Loving Someone Completely. A hard feeling to describe.

Salamu

My Niggas!

If 2012 has taught me anything, it has taught me that when a window closes, a door opens.

I can truly look back at the year and say that I have experienced one of the biggest life changing events of my life…Falling in love with the girl of my dreams.

A lot of people have asked me what it is like being in love. How do you know you are in love? That question is both very easy and very difficult to answer.

It’s very easy in the sense that when you talk to the person you think you love and your knees go weak and you all of a sudden lose all train of thought. You are in love my friend.

But it’s difficult in the sense that you go through a lot of changes when you fall in love. Changes you never thought would be possible. The thing is you don’t realize that you are going through these changes until someone points them out to you.

I tell you solemnly. To open your heart to someone is the greatest gift you can ever give. And when they open their heart to you in turn you have reached perfection. If you had asked me earlier in the year if I would be feeling the way I do now. I would have laughed at you.

But now every waking minute spent with my girlfriend is a blessing. Loving her is an honor. Hearing her voice, which is sweeter than anything I have heard and will ever hear in my life, brightens my day. Knowing she loves me warms my heart. Feeling her in my presence is as if time is suspended and there is no days hours ands seconds there are just moments spent with her and moments spent without her.

I like the way her hair falls around her face. It formes the perfect frame of a picture of beauty the like of which I had never seen before and most likely will never see again. The frame draws attention to her amazing eyes. Eyes that sparkles like the richest purest diamonds; Yet all of the riches in the world cannot compare with looking into those eyes and knowing that no matter if the whole world is against you, one person cares for you.

The sound of her voice settles my soul. It whispers…like the wind blowing over the grassy plains. An inner peace that lets you know that no matter what challenges you face, that voice will bring you home.

I could talk about her touch and her kiss, but if you don’t love the persons soul you are doing an injustice to three important people. The first is God because he made more than just a body, the body is merely the outer personification of a richness that is the purest, most understanding, greatest and rarest beauty on earth. The second person is the object of your affection and the third is yourself.

What can I say about her soul then? A loving heart that knows no bounds, that’s full of inspiration. It lets you know how special you are; a treasure to the nation. Her soul is like that treasure chest, its riches unknown. For all of the gold and silver in the world can never compare with being cared for by her.

At the time of writing this originally, we were both so overcome by emotion that we did not know what to make of these feelings. But we know now that these feelings was love taking its foothold into our hearts. Telling us we will be beginning a journey of a lifetime that will change our lives forever.

How do you know when you love somebody? Well when you are prepared to do almost anything for them, then you know that you love somebody.

And all you want to say is three words: I LOVE YOU. (even if the first time you say it is over google chat)

And all you want to hear is four words: AND I LOVE YOU.

Till next time my Niggas!

What Does the End of the World Mean?

Salamu

My Niggas!

I am talking to you from what is supposed to be a post Mayan Apocalyptic Hell…and as predicted. Nothing happened. The world didn’t end. There were no energy pulses which realigned our polar magnitation (whatever the hell that is). The world is still turning. We have overcome!

But overcome what? In the lead up to today I have been doing a lot of reading up about the Mayans and their 2012 prediction. And it turns out that they actually predicted the end of an era and a new awakening of consciousness. Hollywood constructed the whole world ending in 2012 storyline.

But again…if the “Mayan Apocalypse” is supposed to be ushering in a new awakening of consciousness…and awakening of what?

Some nutcase that works with me in the office asked me if I watched the TV last night (which I didn’t as I was engrossed in catching up on some series on my laptop), he said that mass media was slamming every form of formalized religion known to man and the world will become one faith…the faith of humanity.

Excuse me? In order for that to happen you will have to stop the Palestinians from trying to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. You will have to convince India and Pakistan to share a spot in this so called “Shared Heaven” and you will have to convince the Muslims so share a spot in this so called “Shared Heaven” with the “Infidel Americans”.

These things have been happening since the dawn of time and major efforts (that have all failed) have been made to stop these things from happening. I fail to see how a civilization that has been dead for thousands of years are going to achieve this from beyond the grave.

If anything, the new awakening of consciousness that the Mayans have ushered in would be turning back to religion. There are for to many people in the world who don’t have a faith. And who believe in nothing. Although, like my girlfriend, I believe that Catholicism is the one true faith, I am tolerant of other religions and do see merit in some of the teachings of these religions. But these ‘evolutionists’, you know the people that say we evolved from monkeys, must piss off. Because if you can’t see the beauty in perfection and appreciate that only God can create an object of such beauty, then you need religion.

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

My Next Being 30 Experiance: Facing The End Of The World!

Salamu

My Niggas!

I bid you greetings for the final time in 2012.

It has been a big year for me, a year of a lot of change, one of the biggest changes will be discussed later in the post when I describe what it has been like falling in love with the most beautiful girl in the world and the changes that both of our lives have gone through since we have met.

This topic actually does connect in some arbitrary way to my first topic.

Those of us not living under a rock will know that this is the last week of the world’s existence. Yes people…the Mayans have blown the final whistle on existence. According to them December 21 (Friday) is the day we meet our maker.

Quite personally I don’t believe in this bullshit for a number of reasons.

Firstly…if they could predict the end of the world, could they not have seen the arrival of the Spaniards in the 1500’s which all but wiped out their existence from the face of the earth?

Secondly…I’m a devout catholic and believe firmly in the teaching that no one but God knows the time and date for the end of the world. And this is not to tease us. This is to make us live each day as if it were our last day on earth in order to prepare us for the day which will come like the thief in the night. Apart from Forgiveness and Loving Freely, this to me is the corner stone of the Catholic Faith. To live a good Christian life everyday as if it were your last on earth.

Repent and your sins will be forgiven before the rapture.
Nigga Please

Thirdly… there were a lot of people who wrongly predicted the end of the world and have been left looking like a bunch of fools. And rightly so. Some idiots predicted the world was going to end on May 5 2000 because all of the planets were in perfect alignment and who can forget Y2K?  But one of the funniest predictions in my opinion had to be the prediction by a bunch of ‘happy clappie’ Christians who saw it fit to put up billboards saying that the world was going to end on May 21 2011. And guess what….I’m still here more than a year later.

But I am being very cynical, because in a sense a small part of my world did end in 2012. The world of me being lonely and worrying about wanting more from life.

It amazes me how when you open your heart to beauty and let a hint or suggestion of it come in, it can make a serious foothold in your heart and change you forever. I was going through one of my stages of thinking if this is all that life has to offer when a friend of mine suggested I talk to her friend. I did so and little did I know it would take us both on a journey of a lifetime. A life changing journey.

But how does this relate to my first topic? Well when you love someone with all your heart the way I do, your life changes completely.

You end up counting the seconds of joy in your life as opposed to counting down the hours until the end of the work day. You end up smiling at any little thing as opposed to scowling at the beggar just asking you for a chance at a better life. You learn to laugh like a child, which is never a bad thing because there is nothing more innocent and pure than a childs laugh. But most of all you learn to say I Love You instead of looking for ways to hurt people.

My girlfriends life has changed too. She has told me on a number of occasions that she finally has a man in her life who loves her the way she deserves to be loved and appreciated her beauty. She has also learned to put up with a lot of crap because I am admittedly not the easiest person in the world to get along with at times. But this to is also because she has learned to say I Love You once again.

Love brothers and sisters is one of the most pure things in the world. And it is an emotion all need to feel at least once in their lives.

The picture below was taken on my first date with my angel. And do you want to know why there is no way of the world ending on Friday? Because there is no way God will only give me one moment of beauty and perfection. I have a whole lifetime ahead of me to look forward to that.

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

The most perfect evening of my life.
With the most beautiful girl in the world

My Next Being 30 Experience: First Dates

Salamu

My Niggas!

Besides The Kingdom of Heaven my favorite movie of all time as to be Gladiator. My favorite scene from the movie is just after Maximus (Russel Crowe) is praying to the ancestors to protect his family. He turns to his servant Cicero (Tommy Flanagan) and the following dialogue takes place...

Maximus: Cicero. Do you find it hard to do your job?

Cicero: Sometimes I do what I want to do, other times I do what I have to.

These two lines...this little dialogue...a minute of spoken words says all you need to know about life. And it can be applied to any situation. One such situation is that of a first date. 

Not many people appreciate the significance of a first date. A successful or unsuccessful first date can set the tone for your whole relationship. I think as a younger person you spend many sleepless nights worrying about the occasion, but as you get older the worry wears off because you just know what is in store for you. 

Being 30 is turning out to be a landmark age for me. In more ways than one. While all of my other friends are married with kids I am staring down the barrel of a first date. Granted it is with the girl of my dreams and a girl who i have gotten to know and become very close to. And I am sure the evening will be a success. but that doesn't mean that I can become complacent and not be weary of the fact that the occasion is what it is...a first date. 

I have had my fair share of rough ones. And I have learned from experience which will hopefully mean all will go well. It is this experience Mabibi na Mabwana that I hope to pass off to you as my public service

Lesson Number 1: It is a First Date, ANYTHING can go wrong at any time. 

You need to know this because there will be nervousness from both sides and this means that you will not be 100% at your calculative best. Nerves bring about mistakes, mistakes bring about situations. They will occur, the question is how will you react to it?

I remember a first date I had with a girl in High School. We really liked each other and once we worked past the teenage bullshit of sending letters to each other through third parties we arranged a date for coffee. We met at the shopping center and as she arrived she told me her mom wants to have a word with me and she walked away. I go the car and she says to me: Faurie...if you break my daughters heart Ill fail your ass!

Yes Mabibi na Mabwana I made the mistake of dating my Science Teachers daughter. 

So much for that first date going off smoothly. Instead of purring like the well oiled engine of a Ferrari it coughed and spattered like the well oiled engine of a Fiat Uno. 

Lesson Number 2: Location Location Location

Bearing in mind Lesson Number 1 you don't want the restaurant to be the proverbial 'Dragon in the Middle of the Room', that's just madness. The hallmark of a great sporting team (besides Liverpool FC) are that they take advantage of playing at home in familiar surroundings to gain success. 

For heavens sakes...go to a restaurant or coffee shop that you know well. Even better go to an establishment where you know the waiters and tell them to treat you right because it is a first date. In the past I used to always pick a different location for a first date and each one of them was dodgy. Once I settled on a venue I knew well, I was a bit easier with my surroundings and I never made a fool of myself.

Lesson Number 3: Make Sure Your Intelligence is Sound

Here I am not referring to the grey matter in your head and your ability to recall the first president of the USA or the length of the Trojan War. I mean intelligence about your partner. Make sure you ask the right questions leading up to the date...even if you risk her asking if you work for the FBI.

If your date is a vegetarian don't take her to a steakhouse. And if she is particular about what she eats make sure you cater for that. A bit of groundwork at the beginning of the relationship where you make her feel like a Queen will only benefit you downstream my friend. 

Those are the three golden rules of a first date. If they are followed, then you should have a good evening. I say should because it doesn't stop with these three. 

Here are some Do's and Dont's regarding first date etiquette: 

- Do treat her like a Queen. Greet her with a bunch of flowers and possibly a gift. Be careful with the gift though. Stick to something small and simple. NO UNDERWEAR. Open the car door for her when you pick her up and each time she enters and leaves the car. Also open the door to the restaurant for her. And always let her enter a place first.

- Do all the driving. DO ALL THE DRIVING. 

- Don't eat food that will be messy or stinky. Maybe pass on the pasta or the Mexicana Pizza for the first date stud. 

- Do complement the girl, but don't be overbearing. After you are seated and the drinks have been delivered to the table. Look her in the eye, take her hand, kiss it gently and say: You look very beautiful tonight. 

- PS: Her eyes are on her head. Don't stare at her cleavage and say this. 

- Don't drink alcohol on the first date no matter how nervous you are. In fact it is only acceptable to have more than one drink on like date 10 or 11. Trust me. 

- Do be pleasant, start a conversation. And don't be a boor. be chivalrous at all times.

- Don't be scared of silences...as long as they are comfortable.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I don't have all the answers. If I did, I would have achieved much more in my life than I currently have. 

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Finding fascination in a place close to home

Salamu

My Niggas!

Humans are fascinating creatures. You can spend your whole life studying them, yet you will never know everything about them.

But it is not the exterior form which holds the fascination for me. It is the emotional make up of the person. How the person is wired or coded as it were.

It always fascinates me how ruled we are by emotions, whether we care to admit it or not. I see myself as a big guy who doesn’t give to much away emotion wise. But let me listen to opera music and I will be a raging torrent of emotion.

When I was younger, I lived with my mom, grandmother and grandfather and for my whole life I saw and loved my grandfather as my own father. He loved classical music. I always remember him sitting in the study on a Sunday listening to records of Luciano Paverotti or actual operas like Rigoletto or Aida. While the rest of the family used to head for the hills I used to sit and listen with him enjoying every moment of just being with him, in his presence.

I never understood the words to what they were singing and I still don’t. But it is the emotional attachment that you associate with it that creates magical moments. His death hit me really hard not only because I loved him so deeply, but because I never got a chance to say good bye to him. He died nearly eight years ago now and whenever I hear classical music, memories of him hit me like a sledgehammer and I get to on the verge of tears.

This was one of his favorites. And is definitely one of mine. Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman at their best.

Sarah Brightman   Andrea Bocelli - Time To Say Goodbye .mp3

Found at bee mp3 search engine

When my grandfather was near death I attended a spiritual course called ‘Life in the Spirit’ which was a very special experience for me and one day I will tell you all about it. During that time there were a lot of hymns associated with the course which we obviously sang. One was Refiners Fire. And it made such an impact on me then that when we sing it during mass now again, I get this sense of calm and peace. The emotional attachment I have with the song causes me to get so emotional every time I hear it or sing it.

It is the same with the beautiful woman I am falling for in a big way. The other day she decided to ask me a set of questions based on earlier discussions we had. I got all of them right bar one and she was suitably impressed….and actually so was I. Without realizing it I had developed such deep feelings for this amazing person that I took mental note of the special things about her and recalled them without trouble. This, my friends has never happened before.

It also amazes me how every time a get a message from said special person my life just seems to light up. The clouds just go away. Emotional bliss.

However, having your life run by emotions can also be a bad thing. On a number of occasions I have made quite poor decisions in the heat of an emotional moment. I have gotten better and these instances are becoming few and far between. I suppose that comes with age and knowing that in certain instances you need to take a step back, gather your thoughts and calm your emotions.  

It was the great Greek philosopher Plato who said that the only thing that separates humans from animals is our ability to reason. But it’s more than that. It’s our ability to let our emotional control us, guide us and ultimately dictate a large portion of the decisions we make on a daily basis where we care to admit it or not.

  

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Like Obama....I want change Part 4

Salamu

My Niggas!

For a change I am not writing about an episode in a series that I am currently engrossed in. Yes this means that there some major changes in my life which brings me to today’s topic.

Public Disclaimer: Before I carry on I feel that I have a moral obligation to point out that a lot of people might find this post conceited and very self centered. This is not my intention and I apologize.

How does one know that he/she is going through change? The most obvious sign that change is happening is if you life does a complete 180° or 360° turn. But we all know this. I am talking about the reaction to change.

I have met this girl. Shock and horror right? Well if that’s your reaction you had better sit down because what I am about to tell you next might just give you a cardiac…..she actually likes me. As in really really likes me.

Some people resist change, others embrace it. And while some encourage others to share their positive outlook on change there are equally those who like to forge ahead with their profit of doom mentalities.

To me it’s simple and can be summed up as such: None of us know when change will happen or what hand will guide us there. A King may move a man. That man can also move himself. Remember that howsoever you are played, or by whom, your soul is in your keeping alone. When you stand before God, you cannot say "but I was told by others to do thus" or that "virtue was not convenient at the time." This will not suffice.

You are all probably sitting there thinking: Is this man going to get to the point before hell freezes over?

Love Mabibi na Mabwana is the great leveler. It will change the very essence of your soul if you allow it. But let me tell you that love is one of the few things in life that humans cannot live without. You can have everything in the world your heart desires. But without love you are nothing.

Every human has the capacity to love, and to be loved. I have gone through my share of heartache. And every time I have asked:  “Is this the end? Have I given all I have to give?” And then unexpectedly, like a leopard stalking its prey, creeping up on it to pounce at the last minute, you feel this overwhelming warmth inside you.

But do you surrender to it like the leopards prey? Or do you let love guide you like the autumn breeze bringing ships into port. Will you let it guide you on a journey of unfathomable beauty and unimaginable joy?

This question is hard because you need to love for the right reasons. For me it was simple… I looked at the girl I had these feelings for and this is what happened.

I liked the way her hair fell around her face. It formed the perfect frame of a picture of beauty the like of which I had never seen before and most likely will never see again. The frame draws attention to her amazing eyes. Eyes that sparkled like the richest purest diamonds; Yet all of the riches in the world cannot compare with looking into those eyes and knowing that no matter if the whole world is against you, one person cares for you.

The sound of her voice settles my soul. It whispers…like the wind blowing over the grassy plains. An inner peace that lets you know that no matter what challenges you face, that voice will bring you home.

I could talk about her touch and her kiss, but if you don’t love the persons soul you are doing an injustice to three important people. The first is God because he made more than just a body, the body is merely the outer personification of a richness that is the purest, most understanding, greatest and rarest beauty on earth. The second person is the object of your affection and the third is yourself.

What can I say about her soul then? A loving heart that knows no bounds, that’s full of inspiration. It lets you know how special you are; a treasure to the nation. Her soul is like that treasure chest, its riches unknown. For all of the gold and silver in the world can never compare with being cared for by her.

If you can look into the eyes of that special person and feel these things, surrender to love. Let the full breeze blow your heart where it will. Because you will have a companion, and the journey will be magical.

Yet there is a growing trend in the world which says that one should be very skeptical about love. The fact that there are so many divorces in the world is because people think that love is a game rather than a journey, they also think that it is easier to throw a broken relationship away rather than work hard to fix it. The fact of the matter is that love (or the process of falling thereof) makes big changes in ones life and the fact that it creeps up on people unexpectedly frankly scares some.

I don’t have the all the answers, I never professed that I did. This is my opinion on the matter, a point of view that needed to be expressed. Now if a person like me, a person who is rather unqualified when it comes to matters of the heart, can realize this. Then why cant those who are experienced realize it? If I can embrace it, why cant you?

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Last Resort... becoming a disapointment

Salamu

My Niggas!

Before we get started on how disappointed I am with a certain new series let me just say that my theory about Dallas has been disproven. I was hoping to get 100 page views on an article other than that of an FHM top model and how many page views did I get????? 28! So not cool!

Military trained sailors bowing to a despot?
Not believable at all.

A few posts ago I was talking up my excitement about Last Resort which really had the potential to be an awesome series. The original premise of the series was a bit far fetched (blowing up Pakistan and US ships turning on each other) but so was Terra Nova and Alcatraz. Sometimes making a series is like poker...its not the hand that you are dealt but what you do with it that counts.  

Take the last episode of Last Resort. The local despot of Sainte Marina Julian Serrat has three of Cpt Marcus Chaplin's sailors captive and is demanding ransom for them. These three sailors are being guarded by 10 or 15 men. Chaplin has a whole submarine of MILITARY TRAINED sailors at his disposal to go and save the captives, but he opts to leave Serrat to fight another day instead of wiping his existence out completely. A hallmark of a lasting series is to make the events in the series as believable as possible. No sane man with a mini army at his disposal would have done what Chaplin did. 

Perhaps this is why Terra Nova and Alcatraz were cancelled after one season. Because they had the potential to be great and they didn't. Don't be to surprised if Last Resort follows suit. 

We know the popularity of comic book convectors. One just has to look at the ridiculous event known as Comic-Con to see that there are just SO MANY nerds out there who live and breathe off this stuff. Create magical worlds around it. Surely then it would make sense that if you want a successful series, base it on a comic book character.

Ladies and Gentlemen...Mabibi na Mabwana...I present to you....ARROW. 

For those who haven't seen the pilot, the story revolves around a billionaire playboy who's luxury yacht capsizes killing all on board but himself. He then spends five years surviving on an island in the pacific before he is found by some Chinese fishermen. He then goes back to his city and exacts vengeance on all of those who are corrupting the city. 

Sound familiar? Well that's because its the story behind the DC Superhero the Green Arrow . 

Considering how well Person of Interest does and how popular Law & Order and the CSI franchises are, Arrow could be the best new show that has been launched in the US...but time will tell. Watch this space. 

A show with so much potential needs to step up
to the plate. 

Coming back are the boys from Charming....Samrco. I have already stated my love for the series and I am sure it wont disappoint. Season 5 is already 5 episodes in and the dynamic between Jax and Clay will be interesting because Jax wants to lead the club (for obvious reasons revealed in seasons 3 and 4) but he still needs Clay in order to make the deal with the IRA work. 

Also back is Homeland. I was a fan of the first season mainly because I have Arab blood running through my veins and I think that the Arabs do not get a fair shake from the US. Be that as it may the series needs to have some radical changes to make it as good as season 1. A recipe for disaster when it comes to series is making the story line predictable.  The show still portrays all Arabs to be terrorists and only a few Americans to be bad. As we all know this isnt true so what would be interesting is if a person from within Hezbollah or Al Qaeda to give up Abu Nazir. 

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Testing a theory

Salamu

My Niggas!

As you all will know, I am a very analytical person obsessed with knowing as much as I can about a certain subject. I also like to test certain theories as well as formulate my own theory and test its probability.

So then…this post is going to test a theory. I will explain the theory at the end of the post.

I have written in the past about how I have been taken down memory lane from time to time and I quite enjoyed it. But nothing has given me such a pleasurable trip down memory lane than the latest addition to my latest area of interest…the 2012 continuation of my favorite TV series of all time DALLAS.

Yes it is back and the question had to be asked. Is the 2012 continuation as good as the original series which aired from 1978 to 1991 which included an amazing 357 episodes.

Good Old JR. The most hated man in Texas

In the original series the story centered around Bobby Ewing and good old JR Ewing and their different views on business and how to conduct it. It is like that classical cartoon image of a person sitting down approaching a problem with an angel on his left shoulder giving him good advice and a devil on his right shoulder giving him somewhat questionable advice. Bobby was the angel while JR was the devil.

In the 2012 continuation series the story is centered around John-Ross Ewing III and Christopher Ewing (John Ross III being the son of JR and Christopher the adopted son of Bobby) and like their fathers the son have inherited the same personality traits.

What made the original series so compelling is how bad JR was. You wanted to tune in to see who he has pissed off or who wants to kill him, yet you know deep down inside that Dallas would not be Dallas without him. Another reason why the show was so good was because JR and Bobby were such polar opposites. In the continuation series, John Ross III is bad but not as bad as his daddy. And Christopher is good but not as good as his daddy.

Julie Gonzalo acting like a boss!

I like the 2012 continuation series, but it is unfair to compare it to the original which lasted 13 years. It is. So we have to go to the women to see if they clinch it for me.

In the original series we had Sue Ellen and a number of ladies who played the love interest of Bobby (who is currently on wife number 3 provided he survives the brain tumor that has in him in hospital in the 2012 series. I haven’t got to Episode 10 yet)

Not much can be said for the ladies from the original series from my side because I was a youngster and only concentrated on JR and Bobby. However, the woman in the continuation series are quite something.

The continuation series has Elena Ramos and Rebecca Barns/Ewing/Sutter. In a complete twist from the original series we see how Rebecca has become the snake in the grass that JR was in the past and this was a pleasant surprise. The battle with conscience that she has throughout the series is excellent and the fact that they put it down to her ‘brother’ Tommy up until Episode 10 when she reveals herself as the daughter of the Ewing’s biggest enemy Cliff Barnes is a STROKE OF GENIUS!

Bringing a bit more Latino to Texas. Again...like a boss!

And lets also just say that Jordana Brewster and Julie Gonzalo are much more pleasing on the male eye than Linda Grey and Victoria Principal ever were.

But does this clinch the deal? Do the ladies make the 2012 continuation of Dallas better than the original series? Again it’s a tough one and I am undecided.

So it comes to this my friends. Because I am such a fan of Dallas I am prepared to do this. 

I am in the process of sourcing all of the 14 original seasons as we speak. So…anon…I will have the 357 original episodes. Added to the 10 episodes from the 2012 continuation season I will have 367 episodes of Dallas. That’s an episode a day for a year. For my New Year’s Resolution I will embark on: My Year in Dallas where I will watch an episode a day for a year to settle this debate.

Charline Tilton. No doubt a big reason why
a lot of men watched Dallas

I will give updates during the year and we will touch base in 2014 (assuming we survive the Mayan Apocalypse) for the definitive answer.

Now time for the theory….

When the producers of Dallas got the original cast together for a reunion in 2008, Ken Kercheval said that he was surprised at how much staying power Dallas had when he saw the crowd gathered to participate in the reunion event. So let’s test his theory. We all know that Dallas was popular, and we all know my blog posts about FHM models are more popular than my other posts (thanks to all the dirty bastards out there) so can the fact that I am writing about Dallas mean that I can reach 100 page views on a post not related to an FHM model. Kercheval’s theory says that I will.

Footnote: Notable mention needs to be made to Jordana Brewster for achieving what no other cast member of Dallas could...making it big on the Big Screen (as Mia Toretto in the Fast and Furious franchise) and the small screen. Honorable mention must also go to Charline Tilton and how beautiful she was back in the day. No doubt she was a big reason a lot of men watched the programme. 

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Series is the name of the game in 2012

Salamu

My Niggas!

It feels like I haven't updated my blog in years, meanwhile I updated on September 11 and 12. The major thing that has happened is that I have reached over 3 000 page views on the site. Asante to all of those involved and lets hope we have many more views before the year is out. 

My love for movies has been very well documented on this blog. One just has to look at one of the sidebars of the right of my blog to see a list of some of my all time favorites. There have been some really epic years for movies, unfortunately 2012 was not one of them. In fact, the best movie of the year thus far has been the Avengers and the Spiderman reboot. There was a lot of noise being made about the Dark Knight Rises, but like the Shakespearean Classic....it was a much ado about nothing. 

But it has been a year when I have rediscovered my love for series. Although True Blood is getting weirder and weirder, it is still awesome and I am still a die hard fan (unashamedly). I am looking forward to Season 6 which is coming out next year.

Actually 2013 is going to be a epic year for TV series (assuming we survive the Mayan Apocalypse), True Blood Season 6 is coming out at about the same time as the third season of another one of my favorite series....Game of Thrones. But the biggest one to look forward is the Sixth season of Sons of Anarchy.

Up until two months ago True Blood and Game of Thrones were my favorite series, but then I got hold of the Sons of Anarchy and I was hooked! 

Once again, the reasons for the series success is simple....

The Story Line and Club Issues are REAL: There are no vampires or werewolves involved. There are no wildlings. Its about running guns and drugs and gang rivalry. REAL LIFE SHIT. 

There is Amazing Character Development: Jackson Teller is the modern day Shakespearean hero. In the beginning he is utterly devoted to the club. Then he finds his dead fathers manuscript  and its like his father is talking to him from the grave. He goes on a crusade not to question the club, but to question the path that the club is going down. His son gets kidnapped and he wants to leave the thug life. But you don't choose the thug life, the thug life chooses you, when he finds out that Clay offed his old man there is fire and brimstone and the young bull flexes his muscle. Tara Knowles is the next Adrian Balboa, she is so in love with Jax that she puts up with the shit that goes on to stand behind her man. But there are times when she shows an uncertainty where she wants to leave because its whats best for the kids. Clay Morrow changes from this strong fatherly figure that holds SAMCRO together to this disease that eats away at the soul of the club. You end up secretly wishing that Opie's bullets do actually kill him rather than just injure him permanently. 

You can learn a lot about life by watching the Sons of Anarchy: Granted, the normal run-of-the-mill Average Joe cant merely run guns and coke like SAMCRO and not end up six feet under. But what the show does teach us is that one cannot spend ones life running, the secret to life is making the best out of heavy situations. 

I am halfway through season 4 and have been able to keep up to date with season 5. So I might have to neglect my heavy social life one weekend in favor of being a recluse to finish season 4 and three episodes of season 5. 

But there is also Person of Interest which is amazing and the first episode of a new series that I downloaded yesterday: Last Resort. 

Last Resort looks a bit like its a bit of a far fetched situation that the series is set in, but once again, its appealing to me because there are no vampires, werewolves and wildlings. It will be interesting to see how the series develops. Cant wait. 

Just a note on Last Resort. I say its a bit of a far fetched situation, but I am sure there are a few people in India who secretly go to bed at night hoping that someone blows up a certain neighbor who gives them border issues every now and then. 

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Solving some of Life's Great Mysteries

Salamu

My Niggas!

I can safely sit before you and say that I have had interesting work experience. I have never been one to blow my own trumpet but when I look at my CV compared with others, I can safely say that I have experienced more than most. 

I have had good jobs and I have had some rank shit jobs. I have had great bosses and I have had some mad crazy bosses. Before we go on, a word of advise. Beware the middle aged woman executive who does not have any kids and devotes her life to work. Mad Crazy with a capital M and C! Give these bitches a very wide berth! TRUST ME!

My current job is interesting. Although technically I am a copy writer that specializes in technology articles I have been told that I need to try my hand at writing motivational articles. 

Although I never realized it at the time, I thought that my superiors were really losing it when they asked me to do this, but then a very good friend reminded me of what i have experienced in my life and I realized that I am more than well equipped for this task. 

Below is my first attempt. I have been told it needs work so its safe for me to share on my blog as it is not the finished item and wont be published anywhere else: 

Every human has been in this situation before. Its years after you have graduated from high school or college and you are a working man or woman.  Although you literally have your whole life ahead of you, you have enough life experience to realize that the image of the world that teachers and lecturers painted for you is far from the reality of what life really is.

A fundamental truth about life is that it has its challenges, and you have been presented with your first one. You can sit back and ask why people were not honest with you about the truths about life. But looking for someone to blame is not going to help you choose the right way to live your life going forward. You have been knocked down, getting up is up to you. Instead of blaming someone for the hand that life has dealt you, look ahead at the infinite possibilities that present themselves to you.

Imagine being stranded in the middle of the ocean. You might feel that you have completely lost orientation and that you are completely lost. But consider the fact that if you are stranded in the middle of the ocean, your possibilities are endless. Either direction you choose to travel will lead you to salvation. Overcoming a challenge in life needs a similar approach. The chances of things getting worse than they are at that moment are far less than the chances of things getting better. And when you eventually approach land after being stranded in the ocean one paddles faster towards salvation. But what if that person approached the problem with the same enthusiasm at the start? Would he/she have not reached salvation sooner?

Once you are back on track, you need to realize that you are fully equipped with all of the tools you need to achieve greatness, there are no missing tools in your tool box. There are many religions in the world, but there are a few common truths. One such truth is that our existence is not a coincidence; we have been created by a higher power to achieve a specific purpose, a specific goal. And whoever created us did so with perfection in mind. Although we don’t realize it, or care to admit it, we will never be as perfect as we are at this particular moment to achieve greatness.

Achieving this greatness cannot be done alone. No human is an island. We need people to push us down the right path when we face crossroads in life. Think back to the life that you have lived and you will recall the role that a family member, high school teacher, best friend or life partner has played in the person that you are today. Open your mind and heart to the role that influential people can play going forward. Base your present decisions on selected past experiences. We have all had our share of break ups or have experienced death, and the pain that you feel at that moment is very real and is enough to make you apprehensive to let other people into your lives. But by allowing hurt to control you, you are building a defensive wall that will prevent you from taking advantage of present opportunities that life has to offer. You might think that the people in your life merely exist by coincidence. But the people in your life, like your existence, do not happen by coincidence. These people have been carefully selected by the higher power that created you and are brought into your life at the precise moment that you need them. You just have to open your mind...and open your heart  to acceptance and fight the urge to keep these people at an arm’s length. Let them into your life and enjoy all that they have to offer.

Live your life to the fullest. Give it all you have. Look into the face of an approaching storm and have the guts to say:  “Do your worst, for I will surely do mine!” Approach each day with the devotion, dedication and discipline to achieve one goal. It may be a singular goal or it may be the first step in achieving a bigger goal, but humans are emotionally wired to be driven by achievement. At times you will succeed and at times you will fail, but the lessons we learn in success and failure helps us to achieve more.

Have you ever taken the time to watch the daily routine of a small child? From the moment they wake up in the morning until they go to sleep at night their sole purpose is to enjoy all that the day has to offer to the fullest. It might seem irrational to say that an adult should approach life in a similar way, but how irrational is it really? Imagine what you can achieve if you take all the lessons you have learned about life and use them at the appropriate time while living each day to achieve the fulfillment in life that a child does.

Now that we have thought about living life with a childlike enthusiasm we realize that we have heard the cliché a hundred times: life is a journey. But are you merely listening to that cliché ? Or do you understand it? I have spoken about some of the fundamental truths about life. But the one truth that governs them all is that we can only learn these truths by living life. And with all of the living and all of the learning, we have just scratched the surface. There are still infinite truths that we have not discussed just as there are many more truths that I have not yet learned. The day we stop learning about life is the day that we die. What you need to realize is that nobody can teach you these truths; it is through living life that we learn how to cope with it. 

Within all us there is a storm, some believe that it will never end. But a person who believes in the heavens can weather any storm.

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

The day that the world changed.

Salamu

My Niggas!

On the 11th of September 2001, the world changed forever. Two cowardly acts of terror, on innocent civilians changed the way that the worlds saw Arab people, changed the way that tourists were allowed to travel, and completely changed the outlook of two countries through war campaigns launched by the American Government. 

It was one of those events that you will never forget. You will always remember where you were on the day that the airplanes flew into the World Trade Center. I was studying at university at the time and had just came out of an interpersonal communication lecture which was on the way that different cultures interact with each other and how they should embrace racial tolerance. 

I have been very outspoken about my feelings for the majority of the British race (because of their arrogance and God mentality) and the Australian race (also because of their arrogance and their brat temper tantrum approach to sport) and because of this I was quite fond of the American race. 

And I still am. But my view on the American nation was also severely affected by 9/11. And not mainly by the people who were directly affected by the event, but by George W Bush. 

You see, the pain that you feel by losing someone to an event like that is completely understandable. And at that time you do feel an intense hatred towards the people who caused that pain. But when the man who is the most powerful person in the world talks about retaliation on a culture because of a few people who were obviously extremists makes you wonder how a man like that can breed so much hate. 

Because of Bush's take on 9/11, some Americans cant look beyond their hate at the person. At their soul. I am a Catholic, and I profess that I am by no means an expert on Islam or the Qur'an, but there are basic truths about it that the world needs to know. 

In order to understand Jihad, one must understand what the Prophet Muhammad taught about it. He said that there is a Greater and a Lesser Jihad. The Jihad that we all know and have experience with (the holy war) is the Lesser Jihad, and one cannot go on the Lesser Jihad until he/she has completed the Greater Jihad. The Greater Jihad is the fight within ones soul between good and evil. Yes the Qur'an does say that you need to strike back at those who oppress you. But you must do it for the right reasons. Don't be blinded by feelings of greed, hate or lust when embarking on a Jihad. The Our'an also has laws which govern Jihad beyond doing it for the right reasons. It says that you should strike back at those who oppressed you. That excludes innocents, especially women and children. 

And what is sad is that it is the actions of a few which influences the views of the many. One must bear in mind that devout Muslims see these extremists in a negative light. To them what happened on 9/11 is not Islam. I lived in the UAE post 9/11 and I can tell you now that the Muslim people showed me more peace, hospitality and people welcoming me into their homes with open hearts than any Catholic. I am a devout Catholic and I both love my faith and am proud of it. But the Catholic church has a lot to learn from Islam. The Catholic Church in Durban is building a center to help poor and destitute people recover from drugs and alcohol. It will also be a sanctuary for the homeless and those who are destitute and don't have food. The majority of the people that will be served by this center are not Muslim. Yet the Islamic Society of Durban have given the biggest donation to the Catholic Church to build this center. These are the people that the Americans go to war with. 

Yes there are terrorists and I do agree that they need to be hunted down and be held accountable for what they did. But in war, the biggest casualties are innocent people who in this case do not support the extremist actions that happened on 9/11. 

What is my message on 9/11 - 11 years on from the fateful day. It is a message of tolerance. Yes you might have been directly or indirectly affected by the events of that day. And you are entitled to feel hurt and pain, I am not begrudging you that. But it must be understood that the events on that day were committed by a few people who tried to strike fear in the hearts of many. As a whole, Islam deplores the actions of extremists who target innocent people.Hating the whole Arab world will not heal your pain. Blaming Islam will not bring your family back. Tolerance and acceptance is the only way to make the world a better place for future generations.  

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!

Lack of Respect destroys communities

Salamu

My Niggas!

So finally Canada got with the programme and have over 1 000 page views.

But this is not my topic for the day. I have always been outspoken about my views on living life without fear. I mean what it the point of living life looking every corner for danger or not trying new experiences? However, there is a line that needs to be drawn where living without fear borders on living without respect. And that my friends is a very fine line to tread, especially when it borders on no respect for authority.

There is an alarming increase in the number of Project X parties happening in South Africa. What is a Project X Party you ask. Well...Please see the trailer below:



Basically it was a movie. And as with all movies it is a FICTIONAL account of an event that has been popularized for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. But these thundercats don't know that there is a difference between fantasy and reality so they are now throwing their own Project X Parties where they jump off roofs onto jumping castles or try to fit 900 people into someones house. Whats scary is that this is being done without parents knowledge and with no older supervision. Alcohol and Recreational Drugs are freely available at these parties where the age range is from as young as 13 to as old as 20.

Now this to me is nothing more than a bunch of young punk ass kids who have nothing better to do with their lives than do some stupid shit. Now before you start giving me the lecture...yes I was young once. in a previously written blog post (http://shalafain.blogspot.com/2012/02/one-wild-night-in-mulbarton.html) I went into some detail as to what I got up to in my youth. And yes it got a bit wild. But 30 people is a hell of a lot less than 900 people. There was drinking so I'm not going to criticize bout that. But not once did we ever think bout doing drugs.

It comes down to respect. When we were organizing these parties and mobilizing the  troops we were always conscious about the fact that we didn't own the shit in the house and at the end of the day we would have to answer to a higher authority, so we always did things within the parameters of respect. Who do these thundercats respect? They don't even respect themselves! Who the hell in their right mind jumps off a roof onto a jumping castle?Or drives their dads car into a swimming pool?

It also comes down to bad parenting. There are no problem kids in this world. Only problem parents. You are obviously not doing a good job if your kids don't respect your authority. Now I'm not saying parents should go Gestapo on their kids. But there needs to be enough authority to know that if kids are going to be doing some stupid shit then their parents are going to rain some hell down on them!

Another area of no respect is during the Marikana Massacre. For those who don't know about it. 20 000 mine workers went on strike at Lonmin's Marikana Mine in the North West Province because they wanted a pay increase. This is all good and well. South Africa's constitution protects a persons right to strike and every person has the right to earn a decent wage in order to support their families. But something somewhere along the line went wrong because all of a sudden we are seeing these people striking with traditional weapons (Asagai's, Knobkieries, Panga's). Since when do you strike about wages with traditional weapons? Lonmin got a bit scared so they call in the Law.

Picture the scene there are 20 000 protesters (most with traditional weapons but some with Gats that have live ammo) against 5 00 cops. That means for every cop (1 cop) there were 40 protesters.  On what tured out to be the last day of the protest this is what happened:



You can clearly see that the cops followed procedure by A)forming up in a line, B) Keeping a distance between them and the protesters, and C) following the Rules of Engagement which say that you must not fire unless you are fired upon. What do you expect the cops to do? They have families to. They have kids to go home to as well. If I am a cop and a protester is shooting at me trying to take my life I will shoot that bastard down.

This comes down to the fact that people don't respect the police in this country. I do understand that there are more dirty cops in this country than clean ones and yes to an extent I do agree with the sentiment of how can you be expected to respect the police if the majority of the force is dirty. But people, please get off your high horses and think sensibly for two seconds. If nobody respects the police the country will descend into anarchy and we will become the next Syria. Even if its hard and even of you are unsure about who to trust, you need to respect: A) the law of the country and B) the people who enforce the law.

You know....I loved Dubai. But all my time there a piece of me missed my country. To be home. To be with family. To be with friends. To be around South African culture. And to see my country turning into this makes me sad. It really does.

Please people. Listen to Jerry Springer: Take care of yourselves...and each other.

Till next time my Niggas!

Mei jua daima kuwa kabla yenu, na vivuli nyuma yako!