It’s All In The Noose

It turned out to be an amusing morning. I woke up, read the news, watched the news and pondered about news. It’s been one heck of a week I think. But firstly, my heart goes out to the Samoans, who had just been hit by an 8.0 magnitude earthquake. For a coastal area, such a catastrophe should have been catalysmic. Days ago, Manila was hit by severe floods and Indonesia was also hit by a natural disaster. Brings a sense of foreboding worry. For me, personally at least.

Whines Of a Whimsical Whiner

*Disclaimer

I blame no one for the entry below, for my neurotic rants.I am responsible for every course of actions I undertake.And yes,I don’t really care if you have an opinion about this entry.I am just entitled to mine.*winks*

 

I’ve not been to office for the past one week.I lazed around the confinement of my room trying to gather a semblance of organized thoughts.I was restless.Restless with my conflicts.So I made myself useful,by being a daddy,playing with my kid.I surfed non stop.Explored blogs,websites and anything I can get my hands on,or rather what my mouse could scroll over.My restlessness stemmed from that stupid question I asked myself earlier in the month of August which was,”Why am I chasing after people who do not care about their money?”Truth was,this whole planning for people processes are getting to me.I no longer gain the satisfaction of investing/wasting my time,on peepz who will probably lapse their policies in 6 months.Screw what my manager has to say about residual/passive income.I no longer seem to care,seriously.

Sick Of Wealth

I’m not rich.Definitely far off from being wealthy.I am wearing a watch that costs me $12.My wallet costs me $8.My mobile phone was given to me by my sister.I sleep on a bed that costs $150,with a mattress that costs slightly less than $50,perhaps.My side table lamp costs,$18,bought from Mustafa Center.My most expensive shirt costs $23.My most expensive pants costs $80,bought 8 years ago by my ex girlfriend.I carry two $1.85 pens for my appointments.My most expensive folder costs $35,bought 6 years ago.My most expensive jeans costs $30,after conversion,after having bought it at Bangkok 4 years ago.My most expensive business shoes costs $29.90.My most expensive casual shoes,cost $20 after having bought it at City Square Johor Bahru.And yes,I’ve yet to buy a soccer boot that costs more than a $100 bucks.

Why am I recalling all this senseless facts?

The Biggest Balls Definitely’s Not Yours

I will like to think that I am beyond criticizing these days.The old adage that if you cannot beat them,you avoid them sounds or at least rings a tune to me.I have to mention this snippet of an incident to highlight why sometimes I find that some guys just have their balls in the wrong location.

About 5 days ago,I had received a text message from a close friend of mine.Around 2 am.A female.Oh okie,it’s actually a cherished former soulmate.She texted,asking how I was and how the baby was.Since it was kinda late,I ignored the messaged and decided to text her  a reply at a later opportunity.That later opportunity was yesterday evening,as I was on my way home.The typical bored me,texted her a message replying that everything was good,and the baby was good and kindly asked how she was faring herself.I did not get an immediate reply though.So,when Igot home,I received a call from an unknown mobile number.The bane of my career these days,is that I will pick up any unknown calls,cause you never know who will be at the end of the line.Anyway I picked it up and a man’s voice was heard,

Black or White Branding

In a not so distant past, a scrawny bespectacled guy stood and exclaimed, “Hi,my name’s Michael Jackson.” The corny introduction exploded the classroom into a episode of mocking giggling! That scrawny guy was me, on my first day in Secondary One.

Fast forward, and here I am scrolling down the pages of tributes laid for the legend that he was. Mr Michael Jackson, or perhaps as rumoured, Mikael, a name he took upon embracing Islam.And so we were told.His unexpected demise was made known to me,as early as the break of dawn when I was bottle feeding the baby.As surreal as it was,seeing the bold headline flashed across Channel News Asia, it was even weird to feel gratified. Gratified perhaps by that small fact that I am a generation,lucky enough to witness his crotch grabbing antics on real time.Not through the yesteryear memories embodied in YouTube vids.That will be for my son.As the days pass,and as more news and snippets of his life filters through,I feel sadden.

Perhaps sadden is too general a term to use.I’m not a myopic fan,who’ll probably conspire to claim that he’s still dancing with Elvis.I’m just another human being,who have been subtly impacted by the branding legacy of his music.As footages of young Michael screeching on the stage with his entourage of Jackson 5 played itself,I cannot help but wonder aloud…”What happened?”

No doubt,as days,weeks,months and years pass,we will probably be engulfed with bits and pieces of his life story.He was a child abuser,a homosexual,a bulemic,a misfit, a depressed and forlorn figure and a gazillion other adjectives describing a flawed hero.How did a musically inclined prodigy self destruct on the paths of depression and aggression?Did the fame and scrutiny proved to be a disastrous cocktail of events,that drove him onto the brinks of insanity?Or was he destined to forever be enshrouded in that legacy of erratic behaviours and clueless antics.Poor Michael.Michael the entertainer was an immaculate example of just what artiste this days are severely lacking.Raw passionate showmanship.The one handed white glove.The smooth almost floating Moonwalk.The declining almost impossible 45 degrees decline.And that memorable crotch grabbing motion that leaves both men and women delirious.

Which brings me to the point of this entry.Just what did I learn and can learn from this mountain of a man?

• Branding

There is and can only be one Michael Jackson.He may be debt ridden in the region of half a billion,but analysis has indicated that his music legacy will surpass the billion mark profits.Just like Bruce Lee,John Lennon,Kurt Cobain and so many others,the legacy left will provide sustenance for their family’s upbringing.But how did Michael elevate himself,as the black man that defined the entertainment industry in a white man’s country?

Simple.He packaged himself as the complete brand.A brand that renews,reinvents and redefined the face of music/entertainment industry every now and then.

And for that alone,he is worthy of the legend tag he is entitled to…

RIP MJ.

Legends Of Islam (Part 1)

I’ve been thinking.

For over a month now,I’ve not been the least inspired to type in an entry.I’ve did actually.Typed two full paragraphs and I’ll press the “delete” button.That was how demoralized I was.Did not have the will to type my thoughts.

If you happen to be free,and not knowing what to do,can I kindly suggest to you a website?Seriously,all praises to Allah,for helping me stumble onto this gem of a site.

http://www.hoor-al-ayn.com/

Why is this website a gem?

As I am typing in this entry,my ears are plugged into an audio I had downloaded earlier in the day.The MP3 audio entitled Salahuddin Al Ayubbi.It’s a beautiful piece of audio.Two days ago,I had downloaded a piece speaking on the same historical figure.The MP3 was entitled Legends of Islam,Salahuddin Al Ayubbi.It was an hour lecture that was impactful in the way a man’s biography was told.I hate to admit this for fear of over dramatization,but I have to highlight this poignant piece of info.I choked and held back my tears whilst I was in the train to soccer,listening to the lecture.Hard for me to explain,but there was a series of narration in that lecture that made my head and heart swirl with a multitude of unexplained emotions.There was this intense feeling of embarrasment,shame and fear at the state of life I am living.Before I go on further,I have to just highlight a statement made by my brother in law that made the deepest sense.

“People give birth to children,and are already planning for their future,(eg education,wealth,status,marriage,social standings etc.)How many are actually planning a guaranteed place for their children in Jannah?How many parents have thought about it?”

It stucked me hard because,I am guilty as charged.Overly concerned with how my son,will cope with intellectual developments.Physical developments.Speech developments.All sorts of developments,except that of those that can ensure him a guided path.Shame on me,the father.

Anyway,back to the great warrior general,Salahuddin ra.As I heard the narration,I was mesmerized by his charisma,personality,wisdom,bravery and most of all his leadership.I strongly suggest that if you,the reader,is a man who aspires for a role model in life.A hero.Download the MP3.Insya Allah that hour long lecture will shed and illuminate a zeal and drive to be purposeful.

In a previous audio lecture I heard,there was a narration in which it was told of what really motivated Salahuddin to liberate the Holy Land of Jerusalem.It was a vivid poetic narration of how Salahuddin entered the city and read out a letter that he had received from a woman in the city.If I am not wrong,the lady had described herself as a mosque that had been molested by the hands of crusaders and she had called out to Salahuddin,the “destroyer of crucifixes and crosses” to help her.That plea of help,drove Salahuddin to claim back the lands of Jerusalem.It was a beautiful way to describe a majestic entrance.Just inexplicably beautiful.

There were narrations after narrations of his leadership and his charisma.His sworn enemies attested to how just he was as a leader.In fact,there were accounts that upon his death,the Jews within Jerusalem had sent out letters to their bretherens in other parts of the world,grieving the demise,of the best leader any nation could ever have.How many Muslim leaders today can claim to such honour?

I have a lot to write about this grand man.In fact,I will want to dedicate a research into the fundamentals of leadership from the biography of Salahuddin Al Ayubbi.And I will not stop there I guess.There’s Khalid Ibn Walid,Umar Al Khattab and so many others.And the best of all,the Prophet p.b.u.h.

Funny how,I’ve been looking for role models outside the context of Islam for so long,when there is a mine awaiting in the historical annals of Islam.

May Allah guide me on this fantastic journey of discovery…

…and please brothers and sisters,visit the website http://www.hoor-al-ayn.com/. There is a whole host of resources for every need and learning you want. Seriously.I’ve just erased 1GB of songs in my MP3 to put in all the lectures.And spread the info around to your loved ones.The message I share here,if replicated and practiced,even I will get the good deeds,insya Allah.salam!

ps:for therapeutic sessions at night when you need to be close to yourself and your Lord,perhaps you may wanna download the nasyeeds.Especially the ones from Palestine…

Respectfully Preaching

Let me just get some random thoughts of my head,whilst the lingering stench is still there.

1.Was having a makan session with Kai the other day,and he casually mentioned about a preacher he had heard earlier after his dawn prayers that Sunday.Kai used the term,”fundamentalist” in his casual description of this particular preacher.Was interested to know what could have drove this bro of mine to say such things.Apparently,this preacher had implied explicitly that the pursuit of all things material,ie,wealth and riches was something that should not be propagated.I understand from where Kai was coming from,on this issue,as it was akin to insinuating that collecting riches was perhaps sinful,if in accordance to this preacher’s warped view.