I took this computerized test once. All the questions were given different points like 1, 2 and 3. Each time you answered correctly the computer gave you a harder question. Theoretically two people who take the test might have different opinions of it given the complexity of their questions. One might say it was too hard and one might say it was too easy. The one with the tougher test might have answered the same number of questions incorrectly, or even more so, but could still score higher. And in the same case, the person with the easy test could have answered all the easy questions correctly but still end up with a lower score.
Allah (swt) works in mysterious ways, namely tests. We're constantly being tested. If Allah (swt) tests like computerized tests, could it be that by passing the hard questions/tests we're asking for a rougher/tougher/challenging life?
Let's see, how many people know someone who's had a hard knock life? You know that one person that even YOU pray for because you figure absolutely NO ANGELS got his back! That one person who's constantly in some sort of a pickle, trouble, fiasco, drama etc. When they rise above one problem it catapults them directly into a new one.
I used to question why some were given harder tests in life versus others. It is our own doing. When we pass one level, we gear up for the next which promises to be more challenging, because anything too easy will surely disappoint or be insulting to us. If the next challenge is too tough, we jump back down to something easier gather our strength and will and tackle the next level again.
Next time you hear of someone passing through a tough time, dont pity them. Praise them for their courage and pray for their success iA. We could lead easy lives if we wanted to but then what would be the point?
Friday, June 29, 2007
iCANDY
iPhone what?
This post has a point. If your reflection doesn't look like this (and no I dont mean what yo mommma thinks of you) then dont bother asking for anything tepid... let alone hot!
Women vs Men
Woman's Nightly Prayer
Before I lay me down to sleep,
I pray for a man, who's not a creep,
One who's handsome, smart and strong.
One who loves to listen long,
One who thinks before he speaks,
One who'll call, not wait for weeks.
I pray he's gainfully employed,
When I spend his cash, won't be annoyed.
Pulls out my chair and opens my door,
Massages my back and begs to do more.
Oh! Send me a man who'll make love to my mind,
Knows what to answer to "how big is my behind?"
I pray that this man will love me to no end,
And always be my very best friend.
Man's Nightly Prayer
I pray for a deaf-mute nymphomaniac with huge boobs who owns a liquor
store and a golf course. This doesn't rhyme and I don't care.
Ameeeeen, na mean? :P
We Think, Therefore We Dont
Back when I got my car fixed from the accident, the only thing left to do was fix the light. I had time this morning so I stopped in to have it fixed. Sitting in the lobby I kept looking over at the time because I wanted to make it to the station in time for the train to Center City.
It didnt happen. I ended up having to drive in. While I sat in the waiting area, there was one clock on the wall that was telling a different time. It was out of battery, yet the pendulum was still swinging. I know it was out of battery and not just set wrong because I kept going back to it and the hands werent advancing. It made me stop and think: No matter how much you try and stop time, the minutes still tick by.
TIME. Why is it that the one moment you have lots of it is when you are pondering your own mortality. There's always "time" for that! 7:12p...13...14...7:33p. Then I beg to argue: THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH TIME!
How much time do we really have? When people tell you they're busy and that they dont have time are they really that preoccupied or just lazy? My Khala is amazing with time. If she has even four minutes in the morning before work she will prep chicken breasts for dinner, do a load of laundry/fold the ones coming out of the dryer, AND (not or) iron. Not to mention she will step out of the house looking like she just came from a Glamour cover shoot.
How did women of the past do it all? They used their time wisely, but what are we women of today doing different? Is it that we think too much? (blog too much? haha) We think, therefore we dont. Im not saying that women of yesterday didnt think, Im saying they didnt contemplate, overanalyze and extrapolate: they just did.
Again, I ask myself: What's my preoccupation? I spend more time thinking, CORRECTION I waste more time thinking than doing. The previous generation was a generation of dooers. They are still doing. We're a generation of thinkers. We're thinking about doing. What will the next generation be? The black-hole equivalent of loafers?
Yesterday I had a patient who I diagnosed with one of the most devastatingly life-ending cancers. She was hardly 40. She was telling us about her mother and how she is her inspiration. She keeps going because of her mother. Her mother's strength speaks to her in her time of weakness. Hardly 40.
If cancers can happen to anyone, and sometimes they act as lessons to survivers, then how does God decide? Who gets to be a student, and who gets to be a martyr for the rest?
1:53p....54...56.
Im thinking too much, again.
Another patient today had her husband in the room with her for a procedure. During local anesthesia he offered her his hand to hold while the burn of the medication subsided. I wish I could have taken a picture of it. I figured the lady at that moment was the luckiest lady in the world because at that moment she had what I want most: someone to hold.
When? I dont need to know how, just when so I can prepare, so I can stop waiting.
It didnt happen. I ended up having to drive in. While I sat in the waiting area, there was one clock on the wall that was telling a different time. It was out of battery, yet the pendulum was still swinging. I know it was out of battery and not just set wrong because I kept going back to it and the hands werent advancing. It made me stop and think: No matter how much you try and stop time, the minutes still tick by.
TIME. Why is it that the one moment you have lots of it is when you are pondering your own mortality. There's always "time" for that! 7:12p...13...14...7:33p. Then I beg to argue: THERE'S NEVER ENOUGH TIME!
How much time do we really have? When people tell you they're busy and that they dont have time are they really that preoccupied or just lazy? My Khala is amazing with time. If she has even four minutes in the morning before work she will prep chicken breasts for dinner, do a load of laundry/fold the ones coming out of the dryer, AND (not or) iron. Not to mention she will step out of the house looking like she just came from a Glamour cover shoot.
How did women of the past do it all? They used their time wisely, but what are we women of today doing different? Is it that we think too much? (blog too much? haha) We think, therefore we dont. Im not saying that women of yesterday didnt think, Im saying they didnt contemplate, overanalyze and extrapolate: they just did.
Again, I ask myself: What's my preoccupation? I spend more time thinking, CORRECTION I waste more time thinking than doing. The previous generation was a generation of dooers. They are still doing. We're a generation of thinkers. We're thinking about doing. What will the next generation be? The black-hole equivalent of loafers?
Yesterday I had a patient who I diagnosed with one of the most devastatingly life-ending cancers. She was hardly 40. She was telling us about her mother and how she is her inspiration. She keeps going because of her mother. Her mother's strength speaks to her in her time of weakness. Hardly 40.
If cancers can happen to anyone, and sometimes they act as lessons to survivers, then how does God decide? Who gets to be a student, and who gets to be a martyr for the rest?
1:53p....54...56.
Im thinking too much, again.
Another patient today had her husband in the room with her for a procedure. During local anesthesia he offered her his hand to hold while the burn of the medication subsided. I wish I could have taken a picture of it. I figured the lady at that moment was the luckiest lady in the world because at that moment she had what I want most: someone to hold.
When? I dont need to know how, just when so I can prepare, so I can stop waiting.
Mahatma Gandhi Rejected Zionism - by Professor A.K. Ramakrishnan
Gandhi's major statement on the Palestine and the Jewish question came forth in his widely circulated editorial in the Harijan of 11 November 1938, a time when intense struggle between the Palestinian Arabs and the immigrant Jews had been on the anvil in Palestine. His views came in the context of severe pressure on him, especially from the Zionist quarters, to issue a statement on the problem. Therefore, he started his piece by saying that his sympathies are all with the Jews, who as a people were subjected to inhuman treatment and persecution for a long time.
"But", Gandhi asserted, "My sympathy does not blind me to the requirements of justice. The cry for the national home for the Jews does not make much appeal to me. The sanction for it is sought in the Bible and in the tenacity with which the Jews have hankered after their return to Palestine. Why should they not, like other peoples of the earth, make that country their home where they are born and where they earn their livelihood?"
He thus questioned the very foundational logic of political Zionism. Gandhi rejected the idea of a Jewish State in the Promised Land by pointing out that the "Palestine of the Biblical conception is not a geographical tract." The Zionists, after embarking upon a policy of colonization of Palestine and after getting British recognition through the Balfour Declaration of 1917 for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jews," tried to elicit maximum international support. The Jewish leaders were keen to get an approval for Zionism from Gandhi as his international fame as the leader of a non-violent national struggle against imperialism would provide great impetus for the Jewish cause. But his position was one of total disapproval of the Zionist project both for political and religious reasons. He was against the attempts of the British mandatory Government in Palestine toeing the Zionist line of imposing itself on the Palestinians in the name of establishing a Jewish national home. Gandhi's Harijan editorial is an emphatic assertion of the rights of the Arabs in Palestine. The following oft-quoted lines exemplify his position: "Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the Arabs... Surely it would be a crime against humanity to reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews partly or wholly as their national home."
Gandhi's response to Zionism and the Palestine question contains different layers of meaning, ranging from an ethical position to political realism. What is interesting is that Gandhi, who firmly believed in the inseparability of religion and politics, had been consistently and vehemently rejecting the cultural and religious nationalism of the Zionists.
What follows then is that he was not for religion functioning as a political ideology; rather, he wanted religion to provide an ethical dimension to nation-State politics. Such a difference was vital as far as Gandhi was concerned. A uni-religious justification for claiming a nation-State, as in the case of Zionism, did not appeal to him in any substantial sense.
The history of Palestine in the first half of this century has been characterized by the contention between two kinds of nationalism: Zionism and Palestinian Arab nationalism-the former striving for creating a Jewish nation in Palestine by colonizing its land through massive Jewish immigration and the latter struggling for freedom of the inhabitants of the land of Palestine from colonial and imperialist control.
Gandhi, in his role as leader of the national struggle and the Indian National Congress (the organization embodying that struggle), had been actively engaged during the 1930s and 1940s in moulding the perception of the people of India to the nationalist and anti-imperialist struggles in the Arab world. The 1937 Calcutta meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) "emphatically protested against the reign of terror as well as the partition proposals relating to Palestine" and expressed the solidarity of the Indian people with the Arab peoples' struggle for national freedom. The Delhi AICC of September 1938 said in its resolution that Britain should leave the Jews and the Arabs to amicably settle the issues between the two parties, and it urged the Jews "not to take shelter behind British Imperialism." Gandhi wanted the Jews in Palestine to seek the goodwill of the Arabs by discarding "the help of the British bayonet."
Gandhi and the Congress thus openly supported Palestinian Arab nationalism, and Gandhi was more emphatic in the rejection of Zionist nationalism. The major political driving force in such a position was the common legacy of anti-imperialist struggle of the Indians and the Palestinians. Gandhi's views on the Zionist doctrine and his firm commitment to the Palestinian cause starting from the 1930s obviously influenced the design of independent India's position on the Palestine issue.
Gandhi's prescription for the Jews in Germany and the Arabs in Palestine was non-violent resistance. With regard to the Jewish problem in Germany, Gandhi noted, "I am convinced that if someone with courage and vision can arise among them to lead them in non-violent action, the winter of their despair can, in the twinkling of an eye, be turned into the summer of hope." His views on Zionism and his prescription of non-violent action and self-sacrifice to the Jews in Germany generated reactions ranging from anger to despair. Famous Jewish pacifists, Martin Buber, Judah Magnes and Hayim Greenberg, who otherwise admired Gandhi, felt "highly offended by Gandhi's anti-Zionism" and criticized him for his lack of understanding of the spirit of Zionism. Martin Buber, in a long reply to Gandhi's Harijan editorial, remarked, "You are only concerned, Mahatma, with the "right of possession" on the one side; you do not consider the right to a piece of free land on the other side - for those who are hungering for it."
As mentioned earlier, Gandhi refused to view the Zionist "hunger" for land in Palestine as a right. Gandhi wrote on 7 January 1939 the following in response to an editorial in the Statesman, "I hold that non-violence is not merely a personal virtue. It is also a social virtue to be cultivated like the other virtues. Surely society is largely regulated by the expression of non-violence in its mutual dealing. What I ask for is an extension of it on a larger, national and international scale."
Also, it is significant to note that, as far as Gandhi was concerned, non-violent action was not pacifism or a defensive activity but a way of waging war. This war without violence also requires discipline, training and the assessment of the strength and weakness of the enemy.
According to Paul Power, four factors influenced Gandhi's position on Zionism:
- "First, he was sensitive about the ideas of Muslim Indians who were anti-Zionists because of their sympathy for Middle Eastern Arabs opposed to the Jewish National Home; second, he objected to any Zionist methods inconsistent with his way of non-violence; third, he found Zionism contrary to his pluralistic nationalism, which excludes the establishment of any State based solely or mainly on one religion; and fourth, he apparently believed it imprudent to complicate his relations with the British, who held the mandate in Palestine."
Gandhi withstood almost all Zionist attempts at extracting a pro-Zionist stance from him. G.H. Jansen wrote about the failure of Zionist lobbying with Gandhi:
- "His opposition [to Zionism] remained consistent over a period of nearly 20 years and remained firm despite skilful and varied applications to him of that combination of pressure and persuasion known as lobbying, of which the Zionists are past masters."
Apart from responses to Gandhi's anti-Zionism from Jewish pacifists such as Buber, Magnes and Greenberg, Jansen points out at least four separate instances of Zionist attempts to get a favourable statement from Gandhi. At first, Hermann Kallenbach, Gandhi's Jewish friend in South Africa, came to India in 1937 and stayed for weeks with Gandhi trying to convince him of the merits of the Zionist cause. Then, in the 1930s, as requested by Rabbi Stephen Wise, the American pacifist John Haynes Holmes, tried "to obtain from Gandhi a declaration favourable to Zionism". In March 1946, a British MP from the Labour Party, Sydney Silverman, an advocate of Indian independence in Britain, attempted to change Gandhi's mind. At the end of their heated conversation, Gandhi stated that "after all our talk, I am unable to revise the opinion I gave you in the beginning." The fourth Zionist attempt to change Gandhi's mind was by Louis Fischer, Gandhi's famous biographer, to whom Gandhi reported to have said that "the Jews have a good case."
Later, Gandhi clarified in one of his final pieces on Zionism and the Palestine question on 14 July 1946 that "I did say some such thing in the course of a conversation with Mr. Louis Fischer on the subject." He added, "I do believe that the Jews have been cruelly wronged by the world."
Gandhi went back to his initial position by categorically stating that "But in my opinion, they [the Jews] have erred grievously in seeking to impose themselves on Palestine with the aid of America and Britain and now with the aid of naked terrorism... Why should they depend on American money or British arms for forcing themselves on an unwelcome land? Why should they resort to terrorism to make good their forcible landing in Palestine?"
There were an influential number of Jews who thought that force, only force, could ensure the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. They adopted terrorism as the method to achieve their national goal. This policy of subjugation of the Palestinians by Zionist terror was totally rejected by Gandhi in no uncertain terms.
A few months before his assassination, Gandhi answered the question "What is the solution to the Palestine problem?" raised by Doon Campbell of Reuters:
"It has become a problem which seems almost insoluble. If I were a Jew, I would tell them: 'Do not be so silly as to resort to terrorism...' The Jews should meet the Arabs, make friends with them and not depend on British aid or American aid, save what descends from Jehovah."
---
Dr. Ramakrishnan is a senior lecturer, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He presented this paper on June 13, 1998 at a seminar organized by the Institute of Islamic and Arab Studies. The seminar was inaugurated by the chairman of India's National Minorities Commission, Prof. Tahir Mahmoud, who highlighted the traditional Indian support for the Palestinian struggle against Zionist Occupation.
The United States walked out of the September 2001 World Conference Against Racism because it included two contentious issues: Zionism as racism, and reparations for slavery and colonialism.
[Tim Wise, an activist, writer and lecturer based in Nashville, Tennessee, writes that "it is difficult to deny that Zionism, in practice if not theory, amounts to ethnic chauvinism, colonial ethnocentrism, and national oppression."--Tim Wise, "Reflections on Zionism From a Dissident Jew," Media Monitors Network, September 6, 2001]
["In the last decade the two countries have built up extensive military collaboration, involving arms sales, equipment upgrades, the transfer of technology and joint weapons development programmes. The latest multi-billion dollar defence agreements are seen as another watershed in the Indo-Israeli strategic partnership."--"Closer ties for India and Israel," Jane's Intelligence Digest, August 7, 2001]
Carol Giacomo, "American Jews Are Key Advocates of U.S.-India Ties," Reuters, July 9, 2003
http://www.twf.org/News/Y2001/0815-GandhiZionism.html
"But", Gandhi asserted, "My sympathy does not blind me to the requirements of justice. The cry for the national home for the Jews does not make much appeal to me. The sanction for it is sought in the Bible and in the tenacity with which the Jews have hankered after their return to Palestine. Why should they not, like other peoples of the earth, make that country their home where they are born and where they earn their livelihood?"
He thus questioned the very foundational logic of political Zionism. Gandhi rejected the idea of a Jewish State in the Promised Land by pointing out that the "Palestine of the Biblical conception is not a geographical tract." The Zionists, after embarking upon a policy of colonization of Palestine and after getting British recognition through the Balfour Declaration of 1917 for "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jews," tried to elicit maximum international support. The Jewish leaders were keen to get an approval for Zionism from Gandhi as his international fame as the leader of a non-violent national struggle against imperialism would provide great impetus for the Jewish cause. But his position was one of total disapproval of the Zionist project both for political and religious reasons. He was against the attempts of the British mandatory Government in Palestine toeing the Zionist line of imposing itself on the Palestinians in the name of establishing a Jewish national home. Gandhi's Harijan editorial is an emphatic assertion of the rights of the Arabs in Palestine. The following oft-quoted lines exemplify his position: "Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French. It is wrong and inhuman to impose the Jews on the Arabs... Surely it would be a crime against humanity to reduce the proud Arabs so that Palestine can be restored to the Jews partly or wholly as their national home."
Gandhi's response to Zionism and the Palestine question contains different layers of meaning, ranging from an ethical position to political realism. What is interesting is that Gandhi, who firmly believed in the inseparability of religion and politics, had been consistently and vehemently rejecting the cultural and religious nationalism of the Zionists.
What follows then is that he was not for religion functioning as a political ideology; rather, he wanted religion to provide an ethical dimension to nation-State politics. Such a difference was vital as far as Gandhi was concerned. A uni-religious justification for claiming a nation-State, as in the case of Zionism, did not appeal to him in any substantial sense.
The history of Palestine in the first half of this century has been characterized by the contention between two kinds of nationalism: Zionism and Palestinian Arab nationalism-the former striving for creating a Jewish nation in Palestine by colonizing its land through massive Jewish immigration and the latter struggling for freedom of the inhabitants of the land of Palestine from colonial and imperialist control.
Gandhi, in his role as leader of the national struggle and the Indian National Congress (the organization embodying that struggle), had been actively engaged during the 1930s and 1940s in moulding the perception of the people of India to the nationalist and anti-imperialist struggles in the Arab world. The 1937 Calcutta meeting of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) "emphatically protested against the reign of terror as well as the partition proposals relating to Palestine" and expressed the solidarity of the Indian people with the Arab peoples' struggle for national freedom. The Delhi AICC of September 1938 said in its resolution that Britain should leave the Jews and the Arabs to amicably settle the issues between the two parties, and it urged the Jews "not to take shelter behind British Imperialism." Gandhi wanted the Jews in Palestine to seek the goodwill of the Arabs by discarding "the help of the British bayonet."
Gandhi and the Congress thus openly supported Palestinian Arab nationalism, and Gandhi was more emphatic in the rejection of Zionist nationalism. The major political driving force in such a position was the common legacy of anti-imperialist struggle of the Indians and the Palestinians. Gandhi's views on the Zionist doctrine and his firm commitment to the Palestinian cause starting from the 1930s obviously influenced the design of independent India's position on the Palestine issue.
Gandhi's prescription for the Jews in Germany and the Arabs in Palestine was non-violent resistance. With regard to the Jewish problem in Germany, Gandhi noted, "I am convinced that if someone with courage and vision can arise among them to lead them in non-violent action, the winter of their despair can, in the twinkling of an eye, be turned into the summer of hope." His views on Zionism and his prescription of non-violent action and self-sacrifice to the Jews in Germany generated reactions ranging from anger to despair. Famous Jewish pacifists, Martin Buber, Judah Magnes and Hayim Greenberg, who otherwise admired Gandhi, felt "highly offended by Gandhi's anti-Zionism" and criticized him for his lack of understanding of the spirit of Zionism. Martin Buber, in a long reply to Gandhi's Harijan editorial, remarked, "You are only concerned, Mahatma, with the "right of possession" on the one side; you do not consider the right to a piece of free land on the other side - for those who are hungering for it."
As mentioned earlier, Gandhi refused to view the Zionist "hunger" for land in Palestine as a right. Gandhi wrote on 7 January 1939 the following in response to an editorial in the Statesman, "I hold that non-violence is not merely a personal virtue. It is also a social virtue to be cultivated like the other virtues. Surely society is largely regulated by the expression of non-violence in its mutual dealing. What I ask for is an extension of it on a larger, national and international scale."
Also, it is significant to note that, as far as Gandhi was concerned, non-violent action was not pacifism or a defensive activity but a way of waging war. This war without violence also requires discipline, training and the assessment of the strength and weakness of the enemy.
According to Paul Power, four factors influenced Gandhi's position on Zionism:
- "First, he was sensitive about the ideas of Muslim Indians who were anti-Zionists because of their sympathy for Middle Eastern Arabs opposed to the Jewish National Home; second, he objected to any Zionist methods inconsistent with his way of non-violence; third, he found Zionism contrary to his pluralistic nationalism, which excludes the establishment of any State based solely or mainly on one religion; and fourth, he apparently believed it imprudent to complicate his relations with the British, who held the mandate in Palestine."
Gandhi withstood almost all Zionist attempts at extracting a pro-Zionist stance from him. G.H. Jansen wrote about the failure of Zionist lobbying with Gandhi:
- "His opposition [to Zionism] remained consistent over a period of nearly 20 years and remained firm despite skilful and varied applications to him of that combination of pressure and persuasion known as lobbying, of which the Zionists are past masters."
Apart from responses to Gandhi's anti-Zionism from Jewish pacifists such as Buber, Magnes and Greenberg, Jansen points out at least four separate instances of Zionist attempts to get a favourable statement from Gandhi. At first, Hermann Kallenbach, Gandhi's Jewish friend in South Africa, came to India in 1937 and stayed for weeks with Gandhi trying to convince him of the merits of the Zionist cause. Then, in the 1930s, as requested by Rabbi Stephen Wise, the American pacifist John Haynes Holmes, tried "to obtain from Gandhi a declaration favourable to Zionism". In March 1946, a British MP from the Labour Party, Sydney Silverman, an advocate of Indian independence in Britain, attempted to change Gandhi's mind. At the end of their heated conversation, Gandhi stated that "after all our talk, I am unable to revise the opinion I gave you in the beginning." The fourth Zionist attempt to change Gandhi's mind was by Louis Fischer, Gandhi's famous biographer, to whom Gandhi reported to have said that "the Jews have a good case."
Later, Gandhi clarified in one of his final pieces on Zionism and the Palestine question on 14 July 1946 that "I did say some such thing in the course of a conversation with Mr. Louis Fischer on the subject." He added, "I do believe that the Jews have been cruelly wronged by the world."
Gandhi went back to his initial position by categorically stating that "But in my opinion, they [the Jews] have erred grievously in seeking to impose themselves on Palestine with the aid of America and Britain and now with the aid of naked terrorism... Why should they depend on American money or British arms for forcing themselves on an unwelcome land? Why should they resort to terrorism to make good their forcible landing in Palestine?"
There were an influential number of Jews who thought that force, only force, could ensure the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine. They adopted terrorism as the method to achieve their national goal. This policy of subjugation of the Palestinians by Zionist terror was totally rejected by Gandhi in no uncertain terms.
A few months before his assassination, Gandhi answered the question "What is the solution to the Palestine problem?" raised by Doon Campbell of Reuters:
"It has become a problem which seems almost insoluble. If I were a Jew, I would tell them: 'Do not be so silly as to resort to terrorism...' The Jews should meet the Arabs, make friends with them and not depend on British aid or American aid, save what descends from Jehovah."
---
Dr. Ramakrishnan is a senior lecturer, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. He presented this paper on June 13, 1998 at a seminar organized by the Institute of Islamic and Arab Studies. The seminar was inaugurated by the chairman of India's National Minorities Commission, Prof. Tahir Mahmoud, who highlighted the traditional Indian support for the Palestinian struggle against Zionist Occupation.
The United States walked out of the September 2001 World Conference Against Racism because it included two contentious issues: Zionism as racism, and reparations for slavery and colonialism.
[Tim Wise, an activist, writer and lecturer based in Nashville, Tennessee, writes that "it is difficult to deny that Zionism, in practice if not theory, amounts to ethnic chauvinism, colonial ethnocentrism, and national oppression."--Tim Wise, "Reflections on Zionism From a Dissident Jew," Media Monitors Network, September 6, 2001]
["In the last decade the two countries have built up extensive military collaboration, involving arms sales, equipment upgrades, the transfer of technology and joint weapons development programmes. The latest multi-billion dollar defence agreements are seen as another watershed in the Indo-Israeli strategic partnership."--"Closer ties for India and Israel," Jane's Intelligence Digest, August 7, 2001]
Carol Giacomo, "American Jews Are Key Advocates of U.S.-India Ties," Reuters, July 9, 2003
http://www.twf.org/News/Y2001/0815-GandhiZionism.html
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
(dis)Honor Killings
Oh mother, a rattle, tears and darkness
Blood gushed out, and the stabbed body trembled.
“Oh mother!” Heard only by the executioner
Tomorrow the dawn will come and roses will wake up
Youth and enchanted hopes will ask for her
The meadows and the flowers will answer:
She left to wash the disgrace.
The brutal executioner returns
And meets people
“Disgrace!” He wipes his knife
“We’ve torn it apart.”
And returned virtuous with a white reputation.
-Nazik al-Malaika, one of the Arab world’s most famous poets, an early exponent of the free verse movement in Arabic, died last Wednesday in Cairo. She was 83.In a searing poem about honor killings, “To Wash Disgrace,” in which a woman is killed by her father or brother for having dishonored the family by having a love affair before marriage, Ms. Malaika used simple language to convey the terrible loneliness of such a death.
Check out the article to gain more respect for the artist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/arts/27malaika.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Blood gushed out, and the stabbed body trembled.
“Oh mother!” Heard only by the executioner
Tomorrow the dawn will come and roses will wake up
Youth and enchanted hopes will ask for her
The meadows and the flowers will answer:
She left to wash the disgrace.
The brutal executioner returns
And meets people
“Disgrace!” He wipes his knife
“We’ve torn it apart.”
And returned virtuous with a white reputation.
-Nazik al-Malaika, one of the Arab world’s most famous poets, an early exponent of the free verse movement in Arabic, died last Wednesday in Cairo. She was 83.In a searing poem about honor killings, “To Wash Disgrace,” in which a woman is killed by her father or brother for having dishonored the family by having a love affair before marriage, Ms. Malaika used simple language to convey the terrible loneliness of such a death.
Check out the article to gain more respect for the artist.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/27/arts/27malaika.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Do YOU Fear God?
Ok so I thought about this before going to bed last night. I fear bugs. I dont care how much someone says, "They're smaller than you.", or "They cant hurt you." etc., the fact remains: They creep me out!
It occurred to me how easy it is to fear something so small yet something as great as Allah (swt) does not get the same response out of me. Ok, so yes I fear Him. Of course I do, but its not keeping me up all night with a high electricity bill. So what gives?
His mercy is as great as His wrath. How much do we really fear God? And if we feared Him the way we fear bugs, would we be less compelled to sin?
It occurred to me how easy it is to fear something so small yet something as great as Allah (swt) does not get the same response out of me. Ok, so yes I fear Him. Of course I do, but its not keeping me up all night with a high electricity bill. So what gives?
His mercy is as great as His wrath. How much do we really fear God? And if we feared Him the way we fear bugs, would we be less compelled to sin?
Damned-sel in Distress
Where's the genie that comes with it who actually does the work?I was looking for a present for my niece's 2nd birthday the other day and I came across an unsettling fact: Our gender roles in life are disgustingly influenced by the media and their need to sell toys. Its a conspiracy.
Even at the infant age anything pink is "girly" and anything "blue" is boyish. Who agreed to this? My favorite color is blue. Am I suddenly less of a woman because of it?
In the toddler section I became downright offended. My choices were: an ironing set, a tea party set, or a makeup set. Excuse me? What happened to the doctor set, the lawyer set, and the underpaid and overworked set? In order to keep up with the times two party income is a necessity not just a choice. So why not condition girls at an early age to accept a trade? Why are we pretending like girls are fragile? Why keep the girls reality? What about the little girl who happens to like dump trucks and tools? Boys just have better selection of things to play with.
We need TOY REFORM.
We need, from a very early age, to allow girls to believe they can one day go into outer space in a rocket, instead of just having to pretend to go there everytime a cute boy walks by.
We need to show them that they dont have to go comatose waiting for Prince Charming to arrive: they have a life and its worth living.
We need to show them that they matter, too, and that they are just as important as males to society, if not more so because if it werent for them there would be no more societies, no more people.
We need positive role models to show girls that women are superior because we can iron, cook, clean, and perform open heart surgeries.
We need to demand the Disney make more characters like bookworm Belle, proud Pocahontas, and fiery Fiona and not spindle touching, sea-shell bra wearing, poisoned apple eating, wishing on a star types.
Think about it: Just about every single Disney story tells the tale of a girl lost, confused, hurt, and/or trapped from which she must be rescued. In each movie the girl undergoes some sort of transformation or sacrifice to end up with the Prince. In the Little Mermaid's case, Aerial gave up her whole life as a mermaid and got human legs. She made, and paid, the ultimate price, but its glorified in song and dance and happily ever after.
In the end, I settled on a Dora the Explorer lounge chair for her room and a promise to forever and always encourage her in every wish and desire her heart can make and to support her to go farther in education and to always strive for the best and never settle for anything less.
Who Knew?
Santa and a lawyer are seated next to each other on a flight from Patiyala to New Delhi. The lawyer asks if he would like to play a fungame. Santa, tired, just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.
The lawyer persists and explains that the game is easy and a lot of fun. He says, "I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me fifty rupees, and vice versa." Again, Santa declines and tries to get some sleep.
The lawyer, now agitated, says, "Okay, if you don't know the answer,you pay me Rs. 50, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you Rs. 5000."
This catches Santa's attention and, figuring there will be noend to this torment, agrees to the game. The lawyer asks the first question: "What's the distance from the earth to the moon?" Santa doesn't say a word, reaches into his purse, pulls out a Rs. 50 bill,and hands it to the lawyer.
"Okay," says the lawyer, "your turn." Santa asks, "What goes up a hill with three legs and comes back with four legs?" The lawyer, puzzled, takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references ... no answer. He taps into the air phone with his modem and searches the Internet and the Library of Congress ... no answer. Frustrated, he sends e-mails to all his friends and coworkers but to no avail. After an hour, he wakes Santa and hands him Rs. 5000.
Santa thanks him and turns back to get some more sleep. The lawyer, who is more than a little miffed stirs Santa and asks, "Well, what's the answer?" Without a word, Santa reaches into his purse, hands the lawyer Rs. 50, and goes back to sleep.
And you thought Sardars were dumb.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Little Farah: Islamic Talking Doll - No Joke
Little Farah Talking Doll:SOLD OUT - Little Farah recites eleven beautiful Islamic phrases in Arabic and English that are most commonly used. She will have your child learn these in no time.
Little Farah's corner: http://www.toytutors.com/products/farah/main.asp
Listen to Little Farah:
Little Farah has a blog: http://www.toytutors.com/products/farah/blog.asp
Little Farah and Islam: http://www.toytutors.com/products/farah/Islam.asp
I must get one at ONCE for my little niece.
Greed
“A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked” - Bernard Meltzer quotes
“The finest kind of friendship is between people who expect a great deal of each other but never ask it” - Sylvia Bremer quotes
“You meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those people you can't forget. Those are your 'friends.'” - unknown
“True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.” - David Tyson Gentry quotes
“True friendship isn't about being there when it's convenient; it's about being there when it's not." - unknown
Weird Dream
Last night I had a continuous dream that progressively got weirder and weirder. As if each sequence was in competition to try and top the one before it.
Last night I passed out on my bed on my way to doing other things, so I left the lights on and didnt turn on my fan. As you can imagine it got hot and uncomfortable and I feel as if my weird dreams were a defense mechanism for me to wake up and recognize my body's discomfort.
The dream starts out in a tunnel in Philly somewhere. The tunnel is on this incline. Out of the corner of my eye I notice an accident just as it is happening. One vehicle ignites and then God knows how, they lose traction and the vehicles start to fall overtop of us, down the incline but not exactly touching the road surface. At one moment I notice flames all around me. Somehow I get out alive, very aware that someone will realize my absence and be frightened for me.
I make my way out of the inferno/smoke and I hitchhike a ride to the train station. Oddest thing, I remember the conversation:
Me: Do you know where the train station is? Im not sure if its on Market or Chestnut. (Funny thing, theres a train station on Market St. in real life)
Lady: I know its not on Market.
Me: Then its on Chestnut.
I dont know what happens in between, but the next scene is me at my sister's apartment (my sister doesnt live in an apartment in real life). Here I find my Sunday School teacher (who I have not seen in awhile) and her husband and children. I remember thinking maybe she can answer my questions or help in this prayer or something to that effect.
I find my family who apparently didnt know I was missing. I try and tell them of my story and my eldest sister rolls her eyes as if to say, "What a drama queen" and I get offended. I tell them I dont need this and I storm out to leave, making a huge effort in locating and grabing my coat.
I make it to the kitchen and I see this man standing there. Apparently I know him from some time before. He smirks at me as if to say, "You look pissed." I see my keys on the counter and I shrug at him (I dont know who he is) and prepare to leave. I realize his smirk and try and make sense of him. What's he hiding? Why's he there? I look down at my keys and realize my car key is missing. I look up at him, inaudible dialogue that translates into: I know what you're looking for. He comes towards me and hands me my key. No questions.
I am now at my 10 yr reunion. I realize I knew him from school. I take down his number and remember having a difficult time spelling his name. He says his name is Tilghman, last name yet when I go to write it down after his spelling instructions it reads "Tall Man". (weird)
I stop and look around and decide to stay. Im no longer angry. My family is not there. The people around me are people I went to high school with. I find one other person I used to know, a girl, but not from my high school, I went to elementary and middle school with her. I make an effort to write her information down, too.
I think I just woke up after this because there is nothing more that I recall. How do you make sense of anything of that? So many variables to look up: accident, fire, escape, Sunday school teacher, family, anger, blast from my past.
Im too tired to look any of them up. Chalk it up to being frightened of my fast-approaching mortality and my 10 Year High School reunion. Dear God in Heaven has it really been 10 years?!
Tall Man. Hmm. I wonder.
Last night I passed out on my bed on my way to doing other things, so I left the lights on and didnt turn on my fan. As you can imagine it got hot and uncomfortable and I feel as if my weird dreams were a defense mechanism for me to wake up and recognize my body's discomfort.
The dream starts out in a tunnel in Philly somewhere. The tunnel is on this incline. Out of the corner of my eye I notice an accident just as it is happening. One vehicle ignites and then God knows how, they lose traction and the vehicles start to fall overtop of us, down the incline but not exactly touching the road surface. At one moment I notice flames all around me. Somehow I get out alive, very aware that someone will realize my absence and be frightened for me.
I make my way out of the inferno/smoke and I hitchhike a ride to the train station. Oddest thing, I remember the conversation:
Me: Do you know where the train station is? Im not sure if its on Market or Chestnut. (Funny thing, theres a train station on Market St. in real life)
Lady: I know its not on Market.
Me: Then its on Chestnut.
I dont know what happens in between, but the next scene is me at my sister's apartment (my sister doesnt live in an apartment in real life). Here I find my Sunday School teacher (who I have not seen in awhile) and her husband and children. I remember thinking maybe she can answer my questions or help in this prayer or something to that effect.
I find my family who apparently didnt know I was missing. I try and tell them of my story and my eldest sister rolls her eyes as if to say, "What a drama queen" and I get offended. I tell them I dont need this and I storm out to leave, making a huge effort in locating and grabing my coat.
I make it to the kitchen and I see this man standing there. Apparently I know him from some time before. He smirks at me as if to say, "You look pissed." I see my keys on the counter and I shrug at him (I dont know who he is) and prepare to leave. I realize his smirk and try and make sense of him. What's he hiding? Why's he there? I look down at my keys and realize my car key is missing. I look up at him, inaudible dialogue that translates into: I know what you're looking for. He comes towards me and hands me my key. No questions.
I am now at my 10 yr reunion. I realize I knew him from school. I take down his number and remember having a difficult time spelling his name. He says his name is Tilghman, last name yet when I go to write it down after his spelling instructions it reads "Tall Man". (weird)
I stop and look around and decide to stay. Im no longer angry. My family is not there. The people around me are people I went to high school with. I find one other person I used to know, a girl, but not from my high school, I went to elementary and middle school with her. I make an effort to write her information down, too.
I think I just woke up after this because there is nothing more that I recall. How do you make sense of anything of that? So many variables to look up: accident, fire, escape, Sunday school teacher, family, anger, blast from my past.
Im too tired to look any of them up. Chalk it up to being frightened of my fast-approaching mortality and my 10 Year High School reunion. Dear God in Heaven has it really been 10 years?!
Tall Man. Hmm. I wonder.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Anger Management
Im really impressed with my halaqa sisters for steppin' up their game and coming up with a topic and presentation thats truly insightful to us all. Last week our halaqa topic was anger management. The sister went through the definition of anger, its causes, and its treatments.
Anger is an emotion but more importantly a tool Shaitan uses to cause fitna and divide between the human race. Like alcohol, it impairs our ability to function and think clearly. For whatever the reason that caused you to be angry, there are several ways we can avoid anger and keep Shaitan at bay.
1.) A'oo Thu Billahi min Ash Shaitan Arrajim: Say, I seek refuge in Allah (swt) from Shaitan. Shaitan brings anger, to seek refuge from him means to seek refuge from his cursed ways as well.
2.) Perform wudu: Shaitan is made of fire and as most people know a surface reaction of anger is that we get very heated and hot. Water is the best way to put out a fire therefore we should perform wudu to try and dissipate our anger. I remember my mom would always say, "Go and drink a glass of cold water." Again, old wives' tales prove true. Anything to cool yourself down is a good thing.
3.) Take a shower: Sometimes, its not enough just to perform wudu and we need to take a full out shower to get our entire body temperation, and mind tempertature, down to normal again.
4.) Change body position: Its easy to become threatening or have your pride get the best of you when you are standing. If you are standing, sit down. If you are sitting, lie down. Its very ineffective to scream and shout whilst you are lying down. If you are lying down, then it is best to put your cheek to the floor, in essence bringing yourself down to the ground, the lowest to the ground so that your pride will not get the best of you in this position.
Insha'Allah this will give more insight to any who have ever had to deal with anger, which is surely inclusive of everyone. We have a right to our emotions and feelings. We should own them and not be lead to them by Shaitan. He is evil and there is no good that can come of anything he has in mind for us. Man your own emotions and do not let them come between you and mental clarity.
FEMALE CASTRATION
Yes, you read right. That's what I wrote.
Over the weekend I began to ponder, again, why exactly it is that men and women are no longer getting married and it suddenly occurred to me. Women have become too strong and men have become weak.
Women, traditionally, are at the receiving end of a proposal so somehow sitting pretty and waiting for a guy to come around has taken a back seat to getting on with their lives and becoming more educated and therefore more self-succient. In essence getting by with acting like a guy.
Men, on the other hand, have found other avenues to explore, or detours if you will, on the Expressway to Marriage. What are these other detours and/or emotional hangups? Oh, I dont know... prostitutes, girlfriends whom they have no intention of marrying but wish to keep around to fulfill "needs" all the while getting by their day to day everyday in hopes of securing the best education, to land the best job and to be the best candidate for marriage...eventually.
In a conversation with a bunch of friends one night the subject of pornography came up. It has been stated that the highest percentage of pornography supporters/downloaders/clients etc are of an Islamic background. (ie majority are Muslim)
A friend stated as an excuse that that is so because people who are poor have no means to get married and therefore must satisfy their urges with these highly unethical means.
First and foremost I'd like to point out that the porn industry did not spring up to satisfy a need, the need is there because people do not wish to get married because they have a method to satisfying their "urges" elsewhere. The same girl that someone will willingly pay for to come dance on his lap, someone could potentially marry and have lap dances come free each and every night. No?
Let's review why there is a porn industry in the first place. Like I said, its not because people cannot get married. Girls are forced to leave their house and safety and security to go out and get jobs and support themselves because they are unmarried. What happens to unmarried girls? Where can they make the most money with little effort and possibly go to school in the morning? Bingo.
Men have absolutely no reason to be single. It should be against the law for a man to go without a wife for any period of time. There is no excuse. If he's still in school, fine, big deal. He's got school loans and lives with his parents. He can get married and both can live at home. This way they both can go to school and not be tempted with outside forces. Am I making this sound so simple???? If I am its not my fault, it really is that simple.
Women, when they do not have the security and safety of being taken care of must do it themselves. Women in essence grow balls and begin to realize they can make it on their own. If I were a mother of sons Id be out and about every damn day LOBBYING to have someone marry my sons before all the girls of the land figured out they really didnt need them to survive.
Men now have several dilemmas to deal with. First of all, they must contend with a woman who can take care of herself. He must find someway to CONVINCE her to leave her high paying job, her apartment to herself, and come live under his rule and quit her job. She must hand over her life... and what does he have to offer? A semi-precious stone on bended knee and a lifetime of broken promises?
I dont think so. Its true. Opposites attract. Men are to marry women. Women must make a conscious decision to undergo castration in order to end up married. It is our decision. There is no timeline. No set age at which this transformation miraculously occurs, this swallowing of pride and shrinking of, ahem, glands.
But then again, perhaps surgery on our part is not the answer. Perhaps men must evolve and grow bigger ones to compete with the rest of us. Afterall, wasnt it their idea to delay marriage that caused all of this in the first place?
Over the weekend I began to ponder, again, why exactly it is that men and women are no longer getting married and it suddenly occurred to me. Women have become too strong and men have become weak.
Women, traditionally, are at the receiving end of a proposal so somehow sitting pretty and waiting for a guy to come around has taken a back seat to getting on with their lives and becoming more educated and therefore more self-succient. In essence getting by with acting like a guy.
Men, on the other hand, have found other avenues to explore, or detours if you will, on the Expressway to Marriage. What are these other detours and/or emotional hangups? Oh, I dont know... prostitutes, girlfriends whom they have no intention of marrying but wish to keep around to fulfill "needs" all the while getting by their day to day everyday in hopes of securing the best education, to land the best job and to be the best candidate for marriage...eventually.
In a conversation with a bunch of friends one night the subject of pornography came up. It has been stated that the highest percentage of pornography supporters/downloaders/clients etc are of an Islamic background. (ie majority are Muslim)
A friend stated as an excuse that that is so because people who are poor have no means to get married and therefore must satisfy their urges with these highly unethical means.
First and foremost I'd like to point out that the porn industry did not spring up to satisfy a need, the need is there because people do not wish to get married because they have a method to satisfying their "urges" elsewhere. The same girl that someone will willingly pay for to come dance on his lap, someone could potentially marry and have lap dances come free each and every night. No?
Let's review why there is a porn industry in the first place. Like I said, its not because people cannot get married. Girls are forced to leave their house and safety and security to go out and get jobs and support themselves because they are unmarried. What happens to unmarried girls? Where can they make the most money with little effort and possibly go to school in the morning? Bingo.
Men have absolutely no reason to be single. It should be against the law for a man to go without a wife for any period of time. There is no excuse. If he's still in school, fine, big deal. He's got school loans and lives with his parents. He can get married and both can live at home. This way they both can go to school and not be tempted with outside forces. Am I making this sound so simple???? If I am its not my fault, it really is that simple.
Women, when they do not have the security and safety of being taken care of must do it themselves. Women in essence grow balls and begin to realize they can make it on their own. If I were a mother of sons Id be out and about every damn day LOBBYING to have someone marry my sons before all the girls of the land figured out they really didnt need them to survive.
Men now have several dilemmas to deal with. First of all, they must contend with a woman who can take care of herself. He must find someway to CONVINCE her to leave her high paying job, her apartment to herself, and come live under his rule and quit her job. She must hand over her life... and what does he have to offer? A semi-precious stone on bended knee and a lifetime of broken promises?
I dont think so. Its true. Opposites attract. Men are to marry women. Women must make a conscious decision to undergo castration in order to end up married. It is our decision. There is no timeline. No set age at which this transformation miraculously occurs, this swallowing of pride and shrinking of, ahem, glands.
But then again, perhaps surgery on our part is not the answer. Perhaps men must evolve and grow bigger ones to compete with the rest of us. Afterall, wasnt it their idea to delay marriage that caused all of this in the first place?
The Price of Tea In China
Lauren: shut off the brain
Farah: HAHAHAHAHA
Im not even going to begin to try and go through this past week's/weekend's events in one blogpost. Too much to handle. So let's just move on.
I have a problem, a severe problem with overanalyzing too much. Why does everything have to mean something and whats wrong with nothing meaning anything? I cant shut my brain off. I really cannot. Ive tried. Im surprised that I adhere to Islamic principles so well even though most of them, too, require faith and complete belief without overanalysis and not exactly blind faith, but something a lot like it.
Ok, fine Im lying some matters governing Islam keep me up at night, too.
We're creatures with a God given right to reason and understand but at what point does man's ability to reason become cumbersome? How do you stop your mind from taking the "Deep End" exit over and over again?
Ive tried everything short of medication/accupuncture: meditation, deep breathing, yoga, pretending things dont bother me, assuming the best of every situation and all its players, but everyone reaches a breaking point. Enough is enough.
Perhaps I do make mountains out of mole hills: I grew up on the shore, the very flat, sea-level shore... man made mountains ROCK!
Perhaps I do take things personally sometimes, but how else should I take them?? Vicariously? If it affects me... its personal.
Not everything is an attack, but it makes me wonder sometimes, growing up in a WAR IS THE ANSWER world with a WAR HAPPY Prez.... how much of that influences our actions? How much of the fact that growing up I always felt I had to defend myself and be the only one on my side has conditioned my knee-jerk response? Its funny when you take a few steps back and think... Mom... Dad.. I love you, but you guys should be FINED for your parenting skills or lackthereof. But then again, is there merit to playing the game on the defense all the time? Perhaps they did a service? I atleast know I can fend for myself. Right?
Oh, no. Oh GOD! Im doing it again. Letting my mind ramble and wander. I dont want to overthink anymore. I dont want a reason. There is no explanation. Stop looking for excuses. Stop looking for an answer.
Why cant things just be...?
Farah: HAHAHAHAHA
Im not even going to begin to try and go through this past week's/weekend's events in one blogpost. Too much to handle. So let's just move on.
I have a problem, a severe problem with overanalyzing too much. Why does everything have to mean something and whats wrong with nothing meaning anything? I cant shut my brain off. I really cannot. Ive tried. Im surprised that I adhere to Islamic principles so well even though most of them, too, require faith and complete belief without overanalysis and not exactly blind faith, but something a lot like it.
Ok, fine Im lying some matters governing Islam keep me up at night, too.
We're creatures with a God given right to reason and understand but at what point does man's ability to reason become cumbersome? How do you stop your mind from taking the "Deep End" exit over and over again?
Ive tried everything short of medication/accupuncture: meditation, deep breathing, yoga, pretending things dont bother me, assuming the best of every situation and all its players, but everyone reaches a breaking point. Enough is enough.
Perhaps I do make mountains out of mole hills: I grew up on the shore, the very flat, sea-level shore... man made mountains ROCK!
Perhaps I do take things personally sometimes, but how else should I take them?? Vicariously? If it affects me... its personal.
Not everything is an attack, but it makes me wonder sometimes, growing up in a WAR IS THE ANSWER world with a WAR HAPPY Prez.... how much of that influences our actions? How much of the fact that growing up I always felt I had to defend myself and be the only one on my side has conditioned my knee-jerk response? Its funny when you take a few steps back and think... Mom... Dad.. I love you, but you guys should be FINED for your parenting skills or lackthereof. But then again, is there merit to playing the game on the defense all the time? Perhaps they did a service? I atleast know I can fend for myself. Right?
Oh, no. Oh GOD! Im doing it again. Letting my mind ramble and wander. I dont want to overthink anymore. I dont want a reason. There is no explanation. Stop looking for excuses. Stop looking for an answer.
Why cant things just be...?
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Don't BUG Me
(Would you believe that is a microscopic organism that is known as the dust mite!)Correction from yesterday's blog: Its not that I dont have anything to say, its just that I have too much to say. My imagination runs wild when I, being a virgo, have nothing going on and have to come up with things on my own. But when I have too much going on, it triggers my adult ADD and I cant seem to contain my excitement and stick to one thought long enough to blog about it!
Anyway, Im on the train this morning and as I come to my stop I noticed a really weird gross BUG on my knee. I flip out, scream my head off "GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF ME!" Yes, that was yours truly on the R3 actin' a fool. I have no idea how long it was there, all I know is I couldnt take it once I realized it. Of course I automatically started to believe the bug had, while sitting motionless on my knee, injected me with viral venom or whatnot that slowly was going through my bloodstream, making my knee numb at first, and creeping up to my heart, lungs, and eventually, brain.
I began to think: just how many bugs are on us at any given point of the day that we just cannot see. Our skin is covered with mites that actually do us a service by eating away at dead skin so that it sloughs off. We have self-cleaning mechanisms galore on us. The human body is a dirty place! Why would anyone want to sit next to us, let alone live on us!
So I decided to do some research (in hopes of freaking myself out even more) into the wonderful world of body bugs and post where what occurs the most and why!
Dust mite: Although they can cause allergies, dust mites operate as a sort of clean up crew for our skin. They march about on our skin and scalps all day, scarfing up dead skin cells. They coexist with Demodex Folliculorum, the rather ordinary eyebrow mite, which lives in human hair. Harmless compared to the Dracula-like hookworm, eyebrow mites have been implicated in hair loss but pose no significant health risk.
OK STOP! No more knowledge, no more learning. Id rather not know what is out there that I cannot see. Ick!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
I Love My Neice and Nephew!
Fatima, 2 yrs, is the cutest thing ever. mA the children are really smart and are now able to dial us anytime using my sister's cellphone. Last night Im on the phone with my sister when she says, Fatima wants to talk. She gets on the phone, agenda in mind, goes through her day from the beginning all the way to the end. In the end she says, "ok bye." and gives the phone to her mom.
I say to my sister, my Goodness she didnt even think to ask about me. My sister says hold on shes coming back.
Fatima: I want to talk again. This time she talks... pauses.. waiting for me to answer.. then continues. hahha.
Talk talk talk talk. bye.
My sister thinks she's just like me. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? When am I ever all about myself? When do i ever talk so much?! When do I not ask how everyone else is doing?!?!
....oh hey.. how are you readers doing!?
Ok back to me!
...lol.. ok fineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. she's a lot like me. SO!?
Now I have to make a Radio Shack stop on the way home looking for a Transformers robotic red colored thingamajigger for my nephew.
Im on a mission: to maintain my title as "World's Best Khala"
I say to my sister, my Goodness she didnt even think to ask about me. My sister says hold on shes coming back.
Fatima: I want to talk again. This time she talks... pauses.. waiting for me to answer.. then continues. hahha.
Talk talk talk talk. bye.
My sister thinks she's just like me. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? When am I ever all about myself? When do i ever talk so much?! When do I not ask how everyone else is doing?!?!
....oh hey.. how are you readers doing!?
Ok back to me!
...lol.. ok fineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. she's a lot like me. SO!?
Now I have to make a Radio Shack stop on the way home looking for a Transformers robotic red colored thingamajigger for my nephew.
Im on a mission: to maintain my title as "World's Best Khala"
Silly Rabbit... Who Said I'm Ready??
Blogging is just not what it used to be. For right now anyway. I guess theres just way too much going on in my life that I have no time for it. (read: before I used to have to make angle parking seem like the highlight of my day, now I actually have places to go, people to see.. and no time to blog.)
My sister and mom are visiting me right now. I had total separation anxiety leaving them this morning. It was an in your face reminder of being the only one in the WORLD who had to go to work. Today is my baby sister's 19th birthday. LAST one before she hits the -tys!!! hahaha. We're keepin' it low-key though: dinner and a movie or some other form of exciting entertainment. Last night I drove them around in the raging rainstorm. I know I know, theres just something about zig-zaggy lightning that gets me tipsy. HAHA.
Anyway, tomorrow is HALAQA day! YAY! Its been a longggggggg while. We have halaqa every other week and I missed last time so its been 3 weeks. Im going through withdrawal, enough already!
OMG OMG OMG. I cannot believe I did this but I did. I joined a Ladies' Bowling League. How geriatric of me is that!? Nah, its not geriatric, therapeutic? Nah, I just really want to come out on top next time I play my friends. This should be a great way to meet new people, break up Monday Monotony and learn a few skills. Cant wait.
Let's see... what else is exciting?? Too much to talk about. Guess theres so many ppl reading my blog its not exactly anonymous for me anymore. hahaa.
ANyway, im going home now but watch for tomorrow's post and a picture that will speak for itself! haha
My sister and mom are visiting me right now. I had total separation anxiety leaving them this morning. It was an in your face reminder of being the only one in the WORLD who had to go to work. Today is my baby sister's 19th birthday. LAST one before she hits the -tys!!! hahaha. We're keepin' it low-key though: dinner and a movie or some other form of exciting entertainment. Last night I drove them around in the raging rainstorm. I know I know, theres just something about zig-zaggy lightning that gets me tipsy. HAHA.
Anyway, tomorrow is HALAQA day! YAY! Its been a longggggggg while. We have halaqa every other week and I missed last time so its been 3 weeks. Im going through withdrawal, enough already!
OMG OMG OMG. I cannot believe I did this but I did. I joined a Ladies' Bowling League. How geriatric of me is that!? Nah, its not geriatric, therapeutic? Nah, I just really want to come out on top next time I play my friends. This should be a great way to meet new people, break up Monday Monotony and learn a few skills. Cant wait.
Let's see... what else is exciting?? Too much to talk about. Guess theres so many ppl reading my blog its not exactly anonymous for me anymore. hahaa.
ANyway, im going home now but watch for tomorrow's post and a picture that will speak for itself! haha
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Something's Not Right...
A man called home to his wife and said, "Honey I have been asked to go fishing up in Canada with my boss and several of his friends. We'll be gone for a week. This is a good opportunity for me to get that promotion I've been wanting so could you please pack enough clothes for a week and set out my rod and fishing box? We're leaving from the office and I will swing by the house to pick my things up. Oh ! please pack my new blue silk pajamas."
The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good wife she, did exactly what her husband asked.
The following weekend he came home a little tired but otherwise looking good. The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught many fish? He said, "Yes! Lots of Salmon, some bluegill, and a few swordfish. But why didn't you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?
You'll love the answer........
The wife replied, " I did. They're in your fishing box..." :-)
The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but being the good wife she, did exactly what her husband asked.
The following weekend he came home a little tired but otherwise looking good. The wife welcomed him home and asked if he caught many fish? He said, "Yes! Lots of Salmon, some bluegill, and a few swordfish. But why didn't you pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you to do?
You'll love the answer........
The wife replied, " I did. They're in your fishing box..." :-)
LAUGHS
To the one who proposed to me on my blog...
...thanks for giving me the biggest laugh of my life!
Friday, June 15, 2007
We Got Jokes - Funny Comments from Last Night
Bowling was lots of fun. Next time we should sing karaoke. Here are some highlights of the night (names omitted):
This seasoning on the fries tastes like chaat masala. (sooo des-ified)
I dont feel sympathetic towards chickens.
Main Seemeen te Farah naal hangout kerreen aan. (Thate/Ghetto)
(translation: Im hangin' out with Seemeen and Farah)
Its called the Anuloma Viloma Pranayama.
What'd you say about ma momma??
Hey, try and hit the two pins you already knocked down. (You had to be there for this one)
My countertop is vanilla almond. (I overheard this and dont have the context, but it made the list.)
Do you really need to see my ID? Im not going to drink; Im Muslim. (Sadly, this wasnt intended to be a joke yet the delivery made it funny to some scan-dolls)
Eww, how come I get the nikamma velcro shoes? He must know I can't bowl. Apparently he thinks I cant tie my shoelaces either.
Can I siphon some of your brake fluid?
I have extra.
Really? (learned something new about brakes...)
I cant party with you party animals!(Yet it got late because her goodbyes are longer than the original conversation, lol.)
SCANDALOUS! ('nuff said)
Pop your dickie. (its a daftar thing)
Go to Starbucks for coffee.
Are you kidding me? Seemeen'll kill me if she sees me with a Starbucks cup in hand!
Dunkin's got all the Pateljis. (You cant win anymore with coffee.)
Cosi sucks.
Purell? You're such a pusher.
Its lemon-scented. (oh well in that case... lol)
I dont want to hold the bottle because of the germs on the outside.
Salaam Alaikum sister. Can you please fill my cup [with money]. (How on Earth did I miss the suit-wearing, pseudo-Muslim, poor guy?)
Scandalous....C-S-C-andalous. (Astagfirallah!)
Doesn't he sound like someone? Who does he sound like? (Himself, maybe? He just spoke like two seconds ago.)
Hey I have a punjabi joke. Ok, so this guy is like a pakka punjabi, right. (I cant say the rest of the joke cuz bechari didnt get to finish it. She lost me with the Valley accent!)
So if he pulls out a knife I get stabbed first? (Yeah because chivalry is dead so women dont get to go first anymore.)
What is going on?! How come I cant find any of my change when I need to give it away?
Don't worry, I gave for you, too.
Aight, the next one's on me. I need to give sadaqa for my car.
You Bin Laden's boys? Nah, he's our boy!
Just speak straight into the microphone.
My bedtime is at 8:30p. (no comment)
I dont know whats wrong [with my game]. I got nazar'd. (CAN WE GETTA MASHA'ALLAH UP IN HURR??!)
Go back home! Fine. I'll drop you off in Europe on my way to Asia. (That's right! Who you callin' a foreigner Pilgrim, original boater, high-tidin' it on the Nina the Pinta and the Santa Maria!)
The line of the night:
I drive by a farm and I get so hungry! (CARNIVEROUSSSSSSS!!!)
Get ready for Bismillah Bowl guys. Prepare for a re-match!! :D
This seasoning on the fries tastes like chaat masala. (sooo des-ified)
I dont feel sympathetic towards chickens.
Main Seemeen te Farah naal hangout kerreen aan. (Thate/Ghetto)
(translation: Im hangin' out with Seemeen and Farah)
Its called the Anuloma Viloma Pranayama.
What'd you say about ma momma??
Hey, try and hit the two pins you already knocked down. (You had to be there for this one)
My countertop is vanilla almond. (I overheard this and dont have the context, but it made the list.)
Do you really need to see my ID? Im not going to drink; Im Muslim. (Sadly, this wasnt intended to be a joke yet the delivery made it funny to some scan-dolls)
Eww, how come I get the nikamma velcro shoes? He must know I can't bowl. Apparently he thinks I cant tie my shoelaces either.
Can I siphon some of your brake fluid?
I have extra.
Really? (learned something new about brakes...)
I cant party with you party animals!(Yet it got late because her goodbyes are longer than the original conversation, lol.)
SCANDALOUS! ('nuff said)
Pop your dickie. (its a daftar thing)
Go to Starbucks for coffee.
Are you kidding me? Seemeen'll kill me if she sees me with a Starbucks cup in hand!
Dunkin's got all the Pateljis. (You cant win anymore with coffee.)
Cosi sucks.
Purell? You're such a pusher.
Its lemon-scented. (oh well in that case... lol)
I dont want to hold the bottle because of the germs on the outside.
Salaam Alaikum sister. Can you please fill my cup [with money]. (How on Earth did I miss the suit-wearing, pseudo-Muslim, poor guy?)
Scandalous....C-S-C-andalous. (Astagfirallah!)
Doesn't he sound like someone? Who does he sound like? (Himself, maybe? He just spoke like two seconds ago.)
Hey I have a punjabi joke. Ok, so this guy is like a pakka punjabi, right. (I cant say the rest of the joke cuz bechari didnt get to finish it. She lost me with the Valley accent!)
So if he pulls out a knife I get stabbed first? (Yeah because chivalry is dead so women dont get to go first anymore.)
What is going on?! How come I cant find any of my change when I need to give it away?
Don't worry, I gave for you, too.
Aight, the next one's on me. I need to give sadaqa for my car.
You Bin Laden's boys? Nah, he's our boy!
Just speak straight into the microphone.
My bedtime is at 8:30p. (no comment)
I dont know whats wrong [with my game]. I got nazar'd. (CAN WE GETTA MASHA'ALLAH UP IN HURR??!)
Go back home! Fine. I'll drop you off in Europe on my way to Asia. (That's right! Who you callin' a foreigner Pilgrim, original boater, high-tidin' it on the Nina the Pinta and the Santa Maria!)
The line of the night:
I drive by a farm and I get so hungry! (CARNIVEROUSSSSSSS!!!)
Get ready for Bismillah Bowl guys. Prepare for a re-match!! :D
The Bee
"And your Lord inspired the bee: build homes in mountains and trees, and in (the hives) they build for you. Then eat from all the fruits, following the design of your Lord, precisely. From their bellies comes a drink of different colors, wherein there is healing for the people. This should be (sufficient) proof for people who reflect." Holy Quran (16:68-9)
From a conversation I had last night with my halaqa sisters, I furnish the story of bees and how honey is made.
So check it out: honeybees use nectar to make honey. Nectar is mostly water and some complex sugars. (ie: clear fluid like honeysuckle juice.) Honeybees can get this nectar from flowers, berry bushes and fruit tree blossoms. They have long, straw-like tongues which they use to suck out the nectar.
Honeybees have two stomachs: a honeystomach, which is like a backpack to carry nectar in and a regular stomach. The bees, honeystomachs full of nectar, return to the hive and pass the nectar to worker bees who suck the nectar out of the honeystomachs through their mouths.
These housebees then chew the nectar for about half an hour, during which time enzymes breakdown the complex sugars in the nectar to simple sugars which are more digestible for the bees and less prone to bacteria while being stored in the hive.
The honeybees then spread the nectar over the honeycombs where water evaporates and the nectar becomes gooey. The bees use their wings to fan the honeycomb to dry the nectar faster. The finished honey is the thick syrup that is left when all the water is gone. The bees then seal the honeycomb with a plug of wax and the honey remains stored until it is eaten.
Pretty neat, huh? Who knew bees were soo cute!!!?! Think of all the work they are doing: not only making honey, but also taking on the load of pollination. I feel sorry for ever having swatted at one, ever. And somehow thinking of the stinger as a straw makes it less frightening. :P
Thursday, June 14, 2007
10 Years Late Part II: The Response
His reply:
Wowzers! If this isn't a blast from the past, I don't know what is. First things First.. Thank you for the beeeeeeeeeelated birthday wish. I can most certainly believe that its been 10 years. I've been counting every single one of them and yes... this is still a valid email ID. I rarely use it, but its still there.
The remainder of your email, I read about 35 times, to make heads or tails; still can't. What're the million rules [to relationships]? I didn't get the Memo. I can understand that maybe it wasn't meant to be; but I needed to know, what happened; I didn't care if it was right or wrong, if it was personal or otherwise. I never got my answer for the "why?"; or I would have put a closure to that, maybe buried it somewhere and let it pass. I did forgive you... a long time back... but can't say that I forgot. I don't intend you to give me an answer or an explanation, you don't owe me anything.... maybe...
If you didn't intend for us to be the best of friends with this one email... did you plan on sending more.. ? j/k.
Take care little grasshopper...
Walikum Salaam
P.S ~ I hope you have success with CAMPNet and I was very pleased to know you're a Cytotech.
________________________________________
Damn Google Search!! :D
Wowzers! If this isn't a blast from the past, I don't know what is. First things First.. Thank you for the beeeeeeeeeelated birthday wish. I can most certainly believe that its been 10 years. I've been counting every single one of them and yes... this is still a valid email ID. I rarely use it, but its still there.
The remainder of your email, I read about 35 times, to make heads or tails; still can't. What're the million rules [to relationships]? I didn't get the Memo. I can understand that maybe it wasn't meant to be; but I needed to know, what happened; I didn't care if it was right or wrong, if it was personal or otherwise. I never got my answer for the "why?"; or I would have put a closure to that, maybe buried it somewhere and let it pass. I did forgive you... a long time back... but can't say that I forgot. I don't intend you to give me an answer or an explanation, you don't owe me anything.... maybe...
If you didn't intend for us to be the best of friends with this one email... did you plan on sending more.. ? j/k.
Take care little grasshopper...
Walikum Salaam
P.S ~ I hope you have success with CAMPNet and I was very pleased to know you're a Cytotech.
________________________________________
Damn Google Search!! :D
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Muslim Pick-up Lines - Funny Shiite
1. Wanna date? i bought a whole box when i went to madinah
2. Marry me so I don't have to lower my gaze every time you walk into the room
3. Is ur dad a terrorist cuz ur da bomb....
4. Girl when i saw you i said mashallah - then i said inshallah....
5. Would you like to help me wake up for Fajr?
6. Are you a Shiite? Because when I saw you, I said to myself, "She aiight"
7. Are your feet tired? Because you've been performing Tawaaf in my mind all day long....
8. "Nice ankles. Very nice"
9. Girl you're so hot, you make Shaytan sweat.
10. Have your ammi call my ammi
11. Allah created everything in pairs, so what are you doing single?
12. Do you believe in the hereafter? Oh you do? Then you know what I'm hereafter.
2. Marry me so I don't have to lower my gaze every time you walk into the room
3. Is ur dad a terrorist cuz ur da bomb....
4. Girl when i saw you i said mashallah - then i said inshallah....
5. Would you like to help me wake up for Fajr?
6. Are you a Shiite? Because when I saw you, I said to myself, "She aiight"
7. Are your feet tired? Because you've been performing Tawaaf in my mind all day long....
8. "Nice ankles. Very nice"
9. Girl you're so hot, you make Shaytan sweat.
10. Have your ammi call my ammi
11. Allah created everything in pairs, so what are you doing single?
12. Do you believe in the hereafter? Oh you do? Then you know what I'm hereafter.
10 Years Later
I cannot believe Im actually going to blog about this.
10 years ago I broke the number one rule in love, relationships and friendships: I broke a heart. It was 10 years ago, my God, I was all of 17! I didnt know anything about love (hell, Im still clueless), and I certainly knew nothing of myself.
...or did I? The longer we live on this Earth, amidst people and their opinions, the more we are conditioned and molded until we fit right along with the rest of society and pass undetected, until we dont even recognize ourselves anymore.
I feel like who I am supposed to be is who I used to be, who I was, who Ive always been. Does that make sense?
I broke a heart. For the past ten years I have lived with his last words in my head and they come back to me, like a boomerang on crack, every single time a rishta or relationship falls apart.
His words, "One day you will fall in love with someone you cannot have and only then will you know how I feel."
Those words hit my heart 10 years ago but my ego and pride deflected the blow to some extent and covered up the wound. Over the years the wound began to grow. Each time I failed at something, and not just relationship wise, but school, friends and the loss of relatives included, these words took the form of a knife in my side, and turned everytime I hit a lowpoint, turning deeper and deeper.
Do bad omens and evil eyes really exist? Could his words still be hurting me for real? Or is it my conscience that will not let me move on? When we hurt people, intentionally or unintentionally when do we stop calling it insomnia and reason ourselves out to be the horrible people that we really are?
(My insides are screaming: I WAS 17 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!! I had no idea anyone would take any sort of flirting as the real deal! I had no idea what I was going to wear the next day let alone who Id marry or be when I grew up... I STILL DONT KNOW!)
Today is his birthday...
10 years later I swallow the lump in my throat thats caused me chronic tonsilitis for the past ten years, look myself in the mirror and realize in my naivety, yes, I broke someone's heart, but I didnt mean to and Im sorry.
10 years later I feel pain and realize how much I hurt him.
10 years later I find the courage to put into words my thoughts and feelings (I have a blog.. you think it'd be easy ... its not.)
10 years later I email him. I apologize for how I acted. Apologize for any pain and suffering on my part that he received. Apologize for not saying something sooner. Apologize, apologize, apologize for my actions. Just apologize and wish him a happy birthday.
10 years later... maybe he's forgiven me.
10 years later... perhaps he's even forgotten.
10 years later...I identify my attacker.
10 years later I realize I've been hurting myself.
10 years later I pull out the knife.
Insha'Allah pray I find peace and dont take another ten years to forgive myself.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Home is Where the Blackmail Is
One of the reasons I love going home is to look through old photos. Here are a few, in no particular order, that I wish to share with you.
Doe in headlights! The headlights being my glasses. Eid-ul-Adha, 1994
This was the first party I went to by myself. My parents had left to drop my sister off at college. I'm all grown up and frighteningly next in line to man the household...or clean it anyway. Party, 8-1995.
Chaand raat getting mehndi done that you cant see, 1998
Young'ns, 1995 - funny my bro is wearing a t-shirt with a Philadelphia emblem
Elder sister's graduation, 1995.
Chesapeake Bay, VA. circa 1985. Mom had a thing with trying her hardest to make me look girly. The closest she ever came: the yellow hairclip in my hair. The closest I ever came: stilettos. 
Chincoteague Island, VA. circa 1984. Pants up, belly out. :P
Sister's 7th birthday, 1984. My mom in white, my two khalas, and my eldest sister: undoubtedly the most gorgeous women in the world. One word best describes my expression: CAKE. It was Strawberry Shortcake.
First ballet recital, 8 yrs old
Friday, June 08, 2007
ENOUGH
Ok so today is the day I shall update my blog. Its been ridiculous. Its been wayyy too long since I posted. Too much going on. My ADD will not let me ponder a single thought long enough to type up a post about it.
Updates:
1.) Still single... sort of. My sister, God love her -- ok ok I do too :P, has seriously stepped up her game with finding a brother-in-law. Most everything in our house gets ratified by her, so I cant see why this would be different -- so I choose to let her decide. Its easier that way -- believe me. SO anyway, I wake up now to an inbox full of guys. Im so confused and afraid Im going to say the wrong name for the wrong guy.
Now here's the kicker: ever since we were younger we were SHUNNED away from the opposite sex as if they had the plague, or worse, cooties. "Don't talk to any guys!" "Don't talk to them, don't touch them, dont acknowledge them!" "For the love of God, stay away from guys!!!!!"
Then we graduate from college and after being congratulated the first things our parents say is, "So, did you find anyone in college?"
Um, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Like where in avoiding them would I have the time to actually find one I like????
Even weirder still, as you age they start to PANICK and suddenly throw you in a sea of 35+ yrs and balding desperados to "talk".
I'm starting a campaign. VOTE FOR ME FOR PARENT. When Im PARENT, I promise to start with MARRIAGE REFORM! I will encourage CONGRESS aka the community to pack a law changing how we mold our children to, not date per say, but keep their options open from a very early age. Marriage Reform: DEMAND IT! The future depends on it.
2.) My hiatus from my blog -- of course I have a reason -- and a doctor's note.. OH! and a pic of my ER band haha -- was due to a corneal abrasion. No, I dont know how other than to explain it but to say: CONTACT LENSES. Yep. I was in sooooooooooo muchhhh painnnnn it was AWFUL. Awful enough to be given percocet! Woohoo. Lovin' life after that.. for a little bit.. until it wore off eventually. I had the most LOOPIEST dreams EVER with that.
First Dream: I dreamt that I saw my eyeball on a pedastool at a podium giving a speech to tons of many people with a microphone.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??? And I remember in my dream looking at my eyeball and thinking, "What the hell is going on?!" Here's what my eyeball had to say: "Id like to thank everyone for helping me. The pain is gone. Im feeling much better now."
I knew the medicine had started to work because in the early early morning after my ER visit I was hesitant to take the medicine because of what adverse reaction I might have... my worries went from panick to.. ok.. if anything happens its ok.. I dont care.
HAHAHA. deep.. real deep.
My next dream: I went to the bank and took out some money. I remember counting bills and they were all a bunch of ones except for ONE bill which was a $100,000 bill. I dont even know if they make $100,000 BILLS but thats what it was and I remember thinking.. "OMG OMG OMG.. they made a mistake" and "finders keepers SUCKAAAZZZ!"
Sooo vivid I actually woke up and almost started to go through my purse looking for the bill. Of course I didnt find it... pshh ya think Id be sitting here blogging?!
3.) Last Saturday was really cool. I went to see the Axis of Evil comedy tour with a bunch of friends. Funny funnny guys. Funny hot guys. Ok fine I was crushing on one of the guys, who Im not about to mention by name. :P
4.) Still in a rental. My car should be finished by tonight, iA. I called the body shop this morning to check up on the status and here's how that convo went:
Me: Hi Im checking up to see if my car is ready.
Him: Last name?
Me: (I hate spelling it all out) Im the Nissan
Him: The Sentra. Nawaz.
Me: haha, yes. Whats the word?
Him: The car is ready, I mean its ready and all. The front bumper just isnt in yet.
Ok, Im sorry... if thats what.. 90% of the reason my car was in the shop to begin with.... and its not in... then how the hell is my car ready!? Is it just me? Or did he not make sense to any one of you either?
Me: (laughing.. because after my weekend Im all out of expletives) Well, then I guess its not really ready, right?
Him: Well, not really but it will be.
(DAMN RIGHT IT WILL BE!)
Him: We're just waiting on the bumper and it should be here today and then we'll put her on (whyyy.. whyy must all parts be female?! or is it just the pretty ones?) buff her out and paint her.
(...and butt-scratch thinks this will all be ready by today?)
Me:.. cuz ya know. If its not then Im in no rush...(im going home.. and on a full coverage auto id feel a hell of a lot safer.. lol...see where im going with this?)
Him:.. yeah well the insurance company is!
(yeah.. he saw my point)
Him: soon as we gitter done (NO JOKE...he said.. gitter done translation: GET HER DONE... dear God help me... wait.. scratch that... HELP HIM!) they'll know about it and might could charge you.
Me: Ohhh.. we cant have that. Im going outter town (yeah he brought the hick out in me too.... 10 yrs of trying to suppress it... and all it took him was 10 seconds) and Id like not to have to come back early if you guys finish her out tomorrow or something. Or is it quittin' time til Monday after 5 tonight?
Him: Yeah. we're done after 5p
Me: ok, then keep me posted and we'll go from there.
Him: sounds good.
Yes. still. driving. the rental.
NExt... OH! is that it? yes'm I reckon it is..
Thats all folks..
OH! One last thing... thanks for the emails and concerns/well-wishes. :P
Updates:
1.) Still single... sort of. My sister, God love her -- ok ok I do too :P, has seriously stepped up her game with finding a brother-in-law. Most everything in our house gets ratified by her, so I cant see why this would be different -- so I choose to let her decide. Its easier that way -- believe me. SO anyway, I wake up now to an inbox full of guys. Im so confused and afraid Im going to say the wrong name for the wrong guy.
Now here's the kicker: ever since we were younger we were SHUNNED away from the opposite sex as if they had the plague, or worse, cooties. "Don't talk to any guys!" "Don't talk to them, don't touch them, dont acknowledge them!" "For the love of God, stay away from guys!!!!!"
Then we graduate from college and after being congratulated the first things our parents say is, "So, did you find anyone in college?"
Um, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Like where in avoiding them would I have the time to actually find one I like????
Even weirder still, as you age they start to PANICK and suddenly throw you in a sea of 35+ yrs and balding desperados to "talk".
I'm starting a campaign. VOTE FOR ME FOR PARENT. When Im PARENT, I promise to start with MARRIAGE REFORM! I will encourage CONGRESS aka the community to pack a law changing how we mold our children to, not date per say, but keep their options open from a very early age. Marriage Reform: DEMAND IT! The future depends on it.
2.) My hiatus from my blog -- of course I have a reason -- and a doctor's note.. OH! and a pic of my ER band haha -- was due to a corneal abrasion. No, I dont know how other than to explain it but to say: CONTACT LENSES. Yep. I was in sooooooooooo muchhhh painnnnn it was AWFUL. Awful enough to be given percocet! Woohoo. Lovin' life after that.. for a little bit.. until it wore off eventually. I had the most LOOPIEST dreams EVER with that.
First Dream: I dreamt that I saw my eyeball on a pedastool at a podium giving a speech to tons of many people with a microphone.
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??? And I remember in my dream looking at my eyeball and thinking, "What the hell is going on?!" Here's what my eyeball had to say: "Id like to thank everyone for helping me. The pain is gone. Im feeling much better now."
I knew the medicine had started to work because in the early early morning after my ER visit I was hesitant to take the medicine because of what adverse reaction I might have... my worries went from panick to.. ok.. if anything happens its ok.. I dont care.
HAHAHA. deep.. real deep.
My next dream: I went to the bank and took out some money. I remember counting bills and they were all a bunch of ones except for ONE bill which was a $100,000 bill. I dont even know if they make $100,000 BILLS but thats what it was and I remember thinking.. "OMG OMG OMG.. they made a mistake" and "finders keepers SUCKAAAZZZ!"
Sooo vivid I actually woke up and almost started to go through my purse looking for the bill. Of course I didnt find it... pshh ya think Id be sitting here blogging?!
3.) Last Saturday was really cool. I went to see the Axis of Evil comedy tour with a bunch of friends. Funny funnny guys. Funny hot guys. Ok fine I was crushing on one of the guys, who Im not about to mention by name. :P
4.) Still in a rental. My car should be finished by tonight, iA. I called the body shop this morning to check up on the status and here's how that convo went:
Me: Hi Im checking up to see if my car is ready.
Him: Last name?
Me: (I hate spelling it all out) Im the Nissan
Him: The Sentra. Nawaz.
Me: haha, yes. Whats the word?
Him: The car is ready, I mean its ready and all. The front bumper just isnt in yet.
Ok, Im sorry... if thats what.. 90% of the reason my car was in the shop to begin with.... and its not in... then how the hell is my car ready!? Is it just me? Or did he not make sense to any one of you either?
Me: (laughing.. because after my weekend Im all out of expletives) Well, then I guess its not really ready, right?
Him: Well, not really but it will be.
(DAMN RIGHT IT WILL BE!)
Him: We're just waiting on the bumper and it should be here today and then we'll put her on (whyyy.. whyy must all parts be female?! or is it just the pretty ones?) buff her out and paint her.
(...and butt-scratch thinks this will all be ready by today?)
Me:.. cuz ya know. If its not then Im in no rush...(im going home.. and on a full coverage auto id feel a hell of a lot safer.. lol...see where im going with this?)
Him:.. yeah well the insurance company is!
(yeah.. he saw my point)
Him: soon as we gitter done (NO JOKE...he said.. gitter done translation: GET HER DONE... dear God help me... wait.. scratch that... HELP HIM!) they'll know about it and might could charge you.
Me: Ohhh.. we cant have that. Im going outter town (yeah he brought the hick out in me too.... 10 yrs of trying to suppress it... and all it took him was 10 seconds) and Id like not to have to come back early if you guys finish her out tomorrow or something. Or is it quittin' time til Monday after 5 tonight?
Him: Yeah. we're done after 5p
Me: ok, then keep me posted and we'll go from there.
Him: sounds good.
Yes. still. driving. the rental.
NExt... OH! is that it? yes'm I reckon it is..
Thats all folks..
OH! One last thing... thanks for the emails and concerns/well-wishes. :P
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