tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71434442666629175342011-04-21T23:16:45.911-04:00a blog about nothingbilluhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-57668097812438973452007-05-21T18:24:00.000-04:002007-05-23T17:35:03.691-04:00

Here's a well-articulated argument on Five Rupees against Shoaib Akhtar's inclusion in the Pakistan side. Well, far be it from me to shy away from an opportunity for such ripe debate.I'm not sure I can pick holes in Ahsan's individual arguments per se. In any case, as he says, it's unlikely that either of us will change our opinion. But I can say that I am one of the few remaining Pakistanis who

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-71984617204850864752007-05-18T15:55:00.000-04:002007-05-18T16:14:55.397-04:00

So Pakistan beat Sri Lanka today. Quite convincingly at the end, but it was a good match all the way through. I have grown so used to supporting the Lankans that at the start of the match I honestly wasn't completely sure who to support. By the middle of the day I had found my loyalties again.I wasn't quite as impressed with the performance of our team as I was with their attitude. There was a

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-88072337550082602022007-05-17T11:38:00.000-04:002007-05-23T17:35:25.294-04:00

Here's an article about how the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) has declared Inzamam (the team captain) an out-of-control tyrant who ruled the team with an iron fist and ran it into the ground.So let me see if I've got the sequence of events straight. 1. You have a traditional governing body (the PCB) that bumbles and fucks around and makes money off its public (cricket fans) without really giving

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-22947767129285084132007-05-16T09:02:00.000-04:002007-05-17T15:13:28.579-04:00

This post might seem a bit dated by now, but I randomly came across this article in the San Francisco Chronicle the other day and it made me think. As the article exemplifies, it has become common for people to assume that males who do not want to watch the movie Brokeback Mountain are homophobic or "insecure". This is both unfair and erroneous. Has it never occurred to people like Mr. Hartlaub (

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-37869126105817154252007-05-15T14:29:00.000-04:002007-05-15T23:40:46.419-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, we (Omar and I) had a few lengthy discussions about why it is that we found this World Cup so boring. It must be understood that we are a pair of die-hard fans who grew up on the game; fans whose earliest cricket-watching memories are those of Imran Khan lifting the coveted trophy in 1992. So if we are left horribly unsatisfied by the sport’s premier event, then how can we

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-45009243971119631962007-05-13T11:36:00.000-04:002007-05-13T11:52:07.780-04:00

These steroids sure are taking a long time to wear off. It's been nearly a year now. He must have taken enough to kill about ten horses. Either that or he's been popping pills the whole time he's been away from cricket. Either way, it is an impressive dosage, and if he can still play cricket after this, I can only applaud him. Only Shoaib could pull off a feat like that. Bravo!

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-68879441362544411972007-05-11T16:36:00.000-04:002007-05-15T12:44:34.311-04:00

Here's an article in the New York Times about how the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) has been persuaded by anti-smoking groups to consider the prevalence of smoking (of tobacco) in movies when assigning ratings. That is to say, a movie that depicts no sex or violence, but merely some guys lighting cigarettes is unlikely to get a PG rating. This is ridiculous, and it's the kind of

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-4609182942373148982007-05-10T15:23:00.001-04:002007-05-10T16:15:25.562-04:00

Okay, corny title, I know. But in my enthusiasm to write about this I haven't bothered to stop and conjure up something suitably subtle. I went to the Arcade Fire concert last Friday. And it was awesome and fantastic and better than almost any other concert I have ever seen. Around two-thirds of the way through the show, the singer was like "Hey, I apologize to security, but you guys gotta dance

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-87579025547234236282007-05-10T11:53:00.000-04:002007-05-11T17:37:15.347-04:00

A while ago I wrote about how people were finding my blog by searching for the word "choot." Of course, in most juvenile fashion, I found this incredibly funny back in February when I started my "...is a choot" series. (Incidentally, this is still true. Six hits last week were accounted for by the keywords "choot", "indian choot", "choot video", and, wait for it... "blood choot". Disgusting, I

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-29744825114598186732007-05-09T14:10:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:19:44.129-04:00

I teared up when Sri Lanka lost the final. I was supporting them all the way after Pakistan lost. If the match hadn't been interrupted, it may have been a tighter game. And yes, maybe Jayawardane wasn't out. But all this is moot, because shit happens, and the Aussies won fair and square.The question du jour is: Was it legal for Adam Gilchrist to put half a squash ball in his glove when batting?

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-20195950855418047402007-05-09T14:05:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:20:05.883-04:00

The Aussies whined like bitches once again, this time because Sri Lanka refused to give them a look at their three strike bowlers in their redundant Super 8 match. Never mind that Australia frequently rest their key players when they have already won, or don't care about, a tournament (see here).I do think it was a bit wussy of the Sri Lankans to rest the players, but tactics are tactics, and the

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-75069927346452120052007-05-09T13:55:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:20:53.791-04:00

What I'm about to say here has been said to death. The tournament was too long, ticket prices too high, the last three overs of the final were a fiasco, and it was a bad format. Next time there should be quarter finals, fewer minnows, fewer officals muddling over the rules, and the locals should be able to bring trumpets to the stadiums.i.e. this time it was not perfect, next time it should be.I

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-8376988192464734512007-05-09T12:13:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:21:11.478-04:00

April 17th, 2007: I am soaking up sun on Miami Beach when I hear that Pakistan is out of the World Cup after losing to Ireland. Shock, horror, self-pity, and much sulking ensue.Ireland went on to beat Bangladesh, and had previously tied with Zimbabwe. That's three good results for them. Of course, questions abound. Did their presence in the Super 8s diminish the excitement of the tournament? Yes.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-80509915077448260632007-05-09T11:17:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:21:28.989-04:00

One of the reasons I went on hiatus last March was that when Bob Woolmer passed away, I felt I needed to write something that both matched the solemnness of the situation and expressed my personal disgust at whoever was responsible. Since I am good at neither personal nor solemn writing, I found this particularly difficult. There were enough comments about how cricket is just a game, and a man's

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-39563617109835579442007-05-09T10:23:00.000-04:002007-05-15T16:22:59.799-04:00

Dear readers,It's been a while. Much has changed since my last post, both for me personally and in all the spheres where I usually target my commentary. Often in this period, I've come across something and thought, "Ooh, I should blog about that," and then not had the time or the energy. But here I am again, at your service.Let's get some of the backlog out of the way before I start writing in

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-30642602634331761552007-03-14T17:34:00.001-04:002007-05-09T12:09:28.476-04:00

My last post about the Pakistan team was about how awesome they were. And here I am writing another incendiary choot post with them as the subject. I'm not schizophrenic, and it's not that my opinion has changed. It's just that the team navigates so effortlessly between being "the shit" and being "just shit" that you can't really blame a person who tries to evaluate their performance on a day by

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-67716628972186531892007-03-02T01:33:00.000-05:002007-04-25T17:24:18.604-04:00

As the World Cup draws near, we are being hit every day with news of another player that must miss out for such and such reason. Each of these incidents is a shame, because the whole point of the tournament is to bring together the best talent in the world. But few are as interesting as the two most recent tragedies.First, it's official. Shoaib and Asif are out, due to "injury." I put the word in

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-25760947803158400102007-03-01T14:39:00.000-05:002007-03-02T01:10:04.725-05:00

A common motivational statement goes something like this: "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Turns out, you could also make the Taj Mahal. Or that big Jesus statue that sits on the cliff above Rio de Janeiro.Here are some of my favorite pictures from the Fête du Citron, an annual festival on the French Riviera in which people get together and make gigantic sculptures out of oranges and

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-90127540097242866132007-02-28T17:25:00.000-05:002007-02-28T20:27:03.758-05:00

The L Word is a TV show on the Showtime network about a group of women, mostly lesbians, living in Los Angeles. It's something of a soap opera, with terrible dialogue. It does, however, contain some steamy scenes that make it mildly bearable. But before all you pervs who found this blog through weird searches get all excited, that's not what this post is about.The show is typical of Showtime's

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-87445851536666202452007-02-28T12:01:00.000-05:002007-02-28T20:33:08.044-05:00

Shoaib, Asif to Get Complete Transfusion from Razzaq's BloodIn order to remove all traces of Nandrolone from their urine in record time, the PCB has launched an incredible and impressive secret campaign. Adbul Razzaq, an important, yet replaceable, member of the squad, conveniently fractured his knee just minutes before leaving for the Caribbean. In an interview, he appeared completely befuddled

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-38726070091196041512007-02-25T09:35:00.000-05:002007-03-01T01:25:39.425-05:00

Some of you may have noticed that I cross-post my cricket posts on cricket.bloggers.pk, a sort of combined forum for Pakistani cricket bloggers to get better outreach for their posts.Well, I recently posted michael holding is a choot there, and here is a comment I received from a fellow named Adnan Siddiqi."Your voice could be heard if you had no't (sp) prefered (sp) to choose censored words. I

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-89538454028002101112007-02-22T14:59:00.000-05:002007-02-25T12:40:24.322-05:00

Here's an interesting piece in the New York Times. Basically, students at Middlebury College have been told they can no longer cite Wikipedia as a source in History papers. For some reason this has created a big furor.Apparently this article has been making the rounds, and a lot of campuses are starting to talk seriously about the issue. As usual, the New York Times has painted the issue in

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-52795829704131969502007-02-22T10:32:00.000-05:002007-02-22T16:28:22.102-05:00

In one of my earliest posts, I applauded Michael Holding for sticking up for Inzi and pointing out double standards in world cricket. I also noted that this was against my better judgement; that he is, in fact, an idiot, but that his statement on that occasion had thoroughly impressed me.Well, his statement du jour is no less impressive. Unfortunately it's for all the wrong reasons. Mr. Holding

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-86559148821899547672007-02-21T14:50:00.000-05:002007-02-22T15:34:21.956-05:00

It has been brought to my attention that people enjoy my crudeness here on billu.net. In particular, they seem to enjoy my use of the word "choot." How do I know this? Well, for one, my Darrell Hair is a Choot pt. 2 post was a hit. Teeth Maestro, among others, lauded it for the "pure, untamed quality" of my style. Others called it "angry", "caustic", "brilliant", and "a bit too much".Well, maybe

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-36815785122849785652007-02-19T20:01:00.000-05:002007-02-19T20:08:17.988-05:00

Position Available: Opener for the Pakistan cricket team (National Squad) - temporary positionPosition RequirementsNo experience required.Age - Must be young. Under 25, with minimum domestic or international exposure.Preference for candidates from “warring tribal areas.”Required to score 100 on debut…and 50 every 20th game thereafter.Cover drives must be spectacular…no other shots required…the

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-67322915695186330902007-02-07T16:20:00.000-05:002007-02-12T10:31:48.120-05:00

I don't often say nice things about the Pakistan team. Reading billu.net, one might be inclined to think I don't even like them.But I do. And they won. In most awesome fashion. And I am psyched.It's been a while since I saw them perform so professionally. I will admit that after the last ODI I thought it was all over. In fact, I was going to post, but I got lazy. I was going to say that the

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-39744983878466348522007-02-07T14:30:00.000-05:002007-05-17T15:21:57.352-04:00

Fans of billu.net will remember my very first post, in which I argued (quite eloquently) that Darrell Hair is, in fact, a choot.It's now time to revisit that theme. To set the tone, I've deliberately put up a picture of him tugging at his dick under his coat to underscore, up front, what a wanker he is. Literally.Darrell Hair is like a big, fat, ugly boomerang - no matter how far you think you've

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-60996511958455711272007-01-28T17:22:00.000-05:002007-01-30T16:30:53.098-05:00

A while ago, Omar put up this post arguing that the ban on Indian movies in Pakistan will inhibit the Pakistani film industry from improving itself. He said that the lack of competition would allow the Pakistani industry to become complacent and settle for mediocrity.Dog considers himself a die-hard 'liberal', so when he did this, I had to explain to him that it was, in fact, a fiscally

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-53715257652075767242007-01-26T14:59:00.000-05:002007-01-29T12:47:55.401-05:00

In this post, Teeth Maestro refutes my (and to some extent, Omar's) argument that Shoaib Akhtar should play on the Pakistan team based on performance and not personality. His point is that Shoaib’s unruliness and disregard for authority splinters the Pakistan team, generating a lack of discipline and unity.As usual, I have something to say about this.First, I agree that a side needs to be, as Mr.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-21846696599679982162007-01-24T17:58:00.000-05:002007-01-29T11:37:41.954-05:00

Don't get me wrong. I like Danish Kaneria. I saw him on a plane once, showing a picture of a hot woman in a magazine to Kamran Akmal. I found it amusing. He seems friendly. And he has an innocent look about him, like he's not hiding anything.Unfortunately, that's the problem. What he's actually like as a person I can only guess, but it's quite clear that as a bowler, he's not hiding anything. He

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-6327138032726171002007-01-24T13:27:00.000-05:002007-01-25T08:47:37.084-05:00

I am sick of people saying:"Shoaib Akhtar is arrogant and therefore should not play."It is idiotic. Since when did humility become a prerequisite for playing cricket, or any sport for that matter? These players are supposed to be professionals. This is their job. If Shoaib is arrogant, don't go to dinner with him, or invite him over to play with your kids. But surely you can work with him. God

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-1940011676018236622007-01-23T17:52:00.000-05:002007-01-29T17:21:08.686-05:00

Pakistan needn't worry about silly things like having an 11 man team.When we started the series I was ecstatic that four specialist bowlers were playing, instead of the Razzaq/Afridi/Malik types that Woolmer seems to love from so deep within the most sensitive parts of his cock. Alas, my joy was unjustified after all. It appears that even if we had sported a team of 11 bowlers, only two of them (

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-72559445850746243332006-12-13T19:35:00.000-05:002006-12-15T17:48:15.366-05:00

Nicholas Kristof has written an interesting piece in the New York Times on the common stereotypes about Islam. In it, he argues that no "religion's influence is intrinsically peaceful or violent," but admits that "some Muslim societies do have a real problem with violence, wih the subjugation of women, with tolerance."His main point is that Muslims exist across the world, and subsequently the

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-46449839379424300582006-12-12T18:24:00.000-05:002006-12-14T15:13:44.644-05:00

Pakistanis are idiots.Since Friday, no less than 12 people have either mentioned or sent me a link to this BBC article. It's about how Indian men have smaller penises than standard international condom sizes. The article itself is quite funny. But from the taglines appended to each of these forwards (generally in the "Haha, Indians are so lame, we have bigger dicks" vein), I gather that many

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-61500391690359033522006-12-08T11:47:00.001-05:002007-01-25T08:12:08.567-05:00

I'm sorry.Call me juvenile, but this photograph may turn out to be quite prophetic in answering the aforementioned question.I continue to wonder what will happen with this whole affair. Bob Woolmer has gone on the record saying he supports the decisions of both tribunals, which, umm, is a bit daft, given that they both handed out completely opposite sentences.My guess is the ICC won't let this

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-89910323896265928852006-12-06T20:29:00.000-05:002007-01-25T06:53:10.739-05:00

In an article about the inconsistencies in the PCB's doping trials, Osman Samiuddin proves his point that this is not Pakistan's first encounter with anti-doping legislation:For Pakistanis who are celebrating this decision, they should first cast a sombre glance at the cases of Meherullah Lassi and Faisal Karim. They are possibly Pakistan's best boxers, among the region's cream as well, and they

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-2580090023821850892006-12-06T18:21:00.000-05:002006-12-14T15:17:21.387-05:00

Here is an audio version of an interesting NPR story. The US Ambassador in Berlin has started a program to meet with young German Muslims and set up a dialogue about each other's respective worldviews. As part of this program the kids even get to go on a trip to the States. They visit New York and DC; check out Times Square and the State Department; and talk to Americans about America, Germany,

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-58276918621456059062006-12-05T10:36:00.001-05:002006-12-14T15:16:51.349-05:00

I have watched events unfold in the Shoaib/Asif scandal with a fair bit of incredulity. For some reason I haven't posted about this yet. Maybe because I had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't over. Well, lo and behold, it wasn't. In the latest development, they have both been completely acquitted of all charges brought against them. Which means the entire process of having a trial and serving

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-54612839108728493732006-11-16T10:12:00.000-05:002006-12-14T15:37:08.493-05:00

So according to this article, a couple of Indian kids have broken the record for the highest partnership in any form of recorded cricket. In a school match, they put on 721 runs in just 40 overs.My question is, why is this being reported as if it is actually a record? Is it comparable to Sangakkara and Jayawardene making 624 in an actual Test against South Africa this year? I mean, good for these

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-37081602423045752432006-11-15T11:43:00.000-05:002006-12-07T14:12:20.927-05:00

As much as I love cricket, I think it's lame that it allows you to have "runners" and "subs" in the way that it does. If you get tired of batting, you can call someone to come and run for you; and if you get tired of standing in the field you can go inside and chill while some random dude fields in your place.I have fervently castigated other sports, like American football and baseball, for

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-47329566600459114832006-11-09T15:57:00.000-05:002006-11-09T16:47:49.942-05:00

Somebody has left the following comment on last Monday's post:"this is a crab site there is no picz"Needless to say, I am distraught at the quality of readers my site is attracting...(It's okay if they're reading this - I deliberately used big words like 'distraught' and 'quality' so they wouldn't understand.)

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-79704375885774521022006-11-09T10:51:00.000-05:002006-11-09T16:49:40.965-05:00

So this is what shows up when you open up Netflix these days. I've blocked out my name, of course, but take a look at the two items they are asking me to "update" on my profile. And no, it's not like they don't have this information, you have to enter it when you sign up. They just want to keep their info up to date.....

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-22392833018208749332006-11-08T20:16:00.000-05:002006-11-09T16:48:40.503-05:00

I have just discovered that there was once a philosopher named "Epictetus." I wonder if he was as 'full-bosomed' as his name suggests...

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-5900441239856513022006-11-06T10:38:00.000-05:002006-11-06T10:41:13.958-05:00

Fans will notice (if they are still reading) that billu.net has a new look! Big up to our friends at 4e44 for helping us out with this. Finally, an orange theme that works!

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-57357279469239676702006-10-19T21:55:00.000-04:002006-11-15T12:15:19.989-05:00

Sacha Baron Cohen, the guy who does Ali G and Borat, is selling out. First, he has started to appear on talk shows to promote his show, when earlier he would refuse to be seen in public out of character. When this first started to happen, I thought, well, enough people are in on the joke now that it's okay. But I still feel he could have kept his integrity by staying out of the public eye. Second

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-39693237707310697922006-10-19T09:35:00.000-04:002006-10-19T09:39:02.674-04:00

So apparently up until 1975, the country we now know as Benin was known as the Kingdom of "DaHomey"! How brilliant is that! I wonder if that's where the word comes from...

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-90852730999338047302006-10-18T09:47:00.000-04:002006-10-19T10:51:03.902-04:00

So according to Cricinfo, one (admittedly weak) defense for Shoaib failing the drugs test is that he was taking Ventolin inhalers. Apparently Ventolin inhalers contain steroids.Hmm...I better not take any drug tests anytime soon.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-54370445751917106882006-10-17T17:50:00.000-04:002006-11-21T18:44:05.099-05:00

Here's an excerpt of an email I received from Columbia, that they sent out to all prospective students. Basically they are showing off about how hot their visiting speakers are, and how so many of their faculty have recently won big prizes etc. So they say:Next, two Columbia University Scholars were recently awarded a Nobel Prize. Orphan Pamuk, a Scholar in Middle Eastern and Asian Languages and

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-9135392586547559972006-10-13T19:15:00.000-04:002006-10-19T10:52:18.079-04:00

Dear readers,My heartfelt apologies for leaving you postless for so many days. Things are heating up with applications et al. Here, however, is a little article I just came across that I had to post about. So here ends my hiatus..Apparently Canadian troops in Afghanistan are having a hard time getting through "almost impenetrable forests of 10-feet-high marijuana plants."So they are wondering how

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-3796869975828590202006-09-29T11:32:00.000-04:002006-12-05T11:45:30.501-05:00

Well, I had to... He's everywhere these days...There are two things in particular on which I will comment.1. His speech to Washington's (expat) "community." -- First of all, he is a tremendous speaker. He kept it colloquial, seamlessly blended Urdu and English, made jokes, and used statistics to try and convince us of the nation's supposed unbounded progress. Of course I took the joviality as

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-77310079130924787852006-09-28T12:39:00.000-04:002006-09-28T12:51:46.576-04:00

Dog commented on the whole business of name-discrimination based on what are perceived to be black or white names etc. I'd like to follow up with a personal anecdote.A few months ago, I emailed a guy off Craigslist for tickets to a show. It was 2 pm, the show was at 8, so this guy had 6 hours to sell them. His ad said he had wanted to go but now he couldn't so he was selling at face value. Great.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-56546858244543292992006-09-27T16:39:00.000-04:002007-01-29T16:12:08.762-05:00

Dear readers,Today is a momentous day indeed. In addition to being Google's 8th birthday and my mother's 58th, today also officially marks the one-month anniversary of billu.net's first post!(Fans will notice I am not counting the "test post" that was put up two days earlier.)So 31 days, 36 posts, and counting...

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-7098351018237442642006-09-27T08:48:00.000-04:002006-09-27T09:28:39.483-04:00

I was at a yuppie Paki dinner recently.Which means I have recently been subjected to much discussion about the 'state of the nation,' as it were.Of course, we, as concerned citizens, using a bird's-eye-view from our perch 7,470 miles away, debated most fervently the topics that affect us least. The rights of women, the state of education, recent news bites, how to eradicate feudalism,

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-17090648009576457522006-09-26T10:54:00.000-04:002007-01-29T11:03:08.535-05:00

zDog posted a few days ago about the Finnish guy who paid 32,000 bucks for fondling a woman's breasts 10 times. Of course, I have something to say about this.First, a simple calculation. If we assume, for the sake of underestimation, that he fondled both breasts seven of those ten times, but that the other three times he was too much of an idiot to make full use of his purchase, and only fondled

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-23461511609127503472006-09-26T10:12:00.000-04:002006-09-26T10:32:07.752-04:00

It appears I have gathered a loyal readership. (if you switch the l and r in "loyal readership", you get "royal leadership". Which means Chinese people must confuse their writers and their monarchs).Of course, I hate nothing more than to read the pleas of disappointed fans. Unfortunately, I have been very busy of late, what with having to get a higher education and all. So, at the risk of losing

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-65435472313885593132006-09-21T10:48:00.000-04:002006-09-21T10:53:05.769-04:00

A little wikipediaing led me to this:Humans have consumed caffeine since the Stone Age. Early peoplesfound that chewing the seeds, bark, or leaves of certain plants had theeffects of easing fatigue, stimulating awareness, and elevating mood.Only much later was it found that the effect of caffeine was increasedby steeping such plants in hot water. Many cultures have legends thatattribute the

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-57599395287968697762006-09-20T10:07:00.000-04:002006-09-20T11:26:20.106-04:00

Here's a sample from an article in the New York Times about the whole marriage meat market thing that supposedly goes on at ISNA conferences.The questions raised at the seminar reflected just how pained manyAmerican Muslims are by the subject. One middle-aged man wonderedif there was anything he could do now that his 32-year-old son haddeclared his intention of marrying a (shudder) Roman Catholic

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-79036691496898369572006-09-19T23:05:00.000-04:002006-09-19T23:25:54.224-04:00

This wonderful article describes how some idiot named Jean-Michel is dissing the crocodile hunter for having too much of a "hands on approach" to nature television. Here's what he says:"(He would) interfere with nature, jump on animals, grab them, hold them, and have this very, very spectacular, dramatic way of presenting things. Of course, it goes very well on television. It sells, it appeals to

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-68073720249340113972006-09-19T16:26:00.000-04:002006-09-19T16:30:54.773-04:00

In this post, Omar poses a pertinent question about his bike. Will it be stolen? Here at billu.net we are always ready to lend a hand. So in our first interactive polling feature, I urge you, readers, to let us know what you think. Vote now!Will Dog's bike get stolen? YesNoMaybeWho gives?View resultsFree surveys

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-3771551083399859212006-09-19T15:11:00.000-04:002006-09-19T15:31:08.466-04:00

So Omar has been posting on his blog all this time. I thought it was being neglected. Here are his two cents on the whole Pakistan Miss Bikini story I posted about a couple weeks ago.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-11417588762493836422006-09-19T12:08:00.001-04:002006-09-19T12:08:36.731-04:00

My blog has just hit 200 hits...Of course, 175 of them are mine, but who's counting...

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-162987292400800042006-09-19T11:46:00.000-04:002006-09-19T12:04:25.703-04:00

So Jon Stewart did a stand-up show in MD a couple days ago. What a bore. 2 hours of him waxing philosophical about how we all need to be moderate and have common sense. Ridiculous, not-very-funny observations on cliched topics, and silly platitudes that were far from witty were applauded as if they were gospel. I could see that he means what he says, but at the same time I wondered why I paid 85

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-16234490386908255892006-09-19T11:19:00.000-04:002006-09-19T11:44:00.233-04:00

Ricky Ponting the choot thinks he can just rest while the rest of his team wins matches for him. Well a good old fashioned defeat by the West Indies should teach him, McGrath, and Gilchrist that they should save their rest days for when their team plays the Queensland Under-19s. Stuart Clark went for 87 runs in 7 overs. That gives me much joy. Also means that there is hope that once these three

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-19426492210094075472006-09-15T12:11:00.000-04:002007-01-26T17:20:35.901-05:00

What a perfect shot. Wrong way sign, cop car, complacent expression, Abbey Road crosswalk reference. Replace the Pepsi with a joint and that's my next album cover. The rough streets of NW DC.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-4558220469392422582006-09-13T14:54:00.000-04:002006-09-13T14:58:27.785-04:00

Been looking for this clip for a while and finally found it. Conan is brilliant.I should do something similar with Bloomberg (the little horned billu.net mascot on the top left)..

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-36990503743005792392006-09-12T10:07:00.000-04:002006-09-12T10:33:49.916-04:00

Woohooo! My blog has officially received its first incendiary comment! Omar has come through with a scathing response to my "saving face...book" post. To which I feel I must now respond. First of all, I completely rescind my statement about facebook and 'keeping in touch' with people. I intended for it to tie into my argument, but looking back on it I realize it comes off as merely an unnecessary

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-35981648210835211562006-09-11T18:32:00.000-04:002006-09-11T18:33:41.550-04:00

So there is this new facebook feature called a news feed that shows you what your friends are up to.. as in, who they recently added as friends, what parts of their profile they changed, and what they wrote on other people's walls, in an up-to-the-minute newsreel format.And people are pissed!I am not a facebook user. But I get the idea. And I do use my defunct, neglected account to look people up

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-25815742178933786682006-09-08T17:14:00.000-04:002006-12-13T10:55:01.362-05:00

So Omar discovered a website called Howstat which has the most detailed cricket stats I've ever seen. So I decided to do a completely inane analysis on the luckiest captains, by number of tosses won. Obviously I found nothing mindblowing, seeing as I was studying the frequency of a coin coming up heads or tails. But here are the results anyway.ODIs (captains that have captained 20+ matches):Each

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-66178270790359953552006-09-08T12:00:00.000-04:002006-09-08T12:06:58.393-04:00

A little article from reuters. If only the 'Pakistani authorities' spent their time on more pressing concerns...Pakistan says bikini contestant not a representativeThu Sep 7, 200611:01 AM ETISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistani authorities are investigatinghow a Pakistani-born American woman entered a "Miss Bikini"pageant in China as a representative of predominantly Muslim,conservative

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-2074814021683753602006-09-06T15:01:00.000-04:002006-09-06T15:04:18.003-04:00

Hahahahahah... This is completely juvenile and inane. But I couldn't stop laughing!

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-45830061208138299152006-09-04T22:44:00.000-04:002006-09-04T22:46:59.035-04:00

Here are the entire lyrics to Boa Constrictor by The Magnetic Fields:I spend my evenings alone talking to your pictureLove is wrapped around my heart like a boa constrictorMy mother should've murdered me, what jury would convict her?For love is wrapped around my heart like a boa constrictor

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-71894102949918026202006-09-01T10:24:00.000-04:002007-01-26T17:19:20.899-05:00

A pretty serious bag of potato chips by a company called Route 11.Armed with her jalapeno whip and extra jalapeno ammo in her belt, a fiesty Mama Zuma takes her revenge on a poor sombreroed fellow in a canyon full of cacti on fire.And this is the mild version...

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-73795153358742044692006-08-30T22:54:00.000-04:002006-08-30T22:58:35.604-04:00

Lyrics to Dr. Worm by They Might be Giants.They call me Dr. Worm.Good morning. How are you? I'm Dr. Worm.I'm interested in things.I'm not a real doctorBut I am a real worm.I am an actual worm.I live like a worm.I like to play the drums.I think I'm getting goodBut I can handle criticism. Brilliant!

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-21708390303405392572006-08-30T16:53:00.000-04:002006-08-30T16:58:03.542-04:00

Not sure who decided to stage an ODI in Wales, but the first Pak-Eng match was rained out today after a great performance by ma boys. Just as they were well on their way to a solid win, it started to come down... hmmmm....Sadly, I also ended up at position 152 for the match in the fantasy league. Bother.All in all, an 'anti-climatic' (ha ha ha) finish.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-73529815759254104152006-08-30T14:42:00.000-04:002006-12-13T18:32:31.186-05:00

Excerpts from a hilarious piece in the Guardian about Darrell Hair's potential future as a reality TV star:"Though fair and balanced members of the Australian commentariat (and is there another kind?) have rallied strongly behind the beleaguered official, some naysayers in Britain and in Pakistan have suggested that if he and his colleagues fail to produce sufficient evidence of Pakistani

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-37407347879112670502006-08-30T10:12:00.000-04:002007-01-29T11:04:36.435-05:00

Interesting fact:If you spend $100 at a restaurant, the server gets an average of $15-20. The restaurant itself, on the other hand, makes a paltry profit of five bucks.Even worse, turns out if you spend the same amount on groceries, the store makes even less, only two dollars, in profit.Hmm.. Selling food is harder than I thought..source: econ4u.org

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-81061009051462785832006-08-29T16:28:00.000-04:002006-12-13T18:34:23.840-05:00

By popular demand, here is The Story of Bulbar in it's original form."bulbar was a choot... he had five fingers and no friends... or was it no fingers and five friends... that i do not know.... smiley face....ever since i met bulbar he was a misguided foool... not to be harsh but hey cho\\oot thats the museum face.... not bulbar!!! he screamed above the noise of the alligators... didn';t you see,

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-18037839155395494432006-08-29T02:50:00.000-04:002006-08-29T02:58:42.454-04:00

So I tried looking for the English translation to Applausi Per Fibra. Didn't find it, but I did come across a forum where they were discussing the linguistic origins of the song Dragostea Din Tei by O-Zone. (The one that goes numa numa yay etc). The song is actually Romanian, but there seems to be some disagreement on this forum, to say the least...Of course, I didn't have a chance to read

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-67338690312692811482006-08-29T01:50:00.000-04:002006-08-29T02:08:39.520-04:00

...PER FIBRA FIBRA FIBRA FIBRA...Behold Applausi Per Fibra by Italian Hip Hop artist Fabri Fibra. Funky name, fantastic song. The video's not bad either. Now if only I could understand the lyrics...

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-29516103311772999752006-08-28T15:22:00.000-04:002006-08-28T15:27:57.514-04:00

I always thought Holding was a hater. Turns out he's totally awesome. Here are some excerpts from what he wrote in India Today:"I have absolute and all sympathy with Inzamam-ul Haq. If you label someone a cheat, please arrive with the evidence.""There is a double standard at work in cricket and this episode has only highlighted it. When England used reverse-swing to beat the Australians in the

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-27947786357032678252006-08-28T13:15:00.000-04:002006-12-05T11:29:49.611-05:00

Thus far I've been vehemently opposed to the 20-20 format being adopted on an international level, but very pro domestic 20-20s, mainly because I think it lowers the level of the game to just a notch above baseball. But I just watched my first International 20-20 (Eng-Pak) and I have to admit that it was quite exciting and thoroughly enjoyable. Although I wonder if I'd still have said that if we

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-88504025200035888412006-08-28T12:15:00.000-04:002007-05-15T15:02:49.155-04:00

Omar is always harping about how hot certain cricketers are.. Here's my compilation of his top 5:1. Alistair Cook (ENG)2. Stuart Broad (ENG)3. Shahid Afridi (PAK)4. Simon Jones (ENG)5. Daniel Vettori (NZ)

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-54633490909143240402006-08-28T10:04:00.000-04:002006-12-05T16:11:26.903-05:00

Here are some excerpts from what Wikipedia lists as the difficulties faced by English speakers in learning Urdu:" -- The phonetic mechanism of some sounds peculiar to Urdū. The distinction between aspirated and unaspirated consonants will be difficult for English speakers. In addition, the distinction between dental and alveoloar (or retroflex) consonants will also pose problems.-- Pronunciation

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-36904680913667757572006-08-27T02:47:00.000-04:002006-12-05T16:11:10.042-05:00

Ok so talking about it got me angry again.Why does the PCB continue to undermine the team in order to keep everyone else happy? I say enough is enough, and it's time to make a point. Be firm with assholes like Darrell Hair for once so they know not to mess. The only thing firm right now is the ICC's dick, as Shahriyar Khan goes about the task of licking it personally. There was no need for him to

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-58838640724821227352006-08-27T02:06:00.000-04:002006-12-05T16:10:29.634-05:00

In order to gain support for my blog idea, I convinced Omar to create his own blog. Turns out he already had two. Both had one post each. The two posts had a total of three words between them.His latest attempt, following my encouragement yesterday, is this.Umm.. yeah.In other news, Darrell Hair is a choot. I was going to write a long scathing piece about him, but thankfully my rage has subsided

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7143444266662917534.post-14904605251415465502006-08-25T17:27:00.000-04:002006-08-25T17:30:40.198-04:00

Yo. This is my blog.

billuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07318390181850015803noreply@blogger.com3