living in a darkhole ! - there is always hope !!

Year 2023 is drawing to a close ! – how was your experience – some may have harrowing experience, difficulty and some bitter occurrences – but not everything is lost, We live another day ! – every morning ushers in bright Sunlight and fresh hopes. 

Some say life is too difficult, little of hopes – it was all dark.  Birds live in tree hollow where inside for sure would be pitch darkness.  Living in darkness certainly is no great feel – not  being able to make out what is around you, the meaning of life,  who you are, your true purpose in life and everything else you can think of.  

Even in the concrete jungle that we live, there are some trees and many a trees have holes in them.  It may be alarming to look up and notice there’s a hole in the trunk of your favorite tree, but this usually isn’t a cause for concern. Sometimes, it’s a natural part of aging (akin to a receding hairline). Other times, it’s more like a paper cut, broken bone, or an illness. 

We take natural light for granted. We don’t realize it, but it gets us up in the morning, takes us through our regular day, and its absence sends us into our nightly slumber. 

A tree hollow is a cavity in a living tree. Tree holes can be caused when an injury to the tree, such as breakage of a limb, creates an opening through the bark and exposes the sapwood. The sapwood is attacked by fungi and bacteria, which form a cavity in the bole of the tree.  It can be created by tiny insects and birds too !! 

Moving away,  Black holes are some of the strangest and most fascinating objects in space. They're extremely dense, with such strong gravitational attraction that not even light can escape their grasp. The Milky Way galaxy  could contain over 100 million black holes, though detecting these gluttonous beasts is very difficult. At the heart of the Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole — Sagittarius A*. 

Don't let the name fool you: a black hole is anything but empty space. Rather, it is a great amount of matter packed into a very small area - think of a star ten times more massive than the Sun squeezed into a sphere approximately the diameter of Chennai City. The result is a gravitational field so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. 

In life there are bound to be darkholes, massive impediments, we choose where we live and what we aspire to !!  There are two types of people who live in darkness: Those who are desperate to emerge and those who are desperate to stay. When you realise the reason you chose this lifetime was to shine your light, you’ll stop worrying about what the second thinks of you.

 

Even when life puts you inside such a small black cavity inside the tree, look outside, the World is bright and shining and there is lot of hope.  Every New Year psychologically ushers in fresher hopes and we aspire for newer better things.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
31.12.2023 

Investment in shares - Bird nosediving !

 

Have you ventured ever into Stock market – the world of Finance geeks ! 

As the year draws to a close, most would be calculating gains in their portfolio.  Domestic equity markets will function as usual on Monday, January 1 2024  even as many global markets will be closed on New Year's Day. There will be no trading in the US, or most of the European and Asian markets on January 1.  

The Sensex and Nifty after a consecutive five-day rally though snapped their winning spree on Friday, ending 0.23% and 0.22% lower on the last day of the year, however they have ended 2023 on a stellar note. The Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty have gained around 18.74% and 20.03% during  2023. The market continued their winning spree for 8th straight year ending in gains.  Sensex and Nifty have delivered high teen returns in the year 2023, which was marked by monetary tightening and high inflation.  

All the above is financial news for experts – for many a small time investors – most times whenever they see their portfolio, it is ‘nose-diving’ just as this bird 

Happy investing for those with surplus funds – for those close to retirement or retired – put your money in hundi, count it daily and be happy !! 

We laugh at serious things which we should be thinking and think deep on comedy.
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
30.12.2023

Reaching greater heights !!

 

விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை !  விடை தருவார் யாரோ  ??

வந்து விழுகின்ற மழை துளிகள் எந்த இடம் சேரும் யார் கண்டார்

 

பதவி சில சமயம் தானா வரும் ! சில சமயங்களில் நாமே ஏறி அமர்வதுதான் !

பதவி வந்தபோது பணிவு இருத்தல் சிறப்பு !!

 

Morning thoughts of ‘Aasami sirippu sinthanaiyaan’

Chains n Shackles !!

How is the year end ? for many most month-ends are similar – feeling of running out of bank balance and trying to push the purchases to next month .. .. inflation is going up and Experts advise you that a corpus of few crores only would save you after you retire !!  - what is your take on this ?  (and how much of bank balance you have if you are closer to retirement) 

This is scenario for middle-class Madhavans !  - yet you find TNagar jewellery shops crowded and people buying one ornament after the another.  Perhaps nothing pleases some women more than traditional bangles and necklaces !  If only the mirror in those shops speak – they would reveal volumes of the glee of the women trying them and the thoughts of the man standing next !

 

Then there are the luring enticing Advts of Jewellers and Fashion designers.  Saw an issue of Vogue India – which read :  For the bride rooted in tradition yet free from its shackles—bridal jewellery and accessories that promise not to weigh you down  !!

Whether choosing a gift for someone special or surrounding yourself with extra brilliance this season, these shining crystals are sure to illuminate the festive season with shimmering beauty and Celebrate Wonder together. 

Q is are chains mere ornaments or often Shackles !! -  and do we unknowingly display shackles as ornaments !!

 

We typically feel “shackled” when we have a bad boss /colleagues or a toxic workplace culture we can’t escape from, but a shackle can insidiously disguise itself as something you want or as something you think you should want.  Often they are in the mind, yet there exists ‘ world of professional shackles’,  a metaphorical iron-like grip on your mind making you doubt what’s best for you. 

The brain and society are a powerful duo that, when joined together, can imprison you and keep you from either embarking on a new path of opportunity or urging you towards a situation you think you should want. Loss aversion is our tendency to avoid loss over potential gains, because we feel the pain of loss greater than we feel the pleasure of gain. For instance, the pain of losing few thousand Rupees  is greater than the feeling of pleasure we’d get if we found few thousand Rupees . So, our innate psychology tries to avoid loss and keep us safely cocooned within the status quo. 

Any change in your normal routine - and particularly big ones - are going to be somewhat mentally exhausting. New and unfamiliar routines and choices challenge the comfort zone of our ingrained habits. 

Tuesday morning thoughts ! – crystal clad woman in Vogue fashion and a cute Elephant carrying its own iron chain.

 

Any thoughts !! – may be some are busy opening gifts on Boxing day !!
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
26.12.2023 

Turtle ! - Red-eared slider !! - விழிகள் மேடையாம்

What do you do when someone looks straight into your eyes ! – who blinks first ?!? 

Heard of Brumation !   -   In biology, it is a  lethargic state that some ectothermic animals, such as reptiles, assume during cold conditions. Partly analogous to hibernation, physiological differences include that brumation does not depend on stored fat, but rather on reduced metabolic activity. 

ஆமை புகுந்த இடம் உருப்படாது என்பார்கள் .. .. ஆனால் நீர்நிலைகள் ஆமைகளின் இருப்பிடம். ஆமை பார்ப்பதற்கு அப்படி ஒன்றும் அழகில்லை. . அது நம்மை ஏறிட்டுப் பார்க்கையில்  அதன் கனத்த முதுகும், ஓட்டுக்கு வெளியே தெரியும் அதன் முகமும், நான்கு பாதங்களும்  சற்று வித்தியாசமாகவே இருந்தது.  திருவல்லிக்கேணி  கைரவிணி திருக்குளத்தில் இந்த ஆமை இளைப்பாறி நம்மை நேருக்கு நேர் சந்தித்தபோது எடுத்த படம். 

 

விழிகள் மேடையாம், இமைகள் திரைகளாம்

பார்வை நாடகம், அரங்கில் ஏறுதாம் - ஓ.. ஓ.. ஓஓ.. 

Google image search reveals the one pictured to be a terrapin – a variety known as ‘red-eared slider’  (Trachemys scripta elegans), a subspecies of the pond slider, a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, is also popular as a pet across the rest of the world, and is the most invasive turtle.  It is the most commonly traded turtle in the world. 

The red-eared slider is native from the Midwestern United States to northern Mexico, but has become established in other places because of pet releases, and has become invasive in many areas where it outcompetes native species.   

Red-eared sliders  (pls do not ask where the ears are !) do not hibernate, but actually brumate; while they become less active, they do occasionally rise to the surface for food or air. Brumation can occur to varying degrees. In the wild, red-eared sliders brumate over the winter at the bottoms of ponds or shallow lakes. During this time, the turtles enter a state of sopor, during which they do not eat or defecate, they remain nearly motionless, and the frequency of their breathing falls. Individuals usually brumate under water, but they have also been found under banks and rocks, and in hollow stumps. In warmer winter climates, they can become active and come to the surface for basking.   

Not sure how much you would like this – but taking photograph of pond turtle was a challenge. 

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
25.12.2023 

Double - exposure - by design, not accidental !!

Likely that you feel that these pictures are not properly shot – looks blurred or shaken .. .. or perhaps !! 

Did you ever had that princely camera where a camera roll will have to be artistically inserted – some were auto, while in many – one will have to advance the roll slowly one step to ensure that you take photo after moving the roll – max 36 – experts could manage a couple more … .. while we would give to Photo studios with request – ‘OGP’ ie., print only good prints !! 

Imp Pre-script : These are double exposed photos !  -  some attempt in understanding the camera and its capabilities – certainly not a post for Experts, but meant to show my lack of understanding and wide scheme of things to my friends! – and look forward to experts on guidance for good multi exposed photos. 

In photography and cinematography, a multiple exposure is the super-imposition of two or more exposures to create a single image. The exposure values may or may not be identical to each other. 

In photography, the term “double exposure” refers to a technique where two or more exposures are made on the same piece of film or digital media. By overlaying different images, double – or multiple exposure can create unique and unexpected results. While this technique can be used for any type of photography, it is often associated with experimental and impressionist styles.   

Multiple exposure photography   involves exposing the film or your digital camera’s sensor to two or more sources of light, resulting in a single photograph that combines multiple images. 

If you remember shooting on film on that vintage camera,  there is a good chance that you shot couple of photos overlaying unintentionally and the output not up to the mark.  It was  multiple exposure photo by accident. The result  probably an unusable, over-exposed mess, but  with modern technology and a bit of planning, it’s now possible to create beautiful and intentional double-exposure photographs every time. 

The history of multiple exposure photography is as old as photography itself. This was often the result of reloading the film without advancing it to the next frame. This haunting effect could be considered one of the first special effects in use long before the invention of digital photography. 19th-century photographers used it to create ethereal portraits by superimposing the image of their subject over a landscape. In the 1860s, professional photographers would use double exposure as another source of revenue. They used the technique to make the subject appear in the photo twice, posing differently as if they had an identical twin. 

Many modern DSLR cameras have numerous exposure modes built-in that make it easy to create stunning images. And now, with the rise of Instagram and hunger for vintage techniques, multiple exposure photography has seen a resurgence in popularity.   The advantage in modern DSLRs is – they can  store the first shot on your memory card before you shoot the second one, and hence besides the  creative possibilities you would also have the original ones separately. 

Technique no doubt is interesting ! my outputs are not up to the mark, will try some more !!

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
24.12.2023 

Egret Song ! - காக்கைக்கா காகூகை ! கொக்கு பாட்டு

கொக்கு பாட்டு

இதோ இங்கே ஒரு கொக்கு சிறகு விரித்து பறக்கும் படம்.  Egrets  !  (கொக்கு)  are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season.

 

முத்து படம் நன்றாக ஓடி ரஜினி - மீனா மற்றும் அப்படத்தில் சம்பந்தப்பட்டிருந்த அனைவருக்கும் பெயரையும் பணத்தையும் வாரி தந்தது.  அந்த படத்தில் ஒரு கன்னா பின்னா பாடல் :

கொக்கு சைவக் கொக்கு - ஒரு கெண்ட மீனக் கண்டு

வெரதம்  தான் முடிச்சிருச்சாம்

மீனு மேலக் கண்ணு - அது ஒத்தக் காலில் நின்னு

கொத்தித்தான் புடிச்சிருச்சாம்

 

இந்த பாடலை பரவை முனியம்மா பாட மறுத்ததாகவும், தேனி குஞ்சரம்மாள் பாடியதாகவும்  ஓர் செய்தி !! 

சில நூற்றாண்டுகள் முன்னர் காளமேகப்புலவர் என்றொரு அற்புத கவி இருந்தார்.     வைணவ சமயத்து பிராம்மணரான  இவரது இயற் பெயர் வரதன்.   திருவானைக்கா கோவிலைச் சேர்ந்த மோகனாங்கி என்பவளிடம் மையல் கொண்டு, மோகனாங்கி சார்ந்திருந்த   சைவப் பாடல்கள் பாடுவதில் வல்லவராக திகழ்ந்து விளங்கினார்.   இவர் தம்  சிலேடைப் பாடல்களும், நகைச் சுவைப் பாடல்களும்  மிக பிரசித்தம்.  ஒரு சமயம் இவரை போட்டியாக -   ககர வருக்கப் பாடல் கேட்டு - ஆசுகவியாக அவர் உடனடியாக தந்த பாடல். : 

காக்கைக்கா காகூகை கூகைக்கா காகாக்கை 

கோக்குக்கூக் காக்கைக்குக் கொக்கொக்க – கைக்கைக்குக் 

காக்கைக்குக் கைக்கைக்கா கா. 

 

இரவில் காக்கையால் கூகையை (ஆந்தையை) வெல்ல இயலாது. ஆனால்  அதே ஆந்தையால்,   பகலில்   காக்கையை வெல்ல முடியாது.  மன்னனானவன் தன் நாட்டைப் பகைவரிடமிருந்து காப்பாற்றுவதற்கு;  கொக்கைப் போலத் தகுதியான சமயம் வரும் வரை காத்திருக்க வேண்டும்.

 
Interesting !
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
23.12.2023 

Enchanting Halabedu !

 

Exquisitely carved on stone – Horse riders, Lions & Elephants – at Halabedu

Pigeons ! - waiting !!

 

Waiting Pigeons ! – see the expectation in their eyes !!

 

Waiting to be fed ! – resumed from this morning after a gap of week or so !!

Black Ants !!

கரும்பும் எறும்பும் !!

 

சக்கரை இனிக்கிற சக்கரை…

அதில் எறும்புக்கு என்ன அக்கறை… 

என்று ஏதோ ஒரு கன்னா பின்னா சினிமா பாடல் ஒன்று.  பொதுவாக வீடுகளில் இனிப்பு பொருட்கள் அல்லது உணவுப் பொருட்கள் வைத்திருந்தால் அவற்றை தேடி, சாப்பிட, உடனடியாக எறும்பு வந்து விடும். வீட்டில் கரும்பு எறும்புகள் சுற்றி வந்தால் அது நல்ல அறிகுறியாகும். உங்கள் வீட்டை தேடி செல்வம் வரப் போவதாக அர்த்தம். உங்களுக்கு அதிர்ஷ்டம் வர போவதற்கான அறிகுறியாகும் என எங்கோ படித்தேன்.

 

பச்சை செடியில் ஊரும் கட்டை எறும்புகள் இங்கே ! 

India vs South Africa - 2nd One dayer at Gqeberha !!

Cricket post only – yet something on a Lt. Genl, a language and a name that most Cricketers among others found too difficult to pronounce !! – Gqeberha – what or where is this ? and its Indian connection !!

Lieutenant-General Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin GCH KCB FRS FRGS (1772 –1841)  was a British Army officer of the Napoleonic era and later Member of Parliament.   

Xhosa is a Nguni language and one of the official languages of South Africa and Zimbabwe.  Xhosa is spoken as a first language by approximately 10 million people and as a second language by another 10 million, mostly in South Africa, particularly in Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape and Gauteng, and also in parts of Zimbabwe and Lesotho

 

A win always sounds sweet and India enjoyed the outing in the 1^st One dayer at South Africa.  In a brief less pressure chase at JOhannesburg, the young debutant  Sai Sudharsan displayed lot of promise and could face some difficulty with SA planners having made some homework !  The bowling attack seemed so meek on paper -  Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan went into the first ODI of the series with just seven wickets between them but bowled South Africa out for 116 in conditions that had swing, seam and uneven bounce.

Unlike Faiz Fazal – Sai Sudharsan would get his next match – India is set to make another change – keeping Shreyas Iyer and   Rajat Patidar  likely to get his first cap for India  as India eyes  to clinch the three-match series at St. George’s Oval in Port Elizabeth.  Even though Shreyas Iyer had been named by the BCCI for all three matches of the ODI squad, on Saturday the Indian cricket board stated in a press release that Iyer will join the Test squad following the first of three 50-overs game.  The most like for like replacement   is Rajat Patidar, who looks likely to make his debut in Port Elizabeth. With 1963 List A runs to his name, Patidar has been a regular number four batter for Madhya Pradesh and a name in IPL.

Port Elizabeth's St George's Park staged the first Test to be played outside England or Australia in 1888-89 (England winning by eight wickets) and in 1969-70 hosted the final Test before South Africa's 21-year isolation. It also staged South Africa's first rugby international, also against England, in 1891. In 1896 it witnessed one of Test cricket's most remarkable games. England's George Lohmann took 7 for 38 in South Africa's first innings and then 8 for 7 in their second as they were bowled out for 30.

Situated within sight of the ocean, the ground became famous for the enthusiastic band that plays during Tests. But ahead of the 2003 World Cup they were banned from playing inside the ground, amid safety concerns, and have only made sporadic appearances since. The ground has brought mixed fortunes for the South African side. In 1992 they secured a superb win by 9 wickets, Allan Donald claimed 12 for 139, on a pitch that many had said favoured spin bowling and was a fast bowler's nightmare. But in 1997 they lost to Australia by two wickets, after leading by 101 runs on the first innings, as Mark Waugh played one his most valuable Test innings.

Located near the city centre, St George's Park is easily accessible by public transport, car or on foot, and, as with other South African grounds is still a blend of open space and covered seating.  St George's Park Cricket Ground (commonly known as St George's Park / Crusaders Ground)   is the home of the Port Elizabeth Cricket Club, one of the oldest cricket clubs in South Africa.

It is no longer  Port Elizabeth but “Gqeberha” since Feb 23, 2021,  name  change was gazetted  by sports, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa.     It is the Xhosa name for the Baakens River, which flows through the city. Xhosa is one of South Africa's 11 official languages and one of the few in the world that has a "click" sound, which can be difficult for non-Xhosa speakers to master.

One tweeter reflected the views of many: "My Xhosa people. Teach us. How do you pronounce Gqeberha?"   One tweeter broke it down phonetically, saying the "Gqe" was a tongue click, "bear" for "be" and adding a guttural "g" before the ha: "Click bear gha."

Gqeberha   previously named Port Elizabeth, and colloquially referred to as P.E.,  is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa's second-smallest metropolitan municipality by area.  Port Elizabeth was founded in 1820 by Sir Rufane Donkin, who was the governor of the Cape at the time. He named it after his late wife, Elizabeth, who had died in India. The Donkin Memorial in the CBD of the city bears testament to this. It was established by the government of the Cape Colony when 4,000 British colonists settled in Algoa Bay to strengthen the border region between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa. It is nicknamed "The Friendly City" or "The Windy City".  In 2019, the Eastern Cape Geographical Names Committee recommended that Port Elizabeth be renamed Gqeberha, after the Xhosa and Southern Khoe name for the Baakens River that flows through the city. The city's name change was officially gazetted on 23 February 2021.

              The city's warm oceanic climate ranks it among the top cities in the world for pleasant year-round weather.  The city is known for many blue-flag beaches along the city's urban coastline; its popularity as an international and local holiday destination; and its rich and diverse cultural heritage. It is a gateway city for the Eastern Cape's adventure, outdoor and African big five game safari tourism.   

Now will India win at the holiday destination ! – a haven for Tourists.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
19.12.2023 

As the Crow flies !! - காக்கை சிறகினிலே நந்தலாலா -

A close up photo of a Crow flying towards you !!  - “As the Crow flies !!”

 

The expression ‘as the crow flies’  is an idiom for the most direct path between two points.  In geometry, a geodesic   is a curve representing in some sense the shortest  path (arc) between two points in a surface, or more generally in a Riemannian manifold.  The meaning of the expression is attested from the early 19th century, and appeared in the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist (1838) 

Crows are generally considered scavengers and not necessarily portrayed in good light. As someone known for raising his voice against social injustice, Mahakavi Subrahmanya Bharatahiyar  might be implying here that even in such creatures, he sees the nature of Krishna.  He equates the pleasure of realizing spiritual bliss to an incident of intense pain (being burnt)! and in putting his finger in the middle of fire ! 

காக்கை சிறகினிலே நந்தலாலா - நின்றன்

கரிய நிறம் தோன்றுதையே நந்தலாலா  ! 

கேட்கும் ஒலியில் எல்லாம் நந்தலாலா - நின்றன்

கீதம் இசைக்குதடா நந்தலாலா  !!

பாரதி ஒரு பன்முகக் கவிஞர். நாட்டுப் பற்று, மொழி்ப் பற்று, சமயப் பற்று  அனைத்தும் அவர்தம் பாடல்களில் சிறப்புற வெளிப்பட்டன.   பாரதியின் கவிதைகளை வாசிப்பது அற்புதமான அனுபவம்     ”இருளிலிருந்து ஒளிக்கு” இட்டுச்செல்லும் உண்மை உணர்வுகள் அவை.  காக்கையையும் நேசிப்பார் உண்டோ !!  காக்கை சிறகின் நிறம் இருள், குழப்பம், அஞ்ஞானம் போன்றவற்றை குறிப்பிடுகிறது. அங்கிருந்து ஒரு பயணம் துவங்குகிறது. 

உயிர்களெல்லாம் தெய்வமன்றிப் பிறவொன்றில்லை;

ஊர்வனவும் பறப்பனவும் நேரே தெய்வம்; 

 

பாரதியார் பாடல்கள்  எளிய வரிகளில் வலிமையான கருத்தாழம் தாங்கிய உண்மை உணர்வுகள். 

Proud to be living in the land where Mahakavi once lived aka Thiruvallikkeni (Thulasingaperumal Koil Theru)

 
Fondly remembering Mahakavi
S Sampathkumar
18.12.2023 

Nathan Lyon 500 !!

He is a legend ! though may not be a GOAT !  .. .. way back in Aug 2011, in the 1^st Test at Galle – he debuted, accomplished as he took 5 wickets in an innings, the first victim being Kumara Sangakkara.  He has not looked back since and Australian Board must be appreciated for their continued faith in an off-spinner in a land where fast bowlers come a dime and dozen.  When English Fred Trueman took 300 wickets in Test Cricket, not many thought that his record could be broken.  Kapil Dev held the record of max no. of Test wickets at 434 for quite sometime ! 

 

Today at Perth, Nathan  Lyon’s lbw shout against Faheem Ashraf was initially turned down, but Australia’s review proved successful as the ball-tracking technology showed the ball would have hit leg-stump. The crowd erupted and Lyon was hugged by each of his teammates when the DRS decision was handed down.   Pakistan was rolled for 89, the nation’s fifth-lowest team total against Australia in Tests, but more focus was on Lyon as the veteran off-spinner claimed his 500th Test wicket. The hosts only needed 30.2 overs to knock over the visitors on Sunday afternoon, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.  The massive 360-run win set up by Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Marsh's partnership, before visitors folded for 89.  

In Feb 2023 in the Nagpur Test – the most experienced Nathan Lyon had a poor match bowling 49 overs – 13 maidens – giving away 126 runs for a solitary wicket but debutant Todd Murphy had a great match – 47-12-124-7 !!    Interestingly, Lyon had completed  a unique record to his name which no other bowler has managed to maintain in Test cricket. Lyon has bowled a total of 30064 balls in Test cricket and has never overstepped during this massive spell.   

Today  Offspinner Nathan Lyon claimed his 500th Test wicket as Australia's formidable attack crushed hapless a Pakistan on a difficult Optus Stadium surface to win the first Test inside four days. , Lyon became the eighth bowler to reach the milestone when he dismissed Faheem Ashraf   to spark jubilant scenes of celebration among the Australia players and the sparse crowd of 9000 fans. He joined Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath as the only Australians to the landmark.  Lyon then clean bowled Aamer Jamal later in the over to cap a successful return, after taking five wickets for the match in his comeback from a calf injury that had prematurely ended his Ashes series.   

An offspinner whose work as a curator took him from Canberra to Adelaide, Nathan Lyon completed a remarkable rise when he was picked in Australia's Test squad in July 2011. The previous year, he had taken up a job on the Adelaide Oval groundstaff, and his bowling talent was spotted by the Redbacks' Big Bash coach Darren Berry.  By 2015, Lyon had become Australia's most successful Test offspinner of all time, passing Hugh Trumble's tally of 141 wickets, and he was affectionately nicknamed by his teammates as the GOAT - greatest of all time - as a result.

Without doubt 500 is a great achievement  - here is the comparative figures of the 500 club:

1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800 – 133 matches – 44039 balls

2. Shane Warne (Australia) – 708 – 145 - 40705

3. Jimmy Anderson (England) - 690* - 183 - 39217

4. Anil Kumble (India) – 619 – 132 - 40850

5. Stuart Broad (England) – 604 – 167 - 33698

6. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563 – 124 - 29248

7. Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 519 – 132 - 30019

8. Nathan Lyon (Australia) - 501* - 123 - 31614

 

Breathing closer is our Ravichandran Ashwin 489 wickets in 94 Tests having bowled 25113.  For sure, Ashwin, would have completed 500 earlier with more support from his Captains and Team management.  Ashwin debuted more or less similar intime  on Nov 6 2011 against West Indies at Kotla and his first victim was Darren Bravo.   A few years ago,  Nathan Lyon was on 390 wickets and Ashwin on 365 - both in the race to 400. While Lyon was  static  at 399-  Ashwin  zoomed past the mark.    

Lyon’s record will not have more crowd in the 500 list as in the 400 list there are 9 others with only Ashwin playing still.  That list reads :  Aswin 489 (94); Dale Steyn 439 (93); Kapil Dev 434 (131) Ranganna Herath 433 (93); Sir Richard Hadlee 431 (86); SM Pollock 421 (108); Harbhajan singn 417 (103); Wasim Akram 414 (104); Curtly Ambrose 405 (98)  

Well  Bowled  - Nathan Lyon the latest entrant to 500 Test wickets club !

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
17.12.2023. 

Brahminy kite ~ கருடன்

The Los Alamos Laboratory, also known as Project Y, was a secret laboratory established by the Manhattan Project and operated by the University of California during World War II. Its mission was to design and build the first atomic bombs. Robert Oppenheimer was its first director

 

The Brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), also known as the red-backed sea-eagle in Australia, is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors, such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. They are found in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Australia. Adults have a reddish-brown body plumage contrasting with their white head and breast which make them easy to distinguish from other birds of prey. 

The powerful name in History – Oppenheimer had diverse interests sometimes even   interrupted his focus on science. He liked the mystical and the cryptic. After leaving Harvard, he began to acquaint himself with the classical Hindu texts through their English translations. He also had an interest in learning languages and learned Sanskrit, under Arthur W. Ryder at Berkeley in 1933. He eventually read literary works such as the Bhagavad Gita and Meghaduta in their original Sanskrit and deeply pondered them. He later cited the Gita as one of the books that most shaped his philosophy of life., He wrote to his brother that the Gita was "very easy and quite marvelous", and called it "the most beautiful philosophical song existing in any known tongue."  He later gave copies of  holy Bhagwat Geetha  as presents to his friends and kept a personal, worn-out copy on the bookshelf by his desk. He  nicknamed his car Garuda, the mount bird of Sriman Narayana.  

 

 

கருடன் செம்மண் நிற இறக்கைகளையும்  உடலின் நடுப்பகுதியை வெண்ணிறமாகவும்  உடைய செம்பருந்து (Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus). கருடன் பறவை மங்களம் நிறைந்ததாகக் கருதப் படுகிறது.  

ஸ்ரீமன் நாராயணனின் பெருமைக்குரிய வாகனமாக- பெரிய திருவடி,  என  திகழ்பவன் கருடன். கருடாழ்வானுக்கு கொற்றப்புள், தெய்வப்புள், வேதஸ்வரூவன், பட்சிராசன், சுவர்ணன், விஜயன்,   ருத்துமன், சாபர்ணன், பந்தகாசனன், பதகேந்திரன், பட்சிராஜன், மோதகாமோதர், மங்களாலயர், சோமகாரீ, விஜயன், ஜெயகருடன்,  சுவணன்கிரி, கிருஷ்ண பருந்து, ஓடும்புள்,   போன்ற பல பெயர்கள் உண்டு. 

 

கருட பக்ஷியை வானத்தில் காண்பது சிறப்பானது.  கருட தரிசனம் சிறந்த சமயோகித புத்தியையும், நல்ல சிந்தனைகளையும், நல்ல எண்ணங்களையும் அளிக்கிறது. கருடன் பறக்கின்ற நிலையில் படைகளை நிறுத்திப் போரிட்டால் எதிரியின் படைகளைப் பாழ்படுத்தி வெற்றி பெறலாமென்று பாண்டவர்கள்  கருட வியூகம் அமைத்துப் போரிட்டு கெளரவர்களை வென்றனர் என்று மகாபாரதம் கூறுகின்றது.  உலக மக்கள் தாங்கள் செய்யும் தீவினைக்களுக்குரிய பலனை உயிர் பிரிந்தபின் அனுபவிப்பர். எந்த பாவங்களுக்கு என்னென்ன தண்டனை என்பதை கருட புராணம் கூறுகிறது. இந்நூலினைப் படித்தால் தவறு செய்ய அஞ்சி நல்வழிப்படுவர்.

 

Garuda vahanams in most temples are very attractive  - the beautiful one pictured here is not from any Temple but one found in Bengaluru airport.

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
17.12.2023 

Johannesburg ODI - Sai Sudharsan makes debut - Arshdeep has 5 for !

Today - ODI no. 4713 at  Johannesburg – India has bowled out SA for 116!

 

A very young Bharathwaj Sai Sudharsan who bats left handed and bowls leg spin has made his debut.  From the time 58/7 was waiting that Captain KL Rahul would give the debutant a chance to bowl ! (that was not to come)

 

Arshdeep was the wrecker in chief with 5/37 (took the first 4 wickets)(5-0-19-4 at that time); well supported by Avesh Khan 4/27.  Incidentally, the wicket of Reeza Hendericks was the first International ODI wicket for Arshdeep though it is his 4^th match today.  He has played 42 T20Is.

 
Hope India wins the 1^st ODI easily !
 
S Sampathkumar
@ 4.10 pm 17.12.2023