Massive Change

Photo: NOT the MCA

I was in Chicago this past weekend to be with some old friends and to part take in the Halloween festivities (I was a rain cloud, by the way). I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) in Chicago and if any of you are planning on going to chi-town definitely pay a visit because they have a great exhibit called Massive Change . I was taken aback by so many of the things I saw there. The exhibit is set-up with special attention to the smallest details. It shows how far humanity has come being more environmentally / socially responsible (massive change) over the years and where we need to go in order to survive the future. There are three sections to the floor plan; Massive Change in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Massive Change in the City and Masssive Change in the world.
One wall of the exhibit had a huge thermal map of to world that shows the solar quotient of all the countries. Interestingly enough, the majority of the poorest countries in the world get the most sun. They had a proposal for incorporating solar power in those countries and how helpful it could be. They also had a room that showed the evolution of the Segway. There were hundreds of other things at this museum but I should leave some of them for you to discover for yourself.

BAM!

Photo: Autumn last year

Approach of Winter

The half-stripped trees
struck by a wind together,
bending all,
the leaves flutter drily
and refuse to let go
or driven like hail
stream bitterly out to one side
and fall
where the salvias, hard carmine--
like no leaf that ever was--
edge the bare garden.

William Carlos Williams

tag me

Photo: OSLO in detroit 2005

A few of my friends and I recently visited the local laser tag joint for a game of virtual war, with laser instead of bullets and big blinking vests instead of bullet proof jackets. We were in a room of 28 other kids all under 13 years of age and I could see the fear of death in all their eyes. As I walked in this dark room these kids started running to the 'bases". They had this two floor maze all mapped out. It wasn't much longer till I was back outside in the real world and the laser tag staff printed out a sheet data on all the people I tagged with my laser and so on and so forth. Unfortunately all of these KIDS had done way better than me in every category.

I am on a mission to get better at laser tag because these little rascals will NOT beat me next time.
wanna join me next time I go??


BAM SLAM!!

babies

Find little khalid

I was listning to npr this morning and they had a quick blurb about this story.

Woman Shares Birthday With Daughter, Granddaughters

October 2, 2006 11:43 p.m. EST

Matthew Borghese - All Headline News Staff Writer
New York, NY (AHN) - A woman in New York now shares her birthday with both her daughter and granddaughters.
Rose Caracciolo was born in Queens on September 27, 1957. Twenty-one years later, her daughter Andria Hundley was born on September 27. Now, Hundley gave birth to twin daughters on the very same day, in 2006.
According to WCBS-TV in New York, Caracciolo wasn't there for the birth of her granddaughters. She was on her way to Mexico to celebrate her birthday.

VIA allheadlinesnews.com

What are the chances!
My Mom's birthday was yesterday, just five days ahead of mine, but we can't beat these September 27th babies!

can you dig it?

Photo: Jim's Trek is probably faster

I recently got a refresher course on the The Theory of Relativity and I didn't really even have to drudge through Einstein's On the electrodynamics of moving bodies . I love it when science teaches me lessons on the daily happenings of life. Einstein says;

For if the magnet is in motion and the conductor at rest, there arises in the neighbourhood of the magnet an electric field with a certain definite energy, producing a current at the places where parts of the conductor are situated. But if the magnet is stationary and the conductor in motion, no electric field arises in the neighbourhood of the magnet. In the conductor, however, we find an electromotive force, to which in itself there is no corresponding energy,

I had a problem with my computer recently and I was acting like the proverbial magent in motion and was only paying attention to the current around myself. I will spare you the time and not purse this drawn our analogy. My friends always critisizes me when I do this. But it wasn't until, late yesterday evening I noticed (at work)that there are people living in very close proximity to me and as I am engulfed in my annoyances they are trying to find food for their children and a safe shelter to rest their heads. It was a real wake up call. Sometimes the macroscopic frame of reference is the only way to look at things.

... just like the little magnet..... aaaaaahhh never mind.

2nd Ramadan 1427

Photo: Saudi Arabia '04
Yesterday marked the first day of the month of Ramadan according to the Islamic calendar. I drove home just to get in the mindset of fasting and usually it is easier to do that with family. There seems to be a unique aura in the Muslim community around this time. People wake up before the sun comes up, food is cooked and we eat an early breakfast, people observe the religion meticulously and then of course the meal at the time of Maghrib (sundown). Although, fasting is the only obvious part of this month, there is a lot more to fasting than just not eating food.
Muslims use this month as a time of spiritual reflection and pay attention to the inside instead of devoting so much energy to the outside world. Once this month starts I am always amazed by how we tend to plan our days around meals and other worldly concerns. Then, one day all of that is gone and it is a lot easier to make a more spiritual connection with God. Food is not the only thing a muslim has to refrain from during this month. One must abstain from "food, drink and other sensual pleasures" where they may be readily available. One could be walking around the house and although no one else may be home he/she has to keep from eating food. This kind of will power strengthens their faith. Every year, when this month comes around I find a new way it makes me a better person.
I found this website about how non-Muslims can help fellow co-workers or friends during this month who may be fasting. The following is a list from this site.


How non-Muslims can help during Ramadan:

Companies, schools, hospitals, etc. can help their Muslim employees, students and patients during the fast of Ramadan in a number of ways:

Since the employees are on a fast, they might find it more difficult to handle strenuous tasks. Assignment of lighter duties in some cases would undoubtedly be deeply appreciated by Muslim employees.

"Special consideration can be given to such things as requests for vacation time, the need for flexible early morning or evening work schedules and lighter homework assignments." For example, working the day shift during Ramadan would enable the employee to break their fast in the evening with their families, and to attend evening prayers.

"It is also very important that Muslim workers and students be given time to attend Eid prayers at the end of Ramadan. Eid is as important to Muslims as Christmas and Yom Kippur are to Christians and Jews."

"Hospital workers should be aware that injections and oral medications might break the fast. Patients should be given the opportunity to decide whether or not their condition exempts them from fasting." 2

A small token such as an Eid card or baked goods given to a Muslim co-worker or friend during Eid ul-Fitr would also be greatly appreciated. These cards cards are available from Muslim bookstores, or can be sent online. 4

Death ride 2006

Headin' East
This past weekend my friend Jim and I left for Ann Arbor, MI from East Lansing, MI on our bicycles. It was about a seventy mile ride and we flew through it. I had recently watched the movie Cars and it made me think that although highways are efficient, people miss out on such beautiful scenery as they cruise at 75mph on I-96.
After a much needed shower and a great night of sleep I biked on to Rochester Hills, MI (another fifty miles). Thanks to American Automobile Association I was able to call them up for a nice route avoiding the highways. Most of the trip was empty roads and peaceful scenery. We biked by many horse stables, kennels, farms, lots of cows, very small down towns and by lots of corn.

I also want to plug the this wonderful website (via maggie)
Bikely
Anyone can draw out a bike route and share with others. I have a few routes on there and will soon be adding this last long ride.

BAM!

Le Miewx

Le Miewx ran away!
but then we found her.

Sometimes we need to loose things / people to realize what is missing in our lives.

Sunflowers

My neighbours keep playing ice cream truck music on a keyboard. It has been like this for two days now.

Ride for Ruth

Photo: Sorry, It is a little blurry. SLR camera + Biking + middle of busy chicago road = HARD


This past weekend, three of my friends and I biked 70 miles North from East Lansing, MI to Alma, MI. The ride was dedicated to Ruth, who passed away recently at the age of 89. Until two days before her death she was riding her bike. In her memory, her granddaughter organized this ride.
Six hours after our departure we arrived at our destination to sleep the night in a little motel. The next day, we rode fifteen more miles to meet the whole family at their farm. Everyone had their helmets on and were wearing the same shirts with Ride for Ruth across their chest.
People have unique ways of remembering things. Some people sit at a coffee shop and sip on an espresso to recall something they don't want to let go, while others would rather talk to a loved one about their memories. Ruth's granddaughter chose to take three good friends on this ride. There is something about the perpetual motion of biking that it takes you to a trance-like state. After about twenty or thirty minutes you thoughts started flowing.

Gingeraid

A perfect drink for the hot summer sun

INGREDIENTS:
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles ginger ale
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups prepared lemonade
2 cups ice


In a large punch bowl, combine the ginger ale, sugar, lemonade and ice. Stir to blend well and serve


VIA drink.allrecipes

Fly Away

PHOTO: Pigeons in Turkey. 2006


I heard on NPR this morning that in Lebanon 98% of the casualties have
been civilians. Also, more children have died in this war than
soldiers fighting in the war.On top of it all, Israel is still pushing for more

BBC article

"Nearly 1,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the
conflict, the Lebanese government has said. More than 100 Israelis,
most of them soldiers, have also been killed."

Smelly Dog or 007?

Photo: My nephew

Most parents put a lot of thought into naming their children. I met a lady today and her daughters were named Passion, Precious, Princess, and Pierre. As a child grows up they realize their assigned name and move through life usually without much protest. This concept always makes me wonder if we really like our names or are they just another part of life we learn to accept. Not to compare having kids with owning gerbils but, when I first got my gerbils I had a lot of trouble trying to give them a name. How was I to know if the gerbils would like me calling them by a weird human name. For about a month to satisfy my friends inquiries I told people they were called "1 and 2". As time went on, I got beyond this phase and started calling them Boris and Yeltsin .
My friend recently mailed me an article on BBC's website discussing Malaysia's recently publication discussing undesirable names. Apparently, this list was published after many Malaysian's applied to change there names. Names like "Hitler, Smelly Dog, or 007" made it on this list.

nostalgia

Photo: Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan. 2005


This is a passage from the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini about my hometown in Pakistan.

If Peshawar was the city that reminded me of what Kabul used to be, then Islamabad was the city Kabul could have become someday. The streets were wider than Peshawar's, cleaner, and lined with rows of hibiscus and flame trees. The bazaars were more organized and not nearly as clogged with rickshaws and pedestrians. The architecture was more elegant too, more modern, and I saw parks where roses and jasmine bloomed in the shadows of trees.
(name) found a small hotel on a side street running alone the foot of the Margalla Hills, W passed the famous Shah Faisal Mosque on the way there, reputedly the biggest mosque in the world, with its giant concrete girders and soaring minarets. (name) perked up at the sight of the mosque, leaned out of the window and looked at it until (name) turned a corner.

News

Some of my family is here in the from Pakistan, so I have been driving back and forth from school. Most of the time I have NPR playing in the background, as I make these one and a half hour trips. Lately, it has been hard to blog about anything because all I hear is bombings on the other side of the world. There was a program on NPR about how infrior US news is compared to Arabian news. They seem to be a lot more comprehensive, atleast as far as this war is concerned. So, I decided to include Pakistani news in my NPR listening regiment and I agree with whoever made that comment on the radio. I am sure it is no comparison to Arab TV, but it is definitely a lot more involved than what I could have been watching on CNN.

John Steward also "slam[ed] the lebanon coverage". Although satirical, he makes such a good point about what it takes for us Americans to "feel" what is going on in the middle east.