The only proper and truly “American” way to celebrate our independence is to trivialize it with rock and roll music, flag waving, and random images of patriotism. And few have accomplished that the way that the following man has. So, this one’s for you, America:
Oh yeah, and it never hurts to head butt the flag of a communist country now and then.
What the meat industry doesn’t want you to see, the truth about how animals are treated in factory farms:
Warning: this is not for the faint of heart or a weak stomach.
For whatever stupid reason, I’ve been queuing blog posts in my mind instead of just posting them. As a result, I’ll probably do several separate posts this weekend.
My first one has to be about the Michael Vick case.
I’m not going to comment on whether I think he was treated fairly or on the media circus that has resulted from it. I just want to take this moment to tell Michael Vick how stupid it was to be involved with dog fighting.
He could’ve done cock fighting, gerbil fighting, heck, even people fighting wouldn’t have drawn the negative publicity and collective outcry of shame that dogfighting has rained on him.
This is America, land of baseball and apple pie, yes, but it is also land of the dogs. Dogs have their own houses, their own beds, their own dishes, toothbrushes, spas, doctors…need I go on? Think about it: Rin-tin-tin, Spuds MacKenzie, Scooby-Doo, Lassie, Benji, Snoopy, heck, even Cujo got respect from Americans.
For Americans, dogs are more important than just about anything else. Many Americans would rather have dogs than children. They love their dogs, Michael. Why would you hurt the one thing Americans would actually sacrifice themselves for? At one time, dogs probably had more rights than African Americans (no I’m not kidding).
This is serious business, folks. Michael Vick could have shot a black man in the back of the head in the middle of his front yard and buried him in plain sight, and it wouldn’t have generated as much anger from the American public.
But shooting a dog? Bro, you can forget it. Pack your bags. It’s not even about animal rights. Americans will kill bunnies to have nice looking makeup on their runway models. But dogs? No, you couldn’t even kill a dog for food if you were starving to death. It’s twisted but true. In America, all dogs go to Heaven, and all enemies of dogs go to Hell. And it’s hot, Michael, hotter than the hottest days in Atlanta.
I’m not one to usually post advertisements, but this one for The Nation is too good to pass up:
“We’re like Fox News. Only smart. And not crazy. And we don’t lie.”
So true.
If you have any concern about healthcare in the US (and if you live in the U.S. you definitely should), and you haven’t seen Sicko yet, you need to…now!
Why is anyone surprised or upset that Rushdie was knighted in the UK? I mean, it’s not as though knights have ever been known for their intelligence, wisdom, piety, or bravery for that matter. Isn’t it kind of like a badge of shame that someone whose fame is based on the publishing of intentional insults that he is now only a stooge of the Queen, a queen whose family legacy is one of ruthless imperialism, oppression, enslavement, colonization, and (most recently) state-sponsored terrorism.
Perhaps this is their way of reducing him to nothingness…becoming the deckhand of his pirating secular oppressors. Even politically, he’s an apostate. Was he really hiding from Muslims all those years or from the embarrassment of being famous due to controversy rather than good writing.
And so, I issue him congratulations. Whatever it is he desires from this world, I’m sure he will have it.
Whoever desires the harvest of the hereafter, we give him increase in his harvest, and whoever desires the harvest of this world, We give him thereof, and he has no portion in the hereafter. (Qur’an 42:20)
My birthday was Tuesday, and, although I told my wife not to get me anything, she insisted. 
Amir Sulaiman’s latest: Like A Thief In The Night was on my Amazon.com wishlist. So, she ordered it for me, and it came probably a week before my birthday. She assumed that it was the correct CD, but when she gave it to me and I opened it, I found Isaac Hayes’ Shaft in my hand.
How on God’s green earth do you mistake Shaft for Amir Sulaiman? It’s not like the CD covers look remotely similar.
Anyway, she complained, and they sent the correct one, received yesterday. SubhanAllah, it takes me back to my roots. Hard hitting, east coast beats under fresh, pleasantly poetic lyrics. He transcends boundaries of race and religion and delivers exactly what the dying hip-hop community needs. It is rich with a tapestry of self-reflection, calls to action, lamenting the suffering of the down-trodden, and foretelling of a victory for the righteous. Absent is the typical lyrical bravado and self-aggrandizement of most rappers (even many Muslim rappers).
Make no mistake about it, he is Muslim and apparently a lover of Ahlul-bayt (peace be upon them), and it’s not unusual for him to fall into the ecstasy of his own lyrics and start chanting “la ilaha il-Allah (there is no god but Allah).” In that way it has the symbolic texture of classical Islamic poetry…as though it were the modern-day qasida or ghazal.
Still, his lyrics are also very political, very pro-black, and very anti-oppression. He is part of the new wave of hip-hop artists trying to reclaim the culture that was abducted and molested by the mainstream music industry. And with guest appearances by cultural pioneers such as the Last Poets and hip-hop reformist and fellow Muslim Mos Def, the message certainly hits home.
The only complaint I could really have about the CD is that it’s not enough. I’d like to sit and pick this brother’s brain for hours, and unfortunately, I only get a little over 50 minutes. May Allah reward his efforts and purify the bounties that he receives through his jihad. I give Like A Thief In The Night a five [change gonna come by the fire by the gun by the word by the deed by the heaven by the street]…out of five.
I’ve been ordering shirts from Shukr. My goal is to eventually replace my entire wardrobe (won’t take as long as you might think) with these stylish Islamesque (patent pending) shirts.
I love the store, but there is one problem. Their size charts assume that everyone is a lanky beanpole. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but men in my family have big chests and broad shoulders. I wear a size 44 in chest comfortably. 43 starts to get tight and 42 makes me feel like I have a kid’s shirt on.
According to Shukr, 44, which is an XL (extra large), is for people over 6 feet tall! Imagine the chest on a 6-foot+ guy only being 44 inches, hence the beanpole reference. Anyway, my shirts end up being below my knees, so I have to get my dear mother to hem them (yeah, my wife just doesn’t do that kind of stuff).
There you have it readers: the silliest post I’ve ever written.
So, we have a dead bird in our yard, and before you comment and say, “Why don’t you just pick it up and throw it in the trash?” you should learn a few things about infectious diseases.
Anyway, the Department of Public Works (i.e. waste management) said that they were no longer picking up dead birds because of the bird flu. So, they told us to call the Health Department…problem is, they don’t answer their phone.
Is that a bad sign?
I know I know. I haven’t posted in nearly a fortnight. Well, I’m back with some great news:
A habitable planet has been found. Let’s call it New Caprica! Oh wait, it already has a name: Gliese 581 c (ugh!).
