Happy New Year everyone, wishing you the best.
1. I hope this year would not find anyone facing the great disasters like the Tsunami or Katrina or the Pakistan Earthquake. In reality we know these things happen continually and may be happening more because of Global Warning (some of them), and if you are the one affected it doesn't matter if the disaster is one on a global scale or only your home. So maybe I should just wish that we all are safe in the new year and that we avoid disasters, and if we do face one that we recover easily and it brings out the best in us rather than the worst.
2. Last year I almost lost my father. But now he is better than he had been in years. I hope everyone gets to enjoy their families.
3. I have been divorced now just over a year, although I've been alone much longer. I hope everyone can find the love they need in the coming year if they don't have it already, and if they do have it, I pray they can nurture it and appreciate it.
4. I hope everyone finds good health this year - mental, physical, emotional and spiritual.
5. I hope if we make it to the end of this year, that we are better than when it started - mentally, physically, emotionally and especially spiritually.
6. I finished my Master's Degree this past year. I pray everyone is able to obtain their educational goals and continually learn and grow.
7. Now I have to pay that school loan! I pray for everyone that we could all get out of debt. Come on, Publisher's Clearinghouse. :)
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Two of my Favorite Easy Everyday Good Things
I've mentioned it before, but it is worth mentioning again.
Almost every town/city/community in the country and beyond has a Freecycle network set up. It is a great concept - instead of throwing away what you can't or won't use, offer it to someone else on Freecycle. Have some canned goods in the cupboard that you're probably never going to want to eat? Someone on Freecycle needs it and wants it. Furniture, pets, duplicate Christmas gifts, appliances, clothes, food, exercise equipment, craft stuff, material and sewing stuff, computers, computer parts, car parts, moving boxes, printers, cell phones, wrong brands of stuff bought by mistake, books, all kinds of baby stuff, toys, holiday decorations and anything else you can imagine is offered - no charge, ever. You may sometimes see something you'd love to have. You may have some stuff sitting around taking up space that would delight someone else.
Just have a look for a few days and think of it next time you go to throw something away.
FreeCycle
Also neato:
The Hungersite
Click every day to "donate" free food, mammograms, books, health care, preserve rainforest, care for sheltered animals, etc. (link is also on sidebar)
Almost every town/city/community in the country and beyond has a Freecycle network set up. It is a great concept - instead of throwing away what you can't or won't use, offer it to someone else on Freecycle. Have some canned goods in the cupboard that you're probably never going to want to eat? Someone on Freecycle needs it and wants it. Furniture, pets, duplicate Christmas gifts, appliances, clothes, food, exercise equipment, craft stuff, material and sewing stuff, computers, computer parts, car parts, moving boxes, printers, cell phones, wrong brands of stuff bought by mistake, books, all kinds of baby stuff, toys, holiday decorations and anything else you can imagine is offered - no charge, ever. You may sometimes see something you'd love to have. You may have some stuff sitting around taking up space that would delight someone else.
Just have a look for a few days and think of it next time you go to throw something away.
FreeCycle
Also neato:
The Hungersite
Click every day to "donate" free food, mammograms, books, health care, preserve rainforest, care for sheltered animals, etc. (link is also on sidebar)
2006 Postponed by One (Leap) Second
These past few days I've been mostly hanging out with my mom while she ran errands and then hanging out at home reading Calvin & Hobbes, enjoying my awesome new down comforter and my wonderful new sandwich maker. And trying to figure out all the mysteries of life - no new progress on that front....
John Roach
for National Geographic News
December 29, 2005
For those of you counting the seconds until 2006, add one.
The world's top timekeepers will insert an extra second—or leap second—just before midnight in coordinated universal time (UTC) on New Year's Eve. (That's the same as 6:59:59 p.m. eastern time on December 31.) UTC is determined by atomic clocks and is five hours ahead of eastern time.
Earth's rotation is ever so slightly slowing down, but atomic clocks remain unwaveringly consistent. The extra second will allow Earth to stay in sync with the ultraprecise clocks, which mark time based on the vibration of atoms.
The planet's slowing is mostly due to the friction of tides raised by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon. In fact, a day is now about two-thousandths of a second longer than it was a couple centuries ago, scientists say.
To keep today's atomic clocks synchronized with time as measured by Earth's rotation, timekeepers insert a leap second whenever the difference between the two clocks exceeds nine-tenths of a second.
The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems, near Frankfurt, Germany, coordinates the additions of leap seconds.
This year's "extra" second will be the 23rd leap second added since 1972. In that year atomic timekeeping became the world standard. Before then, authorities relied on the movement of stars.
The most recent leap second was added seven years ago, in 1998.
"For the last several years Earth has behaved well," explained Geoff Chester, a spokesperson for the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Together with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, the observatory keeps official time for the country.
But Earth is predicted to slow down "on a nearly exponential scale" in the decades to come as tidal friction increases, Chester says. And this is a conundrum that has sparked debate among the world's clock-watchers.
Abolish Leap Seconds?
As the Earth slows, the addition of leap seconds will be required more frequently to keep the Earth and atomic clocks in sync.For a world increasingly dominated by technology, this is a potential headache for people who have to reset personal computers, global positioning systems (GPS), mobile phones, and the like every time a leap second is added.
"They don't like leap seconds because they are irregular and they are inserted on a sort of as-needed basis," Chester said. "We try to give a six-month warning so they can make plans."
Although the addition of leap seconds has never proven a problem, some scientists are afraid that a glitch somewhere along the line will lead to a catastrophic error.
For example, an un-updated GPS navigation system could cause an oil tanker to run aground and spoil a pristine coastline. To avoid such a mishap, critics are pushing for the abolition of leap seconds.
On the other hand, if the atomic clocks and Earth's rotation are allowed to drift apart, eventually—as in, thousands of years from now—"high noon" will come hours before the sun crosses directly overhead.
Seeking to avoid such a distorted view of time, leap second proponents argue for continued coordination among the clocks.
"It's like on a small scale abolishing the leap year—the extra day. If you did that, sooner or later the months would get out of sync with the seasons," said Mark Bailey, the director of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Bailey wants to keep the tradition of leap seconds alive.
Leap seconds may be an inconvenience for timekeepers, he says. But the abolition of leap seconds could come with unintended consequences.
Many telescopes, he notes, are already programmed to account for the occasional addition of leap seconds. If the practice were abolished, astronomers would have to reprogram much of their equipment.
Ongoing Debate
The U.S. Naval Observatory recognizes the pros and cons of leap seconds. But Dennis McCarthy, former head of the observatory's Directorate of Time, opposes the added seconds.
McCarthy is part of a group of U.S. scientists within the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that recently submitted a proposal to eliminate leap seconds to the ITU, which has final say.
For most timing applications, the group argues, the practice of adding the occasional leap second creates more problems than it fixes.
A working group within the International Astronomical Union, which also has some influence in the matter, is reviewing the proposal. The IAU group will report its findings at the union's generally assembly meeting in August 2006.
The U.K.'s Royal Astronomical Society issued a statement on December 23 calling for a "much wider, more informed public debate" on the usefulness of leap seconds before a final decision is made.
Bailey of the Armagh Observatory, who is also a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, added, "It is an interesting question and I think one that deserves wider debate than just among professional scientists."
John Roach
for National Geographic News
December 29, 2005
For those of you counting the seconds until 2006, add one.
The world's top timekeepers will insert an extra second—or leap second—just before midnight in coordinated universal time (UTC) on New Year's Eve. (That's the same as 6:59:59 p.m. eastern time on December 31.) UTC is determined by atomic clocks and is five hours ahead of eastern time.
Earth's rotation is ever so slightly slowing down, but atomic clocks remain unwaveringly consistent. The extra second will allow Earth to stay in sync with the ultraprecise clocks, which mark time based on the vibration of atoms.
The planet's slowing is mostly due to the friction of tides raised by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon. In fact, a day is now about two-thousandths of a second longer than it was a couple centuries ago, scientists say.
To keep today's atomic clocks synchronized with time as measured by Earth's rotation, timekeepers insert a leap second whenever the difference between the two clocks exceeds nine-tenths of a second.
The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems, near Frankfurt, Germany, coordinates the additions of leap seconds.
This year's "extra" second will be the 23rd leap second added since 1972. In that year atomic timekeeping became the world standard. Before then, authorities relied on the movement of stars.
The most recent leap second was added seven years ago, in 1998.
"For the last several years Earth has behaved well," explained Geoff Chester, a spokesperson for the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. Together with the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, the observatory keeps official time for the country.
But Earth is predicted to slow down "on a nearly exponential scale" in the decades to come as tidal friction increases, Chester says. And this is a conundrum that has sparked debate among the world's clock-watchers.
Abolish Leap Seconds?
As the Earth slows, the addition of leap seconds will be required more frequently to keep the Earth and atomic clocks in sync.For a world increasingly dominated by technology, this is a potential headache for people who have to reset personal computers, global positioning systems (GPS), mobile phones, and the like every time a leap second is added.
"They don't like leap seconds because they are irregular and they are inserted on a sort of as-needed basis," Chester said. "We try to give a six-month warning so they can make plans."
Although the addition of leap seconds has never proven a problem, some scientists are afraid that a glitch somewhere along the line will lead to a catastrophic error.
For example, an un-updated GPS navigation system could cause an oil tanker to run aground and spoil a pristine coastline. To avoid such a mishap, critics are pushing for the abolition of leap seconds.
On the other hand, if the atomic clocks and Earth's rotation are allowed to drift apart, eventually—as in, thousands of years from now—"high noon" will come hours before the sun crosses directly overhead.
Seeking to avoid such a distorted view of time, leap second proponents argue for continued coordination among the clocks.
"It's like on a small scale abolishing the leap year—the extra day. If you did that, sooner or later the months would get out of sync with the seasons," said Mark Bailey, the director of the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Bailey wants to keep the tradition of leap seconds alive.
Leap seconds may be an inconvenience for timekeepers, he says. But the abolition of leap seconds could come with unintended consequences.
Many telescopes, he notes, are already programmed to account for the occasional addition of leap seconds. If the practice were abolished, astronomers would have to reprogram much of their equipment.
Ongoing Debate
The U.S. Naval Observatory recognizes the pros and cons of leap seconds. But Dennis McCarthy, former head of the observatory's Directorate of Time, opposes the added seconds.
McCarthy is part of a group of U.S. scientists within the UN's International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that recently submitted a proposal to eliminate leap seconds to the ITU, which has final say.
For most timing applications, the group argues, the practice of adding the occasional leap second creates more problems than it fixes.
A working group within the International Astronomical Union, which also has some influence in the matter, is reviewing the proposal. The IAU group will report its findings at the union's generally assembly meeting in August 2006.
The U.K.'s Royal Astronomical Society issued a statement on December 23 calling for a "much wider, more informed public debate" on the usefulness of leap seconds before a final decision is made.
Bailey of the Armagh Observatory, who is also a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, added, "It is an interesting question and I think one that deserves wider debate than just among professional scientists."
Monday, December 26, 2005
Resolutions?
Well, having a few days off from school and the new year approaching brings up the topic of resolutions. Resolutions come naturally at different times of year - the beginning of school, end of a semester, month of Ramadan or Muharram, etc.
So I'm trying to think if I want to do anything formal in terms of resolutions and what they would be. Some possibilities:
1. Pay down debts faster if possible.
2. Find a way to exercise more regularly.
3. Find a way to improve Qur'an recitation and make it habitual.
4. Go back to low sugar diet, maybe do a calorie restricted diet and try to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.
5. Cook something once in awhile that would be considered "real" cooking.
6. Do a better job of cleaning house/ house maintenance/repair.
7. Save some money.
8. Start saving for a ziarat trip someday.
9. Find a good, fun, easy summer job.
10. If I come across $5000, get my PhD.
11. Continue reading program but more regularly.
Any one else thinking of resolutions? What are yours? Any ideas/suggestions/thoughts?
So I'm trying to think if I want to do anything formal in terms of resolutions and what they would be. Some possibilities:
1. Pay down debts faster if possible.
2. Find a way to exercise more regularly.
3. Find a way to improve Qur'an recitation and make it habitual.
4. Go back to low sugar diet, maybe do a calorie restricted diet and try to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.
5. Cook something once in awhile that would be considered "real" cooking.
6. Do a better job of cleaning house/ house maintenance/repair.
7. Save some money.
8. Start saving for a ziarat trip someday.
9. Find a good, fun, easy summer job.
10. If I come across $5000, get my PhD.
11. Continue reading program but more regularly.
Any one else thinking of resolutions? What are yours? Any ideas/suggestions/thoughts?
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Merry Christmas - Christmas and Jesus (as) in Islam
In spirit, most Muslims have no problem with the concept of celebrating the birth of Jesus (as). There are some Muslims who avoid celebrating birthdays altogether. But Shia Muslims as a matter of course find it meritorious to honor and remember the saints and prophets of God on the birthdays, death days and other significant dates.
We now know that December 25 is a wrong date for the birth of Jesus (as) and was chosen to coincide with certain pagan activities to ease their conversions from paganism but allowing them to incorporate some pagan traditions. I guess the more favored date now is sometime in April, around 4 or 5 B.C.
Muslims believe in Jesus (as), and in that sense we are Christians.
1. We believe Jesus (as) was born of the Virgin Mary by a miracle from God.
2. We believe Jesus (as) spoke to people while still a newborn.
3. We believe Jesus (as) performed numerous other miracles through the power of God including having the ability to raise the dead.
4. We believe Jesus (as) was a prophet of God who delivered the message (gospel) about how to get saved from hell and that he was supported by Ruh al Quddus, sometimes called the Holy Spirit. The gospel was a scripture revealed to Jesus (as) to deliver to mankind.
5. We believe Jesus (as) never committed a sin ( and actually we believe this of all prophets).
6. We believe Jesus (as) is not part of a triune God - we believe in a Unitarian God.
7. We believe Jesus (as) is not God in the flesh but is a holy man who prayed to God and carried out God's will on earth.
8. We believe Jesus (as) was not crucified on the cross but was raised to heaven by God.
9. We believe Jesus (as) will return at the time of Armageddon to help establish God's rule on Earth.
10. There is no Joseph as a father of Jesus (as) or husband of Mary mentioned in the Muslim Scriptures.
11. John the Baptist is also mentioned in the Qur'an as a prophet of God just preceding Jesus (as) and a supporter and preparer for Jesus (as).
Some pertinent passages from the Qur'an for Christmas about Jesus and Mary:
So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and made her grow up a good growing and gave her into the charge of Zakariya; whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to see her, he found her with food. He said: O Mary! where did you get this? She said: It is from God. Surely God gives to whom He pleases without measure. (3:36)
And the angels said: O Mary! Surely God has chosen you and chosen you above the women of the world. (3:41)
She (Mary) said: My Lord! Shall there be a son born to me while no man has touched me? He said: Even so, God creates what He pleases; when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be! - and then it is. (3:46)
And most certainly we gave Moses the Torah and We sent apostles after him one after another; and We gave Jesus son of Mary clear arguments and strengthened him with the Ruh al Quddus. (2:87)
Say: We believe in God and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit (are Muslims). (3:83)
And We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus son of Mary, and We made with them a strong covenant. (33:7)
And We sent after them in their footsteps Jesus, son of Mary, verifying what was before him of the Torah and We gave him the Gospel in which was guidance and light, and verifying what was before it of the Torah and a guidance and an admonition for those who guard against evil. (5:46)
And mention Mary in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place; So she took a veil to screen herself from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I seek refuge from you with the Beneficient God, if you are one guarding against evil. He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord that you will give birth to a pure boy. She said: How shall I have a boy when no mortal has touched me nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so, your Lord says: It is easy to Me, and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from us; and it is a matter which has been decreed. So she conceived him, then withdrew herself with him to a remote place. And the throes of child birth compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten. Then the child called out to her from beneath her, 'Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you, and shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree and it will provide you with fresh ripe dates. So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal say "Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficient God, so I shall not speak to any man today. And she came to her people with him (Jesus), carry him. They said: O Mary! Surely you have done a strange thing. Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman. But Mary pointed to the baby. They said: how should we speak to a child in the cradle? But Jesus spoke, and said: Surely I am a servant of God; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live. And He has made me dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me insolent or unblessed. Peace on me the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life again.' Such is Jesus, the son of Mary; this is the saying of truth about which they dispute. It beseems not God that He should take to Himself a son; glory be to Him; when He decrees a matter He only says to it "Be" and it is. (19:16-36)
And when you (Jesus) determined out of clay a think like the form of a bird and by My permission then you breathed into it and it became a living bird, and you healed the blind and leprous by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission. (5:110)
When the disciples said: O Jesus Son of Mary, will you Lord consent to send down to us food from heaven? He said: Be careful of your duty to God if you are believers. They said: We desire to eat of it and that our hearts should be at rest, and that we may know that you have indeed spoken the truth to us and that we may be the witnesses of it. Jesus Son of mary said: O God our Lord, send down ot us food from heaven which should be to us an everrecurring happiness, to the first of us and to the last of us, as a sign from Thee, and grant us means of subsistence, and Thou art the best of Providers. God said: Surely I will send it down to you, but whoever shall disbeliever afterwards from among you, surely I will chastise him with a chastisement with which I will not chastise any one from among the nations. (5:112-115)
And the Messiah (Jesus) said: O Children of Israel! Serve God, my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates others with God, then God has forbidden to him the paradise, and his abode is the fire, and there shall be no helpers for the unjust. (5:72)
And Jesus Son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Surely I am the apostle of Allah sent to you, verifying that which is sent before of the Torah and giving the good news of an apostle who will come after me, his name being Ahmad (Comforter). (61:6)
Surely the likeness of Jesus is with God the same as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was. (3:58)
And they say: God has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him; rather whatever is in the heavens and the earth is His; all are obedient to Him. (2:116)
And they say: The Beneficient God has taken to Himself a son, Glory be to Him, Nay! they (all prophets including Jesus) are honored servants, they do not precede Him in speech and only according to His commandment do they act. (21:26-27)
Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely God is the third of three; rather there is no god but the one God. (5:73)
The Messiah, Son of Mary is but an apostle; apostles before him have indeed passed away; and his mother was a truthful woman; they both used to eat food (they were humans, not gods). (5:75)
And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the apostle of God; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to thim so (like Jesus) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. Nay! God took him up to Himself; and God is Mighty, Wise. (4:157-158)
And God said: O Jesus I am going to terminate the period of your stay on earth and cause you to ascent unto Me and purify you of those who disbelieve and make those you follow you above those who disbelieve to the day of resurrection; then to Me shall be your return. (3:54)
And when God will say: O Jesus Son of Mary! Did you say to men, 'Take me and my mother for gods besides God' he will say: Glory be to thee, it did not befire me that I should say what I had no right to say; if I had said it, Thou wouldst have indeed known it; Thou knowest what is in my mind and I do not know what is in Thy mind; surely Thou art the Great Knower of unseen things. I do not say to them aught except save what Thou did enjoin me with; I said to serve God, My Lord and your Lord, and I was witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou caused me to leave, then Thou were the watcher over them. (5:116-117)
We now know that December 25 is a wrong date for the birth of Jesus (as) and was chosen to coincide with certain pagan activities to ease their conversions from paganism but allowing them to incorporate some pagan traditions. I guess the more favored date now is sometime in April, around 4 or 5 B.C.
Muslims believe in Jesus (as), and in that sense we are Christians.
1. We believe Jesus (as) was born of the Virgin Mary by a miracle from God.
2. We believe Jesus (as) spoke to people while still a newborn.
3. We believe Jesus (as) performed numerous other miracles through the power of God including having the ability to raise the dead.
4. We believe Jesus (as) was a prophet of God who delivered the message (gospel) about how to get saved from hell and that he was supported by Ruh al Quddus, sometimes called the Holy Spirit. The gospel was a scripture revealed to Jesus (as) to deliver to mankind.
5. We believe Jesus (as) never committed a sin ( and actually we believe this of all prophets).
6. We believe Jesus (as) is not part of a triune God - we believe in a Unitarian God.
7. We believe Jesus (as) is not God in the flesh but is a holy man who prayed to God and carried out God's will on earth.
8. We believe Jesus (as) was not crucified on the cross but was raised to heaven by God.
9. We believe Jesus (as) will return at the time of Armageddon to help establish God's rule on Earth.
10. There is no Joseph as a father of Jesus (as) or husband of Mary mentioned in the Muslim Scriptures.
11. John the Baptist is also mentioned in the Qur'an as a prophet of God just preceding Jesus (as) and a supporter and preparer for Jesus (as).
Some pertinent passages from the Qur'an for Christmas about Jesus and Mary:
So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and made her grow up a good growing and gave her into the charge of Zakariya; whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to see her, he found her with food. He said: O Mary! where did you get this? She said: It is from God. Surely God gives to whom He pleases without measure. (3:36)
And the angels said: O Mary! Surely God has chosen you and chosen you above the women of the world. (3:41)
She (Mary) said: My Lord! Shall there be a son born to me while no man has touched me? He said: Even so, God creates what He pleases; when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it, Be! - and then it is. (3:46)
And most certainly we gave Moses the Torah and We sent apostles after him one after another; and We gave Jesus son of Mary clear arguments and strengthened him with the Ruh al Quddus. (2:87)
Say: We believe in God and what has been revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord; we do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit (are Muslims). (3:83)
And We made a covenant with the prophets and with you, and with Noah and Abraham and Moses and Jesus son of Mary, and We made with them a strong covenant. (33:7)
And We sent after them in their footsteps Jesus, son of Mary, verifying what was before him of the Torah and We gave him the Gospel in which was guidance and light, and verifying what was before it of the Torah and a guidance and an admonition for those who guard against evil. (5:46)
And mention Mary in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place; So she took a veil to screen herself from them; then We sent to her Our spirit, and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I seek refuge from you with the Beneficient God, if you are one guarding against evil. He said: I am only a messenger of your Lord that you will give birth to a pure boy. She said: How shall I have a boy when no mortal has touched me nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so, your Lord says: It is easy to Me, and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from us; and it is a matter which has been decreed. So she conceived him, then withdrew herself with him to a remote place. And the throes of child birth compelled her to betake herself to the trunk of a palm tree. She said: Oh, would that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten. Then the child called out to her from beneath her, 'Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you, and shake toward you the trunk of the palm tree and it will provide you with fresh ripe dates. So eat and drink and refresh the eye. Then if you see any mortal say "Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficient God, so I shall not speak to any man today. And she came to her people with him (Jesus), carry him. They said: O Mary! Surely you have done a strange thing. Your father was not a bad man, nor was your mother an unchaste woman. But Mary pointed to the baby. They said: how should we speak to a child in the cradle? But Jesus spoke, and said: Surely I am a servant of God; He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. And He has made me blessed wherever I may be, and He has enjoined on me prayer and poor-rate so long as I live. And He has made me dutiful to my mother, and He has not made me insolent or unblessed. Peace on me the day I was born, and on the day I die, and on the day I am raised to life again.' Such is Jesus, the son of Mary; this is the saying of truth about which they dispute. It beseems not God that He should take to Himself a son; glory be to Him; when He decrees a matter He only says to it "Be" and it is. (19:16-36)
And when you (Jesus) determined out of clay a think like the form of a bird and by My permission then you breathed into it and it became a living bird, and you healed the blind and leprous by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission. (5:110)
When the disciples said: O Jesus Son of Mary, will you Lord consent to send down to us food from heaven? He said: Be careful of your duty to God if you are believers. They said: We desire to eat of it and that our hearts should be at rest, and that we may know that you have indeed spoken the truth to us and that we may be the witnesses of it. Jesus Son of mary said: O God our Lord, send down ot us food from heaven which should be to us an everrecurring happiness, to the first of us and to the last of us, as a sign from Thee, and grant us means of subsistence, and Thou art the best of Providers. God said: Surely I will send it down to you, but whoever shall disbeliever afterwards from among you, surely I will chastise him with a chastisement with which I will not chastise any one from among the nations. (5:112-115)
And the Messiah (Jesus) said: O Children of Israel! Serve God, my Lord and your Lord. Surely whoever associates others with God, then God has forbidden to him the paradise, and his abode is the fire, and there shall be no helpers for the unjust. (5:72)
And Jesus Son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Surely I am the apostle of Allah sent to you, verifying that which is sent before of the Torah and giving the good news of an apostle who will come after me, his name being Ahmad (Comforter). (61:6)
Surely the likeness of Jesus is with God the same as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he was. (3:58)
And they say: God has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him; rather whatever is in the heavens and the earth is His; all are obedient to Him. (2:116)
And they say: The Beneficient God has taken to Himself a son, Glory be to Him, Nay! they (all prophets including Jesus) are honored servants, they do not precede Him in speech and only according to His commandment do they act. (21:26-27)
Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely God is the third of three; rather there is no god but the one God. (5:73)
The Messiah, Son of Mary is but an apostle; apostles before him have indeed passed away; and his mother was a truthful woman; they both used to eat food (they were humans, not gods). (5:75)
And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the apostle of God; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to thim so (like Jesus) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure. Nay! God took him up to Himself; and God is Mighty, Wise. (4:157-158)
And God said: O Jesus I am going to terminate the period of your stay on earth and cause you to ascent unto Me and purify you of those who disbelieve and make those you follow you above those who disbelieve to the day of resurrection; then to Me shall be your return. (3:54)
And when God will say: O Jesus Son of Mary! Did you say to men, 'Take me and my mother for gods besides God' he will say: Glory be to thee, it did not befire me that I should say what I had no right to say; if I had said it, Thou wouldst have indeed known it; Thou knowest what is in my mind and I do not know what is in Thy mind; surely Thou art the Great Knower of unseen things. I do not say to them aught except save what Thou did enjoin me with; I said to serve God, My Lord and your Lord, and I was witness of them so long as I was among them, but when Thou caused me to leave, then Thou were the watcher over them. (5:116-117)
Friday, December 23, 2005
The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Went to see it tonight with mom and my brother's kids. I vaguely remember reading it as a kid. I can't remember if I read the other books in The Chronicles of Narnia. I do remember a lot of hints of Christian allegory (From http://www.aslan.demon.co.uk):
"All readers of Narnia must realise that Aslan the Lion, who is the Son of the Great Emperor Across the Sea, who breaks the power of the White Witch by his death and resurrection - and who, as C.S. Lewis pointed out to one of his young readers 'arrived at the same time as Father Christmas' - is a picture of Jesus Christ. Does it follow that the books as a whole are allegories?
C.S. Lewis used a very strict definition of the word 'allegory' - after all, one of his most important academic books was a study of this subject. He wrote to some Maryland fifth graders in 1954:
'I did not say to myself 'Let us represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia'; I said 'Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as he became a Man in our world, became a Lion there, and then imagine what would happen'.
'The whole series' wrote Lewis in another letter 'works out like this:
The Magician's Nephew tells the Creation and how evil entered Narnia,
The Lion etc. - the Crucifixion and Resurrection,
Prince Caspian - restoration of the true religion after a corruption,
The Horse and His Boy - the calling and conversion of the heathen,
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - the spiritual life (especially in Reepicheep),
The Silver Chair - the continuing war against the powers of darkness,
The Last Battle - the coming of Antichrist (the ape). The end of the world and the last judgement.'
So, in today's loose terminology the books can probably be said to be 'allegorical'. If you want to use that term, then a number of characters might be said to be allegories:
The White Witch represents the Devil, as does Tash.
Peter represents the valiant and wise Christian.
Reepicheep is the very soul of chivalry with both its virtues and its failings.
'Edmund,' wrote Lewis 'Is, like Judas, a traitor and a sneak. But unlike Judas he repents and is forgiven (as Judas no doubt would have been if he'd repented).'
Father Christmas - who gives gifts to Aslan's followers to help them fight the powers of darkness - may be a picture of the Holy Spirit."
There's also a Doubting Thomas and others.
Aslan could also have been Imam Hussain (as) or Imam 'Ali (as) or Imam Mahdi (as) in various aspects, except C.S. Lewis didn't know about them.
Interesting anyway.....
"All readers of Narnia must realise that Aslan the Lion, who is the Son of the Great Emperor Across the Sea, who breaks the power of the White Witch by his death and resurrection - and who, as C.S. Lewis pointed out to one of his young readers 'arrived at the same time as Father Christmas' - is a picture of Jesus Christ. Does it follow that the books as a whole are allegories?
C.S. Lewis used a very strict definition of the word 'allegory' - after all, one of his most important academic books was a study of this subject. He wrote to some Maryland fifth graders in 1954:
'I did not say to myself 'Let us represent Jesus as He really is in our world by a Lion in Narnia'; I said 'Let us suppose that there were a land like Narnia and that the Son of God, as he became a Man in our world, became a Lion there, and then imagine what would happen'.
'The whole series' wrote Lewis in another letter 'works out like this:
The Magician's Nephew tells the Creation and how evil entered Narnia,
The Lion etc. - the Crucifixion and Resurrection,
Prince Caspian - restoration of the true religion after a corruption,
The Horse and His Boy - the calling and conversion of the heathen,
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - the spiritual life (especially in Reepicheep),
The Silver Chair - the continuing war against the powers of darkness,
The Last Battle - the coming of Antichrist (the ape). The end of the world and the last judgement.'
So, in today's loose terminology the books can probably be said to be 'allegorical'. If you want to use that term, then a number of characters might be said to be allegories:
The White Witch represents the Devil, as does Tash.
Peter represents the valiant and wise Christian.
Reepicheep is the very soul of chivalry with both its virtues and its failings.
'Edmund,' wrote Lewis 'Is, like Judas, a traitor and a sneak. But unlike Judas he repents and is forgiven (as Judas no doubt would have been if he'd repented).'
Father Christmas - who gives gifts to Aslan's followers to help them fight the powers of darkness - may be a picture of the Holy Spirit."
There's also a Doubting Thomas and others.
Aslan could also have been Imam Hussain (as) or Imam 'Ali (as) or Imam Mahdi (as) in various aspects, except C.S. Lewis didn't know about them.
Interesting anyway.....
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Finals Venting
The first "official" final exam was today. First period had their final exam time today, period 2-4 tomorrow and the rest Thursday, insha'allah.
This year lots of things are frustrating me - particularly about the Geometry final.
1 For one, we are required as a school rule to give finals, yet some teachers don't so then others end up being "the bad guys" for following the rules.
2 The district is constantly requiring new stupid tests. We couldn't just give a regular final. We also had to write a "quarterly assessment" that has to be in a particular format and evaluated on various standards so they can compare teachers and schools (they don't say that, but that is what they do).
3 Because those results affect us, we had to change what we'd been saying all year that the kids' finals would count for evidence but there would not be a separate final exam grade. The way we grade is that students have to show evidence of understanding concepts. The final exam would be one more opportunity to show that evidence and raise a grade but couldn't lower a grade. But no, after saying that all semester I was told late last week that it had been changed and now the final had to be worth 10%.
4 The final, because it had to have the district part and our parts, was WAAAAAY too long and the kids had to take it over two days even though final periods are 75 minutes long. Half of it was like a unit test we just gave last week. Gee, you think that test would be sufficient instead of having to give another one a lot like it a week later.
5 Today - yes, today, the day of the test - I get informed that students are not allowed to use calculators on the test. They've been using them all year (this stuff is not basic calculations, it is quadratic formula with ugly numbers and stuff like that) and then they have to take a final exam without it and don't find out until the day of the test. To me that was the proverbial straw. Now what if some teachers "don't see" that e-mail and let their kids use calculators and then they do better and my scores are compared to theirs? But even more importantly, it isn't fair to the kids. We always say in teaching that if you want students to succeed you have to give them a clear target to meet. This was ridiculous.
6 The test was too hard. Parts of it were fine. But it was put together by the honors teacher and has questions too advanced for the regular classes - but we were all too busy to catch it in time to fix it.
7 The grading will be hard to standardize. Usually we write our tests together with the standards in mind to start so how we grade is uniform - but this time it won't be easy so some teachers may end up grading easier or harder on their kids than others.
8 The stuff we have to report to the district won't tell them what they want to know anyway. It is a total waste of time. They claim they want all this data tracking stuff but then what they ask for won't tell them what they want. How are you supposed to show "growth" by giving kids four different tests over different stuff each quarter? Each score has no relation to the previous one because it isn't over the same stuff. If you really want to show growth, you write one test that covers the entire year and give it each quarter. But that makes too much sense to do, I guess.
9 They keep adding meetings. Last year when tests were over I actually had time to grade them. This year, they keep adding meetings during that time. That not only means I have to work extra hours to get the job done, it also means the students don't get the same attention because I have to finish those things.
10 Okay, done venting for now... :)
This year lots of things are frustrating me - particularly about the Geometry final.
1 For one, we are required as a school rule to give finals, yet some teachers don't so then others end up being "the bad guys" for following the rules.
2 The district is constantly requiring new stupid tests. We couldn't just give a regular final. We also had to write a "quarterly assessment" that has to be in a particular format and evaluated on various standards so they can compare teachers and schools (they don't say that, but that is what they do).
3 Because those results affect us, we had to change what we'd been saying all year that the kids' finals would count for evidence but there would not be a separate final exam grade. The way we grade is that students have to show evidence of understanding concepts. The final exam would be one more opportunity to show that evidence and raise a grade but couldn't lower a grade. But no, after saying that all semester I was told late last week that it had been changed and now the final had to be worth 10%.
4 The final, because it had to have the district part and our parts, was WAAAAAY too long and the kids had to take it over two days even though final periods are 75 minutes long. Half of it was like a unit test we just gave last week. Gee, you think that test would be sufficient instead of having to give another one a lot like it a week later.
5 Today - yes, today, the day of the test - I get informed that students are not allowed to use calculators on the test. They've been using them all year (this stuff is not basic calculations, it is quadratic formula with ugly numbers and stuff like that) and then they have to take a final exam without it and don't find out until the day of the test. To me that was the proverbial straw. Now what if some teachers "don't see" that e-mail and let their kids use calculators and then they do better and my scores are compared to theirs? But even more importantly, it isn't fair to the kids. We always say in teaching that if you want students to succeed you have to give them a clear target to meet. This was ridiculous.
6 The test was too hard. Parts of it were fine. But it was put together by the honors teacher and has questions too advanced for the regular classes - but we were all too busy to catch it in time to fix it.
7 The grading will be hard to standardize. Usually we write our tests together with the standards in mind to start so how we grade is uniform - but this time it won't be easy so some teachers may end up grading easier or harder on their kids than others.
8 The stuff we have to report to the district won't tell them what they want to know anyway. It is a total waste of time. They claim they want all this data tracking stuff but then what they ask for won't tell them what they want. How are you supposed to show "growth" by giving kids four different tests over different stuff each quarter? Each score has no relation to the previous one because it isn't over the same stuff. If you really want to show growth, you write one test that covers the entire year and give it each quarter. But that makes too much sense to do, I guess.
9 They keep adding meetings. Last year when tests were over I actually had time to grade them. This year, they keep adding meetings during that time. That not only means I have to work extra hours to get the job done, it also means the students don't get the same attention because I have to finish those things.
10 Okay, done venting for now... :)
Sunday, December 18, 2005
I just thought this was interesting.....
It snowed all weekend - big pretty flakes, but coooold. Drove up to the mountains and it was clear there because the clouds were all down low and enjoyed a beautiful view of Pikes Peak from Woodland Park. The birds outside were crazy at the feeder - whenever the weather turns bad, the wild birds want to eat like there's no tomorrow - I think they must need the extra food to try to stay warm and it must be instinct when weather turns to eat up trying to store for the future a little bit.
I read this article yesterday and thought it was interesting....
14-point deer turns out to be doe
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — A hunter thought he might have bagged a trophy buck when he shot a 14-point deer in northeast Iowa earlier this month.
Eric Weymiller, 25, of rural Harpers Ferry, started to field dress the animal when to his surprise he noticed it wasn’t a buck at all.
“I noticed right away it was missing some plumbing,” said Weymiller, who shot the animal Dec. 7 in Allamakee County.
He discovered he was dressing a doe sporting antlers with 14 tines, a big rack even for a buck.
“I stopped field dressing the animal and called a DNR biologist,” Weymiller said. “I wanted them to document this.”
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Biologist Terry Hainfield confirmed that the animal was female.
“It is unusual to find a doe with antlers, but what makes this particularly unusual is that the antlers had hardened and grown so big,” Hainfield said.
More research will be required to determine whether the deer’s antlers are large enough to set a record for doe antlers.
I read this article yesterday and thought it was interesting....
14-point deer turns out to be doe
The Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa — A hunter thought he might have bagged a trophy buck when he shot a 14-point deer in northeast Iowa earlier this month.
Eric Weymiller, 25, of rural Harpers Ferry, started to field dress the animal when to his surprise he noticed it wasn’t a buck at all.
“I noticed right away it was missing some plumbing,” said Weymiller, who shot the animal Dec. 7 in Allamakee County.
He discovered he was dressing a doe sporting antlers with 14 tines, a big rack even for a buck.
“I stopped field dressing the animal and called a DNR biologist,” Weymiller said. “I wanted them to document this.”
Iowa Department of Natural Resources Biologist Terry Hainfield confirmed that the animal was female.
“It is unusual to find a doe with antlers, but what makes this particularly unusual is that the antlers had hardened and grown so big,” Hainfield said.
More research will be required to determine whether the deer’s antlers are large enough to set a record for doe antlers.
Friday, December 16, 2005
The Week Ahead
I have a guest coming tomorrow for the weekend insha'allah and I'm really excited about it. I would appreciate prayers for a good visit.
Next week is finals - I am debating taking a sub day Monday because my guest is here until Monday late afternoon. I wrote up sub plans but then the network crashed and so I couldn't actually provide them to a sub just yet. Plus, it is bad timing because I have classes taking finals, getting ready for finals, etc.
I was talked into participating in the non-religious Secret Santa thing at work this year. So I have gotten lots of dark chocolate and diet soda from an unknown gift giver. And I've been leaving little things for the person whose name I drew. We had filled out an info card of basic details of what we like, hobbies, etc., so that guides the gift givers. I still don't know for sure how I feel about the whole thing but it is a little bit fun. On Wednesday we're supposed to meet and find out who we are all are, etc.
Also on Wednesday we have a luncheon for Dan Daly, our Uniserv Director who left to take a lobbyist job at CEA in Denver. He is a person I admire and respect and was able to learn some things from.
We are off starting Friday for the winter break - which of course I am looking forward to. Insha'allah I'll go to my parents' house Christmas day - I love watching people open presents from me (especially if they really like them).
It has been a cooooold winter so far (of course winter has not really started yet, but you know what I mean). Colder than normal. Brrrrrr.
Two great books I recommended reading: Honouring Allah's Saints - okay the translation is terrible but if you can get over that it is a book covering what I have wanted to read about for a very long time.
And Al-Siraj - another short book - can't say much about the topic as it is pretty deep but worth the read! Both are available at the online Khoei Center Bookstore.
Next week is finals - I am debating taking a sub day Monday because my guest is here until Monday late afternoon. I wrote up sub plans but then the network crashed and so I couldn't actually provide them to a sub just yet. Plus, it is bad timing because I have classes taking finals, getting ready for finals, etc.
I was talked into participating in the non-religious Secret Santa thing at work this year. So I have gotten lots of dark chocolate and diet soda from an unknown gift giver. And I've been leaving little things for the person whose name I drew. We had filled out an info card of basic details of what we like, hobbies, etc., so that guides the gift givers. I still don't know for sure how I feel about the whole thing but it is a little bit fun. On Wednesday we're supposed to meet and find out who we are all are, etc.
Also on Wednesday we have a luncheon for Dan Daly, our Uniserv Director who left to take a lobbyist job at CEA in Denver. He is a person I admire and respect and was able to learn some things from.
We are off starting Friday for the winter break - which of course I am looking forward to. Insha'allah I'll go to my parents' house Christmas day - I love watching people open presents from me (especially if they really like them).
It has been a cooooold winter so far (of course winter has not really started yet, but you know what I mean). Colder than normal. Brrrrrr.
Two great books I recommended reading: Honouring Allah's Saints - okay the translation is terrible but if you can get over that it is a book covering what I have wanted to read about for a very long time.
And Al-Siraj - another short book - can't say much about the topic as it is pretty deep but worth the read! Both are available at the online Khoei Center Bookstore.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Masha'allah
Woman found alive from the Pakistan Earthquake after more than 2 months of being buried in rubble.
I still have the link for free aid to victims of the earthquake at left in the sidebar.
I still have the link for free aid to victims of the earthquake at left in the sidebar.
Saturday, December 10, 2005
Ideas?
I've had an urge to do something "creative" lately but I have no idea what to do. I am not a crafty person and I don't even cook.
It has to be
1. easy, but room to grow
2. very cheap or free
3. worthwhile - not creating something tacky, unuseful, etc.
4. relatively short time from start to completion or I would not follow through.
It has to be
1. easy, but room to grow
2. very cheap or free
3. worthwhile - not creating something tacky, unuseful, etc.
4. relatively short time from start to completion or I would not follow through.
Guardian Angels - What do you think?
I read this in the paper today, and of course I've heard so many similar stories. I am aware of the angels that sit on our shoulders and record our deeds in Islam and the archangels with specific jobs, and that if you pray lines of angels join your prayer, etc. What do you think about angels? Does Islam talk about "guardian angels" - what other angels are there???
Religion
December 10, 2005
QUESTIONS OF FAITH
THE REV. LEANNE HADLEY runs First Steps Spirituality Center for grieving teens and children. For more information, go to www.1ststeps.net.
Children tell of encounters with angels
Question: “Are there really such things as guardian angels?”
Answer: Angels are talked about often in the Bible, but they most often are messengers of God and not described as guardian angels. But in Matthew 18:10, Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
This Scripture seems to imply that children have personal angels, “their angels,” that sit very close to God. Is this a reference to guardian angels? I believe it is the closest we come.
In my m i n i s t r y w o r k i n g with hurting children and teens, I often ask them if they are having spiritual exp e r i e n ce s . And I would say that more than half of them experience the presence of angels caring for them during the rough times. Many of them can describe in detail their angels, what they look like, how they are dressed, how tall they are. Some even have names.
Other children only “feel” their angel. But when they speak of angels, it is clear that they are real and helpful, and that the children look to them for help and strength.
More on this topic
More answers to this question of faith
When I worked as a chaplain in a children’s hospital, I had many experiences when children would ask, “Is it all right if I go with her — isn’t she beautiful?” minutes before they died. I watched children have conversations with angels for many days and hours before they died. Others had dreams where angels would tell them what disease they had and how long they would live.
These dreams were incredibly accurate. One of my favorite children, a 4-year-old who died of cancer, would ask every- one to leave his room so he could be alone with “her.” When we asked who “she” was, he would simply shake his head and say, “Her — I just want to be alone with her. I love her.” On the night he died, he asked everyone to leave his room again so he could be alone with “her.” He died moments later.
I am a believer in guardian angels — or at least angels that watch over and guide us — not because I have personally had much interaction with them, but because children have shared their powerful stories with me. They have shared them with such honesty and courage. I believe the children, so I believe in angels.
CONTACT THE WRITER: Questions of Faith features questions from
readers answered by local clergy. See other responses to this question at www.gazette.com, click on “Questions of Faith.” Contact 636-0367 or pasay@gazette.com.
Religion
December 10, 2005
QUESTIONS OF FAITH
THE REV. LEANNE HADLEY runs First Steps Spirituality Center for grieving teens and children. For more information, go to www.1ststeps.net.
Children tell of encounters with angels
Question: “Are there really such things as guardian angels?”
Answer: Angels are talked about often in the Bible, but they most often are messengers of God and not described as guardian angels. But in Matthew 18:10, Jesus says, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
This Scripture seems to imply that children have personal angels, “their angels,” that sit very close to God. Is this a reference to guardian angels? I believe it is the closest we come.
In my m i n i s t r y w o r k i n g with hurting children and teens, I often ask them if they are having spiritual exp e r i e n ce s . And I would say that more than half of them experience the presence of angels caring for them during the rough times. Many of them can describe in detail their angels, what they look like, how they are dressed, how tall they are. Some even have names.
Other children only “feel” their angel. But when they speak of angels, it is clear that they are real and helpful, and that the children look to them for help and strength.
More answers to this question of faith
When I worked as a chaplain in a children’s hospital, I had many experiences when children would ask, “Is it all right if I go with her — isn’t she beautiful?” minutes before they died. I watched children have conversations with angels for many days and hours before they died. Others had dreams where angels would tell them what disease they had and how long they would live.
These dreams were incredibly accurate. One of my favorite children, a 4-year-old who died of cancer, would ask every- one to leave his room so he could be alone with “her.” When we asked who “she” was, he would simply shake his head and say, “Her — I just want to be alone with her. I love her.” On the night he died, he asked everyone to leave his room again so he could be alone with “her.” He died moments later.
I am a believer in guardian angels — or at least angels that watch over and guide us — not because I have personally had much interaction with them, but because children have shared their powerful stories with me. They have shared them with such honesty and courage. I believe the children, so I believe in angels.
CONTACT THE WRITER: Questions of Faith features questions from
readers answered by local clergy. See other responses to this question at www.gazette.com, click on “Questions of Faith.” Contact 636-0367 or pasay@gazette.com.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The Weather
All the students are dreaming of a snow day (teachers, too). But we'll see; there doesn't seem to be enough wind or precipitation so far.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
What's your Childhood Fantasy?
Mine is that I could travel back in time. Not actually being in that time in a way to influence it, but to see how things really were. To see the Saber Tooth Tiger and Giant Sloth. To see answers to mysteries like what really happened to Amelia Earhart or what the Lighthouse of Alexandria really looked like. Similarly, I wished that I could see anything in the present instantly, like where a missing person is or lost money or sunken treasure or the Loch Ness Monster..... And then people would ask me to help them find their lost friends or things and I'd do it instantly for free and make my living off finding some giant piece of gold or diamond somewhere.... So that's my childhood fantasy; what's yours?
Just checking in
Well the weekend is about over. It was a bit longer than anticipated because madressa got snowed out. Now I guess we're done for the semester and don't start again until January 14. I am happy for some time off, actually.
Son of Cheese, my neighbor and high school friend, took some pictures of some of the snow at his house on his blog (see sidebar). Me, I went back to sleep instead of driving up to madressah, then I paid bills and went grocery shopping - I splurged and went to Wild Oats - I try to do that every now and then and get more organic stuff, etc. FYI, I found this GREAT brand of detergent for washing machine and dish washer - you use only a tiny amount, it is good for the environment and it cleans better than anything else I've used without messing up the clothes - it is called Bi-O-Kleen - so if you see it, it might be worth a try.
I did some chores - dishes, cleaning bird cages laundry, vacuuming, and shoveling snow. Then my couch came - it looks really nice, alhumdooleluh - better than I thought it would, and it is comfortable. Maybe I'll put up a picture later. Spent the rest of the day with my brother removing the old water heater, getting the new one and parts for it, and putting in the new one. I think I have a small leak in one of the pipes (it was there before) that insha'allah I will still have to get fixed somehow.
I got an invitation for a surprise birthday party for my aunt turning 60 for next weekend, but it is in a bar so I plan to send a little gift with my mom but skip it myself.
It is cold and wet outside but they've had waaaay to much time to work on the roads and stuff for us to not have school. My dad had to go in to the Fountain School District and drive snow plows in their parking lots today. I'm sure my district got them all taken care of as well.
Anyway - sorry but nothing exciting right now.
Son of Cheese, my neighbor and high school friend, took some pictures of some of the snow at his house on his blog (see sidebar). Me, I went back to sleep instead of driving up to madressah, then I paid bills and went grocery shopping - I splurged and went to Wild Oats - I try to do that every now and then and get more organic stuff, etc. FYI, I found this GREAT brand of detergent for washing machine and dish washer - you use only a tiny amount, it is good for the environment and it cleans better than anything else I've used without messing up the clothes - it is called Bi-O-Kleen - so if you see it, it might be worth a try.
I did some chores - dishes, cleaning bird cages laundry, vacuuming, and shoveling snow. Then my couch came - it looks really nice, alhumdooleluh - better than I thought it would, and it is comfortable. Maybe I'll put up a picture later. Spent the rest of the day with my brother removing the old water heater, getting the new one and parts for it, and putting in the new one. I think I have a small leak in one of the pipes (it was there before) that insha'allah I will still have to get fixed somehow.
I got an invitation for a surprise birthday party for my aunt turning 60 for next weekend, but it is in a bar so I plan to send a little gift with my mom but skip it myself.
It is cold and wet outside but they've had waaaay to much time to work on the roads and stuff for us to not have school. My dad had to go in to the Fountain School District and drive snow plows in their parking lots today. I'm sure my district got them all taken care of as well.
Anyway - sorry but nothing exciting right now.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Stowaway Cat Is Home
(AP) APPLETON Emily the cat is back in her home state -- after flying back in the lap of luxury.
The curious cat from Wisconsin who disappeared two months ago and wound up traveling to France in a cargo container
touched down at the Milwaukee airport on Thursday, greeted by her family and a horde of reporters.
"She'll be held onto a lot all the way home. And then when we get home, too, she'll be cuddled a lot," owner Donny McElhiney
said.
Her sumptuous return in business class on a trans-Atlantic Continental Airlines flight was a sharp departure from her trip the
other way, when she arrived thin and thirsty but still alive.
"She seems a little quieter, maybe a little wiser," Lesley McElhiney said.
A Continental cargo agent carried Emily from the plane and handed her over to the McElhineys' 9-year-old son, Nick Herndon.
Emily meowed and pawed at reporters' microphones as the family answered the media's questions.
The airline offered to fly the cat home from Paris after her tale spread around the world and she cleared a one-month
quarantine.
"This was such a marvelous story, that we wanted to add something to it," Continental spokesman Philippe Fleury told AP
Television News at Charles de Gaulle airport.
A full-fare ticket for Emily's seat would normally cost about $6,000. The airline provided two company escorts for the cat.
Emily vanished from her Appleton home in late September. She apparently wandered into a nearby paper company's
distribution center and crawled into a container of paper bales.
The container went by truck to Chicago and by ship to Belgium before the cat was found Oct. 24 at Raflatac, a laminating
company in Nancy.
Workers at Raflatac used her tags to phone her veterinarian in Wisconsin, and the vet called her owners.
Emily's escort across the ocean, Newark-based Continental employee George Chiladze, said he was thrilled to take Emily home.
"I will make somebody really happy to deliver this poor traveler back home," he said.
Continental cargo agent Gaylia McLeod accompanied the cat aboard a 50-seater on the last leg of the trip to Milwaukee.
(© 2005 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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