1) Forget about Finals. What's done is done. You tried to cram the entire semesters' worth into one night. Why did you do it? You should of known better.  Now its too late. No reason to stress about it. You get what you get. It's not the end of the world. Life goes on. If you haven't finished finals yet, don't let these sentences apply to you. Da! go Study.

Post-Thanksgiving Update 

Last week, I had Thanksgiving Dinner at fellow webmaster, Susan Kurikeshu's house. The meal was orchestrated and prepared by Susan herself. Of course she had some help beating the eggs and mixing the flour, but all assistance was under her direct supervision. At the end of the day, I can say I had one of the best Thanksgiving meals ever. Here is a picture of the table. 

Thanks Susan and crew for the wonderful Dinner. I'll be back next thanksgiving.    ( Start practicing now....jk) 

"We've been through a lot together, through dark days and nights — and "Whatever the story, I had only one objective: to get it right. When I failed it was personally painful and there was no greater urgency than course correction. On those occasions I was grateful for your forbearance and always mindful that your patience and attention didn't come with a lifetime warranty. 

A few days ago, I was really praying for something I wanted. It was a material prayer request but still, it was important to me. Immediately, God convicted me of my selfishness.  

Often I am so negligent to thank God for his blessings in my life; and then when I do pray, its for something I want. My prayers lacked consideration for others. It lacked intercession. It lacked prayer for those who really need prayer.  

With the new year coming up, this is one resolution  I want to make and start doing now. Praying for others more than myself. With that said, I hope the IPF audience continues to pray for Jason from Yonkers and his complete healing.

Sometimes we pray for God to help us on an exam, or  get into a school, or get a new job, or a new house, and I'm not saying those prayer requests are not important, but they pale in comparison to praying for someone's healing. 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4) NIV

The Curse of the Bambino

We as Christians are not superstitious people, but if you've never believed in curses before -- now's a good time to start. Hah I'm kidding, but seriously,  what are the chances for Boston now that Curt Schilling is not going to play?

In a sense I'm disappointed that Curt Schilling wont be playing. It would have been more of a competitive series to watch. I'm not totally dismissing the Red Sox -- they're definitely an explosive team and very capable of coming back and winning it all -- but in all probability, I don't think it's going to happen. 

For all of you that that hate the Yankees let me say that I understand your hatred. We are considered the evil empire because we always win and we spend mass amounts of money to get the best players - but hey - don't hate.

I hated the bulls in the 90's because they always deterred the Knicks from advancing but looking back now I have great respect for that organization because they knew how to win.

I heard a commentator say that the Yankees organization is run like a Fortune 500 company. Everybody from executive management down to the bat boys know that the number one objective is to win the pennant and with that goal in mind, every decision is made.  

Did you know that no one in the Yankees organization is allowed to have facial hair -- including the players.  In fact the only acceptable facial hair is a plain moustache.  Otherwise you must be clean shaven. No goatees are allowed and no pencil-thin beards.  Sound Familiar? ;)

Debating The Debate...

Well I didn't catch all of the debate last night. In fact I only caught the last few minutes, but enough to realize that Bush still needs a speech 101 class and Kerry is still the quintessential politician -- articulate, lofty and commanding -- but you have no idea if anything he says is true or not.

Last night's debate focused on foreign policy and the war on terror -- what some people may tag the single most important issue in this election and rightfully so -- it is.  

The next debate which will be one week from today will concentrate  on domestic policy like healthcare, the economy, social security etc... I myself am undecided on where I stand on a number of these issues especially healthcare and the economy. Some believe the tax cuts helped us get out of the recession faster. Others felt it took money away from the poor and bulked the pockets of the rich and pose a great economic burden on future generations-- the argument can go on for days. I don't agree with Bush that tax cuts are a cure-all solution. At the same time I don't agree with liberal ideas that encourage the redistribution of wealth. I believe in Personal Responsibility but at the same time it is the governments duty to provide equality of opportunity. Yes the GDP is rising, but the middle-class is disappearing, which cant be a sign of a healthy economy -- at least not in the long run.

Like Benj said, this is one of the most important elections in our lifetime and if you are going to vote make sure you are an informed voter. Please don't resort to eenie meenie miny mo come November 2, in which case you should probably stay home instead of canceling out someone's earnest vote.

That's all for now. See Y'all next time.

Beef -- Its what's for Dinner.... lunch and breakfast

Yesterday, In the tradition of labor day, I was enjoying a nice juicy burger--Melted American cheese dripping over a medium-well cooked USDA prime patty with a stripe of pink.  I'm only 24 so I have a good 15 years before this stuff kills me, but inevitably it will.  Americans more than any other nationality consume a  tremendous amount of red meat. We have it in our soup, in our sandwiches, for breakfast. we even have it by itself - raw. 

Think about all the red meat we eat. Hotdogs, Hamburgers, Steaks, Sausages. Mmmm --All very good but all very deadly. But the penchant for Red meat is strong in America and growing ever stronger. After eating Big Macs for 8 years, even the all-powerful former President Clinton fell victim to Red Meats deadly effects.

Bill Clinton looks fairly fit--especially compared to middle age males in the Indian community; But Red Meat is slick. It attacks you from the inside -- So you may look like the governator on the outside, but your insides are as clogged as  the belt parkway west-bound in rush hour, during the Republican national convention, and two lanes are closed for construction and there's an accident on the right shoulder involving an overturned jack-knife tractor trailer.

I'm not saying we should all stop eating Red meat, but for your health and mine, lets just limit it to special occasions like labor day, 4rth of July,  birthdays, anniversaries and dinner. 

Moving on to a completely different topic --The other day myself and a few companions decided to Try the famous 'Peter Lugers Steakhouse' in Brooklyn. 

Peter Lugers is arguably one of the best steakhouses in the nation. It has been rated the best steakhouse in New York for the last 20 years.  We tried to call in and make reservations for 8 oclock but they laughed at us. Apparently you have to make reservations 3 months in advance. 3 months?? Who is going to make an 'appointment' to eat a piece of cow and plan for it 3 months ahead of time?   

Fortunately Peter Lugers has another location on the island which is not as busy.  Any steak connoisseurs that want to try Lugers, here's what you should know. They only serve porterhouse. The steak is pre-cut and arrives on a 400 degree plate sizzling in Lugers Special Sauce. The steak melts like butter in your mouth. There's very little chewing involved.  And oh yeah -- they only accept cash -- so those MasterCard card commercials ( "For everything else there's MasterCard") -- Well not for this.

Also don't even think about asking for the A1 steak sauce. That's considered an insult. But like I said before, you shouldn't be eating steak all the time.   Remember --"Quadruple bypass..."  Stick to leaner meats like Turkey skinless chicken, Tofu, and steak.

Weekend Update - Part 2

Just got back from church. It was a nice service. There was a song that really moved me during the worship. It’s an old familiar hymn.

Jesus What a Friend for Sinners, Jesus Lover of my soul.                               Friends may fail me, foes assail me.  He my Savior, makes me whole            Hallejuah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a Friend                                   Saving, helping, keeping, loving He is with me to the end

A nice Sunday Afternoon is before me, and when I say nice -- I really mean nice. The temperature is a pleasant 76 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind from the West at 13 mph. 46% humidity and a UV index of 8.  It’s like the first day of autumn in the middle of August.

Here’s a picture of my backyard on this beautiful summer day

Ok I’m kidding.  My backyard really looks like this:

Ok I’m kidding again. My point is -- It’s a beautiful day and I’m going outside to enjoy it and you should too. See Ya’ll next time.

Weekend Update - Part I

Tomorrow will be the one-year of Anniversary of IPF v2004. A year ago -- our founder and President, Chung Lao, took a growing personal website and turned it into an Online Empire. Ok Maybe not that big, but it certainly has come a long way. Overall, IPF is nearly 4 years old; but it’s been on hyper drive since August of 2003.

For your amusement and mine, check out where it all started.  http://www.indaphatfarm.com/pages/oldnews/128to202.html

Moving on. The Weekend is here and its time to relax, or is it?  This morning I was abruptly awakened at 10:44 am by a phone-call. It was Vinod. He told me to stop sleeping away my life and get up. I pondered his remark for a bit, before realizing that this is the ONE day of the week where I can sleep past 8 am. Not only that, it's also the few years of my life where I can do so.  Unlike him, I don’t have a wife and an infant son. So I said, “Screw it”, —I’m going back to sleep.

Sleep is important- but too much of it is bad for you. I know. I used to be a sleep hound. They say the average American is sleep deprived, and while that may be true, I think a large part of sleep deprivation for most people, is self-inflicted. I can go on and on about sleep, but Ill save it for another update.   Check out this site for more info on sleep.

I’ll be updating again tomorrow, for Part II of the Weekend Update. Perhaps I’ll continue my expose on Sleep. Perhaps I Wont. Anyway that's all for right now. I got to go take a short nap. See you Tomorrow

2004 BSC Tournament Recap

Here are My Awards:

Best Backcourt: Philly Ballaz ( Chacko Brothers)                                             Best Frontcourt: Brooklyn: (Jenkins Brothers)                                           Best Defensive Team: ( Brooklyn & Philly )                                               Best Game-Winning Shot: Silby (YO) against Strong Island in Overtime      Most touching Moment: 30 Seconds of Silence for Blessan and Bro. Phillip and Bro Terrys opening prayer                                                                                Best Spectators: DC ( Soumini and Crowd)                                                 The Team that put on a Royal Suckfest: Strong Island                             Best Regular Season Ref: Sam John                                                       Most Improved Roster: Yonkers                    

Team Analysis:

Philly: Clearly, the most dominant team in the tournament.  Hats off to them. The trophy was well deserved.  For those teams looking to emulate Philly's success, Here is the key.  Assemble a team, where every player is capable of hitting an 18 footer -- including your center.

DC:  This Young team, studded with a few veterans and the help of  drum-banging, bleacher stomping, chant-shouting fans, made it all the way to the finals.  DC has youth on their side.  Look for them next year -- deep in the playoffs.  2 Suggestions for DC.  1) Draft a shooting guard. 2) Hire a Team Doctor. 

Brooklyn: A True underdog story. No one expected  50 year old Bro Terry and his son, to take this player depleted team to the semi's and win the #2 seed in the Regular season. But they did just that. They showed that Its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.  They had a formidable front-court in the Jenkins brothers and a quick back-court in Roy and Ben. Mad props to Brooklyn. You showed Heart and You've earned our Respect.

Yonkers:  Like I said, Yonkers had the most improved roster, and a quality starting lineup, including, Silby, Bejoy, John and Sony among others. They also made their first playoff appearance. This team is capable of improving every year. Don't sleep on them. I can only imagine how much more damage they could have done if Tony John played.

Newark: These guys may have lost 4 games, but they sure looked good doing it. Nice Jerseys! Most of all, I applaud Newark for their great sportsmanship. These guys came out to have fun and they did;  They beat Strong Island and, like Chris said,  they gave some teams a run for their money.  Hope to see you guys again next year.  

Strong Island: As a Stunna myself -- All I have to say is, this year was a humbling experience. We were looking to waltz our way into the finals like last year, but as the Proverb says, "Pride cometh before the fall"  Next year we promise nothing. We only hope we can win more than one game.  

Stay tuned for Tomorrow's update. Vinod will have more Post-Tourney Analysis.

Note * Tournament Schedule - Revised Check out the Tourney page to see the updated schedule or Click Here. This is the FINAL schedule. No More Changes Will Be Made.

[ And now on to my update... ]

Books & Music

Has anyone noticed the ever so  fading distinction  between Pop Music and Contemporary Christian.  Oh  that's right there is none.  Lately I've given up on Contemporary Christian.  Actually not all Contemporary Christian, Just certain artists who use the label "Christian" to make a profit. 

Their intentions are clearly to  transition into the mainstream; however ,  increasing Christian record sales  mixed with a highly competitive mainstream market keep them writing those songs that,  you just cant tell if their singing to their  ex-boyfriend/girlfriend,  current lover , or Jesus. 

------------------

Every now and then , during my lunchtime,  I stroll into Borders bookstore and take a look  around  (mostly in Non-Fiction).  It seems as if everyone and their mother is writing a book  and publishing it. This must be the new get-rich quick scheme.  Believe it or not, book sales are increasing despite the ubiquitous presence of TV & Internet.   

So many people have an opinion to share or a story to tell and apparently millions more want to hear that opinion/story.  However  after reading my own fair share of political non-fiction, self help,  Biography and more,   I've come to the conclusion that watching T.V is clearly the better alternative. Hah Ok I'm kidding. The point I'm trying to make is that reading like any other source of entertainment has its own dangers. 

The books  being read by our generation are  not the same quality books that were read by generations prior. Today's books are highly biased, with misconstrued and exaggerated facts. You have to be careful what you you read otherwise, unknowingly, an opinion might be forced on you -- Sort of like certain "documentaries", which shall remain nameless.   

Traffic & Weather

It was a busy week for me. Things flew by. Hard to believe its Friday already. To start things off I have a couple of complaints.

5 Reasons Why I Hate the L.A Lakers

1) Kobe Byrant - This Son of a fish is the cockiest most arrogant player I have ever seen. Ill give him his props when he can win a championship without Shaquille O'neal. On a side note, I hope the Knicks will be able to acquire him when his contract ends after this season. That is if he doesn't go to jail first.

2) Gary Payton & Karl Malone.  There are some Ex-Nba players whom I would have liked to have seen win at  least 1 ring  -- like Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and John Stockton. However I hope Gary and Karl never see the reflection of a glimmer of a ring. True, these are future hall of famers and I respect them for their hard work-ethic. But where's the self -respect, where's the loyalty, where's the dignity, where's the pride. I would rather see a man go out in honor without getting a ring than cowards who betrayed their own teams to come to L.A and gravel at the feet of Shaq and Kobe for the sake of a ring.

3) Phil Jackson.  He won 6 rings in the 1990's.  Reason: He had the best player on the face of the earth.  He's won 3 more rings in the new Millenium. Reason: - He has the most dominant player on the face of the earth - Shaquille Oneal, plus Kobe Byrant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton.  I'll respect the man when he  pulls a Stan Van Gundy and takes a team like Miami deep into the playoffs.  My question is, Who cant coach the Lakers to another ring?  For Gods sake, they're an all-star team. I bet you if you put them against the Western or Eastern All-Stars, they'll still win!

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Below is a compilation of actual student bloopers collected by teachers from 8th through 12th grades.

1) The Bible is full of interesting caricatures. In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, asked, "Am I my brother's son?"

2) Moses led the Hebrew slaves to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread made without any ingredients. Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten commandments. He died before he ever reached Canada.

3) Solomom had three hundred wives and seven hundred porcupines.

4) The Greeks were a highly sculptured people, and without them we wouldn't have history. The Greeks also had myths. A myth is a female moth.

5) Actually, Homer was not written by Homer but by another man of that name.

6) Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock. After his death, his career suffered a dramatic decline.

7) In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, jumped, hurled the biscuits, and threw the java.

8) Eventually, the Romans conquered the Greeks. History calls people Romans because they never stayed in one place for very long.

9) Julius Caesar extinguished himself on the battlefields of Gaul. The Ides of March murdered him because they thought he was going to be made king. Dying, he gasped out: "Tee hee, Brutus."

10) Nero was a cruel tyranny who would torture his subjects by playing the fiddle to them.

11) Joan of Arc was burnt to a steak and was cannonized by Bernard Shaw.

12) Finally Magna Carta provided that no man should be hanged twice for the same offense.

13) In mid-evil times most people were alliterate. The greatest writer of the futile ages was Chaucer, who wrote many poems and verses and also wrote literature.

14) It was an age of great inventions and discoveries. Gutenberg invented removable type and the Bible. Another important invention was the circulation of blood. Sir Walter Raleigh is a historical figure because he invented cigarettes and started smoking. And Sir Francis Drake circumcised the world with a 100 foot clipper.

15) The greatest writer of the Renaissance was William Shakespeare. He was born in the year 1564, supposedly on his birthday. He never made much money and is famous only because of his plays. He wrote tragedies, comedies, and hysterectomies, all in Islamic pentameter.

Top Ten

Weather: Spring is upon us and along with the warmer weather and longer days comes a lot of flowers getting it on. Pollen... Its what’s for dinner. For those of you with Allergies, you know how miserable this time of year can be. My advice… Stay inside. If  you must go outside – wear a mask. When people ask you, why you are wearing a mask, warn them about the looming perils of Global Warming.

Politics: The Dems are in uproar about the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners. The Arab nations are in disgust that we have committed such atrocities. While everyone has reason to be upset, I agree with Benj that much of this anger is disproportionate. As Newt Gingrich calls it – It is selective anger. On 9/11 when one of the worst attacks in history happened, causing the loss of thousands of civilian lives, the Palestinians were seen toting their guns and cheering in the streets. 

Travel: This is a true fact and I don’t mean to be offensive to any Polish IPF viewers. I am simply perpetuating an old Stereotype in a harmless manner.  Anyways, remember back in the days when Airlines allowed smoking on an airplane.  Most airlines had their non-smoking section towards the front of the airplane and the smoking section in the back. In the polish Airlines, The Smoking section was on the left side and the non-smoking was on the right, so at any point – you were sitting next to a smoker! Its true – I can’t make this stuff up.

Sports: Baseball is fun to play but I can’t watch nine innings in a row. I used to be able to, but now I’m so used to the fast paced action of Basketball and football that I don’t have the patience to watch grown men spit and scratch themselves while intermittently taking swings at a 90 mph ball. And now with the drug controversy and all , you have to wonder—who was it that hit all those homeruns- Barry Bonds or Steroids?

Entertainment:  10 years of Friends have come to an end…..Good Riddance!  I could name 10 shows that were better. Wheel of Fortune, NBC Nightly News with Dan Rather,  Donahue,  The Price is Right…Shall I go on?

Careers & Jobs: A recent report prepared by the Council of Economic Advisors stated that Outsourcing might actually create more jobs in the U.S.   It’s true-- this is what they claim!  My question is this. Where did these Economists get their degrees – The University of Bob? And on that note, why are we as taxpayers paying these guys 6 figures to sit around all day and speculate. They are not providing a good or service. They’re simply making guesses that may or may not come true. I might as well take my chances with Miss Cleo or that guy from “Crossing Over”

Technology: Last week I chucked my humongous CRT monitor and replaced it with a sleek, slim 17’ flat screen.  I have so much space on my desk now that I don’t know what to do with it all. Flat screens are expensive but if you have a friend that works for BestBuy your set. BestBuy for a guy is like Mandees or Express to a girl. Once I step in, its hard to get me out.

NBA Finals

Before I begin my update today, I would just like to tell everyone that I have great news!  I just saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to geico.

A former St. Johns player, Artest is the epitome of lockdown defense and is one of the main reasons why Indiana finished with the best record in the league. Its refreshing to find a guy so dedicated to playing defense- especially when defense doesn't get you any stats or put you on any posters. When you play defense, your playing for your team and not for yourself. Here's a stat for you. Over the course of the entire season, Artest held his man to under 9 shots per game! Enough said. I hope the Pacers take it all!

See ya next time.

Air America Radio

Look out Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, Air America Radio is here and it may be a force to reckon with. That’s right the liberals finally have a media outlet on the radio to combat the likes of their right wing counterparts. I occasionally listen to conservative talk radio and am for the most part pleased with it; however, lately I cant seem to stand it. Why? Because of the incessant advertising. Especially on the Rush Limbaugh show. Rush can’t seem to speak for more than 2 minutes without cutting to a commercial break.  For the last week or so, I’ve been listening to Air America. I’ve got to admit, some of the hosts make a couple of good points here and there, but for the most part, they come off as hatemongering conspiracy theorists. 

Right now, the station is riding on the 9/11 commission hearings  and Iraq but I have a feeling, after the dust clears and everything is settled, they’ll have nothing left to talk about. 

"Facts are meaningless,  You can use facts to prove something that's even remotely true!"  

Homer,  you are a wise man. 

Short Stories

Welcome boys and girls to Binu’s short story time. Today’s update will consist of 3 short stories. These stories are entirely true events that happened in my life or have been observed by eyewitnesses and told to me under oath. Enjoy.

  Story#1    5^th Grade Math  

I was sitting at my computer one fine Tuesday night  quietly tending to my routine procedures of checking email, paying some bills online and bidding on an ebay item or two.  All of a sudden, a panicked Vincent V  im's  me. There's desperation in his tone. I could sense it from his writing. He say’s,  “Binu! I need your help, My 11 year old cousin has a math problem and I am stumped” I tell him to go ahead and read the problem. Vincent reads, “There are 28 children in a class who  went on a trip to collect cans.  They collect a total of 12374 cans.  Some kids collected 441 cans and other kids collected 442 cans.  How many kids collected 441 and how many collected 442.”  I allow a second or two to pass so I could fully absorb the question. Then I put on my thinking cap and get to work. Standard multivariable algebraic problem consisting of a set of dual linear equations that solve by either simple substitution or algebraic summation. I finally set up the dual equations of x + y = 28 and 441x + 442y = 12374. Solve for x = 28 – y. Plug in that to the equation of 441(28-y) + 442y = 12374. I whip out the TI-85 to speed along the process and eventually get the answer,  x = 2 and y=1. Success! After reciting the solution in its completeness back to Vincent, he replies, “That's  great genius -- I knew that too, but how do I explain all this to a fifth grader. He doesnt even know what algebra is.”

  Story#3   Everybody do the Robot 

Yes I Know you are expecting a third story, but unfortunately I will not be able to live up to my promise and deliver.  For the sake of brevity I'll end this already long update and Ill leave you with these 2 video clips. I found them quite entertaining.  See yall next time. 

Tech Support

If you’ve ever had to make a call to a computer technical support technician you know the experience can be either quick and painless or long and grueling.

Its either the technician doesn’t know what he/she is talking about and is walking you around in circles or the caller can’t distinguish a mouse from a keyboard. Its usually the latter but in any case, here's a good place to segue into some classic tech support jokes. Have a read:

Tech Support: I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop.
Customer: Ok.
Tech Support: Did you get a pop-up menu?
Customer: No.
Tech Support: Ok. Right-click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?
Customer: Not at all.
Tech Support: Ok, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?
Customer: Sure, you told me to write 'click' and I wrote down 'click'
Tech Support: Ok, did you type 'click' with the keyboard?
Customer: Yes. Oh man! I've done something stupid, huh?

A confused caller to IBM was having troubles printing documents. He told the technician that the computer had said it "couldn't find printer." The user had even tried turning the computer screen to face the printer - but his computer still couldn't find it.

Tech Support: "OK Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter 'P' to bring up the Program Manager."
Customer: "I don't have a 'P'."
Tech Support: "On your keyboard, Bob."
Customer: "What do you mean?"
Tech Support: "'P' on your keyboard, Bob."
Customer: "I'm not going to do that!"

Ok some of those were Corny but here’s one from my own experience:

Tech Support: Dell technical Support. May I have you express service code please

Binu: zc5vv***

Tech Support: How can I help you

Binu: Im not getting any sound from my speakers

Tech Support: Are they plugged in?

Binu: Lemme check………No they’re not….. Thank you. [Click]

Mind you I spent 20 minutes on hold for that call.

That’s all my time. See yall next week.

All Star Weekend & Co-Habitation

Its NBA All-Star weekend! I'm looking forward to the Rookie game this year with Carmelo Anthony and Lebron James playing together. It Should be a great game. AS for the all-star game on Sunday, I have a strange feeling that the East is going to win it this year. They're long overdue for a victory and although the East doesn't have the offensive firepower that the West has stolen, they have some solid defensive players in the likes of Jermaine O'neal and ....Ehh who am I kidding, I cant even name 3-4 good players in the East. East. The West has ALL the better players and the better coaches. Its not fair! 

Speaking of basketball, What's happening with Tourney 2004?  Does anyone have any dates yet? The Stunnaz haven't officially started practicing but last week we all went to foot locker and got us some G-Unit sneakers. If we do go down this year, We're going to go down in style.

Happy 25th B-day to Vincent V -- A fellow Stunna and good friend.  I was talking to him yesterday and the conversation into spiritual matters. All of the sudden he blew me away with this mind-boggling question. He asked, "Is it possible to lust after your own wife?" (Or husband). 

I thought that was an hilarious question. I still get a chuckle when I think about it. I don't believe its possible, but I may be wrong. I'm not married so I wouldn't know. What I do know is that a more rampant problem is lust BEFORE marriage. If more husbands lusted after their OWN wives then divorce court wouldn't be such a popular daytime T.V. show.  Listen, If lusting after your own wife is the biggest problem you face, then you are a lucky guy ;) And I'm sure your wife is pretty happy too.

This brings me to an interesting topic. Last week I was reading an article on msn.com about the proliferation of co-habiting couples.

 http://women.msn.com/48212.armx

Do you know that there are 11 million cohabiting couples in the U.S. and the number is growing strong. When I say co-habiting I mean, a man and a woman who are living with each other, sharing finances, and maybe even raising children but they ARE NOT MARRIED. Some of these couples have been living  together in excess of 10 - 15 years. What a disturbing social practice! I guess the rational behind it is: 

"Why buy the milk when you can have the cow for free."

Think of the Irony, Homosexuals are fighting for the right to get married and have the state recognize their union while Heterosexuals are making a mockery out of the scared institution of marriage. All I can say is, this county is going to hell in a hand-basket and God help us all when we raise our children and they come to us and say, "Mommy, Daddy, I'm gay and I live with my gay lover" At that point I will turn to my wife, point to my temple and ask her to please insert bullet here.

Haha. J/K  Hopefully none of us will have to face that ordeal, and to make sure you don't, be sure to use plenty of the "belt". ( ok ok I don't want to advocate domestic violence or child abuse) How about I just say "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it"

P.S "SPARE NOT THE ROD"

See yall next week.

Speaking of Friday...

Brrr. I hate Winter. Well I don't hate hate it, but this Winter has definitely worn out its welcome. You know its COLD when it a takes an extra couple of churns for your car to start in the morning.

Speaking of COLD, You know what's hot? The Sacramento Kings. What Binu? You're talking about basketball on Super Bowl weekend. That's blasphemy. uh yeah. Listen Football is great and all, but I need me some basketball to keep the BLOOD flowing. With convincing wins over the Rockets and the Spurs -- all without Chris Webber, I think the Kings are headed for the Championship. Mark my words.

Speaking of BLOOD, Two days ago, I took a trip into Brooklyn, a place I haven't been in a long time. I'm not talking about just passing by Brooklyn on the way to New Jersey or the City, but actually walking the streets of East Flatbush and the Bedford Styvesant Area. It brought back some memories. I was born in Brooklyn some 23 years ago, and when I saw it the other day, it was a world of difference. Yes it still has it's problems, but the borough has developed tremendously. Its vibrant, full of culture and growing.

But what really made my day was the white castle I hit up on Flatbush and Atlantic. White castle Mmmm. If you haven't tried those mini STEAMED hamburgers that you can eat by the dozen, you don't know what your missing.

Speaking of STEAM, Howard Dean's campaign is losing it.  I think it'll be over for Dean after the South Carolina primaries where I predict a repeat of Iowa with Kerry coming in first followed closely by Edwards. I would of liked nothing more than to see Dean win the nomination, but a Kerry/Edwards ticket might pose a formidable challenge to a Dubya RE-ELECTION.

Speaking of RE-ELECTION, here's a scenario for you to consider. A lot of people say that election 2004 will be a tight race But What if. What if on Nov 1 2004, two days before the reemergence of chad ballots. The United States captures Osama Bin Laden and finds stockpiles of WMD's in Iraq? I'll feel sorry for whichever democrat spent the last year raising millions of dollars and campaigning through all 50 states only to lose by the biggest landslide ever. But hey, that's wishful THINKING.

Speaking of THINKING, I think its time for me to go. Ill see ya'll next week. Peace.   

P.S.  Welcome to all the newest IPF columnists -- Ben, Liza, Llenis. Glad to have you on board.

Mars Rover & Tourney Dates

The Second week in the new year is nearly over, and already a lot has happened.

Mars Rover has landed, Britney Spears got married and divorced and Bush has proposed a new immigration plan that has many conservatives infuriated  -- But before I move onto these gut-busting topics – Did you know that  policemen in India who have moustaches get an average of 69 cents more than their non-moustache counterparts?  Its true. According to the associated press, Indian policemen are encouraged to grow moustaches for higher salaries. Supposedly there’s an Indian stigma that says men with moustaches present a more authoritative demeanor.

Tourney 2004:  Dates people. Dates. Vinod and I have been talking about the tournament planning and I’m not going to get into specifics right now But I will tell you that we need to know dates. Were shooting for August 2004. The general consensus I received from various people is that August is a good month for the tournament. With that said, were looking to book a gym fairly soon for the first or second week of AUGUST 04. Any rebuttals? Let us know. Otherwise August 2004 is when the Stunnaz will win the trophy ;)

Wednesday, January 7, 2004 - Binu

Happy New Year 

2004 – The year of promise. Time to get off my lazy rump and do something for the betterment of society.  Who needs blood?  This year I am not going to make any unreasonable resolutions. I’ve only made 2 resolutions and I intend on keeping them both.  

Resolution #1 - Get off the Fatkins diet.                                      

There was some YAR Media scheduled to debut today, but they will be deferred to later on this week. Stay tuned

YAR Recap: It was great to get away high atop the mountains of Pennsylvania on the first weekend of the New Year. Sometimes, your mind just gets so cluttered, you lose focus and you’re in one big daze. Thank God for the mountains. Up there, there is no high-speed Internet connection. The Verizon guy who says, “Can you hear me now?” has not been up there.  I didn’t even get one bar. God knows I held my phone at every angle possible. But not even one bar.

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