@mahendra

S/4HANA Architect and world traveller interested in digital technology, aviation, cricket, politics and humour. All the views are personal!

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

Sad demise of Ravi Pandit is personal loss for me and many of us. Under his leadership KPIT thrived to become a global organisation. I will continue to draw inspiration from his work and impeccable work ethics! भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली!! #ravipandit #kpit

[Harshad Dighe HD🔆 @harsh000333]

@GoogleIndia Circle of Life @Khelahobeee @jethwagitesh @mahendrasap 😎🙌

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@harsh000333 @CricCrazyJohns @Khelahobeee Ready for next level..let's take him t20 world cup..someone needs to get injured 😃

[Flightradar24 @flightradar24]

Indian media reporting the crash of a business jet this morning has claimed the life of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and 4 others. The aircraft was attempting a second approach to Baramati Airport when it crashed. https://t.co/0RKiD9sZVU

[Arnab Ray @greatbong]

My article in @timesofindia

Now that the Nobel Peace Prize season is over, it is time for war. The extraction of Nicolas Maduro, the President of Venezuela, right out of his fortress, by a Delta force unit authorized by President Donald Trump, may be one of the most brazen foreign policy moves in recent memory. This will be yet another Iraq or Afghanistan, say some. Others say "Well, didn't Trump say America will not be involved in foreign adventures any more? Was he not all about America first?" While others are frothing and fuming at this blatant disregard for international world order (a world leader cannot just arrest another from their homes), and for domestic precedent, (because in operations like this the opposition is taken into confidence and Trump didn’t), Trump’s MAGA core will be ecstatic as this is the most Trump thing ever. Muscular, unilateral and aggressive. The Democrats understand that mood, which is why they have been so muted.

In foreign policy, there is no moral right or wrong, just self-interest and might is right. It always is and always has been. Maduro has been accused of being a drug-lord, and of being a brutal dictator who has terrorized his citizens, reduced them to penury, while appropriating oil revenues for himself and his henchmen. Now previous administrations would have used this as the hook and framed this operation as America asserting its position as the world's moral force, bringing democracy and liberating countries. Lindsey Graham, Trump critic turned acolyte, tried to toe that line, to be interrupted by Donald Trump who said 'No, this is about oil.' Now, why was he saying the quiet part out aloud? Oil is America’s worst kept secret, the driving force for most of its military adventures, but one that its administration does not acknowledge. Why now?

(Continued)

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@PuneCityPolice and @Team_PCMC please consider this to be implemented to prevent parking on foot paths or walkways in thr city

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@greatbong Wish you a very happy birthday! Have great celebration for reaching 50!

[Arnab Ray @greatbong]

In today’s @timesofindia

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Stop blaming the city of joy for what happened at the Messi event. Kolkata, as we all know, has two religions: Communism and football. While Communism may have no gods (ostensibly), football does, and who is a greater Zeus than Lionel Messi himself?

And as we all know, to see God you need to pay the priest. So the Kolkatans did, buying tickets for thousands of rupees, only to find that God is capricious, doing a brief photo-op with VIPs before leaving. Angry, the assembled crowd then peacefully destroyed stadium infrastructure, as we Kolkatans are wont to do when things do not go our way, like that game in ’96 World Cup, when Azharuddin won the toss and chose to field. 

That was just the start. The anger spread on social media, its edge directed at those who chose the wrong day to rub their privilege in the faces of those not so well‑connected by posting their pictures with Messi. So, when Messi escaped, faster than industry from Bengal, to similarly meaningless events in Hyderabad and Mumbai, he had left behind burned political careers, resignations, and a TRP surge on local TV.

This is, of course, not the first time Kolkatans have been let down by their football gods. Decades ago, Pelé came to similar scenes of uncontrolled crowd frenzy and left to uniform disappointment, leading people to speculate whether it was Pelé who showed up or a local Kolkata cosplayer, one who played Lenin and Stalin in yatra (theatre), masquerading as the great man (Lenin and Stalin being two other gods in the Bengali firmament).
So, then if not Kolkatans, who are to blame? Messi. If he can spend time with the super‑rich in other cities, go to temples, and interact with animals without feeling the need to escape, why would he not do the same in Kolkata? Did he think Bengalis would bite him? If he did, that’s rich coming from someone who has Suárez as his India trip buddy.

Our one fault as Bengalis is that we are not rich enough to be interesting to the super‑rich. The other fault is that we worship the person more than the game. The other fault is that we are rowdy people who think destruction of public property is innocent “bawaali.” Put these together, and there is a good reason why things like this keep happening in Kolkata, this, the most cultured of cities.

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@harsh000333 @JayPrashanth @Khelahobeee I hope this idea doesn't reach in India 😄😄

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@Chinmayi It was memorable concert in Pune. We listeners wished wanted to continue it forever!! Thank you for sich mesmerizing experience ❤️ 💖

[Arnab Ray @greatbong]

I was fortunate as a child to have seen Gavaskar bat, arguably the best player of spin in generations, including his masterclass of playing spin that was his last Test in Bangalore against Pakistan.

There were a few things he did.

1. He got very low, his back curling in armadillo style so that his eyes were as close to the ball as possible. Dravid did that too.

2. If he knew there would be no lbw, he would use his pads.

3. When he wanted to score, he would either go out of the crease to smother the spin or go deep, let the ball spin and cut late, very late.

4. He would leave the ball. If when curling low he realized that the ball was spitting up and going to bounce above the line of the stumps he would drop his shoulders to avoid hitting the ball (these often lead to byes because of how late he would move).

Watching the Indian batsmen play spin, they did none of this. They stayed at the crease, didn’t get down low, didn’t step out to Harmer when he was flighting the ball, and hardly ever seemed to leave the ball even when it was turning away.

The Eden pitch was not two-bounced (in its defense) and even though the ball was spinning and biting, it wasn’t a track that bad for a test side to fold up for less than a hundred.

[Arnab Ray @greatbong]

I have a thing for the “almost-theres” the ones who nearly made it, who saw the end of the rainbow but could never touch that pot of gold.

Pankaj Dheer was one. Most noted for playing Karna in Mahabharata, the B R Chopra one, and for roles in Chandrakanta and for the legendary opening episode of Zee Horror Show, India’s version of the Twilight Zone, his movie career, despite multiple attempts, remained stillborn.

Bit appearances in Badshah, Qaid Mein Hai Bulbul, Aashiq Awara and Mr. Bond never led to the launch pad he needed to get into the big league.

And so we remember him from old Sunday mornings in front of faded Teleramas, painted sun on forehead, playing another hero who never could get there, memories of times and people and places, no longer there, like the rays of light from a star that has long ceased to be.

Good night, Pankaj Dheer.

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@harsh000333 @GautamGambhir We lost home series against NZ 0-3, so then in comparison it is quite an achievement 😀 😄

[Arnab Ray @greatbong]

My comment on Jimmy Kimmel.

There was a time when freedom of speech was sacrosanct in America. On TV. In universities. To an extent in workplaces.

Then the progressives came. You could not do this joke. You could not do that. You could not express this opinion.

People were protected from any form of scrutiny or public comment by virtue of membership in groups (gender, race).

You could make fun of Trump on everything. For Harris, most of her stuff could not be touched because it would be misogynistic or racism.

Those who followed my podcast (the very few: which is why I don’t do it anymore) would remember what I had said: once you accept this as “acceptable”, the other side will wait for their time in power. And they will do it even worse.

Gina Carano, a small time star, was fired by Disney from Mandalorian for some pro Trump social media messages. That’s it.

What do you think was going to happen when Trump would come back to power?

This is why the principles are so important in a society. Otherwise we are back to the Middle Ages: tribal battles of escalating intensity.

Wait for my upcoming “The Gunda Liberal” for more of my political philosophy.

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@harsh000333 Anything interesting?

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

First weekend after 9 weeks when there's no excitement to tune into TV or internet to binge watch Anderson Tendulkar trophy! How to survive till Ashes ? #ashes2025 #ENGvsIND

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@WeAreNashik Airport ला कुणाचे नाव असण्याची गरज काय? नाशिक विमानतळ नाव चांगले आहे

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@harsh000333 @Dev_Fadnavis I know..but at least somebody at corporator level if can promise at his ward or keep that as vision, it is possible after few years. Right now even no one thinks about the same.

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

When Mumbai, Pune and other big cities in Maharashtra and India start chasing for such objective ? @Dev_Fadnavis

[@mahendra @mahendrasap]

@mandar_bharde Congratulations Mandar! What an achievement 👏