Bounding and Astounding!

How about Durant silenty killing every team, or D.Rose playing out of his mind, or Amare bringing NY back, or Lakers having trouble lately, or Celtics playing ultimate team ball, or the Spurs already at 40 wins, or Blake Griffin dunking on peoples faces, or LeBron and D.Wade taking turns in "Eff You" mode?

Not to mention the insane PG play by Rondo, CP3, Deron Williams, Raymond Felton...I am sure I've missed plenty of other great headlines so far

I have fallen in love with the NBA all over again, and I can't get enough. Plus, with the Knicks finally back into relevance, I will leave you with this:



And this: (just cause he's nasty)

presto!

without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite ads

What's My Age Again?

me: since you have my old ID, on december fifth I'm gonna give you a call and wish you a happy 23rd birthday
siraj: wait, don't you mean twenty fourth?

...oh, it only gets better...

marc: let's run these kids too and hold the court
johnny: yea, we got this

flash forward 20 minutes:

random loud mouth ghetto kid from around the way: look! they tired! ain't no way we losin'!

those kids had so much damn energy! i never realized how "over the hill" i am. first, i'm forgetting my age, and then some little highschool kids, barely the ages of 16 and 17 are making us sweat and giving us a big run for our money. now to top it all off, in two months i have to leave the life i love to become some sort of responsible and productive member of society.

if there was only a way to go back to freshman year of college, i'd stay there forever. okay, not forever, but for a reallllllly long time

Rollin' Out the Red Carpet

T-Mac, Eddie House, bunch of no-names...sounds like the perfect winning formula!

on a normal trade-deadline day, those acquisitions would usually mean that a team is destined for failure. seriously, who wants an injury-prone over hyped under 6 foot 8 used to be high-flier but now a washed up bum?

if you're the new york knicks, you couldn't have asked for anything better. in fact, it's probably the best thing to happen to the franchise since LJ's 4-point play...and it couldn't have come at a better time.

wow, Donny Walsh, you are a genius!

who knew that bringing in a few waste-of-lives for a 3 months would actually bring glory back to new york city? yea, i'm not counting my chickens before they're hatched, but this scenario only brings excitement to the table.

LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudamire...two out of those four superstars will be entering the world's most famous arena while donning orange and blue.

nyc, get ready for the most epic summer since the '85 draft

Got 'em!

Don't know if you can read what's on the billboard to the left. Basically, its Audi calling its rival out by saying "Your Move, BMW"

...only later to be shut down.

This is why I love marketing...and BMW

Illiterature

In an effort to make my time at home as mindless as possible, I've come up with a nice list of movies - some favorites, others not yet seen...and downloaded them all. Thank God for torrents.

I really wish I could quit my day-job of being a full-time slave, I mean student, and become a film critic. Ah well, dreams are dreams, and I guess this will have to do.
.
Here's the list that continues to grow:

(9) Nine

Avatar
I have re-evaluated my originial review. Avatar = Pocohantas on Steroids...white man finds new land and resources, wants to keep everything for himself, ends up in a war with the natives - somehow loses. I'll give it to James Cameron tho, his imagination in creating Pandora was awesome...great CGI and graphics. That's about all I liked.

Catch Me If You Can

Daybreakers
Picture a world where vampires have become the superior race, and humans are facing extinction. Oh, and throw in the fact that the vamps are running low on blood and pretty much want to kill all humans for future survival. Yea, shit's gonna go down! Finally, a recent vampire flick without girly-looking preppy teens who so happen to have fangs. This movie is bloody, dark, ugly, and full of blood-baths + exploding vampires. Certainly my favorite vampire flick next to the Underworld series.

District 9
Low budget, interesting plot, amazing messages...sleeper of the year!

Fast and Furious
Don't know why I gave in. Crappy as expected, but for some reason I kept watching. This version had too much story which required more bad acting...next time, just please stick with the hot girls and sick cars. Actually, I think I may have liked it better than Transformers 2, so I guess that's a compliment?

Funny People
So, Adam Sandler is dying, and realizes that he has one last shot at winning back his ex-fiancee of 10years ago, who now has a husband and 2 daughters. Hmm, I fail to see where that can be funny...oh yea, IT ISN'T!! You have a movie called Funny People, which casts a few people who are actually funny...so then, WHY do you bother including such an emotional story line, which pretty much ruins the whole idea of the movie? It's just like all the other Seth Rogen and Friends movies [40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You Man]. It goes from Quite Funny - to Humorous - to here's a meaningful story line with plenty of emotion to prove that we're not just funny - to crap, we've lost the audience. This is why no Seth Rogen and Friends movie will ever be funnier than Super Troopers. Oh, and the funniest cast member was Aziz Ansari...too bad he's only a part of one scene when involved in a Seth Rogen movie. I think Aziz Ansari and Jay Chandrasekhar (and Friends) should team up and show how to create a real funny movie. Oh, and add in Russell Peters, cause y'know he's also brown.

Gangs of New York

GI Joe

The Hangover

Inception
Yet again, Christopher Nolan proves he is a GENIUS! I mean, what else should I expect after seeing Memento, Batman Begins, and Dark Knight? Obviously only EPIC-ness! Inception really taps into your mind and tries to confuse the hell out of you while trying to prove that it all actually makes sense. Nolan clearly knows how to mess with our brains. This movie was a psychological masterpiece. Plus Leo is a damn good actor, and still one of my favorites. Joseph-Gordon-Levitt did an awesome job - he's two-for-two in my book (500 Days of Summer was 1-for-1...plus I want his damn suits!!), and Ellen Page did great as well.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, go now...no, not now, but RIGHT NOW!

Inglourious Basterds
Vintage Tarantino...one word, "sickeningggg"

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

Miracle at St. Anna

Paranormal Activity

Pelham 123
If you hate riding on the NYC subways, you'll probably hate this movie...mostly because it actually feels like you're in a subway station. The obnoxious sounds coming from the trains, the nasty screeching from the rails, and you can't forget about the furry little rats down on the tracks...everything was on point, and at times I got a nostalgic feeling of waiting on the platform for the C train. Denzel's character resembled the one he played in the Spike Lee Joint ,"Inside Man" - so it wasn't too hard for him to do a good job. Never thought I'd see Travolta play a character like Ryder, but again, I haven't really seen toooo many Travolta flicks. The story line was standard of any hijacking plot [money is involved, plenty of demands, hostages used as leverage] but this movie did a great job of offering a lot of twists. It sort of reminded me of "Speed," but I don't know if that's good or bad.

Public Enemies
Johnny Depp is easily one of my favorite actors...too bad there wasn't much acting done by him. Normally, Depp is the center of attention who and sets the tone for the whole movie. Yea, his Midwest accent was on-point, and he had some great one-liners, but apart from those I really did expect more from this movie. Not enough power from his role. To erase this memory of a mediocre Depp flick, I think I'll add "Blow" to the list.

Pulp Fiction

Rock N Rolla

Seven Pounds

Smokin' Aces

Snatch

Star Trek
Seeing John Cho actually act, and not get high is kinda weird. But they did make him a stereotypical Asian who didn't know how to drive, plus he wore yellow. Good movie, I was impressed.

The Strangers
Caught this movie late-night on HBO. I'm not a Horror movie type of person, but I did like this flick. It was really freaky and strange, but was done very well. Rather than making this Horror movie bloody and gory, it focused on things being eerie, freaky, and silent. The director did a great job of setting the tone with creepy sounds, loud noises, and throwing ridiculous curve-balls of happy music during the scariest of times. There was a relatively small amount of dialogue, which was a good thing. "The Strangers" themselves looked REALLY creepy with ugly masks on, and they only spoke like twice. I constantly waited to see why all of this stuff happened, but in the end, nothing was explained. After everything, I still don't know who "The Strangers" are, and why they did what they did. Apparently there will be a sequel...looking forward to it

Terminator Salvation
Holy Crap, Arnold is back and looks 40yrs younger!! Okay, well a look-alike of him was in the movie for like 63 seconds. Interesting story, predictable ending, kinda confusing at times cause I don't remember too much from the other Terminators. Oh, and the famous "i'll be back" quote was reborn...but not from the governator himself. I expected more epic-ness...wouldn't see it again.

The Goods
Retarded movie, but I was definitely entertained. I was really looking forward to seeing Adrian Grenier (who I think should legally change his name to Vincent Chase - it'll really do wonders for his career) pop up outta no where...but then I realized I wasn't watching Entourage.

Up

Watchmen

A - R - K

As I was bolting down the steps of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, heading towards the A - C - E Subway line during the middle of the pm Rush Hour in hopes to make it to Penn Station in less than 7 minutes, something made me stop.

Until that point, I had one problem with New Yorkers...we (yes, including myself) never really care about what's going on around us - especially when we're "too busy" getting from one place to the next - like a colony of ants, wildly running in and out of the holes, boroughs, and tunnels we've excavated, mindlessly bumping into one another without taking a moment to check our surroundings.

I am even guilty of doing this many times during my day. Texting/Sending Emails, and changing the song on my iPod, all while walking in and out the masses of people without even looking up for one second. Until that specific moment where I stopped and picked my head up, I never realized everything I was ignoring.

"Don't worry, you can have everything...it's all yours"

I looked up, and there was a lady, probably in her mid 40s, dressed like she worked in a high-rise corporate office building, walking in the opposite direction from me. To my left, was a homeless man, tattered clothes, long shaggy beard, with an old-school Blue and Orange NY Knicks cap on. He was looking down at his hands, in awe and in shock of what was there.

A large, party-sized plate with about 8-10 sandwiches, all for himself.

I look again to my opposite side, the older lady was long gone, headed towards the bus terminals. She didn't stop to hear a thank you, or for anyone else to acknowledge her for what she just did. With that plate of food, she could have fed a family of Four for dinner, and even left-overs for the next day so her kids can enjoy a nice lunch at school.

But she's not like the rest of the New Yorkers...she actually notices her surroundings and cares about what's going on around her.

The World needs more people like her...I need to be more like her

It Gives You Wings!

2 Presentations
4 Exams
17 Pages-worth of Papers
7 Days

Who needs to sleep when you got Red Bull

Summer Jam

I miss the days of waking up for an early workout, watching 3 straight episodes of SportsCenter, sinking my toes in the hot sand while soaking up the sun, eating at Sushi Park for dinner, playin ball 'till the flood lights shut off and then capping the night off at Little Vincent's Pizzeria.

Those were the perfect summer days/nights. I wish every summer would be like my high school summers.

Now, I gotta worry about a damn job...

1.BusinessWeek
2.Y&R
3.Major League Soccer
4.National CineMedia

Let's hope one of these four decide to help me out.

Gotta have a backup plan...I'd say a spending summer in Philadelphia, going to Art School, and screwing around at the ARC while earning $8/hour is a pretty sweet deal!

To salvage any part of the summer that I will not be working, I've come up with a bucket list, so to speak:

- Rockin Out [Coldplay - Taking Back Sunday/Anberlin - Incubus]
- Enjoying America's Pastime [Yankee Stadium - Citi Field - Citizens Bank Park]
- Futbol Shenanigans [Chelsea vs AC Milan] - Baltimore, MD
- Swinging Away [Driving Ranges and Batting Cages]
- Soaking Up Some Sun [Long Island - Jersey Shore]

Here's to a hopeful summer...we'll see how far down the list I get

Real Talk

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy"

The New York Faithful

After witnessing a craptastic loss to the lowly t-wolves, i've come to a few conclusions:

1. 7th Ave should immediately be renamed "King James' Way"

2. If D.Lee and Nate Robinson were put on the presidential ballots, NYstate would most definitely go orange n blue

3. Coach 'Antoni' doesn't deserve a "D" in his name

4. Step aside Spike...Turtle (yes, from Entourage) is the ultimate Knicks fan

5. "hey, where you going? there's still twelve minutes left!!" is no longer a valid question/statement while attending knicks games

6. Knicks City Dancers :-)

7. I'm Oh for Six!!!

Top of the Moooorning to ya, laddy!

...yes, i know that's not what British people say - but their reactions to my ignorance were priceless. i dunno what it is, but mocking the whole english culture and way of life was too easy, and very entertaining. i think it was the fact that they played along with our jokes almost every time that really made it easy and fun. almost every conversation between us and a local started off with a fake/really bad attempt at a british accent and ended in one of three ways:

1. blatantly ignoring us
2. "oi, piss off!"
3. a big smile, some laughter and questions about where the hell we were really from

we even tried to hustle unsuspecting pedestrians an umbrella for one pound...we almost got em, until they realized that the umbrellas were being given out for free. not to mention, we also out-hustled a hustler himself...and then he realized we were smarter than his tricks, so he laughed nervously and commended us on our skills...he ran away

speaking of pedestrians, those tiny london streets cannot handle the crazyyy amounts of people. every direction you walk, turn, or cross the street, you're bumping into someone - i earned the name "baby hitter" because i accidentally ran into a stroller...luckily the mom was cool about it and apologized before i could realize i almost knocked over her child. at that point, i figured it would be reallllly entertaining to see a pedestrian round-about! since the country already doesn't make any sense, why not have pedestrians use round-abouts as well? i'm sure it would help control the massive crowds - i think i'll bring that to their parliament's attention one day

after 3 days of wedding stuff (btw, congrats to iqbal n sabira), and a day of shopping in london, i find myself in Amsterdam....normally, that would be a fun time, but i'm stuck at the airport for a good 12 hours. it wouldnt be so bad, but europe is so FRICKIN expensive! i went to the currency exchange, handed the lady a $20bill...after exchange rates and "processing fees", i was handed 10euros and 87cents. That bought me a mcdonalds meal, candy from some store and some coins to take home as a souvenior. 20 damn dollars, GONE! not to mention, i had to cough up 16euros ($23) to get internet access for the night. they're a buncha scammers!

as a way to channel my frustration, i learned how to curse in arabic...it worked for a while, until a buncha somali's understood what we said and lashed back - yea, we ran!

all in all, a good trip...it was nice to experience something different

england - fun place to visit...to live, not so much my kinda style

Laying the Foundation

"You never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression"

...if I could define this past semester in one phrase, it'd most certainly be that quote. If anything, it will probably be my motivation through out the rest of my career and life goals. Who knew, all it took was missing one particular class during the first week of school, way back in August to set the tone for the coming months.

I was constantly barraged with that saying every wednesday by a man who I thought was just trying to make an example out of me and embarrass me in front of my peers. Not only did I hear this from him, but from everyone else in that class as well. It really sucked being the "bad" example for everyone. Every time he deliberately looked at me while saying that damn quote, he was basically saying "hey everyone, make sure you don't do what Reza did."

Long story short, I basically stuck it to the man, kicked ass on the most difficult presentation in my college career, and made him say "i was very impressed"

...but that's not where I'm trying to go with this

Back to making a solid first impression...I realized that all this tormenting from that class really lead me on to something greater. How could I really make a kick ass impression among my school's administration, professors, peers, family, and friends...not to mention every single grad school I apply to as well as corporate america as a whole?

Sounds like a tall task...but I think 3 little letters will accomplish that

C-E-O...yea, big things happening

keep on the lookout

"I can ride a bike with no handle bars, no handle bars..."

...sick song.

Anyways, I probably should not be taking this study break, due to the copious (yes, i know semi-big words) amounts of reading up that I need to do...

I spent my last two weeks analyzing why people buy the things they buy, understanding Native American Folklore, asking myself why anyone would want to become an accountant, learning everything about purple pills (no, not like the D-12 song) to sell it legally to an imaginary doctor, and flooding my brain with the Dose-Response Curve so I know the exacttt point where I can stop taking DayQuil before I Oh-Dee

Speaking of DayQuil...this is the first time I've taken it in a longggg time. Which only means that it cannot be a good thing. Being sick while having to take 4 exams is no fun at all.

I think I have spent more time at the library each day, than I do in my own bed...mmm, sleep...

Gotta stop thinking about sleeping! Get Focused! Okay, time to get back to work...

On a Mission

After an early morning of classes, an afternoon of meetings, and a 3-11pm work shift, I walk out of the ARC, down the long concrete steps and make my way across the parking lot and suddenly stop...I'm in awe, of everything thats in front of me...

There she was...Pearl White dress, elegant Black shoes, Gorgeous Angelic Blue Eyes and the right amount of shiny jewelry.  Every man longed for a beauty like this, but could only get so close.  She's the type that would invoke love at first sight, yet break your heart the very next moment.  

She can be right in front of you, and before you know it, you're chasing her, trying to keep up but you're just not fast enough.  And just like that, gone!  All your dreams shattered in a blink of an eye.  But there always hope.  Hope that you two will one day cross paths again, and this time, win her over.

414 of the finest-tuned German-Engineered Horses were staring right back at me.  Taunting me.  Telling me that I wasn't good enough. 

 Yea, she's way out of my league.  But one day, I will make sure she comes back and never leaves my side.

"The Car Committed Suicide"

Yes, I know, my jetta is not a bmw...

too bad I had to find out the hard way. i mean, its not like i didn't know my v-dub isn't even close to being what a beemer is, but i liked being naive about it. i liked thinking that i was behind the wheel of a beautifully engineered german machine that people revered as well as envied (i think those two words mean sorta the same thing, but oh well, im stickin to it). being in my own world was a good feeling.

what's even worse is that it was being driven by a person who has a 3-Series! it was like, "hey, look what i can do!" and then realizing "oh wait, this isn't like my car"

next thing you know, we're pulled over on the grass, poppin the hood, standing outside on the hottest day of the year, and just blankly staring at the guts of my imaginary beast. clearly, the car isnt a beast...more like an over-pampered pitbull. kinda disappointing, i know.

just when i thought my problems couldn't get any worse, i look down I-287 and see a big green roadsign looking right back at me..."fuck, its parsippany!" Damn, i'm oh for two in this place! Reason number 4925786 why i hate New Jersey.

i find a Shell Gas Station and this Malu dude named Thomas...

Me: "can you fix her"
Thomas: "yes"
Me: "Price range?"
Thomas: "Daddy's credit card will do"

8 Hours later...car is towed to VW. you'd think the professionals would be, well, more professional. So i decided to let them handle it, thinking that they'd cut me a break...

VW Asshole: "looked it over"
Me: "how much we lookin at?"
VW: "i own your soul"

...douchebags

Thomas: "ah, you're back"

So yea, i got eff'd...badly. Total damage, including 2 tow charges, diagnostic fees by the nazis, and the vet bills to perform surgery on the pitbull...$1,100

Parsippany, New Jersey...the place where fun goes to die!

GOL!!!

"Barca! (clap, clap clap) - Barca! (clap, clap clap)"

Yea, i was sitting in Giants Stadium, but it sure didn't feel like it. Looking around and across the field to the other side of the stadium, all i saw were signs, banners and flags of Spain and FC Barcelona floating in a sea of Maroon and Blue. Behind me, the pounding sound of drums and bull-horns set the tempo for the entire night. If I had taken a video of my surroundings, anybody would have mistaken New Jersey for a crazed soccer town in Latin America or Spain.

Witnessing this event made me appreciate European soccer even more than I already do. I realized that soccer/futbol is more than just a sport. Its a culture, and for some, as ridiculous it may sound, a way of life. From the sound of it, you're probably envisioning a stadium packed with latin americans, but in reality, this was one of the most diverse sporting events I've ever been to. It united people from many different heritages, all in hopes to witness some of the greatest players in the world take the field and play an amazing game...

...and the fans got what they wanted. Before this night, I constantly backed-up US Soccer and said that Americans are fast-approaching the European skill level.. I knew they had some work to do, but never did I imagine this type of result. 3-0 in the 28th Minute. 4-1 at Halftime. 6-2 at Full Time...Barcelona handled the RedBulls with ease. Domination was an understatement. Not to mention, the Spaniards no longer have Ronaldinho, and they're next best player Messi was a no show.

'Gol' after 'Gol', the stadium rocked, fans went crazy, and the bull-horns seemed to be the least of the noise. I've never experienced such an event like this - it left me speechless and in awe of everything and everyone around me. Amazing!

Now I understand why Futbol is considered the "Beautiful Game"

"you 'member, 'member??"

things i'll never get out of my head as a result of this weekend:

1. pineapple jokes
2. george lopez
3. witnessing "grown men" constantly singing 'pocket full of sunshine'
4. "ohwuohwuwhoa" (C Minus!)

That's pretty much what you get when you bring together 7 fools, a minivan, an 8hour drive (each way) and neighboring hotel rooms.

After gettin spanked by almost every team in the tournament, i guess you have to find the silver lining somewhere to make yourself feel better...our method of consolation - Halal Popeyes!

C 'eh' N 'eh' D 'eh'

In an attempt to recreate the semi, only not so much successful '06 Tournament in Toronto, I'm road-trippin all the way up to Canada Land  for the weekend, yet again.

See, year after year, tournament after tournament, loss after loss, we all come with the overly confident "nothing's gonna stop us 'cause we're from New York and nobody can beat us at our own game" approach.  Clearly, that hasn't worked since 2003.  Quite frankly, I'm just tired of all that nonsense.  Losing, pointing fingers, re-structuring the team...over and over again.  When every new plan the team comes up with has failed, what's next?

Hell, I wasn't even gonna play in the tournament until the very last moment.  Yea, I had my doubts and said to myself "why would I wanna travel up to Toronto just to lose again?"  After being convinced by almost everyone on the team, I decided to sign up.  At first I regretted the decision because I thought that everything will turn out to be the same.  The politics, lack of participation and the wasted time at every Friday night practice.  But, somehow, things seemed different this time around.  I couldn't quite point my finger on it.  Maybe it was the fact that "Coach Caaaarter" had come back from 'retirement', or that older players decided to step-down and take one for the team.  Whatever the case may be, things started to look good.  As far as I'm concerned, everything that occurred during the previous 5 years is done with.  Needing to prove myself over and over, getting disrespected by the two who I admired the most, and finally still needing to fight my case to even be considered NY A-Squad material - all of that is in the burner, out the window, 6 feet under...however you wanna phrase it.

This is why I'm setting a different mentality for myself.  To me, it's just another game.  Another day on the blacktop with my best friends, playing the game because we love it.  Not to win or lose, not for bragging rights, not for un-doing the 5 year drought...none of that.  This is for fun, for teamwork, and for the one chance to say that we played the tournament of our lives - regardless of the outcome.

Gasoffeine

Starbucks or Gasoline??

Do I fuel myself, or my car...i dunno what to do.

Those of you who know me well enough, are probably thinking "doesn't Reza hate coffee??"  Well, yea, but not any more?  See, about 3 or 4 weeks ago I would have never found myself in this situation because I couldn't even stand the smell of coffee, let alone its horrid and terrible taste.  Well, thanks to a particular person who shall remain nameless (cough cough, Zamena!), I now have formed a slight addiction to Starbucks coffee.  Not really the coffee, but more along the lines of their extremely sugary hot drinks.  Every morning I find myself heading to the corporate root of all evil to support their line of ridiculously over-priced and over sweet coffee blends.  I try to justify it by saying that I need something to wake me up in the morning so I can get a good start at work.  Really, thats a buncha nonsense on my part, but for some reason I fall for it everytime.

You're now probably thinking to yourself "The guy is addicted to coffee - what's the big deal and why am I wasting my time reading this?"  Actually, I dunno why you're wasting your time, but since you've already come this far, might as well read the rest.

Anywaysss, back to my original point.  With me spending $4+ on coffee every morning, I can't afford gasoline.  In New York, a gallon of gas is the same price as a Tall White Chocolate Mocha (not including the Whip)...and i love whipped cream, so thats like an extra 36 Dollars.  (its only like 50 or 60 cents, but definitely seems like a hell of a lot more).  It's times like this that I wished I lived in Jersey...wait, i cant believe i just said that.  Screw it, i'd rather die than be from jersey.  Ask my brother, he was a traitor and he'll tell you how much that place stank - literally.   (i really gotta stop goin off on ADHD tangents...I feel like Foggy Aseef - "they have Balloons!")

Without fueling myself, I can't get to where I need to be mentally, especially in the morning.  Without fueling my car, I cant get to where I need to be physcally.  Looks like I'm stuck paying $8+ just to get around.  Wow, the toll price for the GW Bridge doesn't look so bad anymore...but that leads to Jersey, so why would I wanna go there anyways?

Disclaimer:  If you're from Jersey and think I've bashed your worthless wasteland of a state enough, you might not want to read later posts