Arun Blog

Archive for June, 2008

Virender Sehwag scores double ton at Galle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

India’s opening batsman Virender Sehwag scored his first double century against Sri Lanka in the first session of the second day’s play of the second Test against Sri Lanka at Galle today. Sehwag, who is India’s stand-in vice-captain in the absence of MS Dhoni for the Test series, reached the landmark when he took a single off Muttiah Muralitharan just before lunch to become the first Indian batsman to score a double century in the longest version of the game against Sri Lanka.

Sehwag got his double century just in time as last man Ishant Sharma was out shortly afterwards as India were bowled out for 329 in their first innings with the Indian vice-captain staying unbeaten on 201. Sehwag, who scored 200 in only 227 balls, is only the second Indian batsman after Sunil Gavaskar to carry his bat in a Test innings. For Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis was the star of the show as he picked up his first five-wicket haul in only his second Test match to end with figures of 6 for 117.

You may soon be able to retain mobile number and switch operator

India’s 300 million-odd subscribers will be able to choose their mobile operator at will without fearing that they will lose their numbers. Department of Telecom has deciced to grant 2 licences for number portability

The government has decided to grant licences to two mobile number portability (MNP) service providers in the country, who will act as a clearing house to allow mobile users to seamlessly change their operator without changing their number.

A decision to this effect has been taken by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and is likely to be announced by Communications Minister A Raja on Friday, sources told Business Standard.

However, portability services, which were earlier expected to be launched by the end of the year in the four metros —Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai — as well as Tamil Nadu, have now been delayed till February or March 2009 (the DoT has said that it will start operations six months after the licence is granted).

The department has also finalised the schedule for extending number portability across all circles by August-September of 2009, within one year from granting the MNP licence.

‘The Mummy 3′: Mummy-fied!

MOVIE REVIEW

‘The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’, finds Rick O’Connell (Brendan Fraser) and wife Evelyn (Maria Bello taking over for Rachel Weisz) heading East in hopes of recapturing the adrenaline of adventure.
 
They’re retired following World War II, apparently living richly off of the $800 million worldwide box office of the first two Mummy films. The O’Connells are British aristocrat-adventurers who have retired too young and are begging to get back in the mummy-slaying game.
 
The film, directed by Rob Cohen (’The Fast and the Furious’) who takes the franchise’s reins from Stephen Sommers, opens with our historical backdrop: a ludicrously extravagant tale of “a mythic battle between good and evil played out in ancient China,” as a narrator informs.
 
Egypt, it appears, no longer has the trademark on mummies.
 
Jet Li plays the Dragon Emperor, an emphatically bad dude who in 200 B.C. — as this film tells it — built the Great Wall of China on top of thousands of servants worked to death. In his search for immortality, he’s tricked and he and his army are mummified in a giant tomb.
 
A few thousands years later, enter the O’Connell’s grown son Alex (Luke Ford). It’s been seven years since ‘The Mummy Returns’ and fans will surely be surprised that their hero (Fraser, who’s 39 in real life) has already ceded ground to a younger actor. (Harrison Ford’s archaeologist action star has yet to cede to this progeny.)
 
Alex is just as intrepid as his parents. He uncovers the tomb of the Dragon Emperor, which has been styled on a real archaeological find: China’s Teracotta Army, the thousands of clay soldiers found in 1974. They’ve here been re-imagined as mummies frozen in time, complete with mummy horses.
 
If this sounds absurd, it is. Like recent films such as ‘300′ or the new Indiana Jones, ‘Tomb of the Dragon Emperor’ uses history like a prop — a loose costume for ludicrous plot lines.
 
These movies revel in telling “ancient” tales, but dodgy history doesn’t lead to anything but myths. Younger generations are going to have some funky ideas about the past.

Today’s health tip - Be physically active.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, don’t use exercise either to punish yourself for eating or to “earn” the right to eat more.

When you do, it sets up a negative thought pattern, which is why so many people say they hate to exercise. Instead, focus on how great you feel, how much better you sleep and how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical activity is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not, so keep it positive and build a lifelong habit.

India finish day one at 214 for 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

India squandered a sedate start to slump to 214 for four wickets in their first innings on the opening day of the second cricket Test against Sri Lanka here on Thursday.

 Opener Virender Sehwag was unbeaten on 128 and giving him company was VVS Laxman who was batting on 13 when bad light dropped early curtains on the first day’s proceedings.Virender Sehwag scored his 15th Test hundred.
 
Brief score: India: 214 for 4 in 44.3 overs (V Sehwag batting 128, G Gambhir 56; C Vaas 2-57, A Mendis 2-74).

Partial solar eclipse in India on Friday; NASA to telecast live

A total solar eclipse will darken some of Earth’s skies on Friday. The total blotting out of the sun, which occurs when the moon’s dark inner shadow falls on parts of the Earth, can only be seen in mostly remote places: the northeastern edge of Canada, the tip of Greenland, parts of Russia, China and Mongolia, including the famed Gobi desert.

But only a partial solar eclipse will be seen in India on Friday while the north-eastern parts of the country will see quite a large fraction of the disc of the Sun, eclipsed by the Moon.

Some of the areas where the eclipse will last the longest — including parts of the Arctic — have a 75 percent chance of bad weather that will make it tough to see. This eclipse at its peak will last for 2 minutes and 27 seconds.

NASA TV will cover the eclipse, to be visible in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia and China, from 1530 IST to 1745 IST. Viewers all across the globe can see the eclipse as it happens on NASA TV and by logging on to www.nasa.gov.

Tendulkar to spread message of friendship with first film

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

India’s master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who is also the brand ambassador of a slew of products, will make his big screen debut with Marathi film “Vighnaharta Shri Siddhivinayak”, which aims to convey a social message.

 ”Though the movie is about the miracles of the Lord Ganesha, I would rather call it a social than a mythological film. I want the movie to convey a social message of friendship and have it conveyed through the easily-recognised icon, Sachin Tendulkar,” Rajiv Singhvi, movie’s producer, told IANS.
 
The movie is devoted to Siddhivinayak Temple, one of Mumbai’s most frequented shrines. Subhash Mayekar, the Siddhivinayak Trust chairman, said that they have given entire responsibility to Singhvi’s Vista Media to make the movie.

SAME COMBINATION FOR SECOND TEST:KUMBLE

Indian Skipper Anil Kumble on Wednesday hinted that the visitors might retain the line-up that lost the opening Test against Sri Lanka for the second match of the series starting on Thursday.
 
“There will be more or less the same combination of the Indian team for tomorrow’s match,” Kumble told reporters.
 
The Indians are trailing the three-Test series 0-1 after losing the opening match inside four days in Colombo, collapsing against the spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis.
 
Kumble, although describing the loss as a collective debacle, admitted that Dinesh Karthik’s failure was the most worrying aspect of the loss.
 
“Karthik’s performance was a matter of concern, but we are not pin-pointing the performance of any one person. The Indian team as a whole failed to perform well in the last Test.

TODAY’S HEALTH TIP

Eat protein at every meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates or fats, and thus may be the new secret weapon in weight control.

Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

Ceasefire violated, firing along Line of Control

Pakistani troops again fired at Indian posts in Kashmir on Wednesday, says defence spokesman
Srinagar: In yet another violation of the 2003 bilateral ceasefire, Pakistani troops Wednesday fired at Indian positions across the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowgam sector of the Kashmir Valley.

“Pakistani troops started firing at our positions on this side of the LoC in Nowgam again,” said defence spokesman Lt. Col. A.K. Mathur.

“Our troops are maintaining restraint. We have asked the Pakistani troops to stop firing so that the situation does not escalate,” Mathur said.

On Monday, a group of Pakistani soldiers had allegedly crossed the LoC in the same sector into the Indian side, resulting in exchange of fire between the armies of the two countries.

One Indian soldier of 22 Rajput Rifles was killed in that border skirmish while four Pakistani soldiers also died in the retaliatory firing.

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