Golf is for f******!

I really can't stand golf. Its even more boring than cricket! What irritates me the most about golf is the irritating desire golfers have to talk about golf, their handicap, where they've played, when they played last, and when and where they will play next. You like golf, good for you! Don't waste my time with your drivel about it!

And for people who like pics, this one is worth a thousand words:

More on Miss Teen South Carolina...

Following up on my August 26 post about how stupid Miss Teen South Carolina is, I came across the transcript of what she said:



I also found this hilarious attempt to navigate her logic:



This girl has a great future in the adult film industry. Hopefully she doesn't have a gag reflex!

An interesting debate between an Israelite and two Mormons

Given the recent renewed interest in Mormons on account of Big Love on HBO, Mitt Romney etc., I thought I would post this video. An interesting debate!

http://thecomforter.info/main/index.php?option=com_xevgfx&Itemid=83&func=detail&id=2

Matisyahu

I guess I found him a bit late, but this Hasidic reggae singer blew me away. Here's Matisyahu at Stubbs (Austin, TX):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EBiei21-C8

Here's an interview with him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPcu810X0uU

My grill is bigger than yours!

We bought a new grill this year. A monstrous contraption from Weber that will cook just about everything you can throw at it. I love it. We've cooked steaks, burgers, sausages, fish, vegetables, corn-on-the-cobbs, and they've all turned out great. Best part is that this is a gas grill, so we never have to worry about changing propane cylinders. As to why we bought something this big, well I'm clearly compensating for something aren't I?

I give you the Weber S-650 aka the Big Kahuna:

The state of education today...Miss Teen USA 2007 represent

These girls are seriously stupid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMU192Kp02o

From NYC Hardcore to the Indigo Girls

I've been listening to a lot of NYC hardcore ever since Scott sent me some VOD songs after our trip to SoCal - mostly Biohazard, Cro-Mags, MOD + SOD, and VOD. So guess where I'm going this Sunday? Yup, to an Indigo Girls concert! They're one of Moosh's favorite bands and since I've been dragging her to all of my heavy metal concerts, its time for me to return the favor. I'm sure I'm going to hear about this from Scott for a long time, especially since I gave him such a hard time back in LA.

On a different note, Pyaare's wedding is just two weeks away. I took my first shot at writing the speech, but its already been shot down for being inappropriate for the audience. Now what do I do?

I miss my turbo

When we moved to northern VA, I had to re-register my car and came across a new type of vehicle emissions check that only checked for existence of an OEM ECU rather than the actual emissions from the vehicle. This is what happens when nut case ecomentalists try their hand at science - just because it says OEM on it doesn't mean its actually better than aftermarket. Infact aftermarket products are typically better than OEM as they aren't made with the cost constraints that OEM products are made with - people who buy aftermarket gear are prepared to pay to play. Needless to say VA inspections couldn't sync with my aftermarket Hondata engine management system that was needed for turbo charging my car. The final verdict? Bye bye turbo, hello high compression. Driving a high strung, naturally aspirated car is fun, but man do I miss the acceleration of a turbo charged car.

Power readings for my old set up:



Power readings for my current high compression set up:



I'm at half the power level from where I was before. Damn you VDOT!

Frugal vs. Cheap

I have been often accused of being a cheap bastard and being excessively money minded. This weekend, Kafi and Damon were over and they asked me whether I was cheap or frugal. My initial reaction was that I was probably cheap, but further thought leads me to believe that I'm probably a bit of both:

I hate spending money on things I don't value - frugal
When spending money on things I value, there is no spending limit - baller!
I will delay spending to get a good deal - cheap
I worry about money - cheap
I am fiscally conservative - frugal

Now ask yourself the question: Are you cheap or frugal or do you spend money like its going out of style?

Bob Saget, Louis C.K., and Carlos Mencia

Saw Bob Saget, Louis C.K., and Carlos Mencia and a bunch of other stand up comedians as part of Opie and Anthony's Traveling Virus tour last night. Saget was the bomb! He did a guitar/song routine that had the crowd in splits. Louis C.K. was pretty good too, though he didn't have much material on his family which I think is his funniest stuff. Jim Norton was hilarious though this probably wasn't his crowd - his viciousness is not for everyone. Carlos headlined, but got off to a rocky start as the crowd heckled him for selling out (i.e., his Mind of Mencia show on Comedy Central). He became old school Carlos and really turned the heat on. At the end, he had the entire crowd with him. All in all, a great evening of laughs.

12 hours and counting with a kid in the crib...

I like kids as long as they are someone elses - I'm not saying that I'm kid unfriendly or anything like that, just that after a while I tire of them and need to pass them on to some other care giver. That's why the kid belonging to someone else is crucial to my interaction with the kid - if I don't have an exit strategy (i.e. someone I can palm the kid off to), I won't go near the kid. You see I have this theory about men and their kids. Its sort of like my theory on marriage: men with kids will tell men without kids to have one, and when the hitherto-kid-less-guy has the kid, the first dad points to the new dad and says - Gotcha! I'm not a conspiracy nut, but all the evidence I've seen seems to point to this hypothesis.

Moosh's cousin is visiting us this weekend. They have a really cute son. I've spent 12 hours under the same roof with a kid so far and still haven't lost my mind yet. Maybe its because I know the kid will leave at the end of the weekend. Definitive end dates really do wonders for your patience I guess...

Raining Blood

The definitive Raining Blood video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb-DTrMG4vs

Slayer pwns joo!

A Summer of Concerts

I've been to quite a few shows this summer. It started off with seeing George Carlin and Russell Peters perform in DC. The musical experience so far has been:
1. Rush at the Nissan Pavillion, Bristow
2. Poison and Ratt also at the Nissan Pavillion, Bristow
3. Slayer and Marilyn Manson at Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia
4. Dream Theater at Pier 6 Pavillion, Baltimore

Upcoming shows:
1. Queensryche at the Ram's Head, Baltimore
2. Tesla also at the Ram's Head, Baltimore
3. Megadeth at the 930 Club, DC
I'm also seeing Opie & Anthony's Traveling Virus (Bob Saget, Louis CK, Carlos Mencia) this weekend.

So far, the Slayer gig was the most intense (are you surprised?) while the Dream Theater show was probably the best overall show (Dream Theater remains my #2 favorite live band after Soulfly). Now if only Rage Against The Machine did an east coast tour...

SoCal

Spent a delightful weekend with my family in SoCal - the weather there just blew me away after the unbearable heat and mugginess of the DC area. I'm seriously thinking of moving there if I can find someone to buy my albatross a.k.a my house. The one downside to SoCal is that people drive really slow - I guess they follow the speed limits unlike us East Coast dwellers.

Bapida was in LA too, so Moosh got to meet him for the first time. I hadn't seen him in 9 years too, so it was great catching up. Igor was in LA too checking out the old Queen Mary 1. Kids from 3 of the 4 Kushari siblings were present, which is a pretty thing given that we are sprawled all over the globe. Hopefully we can do this again soon!