Consoling Victory for KKR

Kolkatta Knight Riders fought seriously but had to fail more than a lot of times. But today, kolkatta managed to register their second victory in IPL 2009. Kolkatta won a close match against the powerful Chennai Super Kings team led by the Indian Captain Dhoni. A dazzling batting display by Brad Hodge and Brendon McCullam gave Kolkata a victory at last at the fag end of this IPL. Unfazed by a daunting target of 189, they triumphed over Chennai by 7 wickets at the end.

Brad Hodge teamed up with Wridhiman Saha to launch an all out attack during the last 5 overs to amass 58 runs decimating the Chennai Super Kings bowlers. It was CSK’s Lakshmipathy Balaji who bore the maximum brunt of KKR beating. If Saha was severe on him in the 17th over plundering 14 runs, Hodge went a step further when Balaji returned on the 19th to pile up 19 runs off it. Those two big overs, coupled with slack fielding by CSK during the death overs sealed the game in favour of KKR.

But it all started with McCullum at the top. He cracked a 48-ball 81 runs (a Batting Momentum or BM of 137) which paved the way for Hodge and others to go all out after the CSK bowling. Playing sensible cricket, McCullum and Hodge carefully avoided being extravagant against Muttiah Muralitharan, but didn’t spare the other bowlers of CSK in their chase. Hodge remained unbeaten on 77 runs off 44 balls (BM of 135) for which he was awarded the Man of the Match.

Earlier, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and a little cameo by Albie Morkel propelled CSK to a total of 188. But the night belonged to the KKR batsmen who stole the show in the penultimate over of the match. The loss dented CSK’s charge to the semi-finals as they now face a must-win situation in their last match.

Election - UPA ahead of NDA?

UPA, led by Congress Party, will make major gains in Left-ruled West Bengal and Kerala as well as in Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Maharashtra to emerge as the leading alliance with around 215 seats - 40 more than the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), states an NDTV exit poll.

The NDTV poll survey, on a sample size of 71,500 respondents across India, says the Congress will cross the 160 mark, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will get around 130. The Left-led Third Front will cross the 100 mark. However, the communists will suffer a setback in Kerala and West Bengal, - dropping below 35 seats from the 60 in the 14th Lok Sabha, the poll done in the GfK. In its bastion of West Bengal, the communists will lose 13 seats to the Congress and its ally, the Trinamool Congress, while in Kerala, the Left will lose seven seats and the UPA will gain nine seats.

In Uttar Pradesh, the UPA will gain four seats, but the Fourth Front (Samajwadi Party) will lose 12 seats. The UPA will gain in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh (seven seats) as well as in NDA-ruled Punjab (eight seats). The NDA will lose in most states, or maintain status quo, except in Bihar where it will do remarkably well - gaining 22 seats. In contrast, the Fourth Front (Rashtriya Janata Dal and others) will lose 21 seats in the state.

In Tamil Nadu, the UPA will lose six seats, while the Third Front (AIADMK) will gain five seats.
In Maharashtra, the NDA will lose six seats, while the UPA will gain seven. In Rajasthan, NDA will lose nine while the UPA will gain eight, the survey says.

Newtonin Moondram Vidhi - Movie Review

This film is starred by SJ Surya and directed by Thai Muthu Selvan. This film is quite distinct in its concept. A hero out to avenge the death of his lover at the hands of the villain. That is the basic plot of Newtonin Moondram Vidhi. Familiar plot, you might think; love, treachery and revenge. But this one is different right from the first frame.

These initial formalities done, we plunge straight into the story which involves a scheming, lecherous and treacherous media tycoon at its center. He is the perfect gentleman to the outside world but in reality his hands are stained with the blood of many a young woman, most of whom are employees in his own concerns. Any woman who does not agree to his vile demands is not spared alive. And, our protagonist’s lover (Sayali Bhagath) too falls prey to this man.

The script begins to grip you right after this with S.J. Suryah taking it upon himself to unravel the mystery behind his fiancée’s death. He first finds out the perpetrator of the crime. Seething with anger and pain, the obvious thing that a normal Tamil cinema hero would have done is to barge into this man’s office, confront all his bodyguards and smash his skull or shoot him straight through his heart. But, that is where writer-director Thai Muthuchelvan must be commended on. He has crafted a script that truly stands apart. S.J. Suryah’s character realizes that his target is no sitting duck to be shot easily, he needs to have a foolproof plan and execute it to perfection.

He spends nearly a year gathering all the information and resources he needs for the final strike. When he’s ready, he throws a veiled challenge to the tycoon and then begins a riveting two way chase, each trying to get the other before the other gets to one, and it is all set in two hours. Who wins in the end might be an easy guess, but how he does it is the crux and indeed gripping. There is absolutely no over the board heroism, no gravity defying stunts, not even the hero striking down 10 baddies, the script defies all concepts of heroism in Tamil cinema. The way the villain is finally finished might make viewer’s think whether it is possible, but as the director claimes ‘it has been scientifically proven’. We could do with the ratification of an ammunitions expert.

Overall, Newtonin Moondram Vidhi is a film that will stand apart for its script and treatment. It keeps one engaged right from the start to the end, does not slacken in the interim. The treatment, though different, might be a tad too strong for families. A rape scene in particular and violence and blood necessitated by the script make it difficult to be recommended for children. But, all said and done, Newtonin Moondram Vidhi will be a good and different watch. It will also help S.J. Suryah break free from his long standing playboy image.

Get your new IP address

Even if you have a static IP address, you can get your new IP address by just following these simple steps.

1. Open up the command prompt by pressing Start->Run and typing in cmd

2. In the command prompt, type “Ipconfig/all”. This will tell you your current IP Address. After, type “ipconfig/release”. Keep the command prompt open for easy access.

3. Go to “Network Connections” (accessible through the control panel). Right click “Local Area Connection” and click “Properties”

4. With “Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) selected, click the “Properties” button.

5. A new window will open. Under the “General” tab, select “Use the Following IP address”. Under “Ip Address”, put “10.0.0.1″. Press the “Tab” key on your keyboard.

6. Press Ok on both open windows.

7. Repeat steps 3-4. Under the “General” tab, press the radio button “Automatically Assign Me an Ip Address”. Press ok on both windows.

8. Go back to the command prompt and type in “Ipconfig/all”. You’ll now notice you have a new IP address.

US Says no jobs for Indians?

The recession which has declined the world economy has forced obama to ultimate stress.Last November, Abhimanyu Gupta, an MBA student in New York University’s Stern School of Business, was on the top of the world when he landed a job offer from Bank of America’s investment banking division. This February , he felt right at the bottom of the abyss as the bank withdrew the offer and Mr Gupta’s world crashed just like the global markets.

Now, the 27-year-old chartered accountant, who left Mumbai in 2007 to become an investment banker in the world’s financial capital, plans to return home if he doesn’t get an offer by June when his course ends. With five months of recruitment time gone, Mr Gupta concedes that his chances of finding similar job in the US, which is battling the worst downturn in decades, are bleak. His chances are as bleak as hundreds of other Indian and foreign national students across top universities in the US, UK and other western economies, who now plan to go back home.

According to a recent study by the University of California, Berkeley, almost 84% of Indian students and 76% Chinese students in the US think it will be difficult to find a job in their field in the country. Even lenders are tightening the noose on international students. First-year MBA students, who were relying on loans from US banks to fund their second-year expenses, are in trouble because the banks have stopped lending to international students without co-signers .

The US has been in recession for 18 straight months now and has lost 5.1 million jobs so far. The world’s largest economy shrunk 6.1% yearon-year in the first quarter of 2009, following a 6.3% decline in the last quarter of 2008. A recovery is unlikely before the end of the year even in a best-case scenario.

Indian economy, which has seen a slowdown after growing at over 9% for three years, is still expected to grow at a healthy pace of 6-7 % in the current fiscal. India and China , the other emerging giant, are expected to bounce back faster and drive a global recovery. In fact, according to the University of California study that surveyed 1,224 foreign nationals from India, China and Western Europe, almost 86% Indian students and 74% of Chinese students believe their home countries’ economies will grow faster in the future than they have in the past decade.

While it may be easier for these students to find jobs in India, salaries here are not very attractive for most of them who are sitting on huge education loans. An MBA in a top western university costs anywhere between Rs 40 lakh and Rs 60 lakh. Also, many Indian students in the US are married and have families to support.

Obama Trims 2010 Budget?

President Barack Obama is on the view to trim down 2010 budget by $17 billion from a 2010 budget that will still hover around $3.5 trillion. President Obama speaks during his 100-day anniversary news conference in the East Room of the White House. About half of the proposed cuts would come from the defense budget, and a total of 121 programs in areas including education would be trimmed or scrapped, one official told a conference call with reporters.

Even with the spending reductions, the White House's own estimates suggest the deficit will be $1.17 trillion next year. Congressional analysts believe the gap could be $1.4 trillion.Obama officials said the administration would look for further cuts in the 2010 fiscal year, which starts on October 1.This is an important first step but it's not the end of the process.Obama, who has vowed to cut the country's ballooning deficit in half by 2013, was widely panned last month when he challenged agencies to find $100 million in savings. Critics pointed out that was about equal to what the government spends in 13 minutes.

Congress has already passed a $3.4 trillion budget blueprint that will guide tax policy and government spending for the upcoming fiscal year. It embraces many of Obama's top priorities.
But the budget details the White House will release on Thursday, which build on a bare-bones outline the new president submitted to Congress on February 26, could have an impact on those individual spending bills that will wind their way through Congress in coming months.

Lankan Forces and Tamil Tigers

Sri Lankan forces battled Tamil Tiger insurgents from three sides pushing deeper into rebel-held territory amid a report that navy gunboats heavily shelled an area packed with civilians. With concerns growing for the tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the war zone, a new round of international officials came to Colombo to meet with the government. Another 200,000 civilians who already fled the fighting have overwhelmed displacement camps in the north.

The military said it captured an earthen fortification from the rebels in heavy fighting Sunday along the borders of the 2.8-mile-long coastal strip remaining under rebel control. Troops pushed further forward. Troops are moving slowly into the area from the west, the north and the south.The government has vowed to crush the rebel group and end the country's quarter-century civil war. Out of deference for the civilians in the war zone, the government promised last week to cease using artillery, mortar fire and airstrikes.

However, health officials in the region have reported continued shelling, including an attack on a makeshift hospital that killed 64 patients and bystanders Saturday.The hospital was nearly hit again Sunday night, when shells landed around 300 feet. Navy gunboats also fired scores of shells along the coast Monday morning as desperately hungry families crowded the shore to buy fish from returning fishermen.

There were no accurate counts of the dead and wounded because the hospital's registrar was wounded herself in the attack on the hospital. The military has repeatedly denied shelling the area, saying troops are using only small arms in the battle.Many in the area are struggling for food, and several elderly people are dying everyday from starvation.

Happy Birthday to Ultimate Star Ajith!

Actor Ajith Kumar, one of the leading heroes of kollywood, is celebrating his birthday today. The actor with enormous talent and self confidence is always considered an asset to Tamil film industry.
The reticent actor might have insisted on all attention being shifted towards the Eelam issue instead of celebrating his birthday. But his die-hard fans, as will any movie buff, remember this day as the day when perseverance won over established rules that have strangled Kollywood.

Ajith wrote a open letter to his fans that I sincerely feel that whole process will be highly inhuman if we celebrate my birthday on the background of our fellow Tamils languishing and suffering amidst death and pain in Sri Lanka”.The star also added that since general elections are being conducted all over the country, the birthday celebrations if they take place should not pose any discomfort to the authorities concerned.

The actor is currently on a holiday abroad after which he will be plunging back into the shooting of his next film Asal in which he joins hands again with Director Saran. The movie is produced by Sivaji Productions. Asal being the Ultimate Star’s 49th movie, his fans will definitely be looking forward to it becoming a super hit movie; further raising the bar for their thala’s 50th movie.

Thala! Wish you many more happy returns of the day!

India Urges SriLanka

India has reiterated that Sri Lanka capture Tamil Tigers chief Velupillai Prabhakaran alive and extradite him to India, sources in the external affairs ministry. 'India will continue to request that Prabhakaran be caught alive.At the same time, New Delhi is aware that Colombo will hand him over only after trying him in Sri Lanka for the crimes he has committed in that country, the source pointed out.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said would extradite Prabhakaran, if caught alive, to India - but after first putting him through trial in his country.In an interview to CNN IBN channel, Rajapaksa said it was 'almost over' for the LTTE chief and he could be caught very soon.

Asked whether Prabhakaran would be extradited to India, Rajapaksa said: 'First he will have to go through our trial... And then might send him to India.''Why should I keep him... India has the right... a man who is responsible for killing Rajiv Gandhi of the greatest leaders.

A Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) suicide bomber had blown up Gandhi during a poll rally in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu in May 1991.The sources also said that as the Sri Lanka military ceased its combat operations against the LTTE, its conventional capabilities had been hit but its command and control systems remained intact.Thus, there was a possibility of suicide bombings in Sri Lanka in the wake of the operations against the Tigers.

'India is still very concerned about the civilian population in the no-combat zone. We will step up our humanitarian assistance to the Tamil civilians by sending shipments of food, medicine and other essential supplies,' the source said.

Akshaya Tritiya - Jewels!

Akshay Tritiya is one of the most auspicious days for Hindus. As per the Hindu traditions and culture, Akshay Tritiya is considered as the most significant day to perform sacred deeds. In Sanskrit, the meaning of Akshay is never diminishing. As the meaning says, on the day of Akshay Tritiya people never feel the dearth of happiness or bliss.

Akshay Tritiya is celebrated on the third day of the first half of the Hindu month of Vaishakha . In 2009, the date to observe or celebrate Akshay Tritiya is April 27, Monday.According to the Hindu Astrology, especially in terms of Muhurtas, Akshaya Tritiya is considered as one of the three most auspicious Muhurtas . One is the first thithi of the Chaitra Month, second is the tenth thithi of the Lunar month Ashwin or Aswayuja masam and the third one is the third thithi of Vaishakha masa, the Akshaya Tirtiya Day. It is also referred as Unboojha Muhurat.

Akshay Tritiya festival is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Worship of Lord Vishnu on Akshay Tritiya eradicates and removes one’s sins and makes him free from all sorrows. Puranas described that Devotees who perform Sri Maha Vishnu Puja on Akshay Tritiya may attain salvation.In some regions, devotees keep fasts on Akshaya Tritiya. As per the Puranas, charity of food, clothes and other edible material on Akshaya Tritiya is also considered as most important ritual of the festival. There is a ritual to perform Goddess Tulsi Puja on Akshay Tritiya in some regions of India.