Archive for November, 2006

Déjà Vu

Thursday, November 16th, 2006

Deja Vu
(Cast: Denzel Washington, Paula Patton, Val Kilmer, James Caviezel)

I’ll never rush to a theatre except when Denzil Washington’s movies come out – though not all his movies. Denzil Washington is a good fit as a detective, and I love his cool act in a quirk-filled, paranoid, blood-and-sweat thriller. I saw the movie Déjà vu today, and it met all my expectations, and more than that. What a movie! Is it a Sci-Fi thriller?

Before you see this movie, you should probably understand what Déjà vu means. Déjà vu means ‘the experience of thinking that a new situation had occurred before’. Will you call it supernatural? May be, at least someone can explain such an experience as supernatural. Have you ever said or experienced, ‘Oh! It happened exactly as I saw in my dream.’? That’s the closest analogy I can get to the sign of Déjà vu.

The detective agents are smart guys. Putting the entire puzzle together to find a suspect is not an easy job. These detectives face challenges too when they can’t put all the puzzles together. They call pathological experts, and in some cases psychics to prove cases. In all these, you can never communicate with the suspects to find evidence unless he is available to your discourse. That’s where this movie Déjà vu is different. How cool is it if you can reenact the scene again, be part of the crime, to prove the crime?

Denzel Washington acts as an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent in the movie Déjà vu. His character Doug Carlin is asked to collect evidence to find the predator of a bomb blast at a New Orleans Ferry – the blast killed hundreds of men, women and children. Doug goes to every nook and corner of the scene, and wades through the bit and pieces, and he concludes what happened at the Ferry is an arsenic. He comes across the body of a woman who was washed up on the banks, but died before the Ferry explosion. Doug’s attention turns towards this woman – if he can find her murderer, he can find the source of the explosion. He starts science’s greatest journey when he is introduced a time travel.

The twist to this movie is when the second chapter of the movie opens up. I don’t want to reveal where it is or when it starts. Did Doug fell in love with a dead woman or a woman is alive, the rest is the story?

This movie was shot at New Orleans, after the Katrina hurricane, and is dedicated to the spirit of people who live there. Dr.Brian Greene, the expert on string theory and a professor of physics at Columbia University contributed to this movie.

Ask a question yourself ‘Do I ever see something new happened in the past at the current time?’ Look at a mirror few feats away; you are looking at a picture that generated more than 18 nanoseconds ago. The light to travel from the lenses of your eye to the mirror and back, and few nanoseconds to process the image in your brain adds up to 18 nanoseconds.

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Utah State Table Tennis Championship 2006 / Utah Table Tennis / Ping Pong Open

Saturday, November 11th, 2006

Utah Open 2006 was my first major tournament in the United States. I’m disappointed in some way because I was eliminated from Group A (below Open), but I’m proud that I’ve participated in this tournament, and was able to show a competitive game. Let me extend my thanks to everyone who put this event together, and share some of my thoughts on the game and the tournament.

When you participate in a tournament, you should know the rules. The dress code is very important – like what color of dress and shoe you can wear. I noticed my problem only when I started chatting with a gentleman at the tournament. He told me I should not have worn a white shirt because white balls are used to play there. In tournaments, the color of the dress should be contrasting to the color of the ball. So, check out what is the color of the ball they will be using. Take some additional shirts with you in white, brown, blue color, if possible a pair of shoes too.

There are many important things you should be prepared of in a tournament. Table Tennis is not just a skill game, but a mind game too. Any first time player in a tournament will have nervousness – the world top players also have this problem. Being nervous will surely affect your game. You will be more nervous when you see strangers in a tournament set up. Look at the 2006 Liebherr World Cup in Paris – the match between world top 1 Wang Liqin and Ma Lin. In the game, Wang was so nervous, and he lost to Ma Lin. In tournaments, I have seen players bringing their supporters with them. Bring in your children, your wife or girl friend to the tournament. This is a great idea to ease your nervousness. Talk to other players before the start of the games – chat about the places to visit, building, life or whatever you can think of. I was the only person of Indian origin at the tournament – it was fun to talk to few people about India.

In today’s matches, some distractions have affected me tremendously. One of my opponents makes noise whenever he makes a shot. Though I could live with that, the second opponent was very tricky. He questioned my serves one time as illegal because I did not toss the ball high. I won that point; still that incident disturbed me a little. The other incident was, I called the ‘let’ very late. With a sportsman spirit, I gave the point back to her, and he won the game after two points. Never be distracted! Your opponent uses some tricks to underestimate your talents, to distract your attention to win the game. Don’t become victim to that!

Be fit, take enough sleep, take exercise, and be ready. I did not do that on both these days. I fell down on my ankle during the match, which should have avoided if I had taken some exercises. After that incident, a coach advised me the kind of shoe I use has high heals, which can contribute to fell in a fast game like this.

I knew that I was doing a mistake, still I did it. I got a new paddle just two days back – different kind of rubber for defensive play which is also hard to learn according to many advisors. I practiced the paddle only two days, before going to the tournament. I could not return any smash or any power shots which I used to take with my other paddle. Don’t change your paddle or any equipment unless you are confident of using it.

Yesterday, in the preliminaries, I had a chance to beat the advancing player in my group, and play against Utah’s top, and later go to the Group A. This tournament had 3 groups – A, B and C. In today’s round robin matches, I would say I tried to show my best performance as a defensive player. I can’t say I’m a 100% classic defensive player, neither a 100% aggressive defensive player. The first match I played, I had 8-11, 6-11, 12-13, 11-12. Such a close game, but I lost it. The second player I played against was very interesting. I was in the lead in all the four games, even one game to 7-10, but I lost the match. The points were 8-11, 11-12, 9-11, 8-11. The third match was not that interesting to tell because I lead in the beginning, but fallen back because he already won enough matches to advance.

I have tried to analyze why I can’t win the matches after even leading first for a surety of winning. There is something to blame on me. My attitude towards matches has contributed to my failures sometimes. I’m a fighter, winning the game is secondary – an attitude that has put me in trouble always. My opponents always take advantage of the attacking shots to overpower me in the last few points to win the game. Secondly, I lose the enthusiasm of winning when the game progress. This is due to my lack of coordinating various aspects of the games.

I have a lots of things to work on before the next championship match – improve my attacking and become an aggressive defensive player, improve my forehand chopping, concentrate much into the game.

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Oral Roberts University (ORU) distant themselves from Ted Haggard

Sunday, November 5th, 2006

I’m not an investigator. I received the following information from a popular YouTube video. The Oral Roberts University and their attempt to distant themselves from Ted Haggard has got a lot of media attention through that video. The ORU scheduled an alumni meeting, and they decided to honor Ted Haggard. In the investigative report, the Investigator discussed the ORU removed the name of Ted Haggard from their website, the day the Ted Haggard news broke out. Is it intentional? Yes, according him. He stressed the point of how ORU try to distant themselves from Ted because of the allegations showing their no support to Ted.

My insight into this issue and my opinion is different. The ORU preplanned this event before the incident of Ted Haggard – they were not aware of the issue at the time of planning. Now the news is out about the Ted issue on all the media. What would you do in that situation? Would you continue honoring him at the alumni when a time the controversy looms, or you would postpone the decision to a future date? In my opinion, the ORU wanted to review their decision of what to do. I see the issue in that perspective. Any comments?

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HOMECOMING
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<strong><font size=”+0″ color=”#012853″>And the legacy continues….<br></font></strong>
<!–strong><font color=”#012853″>Join your <em>old team</em> at ORU, January 13-14, 2006.</font></strong–>
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<!–table align=”right”><tr><td align=”center”><a href=”http://www.orualumni.onlinecommunity.com/cgi-any/reg_event.dll/show?sitename=ORU&template=event_main.htm&type=event_reg” mce_href=”http://www.orualumni.onlinecommunity.com/cgi-any/reg_event.dll/show?sitename=ORU&template=event_main.htm&type=event_reg”><img src=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/right263-2.jpg” mce_src=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/right263-2.jpg” width=”200″ alt=”Homecoming 2007″ border=”0″><br>
<u><i><font size=”+1″>Register Now!</font></i></u></a></td></tr></table–>
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<tr><td align=”center”><a href=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-2b.jpg” mce_href=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-2b.jpg”><font size=”-2″>Click Photo to Enlarge</font><br><img src=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-2.jpg” mce_src=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-2.jpg” alt=”Ted Haggard” border=”0″ ></a><br><font class=”text”><i>Distinguished Service to God<br>Ted Haggard</i></font></td></tr>
<tr><td align=”center”><a href=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-3b.jpg” mce_href=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-3b.jpg”><font size=”-2″>Click Photo to Enlarge</font><br><img src=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-3.jpg” mce_src=”http://alumniweb.oru.edu/homecoming/images/aoy2007-3.jpg” alt=”David Barton” border=”0″ ></a><br><font class=”text”><i>Distinguished Service to the Community<br>David Barton</i></font></td></tr>
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Homecoming 2007 is all about connection–staying in touch with old friends and even making a few new ones. Today’s ORU students want to get to know you and be inspired by your success. February 9 and 10 is your chance to network with the next generation that will build upon the legacy you left here as a student.
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We can tell you about all of the exciting things that are happening here on the ORU campus, but you’ll never know just how amazing it is until you come see it for yourself! From a cutting-edge new marketing campaign to a slew of campus renovations (ORU’s own “facelift”), ORU is abounding with changes and is making incredible strides as a university.
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But don’t worry: There are some things that will never change. There are still amazing professors full of wisdom and dynamic chapel services where the move of the Spirit is undeniable. When you come back to ORU during Homecoming weekend, you will have the opportunity to relive some old memories, but also experience the wonderful improvements we’ve made to campus since you graduated. There are a number of departmental receptions, open houses, and affinity group reunions that you can attend for free. And as always, you can watch the Golden Eagles in action during both the men’s and women’s basketball games for only $6 per person.
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If you were a graduate of the Class of ‘77, ‘87, or ‘97, we are preparing a special reunion dinner in your honor! Come and celebrate the rich heritage that you took part in at ORU. Tickets for these 10-, 20-, and 30-year reunions are $20 per person and include dinner and a time of fellowship with your former classmates.
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And during the President’s Banquet on Saturday night, we will be honoring our distinguished Alumnus of the Year recipients.
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For his Distinguished Service to God, ORU will be honoring Ted Haggard, Class of 1978. Haggard is the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, as well as the senior pastor of the thriving New Life Church in Colorado Springs. In 2005, <i>Time</i> magazine named Haggard one of “The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America.” A powerful voice in both ministry and government, <i>Harper’s</i> magazine asserted, “No pastor in America holds more sway over the political direction of evangelicalism than does Pastor Ted, and no church more than New Life.” Haggard has also written (or co-written) over a dozen books, and lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Gayle, and their five children.
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For his Distinguished Service to the Community, ORU will be honoring David Barton, Class of 1976. Barton is the president of WallBuilders, an organization that educates citizens about the role of God and faith during America’s Founding Era, and encourages them to get involved in the political arena. Barton was also named in <i>Time’s</i> list of “The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America,” serving as a quiet force in contemporary politics through the production of books and videos on highlighting the Christian beliefs held by our Founding Fathers. Averaging 400 speaking engagements per year, Barton has a captive audience within schools, churches, and certainly on Capitol Hill. Barton has three adult children and lives in Aledo, Tex., with his wife, Cheryl.
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For her Distinguished Service to the Alma Mater, ORU will be honoring Maria Hanson, Class of 1986, along with her husband, Bruce. The Hansons make their home in Willmar, Minn. In addition to her vital role as full-time mom for (future ORU students) Alexandra, Macy, Weston, Joivanna, and Dominick, Hanson devotes her time to hosting retreats and leading workshops at various women’s conferences in the Minnesota District of the Assembly of God. Four years ago, Hanson pioneered the annual “Bridging the Gap Quilt Retreat” in Minnesota and has hosted and spoken at the event every year since its beginning. As faithful supporters of ORU, the Hansons firmly believe it is the responsibility of alumni to “give back” to the university to help ensure that its vision remains strong for the future.
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You won’t want to miss all of the fun, one-of-a-kind experiences that Homecoming 2007 has to offer. Join us February 9 & 10 as we–both alumni and current students together as one–celebrate the dynamic legacy of our university.
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<b>HOMECOMING 2007
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<i>Common Grounds…where the past and future merge</i></b>
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I can’t talk to him anymore

Saturday, November 4th, 2006

The mixed emotions on two incidents yesterday lowered the strength of my inner man. I was angry and sad.

He is the pastor of a 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs. He is the father of 5, and is married to his wife for some 15 years. Now Ted Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals, an umbrella group representing more than 45,000 churches with 30 million members. He stepped down from the church also as a pastor. The liberal media like CNN continually telecasted the news – they know this can impact the voters on Tuesday. The Evangelical Christians in America are shocked at the admission of Ted Haggard about his connection with a gay massager Mike Johns. Ted Haggard also admitted, he bought methamphetamine from Mike Johns. I was not only shocked, became so angry after the media carrying this news every hour. The media is powerful, it can make you angry.

I’m not going to talk about Ted Haggard, or his issues in this blog. The media to it’s worse, but the media can also transform lives.

The time is way back in 1990 when I was an engineering graduate – a time God directed my path to get to him closer. I can’t still forget Bro.John Rabindranath’s tearful voice on the radio that I heard on the Srilanka Radio Station. His words were poetic, soothing to the soul, and were comforting. He had so many close encounters with heaven and hell. He was compassionate, as well as he was a rabbi who showed the tough love. If I ever see the heart of Jesus in a man, I would probably cling to a man like him only.

Daddy, that’s what everyone calls him and who he is. I can still recall the scene I was sitting in the grotto in Jesus Comes garden, enjoying the silence of a prayer. It was that moment of submission when I knelt down, and told him I was baptized. He looked at my eyes, waited for a moment, and said ‘God has plans for you’. He loved everyone irrespective of their background and religion. I have never seen him poking at other religions.

The time with a rabbi like him was not guest friendly all the time. I had the privilege of attending the fasting prayer at Jesus Comes garden few times – happens every second Saturday. The anointed time of worshiping, healing at the garden is heart transforming. Bro.John Rabindranath had tough words for who did not have purity and holiness in their lives. Not through his own words, but he shared the word of knowledge from the biblical verses.

He knew serving Jesus through misery and poverty is rewarding. The time when ministers are aggressive in raising fund for their missions, Bro.Rabbi was disciplined not to ask money from public for any cause. He only received whatever his children gave with a full heart. He sacrificed his health also for the cause of hundreds of people visiting Garden.

Bro.John Rabindranath is not on this earth to read any of my words. I can’t speak to him anymore – a voice I loved hearing. He passed away on November 3, 2006 at 7:00 AM. Bro.Rabbi was ailing with kidney failures. His absence has brought in a lot of sadness to my heart. I can’t accept he is no more with us.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:7-8

I pray Daddy’s teachings, his voice should live on. The torch has been transferred to his son Paul Raj Moses, and I pray let Daddy’s voice echo again. A time when I can hear Daddy’s voice on the radio again will be a joyous day.

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