Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Inventing ways to liberate my soul

In a un-known place where u have to establish ur foothold it is pretty difficult to satisfy ur passions.so i thought i will make a begining.I just discovered a great resturant in mumbai,"BOMBAY BLUES".It is a great theme resturant with gay and a conversational environment.I had a cheese based chicken-pasta with garlic bread which costed around 150 bucks.definitely worth the money.The speciality of the resturant seems to be an array of chinese and hunan food and sizzlers.Would love the joint even more if it served beer or wine to compliment it's authentic dishes

Monday, January 30, 2006

Those daring young men in their jaunty jalopies

Just finished reading this amazing book about the monte carlo rally.The name of the book as you see from the title of this blog is called "Those daring men in their jaunty jalopies".The story focuses upon the monte carlo rally but more so on two main characters namely Sir Cuthbert Ware-Armitage -owner of the Armitage motor company described in the book as the most ungentlemanly of gentlemen and an outrageous cheat to boot and on Chester Schofield -part owner of the above mentioned company. The story as it goes is that after the death of his father Sir cuthbert finds that his so called "honourable" pater has finally met his match and was given the slip by chester the american and as apart of the bet was forced to give half the company to him.Sir cuthbert tries to buy the company from the american and finally decieds that the only way to do so is by crook, so sir cuthbert challenges chester to a race and the winner among them gets the company.The rest as they say is absolutly hilarious .There are aos other characters who do'nt have much of role in this book but add to the general flavour especially the Schickel an escaped german convict who has been given the job of transporting some stolen jewels across the border in the spare tire of his car.On the whole a great book amazingly hilarious and if you like PG wodehouse this book is a charm.

Signing off
Sreenath

Pesetas ,Faena Y Amour
(Money,Life and love)

F1 - random Thoughts


Pretty Hectic week in F1 with the Ferrari F248 and Williams team FW 28 makimg their debut. So Narain is off to test for Williams and Tata is to be a technology partner. Came across the earlier picture when Leyland (UK) sponsored the 1980 Williams Cosworth car that won their first ever Championship when Alan Jones took home the driver's and Willams the constructor's.
Kimi 12th in testing - Good God. What the fuck is wrong with Mercedes? Kimi has said that the engine is the weakest link. Well, I guess the Finn is off to the Scuderia. At least their engines actually last the race.
First impressions - Ferrari seem to be in good shape and with tyre stops should be a force to reckon with. At first glance seems to be Renault vs Ferrari. McLaren seem to have lost their edge and I can only hope it isn't 2004 revisited. Red Bull suck. Williams could be the dark horse, with Cosworth having the most experience with V8's. Expect BAR and Toyota to get a few podiums and the odd win if they get lucky but no more than that. Schumi seems to be the favourite for a 8th crown, and I can only hope that I am wrong. Hope the men at Woking manage to get everything Ok by March 12th.
Signing off on that optimistic note

- Hari

Vaya Con Dios Eddie........

What a swerve!!! Rey Misterio Jr. - Royal Rumble winner. WOW!!!. Can't wait to see the rumble a couple of weeks from now. Enjoyed seeing Rey paying tribute to Eddie in his previous matches and I guess Eddie is smiling right now. A touch of class by the WWE. And Malenko, Beniot and Chavo backstage with Rey - What can I say? Eddie still is No.1. Rumors keep flying of Orton beating Rey for a No.1 Contenders match. Just hope WWE don't screw this up. Hope they listen to the fans and put the belt on Rey. That would be one for the books. In the meantime just plan to enjoy the road to Wrestlemania. Viva La Raza!!!!

- Hari

Jan 30th and History

Jan 30th - a great day in history.
30th Jan 1933 - Hindenburg names Hitler Chancellor of Germany
30th Jan 1948 - M.K.Gandhi finally shot dead by Godse.
Heres to Jan 30!!!

- Hari

Sathyam, Saarang and Others

Its been a pretty hectic week, and this is the first chance I've had to sit at a computer for a couple of hours. Had been to Saarang last week for the Choreo and Shankar Mahadevan's Concert. The choreo was good fun as usual, though I unfortunately had to leave after the 4-5 as I had to see Hotel Rwanda that day. More on that later. Shankar rocked. Simply enjoyed myself hearing songs from DCH, KHNH etc..Pretty Woman was Great, with a bevy of babes on stage with Shankar. The only disapointment was that there was not a single song from Aalavandhan. Interestingly the crowd was extremely disciplined, unlike us when we were in college. Saarang also reminded me painfully of the fact that I was no longer a college student. Also gave me an oppurtunity to catch up with a couple of my schoolmates. All in all had a great time.
Saw a couple of movies this week that simply rocked. Hotel Rwanda and The Bicycle Thief. The former was the first in Sathyam's Pure Cinema series and the latter part of the 110 years of world cinema. Kudos to Sathyam to give film buffs an oppurtunity to savor and relish these movies. Great going.
Also saw Rang De Basanti this week. Fantastic performance from Aamir. The characters were absolutely natural and the transformation from happy-go-lucky pals to a group detrmined to make a point was well explained. Sometimes it does take a personal tragedy for us to look at the bigger picture. The correlation between events of the past and present, especially the Jallianwallah Bagh massacre really made you sit up and think. A great watch for a thinking audience.
Finally a quick plug. Those of you who haven't seen Evam's latest play Chapter 2 - Get your tickets ASAP. The play is based on the lives of 4 characters. George - a widower, Jenny - A divorcee; George's brother Leo and Jenny's friend Fey who are trying to get the two to date others. What happens when the two finally meet (After a series of hilarious phone calls by George), and what takes place after their marraige is depicted beautifully. Absolutely fantastic drama that had you in splits in one moment and in tears the next. Karthik as Leo gives a stupendous performance. Tickets are available at landmark and Odyssey for the Feb 11/12 performance.

-Hari

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Chick-Fair

When hari told me about the absolute ball of a time they were having at sarang at iit,film releases at chennai,i became real jealous.But incidentally as the saying goes, "Every dog has it's day", I had my day y'day.My colleague took me to a wedding reception of a Engine dealer's daughter.On first impression,the Al ppl were perhaps the only ones to arrive by a taxi.The parking space was a virtual luxury car showroom.As we walked towards the reception hall,in our mediocre service clothes(i call them mediocre because wearing a shirt and trouser in that sort of occasion was mediocre,the gentry were in designer bandh galas or provogue designer couture) the girls(dressed in 20 grand lachhas) "absolute chicks" sidelined our red-carpeted entry way spreading rose-petals.Every chick barring two were worth the nth glance.as we entered the reception hall(stadium would be the right word for it)it was completely white marble tiled and with theme medieval furniture and upholstery.
Me and my middle aged colleague got ourselves a comfortable sofa.We were served great mocktails by 5-star waiters(peach and lichi with a sparkling of farsan shaken up in a frozen margherita style or a guava-pineapple extract with some mild soda)complimented by knick-knacks.
And yes-yes-yes I am forgetting all about the eye-candy.Sorry female readers of the article but boys are always boys.Sexy chicks(could well have been models)did a little gig before the bride and groom arrived.Lusciously registered the entire sighting into my deepest of grey cells for future use.came out into the dining "park".there were tents all over the place ,"mexican tents","italian tents","all american tents".There were italian salads with lots of olive oil,enchillados and burritos with filling of beans and salsa sauce.to name some of my favourites there was this amazing "rasogolla chat",a semi-frozen desert(bottom layer tea-cake,centre layer of cream and vanilla ice-cream,topped with natural black-currant sauce.the dry-fruit sweets topped with hot cucumber halwa were just too good.
"altogether a great evening of indulgence"
sapta

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Bombay changes ppl

Hailing from a "comparitively" sleepy and conservative town of Chennai and moving to Bombay was an experience by itself.I call Chennai a town not because of it's size or population,but just because of the overall laid-back attitude of the janta.I would'nt imagine a girl wearing a t-shirt to college,the sloganm saying"Fcuked twice only and 19,totally uncool".People express themselves and sometimes vulgarly.
A 30 yr old Govt. engineer is capable of buying a 90 Lakh flat(pretty common in mumbai) would be a front pager in the HINDU.I understand there is corruption everywhere.But i fail to understand, how a guy manages to "make money out of black money".Looking at all this my dear friends the value of a 10 rupee note ceases to exist.
I hail from a middle class family.As per the GOI urban middle class (assets 5-10 lakh),but in Bombay it is 50 100 lakhs.Everyone is a shark and a normal office going person talks about investment in "petis"(slang for a briefcase with 1 lakh cash).One with a 20 grand pay-packet can not help but feel poor.That is all about money guys.
Carrying on from the point of the girl wearing an obscene t-shirt.Love-life here is as obscene as the t-shirt.Yesterday nite there wasa big commotion upstairs at midnite.A couple "living together" but not married,started yelling at each other.By listening to whatever I cud gather, the girl was shouting about a strip of contraceptives in the Guy's pocket sometime before.Essentially when the guy returned in the nite there was his colleague on top of his GF.A common call center story.Life here is so uncaring.
Bye for now
Sapta

Monday, January 23, 2006

McLaren Launch MP4-21




Finally, the most awaited launch for the 2006 season - The McLaren MP4-21 made its debut today at the Circuit De Catalunya, in Barcelona. Test driver Pedro De La Rosa completed the installation lap today.Interstingly, the car made its debut in the interim livery, which was also used for winter testing. The car is said to be designed around the engine rules of this year, and it is also being said that reliability was a major factor in engine design. (Don't tell me the Merc guys took 7 years to find out their damn engines were blowing up faster than TNT!!) Anyhow, hope their title challenger is good enough to do the job this year. What bet on a Finnish world champion???

Testing Schedule this week:
Juan Pablo Montoya : 24th, 25th Jan 2006
Kimi Raikkonen : 26th, 27th Jan 2006


Technical Specs of the MP4-21:
Chassis - McLaren moulded carbon fibre/aluminium honeycomb composite incorporating front and side impact structures. Contains integral safety fuel cell
Front Suspension - Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Rear Suspension - Inboard torsion bar/damper system operated by pushrod and bell crank with a double wishbone arrangement
Suspension Dampers - McLaren Electronics - McLaren Electronic Systems control units incorporating electronics for chassis, engine and data acquisition.
McLaren Electronic Systems also supplies the electronic dash board, alternator voltage control, sensors, data analysis and telemetry systems Bodywork Construction Construction - One-piece sidepod and engine cover. Separate floor section, structural nose with integral front wing.
Tyres - Michelin
Radios - Kenwood
Race Wheels - Enkei
Batteries - GS Yuasa Corporation
Steering - McLaren power-assisted
Instruments - McLaren Electronic Systems
Adhesives - Henkel Technologies

Transmission
Gearbox Speeds - Seven forward and one reverse
Semi-auto - Yes
Driveshafts - McLaren
Clutch - Hand-operated

FO 108S Engine Specifications
Type - Mercedes-Benz FO 108S
No. of cylinders - 8
Fuel - Mobil 1 Unleaded
Lubricants - Mobil 1 products
Engine - 95kg .

- Pics source : itv-f1.com, mclaren.com.
Technical spec source : planetf1.com, mclaren.com

- Hari

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Family - An Insipid Rendering

Suffered a traumatic two and a half hours watching Amitabh's latest - Family. Storyline is pretty simple and mediocre. Akshay has a happy family. Amitabh kills Akshay inadverently. Aryeman (Akshay's wastrel brother) kidnaps Amitabh's family for revenge. To spin this out for more than two hours was god awful torture. The dialogues gave a new meaning for the word cliche, and when all the gunfire cleared at the end, one was not sure whether the director wanted to kill his audience as well. Am not going to waste more time on this excuse for a film. To sum, if you suffer from Insomnia, go watch the film. All others will do well to stay away.

- Hari

Saturday, January 21, 2006

The theraputic effects of Alcohol

Have been feeling pretty much under the weather for the past weeks, feeling extremely dehydrated and after a week of poking me in every vein known to man the doctors came up with a brilliant solution - the deficiency of something called ADH, and said I had to wait yet another ten days to confirm there diagnosis. Felt absolutely sick of sitting in my house and went out to a bar yesterday. Interestingly, after a couple of mugs, felt absolutely fit, and to date that dehydrated feeling has vanished. Then realisation dawned! Had not had a mug for a good two weeks. No wonder I was dehydrated. Nothing to do with ADH. Just good old Ethanol! I guess my body isn't equipped to deal with alcohol losses over such a period. Reminded me of Cap'n Haddock who fainted after touching a glass of water.
Vive la Alcohol!! Cheers!!

- Hari

To Beer - Cheers!!

I guess, with a screen ID of Falstaff, this one should have come way sooner. This is the first in a series where the watering holes of Chennai are discussed. As I had been to the Bamboo Bar at Savera, will start off with that today.
This is one of the best Bars in town for a quiet drink (In the 3 star category), and is my preferred joint after some brilliant geezer decided to spruce up Tinto (The Residency). The ambience is fantastic, with, as the name suggests, bamboo furniture being the high point.As usual, went in for a mug of ice cold draught that absolutely hit the spot. Went down marvelously with a plate of egg sandwiches. For those who enjoy cocktails, the bar has an interesting selection including a campari/grape cocktail that I used to enjoy.
Meant for serious drinkers who love their conversation as much as their pitcher, this is a great place to chill and relax after a tough day at work.

- Hari

Friday, January 20, 2006

I wish I were.......

As I got to the essay on dogs, just saw another scribbling of mine, which was written as an innocent schoolboy. Am putting it up for review and comment.

My flat you know,
Is near a dhobikana
Every morning at six,
As I swig my coffee
I can hear the ‘Thud Thud Thud’
Of clothes flaying against the washing stone.
Oh! I wish I were a dobhi – what a clean trade
Though its all about washing
Others dirty linen

As the clock strikes seven
I am ready for the day
My neighbors auto engine
Purrs into life
And soon he splutters along
His daily routine.
Oh! I wish I were an auto driver
Getting all the mileage,
As I take others for a ride.

The clock strikes eight
Time I left for school
Down the stairway I go,
With my burden of books
Up comes wafting
The smell of Sabzi and Pulav.
Oh! How I wish I were a chef
What a way to get on the gravy train
While others get into the soup.

The bell chimes nine.
The teacher enters the class.
All stand to attention
Muffled voices, token silence.
Oh! How I wish I could get into my teacher’s shoes
But only the wearer knows where it pinches most.

So let me be me
A schoolboy without a care.

- Hari



Dogs - On demand

This is in response to a coversation I had on dogs and pets in general. The following was written pretty long ago, and my views have had no reason to change. The writing has been left unchanged, and if it appears kiddish, it probably is.

To some people a dog is a thing to be petted, pampered, cuddled, hugged etc. Such people cater to every whim and fancy of the dog. The net result is that the head of the family becomes the one with the tail.
However, to me, a dog is a creature which just knows how to bark, howl, bite, eat (an understatement) and of course sleep. The Bible states that we were born due to the "Original Sin." I never doubted that when it comes to a dog. Dogs have a sadistic belief that whenever someone walks by it, all the person actually wants is its rabid bite.
Some people say that dogs have a type of seventh sense. Certainly true. Dogs know exactly when to howl in order to wake us up.
Dogs are extremely protective towards their litter. If a person ever chances to make the fatal error of chasing a pup which tried to nip his ankles, the bitch leaps out of nowhere, inflicting injuries on the poor man.
Some of the dog's favourite past times are barking, biting, howling, nipping at other ankles, chasing its tail, getting dirty, getting sworn at and of course eating and sleeping. As a matter of fact some of these so-called "Watchdogs" do everything except guard the house.
Of course, even the world's greatest dog hater must like some dog or the other. There is no exception in my case either. I like dead dogs best of all.

- Hari

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Anbe Sivam

" Anbin paadhai serpavarukku mudive illiyada........
Manadhin neelam edhuvo adhuve vaazhvin neelamada......"

While talking on God, cannot help but reflect on my all time favourite movie, if you can call it one (Adhayum thaandi punidhamanadhu), Anbe Sivam. A movie that really proclaims the truth on God, in a way that the masses would understand. Forget the socialist - capitalist banter, the movie digs into areas much deeper. From the use of Nasser's oft quoted " Victory to Lord Shiva", everytime he does something evil, to Maddy telling Kamal that bad people are not necessarily those who look bad. maddy ranting on what God would allow a child to be given false hope of life to Kamal saying that the mind that cried out for the death of an unknown child is God. Or the time when Kamal tells that he is God, because a woman in a tea shop told so, and Maddy saying he does not understand. Pat comes the rejoinder, 'Cause thats God. The poigant scene when Kamal finds out the child's name.........Innurumura Pawana? Kamal telling Santhanabarathi not to talk like an athiest. Madhavan telling kamal he is like a brother to him. ........En annan chinna vayasile ball pattu .....I told you all this man.....Ippo than oru annan kadachirukkan.........Idhu yen munnadiye sollale? Ithalen enna? solli than purityanama? Enna, Kaadhala enna? Sollinde Irrukarthukku. The dialogues between kamal and Nasser when kamal says he is the person who can grant a boon. The take on special dharshans and calling such a god a hired labourer. I could go on and on, but these are some of the most poigant memories of the movie for me. And of course, the brilliant song, and its setting.

" Yaar, yaar Sivam?
Nee, Naan Sivam.
Vazhve Thavam.
Anbe Sivam. "

- Hari

Religion and Relationships


"Aathigam pesum adiyaarkellam Sivame Anbaagum
Naathigam pesum Nallavarukellam Anbe Sivamagum"

"In the begining was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God."

This is something that has been irritating me for quite some time and things came to a head when my colleague took me to a remote temple in Shollinganallur. Almost retched when I saw the idol (akin to the one shown), only with more skulls. And to see those miserable humans wearing red shirts and veshtis added to the effect. I cannot understand how educated people can come about to depend on such demonic activities. To worship skulls, animals, reptiles, humans; to perform sacrifices and penances; to go on yatras and pilgrimages; the entire gamut appears horrible and devillish. I cannot understand how we, who are god's creation can create idols of our own image and worship it. We are misusing the power of our word and empowering the most ungodly and foul spirits. Let me elaborate.
I believe in god. And by accepting God, one has to accept evil too. And if we really accept God, what we are talking about is a relationship, not a religion. By accepting and asking for God, by seeking God in our activities, it is enough to keep evil away.By rebuking our darker side and praising god, it is enough. Vade Retro, Satano. The power of the word - for if you start worshipping a spoon or a fork for long enough, it WILL get a power over you - but not a godly one. Therefore, I also believe that there is no need to go out to temples, worship our penis, pray to bulls, snakes and vultures, fast for 40 days, go to various religious hillocks, wear the rudrakshamalais and climb to mountains on bare feet. God is a friend, who accepts what we do in our entirity. And if we fail, as we often do, he would forgive us, for he is loving. I cannot believe in a God who asks us to fast or perform penances or would condemn us to hell. I cannot see how, by wearing a chain for 40 days and chanting the name of a god and a hill, and in those forty days refrain from eating out, seeing a movie or gawking at a girl, our sins would be cleansed, and we become devout humans. I do not see how by not shaving or cutting our hair, we would have our sins cleansed.I do not see, how if by eating a cow or drinking Alcohol, I am less a person or how God would shun me if I do. I do not see how, by breaking a 101 coconuts or feeding a 101 beggars, he would grant us our deepest wishes. If such a God existed, I spit on him - he is no better than our corrupt politicians - a coolie.
My God is a friend - one who knows what is best for me. A friend to whom I can pour out my heart and soul. One who loves, accepts, and forgives. A person who walks, sits and stands with me. I believe that just as a friend would not enter a house without an invitation, all we need to do is to ASK. Ask him to be with us - and the rest is done.
It is easy to proudly call us brahmins, christians, muslims etc. and ramble off a list of antecedents. It is equally easy to screw somebody, stab him in the back, all the time quoting a gods name. I had a brahmin acquaintance, a devout SOB, who would worship a 100 gods, and harm a 1000 humans. To me such a creature is lower than the lowest scavenger.
To sum
" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and staff, they comfort me"

- Hari

Amit Choudhari

I just recently borrowed a novel from the british council authored my Amit Choudhari.Just with the intention of reading books by indian authors.
The first 50 pages went by just like that.No scope of thought or intention of provoking interest.The first 50 pages just describes a divorcee and his son returning to calcutta.They get down hail a cab and absorb the sights and sounds of an Indian metropolis.My first mistake was not to throw down the book in disgust(even Ruskin bond is better).It was a just a read through and a good time-pass(made me go off to sleep after 15 min).
Eventually I finished the book with 30 pages to go(i could'nt tolerate it any more).I was just thinking about the author how dour and mediocre his life would be.
"This book has won a Sahitya Academy Award"

- Sapta

Bangalore -IT city of India ...you must be joking

Well ...as you have noticed from the title this is not an article which praises the virtues of bangalore(or rather bengaluru...as they prefer to call it now)...strange are the ways of beloved country wherein we are under British rule for around 150 years i believe and then decide to change the names of the states ....(calcutta to kolcatta..bombay to mumbai...) but as shakespere would have said "whats in a name a rose by any other name would have smelt as sweet"....which when translated into plain english would say bangalore by any other name would still be the same .........BULLSHIT.Pardon me for my french but after staying in Chennai for nearly four years and having been in the U.A.E for 12 years it makes me feel sad to say that never have i seen a state so mismanaged as bangalore...(Bengaluru for the pedants)....

Let me show you how life goes in bangalore

1.All pubs and bars are shut down by 11:30pm(Crazy but true..) this by the orders of Mr Ajai "His incometence knows no bounds"Kumar chief of police .... the reason given is increasing crime rate ...hell even after this people get mugged women get raped .....but what does the police have to say for this, nothing. In fact just few days back a ministers son shot a man in a pub that was open beyond the curfew hour but the police as usual have given VIP treatment to the minister's son(who incidently suffered a mysterious heart attack ) and the owner of the pub has been given a notice .....

2.Public transport- ha you must be out of your mind. Buses are so rare that if you miss one your screwed and the autos hehehe they actually think before they give an answer of whether they will go to your destination or not... on an average its the fourth auto that will take you wherever you need to go...and dont bother looking at the meter it's faster than the auto ..in fact at if you take three different autos to go to the same place you will pay a different fare on all three occations....


3.Infrastructure- That is one word that is not in the governments dictionary...In some places you will start asking where the road is... even an area that has been carpet bombed would not have this many pot holes.What does Mr Dharam Singh (Ex Cm now ) have to say about all this ? "The infrastructure will improve if Infosys and other IT companies start employing more Kannadigas and keep some jobs reserved for the Kannadigas in their company"also the dude said Mr Narayana Murthy was land grabbing and evading taxes...This from a man whose personal assets in banaglore exceed 30 crores ...(Kinda remindes of Jeppiar talking to us about human values...hari do you remember that day...)


Well this should give a good hint of what life's like over here ..........For more info please come to bangalore and enjoy.........if you can that it.


Signing off

Sreenath

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

BMW Sauber Technical Spec

F1.06 Technical Specifications
Chassis - Carbon-fibre monocoque
Suspension - Upper and lower wishbones (front and rear), inboard springs and dampers, actuated by pushrods (Sachs Race Engineering)Brakes - Six-piston callipers (Brembo), carbon pads and discs (Brembo, Carbone Industrie)
Transmission - Longitudinally mounted 7-speed transmission, carbon-fibre clutch (AP)
Chassis electronics - Magneti Marelli
Steering wheel - BMW Sauber F1
TeamTyres - Michelin
Wheels - OZ

Dimensions
Length - 4,610 mm
Width - 1,800 mm
Height - 1,000 mm
Track width, front - 1,470 mm
Track width, rear - 1,410 mm
Wheelbase - 3,110 mm
Weight - 600 kg (incl. driver, ready to drive, tank empty)

BMW P86 Engine Specifications
Designation - BMW P86
Type - Normally aspirated V8
Bank angle - 90 degrees
Displacement - 2400cc
Valves - Four per cylinder
Valve train - Pneumatic
Engine block / Cylinder head - Aluminium
Crankshaft - Steel
Oil system - Dry sump lubrication
Engine management - BMW
Weight - 95kg

Source : planetf1.com
- Hari

Raghavan - A cop from Tamil Nadu


A cop from Tamil Nadu
A woman from New York
And a game that plays them
Now it is time to prey

WOW!! Saw the VV trailer today. Stunning! Undoubtedly one of the slickest movies of 2006. The rap music for the trailer is excellent. Simply cannot wait for the audio launch. Kamal looks absolutely stunning this time around, as a cop. Also playing a key role in the movie is martial arts expert Lev Gorn. One of the highlights of the movie is a helicopter chase sequence. Just hope that Gautham does a hat trick at the box office with this one.

To view trailer, click on the heading.

- Hari

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Company Limited

" As ambitious as Lady Macbeth, Cromwell, I charge thee, fling away ambition! By that sin fell the angels." - Henry the Eighth

I visit the annual book fair, pretty much every year, and as far as I go the action is outside where the 2nd hand dealers sell their books at cut throat rates. Picked up a gem this year - Company Limited by Manisankar 'Sankar' Mukherjee. (Made into the feature film Seemabaddha by Satyajit Ray in 1971).
The protoganist of the book, Shyamalendu Chatterjee, is part of the senior management of Hindustan Peters - a company that sells fans and electric lamps. A former English teacher at a University and a Shakespeare lover, he gives up his teaching career for a lucrative post in the company. At about same time, Runu Sanyal, a second generation executive also joins the company. The book skips ahead to the time when the two high fliers are competing for a promotion to the board room. Sankar gives us a wonderful account of an executive's life in the corporate India of the 70's. The contrast between Shyam's wife Dolon who has become a typical "company wife" and his sister-in-law Sudharshana, a Bihari innocent is striking and revealing. The climax when Shyam has to manage a "crisis" and the aftermath - a phyrric victory - is a fantastic example of corporate ethics as opposed to induvidual conscience. Shakespeare appearing as Shyam's conscience is a beautiful touch. On the whole a wonderful read that still has meanings in today's world.

- Hari
Kurt's a Face

Why? Why? Why does Kurt Angle have to be a face? What an insipid end to a promising angle. I would have marked big time for mysterio vs. angle, and instead we get Angle vs. Mark Henry. This guy is a walking time bomb. After injuring Batista, why can't the WWE simply allow the moron to simply sit out the rest of his contract instead of giving him a main event to chance to injure Angle? And am I alone in saying that I would have loved to see the belt on Mysterio? Would have been the perfect tribute to Eddie.

- Hari

The BMW-Sauber team unveils its first car at Valencia today. The third driver is Robert Kubica from Poland.




pic courtesy planetf1.com
- Hari
Virender Sehwag-Selfless Knock
The guy did not care what milestone he is going to reach.just played his normal game.Ganguly learn learn!!!!!!!!!!!!(chattering patriotic bengalis note).....
I myself am a bengali

Arre foreigner ke aulad hari....talk about indian sports man

- Sapta

Monday, January 16, 2006

Toyota TF106 Technical Specifications:

Monocoque construction - Moulded carbon fibre and honeycomb construction
Fuel tank - ATL safety cell
Front suspension - Carbon fibre double wishbone arrangement, with carbon fibre trackrod and pushrod. Pushrod activates rocker, torsion bar, damper and anti-roll bar assy
Rear suspension - Carbon fibre double wishbone arrangement, with carbon fibre toelink and pushrod. Pushrod activates rocker, torsion bar, damper and anti-roll bar assy
Dampers - Penske
Wheels - BBS forged magnesium
Tyres - Bridgestone Potenza
Brakes callipers - Brembo
Brakes master cylinders - Brembo
Braking material - Hitco (carbon/carbon)
Steering - Toyota power-assisted steering
Steering wheel display - Toyota carbon fibre wheel with Toyota / Magneti Marelli instrument
Driver seat - Carbon fibre construction, moulded to driver's shape
Driver restraints - Takata
Driver HANS device - Toyota design
Electronic systems - Toyota / Magneti Marelli
Transmission - 7-speed unit plus reverse Toyota-designed maincase with Toyota / Xtrac internals. Gear selection is sequential via driver-controlled electro-hydraulic actuation

Dimensions
Wheelbase - 3090mm
Overall length - 4530mm
Overall height - 950mm
Overall width - 1800mm
Overall weight - 600kg including driver and camera

RVX-06 Engine Specifications
Designation - RVX-06
Number of cylinders - 8
Capacity - 2398cc
Horsepower - Approximately 740bhp
Revolutions - Around 19,000rpm
Valve actuation - Pneumatic
Throttle actuation - Hydraulic
Spark plugs - DENSO
Fuel - Esso
Lubricants - Esso.

Courtesy : planetf1.com
- Hari

Sunday, January 15, 2006

WWE and 2006.

What's gotten into the WWE? Can't believe they are actually doing something right. Swerving the fans with Edge beating Cena and Angle on Smackdown........not to mention the Women's division (That guy deserves a raise!).........the WWE are getting it right for once. And with SD posting solid ratings of 3.1 on a Friday Night, and RAW up by 16% - am seriously impressed. Just hope all this doesnt end with HHH winning at Wrestlemania and another year of 20 minute promos. Way to go WWE. Just don't screw this up

- Hari
The Toyota F1 Launch

So the TF106 was officially launched yesterday. Interestingly both drivers seem to be downplaying comments about the car's performance. While Mike Gascoyne is no doubt one of the best, I hope he finally gets his due with a car that can challenge for the championship. That said, Toyota, even with last year's strong finish remain the largest disappointment to me. With their deep pockets, they should have been challenging for the championship and not scrapping in the midfield. Their rivals Honda seem poised for greater success with smaller investments. It is interesting to see that both Kimi and Schumi have been linked to drives with Toyota for 2007. While it would do no harm for Schumi, as a swansong, I hope Kimi does not sign up and commit hara kiri. I simply do not see Toyota being major players for the next 3-4 years. Also, McLaren have finally got down to talking reliability. Surely it is obvious that from the day McLaren and Mercedes joined hands - in 1996 - that the engines have been pretty fragile. I don't believe it took them to 3 lost championships ('00, '03 , '05) to figure this out. Anyway if they can just get Kimi to a well deserved championship, couldn't be happier.

- Hari
Guys with Colored Hair

I can understand girls coloring their long tresses... but wats the deal with guys trying to dip their two inch locks in dyes??? Really!! This is something eccentric - pardon me if i sound harsh - But seriously!!! There is a limit to copying ('apeing' s the right word... altho am trying to use a few euphemisms) ..... First was long hair....Have any of u ever had the feeling that guys with long hair are dirty? (No offence meant...) Then came the ear rings - with rules if I am right.. (one on the left signifies homosexuality??? ....someting like that) Now the fad is hair color!! Atleast there should be some kind of rule that says certain colors are banned for certain facial cuts!! The end result is 'vomit inducing'.....hmm... this being my first blog i dont wish to get beaten up... sorry... if any of u are getting hurt by this u r free to delete this... (he he...)

- Chandri

Saturday, January 14, 2006

An Uneventful Pongal

With Pongal being a time for big releases, this year is pretty disappointing, with Aathi and Paramasivam being the only moderately "big" releases. Saravana could of course be a dark horse. Didnt see any movie today, preferring to simply get some shut eye. The initial reaction for Ajith's much touted comeback seems to be lukewarm, and after one of my movie crazy friends who pretty much sees (AND likes) almost every movie released called up and spouted invective for a good 10 minutes, have decided to give the flick a break. Simply cannot wait for Apr 14th when Vettiyadu is finally released. Yet another super slick Tam movie.

- Hari