Not sure why I did not think about this before but the sodden fact is that 88,121 visitors to my blog come from a country called Unknown. Where is that I wonder, not been able to locate it on my globe. I do laugh! It does constitute my largest fan base – using logic all of the inhabitants of Unknown must speak English. But it is a mystery to me. None of the people I have spoken to about the matter have been very helpful – queried Computer Guru Chris
Me: Where, what and how Unknown – never heard of a country by that name.
He: Hi I am guessing unknown is people who, like me, use blocking software or anti trackers etc.
So I am left with the dismal feeling of not knowing who is reading me. Oh well – what the hell. Wise Man wisely opines that I write for myself anyway, not going to worry about this any more. The word of the day is going to be dismal which is an adjective: glum, mournful, melancholy, morose, doleful, woeful, woebegone, forlorn, abject, dejected, depressed, dispirited, downcast, crestfallen, despondent, disconsolate, miserable, sad, unhappy, sorrowful, sorrowing, desolate, wretched, lugubrious; blue, fed up, down in the dumps, down in the mouth, as sick as a parrot. Yesterday I was glum, morose, doleful, woebegone, forlorn and despondent. To say nothing of crestfallen, despondent and disconsolate. I do know the reason why, it was time for me to move on. Someone had manoeuvred himself into my life, promoting dependency, it was time, actually past time for me to grow up. Of course, there were feelings of loss, that was yesterday, today those feelings abated.
Watched a mighty strange segment on BBC News, I think on Tuesday evening. Strange in that it was old news – reporting on the atrocious behaviour on the part of the Ruler of Dubai. It was new news on March 5, 2020 when the findings of a High Court in London were made public. The abduction and kidnaping of two of his daughters and the mistreatment of his sixth wife were reported. The only new wrinkle was the statement of a psychiatrist that she had been hoodwinked. The Princess had been labelled as suffering from a bipolar illness and needed to be returned to Dubai for treatment, the shrink said. That was not so. The Ruler of Dubai has suffered no punishment – in this life anyway. Except perhaps the ruination of the economy of his country due to the pandemic. But that is nothing compared to what he will go through on Judgment Day and the hell he will face. He is warned and could repent, believe and perform a charitable act but most likely that is not going to happen. His arrogance would prevent that. In a most convoluted fashion his actions, utterly contrary to the mandates of the Islamic faith led to my conversion. . The Ruler of Dubai is a Muslim and I wondered if that was a usual practice this barbaric treatment of women. It absolutely is not- the treatment of women within the faith was my first attraction, although it is presently much more, shall we say, broad based.
Most recently I explored the role of Satan in the faith. My reading of the Quran acquainted me with the fact that Satan did play, and does play a major role but was not sure of all of the details. The exploration was fascinating and did explain a certain man’s treatment of me, that guy no longer in my life. Readers can share this journey. Muslims believe that the Devil does exist, to deny his existence is equal to denying the Qur’an. The Devil, named Iblees or Shaitaan (Satan) in Islam, is a being from amongst the Jinn, a species separate to the Angels, Humans and Animals. It is a core belief in Islam that Iblees is not an Angel, as Angels are not beings that have free will and therefore it is impossible for them to disobey God. Allah fashioned Adam from clay and demanded that he be respected. But Satan said:
He: No way am I going to respect Adam. He is fashioned from clay and I was fashioned from fire. I am better than he is. Qur’an: Al-A’raaf 7:12] Iblees was in essence the first racist to ever exist, this stemmed from his immense arrogance and pride over who he was, which ultimately led to his downfall, described in the next verse. “(Allah) said: “(O Iblees) get down from this (Paradise), it is not for you to be arrogant here. Get out, for you are of those humiliated and disgraced.” [The Qur’an: Al-A’raaf 7:14] Allah then punished Iblees by removing him from Paradise.” But Satan was most stubborn and did not regret what he did. Satan said he would do a favour to Allah by tempting humans leading the weak ones away from the faith. (Allah) said: “Certainly, you shall have no authority over my servants, except those who follow you of the deviators.” [Qur’an: Al-A’raaf 15:39- 41] As Allah mentioned, Satan will not have any authority over the people who believe in Allah and submit to Him. After this Allah banished Iblees from the heavens. ] before. Indeed, for the wrongdoers is a painful punishment.” [Qur’an: Ibraaheem 14:22] He will reject them all and they will all be cast into the hell-fire as recompense for their actions. Muslims are commanded to seek refuge with Allah from the evil of Iblees, he will not miss a chance to misguide an individual in any way possible, and since he has been around since the beginning of the human race, he knows how we think and live, thus taking advantage of our weaknesses.In summary, Islam tells us everything that we need to know about the Devil, including his origins, his mission to turn humanity away from God and what will be his and his follower’s final end. Muslims are repeatedly warned about the traps of the Devil by Allah in the Qur’an, as in the following verse: “O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” Satans are not reproduced in the usual fashion but by laying eggs and there are no females in the line. h, the day he was sent down to earth, the day the Prophet Mohammad was appointed as Prophet and the Day of Ghadeer’. Imam Sadiq a.s. said: ‘There are three first fathers: Adam who had a believing son, Yahya who had both a beleiving and an infidel son, and shaytan who had an infidel offspring who does not reproduce in the usual. They lay eggs and a new male is produced. There are no females in their line’. Is this not fascinating?
So from Satan onto Ted Cruz brought to you by Andy Borowitz in his usual hysterically funny fashion. Senator Ted Cruz made a top-secret trip on Wednesday to investigate whether Mexico illegally stole heat and sunshine from his home state of Texas.
Cruz said that he undertook the dangerous heat-finding mission because he cares deeply about the current suffering of his fellow-Texans.” I have no idea how Andy does it but it gets even better. The temperature in Cancún is an unacceptable fifty degrees warmer than in Houston,” Cruz said. “It’s so warm here on the beach that I’ve had to wear a swimsuit and periodically douse myself in the ocean. It is an absolute disgrace, and it will not stand.”“I intend to stay here until I get to the bottom of how Mexico managed to steal all of this heat and sun from Texas,” he said. “I don’t care how long it takes.” The conclusion is nothing short of priceless. “News of Cruz’s trip caused members of Mexico’s Senate to call for the building of a wall along the border with the United States, because, in the words of one lawmaker, “They’re not sending their best.”
The attached photograph is a copy of the recall petition removing Gavin the Governor from office proving that I did follow through with my commitment, signed the petition at Marin Headquarters and shall obtain more signatures. It is unfortunate that a recall did not take place in Texas preventing Ted Cruz from holding office.
