**The sound  you are hearing is coming from the videos at the bottom of the page.  We are sorry but you will have to pause them until after you read this article.  You are going to read it, right?

He’s one of the hottest new comedians for 2009 but he will be America’s comedian in 2010.  Aziz Ansari, also known by his stage name as RAAAAAAAANDY (with EIGHT A’S) is probably the freshest cereal as Jason Siegel would say.

Ansari has been on hit shows and movies such as; I love You, Man, Parks and Recreation, Funny People, Observe and Report, Scrubs, and Reno 911! to name a few.

Ansari is completely different from every comedian, not just because he is an Indian who is from South Carolina, but because he uses a DJ on stage at all time.  His DJ, Ol’ Youngin’ is a well respected DJ was a former Dentist when Ansari came in to get his TEEETH cleaned as Ansari would say it.  The two become friends after Ansari was told that he had to have his root canal pulled.  They’ve been best friends ever since.

Here at CheesyBacon, we really like Ansari and his stand up so we have brought you a little taste of his masterpieces.  Here are some documentaries that Ansari and his DJ did together.  You might watch them over and over again.  They are great.

You can currently watch Ansari in action on NBC’s hit TV show, “Parks & Recreation” that airs Thursday night.  Rashida Jones is also in the program, so why not watch it?

It’s been a while, so i figure i’ll slowly work my way back into blogging with a list of new shows this season that are worth watching. Some people seem to think my opinion is valid here, so here it is, and if you don’t, shut the fuck up, nobody likes you anyway.

Glee

Passable, some of the songs are decent, Sweet Caroline was solid in this weeks episode, though the mash-ups are touch and go, but killing Queen classics is hard to come back from. The acting is all over the place, mostly held together by the fantastic Jane Lynch, the others have their moments. The lip sync sometimes goes over the top and the random cut to music bits take you out of it completely rather than plug you deeper in. It’d be nice to see a bit more character development for the students, especially the token football players/cheerleaders, and by character development, I mean give them a line.

Parks & Rec

I know this show started last season, but its finally hitting its stride and it’s worth a mention, and a second look from some of you. There are still some bits that need fixing, the underuse of Nick Offerman and Aziz Ansari borders on criminal, but Rashida Jones, and Amy Poehler hold their own, some good stuff from Aubrey Plaza too. I’d like to see something happen with Chris Pratt’s character, anything, or have him leave the show, his shtick for the whole season was only funny for an episode at most.

Community

Can’t say anything bad about this show, Don Glover and Joel McHale were primed for comedy gold, and the rest of the cast holds up pretty well, especially Danny Pudi and Chevy Chase, good guest spots by Ken Jeong and John Oliver keep the tempo up too. The rest of the cast is pretty strong too, would like to see more Don Glover and Alison Brie in future episodes. This show more or less hits the mark on how it is to go to a community college, but theirs is far nicer than any i’ve ever seen. Strong numbers and a back 9 pickup means this show will be on for the forseeable future.

Cougar Town

Classic Bill Lawrence, not awful, not particularly great, I don’t have a lot in common with a 40 year old divorcee, so maybe its that. It’s got its moments, its undeniable. Courtney Cox is strong.

Modern Family

Best new show of the season easily, its funny beyond belief, smart, and cleverly diffuses stereotypes for its own genre. Ty Burrell is best in cast, the look on his face when he realizes he has 3 bikes is too funny for words. Well written, clever setups and payoffs, this shows that the single camera sitcom has a future after the office and arrested development.

Flash Forward

Supposedly the future of serial dramas, this Lost-esque sci-fier is good, but struggles from the same problems as Heroes, and the first few seasons of Lost, too many questions too quickly, and too slowly answered. Strong acting, and unique characters keep the show alive, a early season end and promises from the producers on some answers at the end of the season make it worth a look. Sci-fi elements are underused and the last few episodes have been a bit too 24 and not in the good way, this show needs to wander a bit farther away from its predecessors. Still, strong premise, and work on the end of David Goyer and Brannon Braga and co. in terms of story and decent acting, particularly John Cho, Joseph Fiennes, and Zach Knighton, would like to see a bit more from other characters or have them gone altogether.

Stargate Universe

Stargate’s take on Battlestar Galactica, after a weak at best 3 part pilot, things have begun to pick up. Though the show throws away most of its Stargate-ness, strong turns by Robert Carlyle, Louis Ferreira,  and Jamil Walker Smith, and sheer potential make it worth watching. Stargate fans should beware of the lack of lightness, aliens, and guns, though Battlestar fans will find something to watch till Caprica premieres.

Bored To Death

After a slow start, a fantastic overall cast and a sense of intellectualism keeps this show afloat. Slow-played comedy and the Jonathan Ames-y-ness makes this a decent half hour to watch. Everyone should keep in mind that Jason Schwartzman is in fact Jason Schwartzman, and this is the type of stuff he usually does. Fun, light hearted comedy detective in the TV atmosphere of CSI is a welcome change. HBO usually sticks to its guns on stuff like this, expect it to stay on.

That’s about it, if you have any suggestions for me, feel free to to tell me and i’ll check them out.

I’ll probably work on a list of underrated shows for this season a bit later.

Tender...

If you reflect on the life history of the Messenger of Allâh, you will find it full of noble qualities in concept and practice. This is why the civilization of his religion is the only civilization that brought happiness to the world.

‘Aآishah narrated that she asked the Prophet, ”Have you encountered a day harder than the day (of the battle) of Uhud?” The Prophet replied,

When the people of Makkah made things difficult for him, persecuted him and his companions and injured his face, he could still be heard saying while wiping blood off his face, “O Allâh! Forgive my people for they know not what they are doing.”

It is with this mercy and compassion that the Messenger of Allâh was sent. And it is with mercy and compassion that he treated all his opponents and companions alike. Mercy is an attribute of Allâh. He is the Compassionate, the Merciful. And He is Kind with His creatures. He sent His Messenger with kindness and He says,

The Prophet also brought the law of Islâm based on the principle of compassion. Allâh says,

The Prophet would feel seriously hurt by whatever was harmful to his nation. He was never given an option to choosebetween two things except that he chose the easier as long as it was not forbidden. On many occasions he had said, “Had I not found it hard for my followers or the people, I would have ordered so and so or I would have done so and so.”Sometimes, he would want to prolong prayer and yet would shorten it when he heard the crying of a baby because he understood how upset his mother would be.

Compassion is a quality of manliness. Compassion is a quality that emanates from a merciful heart. It is a quality of the Prophets and a sign of perfect Imân and Islâm. Allâh says,

Usâmah bin Zayd said,

Compassion breeds love and affection among people. Compassion is a delight of the heart and the way to Paradise. TheMessenger of Allâh said,

Compassion softens the heart and leads man to be kind to even animals and birds. Abdullâh bin Mas‘ûd said,

Abdullâh bin Ja‘far narrated that the Messenger of Allâh entered the compound of an Ansârî man. And there here was a camel there. When the camel saw the Prophet, it longed for him, groaned and shed tears. The Messenger of Allâh approached it and wiped off its tears and it became quiet. He then said,

This is the Prophet’s reaction to the maltreatment of animals. Imagine how he would have reacted to a person who harmed humans, usurped the rights of the poor and did not treat children and old people with compassion. The Prophet said,

The Prophet also said,

As for compassion that Islâm shows in the area legislations, that is a very long topic. All aspects of Islamic law are rather compassionate in their goals, means and applications. Fellow Muslims! This is the mercy with which the Messenger of Allâh was sent. Our religion is that of compassion in times of war and peace. It is a religion of kindness towards enemies and friends, animals and birds. It is a religion of compassion in worship, cooperation and judgment and in all aspects of its law.

Words are not enough to describe how compassionate the Prophet was. Compare this to the so-called civilizations that are beingclaimed and that are in the real sense devoid of compassion and justice. Compare it to civilizations that do not, in victory, respect any pact of kinship or covenant of protection with a believer and that strive through the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allâh does not like corruption.

The Prophet found excuse for his people though they wanted to kill him. He was compassionate to them though they were fighting him. He wanted guidance and happiness for them. In our age on the contrary, the so-called leaders of modern civilization, who have no regard for compassion, claim to be compassionate. They find excuses for aggression and concoct lies to justify wars, killings, destruction and corruption.

It is therefore an act of compassion to rein in these people. And to be severe with them is part of the mercy that Islâm spreads.

Man has not excelled above other creatures by his mere physical size or strength. There are other creatures that are greater than him in power and size. He only excelled by his heart, soul, intelligence and feelings. It is not a matter of pride that man should be stern and severe, but real pride lies in excellent characters and sublime dispositions. This is shown through qualities like gentleness, compassion, graciousness and kindness. Allâh says,

Emulate the pure characters of your Prophet and hold fast onto the lofty principles of your religion.

Compassion is a sign of humility. It also removes arrogance. Compassion means doing good to all, assisting the needy and being kind to the kith and kin. It also entails showing sympathy for the weak, the sick, the disabled and the orphans by making them happy. Compassion entails helping the wronged and reining in the devilish people. Compassion means feeling concerned about the affairs of fellow Muslims, sharing their pains and aspirations and coming to their aid. It also entails enjoining good, forbidding evil, and teaching the Muslims the goals of being compassionate. The Messenger of Allâh said,

I mentioned Aniz in my last post and told you to look out for some his work. Here is some his work for his comic series “The Hunt”.”The Hunt” is a black and white photo comic Aniz wrote and shot. It tells the story of a photographer in Atlanta, who is trying to capture the first photo of street level vigilante known as Black Tiger. If you like Aniz’s work check him out HERE

Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Rajioun

Today is the burial of the father of a friend… My thoughts go to ……..”Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon” Xenia

Goodbye My Beloved

by Muhammad Alshareef

Usaamah ibn Zayd radi Allahu anhu narrated in a hadith collected by Bukhari and Muslim that a woman sent a message to the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam that her son was dying and that he should come to visit her. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam sent a message back to her saying:

“To Allah belongs whatever he takes, and to Him belongs what He gives. Everything to Him has a decreed life, so be patient and seek the reward with Allah.”

She sent a message back with an oath that he sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam must come in person to visit her. So he sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam went to her home with Sa’d ibn Ubaadah, Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, Ubayy ibn Ka’b, Zayd ibn Thabit, and others. At her home, the young boy was given to the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, with his breathing faltering. The eyes of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam welled up with tears. Seeing the Prophet crying, Sa’d said to him, “What is this O Messenger of Allah?”

RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam replied, “This is mercy which Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants. And indeed it is to only the merciful of His servants that Allah gives mercy.”

When death hits close to home, especially to young ones, many questions arise, especially from their young friends. One of those questions is, “How do we say goodbye?”

Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote in his book Zaad al-Ma’aad about the blessed guidance of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam at times of death. He wrote:

“It was from the blessed guidance of RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam to convey his condolences to the family of the deceased. It was not from his blessed guidance to gather people to give condolences, nor was it his blessed guidance to recite Qur’an at the grave, nor away from the gravesite. All of this is bid’ah, innovation, and shunned. From his blessed guidance is his tranquility and acceptance of Allah’s decree, thanking Allah and holding back from saying things unbefitting. He, sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, disowned himself from those that rip their clothes due to the calamity, or raise their voices in a wail, or those that shave their head because of the situation.”

Where do our youth normally learn about the concept of love? For the answer, all you need to do is look over the top music charts. A look at the billboard charts shows examples such as, Love Don’t Cost a Thing, What’s Luv, He Loves You Not, and others. These are just the titles, not to speak of the content of the songs, in addition to the TV shows, movies and everything in-between. So it would seem that America is teaching us the concept of love.

When was the last time you heard an Islamic halaqa about the concept of love in Islam? It was probably not recently. Thus, we can safely say that Allah and His Messenger do not dictate to us many of the concepts of love that we harbor in our minds based on American pop-culture.

Allah ta’ala says:

Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other (Az-Zukhruf 43/67).

We hear in the music and movies and sitcoms that ‘our hearts will live forever’ with the deceased. This is incorrect, as Allah ta’aala says:

Every time a nation enters, it will curse its sister until, when they have all overtaken one another therein, the last of them (the followers) will say about the first of them (the leaders), “Our Lord, they have misled us, so give them a double punishment of the fire.” He will say, “For each is double, but you do not know.” / … Indeed those who deny Our verses and are arrogant toward them – the gates of heaven will not be opened for them, nor will they enter Paradise until a camel enters into the eye of a needle (i.e. never). And thus do We pay back the criminals (Al-A’raf 7/38-40).

If a friendship was ever made for other then the sake of Allah, then that friendship ends at death. There is no ‘heart that lives on after death’.

But if you have ever loved someone because they said la ilaaha illAllah Muhammad ur RasulAllah, then your friendship will not end at death! Completing the above verse Allah ta’aala says:

Close friends, that Day, will be enemies to each other, except for the righteous (Az-Zukhruf 43/67)!

And on the Day of Judgement, of the seven types of people who will find shade from the horrific heat will be two people who loved one another only for the sake of Allah. Imagine that in the hardest time of your life, if you loved someone for the sake of Allah, they will be saved hand-in-hand with you.

Do all good things will to an end? It’s a good question. Summers come to an end, ice creams come to an end, interesting khutbahs come to an end. So what’s the answer? Allah ta’aala says:

Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting. And We surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do (An-Nahl 16/96).

There are things that help us in times of sadness:

1. During times of sadness, Allah wants us to come back and reflect upon the Qur’an. He revealed it for us to contemplate over. The believer will find tranquility for his or her heart in it.

2. Whatever happens, when someone is patient and says the du’a that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us,

Sadaqa(Charity)

that person will be blessed with something better. The du’a is as follows:

Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi raaji’oon. Allaahumma ‘jurnee fee museebatee, wakhluf lee khayrun minh (To Allah we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allah, recompense me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better).

Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha, the narrator of this du’a, loved her husband very much. When he died she stated, “I was firm to say the du’a, but I thought to myself, how could I get anything better than Abu Salamah? Allah answered my du’a and I married the Messenger of Allah! And he is better then Abu Salamah.”

For those who have had a child die, take glad tidings in the following hadith. Abu Moosa al-Ash’aree radi Allaahu anhu narrates that Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“If the child of a servant (of Allah) dies, Allah questions the angels, ‘Have you taken the life of my servant’s child?’

“The angels reply, ‘Yes.’”

“Allah then asks them, ‘Have you taken the fruit of his heart?’”

“The angels reply, ‘Yes.’”

“Then Allah asks them, ‘What did my servant say?’”

“They reply, ‘He praised you and refrained (from saying anything unbefitting).’”

“At that Allah will say, ‘Build a home for my slave in Jannah and call it Bayt-ul-Hamd (The Home of Thankfulness).’”

Umar radi Allaahu anhu said, “We found the best of our provision to be patience.”

PART II: Towards Patience

The term al-Qadaa’ wal qadr is so easily inadequately translated. Some have translated it as pre-destiny or decree. I came across a book once in Madinah though, that cleverly translated the term qadr as pre-recording.

This is a translation we can all understand, especially with our TV culture. Everything that happens to us is pre-recorded with Allah ta’aala, and nothing can happen except by His will and knowledge.

When a death befalls someone, it is permissible to cry (without wailing) and to feel sadness in the heart. When the son of Rasul Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam was dying, he held his small body in his hand and began crying. The Sahaabah who saw him crying inquired, “What are these tears, O Messenger of Allah?”

He sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam replied, “The eye cries, and the heart is saddened, but we do not say anything other then that which is pleasing to our Lord, and we, indeed O Ibraheem [my son], are saddened by our separation from you.”

However, we have picked up things from the culture of the non-Muslims, things that we do not find in the tradition dictated to us by the Lord of the worlds. For example:

1. To wear black specifically to honor the deceased.

2. Institutionalizing the placing of flowers at the site of the grave.

3. To lower a national flag in honor of the deceased.

4. There is no mention of a ‘moment-of-silence’ in our Deen.

5. There is no mention of Qur’an Khanis (gathering people to recite Qur’an for the deceased) in the Sunnah of Muhammad sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam. All goodness is in following the guidance of our Prophet.

6. There is no mention of gathering people 40 days after the death to recite Qur’an for the deceased.

7. There is no mention of having an annual gathering where guests recite the Qur’an for the deceased.

8. There is no mention in the Sunnah of collectively reciting Surat Al-Fatiha for the deceased.

So then what should we do?

1. We should hasten to pay off the debts of the deceased.

2. We should give our condolences to the family of the deceased. This could be done in the masjid, at the gravesite, at their

Prepare food for the family

homes, etc. But excessively long gatherings at the deceased’s home should not be encouraged.

3. We should make food for the family of the deceased and not burden them with having to make food for the entire community.

4. We should all attend the funeral prayer and, for men, follow the funeral to the gravesite. The women should not follow, as Umm Salamah said, “We were forbidden from following the funeral processions.”

5. We may give sadaqah on behalf of the deceased, and we may perform Hajj on their behalf.

6. Above all, we should make du’a, a lot of du’a, for the deceased. This is what the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us. Du’a is made for the deceased in the funeral prayer and should continue to be made. There is the dadith about the servant’s actions being cut off except from three things, one of which is, “… a pious child that makes du’a for (the deceased).”

Abu Hurayrah radi Allaahu anhu narrated that Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to a group of Ansari women:

“There is no woman amongst you who has three children of hers die, yet she is patient, hoping for the reward from Allah, except that she shall enter Jannah.”

So a woman amongst them asked, “What about two children, O Messenger of Allah?”

He replied, “Even two.”

May Allah ta’aala increase our reward and perfect our patience if we are tested with the death of a loved one.

Source: Khutbah.com

He was a lonely soul (flickr)

There are many outstanding Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him ) who come to mind throughout Islamic history. Some are huge in stature, and others are humble, yet highly respectable or brilliant in some way. Julaybib was a beloved companion of Prophet Muhammad however, not a likely figure to make it in the ranks of celebrated heroes of Islam.

His life and deeds were not sung nor recounted with reverence as they should be but with the meager facts available one sees hope for humble souls through his life.
Julaybib was not tall, or handsome, he was not known to be a gallant warrior on the battlefield before the advent of Islam. His personal attributes appeared so contrary to the normal heroes of old.

Julaybib was an orphan, deformed and extremely short. He was brutally rejected by society because the people were more concerned with his physical appearance and status than integrity.

His story is significant and many lessons can be learnt from it. It shows us a lot about how a human being can be devalued based on superficial things. His life is an example and hope for souls filled with despondency because they do not measure up to the norms set by society. His story touches the hearts of many even today.

Julaybib was an orphan from Madinah and acquired his name before embracing Islam. His name means “small grown” in Arabic which denoted his physical appearance. He was extremely short and could be compared to a dwarf when considering today’s definition.  It is also noted that he was even described as “damim” in Arabic which means deformed, unattractive or of repulsive appearance.

In addition to his physical appearance, another important factor in his mistreatment had to do with his lineage. Lineage was an essential part in the Arab society he lived in, just as it is still important today in many cases. One’s lineage determined his or her status in the society. His physical appearance, and unknown lineage, made people shun and spurn him. He was an outcast which caused him much public humiliation and disgrace.

Facing such disdainful treatment, Julaybib was apparently a lonely soul yearning for love and compassion. As he was carrying the burden of prejudice on his shoulder from the time he was born, companionship, love and compassion became alien to him.

There were often times, a question as to whether this man would even taste any compassion or respect in his life. The question cleared with his acceptance of the Prophet Muhammad’s message of Islam.

He became a devoted servant of Almighty God and beloved companion of Prophet Muhammad. He gained respect and affection from Prophet Muhammad, for his sincerity, integrity and strong Islamic belief. Julaybib earned the honor he yearned and became one of the most valued companions of the Prophet.

Prophet Muhammad cared deeply for this soul. He was sensitive of Julaybib’s needs, and this is evident from the hadith where the Prophet approached a man from the Ansar (Madinah Muslims who helped the Makkans when they emigrated to Madinah), seeking the hand of his beautiful daughter in marriage on behalf of Julaybib. The Islamic scholar, Imam Ahmad, has recorded this incidents in Julaybib life as follows:

The Prophet went to a man of the Ansar and said:

“Give me your daughter for marriage.”

The man answered excitedly, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah , it would be an honor and a blessing.”

For which the Prophet said, “I do not want her for myself.”

The Ansari man asked, “Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?”

(flickr)

And the Prophet answered, “For Julaybib.”

When the Ansari man heard this, he was shocked and said, “O Messenger of Allah, let me consult her mother.” So he went to the girl’s mother (his wife) and told her, “The Messenger of Allah is proposing marriage for your daughter.”

The wife of the Ansari seemed overjoyed and said, “Yes, it would be a pleasure.”

The Ansari explained to his wife that the Prophet was not proposing to marry their daughter for himself but he is proposing on behalf of Julaybib.

His wife was almost shaken and immediately responded, “What! Julaybib? No, by Allah, we will not marry her to him.”

When the Ansari prepared to leave to meet the Messenger of Allah and mentioned to him his mother’s disapproval, his daughter, a pious Muslim, asked her father, “Who is asking for my hand?”

Her mother told her that the Prophet was asking her hand on behalf Julaybib.

Their daughter instantly asked them, “Are you refusing to follow the command of the Messenger of Allah? Follow his command, for I will not come to any harm.”

The following is illustrated in the book Companions of the Prophet by Abdul Wahid Hamid:

Hearing her daughters word, the Mother’s heart being filled with remorse said: “Stop my daughter, don’t say another word indeed I have erred I  repent and I repent a thousand times over for as of this moment their is  no one who I would prefer for you than Julaybib.”

The following day the marriage was in place, Uthman and Ali, two of the  Prophet’s Companions, presented Julaybib a gift of money to help arrange the wedding reception, and to purchase necessary accommodation.

So the Prophet married the beautiful daughter of the Ansari to Julaybib who was once rejected by the whole society. The attitude of the daughter of the Ansari was that of a true believer.

The daughter’s attitude shows her confidence of a Muslim woman who could not be influenced by the whims of the society. Unlike the parent’s of today’s world who are more concerned about status and money, her parents’ reaction to her approval explains how Islam does not pressure a woman nor does it disregard her right to choose her husband.

Islam gave the happiness Julaybib deserved and he lived happily together with his beautiful wife until he was martyred.

The follow hadith is another proof that Julaybib was indeed dearly loved and valued by Prophet Muhammad:

After a battle, the Prophet asked his Companions:

“Is anyone missing amongst you?”

They said: “So and so and so.”

He asked them again: “Is there anyone missing amongst you?”

They answered: “So and so and so.”

He asked them for the third time: “Is there anyone missing amongst you?”

They said: “No.”

Thereupon the Prophet said:

“But I see that Julaybib is missing.”

The Companions searched for him amongst those who had been killed and found him by the side of seven enemies whom he had killed. He had been killed. The Prophet came there and stood by his body and said:

“He killed seven people. Then his opponents killed him. He is mine and I am his.”

He then placed him upon his hands and there was none else to lift him but the Prophet Muhammad. Then the grave was dug for him and he was placed in it. (Muslim)

The man whose life was filled with despair and struggles won the hearts and admiration of many through his pure intentions, traits, and love for Islam and the Prophet. It is really amazing to note how this man of small stature managed to hold a sword and kill his opponent. He was able to accomplish much chivalry through the Prophet’s encouragement.

There are so many lessons to be learnt from Julaybib’s life. His story is a reflection of Islam. Islam ended his desolate world of disparagement.

His life is an example and hope for human souls which are filled with desolation.

Source: Reading Islam

It arrived with little fanfare, but Cold Stone Creamery has come to Canada! It’s on an extended test run in select Tim Hortons locations in Toronto, Halifax and Calgary, which explains the temporary banners tacked up as their sign. This is the place to fully customize your ice cream and create your own flavour. But for us Canuck newbies, ordering can be a confusing experience.

May we present to you the Do’s and Don’ts…

DO start of by picking a ice cream base (e.g. French Vanilla, Cheesecake, Cake Batter, Chocolate) then choose one — or better yet, several — mix-ins which include chocolate bars, nuts, fruits, cookies, candies or sauces.
DON’T make the same grave mistake I did and order vanilla ice cream with one boring mix-in: plain M&M’s. You’ll begrudgingly eat your pitiful selection while your friends heckle you into immense shame.

DO have the good sense to step in and steal a friend’s creation when they order better and smarter than you. This Mint Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip Signature Creation is a good example of one worth stealing because it’s Mint Ice Cream, chocolate chips, brownie and fudge sauce.
DON’T turn your back while your ice cream is being made. You’ll miss seeing your ingredients combined on a frozen granite stone (and your creation might get hijacked).

DO feel free to order from Cold Stone’s 20 Signature Creations which are recommended ice cream and mix-ins that complement each other. Other examples include Apple Pie A La Cold Stone, Birthday Cake Remix and Peanut Butter Cup Perfection.
DON’T get overwhelmed by the gazillion possible combinations of ice cream and mix-ins. While it’s natural to waver on your final choice while waiting in line, when it’s clutch time you better be ready to order.

DO use the correct size names. There’s Like It (small), Love It (medium) and Gotta Have It (very large).
DON’T flub your order or complain about their Starbucks-like insistent of ridiculous size names. If you feel you must, reference comedian Aziz Ansari joke about how Cold Stone’s size names sound like “crackhead terminology” (as seen the movie Funny People and this stand-up routine).

DO tell all your Canadian friends that Cold Stone has arrived.
DON’T fight the urge to go back. There’s no point. Once you try this stone-cold crack, you definitely are going back.

Cold Stone Creamery
Toronto: 1170 Bay St. / 481 Danforth Avenue
Locations in Ontario, Alberta & Nova Scotia
U.S. Locations
Other Locations

Politik

Ahmadi-Nedjad stellt neues Kabinett vor, 2 Ministerinnen, Said Jalili, Mitglied des Putschkomitees, designierter Nachfolger von Chefunterhändler Mottaki http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSHOS62783420090816?sp=true

Dritter Schauprozess gegen 28 Demonstranten
http://shooresh1917.blogspot.com/2009/08/third-hearing-session-of-some-other.html

Fotos des dritten stalinistischen Schauprozesses
http://irantopix.com/2009/08/16/photos-%E2%80%93-iran-expands-mass-trial-of-opposition-supporters-in-tehran-august-16/

Reformer fordern Untersuchung von Khameneis Legitimität
http://www.payvand.com/news/09/aug/1132.html

Geistliche aus Ghom, Isfahan und Maschhad fordern ebenfalls Untersuchung von Khameneis Legitimität
http://www.mowjcamp.com/article/id/18859

Mesbah Yazdi: Ahmadi-Nedjads Befehle müssen wie Gottesgebote befolgt werden
http://www.roozonline.com/english/news/newsitem/article/2009/august/14//obedience-to-ahmadinejad-is-like-obedience-to-god.html

Insolvenzen der iranischen Großindustrie, Iralco und Iran Khodro vor Schließung
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=5361

Islamische Republik erklärt Benzin-Sanktionen für ineffektiv
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/17/content_11893592.htm

Darstellungsverbot von Rahim-Mashaie, Ahmadi-Nedjads persönlichem Berater, im Staatsfernsehen
http://www.peykeiran.com/Content.aspx?ID=5359

Absturz eines IRGC-Hubschraubers bei Shahryar, westlich von Teheran
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=103626&sectionid=351020101

Verbot von Abbas Kiarostamis neuestem Film
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=103729&sectionid=351020105

Trügerische Ruhe in Iran
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ajay-singh-chaudhary/taking-the-long-view-on-i_b_259742.html

Menschenrechte

Menschenrechtsanwalt Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah seit 8. Juli ohne Anklage in Haft
http://ow.ly/kerk

Augenzeugenbericht von vergewaltigten Inhaftierten
http://keepingthechange.blogspot.com/2009/08/babak-dad-on-rapes-inside-irans-prisons.html

Ansari, Mitglied des Expertenrats, bestätigt Berichte über Vergewaltigungen Inhaftierter
http://www.payvand.com/news/09/aug/1123.html

Verfassungslose unislamische Republik
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melody-moezzi/the-unconstitutional-un-i_b_259505.html

Shahroudis verheerende Bilanz als Justizminister
http://tehranbureau.com/irans-judiciary-deep-crisis/

Folter und die Gleichgültigkeit der USA
http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/2009/08/14/the-torturers-and-the-secretary/

Mir Hamid Hassanzadeh, Moussavi-Anhänger und ehemaliger Leiter von ISNA auf Kaution freigelassen
http://www.rahesabz.net/story/460/

Fotograf Majid Saeedi auf Kaution freigelassen
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/behind-11/

Hacker überwinden staatliche Firewalls
http://www.iranian.com/main/2009/aug/web-warriors

- Extracted from an article by A.Ali Ural

Madinah has never awaited anyone like this before. Not only the eyes of humans, but the eyes of clouds, hills and gardens are fixed on the road. For days the city has talked of nothing but him. When his name is whispered, the trees rustle, the well-water rises, and children hold hands and begin to run. Spirits who sense that history will begin with his entrance to the city hold their breath on the edge of time and wait for the moon to appear. However, there is one resident in this city who walks three or four miles every morning to meet him.  Abu Ayyub al-Ansari is climbing hills in pursuit of a new day that will shine with the illuminated hands he had embraced at the Aqaba Agreement. Even if he does not see him first, he will give the glad tidings before anyone else: “Muhammad’s convoy is coming!” He runs immediately to his tribe. He arouses the whole city, particularly the Banu an-Najjar whose chief he is. Women, men, children, trees, the wind, and clouds – everyone and everything go to meet him. Tambourines become exited. The awaited moon appears on the farewell hills. Children make their best screams at that moment. Women cry their most innocent tears at that moment. Najjar males are vying with one another to invite him to their houses. They surround his camel and extend their hands at that moment. The Prophet turns towards the children singing the hymn, “How wonderful to be a neighbor of Muhammad,” and asks, “Do you love me?” In unison the children shout, “We love you, O Prophet!” Then the Prophet tells them, “Allah knows my heart and that I love you, too!”

There is such a circle of love that the Prophet does not want to break this siege. Just as he divided among the tribes the honor of carrying the Black Stone before he became an apostle, he would now divide the sun to all the windows if he could. So that his choice will not cast any shadow of sadness, he leaves the choice to his camel Kuswa. Wherever it kneels, he will get down there. Kuswa walks and everyone is in suspense. Kuswa approaches the city slowly. A cry of lament rises from whichever house the camel passes, a sacred joy from whichever street it enters. Kuswa kneels, making hearts pound. Suddenly it stops and gets back up from where it had knelt. As if it had heard a voice from the unknown, the camel takes a few more steps. Choosing the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Kuswa kneels again.
What a blessed guest! What an unforgettable visit! Abu Ayyub’s voice is trembling from joy: “O Prophet! You are welcome. This is my house. And this is my door!” Together with Zayd ibn Harise, he carries the Prophet’s baggage. A journey of love begins that will last seven months. The blessed guest prefers the lower floor so that his visitors will not bother his host. However, the Host of the Apostle is uneasy with this. How can those on the upper floor be comfortable when the Prophet is living in the lower floor? The water jug can be bumped over and water can spill out. What if it seeps through to the lower floor and drips on the Prophet? This won’t work. The Prophet should live on the upper floor. “The Prophet immediately orders that his baggage be taken upstairs. It was immediately carried up; there was not much anyway.” The goods were few, but the love was increasing at every meal. The greatest pleasure of Abu Ayyub and his wife was to eat from the Last Prophet’s dish. One day when Abu Ayyub saw that his blessed guest had not touched his food, he said sadly, “O Prophet, our biggest honor is to eat from the same plate after you have eaten. But I noticed that you did not eat the food today.” The Prophet replied, “I didn’t eat it because I saw onion in the food. But even if I do not like it, there is no harm in your eating it.”  Sahih- Muslim again records a note in history here so that Abu Ayyub’s reply will never be forgotten: “O Prophet! We do not like what you do not like!”

Sahih Muslim makes a note in history at this point:

Aflah, the freed slave of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, reported: “Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) had alighted in his house (viz. of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari at the time of his emigration to Madinah) and he occupied the lower storey, whereas Abu Ayyub al-Ansari lived in the upper storey. One night, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari got up and said (to himself): (How unfortunate it is) that we walk above the head of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), so they went aside and spent the night in a nook and then told Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) about it whereupon Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: The lower storey is more comfortable (for me). but he (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari) said: We (would not live) over the roof under which you live. So Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) shifted to the upper storey, whereas Abu Ayyub al-Ansari shifted to the lower storey; and he (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari) used to prepare food for Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) ; and when it was brought (back) to him he asked (to locate) the part, where his fingers had touched (the food), and he followed his fingers on that part where his fingers (those of the Holy Prophet) had touched it. (One day) he prepared food which contained garlic, and when it was returned to him he asked (to locate) the part which the fingers of Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) had touched. It was said to him that he had not eaten (the food). He (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari) was distressed and went up to him (to the Holy Prophet) and said: Is it forbidden? But Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: No, (it is not forbidden), but I do not like it. and he (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari) said: I also do not like what you do not like or which you did not like. He (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari) said: (The Holy Prophet did not eat garlic) as Allah’s Apostle (may peace be upon him) was visited (by angels) and brought him the message of Allah.” (Sahih Muslim, Book #023, Hadith #5099)

The thing that Abu Ayyub likes most is fighting on the path of Allah. Badr, Uhud, Hendek, Hayber, the Conquest of Makkah, Hunayn, Tabuk… Wherever the flag is raised, he is there. Those who see Abu Ayyub in the front row in every battle ask, “Why have you dedicated yourself to holy war?” He whispers in their ears, “After I read in the Holy Quran the divine edict, ‘Do not refrain from holy war and battle in any situation,’ it was not possible for me to abandon holy war.” When a campaign is to begin at dawn, his eyes open first. If it is necessary to wait on guard in front of the Prophet’s tent, then Abu Ayyub al-Ansari is there. Forget about the shadow of a sword falling on the Prophet; he can not even endure a bird feather in the Prophet’s beard. With his own hands, he removes a bird feather from the Prophet’s face between Safa and Marwa. He receives the prayer, “O Abu Ayyub, from now on no evil will touch you.” And this prayer girds Abu Ayyub in such a coat of armor that he comes out alive from every battle every time. He does not hang his sword on the wall after the Prophet’s death. The Host of the Prophet points out new battlefields in Syria, Palestine, Egypt and Cyprus during the time of Abu Bakr and Umar.

He is not just an imposing warrior. He is a scribe of revelation, one who brings verses together. He is a memorizer of the entire Quran. He is a vice-gerent who takes Ali’s place when he goes to Iraq. He is a reporter who journeys from Madinah to Egypt just for one narration. He is a faqi whose fatwas are trusted by the people. He is an imam who leads the prayers in the Masjid Al Nabawi when Uthman is confined. He is a god-brother overseeing the spirit of Madinah with Musab ibn Umayr. He is a father who becomes angry at his son and his enemy because he killed with torture in war. He is a warner to those who do not make the evening prayer in the favored time. And he is a sage crying with his head on the Prophet’s grave. It is the time of the Omayyads. Marwan ibn Hakem is the governor of Madinah. Abu Ayyub hears a voice from behind: “Do you know what you’re doing!” Abu Ayyub recognizes the cold voice; it belongs to the incompetent Marwan. He implies that he is doing something contrary to the sunnah. The time has come. The Host of the Prophet answers emphatically making his point: “I have come to the Prophet, not this tombstone!” I heard him say, “Do not worry when qualified people take up religious matters; however, when unqualified people take the helm, you cannot cry enough.”

Aziz is hilarious. You’ve probably seen him in Human Giant, Scrubs, Observe & Report, Parks & Recreation, or one of his standups but he will be in an upcoming movie called Funny People. The movie also includes Seth Rogen and Adam Sandler so it should be pretty funny. Aziz plays Raaaaaaaandy[yes there are 8 As in his name], who he says is “Soulja Boy doing standup.” Aziz also talks about his cousins including one who accused kanYe of stealing a Ne-Yo beat. Very funny, watch the video.

Billu Barber starring Irfan Khan and Lara Dutta in the lead also has Shahrukh Khan playing a superstar, a role pretty close to his real-life self. Directed by Priyadarshan, Billu Barber is a simple story about Billu (Irrfan Khan) a barber, his wife Bindiya (Lara Dutta) and his two kids. Billu’s life is just like any ordinary man, but it turns upside down when superstar Sahir Khan (Shahrukh Khan) enters his village to shoot for a film. Back in school days, much before Sahir Khan climbed the ladder of success in the Hindi Film Industry, the now barber and the superstar were childhood friends. The news that Billu is Sahir’s childhood friend spreads like wildfire and suddenly, the barber is now the talk-of-the-village. But does Sahir remember his friend after all the wealth, fame and success that he has achieved since? Watch the movie to find out as Billu Barber is indeed worth a trip to a nearby theatre. Popular Priyadarshan films this decade have all mostly been comedies with a tad bit of emotions in the second half. But Billu Barber is different; it’s a realistic take on what could happen when a life of an ordinary barber clashes with that of a hugely popular superstar. Its also about how ordinary people are passionate about their cinematic heroes, who in some way is a part of their lives. The pace of the pre interval portions is slightly slow, but the film picks up in the second half. But its the last 30 mins of Billu Barber that makes the most impact! The speech delivered by Sahir Khan on stage, is filled with morals on why one should never forget their roots regardless of the heights of success or wealth achieved. The narration is very entertaining, the 3 songs of SRK with Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Kareena Kapoor are visually brilliant and placed perfectly. The music is good. Love Mera Hit Hit and Mar Jaani are the pick of the lot. Billu Bhayankar is funny and stays with you long after the credits roll. Bilu Barber belongs to Irrfan Khan. The highly talented actor is splendid as Billu displaying a huge array of expressions and emotions on screen. Lara Dutta compliments Irrfan pretty well, it has to be her best role to date. Character actors like Om Puri, Ansari, Rajpal Yadav and the others, entertain. Coming to Shahrukh Khan, he is convincing in the role of Sahir Khan. Playing a character that is very close to his real life self, Khan is surprisingly restrained and delivers an extremely warm performance. This is undoubtedly his best short role in any film so far! Overall, Billu Barber isn’t an out-n-out comedy but a well directed Priyadarshan film on relationships and emotions. It has something in it for everyone and in particular a must watch for children. The film is not expected to shatter box-office records, but should open well thanks to SRK’s presence and not to forget the well-promoted songs featuring the hottest female stars in the industry. A lot should depend on the audience verdict too, strong word of mouth should ensure yet another success for SRK and Red Chillies Entertainment!

Fahim Ansari é acusado de ajudar a planejar os atentados em que 173 pessoas foram mortas em novembro.
Seu advogado, Ejaz Naqvi, apresentou documentos legais com Mumbai magistrado do tribunal, alegando a “mulher branca” arrancou todas as suas roupas e lhe mostrou filmes pornográficos.
Nos jornais, ele afirma que três estrangeiros, incluindo a mulher, teriam abusado sexualmente dele, provocando-lhe “graves impuridades e feridas” em seu corpo, incluindo os seus órgãos genitais.
Senhor Ansari, um devoto muçulmano, afirma isto equivale a tortura, porque é contra a sua religião, jornal The Sun tem relatado.
Um tribunal na cidade indiana ordenou exames médicos em “todas as feridas do seu corpo.”
Ansari foi detido com cinco outros suspeitos no ano passado.
A polícia disse que ele é um membro da formação Lashkar-e-Taiba, a organização terrorista responsável pelos ataques Mumbai.
Ele foi detido em Fevereiro do ano passado em conexão com um ataque a um acampamento em Rampur polícia que deixou sete paramilitares e um civil mortos.

Poxa, agora eu penso nessa agente do FBI como ela deve ser… Ah eu também gostaria de uma “tortura” asssim… Esses americanos, sinceramente tortura com sexo, e como o Islã é muito severo quanto a sexo, Ansari não vai conseguir as 70 virgens do paraíso….

noticia original aqui.

Noticias de Rupia | Nouvelles de Roupie | Rupiennachrichten | ??????? ????? | ???? | Roepienieuws | Rupi Nyheter | ??????? | Notizie di Rupia | PAKISTAN LEDGER | ???????? ????? | Moin Ansari | ???? ??????? | Defensebriefs …
http://rupeenews.com

It’s always been my hope that humanity can embrace a glorious future among the stars. I just wish we’d get a move on. Thankfully, on Monday Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic opened the hangar doors to reveal WhiteKnightTwo, the launch vehicle that is intended to begin the sub-orbital journey for passengers aboard SpaceShipTwo in eighteen months’ time.

Until recently, space travel was the sole preserve of governments, and very few of those at that. Then came the Ansari X Prize offering $10 million for the first ship to reach an altitude greater than 100 km twice in the space of a fortnight. Many teams took part, but on 4 October 2004 it was Burt Rutan’s Scaled Composites that took the money with SpaceShipOne.

Branson and Rutan teamed up; fast forward four years and for the princely sum of $200,000 you can buy a seat along with two pilots and five fellow passengers that will give you a view of the curvature of Earth from space and about five minutes of weightlessness. And let’s not forget the rush of the launch and then the glide back down to collect your spacewings.

SpaceShipTwo is still in the hangar, apparently 70% built, but WhiteKnightTwo is expected to begin flight tests later this year. It’s like a catamaran for the skies, with two hulls that between them will carry the space vehicle to a height of 15 km before its hybrid rocket engine lifts it to sub-orbital altitude. At first, Virgin Galactic aim to manage a flight each week, but when everything is up and running at full capacity there should be four flights a day from their New Mexico spaceport.

Branson’s mother officially christened the launch vehicle – it was named “Eve” after her, as well as symbolizing a new beginning for space exploration (let’s hope Apple stays well away from the computer systems). WhiteKnightTwo could also herald a new age in more traditional aviation, being the largest all carbon composite aircraft with the huge benefits in efficiency that promises.

Apparently more than a hundred future Virgin Galactic astronauts are fully paid up and ready to fly. My name officially went on the list on 28 September 2004, but they’ve still not asked me to show them the money. Maybe, if my astronaut application with the European Space Agency comes through, I won’t have to.

I wish I had the whole thing, but I only have the first stanza.  This poem is written by Tiel Aisha Ansari who I just found out about through the blog velveteen rabbi.  Maybe I’ll have to see if I can get a book of her poems… 

 Anyway, here ’tis.

I am sorry to tell you that your prayer has been judged insincere
and has been sent to the dead-letter office of prayers
where the angel whose job it is will sort and file it
and close the drawer on its thin helpless squeaking.

Fancy winning $30 million? Google has now made it slightly easier to get those millions, and it’s all in the good cause of exploration.

So what do you have to do? Well, it was never going to be easy to get that much money: simply design a robotic spaceship, then get it to go to the Moon and make it travel 0.3 miles (500 meters). Then make it send back some video and pictures. That’s it. The only problem is that to get the full prize, you have to get to the Moon by 2012 – by as soon as 2014 the prize money will be withdrawn.

Following the success of the Ansari X Prize three years ago, which was won by SpaceShipOne (the ship soon to be used by Virgin Galactic for tourist trips to space) Google joined up with the X Prize foundation a few months ago, and hopes that the new Lunar X Prize will help spur on privately funded space exploration.

The problem is that when only government agencies (such as NASA) send probes to space, progress is quite slow because there is only a limited amount of funding. If private companies and investors can be encouraged to start exploring beyond Planet Earth, then money will start flooding in and exploration will really start to pick up speed.

Once the private sector starts going to the Moon, it opens up the possibility of space hotels and lunar bases for vacations – things that just seem like science-fiction the way things are now, with state organizations doing everything in space.

I think the Google Lunar X Prize is an amazing idea, and I hope more competitions like it will open up in the future. Only this way can we really enter a true space age, and it means that we might just have a chance of being able to vacation on the Moon in our lifetimes. Now that is a cool thought!