Kamala Khan: American. Muslim. Jersey Girl. Superhero.

     This coming February, Marvel Comics will be releasing a series featuring what seems to be your average teenage Muslim Jersey girl juggling school, family, and friends ... However, Kamala Khan is not just your average girl ... She is a shape-shifting superhero!
     Kamala, whose family is from Pakistan, faces so many of the same issues that first generation kids face in this country (not to say I am speaking from experience or anything). According to The New York Times, Kamala - who goes by the name Ms. Marvel - has a super conservative brother, a paranoid mother, and an overbearing father. (For all I know, this character could be based on any number of people I knew growing up ... I could be Ms. Marvel!)
     On top of trying to keep her family life in order while being a 16-year-old girl, Kamala fights villains. Personally, she will need superhero powers just to pull that off because just being a teenager is hard enough!
  

Photo c/o www.huffingtonpost.com

     I am not an avid reader of comics by any means but I might give this one a try because I think the story described has a little more depth than others I've heard in the past AND, additionally we all know that Jersey girls know how to kick ass and take names better than the rest - so why wouldn't I!

I'm more than a bird. I'm more than a plane. I'm more than some pretty face beside a train and it's not easy to be me. I wish that I could cry, fall upon my knees, find a way to lie about a home I'll never see. [Superman (It's Not Easy), Five for Fighting]

Rebuilding One Year Later

     Exactly one year ago today, Superstorm Sandy pounded the tri-state area, as well as the entire coastline, with what turned out to be the second most expensive storm in US history. The only storm to cost the US more was Hurricane Katrina back in 2005.

Photo c/o http://www.telegraph.co.uk

   
     Today, some people affected by the tragedy are remembering, while others are still recovering. Certain especially hard-hit areas are still in need of basic services ... Residents have still not received grant money promised to them ... and some people are still living in makeshift houses and shelters.
     Despite all this, over the past year, we have seen some boardwalks rebuilt, volunteers come together to build houses for their neighbors, and vigils held in honor of those lost to the storm.
     Superstorm Sandy dealt our area a hard blow but even so we have begun to rebuild and progress towards what will surely be a greater coastline.

From the tip of Cape May County to Sandy Hook and straight on through and every town along the way, we'll remember you. We're gonna build it back. We'll right the wrong. We're Jersey Strong. (Jersey Strong, After the Reign)

There's No Crying In Baseball ...

     ... Unless you're Mariano Rivera, then you can shed as many man tears as you want! Because you've earned it. 19 seasons with the Yankees. Five World Series titles. And countless mentions of you as my baby ...
     So, yes, you can go ahead and fall into the arms of Andy Pettitte and Derek Jeter and cry as much as you want because those are the tears of a champion. If I had anything to do with it, I would bottle up those tears and place them in a museum.
     While fans everywhere are heartbroken at the thought of you leaving the Yankees, you will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the greatest closers of all time.

'Til the Sandman he comes. Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight. Exit light, enter night, take my hand, we're off to Never-never-land. (Enter Sandman, Metallica)

Want Some Cheese With That Whine ... As You Ruin 140 Years Of Rutgers Tradition?!

     Rutgers University has officially updated (read as ruined) their 140 year old alma mater by changing the lyrics to be gender neutral ... and I say this as a woman ... a woman who loves the tradition that Rutgers once prided itself in ... and is slowly breaking down each and every one bit by bit.

     If you are reading this, you may very well know that the original lyrics to the first verse of the alma mater went (sing along with me now, students of Rutgers) ---

      My father sent me to Old Rutgers and resolv'd that I should be a man; and so I settled down, in that noisy college town, on the banks of the Old Raritan.

     The lyrics (ridiculously) now go a little something like this ...

     From far and near we came to Rutgers and resolved to learn all that we can; and so we settled down, in that noisy college town, on the banks of the Old Raritan.

     The new lyrics remove the reference to fathers and becoming men ... because students have a mom too or even two daddies or two mommies or no mommies or no daddies or whatever and because Rutgers is now co-ed and people have felt the need to whine and complain over this fact for years ... Because you know changing the lyrics for a select bunch of people is better than holding on to a tradition that a much larger group of others love and appreciate.
     I don't know if these new lyrics will gain any popularity and stick ... But I do know that I will continue to sing the lyrics that I have grown to know and love (and, let's be honest, memorize) over the past almost ten years I have been around Rutgers, and I hope others will too.

My father sent me to Old Rutgers and resolv'd that I should be a man; and so I settled down in that noisy college town, on the banks of the Old Raritan. On the banks of the Old Raritan (my friends), where Rutgers evermore shall stand, for has she not stood since the time of the flood, on the banks of the Old Raritan. (On The Banks Of The Old Raritan, Rutgers Alma Mater)

Random Ramblings: Why I Like Coming Home From NYC

     This one goes out to besties J&J (no, not Johnson & Johnson, different J's) - two lovely people I work with - who offhandedly inspired what I will be calling Random Ramblings. If you have been following this blog for some time now, you know that most of time the entries stem from some current event or some celebrity gossip or whatnot ... But occasionally, it may be nice to just write about whatevaaaa I darn well please.

     So, on that note, I'd like to explain why, while I love love love New York City ... I also adore getting off NJ Transit at the end of the day and coming home to the suburbs. 

     Yes, I like being close to my friends and family and I like having a lawn and all that good, fun stuff ... But what I really love about pulling on to my driveway after a long day of work is that when you live in the middle of nowhere, on a clear night, you are able to look up and see stars. LOTS AND LOTS OF THEM!

     I know it sounds simple ... but I love stargazing. I always have and always will. There have been nights where I just lie on my driveway and stare at the night sky in all its magnificence. Ever since I was a kid, I've been looking up and wishing on stars - some have been granted and others are still on the back burner. Part of me probably thought I was a Disney princess back in the day wishing on those stars, but it doesn't matter. Until this very day, I still wish on the first star I see at night ...

     And, I hope I never lose that little bit of my childhood that I have brought with me into adulthood.

Like a bolt out of the blue, Fate steps in and sees you through. When you wish upon a star, your dreams come true. (When You Wish Upon A Star, Cliff Edwards)

Princeton Undergrads, Marry Each Other. The Rest Of The World Beneath You. Signed, An Old Divorced Lady.

     You've probably already heard about the lonely divorcee, alumna from Princeton who urged Princetonian women to basically marry her sons or men like them while in college because "as a freshman woman, you have four classes of men to choose from [and] every year, you lose the men in the senior class, and you become older than the class of incoming freshman men, so, by the time you are a senior, you basically only have the men in your own class to choose from, and frankly, they now have four classes of women to choose from" ...

    Ummmm, yeah, I don't know about you but I was not particularly concerned about marriage while in college (or now, for that matter). I had my mind on more important things like if I would pass my Dinosaurs class and where the next party I would be attending was happening and if my new rush crush would get a bid to my sorority and pick me as her Big Sister. Yeah, sounds superficial, but, I mean, come on ... Isn't that what most people are thinking about at 20?

     And that isn't even the biggest issue I have with this woman's "advice" to women ... I have a problem with her insinuating that unless you marry (and marry someone who is your "intellectual equal"), you will essentially be a sad, pathetic, lonely mess with no future.
     Yes, intelligence is obviously an important aspect to consider when choosing one's life partner. As it has been said, looks fade (side note - unfortunately Alzheimer's exists, so sometimes your mind fades as well) ... so you do want to be able to spend the rest of your life with someone you can actually talk to on a level playing field ...
     BUT what about those other aspects that are also important in choosing someone to spend the rest of your life with like, I don't know, maybe choosing a man who is kind and warmhearted and funny and who is nice to his mom and likes puppies and/or babies and is not a total and complete douche.
     You cannot measure a man's character by the name of the school on his degree that he has hanging on his wall in his giant mansion on a hill, like Ms. Patton would like you to do ... A man's character is measured in the way he treats the people around him. And the way he treats you. I know plenty of extraordinary men who have graduated from state schools. I know men who have gone to what some people would call "no-name" schools, who are definitely a better catch than some of the Ivy-Leaguers I know. Just putting it out there.
     This woman really needs to take a chill pill and consider how she evaluates the people around her ... and, if Son 1 and Son 2 happen to come across this blog, I apologize for bagging on your Mom. And I feel sorry for you guys because neither of you will be getting a date with anyone, anytime soon.

When somebody needs you, it's no good unless he needs you all the way. Through the good or lean years, and for all the in-between years, come what may. Who knows where the road will lead us, only a fool would say. But if you let me love you, it's for sure I'm gonna love you all the way, all the way. (All The Way, Frank Sinatra)



If You're Muslim and They Know It ...

     If you ever partake in casual news-watching ... or news-browsing on the web ... (Or haven't been living under a rock) ... I'm sure at this point, you have heard of the NYPD's intrusive, (in my non-lawyer mind) highly likely illegal surveillance of Muslim students across the Northeast ... and, you know what, it's some ...

      Maybe I'm mistaken but I always thought this was country was founded on the principles of life and liberty (and the pursuit of happiness), as well as some basic civil, human, God-given rights ... Like, for example, the fact that (in case you need a little Civics refresher course on the Bill of Rights):

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. (Amendment 1)

and, you know, maybe this one ...

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. (Amendment 4)

     Both those amendments are straight up in the CONSTITUTION of the United States of America ... Basically, uh, the supreme law of the land.

     So, when did it become okay to basically target a whole group of people - in this case, students! - pretty much labeling them as terrorists before anything connects them to acts of terrorism.

     OH WAIT ... Some of them talk about Islam and pray four times a day while whitewater rafting. Totally makes sense now.

     Ummmm, these are MUSLIM college students. Obviously some will pray while out and about ... Obviously some talk of religion will come about. It was an Muslim Student Association trip ... and, despite that, WHO CARES!? ... They have a right to do both of those things without being covertly spied on and then having a SECRET document sent back to the NYPD about their actions.
     This past Sunday, I attended an event sponsored by Muslims For Peace, Inc., which focused on the NYPD surveillance, as well as the human rights issues in Bahrain. In attendance were NJ Congressman Rush Holt, NJ Senator Linda Greenstein, and Councilman Stephen Dalina of Monroe Township, NJ, as well as close to 40 attendees.
     Speakers described the actions of the NYPD as "tragic and un-American," citing that Muslims deserve the same rights as all other Americans. One speaker stated that if the NYPD wants cooperation they should not be secretive and "come through the front door" as it is a "religious duty to obey the laws of the land."
     Holt started speaking by simply stating that, "It's troubling what fear will do to a people."

 

     He went onto describe the actions of the NYPD as "intrusive, reprehensible, and pointless," as well as counterproductive.

     "People should be as much troubled by the bad police procedures as they are by the intrusive actions," said Holt.

     He said that the fear people demonstrate ultimately leads to an unraveling of our society.

     And, if you ask me, that is one of the truest statements I have heard to date. It is fear that led to this surveillance of Muslim students. Fear that has grown after 9/11. And, while I know that there are threats everyday that need to be investigated and looked into, this was not the way to go about it. Yes, keeping this country safe and secure is important but infringing on the rights of an entire group of people because of their faith goes directly against the same rights and freedoms we are trying to protect. 

     Counterproductive, don't you think?

First they came for the communists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

  

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak out for me.

- Niemoller 

Judge not before you judge yourself. Judge not, if you're not ready for judgement. The road of life is rocking and you may stumble too. So while you talk about me, someone else is judging you. (Judge Not, Bob Marley)

 

Losing Faith In Humanity ... One Jackass At A Time.

      A 20-year-old man from Belmar, NJ and a 17-year-old boy from Lake Como, NJ have been charged with beating a homeless man after they posted a video of the attack on YouTube.
     I can't locate the video ... But when you hear about things like this, doesn't it make you lose a bit more faith in humanity ... if you're one of the people who have any left. What makes it worse is that at the end of the video ... when the homeless man is left bloody ... one of the attackers shouts back to him, "Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Whatever the fuck you are."

The kid went in for a hug ... then kneed the man in the groin. Nice. Real nice.

     Isn't this the time of year when we are supposed to be a little more loving? A little more accepting? Aren't we supposed to let people merge in on the highway? And throw an extra dime in an expired meter when we see the meter-maid walking up the street??? I mean, aren't we supposed to be helping each other out just a little bit ... even if it's just at this time of the year?! I'd like it to be all year long, 24/7 ... But God knows that's never going to happen ... So let's just make it happen around the holidays, people!
     Maybe I'm just naive or my faith in humanity is just too strong ... But I think we can all be better to each other. So just do it! --- Be a better person for goodness sake.
     Basically what I am saying is ... Don't be a jackass.

I never wanted to say this. You never wanted to stay. I put my faith in you, so much faith, and then you just threw it away. You threw it away. I'm not so naive. My sorry eyes can see the way you fight shy of almost everything. Well, if you give up, you'll get what you deserve ... Why don't you stand up? Be a man about it, fight with your bare hands about it now. (For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic - Paramore)

Let's Get Behind and Cheer The Yankees!

     The New York Yankees are on the road to 28 World Championships ... But they could face elimination as early as tonight ... as they try to avoid getting knocked out of the playoffs.

     As of right now, in the bottom of the forth, the score is 2-1 Yanks ... Let's just hope they can keep it up ... Because, as Lady Gaga would say, this is their last shot before they kiss the other side.

It's time to feel the rush, to push the dangerous. I'm gonna run back to, to the edge with you ... I'm on the edge of glory and I'm hanging on a moment with you. I'm on a edge with you. Another shot, before we kiss the other side, tonight, yeah babe. Tonight, yeah baby. I'm on the edge of something final we call tonight. (Edge of Glory, Lady Gaga)

Reflections on 9/11

     10 years ago yesterday, the US saw the deadliest attack it has ever seen on her soil. It changed the way we see the world and it defined a generation. My generation.
     Just like many people my age, I can remember exactly where I was when I heard/saw the news of that day ... It was an early Tuesday morning and I was in ninth grade biology class. We were in the middle of some random experiment dealing with dirt and bugs and other gross things that I did not want to deal with at that hour of the morning, when all of a sudden the TV in the classroom turned on (as did the rest in school as I would find out) and I saw smoke escaping the North Tower. At first, I think we all thought it was a movie ... but after a few minutes we realized the reality of it when teachers came rushing by asking for the TVs to be shut off ... But it was too late. We had already seen too much.
     Growing up less than an hour from New York meant that many of our parents worked in and around the towers, including my father. He was actually heading into the city that day when he heard what had happened on the radio. He was turned around and sent back in the other direction when he got to a certain point. Many of my friends began to get calls from their parents checking in. A lot of students were picked up from school ... Some students had no idea what was going on.
  

     Looking back on that day, I don't know if I could have predicted how the world would have changed in ten years. I think we have seen the best and the worst in people, in events, in everything.

     Directly after the attacks, we saw people come out in droves to help with the recovery efforts but we also saw heinous hate crimes being committed against Muslims and Sikhs and Hindus (and Atheists and Christians and Jews who just looked like them). We have seen vigils held in honor of those killed in the attacks on our soil, but then we entered into wars with several countries and thousands of innocents lives - both American and foreign - have been lost in the process. Droughts and famine have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in the Horn of Africa but people now know about the problems facing many of the regions in Africa, and are reaching out a helping hand.

     Ten years later, the New York skyline may still look empty without the Towers hovering high in the sky but the world is still changing and will continue to change - I can only hope for the better.

You can take everything I have. You can break everything I am. Like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper. Go on and try to tear me down, I will be rising from the ground. Like a skyscraper. Like a skyscraper! (Skyscraper, Demi Lovato)

A-Storm's A-Coming!

     And you should ... Get the hell off the beach.

     This is how New Jersey lets you know we mean business when it comes to rain. 

     While those people are chillin' at the shore, other people are acting like they have never seen rain before ... People were willing to wait in an hour-long line at a gas station for the off-chance that gas becomes unavailable because of rain??? ... People stocked up on 24-packs of water like the Zombie Apocalypse is coming this weekend ... And don't even get me started on what Walmart looked like tonight. Officers were policing the parking lot like it was Black Friday.

    Calm yourselves, people. Yes, there is something to be said for being prepared and safe (so, yes, get the hell off the beach). There's another thing to be said for being crazy.

The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the Minnow would be lost, the Minnow would be lost. (Gilligan's Island Theme)

What's Wrong With The World Today? - Mother Nature's On Her .

     My bed was ashakin' on Tuesday afternoon ...

          from an Earthquake ...

               in New Jersey? WTF?!

Photo c/o http://earthquake.usgs.gov/

     And now this coming weekend, New Jersey is about to be hit by Hurricane Irene ... one of the biggest Hurricane's it has seen in decades?!

     What is going on with Mother Nature? Why is she hatin' on us? ...

     I actually have a theory. 

     YES! "Jersey [Freakin'] Shore."

     She wants them off the television, and off our shores, as much as the rest of New Jersey does. Whether she needs to shake them off the shores and have them fall into an Earthquake crack ... Or she needs to sweep them away in a gust of Hurricane wind ... She'll have her way ... Considering they probably won't heed any potential hurricane evacuation warnings because the only hurricanes they know are the ones they order at Karma on Friday nights.

     Although I whole-heartedly agree with Mother Nature's intentions, I just wish she'd leave the rest of us out of it. 

If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops, oh, what a rain that would be. Standing outside with my mouth open wide, ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah. (If All The Raindrops, Barney)

Jersey Strong ... Jersey Proud.

     Either last week or the week before, I came across this postcard on PostSecret and I was a little offended by whoever sent it in ...

     I mean, yes, we have the casts of Jersey Shore and Jerseylicious and Real Housewives to make us look like stupid, drunk fools with anger management issues, crime families to make us look criminal, and politicians to make us look corrupt ... But the people of New Jersey are not what the media makes us out to be. We are better than that ... and just when you thought no one could embarrass New Jersey anymore ... This man comes along.

     Can you say mid-life crisis?! Most people just buy a fancy car or motorcycle ... Or run away with their secretaries. This guy needed to go and record a rap video and embarrass a whole state in the process. Livin' large with those dreams.

     And seriously, when some of the most famous people in entertainment (No, not Snooki), and sports, and history, and everything come from New Jersey ... He chose to highlight Newark as his backdrop for his story and video? Ugh. Couldn't he lie and choose Tallahassee or somewhere that hasn't been hit with the media stupid gene, as of lately.

     And, WHAT? You don't believe me about all those famous New Jerseyans? You think it's just James Gandolfini (Westwood) and Whitney Houston (Newark)'?! You best check yo'self. Here's just a few (or more) for you to think about ...

Famous New Jerseyans in Entertainment

Paul Rudd (Passaic) 

Ray Liotta (aka that hot guy in "Goodfellas," Newark)

My Chemical Romance (Jersey City)

The Shirelles (Passaic) 

Dionne Warwick (East Orange)

Famous New Jerseyans in Sports

Jim Bouton (Newark)

Derek Jeter (Pequannock)

Shaquille O'Neal (Newark)

Famous New Jerseyans in the Arts

Judy Blume (children's author, Elizabeth)

Allen Ginsberg (poet, Newark)

Dorothea Lange (photographer and photojournalist, Hoboken)

Famous New Jerseyans in Other Fields

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin (astronaut, Glen Ridge)

Alice Paul (American suffragist; original author of a proposed Equal Rights amendment, Mt. Laurel)

Paul Robeson (activist, artist, athlete, Princeton)

Martha Stewart (all-around rich businesswoman, Jersey City)

     Didn't I tell you New Jersey had a whole bunch of badass people who were born (and maybe raised) here? It's a great place to live and to raise a family ... and it's time that the media starts showing that.

So don't bother me 'cause I got no time. I'm on my way to see that girl of mine. Nothin' else matters in this whole wide world when you're in love with a Jersey girl. Sing sha la la la la la. (Jersey Girl, Tom Waits)

Side note: It's still true. We pump our fists. Not our gas.