Ah, I finally got my grill replaced. My old grill disintegrated from too much exposure to the elements over 3 years. It was a cheap grill, anyway. So I bought another cheap grill. Hey, a new grill is easier than washing the old grill! Now kids, it's better for the environment that you take good care of your grill, so it will last you a lifetime of delicious barbecues. Don't be an idiot like some people who leave their grill out in the rain to disintegrate. Well, if it disintegrates into earth-like metallic crumbles, then doesn't that make it biodegradable? Maybe not. Anyway, I finally can grill up some hardtail or torpedo scad again. I found some extra large ones at the market which is great because the baby fish are kinda tasteless. Sure, it takes some skill and patience to grill a big fish, but if you do it right, it can taste exactly like thick crab meat, except that there's never enough real crab meat. My fish was only a half kilo, too. No rice here, just fish.
Then for dinner it was chicken and potato stew. Hey, there's a gorgeous full moon out tonight! I've been tagging chicken broth lately, which I do not recommend for the inexperienced cook to do. I seem to have a lot of chicken breast lately, so I've been experimenting with chicken broth, and chicken and potato stew. What is tagging chicken broth? Hee hee you're just going to have to kiss me to find out, Julia! Stew is stew, of course. Besides garlic and onion, I also throw in some curry leaves and super hot peppers that I have growing in my yard. It's very yummy and soothing. Want some?
I've been really getting into the Gong Show lately. It's probably the best talent show ever, and Chuck Barris is the best talent show host ever! What genius came up with show, where the losers are more entertaining than the winners? This show sure makes me humble. Google in their infinite wisdom has been keeping the video feed slow on Gong Show episodes, because they're smart enough to realize that it kicks American Idol's ass. So I hope you will be able to enjoy this clip I chose for you.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Qur'an 20120111
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
1. Closer and closer to humans comes their reckoning, yet they heed not, and turn away.
2. Never comes to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as a joke.
3. Their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrongdoers conceal their private counsels: "Is this more than a man like yourselves? Will you go to witchcraft with your eyes open?"
4. Say, "My Lord knows every word in the heavens and the earth. God is the One that Hears and Knows."
The Prophets 21:1-4
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My Lord knows every word in the heavens and the earth. God is the One that Hears and Knows.
1. Closer and closer to humans comes their reckoning, yet they heed not, and turn away.
2. Never comes to them of a renewed Message from their Lord, but they listen to it as a joke.
3. Their hearts toying as with trifles. The wrongdoers conceal their private counsels: "Is this more than a man like yourselves? Will you go to witchcraft with your eyes open?"
4. Say, "My Lord knows every word in the heavens and the earth. God is the One that Hears and Knows."
The Prophets 21:1-4
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My Lord knows every word in the heavens and the earth. God is the One that Hears and Knows.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Letter to Julia 20120110
I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the rejected one.
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Hi Julia! I love you, my ravishing princess. So, what is security? We know that security is grated by Allah, the Best to protect, and the Best to help. The Qur'an states:
It is those who believe, and confuse not their beliefs with wrong that are in security, for they are on guidance. (The cattle 6:82)
I haven't started my dinner yet, but on the menu tonight is clams. It's Monday the 9th, between the Magrib and Isya' prayers, usually my dinnertime, but I absolutely had to write a few words to my beloved first. I bought 2 kilos of clams at the night market just now, believe me that I can easily down 2 kilos of clams. I don't know the English name of these particular clams, but the literal translation from Malay is "Snails of a Thousand Brains", where clams and snails have the same name in Malay. Clams and shellfish generally don't need salt, and these clams are quite powerful in flavor. I don't like my shellfish to turn into rubber, so I try not to overcook them. This time, I will be stir-frying them with chilli paste, a pinch of sugar, garlic, cilantro, and lime, to point where a generous broth is generated. The shells of these clams are comparitively fragile, so I have to be cautios when folding in the mix. Knowing when to shut the heat off takes practice. I guess a solid indicator is when the clams yawn wide open. The clams that clam up generally have nothing but mud in them, but I open all of them, cautiously over my trash container, to make sure I'm not wasting any precious broth. Whoa! Don't drink all the broth, Julia! Sip a little, but save most of it for other seafood dishes. Heh! I'm just cooking by the seat of my pants. InsyaAllah, it will still taste awesome. Want some?
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
Hi Julia! I love you, my ravishing princess. So, what is security? We know that security is grated by Allah, the Best to protect, and the Best to help. The Qur'an states:
It is those who believe, and confuse not their beliefs with wrong that are in security, for they are on guidance. (The cattle 6:82)
I haven't started my dinner yet, but on the menu tonight is clams. It's Monday the 9th, between the Magrib and Isya' prayers, usually my dinnertime, but I absolutely had to write a few words to my beloved first. I bought 2 kilos of clams at the night market just now, believe me that I can easily down 2 kilos of clams. I don't know the English name of these particular clams, but the literal translation from Malay is "Snails of a Thousand Brains", where clams and snails have the same name in Malay. Clams and shellfish generally don't need salt, and these clams are quite powerful in flavor. I don't like my shellfish to turn into rubber, so I try not to overcook them. This time, I will be stir-frying them with chilli paste, a pinch of sugar, garlic, cilantro, and lime, to point where a generous broth is generated. The shells of these clams are comparitively fragile, so I have to be cautios when folding in the mix. Knowing when to shut the heat off takes practice. I guess a solid indicator is when the clams yawn wide open. The clams that clam up generally have nothing but mud in them, but I open all of them, cautiously over my trash container, to make sure I'm not wasting any precious broth. Whoa! Don't drink all the broth, Julia! Sip a little, but save most of it for other seafood dishes. Heh! I'm just cooking by the seat of my pants. InsyaAllah, it will still taste awesome. Want some?
Qur'an 20120110
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
133. They say, "Why does he not bring us a Sign from his Lord?" Has not a Clear Sign come to them of all that was in the former Books of Revelation?
134. And if We had inflicted on them a penalty before this, they would have said, "Our Lord! If only You had sent us a messenger, we should certainly have followed Your Signs before we were humbled, and put to shame."
135. Say, "Each one is waiting. Wait you therefore, and soon shall you know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who it is that has received guidance."
Ta Ha 20:133-135
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Each one is waiting. Wait you therefore, and soon shall you know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who it is that has received guidance.
133. They say, "Why does he not bring us a Sign from his Lord?" Has not a Clear Sign come to them of all that was in the former Books of Revelation?
134. And if We had inflicted on them a penalty before this, they would have said, "Our Lord! If only You had sent us a messenger, we should certainly have followed Your Signs before we were humbled, and put to shame."
135. Say, "Each one is waiting. Wait you therefore, and soon shall you know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who it is that has received guidance."
Ta Ha 20:133-135
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Each one is waiting. Wait you therefore, and soon shall you know who it is that is on the straight and even way, and who it is that has received guidance.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Letter to Julia 20120107
Hello there, my beautiful Julia. How are you feeling? It's just me and my kitty here as usual. I've always been somewhat of a loner, but I'm sure you would agree that I try and tried hard to be married, huh? When I got past my misspent youth and learned to appreciate God more, I tried to do whatever service to community in secret. I don't need any titles or medals. All I want is the best that God can give me, in this life as well as the next. InsyaAllah.
Chee Cheah is getting rather plump. She used to be such a dainty little kitty. I feed her regularly before dawn and before the Asr prayer, but she always runs outside to join the other cats when my Dad feeds them at 6pm. She doesn't eat anything, but she just goes there to meow along with the group, then sits on the wall to watch them eat. After that, she runs back into my house again.
Let me remind you that fame is a liability, not an asset. You may feel exhilarated with all the attention being lavished on you right now, but would you feel the same without a marriage to anchor you? Then we observe some marriages that have no stability whatsoever. Our lives are in the care of Allah, so please pray that Allah will have mercy on us, and make our journey to God together easy and pleasurable.
Chee Cheah is getting rather plump. She used to be such a dainty little kitty. I feed her regularly before dawn and before the Asr prayer, but she always runs outside to join the other cats when my Dad feeds them at 6pm. She doesn't eat anything, but she just goes there to meow along with the group, then sits on the wall to watch them eat. After that, she runs back into my house again.
Let me remind you that fame is a liability, not an asset. You may feel exhilarated with all the attention being lavished on you right now, but would you feel the same without a marriage to anchor you? Then we observe some marriages that have no stability whatsoever. Our lives are in the care of Allah, so please pray that Allah will have mercy on us, and make our journey to God together easy and pleasurable.
Qur'an 20120107
In the name of Allah, most Gracious, most Merciful.
105. They ask you concerning the mountains. Say, "My Lord will uproot them, and scatter them as dust."
106. God will leave them as plains, smooth and level.
107. Nothing crooked and curved will you see in their place.
Ta Ha 20:105-107
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My Lord will uproot them, and scatter them as dust.
105. They ask you concerning the mountains. Say, "My Lord will uproot them, and scatter them as dust."
106. God will leave them as plains, smooth and level.
107. Nothing crooked and curved will you see in their place.
Ta Ha 20:105-107
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My Lord will uproot them, and scatter them as dust.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Letter to Julia 20120105
Stability is for those who have it. Or more accurately, stability is for those who are granted stability by Allah. This is not a satisfactory answer for those of doubtful faith, but doubt is instability, right? This world is unstable. There's always something wrong somewhere with somebody, so as far as this life is concerned, stability is at best a dynamic equilibrium. But even that seems limited to very few communities. Why are things so uncertain? Because people refuse to give up corruption, interest, and ridiculous profit margins. So bubbles become inevitable, and if bubbles are inevitable, then the shortage of natural resources is also inevitable. And that means that war is also inevitable. But war has always been inevitable sometime somewhere. That makes Judgement Day also inevitable. How does that ring for those of doubtful faith? However, God has God's Own plan and mystique for Judgement Day. Far beyond the means and perceptions of sniveling humans.
It seems that I cannot escape situations of rapid growth. I have been actively immersed in businesses of rapid growth, and I have observed the crash and burn of those businesses when they are unable to maintain their expansion, be it the loss of liquidity, or spiralling debt. Expansion seems to be only of rapid growth, it almost seems like a law. However, I know it isn't so. One could always refuse deals and opportunities, and limit one's business to what one has the strength and means to maintain. This depends on whenever a person wants to live as a billionaire as quickly as possible, or tolerate the life of an average person or a pauper for a while. I am certain that to succumb to the destruction of rapid growth is the result of greed, the inability to resist the mass of offers and conjectures that are crammed within a short period of time. Allah is the One who enlarges or restricts the provision of whomsoever God wills. Gradual growth is neither unbearable nor impossible. The oldest and mightiest trees grew slowly. By the Will of Allah.
I've become so slow, Julia. I walk slowly, I work slowly, and I drive slowly. I'm also rather lazy. I acquired my laziness from working at the pizza joint: it never really mattered how hard or quickly I worked, it was never enough. But an ant like me enjoys working, so I work slowly. I scrubbed the walls of my bathroom today. Even though I don't use hot water, the climate is so hot and humid at times that mold builds up on the walls. It was a sloppy job, as I was in a rush to perform the sunset prayers, and rice was cooking in the pot. This house needs much effort to be ready for you, and it's not just a matter of money either. My energy seems spread out, I'm doing too many things at this time, plus I'm slow and lazy. But I believe that Allah will make everything snap together nicely for us eventually, insyaAllah. And we can have our beautiful life and marriage together. My most cherished Julia.
It seems that I cannot escape situations of rapid growth. I have been actively immersed in businesses of rapid growth, and I have observed the crash and burn of those businesses when they are unable to maintain their expansion, be it the loss of liquidity, or spiralling debt. Expansion seems to be only of rapid growth, it almost seems like a law. However, I know it isn't so. One could always refuse deals and opportunities, and limit one's business to what one has the strength and means to maintain. This depends on whenever a person wants to live as a billionaire as quickly as possible, or tolerate the life of an average person or a pauper for a while. I am certain that to succumb to the destruction of rapid growth is the result of greed, the inability to resist the mass of offers and conjectures that are crammed within a short period of time. Allah is the One who enlarges or restricts the provision of whomsoever God wills. Gradual growth is neither unbearable nor impossible. The oldest and mightiest trees grew slowly. By the Will of Allah.
I've become so slow, Julia. I walk slowly, I work slowly, and I drive slowly. I'm also rather lazy. I acquired my laziness from working at the pizza joint: it never really mattered how hard or quickly I worked, it was never enough. But an ant like me enjoys working, so I work slowly. I scrubbed the walls of my bathroom today. Even though I don't use hot water, the climate is so hot and humid at times that mold builds up on the walls. It was a sloppy job, as I was in a rush to perform the sunset prayers, and rice was cooking in the pot. This house needs much effort to be ready for you, and it's not just a matter of money either. My energy seems spread out, I'm doing too many things at this time, plus I'm slow and lazy. But I believe that Allah will make everything snap together nicely for us eventually, insyaAllah. And we can have our beautiful life and marriage together. My most cherished Julia.
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