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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Bruce Lee




In 1959 a short, skinny, bespectacled 18-year-old kid from Hong Kong traveled to America and declared himself to be John Wayne, James Dean, Charles Atlas and the guy who kicked your butt in junior high. In an America where the Chinese were still stereotyped as meek house servants and railroad workers, Bruce Lee was all steely sinew, threatening stare and cocky, pointed finger--a Clark Kent who didn't need to change outfits. He was the redeemer, not only for the Chinese but for all the geeks and dorks and pimpled teenage masses that washed up at the theaters to see his action movies. He was David, with spin-kicks and flying leaps more captivating than any slingshot.
As an exceptional martial artist, Lee's ability to synthesize various national martial techniques sparked a new trend in unarmed combat martial arts films. His talent shifted the focus from martial arts director to martial arts actor.
Since 1973, the year Bruce Lee died and his famous motion Enter The Dragon was released, movies have been the single most influential factor behind the growing popularity of martial arts. Lee?s cinematic success spawned a global industry of the martial arts, and schools opened and flourished worldwide. During the 1970s more students took up the study of martial arts than at any time before or since. To those involved in martial arts, the years from 1972 to 1975?the height of Lee?s popularity?are often cited as the Bruce Lee era
Bruce Lee (Lee Hsiao Lung), was born in San Fransisco in November 1940 the son of a famous Chinese opera singer. Bruce moved to Hong Kong when he soon became a child star in the growing Eastern film industry. His first film was called The birth of Mankind, his last film which was uncompleted at the time of his death in 1973 was called Game of Death. Bruce was a loner and was constantly getting himself into fights, with this in mind he looked towards Kung Fu as a way of disciplining himself. The famous Yip Men taught Bruce his basic skills, but it was not long before he was mastering the master. Yip Men was acknowledged to be one of the greatest authorities on the subject of Wing Chun a branch of the Chinese Martial Arts. Bruce mastered this before progressing to his own style of Jeet Kune Do.
At the age of 19 Bruce left Hong Kong to study for a degree in philosophy at the University of Washington in America. It was at this time that he took on a waiter's job and also began to teach some of his skills to students who would pay. Some of the Japanese schools in the Seattle area tried to force Bruce out, and there was many confrontations and duels fought for Bruce to remain.
He met his wife Linda at the University he was studying. His Martial Arts school flourished and he soon graduated. He gained some small roles in Hollywood films - Marlowe- etc, and some major stars were begging to be students of the Little Dragon. James Coburn, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin to name but a few. He regularly gave displays at exhibitions, and it was during one of these exhibitions that he was spotted by a producer and signed up to do The Green Hornet series. The series was quite successful in the States - but was a huge hit in Hong Kong. Bruce visited Hong Kong in 1968 and he was overwhelmed by the attention he received from the people he had left.
He once said on a radio program if the price was right he would do a movie for the Chinese audiences. He returned to the States and completed some episodes of Longstreet. He began writing his book on Jeet Kune Do at roughly the same time.
Back in Hong Kong producers were desperate to sign Bruce for a Martial Arts film, and it was Raymond Chow the head of Golden Harvest who produced The Big Boss. The rest as they say is history.

Articles about Bruce Lee :

  • Training With "The Dragon"
  • The Mystery of Bruce Lee's Death
  • The Equipment Manager
  • How Did Bruce Lee Get Those Washboard Abs?
  • Why Bruce Lee Turned to Weight Training
  • Bruce Lee's Fancy Footwork
  • Brucee Lee's Feats

Dhoni - tops the icc ODI batsman ranking,nominee for 2 icc awards




India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni toppled his South African counterpart Greame Smith to regain the top spot in the latest ICC ODI batsmen ranking.
By virtue of his consistent performance, including 76 and 71 in the pevious two one-dayers of the on-going ODI series against Sri Lanka, Dhoni has 803 rating points in his kitty, 27 points higher than Smith who occupies the second spot.
Dhoni had previously occupied the number one position for a brief period in 2006.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting is in the third spot with 751 points followed by team-mate Michael Hussey and England skipper Kevin Pieterson.Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is placed the ninth while an out of form Yuvraj Singh is languishing at 18th


Also Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in line for dual honours in the International Cricket's Council's (ICC) annual awards scheduled to be held in Dubai on Wednesday.Dhoni, who currently sits at the top of ODI batsmen rankings, has been nominated in two categories -- ODI Player of the Year and Twenty20 International Performance of the Year, ICC announced on Monday.Besides Dhoni, the other Indians in the fray for the awards are Sachin Tendulkar (ODI Player of the Year award), Yuvraj Singh (T20 International performance of the Year) and Ishant Sharma (Emerging Player of the Year).West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardena and South Africa's Dale Steyn have been nominated for both the Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year categories in the fifth edition of the awards.The other nominee for the Cricketer of the Year is South Africa captain Graeme Smith (1172 runs) while his team-mate Jacques Kallis features in the Test category as the top scorer with 1268 runs in 14 Tests.Chanderpaul has scored 819 runs in eight Test for the calendar year (Aug 9, 2007 to Aug 12, 2008) and has the top average in both forms of the game. Jayawerdena has scored 1127 runs in 10 Tests while South African speedster Steyn has 86 scalps to his name in just 14 Tests. None of the four players shortlisted for the Cricketer of the Year Award has previously lifted the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.The dashing Dhoni has had an awesome season where he led India to victory in the inaugural T20 World Cup in England, took the reins of India's ODI team with aplomb, led the team to ODI series wins away from home in Australia and Sri Lanka. All this while he inspired the team raising his own performance with the bat that saw him dislodge South African Graeme Smith from the top spot in ODI rankings. Dhoni scored 1298 in 39 matches at an average of 49.Dhoni will be up against teammate Sachin Tendulkar, the top scorer in ODIs for the calendar year with 1310 runs, in the ODI Player of Year award category which also features Nathan Bracken and Mohammad Yousuf..

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Taj Mahal - one of the seven wonders of the world


Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra
Year of Construction: 1631-1653
Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan
Spread Over: 42 acresS
ignificance: One of the Seven Wonders of the World

Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument. Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in AgraYear of Construction: 1631-1653Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah JahanSpread Over: 42 acresSignificance: One of the Seven Wonders of the WorldTaj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument.
The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and many other myths and facts associated with this wonderful structure. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later, in 1612, they got married. As you read further you will come to know more about the history of the Taj Mahal at Agra…Mumtaz Mahal, an inseparable companion of Shah Jahan, died in 1631, while giving birth to their 14th child. It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument in her memory. But this has not been proven to be true, till date. However, Shah Jahan did indeed build a magnificent monument as a tribute to her wife, which we today know as the "Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan, himself also, lies entombed in this mausoleum along with his wife.The construction of Taj Mahal started in the year 1631 and it took approximately 22 years to build it. An epitome of love, it made use of the services of 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. It was built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. After an expenditure of approximately 32 million rupees (approx US $68000), Taj Mahal was finally completed in the year 1653. However, the history of Taj Mahal of India still has some gaps. For example, there are many theories regarding the architect of this magnificent monument.



Best time to visit : October to march (winter)
The best time to visit Taj Mahal revolves around the weather of Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. As per the climate of Agra, the peak season for Taj Mahal visit is the winter season i.e., from October to March. Otherwise, there is no such thing as "the best time" to visit this magnificent monument. You may see Taj Mahal in any month of the year and it will come forward as breathtaking as it has always been. Infact, different seasons as well as different hours of the day lend a different aura to it.Visit the Taj in the morning and it will come up with a pinkish glow to it. As the day passes, the pinkish glow turns into milky white by the evening. However, the radiance of the Taj under the moonlight is beyond any explanation. The white marble adorned with semi-precious stones stands sparkling like a jewel. By now, we have answered your question of "when to visit Taj Mahal of Agra". Remaining is, how much time to spend there. We will suggest that spend at least a day at the Taj Mahal to capture its beauty fully

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Brian Charles Lara-The cricket genius





Brian Charles Lara called as prince of Trinidad by his fans allover.. He was born on 2nd May 1969.. He had set a lot of records in the game of cricket of which the most special ones are
1. The highest individual score in a single test innings (400*)
2. Highest total runs in test by a single player
3. Highest individual score in first class career (501*)

The best I've seen in him is that he had the highest individual score record in a single test innings for about 9 years.. He scored 375 against England in Lords . One of the best innings by a test batsman. The record was broken by Mathew Hayden of Australia 9 yrs after the record was set. Everyone thought that the record will stay for a long time.. Within a year Lara did break the record by scoring a tremendous 400* against England in the very same ground he scored 375 before 10 years.. It was the first time international cricket board showed 400 mark for a batsman.. It was considered one of the best knocks of Test cricket .. He has lead the West Indian team for victory single handedly in several occasions..
He is considered a genius not only because he score a 375 and 400* and has the world record.. But because he could do that even after a 10 year gap .. His talent doesn't go down as he gets aged .. That's what I liked in him.. Some players may have a very good season and might have set the record .. But he has done it on several occasions and has proved that age isn't a matter rather the talent and the skill.. When he retired from the cricket world lots and lots of people had tears in their eyes and he had some splendid words and thanked every people who helped him to reach such a position.. Long live the legend..

Friday, September 5, 2008

My Indian team for ODI cricket

















The team is as follows with batting order positions


1. Virendar Sehwag

2. Sachin Tendulkar

3. Gautham Gambir

4. Suresh Raina

5. Yuvraj Singh

6. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c) & (W.K.)

7. Rohit Sharma/Subramaniam Badrinath

8. Irfan Pathan/Praveen Kumar

9. Harbajan Singh

10. Zaheer Khan

11. R.P.Singh/Sree Shanth/Munaf Patel




Players responsibility



1. Virender Sehwag

Needs to be agressive at the start of the innings and should carry the pace till he gets out .. Also he plays a part as a bowler..

2. Sachin Tendulkar

S hould rotate the strike there by giving strike to Sehwag.. If Sehwag struggles he should be bit more aggressive at the same time cautious as he does play the anchor roe in the Indian batting order. He can be a useful spinner as well as medium fast bowler.

3.Gautham Gambir

He should take the role of the one who gets out first ..

4. Raina

He need to rotate the strike with the one he is accompanied with.. singles mus come easily and thats is his job.

5. Yuvraj Singh
As he is a slow starter he should bring his eye in with some 10 or 15 balls and should play his natural innings .. He's naturally aggressive and thats the one the team expects from him.



6. Mahender Singh Dhoni

As a captain he should play an anchor role and he is the one who needs to be there till the end. As everyone knows he is a big striker and he should accelerate the run rate from 45 overs or so. No need to comment on his captaincy and his wicket keeping ability. He does it well and good.



7. Rohit Sharma/Subramanian Badrinath
He should play according to the situation.. He needs to read the situation well and act accordingly .



8. Irfan Pathan/Praveen Kumar
He is considered to be an all-rounder.. His main part is on the bowling department. The main thing is to take wickets .. The economy rate can even be well around 5.



9. Harbajan Singh

He too should look for wickets.. Sure he can have an economy rate around 4. He should be very aggressive in field setting at the start of the innings.



10. Zaheer Khan

He is the spear head of the Indian bowling and the main part he does is to swig the ball with great control and have a good length and pace... If he does control the length and the swing the remaining will surely come with his way.



11. bR.P.Singh/Sree Santh/Munaf Patel
They too should try for wickets and should have an economy rate well around 4..



On a whole the bowlers should have an economy rate well around 4 .. Its very essential that the ground fielding should be excellent and catches should not be dropped.. The bowlers should be able to minimize the extras bowled.








Kanyakumari, the picnic spot




Kanyakumari is one of the famous tourist spots in India.. Its the place where three seas meet..
ie. The Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and The Indian ocean join here..
Sun rise and sun set is clearly visible in Kanyakumari.. Lots and lots of people from various places of India as well as foreign countries come here to see the sun rise and sun set..
There is a statue of Thiruvalluvar in the midst of the the sea which is 133 feet high.. Thiruvalluvar is one of the famous tamil writers who wrote Thirukural..It consists of 1330 kurals which tells about each and every situation a person exhibits in his entire life.. Boating service is provided from the shore to that rock in the sea..
Near the thiruvalluvar statue in the midst of the sea there is a vivekanandar mani mandapam where there are some spots for meditation.. Its a place where we can rest our mind and feel the silence of the world.. Another important place is the Gandhi mandapam.. Its speciality is that, on Oct 2nd the sun rays fall in a particular space inside the mani mandapam.. Other than that lots and lots of decorative items from sea are available there.. Some amazing waterfalls and beaches are there near by.. Palaces owned by Kings are maintained by the government and lots of rare sculptures and statues are found.. If you get a chance to visit India, ne'er miss to visit Kanyakumari..

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Whats wrong with Federrer


Federrer, one of the greatest(probably the greatest) in men's singles tennis history is having a bad patch in his career .. He has'nt won a major in this year and this is his last chance to grab a major for this year.. Though he havent won the first 3 majors (Australian open, french open and wimledon) for the year he has made to australian open semi finals and finals of the remaining two.. Because of these losses and also because of the loss in olympics he lost the first spot in the world rankings which he maintained for about four and a half years.. Though he lost the olympic singles, some how he managed to win the doubles title with his country men.. That boosted him up .. No one expected to win the olympic doubles, where as every one expected a singles gold.. Now he's on the road to US open finals .. This is the toughest period he is experiencing in his career.. Though he has lost the no.1 spot to Nadal the tennis lovers and players consider him as no.1.. The welcome he had from the people during the opening ceremony of the Us open reveals the fact ..
The coolest and the most talented player tennis has ever seen is experiencing the toughest situation.. Though he is bit aged(27 yrs) than his competetors he has some great technicques with which he can rule the tennis world for atleast 5 years.. He just needs a single major title to gain his confidence back.. Hope he does it in this event.. Each and every player suffers a bad patch in his career .. this is his bad time .. Do u doubt a player who had not lost a single match in 5 wimbledon events continuously and not even a single match in 4 Us open events????? Sure he does regain his no.1 spot in few days ..