Sarabjit Singh’s family to visit Pakistan today.......

New Delhi: Four members of Sarabjit Singh's family will travel to Pakistan on Sunday to meet the death row convict who is battling for life in Lahore after being brutally assaulted by jail inmates. 

The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued 15 days 'gratis visa' to Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam, Swapandeep Kaur and his sister Dalbir Kaur to meet the Indian prisoner who is in "deep coma" and put on ventilator support. Sarabjit, 49, was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province in Pakistan, that killed 14 people in 1990. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf. 

"We have got the visas and we will be crossing over to Pakistan tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Our (visa) papers will reach here (Amritsar) by the evening," Sarabjit's sister Dalbir Kaur told a news agency in Amritsar. 

She said that they will cross over to Pakistan on foot from the Attari-Wagah joint check-post, 30 km from here, Sunday. Dalbir will be accompanied by Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur and daughters Swapandeep and Poonam. 

"We want to be with Sarabjit in this difficult time. He is all alone. We don't even know what his condition is. We are getting reports only through news channels and his lawyer," said Dalbir. 

Police in Lahore have registered a case of attempt to murder against two prisoners, Aamir and Mudassar, who viciously attacked Sarabjit, a media report said. 

Sarabjit has been on death row in Pakistan since 1990 after being convicted for bomb blasts in Lahore and Multan that left 14 people dead. 

His family claims he is innocent, having inadvertently crossed into Pakistan in August 1990 in an inebriated state, only to be arrested. 

Police in Pakistan however claim that Sarabjit Singh, known as Manjit Singh, was involved in terrorist strikes.

Mayawati's purse searched in Karnataka, Rs one lakh found......

Gulbarga: A "flying squad" of Election Commission on Saturday subjected Mayawati to checking for a second time in quick succession, following which an angry BSP supremo hit out at the poll watchdog, playing the Dalit card. 

As soon as Mayawati, who is here for campaigning for the May 5 assembly poll, landed by helicopter at a helipad on the outskirts of the taluk headquarters town of Jewargi in this district, the flying squad carried out an inspection in the chopper. They found Rs one lakh in cash from her bag, which was not seized after she explained that it belonged to her supporters who accompanied her in the helicopter and that each person is "entitled" to carry Rs 50,000. 

Thereafter, as she was climbing the dais put up for her party's public meeting in Jewargi, the flying squad again searched Mayawati and her car, an action that infuriated the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. 

"Have you checked Sonia Gandhi (Congress President) and Sushma Swaraj (BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha) when they came for campaigning? You are searching me because I am a Dalit woman?", she said. 

Gulbarga Deputy Commissioner K J Jagadish told a news agency that the flying squad recorded the search and he would send a report to the Election Commission. 

`Aashiqui 2` review: Flawed direction and other nitty-gritty kill it! .......

Resham Sengar

Remaking the 1990`s hit, `Aashiqui`, was a bright idea, given the adulation for the film still exists in the hearts of the audience. But sadly, `Aashiqui 2` has not been given the kind of treatment that a classical on-screen romance should have been given.

Mohit Suri`s version of `Aashiqui` is about two singers – Rahul Jaykar (Aditya Roy Kapur), an alcoholic and falling singing sensation, and Arohi Shirke (Shraddha Kapoor), a wannabe songbird. Arohi catches the eye of Rahul while singing at a Goan bar and he spots the singing star of tomorrow in her. Rahul takes her under his wings to groom her for playback singing and helps her get a great platform to make her voice reach millions. In no time, she becomes a high-flying singer. And yes, the duo fall in love in between all these events. But circumstances hinder the smooth course of Rahul-Arohi’s relationship.

`Aashiqui 2` is quite a clean film unlike the ones that are churned out by the Vishesh Films` factory these days but the quintessential romance element is missing here. The passion between the lead pair is weakened mainly because of Shraddha Kapoor, who can neither emote nor act to intensify the romance. Instead, it is Aditya Roy Kapur who has tried to make things work in the film by being as real as possible while speaking his lines. He puts in genuine efforts to ignite the much-needed spark of passion between him and his on-screen lady love.

Of the supporting cast, Shaad Randhawa as Rahul`s friend has performed his art well. He is one friend in the film that everybody would wish to have in real life. Mahesh Bhatt, as Rahul`s `phone-a-friend father` also deserves a special mention here. Bhatt, the `invisible` father, calls up his son only twice during the film to give him some friendly advice and show that he is `around`.

Neither the story of `Aashiqui 2` is error-free nor is the direction by Mohit Suri unblemished. The scenes are dragged a bit too much at times and there are instances where the length of the sequences is abruptly shortened, which has hampered the quality of the entire film. The storyline’s logic does not go down well at several instances throughout the film.

Thankfully, the characters have been given a neat sketch in the film. The point is that one does not have to rack his or her brains to understand the people in the film, and that helps in relating to the characters and the story.

The soundtrack by Jeet Ganguly, Mithoon, Ankit Tiwari and lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Sanjay Masoomm have been given a modern touch and are as soulful and romantic as they can get. The song - `Tum Hi Ho` - sung by Arijith Singh is the best of the lot.

To sum it up, `Aashiqui 2` must be watched only for three reasons: a) If you love Aditya Roy Kapoor; b) If the songs are of your liking; c) Just out of curiosity. Otherwise, watch the one starring Anu Agarwal and Rahul Roy and save money.

Rating: 

Rapes will come down if people shun meat, alcohol: Agnivesh....

New Delhi: Rape cases will come down if people shun non-vegetarian food and alcohol, activist Swami Agnivesh said on Saturday. 

"We cannot stop a crime like rape by policing only.... I think rapes will come down significanlty if people stop eating non-vegetarian. There has been lot of research on this.... Rapes will come down significantly if alcohol consumption is not there," he said. 

He said a lot of crimes and accidents take place due to consumption of alcohol. Arguing on the benefits of a vegetarianism, he said Japanese scientists conducted a study on the oldest man on earth recently and they found that he was a vegeterian. 

"Every research conducted in this world points to one fact that red meat is the reason behind all diseases," he said. 

Agnivesh said that all the six accused in the gruesome rape of a young girl in a moving bus on December 16 last year were drunk as well as the accused in the recent incident of sexual assault on a five-year-old girl. 

"In both the incidents, the accused consumed alcohol. This explains clearly that alcohol drove them to commit the crime. Alcohol shuts down the moral thinking of a person," he said. 

"Government is not ending alcohol-production in the country as it fetches revenue. All the states have now started competing to outnumber each other in alcohol production. This has become the norm," he said. 

Expressing concern over the fact that everyday one billion animals are slaughtered, he said that "its consequesnce will be severe."Regretting the loss of values in human beings, Agnivesh said, "There are no moral and spiritual values left in people. Schools today do not teach children about the evil-consequences of drinking. We cannot blame an individual for a crime. The society, as a whole, is responsible."

Asked about whether death penalty will stop rape, Swami said, "Death penalty will not do anything. I do not support it. Death sentence should not given to anybody including those who attack Parliament. Even Kasab should not have been given death sentence," he said. 

No question of death penalty in Italian marines case: India.......

New Delhi: Amid concerns by Italy on the possibility of death sentence being imposed on its two marines accused of killing Indian fishermen, India on Saturday said no question of death penalty arises. 
Clarifying the latest Supreme Court order in the matter in which the apex court allowed NIA to probe the case against Italian marines, official sources said the order had been read out of context leading to misleading reports. 

Noting that Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation Act 2002 has not been invoked, official sources said "in any case no question arises of death penalty being imposed in the circumstances of the case if the court was to return a verdict of guilty". 

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has had consultations with Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and other senior legal officials including the Attorney General in the matter. 

The Supreme Court had yesterday allowed NIA to probe the case against the two Italian marines and asked the special court to conduct the trial on a day-to-day basis after the charge sheet is filed. 

Sources said it is clear from the latest order that the judgement of January 18 remains in operation and that the NIA has been designated by the central government to investigate the matter pursuant to the January 18 judgement rather than the NIA Act. 

They added the FIR dated August 29 last year and registered in Kerala's Kollam will be the basis for the investigation. 

"It follows that the later FIR re-registered by the NIA under the NIA Act is redundant and for the present the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime Navigation Act 2002 has not been invoked," they said. 

Border dispute with China can be solved: PM.......

New Delhi: India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday he believes a border dispute over an alleged incursion by Chinese soldiers can be resolved, a news agency reported. 

"It is a localised problem, we do believe it can be solved," Singh was quoted as saying by the news agency after Chinese soldiers were accused of intruding across the disputed border in the Ladakh region earlier this month. 
"We have a plan, we do not want to accentuate the situation," Singh said, without elaborating. 

Lower-level talks between military officials have so far failed to break the impasse. 

According to officials in New Delhi, a platoon of Chinese troops set up a camp inside Indian territory on April 15. 

Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid announced earlier in the week he will head for China on May 8, saying both countries had a mutual interest in not allowing the dispute to "destroy" long-term progress in ties. 

A foreign ministry official has said new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is due to travel to New Delhi late next month, without giving an exact date. 

India has called on the Chinese soldiers to withdraw while China has denied any wrongdoing. 

In 1962, China gave India a bloody nose in the war fought in the Himalayan regions of Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. 

The de facto border separating China and India is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While it has never been formally demarcated, the countries signed two accords to maintain peace in frontier areas in 1993 and 1996. 

Small incursions are not uncommon across the LAC but it is rare for either country to set up camps in disputed territory. 

In recent years, the two neighbours have increased their military presence on each side of the border and hold frequent meetings to defuse tensions. 

Despite the border tensions, trade between the Asian giants has soared in recent years. 

Mark Zuckerberg earned over $2 bn at Facebook in 2012......

San Francisco: Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg earned more than USD 2 billion worth of stock and USD 503,000 in base pay last year for running the world's leading social network.

Zuckerberg was also given bonuses that added up to slightly more than USD 266,000, according to a Facebook filing on Friday with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

He received USD 1.22 million in "other compensation," more than half of which was said in the filing to involve the use of chartered aircraft for travel by Zuckerberg and guests as part of a "comprehensive security program."

Facebook provided US regulators a breakdown of executive compensation and other matters that will be topics at an annual meeting of shareholders set to take place on June 11.

"In the first quarter of 2012, the compensation committee decided to increase the base salaries of our executive officers, other than our CEO," Facebook said in the document.

"Accordingly, our compensation committee increased the base salary of each executive officer, other than our CEO, by USD 35,000 or USD 40,000."

Zuckerberg has served as chairman of the board at Facebook since the beginning of last year.

His base pay will remain the same this year, while chief operations officer Sheryl Sandberg's was raised to USD 340,000, according to the filing. Her bonus last year added up to USD 276,730, the paperwork indicated.


Sandberg was paid USD 321,000 last year, along with a bonus of USD 276,730 and about USD 25.6 million worth of stock awards, Facebook told the FTC.

Sandberg's bonus "reflected her leadership in growing our revenue year over year and her strategic guidance in various business matters," the filing said.

Zuckerberg exercised options to acquire 60 million shares of Facebook stock, which were valued at just shy of USD 2.28 billion, according to the SEC filing.

He holds 607,599,549 shares of Class B stock in Facebook and another 1,939,987 in Class A shares, the company said in the paperwork.

The SEC in March endorsed a Nasdaq exchange plan to create a USD 62 million pool of cash to cover trading losses due to computer glitches that disrupted the launch of Facebook shares onto the market.

The huge electronic market's foul-up marred the USD 16 billion Facebook share issue in May, the most hotly awaited initial public offering on the US markets in years.

The stock hit a high of USD 45 on the first day, but slid below USD 18 in the following weeks. Facebook shares were trading at USD 26.85 at the Nasdaq close on Friday.

BJP betrayed people; need for change now: Sonia Gandhi......

Chikamagalur/Mangalore: Castigating the BJP government in Karnataka for "betraying" people's mandate, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday made a strong pitch for a "change" and stable government in the state which was suffering due to "bad governance."
"There is a need for a change as never before as the BJP has completely betrayed people's mandate and made them suffer due to bad governance. Immoral behaviour of persons in position of power has crossed all limits. Law and order has collapsed," Gandhi said. 

Addressing public meetings in Chikamagalur and Mangalore for the May five Assembly polls, she said, "I remind the young generation that these are some of the darkest days ...People want change. The need for change is now, and now." 

She charged that under the BJP's rule, mining mafias destroyed the mineral resources and fanatical elements damaged secular values of the state by spreading fear and hatred among people for their narrow political ends. 

BJP's "misgovernance" also saw a lot of investors fleeing the state because of corruption, bad governance and crumbling infrastructure, Gandhi said. "Karnataka used to be held as an example of good governance. But it is the opposite now. This is not the people voted for." 

Striking a personal chord at Chikamagalur, she said "We can never forget and will never forget that Chikmagalur adopted my mother-in-law Indira Gandhi as your own sister. Thirty five years ago, the people of Chikmagalur lent Indiraji a helping hand when she needed it most ..." 

Indira Gandhi had won a by-election from Chikamagalur in 1978 during the erstwhile Janata Party rule that ultimately helped in resurrecting her political stature and domination and stage a comeback as Prime Minister. 

In coastal Mangalore, considered a BJP stronghold, Gandhi tried to connect with the gathering, repeatedly using the Kannada word "badalavane" meaning change. 

"People of Karnataka are looking for badalavane. They are looking for change. And the time for badalavane is now and the chance for that badalavane is 5th May (polling date)," she said. 

In both the rallies, she asked the people to vote for stability for a brighter future of Karnataka. 

"We cannot have government with every one day a chief minister changing. A stable government is the need of the hour. For that to happen, you (voters) need to vote for Congress to give a stable government," she said. 

Gandhi was apparently referring to the change of chief ministers three times during the BJP rule which was also marked by intra-party squabbles creating an atmosphere of political uncertainty frequently. 

The Congress chief also asked the BJP government to provide details of central funds given to the state for implementing various welfare schemes belonging to all sections of the society. "Where that all money gone?" she asked. 

The immediate task lying before Congress is to restore Karnataka's pride and protect secular values of the state. "We reject any communal ideology," she said. 

For those who missed what exactly happened with kohli........

We played a perfect game today: Sharma....

Mumbai skipper, Rohit Sharma was very pleased with his team's all-round performance which helped the hosts to a comprehensive 58 run win over Bangalore. After setting a mammoth 194/7 off their allotted 20 overs, the Mumbai new ball bowlers wreaked havoc on the Bangalore batsmen with some aggressive and thoughtful pace bowling. At the post-match presentation ceremony, Sharma stated, 'We played a perfect game today, got the runs and defended them pretty well. I thought that we executed all our plans perfectly. I am enjoying the captaincy and will look to do well in the next match as well.' 

Virat Kohli, the opposition skipper who was booed by a not so well behaved Mumbai crowd said, 'Let them boo me. It is not the end of the world, they forget that I also play for India. I will back my bowlers. They have bowled very well right through the tournament, this was just one of those days. I know that our batting is not that long, we need to pick up well and do well in the next match.' 

Man of the match, Dwayne Smith said that he was very pleased with his efforts. 'Really feeling good. We had a good start and made sure that we made it count. I have a defined role and it was good to start well. I am enjoying my bowling and hope to do well in future as well,' quoted Smith. 

Harbhajan Singh who got the prized scalp of Chris Gayle stated: 'It was important to get Chris out rather then restricting him. I thought I will toss a few up, very happy that it worked and I got rid of him. It was a good win, my dance ended up in a 'Bhangnam' style.' 

Dhawal Kulkarni who got the initial breakthrough getting rid of Dilshan and then rocked Bangalore with the twin blows of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers said the dew helped the bowling side in the 2nd innings. 'It was a good track to bat on in the first innings, the dew helped us in the 2nd knock as the ball skid through. This is our best win so far, looking forward to the next match,' stated Kulkarni. 
























source:cricbuzz

Being Virat Kohli.......

My first fading memory of Virat Kohli is of a young boy who batted with authority against boys from the Caribbean at Malaysia. Scoring tons at that level could be common, but not after just facing 74 balls in the innings. He wasn't just authoritative with the bat. He was extremely domineering on the field like an angry school pupil leader. But what struck me more than his hundred against West Indies, was the way he led his side in the final against South Africa. While he would celebrate a dismissal at one moment, he would immediately put his fingers on the lips the next moment. He would want his team to stay calm especially when they started smelling a great victory. And when his team crossed the line, he would let himself loose. By doing that, he would also go very close to the South Africans with a couple of stumps in hand and abuse them scornfully! 

It was indeed the greatest second they've ever lived in their lives till then. Being crowned world champions is not a daily chore. But people who could do the lip-reading, started to criticize the way Indians and Kohli celebrated. For a long time, Kohli had to fight hard to get rid of the bad boy image. In fact, this season's T20-League has once again given us glimpses of that Virat Kohli, Indian cricket honestly doesn't want to have. 

It is a great quality to possess a lot of fire in the belly. Most of Kohli's success at international arena is also because of this characteristic he possesses naturally. But Kohli's on-field behavior is the only thing that stands between him and the legend history books are waiting to talk about. 

India's new generation has a totally different attitude towards their on-field conduct. They want to play hard cricket and involve themselves in a lot of sledging throughout the game. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, one person stood out with his celebrations every time an Aussie wicket fell right from day one at Chepauk. And when he was dismissed cheaply at Delhi, he was surrounded by a bunch of Aussies who returned the favor in his own backyard. That dismissal is indeed a reflection of what could happen with Indian fans when he goes through the troughs in his career. Would people who rejoiced in his success, be there when he would fail? Would they sympathize and would the most important decision makers give him another chance? 

The one who lives by the sword, dies by it and no one better than Kohli puts those words in action. More often than not, Virat Kohli has had to deal most of the pleasantries all by his own. But the real issue begins when many have labeled him as Dhoni's successor. He has been clumsy under pressure situations. For Kohli to shout at Vinay Kumar at Chepauk, a fortnight ago gave me a glimpse of what might happen in the future. It is precarious to yell at your lead bowler for not bowling to the field. Of course, the decision in itself needs to be questioned with the mid-off up in the death overs. But in front of a huge crowd supporting the opponents, the last thing a bowler needs is to earn the wrath of his captain. Earlier in the same game, RP Singh dropped Badrinath at third man only to be abused by Kohli. At Hyderabad, when Mayank Agarwal fumbled in the final over, Kohli lost his cool once again. 

Though the motive could be right, the way Kohli has handled crunch situations, especially outside Bangalore has left a lot of us desired. Now that a lot of away games are queued up RCB, Kohli's leadership skills could be tested more. Kohli so far has done the right thing at the wrong time. What we saw of him at Hyderabad and at Chennai was the man who became hot when the situation wasn't cool at all. 

It is not the best thing for your captain to hurl an abuse when you're bowling. Your focus moves out of the immediate responsibility. Kohli did it before and today it was the turn of Gambhir to do it at Balaji. Hurling abuses and screaming at players, have hardly been successful tactics on the field. There could be different styles of leadership but that doesn't mean captains should use the stick in crunch situations. There could be an uneasy anarchy within the team also. No wonder, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli thought they were in a boxing ring at Chinnaswamy stadium. 

For a long time now, our generation of Indian cricket followers has been led by many fantastic leaders ever since Ganguly took the mantle. Each long serving Indian captain in the past 15 years or so has been an example of a leader who has handled tricky scenarios with a lot of balance and composure. The likes of Kohli and Gambhir, one of whom could take up the responsibility from Dhoni one day, have to work really hard to develop those qualities. 

It is impossible to not compare, especially in India where a lot of media feeds on Indian cricket day in and day out. That is something Dhoni's successor should be prepared to take up his sleeves, especially when he is going to be a character like Virat Kohli. The hallmark of great players and captains has been their ability to remain calm under pressure. 

Sir Viv has already decreed that he sees himself when he watches Kohli play on the field. If he can be unruffled, I am sure he is going to serve the country for a long time not just as a premier batsman but also as a terrific leader. We haven't seen the tactical nous of Kohli yet. But even if he is a tactical genius and makes every Indian proud on the world stage in the future - he might still not earn the common man's respect if he continues to throw tantrums on the field. It is a very delicate state of affair and it totally depends on how he handles them - whether to be the Virat Kohli he actually is or whether to be the Virat Kohli the team and the country needs. 


























source:cricbuzz

Our death bowling needs to improve: Dravid...........

Rajasthan had a couple of Australian players to thank for their 8 wicket win against Hyderabad that enabled the Rahul Dravid led side to move up to the third spot on the points table. 

James Faulkner came up with a splendid show with the ball picking up 5/20 from his four overs and became the first player to claim a five wicket haul in this edition of the Indian T20 League. Chasing 145, Shane Watson smashed an unbeaten 98 off 53 balls to help Rajasthan win by 8 wickets with 2.1 overs to spare. 

Skipper Dravid was delighted with the efforts of Faulkner and Watson but expressed his disappointment at letting Hyderabad post a total of 144 after having them tottering at 29/6 at one stage. 

Speaking after the match, Dravid said: "In the end, we got the job done. It was disappointing to allow Hyderabad reach 144. Shane Watson's batting makes any target look easily. He and Faulkner were excellent. We need to work on our death bowling." 

Hyderabad captain Kumar Sangakkara said Watson's innings made the difference while the Sri Lankan praised Darren Sammy for his knock of 60 that enabled his side post a competitive total. 

"We did not have a great start. Sammy, Mishra and Steyn batted well. 144 was a sporting total but Shane Watson's knock was the difference. Every game is important and we have to defeat some good sides to go ahead. The leg-spinners were the best bowlers right throughout the tournament but Watson's batting foiled our plans," Sangakkara said after the game. 

Faulkner was named the Man of the Match for his fine show with the ball and the Australian said the wicket was assisting the quick bowlers during the initial period. 

"I have had a good run so far and I am glad I contributed to the team's win. I had reasonable control tonight but I am lucky I got the second wicket off a loose ball. The wicket had a bit earlier on but Watson batted like a dream. The top order is batting well so I am glad I am not needed with the bat." 













source:cricbuzz

Playoffs moved to Delhi.......

The T20 Cricket League Governing Council has shifted the first two playoff matches out of Chennai in order to allow respective teams with Sri Lankan players, freedom to choose their best playing eleven. The Qualifier and Eliminator matches will now take place at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. "The play-offs have been shifted to Delhi from Chennai," a top T20-League official told PTI. 

The first Qualifier was originally scheduled at the Chepauk on May 21 and the Eliminator on the following day. The matches will now be held on the same dates at Kotla. According to T20-League sources, Bangalore and Pune were also in the reckoning but the Governing Council opted for Delhi as the venue for the two matches. 

The decision comes in the wake of mounting pressure from various franchises, who were adamant that not having the option to pick their Sri Lankan players reduces their strength considerably at MA Chidambaram, Chepauk. The Tamil Nadu government had barred Sri Lankan players or match officials to play or officiate in Chennai in the wake of the anti-Sinhalese sentiments prevailing in the state. The Governing Council had then decided to go ahead with the matches in Chepauk but without Sri Lankan players. 















source:cricbuzz

CAPTAIN INCREDIBLE.......

'If Michael Jordan was sportsman of the 20th century then MS Dhoni is an early candidate for 21st. The fact is that Dhoni keeps doing this (finish games) – in one-day internationals, in IPL matches, even in world cup finals, and the stage doesn’t get any bigger than that. You watch him and marvel at his skill and bravado and unrelenting consistency. There is this total certaintyin his body language, intensely reassuring to his team-mates and utterly demoralising to his opponents.
Like Jordan, there is an inevitability in what he is going to do. All who oppose him know exactly what his intentions are. And yet they seem inert, and he is unstoppable, almost invincible, fuelled as he is by the power of positive thought. And remember he keeps wicket and captains too, in all formats of the game.
If you were looking for an early candidate as sportsman of the 21st century, look no further' - Simon Hughes (former Australian cricketer)

very funny must watch....... :D :D

M S Dhoni is an early candidate for sportsman of 21st century !!!!!

M S Dhoni is an early candidate for sportsman of
21st century !!

London: Marvelled by his amazing ability to win
matches from nowhere, a British newspaper has
likened Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the great Michael
Jordan and said there was no better candidate
than the Indian cricket captain for the sportsman of
the 21st century award.

Mathematics wizard Shakuntala Devi dead.........

BANGALORE: Shakuntala Devi, known for her mathematical prowess and the ability to compute complex equations mentally, died at Bangalore Hospital at 8:15am on Sunday, age 73. She was admitted to the hospital with respiratory difficulty, following which she acquired heart problems and endured a heart attack on Saturday evening. She was then on ventilator support but suffered another cardiac arrest early on Sunday, which proved fatal.

Credited with solving some frightfully complicated arithmetic problems with apparent ease and astonishing speed, Devi's calculating skills stunned the world throughout the 1970s and 80s. Her sharpness often made sophisticated digital devices seem inadequate.

The computing prodigy was born on November 4, 1939, in Bangalore, to an orthodox priestly Brahmin family. She may have had rebellious genes, for, her father, refusing to conform and become a priest, chose to play a circus performer, excellent in trapeze, tightrope and cannonball shows. When she was only three, Devi began showing great affinity with numbers. By the time she was five, she became an expert in solving complex mental arithmetic.

Fame became hers when she beat one of the world's fastest computers by 10 seconds in a complicated mathematics calculation. Multiplying two 13-digit numbers in 28 seconds earned her a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Devi had no access to proper schooling and food in her early years. In an interview with TOI, Bangalore, some years ago, she said, "I have not gone to a school. At 10, I was admitted to Class 1 of St Theresa's Convent in Chamarajpet. But my parents could not afford the monthly fee of Rs 2, so in three months, I was thrown out. I grew up in a semi-slum area in Gavipuram, Guttahalli.

"It's my dream to open a mathematics university and R&D centre, which will educate a cross-section of people, using modern techniques, short-cuts and smart methods. I cannot transfer my abilities to anyone, but I can think of quicker ways with which to help people develop numerical aptitude. There are a large number of people whose logic is unexplored."

It 2010, she had filed a police complaint accusing her domestic help of cheating. She was threatened by a gang for lodging the complaint and had confessed to being scared of stepping out of her house.

"She was a vibrant lady who was sharp-minded and energetic. A witty person, she was fiercely independent as well," said DC Shivdev Deshmudre, trustee, Shakuntala Devi Educational Foundation Public Trust.

"Devi used very distinctive but offbeat techniques, which were not always based on theorem, but her methods were correct and gave results. Her capability to perform sophisticated computation, which could beat computers, gave her a stature of a computational wizard. Her death is a great loss to us all," said Professor Y Narahari, chairman, computer science, Indian Institute of Science

"Shakuntala Devi used a high degree of mnemonic devices in their brain and had tremendous retention power, unlike most normal human beings. She was able to hold on to large number of digits (both input and output) in her memory. She, however, can't be termed as a mathematical genius but a computational genius," said Prof CE Veni Madhavan, computer science and automation department, IISc.

Beautiful Cute Dogs........

WORLD'S BIGGEST DOG...................

Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate in their object-relations.

Dogs are generous creatures. They shower their affection without expecting anything in return.

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent.


Do you get this kind of look frequently?

Best sleep anyone can have.

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.

I always take care of my bats: Chris Gayle......

I'm happy to be back at the Wankhede and let me assure you, that has nothing to do with the stadium's short boundaries. Long or short boundaries, it makes no difference to my approach. Ultimately, it comes down to selecting the right ball to go for a big hit. I know the expectations will be huge, Tuesday's knock, but this is a new challenge and we start from scratch.

Of course, we would love to get the same start we had to the Pune game but it's a totally different scenario and I'm making no predictions.

Momentum, as you know, is so important in a T20 match, and while there's no doubt that a flurry of sixes can go a long way towards helping you gain some, the bowlers are just as determined to make things hard for you.

However, I relish the challenge of finding different ways to get the job done. Having a good bat certainly helps. There's been a lot of attention on mine in recent days with people speculating on how heavy it is.

I can tell you that yes, my bat does have some weight on it but it suits me in the same way that others would go for whatever bat suits them.

My kit usually comprises of five bats and I pay enough attention to each of them to make sure they are up to my expectations.

Master's territory

I need no reminding that playing the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede means we are on Sachin Tendulkar's territory.

We hope he hasn't reserved his birthday treat to the fans for today.

As much as we'd like to get him out early, when you look at the other great batters in the Mumbai roster like Dinesh Karthik, Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard, you know you have your task cut out.

I'll be coming up against my West Indian teammates in Smithy and Pollard but there'll be no room for sentiment during the game.

No verbal banter

I don't particularly indulge in verbal banter on the eve of a game where I'll be competing against my national team colleagues.

We're all competitive cricketers with nothing to prove to each other and with a common aim - to win the game and try and entertain the crowd along the way.

It is great to see so many West Indian players excelling in the league, which is good news for West Indian cricket.

I believe this can be attributed to winning the T20 World Cup as that victory gave most of the guys you are seeing, the opportunity to play in the T20 league.

PMG

The writer is RCB opener

source:cricket.yahoo