Friends - Personified High Spirits!

Chasing my dreams I came to clouded Mumbai sky,
Rummaging through the list, found my new sty,
Went to the section and found it dispirited and dry,
But new friends made me feel mellow and high!

Came across a lot of people whom I thought were worth a try,
Audaciously approached guys but for girls felt a li’l shy,
Blabbering revealed some were for life while some passer-by,
Withal, friends made me feel mellow and high!

Some came closer coz, for gags, I was the constant supply,
Others because we had chosen the same route to ply,
While some gave the reason as vodka, beer and rye,
This made me feel mellow and high!

Time slipped away and I found mates on whom I can rely,
Wouldn’t look at date or time when my call needs reply,
Will be there forever and never let our bonding wry,
Thanks friends, I truly feel elated and high!

Let's Spend!

Inflation in India came down to 20-year low at 0.44% in the first week of March 2009. Analysts predict that inflation will soon fall below the zero line and turn negative, resulting in Deflation!

Deflation is defined as sustained decrease in general price level of goods and services, ultimately leading to increase in the real value of money.

However, in current situation deflation pacifying the problems is just another delusion.

Deflation is an aftermath of recession in the modern economy. Due to recession there is a fall in personal spending as well as government expenditure. Thus there is a drop in the how much an economy wants to buy. This leads to fall in demand. Along with deflation, rumbling stock markets and shrinking economies discourage investment and spending because the concern of surviving present situation is more important than expected future gains. Due to this, investors and buyers tend to hold money. This, again, leads to collapse in aggregate demand. With decrease in demand, the price level of products and services decrease. Because the price of goods is falling, consumers have an incentive to delay purchases and consumption until prices fall further. This further slackens the demand leading to a situation where price of the products fall below the cost of manufacturing the products. This in turn forces the companies to cut production, slash jobs and shut down business till demand picks up. This worsens the situation. This entire cycle tends to repeat itself resulting in deflationary spiral, which further deepens the recession and ultimately ends in a Great Depression.

Answer to deflation is an apt stimulus package from government and increase in personal spending. Producers and manufacturers, also, have to play their role.

Central bank should lower CRR and provide liquidity in the system. Government should spend on infrastructure and development of the country. This will provide employment which will increase the purchasing power of the consumers.

Manufacturers are trying to restore the demand by decreasing the prices of the products. At every nook and corner one comes across zillions of hoardings giving out heavy discounts on every possible item. Clothing brands have unleashed a fierce competition by giving 50-75% discounts to attract the consumers. Manufacturers of cars, two-wheelers and electronic gadgets are giving huge cash benefits. Even day-to-day amenities like vegetables, fruits, dairy preparations, bakery products, packaged products are not left out. The fuel prices have also been slashed.

A consumer should believe that this is the right time to fulfill his needs, both basic and luxurious, and spend the money rather than holding it. Also, in such competitive market a consumer will find the products at affordable prices.

Be a true citizen and start spending wisely!

Chitrang Dalal

4th ODI India v/s New Zealand (March 11, 2009)

4^th ODI between India and New Zealand will be written in the record books for two main reasons. First is India’s maiden ODI series win in New Zealand and the other is 60-balls century by the Indian batting spearhead Virender Sehwag.

After winning the toss, Daniel Vettori decided to bat first, a consequence of chasing huge totals in 1^st and 3^rd ODI. Contrary to the previous ODIs, this time Kiwis had a serene start with Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum using hit and run-a-single technique. However once McCullum had his eye in, he started to open up. Praveen Kumar and rusted Ishant Sharma were the victims of his lashing. A strong platform for a herculean total was being set up.

Indian bowling ace Zaheer Khan was to be preserved for later overs. And with Sharma and Kumar going all over the park, MS Dhoni was left with no other options for bowling and hence did what he is best at- gambling. Part-time bowlers, Yuvraj Singh and Yusuf Pathan, were brought into the attack. Both of them did their job and stemmed the free flow of runs.

McCullum was granted two life lines- one by Dhoni and the other by Sehwag, both off Yuvraj Singh. But Yuvraj was able to gulp down Ryder, who tried to slog but ended up getting a leading edge and was brilliantly caught by Suresh Raina. New Zealand 102 for 1. Soon after that, Taylor gifted his wicket to Pathan. Kiwis 2 down for 114. However this quick fall of wickets did not hinder McCullum’s intention. He kept firing from one end giving sufficient time for the new batsman, Guptill, to set himself up at the crease.

Seeing McCullum gunning down Indian bowlers, batting powerplay was taken by the Kiwi captain. Indian seamers were back into the attack. Zaheer showed McCullum way to Kiwi pavilion in the first over of batting powerplay. Three balls after this, out-of-form Jacob Oram followed. A bouncing delivery by Ishant Sharma, edged by Oram, was comfortably caught by Dhoni. Guptill also bowed down to Sharma in the last over of batting powerplay. New Zealand were in deep trouble with 175 for 5 and two unset batsmen in the middle of the ground. But Grant Elliot and the local boy- Peter McGlashan had other plans altogether.

The Kiwi innings was revived by an unbeaten 95-run stand between McGlashan and Elliott and ended at 270/5. McGlashan used all sorts of sweep shots – orthodox, paddle and reverse, to score 56 off 42 balls. Elliot also added a valuable 35 off 27 balls.

India needed 271 to win off 47 overs- a formidable target.

With injured Sachin Tendulkar making space for Rohit Sharma, India started with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. A traditional Sehwag cameo was expected in the initial overs. And he delivered. But this time it was not a cameo, it was a full movie. Sehwag scored unbeaten 125 off just 74 balls. Gambhir provided an apt support by scoring unbeaten 63 off 67 balls.

With Sehwag and Gambhir at the center, Indian innings started with a bang. Sehwag started to open up in the 4^th over. The debutant Ewen Thompson was slammed 15 runs in his second over. Thereafter,Mills and O’Brien were thrashed. There was no one stopping Sehwag. Runs started cascading. Sehwag scored his half century in 9^th over. India had raced to 83 in 10 overs without losing any wicket.

As soon as Daniel Vettori took up the ball in 11^th over it started raining. Using D/L method, a target of 263 off 43 overs was given.

Vettori did not opted for powerplay (bowling) in 11^th over. But Dhoni did. With Sehwag in murderous form, batting powerplay (4 overs) was taken . In next 24 balls 43 runs were scored. Thereafter, Oram was introduced in the bowling attack. But this did not impede Sehwag and his run flow. No respect was paid to the veteran bowler. Now every Kiwi bowler was massacred by Sehwag.

After 18 overs, Sehwag was on 96 and Gambhir on 49. Gambhir brings up his fifty and gives strike to Sehwag. On the next ball, Sehwag waltzed down the track and BOOM! The ball flies over the mid-off boundary and Sehwag brings up this ton in style. Sehwag scores century off 60 balls- fastest by an Indian.

Rain stopped the play again in 20^th over. Its 19.2 overs. 4 more balls required to get a result from this game using D/L method.

Showers stop and the covers are removed. The new target, according to D/L, is 220. The first ball after play and Sehwag is dropped by McGlashan. It is rightly said “No one can stop you when its your day”. So still more of Sehwag to come. Again showers of sixes and fours by the Indian gunner.

Its 23.2 overs and India has already passed 200 mark. If it rains again, India’s supposed target will be 197 which India has already achieved.

And it RAINS!!

India wins by 84 runs according to D/L method.

Virender Sehwag’s fastest ton helps India to clinch a comprehensive win in 4^th ODI.

This young Indian cricket team has achieved the feat which has never been achieved before. India wins ODI series in New Zealand!

Chitrang Dalal

Colleague at work; Friend at Heart!

Met as a colleague who made working fun,
Provided support to understand and learn,
Chatting at coffee shop while having coffee and bun,
A true friend, giving my life a worthy turn!

Likes enjoying life to the fullest beneath the moon,
Loves fighting and hitting everyone (esp. me) under the sun,
Lives a life of where everything is "going to do",
But hasn’t, yet, got anything done!

Don’t let your procrastination make dreams burn,
A good career for you is something I yearn,
Will push for the same till I get you darn,
A desire to see you achieve for what you are born!

Chitrang Dalal

New Killer T-word

Terrorism is now decades old. Not only Al-Qaeda, Lashker-e-Taiba or for that matter any extremist organization is killing the people around us but also the by-products of packaged food or fast food – TRANS-FATS, that are adding insults to the injury. Trans-fats kill more people and are more deleterious than the other half of Pakistan Army (read Taliban).

 

How do we consume trans-fats?

In order to extend the expiry date of the packaged food, manufacturers add preservatives to the natural food. These preservatives generally are high on hydrogen content leading to hydrogenation of natural oils. This produces trans-fats which when consumed increases the bad cholesterol level of the body, thereby making a person obese and increasing the risk of heart diseases.The yummmmmmmmy samosa, the mouth-watering chole bhatura, the daily roadside snack vadapav, the irresistible cheese dripping pizza, the enticing burger and every other Indian or Western fast food contains the slow poison, trans- fats.

What trans-fats cannot do to a human body?

Apart from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart strokes, liver malfunction, kidney failure, curvature of the spine, permanent baldness and irreversibly degenerative body odour, trans-fats can do nothing harmful. Sometimes, excessive consumption of trans-fats may lead to infertility. That’s it!

Forget eating high tans-fats content food. Forget touching them. Even looking at them can make the arteries of eyeballs clutched and clogged!

Ah…..but who cares? Life is very short to think what to eat and what no to. We are not eating to live but we are living to eat (read gorge). Are we the only ones who are taking this poison everyday? No, there are billions more.

Didn’t we grow up eating that finger licking yummies everyday?

Didn’t our fathers, grandfathers and forefathers survive 60-70 years after consuming trans-fats everyday?

 

You can eat now and pay tomorrow or abstain now and enjoy the future!

Chitrang Dalal

Terror -A Lost Glory

Definition of glory has always been unclear,
Some find it in the happiness of their dear,
For others it’s obtaining success, sweet as tart,
Terrorist define it “Bringing other’s world apart”.

Snatching your democracy and spreading the fear,
Wailing and sobbing is all they want to hear,
Creating havoc is on the top of their chart,
Bombing trains, planes or your nearest mart.

Brainwashed are such people who decide to be queer,
Unknowingly bringing their end so near,
Thinking they are playing, on earth, their part,
But they are the ones who lost way from the start.

Fight terrorism by commixing and getting near,
Spreading love and messages of cheer,
Everyone should have care and concern on their cart,
Unifying and connecting to everyone's heart...

Chitrang Dalal

India Vs. Sri Lanka T20

It is rightly said "Twenty20 is designed to thrill." The first-ever T20 played in Sri Lanka did it in abundant measure. More than 325 runs in 39.2 over with 11 sixes and 32 fours. Indeed, a “paisa-vasool” match.

With rare luck going Sri Lanka’s way at the toss, they were more than determined to send “The Men in Blue” back home with a crushing defeat. Both the teams started with agile legs and hard hitters on their side. Sri Lanka’s batting innings started off with a flier with Sanath Jayasurya exploding from the word go. With rampaging Jayasurya, 200 seemed to be a meager total but Irfan Pathan shattered this dream by clinching Jayasurya in his first over. Sri Lanka, all of a sudden, lost their well designed plot. However, Tilekratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka’s makeshift captain, took up the responsibility of stabilizing the innings by scoring 61 off 47. After having a shaky start, he made up for the mid-innings slump. He assumed the role of the senior batsman, flayed on the off side, ran hard and kept the score-board ticking with some support from Chamara Kapugedera. Yusuf Pathan slowed down their momentum by giving only 23 runs and picking 2 crucial wickets. Jehan Mubarak tried his best to get his team back on the track in the last few overs. 82 came from last 8 overs, which ensured Sri Lanka had a reasonable total of 171 to defend.

With a formidable 172 to chase, it was India’s turn to prove their worthiness as T20 World Champions. With glaring luck and sharp fielding, Sri Lankans were able plug the muzzle of Indian side, Virender Sehwag, for 1. Gautam Gambhir just started to open up when he was shown the way to pavilion by Thushara. With 2 wickets down on 14 runs, India was caught up in deep hydra. But the magician who showed stars at day by hitting 6 sixes of 6 balls in WC, Yuvraj Singh, came to India’s rescue. He along with Suresh Raina built a strong platform for India’s victory. India was dominating the match with 81 for 2 after 8 overs, when Dilshan decided to use his trump card, legspinner Malinga Bandara. Bandara successfully tried all the weapons in his arsenal and Jayasurya used all his experience to put a halt to India’s fast paced innings. Eventually, India lost 5 wickets in next 34 runs. Sri Lankans were on the verge of come-from-behind victory, when Pathan brothers disrupted their joy. Y. Pathan showcased his prowess when he hit the second ball he faced, from Bandara, for a glaring boundary over extra cover. More was to come from the emerging hero. The next ball was hit for a six straight over the sightscreen. Two balls later, another maximum over mid-wicket by the elder brother. That forced Dilshan to abandon the idea of spin bowling. But when fast bowlers came, I. Pathan was ready to join the fun. He carved a beauty by smashing one-bounce four, over extra cover, of Lasith Malinga. In the next over, Dilhara Fernando was clubbed all over the ground by the younger Pathan. Dilshan was left screaming at his bowlers and wringing his hands in despair. Finally a coup-de-grace was delivered in the last over of Malinga by Irfan Pathan by hitting a meaty blow over mid-on. India wins in a dramatic fashion by 3 wickets and 4 balls to spare, courtesy Pathan brothers.

The first-ever T20 in Sri Lanka will always be remembered for India achieving a Herculean task thanks to Yusuf and Irfan Pathan!

Chitrang Dalal