tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63669442012-02-17T00:31:17.497+05:30HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.comBlogger901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-55125351717216839242007-07-28T18:51:00.000+05:302007-07-28T18:54:09.900+05:30

After a little more than 100 posts over three and a half years, cosmicdebris has moved here. Only the blog's now called correspondent at large. See you there!

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-38257770818943664382007-07-14T15:51:00.000+05:302007-07-14T15:55:07.868+05:30

Just when I was thinking it would be better to watch Aisam Qureshi (because he volleys on grass) than all those baseline bashers with titles, Nadal and Federer served up a treat at the final. The first five-setter at a Wimbledon final since 2001 when Goran Ivanisevic beat Patrick Rafter was everything a Grand Slam final should be - fast, furious and unbelievably close.In the end, like tradition

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-48856188280844259182007-07-02T20:43:00.000+05:302007-07-05T23:16:46.691+05:30

Time magazine's cover story on media mogul Rupert Murdoch's bid for the Wall Street Journal reveals his own viewpoint on what a journalist should be like. Murdoch, in the report,"...has always said that craving respectability is the beginning of the end for a journalist. 'Journalists should think of themselves as outside the Establishment, and owners can't be too worried about what they're told

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1595358642795875932007-06-29T17:03:00.000+05:302007-06-29T17:08:30.386+05:30

I've always wondered how comic strips are created. It turns out now that all you need to do is get yourself a banana, diet coke, cat and the right kind of computer. Hard time believing me?! It's all in the Dilbertblog.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-59276144206192860402007-06-27T18:00:00.000+05:302007-06-27T19:48:35.475+05:30

I suppose all those fusty, badly-dressed statisticians get to revel in their profession and throw up puns like the one on the title of this post, for at least one day. Mark your calendars, for its day after tomorrow - National Statistical Day. How many professions even have their own day?Number crunchers can thank a shadowy figure from history, one whose name was virtually unpronouncable, at

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-26520196516361942782007-06-16T19:00:00.000+05:302007-06-21T11:20:37.291+05:30

Q. Who said this? And how does it explain why India tilted towards Russia, despite Nehru's original non alignment stance?A. Ramachandra Guha, in his comprehensive history of India after independence, attributes this statement to John Foster Dulles, the secretary of state when Nehru visited America in 1949. During the Cold War, the US was suspicious of any nation that said it was neutral ("if he's

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-38848506181147197452007-06-14T14:19:00.000+05:302007-06-16T13:57:54.483+05:30

Tim Harford's column on apologies (link via India Uncut) reminded me of what I'd learnt soon after landing up in Delhi for a new job in news. I'm sorry, I said to my boss one day, after committing a pronunciation mistake of the sort one tends to see a lot on TV (I said kaun-stituency instead of constituency).The incident itself wasn't of much importance, but my ready apology surprised him, and I

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-40165176062366539272007-06-14T01:22:00.000+05:302007-06-15T17:56:47.376+05:30

It's not like I've stopped writing out my thoughts. The reason I'd stopped publishing them was because I wanted the writing to be less self-indulgent. Having tried out blogs related to specific topics in the hunt for more focus, I think I've arrived at a compromise. I'll still write about anything that's fit to print (with apologies to the New York Times), but hopefully with greater purpose.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-69794523233937964412007-04-30T20:19:00.000+05:302007-04-30T20:21:36.264+05:30

A bizarre moment during the World Cup final pretty much summed up all the coverage by SET Max through the tournament. Cutting back to action from a commercial break, we were treated to a celebrating Australia in the 33rd over of the Sri Lankan run chase. Apparently, the Lankan batsmen had accepted an offer to walk off because of bad light with three overs to go (in a 38-overs-a-side-final),

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1157912598732800632006-09-10T23:52:00.000+05:302006-09-10T23:54:29.953+05:30

I'm livid. You deprived me of the pleasure of watching a gripping match, by cutting into ads at crucial points. Yes, I said DURING the match, the US Open semifinal between Andy Roddick and Michail Youzhny. I'm especially angry because you chose to dip into those ads, when the third set tie-breaker was on - during what could be termed the turning point of the match. The two players are tied a set

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1154435135075794762006-08-01T17:53:00.000+05:302006-08-01T17:55:35.090+05:30

...what I should do with the blog. Am loathe to let it go. Yes, I'm writing little snippets here and there, but the reason I haven't really updated this blog is because I've been thinking lately that my writing should be more focussed. But I weeeel be back!

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1144433718645935142006-04-07T23:40:00.000+05:302006-04-07T23:45:18.663+05:30

Ever spoken in Kannada when asking for a film ticket in one of the theatres in Bangalore's M G Road area? If you have, you might have experienced what I did; a slight sense of embarrassment resulting in an immediate switch to English. I think this is part of the Tamil vs Kannada, English vs Hindi syndrome in Bangalore, and it affects just about everyone.You probably have felt something like this

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1120501964980488772005-07-04T23:59:00.000+05:302005-11-18T16:54:50.546+05:30

Companies do this regularly, they chop off side businesses and focus on core competencies. Even I'd done it once before, but I suppose I didn't learn from the experience. It was back in college when I was a in a band, heavily involved in cultural activities and had a hectic social life too. I had to cut something out - and after a lot of thought, I quit the band, as I did not have the drive to

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1119883505507754292005-06-27T20:07:00.000+05:302005-06-27T20:22:06.846+05:30

A couple of months back, I bought Ashok Banker's Prince of Ayodhya - and not because I especially love the Ramayana (yes, Banker's writing it all over again!). It's because I remember his Bombay novel Vertigo, as a particularly enjoyable read. Shortly after buying it though, a friend told me Banker's not a highly-rated writer. And that thought must have clouded my mind (being of the

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1119586507215254242005-06-24T09:40:00.000+05:302005-06-24T09:45:07.233+05:30

It’s been 2 ½ years and great fun. But I’ve decided to move away from sports journalism, for a while atleast. I now get to do politics and ‘general’ news, and that could mean getting down and getting my nose dirty. For, political journalism means that I will have to really hunt for stories, or soundbites whatever the case may be. Obviously sports is really something else – as a sports journo you

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1118937019182548742005-06-16T21:16:00.000+05:302005-06-16T21:20:19.186+05:30

They’re swarming all over the place, and Sayoni has now inflicted it upon me. So here goes - Number of books I own: Anywhere between 150 - 600. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I can’t get more specific, as they are spread between Bangalore, Bombay and Delhi. Last book I bought/read: The Golden Compass (more famously known as Northern Lights). This novel by Philip Pullman is Part 1 of the “His

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1118172215868654352005-06-08T00:53:00.000+05:302005-06-08T23:44:26.080+05:30

 The flight attendant speaks in Kannada as well, and I begin to enjoy my flight to Bangalore in this low-cost airline. Even some of the people in the airplane seem to be speaking in my language. That's nice, because Kannada is a fast-fading tongue in my city. Okay, it isn't exactly fading, but people from other states are fast overwhelming the original 'local' population. But that's a different

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1118035743800001332005-06-06T10:52:00.000+05:302005-06-06T10:59:03.806+05:30

So Rafael Nadal did win the French Open, and by doing so, won me a bet as well. And now my money's on Andy Roddick for Wimbledon. Just a hunch - not many give him a chance anyway. Read this.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1117293661059515772005-05-28T20:46:00.000+05:302005-05-28T20:51:01.063+05:30

Isn't it a bit eerie that three of my favourite films have Tokyo in it? Lost in Translation and Kill Bill Vol 1, I'd already seen. But what really blew my mind was Tokyo Story.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1117120564395637452005-05-26T20:36:00.000+05:302005-05-26T20:46:04.403+05:30

It's been two extremes for me in the world of sport recently. Liverpool did the impossible by snatching victory from certain defeat in last night's thriller - the stage being the Champions League final (Europe's top club football tournament) against A C Milan in Istanbul. It was quite easily the best football match I've even seen. Liverpool three goals down in the first half, quickly found their

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1116157737121640672005-05-15T17:13:00.000+05:302005-05-15T17:18:57.126+05:30

We all buy the music we do for different reasons. Traditionally, I buy only on recommendation. But I do understand there are brave people who buy music off the shelves on impulse or thanks to curiousity. My latest acquisition falls in this category. Keane's Hopes and Fears sounded like a boy band with an inane album title to boot, but I still went ahead and bought it, because I read somewhere

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1115927406477737362005-05-13T01:08:00.000+05:302005-05-13T01:20:06.593+05:30

It's eerie. I've only watched the West Indies playing at home twice in the last year. The last time was during England's tour. And a short while after I tuned in, Steve Harmison ran through the batsmen, getting four wickets in two overs.And yesterday when I thought I'd catch the Windies hopefully win, it was Charles Langeveldt who smoked the Windies batsman out - this time with a last over

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1115390754946625462005-05-06T20:11:00.000+05:302005-05-06T20:15:55.063+05:30

BBC World's coverage of the UK elections was truly stunning, from a tv professional's point of view, that is. Their use of gfx, especially when counting began, had me lusting for more. After the exit polls were released, all the arithmetic was done with the help of a large virtual 3D studio. That meant the presenter could 'walk' from one bar graph to another, 'move down' corridors in the

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1115310786767470922005-05-05T21:58:00.000+05:302005-05-05T22:03:06.773+05:30

Like the proverbial frog in the well, I'm now discovering a brand new world. In January 2004, when I started blogging, I thought I was a frontiersman, like a Sackett in the wild west or something. And now, thanks to Chandrasutra, who pointed me there, I've discovered that there was a weblog at about the same time I was boasting of being one of the 'first' to get an email id! (late 1998-early '99)

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1115230758176485962005-05-04T23:45:00.000+05:302005-05-04T23:49:18.206+05:30

Yet another sting operation. There's something vaguely disquieting about the way tv journalism in India is headed. Why so? After all, footage of cops accepting bribes on hidden camera cannot be a bad thing; we're only exposing the rot in our society. I suppose the danger is in letting the whole thing go too far when such stories are used to further the channels own interests, like for example the

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1115115689640014512005-05-03T15:47:00.000+05:302005-05-03T16:11:18.553+05:30

Want to blog but don't know where to begin? Of course, there is a bewildering array of jargon that you will encounter on the way to establishing your own corner on the web, but here's a link that will tell what the Ten Commandments (?!!) of blogging are. Instapundit, a blogging sage pointed me there. Incidentally, it was India Uncut, who pointed me to Instapundit in the first place! So if you

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1114772496844078912005-04-29T16:26:00.000+05:302005-04-29T16:35:28.216+05:30

A lot of you who love cinema would have heard of Jean-Luc Godard. About 4 years back I too was taken up by the magic in his groundbreaking film A Bout de Souffle (or Breathless). Since then, I've just caught one other film of his (don't know the name), and I can't say I understood much of what I saw. Still, Godard remains a gem to me, much like the filmmakers of the 1960s.The reason I bring this

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1114160158880568732005-04-22T14:21:00.000+05:302005-04-22T14:25:58.880+05:30

I've been drinking a lot of water these days. But that apart, nothing seems to have changed much. Yes I don't feel like writing much, but that's just a phase like any other. I've also been travelling a fair bit, and tonight me and the other inhabitants of z 22 head off to the hills of Uttaranchal to find some peace and quiet.Full update when I get back.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1111856114928329602005-03-26T22:22:00.000+05:302005-03-26T22:25:14.930+05:30

India and Pakistan are still slugging it out on the cricket field, but I'm back in Delhi. Took three days off before getting back onto the desk, but there was no R & R for me. Rest Day 1 saw me and flatmate bike down to Gurgaon amidst chaotic Delhi traffic on some of the best roads I've been on. On Rest Day 2 I trekked all across Connaught Place till heavy breathing interfered with my general

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1110706680073239022005-03-13T15:04:00.000+05:302005-03-13T15:10:06.950+05:30

Indian philosophy decrees that one can achieve Moksha, or salvation through 4 ways: Bhakti Yoga (through devotion), Raja Yoga (through control of the body), Gnana Yoga (through knowledge) and Karma Yoga (through perfection in the workplace). Watching Sachin Tendulkar bat, you can't help the feeling that he's already qualified for a business class ticket to heaven in the Karma Yoga quota. If he so

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1109774669967556822005-03-02T20:12:00.000+05:302005-03-02T20:14:29.966+05:30

Exactly a year after I came to Dharamshala for the very first time to cover cricket, I've been sent back - for the same reason. Only this time, the general hysteria has gotten even louder - Pakistan begin their tour of India in this little known hill station/HQ of the Dalai Lama. And though the rain gods haven't been kind so far, the people here will get to see their sometimes hated (and

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1109266014083877712005-02-24T22:16:00.001+05:302005-02-24T22:56:54.086+05:30

I've been going off on jaunts along the history-infested bylanes of Delhi with my flatmates. (It's been two years and the only places I've seen here is the Red Fort, Jantar Mantar and Chandni Chowk). Here's what we did last week: National Rail Museum - it's places like these that really tell you what India could have been like in the 1930's or early 1900's. There's cutlery dating from 75 years

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1108690201643866272005-02-18T06:59:00.000+05:302005-02-18T07:00:01.643+05:30

Just trying some template changes...pray this works.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1107829050164405032005-02-08T07:25:00.000+05:302005-02-08T07:47:30.163+05:30

Just like criminalenglish, I've been throwing my all into cooking (including the kitchen sink). But in my case, this new found affliction is just a month old. I've tried my hand at rasam (moderately successful), chapatis (modestly successful), rice and dal. And I've managed not to poison anyone so far. My last off-day (Friday) saw me measure distances in Connaught Place the kunda way. From KG

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1107272431850699002005-02-01T20:45:00.000+05:302005-02-01T21:54:47.973+05:30

Senior journalists, who've covered just about everything, are often prone to having sudden flashbacks. Whenever that glazed look comes over their eyes, you can almost see that anecdote coming to life.. And in the course of such reminiscences, some of them talk about 'breaking stories'. Atleast twice in my short career, I've been waylaid by some boss who told me the importance of 'owning' a story

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1106747303323095422005-01-26T19:06:00.000+05:302005-01-26T21:19:40.903+05:30

In which I get to bellyache a bit... Workday today was completely messed up. I made the rundown, (the order of news stories strategically placed that is linked to what goes on air) but forgot to fix the Headlines. This was thanks to the epic and very interesting Aus Open quarterfinal Lleyton Hewitt-David Nalbandian match. So that meant my colleagues had to scurry around at the last minute to

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1105548993153642792005-01-12T22:21:00.000+05:302005-01-12T22:26:33.153+05:30

It was waiting to happen and it did. Joe Gordon, who worked at Waterstone's, a bookstore chain was sacked for saying bad things about his boss - on his blog. Here's the article that says it all.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1105459123866283532005-01-11T21:22:00.000+05:302005-01-11T21:28:43.866+05:30

What we'd like to be: journal'istic, adj. (from 'journal', qv) Possessing the qualities journalists most profess to like. Bright and readable. Racy, yet reliable. Altogether admirable. What we actually are: 'Flashy, inclined to cut corners both in terms of work and of strict accuracy. Lacking in substance. Totally unreliable' John Simpson's book News From No Man's Land: Reporting the World is

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1104855721414709572005-01-04T21:04:00.000+05:302005-01-16T20:44:48.880+05:30

Soon it will be 1 year since I first started blogging. And I thought it would be appropriate if I spoke about my favourite places on the web. My daily regimen on the Net these days is - check mail, check blogs. And I've come to realise that the best writing in these blogs doesn't necessarily come from people who can spell words decently. 1. Criminalenglish - Live! Well this blog belongs to JP,

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1104030002473682972004-12-26T07:25:00.000+05:302004-12-26T08:30:02.473+05:30

Like you're interested. But still... TOP 5 FILMS 1. Kill Bill Vol. 2 Quentin Tarantino's follow-up is slower and heavier than Vol. 1, but it's a juicy bite all the same. 'The Cruel Tutelage of Pai-Mei' and 'Face to Face' had me squirming with pleasure. And Tarantino's liberal usage of Western (read cowboy) type film score brought back memories. The Official Site 2. Big Fish Now my favourite

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1102870839399323472004-12-12T22:25:00.000+05:302004-12-12T22:30:39.400+05:30

M S Subbulakshmi passes away after about 80 years of utter devotion to Carnatic Music. To my disgust, not a single TV news channel plays out a proper obit. All of them are content with just a story announcing her demise, and another tracing her life chronologically. Being a TV professional, I know how much time that would have taken - not more than a couple of hours. Where was the stuff talking

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1102172806414901042004-12-04T19:58:00.000+05:302004-12-07T00:58:53.300+05:30

The hunt for soundbites and 'exclusives' has turned many budding tv journalists into slobbering piles of goo. Here's one example - On the day the Indian bowler Anil Kumble bagged 434 wickets, equalling Kapil Dev's record - one 'reporter' managed to corner Chetana Kumble (Anil's wife) for an 'interview' at the airport. The following is a literal transcript - so all the typos are because our

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1101146682529321292004-11-22T23:10:00.000+05:302004-11-22T23:34:42.530+05:30

I ambled across to the old shelf, and picked up a book of short stories I'd never read after borrowing it from my dad. So far, I've managed to read three tales- 1. The Lottery Ticket (by Anton Chekov) - Could never figure out why Chekov was known as master of the short story as a kid. Weaned as I was on Saki and Jeffrey Archer, I always thought a good short story has to have a twist in the end

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1096647330267231202004-10-01T21:16:00.000+05:302004-10-01T21:45:30.266+05:30

Not too long ago, a friend of mine called Mahatma Gandhi a 'bastard who allowed partition to happen'. I was angry enough to consider giving her a black eye - I reasoned that being a tv news anchor, she should atleast know the truth (or what passes for the truth). But when I cooled down a bit, I realised that even I didn't know enough about the man. My subsequent attempts to win her over to my

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1096052241121549532004-09-25T01:00:00.000+05:302004-09-25T00:27:21.123+05:30

Back from London after 18 delicious days of covering cricket. The Indian team loses before the semi-finals hastening my own return back, but it isn't just cricket that I'm taken with there. Everything is a new experience. From the dust-free roads to the squeaky clean sidewalks, the impressive buildings to the cuisine. The city of London shows you what the likes of Bangalore, Delhi and Bombay

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1094311055911437552004-09-04T20:39:00.000+05:302004-09-04T20:47:35.910+05:30

It's an ID crisis. That's why I've been off blogger for so long. Of course, it was also because of the Olympics, but even amidst those crazy work hours, I'm sure I could have a slipped in a line or two -bBut for that "where is this blog leading to" kind of thing. I now know I'm not letting this writing thing go up in flames. But dear reader, do expect some changes in the future.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1091367203266122882004-08-01T19:01:00.000+05:302004-08-01T19:03:23.266+05:30

Enough is enough dammit. I've gotto get back to Bangalore....But how?? Anyone out there with any bright ideas?

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1090789275355014962004-07-26T02:13:00.000+05:302004-07-26T23:44:56.246+05:30

When I was a kid, the word 'movie' was a synonym for some tortuous tale of a gun-totin', whiskey swillin', cigar smokin' unshaven loner who blasts the world away with his 6-gun (Or a sawed-off shotgun, for that matter). And of course, the best of these were The Good, The Bad and The Ugly or a For a Few Dollars More - both directed by Sergio Leone. I saw both these films with my dad in Bangalore's

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1090690222188509752004-07-24T22:49:00.000+05:302004-07-24T23:06:20.390+05:30

Just finished reading Boris Becker's autobiography - a deeply satisfying read, after so many crappy bios of sportspersons. It's deep, brutally honest and answers most questions you would have had, if you grew up watching Boris' generation at Wimbledon. An additional surprise - some sections in the book have passages written by someone else - Becker's mother, John McEnroe and Ion Tiriac to be

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1090684131374430512004-07-24T21:13:00.000+05:302004-07-24T21:18:51.376+05:30

One supposes that all you need to do to make a GOOD film in Bollywood, is break all stereotypes. It's that simple. Tweak that dance-around-the-tree routine a little bit,place the tear-jerker scenes at some point BEFORE the climax, give all songs in the film a proper context - and you're there. Farhan Akhtar, director of Lakshya did this, and a little bit more to make a truly watchable film. A

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1088782798663092702004-07-02T20:49:00.000+05:302004-07-02T21:09:58.663+05:30

I wish I'd discovered Colin Dexter's Inspector Morse earlier. As an aside, I was reading Daughters of Cain today at the Deputy Commissioner of Police's office. Now you're going to ask what I was doing there. Well, I've been casing the office for the last 3 days, looking for that all-elusive signature on a form, which says NO POLICE VERICATION NEEDED for my passport application. Anyway, an

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1087758410695680592004-06-21T00:20:00.000+05:302004-06-21T00:36:50.696+05:30

Stunning use of perspective, minimalistic composition, precision sound and almost noirish in its use of black & white, Ninjai - the little Ninja is a must see for all film buffs. And what's more you don't have to pay for it. (Except for that net connection) Ninjai is an animation series available on atomfilms.shockwave.com and is easily downloadable. The site also has a lot of other short films

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1087500187181905522004-06-18T00:37:00.000+05:302004-07-18T17:36:00.863+05:30

For five days, each time I went to the loo, I went with a copy of TS Eliot's The Wasteland. (Come dear reader, do not think of any obvious puns, I'm trying to say something here) Since random observations seem to be the flavour of the month, here're some - 1. The poem is impossible to understand, unless you're a scholar in the classical languages. 2. Annotations will help - but only to

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1087162323306094382004-06-14T02:52:00.000+05:302004-06-14T03:02:03.306+05:30

It's been a while since my last thought-out post. And that's because I've being doing too many things - not all of them work related, though things are buzzing in that department too. Here are some random realizations I've stumbled upon in the last few days - 1. If you fill your days out with too much action, your brain stops and distilling your experiences for future reference. 2. I'm at

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1085695626986255472004-05-28T03:30:00.000+05:302004-05-28T03:37:06.986+05:30

'Languaga is a virus', said junkie writer and post modern icon William S Burroughs. In other words, he tried to say language - any language was too structured and could not communicate the full range of emotions. And that you need to break rules of word-building and grammar sometimes in order to drive a point home. I suppose that's the only way to approach the new book "Five point someone" by

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1084555757296605882004-05-14T22:49:00.000+05:302004-05-14T23:06:45.213+05:30

...in office. 5 conspiracy theories as to why the NDA govt lost the elections: 1. All the IIM institutions pooled in their collective resources to bribe the people to swing the other way. 2. Italian PM Silvio Berlesconi paid party workers of the Trinamool Congress, AIADMK and the TDP to defect. 3. Nostradamus predicted the Roman empire would rule in South Asia by 2004, and you can't beat that

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1084378857611390412004-05-12T21:46:00.000+05:302004-05-12T21:50:57.610+05:30

The great dance of democracy ends tomorrow. Or does it actually begin? One way to look at it is that elections are ending & the results will be out. But what if it's a hung parliament? In that case we will see a lot of politicians dancing to some other leader's tune. Oh look, a purple tied anchor.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1084288701454942142004-05-11T20:39:00.001+05:302004-07-15T17:00:54.806+05:30

Office. 8:40 pm. Election analysis is on in full swing. So our leetle sports desk decided to play 'guess the olympic record'. Here's what we realized - 1. Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis have 9 olympic golds each. 2. More than 10,000 athletes participated in Sydney. 3. There are 28 Summer Olympic disciplines. 5. The Javelin record is 80 odd metres. (I said 200 m)

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1084200469920188922004-05-10T20:13:00.000+05:302004-05-10T20:17:49.923+05:30

Two moons back, I finished reading The Da Vinci Code. And a little later while browsing the web, I chanced upon the Da Vinci Challenge, a web quest. And today (I'm proud to say )my friend and I solved it!!! It's simple. And that makes it a little bamboozling. But it's DEFINITELY the most fun on the web. Do check it out. It's a great ride. Here's the link - Da Vinci challenge

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1083546854557599222004-05-03T06:42:00.000+05:302004-05-03T06:49:32.936+05:30

When you're working on the night shift, food is a big problem. You have two choices usually. 1. Don't eat while working, have breakfast after work. Go home sleep for 4 hours. Have lunch at lunch-time. Go back to sleep. Get up have dinner. 2. Have 'breakfast' after sleep in the evening. Have 'lunch' during work. Go home in the morning, have 'dinner'. Sleep uninterrupted. I've tried both ways.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1083375701199859012004-05-01T06:55:00.000+05:302004-05-01T07:18:02.700+05:30

I don't buy many CD's, but when I do, I expect them to work. No such luck with Norah Jones' latest offering Feels Like Home though. The CD is Copy Controlled, which means you cannot copy it or play it on some systems such as car stereos, Apple computers and some DVD players. Good, the music industry is doing something about piracy, but is this way right? Some lawsuits have halted the flow of

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1083206551048231062004-04-29T08:05:00.000+05:302004-05-01T06:59:32.746+05:30

Reading The Da Vinci Code is like tumbling down a staircase with unexpected turns and bends. It's packs a punch and packs in a lot of information as well. It re-told me what the fibonacci series is, revealed the priory of sion and exposed the secrets of Leondardo da Vinci's life and his motivations. If you like codes and ciphers, this book is something you should read. Da Vinci Code should

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1083111621809446122004-04-28T05:45:00.000+05:302004-04-28T05:54:36.623+05:30

The novelty of having a new e-mail id hasn't yet worn off. Especially when it's gmail - google's meta new offer which allows you to 1 gb of storage space. The thing is lousy with brilliance, but there's that 'what's the catch?' feeling too. Anyone interested in a review - click on this link.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1083020563248875782004-04-27T04:31:00.000+05:302004-04-27T04:36:56.860+05:30

Today is when You lift the corners of your mouth To form what everyone must see To contemplate any other way Brings out fearful landscapes and pictures Of what you really don't need right now.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1082901235960345252004-04-25T19:17:00.000+05:302004-04-25T19:31:32.170+05:30

The man's grip on the sport is showing no signs of slackening. Yes, I'm talking about Michael Schumacher who just won his 4th consecutive race this season. 4/4 to be precise. It's quite disgusting. Of course die hard Ferrari Fiends assure me its like a karmic wheel. At any given point some team or the other has a better car. But better car cannot fully explain Schumi's domination, does it. And

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1082564308543174792004-04-21T21:48:00.000+05:302004-04-21T21:52:34.670+05:30

I had this strange experience while flying out to Delhi from Bangalore. I got scared. Yes, that means I was scared the plane would crash before I could do all those seriously cool things in life. Here's what I did prior to taking the flight. Maybe it will give a clue - 1. Read copiously about actress Soundarya's death by air crash. 2. Read the Prelude to Clive Cussler's Dragon which talks about

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1082322609642451032004-04-19T02:21:00.000+05:302004-04-19T02:47:19.360+05:30

I'm baaack. After seven grimy days of pre-election stories on the road. My route took me from Delhi to Bangalore (by flight) and from there to Mandya, Mysore, Mangalore, Udupi, Shimoga and back to Bangalore (all by road). It all began when someone in office decided I should be sent to tour Karnataka because I know the lingo. Here's some of what I did - Mandya - unlike Bangalore which is next

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1081250806936805632004-04-06T16:45:00.000+05:302004-04-06T17:01:51.030+05:30

...than to fade away." About 10 years back, when I was a bumbling teenageer I discoverd Nirvana. I didn't know it then, but I started listening to the riffy, catchy strains of Nevermind - their multi platinum album around the same time Kurt Cobain took a shotgun to his head. And a few weeks later I even remember choking over his suicide note, published in the Rock Street Journal. Dead or not,

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1081021333962437612004-04-04T01:10:00.000+05:302004-04-04T01:15:55.216+05:30

I still can't become a professional blurb writer... Damn.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1081021045069841442004-04-04T00:50:00.000+05:302004-04-04T01:13:55.280+05:30

Christopher sees the world through literal eyes. Metaphor holds no meaning for him, though similes come to him more easily. He understands logic and is very, very good at maths. He is not capable of feeling, and even he is hurt he cannot demonstrate it any socially acceptable manner. Yet, are our worn coping skills, any better than his? (As one reviewer put it) I'm talking about this book I

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1080823232625818132004-04-01T18:03:00.000+05:302004-04-01T18:19:21.450+05:30

When team India beats Pakistan, and it's a historic test win, we go beserk. (No I'm not talking about the fireworks which were very much conspicious by their ABSENCE. Because it was a test match, not an ODI encounter.) I'm talking about what poor sports tv producers have to do to please the news hungry public and the leech-like bosses. It's sordid. It's obscene and it's profane. We did 16

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1080561368031454402004-03-29T17:16:00.000+05:302004-03-29T17:33:02.293+05:30

I feel I must talk about the last piece of fiction I truly enjoyed. This was about 3 months back, before I decided to jettison all 'stories' in favour of biographies. This was my reaction to it: In a I-don't-know-what-else-to-do trip to the British Council Library (a regular feature of my life in Delhi) I came away with "Espedair Street" by Iain Banks and two other books. Just last night I

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1080201713250530612004-03-25T13:27:00.000+05:302004-03-25T13:39:05.340+05:30

India and Pakistan. These three words are enough to make me want to skip the article, change channels or just switch off completely. Pity really, because the cricket series so far has gone beyond any stereotype. And I'm not just talking about the matches. It's the little things you don't see on tv or even in the newspapers. I can't really appreciate the whole thing as much as the lucky few

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1079801873303960902004-03-20T22:14:00.000+05:302004-03-20T22:36:05.576+05:30

Didn't I mention something about reading only autobiographies and bios this year? Well, it's not going too well. No, not because fiction has led me astray, but rather... i'm not able to finish what I've started. Here's what I've read since December - Rahul Dravid - by Vedam Jaishankar (informative but otherwise nothing more to it) Lee Iacocca - by Lee Iacocca (cool even if a bit outdated) And

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1078928664839256042004-03-10T19:49:00.000+05:302004-03-10T19:58:32.403+05:30

Okay, I'm back from Dharamshala, but in the meanwhile, I've had to go down to hometown Bangalore. Laats of happenings. Full fast forward. Shall update in a couple of days.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077787139358590082004-02-26T14:48:00.000+05:302004-02-26T14:51:49.623+05:30

Am going to Dharamshala, monastic abode of the Dalai Lama to cover cricket for 5 days. As my friend would put it - Shambo... Update when I get back.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077656404767288332004-02-25T02:28:00.000+05:302004-02-25T02:32:53.153+05:30

It's 2:16 am in office, my shift is long over, but being a compulsive workaholicafterworkhours, I've been scratching about at the sports desk (did I mention I work in TV?) eyeing the new shift people with karmic indifference and a satiated air. My mind casts back to yesterday, when I saw two American war films in pre 20th century era... The first of these was Cold Mountain, nominated for an

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077639876672530832004-02-24T21:53:00.000+05:302004-02-25T02:35:49.296+05:30

When it comes to cricket commentary, who would you prefer, Mandira Bedi or Rameez Raja? Mandira Bedi may sound like a simpering floozy. But she actually makes sense, and even has the decency to keep her mouth shut most times. Added plus: she doesn not grace the commentary box. But she won't be seen during the Indo-Pak series. Ten Sports has decided to eschew Bedi in the interests of 'serious'

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077559337633681942004-02-23T23:19:00.000+05:302004-02-23T23:37:27.513+05:30

I was off for 5 days last week even though I didn't even leave Delhi. It all began with my cousin (actually my as-old-as-my-mom-cousin's son) announcing his trip from Bangalore, and culminated in me asking the boss for a few days off. Here's what we did. The Return of the King, the film Watched Part three of Peter Jackson's movie on Tolkien's book The Lord of the Rings. Amazing battle scenes.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077469522131570702004-02-22T22:34:00.000+05:302004-02-22T22:47:16.623+05:30

If you loved or hated John McEnroe, you can read his new autobiography 'Serious'. But if you can't be bothered to buy/borrow it, then this Guardian review is an interesting read - youcannotbeserious!!!

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077449079337613332004-02-22T16:53:00.000+05:302004-02-22T16:57:24.170+05:30

I just realized this whole blog is crap (Whoever said the truth will set you free?) It's like this - I've forgotten to write well. Maybe I never even knew in the first place. 3 years of work ex in broadcast journalism, and I can write only in a certain way. The formula goes like this: First you think of a short sentence that will hook the reader, the shorter the better. Then you qualify that,

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1077397323218929432004-02-22T01:17:00.000+05:302004-02-22T02:35:46.390+05:30

We've had many cover stories and news reports on the rise of broadcasting. We know many new channels are going to launch in the near future. We know more and more people are going to be employed in the TV industry. In short, we know the boom is yet to come. We also know that you and I, are going to stake a claim for ourselves in this booming, brave new world. (loud ironical laughter in the

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1076523820891250482004-02-11T23:52:00.000+05:302004-02-12T00:04:58.606+05:30

"Being the son of a Samskruta vidwan preserve the legacy of Samskruta" A serious friend of mine gave me this piece of advice. There was no short answer I could give to him. I do have a soft spot for Sanskrit, and wish I'd studied it in college as well. Someday, I hope to read some of the literature. But Sanskrit is a dead language, to put it bluntly. Kannada, however is still alive, but only

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1075911484789822642004-02-04T21:47:00.000+05:302004-02-04T21:51:32.890+05:30

Barry Norman is probably the most famous film critic on the planet. And probably the best too, but I can't be too sure of that. He's certainly the best I've seen or read, but to be honest the only two movie critics whose names I can recall are Pradeep Sebastianm who writes for Deccan Herald (not sure if he's still there) and Khalid Mohammed, editor of Filmfare. Anyway, the point is, if you've

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1075736825453188282004-02-02T21:16:00.000+05:302004-02-02T21:19:22.576+05:30

True especially when you combine your favourite activities. Like reading, eating and travelling. Exactly what I did on my off-day. It went like this - got up at 10 and started And why not? autobiography of Barry Norman famous film critic who fronted BBC's famous film show. Well into the book I had tea and toast at home. Then upped and left for Connaught Place. Ate tomato soup and garlic break

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1075621433945651712004-02-01T13:13:00.000+05:302004-02-01T13:16:09.280+05:30

My second most favourite Grand Slam has endeth, with recently crowned World No 1 Roger Federer taking the men's title, beating unseeded Marat Safin. Federer is definitely the most exciting player to watch - he's been credited with bringing 'touch' back into the game, though he can cook up a mean serve as well. To quote someone else, he's not another double-fisted baseline basher like just

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1075465199339985782004-01-30T17:48:00.000+05:302004-02-02T21:23:28.123+05:30

You can't understand the nautical references and parts of the dialogue in Master & Commander - The Far Side of the World. But big deal - it's still a good film to watch. I've seen it twice. I was broke the whole of last week. So when I got my salary yesterday, I went to the nearest theatre. I'd already seen it more than a week back, but I went anyway - just to trip on the pictures and the

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1075119697011099482004-01-26T17:44:00.000+05:302004-02-02T21:21:40.576+05:30

Lance Klusener is back. After almost a year of oblivion.For the uninitiated, he's a South African all-rounder (though the term hardly does him justice) who was kicked out of the team after SA's failure to qualify for the super sixes, during the World Cup last year. Apparently, he was being punished for insolence and did not get along with new captain Graeme Smith. Now it looks like bygones

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1075030316144384672004-01-25T17:00:00.000+05:302004-02-02T21:22:31.450+05:30

No more stories please, only non-fiction. That's been my resolution this year. The idea is to read only essays, autobiographies, magazines and newspapers - something that I can't do if I'm busy burrowing my nose in a Dick Francis thriller, Fantasy novel, British fiction or Sci-Fi. In keeping with the mood, I started 'Living to tell the tale' the first part of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6366944.post-1074768904233883052004-01-22T16:24:00.000+05:302004-01-22T16:27:39.950+05:30

pray this works.

HRVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15973963458037592521noreply@blogger.com0