It is time at last to reveal the CFTMLTMTAGSFUAS. This is a prestigious title, and one that has been decided after a lot of careful thought, plenty of long-nurtured prejudices and random throwing of darts at a map of the United States.
Ladies and gentlemen...before I name the CFTMLTMTAGSFUAS, here's a little background.
I've always had a passive rooting interest in an SEC team, only that team changes every few years. I started off with the Florida Gators in the 1990s, because I liked watching the way they played on offence, and it was fun to see them try to get to the very top. Then they won the national title, soon afterwards Coach Spurrier left, and I switched allegiences (I can do that--I've never been to school or lived in SEC territory, so I'm an outsider) to the Louisiana State Tigers, due to my love of Cajun food, and the fact that my craziest driving performance was in downtown Baton Rouge (but that's another story). Like the Gators, LSU were knocking on the door of greatness for quite a while, and then they broke through and won two national championships in relatively quick time, so it's not as much fun anymore to root for them.
It's time for another switch. The formula is pretty simple: we need a once-great programme, now on the cusp of greatness again, and with a pretty good reason for me to like them.
Ladies and gentlemen (if any of you are still around), presenting the Shankar-GPS Great Hope for a Great College Football Season in 2008, the alma mater of Herschel Walker, the greatest college running back of all time, theeeeeeeeeee GEORGIA BULLDOGS!
Well, big whoop. They are ranked #1 in all the pre-season polls, and QB Matt Stafford is a prime Heisman candidate, and RB Knowshon Moreno was SEC Freshman of the Year in 2007. So it's not a stunningly bold pick.
Still, the Bulldogs have yet to take the final step under Mark Richt. They ended last season at #2, but their schedule this year has two real stinkers (at LSU and at Auburn) and plenty of banana skins in between. But I think that the Bulldogs are due, and that Uga will barking a lot between the hedges in 2008.
Ring the Bell, Dawgs!
Saturday, 30 August 2008
College Football Team Most Likely to Make 2008 a Great Season for Us at Shankar-GPS (CFTMLTMTAGSFUAS)
Friday, 29 August 2008
The Fall wishlist - the Collegiate edition
I love College Football. Really, I do. Not only are there so many more teams to despise, but, also, because I've been to so many schools, there are so many more teams to love. Let's get rid of the negativity first in the First Shankar-GPS Football Wishlist - Collegiate Edition.
THE TEAMS I HOPE LOSE EARLY AND OFTEN, WHOSE SLEEP IS INTERRUPTED BY CATS FIGHTING OUTSIDE THEIR WINDOWS AND WHOSE STAR PLAYERS ARE STRICKEN BY INGROWN TOENAILS
In no particular order:
1. USC Trojans (Pac 10)
2. Texas Longhorns (Big 12)
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10)
4. Michigan Wolverines (Big 10)
5. Florida State Seminoles (ACC)
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC)
7. Miami Hurricanes (ACC)
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12)
9. Boston College Eagles (ACC)
10. Tennessee Volunteers (SEC)
Now, for the good stuff.
THE TEAMS WHO I HOPE MAKE TO THE BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (BUT I WOULDN'T COUNT ON IT)
This time I will go in order, from the least likely to have a good season, to the most likely.
6. Southern Illinois Salukis (Gateway): We can be sure the Salukis won't make a BCS game as they play in the FCS or whatever Division I-AA is called these days. When I went to school in Carbondale, they were rubbish. After I left, they became mediocre. Once I left the US, they became pretty hot stuff, advancing deep into the playoffs almost every year. This year it will be difficult as Head Coach Jerry Kill has left to coach the Northern Illinois Huskies.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Independent): I spent two fabulous falls at Notre Dame in the mid-90s, and I just loved the place. Too bad things didn't work out for me there academics-wise, but at least the football back then was of a pretty high standard. Unlike last year when the Irish managed to lose to Navy for the first time since Roger Staubach's Heisman Trophy winning year at Annapolis. I expect another mediocre season in '08, but the Irish are too much a part of me to stop me from hoping for a booster dose of the luck o' the Irish every Saturday.
4. Texas A&M Aggies (Big 12): Similar story to Notre Dame, with me having spent two glorious falls in College Station, but producing an equally lacklustre academic performance as at Notre Dame. The Aggies reached the Big 12 Championship Game both those seasons, but haven't smelled the game since. After the steady, but unspectacular, R. C. Slocum years came the Dennis Franchione Reign of Error. Now, Brett Favre's former head coach, Mike Sherman, comes along to try and return the Ags to their roots. We'll probably lose more than we should, but I'll settle for a return of the Wrecking Crew defence.
3. Oregon Ducks (Pac 10): I need a team to root for in the Pac 10, and until UCLA sort themselves out, Nike U is my rooting choice. The Ducks seem to come so close to doing something significant almost every year, and yet, somehow, they manage to muck it all up. Still, I live in hope that Mike Bellotti's guys will one day win the Pac 10 and give those blasted Trojans something to think about.
2. BYU Cougars (Mountain West): A third straight MWC title for Bronco Mendenhall's men will be hugely popular in my circles: I have more friends in the BYU system than any other university. And if the Cougars can come through undefeated, they will surely be able to gate-crash the BCS for the first time. The BCS is the worst cartel in American sports. Only teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10 and SEC make it, unless someone plays out of their skins and has a fantastic, undefeated year. The double standard is just so...un-American. For that reason alone, people should hope the Cougars make it.
And at Number 1...tune in tomorrow.
THE TEAMS I HOPE LOSE EARLY AND OFTEN, WHOSE SLEEP IS INTERRUPTED BY CATS FIGHTING OUTSIDE THEIR WINDOWS AND WHOSE STAR PLAYERS ARE STRICKEN BY INGROWN TOENAILS
In no particular order:
1. USC Trojans (Pac 10)
2. Texas Longhorns (Big 12)
3. Ohio State Buckeyes (Big 10)
4. Michigan Wolverines (Big 10)
5. Florida State Seminoles (ACC)
6. Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC)
7. Miami Hurricanes (ACC)
8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12)
9. Boston College Eagles (ACC)
10. Tennessee Volunteers (SEC)
Now, for the good stuff.
THE TEAMS WHO I HOPE MAKE TO THE BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (BUT I WOULDN'T COUNT ON IT)
This time I will go in order, from the least likely to have a good season, to the most likely.
6. Southern Illinois Salukis (Gateway): We can be sure the Salukis won't make a BCS game as they play in the FCS or whatever Division I-AA is called these days. When I went to school in Carbondale, they were rubbish. After I left, they became mediocre. Once I left the US, they became pretty hot stuff, advancing deep into the playoffs almost every year. This year it will be difficult as Head Coach Jerry Kill has left to coach the Northern Illinois Huskies.
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Independent): I spent two fabulous falls at Notre Dame in the mid-90s, and I just loved the place. Too bad things didn't work out for me there academics-wise, but at least the football back then was of a pretty high standard. Unlike last year when the Irish managed to lose to Navy for the first time since Roger Staubach's Heisman Trophy winning year at Annapolis. I expect another mediocre season in '08, but the Irish are too much a part of me to stop me from hoping for a booster dose of the luck o' the Irish every Saturday.
4. Texas A&M Aggies (Big 12): Similar story to Notre Dame, with me having spent two glorious falls in College Station, but producing an equally lacklustre academic performance as at Notre Dame. The Aggies reached the Big 12 Championship Game both those seasons, but haven't smelled the game since. After the steady, but unspectacular, R. C. Slocum years came the Dennis Franchione Reign of Error. Now, Brett Favre's former head coach, Mike Sherman, comes along to try and return the Ags to their roots. We'll probably lose more than we should, but I'll settle for a return of the Wrecking Crew defence.
3. Oregon Ducks (Pac 10): I need a team to root for in the Pac 10, and until UCLA sort themselves out, Nike U is my rooting choice. The Ducks seem to come so close to doing something significant almost every year, and yet, somehow, they manage to muck it all up. Still, I live in hope that Mike Bellotti's guys will one day win the Pac 10 and give those blasted Trojans something to think about.
2. BYU Cougars (Mountain West): A third straight MWC title for Bronco Mendenhall's men will be hugely popular in my circles: I have more friends in the BYU system than any other university. And if the Cougars can come through undefeated, they will surely be able to gate-crash the BCS for the first time. The BCS is the worst cartel in American sports. Only teams from the ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac 10 and SEC make it, unless someone plays out of their skins and has a fantastic, undefeated year. The double standard is just so...un-American. For that reason alone, people should hope the Cougars make it.
And at Number 1...tune in tomorrow.
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Spam, spam, spam, spam...
Anyone else find that spammers are getting funnier with the subject line? Today I had one which read (I kid you not):
"Taliban says Nicky Hilton hotter than Paris"
And even as you read this, someone in CIA is trying to break the code.
The Fall wishlist - the Pro edition
When I moved to the US in the Fall of '93, it took me all of a fortnight to get fully immersed into American Football, or just "football" as they call it. I chose my teams rather arbitrarily, but have stuck with them through thick and thin (mainly thin, I'm afraid) ever since.
Since I left the US in early '04, I've not been able to follow the game with quite the same intensity as before, owing to the fact that kick-off time in the US usually coincides with bedtime in Asia. However, I still follow the results, and still root for my teams.
As my teams often have rotten seasons, I find it is also important to have two more categories of teams: the nice teams, i.e., teams you don't mind winning, and the stinkers, i.e., the teams you really want to lose games, have their players suffer from severe dandruff and and the coaches/owners of which teams you would like to see slip on a banana skin and plunge headfirst down a flight of stairs. (Childish, yes. But most sports are a bit childish.)
With the start of the 2008 American football season rapidly approaching, everyone and his uncle has a Football Preview of one sort or the other. I am handicapped because all my opinions are based on prejudice and what I read on espn.com.
So, rather than present to what I think will happen, I present to you what I hope will happen in the First Shankar GPS Football Wishlist - Pro Edition.
THINGS THAT WILL MAKE A STUPENDOUS SEASON:
1. The Dallas Cowboys win the Super Bowl.
2. The New England Patriots lose the Super Bowl or AFC Championship Game (heck, any game), preferably on an interception returned for a touchdown with 2 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter.
THINGS THAT WILL MAKE A PERFECTLY ADEQUATE SEASON:
1. The Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl.
2. The New York Jets win the Super Bowl.
3. The New York Giants miss the playoffs.
4. The Washington Redskins miss the playoffs.
5. The Philadelphia Eagles miss the playoffs.
As you can tell, dear reader (if there are any of you left at this point), a lot of mature thought and scientific analysis has gone into the production of this list.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
Pun of the weak #15
"How's your uncle faring in his new career as a baker?"
"Not too well, I'm afraid. He told me he kneads dough all the time."
Sunday, 24 August 2008
See you in London
It's time to say farewell to the summer Olympic games for another four years till London in 2012. Despite my scepticism about the Olympic movement since Atlanta '96, I have to admit this was a great event.
I have no comments to make on politics, human rights or Beijing's notorious air quality, but instead I want to make special mention of the athletes who made it memorable for me.
I've already mentioned my top four in previous posts: Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar, Vijender Kumar and Usain Bolt, so I will pass over them. Here are the others, in alphabetical order:
Rebecca Adlington (GB, Swimming): The Brits are a pretty miserable lot when it comes to swimming. They can row and sail better than most nations, but anything involving actually getting in to the water is a different story. Then came Adlington, who shocked everyone by winning the 400m freestyle which wasn't even her pet event. That was the 800m, which she won by breaking Janet Evans' 19 year old world record. Apparently she was motivated by a promise of Jimmy Choo shoes by her mother if she won. Must be a girl thing.
Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe, Swimming): Zimbabwe is a nation in terrible economic shape. In July 2008 had an inflation rate of 2.2 million percent. That's no laughing matter, even if you say that like Dr. Evil. The country's white community has been systematically targetted by the government resulting in terrible racial tension. For Coventry to be able to retain her Olympic gold medal and have a truly cross-over appeal in her country is amazing.
Chris Hoy (GB, Cycling): The leader of Great Britain's dominant track cycling team, The Real McHoy became the first Brit to win three gold medals at a single Games since 1908. And this was after his pet event (the 1 km time trial) was dropped from the Beijing slate.
Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Football): An incredibly biased entry here, Liverpool's Mascherano became the first Argentinian to win Olympic gold medals in successive Olympics. I believe it's Liverpool's first Olympic gold medal.
Rohullah Nikpai (Afghanistan, Taekwondo): Nikpai won a bronze medal in the men's 58 kg even in Taekwondo. That was Afghanistan's first medal in the summer Olympics...ever. And considering his country's tortured history during his lifetime--Nikpai was a refugee in Iran as a teenager due to the violence in his country--Nikpai's feat is all the more amazing.
Rebecca Romero (GB, Cycling): 2004 Olympic silver medallist in rowing, 2008 Olympic gold medallist in cycling. Now that is a pretty good career switch.
MY ATHLETE OF BEIJING 2008:
When Baron de Coubertin founded the modern Olympic games in the 1890s, he gave the famous maxim: "The important thing is not to win, but to take part."
I don't think anyone fulfils this better than the 16th placed finisher in the women's 10k Open Water swim, Natalie du Toit, South Africa flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. Read her story. Or just look at the thousand words below:
Any questions?
I have no comments to make on politics, human rights or Beijing's notorious air quality, but instead I want to make special mention of the athletes who made it memorable for me.
I've already mentioned my top four in previous posts: Abhinav Bindra, Sushil Kumar, Vijender Kumar and Usain Bolt, so I will pass over them. Here are the others, in alphabetical order:
Rebecca Adlington (GB, Swimming): The Brits are a pretty miserable lot when it comes to swimming. They can row and sail better than most nations, but anything involving actually getting in to the water is a different story. Then came Adlington, who shocked everyone by winning the 400m freestyle which wasn't even her pet event. That was the 800m, which she won by breaking Janet Evans' 19 year old world record. Apparently she was motivated by a promise of Jimmy Choo shoes by her mother if she won. Must be a girl thing.
Kirsty Coventry (Zimbabwe, Swimming): Zimbabwe is a nation in terrible economic shape. In July 2008 had an inflation rate of 2.2 million percent. That's no laughing matter, even if you say that like Dr. Evil. The country's white community has been systematically targetted by the government resulting in terrible racial tension. For Coventry to be able to retain her Olympic gold medal and have a truly cross-over appeal in her country is amazing.
Chris Hoy (GB, Cycling): The leader of Great Britain's dominant track cycling team, The Real McHoy became the first Brit to win three gold medals at a single Games since 1908. And this was after his pet event (the 1 km time trial) was dropped from the Beijing slate.
Javier Mascherano (Argentina, Football): An incredibly biased entry here, Liverpool's Mascherano became the first Argentinian to win Olympic gold medals in successive Olympics. I believe it's Liverpool's first Olympic gold medal.
Rohullah Nikpai (Afghanistan, Taekwondo): Nikpai won a bronze medal in the men's 58 kg even in Taekwondo. That was Afghanistan's first medal in the summer Olympics...ever. And considering his country's tortured history during his lifetime--Nikpai was a refugee in Iran as a teenager due to the violence in his country--Nikpai's feat is all the more amazing.
Rebecca Romero (GB, Cycling): 2004 Olympic silver medallist in rowing, 2008 Olympic gold medallist in cycling. Now that is a pretty good career switch.
MY ATHLETE OF BEIJING 2008:
When Baron de Coubertin founded the modern Olympic games in the 1890s, he gave the famous maxim: "The important thing is not to win, but to take part."
I don't think anyone fulfils this better than the 16th placed finisher in the women's 10k Open Water swim, Natalie du Toit, South Africa flag-bearer at the opening ceremony. Read her story. Or just look at the thousand words below:
Any questions?
Major success
Major props to Vijender Kumar, who, by winning bronze in boxing (middleweight), gave India its most successful Olympics ever, with one gold and two bronzes.
Yes, our standards are pretty low.
Thursday, 21 August 2008
This is just Usain!
I was so strong for nearly 12 days. My proud record of not having watched a single second of the Olympics was going strong. I was confident of lasting all 16 days without going near the TV.
Let me clarify here and now that I am following the results on the Internet, but I am not watching any of the action. If you had to watch them on Doordarshan Sports, one of India's insipid government-run TV channels, you'd avoid watching them, too. An Indian boxer entered the semis in his event yesterday, and he was interviewed by Doordarshan. It was so interminably dull and boring that we should use that interviewer as a tactical weapon: have him interview our opponents before the game and lull them to sleep. I'm telling you, we'd be unbeatable. (Incidentally, the slick sports channels show almost nothing but cricket, football and WWE wrestling. Millions of Asians think that pro-wrestling is America's national sport!)
So, I was reading the BBC's Live Olympic Text Updates yesterday when I saw that the final of the Men's 200 metres started at 19:50 Indian time. It was 19:45. Five minutes to Usain "Lightning" Bolt-time. I hadn't seen his 100 metres romp over the weekend (well, I was on a train just then), but just the reports of the show he put on that night made me regret on missing out. So I made an exception and went to the living room and turned on the television. (Thankfully, although the action is shown on Doordarshan, the commentators are not provided by them. They re-broadcast some Australian feed, which means the commentators are worth a listen.)
The athletes were in the starting blocks when I turned on the TV. Ten seconds later, the race was over for all intents and purposes, and I was left laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Bolt just stormed away from the rest of the field. The others could have caught a fish in the desert sooner than catch the Jamaican. Bolt duly broke the legendary Michael Johnson's 12-year old world record, becoming the first man to win both sprints at the Olympics in world record time.
The best part of the whole deal? While on his goofy victory lap (at one point he did his version of the Funky Chicken), Bolt was serenaded by the crowd/PA system singing "Happy Birthday" to him. The phenomenon turned 22 today.
Those of you who really know me will appreciate the magnitude of what I am about to say.
Usain Bolt is...awesome.
PS: The last time I was this impressed by a sprinter was Ben Johnson in Seoul in 1988. Please let this be nothing like that.
Let me clarify here and now that I am following the results on the Internet, but I am not watching any of the action. If you had to watch them on Doordarshan Sports, one of India's insipid government-run TV channels, you'd avoid watching them, too. An Indian boxer entered the semis in his event yesterday, and he was interviewed by Doordarshan. It was so interminably dull and boring that we should use that interviewer as a tactical weapon: have him interview our opponents before the game and lull them to sleep. I'm telling you, we'd be unbeatable. (Incidentally, the slick sports channels show almost nothing but cricket, football and WWE wrestling. Millions of Asians think that pro-wrestling is America's national sport!)
So, I was reading the BBC's Live Olympic Text Updates yesterday when I saw that the final of the Men's 200 metres started at 19:50 Indian time. It was 19:45. Five minutes to Usain "Lightning" Bolt-time. I hadn't seen his 100 metres romp over the weekend (well, I was on a train just then), but just the reports of the show he put on that night made me regret on missing out. So I made an exception and went to the living room and turned on the television. (Thankfully, although the action is shown on Doordarshan, the commentators are not provided by them. They re-broadcast some Australian feed, which means the commentators are worth a listen.)
The athletes were in the starting blocks when I turned on the TV. Ten seconds later, the race was over for all intents and purposes, and I was left laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. Bolt just stormed away from the rest of the field. The others could have caught a fish in the desert sooner than catch the Jamaican. Bolt duly broke the legendary Michael Johnson's 12-year old world record, becoming the first man to win both sprints at the Olympics in world record time.
The best part of the whole deal? While on his goofy victory lap (at one point he did his version of the Funky Chicken), Bolt was serenaded by the crowd/PA system singing "Happy Birthday" to him. The phenomenon turned 22 today.
Those of you who really know me will appreciate the magnitude of what I am about to say.
Usain Bolt is...awesome.
PS: The last time I was this impressed by a sprinter was Ben Johnson in Seoul in 1988. Please let this be nothing like that.
Photo of the Olympics
This is Sushil Kumar, who won a bronze medal for India in the 66 kg freestyle wrestling competition in Beijing yesterday.
Isn't this a great photo? It was on the front page of our newspaper this morning and I can't get it out of my mind. Just look at the mixture of joy and disbelief on Sushil's face. Wonderful.
Monday, 18 August 2008
Staying put for a while
I just heard that the project in the UK for which we had bid at the end of July was awarded to another company, which means that I won't be taking any international flights in the near future. Pity. Thanks to everyone for your good wishes and prayers.
Friday, 15 August 2008
Pun of the weak #14
The good people behind The Chambers Dictionary have a little section on their website called "Gigglosary, which allows people to submit humorous definitions for words. Naturally, there are quite a few good puns to be found. I think my favourite one is found at the end of the list:
Women's studies: a subject requiring broad research (Joe O'Farrell)
When I mentioned this to a friend, she replied that when she had a job on campus for her university's Study Abroad programme, her telephone greeting was, "Welcome to Study Abroad. Which broad would you like to study?"
I should have asked her if that was a multiple-choice question.
Women's studies: a subject requiring broad research (Joe O'Farrell)
When I mentioned this to a friend, she replied that when she had a job on campus for her university's Study Abroad programme, her telephone greeting was, "Welcome to Study Abroad. Which broad would you like to study?"
I should have asked her if that was a multiple-choice question.
Wednesday, 13 August 2008
Movement on the GPS
All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...but I'm not leaving on a jet plane.
I'm off to Bangalore tonight with the singles and I will be back on Sunday morning. A good time is anticipated by all, even though the weather forecast for our destination is rain tomorrow and more the following day.
The only drawback is that I'm going to miss the start of Liverpool's Champions League campaign tonight as I'll be on the train to Bangalore, and the miss of their English Premier League (EPL) campaign as I'll be on the train from Bangalore. As they usually do better when I'm not watching as opposed to when I am cheering them on, I should be okay.
See you later.
I'm off to Bangalore tonight with the singles and I will be back on Sunday morning. A good time is anticipated by all, even though the weather forecast for our destination is rain tomorrow and more the following day.
The only drawback is that I'm going to miss the start of Liverpool's Champions League campaign tonight as I'll be on the train to Bangalore, and the miss of their English Premier League (EPL) campaign as I'll be on the train from Bangalore. As they usually do better when I'm not watching as opposed to when I am cheering them on, I should be okay.
See you later.
Monday, 11 August 2008
Finally!
Ok, so this is another Olympic blog post, but I can justify this one.
Earlier this morning, Abhinav Singh Bindra of India won the gold medal in the Mens 10m Air Rifle competition at the Beijing Olympics.
Woo-hoo!
It only took 112 years, but India finally has an individual gold medal in the Olympics Games. As in ever. To put that into perspective, Michael Phelps will win more individual gold medals this week than India has in history.
For a country of 1.1 billion (and perhaps another billion during the span of the modern Olympics), India really is a pretty miserable sporting nation.
So, take a bow, Mr. Bindra. Your nation thanks you, and salutes you.
PS: Take a look at photo of the guy. He looks more like a mathematics professor than an Olympic gold medallist, doesn't he?
Earlier this morning, Abhinav Singh Bindra of India won the gold medal in the Mens 10m Air Rifle competition at the Beijing Olympics.
Woo-hoo!
It only took 112 years, but India finally has an individual gold medal in the Olympics Games. As in ever. To put that into perspective, Michael Phelps will win more individual gold medals this week than India has in history.
For a country of 1.1 billion (and perhaps another billion during the span of the modern Olympics), India really is a pretty miserable sporting nation.
So, take a bow, Mr. Bindra. Your nation thanks you, and salutes you.
PS: Take a look at photo of the guy. He looks more like a mathematics professor than an Olympic gold medallist, doesn't he?
Friday, 8 August 2008
08.08.08 8:00 pm
And now...my first (and possibly last) blog on the Olympic Games.
Are they back?
I don't know about you, dear reader, but I had my fill of the Olympics by No. 5 (for me) in Barcelona in 1992. Atlanta in '96 was putrid (I don't care what anyone says, the cauldron for the Olympic flame still looks like an empty fries container from a far-too-well-known fast food chain), Sydney was acceptable because of Cathy Freeman, and I honestly don't think I watched a minute of Athens in 2004.
So what went wrong with the old Citius Altius Fortius shindig?
Well, for one thing, it's too darn big. There are too many sports for which the Olympics is not the biggest honour (basketball, football and tennis to name just three), and they are just bloating the whole event.
And while it seems great that the best professionals in these sports are at the Olympics, I'm pretty certain that the players' clubs, who actually pay their wages, are not best pleased. FC Barcelona went to court to try to prevent their best player, Lionel Messi, from taking part in Beijing. And while they haven't said much in public, I don't think the Cleveland Cavaliers or Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez would be best pleased if LeBron James or Javier Mascherano tore an ACL or something.
If the Olympics really want me back (and with an estimated worldwide television audience in excess of three billion, I'm guessing they can live without me), they need to heed the advice of the late, great Waylon Jennings and "get back to the basics of [life]".
Off with tennis, football and pro basketball. Keep the Olympics for the gymnasts, the swimmers, the athletes and the canoeists. To the latter group, the Olympics is the be-all and end-all of their careers.
Having said that, I watched about 10 minutes of the Opening Ceremony while having dinner. The athletes were entering the stadium, country-by-country, in a seemingly random order. The BBC and CNN both state that the order is according to how many strokes it takes to write the country's name in Chinese script, but it baffles me how you can write Trinidad and Tobago in fewer strokes than Estonia in any language. China always has been a bit of a mystery, hasn't it?
Are they back?
I don't know about you, dear reader, but I had my fill of the Olympics by No. 5 (for me) in Barcelona in 1992. Atlanta in '96 was putrid (I don't care what anyone says, the cauldron for the Olympic flame still looks like an empty fries container from a far-too-well-known fast food chain), Sydney was acceptable because of Cathy Freeman, and I honestly don't think I watched a minute of Athens in 2004.
So what went wrong with the old Citius Altius Fortius shindig?
Well, for one thing, it's too darn big. There are too many sports for which the Olympics is not the biggest honour (basketball, football and tennis to name just three), and they are just bloating the whole event.
And while it seems great that the best professionals in these sports are at the Olympics, I'm pretty certain that the players' clubs, who actually pay their wages, are not best pleased. FC Barcelona went to court to try to prevent their best player, Lionel Messi, from taking part in Beijing. And while they haven't said much in public, I don't think the Cleveland Cavaliers or Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez would be best pleased if LeBron James or Javier Mascherano tore an ACL or something.
If the Olympics really want me back (and with an estimated worldwide television audience in excess of three billion, I'm guessing they can live without me), they need to heed the advice of the late, great Waylon Jennings and "get back to the basics of [life]".
Off with tennis, football and pro basketball. Keep the Olympics for the gymnasts, the swimmers, the athletes and the canoeists. To the latter group, the Olympics is the be-all and end-all of their careers.
Having said that, I watched about 10 minutes of the Opening Ceremony while having dinner. The athletes were entering the stadium, country-by-country, in a seemingly random order. The BBC and CNN both state that the order is according to how many strokes it takes to write the country's name in Chinese script, but it baffles me how you can write Trinidad and Tobago in fewer strokes than Estonia in any language. China always has been a bit of a mystery, hasn't it?
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Pun of the weak #13
Q: How do we know that Jesus placed a high priority on physical fitness? A: Because even near the end, he was still going to Pilates.
Sunday, 3 August 2008
Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters
Not too long ago, there appeared an item in the local newspaper about Chennai's newest sister city. I couldn't suppress a grin when I read that it is my favourite city in the US.
My hometown is a Sister City with San Antonio, Texas.
Fantastic! How wonderful!
Erm, what exactly is a Sister City?
I thought of the song "Sisters" from the movie "White Christmas" (actually, I thought of the version that Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye sing in drag) and wondered if it would provide me some clues.
All kinds of weather
We stick together
The same in the rain or sun
Two diff'rent faces
But in tight places
We think and we act as one
Well, if that's the case, then does it mean Chennai is suddenly going to start playing some nifty basketball, à la my beloved San Antonio Spurs? Unlikely.
A couple of newspaper commentators, one in Chennai and one in San Antonio, have suggested that Chennai could develop a San Antonio-style Riverwalk. Well, if they do, knowing the water quality of Chennai's rivers, the new festival over here would be Stinko de Mayo. So that doesn't seem like much of an idea, either.
I guess I'll be satisfied if we could get some really good Mexican food in Chennai for a change.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Words to live by
We all have our maxims and rules by which we live. Some we develop by ourselves, others we gain by observing the example of others, yet others are from something we read and decide that it is a jolly good idea.
Some of the sources of my philosophies of life familiar ones (parents, teachers, friends, scriptures, etc.), while others are decidedly less conventional.
For the past month I've been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to read Rudyard Kipling's classic adventure novel Kim. By all accounts it is an exciting story, but I just can't get into it. But today, I picked up a book and finished it in about three hours.
I wish I could say that the book was Kim.
It was, instead, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot's Christmas.
It was then that I realised that one of my maxims in life is the same as one of the late, great P. G. Wodehouse's observations:
"Reading The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was a thing I had been meaning to do these last forty years," wrote Wodehouse, "But you know how it is. Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt and are preparing to read the stuffing out of Henry the Sixth, parts one, two and three, something of Agatha Christie's catches your eye and you weaken."
Add Wodehouse's own work to that of Christie, and there you have, in a nutshell, my philosophy on reading fiction.
Some of the sources of my philosophies of life familiar ones (parents, teachers, friends, scriptures, etc.), while others are decidedly less conventional.
For the past month I've been trying (rather unsuccessfully) to read Rudyard Kipling's classic adventure novel Kim. By all accounts it is an exciting story, but I just can't get into it. But today, I picked up a book and finished it in about three hours.
I wish I could say that the book was Kim.
It was, instead, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot's Christmas.
It was then that I realised that one of my maxims in life is the same as one of the late, great P. G. Wodehouse's observations:
"Reading The Complete Works of William Shakespeare was a thing I had been meaning to do these last forty years," wrote Wodehouse, "But you know how it is. Just as you have got Hamlet and Macbeth under your belt and are preparing to read the stuffing out of Henry the Sixth, parts one, two and three, something of Agatha Christie's catches your eye and you weaken."
Add Wodehouse's own work to that of Christie, and there you have, in a nutshell, my philosophy on reading fiction.
Friday, 1 August 2008
The GPS is buzzing...
Let me recap the events of the past three weeks.
Three weeks ago on Tuesday, I got a phone call from my line manager alerting me to the fact that our company was in an advanced stage of bidding for a project with a big multi-national in the UK, and that my name had been submitted for one of the lead roles in the project team. That's always good to know.
The next day, I was contacted by one of the proposal team and given a few more details. The day after that (Thursday), he called me up and asked if I was ready to go to London for the proposal defence the following Thursday. I replied that I was ready, willing, but not quite able as I didn't have a visa. I was told to take care of that situation. By Friday, all my papers were ready. On Monday, they were submitted and my fingerprints recorded (that's the rule when applying for visas to the US and some western European countries now), but the visa was not expected at the earliest by Thursday, which would be a day too late. No matter, we had done our best.
Monday and Tuesday resulted in ridiculously late telephone meetings (19:00-21:00 Indian Standard Time to give our boys in London a convenient time to attend), in addition to numerous other calls during the day.
On Tuesday night the decision was made that I would cancel the plans to go to London (even if I could have made it in time for the meeting, I'd have been too jet lagged to be even a pretty face at the presentation), and instead I went to company HQ in Hyderabad along with my line manager (he flew in from Pune), and we took the telephone call with one of the company's big chiefs.
I handled part of the presentation, even though it was by telephone and I couldn't see what was happening at the client's office. I had to trust our men in London to make sure that the correct slides were being shown when I spoke. Then there was a longish (and sometimes pointless) Q&A session, after which I raced off to catch the shuttle bus to the airport and returned home to Chennai shortly after midnight.
I think the presentation went very well and that there were no major mistakes made. The client's decision is expected shortly. If we win the project, and the client approves of my selection in the role nominated by my company, then I'll be off "home" to England for a year, possibly two, with the probability of travelling to some of the client's other sites around the world.
I didn't intend to post this with the outcome still in doubt, but it occurs to me that most of my loyal and rabid readers have a pretty good habit of diligent prayer, and if any of them would care to add my name to their list for the next few days and nights, it can only help my chances.
In return, you will get more super-exciting blog posts from yet another hip and happening place in the world, possibly more. How can you pass up a bargain like that?!
Three weeks ago on Tuesday, I got a phone call from my line manager alerting me to the fact that our company was in an advanced stage of bidding for a project with a big multi-national in the UK, and that my name had been submitted for one of the lead roles in the project team. That's always good to know.
The next day, I was contacted by one of the proposal team and given a few more details. The day after that (Thursday), he called me up and asked if I was ready to go to London for the proposal defence the following Thursday. I replied that I was ready, willing, but not quite able as I didn't have a visa. I was told to take care of that situation. By Friday, all my papers were ready. On Monday, they were submitted and my fingerprints recorded (that's the rule when applying for visas to the US and some western European countries now), but the visa was not expected at the earliest by Thursday, which would be a day too late. No matter, we had done our best.
Monday and Tuesday resulted in ridiculously late telephone meetings (19:00-21:00 Indian Standard Time to give our boys in London a convenient time to attend), in addition to numerous other calls during the day.
On Tuesday night the decision was made that I would cancel the plans to go to London (even if I could have made it in time for the meeting, I'd have been too jet lagged to be even a pretty face at the presentation), and instead I went to company HQ in Hyderabad along with my line manager (he flew in from Pune), and we took the telephone call with one of the company's big chiefs.
I handled part of the presentation, even though it was by telephone and I couldn't see what was happening at the client's office. I had to trust our men in London to make sure that the correct slides were being shown when I spoke. Then there was a longish (and sometimes pointless) Q&A session, after which I raced off to catch the shuttle bus to the airport and returned home to Chennai shortly after midnight.
I think the presentation went very well and that there were no major mistakes made. The client's decision is expected shortly. If we win the project, and the client approves of my selection in the role nominated by my company, then I'll be off "home" to England for a year, possibly two, with the probability of travelling to some of the client's other sites around the world.
I didn't intend to post this with the outcome still in doubt, but it occurs to me that most of my loyal and rabid readers have a pretty good habit of diligent prayer, and if any of them would care to add my name to their list for the next few days and nights, it can only help my chances.
In return, you will get more super-exciting blog posts from yet another hip and happening place in the world, possibly more. How can you pass up a bargain like that?!
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