Everyone watches stuff. And by stuff i mean, TV shows , movies , documentaries , miniseries(s?). I watch a lot. Of everything. And how do I decide what to watch, what is good ? Good Ol' www.imdb.com .
Yes, IMDB ratings are pretty good. Accurate. I mean, The Shawshank Redemption has a 9.1 and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2 has a 1.4. Yes , i have actually seen Superbabies 2. Gives you an idea on how many movies I watch. Sometimes though you just have to watch the movie first and then decide whether you like it on not. I mean, IMDB ratings are by people just like us. You and me had an effect on how the rating comes out.
Even if it was a movie I really wanted to watch, IMDB came first. And what defines a "good" movie. A rating of 6.0 and over. Or is it 7.5 and over. Personally, my cut off was a 7.0. How many movies are you missing just because it has a ratings of 5.6. Does everyone else know our taste better than ourselves. No, in every way, they don't.
For the past few weeks, I've been watching movies without checking IMDB. It was tough at first but then it became a lot easier. I saw movies that I would never have even thought of watching only because of IMDB. I opened up a whole new experience of movies.
Sometimes though , the movie I watch might actually end up being brilliant and have a 7.2 on IMDB. Others haven't been as lucky. I wouldn't have watched quite a few movies that had me engrossed for those 90-130 minutes.
Nothing or noone is as good a judge of anything as we are. Not IMDB. Not any critic. Not anyone. If you think it'll be a good watch, watch it. Judge for yourself. There's nothing as good as that.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Why I support the teams I support
I watch a lot of sports. I support teams that play those sports. Why do I support the teams I support - Here's why.
Liverpool F.C. - I got into football only once I started to play it. This was back in December 2004. I had played a few times before, seen a few games. Nothing really caught my attention. It was only in the end of 2004 did I really get into it. Playing every weekend with Vyaas, Avi and the rest of the good ol' footy gang lit a fire in me. I started to love this game! And I started to watch it too. The English Premier League. What everyone was watching. And who did everyone support - Manchester United. I have to admit that I never liked them. Something about the team didn't make me happy. Probably because they were the best team at the time. They dominated the 90's and seemed like the first decade of this century would be their's too. So Manchester was out. Arsenal was a team I knew about. Thanks to the many Arsenal memorabilia in Tarun's house. But, something drew me to Liverpool. They aren't the best. They don't play the most beautifully. They were having a lousy season ( though not as bad as last year). Yet, after watching a couple of games, I was in love. I knew the Reds were going to be my team. And they have been ever since. I am thrilled when they win. Depressed when they lose. Excited when they sign someone new. Disappointed when they don't sign people good enough. I know, This is my team. Always. Forever. You'll never walk alone.
Chennai Super Kings - It's really hard to grow up in India and not be a fan of cricket. Cricket has been an international game since it was thought of. India vs. Australia. England vs. New Zealand. It's always been countries. Until the IPL came along. The idea of a cricket league on the lines of the football leagues in Europe was a brilliant idea (to me). A way to mix the best Indian talent with a few foriegn greats battling each other for the pride of a city a lot of the players probably don't call home. Sounds weird. Though something along the same lines was created in the ICL, it being unofficial didn't really excite anyone. When the IPL was announced, people knew this was going to be big. And obviously, Chennai got a team. It's home team. The Chennai Super Kings. The Men in Yellow. Then came the auction which was followed by M.S.Dhoni , Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan , Makhaya Ntini and a lot more. The fever started. Watching every game, at home or with friends. Going to a few games. This was it. This was my team.
Los Angeles Lakers - I have always loved basketball. Playing every Sunday at 4 at school with the guys is something I really miss. And I think I've been watching it for even longer. I think my first memories of watching basketball was when Jordan won that 5th title with the Bulls. That was probably the only team I knew then. I remember (vaguely) watching the Finals with Karthik Anna. Then came a lull. I didn't really follow the game as much as I would have liked too. I watched random games here and there. The Nets vs. The Lakers. Allen Iverson in the NBA Finals. Then I watched the 2006 finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers. When LeBron lost 0-4. Then one of my all time favorites moved to the Celtics. I wanted to see Kevin Garnett with a Championship. Did that make me a Celtics fan? Not really. Because I wanted Dirk Nowitzki to win one too. And Steve Nash. And Jason Kidd. Then the Lakers won. I kinda never liked the Lakers. No particular reason or such. I knew they were a great team. Then fast forward to the NBA Finals 2010. Sid invites me to Game 1. I go. The Forum changed it all. I was hooked. It was the entire setting. The game. The place. The crowd. Being drunk helped too I guess. I loved it. I wanted to be a Laker fan. All my previous notions were out of the window. I wanted this. I wanted this to be my team.
Pittsburgh Steelers - This could be more because of family than anything else. Though I have to admit that the first NFL game I ever saw was the Steelers vs. the Seahawks. Superbowl something. Ashwin Anna was at home and we watched the game together. It's very possible that I wouldn't know anything about the game if it wasn't for him. Who knows anything about the NFL outside this continent anyway. I guess it made things easier for me about whom to support. I like the Steelers now. They are the team I support.
I love these teams !!!
GO LIVERPOOL.
GO CHENNAI.
GO LAKESHOW.
GO STEELERS.
My Teams.
Liverpool F.C. - I got into football only once I started to play it. This was back in December 2004. I had played a few times before, seen a few games. Nothing really caught my attention. It was only in the end of 2004 did I really get into it. Playing every weekend with Vyaas, Avi and the rest of the good ol' footy gang lit a fire in me. I started to love this game! And I started to watch it too. The English Premier League. What everyone was watching. And who did everyone support - Manchester United. I have to admit that I never liked them. Something about the team didn't make me happy. Probably because they were the best team at the time. They dominated the 90's and seemed like the first decade of this century would be their's too. So Manchester was out. Arsenal was a team I knew about. Thanks to the many Arsenal memorabilia in Tarun's house. But, something drew me to Liverpool. They aren't the best. They don't play the most beautifully. They were having a lousy season ( though not as bad as last year). Yet, after watching a couple of games, I was in love. I knew the Reds were going to be my team. And they have been ever since. I am thrilled when they win. Depressed when they lose. Excited when they sign someone new. Disappointed when they don't sign people good enough. I know, This is my team. Always. Forever. You'll never walk alone.
Chennai Super Kings - It's really hard to grow up in India and not be a fan of cricket. Cricket has been an international game since it was thought of. India vs. Australia. England vs. New Zealand. It's always been countries. Until the IPL came along. The idea of a cricket league on the lines of the football leagues in Europe was a brilliant idea (to me). A way to mix the best Indian talent with a few foriegn greats battling each other for the pride of a city a lot of the players probably don't call home. Sounds weird. Though something along the same lines was created in the ICL, it being unofficial didn't really excite anyone. When the IPL was announced, people knew this was going to be big. And obviously, Chennai got a team. It's home team. The Chennai Super Kings. The Men in Yellow. Then came the auction which was followed by M.S.Dhoni , Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan , Makhaya Ntini and a lot more. The fever started. Watching every game, at home or with friends. Going to a few games. This was it. This was my team.
Los Angeles Lakers - I have always loved basketball. Playing every Sunday at 4 at school with the guys is something I really miss. And I think I've been watching it for even longer. I think my first memories of watching basketball was when Jordan won that 5th title with the Bulls. That was probably the only team I knew then. I remember (vaguely) watching the Finals with Karthik Anna. Then came a lull. I didn't really follow the game as much as I would have liked too. I watched random games here and there. The Nets vs. The Lakers. Allen Iverson in the NBA Finals. Then I watched the 2006 finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers. When LeBron lost 0-4. Then one of my all time favorites moved to the Celtics. I wanted to see Kevin Garnett with a Championship. Did that make me a Celtics fan? Not really. Because I wanted Dirk Nowitzki to win one too. And Steve Nash. And Jason Kidd. Then the Lakers won. I kinda never liked the Lakers. No particular reason or such. I knew they were a great team. Then fast forward to the NBA Finals 2010. Sid invites me to Game 1. I go. The Forum changed it all. I was hooked. It was the entire setting. The game. The place. The crowd. Being drunk helped too I guess. I loved it. I wanted to be a Laker fan. All my previous notions were out of the window. I wanted this. I wanted this to be my team.
Pittsburgh Steelers - This could be more because of family than anything else. Though I have to admit that the first NFL game I ever saw was the Steelers vs. the Seahawks. Superbowl something. Ashwin Anna was at home and we watched the game together. It's very possible that I wouldn't know anything about the game if it wasn't for him. Who knows anything about the NFL outside this continent anyway. I guess it made things easier for me about whom to support. I like the Steelers now. They are the team I support.
I love these teams !!!
GO LIVERPOOL.
GO CHENNAI.
GO LAKESHOW.
GO STEELERS.
My Teams.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Year One - III
I realized I wasn't here to play the fool and have fun. I was here for a reason. I can't afford to play the fool, have fun all the time. Thought I made a mistake. A big one. I guess that's what it took for me to get serious and realize why I came to the USA. A bad grade.
Christmas at Pittsburgh. Going to a Penguins game. Back in NYC. Picking up Vyaas at Penn Station. Meeting up with Vishoka, Vishwam and his friends. Meeting random people and going out. Ball drop at Times Square. Poker back home. An interesting new years. Ethiopian food. Going out with Anusha and Danny in NYC. Headed to Summit for a week of rest. Back in NYC for Sid's birthday. Accepting what has happened. My birthday. Narayan's sugar "cake". Semester starts. Realise I have to prove myself to myself. Courses. Projects. Inter-mural Soccer. Soccer at Tillary Street. Playing pranks on Kanishka. New roommate. First actual party at home. Vivek's birthday. Narayan leaves to California. Mid Terms. Going to Harry-O's after the last one. Knocking down beers with Pushkar. Counterstrike craziness. Party at Vinay's house. Helping Sid move to hoboken. S'Mac. Back to school. Term paper. 2nd Mid Term. Finals. And semester 2 is done. Good grades. The smile is back !
SUMMER!
A slow start. Heading to Rochester. Hanging out with Rohin, MSK and Surya. Adi comes. Sanjay comes. Seneca Lake. Random places. PEARL :D. Roadtrip somewhere. Six Flags Darien Lake. Driving through Pennsylvania. Rafting in the Youghiogheny River. Real rapids. Falling in the water. Losing my new sunglasses. Driving back. A stop at a motel near Erie. Drunk and calls to Mickey and Vipul. Niagara Falls. Sanjay leaves in Buffalo. Back in Rochester. Adi leaves. Back to NYC. Back to research. Don and me trying to figure out the nozzle. New project. A month of work. The NBA Finals. The Forum. Black and Tan's for dinner. Getting hammered every alternate day. Dim Sum. World Cup. Don and me streaming on ESPN3 at office. Leave to Colorado. Family reunion. Meeting Yadav after 16 years. A week of fun. Amazing fun. Back to NYC. Scary realisation of what might happen. Start Blog. It all works out. All's good. Work continues. Ads arrives. A week as an NYC tourist. Weekend at Summit. Back to school. Back to work. Doing random shit. Hanging out with Sid. Rohin drops in. Wii at home. Summer's gone by so fast.
And School starts tomorrow. Semester 3.
Christmas at Pittsburgh. Going to a Penguins game. Back in NYC. Picking up Vyaas at Penn Station. Meeting up with Vishoka, Vishwam and his friends. Meeting random people and going out. Ball drop at Times Square. Poker back home. An interesting new years. Ethiopian food. Going out with Anusha and Danny in NYC. Headed to Summit for a week of rest. Back in NYC for Sid's birthday. Accepting what has happened. My birthday. Narayan's sugar "cake". Semester starts. Realise I have to prove myself to myself. Courses. Projects. Inter-mural Soccer. Soccer at Tillary Street. Playing pranks on Kanishka. New roommate. First actual party at home. Vivek's birthday. Narayan leaves to California. Mid Terms. Going to Harry-O's after the last one. Knocking down beers with Pushkar. Counterstrike craziness. Party at Vinay's house. Helping Sid move to hoboken. S'Mac. Back to school. Term paper. 2nd Mid Term. Finals. And semester 2 is done. Good grades. The smile is back !
SUMMER!
A slow start. Heading to Rochester. Hanging out with Rohin, MSK and Surya. Adi comes. Sanjay comes. Seneca Lake. Random places. PEARL :D. Roadtrip somewhere. Six Flags Darien Lake. Driving through Pennsylvania. Rafting in the Youghiogheny River. Real rapids. Falling in the water. Losing my new sunglasses. Driving back. A stop at a motel near Erie. Drunk and calls to Mickey and Vipul. Niagara Falls. Sanjay leaves in Buffalo. Back in Rochester. Adi leaves. Back to NYC. Back to research. Don and me trying to figure out the nozzle. New project. A month of work. The NBA Finals. The Forum. Black and Tan's for dinner. Getting hammered every alternate day. Dim Sum. World Cup. Don and me streaming on ESPN3 at office. Leave to Colorado. Family reunion. Meeting Yadav after 16 years. A week of fun. Amazing fun. Back to NYC. Scary realisation of what might happen. Start Blog. It all works out. All's good. Work continues. Ads arrives. A week as an NYC tourist. Weekend at Summit. Back to school. Back to work. Doing random shit. Hanging out with Sid. Rohin drops in. Wii at home. Summer's gone by so fast.
And School starts tomorrow. Semester 3.
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