How much is too much?

I really liked this article by Sriram Dayanand. He makes a few very good points about the excessive commercialisation that is plaguing cricket. I totally agree with Mr. Dayanand here. However, most of the people who have commented on his article and are objecting to it seem to have overlooked the main point of discussion. The problem isn't the fact that advertising has changed cricket. Everybody agrees that cricket telecasts these days are a lot better than the 60s or 70s and that in general, cricket has gained a lot from advertising. But there is a definite need to draw the line somewhere. Because now with the strategy breaks, DLF maximums and constant appearance of logos all over the screen, we have really gone too far. And though its true that the BCCI is trying to sell a product, it is equally true that by encouraging such rampant advertising they are undermining the value of their own product. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before we kill the golden goose that is cricket broadcasting and then wonder where we went wrong.

Richard Wiseman's blog

I happened to come across Richard Wiseman's blog and I found it very interesting. Professor Wiseman started off as a magician and later obtained a doctorate in psychology. He researches quirky areas of psychology, including deception, luck and the paranormal. I found some of his tests very interesting, especially this one. Do check it out.

Did I miss something?

A lot of things have changed for me in the last few months. I have finally graduated from my beloved college (which now makes my blog's title erroneous) and am working here now. I am also no longer a 'hostelite' (or an inmate at the hostel to be grammatically correct). Instead I have shifted into a new flat which is, unfortunately, quite some distance away from where I used to live for the past four years. And I am by no means alone, most of my friends have suffered a similar upheaval, with some of them even moving to new cities and even new countries.

Most of them crib about missing their college life and rant about the long hours that they have to put in at work. Some look forward to it with great excitement and call it a new beginning while some, very cynically, call it the beginning of the end. All my colleagues complain about how tired they get after a long day's work and everybody complains about the lack of time for leisure and relaxation, all thanks to the thankless job. And yet some others look at it as deliverance - as the ultimate fruit of all the years of endless toil spent in school and college.

If you would ask me what I feel about these great winds of change that are blowing through my life, I would probably say nothing. That's because I am just not feeling any different. My life isn't suddenly full of new challenges, it isn't full of changes and adaptability issues and it definitely isn't so full that I don't get time for myself. In fact, I can remember a lot of days in college when I was far busier than I am now and had to face many more challenges too. I am not dead tired when I return from work, why should I be? I sit in a chair all day! In fact, I feel happy that I am spending much more time doing productive activities rather than just sitting around idly. In short, Life isn't starting afresh for me, it's just continuing normally, albeit with a whole new set of people.

Maybe it's because of the fact that I am still in training and haven't started working as such. Or maybe it's due to the fact that I am yet to receive my first salary. But I think it's mostly because everyone around me believes that their lives have totally changed and have convinced themselves of the fact, which makes me a tad underwhelmed by the whole situation and makes me wonder : Did I miss something?