Let me preface this entry by saying music critics can be some pompous dicks and after just a couple of hours after The Weeknd performed Sunday night during the Super Bowl, they probably stopped at nothing to talk shit. Anyway, I, like many other folks, tuned into Sunday’s performance eager to watch The Weeknd perform. As soon as the chorus…
COVID-19 Diaries
This is a late entry and it’s been a really long time since I’ve written a blog. It’s not that I haven’t had the desire to write, it’s just been an overwhelming few months and the start of this year hasn’t been the greatest. With the COVID-19 pandemic raging our world, it’s not really easy to feel inspired or excited…
Houston is not ugly.
I’ve been silent on several issues plaguing the country lately. Largely because I’m a professional journalist and professor now and I have to be wary of what I say out of fear of misrepresenting my objectivity. However, there’s some bullshit out there that I just can’t stand by sometimes and after reading something recently, it got me feeling a type…
The Power of Nazar/Ojo/Evil-Eye
Homer Simpson : I’m not jealous, I’m envious. Jealousy is when you worry someone will take what you have. Envy is wanting what someone else has. What I feel is envy. Lisa Simpson : [Checking into a dictionary] Wow, he’s right. For a very long time, I’ve come to believe that people are not always looking out for your…
(Dis)Respecting Our Elders
A couple weeks back, I was at my university’s campus and a few yards away from me (to my left) was a little girl descending the staircase. She grabbed my attention cause I just heard a tiny voice say, “wait for me!” She must have been about 5 years old but had a number of items in her hand. As a result of her extremely small stature, everything in her possession looked much bigger than her. This explained her delay to catch up to the person she was following.
My Jihad with other Muslims
This is probably something that’s best left in my personal journal but whatever. I could care less at this point. I write this article with a specific scholar in mind but am refraining from using their name because I want to be respectful. Despite this scholar showing disrespect and doing it under the guise of someone whose looking out for…
Saying “No. Just no.” to online arguments
Recently, I’ve opened myself up for arguments on Facebook or Instagram, and I realize they’re futile, but for some reason, I can’t help but want to fix people. But as a friend once told me, “it’s not my job to educate them.” In other words, I’ve finally learned to walk away from a fight. It’s hard though, to just let…
Re:Awakened: Russell Brand’s Re:Birth Review
For those that know me quite well, Russell Brand is one of my personal heroes. It’s a long story, but you can kind of find it here, in an essay I wrote three years ago. A lot has changed since then i.e., I have more people I look up to, but the sentiments remain the same. I’ve done my best…
My Strange Relationship with Indian Movies
Author’s note: I use the term Hindi films, in the place of Bollywood films for personal reasons. For more information, check out Margaret Redlich’s blog and her book, that touches on why we should no longer call Hindi films, Bollywood movies. Also, for my non-Desi readers, the term Desi (THEY-SEE) is an umbrella term to describe people of South Asian…
Talk Faithfully To Me: Religion & Language
I’m not a religious studies scholar by any means. I honestly, have a limited understanding of what I practice myself. Nonetheless, it doesn’t interfere with my status as a believer. Furthermore, when I do read (as I often try) my faith only becomes reaffirmed. However, it still baffles me when I hear people hold strong to these weird ideologies and…