freespeech2012

Advertising is the life and blood of a sporting fest like IPL.Cant imagine an IPL (or any cricket match on TV) with no ads!Ads squeeze in at every possible opportunities; during drinks break, or an interruption caused for a ball-change, player being treated for a spasm etc. etc.While some TV commercials are amusing, there are others that simply put us off…(the ‘seen them all’ re-run ads are the ones that often turn us off).So whats the best way to get an ad-free uninterrupted ‘cricket-only’ action???Well, you just got to buy the ticket and be at a match!It was only yesterday that I witnessed a ‘live’ match at a stadium…(Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Charges at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai). It was incidentally, my first ever cricket match that I went to see that involved big international cricket stars. And at the end of it, I would love to re-live the experience any time again (watching Steyn rocketing in with his lethal deliveries and hearing the crowd exult are things that you got to experience from close quarters)Lots of things change: like there are no TV replays that repeats an action if we may have missed, theres no expert commentator explaining tactics, game-plans to us, and of course, there is always a danger of getting hit by a giant-six!All I can say is that if anyone hasn’t been at a match, you got to be at one!I am sure all of you will have lots (perhaps more interesting) of similar ‘hair raising experiences’ to share, will like to hear them all….An IPL match with no ad-breaks?Advertising is the life and blood of a sporting fest like IPL.Cant imagine an IPL (or any cricket match on TV) with no ads!Ads squeeze in at every possible opportunities; during drinks break, or an interruption caused for a ball-change, player being treated for a spasm etc. etc.While some TV commercials are amusing, there are others that simply put us off…(the ‘seen them all’ re-run ads are the ones that often turn us off).So whats the best way to get an ad-free uninterrupted ‘cricket-only’ action???Well, you just got to buy the ticket and be at a match!It was only yesterday that I witnessed a ‘live’ match at a stadium…(Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Charges at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai). It was incidentally, my first ever cricket match that I went to see that involved big international cricket stars. And at the end of it, I would love to re-live the experience any time again (watching Steyn rocketing in with his lethal deliveries and hearing the crowd exult are things that you got to experience from close quarters)Lots of things change: like there are no TV replays that repeats an action if we may have missed, theres no expert commentator explaining tactics, game-plans to us, and of course, there is always a danger of getting hit by a giant-six!All I can say is that if anyone hasn’t been at a match, you got to be at one!I am sure all of you will have lots (perhaps more interesting) of similar ‘hair raising experiences’ to share, will like to hear them all….

surely, the business of real estate (especially in urban India) is getting reserved for only the rich and powerful. I guess, in addition to the element of foreign investments (black money etc), it is also a clear case of inaction on part of the government/administrative agencies. There can be a more pro-active role by the state governments and municipal corporations to see to it that an important social need such as 'housing and development' is more strictly monitored and regulated. It is often heard about property scams, disproportionate rates, etc making headlines in cities, and such news are seldom un-associated with govt. officials or civic authorities or even some political tones. I just think that India, as nation is making its progress, but in a very unscrupulous manner!

I agree with you sheepdog...Its good and well, a matter of pride too that India now has a missile that can hit places as far as China. It certainly boosts our armed forces' confidence, but hey, how best would it have been if we had similar advancements in 'electricity generation' 'developing irritation projects' etc. I guess enjoying public welfare and amenities in our country is akin to ones good fortune!

So which is the world’s greatest sport?Cricket, Soccer, Basketball, Motorsports?Is Team game more fun or individual sport more exciting?If I say Golf is the best sport in the world, (and even if the majority of world population supports it, would it then be considered the best sport, or wouldn’t that just make it the most popular sport.)But I guess, a reasonable yardstick is indeed ‘popularity’. The sport that most people follow gets the most support and this helps it gain widespread popularity. Cricket is a sport that is mostly played the countries that are part of the Commonwealth Nations and is the most watched and followed sport in India. So in terms of numbers, (with a billion people in India and say another half a billion from the other cricket playing nations put together) Is this then one of best known sport in the world?Sport revolves around skilled athletes, words like ‘endurance’ ‘stamina’ ‘strength’ ‘skill’ are very much relevant in the scheme of things. Other elements like history and legacy of the sport, the physical and mental endurance level of athletes also feature as important criteria in making a sport gain recognition and acceptance.But what do you think is what’s important to make any sport the ‘best sport’?Should we remain self contained in the IPLs and T20s or should we do more to get accustomed and make our mark in the world sports arena?

Indians love grandeur! Be it the big-fat Indian wedding, or the legacy of joint-mega-family, or the bollywood flick with half a dozen songs, each one of them, at times picturing over 100 dancers- all choreographed to loud and pomp music. So well, in India size does matter- the bigger the better! India is a big country, it is ranked 7th in the world in terms of land area. And well, to fill this vast land, we got enough people- over 1.20 billion of them. Now that’s a XXXL crowd of people! So we got the first check-box ticked for a ‘super-power’? - the size and the fondness for it. (after all US and the resurging China have exemplified that a large piece of land is a good start-point to become a rising superpower!) So what does ‘Superpower’ mean? For a nation, it indicates global clout – a voice of power in matters of world trade, international affairs, and of course a strong economy! But how would, if our country does attain this position help you and me, or to a daily wage earning laborer from one of our interior villages, or the countless service class people in metro cities? Ironic, isn’t it? I think this is where the word ‘superpower’ gets misplaced. A common man wouldn’t care a damn if, even after India becomes a world super-power, there is no substantial improvement in the daily ordeal for him. He would rather prefer an improved public transport (an additional local train or two to ease the peak hour rush a couple more buses plying on the busy routes)…affordable housing, effective policing and security, regular power supply, better hospitals, convenience in securing the basic amenities food, equitable social development and a happy life, than attaining the dream of a super-power nation. I understand that this is not a new topic, and it will be an endless list of things that each one of us will be able to provide of things we think need urgent fixing, but shall we just put a top 3 of things that we think can imminently ease the common man’s life! (lets uphold public spirit and mention things that will benefit maximum) J

Traffic congestion in Mumbai is an all too familiar story: …am sure there are loads of people from all around the country who will have similar experiences to share. Issues of Traffic congestion, inadequate public transport, poor road infrastructure, inappropriate urban planning and design are all inter-related, and there have been plenty of debates and discussions by experts, government agencies and civic authorities over the years. However, every once in a while, we get awful days when we become victims of harrowing traffic. It is when we pause and think about the various things that the administration could do to ease the situation, but I would like to highlight the role of people here. I believe that civic sense and discipline is immensely important in ensuring an effective traffic management. How many times do we notice, drivers jumping signals, pedestrians happily jaywalking, vehicles being parked in designated no parking zones, one-way rules openly disobeyed…I guess it is high time we as ‘users of public amenities’ respected and followed rules and regulations for our own betterment!

I guess it is the Indian culture and traditions that forms the root cause of many of the perplexing things that a bride (or even the bridegroom) are made to feel and experience in the lead up to the most important moment of their lives.We, in India have this legacy of being advised and told by our elders (even if they bear no relation to us) of whats good, whats right, whats ideal and so on all the time…and naturally ‘wedding day’ is one of the prime days for our seniors/elders to offer their valuable and worthy advice. Of course, our peers, friends and colleagues also have their share of suggestions for us. They just see our vulnerability and may be chip in of whatever they think.So I guess, we should just take this in our stride, and move on, of course, wedding is an occasion for a grand social celebration and whats a wedding without the clamor, gossip, spice and color. Enjoy the moment!

The great Indian diversity- plays its part in the way people (especially women) dress up in India. While the west may describe our country and people as being bright, colorful and rich in traditions, we know better about the varieties within so much variety. Consider a social gathering in an urban city like Delhi or Mumbai; we will have people from all around the country congregating with their own shades of regional flavor.And it is true that women have the luxury to choose a style (or outfit) from any part of the country. Not just that, there is a widespread concept of mixing up different clothes and forming your own trendy-style.As rightly you said, women in our country do have plethora of costumes at their disposal.