Of all the religions I have studied, I must say that, in my opinion, Islam boasts some of the prettiest music I’ve ever heard. One of my favorite recording artists of 2008 is, hands-down, Zain Bhikha. His spellbinding voice advocating Allah is so pleasing to the soul that words can’t even describe what it feels like just to listen to his songs because his music is so beautiful. One of the reasons why I have gravitated to his songs is that the message behind his lyrics is clear, which is to say that among other things, once we have lived this life and our death is imminent, whatever material things we have accumulated will remain behind, and our journey to what lies beyond this physical existence will begin. This is a message that transcends religion, I know, but the way in which Bhikha sings makes what we all must face not so depressing. I hope you enjoy the embedded videos.
Virginia Beach, Virginia's largest and newest tourist attraction, King Neptune, is a colossal bronze statue on the Boardwalk of 31st and Atlantic Streets. This impressive representation of the sea god Neptune was designed by Richmond sculptor Paul DiPasquale. The bronze piece was cast in China and was then assembled in Virginia’s resort city to help bolster the tourism industry there. Whether or not it actually helps increase tourism in that region is uncertain, but what is certain is that it is a beautiful work of art.
Congress passed the 700 billion dollar bailout bill, which rewards major financial organizations for making utterly disastrous decisions in the subprime mortgage mess. The fact that the federal legislature ‘had’ to step in and use money we don’t have to help organizations that obviously have not helped everyday Americans infuriates me. And, to add insult-to-injury, I became even more disgusted as I watched the national leadership, lead by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, wallow in a vulgar display of false security because I understand that the taxpayers will be the ones who will be made to suffer.
As the events leading up to the bailout revealed themselves, I tried to wrap my mind around what truly happened. Beyond the corporate greed that is the true cause of this mass misery, we have millions of Americans who invested their retirement and IRA accounts into organizations such as Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns, and the AIG Company believing it was a good outlay of money. So, we have average Americans using their asset allocation principles to squirrel away funds to be used as their retirement, which is smart thinking. However, investing for a strong retirement is something that takes decades. Now, we have a population who did that which they knew to do and are now told that not only have they lost their next egg, but they are now told they must pay into the massive bailout plan. Where’s the justice?
Both Congress, who allowed this to happen, and the corporate managers, whose main interest was their personal bottom line, have much to answer for, but it will be the hard-working people who will suffer the brunt of this catastrophe. Just like the two wars we are waging in Afghanistan and Iraq: It’s a rich man’s war, but a poor man’s fight. It’s reminiscent to the song I’ve embedded with this blog entry, the Federal government is looking into the eyes of the American people and saying, “You can’t win.”
You know there is something sexy when a beautiful woman is in control. Especially in entertainment, it’s exciting to see people such as Britney Spears and Janet Jackson command an audience in a choreographed orgy of well-rehearsed dancers and fast-paced music. What really makes a performance is when the star of the show demonstrates a passion for her craft by spellbinding the audience into a mystical trance, thus captivating all those present. It’s one of the many things women have over men.
Except Michael Jackson, I cannot recall any other male performer who has the same kind of appeal and allure as, say, Madonna. Women just look better than men; I can’t explain it. The following clip is of Paula Abdul at the peak of her fame. If you look carefully, you can see the emotion she brings to the dance floor. Her entire performance was planned with pinpoint accuracy, and she pulled it off seamlessly.
Those who know me can attest that I love comic book superheroes, though my desire to follow the serials isn’t as strong as it once was. As a kid, I was captivated by the action stories generated by Detective Comics (DC). This company created such legendary heroes as Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash to name a few. Each character had special powers which set him apart from others. For instance, Superman’s power was generated from the yellow rays of Earth’s sun, which gave him such abilities as flight and x-ray vision; Batman’s powers are derived from his amazing intellect as well as access to the vast fortune of his deceased parents’ company: Wayne Enterprises; the source of Green Lantern’s power comes from the ring bestowed on him by an advanced race of people sworn to protect the universe; and the Flash’s power comes from his costume that allows him to run almost at the speed of light.
While each superhero has his own comic book series, respectively, they all come together to form the Justice League of America (JLA). Here, they use their powers collectively to combat evil. Beyond the above mentioned supermen, there are a host of other characters (mostly male) who form the JLA. Surprisingly enough, the male characters do not impress me near as much as the heroines do. As in real life men are physically stronger than women. When we see images of firefighters, policemen, and service personnel, it is 9 times out of 10 men we will see. And, traditionally, it is the women who stay at home to raise children and take care of the housework. (However, this will be different when John McCain is elected our next president, and Todd Palin will have to stay at home and raise the children of his wife, Vice President Sarah.)
Two of my favorite female protagonists are the famous Wonder Woman and the not so well-known Goddess Isis. In the 1970s these two superwomen were each created as a children’s television series. I remember watching in awe as Diana Prince and Andrea Thomas would transform themselves from mild-mannered, unassuming, ordinary women to the demigoddess Wonder Woman and the Goddess Isis! After their transformation, each woman would in turn invoke and use their powers to combat evil and save the day. I was captivated by Wonder Woman especially because in order for her to conjure her powers, she would have to spin around until a light changed her from fully clothed to half naked!
The bad part of my fascination came one day when my sister busted me, a boy, for spinning around pretending to be like Wonder Woman. Like most siblings she told everyone in my family, and after almost thirty years, I still haven’t been able to live that one down. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the embedded clips. One comes from The New Adventures of Wonder Woman and the other comes from The Secrets of Isis.
