Jeremy Lin: Badass of the Month

What if I was to tell you that one of the most electrifying players in college basketball today is a 6'3, 200 lb senior guard from Palo Alto, California?


You might nod slightly and say to yourself: "Oh, that's cool. He's on the small side but that's about how big Dwyane Wade is. If he can play, then he can play."



Fair enough. Now what if I told you that he doesn't play for any of the traditional basketball powerhouses such as UNC, Duke, UCLA, Kentucky, and UConn?


"Well, that's not that bad. A lot of NBA superstars were from small colleges. Just look at Scottie Pipp..."



He plays for Harvard.


*sudden pause*

"Oh. Well that's...um. I guess he's smart enough to know the fundamentals. I mean, if you look at the white dudes in the NBA, most of them are pretty good at distributing the ball, shooting three's, and..."



And he looks like this:








*longer pause*

"Uhh..."

*nervous coughing*

"Well..."

*more silence*


You may finally bring yourself to say multiple variations of:


"What the fuck???" and "There's no way!"



Or you just might sit there in stunned silence saying nothing at all.






It's all good. Jeremy's used to the doubters and non-believers. But like all successful people, he tunes them out and does his thing. And his "thing" happens to involve averaging 18 points (52% FG and 35% from downtown), 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game so far this season. A 6'3 college guard of any ethnic background who fills up the boxscore like this is pretty damn rare, ladies and gentlemen.

As of now, the main knock against him is the weak-sauce Ivy League conference he plays in...something I as a Penn student would know about first-hand. The only practical measuring stick for his level of talent is therefore his play against highly-regarded non-conference opponents. Last season, Lin created a blip on the radar when he crafted a ridiculous stat line of 27 points, 8 assists, 6 steals, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks during an 82-70 Crimson victory over Boston College, a team which just days earlier had upset eventual champion North Carolina. This season, he has returned in full force. In this season's rematch with BC, he scored 25 points in another win. However, it was his 30 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks during a 6-point loss to then-#13 UConn which really slapped America awake.




Today, Mr. Lin has spawned a cult following among sports fans as well as a good deal of draft buzz. He has also been deemed worthy of his own obligatory "rags to riches" article. As a fellow Asian-American, I definitely want to see J.Lin succeed and get his shot at playing in the NBA. His story is one with which many of us can identify. Immigrant parents who want the best for their kids? Check. A childhood which was more about isosceles triangles than the triangle offense? Check. Racists and/or ignorant people trying to bring us down every step of the way? Big check.


So as 2009 comes to a close, I salute Jeremy Lin and his awesome accomplishments. Hopefully we will get to see much more of him in the near future.




Get that popcorn ready, America.

Tis the Season

So Christmas has come and gone. It went by quickly too. I remember the days when I'd anticipate Christmas day for what seemed like an eternity. It hasn't been the same since college though.

I feel like the only taste of Christmas anticipation I experience now is maybe the two days before it. The best part of Christmas used to be waiting, just waiting for that day to come.

Maybe it's because I don't expect many gifts nowadays. Yea, that's what it is. But I still do eagerly anticipate the holidays, just a bit differently. I anticipate getting rest, catching up with friends and family (I'm working on all 3 at the moment). I still love it! The house dog keeps me company, my brothers hike (diss, poke fun, if you will), good times. It's always great seeing my grandparents too.

My granddad is fascinated with college life. He gets the PG stories. And it's bowl season!

Most importantly though, I get to do a little detoxing from school and all the stress that comes along with it. It's cool to actually be bored over the holidays, if only for a limited time.

Major Lazer - Pon de Floor

I heard this song but didn't know there was a visual to it. Boy, is there a visual!

RUDE!

Major Lazer = Diplo x Switch btw

myspace.com/majorlazer

Uffie - MCs Can Kiss

This song is awesome!



Dope beat, Mr. Oizo. Uffie can actually spit too.

myspace.com/uffie

myspace.com/mroizo3000

Acting Like I Mean It

So I assisted a friend film a piece for her video class today. It was a foray into acting for me, and it was quite the rewarding experience. It made my appreciation for actors and cinematographers and preparation deepen significantly. Filming is incredibly intricate, and to make a perfect product, everything must be perfect while filming. Editing can only do but so much. You are required to have the ability to envision the end product and its nuances, so filming can go smoothly. If not, hours will be required for what on paper seems like the simplest of shots. (Well, duh!)

In related news, Da Merciless has been calling me Art Bitch for the past few days (I said it once, and, as usual, he ran with it). Part of it is my insolent sporting of a mustache after Movember, as opposed to the tamed Octobeard. Another part is my sartorial daring, like my subtly detailed knit hat, new for late autumn/ winter. Anyway, Art Bitch refers to CSS’s iconic track of the same name from the cult classic Cansei de Ser Sexy. Here’s a live performance of it.

"My art is called egocentric-soft-porno

Or maybe it's just narcissism

My one and only subject

Goes from something like anything but

Me-ism"

Yeah. I love me.

Classic Coke

With the exception of alcoholic beverages like Rum & Coke or the trusty, quintessentially American Jack & Coke, I haven’t drunk straight Coca-Cola in years. I stopped some time in high school, while I was doing a biomedical science program. Around that time, I was becoming increasingly more aware of my health and how my diet affects it, not to mention, I had just seen Super Size Me; see Coca-Cola health effects. I made a conscious effort to refrain as best I could from drinking soda, until…

BOOM!

Yes, it is what you think it is. It’s a vintage Coca-Cola machine. Over the weekend, while working on my clearing my arteries with a little Lower Manhattan perusing on Black Friday, my bro and I ended up at Tekserve. It’s pretty much the spot for anything Apple, as well as terrific audio accessories for you audiophiles out there. While I was waiting to check out, I saw the machine, inserted a dime (yes! It was 10¢!), and thought to myself, “I can’t lose.” I hadn’t been to the store in a while so I wasn’t too sure when the machine was installed. Who cares? In any case, turns out it worked and I sucked down all 8 ounces of carbonated, food-colored goodness. And the Coke tasted so good. Like, really good, so maybe this Coke had some coke in it. I hope not. But again, who cares, really?

Check out this ad. “Not just wet and sweet, but vigorously satisfying”

Glass bottle, functioning vintage machine, classic American flavor, and good ol' sober fun.

coca-cola.com

tekserve.com

Something to blow your mind...

What's up, fellow Followers of the Rod!


I just wanted to share this awesome video with you all. If you haven't seen it already, I guarantee that you will watch this thing over and over again over the next several days...it's that mind-blowing (and by mind-blowing, I mean trippy as all hell). Anyone who likes nature and animals is going to love this. And anyone who likes nature, animals, and recreational drugs is really going to love this (shoutouts to our Dutch readers!).


WARNING: I advise that anyone who gets squeamish really easily stop watching at around 1:30. But that would be depriving you of some of the coolest scenes, and really where's the fun in that? Don't be a party pooper.



You will never look at sea stars the same way

Thanksgiving!

Charlie Brown: We've got ANOTHER holiday to worry about. It seems Thanksgiving Day is upon us.

Sally: I haven't even finished eating all of my Halloween candy.

Parades!

You may or may not have a drunk uncle in your family who'll scribe something incredible like Adam Sandler's Thanksgiving song.

And don’t be like me! Try to stay off the interwebs (after reading The Rod for hours) and enjoy your family, friends, free food, and football.

Yo, doesn't he really look like...

With a name like 梁 Da Merciless, I know I have a responsibility to make sure all my Rod posts are quality. This is why the following look-a-like compilation is unlike anything you guys might have seen before. I intentionally excluded the more obvious comparisons (everyone already knows that Sam Cassell looks like a piranha/martian), so my final product is something worthy of the coveted "badassness" label.

Check it out.

Greg Oden

Adam Morrison




















Juwan Howard

















Peja Stojakovic




















Pau Gasol

















Hasheem Thabeet



















Andrei Kirilenko







Chauncey Billups

+

Rajon Rondo

Bow Wow

Clipse x Big Sean x Mike Posner - Philadelphia

Friday night I got to see the Big Sean, Mike Posner and the Clipse at my school UPenn (woot woot)! “Keys Open Doors” live made my life…seriously. The Clipse are undoubtedly my favorite rap duo. Everyone from my hall freshman year just has to knowa good 60% of Hell Hath no Fury because of my ignorant ass.

Though I was excited for the show, I was a little apprehensive at first. The venue was a small and it had seats. Sure, all the tix were general admission, but this isn’t the Grammys. People actually need a little room to go nuts and do rude shit. Needless to say, the show was Supa Dupa(Big Sean song. Oh, you don’t get the reference? You will soon). Being a pretty big fan of both Big Sean and the Clipse, I was just satisfied to see them, but Mike Posner’s energy was a pleasant surprise. Not only did he have the crowd on his side but he had a bevy of sing-along-able tracks on his set list. Oh, and apparently he’s a senior at Duke. Much respect.


Find me (Waldo) in this video! At one point, me and my buddy enjoy a high five of epic proportions. Joy was in our souls.

Anyway, highlight of the night—along with said keys opening doors—I got to meet the Malice and Pusha in the flesh. They seemed like real chill dudes and they actually care about their craft. We didn’t chit chat too much, but I did manage to get a pack of Oreos from backstage. I got it for cheap.

Peace

mikeposner.com

uknowbigsean.com

myspace.com/clipse

Vampire Weekend- Cousins Video

So a couple of years ago, Da Merciless and I had a running joke when we watched MTVu: every band was Vampire Weekend. We always were fascinated by ridiculous band names like Wolfmother, Fuck, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, etc. Anyway, every band was Vampire Weekend. One day, though, we actually watched their video. It might've been A-Punk. It was awesome! After that, Vampire Weekend was Vampire Weekend. Contra drops at the top of next year and what I've heard so far (Horchata, Cousins) sounds like those good ol' bubbly, yet laid back college tunes (go Quakers!). Here's Cousins, the new joint.



vampireweekend.com

How's this for a band name? Bright Noisy Water (Yes, it's random and from a psych class I'm in.)

The only music video you will ever need to watch. Ever.

Meet Namata. Born in Cameroon but currently making his living in Denmark, this naturally-gifted singer/choreographer/director is a renaissance man of our generation.





The video of his hit single "Treasure in You" has everything any sane human being could possibly want. You have a relatively simple storyline which fits into the allotted time slot of the song (about 5 minutes here). There are attractive women who wear revealing clothing and oscillate in seductive manners. Finally, there is a female back-up singer who really hits the high notes with a grace which is rare among today's Rihannas, Keri Hilsons, and Justin Biebers. The last minute of the song could even bring Bolo Yeung to tears with its emotion.

As with many videos these days, this one is based on a love story which begins with early moments of disappointment and frustration, but ends with triumph, merth, and...ebullience. But unlike many videos these days, this one has Namata. I can honestly say that I have never been prouder to be a member of the human race than when I am watching Namata express himself through dance. It truly is a sight to behold. And not only is he supremely talented, but he also possesses character traits that everyone would be wise to emulate. The video (which is clearly based exactly on his real life) shows that Namata is a headstrong and confident individual who takes action when it is required. He does not second guess himself nor does he believe in fate. I will even go as far as to compare him to another awe-inspiring individual of our time.






Does this look like the face of a man who takes no for an answer?





Anyway, without further ado, check out the video in question. Ladies and gentlemen, I proudly present: "Treasure in You"

Wale - Pretty Girls (Live)

This song is so chill. Go-go (watered down go-go) music isn't that bad either. Oh, and his new album Attention Deficit is incredible. If I were to make an album, it would sound like that. Seriously.

walemusic.com

The xx - Basic Space

This, people, is my chill song of the moment and hopefully yours soon. Please watch/ listen with a halfway decent sound system to get the full effect.

myspace.com/thexx

Ordinary things come to life. Bent Objects by Terry Border

Check out the rest of the slideshow via The Telegraph's Culture Picture Galleries.

more on Terry Border's blog bentobjects.blogspot.com

"I should be doing a paper, but I'd rather show you a Juan"

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Juan. It captures, quite accurately, the Vicious/ Merciless dichotomy. Definitely one of the hallmarks of his burgeoning photography career/ trade/ craft/ hobby. Now back to that paper.

One Step Closer to World Domination...

That's right. We now officially exist.

The Grand Return

So college, as usual, has been damaging my psyche, leaving me powerless to continue crafting dragged-out and overly detailed posts. So for my first post of the fall, I will simply share this sick video:







I think I'm in love.

This Is Your Life Passing By

A man's life...in 45 seconds. Dopeness

"Last Day Dream" - Chris Milk

chrismilk.com

Lenny Kravitz x Justice - Let Love Rule

I like 20th anniversaries.

lennykravitz.com

Coldplay - God Put a Smile Upon Your Face

I had a great weekend. The details of which shall remain uncovered to you all, but just believe me, k? cool. Anyway, this song has been stuck in my head all day, and I think it captures pretty accurately how I'm feeling at the moment. It's an oldie but goodie.



from introspettive on Vimeo.

coldplay.com

Philly: Heineken Red Star Soul Show

Last night I was presented the opportunity to attend Heineken's Red Star Soul in Philly by the homie Jeezy. Thanks Jeezy. Anyway, the lineup consisted of Philly legend DJ Jazzy Jeff, comedian Kevin Hart of Soul Plane fame, up and coming singer Melanie Fiona, and Ludacris, the man. T'was fun, kids. At one point, Kevin Hart pointed me out and made a joke. I was happy. He is funny. Jazzy Jeff was amazing! Maybe his hypeman Skillz just did his job really well. I danced. Melanie Fiona tried her best. She has promise. I smiled. Ludacris was dope as usual. Lil' Fate was with him. Judging by Lil' Fate’s dress, he’s stuck in 2001. "Never Change"? Yea, that's him. Anyway, Luda ripped it. I sang along.

For better pics and/ or info, check the following sites.

melaniefiona.com

myspace.com/ludacris

comedycentral.com/kevin-hart

djjazzyjeff.com

CSS-Beautiful Song

This song is exactly how I feel right now. It's off of the 2008 CSS album Donkey.

Beautiful Song - CSS

"Needed streets to ride, another day to start/ It's better to break a bed, than to break a heart"

myspace.com/canseidesersexy

Today Was a Good Day

I turned 21 at precisely 1:20 am. I saw Man United whip Man City. I gamecasted the Jets coming back to defeat the Patriots. I watched more football with the homies. I obtained free liquor. I managed to enjoy a subsidized dinner at a chic restaurant. I practiced some photography. I was pleasantly inundated with facebook notifications. I smiled. I laughed. I didn't throw up. I didn't even have to use my AK. Today was a good day.

Ice Cube - New Music - More Music Videos

myspace.com/icecube

Where Fashion Meets Film Meets Music and...Landscapes?

Below are a couple of mellow, visually captivating videos displaying art at its finest. Photography is great, and it definitely works as far as catching one's attention when it comes to fashion, but these two take it a step further than this, as well as the usual advertising.

First is a video for a fashion magazine.

Anna Wolf for Untitled Magazine from anna wolf on Vimeo.

untitled-a-magazine.com

And here is a film showing Lifetime Collective's SS2010 line.

Lifetime Collective - SS2010 from Salazar on Vimeo.

lifetimecollective.com

Dope, huh.

MTV VMA's: Taylor Swift vs. Kanye West

This man pulls no punches.

mtv.com

If you hate Chad Johnson/Ochocinco now...

...then you still might even after you watch some episodes of HBO's highly-entertaining football documentary series Hard Knocks. However, the more likely result is that you will get a better understanding of the guy and even find him to be quite endearing. That's because Hard Knocks, which films the training camp drama of a different NFL team each year (the lucky winners this season being the ever-dramatic Cincinnati Bengals), is as close as most of us armchair quarterbacks will ever get to experiencing the day-to-day lives of the guys we scream hysterically at on Sundays and Mondays. For sure, this show is a must-watch for both fans of the sport of American football and for anyone who just likes watching honest portrayals of the struggles and sacrifices necessary to pursue childhood dreams.

It's actually odd that I am watching this show. I've heard of the series before, but I just never had any interest in watching the teams followed. I would rather watch 3 minutes of...this...than listen to Jerry Jones talk about how much money he has. But even though the Bengals are not exactly a team I'm infatuated with, I still thought that they had a story custom-made for reality TV...plus a guy named Chad. Speaking of Señor Ochocinco, watching the show actually made me appreciate him a bit more. I never hated him since all of his crazy antics were on the field and not off it. However, his candid conversations on Hard Knocks showed me how funny this dude actually is. Just check out this highlight clip:







Now only if HBO could film the Eagles sometime in the near future, then I would follow that religiously. Actually, it would have been better if they had done it a couple years back. Then I probably could have found out how the hell Reno Mahe had a job for so long.



Oh yeah and for my fellow pirates, this is where I watch episodes. Just be aware of Megavideo's lame 72-minute limit.

The Sundance Channel's Brick City

Here's a promo for a five-part documentary on Newark, NJ, a.k.a. The Brick City. I'm interested and shall watch, pending my mooching skills (Sundance isn't provided on campus).

sundancechannel.com/brick-city

September 21

Bruce Bowen Retires from the NBA - Player? or Player Hater?

According to Fox Sports, the illustrious career of Bruce Bowen has ended. He announced his retirement from professional basketball. "The Gnat" has called it quits. Even though very few players outside of his Spurs team likes him, I'm sure they respect him.

He will go down as one of the best, albiet most pesky, perimeter defenders in NBA history. He would usually guard the best player on the opposing team, anywhere from a 1 to a 3. This means, on many a night, he has frustrated the McGradys and Kobes of the world. On offense, he'd set the occasional illegal screen or perform some other dirty play... oh, and he had that corner 3 from both sides. As vexatious as Bruce Bowen was, he got the job done, by any means necessary. My brother would terrorize me in NBA Live not lame ass 2K with the Bruce.

Here is a montage of Bruce at his best. The guy has more rings than most Rod readers

Love him or hate him, you have to repect Bruce Bowen.

The Rod is now ¼ of a Year Old!

Yeah you guys read that correctly. 3 months ago, a dream over two years in the making was realized. The goal to establish a medium through which two remarkably brilliant college kids can express whatever the hell they wanted was accomplished. And while Rod is obviously still a pretty small operation, I honestly did not think that we would have this many unique visits from such a spectrum of countries…even if it’s just one person a piece. To this day, I will always remember logging in and seeing that someone from THE Islamic Republic of Iran managed to find The Rod....shit blew my mind, yo. But seriously, I was pretty excited about it (and now we have 2 unique visits from Iran!). Since then, we’ve received an ever-increasingly diverse group of visitors. Great Britain is currently our second biggest source of visitors (you Canucks gotta step your game up!), and neither I nor Sid have any English friends…so yeah. Good stuff. The next step is to get at least 5 of the 300 million Chinese internet users out there to visit us. Statistically, we should already have like 80 right?

So what are my plans for the future of Rod? Well, first, I would like to continue posting and actually have this thing make it to one whole year. If Sid and I can keep this up even while we’re going through the exuberant adventure that is college senior year, then we’ll be in alright shape. I’m also going to try to actually take photos in real-life and post some cool stuff here. I’m not the artsy type, but I think it would be cool to mix it up a bit.

Boom.

Ip Man = Baddest Man on the Planet

Just watched Ip Man yesterday. It stars Hong Kong action superstar 甄子丹 (Donnie Yen) as Ip Man, the man responsible for the current popularity of Wing Chun and for training some young guy named 李小龙 (Li Xiaolong) back in the day (you may have heard of him before). If you enjoyed Fearless, you would love this film too as they both feature pissed-off Chinese guys beating the mess out of people for the pride of their nation and our viewing pleasure.


Oh yeah, the film also features one of the most brutally awesome fight scenes I've seen in a while. Once I saw what Mr. Yen did to the first sucka I knew I was in for a treat. Check it:

Matt and Kim - Lessons Learned

Below is a dope video from the apparently brave and incredibly laid back Matt and Kim. I was introduced to this Brooklyn duo by way of a RCRD LBL mixtape with their song Daylight, which you may recognize from a recent Bacardi ad. Anyway, check out this fantastic clip.

Enjoy!

mattandkimmusic.com

MoMA x Muji: "I Like The Way This Feels"

A couple of days ago, I visited the MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art), only I didn’t get to see any exhibits. I had forgotten it was Thursday, so the museum itself closed at 5:30, as opposed to 8ish—I arrived at 4:45. Opting to not spend twelve hard earned dollars for just 45 minutes (I’d need a little more time), I ventured across the street to the Design Store. It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of my week. The store’s skillful, minimalistic interior design drew me in (huge glass windows helped), as well as the allure of air conditioning. Inside, my amiga Janday and I saw piece after piece that caught our attention. After about 15 minutes in the store, I noticed Muji has its own wing. Muji is a popular Japanese home goods/ wares store which arrived stateside just last year. The two stores combined were a match made in heaven. Honestly, I’m not too big on home goods, as I live in a dorm and I feel it’s pointless (maybe next year), but “everything just looked so cool.” Because of my home wares aversion, I ended up buying a pack of fun socks from the Muji end. But it was so simple for me. This is one of those stores where little-to-no purchases feel forced. Stuff just jumps out at you, then you’re sold.


MoMA Design Store 44 West 53rd St, NYC momastore.org

Jay-Z - Run This Town (feat. Rihanna, Kanye West)

I'm not entirely sure I'd let Jay, Rihanna, and Kanye lead me into battle, but they sure do make good music together. That's what really counts, no matter how hard they try to convince you to join them in the trenches.

Jay-Z - New Music - More Music Videos

"What you think I rap for/ to push a fucking Rav 4!?"

jay-z.com

The Dream Team (Shameless Objectification Part 2)

see Part 1

In the hypothetical situation that God and Deebo ask me to create a soocer team of highly attractive, scintillating women, this is the team I'd assemble. Each one has a different role, as you will see below. My XI will gladly defeat anyone's squad. It's on!

Megan Fox: Def (US)

This actress simply exudes sex. If I saw her in public, I’d probably pounce on her, just as she’d do to oxen.

Lovefoxxx: Def (Brazil)

The eclectic Brazilian songstress’s inclusion in the team appears to be misguided upon first inspection, but it’s her bravery which sets her apart from most women. At most of the shows with her band CSS, she wears these wild outfits. She seems to favor the one-piece, colorful mind-fucks.

Rosario Dawson: Def (US)

Just her height gets my juices flowing…all of them.

Kerry Washington: Def (US)

Simply stunning. This woman stops men mid-sentence. Don’t believe me? Try uttering a word in her presence.

Olivia Wilde: Mid (US)

“She’s so sexy she makes me want to strangle a mountain ox. She’s mesmerizing.”

--Megan Fox

Vashtie Kola: Mid (US)

She does EVERYTHING. She writes the treatment for AND directs music videos. She’s fashion-forward with her clothing line, Violette, in addition to 1992 parties, which she co-hosts with Q-tip usually. She appears to be everywhere in the LES (Lower East Side). No wonder she’s downtown’s sweetheart. And any girl who can seamlessly transition from Jordans to heels and kill both outfits deserves to be on my team.

Penelope Cruz: Mid (Spain)

This actress is universally beautiful. She could go anywhere in the world and guys would think she’s hot. Oh, and that accent is enough to make me sweat even if butt ass naked in Antarctica.

Natalie Portman: Fw (Israel)

This woman is simply beautiful. Not only can she get away with going bald. She looks damn fine doing it. "We love you, Natalie." "I wanna f*** you, too!"

Denyce Lawton: Fw (US/ South Korea) She’s just hot...seriously. Sure, she does a lot of stuff, but she’s here because she’s hot. Period. Apparently she has a great sense of humor. We’ll take that, too, I suppose.

Rihanna: Fw (Barbados)

This once good girl gone bad has evolved into quite the hot commodity. From the tattoos to the hair to the overall style, she appears to be in top form. Of course she has a stylist, but who cares, really? She wears it with conviction, unlike most.

Sasha Grey: GK (US)

She takes it in the face like a champ. Duh.