Man who worked on alien spaceships now selling radioactive material on web

Yes, really. I'm not making this up:

http://www.informationweek.com/internet/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=196513797

The first sport in space

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061123/sc_nm/space_golf_dc

oh happy day!

Back in 2000, I remember a friend telling me that "we were all going to die" after Dubya was named the winner of the election. While we haven't yet, it has been pretty much all downhill for the US since then.

Yesterday, we had good news and today it got even better... :)

Mac lovers will appreciate this:

If women ruled the world...

Further evidence that women are more rational beings...

the presence of more women at the FIFA World Cup this past summer helped keep the fans sane:

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601100&sid=a.03NA3sUyWU&refer=germany

We have the first woman as speaker of the house... how much longer will take to have one in the white house?

deep thoughts by sam shady...

what do we seek out of life?

personal gain or public gain.

Perhaps a mixture of both - maybe we seek happiness (or knowledge) and by bringing others joy (or education), we please ourselves. We are innately compassionate and do not want to survive alone, even if we choose to live alone.

Does someone who lives a life of solitude, but contributes to the advancement of society through art or literature affect greater social change than someone who deeply touches the lives of people through personal interaction?

Would I rather foster new thought or profoundly affect someone's life with love, laughter, comfort, passion? We are capable of both - but do we choose one distinctly over the other?

Open to interpretation

Busy doing what I'm paid to do, so only have to time to post a few verses from the Quran and the Bible that a friend compiled:

There are two verses in the Koran that are used to justify the veil:

Sura An-Nur (The light): "And tell the believing women to lower their gazes and be modest, and to display of their adornments only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms."(24:31)

Sura Al-Ahzab (The confederates): "O; Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go outside). That will be better, that so they may be recognized and not molested". (33:59).

For the strict constructionist, there is much controversy on the word "veil" and "cloaks" and whether it was properly interpreted, and of course there is the liberal interpretation which says that the idea was modesty - and that this is not a command that you have to wear veils, but instead is command that you should dress modestly.

The veil was also standard in Christianity, especially in the Orthodoxed church, and to this day nuns still wear head coverings. The source of this is the Bible - 1 Corinthians Chap 11:
-----------------------------------------

Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.
4 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head.
5 And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is just as though her head were shaved.
6 If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head.
7 A man ought not to cover his head,since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
8 For man did not come from woman, but woman from man;
9 neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.
10For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head.

11 In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.
12 For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.
13 Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?
14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him,
15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.

-----------------------------------

Fun. Adventure. Life. ULI

I'm completely and totally obsessed with Project Runway. I haven't always been a trendy wendy, but since moving to the City I can't help but acknowledge that fashion is an art form...and I'm not completely convinced anymore that it purely translates to materialism... but that's the subject of another post... because I'm super duper excited about the PR finale tonight.

Unlike other reality shows, Project Runway requires talent... the first season was by far the best (as with any reality show, by the second season, the cast members are attempting to exploit the show in some shape or form)... I am dying to meet Jay McCarroll, the funny/loud/flamboyant/down-to-earth winner from season one... I even emailed him asking if he ever needed the services of tallish Pakistani woman... you know, to test out his clothes and see if they looked good on a long and narrow platform, surrounded by cameras and fashion moguls.

I met Nick Verreos (season two) and bought a super cute outfit from him at a sample sale on Mott St- he was really sweet and the whole interaction made my week - maybe more on this later, but I have to get back to work.

I'm rooting for Michael McKnight tonight, but something tells me that he isn't going to fare so well...

http://bloggingprojectrunway.blogspot.com/

Back to work so I can get out of here!

FUN. ADVENTURE. LIFE. ULI. I love saying this in my Heidi Klumish German accent... I think I drove everyone around me crazy last weekend - I said it about 30 times in fifteen minutes.

Invention, invention, 'vention time!

Back when my bro and I used to watch MacGyver, we would get really excited at the point the show, about ten minutes before the end, when MacGyver would save the day by short-circuiting a nuclear missile with a rubber band, paper clips, some gum, and an Archie comic book... and then we would attempt our own 'ventions... like the pulley system we created to transport classified items down the super long hallway between our bedrooms. dorky? yes. fun? hell yeah.

I'm constantly thinking of new devices and contraptions... not to save my life... but to make life a little bit easier or more interesting. For example, why hasn't anyone invented an umbrella with clear long panels that run to the ground? I'm always soaked from the knees down - even if I'm carrying one of those huge golf umbrellas. Why haven't the umbrella manufacturers of the world discovered that rain pours sideways?

Anyway.

This is one of my favorite sites... falls under the category of blog/portal/consumer goods/interesting stuff. Just shows you that there is a market for everything. I love innovation.

http://www.popgadget.net/

AND, it's targeted for women. Happy that someone is noticing that women heart gadgets too.

Mushy: please show some mercy (again)

I'm on Musharraf's side, most of the time...I cringe every time I hear a story about Pakistan's failings. This time Mushy, please listen to Amnesty, the media, even Tony and save this man's life.


http://www.dawn.com/2006/10/18/top18.htm

Click below for detailed account of what happened:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/20/AR2006052000632.html

Invisible children

A friend of mine sent me this:

I usually don't send mass e-mails but after seeing this heart-wrenching movie last night, it has compelled me to act. The movie is called Invisible Children and it is about the predicament of child soldiers in Northern Uganda. You can visit the website at www.invisiblechildren.com. I urge you to see this movie and to also visit the website.

For those of you who do not know, many children in Northern Uganda are abducted and forced into becoming child soldiers. They are abducted from their homes and schools to further the causes of the rebel groups in Uganda. Through the effective techniques of fear and torture and playing on the vulnerability of their innocence, these abducted children are forced to kill other children and other people.

The movie Invisible Children is a documentary made by three Americans which tell the story of these children. It's absolutely grotesque and awful what is happening to them.

Now is your time to help these children- so watch the movie, donate if you can, and keep spreading the word. Hopefully through awareness and action, this practice of child abduction and torture will command the much-needed attention of the global arena and soon be seen as a prominent human rights issue.

Note to self...

I have been aching to trek to Machu Picchu. I'm officially documenting it. Must see soon. I'm sure I'll be adding more to this list.

Incredible- and I'm sure that photos do not do justice.

And when I go, I might check out Daily Candy's finds:
http://www.dailycandy.com/article.jsp?ArticleId=27218&city=15

No more tag for these kids

An elementary school south of Boston has banned tagged and other unauthorized games, bc "recess is dangerous" for the kids. What is wrong with these people? We are raising the next generation to be hyper-sensitive, over-analyzing, super-wired freaks. My memories of elementary school include the Challenger explosion, stories from Greek mythology, and kicking ass on the playground and running circles around the boys. As my almighty boss would say (or boom), in his thick Swiss accent, "sport es zhe best school of life."

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/18/no.tag.ap/index.html

Proud to be from Wisconsin

Statement of U.S. Senator Russ Feingold
On the President Signing the Military Commissions Act
October 17, 2006

“The legislation signed by the President today violates basic principles and values of our constitutional system of government. It allows the government to seize individuals on American soil and detain them indefinitely with no opportunity to challenge their detention in court. And the new law would permit an individual to be convicted on the basis of coerced testimony and even allow someone convicted under these rules to be put to death.

The checks and balances of our system of government and the fundamental fairness of the American people and legal system are among our greatest strengths in the fight against terrorism. I am deeply disappointed that Congress enacted this law. We will look back on this day as a stain on our nation’s history.”



# # #

Sponsor a child in Lebanon

A friend sent me this:
http://worldvision.org/worldvision/eappeal.nsf/egiftnonipp?OpenForm&country=LBN&lid=sponsor_btn&lpos=feature

For only $30 a month, you can now sponsor a child in Lebanon. Check out the link above.

Asma Jehangir coming to the city...

Asian-American Network Against Abuse of human rights (ANAA) proudly sponsors

“Tradition, laws, human rights and democracy in Pakistan”

Please come and listen to Asma Jehangir, Pakistani Human Rights Defender,
Internationally renowned human rights lawyer,
and
Special rapporteur of UN commission on human rights,
and
founder and chair person of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
Thursday, October 26th, 2006
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies Building
281 Park Avenue South, New York, NY
Corner of 22nd and Park Avenue South

Please come and listen to Asma Jehangir as she talks about the state of human rights in Pakistan what can be done to improve the conditions in Pakistan.
RSVP: anaa@4anaa.org
Phone: 18662222210

Please join ANAA
http://www.4anaa.org/forms/form1.htm
A network to raise voice against abuse of human rights in Pakistan

Warping beauty

The superficial issues in Islam

I'm a Muslim woman and I don't believe that I'm obligated to wear a veil. Every woman has the right to choose what they want to wear. However, I personally think that educated women who wear hijab are committing a disservice to other women...especially those women who are lawyers, work in media, the public sphere, etc. They are perpetuating the notion that women can't be taken seriously unless they are covered or "protected" by fabric. I find it interesting that many of the women I know who wear hijab also wear heavy makeup. In fact, I think wearing hijab in western society attracts more attention because it's making a statement and the hijabi is announcing to the world that her hair is so distracting that she must cover it up, but then highlights her other attributes by painting her face. Personally, I believe that the verse in the Quran regarding the way a woman should dress is about general modesty, not about hiding behind a veil. I have a hard time reconciling that God would discriminate against half of the population. Why should women carry the burden of protecting men from their weaknesses?

Now Tony Blair is raising a different issue regarding the veil: Muslim woman who cover their whole face (niqab) are making other Brits uncomfortable. Hmmm.. my initial thought is this: TOO BAD FOR THEM. Whether people make others uncomfortable by their attitude, demeanor, multiple piercings, wearing the same plaid pants everyday, it's not their responsibility to make anyone feel at ease. I may not believe in hijab/niqab for myself, but everyone has the right to dress the way they choose. However, I remember while I was working at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, face-masks were banned for security reasons... so perhaps there is a legitimate argument against wearing niqab in high-security environments...but not in normal everyday-like circumstances. It will be interesting to see what happens.



NY Times article:
October 17, 2006
Blair Says Muslim Veil Is a "Mark of Separation"
By ALAN COWELL
LONDON, Oct. 17: Prime Minister Tony Blair today joined a passionate and increasingly corrosive debate over the use of the Islamic full-face veil by some British Muslim women, calling it a "mark of separation."

His remarks reflected a sense that British society is heading toward ever deeper fissures between its Muslim minority and non-Muslim majority, evoking questions about the nation’s readiness to embrace its Muslim minority and the minority’s own willingness to adapt.

The discussion mirrors earlier public disputes in France, Turkey and elsewhere about Muslim headgear — though, in Britain, the debate is largely limited to the use of the full-face veil known as the niqab.

“It is a mark of separation and that is why it makes other people from outside the community feel uncomfortable,” Mr. Blair said when asked at a regular news conference whether he believed women wearing a full-faced veil could make a complete contribution to society.

There were signs, too, today, that the dispute had spread further across Europe. In an interview in Italy, Prime Minister Romano Prodi was quoted as saying women should not be hidden behind veils.

“You can’t cover your face, you must be seen,” Mr. Prodi told Reuters, adding: “This is common sense I think; it is important for our society. It is not how you dress but if you are hidden or not.”

In Muslim societies the full veil is sometimes worn to shield women from the view of men outside their immediate family. The debate about its use among a small number of British Muslim women has crystallized around the case of Aishah Azmi, a teaching assistant suspended by a local council for refusing to remove her full-face veil during class in the presence of male teachers.

Mr. Blair said he could “see the reason” for Mrs. Azmi to be suspended from her job at a Church of England school in Dewsbury, Yorkshire, where there is a substantial Muslim minority. Within hours, her lawyers issued a statement accusing Mr. Blair of interfering in a labor tribunal case about Mrs. Azmi’s suspension and they demanded a retraction.

It was the first time Mr. Blair had so explicitly backed Jack Straw, the leader of the House of Commons, who raised Muslim ire earlier this month by saying he did not believe women should wear the full-face veil, a form of headdress, usually black, with only a narrow slit for the eyes. The argument against the niqab, according to critics like Mr. Straw, is that it prevents communication and sets its wearer visibly apart.

“No one wants to say that people don’t have the right to do it,” Mr. Blair said, referring to the use of the full-face veil. “That is to take it too far. But I think we need to confront this issue about how we integrate people properly into our society.”

“We have to deal with the debate,” Mr. Blair said. “People want to know that the Muslim community in particular, but actually all minority communities, have got the balance right between integration and multiculturalism.”

The debate is depicted by Muslims as a symbol of stigmatization by the non-Muslim majority.

The leader of the Muslim Council of Britain, Muhammad Bari, said in an open letter that some Muslims had been considering changing their names “in order to avoid anti-Muslim remarks. This is what happens when a community is singled out by those at the helm of affairs.”

Non-Muslims say it shows a reluctance among the 1.6 million Islamic minority (3 percentof the population) to compromise for the sake of social harmony. David Davis, the Conservative opposition spokesman on home affairs, said last weekend that British Muslims risked creating "voluntary apartheid" by displays of separateness such as the full-face veil.

The gulf has been widening since the July 7, 2005, London bombings by British Muslims, but the argument has sharpened in recent weeks. In late September, Abu Izzadeen, a convert to Islam regarded by Muslims and others as a radical, harangued John Reid, the home affairs minister, at a public meeting in east London. Significantly, he called the minister an "enemy of Islam and Muslims," demanding to know how Mr. Reid could venture into a Muslim area when he had ordered the arrest of Muslims in recent counterterror operations.

Then, after Mr. Straw questioned the wearing of the niqab veil in early October, a government education minister, Phil Woolas, went further last weekend, calling openly for Mrs. Azmi, the teaching assistant, to be dismissed. A slew of other government ministers, now including the prime minister, have joined the debate.

The discussion spills over into Britain's broader embroilment in the campaign against terrorism and the war in Iraq. Mr. Blair and others say Muslims must do more to police their own ranks, while some Muslims say Britain’s deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan accelerates the radicalization of young Muslim men like the July 7 bombers.

Last week, Britain's top army commander, Sir Richard Dannatt, said British troops should be pulled out of Iraq “some time soon.

But today Mr. Blair said : “If we walk away before the job is done from either of those two countries, we will leave a situation in which the very people we are fighting everywhere, including the extremism in our own country, are heartened and emboldened and we can’t afford that to happen. So we have got to see that job through.

Different Strokes

While perusing the blog with random brown faces (http://brownpeople.livejournal.com/) - I came across a story that justified the time I spent lurking.

Women Without Borders taught women in South India how to swim after the tsunami, using sport as a means to save lives AND empower women. Archana Kapoor directed a film about the swim project called "Different Stokes". I'm excited to see it... hopefully it will give me the motivation I need at work.

13 months after the Tsunami, Women without Borders started a unique project in south India: Swimming training for girls and women. Never again should women die if they have a chance to reach the shore.

„After the Tsunami our lives changed totally. We still suffer from the effects of this catastrophe; many people are traumatized and fear the water. Projects like this give us confidence and help us to deal with the water again. A lot of people died in the Tsunami, we all have the fear that something like that wil happen again. People have to know how to swim, especially mothers to be able to rescue their children.“ (Selvi, 25, participant)

The film „Different Strokes,“ that documents the effort of Women Without Borders to teach women along the southern Indian coast to swim, is also a document that shows the courage of women to reach new shores, to override borders and to take their life into their own hands.

Read the story and find out how to get the video about the swim initiative here.

Update your dance moves tonight

Adding to the noise

Everyone and their friend's uncle has a blog. I know there is a lot of useless noise out there... and I've resisted the urge several times...however, I'm learning that my memory is beginning to fail me and deep thoughts (profound, of course) I have on the subway to work are lost before lunch time. I'm hoping that I can keep track of my thoughts and should there be anyone in cyberspace who is bored and in search of useless noise, they can comment, make me think even deeper thoughts, criticize (although, not too much I hope), and perhaps, even massage my ego.