After reading reviews heaping praise on 'Wall-E' and being stunned by IMDB ratings of close to 9.0, I was intrigued about the movie. I managed to watch it yesterday, and I am still not able to fully comprehend the reason behind the stupendous reviews it has received. Agreed, its a nice movie. But not the best or one of the best. The following are the possible reasons I have come up with for the movie's rave reviews :

1. It wasn't a human character which played the lead role.
2. The obsession with artificial intelligence, here taken to the next level with limitless animation.
3.  The reference to waste accumulation and the damage caused to the earth by humans, juxtaposed well with a love story. You must have a love story, if its only the 'waste' part, it wont be such a hit.
4. A robot having a character, very expressive eyes (good work!) ,a timid helpful attitude with a yearning for company - can be empathized with very well.
5. Fat and useless humans - we love to laugh at ourselves dont we.
6. Innovative character names, (WALL-E , EVA) and the other 'mad robots'. I loved the dirt cleaner and it was mad only about cleanliness.

It was a good movie, but dont go in with any expectations. It will definitely exceed expectations then.

 

'Dasavatharam' is a movie which can be executed only by a person of Kamal Hassan's calibre. The actor has donned 10 roles taking tremendous strains and effort. Firstly, all the talk about the story being poor is completely baseless. It has an excellent story handling very controversial issues such as religious faith, biochemical weapons and environmental issues with elan. It is only for the educated and not for the masses. The movie has a good dose of comedy with the 'Balram Naidu' character having you in splits almost every time - such an excellent portrayal of how a Telugu officer would speak Tamil. The ex-CIA assassin Fletcher is stone cold and looks cool. Mallika Sherawat has been wasted. 'Ramanujar' in the early scenes leaves a lasting impression though he appears for just close to 10 minutes. The Japanese Zen master's role is just for a fight though the makeup is very good. Vincent Bhoovaragan as the Dalit environmentalist is another victory for the makeup crew and the role itself ends in a more 'Anbe Sivam' mode. Each role has been given meaning and importance, with probably the George Bush character (which is hilarious no doubt), the 'Krishnaveni patti' character and the 'Kalifullah Khan' characters a little boring at times. But hats off to Kamal who has given his life for this movie, right from the script, screenplay and variation in the characters which cannot be even emulated. The film is not a perfect one, the CG is pretty shabby at parts, some scenes look to be extended a little longer and Asin's role as Andal is annoying at most times. It was quite a stunning when Avtar Singh's throat cancer gets cured by a bullet! Kamal was definitely taking a dig at someone I felt. Knowing the songs were not really that great, Devi Sri Prasad's re-recording was a kind of a let down. It is Kamal all the way and K.S.Ravikumar deserves credit for his good direction in sync with a very coherent screenplay. The climax scene is very thoughtful and gives a whole new perspective in looking at a disaster. Kudos for a dedicated,brave and intelligent effort to the entire team, notably Kamal Hassan. I had a feeling of having watched a complete movie after a good while. This movie is definitely a milestone in Kamal's career and is worth every penny the watch( I use 'penny' as this is the first Tamil movie I have seen in a theatre in the USA). I can see how difficult it is for him to work on 10 roles, when the collage I created below took me a few hours! Well.. Its worth it!

When a person wants to do something, it first originates in the mind, gets converted to a thought and then executed. But not all thoughts get executed, and only those which are 'done' form the set to judge people. It is good in one way, that you don't want to read others' thoughts, as it would be too much of information to handle. But what if many good thoughts do not get executed due to circumstances, or even due to the laziness, would you call that person good or bad? Would you pass judgments on the attitude of that person? Understanding people the way they are can be done only by friends. If those very sets of friends pass judgmental opinions on your attitude, how would you take it? You might just have an off-day. Unconditional friendship is extremely hard and to be brutally honest, you like a person only if he shows interest in your activities. But there are cases when those whom you consider very close typecast you and leave you out rather than encourage to join them. It is then that a multitude of emotions - loneliness, diffidence and self dislike take centre stage. How much you value judgments depends on how close your friendship is, and I truly see very rare instances of people willing to give others a chance to change. Even when the other guy makes an attempt, it is all too late, he has already missed the bus and his 'friend' has found better compatible persons to hang out with. There are people who are introverts, there are who yearn to be likeable by many around, but they just are not able to do it. That does not mean anything inferior. It is the society and peer pressure to get more mind space and be recognized that is pushing all these normal people to feel left out. I firmly believe that a better understanding of the person's mind is needed before passing cursory remarks, which may hurt deep on the other side. In this fast materialistic world, such instances have become all too commonplace. "Only those who have felt left out can understand" makes no sense as they are helpless. It is the society at large which needs to bring everyone into the fold. Typecasting people has become a fad these days, just to elevate oneself at the expense of another. This is mental cannibalisation and needs to stop soon. True friendship is accepting one other as they are and not letting the other guy down when in distress, its not causing distress to another to make oneself feel more 'happening'. The latter has another name.

When I boarded the bus from the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City, a guy came and sat next to me. He was definitely Indian, I could guess by his looks. Only when he started talking on the phone with his headset, did I realize that he spoke my mother tongue. I immediately wanted to start a conversation but held myself back, just to analyze if it was possible to pass off the 20 odd minutes without any interaction. I was amazed how easily it could actually happen. With appurtenances to the phone to give a person company, it was saddening to see a complete detachment, or even oblivion to a live human being sitting a few inches away. I even managed to signal that I spoke his language but though he recognized it, there was hardly any attempt made. With so many gadgets and entertainment now available easily on portable devices, it is not surprising that the casual conversation we encounter with unknown people when traveling, is nearing extinction.

Having a few days to take time off needed good use. Good use I did put them to. An extended weekend was spent touring Pennsylvania. My trip primarily involved State College and Pittsburgh. Surprisingly, there was hardly anything spring-like in the spring break. Four guys and a car was all that was needed to make the best use of the time we had. Penn State is a huge university with its boundaries with the city almost invisible. The beaver's stadium was huge and is one of the largest of its kind in universities in the US, I heard. The weather was notably inclement, but we still navigated through a woeful snow storm, with a notable drift over the road when we headed back from Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh trip itself was very enjoyable, in spite of heavy snow throughout. It was this severe weather which gave us exclusivity to almost all the places we visited. We went atop Mt. Washington to witness a snow covered city with its landmarks standing up to the snow's conquest. The University of Pittsburgh was amazing, specially, the Cathedral of learning, with huge hallways with aesthetic architecture, lighting and excellent furniture providing snippets of a rich history of education. The university incidentally is celebrating its 220th anniversary. We caught a glimpse of Carnegie Mellon University, which has a campus in Pitt itself, with the famous pole symbolizing learning and growth.When we were up the next day, we went around Penn State's vicinity, to Shaver's creek which was expectedly deserted, but with a hint of sunshine, we could look around some of the wild birds of prey, test our grips on the ground by walking on several inches of ice, see water partially frozen silhoutted by thick tress with the sun rays making it sparkle. This was natural beauty in its raw form, untouched, unadulterated. We couldnt do much otherwise, wasting a few dollars on a hopeless movie, 10,000 BC. One vacation was done and I was looking forward to the next in less than a week.

The time I went to Maryland was what I could definitely call spring. The weather was as wonderful as it could be, with the sun all over the place, with temperature in the 60F range. It was the perfect time to venture out. It was easily the best time I had in the USA, with the wonderful people I met and the strong frienships I developed in the matter of a few days elevating the entire trip. The first day rushed by, with a look around at Greenbelt where my friend stayed, a game of poker with some very jovial guys, a 2 hour visit to Starbucks  talking about everything from deep personal issues to crazy movie stuff, and a good game of 'rain-tennis' where we whacked the ball around when it was raining cats and dogs. We relived the wonderful days we had at school, and enjoyed every bit of it. The next couple of days was spent in visiting Washington DC. I just loved the place. It was such a transformation - the vast green land around with towering monuments announcing their presence in most elegant fashion. The washington monument was the first I came across. It towers over a green carpet of grass all around which makes its presence all the more towering. We couldnt go to the top but getting to its entrance was good enough. I can never the forget the wind that blew when we neared it, I was almost blown off, with the US flags surrounding the monument all flying high in perfect synchronization. Two was company, we passed landmark after landmark, so many that I literally lost track of. The next major was a World War memorial with excellent view of the monument on one side and the Lincoln memorial on the other. I try to photograph a couple of ducks en route the Lincoln memorial, I had to coax them not to paddle away at my site. The Lincoln memorial was next on the list. The huge statue of former US President Abraham Lincoln sits at the center of the memorial, with a commanding posture. On either sides of the walls are several writings, emphasising the unity of the nation in the midst of a civil war. We then moved to the Captiol, which we diligently took pictures of. That was it for that day. The next day, we went around several Smithsonian buildings. The Smithsonian information center we started from, journeying into the Smithsonian castle. We had plans to tour a significant number of museums in the vicinity. We went to the National Air and Space Museum, and with my friend doing a doctorate in physics, astronomy was an enjoyable topic of discussion there. We then planned to visit the Museum of Natural History, but we were unable to due to some security issue. We were laughing several minutes after the incident took place - There was a sign saying the sidewalk was closed, and we 'cleverly' walk around the sign over to the sidewalk, only to scared away by a fearsome cop who shouted as if he was on fire. So there ended our chance of visiting the entire set of museums near there. We still managed to catch a glimpse of the Sculpture Garden, and explored aimlessly in the Freer Gallery of Art, trying to act as if we had great knowledge of paintings and 15th century Chinese pottery. It was evening by then, we ambled across to see the White House, the least interesting of all we saw, and quickly moved to catch a cup of coffee and way back home in the neat Metro rail system which Washington DC possessed. Greenbelt was a calm place and a visit to the local library showed how much constructive work could be achieved with such calm. The next day, I bid goodbye to the wonderful friends I got over a span of a few days and with those wonderful memories, I boarded the bus that would bring me back to New York, bring me back to reality.

When I talk about football, its not soccer I am talking about. Its about American Football. I managed to watch one complete NFL match today and that was enough to prove the intense obsession that Americans have for this game. The game I saw was the AFC championships, New England Patriots facing off against the San Diego Chargers. It wasn't the most interesting, I have never felt it interesting. But I have managed to learn a few terms and rules of the  game so that I dont stare at the screen like an owl. Some of my inferences, observations and conclusions are as follows :

1. NFL is a big money making machine, the game has had such a huge domestic following that only now have they started American Football matches in Europe. So that explains the average fan exceeding his/her credit limit to get NFL merchandise priced sky-high!
2. Advertisements for the Super Bowl, where the NFC and AFC champions face off, are being sold at a million dollars for a 10 second spot! (Remember - A recession affects ONLY you and me , not those deep pockets.)
3. The leagues start in fall and end in winter, so its really cold out there! That boils down really well covered cheerleaders!
4. Fantasy sports has never been played in this sport as in anywhere, Tom Brady is lopped up with both hands and Eli Manning is tossed around, not to mention playing ratings which tumble based on the celebrity status of their girlfirends.
5. The commentary, post and pre-match analysis is so boring, and downright stupid at times that I just feel like breaking the TV ( Its not my own you see..) . Honestly past players should NOT be allowed to comment, especially when they dont switch their cell phones off!
6. I have become mad to write a post on this!!

Patience is a virtue. Notwithstanding that statement, the creator of this post had to refresh the screen 4 times to get the formatting visible in the Rich text format for this blog. Obviously (thats debatable, as the post unfolds) that person got impatient. The best test of patience is in situations where you can easily just stay put but end up not doing that.  It shows the immediate stance you take, the side you would opt given a chance. Many a time I often get confused between being patient and being rather like a buffalo in the rain. The latter I entirely despised until of late, arguing that those who look for continuous progress in their life and yearn for achievement should not possess. I felt it was a character of losers, trying to camouflage their incompetence with silence and being less reactive. But the truth is, management by default is what is practiced in this case. Staying put and not doing anything often results in much better outcomes , especially when what surrounds you is utter chaos, or at least perceived chaos. It is still highly debatable, and is context specific, but it hurts less than going out and trying to change things beyond your control (which is never accepted until the fingers are burnt). My head of the department at IIT used to say - "Poi muttikko" (Go bang yourself), if you dont listen to my words gained from years of experience". It is something one would laugh at, when such justifications are given for outcomes which seem so obvious. The fact is, experience is what makes you perceive and prepare for outcomes which others do not know as yet. So you can never say that those statements are false, unless you experience them yourself. Reconciliation and contentment are often things which appear almost identical from an external standpoint, but which need completely different states of mind.

In a country such as America, where individualism is encouraged, the flip side of learning to be loners also exist. It is sad for an Indian as he is always surrounded by cohorts in his homeland. Being a loner requires one to like oneself, as spending time with the self is more than with others around. But the good part is that responsibility comes as a natural outcome - to survive, you need to learn to swim if you are thrown into the sea. Sensitivity has to be kept aside ( but cannot happen overnight) and a buffalo in the rain concept works magnificently. Such people might be called 'lost', 'dazed' etc, but they rarely are. An acceptance of the facts and an intention to blend into the change and live life as usual is a great quality. Preserving the inner core , i.e the virtues, with a flexible outward attitude, I thought, was not possible. It might all sound nice in an ideal situation, you can never make it, so why try. There is the catch. You become more of that, once you know that you will try to reach a goal, but also know that being perfect is a bane in itself. As being perfect naturally expects the world around to be perfect, which never is. So you end up blaming others than softening your outer shell.

Best solution - become numb, its incredibly rewarding both to the self and the outer world.
It is what is called 'Cool'. Period.

Well here is another long overdue post. So many things have happened since my last post. I am settling down pretty well. Work is manageable and I have found that keeping oneself occupied and not staying idle is imperative in this part of the world. Weekends are the times when one gets up late in the morning, does not have to rush to office, just laze around a bit, but its always good to keep some task in hand, to prevent homesickness. The past few weekends have been rather busy for me and I am beginning to like NYC. There is a wonderful Ganesha temple in Flushing,Queens which I try to visit regularly, once a week. The ambience there is so wonderful that you forget all your worries and concerns and just surrender to the God amidst the synergistic chant of sacred stotras. Plus it is a place visited by many Indians so you feel at home there.

The week before last, my friend and I watched 'I am Legend' in AMC Theatres,Times Square. The movie itself wasn't particularly great, having more sentiment than science fiction. However Will Smith seems to have taken a shot at the Oscars. Times Square exemplifies NYC's busy lifestyle. It is always swarming with people, and is at its best at night. If night is defined as after the sun sets, then night starts at 5 pm itself as it is very dark then itself. NYC is a city where there is no paucity of human population and Times Square seems to have most of it. The flashing billboards and huge wide screen videos relaying ads, and companies showing off their aesthetic appeals in the form of logos and captions are a treat to watch. I also saw the NASDAQ board, manage to take a picture of it too.So from Times Square I then went home with the uncertainty of the travel time thanks to the Lincoln tunnel.

The week after that was more interesting with a meeting of a few of my seniors in IIT. We had a good time, I took them to my office, we visited Rockefeller center to see the famous Christmas tree (which I believe was not better than the tree outside my office), and the overcrowded skating ring , much smaller in size than it appears to be. Saks 5th avenue we passed by and finally landed in an Indian Restaurant named 'Chola' to have a good Indian dinner. We did visit Times Square again, and it was at its best , or rather worst, swarming with human beings such that you can barely see the ground. Its holiday season, and no wonder, despite the omens of an economic slowdown with inflation, i.e stagflation, the average American is 'resilient' as ever, spending whatever they can.The next day was another visit to the Ganesha temple with a wonderful lunch at the temple canteen.

Meanwhile, apart from these, I found time to enroll in the New York Public Library, just a few steps away from my office. I should say I was amazed by the collections they had. I read 'Brave New World', the classic by Aldous Huxely. The author deals with a futuristic setting where all human beings are conditioned to be happy, and the very thought of relationships and any kind of responsibility, rather 'bondage' in their sense was absent and was loathed upon. The book was interesting to read, as to how a normal human being , called a 'Savage' in their world, struggles to live a normal life with an affection for his mother. The future world is not projected in a good light by Huxely, with an excessive dependence on 'soma', the equivalent of a drug to keep oneself happy, and a world with promiscuity. the book has a tragic end but throws the possibility of those scenarios becoming real. For a book written in the 1930s, it is not anachronistic even today. It is a dark view at the destination where humanity may be heading. The next book I am reading is 'Paradox of Choice'  by Barry Schwartz, which I find excellent and highly pertinent in todays world, where people are overwhelmed by choice.

The weather here is very cold, but erratic to say the least. Temperatures fluctuate between 13C ( they use Fahrenheit for temperature and pounds for weight, but I am sure not comfortable) and -4C within a span of 12 hours!!. It is always better to be overdressed than get deceived by that sunny view outside, only to freeze in the wind-chill.

That sums up the recent happenings here in New York City, and I do hope to be more frequent in my posts.

I haven't blogged for a over month now and there are reasons for it. My lowest level survival needs in Maslow's hierarchy of needs were not satisfied. What I mean is, I didnt have a place to stay! I was going around all over to good a good den and finally my efforts materialised. It has been quite an experience, every bit of it first hand. I have heard that the human brain is at its highest level of alertness when it encounters surrounding entirely new. If thats true, then my brain has been at that state ever since I landed here. Patience and being cool takes a person a long way here . Whatever may be the intense level of work I do, the kind of responsibilities i undertake and the fight against resistance to change, I need to post in my blog, that too after several friends have pointed out that this space has been vacant for a while. So here it is. In this change too, my mind still managed to observe somethings here and hold it for my to write down here. My exploration of NYC per se has been limited thanks to the same aforementioned reasons. But when I do travel, I make the most of it. A 20 minute walk down TImes Square in the night was simply breathtaking, showcasing the city that never sleeps. I felt proud being an Indian, with India ads showcasing the true spirit of my home country. Its the talk of the town, be it India tourism or the Indian economy. Back to travel, in the MTA for example, I find that the crowd is close to the buses we see in my town, like people like alomost crushed inside during peak hours. You think 6 feet is tall? Think again. You feel mighty small (pun intended) when you look around. And you feel mighty light too ( I think you get me). Coming back to the MTA, the holding bars in the train cars for those standing passengers are placed awkwardly right above the seats. So you eventually end up on top of those who sit. Pretty funny that the bar right down the center is very small that hardly anyone uses it save the times you are pushed into the car thanks to the crowd. As far as food goes, being a veggie I couldn't try much. But if you are a cheese lover , this is the place to be ( I am not one). I am trying cooking now as its coming off pretty well so far - touch wood! Weekends everyone here watch the NFL or AFL - i am learning the game rules, its one of those games which you invariably end up watching as you dont have much of a choice here. Shopping areas are always full - New York bears testimony to the fact that America loves have a ball. Nothing more to tell now, actually I dont remember. 

So I finally made it to the Big Apple. It has been quite an experience. I got an opportunity to go around a few places of the city as soon as I landed, and it has been wonderful so far. The weather has been good too. I didnt have much time to explore though, and work it was for the weekdays, save a few walks here and there which actually wasnt quite bad after all. Tha Manhattan skyline is worth admiring, making the admirers feel worthy. Work has been exciting so far, with an excellent atmosphere in this dynamic city. The trips in the MTA give a feel of the ethnic and cultural diversity that this city hosts. You get to see all people from all facets of life, right from those whose daily bread and butter depends on travelling and performing music/dance in the trains, to those who opt for it just because parking their cars over a period of time would be more expensive than the car costs themselves. Vegetarian food is hard to find here, and even those food items which are seemingly vegetarian are actually not. No wonder many 'convert'. Cooking has become a skill of great value. Of course I miss home a lot, but I acknowledge that you need to lose some to gain some. Its been a great experience in life and at work. Learning, managing and holding responsibilities are things which I will continue to do.

An article co-authored by me has found a place in the print (page 8)  and online editions of The Hindu Business Line newspaper dated Aug 3,2007.

The online edition can be found in the link below :

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/08/03/stories/2007080350220800.htm

On 27 July 2007, I became an Alumnus of IIT Madras. The 44th convocation took place in the Student Activities Centre amidst much fanfare. The chief guest Mr.R Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India presided over the function. It was wonderful to meet many of classmates and buddies. The  long walk to the podium, the bow to my HOD and the chief guest, the walk back to the prize winners' area,  the walk up again to receive the prize and the chat with the Chief Guest on receiving it was an experience that will remain etched in my mind. Smiling faces and proud parents and relatives greeting and congratulating each other made it memorable.

My return next day to the department of management studies made me realize the emotional attachment I had with the classrooms, the faculty, my fellow students and juniors and everything that was associated with DoMS. 2 years have whizzed past and I have become an alumnus so fast. With a nice interaction with our juniors and the new incoming batch, followed by the trademark leg-pulling session and a delicious lunch, the alumni reunion is one I pray to be part of in the coming years too, God willing. DoMS has been my second home. It is where I have not just gained academic knowledge but also life's lessons and valuable experiences to enrich myself as a person. I have gained terrific friends who display enough quality to unconditionally admire them. No doubt these are eternal memories.

'Next' is the latest from Michael Crichton. The author picks up the latest controversial topic, namely genetic engineering. The story involves several characters, cleverly intertwined with the common thread - they are the victims of genetic engineering. A transgenic ape, a parrot which can do arithmetic, a talking orangutan make up the rest of the non-human cast. It is a definite page-turner and has some unexpected twists in the end. The author has taken a legitimate dig at gene patents, but he could have stopped there for the readers to draw their own conclusions, instead of forcing his opinion down their throats. He has been in that mode in his last book too.

'Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix' is dark, but very well crafted. Though I haven't read the book, which is the longest of the series so far, the movie has been very concisely made with good editing. In this installment, Harry is forced to prove that the Dark Lord is back, and finds the mental connection between him and Voldermort. He is helped by his friends, some professors and Sirius Black. Dolores Umbridge causes a furore in Hogwarts when she gains complete control of the school, acting as per the Ministry's belief that Harry is lying. The Special effects are spell-binding as usual, especially the giant, centaurs, the climax fight etc. The heroism of characters such as Dumbledore has been portrayed very well and draws spontaneous applause from the audience. It is arguably one of the best movie I have seen in the Potter series.

Being the oldest tennis tournament and offering the highest prize money are not the only reasons that makes Wimbledon so special. The winners parade with pride having won it, the only Grand Slam on grass, and the tournaments prides itself with its list of eternal champions. It is a privilege playing in that tournament, and a privilege watching play. The 2007 edition was no exception, with history repeating itself in the men's singles event.

But this year's edition did have a few changes, the centre court had no roof, hawk-eye became the potent aid to line-calls and rain spent more time on court than any player.

With Andy Murray pulling out of the tournament, British hopes once again hinged on the aging Henman. The first round against Carlos Moya was to be too far fetched for Henman to win. But what a match it was! The Britisher won it in 5 marathon sets. Too bad he lost in 5 sets in the next round, but that match gave the championships the dream start. Rafael Nadal won a 5-set marathon against Soderling spread over 5 days, with the rain creating havoc in not just the player's mind, for the organisers too. A fighter he was, Nadal won that and the next match, again in 5 sets, being 2 sets down. The women's draw saw the emergence of Marion Bartoli, whose best performance in a grand slam was a 4th round appearance. But she took out Jankovic and denied Henin another shot at the title. Serena Williams, battling a cramped calf muscle, won a marathon against Hantuchova. The final was between Venus Williams and Bartoli, with the former prevailing easily, to lift a 4th trophy, joining an elite group including Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean-King. Roger Federer set up a rematch with Nadal in the final, both chasing different records of Bjorn Borg.

The organisers were happy to see the sun shining on Sunday, the 8th of July, a day when Bjorn borg would be emulated whoever wins. If it is Federer, he would join Borg in winning 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles, and if Nadal won, he would join Borg in winning the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Such was the greatness of Borg, still in my opinion, the greatest tennis player, for winning such diverse tournaments repeatedly. If he had not retired at 26, he would have held all records.

The match began with Federer racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set. Nadal recovered quickly to make it 3-3, and the defending champion battled to win the first set 7-6 in the tiebreak 99-7). Nadal won the second, Federer bounced back with the 3rd, but again after being stretched to the tie-break. Nadal raced to win the 4th set, and Vijay Amritraj's words before the match, echoed in my ears - "If the match goes to 5 sets, Nadal would prevail". The score in the 5th set was 1-1, and Federer was 15-40 down. It was then that I saw the champion in him truly surface, leveling the game to deuce and winning it. It happened again at 2-2, again 15-40, but again Federer held on. Very rarely have I seen a will to win and perseverance such as Federer's especially against an opponent who is a true fighter till the last point is played. But brilliance took over, and Federer broke Nadal's serve to go up 4-2. From then on, there was no stopping this master, racing to 5-2, and breaking Nadal again to take the trophy. But hats off to Nadal - he made Federer scream, clench his fists and cry when he hit that stylish overhead winner.

Federer's eyes were moist when he held the trophy, he was in his prime, and Nadal was almost 5 years younger. Federer had emulated the great Borg, who was in the spectator box, congratulating his new companion in that elite club. What I like most about Federer is his elegance and humility. One doesn't often hear  statements such as 'lucky' with unabated appreciation for an arch-rival.

Federer has got his glory, and I have got my learnings.

Cross-posted at tennisfans

'State of Fear' is stated to be a book of fiction, but with extensive references and footnotes, it does give a sound base for the stance taken by the author. This book has generated several remarks and outbursts by believers of global warming, but the author puts a strong case forward. The storyline is interesting, but since it also needs to perform the function of voicing viewpoints, there is more focus on politicized science. The book is a page-turner, but the thrills are lower than Crichton's other novels, for me. It is a book that makes its readers think more than just enjoy the read.

I came across this hilarious article in the NY Times. I am in Stage four. Not too far away from you know what.

I generally take a fascination to reading many of the 'Queries' columns in the papers, be it on various subjects such as technology, automobiles, relationships, health etc., some with seriousness and others to have fun. One aspect I found intriguing is a good chunk of the questions are replied with an answer - " The information you have given may not be sufficient to give a recommendation". Why do they publish such questions in the first place? Is the aim to answer the question and offer help, or to inform others subtly that you need to be better in framing a question?