World Cup 2011 Review

My player ratings for the World Cup winning Indian Team.

1. Dhoni, Yuvraj
   

   Dhoni's Leadership and management skills on and off the field puts him on the Number 1 spot along with Yuvraj, the player of the tournament.



2. Zaheer, Gambir
   

   Zaheer performed with the ball through the tournament claiming 21 wickets and so did Gambhir with 6 fifties including sublime 97 in the all important final.



3. Sachin, Sehwag
   

   Sachin and Sehwag helped India pass through the league phase with brilliant centuries and provided useful starts barring the final.



4. Raina, Ashwin
   

   Raina and Ashwin showed skill and application during all the opportunies provided to join the playing 11.



5. Harbhajan & the rest
   

   Harbhajan & the rest of the players contributed occassionally and joined the party.

   
   

CARD ACT 2009

CARD Act 2009 is a great piece of legislature that is applicable and must be embraced in many developing countries. Here are some of the features that I see will help millions of consumers.

• Issuers won't be able to hike the interest rates on existing balances as long as customers pay their bills on time

• Requires card payments to be applied to the debt with the highest interest rate first (after minimum payment).

• Prevents card companies from charging over-the-limit fees on a cardholder with a fixed credit limit unless opted for.

• Requires card companies give cardholders 45 days notice of any interest rate increases.

• Requires the due date to fall on the same day each month. If the fixed due date normally falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal banking holiday, then the due date shall be pushed forward to the next business day after the date. This measure prohibits due dates to fall on a weekend or holiday.

• Demands that creditors print on their statements if the debtor makes the minimum payment only (with no further increases in debt) how long it would take to retire the debt and how much the debtor would pay in interest combined.

Obama's Fairytale

A very ordinary American citizen and an African American, Barack Obama lived his dream to become the powerful man on Earth. Here is how Obama climbed the summit.

1) 2004 Democratic Convention Keynote Speech
Barack Obama was an unknown figure outside of Chicago Politics till 2004. To dash into the national scene, Obama won the Democratic Nominee for US Senate from Illinois. Being an African American Candidate for US Senate, Obama got the opportunity to deliver the keynote address during 2004 Democratic Convention to energize the party base. Obama wrote and delivered a stunning speech talking about national integrity and American values which put him instantly on the national spotlight.

2) Book: Audacity of Hope
Following his popular speech, Obama won the US Senate election on a 2 to 1 majority. Shortly after entering the US Senate, Obama wrote his second book titled Audacity of Hope which was a runaway hit. In his Book, Obama put forth his case for Presidency very smartly. The book was the foundation for his aspirations to run for President at an appropriate time in the future. After intense media speculation Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of United States in early 2007. However Obama was given remote chance and was considered as an underdog candidate at that time.

3) 2008 US Presidential Campaign
American Presidential Election process kicks off by contesting for the major party nominations by the Presidential candidates of both Democratic and Republican Party. John McCain secured the Republican nomination swiftly without any contest. It was widely believed 2008 US Presidential election will be won by the Democratic Ticket due to Iraq war and other failed policies of Republicans and George Bush. On a Democratic side in which Obama is contesting, Hillary Clinton, (former First Lady) Senator from NY was considered as the de-facto winner for the Democratic Nomination.

4) Iowa Caucus and South Carolina primary. (Grassroots level Campaigning)
Party Nomination races takes its course based on early primary state results. Most of the other states just follow suit. Being an underdog, to stay in the race for the long run, Obama campaign went for solid grassroots level campaigning on the streets of Des Moines and Charleston. Obama received a major boost by securing key victories from both the crucial Iowa Caucus and South Carolina Primary election and became a serious contender for the party nomination. At this point, Obama campaign started to raise Funds using innovative internet marketing strategies at the same proportion as Hillary Clinton and Obama was no longer considered an underdog. However Hillary Clinton still remained as front Runner.

5) Focus beyond Super Tuesday States.
Super Tuesday in American elections is when several states including the delegate rich states like CA and NY go for primary elections. Super Tuesday offered mixed results for Hillary and Obama. After Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton was no longer the front runner and the democratic race was at dead heat and it was very clear it will go down to the wire. Following Super Tuesday’s victories Obama’s campaign started to raise more funds than Hillary Clinton.
At this point Obama’s campaign team outperformed Hillary’s campaign bid efficiently and swept the next eleven states including the Potomac primaries on a trot. Apparently it was the campaign’s strategy to start focusing on grassroots level campaigning on the 11 states well before the Super Tuesday and internal issues within Hillary’s camp helped Obama to reach an enviable position by surpassing Hillary on the critical pledged Delegate count.

6) Reverend Wright Issue
Reverend Wright (Obama’s pastor for 20 years) racial sermons had the impact of killing Obama’s campaign. Obama proactively addressed the Reverend Wright’s Problem by delivering an exemplary speech on Race. When the campaign realized that Wright’s issue may boomerang again during the General Election, Obama distanced himself from Reverend Wright completely.

7) Front Runner Status

Republican Party uses the winner take all concept in many primary state elections. However Democratic Party rules apply proportional distribution for delegates based on popular vote. Losing out the lead in critical Pledge Delegate count, Hillary’s Campaign realized that it is a tough road and vowed to fight back and did win most of the final round contests. However Obama’s lead was substantial enough and it was just not arithmetically possible for Hillary to pass Obama in the pledged delegate count unless she scores 2 to 1 majority victories to cut the lead. Though Obama lost several key states like OH, TX, and PA to Hillary, Obama kept his lead in the pledged delegate count and number of states won by keeping the margin of defeat well within limits there by retains his Front Runner status.

8) Democratic Nominee: Super Delegates & Media backing
In a tight contest like the one witnessed between Hillary & Obama, Super Delegates (Party officials & Leaders) have the final say in influencing the party’s nominations. Barack Obama’s campaign stayed away from mistakes. Hillary was just hanging in hoping that she can convince the Super Delegates using her political clout by exposing Obama’s inexperience and weakness among blue collar workers. Obama was too smart and put forth his case to the Super Delegates along with huge public support and media backing. Finally Hillary has to call it off as the game was over when all the primaries were over and Super Delegates started fleeing to the Obama camp. Eventually Barack Obama won the prize of the Democratic Nomination. Having secured the Democratic Nomination, Obama had the clear advantage over McCain. From here on it was an easy road for Obama.

9) Major Campaign Decision on Public Financing
Breaking his campaign promise, Obama opted out of Public Finance and decided to raise his own Funds to run for the General Election. This decision of his campaign was one of the key reasons why Obama is the 44th president of the USA. Money does play a key role in American Elections. With the help of huge fund raising machinery, Obama campaign dared the strong Republican machinery and showcase Obama as a household name in every remote city and county. In the run-up to the Election day, Campaign Ads on Radio Stations, Local Networks, Nationwide Infomercials made Obama a well known and a comfortable face to most of the Americans to live with.

10) Vice Presidential Choice & Economic Meltdown.
Obama chose Joe Biden as his running mate for Vice President to offset the Foreign Policy experience which was the forte for McCain’s camp. Obama matched McCain and even fared better than him in the crucial 3 Presidential Debates and presented himself as Presidency material to the skeptical voters. When the American swing and independent voters were ready to make their final decision, Economic Meltdown and Recession fears started to hit the ordinary Americans on the main street. Voters were unable to bear the brunt as they watched their Net worth of retirement accounts drop along with lost Home values from the Subprime crisis. Obama campaign stayed course with the campaign ad “More of the Same as Bush” to attack McCain to hit the final nail in the coffin.

11) Wins General Election - Foregone Conclusion
On the Election Day, Result was a foregone conclusion clearly based on the Election Day events planned by both McCain and Obama. When the polls closed, it was very clear Obama will win a Landslide. Within a few hours, Obama crossed the required 270 mark projection for Electoral College Votes. While McCain delivered his concession speech in a star hotel at Arizona, Obama delivered his rousing victory speech at the Grant Park in Chicago.

http://www.change.gov/ comprehensive Presidential Transition internet portal was launched by Barack Obama within days of victory. This clearly indicates how much Obama Team was confident of the victory as they started internally well in advance of the whole Transition process during the final rounds of the election campaign.

This is the kind of fairytale anyone would want to live in life. This is how Barack Obama lived the fairytale of becoming the 44th president of the United States of America.

McCain Concession Speech

I don't know what more we could have done to try to win this election. I'll leave that to others to determine. Every candidate makes mistakes, and I'm sure I made my share of them. But I won't spend a moment of the future regretting what might have been.

This campaign was and will remain the great honor of my life. And my heart is filled with nothing but gratitude for the experience and to the American people for giving me a fair hearing before deciding that Senator Obama and my old friend Senator Joe Biden should have the honor of leading us for the next four years.

I would not -- I would not be an -- an American worthy of the name, should I regret a fate that has allowed me the extraordinary privilege of serving this country for a half a century. Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much. And tonight, I remain her servant. That is blessing enough for anyone and I thank the people of Arizona for it.

Tonight -- tonight, more than any night, I hold in my heart nothing but love for this country and for all its citizens, whether they supported me or Senator Obama -- whether they supported me or Senator Obama, I wish Godspeed to the man who was my former opponent and will be my president.

And I call on all Americans, as I have often in this campaign, to not despair of our present difficulties but to believe always in the promise and greatness of America, because nothing is inevitable here.

Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history, we make history.

Anand defeats Kramnik in a Match

I have been consistently following Vishy Anand right from 1995 when he lost the famous match against Chess great Gary Kasparov on the NY Twin Towers.

Through out his career, Anand is the only Chess Player to have actively participated in several tournaments and all forms of Chess including Classical, Rapid and Blindfold games.

Anand's name could be found in the top 3 in any tournament or ranking list over the past decade.

Due to the politics in the Chess World, Anand never got to play a Chess Match again. Finally the opportunity embraced to prove his strength in match format as well against a great Match player Kramnik.

Anand made better ground preparation for the Match against Kramnik and Kramnik never had answers. At halfway stage itself, Result of the Match is a foregone conclusion. Anand has taken a 3 point lead with 2 wins with black pieces and 1 with white pieces.

Kramnik fought back on the 10th game to stay alive for one more day. Anand wrapped up the match with a 11th game draw and a final tally of 6.5 to 4.5 with 3 wins, 1 loss and 7 draws.

There is no feather that is now missing in Anand's Cap.

Barack Obama Nomination Acceptance Speech

Education:

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. You know, Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American -- if you commit to serving your community or our country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

American Promise

You know, this country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit -- that American promise -- that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours -- a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

Martin Luther King Jr.

And it is that promise that 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead -- people of every creed and color, from every walk of life -- is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."

Gilchrist Retirement

It is so sad and proud to learn that Gilchrist retires.His contribution to be team is simply awesome. Gilly would have been a better captain than Ponting if he had got the opportunity to lead the team.

Any sportsman should only retire on a high. That is exactly what Gilchrist has done today and it symbolizes his spirit and commitment towards to the game and his team.

He never crossed the line and he has the respect of the entire cricketing world. He earned it by his conduct on and off the field. He deserves the same.

Hats off to Gilly. I just cannot wait to hear from him. He has requested everyone to wait till the last day of the Adelaide Test. So let’s hope his final test ends up in a draw.