Eid Mubarak!

AA WR WB

EID MUBARAK!!!

Remember my family and me in your duas and I hope that your Eid was blessed!

Here's our Eid greeting card courtesy of my brother, Umar:


Cheers

The Chicago Bears: Lessons in Sabr (or something)

Hi

Right now, the Bears stand at 5-9. The same team that went 13-3 last season is now at 5-9. Five and Nine, folks. I can't get over it. The same team that has most of the same players from the 2006-07 Super Bowl season is now out of playoff contention. We can't even say "We're not mathematically ruled out" at this point! This is the same team that was by far the most hyped up team during the pre-season (perhaps NE being the only other team to stand above us).

Sure, we were missing key staff and players like Ron Rivera and Thomas Jones, but we also gained Babich, who was supposed to fit perfectly with Coach Lovie, and Greg Olsen and Devin Hester on the offense. And while there was some mad drama about Lance Briggs, ultimately he came back to play at least one more season here. And we were also supposed to get a more confident Rex Grossman and Cedric Benson.

Instead, we've ended up so far with a mind boggling 5-9 record. This is what we have: A frustrated Urlacher who's playing with an arthritic back, a defense that no longer strips or intercepts the ball, a defense that can't make tackles, safeties who don't make the cut (i.e. Archuletta), an o-line (which was praised as one of our strengths last year), an offensive coordinator that doesn't know how to use his amazing plethora of weapons, a friend-less Cedric Benson, injuries (i.e Mike Brown), injuries (i.e. Nathan Vasher until today), and injuries (i.e. bruised up guys like Tommie Harris, Darvin Walker, Cedric Benson, Mark Anderson, Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Anthony Adams, Dusty Dvoracek, Ruben Brown, and on-and-on).

And this is what we don't have: a prayer.

Or do we?

I've been thinking about the course of the season; debating over how a team this time last year was regarded as the next coming of the '85 Bears and how a team of that caliber can fall apart so easily. Things that come to mind are coaching mistakes (Does Lovie know anything about his offense? Hell, does Turner?!), arrogance (playing with a chip on our shoulders that apparently players in the City of Big Shoulders can't seem to get a hold of), injuries, or a lack of simply making the plays. I'm sure you can see why I'm constantly debating over these issues - you can probably make a case for each one.

My constant inner battles and rages to ascertain the answers to my questions lead me to develop a more philosophical approach in arriving to a conclusion. And so, on my journey to enlightenment, I began asking myself questions like, Why does greatness always seem to succumb to failure? What is greatness? What is failure? If we seek glory and seek to appreciate glory, then do we have to know what failure is? Why do we not forge ourselves into binding contracts where we lure the Dallas Cowboys' cheerleaders to Chicago? Or the Lakers' cheerleaders? And why shouldn't I name my first born Maximus after Russell Crowe's character in Gladiator?

After more introspection and analysis, I was finally blessed to come to a realization that the hardships we are facing as Chicago Bears players and fans are not only due not having hot cheerleaders, but also because we are being tested. Yes, Allah is testing our patience, our loyalties, and our convictions on the Chicago Bears (and, for that matter, all professional Chicago teams right now). Hey, far be it me to to question why we are being tested after over two decades of not winning a Super Bowl. All I can surmise is that we are in fact being tested.

How else can you rationally account for what has happened? We are being tested, my friends! Maybe someone has given Da Bears the evil eye (azubillah)? I mean, after all, we even have Muslims on our team now. Oh yes; Muslims. Take Br. Kyle Orton as an example. Here's a brother that looked forward to nothing more than boozing and getting into precarious pictures of himself completely and utterly plastered (and then later those pictures uploaded on just about every sports blog out there). He went from that to pre-season interviews of admitting that he was a drunken fool who looked to make amends with his Lord and set forth a positive example to all (hey, I'm not saying that I'm quoting him verbatim...). But the point is that you have this type of positive mindset on the team at the beginning of the season and then you somehow mysteriously lose it?!

Call it conspiracy (note: see also "ESPN" for their excessive coverage of all Eastern-based teams especially Boston for further definition of "conspiracy"). Call it stupidity (Ron Turner). Call it lack of confidence. Call it lack of balls (people from Saint Louis). Or just simply call it a test.

If you do, you will free your mind like Neo did when he took the red pill and came to see that right now we're in a Matrix where...oh, jeez, enough of all these different analogies already...

Bottom line: we're for some reason not the same team we were last year. We need to step out of it and make changes where needed. We need to play some good ol' fashioned Chicago football and get our hands down and dirty, folks.

And we need a prayer for this to happen.

And Allah Alone gives Success...

AH's, Reef's and Z's Holiday Fun

Hi

We have documented evidence here, folks, about how AH, Zareen, and Aref intend to spend their holiday season...

Actually, the fact of the matter is that they recently emailed me asking me to post this on my blog so that everyone can share in their happiness around this time of the year. So, without further ado, I now give you the talented trio in some gay holiday cheer:

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1434756126

Look at how happy they are! Come on, let's hear it. The collective "Awwww!"


Happy Holidays from AH, Reef, and Z!!

74 to 6

I mean, what else do I have to say about my Madden skillz? Then again, I was only playing against a novice of thb game. Yep, Umar.

My First BP

Hi

Well, this past Thursday I hosted my first ever BP (Bears Party) amongst the BP List guys. This list is pretty big consisting of loyal Bears fans that basically email and update each other about the latest and greatest Bears news and our own thoughts and analysis from the game (the list actually extends out to become the Bulls List as well as Cubbies list, too, during the Bears offseason). Fahad/Masood usually begins each week with his prediction followed by Kamran Riaz (aka Jay Mariotti's protege - and that's not a compliment). After the game, we all sound off on what we thought of the Bears' game play and unfortunately this season the BP list has shared more disappointment and criticism than we would've expected or liked. Other role players in the BP list include Irfan/Bungu/Brian with his verbal assaults (i.e. uncontrolled, Hulk-like yelling); Sikander with his constant reminding that Lovie Smith sucks; OZ talking about how great he is in predicting Favre's winning season; Eyad and his random picture emailing and accompanying caption commentary; Hot Chipz Chippa with his intense love triangle (him, Archuletta, Chris Duhon on the Bulls); and many others who I'm leaving out, but are all critical components of the list.

Anyway, each Bears game most of these guys try to meet up at someone's crib where we not only enjoy watching our favorite team, but also enjoy food and the general company. So, as I recently upgraded our Dish to get the NFL Network and HD, I volunteered to host Thursday night's disappointing game that has essentially sealed any chances for a post season spot (pending Divine Intervention which I am now praying for). Having the NFL Network plus HD is a true blessing not only for the obvious fact that it's football in HD, but also because of the acceptance that KR has now given me after upgrading to HD. Sigh. The things I do to keep up with the Jones's.

So, Thursday's BP seemed to be successful and as much as I would like to credit my hosting abilities, I am not foolish enough to think that it had nothing to do with the food and particularly the buffet of SGPs (spicy gyros pizza from Italian Express) followed by ice cream sundaes, red velvet cake, and homemade brownies courtesy of the legendary pajama-wearing Farooq. In translation, what the food menu really looked like was a line-up of a coronary followed by high cholesterol and some sloth. For some, such a set-up would be a total health nightmare and a food line-up that should be reported to the FDA for immediate action; for men, however, there was nothing more satisfying – not even a woman’s touch (because with a woman’s touch, you have to live with the repercussions like emotional commitment; with food, the only type of commitment you have is with the toilet and for many men that’s a commitment more readily welcomed than a woman’s nagging).

I don’t think I’m going to get into much of the disappointing and – again – winnable game against the Redskins, because that’s a pain I am not willing to delve into without serious psychiatric assistance. Instead, what I’m gonna do is post pictures, something I truly excel at:

Masood: He doesn't need the touch of a woman anyway. And can you blame him? Look who he gets to sit on...

Hey, guys, do you realize that there's a game on? You know, Da Bears? (Hmm, looks like the early stages of the post-SGP knock out.)

The master gourmet chef prepares the final touches on the sundae

Guys? The game? Ok, nevermind...

And this is what it’s all about, folks. Brotherhood. In this case, though, it looks a little more serious. Or questionable. I’m going to blame this on the SGPs and sundaes – that’s the only logical explanation.

And that was pretty much the night. Well, as attendees of the BP know, that really wasn’t it. The night also consisted of some wii action, which lasted for 10 minutes. But the main source of entertainment (not “scare” as some would say) was me casually walking into the living room without my shirt on as if this was normal for me to do. The crowd reaction wasn’t comforting, but I wasn’t gonna let that discourage me. Look, everyone has their “thing,” right? Irfan likes to yell. Tariq likes to eat a few rotis in the morning. Sikander likes peanut butter on everything. Taha likes steroids. Hassan likes his hair. Fahad likes himself (a lot). Farooq likes to hate on everything - especially me. Sami likes to know how many people are coming to my house before committing. And I like to occasionally take my shirt off in social situations…

Well, mad props to Fahad for embracing (literally) this tradition of mine and taking a picture that’s, well, not suitable for you readers (or potential rishtas) to view. Just think of Janet Jackson’s infamous picture and I’ll leave it at that. The only thing that bothered me was Irfan’s involuntary body reaction (he ran up to my bedroom to hurl) and the random flashes from people’s cell phones. At this point, I have no clue where the hell those pictures could be and I’m afraid to ask. But, I trust my brothers in Islam not to go out there and shame me (i.e. ruin my chances to get married). And, yes, I did just bring religion into it! Can you really fault me?!

While I’m giving to props, I just wanna give props to EVERYONE for coming out to my hood, which is apparently “far,” even from people who live 15 minutes away (Chippa, you jerk!)! But, seriously, it was cool having everyone there and a blessing for the 2pac household (especially on a night where it snowed about 5 inches). So, MAD JZK to all. Special recognition to Tariq for supplying the drinks at the last second and Farooq for hooking up the brownies he made himself, the wii, and the ice cream (and to both of them for sticking around afterward to help clean!).

Alhamdullilah, it’s great to have such brothers even if the Bears f-ing lost.

Until the next BP…

Bears: Unable to Plow Themselves into Victory

AA

Perhaps the missing ingredient for the Bears this season is a few grains of rice and chicken that, when mixed together by the right person, would put together a perfect combination of the sweet taste of victory.

At least my good friend Fahad (aka Masood; aka Mo.Lester) and his mom know how to put together a winning combination: A successful BP (Bears Party) with the awesome and delectable taste of plow; a Pakistani traditional dish that mixes rice and chicken in a way that waters your mouth like the way talking about himself does to Fahad (i.e. excessively). Fahad's BP was long awaited and at least ten of us from the BP List enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, we can't say the same thing for the Bears and they way they played that game (or, all season long as I should say). Throughout most of the game, we maintained a good lead over a what seemed like a broken Eli Manning who looked like he was forced into the game by his father and secretly wishing that he was painting our nation's beautiful countryside.

But, as fate would have it, we missed a number of key plays that eventually lead to our collapse. Rex Grossman, for starters, threw an amazing bomb to Devin Hester who was unable to make the play (jeez, this guy’s speed is unreal though; he blew his double coverage by at least 5 yards a piece). Soon after, we in horrific fashion failed to reach the first down. This one offensive mishap – just one play – seemed to have a direct domino affect on the rest of the team. Our defense, playing most of the game true to Super Bowl-worthy form (without Archuletta, I may add), collapsed. And Eli Manning seemed to finally grow a pair, get his head out of fulfilling some bizarre fantasy to be a suppressed painter no more, and took advantage of our degradation.

They took they lead and they kept it by the end of the 4^th, giving us a tragically and potentially season-ending loss. We have a 5-7 record now and failed to reach .500. Achieving 9-7 to have a remote chance seems foolish to believe, but as a fan, I’m left with little to do.

The bright side of the evening was Fahad’s great hospitality. The pre-main course chips and guacamole hook-up was great, but the follow-up main course hit the spot. It was one of those “Damn, that was so good I just wanna sleep it off, wake up in a couple hours, and eat more” meals. He also killed it on the drinks providing a wide array of drink options that you typically don’t see (i.e. Diet Cherry Coke).

Well, at this point, I’m so dejected that all I really want to do is focus on the food and not the game. But, this will do for now. Mad JZK to my man Fahad for coming through and being a gracious host, mA. May Allah reward you & your family for it! Ameen!

Be warned, though, I’m coming over the rest of the week for some of that plow leftovers! (Yes, in case you couldn't tell, plow is absolutely one of my most favorite dishes!)

Cheers

To the victor goes the spoils...

Hi

This pains me a lot, but I have to post this link to my brother's blog about him (finally) beating me in Madden.

Losing in Madden is the equivalent to being circumcised. That's the best and only way to put it.

And now that I've lost, I have to give up my throne to the winner's chair and set-up the Xbox next time. This process in our household, while appears simple or harmless enough, is excruciating. In fact, scholars of Islamic jurisprudence should almost rule it haram. I should know because I've put Umar through this on so many, many, many occasions. Like he's had to set it up a lot because I beat him on average by 40 points. Traditionally, he's been like the 07-08 Dolphins whereas I've been Tom Brady-Randy Moss-Wes Welker.

And now my streak has been tarnished. I stand before you a mere child. Read all about it:
http://ushakur.blogspot.com/2007/11/victory.html


I shall avenge myself!

Work: The ONLY Frontier

Hi


Can you imagine having a job like this? Click here for amazing photos of the great white in mid attack. From the article: "The wildlife photographer Chris Fellows spends over half of each year waiting off the coast of South Africa to capture the sharks at their grisly work."


Fellows remarked, from the article, "'To see a perfectly streamlined great white slowly cruising in clear water with shafts of light bouncing off its back is like watching a sports car effortlessly cruise past you on the freeway. It is just one of those moments that makes you appreciate a beautiful creation.'" I wonder how close this guy actually was in getting these pictures? And how scary would that be?! I mean, basically, you're looking at Jaws up close and personal in a way Steven Spielberg could have only wished back in the 70's.


Honestly, though, I would love to do something like this as my career. How many people when asked, "What do you do for a living?" can pull up photos like that and say, "This..." It's pretty unreal. If not taking pictures of the great white killing seals, I would love to do most of anything you see on channels like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and that remarkable Planet Earth series.


Those guys are lucky. You get to go out into the wilderness on real life adventures. You get to witness first hand the raw beauty and power of nature. And with that, I would imagine, you would have to have a tremendous level of appreciation for everything that God has manifested. When watching TV shows or looking at the pictures found in the above link, you can't help but to feel in awe and at the same time powerless. In awe for the sheer magnificence of nature in action. Powerless because you know that nature is constantly running its course with or without regard to your life. And when you look at the bigger picture, you have to begin thinking, What is creating and supporting all of this? And the answer for me will always be Allah. Only Allah can create things that are beyond our imagination.

Let's face it, God's creativity is unparallel. In fact, I contend that Allah is the Ultimate Artist. There were nights during my glory DePaul years in Lincoln Park where I would walk out to LSD (Lake Shore Drive) on the beach and would love nothing more than to stare out at the lake with the moon's reflection. The set-up was serene and perfect. The details flawless. And each girl I took there, loved it. Oops, I mean...

The analogy of the painter really comes from when you're looking at something like the moon over Lake Michigan because you almost feel like you can go out there and touch it. Touch the stars. Touch the moon. How remarkable is that? That's when you feel powerless. That there's "something out there" controlling and managing all of this without regard to you, though you are a part of the Painter's landscape and portfolio.

I know I'm kind of jumping everywhere from my dream job to the beauty and splendor of Allah's creation, but it all goes hand-in-hand with my deeply reflective nature. Of course, if you were to ask my brothers, they would define "reflective" more so as "day dreaming" or "Imran loves to waste time sleeping in sun spots during the middle of a day like Garfield thinking about fictious things like being the next Jacques Cousteau." That's also true, too. But, I digress from my tangents (if that makes any sense)...

So instead of being on the wilderness frontier, I get to live the dream of working in Corporate America. Where the closest thing to watching a shark attack its prey is me listening to an angry client about why their friggen system isn't working and how they plan to engage in a blood bath of shark-attacking fury until their system is put live. Hooray for me.

You should note that my current train of thought comes after the end of an extended Thanksgiving weekend where I'm feeling bitter that come Tuesday morning (I took Monday off to prolong the inevitable pain as much as possible), I have to be a responsible professional adult living in the real world where the moon doesn't look as magnificient as it once did over Lake Michigan in the middle of the night with different girls for different nights.

Okay, on different nights by myself, but I'll take any escape-from-reality moment I can get, dang it.

Cheers

Taha's Home Office.

Central command

Hijabi with an Axe

Hi

What? You think women that wear the hijab are oppressed or submissive? You think they can't take charge and protect themselves when they need to?

I give you this:



I am both scared and exited.

Salaam