Freezing Thoughts

During the winter of 2009, when M.S.Dhoni was asked about some curious team selections that were made then, he replied, "We have the World Cup in one year, we want to have a squad of players who have an experience of 50-plus ODIs, so that we can pick a suitable playing eleven from them." The fact that India has marched into the finals of World Cup is not surprising, it is no miracle or an overnight transformation. It is the result of some carefully planned strategies and team selection. It is great to see all that effort paying off and Indian team lifting the game (when it really mattered !) with some disciplined cricket. Having the world's best batting line up, a score of 260 in a not-so-bad pitch in Mohali was not something an Indian fan would have expected. It is true that India finished 20-30 runs short of a competitive total, but then from 205 for 6 in 42 overs, it was Raina's cool head and uncomplicated cricket that made 260 possible. The bowlers had a tough job...

Yesterday's Pacific tsunami and Indonesian volcanic activity has made 'Supermoon' a hot topic. On 19th Match 2011, the moon will make its closest approach to Earth (called lunar perigee) in 18 years. A new or full moon at 90% or greater of its closest perigee to Earth is called a 'SuperMoon'. An 'Extreme SuperMoon' (the one we are going to have on 19th) is when the moon is full or new as well as at its 100% greater mean perigee (closest) distance to earth. The effect of moon on earth and earthlings is nothing new. Ever wondered about the word 'lunatic' ? It refers to abnormal mental activity due to the impact of lunar cycle (different phases of moon). For example, on full moon and new moon days, the effect of moon's gravitation on earth is more than normal. This causes mood swings and mentally unstable people tend to be more sensitive and prone to aggressiveness. Apart from gravitational force, there is also the effect of moon's wave energy o...