Welcome to Mr Moh

Classes start

2012-01-29T17:04:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow. My first day of the second half of my fifth year. And its not the end. I'll be going on another semester after that...talk about 5.5 years in college. Its upsetting. Everyone I know have been and will be done before me.But life goes on.

Pensive

2011-12-19T04:45:00.001-05:00

Pensive...that's how I feel. I feel so lazy sometimes, so able to do things but just not wanting to do them. I feel meaningless sometimes and I someone or something would fire up my engines and kindle the passions lying dead in me. Painting, programming, poetry...heck, even just taking an interest in classes would make me thankful. I feel like I'm heartless at times and i view the world and the people in it with some very gray spectacles, very bored and dispassionate. It sucks, but I don't care. I like ranting but i don't like people conversing about it, i like being left alone and i like getting the easy way out by doing nothing. I feel spoilt at times, annoying at times, honorable at times and so confused, other times. I hate this. I like someone, and this person is a friend...but went off home to Canada without a hint of "cya"...i thought we were trying to be friends here not strangers. Sigh. I just hate myself but really I'm just numb, attuned to ignoring everything, taking it all in stride and tossing it aside, tuning it all out. Anyways, sleep time then to go fail a final so i can get my daily lectures of being worthless extended for another eternity. Bleh.

:(

2011-10-11T17:48:00.001-04:00

I’m sad.

A thought..

2011-07-11T01:50:00.001-04:00

Tenacity, love and hope. These are my sources of energy for the next one year. Lets GO!!

Scents

2011-06-12T02:31:00.001-04:00

The night darkened by jet black clouds /
You and I stroll quickly along a bush-lined path /
The scent of rose petals lines the air /
The scent of the night thickens the air /
The scent of the rain bearing down /
The droplets' thumps on our umbrella /
leave you and I with nothing more than /
The scent of us cherished forever.

Sacrifice

2011-06-08T02:14:00.001-04:00

A beautiful act. Whatever it may be. Leaving that bit of chocolate for your sibling; making your mom a PB&J sandwich in the morning when you could be sleeping in.

Think of those who have sacrificed small or big for YOU. Reflect, appreciate and if you want, thank them. Love those around you like you want to be loved.

I love this new song, its called “Fadakari” which translates into Dedication and Sacrifice. Lovely music, check it out if you wish.

Seriously

2011-06-03T03:03:00.001-04:00

i think i have insomnia or something....its 3:01am and im about to sleep but im not actually tired...eh.

Ashegh Shodam?
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Marriage

2011-05-27T23:13:00.001-04:00

Did I get your attention? Probably did. No I'm not getting married nor am I looking to get married real soon.

I watched a show about a newly married couple, the bride raised in a liberal/moderate environment and her husband, a conservative man from Pakistan. The differences in perspectives, in what is right and not right (even with the same religion), definitely highlights the growing obstacles and problems couples with distinctly different backgrounds are forced into facing.

So we have a marriage workshop coming up soon, its for singles and couples. Im going, it will help me learn, understand people, mature and become a more thoughtful person. That, is my hope. Pray i achieve them.

Peace.
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Another (older) poetry attempt

2011-05-23T16:06:00.001-04:00

there was one a boy
who ran free
a heartful youngster
full of fun and joy
it was a good time
he was young
living a life without
stresses
or hardship
but he never realized
that life was not a gift
when things changed
he was unable to cope
like a slippery rope
hanging from a tree
he kept inching up ever slower
it was a good time
then a bad time
for how does one change
to adapt to an unknown
how can you take gold
add impurities and still
call it pure and bright.
There was one a boy
young and pure like gold
he grew up with new unknowns
and hid it from his own,
now he cries from the loneliness
passions whipped into submission
emotions in a frenzy
sleep is his fantastical lover
for he has grown
lonely, lost, and cold.

Poem

2011-05-23T02:59:00.002-04:00

When I see your strut /
I envision a line of ruts /
As you burn through /
Like an overtuned car crew /
You feel like a cavernous cavern /
Eye-catching, intriguing, vast /
A glint of sparkles from with the pool /
Of darkness pointing to a mysterious lamp /
Amazing.

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"Rapture"

2011-05-21T22:45:00.002-04:00

Well, all this hype about the world ending but here we are, all alive..i actually didnt hear about any of this until about late morning.

Im testing out a new blog posting app on my Windows Phone 7, the app is decent. Of course im using the trial which lasts for nine days. Probably will shell out the $3 to get the full app. Not a bad price!

Peace folks.

Posted with BloghuB for Windows Phone 7

Musings

2011-05-21T04:03:00.001-04:00

“Everybody has grief, we just wear it differently...” – K.

There is a depth to this statement that permeates beyond simple layers to a resounding deepness and vastness, like that of a cavern, that is unparalleled in comparisons to its rivals that may exist. In eight words, this phrase epitomizes our life and death cycles, the chaos that dominates and the peace that reigns in every one of our lives. It is the simple story of human need, of human emotion, of human expression, of human unity. We are who we have become and become who we are meant to be. Its…amazing.

Rumi would say:

In truth everything and everyone
Is a shadow of the Beloved,
And our seeking is His seeking
And our words are His words...
We search for Him here and there,
while looking right at Him.
Sitting by His side, we ask:
'O Beloved, where is the Beloved?'

Addendum to Goings and Happenings (2)

2011-05-14T23:48:00.000-04:00

One more shout out. This goes to a person who is graduating from (the) Harbor to the sea :D

This person has shown me a different perspective on life, the ability to understand, not just see, from a different angle. This person has been the source of my strength to grow with constant advice and encouragement. We started off as friends and now are better friends. This is for you, Mah. Thank you.

Going and Happenings – Part 2

2011-05-14T13:02:00.001-04:00

A shout out to my dear friend and blogger, tarboos! Its graduation time yeaaaaaah!

A shout out to another dear friend Mr Z. He keeps finding reasons and ways to stay in DC, away from people who want to hang out with him in the Baltimore area. May this S/O bring you back to us.

On a random note, people watching has resumed at my Starbucks location. Now accepting applications =D

Do you know how many people come here (i.e. Starbucks) for lunch breaks, interviews, meetings and money-making opportunities? Its crazy.

As the semester winds down, I find myself reflecting on my present, my family, my friends and my surroundings. My present because it is influenced by my past and defines my future. My family because they have defined my past and influence my present. My friends because they help me bring out the various sides of me, strengthen my weaknesses, empower my strengths and help mold the perspectives/views I hold. My surroundings, because they control the scenarios I face in my life.

There is an amazing reflection to be made about food. To understand the evolution we have made in food, put enough cash in your pocket to buy a tasty meal from your favourite local restaurant or fast food place. Then place before yourself a simple almost bland meal. Your choices are to heat up this simple thrown-together almost-bland meal and eat it, saving time and money. Or to go out, spend your money, lose some more time (travel + waiting) but get a tastier meal. Which would you choose and which *should* you choose. This was a thought I had recently and it astounded me to see how willing I was to spend my time and money for the sake of getting better taste, regardless of how healthiness of either food choice.

PS – I’m posting this three days after my originally intended posting date ‘cuz Blogger was down.

Goings and Happenings

2011-05-11T19:16:00.000-04:00

Its about that time of the year. Finals, plans for the summer, presentations and projects…you get the gist.

Well, there are a lot of things that I want to say but I either forget or do not have the time at this very moment.

I have been listening to my music collection (yay for Smart DJ) and honestly, the songs that I favourite seem to have excellent lyrics. By excellent I mean they are practical, realistic and thoughtful…or maybe thought-provoking?

I’ve realized that my patience, a characteristic that I rely on heavily, has not a little, but a lot of room and need for improvement. College wise, I wish I could be doing better, but socially I am becoming more active. Naturally, using the same strengths that I have employed in the past: creation, coordination, communication, management, leadership.

I’ve learned how to swim and gotten better at it. I learned backstrokes too. My workout sessions sorta died the last two weeks with the number of meetings and the amount of homework I’ve had to focus on. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and its entrance says “Healthy.”

Notice where I put the “.” (period) above? I’m a bit of a grammar-nazi, haha.

Fogo de Chao was an experience, of course I didn’t eat any of the meat, most of it was “Halal” per-se (permissible to eat, like beef) but it was not “zabiha,” which means the animals were not slaughtered or processed according to Islamic regulations, which put the animal’s peace of mind and painless experience first and foremost. Think about it, if an animal feels pain while being slaughtered or if it takes a while to die or the blood doesn’t come out properly, Muslims are supposed to refrain from eating it. I went for the vegetarian option (i.e. salad bar) but it was still an experience, seeing a glimpse of first-class service.

Well, that’s all for now, more to come later.

Peace.

“He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named” …. “Voldemort?”

2011-04-26T22:22:00.001-04:00

Dear Anonymous Reader(s),

My birthday is coming up, the same month HP7’s second part comes out. For all the “growing up” I have done, I’m still kinda looking forward to watching it in theatres. Of course, this is completely because this new director actually made it worth seeing the movie.

So…Life.

Its…interesting.

Sometimes, I consider if I should even go for a degree. I love computers and technology, but I feel rather disinclined towards the coursework. Sometimes…professional schools that simply teach you what you want and need to know, without the additional haloo baloo seem a lot more attractive to me.

There was a girl. Strike that. A woman, since she and I are both above 20 meaning we are adults now... who I actually considered as someone that I could and did not mind getting engaged/married to. Of course, I knew I was not completely ready but I thought, neither is she. We could at least reach an understanding or know what each others’ intentions were. My decision however was to let it be for now. I lost any chance I had when the news arrived that her family and she had accepted another guy’s proposal.

The saying goes true: good girls go fast.

I hope you, the reader, read that with an open, non-feminist, non-jump-to-conclusions mind.

I often wonder when I will be mature enough and realistically capable of getting married and taking good care of my significant other.

I have a lot on my mind, but I am for some God-only-knows reason unable to express it at all. I know my flaws. Hmmm. It’s a combination of having weaknesses but one of them also being an unwillingness to make a change. The “things” that drove me in high school, in my first year of college, have changed. These new “things” or maybe even “thing'”….I don’t know what it is or they are.

Soul-searching is in order, eh?

Anyhoo. Enough haloo baloo from me.

Peace.

outsourcing karma

2011-04-17T03:40:00.000-04:00

Its not everyday that I feel...ansy. Its also not everyday that I want to talk about it. I am different. I'm talking about my experiences, my upbringing, my actions and their consequences. I have often referred to past events to prove short comings of mine as inevitable. I also rely on completely different sources of energy to drive me. I had friends. Then I didn't. Then I did. Now..I guess I do?

I have grown a lot in some ways, in others I have not, and in others I am ahead of my age. Sometimes, I fear arrogance or pride in me. I need to stay humble, but I hate it when people stay away from me or when they get too close even though they don't click with me. I have done my fair share of wrongs like every human in this world...but why I exhaust myself trying to fix drama and stuff beyond my control when my energies are better spent elsewhere. I bewilder myself. Maybe everything in life is too black and white for me. Maybe I apply logical patterns to life events?

This is me learning about me. Quite the irony eh?

Random Thoughts

2011-04-15T00:31:00.001-04:00

Every accent has a letter associated with it and that letter appears liberally seeded every time they speak. I would like to visit Britain now and honestly, I’m more intrigued by the Welsh and Irish than the English or the Scots. *shrug*

My current favourite joke is: “The English…they spend half their day drinking their teas and the other half ignoring them….its like they don’t even caaare about the le(sic)er!”

So in terms of looking around for my future, I was three down, an unknown number to go, but I think I might be making that two down instead…its quite the complex conundrum of life.

I love Halo. I got all twisty faced (ie. with emotion) when they show Noble Six’s helmet lying on Reach, reading the eulogy about Six’s heroism, courage and sacrifice. Why do science fiction games and movies make me tear up. I must be odd.

I finally saw Halo Legends..woot!

My car is back from the workshop. Woot! Over spring break I decided to play bumper cars with a pickup truck on DC’s wet roads one fine rush-hour morning. Gave up my car for a little more than a week.

That’s all for now, my laptop’s battery is dying. And of course, its midnight, so I’m tired.

Mistah Moh.

‘ello poppet

2011-03-28T00:16:00.001-04:00

Guess what?! I’m still here!

I haven’t had time (more like no motivation) to update my blog. Life has been hectic for me, still feeling the effects of last semester in all its forms. I’m more of a Starbucks hermit now, meaning if you want to find me simply look for me at my local branch. No one there to disturb me and I can block people out, so its become my new work area.

I’ve been working out and I definitely feel the effects, both positive and negative. Which of course, none of this is unique to me, every man and woman working out feel them.

I’m enjoying my Software Engineering course, developing a project from scratch, including design and written documentation, is fun. Call me the geek, haha.

I finally left my internship, after almost two and a half years of service to the State of Maryland. Woot. I can haz “Longest Serving Intern Award” plz?

I’ve been to the college I still love like crazy, GWU. Meeting friends who I consider family and breathing in the city’s air and energy has been one of my go-to sources of motivation this semester.

I got into an accident the other day, it wasn’t much, but with the fine work and labor for parts replacement, I’m facing a bill of a little over three grand :x

Lastly, love is in the air, lets just say its going to be that time of the year again in a few months. Keep your ears and eyes peeled for invitations in the mail and if they say guests allowed, YOU BETTER TAKE ME ALONG AS THAT GUEST!!! … take me along even if they don’t say guests allowed, just say I’m family (“long lost brother?”)

Peace.

Pippin’s Song … Lord of the Rings…Lyrics

2011-01-27T17:02:00.001-05:00

Your home behind the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow
Cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall fade

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

Foresight, heartbreak, sorrow, reflection. There is a great deal of wisdom in these lyrics, spoken and unspoken. An ode to the memoirs of men and civilization, these lyrics breathe deep into history, highlighting the good and bad events and people. Those “things” that make us so … human. A powerful vocal, it defies the power to instruments to make reverberations that are both music to our ears and a tugging appeal on our conscience, to consider what we have done and ensure our futures are bright, united and most of all, good.

Pow wow to the wow

2011-01-19T23:31:00.001-05:00

Isn’t that a sweet title to my post? I’ve had a seriously tough and rough semester and the ending…aka the period of time between Fall and Spring was good (FLORIDA!!!!), however January has been a series of hurts and downs that take their queue from situations and results that occurred during the latter half of the semester.

So I got snowed in, I mean iced in while in DC during our recent ice storm. So, naturally, I crashed at a friend’s. I went back to DC to of course meet friends who I rarely see, but also to get advice, observe and drink from the energy that I see in my friends, in their University and in the community around them. The vibrant city energy motivates me and makes me happy. Maybe I’m a city person…or just a person who loves buildings and people that look nice and dress well, respectively of course haha. To answer the question, yes I returned home with fresh insight into myself, hope for my situation and a general feeling of “yeah im blessed in life and I can do this!"

Pray for me, I met good people and I reflected well. I am thankful and I am going to fight for my future to remain bright and steady as it was.

Cheers mates.

Winter Break

2010-12-31T00:03:00.003-05:00

I had a lovely first two weeks of winter break. Went on a road trip to Florida. Got a car, got friends and drove down the east coast…then west through the everglades, then back up the gulf/west coast till we reached Tampa, the end of big cities on that coast. After that, we went northeast to Orlando and then up to Jacksonville. Our trip was 2,351 miles long and took us among many places, to the southern most tip of the United States. I met people, saw Southern life, enjoyed Southern food, observed characteristics about Florida and had a really good time.

Now back to working and enjoying my evenings for the remainder of winter break.

Muslim Perspective on Lunar Eclipses

2010-12-21T01:34:00.001-05:00

According to NASA a lunar eclipse will occur:

This year's event will take 3 hours and 38 minutes. The eclipse begins on Tuesday at 1:33 a.m. ET, when the Earth's dark-red shadow will turn up on the edge of the moon, according to NASA. It will take about an hour for the shadow to cover the entire moon. Totality begins at 2:41 a.m. and lasts for 72 minutes.
If you only have time for a quick look, NASA recommends that you take a peek 3:17 a.m. ET.That's when the moon will be fully covered in an amber light.
It's the sunnah of the Prophet SAW to perform 2 rakahs (Salat ul Kushuf). Below is an excerpt from a book about fiqh regarding this salah. Inshallah do your own research and ask scholars on how to perform it.
Jazakallah Khairan,
[Name Removed]

"Solar and Lunar Eclipse Prayers

It is a Sunnah of the Holy Prophet to perform two rak'ahs of prayer each on the occasion of the solar and lunar eclipses. At a solar eclipse especially the prayer should be offered collectively, but there needs to be no Azan or Iqamah for this; the people may be got together by some other means. The Imam may recite long Surahs like Al-Baqarah and Al 'Imran audibly and observe long Ruku's and Sajdahs. After the prayer is over, he should make humbe supplications to Allah and the followers should respond with Aamin; they may continue with supplictions till the eclipse is over. If in the meantime, the prescribed time for an obligatory prayer approaches, the eclipse prayer should be discontinued. At the lunar eclipse, the prayer may be offered individually. The Holy Prophet has said: "The sun and the moon are two signs of Allah; they are not eclipsed on the death or birth of anybody. When you see one of them having gone under eclipse, you should make supplications to Allah, and observe prayer till the eclipse has cleared".

The eclipse prayer is not to be observed at a forbidden time, i.e. when the sun is actually rising or setting, even if it is eclipsed. At such a time one should only recite Tasbih and give alms to the poor. However, if the eclipse continues beyond this time, one may observe the prayer.

Similarly, it is permissible to offfer a Nafl prayer at the time of a calamity or fear or affliction, e.g. when there is a windstorm, or rainstorm, or earthquake, or striking of lightning, or incidence of an epidemic like plague, etc. or fear of an enemy or of chaos and general descruction. This prayer should be observed individually."

[Email Message Removed]

PS: I'd highly recommend the text I excerpted this from. It's called "Everyday Fiqh" by Mohammad Yusuf Islahi, its a two volume set, pretty thin, pretty cheap, but very straightforward and perfect for these sort of practical questions regarding the taharah, salaat, sawm, zakat, etc in everyday contexts. You can find it here: http://www.islamicbookstore.com/b2417.html.

The name’s Ever, Greatest Ever

2010-12-01T18:26:00.001-05:00

If the title’s reference is lost to you, hint hint its by Drake. Did you know he’s Canadian?

I don’t have much to say, the last few weeks have been hectic/stressful in both physical, mental and emotional terms. Also, it seems that madness is in the air, feels like a mixture of everything romantic and their polar opposites happening at once.

Courses are not going as well as I expected, work loads are hectic. I lost one week to being in Eid mode, I lost the next week half to exams (3 in 3 days) and then Thanksgiving…two days of enjoyment followed by two days of agonizing stress as I rushed through homework and projects. Of course this week wasn’t without its bitterness. Two projects due within 12 hours of each other, plus homework and quizzes. You would think I’m taking 19 credits; I’m actually taking less than 15!

Good moments this week and last: my internship project for the last one year finally went live, with a mass email to the Agency thanking me for my efforts. That felt so good. And today I rewarded myself to an uber chocolaty experience via ColdStone’s Chocolate Devotion (chocolate ice cream, fudge, brownies, chocolate chips) with chocolate shavings added on.

However, that doesn’t make up for the emotional and mental rollercoaster that I have been on for the past three weeks. When others say communication is the key to all things human, they spread utterly pure wisdom. Listen and heed. Assumptions damage. I wish life could have been better, or I could have changed the events of the past 3 weeks, but eh, now all we can do is look to the future, remembering the past to avoid those pitfalls in the present.

That’s all for now folks, good evening.

Gobble Gobble

2010-11-26T04:08:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving folks. Life’s ok, semester is ending in about 4 weeks … 27 days, then its off to ATL for that trips with the bros.

I wish I could fix certain things, I am not perfect, but then again, who is. Google.com –> define: human

I have a new favourite artist: eminem. Rapper, yes, but following Tupac’s footsteps with beats that are awesome and lyrics that provide perspective. Depth too, at times. Kanye, you’re trying man, you’re trying, but E man has been #1 for a while now, just keep rolling your dice and sing for the here, you’ll get there.

Music *can* alter moods. That is true.

The wheel of life keeps moving, stitching threads into the pattern it desires, and we can only attempt to keep up.

Good night reader and thank you for reading.

Mr Moh

Zune HD Promotional Post

2010-11-04T17:24:00.001-04:00

I like my Zune HD. I got the Zune Pass free trial, and I like it. You pay $0.99 per song on iTunes…on Zune pass for $15 you get unlimited music downloads (licensed of course so if you cancel your Pass they are removed)…however if you are shelling out cash they give you 10 downloaded a month included…so you pay 10 bucks for 10 songs and then you get unlimited other songs for 5 bucks….that’s my way of thinking, and I really like that deal.

Ok, cons. Zune HD is a music player with Apps and internet built in. However, the apps are mostly games and keep you entertained. Productivity apps are kinda lacking though, but they have some basics like stock tracker, weather, live messenger, calculator and a few more. Entertainment apps are where the Zune HD shines. No flash…youtube might load up, but you cant play Flash encoded videos or go to Flash websites. Its not an ipod touch.

However it shines as an mp3 player. Awesome touch screen, the QWERTY keyboard shines in my book in both portrait and landscape mode. And it has WiFi to connect to websites so I use it to get to mobile versions of all the websites I need to access on a daily basis. Ease of use, very small learning curve, and its lighter and thinner than the ipod touch.

Get your’s today … or wait till November 8th and get the Windows Phone 7 which has Zune built in!!!!

Life sucks and then you die.

2010-10-29T02:43:00.001-04:00

Perhaps its too much for the moment, but it is not often yet often enough that we humans reach a point of existentialist living in our lives. However short the line, however obfuscated and opaque its behavior, it’s the raunchy play we get thrown into that truly hammers our minds with thoughts mundanely jumping from borderline suicidal to borderline depressive and every other negative borderline in between and to the right and left.

As quick the dip, as slow the rise, it is impossible to know one’s true self except until one’s true self is put through the most grueling and nasty life lesson of all time: life itself.

However wise we get, we are still stupid. However dumb we get, we are likely to be dumber. Hate breeds arrogance, arrogance breeds wounds and wounds breed a new line of civilized savages that bring down upon others a scented line of the most disastrous attacks…verbal, emotional, physical, spiritual…pain that is just plain real.

To every beginning an end / to every end a beginning / love the way you lie / because in the end / you’ll hate the way you cry / without emotion there is no love / without passion there is no purpose / a duty is a duty / an obligation an obligated action / what more can I say but / life sucks and then you die.

(Everything on this page is written by me. Feel free to lampoon me)

Brrr cold

2010-10-23T18:08:00.001-04:00

Its cold outside.

I want the sun back…remembering the days when the lows were like 70 degrees with fond nostalgia.

My car is doing well…but I ruined my tired in under 25,000 miles so gotta get them all replaced. Fun.

Time to register for next semester, but I barely have time to meet an advisor.

Life is okay. I need to cut my grass/mow my lawn. Any volunteers to do it for me? I have a front lawn, side lawn and a back lawn.

I would like some Pizza 786 too.

Alrighty, back to reality (projects, exams, chores, responsibilities, internship, homeworks, etc)

Adieu

And we all go falling down

2010-09-10T02:41:00.001-04:00

my life…sucks. I’ve had the most parabolic two weeks in terms of my emotions, my feelings, my thoughts and my ability to function.

I’ve always wanted to write this online so here is the f word… F***!

Life is never stable, it requires a lot of effort, a lot of dedication and a lot of forethought. There are always ups and downs and it is up to YOU and those around you that can be considered significant others, family and friends to come up with a solution to ride it out.

A few tips that I really need to emphasize. I have grown up with these and losing my grip on these have made life miserable, uncontrolled and just plain old stinky:

L-I-S-T-E-N … if you cannot listen then just eff off because no one around you will ever want to completely appreciate what you bring to the table.
Patience … no patience, no rewards. no rewards, you’re not gonna be happy and the domino chain continues tipping over.
Breathe … you *do* want to live a life right?
Self-Discipline … this is for me first and foremost because I don’t have self discipline…keep yourself focused on goals and look up and ahead before you end up doing something stupid
Friends … God made other humans for a reason.
Be calm … or the stormy seas that comprise life today will drown you.
Communicate … or there is no point to living in this world

So I drove last night all the way to White Marsh, yes quite the uber long drive, but I was really sad and it was the perfect time for me to brood, contemplate and just come to terms with reality. Life is more than a bottle of liquid, whether it be filtered, distilled or fermented.

Society … an institution, but necessary for order and support. Make your promises, just live in the institution because it’s the easiest way to live among the other 6 billion people on our planet earth, learn to compromise with those who matter to you because compromise never means all is lost but instead is a deal on how to share common aspects of life.

Find your one, stick to your one. Hopping around causes societal issues and divides human beings into pure and dirty. Just plain wrong. Love is love, man. Keep going, live doing your best, love deeply, cry hard and just look to the future because one day it will be better (how long into the future no one knows but hope is always there).

Good night.

Baltimore City Department of Transportation -Speed Monitoring Locations

2010-06-09T18:28:00.001-04:00

Portable Speed Enforcement Units to be used in Baltimore City School Zones
BALTIMORE, Friday, May 21, 2010 - The Baltimore City Department of Transportation today announced that portable speed enforcement units will be implemented throughout Baltimore City.
Beginning Monday, May 24, 2010, the new portable speed enforcement units will be rotated in school zones throughout the city on a daily basis. In an effort to promote safe driving habits in city communities, the City of Baltimore is adding four mobile speed enforcement units to its automated speed monitoring program. The program, which was originally launched in November, 2009 is designed to reduce driver speeds and make city streets safe for school children, motorists and pedestrians.
Motorists who drive aggressively and exceed the posted speed limit by at least 12 miles per hour will receive $40 citations in the mail. These citations are not reported to insurance companies and no license points are assigned. Notification signs will be placed at all speed enforcement locations so that motorists will be aware that they are approaching a speed check zone. The goal of the program is to make the streets of Baltimore safer for everyone by changing aggressive driving behavior.
In addition to the four mobile speed enforcement units, the city has retrofitted 50 red light camera locations with the automated speed enforcement technology.
Portable Speed Enforcement Unit Locations
·         Bellona Avenue @ Broxton Road
·         Chase Street @ Valley Street
·         Cross Country Blvd. @Strathmore Ave.
·         Cross Country Blvd. @ Kelly Ave.
·         Eastern Ave. between S. Chester St. and S. Castle St.
·         Ellerslie Ave. @ 33rd Street
·         Eutaw St. @ Wilson St.
·         Fayette St. @ Calhoun St.
·         Frederick Ave. @ S. Woodington Ave.
·         Greenspring Ave. @ Keyworth Ave.
·         Hamilton Ave. @ Albanene Place
·         Hillen Rd. @ Waveworth Rd.
·         Hollins Ferry Rd. @ Wegworth Lane
·         Lombard St. approximately 400 feet east of Caroline St.
·         W. Lombard St. @ S. Mount St.
·         McCulloh St. @ Wilson St.
·         Old Harford Rd. @ Sylvan Ave.
·         Pennington Ave. @ Hazel St.
·         Pratt St. @ the south side of Bond St.
·         Roland Ave. @ Deepdene Rd.
·         Springarden Dr. @ Strawflower La.
·         Woodbourne Ave. @ Midwood Ave.
Fixed Speed Enforcement Unit Locations
·         33rd Street EB @ The Alameda
·         The Alameda SB @ 33rd Street\
·         Caton Ave. NB @ Benson Ave.
·         Caton Ave. SB @Benson Ave.
·         Charles St. SB @ Lake Ave.
·         Cold Spring La. WB @ Hillen Rd.
·         Cold Spring La. WB @ Loch Raven Blvd.
·         Cold Spring La. EB @ Tamarind Rd.
·         Cold Spring Lane EB @ Roland Ave.
·         Eastern Ave. EB @ Kane Street
·         Edmondson Ave. EB @ Cooks Lane
·         Edmondson Ave. EB @ Woodridge R
·         Edmondson Ave. WB @ Woodridge Rd.
·         Erdman Ave. EB @ Macon Street
·         Erdman Ave. WB @ Macon St.
·         Franklin Street WB @ Cathedral St.
·         Franklin Street WB @ Pulaski
·         Frederick Ave. EB @ Catherine St.
·         Harford Rd. NB @ The Alameda
·         Harford Rd. NB @ Christopher Ave.
·         Harford Rd. NB @ Rosalie Ave.
·         Hillen Rd SB @ Argonne Drive
·         Liberty Heights Ave. EB @ Hillsdale Rd.
·         Liberty Heights Ave. WB @ Hillsdale Rd.
·         Liberty Heights Ave. NB @ Dukeland St.
·         Madison St. WB @ Caroline St.
·         MLK Jr. Blvd. NB @ Washington Blvd.
·         MLK Jr. Blvd. SB @ Pratt St.
·         North Ave. WB @ Howard St.
·         Northern Pkwy EB @ Greenspring Ave.
·         Northern Pkwy WB @ Greenspring Ave.
·         Northern Pkwy WB @ Park Heights Ave.
·         Northern Pkwy WB @ Springlake Way
·         Northern Pkwy WB @ Waverly Way
·         Orleans St. EB @ Gay St.
·         Orleans St. EB @ Linwood St.
·         Park Heights Ave. NB @ Haywood Ave.
·         Park Heights Ave. SB @ Hayward Ave.
·         Park Heights Ave. NB @ violet Ave.
·         Patapsco Ave WB @ 4th St.
·         Perring Pkwy SB @ Belvedere Ave.
·         Reisterstown Rd SB @ Fallstaff Rd.
·         Sinclair La. WB @ Moravia Rd.
·         Sinclair La. EB @ Shannon Drive
·         Sinclair La. WB @ Shannon Drive
·         Walther Ave. NB @ Glenmore Ave.
·         Wilkens Ave. EB @ Desoto Rd.
·         Wilkens Ave. EB @ Pine Heights Ave

A Crazed Scene

2010-05-29T02:58:00.000-04:00

In the wintery mist
a pitch black sky
lit by only the candles of skyscrapers
a star shines so bright
but the void eats its might
a fish market of noises
brilliantly mixed like a blend of fine sand
wintery and watery
the wind saves the falling
rushing through the thin
passages between their hair
waking the wheel operator
as the car blazes along
lighting up the future like a torch to be followed
there is goes! there is goes!
follow the signs
find your happiness

A different kind of poem

2010-05-10T13:20:00.001-04:00

Winter Wetness

Tall treed forests
Gray, thick, solemn
Slick fog crawling on the floor
A silent bee buzzes towards a netted door
“To arms” as battlements are crowded
A whip lash of arrows
The guilt spilling both ways
While the endorphins rush
up and down
A craze and a hate
An alternation; submission
Confusion enveloping the theatre
As curtains fail to fall
And the fog darkens with a certain wetness
linked to the evaporated twinge
of human hope, human lust, human reason
A breath, it wanders through
Will be get through?
A question to behold,
A question to wonder.

Another poem I wrote…a tad bit rusty

2010-05-09T22:17:00.001-04:00

-- An Ode to Times Gone --
There are times that have come,
there are times that will come,
it is to live in the present
and live fullest
that makes us so human
the essence of a flower bud
that opens in the sun
to spread its radiant scents
and closes in the night
to protect what is endearing
no shivers, just shimmers
a promise held within.

A poem :-)

2010-05-01T23:58:00.001-04:00

Spring to Life!

As the heat waves ebb and flow
the first blossoms of spring begin to glow
in their radiant pinks and greens
whites and yellows
reds and purples
the colors of the rainbows in the sky and on ground
a symbolic connection between love and hope
visible and hidden
the essence of life so integral
to the powerful message that is a flower
blooming in its majestic manner
impressiveness beyond doubt
a symbol of us, for us and about us
life is a blessing
so live it well.

Assisting those in need, an Islamic duty

2010-04-16T17:22:00.001-04:00

This very much is a personal experience.

I rolled up today to Staples near my house. Note, while the weather is slowly getting cloudy, it is still hot and pollen-infested outside. This old guy from like 20 feet away goes “Excuse me sir” and then turns away, only to turn back a few seconds later “Um excuse me sir, I am a courteous guy, um I just wanted to ask you something.”

My curiosity piquing me, I agreed. He asked me if i lived in the area, my reply being “sort of.” He said he was diabetic and his car’s electric transmission failed. He lived in Gaithersburg and he had to wait here till 9pm or catch a bus back for about $13. Why? Because his insurance company/car assistance company were not being nice, friendly or helpful. Now the city he lives in, is about 1 hour 30 minutes away. I said let me see what I can do.

I have no cash or debit cards…and credit cards do not allow a cash-back option. I see him walk into the store and I asked him if he had tried 911 to see if they could offer monetary assistance. He had shown me his drivers license and a credit card and promised to pay back double. I however had no way of helping him and I was surprised when he said that the police officer he had flagged down about half an hour before said “If you were on the highway I could have brought you to a store, but we cannot offer rides or monetary assistance.”

I’m really surprised. I would have assumed that the police would at least have done something…I mean if you can’t pay all your taxes the IRS sets up a plan with you to pay, and banks give you money and set up plans to pay it all back. A government law enforcement and protection agency cannot and will not offer assistance to an old man on insulin who is stranded in another city. Really now? I’m always shocked by how unwilling to help governmental agencies are. Wasn’t government created to assist the citizens? Yes even management of domestic and international affairs counts as assistance. We cannot do it ourselves, so we sanctioned a hierarchal structure of bureaucracy to do it.

I’m always surprised by the little things in life that get people trampled over. The store folks knew his predicament and no one volunteered to give him any of their personal cash if any of them had any.

A good samaritan in the parking lot gave him 10 bucks while I was leaving, so there was progress, but it is impressive now-a-days how un-charitable people have become.

Sad.

Spring is in the air!!!

2010-04-12T21:44:00.001-04:00

…and so is the yellow-green sheen of pollen and boy has it been a horrible two, three weeks. Sneezing, red eyes, itchy ears, I felt like tearing my head off and blasting it with tons of water!

Any-who, its April and the weather is good so that is something we can all be thankful about. I have had a random few exams and am starting to hear about paper deadlines and final exams. I’ve been slow with keeping up with my blog but I’m starting to pick up again. Life is overall okay, I bought more games for my console and I am looking forward to a nice long summer. However, my major is fun but the horrible part is that I’m behind and got denied my chance to catch up >.<

I’ve been meaning to also catch up with friends living around here and far away in DC, but eh I can never find enough time. Hey, I’m enjoying teaching and doing volunteer work so yaay :-)

So thats all for now, I’ll be updating more later.

Peace folks!

Peace on you too!

2010-03-13T09:17:00.001-05:00

I had a rough last week, enduring a random Spanish quiz and a midterm exam that consisted of essay questions >.> I also ended up doing tons of journals that I really did not want to do while studying. Anyways, I had an interesting Friday where my dad and I stopped to join a crowd assisting a stranger whose car had rolled forward and gotten stuck in about 4 inches of wet mud in an inclined position. We all spent two hours pulling the car with our hands, pushing it up, bringing in a GMC Avalanche and another random old car with mud tires to try and pull it out…all our options failed. Think about it, a small car being pulled by a 4-wheel drive which in turn is being pulled by a GMC truck. Quite a scene. In the end, we just had the guy call a tow truck, which came and pulled the car out with tow cables, which parked perpendicular to the car’s back side. Funny part though, is that the driver yelled at the car owner “Stop talking and do what I say, I’ve been doing this for 15 years.” I call that a good burn.

Today has been quite a day too. I was reading a novel until almost 5am, then I woke up at 7am to get ready to take one of my Toyotas in for the recall and then came back to take my family Nissan in for service… horrible customer service though..Appointment was for 8:30am so I say what time will ya’ll be done? All I need done is tire rotation and an oil change … “No idea Sir, we’re just taking the cars as they come in and we have a line.” … “But I’m an appointment not a walk-in.” … What. The. Heck…. Honestly, this crap about Walk-ins and Members/Appointments drives me nuts because I never see exactly how an appointment or being a Dealership member helps me receive expedited service.

Alright folks, enjoy your first days of spring and stay safe in this horrible rainy weather in the Baltimore area.

Intercultural Exchange

2010-02-24T00:51:00.001-05:00

So for my Spanish class at college, I get to take part in an intercultural exchange with students in the city of Valencia, Spain. They are studying English and so for them this is a double opportunity to practice the language and also learn about American culture. For us, we don’t have to write in Spanish but many of us occasionally attempt paragraphs in the language, but mostly we are only using one opportunity – to learn about their culture. Valencia is a city within an autonomous region of Spain and has a wonderfully warm climate that makes me want to just go and sit there on the beach for weeks!

As far as we have progressed in our discussions, a few interesting points have come out. The educational system there is very similar to ours, in terms of taking an equivalent of the SATs, getting governmental/college aid, problems of living on-campus or nearby off-campus. However, they have a more rigorous process during the last two years of high school to help students decide on a major for college. Also, their “Selectividad,” which would translate to “Selectivity” if I am right, tests on more than just Mathematics and English, more like the SATs being merged with the SAT Subject Tests.

Instead of going far away to college, many students prefer colleges within a distance that they can travel to and from within two to three hours, maximum. They have an interesting concept where people go to private colleges only if they cant get into public universities…private not as good maybe or just socially not as liked??? I don’t know, this last bit is still awaiting further discussion.

Alright that is all for tonight, enjoy these facts for now and I shall hopefully continue to update occasionally.

Adios!

Life is wack

2010-02-18T02:17:00.001-05:00

Greetings,

It’s been a while since I last wrote properly. So here is an update into my life. Well…not just my life but tidbits from stuff happening around me.

So I’m taking a whopping 16 credits this semester, yippee! I like all of my classes, except Linear Algebra, that class makes sense one second and does not make sense the other second, which makes me feel frustrated. Also, I picked up, as of this week, a computer science class where the material is sort of interesting and the assignments seem to be decent. Thankfully the projects are group efforts. Seriously though, my Gender & Women Studies course is fun but it requires oodles of reading and writing…I’m shocked that they didn’t tack a ‘Writing Intensive’ label on it.

I’m still waiting for my wonderful red and white Toyota recall letter in the mail. Maybe my car is somehow wonderful and does not need to be fixed, but my more realistic guess is that they are mailing letters out slowly and in a pattern. A large portion of the East Coast *was* shut down because of the 50+ inches of snow that we got.

I found out today that Starbucks will be ending its credit card program. Wowie, think of all those people who were signing up until about 2 months ago. I’m sure however that those owning the credit cards will be made happy in some way. Maybe free lattes for a month? (If that’s the case, sign me up before they stop accepting applications!!)

In related news, my on-campus Starbucks, a franchise run by some contracted company that runs all the stores on campus….does not have Earl Grey Tea Lattes and they’ve been out for almost three weeks now. Oh and don’t forget White Chocolate Mocha, they were out in December and I have not checked, but apparently are *still* out of that drink. Do they not realize that White Chocolate Mocha is Starbucks’ most well known drink that most people on college campuses desire?!?!

Finally, I don’t like money or finances or anything to do with the “$” sign. It sucks and makes people dependent and sometimes crushes them under payments and more payments.

^---- The above will probably change once I have a better handle on my finances…in 3 – 4 years time when I’m making the 70K plus :-D

Alrighty, that’s all for now. Good night and stay warm!

Toyota Has A Fix/Solution for their Cars!!!!

2010-02-05T15:09:00.001-05:00

To Our Valued Customer,

I would like to take this time to inform you of the actions that Toyota Motor Sales and Russel Toyota are taking to ensure your Toyota is performing the way you expect it to.

As you know, Toyota announced a recall of approximately 1.8 million vehicles due to a condition they call a "sticky" accelerator. This condition is extremely rare and is confined to a specific gas petal made by a single supplier. This is not an unintended acceleration issue as misreported by many in the media. The condition is one that may occur over time and not one that can occur suddenly.

Toyota has identified the cause and they have a fix. The fix involves inserting a steel reinforcement bar into the accelerator assembly that will eliminate the friction that is the culprit. This fix is simple and takes less than an hour to accomplish.

Toyota will send notifications to everyone involved in the recall and you should then call and make an appointment to have the fix completed. If you feel uncomfortable or uneasy waiting for notification, please feel free to call and make an appointment and we will complete the fix for you. You should know that not every vehicle is involved. For instance, you may have a Camry or Corolla that is not included in this recall. You should call and our staff will be able to walk you through the process and let you know if, in fact your vehicle is even affected.

At Russel, we have staffed and reworked our hours of operation to accommodate everyone in an orderly and efficient manner. We pledge to help our customers and make this as seamless and convenient as possible. We ask that you make an appointment so we can better allocate our time and resources.

This is an unusual step for Toyota to have taken and it the first time in more than fifty-five years of selling vehicles in America that Toyota has had a recall involving the U.S. Government. Toyota is committed to making this situation as smooth as possible for its dealer and our customers. Russel is committed to making this a positive experience for all. We are here to assist you in any way and you should feel free to call any of us anytime to answer any questions you may have.

(My Local Toyota Dealership)

Summer Paid Internship Announcements!

2010-01-28T23:52:00.001-05:00

Intern at any Maryland Nonprofit this Summer and Get Paid

Participate in the Walter Sondheim Maryland Nonprofit Leadership Program

Deadline: Monday, March 22nd

The Maryland Nonprofit Leadership Program offers paid summer internship opportunities in the nonprofit sector to college juniors, seniors, and graduate students attending Maryland institutions. Participating interns work for ten weeks full-time from June 1st to August 6th while participating in bi-weekly seminars in nonprofit management. Each participating student receives a $3,000 scholarship.

College and university undergraduate and graduate students from various majors are provided with an opportunity to build valuable skills, gain experience in managing and leading public service organizations, and explore career choices within this sector. In doing so, the Public Service Summer Internship Program makes an important contribution to the development of the state’s current and future workforce and citizenry.

Qualifications: Eligible applicants must be graduate or undergraduate with a GPA of 3.00 or higher. In addition, all undergraduate applicants must be entering their junior or senior year during the Fall 2010 semester. All majors are strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Interns receive a $3000 stipend.

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

Participate in the Governor’s Summer Internship Program

Open to ALL Majors!

The Governor’s Summer Internship Program introduces college students to the unique challenges and rewards of working within MD State Government. For 10 weeks beginning June 7th, interns

• Work in state government agencies on substantive tasks, including drafting speeches and correspondence, tracking legislation, attending hearings, assisting with constituent case work, and researching policy options.

• Participate in seminars with top Maryland officials and make site visits to State facilities.

• Develop policy papers on a significant issue facing Maryland (e.g. the Chesapeake Bay, crime, care for the elderly) and present their findings in person to the Governor.

Qualifications: Applicants must be entering their junior or senior year during the Fall 2010 semester, with a GPA of 3.00 or higher. All majors are strongly encouraged to apply.

Compensation: Interns receive a $3000 stipend.

Deadline to Apply: March 8, 2010

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APPLY to the MDOT Fellows Internship Program this Summer

Challenge yourself this summer with the Maryland Department of Transportation

$3,500 stipend for 8 weeks this summer

OPEN TO ALL MAJORS

The Maryland Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Fellows Internship Program is designed to recruit Maryland's most promising college students and introduce them to the rewards and challenges of working within Maryland's integrated transportation system through a two-semester internship.

Students may be placed as interns at one of MDOT's agencies:

* Maryland Aviation Administration

* Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration

* Maryland Port Administration

* Maryland Transit Administration

* Maryland State Highway Administration

* Maryland Transportation Authority

* The Secretary's Office (MDOT Headquarters)

Deadline to Apply: March 12th

More information can be found at:http://www.shrivercenter.org/mdot/mdot_student.html

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Interview for a Summer Internship w/University Directories

Sales and Marketing Interns Needed

Intern Interviews will take place at the Shriver Center.

If interested, apply to intern position 9237512 on UMBCworks by February 5th. If you do not have an approved resume on UMBCworks but are still interested, e-mail your resume to Christine Routzahn at the Shriver Center at routzahn@umbc.edu

2.75 GPA required

University Directories, a leader in collegiate marketing, offers a paid summer sales internship to college students who are self-motivated, energetic, organized, and have a desire to succeed. As a sales representative, you will sell and market advertising and communication services in one of our nationwide college markets. The internship begins with an intense expense-paid training on the campus of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Following training you will embark on a summer-long internship back in your college or home market, where you will develop and improve the needed skills to succeed in today’s business world. Throughout the summer you will work with local business owners to target their advertising to the college community and provide them with a well-rounded marketing strategy. This internship requires full-time availability Monday through Friday, 8:30am-6:00pm. The experience and skills you gain during the internship will make you stand out from the rest in today’s overcrowded job market. University Directories has eleven Career Partners who hire students directly from our internship program. They include:

• ADP • CBS Collegiate Sports Properties • Edward Jones • Enterprise • Federated Insurance

• GlobalEnglish • Insight Global, Inc. • New Orleans Hornets • Unum • Valpak • Wolseley

Dear Starbucks,

2010-01-18T20:31:00.001-05:00

I love coffee, and more so, I love Starbucks Coffee (Caramel Brulee is like a taste of heaven)

Someone who made me laugh and shares my feelings towards Starbucks….

http://www.stoopstorytelling.com/shows/38/storytellers/334

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Mister Moh

Windows 7 is good stuff

2010-01-18T13:09:00.001-05:00

I installed Windows 7 Home Premium on my laptop last night. It took a little longer than the “2 hours” they estimated, but that’s okay because it was an estimate. Anywho, the OS works very well, I am getting used to the new setup/layout, its pretty easy to learn for me, but then again I am a tech savvy individual.

Since installation, I have had 2-3 programs that go “Not Responding” while loading, but they still load and the best part is, I can still minimize them or just leave them there and click on, say, the Internet Explorer button and have it open up. I wonder if Windows 7 have hyper threading or something like that built in, because that’s pretty cool…the ability to open up another item while one is stuck, without causing a slowdown on the computer’s response times. Nice eh!

Alright that’s all for now, keep reading and I’ll keep blogging.

Peace

Tax Season is here!

2010-01-13T22:22:00.001-05:00

Hola! Bonjour! Hello!

Tax season is here and that means its time to do those tax returns, and I hope, wait anxiously for those refund checks! Remember, that this year college tuition credits like the Hope credit and Lifetime Learning Credit allow the tuition payer to include NOT just tuition but ALSO the cost of books, online services (like homework websites by publishers) and any other items or fees paid to fully participate in a class.

Whether you’re doing taxes yourself or with a professional, remember to look out for this inclusion and if you don’t hear or see it, look and ask for it. In these difficult economic times, every dollar saved counts.

For more information visit www.textbookaid.org

And if you need taxes done, I do taxes!

Price: USD 50 for families, 20$ for students (includes part-time single-status people). Write me a comment and I’ll definitely post my contact info on here.

Good year, bad year

2009-12-31T16:44:00.001-05:00

So i haven’t posted for almost two to three weeks, oh well.

Today is the last day of 2009, a year that has been both good and bad. It has been a time of reflection, growth, introspective realization and troubles. Yes, troubles.

Good news is that we the USA are beginning to wind down two wars, the money we save once all this is over hopefully will go into more home care packages…you know, like giving states money to renovate and rebuild schools, repair roadways and highways. Either on tv or in the news, there are articles/shows about “America’s aging infrastructure.” Bringing the troops home and ending two wars means a lot more money available to fix up our public infrastructure, build metro/subway systems both above and below ground, start reducing the public debt and make overhauls to many important aspects of national public life. So good luck President Obama, we love ya and we support you. You can do it, we can help :-)

Personally, the summer was horrible. Did really bad in my summer class (accelerated calculus based physics 2…what would you think) and i had a lot of family and personal issues to handle. This semester was ok, I really could have done better. I’m really stressed about my next 3-4 semesters of undergraduate life. I have a lot of responsibilities that I have to juggle with my academia and social sphere. A lot of commitments being dropped, a lot of learning and growing happening, my life has really changed, some for the better, some hopefully for the better and some i don’t know yet.

So this is me bidding farewell to the year 2009, fare thy well 2009 and I hope that 2010 will bring better news, a better life and more wholesome goodness to the lives of not just me, but everyone in America and around the globe.

Peace out folks and Happy New Year.

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T16:31:00.001-05:00

We wish you a merry new year

we wish you a merry new year

we wish youuuu a merry new year

make wise financial decisions :)

An article worth perusing through and reflecting upon!

2009-12-14T01:20:00.001-05:00

“Addicted to Nonsense”

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/addicted_to_nonsense_20091129/

Oh the holidays are coming up!

2009-12-04T23:10:00.001-05:00

Eid and Thanksgiving passed, so did Black friday and Cyber Monday. Coming up now are Christmas and winter break.

I just joined the Barnes & Noble affiliate program so I’ll be putting up a search box from that store too in some time. I enjoy seeing all those delicious chocolates on my blog hehe, alas I can’t buy anything myself because I. Am. Broke.

Anywho I wanted to plug in a website, NickelBids, its an online bidding/auction website that sells fresh-from-the-factory-still-boxed items, and expensive ones at that too…like Xbox 360 Elites, iMacs, iPhones, high value American Express and Visa giftcards.

Interested? Use this referral link to visit so if you sign up, I get rewarded … http://nickelbids.com/users/register/mohmah

Busy Busy

2009-11-30T22:00:00.001-05:00

I’ve been really busy recently. Thanksgiving and Eid, that long weekend gave me one day of fun, where I did nothing much hang out on Friday with friends and I actually enjoyed *gasp*. Apart from that Sunday was super crazy with doing homework and studying, Saturday was horrible, boring and restless and Wednesday evening along with Thursday were spent doing nothing except watching a few episodes of Stargate Universe on Syfy Rewind. Yeah I know that doesn’t sound busy but my mind was busy spinning too fast causing me to freeze up like a deer caught in headlights, unable to do much except sit in fear of work and school.

In other news, my fish have been growing in Fishville, an application on Facebook. I now have two tanks of virtual fish that I love to sell off. Yes I am horrible :P

Alright now I’m off to write a 5 page paper and study for an exam both due in the next two days. Yay fun right. Bleh I hate how professors stick everything on us at the same time.

Good night.

Re-promoting an old post

2009-11-26T19:56:00.001-05:00

A student at the college I transferred out of loves Chipotle's burritos. Visit Matt Silverman’s website at www.chipotlefan.com to make your own digital burrito, share burrito stories and recipes and most important of all, use the calorie calculator to see your calorie intake.

SO HOW HEALTHY WAS YOUR BURRITO?!?!?!

Happy Thanksgiving/Happy Eid

2009-11-26T18:39:00.001-05:00

Today, November 26th is Thanksgiving Day, a day when Americans give thanks and take a moment to reflect on the their past, their present and build within themselves a positive optimism and hope for the future.

The first Thanksgiving Dinner was of course, without turkey. It was a celebration by the Pilgrims to commemorate living through their first North American winter and surviving the hardships of food rationing and freezing cold.

Tomorrow, November 27th is the Islamic festival of Eid ul Adha. Thanks to the lunar calendar moving 11 days faster than the solar Gregorian one, this second Eid is being celebrated the day after Thanksgiving. It is the day when Muslims recognize the sacrifices of Abraham and his willingness to put even his own son to the knife, by sacrificing in God’s name an animal, usually a sheep, goat, cow or camel.

Coincidentally both festivals have similarities. Both are times of reflection on our past and present, of joy and coming-together, of sacrificing an animal…only to eat it, and of pondering over our goals for the future.

This is what I think? What do you think? Let me know!

My New Addiction

2009-11-16T23:58:00.001-05:00

I haven’t posted on my blog for a few days now. One I have been studying for a genetics exam that is now almost two weeks late…second, I found FISHVILLE on facebook and I’m addicted to it. Yup, thats my new addiction on the fancy gigantic World Wide Web.

Mid Semester

2009-11-13T23:33:00.001-05:00

Dear all

I am slowly defecting as a Googler and becoming a Microsoftie. Hahaha I joke, I will never completely take any of the two sides. However, I must say, both are competing really well and I love the new interfaces coming out of both companies.

I have Windows 7 Home Premium, but I haven’t installed it yet. I’m considering either waiting until November’s end to install or maybe over winter break (late December), when I do not have to worry about waking up at a gawd-forsaken 8am to get to lectures on time.

Any Moozlems out there, or Muslims as I say it, I really recommend you check out this group from California called “Noor.” They are an all Arab-American band I believe and have really good music. Their website is www.noorification.com and I urge you all to visit. They started two to three years back and for me, at least, they are a group whose songs I can listen to over and over again without getting tired. Of course if you like their music, click on the iTunes link in my blog's sidebar to fire up your iTunes and buy their album for $7.99 or $0.99/song.

Otherwise, life for me is still pretty plain and simple. I go to class, hang out with my small close knit group of friends, work at my internship, study on my weekends, play games once a week, do homework and help out occasionally with the UMBC chapter of Not For Sale Campaign (search us on Facebook).

Yup, that is all for now. Hope to hear from my readers/viewers! :)

A little something I wrote

2009-11-07T17:37:00.001-05:00

Thoughts

comfort and joy
fill this land of soy
its not the real thing
its not even bling bling
so fling it out the window
and start anew
this world had a dream once
live it for it is true

Favorite Science News of the Week

2009-11-04T01:37:00.001-05:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20091102/sc_livescience/giantcrackinafricawillcreateanewocean;_ylt=AhDQUV7WDziLL6fDy1IREcoPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTNiNTIwZHZzBGFzc2V0A2xpdmVzY2llbmNlLzIwMDkxMTAyL2dpYW50Y3JhY2tpbmFmcmljYXdpbGxjcmVhdGVhbmV3b2NlYW4EcG9zAzQEc2VjA3luX21vc3RfcG9wdWxhcgRzbGsDZ2lhbnRjcmFja2lu

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091104/sc_afp/scienceastronomychilejapan;_ylt=AgoxWD2xOmLUw9UIpUt9Y0IPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTMwZTZ0MDNoBGFzc2V0A2FmcC8yMDA5MTEwNC9zY2llbmNlYXN0cm9ub215Y2hpbGVqYXBhbgRwb3MDOARzZWMDeW5fYXJ0aWNsZV9zdW1tYXJ5X2xpc3QEc2xrA2FzdHJvbm9tZXJzcw--

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/091103-st-gps-quasars.html

Help Stop Child Sex Trafficking

2009-10-30T23:46:00.001-04:00

Dear [Reader]

In 1994, seven-year-old Megan Kanka from New Jersey was raped and killed by a known child molester.
In the wake of this tragedy, the Kanka family fought successfully to have local communities warned about sex offenders in the area. All states now have a form of Megan's Law.
There is now a bill in Congress that would expand the protection of Megan's Law, mandating reporting requirements for convicted sex traffickers trying to engage in international travel, and preventing entry into the U.S. by any foreign sex offender against a minor.
Click here to help stop the sex trafficking of children >
This bill could make a real difference in the fight against the buying and selling and trafficking of innocent children. In the U.S. and around the world, thousands of pimps, traffickers, and child molesters are treating our kids like objects to be used and discarded. This bill will send a loud and unambiguous message to those who believe they can buy, sell, and abuse our children with impunity: never again.
If enough of us join the fight in the silent war being raged against our kids on the streets, we can make a difference.
Please send your Congressperson a letter today to encourage them to pass an expansion to Megan's Law and help protect kids from abuse.
Tell Congress to protect children vulnerable to exploitation now
Thanks for your passion and your voice,
- The Change.org Team in partnership with Covenant House

Exam time

2009-10-29T01:00:00.001-04:00

Alright so just a quick update on my life, I’ve been busy recently with exams. Life in all ways has been quite hectic for me and I’m just glad that God’s given me the strength to walk through it all with patience, perseverance, will power and a smile on my face.

I know in my previous post I promised referral links/search bars. I have them I just need to find an hour or two to put them up in a neat and organized fashion…hopefully this weekend, but it looks busy because with the approaching colder fall weather its time to mow the lawns one more time and I also have to go to a friend’s wedding reception. w00t!!

On a personal note, I’m beginning to become more studious and I actually started using iTunes this year, not just for music but to re-view class lectures.

So yeah, I will start putting up stuff on this blog, starting with interesting articles that I will try to talk about a little, hopefully get some comments rolling since I don’t know how many people follow my blog. It would nice to get suggestions or have some bit of feed back occasionally. And most importantly, please promote my site’s links/referral tools to your friends and others, your searching and clicking will help me pay my financial obligations :)

Thanks and cheers! -- MisterMoh

Lollipop Lollipop Lolli Lolli Lolli-pop

2009-10-21T23:08:00.001-04:00

That’s my shout out to my man Fady. Exam times are rolling around and so are registrations for winter and spring semesters >_<. As you can tell, not something I really want to be thinking about or even considering.

As a college student in debt, I’ve been thinking of various ways to start earning some revenue. I plan on adding those “affiliate” search bars to my blog soon and hopefully everyone of you will use and promote them on my behalf.

I also have old novels and a few textbooks on sale on amazon.com (search for seller “minidoctor")…not all the books are by me, more than half of my collection is donated by a very close and special friend of mine. I’m thinking of saving fees and simply selling them on craigslist or on this blog.

Also, if I had bought hand made jewelry for a low price (say $5) and sold them for $20 each on this website with a picture and description of each, would this be something people would be interested in purchasing? I would constantly update the blog to pull off the sold pieces or I could have a website where I sold them?

Ideas? Tips or suggestions? I would love comments people!

Peace out for tonight.

Second ("2nd") Launch

2009-10-19T17:11:00.000-04:00

Ahoy Mateys!

A completely redesigned blog is getting launched by moi. I'm going to work on keeping this spot updated as much as possible and I will try to cover as broad of a spectrum as possible, everything from sports to science, HTML to Edward Cullen :P

Lets get this party started and keep those comments coming so I know where to improve.

Your Friendly Neighbourhood blogger,

MisterMoh

Scotch tape experimented upon!

2008-10-23T22:05:00.001-04:00

http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/23/scotch-tape-surprises-everyone-by-producing-x-rays/

Engadget reported that apparently geeky scientists tried to unwind scotch tape really fast and the result: x-rays....now you don't need a trip to the doctors, simply someone to help you unwind a few dollars worth of scotch tape and you're good to go.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-10-21T23:00:00.001-04:00

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MCCAIN: My friends that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

SARAH PALIN: A moving chicken makes better sport for target practice.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure (right from Day One!) that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken. What is your definition of road?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We need more black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the problem on this side of the road before it goes after the problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that this chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the Farmer's Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a certain level. No bird gave me any insider information about crossing.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay! Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why they call it the 'other side.' Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you may become gay, also. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like 'the other side.' That chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why a chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for the first time, the heartwarming story of how it had experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens crossing roads together.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken 2008, which will not only cross roads, but will integrate with those that lay eggs. Henhouse Explorer is an integral part of eChicken 2008. This new platform is much more stable than previous versions.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road pass beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Which way did he go?

Environmentally Friendly Ideas in the News

2008-09-28T01:05:00.001-04:00

Check out these two articles, each from a different newspaper in Maryland.

County considers allowing private turbines

http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080903/NEWS01/809030382/-1/newsfront2

Residential windmill approved for Phoenix

http://www.explorebaltimorecounty.com/news/1703/residential-windmill-approved-phoenix/

If the links don't work then it is likely the pages have been removed or moved to the newspaper's archive, if any.

The Good Muhammedan: Or, The Return to "No god but God" (Paperback)

2008-09-05T01:39:00.001-04:00

New book on Amazon.com.... It was recommended to me by a alum from my college. I don't think I'm going to buy/read it just yet though.

Url: http://www.amazon.com/Good-Muhammedan-Return-god-but/dp/1606721038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220592984&sr=1-1

Obama's Acceptance Speech @ the DNC

2008-09-05T01:27:00.001-04:00

For the record,

that was an amazing speech I don't care how awesome the Republicans made Palin's sound like.

Now, I was counting the number of times Sen. (and next President!) Barack Obama said thank you to the audience while on stage waving to the audience before beginning his Presidential nomination acceptance speech.

30.

(disclaimer: it might have been 31, but I believe I'm pretty accurate.)

"Islamic superheroes on a mission"

2008-08-08T23:40:00.001-04:00

Check out this Time magazine article, about the Teshkeel Media Group. The founder is a Kuwaiti-born, US-educated businessman who took a religious idea, applied the archetypes within and now has 99 superheroes being promoted through comics books, comic strips, animated cartoons and SIX THEME PARKS!!!

What now Six Flags? haha I'm not much of a water/theme park fan.

Link:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1828732,00.html?imw=Y

The History of Memorial Day

2007-05-28T15:25:00.001-04:00

Taken from: http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, in his General Order No. 11, and was first observed on 30 May 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war). It is now celebrated in almost every State on the last Monday in May (passed by Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 (P.L. 90 - 363) to ensure a three day weekend for Federal holidays), though several southern states have an additional separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas, April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 (Jefferson Davis' birthday) in Louisiana and Tennessee.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it.

Traditional observance of Memorial day has diminished over the years. Many Americans nowadays have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country.

There are a few notable exceptions. Since the late 50's on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at each of approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park on Marye's Heights (the Luminaria Program). And in 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps."

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend in with the National Holiday Act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

On January 19, 1999 Senator Inouye introduced bill S 189 to the Senate which proposes to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day back to May 30th instead of "the last Monday in May". On April 19, 1999 Representative Gibbons introduced the bill to the House (H.R. 1474). The bills were referred the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Government Reform.

To date, there has been no further developments on the bill.

Quotable Quotes Pt. II

2007-04-30T23:36:00.001-04:00

"If you believe you can or you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford

"Remember always that you have not only the right to be an individual, you have the obligation to be one." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"You don't know how you're going to die or when, you can only choose how you're going to live now." - Joan Baer

"Beautiful bodies and beautiful personalities rarely go together" - Karl Jung

Quotable Quotes

2007-04-29T17:09:00.001-04:00

"What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear." - Dinah Mulock Craik

"No written law can ever be more binding than unwritten custom supported by popular opinion." - Currie Chapman Catt, 1920

"Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down." - Jimmy Durante

"Success isn't measured by the position you reach in life; it's measured by the obstacles you overcome." - Booker T. Washington

"People tend to become what you tell them they are." - Dorothy Delay

"Distance is a great promoter of admiration" - Diderot

"Generalizations are generally wrong." - Mary Wortley Montagu

"I cannot see what has been done, only what remains to be done." - Marie Curie

"What we do for ourselves dies with us; what we do for others remains and is immortal." - Alfred Pyle

"Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill

"Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal." - Paula Vaull Starr

"The pen is the tongue of the mind." - Miguel Cervantes

"We must live together as brothers, or we will perish together as fools." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity." - Oprah Winfrey

"Expect nothing. Live frugally on surprise." - Alice Walker

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life." - Muhammed Ali

"The truth is that there is nothing in being superior to somebody else. THe only real nobility is in being superior to your former self." - Whitney Young, Civil Rights Leader

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Both tears and sweat are salty but render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change." - Jesse Jackson

"Self-pity is as snug as a feather mattress in its early stages. Only when it hardens does it become uncomfortable." - Maya Angelou

"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but she did it backwards and in high heels." - Faith Whittlesey, on being a woman on President Reagan's staff

"A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." - attributed to Gloria Steinem

"In politics, if you want anything said, ask a man, if you want anything done, ask a woman." - Margaret Thatcher

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

"Learning is never without errors and defeat." - Vladimir Lenin

"Our chief want in life is somebody who can make us do what we can. Having found them, we shall hate them for it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson