Photo Friday: Metallic

- For PF Challenge

Blogdrive Insanity:

1. What is your favorite veggie?

I kind of like cooked potatoes a lot. And lightly steamed or raw broccoli.

2. Are there any veggies you don’t eat?

A few. I try to try everything a few times before I say I hate it, though. But I do dislike beets and anything similar to them. They taste like dirt!

3. Which veggie do you think has the funniest name?

In English: cauliflower. It’s a flower… that’s “caul-y”! In Urdu, eggplant is called “baingan” which sounds a lot like bangin’ - that’s funny.

4. If you’re a vegetarian, why are you and do you like it? If you’re not a vegetarian, would you ever want to become one?

I am, indeed, a vegetarian! I am so for all the reasons you might imagine a person would be. Disapproval of the industry methods, sadness for the killing sentient beings merely for food, health… I do like being a vegetarian, very much.

I updated the look a little bit. Apparently, I just have to express my personality!

I don’t really have much to tell. I should get a more interesting life, perhaps. Or maybe just be more open with my blogging?

Although, we have planned a trip to California. It’ll be my first time. I am excited! As a devoted East Coast girl, I never really thought that I would be going to California… ever. But it just so happens that we are. We’re going to be attending the Coachella Music Festival in Palm Springs. Mostly for Depeche Mode, but also for the environment and fun. I do intend to take thousands of pics, hence the new camera present. :-)

I’m really, really looking forward to spring… :-(

Finally, a pic from Philadelphia’s Chinatown: The Friendship Arch.

One would think that my new camera had waited its whole life to meet my ring. Thanks hubby! (Celebrating our one-year wedding anniversary.)

This is kind of amazing to me. Hubby and I just returned from FIE, where we saw Haji Noor Deen’s calligraphy presentation and his art displays. I had been wanting to see Haji Noor Deen’s art in person for a long time, so this was a real treat. He was just as I’d imagined he would be: warm, funny and entertaining. Before the night was over, we managed to obtain FIVE original works by Haji Noor Deen; huge, poster sized ones, which I will photograph and post when I can. Ahh…

Keep Reading …

Read: Bombs, guns knives, kites…

This is one of those strange things that has made non-Muslims say “What the heck?! Muslims have banned kite-flying?!” But when you know about the dangers of this “pastime” the reasons become more clear.

This usually harmless, calm and fun recreation has, in some places, turned deadly. It’s not your normal kite with a cotton string and light plastic or paper sail. It’s a heavy-duty kite with a string coated in glass or metal shards, held taut and used to cut across the sky in hopes of cutting your “opponents” string.

People are just being irresponsible by participating in this sport around streets, electrical wires and children. They leave their old cut strings around for whoever or whatever to get caught up in. They stand on rooftops and run around while staring at the sky. People riding past on motorbikes get their throats and faces lacerated by the strings… You can’t really blame Pakistan for trying to get terrorism charges for these things.

Please have a little sense, people! No one should have to die for this fun…

I have been hearing about the U.S. military plans to develop neural controllers to implant into sharks’ brains. To exploit their stealth and senses… to spy on enemies and plant delicate devices (mines) in even better places! This is nothing amazing to me, but it is disgusting.

See: Weaponizing the Shark and Other Pentagon Dreams - Shark and Awe

Recently I watched an old Degrassi episode with my husband which sparked a discussion between us about animal testing. The plot of the show was that a girl was planning to write about animal rights in the school newspaper and encourage students to boycott a local cosmetics company. A friend of hers later confronted her, announcing that she will not work for the newspaper any longer, since her father works for the cosmetic company and encouraging the boycott was going to hurt her family. Another friend reminded the first girl that there are two sides to every story — some tests on animals have yielded important discoveries and advances in human healthcare, for instance.

The first girl wondered, “Is it worth it to test our chemicals/products on animals if humans will benefit from the outcome?” My husband thought that if the testing was for good (for health/humanity reasons) then testing might be justified. I, of course, being the radical animal-rights girl, disagreed. I think there is no justification for it. I believe that until we can ask the animals for their permission to test on them, we should not do it. I think that most of the “ends” these people are achieving are not justified by the “means.”

There must be some humans willing to sacrifice themselves (their sight or hearing, their limbs, their sanity, their lives) for the greater good. No?

I’d like to draw some attention to my dreadfully un-updated Quran site. I have added two new things to it, the buttons and the submit form. I also freshened up the code and design a bit. For anyone who doesn’t know about my little creation, the Ayah of the Day script, it can be found there also. I’d appreciate any comments about it. Quran Site.

Maybe TV isn’t as bad as it sometimes seems. There are still good programs like this one coming on:

Black. White.

The idea of the show is that a white family and a black family “switch races” and live in the appearance of the opposite race to see what it’s like.