Big League Chew

This past weekend I discovered the greatest gum I've ever had!


I speak of Big League Chew. A Wrigley product that was, according to the advertising, "dreamed up in 1980 by two ball players, Big League Chew has been a favorite of baseball players for over 25 years. Today, Wrigley offers 4 great flavors, all in the classic stay fresh pouch."


Not only does BLC pack a sugar filled punch but, unlike many other gums, it also delivers no jaw aches or headaches. It's a bubble gum which tastes exactly like a bubble gum and is, oh-my-god soft! The gum comes shredded in a pouch just like chewing tabacco. It was made as a substitute for chewing tobacco for ball players.


Try it, you'll be hooked on it!

Rest Your Eyes

Ajit Singh, a farmer, inspects his sunflower crop at Dharar village near Amritsar, India.

Munish Sharma/Reuters

Fareed Zakaria On Pakistan

Serendipitously, I've come upon a review of Benazir Bhutto's book, RECONCILIATION: Islam, Democracy, and the West, on Fareed Zakaria's website. You may know Zakaria from his CNN show, GPS. Zakaria is, inter alia, the editor of Newsweek International.

In the article, reprised from Zakaria's review of Bhutto's book for the New York Times, Zakaria writes, the book was

written while she (Bhutto) was preparing to re-enter political life, it is a book of enormous intelligence, courage and clarity. It contains the best-written and most persuasive modern interpretation of Islam I have read.

Just on the strength of these words, coming as they do from an esteemed source, I think it would be a worthwhile cause to eventually track this book down.

The Idiot's Guide to Pakistan

Foreign Policy is a sometime favourite read of mine. Check out this worthwhile primer on the politics of Pakistan.

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Coincidentally, I happened upon Aatish Taseer's book, Stranger to History: A Son's Journey Through Islamic Lands. The book is a travelogue of the Islamic nations of the world and an exploration of what it means to be a Muslim growing up in the West. The Guardian reviewed his book in March of this year.

Tarah Says:

On Allergies...Everyone in our house has allergies. Some have seasonal allergies, others are allergic to pets. Except for Tarah: She has no allergies to speak of and I guess she feels let out, so this morning, on our way to have a Mother's Day brunch, Tarah says, "Mom, I don't have any allergies."
Mom: "Yeah, you don't."
Tarah: "But my imagination sister has allergies. She's allergic to rhinos.

While I am taking a shower, Tarah walks in to the bathroom and asks? "Does Fatema (cousin) speak India?"
Me: "You mean, does she speak Indian?"
Tarah: "Yeah, is she speaking Indian?"
Me: "Yeah, she speaks in Indian, but just a little."
Tarah: "Is it because she's pretty that she doesn't speak Indian?"
Me: "No. She just likes to speak English more."

The Gym

I just returned from the gym. Usually I return relaxed from the gym ready to read a little and then go to bed. Unfortunately, today I had the unusual pleasure of an 18-year-old punk telling me what to do in the changeroom. A bizarre event.

As is my routine after a workout I was going to take a shower before heading home. As I headed to the shower with nothing but my towel and flip flops on...this 18-year-old muscle-head wondered out loud to no one in particular, "Why do people have to walk around naked, man?"

As I'm walking past him, I say incredulously, "It's a changeroom!"

I haven't been in a good mood lately. In fact, I'm downright angry. The one thing that really pisses me off is when people treat other people, and especially me, unfairly. Don't talk down to me, don't tell me what to do and don't treat people unfairly. Nobody likes to be pushed around, least of all me. I guess this loud mouth muscle-head didn't get the memo.

At five yards past him I hear him say, "Yeah, but why do you have to walk around naked? Its all men in here!" A truly weird bit of logic.

I turn to face him, fully angry, cut the gap between us to two yards and in the loudest voice ever heard in any change room say, "Why does it matter, are you fucking gay? This is a fucking change room, you're gonna see people naked!" I sense people have stopped and are wondering what the hell is going on?
I don't think he expected me to react quite as loudly as I did. I read in his face an instant re-calculation of his position. He then tells me to get out of his face. We exchange expletives. He calls me a 'skinny fuck' and we call it a draw.
I turn around walking back to the showers, while repeating my point that in a change room, you will see people naked. I can hear him making his point to his friend and the 5-6 other people in the changeroom who happened to be present.

To be truthful, I could have gotten a severe beating at the hands of the aforementioned muscle-head, but the sheer absurdity, the audacity of him telling a 44-year-old man (me) how I should dress in a change room, while I'm on my way to take a shower, was simply too much to bear.

I am at a wonderful time in my life as far as people's opinion of me are concerned. I am at the gym for my own purposes. I am not there to make friends, or pick up chicks or boost my ego: I am there to keep myself somewhat fit and de-stress. And I don't give a flying fuck that I don't look like the ideal gym-type, I don't care that you're not impressed with me taking a shower naked, I don't care whether my shorts match my socks and t-shirt or shoes. And I don't want to know what you think of me. Quite simply, people's opinion on these matters does not matter to me. I wear what I am comfortable wearing, I say what needs to be said, and if your opinion of my behaviour is negative than so be it.

I am at my best when I exercise my self-determination. And I intend to execise as often as possible!