Ayan – flawless

Surya posing his eight packs

Ayan“, meaning flawless in Tamil and Lord Brahma in Samskrith. The movie, directed by K.V. Anand and will have Tamanna in the lead and Prabhu in an important role. Harris Jayaraj scores the music for the film. The film is said to be a romantic comedy with lots of action. Surya, famous for playing unique role in every film, takes a role to make others laugh. Surya has all his praise for the director, who actually turned from a cinematographer. It was Anand who took the first photo of Surya and showed it to Maniratnam for Narekku Ner. The film is all set to release in March and is expected to hit the box office.

Surya with Tamana

10 Reasons Why We Love Making Lists

Why do we love lists? Let us count the ways:

1. Lists bring order to chaos. “People are attracted to lists because we live in an era of overstimulation, especially in terms of information,” says David Wallechinsky, a co-author of the fabulous Book of Lists, first published in 1977 and followed by subsequent editions. “And lists help us in organizing what is otherwise overwhelming.”

2. Lists help us remember things — at the hardware store, for the vacation trip, Christmas presents. The One Planet Education Network, or OPEN, is a global online education content provider that counts Harvard and Columbia universities as clients. OPEN also swears by lists. “Checklists help you remember what you have done and what you have to do,” the curriculum reminds the students.

3. Most lists are finite. They don’t usually go on and on. And if they do, you can skip to the bottom of the list. The Internet Movie Database, for instance, lists its “bottom 100 movies as voted by users.” The winner — er, loser — is Zaat, a 1975 sci-fi fiasco.

4. Lists can be meaningful. The Steven Spielberg classic Schindler’s List is based on the true story of a German businessman who used a list of names to save more than 1,000 Jews from the concentration camps. It is ranked eighth on the American Film Institute’s 2007 list of 100 top American films of the past 100 years.

5. Lists can be as long or as short as necessary. Jamie Frater, a New Zealand opera singer, maintains a list-keeping site called The List Universe. Recent posts include “20 Great Quotes from Ronald Reagan” and “Top 10 Codes You Aren’t Meant to Know.” A list, Frater says, should be “as long as is necessary. Some lists need be only a few lines an item, others a few paragraphs. I seldom write more than one paragraph, but occasionally the need arises to do so.” Frater adds, “This question is a bit like asking an artist: ‘When is the painting finished?’ It is when it is.”

6. Making lists can help make you famous. Notable list makers include Thomas Jefferson, Peter Mark Roget, Martha Stewart and Benjamin Franklin. “A methodical and wry man,” wrote Franklin biographer Walter Isaacson in Time magazine, “Franklin loved making lists. He made lists of rules for his tradesmen’s club, of synonyms for being drunk, of maxims for matrimonial happiness and of reasons to choose an older woman as a mistress. Most famously, as a young man, he made a list of personal virtues that he determined should define his life.”

7. The word “list” can be tracked back to William Shakespeare, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. In Hamlet, the Bard refers to “a list of landlesse resolutes.”

8. Lists relieve stress and focus the mind. “Lists,” sociologist Scott Schaffer told The Oregonian newspaper, “really get to the heart of what it is we need to do to get through another day on this planet.”

9. Lists can force people to say revealing things. In his 25 Random Things roster, former California Gov. Jerry Brown reveals that his favorite cereal is … Flax Plus Multibran.

10. Lists can keep us from procrastinating. We put this one off until the end. Making a list enables us to get our heads around really big tasks — and helps us tackle the work one aspect at a time. But a list is only useful if it reveals a truth, solves a problem or leads to action. Making a list, for instance, does not necessarily help procrastinators. As DePaul University psychologist Joseph Ferrari told Psychology Today in 2008, people don’t put off work they must do because they lack list-making skills. And, in turn, making a list does not get the job done.

IPL season II fixtures

IPL Season 2 Schedules

•February 23, 2009 • 2 Comments

India Premiere League (IPL) Season 2 TimeTable DLF IPL T20 Schedules 2009IPL- India Premiere League Season 2 (2009) Cricket match Schedule and Timetable.

Lalit Modi, Chairman & League Commissioner, DLF Indian Premier League, announced that the DLF Indian Premier League will be held from April 10th, 2009 to May 29th, 2009. The League Chairman and Commissioner also announced that the format of the tournament will remain the same as that of the inaugural season.
IPL 2009 matches schedules and Time-Table have officially announced and complete schedule with timetable and place is below so enjoy IPL 2009 Twenty Twenty Cricket matches. Total 59 matches will be played in IPL 2009.

India Premiere League (IPL) season 2 TimeTable

1. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Date : April 18, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM
Ground: Bangalore

2. Kings XI Punjab Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : April 19, 2009

Time: 5:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
3. Delhi Daredevils Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : April 19, 2009

Time: 8:30 PM

Ground: Delhi
4. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : April 20, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
5. Mumbai Indians Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers

Date : April 20, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
6. Rajasthan Royals Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : April 21, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
7. Deccan Chargers Vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : April 22, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Hyderabad
8. Chennai Super Kings Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : April 23, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
9. Deccan Chargers Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : April 24, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Hyderabad
10. Kings XI Punjab Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : April 25, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
11. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : April 26, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Bangalore
12. Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Date : April 26, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
13. Mumbai Indians Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : April 27, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
14. Kings XI Punjab Vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : April 27, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
15. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : April 28, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Bangalore
16. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : April 29, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
17. Delhi Daredevils Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers .

Date : April 30, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Delhi
18. Deccan Chargers Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : May 1, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Hyderabad
19. Rajasthan Royals Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Date : May 1, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
20. Chennai Super Kings Vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : May 2, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
21. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : May 3, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Bangalore
22. Kings XI Punjab Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Date : May 3, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
23. Mumbai Indians Vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : May 4, 2009

Time:4:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
24. Rajasthan Royals Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : May 4, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
25. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : May 5, 2009

Time:8:00 PM

Ground: Bangalore
26. Chennai Super Kings Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : May 6, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
27. Mumbai Indians Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : May 7, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
28. Delhi Daredevils Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : May 8, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Delhi
29. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers

Date : May 8, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
30. Rajasthan Royals Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : May 9, 2009

Time:8:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
31. Chennai Super Kings Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : May 10, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
32. Deccan Chargers Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Date : May 11, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Hyderabad
33. Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : May 11, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
34. Kings XI Punjab Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers

Date : May 12, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
35. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : May 13, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
36. Mumbai Indians Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : May 14, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
37. Delhi Daredevils Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : May 15, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Delhi
38. Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Date : May 16, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
39. Delhi Daredevils Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : May 17, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Delhi
40. Rajasthan Royals Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers

Date : May 17, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
41. Deccan Chargers Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : May 18, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Hyderabad
42. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : May 18, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
43. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Delhi Daredevils

Date : May 19, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Bangalore
44. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : May 20, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
45. Mumbai Indians Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : May 21, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Mumbai
46. Chennai Super Kings Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers

Date : May 21, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
47. Delhi Daredevils Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Date : May 22, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Delhi
48. Kings XI Punjab Vs Deccan Chargers

Date : May 23, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
49. Delhi Daredevils Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : May 24, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Delhi
50. Chennai Super Kings Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : May 24, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Chennai
51. Deccan Chargers Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers

Date : May 25, 2009
Time: 4:00 PM
Ground: Hyderabad
52. Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Kings XI Punjab

Date : May 25, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Kolkata
53. Rajasthan Royals Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : May 26, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Jaipur
54. Deccan Chargers Vs Chennai Super Kings

Date : May 27, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Hyderabad
55. Bangalore Royal Challengers Vs Mumbai Indians

Date : May 28, 2009

Time: 4:00 PM

Ground: Bangalore
56. Kings XI Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals

Date : May 28, 2009

Time: 8:00 PM

Ground: Mohali
May 29 is the day For Rest
First semi-finalDate : May 30, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM
Ground: Mumbai
Second semi-finalDate : May 31, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM
Ground: Mumbai
FinalDate : June 1, 2009
Time: 8:00 PM
Ground: Mumbai

Railway budget 2009

Sh. Lalu Prasad Yadav presented the interim Rail Budget 2009-10 on 13th. February, 2009. This interim budget came in the wake of the upcoming General Elections. There were many sops for the public at large. A strong criticism came from Trinamool Congress chief Ms. Mamta Banerjee who said “Lalu’s rail budget is an election gimmick”. Also, a train mishap on the night of the budget day in Orissa which claimed 15 lives acted as a dampener to the Railway Ministers tall claims about rail safety. click here for more

India New Zealand T20 Preview

Dhoni and his Co., keen to take on New Zealand on their first match of the tour, it happens to be T20. Indians, Twenty20 world champions, take this match as an opportunity to avenge the kiwis, only to whom they have lost in the T20 world cup. Indians after pulling a sensational victory against the Sri lankans, are quite confident to win this T20 tournament too. The bowlers have been practicing running hard against the wind since their arrival to this country. The climate is expected to be not as worse as it was on their controversial tour on 2004. While the young India is on a roll, the master class batsman Sachin did not want perturb them and has already made his way through. Meanwhile, New Zealand are coming off a satisfactory tour of Australia in which they pushed the home team hard in the one-dayers and buckled under pressure to the Australians in Sydney. The return of Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram will even add the balance to them. Both teams decided not to name their XII on the eve of the game. While many say naming the XII would really make them focus on the game, Dhoni says he does not have problems in having fourteen guys who are really on focus. Pitch & conditions The forecast is for morning showers but it’s expected to remain cloudy through the day. Dhoni said the weather has been fairly chilly, and it will be interesting to see how quickly India adjust. Stats and trivia · This is India’s first Twenty20 in New Zealand. · New Zealand won the only Twenty20 encounter between these two, in Johannesburg at the ICC World Twenty20. · Brendon McCullum is the leading run-scorer in Twenty20 internationals, with 457 in 19 games at an average of 26.88 and a strike rate of 126.94. He is the only player with more than 400 runs. The leader for India is Gautam Gambhir, with 312 runs at 34.66 and a strike rate of 130.54. · India have a 7-2 win-loss record in Twenty20 internationals, but they’ve only played two games in the last 15 months.

Oscar 2009

Here are the few pictures of Oscar 2009.

A.R wins two Oscars as Slumdog bags seven

The most awaited Oscars for Indians have come through Music Maestro A.R.Rahman for his best Original Soundtrack score and the Best Song categories.

Indian Resul Pokutty won the gold statue for along with Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke for best sound mixing.

Sound engineer Resul Pookutty became the third Indian to bring Oscar glory for India by winning the award for sound mixing in “Slumdog Millionaire” here today.

“I dedicate this award to my country. This is not just a sound award but a piece of history that has been handed over to me,” a beaming and emotional Pookutty said while dedicating the trophy to a billion Indians.

“I come from a country and civilisation that gave the world the word that precedes silence and is followed by more silence. That word is Om. So I dedicate this award to my country,” said Kerala-born sound technician.

Pookutty shared the honours with colleagues Ian Tapp and Richard Pryke.

“This is unbelievable. I share the stage with two magicians, who captured the noise and cacophony of Mumbai to create the soul stirring artful sound of Slumdog Millionaire,” he said.

Pookutty has won a BAFTA and a more recent Cinema Audio Society (CAS) awards for best sound mixing. He is the first Indian to win the CAS award.

British scriptwriter Simon Beaufoy fetched the Oscar in the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the film, based on Indian diplomat Vikas Swarup’s novel “Q and A”.

“It is a tremendous honour. I thank Vikas Swarup, without him Slumdog would not have happened, thanks Vikas Swarup,” said Beaufoy while accepting the golden statuette.

“Thank you Dev, thank you Latika and the entire cast and crew of Slumdog,” Beaufoy said.

The scriptwriter has already bagged the Golden Globe and BAFTA for Slumdog Millionaire.

“I learnt a lot about life,” said Beaufoy about his India experience.

This is a first Oscar for Beaufoy, who was earlier nominated in 1997 in the Original Screenplay Category for the film Full Monty.

Anthony Dod Mantle bagged the second Oscar for the film in the Best Cinematography category.
It was a first Academy for the 53-year-old Mantle.

“I should thank thousands but I can’t do that. Of course thank you so much Academy…Thank you Danny Boyle and the team,” said Mantle while accepting the Oscar at the star-studded ceremony.

“Slow death” Bucknor to retire from umpiring

Stephen Anthony Bucknor, the Caribbean umpire has decided to quit from umpiring in the late march. He will officiate his last test match in South Africa when the host takes up the Aussies in Cape Town from 19 –23 of March. While his last ODI is between England and West Indies and that will be on 27^th of March.

Bucknor, who began his international umpiring career in 1989, has officiated in a record 126 Tests. He has also stood in 179 ODIs, including five consecutive World Cup finals since 1992 – the most by any umpire. Bucknor has been on the ICC’s elite panel since 2002. In the recent years, he is not quite as good as he was. His dubious decisions in the India’s tour of Australia had cost India a match, wherein the visitors were on top of the game for almost all the five days. One would not forget his infamous misinterpretation of rules regarding bad light, which made the ICC to axe him from T20 championship.

Bucknor was looking forward to help improve the standard of umpiring in the Caribbean after his retirement. “I hope I will be accorded the opportunity by the West Indies board to work with young umpires in the region because I still would like to continue making a contribution,” he said

India Tour of New Zealand Schedule

After clinching ODI Series by 4-1 and one off Twenty20 against Sri Lanka, India is touring New Zealand for a full tour of 2 Twenty20 – T20 Internationals, 5 ODI Internationals followed by 3 test matches. India tour of New Zealand will start from 25th February, 2009 to 7th April, 2009.

Find the complete schedule of 2009 India tour of New Zealand.

2009 India vs New Zealand Twenty20 – T20:

1st Twenty20
Wednesday, 25th February, 2009
AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Timing: 19:00 local, 06:00 GMT

2nd Twenty20
Friday, 27th February, 2009
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Timing: 19:00 local, 06:00 GMT

2009 India vs New Zealand ODI Series:

1st ODI
Tuesday, 3rd March, 2009
McLean Park, Napier
Timing: 14:00 local, 01:00 GMT

2nd ODI
Friday, 6th March, 2009
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Timing: 14:00 local, 01:00 GMT

3rd ODI
Sunday, 8th March, 2009
AMI Stadium, Christchurch
Timing: 14:00 local, 01:00 GMT

4th ODI
Wednesday, 11th March, 2009
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Timing: 14:00 local, 01:00 GMT

5th ODI
Saturday, 14th March, 2009
Eden Park, Auckland
Timing: 14:00 local, 01:00 GMT

2009 India vs New Zealand Test Series:

1st Test
Wednesday, 18th March to Sunday, 22nd March, 2009
Seddon Park, Hamilton
Timing: 10:00 local, 22:00 GMT

2nd Test
Thursday, 26th March to Monday, 30th March, 2009
McLean Park, Napier
Timing: 10:00 local, 22:00 GMT

3rd Test
Friday, 3rd April to Tuesday, 7th April, 2009
Basin Reserve, Wellington
Timing: 10:00 local, 22:00 GMT