THE JACK OF ALL TRADES

“He excelled in everything. So he couldn’t excel in anything.”

That sums up the career of the greatest cricketer that the world has ever seen. Jacques Kallis, the Jack of all trades, has excelled in every aspect of the game be it batting, bowling, fielding or even sportsman spirit. His figures are exceptional. 13174 runs at an average of 52.12. 292 wickets at an average of 32.43. And to top it all, 199 catches. What more can you ask from a cricketer?

Yet he has never been in the run for cricket’s greatest. Ask about the greatest batsman and Sachin’s name comes up. Ask about the greatest all rounder and Sir Gary Sobers it is. Some of the arguments are quite funny. In a Sachin-Kallis competition for the greatest batsman it is the numbers that come into play. Sachin has more than 3000 runs and 7 centuries more than Kallis. The fact that Kallis has played 34 tests (and 6 years) less than Kallis is forgotten.

 But in a Sobers-Kallis debate for top all-rounder, people tend to overlook the figures and give importance to the averages. Another argument is that pitches are more batting friendly these days. Then why does Kallis has more wickets than Sobers? Some would say it is because he has played more games. But truth is that Kallis has bowled 1000 deliveries less than Sir Sobers.

So why is Kallis never considered for the top slot? The answer is simple. He is not dashing. He has been the anchor for South Africa just like Dravid was for India. And such players seldom win many fans. And fans count in any show biz. Why else would he be ignored for the Spirit of Cricket award in 2011? Kallis ‘walked’ twice in the World Cup after accepting that the fielders who took contentious catches were telling the truth. In a game where men do not walk even after knicking the ball, this gesture was worth applauding. Yet all the adulation went to Team India for first controversially getting Ian Bell out and then calling him back after lunch. Is that really the spirit of cricket?

The retirement of Jacques Kallis from Tests is also exemplary and should be a role model for others. Kallis is already second in the list of most centuries & most catches and fourth in the list of all time run getters. These were records he had a realistic chance of breaking if he had continued for another year or two. Besides there was also the milestone of becoming the only cricketer to get 13000 runs and 300 wickets. Yet he decided to forsake all these records for the sake of preparing for the World Cup. In a game where even great players try to extend their careers in the hope of achieving meaningless milestones, the retirement of Kallis comes as a breath of fresh air.

The World Cup had been his greatest dream and he had seen it slip through his fingers more than once. 1999,2003 and 2011 would be nightmares that any South African would want to forget. If he wanted another shot at the World Cup, Kallis knew that he had to sacrifice his Test career. His body could not stand the stress of playing in all formats for too long. So he decided to shun all those gettable records for one more chance at getting that elusive Cup. And when he saw that it didn't work he retired gracefully. Hats off to a great player and a true gentleman.

.

 Greatest catch ever

CHRISTMAS CAROL

Christmas is round the corner and what better time to learn a few carol songs. Here is a list of my favorite five carol songs. Wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. Lets sing away our sorrows and usher in a prosperous New Year.

1.Jingle Bells

Dashing through the snow
On a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go,
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tail ring,
making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

A day or two ago,
I thought I'd take a ride,
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side;
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
We got into a drifted bank,
And then we got upsot.

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh, What fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh, What fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.

Now the ground is white
Go it while you're young
Take the girls tonight
And sing this sleighing song
Just get a bob tailed bay
two-forty as his speed
Hitch him to an open sleigh
And crack! you'll take the lead

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh, What fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells,
Jingle all the way!
Oh, What fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh.

2.Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth

3.Feliz Navidad

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y Felicidad.

Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Ano y Felicidad.

I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart.

[repeats]

4.We Wish You A Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.

Good tidings to you,
And all of your kin,
Good tidings for Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.

We all know that Santa's coming,
We all know that Santa's coming,
We all know that Santa's coming,
And soon will be here.

Good tidings to you,
And all of your kin,
Good tidings for Christmas,
And a Happy New Year.

We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
We wish you a Merry Christmas,
And a Happy New Year

5.Santa Claus is Coming to Town

You better watch out
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list
And checking it twice
Gonna find out Who's naughty and nice
Santa Claus is coming to town

He sees you when you're sleeping
He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake!

O! You better watch out!
You better not cry
Better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
Santa Claus is coming to town

PROLOGUE

THE HAUNT OF BASKERVILLES

That night will always be etched in my memory. It was the night when for the first and the last time in my life I doubted the predicament of my friend and partner in crime James Moriarty.

It was the night when we would murder Mr. Henry Baskerville. The trap was set and the ball already in motion. Mr. Henry was dining in Merripit House. Jim and I waited outside to witness the crime that we had hatched. After all, there is no greater reward than to see your creation with your own eyes.

We waited for Mr. Henry. I was reminded of my time as a shikari in the jungles of Hindusthan. I would tie a goat to a tree and wait for the tiger to pounce on the bait. One shot. That was all that was required to put an end to the man eater. But tonight I would have to content myself by watching the act. I was not to play an active role or so I thought.

It was then that I so the wagonette stop at the gates of Merripit House. Three men got out of it.

“Ah! Our friends have arrived for the party!” remarked Moriarty with a smile.

“Shouldn’t we warn, Rodger.’

“Of course not. Why worry the old fellow unnecessarily? I assure you, Seb, everything shall go according to my plan."

 I watched with baited breath as the three men passed our hiding place and went to the House. They stopped two hundred yards before the House. Then one of them, whom I later learned was Dr. Watson, went to survey the house. All this time Moriarty waited in silence not making a move. Then suddenly, I saw why he was not worried. The fog was setting in. Holmes and party had to withdraw due to the advancing fog. In another five minutes, Mr. Henry would be completely under the mercy of the hound. That was when I felt something cold in my hand. Moriarty pushed a pistol in my hand and whispered a command into my ears. I was shell shocked.

“But that will ruin everything. What about the effort we put in to create the myth? Besides, Holmes will know of our presence.” I said in protest.

“Just do as I say. Shoot when Holmes shoots. That will conceal our presence. But what about the extra bullet?”

“One of them is bound to miss.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Ever heard of probability and statistics?”

“This is not a lecture class, professo-“

Our argument was cut short by the sound of gunfire which was followed by a howl of pain from the poor creature. The time for arguments had passed. I was to decide the fate of this crime. I aimed my pistol at the target’s head. The hound had pounced on Mr. Henry. In another moment it will bury its fangs into his neck. Holmes was too far to interfere. Our plan could succeed. No one would know of our presence. But my army training got the better of me. In the army, we did as our superior ordered us. No questions were asked. My finger pulled the trigger even before I realized. The bullet hit the hound on the head. The noise merging with the gunfire that Holmes unleashed upon the dead creature. Now you may think that by losing my aim, I had unwittingly saved the life of the man we intended to kill. But the truth was far from it. My aim was accurate. I had hit my target. Moriarty wanted the hound dead.

But why did he want the hound dead? Why did he ruin his own plot?

[To be continued…]

WHICH MARY?

Even before Teabing traced the contour for her, Sophie saw it—the indisputable V shape at the focal point of the painting. It was the same symbol Langdon had drawn earlier for the Grail, the chalice, and the female womb.

"Finally," Teabing said, "if you view Jesus and Magdalene as compositional elements rather than as people, you will see another obvious shape leap out at you." He paused. "A letter of the alphabet."

Sophie saw it at once. To say the letter leapt out at her was an understatement. The letter was suddenly all Sophie could see. Glaring in the center of the painting was the unquestionable outline of an enormous, flawlessly formed letter M.

"A bit too perfect for coincidence, wouldn't you say?" Teabing asked.

Sophie was amazed. "Why is it there?"

Teabing shrugged. "Conspiracy theorists will tell you it stands for Matrimonio or Mary Magdalene. To be honest, nobody is certain. The only certainty is that the hidden M is no mistake. Countless Grail-related works contain the hidden letter M—whether as watermarks, underpaintings, or compositional allusions. The most blatant M, of course, is emblazoned on the altar at Our Lady of Paris in London, which was designed by a former Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, Jean Cocteau."

Conspiracy theorists will tell you that the M stands for Matrimonio or Mary Magdalene. But if you want the correct answer, I suggest you ask children. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to them. The letter universally stands for one word. The first word uttered by an innocent baby. M stands for Mother. Ma, Amma, Umma, Mom, Mummy, Matha. The letter transcends the boundaries of language and religion.

The V shape only enhances its meaning. Because the womb again represents  motherhood. Now take a look at the painting. The womb is shared by Jesus and the beloved disciple. If you put this together, you would get what Da Vinci is implying. A shared mother! You may find this hard to believe but if you read the Bible, you will find that it is a reference to GOSPEL OF JOHN 19: 26-27.

“When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by,

whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son !

Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother ! And from that

hour that disciple took her unto his own home. “

Some of you may find this hard to believe. But Dan Brown himself has unwittingly agreed to this theory.  

The most blatant M, of course, is emblazoned on the altar at Our Lady of Paris in London, which was designed by a former Grand Master of the Priory of Sion, Jean Cocteau.

Our Lady of Paris? It is dedicated to Virgin Mary! V & M. So much for conspiracy theorists.

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THE HIDDEN CODES OF DA VINCI

It is widely believed that Da Vinci based The Last Supper on the moment that Christ reveals that one of his disciples would betray him.I would like to disagree. Da Vinci was a genius and his brilliance can be seen from the fact that he was able to implant many chapters of the Bible into a single image.

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 20: 20-23

The Request of James and John

¶ Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her

sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

And he said unto her, What wilt thou ? She saith unto him, Grant

that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the

other on the left, in thy kingdom.

But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able

to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the

baptism that I am baptized with ? They say unto him, We are able.

And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be

baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with : but to sit on my

right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to

them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

Every artist has an inner urge. A feeling deep within which wants him to play God. This passion can motivate him, for every artist is a Creator. Da Vinci has given voice to this very feeling through his portrayal of The Last Supper. Here he got an opportunity to play God.

Look to the left and right of Christ. As Christ sits in his glory, the two sons of Zebedee, John and James, sit to his left and right. This was a wish only the ‘Father’ could grant. By placing John to the right and James to the left, he showed that Christ had indeed fulfilled the mother’s request. This is just one reason why the beloved disciple must be John. The next reason is for those who love codes.

J & T

Let us come to the question that I had asked in my previous post, the question of the J and the T. Where is it? For those who spotted the thin V shape and the letter M in the painting, this is surely a piece of cake. While M and V are merely outlines formed by Jesus and the beloved disciple, the J and T are writings on the wall. As though, Da Vinci wanted us to see it clearly. You cannot ignore the writing on the wall (or so they say). Note that Da Vinci ruined the symmetry of the painting to form these letters.

So what does these letters stand for? Think of the letter J and the first word that comes to your mind is Jesus. But then there is no need to ear mark Jesus. After all, he is the central figure of the painting and everyone would recognize him. So it has to be one of the disciples. There are five disciples whose names start with J- Judas Iscariot, Jude Thaddeus, James(son of Alphaeus) and the sons of Zebedee (John and James). And since there is no question (or controversy) regarding the identity of the other disciples, it leaves us with only one choice- John.

Some may ask on what basis I concluded that the J stands for the name of the disciple below the letter. It could stand for a word. That’s where the T comes into play. Look under the letter T. Who do you see? Though James occupies the place next to Jesus, a disciple has extended his head so that he is right under the letter T. Who is this disciple? The raised finger is a clear indication.

GOSPEL OF JOHN 20: 24-25

The Unbelief of Thomas

 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with

them when Jesus came.

The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord.

But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of

the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust

my hand into his side, I will not believe.

Yes, the disciple is none other than St. Thomas, spelt with a capital T. A coincidence perhaps?

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WHY INDIAN BLOGGERS SHOULD JOIN INDIBLOGGER?

Blogging may be fun but it can also be a lonely and unrewarding job. Especially in the beginning . I once started a blog and deleted it within a month. Why? Well, there isn’t any point if no one is going to read it, right? That can be pretty demoralizing for a beginner. You see, it doesn’t matter if your work gets criticized. But it is unbearable when your work is ignored.

This is my second shot at blogging and there is one thing that I realized. The best way to keep yourself interested in blogging is by joining Google or blogging communities.

IndiBlogger is the one of the best blogging communities in India and there are three good reasons for joining in it. I call it the 3Cs.

      1.       Confidence

IndiBlogger can be a real confidence booster. Our fellow bloggers are like-minded people who share a passion for blogging and are ready to encourage beginners like us. The IndiVotes is a plus point. It helps us know that someone liked our blog. This can be a real morale booster.

      2.       Cause

            Every blogger faces a situation when he/she does not know what to blog about. He/she may run out               of ideas. IndiChange gives us a cause to blog about. It brings to us certain social issues that require               our attention and encourages us to blog about them.

      3.       Contests

At the end of the day, there is nothing more motivating than contests. IndiBlogger always has a contest going and there are tremendous prizes to be won. You may not get the top prize but there are  prizes even for No.75 and  some contests even have assured prizes.

So, what are you waiting for? Join IndiBlogger. Enjoy Blogging.