Hells Cove

PIRACY: Scourge or Windfall for the modern society

2009-12-26T16:47:00.001+05:30

Let me begin by wishing you all a Merry Xmas and looking forward to a Happy New Year 2010. I would also like to apologise for my long absence due to various personal and technical factors.

However today I am going to touch a topic which is very close to my heart. The contents of this blog may sound pretty offending rather the ideas expressed may seem real crazy at times but this is my space and I being a free countryman have the right to express my views.

How do we buy vegetables? Especially in today’s world where prices have gone through the roof and people everywhere are crying recession (though nobody has actually seen one) and moaning the loss of jobs. Go to the hotels on any given day and you would understand the meaning of the term recession!!!! The answer to this question is very important from the point of view of the subject on which I am going to delve into and plunge headlong with my theory and cast my vote on.

Coming back to my question, these days I may get answers which may range from buying from the supermarket, shopping online – the latest fad these days and everything else. I am talking about the middle class consumer who till date is unaffected by the mall culture and still visits the neighbourhood bhajiwalla and buys his vegetables. He visits a few shops searching for the vegetable of his choice, makes a mental note of the prices, compares the quality in certain cases and finally buys from the vendor who as per the consumer is able to strike the right chord between quality and price. In case the goods on display are for some reason or the other not to his liking either due to any of the two aspects mentioned above, the consumer more often than not buys a substitute or reserves the purchase for a later date. He may buy the required vegetable at the given price on only a day when it is of utmost importance to him.

In this economy, we can see the following variables: buyer (many), seller (too few), goods (quality) and price (too high, too low or just right). This obviously means that the customer has the choice to pick up the goods he wants at his price.

Now what is PIRACY? A classic example of Piracy is well documented by the film industry on which I would like to base my theory on. In this case, everyone from the actors, producers and directors cry out that Piracy is the one thing leading to a loss in business and income for them. Though they may never be able to gather evidence to make their point. I got the following definitions for Piracy on the net other than the obvious and correct one of “hijacking on the high seas”

Piracy is the unauthorized duplication of an original recording for commercial gain without the consent of the rights owner.
Piracy is a theft of intellectual property - in other words, stealing what does not belong to you.

In order to understand Piracy, one must strive to understand the reasons behind Piracy. What is presently happening in the film industry? Movies on which hundreds of crores of rupees are spent are released in select theatres at high costs to retain the uniqueness and the thrill of the movie so that it may draw more crowds. To the despair of the producers and directors, the movie is in most case available on the net or in other electronic forms at a fraction of the price (many a times free of cost) within 24 hours of the release of the film or in certain cases even before the release of the movie. This is being attributed to a rise in leakage of prints which are being sent for overseas viewing especially the Middle East countries where such leaks occur with amazing regularity due to low or no security.

However all those people screaming at the top of their voice about piracy may do well to go back in time a few decades when there were much more meaningful movies being made and actors and actresses were treated as normal human being rather than stars. These were the days of VCRs and VHS’s and this era was when movies were made for the masses rather than for the classes as is the case nowadays. These movies were showcased at most theatres at prices which were affordable by what one calls R.K Laxman’s common man. Most people especially mill workers and other daily wage earners saved for this day at the end of the week when they would come out with their large families (no nuclear families at that time) and enjoy some much needed family time and go back refreshed. Also if you wanted to watch the movie in the comforts of your home, a copy of the same used to be available at innumerable video parlours near your house. It is important to note that inspite of all this, the same producers, directors and actors made profit and name and fame.

What then has changed from that day to this date? What has changed are values. It is these very values which make men run after money trying to beat ten others in the process. Time was when actors and actresses were placed on a pedestal basis their name, fame and their acting skills. Spare a thought for the present day actors whose photos grace newspapers almost on a daily basis on topics ranging from payment of taxes to price paid for a film or the attendance at a premier party. These are people who have the entire ocean in front of them when only a handful is enough for generations. However they are never satisfied till they conquer the oceans, high seas and will stop at nothing till there remains nothing worth conquering.
And what happened to the common man on the street? He finds it difficult to buy tickets to the movie since it is pricey. The movie theatre where the movie is run is miles away from his home. He does not even have the luxury of watching it in the confines of his home along with his loved ones. Out comes RobinHood who provides the same pleasure at a fraction of the cost & no additional burden. He makes copies of the movies, uploads it onto free sites for the common man to download, and makes duplicate copies which are sold at every other shop selling CDs. The common man is ecstatic. He can rejoice. He can finally watch the latest movie in the confines of his home on his PC or Home theatre at his convienience. If this is termed Piracy so be it.

As regards the definitions of Piracy, So far as the unauthorized duplication for commercial gain is concerned, it is definite that the commercial gain is many times lesser than what is extracted by the original owner. This in itself is like traveling in the same plane except for one being in an economy class and another in the business class.
No Idea is one man’s own intellectual property. Every man dreams of things that are put by another into action. This may be because of the original dreamer’s inactiveness or lack of resources or pursuit of a totally different goal. Also almost 80% of the movies produced today are either remakes or copies of the original from other languages!!!! Talk of originality.

I would like a healthy discussion on this topic from all members since I do sincerely believe that Piracy is only a façade by the people involved to extract more money than the value of the product dished out by them. Also most people have pretty definite views on the subject. So Repondez Vous!!!!

IPL - Inter Personal League

2008-05-04T22:58:00.003+05:30

As we near the end of the first round of the IPL, there are some things that seem to be pretty evident. IPL the concept has really taken off to a flier and there may be very few people who when quizzed will not have a favorite or not know about the game. This format of the game has been so interesting and so beautifully packaged that even the womenfolk who generally stay away from sports related activities on air have started tuning their TV sets in the evening to SET MAX, the official broadcaster much to the chagrin of the various channels who air
Saas-Bahu serials at the same time.

However back to business and we see a definite pattern emerging
1. The Captains and their teams: The teams have been chosen as per the captainsare. Few good examples can be given like that of the Kolkatta Knight Riders who have got Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and Shoaib Akhtar in their ranks. The common thread that binds these three persons are their personalities and their flair for controversy. Then we have the Bangalore Royal Challengers who have Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Wasim Jaffer and Shivnaraine Chaderpaul. All these individuals are more known for their Test match accomplishments than their one day feats and definitely not their T20 careers.

2. Camaraderie: What the IPL has done is bring in players of different cultures and regions together and help bind them for the common cause of defeating their opponents which may have players from their on national teams. So it really is nice to see a Mohd. Hafeez getting advice from Saurav Ganguly or a Shoaib Malik helping out Virender Sehwag. It is also a good learning ground for the scores of youngsters who will be immensely benefited from their experience in the IPL. Hence it is good to hear that Glenn McGrath spends time with each and every bowler explaining the various nuances of the game in spite of them being from various different countries. These games also help people iron out their flaws and think about the game differently. There may be players against whom they have played a lot against & who when they come together discuss each others strategies of getting the other out. The cat may be out of the bag and help both players immensely in the rest of their careers.
However there always remains a fear of the SLAPGATE happening and it may also happen in other teams. Players when they go back may not like a player from their own team just because he was instrumental in his team winning against the formers team and vice versa. This is something that can happen and it can ruin careers. Also with the amount of money surrounding the game, players cannot simply ignore such indiscretions. This is one aspect of the game that the ICC needs to take care of. Player fallout will have a disastrous effect on the game and the game may come down to being a wrestling match brawl.

3. Old v/s New: And last but not the least, one look at the points table and it throws something that may not be visible to the naked eye but seems kind of logical. The teams that are languishing at the bottom of the table viz. Kolkatta, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad are captained by Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid & VVS Laxman respectively. All these players are either at the twilight of their careers or have their careers ended prematurely mainly due to Dhoni’s Devils. So it doesn’t come as a surprise that the teams commanded by these players are at the bottom pile. Whether they will rise like the Phoenix, from the ashes, given their experience will be something to watch.

Happy watching!!!!

A Relationship called LOVE!!!!!!

2008-03-23T10:20:00.002+05:30

Love makes life live said someone!! Somewhere here I am trying to decipher and decode the exact meaning of the phrase and yes before people reach to any conclusion on what kind of love that I am talking about, let me clear the air. The Love that will be described and torn apart in the coming paragraphs is the one that makes two adults go “I Do” at the altar. This article about the whys of two adults having nothing in common until they meet each other and discover a whole new world – together

The very reason for undertaking this exercise is my own experience at this peculiar feeling which is known as LOVE the world over. I am 25 and by the time this article is published, I will be a year older. I have had many crushes in the formative years of my childhood and have been seriously interested only once or may be thrice. However these just fizzled out because I am the type of guy who lets things like love take their own way rather than forcing myself on it. This is what led me to ponder as to what makes people tick? This article may have a subcontinental flavour to it due to the fact that I am quoting examples from that up and coming land called India of which I am a proud citizen. Its then that I have tried to get into the “What of Love” and to say that I got satisfactory answers in my quest will be best based on the analysis of the cases presented here and the readers own judgement. I believe that Love is an important part of any relationship and is one of the pillars other than trust and loyalty on which the tree of mankind stands. In this regard, I have had certain observations to make and will tell you real life incidents of which I have been witness to or been a silent spectator of.

Case I – A young man whom we all knew of as a studious and very intelligient person who normally kept to self and incapable of doing no wrong along-with being protective of a blind father and an illiterate mother shocks everyone by proclaiming marriage to a young lady whom he met at his workplace

Case II – A young man who is given all freedom in the house and is an intelligient fellow does well in his education, completes his Masters in Business Adminisration where he falls in love, joins a high profile company complete with a good salary and perks. Then he confides about his desire to marry his lady love.

Case III – A young lady born and brought up in a liberal family has had many affairs by the time she reaches woman hood and goes on and marries a person whom she met at the workplace.

Case IV – A young man who has both parents who go off to work leaving him and his younger brother alone meets his lady love in college and they tie the knot. The lady in question in this case was junior to him in college and lived in the same complex as him

These are the samples that I have delved upon and arrived at certain conclusions after making careful observations. These are real life stories with the proverbial “& they lived happily ever after” theme ringing true.

The following observations were found to be true in each one of the cases mentioned above.

Ability to take decisions: In all of the cases mentioned above, the individuals involved have had to take/make decisions at a very early point in life. Be it the guy in case I where he was thrust the responsibility of being the head of the household or in cases II,III or IV where the individuals were required to take decisions due to the fact that there was very little parental assistance involved. It may be inferred that people love persons who make their own decisions without getting influenced by other factors especially those which are emotional in nature.

Self-Confidence: All the characters mentioned herein have amazing confidence about themselves. It may have been the result of their minds not being clogged by parents constantly advising about what is good and what is bad, When should one call the stops, What should one do and the likes. As a result of these a person goes into a mental state of being wherein he prepares a checklist before making any decision and ensures that the checklist is strictly adhered to. This process ensures that such a person arrives at a decision, which may be right or wrong, much later than those who go by the gut instinct. Also many a times such decisions may seem to be erring on the side of caution so as to ensure that one is always on the right side of the universe whereas confident people may go ahead with a decision that may seem to bewilder many but get positive results. For these people there is the inner belief that they can do no wrong because they do not distinguish between right and wrong and also believe that they can always survive any bad effects that their decision may entail. This leads to the making of a very self confident individual who also appears to be confident with an ever warm smile that pleases most people and charms the toughest of ladies.

Unfettered Lifestyle: Due to the minimal parental objection in their lives, these people live life to the fullest. They work hard, make loads of money, party harder and are always enthusiastic and positive about life. These are people who want to live lives that are worth meaning to them rather than sulking around, thinking about others or about decisions that may have far reaching consequences. That’s the reason why, when one comes across such persons, one feels quite positive and they are like a whiff of fresh air that has invaded your senses carrying you along with it.

Here I would like to rest my case wherein I have always been smitten by some one or the other. However when the time comes to make a choice, it’s always about making them a part of my life rather than colonizing them. So my mind starts throwing up questions like Would she fit the bill, Will my parents approve of her, How would the elders react about the match, What mother tongue will the children adopt and so on till the mind is left totally confused. What finally emerges is a chaotic situation. If not that then by the time I make up my mind, the lady is already been taken!!!! . So friends I think I have unraveled the human mindset about love to a great extent and its physiological aspects. And for those who try desperately to fall in love but don’t, here come the reasons!!!

60 Years of Indian Independence

2007-08-15T11:48:00.001+05:30

Today, on the 60th anniversary of Indian Independence, I was witness to a speech by a senior member about the achievements & the peaks that India has scaled in these years. We had a look into the literacy situation, the per capita income of the country, the cost of living, India’s defence expenditure et all among other things.

Though India has progressed through the times, it seemed to be a myopic view of the situation. Statistics as they say reveal more than wot they hide. For instance, when we touched the topic of India’s earning power, we started it off thus “In 1947 an average Indian earned Rs. 400.00 as monthly wages whereas the same Indian earns an average of Rs.22000.00 per month” When it came to literacy, we were 14% literate in 1947 whereas the same stands at 67% today. This rate they say was more guided by the woman populace of the country rather than the menfolk. Now for the other side of the story left untold. We can always agree that the rise in income of the average Indian is a great improvement. However that is a sign of the times. I still vividly remember my parents telling me that a dozen bananas cost 0.75 Ps in those times. Cut to today’s scenario, the friendly, neighborly shopkeeper wont even allow a sneak peak of the banana’s for that amount. If 67 out of every 100 Indians are supposed to be literate, then I can challenge you that out of the first 100 people you meet on the street, atleast 50% of them will be illiterate as far as international norms of literacy go. Blame it on the definition for literacy in India that says that if a person is able to write his name on a piece of paper, he is deemed literate!!!

That exactly explains my point. Just because we are seeing the rosier side of the picture, the tabloids give us a progressive outlook of the country, it does not mean that India is untouched by disease, malaise and other evils that tend to percolate the country & make it hollow inside out. Though we say that women are spearheading the literacy movement, the crimes committed against women in this country are rising at an alarming rate. We say that the Infant Mortality rate ha reduced. However that data can be confined & verified in case of hospitals only. If some one were to read the newspapers in the run up to this month, ones hearts would be filled with so much anger and desperation over the fact that so many babies (atleast one such incident per day) were either killed or abandoned by city folk at various places in the city. If this is the condition of Mumbai, I dread to even contemplate the situation in the other states. We see so many people many of them children below the age of 10 begging at various street corners, at railway stations, at traffic lights some of those with an even smaller sibling strapped to their backs and yet we are brave enough to come up with a literacy figure of 67%, a per capita income of Rs.22000.00 per month. This obviously leads us to the conclusion that these unfortunate ones were never considered when the data was collected for such studies which in turn leads us to believe that these studies were carried out with a view of portraying a progressive picture.

On this day, we as Indians need to brush aside our achievements since what has happened is the past and look towards the future & plan it in such a manner that it will be a beacon for the future generations to follow. We need to take the so called achievements in our stride no doubt but the goal should be achieved keeping in mind the obstacles that lay on our path rather than riding a wave of false confidence created by society. We have to strive for an India that is poverty free, where every child receives education enough to make it stand on his own feet & think clearly, where mothers do not end up making the wrong choices and start taking things in their stride and ride out situations that others may deem impossible.

Its time for a SILENT REVOLUTION!!!!!!!

Love Lost - II

2007-06-13T19:38:00.000+05:30

I know tht I have been a very lazy blogger and tht can be seen from the time lag between my last post & this. However I can only find solace in the excuse that I have been kept pretty busy during these times mainly due to my work. Even Today I have found the luxury to write due to a sprained, stiff neck which has made me leave office pretty early.

Continuing from where we left off, I always fancied meeting her & pouring my heart out. But somehow, I always got the jitters when I found her close to me (not the closeness of love!!) As a result I thought about doing the next best thing – Speak to one of her close confidantes who by chance had a crush on one of my colleagues and hence maintained friendly relations. I confided in her & told her the whole story. Fact of the matter is I went to the extent of asking her to ask my Sweetheart whether she loved me & wud like to spend the rest of her life with me together!!!!!!!!! Guess tht was kinda Make or Break question tht was not to be put to someone who knew nothing much abt U & who cared less to do so!!!. But finally I heard tht the answer was No Still persistent that I am, I kept pursuing her. Every moment tht I cud feast my eyes on her were spent accordingly.

Since this was love at the workplace, there had to be somthin related to the workplace tht wud stop me abruptly in my quest. This came in the form of Ratings – The Number game which every boss played with his subordinates to show who was greater when it came to making the decision. As luck wud have it, My SH was given the lowest rank of all for no fault of hers!!! Finally on August 28th 2005, I bid adieu to her. She is now employed with another company carrying on the same business as we are!!. May she marry a gr8 guy. One thing is 4 sure. Whomsoever she marries is gonna have his hands full for the rest of his life.

As for me!!! I am still searching ……….
But she refuses to go away from my mind!!!!!!

Love Lost .....

2007-04-14T19:14:00.000+05:30

I still remember this day 3 years ago. Some memories remain as fresh as ever. Coz this was the day when I met a woman who I really hoped would change my life forever. Till this day I was your normal kinda guy a shy one at tht not much of a talker to ladies & an obedient boy to his parents one who liked to be at home in cse he was not occupied with anything else!!!!. ON tht faithful day, I was at office havin my lunch in the office canteen & I see this beautiful maiden sashayin down the lane dressed in a beautiful Kanjeevaram (or wotever they call it) saree since the occasion so demanded. Twas New year Day for all Mallus & us types i.e. Palakkad Iyers or TamBram as they call us. I don’t believe in celebrating all such days & occasions. Hell I don’t believe in celebratin my birthday!!!.

Till tht day I had always planned on living life as a bachelor. Dunno why but the idea of being single (also add alone!!!!) always appealed to me. I wud always long for days when my parents would go out on their daily shoppin & I get some time for myself alone. But this day, my decision changed & it remained so for a long period. Just like the skeptic appears daunted by hardcore evidence challenging his version of the story, I was forced to change my decision tht very instant & decided tht If I wud marry, I wud marry this woman. Mebbe the pull towards her was strong coz I could see all the characters in her tht I wanted in my wife!!!

Thn began the quest for the Holy Grail!!! I started gathering as much information abt her as possible. I am tht kinda man who always thrives on information however trivial tht maybe!!!! Cos I kno these wud always be of use somewhere. I collected details abt where she lived, wot she liked, How she was like, Her family background … & the like. Then there were always chance meetings when we wud come face to face & I wud have a smiling face & her face wud be like can be best explained like a fiery dragon which if it wanted wud engulf everything on its path. I kinda liked tht attitude of hers. This went on for months & I kind of also got to know her Birth date!!!. I sent her an email wishing her a Happy Birthday but was a touch disappointed when I received a “DELETED WITHOUT BEING READ” message (I still keep read receipts in all my emails!!!). But I never stopped tryin. I guess my only fault was tht I cudnt speak to her one to one man to man till the very end. But again no regrets for tht since even I am a kind of person who will surely pursue something till the finish But if I see tht it may not get over when I want it to, I let go. Talk abt the Arian quality of not seeing things till the very end & tht suits me perfectly.

& So it went on। Previously she used to sit at another place since our depts. Were different & the best part of the story is tht Both our Departments were at loggerheads wth each other!!. However as luck wud have it due to space constraint, her dept is one tht performs a very essential function in any financial institution to succeed, She shifted to a cabin next to our dept!!!. This enabled me to watch her closely & I tried to catch her gaze often. But my cool eyes were always met with the dragons red eyes & even my friends feared the same.

........ To be Cont'd

Champions or Cowards

2007-03-19T17:18:00.000+05:30

The world knows people who do extraordinary things as - Champions & Cowards

One would just pause and wonder why I have used Champions & Cowards in the same sentence especially when one seems to be on Top of the World whereas the other seems to signify somone from a bottomless pit!!!!. However I do believe that both these terms are related to each other.

Why does the society distinguish between a man who is Bungee jumping from the fortieth floor of the building & a man who performs the feat without using the ropes?? In this case, the former will be hailed as a BJ Champion & the other wud be anointed with the tag of a coward who cudnt take the pressures of society!!!!!! Whereas if one goes to see, the former was jumping from the fortieth floor knowing fully well that there were medical staff on the standby, the rope he was tied to was secure & there was no apparent risk to his life!!!!! A man who is jumping from such a height knowing fully well tht there wud not even be a scratch on his face is hailed a Champion or Hero whereas one who does not have acess to any of these & still jumps is hailed a coward.
Both also succeed in their missions!!! One aimed to get his name in the record books & the other in the books of the Coroner!!!!

Why does society distinguish between men?? Is such a distinction correct???
In the above case, just because the 2nd guy jumped to his death, the society labelled him a coward. Why?? Dosent man have the right to choose his way of life?? Death in this case?? Why does the whole world reserve a comment on the way a man lived his life? I do strongly believe that the 2nd man deserved to get all the accolades coz he performed the same stunt without having acess to all the equipments the other guy had. Also, this man knew exactly wot he was doing & wot were the consequences of his actions. So this guy deserved better.

Champions & cowards have many things in common
Both have same motives, are similar in thinking. Just that each plans ona different way of execution of their plan!!!

Also, society just calls people names because these persons cannot enact or emote what the so called coward did. Surely you wud here words like - Am I a fool to jump off the fortieth floor of a building to get myself killed?? Nah never!!!! from such a person & then he wud proceed to condemn the guy labelling him a loser!!! Just because you do not have the guts or the daredevilry to perform what the other guy did you are labelling the other guy foolish!!! Wot justice?? Just because the persons act did not conform to societal norms of living, society condemns such men.

I would surely like people to ponder over this article & wonder out aloud whether what we are doing is correct?? We are putting the wrong guy in the drivers seat!!!!
Would prefer your comments on this

Till Death do us Apart ...

2007-03-19T11:49:00.000+05:30

When I first had plans to start this blog, I had promised myself tht this would not have anything to do remotely with India's favorite game - Cricket!!!!. However the events over the last 2-3 days have coerced me into writing this blog.

Guess when it comes to brotherhood & brotherly relations, history would not have seen a better pair than the subcontinental gaints (In Cricket of course!!!) of India & Pakistan. Born out of the same motherland & with birthday's just a day apart, these two countries share a tumultous relationship with each other like two estranged brothers fighting it out over ancestral property (read Kashmir!)

The same has spilled over to Cricket. Participating in WORLD CUP 2007, India tipped as one of the contenders & Pakistan being tipped to reach the semifinals, Saturday's events came as a shock to the fans in both countries. Where Pakistan lost to lowly ranked (Do they have a rank??) Ireland, India lost to an effervescent Bangaldesh (another of their estranged brothers!!) & tipped the scales over. Pakistan find themselves out of the premier championship & India too face the daunting task of dropping out at the league stages itself. Even now as debates rage over how India will reach the Super 8's, the path is real tough. They have to rely upon their most favorite ally - NET RUN RATE (NRR) on which they have relied upon for ages together.
India have to win both their league matches against Bermuda & Sri Lanka & with huge margins. The latter is easier said than done. If this happens & Bangladesh & Srilanka go on to beat Bermuda which is a foregone conclusion, the three teams will be tied at 4 points & the NRR will decide upon which two go into the Super 8's. Guess Sri Lanka is sure to proceed. Tht leaves India & Bangladesh to decide on their fate.

Coming back to the India vs Bangladesh match, one can only take remedial measures which can be:

1. Ask Virender Sehwag to hone his skills by sending him to Timbaktu or some other far fetched land & put him on the first flight out of the Carribean. Maybe he can add to his skills & return as Captain of a team from Scandinavia or better may be coach of the Ireland team!!!

2. Hand a certain Mr. Ajit Agarkar the Pink Slip. Its been quite a few times that he has been handed a reprieve by the powers at the top. Innumerable comebacks have not made any dent into the mind of theis bowler bat or batsman bowler or still better a "Confused Cricketer". For a man who started his career in Indian cricket with a reputation of being a good batter & a bowler who could bowl at speeds of 140Kmph, reached a mile stone of being the fastest bowler in ODI's to take 50 wickets ( in 23 matches) which was incidentally overhauled by Saqlain Musthaq (He achieved this feat in 22 matches) a Pakistani, (brotherly love at it again !!!), a man who was labelled the next Kapil Dev the mantle of which presently lies with Irfan Pathan these days, a man who scored a Test Hundred at Lords, the Mecca of Cricket, Agarkar seems to have forgotten the art of batting which seems to have dropped out of his Kit bag many summers ago!!!!!
Now he himself believes that he is just a bowler who can bat a bit. Not tht his bowling has taken the opposition by storm. A wide/no ball, a full toss disdainfully dispatched to the boundary by the batsman, A straight drive for a single, a ball tanatalisingly close to the outside edge form the normal consitutents of an Agarkar over. At the end of 10 overs ( if he does bowl his full quota - GOD save Indian cricket on tht day!!!) Agarkar ineveitably ends with figures of 10 - 0 - 55 - 0.

Now, moving on to problems of the younger brother that is Pakistan, A country which similar to its cricket - flamboyant on one day & absolutely pathetic on the next, Pakistan Cricket has been besieged by problems with the death of the most favorite coach in the world Bob Woolmer being the high points in this sad story.

1. It all started with allegations in the press of Pakistan's ace fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar reportedly slappin Bob Woolmer. Videos of Shoaib pushing Bob are being splashed on news channels across the world today.
2. Then came news of Shoaib & another fast bowler - Mohammad Asif being involved in a dope scandal. The two tested positive for nandrolone when the ICC did a random sampling of urine samples of cricketers before the World Cup. This led to them being omitted from the list of 15 players making the cut to the World Cup squad. It also dealt a severe bolow to Pakistan's hopes of winning the World Cup.
3. Then came news of the players tiff with the manager of the squad & how certain decisions taken by the team management (Read Inzamam & Bob) were being criticised by former Pakistani cricketers.
4. The defeat against Ireland seemed to be the last straw since Ireland are a country playing their first World Cup & lack much match experience.
5. However this was not to be since the final coffin was hit with news of Coach Bob Woolmer being found dead in his hotel room on March 18, 2007 in mysterious circumstances. As per recent reports, the cause of death is yet to be ascertained.
6. In the meanwhile, news has just come in that Inzamam is retiring from International Cricket.

It seems Pakistan is being pulled deeper into the quagmire what with the political situation of the country showing a similar graph. Bush is now at loggerheads with Musharraf over the latter not agreeing to facilitate US troops landing on Pakistani soil in its war against terror.

All this can only tell us one thing. Indian Cricket & Coach Greg BEWARE!!!!. May the same fate not befell you.

Its a Dogs World out there!!!!

2007-03-18T17:39:00.000+05:30

Guess its really a dogs world out there!!!!

I have come to this conclusion after I found myself reading articles in newspapers which seemed to suggest that the Indian Government is more concerned about the state of affairs of Dogs in the country rather than that of humans!!!!

The first one i read was about the Mumbai State Government planning of starting an "Adopt a Stray" policy under which the Govt hopes that nearly 2 lakh strays in the city will be adopted.
The another & this is an interesting one which i read in a Business magazine which said - The Finance Minister in his Annual Budget has okayed a reduction in excise duty on Dog Food!!!!

Talk about the Indian canine being so famous that the FinMin has included it in the Annual Budget for the country!!!!

All this has just forced me into thinking about a situation which mostof us are aware of. Thopugh the following few lines may make Dog-lovers across the world clench their fists & churn their stomachs, Something else bothers me enough to put this in writing.

What do you Dog lovers get out of keeping a Dog as a pet?? All I can see is another member of the family added to the list what with Dog Food, Dog Soap, Dog Shampoo, Dog Doctor (Vet) & everything else that a human can have to feel his individuality!!! However all this for 8 to maximum 10 years of some so called fun after which your beloved canine would just roll over & die whimpering or to avoid going through the tough ordeal, you take it to the Vet to be put to sleep????. In the emantime, it may also add to its family ( If it is a female!! & produce 6-8 similar to its own) And after the few days when the family would recover after the initial shock, they may decide on the next pup to be brought to keep company!!!!

I just wonder WHY these dog lovers cant think of Human beings in the same vein. Think of the street urchin beggin for food, The guy at the local tea shop-tapri as we call it in Hindi, working his ass off for a few 100 bucks per month, the manourished kid sitting on railway platforms beggin for a morsel to eat, the impoverished mother holding her infant asking for something to feed herself & her kid, The kid at the Traffic Signal polishing windows just to earn the 5 bucks that would put the next meal in his stomach.

What happens to these kids??? Most of them may die due to malnutrition, poverty or accidents. Others may turn to begging as a way of life, a full time profession whereas the balance may turn into petty thieves or dangerous criminals who seek revenge on the society that let them be rather than led them to the correct path of life.

If only these so called animal lovers who seem to care about dogs more than humans spare a thought about their fellow comrade being in such a subservient position. Think how much difference would it make if such people adopt such a kid & take it upon them to ensure that he gets education & goes on to represent himself in this society, I can assure you that it would give them a lifetime of joy than those 8 years of happiness that they get from being with a Dog. & even if the guy dosent acknowledge what U have done for him, it will remain a fact in your heart that you have done the most wonderful thing in this world by bringing up a person who was not sure of his very existence when you found him.

Indeed, most of the problems in this world can be traced back to man not helping his fellow man rather prefering other lesser known things to overwhelm him. Dogs can remain, there are various people to take care of them. There are human rights activists, there is PETA & a host of other such institutions who prefer to loathe about their animal instincts than their humanly emotions.

I just hope that some dog lover may come across this blog & ponder on wots written & take a step that would help a small kid fulfill his destiny.

A small step for man - A huge leap for mankind