Let's have a grand ol' time...

Hey yaars,

Found the above photo on my camera. It's from the ChiSox/Indians game Zan and I attended on our Chicago trip. What had me reminiscent of the Chi was the very possible chance that I'll be going back in the near future. My aunt -the same one who's America visit led to my first ever U.S. Trip - is rumoured to be making another visit. And with a little negotiating, I'm hoping I can fulfill my vow to see a Cubs game this season.

The past week has been quite hectic I have to say. With the impending departure of one of my colleagues at work, I was a bit worried things would get a bit more mundane. Instead what I got was a LOT of his leftover work to clean up before his replacement is hired. Yes, it's been interesting and challenging, but also crazy! The boiling point came this Friday when I was doing some of his work, some of my work, while on the side trying to find a way to FedEx out 40+ packages. I did get it done, but I think I lost a bit of my soul afterwards! Onwards and forward though - especially since the Yankees are in town (God help me!).

My weekend was uneventful to say the least. Though I did manage to compelte some errands. I've been using a very blunt Mach 3 blade with next to no shaving foam. That's been solved now. And my one pair of dress shoes had the insoles starting to develop holes. Now I got new insoles to prevent some horrible soreness I was having after 10 hours days. Yes I do realize most of you are at this point either flipping over to another page or disgusted, and for that I apologize. Just thought I'd keep you up to date.

Now that my monologue is out of the way, here are the randoms...

- Friday night after preparing for a fun night I was informed that my favourite cologne smells like bug spray. I wasn't exactly pleased at hearing that, which is why I need a smell test from any of you the next time you see me. I promise, it's much more of a bubble-gum smell than you'd expect!

- Jeff Cuningham is a great addition to Toronto FC. I watched the game on Saturday and the guy singlehandedly controlled the game. It's only a matter of time before he's off the mark as a member of the FC.

- I saw the Oakley's I want today at Sunglasses Hut. They're $150, which is why I'm hoping my Uncle comes through with some nice, cheap, parcelled versions!

- A sign that you need a haircut - your own mother saying you're looking like a mullah/terrorist (though she's been saying that about my facial hair for years now!)

- Why is there a male dancing establishment only steps away from Zanzibar? It kinda creeped me out. I mean, I wouldn't want to be in the middle of enjoying some quality female entertainment and have some dudes in nothing but bowties fly through the walls. I'm sure patrons of the other establishment feel the same way. There needs to be a rule - 5 block distance between establishments of different persuasions!
(Note - I am NOT a junkie of these sort of establishments)

- Funniest corny music video I've seen in a while below. Enjoy!

"It's not difficult to catch Don, it's impossible"

Hey yaars,

Just finished watching my first Indian movie this year. I'd been putting off watching Don, worried that it would dissappoint. It's a remake of the 1978 hit Bollywood film, and despite yours truly not having seen the original, the remake impressed.

Almost everything about the film was slicker than your average Indian film, it bordered on Hollywood action film standards. Oh, and with a few musical breaks to boot. What cinched the film for me as a fave was the story - it was surprisingly captivating. And for the first time in a logn time, it was NOT a rehash of a Hollywood film. Yes, brown people can write their own stories!

So if any of you out there are interested in watching a film you wouldn't otherwise view, head down to your local Indian video store and rent a copy. It may not be The Departed , but it's still pretty darn good.

Onto the random thoughts you all love (or hate) :

- There should be a new rule in the automotive industry : build vans and trucks with a MINIMUM 6 cylinder engine! Not only do these behemoths block the view of the road ahead for car drivers, they are turtles when the streetlight turns green. The 4 cylinder engine wasn't meant for a large car. One of these days I am going to whip rocks at any van I see in my form of protest and vengeance! :P

- Just downloaded some old 90s hits onto my iPod. Having heard Jordy's "It's tough to be a baby" now makes me wish I never heard the song in the first place. At the same time, I've rekindled my fondness for the tunes of Sash (*humming Ecuador tune in my head*)

- Work has been quite frankly, lots of work! Slowly but surely I've found a routine of jobs to do during the day without having to ask for work. It's been rough, but fun nonetheless. Plus it makes the weekends much more cherishable.

- Looked into the hat drawer of my chest to find the Indians cap J-Fizzle brought back from Cleveland last year and forgot I even had it. Yes, it's now back in my hat rotation. Soon I'll have to dig into the bullpen for some old favourites!

- Burrito Boyz is food for Kings.

- After watching Don, I NEED a pair of Oakleys

- After watching Don, I NEED a Tag Heuer watch

- If I ever decide to buy the watch and shades, I'll NEED another job to pay for 'em :P

- Just hit the century mark of Facebook friends. I'm not sure if I should follow the cricket tradition of acknowledging a century by raising my bat to the stands in appreciation. I will anyways...

- After the shambles of the cricket world cup (see the march archives), Pakistan played Sri Lanka with a lineup that was given a facelift and injected with youth. And surprise surprise, they won the series!

- What does "The hardest button to button" mean?

Last quickie - do I have a non-Canadian accent? A few people have mentioned it to me over the years, and I find that a bit interesting. I know I have a few Urdu-isms in my English vocabulary, tinged with some British properness (thanks BBC). If you think I sound like a loony, please let me know!

Anyhow, I'm out for now, the pillow's calling my name. Talk to you all soon and have a great weekend!

TFC! TFC! TFC!

Yes, I'm now officially hooked.

Like the most of you sports fans, I too scoffed when hearing the news that Toronto would have a new MLS team. But after watching how crazy the stadium was on TV, I knew I had to mozy on down to BMO Field. Which is why I dragged Zan out of a day's work for the game Saturday against DC United. Thanks to help from Derek, I managed to have a pair of seats for the game at actual face value! And let me say this, upon entering the exhibition grounds, you can feel the electricity.

Even picking up tickets at Will Call had a certain excitement to it. I couldn't believe my ears when hearing actual football chants around the grounds while waiting in line. Drums banging, crowds chanting, and actual flags waving. The first impression me and my brother agreed on - Awesome.

Upon receiving tickets (while missing out on saying hi to a friend working at the next wind0w), we got to experience something truly unique to Toronto - tailgates. And while waiting for the game, I think our pep factor multiplied manyfold. I say this because we came in sombre, and immediately began yelling "TFC!" upon entering the field.

As for our tickets, we got section 105, row 1 ! Here's a shot of your boy from the seat...



Sufficed to say, it was mindblowing!

Yeah, Toronto FC lost the game 2-1. And I still insist that the officiating was horrible to the point of ridicule,but it was still really fun. If only I could say that about other teams. (Go Jays Go!)

Now if only I could find a place which stocks some Toronto FC Scarves. I've wanted one for months and now I'm told they very well could be sold out for the season!

"So, Sally can wait..."

Hey yaars,

As the title of this post suggests, I've just gotten into Oasis records. I was watching The Hour and George Stromboulopoulos (is the spelling right) was interviewing Noel Gallagher. At the end of the interview, he recommended Definitely Maybe to viewers. And since I had some time for a new auditory experience, I thought I'd delve into 90s Britpop mode. I have to admit, I've been impressed. Which is why I also got What's the Story Morning Glory.

Yes, I remember hearing Wonderwall as a kid, and after about a month got sick of it. Years later, I find it to be one of those songs that would definitely be on the soundtrack of my life story. In an homage to High Fidelity, over the next few days I'll try and come up with a track lisitng of some of the corniest, and amazing songs you all have ever heard. Stay tuned.

Oh and the motivation for me writing about my newfound love for Oasis? "Don't Look Back in Anger". I heard them perform the song at this year's Brit awards after receiving a lifetime achievement award, and now I'm hooked on it.

New Cap Winning Streak Extended to 3

Hey yaars,

Yes, the cap is still working. I unfortunately had the day off yesterday and slept in, only to see our Jays go down. I blame myself for not going to work with the new cap. Fret not though folks, it was on today and suprise (!) - We won! Who needs a rally monkey when you have a true rally cap. Here's to hoping it continues working!

I got some scary news today. My family whom I visited in Chicago last month told my mom something devastating : they might be moving to Cincinnati.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO.......

Besides having some lame TV show from the 70s, I know nothing about the place. From what I understand it's always 15 years behind schedule in EVERYTHING, which makes me think POGs are still popular there along with Tamagotchis. What in the world would I do there? And what would I do without my beloved Cubs!

Here's to hoping my relatives find a way to stay in the Windy City (yeah it's selfish, but you'd be selfish too after a trip to Wrigley).

On to some randoms...

- Why does Andrew Smith have a fan club?

- I hate bike lanes. The idea in principle sounds good, but there's no way a bike going at 30 km/h tops should be on the road with machines that pump out horsepower. It's like asking a baby to sleep with an alligator - not good!

- Is it just me, or are people more inclined these days to sneer at you than smile? I'm trying to make a point to smile more (if that's possible), and all I seem to get amongst strangers is a "What are you doing?" gawk. We should all smile a bit more often, it creates positive energy goddamnit!

- Mother's Day = Commercial form of a guilt trip. If you truly love your mom, you should be the same to her 365 days of the year. And yes, I say this despite what I have to endure.

- Father's Day = Neglection Day

- My fantasy baseball pickup of the month so far is James Shields. He's a pitcher on the Devil Rays, which is exactly why he's been a steal so far. Everyone's always so afraid of taking Rays pitchers. It's why I got a steal in Kazmir last year and why I hope Shields is the '07 equivalent

I'd write more, but my eyes are actually closing on me as I type. I hope my attempt at keeping you all up to date with the latest Naveed Rants is worthwhile. Talk to you soon!

The Ruler's Back!

http://www.stickcricket.com/hiScores.php

I'm sure you all have heard of my Stick Cricket obsession. They released a new and improved version last month and after a bit of practice and study, I've improved my game. Check out who has the highest individual score...Yeah, it's me bitches!!!

244* Not out with a bullet!!!!

Yeah I know it's real dorky to be proud of this accomplishment, but I'll still take it!

The Cap is now 2-0

So the Jays have gotten slightly out of there slump. Yes, it's a given that they SHOULD win against a team like Tampa Bay, but it's still a win nonetheless. Plus, you can imagine how miserable everyone would be had we lost!

I have another Sunday off (thankfully!), and am "enjoying" it by taking my mom out for mother's day with arguably her best friend. Zan and I in co-ordination with that friend's kids have meals and gifts planned. I'm just hoping Zan doesn't try and upstage me!

Here are a few more random thoughts (yes, I know this is a substitute for writing coherently on one topic, but it keeps you all up to date, so don't worry - be happy!) :

- Is it just me, or are there a LOT more trucks/vans on the road these days. This irks me as it makes it next to impossible to look ahead of them when I'm driving to find roads or decide to shoot ahead of them. It gets even worse when at a red light, 10/12 automobiles are f'n AstroVans! Vans should have a prerequisite of a 6 cylinder engine because they're annoyingly the slowest out of the block on green lights. Not to say that my Saturn is a beast or anything, but at least I can get to 60 km/h without hearing load noises coming out of my ride!

- I've been teased by almost eveyrone I know about my "sports bigamy". Yes, I collect paraphenilia of different teams, mostly because they just look wicked. Yes, I'm a Toronto fan at heart, but I do like other logos. My bigamy isn't limited to just winners (aka bandwagoners).
I'll definitely cheer for losers (i.e. Maple Leafs and Cubs), thought it all depends. For my teasers, here's a multi-pronged explanation for each of my caps. The shirts, well I'll do that in another post...

Jays - I work there/Toronto Team

Nationals - First hat with script writing that I didn't see every bloody thug in Scarborough wearing (you'll see it a bit now, still not nearly enough as Yanks, BoSox, Cards, and Sox caps)

Twins - On sale at RiverCity's closing down sale. Reminded me of '91 when my dad hated seeing the jays lose, but respected Kirby Puckett for being a better version of George Bell "he's fat but he hustles"

Cubs - Have you talked to me in the last year? I love so much about Chicago it's getting a bit weird

White Sox - The game I went to they were wearing their 1904 World Series retro gear and I thought it was kinda cool to have a cap with no logos

Indians - Like the logo. Wanted this hat for a while, but because of my massive 7 7/8 cap size, couldn't find it anywhere. And since Jamie (aka J-Fizzle) was going there, he obliged in bringing back one.

There's more, but I'm thinking at this point you all have fallen asleep. I'll talk some more soon. I promise - Scouts honour!

P.S. I was never a scout.

Murphy's Law...

When you think things can't get worse - they do!

After yesterday's rant about how the Jays are in trouble after the 9 game winless streak and the loss of closer BJ Ryan, we were dealt another blow today with our ace Roy Halladay being sidelined with "acute appendicits". I think the ship is definitely on it's last legs right now!

Then again, we finally won!

AJ Burnett pitched an outstanding game - 6 2/3 innings of 1 run ball, with 10 K's. For once our bats helped him out against the tough Scott Kazmir. So we're finally on the winning side of things and are well on our way to being hopefully somewhat respectable soon.



I have a theory as to why we won. Today I finally decided to cave and buy a fitted Jays hat. It's the 70s/80s retro cap, and since it was "Flashback Friday", I get the feeling I had a part in channeling the glorious Jays of years past tonight. Which is why that hat's going to the game tomorrow too! Wish me and the hat luck!

9 and counting...

We got whupped...again.

I was excited today. With an 8 game losing streak, we had arguably the best pitcher in baseball going on the mound today. I figured he would be extra hungry, after being smacked around by the Texas Rangers his last start. Boy was I wrong.

We got slaughtered 8-0. It's the third straight game where we've allowed 8 runs. I should have known the day wasn't going to be great when I got that official press release in my inbox hot off of the press announcing that BJ Ryan had successfully completed Tommy John surgery and would be ready for the '08 season. I, along with the rest of the baseball world, had no idea he even needed the surgery! So now our $12 million man is out. Add that to a list including Gregg Zaun, Reed Johnson, Gustavo Chacin, and Brandon League. If this sounds familiar, don't be surprised. We find ways to get hurt and lose!

I'm still keeping my hopes up. As I've told everyone, it's still only May. There's lots of ball to be played and plenty of time to make a bloody move! Maybe your boy could throw a few innings worth of 60 mph knucklers to help out. It couldn't be any worse than what's going on now!

Here's to hoping AJ Burnett kills the monkey that's on the Jays back tomorrow against the Rays.

Sliced and diced...

Hey yaars,

I actually watched the beginning of a Jays game for the first time in a long time, and had a decent time. It would have been better though, had the team decided to show up!

Alright, I'm being a bit harsh - they were up against Japanese phenom Daisuke Matsuzaka (in cartoon form to the right). Judging by how the Japanese media watch his every move, he's the biggest thing there since Godzilla! I guess I'd be the same way if a Pakistani made it in baseball.
(Yes, I would cheer for that team.)

From what I've read on "Dice-K", a lame sobriquet if I may say - he's a special pitcher. I've read up about the Koshien , which is a Japanese High School baseball tournament. It's suppose to be as big as the Final Four is in North America, and here's what Daisuke did in the Koshien to become the star that he is...

"In the quarterfinals of the 1988 Koshien, Matsuzaka threw 250 pitches in 17 innings in a win over powerhouse PL Gakuen. The next day, trailing by six runs in the eighth inning, the team miraculously won the game by scoring 7 runs in the last two innings (four in the eighth and three in the ninth). In that game he started in left field, but came in as a relief in the ninth inning to record the win. In the final, he threw a no-hitter, the second ever in a final. This performance elevated him to rock star status."

So of course, it goes without saying that after we fluked our way to a 2-1 win the first time he pitched here, he came back with a vengeance. And we showed no spine - getting our asses handed to us to the tune of a 9-3 score. The losing streak's now at 8, with the season slowly starting to slip away. I'm still optimistic, the marathon's only 15% done.

Anyhow, I thought I'd inform you all regarding the prodigal engima that is Daisuke. I'm guessing my non-baseball fan readers have already skipped this post to go on to surf for some more stock quotes/news/porn. In any event, enjoy folks and talk to you soon.

Crap, nerdier than I thought!

Hey yaars,

Yes, I know I'm not exactly Mr. Slick. I'm just in one of those moods lately that make me feel like I'm the largest dork on the planet - ALL THE TIME! It's almost as if I've been taken back to high school and been given suspenders and taped-up glasses. I'm sure it probably has a lot to do with the "little brother" mentality I receive these days Interning. Yes, it's not the most glamorous job in the world, but I'm still trying to enjoy it as best I can.

Some random musings for my fans...

- Went to Urban Outfitters today and noticed that they had Arab styled scarfs hanging with each shirt. Since when was the Yasser Arafat look in? I was considering buying one to 'represent' until Jamie put the ki-bosh on that (no pun intended)

- Manchester United clinched the English Premiership title this weekend, ending Chelsea's 2 year dominating run as champs. I'm happy for them, yet feel distant as I only watched one match this year - the Champions League semi vs. Milan. I'm almost at the point where I believe my support should be given to a club that needs it. I'm on the fence on this one. In the meantime, does anyone want to see a Toronto FC match that does NOT involve Beckham?

- The moment I knew things had changed : Yours truly waking up on a Sunday sleep in at 10 AM!

- While my employer Blue Jays are stumbling, my Cubs are finally over 500 and streaking. I told y'all they'd come back with a vengeance. Eamus Catuli!

- Mulling over getting a fitted cap (yes, another one). I'm flip-flopping over whether to get the new Jays "T" hat, or a retro 80s cap with the old 'bird-in-a-ball' . Tradition vs. Future. Any help would be appreciated.

- Note to self -> Minimizing chit-chat with parents leads to a stress-free day!

Alright, well I'm off to bed - at 11:30 !!!! I already feel like I've been condemned to a life of blandness! Talk to y'all later!

I'm officially neglecting my blog

Hey yaars,

I think I have to go on a rescue mission to save my blog from becoming a dinosaur. Seeing as I'm too "efficient" to write up about Chicago/Milwaukee (ok, too scared and embarrassed), I thought I'd put up another random musings post.

- YES, I do like fitted hats! Growing up, it was always next to impossible to find a hat that fit well, and after discovering the wonders of fitted hats that actually fit my 7 7/8 head, I was hooked. Meaning, I have quite a few hats. Don't believe me? Here's some proof...



And this is BEFORE the trip. I've made 3 new additions to the bullpen - Cubs cap, Bears Cap, and Fidel Castro styled pillbox cap.

- Political side note - Conservatives LOVE to talk about fiscal responsibility a little too much. I got invited to a gala for the opening of an Indo-Canadian museum and all we heard from the federal minister of Immigration was about how they've cut taxes and made things better for Canadians. It was a bloody dinner, not a fundraiser for Mr. Harper! Play to your audience for goodness sake!

- I've been shopping way too much at H&M. I figured this out one day when about 90% of the clothes I was wearing were from there. For those keeping score, I was wearing a shirt, necktie, sweater, pants, socks, and jacket bought all from there. Yes, I think the stylish flair may be starting to emerge. Either that or I may be going fruity on us all :P

- Loukoumades, the great Greek dessert dish, is actually an East Indian sweet dish. Except we call it Gulab Jamun.

- Procrastination = Leaders of Tomorrow :P

- I've finally been on the Rogers Centre field a few times now, and I won't lie : I want to run the bases like my boy G-Unit!