Friday, Nov 29th 2002

I was debating going to this "Echos of Praise" concert at the St. Thomas Marthoma Church in Yonkers. Christian music isn't a big interest for me. However, I thought I'd give it a shot. (Also, Num really wanted to go.) So we went. Got there at 7pm, and of course with indians running the show, it was already an hour late but hadn't started. Around 7:30pm, it finally got started and there were over 400 people there.

Concert itself was okay. The best part for me were the surprises: old friends and people I haven't seen in years showed. Who sat behind me? Oh, the 10-15 kids I was friends with in my Jacobite church before my family went over to the CSI church. Here's a picture of me and Jomy. He and I were best friends in church from toddlers until we left when I was 12 years old. He's working in the city now.

Later on, I'm standing in the back, and I glance over and see this girl. One little brain cell in the back of my head goes, "Dude, that's Brenda." The other 99% went, "Nah!" I look back again 20 minutes later, and Brenda is furiously waving to me from her seat. What an idiot I am. This is Brenda and her "muffin." [Sorry, I can't remember his name, but he seems to be a nice guy.]

Then I saw the usual crowd of CSI people from Long Island and Queens that I say "Hey" to on a regular basis, including my own church. All of a sudden, I glance over and I see Bindu and Linsy from when I went to school in Albany. We all used to go to the Indian parties, hung out, and even worked on the board of SASA (South Asian Student Association.) This is me and Bindu.

I was really happy. Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with Kenar, Vib, Chirag for dinner and drinks. It's "Boys Night Out"!

Thursday, Nov 28th 2002

You know, it's 4:39AM, and practically Friday morning. I don't know why, but I can't sleep. Thanksgiving went pretty okay, and I took a bunch of pictures. Will have to get them developed, scanned, and posted here. Saw Harry Potter this evening with my cousin Shaun. It was ok. I was hoping to get into it, but eh.

Update: Anyone seen this news article about a UK government declassified file about a UFO sighting in 1980? Read it!

Wednesday, Nov 27th 2002

I gave blood today! What a good boy I am.

I haven't been having the most luck with trains recently. I missed the morning train on Tuesday by all of 4 lousy feet. Since I had an important staff meeting at 8:30AM that I couldn't be late to, I hopped on the next train to Hoboken, then took the PATH train to 23rd St, ran to the office. Only 5 minutes late! (Course, I was the only one showing up late, so I was still slightly embarrassed. Oh well.)

Saw the new Bond movie finally. It was ok.

Ok, to now tell you of my amazing physical feats. The movie finished at 6:25pm, and we got outside the theater at 6:30 onto 42nd St. The next train was at 6:40 at Penn Station on 32nd-33rd St. Should I try to run the 9 blocks in 9 minutes, or wait the extra hour for the next train at 7:37pm?

I ran.

9 blocks, taxis, and traffic lights. In shoes, khakis, and with a briefcase. Wading through the crowded Amtrack terminal, I found the train and jumped on. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. I'm glad I'm in pretty good shape.

I'm having Thanksgiving at the parents' tomorrow. Look forward to pictures as well in a week or so, when I get them developed.

Nov 26th 2002

Two big breakups in the world of American entertainment:

• Nic Cage and Lisa Marie Presley - No surprise there, even though it lasted only 3 months. My favorite part was when Lisa Marie stated through her spokesperson that the whole thing was a big mistake, and they should never have gotten married. Mind you, that was 108 days ago.
• Heidi Klum and Ric Pipino - Hey, maybe you hadn't noticed, but that guy was skeezy-lookin'. Also, he was 14 years older than her.

Ok, I have to admit it: watching old reruns of "GI Joe" on Cartoon Network is my new guilty pleasure. Just makes me nostalgic for when I was a chubby, dorky kid, who used to play make-believe games with my sister using my old GI Joe and Transformers toys.

Still haven't seen "Die Another Day" yet. Since the big "winter storm watch" has turned into the big "rain mixed with snow resulting in nothing of newsworthy value" watch, I guess I'll still get to see it tomorrow. Unless something comes up, as usual.

Being a car lover (uh, why doesn't that sounds quite right?), I'm always interested in reading about new cars coming out. Reading Business 2.0 today, and they had two articles about the new redesigned Mercedes SL500 and an earlier article about the redesigned BMW 7-series. You just wouldn't believe the features. (For example, the SL500 has Doppler radar. Yeah, like Channel 4.) If they didn't each cost over $80,000, then I might have considered one of them.

Added two new pictures from the Penn South Thanksgiving Luncheon, courtesy of the 'Vivacious' Vib.

Plans this weekend? You betcha! Big Thanksgiving shindig at my parents' house with the relatives. Other than that, I'll be rewriting sections on this website, workin' on the church redesign, seeing my friend Kenar who's coming down from med school (in Syracuse), and probably blowing away maladjusted terrorists to save the world as we know it.

Also, I'm going to eat some pumpkin pie. Life is good.

Sunday, Nov 24th 2002

After church, I met Num for lunch at Jewel of India in the city. Then we met up with a few other people to finally see Bollywood Hollywood over at the Loews theater in the Virgin Megastore on Broadway. Good movie. I still have to see that American Desi movie on tape. I waited too long to see that one, and by the time I was ready to see it, it was only playing in like Tennessee, California, and Texas. I was so pissed.

Here are some stills downloaded from the movie website.

Rahul and Sue, naive like all Indian protagonists	Reminds me of too many Indian moms	The grandma. Funny as hell	Lisa Ray as "Sue"

Let me tell you the worst infomercial ever created. I saw it, and couldn't believe it. From their website (and the commercial), it is:

...an all-natural supplement that helps support women in the areas of weight loss, hormonal balance, and mental clarity. This synergistic blend of twenty-one herbs helps to clear the mind, calm nerves, and boost energy! Specially formulated for mothers of young children who have lost their energy and stamina, who feel stressed, and can't lose those unwanted pounds...

The name? Would you believe the Hot Mommies program? Now is that the worst title you've ever heard?

BTW, looking for the product, I found another one: Bible Botanicals, a tonic for health and longevity. Many people look to the Bible for spiritual healing and will receive a great sense of comfort knowing that a product is based upon Bible teachings.

Naturally, it has 30 natural ingredients found in Bible teachings.

Saturday, Nov 23rd 2002

Thank goodness for the weekends. I need 'em.

I'm still a member of PRINA, this indian networking association for the NY-NJ Metro area. Hey, I need the exposure. Otherwise, I run the risk of sitting in my apartment every day talking to the stupid cat. Today, a bunch of us helped out with this Penn South Thanksgiving Senior Luncheon helping the nearby seniors who live around 9th Ave & 28th. The Church of the Holy Apostle has been doing this program for years, so we helped out this year. I'm glad I did, cause the seniors were nice people.

Also, I got to show off my "green bean serving" skills.

Figuring out what to do next	The luncheon has begun!	Everyone (minus me)	These wonderful ladies love to dance
We're figuring out who picks up which senior citizen from their apt. [Damn, it's windy and cold!]	The food serving production line	More eating. I was eating too.	Could you eat any more salad?

Still haven't seen Bollywood Hollywood yet. I'm hoping to see it tomorrow with Num and a few others. The new Bond flick Die Another Day is still hopefully this Tuesday.

Rented Erin Brockovich this weekend. Decent movie. Lots of Julie Roberts cleavage flaunted around. Can't say I was disappointed. [Did anyone else hear my mom faint just now?]

How good are the Dallas Mavericks playing right now? Damn. I haven't seen one game this season. Gonna have to put their next game on my all-important TV viewing schedule.

Friday, Nov 22nd 2002

After so long, I finally got to play Rogue Spear. I'll take any game at this point. After careful planning (and lots of retries), I beat Mission 3: Sand Hammer. Some terrorists had taken over a water desalination facility in Oman, threatening to contaminate the water supply with a nerve agent and holding hostages.

Don't you hate that? Used four teams to take out the terrorists guarding the bomb, then moved on to free the hostages. I'm glad the world has someone like me clean up the mess. Now if the world would do me a favor and wash my car, I'd call it even.

Thursday, Nov 21st 2002

Very hectic days recently. Clothes all over the place, papers all about, dishes piling up. I'm so glad it's Thursday, cause now I've finally cleaned up. And I'm doing the laundry too!

The long-awaited Victoria's Secret fashion show was on last night on CBS. Some parts were really nice, but others....ok, I just got sick of all the angel wings. Hundreds of complaints flooded the FCC about the indecency of the show. Puh-leeze, it was so tame.

The ShoWest Convention reel for Star Trek: Nemesis is finally out. A few complete scenes, but beware spoilers!

Speaking of movies (well, I'm speaking), I'm hoping to see that Bollywood Hollywood indian movie that's coming out this Friday. Also, next week I'm meeting Doug to see Die Another Day in the city. I finally caught Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on HBO on Tuesday. I know it's a kid's movie, but I really didn't think it was that big a deal.

My friend Marshall scanned that Bacardi "Auditor" ad for me. Here ya go. For all you auditors out there, this is our moment in the sun. Bask!

I've started redesigning my church's website. I was looking at it recently, and I must admit that the design and the graphics are still holding up pretty well. I did that entire design mid-2000 around August, and they all still look pretty decent. I'm looking to launch the new look January 1st 2003, and am going to use some of my new cools CSS tricks.

I thought I had more to say, but I guess I don't. Oh well. I love all of you. I mean that. Especially the pretty women out there!

Tuesday, Nov 18th 2002

So....tired. It's late Monday night, and technically Tuesday morning, about 1:07 AM. I just got back from a dinner with a few members of my church's youth group and some members from the White Plains Presbyterian church group. I met up with Tom in the city, and we took the train up to Valhalla. Hung out @ Tom & Mary's home. Feby showed up, and then we headed off to Tarrytown for dinner @ TGI Friday.

Feby and Elizabeth	Two groups, both really stuffed.

The reason I'm really tired is that I caught the 9:58 PM train (really 10:06 because it was late) from White Plains to Grand Central, hopped onto the Times Square Shuttle to Times Square, and then the #1 train to 34th St Penn Station. I waited 40 minutes for the last train to Glen Ridge, and didn't get home until 12:25 AM. It took me over 2 hours to get home!

Of course, I need to update my site. And the cat won't shut up. Until she tires out (and shuts up), here I am.

In lighter news, on the way to work this morning, I saw this Indian guy on Broadway with the worst unibrow that I've ever seen. It wasn't just a connector; it was a big bushy soulpatch. I wanted to take my Norelco and clear the path.

On the Nov 24th episode of the Simpsons, Marge goes for a "nip & tuck", but receives breast implants by accident. "Large Marge", indeed.

Sunday, Nov 17th 2002

Been trying the game, and the movement has been all screwed up. I couldn't control my guy, and went all over the place. Take a step, and he'll take 16. Mouse was very slow too. I did some hunting on the UBI Soft and Red Storm Entertainment websites (creators of Rogue Spear), and read postings on the discussion board. Found some recommendations from other users having the same problems. And? I got it working after using the compatibility wizard in Windows XP to imitate a Windows 98/ME computer.

So, I've started doing the Training missions (clearing rooms, using stun and frag grenades, neutralizing terrorists. Damn, this shit is hard!) I jumped into my 1st actual mission, and I'm already dead. An Islamic terrorist group took hostages at the NY MOMA, and I'm leading two teams to rescue the hostages.

Since I'm dead, I really need to start reading the strategy book that came with this game. That's right--they gave me a strategy guidebook. It's hard skulking around the museum, but it's kinda fun.

Speaking of fun, it's 4:18AM, and I still need to wash the breakfast dishes. Oye!

Saturday, Nov 16th 2002

Anyone notice the crappy weather outside? It's not at all appropriate for jumping on a bike and riding around. Ended up doing absolutely nothing the entire day, just lounging. In the evening, went to an "International Festival" at my friend Sunil's church in Jersey City.

Saji, in all is big-headed glory	Sunil, dressed to thrill	Us (nothing special)

Afterwards, we went to see Eminem's 8 Mileover in Secaucus.Wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I kinda enjoyed actually. Go figure.

I bought a new game last night, "Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear", and spent some time trying to get it to work (slightly older game.) I've got it half-working. I've been waiting to get it when the price went down. You play as a member of Team Rainbow, a counter-terrorism squad. Two of the missions are 1) a hostage situation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and 2) an airplane hijacking [seen right.] I'll let you know if I get it to work, or I just wasted some cash.

Anybody want to explain to me this story about these two guys in Mansfield Township (NJ) who got into a heated argument about who had the hairiest ass, and one slashed the other? Friggin' morons, I tell ya.

Friday, Nov 15th 2002

You know, this has been an odd Friday. After going to bed late (3 AM), I woke up this morning about 12 minutes before my train. Doing some quick math, I realized that waiting for the next train would cause me to miss a morning meeting. In 9 minutes [yes, I did all the essential bathroom rituals--just really efficiently], I was ready (and even ironed my khakis.) I ran out the door, and sprinted to the train station in 3 minutes. Pretty impressive, no?

Of course, the train was delayed during the trip because of "congestion", and was 30 minutes late to work. Argh. On the way to work this morning, I saw this gem of the English language.

I bet they "sale" a lot of things. I bet they're really good "salesmen." [Oh, never mind.]

Guess who was just charged with child pornography? Actors Jeffry Jones (the principal in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") and Paul Reubens ("Pee Wee Herman"). Anybody remember Paul Reubens getting busted in '91 for playing with his monkey and having his career implode? You'd think he'd start behaving. Damn, and child porn too. That's bad.

I find that you can order lots of things from Amazon.com these days.

Finally got out of the apartment, and went somewhere tonight. Being small-time comedians ourselves, Num and I went to see "Comedian" starring Jerry Seinfeld. It was made in a documentary-type format. It's not about watching his comedy routine, but really about the life of a stand-up comic. You get to watch him fretting backstage before a set, and also talking to other comedy big-wigs like Chris Rock, Bill Cosby, Robert Kline, and more. On the opposite side of the coin, you watch the antics of up-and-coming comedian Orny Adams, who's a big bundle of nerves as he's trying to make it big.

Thursday, Nov 14th 2002

Guess what I had waiting for me in the mailroom at work? Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones, my newest DVD. Watched most of it this evening (around my usual Thurs evening TV schedule of Friends and CSI.) Good stuff.

I have a small treat for you movie people: synopses for some movies coming out next year. Oddly enough, they're all sequels. Anyway, they're all coming out 2003.

• The Matrix Reloaded (May 15th) - Second film in the trilogy. To quash the rebellion, the matrix releases a computer virus in the form of silver men with power equal to Neo. Soon they spread and multiply so fast that the agents must ally themselves with the rebellion to stop them.

• The Matrix Revolutions (November 7th) - Third film in "The Matrix" trilogy. With Neo trapped inside the crumbling Matrix whilst the others rush to protect Zion from the machines, the end is about to be determined as to who'll survive in the human vs. machines war.

• American Wedding (August 1st) - The group of best friends from "American Pie" reunite for the next great sexual adventure in their lives - Jim's wedding. Stifler though is instrumental in orchestrating the correlating social event... the bachelor party.

• Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (July 2nd) - The artifical intelligence Skynet network is on the verge of going online, and two terminators are sent back in time to protect and kill off the young adult John Connor - this time the assassin is even more advanced.

• X2 (May 2nd) - Sequel to 2000's "X-Men" adaptation. After a mutant nearly assassinates the US President, Xavier and his school find themselves underattack and the pawns of a General determined to wipe out their kind and set himself up as an evil leader.

See? Pretty interesting news.

I think I should start doing my Christmas shopping. It's already mid-November.

Wednesday, Nov 13th 2002

At least it stopped raining. I was getting sick of getting soaked to/from work each day.

Leena put up some pictures from her visit to New York last month. It was good to see her again.
	We're sitting down. No, she's not taller than me.

Cool, Aliens is on AMC tonight. Who woulda thunk it that Aliens would finally be considered a classic?

So, I'm waiting for the subway yesterday, and I'm standing next to a newstand. How is that five women's magazines all feature articles on sex tips/news/positions? I guess they do it every month.

• Cosmopolitan: "Hottest Sex News"
• Glamour: "#1 Sex Secret Men Want"
• Marie Claire: "Secret Sex Tips You Need to Know"
• Redbook: "5 Sex Moves"
• Jane: "Wildest Sex Tricks"

Who knew that women were so concerned with our sexual satisfaction. I need to let the guys know. :)

And guess who added another Flash animation? If this stuff wasn't such a frustrating pain sometimes, I'd actually have fun more often.

Tuesday, Nov 12th 2002

So I work pretty late today, get home, and what do I have waiting for me? Oh, nothing much except some packages from Amazon.com. Some clothes....and my Lord of the Rings Extended DVD Edition (4 discs of Tolkien fun.) True to my usual self, I stayed up and watched the entire movie. Yes, all 3 hours of it. My opinion? Pretty darn amazing. There are so many extended scenes and new scenes all seamlessly added to the movie. they flesh out the characters and explain more of the storyline. It went by so fast. I am so unbelieveably happy right now. Also, they included a free movie ticket to Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Peter Jackson is the best! :)

This makes up for getting absolutely f*ing drenched today in the rain, and the cat taking a dump in the middle of my bathroom floor. Speaking of the rain, you would think that I'd be smart enough to buy an umbrella that actually kept me dry. Stupid Totes umbrellas. Portable and useless.

As promised, I've slightly redesigned the Main Easter Egg page, and have added some new Flash animation. I really hope people can find this stuff; otherwise, I'm doing a lot of this for nothing! Then again, my Dad found them, so maybe it's not so hard for people to find.

[Dad, I'm not picking on you. I was just saying.]

Monday, Nov 11th 2002

Went to church on Sunday--first time in a long time. You know, if I never have to hear the hymn "Showers of Blessing" again, that would be just fine.

Anyone seen the latest Sprint PCS ad? The one with the monkey? Now that's comedy.

For you old GI Joe cartoon fans, the Cartoon Network is playing them at 12:30AM every weeknight. Set your VCRs!

And for those who love a nasty joke with a good moral....

Saturday, Nov 9th 2002

I suppose the British can relax now: the grandfather of the latest squirrel victim took out the squirrel. In his own words,

It's a shame he went nuts, but I couldn't let this little beggar hold the town to ransom.

Yeah, I bet it happened just like in the movie Die Hard.

For all of you concerned about my tender supple hands handling hot items, I recently purchased potholders. I've officially joined the 21st century.

You know, I've been learning this CSS stuff. You can do some pretty neat stuff with it. Joel learns something. How nice.

I tell ya, the latest Maxim has a Bacardi featuring an "auditor." I'll get it scanned and post it here. I showed a few guys from work, and we were pretty thrilled. Then we went back to work.

Finally, at that Career Workshop we had at our church a few weeks back, a reporter from the Journal News visited. He was working on an article about Indian churches in the Yonkers area. Anyway, the article just came out.

Thursday, Nov 7th 2002

Soooooo, one of my favorite drinks is a rum and Coca-Cola, and I usually go with Captain Morgan. However, I've been trying to branch out. Gin, Whiskey, Vodka, and the different brands. Anyway, I'm on the Bacardi site (way cool, btw) and you can take a test to find out your drink based on five questions. Took the test, and the result? They recommend a Bacardi Cuba Libre Rum and Coca-Cola.

Damn.

In other news, the Iranian police have arrested an idiot. Also, there seems to be crazy-ass squirrel terrorizing the people Knutsford, England.

I did some playing around, and fixed the "Is that a link?" visibility problem with the sidebars. You should be able to see the sidebar links now. Pretty cool stuff. I think CSS is great!

Wednesday, Nov 6th 2002

Anyone remember Wil Wheaton from Star Trek: The Next Generation? He played Wesley Crusher for the first few seasons. He was also in that "Lean on Me" movie in the 80's. A few months ago, I discovered he had his own website. Lots of ST fans hated him, but they should have just hated the way the character wasn't developed more. Anyway, he's doing alright these days....doing sketch comedy, married with kids in California. He also as an online store. I bought a t-shirt!

Monday, Nov 4th 2002

The CIA used a Predator drone in the Yemen desert to kill a carload of Al-Qaeda suspects with a Hellfire missile. One of the suspects was a top operative for Bin Laden. How did they know they got him? By the tell-tale mark on a leg they found near the wreckage. That's right, near the wreckage. That news makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. :)

In sad news, the amazing actor Jonathan Harris died at the age of 87. Among other roles, he played Dr.Smith on the 60's show "Lost in Space", and also voiced the character of Manny in A Bug's Life.

I've come up with my list of favorite driving roads. You know, those highways where the curves, the dips, the scenery, is perfect for speeding.

• Merrit Parkway, Connecticut
• Westside Highway, upper Westside NYC
• Saw Mill Parkway, Westchester [specific stretches]

Do you have any favorites? Write me and tell me your nominations.

I was watching Comedy Central, and they've been runnin' commercials for Rob Schneider's new movie -- The Hot Chick. Now, I'm not sure if it'll be good like Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, or bad like his last movie The Animal. View the trailer, and draw your own conclusions.

And for you baby lovers, my friend Teena has discovered this odd little gem -- Opera Baby. It's odd, but strangely addicting.

Sunday, Nov 3rd 2002

Did you all hear about this odd plot to kidnap Victoria Beckham (aka Posh Spice of Spice Girls fame) in Europe? Who knew she was still known outside of being Mrs. David Beckham?

In other news, the idiot tv executives at the Fox Network are developing a weekly reality series that "will search for folks hungry to get hitched -- and then set them up with arranged marriages. The American viewing public will play matchmaker, voting on which couples will get engaged." I'm sure all our Indian parents are signing their kids up. I'm sure they'd like a free opportunity to have someone else do the work for them. :)

Hope you all had some good weekends...relaxing or cleaning up or hanging out with friends/family. I rented "One Hour Photo" finally. Interesting movie, and Robin Williams was alright. I also got the books I ordered on Amazon.com on Saturday. Hurrah! I've added Second Foundation to my growing Sci-Fi novel collection, and I've started reading that CSS book for a better understanding of monkeys. [Just kidding. Of course, to become a master of CSS. Though monkey powers would be hot.]

My cousin Shibu and Lisa celebrated their daughter Marissa's 2nd birthday with a bash (for kids, anyway) at 'Lil Scoops in Blauvelt NY. Here are the pictures of the kids having fun, while the adults....acted like grown-ups at a party. At least I got to see some family members that I haven't seen in a while. See the Family Photos section in the Photo Gallery.

And our final item from the news bin, a man in Australia is suing his ex-wife to win back over $10,000 he spent on his daughter. Why? It turns out that his ex-wife pulled a fast one and the girl isn't really his daughter. So, he's been paying child-support, and not to mention trips, gifts, meals, etc. He better get that child-support money back, but I don't know about the gifts and meals. There's nothing wrong with being a nice guy. (Just live with it, man. We all get screwed now and then.)

For all those who are concerned that I have nothing to eat (yet don't bring food over!), this weekend I found the local ShopRite--in Brookdale NJ. I spent an hour, but my kitchen is semi-stocked. Ok, I forgot to get basic items like black pepper, but I have Croissant Pockets, hot wings, and best of all....churros!

Friday, Nov 1st 2002

Oh, before I forget to tell y'all. On the way to work Thursday morning, I'm reading this really lame 8-page Budlight.com insert that came with this month's issue of Maxim magazine. I say it's lame, cause they've marketed it as Maxim articles (lists, interviews with women, etc.), yet they not-so-subtly insert the words "Bud Light" wherever possible. Case in point: How do you best approach a woman in a bar? Heather recommends that you catch her attention, smile like a regular person, come over, and offer her a Bud Light.

Well, back to the actual point of the whole story, besides the blatant marketing Budweiser has done. The rest of the insert are pictures from various "amazingly fun" parties where all these good-looking people are drinking [you guessed it] Bud Light. As I'm flipping the pages, I see this picture, specifically the blonde woman 2nd from the left. She looks just like Kristen in my department. It couldn't be!

When I get to work, I show it to her, and she explodes in laughter. It was her. She went to this party in Brooklyn back in August, and Budweiser was sponsoring it. Funny, no? BTW, according to Kristen, the party was very lame. Well, truth being what it may, there are plenty more pictures of people @ the Party Maximus site. Browse and see if YOU find anyone you know.