Who replaced the Fascist leader !?!

Remember reading in school History something about World War and its perpetrators as Hitlor & Mussolini.  History is the most interesting story book that one can ever think of ! – many a times we read accusations of being Fascist ! while many criticised Mussolini for his fascism, not many would know that his successor  was linked to genocide - On 20 June 1930, Italian military officer Pietro Badoglio called for the annihilation of the entire population of Cyrenaica, and wrote to General Rodolfo Graziani: "As for overall strategy, it is necessary to create a significant and clear separation between the controlled population and the rebel formations. I do not hide the significance and seriousness of this measure, which might be the ruin of the subdued population...But now the course has been set, and we must carry it out to the end, even if the entire population of Cyrenaica must perish".

 

Spazio vitale ("living space") was the territorial expansionist concept of Italian Fascism. It was defined in universal terms as "that part of the globe over which extends either the vital requirements or expansionary impetus of a state with strong unitary organization which seeks to satisfy its needs by expanding beyond its national boundaries".   Spazio vitale was analogous to Nazi Germany's concept of Lebensraum. The territorial extent of the Italian spazio vitale was to cover the Mediterranean as a whole (Mare Nostrum) and Northern Africa from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.  It was to be divided into piccolo spazio ("small space"), which was to be inhabited only by Italians, and grande spazio ("large space") inhabited by other nations to be under the Italian sphere of influence. 

He  was originally a socialist politician and journalist at the Avanti! newspaper. In 1912, he became a member of the National Directorate of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), but was expelled for advocating military intervention in World War I. In 1914, he founded a newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia, and served in the Royal Italian Army during the war until he was wounded and discharged in 1917.  He founded a movement which opposed egalitarianism and class conflict, instead advocating "revolutionary nationalism" transcending class lines. In October 1922, following the March on Rome,  he  was appointed prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel III, becoming the then youngest to hold the office. After removing opposition through his secret police and outlawing labour strikes, he and his followers consolidated power through laws that transformed the nation into a one-party dictatorship. Within five years,  he could establish  dictatorial authority by legal and illegal means and aspired to create a totalitarian state. In 1929, he signed the Lateran Treaty with the Holy See, to establish the Vatican City. 

Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini[a] (1883 – 1945) was an Italian dictator who founded and led the National Fascist Party (PNF). He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922, until his deposition in 1943, as well as Duce of Italian fascism from the establishment of the Italian Fasces of Combat in 1919, until his execution in 1945. As a dictator and founder of fascism, Mussolini inspired the international spread of fascist movements during the interwar period. 

The Grand Council of Fascism was the main body of Mussolini's Fascist regime in Italy, that held and applied great power to control the institutions of government. It was created as a body of the National Fascist Party in 1922, and became a state body in  1928. The council usually met at the Palazzo Venezia, Rome, which was also the seat of the head of the Italian government. The Council became extinct following a series of events in 1943, in which Benito Mussolini was voted out as the Prime Minister of Italy. 

The fall of the Fascist regime in Italy, also known in Italy as 25 Luglio ( '25 July'), came as a result of parallel plots led respectively by Count Dino Grandi and King Victor Emmanuel III during the spring and summer of 1943, culminating with a successful vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister Benito Mussolini at the meeting of the Grand Council of Fascism in  July 1943. As a result, a new government was established, putting an end to the 21 years of Fascist rule in the Kingdom of Italy, and Mussolini was placed under arrest. 

At the beginning of 1943, Italy was facing defeat. The collapse of the African front on 4 November 1942 and the Allied landings in North Africa on 8–12 November exposed Italy to an invasion by the Allied forces.  The defeat of the Italian expeditionary force (ARMIR) in Russia, the heavy bombings of the cities, and the lack of food and fuel demoralized the population, the majority of whom wanted to end the war and denounce the alliance with Germany.  Italy needed German aid in order to maintain control of Tunisia, the last stronghold of the Axis powers in Africa. Italy's Duce, Benito Mussolini, was convinced that the war could be decided in the Mediterranean theater. On 29 April 1943, at the meeting in Klessheim, Hitler rejected Mussolini's proposition to seek a separate peace with Russia and move the bulk of the German Army south.  The request for reinforcements to defend the bridgehead in Tunisia was refused by the Wehrmacht, which no longer trusted the Italian will to maintain resistance.  Mussolini's health was another main factor of uncertainty. He was depressed and sick after being diagnosed with gastritis and duodenitis of a nervous origin.  Because of his illness, the Duce was often forced to stay at home, depriving Italy of effective government. 

By 1943, Italy's military position had become untenable. Axis forces in North Africa were finally defeated in the Tunisia Campaign in early 1943. Italy suffered major setbacks on the Eastern Front as well. The Allied invasion of Sicily brought the war to the nation's very doorstep.  The Italian home front was also in bad shape as the Allied bombings were taking their toll. Factories all over Italy were brought to a virtual standstill because raw materials, such as coal and oil, were lacking. Additionally, there was a chronic shortage of food, and what food was available was being sold at nearly confiscatory prices. Mussolini's once-ubiquitous propaganda machine lost its grip on the people.  As it happens in history repeatedly,    prominent members of Mussolini's government  Grandi and Ciano turned against him.   He was  summoned to the royal palace by Victor Emmanuel who sacked  Mussolini and had the government building surrounded by 200 carabinieri.   The police took Mussolini in a Red Cross ambulance car, without specifying his destination and assuring him that they were doing it for his own safety.  In an effort to conceal his location from the Germans, Mussolini was moved around: first to Ponza, then to La Maddalena, before being imprisoned at Campo Imperatore, a mountain resort in Abruzzo where he was completely isolated. 

On 25 April 1945, Allied troops were advancing into northern Italy, and the collapse of the Salò Republic was imminent. Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci set out for Switzerland,  intending to board a plane and escape to Spain but  were stopped near the village of Dongo (Lake Como) by communist partisans named Valerio and Bellini and identified by the Political Commissar of the partisans' 52nd Garibaldi Brigade, Urbano Lazzaro.   The next day, Mussolini and Petacci were both summarily shot, along with most of the members of their 15-man train, primarily ministers and officials of the Italian Social Republic. The shootings took place in the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra and were conducted by a partisan leader who used the nom de guerre Colonnello Valerio. His real identity is unknown, but conventionally he is thought to have been Walter Audisio, who always claimed to have carried out the execution, though another partisan controversially alleged that Colonnello Valerio was Luigi Longo, subsequently a leading communist politician in post-war Italy. 

Certainly not the end, the man who ruled for couple of decades !  Imprisonment may have been the cause of Mussolini's claustrophobia. He refused to enter the Blue Grotto (a sea cave on the coast of Capri), and preferred large rooms like his 18 by 12 by 12 m (60 by 40 by 40 feet) office at the Palazzo Venezia.  In addition to his native Italian, Mussolini spoke English, French and  German. 

The man who replaced Mussolini was - Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino (you may wish to read the first para to know who he was!) was an Italian general during both World Wars and the first viceroy of Italian East Africa.  With the fall of the Fascist regime in Italy, he became Prime Minister of Italy.  On 9 June 1944, following the German rescue of Mussolini, the capture of Rome by the allies, and increasingly strong opposition to his government, Badoglio was replaced by Ivanoe Bonomi of the Labour Democratic Party. Due to increased tensions with the Soviet Union, the British government saw Badoglio as a guarantor of an anti-communist post-war Italy. Consequently, Badoglio was never tried for Italian war crimes committed in Africa.Badoglio died in the comune of his birth, Grazzano Badoglio, on 1 November 1956. 

Pictured at the start is the present Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni   the first woman to hold this position. A member of the Chamber of Deputies since 2006, she has led the right-wing Brothers of Italy (FdI) political party since 2014 and has been the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party since 2020. Forbes ranked Meloni as the fourth most powerful woman in the world in 2023. In 2024 she was listed among the most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

 
History offers so many important lessons !
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
26.7.2024
 

 

  

Surrealistic ! - what ! ? !

Surrealism [அடிமன வெளிப்பாட்டியம்] is a treachery of images !  

Surrealism is an art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike scenes and ideas. Its intention was, according to leader André Breton, to "resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality, a super-reality", or surreality. It produced works of painting, writing, theatre, filmmaking, photography, and other media as well.  Works of Surrealism feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur.  

Surrealism aims to revolutionise human experience. It balances a rational vision of life with one that asserts the power of the unconscious and dreams.  While Surrealism started as a literary movement in the prose and poetry of Breton and others, visual artists such as Giorgio de Chirico, Pablo Picasso, Francis Picabia, and Marcel Duchamp embraced Surrealism and were recognized in Breton’s 1925 publication, “La Révolution Surréaliste.” A fundamental aspect of the Surrealist movement is a mode of expression called “automatism,” which involves the act of automatic or uncensored recording of the thoughts and images that emerge into an artist’s mind. With a focus on tapping into involuntary thought processes and interpreting dreams, Surrealist artwork is not limited to a specific artistic style or technique.

 

This may not be the exact representation of Surrealism – here the Thiruther is real, so also are the artificial decorators yet the juxtaposition is an illusion.  

Purinjavan pistha ! – life is simple, do not complicate it by putting too many thoughts says Aasami sirippu sinthanaiyan

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
25.7.2024 

Conflicts ! ~ try - avoid fights !!

Are fights necessary and do people fight right battles or fight unnecessarily !  Some types of Deers have antlers – but have seen them fight more with fellow deers rather than use the same antlers as weapons when chased or killed by its predators !!  People fighting using arms – be it sickles, swords or pistols is understandable but why would someone use a lighter one – Antler of a Deer ! – is that really a weapon !

 

எம்.ஜி.ஆர் படங்களில்  ஏழை நல்லவனாக வாழும் நாயகன் தீயவனை சண்டையிட்டு திருத்துவது தான் கருவாக இருக்கும்.   MGR  படங்களில் ரசிகர்கள் மிகவும் விரும்பியது  சண்டைக் காட்சிகள். சிலம்பம், வாள்வீச்சு, சுருள் கத்தி சுழற்றுதல் போன்ற சண்டைகள் இருக்கும்;  சண்டைக் காட்சிகளில் இப்போது உள்ள அளவு வன்முறை, ரத்தம் இருக்காது. சிரித்துக் கொண்டே எதிரிகளை MGR பந்தாடுவார்.   

மறு அல்லது மடு என்றும் அழைக்கப்படும்  ஒரு ஆயுதம் , மான் கொம்புகளால் செய்யப்பட்டது.  இது இரட்டை-பிளேட் கத்தி போல க இரண்டு குறுக்குவெட்டுகளால் இணைக்கப்பட்ட எதிர் திசைகளில் சுட்டிக்காட்டும் இரண்டு கொம்புகளைக் கொண்டு கைப்பிடி உடன் இருக்கும்.   ‘உழைக்கும் கரங்கள்’ படத்தில் மான் கொம்பு சண்டை  பிரபலம். ஸ்டன்ட் நடிகர்கள் ஜஸ்டினும் மாடக்குளம் தர்மலிங்கமும் எம்.ஜி.ஆருடன் மோதுவார்கள். அவர்களது சிலம்பாட்டத்தை மான் கொம்பால் எம்.ஜி.ஆர். எதிர்கொண்டு சண்டையிடுவதை ரசிகர்கள் ஆரவாரித்து பார்த்தார்கள்.  

Have seen in MGR movies – MGR wielding ‘maan kombu’ (deer horns) -  the weapon fashioned from razor-sharp deer-horns. The weapon is held either in one hand or at times, one in each hand. Quick movements of twisting and turning can protect oneself while thrusting and plunging movements are used in attack. When used skillfully, the weapon can be used against an opponent armed with knife, dagger, poles, etc.  

Although antlers would appear to be used for combat against predators, it's unlikely deer antlers evolved for this purpose. If antlers are a defense against predators, then why do only male deer have them? Don't females need to defend themselves too? Well, that would make sense, but antlers aren't actually the first line of defense when predators are involved. The most common defense is, quite simply, running away. Males are actually pretty reluctant to use their antlers to fight off predators unless they find themselves cornered. This fact, combined with the absence of antlers in females, seems to suggest that even though antlers do come in handy for self-defense from time to time, this isn't the primary reason that antlers 

Both before and during breeding season, males often use their antlers as a threat. They posture and spar with the other males as a way to establish hierarchies. Calculating the amount of energy that the antler could absorb before shattering, researchers  found that the tissue was incredibly tough: 2.4 times tougher than normal wet bone. 

There was plenty of space and abundance of food too – yet these two chose to fight among themselves ! – life is like that !  Moving away from unwanted fight is not cowardice !

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
24.7.2024 

BUDGET - layman's point of view & understanding

 

My two cents on Budget – never try to read all the lines – 

·                                          In 1970s, on Mar 31, people would stand in long long queues at Mount Road petrol bunk to fill their Luna mopeds and Lambretta scooters that would have less than 10 litre capacity and would fill up

·        The price would go up by say 3 rupees – your gain hardly is 10 x 3

·        Some part would be lost in evaporation and spillage – and it was never the worth 

Meantime they would (those days import duty was not structured) and was around 300% or more for some items – a small line fineprint would say for rayon / nylon or for something else – customs duty changed by 5% and that would benefit the elite few by crore (of those days) 

Meantime we would search whether standard deduction gets raised by another 2000 or more ....    ..   

*Following great Vadivelu – I only put Rs.300 petrol for 2 wheeler and 2000 for car – whenever the indicator mullu comes lower ! so no change for common man (konjam siringappu – kovam vendam)*   

Well- don't take this seriously !!

Beautiful Buffaloes !

Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder – I found them to be very attractive – incidentally do we call them Buffalos or Buffaloes ? 

There is confusion because the rule for forming plurals with nouns ending in "o" isn't straightforward. Most nouns will just add a "s." For example:

"Kangaroo" becomes "kangaroos."

"Piano" becomes "pianos."

Some add es. For example:

"Potato" becomes "Potatoes."

"Torpedo" becomes "torpedoes."

With some words, both versions are accepted. The plural of "buffalo" can be either "buffaloes" or "buffalos." Though "buffaloes" and "buffalos" are both accepted plurals, "buffaloes" is the more common of the two. 

Me no English teacher – but only an aspirant photographer 

With regards – S Sampathkumar

23.7.2024 

Be kind to animals !!

 

 

அருள்கருதி அன்புடைய ராதல் பொருள்கருதிப்

பொச்சாப்புப் பார்ப்பார்கண் இல்.

 

அன்பு, கருணை, பிற உயிர்களிடத்தில் அன்பு காட்டுதல் சிறப்பு.   அருளைப் பெரிதாகக்கருதி அன்பு உடையவராய் நடத்தல், பிறருடைய பொருளைக்கவர எண்ணி அவர் சோர்ந்திருக்கும் நிலையைப் பார்ப்பவரிடத்தில் இல்லை.

Aeroplane landing !!

Till a few decades ago, flying on an aeroplane was the privilege of elite few – most people had only seen planes from a very long distance – in the film Ninaithale Inikkum’ – some hailed cameraman BS Lokanath for showing aircraft landing !

 

An Aeroplane is a wonder object – irrespective of the no. of times one may have flown, one looks with interest the air craft, especially its take-off and landing.  

An aircraft getting back to land after flying on air, is an awesome sight !  To land, the airspeed and the rate of descent are reduced such that the object descends at a low enough rate to allow for a gentle touch down. Landing is accomplished by slowing down and descending to the runway. This speed reduction is accomplished by reducing thrust and/or inducing a greater amount of drag using flaps, landing gear or speed brakes. When a fixed-wing aircraft approaches the ground, the pilot will move the control column back to execute a flare or round-out. This increases the angle of attack. Progressive movement of the control column back will allow the aircraft to settle onto the runway at minimum speed, landing on its main wheels first in the case of a tricycle gear aircraft or on all three wheels simultaneously in the case of a conventional landing gear-equipped aircraft, commonly referred to as a "tail-dragger".  

A variety of technological navigation aids all help pilots achieve a smooth and safe landing. Early pilots didn't worry about keeping away from other aircraft and landed in any direction on an open field that gave them the best angle relative to the wind. As traffic grew and more aircraft began to use airports rather than farms or fields, landings became limited to certain directions, and descending aircraft, competing for the same course, were in danger of colliding.  

The earliest landing aids were people-powered. Flagmen provided aircraft separation and direction control. They stood on the field waving red, green, or white cloths that told pilots if they were approaching a clear field at the correct angle. Green flags would indicate a clear field or the proper direction; red flags meant danger or told the pilot to circle until further instruction.

 
Interesting !
 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
22.7.2024 

Camlin founder is no more !

இன்று சுமார் 50 வயதை தொட்டவர்கள் அல்லது தாண்டியவர்களுக்கு பழைய ஞாபகங்களை இந்த பதிவு வரவழைக்கலாம்.  அன்றைய பலர் பள்ளிக்கூடத்திற்கு வெறும் காலுடனோ அல்லது ஹவாய் செப்பல் அணிந்தோ சென்றுகொண்டிருந்த காலம்.  பல பள்ளிகளில் வெள்ளை சட்டை (காக்கி அல்லது நீல நிக்கர்) சீருடை.  ஒரே ஒரு இங்க் பேனா ~ கேம்லின் என்றால் மிக்க மகிழ்ச்சி.  பைலட் பணக்காரர்களின் எழுதுகோல்.

Putting one’s thought on paper ~Writing is most important though the practice of writing is slowly dying.  It is believed that Indians pioneered writing with writing materials as many of our epics have been recorded in various forms.  In earlier days, bird feathers, sharp instruments, bamboo sticks were used to write, especially on palm and other leaves.  Legend has it that Sage Vyasa dicated ‘Mahabaratha’ which was written by Lord Ganesha with his teeth (ivory tusk) 

Apsara, Nataraj, Camlin, Cello, Flora ….and more... sure we all enjoyed writing with pencils…. In fact in olden days, a pencil would be dumped only when it would become too small to be held / gripped in hand – some even used – used pen caps as holder for such small size pencils….. it is a technological marvel – simple one made of thin wood bonding the lead writing instrument.  Pencils create marks via physical abrasion, leaving behind a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface. They are noticeably distinct from pens, which dispense liquid or gel ink that stain the light colour of the paper. 

The word “pencil” derives from the Latin penicillus, meaning—not so sensibly—“little tail.”  It is stated that the average pencil holds enough graphite to draw a line about 35 miles long or to write roughly 45,000 words.  There is no risk of lead poisoning if you stab yourself (or someone else) with a pencil because it contains no lead—just a mixture of clay and graphite. 

Much came another invention that changed the way people put their thoughts to paper – the Pen.  PEN  (Latin – penna) is a device used to apply ink to a surface generally paper.  There are many types of pens – remember we used fountain pens in our study days, there were also ball point pens.  Now a days most students use gel pen in which ink is a water based gel.  The ink is thick and opaque and shows up more clearly.  Fountain pens had the nibs and had reservoir of ink in the bottom portion. Filling was manual though there were some using vacuum.  Camlin was one of the most popular brands in use those days.  Parker, Pilot were in the hands of the rich.  Though any good writing pen would do, there has been craze for costly brands such as Schaeffer, Cross, Ferrari, Mont Blanc, Bentley, Mercedes,  Giorgio Armani, Parker, Koh-i-noor, and  more.  There are also Celebrity pieces made for the occasions and limited versions studded with gems and diamonds on gold and other metal of high value 

In our school days in late 1970s and later, we craved for brand ‘Red-leaf’ – prized possession was one from Singapore which my uncle brought on a visit.  Later market was flooded with many other brands with Reynolds perhaps ruling now !  

 

For most of us the School life was associated with ‘Walking Camel’ – yes the logo of Camlin.  Read somewhere that easier to pronounce and sure to remember Camel was chosen as the official brand and logo – Camel & Ink together made ‘Camlin’.  This Indian brand created in 1950s enjoyed a Nation wide presence as a leading of most writing instruments and most Geometry instruments that we used were Camlin !!

 

Camlin was established in 1931 by D. P. Dandekar and his brother G. P. Dandekar starting operations as "Dandekar & Co." with "Horse Brand" Ink powders and tablets in 1931, and shortly started producing "Camel ink" for fountain pens. It was incorporated as a private company in 1946, and then turned into a public limited company in 1998.

 

The Company from pens and pencils expanded to market pens, mechanical pens, highlighters, brush pens,  Modelling clay, colored pencils, charcoals, crayons, oil pastels, acrylic paints, oil paints, watercolors, brushes, canvas, acrylic spray, Office         Erasers, rulers, glue, scissors, geometry sets, correction pens, drawing books, notebooks and more. 

In 2011, Japanese stationery major, "Kokuyo Co. Ltd", acquired a 50.74% stake in Camlin, reportedly paying   ₹366 crore for the acquisition. Dilip Dandekar continued as Chairman and Managing Director of the company. With this the brand expanded to office stationery and ventured exporting to foreign countries in a big manner

 

Sad to read that  Subash Dandekar, the founder of the brand Camlin died on Monday aged 86.  Pray for Sadagati of his atma. 

 

With regards – S Sampathkumar
16.7.2024 

Bunny, the Rabbits ! ~ சூப்பர் ஸ்டாரு யாருன்னு கேட்டா !

Rabbits are among the most adored pets !  -  Elwood P. Dowd is an amiable but eccentric man whose best friend is an invisible, 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in-tall (1.92 m) white rabbit named Harvey. As described by Elwood, Harvey is a puca, a benign but mischievous creature from Celtic mythology. Elwood spends most of his time taking Harvey around town, drinking at various bars and introducing Harvey to almost every person he meets, much to the puzzlement of strangers, though Elwood's friends have accepted Harvey's (supposed) existence. His older sister Veta and his niece Myrtle Mae live with him in his large estate, but have become social outcasts along with Elwood due to his obsession with Harvey.  -  what ?

 

Marie Josephine Hull was an American stage and film actress who also was a director of plays. She had a successful 50-year career on stage while taking some of her better known roles to film. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the movie Harvey (1950), a role she originally played on the Broadway stage. 

Rabbits  - the cute little animals - are small mammals in the family Leporidae. The male is called a buck and the female is a doe.  ‘ a deer caught in the headlights’ -  means ‘to be so frightened or surprised that you cannot move or think’ – it is stated that deer and rabbit when caught in the glare of the vehicle headlight, would stop dumb.

சூப்பர் ஸ்டாரு யாருன்னு கேட்டா  ! சின்னக் குழந்தையும் சொல்லும் - கண்ணா

உங்க பேரை ஒரு தரம் சொன்னா, நிமிர்ந்து எழுந்திடும் புல்லும் 

~ was a very popular song set to the music of Chandrabose.  Raja Chinna Roja directed by S. P. Muthuraman, produced by M. Saravanan and M. Balasubramaniam of AVM Productions was a Rajni hit of 1989. The plot revolves around Raja (Rajinikanth), who arrives in the city to become an actor. In the process he meets his childhood friend and is forced to take care of his nieces and nephews.  The film was commercially successful, and had a 175-day theatrical run.    

Rajnikant starrer - Raja Chinna Roja was the first Indian film to feature live action with animation. The idea of blending live action with animation was inspired by Who Framed Roger Rabbit.   The animated song was shot at a forest set built by art director Chalam at AVM Studios with all the artists involved. Puliyur Saroja, choreographer of the song along with her assistants enact like animals to "evoke the appropriate reaction from the artistes". The animation was done by Ram Mohan, who "ended up drawing 84,000 sketches for this song as every frame had to be drawn individually".  

Who Framed Roger Rabbit, released in 1988 was a  American live-action/animated film directed by Robert Zemeckis.  Loosely based on Gary K. Wolf's 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, it starred Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Fleischer, Stubby Kaye, and Joanna Cassidy. Set in a 1947 version of Hollywood where cartoon characters and people co-exist, it follows Eddie Valiant, a private detective who must exonerate "Toon" (i.e. cartoon character) Roger Rabbit, who is accused of murdering a wealthy businessman.  

In Cricket parlance  – Rabbit is no. 10 or no. 11 batsmen -  particularly incompetent in batting – specialist bowlers but incapable of scoring runs.    Bunny is the term used when a higher order batsman gets out frequently to the same bowler.  In 1970s, Indian tail used to start rather early and would capitulate very easily once the top order got out – Bedi, Prasanna and Chandrasekhar were known for making little contribution with the bat and some higher no. of ducks.  

The one is para 1 -  Harvey is a 1950 American comedy-drama film based on Mary Chase's 1944 play of the same name, directed by Henry Koster, and starring James Stewart, Josephine Hull, Charles Drake, Cecil Kellaway, Jesse White, Victoria Horne, Wallace Ford and Peggy Dow. The story centers on a man whose best friend is a púca named Harvey, a 6 ft 3+1⁄2 in (1.92 m) tall white invisible rabbit, and the ensuing debacle when the man's sister tries to have him committed to a sanatorium. 

 
Interesting !
 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
16.7.2024

  

India thrashes Zimbabwe 4-1 - some insights of the Umpire

 After IPL 2024 – every other score less than 200 appears to be not so par total and today with Sanju Samson making 50 too and some lusty blows in the end by Shivam Dube and one by Rinku Singh, one thought that a score of  167 may not be good enough.  Of late India has been unearthing one star after the other – and today Mukesh Kumar sniffed out 4 wickets with part time bowlers Shivam Dube and Abhishek Sharma too chiping in – sealing   a 42-run win to complete a splendid series turnaround in Harare after losing the opening fixture of the series.  Today’s s victory is  India's fourth win in a row, all completed in comfortable fashion. 

Read with some concern about the bespectacled gusty opener Anshuman Gaekwad battling illness at a medical facility in London.  It is reported that  BCCI has decided to release INR 1 crore for the treatment   after Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil urged the board to help Gaekwad. "Mr Jay Shah has instructed the BCCI to release INR 1 crore with immediate effect to provide financial assistance to India's veteran cricketer Mr Anshuman Gaekwad ," the BCCI apex council said in a statement. The board stands by Gaekwad's family in this hour of crisis and will do whatever is essential for Mr Gaekwad's quick recovery.  Gaekwad, 71, played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987. Later, he became a selector and then the coach of the national team. 

Remember his making debut at Eden Gardens against Clive Lloyds team and making a good 80 in that sensational win at Chepauk in Pongal Test of 1975.

 

Today’s match at Harare was over shortly and a reading of the score card took me to the Umpires : Forster Mutizwa and Iknow Chabi.  Back in Jan 2012, at Napier, Zimbabwe fans woke up the stark reality as the team collapsed badly in that only test and suffered a worst 301 run and an innings defeat.  Forster Mutizwa debuted and played his only Test  !  

Now a Umpire, Forster Mutizwa was a wicketkeeper-batsman who, given Zimbabwe's paucity of players, can consider himself unlucky in having to wait so long for his international call-up. Good form in 2006-07 and 2007-08, including Logan Cup hundreds in both, finally attracted the attention of the selectors and he was included in the squad to tour Bangladesh. Mutizwa could not find his way into a starting XI on that tour, and eventually made his Zimbabwe debut against Kenya in January 2009.   

He made his international debut in a One Day International (ODI) against Kenya on in Jan 2009, played 17 ODIs and played a lone test.  

 
With regards – S Sampathkumar
14.7.2024

What is your breakfast today ?!?

Sunday morning start late and lazy !  -  mothers are concerned about what to offer for their children !?! -  some of us take Idly, Pongal, vada, some have aloo-paratha, some take cereals with hot or cold milk, it is bread toast or plain for some,  some simply take fruits – it is breakfast ! -  and the parrots were seen eating part of the tree itself ! 

Breakfast as we know it didn't exist for large parts of history. The Romans didn't really eat it, usually consuming only one meal a day around noon, says a  food historian.     

Breakfast is the first meal of the day usually eaten in the morning.  The word in English refers to breaking the fasting period of the previous night.  Various "typical" or "traditional" breakfast menus exist, with food choices varying by regions and traditions worldwide. In Old English, a regular morning meal was called morgenmete,  and the word dinner, which originated from Gallo-Romance desjunare ("to break one's fast"), referred to a meal after fasting.  Around mid-13 century, that meaning of dinner faded away, and around 15th century "breakfast" came into use in written English to describe a morning meal. 

Romans called breakfast ientaculum. It was usually composed of everyday staples like bread, cheese, olives, salad, nuts, raisins, and cold meat left over from the night before. They also drank wine-based drinks such as mulsum, a mixture of wine, honey, and aromatic spices.  1st century Latin poet Martial said that ientaculum was eaten at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, while 16th century scholar Claudius Saumaise wrote that it was typically eaten at 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. It seems unlikely that any fixed time was truly assigned for this meal. 

In UK in the early 16th century, some physicians warned against eating breakfast, because they said it was not healthy to eat before a prior meal was digested.  By the 1550s, however, there were multiple sources that claimed breakfast was an important meal.  In 1589, Thomas Cogan stated that it was unhealthy to miss breakfast in the morning.   

The Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th Century regularised working hours, with labourers needing an early meal to sustain them at work. All classes started to eat a meal before going to work.   By the 1920s and 1930s the governments in Europe were  promoting breakfast as the most important meal of the day, but then World War II made the usual breakfast fare hard to get. But as Britain emerged from the post-war years into the economically liberated 1950s, things like American toasters, sliced bread, instant coffee and pre-sugared cereals invaded the home. Breakfast as we now know it. 

What did you have for breakfast this morning as you read this - for most south Indians a cup of chai or a tumbler of Coffee is as good as a breakfast! 

With regards – S Sampathkumar

14.7.2o24 

Jimmy Anderson retires !!

 

Partings are sad ! Retirement is painful and emotional  – no confession of a recent retiree ! a post on a hero who has just retired !!

 

"Gus apologised for taking that last wicket," Ben Stokes, England's captain, told the media afterwards, before pausing on the punchline to check the TV cameras weren't taking his comments live.   A farewell to a great Cricketer  ended with a stooped-shouldered apology. Ben Duckett, feet planted inside the Grandstand boundary, settled beneath a top-edged pull off Jayden Seales ;  Gus Atkinson, standing at the end of his follow-through, bowed his head in supplication, even as he completed a debut match haul of 12 for 106, the fourth-best in Test history, and the best by an Englishman for 134 years. 

The scorecard reveals the ignominy but would never capture the emotions !  - England 371 (Crawley 76, Smith 70, Root 68, Pope 57, Brook 50, Seales 4-77) beat West Indies 121 (Atkinson 7-45) and 136 (Atkinson 5-61, Anderson 3-32) by an innings and 114 runs. 

Before bowing down at Lords,   James Anderson fulfilled his wish of contributing to a big win but not  the fairytale five-for that seemed there for the taking at the start of day three. He finished with three in the innings, four in the match, and 704 for a Test career that has spanned more than two decades, as England completed the formalities of a crushing victory over West Indies. 

Some would recall that test at Lords in May 2003 against a lowly Zimbabwe.  The man of the post made his debut in that test  alongside Antony McGrath and Sean Earvine who together did not play 10 tests.  His 5 wicket haul in debut was overshadowed by the innings of Butcher as England won by an innings and 92 runs – that was James Anderson. 

When James Anderson bowled the last delivery of his 17th over in the New Zealand second innings in Christchurch on Tuesday 3 April, 2018, he became the owner of a record that spoke volumes of his longevity. Anderson, had just bowled 30,020th legal delivery, which was more than any other fast bowler in history – the record had belonged to Courtney Walsh, who had sent in 30,019 balls over his 132-Test career spanning 17 years. Anderson got past the Windies great in his 136th Test.  Now after 21 years, he had delivered  more than 40,000 balls across 188 Test matches, James Anderson's international career is over.  During his 21-year test career, Anderson bowled 40037 legitimate bowls in test matches. He is the first fast bowler to bowl more than 40,000 legitimate bowls in test matches. In the all-time list, he is fourth after Muthiah Muralidaran (44039), Anil Kumble (40850), and Shane Warne (40705). 

England's greatest-ever bowler and the leading wicket-taker in Test history among seamers bowed out with three second-innings wickets in a crushing victory over West Indies at Lord's on Friday, 21 years after making his debut in the format against Zimbabwe at the same venue. 

Anderson's 500th Test wicket came in September 2017 when he dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite in a Lord's Test against the West Indies. It was a delivery that illustrated his talent, coming down the slope to hit middle stump (his 501st - to bowl Kieran Powell - was even better). He became only the sixth player, and third pace bowler seamer after McGrath and Courtney Walsh, to reach the landmark and admitted to feeling emotional. " By early 2023, he had overtaken Anil Kumble in the all-time Test wicket-takers list, and had the 700-mark firmly in his sights. 

Playing on past his 40th birthday, Anderson continued to generate decent pace and had became a master craftsman. James Anderson's final day as an international cricketer started with a guard of honour. He was applauded onto the pitch at Lord's by his England team-mates and the West Indies' line-up, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite shaking his hand as he walked on. With Atkinson hunting a five-for at the far end but West Indies nine wickets down, Anderson had a chance to make his final ball as a Test cricketer a match-winning wicket. It looked like the perfect ending when Gudakesh Motie chipped one back to him... ...but the ball evaded his grasp, leaving Anderson covering his face with his hand before smirking in disbelief.  Then there were smiles and emotions died down !!

It was left to Anderson to lead England off the field to a standing ovation at Lord's, the same venue where he played his first Test against Zimbabwe back in 2003. He was presented  an honorary life membership by MCC president (and incoming chair) Mark Nicholas, before ECB chair Richard Thompson performed a similar presentation. 

Anderson sits third in the all-time list of leading wicket-takers in Test cricket, behind only Shane Warne and Muthiah Muralidaran. Joshua da Silva became his 704th and final wicket, edging an outswinger through to England's debutant wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.  Since his debut in May 2003, only three other bowlers in the world - Stuart Broad, Nathan Lyon and R Ashwin - have managed to take 500 or more Test wickets, let alone 700. 

In his illustrious Career he has played alongside more than 100 players – he may not remember all of them but for sure, each one of them would proudly proclaim having played alongside the genial Anderson !   12 for 106 Gus Atkinson's bowling figures at Lord's are the fourth-best by a player on debut in men's Tests. Narendra Hirwani and Bob Massie bagged 16 wickets apiece on their first outings, while England's Fred Martin took 12 for 102 against Australia in 1890 – may be Atkinson could be the guy who has replaced Anderson – but it is a long long long way – whether in the modern era of continuous varied form of Cricket, whether another Cricketer will last so long and be successful is really doubtful. 

Good Bye Jimmy Anderson ! – you achieved a lot yet  remained gentle !
 
With regards – S. Sampathkumar
12.7.2024