My new year resolutions

When the clock strikes twelve on December 31st, people all over the world cheer and wish each other a very Happy New Year. For some, this event is no more than a change of a calendar. For others, the New Year symbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow. So, if you look forward to a good year ahead, spread happiness with these wonderful New Year wishes.

But one thing that I find really amusing is the concept of new year resolutions !! Some say they are sweet, some they are meant to be broken... But this year, in 2008, I have decided to follow a very unusual list of resolutions. Yes, its not about getting thin or about being a better person and neither about scoring better in exams nor about indulging less in the time pass activities. Since this year will mark the end of my engineering education (?) where most of the time I have spent in gaming, this was the best that suited for me... Here you go !!

* My gaming resolutions *

1) I will not start playing games on the "easiest" difficulty level...

Yeah... when I finally get "Call of Duty 4" I wont be playing it on "greenhorn" level. Sometimes the temptation to select the easiest difficulty setting (prior to even experiencing how hard the game actually is) is just too overwhelming. This is especially true when you start to doubt your gaming skills and worry about the possibility of getting stuck indefinitely at some later point in the game. We've all been there, but we all also know the consequences of automatically picking the least difficult game setting: the game becomes too easy. You begin letting enemies wail on you because the damage you take is so infinitesimal, you stop caring about preserving ammunition/items, and you ultimately don't have as much fun because you're not faced with any real challenge.

2) I wont start a new game unless I complete the one I am playing currently...

For most gamers, it's unrealistic to think that we'll be able to complete 110% of every game we own, but if we put too many games on the backburner it's easy to completely lose interest in putting forth a decent effort to play through them. Just because Need for Speed - ProStreet was released doesn't mean we have to give up on the game(s) we're playing and run to the store, right? Complete the Need for Speed - Most Wanted's "Challenges" first, I can assure you, they will give you a run for your money !!

3) I wont rely on a single source before rating a game...

Be it GameSpot, IGN, or AmputeeGaming, we all have a favorite gaming pub, and sometimes we give too much credit to the reviewer's take on a specific game. Obviously, when GameSpot gives a game a "6.0," the game is more than likely a turd. But when a game that you're excited for receives a less than perfect score, do the right thing and check other media outlets and/or ask your friends. One of the best examples that I can quote here is "Marvel : ultimate alliance" suggested by a friend of mine and its a cool game though most of the gaming sites have rated it on the lower side. As SRK says, "Listen to your heart !!" or whatever...

4) I will limit the number of hours that I put in gaming so that I can get more out of the outdoor life...

The next GTA (yeah, GTA-4 is coming !!) is released and the only time you have to lay your hands over the game is after work. By the time you manage to slip out of the office/college, get your a** to downloading / buying it and you're minutes away from passing out from exhaustion. Before you know it, you're asleep with the controller in your hand and you're barely past the title screen. As a result, you call into work sick, skip college, cancel plans for the following day. Even we've done it at times, but this year we're going to try to keep the number of instances we devote to an entire day of gaming to a minimum. Though I don't fall short in terms of the fun that I have with friends and relatives, from this year I intend to explore even more !!

5) I will force myself to play different genres of game that I was hitherto not so interested in...

Who hasn't said one or more of the following?

"I don't have the patience to sit through the endless lines of dialogue to play RPGs." "First-person shooters make me nauseous, so I don't bother with them."
"Sports games are simply too much boring, same stuff infinite times"
"Racing games require skill, who wants to be a pro??"

And so on and so forth. We all have our favorite genre, but why limit your gaming experience simply because you're too stubborn to try something different? Hate RPGs? Try Mass Effect. Don't care for the mindless shooting of FPS games? Give BioShock a whirl. (though you will require a monster of a system to play them !!)

That's all on the gaming front for this year. Happy gaming to you too. Click here to post your comments.

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The CAT is out of the bag !

First of all Hearty Congratulations to those who cracked it and hard luck to those who got cracked by it... Its none other than the The Common Admission Test (CAT) which is an all-India test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as an entrance test for the management programmes of its six business schools and is considered (it really is...) the toughest exam to crack through after the prestigious IIT-JEE exam for engineering entrance to the Indian Institutes of Technology. Somehow the common words (II) in both of these have always struck a mesmerizing academic challenge to students in India with respect to their graduation and post graduation.

More than 200,000 (230,000 in the year 2007) students compete for about 1500 seats in the IIMs. This makes the IIMs even more selective than all the Ivy League Universities. Even with a top 1% score, a candidate must also cross the equally stringent hurdles of a group discussion and an individual interview. Hence, graduates all over the country always die to cross that 99 %tile hurdle so that one day they can earn hefty pay scales as investment banker and what not.

The CAT is one of the world's most demanding entrance examinations for any graduate institute. The test taker is expected to excel in arithmetical problem solving, geometry, statistics, data interpretation, logical reasoning in solving complex puzzles, and English Language skills. The test is held on the third Sunday of November for a duration of two and a half hours and everyone gets ready for the final take with his pencils, eraser and sharp mind on this day to bell the CAT.

It is neither expected, nor possible, that all the questions be answered, so the CAT also tests the candidates' ability to prioritise under pressure: a quality necessary in the competitive environment of IIMs' courses. And I experienced the trauma that is CAT, on 18th November last year. Why am I blogging about this stuff? Because the results are out. And I flunked... big time... But no worries. They allow you to give it more than once, and if you work somewhere in between, its said that its even better. So even those who flunked it are optimistic of a better future, thus making true of the words from Geeta, "Jo hota hai acche ke liye hi hota hai" (Whatever happens, happens for good).

Sometimes, I wonder how the trend of the Y-generation has shifted to management education, without actually realizing the importance of the same, irrespective of the judgement whether they actually have the orientation to excel in this chosen field, since the diversity in the aptitude of different people is very well known. Its the latest "rat-race" in education sector, which is being exploited by the ever rising coaching institutes which promise you a birth in IIMs with its last year's record and impeccable faculty stats etc. Its always better for a person to first plan his career in a systematic way and then try to achieve his post graduation in the desired field.

Basically, being an engineer, our lot is divided into five types :

a) the techno geeks : These opt for GATE and GRE to pursue M.Tech and M.S. respectively, and are the true technologists, who find the love in the discipline that they "engineered" themselves in. Honestly speaking, after 4 years of drudgery, these students must get a bravery award just for "carrying on" !!

b) the management kids : They are kids because I think its really silly to get into a "B-School" just after completing your graduation and without any exposure to absolutely any kind of business environment, wherein you can interact with the system and apply your know-how accordingly. Of course, the only force of attraction these days towards MBA as a fresher is the amount of green bucks that you earn and it would be dishonest of me to say that I would turn one down if I had got a call from a super B-School.

c) Job Crackers : These are usually toppers who dominate the placement scene from the word go and might figure in the earlier two categories too. Some of the exceptions, might sneak through the tight filter, but then its all about presenting (correctly) what you know and hiding (efficiently) what you don't. So I have always felt that peaking in this category isn't really a smart indicator of your brilliance, talent or the amount of grey matter in your cranium.

d) The Win-all league : No Comments on this category because I am ideologically against the existence of such people. But this being my blog, I must at least give the reason for my fury against these "envy-of-all" candidates : you just can't have it all, spare some for others too !!

e) The alternatives : Somehow these are the real champs of life. Some of them open up their own business venture. Some of them might end up earning money for doing what they like to do the most. Some of them go on to a really bizarre career like adventure tourism or music development etc but at least they do what they like. Indeed, you get one shot and you gotta hit it spot on.

To end this crap on a rather lighter note, let me show you how education might ruin the simplicity of human life. Consider this sample (which is fictitious of course and copied from orkut :-)), GRE and CAT aspirants tune up their verbal skills that ultimately its useless for the common soul.

NORMAL PERSON : People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
GRE scholar : Individuals who make their abodes in vitreous edifices would be advised to refrain from catapulting perilous projectiles.

NORMAL PERSON : Twinkle, twinkle, little star
GRE scholar : Scintillate, scintillate, asteroid minim.

NORMAL PERSON : All that glitters is not gold.
GRE scholar : All articles that coruscate with resplendence are not truly auriferous.

NORMAL PERSON : Beggars are not choosers.
GRE scholar : Sorting on the part of mendicants must be interdicted.

NORMAL PERSON : Dead men tell no tales.
GRE scholar : Male cadavers are incapable of rendering any testimony.

Hope you had a good laugh with your dictionary reading this awesome stuff. Click here to post your comments and views on entrance exams like CAT and JEE. Many love them and many sulk about them. What about you ??
P.S.: Please pardon me if the article went off the track in between, but I don't know what exactly I was writing on... hehe...

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Its a "Gentlemen's" game... NOT !

Incredible stuff was witnessed in Sydney in the beginning of new year 2008, where India lost out to a 13 man (?) Aussie team. Why 13? Read on...

Blunder # 1

Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting (hereby referred to as Punter, from the next time) nicked a Saurav Ganguly (Dada) delivery going down the leg side to the wicket keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Punter, who was at 17, did not walk as umpire Benson turned down the Indian appeal. The skipper went on to score 55. The Indian team fought hard... reduced the Aussies to 134/6. But...

Blunder # 2
This one changed the course of the match. All rounder Andrew Symonds edged Ishant Sharma to Dhoni but to the horror of the fielding side, umpire Bucknor remained unmoved.

Blunder # 3
Symonds was given another reprieve when the third umpire "shockingly" erred in giving him out o a stumping appeal. The right hander went on to score an unbeaten 162 to take Australia to a massive score.

Blunder # 4
Another escape for Andrew Symonds as Bucknor turns down a close stumping appeal without even consulting the third umpire.

Blunder # 5
The only one which went India's way... Sachin Tendulkar survived a close leg before shout when on 38 before ironically going on to score his 38th century. The Indian team fought hard... and scored a mammoth 500+ total. But...

Blunder # 6
Benson turns down an Anil Kumble appeal for a leg before appeal against Michael Hussey despite the ball hit the batsman's pad plumb in front. Hussey who was on 22, went on to score a match turning century.

Blunder # 7
Benson at it again, Hussey edged one from RP Singh to Dhoni but both the batsman and the umpire were unmoved. Hussey was on 45 then, scored a 100 more later...

Blunder # 8
Having taken Hussey and Clarke in consecutive balls, Kumble seemed to have gotten his hattrick after having Symonds trapped LBW but Bucknor says, "No". Symonds scored a quickfire 61.

Blunder # 9
Probably the most horrifying one for the Indian team, Bucknor gives Rahul Dravid caught behind of Symonds despite the ball missing the bat by miles, yeah... miles !! At lease consult the third umpire if you are unsure, dude...

Blunder # 10
Saurav Ganguly is caught at slips by Michael Clarke but the catch appears to be have been "lifted" off the ground. However, instead of referring to third umpire, Benson checks with Ponting, who quite expectedly calls it clean. Ganguly stays ground. Ponting blurts out, "I'm saying you are out..." Ganguly then showed the finger by the men in white.

The second test match in the currently ongoing India-Australia test series has been a landmark one, which literally challenges the very basics of the game of the Cricket. Whether its the age old tradition of manual umpiring or the spirit of integrity and honesty that characterized this supposedly Gentlemen's game, one thing is for sure, the cradle of sportsmanship has definitely been rocked far and wide. It was Australia's 16th consecutive win, but now I'm beginning to doubt the manner in which they won the last 15. Gavaskar has always been against the "do-anything-to-win-spirit" of the Aussies and I agree with him today, wholeheartedly... Ponting had once critised Nikhil Chopra some 4 years back when he stood ground after the umpire didnt gave him out and he scripted out a brilliant win for India. But I say, why doesnt he practise what he preaches?? Wasn't it he only, who stood ground, and asked for a replay when he was unsure of his dismissal, and that too after the umpire had lifted the finger. Ditto Clarke. And ironically, it was these two honest players that were consulted when Ganguly's doubtful catch was in question. Credibility, where are thou???

Umpiring blunders have always been there, but if they occur against one side only, then something is surely rotten. And if this happens against the same side repeatedly, something is rotten and fishy as well. Umpiring, is a tough job, with super reflexes requiring you to check for a no-ball and you dont get even a second to decide a tough decision like LBW. Couple this with additional norms and one will agree, 61 years is simply not an age to perform this tedious task.

By the way, Harbhajan has been handed a 3 match ban for "allegedly" calling Symonds a "big-monkey". Well, definitely you can't clap with one hand. I wonder how come Symonds was let off the hook. Surely he wasnt just spectating at that time. And of course, the match referee Mike Proctor thought it was cool when Brad Hogg called someone B*****d in the Indian team. Mark this, this is no racism, the aussie way...

Current Scenario : Aussies lead the series 2-0. Anil Kumble, without being on the offensive, very well said, "It was there for all to see". Boy... He has made us all proud. The Indian team didn't lose, at least for me. To hell with the 16th consecutive win. The tour is suspended right now, because ICC and the match referee has hit us where it hits the most. Cricket. One billion people love the sport. Aussies, do remember what happened last time you challenged a spin king from Sri Lanka. You were torn apart. And then they were only 20 Lacs. You might be the champs, but just one request, play the game like the champs do. Period.

If you want to comment on how India was done in by the dreaded finger, please click here. And yeah, the man of the match is Steve Bucknor without doubt...

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Rajnikant : There is nothing he can't do !!

Hello world, Its a new year - 2008, hope you all have a blast and be prosperous and happy and all other good things. Phew... now that, that is done with, I will like the readers of this blog to be humbled and brought down to earth (literally) by some of the slightly (?) exaggerated facets of, none other than, Rajnikant !! yeah... He is literally a demi god for South Indian movie fans and no less than an icon for others. I was inspired to do this bit for this man after I saw his latest multi million dollar flick, "Sivaji". This is a piece contributed by a friend of mine, Saurabh, to show the world that there simply is, no equal, to the legend called Rajnikant... hold your breath, here it comes -->

1) Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Rajnikant (some science, huh !!)

2) Rajnikant has counted to infinity - twice. (of course, he went on the negative side too...)

3) (Now this one is my favorite...) When Rajnikant does a pushup, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing earth down.

4) Rajnikant is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head. (and Einstein though nothing runs faster than light...)

5) Rajnikant doesn't wear a watch, HE decides what time it is. (and then there was Rajni !!)

6) Rajnikant can slam a revolving door.

7) Rajnikant gave Mona Lisa that smile. (alas !! the code is solved...)

8) Rajnikant's house has no doors, only walls that he walks through. (birla cement filed a lawsuit on him once, they say...)

9) Rajnikant grinds his coffee with his teeth and boils the water with his own rage. (thats why his movies seem to be having such a pot boiler of an end, huh??)

10) If you Google Search 'Rajnikant getting kicked', you will generate zero results. It just doesn't happen. (No comments)

11) It takes Rajnikant 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes. (Space time continuum is a joke for this dude, must say...)

12) The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until Rajnikant kicked one of the corners off.

13) There are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq; Rajnikant lives in Chennai. (There you go Mr. Bush, Saddam was innocent, after all !!)

14) Rajnikant once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills. They made him blink. (No wonder !)

15) The only things that run faster and longer than Rajnikant are his films.

16) Rajnikant's every step creates a mini whirlwind. Hurricane Katrina was the result of a morning jog. (oh Katrina...)

17) (quite proverbial, this one) Where there is a will, there is a way. Where there is Rajnikant, there is no other way.

Hope all of you enjoyed all these accurate facts and they brought a smile to your faces...
Do keep reading this space for more. To add, edit, correct any of the above or to just wish me a new year, click here...
till then Adios !!

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