Panoramic photo of Grand Canyon (stitched)

Inspired by Nikhil's photos, I decided to post one of the photos that I also had "stitched" using Canon's software. This has been my one and only attempt...just was too much work to take so many photos without the aid of a tripod ;-)

What is common between Indian law and cricket?!?

The Great Indian Novel: that is the name of a new novel by Shashi Tharoor. It combines the Mahabharata epic with Indian history (independence struggle + the later few years) and comes up with a highly enjoyable story. This is the first book of Shashi Tharoor that I have read, and it makes me want to read more of his books. It has some excellent witty passages; here are a couple of excerpts.

• 'We must name the child Dvaipayana, one created on an island,' said Satyavati rather sentimentally to my father. He nodded, but it wasn't a name that ever seemed likely to stick. 'Women,' he said to me once, years later, shaking his head in amused tolerance. 'Imagine, a name like that for the son of a wandering Brahmin in British India. No Ved Vyas is much easier. I've always wanted a son named Ved Vyas.' And so Ved Vyas it was and, since I was a somewhat diminutive fellow, V.V. I became.
  
  
• Law, ofcourse, rivals cricket as the major national sport of our urban elite. Both ligitation and cricket are slow, complex and costly; both involve far more people that need to be active at any point in the process; both call for skill, strength and guile in varying combinations at different times; both benefit more from breaks in the action than spectators consider necessary; both occur at the expense of, and often disrupt, more productive economic activity; and both frequently meander to conclusions, punctuated by appeals, that satisfy none of the participants. Yet both are dear to Indian hearts and absorb much of the country's energies.

(Weakly) Weekly Quote-hanger

A funny one this time: a football (soccer) coach talking about cricket.

"How can you tell your wife you are just popping out to play a match and then not come back for five days?"
Rafael Benitez, manager of Liverpool FC, just doesn't get it.

:-)

MSN Search vs. Google

For the first time in some years, I have found some other search engine give better results than Google. These images are a proof that MSN Search gave better results (at least for me) than Google for this particular search term.




While I am on this topic: I guess it is not possible to please everybody with the same set of results or the order of results. Personalized search is going to be absolutely essential, and Google already has that option. However, the worrying part is that Google stores the complete history of your searches on its servers. I wonder if there is any way to get around that...

Is this guy for real?

Check out this video of a russian guy doing pretty amazing things. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=515642196227308929.

Whirlwind ODI knocks and hard-hitters

Today, we witnessed two awesome power-packed innings by Afridi and Razzaq. A few days back, Brendon McCullum played not just one but two whirlwind knocks of 48(33) and 50* (25). The first one almost helped NZ win; they lost by just 2 runs. The second knock helped the Kiwis create a world-record by chasing down 331 runs against the Aussies (with an over to spare). Amazing stuff!

2nd ODI scorecard
3rd ODI scorecard

Speaking of hitters, India now has Mahendra Dhoni in addition to Sehwag. Dhoni is clearly a fearsome hitter; you just need to watch the two sixes he hit against SL in the 2nd test match. The first of these didn't feel like a six at all...I think it just went a little bit above the eye-level! The commentator was really surprised when the umpire indicated a six :-)

I think almost every team now has a fierce hitter or two in their team.

England: Pietersen, Flintoff
India: Sehwag, Dhoni (Pathan?)
Pakistan: Afridi, Razzaq
South Africa: Kemp
Australia: Symonds (Gilchrist?)
New Zealand: Brendon McCullum, Chris Cairns

Sri Lanka: ?
West Indies: ?

...And Razzaq also goes boom!

Here is the ball-by-ball commentary of Abdul Razzaq's innings. This was terrific batting by the Pakistanis. Will have to wait and see if anybody from England produces a blinder...unfortunately, Kevin Pietersen is not playing today.


Final stat: Abdul Razzaq (RHB) 51 runs of 22 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes. SR: 231.82

49.6 Flintoff to Abdul Razzaq, two runs, full ball, driven hard back to bowler, off the hands of Flintoff goes to long-on and he comes back for the 2nd run and get shis 50!
49.5 Flintoff to Abdul Razzaq, no run, full ball, good yorker, digs it out back to bowler

48.6 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, two runs, slower ball, comes down the wicket to play a big shot, ball goes high in the air, Prior stands under it at short midwicket, and misjudge at the end
48.4 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, one run, full ball, on leg stump, driven down the ground to long-on
48.3 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, no run, slower ball, goes for the big pull shot, mised it through to keeper
48.1 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, one run, good length ball, pulled away to deep midwicket for a single

47.6 Flintoff to Abdul Razzaq, one run, full ball, on leg stump, digs it out to long-on for a single
47.5 Flintoff to Abdul Razzaq, no run
47.4 Flintoff to Abdul Razzaq, two runs, short ball, pulled away down the ground to long-on, good stop by long-on fielder, save couple of runs

At this point: Abdul Razzaq (RHB): 42 runs in 13 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes. SR: 323.07

46.6 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, FOUR, hoho! a big over, full toss, outside off, gives himself some room and drives it to wide of mid-off for four, great batting by Razzaq
46.5 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, SIX, Another one! great hitting by Razzaq, full ball, on leg stump, heaved away to deep midwicket up and over the roof!
46.4 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, no run, slower ball, just outside off,goes for the big heave, just mised it
46.3 Anderson to Abdul Razzaq, SIX, Bang! what a mighty hit, full ball, he gets underneath it and lofts it high and handsome way over long-on fence for a big six

45.4 Flintoff to Abdul Razzaq, one run, full ball, on off stump, driven down the ground to long-off

At this point: Abdul Razzaq (RHB): 25 runs in 8 balls with 4 fours and 1 six. SR: 312.50

44.6 Harmison to Abdul Razzaq, FOUR, short in length, outside off, gives himself some room and cuts it away to backward point for four
44.3 Harmison to Abdul Razzaq, one run, short in length, pushed to point for a single

43.6 Plunkett to Abdul Razzaq, SIX, Bang! full ball, on middle and leg stump, he stands and delivery, drives it over the top and goes all the way into the stands at long-on for a big six
43.5 Plunkett to Abdul Razzaq, FOUR, slower ball, fuller in length, he gives himself some room and drives it in the gap between extra cover and long-off for four more!
43.4 Plunkett to Abdul Razzaq, FOUR, Shot! short and wide outside off, he goes back and plays a cracking cut shot in the gap, excellent placement by Razzaq, four more
43.3 Plunkett to Abdul Razzaq, FOUR, full toss, driven over the top over bowler head to long-off, Blackwell dives all over it and cost four runs
43.2 Plunkett to Abdul Razzaq, no run, short ball, outside off, cuts it to point

42.6 Harmison to Abdul Razzaq, two runs, full ball, on middle and leg stump, driven to deep midwicket for couple of runs

Boom Boom Afridi!

Back after his 3-match ban, he showed again why bowlers are scared of him. Here is the Cricinfo ball-by-ball commentary of his innings (cut short by a run-out).

Shahid Afridi run out (Collingwood) 31 (14b 3x4 2x6)

37.6 Plunkett to Mohammad Yousuf, no run, short ball, outside off, cuts it hard to point and runs in for a single, huge mix up between the batsmen, Collingwood dives full length, stops the ball, recovers it well, picks up and throw towards keeper, Jones whips off the bails, Afridi was well short

37.3 Plunkett to Shahid Afridi, one run, full ball, on leg stump, driven down the ground to long-on
37.2 Plunkett to Shahid Afridi, two runs, full ball, on leg stump, driven to deep midwicket and came back for the 2nd run, excellent running between the wicket
37.2 Plunkett to Shahid Afridi, wide: no run, again short and wide, well outside off this time for another wide
37.2 Plunkett to Shahid Afridi, wide: no run, short in length, well down the leg side, called a wide

36.6 Flintoff to Shahid Afridi, FOUR, Shot! full ball, on middle and leg stump, driven in the air just wide of Flintoff to long-off, Anderson dives at long-on in vain and ball crosses the rope
36.4 Flintoff to Shahid Afridi, one run, full ball, on middle and leg stump, defended to mid-on for a single
36.3 Flintoff to Shahid Afridi, FOUR, short and wide outside off, nicely nudged away to third man region for four
36.2 Flintoff to Shahid Afridi, SIX, What a hit! great shot, full ball, on off stump, he comes forward and just drives it on the up over long-off fence for a big six
36.1 Flintoff to Shahid Afridi, no run, full ball, on off stump, driven to short cover

35.5 Collingwood to Shahid Afridi, one run, short ball, outside off, cuts it away to deep point fielder for a single
35.5 Collingwood to Shahid Afridi, wide: no run, slower and wider well outside off, called a wide
35.4 Collingwood to Shahid Afridi, SIX, bang! that what we expecting, full ball, onm middle and leg stump, played a lovely shot way over midwicket fence for a big six
35.3 Collingwood to Shahid Afridi, FOUR, good lwngth ball, on middle and leg stump, swept away to fine leg fence for four

34.6 Anderson to Shahid Afridi, no run, short in length, outside off, tries to cut it, gets beaten 34.3 Anderson to Shahid Afridi, one run, full ball, on middle and leg stump, driven down the ground to long-on for a single
34.2 Anderson to Shahid Afridi, no run, short in length, outside off, pushed to point

33.5 Collingwood to Shahid Afridi, one run

Microsoft vs. Google?

Is MS trying to beat Google at its own game? Check out some cool stuff at:

http://ideas.live.com/

(Weakly) Weekly Quote-hanger

Starting this week, I will try to post at least one quote every week... and maybe a quote that should make us think a little. I will start off with two quotes about wealth obsession.

My riches not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.
- J. Brotherton

Our earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.
- Mahatma Gandhi

A 400kph car!

Bugatti Veyron

I wonder how it will perform on Indian roads...it will probably become a flying machine :-)