PhilAsify 101

Note: I actually wrote this poem about 5 years ago in my college poetry class. With all the continuing bloodshed and relentless violence and the fact that a ceasefire in Gaza only lasted 90 minutes, it's every bit as relevant now as it was then. #freepalestine Ceasefire by Asif Balouch Across my TV screen the evening news invites me to a world where smiles do not exist. Where all that lies is images of horror, devastation that knows no bounds. Gaza , where blood flows more than water. Sad story follows tragedy repeatedly in a torturous cycle. I’ve seen enough and am not the only one that cries out for those liable to bring forth a ceasefire. To city halls we go and march, embassies and consulates. The demand of a resolution we sought an end to the conflict. Cardboard signs with words big and bold spell out our disapproval. A clear message to those in power: "How much more lives must be lost before you’ve had your fill?" That would g...

A sad start to the month of April. One of my favorite childhood wrestling hero's has passed away. The Ultimate Warrior died at the age of 54 from heart failure while walking with his wife to his car at a hotel. This was just 24 hours after he was on Monday Night RAW for the first time in 18 years and more than 48 hours removed from being honored at the 2014 Hall of Fame. Ultimate Warrior was my gateway drug into wrestling when I was a little tyke. My dad liked watching wrestling and I think when I was around 2 or 3 I got my first glimpse of wrestling either on a Saturday morning or Saturday night when my dad had just got home from work and was relaxing. Who was on the screen? The Ultimate Warrior. The long hair, the crazy promos, the colorful facepaint and tassles the big muscles I thought he was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. Sure a lot of the times you didn't understand a word he was saying but the dude was a ball of energy running to the ring and that music was a...

A trend that is starting to catch fire on the interwebs are viral video pranksters going off the beaten path and showing off their charitable side by recording a video of them either helping out the homeless with a makeover, some money, groceries etc.  Popular Youtubers like Vitalyzd, FouseyTube, MagicofRahat are just a few of those folks. Look at this recent video just released of MagicofRahat giving a homeless man a fake lottery ticket and following him to go cash his winnings. The heartwarming video above I must admit brought tears to my eyes. These videos are usually very inspirational and emotional. It's no surprise videos like these go viral because it's not common for charitable acts to be seen up close and personal from a third person perspective. The majority of folks appreciate the random acts of kindness but others expose a different side, one that is usually disliked or overlooked. I'm talking about comments such as these: Emotional porn?...

That about covers it... Last week, Exxodus Pictures released the brand new trailer for the much-delayed  movie    Jinn. The film--which had been in developmental purgatory for nearly 4 years (originally supposed to be released in 2011)--finally has a set date for release on April 4th, 2014. I expressed my thoughts on the initial teaser trailer over a year ago and said from the looks of it, the movie is not going to stay accurate to the Islamic teachings of Jinn but instead veer off into the typical "fantasy monster" movie genre. Lo and behold the brand new trailer confirmed my suspicions. It's friggin' Highlander meets Fast and The Furious meets Blade . They are even marketing it as a supernatural thriller adventure? Ugh... A few questions that have me scratching my head:

I know guys, I know! Don't ya'll have movies to go make? Hey gang, it's your friendly neighborhood PhilAsifer again checking in (late, as usual) with the first post of the new year. In between work and being a daddy, I haven't had an ample amount of time to sit myself down and come up with some creative posts. It's really left a void in me because just a year ago I was rolling with content on a consistent basis. 2013 was quite a ride. It will mostly be remembered as the year that I made the final leap into adulthood by being a father, accompanied by gray hairs, aching joints and a receding hairline (yippee!) After coming home from a 9 hour grind, there's little time to devote to the writing room when theres more important things to deal with like giving my wife a break from spending all day with sonny boy. I love spending my nights with the little dude but at the same time I do miss that free time to buckle down and move my fingers--which more often than...