Controlled Chaos

Inquiries have validity in their own right, and sometimes the way is as valuable or moreso as the destination. In considering a question, one must open their mind, consider reality, and lay bare the presuppositions of the self. Of course, this is a much more apropos statement with regard to open-ended questions, especially those of religious, philosophic, or political nature, as they encourage debate and the transfer of ideas, exploration of the world and the self, and more. Questions are the impetus to action, and without them the world would be bland and sedate. Questions lead to inventions, understanding, and success sometimes, but far more often, they lead to more questions. Thus, questions possess a power for exposing the infinite that an answer never could.

[[Current mood:guruish]]
[[Category: Religion and Philosophy]]

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the next five years will only be a piece of my life, which seems to always be moving (perhaps there aren’t enough spirals of relaxation…). That said, I think they will make me more well-read, more fluent in Indonesian, and, insyAllah, more Indonesian!

Muslim-Hindu punk rock bands part of new movement.

The movement’s birth is often credited to the novel “The Taqwacore,” by Michael Muhammad Knight, a Rochester, N.Y.-raised writer who converted to Islam.

Knight coined the book’s title from the Arabic word “Taqwa,” which means piety or God-fearing, and the word hardcore. The 2003 book portrayed an imagined world of living-on-the-edge Muslim punk rockers and influenced real-life South Asians to form their own bands.

Identity formation is such an interesting thing.  Taqwacore represents what I see as a natural progression as children of conservative families define themselves against the stereotypes that they are held against all too often.

New York Fulbright Enrichment Seminar

9 lbs 4 oz

(Oliver – 9 lbs 12 oz)

It’s like a beer competition for marijuana.

Clay Shirky on institutions vs. collaboration | Video on TED.com.

A novel way to look at the role of an institution and the way that internet forces may change citizen participation.

Skin Whitening | Skin Cancer.

Ironic, that white people attempt to get tan to the extent that they get cancer, and brown people spend so much time trying to get white, ignorant to the way so many white woman feel about whiteness.

I think the “one white can cover up three ugliness” quote is especially befuddling.

Grocers carve even more off turkey prices this year | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Dallas Business News.

The price of life is now below 33 cents per pound!…

NY1 | 24 Hour Local News | Education | Bronx Students Place Stamp On Future.

High school seniors at the school I teach at go to the post office to send off their college applications.  It’s a big day, and something they should be very proud of!

Also check out the pictures of the event posted by a teacher at my school.