Good Morning

Good morning world from the Maximum City, looking forward to an exciting weekend here!

Series Leveled

The Invicibles lost to SA in a run curtailed chase last night after giving away too many runs in the last overs to Duminy, to level the series and set up an exciting final encounter of one of the most keenly competitive tours in recent times.

Impressive CM

I am attending Microsoft TechVista at the Westin in Pune. Sat through a very impressive and inspiring speech by our CM Prithviraj Chavan. Being a masters from Berkely, you can expect him to be well versed in technology but what was really impressive was his ability to relate technology to social needs in a country like India and the way he answered queries raised by eminent but boring speakers in earlier speeches on issues like state of research in India. Very impressive guy, wonderful personality. With politicians like him, no wonder India is shining.

Incredible Invincible Unbeatable India

Yet another cliffhanger, yet another win snatched from an almost impossible situation by an Indian team that simply seems to have forgotten how to lose! Chasing a tough 220 by SA, on a difficult to score pitch, India seemed to be in deep trouble with most of the side back in the pavilion and more than 100 to go. That's when Yusuf Pathan played a fantastic fifty with some lofty hits into the crowd, and one landing outside the stadium. However, once Pathan lost his wicket to a brilliant catch, it was all down to Zaheer, Harbhajan and then Ashish Nehra to steer the team to safety with well over 50 to get... the recently-reinforced die-hard fan in me however decided to stick on, setting up my new Win Mobile 7 phone while keeping fingers crossed...

What a win! Cheers, India!

Balaji Temple Near Pune

Went to the Balaji temple near Narayanpur, around 40 km from Pune, yesterday. Built a few years back as a replica of the Balaji temple in Tirupati, we'd heard a lot about it, but it was a disappointing anti-climax. The temple is crowded and noisy, with loud speakers blaring chants and slogans, the barren land, dusty parking and gravelled paths doing nothing to add to the ambience. Temples should be peaceful, allowing one to sit quietly and retrospect and feel at one with god and himself. This felt like being part of one and only one endeavour - make money from those who cannot go all the way to Tirupati. The "business" is expanding...

Stampede At Sabarimala

Yet another temple, yet another crowd, yet another stampede, yet another tragedy. Over a 100 killed in the latest terrifying episode in Sabarimala in Kerela, more than 900 have now been killed in similar stampedes in the last 9 years. Is god really forgiving, or is god taking revenge? Or is it just one of those small things he cannot be bothered with?

India Level Series at 1-1

After a big defeat in the first ODI, India came back with a heart-warming bowling performance in the second ODI to beat SA by one run in Johannesburg. Choosing to bat first, Dhoni's men succummed to pace and were bowled out for a not impressive 190, with only Yuvraj Singh putting in some resistance with a fighting fifty. SA, led by Smith who scored a fluent 77, started the chase strongly, and were cruising to victory when Munaf castled Smith making it 152/5 in the 33rd over. Munaf led India's fightback with 4 for 29, ably supported by Zaheer who scalped 2.

Yet again, this Indian team has proved they are no pushovers, and has sent out a strong message for impatient fans like me who go to sleep long before the last ball has been bowled!

Simple Pleasures Of Life

Pesarattu and Aapes at Wadeshwar
Movies at E-Square and Inox
Shopping at Shoppers Stop
Arguing and fighting over stupid topics
Making up
Taking Samara for a drive

Simplest pleasures of life are the most precious...

Miss you!

20000

K3G has crossed 20000 hits since we started counting in Aug 2009, the first 10K taking just above 10.5 months, the next 10K getting logged in just over 6 months... that's an average of 50/day, up from 30/day for the previous 10K. And yes, I also crossed 400 posts in 2010, making it definitely my bloggest year by far!

Thank you, readers :)

Writing a blog is an immensely satisfying activity by itself, knowing it is read and appreciated by you folks makes the experience all the sweeter!

Movie Review: Gair (Marathi)

Marathi cinema has given some great entertainment in the last couple of years, and Gair is another Marathi movie that's worth watching.

A pretty young girl (Amruta Khanvilkar) marries the most eligible bachelor in town, but her happiness is short lived when a number of strange unexplained incidences with her husband (or is it a duplicate?) starts making life a living hell. As the web of duplicity gets murkier, no one is above suspicion.

A fast paced thriller, and except for some amateurish moments in the screenplay, it grips you till the end.

Quote For The Day

For those who believe, no proof is needed. For those who do not believe, no proof is enough.

Herd Mentality

Next time you approach a busy junction with traffic getting into a grid lock, hold back and let others get right of way. Very soon, more sensible minded people will join you, and the traffic will clear soon.

It is possible to break herd mentality. And you can do it too. Try it.

Movie Review: No One Killed Jessica

More than a decade ago, Jessica Lal, a young beautiful model in Delhi was shot dead in cold blood by a politician's spoilt brat for refusing to serve drinks at the bar beyond closing time. The police acted quickly in arresting Manu Sharma and his cohorts, but as the case progressed, witnesses turned hostile, critical evidence was tampered with, and ultimately, a helpless court acquitted the accused for lack of evidence. However, sustained journalistic activism and public opinion slowly turned the tide against political pressure and systemic failures, finally resulting in the Supreme Court over-turning the acquital by the trial courts, and awarding life imprisonment to Manu Sharma. Finally, justice had been delivered. And as I have blogged about earlier, India's free press and democracy continues to kick and kick hard - and that bodes well for this country in the coming decades.

NOKJ is a wonderful adaptation of this shocking incident that threatened to shame the nation, and the subsequent fight for justice. Even though the end is a foregone conclusion, the script is crisp, the screenplay moves at a brisk pace, the background scores create the perfect moods, and the audience is left engrossed till the very end. Rani and Vidya Balan do a good job, getting into the skin of their characters with sincerity. Newcomer Myra Khan as Jessica is a delight to watch, her fresh face, amazing smile and sexy look will open a lot of opportunities for her in Bollywood in the months to come. The most interesting character is the investigating officer, who takes a bribe to keep his hands off Manu in custody, but tries his best to put up a good case. His helplessness in securing the much-needed witnesses from the crowd of over 300 at the disc the day of the shooting highlights the malaise that's gripped parts of Indian society today.

Except for the profusion of avoidable cuss words, NOKJ is a great movie that will grip you and touch you... not to be missed!

Social Networks

Wrote this article on my Musings blog on how there is a profusion of very exciting social networking sites coming up, with some exciting new offerings. I will not replicate the blog here, but please do check it out!

Treatment for Nose Boils!

(Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, this is my personal blog and this is my personal experience. Please do not treat yourself at home, please visit a real doctor)

Now, I know this really isn't a fun topic to blog about, but after surviving a very painful and scary week with onee, I realised the least I can do to give back to society is write about it :) This is a graphically explicit post, so reader discretion is advised. But yes, it could save your life.

So, what's a nose boil? It's what you get when your friendly nasal bacteria (you'll never meet them in person, but just in case you do, address them as Staphylococcus aureus) decide to infect a small cut, abrasion, or hell, even the hair follicle in your pretty nose! What you then get is a small irritating swelling that quickly grows into an ugly, big fat boil that affects and disfigures your nose, lips and cheeks to a point where your cat runs away on seeing you approach her, even if you have fish for dinner. And if the humiliation were not enough, you have the pain and the fever to contend with.

Now here's where it gets scary. And I am serious. The nasal cavity and face is where blood vessels come on their way to your brain, and any infection on your face or in your nasal cavity can quickly spread to your brain, and the rest of your body, putting you into possibly fatal septic shock.

So, lesson number one, and I am super serious here: IF YOU GET A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE, DO NOT IGNORE IT, RUSH TO YOUR DOCTOR.

The doctor will most probably put you on a dose of anti-biotics, and I would recommend you request a strong dose (like Augmentin 650), accompanied with the usual anti-acidity tablets (like Pan - D) and some pain killer/anti-swelling tablets (like Enzoflam). Also, insist on a topical cream (like T-bact), which will help in controlling further infections and help break the boil more effectively.

If the boil is big and not showing signs of subsiding within 1-2 days, go to a surgeon and get it surgically drained.

Now, what the doctor did not tell me, and I would like to share with you is this:

1) Be prepared to suffer for a week or so, at least. But again, it's important to go to the doctor AS SOON AS YOU HAVE THE FIRST INDICATION OF A BOIL IN YOUR NOSE. It can be fatal if allowed to fester.
2) Using a warm water press (simply douse a clean hanky in hot water and use) provides great relief from the pain and swelling, and helps bring the boil to breaking point.
3) DO NOT try and squeeze, press or prick the boil - the infection can spread further inside your body instead of getting out, and that can kill you.
4) After the boil starts to soften, you will start feeling all the liquid built up in your upper lip region sloshing around. It's painful and scary, but it's the good news - you are ready to deliver your baby!
5) Avoid all tendencies to pick, squeeze, prick or coax! It will happen when it has to happen. Wait for the moment when global warming and terrorism will seem like problems once again!

And until you have your first nose boil, happy picking!

Private Holiday Home in Goa - Xanadu

My cousins and I have recently launched a couple of private holiday homes in Goa, perfect for a large family, a group of professionals or college students, looking for reasonably priced luxurious accomodation with the freedom to cook your own meals, live in a real home, and have all the privacy and freedom you need!

Tastefully decorated living room - relax with the morning newspaper, or catch up on your TV serials!

The beach atmosphere follows you into the bedroom!

Wooden flooring, lush bedding - perfect for your nth honeymoon!

Two fully furnished, luxurious apartments on the same floor, each with 2 bed rooms and huge living rooms, cable TV, and fully equipped kitchen, located in Panaji within walking distance from Miramar beach, with breathtaking views of the Arabian sea, perfect for up to 6 families, or groups between 4-8 per apartment. Closely connected to the tourist hubs of the Calangute-Baga stretch, equally close to the commercial hubs of Margao and Vasco, and conveniently close to the Old Goa church or the temple belt of Mangeshi and Kavlem, this is one awesome location that will suit any purpose!

Like Lothar and Mandrake's Xanadu, this one promises you a lot more fun on your vacation than you can imagine!

But it's not just the accomodation that will excite you! On request, we promise to help you with the travel arrangements to and from Goa, pick up at the bus/train station or airport, local commuting, rental cars/bikes, insider tips on where to eat, dance and shop, and any other help you need to make your Goa holiday a complete experience like never before.

Our endeavour is to have scores of happy tourists enjoying Goa as our special guests, going away with beautiful memories, and wanting to come back again and again!

For inquiries and reservations, leave a comment on this blog or call +91 9822126306, and we will get back to you in a jiffy!

Delivery

First, the pleasure. A mistake. A seed implanted. Slowly, the swelling. Unbearable pain. And finally, after the gestation period, the break. Slowly, painfully at first, releasing the pressure. Then a gush.

No, I didn't have a baby. Just riddance from a week of a very painful nose boil!

Tejas Inducted

India today joined the select club of countries making a fighter jet from scratch with the Indian Air Force providing operational clearance for the lightweight indigenous multi-role Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas. The supersonic fourth generation fighter will form a 200-strong fleet for the IAF to replace the ageing Russian-made MiG-21 fleet.

Series Leveled

Indian batsmen kept off a listless SA attack on the fifth day, ensuring a draw and extending Dhoni's run of undefeated series. If not for Kallis's fighting century yesterday, India had a great chance of winning this test, but to Kallis's credit, the South Africans put up a fighting 340 target for India on the last day.

India retain their number 1 position, and more importantly, silence critics who dared them to perform in SA's difficult conditions.

Movie Review: The Blair Witch Project

Supposed to be a trend setter in horror, this movie was the precursor to the Paranormal kind... filmed in typical home movie style, it's touted as the footage discovered a year after the disappearance of 3 young film makers documenting the legend of the Blair Witch in the Maryland woods.

The movie starts slow, building up nicely to the finale.. but then ends with a thud. Nothing.

Very disappointing. Needed a lot more punch at the end.

RIP Casatta