Per Aspera, Ad Astra!

My Blog: Check out Tubaah: Bullfighter arrested for racing out of ring

2010-06-23T00:47:00.000-07:00

My Blog: Check out Tubaah: Bullfighter arrested for racing out of ring

http://fastrack.in/indexfb.aspx

2010-05-25T01:47:00.000-07:00

Holiday Sales Booster by SocialTwist

2009-10-24T21:56:00.001-07:00

Now that the holiday season is right around the corner, leading WOM and referral marketing application provider, SocialTwist have come up with an ingenious offer to help you boost your online holiday sales. The Holiday Sales Booster, as the name suggests, does exactly that. You might want to check it out. Or, Tell-a-Friend about it ;-)

Ferrari wards off Force India Juggernaut!

2009-08-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

(Post written by F1 enthusiast and Raikkonen fanatic, Sundeep Tampa)

Vijay Mallya has every reason to be proud - Force India finally scored their first points in Formula One. Since their debut in 2008, the team came tantalizingly close to scoring points but never did, most of the times missing out due to sheer bad luck. This weekend however saw Force India’s senior driver Giancarlo Fisichella finish second at the Spa Francorchamps. But in spite of such a good finish, there was a tinge of disappointment as Fisichella couldn’t convert his hard-earned pole position to victory. Only a second separated him from first spot which would have then seen the band playing our national anthem for the constructors’ trophy.

After a spirited performance during qualifying which saw him grab pole, it was thought by many that the result was due to running on a lightly fuelled car. But those speculations were laid to rest during the course of the race where it became evident that the car Force India built for the weekend was indeed the fastest on track.

Despite being in a faster car, Fisichella was simply unable to overtake Raikkonen. He made a good start but what was most compelling to watch was how Raikkonen scythed his way through from sixth to second. The Finn was in his element right from the start of the race. He’s said in the past that Spa Francorchamps was a favorite track of his and he showed it by the way he held on to his position despite an insistent Fisichella snapping at his heels throughout. High drama ensued in the first lap when four cars crashed out going into the first corner. Among them was championship leader Button. The multiple-crash saw the safety car coming out which spelled doom for race leader Fisichella as in no time Raikkonen was right behind him and whatever lead Fisichella had built up was gone. No sooner did the safety car retire Raikkonen stormed past Fisichella and remained rooted in front throughout in spite of a much slower car than Fisichella’s Force India VJM02. This was Raikkonen’s first win of the season. The last time he won was in Spain last year. It is no wonder that this track is one of Raikkonen’s favorites, as he has won here three times earlier- 2003, 2005 (in a McLaren), and 2007 (in a Ferrari).

Fisichella’s teammate Adrian Sutil came 9^th. It has been the best finish of Force India so far, and this result has vindicated all the hard work put in by the team and the dedication shown by its owner. This team has come a very long way from being minnows that always finished at the bottom to being strong midfield contenders. This team saw several owners before Mallya took over. First it was Jordan, for which Narain Karthikeyan raced. Then it became Midland F1, and then Spyker. After becoming bankrupt in the end of 2007, the team was bought by Mallya who re-christened it Force India. The team didn’t score points in their debut year but came close to doing so on a couple of occasions, like the Brazilian Grand Prix where Fisichella climbed as high as third spot before eventually retiring due to torrential rain. This season has also seen a marked improvement in the fortunes of the team with retirements coming down drastically. Last year there were seventeen retirements- ten for Sutil and seven for Fisichella. In contrast this year has seen just three retirements till date, one for Fisichella and two for Sutil. This team has consistently finished races and has emerged a strong midfield team, proving critics wrong that this outfit wouldn’t do any better than it’s’ predecessors.

With new rule changes helping them and technical directors James Key and Mark Smith making their presence felt, this team is going to go a long way and in time will be a serious challenge for teams like Renault and Red Bull. Lets’ sit back and enjoy the ride. I have a feeling its going to be very exciting.

Amar Chitra Katha, life size!

2009-08-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

I remember Amar Chitra Kathas as lovely, interesting reads; and nothing delighted me more today than when I learnt they are coming on the big screen! ACK Media, in a content partnership with Turner International, is going to launch the evergreen stories as TV shows and films.

Kids nowadays are addicted to power rangers, and dragon ball revolutions; so it remains to be seen how hooked they are going to get to our Indian version of superheroes. Be it the Jataka tales, or the mythological legends about the numerous Gods and Goddesses, Amar Chitra Katha stories have always had a charm of their own; my cousins love the tales, and the kid in me still loves reading them every time I am able to lay my hands on one.

The firm is planning to release two films and a television series, early 2010; the first film, tentatively titled Tripura: The Three Cities of Maya, will be released in the summer of 2010; the second film, Sons of Rama, will be released around Diwali. The series is going to premiere on the Cartoon Network and Pogo in early 2010, making them accessible to millions of kids around the world.

You might want to read the full announcement on afaqs!, the media site.

Off to a start

2009-07-26T13:53:00.001-07:00

It's difficult enough maintaining one blog, without having to start a second one. But then, with the sort of posts I have in mind, I felt it wouldn't be fair to include them in my old blog; which has so far consisted of fiction, humor, and just random thoughts. I would like to categorize my new blog as something which would be made up of posts related to the online world; everything new that's happening, at least to my knowledge. Every day you come across something interesting on the internet; you read it, you form an opinion.

I want this blog to be my platform, voicing my opinion.