Freedoms that cross lines

I'm all for Freedom of Speech and the Press, but there are some things that cross the line when that ideal is practiced.

I'm talking, of course, about the latest drama with a Danish newspaper publishing a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed in a disrespectful manner, angering Muslims around the world. Being a Muslim, myself, I can see the lack of understanding from the West about the Muslim religion and its practices. I'm not an expert on the religion, but I practice it by praying five times a day and trying to live my life as a Muslim in the best way possible. I don't drink alchohol, as that's part of being Muslim. I don't eat pork, as that, also, is part of being Muslim. I don't lie, I don't cheat, or steal, I respect my elders and... well, I pretty much follow the Ten Commandments and then some. The "some" is where the lack of understanding, and even more lethal, MISunderstandings from the West come in.

In Islam, producing or even looking at images of prophets, or any other religious figures is forbidden. Muslims take this rule very seriously. Movies and television shows about the Prophet Mohammed and other religious figures are acted out without those characters depicted. The Message, the story of Islam and its beginnings is a good example of how Muslim directors eliminate the need to show images of religious figures and still make powerful statements.

When the Danish Newspaper Jyllands-Posten published a series of 12 cartoons, one of was an image of the Prophet Mohammed raised a red flag for Muslims. Forget the fact that the Prophet was depicted as a terrorist, which is an issue all on its own. A very serious line was crossed with an image of the Prophet being produced and published by people who don't truly understand what Islam is all about. Al Jazeera, the infamous Arabic news channel which I heard this news of the images through, blurs out the images when they are shown on camera, because although they are an unbiased source they still understand that there are lines not to be crossed out of respect.

Many negative things have been thought and said of Islam and its followers, and Muslims have learned to live with the negativity surrounding them by trying their best to educate the world about their religion. Islam is a religion that teaches its followers to respect not only Islam, but also Judaism and Christianity. The stories of Moses and Jesus are both mentioned in the Holy Koran, Islam's holy book.

I have not seen any of the images published in the Danish newspaper, and I don't plan on looking at any of them because I am Muslim.

Why I don't like Oprah-- with supporting evidence

I don't usually pay attention to Oprah. In fact, I'm probably part of a minority who can't stand the woman. Her latest book club recommendation fiasco with James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, in which the author altered details of his life to fill the pages of the best-selling memoir, showed a side of Oprah that I've always suspected existed but could never prove because of her diva status. The woman knows exactly what everyone wants to hear, and she caters to that, even when she originally says the wrong thing.

That's why when Frey's fabrications came to light and critics attacked the author, Oprah came to his rescue with a phonecall on Larry King Live, only to turn on him a few days later by bringing him onto her show and attacking him as if he had written the book solely to "dupe" and embarrass her personally. She knew it was what people wanted to hear: that it's not OK to lie in a memoir, no matter what point you're trying to make... a different tune than her defense of the author and his book a few days before:

"But the underlying message of redemption in James Frey's memoir still resonates with me, and I know it resonates with millions of other people who have read this book."

I find Oprah to be a phoney in general, but the latest issue with James Frey is one thing I can use to prove that my view of this diva who can do no wrong is justifiable: that she is simply rich enough to dupe us into thinking she is an angel. Well, I'm not buying it.

The Rude Group

In my so far fruitless job search I've signed up with a number of websites to post my resume. Job boards, employment agency websites, individual company websites... you name it, I've signed up for it. I haven't had any luck, yet, and so far, I've only been completely ignored. Having seen this pattern, I decided to take matters into my own hands today and called one of the agencies (I won't mention any names) I had signed up with online. I hoped that perhaps dealing with a representative of theirs, I might increase my chances of being acknowledged.

The woman who answered the phone sounded nice and was helpful in directing me to "Derek". "Derek" was not at his desk, so I was directed to his voicemail. I professionally stated my name, purpose of calling him and left my number so that he could contact me at his own convenience. I hung up the telephone with a smile on my face and a feeling of satisfaction about being proactive and going the extra mile with my ambitious job search for a promising position... I'd mostly sent resumes online where they went into the great abyss where ignored resumes go, so it was exciting for me to be able to contact someone directly. I was proud.

My job searching for the day wasn't over yet, so I came online and found that I had a new email from "Derek". "Derek" had politely replied to my voicemail through email with this personalized letter:

Unfortunately, we will not be able to assist you in your job search at this time. Your background does not fall within the required skill set of the positions for which you applied. We wish you the best of luck in your job search.

Sincerely,

The ******** Group

PLEASE NOTE: Replies to this email address will be deleted. Please send all inquiries to denver@********group.com

Though there is nothing wrong with this response, I am a little vexed by the fact that the reply to my professional voicemail was unprofessional in the way it was carried out. In the hopes of having my thoughts distributed to as many people as possible, I hope that this thought reaches all the "Derek's" out there, who are unfortunately selecting and sending the workforce into the job market.

Who are these people???

Celebrities are multiplying at a frightening speed, and their status is more and more prominent as the years pass. Suddenly, teeny boppers are "it" people whom we're supposed to watch for fashion tips and assurance that being human and committing the crime of yawning is OK, because hey, even celebrities get sleepy!

What kind of a society are we living in when our role models are Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Lindsay Lohan (Lohan being the better of the 3, and that's not saying much)? I doubt there was this kind of questioning back when Audrey Hepburn was the "it" girl. Maybe because Audrey Hepburn actually worked for her fame until the day she died... I mean, the woman starred in some legendary films like Breakfast At Tiffany's, and saved lives around the world. She was the Angelina Jolie of her time, and though Angelina Jolie's steps are recounted in a slew of magazines and entertainment news shows, she has more right to be in the spotlight than Ms. Hilton because of her good deeds alone.

What exactly has made Paris Hilton a celebrity? Is it just because she has money? Lots of people have money, their shopping sprees aren't documented the way Paris Hilton's are. And what about Nicole Richie? She appeared out of nowhere and to my knowledge did nothing worth remembering other than emaciate herself and wearing designer clothing to cover her protruding bones. Was it that show The Simple Life that made Paris and Nicole celebrities? Did that many people really watch that garbage to elevate these two lumps into trend-setting divas? Lindsay Lohan makes a little more sense, I guess. At least the girl has done some real work, but she's 19 and has mostly starred in Disney movies.

I suppose the celebrities that are the subject of every magazine cover and piece of entertainment news nowadays are nothing but fluff. Perhaps that's why they need all the media attention-- because their work lacks staying power, while their shopping sprees and personal problems make them household names. Hmm... I guess I answered my own puzzlement.

Get real to be healthy!

I'm getting really sick of the word "diet." If I hear one more person mention the word "diet" following a cheesy label like "South Beach" or "no carbs", I am going to have a vein pop out of my forehead. I've read about diets up the wazoo and not a single diet out there has sounded less than bogus in creating lasting results.

I'm 27, 5'1" and almost 40 lbs. lighter than I was a few years ago. From the age of 21 to about 23, I was overweight, perhaps even obese for my frame, which is an almost petite pear. I never worked out, I drank soda like it was going out of style and worst of all: I was in denial about my weight. The denial part got fixed with a few pictures that made me cringe and having to consider the plus size section as a source of clothing, but once the denial got out of the way, I knew exactly what I needed to do. It was obvious then as it is now that my lack of exercise and great, too great love of Pepsi were the culprit.

Luckily, I grew up snacking on grapes and cucumbers, and the occassional bag of chips or chocolate bar here and there. I'm not a big fan of fast food, and get to enjoy delicious and healthy Middle Eastern dishes each night for dinner. Point is, my problem wasn't junk food... Pepsi was my junkfood, and I knew I needed to minimize my consumption of it. I guess that's my "disclosure" that this is a case where my problem was somethign I could identify and effectively fix. Some people out there don't have it so easy and I hope that they can get on the right path to health with a whole new lifestyle. A diet alone is just not enough to have lasting results... not just with weight, but with overall health.

Going on... I started with a simple cardio workout video that took a lot of practice to be able to follow, but I did it regularly and saw results within a month. The oodles of Pepsi got reduced to a realistic amount of 2 cans at the absolute most, instead of going cold turkey, and oodles of water. I knew I wasn't going to be Cindy Crawford with these new habits, but they did make a difference that I could see and feel because I set realistic goals for myself. I knew that I couldn't run a mile in the shape I was in, so I settled for a low intensity aerobic exercise to ease me into working out. I was lucky enough to inspire my sister to also get in shape and my father got us a treadmill, which helped me drop a handful of pounds more than I'd already dropped. Now, the treadmill is my main source of cardio workouts. I've been doing strength training exercises using resistance and weights, and I'm in the best shape of my life. People notice that I can run up a flight of stairs without being completely out of breath when I get to the top... I've been complimented on that ability a few times!

I'm still not Cindy Crawford, but I can run a mile without dying, and I can live without Pepsi, though it is a guilty pleasure I keep to a minimum. And most important of all, I will most probably never gain all the weight I lost back, and that's my true success right there. Being realistic is the diet I follow while I enjoy all the foods I want to have in moderation.

My point with this whole schpiel is that a lot of people use diets as a way to lose weight and ignore their overall health, which can be ruined if you eliminate things like Carbs, or simply malnutritioning yourself by being stingy with calories. Health should be your #1 priority and with that, successful weightloss is achieved without the meticulous carb counting and deprivation that diets entail.

I'm negotiable

You'd think that with a versatile Bachelor's degree, a ton of experience working in different office environments and computer literacy, someone like me (who possesses the things I've just listed) would be able to find a job easily. Maybe not as a CEO, or manager, or even a supervisor, but a decent job where a brain is required.

Well folks... It's not easy. In fact, it's harder for me to find a job than someone with a GED. You know why? Because someone with a GED is the lower-cost option for that potential employer. I think it's pretty obvious why employers feel that GED holders are the cheaper option, but I have a couple things to point out that may help employers look at both groups and consider both for a job and not one over the other.

Someone with a GED is someone who decided to quit going to high school, or didn't go at all because they were either: a) they were too smart for it and had better things to do with their time (and power to them for knowing early on what they want to do with their lives), or b) someone who doesn't understand the importance of commitment. Of course, I'm generalising, and as with all generalisations, they are not true to all members of a group. There is nothing wrong with getting a GED and skipping high school. No knocking of GED holders here! But high school is a time for developing minds to understand responsibility by having to meet deadlines, follow meticulous instructions on the appearance of a paper, which must be handed in with perfect content within the one-inch margins requested by that difficult teacher.

Someone with a GED generally hasn't spent half a semester learning how to put a coverletter and resume together... A helpful lesson lost with bad prom pictures. I did not spend all those half semesters in English class perfecting my resume to have it overlooked! Especially now that I actually have actual stuff to put into it!

And finally... Sure, some college grads are delusional and think that a degree will get them a bigger bank account, but reality hits fast and too soon after graduation for that delusion to linger too long. So, if you're an employer and you're reading this, please give us graduates a chance to "present our qualifications further in a personal interview," and let us be the judge of how much we're worth.

We just might surprise you and give you more bang for your buck.

I'm almost sure of it.

The genius of Chinese films

In the past year or so, I've taken a strong liking to Asian films. Chinese, to be exact. I've branched out to Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, and films from Thailand in that time, but Chinese films are pretty much my focus. With branching out, I've come across some perhaps important, or perhaps not so important observations about what formula each Asian country uses in its films, and I find that I favor Chinese over others. Of course, my observations are watered down and amateurish, but they are observations, nonetheless, that have made me a huge fan of films that are unfortunately and oftentimes overlooked. Here's what I love about Chinese films... Chinese films, with the exception of a few, generally use large chunks of silence to tell a story, where there's no dialogue, there's just the landscape and the sounds that come with it, facial expressions and actions, and barely any dialogue. I feel this makes the viewer feel more in touch with the experience the character is having in the film. One film that comes to mind is The Road Home, directed by Zhang Yimou. I've seen a lot of his movies, and he probably sets the example for other Chinese directors, because I see the same chunks of silence instead of dialogue in other films. In the Mood for Love is also a good example for silence ruling over dialogue, but it is also a demonstration of letting the viewer use his or her imagination. In the Mood for Love is directed by Wong Kar Wai, a Hong Kong director, also very famous in China, but uses Cantonese dialect as opposed to Zhang Yimou, who uses Mandarin Chinese. In the Mood for Love is a very intelligent film that is rich in texture, sound and depth. It is the story of two people, neighbors, who find out that their spouses have been cheating on them with the other person's spouse. As they uncover the truth, they begin to fall in love. What makes this film so interesting and amazing, in my opinion is the director's ability to create this affair between these two people without even a kiss. The couple touch each other maybe once or twice throughout the whole movie, yet we know that they're up to more than that. That's what makes it genius.