11. Impossible Field
This came out a year before the last world cup. I am a big AC Milan fan and Kaka started to show his fine potential. The idea of playing on a field that is solely made of metal and the only part of the field that exists are the lines seems pretty intense to me. Of course there are many stars to shine in this video including the aforementioned Kaka, Raul, Ballack, Beckham and Saviola. I did enjoy seeing some of the players run along the side of the metal and not just on it. The us vs them theme has been done but it was a good commercial.

10. Sumo Soccer
This one is very ridiculous if you ask me. Mostly since it starts off casual almost as if this is a normal day without any fantasy driven subplot then the absurd happens. Some of the world’s finest soccer players, Rui Costa, Beckham, Edgar Davids, Roberto Carlos, Juan Sebastian Veron and Gigi Buffon seem to practicing and then all of a sudden a group of Sumo wrestlers show up to take them on. They play for Pepsi. That’s when the hilarity ensues. It’s an odd concept but it is a fun commercial nonetheless.

9. World Cup Anthem 2006
This commercial comes very close to the essence and beauty that is soccer. It is undeniable that soccer is the world’s sport. When I watched this commercial for the first time I could relate. Life is simple as this commercial makes it. The connection between sport and life is an amazing thing to experience. We don’t think of anything but the passion and excitement that such a simple thing can generate. It can bring people who are so different together.

8. Adidas Lots of balls
I don’t know the official name of this commercial but my title says it all. The commercial has Zidane, Beckham and Del Piero. They unload a truck full of balls in the middle of the square and wait for the result. Imagine if you did give people soccer balls or anything to play with, basketball, football, Frisbee, I am sure no one could resist and they would start playing. It just shows the joys of being outdoors and having fun. I guess you could say that most of the footage is faked or staged, but I think the result would be the same if it wasn’t.

7. Ole Brazil vs. Portugal
What happens when world footballers of the year, and a young to be world footballer of the year are about to play in a match. But before the match all hell breaks loose and they try to out trick each other just so they can say, Ole! This has a multitude of stars, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, and even Scolari(who has coached of Brazil and Portugal).

6. Take it the next level
When you watch this you will realize that Nike sticks to the same theme, that’s assuming of course that you will watch the world cup and see more nike commercials. I like this one because everyone dreams of playing soccer, being found by a big manager, then working your way up to being on the national team. It shows the ups and downs that you will experience. It has lots of stars, Ronaldinho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Sneijder, van Nistelroy, Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimavic. Very well done.

5. Nike – soccer vs ninjas
What if there was a ball that was the best in the world and it was up to the best soccer players to get it. I liked the combination of using some of the best soccer players and their skills adapt it to as if they were secret agents. Something goes wrong, thanks to edgar davids dreads, and the evil army or whatever have you come and attack the players and try to get the ball back. I think there might have been an oliver bierhoff sighting in this ad. The ending is a bit much but I like the idea.

4. Good vs. Evil
This one gets as high as a ranking as it does because mostly on sentimental value. I remember watching this commercial and just being blown away with it. Another us vs them by nike. This was the original, well the first I ever saw. These guys look as demonic as you can get, while still playing football. I wonder if this where they got the idea for space jam. It has some stars from back in the day, Maldini (whose opening line is perfect), the yes-no heroics of Jorge Campos, a skinny Ronaldo in his prime, Figo, Rui Costa and the list goes on. Cantona ends it my kind of style, with the collar up.

3. Nike Secret Tournament
What if this commercial were true? What if it actually did happen? Some of the best soccer players, sponsored by Nike of course, competed in a secret 3 on 3 tournament. I am sure there would be lots of tricks and moves like no other. I would definitely forgo the world cup and try to make it to this tournament. There are two there is the ship one and the cage one. Either one would suffice for me. You have players like Totti, Henry, Van Nistelroy, Davids, Ronaldinho, Figo, Ronaldo to name just a few.

2. Brazil Airport
I like this video so much I have the song on my mp3 player. No one enjoys being at the airport anymore. Let’s say you and your friends, Ronaldo, Cafu, Rivaldo, are hanging out at the airport and then you are told you’re flight has been cancelled. What do you do? You turn the whole airport into a soccer field. Doesn’t it seem obvious? One of the best parts is that the security turn into the opposition and then Ronaldo the world’s best striker is taking a shot between two stanchions……great ending!

1. Jose +10
When I first saw this commercial I thought they captured the essence of professional sports and the kids that follow. I never did this with soccer since I have only recently picked up the game but I did do it with basketball. You pick your fav players to be on your team or you pick players to be. Magic Johnson passes it to Jordan. You can’t go wrong with the combination of little kids playing with some of the best in the world in between apartment buildings. One kid turns to the other and they start to pick players. They even pick some of the best players from back in the day. Then they just start playing. How the story line develops is pure gold. Kaka gets benched. The ending is very well done.

Another group are the ones that are your foundation. The ones you will always rely on and no matter what happens in life you know they are there for you for all the important things and maybe non-important thing as well, just someone to talk to.

What I am about to say next will definitely either ruffle some feathers with some people or you might completely agree with it. There are friends for a certain time and place in your life. When it’s done, it’s done. So the next time you see them, it is just awkward and you really wish you hadn’t seen them. There is no point, benefit or even good outcome that will come of it. Sure there are the good times but those are gone, seeing you now won’t bring them back. That is one reason I don’t like going to SB that much. I will bump into people that I know and it’s the typical pointless chit chat and awkward moments of ok what do we do now. If you can read this you are not one of those people so forget about it.

At times we are all selfish. That is just human nature. I get really upset when a two way friendship becomes one way. For a short period of time is fine but when I am only there to placate you and your desires then you just disappear, that sux. I always want to point people out who are like that and call their BS but I refrain b/c when I start being mean, there is no going back and I don’t like it when I get in that mood, I cause more harm than I intend to. If I am ever like that call me out, I’ll either change or tell you the real story, you just better be ready to handle the truth.

I guess the one category that really stands out for me are the ones who you expected to stop being friends for some of the reasons listed above but it never actually happened. You stayed being friends and things haven’t changed since then. No matter how much time passes since the last time you hung the next time is like there wasn’t that period of time. Those are the friendships that I enjoy the most.
There are people who I am thinking about in each paragraph……

First things first for whatever its worth
We gotta protect the earth, the place of our birth

If you’re a neocon then you think I am all wrong
This is another hippie conspiracy going on.
People in science have intense evidence
Hence what they sate is with immense confidence.
They sleuth for some proof to not put in a booth
But to reveal the deal of your misconceived truth
When you pump more oil you deplete our soil
Cause turmoil and leave life in a coil
Polar ice caps melting away every year
Its clear we’re here and we caused these tears
To the Polar bears who may have no land
I demand we reband and take a stand.
Change our lives and the way we consume
If we don’t do it soon we will all be doomed.
Use energy that too can be renewed
There’s solar, wind, wave and geothermal too.
If you think this is too much to handle
Remember the youth we have to set an example
Once you accept you can take one step
Cause less stress on this mess and tell your rep
I am through doing things that we used to do
We are ruining this earth through and through.

First things first for whatever its worth
We gotta protect the earth, the place of our birth

There has been a lot of talk about Iran and their nuclear program. During the end of the 1970’s the US actually had plans and started a nuclear power plant in Iran. The US abandoned this program when the shah was overthrown. During this past decade Iran has renewed this program. The main opposition to this is the fear that Iran will use their nuclear reactors as a cover for a weapons program.

The main policy over the past couple of years has been to lay sanctions on Iran. The ones that are being put on Iran cannot be as strict as the ones that were put on Saddam regime. A lot of the European countries and Asian countries rely on trade with Iran. It can never really cripple it to the degree that they will bend and break. Also you must consider what I said in the previous blog. Iran has too much of a cash crop to be greatly affected.

The next option or topic that has been considered, especially with conservatives, is a preemptive strike. That is one of the worst things that can possibly be done. For a second assume you could pin point exactly where the nuclear weapons program was taking place. You send a few bombers overhead to take out the targets. Most likely this would come from Israel or the US. Let’s assume it did come from Israel. Now Iran has two options to consider: 1 – to do nothing or 2 – to retaliate. I know it will be the second one. How they will attack will not be from an outright from Iran’s military but from many of the groups that they have supported over the past decade. They have ties to Hamas and Hezbollah in Palestine. They also have ties to Shia militias in Iraq. There is no shortage of money for Iran to have these Islamic groups to take out Iran’s orders. I imagine that Iran will either get Hezbollah, which is a huge Arab symbol because of the 2006 war with Israel, or Hamas to attack Israel.

When either of these groups attacks Israel there will be massive backlash from Israel. They have a very strong army but they it cannot last for a long war. There will be a war of attrition which would be a best case scenario. These two groups would fight at the border for a while. However I imagine that the Iranian government would not be settled with a simple attack. They will supply these groups with whatever they want, weapons of choice and lots of money. The Islamic groups will happily carry out the orders. They will benefit in the long run. If the US and Europe react the same way that they did to the Yom Kippur war by supporting Israel then the Arab leaders will have no choice but support their Arab counter parts. If they do not then their people will be on the brink of riot because they chose to support Westerners. Now you have the “western world” versus the “middle east.” This would set up for a very bad outcome. I fear that it will come to this.

Right before the elections I was discussing Iran’s Nuclear Program with a friend of a friend. I laid out this scenario and he had no problem with it. He didn’t flinch one bit. He believed that in the end it would be the right thing to do. Even if meant a long lasting war. I just hope that the U.S. government has learned a valuable lesson in the past decade. Preemptive strike does not work. You need to work on diplomacy to get a resolution.

The only part I doubt in my progression that I am not sure about is what Europe and the US will do. They might try to broker a resolution. However I feel what I have laid out will not be far from reality if Iran is attacked.

I wrote this before the current clash in the Gaza strip. How the US government will react will not just determine this conflict between this and future conflicts between Israeli and Hamas but what the possibilities of attacking Iran are. This will be a bigger statement by the Obama administration than most believe.

Amir

PS-Thoughts and comments are welcomed.

In particular I am talking about the US-Iran relations.  I have said for the last decade that the sanctions US are pointless.  They aren’t doing anything except making the goods that reach Iran more expensive.  There is a soda war going on in Iran and the main culprits are yes Coke and Pepsi, two US staples.  It is one thing that they are present in Iran but the fact that they are written in Farsi adds another twist in this whole sanctions conundrum.  This policy would have worked beautifully a century ago when there was no global economy.  Also if Iran did not have the worlds fourth largest petroleum reserves and the worlds second largest natural gas reserves.  They sit on a cash crop that will bring in billion of dollars a year.  The Iranian government will have enough revenue to do whatever it wants.  That will not change, no matter how much you try to sanction them.

If the US wants the tension between Iran and the rest of the world to decline then you need change the rhetoric.  Claiming someone as evil is not a good start.  It does go both ways but Iranian leaders have more sway in Iran when there is tension between Iran and the US.  They can beat the same propaganda drum they have been doing since 1980.  If the US changes their policy and says they want warmer relations then the hardliners in the Iranian government have less ammunition.

The Iranian people like American culture.  When I go there I see it everywhere.  For me the most interesting thing is I listen to as much American music there as I do here.  All my cousins and relatives listen to it.  I go to computer stores and there are a lot of US movies for sale, copies of course.  People have a craving for anything US.  I leave a lot of music and movies every time I go back.  Even the staunchest pro-government Iranians I run into ask me multitude of questions, strictly out of curiosity.  They have no real ideas what the US is about.  They just know what the state run TV tells them.  They ask what Americans think of Iran.  I say it’s the same most people are curious.  The lack of exposure leads to curiosity about the mysterious.

A way to force the hardliners card is what President Bush has said many times, he supports the Iranian peoples struggle.  However what he has done is the complete opposite of what I have suggested.  Don’t antagonize the people.  If you start the process of normalizing political relations then the hardliners are stuck saying that the US is the Great Satan when the people see that is not the case.  The people will welcome anything and everything American with open arms as they have since the turn of the 20th century.

If the US reopens an embassy in Tehran, that will put the hardliners in an incredibly difficult position.  The last thing they want to do is pay attention to their domestic problems.  If they have no propaganda to promote, no distraction to display then things might start to change.  It is hard to justify trying to pick a fight with someone who wants to be your friend.  What I ask for is not much, but it goes against the norm of US foreign policy.

Next time I will talk about the alternative side.

Amir

PS-your thoughts and comments are always welcomed.

McCain has shown NO leadership in his policy proposal. From a panel of 6 economists at UCSD, which is one of the top 10 programs for Economics, each one of them said Obama has a better plan and better advisors. McCain just lacks the leadership and foresight to correct what is wrong. Imagine the economy as a car engine. When it’s going well it runs smoothly. Right now let’s say our spark plugs have failed. You just don’t replace it with new ones in this case. The reason that the spark plugs failed was because they could not handle the pressure of that they were asked. So you have to do something to fix it. Create something new. Less oversight and reducing taxes is not the answer. That will feed into this problem. There needs to be regulation.

McCain just does not see the big picture. He said Americans need to work harder so they can pay their mortgages. He also is stated as saying “The issue of economics is something that I’ve really never understood as well as I should.” This was last year in the Boston Globe. For someone who has been in the senate as long as he has, I highly doubt one year would change that much.

The second is his foreign policy. This reason alone I could not vote for McCain. He jokingly talked about bombing Iran. That cannot be accepted. I lived through part of the Iran-Iraq war. That defined a lot of who I am. I feel that I was lucky not to be harmed by that conflict and don’t understand the need for causing pain on other humans.

The war in Iraq was a pointless war. Afghanistan was ignored and now the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have reemerged. I prefer dialogue, communication and conversation. McCain will do none of those. At least Obama has said that he would have dialogue and consider diplomatic approach. Even our current president, Bush, who is extremely popular is looking at diplomatic ties with Iran. He has allowed The American Iranian Council to set up an office in Iran. Over 7 years of bad ideas towards Iran even Bush is understanding what should be done.

Third is his energy policy is horrible. Most of you know I have an M.A. in Economics. What some of you might not be aware of is that I emphasized in energy. I know more about OPEC, Oil, and renewable energy than almost anyone I know. To say that the US will reduce its’ dependence on foreign oil because we should drill off the coast is completely incorrect. Oil is a global market. You cannot simply say that we pump oil here we will sell it here. Why would someone sell oil for less here than if they could sell it for higher somewhere else? They wouldn’t. Remember big oil will be pumping off coast I am sure they won’t sell it cheap to us.

Also the amount of time for it to make it to the market will not be quick. We need to invest in alternative energy. When the price of gas is high there is an incentive to create a new type of energy. Also we need to focus on creating new kinds of cars that will be much more energy efficient. You reduce your dependence by reducing your consumption. That affect will be quicker and easier than pumping. There are many things that can be accomplished but McCain will not talk about it.

Amir

ps-thoughts and comments are always welcomed

I wanted to as much as possible lounge around this past weekend.  I knew I had some chores I needed to do around the house.  The progression of thought let me to decide once I am done with all my chores I should have a bbq sit out in the patio and take it easy.  Before I started the chores I put in Nate Dogg’s G Funk Classic Disc 1 and 2.  It was good to hear deep voice blasting through my speakers.  As I was cleaning the patio These Days came on.

All of a sudden I had an instant flashback, insert Wayne’s World flashback didlo didlo didlo.  It felt like I was transported to different time and place.  Everything was different but the music stayed the same.  I am in my old 1982 BMW 320i.  I used to play this album consistently when I was in my first year in college.  I had recently replaced the stock speakers in the car speakers in the rear.  The new speakers were a nice improvement from blown out oval shaped ones. Nate Dogg’s voice sounded immaculate as it blasted through the speakers.  I remember in one trip to the Bay Area I only listened to this album.  Sure I listened to it a good 4 or 5 times through but I never got sick of it.  There was just something about this album.  I never realized how much that album was a part of my life then.

Music does a lot of things.  It motivates us, consoles us and of course it leaves its’ impression on a period of time just to name a few.  I finished my chores I threw a few pieces of chicken on the grill while still listening to the G funk Classics.  As I sat in the patio listening to Nate Dogg I was able to take myself away and reminisce about a time when I was younger.  Thank you Nate Dogg and please get better……

Amir

ps-Comments and thoughts are always welcomed.

Rehab United is also known as TheraPeeds.  They help kids with physical disabilities learn how to function.  I had seen it before on one of my visits.  There were kids who walked extremely “pigeon toed.”  They needed braces on their legs, plus some sort of walking device. I described this to my bro, who is a doctor, and asked what those kids might have.  He told me they have  Crebral Palsy .

I remember the first time a couple of the kids came in together.  I had been bummed about my knee.  My athleticism defines a lot of who I am.  When I saw the kids and how they struggled to walk, and barely do any of the basic functions that I take for granted I almost stopped what I was doing and walked out.  I cannot remember a time where I felt so selfish.  It was hard for me to keep working out and not show my complete and utter disgust with myself.  Why am I complaining?  Because I cannot run?  I will no longer be able to hang on a 10 ft rim?

On my last day I was having some fun, doing some new drills.  Then a little girl, who was no taller than my two and a half year old niece, comes in.  She had a walking assistant with her.  She is going slowly to the back.  Then her father 20 ft in front of her says in a playful voice, “c’mon slow poke, you are taking forever.” She replies “I’m coming.”  At this point I realize she is much older than my niece, probably around 5 or 6 I would say.  Then the father says “I am going in the back to make pizza without you.”  She answers, “No, I am going to workout back there, you can’t go there.”  He replies “well by the time you get here I will have made the pizza and eaten it ALL!”  At this point she starts moving a little faster and says “no you can’t have pizza without me, I won’t let you.”

I cracked a smile but on the inside I was beaming with delight.  That little girl has more courage than anybody I know.  She has so much life.  She loves being there.  She displayed the purpose of why we live.  It seemed like nothing was going to stop her not even her dad who said he was going to have pizza without her.  I will never forget this little girl.

Amir

ps-Thoughts and comments are always welcomed.

Bolt has raised the biggest suspicion, with good reason. He came out of no where to break two world record and win with incredible ease. However if you take a look at him you will see he is too skinny to be taking steroids or any off shoot of it. The only possibility that me and a few other track rats like myself see is that he found the new wave of performance enhancing drugs. It has to be something that makes your muscles to be more explosive and have more capabilities without making you large. That is tough to believe. With those reasons I do not believe he is doping. If you take a look at some previous dopers you will see a much different picture. Asafa Powell has been one of the fastest men alive for years and he has been tested repeatedly.

Is Usain Bolt good for Track and field? This is not addressing his showmanship. That to me is far too judgmental and no clear answer. This is a very similar question to ask as is the rivalry for Nadal and Federrer good for Tennis? Here are the similarities. You are talking about athletes who are doing amazing things. Federrer and Nadal have won 17 of the last 20 majors. They are controlling their own sport respectively like no one has done in years. They have made major head lines and are major source discussion. In all these regards they are good for the sport. Anything that can get you to talk about the sport in a positive light is always good.

However here is a drawback. There is only one. These guys are so dominant it is tough for an American to get in the mix of things. Here in the US, and I am sure in many other parts of the world, we are drawn to our countrymen and countrywomen. Are we so fickle that do we not care about anything else? I propose the alternative, nothing. What if these guys were not around to dominate the sport, then no one would talk about the sport. No one cares about mediocrity. It is simple as that. Sure it would be the best if an American was involved but since they are not this is the best alternative.

On August 28 Usain made the top 10 of Sportscenter with a 100m of 9.84. I cannot remember the last time that a non world record race or a non championship race made Sportscenters top 10. On September 5th ESPN on Sportscenter showed live the 100m race between Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt from Belgium. Given Tyson Gay was supposed to run but was unable to because of his bad hamstring. If it weren’t for the Jamaicans, in particular Usain Bolt, and the hype I am sure they would not have covered it live. That exposure will have more people watch the full meet, although it was tape delay.

The situation might not draw as much people to track, mostly in particular the youth in the states, but it will draw more people than not. The attention I repeat is positive. I do not want track being dragged through the mud because the top athletes who were doping. I want a clean image for track. The dopers are the exception not the rule of how track is. They must be thrown under the bus and the new age of sprinters need to step up and take spotlight away. Usain is a good thing for track.

Amir

ps-Comments and discussion is greatly welcomed.