You would know the secret of death.
But how shall you find it
unless you seek it in the heart of life?
The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind
unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.
If you would indeed behold the spirit of death,
open your heart wide unto the body of life.
For life and death are one,
even as the river and the sea are one.
In the depth of your hopes and desires lies
your silent knowledge of the beyond;
And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow
your heart dreams of spring.
Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden
the gate to eternity.
Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd
when he stands before the king
whose hand is to be laid upon him in honour.
Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling,
that he shall wear the mark of the king?
Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And what is it to cease breathing,
but to free the breath from its restless tides,
that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence
shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top,
then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs,
then shall you truly dance.
- Kahlil Gibran
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Words of Oriah Mountain Dreamer
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventures of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you tell is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul, if you can be faithless and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "YES!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty hours.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder
(Originally found at KoziWolf)
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking a fool for love, for your dreams, for the adventures of being alive.
It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you tell is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul, if you can be faithless and therefore be trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "YES!"
It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty hours.
Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder
(Originally found at KoziWolf)
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Retired Mats
Mats made from recycled tires
I just love these things - I remember my parents having them when I was growing up, and when I ran into the guy who makes these in our area at the flea market I was very happy to buy one. They last forever, they work better than any other mat out there, and they recycle an otherwise dangerous waste product - old tires.
Postscript: After seeing mine, mom ending up buying one from him at the flea market.
I just love these things - I remember my parents having them when I was growing up, and when I ran into the guy who makes these in our area at the flea market I was very happy to buy one. They last forever, they work better than any other mat out there, and they recycle an otherwise dangerous waste product - old tires.
Postscript: After seeing mine, mom ending up buying one from him at the flea market.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
I just heard thunder!
Way cool - first of the season - sounds great when you haven't heard it in probably 9 months. :) It's raining - ooo, more thunder! Cool! Now it is hailing - aside from the damage/injury factor, hail is really neat - it bounces on the ground when it hits and looks like snow sometimes after it is all over. Ahh, there go the warning sirens - but the weather has already moved on - no tornadoes here.
Grand Canyon Lava Flows
The above link is to a neat image that shows the lava flows that used to cascade down the sides of the Grand Canyon and dam the Colorado River. Can you envision that? It must've been quite a sight! Click on the high resolution image after the description - it looks much better.
I often think about geologic processes and time. I have this little fantasy of being able to see all the changes that have happened on Earth, see where people have been and what they did, and see all the animals that ever lived, etc.
For example, yesterday I was watching some NOVA reruns (one of the best TV shows ever, folks) and one of them was about a place up north called the Scablands. It turns out that during the past glaciation period, glaciers came down into Montana and blocked a river creating a lake called Lake Missoula - it was a huge lake, like one of the Great Lakes of today, and modern day Missoula would've been nearly 2000 feet under water at that time. Well, water gets into the cracks of the ice and eventually causes the ice dam to break, like what happened in Iceland in '96. When this happened, it created a massive, fast and powerful flood-draining of the lake all the way into Washington and to sea. The water flow of the draining created potholes in the scablands tens of feet wide and deep - features that exist nowhere else on Earth. What's more, it happened over and over again perhaps hundreds of times. It is possible people might have witnessed it or even been victim to it - who knows?
And then I was watching a Deep Sea Detectives rerun and they were investigating cenotes in the Yucatan and Cozumel Island. These are pools of water that Mayans held as sacred entrances to the underworld and would drop sacrificial items (and apparently people) into them. In this episode, the divers were diving in from an entrance at the coast into the caves for more than a mile to get to a deposit of offerings that had been discovered with no apparent above-ground entrance that they could've been deposited from. First thing that was awesome was seeing the halocline - the boundary between the salt water and sea water - that they passed through. Then, seeing these caves that are now underwater but were completely formed above water. Caves take a long time to form and they form on land, not in sea, but now they are covered. So I wonder, how long ago were they above the water? My guess is that it was during the last Ice Age, because sea levels were lower then. Did anyone ever see them above ground? Similarly, there are people who think the Bimini Road is manmade. I don't know that it is, but there is increasing evidence of a lot of archaeology to be done underwater - evidence of human habitation in places now underwater. It is all fascinating to me!
Grand Canyon Lava Flows
The above link is to a neat image that shows the lava flows that used to cascade down the sides of the Grand Canyon and dam the Colorado River. Can you envision that? It must've been quite a sight! Click on the high resolution image after the description - it looks much better.
I often think about geologic processes and time. I have this little fantasy of being able to see all the changes that have happened on Earth, see where people have been and what they did, and see all the animals that ever lived, etc.
For example, yesterday I was watching some NOVA reruns (one of the best TV shows ever, folks) and one of them was about a place up north called the Scablands. It turns out that during the past glaciation period, glaciers came down into Montana and blocked a river creating a lake called Lake Missoula - it was a huge lake, like one of the Great Lakes of today, and modern day Missoula would've been nearly 2000 feet under water at that time. Well, water gets into the cracks of the ice and eventually causes the ice dam to break, like what happened in Iceland in '96. When this happened, it created a massive, fast and powerful flood-draining of the lake all the way into Washington and to sea. The water flow of the draining created potholes in the scablands tens of feet wide and deep - features that exist nowhere else on Earth. What's more, it happened over and over again perhaps hundreds of times. It is possible people might have witnessed it or even been victim to it - who knows?
And then I was watching a Deep Sea Detectives rerun and they were investigating cenotes in the Yucatan and Cozumel Island. These are pools of water that Mayans held as sacred entrances to the underworld and would drop sacrificial items (and apparently people) into them. In this episode, the divers were diving in from an entrance at the coast into the caves for more than a mile to get to a deposit of offerings that had been discovered with no apparent above-ground entrance that they could've been deposited from. First thing that was awesome was seeing the halocline - the boundary between the salt water and sea water - that they passed through. Then, seeing these caves that are now underwater but were completely formed above water. Caves take a long time to form and they form on land, not in sea, but now they are covered. So I wonder, how long ago were they above the water? My guess is that it was during the last Ice Age, because sea levels were lower then. Did anyone ever see them above ground? Similarly, there are people who think the Bimini Road is manmade. I don't know that it is, but there is increasing evidence of a lot of archaeology to be done underwater - evidence of human habitation in places now underwater. It is all fascinating to me!
Focus!
Scientific American: Beyond IQ: Youngsters Who Can Focus on the Task at Hand Do Better in Math
Attention span and reasoning may get higher marks than intelligence, especially in math
I have often noted, as a high school math teacher, a direct correlation between a student's ability to focus and persevere through a lesson and/or problem and what they ended up learning, retaining, and what grades they earn. Attention span and follow-through seem to be real issues affecting students' learning, and not just for those with diagnosed ADD or ADHD.
Attention span and reasoning may get higher marks than intelligence, especially in math
I have often noted, as a high school math teacher, a direct correlation between a student's ability to focus and persevere through a lesson and/or problem and what they ended up learning, retaining, and what grades they earn. Attention span and follow-through seem to be real issues affecting students' learning, and not just for those with diagnosed ADD or ADHD.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Recurring Dream Addition
I had previously posted about recurring dreams and recurring places in dreams that I have noted in my life. (You can find the post by going to the labels in the sidebar and choosing dreams).
Well, last night I had a dream that I came to realize involved a recurring place.
Where I work, all the math teachers have a math office in which there is are two long lines of work desks facing each other where we all sit and work. In my dreams, a variation of these desks exist, but they are in a huge warehouse-type building that is kind of dark. In my dream last night, these desks were under a quarter-circle glass window that went from the floor and arced up to the ceiling. We were noting that it was raining really hard outside. As soon as we said that, it stopped raining, and a few seconds later, it was snowing a dry windy blizzard snow and was snowing so much that it was instantly accumulating on the glass panes. Then I woke up.
But I remembered dreaming of this place before. In previous dreams, the rest of the warehouse was also dark and had many cubicles and partial walls. I can remember sneaking around the warehouse trying to get computer parts and software for something we needed to do but didn't have the right stuff for. I also remember the landscape outside of this building being a lot like the surroundings of my junior high when I had went there years before, except that there was a practice baseball diamond in my dream in a wrong place.
And on the subject of dreams, something interesting happened last week. It was the middle of the night and I was asleep and I dreamt that something like a small animal jumped on my bed or someone hit my bed. Then, it happened for real, being strong enough to wake me up. I have no idea what actually made the bed move because I don't have any animals that move about the house and no one else was there. But it felt like someone punched the bed down near my feet, or something like that. I was not startled and didn't feel afraid, I just went back to sleep. But when I thought about it later, I thought it was pretty strange - nothing like that ever happened before that I can think of.
Well, last night I had a dream that I came to realize involved a recurring place.
Where I work, all the math teachers have a math office in which there is are two long lines of work desks facing each other where we all sit and work. In my dreams, a variation of these desks exist, but they are in a huge warehouse-type building that is kind of dark. In my dream last night, these desks were under a quarter-circle glass window that went from the floor and arced up to the ceiling. We were noting that it was raining really hard outside. As soon as we said that, it stopped raining, and a few seconds later, it was snowing a dry windy blizzard snow and was snowing so much that it was instantly accumulating on the glass panes. Then I woke up.
But I remembered dreaming of this place before. In previous dreams, the rest of the warehouse was also dark and had many cubicles and partial walls. I can remember sneaking around the warehouse trying to get computer parts and software for something we needed to do but didn't have the right stuff for. I also remember the landscape outside of this building being a lot like the surroundings of my junior high when I had went there years before, except that there was a practice baseball diamond in my dream in a wrong place.
And on the subject of dreams, something interesting happened last week. It was the middle of the night and I was asleep and I dreamt that something like a small animal jumped on my bed or someone hit my bed. Then, it happened for real, being strong enough to wake me up. I have no idea what actually made the bed move because I don't have any animals that move about the house and no one else was there. But it felt like someone punched the bed down near my feet, or something like that. I was not startled and didn't feel afraid, I just went back to sleep. But when I thought about it later, I thought it was pretty strange - nothing like that ever happened before that I can think of.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Interspecies Relationships
Cat Nuzzles up to Deer Herd
I see parts of this particular herd often on my way to work as I drive up Mesa Road near Garden of the Gods. It is a mini-thrill on the mornings when they stop traffic to cross the road.
I just think it is interesting and cool to see different species interact in sometimes surprising ways. I have read many stories of moms taking babies of other species as their own, for example. I think it makes people wonder about and expand upon their ideas of how they see the world and how they think animals see it, too.
I see parts of this particular herd often on my way to work as I drive up Mesa Road near Garden of the Gods. It is a mini-thrill on the mornings when they stop traffic to cross the road.
I just think it is interesting and cool to see different species interact in sometimes surprising ways. I have read many stories of moms taking babies of other species as their own, for example. I think it makes people wonder about and expand upon their ideas of how they see the world and how they think animals see it, too.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Trace Bundy Video - a few from YouTube, more are there
The Love Song
Pachelbel's Canon
Carol of the Bells
excerpt from his song "Patanga", probably my personal favorite of his.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Imam Sajjad (as)'s Dua for Sickness
Imam Sajjad (as), great-grandson of the Prophet (saw), wrote some of the most beautiful duas. This is one for reciting at a time of illness.
O God, to Thee belongs praise
for the good health of my body
which lets me move about,
and to Thee belongs praise,
for the ailments
which Thou causest to arise in my flesh!
For I know not, my God,
which of the two states deserves more my thanking Thee
and which of the two times is more worthy for my praise of Thee:
the time of health,
within which Thou makest me delight
in the agreeable things of Thy provision,
through which Thou givest me the joy to seek
the means to Thy good pleasure and bounty,
and by which Thou strengthenest me
for the acts of obedience
which Thou hast given me success to accomplish;
or the time of illness
through which Thou puttest me to the test
and bestowest upon me favors:
lightening of the offenses
that weigh down my back,
purification of the evil deeds
into which I have plunged,
incitement to reach
for repentance,
reminder of the erasure of misdeeds
through ancient favor;
and, through all that, what the two writers write for me:
blameless acts,
which no heart had thought,
no tongue had uttered,
and no limb had undertaken,
rather, as Thy bestowal of bounty upon me
and the beneficence of Thy benefaction toward me
O God,
bless Muhammad and his Household,
make me love
what Thou hast approved for me,
make easy for me
what Thou hast sent down upon me,
purify me of the defilement
of what I have sent ahead,
erase the evil
of what I have done beforehand,
let me find the sweetness
of well-being,
let me taste the coolness
of safety,
and appoint for me
a way out from my illness to Thy pardon,
transformation of my infirmity into Thy forbearance,
escape from my distress to Thy refreshment,
and safety from this hardship in Thy relief!
Thou art gratuitously bountiful in beneficence,
ever gracious in kindness,
the Generous, the Giver,
Possessor of majesty and munificence!
O God, to Thee belongs praise
for the good health of my body
which lets me move about,
and to Thee belongs praise,
for the ailments
which Thou causest to arise in my flesh!
For I know not, my God,
which of the two states deserves more my thanking Thee
and which of the two times is more worthy for my praise of Thee:
the time of health,
within which Thou makest me delight
in the agreeable things of Thy provision,
through which Thou givest me the joy to seek
the means to Thy good pleasure and bounty,
and by which Thou strengthenest me
for the acts of obedience
which Thou hast given me success to accomplish;
or the time of illness
through which Thou puttest me to the test
and bestowest upon me favors:
lightening of the offenses
that weigh down my back,
purification of the evil deeds
into which I have plunged,
incitement to reach
for repentance,
reminder of the erasure of misdeeds
through ancient favor;
and, through all that, what the two writers write for me:
blameless acts,
which no heart had thought,
no tongue had uttered,
and no limb had undertaken,
rather, as Thy bestowal of bounty upon me
and the beneficence of Thy benefaction toward me
O God,
bless Muhammad and his Household,
make me love
what Thou hast approved for me,
make easy for me
what Thou hast sent down upon me,
purify me of the defilement
of what I have sent ahead,
erase the evil
of what I have done beforehand,
let me find the sweetness
of well-being,
let me taste the coolness
of safety,
and appoint for me
a way out from my illness to Thy pardon,
transformation of my infirmity into Thy forbearance,
escape from my distress to Thy refreshment,
and safety from this hardship in Thy relief!
Thou art gratuitously bountiful in beneficence,
ever gracious in kindness,
the Generous, the Giver,
Possessor of majesty and munificence!
Saturday, March 10, 2007
How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck?
Picture Caption by Team Snowfoot: The geese were of no help...
We knew they knew where the cache was but they weren't talking.
This is from a log entry of a geocache I placed with my nieces and nephew in December. It is so far turning out to be a good difficult cache that challenges some of the experienced cachers and yet remains accessible to all.
Here's the Cache's Webpage.
And here's another BEAUTIFUL picture of the lunar eclipse from last week.
Friday, March 09, 2007
A few of my favorite links for the week
Free American Sign Language Lessons
I've always been interested in languages, and I've always been interested in sign language - I used to constantly do finger lettering as a child until I learned to type and then I was constantly "typing" with my fingers - a sort of fidget. I've long thought it would be great to learn sign language.
Find Out What Maintenance You Should Be Getting For Your Car
Today I was listening to the auto tech teacher at our school. He was saying that cars are designed to last between 400,000-500,000 miles but the main reason they do not is that owners do not keep up on maintenance. I know I don't really do any "maintenance" aside from oil changes, etc., so I found a site that tells you what your scheduled maintenance for your particular vehicle should be.
Colorado Springs Police Blotter
I like to read what is going on in the town. I think every police department should publish a blotter and every citizen of that locale should read it.
Read and Search Journal Articles for Research
This came in VERY handy when I was doing my master's degree. I'd love to get another degree and take more classes whenever I can afford it, insha'allah.
I've always been interested in languages, and I've always been interested in sign language - I used to constantly do finger lettering as a child until I learned to type and then I was constantly "typing" with my fingers - a sort of fidget. I've long thought it would be great to learn sign language.
Find Out What Maintenance You Should Be Getting For Your Car
Today I was listening to the auto tech teacher at our school. He was saying that cars are designed to last between 400,000-500,000 miles but the main reason they do not is that owners do not keep up on maintenance. I know I don't really do any "maintenance" aside from oil changes, etc., so I found a site that tells you what your scheduled maintenance for your particular vehicle should be.
Colorado Springs Police Blotter
I like to read what is going on in the town. I think every police department should publish a blotter and every citizen of that locale should read it.
Read and Search Journal Articles for Research
This came in VERY handy when I was doing my master's degree. I'd love to get another degree and take more classes whenever I can afford it, insha'allah.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day?
Scientific American: Why is a minute divided into 60 seconds, an hour into 60 minutes, yet there are only 24 hours in a day?
I've always been fascinated by timekeeping and calendars....
I've always been fascinated by timekeeping and calendars....
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Statistics in Religious Archaeology
Scientific American: Special Report: Has James Cameron Found Jesus's Tomb or Is It Just a Statistical Error?
Tomorrow night on the Discovery Channel there is scheduled to be aired a special about an ossuary in Jerusalem that some are claiming could belong to the family of Jesus (as). Some, of course, would then go so far to suggest that Jesus's (as) bones are there as well - although that is a much more wild claim. An interesting aspect of the names in that ossuary is that they may include the name of Mary Magdalene.
The article above is about a hypothesis test calculated around the probability of the names mentioned in the ossuary existing in that particular combination. Based on certain assumptions and research about naming in Jerusalem at the time, a statistician calculated 600 to 1 odds that that particular set of names belonged to the family of Jesus (as) and not another family with similar names.
This is actually the kind of stuff we're studying in my AP Statistics class right now. The kids are learning to conduct hypothesis tests, so maybe we will discuss this article next week and see if the students can determine what his assumptions were, what his null hypothesis was, etc.
As for other stuff going on recently in the land of Otowi:
1. I am going back to work at Sylvan Learning Center on Saturdays. So, I will once again be officially in the realm of the two jobs. I worked at Sylvan several years ago and did their SAT prep course off and on for a while after that and the couple that owns the Center asked me to come back. I tend to say yes to requests from people I know and like, and I could use the money in my ongoing quest to try to keep a balanced budget. The vast majority of my paycheck is gone on the second of the month - the day I pay bills - mortgage, utilities, school loans, old debts, etc. As we all know, debt sucks, and I have an ongoing goal to pay it down and not increase it.
2. The past week was Luau week at Coronado. It is a school tradition to have a luau dance once a year - a dance and opening of the pool combined. So every day was a different dress up day - crazy shades (sunglasses) day, class colors day, pirate day, lifeguard/scuba day, and beach day. We had snow this week and that may have been a factor in that kids did not seem to be dressing up in high proportion. I dressed up for class colors day and beach day and managed a very vaguely pirate-ish hijab for pirate day. But for beach day I ended up wearing my Islamic swim suit, aqua socks and favorite hibiscus beach towel. Several students enjoyed that.
3. My mom's birthday is Monday. Brother and I are taking her out to dinner tonight (along with brother's family, of course). I hope dad will go, too - he often decides not to participate in things. I did get her a present, but she knows she will have to wait for it, because it isn't released for a few weeks yet. Mom really liked Casino Royale, so I ordered it for her on DVD, and I will give her tickets to Trace Bundy, although those aren't really a gift. Trace Bundy is the most incredible acoustic guitarist I've ever seen or heard. My student mentoree who runs the guitar club at Coronado has a connection with Trace Bundy and did all the work to bring him out for a show. I believe his music falls within what is permitted Islamically on the basis of the rulings of Ayatollah Seestani and several others who have the same ruling. If The Police tickets weren't so outlandishly expensive, that is another concert I would've been tempted to attend even with my misgivings about where the music would fall in the context of rulings. The Police has always been a favorite of my mine. Synchronicity was worn out on my cassette player when I was a kid.
4. Blake, another teacher in the math department, is a fan of Terry Brooks. We were talking about The Silmarillion as I had been reading it because he had started it and never finished it, so then we started talking about The Sword of Shannara trilogy by Brooks. He just started re-reading it, so I got a copy for 1 cent off Amazon and started reading it, too. So far it isn't impressive (two chapters in) but not bad either. Clearly it isn't a Tolkien, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable. I am often not impressed by books in the first few chapters and they still can turn out to be good. Now Harry Potter books are usually good from the get-go (children's books are often better at that), but that's another story - literally.
5. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is coming to print! I just had to pre-order it....
Tomorrow night on the Discovery Channel there is scheduled to be aired a special about an ossuary in Jerusalem that some are claiming could belong to the family of Jesus (as). Some, of course, would then go so far to suggest that Jesus's (as) bones are there as well - although that is a much more wild claim. An interesting aspect of the names in that ossuary is that they may include the name of Mary Magdalene.
The article above is about a hypothesis test calculated around the probability of the names mentioned in the ossuary existing in that particular combination. Based on certain assumptions and research about naming in Jerusalem at the time, a statistician calculated 600 to 1 odds that that particular set of names belonged to the family of Jesus (as) and not another family with similar names.
This is actually the kind of stuff we're studying in my AP Statistics class right now. The kids are learning to conduct hypothesis tests, so maybe we will discuss this article next week and see if the students can determine what his assumptions were, what his null hypothesis was, etc.
As for other stuff going on recently in the land of Otowi:
1. I am going back to work at Sylvan Learning Center on Saturdays. So, I will once again be officially in the realm of the two jobs. I worked at Sylvan several years ago and did their SAT prep course off and on for a while after that and the couple that owns the Center asked me to come back. I tend to say yes to requests from people I know and like, and I could use the money in my ongoing quest to try to keep a balanced budget. The vast majority of my paycheck is gone on the second of the month - the day I pay bills - mortgage, utilities, school loans, old debts, etc. As we all know, debt sucks, and I have an ongoing goal to pay it down and not increase it.
2. The past week was Luau week at Coronado. It is a school tradition to have a luau dance once a year - a dance and opening of the pool combined. So every day was a different dress up day - crazy shades (sunglasses) day, class colors day, pirate day, lifeguard/scuba day, and beach day. We had snow this week and that may have been a factor in that kids did not seem to be dressing up in high proportion. I dressed up for class colors day and beach day and managed a very vaguely pirate-ish hijab for pirate day. But for beach day I ended up wearing my Islamic swim suit, aqua socks and favorite hibiscus beach towel. Several students enjoyed that.
3. My mom's birthday is Monday. Brother and I are taking her out to dinner tonight (along with brother's family, of course). I hope dad will go, too - he often decides not to participate in things. I did get her a present, but she knows she will have to wait for it, because it isn't released for a few weeks yet. Mom really liked Casino Royale, so I ordered it for her on DVD, and I will give her tickets to Trace Bundy, although those aren't really a gift. Trace Bundy is the most incredible acoustic guitarist I've ever seen or heard. My student mentoree who runs the guitar club at Coronado has a connection with Trace Bundy and did all the work to bring him out for a show. I believe his music falls within what is permitted Islamically on the basis of the rulings of Ayatollah Seestani and several others who have the same ruling. If The Police tickets weren't so outlandishly expensive, that is another concert I would've been tempted to attend even with my misgivings about where the music would fall in the context of rulings. The Police has always been a favorite of my mine. Synchronicity was worn out on my cassette player when I was a kid.
4. Blake, another teacher in the math department, is a fan of Terry Brooks. We were talking about The Silmarillion as I had been reading it because he had started it and never finished it, so then we started talking about The Sword of Shannara trilogy by Brooks. He just started re-reading it, so I got a copy for 1 cent off Amazon and started reading it, too. So far it isn't impressive (two chapters in) but not bad either. Clearly it isn't a Tolkien, but that doesn't mean it can't be enjoyable. I am often not impressed by books in the first few chapters and they still can turn out to be good. Now Harry Potter books are usually good from the get-go (children's books are often better at that), but that's another story - literally.
5. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid is coming to print! I just had to pre-order it....
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Scientific American: Fact or Fiction?: Living People Outnumber the Dead
Booming population growth among the living, according to one rumor, outpaces the dead
Booming population growth among the living, according to one rumor, outpaces the dead
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Beaver in the Big Apple
Beaver has moved into the Bronx River
I like to hear animal comeback stories when most of the time it is all bad news....
I like to hear animal comeback stories when most of the time it is all bad news....
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Dua after Fajr
Bismillah Arahman Araheem
Allahumma sale ala Muhammadan wa ale Muhammad
I entrust my cause(affairs) to God. Truthfully, God looks after His servants.
God keeps His eyes open to the evil which is done.
There is no God save You, Glory be to You. Truthfully, I have been a wrongdoer.
"So We complied with their request and saved them from worries, and like this We come to the rescue of believers. God is sufficient for us; and the most excellent protector is He, so they returned with grace and favor from God, and no harm touched them.
It is as God wills. There is no stratagem and no power save with God."
It is as God wills, be it that the people do not want it. It is as God wills, be it that the people do not like it.
Sufficient for me is the Lord against the other lords (His servants).
Sufficient for me is the Creator against the creatures (that have been created by Him).
Sufficient for me is the Nourisher against those who receive livelihood (from Him). Sufficient for me is God, Lord (rab) of all the worlds.
Sufficient for me is He.
Sufficient for me, sufficient for me is He who is "Lam Yazal" (does not ever pass away).
Sufficient for me, sufficient for me is He who is the creator (and I am the creation) and does not ever pass away.
Sufficient for me, sufficient for me is God.
There is no God save He.
I put my trust in He, and He is the Lord of the divine throne ('arsh).
Allahumma sale ala Muhammadan wa ale Muhammad
I entrust my cause(affairs) to God. Truthfully, God looks after His servants.
God keeps His eyes open to the evil which is done.
There is no God save You, Glory be to You. Truthfully, I have been a wrongdoer.
"So We complied with their request and saved them from worries, and like this We come to the rescue of believers. God is sufficient for us; and the most excellent protector is He, so they returned with grace and favor from God, and no harm touched them.
It is as God wills. There is no stratagem and no power save with God."
It is as God wills, be it that the people do not want it. It is as God wills, be it that the people do not like it.
Sufficient for me is the Lord against the other lords (His servants).
Sufficient for me is the Creator against the creatures (that have been created by Him).
Sufficient for me is the Nourisher against those who receive livelihood (from Him). Sufficient for me is God, Lord (rab) of all the worlds.
Sufficient for me is He.
Sufficient for me, sufficient for me is He who is "Lam Yazal" (does not ever pass away).
Sufficient for me, sufficient for me is He who is the creator (and I am the creation) and does not ever pass away.
Sufficient for me, sufficient for me is God.
There is no God save He.
I put my trust in He, and He is the Lord of the divine throne ('arsh).
Friday, February 23, 2007
Hijab
Hijab in the Qur'an:
“And tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands….”24:30-31.
“Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage, there is no blame on them if they lay aside their outer garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty; but it is best for them to be modest and God is One who sees and knows all things.”24:60
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons when abroad that is convenient that they should be known and as such not molested. And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”33:59.
What is it?
In brief, the hijab is often described as the modest dress of a Muslim woman, or more specifically, the hair-covering. Islamic teachings tell us that the Islamic modest dress for a woman should cover all but hands and face in clothing that does not conform to the body shape. Some sources prescribe the dress more strictly by limiting fashion and color and/or suggesting the covering of the face. It is not a uniform, thus one can find a lot of variation of styles of Islamic dress, as well as differing interpretations in the details. For example, many people interpret the wearing of a scarf with long-sleeve blouse and long pants that do not cling to the body as within the basic requirements of hijab. But some people or cultures feel differently and interpret it more strictly, perhaps preferring skirts or dresses to pants, or perhaps preferring mute colors to brighter colors, and so on.
Islamic modest dress applies to men as well, but in a different fashion. However, the nature of modesty and Islamic dress for men is often neglected, especially in view of the obsession that sometimes exist over the dress of women.
Hijab also has a philosophy or spirit to it, in addition to the physical nature. That is, as with almost everything in Islamic practice, there is an outward, physical nature and there is an inward, spiritual nature. The spiritual nature of hijab is the spirit of modesty - not only in how we present ourselves to the world, but in how we take in the world. The modesty of presentation includes not only dress, but demeanor and behavior. As for how we take in the world, this means how we observe the modesty of the eyes, ears, etc. - do we turn our eyes and ears away from things that violate the spirit of hijab and modesty or do we allow our eyes and ears to take in all things?
The spirit of hijab is very important, for if one acts only on the outward nature without acting on the inward nature, then one really misses the point altogether, and really misses out on the essence and heart of what hijab is all about.
The same is true for every act. Take, for example, the prayer. One can perform the mechanics of prayer and totally miss the inward aspects and thus benefit little from the prayer. The inward aspects of the prayer - the attention to God, the meaning of the words, and so on, are the true prayer.
A Muslim is one who submits to God, while a momin is someone who is a believer. Adopting a practice one knows is right even if she doesn't feel her heart is totally in it is an act of submission; it is an act of a Muslim. When one takes this first step, it is not uncommon that God returns the act by elevating one to the state of a believer so that now one does the act not out of submission but out of belief, and eventually maybe even out of love, desire, etc.
Why is it?
God knows best why He prescribes anything for us that He prescribes, but as can be seen in the ayahs mentioned above, and in the teachings of Islam preserved elsewhere, the purpose of Islamic modest dress is modesty and to be recognized as upright folk and be afforded the respect of an upright person.
Why is it that the modest dress for a woman includes covering the hair? In essence, it is due to what is her 'awra, or what is her beauty that particularly appeals to the opposite gender.
It may seem extreme, but hijab really is not extreme. In the context of past history, the modest dress of Muslim women is not unusual. Nor is it restrictive - it does not hinder her from most any action or movement she may want to do, although in reality, the Muslim (and other) societies have sometimes hindered her from some actions and movements that are not warranted by the minimum requirements of Islamic dress. It may seem different than what is common today in the Western world, but that does not make it extreme or prohibitive. Extremism and undue prohibition come from hard hearts, abandonment of spirit for letter only, and intolerance. Hijab in itself has none of these traits, but instead has at its core the ideals of equity and justice, respect, upright behavior and demeanor, and inclusiveness.
What is wearing hijab like?
Sometimes women will say they will wear the hijab later on when their spirituality matches the action - i.e., they say they are not pious enough to wear it and to wear it would be hypocritical. But this logic is erroneous. Whatever is required by God is required by God and it is not hypocrisy to follow the requirements with the intention of following the requirements, even if the spiritual self isn't in the ideal place. Even in prayer, often the heart is not in the right place, but that does not excuse one from the prayer. No one says that she should stop praying until she becomes more pious, so neither should such an argument be used about hijab. The reality is that if we sincerely adopt a practice often the heart will follow. Sometimes it is not for the heart to lead us to piety when our actions are against it, but rather it is for the heart to follow the actions on the course of seeking piety by submitting.
Hijab is one aspect of submission or belief in God. But like any other practice it is not the whole picture for any person. When we see people, Muslim or anti-Muslim, obsessing over hijab, it is a symptom of a larger problem. Sometimes we see Muslims obsessing over hijab - often this is a symptom of obsession over letter of law while neglecting spirit of law. It is also often a symptom of anti-feminine leanings that belittle the full personhood of women and objectify them just as much as those who obsess over the dress of women in the other extreme of immodesty as opposed to modesty. Sometimes we see anti-Muslim folks obsessing over hijab, too, - and this is often a symptom of intolerance us vs. them ideology, ignorance, and seeking to cause division and subjugation.
In practice, wearing hijab is like wearing any other clothes - it feels as natural as any other clothing. A person who is accustomed to wearing the hijab does not feel fully-dressed without it and in her day-to-day activities feels normal and does not feel different from someone else. At times, however, someone may react to her in a way that may remind her that she looks different than others are used to. But more of than not, she will go through her day without incident. Sometimes these reactions are positive - small acts of positive chivalry like opening a door or avoiding foul language, for example. Sometimes they are negative, such as a dirty look or bad word.
When someone first puts on hijab, however, it feels different. It can be hard for her to feel comfortable in a new style of dress. Also, she is often hyper-aware of any reactions and more self-conscious and concerned or afraid of negative reaction. On the flip-side, she is often also more aware of her dress as being potentially representative of Islam and Muslims and may be more modest in her behavior in reaction to her change in dress.
Some people avoid wearing hijab even if they believe it is right out of fear. For most women, however, this fear is out of place. God is the source of our well-being and sustenance. If we know this to be true, then we should also understand that we obtain our sustenance not through an employer, but through God. And we obtain our well-being from God also. If we wish to secure our well-being and our sustenance, then the best path is that path prescribed by God, not by following some path other than that prescribed by God. Some women certainly do face obstacles of many different types in regard to employment, relations, or safety when it comes to wearing hijab. But there are very very few women who would be turned down by every decent employer in their chosen profession - usually it is just one or two that have wrong attitudes. Similarly, a few women sometimes face danger or other hardship due to wearing hijab. But the vast majority of women will go their entire lives without ever being in danger because of it, and many having even enjoyed some measure of protection because of how people responded to her positively. If hijab closes doors, it also opens them. And ultimately, God is the All-Powerful and when we put our trust in Him and follow the path He guides us to, we cannot be disappointed.
“And tell the believing men to lower their gaze and be modest. That is purer for them. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands….”24:30-31.
“Such elderly women as are past the prospect of marriage, there is no blame on them if they lay aside their outer garments, provided they make not a wanton display of their beauty; but it is best for them to be modest and God is One who sees and knows all things.”24:60
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons when abroad that is convenient that they should be known and as such not molested. And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”33:59.
What is it?
In brief, the hijab is often described as the modest dress of a Muslim woman, or more specifically, the hair-covering. Islamic teachings tell us that the Islamic modest dress for a woman should cover all but hands and face in clothing that does not conform to the body shape. Some sources prescribe the dress more strictly by limiting fashion and color and/or suggesting the covering of the face. It is not a uniform, thus one can find a lot of variation of styles of Islamic dress, as well as differing interpretations in the details. For example, many people interpret the wearing of a scarf with long-sleeve blouse and long pants that do not cling to the body as within the basic requirements of hijab. But some people or cultures feel differently and interpret it more strictly, perhaps preferring skirts or dresses to pants, or perhaps preferring mute colors to brighter colors, and so on.
Islamic modest dress applies to men as well, but in a different fashion. However, the nature of modesty and Islamic dress for men is often neglected, especially in view of the obsession that sometimes exist over the dress of women.
Hijab also has a philosophy or spirit to it, in addition to the physical nature. That is, as with almost everything in Islamic practice, there is an outward, physical nature and there is an inward, spiritual nature. The spiritual nature of hijab is the spirit of modesty - not only in how we present ourselves to the world, but in how we take in the world. The modesty of presentation includes not only dress, but demeanor and behavior. As for how we take in the world, this means how we observe the modesty of the eyes, ears, etc. - do we turn our eyes and ears away from things that violate the spirit of hijab and modesty or do we allow our eyes and ears to take in all things?
The spirit of hijab is very important, for if one acts only on the outward nature without acting on the inward nature, then one really misses the point altogether, and really misses out on the essence and heart of what hijab is all about.
The same is true for every act. Take, for example, the prayer. One can perform the mechanics of prayer and totally miss the inward aspects and thus benefit little from the prayer. The inward aspects of the prayer - the attention to God, the meaning of the words, and so on, are the true prayer.
A Muslim is one who submits to God, while a momin is someone who is a believer. Adopting a practice one knows is right even if she doesn't feel her heart is totally in it is an act of submission; it is an act of a Muslim. When one takes this first step, it is not uncommon that God returns the act by elevating one to the state of a believer so that now one does the act not out of submission but out of belief, and eventually maybe even out of love, desire, etc.
Why is it?
God knows best why He prescribes anything for us that He prescribes, but as can be seen in the ayahs mentioned above, and in the teachings of Islam preserved elsewhere, the purpose of Islamic modest dress is modesty and to be recognized as upright folk and be afforded the respect of an upright person.
Why is it that the modest dress for a woman includes covering the hair? In essence, it is due to what is her 'awra, or what is her beauty that particularly appeals to the opposite gender.
It may seem extreme, but hijab really is not extreme. In the context of past history, the modest dress of Muslim women is not unusual. Nor is it restrictive - it does not hinder her from most any action or movement she may want to do, although in reality, the Muslim (and other) societies have sometimes hindered her from some actions and movements that are not warranted by the minimum requirements of Islamic dress. It may seem different than what is common today in the Western world, but that does not make it extreme or prohibitive. Extremism and undue prohibition come from hard hearts, abandonment of spirit for letter only, and intolerance. Hijab in itself has none of these traits, but instead has at its core the ideals of equity and justice, respect, upright behavior and demeanor, and inclusiveness.
What is wearing hijab like?
Sometimes women will say they will wear the hijab later on when their spirituality matches the action - i.e., they say they are not pious enough to wear it and to wear it would be hypocritical. But this logic is erroneous. Whatever is required by God is required by God and it is not hypocrisy to follow the requirements with the intention of following the requirements, even if the spiritual self isn't in the ideal place. Even in prayer, often the heart is not in the right place, but that does not excuse one from the prayer. No one says that she should stop praying until she becomes more pious, so neither should such an argument be used about hijab. The reality is that if we sincerely adopt a practice often the heart will follow. Sometimes it is not for the heart to lead us to piety when our actions are against it, but rather it is for the heart to follow the actions on the course of seeking piety by submitting.
Hijab is one aspect of submission or belief in God. But like any other practice it is not the whole picture for any person. When we see people, Muslim or anti-Muslim, obsessing over hijab, it is a symptom of a larger problem. Sometimes we see Muslims obsessing over hijab - often this is a symptom of obsession over letter of law while neglecting spirit of law. It is also often a symptom of anti-feminine leanings that belittle the full personhood of women and objectify them just as much as those who obsess over the dress of women in the other extreme of immodesty as opposed to modesty. Sometimes we see anti-Muslim folks obsessing over hijab, too, - and this is often a symptom of intolerance us vs. them ideology, ignorance, and seeking to cause division and subjugation.
In practice, wearing hijab is like wearing any other clothes - it feels as natural as any other clothing. A person who is accustomed to wearing the hijab does not feel fully-dressed without it and in her day-to-day activities feels normal and does not feel different from someone else. At times, however, someone may react to her in a way that may remind her that she looks different than others are used to. But more of than not, she will go through her day without incident. Sometimes these reactions are positive - small acts of positive chivalry like opening a door or avoiding foul language, for example. Sometimes they are negative, such as a dirty look or bad word.
When someone first puts on hijab, however, it feels different. It can be hard for her to feel comfortable in a new style of dress. Also, she is often hyper-aware of any reactions and more self-conscious and concerned or afraid of negative reaction. On the flip-side, she is often also more aware of her dress as being potentially representative of Islam and Muslims and may be more modest in her behavior in reaction to her change in dress.
Some people avoid wearing hijab even if they believe it is right out of fear. For most women, however, this fear is out of place. God is the source of our well-being and sustenance. If we know this to be true, then we should also understand that we obtain our sustenance not through an employer, but through God. And we obtain our well-being from God also. If we wish to secure our well-being and our sustenance, then the best path is that path prescribed by God, not by following some path other than that prescribed by God. Some women certainly do face obstacles of many different types in regard to employment, relations, or safety when it comes to wearing hijab. But there are very very few women who would be turned down by every decent employer in their chosen profession - usually it is just one or two that have wrong attitudes. Similarly, a few women sometimes face danger or other hardship due to wearing hijab. But the vast majority of women will go their entire lives without ever being in danger because of it, and many having even enjoyed some measure of protection because of how people responded to her positively. If hijab closes doors, it also opens them. And ultimately, God is the All-Powerful and when we put our trust in Him and follow the path He guides us to, we cannot be disappointed.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
John Frum Day
I came across an article about John Frum Day - a remnant of a cargo cult of the South Seas, apparently. It was quite odd to see the American Flag and other American patriot paraphernalia as part of a Vanuatu religious cult.
John Frum Day Feb. 15 in Vanuatu
Wikipedia on John Frum Day
John Frum Day Feb. 15 in Vanuatu
Wikipedia on John Frum Day
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