Ambimama - India

It’s good that overseas players are restricted to four in an IPL team. The foreigners like Hayden and Hussey have done their job in placing Chennai Superkings at the top 4 of the table. But the Young Indian Talented players like Badrinath, Palani Amarnath and Balaji are continuing the winning pattern.

Badrinath:
Many months back I have written about Badrinath. He was almost selected for the ICC T20 match, but in the last moment was dropped. Strange are the ways of selectors and BCCI.

Badrinath, is a perfect technique batsman and he has adapted himself nicely to the T20 logic. He is a run-hungry batsman and has proved that in the last three matches, crucial for Chennai wins.
He has been Tamilnadu captain and scored 636 runs from 7 matches. In 2006-07 he scored 436 runs. Like Pataudi, Yuvraj and Kaif he is an excellent fielder at point

Though not selected in the past two years he piled up runs for India A, against Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Palani Amarnath

A player of Under-25, Tamilnadu Amarnath is a very good seamer with perfect bowling action. The fastest bowler from Vellore District. got frustrated, not being selected for talents went on to complete his Civil engineering!

He played for Chennai’s first division league cricket for two seasons. He has taken 5-wicket haul against Karnataka.

Now IPL has given him chance and right from the start he is impressing.

Lakshmipathy Balaji
Pakistanis would not forget Balaji. He became one of India’s leading fast bowlers in the historic tour of Pakistan. He scalped 12 wickets from three Tests, and was particularly lethal in a couple of sessions in the third Test at Rawalpindi, where he consistently swung the ball away from the right hander and snapped up a then career-best 4 for 63.
His cheer and super smile is what makes me like him. And in batting also he found many fans around the world.
After an injury he stormed back into the Indian team in the home Tests against Pakistan in early 2005, taking nine wickets and scoring useful runs on comeback.
He has a deceptive slow arm action but the ball comes quick In Ranji trophy he has taken several 5-wickets continuously. Years of hard work, practice and patience has produced a perfect bowling performance in Balaji.
Balaji took the first hat-trick of the IPL, against Kings XI Punjab, and rounded off the evening with a match-winning five-wicket haul.
So I am waiting for the matches in Chennai on 21st and 24th of May, 2008. The scorching and humid summer is not going to bother me. I will be in Chidambaram stadium.

And I would like to pick 3 players from each of the other 7 IPL teams who are yound and shining.

I am always late and the market would have risen beyond the reach of my buying. Be it shares, real estate or an offer for consumer appliance.

Always the loan facilities given by Bank to purchase my own flat are not enough even by 50%. Forget the small dream bungalow. I have lost the interest of settling down in my native village and enjoy the calm village atmosphere. The village too had become more a bore than the City. Now I have to accept the fact “Better Never than Late”.

But a dream of creating a House totally independent of any external source of energy or Government interference is still with me.

The energy would be mainly from Sun, garbage and recycled water. The ventilation would be natural using local wind wave patterns. The construction material would be from locally available materials. There will be some herbs, plants, ponds and fountain.

Initially the House would depend on modern equipments and slowly in a few years’ time will be totally dependent only on natural forces available. Sure there will be a place to relax and exercise.

The finer details will be worked out. At least this project will not be like the title.

Aroma therapy has become a fashion now. It was present in the East for centuries and is alive even today in way.

The natural oils burning at different temperatures release certain curative ions in the air which heals the mind and body.

Now almost any natural essential oil can be duplicated using the modern technology from distillation and cracking of Benzene from petroleum or crude oil by-product. But these can used for Industrial purposes only like fabric at manufacturing level, soaps, incense sticks, detergents, room sprays and even body sprays.

Natural essential oils are very expensive. But the list of all oils and curative properties are beyond the scope of this small article. Years of studying, experimenting has gone behind understanding and using right combination of essential oils for specific purposes. Perfumery is just one area. All of you know the values of Eucalyptus, Clove, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Thyme, Sweet Orange, Pine, Vettiver, Lemongrass and Nutmeg.

Medicinal oils like Neem are different from essential oils.
Though I cannot touch on all oils here is a broad category of some oils and what they can do. The basic classifications may be Spicy, Leafy, Top notes, Mood creators and medicinal.

For example:
Basil cures depression and improves concentration
Citronella is leafy and used to give freshness and a natural insect repellent.
Geranium is used in after-shave for astringent effects and is an antiseptic.
Lemon family oils are mood elevators and they relax.
Medicinal effects of essential oils are many like antispasmodic, invigorating, antifungal, anti-inflammatory antioxidant and antibacterial. The effects on mind and spirituality are still unexplored.

I hold some quantities of most of the oils as a personal collection. And do some nice blending for proper effects on health. The art of using essential oils with right type of combination, dilution, and heat is instinctive and has medicinal and miraculous effects. Of course some experience and knowledge is the basics are required. Slowly due to time and health factor the art of Aromatics is fading. It must be revived.

Most locations are from Hyderabad landmarks, IT companies and Charminar, with imagination and fun!

The US military admitted it cremates troops killed in Iraq at a facility used to cremate
animals.

Bad as that is, it’s nothing compared to the daily reality of how the Bush regime has
treated wounded soldiers.