random blogs of eterNiTi

Art and Agony

2008-09-22T22:13:00.002-04:00

It is perhaps the irony of fate that some of the most brilliant and popular artists never earned the fame or money in the prime of their lives, a period when they could have 'used' it. This also brings another aspect of their lives that they mostly came from impecunious backgrounds. History is filled with the notorieties of the society that has often been unjust to the 'socially unacceptable' artists and non-conformists. On the other hand, some people may argue that if it wasn't for the hardships that stimulated the unyielding will of these artists, they wouldn't have peaked the way they did in their careers. An 'unfulfilling personal life' characterises many of these, who suffered from irascibility and faced tragedies in their later years.

Be it Van Gogh, Beethoven or Jane Austen - they had their shares of unfairness in life. While Austen did get to enjoy some of her fame, she had such a short life that seems so incredible given her mammoth contributions to English literature. Having died at a young age of 42, she created 6 masterpieces, that tell her own tale of unsuccessful personal experiences. But since she had control over her characters, she did not let them lose and share her destiny. As the character in the movie 'Becoming Jane' says, "My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire.", one cannot help but feel the subdued inner-landscape of the authoress. Van Gogh ended his life after suffering from some sort of mental depression; his last words were "the sadness will last forever." The musical Maestro - Beethoven - also died under mysterious circumstances and created trouble for himself and others in his last few years.

It is unfortunate that they could not beautify their own lives while redressing the wounds of millions.

Tum se hi..

2008-09-20T23:45:00.001-04:00

tera na hona jaane kyun hona hi hai

through

2008-09-17T00:50:00.001-04:00

through
Originally uploaded by _Neverletmego_

lovely photograph

khayal

2008-09-17T00:43:00.003-04:00

ibteda-e-ishq hai rota hai kya
aage aage dekhiye hota hai kya

sabz hoti hi nahin ye sar zameen
tukhm-e-khwahish dil me tu bota hai kya

-Meer Taqi Meer

img source: flickr

khayal

2008-09-16T23:34:00.000-04:00

kar raha tha gham-e-jahaan ka hisaab
aaj tum yaad be-hisaab aaye

is tarah apni khaamoshi goonji
goya har simt se jawaab aaye

-Faiz

img courtesy: flickr

quite wordless for a title

2008-09-08T22:32:00.005-04:00

When the year long drought finally ended for the champion, in his hands was a glittering trophy, that not only recognises him but whose hands it feels at home in. Suddenly, every wait and defeat looked worth it; to discover that the Maestro can find his rhythm when it matters the most, when the conditions are not in favor, when the cynics are hissing the loudest and when journalists cut their tongues loose.

And now, I am not going to be one of those who just know how to talk, so I would just end here with a smile and satisfaction of witnessing near history today at Flushing Meadows. They say his shot making is like the execution of a painter, his effortless backhands are as graceful as the move of a ballerina, his 'kissing-the-line' serve is the stroke of a genius and when he plays his best, it seems he is flying. They should not say anything from now on, they should just say he is Roger Federer. An athlete. An artist.

(excuse my bad writing, I can barely contain my excitement)

And if you want to see one of the most amazing returns or rather what Fed is capable of, take a look-

ek raat, ek khayal

2008-08-29T22:40:00.003-04:00

Ghalib zamana mujh ko mitaata hai kis liye,
Loh-e-jahaan pe harf-e-muqarrar nahin hoon main

-Ghalib

The war of the words

2008-08-29T22:05:00.003-04:00

If speech is the biggest weaponry of a politician, the Democrats know how to fight a war.

Three brilliant political speeches within a week-

1. Hillary Clinton, 26th Aug

2. Bill Clinton, 27th Aug
the charm has not faded

3. Barack Obama, 28th Aug

Disclaimer: I am not a proponent of any party and I am very well aware of why those speeches had to be given the way they were. But nonetheless, the orators did a magnificent job.

Sad state of affairs for WTA

2008-08-29T21:50:00.002-04:00

In absence of Henin, WTA is left head-less; none of the top 5 are ready to take over. Only if any of the ladies can take it seriously. The position at top in the WTA is very much open for bid.

Kuznetsova leaves in tears

a clueless Ivanovic

Jankovic's exit wouldn't be surprising either. She is frickin' full of injuries

Injuries again

handsome curls

2008-08-29T21:48:00.003-04:00

img: bbc, cbcnews

dinner

2008-08-29T21:14:00.000-04:00

Gods are watching

2008-08-29T14:45:00.001-04:00

"STOP praying when Roger Federer is playing because Gods are also busy watching him play, such beauty he has in his game that they feel one of them has been born as a human to play this game and let the mortals see their display!!! "

haha, read it somewhere on a forum!

the colors at USO

2008-08-28T00:37:00.005-04:00

flowery skirt, really?

missing Sharapova, anyone?

who, except the hunk, could carry tht yellow with such flair

all images courtesy: the official usopen website

blurb

2008-08-27T00:50:00.002-04:00

When u need it most, the time slips faster out of your grip or may be its because we try to hold it tighter that in the process, we let it slip more. A smokey mind and throbbing head with sleep eluding the eyes. There's no escape, someone had said; fighting the ghosts of your thoughts is worse than arguing with the best debater. Amidst all this, world is revolving fast and time galloping as usual. Dont know what happened with the Democrats' conventions and hows the hard court at Flushing is challenging the players. The Indians are going nuts, a complete religious meltdown it seems; when will they learn? Every country has its share of fools some call it PUMA, some Shiv Sena and some Zardari. Majority calls it Bus*. Whatever.

'I am the best, no?' - At the moment, yes.

2008-08-19T16:08:00.003-04:00

Ouch!

Excerpt from Ford's article at tennis.com

The yes man
New world No. 1 Rafael Nadal has worked nearly as diligently on his English as his grass- and hard-court games, but he retains the charming habit of ending his sentences with a conversational "No?'' It's certainly not indicative of any negativity. The 22-year-old Spaniard has answered in the affirmative to every single competitive question people had about him this season, and he's done it with grace and verve. We might have predicted Nadal would win an Olympic gold medal simply by the undiluted enthusiasm he radiated when he marched in the Opening Ceremony. It was a muscular embrace of the moment that has been characteristic of the way he's approached the challenge of making up the once enormous-looking gap between second and first in the rankings. If it hadn't been for one incandescent, flawless match by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Australian Open semifinals, Nadal would be contemplating the possibility of a Golden Grand Slam. His accomplishments this season aren't without irony. Nadal was the most vehement of the top players in voicing (albeit politely) his displeasure with this year's compressed schedule. In turn, many observers -- including yours truly -- openly doubted whether his body could withstand the pounding. Yet the steady work seems to have agreed with Nadal. Felicitations are in order. Si?

Nadal's "no?" is quite addictive, growing up on me at least. Well if you look at it, seeing him interviewing as a champion after every major victory this year, one is bound to pick it up. Looking at the new order of the ATP ranking and not seeing the favorite name at the top makes me wince but if there is anyone whom I or the TMF fans could bear to see replacing him is undoubtedly Rafa. Interestingly, Rafa has done everything right and earned the crown with every possible conviction unlike Jankovic, who was possibly the shortest-lived leader at the WTA board. A new era dawns upon tennis, lets see how long does this one last.

That said, the real challenge has just started for TMF, can he overcome the adversity in terms of results and show his mettle to claim the highest acknowledgement in tennis from Sampras? Now is the time because he is against the best competitor he ever saw and his usual preys are coming with a mentality that they can defeat him, which is very unlike the times till last year when most of them conceded the match even before it started. And, seeing him so happy after winning doubles Gold was such a refreshing sight.

a price to pay for perfection

2008-08-18T14:04:00.001-04:00

We are in middle of the Olympics and India has claimed its first and only individual Gold in the history of games. Once in four years, Indians think or try to think about sports. And there are questions that you will find them raising vehemently in circle of friends or over a cup of coffee. The emotions vary from shrugs to smirks. From indifference to derision at govt. sports policies, you will find it all.

This Olympic is no different and yet a bit, for the reason that China is hosting it, not only hosting it but using it craftily to raise itself on the world stage and showcase its talent and capability. The controversies linked to Olympic have already drawn a lot of criticism and questions this time. Be it Tibet issue or 'little angel miming' or fake graphics used in the opening ceremony; for that matter, be it the last-minute beautification campaigns of erecting walls in front of unpresentable areas in Beijing - the quest for perfection has come out more as 'desperate' rather than a nation's genuine efforts to make the Olympics memorable. The unspoken question that lingers in everybody's mind is 'What's the price that China is willing to pay to get such a global acknowledgement?'.

The opening ceremony has been spectacular and team China is leading the medals count comfortably. They paid a price to achieve this. Its for them to decide whether the deal was profitable. In this context, I read an interesting Indian take here. I also vaguely remember an article that I read when Obama's pastor remarks had evoked shocking reactions among Americans. The article contrasted the Chinese policies on suppressing the Tibetans with the open-minded American society where the people at least have the freedom to speak their mind out (of course referring to Rev. Wright). Its a valid point esp. when I hear people (sometimes myself) demeaning their political systems and comparing it to others. Grass is not often green on the other side in reality. I have probably realized it more after coming in contact with the supposed other side. As long as there is a system, it will be criticized no matter what. But its better than not having a system at all. The Olympics related criticism could have been just an envy on others' part but the Chinese themselves have had mixed emotions of pride and angst on the subject. Who is to decide?

Olympic snapshots

2008-08-17T01:21:00.002-04:00

No time for full-blown articles, few bullets from various sports links-

Federer snaps gold drought, joins Wawrinka in doubles triumph
When Federer closed out the victory with service winner, he threw up his arms and began hopping, then hugged his partner.

Switzerland's Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka celebrate Saturday after beating Sweden's Thomas Johansson and Simon Aspelin in Beijing.
The medal is the first in three Olympics for Federer, who has won 12 Grand Slam singles titles.

He was beaten in the quarterfinals of singles at Beijing by American James Blake, and his 4½-year reign atop the rankings will end Monday when Rafael Nadal becomes No. 1.

But he's now a medalist for the first time in his three Olympics.

"Sort of a dream-come-true moment," Federer said. "Maybe it comes around once in a lifetime. It's almost disbelief, to some degree."

look at that, who says the tennis players don't care about olympics!

It�??s 8: Phelps passes Spitz with another gold
BEIJING (AP)�??Cheering from the pool deck, Michael Phelps won his record eighth gold medal of the Beijing Games on Sunday to become the grandest of Olympic champions.

Jason Lezak held on to the lead Phelps gave him, anchoring the United States to a world record in the 400-meter medley relay against an Australian team that did its best to spoil history.

But Phelps, with a big hand from three teammates, would not be denied. He eclipsed Mark Spitz�??s seven-gold performance at the 1972 Munich Games, an iconic performance that was surpassed by a swimmer fitting of this generation: a 23-year-old from Baltimore who loves hip-hop music, texting with his buddies and wearing his cap backward.

�??I don�??t even know what to feel right now,�?? Phelps said. �??There�??s so much emotion going through my head and so much excitement. I kind of just want to see my mom.�??

Lets keep the spirit of Independence alive

2008-08-14T21:57:00.003-04:00

Wishing all the Indians a very Happy Independence Day, thats the least I can do. Hopefully we will understand it's value some day.

Rahman's revival of Vande Mataram

Bindra hits bull's eye

2008-08-12T22:09:00.002-04:00

In a country with more than 1.3 billion people, it took a wait of 108 (which is considered lucky in Hindu system) years to see the first individual Gold Medal in the biggest stage of sports - Olympics. The incredible feat was achieved by Abhinav Bindra who rose to the occasion and ended the long drought for India at the medal's tally. Those who are familiar with Indian sports scenario know how challenging and excruciating it can be to be a part of not-so-popular sports which shockingly involve almost everything except cricket and tennis. Not only is the government extremely careless towards development of sports and promotion of talent in general, nothing short of a gold or silver medal at big events like Olympics or Asian games can bring you to the headlines. These difficulties and struggles make Bindra's victory all the more special. It is definitely a moment of immense pride for the seventh largest nation in the world.

Abhinav Bindra: Reticent champion

Goodbyes

2008-08-10T23:15:00.005-04:00

Goodbyes are never easy especially to very very close friends. Since it was decided, all the friends have been planning everything keeping his farewell in mind. And now that he is actually gone, the void has emerged - not only in the seats around dinner table but in our thoughts. The feeling has not even sunk in yet and next few days will evoke the small memories more prominently as the dust of the excitement will settle down.

I remember someone once saying: NRIs kahin ke bhi nahi rehte, na des ke na baahar ke. And to think it right at this moment, its cruelly apt. Having spent some very important years of one's life outside the home and away from family, this place is not a strange-land anymore. To have adapted to and breathed in this air, the aroma of the culture here has blended in our perspective. But at the same time, I remember how I, U and N were once standing at 8th floor in my office building, watching the NY downtown from the cafeteria. N had just come back from his home in Brazil and was talking to us about it. He said, "I would love to go back." Then he stared at the skyline and said, "This is beautiful and I have enjoyed my 2 years here, but this is not home". I knew what he meant. I will never forget it because that statement resonated with my inner thoughts. We smiled and went back to our desks. He is in Chicago and I am here. And I love this place. And, whenever I go back, some part of me would stay behind. Its a choice that one has to make at some point in his life. Its a choice that S made and I am happy for him. All I know is that at this very moment, we all miss him for I have no relatives here but friends. To lose one is a very dear loss. However, its not entirely a loss, I will see him very soon and till then, let me miss him.

img courtesy: flickr

TMF turns 27

2008-08-09T00:21:00.003-04:00

Rattled in Beijing

Federer has them swooning in the village

The top rank might be going away soon for the Swiss Maestro but to have represented his nation on his 27th b'day in the world's biggest sporting stage is a glory that very few lucky ones get to bask in. Happy Birthday!

ek raat, ek khayal

2008-08-07T21:19:00.003-04:00

haal-e-dil nahi maloom lekin is qadar yaani,

humne baaraha dhoonda, tumne baaraha paaya

-Unknown (probably Ghalib)

image courtesy: flickr

TDK

2008-08-06T01:35:00.001-04:00

Couldn't be any better

The Best? Better than Shawshank? The Debate continues....

Time to put those childhood dreams on a sticky note?

2008-08-01T14:50:00.004-04:00

On Friday, 25th of July 2008, Prof. Randy Pausch became immortal. He suffered from incurable pancreatic cancer, of which I have no idea. I hadn't heard his name till 2 weeks back. According to Wikipedia - "Each year about 37,680 individuals in the United States are diagnosed with this condition, and 34,290 die from the disease." So, he was one of these 34K people. What did make a difference was his invincible spirit against the terminal disease. Thanks to few friends that I saw his 'Last Lecture'. I am having a tough time trying to classify his talk because it was 'simply' a 'heart-to-heart' talk. Though his experiences are a big source of inspiration, he did not try to 'preach'. He talked and because it came from a guy who was not 'pretending' that it was his last lecture, it made a deep impact on people world wide. No doubt, the lecture was delivered perfectly, had a crisp matter but it wasn't a corporate stunt that people were witnessing. It was seeing a man talking about real life things that matter to everyone.

I would be a millionth person to write/talk about the CMU Prof. This is to just add a place on web where the astray reader might get to know about him. No, he is not great or he is not trying to preach anything. See it if you want to know do you really enjoy your life. See it if you have been a student. See it if you love academia. See it if you believe in being happy. See it if you believe in learning. See it if you believe in dreams. He knew his last day (figuratively) and how much time he had. We don't. So, isn't it all the more urgent for us? Billions exist, only a fraction live.

ek raat, ek khayal

2008-08-01T00:29:00.002-04:00

Jo rukay toh koh-e-garan the hum, jo chalay to jaan se guzar gaye
Rah-e-yaar hum ne qadam qadam, tujhe yadgaar bana dia

-Faiz