log / Usman Malik

Look at it, they held the wedding on a Friday and wrapped everything up before 2pm so I can go say my Friday Prayers!

Now take that you EDL!

In meaningless sphere of this existence we both sit in front of each other staring at each other into an abyss of nothingness and perpetual void. If ultimate tragedies are just part of fables passed on from time why do they strike me and you all so often?

Just one hug, just one smile, just one stroke of my hand through your beautiful hair, just one small peck under your ear lobes - how has life become so containable in few desires?

Yesterday I saw you walking in the park, right beside that pond on your way to that fountain. Pennies line the bottom of the water there and shimmer in Sun just like our Utopian ideas which no matter how mesmerising were worth nothing.

Walking through the streets in the summer Sun, brushing past all that life and energy immersed in a million strangers, why do I feel so out of place?

If our existence is for striving yet really incomplete without someone special in our life then why are we born naked and yet we die alone?

——

For some of my previous shorts or fictions.

peakofelephants:

leppod:

Amplify’d from shoebat.com

Viewer Discretion Advised: Muslims Burn Homosexuals Alive in Cruel Execution

Read more at shoebat.com

 See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/b10nb8

My add: There are various instances where Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.w.) decreed explicitly against burning people, while there are other places where he explicitly prohibited people against enacting the punishments reserved for afterlife. I have no words to even condemn what I just saw in that video but just share a tradition of Prophet (Hadith):

Narrated Ikrima (Radi Allah Anhu): Ali (Radi Allah Anhu) burnt some people and this news reached Ibn ‘Abbas (Radi Allah Anhu), who said, “Had I been in his place I would not have burnt them, as the Prophet (sal-allahu-alleihi-wasallam) said, ‘Don’t punish (anybody) with Allah’s Punishment.’ No doubt, I would have killed them, for the Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.’ “ [Sahih Bukhari: Volume 4, Book 54, Number 536]

The above Hadith talks of an instance where some people committed apostasy and then indulged in propaganda against Islam. They were burnt by Ali on which Ibn Abbas showed his displeasure on the mode of punishment but agreed on the fate of the propagandist.

carpe-cerevisi:

mehreenkasana:

Wikileaks reveals the real story behind Siddiqui’s arrest. This is likely to create ripples in Pakistan amongst the controversial figure’s harsh critics, supporters and even decidedly neutral ones like yours truly.

The editorial in Express Tribune states:

Source.

According to a high-ranking official (I won’t name him because this was said off-record), there wasn’t much of a case against Aafia. They never had proper evidence against her. There a lack of forensic evidence. However, she lied about never having shot a gun before, when she was on a shooting team in college. That was apparently enough to sentence her to 86 years. Justice took off its blindfold for this one. 

My add: I am not a supporter of Aafia at all, I believe her performance in court was not only mind boggling but also simply disgusting. But that all said it doesn’t change the fact that US was way more than eager to have her behind bars. Seriously someone left a service weapon in front of her? What happened to that personnel anyway? We should have heard of a court martial at least!

Above all expecting a Cognitive Sciences expert to be a BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS EXPERT? Seriously? When did David Beckham become an expert ballet dancer?

By the way just discussing this on a blog with someone, I was told that it is an Afghani/Islamic tradition to put a gun in front of you when talking/discussing and it was a matter of respect to do so. Imagine that? :)

Zeeshan prepared a delicious Pakistani dinner tonight and told me that I should wear Pakistani dress. I got my Shalwar Kameez out (I think I wore one on the last Eid) and my favourite Pakul just to find that he himself was not wearing it! I think he took a picture of me with his camera, so will try to get it from him.

But yes it was fun wearing Shalwar Kameez and friends wanted to know if I want to later go to a club wearing that? Obviously not a fan of clubs as such but seriously wearing a Shalwar Kameez to pub/club with a beard on face would have definitely got me at least a pat down search and a mention in tomorrow’s newspaper!

After dinner we all sat down to watch a “horror film” titled the Insidious and trust me on this but DO NOT WASTE ANY MONEY ON IT IN CINEMA, DO NOT EVEN WASTE TIME ON DOWNLOADING IT FOR FREE! While watching the film I was so bored that I read it’s review on Salon.com and they had the best last line to explain the film, “If you were actually watching this on TNT, in 1992, in your parents’ basement — instead of in a movie theater for $10 or more — it would seem fully insidious”. I understand the wonderful things a low budget film can do, but do not expect to pull off a successful Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 marketing stint again on a cheap flick which gets ridiculously lousy and predictable every minute!

In the end, thanks Zeeshan once again for getting us all together and all of your hospitality!

1:05 am EDIT: Zeeshan has emailed me the picture so yes now that is my dp for a while.

Well in a reaffirmation of my earlier beliefs, informal business meetings over a cup of latte are pretty productive. Was able to secure a good deal with prospect of support for a new venture. It also seems like I am almost done perfecting a trick of getting more money out of investors but maybe I should not write too much on that here for an investor might decide to do a little google on my name and find this post!

Oh yes, since I am going to take too many risks in next 3 months and of course they can go either way, this is what I have come up with if things go bad (from The Office):

What kind of camera did you own before? And what would you recommend for a beginner?

I was using a Canon 500d and Sony NEX 5D before. As for recommendation, to be honest I cannot give a good answer because there is no right answer to it. Will really depends on how and where you want to start from plus what your budget will permit. You can choose between a large band of cameras depending on if you think you will be using multiple lenses, if yes then what sort of lenses you already have access to (because lenses can be the most expensive part of digital photography), what sort of photography you are considering (indoor, outdoor, sports, portraits, events..) and a few more things. Let me know what you have in mind, might be able to give a better suggestion.

I’m trying to get a good price on a used, old 5d body, myself. MUST HAVE FULL FRAME CENSOR…

Oh of course a full frame camera has no substitute! You are in USA and you lucky people have craiglist - try that! 

I just let go of 5D because I think I can use the difference to buy some new lens or maybe even an entry level dslr video rig.

Although I belong to the Nikon family, two of my photographer friends are extremely happy with their 7Ds. Good luck and Enjoy!

Being a Minolta-person (the one which became Konica-Minolta to finally Sony) who fiddled with Sony for a while before deciding on a total devotion towards Canon, I have a thing or two against Nikon! Especially for their over-priced lenses! Like I know they are beautiful but then they are so expensive!!! Also Nikon has kind of lagged behind in their vDSLR capabilities which I am sure they are going to try to beat with something soon, but till then Canon is pretty much taking the whole floor.

Thank you :)

p.s. I am sorry I get a little defensive for Canon.

Yes this is what I am going to do. I am going to setup my rig and make a timelapse from now till the morning - this is definitely not going to be anything special so will most probably never see light of the day!

Shab-ba-khair

p.s. Maybe I will finally catch myself sleepwalking!

Things are kind of falling into their place now so yes hopefully I will be back on a regular basis and yes in a more meaningful manner. Thanks for sticking around with such a boring tumblog.