Living, Learning, and Loving

A Matter of Perspective.

2007-06-27T17:33:00.000-04:00

Here's a little story I heard from a friend and would like to share with you all.

One day a father and his rich family took his young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son,

"How was the trip?"

"Very good, Dad!"

"Did you see how poor people can be?" the father asked.

"Yeah!"

"And what did you learn?"

The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have a whole horizon.

When the little boy was finishing, his father was speechless.

His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are!"

Well, talk about looking at things from a new angle, huh? Just goes to show you: The grass always looks greener on the other side. Live, Learn, and Love! ;)

The Issue of National Stability

2007-06-20T15:18:00.000-04:00

A recent interesting study titled "The Failed States Index 2007" was released by The Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine. The study ranks 177 nations based on 12 political, economic, military, and social indicators of instability. The 12 factors are: Demographic Pressures, Refugees and Displaced Persons, Group Grievance, Human Flight, Uneven Development, Economy, Delegitimization of State, Public Services, Human Rights, Security Apparatus, Factionalized Elites, and External Intervention. Each indicator is ranked from a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most unstable. Hence, the more unstable a country, the higher the score it receives and the higher it is ranked. Here is the Map of Stability (or Instability):

Source: Foreign Policy

As suggested by the legend, countries in red are in critical condition, countries in orange are in danger, countries in yellow are borderline, countries in light green are stable, and countries in dark green are most stable. So, now come the questions many of you will be pondering: Which country is the least stable? Which is the most stable? Well take a few guesses before you read on. Ok, ready for the answers?

The top ten ranked countries (or least stable) in order from one to ten are Sudan, Iraq, Somalia, Zimbabwe, Chad, Ivory Coast, Dem. Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Guinea, and Central African Republic. The ten countries at the bottom of the list (or most stable) in order from the absolute bottom are: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Switzerland, New Zealand, Iceland, Denmark, Australia, and Canada. This means that Sudan is the most unstable country in the world and Norway is the most stable. The United States just makes the bottom 20 and is ranked at 160.

It can also be seen that most unstable countries lie in Africa and the most stable countries lie in Europe and rarely ever make the news. Sudan's conflict in terms of Darfur is amongst the most tragic situations in the world. A recent movie "Blood Diamond" showed some of the tragedies occurring in Sierra Leone. Although the movie is fictional, it does a good job of depicting the troubles shadowing the African continent. It also signals to me the failure of the United Nations and other nations to step up to the situation.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." - Edmund Burke.

There are, of course, some improvements worth noting. Countries such as Liberia, Indonesia, Dem. Republic of Congo, and Bosnia have improved by 4 or greater index points. India has moved from a ranking of 93 to 110 in its 60th year of independence. The move likely results from a soaring economy to a deescalation of conflicts since the Kargil War. However, it is surrounded by some of the most unstable nations in the world; the include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

For those of you interested further in the study, the full list of rankings can be found here. Also, a detailed analysis and some FAQ on various matters, including methodology, are provided in the Foreign Policy.

Ah, Summer Time...

2007-06-18T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hola folks. It seems I was unable to post on a consistent basis once school started after last summer. I apologize to any of the readers who had come to expect regular postings and to those whose comments to which I failed to respond. Nevertheless, it's summer time and I'm baaaaaaack. I hope to continue beyond summer this time around. Hopefully, any former and future readers will find the postings stimulating or interesting regardless of whether the topic is educational or recreational. Yes, it's still all about living, learning, and loving! I urge all readers to leave comments and share your thoughts regarding the various posts.

So I shall begin with an article titled The RNA revolution: Biology's Big Bang, which is on the front page of The Economist. The article emphasizes the importance of RNA to field of Biology. For all the talk of DNA and cloning we hear of, the article shows the importance of RNA in medicine. It draws an analogy between the changes the discovery of the neutron brought forth for the field of Physics in the 20th century and how RNA will transform the field of Biology in the 21st century. I will not bother to recap the article as you can all read it for yourself but that's about the gist of it.

Source: The Cell Nucleus.

The picture above shows the Central Dogma in Biology. According to this, DNA is transcribed into RNA (in a process called transcription) and RNA is translated into protein (in a process called translation). The article struck me particularly with the fact how much DNA and cloning are emphasized in the popular culture when its during the transcription process where the cell controls and regulates its behavior. It is after all the RNA transcript which allows the necessary protein to be made in the cell and whose creation is regulated to allow the cell to operate over its lifetime. DNA replication or cloning only allows another DNA to be made and preserved, but it is RNA which allows it to be expressed. Not having RNA is comparable to having a small boat while being deserted in the middle of the ocean without oars!

Video of the Week

2006-08-10T21:52:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen...And now...The moment you have been waiting for! The video of this week is titled, "Glassy" by Sona Family ft. HardKaur. HardKaur refers to the female in the video, who is a MC from England. Yes, that's right, this Indian flavored song is from Britain. I, however, heard it on an album titled Bombay Bronx. Well, enjoy.

Glassy

By: Sona Family ft. HardKaur

Heaven and Hell on Earth.

2006-08-07T20:38:00.000-04:00

Well, I had been meaning to do this post for a week but, as may be obvious by now, had failed to do so. Regardless, I am here doing it now. Let us forget the past. It seems we may not have to wait for the afterlife to reach our destinations. A study seems to have found a piece of both heaven and hell right here on earth. Researchers at the University of Leicester (based in the U.K.) have developed The World Map of Happiness.

Source: The World Map of Happiness

"Further analysis showed that a nation's level of happiness was most closely associated with health levels (correlation of .62), followed by wealth (.52), and then provision of education (.51)."

This map provides a comparison of countries based on a "scale of happiness," which factors in data from various sources such as from the UNESCO on access to schooling, from the WHO on life expectancy, from the CIA on GDP per capita, and from the data on happiness published by the New Economics Foundation with the analysis of Adrian White, an Analytic Social Psychologist at Leicester. The "scale of happiness" in the map above is reflected by the shades of color ranging from the lightest (yellow) to the darkest (dark red). Darker colors on the map reveal more happiness while lighter shades reveal least happiness.

Hence follow the questions. Which is the happiest country? Which is the saddest country? Where is my country? Well, ladies and gentlemen, the honor of the "happiest" country in the world goes to Denmark (Europe) while the unfortunate title of the "saddest" country in the world belongs to Burundi (Africa). The ranking includes 178 countries.

Here are some other countries: The U.S. is ranked 23 while the Canadians impressed by securing the 10th spot. India is ranked 125 but if they win the next 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies, that ranking could change dramatically. U.K. is ranked 41 so that shows no bias was involved. Germany is ranked 35. In South America, Brazil is ranked 81 but they might rank better if they had won the FIFA World Cup. Russia is surprisingly ranked 167 while its neighbor China fares much better at 82. As for the outsiders, the Aussies are just behind the U.S. at 26 and Japan comes in at a lower than expected 90.

Of course, no academic study could ever define or compare happiness. This index is, however, a good tool to measure the effectiveness of various governments and areas of improvements. The scale also reveals some glaring discrepancies in current world politics. For example, some members of the G8 (Great Eight) nations which are suppose to be models and leaders for other nations are ranked rather poorly. Russia is ranked outside the 150th mark while Japan only manages to make it into the top 100. Of course, this scale is no where near perfect but as always, one can attempt to learn from it. A more detailed map and a complete list can be found here.

Video of the Week.

2006-07-31T20:57:00.000-04:00

Song: Mere Haath Mein
Movie: Fanaa

The song is in Hindi. For the international readers, I would suggest just enjoying the beats. However, if you wish to follow along, here are the lyrics and the english translation so that you may truly enjoy the very well sung and written song.

MERE HAATH MEIN

mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
tuu jo paas ho phir kya yeh jahaan	When you're with me, what use have I for the world?
tere pyaar mein ho jaa'uun fanaa	May your love annihilate me.
mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
tuu jo paas ho phir kya yeh jahaan	When you're with me, what use have I for the world?
tere pyaar mein ho jaa'uun fanaa	May your love annihilate me!
mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
tere dil mein merii saanson ko panaah mil jaa'e	May my sighs find a shelter in your heart;
tere ishq mein merii jaan fanaa ho jaa'e	may your love annihilate my life.
jitne paas hai khushbuu saans ke	As close as fragrance is to breath,
jitne paas honthon ke sargam	as close as melody is to lips,
jaise saath hai karwat yaad ke	as close as the twists and turns of thought,
jaise saath baahon ke sangam	as close as arms entwined,
jitne paas paas khwaabon ke nazar	as close to me as my dreams,
utne paas tuu rahana hamsafar	stay that close to me, my life's companion.
tuu jo paas ho phir kya yeh jahaan	When you're with me, what use have I for the world?
tere pyaar mein ho jaa'uun fanaa	May your love annihilate me.
mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
rone de aaj hamko tuu aankhen sujaane de	Let me cry today; let my eyes swell.
baahon mein le le aur khud ko bheeg jaane de	Take me in your arms and let me drench you with my tears.
hai jo siine mein qaid dariya voh chooth jaa'ega	The river imprisoned in my breast will break free,
hai itna dard ke tera daaman bheeg jaa'ega	and the pain is so great, it will wash down to your feet.
jitne paas paas dharkan ke hai raaz	As close as my secrets are to my heart,
jitne paas buundon ke baadal	as close as raindrops are to the clouds,
jaise saath saath chanda ke hai raat	as close as the moon is to the night,
jitne paas nazaron ke kaajal	as close as kohl is to the eyes,
jitne paas paas saagar ke lahar	as close as the waves are to the sea,
utne paas tuu rahana hamsafar	stay that close to me, my life's companion.
tuu jo paas ho phir kya yeh jahaan	When you're with me, what use have I for the world?
tere pyaar mein ho jaa'uun fanaa	May your love annihilate me.
mere haath mein tera haath ho	When my hand is in yours,
saarii jannatein mere saath ho	all of paradise is mine.
adhuurii saans thii	My breath was incomplete;
dharkan adhuurii thii	my heartbeat was incomplete;
adhuure ham	I was incomplete.
magar ab chaand puura hai falak pe	But now the moon is full in the sky,
aur ab puure hain ham	and we are made whole.

Obtained from: Fanaa: Selected Lyrics.

Internet in the Stone Age

2006-07-29T00:41:00.000-04:00

From some forwarded e-mail:

Kinda makes you wonder, huh? Well, hopefully, at least laugh. I love cartoons/comics.

Video(s) of the Week.

2006-07-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

Alright, ladies and gentlemen. An now the moment you have all been waiting for: My video of the week selection. Well, this time I actually have two videos! That's right- a two for one deal. So twice the excitement, haha. Well, I recently heard some songs from a Bollywood (Indian Hollywood) movie called Pyaar ke Side Effects (The Side Effects of Love). I thought the title of the movie was funny enough. Although I know nothing about the movie, except that the very sexy Mallika Sherawat is in it, I did like two of the songs. I heard the first song in a friend's car, so I decided to check out some of the other songs and found two worth making the videos of the week. Here they are:

1. Pyaar karke pachtaya (After falling in love, I regretted). It has a cool comedic tone. The singer is Labh Janjua (Rap by Bob, Suzy). It is a fusion of rap and punjabi music.

2. Allah Bachaye (God save me). Also titled Bad Boy. The female singer is Alisha Chinoy. I really like her voice. It has that oomphness and innocence in it that so very well matches Mallika Sherawat's body language. The other singer is Earl and the rap is by Ishq Vector. It's not the whole song.

Hope you liked the selecitons. The movie is to be released some time in August. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. :)

A Poem I Like,

2006-07-22T05:01:00.000-04:00

The Tiger.

By: William Blake (1757-1827)

Random painting I found by Marc, Franz to go along with the poem.

TIGER, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?

Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

In Other News...

2006-07-19T20:59:00.000-04:00

Michael Gets Sued!

...No, not Michael Jackson! This time it's Michael Jordon. Apparently, some guy thought he looked enough like M.J. to sue him. Yes, I know. It doesn't make any sense. These lawsuits seem to be getting more ridiculous each time.

He has sued BOTH Michael and Nike for over $800 million dollars for being mistaken for Jordan for what he claims to be nearly every day for the past fifteen years. Yes, that's right, Allen...It really is Nike's and Jordan's fault you think you look that much like him. You have to take the good with the bad. If he is indeed right in his claims, then he might even have taken advantage of that at some point in time. I mean who knows? As ridiculous as the lawsuit is, the amount he is suing for is just hilarious. Look-alike or not, the lawsuit is ridiculous. Does anyone else agree?

Woman asks 911 to send 'cutie pie' deputy.

I mean I don't even need to say anything here. I think the title of the article itself is incredible. Women...I wonder what goes on in their head. Any female readers want to give me an insight here? I wonder what would happen if a man asked 911 to send over a 'cutie pie' female officer? In case some guy there is actually thinking about trying this, you might first want to know what happened to the woman first. She was arrested and got a court date. A guy might even get a stronger sentencing. However, that is just my speculation and it must be noted that I am not a law student.

World Cup breaks in Italian hands

Yes, I was wrong. Italy won the football world cup in case you were hiding under a rock and hadn't heard already. But what's this? A broken trophy? According to the Times of India (TOI), some Italian Newspaper depicted on its front page Fabio Cannavaro holding something that resembled a green malachite that had broken off the trophy's base. Also according to that same Italian newspaper, the piece was later glued back and had caused much tension amongst the officials involved. I don't know how accurate this news is, but you are free to substantiate or refute it. Perhaps we have an Italian reader of this blog who could help us out?

Video of the Week

2006-07-17T01:25:00.000-04:00

"Don't be shy" by Rouge.

The best I can gather about the music video is that it's by some Indian singer from the U.K. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Lebron James

2006-07-14T01:37:00.000-04:00

Witness This!

Don't get too excited...apparently, it's a fake. Read the comment made by some reader below this post.

Mumbai Madness

2006-07-13T22:56:00.000-04:00

7/11: A Tragedy.

For those of you who haven't heard already, on July 11, 2006, several bombs went off in seven trains in the city of Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The state is located in west-central India. The city of Mumbai is considered the financial capital of the country. The bombings are being compared to the train bombings in Madrid, Spain, from two years ago. A terrorist organization is already suspected behind the attacks but it is too early to tell. The attacks were obviosuly coordinated together as they all happened within minutes of each other. Nearly 200 people were suspected dead and over 600 wounded as of estimates of over a day ago.

I fail to comprehend mankind. How can anyone be so thoughtless and careless? Killing civilians and innocent people is just so heartless and cowardly. What can anyone hope to accomplish by this? I suppose this is one of those things that just really make you sad. All one can do in situations like this is be helpful. Hope must be ignited everywhere where there is tragedy. It is needed there the most. What else do we have on this earth (not counting material possessions) other than the natural land, water, and each other. It's like the subtitle of this blog says: Kal Ho Na Ho (There may or may no be a tomorrow)...so here's some uplifting material from various sources that I have gathered:

People light candles as they pay tribute to the victims of Mumbai and Kashmir blasts. (Reuters)

"11th July 2006 has been a disastrous day in the history of Mumbai. In the past few weeks our city has survived torrential rains, a flooding deluge, riots, and now...8 blasts in 11 minutes in the heart of Mumbai city. The economic capital of India, the New York of Bharat, the big apple of our dreams has shattered. But in the face of devastation, the candescent spirit of Mumbaikars shines..There are those of us who should be heading home but instead, are out there ..on the roads..giving the others a direction..a ray of hope...
Here lies the true spirit of Mumbai...to hold it together...to not let our peace dampen...
So let us pray..for this city of hope..so that tomorrow it's people may stand yet again in the face of a calamity..."
--- From the 7/11 AAMCHI MUMBAI FACEBOOK GROUP

"Dear Terrorist,
Even if you are not reading this we don't care. Time and again you tried to disturb us and disrupt our life - killing innocent civilians by planting bombs in trains, buses and cars. You have tried hard to bring death and destruction, cause panic and fear and create communal disharmony but every time you were disgustingly unsuccessful. Do you know how we pass our life in Mumbai? How much it takes for us to earn that single rupee? If you wanted to give us a shock then we are sorry to say that you failed miserably in your ulterior motives. Better look elsewhere, not here.

We are not Hindus and Muslims or Gujaratis and Marathis or Punjabis and Bengaliies. Nor do we distinguish ourselves as owners or workers, govt. employees or private employees. WE ARE MUMBAIKERS (Bombay-ites, if you like). We will not allow you to disrupt our life like this. On the last few occasions when you struck (including the 7 deadly blasts in a single day killing over 250 people and injuring 500+ in 1993), we went to work next day in full strength. This time we cleared everything within a few hours and were back to normal - the vendors placing their next order, businessmen finalizing the next deals and the office workers rushing to catch the next train. (Yes the same train you targeted)

Fathom this: Within 3 hours of the blasts, long queues of blood donating volunteers were seen outside various hospitals where most of the injured were admitted. By 12 midnight, the hospital had to issue a notification that blood banks were full and they didn't require any more blood. The next day, attendance at schools and office was close to 100%, trains & buses were packed to the brim, and the crowds were back. The city has simply dusted itself off and moved on - perhaps with greater vigor. We are Mumbaikers and we live like brothers in times like this. So, do not dare to threaten us with your crackers. The spirit of Mumbai is very strong and can not be harmed.

Please forward this to others. U never know, by chance it may come to hands of a terrorist who can then read this message which is specially meant for him!!! With Love,

From the people of Mumbai
Regards Mumbaiker"
---A Random E-mail.

"I'm really pleased that the city has gotten back on its feet so quickly, and there hasn't been any religious violence. Hopefully the attacks won't have much long-term impact...
Jai Hind"
---Vikram

"I am not a mumbaikar....I am a dilliwala but before that.....I am an Indian and as an Indian I say..."shame on those who bring terror into the lives of innocents"
---Adithya

"I hope Manmohan Singh and Mumbai Police can put things together and find whose responsible for this or destroy those who support the group who committed this crime, at least in this way those who died wont go in vain."
---Ajit.

Here's a STRONG critique of the situation:

"And, we India? Oh, we NEVER learn, do we? I wrote in my earlier Blog Déjà vu, Déjà vu (http://o3.indiatimes.com/anant_rulz/archive/2006/05/03/653309.aspx) about the usual reactions that we’ll come across after every terrorist incident. As usual, our Mum Mohan Singh said "...terrorists will be defeated and we will not allow them to succeed in their evil design..." (Rubbish! They've already succeeded). He reviewed the security situation in the aftermath of blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar after which he expressed the government's resolve to "fight and defeat the evil designs of terrorists". He appealed to the people to maintain calm in the face of terror attacks in Mumbai and………….

Did you see any sign of the state machinery after the train blast in Mumbai? Any police, ambulance, or Home Guards in sight? All we could see was the aam-aadmi, the large-hearted samaritan picking up the body parts, dead and the injured from the railway track on some lungi-cloth? Our Home Minister READING a 3-line statement on the TV? No STATE hospitals or emergency plans to handle such crisis, despite so much planning claimed by our administration. Only private hospitals like Hinduja taking the injured? And, now we’ll see the vultures, er, the politicians descending in droves to create more confusion and their usual big talks and lectures about need for maintaining communal amity, the undying spirit of Mumbaikar and the spirit of Mumbai. As if, the common Mumbaikar has any alternative except to travel by the same train and face the same danger for his sheer survival.

And, the cost of a human life: Rs. 1 Lakh? That too, if you can PROVE that your kith or kin died in this blast! ‘How do we know that your son was traveling by this train? Fill those 39 forms in triplicate with all photocopies of evidence. Can you show us the pictures of him dying in the blast? Bring your ration card, PAN card, gas connection card, Election Card, Electricity Bill, Water Bill, Proof of residence, Passport, his Income Tax returns for past 10 years for block assessment, Copy of your son’s passport, where was he working, proof that he has not gone to Dubai with his girl friend, signature of your local MLA/MP/Jila Magistrate/ SHO certifying that you are who you say you are’ and so on. 'Nahee hain? Go to that tout there'

Please wait, Kuldip Nayyar jee. Let me get my candles for lighting at the Wagah Border. Series of granade attacks on tourists in Kashmir, did you say? Wahan toh log marte hee rehte hain jee. But, the peace process with Pakistan must continue. Terming the blasts in Jammu and Kashmir and Mumbai as ‘inhuman’, President A P J Abdul Kalam appealed to the people for maintaining calm and assist the administration in providing relief to the injured. All blasts are 'inhuman', Kalam Jee!

So, what's new?

What? We should catch the culprits? And, what will you do even if you catch them? Like Telgi, Abu Salem and the like, you’ll feed them Biryani in their jail? Meanwhile, we’re finding out whether there were six, seven or perhaps even eight blasts? An enquiry committee will reveal that in just 6 months. And, as the newspapers say, life shall go on as usual. will survive. We will get over our pain. We’ll once again witness the same old moaning and wringing hands and doing nothing.

Go, ask someone who has lost her breadwinner, her son, his daughter, his father, his wife; life can never be the same for them.

Never Ever."
--- 9/11, 7/7, and 7/11.

Related Articles:
Series of Bombs Explode on 7 Trains in India.
Train Bombers Focused on Mumbai Business Class.
Terrorist Attack Not Expected to Affect India's Buoyant Economy.
Mumbai Bombings: 400 detained.
Musharraf Pledges Help on Mumbai.
Indian Media Condemn Blast.
Pictures.

For now, let us hope and pray for the best.

Video of the Week.

2006-07-10T00:05:00.000-04:00

Haare Haare Remix - HunterZ

Ladies & Gentleman...here is my video pick of the week. It's a Hindi song titled "Haare Haare" remixed to "Indian rap" by a group called HunterZ. The tunes are solid. The Indian music and lyrics are hypnotic. The rap lyrics and beat are well written and addictive. Enjoy. Let me know what you think.

FIFA Final and Other News

2006-07-09T04:43:00.000-04:00

FIFA Final

"Will Zinedine Zidane cap off an illustrious career with the World Cup? Or will Italy ruin his fairy tale? We'll find out Sunday." - ESPN.

Well, it's all down to this. France vs. Italy at 1:30 P.M. (EST) today. Germany won third place yesterday after defeating Portugal 3-1. At this point, I would like to note that the German goalie Kahn plays about as much defensively as offensively. He is definitely great and not afraid to come out and pick up the ball if he needs to. I was 50% right in both, my quarterfinal and semifinal predictions, although I did not expect either of these teams to make it this far! Due to lack of time, I will get right down to my World Cup Final prediction:

That's right! I predict the French are going to win it all this year...and so does an ESPN expert. However, the main poll on ESPN's website reveals a different picture. According to the poll, 65% believe Italy will win while only 35% voted for France. Why did I choose France? Because of Zinedine Zidane for one. He is retiring after this world cup. He will be motivated. He is clutch. If not directly him, his teammates will also have an extra motivation through his retirement story. On the other hand, does anyone really need ANY motivation at such a juncture? The ESPN expert also exclaims that the Italian goalie might be the best in the world, and at worst in the top three. What does this mean? It means France's offense MUST come through and attack for my prediction to come true.

In other world cup news, I started wondering about some FIFA World Cup records- like the highest scoring match, the largest victory of margin, etc. Hence, I discovered a cool website about the History of the World Cup. It has some pretty cool records. For example:

In the 1954 World Cup Austria beat Switzerland 7-5 for the most goals (12) combined in a World Cup match.
Hungary beat El Salvador in 1982, 10-1 for the highest goal differential in a World Cup match (Hungary is also the only team to score 10 or more goals in a World Cup).
Hakan Sukur of Turkey scored the fastest goal in World Cup history in 2002 when he scored 11 seconds into the match against South Korea.
Pelé of Brazil was also the youngest player to score in a World Cup (1958) match.

Other News:

NBA: Lebron to sign extension worth up to $80M
Wimbledon Final: Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer (9 A.M. - EST)
Bill Simmons: NBA trade value index (Top 40). Guess who's #1? Dwyaaane Waaade.
Miami Heat: Heat may be frugal.

CallCenterMovie

2006-07-07T01:49:00.000-04:00

This movie is hillarious!!! Just watch the movie through the link provided at the end of this post.

Most of you must have heard of outsourcing by now. India and China are two of the biggest countries involved in BPOs (Business Process Outsourcing). Many outsourcing jobs relate to call centers- you know that place you call when you:
a) need help with your computer or electronic equipment
b) are placing orders for various events and places
c) need to get some credit card information
d) simply wish to talk to someone for various issues
OR
e) (insert any other problem you can think of solving via the phone here).

Well, if you have called a call center before, chances are you have talked to a person in India. Here is a funny movie regarding the hot topic of call centers:

CallCenterMovie

2006 White House Correspondents Association Dinner.

2006-07-06T19:02:00.000-04:00

President Bush Impersonation.

Cricket - 4th Test Match.

2006-07-06T02:20:00.000-04:00

India vs. West Indies Test Series: 1-0.

A thrilled Indian bunch pose with the series trophy, West Indies v India, 4th Test, Jamaica, 3rd day, July 2, 2006. From: Cricinfo.

This is the result of the 4th test: A 1-0 series victory in the Caribbean for India. It has been 35 long years since an Indian team had won a test series against the West Indies IN the Caribbean. It wasn't the best of victories. After all, India did drop from third to fourth place in the ICC Test Rankings despite the victory. This was because such great was the point differential between India and West Indies that India was expected to win the series at least 3-0 to gain any points on the ranking system. This would, of course, have been the case had it not been for rain in the second match and a little bit of bad luck in the first test where they failed to seal a victory due to just one wicket. Despite all this, a victory is a victory, especially such a historic one.

Meanwhile, there is an interesting article on BBC titled: India rebuilding must go on. The article seems critical of India's victory by a narrow margin and of Coach Chappell's experimenting with constant rotation in the squad with young players. I think the narrow margin wasn't India's fault at all. After all, they pretty much dominated the whole series, except for match 3 (which was nothing but a tame draw). As for the rotation, I would defend Chappell on that issue. The more Indian players that are experienced with the West Indies pitches, the better it is for India as the World Cup will take place in the Caribbean next year. Also, it serves to avoid excessive injuries or fatigue for just a handful of players. I must admit though that I was a bit frightened by the ODI series loss to the West Indies despite the new player rotation. Hopefully, the loss will result in a great experience with the Indian players.

After all, I firmly believe in the quote from Batman Begins: "And why do we fall, sir? So that we might better learn to pick ourselves up."

Man of the Series:

Rahul Dravid in a picture perfect cover drive, West Indies v India, 4th Test, Jamaica, 2nd day, July 1, 2006. From: Cricinfo.

Of course! Who else would it be? The Wall. The Mr. Dependable. Rahul Dravid. He simply dominated most of the series in his tough and gritty batting. Dravid also won the Man of the Match Award due to his 81 and 68 in the first and second innings, respectively. Meanwhile, I will place Kumble in the honorable mention category for having taken six wickets in the second innings to lead India to victory in the 4th test match. There is an article titled after his effort: Kumble bowls India to historic Test victory. The full scorecard for the 4th match is available here.

In other cricket news, England were handed a humiliating loss by Sri Lanka in a 5-0 sweep of their ODI tour in England. I don't know what was worse for England- failing to defend a total of 321 or letting Sri Lanka reach the target in less than 38 overs. The scorecard is available here. But the Sri Lankans weren't done here. Oh no! After defeating England, they played an ODI match against the Netherlands. There they set an ODI world record of 443, surpassing South Africa's 438 against Australia. Of course, this record is not worth much as it was against a "minnow" team where as South Africa chased their total (which is MUCH harder) against the best team in the world! Well, that's all the big cricket news for now.

Weekly Sports News - NBA

2006-07-06T01:21:00.000-04:00

NBA

As far as the NBA is concerned, the best news for now (as a Wadeness) is that D-Wade and the Heat have agreed to a five year contract extension. The contract is valued at $75-85 million dollars. The contract cannot be signed until July 12th according to the league rules. If the contract weren't offered, Wade would become a free agent in the 2007-2008 season. He has a rookie contract with the Heat (from 2003) that ends at the end of the 2006-2007 season. I wouldn't want Wade (my favorite NBA player) on any other team than my home team.

That being said, I do think the salaries of such athletes are clearly excessive.

Take Ben Wallace for example:This guy here has been the face of the Detroit Pistons for the last six years. Now he has agreed to a contract with the Chicago Bulls for a $60 million dollar deal for a four year contract! I do feel the pain and strange predicament for Detroit fans. The two most speculated reasons for his decision: 1. Ben is going towards the end of his career and was looking for a maximum payout deal. 2. Flip's offensive mindset doesn't suit Ben. As with most things in life, it's probably a combination of both. I also think it's for the best. Detroit now has a offensive minded coach. Ben Wallace has repeatedly expressed concerns earlier about his role in the team under Flip's guidance. Now the Pistons can get more firepower in terms of offense through their new center Nazr (once a starting center for the Spurs). Also, the Pistons haven't lost as much defensively as many people might think. They still have great defense in the form of McDyess and Hunter. Also, the rest of the starting four and Rasheed have more than enough experience in a situation requiring a defensive mindset.

As for the Bulls end of the deal, they got what they were looking for- a dominant big man and a defensive edge in Wallace. Unfortunately, it had to cost them $60 million over the course of four years. Let's not forget, this guy doesn't provide too many offensive options. He can't make free throws. Also, he will only get older as time passes.

So, in the end, of course there are pluses and minuses, but it may not be as bad for the Pistons as it looks. As for now, Pistons are facing a new frontier, Bulls are gaining strength, Cavs are with more experience, Nets are still the Nets, and the Heat will now return as the defending champions. The East should be quite exciting in the upcoming season.

Magic Trix.

2006-07-05T03:14:00.000-04:00

This is cool. Does anyone else think this looks like the guy from the trailer for that movie V for Vendetta? Check it out...

Also, I am thinking about a "video of the week" feature for my blog. Please vote on as to which day of the week would be best to do such a feature on. Remember, every vote counts. The power to make it Saturday, Sunday, or any other day lies in your hands only! The Force of the Jedi you must use. Leave your vote through a comment.

FIFA Semifinals Predictions.

2006-07-04T12:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry. I haven't had much time recently to update as I have a test in Physics II (Electricity and Magnetism) coming up. For now, I just wanted to quickly note my FIFA Semifinal predictions down. I will explain my picks at a more convenient time. Here are my predictions:

For today's match of Germany vs. Italy @ 3 P.M. (EST) on ESPN:That's right. I choose Gutentag.

For the match on July 5th of Portugal vs. France @ 3 P.M. (EST) on ESPN:It's red, white, and blue on July 5th as well. You guessed it! I choose Bonjour, Mademoiselle!

I will return with more FIFA news (analysis and explanations), NBA news (Ben Wallace has been traded to the Chicago Bulls, Wade has reportedly signed a five year extension contract with the Heat, etc.), Cricket News (India won the fourth test, giving them their first test series victory in the Caribbean in over 30+ years, etc.), and more random posts soon.

Oh yeah, and one more thing. Happy 4th of July everyone! For international readers, the 4th of July (from 1776 onwards) is the United States of America's Independence Day. Th-th-th-that's All, Folks!

A Penny Saved...

2006-07-02T20:53:00.000-04:00

...is worth nothing?

We have all heard the quotes. "A penny saved is a penny earned." "Why, if I had a penny for every time..." But what if all of a sudden a penny was worthless? It might just happen! According to the U.S. Mint, for the first time a penny is costing more to make than what it's worth, meaning it is costing more than a penny or a cent to make a penny. This is due to higher metal prices, and any good businessman or economist might tell you that if production costs are higher for a commodity than its value, it will lead to the termination of that item's production. On CNN's website, a poll asking, "Does it make sense to do away with the penny?" had the following results: 56% (3577 votes) said Yes while 44% (2866 votes) said No. CNN also has an article titled Anti-penny push provokes passions. Did anyone notice the string of Ps in that title? What is the literary term for that? Alliteration! Here is another articel at New York Times. So folks, hunt down those pennies, gather them, and cash them in while you still can!

Well, maybe not. Without a penny, the lowest denomination would be .05. For consumers this means that if gas is at $2.96, the gas station might just put it at $3.00. So if the metal prices keep rising, another solution might be to change the design (to allow lesser metal) or change the combination of metals altogether. I would like to keep the .01 denomination, if for nothing else, then simply for the sake of mathematical purity! And that is why I voted No on CNN's poll.

Spider-Man 3 Trailer

2006-07-01T18:26:00.000-04:00

And the villian is...

To be released May 4th, 2007.

W.W.A.D.

2006-07-01T14:53:00.000-04:00

The message implied is true for most asians*:

*Unfortunately, I don't fit this stereotype. :( Don't worry though! Chances are there is probably an asian near you. Chances are you probably know one too! If you are lucky, you might even be one. If not, with the current growth rate projections, I am sure that you will eventually know one. :)

Here is the typical asian mindset: An asian friend of mine (who shall remain nameless for purposes of avoiding a lawsuit) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, complained excessively of how she got an A- (instead of an A) in Organic Chemisty II, a class in which most people struggle and strive to get a B.

Correction and Sports News

2006-06-30T23:31:00.000-04:00

Cricket

Sorry. It seems I have made a blunder in one of my earlier posts. The cricket test series consisting of India vs. West Indies has NOT YET ended. I had reported it had ended in a draw as I had thought that it was the best of three series. Apparently, it is a four test series. So, with the first three tests not yielding a result, anyone can still win the series. At the end of the first days play, India was 200 all out. Although it is still anyone's series, the West Indies have a slight edge at this point. I think India deserve to win this series simply because they outplayed the Indies in three games IN the Caribbean. Regardless, this is a test match and not of much importance to me. I prefer one-dayers. Still, I thought I should correct myself.

" Jerome Taylor's 5 for 50 helped West Indies dismiss India for 200 on the first day in Jamaica"

In other cricket news, England is playing Sri Lanka in a five match ODI series. Sri Lanka has won the first four matches. The last remaining match is to be played on July 1st. Surprisingly, the matches are being played in England. It seems unbelievable. This is a team (England) that beat the Aussies in the Ashes last year. There are only two or three new faces on the England team but the big names are still there except for Vaughan. Is it only the lack of Vaughan's presence that is making such a great impact. I don't buy that! Kudos to SL. They must be playing great.

FIFA
Italy beat Ukraine 3-0. Germany beat Argentina via penalty kicks after they were tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time. Germany will now play Italy in the semifinal on July 4 at 3 P.M. (EST). Thus, so far two out of four of my predictions have come true! Here are an expert's predictions on ESPN. He picked Brazil, Portugal, Italy, and Argentina as winners in the quarterfinals. The two remaining quarterfinal matches take place today.

Italy's Luca Toni scored two goals against Ukraine.

NBA
The NBA has introduced a new game ball. This in only the second change made to the ball in the NBA's history. The last change was over 35 years ago. The new ball will be in play in the 06-07 season. The ball was revealed from the mysterious Black Box that David Stern had created a stir about a few days ago. The new ball, produced by Spalding, is made of a microfiber composite material that provides for more material coverage, better grip, and moisture management. The old ball was made of leather.

In Heat news, Jason Kapono's contract for next season was secured by Miami. Coach Pat Riley noted "We will definitely keep Jason. I don't think there is a better 3-point shooter in the game." While I may not completely agree with the statement, it seems like a good move for now with the Heat not having a pick in the draft lottery this year.

Does spelling matter?

2006-06-30T18:37:00.000-04:00

Tomato? Tamato? Does spelling really matter? Well, it depends. If you are an English student or a student in an English classroom, then it does if you want to excel or if you care about your grade! Otherwise, spelling really doesn't matter for general reading purposes. Here's a spelling research:

It Happens ONLY in India...

2006-06-29T13:58:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures from an e-mail I was forwarded with the subject line: It Happens ONLY in India...Of course, I have added in some of my own commentary. :)

Coca-Cola: The 10-liter pots! Indian consumers don't like 2-liter bottles. It cheaper to buy in bulk.

Colgate with a new Ayurvedic formula: Your teeth may decay eventually, but we GUARANTEE a fine smile even when they are gone.

MasterCard. Priceless? No, penniless! :(
IBM: The power to innovate. Buy NOW, and get out special offer: That's right- a month's worth supply of apples.

Nike...need we say more?

Innovative Sales 101
Indian Railway: The comment on the picture itself is fair enough.

What happens when you try mixing English and Hinglish...
Bureaucracy/Red Tape.

NBA 2006 Draft

2006-06-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

Fresh Faces

You can find the full list of picks here. Surprisingly, it wasn't Adam Morrison, LaMarcus Aldridge, or Tyrus Thomas who was the number one pick. It was Italian player Andrea Bargnani. There were many deals. Many of them were to trade picks, like Chicago trading the second pick to Portland for the fourth pick AND Viktor Khryapa. You can read about t he main deals here at ESPN. While I don't know about Bargnani, I think Morrison will be fine, having lead the NCAA in scoring this year, under Jordan's guidance with the Bobcats, and Thomas should satisfy the needs of the Bulls. After all, the Bulls can't count on getting Ben Wallace from Detroit. Detroit will try its best to keep Big Ben and rightly so. The chemistry of the Pistons, despite their poor showing in the playoffs, is very well set. Notably, also the Pistons have the last pick in the draft and are looking for "hidden gold." Most sports commentators haven't hesitated to note that there is no Lebron or Dwyane in this year's draft.

Miami, meanwhile, didn't have a pick in this year's draft due to previous deals such as with the Lakers in acquiring Shaq. It will be interesting to learn about Miami's roster as the summer heats up, but the main thing that matters is that Wade signs a new extension contract. I would prefer it if Zo comes back because he is the best backup center in the league. It's also nice to know Udonis will be back, as he is Miami's Big Ben. By that I mean he brings great energy with him to the floor and provides some good defense. I would also especially like to see Posey back because of his toughness in defense and perimeter shooting although he can improve a lot. Antoine is necessary in that he helps take some of the burden off of Wade in getting to the basket but he is not very consistent at it. Paton is getting old but he did make "clutch shots" in the final. Will he be able to maintain that? Yes, I know he is a veteran, but I have my doubts. Jason Williams is going to have his knee surgery and his ability in the next year would depend on his recovery. Also, he has been slow in transition but then the knee surgery might just help improve him. If his knee does get better and helps him in his transitions, then I would not mind seeing him again. You can definitely expect the bench to get more minutes in this upcoming year from players like the Andersons, Doleac, and Kapono.

Because there is no Wade in this draft and because we won't see Wade play for a few more months, here are a few videos which you can enjoy from YouTube:

Dwyane Wade Mix
(watch the play at 1:56) Also it's mixed to Remember the Name by Fort Minor -the official song of the NBA playoffs in 2006- so it's sweet.

Top 10 plays from 2006

Here are some additional YouTube D-Wade videos:
Dwyane Wade 2003 Draft
Turn It Up

The Dude also has one additional D-Wade video on his site that I don't have here, but it's like he took the idea right out of my head because I have been meaning to do this for a week. He beat me to it though. Well, keep in tuned for additional NBA info., FIFA Updates, and other random posts.

FIFA News Update

2006-06-28T01:23:00.000-04:00

Quarterfinals Predictions

The two final teams that are to play in the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals emerged today. They were France and, of course, Brazil. France beat Spain 3-1. Brazil beat Ghana 3-0. France looked in control after the game was tied 1-1 once they scored their second goal. As for the Brazil vs. Ghana game, although Brazil were the favorites, I expected Ghana to put up a better show after watching them in the past couple of games. However, I still think they were a great team and that they just had a bad day. They were the only African team still playing. Even though I wasn't able to watch that game, I heard Ghana created plenty of opportunities but they were all close and never turned into a goal. As for Brazil, once again Ronaldo scored a goal; it was his fifteenth. That's a world cup record. Before this Game, Ronaldo was tied with the German Mueller for fourteen goals each. Now two South American and six European teams remain.

Here are my quarterfinals prediction:

Germany vs. Argentina on June 30th @ 11 A.M. (EST) - ESPN
Both teams are great. However, Germany made it to a last year's world cup final. They are known for their defense. After their opening match, they have yet to concede a goal. On the other hand, Argentina has been playing great, but it has all been against inferior teams.

Prediction:

Germany. Notably, Germany is playing IN Germany. I do not see them getting out in the quarterfinals this easily.

Italy vs. Ukraine on June 30th @ 3 P.M. (EST) - ESPN2
This one doesn't seem too hard to predict. But there are always surprises so who knows. Italy beat Australia, and Ukraine beat Switzerland. From my analysis, I don't think Ukraine has a shot in the quarterfinals. After watching Ukraine play Switzerland, which I admit was a very boring game, I do not believe either team would have survived in the quarterfinals.

Prediction:

Yep. You guessed it, Italy.

England vs. Portugal on July 1st @11 A.M. (EST) - ABC
This one is hard to tell. A friend stated, "If Ronaldo doesn't play, Portugal won't win," and, "They (Portugal) are in a lot of yellow card trouble." Meanwhile, England has Beckham but they don't seem to be playing to their potential. England needs to play better defensively. And with two players out, things are looking bad for Portugal.

Prediction:

England. Unless England fails offensively.

Brazil vs. France on July 1st @ 3 P.M. (EST)
This one is perhaps the hardest to predict. Brazil has Ronaldo. France has Zidane. France is starting to warm up. But so is Brazil. It's exciting to see Brazil play, and the fact is they can play better and they have the highest scorer in world cup history on their side. That's always a plus. Also, there are only two teams from South America remaining. It would be nice to see at least one other non-European team in the quarterfinals.

Prediction:

Brazil. Tough call.

ESPY Awards

2006-06-27T22:23:00.000-04:00

The NBA Finals may be over but South Floridians can continue the celebration through more awards. Vote for D-Wade, Miami Heat, and/or Pat Riley in the ESPY awards. ESPY stands for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly. The awards will air on ESPN on Sunday, July 16, at 9 P.M. (EST). D-Wade has been nominated in two categories: Best Championship Performance AND Best NBA Player. The Miami Heat are nominated in the Best Team category. Pat Riley is nominated for the Best Coach/Manager Award. Dallas fans can vote for Dirk in the Best International Player category. There are 39 overall categories.

From: U.S. Olympic Team
The ESPY awards will be hosted by Lance Armstrong.

A Size Comparison of Heavenly Bodies

2006-06-27T17:22:00.000-04:00

Do you ever ponder the big questions in life? Who are we? Why are we here? What is our purpose? Exactly what is our significance in the universe? Well, I can't answer all of those for you. But a forwarded e-mail that I got might just answer the last of those series of "big questions" for you.

Here we go...feel good?

How about now?

Feeling like an ant?

Feel like a cell now?

Like an atom?

Hope that answers your question.

Perhaps some insight...About Me!

2006-06-27T01:06:00.000-04:00

Silly me...

It occurs to me that I never did a formal "first blog" for introductory purposes. I meant to, but perhaps I just forgot, especially with the NBA finals going on. I am a fellow human being (more specifically, a hooligan teenager...for now) from the muy caliente South Florida studying at the Univserity of Michigan- Ann Arbor. My purpose in creating this blog is to simply hone my writing skills, discuss random matters (as they occur into my head), get feedback from interesting people, and keep track of life.

So pretty much, randomness is the theme. If there are ANY questions, suggestions (think helpful or productive), opposing opinions or such feelings, feel FREE to comment. As the title states, it's all about living, learning, and loving.

A random, interesting blog that I came across recently was The Bestest Blog of All-Time. At this blog site, the author proposes a good business idea: He will add your blog into his Link section, if you add his blog onto your link section. The author, Bobby Griffin, calls it a win-win situation. And I agree. It seems like a great way to generate readers and get feedback.

So, if you have come across my blog, like it and find it funny, amusing, intelligent, or just plain amusing, tell your friends, bookmark it, or place it in your link section at your blog or website. I will return the favor as long as your website seems appropriate (meaning not illegal, offensive...etc.). Just let me know by leaving a comment.

Let the fun begin...Enjoy!

Not ALL rich people are greedy...

2006-06-26T21:09:00.000-04:00

Well, well. Here's proof that not all rich people spend their money on unnecessary materials. Nope. Not all rich people are Paris Hilton. No, not all rich people waste their wealth on lavish parties and thousands of dollars worth of articles of clothing. Some people are different. And thank God for that.

From left: Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett.

"I'm not an enthusiast for dynastic wealth, especially when the alternative is six billion people much poorer (than we are) having a chance to benefit from the money."
-Warren Buffett.

The second richest man in the world has chosen to donate most of his money to charity. The majority of the donations will go to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) charity foundations in the world. The reason he chose to donate to the Gates Foundation rather than distribute the wealth himself was because he felt that he was not well prepared to distribute the wealth in fundamental areas and issues, whereas the Gates Foundation is well known for their infrastructure and various fields and issues of development. Basically, the issue was of efficiency and that of well-acquaintance with the needs of the world- matters which the Gates Foundation has a good infrastructure for. The complete article is available at CNN.

Cricket News and Round of 16 Update

2006-06-26T18:07:00.000-04:00

India vs. West Indies Test Series in W.I.

From: BBC Sport: Cricket

After losing to the W.I. in the one-day series 4-1 in a very disappointing fashion, the three match test series has ended in a draw. The picture above is of Dravid and Laxman celebrating their century stand during the second innings from the last test. One thing is clear from the test series and that's that India was CLEARLY the better team. The Indies survived barely to a draw by one wicket in the first test. Then rain bailed them out to what seemed to be a certain loss in the second test. And now, even after pinning down India in the first innings of the third test, India came back to draw the game with the Indies leading by less than 100 runs when time ran out. India must, however, be getting valuable experience with the pitches in the Caribbean for next year's world cup. However, the world cup is in one-day format, and it was disappointing to see India lose the one-day series by a 4-1 margin. On a positive note, three of those games were one ball away from being in India's favor; also India was incorporating a lot of youth into its roster to infuse them with experience rather than using all the usual big guns. On a negative note, West Indies are a relatively young team (barring three main players) and India should have still won that series as they had more than ample weapons in their arsenal with Dravid, Sehwag, and Yuvraj. It was more disappointing to see India lose it abroad while just getting in the rhythm by beating Pakistan in Pakistan and England and Sri Lanka at home. They are still not as ruthless as the Aussies. While on the subject of the Aussies, I do believe they are finally starting to look vulnerable after losing the Ashes earlier, a loss to Bangladesh on a one-day match, and then losing the one day series down in South Africa in the final match of that series which was praised by many as the greatest one-day match ever played.

Round of 16 Update

From today's two matches, two more teams have emerged for the quarterfinals- Italy and Ukraine. Italy beat Australia, and Ukraine beat Switzerland. They will play against each other on June 30th, @ 3 P.M. From my analysis, I don't think Ukraine has a shot in the quarterfinals. After watching Ukraine play Switzerland, which I admit was a very boring game, I do not believe either team would have survived in the quarterfinals. The Swiss, surprisingly, went out as the only team to not have given up a goal in regulation time so far in the World Cup. After a tie game between Ukraine and the Swiss after regulation time and OT, the match came down to the best of 5 penalty kicks. Ukraine missed the first, and then made 3 successive (none very impressive) goals while the Swiss were unable to sink even one goal in the net.

Prediction from the Italy vs. Ukraine game to be played on June 30th @ 3 P.M. (EST):

Yep, you guessed it, Italia.

Useful Cell Phone Tips.

2006-06-26T15:48:00.000-04:00

Here are three not very well-known cell phone tips. Please note that the third tip is for Nokia cell phone users only. Sorry.

1) Emergency number
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out
of coverage area of your mobile network and there is an emergency, dial
112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency
number for you.

Interestingly ...this number 112 can be dialed even while the keypad is
locked. Try it out.

2) Locked the keys in the car? Your car has remote keys?
This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you
lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are home, call someone on your
cell phone.

Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the other
person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the phone on
their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your
keys to you.

Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can
reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the
doors (or the trunk).

*Note: The next tip is for Nokia cell phone users only.*

3) Hidden Battery power
Imagine your cell battery is very low, and you are expecting an important call and
you don't have a charger. NOKIA instruments come with a reserve battery.

To activate, press the keys *3370#, your cell will restart with this
reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This
reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

Heat's secret bowl revealed and FIFA News

2006-06-26T00:33:00.000-04:00

The Secret Bowl Unveiled...

During the course of the playoffs, there was much talk of a mysterious bowl in the heat locker room. After they won the championship, the contents of the bowl were finally made known. And, not surprisingly, it was something of sentimental value. The image on the top reveals the bowl, which during the playoffs was cloaked away with "Don't touch" signs attached.

Shaq had this to say: "A lot of people wanted to know what was in that little bowl in the locker room. It was a bunch of cards that said 15 strong. A bunch of pictures of us and our family, a bunch of pictures of us hanging together. It was a very tight knit group. This was the real definition of team."

The picture on the top was obtained from the NBA's Miami Heat Scrapbook page. Meanwhile, ESPN has an article about the current status of Miami's roster. The article it titled Heat likely to defend title with different roster. The Heat would have had the 26th and 56th selection in the draft, but those picks were traded to the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors, respectively.

FIFA World Cup News

From: FIFA

For those of you who are unaware, there is a football world cup going on at the moment. It's ONLY the world's biggest sporting event. Here's the World Cup Bracket. Currently, the round of 16 is taking place. This will eliminate eight teams and lead to the quarter finals starting June 30th. Since India did not qualify to play in the world cup and the USA is already knocked out, I will be cheering for Brazil instead because it is an exciting team with perhaps the most passion; also, I have several Brazilian friends and neighbors. Interestingly, the one time in history that India did qualify for the world cup, they could not appear. Under the history section of Football in India, it notes that India qualified for the 1950 World Cup but could not play as the team at the time played bare feet, which was against regulation. Currently, only four teams have secured their position in the quarter finals in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The schedule for the quarter finals is as follows:

June 30th, 11 A.M. (EST): Germany vs. Argentina.

June 30th, 3 P.M. (EST): Winner of Italy vs. Australia VS. winner of Switzerland vs. Ukraine.
The winners will be determined June 26th. The first match will take place at 11 A.M. (EST) and the second match at 3 P.M. (EST).

July 1st, 11 A.M. (EST): England vs. Portugal.

July 1st, 3 P.M. (EST): Winner of Brazil vs. Ghana VS. winner of Spain vs. France.
The winners will be determined June 27th. The first match will take place at 11 A.M. (EST) and the second match at 3 P.M. (EST).

Baby Got Bible

2006-06-25T16:49:00.000-04:00

Baby Got Bible...

Think you are clever? Try This...

2006-06-25T16:21:00.000-04:00

Below are four questions. Answer them instantly. You CAN'T take your time. No pencil or paper! OK? Here we go:

Question 1: Here's some tricky math. It must be done in your head only. Do NOT use paper, pencil, or a calculator.

Take 1000 and add 40 to it.

Now add another 1000.

Now add 30.

Add another 1000.

Now add 20.

Now add another 1000.

Now add 10.

What is the total?

Question 2: You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

Question 3: If you overtake the last person, then you are....?

Last Question: Mary's father has five daughters. Four are named Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

Answers

Answer 1: Did you get 5000? The correct answer is 4100. Don't believe it? Check with your calculator.

Answer 2: Did you answer first place? If you overtake the second person, then you take his place. Hence, you are second.

Answer 3: Did you answer second to last? Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST person?

Last answer: Nunu? Nana? Nene? NONO! Of course not. The fifth daughter's name is Mary. Read the question agian.

Miami Heat are the NBA Champions...

2006-06-25T02:34:00.000-04:00

The motto on the right is Wade's. The motto for the heat was: Fall down two times. Get up four! Folks, although I am laaaaate in posting this, but in case if you haven't already heard, the Miami Heat has won its first NBA Championship in its 18-year-old history. Not many people gave the heat any chance after the first two games. Heck, many people didn't even believe after the series shifted out of Miami after game 5, expecting them to lose both road games to the Mighty Mavs. But, there is always something about the underdog. They have hunger and passion. Most importantly, I think the team had experience. That's what the veterans bought. And that was also what the Mavs lacked. Although I am not a fan of Gary Paton, he made some clutch shots. Dirk failed to show up for the majority of the series. Actually, scratch that. He tried. The credit here should go to Udonis Haslem, the local hero for Miami. Excellent defense and rebounding. Also, a lot of people are complaining about the officiating, the Jerry Stackhouse issue from Game 5, and various other matters. To these people, I suggest reading the MiamiSportsDudes Final Thoughts.

WOW...I don't think the situation can be explained any better than how The Dude has explained it. Of course, being Miami fans, bias is likely to creep in somewhere, but it's also quite clear than many people under-rated the Miami team. Miami with D-wade looking for his 1st championship, along with Alonzo and the other veterans, Shaq wanting to deliver on his promise, and Riley being a more experienced coach (with age comes wisdom), the Heat just had more heat than the Mavs to get rid of the obstacles. However, many people keep talking of the overtime Game 5 where they say although that was a foul, the refs shouldn't call it in that kind of a clutch situation where apparently they are suppose to "let the players do their thing." Also, they argue that they didn't have Stackhouse in game 5 and that while his foul was flagrant, it wasn't worthy of suspension...Nevertheless, that's not in the hands of the Miami Heat but the League.

As for me, I actually was at the AAA watching game 6 with some friends and several thousand Heat fans while the team played in Dallas. It was my first visit to the arena, and I loved it. After we won, people went crazy. It was probably a 10 block party next to the arena. Cops and media everywhere; people dancing and screaming; cars honking and parked everywhere and everywhere. I was in my friend's car and stood out from the sunroof sporting Wade's jersey as I screamed, "We are #1...Dwyaaane Waaade." When the team wasn't playing, the tickets were only $5. It was definitely a different feeling cheering in my room all by myself compared to cheering with thousands of other people.

In other Heat news, the city of Miami held a parade on Friday, June 23rd. Although I wasn't able to visit due to other engagements, I did catch some random glimpses. Notably, Tuesday, May 16, was labeled by both the Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Broward County Public Schools as White Hot Heat Day! Rather amusing.

As for next year, the players that I would like definitely to remain on the roster are: Alonzo, Shaq, Haslem, Posey, and I guess Wade might be nice. Wade was ONLY the MVP of the Finals. Regardless, I do think these athletes earn a ridiculous amount of money. For example, they expect to sign Wade for a $75+ million contract for a few years worth of an extension contract with the Heat. I believe 5-6 figures would provide a comfortable earning for almost any household. Well, this is it for now. Keep tuned in for circket news, football news, and various random issues that might be worth noting. Adios amigos.

Where there is a Will, there is a Wade...

2006-06-19T03:25:00.000-04:00

Ladies & Gentlemen....the Miami Heat have become only the 2nd team (after the Detroit Pistons of 2004) to win all 3 games at home since the NBA finals went to a 2-3-2 format.

From: farlane

The main difference in those 3 games: D-Wade averaged more than 30 points per game. Transcendent was the adjective one blog used. The Heat now lead the series 3-2. Who would have thought it after they were down 0-2 just a week ago. Many thought they would get swept at that point. When game 3 looked all but over, I still watched through to the last minute and boy, what a surprise I got. And now here we are. However, a tougher task lies ahead of them. They must win one more game, and it MUST be in Dallas. Sounds easy right now after the won 3 straight, right? Well, they haven't beaten the Mavs IN Dallas in the last 4 years! So, whatever they have accomplished now (as much of a miracle as it may seem) was only taking care of what they absolutely needed to (and that was to win at home) after being down 0-2. I think they should be able to win the Finals now though. However, I disagree with the fact that the Heat have the momentum now. First of all, Dallas is going back home. Secondly, Stackhouse will be back for game 6. Third, with DJ back as a third center, the Mavs now have 18 fouls to give on Shaq. If anything, it becomes harder now for the Heat.

The unsung hero of the series for Miami so far- Udonis Haslem. I believe this guy is to the Miami Heat team what Ben Wallace is to the pistons fans. He brings a lot of energy with him and his hustle keeps us in the game at vital moments. He rebounds very well, and has kept Dirk in check. His offensive shooting percentage is his only down-fall, but I will overlook that at most points for his effort and energy. The Heat must stick to their team-playing ways if they are to win at Dallas. Regardless of how many people thing the Miami Heat are a one man team in D-Wade so far, I disagree. Every player is VITAL. D-wade just happens to be the best of them. :) On that note, apparently Dwyane Wade has a song titled Flash (his nickname) after him. Well, it's late so that's it for now...Latooor.

Game 3 NBA Finals 2006 & Cricket News

2006-06-15T01:36:00.000-04:00

Yesss, the Miami Heat have come back in the NBA finals against the Dallas Mavs in a spectacular fashion by one of my favorite players, Dwyane Wade, who got me interested in the NBA to begin with. He was incredible with 42 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and only 1 turnover all the while battling a knee injury from the third quarter. If Miami is to win this series (although the chances are bleak, but I am a believer and who doesn't like rooting for the underdog?) it will be all about Dwyane Wade. Dirk for the mavs is a great player, but he is also over 7 foot. You really gotta give Dwyane his props. Haslem is now officially one of my favorite players for Miami Heat. Gary Paton, regardless of his game-changing shot, is yet to make an impression on me as a senile player. Shaq might have made those clutch free throws, but he can't be off the hook that easily; he had 7 turnovers. He needs to play better, period. I say that because he says he wants a legacy, but legacies aren't written with the performances he is churning out at the moment.

Notable quote from D-Wade: "It's like I say, everything happens for a reason, but the reasons ain't always right."
I thought it was hillarious.

In other news, India is back to its game of defeating champions and losing to minions. After beating Sri Lanka, England, and Pakistan, they came out and found a way to lose to a young and inexperienced West Indies team in the ODI series 4-1. However, it must be noted that India was too playing and experimenting with young players making their debuts and whatnot. And it was comforting to know that 2-3 games that they lost were lost only in the final over and weren't blowouts. They are doing extremely well in the tests, but luck is working against them and the rain Gods are on the side of the home team so the test series still hasn't yielded a win for either team. Can't wait till the world cup in 2007.

Well. That's it for now. Go Heat! Hope D-Wade's knee gets back to 100%.