Champion Chennai :)

Congratulations to Chennai Super Kings. Proud to be a part of this state. We are the reining IPL Champions. We are also now the Champion of the Champions League. That makes us the BEST LEAGUE of the World.

And what a way to win the finals, a clinical contribution from both the bowlers and the batsmen that lead to a convincing victory over the South African Warriors. And what a support from the crowd. It doesn't even look like a foreign team is playing. Whole of India was supporting CSK and exuberance was all over Johannesburg.

Dhoni proved himself once again, keeping his cool, smashing a six and four to seal the game on the penultimate over. He won the World T20, Won Australia in Australia, Won the IPL and now the Champions League. The only thing he is yet to win is the ODI World Cup. Eagerly waiting for February 2011. Fingers crossed.

Wherever i go, any cricket-known country in the world, i can boldly brag about our boys.

Chennai-ku விசில் போடு !!!

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Another night @ a call center

"Do you have any idea how much loss we incurred because of your stupidity?", my manager yelled in a typical fashion.

I looked at him. Blinked my eyes a bit. Did not know how to convince him. I am one of the security guard who stays awake all night so that others can sleep peacefully. Such a punctilious profession that expects you to concentrate with care and courage. 

That morning wasn't a pleasant one for me as a tea shop owner was furiously running behind me, to catch me, only to get tired and give up the chase later. I am a fast runner by birth and no one can dare to win me. That's why i was given the security job. I shouldn't have stolen that bun from his shop.

"What the hell are you thinking? You bastard?", He continued as i regained my senses.

I looked at him, thinking what to say, even though i knew whatever excuse I give will never convince him. This is a traditional ceremony that i got pretty much used to. He is supposed to shout and i am supposed to  stand and remain calm. Firing me is the last option he would choose for i'm the only human being on Earth who can stand guard with just Two-Meal a day, and NO CASH.

I wish i had a jacket like those executives in my company. I stare at them when they go out for that take-a-break walk to the coffee bar at the end of the street. The night was too cold and I was too tired. Most of the employees go out and come back and it's difficult to identify strangers coming inside. i slept without my knowledge. I tried hard but I failed to resist that tiring day. Someone, a bit more active than me, took away some expensive logistics from my company. 

Can't I take a break during my work? How am i supposed to concentrate continuously throughout the night with a two-meal diet? I 've decided to make this clear. I am going to ask this. Right here, right now.

"Answer my question you......", he started to shout as i interrupted him...

"Lol..Lol…Lol…...Lol..Lol..lol........".....

Stopping Mobile Advertisements

How often we get annoyed with Promotinal offers, phone calls and SMS.,...It happens with most of the Indian mobile service providers....Here is a way to stop them....

Both Airtel and Vodafone users can sms START DND to 1909 (toll free) to stop these unwanted calls.

Stopping Advertisement Ads SMS & Calls using Airtel and Vodafone websites

• Go to Do not Disturb Page to Stop unwanted calls for Vodafone users. Add your name, email and mobile number to this page and stop all unwanted promotional/offer calls.
• Airtel prepaid and postpaid customers Do not Disturb Page
• Airtel landline Customers use this Page. You need to put in your Airtel land line number, account number and email.

How to Stop Advertisement Calls & SMS on Other Mobiles

• BPL Mobile – Do Not call sign up page
• BSNL Do not Call registration – you need to be registered to use this service.
• Idea Cellular – Post paid users need to be registered to use this service. Prepaid users just need to enter their number to stop unwanted calls.
• MTNL Delhi – A bit lengthy registration form
• MTNL Mumbai – this page speaks for itself.
• Reliance Mobile – Do not call me, I will call you
• Spice Karnataka – Sms START DND to 1909 or call 9844098440 and place a request.
• Spice Punjab
• Aircel Chennai
• Aircel Tamilnadu
• Tata Indicom – sms START DND to 1909, or you can use the My account(for registered users) page for the same to stop promotional calls in your tata indicom mobile.

Source: Snaphow.com

The Science behind Romance

Love: as seen through movies and real-life is a lot to do with emotions - Affection or hatred or pain. Someone likes someone else. They have something called "Chemical Reaction" in between them. Also we will call certain celebrities having a good 'Chemistry' between them. Why was that not physics ? or biology ?

We personally do not think much about have them. Although, everything that exist in our Universe (including the Universe itself) has a science behind it. Say the Divine created it or some bang-bang went Big and then came our Universe. Most of them are either yet to be unveiled or already done.

Image source: Time.com

Do you think Love has a science behind it ? A common language across continents. A miracle in a word.  It just comes. Like it was designed years before the birth of the two. But it's twin-sister -  Romance is what i wanted to write about. I am no expert on it's chemical component but Yes, i did read something on the scientific front. All the 'reaction' we call, actually alters something inside the human brain. A chemical content, to be preciser. Dopamine, Norepinephrine and serotonin: to be precisest.

Two great researchers, started working on this. They pulled in set of people who are madly in love. Showed them two pictures. On of their partner, and another of a neutral person. They observed how their brain reacted on both occasions. And that's it, they cracked the science behind it. There was a drastic yet unique change in their brain's behavior. It ultimately lead to the results.

If you are still reading this three para post, i assume you are interested in it and i believe you want to know How they did it.

Being a Vegan

For some reason, I became a Vegan one fine day. Neither regretted it nor did i cheer about it. After i read something interesting, I am now having something to cheer about ;)

Try to answer the following question:

Youtube and Copyrights

Google is famous for it's creativity and breath-taking technology advancements. They are always on the top, being the first one to introduce almost anything. If something else comes, they acquire it. YouTube is one such technology. Three paypal employees, Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim built this in 2005. Sensing the popularity received, Google bought YouTube for $1.65 Billion an year later.

Now it's among the list of most famous entertainment website on the planet, which allows users from all over the world to upload videos. Stats states that more than 100 Million Videos have been watched everyday.

When you allow everyone to post video content, the problem is 'Copyrights'. One will never know whose video is posted by whom. To tackle this, youTube came up with a software system that will AUTOMATICALLY IDENTIFY whether the uploaded content is copyrighted. Here is how it works.

1. Maintain a database that contains ALL the media ever created over the past 100 years. 
2. When a video is uploaded by a user, scan the database and see if it matches any entry.

Now, does that sound simple? If you think so, you are either dumb or super-human. Think about the size of media worth 100 years. Think about scanning all the videos that are uploaded every second on YouTube. The processing speed of this system is absolutely astonishing. Just got inspired by this talk from a senior google director. I suggest you spend 5 mins in this TED Talk video.

It's not a 'Job'

He is not my brother. Not my cousin. Not my in-law. Not even live in my street. He keeps guard somewhere on the border, awake, day and night, to save me. to save you. S/he is the one who safeguards our country. I honestly, don't have the gut and courage to be there, but i know what it takes to be there.

Marooned in a mountain, little is the possibility of a everyday communication to your beloved. It's not like, wake up in the morning, go to work at 9 AM and come back at 6 PM. It's not like you get a 30-min lunch break at 1 PM. It's not like you can take off two days in case there is a special occasion in your family. It's not like you can go, gallivant around, party every weekend.

Serving the army is NOT a job. I failed searching for a word to describe it. This a task where your LIFE is at stake. You are ready to give up yourselves for your country. Beyond a teacher, doctor, engineer, a jawan is truly the most admired person amongst us. He who thinks otherwise is probably not as proud as me of my country.

The purpose of this blog entry is to ensure the difference between being in a job and being a jawan. One of my college junior calls me for a help. Here goes the conversation.

He: Sir, i have an interview tomorrow, with the Indian Army.

Me: Wow, great. All the best. Do well.

He: Sir, the problem is i also have an interview with TCS (A Software Company) next week.

Me: So what?

He: I can get selected in only one interview. I cannot attend both. That's the college rule.

Me: What's your problem then?

He: I like the offer from Indian Army. But I cannot get TCS.

Me: So there is no problem here. You have two offers. You like Army. Choose it naa...simple.

He: The problem is i cannot get respect if i am in Army. People around me will respect me  only if i am a Software Engineer.

Me: Whaaaaaaaaat ? .......... (i was seriously pissed off)

He: .........

There is nothing equivalent to serving the nation. A jawan is the most respected and revered person in our country. I am flabbergasted by the way young minds compare a job with an army to one in a software company. Comparing two offers from two IT companies appears acceptable but this case is absolutely absurd. Pround Indians serve the nation. Not he who is in need of money. Ofcourse, there are case in which people have no other option in life than to make money but that's a subject for some other blog i may write in future.

Dear young, bright, smart minds, please do not see it as a 'Job'. It's something above and beyond the call of duty. I respect every single proud patriot out there, safeguarding me and family. I am grateful to you all. Thanking you is the least possible i could do for you. Praying for you is the most i can do. May god bless you and your family with a happy, healthy and prosperous life.

[Movie] Boss - a.k.a - Baskaran

It's not every week day you go to a movie in the night, come back and start blogging about it right away instead of getting underneath a blanket. Especially, not when the previous night extends to the present day and ends at 4 in the night (or morning or whatever).

Boss (A) Baskaran has that revitalization quotient to drive away every bit of  your dizziness. The last time i laughed again and again throughout the movie was probably during Pancha thanthiram. I badly wanted to sleep early today as i did not get to sleep much y'day but the offer of watching a movie appeared absolutely acceptable for what i went through the previous day.

I want to thank the director M.Rajesh for giving me 2 happy hours today. This is the movie you should watch when you are badly in need of a break. This is also the movie you should watch when you just want to enjoy a weekend with your family and/or friends.

The plot as officially stated goes like this.

The story is about a guy who is always busy running errands for other people and neglecting his own life and career, till he meets a girl who brings about a change.

Just another story that is a common place in a country like ours. The way it was played on the screen made all the difference. The "so-what" casual character of Arya, Charismatic charms from Nayanthara, Comedian Santhaanam, and an extra bit from other contributors - together formed this master piece.

From the beginning till the very very end, the laughter did not end. When sentimental scenes are used as an element to make the portrayal engrossing, otherwise thought the stand-out south-indian director. May be for every section of the script, he thought like, "How can i add humor to this scene?". However humorous the movie is, there are some pressing facts packed inside the movie. Here is what you may find which cannot be in other B(A)B reviews.

• Behind every useless person you encounter, there is a genuine reason for his such-being. Like arya losing his dad at an intermediate age. 
• For every man on earth, there is always a girl who might madly love him for what he is. Love is indeed 'blind'.
• Once a woman decides her guy, she will do whatever it takes to live a life with him. Be it, earning for the family while he sits idle in home.
• Every father always aspires for a Teetotaler for his daughter but every teetotaler is actually not one.
• Every Indian parent always cares about the money earned by his Son-in-law. Not the extent of love the girl has for him. Luxury is for father as love is for girls. Couldn't change both. The resulting conflict is a common place.
• A friend in need is a friend indeed. When every thing in life is lost, the only person who is still there for you is a Friend. Unfortunately, he himself is sometimes the actual reason for losing everything in life.
• Most of the physically challenged are actually ambitious and mentally stronger than the normal and are unfortunately yet to be recognized for their talents. One portion of the movie i went serious was when i saw a blind teacher. There are so many such great minds still in search of securing their lives.

Dialogues like, "நண்பன் டா", "தீயா வேல செய்யணும்"  are sure to become a cliche. Apart from the comedy, the dance sequences had some interesting innovations. I could see that the choreographer tried something different and i liked it very much. Yuvan's music is not at its best but worth enjoying.  The way Arya fools santhaanam, his 'sorry' brother is entertaining.  When you get time, the first thing you should do is to book the tickets. Extraordinary enjoyment awaiting. Please be careful. You may die laughing.