Game review- Unreal Tournament 2004

Well, it does look like I have become only a reviewer now, going by my past few posts! This time suddenly out of nowhere I struck upon this idea of writing a review for a thing which has become a part of my life- it is no short of an addiction, as it is for my roommates too and I must thank them for introducing me to this game.

This game is nothing short of real. You have a gun and you go on killing others. Sounds too simple? Thinking what is so great in that? Well that’s not the only thing about this game. First of all, the best part is that you can play it with your friends not just the computer players and that gives it a personal touch- fighting it out with your roommates- the people you know and live with......

IPL

IPL-



The IPL was certainly one of the most talked about things. No one knew how it would turn out to be, whether it would succeed, what impact it would have on world Cricket etc. For the first time Cricketers were auctioned and so, many expressed their opinions on this issue with Adam Gilchrist even saying that he felt like cattle. Certainly from the player’s point of view, it is not fair to be putting a price on the cricketers this way. It makes them look like just commodities in the hands of the buyers and I think this was visible in the game too..............

Enlightened Masters

My fascination with religion and spirituality started quite a long time ago. In fact I would say as far back as I can remember. My grandmother is a very religious person, as they are normally supposed to be, my father too in his own way; not my sister but that too in her own way. In fact it is very difficult to classify anybody into the category of religious or non-religious or spiritual, with some thinking they are spiritual but not religious etc. but it is a personal thing and depends on each individual.

I too, as other kids, listened to the various stories of the Hindu religion which I was born into. It is undoubtedly very fascinating and rich. But as a kid the thing that impressed me the most was the television serial specially Mahabharata and even in that the fights with bows and arrows. It is only now that people have realized that there is tremendous scope by the way of making animated movies in these field, with the central character being any superhero from our vast scriptures. So we have had Hanuman, Ganesha, Ghatotkatch, Bhim and others.

Once, having heard so many stories of how people used to do penances or underwent various other arduous tasks and then God used to be pleased with them, I as a child decided to do the same. After my parents had gone in the evening, I decided that I wanted to see and meet God. So the way I thought was.........

My Body- Health Enigma!

Arnold Schwarzenegger. See the biceps

WANTED- Experts.

Today I am going to write about one topic that almost every human being on this earth has faced at least at some point of time in their life- your body and health.

It is such a complex thing to understand at sometimes and seems relatively simple at others. I guess around 90% of people face the problem of being over- weight or obese! Well, why do you eat so much then? So, as you might have guessed, I am in the other 10 %. The simple indication for this statistics that I have written are simply from the fact that you will always see advertisements for weight loss everywhere. I am yet to come across an advertisement that even shows- “GAIN WEIGHT”- 10 Kgs a month with people testimony etc, leave alone an exclusive ad like this..............

THE TRANSPORTER- Movie Review.

Transporter. What kind of thoughts would come in your mind after hearing such a name for movies?

Now actually I watched the movie Transporter-2 first and I had not seen The Transporter i.e. the first part. Now I don’t know if that’s recommended, but I did it and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t know whether watching the second part before the first made any difference. Whatever the case be, that is what happened.

Transporter-2 starts with a scene of the Transporter- Frank Martin in a beautiful Audi car, everything so sophisticated right from the start, putting on the gloves, an ignition code required for starting the car and then the fight scene right at the start indicating already that the movie has everything. Although the fight scene gets over before you know it, it introduces you to the capabilities of Frank. And not to mention, he has that kind of humour that you can perhaps associate with Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies, which is quite a success formula. You know a movie is almost perfect when you feel everything is falling in place beautifully, or perhaps you get this feeling if you love a movie and watch it over too many times. Whatever it maybe, just watch the reaction of the man shown when Frank takes off his coat before the fight. It is just perfect and says so many things….the admiration for the man, feeling what kind of a strange man he must be etc are conveyed by that one second look. Then the - so smooth start of the car, almost like a plane. It can’t get better...

Stick twirling or Staff Wielding

This is a video available on YouTube as well.

You all would have seen the video. Now I don’t really know what you might have felt after seeing it. Personally my experience of showing it to others has been that first of all my friends, relatives etc none have been able to identify that it is me in the video in the first place. One another comment I got is that it is too short- just 5 seconds. Also some have suggested that it is some real fast twirling and even wondered whether it is a trick of technology etc. Generally everyone has been impressed by it.....

My marathon run : Tower of Hanoi & other online games

Phew! I finally did it!!!
I cannot stop smiling. It feels like I have conquered Mount Everest!
Ok, ok..now I will tell you what I am writing about......

Poetry- Words from my heart III

* This is the original work of Achyut Telang and you may not reproduce or distribute this information in whole or in part and the content on this blog post cannot be copied, edited, reproduced or used without the prior written permission of Achyut Telang.


THE GLORY OF EARLY MORNING :

The joy of watching the early morning
Is a divine feeling always cherishing.
In the cool atmosphere, with the breeze blowing
It's a nice feeling to see only a few people moving.

The birds singing beautifully from within the trees
And hovering above the colourful flowers, are the tiny bees.
Everywhere, far and near, it is so quiet
With the light of the bright morning finally winning over the night.

The sun also slowly rising in its splendour
So are the green creepers which are very tender.
The brightness of the sun gradually spreading all around
With more and more people now hustling on the ground.

Achyut Telang.

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Fact- The human population of the world is expected to be nearly tripled by the year 2100.

India - Number one?

India - Number 1?

Well, just take a look at these facts- Winner of the Twenty-Twenty World Cup, Winner of the under-19 World Cup, winning the CB series in Australia- defeating the number one team twice in a row in the 2 finals, excellent performance in the Test Matches as well.

So is this Indian Cricket team the number one in the world right now? Logically if you are better than the number one team, or defeat it, then you automatically become number one. But is India better than Australia, which is still number one in the rankings?......

Cracking the CAT

Cracking the CAT

Well I don’t really know when can this phrase be applied- Cracking the CAT? When a person gets a call from IIMs or for doing well in general? And if the later, than how well? Actually I received an email from a relative who congratulated me for “Cracking the CAT”! I did manage to get around 96 percentile in CAT this year,........

Poetry- Words from my heart IV

* This is the original work of Achyut Telang and you may not reproduce or distribute this information in whole or in part and the content on this blog post cannot be copied, edited, reproduced or used without the prior written permission of Achyut Telang.


THE WAIT FOR RAINS :

From quite some time,
It has been very hot.
The conditions have become worse,
As there is also a drought.

It is not only the heat,
But also the humidity,
Which is adding to the suffering
Of people of both the village and the city.

The sun is busy throwing flames
And people are battling with the sweat,
They try and hide from the burning fire,
But still end up getting all drenched and wet.

All the streets become almost empty,
Especially during the afternoon.
People can only wish and pray
For the rains to come on really soon.

The only solace that people get
Is only during the time of night.
With the sun finally gone to rest,
It feels so cool and just about right.

The moon with its gentle rays,
And cool breeze makes it very pleasant
And atleast for the time being,
People are spared a bit from torment.

In the night people sleep outside,
With their gazes fixed to the endless sky,
Searching for any signs of clouds,
While on the cots, helpless they lie.

People do just about anything
In order to appease the gods of rain,
But this story of vying of the sun and rain,
Next year will be repeated once again.

Achyut Telang.

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Interesting Fact - The umbrella was originally intended for shade from the hot Egyptian sun.

Hail the Master!- Sachin Tendulkar

India vs Australia Test Series 2008

The second test match between India and Australia is over and India has taken a comprehensive 1-0 lead in the 4 match series.

Lots of things have happened even before the series started and I will start by discussing that.
Australia landed in India with a team that many thought was the weakest Australian team. Australia always take playing in India as a challenge and this was the first time that this team was in a major series, in India, without their stalwarts. The retirement of McGrath, Warne and Gilchrist will definitely weaken any team no matter how good the reserves are. It also did not help that a few of their players were injured, and with MacGill and Hogg gone, the spin department is virtually zero specially when touring a country like India. Also a major setback was an incident, which also in a way highlights the way the Australian cricket and its board functions - not considering Andrew Symonds- one man who could have influenced the series! That was a major decision no matter which way you look at it.

Sachin Tendulkar also stated before the series that India-Australia rivalry is now bigger than even India-Pakistan rivalry. This is absolutely true and I can’t see anyone disagreeing with this statement. In fact I would say that India Australia rivalry is the biggest right now in world Cricket perhaps even greater than the Ashes!
Honestly with the focus now shifting to Twenty over games and people questioning this original, longer version of the game, if people are going to watch a test match, it will be this- India vs Australia.......

Yes!!! I did it once again :

For those of you wondering, I am talking about an online game- Shell Swap wherein I have scored the highest score of all time!
In another post, I had mentioned about the game ‘Tower of Hanoi’ and how I had managed the mental marathon of completing that game with 12 discs, I usually play a lot of online games and recently have been playing a lot on Orkut.

Many people use Orkut which is a social networking site. In that there is a feature of Mind Jolt games and the good thing about this is that you can compete with your friends and constantly compare and challenge your friends to better your score etc. This is the only reason I have been playing the games on Orkut otherwise the games themselves aren’t so good there. One site I have been using quite regularly for games generally is.......

Poetry- Words from my heart V

* This is the original work of Achyut Telang and you may not reproduce or distribute this information in whole or in part and the content on this blog post cannot be copied, edited, reproduced or used without the prior written permission of Achyut Telang.


THE DOWNPOUR :

The heavens have opened up,
And sent forth a massive downpour.
The life in general is affected by it,
Even as the thunder continues to roar.

The parched land becomes wet first,
As its thirst is a bit quenched
And soon the puddles appear all over,
And everything becomes all wet and drenched.

The climate change is an aberration
And it becomes all cold and chilly.
The strong winds that blow, do no good,
As everyone shivers on; and not with glee

Some animals and birds look for shelter,
While others are as non-chalant as ever.
And it is true for people too,
As some try to be all brave and clever.

The sun gets a well deserved break,
As the clouds take over and transform the day.
The change is quite sudden and drastic
And all the trees and plants viciously sway.

Some people enjoy the rains,
While others become all dull and gloomy.
What you do is your choice,
I certainly rejoice every moment. Well, that's me!

Achyut Telang.

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Interesting Fact - The world's heaviest average rain fall (about 430 inches) occurs in Cherrapunji, India, where as much as 87 feet of rain has fallen in one year.

De-Mystifying Australia

De-Mystifying Australia

Having just witnessed the recently concluded First Test Match between India and Australia, which Australia won quite convincingly, Australia have clearly stamped their authority and have shown that they are keen to win every match in this series. They are clearly on a roll having won 15 in a row now. They would need no reminding that the last time they were on such a winning spree, 16 matches in a row, it was, they were halted in their tracks by India. The Australians at present have that aura of invincibility as they have had for quite some time now.
Having closely followed this Australian team just out of sheer interest and curiosity as to how they manage to play so well and win so many games, here I am attempting to demystify this great team......

Twenty 20- Where is its place in Cricket?

T-20 – The future of Cricket?

If we take a look at the history of Cricket, it all started with the test matches….a grueling 5 day contest between 2 sides trying to get one up on each other….It was a hard fought battle which produced tough, battle- scarred warriors. Survival on the Cricket- Battle Field was definitely not easy….It required stamina, courage, temperament, mental toughness and definitely skills. It gave time for the bowlers to weave their web, set up the batsman and try and get him out. It would be engrossing for those who understood the game at that level, those who would like to see such relentless battle and at the same time it was boring for others, who loved the game but found it a bit too dull.
It was an endless battle and those who endured, took the blows, were ready to grind it out and had the mental toughness, finally emerged victorious…Maybe just a moral victory because getting a result in those days was akin to winning a prize off the scratch card! But nevertheless, it would be satisfying for the players...........

Poetry- Words from my heart VI

* This is the original work of Achyut Telang and you may not reproduce or distribute this information in whole or in part and the content on this blog post cannot be copied, edited, reproduced or used without the prior written permission of Achyut Telang.


SPECIAL MORNING :

Many times in my life,
I have seen nature's lull
But this time what I see,
Is something very special.

As I stand in the morning,
The cold breeze touches my face,
As I say to myself that
This is surely one of those beautiful days

Where there is greenery all around,
But still no sign of the sun
There is dew in the atmosphere,
So everything is wet in the urban.

The animals and birds seem to be active,
As they are up and away,
But people are still asleep,
As it is just a Sunday!

The trees have a variety of leaves,
Which are of different colour and shade
Majority of them are dark and light green
While a few others are a bit yellow and red.

The clouds completely fill up the sky
As they have a gathering
And thus in the process, hide from us,
The heavenly world of the King.

The birds commence their free flight
In this scene, capable of making anyone proud
They fly freely in the clean air,
Which contains nothing but the clouds.

They fly away to great heights,
Still looking for the first rays of the sun.
All of them are busy finding food,
And soon the early birds catch the worm.

They express themselves in their own way,
And make beautiful sounds again and again
Which are usually denied to us,
In the drowning sounds created by Man.

Some people enjoy the morning walk,
Listening to these voices, which are very tame
With their hands in their pockets,
As the coldness around, gradually gets to them.

The sun now shows itself,
And also looks around at everyone.
Suddenly everything seems to come to life,
As on everyone fall the first rays of the sun.

One should not be lazy
And still sleep in the cozy bed,
When such divine sights,
Are for you by the nature made.

Achyut Telang.

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Interesting Fact - There is enough water in Earth’s atmosphere to cover the entire surface of the Earth with one inch of water!

PIANO NOTATIONS- II

* In return for providing the notations that you need for free, just asking you to follow this blog and share it as much as you can. Thanks.

Please see my other post of Piano Notations too.

In that first post of mine on Piano Notations, I have mentioned that even if you don't have a musical instrument and don't know how to play it, still you can play your favourite songs with the sound of the musical instrument that you want.

Here, I will give you some other musical notations of other Hindi songs. I will not be providing for the full song. If you know a bit of music, you can figure it out yourself or if you do want, you can ask for it in the comments. Just request the notations for a song that you want and I will provide you the full notations.

Do visit my other post to understand how to read these notations because these are not the usual western notations or the Indian notations, but the t-piano notations.

* PLEASE SEE IN THE COMMENTS SECTION FOR NORMAL NOTATIONS (WESTERN AND INDIAN) AND TO REQUEST NOTATIONS FOR ANY SONG :

* ALSO PLEASE USE THE Control + F (Find) feature to find out the song you want because now there are too many songs here and it might be difficult for you to find.
Here it is for you. Enjoy!..........

Online Cricket Game lovers

Stick Cricket

I already have quite a few posts on games, specially online games and even in that my all time favourite is Cricket. Cricket is the one thing that I am always involved with some how- either watching any kind of Cricket Match on Television or playing it myself or online.

For online Cricket games, there are quite a few good ones depending on what kind of game you are looking for. A few are-........

India in New Zealand

My Perspective

This was always going to be a very interesting tour and a kind of a crossroad for the Indian Cricket team. On one side was the absolutely dismal past record of the Indian team in New Zealand and on the other-the form of the present Indian team. So what do you choose? Perhaps the logical conclusion from this can be that this current Indian team may not dominate or clean sweep the series but at least can be expected to fare much better than the previous tour...........

Kip-Up- Martial Arts step of getting up

Some of you who follow and read my blog would already know about me, but if not, then I'll tell you that among the various things that interest me, Martial Arts, in any of its various forms is one of them.

At the age of 12, I had joined Tae Kwon Do classes and it was one of the best things that my parents suggested me to do. Remember, I am using the word suggested, because they never forced me to do anything and also because I am a bit too lazy or not ambitious enough to do something on my own, or think about joining a class or something.

It was one of the best experiences of my life and one of the most memorable year of my life. One, because such kind of things always attract me and the one year that I did this classes, I did it with utmost sincerity and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was always interested in learning new steps and doing various things on my own if required because they won't teach you too much in a year.......

Most beautiful woman and Most handsome man

Is this the most beautiful woman in the world? And is this the most handsome man in the world?

I know you are smart and by this time you must have already figured it out a bit atleast but in case you are still wondering who these people are, and are wondering where you have seen them........

"tion"

This is a kind of an article that I had written years ago in my teens and it is one of a kind in the way that I made it up predominantly with words consisting of 'tion'. Although I tried to make it in such a way that it made some sense at least but nevertheless, it is fun to say it out loud. Try it. Here it is:.........