Spurs Lose

Defending NBA Champions San Antonio Spurs have lost in the western conference semis in an overtime thriller to the Dallas Mavericks. Tim Duncan had 41 points, 15 rebs, 6 assists and 3 blocks and the spurs overcame a 20 point deficit to lead by 3, but it was not enough as Dallas forced overtime and pipped the Spurs.

This is the best series I have ever watched and this rivalry is bound to go places in the coming years! More on the Spurs-Mavs classic series.

தன்மான சிங்கங்கள்

Disclaimer: Got these pics as an email forward. Nice creativity. Hats off to the one who created this and thanks to the ones who forwarded this :-)

Here are a few தன்மான சிங்கங்கள் in TN. There are very apt comments too. The "numero uno" is at the end. Enjoy!!

Back to the River City

It's been long since I wrote something about my favourite sport - Basketball. Its showtime out there in the NBA now, it's play-offs! Its one of the best actions this year with 3 of the 4 semifinals decided by Game 7! The other one had six. I've not seen a more intense playoff in recent times. The top two teams in the West, San Antonio and Dallas are squaring up in the conference semis in what has been billed as the "dream series". True. It has been an amazing series with all but one game been decided in the final seconds. Game 7 is Monday in the River city. The greatest in this series - the Spurs have sprung back from 1-3, a deficit which only 8 teams have managed to overcome all these years. They simply showed why they are the defending champs!

I chanced myself to Game 6 of the series. The Spurs scripted out a superb 5 point win on the road shutting the foul mouthed Mark Cuban, Mavericks owner. Michael Finley heard nothing but boos and saw placards saying "Public enemy #4" playing on his former team's home court. He silenced the crowd with a thunderous dunk over 7-foot Eric Dampier. And it was Mike again with the go ahead 3 pointer over 7 foot Dirk Nowitzki and he thwarted Dirk on the ensuing possession. Parker sank two from the charity stripe and the Spurs defense then screwed things to finish off. Superstar Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili had big games too. Duncan had his worst game of the series though with only 24 points :-) Timmy is back after a subpar season! But for a person to steal the show with 20K people against him is truly sensational. Three cheers to Michael Finley.

Now with the series shifting to the AT&T center, I can't wait for Game 7!!

But for the Finley incidents and Jason Terry's punch on Finley that earned him suspension for Game 6, the series has been played with superb spirit and the players have respected each other so well. Avery Johnson, Dallas Head Coach learned the nuances of the game as a Spur at the Alamodome under Gregg Poppovich, the Spurs Head Coach. And he has indeed brought in certain values of the Spurs into the Dallas rosters. The Spurs are the best franchise among all professional league sports!

One thing causing a stir among the top ranks is the big flaw in scheduling match-ups in the playoffs. The current setup is such that the top two teams in each conference meet in the semifinals. Weird isnt it?!? The result - San Antonio and Dallas squaring up in the semis. This is a classic finals matchup!David Stern has promised change next time around and hopefully Dallas and SA continue this superb rivalry for many more years to come!

Go! Spurs Go!

நூற்றினில் ஒரு வார்த்தை

My Grandfather had come yesterday evening. His insights about both things happening around us are something I just love. He relates happenings to similar things that have happened centuries back and often takes quotes out of Ramayana and Bhagavad Geetha. Not so difficult for a person who reads Ramayana everyday!

Dad, grandpa and myself were discussing about the state of politics, education among others in the state and in the country. Thats when the topic of reservations came in. I was quick to bring in a supposed statement by Azim Premji that came in as a forward. And the discussion went on going around Viswamithra, Right Honourable Srinivasa Shastri and a couple of his friends who were revelations in Government Services. At the end it was a stunner from my thatha...

"Adhellam vidu, competent people-kku KadavuL, incompetent people-kku Government". Golden Words, aren't they? Way to go thatha!

True Lies

True Lies - not the English movie. Its about "thalai" Ajith's super flop Tirupathi. I got to see a poster somewhere near Perungudi saying "வெற்றிகரமான 40-வது நாள்". There is a limit to telling lies. First, the move has bombed horribly. Second, its not yet 40 days since the movie released. Even in The Hindu there are ads saying Tirupathi is the biggest grosser in 2006. Ore comedy pa :-)

Closing out with a good one. One of my colleague - a big big fan of Ajith to the level to being his rasigar manram's member. His comment 20 minutes into the movie "விடு தலை. அடுத்த படத்துல பாத்துக்கலாம்". He left the theatre at half-time.

Silverspoon Silpa Kumar correct-a sonnaru "படிச்சு பெரிய ஆளா வரணும். ரசிகர் மன்றத்துல மட்டும் சேர்ந்துடாதே" appdinu.

Gare and Gaandu

I was feeling "gare" this morning courtesy TNEB as there were intermittent powercuts throughout the night. No proper sleep. Ivanunga indha pazhakkatha eppo niruthuvaanungalo!

Sari nu Radio Mirchi vecha ellam mokkai paattu... Suchi-kku yaaru mela gaando theriyala.. ooraye pazhi vaangitanga! Suryan FM kekkave vendam - pesiye mokkai podranunga. FM Gold-la kaalangaathala "Aalapanai" pannitrukkanunga. The only solace was FM Rainbow. Thankfully, very nice songs... Less "gare" now. Back to work!

o ya yaaa.. FM Rainbow!!

A nice evening with friends

There is one aspect in which the DMK and AIADMK are not at loggerheads. Guess what? - causing inconvenience to public. This is something at which every politician is at home and these two parties master it. Ennamo "thondru thottu vaazhndhu vandha pazhakkam maathiri".

May 13, around 11AM : Kalaignar took over as Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister

May 13, 6.30PM, Thiruvanmiyur Signal : Traffic piling up for nearly a KM on both sides. Reason - Kalaignar's convoy on its way into the city. 42 cars, yes its 42 - I counted, blitzed past us. I was held up for 15 mins at that particular signal. Even vehicles were not allowed on the other side of the road in one of the busiest intersections connecting the city and the suburbs. Next, Jayanthi signal-la another 15 mins - after affect of what happened at 6.30.

7PM: Reached the beach. Reddy, Maddy, Arun and Arvind were all there already as they managed to escape detention on the road by a whisker. It was great fun after that and once KG joined it was more fun. Reddy tried his hand at ottufying KG. He was not convinced with KG's explanations whatsoever. Maddy was as usual at his best bird watching. Arvind tried his best to stop him. All the other 5 interpreted a telephone call I got from my friend for an employee referral as.. u know what... :-). The other 4 drenched themselves while I was looking after wallets, mobile phones and bike keys. Mirchi gave me company. We missed Balaji and the twins the most.

Finally, the best part. Arvind's treat. Kaila 400/- vechundu treat-kku vandhirukkan rascal! We started at 9.15 from the beach and went in search of a nice place to dine. People were waiting to enter the restaurants everywhere. Sangeethas was one place where the crowd was manageable. We helped ourselves to the A/C hall upstairs; sumptuous meal after that. AUECE 2004's traditional behaviour at hotels during gettogethers was present as always even though the strength was only 6. Started for home at 11.

11.05, Radio Mirchi: "Pathukulle number onnu sollu...". KG came into my mind. I smiled my way on my victor. More smiles for the next hour :-)

Sledge Hammer

Guessing hard what this is about?!? Sledge Hammer - that was the first thing I remembered when I saw Chris Gayle bat for the first time. A slapped cover drive off Waqar drew a parallel to saying "poLichunu vechan" in Tamil. Very few players can be likened to a "Sledge Hammer" - Gayle, Symonds, Justin Kemp, Dhoni and Kevin Pietersen. Viv Richards doesnt fit here - he is a cut above all, he is the master. These players have brought in a new dimension to sensational strokeplay mixing talent with raw power. Dhoni is the most unorthodox among the above but he is slowly learning to be patient too!

The reason am writing about this topic among many especially with so much happening in TN - Kevin Pietersen. I chanced myself to this man's blazing innings yesterday against SL.

Pietersen burst onto the international scene with 3 blazing hundreds in his debut series away against SA. KP has the style, footwork, patience and brute power - all combined in one which makes him the nemesis of all teams in the world. Playing with such buccaneering flair and panache, he easily stands out among the big hitters in the game today. KP plays per situation and he has the ability to shun his natural instincts for a longer time in the interests of his team. His fifty in both innings on debut against Aus @ Lord's bear testimony to this! KP certainly saved the face of England from a more humiliating defeat; losing by 250 is not a great thing either :-)

More than anything, he dictates the way the match goes when he plays. That makes him doubly special. He can turn the game on its head both with his batting and fielding - his first ODI against Aus is an example. He is only 25 - this factor is certain to bug many a bowler. Way to go KP!

And finally something for the statisticians - his highest score is 158 and he has scored it three times - against Aus, zim and SL yesterday. A quick analysis on 158 showed the count doesnt match his birthdate too. Then what's so special about 158 Mr. KP?!?

TV pips Gold & PC's

May 11, Chennai : Colour TV beats Gold and PC, emerges Champion!

This is not Equestrian and these are not Horses' names. This is TN elections - the war of freebies as "Cho" Ramaswamy puts it.

It has been the closest elections in recent times and people have given a mandate to the DMK front to form the next Government. This is one election where the anti incumbency factor has played a very very small role. It has more to do with what is offered for free! I am very unhappy with what has turned out as people have come and voted blindly. There are hundreds of welfare issues that would weigh much, but the freebies led by colour TV have appealed to most people more than anything. Shame on us!

A simple second thought - as simple as "who will repair that free color TV?"- could have spurred a different line of thought among the voter, leave alone thinking of welfare schemes whatsoever. I personally feel no need for a change since the Govt was doing pretty decent. And now, the person who is going to lead the state is the most undeserving MLA - he has been to the assembly only once during the past 5 years - great job as an MLA isn't it?!? Damn it! Chepauk voters are perhaps the most anserine among all!

Perhaps in the forthcoming elections there would be promises like 'they are giving 15" TV, we are giving 17" with remote and a guarantee of free repair', "we will give TVS50 as opposed to the free cycle given by them" and many more like this. Read this to know about other potential offers that may spruce up in the coming years.

Other matter now: The star of the show is certainly our favorite - the one and only "Gabtun". A vote share of 10% for a 6 month old party is just great! Lok Paritran's 37K votes in Chennai is a herculean start for them. Kudos to them! Way to go!!

Stats now - something I like very much :-)

Tambaram has got the highest victory margin of 48K plus votes.

Singanallur in Kovai Dt. has got the lowest - 14 votes!

Overall, this election bears testimony to Goundamani's words - "freeya kodutha phenoyil-a kooda kudippan"

My Vote!

May 8, 2006 was certainly a memorable day in my life - I voted for the first time. I was glad that I could make it having spent nearly 4 hours to get my voter id card. I went to a nearby school that was the booth at around 7.30 and was pleasantly surprised to see about 150 people in the men's queue and about 50 on the distaff side. The other ward queues had about 50 in each of the queues. "Very decent", I said to myself. Barring a few probs with the voting machine, everything else was a nice experience in itself. I expected a 60% + turnout and it was heartening to see close to 70% polling.

One thing I did not like - the dye that is marked on the left index finger. Man, its supposed to be a small straight line this time. But it was a big cross on my finger! My colleagues burst into laughter seeing that and likened me to an accused :-(