Category Archives: My Thoughts

Desire

Take the simple example of going out to eat as a group. As you are deciding where the go, it is very unlikely that everyone will agree on a place off the bat. If anything, more than likely everyone’s response will be – “I’m fine with whatever”. You can be sure that’s a lie. Very few, if any, are really OK with any choice – restaurant or otherwise.

What they really mean by “I’m fine with whatever” is that they are too lazy to have categorized all the choices into:

  1. Totally not in the mood for
  2. Are OK with, but would prefer to NOT
  3. Places that they would really like to try
  4. The 1 or 2 places that is really what they are craving

The last may not be in everyone’s mind, but the other 3 definitely are. And there is a simple proof. Next time you are going out with your friends and no one is suggesting anything go ahead and suggest something totally ridiculous. A place that that everyone is over dressed for or something. My trick is to suggest McDonalds. Don’t get me wrong, I like McD just as much as the next guy, but it is usually not a place we go to when we go out.

Soon as I mention McD most will immediately say – “anyplace but McD”. To which I respond, “so, how about <any generic fast food burger place>?” and the response to that is usually, “well, not really in the mood for fast food”.

So, that’s #1 and #2.

– manzoor

January 29th

I really wish I started writing something on each of my special day much earlier. I had even thought about it. But me and my procrastination . . . . .

Anyway, I am going to try the next best thing possible – thin of each of the year in the past and try to recall what was going thru me at that time. I’m sure I will be leaving out a lot – since this is more publicly available. But I should put enough in here so that I can later recall what was going through. The more recent years I should be able to recall more easily – since  have pictures ;~)

  • 2019
  • 2015
  • 2013 –
  • 2012 –
  • 2011 –
  • 2010 –
  • 2009 –
  • 2008 – Leaving in my own house for the very first time ever. Well, the lender still owns it, but I have a mortgage that says that if I keep paying for the next 15 years, it will become our’s ;~)
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003 – Arunima about 8 months and Ritika 4
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000 – Ritika about 8 months.
  • 1999
  • 1998
  • 1997
  • 1996
  • 1995
  • 1994
  • 1993
  • 1992
  • 1991
  • 1990 – I’ve been at Austin / UT a whole semester now. Have experienced Halloween.
  • 1989 – I am restless to leave Bangladesh and move.
  • 1988
  • 1987 – H.S.C. now behind and am doing my B.Sc. Babon is no longer with us.
  • 1986
  • 1985
  • 1984 – School behind, preparing for S.S.C. in a couple of months.
  • 1983 –
  • 1982 –
  • 1981 –
  • 1980 –

– manzoor

Nook Books

I finally decided to get a eBook – “Programming Amazon Web Services”. The initial search led me to believe that

But once I decided to get it and started looking for my options I soon realized:

  • Nook Reader is not compatible with OS X v10.8 or above (I am currently on v10.9)
  • It is supposed to support iOS (both iPhone and iPad), but the book does not even show up on my Nook reader app on my iPhone

So, basically the very first eBook I really wanted to get – I am unable to because B&N / Nook has not kept up with Software updates 😦

– manzoor

My Wishlist – Restaurants

A lot of these are from Triple D and other Food Network Shows and I have a separate list of them, but a few are that I have picked from friends and other sources.

Here’s a list of places I learned about from my friends.

– manzoor

My Wishlists

Of the many things that are on my wishlist, one that is always on my mind is – to get my blog posts updated properly. I start too many posts / topics but have yet to finish any one of them 😦

While I work on that, I would like to someday like to learn to bake – cakes, breads, pastries and other desserts. I can’t really cook, but am able to follow a recipe for the most part. And if I do make a mistake, I am able to recover for the most part.

If I could write a book that other’s would find interesting – and if none of the above ever gets done but ths, that would be pretty neat. Some of my “book” ideas (in no particular order):

  • Lessons of my Life Journey
  • Quotes (my tumblr)
  • To my Girls
  • Austin
    • The City I have Called home
    • Restaurants
    • Coffeespots – Austin and All Around

A friend of mine recently reminded me of the whole Coffee spot book.

– manzoor

Movies on My Watchlist

  • 45 Years – [May ’15] – IMDb
  • About Time – [Nov ’13] – IMDb
  • Allied – [Nov 23, ’16] IMDb – Actor – Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Director – Robert Zemeckis
  • American Sniper – [Jan 16th, ’15] IMDb – Actor – Bradley Cooper, Director – Clint Eastwood
  • Anesthesia – [Jan 8th, ’16] – IMDb
  • Anomalisa – [Jan ’16] – IMDb
  • August: Osage County – [Jan ’14] – IMDb
  • Bastards – [] – IMDb
  • Beauty and the Beast – [] – IMDb – Actor – Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen – Director – Bill Condon
  • A Borrowed Identity – [] – IMDb – Actor – Tawfeek Barhom, Yaël Abecassis, Michael Moshonov – Director – [] – Eran Riklis
  • Bridge of Spies – [] – IMDb – Actor – Tom Hanks, Director – Steven Spielberg
  • Cake – [] – IMDb – Actor – Jennifer Aniston – Director
  • Capital – [] – IMDb
  • Cesar Chavez – [] – IMDb
  • Circle, The – [] – IMDb – Actor – Tom Hanks, Emma Watson
  • Citizen, The – [] – IMDb
  • Clouds of Sils Maria – [] – IMDb – Actor – Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz- [] – Director – Olivier Assayas
  • Don’t Think Twice- [] – IMDb
  • Experimenter – [Release 10/15] IMDb
  • Fifth Estate, The- [] – IMDb
  • Florence Foster Jenkins – [] – IMDb – Actor – Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg – Director – Stephen Frears
  • God Help the Girl- [] – IMDb
  • Grandmaster- [] – IMDb
  • Great Beauty, The- [] – IMDb
  • The Handmaiden- [] – IMDb – Director: Chan-wook Park
  • Home- [] – IMDb
  • An Honest Liar- [] – IMDb – Actor – Director
  • In a World- [] – IMDb
  • In the Name of- [] – IMDb
  • Inferno – [Oct 14th, ’16] IMDb – Director – Ron Howard,  Actor – Tom Hanks
  • Inherent Vice- [Jan 9th, ’15] – IMDb – Actor – Joaquin Phoenix, Director – Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Inside Llewyn Davis- [] – IMDb
  • Invisible Woman- [] – IMDb
  • Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? – [] – IMDb
  • La La Land – [Dec 25th, ’16]- IMDb – Actor – Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone,  Director – Damien Chazelle
  • Laggies – [] – IMDb
  • Magic in the Moonlight – [] – IMDb – Writer / Director – Woody Allen
  • A Man Called Ove – [] – IMDb [
  • Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom – [] – IMDb
  • Manglehorn – [] – IMDb – Actor – Al Pacino
  • Men, Women & Children – [] – IMDb – Writer / Director – Jason Reitman, Actor – Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner
  • Million Dollar Arm – IMDb Actor – Suraj Sharma, Jon Hamm, Aasif Mandvi, Director – Craig Gillespie
  • The Missing Picture – IMDb
  • Monuments Men, The – IMDb
  • Mood Indigo – IMDb – Actor – Audrey Tautou
  • Moonlight – [] – IMDb – Actor – Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris – Director – Barry Jenkins
  • A Most Wanted Man – IMDb
  • Mr Nobody – IMDb
  • Murder on the Orient Express – IMDb  – Actor Josh Gad, Johnny Depp, Daisy Ridley, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Director – Kenneth Branagh
  • Offside – Director: Jafar Panahi
  • Pelé: Birth of a Legend – IMDb
  • Persepolis – IMDb
  • A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence – IMDb – Actor – Director / Writer – Roy Andersson
  • Pompeii – IMDb
  • Prisoners – IMDb
  • Railway Man, The – IMDb Actor – Colin Firth
  • Reaching for the Moon – IMDb
  • Rock the Kasbah – IMDb – Actor – Bill Murray
  • Rosewater – IMDb Director – Jon Stewart
  • Salt of the Earth – IMDb
  • Saving Mr Banks – IMDb
  • A SeparationIMDb Director / Writer – Asghar Farhadi
  • She’s Funny That Way – IMDb – Director – Peter Bogdanovich – Actor – Imogen Poots, Illeana Douglas, Graydon Carter, Owen Wilson, Cybill Shepherd
  • Spirited Away – IMDb Director – Hayao Miyazaki
  • St. Vincent – IMDb – Actor – Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Director / Writer – Theodore Melfi
  • Star Trek: Beyond [Release date – July 22nd, ’15] – IMDb
  • Star Wars: The Force Awakens – [Release Date Dec 18th, ’15] – IMDb
  • Thanks for Sharing – IMDb
  • These Birds Walk – IMDb
  • Touch of Sin, A – IMDb
  • True Story – [] IMDb – Actor – James Franco, Felicity Jones Director – Rupert Goold
  • Truth – IMDb – Actor – Robert Redford, Cate Blanchette
  • Victoria – [Release 10/09/16] IMDb – Director – Sebastian Schipper
  • Wadjda – IMDb
  • Whiplash – IMDb – Director – Damien Chazelle
  • Wild – IMDb – Director – Jean-Marc Vallée
  • The Wind Rises – IMDb – Director – Hayao Miyazaki
  • Wish I was Here – IMDb Director: Zach Braff

I also have a list in IMDb.

– manzoor

Top Seeds in a Grand Slam Final

The top seeds on both the men’s and women’s singles made it to the finals this year. The first question that came to me when I first realized this after the men’s semi-finals between Nadal and Richard Gasquet – when was the last time this had happened? Turns out it was the 2000 Australian Open. Andre Agassi def. Russia Yevgeny Kafelnikov, 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–4 in the men’s and in the women’s it was Lindsay Davenport over Martina Hingis, 6–1, 7–5.

– manzoor