Da Vinci Code and the Cleveland Cavaliers

Two things made an impact on me this weekend. The movie "Da Vinci Code" and my beloved Cleveland Cavaliers.

To start off, I have not read the book. I did hear about the reviews panning the movie.I kinda know the story.With all this background information I went to watch the movie last nite in Ballston.

I liked the movie , I liked the performances by the actors and more importantly,the movie made me want to read the book. But it is important to remember that this movie is based on a fictional story. There is no empirical proof of any theories the movie suggests. Robert Langdon , the protagonist, keeps repeating this fact in the movie !! I dont know what all the side show regarding banning this movie is all about , I think its a waste of time.

Check out these interesting sites : http://www.opusdei.us/
http://www.davinciantidote.com/

Also check out this interesting review I read about the book.

Overall , this movie made me think about all religions. Now I am interested in knowing the history of Hinduism. Notwithstanding the fact that this movie is fictional , it should be pretty unsettling to realize that the things that we take for granted are not so true after all !!


Now..Moving on to my CAVS.Yes they lost to the Pistons in Game 7 in Detroit. I knew our best shot at winning the series was at home. But it was not meant to be. Im happy and proud of my team and I have one proclamation to make to all other NBA fans

"Get Used to seeing LBJ & the CAVS in May & June every year"

As a side note , I was on travel all last week. I was in the Phoenix airport during the 4th quarter of Game 4. The bar I was in had about 200 people . All the folks erupted in unison when the CAVS won. There were 3 reasons that this happened

1. Everyone roots for the underdog (unless your team is not the underdog)
2.Everyone hates Detroit(for obvious reasons)
3. And..Yeah EVERYONE LOVES LEBRON JAMES...

I have never been happier as a CAVS fan than I am today !!!

Tamil Nadu Elections - What do you make of it ?

The Tamil Nadu general assembly elections results are out.

Tamil Nadu
Total No. of Seats : 234	Results Declared: 234
Party Won DMK 103 Congress 35 PMK 21 CPI (M) 9 CPI 5 AIADMK 52 MDMK 6 DPI 1 DMDK 1 Others 1

The DMK alliance has won and Karunanidhi(82 years old) is going to be the CM for the fifth time. He has jus won his 11th straight assembly election. Mind boggling , considering the fact that he has been in public office for more than 55 years.

Though the DMK alliance won , the DMK as a party has not been able to capture the majority by itself. This has resulted in the possibility of a coalition govt. , a rarity in the state. Though the PMK and Congress have indicated that they are not interested in being part of the government , I find it hard to believe. Here's why ..

The congress has won 35 seats , thats a pretty significant number considering that they dont have a leader like GK Moopanar.But they have Chidambaram , who is considered by many as a future CM of TN or even a future PM of India. The congress is the ruling party in the centre and the DMK has several ministers in the Central Govt ( Dayanidhi Maran for instance..who is by the way an alum of Don Bosco, Egmore..my alma mater as well...Yayyyyyyy !!!) as so does the PMK.

It only makes sense that the Congress would want "power" in some way even if they are not part of the Govt. But here is the tricky part , I think that all the alliance partners(Congress,PMK) would be happy to play "Best friend" until Karunanidhi is the CM(or until he is alive)...Karunanidhi is 82 years old and has had a few scares lately.

Im not sure if there was a huge "anti-incumbency" wave in these elections , considering the ADMK alliance won about 60 seats. But the issue that turned the tide towards the DMK was the election Manifesto..(2 Kg Rice..Free color TV..etc., etc.,) .

Often most of us "Indians" living in the US and elsewhere..think about the positive developments that our country has made over the years. But it is a travesty that people still get carried away by "free stuff". Where is the dignity of a person if he/she would vote for the DMK just because they have promised to give more free stuff than the ADMK ?

Frankly after a few hiccups in the first couple of years..the ADMK administration has been pretty solid. This is just not my opinion but the opinion of experts. For instance , I was in favor of the way Jayalalitha handled the Govt Employees strike...suspending 100000 people overnite ..to get them back to work...gutsy move... But arresting them overnite and threatening them was not so much gritty it was more like a vendetta move !

Overall ...I dont think there is a huge difference in the way that Dravidian parties administer the state of Tamil Nadu. I think its a question of who is the lesser evil.

People have short memories...and its not coincidental that other than MGR , no leader in recent history of TN politics has been the CM for two consecutive terms. MGR was a charismatic ...honest..and "easy to access" leader. People identified themselves with MGR.

It is also interesting to note that Vijaykanth has won his assembly seat from Vridhachalam. The only seat his party managed to win..though his party was a respectable third in most of the constituencies. It would be interesting to see if he becomes a responsible member of the Assembly or not.

Other tidbits :S Ve Shekar won his seat in Mylapore by about 2000 votes beating out Actor Napolean ... Vaiko and MDMK have been wiped out of the political map... Sarathkumar and Radhika are in trouble coz they jumped ship from the DMK but RADAAN (media company owned by Radhika) is the producer of all the top shows SUN TV has to offer today...

End of the day..there was one positive development...the student party started by a group of Ex-IIT'ians..has fared well in Chennai..though they did not win , they gave the other candidates in Chennai a run for their money. I hope these youngsters dont lose their momentum now but keep working towards establishing a name for themselves in the political arena

I dont know what the Title should be - Jus felt like posting something...

Today....Because it is April 14th - Which means "New Year's Day" for all the Tamilians - Chithirai masam begins today...

For those who want to the The Tamil calendar year...Here ya go...The Tamil Calendar

Also today is also the New year for the Bengali's ....Naba Barsha

Malyalees celebrate Vishu....- Astronomical New year

Also it so happens that today is Good Friday - The day Jesus was crucified and Sunday is Easter..the Day he re-appeared...

Also...let me share this info with you . Do you know why there is an Easter bunny ? I mean why is a rabbit associated with easter ?

The answer is because...The Easter bunny has its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. The Hare and the Rabbit were the most fertile animals known and they served as symbols of the new life during the Spring season.

So I guess these "Rabbits" have it goin on !..You know what im Saying..They are pretty good..at you know..and now I know why ENERGIZER picked the bunny as it's mascot..coz they really keep goin on..and on..and on...and on....

One more reason I Love SportsCenter

First off.. I am gloating over the CAVS victory over LA on sunday.

Whenever the CAVS win I like to watch ESPN for the next 24 hours , to relive the victory.

And yesterday ..when I was watching one such episode for the Empteeenth time..The sportscaster goes..

"Lakers in Cleveland..on Sunday..and that jus means one thing....Eric Snow vs Smush Parker....(chuckle) or the side show between Kobe and Lebron.."

Classic..! Love it !

Bush in India. Big Deal? You Betcha!

Like it or not, George W Bush is probably the most powerful person in the "free" world today.

Yes..He is not the brightest American President we have seen.
Yes..He is not quite the eloquent speaker like his predecessor.
Yes..He has made strange (and sometimes appalling) decisions.

BUT, Bush is visiting India today!

I’m not sure if it says a lot about a Republican President visiting India, but it surely says a lot about India and the strides we have made as a country.People in America, as most of you would know, stereotype people of different ethnic origin with the kind of work they do.

Like say, African Americans are tied to either being a famous/rich Ball player or a troublemaker. Mexicans are either human smugglers or janitors. Indians are either cab drivers or 7/11 clerks or Snake Charmers (believe it or not)..Well Not Anymore.

Americans thinks of Indians today as successful doctors, smart scientists, brilliant engineers and well...Customer Support Reps. with a bad/fake accent.

The strides India has made over the past 20 years , Since the economy was liberalized (courtesy Manmohan Singh & Co)has the world taking notice about India. In fact, India has the second-fastest-growing major economy in the world over the past 25 years and trails only the US and China when it comes to contribution to the Global GDP.

Leaving all the hatred/ill feelings (if any) against Bush or the USA , behind us, I think this is a moment for all of us to savor.

Yes. Bush is visiting India today and that makes me happy as an Indian !

What were you doing ..?

When you were 21 years Old ?

Hmm..I was in my second year of B.E at Crescent Engineering College...Trying to figure out how I can pass my Maths III exam..(Which I eventually figured out when I was like 23..C'mon people its not that easy or is it ?)

But..this post is not about me...Its about Lebron James...for those who don't know who he is ! I think its about time you get to know this 21 years old kid..errr...Man Child...(6 Ft 8 in 240 lbs )

Lebron was the highest vote getter (in the Eastern Conference) as a forward for the All Star game in Houston.It was a weekend of fun for all Pro-hoops lovers. I enjoyed it even more coz my beloved Cavalier brought home the All Start Game MVP trophy.

For all who think..Lebron's just a ESPN highlight reel...Take a look at his resume..So far..

Youngest Rookie Of the Year Winner,
Youngest to 1000 points,
Youngest to score 40 in a game,
Youngest to score 50 in a game,
Youngest to 2000 points ,
Youngest to triple double,
Youngest All-NBA Player,
Youngest to 3500 pts , 1000 Reb, 1000 Asst.,
Youngest to 5000,
Youngest All-Star MVP

Pretty Impressive huh..For a guy who could not legally drink a beer until about 2 months ago ?

History says...All great NBA players hit their PRIME when they are 26-28 years old...

Watch out..This is going to get real ugly !

Rang De Basanti - Masterstroke !

I normally don’t watch Hindi movies. Mostly because, I don’t understand the language as well as I think , I should to enjoy the movie. Secondly, I don’t identify/understand a lot of what Hindi films are trying to convey in their movie.Im not saying Tamil/English films do(the ones I watch all the time) , but Hindi films have always been alien to me.

The Hindi movies that I watch are either the ones that get critical acclaim from all quarters,like Sarafarosh, Lagaan,Satya,Rangeela,Black etc or the ones that are total masala but enjoyable movies like Hum,Taal,Trimurthy,Khalnayak etc.

After watching Rang De Basanti last night, I can easily say , that it cracked my personal list of TOP 5 movies of all time !!

The movie has a patriotic flavor to it. But the movie does not lecture you about patriotism. The movie has a great theme of friendship but it does not have dialogues of friends singing praises of each other (Except for one scene when Sukhi says he loves friends coz they saved his life. He was drunk though. So one can understand that..)

The movie has great comedy, but it's not slapstick or dialogue based humour(a.ka no Crazy Mohan humor)..But...its just really funny. I laughed for one scene so hard that that whole theatre looked at me like I was having a chemical imbalance (or It could also been that I was the only one who laughed for that scene -) When Aamir Khan , calls the kid working in the tea stall and asks him.."Hey Chotu...Bismal ne kya Kaha ..Maalum hai ? " and then practices his dialogue ! Classic!

All the actors fit their roles. no over-acting. Kudos to the casting director...Siddarth is the hero of the movie..and it was refreshing to see that (an TOP star like) Aamir could play second fiddle with great poise. The way the director juxtaposes the past with the present was very creative and crisp.Especially when Sonia says "Maar Dalo Ussse"..Brilliant !

The Music was very different and refreshing..ARR played well within his boundaries and has come up with apt tunes. I was very also impressed with his tremendous effort in the background score ! The editing was perfect...There was not one scene you felt that was too long or that was disconnected. The movie progresses like a gentle stream rather than a gushing waterfall (which is very popular now esp. in Tamil moves..Fast screenplay...Fast Cuts..Popularised by movies like Mudhalvan,Boys,Ghilli etc)

All in All..this movie has made me think...and that what I think movies should make viewers do..Jus reflect on it ! If you watch this movie. it will impact you !! Now whether you want to channel that impact to something positive in your life if up to you! Rang De Basanti is more than just a movie. Its got all the elements to make it a phenomenon!

Don't Miss it !

Yo Yuvan...You There ?

Tamil Film Music is undergoing a sea of change.It's at an all time high.The freshness , vibrancy and the pure pleasure of listening to something innovative in today's Film Music is a blessing.

This revolution , if i may , is lead by one - yeah - Yuvan Shankar Raja ! I had a golden opportunity to spend some time with him in his studio , when I was in India , a couple of weeks ago.

Yuvan is young , energetic and most importantly very creative.He is also blessed with a great team of young minds who strive to give nothing but the best.The team a.ka. Selvaraghavan(Kadhal Kondaen , 7G Rainbow Colony and now Pudhupettai),Vishnuvardhan(Kurumbu,Arindhum Ariyamamalum and now Pattial) and Simbu(Manmadhan and now Vallavan) are like the "Band of Brothers".They dont have the cliched Director - Music Director relationship.

His music is heavily influenced by his propensity to International Music.But then again , he would churn out a totally mind blowing Carnatic number , or mix Carnatic with western beats and give you Kanda Naal Mudhalaai (from Kanda Naal Mudhal)

The one thing you can bet on Yuvan is that he is going to try to give you something creative and soul stirring.He is a workaholic and Music is what he thinks , lives and breathes ! (Duh..That's a surprise)

Some of his recent best :

1.Oru Naalil - Pudhupettai

2.Merke Merke -Kanda Naal Mudhal

3.Panithuli - Kanda Naal Mudhal

4.Eno Kangal - Kalvanin Kadhali

5.Kadhal Enbadhu - Oru Kalooriyin Kadhai

6.Pul Pesum - Pudhupettai

Also , all you Yuvan fans , cross your fingers , Yuvan told me something very tempting just as I left his studio."Yuvan:Unplugged - Live in the USA" - - is in the works ., will keep you guys posted.

(PS , I should thank my good buddies Srinath and Simbu (also in pic) who took me along for their recording session of "Vallavan" - Watch out - Vallavan is going to rock)

Make up magic

Awrite..it's pretty obvious , I am pumped about Rajni's next movie.Jus wanted to show , what a good director can do ? These two images - One from Thillu Mullu which released about 18 years ago and the other one from Sivaji..!!

Thanga Vettai - Hunt for Gold

Okie..Im gloating over my CAVS victory over the Miami Heat , it was a great win !!

While I was eating my dinner , I flipped the channel to SUN TV.The new game show Thanga Vettai (hunt for gold or gold hunt) was on.It's a trivia show.Now a taste of the questions on the show.
1.Topic : Cricket : How many runs do you score for a boundary ?
2.Topic : General : What is the "Ship of the Desert" ?

3.Topic : Literature : Which mythological work of literature did Kambar translate to tamil ?

4.Topic : General : How many avatharams does Dasavatharam mean ?(The participant did not know the answer , so a clue was given - "Total number of fingers in both hands" - thank god the participant was not Hrithik Roshan)

I understand this a family based trivia show meaning families as a whole take part in it.So you are not looking at 35 year old (No-life , No-girlfriend)geeks taking part in it.But the level of difficulty in these questions is down right pathetic.On top of this ridiculous level of questions
, the host , Ramya Krishnan (Daaaaang..ai'nt she hotttt) makes it seem like the Indian"Jeopardy".

Now , I have a question.How smart should one be to take part in this show ?

Sivaji…Paraak..Paraak..Paraak

The day, AVM(for those who dont know..AVM is a very old/prestigious film production company in India) announced a movie with Superstar Rajnikanth, is still vivid in my memory.(Of course it was not too long ago , so I remember it really well , It was actually on SUN Thalaippu Seydhigal..I have it on my TIVO).I was so excited that I called all my filmi friends in India immediately and chatted with them about what a huge opportunity this is for Rajni,Shankar and the Tamil Film industry as a whole.

For all the readers wondering...what big opportunity ?…well. This film could be Tamil Industry’s “Sholay”,”Titanic” etc...in magnitude, box-office collections. It can rewrite record books.i.e if the opportunity on hand is not wasted!

It has been long since Rajnikanth has acted in a film which had the director as the captain of the ship. Well technically the director is the captain of the ship for any movie, but for a Rajnikanth movie its different and most of you know why?(If you dont..its a long story..so jus take my word for it)

Well all that changed with Chandramukhi Rajni's previous release earlier this year.There are glaring holes in Chandramukhi, technically and logically, but the movie served its purpose. It brought Rajnikanth back to the forefront of Tamil Cinema after the BABA debacle.Chandramukhi was entertaining and the movie re-established Rajni’s status as the box-office Baadhshah of the South Indian Film Industry.

Rajni’s earlier release, BABA flopped. Well I don’t understand that!

Let me explain..BABA was nothing but what Rajni believes (he actually believes that he is the son of God..im not even kidding you folks…the dude believes that he is a Yogi or something) and he wanted to spread the message of Religion/Faith to all the people.

The masses rejected it. But when you think about it, BABA and Chandramukhi are not much different. In BABA, Rajni says that there is a 200 year old Yogi, still living a healthy life in the Himalayas and he actually has a conversation with “Babaji” in the movie.

Whereas, in Chandramukhi he claims, there is a snake in a bottle, for more than 100 years, guarding the angry revengeful sprit of Chandramukhi .The snake happily returns to Guindy Snake Park when the spirit is freed.

Now both of these events are fantasies, how did BABA flop? Well I think BABA was a failure at many levels. The movie had a decent story (by Rajni Movie standards) but the screenplay, dialogues where very patchy.Sureshkrishna the director, really messed up a lot in the movie. If you notice, you can make out that dialogues were improvised during the shot and most of that was out of place. That won’t happen with Shankar!

Anyway I digress, I think now, Rajni will have a opportunity to work on a Social theme after a long time. If you dissect all of Shankar’s movies, they would have a social theme.(Except maybe for Kadhalan) The film has KV Anand(brilliant cameraman/director of Kana Kanden) ,AR Rahman ,writer Sujatha and choreographer Raju Sundaram lending support to Shankar.

I hope they don’t screw up. But again. its going to be real hard to screw up with such a team. Folks , get ready SIVAJI is going to be a treat !

I wanted to post this yesterday (12/12/2005), marking Rajni’s 56^th birthday but I could not. Better Late than never I guess…..Happy B'day ..Thalaivaa !

Weather Forecast - Business Plan

One of the few things that I love about TV in the USA,is the weather report.Sometimes, I enjoy the humour, the weatherman laces with the information he shares!(Heck...David Letterman was once a weatherman..)

Anyway..When I watch a weather report...Its accurate..or atleast as close as Mankind can get to a uncontrollable phenomenon.Be it Snow..Wind..Hurricane..Rain..or jus a normal day , they guys predict some pretty cool stuff.When it snows they even point out the city blocks that are going to get hit hard.They give you the number on inches to expect ,the UV factor, which route to take the office, how to dress tomorrow ,what to eat tomorrow..okie I made the last one up.

But seriously...Can you imagine the information they prepare for the commoner to gear up and battle against the mother nature.Fabulous.. !!

The other day ..I was watching SUN TV news at home....Da.Da(background music)......the weather report....So im thinking..awrite..India has come a long way in many technological and scientific arenas..the weather reporting must have improved a lot..from the Black and White India Map DoorDarshan used to show.

The reporter starts off..."Well...Hello Viewers..the weather sucked today..look at the people battling against the Rain..stuff floating in water..school were closed..and kids happily returned home..aftr they found out school was closed.."...and she continues the blabber on about how the day "WAS"....hmm...do we need a weather report to tell us..how the weather was..?? ..Hmmm I think we have a decent idea about that...Duuh...

What we need to know is about how the weather is..and more importantly..how the weather is going to be ??...The reporter in her 2 minute segment...spends about 20 seconds saying this.."and yeah...tomorrow..is propably gonna rain....it might stop too...but then it might not...good luck anyway".....HELLLLLLLO.....am I the only one here who thinks that this weather report is garbage ???

I dont need to know how the weather was...tell me how it is going to be...Dont give me suggestions based on..ur imagination...base it on scientifc facts...dont we have one of the best Remote sensing systems in the world ?? what the hell is goin on...how many more years are we still going to speculate about the weather...why cant TV networks in India..spend the money and get the DOPPLER...TRIPLE DOPPLER RADAR...or something like that..and give us accurate forecasts...I think the networks dont want to spend that kind of money..for a lot of reasons..but I think the main reason is....comon..you guys must know this..especially in Madras...its either going to be hot..or very hot..or very very hott...or so hot that you thought that the SUN was jus screwing with you...Coz of our climatic conditions its propably not necessary for such a system.

But didnt more that 300 people die due to the rain in Tamil Nadu in the past 2 months....Is the rain like a TSUNAMI that we cannot predict ??? Coudnt we have saved those lives.. ???

Well..my business plan is this..Start a Weather Company in India..tie up with on of the local TV stations in the USA..and get their help with respect to satellite imaging..or whatever ??

We need to have the "Triple Doppler Radar" in India..Comon now..dont you guys think that the people would appreciate some ACCURATE..weather information about TOMORROW ???

Get a Real Job..for crying out loud !

The Indian/Tamil news outlets have been dominated over the past few weeks with the headlines Court cases/protests/Arrest warrants on the people from the Tamil Film Industry.

Kushboo -- the erstwhile demi-goddess has always been the the darling of the masses in Tamil Nadu.Not anymore! In an interview to a Leading National magazine, she made some remarks on pre-marital sex and how the 21st century Tamil woman has evolved.

The next day you see protests bursting out by pseudo-political outfits trying to gain publicity through this incident. These outfits claim that the actress has made derogatory remarks on Tamil women and women from our state never indulge in such "blasphemous" acts such as pre-marital sex.COMON NOW....grrrrrrrrrr...(Im controlling myself here)

Now even if that assumption is true , who cares what Kushboo says ???? Its her opinion and she made a point about it. Agree or Disagree...That’s all. I am tired of these "jobless" people making this a big issue and pursuing legal action against her. They have asked her to vacate Madras and go back to Mumbai.(where she is originally from)Not only does this make for BAD news...its takes cops to control these protests, takes away valuable court-time which could be spent on more pressing legal issues.

Suhasini, another actress, voiced her support to Kushboo and apologized on behalf of all the Tamils , for her recent travails. Guess what, now these "jobless" people are gunning for Suhasini's head. Their arguement.."Who is Suhasini to apologize for all the Tamils?”....Hmm interesting point, if that’s the case. Let me ask these protestors a question. Who are you to protest for Tamils on behalf of all the Tamils? I dont remember an election, where people voted these protestors to be the moral police of Tamil Nadu.

Comon now. we could go back and forth. I don’t believe employment is booming in India. Contrary to media reports. I think India has an ever increasing rate of unemployment. Because if it did not...These people would have real jobs!!

Super Interludes

This past week , some tamil songs have been on my mind.I just was not able to get em out.I was singing on the train..singing at home while I cook...All the time practically !

I wanted to throw out a list of songs.This list of songs has some of the best interludes I have enjoyed.Awrite here we go..

1.Song: Anbal Unnai Velvom.. Film:Three Roses
KR , an underrated and unlucky composer.In this song , he proves his genius.Look out for the second interlude , when it starts with violins..turns into techno+violins..and ends with violins.
Jus brilliant !!

2.Song:Pani Vizhum Maalayil ..Film:Meera
Classic IR song.My fav. singer SPB just walks away with all the honors in this song..But when the second interlude begins..you realise who's the boss..IR the great !!

3.Song:Enakenna Erkanavae Pirandhaval Ivalo ...Film:Parthen Rasithen
Other than this song appears in a Prashanth film....Everything is brilliant in this song.Second interlude again !

4.Song:Malaragale..Film:Lovebirds
ARR's brilliant composition alongwith Hariharan's golden voice are only "accessories" when you listen to the brilliant second Interlude..Mandolin..Beats..what not ??


5.Song:Kandukonden Kandukonden..Film:Kandukonden Kandukonden
Well ,,I struggle to put this song on this list for two reasons.One is ..well ..If i had to compile a list of top 5 songs I have ever listened to ..this song would be in the that list...It is such a brilliant song..just cannot get better..But anyway..the second interlude..
with a "Opera" feel is amazing.

6.Song:Ninnukori..Film:Agni Natchathiram
Read first 4 lines of explanantion for song 5...and..
Brilliant work with the guitar and flute !!


Thats my list for now..Listen to these songs..and tell me if you agree with me...Ill be back with more songs !

Enjoy..

PS.CAVS at SPURS tonite..Im pumped BABY !!

Does terrorism "Dampen" our Spirit ?

Some of my Reader's would not know about Deepavali ! The festival of lights in India.This Hindu festival, has grown more into a Indian festival..and I am glad that it is that way.I celebrate Ramadan..and Christmas so why not all of us celebrate Deepavali ?

In terms of magnitude , its like Christmas in the US of A.People look forward to it each year and make plans around it.There's lots of food..fun..gifts and my favourite part "Fireworks".

At such a fun filled times of the year came the news of serial bomb blasts in New Delhi...India's capital.59 people died..more than 200 injured. The bomb blasts occurred in a crowded marketplace in New Delhi. Well , an unknown terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for the act. Their stance being "The world thought all of are dead ..after the earthquake in PoK(Pakistan Occupied Kashmir)...We did this to prove them wrong".

My stance is more like this. I think the earthquake proved to be a natural stimulant to better Indo-Pak relations. and the anti-social elements just could not see that happen without a blemish such as this. After this incident, we go back to playing the blame game.Our external affairs ministry blames , Govt sponsored terrorism of Pakistan. Though sometimes, I do feel Pakistan might have indulged in sponsoring terrorism, I dont think its them who did it this time. They have bigger issues to tackle on hand.

Well leaving the politics out of this, I jus think of the repercussions of such a heinous act would be devastating to the human spirit. I cannot fathom the loss of human lives and the effect it has on their families. The festive season has suddenly turned into a nightmare for those kids who lost their parents.

The Indian Government has to toughen up..be pro-active to weed out these terror cells within the country. I am sure no-terrorist bought a round trip ticket to come to India and bomb New Delhi. These demons are at home ..and we need to take'em out !

All this leads to my title, do these bomb blasts dampen our spirit ? Do we move on ? or should we ? Natural disasters are a different animal...we have NO choice but to move on. Its not like we could have done anything to avoid "Katrina" or the "Tsunami" ..sure we could have been better prepared. but we really cannot prepare for something thats not under our control coz of the unknowns. I even cracked up for a moment. hearing this..

Conversation between a two guys in New Orleans b4 Katrina Strikes:

Guy1: Dude..arent you evacuating...the hurricane is going to hit tomorrow?

Guy2: No...Im staying home...

Guy 1: What makes you think you would survive this ??

Guy 2: GOD..will take care of me !!

Guy 1 :WHAT..... WHO DO YOU THINK ..IS SENDING THE FREAKING HURRICANE ???

Unlike..this situation..God is not making people to kill other people...at least in my book..

If its different in your book...I think you need a new book !

Professional Basketball - The NBA

Off all the American Sports , Professional Basketball a.ka NBA is my favourite.This fascination started not after I moved to the US but even when I was in India.It was 1996 and ESPN&STAR Sports , I guess were scrambling for programming , so they regularly showed NBA games.

It was easy to become a fan of the NBA in 1996.The reason would be two words..Michael Jordan.The greatest player ever to have ever played basketball ! I could go on and on about him but no matter what I say , it would not do justice to Jumpman23.

After being a BULLS fan for obvious reasons all those years , I eventually became a CAVS fan , the local team of Cleveland.Let me be honest , being a CAVS fan is not easy.They literally sucked real bad during those years 2000-2002.But things changed and Goddess Luck smiled on the "Mistake on the Lake" , by presenting LebronJames as our No.1 pick in the year's draft.LBJ as he is called changed Professional Basketball in Cleveland.A tremendously gifted player , James , ascended to the Rookie of the Year honors.His second year was even better , averaging , 27 pts 7 assists 7 rebounds , LBJ equalled a feat only 5 players have done earlier in the league.But there was a glaring omission.No Playoffs - both the years.As good as Lebron was , he needed help.Well he has help now , the CAVS under a new owner , Dan Gilbert went on a shopping spree during the offseason and landed Larry Hughes ,Damon Jones , Donyell Marshall and Alan Henderson.James has help now .No more excuses , CAVS would or rather should be in the Playoffs this season.

As a CAVS fan , thats what I hope for , that what I dream about every day , every night.

First Shot

Awrite..This is really weird.I have never..and I mean never written anything that I have not been forced to write ! Let me explain..Except for tests,exams in school and reports,documents at work , I have never written anything.Its not something that I am proud about , but I jus wanted to make it clear , that Im not going to be very good at this .

But ...Im taking up the challenge.

A lot of my good Friends write blogs and I have enjoyed their articles.Got me thinking , I always have something to say , Why don't I start writing it.Anyway , Well you might be wondering , what I might be writing about.Well , there are a lot of things , I am passionate about - Music , Movies , Media , Politics , Current Affairs and SPORTS.So its going to be a mixture of all of the above , But more importantly it's going to be fun.For me the writer and you the reader ,

So Fasten your Seat belts - Ooh Sorry , Im already being cliche'...Just chill ..Later, Ya'll