Pathetic Condition of Indian Sports (Not Cricket) - Poort PT Usha

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/india/PT-Usha-breaks-down-after-denial-of-decent-accommodation/articleshow/5094787.cms

What the Heck? I am so angry (Would **** the Sports Minister) with the above news. PT-Usha was one of our Top Track and Field star, Talented than any of these new Cricketers who earn millions.

Do you think Gavaskar or Kirmani or Vengasarkar will be fine to stay in a 3 Star hotel? :-) I pity PT Usha and for that matter all other Indian Sports atheletes. Please choose some other profession. Take my advice, Do not try any other sports if you are in India?

P.S

We can just drop all other sports in India and play just cricket. Bull@@@@@####$$$$$
Is Cricket a Sport? :-) I started hating Cricket more as I see these kind of news.

Organic Food and Reusable Stuff

I was visiting the local grocery store and I saw a re-usable bag for 99 cents. Store ad says, Go Green and use re-usable bags.

My thoughts just went 10-20 years back in India where I used to take a re-usable bag made by my grandma using synthetic material (Koodai) to the local grocery store to buy vegatables.

Also, Grocery store uses old-used newspaper to pocket the goods like sugar, dal etc.

:-) Now Indians started using polyethylene plastic bags and western countries started going back to re-usable bags campaign.

I am wondering, Is it a change happening in the world from Industrial revolution in 1970 and invention of new chemicals and alloys to back before 1970's as these chemicals/alloys are spoling th world.

Itz the same case in Organic vegatables, Herbal/Natural products with less chemicals.....

I feel Indians and other eastern countries were living a good life, using re-usable bags (Eventhough it is plastic) & eating healthy, natural food and using herbal powder for hair wash and neem tree stem as tooth brush.

Big corporations are now spoiling their life my introducing their way of life which the western people itself are trying to change.

I dont think we will learn unless another GO GREEN corporation campaign comes around later after 5 years to introduce their new product.

Also about biking (Cycling) to reduce air-pollution and reduce green house gas emissions. :-) I love to see all Indians own a car, But as western countries build cycling lanes in new roads and campaigning to use public transits. 50% of Indians still use cycle and public transit to commute to work not because to reduce green house emissions, but because of economic situations. I want them to improve economically and buy a car, But choose to use when necessary and continue to use Bicyles and public transit.....

Kaveri Aarum Poompukar Kadalum & Elliots Beachum

I was just hearing "Kaveri Aarum" (Cavery River) song from Sivaji (Tamil Movie) and I thought I will write down things which I really enjoyed right from my child hood....

1) Mom's Sunday Bajji and Pakoda at the back drop of All India Radio's OliChitram (Drama) at 3.00 PM every Sunday.....

After Snacks on Sunday, An enjoyable Ride with my dad in his bicycle to a near by Durgai Amman temple crossing the Cauvery River.

P.S

She makes even simple sambhar with great taste and her Rasam is the best in the world. Her Idlys, Dosa's....I still have it....But not here in US....:-(

2) Obviously, My home is located within 1/2 km from Kaveri river and even though I have not enoyed swimming (As I do not know Swimming), I miss the River. It is not that big like what you all would have seen in Trichy or Karur. It is 20 Km from the sea and the river is just less than 50 metres in length. But I really miss watching water in this river.....

3) I miss the whole gang and whole athletic work out (On Season and Off season, Preferably Off Season during summer vacation). It starts from 4.00 AM and ends at 7.00 AM & 5.00 PM and ends at 7.30 PM

I have to mention my athletic coach Balambal (Railways Coach) who found this athletic club in this small town. She gave lots of insight to athletics workout and have produced lot of athletes from this small town Mayiladuthurai. Thanks Mam.

This helped me develop lots of discipline in my life and spend my valuable teenage time's useful, instead of hanging around with friends around the town....

4) Movies in Chennai Mount Road during my college time. Night show movies in Devi/Shanthi and Sathyam theatres and a ride back in Sand Trucks back from Mount Road to Chinna malai and a walk through Governor's Bungalow to my hostel after midnight.

During my senior years, Got a bicycle and a motorcycle and hence the whole ride back in Sand trucks are gone...:-(

5) Basketball play every day of my first 3 years of my college. In my first year's (Even now), I do not know how to play basketball. So I just take the ball and treble and run towards the basket and yells at senior players who comes from outside the campus if they comes in my way to shoot. :-)

TKS is another classmate who comes with me for the entire period.

6) One Pitch catch cricket in V block hostel of my CEG campus. Ponns and Thangadurai were my rivals and all the commotion which we cause

I miss this whole thing.......

Media Fasting

Media Fasting for one week. No TV, No News.

I was watching CNN Last night. They were talking about Facebook and Twitter usage for Iran protests and MJ death. I am browsing Internet for last 9 years (From 2000). What I have learnt one thing is, Never trust any information Internet unless you could verify the authenticity of the source. There are millions and millions of people in Facebook and Twitter and they are providing information on Iran protests, claims CNN.
They read lots of information from it as CNN does not have a good presence in Iran. I am wondering how they are verifying this authenticity of the information and how can they televise it too.
It is not just CNN, It is applicable to FOX NEWS, MSNBC and all other US NEWS channels.

I am not wishing that there are not that a big protest going in Iran. Its Iran's revolution and protest, But Media has become so bad now, They will go to any extent to increase their viewer-ship or Page views of a website. They sensationalize everything. Its happening in India too (All English channels), In India it is worse as most of the political parties are opening one nowadays.

They are News channels or News website, They are supposed to report news as-is from the ground. I used to read THE HINDU which is a South Indian News paper. Editorial column is the only column through which they express their opinions, Reaming columns will be just news and we have to interpret it in whichever you want. Now I think either people have become lazier or media/news paper has gone to the next step, Interpret the news for us... :-)

I used to hear NPR (www.npr.org) when I was working in LA. After so many years, I have heard a real news in that radio channel. Good work.

Hope others will catch up to it and increase their bottom line by reporting real news. To do that we should stop listening to these media crap..... People let us start this media revolution.

I have decided to do Media fasting for a week..... (Except Watching Wimbledon.. :-) )

Srilankan Conflict

LTTE is formed around late 1970's to protect tamil minority population from Srilankan Sinhalase people. I am not sure whether these tamilians have migrated from India or natives of ceylon or srilanka itself. But tensions between Sinhalese and Tamil started when British provided Freedom to Ceylon in 1948 and it got escalated over the period.

Problem with LTTE is, Indian and Tamilnadu governments trained these organization (Like US trained Taliban to retaliate Russians from Afghan) in 1980's till Rajiv Gandhi decided to stop it.
Main reason for training them is to protect the tamil population. India should have taken a bigger role in resolving the crisis at that time, instead chose a shorter more violent route.

Rajiv Gandhi, the then PM in 1987 sent IPKF - Indian Military (Indian Peace keeping force) to keep peace in srilanka between Srilankan military and LTTE.

LTTE claims, IPKF started acting arrogantly and there were lots of Human rights issues. What I heard from news papers and other sources, they raped tamil kids and women and the atrocities of IPKF were worse than Sinhala Military.
So LTTE decided to attack IPKF and all broke loose.
Even some justifies the assasination of Rajiv because of this issue.

Any ways, past is past. After 60 years of ethnic conflicts, now is the time for Srilanka to accept diversity and take Ceylon Tamils as part of their country and treat them equally. Now, LTTE is gone, But another XYZ organization might get formed (Violent or Non Violent) if people are not treated as human beings and race/colour/religion/caste are given more importance.

I am asking all the human being to think for a second and see what you are learning from Religion/Group/Caste etc. and use it for the constructive development of human being and not destruction.

Learn discipline from your religion, Learn Mutual respect to Human beings, Learn to agree others disagreement, Learn to love the world. After life in this world is so short, Fighting these conflicts and making it shorter. Is it worth it?

Also, Do not try to impose things on people, Make them embrace it. Do not marginalize people, Include them.

I am not here to Justifty LTTE or any other organization. These are formed with the help of some government or government polciies. I am from India, where Gandhi got us Independence through non violence and not Sardhar vallabhai Patel, and I am for Non Violence principals of getting things done. Let us try to get it done with Non violence...

Elections in India and Corruption

Itz Election time in India and I always love to watch the political parties getting aligned with one another just based on arithmetics. :-) You should hear the reasoning for the alignment too.... That will be the most illogical one to hear. As Loksabha elections has become more and more regional nowdays... and even a smaller party in a small state making a difference in forming the government. ( I am happy about it).

I like to support a party who is least corrupt or who projects a PM who is not corrupt and understands Indian secularism (One nation inspite of different religion and castes). I might be cinematic and not practical here, But just feel from your heart...India's greatness is in Secularism...No other country in the world is this diverse....

There is a formal way of political parties raising money for their campaign, But it is not transparent. So, I personally feel the next governement should do a overhaul on that part which I feel will reduce lots of corruption (along with introducing IT) in the government sector as they do not need to get money when they are in power for their next campaign...

We will reduce our corruption if there is a will and it can come from a PM who is corrupt-free. We will definitely reduce corruption as we increase the status and wealth of government servants and by introducing IT in the governmental areas...

Any ways let us see who wins.... My vote will be to "Vijayakanth" in Tamilnadu. Some times I feel, I want to run for an MP/MLA post to make a better India.... :-)
Who knows, I might in future.....

Tata's Finally in World Market....

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nano-goes-to-europe-tata-hires-ferraris-designers/00/57/350812/

Haa. Finally an Indian Company has entered the world competition in Cars Market which is a very high competitive market than Trucks. It is a first step for Tata's and it might be a small step. But definitely it might and can become the next Toyota.. (Hopefully Low Cost Indian Manfacturing and Top Notch World Engineers who Tata's have recruited should help), at the least I can dream about it right now.

I am happy for Tata's and I hope there will be many companies to follow (Mahindra's, Ambani's or even a TVS from South)

P.S
Irony to this blog, I bought Hyundai Santro over Tata Indica 4 years back.. :-)

Systemic Risk...

Yesterday, I was discussing about US banks bailout or Capital assistance program and Free Market with some of my colleagues.

Every body was skeptical about the programs to bail out Wall Street Banks. But I was explaining to them about 'Systemic Risk' if we allow these banks to fail or go bankrupt.

At good times, if a large bank goes bankrupt, Other bank can go and take over the bank and run its operations. But who will buy these banks at this point with losses in billions. We can all talk about Free market and its advantage, but what is required now is government intervention to keep the "World" banking system afloat.

Check out the Systemic Risk Wiki below....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systemic_risk

World Economy....

I am deeply saddened by the state of world economy. I think it all started because of bunch of Wall street and Bankers who wants to boost their revenues and sold sub prime mortgages. Hmm... That is a nice thought.
But, Wait a minute, is that how corporations work, Boost their revenues some how.. They were not doing anything wrong in their business practice nor ethically....nor morally. What is the problem then? Governments always should act and put regulations to stream line corporate functioning. Problem with many developed countries, They beleive in Free market and they do not want to impose regulations..... Common....
Even in India, if a high paid executive wants to buy a piece of land, They have to put down some money down and bank will do their evaualation of the land and will determine the price of the land. But we call Indian government a too much intrusive government and all Indian corporations blame them for interfering too much. :-) A big world economic mess, just because some governments do not want to impose regulations. Dont you think that is the bottom line here.... You blame it on Corporations, but....

Appavum, Ammavum (Parents)

I was recently watching 2 tamil movies. 1) Varanam Aayiram and 2) Abhiyum Naanum
Both were potraying a Father-son and a Father-Daughter relationship from birth. That is when, I was thinking about the fast paced life in India now and gone are the days where mom/dad were living in the same house with their sons, Atleast for the most. India is built on Joint family structure and it is slowly breaking down. I am not going to argue that it is bad or good for our culture. At the least, these 2 movies will make sons and daughters think about their father's and mother's sacrifice. These 2 movies should change the current generation's mindset and they should spend some time with their Parents during festivals or try to maintain a Quasi-Joint-Family.
I have lot of theories about US culture and their behaviour at work life and Indian culture and our behaviour at work life, Thatz for another blog.

Satyam - Truth! What a irony?

Wow 7000 Crores in 7-8 years.
This is because of the pressure on Indian IT companies to grow by 30-40%. Yes, IT outsourcing can be a big market in US/UK, But growth should be steady and people should not expect all companies to grow at the rate. Please have less expectations on Indian Companies, Yes Indian companies are growing, but do not expect at 30-40%.
I definitely do not know how many more companies are in the line. How many big more companies and how many more auditing firms?

All companies choose their own independent directors and they choose a person who is amicable and go with their decisions. This should change, Probably government should appoint a independent director in all companies to protect share holders interest (for publicly listed companies).
I personally feel, the indenepdent directors know about this scam and so is top Satyam management. Raju was not only falsifying margins, he was falsfying operations to support the margin/revenue. Definitely Satyam top management, even current interim CEO know about it.
What a waste? We should learn from Enron/Worldcom and other countries and we need Strong act like SOX in India right now.
Satyam in Sanskrit means truth.... :-) What a irony?

NCAA in India...

NCAA in US is very strong and they create lot of Sports pro. I see the kind of talent which they create in American Foot ball, Basketball. People here in US follow these College sports like Professional sports and the Yearly revenue is 600 million dollars. They support all college sports which are not even profitable like Soccer, Base ball, Track&Field. BCCI which is reaping in so much of revenues by TV rights and other ****** league rights can contribute to SAI (Sports Authority of India) or create its own body to support not only cricket, but other sports and help young talents to become pro's.
I have known 50-100 folks when I was practicing Track and field (during my school days) who took some job in PSU's and discontinued playing the sports. They practice the sports just get a job.

BCCI can change that state now by supporting other sports too like Hockey, Soccer, Track&Field. We should use this cricketing craziness in India to develop other sports too. Governmental programs will help, But with the corruption in India.... It will take years.
Private Corporations in India can do a little more too like TATA's, AMBANI's can create a sports federation of their own and can hire coaches and can adapt athelets or recruit athletes.

Hmm... We are not asking China's way of doing things. (Force recruit kids when they are 5). All we are asking is give indian kids a chance to choose sports as a pro career path, Who knows given that chance, I would have become next carl lewis of India :-)