Guilty Until Proven Innocent

When the law assumes an accused is innocent until proven guilty, even in the most horrendous of crimes, why is it that we consider near and dear ones, our lovers, our friends, our partners guilty until proven innocent? How is it that we love and trust someone so much, and yet, give that same person absolutely no chance to present his or her case, to speak out?

Why do the strongest of relationships die because of a simple failure to have a dialogue?

Not Trying is Worse Than Failure!

Since last night, I am haunted by the sight of a cat, struck by a passing car, lying in the middle of the road begging for help.. looking up at me, into my eyes, pleading to be rescued...

And instead of stopping right away, I swerve to miss it, then go ahead, hesitating... thinking, should I stop and move it to the side? But it was bleeding, maybe broken bones..

And by the time I stop, I have already moved ahead a couple of hundred meters.. and I keep moving...

I can still feel her eyes looking at me, begging for help...

I love cats, and I would love to help.. but I didn't.. I thought, and I debated.. and I lost the chance... and the cat lost it's life...

I know I am responsible.. my friend tried to convince me it wasn't my fault.. maybe it lived after all, maybe it was already dead...

But I know I killed it.. by not trying...

Law of the Garbage Truck

Got this in a mail forward.. pretty nice, though!

How often do you let other people's nonsense change your mood? Do you let a bad driver, rude waiter, curt boss, or an insensitive employee ruin your day? Unless you're the Terminator, for an instant you're probably set back on your heels. However, the mark of a successful person is how quickly she can get back her focus on what's important.

Learned it in the back of a Harare City taxi cab. Here's what happened. I hopped in a taxi, and we took off for Westgate . We were driving when all of a sudden a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car's back end by just inches! Here's what happened next. The driver of the other car, the guy who almost caused a big accident, whipped his head around and he started yelling bad words at us. How do I know? Ask any Zimbabwean , some words in Harare come with a special face.
Now, here's what blew me away. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was friendly. So, I said, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" And this is when my taxi driver told me what I now call, " The Law of the Garbage Truck." Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it. And if you let them, they'll dump it on you. When someone wants to dump on you, don't take it personal. You just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. You'll be happy you did. I guarantee it.

So this was it: The "Law of the Garbage Truck." I started thinking, how often do I let Garbage Trucks run right over me? And how often do I take their garbage and spread it to other people: at work, at home, on the streets? It was that day I said, "I'm not going to do it anymore." I began to see garbage trucks. Like in the movie "The Sixth Sense," the little boy said, "I see Dead People." Well now "I see Garbage Trucks." I see the load they're carrying. I see them coming to drop it off. And like my Taxi Driver, I don't make it a personal thing; I just smile, wave, wish them well, and I move on.

One of my favourite Football players of all times , Ronaldinho, does this every day on the football field.With a smile he always jumps up as quickly as he hits the ground after being tackled. He never dwells on a hit. Ronaldinho is always ready to make the next play his best. Good leaders know they have to be ready for their next meeting. Good parents know that they have to welcome their children home from school with hugs and kisses.

Leaders and parents know that they have to be fully present,and at their best for the people they care about. The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks take over their day. What about you? What would happen in your life, starting today, if you let more garbage trucks pass you by? You'll be much happier.

Movie Review: 1408

Suspense & horror in the first half, pretty well done, but gets a little boring and over the top in the second half. Good if you have nothing else to watch!

Movie Review: I Am Legend

I like imagining the end of the world, I like visualizing a city stopped dead in it's tracks by a deadly virus that eliminates the people but keeps everything else intact - been one of my favourite macabre pass times in the past times :) Frankly, it helps me better appreciate what we have today!

That's what attracted me to I Am Legend. The world celebrates the successful cure of Cancer, before the mutated virus goes bonkers, finishing off the world's population, with most of the 6 billion dead, and a few million survivors who lose their human sensibilities and turn into animals of the dark - coming out to hunt and eat the remaining humans who had somehow survived the virus. Will Smith is the one survivor left in New York, living a very lonely life with his dog, hoping to one day meet other survivors.

The second half gets taxing, but if you share my macabre hobbies, you will certainly enjoy the first!

Movie Review: Dus Kahaniyaan

In the age of T20 and MacD's fast food, it is perhaps non-evitable that we will also have shorter versions of movies coming up! The question is, do I want a good, short movie, or do I want 10 back-to-back short movies, with no connection to each other?

Dus Kahaniyaan is a compilation of 10 short stories, back-to-back, with no connection or common thread. Watch out for some good twists in the tale at the end of each story - especially the first one with Mandira Bedi and the beautiful tale of a mom (Amrita Singh) and her daughter (Minissha Lamba). Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah dazzle in the Rice Plate, Masoomeh looks really hot in the Highway story, and there are some other interesting momemts too, including the music in the last story. Half of the stories though, including Sex on the Beach, the Earring on the Train, The Bar Girl and Gubbare, are simply a waste of time!

Disclaimer: I do not remember the names of the stories themselves - but these seemed pretty good descriptions :)

Movie Review: Khoya Khoya Chand

Khoya Khoya Chand is the story of a struggling actress Nikhat (Soha Ali) in the 50s, her producer-lover (Rajat Kapoor) who she uses to achieve stardom, and who dumps her at the time of marriage, and her subsequent relationship with the guy who steps in when she is alone - Shiny Ahuja, himself a budding writer. Their relationship then goes for a toss in the arclights of their careers, and Nikhat takes to drinking and B grade movies, before everything falls into place for a happy ending.

KKC is a visual treat with it's excellent cinematography, with the beautiful 1950s sepia look. Soha shows that she can act, and plays the role of the oppressed 50s star Nikhat well, but could have been better. Shiny looks good, with an excellent wardrobe, but frankly, his roles and look is starting to look pretty similar in all his movies - he needs a makeover! Saurabh Shukla is awesome once again, and has some very good dialogues, including my favourite, "Different People, Different Stories!" The real attraction of the movie for me though, was the music. Absolutely beautiful - especially "Khoye Khoye Chaand Ki Talash..." and "Tirak Tirak...". Some really soulful music in a long, long time.

It's a short movie, just around 2.15 hours, but the secod half drags on nevertheless - another 15 mins cut on the editor's table, and this would have been a masterpiece.

Dada: Man of the Match and Man of the Series!

Dada followed up his 239 in the first innings with a smashing 91 in the second, coming so close to being only the 7th person in history to get a double and a century in the same test, as India wrapped up the 3 match series against Pakistan 1-0. Rightfully, with more than a 1000 runs this season, Dada also bagged the man of the match and the man of the series awards - all this from a man who was not even sure of his place in the side a year back!

Way to go, Dada! Way to go!

Pakistan down, Australia, here we come!

My Plane's Shadow...

This is one of my favourite photos - the shadow of my plane down on the cloud below, surrounded by a halo - taken through a duplicate non-digital Yashica camera worth less than 2000 bucks.

Rare Cricket Shots!

Check these awesome photos - one probably from the bodyline era, the other in 2001. How often have you seen something like this on the field?

Dennis Lillee and his Australian side, against the English maybe?

Once again, Australia against Zimbabwe in 2001

Interestingly, I had seen the earlier photo just a day or two before this one came in the newspapers! Talk about coincidence and timing!

ps: I would love to know more on the situations surrounding these photos - should be easy to find on Google, but just too tired to do it myself!

Demolition Man in Dancing Shoes

That's how I can best describe the Maharaja today - mercilessly crushing the opposition, and making the carnage look like art!

Dada Gets 200

A sell out crowd at the Chinnaswamy, and millions of fans across the world, stand up to applaud one of the biggest ever comebacks, in cricket and in life, as Dada gets his 200... and over 1000 runs in the last 10 tests, since his comeback to the Indian team.

Dada, you are an inspiration! Thank you!

One day, I wanna write a book on you!

Third Test - Dada Rocks

Yet another match, yet another test for the Maharaja of cricket, and yet another time, he rises to the occasion magnificently!


Down in the dumps at 60/4 on the first day of the 3rd test in Bengalore, India were with their backs to the wall. That was before Yuvi joined Dada, the two left-handers taking the Pak attack head on, hammering contrasting and beautiful centuries and putting on 300 runs for the 5th wicket, the test firmly back in their grasp. While Dada was sublime and deft in his offside play, relying on his timing, placement and loads of experience, Yuvraj was youthfully aggressive and played some beautiful shots that had 4 written on them the moment the ball touched his blade.


And when he crossed his 100, Dada hugged him tight, a touch longer than would be expected - and it was a scene that truly warmed hearts - the master hugging his disciple. And as Yuvraj said later, it meant a lot to him that Dada, the one person who had backed and encouraged him all along, was there when he got his landmark.

India ended the day at 365/5, Yuvraj losing his wicket at the fag end of the day. At the time of writing this, towadrs lunch time on day 2, Dada continues the good work - on 166, and is now eyeing his 200. He has just stepped out to hoist Danish over long off for a huge 6.

Focus and Intent, Really!

Wouldn't it be nice if whenever we messed up our life we could simply press "Ctrl Alt Delete" and start all over?
That's what a friend's status message said today.

Made me go back to my earlier post on decisions, and training the mind. It's true isn't it? Life does allow you a chance to "Ctrl Alt Delete" - the question always is, do you want to press those buttons? Most of the times, we don't want to. We live being in limbo, we like holding on to the past, while wanting to snatch at the future. And we do both, half-heartedly.

Quote for the Day

Hunger is important in your youth. Hunger for success, fame, career, whatever. Failure should not be an option. SRK.

Anonymous Fan :)

I just realised I have an anonymous walking partner (two of them, actually!) who also likes to quote Shakespeare, doesn't understand good poetry, and is so pessimistic about the strength of Shiddat unless accompanied by someone who truly loves you :)

And for sure, this person wins the award for the most irrelevant PJ comments on my blog, and more importantly, takes the credit for making me maro PJ comments in return...

Sigh, Siddhesh Bhobe, what's wrong with you?

Quote of the Day

All of the brothers were valiant, and all of the sisters virtuous.. until proven otherwise. From Robert Ludlum's "The Arctic Event" written by James Cobb.

Dental Tourism

We have all heard of medical tourism - Westerners flying down to India for world class medical treatment at a fraction of the cost. I was in Goa last month, and saw an interesting aspect of this - in a stretch of around 1.5 kms in the Calangute area, I counted not less than 15 dental clinics promising the lastest and the greatest in dental treatment! Considering that dental problems are one of the most frequent medical problems, and that most dental problems like root canals and cavities are easily tackled and can be done at any time, and yet so expensive in the US and Europe, this really makes so much sense!

Also, Tito's now has it's own ambulance and para medical healthcare facilities - run and managed by a foreigner. And apparently, he has a roaring business!

Movie Review: Aaja Nachle

Disclaimer: I have not seen the movie yet :)

I don't think Madhuri should have tried a comeback with a movie that sounds like a B-grade flick where mujras follow sex follows mujras. She's an awesome dancer, but she should have come back as an actress, not a dancer. Are Indian audiences willing to sit through three hours of a mother of 2 dancing, if it's not backed by a good story, good action, good comedy or good acting? I am not too sure...

Guess the next couple of weeks will tell!

Trees..

There is something so beautiful about trees.. maybe it's the refreshing green color, maybe it's the way they give so much while taking so less, maybe it's the way they gently sway in the breeze, alive, yet peaceful, serene, calm. Not running away - standing firm, supremely confident. They block out the harsh sun, give you shade, they block out the rains, protect you from getting wet. And yet, they use these same elements to enrich themselves and grow.

Until we chop them off...

India Take Command in Second Test

After winning the first test, India took complete command in the second test at Eden Gardens against Pakistan. After declaring at 616/5 yesterday evening, Kumble struck to reduce Pakistan to 50/1 at stumps, and by lunch on day 3, Pakistan is in a deep hole at 154/5, with more than 2.5 days to go and still 462 runs behind.

Earlier, the Indian run machine made a mockery of the once-dreaded Pakistani attack to put up a mammoth total. Wasim Jaffer struck a masterful double century, VVS Laxman and Dada both got centuries, while Sachin, Dravid and Dhoni got half centuries. Dada's first century on his home ground was the highlight of the day yesterday, with the match being completely one-sided (just like the rest of thr tour has been!) - the huge crowds giving him a standing ovation. Unfortunately, he was dismissed quickly after his 3 figure mark, trying to heave Salman Butt out of the stadium in an effort to further up the scoring rate towards a quicker declaration.

What a comeback/performance this has been by all the seniors in the team, once marked for retirement by the erstwhile Aussie coach!