Fastest Man on Earth

This post comes more than a month late but I still wanted to post it here, mainly bcos this is one sports event that I keep following fervently, though my general interest in track & field has come down drastically, after the hey days of Carl Lewis and Michael Johnson wound down. Anyway, now on to the new 100m record that was set recently.

Back in those days, experts used to believe that man can never run under 10 seconds. It was unbelievable when man first ran under 10 seconds and then slowly started chiseling off 1/100th of a second by 1/100th of a second, off the 100m record. But even then, the 100m record was stuck in the low 9.90s and high 9.80s for a while. That was when Ben Johnson ran that breath-taking 9.79 in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. When he recorded that time, many declared that was it; that was how fast man could ever run. Period.

The reason I am bringing in all this history is bcos of the fact that the record was broken just more than a month back by Usain Bolt of Jamaica. Though the number of scandals that have rocked the athletic world in the last few years have doused fan interest (or atleast, this fan's interest), this is one record that even the most cynical of them keep following religiously. So, the moment I saw this news where it said that he had done 9.72, I was just flabbergasted. And when the fact that this guy is not even a regular 100m runner and he runs 100m as a preparation for his pet event 200m, my jaws dropped.



While on this, this article talks about just how fast can man run. Check it out and you will be surprised at their findings:

How fast can we run?

As if to upstage Bolt, US sprinted Gay ran the fastest ever 100m dash ever at 9.68 secs. though it is not considered a world record bcos of the reason that there was a tail wind more than the allowed limits,.

With both Bolt and former record holder Asafa Powell scheduled to run in the Olympics, along with Gay, the most looked forward to event of the Olympics just got bigger and more spicier.

Mini reviews

Just wanted to jot down some mini-reviews of some of the movies that I watched during the break when I was not posting anything here regularly.

Anjaathey - Though this is easily the best out of all the movies that have been released this year, I really do not want the year to end that way. That, I guess, should say everything as to what I felt about the movie. The movie was pretty good, though I still could not stand Naren's body language. His acting in the form of facial expressions has definitely improved vastly from his Chithiram Pesuthadi days. But his body language still stands out like a sore thumb. About the movie - Like I read somewhere, movies can have one or two scenes with directorial touches but Anjaathey is a movie that is one long directorial touch marathon. The camera angles, the endless list of characters who all seemed to have a role to play in the proceedings are couple of reasons why this movie stands out. The scene when Naren & the old lady sandwich the dead body while riding the bike is the one that I could remember right off the top of my head. The only thing that could have been better is the way the climax was shot. It was a pretty long & tedious climax. I am a big fan of these catchy kuthu songs and so I loved both the songs - Kannadsasan Karaikudi and KathaaLa kannaala and the simple but addictive choreography. This guy is so good at filming these kind of songs that his way of picturization of regular duets (the Manasukkul number) was such a sore to watch. Mysshkin's next movie that has the Maestro at the helm, is what he is calling his most ambitious movie. Here is already looking forward to a classic.

Taare Zameen Par - Was completely blown away by the movie. Had been wanting to watch this movie ever since many called this movie as the best movie of last year. I was kind of not very receptive to the movie (you might even call that feeling skeptical) when I started watching this, mainly bcos I did not expect anybody to do a better job than what Mani Rathnam did in Anjali. But then Aamir Khan just proved that he is an altogether different league. We often praise Kamal as the only actor who can also make good movies but Aamir Khan is just amazing here. I can't think of one single Kamal movie (that he made) which can stand against this one. Shankar Ehsaan Loy's music was such a big plus to the movie. Gelled so perfectly with the movie. Aamir underplayed his character so well and the kid was unbelievable. No unnecessary melodrama, no cliched scenes. Everyone of us who watched the movie were clearly overwhelmed as the movie ended, with many of us in tears. This is cinema as an educative medium at its very best. Can't remember the last Hindi movie that moved me as much as this one did.

Kalloori - They say, climax makes or breaks a movie and the latter is true in this case, as the ridiculous climax ended up being fatal to the movie's fate at the box office. The feeling that one gets at the end of this movie is not disappointment or tragedy, which is what I imagine the director would have wanted/ expected of the audience, but instead, one feels cheated at the end of the movie. I mean, the movie was so beautiful until that point when you get this ridiculous climax after which we all were nodding our heads in disbelief and then sank in the feeling of having been cheated. May be, he was trying to recreate his Kaadhal magic by going in for a tragic climax or may be, he wanted to show his anger against that real life incident that killed 6 girls in Dharmapuri, but it just did not work, atleast for me. Though Joshua Sridhar could not quite recreate his Kaadhal magic, the Unnarugaiyil varugaiyil song is as good as he has ever composed. Bottomline - even given how bad this movie ended, Balaji Shakthivel will be one director whose next movie I will be looking forward to very eagerly, bcos Kalloori is a pretty good movie except for the climax.

Pirivom Sandhippom - Well, we all have heard about feel good movies. This is one movie that takes the whole concept to an altogether new level, even making some of Vikraman's movies pale in comparison. It definitely takes guts to make a movie like this with no villain and where every character in the movie can be classified under 2 broad categories - nallavanga and romba nallavanga. I am no big fan of Cheran's histrionic abilities and his performance here was no different, though I should say that this is one character that might suit him the most. If there is one thing that might make folks like me (who just cannot stand him, as an actor) look at his performance in a kinder way, it should be that he should keep his romantic antics to a minimum or even better, just get rid of them. Watching Cheran romance is not a very good experience. Sneha, as always, does her role adequately. Jayaram's character is different but he looks jaded and this is not the Jayaram that we have seen in mvoies like Priyanka and Thenali. The real hero of the movie is Vidhyasagar's music. He is probably the only music director in Tamil who keeps on churning out melodies after melodies in every single movie of his. The cute little everyday things (as to why we should not have frightening wall hangings in the front of our homes) and the anecdotes that you see throughout the movie remind you of Mozhi director Radhamohan. Karu Pazhaniappan is not a director to whom you can associate subtlety with (even his best & only good work till date, Parthiban Kanavu is no exception) and he only continues that trend here. A movie that definitely cannot be termed as bad but at the same time, cannot sing praises for it, either.

Weekend Hikes - Lake Serene & Bridal Veil Falls

Summer is out in all its glory and that only means one thing - the hiking season has truly begun. Though avid hikers start their hiking season sometime during the first week of May, folks like me who hike for pleasure start their hikes only after all the snow has melted in most of the trails in this area. Thus, we started our hiking season with hikes to the easier hikes in the area - hike to Twin Falls and the Rattle Snake Ledge. But these were hikes that I have already done. So, I wanted to start the Weekend Hikes series for this year with my first hike that I have not done before.

Lake Serene in the Mt. Baker National Forest area is the one we chose. Though myself & my wife had done the previous hikes, since they both were pretty easy on the difficluty level, this was our first serious hike. The note at the trailhead says that the trail is for serious hikers only. That did not come as a surprise bcos before going on a hike, I usualy read a bunch of trip reports about the hike during the week leading upto the hike. So, I was kind of ready for it.

The first 1.5 miles of the hike is pretty easy as you only gain a total elevation of around 600 feet. There is a sign for a sub-trail that takes you to the Bridal Veil falls and we decided to do it on our way down. You also get a view of the falls (not in its entirety, though) on your way to the lake, just past that sign post. Once past the falls, the trail gets down to some serious business. The remaining 1500 feet of elevation is gained in the next 2 miles to the lake. So, needless to say, it left us panting real bad. Since this was our first tough hike of the season, both myself & my wife found it real hard. But there is one thing that always drives me during such hikes and it is the reward (in the form of a falls or a lake or a view point) that is waiting for us at the top. So, we finally made it to the lake and the lake was worth every calorie that was burnt and worth every foot that was hiked. Since this was early summer, the lake was frozen almost 90%. It was one beautiful sight.




We spent about 45 mins at the lake, had some light snacks and then started our descent back. It is usually the descent that I like most about these hikes but this one was an exception since it was almost as tough as coming up. While coming down, couple of hikers who weren't even close to the half-way mark, asked the often repeated question 'Are we there yet?' and I felt real bad to break them the bad news.

Date: June 28, 2008
Distance: 7.2 miles RT
Elevation gain: 2000 feet
Time: 5 hours (including 1 hour at the lake & the falls)
Directions: From Redmond, go north on I-405 and get off at State Route 522 off exit 23. SR 522 winds down and joins US 2 at Monroe. Drive east through Monroe and continue eight miles east of Gold Bar to the well-signed Mount Index Road on your right at milepost 35.
Notes: 23 switchbacks and a lot of wooden stairs through the hike. Most of the hike is under shades inside the woods with the last 3/4 of a mile that was over small & medium sized rocks.

Mission Accomplished

The last few years, watching & following tennis has been reduced to an excercise in monotony. And if you have been reading my blog for a while, you would know the reason for the same :) Grand slam after grand slam, one could almost pencil in the winner even before the tournament started (except of course, in the case of the French Open). And it was not just us, the average tennis lovers, who had been lulled by this sense of predictability. Someone like Pete Sampras, who still holds the record for the most number of Grand slam titles, wasn't joking when he asked Federer to win the French Open so that he doesn't have to travel to Australia to watch history made, as he has said all along that he will be there on the court-side when his record is broken.


It is not like I don't appreciate Federer's awesome talent. He is talent in its most pristine form, for what else could one explain his achievements without a proper coach. It is just that the invincibility that he brings to the court that made me sick. People usually compare his dominance to Tiger's dominance in golf. Somehow, I don't agree to that as Tiger looks every bit vulnerable even in the majors that he wins. But that has never been the case with Federer (at least until this year) as he decimates all his opponents and that has made this whole history-making achievements a big boring spectacle.

That is exactly the reason why yesterday's final was like a breath of fresh air. Nadal finally was able to do what no man has ever done - win a 3rd set from Federer on grass court! Though both the players as such did not stick to the grass court tradition of serve-and-volley play, it was unparalleled in the sense that both of them matched each other miraculous shot for miraculous shot. It was may be Nadal's ploy, of not letting Federer play his natural serve-and-volley game, that is so much critical to Federer winning on grass. Coming back from 2 sets down in the Wimbledon finals, is not something many players can do and Federer, being Federer, just accomplished that. But then Nadal wasn't giving up either. Though Federer clearly had the edge in the serving department, it was Federer's serve that was broken more times than Nadal's and that to me, was the single most defining reason for his defeat. You can't go 1 out of 13 in break points conversion and hope to win against the most athletic player in the sport.

Every time Federer found himself in a hole (none more so than in the 4th set tie-breaker), he came up with an ace or a passing shot winner. As the game progressed beyond the 4 hour 30 mins mark, I started to think that Nadal would give up soon bcos of the two, Nadal looked the one who was getting tired. The fact that Federer served first in the last set did not help matters either. But Nadal clung on to his serve like his life depended on it and eventually broke Federer & then held serve to close out the match.

The way Nadal reacted after winning the last point said everything that we need to know about how much this win meant to him. Spaniards winning French Opens is like Australia winning the ICC World Cup. But a Spaniard lifting the Wimbledon crown is something this and the last generation have not seen. It was overwhelming to see him reach out to his parents by climbing on top of seats, like a small kid would do. Federer's dad clapping & appreciating Nadal's victory too was a sight to behold. Moments like these are what fans like us live for and watch sports for. It was an incredible feeling to see John McEnroe (of all people) almost in tears in the post-match interview when he thanked both Federer and Nadal for having treated us to probably the greatest and best tennis match in his career.

Experts/ critics/ analysts/ pundits are a much ridiculed species, these days in any field and particularly, in the field of sports & politics. With most of their predictions going wrong time & again, their 'expertnes', if you will, was in question. But this Wimbledon was a comeback of sorts for them, as most of them had picked Nadal to win the whole thing. From McEnroe to Borg to ESPN columnists, every single one of them had said that this Wimbledon was Nadal's to lose.

Though Nadal won this epic contest, I still believe that Federer is the man to beat at all the 3 grand slams. All the talk of passing of the proverbial torch or for that matter, the end of an era, are a bit pre-mature, in my opinion. The outcome of the last grand Slam of the season, the US Open in September, would bring us the answers that we are looking for. Until then, let us just celebrate the sublime spectacle that we were witness to last night.

Kuselan songs - GVP squanders golden opportunity

When G.V.Prakash was signed up for Kuselan as the MD, it did not come as a surprise, for 2 reasons - 1) his good showing in most of his albums and 2) in keeping with the low profile nature & release date of the movie. But I was doubly sure of one thing - that the songs would somehow come out well. And today after listening to the songs, though that feeling of satisfaction comes through in patches, one can also not deny the fact that unfulfilled expectations is what one would describe about this album.

As a Thalaivar fan, more than the music, it is the lyrics that I look forward to, in all of his songs and in that aspect, Kuselan simply rocks. I can already visualize how Thalaivar fans would be during these songs. The music in all the songs are adequate, playing its role to perfection in highlighting the lyrics. Now, over to the songs.

Perinba pechukkaaran is easily the pick of the songs, for me, though the beats readily remind you of the Veyilodu uravaadu by the same composer. Again, it is the lyrics that made me go for it, as the pick of the album. Some of my favorite lines from the song:

பேரின்ப பேசுக்காரன் யாரு யாரு கூறப்பா
கைப்பிள்ளை கூட சொல்லும் Superstar தானப்பா

ஆனந்த மூச்சுக்காரன் கூறு கூறு யாரப்பா
கேக்காம நாடே சொல்லும் Superstar தானப்பா

Cinema Cinema - Thalaivar's supposed intro song starts off with the gradnuer that one has come to expect in a Thalaivar intro song. But then there is something missing. Call me old fashioned or someone who resists change, I just cannot take an intro song without SPB. Though Shankar Mahadevan has done a decent job, I still miss SPB. The song just goes into detail all the pain that is involved in making a movie and that is what I liked about this song. It has a central theme around which the lyrics of the entire song have been written. And even while doing that, it sings praises of Thalaivar, mentioning few of Thalaivar's film names in the process.

எவரும் உழைச்சா உயர்ந்திடலாம் என்று எடுத்து காட்டுவது Cinema தான்
அதுக்கு யாரு இங்க சாட்சியின்னா அது வேற யாரு நம்ம தலைவரு தான்

அவர் உருவம் பாரு எளிமை
அந்த எளிமை தான் அவருக்கு வலிமை

தலை கனத்த்திடாத தலைவன்
எங்கள் அண்ணன் மட்டும் தான்

The last 2 lines is sure to send any Thalaivar fan into uncontrollable bouts of frenzy.

Om zaaraare - given the length of the song, I am guessing this is the song that Thalaivar comes in 20 get-ups. Daler Mehendi sure does brings the energy into the song and his pronounciation is exactly what we have come to expect (& live with) from these North Indian singers. The notable aspect of this song is the mention of Thalaivar's movies in the lyrics. Some of my favorite lyrics from the song:

போக்கிரி ராஜா ராஜா பொல்லாதவன் நீ
அண்ணாந்து யாரும் பார்க்கும் அண்ணாமலை நீ
வீரா நீ மாவீரன் தான் பாயும் புலி

பெண்ணிடம் தில்லு முல்லு பண்ணாதவன் நீ
எப்பவும் தப்பு தாளம் போடாதவன் நீ
உன்னிடம் சொக்கிப்போனாள் சந்திரமுகி

என்ன திமிரு என்ன துடிப்பு
அட நீ தான் முரட்டு காளை
இந்த மாடத்திலே தான் எஜமான்

Sollammaa Chellammaa - A neat melody, supposedly picturized on Meena & Pasupathy. The tune feels adequate. Hariharan somehow sounds unlike him in this song. You can notice his uncle's influence in most of his songs and this song has too - Kurkukku siruthavale from Mudhalvan seems to have influenced him in this song.

Saaral mazhai thooral - this is the Nayanthara solo song. Not sure why the heroine needs a solo song in a Thalaivar movie (even if it is one where he comes in a shortened role). Hummable tune and I liked the guitar strumming that comes throughout the song.

Bottomline - This is not G.V.Prakash's best effort by a long way and given the wonderful chance that he got (to score music for a Superstar movie), one wishes he would have utilized it more. But then luckily for him, the songs will be raging hits, solely bcos of Thalaivar. And for us, Thalaivar fans, the lyrics of the 3 songs on Thalaivar, more than make up for the wait for this audio and raise our expectations for the movie's release in 3 week's time.