Craigslist Nightmare.

Well of course tryin to find a "casual encounter" on there might not be the best thing in the world to do (no I haven't tried this...yet but you get my point). I found a job listing on this bitch entitled "Sports / Entertainment / Entry Level / Marketing / Sales (Queens/Long Island NY)." Fuck Long Island but everything else about it sounded pretty damn good.

So I apply for this because I see this said company works with professional sports teams, blah blah blah. So I'm thinkin Sports and Entertainment Marketing, this is wassup right here...chances to move up pretty quickly, etc. I get a call back literally the next day for an interview; which the interview lasts about 10 or so minutes before they tell me they like me enough for a 2nd interview on Monday.

In the meantime I check out their website and their website is not detailed at all and very vague. But since I'm under the impression that it's a growing company and is a work in progress; I let it rock and am curious to see what this job really entails me to do. I start to sort of have a bad feeling as to what it could be but I try not to let that creep in my head.

Monday I go to this interview and they tell me to wait outside for a bit. I later am introduced to some people- who are pretty chill by the way and my leader. First thing I need to do is move my car from the street to the garage; aight cool. Then I get in a car...umm ok.. I'm thinkin in my head I'm gonna be checkin out office operations and shit like that...no I'm headin to White Plains. WHITE PLAINS?? FOR WHAT?? Then I come to realize that this "marketing job" is some soliciting shit. The premise is pitching a product to either a business or individial which is deeply discounted (i.e. Citilights Cruises 8 tickets for $40 as opposed to 1 ticket @ $40). It's a sick deal indeed but to go to these people cold like that I don't like this idea at all. All day on Monday I'm walkin around White Plains with my trainer watching her try to get people to buy a spa package at Lisa's Day Spa (a $245 value at $50). We probably went to like 100 different places at least it felt like it did anyway and out of all of that "chipping away"...3 sales. 3 fuckin sales, dear God. The hook is to try and get people to believe that it's an impulse and you're missing out on something good if you don't get this offer right now...and it works on some people but not on others. I'm taking mental notes of this and while I don't like it..it's not TOO bad.

I head back to the office, take a questionnaire and then get hired to join the team. Needing time to think about this and to rest as well...I tell them I will begin on Wednesday. My parents get wind of this and my dad warns me that this job sounds like one of those Avon sales jobs..or that Vector Knife bullshit jobs (Lord have mercy) and it is beneath you. Although I'm sure they're right, I tell them that I have nothing else to fall back on right now and reluctantly go today in this fuckin snow/rain storm because I knew that ppl in training would make $300/week.

I get in at 8 and sign the distributor contract. I get briefed into what I learned on Monday in terms of beginning to pitch the product (today was the Citilights Cruise thing). I thought I was gonna have to go back to White Plains today and was dreadin it all the way...until they told us we were only goin to Northern Boulevard (and staying in Queens fortunately). Fair enough, so we begin with everything at 10am. For 2 1/2 dreary hours, myself and my trainer go into EVERY SINGLE non-private building trying to get the employees there, people chillin in cars and people walkin on the street about the product. Half of em don't even understand/speak "engleesh" so that defeated the point, some of em wouldn't really give you the time of day and then there were some close-but-no-cigar ones. I tried to stay interested but it's really hard for me to get excited about selling discounted cruise tickets (though I won't like I would actually buy them). Only ONE person was willing to buy one off of us during the morning hours; yet my trainer stayed being happy. For what reason, hell did I know.

Lunch was bangin, I can't remember the name of the Pizza Shop but I would highly recommend it. The pitchin continued for the rest of the day with not ONE SALE being done. Some of the people that we talked to were hella chill and everyone for the most part were nice so I couldn't complain about that. I began feelin like one of those ppl on the train who ask for change at every train car for Food For The Homeless or some shit. You get so many No's you begin to expect it coming from someone even if they at first appear interested. We probably spoke to over 200 people and out of ALL OF THAT...one sale. Jesus.

I head back to the office for a brief meeting and what's goin on for tomorrow. Everyone gets their money for the day and then I get mine. I get SIX BUCKS. SIX FUCKIN BUCKS?!?! You have GOT to be kidding me. All that walkin in the rain, puddles, feet wet, sayin hi to a buncha ppl lends me $6??? I should have KNOWN THIS WAS A DAMN COMMISSION-ONLY BASED JOB. ANYBODY COULD DO THIS SHIT. I read: "No specific experience or education is required as we do all the training." Figures. Fuckin figures. The commission is 40% of whatever you sell so that's not THAT bad..but that puts undue pressure on you to make money. It's a good OPPORTUNITY but I prefer my money straight up; and I'm not gaining anything from this experience. Therefore tomorrow I will not show up and I will hereby quit.

I'm embarrassed. I'm infuriated. I got duped HARDBODY. I have nothing left to say...I can't believe I went through all of that. Back to square one for me I guess...

And so on.

DK Youtube Power 5: The Sniffles.

For no other true reason other than that I'm bored...I decided to compile this list.

5) Chad Johnson Crying Over A Loss: Primarily because the Bengals had dropped their record to a measly 4-1 after this game. I don't remember what season this was and losses suck at anytime but dear God get a grip.

4) Giants Fan in Shambles after Eagles Loss : I know that loss hurt...because I know that team was dedicated. But beating the Steelers and Cardinals' asses? Not quite buddy. Those were close games. At least yall have a damn Super Bowl trophy recently. LMAO @ the chick by the way.

3) Crying Sorority Girl: The first 15 seconds of it had me dying. That classic white girl voice is prominent from beginning to end. She could definitely get it too, but if she's all choked up after trying to make it snow...I wouldn't want to know the result if...no no, I'm not gonna go there ha.

2) Wrestling Fan Cries: Don't get it twisted, wrestlers do sustain a lot of bumps and bruises during their shows I'm sure. But if you're over the age of 13 and still believe that it's 100% real you need to get evaulated by the National Institute of Mental Health (if they have one). Why would you care for what they've done to their bodies when you don't even care about your own? Fuckin hypocrite.

1) You already know what this is gonna be : I'll probably never get tired of this. Ever. In my life.

And so on.

A Change in the DK Buy-A Drink Philosophy?

Here's the thing:

For years I have advocated heavily in the quest of young men to not waste their hard-earned money on the ladies. But through a couple of experiences in the past few weeks, maybe it's not a bad idea afterall to go ahead and do so...with catches of course. These are some okay exceptions:

1) See some chicks at the bar chattin it up with the bartender (who you're hella cool with). He introduces you to them, shoot the shit with them for a bit and then offer them shots. They actually feel guilty...only for the bartender to say that it's all good since the shots were on him anyway. Cha-ching!

2) Met a girl who I was diggin at an open bar. Asked if she wanted a shot of Patron and she said aight. God bless the power of open bar.

3) Met a couple chicks on Thursday while they were tryin to find what Karaoke song to sing. Parlay with them for a hot minute then offer to buy them Patron shots. They're all down with this and head downstairs with myself and a friend. I only paid for my shot and his. Their shots were on him. Ohhhh yeahhhhh.

4) Last night I met a hella chill chick at my homegirl's birthday party/happy hour. After yip yappin and whatnot the jello shot lady came on through. She wanted one but didn't have $3 to spare. Young DK being the man he is paid for himself, his boy, her, and her lady friend for the shots. $3 ain't that serious, especially when it can only help you further. I prob didn't need to buy the shot to be honest...but if you can grab an additional brownie point..fuck it. Low risk, high reward ya dig?

5) At the same spot, the shot lady came by and asked if I wanted a shot. For some odd reason or another I decided to start up a convo with her and this lasted ehh a good ten minutes or so. Shot the shit as I like to do but like Mad Lion I had to take it easy since she's workin and all that. But hey, when u ain't boring it's all good. But I didn't wanna be a dickhead so I got myself and her a shot on me ($4 each so essentially after my tip I gave her $6 in tips, what a lucky chica). She then told me to say bye to her before I left and told me the days that she works. Maybe I go for it? Fuck it nah mean?

So hey, at the end of the day I may be more inclined to be accommodating in this fashion. Just make sure you at least get somethin out of it; whether it's as simple as her number (or Facebook for you advanced stalkers), a make-out, a hang-n-bang, a relationship, a marriage; just not a "well it was nice meeting you I gotta go oh yeah I have a boyfriend too" nightmare. And protect your home-field advantage if you know a bartender because that comes in HUGE.

And so on.

Over-Excitement?

Young DK was awoken at 730am much to his displeasure this morning because his sister wanted him to drop her off to school- even though she wasn't feeling well. I was havin a damn good dream too, too bad I don't quite remember what it involved (probably some chick and myself, as most of my dreams typically are). Anyway I got some breakfast and went back to bed at 9.

11am comes:
Pops- JAY!
Me- (mumbles what??)
Pops- Aren't you gonna watch the inauguration?!
Me- (mumbles) he ain't gettin inaugurated til noon (hmph).

I wake up at around 11:55 and half-asleep I place myself on the couch and witness Obama getting inaugurated, and him giving his speech.

At the end of all of this, I just felt like it was a typical inauguration. The excitement for me at least of Barack being the first black president sworn in left me a long time ago, left me on Election Day. Part of it was due to the media. Never before have I seen this much anticipation and leadup to an inauguration. It's an excellent moment in history no doubt. As an African-American, yes I am proud. But it humors me to an extent when I see all these people in tears and whatnot, suddenly proud to be an American because of one figure. Never before has a president gotten this much attention, hype and praise even before taking office. This is akin to Tim Tebow already being hailed as the greatest college football player of all time; or when people were anointing Reggie Bush as the next Barry Sanders (nigga please); or all those "the Next Jordans" in the NBA. There's so much that needs to be fixed that had been fucked up for the past 8 years that it ain't gonna happen overnight. Change has come yes, but it would have came irregardless of who our next president was gonna be. All these specials on how the black man has had to overcome yes they're all nice...but they get repetitive after a while. Do they need to be out there? Sure I guess, the more you know, the better. But overkill can be a dangerous thing. It ruined this special moment for me just a bit because it made the inauguration anti-climatic. Now it's time to get to work. One thing I'm pretty confident though is this. As long as Obama makes progress in these four years, it's gonna be next to impossible for whoever runs against him in 2012 to beat him.

And so on.

NFL Championship Weekend Bettors Guide.

Last weekend: 2-2 straight up and ATS. Overall: 4-4 straight up and ATS.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Arizona Cardinals (+3.5)- The Eagles destroyed the Cards in the last meeting 48-20 but keep these things in mind: 1) Arizona was traveling out east and 2) Philadelphia had just gotten humiliated the week before by the Ravens 36-7 and was just waiting to take it out on somebody. Nightmares for the Birds. Philly hasn't been that impressive to be honest in their 2 victories especially on the offensive side of the ball. They were able to take advantage of two run-first teams and very ineffective QB play by the future hall-of-famer Tavares Jackson and Eli Manning who can't play in the Meadowlands for shit. The Air Cards and Kurt Warner will provide a much tougher challenge this weekend and their o-line has done a great job up to this point. The key here for Philly is keeping the Cards off the field and having someone other than Desean Jackson and Brian Westbrook step up. Donovan McNabb did a masterful job on 3rd downs last week- and that was the difference in the Giants game. Random fact: The Cards have a +7 turnover ratio in these playoffs. The Cards may not stop the Eagles, but the Eagles aren't gonna stop the Cards either. High scoring duel in the desert: Arizona 31 Philadelphia 24

Baltimore Ravens (+6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers: Considering the Steelers only won by a combined 7 points in the two meetings they had this year...I'm shocked this is the spread. Ravens are 5-1 SU in their last 6 road playoff games...while the Steelers are 6-1 in their last 7 home playoff games. These teams are about as evenly matched as you're gonna find in football and know each other's tendencies so well. The over/under is 34 but I seriously doubt it's even gonna come close to scratching that surface. The Steelers won their game against the Chargers because they imposed their will on them in the 3rd quarter (and getting fortunate with 2 turnovers to boot). The Ravens bent against the Titans...but when push came to shove they won the turnover battle 3-0. I don't even need to get into all the specs since they've been pounded to yall a million and one times. Just know this: Ed Reed is the best defensive player in the NFL. Baltimore 14 Pittsburgh 10

And so on.

"I Don't Play Games."

This has honestly turned into my favorite line of all time that girls love to use. Let me tell you somethin, this is about as true as a Xenadrine I lost 30 pounds in 4 weeks commercial. You don't want a guy that plays games huh? You wanna know why? Because you don't like 2-player games, only you're allowed to play the game. It's really unfair *sniff*. Young DK doesn't play games either, I allow you to play them and you wind up playin yourself and playin with yourself because I don't have time for it. My bluntness can sometimes be my downfall. I read your profiles on Rapespace, Facebook, whatever dating sites I decide to join for fun and I see the same shit. I ain't into games. Yes you are, games provide entertainment value. Games provide drama that you love even though you claim you don't want any more drama in your life. All you want to do is turn a man into your little pawn that gets swallowed up by the queen on the chess board in 3 moves. If you're successful you then deem him as boring and you move on to the next contestant. If you fail you wallow and go cry like Nancy Kerrigan WHY???? HUH-HUH-HUH-HUH. Shut up now. But you'll still run back to him. Because he plays games. You love games. If he doesn't play them you will. But yet if you both do, it becomes XBox live. Only one person can win. At the end just live happily ever after. Love ain't a game. But you want it to be. Fuck outta here. This is why young DK is still a reigning bachelor.

And so on.

Dear Starbucks,

You expect citizens like me, DK, to come out and volunteer five hours of my time and reward me with a friggin $3 cup of "tall coffee"? You gotta be fuckin kiddin me if you think I'm gonna get my ass up and do this shit. I understand that you are the new liquid crack; the official drink of Long Island and the uppity; the official drink of NYU; sponsored by Laguna Beach I'm pretty damn sure, blah blah blah blah. Your drink has successfully been able to cause long lines of liquid crack fiends like back in the 70s in the hoods of Baltimore, NYC and the like. Poor 18-35 year old people who bring in their Macbooks go on your wireless internet and sip on your liquid crack in which without it they feel like their lives are insignificant. A wonderful Folgers Cup or Maxwell House is no longer acceptable in today's society because of yall. My freshman year at NYU because of you I got some free coffee from willing liquid crack addicts who wanted my company to go on little mini-hits, I mean, dates. Watching these poor souls turn like Oprah bitching about her weight gain. She got a fuckin billion dollars yet she's still a fat fuck. Gimme a billion dollars. I have seen what you guys have done to these poor kids and young adults of America. And young DK will not volunteer 5 hours of his time that I would probably spend on Facebook anyway...for $3 of free coffee. That's $.60 an hour. Sweatshop workers laugh at me and joke at me in Thai.

Dear God.

Sincerely Yours,
DK

Movie Review- Slumdog Millionaire.

Every now and then a movie comes out in which there was very little commercial hype...yet somehow through word of mouth you hear great things about it- and you check it out. Then you see it actually lives up to these expectations and even exceeds them quite a bit. Almost like meeting a chick online or goin on a date drunk and then waking up next to her and you're like ahh yes. That is Slumdog Millionaire.

Slumdog Millionaire's premise sounds simple enough- Jamal (the main character) is one question away from winning 20 million rupees. Yet, it starts out with him being interrogated and locked up by some authorities since they are convinced that he cheated. Even though Jamal tries to tell them otherwise, he has his face thrown in the water, tied up and given electricity, and slapped around a few times. When he's taken into the office and they pop in the tape of the show, they go through some of the questions and that's when Jamal's story begins. Not to give too much of the movie away, each of the questions reveals a flashback into Jamal's very poor beginnings in the Mumbai slums- which for him are extremely vivid. He has to "ask the audience" around the 2nd question which centered around the Indian flag's credo- something that puzzles the interrogators. As the movie wears on; it continues to go back to Jamal's childhood in which eventually he meets a girl named Lakita (the subplot of the movie). He starts falling for her from there and there's one scene where as him and his brother Salim run away from a teaching center they were at...and Lakita is unable to keep up with them after they get on the train. Because of his experiences, Jamal is able to answer these questions to the shock of the show's host (according to him no one had been able to get past the 32,000 rupee) portion of the show prior to the "Slumdog".

As the story wears on, an older Jamal and Salim resort to fending for themselves- riding the trains all around, making money by showing tourists around the Taj Mahal, the "Real India" and so forth. Jamal and Salim eventually find Lakita- who is now a dancer that goes by the name of "Cherry". Ironically, they meet up with the same group of men that they had met as children in the boarding learning center and this time are able to successfully steal Lakita away (with some force- and actually it helps Jamal answer a question involving "Who Invented the Revolver" hah). After a night of underage drinking and going into a random hotel room, young Salim comes after Jamal with the same gun (Salim's evolution into becoming a gangster) and tells him to get the fuck out of his and Lakita's life out of nowhere. A devastated Jamal obliges.

As Jamal continues to recount the story, the authorities begin to view Jamal in a different light. Even going as far as to say "you're almost TOO truthful" and that it's not what a typical Slumdog is like. On the last question before the epic question- the show's host and Jamal both go into the bathroom and the host talks about how he used to be a Slumdog himself and how lucky Jamal is to be in this position, etc and gives him an answer. Jamal ironically goes with the opposite of that answer, assuming the host was going to help him cheat if he went with his answer...and turns out to be correct.

The night of the 20 million rupee question- everything comes full circle. The entire nation is captivated by Jamal's quest; his brother Salim (who he had seen a couple more times after but can't ever get to forgive for what he did with Lakita) is now a full-fledged gang member and Lakita re-emerges but with them...yet Salim secretly lets her go because he knows his younger brother deserves it; Lakita gets out of dodge. All I'm going to say here is that the question revolves around who is the 3rd Musketeer between Athos and Porthos- and Jamal uses his last lifeline to phone a friend....

Overall, the story is powerful enough to keep you captivated from start to finish. It proves that being street smart and going through some unfortunate experiences not only toughens you mentally- but you learn a lot more than you really thought you did. And yes, while the love aspect of it is semi-cheesy and we all know what eventually happens anyway- the premise of Jamal going on the show and doing it because he hoped Lakita was watching is adorable hah. I didn't want to just give a rundown because the movie is actually more complex than you would think- but woven tightly enough that you never for once get lost. Excellent movie- no wonder why it won a Golden Globe for Best Drama. Best movie I've seen thus far this year. Final Grade: A

And so on.

NFL Divisional Playoff Bettors Guide.

Last Week: 2-2 Straight Up and Against the Spread.

By the way, isn't it convenient that all of these games are rematches from earlier in the season ha?

Saturday:

Baltimore Ravens (+3) @ Tennessee Titans: Last time these two teams met it was a slugfest; with the Titans coming out on top 13-10. Expect a similar low-scoring matchup in this one as young Joe Flacco looks to be the first rookie QB in NFL history to reach a championship game- while old Kerry Collins seeks to take his 3rd team to a championship game. Which defense will break first is the question? Both are extremely solid vs. the run and the pass but all it takes is one big play. The Ravens will get that one play- since Collins is more likely to make the mistake slinging the ball to...Ed Reed (who should have been Defensive Player of the Year). Baltimore 17 Tennessee 13

Arizona Cardinals (+9.5) @ Carolina Panthers: This was a high-scoring one last time with the Panthers emerging victorious by a 27-23 count. A lot has been made about Arizona and their East Coast woes...but people forget Arizona was ahead in this one for the majority of the game. Vegas knows the deal...Carolina's 8-0 home record; Arizona's 0-5 East Coast record and them allowing an average of nearly 40 points in those games; Carolina's potent rushing attack and so on. With that said, Carolina's defense hasn't been exactly sterling these past few weeks themselves...and Arizona will focus on stopping the run and have done a decent job doing that (Giants, Falcons). I have a funny feeling about this one. Arizona 27 Carolina 24

Sunday:

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants (-4): The road team has won both meetings this year which for this rivalry is typical. A lot of people are high on the Eagles and their hot streak...and I don't blame them persay- their defense has been playing great and they've been getting back to basics with Brian Westbrook- who can win games by himself. But the Giants have been the NFL's most consistent team this season and the last time they played- it was clearly the Giants' worst game of the season- and they were very distracted since it was the week Plaxico shot himself. Eli's actually never won a home playoff game before...but with that running game he will finally get it. NY Giants 24 Philadelphia 13

San Diego Chargers (+6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers: Pittsburgh won this one 11-10 and bettors all across the country were extremely angry because they overturned a last second TD by Pittsburgh, which would have helped them cover. I don't understand really why this spread is so high...the Chargers have an atrocious track record in Pittsburgh (0-13 in the regular season), but they're actually undefeated there in the playoffs (2-0). Plus, I also have learned Phillip Rivers has only lost to the same opponent twice in the same season only once in his career. Not having Ladanian Tomlinson might actually help the Chargers- since him not being 100% yet playing has made the Chargers more conservative. Big Ben has never been known as someone who can beat you with his arm and you know what? All things considered I've changed my mind on this game. San Diego 20 Pittsburgh 16

And so on.

Movie Review- Seven Pounds.

After hearing about this movie and all the positive reviews I read on people's Facebook statuses, from people at barbershop and my friends...I decided to check this Will Smith flick out.

Will Smith plays as Ben Thomas, an IRS tax collector. In the beginning of the movie he makes a 911 phone call and reports of a suicide; him being the victim. Then it randomly cuts into a scene of him swimming in the Pacific Ocean back to his dope house right on the coast. The main plot of the movie centers around Ben helping out these seven random strangers in which he has a list of. How he compiled this list seems random as fuck initially; but in the end it will all make sense. He first "tests" a blind man named Erza over the phone by screaming and dissing him, but notices that he doesn't retaliate. Afterwards Ben feels horrible for what he did because acting like a dick isn't in his nature and he knows that Erza is compassionate. Ben's first face-to-face encounter- Stewart Goodman- fails Ben's "test" because he treats an elderly woman at the hospital like complete shit. The main subplot however revolves around Ben and a young woman named Emily Posa- who is in a dire need of a heart transplant; she has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and has difficulties even walking her dog. Her debt with the IRS is significant- primarily due to her repeated hospital visits...but Ben promises her that he will freeze her account; citing that he can tell she's a good woman. Ever so slowly over the course of the movie they forge a bond and a romantic connection with each other. Emily is near heads over heels because she's wooed away by Ben's compassion and kind-heartedness...however Ben is more awry and seemingly disinterested; yet his repeated visits to her house tell otherwise. While that subplot develops, Ben helps out Connie- a mother of two who is in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend; gets bone marrow taken out of him to assist a young boy named Nicholas; his friend George who is in need of a kidney transplant- he's considered a good man to Ben because he had been raising money to get Latinos into college; and at the end you'll find out about the others (I won't tell you those).

Back to the main subplot, Emily invites Ben to her house for dinner- which Ben accepts. Emily clearly takes charge of everything (dinner cooked, candlelights; and even gives Ben a present- see the guy doesn't ALWAYS HAVE TO BE THE ONE to give hah). They then engage in a slow dance in which finally the romantic connection clicks. Ben then takes her to her garage studio (where earlier in the movie he had fixed something for her) and she's grateful for this. Their romance is interrupted when Ben goes into his car to grab a present- where his brother Tim confronts him. It turned out they had exchanged things with each other and their names are actually in reverse...but Tim/Ben reminds his brother that he gave him something. He gives his brother back his identity persay and then returns to Emily's house to finish handling business. A real touching scene plays out while they're cuddling each other and play the What If game. They talk about marriage and having children...and they both confess their love to each other...it is an emotional scene, not gonna lie. The artist formerly known as Ben runs to the hospital curious to find out Emily's chances of finding a donor and living. When the lady tells her its basically slim to none, "Ben" is devastated and it leads back to the beginning of the movie (and what caused him to act this way in the first place). Everything comes full-circle and then you go "Ohhhhhh. Wow..."

It is a slow-developing movie and it's not one of those movies in which you're gonna be blown away by whatsoever. It's pretty boring and although you have an idea from the very beginning as to what will happen; it never fully comes to climax until the end. It also feels sort of choppy plot-wise. However, from a human compassion standpoint- it does an excellent job of conveying how precious life is and that you can be rewarded- or punished- for your actions. Even if you believe that what you're doing is just an ordinary everyday thing- to someone else it may mean the world to them. If it comes from the heart, it's that much more special. This movie will motivate you to do good hah. Overall Grade: B

And so on.

Movie Review- Gran Torino.

Hah I guess I'm expandin my horizons a bit now. I'm not that big on movies to be honest, never have been. I'm TERRIBLE at remembering "famous movie lines" and all that good shit...but that's probably because I rarely see the same movie more than twice- the effect for me wears off significantly after the first time. Would you read the same book 20x? I doubt it, seriously; unless it's some philosophical shit which helps to wake you up and part the clouds like some anti-depressant commercial. But enough of the bullshit; I went online and the movie choice of the night: Gran Torino.

Gran Torino centers around Walt (Clint Eastwood); a former Korean War veteran who now lives alone (after his wife died) in a Michigan neighborhood which has now become predominately Asian. You can tell that the effects of war have made this man cold-blooded, as he rarely displays any happiness (towards family and the neighbors)- with the one exception being at the bar. If you love laughing at racial epithets, you'll love this movie because he relentlessly uses terms such as "gook", "zipperheads" and mispronounces Asian shit almost all the time. The subplot centers around his neighbors who are traditional Asians- which creates a culture clash for a period of time. Tao- a young boy who lives in the house is known as a quiet, shy kid who is almost too obedient to his family gets confronted by a Spanish gang- only for an Asian gang lead by his cousin to come "save" him. They ask Tao to join his crew and after a lot of persuasion; he reluctantly follows them for an initiation. The first task- try to steal Walt's precious 1972 Gran Torino car- which fails miserably. When Tao's family gets word of this and forces Tao to apologize; Walt accepts it and basically tells them to fuck off afterwards hah.

As the movie progresses, the Asian gang returns to try and get Tao...in which a huge family fight breaks out which spills onto Walt's lawn. Walt goes to get out his rifle and tells everyone involved to get off his lawn (mainly the Asian gang) which quells the violence. For this deed, the neighbors within the surrounding community view Walt as a hero and shower his front porch with gifts- in which Walt doesn't take kindly of whatsoever. Later on in the movie incidentally- Walt drives around town and witnesses Sue (Tao's sister) being picked on by a group of black dudes who threaten to rape her.
*****INTERMISSION****** Great job stereotyping us by the way making us look like a buncha damn seagulls when fawning over women, that's why parents of other races hate us hah.
He threatens them to hand over the girl to him; and the group doesn't take him seriously until he pulls out a real gun- which in turn they hand the girl over to him and he drops her off home. This is the first part of the movie in which you sort of see a change in Walt's persona- even though of course he's cynical as fuck hah.

As the movie wears on- Walt slowly begins to warm up to his neighbors and Tao returns to help work for him (Tao's family orders for him trying to steal the car). At first Walt doesn't really have anything for him to do but eventually he finds him more work to do and realizes that Tao is a pretty efficient worker. Walt actually grows to forge a bond with Tao and gets him to toughen up; almost looking at him like a son (a lot of tough love) while he even begins mellowing out quite a bit. Walt then gets Tao a job at a construction company and one day while Tao's walking home from work- the Asian gang confronts him and essentially jumps him- stealing his construction tools. Walt doesn't take too kindly to this and extracts revenge on one of the gang members, beating him down a couple of days later and telling him not to fuck with Tao.

The movie goes full-circle when the Asian gang returns and shoots up Tao's house/rapes Sue. While no one is killed, the family is devastated especailly when they come to find out Sue was raped. Walt is even crushed by this and for the first time in the movie, actually shows remorse. In typical gangsta movie fashion, Tao wants to seek immediate retribution and wants to kill those involved...meanwhile Walt contemplates doing the same thing but he finally gets to going to church and seeking confession.

I'll leave yall at that because I don't want to spoil the ending; which is a good one.

Overall- I found the movie to be pretty funny (since I love racial epithets/jokes) and the plot/subplots were interwoven well. The best part about it though was watching the development of both Walt and Tao throughout the movie and seeing how he was able to forge a bond with a boy that he couldn't even do with his own two sons previously...which is what led him to change like this. It has its fair share of action as well; but don't expect a shoot-em-up type movie. I highly recommend this 1 hour and 57 minute movie- Clint Eastwood kills it with his performance. Grade: A-

And so on.

The Disappearance of my Atlantic City Virginity.

I had to make my first semi-important decision of 09 hah. Either cough up some money and hit up Atlantic City for the first time in my life with some of my boys...or save that money and just go to a TKE party out on Staten Island. The more I thought about it however (a pretty sick hookup- Party Bus, Hotel and Booze) for a one-night stay there, the more feasible it was for me to suck it up and head down there and the more of a no-brainer it was. In essence it was like choosing if Usain Bolt is faster than Brett Favre (physically and mentally, that is). So I said fuck it.

For starters we got onto the Party Bus which left at about 415. It was gonna take us about 3 hours or so to get down there so we had time to just chill out. Some strategized about how they were gonna take the blackjack tables down hah, I played spades with a few of my boys but one thing was clear; the wine and Grey Goose was flowin like a mothafucka. That bus was pretty effin bumpy for some reason but it was arguably the best part of the trip. Party Bus Final Grade: A

Myself and a couple of my friends stayed at the Showboat (the rest went to the Borgata) and the hotel was pretty nice; can't lie about that. As expected the first thing that greets you is bright ass lights and them damn slot machines. Much to my chagrin they don't take coins hah...and they're slick too; the smallest bill you can give them is a $5 FUCK. We in a recession, why you want me to put a $5 down on a nickel slot (they even had penny slots good Lord). I am convinced that the most depressed people in AC are the ones in the slots because they are in the fuckin zone. There was even one lady hoggin up 2 of them shits right next to each other. Fuck Dance Dance Revolution this cougar was hittin em lights with accuracy on both slots. And the other tricky part about them is that if you select the middle, they HAVE to be right in the middle too. I lost prob $5 in the slots so I went to take out money...

A $5 SURCHARGE??? FROM PNC BANK??? WHO WHAT WHY????

I took out $40 and vowed that I would not be taking out any more money the rest of the trip. I first tested my luck at the roulette table. I was watchin my boy bet and it kept hitting Red. I don't bother to fuck with tryin to pick a number...even if that bitch is 36-1 odds; I prefer my what, 16/36 chance of gettin red or whatever the fuck it is? Go figure, when I go in there, I pick red...and it goes black. Fail. I did win once...only to lose my valuable $10 on this play:
DK selects: Red; Odd
Roulette selects: Black; Even

GAHHH!

I lost $20 on roulette. Played some craps for $25 and got shitted on in that fuckery too. Nothin was hittin and I retired from the casino for the night. I regret not playin BlackJack though to be honest...especially since my boy won about $275 from that shit in about an hour... Final Gambling Grade: D and now I have beared witness once again to not only the Gambling Gods with the Sportsbooks...but now also with the Casino. I HATE THAT ONLY VEGAS HAS SPORTSBOOKS BY THE WAY, because I would have won money taking the Colts-Chargers Under 50 (they combined for 40).

With that out of the way, it's time to do what DK loves to do best and that is to socialize with some of the purest snowflakes you can find to potentially snowplow. With this, I headed to the Borgata and it was time for another potentially life-altering decision. Do I cough up $25 to go inside this club named Mur Mur with the majority of my boys (seeing there were hella dope lookin chicks that went inside) or do I head to Caesar's Palace and spend nothing to go into a bar/lounge called Game On! and that we have bottle service or some shit (but not know how it's like in that bitch)? I figured fuck it I'll go into Game On! and see what's good. When I got there, it wasn't that bad, a good amount of chicks there (the Jerz type) and I can't say they weren't pleasing to the eye in most cases. You had the usual Super-Bitches but then you had the friendlier types that wouldn't mind if you approached them (I don't get that enough times in NYC). My two primary episodes:

1) I stare at this chick and she stares back and gives me that smile. Turns out she's likely in her 30s but she's at the spot with some guy friend. She tells me her story about how she's separated from her husband right now yada yada yada...but I'll give this story props. They actually mutually decided to file for divorce bc they both acknowledged there's no sparks in their relationship anymore. Good God, does that ever happen anymore?? And I thought the characters on The Hills had IQs. They ain't even had sex in a year! Yikes, yeh you better pull (no prayin needed) the plug on that one. I had no chance tho because she (as most women should be) said straight up "I'd feel awkward messin around with another dude right now." and bein the gentleman I am I respected that.

2) I figured this one was gonna happen. The trashed as fuck chick who stumbles and "bumps into you" and grabs your attention. I'll tell you what tho, she musta been cornfed because she had a booty hah especially for someone blonde. She just comes to me and goes "I'm lost" in that slight Down's Syndrome drunk voice. And she wants me to buy her a shot WTF?? The last thing this broad needs is another drink but since I'm on vaca, I went against my religion and my better knowledge and got her and myself a shot of Patron. I will say she did a damn good job of shakin that derriere on me and she musta had some black in her bc she had the slow-wine down pretty damn pact. Then, she just walked away as randomly as she came to me, she was bumpin into everyone ha she musta been some undercover prostitute workin for free for New Years Weekend, but even when she did that and I was on her, no1 dared to try and talk to her hah. Idk if that's a good or bad thing. She then left her purse sheesh...and that coulda been JACKPOT for me I'm sure in terms of money...but I figured yep, do the right thing and give it to her. Which got me a makeout kiss hah. Then she wanted me to help find her a bathroom ha. And she made out with me again. Dear God. Like I've said before I don't mind drunk chicks...but when it gets to that trashed level, it ain't fun no more...it gets embarassing (insert hyena laugh here).

I couldn't complain about the chicks aspect though. Maybe if I was down there for a weekend I could get a better feel for the club scene...and it's probably a lot better over the summer...but I can't complain. Final Club/Chicks Grade: B

Overall- AC is somewhat overrated. If you're there more for the gambling, you'll have a good time...if you're there more for the partying, it's pretty decent. But nothing over the top. It is a poor man's Vegas I'm sure hah. I give AC a B-. I def will want to go back there.

And so on.

NFL Wild Card Bettors Guide.

Last Week: 12-4 straight up; 9-6-1 against the spread

Overall thus far: 81-43-1 straight up; 58-55-1 against the spread.

Saturday's games:
Atlanta Falcons (pick'em) @ Arizona Cardinals: Expect plenty of points in this one as Arizona will have difficulties stopping the run; while Atlanta will have difficulties with the Air Cards' attack. Matt Ryan has proven that he's cool, calm and collected under pressure...but it will get very loud in that University of Phoenix stadium. Kurt Warner has far more experience in this matchup...but I feel Atlanta is the more balanced team. Atlanta 28 Arizona 24

Indianapolis Colts (pick'em) @ San Diego Chargers: For some reason or another the Chargers do have the Colts' number. While the Chargers are a house of fire right now, teams who have been playing with that much desperation tend to flame out once they get to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Colts have quietly cruised to yet another 12-win season; and with league MVP Peyton Manning in the house, they have the one intangible that SD does not have...a player who you can lean on and say "He's not gonna let us lose this game". Expect a repeat of the regular season game. Indianapolis 23 San Diego 20

Sunday's Games:
Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) @ Miami Dolphins: The Thieves vs. Fort Knox collide in this one. The Dolphins set the NFL record for least giveaways in a season with 13...meanwhile the Ravens have forced 39 of them. The Wildcat offense was an epic fail in the last matchup...well the Dolphins' offensively was an epic fail in the last meeting getting nothing accomplished in a 27-13 beatdown. While this meeting will be different, I believe it'll net the same results. Baltimore 20 Miami 13

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) @ Minnesota Vikings: These two teams are about as difficult to figure out as they are in the playoffs. Minnesota barely beat a Giants' squad that was led by the immortal David Carr in the 2nd half...meanwhile the Eagles, seemingly rejuvenated by losses by Tampa Bay and Chicago- annihilated the Cowboys. The Eagles have never lost to the "Viks" (as my boy Schwanda calls them). The Eagles will win if Brian Westbrook continues to get looks; and the defense forces the Vikings to air it out. The Vikings will win it if they can keep contain on Westbrook and McNabb on defense (because the Eagles' WRs are just as inept as the Vikings' secondary) and if Tavares Jackson has the game of his life. I like the Eagles chances more here. Philadelphia 21 Minnesota 17

And so on.

2009 Hopes, Goals & Aspirations.

Hope everyone's fully recovered from their New Years' Eve activities ha. I was a mess yesterday; I went to the good ol' stomping grounds of Nevadas Smith for the celebration. Sounds sad sure, but you're not gonna beat $50 on NYE. Anyhow, it was much better than last year's debacle- having a couple of my boys roll on through to bring some darkness up in that bitch...and while it wasn't too crowded (which is a good thing), I'm always a stickler for quality. These chicks who lived in CT and go to school in UConn (how ironic huh) saved the day hah. They were learnin how to get down in my homefield. I'd give them a B- in ass-shakage. I give the open bar an A+ for gettin me annihilated. I give 2009 overall an A- for the way it started.

With that said, yesterday and today have given me the chance to recollect and realize that a lot of work needs to be done. But at the same time, if I don't get up and do them...all hope is lost.

Of Top Priority:
1) Ridding my apathy- my sheer laziness is my downfall with everything. I firmly believe that I spend way too much time procrastinating online, especially on Facebook...when I should be working hard on searching for a job. If I don't do this and do this soon, I'm gonna never realize my full potential. And while yeah I'm still young to a degree...time is running out more than I may have cared to realize. So, I'm gonna try to spend less time online and more time out on the go. I do this, and everything else falls into place. Easier said than done I know.

My Goals (in no order):
- Drop 50 pounds. No gastric bypass surgery for me ha. But go on NY Daily News' website and click on the dude who lost 430 pounds in a frickin year. Unbelievable story, even with the gastric bypass. It's gonna be tough; I gotta kick my workouts to a brand new level and STAY CONSISTENT...but I've done it before and will need to do it again.
- Get a Taxi License. Yeah, laugh all you want; but you can make a good $200-300 in an 8ish hour period if you know what's poppin.
- Run in the Long Island Marathon (the half-marathon version) in early May. I'm gonna really try this. If I'm successful, then go for the gold and run in the New York City marathon. You can look at me the same way they looked at anyone who thought the Cowboys AND Patriots would miss the playoffs.
- The full-time job is a given.
- I want to go to Montreal in February but this is becoming increasingly unlikely. New Orleans in May however sounds like an excellent plan.
- Making my 24th birthday party (it will be on February 7th) the most debaucherous, yet the classiest yet.
- It'd be nice to have a steady girlfriend actually. It's not a priority no...but I actually do want to be tied down, the bachelor life is boring to me right now. But, my confidence has been a major issue for quite some time now.
- Go to Caribana for real this time (in July) out in Toronto.
- Take two Mets road trips. One out to Boston for a Mets-Red Sox game; and another for a Mets-Phillies once again. The latter is gonna be hellacious ha. Of course, go to a Mets home game.
- Paintball trip hah.
- I need a new laptop. Preferably a Macbook, yeah I'm gonna switch over.
- LSATs in August/September. The hunt for schools begins now. I'm gonna apply to like 25.

I'm sure I got more but that's all I have for now.

I just want to have a better year physically, financially and emotionally. Even spiritually too.

And so on.