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Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
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12:42 am - Islam: On Al-Khidr, the Green One
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A comment I made on a friend's thread, wherein we were talkin' religion, and she asked about having heard a reference to a Green Man and Sufis:
"Al-Khidr or Al-Khizr, the Green One. ( religion lurks here )
current music: Mark Knopfler - Darling Pretty
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| Saturday, November 21st, 2009
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12:32 am
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"If this is a GM vehicle, check for possible faulty BCM by banging BCM with hammer while undesired door lock operation is occurring. If banging with hammer affects unwanted door lock operation, replace BCM."
Somehow, any mechanical advice involving "banging with hammer" sounds like something I'm going to not try at home, folks...
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| Thursday, November 12th, 2009
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10:43 am
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They've pretty much canceled everything, including Boodgie's school. Aren't many vehicles on the road.
Truth to tell, it doesn't look yet like much. But I'm not about to ask for more, you know?
From the front of the house:( Read more... )
That's a bit less pleasant, but none of it is very exciting. We don't want exciting, no sir.
Also of note: builders in the past, unlike developers of now, generally showed some sense in where and how they built (note: in a state like Virginia, with a comparatively long history of European settlement, nothing was built before in a location...There was probably a reason people didn't build there. And yet, developers keep putting up McMansions on wetland areas, which is just plumb foolish all around. And people keep buying these houses, and then being surprised and outraged when the land acts as a sponge and they get flooded out or whatever. People are dumb and greedy at times. Never mind the people who bought up such houses in a development right under a flight path for fighter jets, and were STUNNED when they asked the Navy to stop flying the icky noisy jets over their houses, and the Navy said no. Those jets go over regularly; don't tell me those people didn't have some inkling that was an issue before they signed up.) So: I have to assume that since these houses have been here 100 years, we're not actually all that likely to have really destructive damage as a matter of course. As a matter of course, I say, because if you want God to laugh, tell Him your plans.
Anyway, I have a buttload of work to do so I'll do that and then be on later.
current mood:  busy
current music: Jr. Walker and the All-Stars - Shotgun
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| Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
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11:47 pm
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So we are right in the very thick of this Nor'easter/coastal storm thing that they've been showing exciting video of weather dudes on the beach in windbreakers on (you know those weather dudes probably have fistfights to determine which one of them gets to stand manfully in the face of a storm with a microphone; they obviously relish it so)...
This is the "coastal flood warning" for us from the NWS:
A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM EST FRIDAY.
THE APPROACHING NEW PHASE OF THE MOON... IN TANDEM WITH THE STRONG ONSHORE FLOW... WILL LEAD TO INCREASING TIDAL ANOMALIES THAT WILL BUILD TO 3 TO 4 FT ABOVE NORMAL FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN MODERATE TO SIGNIFICANT COASTAL FLOODING... WITH THE GREATEST THREAT FOR FLOODING COMING WITH THE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY HIGH TIDE CYCLES.
HIGH TIDE AT SEWELLS POINT WILL OCCUR AT 503 AM EST THURSDAY MORNING... AND HIGH TIDE AT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL WILL OCCUR AT 419 AM EST THURSDAY MORNING. THE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER LEVEL IS EXPECTED TO REACH 6.5 TO 7.0 FT AT SEWELLS POINT EARLY THURSDAY MORNING... WHICH WILL RESULT IN MODERATE TO SEVERE FLOODING. THE MEAN LOWER LOW WATER LEVEL IS EXPECTED TO REACH 6.0 TO 6.5 FT AT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL EARLY THURSDAY MORNING... WHICH WILL RESULT IN SEVERE FLOODING. THE THREAT WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE WITH EACH SUCCESSIVE HIGH TIDE THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IMMINENT. COASTAL RESIDENTS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RISING WATER... AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY.
...A STORM WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 48 TO 63 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. RECREATIONAL BOATERS SHOULD REMAIN IN PORT... OR TAKE SHELTER UNTIL WINDS AND WAVES SUBSIDE. COMMERCIAL VESSELS SHOULD PREPARE FOR VERY STRONG WINDS AND DANGEROUS SEA CONDITIONS... AND CONSIDER REMAINING IN PORT OR TAKING SHELTER IN PORT UNTIL WINDS AND WAVES SUBSIDE.
Well, then. So Boodgie's school is letting out early tomorrow, and I dunno if my bellydance class will be on or not, since lots of stuff's gotten canceled. THe wind is annoying, since stuff is thumping around.
Realize this house is across the street from Hampton Roads itself (where the rivers meet), so we're likely to have problems if it comes to that. The TV flooding warnings are almost humorous: at Virginia Beach, they've suspended surfing til the weekend (I know surfers dig rain, but this would be "end of Point Break ridiculous"), and also recommends you get all your stuff off the floor (so suspend all your furniture from the ceiling), and look over your insurance policy to make sure you're covered for flooding.
...Wouldn't you have been wanting to do that when it's not fixing to flood? I mean, all you're going to do, if you come to the unpleasant realization you're not covered right now, is prepare yourself for being screwed. It's not like they're going to let you call and ask for flood coverage right now, are they?
I braved the weather (gasp!) to hit the grocery store at the end of the street, since there's not enough super-squishy food here for my current state, and I wanted oatmeal for supper (I have no taste for grits right now). That grocery store has like an entire aisle devoted to assorted pig parts -- everything but the oink, basically. Pepper jowls, chitlins, and so forth. All that funky pork permeates the store. After I got home with my oatmeal I discovered I smelled like salt pork for a good 15 minutes. Mmm...
current mood:  calm
current music: Sam Cooke - Frankie And Johnny
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2:10 pm
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Back from dentist, obviously...
Good news: nothing is wrong with the tooth I've been fretting about. It's pain and infection from retained roots of the tooth I lost a couple of years back.
Once the infection is in hand (I've got some shitkicking antibiotics), he will be removing the roots, inchallah Monday.
He said my teeth look well-kept and healthy for someone with such a spotty dental history.
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| Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
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10:41 pm
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Tooth issue has abruptly gotten worse. In the last hour, I've developed a serious pocket of swelling over where my upper wisdom tooth and the one next to it used to be. It's so swollen I can't comfortably put my teeth together. I've fot some kind of serious abscess under the gum there.
In the last HOUR.
Have taken three Advil; have been treating with lots of rinses of Listerine, salt water, hydrogent peroxide, and tea tree oil in an attempt to mitigate it until i can see a dentist.
I am going tomorrow to my dad's dentist; this is clearly an emergency.
I have a lot of other stuff going on, but this needs immediate attention.
Any other suggestions on what I can do until tomorrow? Anyone do the sticking a teabag in your mouth thing as a home remedy for relief?
Edited for additional note: clove oil is often the first thing that people do, but I'm allergic to it, so it's out :(
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1:58 pm
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So it was another minimally-sleep-filled night for me, thanks to this vicious tooth.
I woke up virtually painfree, however. But now it's back with a vengeance. Thought: health services for those with limited resources seem to be more aimed toward stopping you from using their services than providing them.
I have many, many thoughts on many things. One of them, after yesterday, is this Obvious Thing is Obvious, because it was driven home to me, even though it's been axiomatic for, ah, a while...
Communities designed as "safe spaces" which largely serve a white, privileged demographic are never as safe for WOC or other marginalized groups, because the definition and enforcement of what is "safe" is going to not serve other groups well. The definitions and cultural constructs that various groups use and find acceptable are going to be different, i.e., speaking different languages. And in any such case, there may be lip service to it being safe space for the marginalized, but in the end, the majority's values are going to win out (unless a very conscious decision otherwise is made) in whose safe space needs to be protected. Especially so if you insert a Crying White Woman™ into the equation. Because the way in which both opposing groups view a CWW™ is necessarily going to be different, as is the way they respond to such; it also has a lot to do with whose "language" in this is more highly valued in the context of the community.
This is not about having compassion, either -- it's about how such behavior is perceived by different groups, who have different lenses for viewing the same behavior. I don't know of any solution for that, except that defining one's terms on who is going to get priority in such cases should be explicit enough to admit to not including minority groups, unless they are willing to "speak the right language," i.e., one which may not reflect what they value but the majority demographic does. However, given that such safe spaces are meant to be consciously inclusive, this would be a problematic thing to say, wouldn't it? Nevertheless, there's a reason why certain communities are so heavily skewed to that privileged demographic: other people may feel unwelcome because the values and norms the community enforces are majority values or norms, and that point will get driven home periodically. It's really a hard thing for comms to balance, but I wish there would be some admission of it as a problem at least, or an acknowledgment that this is so.
Damn, that was wordy. It boils down to this: there's a good reason that WOC do not trust feminist-slanted groups largely made up of privileged white girls, no matter how earnest and liberal. Because when the chips are down, there's no doubt who is going to come out on top.
Just thoughts.
current mood:  grumpy
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10:36 am - One further link
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I'm going to say this as a disclaimer, and please heed it:
I am no authority on Islam. I am a seeker, with only as much information as my little feeble naf-ridden brain can absorb from worthy sources. Take my ideas and posts on this for whatever they are worth, but do not assume I speak from any kind of position as an authority or scholar. This is entirely personal, and anything I say should be considered as only one possible source of infor to spur thought. I'm not even a particularly good Muslim.
I'd almost say if you read nothing else on that list, and even (and especially) if your interest in this is entirely that of an outsider and your take on this whole matter is only from a sociopolitical standpoint, you might should read this article:
Islamic Dilemma and the Sufi Message. While it is only *one* perspective on the matter, and is basically an op-ed piece rather than straight info, I highly recommend it and think it is of great value.
I also might need to make something clear, for those who really don't know much about the subject, because i've said it before: I never assume people are ignorant, but I also try not to assume they know specific things about a specific subject. This has nothing to do with "talking down" to anyone; if you already know this, skip it...
The issue of Sufism in Islam is not entirely without controversy. That's putting it mildly. Islam is a religion that has a lot of different systems of belief under its larger umbrella. While all Muslims share certain universal practices and beliefs -- i.e., the Qur'an as absolute authority, the Five Pillars of Islam, the hadith, the Shari'ah, remembrance of the 99 names of God, the forms and times of prayer -- there is a lot of room for difference in belief and practice under that umbrella. This includes not only the big divisions like the succession that divided Sunni and Shia, but also matters of social and cultural mores like what constitutes proper dress, whether certain things are haram or halal, etc. So much stuff is subject to interpretation (which is what all those fatwas are about -- it's scholars speaking with authority to clarify theological matters, whether you judge for better or worse.) Certain things are *not* open to interpretation, but so many things are.
In short, there is no *one* way to practice Islam, and while there are certain beliefs that are nonnegotiable and universal, there's a lot of room for difference.
That being said, it's like this: some groups of Believers fully accept and even embrace tasawwuf (Sufism) as a valid and even integral part and path of Islam. Some do not. There is a lot of disagreement among Sunni groups (think of Sunni as being analogous to Protestantism: a lot of groups, aligned along a broad spectrum) whether or not it is valid, acceptable, worthy, or dangerous. Sunnis make up the vast majority of Muslims in the world. Among Shi'ites, dogma holds it is a valid path of Islam, at least in theory. Adding to the confusion is that there are many Sufi groups which are consciously not Islamic, or are quasi-Islamic. I can really say where I'm at now, I don't entirely get that anymore, but what is right for me isn't right for everyone. Anyway, that's where I started out, so I get it, I just can't quite get it now. Everyone's path may vary, much like their mileage.
current music: Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is
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9:00 am
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I wrote a response to a comment asking for any cool links, books, etc. that might serve as sort of an introductory thing for anyone looking for basic info on Islam and Sufism.
I figured that since that's not the first time someone's asked, it might be useful to re-post that comment in post form, since not everyone's going to see it who might want to. This is a list off the top of my head, so it's really cursory. Anyone wants to add suggestions, please do.
A few resources that might interest you, on a very "not assuming you know a lot, but not talking down to you and actually being interesting" level. I'll give you just a few:
Islam: A Short History by Karen Armstrong. This is exactly what it says it is -- it's history, laid out in a concise and compelling way. I really recommend this. (Her History of God, which covers all three Abrahamic faiths, is also really amazing).
On Sufism in particular: Essential Sufism, which tells you in a simple format using both straight-on prose and snippets of stories and poems what Sufis believe (it does not presuppose too much knowledge of Islam, either).
Online:
Diversity in Islam for Absolute Beginners. This is probably a really good primer. I'd read this first, before anything else, I suspect.
Redy for the insider's perspective?
IslamiCity, a portal site which has waaaaay more information than you can read at once, but if you don't find something really worthwhile on here on any given day...well. Also features a wide variety of perspectives. And a prayer times calculator.
So you have your prayer time...but which way to face? http://www.qiblalocator.com/
I was delighted to find that the street I live on runs parallel to the direction of the Qibla, meaning all I have to do is face right up the waterline. (Yes, it's a random link and not what you asked for but what the heck).
Islam 101.
The American Muslim, Well, you can tell what this is. A really good site for activism.
Sufism:
Dr. Godlas's page; not a pretty site, but terrific. There is also a Yahoo group run as a virtual tariqat, Sufis Without Borders, which is great for those of us who don't live in a community of fellow Sufis. (Note though: it's a closed group, and you have to apply for membership, so you can't just peer in. Any sincere seeker is likely to get approved though, AFAIK. And no, you don't have to be a Sufi to join.)
Individual Sufi orders tend to have individual Web sites. You might like The Threshold Society an American affiliate of the Mevlevis. Kabir Helminski is pretty well-respected on a scholarly level, BTW.
And just for the heck of it...
Superluminal's bitchin' Sufi cookbook. (Bet you never thought you'd hear the phrase "bitchin' Sufi cookbook," right?
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| Monday, November 9th, 2009
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11:33 pm
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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) quietchildae, do not contact me or attempt to speak with me again, in any forum.
And since it appears you have difficulty with both impulse control and respecting other people's boundaries, I've banned you from my LJ; this is for your own good as well as mine.
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10:13 am
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| Sunday, November 8th, 2009
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9:25 am
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You know, I think the common appeal of bananas is that they come in their own easy-open carrying case. I mean, how convenient is that? You don't even have to wash them, and they'r a good size and shape for just toting around with you.
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| Friday, November 6th, 2009
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3:08 pm
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I was pretty annoyed -- to put it mildly -- about this earlier. I stepped back, did a bunch of stuff that needed doing, and revisited it after that, once I'd stopped feeling the urge to go haring off (apologies for my haring-off-going earlier). ( Put behind a cut in case I do get longwinded )
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11:48 am
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8:15 am
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http://community.livejournal.com/sinandsalvation/6059501.html
If you've seen the story linked in this post, and I know there are many of y'all who have, please bear this in mind: the company *can't* say more about what they're doing in response. The fact that you got a form letter saying "we can't comment" in response is not in and of itself grounds for boycott. The fact that one douchebag employee pulled this stunt is not grounds for boycott. Now: if the company after suitably exploring the legalities backs up the douchebag employee, that is grounds for boycott.
But for now, channel that outrage with pinpoint accuracy.
(Says someone who also sees this as incredibly messed up, and HAS written an e-mail to B&BW expressing my support for the fired employee. And also a member of a religion that is distinctly in the minority in the US, and also tends to get the crappy end of the stick persecution-wise. So how many pagans are there? As with Muslims, and for much the same reasons, numbers aren't certain. But: Unlike the U.S., the government of Canada asks religious questions during their census data collection. They found that Wiccans and other Neopagans showed the greatest percentage growth of any religion in the country. They totaled 21,080 members in 2001, an increase of 281% from 1991. "If we assume that Canada and the U.S. have similar cultures and thus have a similar percentage of Wiccans, then there would be on the order of 197,429 Wiccans among the estimated 277.60 million Americans, compared to the 29.64 million Canadians. " And note the age of that data. Clearly, there is muscle to flex there. Use your power wisely.)
ETA: The objection that I have no business telling other people what I think since it's Not My Problem has been duly noted.
current mood:  awake
current music: Ray LaMontagne - Trouble
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| Monday, November 2nd, 2009
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4:39 pm
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Pursuant to a very important discussion with thespinlights, I have a burning, chafing, possibly even oozing question.
Poll #1479946 The burning question...
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 29If I had a son, what should I name him? An alternative not listed here, please suggest.
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9:36 am
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I am working in Djinnistan today, so while I'll be online, more or less, I'm elsewhere, so if you need to hit me up do so, but I will be distracted. At the moment, stuff happening in Djinnistan requires most of my attention.
Prompted by a discussion elsewhere, like so many other discussions before it...
I have yet to have had anyone honestly try to answer this when I have asked it, and I'd really like to know. Because if I, and other people, knew what drives this, maybe better discussion could be had around such topics. I present it here, to my friends list, because we know each others' contexts, more or less, but I'm leaving it open in case anyone wants to play.
Here's the question:
Whenever some incident occurs --publicly or privately -- that is labeled racist by POC, why is it that white people (by which I mean a vague sort of collective, not "you, you white person, I'm talking to you") rush to disclaim it as racist, even if they have to turn somersaults to explain why technically it wasn't racist, or if they do finally admit it was racist, it just wasn't that bad, not like real racism? I'm not talking about people getting called out on their own racist missteps, I'm talking about people rushing to defend others to whom they aren't even connected? What dog, exactly, do such people have in that fight, that it angers them so much to hear something pointed out as racist when they have no emotional investment in the issue at hand?
I've asked this before when people have done it. I have never, not once, had someone tell me why it bothers them so much to hear something called racist. In fact, the general thing is to deflect and deny. And with luck, slip in a "the fact that you notice the racial implications in this issue must mean you're the racist" or "You're racist against white people for even criticizing".
I was brought to asking this by this discussion, in which I just freaking give up entirely and started getting snappy (oh no!) and recalling incidents like the following: working in a restaurant, wherein a coworker who was of color was told by a customer that surely she must not "be from around here"; when she asked why not, she was told by said customer that she wasn't Stepin Fetchit like the local coloreds, and maybe she needed to rethink her attitude. So she tells me, and several other coworkers about it. Here's what happened: some of us got it, and our jaws dropped. Several white coworkers had the following reaction:
"What's wrong with that? I don't even know what that means..."
*The implications of being Stepin Fetchit are explained to them*
"Oh. Well, how is that insulting and racist? I don't think it's that racist. Maybe he didn't mean it in a racist way. Why are y'all rushing to assume he meant it in a racist way? Aren't you just being over-sensitive?"
...and away we go; it is decided among said white coworkers that this is NOT racist (never mind that not a single one of them knew the cultural or historical context of calling someone "Stepin Fetchit" and had to have it explained). Now, why do the white people (again, collective shorthand) feel the absolute need to be arbiters of what is, or more likely is not, racist, when they are not the ones directly affected by it?
And why is it difficult to admit, to the point where people will get angry in their defense of the dumbest examples of racism? What explains the level of emotional investment in this that such people have? And why the hell won't anyone address this, seriously?
Please help me out on this one, if you have any possible insight whatsoever. Thank you.
ETA: And please read this excellent post on the subject.
current music: Jimi Hendrix - Angel
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| Thursday, October 29th, 2009
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11:03 am
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Just used it in a comment response; it's too good not to revisit and share with all y'all.
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| Monday, October 26th, 2009
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11:31 pm - Hey, y'all?
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I've known deza around for quite a while. She's good people.
She's in bad need of help.
I've been in similar (though not identical) straits, and so this really hit hard. There are times when you simply have no other options.
If you are so inclined, and can help, please consider doing so. Thanks for reading.
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6:28 pm
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So despite the fact I look awful in it (hey, it was 2 am, in Times Square), this might be one of my favorite photos from NYC, because it looks like it *needs* a clever caption to explain it, but I can't come up with one.
Caption it, y'all.
( My debauchery catches up with me perhaps )
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