Bloglines out, Google Reader in

I have been ardent Google fan ever since it launched and using it since wayback in 1999. I have always preferred Google products over competitors as long as Google offers it. Google Search,GMail,Google Earth,Google Notebook, Google Talk to name a few... I rank Google for coolness of its products. Google offered 1 GB with GMail when other competitors were offering atmost 10 MB and shocked the Mail world.

I was disappointed when Google launched Google Reader, it didn't offer lots of features my then feeds reader Bloglines offered. It didn't offer reading feeds neither individually nor tags/folders wise and bloglines remained the only non-Google product that I used over Google, but I was more than thrilled to read latest post on Official Google Blog. Google Reader seems to have taken lesson from popularity of Bloglines and back in the webworld with its usual uber coolness. I admit, although as good as bloglines but not better, just for sake of my emotional attachment to Google, I am officially shifting to Google Reader.

Image Courtesy : Official Google Blog

Sachin Tendulkar : Return of the King

THE Master Blaster is back and with a big bang. Batted through 50 overs and marvellous comeback Century.



SR Tendulkar(rhb) 142(148) 13x4, 5x6 (SR - 95.94)



Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Michael Schumacher bids adieu to Formula 1

The rumours I was talking about have turned out to be true. Michael Schumacher declared emotional retirement after winning Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Personally speaking, it has been a huge blow. Not that I wasn't expecting it but it being official does matter. I started watching Formula 1 almost 7 years back. I supported Michael Schumacher for the simple reason that I knew only a single man from the sport. That time around Mika Hakkinen ruled the circuit and Michael Schumacher came 5th at end of the season. Since then it has been a long emotional journey till 2006. Since 2000, Schumacher started rulling the circuit. Unfortunately after 2001, worth competitor of Michael Schumacher, The Flying Finn Mika Hakkinen announced retirement, but Schumi continued his triumph there after. 2004 was season any fan had never seen before. Michael Schumacher winning 13 out of 17 races and ended up with 148 season-end points. 2005 saw rise of Renault and Fernando Alonso and his unreliable Ferrari gave him really tough time through out the series. Starting of 2006 season saw yet another slow start from Michael Schumacher, but as the season is ending Ferrari and Schumi are tightening screws on Alonso. After Italian Grand Prix Schumacher stands just 2 points behind Alonso and hopefully will end his last season as the champion, securing 7th Championship.

Michael Schumacher's career has always been full of controversies, but you can't deny that he has champion's attitude. His statistics speak for themselves. Just look at this.

• Most race wins: 90 (previous record beaten in 2001)
  
• Most race wins with one team: 71
  
• Most podium finishes: 153
  
• Most second place finishes: 43
  
• Most points finishes: 188
  
• Most pole positions: 68
  
• Most fastest laps: 75
  
• Most race wins from pole position: 40
  
• Most "clean-sweeps" (pole position, race win, and fastest lap): 22
  
• Most championship points: 1,354
  

Now what do you say to this? Records he has established aren't going to be broken for a long time I bet. Very few people have ruled the sport for more than 10 years like Michael Schumacher has. He will be remembered as long as the sport exists, that is for sure, whatever Jacques Villenueve or anyone says. When I picture Schumi, it's always standing on podium, wearing red dress raising his hands to the cheering fans and leaping on the top of the podium every time as if it's his first one and I think that's what keeps him going all the time. He is never satisfied. When he broke Alan Prost's record of 55 career wins, how I had really wish that he would retire with a century. Had it not been for the slump of 2004-2005, we would have easily seen him there. Love him or hate him, but you can't deny that he is undoubtedly one of the best of all time in Formula-1. As for me, After 2006, Formula-1 won't be ever same again.

Hail Schumi!!!!

એક ગુજરાતી પોસ્ટ

આજે વિચાર આવ્યો કે ગુજરાતી મારી માતૃભાષા હોવા છતા ગુજરાતીમાં મેં એક પણ પોસ્ટ કરી નથી. આ રહી મારી પહેલી પોસ્ટ. નિશિત દેસાઇ બ્લોગ પર આપનું સ્વાગત કરે છે.

Not just yet... :(

Everything that has beginning has an end. But not so soon. No please no. Please don't go so early. You have a lot to offer to the game and fans like us.

Official verdict is going to be out on the race day itself, but there are strong reports that Michael Schumacher is announcing his retirement on this Sunday at Ferrari home, Monza. I am already feeling too sad. Just one more season Schumi and I bet you'll show Alonso what a champion is!!

Lage Raho Munnabhai

Munnabhai meets Mahatma Gandhi. This was the title orignally chosen for the movie. Too paradoxical yet too befitting. Just try to picture it. On one hand there is Munnabhai, a local bhai who with his right hand Circuit knows only one way to justice. Khopche mein le jaa ke kharcha paani. On the other hand, you have Father of the nation, who had only one weapon, non-violence. Can these two go together? Yes they do and do it well.

Munnabhai is in love with RJ Jahnavi (Vidya Balan) (who BTW is jockey on Worldspace Radio and still you can hear her on most of the radio set for free.. yuppie..!!!) and ends up making her think that he knows a hell lot about Gandhiji and finds himself in trouble and that's when father of the nation himself comes to his resuce. Jahnavi has her own set of troubles which she needs to deal with aid of Munnabhai, the history Professor. Can Father of the nation help him? Can Munna get out of grave trouble he is in? Watch it to see it.

Lage Raho Munnabhai works and how? Writers for this movie had huge task at their hands. First movie was a blockbuster and one of the biggest hit of the year and they had to deal with huge pressure that naturally comes with a sequel of big-time movie, which most of the sequels fail to handle. Lage Raho Munnabhai comes out with shining colors. It gets even bigger and better than the original, I daresay. It's always tough to combine a comedy with a message and making sure that you don't get preachy and didactic at it. Making sure that your script is emotional but at the same time not sentimental. Munnabhai simply just does that. There is a Gandhi in all of us. We just don't know it or may be we don't care to know about it. It's not that big a deal if you just come face-to-face with it. Job well done Hirani. As Sarika, puts it aptly in the words.

People miss honesty
They miss
it by miles
People miss honesty
And they don't even realize.

Munna-Circuit chemistry is as good as the first one. They make you laugh with their jokes and one liners all the time. When you watch Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi on the screen, you feel like they must have been born as Munna and Circuit and not the other way around. They have immortalized this pair. Vidya Balan continues to impress me. She was like a seasoned actress in her debut Parineeta as a typical Bengali girl and this time around she enthralls you as a youthful urban girl. IMHO, she is one of the biggest difference between first two films. She brings out the charm on the screen which Gracy Singh failed to. Boman Irani continues to impress as an evil builder. It is unfortunate for Hindi film industry that such a talented actor remained hidden until Munnabhai MBBS brought him in the limelight.

Lage Raho Munnabhai. We want more..!!!

(Cross-posted to InFiCA)

Bakul Tripathi no more

It seems God is lacking fun up above there these days. After sad demise of Hrishikesh Mukherjee few days back, noted Gujarati humourist Bakul Tripathi died yesterday evening. Well-known for his daily column “Kakko ne Barakhadi” in popular Gujarati daily Gujarat Samachar was undoubtedly one of the cherished writer of Gujarati literature. May his soul rest in peace!!!