Hannan Matahari’s Neighborhood

I know somewhere on earth it's still Tuesday so Im not late yet!

Haven't made this entry for ages!

Ok here goes * I was about to cancel my post coz I suddenly feel low coz I said "no" when my MIL asked me permission to take Laith to PD and spend the night there. coz she has been taking care of him all this while, but I cant sleep without him. I was scared that I might have hurt her feelings but thank god she said she's fine!*

So...here goes

Loves

• Kinder Bueno - I had it for breakfast! Yummy! I know I shouldnt be having chocolates for breakfast but I just can't help it. I dont think I can ever say NO to Kinder Bueno. :P Plus this one is the new one *i think* it's the white chocolate with some milk choc sprinkles on it oooooo yummmmm
• My Hair, I think the fringe looks much better today. So I've been  taking lotsa photos of myself
• Lipglosses- I love the fact that I have quite a number of lipglosess and apply them everytime my lips feel dry so now my lips are always mosturized
• I love the meeting I attended coz there was so many good news, though there are some bad news too
• My new addiction towards Twitter. Yes I cant stop myself from tweeting these days. And I love the fact that I can communicate with my friends easily.
• Zahed agreed on buying me a Blythe Doll. I have suddenly fell in love with Blythe dolls, They are too cute and gorgeous and would make a great model for my photoshoots!
• Zahed!! He has been very nice and sweet lately. He has always been busy lately and eversince we had that vacation we realised

Loathes

• Scratche my side mirror while entering the car park. My window was stuck halfway when I wanted to take the parking ticket so I ended up panicking coz there was so many cars behind me. So I scratched my right side mirror
• My grandad being sick and doctor says he might have only 2,3 days. I am not that close to my father's side of family. My grandmum used to be favouritism. She favoured other granchildren and we were her least favourite coz she has issues with my mum. So going back to their place wasnt really mine or my siblings favourite holiday spot :p! but grandad was neutral towards all the grandchildren..I feel sad that he's sick
• Headache/- been having quite a number of headaches lately. Most probably due to the lack of sleep. I need to ask Zahed to let me rest for 1 whole night just once!

ok that's all I guess.

XOXO

Greetings, dear readers.  I hope you are well.

I had a couple of vertebrae fused last October, and so I've been away on a health sabbatical of sorts.  The cold weather is not helping!  I feel so odd saying that I will welcome some warm temperatures again, especially after we got some lovely snow in my home area last weekend.  But when you have metal in your body, or nerve damage, or both, you start feeling the barometric changes more.

I wanted to take a moment to share some other music blogs I have been reading here at VOX.  I promise I will be back with more music, including 2NU's last offering.  (Who is 2NU?  Stay tuned...)  But until then, allow me to share some other blogs of interest, including a side project of mine.

Burl Veneer’s Music Blog

Burl Veneer’s blog was spotlighted at [music is good] recently, with his observations on genre labels as a guide to exploring music, particularly with spiritual jazz.  It's a retrospective look; according to his profile, he is "recapturing the thrill of [his] college radio years, on a smaller scale." It's a very nice sentiment for those who have become rather jaded with corporate/mainstream music as of late, and are still looking back to younger days when one's music experience was more visceral.  I don't mean to say that such leads to an abandoning of new territories in listening opportunities, but for those of us who have outgrown commercial markets and are generally exasperated with what's on the radio airwaves, there is a shift in perspective, is there not?  I remember that for myself, I went back for a time to what I had discovered musically in eight long years of college and university and when I had expressed similar thoughts.

(On a side note, it seems to me that many of the resources I looked at when writing reviews here seem to be very similar to what friends of mine looked at writing for university and college publications, or what they played for college radio.  But I digress...)

Those that have followed my reviews here know that I'm a big fan of mashups and bastard pop.  It's always been a satirical commentary for me, in some part, on how the commercial industry likes to come back to familiar hooks and "radio-friendly" licks-- how else can two or more songs, especially when they seem so radically different, come together?  They can come together, all right, in a rather slick way that can express an entirely new idea that is different from the sum of the mashup's parts.

Mashup Fans

Mashup Fans is one VOX group devoted to the mashup genre.  For a time it was active, but sadly, due to recent inactivity ( it appears to have succumbed to the splogger disease that has been infecting VOX like a cancer.  If you stick to the Media section, however, you'll find some great mashups and other mixes.  Do me a favor, if you're a mashup fan, won't you?  Go see if you can turn the tide.  Upload some stuff and send Darren a message to see what you can do to revive the group.

Monday Monster Mashup

Monday Monster Mashup is my side project.  When I started the group, the idea was I would post something every Monday, although clearly, I haven't kept it that regular as of late.  I've included video mashups that accompany mashup tunes whenever possible, although there are some obstacles.  Since Warner Media Group has been throwing its weight around like a 800-lb. gorilla, some of the YouTube videos I've been using have been muted or audio swapped.  I don't think this bothers many mashup artists too terribly much; the savvy ones cover their buttocks by urging listeners to support the original artists.  Even if they don't make such a noble token gesture, most see the genre as transitory-- if the corporate suits kill a work on grounds of copyright infringement, they will have moved on to something new anyways.

Bootlegs and Mashups

BOOTLEGS and MASHUPS is more oriented to bootlegs, according to the description, although, really, I'm not sure what the focus is right now.  If you can follow the rambling posts of late, you're doing better than me.  Anyways, two of the hosts, moien and Ground Countrol To Major Tom, run music-oriented blogs in French, and it turns out there is a sizeable community of French-speaking music bloggers here at VOX.  The following are written in French, unless otherwise specified:

• 

  blog de The Dude
  The Dude’s Blog (Blog de The Dude) has a general focus-- nothing too specific, but that's fairly within the spirit of things at W♥M-- write about what you like.  Obviously, his username is taken from The Big Lebowski, which was referenced by Vu in Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In).  His latest post covers his album picks for 2009.
• Aurelio’s blog is a little more general than even that--"Un cocktail de musique, ciné, bouquins, bonne bouffe et rigolade" (A mix of music, film, books, good food, and comedy).  He hosts Albums 2009, so some of his latest posts have also been about his selections of music in 2009.
• niggytardust writes in English and French, so if you don't speak/read/write French, you have an English option.  More of a rock focus.
• Ground Countrol To Major Tom focuses on new artists and independent music.
• Music Is My Radar is written by moien

There are probably some ones I'm forgetting to mention, but I trust that you may explore their Neighborhoods and discover more.
 

Novelty Records

Novelty Records is hosted by W. B. Mook, who wrote reviews for W♥M for a time.  You know what "novelty songs" are, right?  Sure you do!  If you don't, according to Wikipedia, it's a genre of music that was coined in Tin Pan Alley to describe a division in popular music that started in 1910 and continued in the '20s and '30s.  But to put it more simply, the term includes most anything that has been classified as parody or comedy music.  In short, it's just about everything that Dr. Demento has spun on his radio show-- you know, that funny-looking bearded guy with the top hat that helped launch Weird Al Yankovic's music career.  (Look for him-- Dr. Demento, that is-- in his music videos and the movie UHF.  Have a Twinkie weiner sandwich while you do so, okay?  It's good, but not like Yappy's Dog Treats-- I promise!)

So there you have it.  I'm probably just scratching the surface, but most of these bloggers and Vox Groups specifically mentioned (if not all) have contributed to W♥M in some form or another, so have a look around.

 12/15/2009 23:56:22 ♥ jaklumen ( / jaklumen.vox.com)

Been meaning to update since morning. But I was caught up with some work and it was hard to upload photos from the office PC. I just came back from our short vacation yesterday and was all exhausted and the fact that I have to start work today is a frustrating but hey no need t o worry coz both bosses will be on leave from Wednesday, and I'll only see them again next Wednesday. Well not both of them coz the the bigger boss will be on leave till new year YEAH.
The vacation was pretty much what I expected, FUN!! And the fact that there are 3 of us now instead of 2 makes it even better. We call ourselves a TEAM lol. and the smallest member slept most of the time hahaha. I realised how much I miss spending time with Zahed. He's a such a great sport when it comes to holidays. He'd take me anywhere I want to go and do whatever that I want to do :)
The only downside about the resort is just that it was so far away from any of the nearest town. About 30mins drive.
The first night there, we had dinner at their Seafood & BBQ buffet. The food was super delicious. I loved their lamb kebab and th chocolate mousse is unforgetable :p. We went there on our second night with Zahed's mum and sis.

We headed to the town on the second day to meet up with Zahed's parents.They were there to attend a wedding. One of my MIL's step brother was getting married. Since we were there, we thought that it would be inappropriateto not attend the wedding. But we were there for merely 30mins coz laith could not stand the heat. Neither did I.

We only got the chance to go to the beach the next day.There was a warning sign about jelly fish, so Zahed was pretty dissapointed coz he didnt get to swim in the sea. So here are some photos coz im not good with words :p

i'll post more after this.need to restart the lappy.
Cya

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi wabarakatuh ..

QUDS

Al-Husayn ibn Sailam was a Jewish rabbi in Yathrib who was widely respected and honoured by the people of the city even by those who were not Jewish. He was known for his piety and goodness, his upright conduct and his truthfulness.

Al-Husayn lived a peaceful and gentle life but he was serious, purposeful and organized in the way he spent his time. For a fixed period each day, he would worship, teach and preach in the temple. Then he would spend some time in his orchard, looking after date palms, pruning and pollinating. Thereafter, to increase his understanding and knowledge of his religion, he would devote himself to the study of the Torah.

In this study, it is said he was particularly struck by some verses of the Torah which dealt with the coming of a Prophet who would complete the message of previous Prophets. Al-Husayn therefore took an immediate and keen interest when he heard reports of the appearance of a Prophet in Makkah.

He said:

"When I heard of the appearance of the Messenger of God, peace be on him, I began to make enquiries about his name, his genealogy, his characteristics, his time and place and I began to compare this information with what is contained in our books. From these enquiries, I became convinced about the authenticity of his prophethood and I affirmed the truth of his mission. However, I concealed my conclusions from the Jews. I held my tongue ...

Then came the day when the Prophet, peace be on him, left Makkah and headed for Yathrib. When he reached Yathrib and stopped at Quba, a man came rushing into the city, calling out to people and announcing the arrival of the Prophet. At that moment, I was at the top of a palm tree doing some work. My aunt, Khalidah bint al-Harith, was sitting under the tree. On hearing the news, I shouted:

'Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar! (God is Great! God is Great! 'When my aunt heard my takbir, she remonstrated with me:' May God frustrate you ... By God, if you had heard that Moses was coming you would not have been more enthusiastic. '

'Auntie, he is really, by God, the' brother 'of Moses and follows his religion. He was sent with the same mission as Moses. ' She was silent for a while and then said: 'Is he the Prophet about whom you spoke to us who would be sent to confirm the truth preached by previous (Prophets) and complete the message of his Lord?' 'Yes,' I replied

Without any delay or hesitation, I went out to meet the Prophet. I saw crowds of people at his door. I moved about in the crowds until I reached close to him. The first words I heard him say were:

'O people! Spread peace ... Share food ... Pray during the night while people (normally) sleep ... and you will enter Paradise in peace ... '

I looked at him closely. I scrutinized him and was convinced that his face was not that of an imposter. I went closer to him and made the declaration of faith that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

The Prophet turned to me and asked: 'What is your name?' 'Al-Husayn ibn Sailam,' I replied.
'Instead, it is (now) Abdullah ibn Sallam,' he said (giving me a new name). 'Yes,' I agreed. 'Abdullah ibn Sailam (it shall be). By Him who has sent you with the Truth, I do not wish to have another name after this day. '

I returned home and introduced Islam to my wife, my children and the rest of my household. They all accepted Islam including my aunt KhaIidah who was then an old lady. However, I advised them then to conceal our acceptance of Islam from the Jews until I gave them permission. They agreed.
Subsequently, I went back to the Prophet, peace be on him, and said: 'O Messenger of God! The Jews are a people (inclined to) slander and falsehood. I want you to invite their most prominent men to meet you. (During the meeting however), you should keep me concealed from them in one of your rooms. Ask them then about my status among them before they find out of my acceptance of Islam. Then invite them to Islam. If they were to know that I have become a Muslim, they would denounce me and accuse me of everything base and slander me. '

The Prophet kept me in one of his rooms and invited the prominent Jewish personalities to visit him. He introduced Islam to them and urged them to have faith in God ... They began to dispute and argue with him about the Truth. When he realized that they were not inclined to accept Islam, he put the question to them:

'What is the status of Al-Husayn ibn Sailam among you?'

'He is our sayyid (leader) and the son of our sayyid. He is our rabbi and our alim (scholar), the son of our rabbi and alim. '

'If you come to know that he has accepted Islam, would you accept Islam also?' asked the Prophet.
'God forbid! He would not accept Islam. May God protect him from accepting Islam, 'they said (horrified).

At this point I came out in full view of them and announced: 'O assembly of Jews! Be conscious of God and accept what Muhammad has brought. By God, you certainly know that he is the Messenger of God and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah. I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of God. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I know him. '

'You are a liar,' they shouted. 'By God, you are evil and ignorant, the son of an evil and ignorant person.' And they continued to heap every conceivable abuse on me ... "

Abdullah ibn Sailam approached Islam with a soul thirsty for knowledge. He was passionately devoted to the Quran and spent much time reciting and studying its beautiful and sublime verses. He was deeply attached to the noble Prophet and was constantly in his company.

Much of his time he spent in the masjid, engaged in worship, in learning and in teaching. He was known for his sweet, moving and effective way of teaching study circles of Sahabah who assembled regularly in the Prophet's mosque.

Abdullah ibn Sallam was known among the Sahabah as a man from ahl-al-Jannah "- the people of Paradise. This was because of his determination on the advice of the Prophet to hold steadfastly to the" most trustworthy handhold "that is belief in and total submission to God.

-The Authentic and Connected Regarding the Character of the Companions (As-sahih Al-Musnad min Fadha'il As-Sahaaba) by Abi Abdullah Mustafa ibn Al-'Adawi