Category: Society

Categories
Economics Society

[534] Of Friday sermon at Ann Arbor Islamic Center

Every Friday around noon, I’m supposed to attend a Friday prayer at a nearby mosque. I have not missed any one yet lately, save the one day that I departed for San Francisco.

As it typically goes, there is a sermon prior to the actual prayer. Unlike in Malaysia where the sermon is almost for certain boring, politically biased and lacks logical flows, the sermon at Ann Arbor most of the time gets the wheel inside of my head cranking. The sermon is interesting because most of the time, it relates to issues that I follow.

Lately however here in Ann Arbor, the Friday sermon has somewhat become a fundraising session. Every recent Friday sermon that I’ve attended as far as I can recall, the sermonizer will start on how donating is good and god will reward a person that gives in the afterlife and what’s not. The sermonizer will continue rambling until a punch line – “there is a poor community in Charlotte, South Carolina that is building a mosque” or “your brothers and sisters in Columbus, Ohio need your help to complete an Islamic center”.

I have nothing against fundraising. As I wading through a very difficult jungle out there, I do see how almost everything needs capital. The statement becomes especially true when it concerns religion. No matter how much cash is thrown into the mosque, the church, the temple or anything, it will needs more and more money. Plus, a couple more cents.

However, I feel it is outrageous to see somebody explicitly soliciting for monetary contribution during a Friday sermon. In my opinion, an announcement before or after the whole praying session would suffice. A flier would suffice. A sandwich man would serve the purpose too. Imagine a sandwich man wandering around soliciting for donation at religious sites – would love to see that!

I don’t know. I don’t get myself involve into the local Muslim community too much. Perhaps that might nullify my opinion. Nevertheless, seeing a sermon session becoming a soliciting session is distasteful.

Oh, well. I guess I should be looking forward to attend another fundraising session before performing the Friday prayer, or I could skip the soliciting session, or, skip the prayer altogether and play Warcraft 24/7 until I rot in hell.

But I wonder, if I had stopped attending the prayer because I hate the sermon cum soliciting session, would I pull the sermonizer cum solicitor into hell with me?

This of course, assuming that God exists, I’m in the right religion, heaven and hell exist, blah, blah, blah…

Categories
Photography Society

[523] Of anon and $5,000,000

I found out last week that the Alumni Memorial Hall, which houses the University of Michigan Art Museum, is set to undergo a renovation in 2006. According to the project description, the renovation will increase the museum space to more than double.

My take – I sort of hate it but at the same time, the plan looks daring, much like the pyramid at the Louvre. The Art Museum has Roman feeling to it and the plan includes a modern design. There is a model of what the Art Museum would look like after completion in the building lobby.

Despite my possible reservation of what I’d call a clash of the temporal dimension, the plan would probably do lots of good to the area. From my understanding of the building style, passersby would be able to see what’s going on inside the Museum, or at least inside the proposed extension, from the outside. It would give a feeling of openness to the building.Anyway, somebody donated 5 million dollar to the Museum for renovation purpose.

Too much money – that’s all I could say when I first saw it. At least, it is for a good purpose.Lastly, in the Museum, there is this one huge painting – hung on a wall, needless to say – which nothing drawn on the canvas. Just a huge frame, colored with purple painted on it. I stood in front of the painting, trying to figure out what the “work of art” is all about for a moment or two. After that, I asked myself, “why am I staring at a blank framed purple-painted canvas?”

I appreciate art, but what I did is stupidity at its best.

Categories
Society Solar car

[383] Of Ann Arbor Art Fair

It’s next week and I was informed that the Solar Car Team has a booth somewhere near Liberty St. Really close to my new place at Thompson.

Anyway, visit http://www.michiganguild.org/summerartfair.htm for info on the annual event.

Categories
Photography Politics & government Society

[316] Of St. Patrick and Southeast Asian community in Michigan

A few days ago, on St. Patrick Day, the town of Ann Arbor was covered in snow.

But a few days later, the Sun came out and joy came to the world. Or at least to the town of Ann Arbor. Delighted, a person decided to take a walk. He visited the Law Quad.

And the West Hall.

Before a Javanese humanoid came.

And kidnapped him. The Javanese kidnapper brought him to a Southeast Asian students’ sort-of-food-party.

Luckily for that person, his kidnapper ate too much Nasi Lemak. And so, he managed to slip away. While running, he saw a recycle bin.

Too tired to run, he hide in the bin. And Lo and behold! He saved himself.p/s – I never knew Indonesians chicks are so hot!
pp/s – 2004 Malaysian general election is under way!
ppp/s – There seems to be big trouble in Taiwan. The winner won the election with 50.1% majority – even worse than Al-Gore vs Bush back in 2001. Riot is currently underway. Though Taiwan seems to be in turmoil, at least the world could take a nap knowing China is smiling.
No war. No referendum. It’s better to have a rioting Taiwan than a war that will drag the US into it while at the same time disrupt international shipping lanes.

Categories
Society

[288] Of Vivaldi

Public domain? In honor of Antonio Vivaldi.

I used to admire Johann Strauss the most but now, Vivaldi deserves more of my respect.