of the IPL, cricket has long since lost its sheen. For sure, this game of cricket which is called globally as the gentleman’s game is put to shame and the rot is truly unwinding and it’s out naked and so public!

The latest News on the match-fixing row first broke the story that the Lord’s Test between England and Pakistan had apparently been rigged. On further investigations, came the shocking news that as much as seven players were contracted from the playing eleven and pulled into a match fixing scandal. Cricket is clearly losing its magic wand and merely is being stooped so low and stands only next to the millions of dollars that is being offered.

And almost millions around the world, who were watching that particular test match between Pakistan and England at Lords, saw Pakistan bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif deliver no-balls one after the other. Unsuspecting all these went dejected those millions of Pakistan cricket fans. But after the match-fixing scandal is out, Pakistan could only deliver anger, outrage and denial. And in spite of the videos being recorded, pictures clicked, dialogues taped, they just term it as allegations, just allegations shows how hard skinned they are! When as many as seven corrupt cricketers enter the field, cricket is being skinned and ruined.. very sad is the game of cricket caught amidst.

Now comes the question about the Anti-corruption Unit from ICC. It is said that the Anti corruption Unit from ICC or in short the ACSU will stay with the players all the time, be it in the hotel rooms or in the sporting arena. How can there still be a chance for a match-fixing? This surprises me to a large extent. There should for sure be a zero tolerance from the ICC towards dirty issues like this which can ruin the progress of the game. They should bring in a strict rule on match-fixing issues, and take care that the player who is found contracting will be given a lifetime ban from the game. No backdoor entries please.

This match fixing issue is something which is not new to the sport or any of its forms, but still just a ban for a game or two certainly will not help the game. Also we never can impose the whole blame on the Pakistanis either. As we cannot ignore an Indian interference and it is still debatable as we have seen allegations on Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja previously in this regard. Also South Africans - Boje and Chronje, who was then the South African skipper, were caught on their odd foot with a match-fixing scandal charge. When THREE blatant no-balls can pocket an amount as high as £150,000, who would give you thumbs down?

Either way this dirty issue has to be cleaned up. The game has to go on. It is a good wake-up call to the ICC and its associated squad members to get down to level zero and clean up the whole issue. Here should be the end to this dirty stuff. Let rules be strict enough to cash in on any player who is found guilty in this regard. Let’s play clean cricket and give the sport its respect. Say No to Match-Fixing!!