Since I can’t seem to find the time to sit down and blog, here are some interesting entries out there in the Blogosphere.
Southern Muslimah has a sweet tribute to the Muslims of Birmingham.
Tariq gets poetic about love ‘em and leave ‘em brothers and their compulsive need to marry, plus a there’s a great post about apathy and lack of ambition among some African-American youth. There’s also some good advice on calming down those raging hormones and thinking before jumping into marriage.
Yusuf muses on the great White recurring hope and facist atheists.
Um Ibrahim has a new cool template! Also, Umm Sinan at Minal’s Majilis, as we all well know, has started her own blog so we now having another Muslim couple bloggin’ team. Abu Sinan has blogged on the insanity of President Bush’s surge plan. Oh, by the by, happy anniversary! 
We all know where DA is. He owes a picture of his drawing of Surah 99 or a picture of him in a cowboy hat holding a kitten. We’re waiting!!!!!
Umm Ali, in some very strong words, but true words, writes on the war against fat. Girl, I feel like raising a Black power fist with one hand and holding a candy bar in the other.
Please mosey on over to Baraka’s post on her pilgrimage to ground zero. And the latest post on freedom and oppression by Fayrooz at Nisaa.
Sis Leena has changed her template again plus she has a cool letter from Michael Moore to George Bush.
Planet Grenada compares illegal Mexican immigrants to Islamic terrorists. Funny.
Umar Lee gets up on those weak White Muslims again (as he refers to them). Seriously, another apostate? May I live and die in a state of submission. Truth is clear from error as the day is not the same as the night. May I die on al-Haqq, live for al-Haqq and submit to al-Haqq. And may these folks grow a backbone. They think these times are rough? Maybe they should read about a certain Sahaba named Bilal ibn Rabah (radiallahu anhu).
And finally our favorite American in Singapore, Shaykh JD, has some cool stuff on his blog, including this beautiful story of a young Muslim girl whose organs were donated and they saved four peoples’ lives.
Southern Muslimah said,
January 12, 2007 at 9:24 am
JazakullahKhayr for that, sister!
And I’m not the only sister on the planet who can down two or three candy bars in one sitting, am I?
Izzy Mo said,
January 12, 2007 at 2:48 pm
No problem sis!
No, you’re not. I’m more a pastry girl. I stop at one slice though there are times when I want two!
I know that I’m quite sick and tired for being penalized for…eating. Some people go too far and deny themselves everything–even the healthy stuff. Oy! I want to loose ten pounds but its for health reasons. Diabetes runs on my dad’s side of the family so I’m trying to be careful. But like Umm Ali said, we need to exercise more and lay off the fat, nutrient deprived junk that calls itself food.
Hijabi Apprentice said,
January 12, 2007 at 6:48 pm
LOL @ “Girl, I feel like raising a black power fist with one hand and holding a candy bar in the other.”
That’s me but with a croissant or piece of cake in my hand
.
ma’a salaamah,
ha
Leena said,
January 12, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Thanks for the mention and all the other great links.
Baraka said,
January 12, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Salaam & thanks hon – I’m enjoying reading the other links! :0
Warmly,
Baraka
JDsg said,
January 13, 2007 at 1:07 am
I thought that was supposed to be the “black power” fist with the candy bar inside it. Power to sugar, or something like that.
Thanks for the link. Over the past few weeks I’ve been working on the Blogger labels, categorizing each of my 300+ posts (got about 25 more to go, then it’s on to the next blog). One thing I noticed is that the most commentary I ever received on any of my blog posts was a total of 9 comments, which actually pissed me off considering how many other blogs I read get much more than that. I’ve wonder why that is. Is it because I write on serious topics (mostly) and don’t talk much about Milady’s and my personal lives (a conscious choice on both our parts)? Are the serious topics over the heads of most people? Am I being “too reasonable?” (Something I noticed in Korea: “Oh, teacher, what you say is so true and so reasonable, there’s nothing else to say.” Or do I write about the wrong topics? (I still get tons of hits for some blog posts I wrote well over a year ago, about Sania Mirza and the various “Desperate American Women.” Talk about stupid, busty women, and the world beats a path to your blog.)
I’ve had some posts in the past month that I thought were about really interesting subjects. Not just the Syahida Said post, but the Economist article about Jinns, the hypocrisy of the Western media about the ETA Madrid airport bombing, the “Blaming Islam” article, and several others. But does anyone comment on these? I’ve had 7 comments since the beginning of December.
Screw you all.
Faraz said,
January 13, 2007 at 5:28 am
Some great links. I haven’t passed this way in a while, I pray everything is going well with you.
DA said,
January 14, 2007 at 3:12 am
Soon as I find my camera, inshallah.
Ann said,
January 15, 2007 at 6:58 am
Assalaamu alaikum,
JD, I’m going to try to remember to stop by your blog more often. I have just a few that I look at regularly, and I see others that are interesting, but then I forget to go back…
I do want to thank you for your decision not to air personal things about your wife and yourself, though. Honestly, I’m appalled at some of the posts and comments – on Muslim blogs – that include detailed information about problems and sexual matters in marriages.
Are people visiting your blog and not commenting, though? Sometimes I read interesting things but don’t really have anything to add, so I don’t comment – especially if it’s not a blog that I go to regularly. I guess if something is interesting, I should say so, though, huh?
JDsg said,
January 15, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Wa ‘alaikum salaam.
Ann wrote: “I do want to thank you for your decision not to air personal things about your wife and yourself, though. Honestly, I’m appalled at some of the posts and comments – on Muslim blogs – that include detailed information about problems and sexual matters in marriages.”
You’re welcome. My marriage to Milady hasn’t been perfect all the time (what marriage is?), but Milady would be mortified if I aired our “dirty laundry” out for all the world to see. Just as I would be if she did the same. I’ve revealed bits and pieces about us over time, and as our business grows, we’ll almost certainly have to reveal more about ourselves (or at least about me). But I’ve tried to keep our lives as private as possible, which suits us both fine.
“Are people visiting your blog and not commenting, though? Sometimes I read interesting things but don’t really have anything to add, so I don’t comment – especially if it’s not a blog that I go to regularly.”
That is the problem in a nutshell. Viewing my stats counter right now, of the past 100 hits (over 26 hours), 67 were for my blogs. Number of comments received in that time: 0. My Syahida Said post was written with the deliberate intent to see how many comments I would get. The result: 2 comments (both local Muslim bloggers) and Kelly’s link above, which I count as a third. Wow, 3 comments in all. I was soooo impressed. (Not.) Here we had a human interest story, the death of a teenage girl whose mother’s willingness to donate her daughter’s organs allowed four strangers to continue their own lives. Interesting story? I thought so. Controversial? Possibly; despite two fatawa in favor of organ donations, Muslim families here aren’t donating the organs of their deceased relatives despite an urgent need. (Certainly an argument over ethics could have been made.) At the very least, I thought an “Alhamdulillah!” for the girl’s story was the least someone could write in the comments. Had Kelly published this story here, I suspect she’d have gotten at least a dozen comments on it. Me (with apologies to the three), I listen to the crickets chirping. I wonder, what do I have to do, write down suggested talking points to start a freakin’ conversation?
“I guess if something is interesting, I should say so, though, huh?”
We don’t expect every post to generate comments. Kelly’s had her share of “goose eggs” (0 comments) here. However, I bet there are a lot of bloggers (in addition to me) who’d appreciate having someone comment on their posts. I try to comment on many of the blogs I visit. I know all too well what it’s like to write post after post and wonder if I’m merely talking to myself. It’s a shame others can’t do the same.
UmmAli said,
January 15, 2007 at 8:56 pm
I just saw this. Thanks for the fist lol. I’ve actually been very focused on changing my (baaaad, I’m a cookiehaulic) eating habits. Actually we do eat very healthfully, it’s just the *addition* of all that sugar that messes me up. I’m a science major and I’ve studied a lot of biology, nutrition, anatomy and physiology etc. and as I review the actual studies I find that the overwhelming majority of the reports we read is SPIN even by the scientists who conduct the studies. If you read the actual studies you find just how much of a lie BMI and weight charts are. Did you know that African American women, on average can average something close to 37 BMI before they start seeing the health problems associated with a BMI of 30 in white women. That’s well over a 50 pound increase in weight. We tend to diefy science in this country and forget that scientists are dependant on dollars and research gets funded that can produce something that someone will ultimately buy whether it’s a new drug remember phenfen? or weight loss product). I could go on and on about this stuff.
I’ve upped the water, dropped the cookies (water has cured my sugar cravings) started moving and pumping iron and yes I do occasionlly look at the scale because I do have some goals beyond fitness and well into the territory of vanity, BUT I have never been nor will I ever be thin by American cultural standards I look and feel my prettiest at a healthy 150 on my 5″4″ frame. I say forget the doctors, reporters and their charts put down the cookies and go for a walk. I’ve also found that incorporating dietary discipline has been very helpful spiritually, isn’t there a hadith that says something about people being cursed on account of their stomach and genitals? Subhanallah.
Izzy Mo said,
January 16, 2007 at 1:45 am
Salaamz y’all
I’m late! I know I’m late.
Hijabi: Make mine a chocolate croissant! Yuuuuuuuum! ROFL!
Leena and Baraka: No problem, sisters!
Shaykh JD: Many apologizes. But I agree that panem and circensus will get you many hits on your blog, hence the prowlers looking for pics of Sania Mirza. Then again, there are some really funny links and posts on your blog and I should comment on them, as I am trying to do with other people’s blogs as well. Please don’t give us and have mercy on us, man! I took time for people to discover my blog. At first, I was talking to the wind. But I have been thinking about whether or not if blogging brothers should get together and have an all male forum or website. What do you think?
Faraz: Salaam alaikum and thanks for stopping by. I hope things are going well with you too.
DA: Cool. Time’s ticking away.
Ann: Yeah, there was one blog I came across that was talking about their ::clearing throat::: sex lives. That’s stuff is just way too personal.
Umm Ali: Body Mass Index, Shee-mex. Whatever!
And what are they basing this on? Certainly all those large, chubby beauties in those Renaissance paintings you see all over Europe didn’t fit the BMI. Cookies, oh, I had to stop buying them because I love them so. 
I agree that science, which is supposed to be all about constant inquiry, is worshipped as pure truth without us realizing that experiments have variables and controls that can be manipulated at will. The American definition of thin is just insane. I mean, that idea that your bones should show? Eww. Insha’Allah, I’ll start walking again as soon as I can find a place that free from stray dogs.
Ann said,
January 16, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Assalaamu alaikum,
JD, I was thinking about my own comments, and it occurred to me that they’re often in response to others’s comments. So I do see that someone needs to get the ball rolling…
JDsg said,
January 17, 2007 at 2:45 am
Ann: Wa ‘alaikum salaam. Thanks for all the comments on my blog. Insha’allah, I’ll respond to them a little later today. (I’m a little busy at the moment.) As for “getting the ball rolling,” I thought that’s what blog posts were all about.
JDsg said,
January 17, 2007 at 8:25 am
IM wrote: “I took time for people to discover my blog. At first, I was talking to the wind.”
I understand that it takes time to build an audience, and I’ve seen this with my own blog. I also know that blogging needs to be done fairly actively in order to build up that audience. I’ve tried to do this as best I can. Right now I post once every 2-2.5 days or so. And while this isn’t as good as I’d like it to be, I still think that after two solid years of blogging, there should be enough people around to make the occasional comment and even develop a conversation on a specific topic. That hasn’t been happening, despite the fact that my stats counter says that my traffic levels have increased. My point is, you all know who I am. I’m on enough blogrolls. I comment on a fair number of blogs. I’m getting the hits. So why is everyone so quiet there?
“But I have been thinking about whether or not if blogging brothers should get together and have an all male forum or website.”
It may work; I’d be willing to join in (although I wouldn’t stop writing on my own blogs like some of the Eteraz gang has). How successful this would be is difficult to say, though; there was something similar on Beliefnet when I was a regular there, and it didn’t do nearly as well as some of the other Islamic forums there. But I’d be willing to try if some of the other male bloggers are interested.