Isaac Schrödinger

So Perfect

Hassan Radwan: Prophet Muhammad.

I've written quite a bit over the years about this "flawless" role model of humanity. Here's one that deals with his behavior towards the Jewish tribe Banu Quraiza.

Also, see this post where his personality is distilled down to seven words.

Moody Weather

Daily dose of imagery:

It seems like winter is finally over.

Let's hope it stays that way. A few years ago, we had the same situation when all of a sudden we got hammered with a winter storm in April! I had to help a shocked friend in getting his car out the driveway. It took 30 minutes.

Uncomfortable Questions

Hassan Radwan: Proof that Islam is True?

Radwan asks many questions that don't provide reasonable answers. It reminds me of the many I used to ask.

Update
A funny video here: Prophets of Islam.

Allah, for some reason, is obsessed with the Middle East.

A Looser

A fellow named Racist hater left this comment in a post from last year:

you stupid bastards dont know what your talkin about. Youre just a bunch of loosers with nothing better to do than discriminate muslims. If you think youre so brave why not leave your address.

I'll pass.

A Bit Too Much

Question asked.

I know it's not polite but, still, I'll answer with a question: Why should others have a say at all in how many pairs you buy?

I have two, by the way. One is four years old; the other eight.

Infidelicious

I got a spike in visits today; checked the stats and realized that the Conservative Grapevine has linked to my blog as the website of the day.

Thanks!

Insensitive Pig

Kristina De Guzman:

Stelmach’s speech bored me for the most part, but the man came off as humble—at least, more so than Ralph Klein ever did during his tenure. Still, I was struck by his remark about how he’s glad that his grandparents’ boat arrived in Canada because the other destination would have been Argentina. He quickly added that his Spanish wasn’t all that great either, which made the audience chuckle. What’s even sadder is that the people at CTV News were praising Stelmach’s good sense of humour.

Sadder?

A few people I know took the remark at face value and felt that Stelmach was simply expressing happiness about living in Alberta. But if this were the case, shouldn’t it be enough to say just that and nothing more? There’s no need to bring up the other, supposedly lesser choice.

Supposedly?

If Stelmach had actually meant to make a joke, that makes him more of a jackass than if he were simply stating facts. Unfortunately, culturally insensitive remarks like these are so subtle these days that few people seem to pick up on them. Stelmach didn’t say it outright, but by stating that Argentina would have been the other choice, he’s suggesting that it isn’t the best place to live in—which is true, if you’re part of the poor majority—but that’s completely dismissing all the reasons why that is.

It. Was. A. Joke. And a good one at that.

By the way, I'm glad my parents sent me to Canada after high school, instead of that Islamic hellhole called Pakistan. Plus, my Punjabi has always been rusty.

Link via Colby Cosh via Daimnation.

Endru or Urglish

That would be the hilarious child of English and Urdu.

I remember a BBC show from the early 90s in which a reporter did a small survey in my birth-city of Lahore. This guy went up to 100 men and asked them to write their names in English.

Only one had the ability to do so.

The fourth commenter provides another gem:

haha…reminds of an ad I once saw in the Masjid, brother selling a “sofa cums with love seat”…haha.

Isn't that haram?

Under the Weather

The feeling started on Sunday evening. Yesterday night was horrific -- major headache and a nose that's a perfect leaky faucet. After 9 p.m. I couldn't focus on anything. This morning I felt better but now I have little energy.

I tried reading a book while lying on my bed and I don't even have the minimal concentration required for it. That's what I dislike the most about being sick; so much time is utterly wasted!

Hasta La Vista

The New York Times: They Criticized Vista. And They Should Know.

I thought last year that I might get Vista this summer but after reading so many horror stories I'll pass on the "upgrade".

Link via LFG.

The Curse of Load Shedding

All Things Pakistan:

The photo to the right shows Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) staff fixing something on the electric pole in Saddar area of Karachi in one of their daily dare devil stunts. This photo appears in the Daily Jang of March 6, 2008.

Losing electricity, for hours at some times, is a fact of life in Pakistan. The worst experience in my life was, surprise!, in Karachi.

One notices the loss when there's a slight buzz sound and every electronic device -- fans, refrigerator, freezer, tv -- shuts off. This was during the summer of 1994, I think. The electricity went out around noon. We thought that it'd be back in a few minutes or hours as usual. Soon, the water taps went dry. Night arrived. We sweated in the dark as mosquitoes feasted on us. My parents started worrying about the food in the refrigerator. They also made sure the front door was double locked.

We wake up the next morning. Still no sign of electricity. My dad, somehow, contacted his brother who lived in a different part of the city. He still had electricity. My dad asked him to bring food and water because we needed to wash up and we had no way of preparing our uncooked food. He obliged.

During our uncomfortable supper the buzz returned. We were without it for over 24 hours. After that experience, we kept extra food prepared and my dad bought a few buckets which we kept filled with water.

One never knows just how bad the next time will be.

What is this ILU?

A little ILU in my birth city.

Post of the Month

BerberElla: My journey out of the abyss.

The Muslim reaction to 9/11 figures into it.

I remember the day the twin towers fell, I was pregnant with child number two, and he [the husband] phoned me overly excited about something, telling me to hurry and put the news on, which I did. What brought him great joy was the death of thousands of people, he was cheering down the phone. He told me to get around to his parents house, and I hurried, as I did not want to be punished for not obeying fast enough. When I arrived the house was full of well wishers and neighbours all over to celebrate the destruction of the twin towers.

[Originally published on Feb. 03, 2008 at 5:50 p.m.]

An Ex-Muslim on Hell

Abu Ali: Hell. Also visit his blog.

One wonders why so many call Islam 'the religion of peace'.

In addition, here's a few pesky questions.

The Fury of Winter

What's happening here:

What forecasters believe could be the winter’s biggest storm has started its trek across the region.

February is the coldest month and this year it has started with a bang.

Environment Canada said this storm could be a punishing one as it moves across the province, possibly dropping an estimated 25 centimetres of snow and a mix of freezing rain and ice pellets.

Got a call at 6:30 a.m. Work is canceled today. :(

I Can't Please Everyone

A visitor to my blog today was disappointed. Very disappointed.

Most Impressive

It's astonishing to see a fellow who has been writing on a site for twelve years. (I was only introduced to the Internet just over ten years ago!) What's even more impressive is that the website is not his job; it's a hobby.

Fan Mail

Someone left a comment in an old post:

You will burn in the deepest fire, if you continue treating muslims as you do. When you die you will see the truth then you will ask to go back even for a second to do well but it will be so late.
Embasse islam now and stop your foolish behaviour.

I'll have to say, "No" to Embasse Islam Now!

For some reason I'm imagining that in Ahnuld accent. Embasse Islam Now! Do it, NAAOW! Been there, done that, got the mental scars. Still, "No."

Oh, and the foolish behavior (it's a gift) will definitely continue.

God Works in Mathematical Ways

See Dubya emailed this link to Hot Air:

Chinese Christian rejected on asylum because her interrogator is an illiterate. Or intentionally tried to confuse the asylum-seeker during her interview process. The woman, who had converted to Christianity and attended an unregistered church, had fled to Canada from China fearing both religious persecution and consequences of violating the country’s one-child policy.

National Post:

At her hearing, where she sought protection on grounds that she feared persecution in China, she was repeatedly asked by an IRB adjudicator about Bible "parabolas."

Thank goodness she didn't ask about integrals!

Read the full story.

If you're interested, here are the details about my time with the Immigration and Refugee Board last year.

This Fickle Freedom

I was a refugee claimant in 2006. I had asked Canada for protection partly because a lot of the material posted on my blog would be considered offensive by Muslims in Pakistan -- my birth-country. Furthermore, the Pakistani state would have persecuted me for my opinion of Muhammad.

I wanted the liberty to say, write and think whatever I wanted on the topic of Islam. I wanted the dignity of freedom.

One won't find that in Alberta, Canada in 2008. There, in an Orwellian court, a publisher was brought forth for the terrible act of printing cartoons. The fact that Ezra Levant even has to appear in the clownish court is a win for the Islamists: Saudi Arabia is, was, and for some time will remain, a sharia-infested hell but in a tiny corner of the liberal West, because of a Saudi goon, a publisher was grilled about his "intent" behind showcasing some drawings.

In a saner world Saudi Arabia would be furiously trying to emulate Canada, not the other way around.

The West is torn apart rhetorically everywhere but Islam is outside the bounds of criticism in Muslim-majority nations. Now, after this thuggery by a "human rights" commission, every author, journalist and publisher in the West will ask, "Is it worth my time, energy and money to utter something that might be considered offensive by a Muslim?"

Many will choose the dishonorable, easy route.

To some this incident might seem inconsequential. It isn't. This is another front in our war. I wouldn't call it the clash of civilizations since the other side doesn't have a civilization to speak of. It's Western Civilization vs. Barbarity cloaked in a religious garb. Every single freedom we hold dear, they wish to crush. They're already assaulting the most essential of all liberties: Free speech.

What will you do?

****

In what can seem like a lone battle, there is nothing more profoundly moving than to receive the support of freedom-loving peoples.

I'm truly heartened by the moral support that I have received on the blogosphere, in my own blog's comments, via e-mail and even on the Facebook support group. I promise I will continue to fight this battle to the end, even if that means appealling it all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Go to the blog of Ezra Levant. There you can make a donation.

I donated $104.

One Year Later

I went to a local government location to apply for an Ontario Health Card. I wanted to do this two days earlier but I didn't have all the required pieces of ID on me then. Yesterday I was busy with something else. So, it had to be today. Afterwards, I was off to a different government center for my permanent Social Insurance Number.

Last year in Toronto I dealt with the government in a more substantial way. The nerve-wracking outcome was far more significant as well.

I also did a bit of luxury shopping; bought some stuff at the dollar store. There, I saw 85-gram tootsie rolls! Two for a loonie!

I bought two. I just couldn't resist. (Yes, I'm weak.)

The Best Stuff from '07

My top four posts from last year:

4. D-Day Today. Presented by the modern MSM.

3. Ugliness Behind the Burqa. Commentary on the murder of Aqsa Parvez.

2. Who Is A Real Muslim? I'll be getting a fatwa soon for this.

1. The Marathon of My Life. I don't think that any government in the world has before or since dealt with a blogger in such circumstances. Therefore, as far as I know, no other blogger in history has ever written something of this nature.

Other notable posts in chronological order:

• What Really Matters: Bikini vs. Burqini. (I get lots of hits for this.)
• Capturing the Islamic World.
• Always Blaming a Phantom.
• Bowing Before Allah.
• A Divine Victory.
• The West Is To Blame.
• Two Converts Quarrel. (I'm still hurt.)
• Making Whores of Muslim Women.
• Genius.
• Uncouth Behaviour.
• What's In A Kiss?
• Increased Costs For Consumers. (High definition headache.)
• Save Yourself!
• Nourished on Poison.
• Islamic Attitudes.
• Strange Pakistani Protesters. (I enjoyed this a lot.)
• Islamic Punishment for Apostasy.
• Beyond White Lies.
• A Doctor Who Prescribes Death.
• Human Relativity.
• Comical Conservatives.
• Allah's Clowns. (This one has the "line of the year".)
• Saturday Today.
• "Light Blows".
• Embrace Us ... or Else.
• Boys and Girls.
• Attracted to Darkness.
• Another Day, Another Apostate Threatened.
• It's All Good. (An update on my status in Canada.)

Merry Christmas

For the first time, someone has invited me to their house for Christmas. On previous occasions I was either alone in Canada or brooding in the land of Saud.

I got a gift for the friend. It took me ages to wrap it. Mental note: Don't throw away the nice cube-shaped box the item came in!

The last, and the first, time I gave someone a wrapped gift from myself was about 14 years ago! My parents and my extended family doesn't really celebrate birthdays, so I've never received a gift from them nor have I given them any. It's odd looking at the West and noticing the sheer frequency of gift-giving throughout the year. It seems that Arabia is colder than Canada.

Update
The wife of my friend had her mother visiting the family. After lunch the lady was enjoying the tasty dessert when she stopped, looked up at me and asked, "You don't go home?"

Earlier I had talked about coming to Canada in the late 90s. That's why she asked. I just shook my head.

"You don't miss it?"

"Actually I like it here," I replied.

"Oh, that's good. No point being in a place that you don't like, ay?"

I nodded and thought, "So very true."

It was a good day.

Eid Mubarak!

From last year: A Bloody Faith.

I woke up in the morning. In the usual groggy mode I walked to the bathroom, turned on the light and picked up my toothbrush.

I sensed that something was amiss. I was not alone. I turned to my left--never have I gone from a state of being half-awake to full alertness more quickly.

A goat was standing there, staring at me. I politely yielded and tiptoed out of the bathroom. I went to my dad and uttered a statement that I hope to never say again.

"There's a goat in the bathroom!"

Read the rest.

It's All Good

I was cleaning up my room today and I came across a letter I received late last month. I had forgotten about it. Then I realized that I've been unintentionally deceiving my readers for all this time!

You see, I received a letter from Citizenship and Immigration Canada some months ago. It told me to visit the Immigration Office within the city for an interview in late October. I put on my best clothes and went there on the scheduled day. Then in late November I got another letter.

At the top of my blog it says "convention-refugee". But that's not correct.

I'm now a permanent resident of Canada.

My permanent resident card was enclosed in the letter which I received in late November. I put it on the side of my room with my already-read books and I forgot about it -- out of sight, out of mind. Today I was throwing out old receipts and tidying up when I came upon it.

I just had to share!

Here's the essential history of my case:

1. September 09, 2006: I write about the horrible meeting which took place with the refugee board on the previous day. This meeting was for setting the time for the hearing, during which a judge would decide whether my refugee claim has merit or not.
2. September 09, 2006: The Blogosphere on fire!
3. September 25, 2006: Why I am asking for asylum in Canada.
4. November 09, 2006: Citizens of the free world -- from Israel, Australia, Britain, the US and Canada -- donate enough money to cover my legal fees.
5. January 04, 2007: A most brief description of the hearing.
6. January 08, 2007: A detailed post about the fateful hearing.

Severe Cold and Snow

A massive snowstorm is moving up into Ontario from the US. Some places will get 1 cm per hour overnight.

I'm glad I did my grocery shopping earlier today. Still, bad news of a whole different nature for some people:

Air Canada said it expected cancellations at Toronto's Pearson International Airport on Sunday and Monday and is advising customers to call before embarking on travel.

From Toronto thousands of foreign students go back to Asian countries to visit their families during the school / university break. Many will be stranded for over a week if they miss their flight on Sunday or Monday. It's worse for them because (a) they have to worry about getting connecting flights from European nations and (b) they'll have to spend hundreds of dollars for a room in a hotel since their dorms are closed.

I once had to wait nine days -- but not because of heavy snow.

Attracted to Darkness

Cafe Alpha:

I was just thinking about the history of Arabs making black people into slaves, in Sudan for instance.

I wonder how Umar Lee would react if he ever realized that the Islamic slave trade was just as big as the western one... And probably more brutal. The west wasn't known for preferring castrated slaves at a time where that "operation" had 90% mortality.

Umar is the one who seems to equate Islam with blackness for some indecipherable reason, isn't he?

I don't really get Umar Lee's thinking on race. From what little I understand he has left behind his "whiteness" and embraced an ideology that is raceless. Oddly enough, that hasn't stopped him from equating a black security guard with a slave.

In reality, he has rejected Western values and swallowed the vile system of sharia. He might think that Islam is raceless but then he hasn't lived under an Islamic system. Even today blacks are derogatorily referred to as abd by Arabs. (Not to mention that Muslim societies are heavily structured by class.)

I'll give two small example from my life in Pakistan.

1. When I lived with my family in Karachi, a maid used to come to our apartment about twice a week. She was a poor mother who brought her young kid with her. She would place the child in one corner and do her work for about an hour. On few occasions my mother would sit on a chair and chat with her.

What was odd about that? You see, this maid would never dare sit on a chair, sofa or a bed. She would always sit down on the floor. She knew her "place."

2. Two of my cousins in Lahore had to deal with a strange situation. They were sisters whose parents had to worry about marrying them off. Plus, like my family, they were Ahmadis which made finding a decent match even more difficult.

However, the difficulty was only with the older sister. You see, the cousin who was about 15-16 years old was getting a lot of proposals for marriage whereas the 20 year old was getting none.

Why? The older sister had a darker complexion. Her skin color was light brown. The younger one looked like Nicole Kidman. What could the parents do? If they married off their younger daughter first, then everyone would immediately wonder, "What's so wrong with their older daughter?"

The color of one's skin plays a sickeningly powerful role in Pakistan and in Muslim societies in general. Modern Americans don't really know how ugly it gets. Or to put it cynically: The United States is the least racist society on Earth.

My Dream Unfulfilled

Radical Muslim from Britain:

Possible fatwaworthy sites in the Bloggersphere are many due to the array of sites that contain writings that slander Islam, therefore when I come accross particularly Islamophobic sites I bookmark them under ‘Fatwaworthy?’ Some will be well written while others will be an illogical mess, however, the common denominator between them is that they exist in part or full to spread Islamophobic opinions. Brothers and Sisters, please fell free to suggest additions to the list.

A lot of praiseworthy sites have been put on notice. In fact, my writings have been featured in four of the listed sites:

1. Faith Freedom.
2. Infidel Bloggers Alliance.
3. Maverick News Network.
4. Western Resistance.

Oh, come on! Why isn't my infidelicious blog on the list!?

I feel so unloved.

Link via Absolute Moral Authority via Junk Yard.

Boys and Girls

Minnesota Mom writes about two different life forms:

When my girls go missing, I need only follow the sound of their voices and I will find them: under the dining room table, perhaps, or in a closet, maybe, but always always always narrating their game with lively descriptions. “You be the mom and I’ll be the cat, okay?” “You be the dog in the kennel and I’ll pretend to put butter on my hand.”

My boys, on the other hand, will wordlessly disappear into the wilderness out-of–doors. They retreat to our backyard fully armed and return only when I fetch them.

Mmm guns.

I have fond memories of a toy gun from childhood. It used 12 shot caps and looked something like this. I used to buy several small rings with my pocket money in Karachi and slay villains in our residence.

It drove my mother crazy.

In Saudi Arabia, my family once lived close to many Pakistani families. On occasions such as Ramadan and Eid, the other boys would come over and we'd have a problem. We didn't have enough guns!

My dad refused to buy more for me. "Use your pocket money," was his response. At US$1.25 a week, I would have had to deplete many months to get a few weapons.

So, my tiny mind came up with an idea. I took paper and masking tape and made rifles out of them. The design was quite simple.

1. Take, let's say, 50 sheets of paper in portrait form and pull down the left and right to form a triangle like this (second row, second figure).
2. Fold the sheets in the middle vertically.
3. Now take 50 more sheets in landscape form and roll them up.
4. Put about 20% of the roll into the bottom of the folded sheets.
5. Use lots of tape.

Large-size and extra sheets of paper (and an extra roll) made for bigger and heavier guns. This way I could make a machine gun or a mere M4.

In fact, my guns became more popular than the two I had bought earlier from a store! Soon, I had quite a collection of such weapons. After a while, they didn't even appear to be made of paper or composed of two pieces because of generous amounts of tape and marker writings.

Oh, what about girls? They would come over to play with my sisters. What would they do? Act out all sorts of dramas with their dolls. So silly!

Unsatisfied Reader

Something tells me s/he didn't quite get what they wanted.

Rahman + Deva

Charles Johnson:

Completely whacked out, but oddly appealing in a twisted multicultural kinda way.

Indeed!

I remember watching that in 1994. It was in Saudi Arabia; at the time my family shared a satellite with fellow desis in our building. We got less than 10 channels but they were light years ahead* of the soul-crushing dreck in the local arena.

This song, from the movie Kadhalan, was a megahit for two reasons:

1. The music composer, A. R. Rahman, was continuing his meteoric rise in the Indian movie scene. His new sound, a fusion of Western music with an Indian core, was becoming the gold standard and this soundtrack put the rest to shame.
2. The main actor, Prabhu Deva, brought his unique kinetic and wicked ishtyle to the dance sequences. It's usually the actresses who do the heavy duty dance scenes, so Deva had really no competition.

By the way, Charles titled his post, "Saturday Night Bollywood". Technically, this is not from Bollywood since that term refers to the Bombay-based Hindi movie industry. This song is actually in the Tamil language. (Though, because of its massive popularity, the entire movie was later dubbed into Hindi and called Humse Hai Muqabala.)

* Baywatch was the most popular show, of course.

Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya

This reminds of Lahore. My family used to live very close to the railway station -- the largest in Pakistan.

Smashingly Clean

A laundryman used to come once a week to my aunt's house in Lahore. When we stayed with them for a month, we had our clothes cleaned in the same manner. The attire is quite clean afterwards -- and a bit thin.

The Difference

I agree, it's a beautiful quote.

Breaking the Shackles

Shire News Network:

This week we talk to two free-thinkers. One is from the UK and the other from the USA and both are trying hard not to be defined by the religion they were born into and have subsequently rejected. Shire Network News senior religious affairs correspondent Tom Paine speaks to two ex-Muslims - Sheila (not her real name for reasons which are probably obvious) who lives in the United States, and Adil Zeshan from the United Kingdom. They talk about why they left, and why the fear the reaction from their former compatriots.

Download the podcast here.

My experience is significantly different, in two ways, than the paths taken by Sheila and Adil Zeshan.

1. I wasn't very religious before leaving Islam. I only prayed when my relatives dragged me to the mosque on either Friday or Eid. I have never fasted. I've enjoyed listening to music since 1988. I don't hate dogs. And so on.

I convinced myself that all these things weren't important because on Judgment Day such rituals won't make a difference. In fact, I thought that most of the tiny Islamic regulations were asinine. Things like: men not allowed to wear gold, divorcing a woman by uttering a few words, the ban on photography, interest being forbidden, gender apartheid...all of it just didn't make any rational or moral sense.

So, I simply neglected almost all of the rules. The crucial synapse didn't click till my late teenage years when I asked: Why do I call myself a Muslim?

2. I have visited a Muslim-majority nation after 9/11. Saudi Arabia, to be precise. There, in December 2001, I was saturated with hatred and loathing for the US. In my dad's workplace, everyone celebrated the news of 9/11 as if the Saudis had won the soccer world cup. Everyone except one Arab. This Saudi was sad because the Twin Towers didn't fall sideways which would have caused more death and carnage.

Here was an event where thousands were instantly obliterated and numerous families were fractured forever. The overall reaction from the center of the Muslim world? Pure, unadulterated joy. I knew then that these Muslims will not genuinely oppose the future atrocities committed by Islamists -- for why would they stand against the evil that brings them so much pleasure?

By January 2002, the final synapse had clicked.

****

There's another critical factor which comes into play: Proximity to Muslims. I went to an American high school in my mid-teens and later to a Canadian university. I was surrounded by infidels and I liked it! I wasn't close to my family before but then the connection thinned even more. Upon leaving Islam I didn't have to worry about being cast as an untouchable by both family (they don't know) and society (Canadians don't care about my religious views).

However, many unlucky ones who reside in the Muslim world have to live a dual life. One can imagine that such apostates still go to the mosque and listen to ridiculous sermons. They continue to praise the wretched life of Muhammad as the pinnacle of perfection. They sing the praises of the black hole called sharia while personally finding it abominable. Their minds had imploded on fully realizing the sham of Islam but publicly they don't, nay, they can't share their "impure" thoughts. For in doing so, they would lose their entire support structure -- family, friends, society -- and possibly their life.

For this reason it's important for ex-Muslims in the free world to share their experience and act as shards of light for Westerners who don't have the visceral feel for the evil at the heart of Islam.

It's the least we can do.

Welcome Infidels!

I've been getting a lot of visits from Google today.

Searching for "Prophet Mohammed" brings up 33,900 results on Google Images. My blog shows up in the very first page.

I feel so special.

Update
Searching for "Muhammed" brings up 305,000 results.

My blog shows up as the first link! Damn.

Protect Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Christopher Hitchens via LFG:

On Oct. 1, having leaked its intention in advance to the press, the Christian-Democrat administration of Jan Peter Balkenende announced that it would no longer guarantee the protection of Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

It seems the price of free thought is too high for the Netherlands.

If a prominent elected politician of a Western country can be left undefended against highly credible threats from Islamist death squads, what price all of our easy babble about not "appeasing terrorists"? Especially disgraceful is the Dutch government's irresponsible decision to announce to these death squads, without even notifying Hirsi Ali, that after a given date she would be unprotected and easy game.

This is a good idea:

A last resort would be to set up a trust or fund by voluntary subscription and continue to pay for her security that way.

I was stunned last year when so many people donated money towards my legal fees (thank you again!). Hirsi Ali will be quite surprised with Western, individual, generosity -- really, all she needs to do is to provide a forum or a site and we'll chip in.

Let Go of the Tit Aready

Aaron Hanscom:

[...] Italy’s government will offer young Italians money to leave home. Most of that cash will be going to men, as they make up 67 percent of those staying alla casa. Close-knit family takes on a whole new meaning when you consider that eight out of 10 Italians under 30 still live at home, and the average age for moving out is 36.

Holy. Crap.

I've been largely living away from my family since the age of fifteen and now in my 20s, I'm financially independent. How can such a large majority of people not value that freedom?

Saturday Today

Just got a hair cut.

The barber asked me, "So, what are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Not much."

"You're not going to have any turkey or pumpkin pie?"

Hmm, come to think of it, I was planning on cooking some turkey legs.

"I'll likely have some turkey but I've never had pumpkin pie."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Though, I like apple pie."

"Apple pie is good. My wife likes to make that."

Two restless kids were present in the shop during this time. Their dad was getting a hair cut, so they had a lot of time to explore the place. The younger one, who was adorable, was about one years old and the other was no more than four -- his name was Anthony. He would be turning off the lights, inspecting the scissors, turning off the lights, turning on the faucet, there go the lights again... The younger one would sometimes follow his lead.

Every few seconds the father would say, "Anthony, don't touch the lights."

"Anthony, stop it!"

"Anthony, I'm telling you for the last time..."

"Anthony, don't make me come over there!"

"[Sigh.] What am I going to do with these monkeys?"

After a few moments, the barber asked me, "Are you fasting?"

"No."

With a quizzical look, "You're not fasting!?"

"Nope."

Then, Anthony came up to me and looked at my hair which was of a different color than his. He was amused for a couple of seconds, then he went off on a new adventure.

The barber smiled and asked me, "Are you going to have kids some day?"

Before I could answer, the barber had to go and collect the two rascals from the other side of the shop and bring them to the front seats.

After the barber was done, I paid him, grabbed my rain jacket and went towards the exit. Anthony was there. The door, of all things, had his full undivided attention. He was pulling on it to no avail; one has to push it.

"Anthony, can I pass?"

He looked up at me, stunned.

"You know my name."

A Window Into the Arab World

Jennifer Dziura:

One fun fact I learned in my brief time in the Mideast is that citizens of oil-rich nations such as Kuwait and Qatar don't have jobs. (Why bother, when you receive reverse taxation from the government?) They also, judging from the shopping I saw in the airport and in two malls, buy a tremendous quantity of Bulgari, Burberry, Hermes, and other designer goods.

This means that all of the actual work in countries like Kuwait is done by Indian and Southeast Asian people. I bought a dress from a Filipina woman in Kuwait who closed her shop every time the call for prayer came around -- and then she just hid inside the shop, arranging racks of clothes in front of the glass windows.

To Arabs, labor is so uncouth.

When visiting a foreign country, one's contact with locals often comes in large measure from interacting with servicepeople. In Kuwait, however, since none of the servicepeople are locals, and there are taboos against men talking to strange women, and it hardly seems inviting to test out the English skills of a woman who keeps her face covered and carries a $2,000 handbag ... a person can spend a long time in Kuwait without ever talking to a Kuwaiti person.

I lived in Saudi Arabia for a decade and very rarely did I have to speak Arabic to buy products since the foreign shopkeepers almost always had enough knowledge of Urdu (or Hindi because of the Bollywood movie industry). This leads to another phenomenon: One can spend a long time in the Arab world without ever learning more than a dozen words of Arabic.

Oh, and don't miss the video where the gals are buying a camel from an Indian shopkeeper. (I agree, the turquoise-y camel wasn't good.)

Feeling the Heat

David Session deserves the post title here.

In Saudi Arabia, the temperature often reaches 50C in the summer. Given the information about the 8th of July 2003, we can calculate that the heat index hit -- I'm not kidding -- 64C or 148F.

That's just the heat index. For soldiers add armor, ammo, rifle ... it's beyond comprehension. These guys aren't exaggerating when they mention feeling 55C or 130F in Iraq during the summer.

By the way, I've been to the hottest place in Asia! (Read the first link to see where that is.)

It's a Conspiracy

For two hours this afternoon my internet connection wasn't working.

I called the cable company and gave them my information. The support guy said that my local area had been taken out of service.

"How is that possible?"

The rep. wanted to ask a senior person about the situation, so he put me on hold for two minutes. Then he returned and said, "Give it a few minutes and it'll start working again."

"What happened?" I asked.

"Um, there was some delay in filing some paperwork ... as a result your internet connection was cut off."

"Oh. So, in a few minutes, it'll work."

"Right."

"Okay, thanks. Bye."

"Bye."

Who is to blame for this? THE JEWS! Trust me, they have their wily ways.

My Journey After 9/11

IX . XI

You can read the above by itself or go through the entire four-part series.

1. In Darkness
2. The Land of Trinity
3. IX . XI
4. In Delirium

A Good Muslim

THAMEEM left a comment in this post.

MR. ISSAC,
I SUGGEST YOU LEARN A THING COMPLETELY BEFORE COMMENTING ON IT.

I suggest you learn to spell Isaac properly.

IT SEEMS THAT YOU ARE POORLY INFORMED ABOUT ISLAM. A COMMUNITY CANNOT BE BLAMED FOR THE ACTION OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS.MANIACS DO EXIST AMONG ALL COMMUNITIES.IF YOU THINK THAT EVERY MUSLIM REJOICES AT THE KILLINGS OF INNOCENT IN WEST, YOU ARE SIMPLY BIASED.

Not every Muslim but most.

OUR RELIGION ISTRUCTS US TO BE GOOD TO ALL PEOPLE.AND IF YOU REFER THE TRUE HISTORY OF PROPHET MUHAMMED(PBUH),YOU WOULD FIND PLENTY OF REASONS TO SHOUT ALOUD THAT HE WAS INDEED THE GREATEST MAN EVER LIVED.

One doesn't achieve greatness by raping a nine-year-old girl, calling for the death of a poet-critic and reveling in the murder of an entire Jewish tribe. I suggest further that you learn a thing about morality instead of parroting the "perfection" of Muhammad.

STUDY THE RELIGION CAREFULLY AND BE ON YOUR KNEELS TO ALLAH.THIS I SAY FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.

Gee, thanks but I'll pass. I prefer freedom over submission.

Arch Rock

The combination of several frames provides a nice foggy look in certain places. It reminds me of the time when liquid nitrogen was poured in a bowl in my physics class.

Non-specialists Only

Sigh. I'm just not qualified for this job.

Maineiac

This brings back memories. The first time I had lobster was in New England. I loved it! I've eaten four new meats in the West: turkey, duck, pork and lobster. The last one wins by a huge margin.

Oh, and that sign directed at teenagers is precious.

A Very Different Isaac

Someone sure did click the wrong link.

Haram Washing

I wrote on June 6, 2005:

Sometimes on the weekend, my dad would offer 5 riyals (US$1.33) to have the car waxed. The whole process would take around two hours. Once, on Thursday, I was wiping the wax off when there was the azaan for Asr, the third prayer of the day. Indifferent Arabs passed me by to the mosque with the exception of one. This bearded Saudi grabbed hold of my arm and swung me around and then started a mini-lecture in Arabic on stopping all activities and praying. In the end, he pointed towards the mosque and left in disgust. I was out in the scorching heat for a little money and didn’t expect that outburst. I slowly left the unfinished job for the prayer time and finished the work afterwards.

August 12, 2007 via LFG:

A Bangladeshi man died of fright after being arrested by Saudi Arabia's controversial religious police for washing a car instead of praying, a local newspaper reported on Sunday.

His, likely Muslim, family in Bangladesh will always wonder about the senseless nature of his death and the irrational state of Arabia.

New Blogs Added

The latest 'Creditors':

• Anwyn's Notes in the Margin.
• Blackflag.
• Eternity Road.
• Ocean Guy.

I now know of 44 blogs that link to mine. Not too shabby.

I'm Left Out

Infidels Are Cool: 10 Best Apostate Sites.

*Sob.*

Still, my words have been featured at two of those sites -- #1 and #10.

No Kurd Zone

A visitor to my blog at 9:44 a.m. must have been very disappointed.

A Doctor Who Prescribes Death

The National Post via LFG:

A day after saying it regretted broadcasting a lecture by a Pakistani preacher who says Muslim scripture advocates violent holy war and the "extermination" of Jews, VisionTV put him back on the air again this weekend.

A leading Jewish organization said yesterday it would launch a formal complaint with Canadian broadcast regulators after Vision aired another hour-long talk by fundamentalist Israr Ahmad on Saturday.

Last summer, I was channel surfing and came across a familiar language. A speaker was talking about the Quran and explaining the words and context in Urdu to the audience. His speech was filled with hatred towards the Jews. That part didn't surprise. What was shocking: a Canadian channel was providing an outlet to this hideous man.

A few months passed when I came across a few You Tube videos of this Israr Ahmad. His loathing for liberty and human rights was unmistakable. Unfortunately, some time later these videos were removed.

Fortunately, one can still view a small one-minute clip here. The name is "A confession of defeat. (Urdu With English sub-titles)". I can vouch for the fact that the subtitles do convey his intended meaning. You see, Israr Ahmad is upset about the fa