Review Week 2

I write this review with great pleasure as my team Eizenh3im’s XI entered the top 500 only 40 odd points away from the top. The pleasure has been further enhanced as this week was full of huge surprises. With ManU again shuffling their squad, Diaby among the week’s top scorers and Liverpool losing against a out-of-form “barry”less Villa, it could not have been a more difficult week. Luckily, I made only a few changes to my squad from the last week and had a relatively good performance from my players.

Fulham 0 - 2 Chelsea
Chelsea dominate again and Drogba leads the way. He is still cheaper than most strikers and is having a blistering season. Just put him in your lineup and don't look at that spot again. Meanwhile, whole of the midfielder was very disappointing earning a meager 17.5 points for the 50 points that they were worth. Lampard stands out as the biggest loser earning 1.68 points per point and that too after having played 3 games, and yet his price has not dropped much. :D Meanwhile, Ballack seems a good catch at this point as he did take few set pieces and has a tendency to shoot from distance.
For Fulham, Paintsil and Hangeland played well, and restricted the chances made by the blues. But, fantasy wise, Damien duff played well on hiss dedbut and was fulham’s top point scorer.

Burnley 1 - 0 Everton
Burnley have done it again! First ManU and now Everton. Only if they had one fantastic players on whom we could invest. But unfortunately, they don’t! All their goals seem to come out of arbit players and it’s impossible to decide on who will score the next one (if they do). Their defense has not conceded so far and Elliot or Mears might be worth looking at. Although, I don’t know how long they will be able to maintain their form considering they face @Chelsea, @Liverpool, Sunderland and @Tottenham next month.
Meanwhile, Everton are a mess. Bottom of the table and Moyes knows he must bring in players to strengthen his squad. The Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Ever Banega are both great players and it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the English game. Jack Rodwell played well and at 4, he can be the ultimate midfield enabler (if he does not get injured or till Arteta and other injured players come back).

West Ham United 1 - 2 Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham, continued their tradition of going with the tide (losing against the teams they are expected to lose and winning when they are expected to win). Mark Nouble’s flop performance meant that his price came back to his original value, while Carlton Cole contributed to scoring goals at either end. Jiminez seems to be taking longer than usual to get used to epl, but is getting his fair share of shots at target.
Meanwhile, spurs are having a fantastic season and they are finally living up to the hype that they have received for every single season, the past couple of years. All of their midfielders are returning good points and Defoe is leading the goals tally with 4 goals in 3 games this season. Redknapp has really tightened the squad and their defense has been reliable till now. However, we will have to wait for 2 more weeks to find out how they fare against the big teams when they play ManU and @Chelsea. That is of course, after they play Birmingham this week. :D

Wigan Athletic 0 - 5 Manchester United
The champions are back and showed no aftereffects of the thrashing they received at Turf Moor. Rooney is the pick and if he continues his form, he can easily get 25 goals this season. Owen too opened his account, but was overshadowed by Berbatov, who more than justified his 12 point price tag. Nani played well too, but only one person knows whether he will start for the next match and that person is not me. :D
Wigan were brilliant in the first half, but never recovered from the opening goal. Fantasy wise, Koumas is consistenly scoring at least mediocre points and would be good to keep an eye on. Gomez did not fair well, though I reckon he will live up to the hype around him in due time. Next match against Everton will serve as a good indicator for both teams.

Sunderland 2 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Sunderland seems to have put last season’s miserable performance behind them and with 2 wins out of 3, have got off to a good start. K. Jones was the stand-out performer, leaving Bent behind.
Meanwhile, Gael Givet is the perfect bargain option in the defense and must be considered when BR happen to have a good fixture

Manchester City 1 - 0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
ManC did a 1-0 again and it was the same man on the score sheet. Tevez looked good in his debut and can turn out to be a real asset if he plays according to his demands that he had at ManU. Ireland was very disappointing and it would be interesting how he adapts to the new star power around him. At goal, Given is turning out to be a very good bargain.
Wolves’s players are turning out to be good bargain players, with Jarvis leading with example. Picking Milijas is turning out to be frustrating as McCarthy can’t seem to make up his mind about the player’s role in the team (He played a defensive role in this match and was substituted at half time). But I will give him a chance against hull at home.

Hull City 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers
Jozy Altidore made a dream debut and Boz Myhill made a return of 20 points for his 2 point price tag. While Turner looks like he will stay at Hull for another season and will be a good gamble if hull maintain their form.
On the other hand, Bolton will be disappointed with the result. Matt Taylor played well, but at 15 there are much better options available.

Birmingham City 0 - 0 Stoke City
A dull match in which the defenders prospered. Notable players were Johnson and Quedrue for Birmingham and Higginbotham and Wilkinson for Stoke.

Arsenal 4 - 1 Portsmouth
Wenger stuns everyone again by picking Diaby for his starting eleven and placing song and bendtner on the bench. Fabregas got injured in the first half and that could give Arshavin a more important role in the midfield.
For Portsmouth, it was a very dull game, though Pik worked hard and Mokoena got 6 points for his 1.4 price tag. They are looking very weak this season and might have to battle out for a place in the premiership for the next season.

Liverpool v Aston Villa
The most shocking of them all. Liverpool were stunned by villa’s counterattacks and their expertise in set pieces. They are really missing Alonso and his replacement Lucas had a terrible night. I reckon they will rebound and their depreciated players will be a good pick for the next week.
Villa, meanwhile will be very pleased with the much awaited 3 points. C. Davies was the best from the defense, while Friedel showed us why he is rated as one of the best keepers in the league.

That’s all for this week. I shall post the preview for week 3 this Friday. Stay in touch and please comment.

Fantasy Preview Week 2

I started playing Eurosport's fantasy manger last week and found it to be a fun way to follow football.

Here's my preview for week 2. Please share your comments and don't hesitate to point out my mistakes or make any recommendations that i might have missed.

Fixtures
ManC (Wolves) and Arsenal (Portsmouth) look good. So do Liverpool (Villa). Everton (@Burnley) players are cheap and many expect them to bounce back.

GK
Value for money - Congratulations to anyone who got hold of Shay Given at 6 last week. Since then, his price has rocketed to 9.1, but is still a good bet if you are hopeful of Manc breaking into the top 6 this season, if not top 4. I reckon, it will be safer to wait for a few weeks as they play ManU(12th Sep) and arsenal(20th Sep) in the coming weeks and then judge city’s prospect. Everton’s Tim Howard seems like a good choice. But, why would you choose an Everton keeper, when you can have ManU’s keeper for less? Unless one really thinks Fergie has gone bonkers there should not be anything stopping you from picking Foster for your team.
High end – Manuel Almunia against Stokes or Pepe Reina against Villa.
Gambles – Sorry, but gambling on keepers is highly inadvisable this week.

DEF
Value for money – Thomas Vermaelen will definitely start and against Portsmouth, he will certainly collect points. To add to that, at 8.4 he is still cheap for starting CB for gunners against Portsmouth. Micah Richards(6.4) and dunne(9) are reliable cheap players too.
High end – Leighton Baines seems a good option, so does Kolo Toure, who does have a tendency to rush forward, and against wolves he might be a good bet. But, Richard Dunne who costs way less seems a better option. With Vidic returning this week, and slightly cheaper than usual, he too can be a premium choice. However, ManU play Arsenal and Manc after this and the defeat at Burnley means that such a run of matches could not have come at a worse time. Another option would be G. Johnson, who was excellent going forward at stoke, but his defensive capabilities are yet to be tested and moreover, his price has risen since last week.
Gambles –There is plenty this week for one with a desire to gamble. Gary Neville might start for ManU, and at 4 he is dirt cheap. But, John O Shea (7.1) might just retain his starting spot. Other gambles are at the Merseyside, who have Skertl(7.4) doubtful giving Ayala(6) a chance for another full start. But, it will be safer to go with Insua(8.4), who was okay at Stoke.

MID
Value for money – Denilson(11.7) seems a good option as he did not start against Celtic and is one of the few arsenal midfielders certain to start against Portsmouth. Nenad Milijas , Jordi Gomez and Luiz Jiminez are all good options for the cheap and promising midfielder category.
High end – Stevie G, Lamps, Fabby have always been reliable. But, with a home fixture against defensively weak Aston Villa, Gerrard seems a very good option. If you want reliability, Stephen Ireland(13.5) seems a good choice.
Gambles – If you believe Everton will rebound, Fellaini and Rodwell(slight fitness problems) are good bets. K. Dyer(6.54) played well for W. Ham last week, however in-form Tottenham would be tough to handle. L. Cana too might live up to the hype he got during the pre-season, though he was hardly noticeable in the first 2 matches. Hull’s Stephen Hunt(8.5) is likely to carry his form into the home game against Bolton. Valencia(11.1) is tipped to start, however ManU changed all their 4 mids at burnley and Nani/Giggs might just pip him for a start.

STR
Value for money – 2 words - Carlos Tevez. It is being reported that he will start this week and at 9, you won’t get him any cheaper. Eduardo looks fit and if you picked him up last week, he will be a very good value for money in the long term (If RVP shows returns to his injury prone levels like he did last season).Bent is still cheap at 10. However, If you got Defoe before his pre-hat-trick days, there is no reason to get rid of him. Same goes for Kyut.
High end – Like the MID players, Wayne Rooney and Fernando Torres would always be favorites in this category. RVP too looks good, but with Arsenal expected to rest key players, he is not recommended.
Gambles – Adebayor(13.6) is a doubt and Bellamy(9.6) could start. Same goes for Robinho(14) who might pave the way for Petrov(7.3), who scored at the Nou Camp midweek. At the other end of town, Berbatov(12) is likely to start ahead of the disappointing Owen(8.6) and is much cheaper than Rooney(18). Bendtner(8.5) too is cheap, but nobody has any clue as to who Wenger might start.

How to screw an interview

Our Tp has a rule that if you register for a company, you have to sit for it and if you get selected, you cannot sit for any more companies. I have been through to 3 interviews, sadly all 3 have ended in disappointment. So, i thought why not share my experience about what not to do in an interview.
HOW TO SCREW AN INTERVIEW
1. Don't study anything for the written tests. Come on! who are we kidding? If you did not do it in the past 3 years, why do it now?
2. Be confident. Just attempt whatever question u get. Don't try too hard.
3. Damn! You still got through the written? Don't worry, its for losers like you that we have 8 more steps for this simple fail task.
4. Be confident for the PI. Don't go screwing around and make it obvious you dont want that company. You don't wanna catch the eye of "The TP Head" and be barred from future placements.
5. Answer their first two/three questions correctly. Then start screwing up bad.
6. When they ask you "Are you confident about this?" Say fairly confident
7. When they ask you again "Are you really confident about this?" Say hell yeah. By the expression on the face of the interviewers, you must have realized that you were wrong, still be confident about your wrong answer.
8. Tell them about your awesome GRE score and the uber cool universities that you are going to apply for.
9. Don't forget your aimcat percentiles. They are a sure shot way to impress the interviewers.
8. Do not ask them any questions at the end of the interview. You don't want to give an impression that you are interested in the company, do you?
9. Give them the dumb, yet happy smile as if you have totally impressed all of them, even though you know you got totally raped. My room mate's smile can serve as a good benchmark.
10. Wait for the results and Voila! your name ain't gonna be there.
11. If you still got the call(Yes bansal, i am talking to you!), i have not got any advice for you (at least not yet).
12. If you are still not satisfied, ask the head of the "kela club"- our very own "MUMMYJI".

Disclaimer: All comments are only intended for fun and no damage to reputation(if existing) is intended for any person mentioned(fictional or real).

Good Riddance Adebayor

For two seasons, fans have prayed, pleaded, even made a ridiculous brochure urging him to leave and finally, he has heard our calls. Leaving for Manchester City with a cool 170K Pounds salary and increasing bank balance at Arsenal by 30 m Euros. Now the only question is who will Wenger bring in to bolster the squad? IMHO, Arsenal do not need more strikers. What the squad needs is a defensive midfielder. Wenger has reiterated that buying new midfielders will end the promising careers of Diaby and Denilson. But this is football, dammit! And Arsenal is a champions league playing team, not some feeder club, where players are trained, only to leave for greener pastures avbroad. So Mr. Wenger, will you please take that 30 million out of the bank and buy a defensive midfielder (yaya toure, toulalan, some french/african dude, anyone)?

Post-Rock

Post-Rock has to be one of the most beautiful genre of music. Because it epitomizes the statement - beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. The same song which to some may express bliss and jubilation, can be a source of anger and frustration for others. Take a look at this video made to the background of the beautiful song "Time stops" by Explosions in the sky. To me the part at 1:32 in this video had always brought feeling of joy and I was very annoyed by the contrast. But, its a great video nonetheless.



Film directed by Lionel Delhaye at New York Film Academy
DP : Erin Gresalfi
Starring : Joseph Beckhusen and Selina
Song : Time Stops by Explosion in the sky

GRE

Although, my Gre score is by no means, an awesome score, I am anyways writing a post stating the material I studied and places I think I messed up. These steps are not to be followed; they are just the thing that i did.
Verbal
1. I Mugged barrons ( Try and know every single word – even the stupid nouns that you will probably never use)
2. I did not Mug Big book words (If you do these your scores on the big book tests later will be better and help you focus on the technical aspects of the verbal tests)
3. I Mugged the additional words to big book and barrons.
These 3 word list books are quintessential, if your vocabulary is as weak as mine.
I did the 27 big book tests. These were issued by the ets, few years ago and the questions on the actual test are very similar to the ones in this book. Marked all the questions that you have done wrong and try and figure out how to improve. In my case, the reason I got most of the questions wrong were the lack of vocabulary, so I guess I should have mugged up the big book word list too. In the end, I even tried to review the mistakes from the first 10 tests that I had written about a month ago, however since it was the last day, it did not help much.
And make sure you do the powerprep tests. Many people say that the actual score you will get is more or less an average of the powerprep scores. This was true in my case too. I got 1330 in the first test(round 15 days before), was devastated, studied a lot, gave the second test few days before the exam, and was very pleased with 1450. So, even though, i expected a score around 1450 in the exam, i got a score around the average(1400).
There are more mediocre materials – Princeton review, gre bible, cbt and Kaplan. The first two are good for tests, although most of the questions were taken from the big bookones. And cbt and Kaplan are good for funda on how to approach the questions.
Quant
I dint study for this. However, the real paper was pretty tough. I mean does anyone know how to answer this?
A person fills up 13l at a, 16 at b, 8 at c. travelling 400 km between a and c. whats the nearest average km per litre for his car?
I approached this question in several ways. But, sadly the answer dint match any of my calculations. (None of the choices were 400/29 or 400/21 or 400/37)
In retrospect, it seems that ets has started giving research questions in the main paper itself. Hence, such arbit questions.
Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA)
No scores, no feedback
Start early, especially on the issues. If you cannot get professional help, try to get some friends to correct your essays, since just writing them won’t help much. In my case, Thanks to Agnes and KC who took out time to help me. Will write more, once I get the result.
P.S. Do not leave choosing the institutions for score forwarding, till the last minute. I got really tensed, when I realized, there were so many institutions and two days before the exam, I had not decided a single one. :(

GRE

I am finally done with this stupid test called GRE, which is a requirement for most Universities abroad.
My journey to the test center was an eventful one; we avoided one accident and saw 2 minor accidents. Moreover, I had no problems in finding the test-center. So, overall, the signs were good. Prometric guys are very cool, at least the ahmedabad ones are not the snobbish types, i usually encounter at the exams. They were smiling and laughing and even the office was pretty nice, but then it should be for a test worth 10K.
They asked for the original passport (Thanks to great Khanjan Patel, who broke into my room and sent it to me 10 days prior to the exam), and the confirmation letter. My test started 15 min. late and after the initial verification and filling up of the ets survey with arbit responses, the actual test began with the writing part.
Now, I was pretty scared about the issue and even though the issue was one that I had seen before (Role of scandals in society), I am still not confident about it. The same goes for the argument. Moreover, it was about this weird compound salcyrites, and I always made a typo in it and it was such a pain. Well anyways, after completing both the essays within time, I proceeded to the verbal. There was a nice 10 minute break which I utilized for staring blankly at my screen.
The verbal, as expected, was hard; there were analogies which made no sense to me and although the reading section and the sentence completion were fairly easy. Even the antonyms, I thought were pretty descent (but in retrospect, I guess I must have made mistakes in those).
Then, came the quantative, and I must tell you that it is not as easy as the ones in barrons and powerprep. I had been able to do all the quant prep materials usually within 30 min and mostly got a perfect score. But, here there were a few questions that I had no idea how to approach, and even if I did, it did not make sense as no option would match my answer. It took me some 43 min. In fact, I was so scared , I was hoping that this will be the stupid research section. However, I was stunned when I saw that the next section was a research section and it was a 30 min. issue. I thought there go my chances of higher study. I was even wondering whether to actually reset my scores, but then decided that I can’t go through all this again.
Anyways, the issue was again something that I had seen and even though, I had no interest in writing it, it came down pretty well. (I reckon ets wants GRE to be more and more like GMAT (They even had ads at the center declaring Harvard now accepts GRE scores if you haven’t given GMAT)). I wrote it in 20 min, proceeded and was pleased to see that I had a 800 in quants, but not exactly elated with the 600 in verbal. Nonetheless, 1400 was the cut-off that I had kept for myself and was pretty pleased with the result.
Its not the kinda result that you can brag about, but definitely one that you can blog about..