boxafella.com/blog

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Not really.

Congratulations to a newly engaged person.

Thanks for keeping a line of communication.

Whatever. Good  bye.

I have totally changed up the front page.

As my mind continues to crave something bigger and better, I have decided to make real use of my domain. I have this desire to start and run a legitimate and successful business. I’m sure that if I really wanted to, I could probably figure out how to make a self-sustaining website; But that isn’t my interest.

I really want to advertise myself, and not others. One thing I hate the most is pages chock-full of Google ads. I can almost promise you that you won’t see any of those on my pages. In my opinion they are in bad taste, and it only helps others get around. Seriously, who wants to visit a page where they’d have to click through a million and a half ads to get to some real content? Not me.

Anyways — It’s early, and I still have to get ready for work. I’ll try and update again later with something nice for y’all. Deuce.

I went ahead and changed up the icons a bit… I think it looks better, no?

Art Toy icons can be found here

V!VA icons can be found here

For a long time, those who may consider themselves to be rebellious try to affirm that belief with a tattoo. Many people get tattoos during their self-search phases; Others just because. A 2006 a study done by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that 24% of Americans between 18 and 50 are tattooed; that’s almost one in four. And the survey showed that about 36% of Americans age 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo!

ONE in FOUR. How rebellious it is to conform. It seems to me that the truly rebellious thing to do is to keep your body the way it was created. I remember being asked if I had any tattoos, markings or piercings on my body. I answered with an honest and simple “No.” The gentleman asking the question seemed flabbergasted. “Why?” He asked, “everyone’s got one these days.”

“My religion” I answered. “Islam forbids mutilating or changing your body.”

Recently, a friend of mine went “under the needle”. She had gotten the crescent moon and star placed on her. What I can’t seem to understand is how and why a Muslim would go and commit a sin, knowing full and well that it is haram? She isn’t the only one of my Muslim friends who has undergone such a procedure.

The Prophet Mohamad (PBUH) cursed those who make tattoos and those who receive them. Unanimously, it is considered to be Haram throughout Islam and is almost undisputed amongst the scholars. What is disputed is why. Some say that the Prophet (PBUH) banned tattoos because of old Pagan beliefs. Almost unarguably they are haram because the Quran warns that Satan will whisper into the persons ears to disfigure Allah’s creation.

It being haram, not at all allowed, and yet to still have one done baffles my mind.

“Islam takes away the sins before it” Meaning if you are a convert, a new follower, and you had gotten a tattoo before your journey into Islam - does not mean that you will be ridiculed for what was done prior to your conversion. But what it does NOT mean is that if you are a Muslim and have gotten a tattoo, you will be forgiven. Oh no.

Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi states “Islam denounces excesses in beautifying oneself when it alters the physical features that Allah created him with. The Glorious Qur’an considers such alterations as inspired by Satan, who “…will command them (his devotees) to change what Allah has created…” (An-Nisa’: 119)

Tattoo is one of those excesses. Take heed in the words of al Quran. Take pride in the religion of Islam. Do not mock your belief in an attempt to incorporate the halal with the haram. Tattoos are haram whether or not you make it “Islamic.”

Well, I guess that it doesn’t really matter how honest or upfront you are with a person. I suppose the beauty of the internet is to remain anonymous. I wouldn’t know though. I’ve never really cared too much about anonymity so as that I’d keep my identity a locked-down secret.

I don’t even know where I’m going with this.. I just guess that I figured my honesty would return me honesty. My being open would reciprocate openness. I was wrong. When will I ever learn?

Ilhamdulilah; My little brother is alright. He’s suffered a broken toe and a whole bunch of scrapes and scratches. I suppose boys will be boys, right?

My cousin, on the other hand, is still hospitalized. He is currently in the shock trauma intensive care unit at Memorial Herman hospital… I didn’t get to see the actual accident, but seeing him in that hospital bed was more than enough to be quite frank. I mess with these kids too much to have to see them in such a position. It’s heartbreaking to say the least.

He’s been responsive which according to the doctors, is a good sign. From Friday to Sunday he was placed on a breathing machine but has since then improved enough to not require its assistance. Though he’s still got tubes and pipes running all through him. Inshallah he will recover. I have good faith that things happen the way they do for a reason. Ya Rab, inshallah Allahi aymo bil salami. Allah yishfee w 3afee, ya rab!

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In other news, I’ve found a pretty nice iPhone related theme for the BlackBerry. This theme is by far one of the best iPhone clones that I have come across. For those of you who aren’t in the “know” - Pinstack.com is where to go for such things. It is the one and only BB community that I’ve cared enough to join - and I’m loving it. Check them out yourselves. Hayden is one cool admin.

Download here

I can’t believe I thought my computer messing up was the worst thing to happen to me..

My little brother and cousin were both in a very bad accident…

I need your prayers and du’ah..

Inshallah they come out in good health — May Allah hear our prayers and return to us my family safely.

I don’t even know what the flip happened to my darned desktop computer… It was working fine and then BAM! No more. I tried installing a fresh version of Ubuntu on it; and it worked… Momentarily. Ubuntu’s automatic upgrade went and messed everything up. I can’t login via anything except failsafe mode.

I’m going to assume it’s a problem with the video driver; But I haven’t been able to locate any problems with it. I’ve even gone ahead and upgraded the Ubuntu on my laptop - and have not been able to duplicate that problem on this machine (thank God, otherwise I’d have to throw something at a wall, or out the window..)

In other news, my truck is driving me insane. The check engine light keeps coming on. I’ve had the codes read by several different people, and even hooked it up to the computer myself. All I have been able to figure out is that the problem does not lie in the gas cap (which is what the idiots at AutoZone keep telling me). Something about an evaporative emission leak (small).. O2 sensor, maybe? I’m not sure…

It’s also busted out a new code for me… Ignition coil A, primary 1 2 malfunction. As if I need more problems right now. I hate when things break. It’s like anytime I have any amount of money saved up something has to go so terribly wrong that I need to pay to fix or replace it. Why is this? Am I not supposed to be saving up for what it is I want, or are curve balls just the way of life? I’ve gone ahead and decided it to be the latter of the two.

At least I’m learning how to fix vehicles.

God. When am I going to ever catch a break? Just when I think things are going smoothly…

My desktop is down; I was lucky enough to have backed it up before it crashed on me. I’m just going to drop Winblows all together and install a fresh copy of Ubuntu on the sucker. Expect more delays than usual until I get everything fixed and tweaked right.

My desktop is out of order… big surprise, right?